This is jmstewart87's Blue Wedding!

I think I found the perfect invitations for our wedding. They are DIY invitations but even better, they can be downloaded for free from www.weddingchicks.com AND customized in 15 colors or so. The RSVPS are adorable because they have a Mad-Lib on the back which is so unique I think. One of my favorite finds so far!

Funny story about my wedding dress... I was recently in South Dakota (Black Hills area) visiting family and attending my cousin's wedding. Since I live away from my family in Missouri, this was the only opportunity I was going to have me, my mom, sister, Grandma, and aunt all together for a while so I jumped at the chance to go dress shopping while I was there. We decided to go to the same bridal shoppe where my cousin, Sierra, bought her wedding dress but didn't make an appointment--I just decided we would try and walk in in the morning. Thankfully I didn't have to have an appointment and crazy enough the consultant who worked with me, Kelly, also worked with Sierra! (Meant to be right...? Ü)

Any way, it was the first dress I tried on and I loved it from the second I stepped into it. I did try on about 4 dresses after just to make sure but I went right back to the first dress--strapless, beaded sparkly bodice, with a lacey (almost like fish-net actually) bottom by Mon Cherie Bridal. Very girly but with a vintage flair which is exactly what I wanted. It was much sparklier than I ever expected myself to buy when I first started looking but I guess when you know, you know. I'm typically an indecisive person and I didn't want to try on a ridiculous amount of wedding dresses like you see girls do on "Say Yes to the Dress." I went for it and I'm so happy I did!

The picture I've provided is not my actual dress because I couldn't upload a picture of it in the right format (I'm not all that technologically savvy) so this is the closest thing I could find to my actual dress. Mine is a little lighter in color and the waist is lower but other than that, it looks very very similar. In any case, however, I don't want to give too much before the big day. With the exception of my mom and friend Lindsey (who's helping me coordinate everything) I want a lot of things to be a surprise. I plan on wearing teal shoes, a pearl necklace, and birdcage veil with my dress.

I once read a magazine article in high school about non-traditional songs to walk down the aisle to and Elvis's "Can't Help Falling in Love With You" was mentioned. Ever since then I've wanted to walk down the aisle to it, especially because my grandma loves Elvis. Recently, however, I came across Eddie Vedder's "Without You" from his Ukelele Songs album and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It fits Jesse and I so well that I might change my mind...

I'm still working on the processional song, but I'm hoping to find one sung by Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, or someone similar. Heck, I might even walk down the aisle to an old song and walk back with "Without You." Decisions, decisions...

Jesse and I's song is "You and Me" by Dave Matthews Band so that'll be our first song. Since I will have two Father/Daughter dances, I will dance with my step dad to "My Girl" and my dad to Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight." Jesse and his mom are still working on the Mother/Son dance but I think they've narrowed it down to 2 Beatles songs.

I also love to line dance so I'm hoping to sneak a few country songs into the line-up (Jesse hates country music). My college teammates and I used to go to this cowboy bar all the time and it would be so wonderful if we could all do it together again.

I don't quite know what to call the "theme" of my wedding. When people ask what my colors are I don't always know what to say because I'm not just having one or two. I knew teal would be a color I absolutely wanted but seeing other wedding pictures online, I've been inspired to include more--ivory, pink, marigold, grey, and a dusty greyish blue.

Ivory: I chose ivory because I think it accents the teal well and is the color of the lace doilies I want on the tables.

Antique pink: I don't plan on including much pink but I loved the white peonies in the picture on my inspiration board so much that I want a some pink scattered across the wedding decor.

Marigold: Included in the table decor will be old books antique black and white or sephia pictures of family wedding pictures, Jesse and I's favorite places, and so forth. The yellow-ish gold is reminscent of that.

Grey: More or less an accent color for silverware, jewelry, and antiques.

Greyish blue: If I point the theme of my wedding to one thing, it'd be mason jars. My cousins and sister and I used to play with our great grandfather's marbles which he kept in an old mason jar so for me, mason jars represent family and an era Jesse and I feel we were meant to live in. I found some great dresses from JCrew in a shade similar to blue mason jars that I absolutely love.

My plan in to use lace doilies, mason jars, antiques, old books, candles, old-fashioned lamps, black and white pictures in vintage frames, and so forth on the guests tables. I also plan to use mason jars filled with tea candles or flowers along the aisle along with white Christmas lights. Everything else will flow with that same concept.

Jacquelyn (Maid of Honor): Sister
Jeremiah (Man of Honor): Brother
Jess: Best Friend
Beth: Best Friend

When I first got engaged I originally wanted dark teal/turquoise dresses for bridesmaids because it is the central color of the wedding. However, I couldn't find a dress.dresses that I really liked for the girls. The wedding is in June and considering the laid-back feel, I want hem to wear short dresses (despite my sister's attempts to talk me into long dresses). To be honest, I don't care what the dress looks like too much so long as it was teal, short, and made Jess, Jacq, and Beth feel comfortable.

The other day, though, I stumbled upon some silk chiffon dresses from JCrew. Surprisingly, they aren't teal--they're "dusty shale" which is really close to the color of the blue mason jars. I love them. So long as they don't look too white or grey in person, I think these are the dresses I want the girls in. I still want to keep a teal concept so I think I'll have them accessorize with teal earrings or a big bracelet or teal ribbon on their bouquets. The plan in for Miah to wear a matching tie that's a little different from the groomsmen's attire.

My fiance and I are laid-back old souls whose most important value in life is our family so wanted a wedding to reflect those themes. We love the romanticism of vintage styles and objects so we are incorporating mason jars, lace, antiques, and antiqued colors to accent the dark teal, bright pink, and ivory that are serving as the primary colors. Since we are from Colorado and enjoy the outdoors, we are having an outdoor ceremony with the Continental Divide and many evergreen trees to serve as the backdrop to the ceremony. The reception will take place in Chief Hosa Lodge which was built in 1918 and reflects that same old-fashioned, laid-back style and look we want.

PS--I couldn't save the second inspiration board correctly so it's not quite finished. Essentially the newer board is what my inspiration has evolved into.