One year on (Happy Anniversary to us)

Today, Adam and I celebrated our one year anniversary. Hoorah - we made it through the first year!

We had previously agreed that we would go away every anniversary, but already in our first year this didn't quite happen! We have a holiday booked next month for a friend's wedding, so instead of holidaying twice, we celebrated our anniversary by holidaying in our own city. Adam booked a surprise night away: we had a hotel room in the city and we went to Chianti, a beautiful Italian restaurant for dinner. We did everything we'd do on a weekend interstate - shopping, drinks at the pub, breakfast at a cafe, shopping today... we even walked to dinner rather than driving or getting a cab. It was lovely.

It's funny - in some ways it feels as though our wedding was just last week - yet in other ways I feel like I've been married for ages.

So one year on, what can I tell you?

• I'm still getting used to the terms 'wife' and 'husband' and 'married'. I still giggle a little when I say 'my husband and I'. Every now and then we deliberately make each other laugh by saying things like "is that my wife arriving home?" or "oh is my husband cooking dinner?". We think it's hilarious and makes us sound old!

• Surprisingly, I have adjusted to the change in surname. I don't think I ever really blogged about that dilemma, but I was really quite torn about it in the lead up to our wedding. I wont go into it here, as it probably deserves a blog post of it's own. But I was worried about it, I was scared, a little sad and felt like somehow it meant I was no longer as connected to my own family. It sounds irrational, but it was a big deal - and I'm sure other brides feel it. And as it turns out, I needn't have been. I have quite easily slipped into my new name quite naturally.

• There's not much I would change about our wedding day. Yes, there are people that we haven't even seen since that day.. but I'd probably still invite them.  There are new decor trends that I love... but I'd probably still keep ours as it was. There are new suppliers and venues that I've discovered... but I'm content with our choices. All in all, our wedding was perfect for us at the time, it suited us to a tee - and because of that I don't think we'll ever look back on it and cringe. Not even when my dress becomes the equivalent of the puffy sleeve. (** as a side note, I think brides should bear this in mind when making their choices... you don't need to be classic, timeless, worry about things dating. Your wedding is one day - one snapshot of time - one point in your lives. Do it so it suits you at the time and there'll never be reason to wish it wasn't that way**).

• It does feel different to be married. Whenever people ask "How's married life?" (and they ask this a lot actually!), my standard answer is "Exactly the same as before". After all, we had already lived together for years. But there is a shift of a kind. We feel a bit more grown up. And we feel like more of a team. If you'd asked me 18 months ago, if we were a team, I'd have told you that we were. But it's stronger now.  Maybe because we know we are stuck together...forever... mwahaha! But seriously, the legal bind has had an impact. We still argue ?(in fact, we've argue plenty), but we argue knowing that its just an argument and that we'll work it out. We don't question whether we'll stay together. Even the biggest arguments don't feel break-up worthy. And...there's more. There's no jealousy or insecurity. In fact, it's the opposite - it's security. I hope I don't sound like a married wanker... I sense that I might, because I know 18 months ago I would have thought that if I read this. I would think "i'm secure, i'm not jealous, we're a team". But I swear... something has shifted. Just saying! 

Anyway, this has turned into a little bit of a reflection. It probably is a good time for reflecting - on the wedding, on marriage, on our relationship.
But I really just came here to say.. YAY!

Good luck to anyone reading that is planning their wedding and marriage. I can honestly say that marriage has been great. So far. :-)

Now I'll leave you with some of our wedding snaps, because an anniversary is also a great time to flick back through the album!

Happy New Year!

Hi there

Just popping past to say Happy New Year!!
I know I said I'd still maintain this blog, but I haven't really been, so if you're looking for me then please head over here to my new blog:

Styling, Hiring & Inspiring

Lots has been going on with the new little business.

• We have a new logo (see above)
• We're getting plenty of enquiries flowing in, mainly from facebook or from readers of this blog (thanks guys!)
• We've booked a super-fun wedding for February next year in a theme I've always loved and wanted to do. 
• We're exhibiting at The Eclective in February
• We just did a lovely Christmas photo shoot and are meeting some great industry people for future collaborations.

Exciting times ahead in 2012!!

I hope you all have a brilliant NYE.  May 2012 bring you much happiness and joy. And if you're planning your wedding for 2012, then enjoy every minute!

Jess xo

Hip Hip Hoorah!!!!! I did it!

Yes, you guessed it. I've finally kicked off the new little business that I've dreamed of for so long...

Introducing....

Pod & Pea

styling. hiring. inspiring

Now that we've launched it, I can tell you more. I have teamed up with my gorgeous like-minded friend, Jacinta to create what we think is an exciting and innovative little venture.

We're going to help create gorgeous, unique, creative events - filled with handmade touches and sweet details.

We're not so interested in corporate events, we're drawn to personal soirees celebrating life's special moments.. Weddings, Engagements, Baby Showers, Hen's Days, Christenings, Birthday Parties, Anniversaries... and so on.

A big part of what we're planning is around hiring... and we're building up an eclectic collection of antique and vintage furniture, along with quirky, rustic and unique props.

We have SO much still to do... but we're on our way.. and we are oh-so-excited!

Please go check out our new blog OVER HERE. 
(this look will change, we haven't even got our logo finalised yet!)

And perhaps even like us on FACEBOOK.
(check out some pics to see some of our range and work).

I intend to still maintain this blog and will be back to share more 'rustic' events and ideas. So don't go away. But please also come follow me at Pod&Pea.

(p.s. you know how i agonised for months over a name... so I'd love to know what you think of the final product! Be honest, let me know what you think!).

xox

The Detail Debate

A funny thing happened in the world of wedding blogs today.
Jonas Peterson, talented Brisbane photographer wrote this: The Mason Jar Manifesto.

Of course you should go there an read it. It is beautifully written, with an important message.

In summary (in case you don't follow that link and read it) Jonas is pleading with the wedding industry.. stylists, photographers, bloggers, even brides.. to cut out the details. To strip the wedding back to what it is supposed to be - a celebration of love, of commitment and of family.
Excellent message.. and it's true.  I agree that every bride needs to step back once in awhile and remember what she's doing this for, what it is all about. That will keep every bride sane.. to realise that the perfect invitations and details do not a wedding maketh.

So while agree with the broad message, I'm kind of torn about how I feel about Jonas' manifesto.. or perhaps moreso about the comments that have been made in response to it.

If you've read my blog, you know that I love details.
And while the details might be 'fluff', I believe this 'fluff' is part of what helps a couple turn what is essentially a formal procedure into a celebration.
Details have always existed where parties existed. It used to be balloons. Now it is much cooler stuff... because couples realise that this is their chance to throw a party of a lifetime and put everything they want into it. Make it unique, make it over the top and make it fun for their guests! I guess what Jonas is saying is that the 'balloons' have taken over. And we can't see the couple and the meaning past the 'balloons'. Fair call, I suppose.

But here's where it gets interesting... Jonas specifically refers to the common details that we see these days on blogs: mason jars, vintage typewriters, hay bales, vintage rugs. Exactly the kind of things that I love.. and have written about here on The Rustic Garden Party.

I don't know if it was Jonas Peterson's intention to specifically object to these vintage / rustic type of details (or just wedding clutter in general), but the responses online definitely seem to have latched on to that.. and out has come an onslaught of complaints about people using 'details' that  are too common, popular, trendy, that don't relate to the couple.

So whilst I agree that weddings are about a couple in love... when it comes to this debate about vintage being over-done, I am left wondering...Who cares???
Does it matter if a couple wants a vintage typewriter, even though they don't dress in vintage clothes or have a house filled with antiques? As long as they are surrounding themselves with items they love and that they want at their wedding, does it really matter? Do they have to justify "oh I make jam... that's why I want mason jars" ...or... "my husband likes reading, that's why we have piles of vintage books in our centrepieces"

Nobody was ever asked to explain balloons.. so why do they have to explain this new kind of decoration?
And even when people use these same details... it's not like their weddings become identical! Everyone adds their own touches.

My point is: People follow trends every day. Look at the clothes we wear. The ways we decorate our houses. Weddings are no different.

Some people might make their wedding decor choices based on their backgrounds, or how they met, or where they've travelled, or whatever. This is great and does make the day very special and personal.
But some people will just choose things because they like it. Is there anything wrong with that?

My wedding was filled with details.Some were even the kind mentioned in the manifesto. Our photographer certainly captured those details. And they are probably the things I have blogged most about.. because really, aren't  blogs about providing resources and ideas for decorating weddings? They're not about teaching people to be in love.

Despite the details, there was never any doubt in my mind about what our day was all about.
Me And Him.
Simple.
And I'd like to think that out-shone all of our details.


(while we're being deep and meaningful, you should also go and read THIS "Open Letter to Bloggers" which also objects to same-same weddings and vintage themes. I read this today as well, so part of my post above  is probably also in response to that)

'Sweet' Friday

Hello again. Happy Friday!

This has definitely been the longest I have gone without blogging! I haven't disappeared though and am still checking in to read your comments and answer any questions.

Why is today a 'sweet' Friday, you ask? Well tomorrow I am setting up a Candy Bar at a wedding and today I am putting together the final touches (and drooling slightly!).

My secret plan is moving ahead. Myself and my new business partner have registered a name.. and we have 2 events coming up over the next 3 weeks. I am excited and inspired - and can't wait to share some pics with you!

Tomorrow's candy bar wont be rustic, but it will be pretty.
While researching ideas, I have seen lots of rustic looking Candy Bars/ Dessert Bars though, and think that something natural and woody would've worked really at The Rustic Garden Party.

I'd love to set up something like this one day:

http://www.79ideas.org/

Speak to you soon!

xoxo

Our wedding is on the internet!!

Yes, you read right: our wedding is on the internet!
Ok so you're probably reading this going "yeah so? you blog about your wedding on the internet".
Actually.. it's better than that. Our wedding is on Style Me Pretty!!

Somehow I missed it. It has been there for 2 weeks without me knowing!! I was out for drinks and dinner tonight and my friend said that someone sent her the link!

Go here to read it and see some pics you haven't seen:
http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/08/26/glen-ewin-estate-wedding-by-james-field/

How exciting! I always thought about submitting my wedding to a blog.. but wasn't sure whether or not to, whether it was blog-worthy enough, whether I'd be embarrassed once it went up (weird i know!)..

Now it's great to see my pictures up on one of my favorite blogs.. I love Style Me Pretty. It was a constant source of inspiration for me while I was engaged. Ok, who am i kidding? It is STILL a source of inspiration!

And speaking of which, SMP now has a special 'local' section especially for Australian weddings.. which means vendors and venues that we can access here. Yay, three cheers for accessibility!

And just quietly.. what kind of wedding planner would I be if I wasn't featured on any blogs? It's another step in the right direction for my future plans!

A secret plan

I have a secret to reveal.

I'm not just some crazy ex-bride that can't stop reminiscing about planning my wedding and searching for fresh wedding ideas.

I thought I should clear that up.

Nope, I am a crazy ex-bride that wants to make a future out of planning MORE weddings and CREATING fresh wedding ideas.
I adore it, I'm inspired by it and it's my dream to be able to do it as a job.

I'm pleased to say that this is not just a pipe dream. I'm on the way. I have a few events on the go already: baby showers, weddings, parties.
I'm collecting an assortment of unique props and decorating pieces... and I'm developing a little portfolio. 
As soon as I nail my business name and logo, I'll start promoting myself as 'hired help'.

That's where I become torn as to whether to continue this blog (which was originally about my own wedding), or whether to start a new one, with a new name, where I can blog about some of my current projects and inspiration beyond the 'rustic' theme.
What do you think? Stick with the old or start with the new? Maintain both? I'm not sure yet.
But I am excited at prospects for the future.

Pinterest steals my heart

Dear Readers, I'm sorry. I have been MIA. And it's not even just that I have been busy... Or not on the computer... Or not looking at Rustic Weddings anymore.

Nope. I've been cheating on my blog.

With Pinterest.

Pinterest is addictive!! How has it taken me so long to jump on board!??
For anyone that doesn't know, pinterest is like an online virtual pinboard (or 17 in my case) that allows you to "pin"  pictures from anywhere on the net, to your own board.
It also allows you to browse other people's boards and "repin" their stuff.

Not only does it save the picture, but the source as well. Do you realise how often I have saved pics to my hard drive and then never been able to find them on the internet again?? So often! And now that I have found pinterest, this shall never happen again.

It really is the best way to collect photos for your wedding.  Or wardrobe. Or house. Or anything else!!!

Since this is the Rustic Garden Party Blog, below are some of the rustic images I have pinned recently. Mainly floral - and all sources are stated when you click through:

Oh and If you would like to follow me on pinterest, then please do. I'm over here.

Love is in the air! (another wedding coming)

I'm so excited. My sister got engaged on the weekend!!!

She has already asked me to be her one and only bridesmaid. Yay!

And she has already told me I am going to have to plan her wedding for her.. because she is not into the whole wedding thing... and I totally am! Double Yay!!

I already have ideas for her.. will share them with you soon! (Must add her wedding will be anything BUT rustic!).

Ceremony readings - Part 2

There's one wedding reading I fell in love with.
It couldn't be more real or more meaningful.
Even now when I read it, my breath catches in my chest a little at the end. And I feel a bit choked up.  It is special.

Union, by Robert Fulghum
*we worked it into the ceremony, so this is a slightly edited version, as it sounded on our day
Jessica and Adam,

You have known each other for seven years, from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. 

At some point, you decided to marry.

From that moment of ‘yes’ until this moment of ‘Yes’, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way.

All of the conversations that were held in a car or over a meal or on long walks—all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will”—those late-night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”—and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart.

All these common things, and more, are the real process of wedding.

The symbolic vows you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed—well, I meant it all, every word.”

Now,  face one another to make your vows. Look at one another—remember this moment in time.

Before this moment, you have been many things to one another—acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last seven years.

Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never be quite the same between you. 

For after these vows you shall say to the world:   This—is my husband. This—is my wife.

Gasp... it still gets me!

Here is the moment:

Ceremony readings

Sometimes I can't decide what I want this blog to be.
Sometimes it is a reflection and keepsake of my own wedding.
Sometimes I see new ideas that fit my theme perfectly, that i wish i'd seen earlier and that i want to share.
Sometimes I want to write about different events entirely... that aren't even rustic.  But this isn't the place. I'll save those ideas for another blog.
This is about the rustic garden party. Our rustic garden party. And the frame of mind, inspiration and fun things that made us plan it.
So.. let me share more of 'us' with you. The bits we chose, not just because they were pretty, but because they were meaningful, special and 'us'.

Here is a reading from our wedding. It was read by Adam's niece and nephew. (who are actually now my niece and nephew too, i suppose!).

It is an excerpt from a children's book from the 1960's: I LIKE YOU, by Sandol Stoddard Warburg.

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it's special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, Remember when you told me something special?
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
you think it's important too
We have good ideas
When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I'm funny and you think I'm funny too

You know how to be silly
That's why I like you
Boy are you silly
I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you
I like you because you know when it's time to stop being silly
Maybe day after tomorrow
Maybe never

I like you because I don't know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can't remember when I didn't like you
It must have been lonesome then

If you go away, then I go away too
or if I stay home, you send me a postcard
You don't just say “Well see you around sometime, bye”
And I like you because if we go away together
And if I get lost
Then you are the one that is yelling for me

I will go on choosing you
And you will go on choosing me
Over and over again
That's how it will happen every time
I don't know why I really like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you because I like you

Jake and Molly (afore-mentioned niece and nephew) did a fantastic job. Truly fantastic. It was one of the most emotional parts of the ceremony. They are cool kids.

Happy Birthday to me!!

Today is my birthday! I am 29!
Later, I'm heading out for lunch with some friends, and plan to drink a lot! Yay!

My first birthday as a wife has started out rather slowly, with my dear husband outside doing some paving in our yard (and not making much of a fuss of me!) So I thought I would send myself some flowers!

These are straight from my C Drive (so sorry, no credits), and are from when I wanted bright oranges, pinks and yellows in my bouquet (which is not what i ended up with). 

These colours are so pretty and happy!

....Now I'm going to ask Adam where my ACTUAL birthday bouquet is!?

Have a lovely day!

Wedding Kisses: the good and the bad

It's been a week of celebrity weddings, and I cant help but comment on the contrast in kisses.

First we had Prince Albert and his hostage bride Charlene. This whole story has had me troubled all week.
As if the stories of her trying to escape days before the wedding before being stopped by police and having her passport confiscated weren't troubling enough.
But her tears throughout the ceremony, her sad eyes and defeated looking posture only cemented the perception that something just isn't right in this relationship.
And  THEN... the kiss. Discomfort central. This is how NOT to kiss on your wedding day. They look like they cant bear each other!
The poor girl.. I'd be cringing if I had to kiss him too!

pic from The Daily Mail

Then we had Kate Moss and Jamie Hince.
Another attractive, blonde, 30-something woman tying the knot on the same day. But the similarities stop there.
Posing happily with their (ahem) 15 bridesmaids, this couple looked the picture of love.
And they had a kiss full of love to match.
Look at the passion in this one. She's pulling him in, and he's holding her so close with that arm around her waist. I think there may even be tongue... although i feel slightly sleazy analysing this too carefully! Especially since they seem to be in a world of their own, seemingly unaware that anyone is watching!

Pic also from The Daily Mail

And just to finish things off (coz really, where else will i ever display this picture?!)... here's my wedding kiss. I think it falls somewhere in between Kate Moss (raunchy) and Prince Albert (revolting):

I have to pose the question.. how much passion is too much passion in a wedding kiss? You want more than a quick peck surely.. but can there be tongue? And how long is too long? Would love to hear your thoughts!

Continuing on confetti..

After my last post, I think I should share my 'confetti'.

My Mother-in-Law has a garden full of roses, so she thoughtfully started collecting rose petals and drying them for months leading up to my wedding. She would lay them out on cardboard on the spare beds in her house.. and once they were dry enough, she bagged them up for me. I think she also put a rose scented oil on them because they smelt lovely.

A couple of weeks before the wedding, she delivered LOADS of these petals to me. I had no idea what to do with them, how to present them, and how to make them fit with the rest of our look.

Here's what I came up with:

I bagged them up into little white paper bags and stamped them with the stamps from our invitations.

Then I put them into a wooden crate that we had handy. It fit perfectly with the theme after all!

And the result:

The colourful fanfare I love, a hilarious look as Adam cops it in the face, and a dress filled with rose petals for the rest of the night!

Thanks Mother-in-Law!

A Hens day with class

I've been MIA again. I know. But over the weekend I headed up to QLD (or was it Northern NSW?) for my friend's Hens Day. I had the best time!!

This friend is getting married in one month (exactly one month today in fact!) in the Cook Islands. I would have loved to attend her wedding, but due to a lack of annual leave and of funds, we had to decline. I am so jealous that I am going to miss out on the sun, fun, romance and awesome party that I know it will be. BUT so it often happens with destination weddings...
The good news is that because I knew I was missing the wedding, I made sure to get up there to celebrate the Hens Day instead!!

It was a ladylike hen's day! Everybody was instructed to dress like "ladies" and we all got a bus to a gorgeous place called House of Gabriel on the Tweed River. It was the sweetest venue where we settled in for delicious High Tea. The food was scrummy, the setting spectacular and the company a blast.

The pretty little House of Gabriel

The starring 'ladies'

Settling in for High Tea - they decorated beautifully for us

The peaceful setting

More High Tea, in full force now

The sun that set in front of us

This Hens Day involved no strippers, no topless waiters, no tackiness. Who needs these when you have great champagne, yummy food and lovely girlfriends?

We played one game, whereby those who broke the rules and were not 'ladylike'enough, had to suffer the consequences and look like men (donning a disgusting old racing jacket and gloves) until they caught someone else breaking the rules! Hilarious. And enough fun without interfering with the day as games so often can.

I will admit the night got decidedly less-ladylike after High Tea was over and the sun went down. But I wont share the photos of that! Let's dwell on the ladylike loveliness instead!

It was a fantastic day. Congrats to my beautiful bestie (MOH and sister of the bride), Kristy, for organising it. And congratulations to the stunning bride-to-be Shelley. I hope the wedding is just as beautiful and just as much fun as the weekend! I know it will be.

Easter Feasting... and cakes of cheese

Happy Belated Easter!!!
Sorry for my lack of blogging of late, I went away for Easter for a lovely break down at Robe, SA. We had a fantastic time with friends, lazing around in the sunshine, sipping on champagne and generally just stuffing ourselves with food!
While Easter normally revolves around chocolate, for us it was more about cheese. I love-love-love cheese. I don't think there was much of the trip when there wasn't a cheese platter in front of us. Divine, creamy, oozy french cheese, yummy (subtle) blue cheese with Maggie Beer's quince paste, Jarlsberg, Cheddar.. did I mention I love cheese?

Anyway, "what does cheese have to do with a wedding blog" I hear you ask. Lots.
When I started planning the Rustic Garden Party, I didn't want a wedding cake. I didn't see the point, actually. I never eat cake at weddings (i'm always off dancing and drinking!) And the whole cutting of the cake moment always seemed a little pointless to me at weddings.
(As an aside.. do you know where cake cutting originated from? I read somewhere that it started when grooms used to smash bread over the bride's head! This was to mark his dominance over her.. and I also once read something really gross about it being a symbol of him breaking her hymen. Gross. 
I've since heard it was about the couple's first "task" as a married couple. Meh - cake cutting = not much of a task really. Anyway... I'm getting off-topic).
What I did want was a "Cake of Cheese" - which had just started to pop up all over the web. I have no problem with cutting cheese:

YUM!! YUM YUM YUM! What could be better for a cheese loving couple like us???
Well, alas... my cheese cake dream never eventuated. It turned out that our venue serves cheese platters instead of dessert (apparently dessert gets thrown away). So the cheese was already taken care of. Bummer. We missed out on this little idea.
To anyone out there reading this: YOU should have a cake of cheese!

Oh -for the record, we had a Croquembouche at our wedding so that there'd be something sweet for people. And we didn't cut it. It wasn't cheese... but it was the best 'cake' I've ever eaten!!!

^If you are looking for one of these in Adelaide, try Heidelberg Cakes. You won't be disappointed!

I hope your Easter was great (and filled with cheese) too!

Treasure.. in the form of glassware

I adore the trend of mismatched vases, mason jars and random vessels as centrepieces and decorations. I adopted this trend early in my wedding planning process, and I fast set about building up a collection.

Hunting for these pieces became like a year long treasure hunt! Some were easy to find and were come across in supermarkets "oh that brand of pasta sauce / jam / juice has a great package.. looks like we're eating that for a year!" Some were harder, with much time spent trawling through op shops, markets and antique stores in search of the perfect colours, shapes, variation of heights, etc.

In the end, I got a great assortment of clear, crystal, greens, browns, ambers and blues:

So what was the result...?
I haven't shared many photos from my wedding yet. I'M NERVOUS!
Here's some to get things started:

Ceremony decoration

Tables