Watermelon tap.

I don't care what the negative comments say, this project is made of WIN. If I had to make a list of limited (the horror! I love food!) foods I had to eat for the rest of my life, watermelon would definitely be near the top of that list.

instructions at evite

During senior year, we made a vodka watermelon with watermelon-flavored vodka. Our enthusiasm for the idea of the project outweighed our enthusiasm for the result by far, but this project seems to have a high likelihood for success.

As with all projects that would need to be made very close in time to the event, though, this probably needs to be farmed out to someone. Hmm, maybe my dad would be up for it...I can't decide if he thinks this would be an interesting enough challenge to go at it or if it would go on the long list of 'bonkers things my family has asked me to do.'

Interesting paper details

These were made by first digitally printing the woodgrain image and then letterpressing the text. Mmm letterpress texture...

(Jefferson + Sarah at Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Stitched printed fabric insert with a tearaway RSVP postcard:

(by Studio on Fire via Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Teeny envelope on a postcard:

({un}veiled vows via a desert fete)

Scalloped edge and ribbon-tied programs:

(Tasha and DW Gibson at Oh So Beautiful Paper)

Typewriter guestbook

(Jessica + Matt at the haystack needle)

Save that date!

Today, I mailed in our first for-real wedding expenditures--the deposit/application fee to hold June 18th, 2011 as the date of our wedding at the Mountain Lakes House. It's $500 now and then we'll get a formal contract in January 2011 with payments of the rest of the site rental fee due in installments from then on.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't decided whether I want to do some cool save-the-dates or just do an email announcement, but one idea I like for save-the-dates is to buy vintage postcards of your location and print out the information (date, location, wedding website) onto adhesive labels.

Typewriter invitations

I just discovered the Oh So Beautiful Paper blog a couple days ago and am actively stopping myself from pouring over its archives any more than I already have. I've restrained myself to those that incorporate typewritten letters into the invitations for now (Dan has a typewriter at his mom's and has been instructed to bring it back next time he drops by there):

(Kathleen and Jeremy)

I like the juxtaposition of fancy title font on classy paper with kraft paper envelopes

(more info)

I wonder if I could cajole Molly or Emily to do a painting of us?

(Mike and Emma)

And one more example of typewriter on vellum, from the haystack needle:

Tree branch arbor

We'll have to visit the Mountain Lakes House again to figure out how we'd want the outdoor version of the ceremony to be set up on the lawn. There may be  a large tree that we could center it around, but I also like this tree branch arbor made from found wood:

(from Style Me Pretty)

The texture allows it to be dressed very simply with just some light fabric.

We wouldn't have a chuppah since we aren't Jewish, but I do like the birch poles:

(from A Practical Wedding)

On the other hand, when we visited Prallsville Mills, Brillman's Rental Barn showed us a book of sample setups of the venue. There was one photo of a pair of bright blue vintage doors that Sue said the couple's florist had hooked them up that I also quite liked for the color and the offbeat-ness.

Cupcakes in teacups

Every couple of days I waver on whether I should keep Style Me Pretty in my Google Reader, because sometimes it makes me feel like I'm overdosing on unattainable imagery, especially since they feature a lot of photo shoots and not just real weddings. Then, they will go ahead and post something like these cupcakes in teacups:

(photos by Red Bliss)