My Hot Air Balloon Wedding Idea

(image via mellican.com)

My Ceremony Idea:
Picture this:  Your loved ones gather in a large grassy field with panoramic views of wine country.  The setting sun cast a golden glow on everything it hits.  As the ceremony begins, you walk down the aisle to see your love,  behind him is a grounded hot air balloon.  You share your vows and become husband and wife, but instead of returning down the aisle you hop into the hot air balloon.  As it takes off, you sprinkle rose petals on your guest as they wave good bye.   Your first hour of married life is spent having a private champagne toast while sailing the skies.  Later, you magically reappear at the reception spot to join your guest at the party.

For a while, this was one of my (many) wedding ceremony visions.   It's romantic and a little bit cheesy, but you gotta admit it's absolutely memorable.

(image via google)

Trying to make it happen:
I wanted to see if I could make it happen.  I emailed 9 Northern California hot air ballooning companies with this message: 

Hi,

I'm starting to plan my 2011 summer wedding and I'm interested in renting a hot air balloon for the ceremony. 

My vision is to have the actual ceremony on the ground in front of 300 guest, then be whisked away on the balloon during sunset as soon as vows are exchanged.   I'm curious if this is even possible?   Do you have a wedding ceremony facility for 300 people?  Or a space where I could bring in about 300 rental chairs? 

Another question, if its not possible to hold a ceremony at the take-off spot , then is it possible to transport a balloon to a different site to take off?  For example a nearby winery or large grassy field? 

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.  Have a good one.  

6 out of 9 emailed me back. Here are some snippets of their responses. 

• We could plan everything for that many guests for your wedding, with the exception on the timing.  We are only able to fly in the mornings in this part of California when the winds are cool and calm.  Would you be interested in further details?
  
• I can do a afternoon wedding but with your understanding that if the winds get stronger than 4 mph, I will have to cancel for Safety Reasons.
• We fly real early in the morning only, 6:30 am these days. The only company in CA doing afternoon flights is just south of San Diego. So not going to work out. Any other questions, please give me a call  
  

(image via jonbowman)

The reality of it:
I found several local companies that do balloon weddings,  but weather makes its nearly impossible to launch anytime beside early morning.  I have my heart set on an evening dinner reception, so I'm not interested in a morning breakfast celebration (plus there is no way I could ask 300 guest to show up at 6:30 AM.) And since I want to stay local,  I don't want to move the wedding to San Diego either.    With so many factors not working in my favor,  I've decided to give up my sunset Napa Valley sunset ceremony vision.

Sigh. It would have been really cool though.

Guess my hot air balloon wedding is not going to take off .  haha.

SF Bay Area Wedding Sample Sale

Just read this on the HereComesTheGuide blog and had to share.

San Francisco Bay Area Brides listen up, if you're on the hunt for a seriously discounted wedding dresses, then head over to Glamour Closet this weekend for their once a year sample sale.  Designer and couture gowns originally priced up to $10,000 are all marked down to $1499, $999, or $499.

 114 Columbus Avenue (cross street: Jackson)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Tel. (415) 391-1515

Special Event Details

Saturday, September 26, 2009 (9am – 5pm)

Sunday, September 27, 2009 (10am – 3pm)

Here are a couple of rules to remember. You can find more information on the Glamour Closet website.

• Sale is first come, first served; shoppers will be admitted to sale in order of arrival 

• Each bride limited to 2 guests (due to space limitations)

• 50 minute time allotment in the store (to ensure everyone gets an opportunity!)

• Entire store will serve as an open dressing room; brides welcome to try-on gowns anywhere there is available space (store curtains in front window will be drawn for privacy from street)

 ________________________________

Will I be going? Yes.  And believe it or not, this will be my first time trying any wedding dress on.   I figure that if I immerse myself in this crazy shopping environment the first time around, then all wedding dress shopping afterward will be a breeze.  This should be very interesting. Hope I don't get run down by other brides!

Groom's Family is HUGE

The husband-to-be had a phone conversation with his dad yesterday about our guest list:

H2B: "So how many of our family members should I expect at the wedding?
DAD: "At least 150, probably more like 175, maybe up to 200."
H2B: "Wow. We have such a big family."
DAD: "Yep, and you have to invite everybody or you're gonna hurt their feelings."
H2B: "... yikes. wow this is gonna cost a lot"
DAD: "Looks like you're not gonna be able to invite any friends. haha."
H2B: "Looks like it."

Personally, I think his dad was only half joking about the no friends part. 

Up to 200 people!  What a huge family huh?  Despite being the size of a small army, they are surprisingly close knit. Most live in the SF Bay Area so they have gatherings once a month  And for those that don't live close by, they communicate through the family website, family email newsletter, and of course facebook.  According to the H2B, not inviting everyone is NOT an option.  He even got a little Groomzilla on me when I mentioned trimming 3rd cousins from the guest list.  

With so many guest to accommodate, no wonder most of his cousins have eloped or flown far far away when it was time for them to get married.  And honestly, it seems like a good idea sometimes.   One of his cousin even gave 2 weeks notice for his wedding,  but despite being last minute a lot of people still showed up.

And what about my family's side?  I have WAY less.   I plan to send my invites out to about 60 family members, but most of them I either haven't met or live on the east coast.  I'm realistically expecting about 30 of them to show up.  What a lopsided guest list huh?

I'm happy to become a part of his HUGE family because they are a fun loving happy bunch, but wow its a lot of mouths to feed. No such thing as a small wedding for me. 

Sigh. Hope I can make this happen.

6 Kid's Table Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

They're is no question that we're going to have kids at our wedding - Both the H2B and I love the joy and spontaneity they bring to a family affair (when they're behave that is, haha.)  With that in mind, I've decided to have a kid's table (aka a special place for controlled chaos.)  Problem is I have a feeling my dramatic glass vase/manzanita branch/candle centerpiece vision just won't be appreciated by a 7 year old - in fact it might just be dangerous too.

Since I'm not one for a blank tablescape, I've decided to brainstorm a few kid table wedding centerpiece ideas.  We're putting lot of thought into this because for this young at heart couple, a zany kids centerpiece offers us a way to express our inner child among a clone army of formal floral centerpieces.   Here are 6 options to consider. 

1. Candy Centerpiece

Children love candy. Period.  How about a candy wedding cake or candy flowers?.   Expect these centerpieces to be eaten half way through the night. Also, expect a lot of very hyper kids. 

(Candy Cake via uniquecakesbydawn, candy bouquet via candyblossoms)

2. Arts and Craft Centerpiece

Keep them busy by letting them get creative.  Provide markers, coloring books. Pipe cleaners.  playdoh, crayons, mini projects,  any kid arts and craft supplies you can name. Love this centerpiece below.

(via thoughtfullysimple)

3. Lego Wedding Cake Centerpiece

Forever a Lego junkie, my H2B loves this Lego wedding cake (he might even consider it for a grooms cake.)  In his exact words this is 'freakin awesome.'   If you're gonna do this for a kids table centerpiece, be mindful of the kid's ages, because tiny Tommy WILL try to swallow little Lego Bride when he think no one is looking.

 

(photo via ericharshbarger.org)

4. Games Centerpiece

Put a bunch of board games in the middles so kids can pick and choose what they want to play.  Who know maybe some adults might end up playing too.  To make it work with a wedding theme, I would tie in my floral motif by sprinkling a bunch of flowers for a decorative touch.

5. Balloon Centerpiece
 Some say balloons are tacky at a wedding--I agree with the statement if your goal is to recreate Prom 1998.  But I also think there are a lot of times when balloons work, and a kids table one of those times.  Some fun  examples:

(hot air balloon via partymaker.com, balloon cake via zoonyballoons)

6. Wedding Dolls Centerpiece

 If a crazy wedding is topper out of question for your wedding cake, then consider putting it on the kids table to get your little guest into the wedding spirit.   Decorate some cute dolls with tulle and a mini hat to create a kid friendly bride and groom set.  I like these dolls below, but you can use whatever you want. Variations include: stuffed animals,  barbie dolls,  mini wii miis, your favorite cartoon character, etc.

Bridal Party Action figures anyone?

(photo via flickr)

Panty Garland Bachelorette Decor

Why haven't I thought about panty garland decor before! I saw this photo in a pal's facebook album and thought the idea was too cool not to share.  Its a party decoration that doubles as a gift!   Its hilarious, cute, and sexy all at the same time. And what bride (or any woman) could say no to more undies? 

How to do this: To pull this off all you really need is a bunch of brand new panties, some string, clothespins, and you have yourself some easy DIY bachelorette decor.   For a big impact, your best bet would be to go with flirty, lacy, and colorful stuff.  And though we all own a pair, I'd stay away from the 'granny panties' on this one.  Comfy? Yes.  Sexy? Never. 

Another Option: To pull off the same effect for extra cheap, you could even substitute the real thing with pretty paper cutouts of panties.

My Obsessive Search for a Wedding Reception Venue

The Ceremony Venue
Guess what?  I know exactly where I want to have my wedding ceremony.  As soon I as saw photos online it became one of my top choices.  And once I visited, I knew that there was no other location for me.  The place is beautiful, breathtaking, epic--Plus, I get giddy every time I imagine getting married there.  Where is it?   Well, I'll keep the exact location a secret for now but I can tell you its somewhere in the SF East Bay.  Sorry guys,  I just don't want to jinx anything until I secure a date (fingers crossed!)

The Reception Venue
Though as sure I am with the ceremony location, I'm completely unsure with the reception spot. Since our wedding is two years away the H2B and I have decided to take our time to find the one perfect place that will make the most of our tight budget.   Here are some of the feature we're looking for:

• Ambiance and privacy
  
• Close to ceremony location - 30 min drive away max
• Indoors - I've always imagined a party inside, plus I don't want to chance it with the weather. 
  
• Large enough for 250 - 350 people.
• Preferably Bring Your Own Caterer  (We'd like ethnic options for food)
• Preferably Bring Your Own Alcohol (This will save us a ton of money!)
  
• Ideally we'd like to spend 2000 or less on venue rental fees.  (We can stretch it up to 4k if its absolutely to die for.)

The Search
Each weekend the H2B and I visit 2-3 venues that meet our our criteria in one way or another.  Generally we don't make any appointments so sometimes they're open and sometimes they're not--this has lead to a little bit of tresspassing on my part.   I've climbed a couple fences to get some pictures.  haha.

Here are our reviews and personal photos of places we've checked out so far. 

Shadelands Art Center - Walnut Creek, CA

• Pros: Huge capacity, BYO everything, low fees, blank slate
• Cons: Ambiance was lacking because its a community hall

Verdict: Doors were locked so we could not see inside.  We're not crazy for the exterior but we don't despise it.  We need to see inside to make the final call.   Because it meets our BYO needs we'll leave it on the maybe list for now.   


Heather Farms Community Center - Walnut Creek, CA

• Pros: BYO everything, scenic pond view, low fees, sense of privacy
• Cons: Indoor space not big enough
  

Verdict: For a public park this place is a great option. We love the pond and surroundings of the venue.   But don't have the heart to cut our guest list to under 225 need to fit inside the hall.   This is crossed off our list. 


Walnut Creek Civic Community Center - Walnut Creek, CA

• Pros: Low fees, BYO options
  
• Cons: Not big enough, not enough parking, next to senior center, not private, awkward landscaping and entrance way. 
  

 Verdict: This place just felt strange to us.  We both hated it and crossed it off our list.  


  Albert H. Dewitt Officer's Club - Alameda, CA

• Pros: Low fees, BYO options, privacy, ample parking
• Cons: Hard to find without GPS. In an closed down military base so surrounding area seems a little abandoned. Interior seems a little dark and rundown. 
  

Verdict:  Just not for us.

Commodore Cruise - Alameda, CA

• Pros: Very scenic
  
• Cons: Catering/alcohol is provided starting at 125 per person (out of my budget.)  Plus our families are notoriously late, so I wouldn't want anybody to miss the launch. 

Verdict: Though a boat wedding could be fun we'd prefer to stay on land so we could keep the party going if we wanted to.  

Point Vista Marina - Alameda, CA

• Pros: Low fees, BYO options,  On a scenic Marina, private outdoor area, ample parking
  
• Cons: On the smaller side, our guest may fit but will be squeezed in tightly.  We'd have to make a few guest list cuts to fit comfortably. 
  

Verdict: SPLIT.  I liked it a lot, the H2B is not a fan. We've decided revisit later if we can't find anywhere better.  


Grandview Pavillion - Alameda, CA

• Pros: On a golf course so its scenic and private.  Nice landscaping.  
• Cons: Catering is provided with a fixed menu - so I'd have to give up my ethnic options.  
  

Verdict: We didn't get to see inside so we can't make our final verdict. But we're not a fan of provided catering. Its not a front runner, but hasn't been ruled out yet. 

 Piedmont Memorial Veterans Building - Piedmont, CA

• Pros: Nice looking place, great lighting, patio, BYO options,
  
• Cons:  Hard to find even with GPS.  Too small for me.  Street parking.  Attached to a police station. 

Verdict:  Probably not for us.   My guest are crazy party people and this could mean trouble with the police station next door.

Piedmont Community Hall - Piedmont, CA

• Pros: Great landscaping, sense of privacy, BYO options
  
• Cons: Too small. At a community church. 
  

Verdict: Nice, but ultimately too small for us.  It crossed off the list. 

 Craneway Pavillion - Richmond, Ca

• Pros: Scenic on the water, huge space, floor to ceiling windows, cool architecture
  
• Cons: Provided catering, Rental fee are higher than my budget allows.    
  

Verdict: This is my splurge option.  I'm in love but I have to decide if I really want to spend the extra money to get it--then save that money.  Sigh.  I'm putting this on the maybe list for now.  

Skyline Community Church - Oakland, CA (forgot my camera so photos taken from here comes the guide)

• Pros: Beautiful panoramic view of green hillside, lovely rock garden, 
• Cons: Too small, hated the pew chairs
  

Verdict:  Nice place but not the place for us. 

My H2B had a funny experience here:  when we dropped in unannounced there just happened to be a wedding coordinator on premise. She asked us when our wedding was and my H2B froze a little bit. He told me that it was because for the first time it 'became real' we were getting married.

Chabot Space and Science Center - Oakland, CA (photos taken from here comes the guide)

• Pros: Really unique venue.  Great panoramic view of the bay area.   Private.  
  
• Cons: Its a 2 mile long windy uphill road to get here.  This may be a problem with our guest that are elderly, or have had too much to drink.  
  

Verdict: The drive up there just won't work for us.  And I feel like if I went with this place I would have to do a celestial theme which is not me. 

Bayside Pavillion - Alameda, CA (photos taken from here comes the guide)

• Pros: Low rental fees, close to ceremony
  
• Cons: Exterior is not scenic at all, its next to a pretty busy road in a somewhat industrial area. 
  

Verdict: Not for us. I need some scenery or landscaping. 


__________

13 venue visits and no clear winners yet.  But no worries, we still have a long list of places to check out.   My obsessive search for an amazing budget friendly reception venue continues...

I'll keep you guys updated!

Pop Up Wedding Invitations

I was wandering around Border's today and was inspired by this pop up instructions book: The Pop up book: Step by Step instructions for creating over 100 original paper projects. I've always associated pop up cards with a 9 year old's birthday party, but this book had some really elegant examples that made me change my mind about pop up cards. I almost bought the book...

...but of course, since I'm such a cheap fiancee I rarely buy books.  Instead I read for hours for free then go home and Google like crazy. (I'm a Google goddess btw.)  Here are some of the most beautiful and inspiring pop up wedding cards I came across.   

Building Pop Up
 Image via MaryBethCryan.   Swoon... isn't this example gorgeous? Its a cutout of a the wedding location.   The bride did it herself too (but of course it helped that shes a professional card maker by trade.) Very cool, but I don't think I can pull ONE of these cards off... let alone 300 of them.  

Jewelry Box Pop Up
I don't remember where I saw this pictures, but how elegant is that!  This one requires minimum cutting too.  What a wonderful way to make an invitation unforgetable!

Birds Pop Up
Found this on GalinBlack's Etsy shop.  She does a couple of other designs as well.  How whimsical and fun.  I could definetely imagine this for a fun lovebird themed wedding.   This pop up concept seems like something that I can maybe DIY. 

Wedding Cake Pop Up
Looks incredible complicated and impossible, but its not.    It takes an investment in a couple of supplies (a home die cut machine and the template) but its possible to construct on your own if you have a LOT of patience.  Here's a youtube tutorial.

'How we met' wedding videos

Our friends probably think the H2B and I have been attached at the hip since day one, but in reality our courtship was much like a romantic comedy where the protagonist gets in a lot of trouble before getting his happy romantic ending (a long story which I'll save for another post.) Most of our friends know bits and pieces, but very few know the whole story.

At our wedding I want to share our love story with our family and friends and their plus ones who may become our future family and friends. I've been trying to figure out a way to do our epic love story justice. I thought about telling it in a speech, but its something that is best edited... so that why I think showing a how we met video would be an awesome idea. Here are some inspiration videos.

Animation
I love the idea of transforming ourselves into cartoons. If you have a friend that is skilled with Adobe Flash, I bet this can be done in a couple of hours. Here's an LA's couple animated story of how they met in Las Vegas.   


Another cute example.  Asian anime style



Reenactment with props
A camera, two barbie dolls, and bam!  You can reenact your love story.  Heres how one couple did it. 



Interview Style
Classic, straightforward, and sweet.  He tells his version, she tells her version, and then an editor weaves them together to make cohesive story. 


Music Video
Here is one couples epic bollywood cinema inspired music video reenactment of their love story. You can tell they're having so much fun filming it.  



Photo Collage
The groom narrates the couple journey over a series of photos. This video is full of personality and wit. The groom is genuinely hilarious and doesn't hesitate to call his wife a stalker in the most loving way possible of course. It has a fantastic call to action ending as well.