Thrifting Finds

 I took a trip to the antique Kevin and I went to a few weeks ago, this time solo (which means I spent more money than I should have.) BUT I found a lot of awesome things and most are for our wedding.

My favorite find is this vintage suitcase! I have been searching for the perfect one for FOREVER (ok, since we got engaged) for guests to place cards in at the reception. This one is a pretty blue/green and in excellent condition. I can't wait to put it to use! It was a little more than I wanted to spend ($20) but after comparing prices, this was a good deal.

I love this mustard colored shutter I picked up for $4. I don't think I will put it to use like I did our last shutter find, but I think it will be a good decoration on a tall skinny wall.

More vintage handkerchiefs! I have decided I will use these handkerchiefs I've been collecting as part of the centerpieces on the tables at our reception. I saw them in this wedding Andrea sent to me and I love the look.

I also found some more vintage brooches. I have had a hard time finding ones I like for a decent price, and started to doubt whether or not I really wanted to do a brooch bouquet for the wedding. But, I found a few good ones today and decided I'll keep collecting.

From left to right:

Ok, the first one is kind of a joke, but appropriate nonetheless. It's a carrot. Now I just need to find peas!

The second one didn't photograph as well, but it's a very sparkly silver with bright blue jewels. I needed to add a little sparkle to the bouquet.

I love the bow!! I will wear it often until I have to put it on my bouquet.

I also thought love birds were appropriate (though hard to see.)

I decided to lay out all my brooches I've collected so far to see how far I still need to go. I have more than I thought, but I still have a long way to go! I think I need some more color (not orange) in there!

I also decided to take a look at my handkerchief collection. They look so pretty all laid out. I'm excited to see how they will all come together at the reception.

I must admit, I'm watching Hoarders right now and feeling a little guilty. At least I have a wedding as my excuse, right??

P.S. I'm doing the "Photo An Hour" challenge today and will be back later tonight with a glimpse inside my day!

A Place to Say "I Do"

I have very exciting news to share today! Well, exciting for me, you can judge your excitement level. We have found a CEREMONY location! I thought this would be a longer process, because we had something a little more specific in mind than your traditional wedding ceremony. Neither of us are tied to a church and don't want a religious ceremony. I would LOVE to have an outdoor ceremony, but Iowa weather in the summer is so finicky; I don't want the added stress of a 100+ degree day or a 60 degree rainy day. So, we set our search indoors.

I had three ideas in mind for our ceremony.

1) An Iowa barn to compliment our rustic, vintage vibe. But, how does one go about finding a barn big enough and in good enough shape to accommodate 250 wedding guests? I love the venue below the I found on Pinterest, but I just couldn't connect the dots to make it happen in Cedar Falls.

2) An old building with lots of character. How do I find one of these? This wedding was held above the bride's clothing store in a historic downtown building in Springfield, IL. Without inside knowledge or a connection, I was having trouble finding a room like this in Cedar Falls.

3) Somewhere on UNI's campus. Kevin and I met in Cedar Falls and are both very passionate about our alma mater. I love the UNI community and would love to forever associate it with our wedding. We did some looking a few week's back, but didn't fall in love with any one location. Mom and I went to a bridal show in Cedar Falls and talked with the UNI vendors about possible ceremony locations. Then it hit us. The UNI Commons. I know a lot of my readers are students/alumni of UNI, and the Commons is a common (pun intended) place for wedding receptions. I had never considered it for a ceremony. Here are a few pictures I found online, both of ceremonies and receptions. [Note: Don't look at the decorations, look at the room itself! I've got big plans.]

Mom and I went to visit and fell in love. The room is large and open, it has wood floors and big ceilings with very cool detailing. It's vintage, cozy, big enough, beautiful, and on campus. Perfecto! I booked the date yesterday and am happy to announce we will be exchanging "I Do's" at the great University of Northern Iowa!


[Note: The Commons Ballroom is where our *ceremony* will be held. The reception will still be at the Rotary Reserve. I've had some questions] :)