Til death do us part

Oh my goodness, this video is heartbreakingly beautiful: Brooklyn couple Danny and Annie tell the true story of their twenty-seven-year romance, from their first date to Danny's last days with terminal cancer. You have to watch it.

(Animated by StoryCorps, via Very Short List; thanks, Sarah)

A year ago today.

Alex, I love you more than ever.

(Photo by Max Wanger)

Breezy wedding dresses

New York Magazine's Weddings Issue did a story about this summer's light-as-air wedding dresses. Aren't they stunning? See the full slideshow here.

Do you like camping?

We used to go on family camping trips every year. My dad would make bullet potatoes over the campfire and we'd ride bikes all day. But I have to say, I could never fully get into it. Camping felt so uncomfortable--sleeping on pebbles, peeing in the middle of the night, waking up freezing, worrying about bears sitting on your tent.

But, these days, I really want to give camping another shot, especially after seeing these gorgeous engagement photos. The fresh air looks so revitalizing and wonderful! Do you like camping? Where do you like to go? I'd love to hear. xo

P.S. Look at these photos of Catalina Island and Kirby Cove!

(Photos by Shannen Norman, via Green Wedding Shoes)

Cheese wedding cakes

For you cheese enthusiasts out there: How amazing are these stinky cheese wedding cakes?! I wish I had known about these when we tied the knot!

Iceland wedding

Would you ever have a destination wedding? Where would you go? This Michigan couple invited their family and friends to Iceland, where they tied the knot in a teeny chapel. The portrait by the hot springs is so rad.

P.S. Weddings in Jamaica, Manhattan and Sweden.

(Photos by Bragi Thor, via Ruffled)

Wedding first look

Michael was nervous to see his gorgeous bride Mandy, so when she walked up behind him, he initially couldn't turn around. When he did, he was so overwhelmed that he broke down in tears. How adorable is that?! It's amazing to witness how much love people have for each other.

(Photos by Lynn Michelle Photography)

BEST wedding video

Oh. Lordy. Max and Margaux's wedding video (by Shark Pig) is the most joyous and beautifully edited wedding video I've ever seen. My heart is all aflutter. Amazing. (Love the dancing feet!)

(Via Once Wed)

Congratulations

We met the wonderful Max Wanger when he took our engagement and wedding photos. Well, Max recently got hitched himself to the beautiful Margaux. Don't you love her chic Morgane Le Fay skirt and top? Congratulations to the lovely couple!

(Photos by Our Labor of Love)

Wedding menus

Chelsea (of Frolic fame) has the best DIY wedding ideas, which she has been sharing on Project Wedding. She just wrote about how to make your own wedding paper goods, using stamps and a white pen. How simple and pretty do these look? (I love that fork stamp!)

Short wedding dress

This bride just got hitched in London, and she looks so adorable and 1920's in her short dress and Chanel heels! Would you wear a short wedding dress? I love them.

(Photos by Krisatomic)

Guest Post: Wedding Inspiration

Since I'm in the midst of planning our wedding which is *gasp* only a few weeks away, I thought I'd leave you with some inspiration for the big day.

Clockwise from top left: Cheese display; cake flags; May 4th tie; butterflies; fieldwork flowers; long guest table; airplants.

Couple in boat; guests.

Thanks again to Joanna for having me here. I've had fun blogging about babies, dresses and weddings. Congratulations to Joanna and Alex, and welcome to the world, Toby!

-- xo, Alyson from Unruly Things

Car wedding invitation

What a cute wedding invitation! That's all. :)

Wedding tennis

I'm loving all the relaxed, low-key weddings these days. This bride and groom played tennis!

(Photo by Glen Allsop)

Short wedding dress

Thumbs up to this short wedding dress! The bride found it at BCBG (it's just a regular white dress).

(Photos, slightly cropped, by Olivia Leigh Weddings)

Vintage wedding dress

Oh my goodness, this 1940's-style vintage wedding dress is available on ebay for five more hours. Wouldn't it look amazing with red lipstick and a low, wavy ponytail? If I were getting married again, I would wear this in a second. Good luck, brides-to-be! xoxo

(See more photos here.)

Vermont wedding: The reception

My lovelies, this week, we saw Gemma and Andy's lakefront rehearsal dinner and outdoor ceremony, and now here's their reception!
Bridesmaid Su Barber built long flower boxes for the tables, and Gemma's sister arranged the flowers, which were a mix of dahlias, wild blueberry stems, Queen Ann's lace and pink roses. The tables were set with muslin tablecloths and vintage brass candlesticks, and guests received keychain flashlights, so they could make their way around the lanterned grounds that night.
Vermont baker Lisa Bigelow made the lemon buttercream cake with fondant frosting and a raspberry filling. (Don't you love the leaves?) "We also served fresh blueberries that our wedding party had picked from the bushes outside," says Gemma, "and we had a five-pound block of Callebaut chocolate, broken up so guests could nibble."
A few brave souls camped in the woods that night. "It was really chilly for August!" Gemma says.
The coolest part? Andy created a whiskey bar in the woods! He wood-burned a sign and put out old china teacups and brown growlers full of various whiskeys. There was a rinsing station for the cups, and old blues music played from a little tape deck.
The girls also had a "ladies lounge" tent with a wingback couch, rugs, and a vanity area with rosewater and powder.
Congratulations again, Gemma and Andy!

(Photos by Anna Robin. Gemma and Andy will also be shooting weddings starting this summer)

Vermont wedding: The ceremony

Yesterday, I shared Gemma and Andy's rehearsal dinner, and now here's their beautiful wedding! They got married in Gemma's parents' backyard, under a giant pine tree with one trunk that splits into two as it reaches towards the sky. Isn't that romantic?
Yellow school buses brought guests to Gemma's childhood home in Marlboro, Vermont.
Gemma and her bridal party walked down the aisle, as their friend played "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young on his guitar. (Gemma's dress was by Zac Posen; Sara Glick did her makeup and Ramie Roth did her hair. Starr McCaleb designed the bridesmaid dresses.)
"I was so nervous walking down the aisle," Gemma remembers. "We came down a dark path in the woods, both parents by my side to give me away. All our friends and family were smiling in the bright sunlight, and Andy was standing under the huge pine tree, waiting for me. He thought something was wrong because I looked so serious, but really I was just concentrating, trying not to burst into tears!"
Their good friend got ordained and married them, and other friends did readings and sang songs.
Tomorrow I'll post the final part -- the reception! xo

(Wedding-kiss photo by Tom Schierlitz. All other photos by Anna Robin. Gemma and Andy will be shooting weddings starting this summer, as well)