Shutterfly Holiday Cards!

Let’s face it. Sometimes when you have a large family, holiday cards can be a GIANT task. I remember the days I used to buy the large packs of cards and painstakingly hand write the cards and the envelopes. Well those days are gone!! A few years ago I decided to search online for photo holiday cards like the ones I received from everyone else. I found shutterfly.com had great deals and the biggest selection anywhere. Not only do my friends and relatives get a really nice card (with little effort from my tired writing hand!), they also get a photo or two to boot! One year we used our engagement photo and it was really special! This year is almost even more important than ever, because we recently welcomed our first child and I can’t wait to design this years holiday card and choose from shutterfly’s extensive collection. I definitely won't have time to fill out all those cards with this little guy needing my constant attention. All I have to do is follow the easy instructions on the site and print out the envelopes when they get here! It will be hard deciding which card to choose this year but I’m definitely going to take a look at their photo cards that boast premium quality photo paper. I just love the glossy finish on these! And also this year, since we have a new little one, I think I may do a calendar with his newborn photos to remind ourselves of how small and precious our little baby is right now. This year, Shutterfly is doing something GREAT for all the bloggers out there. Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Oh! and as far as our new addition!...Here is the adorable little guy! He's 2 months old!

Pro Photos

Since our slideshow is no longer available on evokenc.com I thought I'd go ahead and post a few so that there is some finality to this blog as far as my wedding was planned. Here are some of my personal favorites!

Life After Wedding

Wow. Has it really been 4 months? (almost FIVE!?!?)

Bottom line. I'm working the night shift. and not just any night shift. a 12 hour one. (7pm-7am to be exact). I accidentally forgot I had a dentist appt (that I booked SIX MONTHS ago) this morning at 9:15. Well I'm back...and after being scraped and polished, I'm half wide awake. Thought this would be a good time to update F&P with new stuff going on in my life.

Besides this being my last week in orientation at work, I am delving further and further into starting my own side photography business. Check out my temporary website at www.melissabergphotography.com hosted on blogger for now. I'm starting out with child portraits and engagement sessions and soon expanding to pet portraits and possibly weddings in the future. It's funny because a few knotties have also peaked an interest in going along the same route as I, which I think is GREAT!! Who better to capture these moments but recent brides who are hungry for "that" feeling of being involved in the emotions of things like kids, engagements and weddings?

I can't imagine that I'll have many more posts on this blog. All things wedding are over. Besides the last thank you card waiting on an address (Alan's job!!!) ;) OH!! Wait, we ordered our album a few weeks ago. So yeah. There. I'll be back. :)

Video Packaging

I was so impressed with the care and effort KA Studios went into creating our custom DVD that I promised the ladies on the knot, I'd post pictures. Well, I'm FINALLY getting around to it with a few quick snapshots I took of our DVD and packaging.





The DVD was even shrink wrapped and everything! Great job Keith!! Thank you so much and we can't wait to get our additional copies because now everyone wants one! ;)

I recently did a post for Alyse Woodward on my Top 10 Wedding Do's and Don'ts!!
Check it out!

For Sale!

I have updated my For Sale Page!! Please check it out and email me at birdcagebride at gmail dot com if you are interested in any of my items I have listed for sale from my wedding! Thanks! :)

We've been married a month!!

Alan made blueberry pancakes and bacon this morning (afternoon! he let me sleep in lol) for brunch! What a sweetheart! :)

So today is our one month mark. We've been packing this whole weekend in preparation for our move in two weeks to a brand new apartment. I've finally gotten some big name change items checked off my list and I'm just waiting until after the move to do the rest (so they also have the right address!)

We are still waiting on our professional wedding photos but a little birdie told me they will be ready very shortly. I am also still waiting for the call from Diamonds Direct that my rings are ready (VERY nervous about this) and I will surely write an update post either way they turn out. ::fingers crossed::

Can't wait to get all this big stuff out of the way!! I also start work the Monday after we move!! yikes!! :)

TV Debut!

Well for my invites that is! Check out my DOC, Alyse Woodward, in this WBTV segment on budget brides. Do you spy my invites? ;)

~1:40 if you care!! haha.

Let the thank you's begin!

I ended up purchasing these damask thank you cards from Target (idea from a previous post).  I got 100 of them for only $19.99!

I decided I'm going to start writing out the cards, probably about a dozen a day so I don't get writers cramp. I want to wait for our professional pictures to come back anyways, so that if the budget allows, we can include a wallet sized picture of us from our wedding day. This means our thank yous might go out a little later than we'd like, but I think it's worth it.

Our Ceremony

We absolutely loved our officiant, Rev. Barbara Lodge. I wish I could take full credit for our ceremony how it was written, but I got most of my inspiration from knottie Shanwalk2. From her ceremony, I adjusted and tweaked it into something meaningful for us. In the last months of planning, the ceremony was a big ball of stress for me. It started becoming more important than any of the decor and details. Pulling myself out of the craziness and black hole of planning my dream wedding, it was something I had pushed to the very end. Only realizing that it WAS the most important part of the wedding.

After many internet searches and using the resources our officiant gave us at our first meeting, I finally pooled a rough draft. Rev. Lodge helped us create a seamless flow to the ceremony, using her valuable experience and judgement. Her little suggestions made all the difference and during the ceremony, she definitely held it together for us. For those of you still stuck on what or how to begin writing your own ceremony...here is ours. Feel free to use it, adjust it and pull from it as you'd like:

Welcome
[Minister:]
Welcome, family and friends, to this lovely place and
to the start of a new phase in the lives of Alan and Melissa.
As they stand in front of us today, to commit themselves more fully to each other
through the sacred ritual of marriage,
may their expressions of love
influence that same quality of love in each of us.
Will both turn and face each other.
(Blessing of the Hands: revised by Reverend Daniel L. Harris)
“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”
[Reading: Ellis] {Bridesmaid}
A Beautiful Life Together: "Reflections on Marriage for the Bride and Groom"
Let love be your shelter,
For at times the world is a noisy and confusing place.
So make a home that is a haven, a peaceful place where you can
listen to your hearts and savor the comfortable closeness you share.

No matter how busy your days may be, make time for yourselves.
Hold hands. Unwind. Surprise each other.
Find little chances every day to show you’re grateful
To be partners, to be friends, to be married.

Life is not perfect. You will make mistakes.
But each time you meet life’s challenges together,
You will grow wiser, stronger and surer of your love.

Cherish your yesterday.
They are irreplaceable souvenirs of your journey through life.
Make memories that will bring smiles and sighs
Whenever you look back.

Look forward, too. Dream together. Plan together.
Make promises to keep. Believe in your tomorrows,
Because tomorrows are what forever is made of.

To make love last, put each other first
That is the way to make a beautiful life together,

The kind of life you both deserve so very much.

Intent and Willingness:
[Minister:]
Alan, do you affirm your desire and intention to take Melissa as your wife?

Alan: “I Do”

Melissa, do you affirm your desire and intention to take Alan as your husband?


Melissa: “I Do”
Exchange of Vows: {reading from cards}
Alan and Melissa, since it is your intention to marry, join hands, and with your promises bind yourselves to each other as husband and wife.

[Alan:]
Melissa, I love you. You are my best friend.
Today, I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you,
and to always hold you in highest regard.
I will trust you with my dreams,
and support you in fulfilling yours.
I give you my hand, my heart, and my love,
from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.

[Melissa:]
Alan, I love you. You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in bad,
when life seems easy and when it seems hard,
when our love is simple, and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you,
and to always hold you in highest regard.
I will trust you with my dreams,
and support you in fulfilling yours.
I give you my hand, my heart, and my love,
from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.
Ring Ceremony: {Will repeat}
[Minister:]
The wedding ring
is the outward and visible sign
of an inward and spiritual bond
which unites two loyal hearts
in endless love.
It is a seal of the vows Alan and Melissa have made to one another.
As a ring has no end,
neither shall their love for each other.
May God bless these rings
as Melissa and Alan live together
in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives.
May we see the rings.
Alan, place these rings on Melissa's finger and repeat after me:

[Alan:]
Melissa, I give you my heart.
I have no greater gift to give.
Wear this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness.
Let it be a reminder of the vows we have spoken today.
As I place it on your finger,
I commit my heart and soul to you.

[Minister]
Melissa, place this ring on Alan's finger and repeat after me:

[Melissa:]
Alan, I give you my heart.
I have no greater gift to give.
Wear this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness.
Let it be a reminder of the vows we have spoken today.
As I place it on your finger,
I commit my heart and soul to you.

Sand Ceremony: {with music while pouring sand}
Minister:
Love is the eternal force of life.
Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage.
But although you will be sharing one life,
never forget that you are two separate people.
Cherish and affirm your differences.
Love each other.
Keep your commitment primary.
Together you will laugh and cry,
be sick and well,
be happy and angry,
struggle and grow.
You will grow sometimes together, sometimes separately.
This relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual
containers, one representing you Melissa, and all that you were, all that you are,
and all that you will ever be.
The other representing you, Alan, and all that you are, all that you were, and all
that you will ever be.
Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character.
They can stand on their own and be whole,
without the need of anything else.
When the two are blended together they represent an entirely new and
extraordinary relationship.
Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the
combination.
As you each hold your sand, the separate containers represent your lives to this
moment; individual and unique.
You may now blend the sand together symbolizing the uniting of the bride and
groom.
The life that each of you have experienced until now, individually, will hereafter
be inseparably united, for the two shall become one.
Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the
individual containers, so will your marriage be.
{Melissa and Alan walk around table to face guests and pour sand with low instrumental music in background}

Prayer
[Minister:]
At this time, I ask that all married couples join hands as we pray. May the love that Melissa and Alan share remind you of the love that brought you together on your wedding day.

In contemplation,
I invite you to join us in prayer,
. . . as we know the presence of God,
and, as we affirm our belief,
with peace, harmony and love.
For the dreams you have dreamed,
for your hopes for yourselves,
and for each other, we give thanks.
Praying that the thoughts, the words,
and the spirit of our gathering will be filled,
with lasting substance and understanding,
which can only deepen throughout the years.
And, now in this presence,
we bless this union of,
Alan and Melissa.
Amen.

Affirmations of the Witnesses
[Minister:]
We have been privileged to witness this very important,
And very special event in the lives of Melissa and Alan,
For they have made their pledge in our presence,
And have made known their intention
To journey through life together as husband and wife.

I invite all present to demonstrate
Our support of their marriage
By acknowledging their union.
Promising to be their friends, providing encouragement,
And please, only when asked, give wise counsel, with good love…{humor}

In our own way, within our own spirit,
Let us acknowledge this marriage,
Blessing this moment in time,
And all the moments of their lives.


Pronouncement
[Minister:]
Melissa and Alan,
You have shown your willingness to share life together.
In consideration of the vows you have given,
I declare,
Through God,
And by the presence of family and friends that;
you are now joined together as one,
in marriage.

I now pronounce you husband and wife.

Alan, you may now
Kiss the bride.

Ladies and gentlemen,
It is my pleasure to present
for the first time as husband and wife,
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Birdcage. ;)

-Recessional of Bride/Groom, Bridal Party, Families