Wedding Update!

Several of you have asked for a wedding update, and I am so happy to share some fun details with you! We have rented a house that is supposed to be nice and private, and is right on the saltgrass marsh. This is the view from the house (this dock belongs to the property). Next two photos from Vacation Rentals By Owner.
The back of the house, facing the marsh. As soon as I saw the nice green lawn with the adirondack chairs and palm trees, I knew this was the perfect spot. The house has an open floor plan, tons of windows, and saltillo tile floors. Even if we are driven inside by storms, bugs, or heat, there should be plenty of space. (Sorry for the underline. No matter what I try, I can't get rid of it. Blogger is being uncooperative today.)
Our officiant is just perfect. Her name is Betty Rose (<---- her first name, how sweetly southern), and I just loved her from the minute that I met her. She is retired from working on an island hopper boat and she used to own a charming little group of rental cottages called Mermaid's Landing. Betty Rose owns this adorable neat-as-a-pin cottage on the gulf. Her gardens are so lovely, and she has artfully incorporated all sorts of found objects. Her home really captures the vibe of Cedar Key.


I suppose if there is any design theme for our wedding, it would be "southern preppie barbecue". I still haven't bought a dress. I know, I'm getting nervous about that too. I found a dress on J.Crew that I love, but I'm going to hit a couple more boutiques before I order it. This is the back (not the color that I will wear, but the only color that the back of the dress was shown in):
The front of the dress. This is the color I would order, called Tea Rose. I was really looking for a white cotton dress, but I haven't found anything quite right for me. I love this dress.
The Boy will wear madras. This is my favorite pair, from Brooks Brothers. The Boy found a place in Nantucket that has a pair he likes a little better. I'm still voting for this pair.
Because some family members have severe food allergies and there is a vegetarian in the mix, it seemed easier to prepare some of the food ourselves. My Mom is an amazing cook and it will be fun to spend the afternoon in the kitchen with her, my sister, and anyone else who wants to join in. The menu will be a sort of formal southern barbecue, with pulled pork brought from Tennessee. I can't find any good barbecue near Cedar Key, plus it will be a taste of home for my family. We will also serve shrimp, lots of fancy cheeses, fruit, pasta salad, deviled eggs, a big salad, cake, and some gluten-free, casein-free cupcakes for those with allergies (believe or not, my Mom makes some that are soooo good). I'd like to serve a couple of regional specialties too, such as mullet dip or fresh steamed clams (Cedar Key is the nation's largest producer of farm-raised clams), and a good key lime pie. The Boy loves pie, so it seems fitting to have one at the wedding. Sandwich photo source forgotten. Sorry!
The cake will have simple white frosting, though we're undecided on the cake flavor yet. Probably good old chocolate. I posted a pic of the cake topper a few months ago, but here it is again for those who missed it. We will probably arrange flowers around the base, and the cake will be placed on a simple silver pedestal. Photo Source: Middleburg
Flowers, plates, serving dishes etc will probably be pink, green, chocolate brown, white, and silver. We plan on using some of our favorite vintage serving pieces. Photo source: wedding-flowers-guide.com

Having a wedding on a tiny budget has been challenging to say the least, but I think it will be beautiful and we cannot wait to share this special place with our family.
I really want to thank you all for your kind words of encouragement and support! I am so grateful to have made many friends through the blogging world and Etsy. I had a really rough weekend, but I'm determined to not allow myself to wallow in a funk, but rather to look forward to seeing my family in a few weeks and having a fun wedding-week/family vacation. I know there will be many difficult days ahead for my family, though I won't post much about it because I don't want to bum everybody out. I'm sure everyone will understand if I just disappear for a few days from time to time. However, I'm setting aside time tonight to start catching up on what everyone else has been doing. Your blogs always are funny, and/or thought provoking, and beautiful in so many ways. This is just what I need right now!

P.S. I haven't forgotten about the Giveaway. I'll announce the winner tomorrow!