The Moral of the Story: Internationality

As some of you may know, my fiancé and I both love stories. From Titanic to Watchmen (the graphic novel and the film), we have a passion for relatable characters in provocative situations.  There is almost always a theme, or a major point, or a moral to a story that its writers want to drive home. Take Titanic, for example—this classic tale features a theme of undying love (no pun intended, of course). This love is something that both characters—Jack and Rose—strongly believe in. As the story progresses, it’s clear that this love becomes integrated into their morals.

Keegan and his beloved Dr. Manhattan figure. Credit to Keegan for this photo.

And I’ve been thinking, since Keegan and I love stories, why should our wedding be any different than a story? I want our wedding to be something special. I want it to express our beliefs, our interests, our passions, and above all—I want it to tell our story.

So what will the moral of our story be?

Apart from the obvious answer (i.e. love), we’ve decided to go with an international/travel theme.

Why?

1) Keegan and I both believe in diversity and expressing oneself through one’s heritage. We also love traveling and have a passion for other cultures. Keegan’s been to Mexico (thrice), Ireland, Northern Ireland (U.K.), and Canada. He loves Mexican food and is very interested in Latino culture. I’ve been to Mexico, China, and Japan (and South Korea if you count two layovers in the Seoul airport. Oh, and Hong Kong, if you count that separate from China). Mexican food makes my stomach churn, but I love learning languages—including Spanish, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese. (I also want to learn Korean, Irish, and lots of others!)

2) We needed to find a way to incorporate our wide range of interests. We’re truly an “opposites-attract” couple, so we usually love whatever the other dislikes and dislike whatever the other loves. Go figure. So how could we combine my obsession with Asian culture with his cravings for Mexican food? Questions like these prompted us to think of a “theme” that would incorporate all of our interests so that our wedding wouldn’t seem like some random combination of enchiladas/sushi/Asian decorations/Irish colors.

3) Internationality (yes, I'm aware that this is not a proper word. But I love it anyway!) is so special, so unique. It’s becoming increasingly important in our society. And I just think reaching out and making an effort to connect with someone you’re different from can be a life-changing experience for both parties. Plus, you may find you’re not so different from that person after all.

Keegan in Mexico. Credit to Keegan for this photo.

Me in Hong Kong. 

So our international theme will encompass every aspect of the wedding—from the save-the-dates to the cake, I have ideas for each element that will make our wedding special. Here’s a sneak-peak on some of my international ideas:

·      Save-the-dates: a layout setup in the form of a passport

·      Food: Mexican food for Keegan, Asian for me, and Italian to complement both of our tastes

·      Colors: Clover, ivory, and tangerine = the Irish flag

·      Music: from all around the world, of course

·      Decorations: Asian-style paper lanterns, as one example

·      Cake: I have lots of ideas on this one, but I’m thinking about a few layers with Japanese cherry blossoms climbing up the side of the cake

I’m sure there will be lots of characters, settings, and arcs involved in the story we tell on our wedding day. And even though I may not know all the details yet, I do know the moral of the story: internationality. 

Shall we attempt another vote for the next entry? (Please leave comments or contact me with feedback.)

1) Invitations

2) Colors

3) Your Suggestion – what wedding-related issue do you want me to write about?

  

-Paige

First Things First: The Dress

To start things off, I’ll introduce myself. My name’s Paige, and I’m getting married next summer! June 15^th, to be exact. My fiancé, Keegan, and I are ecstatic to begin a new phase of our lives together. But while I’m excited about the planning process, I’m also a little anxious about it because Keegan and I are both college students. He’s graduating this May, but lots of advanced chemistry classes and three jobs for him, and a full load of classes and work for me is going to make the wedding planning process, well… interesting.

But! I think we’re off to a good start. During this past summer, I took a trip to David’s Bridal with my mom and best friend/maid of honor. I succeeded in the quest to find the dress (I said yes to the dress!), and we also picked out a bridesmaids’ dress while we were there. 

My dress is White by Vera Wang. It’s a tulle ball gown with a corded lace bodice. First of all, I’m thrilled to be wearing something by Vera. Second of all, it’s something I could afford! I was lucky enough to get this dress on sale—the first time Vera has ever allowed her gowns to go on sale, I was told by my consultant. I’m obsessed with tulle, so, naturally, I fell in love with this dress. The many layers of tulle flow beautifully. What I love about the layers is that they aren’t perfectly cut and uniform. They’re kind of abstract and just fall in place wherever they want to. I was kind of surprised at how great the dress fits me. I’m super short—5’2 ½”—so I was worried that I would drown in all the tulle. But I didn’t! The dress conforms to my body shape, and with a pair of heels, it looks stunning. The bodice’s back is another one of my favorite features. It still zips up, but vintage-style buttons line the back of the bodice. When I went dress shopping, the buttons were a must-have on my list of dress features.

The Dress Conclusion: It’s perfect, and I couldn’t ask for more. 

Sarah in her bridesmaids' dress

My maid of honor, Sarah, looks beautiful in her dress, and we knew it would be the right fit for everyone—I have five bridesmaids, including Sarah. The girls are all different shapes and sizes, so it was great to find a dress that flatters each girl’s figure. The dress is made of chiffon, so it makes the layers at the end of the dress look very flow-y. I’m sure it’ll look great when we’re all dancing, too!

As far as the David’s Bridal experience goes, it’s pretty awesome.

Pros: I had a wonderful consultant. She was honest with me, showed me the styles I liked (and didn’t like), and comforted me when I had a mini crisis (long story—maybe I’ll save that for another time). I did go on a Saturday, however. So if you’re more comfortable with a less crowded atmosphere, I would suggest that you make your appointment during a weekday. Every staff member I’ve met at David’s Bridal has been very helpful and upfront with me. I would say DB gowns range in price from $100-$2,000. I like DB because of this—it’s more likely that every bride can find something she loves for a price she’s comfortable with. The store’s also pretty big, so they have a wide selection of gowns, styles, and sizes. The designers they carry include Vera Wang, Oleg Cassini, and Galina. They also have David’s Bridal designs that usually tend to be less expensive than the designer gowns.

Cons: The only drawback I noticed was the pricing on accessories like tiaras, sashes, and shoes. I tried on several tiaras while I was there (I refuse to wear a veil), and when I got to the cash register, I decided not to buy the tiara because it was quite pricey. I don’t remember the exact price, but if I remember correctly, it was over $100. So I would suggest saving your money and finding accessories at other, more affordable places like Amazon.com or Michaels (yes, Michaels has tiaras—they’re too cheap-looking for me, but if you’re on a super tight budget, they’re much more affordable than at DB).

DB Conclusion: I would recommend it to any bride—no matter what your budget is, or what your size is, DB probably has something for you.

Sarah and I at DB

Let’s take a vote on what my next entry should discuss!
1) Colors

2) Themes

3) Food

4) The Cake

-Paige

Credit: Thanks to Sarah for permission to use her photos (hers are the first two pictures featured in this entry)!