Wedding Bells!

My sister is getting married tomorrow! I'm the Matron of Honor (matron sounds so old!!) so I'll be MIA all weekend long absorbed in all the festivities. :) Here's the good-lookin' couple. Congrats Sara and Taylor!

Today Is My One Year Wedding Anniversary

Today's post is a personal one. :) My husband, Matt, and I were married one year ago today on May 10th, 2008 at the Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, NC.

We met at the 42nd Street Oyster Bar in downtown Raleigh on my 23rd birthday. I had invited several of my friends out to dinner and one friend brought Matt along to join in the festivities. Despite Matt having an unsettled stomach which he fought off with a plate of mashed potatoes, he and I discovered that we shared a common past of collegiate swimming and ultimate frisbee. Matt was involved with coordinating games for RC Ultimate, and at the end of the meal told me to obtain his email from our mutual friend if I was interested in playing. Fortunately, I was not intimidated by Matt's good looks and charm, and always welcomed an opportunity to throw an elbow or two. The following week I sent Matt a witty email, which prompted numerous novelesque email exchanges, until Matt smoothly asked me out to dinner a week and a half later; and the rest is history.

On a gorgeous day in May we were married. Here are a handful of my favorite photos from our wedding. Enjoy! :)

A Twist on the Wedding Guest Book

Brides these days are increasingly searching for ways to add their own personal touch to their wedding day. More and more brides are straying from more traditional details and creating ways to make their wedding stand out from other weddings; making it a day that both guests and the bride and groom will never forget.

One of the numerous details that can not be forgotten on your wedding day is the inclusion of a guest book. Are you getting married and looking for a unique way to remember your guests? Instead of buying a guest book that you'll pack away after the wedding and never look at again, why not buy a "guest book" that functions as a work of art and can be displayed in your home?

I can create a custom oil or acrylic painting on canvas that will be set in a large bright white mat. Your guests can sign the mat, and then after the wedding all you have to do is frame it. The painting can be whatever you want; whether you're looking for a painting of your wedding site or an abstract color scheme! Are you having a destination wedding and getting married at sunset? I could create a sunset painting for you. Would you rather have a painting of the flowers you've chosen, or an abstract painting that incorporates your color scheme, logo, names, and wedding date? Whatever you want I can create it for you.

I have a listing on Etsy which is for a custom 8x10 oil or acrylic painting on canvas set in a bright white 16x20 mat, ready to be framed. The portrait style mat has a double thick, same-color bevel and features a dramatic, off-center opening that draws attention to the piece.

I am happy to do other sizes as well, depending on your guest count. I am creating two of these "guest books" for two weddings coming up this Spring. One is for my friend and former coworker Amber who is getting married at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. The other is for my sister Sara who will be tying the knot at Edenton Street UMC in downtown Raleigh. I am very excited for both of them, and will post pictures of the final product once I am finished.

I am thrilled about my Custom Wedding Guest Book Paintings, and honored to be able to create something so special for someone on such an important day. These guest books are the perfect way to help make your wedding uniquely you.