dum, dum, da-dum....

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dum, dum, da-dum....Don't act like you don't know what that is! Ok, that's Wagner's "Bridal Chorus," or for those less familiar with classical pieces, the very popular "Here Comes the Bride."

I do not want to this played as I walked down the aisle with my father. It's a great dramatic opener, but I just don't feel it for my own ceremony. For one thing, our church does not have an organ, just a piano and I thought the piece wouldn't sound as great on piano. Our pianist suggested the other often-used piece Mendelssohn's "Wedding March," but as stately and regal as it is, I didn't feel that either.

After scouring classical pieces on Youtube, I decided on Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" for the rest of the wedding party's entrance (sponsors, parents, bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc.) and then switching to the ever-lovely "Cannon in D" by Pachelbel for my father and I. No, it's not as grand and dramatic as the other pieces, but I have always loved the piece. I love the exquisite build up in the first few bars. I think it's a gorgeous piece as I come walking toward my new husband-to-be!

This past week, aside from trying to find the great soundtrack to my "dramatic entrance," I had been trying to come up with a music program for our ceremony. My sister's choir and pianist have so graciously agreed to perform for our ceremony. I did, however, need to provide them the music selections (which, according to our church's rules, must be Christian hymns or classical pieces).

While I am familiar with a lot of hymns sung during mass, I couldn't think of any songs that were appropriate. I wanted the songs to reflect our readings as well (Song of Songs 2:8-10,14,16a;8:6-7a, 1 Corinthians:12-31-13-8a, and Mark 10:6-9). There are several resources on the Web (and good ole Youtube) that helped me narrow down my choices. Here's what we came up with for our Catholic ceremony (without communion):

Prelude:
"Where there is Love"
"I Have Loved You"
"Set me as a Seal"

Processional:
"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" by Johann Sebastian Bach
"Canon in D" - Pachelbel

Psalm 145: The Lord is Compassionate (sung by cantor)

Lighting of the Unity Candle
"When Love is Found"

Recessional:
“Ode to Joy” by Beethoven

Yay! Our musical program is complete....now onto the reception!

Vendor Spotlight and GIVEAWAY: Dawn Dalto (CLOSED)

Love Plate

Our next Vendor Spotlight is someone I've been really excited to share with you for some time. If you plan on sending your ring bearer down the aisle with a pillow, you might reconsider when you see photos from Dawn Dalto Ceramics. Hailing from Asheville, North Carolina, Dawn makes a variety of ceramic arts, including the increasingly popular ring bearer plates. The concept is new to me, but they've been catching on in the wedding world for some time. Held in the little hands of your ring bearer, they make a lovely photo op! And while your pillow might go in the attic or in a box after the wedding, your dish can hang on the mantle or on the wall -- a wonderful keepsake!


As the host of this giveaway, I received a ring bearer plate from Dawn. As soon as I opened the package, I was impressed with how adorably small and lightweight it is, a perfect fit for your lil guy! Since our ring bearer is a little older, I thought it might be something different for him instead of a poofy, feminine pillow. Our dish came with an impressed slogan: "Live, Love, Laugh." The color of the wording and the borders give off an elegant aged, antique look. The dish also comes with an organza ribbon where your rings can be safely tied. Dawn can also customize some of the plates with the couple's names and wedding date. Sold at reasonable and affordable prices, these dishes are a great value (considering you can enjoy them long after the wedding). Delicate, beautiful and sweet, Dawn's dishes make a lovely touch to your wedding, as well as a timeless, decorative piece for you and your FH to keep!
I've always been facinated with ceramic arts and pottery and here, Dawn explains the intricate process. Introducing, Dawn from Dawn Dalto Ceramics!

Live Laugh Love Plate

What got you started in making ceramic items?

My partner, Les Powell of Smoking Turtle Studio is a ceramic artist. We had been together for about 3 years when I accepted a position at Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts as the Assistant Director. I have always been an artist, but just hadn't considered clay. Well, you can't be exposed to it day after day without finally having to get your hands dirty!

How long have you been making these products?

I started in ceramics 4 years ago. I began seriously developing a product line and marketing my work about 2 years ago.

What made you decide to create wedding items as well?
My sister Tonia of http://meandmatilda.com. I may be the older sis, but she has some serious business savvy! We were discussing markets that people will always have a need to spend money on. Weddings is one of them. I wrote a blog post about it a little while back called "Married, Buried, Barking & Born" http://dawndalto.net/cart/?p=165

I've heard of ringbearer pillows, not plates. How did you come about making these?
It began with my sister again. I make a line of little "Day of the Week" kitty dishes and she thought they would be the perfect size for Ring Bearer Dishes. The concept is not new. One of the first to offer them was Paloma's Nest. I loved the concept, but wanted to make sure that what I was offering was unique and different from what was already available on the market.

Ring Bearer Dish in Damask

Why plates instead of pillows?
It's a keepsake that lasts. They can be used on your dresser to hold your rings and jewelry and they can also be hung on the wall by the ribbon.

Your products are all handmade. Can you tell me a little bit about the process?
Every piece is handmade by ME. I roll out a slab of clay, cut out the dish and then hand stamp, screen print, and sometimes carve the design. Then I form the dish. The clay is then allowed to dry and then it is bisque fired to remove all water and harden it. Then depending on the dish a color wash may be applied and washed off. It is then glazed and refired to higher temperature.

Tell me something unique about your products.
Most folks are surprised at how light they are. They measure 4.25"x4.25" square (approximately-they are handmade afterall) and fit perfectly in your little Ring Bearer's hand

*Any other information about yourself or your products you'd like to share?
I don't just make Ring Bearer Dishes. I have 3 different product lines. That is what keeps it fun for me (a bit of diversity) In addition to the Ring Bearer Dishes I create custom dinnerware and handcarved tiles and wall boxes.

Links where we can find out more of your work:
website: http://www.dawndalto.net
Blog: http://dawndalto.net/cart/?page_id=295
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v=box_3&id=1093670993#!/pages/Dawn-Dalto-Ceramics/279707322436?ref=ts
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dawndalto
Etsy: http://dawndalto.etsy.com
1000 Markets: http://dawndalto.1000markets.com

The GIVEAWAY:
Dawn is giving one lucky reader a RING BEARER DISH of $32 value!

To Have and To Hold Plate


The RULES
1) Go to Dawn's Etsy Shop, Website or 1000 Markets shop and comment on your favorite item for one entry. This is mandatory! Contestants who do not do this will be disqualified. Remember to leave your email address or some way to contact you with each entry!

Additional entries (remember to leave separate comments for each additonal entry)

2) Become a new follower of this blog (1 entry)
4) Are currently a follower of my blog (2 entries)
5) Become a facebook fan of “I Do” Budget Weddings (2 entries)
6) Become a facebook fan of Dawn Dalto Ceramics (2 entries)
7) Blog about the contest and include a link to the giveaway. Each entrant must also include a link to Dawn Dalto's Etsy Shop in their post (3 entries)
8) Buy anything from Dawn Dalto Ceramics (5 entries)
9) Follow “I Do” Budget Weddings on Twitter (1 entry)
10) Follow Dawn Dalto Ceramics on Twitter (1 entry)
11) Tweet on this giveaway and include a link to this giveaway in your tweet (1 entry)
12) Grab my button and place it on your blog (1 entry)
13) Subscribe to "I Do" Budget Weddings emails (1 entry)

The deadline to enter this contest is 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 16, 2010 (PST). A winner will be randomly chosen and announced the following day. Good luck! (This giveaway is now closed)

Our cultural wedding traditions

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When the future hubs and I first met, we were undergrads involved in an Asian and Pacific Islander student organization called APASA. We were very active in the club (actually he was the president and I was the VP) and we got our first training in teamwork and organization by coordinating cultural and diversity awareness events together (wasn't always a smooth process, but it was something we feel really proud to have worked on together). We discovered a lot about our cultural backgrounds and heritage through our involvement with APASA, and honestly, we wouldn't be a couple today if it weren't for our experiences with the club.

So we naturally wanted to incorporate our cultural backgrounds into our wedding as an ode to our days in APASA, and respect for our families' heritage and culture. We see it as a symbol of us embracing of each other's cultures and our commitment to pass on our multicultural heritage to our children.

But attempting to incorporate three different cultures-- Filipino, Chinese and Samoan -- into one day is difficult. The cultures share a lot of similarities, but they are distinct and unique. How do we respectfully honor each side without looking like a hodge podge mixture without cohesion or unity?

So we've decided to break up the different traditions over three segments of the wedding celebration -- our rehearsal dinner, the ceremony and the reception. During the rehearsal dinner we are serving Chinese dishes and possibly incorporating a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, a tradition where both the bride and groom honor their elders with an offering of tea.

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During our Catholic ceremony, we're incorporating Filipino wedding traditions. The ceremony is full of symbolic meaning and rituals, including a veil covering both the bride and groom to signify being "clothed as one," a cord loosely wrapped around the bride and groom to signify unity and the arras, or offering of 13 coins to represent financial security.

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And last, but not least, our reception will include a fun and energetic performance of Samoan dance and song by a Samoan dance troupe (We're really honored to have a friend and his family perform for us!). This segment will include a traditional dance that I'm really excited about...it's going to be a surprise ;)

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I love hearing about ways other brides and grooms are incorporating their cultural heritage into their wedding! What traditions are you honoring?

Ask and you shall receive

I had been really worried about our reception timeline for awhile. When we booked our ceremony and reception venues, the only things we asked ourselves were: Love the place? Check. Fit our budget? Check. Available on our proposed wedding date?  Check. We were good to go. The thing is, our church schedules morning weddings at 11 a.m. Our reception venue is booked from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. What we didn't realize was that an 11 a.m. ceremony would cut our reception to about three and a half hours. A very cramped three and half hours. Our ceremony will last at least 30 minutes, and with 1 hour of portraits and photos, and about 10 minutes of travel time, lunch won't get started until close to 1 p.m.  I figured we would be tossing dishes in front of our guests and as soon as they take their first bite, we'd be moving right into dessert. Bouquet toss? Forget about it. Speeches? Say "Thanks and good luck," Dad, and move right along. Seriously, I never knew that one lost hour would cost us so much.

So what to do? We already put down our deposits for both venues. Any way we can borrow time? Our reception venue told us extending our time slot was not an option. Great. My fiance thought it was a lost cause. We would just have to live with a very casual reception. I can live with casual, but darn it...we would barely have time to eat with that time frame, let alone dance. Would we even get through a song?

So, I thought I'd try and talk to our priest to see if starting our ceremony earlier would be an option. I thought it would be a long shot...perhaps they would have events already lined up for the day. If it wasn't possible, it would be ok. We had already resigned ourselves to a bare-boned, lunch-only-and-that's-it reception.

When I called our priest and sheepishly asked to move our ceremony earlier, say 10 a.m., he was more than willing. Not a problem, he said, that actually works out better for us. Perfect! It's an early ceremony (yeah, I'd like to see my punctually-challenged relatives be on time for that!), but hey, it gives us more time to really enjoy the day! We don't have to rush the ceremony or reception. Now we can listen to their embarrassing speeches! 

Our church

It feels so good to cross off items on my to-do list! I have all my documents for the church squared away. Today we met with our church wedding coordinator to put down our deposit. She was so sweet and seemed like she was genuinely interested in us. I have to admit, we were getting pretty frustrated early in our search for a church venue. We tried other churches in the area, but there were always obstacles--too expensive, not available on our date, closed to non-parishoners, or we would have to wait for a once-a-month information meeting to find out any information. Sometimes I would get the feeling that a particular church wasn't really interested in welcoming us ...we were just one of countless other couples eager to get married in their church. And when you're faced with astronomical fees on top of other fees, you start to feel like maybe your kind isn't the kind that gets to exchange vows at their church...you know, the kind without money.

But then I found St. Elizabeth in Altadena. Not only is it close to our reception site (an easy 3 miles!), it's gorgeous and the people are so warm and welcoming. We didn't have to go through a zillion steps just to meet with a priest to set a date. There aren't any unnecessary fees like a bench fee for family members to use the piano that's already sitting in the church. They ask that we pay at least $500 and that includes the church coordinator's fee (there's also a $250 marriage encounter weekend we must attend). Overall, we'll be paying $825 (we're going to give a donation to the priest and to the altar servers). Not only is the church affordable, but we feel like it's a great fit for our wedding, for us.  They weren't critical about my fiance not being Catholic. We knew instantly that this is the church where we would become man and wife. Ahhhh, Man and Wife. I'm smiling silly as I type those words.

Save the Date!

Yes!!!! Our date has been secured!

Our top two priority items are crossed off!

Church site for the ceremony: check!

Affordable reception venue: check!

Sooo, without further delay, here they are:

Ceremony Site:
St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church
1879 N. Lake Ave.
Altadena, CA

As I blogged before, St. Elizabeth is a lovely church in Altadena. While we weren't able to afford our first choice, the grand St. Andrew church in Old Town Pasadena, we are very happy with our alternative find. In fact, I love the small intimate feel of the church much better than the echo-y accoustics at St. Andrew. The surrounding courtyard is beautiful and it's only 3 miles from our reception site in Old Town Pasadena!

Reception Venue:

Cafe Santorini Rococo Room

64 West Union Street

Old Town Pasadena, CA 91103

The Rococo Room at Cafe Santorini is a place we've been eyeing for awhile, and just couldn't book it until we had our church squared away.  We chose this place for a variety of different reasons:

1) Location: Old Town Pasadena. 'nuff said.

2) Price: For roughly $30 a person, you get 2 appetizers, bread, salad, a choice of two entrees, two sides, drinks and dessert.

3) Quality: Food is plentiful and D-lish. Mouth still waters whenever I think of their Chicken Marsala. Great service as well!

4) More for your buck: The tables, silverware, plates, glasses, linens and (my favorite) Chiavari chairs are already included. I don't have to purchase a huge wedding cake--a variety of cake (including tiramisu!) is included. (We will, of course cut into a smaller cake for that photo...got to). For $125 extra, they will even set up decorations, which pretty much eliminates the need for a Day of Coordinator (the church provides their own ceremony coordinator).

Overall, for a Saturday afternoon reception for 110 guests with food, drinks, cash bar and champagne toast, we are looking at a $5,500 bill (out the door). High five to our wedding team!

We found a church!

Whew! What a relief! We finally found a church we both really like and in our price range! It's St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Altadena. Built in 1922, St. Elizabeth is a lovely church with ornate paintings, frescos and woodwork. The outside courtyard is lush and green--a really picturesque place for a wedding. It's also really close to Old Town Pasadena where we'd like to have our reception.

 The priest, Fr. Edwin, was very approachable and didn't try to scare us away with strict guidelines. People at the parish seem very welcoming and close-knit. There was no marriage information meeting night. I was able to schedule a meeting with the priest within a few days of contacting the church. The stipend fees for the church is in the $500-$600 range--still a little more than what we budgeted, but far more affordable than St. Andrew in Pasadena. We were even able to set a tentative date --August 7. Now we have to meet with their wedding coordinator to finalize everything. We're so happy! It's such a great feeling to get the ceremony venue--the most important item on the list--finally squared away! Now we have to book the reception site. We already have one in mind, so here's hoping everything works out!

No wedding without the church

Prospective, affordable reception venue: check
Prospective church for the ceremony: still looking.

Yes, I attended the information meeting night at St. Andrew church in Pasadena. I waited three weeks to find out the stipend fee was way out of our budget. Perhaps I budgeted way too low for the church, but the $2500 to marry at St. Andrew is just too much. While I would love to marry my future husband at St. Andrew's, I know that it's not really necessary. The church's physical beauty shouldn't really matter and I would be happy to marry my fiance in the simplest of chapels. The church drills home the fact that marriage shouldn't be all about the reception venue or the party afterwards. The ceremony is the most important part and you should spend even more effort and focus on your preparation for such a huge committment. Sure, I believe all of these things, 100%. But that doesn't mean I need to fork over tons of money to make that commitment. All you need is (cue The Beatles) love.

So the search for the wedding ceremony site continues...and we can't book our reception venue until we do so. My advice: If you're going to have your wedding in a church (or at least a Catholic church) secure your wedding ceremony site first. Make sure you understand all the requirements and set your wedding ceremony date. Your ceremony site should dicate where you have your reception, not the other way around.

Venue search frustration

While we are so close to booking a reception venue, we are have hit a wall. Why? My fiance and I really want to be married at St. Andrew Church in Pasadena. As you can see, it's gorgeous. The frescos, the colors, the Old World feel--it truly would be an honor to say our vows to one another in that church. But here's the drawback of planning to get married in a Catholic church-- there are so many requirements and stipulations. St. Andrew's requires all couples interested in marrying at St. Andrew's to attend an information meeting night, scheduled only once a month. If you miss one, you must wait for next month's meeting. They won't tell you if certain dates are available, or if you meet all the requirements, until you come to the information meeting. Then you must become a member of the parish, you must attend marriage counseling months in advance...

My fiance and I don't want to book our reception venue only to find out the church isn't available that day. Meanwhile, as we wait for the information meeting, someone may scoop up our reception venue. It's pretty stressful, and kind of ironic that the church is the biggest obstacle right now. We're going to hold it out because we're pretty flexible with our wedding date. Here's hoping and praying that everything works out!