Topping the cake...

My idea's for cake decoration so far are centering around two cake topper idea's one is a Border Collie figurine to represent our beloved pet Domino. The other idea is of a symbolic sapling or cutting to represent growth. Below is the figurine that I liked most! =]

 

A first checklist...

My current to-do-list:

- Buy the red dye that Sage needs for my Handfasting cord Russet Red and send it to him!

- Thinking about what kinds of format I want to put my vows into and the things I want to say out loud in front of upwards of a hundred people.

- Picking music, finding things that sound period, running these by Winter.

- Waiting till Winter formally purposes and then finding a way to spread the word. Perhaps throw an engagement party?

- Finishing my list of people I want to invite personally, via FaceBook, and by mail. Then making some king of a flier to send out around the event as a reminder.

- Deciding on what kind of sashes for the people in my wedding party and make them or have them made. I still need to get Winter to decide who he wants to stand with him.

- Talk more with Maeve more about the wedding specifics. Get more ideas from everyone!

- Think about decorations, flags maybe, paper lantern lights?

- Think about flowers and Bouquets and Flower lapel pins and the little sprigs for people to wear... and try to decide.

- Try to figure out what else Winter could wear besides the Kilt to match my dress.

- Figure out what I can and cannot afford.

This is everything I can think of at the moment... I know I am over looking things tho.

Favors For Fun!

I just love favors. So I want to incorporate some... I am just not sure which all are the ones I want because I like a lot of things!!! Maybe a little of everything???

My all time favorite idea is... Seed bombs!
I found it on the "Offbeat Bride" site.
Offbeat Bride Seed Bomb Article
I also discovered that instead of clay like they use you can make them with Paper pulp and they can be all different colors like this..
Paper Pulp Seed Bombs on Etsy
I of course could do it for far less.... and I found it like a nudge to see two of my friends for my favorite Garden group talking and posting about them!
LadyFern's Blog Entry on Paper Pulp Hearts!
Here is a video on making them! It's pretty cute...
Seed Bomb Video -From Susan
I love this idea so so so much! But a lot of questions do come to mind with the idea. Will I get in trouble if these get spread on the site? Personally I think the place could use some random flowers and maybe herbs, I would love to leave my mark... However I am also worried if this might have an impact on that environment... I figure I could try to put them in some sort of containers or tie them in bits of fabric... and pass them out with labels asking that they be planted elsewhere. However, I rather like the idea of making a ton of them and putting out a few baskets or bowls of different ones, Like do one of rosemary, or sage and one of lavender, and one of forget-me-nots or viola's or columbine.. I think these are my top choices But choosing is hard... I have no idea which would be best and then I also want to find them in bulk for a good price and GMO free! I love plants if you couldn't tell... =] I would need to make a LOT of these. The number of people I will personally invite is 75 but I know a lot more pirates then that and expect friends and family of friends and some non pirates too as well as people that hear about our nuptials and wander over to see what's going on.... So really there is no knowing how many people will show because this is a HUGE pirate event lol =]

Favorite Idea number two... Ribbon wands! They look like this...
Ribbon Wands 
This is something I happened across on Etsy by typing wedding... lol =]
I saw them and thought wow these are so simple and they are charging a ton for them and me being very DIY got very excited about them....
So... I told my friend that's like a sis, Fel about the need for ribbon and linked her to show her what I wanted the ribbon for and she figured out for me that I can easily make about a hundred of these, for under 20$. I am so lucky to have her as a friend, she is so helpful! She was the one who found me the number for the bakery! I just couldn't figure out where it was because I was very sad about it...  
The ribbon I want!
I want wine red and Black ribbon with copper colored bells and spray painted gold dowels with rhinestones glued to the bottoms... Ok, as long as the ribbon is red and Black it works! =D I just think this crowd of people would be into playing with these and I just love ribbons and the sound of bells! Anything that jingles actually... Maybe they could even be used like the clinking of glass's to egg the bride and groom into kissing... =]

Next up Favorite idea number three... Little Eco-friendly Soap's!
I found an awesome scent that spoke to me...
It's called Cotton Sails
"Cotton Sails is a gentle cotton, musk, ozone marine, and amber. Just the right combo to remind you of being on the sea, sailing around some tropical islands." -AdamsboroSundries
I found some organic heat and pour soap on Etsy...
Glycerine Soap
Here is bulk Organic melt and pour soap
Bramble Berry
There are all sorts of stuff you can add into soaps like colors and seeds and dried flowers. Like... Soap Coloring The possibilities with soap seem endless.
I found a bunch of molds I love too!
Celtic Knot
Mermaid
Celtic Heart
But to be honest I am sort of thinking about skipping this last one because of it takes a lot of time effort and possibly money to and I am not really sure how used they would get.... Fun idea but maybe not... I think I am going to be spending a LOT of time in the garden... If I can get one.

Alrighty These are the main ones I love.... The last one is actually candies but I'm thinking that suject gets it's own whole post! <3

Customs, Traditons, Superstions and Pretties..

I have been doing a lot of research into wedding traditions and customs. I have found a lot of things I like and learned a lot of interesting things.

Winter and I love the idea of a hand fasting. Part of the reason is because my mother is all about a traditional wedding and later down the road we plan to have a very small one of those too, for her... but for me too because it speaks to another part of me.

"Handfasting refers to one of two types of ceremonies, either a "wedding" or a betrothal of a year and a day, which the participants can then decide to renew or not at the end of that period. Handfasting is quite popular today, among many people who find that their own lifestyles call for an alternative joining ceremony to that provided by more typical weddings." -Handfasting.org
 
The site I liked about the history of handfasting is currently down... But here is a little on the history if you are curious about it =]
History of Handfasting
 


There is all kinds of really interesting information on this site Handfasting.org


I am of Scottish heritage and so it seems rather fitting... Also I know that Philippino wedding have an aspect that is very simlar.. My mother is Philippino and I remember stories and weddings that I went to when I stayed in the Philippines with my grandmother when I was 5 and 7... I was in two of them as a flower girl... The Phillippino's traditions involve a sort of lasso of white cord and often times a veil draped over both the bride and groom and the lasso tightened around the couple... sometimes they instead pin the bride and groom together...


For myself I think we want to tie our hands together.
 A very dear and close friend of mine and Winters named Sage is making us a hand fasting cord... It'll be wool, he's going to dye it himself and spin it and weave it for us... This are the pictures I showed him when I asked him about it.
Handfasting Cord

A veil is very traditional and there will be one for the church-y wedding... In the case of the Pirate-gypsy-handfasting-wedding I want I think I will opt for fresh flowers in my hair... red and white roses and baby's breath in my hair maybe? Speaking of flowers I want to give my guests sprigs of rosemary to wear and maybe a tiny bit of lavender.... Also very symbolic. I think I am really into the symbolic stuff and a little superstitious too... I love the idea of good luck charms as my friends might be able to tel from the wire jewelry and art that I make.


Speaking of History I asked our head gypsy from the gypsy carnvial half of the week long event I plan to hold the wedding at... I asked her about ways we could add a little bit of gypsy-ness to our handfasting because I feel like both Winter and I have a little inner gypsy in us... She linked me to this site...
Gypsy Customs


I read up on it and then got to talk to Barbie Griggs on the phone for about 20 minutes before she had to be at a meeting... She invited us to hold our wedding in the gypsy village! That is a huge honor to me. =D It's nice too because it's right next to our friends the NorthShadow family... Sage said if I got the ok from Tiff who runs the NorthShadow Inn's Kitchen then he'd be willing to prep a roast and help cook it... I'm waiting till Tiff gets online to ask her about it because I know she is super super busy right now. We are not sure if they will bring the kitchen in the fallowing year as Both Tiff and Zeek will be in school and I think having, finals? Or something like that... What I mean to say is that the spot is a very good location and super easy to find on the site as it's near the front gate.


One of the things I read about on the site from Barbie about gypsy custom was the wearing of a gold coin necklace.. I loved the idea of a coin necklace but didn't really find any online that I loved that weren't insanely priced.... So I think that idea may be off the table... Another coin related thing in weddings for good luck is a six pence or a penny in the brides shoe... or a gold and silver coin worn in each shoe from the brides parents.


"Something old, Something new,
Something borrowed, Something blue,
and a sixpence in her shoe..."

I love this rhyme!!! <3  Not sure what coin to use... I might have a sixpence in my little bitty tin full of foreign and strange coins... So far, I figure I'll have a new dress... I'm sure I'll end up having to borrow something.... I wonder if my mom has something old I could use... and I have in mind to have a pair of dark blue kinda a cross between Royal blue and Sapphire blue, Elastic garters to hold up my stockings! 

These are my favorites so far... Minus the rhinestone bits.

#1

#2

#3

 Ok so I got on etsy to get pictures... and on a whim I checked for coins and coin jewelry and I did find some I love!

Check this out!
 
Scottish Two Pence


and..

3Penny


and...
 
Twentypence



and..



Fiji Sixpence Earings!
 

Another tradition involving money is what is called a money dance... Money is placed in a bag worn by or pinned onto the bride towards the cost of a honeymoon. I don't know that I really like this tradition... I hate to ask for money.
Another one involving dancing is of course the first dance... I have no idea what music to play for this.... Another is connected to the garter toss and bouquet toss with those two lucky eligible catchers dancing together.. I heard another version instead of the bouquet toss... All the eligible women write their names on the bottom of a shoe and the one most worn off gets to dance with the catcher of the garter... I would love to do both and maybe have both garters thrown and thus two couples... But then again I would like to keep at least one garter..  Now that I think of bouquets I have no idea what I want yet because I love so so so many flowers... 

If I were to get hena done... Which is supposed to chase away the bad spirits around a wedding... I think I would want flowers somehow bracelet-ed around my wrists.. My friend Amy is a hena artist! <3 


I know I must be missing a ton of things I found in my research so far... that aren't at the top of my mind and will come to me later.... If anyone thinks of some fun traditions and customs for weddings and any other ideas please do tell! =D

There will be Cake!

I want there to be a cake! I want there to at least be a portion that is Gluten free and Sugar Free!!!! This means we are talking pricey. Besides the dress I think this will be the most expensive part of the whole affair! I did find ONE place that makes this kind of cake. They are in Texas and have several sites for their bakery. I called and talked to the owner and he is all about gluten free and his wife is diabetic... He says reservations can sometimes be as back up as far as 18 months thank gawd I am thinking about this now because I sort of thought myself foolish for thinking about a cake over a year in advance... He said I was smart to.... Now I just have to figure out what kind of cake because he said he can do just about anything... It was this cake by this bakery that caught mine and Winter's eye and got me wanting to call them...
Carmel White Chocolate Mouse Cake

This is their fancy cake site...
Couture Cakes and Confections

The bakery ships all over the country and this bakery also makes breads which I definitely want to have present because of it's symbolism, just like my idea for a cake topper... I want to use a a sapling or young plant that we can plant in our yard after... to represent a new life together.  

So I am thinking since we are holding this at a pirate event the cake should somehow be spiced and rum flavored, or have a rum filling sauce or frosting...If anyone has suggestions please do chime in! I need input!

If I had my way.. I wish my friend Dennis could make my cake.. He makes the best but at the Event he is Zorgon and SeaDogs is his event he is the head honcho with Tasha and they just won't have any time for it even in advance. =[ Already asked just to make sure and he said at any other time he would love to do it.

Winter says he'd be fine enough with a cake that is part sugar free and part gluten free, It's me that wants to have both lol... I won't have time to make it myself... I do sort of want it to be fancy and I also think that I don't really care so much about how pretty it is as long as it tastes amazing and is as much like a real gluten cake as it can be without the Gluten. We may even do separate cake for the non sugar free and Gluten free friends.... Tiers maybe? Needs to feed about a hundred guests...


Gosh darn it, THERE WILL BE CAKE! lol =D

Dressing up.

Ok, so one of the first things that comes to mind is what the heck are we going to wear! The colors we want are wine reds black and white with a splash gold or copper like for trim. These are my "ships" colors in our pirate community.

I found the perfect dress for me on Etsy! Problem is the lady that makes them took everything in her store down and it sounds like she isn't very reliable... SO I have to find someone who can sew it for me or make it myself... =\

This is the dress of my dreams!

Credit for this dress goes to Roxxonline on Etsy.


This is another one... but the colors are not quite right...
The Red and Gold Dress
Here is another dress that is sort of what I am looking for..
Another Red, Black and Gold dress
Here is another one by the same lady as above but in Black and White
The Black and White One
Here is another Black and white one in a different style
The Other Black and White Dress


For Winter all we know so far is that we want him in a black kilt.
Maybe some thing like this...
Utilikilt... Look at the black one.
Or like this?
Black Modern Kilt
Or this
Black Utility Kilt
Or...
Black Kilt
and
Black Wool Kilt
They are all pretty pricey lol A good investment tho.

Being a pirate event I figure everyone has garb already and the guests could come as they are already at the event as pirates and gypsies... For the wedding party I think just about everyone has some combination of red black white and gold.... It would help a lot not to have to clothe a wedding party so my solution is some sort of Sash in our wedding colors.... Still trying to come up with something to fit this. I also want to find a way to make some people like my officiate and my Captain who I've asked to walk me down the isle to stand out from the others noticeably... Still thinking on these points... =\

My Love Story and Introduction..

Hullo I am Tory. For seven years I have been involved with a crew called the Criminal Dawn and I've dressed up as a pirate and go to events and pirate camping with friends in the summer on the weekend... In this community I have really grown and host my own mini event called “The Alchemists Brewing and Mixology Contest!” at the biggest camp out event in the pacific northwest Sea Dogs Nights and Gypsy Carnival... The season before last at this big even when I happened to be particularly miserable I was taking a break from my volunteer work and the most beautiful short hair border collie comes right up to me and nuzzels my hand, I was instantaneously in love with this puppy dog. Her owner drifts over towards me with a ball and offers to teach me how to play with her and show off some of her tricks like dancing... That was the first time I met Winter. Winter was the eventing name I was introduced to him as and is his last name... I didn't find out his first name was Nicholas till a year and six months later... Winter happened to be a friend of friends of mine and we ran into each other a lot and began to facebook message each other and then date and by the time Seadogs came again the next year we were pretty much inseparable for that whole week and a half... He started to say “I want to keep you”. When we went home he and I were constantly on the phone talking an I ended up a few days after that with a greyhound ticket he'd bought me to the far other side of the state... He asked me to stay after we kept extending my return trip and it was about a month and a half stay so far and I a decided I didn't want to leave... Fast forward, it's been 7 months and we are madly in love and I have found my very best friend and life companion.. The person I am going to build my life with. Our friends Christine and Charlie just got married this weekend and being around the wedding talk and other things have been reminding us about our talks of marriage... One night we got on the subject and discussed it deeply... He wants to properly purpose... To spring a ring one me and I want that and he's promised this to me within this year saying he will marry me. We tell each other “I am so going to marry you” often. In this talk we picked a date, we both felt it appropriate for SeaDogs 2013 to be our venue. It seemed a perfect appropriate place and setting for us, it just feels right and perfect an idea... I've gotten permission from my friends that are the heads of the event. Tasha wants me to plan it out carefully and make sure everything is well prepped and I've promised her I will. I have lots of ideas and plans... This is why I am making this blog... I hope to use it to build my blueprint into solid plans and keep track of everything. If anyone has some input for me please do tell!!! More details to come!