Todayyyyyy is for Aaaaaa-myyyyyyy***

***from this hilarious song [lyrics; video] that has nothing to do with Amy except 1) wedding and 2) name.

A little over a month ago (I can't believe it's only been a month!), I started a new relationship. While Tim was gone. With someone I met online.

Her name is Amy, and I met her through the message boards on Weddingbee!

Rehearsal dinner thirst

Without ever having met in person, we've started an e-mail discourse that has taken us from talking about Cornell (her alma mater), to weddings, to gardening, to weddings, to family drama, to (yup) weddings, to Etsy, to relationships, to clothes... and to many things NOT wedding. I think Amy is a kindred spirit, and I feel really lucky to have "met" someone so similar to me who lives all the way across the country in Eugene, OR. I was terrible at keeping pen pals when I was a kid, so now's my chance!

Amy and Andy got married on June 22, at a Christmas tree farm near Eugene. Even before I saw all her AMAZING pictures, I knew that we share really similar approaches to our planning and aesthetic (and I also knew I'd be stealing--er, borrowing--a lot from her). We had even already independently planned some of the same minutiae! She DIY'd a ton of stuff and just generally had really, really beautiful details that made the wedding both simple (in the best possible sense of the word... like, un-fussy) and stunning. She used the rustic nature of the farm and surroundings to full advantage: they had perfect weather for their outdoor ceremony and reception, and from the looks of the pictures, the guests were all thrilled to be there. Take this:

Some of A & A's friends - this series is dubbed "the hills are alive" on their Flickr page.

Their colors were all shades of blue with white, which worked so well in the surroundings: the flowers looked very loose and unstructured and fit the vibe of the place, but the colors still stood out against all the lush green. 

I think the pictures pretty much speak for themselves. These are just a few of the 800 or so non-pro pics that Amy and Andy's friends have uploaded on Flickr - I think they were pretty pumped, no?

So without further ado...

The details:

 Zee keck. There was some minor drama surrounding it, but Amy says it turned out delicious despite some aesthetic issues. Looks mighty yummy to me (and purty)...

I think the effort put into this detail is AWESOME, whether it's by Amy or the venue.

  escort card display

The dapper Oliver J. Dogg. He wasn't the ring bearer but a supremely honored guest.

Beautiful ketubah from ketubahketubah.com. I really love that this is displayed for everyone to look at, since not everyone has had a chance to see a Jewish marriage contract before.

How in love am I with this boutonniere?!? Green blueberries! 

Amy's Twigs & Honey hairpiece - she scored one of the few that Myra makes for Oregon boutiques!

Kippot, programs, and water bottles for the guests

The ceremony:

The setup, pre-ceremony; Amy and her parents walking down the aisle

Andy's dad is an established composer who wrote all the music for their ceremony. SO amazing!! It was played by University of Oregon graduate students.

The chuppah carriers lead the way. A & A made the chuppah with birch poles from Nettleton Hollow and a tallis of Andy's.

I love these pictures.

The reception:

Table details: gorgeous flowers in galvanized pails and votives in jelly jars enhance the rustic feel.  The table numbers are adorable AND easy to read!

Amy says that she can't wait to get the pro pics back if only for the detail shots of the flowers, and that she basically tears up when she thinks about how perfect they were. In addition to the green blueberries (greenberries?) in the boutonnieres, her bouquet and the centerpieces also had baby green apples and pears. She loved her bouquet so much that she carried it around all night - even when people kept offering to put it somewhere for her! :-)

Cake-cutting is serious business. (I think this is one of the only pictures in which Amy isn't smiling!)

I can just tell from the pictures that this band rules - everyone was dancing up a storm! These pictures even make me want to dance at our wedding...

One of the best-known and -loved Jewish wedding traditions: the Hora (handkerchief dance)!

On the day of their wedding, the Jewish couple is to be treated like royalty. They sit in chairs while guests try to outdo each other entertaining them... hence the break-dancing. :-)

This pretty much says it all.

Congratulations, Amy and Andy - I wish you guys all the best. And thanks for providing so much great inspiration for our wedding! Amy, I'm thrilled that we've become friends, and I can't wait to meet you guys in person!!