Thursday, February 11, 2010

The AMBIANCE - Our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING - Dorana & Todd 12/26/2009



Our intimate outdoor wedding turned indoors was magical with special touches from some of our favorite Etsy Handmade Vendors!

Perhaps the most photographed was a beautiful personalized luminary that glowed throughout the evening along our "alter" from Jessica Wolf of Etsy's paperacorn.etsy.com.

Jess was so accommodating and friendly throughout the process and we were thrilled with the packaging and speedy shipping! For the perfect glowing personalized token at any special occasion paperacorn.etsy.com is it!



Photography by Stephen Shadrach.



Friday, February 5, 2010

The WELCOME - Our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING - Dorana & Todd 12/26/2009



The plan was a small outside intimate wedding with 25 of our closest friends and family, celebrated in our new historic town and home.

(sigh)

Alas, Mother Nature had other things in mind; torrential rainfall! It poured from before sunrise into the following day!

As I walked out of the salon with my hair in cascading waves, the howling wind turned my umbrella inside out while the rain crashed down sideways! I struggled with the umbrella trying to protect my hair as I slid on the pavement losing my flip flops (yes, flip flops - note to future brides: don't get manicure and pedicures done the day of your wedding!).

I remember shuffling through growing puddles of water and thinking to myself, "I can't believe this! This is our WEDDING DAY!"


All morning long I had been convincing myself that the rain was GOOD LUCK!

I had read that rain on your wedding day represented fertility and stability and income and guaranteed a long happy marriage!


But as I drove home realizing that we wouldn't be able to take
pictures in our new town and have the service in our beautiful side yard, I was so disappointed!


I made the turn into our driveway and was greeted by our beautiful custom made Wedding Sign created by Jennifer of Etsy's Funki Folk Art.etsy.com that my future husband had attached to our mailbox!


All of the disappointment over the weather and anxiety immediately melted away! It wasn't quite what I had always imagined... it was better!

Jennifer's beautiful welcoming signs set the perfect stage for our living room wedding!

I had been exchanging emails with Jennifer for over a year and we were so thrilled to finally be able to take advantage of her unique personalized signs!

We also ordered a "RECEPTION" sign that Todd stole and positioned over our new Wet Bar in the kitchen!

We can't wait to order my little sisters' signs to welcome her guests to her June Wedding! Thank you
Jennifer!


Photography by Stephen Shadrach.


Wednesday, February 3, 2010

The Treats - Our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING - Dorana & Todd 12/26/2009



There are no processed foods, candies, potato chips, no junk food of any kind in our house... really! In fact, one of the greatest joys of going to my best friend's house is poking through the magical cabinet in her kitchen that transports me to another time with Pop Tarts, Doritos, an endless tub of Halloween candy, chocolates - lots of chocolates and my all time favorite: Marshmallows! And not just any marshmallows, but the big fluffy marshmallows - not the teeny tiny ones that we do keep around for the rare occasions we make hot chocolate.

Okay, perhaps there is the occasional tub of vanilla ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, warm chocolate chip cookies and CHOCOLATE. Not just any chocolate though - NIKI'S CHOCOLATE!

There is something about those little white boxes with the freshest, most decadent little bits of sweet heaven! Our favorite: ROCKY ROAD - just something about those fresh soft marshmallows!

We couldn't imagine celebrating our wedding without Nicole Varrenti's of Etsy's nikid.etsy.com's incredible treats!

With whimsical Caramel Apple Pops and Chocolate Covered Coffee Spoons, they were just the special sweet touch of our Handmade Etsy Wedding!




Friday, January 29, 2010

The INVITATIONS- Our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING - Dorana & Todd 12/26/2009



We've all seen it before.

The bright fuschia dress from a guest that somehow appears in EVERY wedding photo!

NOPE, not at OUR wedding!


It took some serious convincing, but after much begging and pleading, Todd relented and I was thrilled!

A BLACK AND WHITE WEDDING it would be!

My mother was mortified!


"You can't let people wear white to your wedding!"

Of course I could!

My custom made gown was a beautiful ivory and with everyone and everything in black and white, I was certainly the belle of my ball!

The only color throughout the event were signature Red Roses in my bouquet, flowers, and my Red Satin strappy heels!

The theme of the wedding was beautifully set with the calligraphy lettering for
our invitation by Jerise Fogel from Etsy's jerise.etsy.com.







Thursday, January 28, 2010

Our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING - Dorana & Todd 12/26/2009 and the Introduction of Renovation Girl and Comp Boy!



I am SO excited to finally get the opportunity to catch up on the last eight months!

Had someone told me eight months ago that we were going to buy a new house in a
dreamy historic town, spend six months giving birth to a new kitchen as a DIY project from studs to custom wet bar, get ENGAGED AND BE MARRIED BEFORE THE NEW YEAR, I wouldn't have believed it!

For the next couple of weeks, I am thrilled to walk you through our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING that we planned in less than 6 weeks for well under $5000 including a custom a Dorana design wedding gown!

Please make sure to follow my a Dorana design Blog to read about our incredible Handmade Wedding!

Make sure to stay tuned HERE to read more about the adventures of

RENOVATION GIRL AND COMP BOY!

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

The Engagement Announcement - Our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING - Dorana & Todd 12/26/2009



I am SO excited to finally get the opportunity to catch up on the last eight months!

Had someone told me eight months ago that we were going to buy a new house in a
dreamy historic town, spend six months giving birth to a new kitchen as a DIY project from studs to custom wet bar, get ENGAGED AND BE MARRIED BEFORE THE NEW YEAR, I wouldn't have believed it!

For the next couple of weeks, I am thrilled to walk you through our HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING that we planned in less than 6 weeks for well under $5000 including a custom a Dorana design wedding gown!

Please make sure to follow my Personal Blog to read about our incredible home renovation!



Dorana & Todd's
HANDMADE ETSY WEDDING began with a

Custom Engagement Announcement

created by graphic artist and Etsy member H20works.etsy.com.

We worked together with Kat to design our Engagement/Moving Announcement and are still hearing RAVE reviews from all of our friends and family!



Make sure to check out H20works.etsy.com for custom Holiday Cards, Save the Dates, Announcements and wonderful personal service!


My little sister is getting married this June and Kat once again helped us design her SAVE THE DATE magnets and they were thrilled!







Tuesday, January 12, 2010

ddots.etsy.com - Custom WEDDING REQUEST for Groom's Gift - "I THINK I Love You!" DDOTS ART CARD



I was thrilled this summer when ddots.etsy.com received a custom card request from Bride Tracy for a gift for her Groom on their wedding day!

Every couple shares many special quotes and sayings. When they first said "I love you" to one another, he was so nervous that he blurted out,

"I THINK I love you!"

She replied,

"I KNOW I love you!"


It became a little joke between the two of them and she thought it would be a perfect quote for her special Wedding Card!

I'm SO pleased with how it came out!



I am so happy to have been invited to share in such a special moment!

siempre- dorana