October 2007:  REDUCED PRICES!!

Over a year after the wedding I have decided to reclaim part of our closet and office by FINALLY letting go of all of the wedding items we no longer need for anything or never used {DH is greatly relieved}. If you need to ask questions, or want to purchase something please contact me at girlinthemoon0@gmail.com. If you want it all, make me an offer (plus shipping). Thanks so much for your interest!

 Scroll Easel:


 This easel is about 22” inches high. Bought it for $15 – will sell for $5.

Rustic frame and floral foam:



I originally intended to put up this frame at the guest welcome area with the foam inset to the frame and live flowers (in the foam) bursting out of the frame. Never got around to it.

  • The 16” x 20” frame was originally $24, now $12.
  • The floral foam (2” x 12” x 36”) was $7, now $3.
  • Buy both for $14.


Cotton:


We used this cotton for display at the reception (container not included). The cotton will be sent in the original box I received it in. I think it is about 2-3 feet tall. The cotton does have debris that shakes off -  we removed it before displaying and you would have to do the same. I originally got it for $30, but will sell for $12.

Mickey and Minnie veil and hat:
Just not our thing so never used them. Normally these cost over $50 together. I will sell them for $25.



Paper Source invitation components:

SALE PENDING ON CHOCOLATE ENCLOSURES/ENVELOPES

 

  • Chocolate diagonal folder enclosures (5.5” x 5.5”) – two packs available with 10 in a pack. Retails for $10.25 each. Will sell for $6 each.
  • Chocolate envelopes (5.75” x 5.75”) – two packs available with 10 in a pack. Retails for $4.25. Will sell for $2 each.
  • Plum diagonal enclosure flat card (5.25” x 5.25”) – two packs available with 25 in a pack. Retails for $4. Will sell for $2 each.
  • Plum 4 bar flat card (3 1/2" x 4 7/8") – one pack is available. There are normally 25 cards in a pack and sells for $2.75, this one has 13. Will sell for $1.
  • Plum 4 bar envelope (3 5/8" x 5 1/8") – one pack is available. There are normally 10 cards in a pack and sells for $3.00. This one has 8 and I will sell for $1.

Moss:

SALE PENDING ON FLAT RUNNER



 We used moss everywhere at our venue. This is a variety of types of moss (some used, some still in bags).

  • Flat runner moss. Was 16” x 48” but we cut it, so it is more like 30” long now and the remnant piece of ~16” leftover. Originally $16, will take $8.
  • Loose moss (never used). Was $14, now $10. Buy both of these for $15.



Tin tie bags (for candy, etc):

SOLD

 

 

 

 

I got these 3-3/8 x 2-1/2 x 7-3/4 brown tin tie bags from papermart.com.  They are the small ones on the left.  I bought 100 for $13.50.  I will sell 71 for $8 (plus shipping).

 

Mechanical birds:

SOLD

 
These are birds that we had placed around our birdhouse card cage. They are animated and sing when there is movement around them. Guests loved them and they really fit in with the secret garden/rustic thing we had going on. I bought each of these for anywhere from $10-$17 each. I will sell all 4 for $30.

 
Small wooden frames:

SOLD


 These are great little (2”x3”) frames from Michaels (so you could buy more). There are 10 of these for $3.


Welcome sign:

SOLD

 We used this welcome sign (9” x 15”) that I designed and displayed on the easel above. I am willing to sell this too. I would take $15 for it.
You can have both the easel and sign for $20

Burlap runners: 

SOLD

 We made our own burlap runners. They are about 20” wide and look beautiful on the round tables that hold 8-10 people. The edges are ragged and raw. This is real burlap, there is a slight chemical smell associated with burlap. We ran them through the dryer and febreezed them and they worked out beautifully. There are 9 of these (with fabric for 3 more). I will sell these for $10.

Backdrop for photos:

SOLD

 Mural measures approx. 10 ft. x 4 1/2 ft. You can see more pictures of it in my bio (blue with white silhouette trees). I can’t find it on the website I bought it from now to provide a photo. Originally ~$25. I will sell it for $10. Comes in the tube it was sent to me in.



Welcome to my married bio

::What a thrill to be recognized as a best bio on Magnificent Bliss! Thanks for the love everyone::



Please be patient while the bio loads. If the images don’t entirely load, press F5 to refresh.
Wanna ask me a question? You can page me on the Atlanta boards or e-mail me at girlinthemoon0@gmail.com (that’s girlinthemoonzero).

If you are interested in having a slideshow made, just e-mail me for more details



If you don’t want to view the slideshow press stop.
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There are both pro and non-pro photos and the slideshow includes photos that are not shown below. Enjoy!

To download Photodex Presenter click here





Click on the words ‘planning bio’ below

















Our adorable flower girl






Room details









Pre-ceremony










The girls






The guys






































The newlyweds













Woodlands: the ruins





Non-pro photo


Reception details










Non-pro photo


First dance



Non-pro photos



Father and daughter dance



Non-pro photo


Toast and cake cutting



Non-pro photo



The wood round that supports the cake is cut from one of the trees that demolished my parent’s house in a hurricane in Florida.
I say when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.




Non-pro photo



Anniversary dance

It was incredibly special to get married during the month of my parent’s ruby anniversary. My ruby engagement ring is that much more amazing because of this. Not only were they the longest married couple on the dance floor but we were able to honor them again the next morning at their surprise ruby anniversary brunch.





The party

Non-pro photos




Pro photos



Non-pro photos



Pro photos







Non-pro photos

Note that my oldest brother thought it would be good fun to switch his bout for broccoli at the reception.





Pro photos









Mask “booth”




Our photographer, Matt Adcock, gets in on the mask fun



The exit



The aftermath, lol



















Engagement ring ( Van Craeynest): A+
Review in planning bio


DH wedding band (Chaplin’s - Atlantic Station): A+
A friend of ours got her e-ring from this store a few years ago and highly recommended them. They removed the solder from between my grandmother’s engagement ring and wedding band and then cleaned them until they were sparkly again for free. We special ordered my DH’s simple band and they gave us a great price (what we would have gotten at Atlanta Apparel Mart location). Great experience.


Invitation, program and thank you card (Cards of Wood): A+
Review in planning bio


Wedding website (e-Occasions.com): A+
Review in planning bio


Wedding dress (La Raine’s Boutique): A+
What a fun shop! I went to so many cookie cutter dress stores with attitude that this funky little boutique completely won me over. I wanted to support a small business that not only wanted my business, but showed me they wanted it. No attitude - just support, honest opinions, laughs, and lots of beautiful affordable dresses. La Raine, Danielle and Melissa are just good people. The dress came in a little early and I had no problems whatsoever.


Tuxedos (Savvi Formalwear): C
After visiting a few places, we decided to go with Savvi at Lenox. The guys were super nice there and very helpful. My husband even changed his mind on the vest a few times and they didn’t blink an eye. The nice thing about Savvi is they (supposedly) have this integrated system where your guys can get measured anywhere and send them in online and then the tuxes can be picked up at a central location. My brother offered to pick up the tuxes from Lenox the day of the rehearsal and distribute them to everyone. Apparently the best man’s tux wasn’t in the package and nobody noticed until the day of the wedding. We still aren’t sure if it was a system error or user error (DH never followed up on it). The best man’s tux was all the way over at Gwinnett Place Mall. Luckily my DH didn’t freak out (and didn’t let me know about it – which was really good) and had his sister’s boyfriend go pick it up on his way in. If it hadn’t been for that huge mistake, they would have gotten an A.


Alterations (Topher): A
Review in planning bio


Bridesmaid dresses (Atlanta Bridesmaids (Gigi)): A
I was referred to Gigi from someone on the Knot a while ago (sorry, can’t remember who now). Atlanta Bridal and Prom may not look like much from the outside but there is a gem inside and her name is Gigi (well, at least her anglicized name, lol). Gigi is a sweet woman who really knows her stuff. She recreated some Thread dresses that retailed for $300 (with better fabric and more lining)for $104! I am thrilled that my BMs did not have to spend massive amounts of money on a dress and they all actually loved the style and would wear them again. Gigi would have gotten an A+ but my BM that lives in San Francisco had to have last minute alterations due to a wrong measurement. Gigi fixed it quickly with a smile, but it did add a little stress in the “final stretch”


Lingerie (Oh! Fine Lingerie): A+
This place is a total find for lingerie. It carries Claire Pettibone and Jane Woolrich (two of my faves). I got some smoking hot pieces here. It was almost like playing dress up and the staff is so much fun and made us feel so welcome! Absolutely recommend this store. It is located in the same complex as Bella Bridesmaid so check it out at the same time.


Rehearsal dinner (Harvest Moon Cafe): A
Since we live in Atlanta, and the church was in Rome, GA we scouted out the restaurant scene in Rome almost a year ahead of the wedding to figure out what we wanted to do for the rehearsal dinner. We went to a couple of restaurants locals said were the best and found out that what was considered fancy didn’t necessarily equate to tasty - so we went with eclectic. I ate several times at Harvest Moon to make sure that the food was consistently good and to get a feel for the place. It was good fresh food – and we decided that so what if the server said that he was going to move to China to become a pirate . . . odd, but fun, right? They have a private room upstairs with a deck. There is no charge for the private room, just a $100 deposit. The only reason I didn’t give this venue an A+ is because they told us that we would have the deck to ourselves, but this didn’t happen. The food was really good and the groom’s cake in the shape of a guitar was kick ass! So yummy! My MIL and her partner hosted the event and dealt with the owner and said she was great to work with.


Ceremony (St. Mary’s Catholic Church): B+
We were originally thinking about getting married at Barnsley Gardens, but I decided I definitely wanted to be married in the church. The problem was we still wanted the reception at Barnsley and the church I went to was in Atlanta (an hour south). Luckily my pastor kindly agreed to make the drive to Rome to marry us. There were only two Catholic churches within 25 miles of Barnsley and as soon as I saw St. Mary’s I knew it was perfect for us! It was a smaller more intimate church that reminded me of a mini cathedral. Dottie is the coordinator there and I met with both her and the organist, Neil Sanders, to get all our ducks in a row about two months before the wedding. Both Neil and Dottie were fabulous and organized. However, the reason the end grade is a B+ is when the assistant coordinator entered the picture (I don’t even remember her name). She was just plain rude and pushy the most looming example I can give is that directly after the ceremony she told me that if I didn’t have our marriage license in her hands in 5 minutes our ceremony “wouldn’t count”. I let her know that it was completely inappropriate to make a statement like that and told her that someone would get it to her as soon as possible. Luckily a bridesmaid overheard and went and got it for the coordinator directly so that I wouldn’t have to deal with her again.


Priest (Msgr. Henry Gracz): A+
A complete and utter joy. On a personal note, I had not attended church regularly for years – then a year or so before I was engaged I found Father Henry and The Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It felt like home. He is one of the most inclusive, thought provoking caring individuals I have ever met. His counseling sessions were insightful and as far away from intimidating as you can get. My DH was initially uncomfortable with the idea of speaking with him on a regular basis about our relationship but was immediately put at ease by Father Henry. Msgr. gave a lovely and personal homily and worked in the Irish bell of truce just as we had asked. If we hadn’t already found Barnsley Gardens as a reception venue (thus demanding a Catholic Church outside of Atlanta), we would have gladly married at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception where Father Henry is pastor. Not only is it beautiful, but it has one of the closest and most diverse congregations I have ever found.


Reception (Barnsley Gardens): A+
Where to start? The ruin is an absolutely gorgeous blow your mind location. It really was an honor to have our wedding celebration there. Expensive, but no regrets. The staff at the ruin was impeccable. Kind and over the top helpful. They helped guests change a flat tire, helped my uncle find his cap the next day and more. The food was so incredible – hands down best wedding food I have had. The bartender sent someone off-site for liquor that I had asked for in a drink (without even telling me. Someone else told me later). Part of the reception staff was at the breakfast the next morning and were again amazing.


Hair and makeup (Scoobie West): A+
Scoobie is a real doll to work with. A truly sincere, funny and talented person. He was always really responsive to me and seemed to have fun doing what he does. He really listened when I decided to leave my hair its naturally curly self instead of partially straightening it. His assistant did makeup on me on the wedding day and he did my hair. His assistant was amazing as well. All of my girls loved him and loved their hair. He recently joined forces with Ooh-la-la-Beaute, which has made him more expensive – but I promise, he is worth it!


Floral design (Flowers by Joanne): A
Joanne was very easy to work with. Initially, I showed her a ton of my ideas (I am talking a binder here). She patiently listened to get a feel for what I was after and worked with me to find realistic cost options. I mainly dealt with her over e-mail after the first few phone calls and she always responded promptly. She let me know when a flower need to be substituted and got my approval first. She also added petals and a small bouquet for free when I asked for them (remember, never hurts to ask for extras)! I didn’t get to specify the exact colors, but they were both cream and perfect for what we needed. The floating gardenias, peonies and hydrangea were exactly what I was after, the wreaths for the church door were simple and rustic (again using left over wax flowers and button mums from other items I ordered), the flower girl’s head wreath delicate, and the bird’s nest woody and whimsical. The flowers were just beautiful. My bouquet was very different from what I envisioned, but it was completely breathtaking! The flowers for the cake were perfect as well. Joanna also worked with my brother long distance in California to set up brunch flowers for my parents’ 40th anniversary the morning after the wedding. He gave her a lot of leeway as well and she did not disappoint. Simply gorgeous.


Day of coordinator (Joyce Thornburg): B+
Email: DreamMakers1999@aol.com
I am pretty much a DIYer and am really detail oriented and could handle all of those details until the big day. After that, I wanted someone else to deal with all the little (or big things) that would come up and that is where Joyce would come in. Joyce and I agreed that the church wedding guild had the ceremony under control so Joyce would concentrate on the reception set-up. She was a trooper when I originally explained what I would need help with (again, lots of details!) and lugged much of it in her car to the site (my brothers had most of it). Unfortunately, due to the traffic situation Joyce was unable to deliver food to the girls in the hotel room but was able to make it to the reception site to help set up there. For the most part Joyce was exactly what I anticipated that I would need for our wedding day. Joyce and her assistant made sure that DH and I always had food and drink in hand and checked with us with the electric slide was requested. She made sure things stayed on track and worked with Barnsley staff to make sure our gifts went to our room. She was friendly and efficient. The reason Joyce gets a B+ instead of an A is that she didn’t ensure that someone was available to help with putting on bouts/corsages at the church, didn’t direct guests to the area where there was a jazz duo performing during cocktail hour, didn’t get our cake packed up for us, and didn’t deliver an invitation to the photographer to photograph at the reception.


Jazz duo for cocktail hour (Nicole Chillemi): A+
I think Nicole is the total bee’s knees. This woman has a honey of a voice and a disposition to match. DH and I were thrilled to have her at our wedding. We heard her for the first time on Valentine’s Day at Sun in My Belly. Not as many people as I had hoped were able to catch her during cocktail hour (no fault of hers) . . . but those who did have all asked where they could get her CD. She is priced so reasonably and actually learned a new song just for us. Adore her!


DJ (Any Occasion DJs - Mark Schwartz): B+
Since my DH is a musician, I left the DJ choice completely up to him. Overall, Mark did a decent job. He seems like a nice guy and gave us a copy of most of the songs he played that evening. The music wasn’t what I was expecting, but he still had people on the floor having fun. Unfortunately, since he was late his sound check competed with the jazz duo. The biggest disappointment was that our exit song ended just as we hit the top of the stairs so not many people even heard it.


Cake (Special Cakes by Sara): A+
Sara made a trip all the way from Rome, GA to our place near downtown Atlanta to bring us no less than 5 samples of her amazing, delectable cake. We ordered a carrot cake from her for my brother and dad’s birthday around Thanksgiving and she gave me another complimentary sample cake for my parents to try of the flavors in our wedding cake (lemon curd and blackberry bourbon curd) – sooo good! She also OFFERED to make the twiggy cage part of our cake for no additional money. Every other cake maker we interviewed said the florist would have to take care of that (which added a significant amount). Sara said that it was part of the cake so it was included in her price. She offered to do gum paste flowers, but we opted for fresh flowers that she attached onsite. I highly recommend Sara but have heard now that she has so much business in Rome that she is no longer traveling to Atlanta for her business. Loved her!


Photographer (Matt Adcock): A+
Matt is an amazing, hard working photographer (as is his crew). As soon as we met him and saw his work we knew we wanted him. I have a background in graphic design and have a lot of fine art under my belt; he was the only photographer we met with whose work made me gasp. My theory is that since he used to act he is able to anticipate moments and through his camera is able to convey mise en scene. Honestly a pleasure to work with. I think I will stop here because really his pictures say it all.


Accommodation (Barnsley Gardens): A+
The cottages at Barnsley are so adorable but not too cutesy. In fact, we want to go back when it gets cold to make full use of the awesome fireplaces that we didn’t get to try out in May. The bed was really comfy – and we are picky! We only stayed one night and totally regret not staying another.


Accommodation ( Hawthorn Suites): C
This is a beautiful, unique hotel with a really interesting history. It has been a ship repair warehouse and a roller skating rink. The staff is nice and the rooms are really cool. DH and I went to stay in the room that the marketing director recommended would best suit our needs a year in advance (two queen beds, loft corner room, large kitchen/dining/entertainment room area) since all of the bridesmaids would be staying in the room and getting their hair/makeup done there. Unfortunately, they didn’t give us that same room when we arrived the day before the wedding and put us in something a lot smaller for the same amount of money. I know this happened because they were stretched for rooms due to a graduation that was happening at the same time and they had asked us to give up rooms (that we needed). We had reserved it a year in advance so I was pretty upset, but other than me talking to the front desk and one of my bridesmaids talking with the marketing director, we didn’t have much spare time to make a fuss. They were not apologetic and actually gave us attitude when we asked why we weren’t given the room we had reserved. I wrote a letter to both the hotel and the corporation and never heard back. So although the hotel is probably the best one in Rome, and there were no other issues with our other guests that stayed there, I am not impressed with the customer service and can’t recommend the hotel.


Accommodation (The Jameson Inn): A+
DH and I also checked out the Jameson Inn way ahead of time. It was recommended to us by our cake baker (her mother stays here whenever she is in town). We wanted a lower price tier for our guests and we hit the mother load with this hotel. The staff at this hotel was great – really warm and on top of things. They also allow pets which was a big plus with some of our guests. They have an indoor pool and a full breakfast (included with room). More than a few guests said how comfortable the beds were!







And no bio would be complete without a homage to Jacensgirl, lol. Gotcha Mel!