This was Project Wedding Weekend. We shopped for wedding dress fabric, we put together our Save The Dates, we finished our wedding website. At one point, late on Saturday night, I looked around the living room and there were scraps of silk, stamps, card stock, and inspiration pictures all around us. It was such a happy feeling. It was my first moment of wedding planning where I thought – ah, this is what I’ve always dreamed of.
Some moments from the weekend:
- I had lots of time as I sat hand addressing Save The Dates to think about our discussion about WIC vs DIY. Why do I DIY (or ‘make stuff” as I call it in my head)? I realized sitting there that I make stuff because I want it to be mine, to be ours. I want something that’s not a product someone marketing to us, but something we thought through and put together with our own hands. It was particularly nice to feel like we were sending something we’d thoughtfully created out to guests. It felt like sending them a little bit of us.
- Each time I walked into a fabric store someone would ask me “What project are you working on?” and I would flinch. I’m used to trying not to tell people that we’re getting married in stores, because I hate that moment when it seems like dollar signs flash across their eyes. So, I sighed and said guardedly “we’re shopping for fabric for my wedding dress.” Each time there was a pause, and then shear un-guarded delight beamed from their face. “That’s so wonderful!” they’d squeal, “Thats so exciting!” That reaction was reason enough to DIY. And if you ever go to Britex, look for Douglas on the silk and lace floor. He’s my guy now. He told me, “When you find a fabric that speaks to you, that’s your fabric. Just no point in looking after that.” And he was right.
If you DIY, why? What to you get from making things? For me, when the world gets crazy, when I feel like being a bride is nothing more then being an advertisers dream, the simple act of putting something together with my hands brings me back to the moment, back to what I care about, back to what it’s all about. The saving money is nice too, but I don’t think it’s the point.
Picture: my living room floor on Sunday morning
