Local Wedding

It was very important to us to do as much business locally as we could for the wedding. And I am proud to say we did about 95% of our business that way. So here is the breakdown:

Bridal Wear:

Gown and head piece – Bridal Productions

Jewelry – All were gifts from Chad and purchased at Mark’s Jewelry in St. Lucas

Garders were ordered from KD Rae

Shoes were a custom order from Nike

Grooms Wear:

Tuxes were all ordered from Amundson’s.  And since my boys had grown since measuring they were more than accommodating in getting a size larger for us. 

I gave Chad and the boys matching tie pins with their initials on them which came from Hammel Jewelers.  Chad lost his but that is another story!  I also gave Chad a set of cuff links from Hammel Jewelers.

Bridal Party:

Dresses were ordered from Bridal Productions.  All fit nearly perfect except for the girl who lost a bunch of weight J

The tuxes were brown and as mentioned above they came from Amundson’s.  Becasue they were brown we got brown socks for everyone which we also got from Amundson’s.  And yes, I probably bought them about 6 months ago.

The gifts for the bridal party included:

                Personalized make up bags from KD Rae

                Jewelry from KD Rae

                Personalized shaver bags from KD Rae

                Bar glasses that were engraved at Nordic Lasers

                Eclips gift certificates

                Ball caps from the Ossian County Club

                For my boys an ITunes card from Sim’s TV & Electronics, and a Wal Mart gift card

Decorations:

Party Island were our go to girls.  Tammy and Jill are great.  They are there for set up and take down.  I wanted to use burlap on the tables and I was able to get rolls of it from Pinter’s Pumpkins and Gardens.  I also picked up some candle votives from KD Rae that were brown and green. We also used some hen and chicks on the tables.  Mason made some boxes out of old barn boards which we lined with burlap and placed the hen and chicks. The plants were raised in Calmar at Chad’s aunt’s house.  They were really fun and cheap!  Our name cards on the head and family tables were rocks from one of Wiltgen’s quarries that my sister in law Amy painted on.  Again fun but cheap.  They were fun projects that allowed us to put our signature touch on the day.

Catering:

Lynch BBQ did all of our catering and we also got some tables and chairs from them.  The meal was great.  We had pork loin, corn, mashed potatoes, pasta salad, and buns. 

The rest of the tables we needed came from Ness in Waukon.  He was a life saver.

The cake was ordered from Pinter’s Pumpkins and Gardens.  It was delicious.  Our cake serving set was purchased at KD Rae and our cake toper came from Hallmark.

We got all of our cups and napkins from the Bargain Outlet. You can order most any color you can imagine from them.  And the price is right. 

I found some green oval buckets from Happiness Is.  I wanted three of them and they were able to order more for me. Two pails were used for silverware at the head of the serving lines and the third one was used for snack mix.  The pails were green and I had Letterwerks add “The Wiltgen’s” in brown on them.  I got scoops for the snack mix from Ace Kitchen Place.

Printing:

I feel that all I need to say here is that the staff at Letterwerks rocks. We got our invitations (wedding and shower), thank yous (shower and wedding when we are ready), cups, koozies, and programs (all paper and photos), and our save the date magnets.  They work fast and they are great at design.

Registry:

We were registered at Ace Kitchen Place, JC Penney, The Perfect Edge, and Agora Arts.  The nice thing about these local stores is that they will call you with questions and even tell you if you need to come in and register for more!

The Bar:

The important stuff right? The beer was ordered from Barney’s which then came from local distributors.  The liquor was ordered from JR’s on the Rocks.  Pop came from 7Up.  Ice was from King’s Kubes.  And the Chamber ambassadors were our bar tenders.  We owe them so much for all their hard work.

Flowers:

The Country Garden did all the flowers.  They were exactly what I wanted and of course beautiful.  My bouquet included white gerberas and roses.  I had my grandma Courtney’s rosary and a necklace of her included in my arrangement.  I also purchased different types of ribbon from the Country Garden.

Random thoughts:

Our unity candle was a project.  The taper candles came from Vanberia.  We ordered a vase from KD Rae and I actually had a hard time finding a candle to fit it.  The solution was a candle from Ridgeway’s Country Star which was placed on top of coffee beans that came from Java John’s. 

I am sure I am forgetting stuff.  Feel free to ask us any questions.  I would challenge anyone receipt for receipt on costs.  I firmly believe everything you need is right here and you won’t be disappointed. 

Bride's Blog

Brides Blog: Day 4

I really don’t even know where to start.  The day was gorgeous and most everything went according to plan.  I was not even aware of one flaw until long after it had been taken care of.  We have some of the best friends and family anyone could ask for!  Oh, and I did get some flak for brining my wedding binder with me on Saturday – but I needed it twice. I may have a hard time parting with it now.  It has been my constant companion for the past 9 months!

The day started at 8 a.m. with the girls at Eclips.  Most of us had both our hair and makeup done.  A little pampering to start the day is always fun.  Everyone looked beautiful.  And the crew at Eclips is superb.  Thanks to Keri I have nice nails – no one needs to know it has taken me months to get there! I guess until now.  Jody is my main girl when it comes to my hair.  I don’t even get an opinion.  I sit in her chair and she does what she feels is best.  And she knows me well enough that she can successfully do that. I also had my knuckles waxed last week too – not painful at all and it cured my man hands!

Arriving at the church was a bit of reality.  When I walked into the basement there were already a few people there waiting for me.  As much as I love being the center of attention (sarcasm) it was the first time for me during the day that told me this is our day.  I took a moment and looked around the church to check out the flowers which also gave me a moment alone to take it all in.

Thing One and Thing Two took on the challenge of getting me into my dress.  It had a corset back which means a lot of standing still and being pulled and tugged on.  But those girls know what they are doing.  Somewhere in the midst of all the wardrobe changes Chad’s brothers delivered a gift to me from my groom.  Chad sent me a beautiful set of diamond earrings which went nicely with the diamond necklace he had given me for my birthday.  He loves to buy jewelry and of course I love to get it. Chad is a very generous and kind man and I hope that throughout our life together I can reciprocate that.

As I have mentioned my boys walked me down the isle. As I stood waiting for our turn my heart was just pounding.  Even Mason mentioned he was a bit nervous.  Of course we made it.  When I reached Chad he was shaking and I am sure his heart was racing just as much as mine was.  The ceremony went well.  I found myself just trying to focus on what I was supposed to be doing and of course breathing that I was not even paying attention to the things we spent time on planning.  Songs, readings, etc. 

The reception was beautiful as well.  The food was great and the beer was cold.  What more could you ask for really? The band was fun and kept many people dancing all night. I still think of Slap and Tickle in their tights and 80’s hair and laugh.  What a night.

There were so many people that I did not see and I apologize for that. It really means so much to us both that there were so many people there to celebrate with us. We love you all.

Sunday was exhausting but we got everything done.  It has taken me a couple of days to get some sense of organization around our house but we are getting there.

The Count Down Is On

We are officially under the four week mark. How did that happen??

The shower was August 13th. It was held at the new NICC Student Center with Lynch’s catering. It was a beautiful shower with lots of wonderful people. As I sit here and write I am enjoying some popcorn in a properly decorated popcorn bowl that we received as a gift. There are many popcorn recipes – yes, from a new cookbook. I might just have to have a girls movie night with a popcorn bar! All of our family and friends are so generous and loving. Thank you cards are in progress as a small start to our appreciation. I hope we can reciprocate that at some point during our married lives. Here are a few pictures from the shower.

We got a lot of new stuff for the kitchen. From spatulas, and bowls, to cookbooks, and a new food processor. Oh, and a cake leveler! I have decided I want to be the next pioneer woman. How fun would it be to test recipes and ingredients and share the process with people? The best part of cooking is the eating. Perhaps a new blog might be in order after the wedding.

The girls and I had a spa day at Eclips last Saturday. Really ladies, we should treat ourselves like that more often! We had facials, massages, pedicures, and manicures. It was delightful. Thank you to all the girls that joined me!

Some of our table decorations will include boxes that were made by Mason (with a little help from Justin, Terry and Carter.) We lined them with some burlap and filled them with hen and chicks from Chad’s aunt Linda’s yard. I am not sure how long I thought this process would take but it went very quickly and I am so pleased with the results. And the best part – the boys got to help and they are really proud of them too.

So, at this point my need for organization is in overdrive. We are storing a lot of stuff in our humble little abode. I have taken to moving boxes of stuff from one room to another and sometimes just to a different corner or wall. Fruitless I know but somehow it makes me feel better. It will feel good to reclaim our bedroom someday soon.

I have a “master” binder and notebook. I get a lot of flak for the binder but trust me it is all in there. The notebook holds my random thoughts and to do lists. All the big things are taken care of. I have had the final fitting on my dress. My mom will pick it up from Bridal Productions the week of the wedding and store it at her house until the big day. Catering, cake, decorations, bridal party gifts, band, check check check check.

The biggest thing I have put off? Music for the wedding. Our selection for ceremony songs was limited. During the prelude and postlude we have more options. I guess I just don’t have a strong opinion on any of it so I keep putting it off. However, I probably need to get information out to those that are assisting us with music! I am off to make those final selections now…

In the Blink of an Eye

My eyes are green, Chad’s brown. Ironically these are also our wedding colors.

Time is starting to really tick by. I am glad we have so many things done or in progress at this point. A couple of weeks ago we met with the guys in charge of music and all around entertainment for the reception. This is the same group that entertained at the previous two Wiltgen weddings so we are in good hands. And, I love the name of the band – Slap and Tickle.

Mason has started to make boxes that we can plant some hen and chicks into as decorations. This may have been a bit of a larger project than predicted. He is using barn boards to build the boxes and we will line them with burlap before adding the plants. The plants are being well cared for in Chad’s Aunt Linda’s yard until we are ready.

Invitations went in the mail last week, so far only two have come back! Programs are being worked on at Letterwerks and should be done soon. They will need a little assembly so I guess we will have a girl party soon. Some beverages might be in order for that.

I cannot believe the shower is this weekend already. We have so much done already but I am sure the weeks to come will still be filled with a flurry of activity.

The Glass Slippers

So, as much as I feel like a girl should have some secret weapons on her wedding day, let’s face it I just don’t work that way. I am so excited for the shoes which I plan to wear all day with my dress. Really, I feel like a kid that can’t wait for the first day of school so I can wear my new shoes.

The shoes are still “in production” but once they arrive I will have a hard time keeping them off my feet. Maybe I should strike a deal with the delivery guy and have him keep them until the week of the wedding!

Chad and I are big Iowa State fans so after the wedding I will have some sweet game day shoes!

Better Late than Never

I know, I know. It has been a really long time. We did so much right off the bat so we were able to slow down a bit. Also, my sister got married last month and I guess time just flies when you are having fun.

We are now nearly two months away from the wedding. Here is what we have been up to!

The shower is on August 13^th. It will be held in the new Student Center at NICC. Invites will hopefully go out next week but here is a sneak peak. Letterwerks has been doing all of our printing and designing – they are so easy to work with and very accommodating. (See invite above)

I found these awesome green buckets. Happiness Is only had one in stock but they were able to order two more for me. We will use two of the buckets at the buffet lines for the reception and one will be filled with snack mix for guests to enjoy. FYI, you can get nice scoops in several sizes in case you are curious. And again,

Letterwerks did the lettering on the buckets. I think this is my favorite thing so far! Somewhere along the line I thought it would be nice to wrap the silverware – probably because I found these awesome buckets. We ordered a case of napkins from Bargain Outlet and I got the ropy stuff from The Country Garden. The kids and I wrapped 150 pieces of silverware one night at home last week. Yesterday, my mom came to our rescue and took us out to her place and we finished wrapping and tying all the silverware.

And, last night Sister Amy came over and we were able to get our “place cards” done. Since we have ample access to rock Chad and the guys went to one of their quarries and picked out the rocks. As I sat wiping them off they guys suggest using the air compressor to blow the dust and dirt off them. I had picked up some paint at Ace Hardware and put Amy to work. I had purchased brown and green paint but as you can see we just used the brown. No little pieces of paper telling you where to sit at our wedding – look for your rock. Well, the head table and parents anyway.

Our cake was ordered a while ago from Pinter’s. I just got the glass cut for the cake stand last week. The cake is a bit larger than the stand thus the glass. Chad’s mom, Dianne, had this plant stand that she let me paint and it will be topped with a three tier cake. Lemon and Chocolate are the flavors.

Most important, and exciting – all the dresses are in. My dress fits really well and I have already had it on twice. I’ll try to stay away for a while now. Though the girls at Bridal Productions are pretty accommodating. The bridesmaid dresses were ordered by picture only since they did not have what I was looking for in the store. Boy was I glad to see them and even happier to know that I liked them in person as much as I liked them in the picture. Trisha – our usherette sent me this text yesterday. “Just picked up my dress and I love it! Fits great, covers nicely and I love the color.” As an usher her dress is brown and the bridesmaids are green.

Chad and I also went and ordered wedding bands. What girl doesn’t love a jewelry store?? The Wiltgen’s are good friends with the owners of Mark’s Jewelry in St. Lucas so that is who we have been working with.

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

So my first question is – do people still do this?

I have no idea what I will do for any of it other than the new. Of course the dress, shoes, and whatever I decide to put in my hair will all be new – that’s the easy one! I've joked about getting blue contacts for the day but I am kind of partial to my green ones even if they are not quite normal.

I have a necklace that belonged to my great grandma Inez Harvey. The necklace was given to her by my great grandpa Warren on their 25^th wedding anniversary. They were married for 75 years before grandpa passed away. I am honored to have the heirloom. I have taken it to a jeweler who informed me that it was basically costume jewelry and therefore not worth much other than sentimental value. Which I am more than ok with.

I have not had the opportunity to try my dress on with the necklace myself but I am already contemplating if it is a suitable combination. I am contemplating having the necklace made into a bracelet. The up side being that I would wear it more the down side being I am not sure how I feel about altering the original piece.

I’ve been trying to think of some clever ways I can help my sister with her June wedding old, new, borrow, and blues. She has had a pair of shoes dyed blue to match her bridesmaid dresses, of course her dress is new but that leaves open the old and borrowed. I offered the necklace to Bre Anna for her wedding but she is not happy with the way it looks with her dress. She is contemplating a set of pearls from KD Rae Jewelry and even without seeing them I think they would look beautiful with her dress.

In other wedding news we have finalized the tux choices. We are getting the tuxes from Amundson’s and they will be brown. While there we purchased a pair of brown socks for everyone on the tux list (except for Carter because he is too small.) I have gotten a lot of flack for doing so but at least everyone will be well coordinated.

We have also pretty much secured wedding party gifts. The ladies will be getting hand crafted jewelry from KD Rae Jewelry and embroidered travel bags. The guys will be getting embroidered travel bags, socks, and possibly one other item that is still a work in progress.

We met with Elisa Pinter at Pinter’s Gardens and Pumpkins about the cake on Saturday morning. Guests will be enjoying lemon and chocolate cake. We opted for a three tier cake and 7 sheet cakes. We will serve the top layer of the cake to the head table rather than freezing it for a year for us and testing our memory a year from September! Oh, and we can also order the burlap I have been wanting from them too!

We are registered at the Perfect Edge. I love the work they do and I know I will want wedding pictures framed. We have other plans for registering as well but that is as far as we have gotten.

Save the date magnets have gone out and continue to go out. I had several typos on addresses and too many of you have moved around! And Chad comes home about every other night wondering if so and so was on the list. When the magnets are gone they are gone! I told him we should have just run an ad in the local papers.

I have added (or will soon add) a few boxes to the right: Wedding party and Registrations.

I welcome input on the old, new, borrow, blue stuff!