Our Wedding: The Ceremony

On July 11th, 2008 we got married! Like most things in our life, our wedding was another big DIY project. Living in the Bay Area, the average cost of wedding vendors was much higher than other areas. Our parents generously helped with most of the expenses, but to keep costs down, we found cheap ways to do things ourselves, including invitations, favors, programs, boutonnieres,  makeup, place cards, table numbers, welcome packets, and centerpieces.

We also had a lot of help from creative family and friends. My Aunt Allora is amazing with flower arrangements (she is a florist-turned-dietian). She did the centerpieces and boutonnieres. Our pictures were done by a family friend and my aunt. My uncle and another family friend (both priests) married us. My cousin Caitlan and one of our friends, Ryan sang at our wedding. All these details made our wedding feel intimate and personal, despite the size (200 guests).

So without further ado, here are some pictures from the special day...

We bought the paper for our invitations precut online. My uncle Paul printed them for us and my mom and I spent a weekend assembling them.

My parents lived a mile from the church so we all got ready at their house.

Nick's parents live 2 miles from the church, so the boys got ready there.

On the way to the church, we stopped at a fountain in downtown Walnut Creek, to take impromptu wedding pictures.

As you can see, my bridesmaids each chose their own "little black dress" to wear in lieu of matching dresses. That way, each girl got to pick one that best flattered her body type and one in their own price range. The girls got their dresses everywhere from Macy's and Nordstrom, to JCrew and Target. As a gift to them, I gave each girl a string of pearls to wear for the big day, and some pink and black flip flops (since the shoes we chose were slightly uncomfortable).

The church, St. Mary's has special meaning for me because my parents got married here 26 years ago. The church is a Spanish style, typical California Catholic Church.