It’s only natural that my first blog post of 2020 would be wedding-related because…we’ve officially started planning our wedding!
But even for a list-making, multitasking, detail-oriented Virgo who’s worked in the wedding industry for years and can whip up a mood board with my eyes closed…I gotta say, I’m learning a lot.
Despite my “expertise” in the industry, I never thought that choosing a venue would be the toughest part of the process (I always thought it would be the guest list. I mean, that could still be the case!).
So while we still browse, schedule site visits, review estimates and move a venue from “Maybe” to “No” in our colour-coded, formula-filled spreadsheet, I thought I’d still go ahead and share the general vision of our wedding since that is something that we do know, and are the most excited about.
For starters, we know that we want an intimate, cozy, Fall wedding in the city with our closest family and friends. The most important thing to us (i.e. what we’re willing to spend the money on) is good food & drinks, good music, a great location for our guests and an epic photographer capturing the most important emotions and moments of the day. Whatever date we decide on, I’m crossing my fingers for a sunny, crisp, Autumn day; the kind of day it was when we started dating. The kind of day it was when he proposed.
We also decided that we won’t have a wedding party. I’ll just have my Maid of Honour, and he’ll just have his Best Man.
For a very long time, I already knew who that Maid of Honour would be. So even though we don’t have a date or venue booked yet, I still went ahead and asked my childhood friend of 23 years if she’d be my Maid of Honour, wherever and whenever our wedding will be. Of course, she said yes.
The main inspiration for this proposal box was the month of October, earth tones and Rifle Paper Co. (one of my favourite stationery brands). To capture the earthy, rustic and Autumnal vision of our wedding, I filled the box with the following simple (i.e. budget-friendly!) elements.
Hand-Written Card
These days, there’s something truly special about receiving a hand-written note, and a Maid of Honour proposal is the occasion to write your sweet request. The colours and the iconic Rifle Paper Co. floral print on this card are what inspired me with the exterior packaging of the box (as seen on the first photo), and what followed inside.
Something Vintage
This tissue paper is from Boutique 1861, my favourite little shop in Montreal. It’s the store where my fiancé bought me a red dress on our first trip there, the store where I got my seashell clutch, and hopefully, the store I’m hoping to find my wedding dress.
Fall Coloured Leaves
A Fall-themed proposal box wouldn’t be complete without a nod to October’s foliage. These earthy elements don’t just represent my fiancé and I’s preferred season, our love for nature or his decision to propose to me while we were hiking (all still very applicable). It’s equally symbolic to the many walks & talks my Maid of Honour and I have had together over the years, lattes in hand, fireplace aromas in the air with amber, yellow and red leaves rustling beneath us while we gabbed about life, love and inspiration.
Tea and Coaster
Instead of a bottle of champagne or wine, I thought a deliciously cozy tea like Forever Nuts fits the Fall theme better, especially since my Maid of Honour is more of a coffee/tea drinker than a wino. My sentimental reason to choose this particular brand: we first discovered David’s Tea on our first trip to New York City together, eight years ago. Sticking to the Rifle Paper Co. theme, the amber floral print on the coaster remind me of an flower crown, which I might incorporate as a bridal accessory.
Fall Inspired Beauty
The nail polish is a reciprocative gesture: my Maid of Honour included a mint green Essie nail polish when she asked me to be her Maid of Honour for her Summer wedding, so I’m returning the favour with a deep-plum shade for my Fall wedding. I also included a metallic mauve-taupe eyeshadow because I think it would compliment her green-blue eyes beautifully and would go well with the deep, emerald-green dress I have in mind for her. Side note: when I made this box back in December, I wasn’t yet sure what colour I’d want for her dress, but if i did, I would have included a fabric sample of the dress colour – it’s a fun way to introduce the vision for the Maid of Honour dress.
Little Trinkets
Once all the main elements were packaged in the box, I filled some of the empty space with some vintage trinkets, a jewelry pendant, gemstones, and a sprinkle of confetti to add a little whimsy. As fun as it was to fill in the inside of the box, I was the most thrilled with how the exterior embellishment turned out: a mini bouquet of seasonal colours, and a wax seal stamp…to seal the deal.
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