DIY for the Never Do It Yourself-er

I admit it — I’m not really one to do it herself. I am not a crafty person. I am in awe of crafty people. For instance, my almost mother-in-law. If she pins something to Pinterest, she will actually make it. And make it well. She’s like a MacGyver with a sewing machine. I made a pillow once in 7th grade. Other than the occasional button-to-shirt, which always looks a little bit off after, that’s all I can handle. Generally, I am of the mindset that if I have a choice between making pad thai and ordering it from a place down the street who makes it all day long and is essentially a pad thai expert, why would I risk putting the wrong amount of Sriracha in my food and potentially making it inedible. Being a New Yorker has spoiled me a bit in that way, I suppose — when literally anything can be steps from your door, you have to be pretty motivated to DIY.

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(not me)

A place to lay your head after partying the night away

Need or want a place to lay your pretty little heads after you've celebrated the marriage of two insanely awesome people madly in love? Well you're in luck!! I've secured room blocks at two lovely hotels in the Bk -- Sheraton Brooklyn and Aloft Brooklyn. The hotels happen to be next door to one another and less than one mile from the place where it's all goin' down, BLDG 92. 

If you're interested in booking, you can feel free to call either hotel (via the same number) to reserve a room -- 1.800.325.3535. Please let them know that you're with the Gillen/Binder wedding and you will be eligible for the (pretty significant) discount that I secured. 

A single king bed room is $179.00, and a two double bed room is $209. These rates are applicable on 7/4 and 7/5.

Or maybe you prefer a little less human interaction? Follow these links to reserve a room in our block directly from these exclusive Matt and Ashley are so cool urls!

Sheraton: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1304030953&key=59055

Aloft: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/booking/reservation?id=1304030965&key=A20B0

More information on each hotel can be found on the links below too:
 http://www.aloftnewyorkbrooklyn.com/


http://www.sheratonbrooklyn.com/

And then there are times when you remember why you're having a wedding

I won't lie, Matt and I weren't always on the same page about this wedding shindig. Over the last two years, I had really warmed to the idea of eloping. Primarily to avoid the stress of planning on a limited budget, but also because eloping seemed uniquely us. Matt, on the other side of this coin, saw us surrounded by family and our closest friends just enjoying ourselves and each other. When it's put like that, it was an easy decision.

A lot of elements about wedding planning have been challenging for me. Finding a dress was no fun. Finding a venue that we loved and could afford was even worse. But now that the biggest pieces of the puzzle are in place, it's easier for me to enjoy the process. I still find myself saying geez why can't we just be married already? often, but I've gotten excited about some things.

Our invitations, by August Park Creative. They're so obscenely cool that even Matt gave a reasonably enthusiastic yeah, I like those! If you know my fiancé, you know this is a big deal. He doesn't have an ounce of giddiness in him.

The music. Matt and I have had a great amount of entertainment in just tossing out ideas for our wedding playlist. References to 80's movies we grew up with? Obviously. The soundtrack we've chosen so far is pretty damn epic. It's pure fun. And maybe my new husband will even dance to some of it!

Alright, July 5th, let's do this.

A View from the Top

Our good friend Derek took this amazing photo from the top of BLDG 92. Do you see why I love Brooklyn?

Click to enlarge

The Venue: .... and the (lucky) winner is!

BROOKLYN REPRESENT!

After a much longer process than either of us anticipated, Matt and I have finally found our wedding venue! In the end, it was ironically down to a space in Queens or in Brooklyn. And for as much as I might like to say that I'm the bride, so my borough won, that was not the case. We both like that the place where we'll get married has, overall, a unique New York feel. (And the menu will include Matt's all-time favorite food, cheese ravioli, so he was game.)

See you at BLDG 92!

Until July 5th rolls around, feel free to browse the site and see all of the history that the Brooklyn Navy Yard has to offer. While it may not have exposed brick walls, it's the perfect place for a couple of New Yorkers to drop anchor (yes, I intend to use a lot of maritime metaphors in the next few months...)!

Dressy Dressiness Story Time of Dresses!

My second guest post with The Budget Savvy Bride is up! Read, comment, shower me with compliments! Or at least tell me I'm not crazy for buying my wedding dress online...

The best part of this whole wedding dress experience has been that my wonderful brother purchased it for me! So kind, and so much more special. Thanks, Skidoo!!

And now.... how I said yes to the dress!

Tales of Wedding Planning: The Exposed Brick Edition

I love exposed brick. LOVE. IT. When I close my eyes and picture the place where Matt and I tie the proverbial knot, I see beautiful, rustic exposed brick all around us. There are a bunch of people there, too, of course, but that's a given.

One of the many reasons, other than aesthetics (a word, by the way, that I've used more in the two months since I started planning a wedding than I have since I first learned the word), is that exposed brick oozes history. I love the idea that we're saying "I do" where other things have happened. That we're a part of something bigger. Cosmically. Or something.

It also marries (get it?!) masculine and feminine. It's kind of dark and brooding, while also being dramatic. And very un-wedding-ish. No tiara required.

When I show Matt a new potential venue online, our conversation sounds something like this:

Me: Oooh, check this place out! It looks great!
Him: [stares at me blankly] Offff course it does, it has exposed brick!
Me: Your point being? I LIKE IT!
Him: Really? Couldn't tell.

So while we may be thismuchcloser to finding a venue (I will not let this break me!)... exposed brick it will have. Maybe I will kiss it after I kiss my groom.