by Public Service Associate Juliana
While writing this blog post I heard Jack White’s voice in my head singing the lyrics from Hotel Yorba: “Let’s get married/ In a big cathedral by a priest/ ‘Cause if I’m the man that you love the most/ You could say, “I do” at least.” The lyrics have repeated over and over as we get deeper into wedding season and all of June’s marriage vibes.
Reminiscing on eight Junes ago when I was a bride myself, what I recall most is that I was inspired by everything. Novels, movies, music, biergartens, vintage stores, shop windows, British high tea. I was practically sparkling with creative energy and used wedding planning as an excuse to get crafty and try new things. I wanted every detail thoughtfully chosen, everything tailored to my tastes, and I went a little overboard with D.I.Y. projects. I don’t think I knew the word “bespoke” until I got engaged and started researching weddings. I knew a cookie cutter wedding was not for me; I wanted unique and customized. I wanted to bake my own cake and decorate it, too, to organize my own floral arrangements and make my own bouquet, and curate all the centerpieces, et cetera.
This D.I.Y. mentality is part of how I was raised, though my dad still comically confuses the letter order. For some reason he mixes up the “I” and “Y”. It’s always “D.Y. I.”, no matter how many times I tell him otherwise. My cousin once heard him refer to one of his “D.Y.I.” projects and commented, “D.Y.I.? That’s pretty accurate if instead of ‘do it yourself’ you mean ‘do yourself in.’”
That’s indeed what I was on track for with all my wedding projects, doing myself in, and in the end I curbed a few of my ideas (why would I even consider making my own cake with a bakery as wonderful as Resch’s down the street?). But I did complete a few fun projects to make the day more memorable.
And I’m happy I did. I look back on that spring as a cozy, prolific time. I see myself cross legged on the floor in my mamaw’s living room folding sheets of paper into origami stars to string above the dance floor. I see myself drinking mug after mug of Tazo Zen tea, saving the paper envelopes to fold into tiny papercranes to hang near the cake table. I scouted thrift stores for teapots to use as centerpieces. I bought gold glitter by the gallon and tons of tealights. I made everything around me sparkle. And when I was done with all that, I explored photoshop and created my own save-the-dates and invitations. And then I took a calligraphy workshop and hand addressed our invitations. And I loved every minute.
This June, in the spirit of wedding season, test your limits, surprise yourself. Married or not, capture the creative energy of a bride-to-be and try a new hobby. Use library resources to get inspired.
Have you tried Creativebug? Create an account and stream thousands of art and craft classes for free with your library card. Wedding related classes include photo booth backdrops, lace invitations, cake decorating, beginning calligraphy, paper fans, flower bouquets, tassel party decorations, and tissue paper pom pom garland.
Another fun library resource to check out is Craftsy. Available through Libby’s Digital Downloads Collaboration, Craftsy offers “over 1,400 in-depth instructional video classes covering 20 different creative passions.” This includes passions such as photography, sewing, baking, and cake decorating. There are video classes on cookie baking, creating vintage-inspired veils, mastering modern sugar flowers, and making miniature French desserts.