~The Inspiration~

Just a few pictures of inspiration that have been helping to guide my thoughts and planning. Hopefully you will notice the inspirations for our color choices, the camping theme and some of the decorating ideas that I would like to incorporate into our special day.

~The Colors~

Benny and I chose olive green as a definite color for the wedding. The other colors just seemed natural choices to go with our camping theme.


Taupe









Sky Blue









Olive










Cream









Chocolate Brown

~The Ring~

Its no secret that I love Tiffany & Co. And some of you may be surprised that I chose I different route when it came to my engagement ring. My dad, Mike is a machinist by trade and as a kid he made my sister and I numberous little jewelry trinkets out of metal scraps from work. When I got to thinking about Benny's ring I thought, why not have my dad make it?

I asked my dad if that was something he would want to do and of course he was excited to do it. That got me to thinking why then could I not have him make my rings as well. So that is where it all began. I started searching for styles and brainstorming ideas for my own rings. It just so happened a special family member on Benny's side of the family gave him a diamond to use for my ring if we so chose to.

The best part about this all is that the ring essentially designed itself. I am a simple, clean lined, no frills (lucky for Benny)kinda gal when it comes to jewelry. Although I am simple I never quite cared for just a plain skinny band with a simple round solitare diamond. I always envisioned a princess cut/square diamond with a bit more substance to the band. It just so happened the shape of the diamond he was given was square and that my dad could machine any style of band that my heart desired.

I knew I didn't want prongs, since I am notorious for catching them on things and losing stones and I don't care for gold. Well, that worked out perfectly. Dad scuplted me a band out of titanium he used an extrememly fine sand to sandblast a matte finish onto the outside then polished just a fine band around each side to create the texture contrast.

After consulting with the jeweler about setting the stone I knew that flush mounting the diamond wasn't going to be an option, however he ordered a bezel to set the stone into and welded a tiny thin bead around the top to hold the stone in place. My dad then drilled and filed a square hole into the band so the bottom of the bezel would sit flush with the inside of the ring. The jeweler then welded the bezel into place on the band and a uniquely artistic and definitley unbride ring was born!

The best part is the unexpected reactions people have when they see it. I can tell people are thrown when they see it and I love that. I know it may not even be what many would consider ideal or beautiful for an engagment ring and that is what I love 2nd best about it. Because what I love most about it is that I designed it, my dad made it and the diamond came from Benny's family. It just doesn't get more special than that.

~The Unbride~

Cermony Tree





















Benny at the campfire, the center point of our reception site


With this post I now have the same number of posts on this blog and on my photo blog. It used to be that this blog had numerably more than the photo blog. So I guess that goes to show my neglect of this one. I'm going to try and work on that.

What I have decided to do is since right now all the extra time in my life is focused on planning our wedding I've decided its going to be a wedding blog for the next seven months. So hang on, its been wedding central around here and I've decided I'll be posting info about the wedding and my visions Benny and I have for it.

Those of you who know me know that I am not your typical bride. I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around a lot of quote unquote 'wedding' things. I guess the phrase for me is that I'm an 'unbride'.

Sure there are some typical wedding tradions that I want to honor, like wearing a white dress (well ok mine is cream colored,but don't think there won't be some sort of color going on though), having my dad walk me down the aisle (just a given for me), a first dance (cause its moment to slow down and take in what's going on) and cutting the cake (mostly because I just LOVE cake). But when it comes to it most typical wedding traditions, they are just that, someone else's idea of tradition. I want Benny and I to have our own.

Little girls tend to think of their weddings as they grow up, what will mine be like, I can't wait to be princess for a day, everyone will be focusing on me... well, I've never been a big fan of all the attention on me. Can't stand it quite simply. I want our wedding day to be just that, OUR wedding day, not mine, because it is supposed to be about us. It seems weddings focus on the bride and I don't want that. I'm not getting married to myself, I am marrying the man I love and plan to spend the rest of my life with. This isn't all about me.

Just after Benny proposed I thought, hmmm, I should get a couple of bridal magazines. As I stared at them in the store, I couldn't do it. I thumbed through a couple and couldn't bring myself to purchasing one. They are all about the dress and the rings and the traditional bride and all of a sudden my interest in one was gone. To me capuring the moments of the day is the most important part of it. Not the dress, not the ring, not the decorations. So the search began for the perfect wedding photographer. And my wedding magazines became the countless wedding photography blogs and wedding bloggers who detail unbride style weddings. I found my wedding niche. Although I spend entirely too much time online staring at amazing ideas, its definitley helped me guide the planning of our special day.

From the moment Benny and I knew we would be together forever it has been all about us as a unit. That's why when first tossing around ideas for a wedding location I knew we wanted it to be somewhere that was important to us. Plus we wanted to do something that defines us and is special to us. This is why we both agreed that our Deer Camp location in the Blue Mountains would be the perfect place. That's when the entire theme began to unfold. A camping wedding!

Our wedding is going to be so perfectly unbride and so us! Its not about any amount of money we can spend or who wants us to do things this way or that, its about making our wedding all about us and those we want to share our day with. I look forward to sharing details about our choices along the way. So stay tuned for some fun new and refreshing wedding details.





















Sunrise in the Blue Mountains

In Just 10 Seconds

Benny and I spent last week at Deer Camp and as many of you know he and I have been discussing someday having our wedding up in the mountains at our deer camp, campsite. As we enjoyed our week hunting and roaming the mountain we talked about different locations for what we thought could be a good place to have our actual ceremony. After a couple of days and several possible locations we both decided we really liked an old crooked tree with crazy branches in the middle of a small meadow not far from the place where Benny's family has set up our camp for some 25+ years.

Benny and I have been talking about getting married for a few months now and a few months ago I asked my dad, a machinist by trade if he would make Benny's wedding ring and soon decided that I actually really wanted him to make my ring as well. So my dad got some titanium pieces and made us up some gorgeous bands. I have two, a skinny band for my wedding ring and a wider band for my engagement ring and Benny's a nice comfort fit band. They are beautiful! Benny was given a gorgeous princess cut diamond by someone very special to us and our plan was to have the diamond flush mounted into my wider band.

So...to move the story along, I am sure by now you can see the pictures and I am sure have a pretty good idea what I am getting to. Yes, I knew a proposal would be coming someday...but I was absolutley shocked when Benny actually proposed. Completley caught off guard by the timing for sure!

On Wednesday we were on our way back to camp after an afternoon hunt and as we were passing the tree in the meadow Benny says, 'So, are you sure that is the tree and that is the place?' My reply, 'Yes, I am sure, I really like what we picked I think it is a beautiful location.' Benny knowing me and my happy shutter finger suggests pulling the truck down by the tree and taking some pictures. Well, duh, why didn't I do that before, I mean I'd taken pictures of everything else up there on the mountain! So I pulled the truck down by the tree and Benny hops out of the truck and stands by the tree as I position the camera on top of the truck set the timer and try to hustle to get next to him without tripping on sticks within the 10 second window I have. As I put my arm around him and turn toward the camera he starts talking and I was thinking, 'What the heck; look at the camera you nerd!' Then, he says, 'KariAnne, will you marry me?' Just as I realize what he said, look at him and see him holding the rings the camera clicks.

Benny apparently is all about timing, can you believe all of that happened in just 10 seconds? It is so absolutley awesome that he got me to take a picture of him proposing to me without me having the slightest idea what he was doing! He got me to take a photo of one of the most special moments in our life. Something he knows the photographer in me would want, and he did it in the most simple of ways, just by knowing I would set the timer on the camera. Is he good or is he good?!?!

Oh and of course, I said YES! ....we are both excited as all can get out and looking forward to a June 2010 wedding in the woods! The next time you see me standing under that tree, you can guarantee I will not be wearing sweatpants and a do-rag!

The Gypsy Feet

My ribbon winning photo was featured on the Gypsy Feet today. The blog is all pictures of feet and where they are in the world. Its fun to follow and a few weeks back I sent in the picture I won a ribbon for at the fair this year. If you have a chance check it out!

A Letter from John J. Wall

The following is a letter read on the Glenn Beck program today. Agree or not, like what it says or don't, I just wanted to pass it along because it simply explains how Benny and I feel about the direction of America in a way for all to understand. KD~

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Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950's, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let's just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don't like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we'll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We'll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens.

We'll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO's and rednecks. We'll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood.

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we'll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we'll help provide them security.

We'll keep our Judeo-Christian values. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N., but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We'll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We'll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right.

We'll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I'm sure you'll be happy to substitute Imagine, I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World.

We'll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we'll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I'll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall Law Student and an American

P.S. Also, please take Barbara Streisand & Jane Fonda with you.