Foxy Wedding in a Box

I was married October 30, 2004.  I still can't believe we just celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary.

image by Rodney Bailey

Our wedding stuff is stored in a large container in a closet where I stash all physical memories.

Here's Ralph, our first dog we got three weeks before we got married 'cause our cat Bianca was getting on my last nerve...he doesn't live in the box, though.  (Our #2, Alice, was helping Mr. Fox with Grand Theft Auto and was not available for photographing.)

When we got engaged, I was in the middle of opening my now closed bridal boutique. The stress of wedding planning combined with becoming a business owner sometimes threatened to overwhelm.  Luckily for me, I married pretty much the sweetest, most easygoing boy around, Mr. Fox.

He surprised me with a proposal in Vegas in front of the Bellagio, and I keep the pictures some bystanders took in my box. He kept the ring in his backpack the entire time except for the night of the proposal, when he had it in his sock.  Subsequent engagement ring hijinks ensued, including it being too small for my sausage-like fingers, but that is a story for another time.

One of the details I got really fixated on during planning was this idea of napkins with chocolate brown colored ribbons with a wax seal "F" on it.  That's right, I wanted each of my 250 napkins to have this detail.

It was gorgeous, but I still feel guilty that my wedding planners, Cammi Mara and Elizabeth Duncan, pretty much stayed up all night making wax seals. I saved the two from our place settings, as well as Andrew's peacock boutonniere.

image by Rodney Bailey

Other than that, I was pretty low key, my brain being overloaded during my shop's first year in business.  I rolled along with the planning process in a sort of overcome stupor. I was in good hands, though, since I had been a part of the DC event community, my vendors were also my friends, and I was lucky for their help and generosity! Dragonfly Floral, Just Paper and Tea, The Wright Touch Band, Rodney Bailey, and, of course, Cammi and Elizabeth. You are all wonderful!

image by Rodney Bailey

Don't get me wrong, I had definite opinions on what I wanted and was intent on having our personality show for the event.  I just didn't get too caught up in the minutiae. Of course, that bride-madness displayed itself in other areas of my life, like the night before the wedding (another long story).

I was concerned that choosing a gown from one of my designers would be akin to playing favorites, and I didn't want to see my dress every day in my shop.  So, I had my gown designed by Melissa Masse, a friend of my older sister's in LA.  She also designed and made a black suit for Andrew. I felt (and still feel pretty strongly) that if I get an awesome bespoke gown, my groom should not have to rent!

image by Rodney Bailey

I loved my wedding! I wanted peacock hues and lots of rich colors.  It was important for me to hint at the Rat Pack and Vegas since we were engaged there and, incidentally, my honey and his friends visited Vegas every year on a boys trip.

image by Rodney Bailey

image by Rodney Bailey

So, our Save the Dates looked like playing cards, our tables were named after casinos, there were cards and poker chips available at the reception, and we had a big band play at our wedding.

After we were married, I kept seeing our wedding everywhere! I kept the magazines that I came across that showed off our photographer's (Rodney Bailey) work.

I am super sentimental...if I showed you everything and relayed all the back stories, it would take pages! With each piece, I was transfixed. My heart and mind rushing back in time to our wedding day, reliving the moments that each item signified.

So, instead I give you the highlights:

I kept our Stefana, of course, Save the Dates, response cards, invitations, placecards, bows that my pony (now passed away) wore when she attended, a program, the out of town gift bag "all about DC" manifesto Mr. Fox wrote, the email that my older sister sent for my cousin Diana to read in place of being present since she was due to give birth any moment, my feathered hair accessory, my broach, my bracelet, the boxes our rings came in, and proofs for all stationery.

image by Rodney Bailey

My dress can't fit in the box, so it lives in my closet along with my faux fur wrap. Feeling the silky ivory taffeta and yummy silk duchess satin sash under my fingers transports me.  The ruffle is one of my favorite parts!

My gown is a little wrinkled, hanging unused in my closet, but it is still beautiful. 

image by Rodney Bailey