Happy uh, Wednesday? I have a super fun {flea} for you that was supposed to go live Sunday, but alas, did not. To end Wedding Week I wanted to share with you, not really {flea} finds, but two very special items that have made their way into my life.
When Josh and I started talking about marriage, naturally the subject of a ring came up. New and shiny isn't my style. So I started making a case of my own; to my mom. My Pap spoiled my Bubbie with jewelry and when she passed away her engagement ring from the 40's was left to my mom. As a teenager I would sneak into my mom's room, pluck the ring out of its little dish and admire how pretty it looked on my finger.
My Bubbie's ring. My wedding band was bought from a pawn shop of all places and Josh's ring was custom made by
Rob and Lean from Etsy.
When I asked my Mom, it was a big ole "No". My Mom loves that ring as much as I do and while she didn't wear it as her engagement ring, it was still really special to her. Well fate had other plans. The day after Josh proposed to me, my Mom hopped in the car for work. When she turned on the car, the radio blared a song my Mom sang to my Bubbie when she was sick. I got a phone call from her, sobbing of course, that I could wear Bubbie's ring and that it was obvious she would have wanted me to wear it.
It isn't big, or fancy, or expensive, but it's beautiful and it was my Bubbies. It fits my personality, my style and let me tell you, the thing shines like none other. It's one of my most cherished possessions and I still find myself, on a daily basis, fawning over its beauty.
I couldn't have been happier when my Mom gave me my Bubbie's ring, so naturally it was on to 'the dress'. The most important piece of clothing on a brides big day, I knew I wanted something vintage and something short. My Dad, loving suggested we look for his mother's dress, my Grammy. On a trip home to finalize wedding plans, we searched the house high and low only to find lots of old baby clothes and that the cat had puked all over the basement. Our search ended there.
I found another dress, which I then purchased in Florida where we were living. I wanted so badly to shorten it, but my friends convinced me otherwise. I loved that gown, I still do, but deep down, I still wanted a short dress.
Again, fate came knocking; on the day I purchased my dress nonetheless. My Dad called to say he had found Grammy's dress and that it was in the mail to me. I was instructed to use it in whatever way I wanted, I could even cut it up! After a long day at the pool, I found a package on my doorstep and my friends waited as I excitedly tried it on. I can't even begin to describe what I felt when I tried that dress on; my Grammy and I were the same size, height and weight when we got married, the floor length dress fit me to a T and didn't even need hemmed with heels on! I was estatic.
Over the next few months, the most amazing project happened. My Dad constantly asked what I was doing with Grammy's dress and my answer was always something along the lines of "I don't know yet Dad, the fabric is pretty old". Secretly my friends and I were transforming my Gram's dress into something even more astounding. My friend Christy and her mom made me a apple green sash. My friend Jenn hemmed the bottom to tea length and sewed the lace from my Mom's veil onto the front and back. It was a true collaboration and my Dad had no clue.
At our rehearsal dinner, I gave my Dad a hemmed square of her dress and told him that sadly, the fabric was so old and brittle that I was only able to make him this small hanky. He totally bought it! The next night, as I hurried upstairs to change out of my gown, I realized how blessed I was; not only to be able to surprise my Dad (he's a super sentimental guy), but to have these amazing family heirlooms.
Our DJ, a close friend of mine, asked everyone to gather round for the Father/Daughter dance. My dad stood in the middle of the floor as I rounded the corner in his Mother's dress. Upon first look, you couldn't tell, but as I walked closer, a chuckle about a costume change turned into tears. It was an honor to wear her dress and a blast to surprise my Dad!
I feel so lucky to have had these little pieces of my family history make their way into my wedding and I cherish every memory I've made with them. Surprising my Dad, working with my friends and seeing the faces of our family made every day planning and scheming worth it.
I hope you've enjoyed Wedding Week. And I appreciate everyone's love and wishes for our anniversary. I wish you and yours too, many happy years together! See you tomorrow for a little fun. xo.
