we're still getting married. seriously.

I know that we haven't been posting at all very much lately (and as I hear it, you haven't been looking very often, either), so just to let you all know, we are still getting married. We're just hitting that mid-point in the planning process when the wedding feels like a dull buzzing in the background of our migraine. Or maybe thats just the heat. Because it is 102 damn degrees in Portland today! As soon as it cools off, we'll post about the planning process and the very special torture that it is to plan the happiest day of your life. For now, since our apartment has started to look like a Jo-Ann Fabrics with all of our wedding craft projects, here are a few photos of why exactly we are so damn busy:
















That's right, I made the brilliant decision to test run my temperamental new old 1950s hand-operated letterpress on our own wedding invitations.



































































I only have to do this 200 more times.

Game On.

So, I received a little something in our wedding email the other day. A picture of me (and Pat)! Yes, my dear friends and family, the game is officially on. The game of sending us pictures of the P-and-A robots you constructed, that is. Ms. Kate Lyman and Mr. Kalin Schmoldt of Portland, Oregon, receive the honorable title of "First People to Send Us Pictures of Our Squat and Robot-Like Selves." If you all send us some more, I just may come up with honorable titles for each and every one of you. And then I'll use them as place cards at our wedding. Actually, I'm not promising that last one, but you don't want to be left out of the loop, do you?

That's what I thought.

** UPDATE ** (By update, I mean, we got another one.)










"Best Use of Overgrown Bamboo/Thanks for Humoring Us" goes to Peter and Karen

Update - Update: Evidence of how much our parents love us...



"Best representation of our true habitat - Munchkinland" goes to Marty and Chuck.

So, as I will only make nametags for those who sent us pictures, it appears that this is going to be a very small wedding. That, or no one else gets to eat.

Think about it.

***Updaaaaate!***

I really am as excited as that sounds.

Erin Yvonne Dickey now holds the honor of "Best contrast to my current expression!" Exclamation point!

Ms. Dickey assures me that her sad expression relates to the fact that she did not have an adhesive strong enough to keep the P&A robot together; I should not, she says, take this as a sign. I assure you that I have very strong, body-builder-esque arms (though they don't look it) and I will not let Patrick go.

does your wedding have a moose?

When I started compiling links for this post, I felt like sharing some of our more indie/DIY/alternative wedding ideas might be fun or helpful for people to look at.

Then my mail arrived.

In the last two months, I have seen articles on sustainable and socially-responsible weddings in everything from ID to the New York Times, the Sierra Club, Brides magazine, and online wedding-overload-emporium, The Knot. This year has even seen the debut of an online wedding magazine devoted exclusively to green nuptials, portovert (which seems to be targeted more towards those interested in spa treatments and the color green).

With all of this recent press it seems like every publisher is just trying to make sure they aren't left behind in the coverage of green weddings. At a certain point, it all starts to just feel (unfortunately) like a fad. Still, if you are a magazine looking at jumping on to a wedding-theme bandwagon, sustainable weddings are a much better choice than jumping on (or maybe, for that matter, creating) other bandwagons.

None of this will stop me from adding my voice to the cacophony of eco-chatter.

What is interesting to me about this green-minded wedding trend is that the tone of most of these features, excluding the NYtimes and Sierra Club pieces, doesn't differ much from the regular Martha's Vinyard-linen-and-lace-caviar-canape fare normally seen in wedding mags. The main difference is more wildflowers in the decorations. I know there are good tips, and probably an earnest intern out there gathering the details for these articles, but does it seriously relieve anyone's concern over the state of our planet that, thank God, bachelorette getaways can now save the environment?

Now, I know that the demographics for these various activities probably skew towards each other, but having yoga retreats and serving vegetarian food does not necessarily make your wedding environmentally friendly. By offering a $100,000 budget option (vintage couture gowns?), portovert just makes the green wedding option conform to typical bridal rag standards of over-the-top-princess-for-a-day luxury. I just feel as though it makes it a fashion statement, rather than an exercise in considering the weight of your choices.

For all of the eco-hype this wedding season, change to the wedding industry does not seem to have taken real root. A lot of the options that I have seen bring to mind a Crate & Barrel catalog we got in the mail the other day that advertised things with "organic appeal" or "natural textures"—green-sounding language with no substance behind it. The "appeal" of being green appears to have garnered our cultural attention without too many efforts to change the status quo. Decisions that would have been simpler by being green-conscious are still simpler and those that would have been more difficult by demanding sustainable options still require that extra dedication and searching.

By choosing to feature seasonal, local flora and harvest crops, our decorations can be kept simpler and put off until closer to the event. Using a small-scale caterer has made that entire portion of the planning process a pleasure—their menu will be seasonal, locally-based and good and rustic. Meanwhile, tracking down recycled or Forest Stewardship Council-certified papers and soy-based inks for invitations has been an ongoing task of calling local printers and driving around to paper suppliers, only to find a limited range of options.

As for the moose, that was something that was made considerably easier (and more awesome) by seeking out a local, progressive events space. That moose is a resident of our event site (and a family heirloom of the president of the building's main tenant - no new moose were harmed in the planning of our wedding). The Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center is home to Ecotrust, which has to be one of the coolest environmental organizations I know of (and, completely coincidentally, Amanda's workplace). They focus on preserving regional ecosystems through strengthening local cultural systems and economies - the way more conservation efforts should be undertaken. More importantly for our wedding, they renovated a great old warehouse in the first LEED gold-certified building restoration in the country, providing us with a beautiful venue for our wedding on their rooftop terrace, overlooking their very own green roof!
The building is stylish, urban, and accessible by public transportation (all things that many people don't think of when they imagine environmentalism as a bunch of hemp-clad hippies eating kamut-grain trail mix in the woods). In a way, I suppose that this reflects one of the good things about the recent green wedding articles—they all show weddings that manage to be green while still having modern, cool looks. The attitude has definitely changed about the appearances of the green movement. We just need to watch that being fashionable and green doesn't get confused with being fashionably green.
***
Maybe you'll call this all a case of "the pot calling the kettle black" and say that we are probably doing many of the same things, but I suppose that this whole craze over green weddings irritates me on the same level that "Organic Living" or "Real Simple" magazines do for their underlying absurdity.
We are just hoping that our choices don't get viewed solely in the light of the latest trend, but that they create a wedding that is meaningful to us and suitably reflects us and our quirky little city. So while everyone's wedding this season may be green, they don't all have a stuffed moose overseeing their celebration.

PS.
One of the best ideas we've seen was the result of a partnership by portovert and a carbon-credits company. They've taken the concept of purchasing carbon offsets and tailored their carbon offset calculator specifically toward the guest travel surrounding a wedding. Now that's a pretty cool result of the buzz around the green weddings.

What did I just get in the mail!?

If you made it this far, you probably figured something out. Still, questions may remain, so here are a few answers, in no particular order:
They are us.
They are robots (sort of).
They are also our save-the-date cards.
It is on October 6th.
Formal invitations are to follow.
You really should put them together.
We got the idea here.
We really aren't that squat.
This is our website.
It has our our registry, hotel information, a map of things we like to do in Portland, and regular updates on wedding details.
It may soon have a video tutorial on how to make your robots.
Yes, if you send us a picture of your constructed robot, we will post it (paper narcissism?).

See? There really are no silly questions.

Presents!

And now for a little story (apparently I can't help but tell stories):

When I was about four, I was on an outing with my mom and older brother, Brandon, and, as is often the situation for young children on outings, something did not go my way. Perhaps we had gone to a toy store and my mom had ignored my pleas for the brand new doll that I simply had to have, or perhaps (more likely) I had wanted something delicious to eat. Whatever made me upset, I proceeded to throw a monstrous tantrum to the point where my mom, totally exasperated, finally said, "Amanda, I am finding your presence in this car very annoying at the moment."

My crying/whining/tantruming stopped almost immediately. With a slight whimper, I said, "Where are you finding my presents?"

Oh so punny. Thankfully, I have grown out the of the tantrum behavior that probably plagued my parents during my younger years. And yet... And yet... I still find myself asking you, "Where are you finding my presents?"

All joking aside, the greatest gift you can give us is to grace us with your presence on October 6th. However, if you follow the link on the sidebar, you will find further links to our wedding registries, which just so happen to have some very fine presents. We tried our best to pick local and small-scale businesses, so we hope you enjoy taking a look at their websites and at what these companies offer.

Sooooo sleepy.....

If you're coming into town for our wedding, the non-stop onslaught of fun is bound to wear you out, so you're going to need somewhere to stay. Luckily for you, we have taken it upon ourselves to find you the best of accommodations in town and we've even blocked aside a few rooms at special rates. Just know that our wedding is on the same weekend as the Portland Marathon, so space will be tight in hotels around town. We have a limited number of spots at the hotels we blocked, so if you are having trouble getting a place to stay, let us know. Here is our run-down of discounted hotels (and a few we just really like).

Mark Spencer Hotel
Just a stone's throw from one of the coolest bookstores in the country, Powell's, and the restaurants and galleries of the Pearl District, this hotel is a great option for those people who would like to walk to entertainment when you're not blessed with our presence. (And if you get peckish, breakfast and afternoon cookies are included). We have single queen bedrooms for $109 and queen bedroom suites for $129 - just call 800-548-3934, 503-224-3293, or email hospitality@markspencer.com and ask for the "Peden-Leonard" wedding rate.

Park Lane Suites
On a quiet residential street blocks away from the baseball (and soccer) stadium and the bustling NW neighborhood (home to us), this is a good place for families or groups traveling together and anybody who would like to have a small kitchen (Portland does have a pretty sweet farmer's market). While we don't have specific rooms blocked, they have given us a special rate of $120-150 for multiple room suites. Breakfast (and free parking) are included. Ask for the "Peden-Leonard" rate when you call 800-532-9543.


Though we didn't block sets of rooms at these next two hotels, they are our favorite hotels in town. You may want to check them out if you are looking for something hip and uniquely Portland.

ACE Hotel
Set in the recently renovated old Clyde hotel, the ACE is a design-conscious, Euro-style option for the hipster set to stay downtown. A block away from the Mark Spencer, it is on the edge of a recently redeveloped part of town with a sushi restaurant, a chocolate "bar," and an entirely digital independent movie theater that serves beer and wine. The hotel has a mix of rooms with shared and private bathrooms, a vintage photo-booth in its lobby and a bottom floor that houses a Stumptown Coffee (great local roater) as well as a soon-to-open restaurant and Jewish deli.

Jupiter Hotel
If you are willing to cross the river (come on, its only 8 blocks away), the Jupiter is a revamped 60s motor lodge that hosts an annual art fair in the hotel rooms (hopefully not on the same weekend as our wedding). The rooms overlook a great courtyard that it shares with the Doug Fir, a pomo log cabin serving truck-stop food and booking great indie bands. If you want to keep the party going after our wedding, its probably the place to be.

Sleep well!

This is not my wedding dress.

Before I went dress shopping, I made a mental list of the things I was looking for in a wedding dress:

1. Simple, elegant and not too flashy. No beads, please.
2. Something local, whether it be locally made or purchased in a locally-owned business.
3. Something that could either be worn again, or was simple (and affordable) enough that I wouldn't feel badly for not ever wearing it again.
4. No trains. Seriously. The aisle is going to be somewhat narrow and (possibly) flammable as we are considering luminaria/pyrotechnics. Email us if you have a license from the fire department and/or are interested in bringing the fireworks.
5. Something that I could eat and breathe in. The food is going to be awesome (check out the caterers, Simpatica). As for breathing, well, that's pretty self-explanatory.
6. Something off-white or un-white. As most of you know, I'm pretty pale, so I was thinking that looking pasty and washed out on the wedding day might not be the best idea. Down with tradition!
7. Something pretty.

The first outing was a fairly informal affair - just my mom and I running through a few dress shops on 23rd Avenue in between her flight into Portland and her train ride out of town (probably a total of two hours).

A few weekends later, Patrick, his parents, and I went suit shopping and, of course, went to the fancy-schmancy suit store first. Turns out that the fancy-schmancy designers are the only ones that make suits that fit Patrick's slight frame - or so he oh-so-conveniently claims - so he has a damn fine suit for the wedding. While we were at the suit store, I decided to venture upstairs to the women's department - just for fun, right? - and happened upon an absolutely stunning dress. One (I) might call it the perfect dress. My mom was coming up the following weekend to do a second run of dress shopping, so I put the dress on hold, Pat bought his suit, and we went home for the day.

I hate to admit it - and I swear I'm not normally so concerned with a piece of clothing - but I thought about the dress most of the week. I was still eating and sleeping, so I wouldn't say it was an obsession, though I may or may not have pestered Patrick with musings about it and may of may not have dreamt about wearing the dress.

The next Saturday, I took my mom, Patrick's mother, Karen, and my friends Kate and Eva, on a second dress shopping trip. We started off at Tres Fabu, a bridal shop that carries somewhat more modern bridal gowns. Walking into the store (a place that was filled with dresses that did not fit most, if not any, of my aforementioned criteria), I had what can only be described as a bridal stoke.

(A not-so-quick interjection here. During my summer job, I came across a monthly newsletter called the Porcelain Press featuring health-related information that one could peruse while using the office toilets. What a find. One month, the main headline read, "KNOW THE SYMPTOMS OF A STOKE!" Rather than being a description of the symptoms one might display when truly excited (i.e. stoked), the article instead outlined what to look for in a stroke victim. However, I found this glaring typo exceedingly amusing and proceeded to invoke the expression at every possible occasion. When Patrick and I went to Disneyland with our friends Macy and Ann, you can only imagine the number of stokes we witnessed and experienced. Truly amazing.)

But I digress. Though I had not expected to be remotely interested in the dresses and accessories that are found in a traditional bridal shop, I was suddenly pulling out dozens of dresses to be tucked and bustled into. I even looked, for a very brief moment, at the Just Married wedding flip-flops. So many to choose from. So very few occasions to wear them. I probably tried on a dozen dresses in that shop and many of them were surprisingly attractive. In fact, I very nearly purchased one. This dress went against almost everything that I had been looking for. It was white. It was not at all local (from Spain). While it was simple compared to other dresses I had tried on, it was still, very much, a bridal GOWN. It was definitely not something that could be worn again and I wouldn't call it "cheap." Finally, it had a simply enormous train. Cascading. Flowing. Fire-hazard.

We returned to the fancy-schmancy shop and I again tried on "the dress." I liked it as much as I had the first time, but after trying on the more traditional gowns, I suddenly felt very confused. The bridal gown, while not representing what I had been looking for, still drew me. People don't wear dresses like that anymore and part of me (the part that loves Jane Austen) is still attracted to the romance of being swaddled in yards of exquisite fabric on my wedding day. Still, most of me could not understand how such a dress would fit into the wedding I had been imagining since Patrick and I decided to get married. When it comes down to it, the bridal gown was beautiful, as all bridal gowns are beautiful, but the less traditional dress was as beautiful and probably (definitely) more "me."

That was that. I bought the dress and it is now sitting in our hall closet. Now that I have it, I may or may not spend long hours gazing at the dress. I may or may not have christened it, "my precious." I may or may not still have dreams about it. And soon, you will too.