november 15, 2008

My Etsy Shop is Live!

2011-06-17T10:02:00.001-07:00

I just posted some origami wedding items up for sale on my etsy shop. If you are interested, take a look.

Thanks!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MrsOrigami?ref=seller_info

On the Internets..

2011-01-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

Our roses have been on the internets.

A lovely fellow bride named Jennifer from my weddingbee.com days featured us on her blog here:

http://jenniferandmatt.wordpress.com/2009/01/29/the-ulimate-diy/

That same bride, also known as Mrs. Crabcake, wrote about us on weddingbee.com here:

http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/01/30/origami-roses/

We were also on this blog about incorporating origami in weddings:

http://www.storkie.com/blog/index.php/wedding-trends-ideas/origami-for-wedding/

And, we were featured on this awesome blog, by Cristina from Italy:

http://www.partecipazionipermatrimonio.com/blog/bouquet-mille-materiali

Now it's time for me to share some of my photos!

The very first photo I shared on the internet to see what people thought of our origami wedding ideas:

Here are most of our "origami rose ball topiary" centerpieces in "storage" before our wedding (actually, on top of the tv armoire):

Here is one of the "origami rose ball topiary" centerpiece at one of the tables during the wedding reception:

And another:

Here are the bouquets next to our wedding cake (mine is red, the girls' are cream):

You can also see the origami rose cake topper and the origami roses we put on the cake here:

A bridesmaid holding her origami rose bouquet:

Our rings and a single origami rose (we had a single origami rose at each place setting; they also served as mementos for our guests):

The origami rose boutonniere on the groom's tux (all the guys had one):

A closeup of my origami rose wedding bouquet during my bridal portraits:

Me and my origami rose bouquet during my bridal portrait shoot with Dave Anderl Photography (I love that I was able to use my real bouquet even though the photo shoot was weeks before our wedding day!):

A favorite shot of me from the bridal portrait shoot with my origami rose wedding bouquet:

If you have stumbled upon this blog and would like more information about the origami roses we made for our wedding, please contact me. I can be reached at mrs_origami@yahoo.com

My Origami Rose Ball instructions.

2010-09-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here's a tutorial of my Origami Rose Balls:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrsorigami/sets/72157624978170350/

The link will take to you my photostream on flickr, and each photo in that set has step-by-step instructions. You can follow these basic directions to make other things like I made, such as origami rose ball topiaries, or origami rose bouquets. I might eventually make some real tutorials for those, but these rose balls are pretty basic and if you make these then it's a couple of extra steps to make the other items. Thanks for looking!!

Easy peasy!

Welcome!

2009-01-30T06:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks for checking out my wedding blog. I'll be posting tutorials about our origami roses eventually!

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!

Ashley Brown ("mrs. origami")
mrs_origami@yahoo.com

PS: Our origami roses were featured on Weddingbee.com! http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/01/30/origami-roses/

November 15, 2008

2009-01-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

Daniel and I are now officially The Browns! Every detail of our wedding was worth it, and everyone we see now who came to the wedding tells us how much fun they had. I must say I am so relieved it is all over. It sure was fun planning, though! We have no regrets whatsoever!

All photos are copyright Dave Anderl Photography 2008, unless otherwise noted. There are many many more photographs, these are just a few of the highlights. The reception was so much fun, people didn't want to leave.

This is the center of our "guest book" quilt.

The Manor House, where the festivies all took place.

Daniel's boutinierre-all of the guys had one of these.

Our golden "B" seal on our programs! I did each and every one of these by hand, before putting them on each program with double sided tape.

My twin brother (the marine!) holding our program open. We made all of our programs, save the date postcards, invitations, menu cards, and every other stationary you can think of. It was soo much easier, cheaper, and personal than ordering the same thing everybody else does from invitation companies.

One of Daniel's coin cufflinks! I made these for him and all of the groomsmen, they were a big hit!

Georgia and Paige getting ready-Daniel's honor attendants/groomswomen and my bridesmaids. :) They are his sisters.

A closeup of one of our origami rose topiary centerpieces!

A shot of our "guest book" quilt, I picked out all the fabrics and helped design it, while Daniel's second cousin Mary Clare made it for us. She was so honored to make this for us. Every square ended up being filled with love and kind words from our friends and family.

I made these little packets of tissues and placed them on some chairs at the ceremony. They read "For your tears of joy." Each seat in the first rows had them.

Our rings with an origami rose.

My memory mantle-pictures of grandparents and parents on their wedding day or another significant time.

Me deciding if I'm ready to go-that expression means yes.

Coming down the stairs..

Hiding at the top of the stairs..

My dad walking me down the aisle. The lighting in the room was exactly like this.

Giving me away.

Our first kiss as a married couple.

Us sneaking up the stairs after the ceremony-photo taken by a guest.

Getting ready for the reception!

Look at my little nephew clapping!

Our cake-designed by me! Made by Cakes by Graham in Richmond, VA.

Part of the Jaws groomscake! I made it! (this is a figurine, though)

Cutting the cake-see Jaws? :D This picture was taken by a guest.

More of us cutting the cake, photo taken by a guest.

Tossing the bouquet (This was a bouquet I made specifically for tossing, of course I'm keeping mine!)

photo taken by a guest

Tossing the garter (again, a "toss" garter). Look at the guys reaching for it! & my brother's face is classic!

Dancing with Krystal-the coolest little girl I know! -photo taken by a guest (detail of my dress)

Lindsey caught the bouquet, Jerrod is Daniel's brother, he and Lindsey are engaged now! (he didn't catch the garter, though, another brother did, haha!)

Dancing-see my nails?

& a kiss.

Last minute things

2008-11-11T05:52:00.001-08:00

Stuff we have left to do:

-groom's cake-I am picking it up thursday a.m. & adding the details to it that night
-playlist-spoke with the DJ and decided to put the must have songs on the ipod and he can go back and forth with his stuff & the ipod stuff
-print those parent photographs and frame them
-give everybody our timeline/schedule
-print the ceremony script & readings into a booklet form for Nate & the people doing readings
-print a sign for the quilt guest book
-put thank you cards/messages in the out of town bags

thursday is the bridemaids luncheon, and daniel & the guys are going to lake anna that night. friday night is the rehearsal & then the rehearsal dinner at the blackfinn. & then a girls' night at kristen's!

2008-11-09T17:55:00.000-08:00

Doubt thou the stars are fire
Doubt that the sun doth move
Doubt truth to be a liar
But never doubt I love.

-Shakespeare

2008-11-08T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ancient Chinese Oath of Friendship:

I want to be your friend, forever and ever without break or decay. Until the hills are all flat and the rivers run dry, until it is hot in winter and snows in summer, until heaven and earth mingle, not till then will I part from you.

The Jefferson Hotel

2008-10-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

Opened in 1895; The Jefferson Hotel, located in Richmond, Virginia.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS

The Jefferson's history would not be complete without mention of the numerous dignitaries, celebrities and notables to visit over the last century.

No less than eleven Presidents. Harrison, McKinley, Wilson, Coolidge, Taft, both Roosevelts (Theodore and Franklin Delano), Truman and Reagan, and both Bushes have stayed at the hotel. Also among the rich and/or famous guests were: Admiral Dewey, Sarah Bernhardt, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Vanderbilts, Whitneys and Barrymores, Gertrude Stein, Sir Edmund Hillary, Charles Chaplin, Nelson Eddy, Robert Mitchum, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley who enjoyed a breakfast of bacon, eggs over easy, milk, no coffee, and home fries, capped off with a scoop of ice cream in cantaloupe. Sergie Rachmaninoff played in The Grand Ballroom and one of the world's most famous dancers, Bill (Bojangles) Robinson, was "discovered" as he waited tables in the dining room.

In recent years, a wide variety of actors, musicians, politicians, professional athletes, foreign dignitaries and other luminaries have visited. Members of the media have also taken an interest in The Jefferson, broadcasting live from the lobbies. ABC Weatherman Spencer Christian stayed at The Jefferson and broadcast his portions of "Good Morning, America" on December 4, 1992 and again during the spring of 1994. CBS news commentator, Charles Kuralt, filmed a segment for his "Sunday Morning " show on November 29, 1987. The Jefferson and its statue of Thomas Jefferson was backdrop for another segment of “Sunday Morning” in December 1994. The subject was the Statute for Religious Freedom.

http://www.jeffersonhotel.com/exp_history.aspx

This is where we will be staying on our wedding night, in a deluxe king room with room service breakfast for 2!

Bridal portraits

2008-10-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

I met with my photographer Dave Anderl (of Dave Anderl Photography), on Saturday 10/18 and we shot my bridal portraits on Monument Avenue here in Richmond, VA.

Made with Fabriano Ingres handmade Italian paper

2008-10-17T13:20:00.000-07:00

The brand of the paper we used to fold all the origami roses is Fabriano Ingres. It's handmade Italian paper, and you might recall that it took Daniel & I quite some time to find just the right shade of red and just the right texture of paper..

How cool is this?

"Ingres paper, also called fabriano ingres is the most elegant and equisite handmade paper from Italy. The paper is elegantly watermarked, mould made and acid free drawing paper with two deckled edges. The sheets are available in a spectrum of colors and a range of weights.

Each paper has a distinctive look with a rich appearance and an appealing effect. The paper features a soft laid surface. It is one of the popular handmade paper of Italy. The paper is mould made of lignin free cellulose."

Flowers..

2008-10-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

Daniel & I have folded well over 1,200 origami roses for this project. All of our flowers are these origami roses; including centerpieces, boutineeres, bridesmaid bouqets, my bouquet & tossing bouquet, the cake topper, and each guest gets a single red rose at their place setting.

Our Centerpieces: Origami rose ball topiaries.

Bridesmaid bouquets:

Tossing bouquet:

progress..

2008-10-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Guest Basket for the restroom @ the Manor House
Programs with wax B seals!
Our 'guest book' quilt!!
origami roses..
cameras..
photo scavenger hunt list!
cufflinks..
menus..

2008-10-13T06:05:00.001-07:00

These are in the mail....as well as the shoes I posted about last week!

I am trying to win this on ebay...!!!

I changed my mind when I saw these..

2008-10-09T13:14:00.001-07:00

These are the shoes. Even though I already purchased wedding shoes, I have changed my mind about those since I discovered these.

Now I just need a six pence to put inside one of them..

Tux

2008-10-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

We picked up Daniel's tuxedo last night. We are going to send it off for some alterations on thursday, though, but other than that, everything is good.

I made the toss bouquet and one of the bridesmaid's bouquets so far. 4 more to go, and then mine.

bubbles

2008-09-23T05:25:00.000-07:00

it only took about an hour to tie all these ribbons on the bubbles i got!

Candy, topiaries, & Dr. Wily

2008-09-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I purchased all the candy for the candy buffet yesterday. Remember, we have various glass jars for our candy buffet table! These candies will be in the different jars, all unwrapped (except for the caramel cubes), with candy scoops and bags for people to fill up. There will also be labels for each jar that says what it is. I think we've got something for everyone!
Sour patch kids, caramel cubes, old fashioned candy sticks in banana & butterscotch (mmm! my fav!), m&ms (in dark brown, brown, & plum!! called the 'fall mix'), york peppermint patties, 3musketeers, peppermint puffs, whoppers (daniel's fav), twizzlers, peanut butter pillows (they are gold!!), and of course, Heath Bars (since Daniel's middle name is heath..& they are only the best candy bars around).
I can't wait to set it all up! But I won't be able to until nov. 14th, the night before the wedding...This will be set up in the library at the Manor House.
I spent less than $100 for all this candy! I got most of it from Target (and the candy sticks & pb pillows from Cracker Barrel). I couldn't believe the sales Target had on candy, since Halloween is just around the corner..so I stocked up! We probably have more than we need, but leftovers can be given away to family, friends, & coworkers. (They definitely won't be going home with us!)
I was originally going to order all the candy from candywarehouse.com, but the prices were crazy and the choices were limited. If I bought from CW, I would have spent probably 3x as much, plus shipping (I did the math)...yikes! So, this is a fun and cheap way to do favors! Get your jars & candy, candy scoops, & you're set!

Here I am making some more centerpieces. We're finally done with them..more photos to come!

Dr. Wily is bored with all this wedding planning stuff going on. He really wants to play with all those rose balls and ribbons..but he just isn't allowed...:( Poor Dr. Wily.

26

2008-09-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

I got 13 12-packs of wedding bubbles for $13 total! $1 a pack! What a deal!

Daniel is 26 now. And he has some gray hairs.

67 days to go

2008-09-09T05:18:00.000-07:00

According to our theknot website at http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/view/co_main.aspx?coupleid=3283501679672458, we have 67 days to go until our wedding.

Wedding color meanings (from paper source):
You are down to earth, comfortable with who you are and have a great ability to find joy in life. You don't take things personally, you can rebound from failure, and you go for what you want.
You are spirited and energetic. You are sunny and don't dwell on the past. You are a team player, realistic, cheerful and flexible.

Maybe these are a mixture of the two of us.

I am picking up my wedding dress & rehearsal dinner dress this weekend. My mom, Fayth, Jackie, & all the girls (Bonnie, Kristen, Natalie, Georgia, & Paige), all have their dresses.
This Thursday we will finalize on the tuxes for Daniel & the guys (Joe, JB, & Jerrod).
My brother will wear his dress blues during the ceremony.

Kevin MacDonald is our DJ, so we have been finalizing playlists and making final decisions on special songs.

We're still folding roses, and we're mailing out our invitations in a week!

a perfect dress for his perfect bride

2008-08-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday 8/23 was a road trip out to Lynchburg with Bonnie & Kristen. My mom & Natalie met us at the bridal shoppe for my appointment there.

The owner gathered my rehearsal dinner dress, shoes, bridal gown, & my mom's dress.
My mom tried her's on & she looked great in it, just the right color and everything. My brown rehearsal dinner dress was just right.

The shoppe owner unwrapped my dress and I dove into it. It fit perfectly. It weighed a ton, but it was so worth it.

I came out of the room & I should have taken a picture of everyone's faces-it was hilarious. Bonnie got pictures with her camera of me, but I wish I got pictures of them on the couch.

It seemed like a dream, though. I guess being engaged for such a long time (2 & a half years) makes it hard to believe this stuff is actually happening.

We have 82 days to go. Invitations are going out on September 15th, Daniel's 26th birthday. The RSVP deadline is October 15th. Payments will be due soon....and there are lots of little small things to get done but all the big stuff is taken care of. I reorganized all of my planning materials Saturday when I got home...it's quite scary how organized I am now.

Honeymoon in Venice

2008-06-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

Venice, Florida= the shark tooth capital of the world

Fossil Hunting in November?

2008-05-19T12:56:00.000-07:00

We were thinking of maybe going fossil hunting for our honeymoon, instead of skiing. We could go someplace warm & beachy perhaps. We have a lot of fun looking for fossils, shark teeth, and even gems. It might be cool to go mining for diamonds, rubies, or emeralds in North Carolina or Arkansas. The only thing is, we'd need to be somewhere warm in November..

Accommodations within 5 miles of The Manor House

2008-05-05T11:21:00.000-07:00

These are some of the hotels located within 5 miles of the Manor House. We haven't blocked off any rooms yet for any of the guests but we are trying to get some ideas of what's available for them to stay at.

Comfort Suites Glen Allen

Hampton Inn & Suites Richmond/Virginia Center, VA

SpringHill Suites by Marriott Richmond- Virginia Center

Holiday Inn RICHMOND-NORTH I-95/PARHAM RD

Sleep Inn Richmond

Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites RICHMOND NORTH ASHLAND

Quality Inn & Suites

Making..

2008-04-29T09:14:00.001-07:00

Save the date postcards
Invitations
Programs
Centerpieces w/ table numbers
Table placecards for guests
Candy bar menu list with name placecards
Menu-check about making one for display if caterer isn't
Candy paper sacks with B monogram

more..

Progress

2008-04-29T07:46:00.000-07:00

Date: November 15, 2008
Location/venue: The Manor House at King's Charter
Caterer: Catering by Jill
Baker: Cakes by Graham
Photographer: Dave Anderl Photography
Officiant: Nathan Bradley Miller
Flowers: realistic origami roses made by the bride & groom
Music: Daniel Brown-ceremony (pre-recorded), Kevin MacDonald-DJ services

The Manor House at King's Charter