Jewelry For A Very Special Day - 9/10/11

Do you remember your special day - your wedding day? Did you have butterflies or were you completely at ease?

My special day was August 9, 1980. The sun was shining, the weather was perfect, and my butterflies were the size of giant birds! I knew that I had found the perfect person, my soulmate, and that everything had been well thought out, but I was so nervous that all the details wouldn't come together.

I attempted to eat breakfast that morning; my mother had made her wonderful homemade banana bread, but for once, I couldn't eat any. It just kind of got stuck somewhere between my throat and my stomach. I sat there with my parents, and it hit me that this would be the last time that I would share this special time with them. I think that they were feeling the same because the conversation was not flowing as it always had before. I was the first one of their children to get married and as I now know the feeling, they realized that things were going to be different; still special but different.

I remember getting dressed, having pictures taken, the drive to church, the walk down the aisle with both parents, and then staring into the eyes of the person that I had totally fallen in love with and wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The ceremony went off without a hitch and then we were having more pictures taken, walking into the reception as a newly married couple, having our first dance, sharing a father/daughter dance with my father, and throwing the bouquet. The day went by so quickly and before we knew it, we were heading off on our honeymoon to the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Well now, there is a special day being planned for another special couple, Matt and Audra! They are friends of my son and daughter in law and we have come to know them quite well. Awhile back, Audra asked if I would make the jewelry for her wedding and I was so touched and honored to be a part of their special day. She had decided on a vintage wedding and wanted jewelry that had a vintage feel to it in a dusty rose color with antique brass components. She also wanted the necklaces to have similiar components but each one to be a little different to match the three similar but lovely, each a different style, vintage dresses that she had chosen for her bridesmaids.

I love a challenge and this one really appealed to me. I began the hunt for the right color pink and cream pearls and antique brass pieces. I made up one demo and sent a couple of pictures to Audra to see what she thought of it. By the time I had talked to her about it, I had already decided to make a slight change to it, she agreed, and I remade necklace #1.

The hunt was then on to make necklace #2. I had found a beautiful pink crystal rhinestone brooch on Etsy and sent her a picture to see what she thought. She loved it; I bought it, and once it arrived, began making the second, different but similiar necklace.

Now the pressure was on, two necklaces done and one to go. I hit a designer's block, which I am assuming compares to a writer's block.

Audra, being very familiar with Etsy as she and her future husband have an Etsy website, who had been searching for necklaces that she thought were pretty and in her color choices, sent me a link for a necklace that had a lovely resin rose as the focal point. Now knowing more of what Audra liked in jewelry, I got searching for the perfect rose from one of my favorite Etsy supply sites. Once that arrived, the rest was easy. The necklace kind of put itself together at that point, if that makes any sense and necklace #3 was complete.The next step is to make matching earrings for these necklaces, a necklace and earring set for the mother of the bride, and Audra's jewelry!

I love a challenge and a happy story!

Stay tuned for another blog posting when the final pieces are done!

Nancy