Unique: Just Like Everybody Else

Ever since my fascination with thrifty delights began in high school, I've had a constant obsession with being unique in my clothes and style. This isn't to say that I am the only person who shops at vintage stores, wears pearls one day and 80s earrings the next, and writes a blog about wedding planning; obviously wearing used clothes means that they have already been worn at some point or another by someone else. But the awesome thing about having a style that doesn't come straight from the mall (most of the time) means that while I get my inspiration from style icons in the past and other thrifty gals I see, the things I do wear are unique in my own way!

So if you've been reading my blog for some time now, you'll know that I am set on making my wedding be the perfect embodiment of my thrifted and multi-decade style. The awesome thing about this is that the DIY wedding movement has taken the country by storm. With all the blogs and wedding websites out there, sharing ideas and getting inspiration has become incredibly easy and planning a wedding with its own unique touches seems to be overtaking the cookie-cutter, traditional nuptials. However, with all the unique ideas out there, I've been running into this problem: when you get inspiration from another crafty bride, where's the line between 'inspiration' and 'stealing'?

http://www.sarahrhoads.com/

Throughout the whole wedding process, I have tended to become so fixated on making my wedding incredibly unique that it sometimes is impractical. For instance, I originally wanted a one-of-a-kind vintage wedding dress. I didn't want to wear something that there are photos of other brides wearing. But getting a dress like this comes with a slew of complications--finding one that's in good shape, one that fits me right, paying top-dollar to have one shipped and altered. Was it worth it?

But guess wear I got my dress? David's Bridal in Altoona. And I absolutely love it.

Then came finding the location. I didn't want to get married and have my reception in the same place that thousands of other people have, which was kind of ridiculous considering the size of my town and the limited wedding venue options. But when it came down to costs associated with renting a less-traditional venue, combined with the burden of buying tables, chairs, and a caterer, there came the questions again...worth it?

But Ian and I are getting married at a beautiful church that holds incredible memories throughout my lifetime, and holding the reception at an awesome country club with a beautiful view of a golf course. Yes, there are other brides who have had the 'same wedding', if you judge by location. But by no means will our wedding be the same as the ones that have come before.

Yes, my inspiration for the style and decor has definitely come from the wedding blog world, but the awesome thing about a DIY wedding is that like having a thrifty and vintage style, no two weddings are truly the same. Sure, they have similar styles and inspirations from other weddings and eras, but each one takes these ideas and injects her own personality into it to make them one-of-a-kind.

I am getting married in 97 days, and with a mile long checklist, I am so excited to begin bringing our unique wedding details to life!

This week's task: decide what song to walk down the aisle to. Because it would just be the end of the world to walk to the same song as every other bride, right?