***This giveaway is no longer accepting entries – see who won below!***
Thanks to random.org’s very arbitrary matchmaking skills, our winner is… Lawren (whose favorite wedding moment was when her cousin’s pocketed dress stored tissues to hand the groom when he teared up during the vows). Congrats!
Hope everyone’s having an awesome Fourth of July. We’re enjoying some family time but wanted to drop in with this week’s giveaway, so here ya go. Thursday marks our 4th wedding anniversary, which typically would make this “Wedding Week” around here. But since there’s not much left of that dead horse to beat (we’ve already shared every last detail about our wedding, honeymoon, traditions, how we met, how we got engaged, and our favorite meaningful momentos), we’re gonna go light on the theme this time around. Don’t get me wrong, the last year has been awesome and we’re planning something sweet to celebrate the beginning of year five (nothing big, but we’ll share whatever we end up doing). Feel free to take a trip down memory lane by checking out a recap of our $4,000 DIY backyard ceremony or browsing old Wedding Week posts from the last three years if you’re feeling sentimental though.
And since this turned into sort of a “Not” Wedding Week, we figured it was the perfect time to do a giveaway with The Not Wedding. They’re a self-described “killer alternative to a bridal show” where you attend a mock ceremony, sit down dinner, and dance-filled reception all in the name of having fun and checking out vendors. Basically you get to experience music, food, cake (mmmm cake) and other wedding must haves in a real-ish wedding setting. This year’s “big day” is on July 21st and two tickets (which include dinner, drinks, and dessert) are up for grabs this week.
But knowing that not everyone can get to Georgia on two weeks notice, The Not Wedding is also hooking the winner up with a $150 gift card to their registry sponsor Bloomingdale’s. Plus, you’ll win a pearl bridal bracelet and hair flower fascinator (in white or ivory) from their accessory sponsor (Fine & Fleurie). Which adds up to over $300 of wedding-tastic swag. Or should I say not wedding-tastic swag? Hmm. Either way… score.
- PRIZE: Two tickets to The Not Wedding, a $150 Bloomingdales gift card, plus a bracelet & hair flower from Fine & Fleurie
- TO ENTER: Comment on this post with the words “NOT ME!” and…
- BONUS QUESTION: … tell us your favorite part about a wedding that was NOT yours. Did a particular family member have an especially touching ceremony? Did your best friend cry or laugh at your killer toast? Maybe your college friend simultaneously had you drooling over her location, dress, and decor? Or – be honest – is it just the time your work friend had an awesome open bar?
- GIVEAWAY CLOSES: Wednesday, July 6th at 8pm EST
- NUMBER OF WINNERS: One
- PRIZE SHIPS: Anywhere in the world!
- USUAL STUFF: One entry per e-mail address is permitted. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced on Thursday as an update to this post. That’s right, come right back here on Thursday for the announcement of our winners. Good luck…
Note: We weren’t paid or perked to host this giveaway, we just like rewarding our lovely readers. See our Giveaway FAQs page for more info. Pics from The Not Wedding, Bloomingdales and Fine & Fleurie.
NOT ME!
NOT ME
I’ve seen some cute weddings that used a lot of handmade personal touches and wish I would have thought to do things like that at our wedding. I think the best wedding ceremonies are the simple ones that emphasize on a few of the most important things to the bride and groom.
Not me!
My favorite wedding memory took place about eight years ago when I was invited to my best friend’s classmate’s wedding. The wedding requested “our presence not our presents”. It wasn’t until we arrived at the reception did we realize how wealthy she really was. We were in a great big room, joined by the wedding party, where we thought it was only going to be only a cocktail reception. We had all sorts of foods to eat with a ton of sweets, drinks were even being passed around. Then precisely on the hour, about an hour later, the doors to another grand nicely decorated room slowly opened with a spectacular view of the intercoastal. It was breath taking. It was the most lavish wedding I’d ever been to, not to mention that I was already full, but the love in the room was the cherry on top. It was also the first time I had seen cameras on the tables for guests to take pictures of their memories for the bride and groom. Truly the ultimate romantic wedding.
NOT ME!!
My favorite part is the cake. I remember for years on end if you had excellent (or not so much) cake at the reception.
NOT ME!! One of my favorite parts about a recent wedding we went to was the outdoor reception on a lake. There was a quick thunderstorm while everyone was under the tents for the cake cutting, but after that the sun came out and there was a fabulous sunset. It was perfect!
NOT ME! My favorite part part of someone else’s wedding was a hilarious best man speech, complete with signs…too funny!
Not me!
In my family, the rehearsal dinner of the wedding always turns into a talent show of sorts. We have songs and skits and the bride and grooms families battle it out for the best acts.
Weddingpocolypse? Not me! Laid back ceremony and then out to dinner with 30 family and friends.
NOT ME!
Weddings are the best. I especially loved going to weddings after we got married, it was relaxing to not have to do anything.
NOT ME!
My favorite not-my wedding tradition was for our friends Jon & Laurie — rather than a traditional couple’s shower, a couple dozen of their good, mixed-gender friends got together for a limoncello-making party. For gifts, people brought lemons and vodka, and then we spent a couple hours grating lemon zest to make homemade limoncello. J & L then bottled it, slapped on a custom label, and placed one bottle on each table at the reception. Everyone loved it, and people got to take home the empty bottles as mementos. Added an unforgettable homemade twist to the reception!
Not Me!!
My good friend from elementary school (!!) recently got married and the casual vibe was a perfect fit for them <3
NOT ME…. My favorite part of my cousins wedding was that she had traditional Chinese drums and those dragon dancers (she’s part Chinese, and I wish I knew the technical name!).
NOT ME!!!!
My favorite wedding memory was my dad dancing at my cousin’s wedding last year. My dad; serious, calm, cool… collected got the boogy woogy fever and busted out some very retro disco moves. Knees swaying back and forth with arms out and fingers pointed a la John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever…
The best part? It was really really good. Freaky good!
NOT ME!
My favorite part of any wedding I’ve attended was definitely my little cousin’s. His bride had a beautiful dress with pockets…so when he teared up during his vows (that they wrote together!), she pulled a wad of tissues out of her pocket for him. SO sweet!
NOT ME!!
My favorite part of a wedding, that was not mine, was my mom’s – our dog was the ring bearer and she did such a good job! The photos are priceless!
NOT ME!
My favorite wedding moment was watching my best friend walk down the aisle at our college chapel. She had some awful boyfriends and her now husband is the greatest guy. She was positively beaming!
NOT ME! Seeing everyone have a great time.. that is my favorite part of weddings…priceless!
NOT ME!!!
A friend of mine imported sand to make her backyard look like a beach (we live in Arizona). Everyone took off their shoes– it was so cool!
P.S. Tomorrow is my birthday, and this is what I want
NOT ME!
I love lots of things about wedding but one of my favorite memories is the band that played at my friend’s wedding. I have never seen so many people on the dance floor.
I also love to watch the groom at the ceremony when his bride becomes insight. The look on the groom’s face while his bride is approaching is pure joy.
NOT ME!!
Food and dancing is my favorite part of any wedding!
NOT ME!
My favorite not-my-wedding memory was when a little 5 year old boy put everyone to shame on the dance floor. Mini Michael Jackson was in the house :)
“NOT ME!”
One of the best weddings I went to was in Key West where they had rented a sailboat for wine & cheese. A sunset sail with good wine and friends…so perfect!
Not me! My favorite wedding memory not my own was at my sister’s wedding a number of years back. At the reception, the DJ handed around a cordless mic with the instructions that each table had to sing a song with the words love or marriage in them (I know this is now a more common thing done at weddings, but it was the first time we had ever experienced it and we really had fun with it). Anyway, there was not a dry eye in the house when my father, the retired and reserved Lt. Col., stood tall and re-worded the Elvis Presley song “Love Me Tender” and charged the new son-in-law to “love her tender, love her true, all her dreams fulfill, be her darling, she loves you, and she always will”. My least favorite part of this tender event? The videographer DID. NOT. RECORD. IT. Dad’s gone now, but this memory still squeezes my heart.
NOT ME!
My favorite wedding memory was from a wedding I went to past this weekend actually. The Maid of Honor ended her speech with the toast: “Here’s to remembering your wedding day as the day you loved each other the least.”
It really makes you smile when you think about it!
Not Me!!
My favorite wedding memory is when my grandma danced with my then fiance at my cousins wedding.
NOT ME!
My favorite part was at my best friend from high school, where her dad SOBBED down the aisle and then at the reception when he was giving a toast, he kept blaming his “watery eyes” on the horrible allergies in the spring….then the bride’s sister got up and she had some pretty bad “allergies” too! It was very sentimental to see the love their family has for each other!
NOT ME! My favorite wedding moment was at my dearest friends’ wedding: they have lived together for 25+ years and decided to get married for some practical/legal (same-sex) reasons. Even though they were originally motivated by practical reasons rather than purely romantic reasons, as soon as the wedding music began, they took one loving look at one another and then both burst into happy, loving, and romantic tears! In that one moment, you could see all the love they had for each other 25+ years in the making. It was pure romance! I’ll never forget it!!!!!!
Not me!!
NOT ME!!!!
My favorite part of a wedding that I have been to has to have been between my Father and Step-mother. It was there first dance and of course they were slow dancing to “At Last” when, at 45, stopped the song and started dancing to “U Can’t Touch This” perfectly in sync! It was so unexpected, and hilarious it filled the venue with laughter and an atmosphere of fun for the rest of the night!
Not me!
My favorite part is seeing the bride’s (and sometimes groom’s!)shine through all of the decorations/food/music!
“NOT ME!”
My favorite part of my friends wedding was taking over the dj’s booth and having an awesome dance party to finish the night!
NOT ME!
I loved that my best friend and her husband wore purple Converse sneakers to their very non-traditional wedding on the beach!
NOT ME!
I think all weddings are such fun! Even the one that served cheetos as part of the snack bar. Yup, true story.
Not ME!
NOT ME! I went to a wedding recently where the bride did not look at all happy to be getting married– it was quite funny to watch actually. She looked angry and like she was being forced to marry the guy…too funny!
NOT ME!
My favorite part of any any wedding is not planning any of it! I am getting married in one month and love sitting back at other people’s weddings and enjoying every moment. I am excited to be married but also excited to not think about planning every wedding detail too :)
NOT ME!
My friends recently introduced the bridal party to the reception themselves – it added so much personality and gave you a glimpse as to how special each person was to them. So fun!
NOT ME!
I’ve been to ten (yes, TEN) weddings in the last three years. I guess I’m just that age :)
There are tons of stories from every single one, from Wedding Crasher style hookups to Halloween themes to my dear ol’ Granny breaking her hip getting down on the dance floor. I couldn’t pick just one moment!
Not me!
Best friend got married at the courthouse. Just 4 of us there. It was lovely!
NOT ME!
My bff’s wedding was a lot of fun since she had me do her photography. It was a great experience to be at her side throughout the whole night, without having to be a bridesmaid! :D LoL
Not Me . . . – Favorite Part of my friends wedding was when they did the pictures after the wedding so we could eat with them and we weren’t starving by then!!!! I thought it was very thoughtful since I am all about the food!!! :)
NOT ME!!
I like all parts of weddings- especially less traditional, more fun receptions!
NOT ME!
My favorite part of wedding that was not mine was the wedding of my friend Laurissa and her husband Doug. They had kegs of beer than Doug had been brewing for months. It was awesome to have something they made, that they love at their wedding. Delicious too!
I’m in the middle of planning my wedding and I’m now really appreciating all the little touches folks added to theirs!
Not me!!!!!!
Not me!!!
NFL Superbowl winning quarterback jumping in the pool at my sister’s wedding reception. He’s from our hometown and grew up with my brother-in-law. It was a fun way to end the night :)
NOT ME! Happy anniversary!!!
NOT ME!
Favorite aspect of a wedding that was not mine: at my friend, Melissa’s, wedding last fall, she served champagne before the ceremony (just a lovely touch! sets a relaxed mood) and had a cigar roller in a gazebo during the reception. Loved it.
Not Me!
The church ceiling fell in at my sister’s wedding. She should have known then it was to be a disaster!
NOT ME!
My Best Friend’s perfect back yard reception was so “them” because it was low-key and totally about their love instead of showy details that had no meaning. They now have three beautiful kids and are as in love today as they were when they shared their vows. They inspire me!
NOT ME! My favorite part of the wedding is watching the bride and groom say their “I Do’s” without a doubt (even at movies) my eyes tear up!