What does it mean? Conor and Erin

What does it mean?” is a continuing series where we ask a blogger how they brought meaning into their wedding. Today we are honored to hear from Erin Jane Riley and her husband, Conor. Erin is a graphic designer and blogger of Jane Reaction who just moved to Texas from the North Shore of Hawaii. She just opened up a wonderful letterpress stationery line called Fox and Anchor Paper. Welcome Jane!

Conor and I were married on a Thursday morning in front of our immediate family members and a couple of really close friends. It was very private and intimate and was the ceremony we had envisioned for ourselves from the moment we got engaged. In Mormon ceremonies the couple traditionally says, “Yes” to taking the other as their eternal companion instead of “I do.” I really wanted Conor to know that I was excited to be his forever so I said “YYYEEESSS” a little louder than I had planned (louder than I practiced in front of my bathroom mirror that’s for sure). It took everyone off guard including myself and to this day he still teases me about how enthusiastic I was!
Following the ceremony we had a somewhat larger but still relatively small dinner in my parents backyard. It was important to us that everything be sourced locally and by friends or family where possible. My sister sewed the ring pillow and placed it in a hallowed out book for us. My friends from my favorite restaurant catered and served the food. A friend of my mothers made the cake (and it was more delicious than any other wedding cake I have ever had)! My favorite cousin officiated and made announcements and queued toasts. My best friend from high school did my hair. My mom made her famous homemade jam for favors. I designed the invitations myself… it goes on. We tried to make sure all of the little details included someone we loved. The day was special and stress free because we knew all of those people loved us and were so happy for us to be happy together.

One of my grandmothers had recently passed away and because of declining health my other grandmother was not able to be in attendance. Those women had been really important to me throughout my entire life so it was really sad not to have them there. It was important to us to really include Conor’s Grandmother and honor her as the matriarch of the family. She was so excited and willing to help in any way that she could. She loves to embroider pillows and dish towels for gifts so we asked her if she would like to embroider the napkins for our wedding dinner. She was ecstatic! My mom cut and hemmed all of the cloth and then Ione (that’s Conor’s sweet grandma) hand stitched every napkin with a flower or our initials. It was such a sweet little accent and is now one of my most treasured keepsakes.
Thank you so much Jane! Be sure to check out her blog, Jane Reaction and her paper shop, Fox and Anchor
by Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House That Lars Built