What are trilobites? Or: why many people thought I wasn't engaged since I wasn't diamond-ed:
Trilobites are (were) marine arthropods, sort of like crabs and certain insects, extinct now for millions of years. I find their fossils cute, so James proposed to me with a Trilobite fossil ring! For more information on the trills, please see Sam Gon III's "A Guide to the Orders of Trilobites" http://www.trilobites.info/index.htm#author
What's Steampunk? Or: why people were confused when they asked my color scheme:
Yeah, we're both pretty big fans of history, literature, design, esthetics, and so forth, so they all mush together into the style known as Steampunk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk ; Think in images and feels rather than definitions here: gears, rust, Victorian clothing, clocks, fossils, old books, yellowed documents, monocles, British history, adventure, exploration, silliness, spats, smoking jackets, libraries and laboratories. I tend to play fast and loose with timelines, so I like to include things from the 10s and teens, the 20s and 30s, and even WWII era in there. If it's old, that's news to me, since history's not over yet! (Well it is, but at least I can dress like it's not, from time to time.) Here's a lovely, and far-fancier example of a steampunk-style wedding. http://offbeatbride.com/2010/01/new-jersey-steampunk-wedding ; James and I will not be going that far-out in our clothing, most likely, but you now have a general idea of what's possible with the look :)
Wunderkammer Or: Why do you have bones on your hat?
A Wunderkammer, or "cabinet of wonders", is one of the
forerunners of the modern museum. Centuries ago, rich folks (royalty,
usually) would collect *everything* - taxidermied animals, mummies,
feathers, bones, shells, and more. These were kept in their private
homes for the pleasure of themselves and a select few friends.
Eventually, these rooms became better organized and moved to public
facilities, so everyone could marvel at the stuff collected from faraway
lands and times.
Wunderkammers were often crowded, stuffed to the brim with items. Their
organizational systems - if any - varied from owner to owner. Science
eventually became more formal and rational systems of classification
were developed, but for a long time, more was more was better! That was
the inspiration for my hat - a nod to the jam-packed weird rooms of
yore.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_curiosities
Unity Geode: Why?!
Geodes are rock formations that look very plain on the
outside, but contain beautiful crystals inside. Geologists and
hobbyists hunt them down, the break them open. Usually at this point the
rough edges are polished, but they're cool rough, too.
James and I wanted an alternative to the unity candle, but everything
else seemed a little...eh....We both like the Jewish custom of the groom
crushing the wine glass, so I got the idea for a break-your-own geode
so we too may have noisy wedding fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geode
