Photos of the Invitation Making Process

Because I'm a photo dork, I played ~photographer~ while other people helped us out making the invitations (yeah I know taking pictures while other people work, I'm such a slave driver). For some of you this might be a first look, for others you already know all the goodness that's inside them! Anyway PICTURES!

Maggie tells me, "This better not end up on your blog. . ." She never said which one. She's helping me glue the main invitation sheet to the inside of the cards. We went through quite a bit of glue that night!

". . .and then you just smooth it out, like this!" Maggie shows me her epic graphic-designer-mounting-paper skills. Maggie got just about all of the invitations mounted in nearly 2 hours of work! I wasn't even there for most of it because I was in a meeting, which makes me lame :/
She kept working until she ran out of glue. The next morning I woke up to find Alan had bought me more glue to finish up with. It was like getting a visit from the glue-fairy~

Once everything was glued down, we stuffed everything inside of them and broke out the hemp and scissors.

So you just tie it in a pretty knot, like Alan's doing here. . .

No, that's no where NEAR all of them. . .

. . .and you keep tying until you have followed these steps of invitation crafting acceptance:

1. Denial - Of course we have enough string, and the cat's so passive there's no way she'll pounce after this stuff, it's too stiff for her to play with anyway. I mean she wasn't even interested in a laser pointer, why would she go crazy for this stuff?

2. Anger - The cat has tangled up all the string you've spent the past hour cutting. You don't have enough string either. Thumbs are now pink from 'string-burn'.

3. Bargaining - "If you get more string on the way home, I won't kill the cat."

4. Depression - There's no way we'll get these things done in time. If we don't have enough string whose to say we have enough of the other supplies? It's all too much to do in too little time!! *BAW*

5. Acceptance - It'll get done when it gets done. Oh Look! Last one!

And now it's time to play with fire and hot wax!

Brian (otherwise known among friends as 'Dimitri') is showing Shelley, his wife, proper wax dripping technique. Drip the wax in a circle pattern and then fill it in. You want a good dime or penny sized puddle-o-wax.

And then you stamp! Alan and I found a ring with a fler-de-lis on it for our stamper. A tip of the hat to part of Alan's family line, and the fact I took French for three years in High School and can only remember how to say "I am the cheese!"

"Je suis la fromage!"

So you wait about 30 seconds and then slowly rock your seal off the now cooled wax. Voila! A wax seal!

Once a few of them were done I played around making a layout which showed all the components of what our invitations are made out of. This is a layout I've found helpful in putting together a graphic design portfolio. Now if only I could get a better shot. . .

That's a bit better.

Hope you guys will get a smile out of the invites!

- Carrie

Spring Trip to Maine Part 1: Arrival and The Engagement Shoot

We left for Maine on Friday May 8th taking an afternoon flight up. Not much really happened aside from running into an awesome bartender during our layover between Baltimore and Portland.

We got in late, but it was nice to see the family again. Being welcomed by hugs and smiles is always a nice reward after a long trip. Since it was so late it didn't take long for us to conk out that night.

The following saturday we headed to our first cake testing, Cricket joining us as we trust her culinary wisdom! It was pretty good too! But we wanted to try a few other places we had lined up. It was nice to spend the day hanging out with family and having fun.

The following morning had to be early for us - something that had been planned several months in advance. A pretty day, rather windy but nice and we were out the door headed to Boston by 9am (or at least that's what my adled brain seems to remember it feeling like)

We started our day about an hour earlier than we planned to, because Alan and I got into Boston earlier than we thought we would. The three hour drive wasn't bad, but the entire trip we felt so damned awful for not being able to spend the day with Alan's mom and a bit sorry about my mom as well - it was mother's day after all. Guess we have a whole year to make it up to them both (Love you Cricket & Momma)!!

We got to Boston around one, found a parking space and hoofed it to the apartment complex where Jacklyn met us outside. For a little while we sat around in the lobby talking, and Jacklyn got to do my eye make up because I'm incapable of success at those things (confession: Eye make up was the ONLY make up I wore that day). It was fun to have girl time with my photographer, I have to admit. We also met Jacklyn's partner in crime (who I THINK is her husband???) Chris. He kinda reminds me of a native American Indian because of his facial structure. He also had the pretty and long silver hair tied back in a pony tail. I really wanted to play with it, but thought it might be a bit awkward if I did.

We set out to the nearest T train station and got our tickets for the subway. The first couple shots we took was on the train. Everyone was looking at us, wondering what the heck was going on, and eventually a train security officer came stomping our way looking properly burly and annoyed asking what terrorist plotting we were up to. Chris showed them some of the pictures and thankfully the guard said just to try not to get in the way of other passengers. Finally getting off the train, Alan and I headed out of the station trying to find out way around. We stopped at these brick arches to take a few shots and told just to do cute stuff. We tried to comply.

apparently we did well. . .

We headed onto the Boston Museum of Science, taking pictures along the way. It was fun to laugh and joke with Chris and Jacklyn as we went onward. Getting to the science museum, some guy just HANDED us two tickets so the boys let us have them. Alan and Chris bought their tickets, we dropped off my bag and I switched out shoes then headed on our way to explore the museum!

Inside the museum there's this 'whirly gig' machine that uses various odds and ends to accomplish next to nothing, but it LOOKS SO COOL shows kids how gravity and engineering can go hand in hand. Either way it was a fun backdrop.

After a few clicks we got lost in our own little world. . .

We headed off into various sections in the green wing which held all the natural history stuff. Of course we had fun playing with the exhibits, seeing the stuffed animals (I had no idea a moose was that BIG) and shells!!!

Alan's nickname among many of our friends is 'moose' hence we HAD to get a picture with the moose.

Eventually we found our way into the blue wing, which held the technology and science part of things. Alan has a thing for the vandigraph generator and the tesla coils and . . .well the electricity exhibit brings the mad scientist out in him. He freaking LOVES this section. So we went to go play!

Of course we had to play with the plasma tube, and Jacklyn was literally bouncing with excitement over some of the many ring shots she got with this. Coolest. Ring shot. EVER.

Finally we headed up to the Lighthouse exhibit, which was upstairs. This exhibit is appropriately named but not what you think it is. I was thinking. . .fog horns, and light beams and ocean sounds

What I got was mirrors, fun with RGB lighting, optical illusions and crazy reflective surfaces. Jacklyn was beside herself with excitement over some of this stuff!

After the museum we left to grab some grub. Back on the train we went, Jacklyn and Chris showing us some of the shots they got, talking excitedly and ALL of us talking about food. We were totally hungry. Jacklyn called her brother, had some phone issues (apparently iphone reception is not that great), but eventually we found a place to eat. It was a bowling alley and lounge bar called Kings. We shared calamari, nachos, and had some 'real food' to go along with that as well. All the while talking about photos, vegetarianism, art, and anything else which came to pass. Chris was even so nice as to pick up the tab!

We headed back to the train station to ride back to the apartments we met at, and parking. Jacklyn and Chris did some ninja camera moves on the train and got some pretty sweet shots! But this ring shot is my favorite:

Hopping off the train we hung around the terminal for a bit.

Heading out the the terminal Jacklyn told us she'd take some more shots as we walked back. She found this really awesome ivy covered wall which I'm totally in love with. For some reason it reminds me of James and Lily Potter before they lost 150lbs, which makes it all the more adorkable to me because I'm kinda obsessed with Harry Potter. This is the image:

After we got back to the apartment, Jacklyn and Chris grabbed our stuff out of their trunk (they kept some of the clothing etc we brought with us in their trunk so we wouldn't have to worry about it being stolen). We talked to Jacklyn for a bit more and finally said our goodbyes.

Alan and I left with an amazing sense of awe. We got our photos taken, I didn't freak out or mouse up, we had fun and best of all we totally loved hanging out with our photographers! Jacklyn had originally told me that the shoot would take about 2 to 3 hours, but all together we spent somewhere around 6 or 7 with them. We didn't even REALIZE this fact until I looked at the clock in the van. We had so much fun we didn't even realize how long we'd been gone or how tired we were.

So with the day behind us we headed home back to Maine and fell asleep looking at the stars from our bedroom window.

----

If any of you are interesting in Jacklyn's Services or other works (she's got an amazing portfolio which includes everything from weddings to family portraits and some more risque stuff) head over to her website www.jagstudios.net! Rest assured that these are not the only shots that we took and there's loads more. If you'd like to see the rest, shoot us an e-mail at acmewedding@gmail.com and we'll give you all the info to do so!

More to come tomorrow!

- Carrie.

How We Met: Carrie's Perspective

It seems kind of crazy, you know? Meeting someone like Alan was something I never
planned on. In high school I was serious about getting into college. I was serious about my education to the point that I swore to myself I wouldn't get involved with anyone because lets face it, love is a HUGE distraction. If I found a guy he'd have to wait because I was going to focus on school.

Then I met Alan, and that 'focus on school' thing went right out the window. Well, kind of.

I actually remember seeing Alan on Orientation day at school. All the new freshmen were brought into a single room (because our class was a small group) and given the lowdown on how this whole 'college' thing worked. Before the lecture began I remember Alan coming into the room with a black sketch book under his arm. He was wearing jeans, a black shirt with this ludicrous spoof of The Matrix on it, and a blue over shirt with orange and red flames going up the side. Height of fashion right there. It may be sad to say, but he was honestly one of the better dressed guys in that room. Animators aren't generally known for their fashion sense, even after college.

He sat down a few desks behind me and started goofing off with the other guys. Speaking of goofy, I also remember thinking, "Dude, the guy has a really goofy laugh." And in the back of my mind I was a little charmed by it. I drew to pass the time till the lecture started. I didn't really think much of the guy with the goofy laugh after that.

But our paths crossed in our 'History and Trends of Animation" class, which was taught by a very knowledgeable, very tall, very long winded, professor Mike McGill. It was a late class starting at 6pm and going on till 10pm, well after that if Mike got onto a particularly interesting topic. After the first class I went downstairs to wait for a shuttle which I wasn't even sure was going to come. According to some of the students in the lounge the bus often came early and then never showed back up for the students who let out late. I must have looked a bit apprehensive as I was thinking about the long walk back to the dorms down Roswell Rd after 10. Perhaps this may have been what caught Alan's attention. Whatever the reason, Alan walked by me, then turned around sharply and asked, "Do you need a ride home?"

I agreed, which now that I think about it, was probably a bad idea. Mom always told me not to accept rides from strangers, but it was the guy with the cute goofy laugh and dark hair that fell into his eyes. . . and I was an awkward art chick. Who in their right mind would try anything with me?

We started talking. We were both awkward at first, but loosened up with the small talk. "Sooooooo, Where ya from? . . . MAINE!? Why are you all the way down here?!. . . School? Dude there's an animation school in New York. . . Yeah, my mom would probably freak if I went to live in New York City too." And somewhere between that and, "God, I hate hummers," Alan visibly relaxed and we enjoyed our few minute ride back to the dorms. He dropped me off, I thanked him, and walked down to my apartment dorm glad to have a possible friend.

The next class went the same way. In fact, we had two classes together. He sat beside me in our 2D Design class and we gabbed some more as we worked on the asinine measuring exercise.

Upon our second history class, Alan again gave me a ride home. Again, I thanked him and left for my dorm.

The next week (which I'm fairly sure was when he started playing with my hair in class. even though Alan denys this completely, I point to the fact he still absently plays with my hair on occasion in the car, when watching movies, etc) we walked together back to his car, and talked as we puttered along Roswell Road. There was a pause, a break in the conversation and then Alan piped up, "Are you hungry?" I nodded vigorously, as I hadn't eaten since lunch.

Alan pulled into a place that looked promising. At least the lights were still on. So we got out of the car, and trotted inside. Upon coming into the foyer I knew we were in a place that was way over our heads. Green velvet carpet. Polished wood everything. Chandeliers. It looked like a Vanderbilt hunting lodge threw up all over the place. Alan and I glanced at each other, perhaps saying a few words, then bolted, probably leaving a very perplexed hostess behind us. We ran all the way back to the car and fled to the nearest bar.

Alan paid for my meal, making me feel awkward not only because of his easy generosity but because that meant it was officially a date. Upon being dropped off at my dorm I picked up my bags from his trunk, and kissed his cheek in thanks. For the second time that night I bolted back to my dorm and immediately called a friend back home freaking out over the fact I just had an impromptu date. My plan was failing! SCHOOL first! Guys Later!!! My friend proved no help as she wanted to just talk about whether he was cute or not. I had to admit he was. . .

The next day was an off day for me. I got up, did some menial stuff, and went for a swim. Upon getting back from my swim, the girls in my dorm room looked to me reproachfully saying a "guy" had been by asking about me. He'd left his apartment dorm number with them. Armed with this information I cleaned up and left for apartment number H16.

I knocked on the door after hoofing up 3 flights of stairs, only to have one of Alan's roommates, Wesley, answer. Alan came to the door once summoned and explained he was just wondering if I wanted to hang out. I was happy with this and said sure. He was really the only friend I had in the whole dorm complex as my own roommates were more interested in seeing how much alcohol they could hold before puking. He introduced me to his other roommates: Josh, Wesley, James, and Mike (who happened to be absent at that moment). He showed me around the apartment, a three bedroom where as mine was a two. Upon coming to his abode I was happy to poke around in his music collection, admire his art and envy his luck in landing his own room.

I sat down in his computer chair, he on the end of the bed, and we just talked about anything and everything. Music. Movies. Family. Maine. North Carolina. The Army. Art. And then that awkward silence. He was looking at me funny. The kind of funny where he had this big lopsided grin on his face, the kind that made me laugh nervously and ask, "What?"

He just shook his head, with that smile and shrugged, saying something along the lines of "Nothing."

More silence, aside from the music we'd stuck in, the Titian AE sound track was blasting through the speakers of his computer as we talked. Sometimes I'd sing along.

Then he asked me a question. A question I, in my years of experience in high school, should have recognized.

"Carrie, would you like to go out with me?"

And I answered the dumbest way possible. I said the most stupid thing one could EVER say when one is being 'asked out' by a guy. Poor little, innocent, and naive Carrie had no clue what he really meant in that statement. It was a loaded phrase. A proverbial fork in the road that only had two directions to take Yes Road, or No Drive. Some how I ended up crashing into the median. His question was simple, "Would you like to go out with me?" and in my infinite wisdom I answered:

"Sure, where?"

Alan's expression went from goofy smile to flabbergasted befuddlement. He blinked a few times, obviously realizing just how stupid I must be and repeated his question, although a little slower. "No, I mean. . .go out with me."

In my head the only thing I could think of was places we could possibly 'go out' to. There were restaurants, and shops, the movies, and a mall around the area though I wasn't sure where, maybe a bookstore! Gears turning, but clunking in the wrong direction. I was still driving along that proverbial median.

Alan again blinked - at this point probably amazed that he had to explain the concept of 'going out' to me. "As in. . .boyfriend and girlfriend."

Let me explain that in high school, I never had a guy 'ask me out'. I never had 'a date'. I never honestly had anyone interested in me in the slightest or if they were they were awful quiet about it. I was the awkward girl. The strange chick who drew all the time. I was the one people talked to about their relationship problems, because I didn't HAVE any relationship problems (namely because no one was interested). I'm the strange chick people would pick on, and laugh at. The fat girl. The one random people would adopt and try to fix with make up. Boys didn't look at me in high school, or if they did it was out of an academic need. The only thing I was wanted for by guys was on the team jeopardy in Biology class, or maybe to help someone with vocabulary memorization or Latin translations. Guys just weren't interested in me. To be fair a guy had asked me out once before - but 3rd grade notes that say "check yes or no" don't count. So that said, I had no prior experience in this real life 'asking out' thing.

And now here was a guy, a real guy, a cute real guy, formally asking me out - and I didn't even REALIZE it.

I'm not sure if I turned white or red first, but at some point I think I managed to turn a slight shade of purple from the embarrassment. You could have fried an egg on my cheeks, or at least it felt like it.

I don't remember what I said honestly, just that it was along the lines of,"Yes."

Ever the gentleman, Alan asked if he could kiss me and I do remember saying yes to that one. I'm glad I did. We were unofficial for a long time, though we really didn't act like it. We made it offical, though mainly to ourselves, on August 24th of that summer.

And things just fell into place from there. In fact, everything fell into place so easily between us. We get along so well. We do our best work together, as a team. We are a team. Some people might say we 'fit together like two peas in a pod,' but I don't think that's quite it. It's like two puzzle pieces that lock into place mid fall when you shake out the box. It was that easy, and that much of a surprise (or at least to me).

It's amazing. Absolutely amazing that someone like me ended up with someone like him. I consider myself drunk with luck when it comes to Alan. I don't know what I did to get the awesome karma that brought this guy to me but I'm glad I have it.

- Carrie

How We Met: Alan's Perspective

Carrie and I met early in our first quarter at AIA. It was July in Atlanta, and the city was doing what it does best in the summer, which is to steam-fry anyone with the sheer gall to stand outside for longer than five minutes. Fortunately for us, the school seemed to have a policy of consistently refrigerating the five story office building that constituted our campus at temperatures more conducive to keeping penguins. That may be a bit of a exaggeration, but when you're looking back at the first few weeks of college from the other side of the diploma, the memories tend to take on a cartoonish technicolor hue. So when I say those memories seem plain vanilla in contrast to my first memories of Carrie, I hope you can appreciate how perfectly we fell together. By some bizarre cosmic coincidence, we were both bitten by the animation bug and had therefore enrolled in the Media Arts and Animation program offered by the school. This meant that eventually our class schedule collided and I ended up in a classroom seat adjacent to a bright-eyed and bubbly Carrie learning about the history of animation. Its at this point our accounts seem to differ. According to Carrie I was sitting behind her and she first noticed me when I absently started playing with her hair. I, being a gentleman of integrity, insist I was sitting beside her and did no such thing. Regardless, we met each other there, and I can say with happy confidence that neither of us ran screaming out the door, and no furniture was permanently damaged. After class, I was on my way out to my car and saw her waiting for the shuttle to the dormitories, which were about two very hot and urban miles away. On a whim, I offered her a ride, which very well have been one of my better whim-decisions ever. On the ride to the dorms, we found out that we had a lot in common, including the fact that we were both out-of-state transplants. One car ride turned into several, which turned into a dinner date that included fleeing from a fancy steak-house once we realized that they would not be receptive to seating two kids in jeans and t-shirts. One thing led to another and on the 24th of August, 2004 we were, as they say, officially an item. I have a feeling Carie will be posting her perspective on how we got together soon.

-Alan

So. . .Who is this Person You're Marrying?

Many of you may know one of us. Perhaps some of you know both of us - either way we may as well introduce ourselves to those of you that don't know the other half and reintroduce ourselves to those who do.

About the Guy in the Suit

5-year-old Alan, Lands End
Bailey Island, Maine
Hello there, folks! My name is Alan Tupper, and I'm the lucky guy who is engaged to Carrie. Here's a little bit about myself. I'm from the small coastal town of Harpswell, Maine, where the summers are foggy and the winters require therapy. My parents are Christopher and Helen Tupper, and I have one younger sister, Emily, currently finishing up at the University of Maine Orono. I'm a animator and artist by trade, but my interests go all over the place and include music, robots, space, politics, fuzzy animals, and experimental cooking.
I look forward to getting to meet all of you who I haven't met yet, and for those I have met, I apologize humbly in advance should I forget you name.
-Alan

About the Chick in White

5-year-old Carrie,

Emerald Isle Beach North Carolina

Hi! My name is Carrie Whittier and I'm the lucky chick who somehow landed the awesome guy, Alan. Don't ask me how I managed it, because I'm still not sure. I was born in England to my mom Ann, and my dad, Steve. Eventually I moved to and lived all over North Carolina. I was raised by my mother and my grandmother, Wonnie. Mom remarried to my step dad , Patrick. I have six step siblings, (oldest to youngest) Brea, Sarah, Zack, Londyn, Jacob, and Mitchell. I'm also an animator and artist. I have a ton of interests including folklore, ancient & world cultures, reading, politics, crafts, baking, music & animal behavior. I'm really eager to get to know those of you I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet! For those of you I do know, love to all of you.

- Carrie

Hello World

...and friends and family and distant relations.  Also a shout out to the completely random strangers looking at this for no apparent reason.  As you may have deduced this is the info-blog for the wedding of Alan Tupper and Carrie Whittier.  We're going to try and keep this updated on a fairly regular basis to keep you, the participants of said wedding, in the loop.  Expect odd questions, amusing commentary, and general shenanigans!  

-Alan