The thought of wedding flowers has always given me this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach… now don’t get me wrong. I love flowers as much as any other girl. But as soon as I hear flowers-I also hear CA-CHING $$$. So we had our first meeting with a florist on Friday to figure out what we wanted to do. We met with her for about an hour and a half and with each question she asked what we wanted for something, I heard CA-CHING $$$. Towards the end though I really started to realize it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. If we used her vases, the clear beads, and LED lights for flowers, it was $.50 per to “rent” the accessories! $.50?! I couldn’t believe it…

So here is what we are planning… and I am so excited!!
My bouquet…pink and orange gerber daisies with green hydrangea (our 3 colors)

Girls bouquets…pink and orange gerber daisies-smaller than mine with green button mums.

Not a good pic at all! but here is one that shows button mums better-but theirs will only have gerber daisies with them.

FH’s boutonniere…mini gerber daisy with green hydrangea-to match me
Groomsmen’s boutonniere…mini gerber daisy with button mum

Still working to figure out centerpieces-which will be minimal with flowers due to budget reasons, but I am so happy to have figured this part out!

In keeping with our “California romance” theme, Stephen and I initially considered staples like Jelly Belly candies or wine stoppers as favors for our guests. But when family friend Joann told us about a local company that created edible white chocolate boxes, we just had to check them out.

And upon first glance, we knew we’d found the perfect favors. Not only were these Creations by Sharon boxes lovely, with an intricate design on each lid, but they were also filled with Jordan almonds and available in a variety of designs, all of which we loved.

Finally, to give guests just a little something extra, we ordered  a bag of buttercream mints, which each had either a bride or groom cartoon on the wrapper. Our coordinator set one of these next to each guest’s wine glass to help everyone freshen up after enjoying our hot and spicy Mexican buffet. And judging by how close we all got on the packed dance floor later in the evening, I think this was a definite plus!

What types of favors do you plan to give your guests?

(Photo Credits: Alex Neumann Photography, My Wedding Favors & Personal Library)

I’m not gonna say much in today’s post.  Honestly, I have had some major stressful things happening at work lately.  I don’t want to go into all of it but it means I haven’t been able to spend much time on the net browsing through all of your lovely blogs I follow.  Don’t dismay – I am totally still here!  Those of you who have noticed I haven’t been commenting much lately, please know that I will be back over there to more thoroughly digest archived posts and catch up as soon as things are resolved here in the office

Thankfully, I schedule most of my posts months in advance so I have still been going regularly over here.  And I can honestly say that the wedding recaps will finally be ending this month!  Five months after the wedding, I will be wrapping it up with a few more pics and videos to share with all of you as I finalize my memories of our big day.  Thanks for hangin’ in there with me.

Today, I wanted to share this cool little recap video that our videographer included in our wedding video (note that the song is not the song used in our wedding video, I had to change it due to YouTube copyrights).  It is a recap of the cocktail hour but I love it because it shows a few of the little details of our event, specifically the reception tables.  So after the video, I’ll share a bunch of photos as well:

One of the two door hangers that my sister made for our day:

Our Flip Flop basket covered in red silk fabric holding 72 pairs of multi-colored flip flops:

Reserved seat signs designed by Serendipity Design

Red chinese take out Favor Boxes containing little red or turquoise key chains with a 5 ‘ tape measure inside:

Place cards were tucked into the napkins with each guest’s name sticking out at the top.  The card was not a menu card but rather a list of activities and favors that we had available for the guests:

Cake table:  Our cake was made by a family friend and if you remember, Mr Fix It tried to recreate the stand from a professional picture we found.  It didn’t turn out the way we envisioned it but it was amazingly good!

Our Gift Card box was the one thing I did NOT want to sell but Mr Fix It said we didn’t have room for it in the house   So I took it to a wedding swap meet where other girls fought over it

A photo of my friend’s guitar which he played during his solo at our ceremony

I loved this simple poster board of our room layout which made it easy for guests to locate their tables when they picked up their escort cards.

Cocktail tables (without the pen holder and votives that were also on them):

I absolutely adored the way that my coordinators tied the linen around the high standing cocktail tables!  I had shown them a picture of what I wanted and they recreated it perfectly!!!

These Parasols were part of my gift to my BM’s…loved them in a few photos.

5 page Fan Programs designed by Serendipity Design

Gobo light

Kleenex tissue packs:  A last minute ceremony favor idea that I quickly threw together on the cheap:

Personalized water bottle labels that I designed and placed over bottles for our wedding party (unfortunately the photographer did not get a better shot of just how adorable these were…they had a custom ingredient chart on the back, too):

Our Unity Cross:

Each younger child (and some younger teens) place settings had a personalized menu under their napkin which had a word search, maze and even a scavenger hunt for the reception:

They also had a circus favor box full of goodies with a little thank you message label on it:

The label reads:  A basket full of treats and fun, especially for the younger one.  Color, draw or play a game…just have some fun, so glad you came!

I won a free print via blog giveaway months before the wedding and had this engagement photo printed on a canvas which we displayed on an easel next to our gift table:

Some of the many little signs that we place around the event for the guests’ convenience:

Photobooth table signs and baskets:

Our super cool and unique toasting flutes which I can’t wait to use on future anniversaries!

Share Time:  What was your most favorite detail, DIY item or decor item from your big day?

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Robert Mullins Photography

After a 6 month search and 8 months before the wedding, I HAVE FINALLY FOUND AND ORDERED MY WEDDING DRESS

For me, finding the right dress was not just about the dress that I cried in when I saw myself, it wasn’t the dress I always pictured myself in. I had other things to factor into my decision that although unimportant for some brides was very important for me.

Start from the beginning:

Back in Feb when I started trying on dresses I thought i was looking for a halter dress. I didn’t think strapless would be for me, but I was told by someone at Davids Bridal that with my chest size i shouldn’t pick out halter dresses, so I took her advice and I didn’t. Well I didn’t find any dresses there but I fell in love with a dress from the next shop we went to. And for the next 6 months I stayed in love with it, picturing myself walking down the aisle in it, it was perfect. Well the only problem was that i wish the beading stood out more

Factor #1: I wanted a dress that the beading stood out more

Another time I went with just my mom and let her pick out dresses she wanted me to try on. It is quite an experience dress shopping with my mom because we have opposite taste in.. everything. The best one she picked soon became her favorite but I still didn’t really like it. I hated the material it was so heavy and I had a lot of cleavage with this dress. But she would not give up

Factor #2: I really liked the tafetta material because it was lighter and I felt like I could move in it

Finally to the present time: I went dress shopping this past Saturday with my mother, FH’s mother, and my sister/MOH. The first appointment I made was at the shop where these two dresses were located and they were the first ones I tried on. I started in the first dress that I liked and I walked out still knowing it was the dress for me but the whole time everyone was ooo-ing and ahhh-ing at me in the dress my mom goes “Wait til you see you the dress i picked” “The dress I picked is better” “I still like the dress I picked” at that point I wanted her to leave, except she was the one paying for the dress so I put up with it. I put on her dress and I still hated it, I knew that was not the one but she would not stop going on about her dress, and it’s not even just me who liked mine over hers because so did the manager from the shop, my sister, and soon to be mother in law. I tried on 2 more that they picked out and I hated. Then my sister found a dress that was a little different than what I tried on but had what I liked and what my mom liked about a dress. I tried it on and loved it. It was a halter dress! The one dress that I tried on as a halter turned out to be my dress.

But I still couldn’t get the first dress out of my mind, and still today I can’t. But I learned there are more important things than just loving the dress to factor in.

Factor #3 : Price- The final dress was almost half the cost of the other dress, and that was important to me

The last dress I tried on, had a few things I didn’t like about it. It was a zipper dress and I was really looking forward to a corset to suck in my fat! I also wanted a little more crystal beading because it had mostly flower designs and sequins, I wanted something to shine more than it did.

Factor # 4: The dress was able to be customized to make a corset and add the beading just for me

How many times do you hear people say “But it is your wedding day pick the dress that you want not what everyone else wants”? Well that wasn’t going to work for me because my mother is stubborn and would never let it go, I could just imagine me walking down the aisle and her telling everyone around her “She would have looked much more beautiful in the dress I picked out”

Factor #5: It was the first dress both me and my mother mutually liked

It was such a relief to finally get my dress and I am so happy with my choice, I just cant wait to see it with the corset!
And here it is !!

Now the question is what kind of necklace would look nice with the halter ?

We love looking to the red carpet for fashion inspirations and the 2010 Emmy Awards definitely didn’t disappoint when it came to gorgeous gowns. We caught up with wedding gown designer Annette Thurmon of Chaviano Coutoure to talk about her favorite looks of the night.

What were some of your favorite looks?

Boudoir photo sessions seem to be all the rage this year, with brides-to-be and newlyweds alike surprising their grooms with stylish and flirty photos that run the gamut from sweetly sexy to boldly risqué.

The more I read about these sassy shoots, the more I’m impressed by the number of women who say that although the session was first intended as a gift to the groom, in the end, it was a gift to the bride, instilling a greater sense of confidence and empowerment. Still, as a fairly modest girl, I’m not sure how comfortable I’d feel going before the camera for a shoot like this, or whether I’d be able to loosen up enough to allow the photographer to really capture the best shots.

What do you say, girls? Have you done a boudoir session, or is it something you’d consider? If so, what advice do you have for brides and newlyweds thinking about giving it a go?

So far, for me, I guess this is about as daring as it gets…

Invitations are an important step to set the tone for the type of wedding you intend to have, whether it is fancy, casual or something in between.

Nowadays, we have so much to choose from; printing techniques, paper style, colors, sizes, new trends….

The other day I was reading about a bride who is currently living in London and her wedding will be held in Costa Rica. To avoid any misunderstanding, she had invitations written in English and in Spanish. (Maybe a little too much??).

image credit: OhSoBeautifulPaper

I’ve always loved the Alfred Angelo line for its beautiful styles and affordable prices. Whether romantic, classic, trendy or sassy, I truly believe this line has something that would make just about any bride happy.

As you know, Alfred Angelo came to the rescue at the last minute when I was on the fence about my original dress, and I quickly fell head over heels for a romantic mermaid silhouette with cascading tiers of lace, a gorgeous semi-cathedral train, and an elegant grape sash beneath the bust.

And earlier, while on the hunt for bridesmaid dresses that would flatter a variety of body types, my sister and I found the perfect formal and flattering grape gown, which featured white embroidery and crystal detailing on its sash.

(Photo Credits: Damien Smith Photography & Alex Neumann Photography)

This is an image of the dress I originally wanted my bridesmaids to wear (and in this color, too):

When I took my six bridesmaids with me to a shop to try it on, I was so excited to see them all fall in love with it.  Perfect for our spring April wedding and to match our turquoise/aqua color.  Unfortunately, they all HATED it!  I mean, not just, “Uh, we’re not thrilled about it.”  But rather, it is totally unflattering…the bust is horrible…I hate the color…please don’t make us wear this, hated it!

I was so bummed.  But I wasn’t going to let the attire issue come between me and my girlfriends and relatives.  Then they started going on about how they didn’t like the blue colored dress and wanted to go with red instead (the other color of our wedding).  They said they would more likely wear red again and it would be flattering on all skin tones.  I was really bummed out about this because the blue was what I wanted to go with my color scheme!  The red was only the accent color.  So I asked them to show me some options of what they liked.  They came up with two choices:

Then my cousin realized that her very large endowed chest was not going to fit into this dress.  Again, the sales lady rescued us showing us another dress by the same designer in the same fabric and very similar style that held my cousin’s bossom in perfectly!    And much more flattering on her as well.

I later found out that one of my Bridesmaids actually wanted the dress in the blue color as well.  I had offered for all the girls to wear whatever color they wanted to when we placed the order but they all just went with red.  When I asked her why she didn’t go for the blue, she said she didn’t want to cause ruffles and be the only one different besides my daughter.  I told her I would have loved for her to be in the blue and I wish she would have spoken up!

And here is my little one in her dress from our post wedding shoot

I had great BM’s…they weren’t divas and didn’t have to do too much but were important ladies in my life.  I thought they all looked beautiful on the wedding day – some even better than me!   My stylist did great with their hair and makeup too though 2 of them did their own hair/makeup.  Can you guess which ones?

TODAY’S WEDDING TIP: If you are one of those brides who wants to let your bridal party be a part of the attire decision making process, then be sure to talk to each of your bridesmaids AWAY from the rest of the bridal party and ask for their desires and feedback regarding their choices and preferences.  They may be intimidated by other girls to truly be honest about decisions you want their input on.  And don’t we all want our friends and family feeling beautiful, confident and comfortable while they are celebrating our special day with us?

Woohoo I’m married! Thought I’d share some wedding pics..these pics are in no particular order, and they were taken by various guests.

Photo credits: Jessica Telo

Brides!  Are you planning a wedding with a nice dress, good food, and general fun and good times?  You are?!  STOP!  What do you think you’re doing?!  A big wedding is just selfish and vain and will inevitably DOOOOOOOOM your marriage!!!

Or at least, that’s the impression I got from this BBC article.  Specifically, the opinion of Rev Giles Fraser (Canon Chancellor of St. Paul’s Cathedral), who believes that modern weddings are nothing but a narcissistic show in which “the shoes, the dress, the flowers…” take priority over the actual ceremony.  He claims that committing yourself to your partner for life is lost amid the idea of being “princess for a day”.  He believes that extravagant weddings are “a threat to the marriage itself” and that naturally it’s all the media’s fault.

This is complete and utter bollocks.  Just once I would like to read an opinion piece that doesn’t scream BLAME THE MEDIA!  Can we please just assume that we are not feeble-minded sheep that want things just because [insert celebrity here] has them; can we instead assume that we want things because we like them?  And I can’t help but notice that statements like “princess for a day” means he considers this shocking affront to marriage as totally the bride’s fault.  Dammit ladies, how dare you buy pretty dresses!  As for the wedding being a threat to the marriage, I completely disagree.  I’d even go so far as to say the wedding has no bearing on the marriage- just like a great NYE party doesn’t automatically mean you’ll have a wonderful year.  Case in point: my aunt got married in a small civil ceremony at a local college, followed by dinner and drinks at my grandparents’ house.  It had a big emphasis on “look how much we love each other” and no emphasis at all on “look how much money we have”.  Four years later, and it’s not looking good, to put it mildly.  A small and understated wedding doesn’t guarantee a happy marriage any more than an extravagant celebration dooms the union forever.

Author and clinical psycologist Dr Oliver James agreed with Rev Fraser, saying “Women now place a higher premium on love… They are more prone to wanting to signify their importance to others through grand material displays.  Classic keeping up with the Joneses.”  He cited a study by the Institute for American Values (which states that in 1960, 40% of women said they’d willingly marry without love- a number that fell to just 15% in the late 1980s) as being “a tragedy”, because it was during this period that divorce rates started to rise. It’s not the media’s fault though, just our “shallow, materialistic culture”.

OUCH is all I have to say to the first statement.  I’ll give him props though, he didn’t imply the sexism like the good reverend, nuh-uh, he went and laid it all out there.  Kudos.  Dr James, just because you had that one girlfriend who turned out to be a golddigger doesn’t mean we’re all selfish money-grabbers, OK?  (Disclaimer: He may not have had the golddigging girlfriend, I’m just making an assuption based on his barely-concealed bitterness.  Bet I’m right though.)  Also, “shallow, materialistic culture”?  I’m not sure what planet he’s living on, but the one I inhabit still has a little bit of a recession going on- I’d be willing to bet that there are more DIY/CIY guides for brides now than there were 10 years ago.  We like nice things, especially at our weddings, but we make and pay for these things ourselves thank-you-very-much.  Then again, his views on the IAV study would seem to imply that marrying for love = bad because women spend far too much money on love even though it will inevitably end in divorce.  Or something.  Frankly, I’m beginning to doubt his credibility, not to mention his sanity.

Maybe I’m reading a bit too much into this, but it seems like the dress (and, by extension, the bride) has been held up as the symbol that we brides want it all our way, when actually it’s the polar opposite.  After compromising with our partners on the venue, the invitations, the guest list, etc. etc., the dress is the one thing that is completely ours to decide.  We pick the dress knowing that its sole purpose is to make us look and feel great, and we love it for that!  Although why the groom’s suit isn’t similarly regarded as a symbol of wedding decadence is beyond me.

Catherine Westwood (editor of Wedding magazine and no relation to Vivienne) provided a much-needed voice of reason, saying that “Actually, most people see it as a celebration.  If the celebration is throwing a big party and having that public declaration of love, then I think it should be treated that way.  [Rev Fraser] needs to modernise a bit and be delighted that people still want to marry.”  This woman is my new favourite person!

Are you ready to be inspired? I hope you so, because Erwin and Ed’s ceremony and reception recaps are here, and they’re heartfelt, touching and beautiful.

I’m thrilled to share these with you, first because of the wonderful job my fellow Wish Upon a Wedding DC board members and our wish granters did in making this a magical day, but even more so because it was a fabulous celebration of love and hope for the most deserving couple.

I hope you enjoy the video by Human Story Films, along with a few gorgeous images from Ed and Erwin’s “Wedding in White” celebration at D.C.’s historic Meridian on August 14, 2010.

After a long debate that may have been harder than any one piece of the wedding planning process, in which ideas from Europe to Mexico were tossed aside, my husband and I decided to honeymoon in Aruba. I think we made a perfect decision. I’ve now been back to reality for 2 weeks, and it has been one of the hardest transitions I’ve ever had to make!

There is so much to share about my trip, and also hopefully as a resource for future honeymooners, that I’ll break my recap up into a series of posts. This first one will focus on what we focused on most during the honeymoon… the food!

When planning the honeymoon, one of the questions we had a hard time answering was whether or not it was worth it to go to an all-inclusive resort. We priced out options both ways, and finally came to the conclusion that we would rather “rough it” in Aruba so we could go explore places all around the island, and not just what our hotel had to offer, without racking up huge charges. To anyone considering a trip to Aruba in the future: I highly recommend you do what we did. There are so many AMAZING places to eat around the island; you would really be missing out by sticking to the dining at your own resort.

The dining was one of the only elements of our trip that we really planned out when we first arrived at the hotel. We made reservations with the concierge for each of the places that had been recommended to us or that we had read about and wanted to try. Ranging from “authentic island cuisine” at Papiamento to grilled specialties at Pinchos, we had so many great meals I can’t even begin to describe all of them.

This post is going to focus on our favorite dinner, which is also a staple of any island honeymoon, the right-on-the-beach dining experience. There were several to choose from in Aruba, but based on a recommendation from our friends who also honeymooned in Aruba, we chose Passions at the Amsterdam hotel.

The first thing that was striking about Passions was the atmosphere. Between the striking effect of the sun setting over the water, and the beautiful straw umbrellas lined with sparkling white lights, it was one of the most gorgeous and romantic places I’ve ever seen. It just felt magical right as we stepped out of the cab.

Of course, I would never judge a restaurant solely on its atmosphere… and luckily, Passions held up to my first impression and did not disappoint in any other way. The food and the service were both amazing. And an added perk: to maintain the amazing romantic atmosphere and not ruin it with too much lighting, the menus lit up when you opened them so you could still read them! That was a big perk for my husband, who really likes shiny things. But I have to admit, I really enjoyed it too.

To top off an amazing meal, when we got the dessert menu we noticed that there was something called a “sparkling surprise” romantic dessert for two. It sounded way too fun to pass up, so we gave it a shot…

Not only was the presentation of the dessert spectacular, to top off a super romantic and amazing dinner, but the cake selection was AMAZING. There was a cheesecake, a key lime pie, and a passion fruit cake, served with strawberry and chocolate dipping sauces on the side. I couldn’t have imagined a better end to a better evening… I think this might have been the best dinner my husband I have ever shared together!!

Fellow brides- did you have a hard time deciding whether or not to choose an all-inclusive resort? If you’ve already been on your honeymoon, how did you feel about your decision either way?

If you haven’t been on your honeymoon yet but you have already decided not to choose an all-inclusive, I highly recommend that you take as many dining recommendations from former honeymooners as you can get… that’s how we found Passions

The man I married is my best friend and partner in all things – the silly, the serious, the life-changing, and the mundane. He is gentle, sincere, thoughtful and genuine, and he looked so handsome and happy on our wedding day.

(Photo Credits: Alex Neumann Photography)

This Sunday marked the five month anniversary of our engagement! It’s been a whirlwind time for both of us with lots of emotions, stories and insights. I started a blog to help convey the lessons I’ve learned since my introduction into fiancee-hood. But what about what J’s gone through? Here are a few of the thoughts he’d probably share with men who are about to propose to their girlfriends! If only he had known ahead of time…

1. You will not get to sit back and relax after the proposal, even though you probably deserve to. A few days after we got engaged, J and I had our first discussion about setting a date. J thought a year and a half would be a nice time frame. My friend E reported a similar situation with her fiancee who suggested they wait well over a year to walk down the aisle. Another friend’s fiance admitted he thought they’d wait at least two years before even starting to plan their nuptials!

Guess what, guys? Slipping the ring on her finger is like pulling the trigger on the starting gun: on your marks, get set, get married! I understand that you just went through a lot of stress choosing the ring, planning the surprise and pulling off the proposal. We truly are grateful but quite frankly, you’ve given us an excuse to do a ton of shopping, crafting and planning and there’s no way we can wait. Honestly, we can’t. It’s in our DNA. Think of the little box that ring comes in as Pandora’s Box because once you open it, there ain’t no stopping the wedding planning.

2. You will discuss something about the wedding every day until the wedding. This will eventually make you grateful that you are not, in fact, waiting more than a year to get married.

3. You will be judged by the ring. “Let me see it!” Is what most ladies will say the first time they run into your gal after getting engaged. They’ll exclaim, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”or, “How do you hold up your finger? It’s so big!” or “Oh! It’s so bright. I need sunglasses!”

I know when you’re picking out the ring you’re only worried about her reaction, but you should also worry about the reactions of her mother, her best friend, her co-workers, her hairdresser, her bagger at the grocery store who asks if she prefers paper or plastic, and just about every other woman in her life.

4. You will be forced to watch a lot of wedding television: Poor J was not invited to attend my wedding dress shopping. However he has seen hundreds of brides try on and find their future wedding gowns thanks to the Say Yes to the Dress marathons that occur every Friday on TLC. (And now Say Yes To The Dress Atlanta! Southern women are crraaaazzy!) He’s also been forced to watch David Tutera, Battle of the Wedding Designers, Whose Wedding is it Anyway, and Bridezillas. Can somebody say estrogen overload???

5. No matter how crazy your future bride gets during the wedding planning, just remember: it could be worse. This is why I make sure J watches a lot of episodes of Bridezillas! Those hoes make me look calm, sane and rational. Bring it on!