Nobody Told Me I Had To Get A Cake...

Due to uncontrollable circumstances our reception site is no longer able to provide our cake. What I thought was a checked box and a done deal suddenly became a new line on my "to do" list. They gave us two choices a) give us a credit for the price of the cake and let us bring in an outside cake vendor or b) serve our guests a plated dessert instead of cake.

We made up and are going with choice C) serve our guests a plated dessert and have a mini cake made for Fiance and I to cut. I'm actually pretty excited about this because our guests can have something that tastes waaaay better then a slice of cake, but Fiance and I still get the pomp and circumstance of the cake cutting.

The only problem is, I haven't done any cake research. I'm a major research addict and love information of all kinds. All of my vendors were researched to the N-th degree. I hate making snap decisions without all the info, but this late in the game, I knew I had to find someone fast. Even worse, we didn't have time to go down to Charlottesville for a cake tasting. I'm not too worried about this, though, because the cake is just for Fiance and I so even it's not the best cake in the world it's o.k.

So based entirely on the advice of my wedding planner and good reviews from other C-Ville knotties I went with Teri Edwards of Cakes Unlimited. Like pretty much everything in my wedding I want something simple with clean lines. This over circulated pic from the Cake Girls is my inspiration. Of course I know that it will be hard to re-create the magazine like perfection of that cake, especially since we will be using real flowers, so I'm not expecting an exact replica, but just something with the same vibe.

At first we were just going to get a small one layer round cake, but after talking to Teri she believes the cake will look better if it is two layers and she's throwing in the extra layer for free! I love a person who doesn't sacrifice their artistic talent over money.

The cake is going to be small but I think it will be SUPER cute. We bought a tiny 8 inch round cake stand at T.J. Maxx that we can loop a green ribbon through, and the bottom layer of the cake will be 6 inches round, and the top layer 5 inches round. The flavors will be chocolate with coconut filling and Irish cream buttercream icing. Can't wait to see how cute it's going to be!

Below are shots of some of Teri's more modern and simple cakes, but the woman has mad skills and can do all the fancy curls, swirls, dots, and frills of a more traditional cake. To check out more of her beautiful work visit her Pics Album on her myspace page.




^Had to throw in some cupcake porn for all the cupcake brides out there

i gorman wedding event!

since i work in a building on the same street as i. gorman, i pass it nearly every day on the way to lunch or the metro. i stopped in for the first time today during lunch to try on wedding bands (even though we have another seven months) :)

nicole was awesome! she cleaned my ring for me and offered up a variety of bands to try on. the selection at this store is very well-edited and the customer service is outstanding--obvious from the various regulars that stopped in while i was there (must be why Miss Capitol Hill went back!). anyhow, i'm going to have to bring FI back but nicole told me about their upcoming wedding event.

all of i.gorman's designers will be giving trunk shows at the store on March 21 & 22; there'll be food, drinks and most importantly, 10% off on your purchase that weekend!!!!

A Tale of Two Veils and Two Shops

From the beginning of my wedding planning, I was pretty sure I wanted to wear a drop veil like the one pictured below.

^Photo credited to the super talented D.C. photographer Chris Baltazar. To see more of the beautiful bride check out the wedding of Heather and Moses on his blog!

I wanted my veil to be very sheer and simple, and I knew that I would not spend big bucks on a veil. Many of the veils I tried on at the shop ranged from $300-700. I had heard good things about Occansey Design and Veil Shop so I looked at both for a cheap drop veil. They both had them, but Veil Shop allows returns and Occansey Design does not, so I ordered two different lengths from Veil Shop. Overall it took about two weeks to get the veils in.

Unfortunately, it seems I'm just not a drop veil type of girl. I was swimming in fabric, it was unwieldy, and it just looked messy on me. Maybe I wasn't putting it on right, I don't know, but I knew I'd be fussing with it all day if I kept it for the wedding. So back they went. I haven't gotten my refund yet, but it's only been about a week since I sent them back. Otherwise my experience with Veil Shop was quite good and I'd recommend them.

So it was back to the drawing board. The problem was I had always envisioned myself in a drop veil, so I had no idea what type of veil would look good. I needed to try on a lot of different veils just to see the different styles, but I didn't want the hassle of going to a normal bridal shop and getting pressured to buy one of those $500 veils. So off to David's Bridal I went! It was awesome! They had a ton of veils in all different lengths and styles and they left me alone to try on to my heart's content. No pressure! I have to say, though, even their veils were still a little expensive ($100-250). Here is what I found out:

Length
I like long veils. But not TOO long. Regal Length and Cathedral length were out. All the fabric was so difficult to manage. Chapel length was manageable but still seemed slightly bothersome to keep up with. Waltz length would have been too short, though. I needed something in between.

Blusher
I've always known I wanted to wear a blusher, but I discovered that I did not want something as long as a fingertip length blusher, but I did want the blusher to be longer then shoulder length.

Fullness
And finally, I confirmed my earlier suspicions that poof = evil. I still wanted something really simple and sheer like a drop veil but that had more structure and that would drape behind my back instead of all around me. The poof of the veil around your head/face is measured by the width of the veil fabric. The wider the fabric, the more gatherings there will be at the comb, which results in a poofier look. Standard width for most veils is 72in. Extra full is around 108in, and sheer is 54in.

So armed with this information I went back to Veil Shop to see what I could order. Sadly, their veils start at the standard width and they didn't have any veils between the waltz and chapel length. So I popped back over to Occansey Designs. Occansey Designs can customize your veil in pretty much any manor you could want. So after looking at a ton of their picture galleries I decided I wanted the below:


^ A floor length veil of 76in long. This was a great compromise b/t the chapel and waltz lengths. I got the length I wanted without the hassle (note: my veil does NOT have rhinestones!)

^ A blusher that was elbow length. Once again, the perfect compromise between fingertip and shoulder length. Average elbow length is 29in but I customized mine to 27in, cause I'm short and the model is like 5'10. If I had to change anything I would go back and get the 29in, but really it's not that important (note: my blusher does NOT have rhinestones!)

I also had the above veil specially cut to a SUPER sheer width at the top of just 25 inches while retaining the width at the bottom of 54 inches. If I had to do it again I probably would have gotten the ULTRA sheer of just 12 wide at the top. 12inches = minimal poof.

The great thing about Occansey Designs was the super cheap price of $63 with taxes and shipping, and the 1 week turnaround for delivery. The only bad thing is that you can't return anything, so you better have a pretty good idea of what you are looking for. If I had to do it again I would make small adjustments here and there, but overall I really like the veil...it's a keeper! It gives me the sheer look of the drop veil that I wanted but it also gives me the structure of a normal veil that I needed.

Bella Designs - Alexandria Jewelry

Apparently it's going to be a Bella type of week for me. My hair salon first turned me on to Bella Designs a few months ago, and the Alexandria based owner, Melissa, has some really lovely things, especially for a bride or a bridesmaid. More importantly, a lot of it is very reasonably priced. You can shop online, or if you prefer the hands on experience there is going to be a jewelry party at Periwinkle in Alexandria, next Thursday March 6th from 6 to 8 p.m.


^These earrings are my favorite. The Lindsay chandelier earrings look so delicate and are very art deco chic. $32.


^The Elizabeth Bracelet. $110.


^Lacy Necklace. $65.


^Thea Necklace. $135.

Sample Sale at Hannelore's

Check out Hannelore's website for a listing of their current sample sale gowns! They list designers, style names and prices. You could snag a great deal on your dream Monique Lhuillier or Reem Acra dress...

Bella Bella Beautiful!

In a couple of weeks we'll be sending out our invitations. I really liked an idea I saw in a back issue of Martha Stewart to use wrap-around labels for the invitations. Your name/address are pre-printed on the back so you don't have to write it out over and over again.


It was cute. Cheaper then calligraphy, and Martha even provided an online template, so you didn't have to worry about font, spacing etc. All I had to do was run the printout through my STICKER MACHINE, crease it with my BONE FOLDER, cut it out with my UTILITY KNIFE, and trim the edges with my PINKING SHEARS.

Sure Martha....whatever. I have no doubt that many a crafty bride out there already owns these things. But I'm not a crafty bride. I'm a full time job bride who doesn't make her own anything and by the time I went out and bought all these things (that I'd never use again) I could have just paid someone to do this for me.

Thus began the search on how to do the wraparound labels without actually doing it myself. Luckily, I stumbled across The Bella Bella Co. Couture Correspondence site. Her website isn't quite ready for prime time, but The Bella Bella Co. etsy shop is in full swing! In her shop were these beautiful wrap around labels.


^click me to enlarge, it's worth it!


The description said there were tons of different pattern choices and they could sell in bulk of 250 labels for $125. That's only 50 cents a label. Much cheaper then calligraphy and it's something most of your guests haven't seen before. Now I'm not inviting 250 people but I figured I could use them on the thank-you cards as well as on any other mailing I have to do over the next year since it has our address pre-printed on the back.

Sadly, by the time I got around to ordering the labels they were sold out. But I contacted The Bella Bella Co. and they had no problem doing a printing for me. They whipped up the below design based on our invitation.

^Click me to enlarge, it's worth it!

Printing took about 2 weeks and they came in the mail yesterday! They look good and I'm really happy with the ease and professionalism of the service I had.

Be sure to check out the other pretty things in The Bella Bella Co. Couture Correspondence Etsy Shop - their cards are beautiful! and they also do wine labels, address labels, monograms, etc.

And of course they also have a blog, which I promptly added to my blog reader. The Blah, Blah, Blahg - Pretty Procrastination is a design inspiration blog. But I learned from reading that the owner of The Bella Bella Co. is about to get married! My personal favorite part of the blog is the On the Dowload a.k.a. Freebie Friday's. Every Friday Miss B. gives out a free template for labels, gift tags, to-do lists, etc. that you can download and do on your own. Which is perfect for you crafty brides (cause I know you are out there).

Southern Comfort for the Southern Bride

Not that type of “comfort” (although there are probably be plenty of times when you’ll need a drink or two during your wedding planning process). I’m talking about the kind of comfort that only a comprehensive site like atlantabridal.com can offer. This is a great starting point for any bride taking on the arduous task of planning a wedding. The site is very detailed, and very easy to navigate. They offer loads of information on cakes, catering, DJ’s, health/beauty, photographers, reception sites, fashion, online store, bridal events, flowers, gifts, destination weddings, budgeting, jewelry, wedding books, honeymoons, dance lessons, transportation and much, much more!

Web site: http://www.atlantabridal.com/

The Flushing Bride!

At-home and secluded outdoor weddings can be wonderful ways for any couple to say “I Do.” Something tells me, however, that one concern often overlooked by many brides is the restroom. Royal Restrooms has the perfect solution for such a problem . . . portable bathrooms. Now these are not your average port-a-potties. These are stylish, spacious mobile restroom trailers that are ideal for outdoor and at-home weddings/receptions/parties.

Standard amenities include: flushing porcelain toilets, sinks and running water, interior & exterior lighting, premium paper products, vanities, hand soap, heat/AC, rugs, pictures, flowers and mints!

Web site: http://www.royalrestrooms.com/
Phone: 404-841-2225

Up, Up . . . and AWAY!!!

Air Atlanta is the premier helicopter tour company in Atlanta. They offer romantic and reasonably priced helicopter tours of the city starting at $35 per person. The intimacy and experience of the ride is priceless. The helicopter is only used for your party, so you don't have to worry about sharing your experience with strangers. Air Atlanta encourages photography. In fact, they will post any footage you'd like to share with them onto their web site. Passengers usually board at Peachtree-Dekalb Airport; however, the helicopter can pick you up at any location that will grant permission and enough space for a safe landing (for an additional charge).

Reservations should be made as far in advance as possible to ensure that they are able to accommodate your date and time requests.

Alcohol is allowed on board, so enjoy your champagne toast!

Some of the Featured Tours:
King and Queen ($35/person 5-10 min)Buckhead ($70/person 10-15 min)
Buckhead Governor’s Mansion ($90/person 15-20 min)
Downtown and Atlanta Zoo ($110/person 20-25 min)
Downtown and Decatur ($130/person 25-30 min)
Stone Mountain ($110/person 20-25 min)
Chattahoochee River to Deans Gardens ($110/person 20-25 min)

Web site: http://www.airatlantahelicopters.com/

Phone: 770-458-7771

Back from the west coast...

As you can see from the above picture, I just got back from California ( that is actually a picture of Tahoe) it was a good trip, long time being away from the FI but as they say Distance makes the heart grow fonder :) Now I'm back and just less than 7 months till the wedding day...yesterday was exactly 7 months. I am meeting with our florist again on Monday to go over our budget...I have had to cut back on some of our Floral budget, and I want to make sure that we can still have what I was thinking originially, just on a lower budget. Next up on my check list is the Wedding Rings. FI surprised me yesterday by suggesting we go look at places this weekend, who am I to turn down the opportunity to go jewlery shopping! We started doing some temporary looking around online to search places and we are going to the following four places this weeekend.

1) Tiffany's --I know cliche, it's where we purchased my engagment ring, and I know there is a wedding band we like there, but we think we can save some money by not going for the brand name. This is a picture of the Band that I love there :


^ This is more of a Channel Set ring, and I am not sure yet if that is what I want. I know I do want a diamond wedding band, but I only want the diamonds to go half way around .

2. Charleston Alexander Diamond Importers -- This place carries A.Jaffe Wedding bands ( I think they are beautiful) so that is what attracted me, they are also located in Falls Church ( and Bethesda) so they are not to far from us. I will let you know more once I actually visit them on Saturday but below are a couple of A.Jaffe Wedding Bands that I like.



3. Washington Diamond-- FI found this store since it is located right near us. They have a great selection of wedding bands (they say they have the best selection in the DC area), So we are checking them out on Saturday also. Once again I will let you know a full report once I have actually visited the stores!

4. I-Gorman, as you know from Miss. Capitol Hill , this is where her and her FI purchased there Engagment Rings. It is also located across the street from where FI and I are having our reception, so we have looked in there windows before and we liked what we saw!

I will let everyone know what we find next week :) If anybody has any jewlery stores they want to suggest, please let me know!

J'Adore Details

Ahh the details...how we do love them. And we aren't the only ones! Southern California based photographers Jasmine Star, Drew Bittel, Trista Lerit, and Ameila Lyon love them too. So much so that they came up with a brilliant idea. They've created a website devoted to the great vendors they've worked with over the years and the little details that make for fabulous weddings.

I know you're probably thinking "how do a bunch of great California vendors help me plan my D.C. wedding?" The pictures of course! The J'Adore Details website is filled with beautiful pictures for inspiration. Click on the websites of the recommended vendors and you'll have even more details to drink in.

And as if that wasn't enough, be sure to check out the J'Adore Details Blog as well. It has just begun but with four talented photographers contributing I'm sure it will be filled with amazing photos. The blog will be updated with great little details from the brilliant weddings they shoot.



^Photo credited to DrewB Photography

^Photo credited to Jasmine Star

^Photo credited to Jasmine Star

Since You're Voting Anyway....

It's time for the Knot's Real Wedding Awards. That's right another place for you to look over hundreds of thousands of real weddings while at work :)

It's kind of cool though and there are some great shots out there. You can voe for best overall wedding as well as best individual picture.

we have entered four weddings into the mix. (Vendors are allowed, so I am not breaking some Knottie Rule and expect to be trashed on the boards....:)

Since we show love over here, I encourage everyone to head on over and browse the photos. If you happen to see Lauren and Steve, Zahira and Michael, Kim and Errol (pictured above), or Marina and Luke and want to LEAVE YOUR VOTE!!!

That would be really sweet. Remember you can VOTE FOR THE ENTIRE WEDDING or you can vote for an individual image.

Whatever you decide is fine......... WINK!

In the wise words of Erykah Badu: What a day, what a day...

It began at 4 a.m this morning when I woke up, packed and left home for my 6:59 flight. Reagan was a breeze, as was the connection through Memphis. And finally, I arrived in Destin,Florida for my whirlwind week of wedding planning with my grandparents.

I was greeted by my Oma (German for grandmother) who after a few hugs and kisses on the cheek had me at a bridal salon within 20 minutes of my arrival in the Sunshine state. I tried on 5 dresses to appease her, and as predicted, she fell in love with one in particular...one which I disliked so much I have no idea as to who the designer is.

Then, it was immediately off to lunch and then to the church- Ressurection Parish-- where we met with father Tom who was fantastic. I present to you the place where I will marry Mr. Shirlington (and I promise not to change it again).

What you see here is the baptismal pool and the altar directly behind it. There are no walls in the curch, only windows that show off the natural oceanic beauty for almost 365 degrees

After that, Oma and I hit up the Embassy Suites just a minute's walk from the church. Our block of rooms is locked in at a rate of $129 per night. The guests should be more than happy with the huge atrium, suites that include a sitting room, office and bar, heated pool, inlcuded hot breakfast and walking access to the beach.


Next we hit up venue option number one. The Beach Walk has a private room that can squeeze in 50 people for a seated dinner. The room rental is $150 dollars and 75$ per person. The whole restaurant can be rented out for no rental charge as long as the reception ends by 5:30pm. Dinner is $75 per person, including beer, wine, linens and cake cutting fee. I absolutely LOVED this place. We can also bring in a DJ and seat up to 100. This is my beautiful Oma posing on the stairs we would descend to make our entrance and then the restaurant. More photos to follow in the next post.



The beach is what makes this place. Please see the next post for the view that sealed the deal! Tomorrow we visit a second reception venue, a florist and a bakery.

cont'd...

Needless to say, my night ended with vanilla ice cream (with Bailey's) and my grandfather's Andrew Lloyd Weber DVD blasting opera music...seriously. But it's nice to have people fussing over me and my wedding plans for the first time since all this began in July, and so nice to not be doing it alone. Here are more photos of Beachwalk.

Time to Vote!

So if the Potomac Primaries and American Idol haven't quenched your thirst to feel like your voice matters in something, head on over to Love Life Images to cast your vote for a deserving couple.

As I previously wrote Love Life Images is holding a contest in which the winner will receive free Wedding Day Photography. Each of the finalist had to send in a creative photo of the "love of their life" and a litte story about why that person is important in their life.

The finalists have been chosen and now we, loyal photography blog stalkers, will decide which couple gets to save a few thousand dollars on photography for their wedding. I already voted for my fave (I liked the first couple!) and now it's your turn. Go Vote!

Hot Off The Press - Another Martha Coup

Breaking Industry News: Martha Stewart Buys WeddingWire

By WEDDEX

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Enters Transactions With WeddingWire

MSLO Expands its Weddings Franchise by Taking 40 Percent Stake, Signing Commercial Agreement with Online Wedding Planning Company

NEW YORK, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. NYSE: MSO today announced a series of transactions with WeddingWire (www.weddingwire.com), a localized wedding platform that combines an online marketplace with planning tools and a social community. The deal is part of MSLO's strategy to accelerate its digital footprint and expand its Weddings franchise online and in print. It includes the acquisition of approximately 40 percent of the equity in WeddingWire and a commercial agreement related to software and content licensing and media sales.

WeddingWire was created by a team of entrepreneurs, including two founding members of Blackboard Inc., to provide engaged couples with comprehensive vendor search and easy-to-use online planning and community tools. The platform's SmartMatch(TM) technology allows brides and grooms to find, research, and receive quick price quotes from vendors in their area, saving couples time, energy and money. WeddingWire offers a range of additional applications, including tools for creating a wedding website, managing budgets, guest lists, and seating charts. It also features social networking and user-generated content tools to help couples make better, more informed decisions.

Read Release in its entirety HERE.

Simple Beauty

I found this beautiful detail shot on the blog of talented Atlanta photographer Liana Lehman. The centerpiece encorporates a lot of hot wedding trends right now...clusters of vases instead of one floral centerpiece, using antique flea market glass, and the use vivid colors with black. Personally, I just like the simplicity. It's very refereshing.

If you're a Georgia bride be sure to check out more of Liana's work on the Liana Photography website and her blog Liana's Bananas. If you want to see more of the wedding from whence this pic came check out Callie and Eric's North Georgia Wedding.

Crane & Co Event

We've been invited to join Crane and Co. at their Falls Church and Fairfax Blue Tulip stores for an invitation design workshop. Whoo Hooo! I LOVE Crane papers, I use them exclusively for my note writing. Something about the feel of the paper and how classic Crane is....

They will be discussing invitation essentials including trends, etiquette and how to select the right invitation for your soiree. Everyone who attends will get a chance to win free wedding invitations by Crane & Co. Gift bags will be available to all attendees.

If anyone would like to attend, they'll be happy to set up time for you to meet with Peter Hopkins, Crane's historian who is visiting for the seminar.

The events are:

Wed. Feb 20
Blue Tulip
Idylwood Plaza - 7505 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA
6 - 8pm

Sun. Feb 24
Blue Tulip
Fairfax, VA
East Market at Fair Lakes - 4475 Market Commons Drive
11 - 1pm

Photography for Everyone Else!

Mary Kate McKenna is a fantastic wedding photography and those of your that can nab her for your weddings are extremely lucky, but she is also a true photographer that has a love for the craft and sees tremendous beauty in everything she can point her camera at. So for everyone else here is a terrific contest being held by Mary Kate, that I think is uber neat! if I had a little one, i would SO be entering.

What is Day in the Life?
A Day in the Life photo session is a great way to document a very special time in the life of a child and their family. A session can start at any part of the child's day- when they get up, when they eat breakfast, or after they wake up from their afternoon nap. We can take photos of them playing, taking a bath, and sleeping… anything that goes on in a typical day. It's really fun to do, and it is a great is a great way to share with friends and family what an average day is like in your home. Sessions last about 3 hours.

What’s the Contest?
I’m looking for some great stories! I want to hear about how you, your friends, family, or co-workers spend their weekends. Are they lazy days, spent on the couch reading and making cookies? Are they jam-packed, full of swim lessons and soccer practices? Bike rides, birthday parties and dog walks? A little of everything? I want to know!
Be as brief or as detailed as you’d like. I’d love to get to know these families through what you write. Be creative! (but truthful!)

What Do I Win?
One lucky family will win a Day in the Life photo shoot with me valued at $500. This includes

• A photo session at your home/park/any place you choose on March 1, 2008 within 60 miles of DC
• Hi-resolution CD of 50 images, in both color and b&w
• Online digital proofs hosted for 3 months on Pictage.com to share with family & friends
• Coffee table book of your favorite 25 images

Who Will Judge the Contest?
Some awesome people!

Jaime Windon- Better known in DC as the Blonde Photographer
Kim Seidl- San Diego photog, and one of my dear friends
Marissa Flaxbart- My best friend since 7th grade, and a fantastically funny writer
My Mom- Enough said!
Me!

What are the Rules?
1) Anyone can enter friends, family, co-workers, or even their own family
2) Only one entry per person
3) Photoshoot will take place on Saturday, March 1st- they must be available on that day!
4) Photoshoot must be within 60 miles of DC
5) E-mails must be sent to me, at [email protected], by MIDNIGHT on Friday, February 22nd. E-mails must include:

• Subject heading needs to be “Contest”
• Introduction to the family you’re entering and your relationship with them
• Story about the family and kids (and pets!) and why you think they should win, and what goes on during a typical Saturday at their home
• A photo of the family
• Your e-mail address and an e-mail of someone in the family

6) A winner will be chosen by the judges and will be announced on Monday, February 25th on my blog.

So spread the word!

Feel free to blog this and e-mail this to friends, family, and co-workers- everyone is invited to enter.

If you have any questions, e-mail me, [email protected].

Jenny Lee

It's been mentioned a few times here and there, but I'd like to dedicate this post to my favorite wedding dress designer: Jenny Lee. The way she drapes fabric, strategically places roushing and shapes a gown is unmatched. She's so good that I have really considered spending 3 thousand dollars MORE than I planned to on a dress -- especially for a girl like me, who's not skinny, but lacks a traditional hour glass shape.

Exhibit A:


And from that angle, this dress looks like a simple a-line. But there's a big surprise in the back.


I love this dress. I just can't get over it! It's a ton of fabric but feels like you're wearing a sundress, which is exactly what this beach bride is looking for.

And then on the other hand, there will be just over 50 people at the wedding, 34 of which will be family. Who do I really need to impress with a designer $5,000 dress? Last night Mr. Shirlington and I had a dress discussion, and I even made him go through the latest Martha Stewart Weddings to point out what he does and does not like. I know he would love this dress!!! AHHH!! Why can't Jenny Lee be one of those old family friends who would gift me my dream gown?

Sneaky peeks

It's crazy to look at pictures of myself (from just a week ago!) since I'm so used to being behind the camera!! We're still waiting for pictures from our professional photographers but here are some that my dad took for us...

These were my unofficial maidens of honor (less one - boo!) at the Welcome dinner (in lieu of a rehearsal dinner) the night before the wedding at Dave & Buster's. Every single one of them came in from out-of-state! We had such a great time kicking back and just relaxing before The Big Day.



My dad snuck in between the photographers and snagged this! See Hubby's Converse peeking out from under my dress??? He actually wore them just for me!!! He wanted to wear the dress shoes and I expected him to not wear the Converse and it make me so excited when I walked down the aisle and saw him wearing the Converse instead!!! While we were taking our vows he whispered to me that he did it just for me. *awwww* I got myself a KEEPER! The umbrella was a gift from our photographers (Balance Weddings). I've become good friends with them and I had mentioned that I wanted to use Chinese parasols in the pictures. They were the ONLY ONES who remembered me mentioning this and had it overnighted from NYC after they searched all over the net for it! It's actually a special one because it has to do with weddings!!! They are so great. I can't wait until I have the baby and can go back to working with them over the summer.



I'd been really worried that I would look like "the pregnant bride" in my dress but I think my dress did a great job at not emphasizing my "baby bump." See the bustle? That's Mrs. Nearlywed's handywork because the seamstress told me that the dress couldn't be bustled. A word of advice from Mrs. Nearlywed - "Not getting a bustle is one of the BIGGEST mistakes that bride's make!" Now I know! And good thing she was there to help me out!!!

I think it'll probably be at least a month until I get the pictures from our professional photographers but this holds me over at least a little while longer. I love seeing our wedding from other people's perspectives!

These were a few of my favorite things...

With the wedding behind us, I feel like now I'm finally able to enjoy it.

I know how confusing this sounds. But what it comes down to is that it was kind of a whirlwind for me. So here's a recap of some of the things that I really enjoyed the most. And I guarantee that some of what I will mention will no doubt surprise you.

• Stolen time - I won't go into all of the details here about how and why and what but as it happened, we ended up being a little ahead of schedule in making it to the reception. For this reason, husband and I were able to escape for a snitch of time together and do something that we always have loved to do - take a coffee break! Granted, I can't actually drink coffee but I did get something lovely to sip on and it was really cool to be able to have this "favorite" thing of ours be a part of the wedding even without us planning it. It honestly couldn't have made the day more perfect. AND(!) one of our two photographers was able to come along and captured it all for us to remember for alway!
• Hanging with my girls - One of the things that I was looking forward to the most was spending time with all of my friends and my nieces. I actually don't live near any of them and they all flew in or drove very long distances just to share in The Big Day. We had actually planned on a lot more time with them than what was had but even what I did get with them - manicures and pedicures, playing skee ball and arcade games, coloring on the floor with my niece up until the time I got into my dress and went down the aisle, laughing and dancing with them all at the reception - was just what I hoped for.
• The vows - This might come to a surprise to people but I actually get very nervous when it comes to being in front of people or crowds. I don't know what it is. Perhaps it's just looking out and seeing everyone? It's not been so bad that it's kept me from doing very public things in my life (read: like, being on TV *haha*) as I basically just try and ignore as much of the "hoopla" as possible. Well... the whole bit of taking such private *at least to me* things as vows in front of even my close friends and family had me a little nervous. Luckily, husband and the pastor knows this about me and positioned me just right so that when we said our "I Do's" and exchanged our rings, it really did feel like it was just us and no one else was there.
  
• The last dance - We had planned on dancing to "God blessed the broken road" by Rascal Flats because it's really illustrative of what we've both gone through to find each other. For whatever reason though, the song was not working to play for the DJ!!! We ended up dancing to another song that was on our song list anyway and it ended up being more perfect than what we originally planned. Dancing and singing the song "To make you feel my love" by Garth Brooks couldn't have been a more perfect way to end The Big Day. Definitely I'll remember our first dance but it's the last dance that really was "it" for me.

There are definitely more things that I enjoyed but these are just a few things that really stood out to me. Surprisingly, none of them were really the things or "details" that we all (especially Mrs. Nearlywed!) worked so hard to pull together!!! Don't know how it worked out like that but it just did. And honestly, I feel like it all adds up to the grand picture in the end anyway.

Summer Breeze

This is the time of year when I really start to crave the warmth and color of spring. Winter still keeps trying to hang on, but I know it's on it's way out. I stumbled across these shots on the photography blog of photo artist Marie Labbancz and they totally got me in the mood for summer. It reminds me of a summer harvest but the shot of purply blue makes it new and fresh.

Marie shot this table scape for Bride and Bloom Magazine. The flowers were done by the extremely talented Donna O'Brien of Beautiful Blooms (check out her site for major floral eye candy) and the tablescapes were put together by Kendall Brown of Eclatante Event Design.

More Free Photography!

It's a good year to be a D.C. bride if you are looking for free photographery. It's not even Christmas, but our local photographers are feeling very generous. In addition to the photography contest being held by Love Life Images, talented photographer Kate Triano is also offering a free photography contest.

You can check out the rules on her blog, but the gist is - you send in a photo, your love story, and the reason why you are deserving of free photography and in exchange the winning couple will get 8 hours of coverage, online album, online slideshow, and 30 pic. photo album.

The deadline is Feb 20th so if start writing!


All photos below credited to Kate Triano

Free Shipping at Jean M

Get Married With www.getmarried.com

This is a great site for a bride in need of organization. Registered users organize their guest list, invitations and seating plans. They can manage their wedding budget, and keep track of their favorite wedding vendors. They provide you with a very handy countdown calendar to get you started.

Other great resources offered by the site include searches for wedding cakes, flowers, vendors and honeymoons destinations and packages. This is wonderful asset for any bride-to-be who has delved into the trenches of planning their own wedding.

Be sure to watch the show weekdays at 7:30 am on Lifetime.

Website: http://www.getmarried.com/

Merry Maids

Happy V-Day everyone! Or as my sister says "Happy Single Awareness Day!" But if you are reading this Blog you probably aren't single. Fiance and I don't have any crazy plans...just going out for a nice dinner.

Anywho, I'm happy to say a decision on bridesmaid dresses has finally been made. As I posted before, I was having trouble finding dresses. As a quick recap...I really wanted the dresses to be 1) in the right shade of a vibrant kelly green and 2) I wanted something that would be flattering and that they wouldn't feel miserable in because 2 of my 3 bridesmaids are full figured and full figured bridesmaids usually get the short end of the stick in the wedding world and 3) Didn't cost a fortune, which for me meant it had to be $200 or less and 4) I really wanted something that had a sleeve to it so my bridesmaids wouldn't feel exposed.

So these requirements basically ruled out any "typical" bridesmaid dress since 95% of these are all strapless, made for super skinny people, really expensive (usually for no apparent reason since most come in horrible fabrics and are simple designs), and none are in the right shade.

I scoured the internet daily for months, hoping to find something that fit these requirements. And in the end I didn't get exactly what I wanted but I came pretty darn close.

I saw this first dress in Macys and the color was AMAZING. So much more rich then the picture below. I decided to run it by my most fashion concious bridesmaid who is also full figured to see what she thought and she LOVED it. I knew if she loved it then we were on the right track.

^The dress is a sleeveless silk dress from Maggy London and it is in a color called "Absynthe." As we were looking at the dress we realized there were a few other dresses also from Maggy London and in the same "Absynthe" color. There were 4 dresses total so I've told my bridesmaids they can chose whichever dress they feel the best in and like the most.


^One of my bridesmaids adored this dress, ordered it, and loved it even better on. Sadly it's sold out now but she's thrilled that she actually LIKES the dress she'll be wearing.


^Another of my bridesmaids likes this silk chiffon halter dress best.


^My last bridesmaid is deciding between this surplice chiffon dress , the halter dress above and the very first sleeveless dress that I orignally liked. She's ordered all 3 to see which will look best.

I've also had a friend who was visiting Hong Kong pick up some white pashminas for the girls just in case they want to cover their arms/shoulders.

The best part of all of this? The price! Almost all the dresses were on sale. 1 dress was only $44, another is $74, another is $87, and even the most expensive one is only $140. That's not too bad!

I'm really happy that I was able to find a color that I loved, styles that they all loved and could chose themselves, and prices that wouldn't be too much of a burden on them. I also think the color will look great in photos.

In the end...it doesn't matter how cute you think a certain bridesmaid dress is...if your bridesmaids have layers of armpit fat hanging over the top of that strapless dress, have a color that washes them out and makes them look dead, have a fit that makes them so uncomfortable that they don't feel like dancing or even smiling then that super cute bridesmaid dress will just be ugly in pictures.

I know it's hard but do try to find something that everyone will be happy with even if that means you have to make some exceptions to your vision of what you think you wanted. Compromise is the best choice in the end. Your bridesmaids will thank you for it. Mine have.

Happy Valentine's Day!

With the wedding fast approaching (less than 8 months!!!!), we're going to celebrate by making a low-key dinner at home. We can go all out for our first Valentine's Day as a married couple next year :o)

Soo...I've hit a wedding planning slump. Everything is becoming so time-consuming and it's disheartening to have to schedule even more meetings--since the first round of vendors aren't working out. It's hard to entrust your "vision" and hand over bundles of money to someone based on just a conversation and a handful of pictures. Am I the only one feeling this way? It was fairly easy for us to make decisions on venue, photographer, catering, my dress, the DJ, etc...but it's turning out to be much harder for the "smaller" vendors. Here's what I want to nail down in short order here at the 7.5 month mark (and yes, I know that we are still fairly ahead of the game):

-FLORIST!!!!
-makeup
-bridesmaid dresses
-honeymoon

I've met with a couple of florists, had a makeup trial, have no idea what the dresses will look like, and can't decide on a honeymoon destination. Awesome. So please, if you can recommend a florist or a makeup artist, shoot a comment my way!! I've come up with a general list of those popular on theknot, but no dice so far.

enough of this venting, no-picture entry. stay tuned for some how-to's on getting a tent for the big day!

A Real Wedding One-Stop Shop!

At just shy of a year old, La Belle Wedding Supplies is making quite a name for itself as Atlanta's FIRST one-stop bridal shop. It is a full service bridal boutique that specializes in favors, invitations, cakes, bachelorette & honeymoon novelties, bridal party gifts, jewelry, ceremony & reception supplies and as of April 2008 . . . flowers! This is a great resource for the bride-to-be who hasn't the time to peruse over many vendors when planning a wedding. The convenience is priceless. Be sure to visit their site and sign up for their newsletter for lots of great info, also check out their list of recommended vendors.

Website: http://www.labelleweddings.com/

Phone: 678-475-9445

Engaged Again

Well yesterday Fiance and I went to pick up my rings from the shop (that would be I. Gorman). If you remember, I had to leave my engagement ring with I.Gorman last week so that they could get the wedding ring we bought from them to lie flush against it. So I had about a week of being single again. As enjoyable as that was I had gotten use to wearing my ring and I always felt like I was forgetting something. It's good to have it back home again. My wedding band is about as simple as you can get...just a plain platinum band but I really liked it much more then the blingy rings I tried on. My engagment ring is from E.B.Horn in Boston (where Fiance is from)



^It came in a sleek black bag


^Here they are in the box together.


^Here they are on my finger...no Gap!


^And I. Gorman even threw in a miniture bottle of sparkling wine. How nice!

Flower Power!

DGL Designs, Inc. is one of the great vendors I ran into during my last trip to Atlanta. David G. Lowe is a florist with over 30 years of experience as a Designer of Floral Arts. He specializes in tailoring to any bride's needs. His designs are creative, exquisite, unique AND affordable. DGL Designs has been given rave reviews by atlantabridal.com. Be sure to visit the site for hundreds of photos of DGL originals and some helpful tips for choosing the right flowers for your wedding. The site features a list of premium, mid-range and economical flowers. Additionally, DGL offers information on exactly what a bride should do before her floral consultation. The most helpful tool on the site, however, is the handy "DGL Floral Needs Calculator." This is a great way for brides-to-be to keep their wish list in line with reality.

Website: http://www.dgldesigns.com/index.html
Phone: 404-477-8899

Showcasing the Cakes

Having numerous smaller cakes instead of one big cake has been a trend for a while now, but usually they are put on cute retro cake stands. I have to admit, though, the display below is pretty kicka** and very original.

Photo from photographer Jose Villa.

McPhee Wedding Photos

Ah celebrity weddings...always fun for eye candy. I like looking at celebrity weddings but honestly I haven't seen too many that I felt like I wanted to copy. I'm often struck by just how typical their weddings are. Sure there are more flowers and the cake is bigger but it's still just a wedding. This one isn't an exception. Don't get me wrong it certainly looks nice, but if I had all the money in the world to spend on a wedding I just wouldn't have chosen so much....pink. To each their own.

All photos from celebrity wedding photographer extraordinare Joe Buissink via People.com.

^Come on now you know the bride had to sing! I believe the gown was Manuel Mota a designer for the Pronovias line.

^That flower girl looks thrilled.

Lanie Blue Stationery

Ah Esty...how do I love thee? It's fun just to browse through and see what pops up. Yesterday I spied these beautiful invitations in the Lanie Blue Stationery shop. I'm a sucker for color and these are popping.


^Hummingbird Wedding Collection

A custom wedding design with a Poppy theme.


Japanese Koi Wedding Collection.


Tulip Henna Wedding Collection. These would be so great for a South Asian wedding. You could even get the bride's mehendi to match the invitations!

Taking it personally

Now that I'm married, I've got a LOT of people to thank for helping me to make it all happen!

Originally when we ordered the invitations, the designer sent us a thank-you card sample that matched the design of the invites. It was pretty. But, honestly, I was kind of bored with it. I guess I'm just not a matchy-matchy type?

So in my pursuit to find something "cool" for thank you cards, I remembered one of my favorite websites of all - Design Her Gals!!! They allow you to create incredibly personalized caricatures of yourself in all kind of designs and then they will print them on stationary, mugs, and even aprons!!!

I've spent all morning on the site drafting up and personalizing stationary notecards for us and I just ordered them! They're going to look just like this on the folded notecard style:


I couldn't decide between making us look like we were "just married" OR in our regular street-clothes and me with my prego belly. I decided in the end that the point was more to focus on the wedding and I can do another caricature of myself for the baby shower thank you's. Here's one that I've already drafted up and will likely use for that:

I've spent close to two hours on the site already this morning and I could spend probably another hour or two at least!!! It's like virtual paperdolls!!!

I've placed my order with the company (for our wedding thank yous) and hopefully will receive them all within the next week or so. They will be coming with their own envelopes and I've ordered 50 of them - hopefully that will be enough! I'm so excited about them and I will definitely let you all know how they come out.

[All images were captured by screenshot at DesignHerGals.com as linked within the post!]

Vote!!!

Fellow DC/VA/MD Brides..today is the day to VOTE :) I'm sure you all know that, but be aware of long lines, bring a book or bridal magazine to read! I stood in line for almost 2 hours this morning ( although the guy in front of me was a florist and offered me his business card while standing in line). This election affects everybody in the D.C area, its a political city, and almost everyone knows somebody who works on capitol hill or in government in some form!

With that in mind, to tie this into "wedding talk". One of the Bees over at Weddingbee posted a few weeks ago about how she was hoping to have an "election themed" rehersal dinner, and I was SO EXCITED to read that , because FI and I had been talking about doing something very similar.

Since we are getting married less than two months before the Presidental Elections and our marriage is taking place in DC, a few blocks from the whitehouse, we thought it would be "fun" to put that twist on our rehersal dinner! Nothing too extreme--Just signs with names as "running mates" ( i love plays on words) and differnt polls/trivia/tests throughout the night, since the rehersal dinner is just for close friends and family we thought this could be fun :)

FI and I are both very involved with D.C politics, and we thought this would be a nice nod to not only our careers but our interests! Are any other brides out there planning something similar or having a little bit of fun with your rehersal dinner?

It's True- Stamp Prices Going Up!

Rumors have been swirling for a while that Stamp prices were going up soon. Well, it's official- according to the Post Office Website prices will increase on May 12th. That's the bad news. The good news is a first class stamp is only increasing by 1 cent! That's not too bad. Below is the announcement.

New Prices Coming May 12, 2008

On May 12 we will adjust prices for mailing services — First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢. We also will have a 62¢ stamp available shortly after May 12 for 1-ounce nonmachinable First-Class Mail letters, such as square greeting cards. (Miss Capitol Hill says: square envelopes could be wedding invitations too !!!)

Select prices:
First-Class Mail letter (1 oz.)
$0.42
First-Class Mail letter (2 oz.)
$0.59
Postcard
$0.27
First-Class Mail large envelope (2 oz.)
$1.00
Certified Mail
$2.70
First-Class Mail International to Canada and Mexico (1 oz.)
$0.72
First-Class Mail International to all other countries (1 oz.)
$0.94

Personally, I don't mind stamp increases all that much. Having lived in different countries with incredibly horrible postal systems I very much appreciate how good and pretty cheap our system is. I mean where else can you send a letter the distance from Florida to Alaska (and if the person isn't there anymore they'll send it back to you!) all for 41 cents? Or ummm 42 cents.

Either way--if you are a summer or early fall bride then make sure to save yourself a dollar or two and get your invites out before May 12.

Stamp of Approval - Part II

Don't feel you are limited to mimicking Martha for your wedding stamps. You don't have to stick to movie stars--- the sky is the limit when it comes to ideas for stamps. You can match stamps by color, you can use stamps of your favorite authors, or use stamps that promote a cause that is dear to your heart. Or why not use a couple stamps commemorating the statehood of the state you will be married in or from the states that you and fiance are from? Below are some of the different "Love" themed stamps issued by the post office over the years. Any of these could be really fun on the outside of your envelopes. All from Ebay seller Gerrit98's SeaJay Stamp and Coin Store.

Stamp of Approval

Ever since Martha used a stamp of Audrey Hepburn for the most recent Good Morning America wedding invitations, vintage stamps are the new "it" thing for weddings. A fellow knottie who was recently married recommend ebay seller Gerrit98's SeaJay Stamp and Coin shop as a reliable place to get vintage stamps, so I thought I'd check it out. The store had a ton of stamps and yes it even had the coveted Audrey stamp! There were a few other shining stars as well...check them out below! You have to use at least two stamps but if you are having any type of vintage or movie themed wedding, or if you and fiance have a particular connection to a star or a movie they could be perfect.

Extra! Extra! Read all about the new MRS. Bowie!

Hello Nearlyweds and friends! :)

I'm coming to you LIVE from my home and our honeymoon (we actually just checked out of the Bed and Breakfast this morning)!!! Definitely I could be someplace so much more glamorous than just home but a vacation away from "life" is good enough for me and Mr. Bowie. I've got a doctor's appointment today for the baby and otherwise we're just enjoying our time off snuggling and basking in newlywedded bliss.

Thought you all would like to know how the The Big Day went overall though...

The above is the only picture that I have so far from the day. The picture was taken just after we walked through the "lavender shower" and we were getting ready to go in and do formal pictures. I'll certainly post some of the formals (and other fun stuff that was captured because I know those will be more of my favorites than the formals) as soon as I get them from the photographers.

The day overall and days leading up to The Big Day were wonderful and crazy. There were plenty of snafus here and there but nothing that we and MRS. NEARLYWED (our SUPER-FANTASTIC coordinator) couldn't handle!!! I'd go into more detail but I think it'd be better if I save the most of it since you all will be able to see it for yourselves on...

[image from the show's website found HERE]

Yes! We are getting our "15 minutes of fame" after the producers of the show heard about our crazed story of wedding planning, a complicated pregnancy, and my ridiculously insane life and you will get to see how it all worked itself out on television (in maybe 1.5-2 months?). It was certainly interesting having cameras around us for the days leading up to the wedding but it was fun and we had an awesome time with the field producer and the camera and sound crew that she brought with us. And definitely - Mrs. Nearlywed was phenomenal helping us get through it all with this now being her 2nd time doing a show for them!

The other big secret that I've been anxiously awaiting to reveal is the sex of our baby!!! I could be a meanie and make you all wait for that (since it was announced at the reception for the show's filming) but I'll go ahead and let you in on the juice now. Here's a copy of the video montage that we showed at the reception (with a slight tweak at the end)... turn up your speakers because there's sound that goes with it!!!

So that's that. Hope you all are having a great day and enjoyed this little bitty update. I know it's been quite some time coming!!!

Now if you'll pardon me, I've got a honeymoon to get back to... ;)

What A Sad Story!

Bride Dies During Couple's First Dance
AP

DAVIE, Florida (Feb. 10) - Kim Sjostrom wanted a real-life version of the film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," which played in the background as friends fixed her hair and makeup before her own marriage ceremony.


Holding the tiara his wife wore on their wedding night, Teddy Efkarpides is still grieving over her Jan. 19 death, in his Sunrise, Fla., home. Kim Sjostrom, 36, collapsed during the first dance at their wedding and died from heart disease. They were dancing to a Greek song that means "Love Me."

But less than an hour after she and Teddy Efkarpides were wed, Sjostrom crumpled in her husband's arms during a Greek song that means "Love Me."At 36, Sjostrom was dead from heart disease.

The wedding had become a project at Davie Elementary School, where Sjostrom taught first grade. Fellow teachers provided the wedding gown, the flowers and decorations. One of them, an ordained minister, performed the ceremony."It was perfect for her," said Dominic Church, the minister friend.Sjostrom carried blue and white flowers during the ceremony - the colors of the Greek flag - as she exchanged vows with Efkarpides, a 43-year-old carpenter and Navy veteran.

They had met three years to the day before the Jan. 19 wedding.During the couple's first dance, Sjostrom complained of being lightheaded. Efkarpides thought his wife, a diabetic, needed sugar, but she collapsed.Wedding guests, paramedics and doctors at a nearby hospital were unable to revive her.She had a previous cardiac episode in her 20s and was a poster child - literally - for juvenile diabetes, relatives and friends said.

Efkarpides recalled seeing the poster featuring her on New York subways.He consoles himself by reading a list of "101 Reasons Why I Love You" that Sjostrom gave him their first Christmas together. "Number 1. You make me smile."No. 98 is especially difficult: "You're the one I want to grow old with."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

Villa Serena...Country Wedding with Contemporary Class

Villa Serena is an event facility site that is actually a home. The Italian style mansion is located on 100 acres of land and faces a large lake. The location allows for privacy, and is an excellent alternative to a hotel ballroom reception.
Some of the amenities of the site are a baby grand piano in one of salons, bridal suite, a wrought iron spiral staircase, and fountains. One very cool accommodation offered by this facility is the availability of antique cars for your use!

I met the owner of the Villa Serena at the Georgia Bridal Show, and she is very enthusiastic and accommodating. Her staff has expertise in management of indoor and outdoor weddings and events. They offer both personalized and standard wedding packages. Just to give you an idea of the pricing, their standard charge for the space is $3,500 for up to 200 people. This includes tables, chairs and linen. The beauty of this facility is that decorations are totally unnecessary. I think this is a great gem!

www.villaserenaatlanta.com
For information contact Nancy Smith or Margaret Lightfoot at 770-207-7600
Villa Serena is located between Conyers and Monroe, Georgia

Bridesmaid Dresses...

I thought the hard part was trying to find MY dress...it turns out that the hard part is getting the bridesmaid dresses! With 9 different girls varying in shapes and sizes, heights and bust sizes...its tricky trying to find ONE dress that fits them all. So yes, I have thought about going with the same manufacturer but different styles of a dress, and that is still on the table, but my MOH and I went shopping on Saturday for bridesmaid dresses, and we found one we really liked. She lives in Philly and I live here in wonderful DC so we decided to Meet in Baltimore. We met at a lovely salon that I highly recommend if you are ever in the area. Betsy Robinson, they have a great selection of bridesmaid dresses ( one of the best selections I have seen) and they are very helpful and accommodating! There were a couple of dresses I liked, one was $300 and that quickly got nixed, however the one that MOH and I decided could be "the one" is below. So I have a question for the fellow brides out there. 1. What do you think is "too much" to ask your bridesmaids/MOH to pay? Honestly--don't worry about hurting my feelings :) This dress below will be $203. I was hoping to land more near the $150 range. I've even thought of offering the bridal party the option of not having me pay for there mani/pedi's but to pay an extra $40 towards there dress to take it down to a more manageable $163. (Do you think this is a bad idea?) 2. what do you think of the dress? It would be in burgundy! Thanks :)

You Decide 2008..on the dress...not the candidates!

Honestly I don't know what to do. Every dress I like is $4,000. It's not fair. Why can't I just find something that's less than 2k that's wonderful? It's not that I'm going to the wrong places...I've been to high end salons...low end salons...everywhere. And the only two dresses I actually see myself wearing are 2 grand outside my budget.

Really...what do I do? I'm going to either suck it up and pay the big bucks...or keep looking. Here are the two favs. I felt amazing in both, and would love to wear either one on my wedding day. They both felt like "the one"...(both photos from the Knot) I'm taking votes. Do you like 1 or 2 better? OR do you think I can do better in general (for cheaper).

1. Jenny Lee

2. Modern Trousseau

Today I will marry my best friend

probably crazy that i'm blogging from my treo but thought you might like knowing that i'm at the church, made-up, and veiled and getting married in an hour! Woo! talk to you when I'm a married lady!!!

Shoot pictures, not people

Technically, though, I guess it could be said that this is still shooting people though more metaphorically.

Anyway...

Thought you all would like to see the "shot list" that I drafted (FINALLY!) and sent to the photographers yesterday. There's a lovely little story behind it's creation if you're so interested and I will post it down below:

Check when done	Wedding Shot list
	Bride & Groom
	Bride & Groom + bride’s parents
	Bride & Groom + bride’s parents + brothers and sisters (in-laws included)
	Bride & Groom + bride’s brothers and sisters + nieces and nephews
	Bride & Groom + nieces and nephews
	Flower Girls + Ring bearers
	Flower Girls (2)
	Ring bearers (2)
	Bride & Groom + bride’s immediate family + groom’s immediate family
	Bride & Groom + bride’s parents + groom’s parents
	Bride & Groom + groom’s parents
	Bride & Groom + groom’s parents + sister and brother-in-law
	Bride & Groom + groom’s parents + sister and brother-in-law + grandfather
	Bride & Groom + groom’s WHOLE family
	Bride & Groom + groom’s grandparents
	Bride & Groom + bride’s WHOLE family
	Bride & Groom + bride’s grandmother
	Bride + Melissa
	Bride + Stephanie
	Bride + Lisa
	Bride + Alyson
	Bride + ALL girls
	Bride & Groom + ALL friends
	Groom + ALL guys
	Groom + Sean
	Groom + Jeremy
	Groom + Robert
	BEFORE CEREMONY – Groom opening groom’s gift (between 1-2PM)
	BEFORE CEREMONY – flower girl butterfly “accents” and stuffed animals (dog and cat)
	DURING CEREMONY – Long shot looking down aisle at us at the altar with cross in the background
	RECEPTION - Converse sneaker shot (Bride, Groom, ring bearers, flower girls)

As some of you may (or may not) know. I'm actually a wedding photographer myself. I rarely to never mention this because I feel like it has very little to do with wedding planning but I've come to find out that it's a major reason why I'm such a reluctant bride most of the time. I guess seeing so many weddings have given me enough "fill" for weddings for the rest of my life.

Because of all of the aforementioned, it wasn't until yesterday that I drafted and sent the above "shot list" to our photographers. This is even knowing how much of a "staple" it is in the world of wedding photography. But I didn't do it for good reasons...

1. My wedding photographers are AWESOME (more so than I am)
   
2. Because of #1, I implicitly trust my wedding photographers - their experience, abilities, and judgment of whatever images should or shouldn't be captured
3. I've had extensive conversations with them (we've worked together) about how much we loathe shot lists because it can really take away from a photographer's perspective - that which you hired any given photographer for, right?
   
4. I just plain forgot

I, myself as a wedding photographer, have a serious love/hate relationship with shot lists. But, I've come to know them and appreciate them for their value. This is because of the following exchange I had with the photographers that occurred last night:

Them: So... you never got the shot list to us.
Me: Oh. I kind of sort of did that accidentally on purpose.
Them: Oh?
Me: Yeah! Because I thought you and I both hated shot lists! Y'know... all of those conversations at all of those weddings about shot lists. Remember???
Them: Oh! Well... yeah. But we remember that one wedding downtown that you worked with us?
Me: Yeah...
Them: Well the couple was really happy with all of it except the bride said that the one picture she really wanted but we didn't get was a close-up of her sister's face as she was walking down the aisle.
Me: Uhhh... really????????

Now, perhaps I know nothing about what people want and this is a normal thing that should now be standard on any and EVERY photographer's shot list. Likely it's more of the case that is was that ONE shot that the bride really just wanted for no reason other than... well, she just wanted it! But that's the whole point of the shot list. Because, being a photographer, we're not psychic!!! We are very many things and can be very visionary but we are certainly NOT psychic mind-readers. And though we see A LOT of the world (albeit through our camera lenses), we certainly don't "see it all." And thus... we need a little help from those of us who know of the "little details" that we might miss - especially those that are of the most. Important. DAY. OF. YOUR. LIFE!!!!

Pardon what might be detected as mild to medium sarcasm in that last paragraph. Honestly and truly, I'm being serious. Because flowers will wilt, dresses (sadly) will yellow, but PICTURES are forever *and also don't lie!!!*

So for all of these reasons, you and I, DO need a shot list.

Hope this was helpful for you. Or, at the very least, mildly entertaining. :)

The sun'll come out... TOMORROW!!!

Today is my last official day of being Miss Bowie!!! That's because tomorrow I'm getting M-A-R-R-I-E-D and will be joining the ranks of zillions of those who go by Mrs!

I can't deny it, it really is very exciting. This is even with me being one of those ridiculous types who enjoys the anticipation of much awaited things like Christmas so much that she's not against the idea of postponing it because (to her) waiting for it can seemingly be more fun than when it actually gets here.

*and I'll stop talking in third person right now, okay?*

I've been checking the weather everyday for the past three and so far it's looking really good...

Just so you all are "in the know," my 29th birthday is next Monday and it's notorious for bringing a snowstorm with it. It's seriously happened so often in my life that to this point I expect it. My mom even mentioned it yesterday!!! The Big Day will happen no matter what though - Snow or NO. Why? Because, I'm used to it by now and have no problem adapting and just rolling with the punches.

The good news is that Weather.com (see above) is predicting some pretty great weather! I certainly couldn't have dreamed of such conditions. Granted the forecast has gone from Great (sunny with a 20% chance of rain) to not so good (Partly cloudy with a 40% chance or rain) to fairly predictable (Snow and showers possible) but who is paying attention to any of that anyway right?

Today, the last day before the wedding, is filled with a myriad of last minute items that include the following:

• Starting (yeah - don't ask) and finishing the pew garlands and bows
• Picking up someone at the airport
• Going to D&B for the "Welcome Dinner" with all of the guests coming in from out of town

I'm sure other things will pop up on me as the day goes through - as it happened yesterday (no biggie, no sweat) but I must say, even with "inclement" weather tomorrow, so far so good!

Destined to be...

As I mentioned before, there have been some major changes in my life in the past week or so, one of which is on the wedding front. The big news is that I've gone from being this kind of bride...


To this kind of bride...

It was hard to give up my lovely Celebrations at the Bay dream reception...and the money we put down for it. But my mom always said, Que sera, sera, whatever will be will be.

My grandparents' house is in Destin, Florida, which is much closer than DC to my entire family who are scattered in Mobile, Al., Atlanta and Chattanooga, Tn. My grandparents are also getting older (and have several health complications) that make it necessary for me to come to them. And finally, they are the closest people I have to my mom. And my aunt who lives an hour away...she's also as close as I can get to having my mom plan my wedding with me. So it's settled.

Destin has been our family vacation spot since I can remember. I've spent Christmases, Easters, summers and spring breaks there and have some of the most beautiful memories of my mom on those beaches. It's a stunning backdrop for the most important day of our lives.

There will be a church ceremony, a second beach ceremony which Mr. Shirlington's dad will officiate, a private dining room seated dinner, and a reception on the back lanai of Oma and Grand Daddy's beautiful home. My flight is booked for a whirlwind planning trip from the 19th to the 24th, so I'll be sharing tons of photos shortly after!!

Little gifts for our little "ladies-in-waiting"

We've gone a little crazy with the attendant gifts for my nieces. This is certainly foreshadowing for how much restraint I will have to practice come time for our baby to be born and we're buying out the wazoo.

Remember the little McD Madame Alexander's that I got for them? Here's a close-up of them to refresh your memory...

I found these great little felted bags at AC Moore. They came in all of these beautiful bright colors and then there was the option of getting little appliques in various designs to personalize them. I picked a dog and a cat - of course because of OUR dog and cat:



The appliques had these adhesive circles on the back to attach them but I found that they were insufficient for attachment purposes and ended up hot gluing them instead. They are pretty well secured on there now.

I wrapped the dolls in tissue paper before putting them in the bags.


I think the girls are really going to like them. I mean, what little girls DON'T like dolls??? *besides me when I was their age*

Ad*dress* the issue, Part II

So there have been dresses I've loved, dresses I've hated, and dresses that fit everywhere in between. I promised myself I wouldn't be one of those brides that tried on 100 of them before choosing, but I simply haven't found it yet. It's not indecisiveness, it's that I haven't found one thing that's exactly me.

So this weekend, I'll once again venture out to the bridal salons. Friday, I'll visit Lily's Bridal and Formal Wear in Glen Burnie to try on this divine masterpiece. Several other (much closer) salons carry Paloma Blanca, but haven't yet received this style. I love it because it's the same silhouette as the gorgeous Jim Hjelm gown that flattered my figure, but I much prefer this gown's lace over bead work. And it comes with the shown veil, so no need to sweat over finding a mantilla with a similar lace!


On Saturday, I'll start at Rizik's and look forward to trying on a few Christos and Lazarro gowns. Next up is Carine's Bridal Atelier. Melissa Sweet, here I come!! And last but not least, I'll make my way to Katherine's Bridal Boutique in Alexandria to peruse the Maggie Sottero and Alvina Valenta collections.

Keep your fingers crossed. This weekend needs to be THE END!

Georgia Bridal Show . . . Coming Down From the Sugar Rush

Good morning everyone! Just got back from Atlanta, and the Georgia Bridal Show was absolutely wonderful! I'm still on a sugar high from all the free samples of wedding cake. Vendors ranging from photographers, to bakers, to DJs, to florists, to travel agencies, to hotels, to reception sites were ALL in attendance for this event. The fashion show, co-sponsored by David’s Bridal and Savvi Formal Wear, featured both trendy and timeless wedding looks for all seasons and sizes.

The turn-out was great, and the wealth of information and free samples seemed never-ending. One vendor that really stood out to me was The Invisible Hostess’ photo booth. I had a blast with this one! $1,700 gets you four hours of unlimited brand photos with your message or logo, on site photo book coordinator, photo software and a scrapbook. Over the next week, I will be profiling a few of my other favorite vendors from the show.

Sit, eat, and be merry - BECAUSE I SAID SO!!!

I had the wonderful delight of rendezvousing with THE Mrs. Nearlywed this evening so that we could continue with the tying of all of the "loose ends" to prepare for my Saturday nuptials.

For any of you readers who are undecided about booking a day-of coordinator -
DON'T BE A CHUMP!!! BOOK ONE!!! BOOK ONE NOW!!!!!
*Mrs. Nearlywed is WONDERFUL, by the way, and you should check her availability ;) *

Mrs. Nearlywed helped me to navigate through the mess that has slowly transformed from the guest bedroom to the wedding bedroom. In all of the ways that I am not a wedding planner - she is! And she is extraordinary at it!!! She's guided me through helping to figure out what to do about the table settings and decorations and when I should do what and how. I, on the other hand, have been a slacker bride - despite the DIY project I've posted most recently.

Tonight I'm trudging through the seating list... *UGH*... and it's fast becoming my least favorite thing to do. Husband2be just spent a little under an hour getting a mini-lecture on how WE should be seating people. Surely there's etiquette to it that I don't know about and probably am not following but *honestly?* there was nothing wrong with how we were doing it!!! Family were able to be seated near/with each other and placements were made VERY strategically. He finally just now got off the phone now and I managed to figure out the seating so that everyone *hopefully* is happy.

The one thing that can make me happy through this whole process is my dad. He created our seating and table arrangement with the restaurant owner (who doesn't speak English!) and check out what he drew up...



My favorite part is the "imaginary line" *why???* that he drew in. Isn't the whole point of an imaginary line that you don't see it? *shrug* I have no idea.

I. Gorman - I Do

Last August I wrote about our first trip to look for wedding rings at I. Gorman. Since that time we had planned to browse around some other stores and see what other jewelers had to offer. Well five months have gone by and with the wedding fast approaching we knew we had to order our rings soon. We never did get around to looking at other stores. We had such a good first experience and Fiance liked a band there so much we decided to not waste any more time. So last Thursday we bought our rings!

Fiance ended up getting a simple band made of palladium. The outer part is a shinier silver color while the inner is a more mat silver color.

If you don't know what palladium is, it is a rare metal from the same family as platinum. This means that palladium is a naturally white (i.e. silver) metal. The main difference is it is much lighter then platinum, which comes in handy if your guy has never worn a ring before and can't get use to the heft on his finger. The other main difference is it is a lot cheaper then platinum but provides the same look. This wasn't always the case- up until 2001 palladium was more expensive but then the popularity of platinum took off making it a rarer metal and thus driving up the prices. Fiance's band should be in from Germany in about 6 weeks.

As far as MY ring...I ended up with a simple platinum band the same width as my engagement ring (an emerald cut solitare). I tried to like the bling...really I did. I tried on a ton of different pretty, shiny, diamondy rings but they all seemed to be too much. They actually took away from the simple beauty of my engagement ring instead of enhancing it. I'm really happy with my choice and happy I didn't spend a ton on something I wasn't totally sold on. The only bummer was I had to give up my engagement ring so that they can match my bridal band to my engagement ring. This way they will fit together instead of there being a gap. So for now I'm single again (just joking!). I'll get it back by the end of the week.

Lots of things had changed since our last trip to I.Gorman...mainly they have moved across the street to a MUCH bigger store. One thing hadn't changed, though, and that was the great service we got from Venita. She was incredibly knowledgable about all the rings and different metals (she even knew the history of the metals as they have been used in jewelry making). And once again she didn't try to upsale us on anything. She had no problem with me picking a plain band and even saved me a couple hundred dollars by selling me a ring they had acquired when the price of platinum was a little lower then it is now.

The best part is we bought our rings on the first day of a two week storewide sale! So we got 10% off. If you are in the market for rings and you have any interest in the modern designs at I.Gorman now is the time to check it out. Everything in the store is 10-70% off!




In my last post about I. Gorman I featured some of their beautiful rings, so I thought this time I'd show you two of their gorgeous necklaces. I love their clean and simple lines.

Signed and quilted... with lots of TLC

I always liked the idea of the autograph mats for people to sign with their well wishes but I just feel like it's played out. Then my mom came up with the idea of a wedding quilt (she is a quilter!) that people will sign and she will quilt together after the wedding!!!

My mom was already making a wedding quilt for us but she will be bringing along blank squares for people to write well wishes to us and then she will add the squares into the design of the quilt. I don't know how big it will or even what the general design is - it's a surprise! But, I'm sure it will be wonderful and heartfelt in everyway.

Here is a link I found online - http://weddingshowergifts.com/photo_quilts/index.shtml if you, too, are interested in an alternative to the traditional guestbook.

And here is a picture from the site linked above...

I love how it's something that we will definitely be able to keep forever and ever and use everyday (even!) if we want to. I can already envision a great big black and white pictures that I'd like to take of our sweet little bundle of joy wrapped up or crawling about it, all spread out on the floor with toys. :)

I'll try and post pictures of the most of the quilt soon after the wedding happens so you can get a better idea of how we went about it!

You can't say I'm not open-minded

Ok. So we're about FOUR days from the wedding now and I'm getting pretty nervous about The Big Day.





No...

not because I think it will rain...

not because I feel like I'll look like weird wearing all of that makeup and my hair all piled on top of my head...

not because I'm anticipating walking and tripping down the aisle...

not because I think I will mess up my "lines" (i.e. vows)...



not because of the first dance that husband2be and I haven't practice...

and not because of any other kind of performance anxiety. ;)

All of my nerves are actually because I feel like I will be a walking "stain magnet." Wearing a big ol' white pouffy dress? I might as well be wearing a giant target for people to throw food at - let alone myself!





D'you think people would think less of me if I wore an adult sized bib at the reception??? How about a clear rain poncho:

[photo courtesy of SaraGlove.com]

Despite the fact that it's a little "ghosty"-looking, it IS clear and would allow people to see my dress in addition to it covering me from head to toe!!!

*mulls the idea over*

No? Well... it seemed like a good idea at least. ;)

A very public proposal

How cute would this be for a proposal? Or even just to tell someone how much you love them on Valentine's Day for millions of people to see! You can place an ad in the New York Post for only $26 for four lines. It will be published in a special Book of Love section on Valentine's Day. You can even add a photo! I'm thinking: boy uses photo of a ring, or him on one knee, and a cute proposal poem :) I can't wait to get this issue to see how many guys propose!!

Valentines Day....

I don't really like Valentines day...I know I know , I am probably construed as "anti-romantic" for that previous statment, but its true, I find valentines day to be a manufactured holiday. I would prefer FI to just randomly give me chocolates, or flowers or sweet cards, it doesnt matter if I get something on February 14th! However to totally contradict what I just wrote, this year I am going away on a mini-vacation with some of my girl friends ( to san francisco) the morning ( read 6am) after valentines day, I won't be returning until the following tuesday morning ( read 7am). This means that FI and I won't see each other for *gasp* 4 days! Now you are free to mock me here, but I hate being away from FI, even for a night, but 4 nights is always rough. Even though he and I hate being away from each other, we are the kind of couple that can go on seperate trips with our respective friends, or have girls night/guys night out, but just because we can do it, doesn't mean I like it! FI and I have made a sort of "tradition" that either time we leave for a long weekend/mini trip/business trip and the other person isint coming, we have a romantic dinner the night before and have some quality "us" time. However, if you already see where I'm going, the night before now falls on Valentines Day. Also part of this tradition is the person that is leaving does the picking of the restaurant for the afore mentioned romantic meal. Picking a romantic restaurant on valentines day, this shouldnt be hard right? Wrong, I have been procrastinating/insanly busy at work and now I find myself less than 10 days away and I have no plans! Then today, call it fate, call it a sign, I recieved an email from mie n yu ( one of my favorite resturants).


They are having a Valentines day tasting menu If this is a little expensive for you ( $65 a person but it sounds amazing) The regular Menu is also available.

Mie n Yu, has an ambience that is amazing and food is great! It is just what i'm looking for --not "uber romantic" but romantic enough and great food!




Has anybody found any great valentines deals? Or cute ideas to give to the future Hubby?

No rest for the weary

Granted, we're just under five days away from The Big Day but so far the forecast is predicting beautiful weather!!! I will seriously be amazed if we don't end up getting hit by a huge snowstorm. I'm not even superstitious as to not mention it in the first place. Whatever happens will happen. :)

The rest of my week is chock full of stuff to do. I work until Wednesday but come Wednesday evening, I'm completely booked with things!

There are flowers to be received and arranged.

There are pew bows and garlands to be measured and assembled.

There are cigars to be purchased for the much anticipated baby announcement.

There are friends to be picked up at the airport *one of my FAVORITE things of all for the wedding*!!!

And there are a dozen and a half other things to attend to in addition to everything aforementioned - that of which includes getting a hold myself and really believing that this is going to REALLY all happen. :-o

You don't understand. See... I was the girl who, last year at this time, wasn't even thinking about marriage OR a baby. And now here I am a year later experiencing both. Who woulda thunk it? Definitely not me.

But enough of that. Because I better start believing that it all actually is happening since... well... it ACTUALLY IS HAPPENING.

Here are some more details of the wedding:

The plush kitty and doggy to represent our "fur babies" who can't actually be with us on our day.

A pair of matching soup bowls decorated with cherry blossoms for the "winners" of the anniversary dance.

And the traditional Chinese New Year red envelopes that we will be using to
1) give to the children for the traditional children's gifts/wishes and
2) using for our vendor "money" envelopes.

*BIGsigh*

I better get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight. :-p I was up until past midnight last night - that's at least two hours beyond my bedtime - and I gotta be up tomorrow morning for a staff meeting!!!

An enduring love...

My life has done everything but remain normal in the past few weeks. I made a decision to leave my job, and maybe even change careers. I've changed my entire wedding from top to bottom to make things easier on my family. We're talking the date, the dress, the location, the guest list. (Photography by Punam Bean and invitations by Paperzest remain, thank goodness!)

But there's been one constant, and there will always be one constant, and that is Mr. Shirlington. He remains supportive and caring and excited about our life together. And I guess I just got to thinking about how love endures.

I was so excited for Wedding Week on Regis and Kelly. When it kicked off this morning, I was immediately in tears. The couple, Kacy Hardenbrook and Jordan Edsall, have two toddler-aged daughters and were engaged on Valentine's Day last year. Then Kacy and the two daughters were severely burned in a house explosion. And you better believe, despite the fact that they have all been burned over their entire bodies, that they barely even survived, the father/fiance has been the rock of the family. And this Friday, he'll marry the mother of his daughters live on Regis and Kelly.

I couldn't help but imagine had it been me...and felt so calm knowing that Mr. Shirlington will always be by my side, no matter what. And I will always be by his.

French Pres Gets Bruni

If you look close you can see her new wedding band. This is as close as we'll get to a wedding photo....

Sarkozy marries royally with Versailles wedding night Venue risks unfortunate comparison for president's marriage to Carla Bruni Angelique Chrisafis in Paris Monday February 4, 2008 The Guardian For a French president likened by critics to a power-crazed elected monarch with a love of "bling-bling", it was perhaps an act of defiance for Nicolas Sarkozy to spend his wedding night in the grounds of the opulent Palace of Versailles. But wearing his trademark aviator shades, Sarkozy showed off his new première dame yesterday in the park of the palace remembered for revolution, ensuring that his foreign bride would, as with all first ladies, spark comparisons with the ill-fated Marie Antoinette. Barely 11 weeks after first meeting the Italian ex-model Carla Bruni, Sarkozy married her on Saturday in a hasty private ceremony at Paris's Élysée Palace - an act advisers hoped would stem his dire poll ratings and draw a line under the celebrity romance that has enthralled and nauseated the nation. The couple refused to issue an official wedding portrait and instead invited a scrum of photographers to pursue them on a stroll through the park after spending the night at Versailles' hunting lodge, which they had made their weekend retreat. They kissed and whispered over a coffee in the palace grounds. After a highly public romance, which alienated traditional voters, the president went to extreme lengths to keep the wedding secret. Decoy cars were used. Not even an official palace photographer recorded the 10-minute ceremony held on Saturday morning in a room adjoining the presidential office. The bride, marrying for the first time, wore a knee-length white Hermès dress hemmed with light blue. The teetotal bridegroom toasted his third marriage with a glass of orangeade. François Lebel, the mayor who performed the ceremony before 20 guests, described the couple as "emotional and in love". Sarkozy twice left the celebrations to hold emergency talks about the crisis in Chad. His guests went for lunch at Mohamed Al Fayed's Ritz hotel before arriving in Versailles for the evening party. Present were Bruni's six-year-old son, and Sarkozy's three sons from previous marriages. Barely four months after his reluctant divorce from his second wife, Cécilia, her shadow loomed over the wedding proceedings. One of Sarkozy's witnesses was Mathilde Agostinelli, the head of communications for Prada in France and formerly one of Cécilia's best friends. Relieved officials from Sarkozy's ruling UMP party yesterday hoped the quick wedding and Bruni's new official status would stem his plummeting approval ratings. At 41%, they are his lowest ratings since his election - and owe much to his slowness to push through convincing economic reforms and his very pubic romance. Bruni, an heiress who left her supermodel career to become a folk-pop singer, is the first première dame who does not depend on her husband's income and has her own career. She has a fortune estimated at £7.5m and signed a pre-nuptial agreement indicating that in the event of divorce, each would keep the assets they had before the wedding day instead of splitting them 50-50. Bruni, who is working on her third album, has insisted on a recording studio space at the Élysée. "It makes a change to have a first lady with a brain," one ministerial adviser told the Guardian. The couple's first major state visit will be to Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace next month. The president is also due to visit French Guyana next week, where he publicly appeared with Cécilia before the election to show the nation their relationship was still intact. Bruni - whose leftwing politics are opposed to Sarkozy's, and who has had a raft of boyfriends, saying monogamy "bores" her - is a very modern first lady. "With a character as unpredictable as Carla Bruni, Nicolas Sarkozy is running a risk," the political analyst Philippe Braud told Agence France Presse. "If Carla Bruni behaves wisely ... her elegance, her culture, her popularity as an artist and her sense of PR could play a vital role in shaping the image of a modern president, in tune with the times." But he added Sarkozy could also "end up in situations the French would see as undermining the dignity of his office". At a market in central Paris, Aline Batut, 75, a retired shopkeeper and Sarkozy voter, said: "I hope this draws a line under it. I want him to stop showing her off and get on with his job."

Jenna Bush will wear.......

As Style Scoop tells it, Mom Laura Bush has asked twelve designers to submit sketches of the gown that may just clothe Jenna at her wedding.

The twelve designs sprang forth from the minds of the following designers (from one to twelve): Vera Wang, J. Mendel, Arnold Scaasi, Carlos Miele, Amsale, Carmen Marc Valvo, Angel Sanchez, Badgley Mischka, Nicole Miller, Lela Rose, Marc Bouwer, and Oscar de la Renta.

Thoughts??
via Manolo for the Bride

Paper Source ... Paper Wedding

Paper Source's Celebration of Love Event will inspire, motivate and excite you to plan for that special occasion!

Join us for demos, featuring creative ideas and simple make-and-take possibilities, that will encourage you to do something creative every day.

Savvy Save the Dates

11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Invitations for the Big Event

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm

Favors to Savor

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Ongoing Make-and-Take Table

11:30 am - 4:30 pm

Saturday, February 16 Bellevue Boston Georgetown Kansas City Lincoln Park San Francisco Marina South Coast Plaza

Saturday, February 23 Alexandria Brookline Evanston Minneapolis Pasadena Santana Row

Idol Katherine McPhee Weds in Beverly Hills

Via People.com
Singer-actress Katharine McPhee married producer Nick Cokas on Saturday in Beverly Hills, her rep Justin Gray Stone confirms exclusively to PEOPLE.

The 23-year-old American Idol season five runner-up and Cokas, 42, exchanged vows in a late afternoon ceremony at Beverly Hills Presbyterian Church.

"(Nick) is the love of my life," McPhee gushed to PEOPLE. "This is a once in a lifetime occasion and everything is just perfect."

McPhee wore a strapless ivory Manuel Mota gown and Neil Lane jewels (diamond and platinum chandelier earrings and diamond and platinum bracelets), while Cokas wore an Armani tuxedo. Fellow season five Idol contestants Kellie Pickler and Mandisa were among the 305 guests on hand for the nuptials.

McPhee and Cokas met in 2005 when they performed in a Los Angeles theater production of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Their union began as a friendship and blossomed when McPhee auditioned for American Idol later that year.

The two quietly got engaged last year when Cokas presented her with a custom-designed round brilliant cut platinum and diamond engagement ring.

McPhee recently wrapped filming the Anna Faris comedy I Know What Boys Like.

Speaking of New Blogs....An UnWedding for an UnBride in D.C.

Many of your probably remember Justine Ungaro's gorgeous work from the premier issue of Ines del Mar Weddings. Her photography highlighted the gorgeous floral art of Janie Medley and was featured in the first post of Janie's blog The Bride's Cafe. Below is one of Justine's images from that shoot as featured on Justine's own photo blog.



Justine shoots weddings in D.C. and L.A. (I don't know how she does it!) and has had her own professional photo blog for quite some time. What many of you may not know is that Justine is getting married herself this October! And it'll be in D.C.! So she has begun a personal blog detailing her own wedding planning. The Unbride blog has just begun but I'm really excited to follow along.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I love to see the weddings of wedding professionals. Think about it...they've seen it all. They've worked with great vendors, they've seen all the color combos, they've seen the best venues and there probably isn't a single idea they haven't already seen featured in a million weddings. So when you've seen it all, what does your wedding look like? What florist do you chose? Who bakes your cake (or do you even eat cake?!) Who takes your photos when you yourself are a photographer?! Justine promises in the first post of The Unbride blog, that as beautiful as traditional weddings are hers won't be that. She'll be planning an un-wedding for an un-bride. Exciting!

While you're checking out her new blog don't forget to check out her professional photo site and professional blog. You'll be rewarded with some gorgeous bridal images like the ones below. All photos credited to Justine Ungaro.



^I had to pick this photo b/c calla lilies are my flower!

^This picture is from one of my favorite weddings on her blog. I Luuuuved the bride's dress.

Your Best Foot Forward

My mini-obsession with photography blogs began when I started to plan my wedding from abroad in late 2006. All I had was the internet and when I began to look for a photographer their website was my only link to their work. There are literally hundreds of photographers in the D.C/VA area and easily a dozen more in Charlottesville itself so narrowing it down was hard (and yes, I went through all of them!). I had so many sites to look at that if a photographer's website wasn't well developed then I just passed it by. If it wasn't easy to navigate, if it didn't show recent work, etc. I just didn't have time to persue that photographer further unless I saw something that really wow'd me. Surprisingly many of the photographers I contacted didn't automatically offer an online password to some of their albums so I could look at their work fully. I usually had to ask and they were like "oh yeah that's a good idea."

So I really was appreciative of photographers who had easy to navigate websites, websites with numerous shots, websites that had at least a few "full" albums to browse through, and websites with photography blogs! My advice to any photographer (whether new to the field or a seasoned pro) is to really invest in your website. It's your face to the world and you never know when some bride from thousands of miles away is trying to pick a photographer with nothing but your website to go on. And this advice doesn't just work for photographers...no matter what service you are trying to sell -flowers, wedding coordination, dresses, etc. Make your website the best that you can afford and visually stunning. Sure sometimes websites can be misleading, so I always recommend that you meet the vendor in person and get other bridal recommendations but you have to start somewhere...especially if you are in a different time zone (or hemisphere).

What does this have to do with anything? Well, I was really excited to see yesterday that one of the most popular and best wedding photographers in Charlottesville has joined the blog world. I've seen Jen Fariello's work in numerous wedding magazines and in a ton of Knottie bios. It's always excellent and I'm super excited that I'll get a regular does of her work now. She always takes really classic and iconic bridal shots. Add her blog to your blog reader now! And give serious thought to her for your own wedding. If you think that maybe her name sounds familiar from somewhere else then you may be remembering her from her own warm and rustic wedding featured in The Knot magazine last year.

All photos below credited to Jen Fariello and found on her new blog (which you're adding to your blog reader...)

Shiny Hands, funky feet, and a license to wed

Thought I'd formally introduce you to our rings! The left one is my engagement ring. The middle one is my wedding band, and then right one is husband2be's wedding band.

My engagement ring is a little more than 1 carat Aquamarine stone all the way from Thailand and custom-cut into a modified Asscher cut. The filigree on the setting is hand-cut and wraps half way only halfway around the bad with the stone almost bezel set except it's open on the bottom instead of completely enclosed. It was designed and purchased through Christian Bernard Jewelers of Georgetown.

My wedding band is a white-gold right hand ring with very small accent diamonds. It was purchased at a Helzberg Diamonds and was the brilliant suggestion of a sales consultant when we couldn't find anything that complemented/matched my engagement ring. It also was a whopping $100!!! Talk about a steal!

His wedding and is a diamond cut/engraved band (design is eternity-style, meaning it wraps clear around the band) and was also purchased at Helzberg Diamonds. It is a combination of white gold around the rim of the top and bottom and yellow gold in the center.

He will be wearing his ring traditionally on his left hand but I will be wearing my right-hand/wedding band on my left hand and then my engagement ring on my right hand (European style). We had to do my rings like this because the design of my engagement ring is so unique that we couldn't find anything that could be paired side-by-side with it. It works out nicely though because I like having both my hands show that I'm spoken for! :)

And then there's my feet. They pretty much say outright that I'm a "black sheep"/non-traditional bride...



As you can see, we are very non-traditional folks when it comes to rings and things!


The Converse are because of the fact that 1) I wanted to wear sneakers and 2) my family has a "thing" for Converse. (Husband2be is actually also joining in on this ridiculous "thing" and changing into his own Converse for the reception. I will be wearing mine the entire time.)

And as for the "Beauty and the Beast" ankle Kiddie socks? That's an homage to my little sister who died when she was a little more than two and I was just entering my freshman year in high school. Not a moment goes by that I don't think of her now and wish that she could be a part of this day. The butterflies that we are putting in the wedding here and there are also in memoriam of her - we always have seen butterflies at very special times in our life and we feel like that's her presence. But as for the Beauty and the Beast thing - it was her favorite movie ever and she used to watch it constantly!!!! As soon as I saw these socks I KNEW that they were what I had to wear!

And the final thing is that yesterday we got our marriage license!!!! This is a serious miracle because we were THISCLOSE to not getting it for a myriad of ridiculous reasons. We have until next Wednesday that we could have gotten it but the fact that it's now already done is a HUGE weight off our shoulders. We technically didn't wait until the last minute to get it but it sure was close enough. Advice to all: get yours earlier than we did!!! AND make sure that you know where all of the required paperwork is that you need so you're not up until close to 1AM the night before trying to find it. :-p

Shower the people you love with... Lavender!

This wedding has been a test of my ability to compromise and improvise. In some cases it's meant taking a step down but in others it's actually meant ramping things up and being pleasantly surprised!

One of the items that I absolutely wanted to have was to have the traditional rice toss after we were officially declared married. Also, since I'm Asian, the whole idea (I know - so corny of me) of having rice play such a role in the festivities meant even more! But in my research of rice showering/tossing, I found that we couldn't do it. Why? Because most places actually don't allow it as it 1) can be very difficult to clean up and 2) people can slip when walking over it. To say I was bummed to find out that we couldn't use rice is a serious understatement.

In an effort to find something to use that was rice-like, I came across the idea of using dried Lavender. It's wonderfully fragrant, environmentally friendly, and also resembles rice - the "wild" variety at least. And when I saw it packaged on theknot.com in little bottles - I HAD TO HAVE IT.

So I went to one of my new favorite sites for all things DIY (since wedding planning) Save-on-Crafts.com and got the following:

I ordered everything about 1.5-2 weeks ago and everything just came in this week! (I ordered the medium-grade as the only difference between it and the premium is the fact that the premium is more vibrant in color. Since I was trying to imitate a rice grain, I figured the muted color of the medium grade was closer to a wild rice variety.)

Tonight, while I had a spurt of energy (rare for me these days) I set up a mini assembly line to take everything and put it together.


I used a measuring cup, a trash bag laid out (to catch all of the loose Lavender), scissors, and a funnel (fashioned by husband2be) from a large envelope and duct tape. With both of us working together, it took a little under two hours to fill, cork, and embellish about 36 bottles.

Here is one of our first finished bottles:


I'm really pleased with how they came out. The bottles are nice and heavy and definitely larger than I had initially anticipated when I ordered them but we portioned out enough for each bottle to hold more than enough Lavender for two people to use. Also, whatever is not used can just be corked back up and taken home by our guests as they really do smell very nice, fresh, and clean. I estimate that each one came out to be about a little more than $2 in raw materials.

This was an idea that I thought I was having to compromise for something lesser but it turned out to be something that was significantly ramped up, in my opinion. I can't wait for everyone to see them as I think they will be a lovely touch that they will enjoy! I highly recommend it for anyone looking for an alternative to rice OR other "showering" options after you're officially declared married!

Flower Girl Dress - Check!

So last month I was talking about how much I liked Dillards for unique and fun flower girl dresses, that didn't look like mini-bridal gowns. Well I went back last night to browse around and saw this PERFECT dress. The colors match my wedding colors exactly and it was only $45.00 so I went right ahead and ordered it. I think we're going to replace the belt with a white ribbon and there is a possibility it could be a little big for my flowergirl so it might need some alterations. I'm thinking white patent shoes with white tights or white ruffly socks. I can't wait to see this dress in pictures...if they had a big girl version I'd wear it too...

Brides.com and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Brides.com will make several couple's dreams true on Who Wants To Be a Millionaire's "Play to Pay for Your Wedding Week" on February 4 - 8, 2008 and now they want to make your dreams come true, too. While you watch engaged couples from all over the country play as a team in hopes of winning $1 million for their wedding, you can enter for your chance to win an 8 day trip to Vomo Island Resort in Fiji! Brides-to-be can log on to www.brides.com/millionaire to enter the Brides.com "Flyaway to Fiji Giveaway" for the chance to win an eight day, seven night trip to Fiji, including airfare for two and accommodations at the Vomo Island Resort, as well as a women's ruby stacking ring and silver cufflinks for the groom. The sweepstakes ends on March 14, 2008