The $15,000 Urban Wedding

My Favorite Moments

2010-08-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

1. Opening the engraved silver box from my bridesmaids at the hair salon. Cry-fest #1. Beautiful moment that touched my heart so deeply.

2. Having my bridesmaid Pilar zip up my wedding dress.

3. Looking at myself all bridal-ready for the first time. I think in that moment, I realized I really was a woman. A full-grown, adult, ready-to-get married woman. Can we say, "scary"? Scary-killer-rad.

4. Seeing Neal for the 1st time. No, it wasn't at the Botanical Gardens (it was too hot to be outside for much longer than 5 minutes.) I fell in love with him so deeply all over again. The crying part happened when I was able to fully absorb how he was looking at me. Oh God, it makes me cry right now all over again. He was crying, I was crying. Cry-fest #2.

5. The prayer my dear bridesmaid Becky said for us right before the ceremony began. On the ride over to the reception hall (when I finally made the decision to move the wedding to the reception hall due to rain), I started to lose it. I was feeling panicky. Heartbroken that my vision was changing dramatically. Becky saved me from the brinks of total despair. What she said will forever be engraved into my heart. I wish I could remember every word; she's so eloquent, and her prayer made everything all OK again.

6. Walking down the "aisle" with my Dad. Time suspended when I saw a room full of my loved ones and my most favorite man waiting for me on stage. It was like one of those moments in a good film, or I imagine, the feeling you may get when you go to heaven. Very like... end of Titanic when Rose meets Jack at the giant carved staircase on the ship when she dies. Oops! Did I give away the ending to a movie from 1997? My bad.

7. The vows. The vows. The vows. Cry-fest #3. The were filled with so much laughter, joy, and raw emotion. There had been true, tough obstacles in the development of our relationship, and the exchange of our vows was the culmination of years of hard work, and a celebration of the continuous rebirth of our love. I feel like that's what made them so special. Some people haven't been wounded in the way each of us had before we met each other. But we were open to the work of love. And we have always been slaves to the joy and laughter we bring one another. Our vows were full of it all - joy, laughter, tears. It was like a microcosm of our years together.

8. Our first kiss. Because they turned into kisses. Because I go, "Another one!" right after he gave me the one kiss to seal the deal. The second one, and then the third, kind of re-enacted the 3 very different phases of our relationship - the first one was nice, but not quite there yet - too formal. The 2nd was pure passion, and the 3rd melded our spirits together in a holy, holy way. Like a Jesus way.

9. The moments right after our ceremony, where we were bombarded with our favorite people all wanting to hug the crap out of us. The embrace I had with my Dad. Cry-fest #4. I just love my Daddy. I mean, I love my Mom too, but my Dad... we are kindred souls.

10. The rainbow right after our ceremony. I mean, right? Who gets to say that they had a fucking rainbow on their wedding day. ME, y'all! I suppose that's a fair trade for getting rained out, right? :)

FUCKING AWESOME.

11. The toast my dear Pilar gave to us. I love her. The part where she mentioned that we had known each other for 17 years, that part, oh God, that's where I lost it. What special friends I have. Special, unique, interesting, tough, individual, incredible women.

12. Our first dance. Our first dance. Our first dance. My dad wrote us a waltz that he played for us as we pretended to actually waltz around the room. Yep, I tripped on my dress a couple times. But that's what made it great. We will have a song written just for us by my father forever. Elation celebration. Deeply touching.

13. I really, really liked the part where everyone had a fucking awesome time. I wanted to like... continuously hi-five everyone over and over again.

14. My dad's band playing old-time music, and our families coming together and dosey-do'ing, making circle formations and smiling and laughing together was rad beyond words. Old-time music is so festive and happy, and free. And that energy, I felt, was immediately transferred to our guests.

15. Dancing to 'You Make My Dreams Come True', 'Thriller', 'Whoomp, There It Is', and various other dance-jam classics with my homies. Watching my new husband command that dance floor like I always knew he could. Watching him do the 1/2-splits. Playing air guitar with my Dad. Doing the robot hardcore with my Mom. Throwing gang signs with my Mom.

Who the hell does the robot AND gets to play air guitar with their parents at their wedding? That is the shit. I am so thankful that they gave me their ridiculous genes. Thanks, awesome parents. What you lack in maturity you make up for sevenfold with hilarity.

16. The Hats. HELL yes.

One of My Greatest Learning Experiences

2010-08-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

This blog was supposed to be about planning my wedding. It was supposed to describe, in detail, the details of my big day. But as with all creative endeavors, sometimes the route you expect to do down isn't always the path you end up taking. Shut up, I know that sounded cliché. But then, clichés are awesome at one thing in particular: making sense of complicated situations and experiences.

My wedding day was not the vision, the fantasy, that I had executed in my mind for a full 14 months prior to June 12, 2010. It didn't play out like I had prepared in my head. Days never do.

I think that's a subject often glossed over in wedding planning. People tend to not put much emphasis on the fact that your wedding day is literally, 1 day. "It's one of the most important days of your life!" folks conclude. Of course. But it's still a God-ordained 24-hour day. If you believe in God. Well shit, even if you don't.

My best advice to new brides is to really consider that. Ponder it. Go through 1 exciting, eventful single day of your life and then, when you're comfy in your bed late at night, think about how quickly that day goes by. It happens in a flash, and then it's over. The vision/fantasy day that you've been living out for a year (or more, or less) inside of your own mind will take up so much more time/thinking/planning/strategy/fuel than the actual day of your wedding. Take that as you may. It's not a bad or good thing, it's just a thing. It's a consideration.

I kind of got off-topic. That's because as a wedding graduate, I feel like I have a lot of things to say. But truth be told, I've been avoiding blogging because I couldn't articulate, even to myself, exactly how I felt about our wedding day.

As you read in my last post, a lot of things didn't go as expected. But believe me when I tell you that marrying Neal, yes, the actual marrying part of the day, was one of the greatest moments of my life thus far. When that ceremony started, an hour and a half late, in a reception hall instead of a garden, the vision I had been playing out in my head for months evaporated and nothing else mattered except the intense love I was sharing with my almost-husband and a room full of the most important people in my life. Surreal, yes. Amazing, yes. Deeply profound. Deeply gratifying.

Sharing vows with Neal was far more intense than I expected it to be. Neither him nor I could stop the tears. The waltz my Dad wrote for us was pure magic, and dancing to it with my husband was supernatural. The day had its moments of stress, and its complementary moments of indescribable beauty. It had drama, and frustration, and all of those real-life weirdnesses that seem to come about only when you plan on one thing and the good Lord takes you in a totally different direction. What we're so unable to do in this life is be fluid to new plans. We spend hours planning for minutes that haven't yet come into existence.

If I were to do it all over again, and trust me, if you've gone through the process of planning a wedding, you will want to do everything all over again in different way - I would do 1 thing and 1 thing only:

Simplify.

Easier said than done, my pretties. But I'm talking, like, major simplification. Dress off the rack. A flower in my hair. A church/reception combo space. A pizza party. Either that, or an elopement in California. Simple.

What's complicated about this wedding thing is that nothing in life is pure black & white. Wedding days aren't all or nothing. They aren't ALL perfect, or ALL tragic. We are trained to focus on flowers, food, organza, and lace when what happens on the day of your wedding is that, you literally don't care about those things. What you really want to do on your wedding day is get married. Once and for all.

It's funny how we spend so many days planning one day, so much time considering all these details when what happens on the day-of that day, is that we forget all the other days we spend planning for this 1 day, and we want nothing more than to just BE. Be with our loved ones, our vows. To hold one another. To be.

I'm Alive.

2010-07-06T08:24:00.001-07:00

It's true. I'm totally alive. I'm breathing air, sitting in a chair, and actually existing right this very minute. Apparently even though I do still exist, I somehow decided that I was completely done blogging about my wedding. If I tell you why, it's going to take a long time. And that, dear friends, is why I've been procrastinating writing this post.

Let me first say this. Our wedding day was the best day of my life, hands down. But it wasn't the best day of my life because my "vision" was executed. To be honest, my vision got kicked in the balls and then slapped upside the head. It was rough.

Let's get the shitty things out of the way first, shall we? Okay.

1.) I had my period on our wedding day. And all throughout our honeymoon. It royally sucked, and after day 14 of my period due to my progesterone shot (HUGE HUGE mistake), I wanted throw a kitten into a wall. That's sick. I'm kidding. I really like cats.

2.) While I woke up on June 12th feeling good, and even worked out a little to jump-start my engines, right before I started putting my makeup on, I felt a raging sore throat coming on. I mean, I just knew it. I was getting SICK on my wedding day. I was able to ignore it for the most part, but it was a huge huge bummer that actually took a couple days off the start of our honeymoon. Cry.

3.) We got rained out. I mean, it blew, but my (amazing) friends & family shielded me from the bride who was walking into the Botanical Gardens' main building completely head-to-toe soaking wet, along with her head-to-toe soaking wet wedding party and head-to-toe wet guests. Apparently, they felt the brunt of the torrential downpour mid-vow. Ouch. Horrible. I (still) feel so bad for that poor girl. I really, really do.

I patiently waited inside the office and finally had to call it a rain-out 30 minutes past our ceremony time (5:30pm) while my guests, confused as hell, waited in the main building for further information. Neal actually just told me the other day that our ceremony didn't even begin until 6:30pm (at our reception site.) See? Definitely not my "vision." :)

4.) Our bakery forgot to put my quite small cake on its cake stand. Dammit. That irritated the crap out of me (not the day-of, but afterwards..) To make matters worse, they actually forgot the sheet cake that was to be hidden and cut in the kitchen for about, oh, 100 guests. This I found out AFTER the wedding. Major disappointment with the wedding cake. They gave me only a partial refund. I'm going to get a full refund. Yep.

5.) Instead of wearing my hair half up, half down like I had planned, I had to last-minute decide to wear it up. Because it was literally 97 degrees and humid as hell outside. And in hindsight, my hair was nice, but it wasn't totally what I had wanted. In pictures, I look at myself and wish I had worn it 1/2 up like I had wanted to. But, I would have boiled. Like, my hair would have been dripping down my back all day. Gross.

So, that's all the shitty crap that happened. But like I said, it was still the BEST day of my life. Can you believe it? I can't wait to spill the amazing GOOD things in the next post, now that I've gotten all that nonsense out of the way!

Wedinator

2010-05-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Um, has anyone ever visited the blog 'Wedinator'? I mean, horrible name, but completely epic.

Just look at this.

Why I'm Not Around

2010-05-19T09:02:00.001-07:00

Deep Thoughts, by Emily Rennard:

"Once, when I planned my wedding, I had a panic attack in the middle of the grocery store. Good thing about is was, I was in the cookie aisle, and I began ripping open Famous Amos boxes and completely ate my feelings away."

Just kidding, that didn't happen. But it could.

I am about 3 weeks out from marriage-ness and while I was feelin' groovy last week, I feel the Pangs of Anxiety returning.

Pangs of Anxiety: They're like old friends that come around once every 3 years. You get together, force conversation, realize you're totally different people and there's a reason you don't talk much anymore. Yet, you still have some weird pull to be around them because they're familiar, albeit totally dysfunctional.

Old friends, I wish you would go away. But the best feature of shitty old friends like Pangs of Anxiety is that they are the catalyst to get you to wake the F up. And get shit done. Pangs of Anxiety help assemble wedding programs, or put together a wedding itinerary, or book your final honeymoon hotel. So I guess they're not always shitty. Just distant, and neurotic.

As far as my color-coded to-do list is concerned, we're actually in pretty good shape. I mean sure, when Neal & I met with our photographer last night, it was self-evident that we hadn't give more than 10 minutes of thought to how the day's events would actually unfold, time-wise. But that's why my photographer owns, because she helped me figure that all out. Megan, have you considered charging for consulting services? I'm serious.

We've got table runners, flowers, food, music, outfits, hairdos, paper flags, candles, a marriage license (critical), a Reverend, some guests, chairs, a few tables, a hall, garden, a little kid with a pillow, a little kid with some flowers, rings, jewels, shoes, shirts, smiles, love.

I think we're good to go, folks.

Wedding Nightmares

2010-04-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

Who has wedding nightmares? Me. They're crazy. Most of the time they're centered around an issue with my dress - it's the wrong dress, it doesn't fit, I don't like it, I can't find it. Almost always I'm in some very odd venue, outdoors but in some peculiar locale like a garden in the middle of a desert (wtf?) or on top of a mountain with wind whipping around everywhere.

I had one that was kind of neat - the power went out, so we had it in an old, candle-lit ballroom - except the food was served in cafeteria-style buffet stations. It was very 'Beauty and the Beast' meets high school lunch.

Why is this interesting?

It's really not.

But I found a font called 'Wedding Nightmares' on dafont.com and it triggered this post. I loved the font name, and thought it was clever and apropos. I like the font itself, not in love with it, but it's got a heavy dose of things I generally like in fonts - organic, scripty, natural. :)

DaFont is a great resource for wedding fonts, by the way. I see so many amateur designers try their hand at their wedding invitations - and the layout isn't horrible, but the TYPOGRAPHY. Yeeps! Type is completely key to good design. There are a bajillion blogs and other various literature out there about the subject. In fact, it's one of the main reasons I love being a designer. TYPE is LOVE.

Who loves type and has wedding nightmares? Just me?

Great. Now I feel weird.

J. Crew & Miriam Haskell

2010-04-29T13:21:00.000-07:00

Remember when I decided on these Miriam Haskell lovelies to lease for the big day?

Yes, you do. Because they're amazing.

Well, turns out my favorite retailer, Mr. J. Crew, has teamed up with Miriam Haskell (who would be my favorite jewelry designer if I were a bajillionaire) to create a line of bridal jewelry. It's reported to debut in May, but that's a tad too late for my time schedule, and so I'm a little sad about that. However, methinks their pieces would be a bit out of my price range anyhow. But oh, I feel like this line would be made for me.

Also, I have decided that perhaps understated and simple might be best for jewelry. I really want my Grandmother's pearl necklace to shine. And if I wear those Miriam Haskell earrings (*sigh*), I feel like they might steal the show. I'd like to look beautiful, but not overwhelmed by jewelry. Gorgeous, amazing jewelry. I'm going to order these J. Crew pearl box earrings to see what they'll look like with the necklace and dress together.

They're not small (1 1/2") so I think they'll feel right. I swear, I am obsessed with accessories.

Rehearsal Dinner Outfit

2010-04-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Has anyone ever heard of 'hauls'? It's basically where people (mainly young females) display the fruits of their shopping sprees on YouTube. It's weird. But I'm about to do it, bloggy-style.

This is the dress I'll be wearing for our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. It's super lightweight silk, and the minute I saw it I fell deeply in love with it. The print has this updated 60s feel and the cut is ultra-flattering. I love you, Anthropologie.

I'll be pairing it with a thick, woven brown belt from J. Crew and a pair of FAB brown or tan heels. I can't decide which ones yet, but I want them to rock. I wore a pair of comfy Naturalizer T-Straps to my engagement sesh, and they looked so lame in photos (heel too short/matronly.) What I'm getting at is, I need some sexy, "I'm getting married to a hot, rad dude in 2 days" kind of heels.

The second I saw the Ares platforms from J. Crew, I had to tell myself to stop staring at the computer screen about 6 times before successfully navigating away from the page. I mean, OMG. They're also $215. OUCH. J. Crew, I love your shoes but they're just a tad out of my "reasonable amount for a nice pair of shoes" budget. I'll cough up $100 for kicks, but outside of that.... meh.
But again, just LOOK at these.

Other top contenders:

The Corso Como Sassy (the stitching on the heel is superb):

The Sofft Gallery (funnnn! maybe not as sexy? they look somewhat comfy...):

The Seychelles Red Eye:
Yup, that's my haul. I suck.

Stupid Mutha-F'in Nature!

2010-04-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

I'm warning you. I'm about to rant. I'm also about to get personal, so as Oprah says, "If you have children in the room, please make them leave now."

I am not on any hormonal birth control (i.e. pills or NuvaRing or similar.) I have an IUD, which I've had for several years, and I love it. For the most part.

I've been charting my monthly friend for the past few months, and guess what my pretties? Aunt Flo is expecting to come visit me June 10th. JUNE MUTHA EFFIN 10TH! Do the math. Week before wedding: raging PMS. Day of wedding: major cramps, major period, major why-the-hell-is-this-happening.

*big scream*

But wait, a light at the end of the tunnel. My naturopath explains that gynos can "jump start" the female cycle. I know she's right, because I had to have a shot to get my period to start once when it wasn't showing up (due to being on medication, all is fine & well now...)

I'm thinking to myself, OK, I'm good.

Call to make the appointment today, and explain my situation nicely to the nurse. "You see, I'm due to start my period on June 10th, 2 days before my wedding day. I've had a "jump start" shot before, and I need to do something similar again."

This total BEEA of a nurse immediately fires back at me, "Well MA'AM, there's no medical reason for you to do that. You aren't even on the pill."

REALLY? LADY. I KNOW. Help a sister out here, okay? Don't get pissed at me because your husband sucks in bed. I politely yet firmly say, "I understand that. But I really, really, really don't want to have my period on my wedding day. I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from."

She replies, "Well, I don't think the doctor will do anything for you, but I'll talk to her and call you back tomorrow."

Does she really want me to turn into a Bridezilla? Because I will. I really, seriously will get PMS Bridezilla on that nurse's ass and get very mean, very quick.

HEEEEELP MEEEEEEE!

Hahaha!

End rant. :)

Hot Pocket Sewn-In Boob Cups

2010-04-27T07:26:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, I had my first dress fitting last Saturday. If I do say so myself, I looked good. Which made me feel really awesome, because I've been working hard hitting the gym several times a week and eating properly (sort of, except for the pizza and beer binge last Friday... and the greasy Italian sub on Sunday... eewps... oh well, I am a human after all, and I happen to like my bedonk-a-donk.) As you can see, J. Lo likes hers, too.

DONKA!

Anyway, it was really fun to see the dress begin to take shape. I am in love with my seamstress - Connie at R&M Designs in Kirkwood. Highly recommend her (even though I haven't seen the final product yet, I'm fairly certain I will be impressed!)

Now, when I went to my fitting, I brought an inexpensive shaper (I will more than likely upgrade to Spanx...) and my 2 pairs of shoes (compulsion.) I didn't bring a fancy bustier or something similar, because to be honest, I'm going....

DUN.... DUN..... DUUUNNNNN!

.... bra-less.

Yes, that's correct. I am going to set the girls free on the big day and let them flop around like pancakes as I prance gaily down the aisle. I keed. I actually read on Wedding Bee that you can have cups sewn into your dress and decided that was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard.

So Connie handed me 2 lovely foam pieces that resembled hot pockets (hot pockeeeehts...) and instructed me to cram them under the girls. Hello. Hi. Nice to meet you.

After she pinned up the hem, I felt like it just wasn't enough. Let me be TMI for a moment, ok? I'm a B cup. The first set of hot pockets gave me extra "oomph" but not a lot of "wa-wa-WEE-wah" if you know what I'm sayin'. You probably don't know what I'm sayin. I needed more.

In went another foam piece, this one looked more like a puffy yarmulke. Hava Nagila!

I can't begin to describe what my new Hot Pocket Yarmulke boobs made the dress look like. I looked like me, but, so much better! Well proportioned, voluptuous, sexy. I felt great.

Girls with the teeny boobs. Go for the sewn-in cups.

Must.Wear.

2010-04-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

This J. Crew Luxe pearl cocktail bracelet will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine.

It will be mine. Oh yes.

In other new purchases, I've gone a bit wild lately with last-minute decor accessories. And self accessories.

Check out these adorable shoe clips from b. Poetic on Etsy.

Yay! I'm going to put them on my navy blue Nina Culvers, and wear them just for show (how lame is that?!) You see, I just had my first wedding dress fitting last Saturday, and we decided to hem the dress to my flats (the Steve Madden Brides) as opposed to my heels. So, I'll be wearing the heels (with a modest height of 2") for some fun photos, and then we'll call it a day.

Silliness, I know, but completely irresistible.

Invitations Are Out, I'm Feeling Groovy

2010-04-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

It is officially official. I'm getting married on June 12, 2010 and people are coming.

I sent out (the majority) of our invitations on Monday morning, and they've been getting rave reviews. I'm excited to have our wedding photographer photograph them in some pretty light on our wedding day, with a nice camera.

DIY invitations are labor of love. They were fun to design, and will be fun to look back on, but the countless hours I spent designing, proofing, prepping for print, sending to print, assembling, shopping for supplies - oh my, it felt endless! However, the fact that we spent $188 on printing leaves me feeling quite pleased, if I do say so myself. ;)

I can't believe I'm 50 days away from getting married. This is nuts. We have so many to-dos left, but yet I totally know everything that's supposed to get done, will get done.

I just can't be patient enough to finally be Mrs. Klasing. I want it to happen NOW! Yet, I love the waiting, the budding knowledge that it's right around the corner, the feeling of marital pregnancy I'm having is so overwhelming and so magical.

In My Hurr.

2010-04-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

I am wearing this pretty little silk gardenia I found from seller Powder Blue Bijoux on Etsy under my veil, if that doesn't look weird. It was $24. Rock.

What.the.

2010-04-07T13:59:00.001-07:00

Please God, someone tell me what the HELL this is??!??!!?!

If you don't care, and this it's awesome, you can purchase it here. Good luck with that.

Bridesmaid Sashes!

2010-04-07T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hopefully I didn't scare anyone off with my last post. My skin is doing MUCH, MUCH better - thanks to some last-minute microdermabrasion and some serious soul-searching.

I'm also going to purchase the TRIA blue light (it just came on the market) and the Clarisonic brush, and hope for the best. I have been going back and forth between going back on Accutane or not, but if I do that, it's the only thing I can do (no microderms, no blue light, nada...) If we're at 1 month out and breaking out horribly, I will probably start it again just to clear up oil quickly.

Now, onto fun things.

I am purchasing my bridesmaids these super-fun and super-cute sashes for their dresses. I even mocked up a comp to see what this will look like (below.)

I'm buying these rosebud sashes from seller heartoflight on Etsy and she's giving me a sweet discount. Still frivolous, but I'm hoping these will be super cute in pictures and give their dresses a little extra pizzaz.

Loves them!

I'm hoping they look OK with the navy blue in their dresses - you know, it's hard to match these things sometimes. But I figure hey, if they're a little different, so what? The flowers will add texture and help break up any differences in color. I hope. :)

Gosh, we are getting really close. Like OMG.

Skin

2010-03-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

Oye oye oye. I don't even want to start this post. I don't. Because this whole situation is making me so sad, and frustrated, and aggravated, and pissed off.

I have a hormone disorder called PCOS, which I was recently diagnosed with, that causes all kinds of super-fun symptoms like oily skin, acne, excessive hair (hirsutism), fatigue, weight gain, extreme PMS (those joyous, joyous days...) and trouble conceiving, just to name a few.

Acne has been a part of my life since I was about 13 years old. So, I have been dealing with acne for the majority of my life - over 15 years. Let me tell those of you who have perfect skin - be SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOoooooo-oh-oh-oh thankful that the Lord blessed you. Because acne really is a nightmare.

I can't tell you how many times I've not felt like going out because of my skin. I can't tell you how many hours I've spent obsessing about my face in the mirror, hating the way I looked. I'm the type of girl who would wear only lip gloss and mascara if she could, but I have relinquished myself to the notion that I have to wear foundation, powder, and cover-up every day of my life because I'm so embarrassed by my skin's condition. It's.fucking.miserable.

I could go into all the different treatments I've done to my skin, including Accutane (evil, wonderful shit), but I digress.

A few months ago, I started seeing a naturopath. Well, she gave me some stuff and a couple weeks later, my skin was literally the best it's ever been in my life. This lasted for about 2 months. It was the best 2 months of my life, I swear!

Fast forward to about a month ago, and I don't know why, but my skin has gone COMPLETELY.EFFING.PSYCHO.

Needless to say, I'm devastated, and I admit that I had an emotional breakdown yesterday (thank God for Neal, he really is the bees knees). I started the homeopathic treatment again about 2 weeks ago, but so far, nothing. It may even be worse. And when I say worse, I'm talking, the worst adult acne I've ever had. About 2 months away from my wedding day.

This is causing me to search every corner of the intrawebs looking for answers. Could it be my vitamins? My hormone supplements? My new Dermalogica pre-cleanse? My diet? The fact that I'm working out? That I'm stressed?

I'm driving myself crazy trying to think of the cause. And I've accepted the fact that my skin is going to look like total ass for my bridal shower this Saturday.

I hate how focused I am on this, and I'm considering busting out some of my old Accutane and just going for it (my skin was perfect about 2 months in on Accutane....) but that shit is whack. It's terrible because Neal keeps saying that I'm beautiful no matter what, and others say, "Oh, I can't even tell!" but inside, I'm a mess. I feel so..... ugly.

And the thought of having what's happening on my forehead/chin/cheeks right now on my WEDDING day is enough to make me cry very, very hard. I'm just being honest. All women want to feel beautiful on their wedding day, and I'm afraid that if I look like I do now... well... I just won't.

:(

Hi, Anxiety. Meet my less shitty friend, Beta Blockers.

2010-03-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well, this is embarrassing.

For the past 2 weeks, every time I look at a wedding blog and think to myself, "oh my, I'm going to be THAT just about 2 months from now" my heart quivers, palpates, my palms get just a touch sweaty, and my stomach flip-flops.

Yes, indeed. I am feeling an old familiar friend of mine return. We used to hang out when I would sing in choir at big concerts, and it loved to torment me before big theater shows and solo performances.

This shitty friend is named Anxiety.

I am feeling it. It sucks. All those cliché things like, "just relax!" or "take a deep breath, you'll do great!" make me want to vom. I KNOW I'm supposed to relax. I KNOW to take a deep breath, but I can't make those icky physiological symptoms disappear.

I know many performers who have had success with Beta Blockers, and I do feel like this might be my best bet at this point. There's no way in hell I'm swallowing a Xanax or some narcotic on my wedding day. I've heard some bad stories from dear, sweet friends that have made me decide that narcotic drugs are not an option for me. But Beta Blockers, this might be a solution to my ages-old performance anxiety on my wedding day.

Beta blockers work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. When you take beta blockers, the heart beats more slowly and with less force, thereby reducing blood pressure. Beta blockers also help blood vessels open up to improve blood flow. Hence, I will feel more calm, less heart-jumpy, palpate-y, skippy, and genereally less miz.

Because I know I'm going to be an anxious lady. One very happy, very excited, of-the-moment lady. But an anxious one nonetheless.

Anyone else out there suffer from "performance" anxiety? What are you doing about it for your wedding day?

We're Supposed to Plan a Honeymoon, Too?

2010-03-25T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are.

And we, for the most part, have.

I totally get now why couples whisk themselves off to a tropical beach locale and stay at an all-inclusive resort for 10 days after they get married. Like these smart dudes, doing a whole lot of layin' the sands whilst holdin' the hands.

That looks great.

Less moving, less planning, less thinking about how they're going to pay for multiple dinners in the most expensive part of the country......

Silly us! We wanted to road trip through California AND plan a wedding on a limited budget!? Fools! Crazy, zany, unrealistic fools! Ha ha! Ha! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA so fucking hilarious.

No really, it is kind of comical. Because we've been haphazardly planning this honeymoon thing in the midst of all this wedding business. Not to mention, it's our first real exploratory trip together (meaning, not his parents' amazing house in the Florida Keys.) Trust me, those trips have been wonderful but they've been completely planning-less.

My advice: for your honeymoon, keep it simple. Go to 1 place, stay there, and chill the hell out. DO NOT get me wrong, I am completely stoked for our honeymoon. Somewhere amongst Haight-Ashbury, Highway 1, the Redwood Forest, and a Balloon Ride over Napa, I'm going to feel as if I've died and gone to heaven. But let me tell you, we're packing it in.

And that means, more planning. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this stuff.

Just Read It.

2010-03-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Via A Practical Wedding. Please read this whole thing if you're planning a wedding. Right now. I'm serious. Don't disappoint me!

All Kinds of Random Wedding Things

2010-03-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Many things are sprouting up right now, it's getting a little redonkulous. But you know what? I'm getting really, really ready to do this thing.

First up, I'm now the proud parent of not 1, but 2 antique wood boxes from my new BFF eBay. The first yellow box is mine, but then I bid on this one below and won it. Woops. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the smaller yellow one, but I'll find a use. Dammit, I'll find a use.

I'm planning on antique-finish painting this with pale yellow paint, using some crackle finish, and then stenciling some navy blue roses with 'cards' to the side. Key word: planning. :)

What else? Ah! My moms found her MOB dress, which I can't wait to see on her. She's a petite thing, great figure for her age, and this dress will really make her look spiff. Go moms, go moms, GO GO, go moms....

I met with our caterer and reception venue owner yesterday afternoon and made a shit-ton of decisions. Yes, we would like to set up our guest book there. Put a spotlight on it (ok, it's not a standard guest book, but something really amazing that I can't share yet...) Put the desserts over on this side of the room. Nope, not near the coffee. The linens will be ivory on the 10-top tables. Navy blue on the cocktail tables. No, I don't want the favor table in the front. Main room, please. Oh, you can play an iTunes playlist for cocktail hour? Great.

You know, that kind of conversation. It lasted about 2 hours. ALMOST!THERE!

One thing that I am totally excited about. I know they're hella cheesy, so don't give me crap. Our venue has 2 flat screen TV's in the bar area, and our coordinator can load up a disc of JPEGS and magically transform it into a slideshow. Oh... it's SO happening. Many, many pictures of Neal & I as babies/toddlers/kiddos, pics of our family, pics of friends, all of that. It's going to be ultra cheesy and totally awesome. After awhile, we're switching it to the Cardinals game. Neal's choice. :) Who am I to say no? The man loves his baseball, and frankly, I think it rocks too!

Card Box Thingy Deal?

2010-03-19T15:16:00.001-07:00

Card boxes. Kinda pointless, kinda a necessary evil. People gotta put their cards somewhere.

Everything purchase-able and DIY-able I've found online is ultra-cheesy. I apologize, I'm not going to go to Michael's and buy 3 hat boxes, cut out the bottoms, cover them in fabric, and hot glue them together to make them look like a wedding cake. Cute for some brides, but not my deal.

I've been thinking about card box alternatives, and then it hit me. To keep with my vintage-garden theme, I'll scour flea markets and such to find something appropriate.

Me to self: "But you don't go to flea markets."
Self to me: "But I'd like to, in my spare time."
Me to self: "LOL. You said 'spare time' and it was funny."

Alas, eBay. You give me all the warm fuzzy feelings of a flea market, but without having to get in my car, or off my duff for that matter, in order to procure old things that people don't want anymore.

I am very new to eBay, mind you. I know. I have Great Aunts who can't figure out Facebook, but who can totally own eBay. I'm the opposite.

Imagine my delight & surprise when I typed in 'yellow antique box' (I am thinking I need to incorporate more of my 2nd wedding color, ye olde yellow) into the magical, magical search field, and I was greeted with this lovely:

I bid on her, and I want to win her.

I shall cover the inner part of the box with fabric, and leave the top sort of half-off with a sign next to it, and it will be cute, but not cutesy.

I wanna win I wanna win I wanna win.

(Addictioooooooooonnnnnn.)

OMG I found another one.

This could be dangerous.

Veil Moment.

2010-03-19T13:02:00.001-07:00

Holy crap. My Grandma called me last night and left the cutest voicemails in the worldz. If you ever wonder where I get my dramatic side, it's inherited from my mom's mom, my Grandma Gretch. The woman should win Oscars for her fabulous daily performances. She makes cleaning house an event in which you should pause for a moment and ballroom dance. She is the absolute Queen of Craft. She quilts, she sews, she cooks meals from Gourmet magazine. But not only does she posses amazing crafting genius, but her personality is on fire, and she never hesitates to tell you how much she loves you. So yes, back to the voicemail:

"EMMA! I just LOVE YOU SO MUCH my darling, Grandma is going to make your VEIL. I went to the shop and talked with the seamstress and I'm going to buy LACE and it's going to be PERFECT! Would you like that? I think it will be FAAAAABULOUS and I LOVE YOU, my darling! See you in a couple weeks! Call Grandma if you want. Alrighty. Baaaaayyyee."

Thank you Grandma, for passing down your zest for the everyday and your penchant for life. I love you, too. And I am just thrilled that you're going to make my veil. I had suggested the idea to her a few weeks ago, but she sounded like she thought it was going to be impossible. Well, we're going to purchase a plain illusion veil and she will then affix some beautiful lace to the bottom edge, producing what will be a handmade, heirloom, custom mantilla veil.

This is going to rock.

And I will still have the chance to get a small flower/feather deal for the reception.

Problem, solved.

I love my Grandma.

Yes, that's her in the bottom left... rockin' the popped collar. Isn't she amazing?

My, my, my. My cousins make me look short, and I'm 5'7"!

DIY Feather Bridesmaid Fascinators

2010-03-19T12:20:00.000-07:00

Guess what I'm funna do?

I'm funna make some feather clips for my bridesmaids. Something a little like this one from Etsy:

I keep seeing these, and I have a couple of these sassy hair accessories myself, but truthfully I can't seem to find the perfect ones on Etsy for the perfect price. That one above is only $7, but I want to add either a peacock feather or a yellow accent of some kind.

I also want to do these because we're having a 'hats encouraged' theme at our wedding. Meaning, hats or flowers or fascinators or headbands, or whatever. People, of course, are not required to don hats. But I like the idea and think it adds a little fun and funk to the deal.

There are a few tutorials on YouTube about how to make them, and they look like supah-dupah simple. So I'm going to give it a shot next weekend. I will post results and instructions as I go.

CLIP IT UP, EHHHHHHH-OHHHHH!

The Great Wedding Ring Pursuit of 2010

2010-03-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

I have had a mildly tough time deciding on my wedding ring. Why? Because I'm picky and wanted something unique and similarly affordable. Good luck wit dat, homey.

We didn't want to spend more than $250 for each person's ring. I know, I know... seems impossible.

At first, I wanted something antique-styled with stones, something to set off the moissanites in my ring. They're pavé-style, but not micro-pavé. I had tried on a micro-pavé ring with miligrain and carved detail awhile back and liked it, but was not 100% won over. It kinda looked like this:

Neal, all along, being that schmart man that he is, thought that a plain wedding band was the way to go. I agreed with him. Then I disagreed. Then I wanted some crazy Jewish Grandma floral thing. WTF.

Then I wanted an antique band such as this one - we ended up ordering it, and it rocked, but it looked downright bizarre with my engagement ring.

Neat, right?

But not neat with my e-ring.

So then I ordered something close to the first original intention, a miligrain and antique-edged ring with micro-pavé diamonds. I won't post the link because the craftsmanship was just plain shoddy.

Do you see where I'm going with this run-around ordering-online nonsense, er, business?

Last weekend, we hit up the mall to find our groomsmen's ties (more on that later) and stopped in a few jewelry shops (yes, **gag**, in the MALL).

Guess what happened?

We did something we would not normally do, only because we love supporting small businesses and think corporate jewelers such as those named Helzberg suck at life.

We bought my beautiful, simple, plain-Jane white gold band at Helzberg. You see, the sales guy was super nice and had helped Neal out a great deal with the whole moissanite thing when he was looking at engagement rings. We felt like it was right to give him business. And he helped us find my wedding band, which, miracle of miracles, looks just PERFECT with my gorgeous engagement ring.

It was just... right, you know? I love its simplicity, and the meaning of that simplicity. I guess what I'm trying to say is... I think a wedding ring by itself is such a beautiful statement. I kept wanting to fuss it up with details, and stones, and flourishes. But what I really love about the final choice is that it's unadulterated.

Virginal?

Hell no. But very beautiful, and very "us." And yes, about $100 over our budget. Sorry about that, sweetie! But it is a ring that I know I will love for my entire life. Just like the man who suggested something simple and refined in the first place.

He's a smart one, that man I'm marrying. I tell you what.

Invitation Suite, Complete

2010-03-16T14:08:00.001-07:00

Ewps. I was supposed to have my "invitation suite" (gag) ordered by now. Guess what? Didn't happen. But the designing of the invitation suite definitely DID happen last weekend. Rejoice Greatly, Oh Daughters of Zion!

Here's what I did. OMG I have to write a list about paper products:

1. Invitation to the ceremony
2. Reception card
3. Reply postcard
4. Reception signs

This designing took me from 10am - 4:30pm on Sunday. I still have to prepare files for press, package them up, and send them off to the printer. And then I need to see some proofs. And then I need to address envelopes. Stamp them. And find something to wrap the suite in. And package them all up. And send them by April 10th.

Can I have a paper bag so I can take deep breaths while I count now?

Just kidding.

I can't wait for this part of the deal to be done with. I love my designs, but I will love them more once they're out the door.

Wrapping ideas:

Fabric - Something toile-esque that I'd cut with serrated scissors, then wrap with a ribbon.

Doilies - same concept as above, but not cut (obviously) - wrapped with a ribbon.

Ribbon - by itself. Ta-da.

I Promise

2010-03-16T13:49:00.000-07:00

I promise. This will be my last post about shoes. Ever.

I think?

OK. So, my wedding planning life has been divided into 2 categories. The first category we shall call "Emily Pre-Sensibility" or 'EPS', and the second we shall call 'Emily When She Got Real' or EWSGR. Shit, that acronym is super long.

EPS was more into if something looked perfect, or would look awesome in photographs. EPS didn't realize that DIY-ing the hell out of her own wedding can get stressful and expensive (yes, DIY projects totally add up, children!) EPS also didn't realize that purchasing 3" heels without considering she'll be TRAIPSING THROUGH A 79 ACRE GARDEN on her wedding day was maybe a less than savory idea.

EWSGR stepped into the picture and snapped her fingers all around the place and was like, all up in EPS' face sayin' "Unh-UNHHHH, girl! Oh no you DI-UNT!"

EPS tried to put up a fight, but EWSGR totally won.

Now that I have gotten talking about myself in the 3rd person whilst using acronyms out of my system for the day, here's the deal.

I bought 3 new pairs of shoes from Piperlime.com with the intention of returning the 2 that don't work. Free returns, thanks. None of them have more than a 2" heel height. One pair is actually flat thong sandals. I kind of hope they dominate. Because COMFORT is AWESOME and there is no reason to suffer madly on my wedding day. Or yours. Be comfortable, ladies!

Here they are:

Kenneth Cole Lush Life (I loves these... pretty, feminine, sexy, still sensible):

Steve Madden Bride (nice name, dude.... is it weird that I want to high-five you? and call a pair of shoes 'dude'?):

Nina Culvers (we originally discussed these in navy blue, but I nixed that idea.):
No one is going to see my damn shoes, anyway, except my photographer and bridesmaids when I lift my dress up for cute pictorial action. But I admit, I still want my tootsies to feel "pretty."

There might be 1 more post with the final verdict. After that, I promise no more shoe torture.

Veil Debaucle

2010-03-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ohhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaallllllrighty then, kids. We're gettin' mighty close to the main event.

Do you think it would be excessive to hire that guy who opens up boxing matches on the morning of our wedding, to come into our bedroom and go, "Let's Get Ready to RUMBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLLLLLE!"

Thought so.

I'm having yet another conundrum. This time, it has to do with headgear. Headwear. Headpieces. Head fashions. It's all in my head. Headcase.

I don't know what to put on my head for our wedding day. I had many romantical dreams of veils with alencon lace accents months ago, but as the day draws nearer and our bank account gets smaller, I find myself not as excited about spending $450 on a piece of cloth. Very, very transparent cloth. Mesh. Mildly translucent mesh.

Although when I consider my wedding day without a veil, I get nostalgic for months gone by, the months where I pictured myself wearing pretty translucent mesh.

Option 1. I buy a very plain, fingertip-length veil from an affordable shop (aka David's Bridal) and force my G-ma to get all seamstress on that mesh and attach some lace to the bottom edge.

Option 2. I cough up $450 for the veil of my dreams. Cough cough. Cough. Bleach. I just threw up in my mouth.

Option 3. I wear something non-veilish. Like a beautiful silk flower fascinator. Let's take a trip down that road, shall we? Vroom vroom.

Twigs + Honey, you have been in and out of my wedding planning life since I started this whole business.

You make gorgeous pieces that others on Etsy have imitated less than half as nicely. Not to mention, this photograph is so beautiful that my credit card quivers. This hand-painted double silk fascinator is breathtaking. I may just have to skip the veil.

Wedding Vanity (ouch, this one hurts)

2010-02-27T06:42:00.000-08:00

Ah, wedding vanity. Really, when it comes right down to it, you have to ask yourself this question at some point during the nitty-gritty, detailed part of the planning process:

"Who am I doing this for?"

or better yet:

"Why am I designing/crafting/putting together/coordinating/managing/paying/helping/creating/deciding on ___________ detail, if most people aren't going to notice it, anyway?"

I find that as a graphic designer, I have these huge urges to make custom signs, posters, etc. for the reception. Then, I wonder who else will notice them. As I run through my family members and friends, I find that I count a small list of super-stylish, detail-oriented, trend-setting, artistic (if not graphic designers themselves) people.

Then I being to ask myself, alright then, so I'm going to put in ____ hours to design or craft ____ item for Peter, Shelly, Doug, Amy, and Carrie??!?? (names with-held to protect the innocent.)

That just seems silly.

So then, you have to ask yourself yet another question. If I'm not working so hard to design/craft/plan these details for Peter, Shelly, Doug, Amy, and Carrie - then really, I'm only doing these things for myself. Am I doing them to make myself look good? Like the bride who has it all together? Am I fishing for compliments? Or should I do these things so that I may revel in my accomplished hard work on my wedding day?

Whoa, Nelly. Let's sort this one out.

Folks, our wedding days are about being united as a couple. As much as you may have heard this a million times over, weddings are not about the food signs, specialty cocktails, custom wedding cake, hand-sewn ring bearer pillow (although I do very much dig mine!), decorations, guest book, candles.... *takes a deep breath*

Wedding Vanity is real. Brides are encouraged by it. We're expected to create perfection on shoestring budgets. In fact, this inflated sense of narcissism is excessive & unhealthy. Where do we all think the term 'Bridezilla' came from? So what if your candles don't match your wedding colors? Really truly, ask yourself the question:

Does it REALLY matter? Would I be HAPPIER simply to not worry about it? WHO is going to notice these things, besides me? And if I'm the ONLY person who notices it, does that make me..............

*shudder*

VAIN? Or just mildly narcissistic?

Let's all collectively let go of our preconceived notions about matchy-matchy bullshit, cute little something-er-others, and adorable details. While these things are nice, they're not required. While you may enjoy the work it takes putting them together, consider if it's really worth it. If you decide they are, then HELL TO THE YES. Do it up, and do it up proud! If you're in a tizzy about it, and want to rip your houseplants from their pots and flail them around the room, then forget it.

Let's stop doing trite things for everyone else and start doing meaningful things for ourselves. Ironically, we'll be less narcissistic, and more likely to start our marriages out on healthy terms.

Win win, methinks.

Mothers of Brides

2010-02-24T15:02:00.000-08:00

Confession. Not that this is a huge issue, but it is one that I have wanted to bring up for awhile.

How many of you are having the typical, or should I say, stereotypical 'mother of the bride' experience with your mom? What is it like?

Because I have no idea what that feels like. My mom is an amazing woman, full of life, with an independent spirit. I like to call her "untrammeled and free" - she's like a cantering horse, she is. Always running, strong, so intent on getting somewhere that's she's not too wrapped up in the journey.

My mom also lives on the other side of the country - near Boston, to be exact. That makes it tough for her to be involved.

For my mom's wedding, as she tells it, her mother planned the whole thing. I mean everything. Food, flowers, dress, etc. She had a backyard wedding at my grandparents' house in Chicago. Which, from pictures, looked lovely. But my mom has not a clue what goes into a 200-person wedding. Nor, I feel, does she particularly care (which is fine by me, now that I'm over it... which has taken me some time to get there, believe you me.)

From my life experience, most MOB's either want to:

A.) Take over every detail of the wedding and ruin your life
B.) Make you miserable by telling you who you can/can't invite, how your butt looks in your favorite wedding dress, what wedding colors you should have
C.) Broach the subject gracefully and let you have your say whilst also giving loving, supportive advice and suggestions.

Of course, C is a total joke. I know no brides who have had that experience. If you do, I'm jealous of them. If you are that bride, then feel awesome - I hope one day if I'm blessed with a daughter, that I can be MOB Option C.

Of course, it does seem that money plays a huge, huge factor in which type of MOB you're gonna get. Do I have to discuss this more? No.

But the funniest thing about wedding planning when it comes to MOB-business is that, I really want my mom's opinion on everything. Because I trust it. Because she has great taste. I want her to care about what votives I'm picking out, or my shower (which she is now amazingly going to be able to attend... this is exciting news for me!). I want her to care about the flowers and what music we're going to have. I want her to be involved and not a bystander. But this is OK.

Why is this OK? Because the alternative is overbearing, control-freak MOB. No thanks. I'll take the ropes from here, Mom.

How 'Bout a Scented Candle?

2010-02-24T05:40:00.000-08:00

For the record, I am totally obsessed with Kristen Wiig from SNL. She is my idol. If I could do everything all over again, I would definitely become a comedic actress. I LOVE LOVE LOVE to make people laugh, do impressions, make up characters, and act like a retard. What does this have to do with my wedding? Nothing! I just like saying the word 'caaandles' like she does.

This is a post about candles. Who doesn't love candles? Let's talk about them.

Candles are affordable little lovelies that make any room feel special, romantic, warm, and fabulous all at the same time. I knew they would be a part of out reception, but I didn't quite know how to execute. My caterer, florist, nor reception hall provides votives (much to my dismay), so that means I was on the hunt for some super inexpensive votive holders.

Lo and behold, my pretties:

I found these on Luna Bazaar (great place for paper goods such as rice paper lanterns - and some other wedding accessories, good prices, nice selection).

The gold mercury glass is going to be my "yellow" accent - I wasn't in love with the yellow options, and I wanted some variance in height between the two candle holders. The navy blue rose votives are just perfect for my garden-wedding theme. They practically match my Save-the-Dates... and the invitations I have yet to design.

When am I going to get around to doing that? Oye vey.

So now, I have to decide how many to order (4 per 10-top table? How many for the bar? What about the bathrooms? Should I get a few to accent the gift table? Guest book table? Ooooooo-ga-boooooo-ga.)

At $2.10 for the gold mercury glass votives and $3.00 per navy blue rosette votive, this could add up VERY quickly.

Bettah Check Yoself Befo Ya Wreck Yoself.

WORD TO YOUR MOTHER.

Accessorizing The Day

2010-02-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

We're in the nitty gritty of it, folks! Everything is starting to come together... details are being finalized, little things are being looked over.

Without getting too detailed (which I will, hopefully, if I have the time... ha!), I found my ring bearer's pillow on Etsy yesterday. I found a few that were awesome, but they were at least $50, and I couldn't justify spending $50 on a pillow that was going to be used for literally 2 minutes. A symbolic 2 minutes, but still... how amazing can a ring bearer pillow be? This one is handmade, customized to your wedding colors, and only $25. Plus, I like how it's small (5.5" x 5.5") so it won't overwhelm our little guy. :)

Our RB is Neal's nephew Grant, who is just about the cutest little man you've ever seen. He's 3, perfect ring bearing age, and I'm excited to see him make his debut. :)

Offbeat, Unusual, Interesting Engagement Rings

2010-02-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Duuuuuuuuuuuudes.

I just found the kewlest vendor/jeweler on Etsy named singleBbeautiful. Her collection of practical, sensible, earth-loving, absolutely gorgeous engagement rings are simply stupendous.

She uses a variety of really cool metals (argentium white silver, palladium white gold) and stones such as white sapphires (and diamonds, too) from "a company with a strong commitment to the environment, and whose metals are recycled." So you can, "enjoy your jewelry without worrying about harmful mining practices."

THE AWESOME.

Decorating The Reception Hall

2010-02-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

On the coattails of my last post, I did want to revisit my options for reception decor. I'm trying to figure out how involved I want to get in this aspect of wedding planning.

As I see it, there are a few key decor-related aspects to our reception. Keep in mind we're not going to have traditional place-settings since we're having a cocktail dinner reception.

Tables:
1.) 10-Person Round Tables
2.) 4-Person Cocktail Tables
3.) Wedding Party Table(s)
3.) Food / Buffet Table
3.) Desserts / Wedding Cake Table
4.) Guest Book Table
5.) Gift Table
6.) Coffee / Tea Table

I'm a little clueless on the whole table situation, to be honest. I guess my caterer will help me? See, these are the things that are beginning to have me scratching my head in puzzlement and scratching my armpits (like a monkey) because I think I may go apeshit. That's a lot of damn tables, folks. How is this all going to work?

Decor Items I'm Considering:
1.) Ceiling Decor - either poms, or papel picado, or paper lanterns. Something to jazz it up.
2.) A Family Photo display or table. Lots of work. But this could be cool.
3.) Fabric backdrop outside for picture-taking.
4.) Centerpiece "Accesories" - you know, crap like votives, table runners, old books stacked up, moss rocks, petals.
5.) Cocktail Table "Centerpieces" - probably just a votive, but maybe something else with it? Dunno.
6.) Natural Branch accents - I'd put these around the reception hall to add some height to places like the bar, food table, maybe a few 10-person tables.
7.) Handmade food signs - for the catered food. More design work for me. Yay.
8.) Something to accent the wedding cake - Candles? Petals? Moss rocks? All of the above?
9.) Typography Posters - With words that we're going to have in our wedding vows, like 'love, respect, honor, compassion,'
10.) Stage decor - Crap to hang up around the stage, maybe more paper flags, poms, or paper lanterns.

Am I totally off my rocker?

Realization: I Don't Have to Have A Perfect Wedding

2010-02-17T14:14:00.001-08:00

There it is. I said it. And this time, I believe it.

This is how I operate. When I get into something, I stew over it and obsess about it and consider every angle, option, viewpoint, and perspective over and over again. For certain things (like my graphic design career), this is a helpful character trait. For other things, like my wedding, I have discovered it to be more stress than its worth.

I'm really into boiling things down lately. Getting to the nitty-gritty of it all. Deciding what sorts of wedding-related things suit my tastes and values. Removing, reorganizing, and re-evaluating things that don't meet my new set of criteria.

What's my new set of criteria, you ask?

Well, for starters, it hinges on this question:

"Is this {wedding-related thing} something that will make my wedding day better, or more stressful?"

For example, take the ceiling decor of my reception hall. Yes. I am mulling over ceiling decor. I'm in between doing Papel Picado (mexican wedding flags, which I discuss here) and paper lanterns. In order to really pull off the Papel Picado, I have to take a measuring tape to the reception hall, envision how many strands I would need, and also decide on how to affix them to the ceiling. Then, I will need to order these flags, store them, transport them to the reception hall Day-Of, and have someone (if not myself) hang them. When I hang them, my mode-of-affixtion (ha) better work correctly, or I will likely have a panic attack.

See how much stress that one little component causes me?

Enough is enough.

Here is my mantra:

1.) I do not have to have a wedding that resembles all the best posts in high-end blogs. While that would be nice, it's likely unattainable because of my budget, and because I don't have a coordinator. I keep reminding myself that most of my favorite weddings have a budget that far exceeds my own. That, or the couple lives in California and has a very small family. No, I'm not jealous :)

2.) I can make the choice whether or not to create more work (read: more stress) for myself, or not.

3.) Cut out the crap. If it's not something that's going to make my wedding day better, then I don't need it in my life.

4.) The point of my wedding is to marry the love of my life. Period. End of story. And when I break down all the BS, remove all the trite decorations and underpinnings and frou-frou and goop, he is all I need on my wedding day. Just him, next to me, being my husband for the very first time.

Crap. More Shoes.

2010-02-10T14:44:00.001-08:00

Oh just me, loving another pair of shoes I can't afford :D

These babies are from Boden (one of my most favorite retailers I have never actually purchased a thing from - they're out of the UK):

They are so love. The heel is low enough to make them wearable all day. But how do I feel about yellow shoes (our colors are navy blue, yellow, and gray...) for my wedding day?

I do not know.

What The Hell Was I Thinking: Open Bar

2010-02-09T08:37:00.000-08:00

Neal and I decided to get going on honeymoon plans last night. Which meant, we needed to carefully review our budget to see where we stood with everything.

Everything was gravy until we got to the drinks/open bar. Our reception host had estimated our guest count originally at 150, so we paid a deposit on that amount of people. Ha. That was when our guest list was reasonable, before we had added everyone and their brother.

Fast forward to now, where we are expecting around 200 guests to the reception.

Guess what happens when you multiply 200 x $18 for a 4-hour open bar, and then tack on an extra hour, fee for 2 extra bartenders, tip and TAX??!?

You're left with a $3,000 mistake, my friends.

Yes, you read that right. $3,000.

THREE THOUSAND FUCKING DOLLARS.

Which was our honeymoon fund. Needless to say, the tears began to flow last night. I'm pretty sure I flung a pillow at the TV. I yelled (not at anyone in particular, but poor Neal was the one who happened to hear it...), I stomped, I had to give myself not 1 but 2 time-outs.

Yeah, it was pretty freaking intense. We still don't really know what to do, besides obviously cutting our reception short and going with only beer and wine.

Oye vey. What The Hell Was I Thinking?

Favors, Maybe...

2010-02-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

Favors. La la la la la la laaaa.

I was very against favors when I originally started this thing. They seemed like a waste (and I still think they are, most of the time.)

Neal and I were going to make a donation to charity in our guests names, which I would still love to do. But how do we announce that? A sign? How to we set it up? If we make a $200 donation (our budget for favors), does that seem cheap/tacky?

Enter heirloom seeds, stage left.

I read about heirloom seeds in an issue of Real Simple Magazine (loves it) a few months ago, and found the Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds Company and fell in love.They offer open-pollinated seeds: pure, natural & non-GMO. Ummm, and they're also in my home state of MISSOURAYYYY....... HEY, NOW!

If you've seen Food, Inc. then you know the situation going on with Monsanto "owning" seeds. Please do yourself a favor and read about it here, if you're curious. It will make you angry. I hope it prompts you to want to take more ownership of your food.

I would like to spread the goodness that is heirloom seeds to the people I love the most. I really want to get into gardening and growing my own vegetables, herbs, and fruits this summer and would like to encourage others to do so, too. It's a movement, and I want to get behind it.

Baker Creek offers some pretty sweet set-ups to wholesalers. Or brides & grooms, if you prefer :) Look at how CUTE this is!

I'm thinking about buying one of their Amish-designed wood racks that come complete with fruits/vegetables and setting it up somewhere at the hall for favors. What doesn't get taken, will get planted somewhere! And we can all eat the benefits.

I think this is kind of awesome. :)

How a Budget & Stress Can Grow Big (Like a Butt)

2010-02-04T14:06:00.000-08:00

The talk on the blog lately has focused around cake and, well, my butt (coincidence?)

I'm ready to jump into a few other topics. Let's go.

Alright. I'm kind of at this point in the wedding planning process where I'm ready for things to come together and magically happen. However, seeing as how I'm all into little details, I know I have a long way to go. Or do I? I'm torn between going "meh, screw it" and just keeping things simple/almost minimalist (when it comes to decor, mainly) OR, saying "aiiight, let's DO THIS THANG" and kicking everything into high gear.

Here's the deal. When I started planning my wedding, I wanted things like a sit-down dinner, a very expensive dress, and amazing flowers everywhere. When I began to realize these things were not only unattainable, but also kind of excessive in a gross way (this has happened over time), I began to care less and less about them. I began to care less about the tiny, stressful details (because you have to buy them, plan them, coordinate them, set them up, and figure the whole damn thing out.)

This has allowed me to give myself over to having much less stress. High-five me. Because less stress is a fabulous lifestyle choice.

Doesn't this pic make you sad? I hate it. I will not be it. I'm deciding that right now.

Our wedding is going to be beautiful and wonderful, no matter what. If I stress the F out for 4 months leading up to our wedding, it will only cause me strife (and acne), and it will make me freak out by the time June 12th rolls around. I do not want that. Neal will get stressed trying to de-stress me. I will get more stressed knowing that he's stressing. UGH.

Can you imagine how many time this happens to brides/grooms? I mean, I know I can't avoid it completely. There will be some stress. It's what I choose to do with the stress that's kind of awesome. I can let it eat me away, or I can laugh about it. I can feel like crying or I can feel like going to the gym to work it out.

Our budget has dwindled. Meaning, everything added up really freaking fast - did you know that if you go over budget on say, oh, 5 things, that adds up EXPONENTIALLY? Because it does. And it will stress you the F out.

I'm cutting back on everything. Our florist will soon have marching orders to remove the orchids and add in tons of (much less expensive) greenery. Unfortunately I already purchased my amazing dress, but if I had to do it all over, I would've gotten something much less expensive. Oh well. That dress pwns me. I'm OK with that.

I could continue, but I'll pause there. I'm going to make a list of everything I still "have to have" an then I'm going to take a big ol' red Sharpie and draw some lines through it. Do I really need an aisle runner? No. Do I need ribbons adoring the chairs at the ceremony? No. Do I need table runners? No. Do I need 8 more DIY projects? Ummmmm, yes. I do, actually. No. I mean no. Dammit.

PS - If you haven't already, please go read A Practical Wedding. This blog saved my wedding-planning life.

One more thing about cake, and then I'll stop.

2010-02-01T10:00:00.001-08:00

Yes, just one more detail.

Our wedding cake is bananas. If you're wondering WTF I mean by that, I mean the actual cake has bananas in it. If you're wondering WTF that's going to be like, I'll tell you this: it's a little like banana bread. So imagine banana bread with buttercream icing.

If you don't think that's the most awesome idea ever, then we can't be friends.

It's bananas. B-A-N-A-N-A-S.

Also, if I were marrying a man who liked chocolate (let's not talk in length about this, because I seriously have a hard time comprehending that I'm marrying someone who doesn't think chocolate is made by angels of God) we would have a chocolate cake. But sacrificing the chocolate cake for a banana cake is totally worth it, because bananas are awesome and make baked goods really moist and delicious. I can't wait for my non-chocolate-loving husband to feed me banana cake. :)

The Cakery Bakery

2010-02-01T08:26:00.001-08:00

About that cake.

So, apparently there is a massively huge difference between bakers. Like ginormously immense. I should have known this, though. I really should have. If I seriously thought that the cake that was $1.69 per slice was going to compete with the cake that was $3.50 per slice, I was delusional.

That being said, I still can't justify paying $3.50 per slice for wedding cake.

I tried 3 wedding cake vendors in the St. Louis area, and that was good for me. Of course, eating lots of cake was a fantastic idea for my mouth, but not my butt (see previous post.) The cake-tasting madness had to stop somewhere.

Admittedly, I am not one of those girls who needs a 5-tier wedding cake with fondant doilies and moons, starts, hearts, and horseshoes exploding out of the center, covered in gold foil accents. Thanks, but no thanks. I will refrain from pooing on people that like those kind of cakes. One word: ostentatious.

Enough of me being a snob.

Bakery Reviews:

Cravings (Webster Groves)
In summary, the buttercream from Cravings was manna from heaven, the cake would've tasted great, but their designs and approach felt a little dated. Lots of "oh, well we HAVE to cover the seam like this *showed me an example of huge turd-looking dots all along the cake seams* because well, that's just what we have to do." $3.50 per serving. Sorry, no. I reviewed Cravings on Yelp here.

McArthur's Bakery (South County location)

Ok. I feel bad insulting this bakery. Again, with the snob thing. This was the bakery that I was excited about, because they offered simple cakes for only $1.69 per serving, which made me really excited. But alas, my hopes were dashed when the experience offered up cake that tasted like it was from Schnuck's (a local grocery store.) How could I have been so naïve? Dammit. I really wanted this place to work out. See my Yelp review here.

The Cakery (Dogtown)

We have a winner! The minute I walked into The Cakery, I knew I had found my Bakery Soulmate. The room was filled with pretty, smiley women rolling, cutting, and decorating cakes. Fun in yo face! Our consultant spent a lot of time going over design ideas, cake flavors, and different ways in which we could cut our cake cost. We ended up going with one of their designs (yes, the clay anemones I purchased are going bye-bye... that's a separate post...) in 2-tiers, for $3.00 per serving. But wait, there's more. Because our cake choice is only 2-tiers and feeds around 60 people, we're going to have a "kitchen cake" in the back that serves another 5 people, for $2.00 per serving. Total cost of our wedding cake including tax and delivery is going to be around $360.00. NOT TOO SHABBY! I gave them glowing marks on Yelp.

PS, that top photo is sort-of similar to the cake design I'm going with, although ours will be without a 3rd tier, less lemony-yellow, and covered in smaller, less daisy-esque flowers. Cake!

Cake cake cake cake cake!

Neal's Groom Gear Arrived!

2010-01-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

Stoked. Seriously, seriously stoked.

Neal's wedding day outfit from J. Crew came in the mail the other day. I never, ever thought I would get weepy looking at Neal in a vest and pants. I mean, it's just cotton.

But it did something to me. Something really special. It made me able to picture him on our wedding day, what he will look like standing at the altar waiting for me to meet him. What he will look like the moment he becomes my husband, and not just my fiancée.

Dare I say, that this little number is completely SEXY AS HELL??!?!! This photo I found on some blog somewhere (cannot remember where, I suck) totally sums up the feeling for me. Le Sigh. So hawt. So June 12th, 2010. :)

Neal looks amazing in his groom gear, like it's made for him. I can't wait to see all the other groomsmen in these duds, too. They are fab, and I'm in love.

Sometimes I find myself daydreaming, picturing Neal wearing his groom gear (redundant phrase, sorry) and smiling. And I swoon. Spring/Summer, let's get a move on, shall we?

Hair and Makeup Decisions

2010-01-26T09:10:00.000-08:00

I set an appointment for a hair trial with a stylist named Kim (apparently, she's an up-do goddess) at Dominic Michael Salon (where I go to get color and snipped.) Dominic Michael is expensive. Dominic Michael also knows what it's doing.

I'm super particular about my hair, which is funny because I'm not very good (nor do I bother trying) at styling it. But I'm a crazy-ass about its color, because I'm blonde and I have Irish blood or something, so I also have red undertones.

Crappy salons that don't know what they're doing:
My red-orange, Irish-person undertones + blonde hair dye = brassy, nasty mess

Expensive, fabulous salons that totally know what they're doing:
My red-orange, Irish-person undertones + blonde hair dye = Layers of beachy, beigey, champange blonde

The hair trial is *please insert your cringe now* $70. Gasp for air. Cough a little bit. Open your eyes really wide and tell me I'm nuts. I know, I know.

My colorist Ashley is also an amazing make-up artist, who does crazy airbrush goodness, and I SO want to use her for the wedding. Issue is, by the time I finish paying for my hair, I have nothing left over for make-up. So I'm pretty sure I'm going to stick with doing my make-up myself. I'm going to invest in some sweet supplies from Sephora and give it a go.

Splurging on hair and scrimping on make-up seems mildly sensible. I may change my mind.

I have yet to tell you about how I may purchase a Jessica Simpson hair piece so I can have flowy, celebrity hair (I think I'm doing a half-up do) on wedding day. I guess I just told you about it. Please don't tell Neal, or he will think I've lost my mind. :)

If I go with a full up-do, I'm feeling these:

Let's Talk About My Butt.

2010-01-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

Let's have a quick, pleasant conversation about my butt, shall we?

Alright, let's do this.

Over the past 5-7 years, my butt has done some interesting things. If we were to have this conversation in say, oh, the year of the new millenium (yes, you're right - the year 2000...) you would find that I would have been just fine with my butt.

Alas, it is the year 2010 and my butt is no longer awesome like it was in 2000. Granted, I was 10 years younger (gross, I'm getting fuh-old), so I should acknowledge that.

Let's now have a short, sweet conversation about my wedding dress.

My wedding dress is sexy like whoa. To put it mildly, it hugs my curves. To put it bluntly, like James Blunt style crazy-Blunt, if I don't do something REALLY FAST about my butt, I may have a full-on panic attack when I try to cram the body inside the dress come June.

Let's now move into my game plan, which is awesome and makes me feel like doing karate-chops and high-kicks around my cubicle.

I have decided to get buckwild on my butt. Hold on, that sounds really bad. What I mean is, I'm doing the most intense physical training of my life, set into motion by the following totally butt-annihilating activities:

1. I hired a personal trainer for 1 month. Okay, I lie. It came with the new gym membership (Neal and I switch to the more affordable gym which has better equipment, free classes, and newer machines. Rad.) His name is Jesse, and he beats me the hell up 1x a week. I'm not talking about 30 minutes of cardio + circuit training and cutting calories. I'm talking about intense, hour-long, thigh-obliterating, pain-that-makes-you-want-to-groan-like-you're-having-a-baby. And he is forcing me not to snack all week. And go to the gym 5-6 times per week.

Can you say, "Damn?"

2. I signed up to climb the tallest freaking building in St. Louis (Master the Met, it's called) on March 6th. It's 42 floors. I practice 1x per week, 2x in a row. I breathe so hard starting at floor 20 that I feel like I'm going to pass out. It's really cool.

A couple of things you might be curious about:

1. Are you wondering if I'm insane? The answer is yes. But I also feel really great about these 2 decisions. They hold me to the fire, keep me going, and I'm accountable for everything.

2. Are you wondering if I'm sore all the time now? The answer is yes. I hurt everywhere. All the time. My muscles love/hate me. I love/hate them.

3. Do you think I can really do this? The answer, hold on folks, is yes. I firmly believe if I stick to this like rubber cement to preschool fingers, I will be shedding pounds like my cats shed fur in springtime. Which is kind of a nasty analogy. Sorry.

My goal is 20 lbs by June 12th, 2010 (uh, the wedding.) If I lose 25 lbs I will cry. If I lose 30 lbs I will probably become the next Jillian Michaels. Just kidding.

And to set the record straight, I'm 5' 6-3/4" and my starting weight was 158 lbs. I now weigh 152, and can't wait to keep making my butt return to its glory days of yester-year.

BUTT OF 2000.... I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE, SOMEWHERE!!!

Anemone Cake Toppers, Done and Done

2010-01-15T08:15:00.000-08:00

The power of negotiation. :)

So, after reviewing the quality of each anemone through photographs, I decided the clay anemones on Estilo Weddings were of a bit better quality than the ones on Etsy. The petals looked more delicate, the black centers of the anemone were more detailed and precise. I know these things don't really matter (at all), but they're things that I notice.

I emailed Estilo Weddings and inquired about a custom order. Normally their anemones were 3-4" in diameter, but I specifically wanted one 7" bloom and one 4" bloom. Why? I don't know. I just know I dig the look of having one big, honkin' anemone with a smaller one.

Problem was, I could tell the Estilo Weddings anemones were of higher quality, and guess what? They cost a bit more, too. I explained in my email that a seller on Etsy offered to do them for $80 including shipping. I didn't ask for them to match that price. I just threw it out there.

They matched the price, and I get the custom size, AND the better quality anemones. SCORE!

Wedding Cake Take 2: Making a Less Expensive Cake Look Like a Million Bucks

2010-01-13T14:26:00.000-08:00

Dear Wedding Cakes,

I have a couple questions for you. At one bakery, you cost $3.50 per slice. At another, you cost $1.69 per slice. Can you explain to me, in plain non-fancy everyday Joe-the-Plumber language, why that is so? Because I can't see any reason to spend $3.50 per slice on cake that's made from the same flour, eggs, sugar, and oh, lest I forget... BUTTER, than the cake that costs $1.69 per slice. Ya feel me?

Love,
Emily

Neal and I went to a lovely bakery in town, that's absolutely renowned for their buttercream. We tasted, we let out a chorus of glorious "Mmmmmmm's" and then we were told the ballpark estimate for a cake to feed 75 people was in the neighborhood of $400.

Hahahahaha! Haha! Ha! Ha. Ha. ha..................................... ha.

No.

Our budget it $200 for this bad boy, and we're sticking to it. I admit, we've been going just a little over budget on mostly everything for the wedding, and I'm putting my foot down now. On everything. Because really, if guests can't deal with our $169 still-delicious cake versus the $400 angels-from-heaven cake, they can go *beep* over on the *beep beep* while I get down on the *beep* with a *beep.*

McArthur's will be hosting a tasting for us this Saturday. I will probably enjoy the cake, and we will put a deposit down right there. Done and done.

Oh, except for the $40 a pop clay anemones I found here on Etsy.

Or these slightly smaller versions, found on Estilo Weddings. $30 per flower.

Not cost effective. But with these, we won't need any decoration on the cake. These will speak for themselves. Because they rock. Except for a small treatment such like so that blushes along the flower edging.

Voila!

Rehearsal Dinner at Big Sky Café!

2010-01-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

I wasn't really considering having a nice rehearsal dinner - I was thinking we'd go grab some pizza and beer somewhere after rehearsing at the Botanical Gardens, but Neal's parents so graciously offered to host a nice rehearsal dinner for us. I'm kinda stoked about it!

They're going to have it at Big Sky in Webster Groves, which I adore. The food is so delicious, and we get to have the entire back patio (their 'wine garden') to ourselves. In addition to that, they open french doors adjacent to the art gallery next door to provide indoor seating and more space. Awesome!

Now the only thing we have to decide on is whether we should have the RD on Thursday night (leaving us Friday evening to prepare ourselves for the Big Day...) or Friday night. I suppose calling the Botanical Garden and seeing what their schedule looks like would be a good start. And also, calling our Pastor to see if that works for him. He's kind of a crucial component, don't you think?

:)

Save-the-Date Address Etiquette Fun

2010-01-11T09:04:00.000-08:00

I've been blogging a lot lately. I'm sorry if that's getting annoying to anyone. I feel like there was a lot of initial, upfront planning that kind of happened right after we got engaged and then it dropped off for about 8 months... and now I'm full-on into the nitty gritty, gory details of it all :)

Which is really awesome and chaotic at the same time. I had a complete bridezilla moment yesterday while hand-writing addresses on our Save-the-Date envelopes. I don't know how the !@#$%& I'm supposed to formally call out people. Families are different than they used to be, you know?

Take my Aunt Melissa, for example. She is a divorced, single mother of an 8 year old daughter. She has a steady boyfriend. She kept her ex-husband's last name. Here are my questions:

1.) Does her boyfriend get a different STD/invitation? Jesus. That's too complicated.
2.) Do I have to go find out her boyfriend's last name? Annoying. I opted for just adding '& Guest' behind her name.
2.) Do I need to call our her daughter on the envelope, or do I just say 'The ____ Family'? It seems like both ways are weird.

This is how her envelope ended up turning out (including made-up names to protect the innocent, ha!):

Ms. Melissa Willcamp & Guest (Aunt + unidentified boyfriend)
Ms. Emily Willcamp (cousin who is 8 years old)
1234 Knotty Pine Forest Avenue
Saint Louis, Missouri
98765

I opted to err on the side of caution for everything. That meant including as many first names as possible. Maybe that's weird, but it ended up working just fine. Now I will say, I don't think I used any standard when it came to the addresses. I just figured it out on a per-household or per-name basis.

For unmarried couples, I read on Martha Stewart that you put each name on its own line. I thought that was a pretty spiffy idea:

Ms. Courtney Johnson
Mr. John Smith
456 Tulane Drive
Apartment 2
Saint Louis, Missouri
61549

Nice, right? And I like that it seems clear - you're invited, and you're invited. Done and done.

I think my trickiest addressing situation was with large families with multiple children living at home. I may have screwed this up, but so be it. We have some relatives with 4 children, so their envelope looked like this:

The Locke Family
2585 Shipley Boulevard
Minneapolis, Minnesota
22645

Yes, I wrote out the abbreviation of street names. Blvd, St, Ave, and Dr all became Boulevard, Street, Avenue, and Drive. I wrote out the names of cities (St. Louis = Saint Louis) and states. I put the zip code on a separate line.

Whew. Now I just have to catalog/record the way I wrote each of these so I can replicate it on the invites.

Whose idea was it to do Save-the-Dates, again? :D

Cool things that happened:

1.) I found envelopes for $0.10 a piece at Vellum in Kirkwood. I think I completely depleted their supply of ivory A7 envelopes, and in hindsight, I would order them online. But they were very nice there and if I wasn't a graphic designer I'd definitely hit them up for some wedding invites.

2.) ArtMart is the shizz. Not only do they have envelopes in all shapes, sizes, and colors (although for around $0.60 a pop, I was glad I didn't go there first) but they have a plethora of wedding-related cuteness and fun, crafty items to help jazz stuff up. We bought a rose-outlined stamp to use with navy blue ink on the outside of the envelopes, and it turned out super. We almost got crazy and bought sealing wax for the invites, but we nixed that. But I do loves me some sealing wax initial stamps. What a fun, handmade touch. :) I will probably go back here to purchase some sweetly-designed paper to wrap the invites in. No other place like ArtMart in St. Louis - I've been going there since I was about 8-9 years old!

Our Save-the-Dates Arrived!

2010-01-08T18:22:00.000-08:00

I am SO EXCITED about this... our Save-the-Dates arrived from the printer and they look AAA-MAA-ZING! I was super skeptical about using Overnight Prints because of all the shitty reviews I kept reading online, but I made 100% sure I set the file up correctly and according to their standards. I am not disappointed.

We opted to do rounded corners on these, and the cut on a few of the STDs (like maybe 4 of them...) took a little bit of navy blue color off right around the edge, but it's not that noticeable. Plus, we'll send those to our parents... they won't mind :)

All in all, $50 for 100 Save-the-Dates is a fraction of what I would've spent with letterpress or thermography. I'm super stoked. I can't wait to post full pics here after they're in the mail - but here's a tiny sneak peak. We're also still waiting on the magnets to arrive, too.

This weekend: off to a stationery shop to find envelopes (PS - Brit, thank you for your recs!!!)... and maybe some fabric or doilies to wrap around the STDs. We shall see what we come up with.

Eeeeeeee! YAY! It's REALLY HAPPENING!!

Wedding Color Play

2010-01-08T12:30:00.000-08:00

As a graphic designer, I'm always on the lookout for ways to make myself more productive and better yet, more efficient when it comes to the design process.

As a bride, I could probably take some advice from my designer-better-half.

As I've mentioned a few times here, I've had some issues coming up with color scheme themes (lol) - only because I'm fickle and would like to have 4 different color schemes in total on the big day.

Hello, Kuler. You are an agile, flash-based application that allows folks to explore, create, and share color themes.... and I like you. See? From their site: "No matter what you're creating, with Kuler you can experiment quickly with color variations and browse thousands of themes from the Kuler community."

My favorite feature - try uploading your ideal wedding-color photograph for inspiration, and see what comes out of it. Aren't these fun? You could plan your entire wedding based on one photograph for inspiration!

Hotel Room Blocks!! Get Crazy!

2010-01-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

One of the least painful points of wedding planning has been blocking off hotel rooms for the wedding. There are a few really cool, stand-out hotels in the city of St. Louis that I'll be proud to show guests. While we probably only needed to block off rooms at 3 hotels, I opted to go with 4 for variety and well... because I'm weird.

And they are, in no particular order:

1.) The Chase Park Plaza

This is our "luxury" option. It's got loads of character, a beautiful lobby, fitness center, and even a movie theater (actually, it's the one that Neal and I prefer) on-site. We will probably end up booking our wedding night there, because I want to and I get what I want. :D

2.) The Moonrise Hotel

This is our chic boutique option. I was definitely stoked to block off a few rooms at this place - it's new on the scene, the baby-child of Joe Edwards who helped mastermind the resurgence of The Loop. St. Louis is not hip to the boutique hotel scene yet, so to have this place is quite special. Plus the roof deck is a night life hot spot, as is The Pageant (on of my fave music venues) next door.

3.) The Renaissance Grand Hotel

Our moderately-priced, traditional, close-to-the-reception-spot choice. Still freaking cool as all get-out, though. With a really amazing lobby that will knock your socks off. $89 per night for this guy... crazy-good deal, right?

4.) Homewood Suites

Yeah, boring... But this is our option for the families traveling with kids - it's close to all major highways, about a 15 minute drive to the airport, right across from the maaaaaaaaahhhllll, and a few chain-y restaurants. Not exactly a beautiful gem of the city, but some folks aren't into that. Don't get me started. I'm a city snob. :)

Shoe Sadness

2010-01-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

Shoes.

My shoes came in, and I was really excited about them. I put them on and got a little less excited. Why?

1.) There was a small "buckling" of the heel-portion of the right foot shoe. Was it really, really horrible-looking? No. Was it noticeable? Yes. Even Neal noticed it, and he's not the most "noticey" guy, if you catch my drift.

2.) They were (dammit, this is my least favorite word when it comes to shoes...) a bit uncomfortable. Eeeee... I HATE uncomfortable shoes. If you don't believe me, ask my Uggs. It's not that I won't deal with a little heel/toe scrunch from time to time, but I'm going to be trekking around the Botanical Gardens on a summer day, for God's Sake.

MUST.HAVE.SUITABLE.FOOTWEAR.

So, after careful thought, I decided to order another pair to see if issue #1 is corrected. But I think I've already decided to gently dump these J. Crew D'Orsay's. I hope their feelings won't be hurt :( I really love their look, but I don't want to walk down the aisle in utter and total shoe-inflicted pain.

On that note, we're back to these (my original choice, haha!) gold strappy kitten-heels:

Or these cutie little Nina numbers, which come in Navy Blue (to match my wedding colors!):

Wouldn't it be funnnnn to add a sweet little brooch to each toe of those Ninas? Like these? Cute, right? And so personal. I'm feelin' it. You could even take some vintage clip-on earrings (like the first and last options), remove the clip, and affix a pin... can you say, "HOT GLUE GUN??" :D

Why do I post so many blog entries about shoes and accessories? I'm deranged.

Shoes, Earrings, Check.

2010-01-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

When I get home today, there should be a present waiting on my doorstep for me.

Oh yes. They're here. My wedding shoes. (!!!)

This splendid pair of silk D'Orsay peep toes from J. Crew will be encircling my tootsies and toes in style on our wedding day (praying that they fit and are moderately comfortable.) They were way too expensive, even at 40% off (yeah, that was all kinds of awesome) they still came to about $140, not including shipping. :( Blah. Let's not think about that.

I can't wait for our photographer to capture some shots with my shoes + Neal's gray ensemble. Gray = the deliciousness.

I have also made a VERY FINAL (no going back, because I'll drive myself insane) decision on my wedding day jewelry, and it's the cost-effective, dripping with personality and vintage class Miriam Haskell earrings and bracelet I've found on Avelle. Thank you for your help with this decision, ladies!

Best part of this decision? My wedding day jewelry will cost around $50 TOTAL. And I can even take them with me to California and wear them to a fancy dinner in Napa one evening. So I get the best of both world - wearing designer jewels (swoon) without the designer price tag. My kind of deal!

Wedding Cake!

2010-01-04T12:32:00.000-08:00

NOM NOM NOMS.

I'm very excited for my appointment next Tuesday with Cravings, our wedding cake baker (that sounds weird, right?) From the start, I knew buttercream was my only option. Therefore, I knew Cravings was my only option (they're known for their buttercream!)

We're also doing some small dessert goodies (gooey butter cake, strawberry cookie sandwiches, brownies, cookies) in addition to a (small) wedding cake through our caterer. Just for some variety. :)

For me, the wedding cake has never been an it-has-to-be-perfect-and-look-like-a-tower-of-sugary-goodness types of things. I'm opting to do a tall 2-tier cake on a pretty milk glass cake stand (which I need to go on a thrift-store hunt for...) with either some sugar flower or real flower accents.

I may get creative with our cake topper (something vintage? a lighted globe?) and I may not. We shall see. I may just forgo a cake topper altogether.

I am planning on incorporating the anemone theme that will be in the ladies bouquets. This has got to be my most favorite cake of all time and will serve as my benchmark of inspiration:

I also like/love the pure ivory with anemone accent concept such as like so:

Out-of-Control Save-the-Dates + Bridesmaid Dress Conundrums

2010-01-03T14:09:00.000-08:00

Hi. I'm Emily, and I have perfection issues.

Why?

1.) I think I spent around, oh, 40 hours designing and perfecting our Save-the-Dates. Then today, I found a printer that prints magnets for about $50 per 100, and so I designed something real quick with one of our engagement pictures and ordered them up. In addition to our actual STD's. Why? No clue. We'll see which one turns out better. I may send both. I may not. I'm nuts.

2.) My glorious, lovely bridesmaids Becky and Cassie came with me (one more time) to the bridal salon to try on bridesmaid dresses again, because I decided I was going to change them. Again. And then guess what happened? Yeah. I picked my original bridesmaid dress, because I love it and it's super cute, and very flattering.

What is my deal? Why must I think about and then re-think about EVERY DETAIL? It's maddening, and it must stop. I just need to focus, make a decision, and then be OK with that decision.

Easier said than done! :)

Invitation Elation

2010-01-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

I've maybe-almost completed designing my Save-the-Dates, and I'm about to release them unto our future wedding guests. I'm only hoping the invitation design goes faster, now that I have a cohesive design, style, and theme going on.

Since I don't have them printed yet, I'm not going to show them here until they've been sent out. I know, I'm a dweeb. :)

However, I read about using paper doilies somewhere, and I can't recall where (I think the most recent issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, which Neal gets free from work - *score*). Anyhoo, yes.

Paper Doilies = the shizz.

Since we're going to be hanging ivory Papel Picado (Mexican cut-out paper made for special occasions) in the reception venue, I thought I could bring a little unity to the theme by wrapping our Save-the-Dates and Invitations in paper lace doilies with a little silk ribbon.

That's either going to be way precious for my taste, or totally home-made cutesy-kitsch, in which case I'll get real, real excited and clap my hands a lot and make Neal wonder who he's marrying :D

This size would be perfect to wrap around my Save-the-Dates. They're going to be about 5" x 7". This rectangular doily from mypapershop.com is 7 7/8" x 15 3/4" - I would fold the doily three-ways to essentially "wrap" it.

I also went a little psycho and found a place that will make a custom stamp for around $30. I'm using an antique line art drawing of a rose (we're getting married in a Victorian rose garden) on all our print pieces, so I'm thinking I might order this and use it on envelopes or maybe on the doilies. Or maybe both?

Oh, and someone can go ahead and use this rubber stamp set please... because they're so very cool -- stamps made from authentic drawings in a 19th century Webster's Dictionary.
I've gotta get these S-t-D's (ha) printed and in the mail QUICK! I can't believe how fast the past few months have gone. WOW!!

Wedding Day Jewelry

2010-01-01T16:31:00.000-08:00

I frickin' love jewelry. I really do. You can create your own unique style only with the accessories you choose to wear. I love all kinds of jewelry - everything from fancy, glittery, glamorous baubles to earthy, artisan silver pieces. I love it all! You will not find me wearing the same style of jewelry from day to day - perhaps that's why I'm having such a tough time deciding what to sport on the Day of Wed.

My Grandfather brought back a string of Japanese Akoya pearls while he was in the service to present to my Grandmother before they married. She wore these pearls on their wedding day, and over Christmas, she gave me this very special family heirloom to wear on our wedding day.

So amazing, right? Well for a moment, (shhh...) I wasn't thrilled, because I'd never considered myself a "pearls" kind of girl. But now that I've worn them a few times, I've definitely decided to rock the pearls, and what an honor it will be to do just that! I'm really excited about it... I've never owned a really nice piece of sentimental family jewelry before, so I'm kinda stoked about it :)

They're graduated pearls, which I may have shortened a bit to be more of a choker (they're a little bit long for my taste right now.)

Now I'm having a very serious earrings and bracelet issue. VERY. VERY. SERIOUS. :) I know for sure I want to wear both. But it all comes down to this:

Gold or Silver.

Right.

If I go with gold, I've found these insanely awesome Miriam Haskell earrings on Avelle for a lovely price, with a matching pearl cuff to go with. I love this look, but my shoes are slate grey and the sash I adore has silver elements. Does that even matter? I don't think so, but... I don't know!!

If I go with silver, I love the classic elegance of these Regina B. pieces. They're not affordable but I'd make an exception for my wedding day jewelry - I would love to pass down these pieces to my granddaughter one day!

So there I am.

Gold option = more personality, less buck, more "me", a bit daring & bold.
Silver option = beautiful, timeless elegance, more traditional wedding feel, heirloom pieces to pass on, classic gorgeous bridal style.

Thoughts?

Whew!

2010-01-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

It's been a bit since my last update, but oh no, there's been no dearth of activity on the wedding planning front!

Let's see. Where to begin?

1.) I'm changing the bridesmaid dresses. Why? Because although I like certain elements of my chosen chiffon number, I really wasn't feeling the mild maternity-ness of the front torso area. My maids deserve better. I'm regrouping with a couple of my ladies at the salon tomorrow. Round 17 of bridesmaid dress shopping, here I come! Oy Gevalt.

2.) Neal has been a wonderful busy bee fiancée man gathering everyone's addresses up. I love him. So much. :D

3.) I just started thinking about that whole traditional "shower" thing that brides do today, and I'm mulling it over in my head. I still don't know how I feel about bridal showers. I'll let you know where that ends up.

4.) I'm having major anxiety over my wedding day jewelry, which is really lame, and I know this. More to come on that later.

5.) I'm also starting to get mildly concerned that we have oh, 5 or so, months to go until we get married. And I haven't done x, y, z.... or l, m, n, o, and p for that matter. Yeeps!

There are 17 other things I could write, but for now, I'm getting close to uploading our Save-the-Date final files for print to our printer... and then I have to track down (potentially) some paper doilies and the correct envelopes in a lovely shade of navy blue or antique honey yellow somewhere in the St. Louis region. Joy of joys! :D

Another post about bridesmaid shoes...

2009-11-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

OK. Found these 3 pairs on Piperlime. What about a pale gold or platinum color such as like so? I like how these vary a bit, too - we've got silver-gold, blush-gold, and nude-gold:

I think this might work. Pale gold? Nude-ish? Platinum blush? This crossover metallic/beige deal seems to be a popular shoe trend right now, so I would have no worries about my girls finding them.

A couple other things:
1.) I can't do silver, I just hate it. I don't even know why. If it's a dark gray, I dig, but the super-metallic shiny silver thing totally grosses me out. It's not even a possibility. Blech.

2.) I am somehow entertaining the idea of pale pink. But it has to be the right pale pink, and that might be tough to find. The one pair that kills me are these J.Crew babies, in perfectly-powder baby pink, with gray rhinestones. Oh, baby:

But yeah, those would be more for moi and not quit right with the bridesmaid dresses I picked out. Reminder:

Dammit, this is a doozy.

Bridesmaid Shoes.... ?

2009-11-21T08:28:00.001-08:00

Yeah, I don't know what to do about my maids' shoes.

I love love LOVE the idea of having them wear a really colorful, bright shoe. But at some level, that color has to mingle with the other colors of the wedding. I've considered having them do a silver shoe, but the more I see pics of silver strappy sandals, the more I think "Vegas 2003" and I'm thinking of nixing that idea altogether.

So, the primary colors of the wedding are navy blue and gray. (Yes, I decided!) My bouquet will be mostly ivory, greenery, with accents of blush pink (pretty and romantic, no?) The ladies will be carrying bouquets with ivories, greenery, and pale yellow.

I'm thinking of having the ladies do bright or pale yellow shoes. Eek! That would be so cute but here my beef with that:

1.) Let's be honest. It's not exactly easy to find yellow shoes. I looked.
2.) While I personally would wear yellow shoes again, I'm not sure that my maids would.

My alternative plan is having them do a blush/light pink shoe. Which would be very pretty, feminine, and definitely wearable again. But then we're missing out on that fun pop of color. Unless I forced them to purchase these J. Crew pink sandals, which are way too expensive. So no. But Ooooo.

The only other bright color shoe I can think of is a bright green - but then, I don't have that color elsewhere in the wedding.

What do you think? Are bright yellow shoes a ridiculous thought? Or fun and awesome? I need to consult my ladies before I make a decision :)

Big Day Shoes!

2009-11-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

I feel like most of my posts lately have been about my accessories. Which they have. How sublimely selfish of me :)

Before I talk about something exciting (shoes!) I'm going to talk about something not exciting (a disease!) I was diagnosed with PCOS 3 days ago, which in layman's terms, is an endocrine (hormonal) disorder that afflicts about 1 in 15 women. It gives me crazy side effects, none of which I particularly want to get into here. Bottom line is, I have been feeling pretty miserable lately and thought it might have just been in my head. But nope, I'm kind of a hot mess. The good news is, this is treatable (not curable), and not life-threatening (thank you, sweet God!)

The bad news is that I'm going to have to start a bunch of treatments, AKA prescription drugs, that will most likely make me feel crappier for the next 6-12 months. Yay. I go back and forth between being really upset and feeling empowered/positive all day long.

I just want to feel well on my Wedding Day. That's it. Now I'm done :)

Let's talk about something way more awesome than a disease that gives me a beard.

SHOES!

Point #1: I have to wear shoes that have a low heel (get LOW!) because Neals is only about 3 inches taller than me. So nothing over 3", which let's face it, would be painful/stupid anyway. I can take a little heel action on the wedding day, but 4" stilettos is totally out the question. I think.

The Sensibles:
In 3rd place, we have these strappy Lucie platinum gold kitten heels from J.Crew. Very sensible, very on sale, and with that heel, ain't no one falling over on the walk down the aisle:

The Classics:
In second place, we have these classic Kate Spade's. I know. They're lovely. And not on sale:

The Vintage Moderns:
And my top contender today (but watch it, my mind will probably change this evening) are the Ella satin peep toes in Shale (that's gray!) I am entertaining the thought of wearing a different color shoes than ivory, why? Because that's rad. And the boys will be wearing gray suits. Imagine the pics! Um, did I mention these were also on sale? Yay. And these even have definite wear-me-again-please-thanks appeal.

If I'm going with either of the J. Crew option, I might want to hop on that. Sales, you know. They never know when they're going to end.

Big Day Borrowed, er, Rented Jewelry?

2009-11-05T09:01:00.000-08:00

I've been mulling over my Big Day jewelry inside my head for awhile now. I want to wear something special. A few simple pieces that make me feel like a queen for a day, even though I really don't like that comparison ("I want to feel like a princess" makes me *gag*.) But dammit, I want some shimmery, fancy, too-expensive bling for my wedding day.

I would never consider "renting" jewelry in my daily life, but for a special occasion such as a Wedding Day, it seems kind of like a rad option. Would it count as my something borrowed? I guess.... even though that's kind of laaaame. I've never check this site out before until now.... and now I'm kind of addicted. Help! Thanks a lot, Avelle!

Behold. Blue quartz and sapphire earrings by Judith Ripka. Sigh. Just. Beautiful. And so faaaancy! These babies don't come cheap - they lease for $128 per week. Ouch! But worth it??
I love them so much. I do.

Some other earrings I'm in love with:

Judith Ripka Double Pear Pavé earrings. Delicate and very bridal. Very $135 per week....
These Kenneth Jay Lane earrings go for $16 per week. Talk about budget-friendly, right? Then I could afford this bracelet ($14 per week!) by Allen Schwartz, too! WAY IN THE BUDGET ZONE. TOUCHDOWN!! (Last sports term you'll ever hear from me. I promise.)

Earrings that are totally funky, off-beat, and different by Alexis Bittar. $12 smackeroos for a week. Yup.
Gerard Yosca Cuff & Earrings. Freaking NEAT-O! Rent them both for $17 per week. SMILING ME!

HOW WILL I EVER DECIDE with this many options?! I could go funky chic, modern, classic vintage, glam.... help me.

:D

Don't even get me started on the Anemone cocktail ring or the vintage couture stuff they have. Oh-Em-Gee!

Bridal Sash. Bridal Belt. You know what I mean!

2009-10-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

I ordered my dress last weekend. I can't even tell you how fun that was (aside from the mild palpitations of putting $992 on the credit card - don't worry, we're just racking up miles. No wedding debt for this bride!)

My sister Claire (a junior bridesmaid, she's 13 years old) came with me to try on the bridesmaid dress. It was totally fun to have her with me - I wasn't distracted by my mom's personality or too many strong opinions. It was just my sissy and me, being girlie, trying on pretty dresses.

Yay!

I am modifying my dress just a touch - adding covered buttons down the back seam, and adding a *dun dun dduuuuuunn!* sash around the wait. A bridal sash. Or belt. Or whatever you call the darn thing.

The fun thing about this part it, I can totally add some creative flavor to my gown with what I choose. There are MANY options out there - I could do a plain silk sash, tie it in a bow, attach a fascinator with feathers or a flower, glam it up with rhinestones, etc.

Those pretties above are by Emici Bridal (I'm a Big Big Big fan, as you can see!) I'll probably end up going with one of her designs, but Lordy, I'm having trouble picking one! I can't quite decide if I want to go glam and bling my dress up a bit, or go for a more subdued one-flower look, or get a little funky/flashy and do the 3-flower look. Choices, choices!

Some other great options I found on Etsy.

Alice Hart Couture:
Kirsten Kuehn Designs (oh!! The sparklies are so incredibly irresistible, right??!):

Untamed Petals and Twisted Crystals had some lovely options as well - not quite right for the look I'm envisioning, but honorable contenders with simply gorgeous work. For the right bride, their designs would be smashing!

PS to all Etsy sellers... if you can get your hands on image editing software, may I suggest bumping up the contrast on your product images a bit?? It really makes the colors pop, and that's important in Etsy-land where product photography can really make or break ya. Just a thought. :)

Color Scheme Meltdown

2009-10-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Number one problem with being a visual designer planning a wedding?

Well. Because choosing a color palette is damn near impossible. Seriously. I would like to have 8 weddings, all with different styles and colors. I LOVE COLOR. I do I do I do. I love it so much.

Once I decide on a color theme, I change my mind. Then I change it again. I imagine all the possibilities and then I become bored, and then I remove one shade and throw in another and ta-da! I have a completely different vibe/feel/wedding. Navy blue + pale yellows, grays, and creams = classic and sunny, sophisticated and fresh. BUT! Oh! Check this out: Navy blue + pale blushes, dark fig / red, and grays = the most dramatic, rich, delicious color palette on the planet.

Aiii! Help!

Pretty, right?:

I did make a decision on bridesmaid dresses. My ladies will be sporting the cayman blue chiffon tea-length dresses from B2. Now I just have to decide on an accent color, or 3, she thinks to herself.

Shooo-eeeee!

Oh.My.God.Engagement.Pics.Hi.

2009-10-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday morning I received a little gmail chat action from our photographer, Megan announcing that our engagement pics were up on her bloggity-blog.

Not that I had ANY doubt about her, but seriously, she is CRAZY TALENTED. I'm a visual designer, and I have no clue how she creates some of the lighting in her photographs. It's so... gorgeous. I'm a little (ok, a lot) self-conscious about my looks since I've put on some poundage over the years (ah, Midwestern living... office jobs, meat and potatoes and free company snacks!)

But really, these are so special. I am absolutely in love with them. I don't know whether to stop looking at them, or call her immediately and tell her which ones to print. NOW. :D

Thank you Megan! I cannot wait to have you photograph our wedding. View the rest of her work here... best wedding photog in the St. Louis area, IMHO. Yippy Skippy!!

The Maids Frocks, Part II

2009-10-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Or is it Part VIII? Or some other really extraneous roman numeral, like XVIIV? Whatevers, ok. Moving on.

I'm having bridesmaid dress dilemmas. Why? Because I'm indecisive. My original vision (yellow pineapple Jim Hjelm taffeta) was hideous and not cost-effective. Boo-hoo poo-poo pants.

One thing I'm learning, though: I can't please every single bridesmaid. It's silly of me to try, but dangit, I'm trying! I really do want my maids to be able to wear these dresses again. I don't like the idea of wasteful purchasing - which bridesmaid dresses are. For that matter, wedding dresses are too. But I'm considering wearing my wedding dress again. To what, you may ask? Well, maybe just around the house or to the park in summer. It'll be cool, people will think I'm getting married. I'll smile and accept their congratulatory remarks gracefully. I'm kidding. Kind of.

But no, I really can't make each bridesmaid jump for joy at their dress. Each of my ladies has unique style and taste, which is why I love them so much.

However.

I am a little sad about letting go of my yellow/gray color scheme. I've been scouring the internets trying to find a suitable alternative. And I think I may have found her. Key word: may.

Behold, Adrianna Papell beaded silk chiffon dress from Nordstrom. You're so delicate and pretty, aren't you?

I know, right? Shee-shee and elegant. Wouldn't this dress be killer in photographs? With a bouquet that combined yellows, ivories, and greenery? With the dudes in similar boutonnieres? Like this?

I'm feelin' it.

And of course, they are only selling it online right now. I may purchase one in a size 10 and let my St. Louis ladies try it on. Considering. Pondering. Mmhm.

Buying of The Dress

2009-10-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

Turns out, I've decided to do a little negotiating on the price of The Dress because oh, you know, I'm on a budget and all.

Bridal Salons typically mark-up their dresses by some un-Godly percentage, I'm guessing something in the 1-200% range.

So, for a bride on a budget, I decided I could do a little wheelin' and dealin' and try to move the price of my dream dress down a bit. Guess what? It's working. One salon offered me $300 off the cost of the dress. My next step was taking that price to the salon I've been working with to see if they'd match or lower their price.

They matched it. That means I've saved about 16% on the final cost of my wedding dress.

16%. If you ask me, that's a pretty sweet discount. Who knows, I may even ask them if they'd throw in alterations or a veil. I've got cajones, folks!

Freaking. Rad. :D

Bridesmaid Dresses

2009-10-07T11:02:00.001-07:00

The Dress has been revealed. We can all move on and let out a sigh of relief. Except Neal, poor man. He still has 8 1/2 months to wait!

Dress shopping with my bridesmaids was, well, not the smooth process I envisioned it to be. In fact, I am still slightly disappointment in the outcome of our findings, but I'm quickly moving past the issue and ready to embrace my new color scheme.

Yes, you heard that correctly.

Bye-bye, yellow and gray. Yellow, a difficult shade to wear on even the most gifted of complexions, was a total jerk to me on Saturday. A complete jerk, I tell you. No pineapple, canary, butter, honey, sunshine, lemon, or what have you even mildly passed for decent. I was so sure that Jim Hjelm's Pinaeapple Taffeta was going to work wonders, but all the girls looked not only pale but a tad sickly once they tried it on. (Sorry friends! You thought so, too!)

BAH!

My original color scheme was going to be navy blue, gray, and white. So on that note, we're going to combine forces and add a little zing-pow of color to that concept.

My ladies will be wearing navy blue. I'm about 99% sure they'll be sporting this dress by B2. Chiffon, comfortable, flattering, reasonably priced at $165. Flowy. Fun!

My wedding colors are now navy blue, turquoise, gray, and yellow. I'm in love!

I Found Her.

2009-10-07T10:45:00.001-07:00

I found her. My dress. THE dress. And the funniest, most hilarious part (to me) is that it's by a designer that I crossed off my list LONG ago. I was so sure I was going to end up with a Paloma Blanca, Mikaella or Watters gown I would've bet a medium-sized amount of money on it. This dress is by Marisa.

Now I will write her a letter, and I don't care if you think it's weird that I'm going to address this letter to, essentially, a piece of fabric. Beautiful fabric, mind you, but still. Off I go.

Dear The Dress,

Marisa 737, I'm in love with you. And you were standing in the corner, unaware of my presence, until I saw the bartender pour you a glass of my favorite Sauvignon Blanc. I zeroed in on your good looks, clean modern lines, romantic charm and playful bottom (what?) I took notice, and I approached you with excitement and slight trepidation.

When I put you on, I knew.

I knew the first time, when I went dress shopping with my mom, that you were The One. But since Mommy Dearest was feeling iffy about you, I dismissed you. I'm sorry about that, OK? I didn't mean it. I just wasn't listening to my inner spirit. But my bridesmaids, who flew thousands of collective miles to help me find you, they knew it too.

I'm so thrilled to wear you when I marry Neal. I have every reason to believe Neal will find you just as stunning as I do.

You encompass everything I've ever wanted in a wedding dress. You're modern and artistic without feeling cold and prissy. You're romantic and flowy without being too fussy and overly-lacey. You have structure and style, elegance and sophistication. You have Alençon lace, my dress deal-breaker. You have it all.

I'll see you in June, mon cherie.

Until then, all my love,
Emily

Friday Nights Home Alone with Etsy

2009-09-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

Friday Nights Home Alone Are Dangerous.

Not because I live in a bad neighborhood, no.

Because I have unlimited time to spend on Etsy.

At about 8:30pm, I made the Executive Decision (capitalization important here) that I was going to purchase something on Etsy this very evening, September 25th, 2009 to be used in my wedding, which will occur on June 12th, 2010.

You may be curious, "Why Emily, why would you buy something for your wedding before you've purchased your dress, picked out bridesmaid dresses, and such like so?"

Well. The answer to that question is because I wanted to, I had some extra dough this month, and because I found the most perfect 2 things ever. And I had to have them both.

1.) The most perfect wedding clutch handmade by a woman named Rowena, who lives in the UK. Which means I can totally say that to people, and it will make me feel neat. This clutch is embroidered silk, and it has a blue silk lining... HELLO! 2 Birds, 1 Stone... This will work as my something blue :)

2.) The World's Most Adorable Little Boy Necktie. This will be worn by my future nephew (Neal's current nephew, but kinda still my nephew) as he marches down the aisle with our rings. AKA, this will be sported by our ring bearer :) Just LOOK at that fabric! GAH!

Unhealthy Obsessions

2009-09-25T18:35:00.000-07:00

I can't not write at least 1 post about the wedding TV that's out there. It's insane. It's sometimes entertaining. It's sometimes pathetic. The majority of it is coated with creamy cheez, but some of it has been helpful...

I'm beating around the bush here, folks. I have an unhealthy obsession.

OK, I love 'Say Yes to the Dress.' I just do. I do! (Pun intended). It's one of my top guilty pleasures... this season they've upped the horrid-brides-and-their-tragically-dysfunctional-family-member(s) aspect of the drama, and I like it in the same way I like indulging in Us Weekly magazines and such.

Some of those brides are straight-up CRAZYPANTS.

This bride tonight, Bernadette, was a the most negative person I've ever witnessed. Well, the show painted her as such - yay for editing! I digress, she couldn't find anything nice to say about any dress. Picky is the hugest understatement in the year 2009. Why would you ever go into an appointment without describing something you DO like? WTF? Not to mention, she was simply rude. Ever heard the expression 'dead behind the eyes?' Yeah, Bernadette wins that award. More like Bernadoubt. Or Burn-a-dress. Or Berna-dammit-you're-annoying. :D

I Lied About That Other Bouquet

2009-09-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

I lied. That other bouquet I put on Le Blog a couple posts ago, it wasn't my favorite. Yet.

These. Oh My. These. These are perfect in every way. It's going to be very hard for me to not go into my florist and ask for these bouquets, verbatim. I still might. Would that be cheating? I think so... my thought is that I'll ask for these with a few slight modifications (maybe a few yellow orchids and not as many of the green alium?)

Hang on to your seat.

I mean it.

I told you. They're amazing, right? They're just so lush and sumptuous, so delicate and also so free and organic. I want to commit my life to those flowers and possibly start a family with them, they're so beautiful and right. Imagine how they smelled! Ahhh!

I also do think I have to have the anemones (the white flowers with the pure black centers.) Who could resist their drama! They look so good in photographs, too. Man.

I am meeting with a florist named Rachel Roman Speh (recommended by my dear photographer Megan) soon - I've seen some of her work, and I definitely think she can pull this off! WOoooT!

Photos of those gar-jess bouquets are pulled from Clary Photo. (Beautiful work, but a little out of my budget!) :)

Le Robe Nuptiale (French for Wedding Dress) - My Love Affair with French Lace

2009-09-23T15:45:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a post with a lot of picture of wedding dresses. These are my 2 top options, and I'm stickin' to 'em. I love them so madly and deeply. But only one dress will be.......

THE ONE.

My dress soulmate, my perfect cloth-companion, my fabric friend, my special gorgeous nuptial gown. When I was 6, she looked like this (yes, that's me!):

First up, we have the Top Contender. She's a classic A-Line with Alençon lace at the bust and seam, with a waist-cinching bit of satin. Mikaella Bridal. Folks, she's also UNDER BUDGET. And not to mention, this dress was ridiculously flattering and near-perfect in so many ways...

Next up, we have the Runner-Up. I couldn't find a shot of the real deal on Watters' website, but I tried on a nearly-identical version by designer Lee Ann Belter (who is out of my price range but TOTALLY TO DIE FOR!!) This one made me feel absolutely beautiful, and very romantic.

There are 3 others that I'm considering (2 from Paloma Blanca, and 1 from Lee Ann Belter - yes, she's out of my price range but shhhhhhhh please stop telling me that!), but I'm going to let my lovely bridesmaids give their opinion and help me make my decision.

This wedding planning stuff, I'm telling ya, is so fun. But really, the dress shopping part has been, *sigh*, splendid. I love lace dresses.

Slow, Steady Progress

2009-09-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe it's already been almost 6 months since we got engaged. Like, whoa. How did that happen? I'm working on being almost 9 months away from being married.

SQUUEEAL!

That squeal, mind you, was the squeal of excitement mixed with OH MY... I better get movin', yo!

I have made slow & steady progress. We have a tasting set up with Hollyberry Catering on September 30th (I'm forgoing breakfast, because I fully intend on stuffing face at that time...). I've pretty much decided on using them, because I can't fathom the stress of doing this all over again with yet another caterer. WHY FOR? I like Hollyberry, they're good people, and they received RFT's award for Best Small Plates Caterer. Can I go wrong? Can I eat my own words? Yes and yes, I suppose. The tasting will tell all :)

My girlfriends Tasha & Pilar are flying in on October 2nd for a weekend filled with wedding dress and bridesmaid dress festivities. This is going to be radical. I neglected to post about my mom's last-minute visit to St. Louis for 2 days full of wedding dress shopping. It was, well, amazing. I found 5 dresses that I loved, 2 of which I REALLY loved, and 1 of which will most likely be the dress I marry Neal in.

Oh, I love saying that. Freakin' right!

As soon as I make the dress decision, I'm going to procure all my other little bridal odds & ends - shoes, jewelry, veil, SPANX. SPANX like a mofo.

I will be posting detail of the dress excursion in a separate post, but that's it for now. Ta Da!

Look at the pretty bouquet.

2009-08-12T20:31:00.000-07:00

Perfect.

I should probably go ahead and make appointments with a few florists.

The Dress!!!! High-Pitched Squealing!!!

2009-08-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I went to go visit one of my besties Pilar in Dallas. We had an incredible time - sushi, Bikram yoga, champagne, dress shopping, a fantastic movie (go see 500 Days of Summer... NOW!), and relaxing by the pool. But I digress....

I also went Dress Shopping for the first time! Weeeee! It was SO fun. Although I was a little frustrated that one dress (but only 1, thank you Jesus...) wouldn't go over my butt-butt. I'm saying that it couldn't even by tried on. It was like the dress was magically saying to me, 'Nice try, fat-ass! You can kiss me goodbye!" What a douchebag. I didn't need that dress' attitude anyway.

The first dress I tried on was totally beautiful, and made me feel radiant. Radiant enough to produce tears. Trying on a wedding dress is emotional, and I expected to be that girl, too - the one getting teary looking at herself all growed up, marrying a great guy that I know will be my partner for life. There's nothing like it. I am so blessed.

I tried on about 20 other gowns, and then there she was... a classic beauty with no frills - just pure duponi silk with tiny buttons all the way down the back. I couldn't take her off. I can't explain it other than she made me feel like a woman worth marrying. It was cool. But.

I was also almost $3K. ROFLMFAO. Not in a million.

I am confident I can find a girl similar to her that I might even like better (I'd love some lace detailing, and she had none...) for a more reasonable price. But now I know what I'm looking for.

WOOP WOOP!

Catering Shabazz

2009-08-12T19:49:00.000-07:00

Time for an update about the catering sitch. I know, so exciting, right? Well, I find it mildly exciting... reason being, I will be talking a bit about food in the coming words, and I feel like any discussion on food has the ability to brighten a day. Off we go.

I have done a few back-and-forth emails and phone conversation with Linda at Something Elegant Catering and have felt a little bummed out about it. Her menu and food sampling looks absolutely unreal and TOTALLY up our palette's alleys. Although I also admit she has not been prompt in returning my emails (mildly annoying, but still OK - everyone gets busy!)

I was looking forward to seeing what she came up with on the menu and estimate. I was looking forward to it, and got all giddy about the menu... and then I saw it, the price tag at the bottom of the document. Way out of budget. Which made me sad. And then Neal and I talked about going back to the buffet idea, and I wanted to throw my arms up in the air like a cartoon of a frustrated lady.

After being all bummed out for a day, I remembered the reason I found my venue - Hollyberry Catering had a list of 'Undiscovered St. Louis Venues' that came up when I was Googling around one day. Lo and behold, I found Soulard Preservation Hall. Slam-dunk! Home Run! On the board, yo! They also dub themselves 'St. Louis' premiere small plates catering company.' Um, hello, hi... nice to meet you again. I forgot about you, what with my indecisive brain going from a sit-down dinner to a buffet to a cocktail reception and back again thrice. LORD.

My contact at Hollyberry (I called for the 1st time yesterday), Sharon, was a real treat to speak with. Very personable, friendly, attentive, detailed. Loved her. She is going to be getting back to us on Monday with an estimate (I told her our budget and she thought it seemed doable...) Food excitement!

They have the concept I'm going for - something like this:

- mini samwichies
- a bruschetta bar (maybe)
- tandoori chicken
- crostini with goat cheese and fig
- caprese salad
- bacon-wrapped pineapple
- asiago asparagus wrapped in phyllo dough
- a strawberry shortcake bar
- gooey butter cake bar

No, I am not making the last 2 things up. I know they're not super-sophisticated desserts, but we're doing wedding cake for those uppity folks (you suck, anyway... just kidding, I love you and your hoity-toidyness).

I just might skip dinner so that I can have dessert. I'm not even joking. I will forgo mini sandwiches just to eat a huge strawberry shortcake, followed by a piece of gooey butter cake.

NOM NOMS.

Catering Situation

2009-07-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

After re-thinking my bridal psychosis, part of my conversation with self involved a talkin' to about the food element of wedding.

At the onset of planning, I had my heart set on a seated dinner. Then, I thought a buffet might be a better option. Later still, I pondered the imminent food coma that always follows buffet-style dining. Personally, at weddings I've attended in the past - I have a great time at cocktail hour and then I'm on my tukus, zoning the eff out post-meal. I would like to avoid that. I would like to keep' the par-tay rockin' all thru the night. Ya feel me?

So, Neal's idea wins (yay to my honey!) We are going to opt for passed hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hour, and then a substantial cocktail buffet that features both one-hand-friendly (weird phrase) and fork-friendly foods. That way, if folks want a delicious sandwich and some pasta for dinner, they'll have enough to eat. But if people just want to nosh on a little of this and a little of that, they can.

Perfecto!

The caterer I'm leaning towards using is affordable yet also has more sophisticated/upscale options. This leaves me happy. Here's a sample of what we might go with:

Passed Hors d'oeuvres

Sugar Plum Bacon
Scallion Crepes with Smoked Salmon & Dill-Sour Cream
Corn Fritters with Peach Relish
Chilled Asparagus with Raspberry Dip

Cocktail Buffet

Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Brioche with Horseradish Cream
Grilled Portobello on Brioche with Spinach & Grilled Onion
Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade
Baked Eggplant "Fries" with Spicy Housemade Ketchup
Summer Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Salad with Cucumbers
and Basil
Grilled Vegetables
Fresh Fruit Platter
Lemon Bars
Tiny Chocolate Cupcakes
Pecan Bars

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.... YUM.

May I note that we will have a few dessert options other than wedding cake for our guests to enjoy? We're going to do a smallish wedding cake, that serves about 100 guests. Cute cake. Yay.

One Month Later...

2009-07-15T18:36:00.001-07:00

Okay, okay. I took a major hiatus from this wedding blogging thing on purpose. Well, not just the blog but the overall addiction to all things wedding. I admittedly started becoming obsessed with it, and I had a little talkin' to with myself and pretty much laid down the law with self during said self-reflective conversation.

I was becoming one of those brides. I really was. You know, the kind you don't want to be around because all they talk about is their next big idea for the wedding cake stand. And I just didn't want to be that woman, because she's not me.

Sure, I'm an extremely detail-oriented gal and my profession actually demands it. I thrive on visually nit-picking my way through everything. All the schtuff in my house would agree, methinks.

But the utmost expression of love and commitment needs to focus on just that - and not much else. I don't want people to gander and gawk over the centerpieces, or the arbor, or the programs. I want folks to enjoy themselves. And have enough yummy food to eat, and drinks to imbibe, and music to dance/jam out to. That's it. At the forefront of that will be Neal & I.

So, I've rethought much of my approach and definitely give a "thumbs up" to self after having this little discourse. I'm saner, more relaxed, less stressed, and still completely sure that however our wedding day turns out... it will be stupendous. Because after all, it's just a day. A very special day.... but there's no way to cram more than 24 hours in that one day. So why freak out for an entire year about 1 day? Really, it doesn't make sense.

But rest assured lovies, there will still be wicked wicked awesomeness all over that wedding. :)

Enzoani Love A23

2009-06-11T07:50:00.001-07:00

Uhhhh, ok... what? I have just recently found the designer Enzoani, who has several lines of beautiful gowns - some more my style than others.

I just hit their site back up today, and discovered a line of special occasion dresses called Love. I think they're more for bridesmaids or evening wear, but they offer many of the styles in ivory.

So I did some digging, and these bad boys are like way, way affordable and way, way gorgeous. I am seriously considering slashing my wedding gown budget anyway, just because... why not?

I found this. It retails for around $450. Did you hear me??! I said around $450!!! That's redonkulus! And best of all, its chic... not overly beaded or frilly like so many inexpensive bridal gown can (sometimes) be.

I'm pumped! Best of all, I could use that extra dough to pay for something like... I don't know... a real wedding cake. Or a honeymoon splurge :D

Ok, this is just awesome.

2009-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

Oh the things I could do, do to you, with this fabric. When I see stuff like this clutch on etsy, it makes me want to scrap all my wedding thoughts and start over with a completely blank slate. Meaning, a slate that involves teal, silver, and dark yellow accents. Oh Yum.

My wedding photographer Megan and I went to Cherokee Street to scope the antique scene and grab a bite to eat for lunch today. She is the cutest! We have eerily similar taste... in fact I had to bite my tongue a few times, because I kept talking about wedding schtuff (sorry, Megan!) and insinuating my most despised wedding-y details... I'll refrain from discussing them, because I don't know who reads this and I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings :) I just felt like she would agree with my tastes. Sometimes I'm a dolt like that, I assume that people who like the same stuff that I do would like ALL the same stuff that I do.

I can sometimes be an assuming turd. I really can.

I'm getting more vivid thoughts about details - such like, I think I want potted miniature rose bushes as centerpieces (but not in boring pots... in cool-ass pots that have funky details). But then I also have a sick, twisted love affairs with succulents. More on that later.

Oh, and I think I want to do the bouquets with white peonies, dark red dahlias, and lots and lots and lots of greenery. Maybe some anemones, too. And/or orchids? I don't know. But the flower situation is getting clearer now. Like dis:

The End.

If I had known about Campbell House...

2009-05-18T15:54:00.000-07:00

I'm an internet junkie, as is fairly evident by my daily activities: wake up, shower, coffee, design on a computer all day.

So usually I'm pretty darn good at hunting down things that may fly under the radar. Case in point: my wedding reception venue. I found the hall through a caterer's site on their list of 'Top 10 Undiscovered St. Louis City Venues' - I was pretty proud of myself, jajajaja.

Well today, I stumbled upon the Campbell House website. I found this because I was searching for 'gazebo rental st. louis' (I'm considering renting an arch for our ceremony) - weirdest thing is, while tooling around, I noticed the 'Rentals' link dissappears completely. I knew I had been on the site before, but the access to this crucial information just... vanishes. Bad bad programmer, BAD!

Lo and behold. A garden space in the city, reasonably priced, and would have been a top contender methinks if I had known about it before booking the Botanical Gardens. Oh wells. I'm still überstoked about MoBot, don't get me wrong... but I would've at least like to have looked at Campbell House!

STL Brides, check this place out - it holds 250 guests for a ceremony. In the heart of downtown, right next to a truly historic piece of St. Louis history. So kewl.

Honey Butter and Platinum Board

2009-05-13T11:50:00.001-07:00

I've seen these inspiration boards on a number of different wedding sites, so thought I would take all the images I have stashed in my arsenal and make my own.

I think I'm about thisclose to completely deciding on the honey + butter + silver gray theme. It's just... cool... and fun... and chic.

Yay!

Dressing the Dudes in J. Crew Duds

2009-05-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Did you like the alliteration in my title? Thanks. I appreciate that.

OK. Dressing the groomsmen. We would like to do something a little unconventional and casual. We're going to be outside in the middle of June, which means we're going to be facing some pretty warm temperatures. I don't really like the idea of making the men wear suits (so hot... as in, temperature hot, not sexy-hot... although suits are very sexy-hot, IMO).

Also, let me state:

1.) My fiancée looks amazing in vests because he kind of has this old-world, 19th century dapper look about him - broad shoulders and chest, smaller waist. Ok I'll stop.
2.) Vests are freaking fun and I have a personal collection of 4 of them.

I think you might know where I'm going with this. What about a suit sans jacket, but with a debonair vest instead? J. Crew prompted this idea. I'm already leaning towards a vivid khaki (no light khaki, I like when the bride and groom have some color contrast) or gray.

What about these?

This is an Irish Linen, which would be nice and cool in the summer:

And this is just a fine-striped cotton. Hawtness:

If the vests get turned down, I'm definitely going to go with something like a light cotton suit such as like so:

I was picturing the groomsmen in the vest option, and I'm really diggin' it. You can even still pin a boutonniere on the vest without it looking tarded.

Is it unreasonable to ask groomsmen to purchase these outfits on their own? The pants are $118 and the vests are anywhere between $68 - $98 - so you're looking at about the same price as a bridesmaid dress. Plus, no alterations needed. We would cover the tie, and J.Crew has some really nice cotton ties.

*thinking*

I want this.

2009-05-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

This Regina B. clutch. Holy crap. Why is it $200? WHYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.

It's so pretty I just want to reach out and touch it.

Jim Hjelm Fall 2009 Sneak Peek!

2009-05-12T13:45:00.000-07:00

Wooptie! I'm excited. Jim Hjelm put up a sneak peek of their new Fall 2009 collection of bridal, occasions, and floor-length bridesmaid dresses on their site.

Bridal Gowns

Bridesmaid Dresses

If I had a lot of dough I would definitely go for a Jim Hjelm wedding dress. They're perfect and encompass everything I'd want in a dress - lots of lace, delicate details, super chic yet effortless-looking, with great care spent on the cut and style. Alas, the average price of a JH is about $3K. So like no wayz, yo.

I do however very much enjoy their bridesmaid dresses which are more reasonably priced, and have a few picked out already that I'd like my maids to look at, at some point.

Since I'm kinda leaning towards pale yellow and grey for my wedding colors, I'm thinking of having the maids do different styles of yellow dresses - but no worries, nothing TOO yellow. I'm not trying to make my ladies look like girlie Big Birds. K? So chill. Maybe a little on the gold or taupe side, even. Like deez:

I just think yellow and gray is so dapper, feminine, joyous, and springy. I originally liked green as a wedding color, but not against the backdrop of more green at the Botanical Gardens. Too much green everywhere. Blue looks nice against green, and I'm still keeping a brighter navy blue and grey theme as an option, too.

First Dance with My Dad

2009-05-05T13:06:00.000-07:00

To piggyback on that last post, I have also already thought of the song I want to dance with my dad to. I know its a bit overdone, but I don't care one bit. Because it's an awesome song in every way, and it means a lot to my dad and I.

I remember a few years back, my dad and I caught James Taylor on TV singing 'You've Got a Friend' and my dad, being the emotional musician that he is, mentioned how that's one of his favorite songs and started to cry a bit. My dad cries a lot. I love it, honestly. I cry a lot, too. Then we started singing it together and I recall it as being very sweet. I really do have a friend in my dad. After the time we spent apart while I was growing up, I am SO very proud of the relationship we have now. Because it truly is a friendship and I'm blessed to have him in my life.

So it's picked. James Taylor's 'You've Got a Friend' for a dance with my daddy.

My dad will also be playing a song he's going to write for the wedding ceremony (he plays the fiddle remarkably well, and has been a musician for about 35 years.) Major tear-fest will happen. Nothing makes me more emotional than my dad playing the violin solo. It is so heart-wrenching, and it reminds me of being a little girl.

First Dance to Mason Jennings

2009-05-05T12:38:00.000-07:00

I kind of already have an idea of what I would like to dance to during our first dance. I ran it by Neal, and he thought it was perfect. :D

Neal and I developed our relationship to the music of Mason Jennings. I'm not just saying that. If you haven't listened to his stuff, you simply must. Well that is, if you like good folk. What sets him apart from other folk artists (aka the dude with a guitar) is his simply profound, un-clichéd lyrics. They are truly unique and beautiful in their deep simplicity.

Oh yeah, and he's totally beautiful. Neal has a bro-crush on him and we're always joking about it.

The song we've chosen is called 'To You' and it really tells the story of our love perfectly. This makes me really freaking happy, because I didn't want to settle on something or pick something that didn't have meaning for us.

Neal came home the other night from a walk with Jakers and he said, "I listened closely to that song... you know... the song... To You..." and before I knew it, he was leaning down and giving me a kiss with tears in his eyes to tell me he can't wait to marry me :D

OooooOEEeee I love that man. I am so content with him.

Here are the lyrics.

Why My Wedding Photographer Rocks

2009-05-05T09:52:00.000-07:00

She takes shots like this during engagement sessions:

Yes. I know. She brought those shade glasses as props for the couple! That owns!

Image © 2009 Megan Thiele Studios

The Future Antiques (TFA) for Indie Wedding Jewelry

2009-05-03T14:22:00.000-07:00

There's a mid-century antiques shop over on Morganford south of Tower Grove Park called TFA, and I want to own every item inside of it.

Neal and I were there the other day so that he could find a hat for the Kentucky Derby party at The Royale (which I had to skip, I am coming down with the sickies...) and I stumbled into the vintage rhinestone jewelry section. Oops, my bad. Now I'm obsessed.

These little brooches would make really cool accessories for my bridesmaids (pin a unique one on each of their dresses) or even as unconventional boutonnieres for the groomsmen. I've even seen brides pin brooches on their bouquet ribbon for a little extra bling.

These babies are all 50% off right now. Maybe I should jump on it and buy a few.

Gladney Rose Garden Wedding Ceremony... BOOKED!

2009-05-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am sooooooooo flippin' excited! We just booked the Botanical Gardens' Gladney Rose Garden for our ceremony. So now its totally official - June 12th, 5:30pm ceremony.

It's cool how the location now dictates the style of everything else - I'm seeing it all come together. Now its easy to envision a cohesive theme - antique, vintage, and Victorian themed details, desaturated colors such as greys, olivey greens, deep vintage yellows, lots of ivory and lace, maybe even some dusty rose. I can either transition this to our reception or go in a new direction there, since it has a different vibe. It's a quintessential historic St. Louis city wedding. I am ecstatic.

Our altar:

Looking East:
Looking North at the Linnean house, which I will wait in with the wedding or bridal party before the ceremony. That is one LONG WALK down the aisle! Actually I think that's kind of fun... a stroll through a rose garden on my dad's arm sounds like a good time anyway. I'll just be meeting my almost-husband at the end. Eeeee!
Looking West:
The roses will be in full bloom by late May, so what you're seeing here is a rose garden sans roses :) I was imagining the way it will smell with all the roses in bloom... wow. Wow!

I definitely recommend Leasa from Catering St. Louis, too - she will be my coordinator for the rehearsal and day-of, and has been super nice and helpful throughout the booking process. She has made me feel comfortable and well taken care of. Yay!

From the website:
"Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation's oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark.

The Garden is a center for botanical research and science education, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis. The Garden offers 79 acres of beautiful horticultural display, including a 14-acre Japanese strolling garden, Henry Shaw's original 1850 estate home, and one of the world's largest collections of rare and endangered orchids."

Pom Love Rocks

2009-05-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

I am completely head over heels with poms. What are poms, you may ask? Silly you, you're not completely immersed in bridal decor like I am! Hahaha, don't you wish you were me so that you could worry about pointless things that no one will notice except you, for a total of like 4 hours in your life?

HAhahaahHAHAHAHAAHAHAaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

K done.

I love poms. I'm either going to make my own or order a bunch from Pom Love on Etsy. Just look:

Pair those with the Papel Picado wedding flags and that my friends, will be one stylish ceiling. I'm just thinking that will look so delicate and surreal to have mounds of light tissue poms and flags hanging from a darkly colored ceiling (a ceiling that has fantastic lighting, mind you...) Like dis!

Eeeeee! POMS!

Garden Wedding Invitation, more options

2009-05-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

More options. La la la. I'm having fun playing with designs today. :)

St. Louis Garden Wedding Invitation Design

2009-05-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

In keeping with the theme of a botanical garden wedding, I wanted to try a style that felt vintage and sort of Victorian English-garden. Using turn-of-the-century drawings of flowers (namely orchids... even if we have our wedding in the rose garden, I'm all abouts the orchids!) I came up with this:

I actually really like this one. I might have to go with it! I think it fits the theme I'm trying to go for - and oh well if the colors don't match the colors I'm thinking of for the wedding. The invitations don't have to matchy-matchy everything else, IMO.

I also love the font I used for our names and the rose garden name. It's appropriately titled 'Jane Austen' and I found it on DaFont - I mean, what's more romantic than that?

If your answer is 'drinking wine and then making out on a beach whilst the waves crash at your feet' than you win.

Nopalillo - Mexican Paper Flowers Wedding Decorations

2009-05-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

I think these are really rad. They're called Nopalillos - these are hand made & painted by a family of artisans that have been crafting paper flowers for over 50 years. Again, I found these on the Mexican craft site Casa Bonampak and can't wait to order my Papel Picado Wedding Banners from them, too.

How would I use these, I wonder? In the bathrooms? Tied to the chairs during the wedding ceremony with some fabric streamers or ribbons? Problem is, these aren't cheap. $9.99 for one - which means, if I did 10 rows that would be $100.00. I'll think about it. Maybe my bridesmaids will have some creative ideas. Hummm.

These poppies are pretty neat, too... Oh hum, so many options, so much time.

All Things Lookin' Like Missouri Botanical Gardens

2009-04-30T20:51:00.000-07:00

Neal and I talked, and we're kinda thinkin' of doing the Gladney Rose Garden at the Missouri Botanical Gardens. It's still available, and we like it a lot, and it's in the city, and its purdy.

Plus, we have some romantic history there. When we were first dating, we went to the Whittaker Festival in the summertime there and sat outside and drank wine and fell in love. We later went on a walk in the Gardens that I wrote a poem about. So yes. That feels pretty special. I think I'm going to book it this weekend. Watch out now.

Crafts! Centerpieces! Budget-Happy! Yay!

2009-04-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dude! I just stumbled onto this website, Save-On-Crafts

Jackpot! Score! I hit gold! Treasure trove of wonders!

They.have.everything.

Well, what I mean by that is that they have everything I could possibly need to make my own centerpieces and decorations for the ceremony and reception, all at an affordable cost. I'm considering doing centerpieces with branches or artificial orchids, or maybe both - my budget dictates I can't spend much more than $200 for those.

How cool would some mossy rocks look next to the centerpiece? I could go find tree branches outside and swirl them around the bases of the centerpieces.

This is a very substantial centerpiece, all made and ready to go for freaking $9.99 on sale! For 15 tables, the total cost would be about $150. Freaking love it:

Crap.

2009-04-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Crap crap crap. Everywhere. While I'm elated that we found a reception venue that fits (for the most part) within our budget, the ceremony location debacle seems to just be getting started. Poo-butter pancakes!

Jewel Box is booked except for noon, and its hellas expensive. Piper Palm House is also only available from 10am - 12pm, and also hellas expensive. Spink Pavilion, Lemp Mansion Gardens, and Pagoda Circle are all unavailable.

The Music Stand is open and affordable, but I'm not wild about the idea (even though Neal is... and that makes me feel bad... should I just go with it?)

But of course, where I really want to have it (Missouri Botanical Gardens) - all the locations I like within the garden - Japanese Garden & the 2 Rose Gardens - are still available but again... back to the hellas expensive issue.

This is causing me to wonder if we should open up our "City Park" fantasy to outlying regional parks. Hmmmmm...

Ceremony Location... What to Do!?

2009-04-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

Now that Neal and I have decided on a venue location for the reception (don't you like how we picked the party place first!? silly!), we're on a new adventure: picking our ceremony location.

Yay.

Do you detect a lackadaisical attitude? Because I have one. I'll tell you why.

Neal's folks live in Webster Groves, which is a majorly park-esque area of town. Huge 100-200 year old trees, rolling hills, grassy knolls, rich landscaping - it's a beautiful and perfect for the garden ceremony I have always envisioned in my head.

Neal's parents have a park for a backyard. No seriously, it feels like about 3 acres of grass stretching out to eternity. It is SO gorg. Problem is, his parents don't feel comfortable having more than 40-50 people there, which means our guest list would get slashed like a horror film... it would not be pretty.

So we're on to other options. Forest Park Jewel Box? Classic St. Louis wedding location. Grand Basin at the foot of Art Hill is only $400 to rent, but its right on the street and I feel like it might be way hot in mid-June. Neal loves Tower Grove's Music Stand, but again, I'm not feeling how close it is to a circular driveway. Last thing I envision is a car pulling up with reggaeton blaring while I say, "I, Emily, take you Neal..."

No. Just no.

Forest Park Grand Basin:

Jewel Box:

Tower Grove Music Stand:
This leaves me wanting the Japanese Gardens in the Botanical Garden more than EVARS. It's so... perfect!? And so... freaking expensive. Wanh.

I think I'm going to post an ad on Craigslist looking for a mansion/large home that would rent their space for a wedding of 150+ for a ceremony. It might work, right? Right? Rrrgh.

Honeymoon Plan B

2009-04-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

Honeymoon Plan B has just taken effect. It does not involve a B&B in Indiana, although maybe we'll save that for an anniversary because I've been wanting to take Neal to New Harmony for a long time.

Honeymoon Plan B involves.... *drumroll* - a roadtrip through San Francisco, Napa / Sonoma Valley, and the upper Californian coastline! Weeeee! I'm stooooooked! Copious amounts of wiiiiiiiiine! With my husbaaaaaaand!

I convinced Neal that we needed to do something unconventional yet still romantical and special post-nuptials. We talked to a friend last night that was familiar with NoCal, and he got us pretty jazzed up about it. Now if I can only convince Neals that a Tablet Hotels suite is definitely an affordable splurge (that's an LOL'er right there...).

Uh... YUM.

The Reception Venue is Chosen!

2009-04-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

... and it wasn't TOO terribly frustrating to find. Okay, I lie. I was freaking out a tad on Saturday. But it's all good in the hood, because it's OURS for June 12th! Woop woop!

*does the happy booty dance*

We're going with Soulard Preservation Hall. It's right in the heart of Soulard, across from The Shanti (can anyone say, "convenient afterparty?"). The entire place is completely newly renovated from head to toe. The venue owner Nancy was also super-nice and very accomodating. I'm really looking forward to working with her to make this reception an unforgettable par-tay!

The thing we loved about the space was actually exactly what I just mentioned - it felt like a place you could throw a great party inside of. It was comfortable but not too casual, classy but not pretentious, city-chic but not cold. The bar and main hall area were nicely split up - which will be fun for guests to have the option of chillin' in the sweet bar room or cuttin' a proverbial rug all up in the main hall. And the stage, OH the STAGE! It's backlit with cool lighting against a brick backdrop. Everything is new.

And I loooove this bar! Check that lighting, yo! Those people are having a great time, they look like they're all thinking, "this is the best wedding I've ever been to!" Har-har.