Annie is Getting Hitched!

Themed Tuesdays: Gatsby-Inspired Weddings

2013-05-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

You've undoubtedly seen the many previews and posters for the new Great Gatsby movie. (If, by some chance, you live under a rock and don't know what I'm talking about you can see a preview here.) So you had to know that the inevitable "Gatsby-inspired Wedding" post was coming.

This wedding theme is very close to me, since I've been planning to style my wedding around the Jazz Age. If I could be born in any other decade, it would be the 20's. The "Roaring 20's" epitomized glamour and decadence, so when styling your Gatsby-inspired wedding, make sure to incorporate these key elements from the decade:

Bold, geometric shapes
Gold or silver accents
Peacock feathers
Pearls
Lace

Hopefully this helps you get a better idea of how to style your Gatsby-inspired wedding!

Cake

When designing your cake, try to include a hint of gold or silver, but keep it at just a hint, otherwise it could look
a little too gaudy. I would avoid any floral or overly feminine accents.

Bouquet

The bridal bouquet or floral centerpieces would be a good place to incorporate peacock feathers. I also love how the bride in the second photo added a diamond brooch for some extra opulence.

Headpiece

Instead of a traditional veil go for a statement-making headpiece. Make sure it has diamonds, rhinestones, pearls, feathers, the works.

Invitations

Try to use geometric trim and a vintage font when designing your invitations. The more ornate, the better.

Centerpieces

I would incorporate candles, crystals, and ostrich feathers

Details

Alternative Bridesmaid Bouquets

2013-04-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Many brides today are becoming more and more creative with their weddings, trying to get as far away from the conventional as possible. Flowers are no exception; a new trend that I've been seeing is alternative bridesmaid bouquets.

There can be different reasons to have your bridesmaids carry something other than a $75 bouquet down the aisle:

You want to do something different
Your budget doesn't allow for it
Traditional bouquets don't go with the overall theme and feel of your wedding

Whatever your reason is, I've found some cute alternatives to bridesmaid bouquets for you to check out

Balloons give a wedding a more playful, fun feel.

Parasols are good for outdoor weddings.

A basket with simple flowers is good for a barn yard, garden, or vintage wedding.

Carrying lanterns down the aisle would be great to set the mood for an evening wedding.

Instead of a bouquet, bridesmaids can carry a single statement flower.

Pinwheels provide a cute, whimsical feel for a wedding.

Wheat bouquets are perfect if you have a more earthy, rustic theme.

Getting married around Valentine's Day? Why not have your bridesmaids carry paper hearts?

This crystal snowflake is beautiful for a winter wedding.

Spring Colors

2013-04-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

As I've mentioned in previous posts, Design Seeds is an amazing website to find great color palettes for anything from weddings to interior design. I've found some great palettes for brides who are looking for inspiration for their spring wedding.

This would be great for an outdoor garden wedding.

A good purple variation, without being overwhelming

The dark blue ties this pastel palette together. Use it as an accent color
in your wedding.

This is a good neutral palette without looking too "Fall."

I love the complementary gray with this teal combination

This is good for the couple who doesn't want to use the
typical pastel pink or blue color scheme

I love this palette. If I were a spring bride, I would use these colors.
I would have my bridesmaids wear dresses in each color.

A great red variation

Hump Day Fun

2013-04-24T15:55:00.001-07:00

Some inspirational quotes to get you through Hump Day. Be back soon with more wedding yumminess.

You Can Never Have Too Many Purses

2013-03-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Just like shoes, I can never have enough purses. Totes, clutches, cross-body, I love them all. Unfortunately, my eyes can be bigger than my bank account, and I sometimes have to try to find a more budget-friendly alternative. Here are a few beautiful wedding purses for you to take a look at. I've also included an alternate version for the more cost conscious bride.

Kate Spade Wedding Belles "Elliana" Clutch $398

White Aisle Boutique Feather Clutch $140
(Buy this bag from their store on Etsy here)

Swarovski Crystal Flower Clutch $1650

Natasha Couture Crystal Floral Cage Clutch $280

Prada Pleated Satin Clutch $700

Nina Pleated Satin Clutch $60

BE & E Hexagon Clutch $398

Tasha Hexagon Clutch $48

Judith Leiber Crystal Air Stream Clutch $1695

Diane Von Furstenberg Tonda Crystal Clutch $395

For me, I've got my eye on this beauty:

Christian Louboutin Pigalle Clutch $995. Ouch

Unfortunately there's no alternate version that comes close to the beauty that is a Louboutin masterpiece. Looks like I'll just have to save up for this baby.

For more wedding bags, check out my Facebook Page.

Wedding Nails

2013-03-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've been so M.I.A. lately! Future hubby and I are in the process of buying and remodeling a condo right now, and it's literally one of the most exhausting, time consuming processes. Anyway, here's a quick little post to show you that wedding planning is still #1 on my list of things to do.

Nail art is insanely popular these days. More and more brides are shying away from the traditional french manicure for their wedding, and opting for more fashionable nail choices. Here is some great wedding nail inspiration.

I love this idea!

A neutral pink is always a safe choice for the more traditional bride

I like this for an accent nail. It's a little too much for me for every nail

A new twist on a french manicure

For the more daring bride, a black french manicure is a
good way to incorporate color without being too distracting

If you like a little bling, this look is perfect

I FOUND THE DRESS!

2013-02-13T09:11:00.000-08:00

Finally! No more appointments, no more trips to dress shops, no more looking at the same wedding dresses over and over again! Ladies, I have found THE dress :) I'm not going to post a picture of it, in case my husband-of-the-future is spying on this blog, but I will say that my dress is not what I expected to get. I ended up getting my gown from Unveiled Philadelphia, my favorite store out of all the places I went.

A couple weeks ago, I decided to go back to Bridals by Danielle and Unveiled Philadelphia to take one last look at the two dresses I was choosing between. I realized that I needed to get my dress ordered now if I wanted to get it on time. This time I only went with my mom and mother in law. Our first stop was Bridals by Danielle, and I must say, my experience this time was completely different from my first visit.

On my way to the store I ran into bumper to bumper traffic, so I called to let them know I was going to be 5 minutes late at the most. (I'm a stickler for punctuality so I always try to arrive anywhere 15 minutes early) The woman on the phone assured me that this was ok and that they would still honor my appointment. Unfortunately this is not what happened once I arrived. When I walked into the store, the woman at the desk barely acknowledged my presence. It was only after I walked up to the desk to let her know I was there that she said "Oh hi, just wait up front, Anna (the saleswoman who had helped me before) will be with you in 5 minutes." No problem, I was late, the least I could do was be patient.

5 minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes went by and my mom, mother in law, and I were still waiting to be helped. During this time we were not given a single explanation. Not one word or apology as to why we were still waiting. It was late in the afternoon and the store was completely empty. Finally my mother in law said to the woman at the front (who I later learned is actually the owner of the store) that our appointment was at 4:30, it was now 4:50, and we had another appointment at 5:30. By this point, I was ready to get the hell out of the store and take my business elsewhere. The woman said "Well you were late for your appointment so I gave Anna another bride." That's funny, I called ahead of time to let her know that I would be maybe 5 minutes late, and I was also assured that my appointment would be honored.

After some snarky comments from myself and my mom, Anna finally came out to apologize and had the dress that I wanted to try on brought to a dressing room for me. I was in such a foul mood that I tried it on for my mom, and said "Ok I'm done let's go to the next store. I don't want a store with customer service like this getting any of my business." It's a shame because before that visit, I had pretty much decided to buy the dress, but after my horrible visit, there was no way I wanted to come back.

Our next stop was at Unveiled Philadelphia. I loved this store the first time I went. It's a completely different experience from any other store:

1. They book their appointments in 2 hour increments to avoid an overlap with another bride. Even if you don't use the full 2 hours, it's nice to know that all of their attention will be with you.

2. They have a huge runway in the middle of the store that you can walk down to get a real idea of the weight and movement of a dress. (Plus, you get to feel like a supermodel for an hour)

3. They don't stock the typical dress designers that you can find everywhere else. You feel like the dress you get won't be one that you can see on every other bride.

When we got to the store, they were finishing up an appointment with another bride, which I didn't mind since we were a little early. We ended up waiting about 15 minutes, but unlike at Bridals by Danielle, Frannie's husband Michael talked to me, let me browse through the dresses, and kept me engaged the whole time. By the time the other bride was finished, we were in a better mood.

I tried on the dress that I tried on the first time, plus some new dresses that they had just received from the same designer. When I tried on one particular dress, my face just lit up. This was it. It was one of the new ones that they got in, and it was perfect. The designer is Val Stefani. I had never heard of her before visiting Unveiled, but her dresses are beautiful. I'm happy I didn't go with a big name designer. Yes, it would be cool to say I work Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, or Jenny Packham, but I'm so happy that I found a dress that just felt right. It's not about the name, but how the dress makes you feel, and I feel beautiful in it. I can't wait to wear it!

Here are some examples of Val Stefani's work.

My Addiction

2013-01-30T10:39:00.000-08:00

I, like most girls, have an unhealthy addiction to shoes. Pumps, boots, sandals, platforms, wedges, flats; I'm an equal opportunity buyer. My shoes take up 1 1/2 closets in our little 1 bedroom apartment, and upon walking into any department store my first stop is the shoe department. Hopefully you have a better idea of my obsession.

So naturally, shopping for my wedding shoes is of the utmost importance. I would love to say that the sky is the limit on wedding shoes, but I don't want to take advantage of the fact that my parents are so graciously paying for the entire wedding. With that said, it doesn't mean that I have to settle for a marked down pair of shoes from 3 seasons ago at TJ Maxx. (No offense to all you Maxxinistas out there. Trust me, I love a bargain just as much as you!)

I began my search by looking up the All-Stars: Manolo, Louboutin, and Choo. I found a beautiful pair of Loubs that would be perfect for my big day, until I looked at the price. I nearly spit out my coffee when I realized I would be paying almost $5000 for them! Then I thought that maybe I could find a similar pair for less, and voila, I did. I suddenly came to find that almost any pair of high end designer shoes has a more affordable counterpart. Here are a few examples that I found.

On the left: Jimmy Choo rhinestone sandals for $1500

On the right: Vince Camuto for $140

On the left: Manolo Blahnik embellished pumps for $1300

On the right: Badgley Mischka for $245

On the left: Christian Louboutin Crystal Pigalle pump for $3400

On the right: Salvatore Ferragamo for $950

On the left: Miu Miu crystal heel sandals for $990

On the right: Badgley Mischka for $255

And if you're looking for a little something blue...

On the left: Manolo Blahnik blue satin pump (made famous by Carrie Bradshaw) $965

On the right: RSVP for $79

The lesson to be learned here is that if you find a pair of shoes that you like, and they seem a little too far out of your price range, don't give up right away. There may just be a look-alike that won't hurt your bank account as much. They won't be the exact same pair (unless you go into knockoff territory, and that's just not me) but you can find a pair that's pretty damn close. As for me, the search continues for the right pair.

Wedding Jewelry

2013-01-29T18:56:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big jewelry girl. 90% of my pieces are costume, and I keep them in a messy pile on my dresser. For my wedding, I don't plan on piling on a ton of bling for the sake of looking beautiful; it's not my style. I would like to keep it classy, but unique. I hadn't even thought about my wedding jewelry until my future mother-in-law asked me how I was accessorizing my dress (which I still haven't found). I decided to see what I could find online.

My initial search led me the most recognizable name in bridal jewelry: Neil Lane. Beautiful pieces, but not really my style.

My next search led me to Roberto Coin, who had a few more pieces that were my style

Such a daring piece, but on the right bride, this could look amazing.

I found a few more designers that caught my eye, but nothing that really wowed me. Even my go-to designer, David Yurman failed to show me anything special (trust me, he's still my favorite). I think I'd rather go to Jeweler's Row in the city and get something made that's just for me.

Dress Shopping

2013-01-16T13:51:00.001-08:00

2 weeks ago I started dress shopping. What I thought was going to be a long day of appointments and trying on countless puffy dresses ended up being a fun day of trying on different styles while enjoying champagne with my bridesmaids, mom, and mother in law! We went to 3 boutiques and each one was it's own different experience.

1. La Bella Moda

Aside from not finding a single dress that I liked, the experience at this store was awful. The woman helping me was very rude to and short with me and my bridesmaids, and even had the nerve to say "This should probably be the last dress you try on. We book our appointments hourly and my next bride is waiting downstairs." (Are you kidding me?!) Needless to say, I will not be contacting this store again, or recommending it to anybody.

2. Bridals by Danielle

By the time we got to our second stop, we all had a sour taste in our mouths. But we went into it open minded, telling ourselves that not all stores are like La Bella Moda. We were pleasantly surprised with Bridals by Danielle. They had a great variety of designers and dresses, and the saleswoman assisting me was extremely friendly and helpful in finding dresses that were suited to my style. She even paired the dresses that I like with a veil and accessories so I could get a better idea of the whole look. My only critique of the store would be the woman who works at the front desk. We arrived early, and she was very rude to us, almost as if she didn't want us there. Besides her, I would definitely recommend this store to any bride.

3. Unveiled Philadelphia

Perhaps my favorite store of the day. Unveiled is owned by Fran Erace, a 30 year veteran of the bridal industry. She creates a completely unique and fantastic experience when shopping for a wedding gown. The selection is a little smaller than most stores, but she carries designers who are not as well known, allowing you to see dresses that are different than you see in every other store. She allots 2 hours per appointment, so you don't feel rushed. The most unique feature of the Unveiled experience is the runway in the middle of the store. After you put a dress on, she walks you out to a runway where you can strut your stuff for your bridesmaids. It's so much fun! If I were to recommend 1 place to a bride, this would be it! Fran is awesome, the dresses are absolutely stunning, and I honestly think I may have found "the one" there!

We weren't allowed to take pictures, but we managed to sneak one at Bridals by Danielle. This isn't "the dress" but I definitely felt like a bride when I tried this on.

Happy New Year!

2012-12-31T08:30:00.001-08:00

Danny and I are spending New Year's Eve at my family's shore house, so no blogging till 2013. I want to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe New Year and I hope that 2013 brings you lots of love and luck!

Wedding Do or Don't: White by Vera Wang

2012-12-28T14:55:00.001-08:00

This is a post that I was very torn about writing, in fear that I may offend a few people, but in the end I've decided to post it to find out what everyone else thinks about this collection. Vera Wang is known as bridal royalty. When a girl gets engaged, the first thing she thinks about is her dress, and the two most common names that I hear thrown around are Monique Lhuillier and Vera Wang. Vera has designed the wedding gowns for some of the most well-known celebrities in the world (Jennifer Aniston, Victoria Beckham, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Lopez, and Jessica Simpson, just to name a few), which is why I was pretty surprised when I found out that she had designed a collection for David's Bridal. *gasp*

This can be looked at in a few different ways:

1. For the bride on a budget, this is an amazing chance for her to wear Vera Wang on her wedding day without breaking her budget.

2. For the bride not on a budget, this could be seen as a "faux" Vera Wang dress. ("My real Vera dress is way better.")

3. For private bridal boutique owners, this is not good news. (I'm losing customers to David's Bridal?! Damn you, Vera!)

I still have mixed feelings about this. On one hand, Vera can appeal to the masses by making her beautiful creations more affordable for women who don't have $6,000 to spend on a wedding dress. On the other hand, by making her designs available to more people, she's sort of "watering down" her amazingness. The moment you go from couture to ready-to-wear, you cheapen yourself.

The big difference between Vera Wang and White by Vera Wang is not in the design and aesthetics, but in the material, beading, and construction of the gowns. We're talking silk and satin vs. polyester, hand beaded vs. machine beading, built-in corsets boning, lining, and covered buttons vs. zippers, standard fits, and little to no lining.

Let's look at a few comparisons:

Vera Wang on the left. White by Vera Wang on the right for $1200.

Vera Wang on the left. White by Vera Wang on the right for $1000.

Vera Wang on the left. White by Vera Wang on the right for $1200.

At the end of the day, it really doesn't matter who or what you wear. If you're married to the one you love, then your wedding was a success. People will think you look beautiful in your gown regardless of who designed it, or how much you paid for it (which is nobody's business anyway). I leave you with a few more dresses from White by Vera Wang and these questions: Do you notice a difference? Which do you prefer?

Dress Designer: Marchesa

2012-12-26T19:36:00.001-08:00

I'm obsessed with the Marchesa Spring 2012 collection. I've always been a fan of Marchesa in general (2 of my favorite collections can be seen here: Resort 2010 and Resort 2012), but this collection blew me away. 90% of the dresses are dresses that I would wear on my wedding day.

The collection manages to stay cohesive while experimenting with different styles. With dresses ranging from bohemian to modern to traditional, it's good for brides with all different tastes.

Take a look at some of the dresses from the collection and let me know which ones are your favorites.

(Pictures from NY Mag)

I love the draping and the structure of the top.

I love this for a reception dress to change into after the ceremony.

My favorite piece from the collection, however I think my shoulders are a little too broad for the detailed sleeves on this one. Meh.

Cute for a bohemian bride. Simple earrings or a cool headpiece would complete the outfit.

I love the sheer detailing on the top of this dress.

A little too simple for me, but beautiful.

One of my other favorites of the collection. I wish I could find a better picture of the back of the dress.

LOVE the zipper detailing on the back

I love this dress. Structured, but still retains movement.

A little simpler, but I love the detailing on the top.

Wedding Colors: Black and Gold

2012-12-26T12:11:00.001-08:00

I knew this was going to happen. I had my wedding colors all picked out, then upon further research, I found another color scheme that I really love. Thankfully, it's not too far off of the original colors of navy and gold that I had picked.

Right now I'm really loving black and white weddings with champagne accents. It's so simple, but I think the gold is a great accent color for winter weddings. Here are some great pictures from black and gold weddings that I found on Pinterest. With so much great inspiration, how could you not love these colors?

Hiatus

2012-12-20T09:27:00.001-08:00

Sorry that it's been so long since my last post. Some things came up in my life that needed my immediate attention, so I haven't been able to spend more than 5 minutes on my computer in the past 2 weeks. That said, I'm going to try to catch up on my posts and give you all some great inspiration and ideas.

In the mean time, here are some pictures from our second engagement party thrown by my parents 2 weeks ago. I forgot my camera, so I had to rely on my iPhone to capture everything. I apologize for the poor quality :(

Enjoy, and I'll be posting some great entries soon!

With my brothers

My former and current teammates

The guys

With most of my bridesmaids, my Maid of Honor, my mom, and my future mother-in-law

With my parents

With Danny's parents

Wedding Traditions: Chuppah

2012-12-01T08:13:00.000-08:00

Chuppahs are a big part of Jewish weddings. The chuppah is a canopy that the couple stands under during their wedding ceremony. It is used to represent the home that the newlywed couple will build together. A traditional chuppah is usually a cloth or a sheet that is stretched over 4 standing poles, but nowadays, they are growing more and more ornate and elaborate. From lights to flowers, couples are striving to decorate the chuppah to be much more than just a piece of fabric supported over 4 poles.

I love the way this couple arranged the fabric to look more like a gazebo.

A great way to get more use out of the chuppah after the ceremony is to move it over the couple's sweetheart table during the reception.

This suspended chuppah is great for a modern wedding.

Our Engagement Party

2012-11-29T11:17:00.000-08:00

Danny and I are both so lucky to have the parents that we have. They are both just as excited as we are for this time in our lives, and have been nothing but supportive of us both. Both sets of parents have decided to throw us not one, but two engagement parties. Danny is from Pennsylvania and I'm from New Jersey, and most of our family lives in the same areas where we grew up. It wouldn't be fair of us to ask one side of the the family to drive further than the other side, hence why we're having two engagement parties; one in New Jersey and one in Pennsylvania.

Last weekend, we had the first of our two engagement parties at Danny's parents' house in Pennsylvania. We had 85 of our closest friends and family come out to celebrate our engagement with us. My friend Rob was the official photographer of the night and got some awesome pictures of everyone. Here are few of my favorites, but to see more, check out our photo gallery here.

With two of my bridesmaids, Danielle and Melinda, and their boyfriends

Danny making a toast

Gifts!

Danny with his groomsmen (minus one) and groomswoman

With my mom and my future mother-in-law!

Time for shots :)

Dessert

Danny's dad making a toast

With Danny's brothers and their girlfriends

We've Found Our Venue!

2012-11-27T11:14:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to announce that we've found our venue! We will be getting married at the National Museum of American Jewish History here in Philadelphia. The venue is gorgeous and overlooks Independence Mall. Since we're both Jewish, the museum is a very special place for us.

The room can fit up to 600 people, but since we won't have that many, we are turning a part of the room into a lounge where people can sit and relax when their feet hurt. The room is pretty bare, so the sky is the limit as far as decorating goes. There's also an outdoor terrace where guests can go outside and look at Independence Mall. Since it will be winter, we'll be renting space heaters so that guests won't be freezing out there. I'm so happy and excited to start planning for our big day!

Here are some pictures:

Themed Tuesday: Modern Wedding

2012-11-27T10:37:00.000-08:00

Today's post is all about modern weddings. Bright colors, geometric shapes, and funky centerpieces are all characteristic of a contemporary wedding. Modern weddings are usually held in unique locations like museums, libraries, or even aquariums. Here is some fun modern wedding inspiration for you to check out, courtesy of Pinterest.

Contemporary toasting flutes from Exclusively Weddings

Our Wedding Website

2012-11-23T08:04:00.000-08:00

It's still a work in progress, but our wedding website is up!

I checked out a ton of different wedding template websites, and Project Wedding had the most user-friendly, unique templates to choose from.

Check us out!

http://weisspartyof2.projectwedding.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!

2012-11-22T07:54:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take time out to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving! This is my first Thanksgiving as an engaged woman and I truly have so much to be thankful for: my family, my soon-to-be new family, my friends, my health, and most importantly, my amazing fiancé. I hope everyone gets to spend their holiday with someone they love!

Wedding Do or Don't: Bridal Headpieces

2012-11-17T08:01:00.000-08:00

For the bride who wants to add a little something extra to her wedding day look, headpieces are an interesting way to stand out. You can opt for a headpiece instead of a veil to add a personal twist, however, brides should make sure to keep a balance between the headpiece and the dress. You don't want the two battling each other for the spotlight. For a simpler dress, you can get away with a more extravagant headpiece. For a more stylized dress, a simple headpiece would be a good idea.

This was what you don't want to look like:

Now, I'm the first person to support (most of) Carrie Bradshaw's fashion choices, but this monstrosity is just too offensive for my eyes. The huge Vivenne Westwood dress completely overwhelms her tiny frame and that turquoise feather/bird thing on her head is hideous.

Check out these examples of headpieces that I found on Pinterest and decide if a headpiece is a do or don't for your wedding day.

Style icon Audrey Hepburn

1930's style headpiece

Engagement Pictures!

2012-11-12T12:46:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots from our engagement shoot yesterday. We shot around Philadelphia and also recreated our first date. Our photographer was the awesome and super talented Dave Austria. I would love to post all of the photos here, but there are way too many! I've posted some of my favorites below.

Vote!

2012-11-06T08:35:00.001-08:00

This post isn't wedding related, but it's about something that affects all Americans. Today is November 6, 2012 and its Election Day.

As Americans we have the right to vote for the people who lead our country. Many people have fought and died for this right, so it would be a dishonor to them not to exercise that vote. A lot of people say "I don't care about politics." or "I don't like either of the candidates." That doesn't matter. You have the right to vote for whomever you want. Write yourself into the ballot, write your dog's name, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you have the right to do something that many many people around the world don't have the right to do. Vote vote vote!

Ok I'm stepping off of my soapbox now. Back to wedding planning :)

Like Me On Facebook!

2012-11-01T08:46:00.002-07:00

Like my page on Facebook! More pictures and inspiration :)

Annie is Getting Hitched