For those of you following, be sure to catch up on the emotions of a bride (yep, this bride) on my wedding day: CALM, TORN

The family issue had been ‘dealt with’ (I use the quotes for all the reasons discussed earlier… it had been dealt with in the best way I knew how to at the time… moving on), and time seemed to be moving faster and faster. My girls were mostly ready for the day, my hair had been sitting in curlers all morning, but let’s face it ladies, I still looked like this:

There was still some work to do!! So, my hair/makeup/galpal extraordinaire got to work to bring back the “edgy glam”, that I worked out in our hair trail (read about it here).

She smoothed and slicked the sides…

Then added drama with some height and angles at the front…

Now let me tell you about the time ladies… we were LATE! Yep, I was supposed to be meeting my groom at a nearby field for our ‘first-look’ at noon, and this picture was taken at 12:11pm (seriously, I just checked the photo properties!!). Yep, it’s confirmed, we were late. But, things didn’t go off the wall for two reasons: 1) my man and his boys were late too!! Wahoo!! Their golf game ran late, and while my hair was going up, they too were scrambling to get their ties done up, so all was good! 2) It was raining. full stop. Oh No….. it was raining?!?! Ya, that emotion contributed a bit to the whole pitter-patter situation!

I am going to be perfectly honest right now… I hate to bring up budget, and even worse, to admit I was thinking about it right before I was to see my groom for the first time (hey, you’re used to it, I tell it like it is right?!), but this is the exact thought that went through my head when I realized it wasn’t just lightly misting outside like it had been on and off all morning, but that there was a full-on system moving directly towards us, with wind and all: “Holy crap, we paid $xxxx.xx for some of the best photographers around, and we are going to have shoot indoors?? But I haven’t cleaned up, and there are people everywhere?! Oh God… our photos?!?!?!”… pitter-patter, pitter-patter…

That was when Kevan (said awesome photographer) caught me probably with a look of the noted fear and panic on my face as I stared out the large picture window where I would later say my vows. He told me to leave the photography up to him and Duane (who was shooting the boys all morning), and said, “Tiff, you probably won’t believe this, but this is the type of weather Duane and I pray for on weddings…”. He was right, I didn’t get it, but I decided then and there, that it was all going to happen as mother nature had planned, it was out of my control, and no matter what, I was getting married… holy crap, I was getting married! pitter-patter… pitter-patter!

Let’s get this show on the road… the veil went on. There was no time for the ceremonial mom-of-the-bride pinning the veil on the bride, it just had to get done!

But there was definitely time to check it all out in the mirror before the dress went on:

Alright ladies, let’s get that dress on me… I gotta groom to see!

Ok, it’s over the hair now… “how late are we?”… pitter-patter….

Ziiippppp! Yep, smellin good too

Shoes please!!

Ok, then my mom gives me the gift from my groom, and part of me thought (to myself of course), ‘what? you’re giving this to me now, when I have been sitting in a chair getting hair/makeup done for the last couple of hours… I’m late!’. BUT, I reminded myself, that this was special, and deserved my time, without stress… and so I opened…. first a letter:

It really was sweet. I am going to share with you ladies a small part of what he wrote, because it truly is one of the most memorable moments of the day for me: “You are so beautiful today. More beautiful than yesterday, and not quite as beautiful as you will be tomorrow”. Sigh. I almost lost it at that point. The bottom line is, he loves me. Period. It doesn’t matter about the white dress and the great hair and makeup. I am beautiful no matter what. That moment really helped me remember what the day was all about. It is true, I had worked out like a madwoman leading up to the wedding, I had watched what I ate and drank, and tried to get my beauty rest. No matter what though, it wasn’t about how I looked… it was all about how our love felt… and it felt great!! PITTER-PATTER…

He also gave me a beautiful little ‘diamond’ ring charm for my Links bracelet, which, for reasons I won’t go into here, was so perfect! Here are my ladies watching as I open my little box: (don’t you just love this picture… man, perfect!)

And it was showtime… the finished product:

Kevan told me the new rain-plan was to do the “first-look” at the house (which is also where we would walk down the aisle, have our first dance, and party our butts off!), so I snuck back into our room, and waited until my man was appropriately positioned… pitter-patter, pitter-patter… and then, I got to sneak my own little first peek, before we saw each other for the first time… pitter-patter, pitter-patter…

Of course, all the beautiful photos are from our boys, Kevan (with me above) and Duane, at [6:8] Photography.

This site has a golf course, a restaurant and a ballroom. We love this place! The food is great and the atmosphere represents both our personalities. Towie Bear and I knew from the beginning that we wanted a summer wedding. That’s why we decided on Maplewood Greens because our guests will admire one of the greatest things that the Evergreen state has to offer and that is its verdure.

The following are some pictures of our wedding site. Please note that these images were taken last winter, therefore, Maplewood Greens still had their Christmas decorations displayed.

Guest Table

Lovely Area for Pictures

Ballroom

I am absolutely pleased to know that we will be able to celebrate our ceremony and reception on the same site. This is a feature that not all of the venues offer so you’ll need to keep that in mind. We made this decision because some of our guests will be traveling to WA for our wedding so having the whole event in one site provides flexibility. And we’ll save money too!

Is it possible to spend less money by celebrating your Big Day in the same site? Of course! You can benefit off of this idea by paying less hours of photography and videography time. You can also take advantage of not spending too much in decorations. The flowers that you use in the ceremony can easily be transferred into the reception area.

Once you and your groom decide on where you’ll get married, my suggestion is to:

1. Take pictures
2. Measure the room(s)
3. Ask yourself if you like their food, linens, etc.
4. Ask the venue if they have a decoration policy
5. Is the changeover doable?

If you take pictures, you’ll be able to envision your wedding day. You and your photographer can identify in advance the best areas for pictures. You will also determine if the color palette can be admired inside the venue. Please be aware that some sites may have a strong color scheme around the site that will possibly not go well with your theme.

And finally, ask yourself if the venue is suitable for a changeover. How much time do they need? For example, Maplewood Greens has a patio where guests can enjoy cocktail hour while the changeover is in process. I asked our Special Events Coordinator about their experience with changeovers. She gave us a detailed explanation on how they make it work. This was definitely a deal breaker. We instantly knew that Maplewood Greens was the site for us.

This is the patio that guests may use during the changeover and cocktail hour.

Once you measure the room, you’ll know how many guests the site can handle. You can also ask yourself if the dance floor is big enough. How many staff members will work on your wedding day? Do you like their food, linens, china and furniture? If you do, you’ll save a lot of money in this area too! If you want to do some draping, hang picture frames, posters and/or decorations around the walls, please ask the vendor about the policies they may have in place.

Dance Floor

My suggestion is to gather all of the questions that you want to ask while interviewing and site seeing with your groom. Also, take plenty of pictures and read the contracts. You don’t have to read the whole contract at the meeting; you can ask for a copy and read it in the comfort of your own home.

The task of finding the perfect venue is not an easy one. However, once you check that off your checklist, you’ll feel so much better and accomplished. You can create a priority list that will make it easier on finding out what you want for your Big Day. Good luck and best wishes to you and your groom.

What a great idea! I would love to have this instead of a traditional guest book. Think of all the sweet (and probably some spicy) advice and wishes you will come home with. I can picture making a book out of all the wishes too– just line them up and photograph them and send to one of several online book makers– an easy way to have all those great wishes close to your heart always.

Unlike some similar wishing walls I have seen, I like that this one keeps the advice and wishes secret by rolling up the paper into the honeycomb. At other weddings I have been to the advice has been a little more open for all to see, which may keep folks from telling you what’s truly in their heart. My only wish is that it would not be made out of cardboard, but there’s probably a way to dress it up to make it look a little more festive. Maybe cover the cardboard with pretty wrapping paper? I may have to experiment.

Here’s the product description:

Tuck tiny colorful wishes for the happy couple, new baby or proud graduate into this cardboard frame for a memorable keepsake. Or give it to yourself and let it be a time capsule of your hopes and dreams. After the wall is full, store all your wishes in this keepsake WishChest. Includes 500 wish sheets. 100% recycled cardboard and 30% recycled paper fiber. Hand assembled in the USA.

$45.00

We wrote our ceremony with our officiant, Reverend Deborah Ashe (who we found on Weddingwire), and planned it to be fairly short, sweet, and very “us”.  Not too mushy, not too religious, but a nice balance of love, friendship, companionship, and family.

This part of the wedding was kind of a blur.  I was down the aisle before I knew it, and then we were standing hand in hand.  My brother walked me down the aisle (my dad passed away almost 10 years ago), and we hugged before I handed off my bouquet and faced Hydrangea Dude.  I could hear my mom sobbing behind me, but didn’t dare turn around.  I knew I’d start crying too.

My brother walking me down the aisle

Hydrangea Dude and I just looked at each other, smiling, while our officiant welcomed everyone and then we had a moment of silence for loved ones not with us. Then our friend Ruth came up for a reading, Called The Key To Love.  Revered Debi suggested this reading, and we really loved it.  It’s by an Anonymous writer in 1^st Century China, and still resonates today.

After the reading, we did a unity candle with a twist.  We had our moms come up to light the taper candles, representing us as individuals, then together, Hydrangea Dude and I lit the large pillar candle.  But, we left the individual candles lit as well, to indicate that while we are now one, we still maintain our own interests and uniqueness.

Hugging moms during their part of the ceremony

Then came the vows, which we wrote ourselves.  We both said the same thing to each other, and we composed our vows by taking bits and pieces of other vows: traditional, nontraditional, and adding in our own words as well.  Hydrangea Dude went first – I remember he was sweating, and his lip was quivering.  He was so nervous and emotional!  Who knew I’d be the one to hold it together?  After he said the vows, I said them back, and then we exchanged rings.

Exchanging rings

After a quick blessing, we had our first smooch as husband and wife and practically ran up the aisle, apparently.  I don’t remember walking fast, but the proof is in the video (and everyone else’s memory!)  What can I say?  I’m naturally a fast walker!  I was excited to get to the party!

First kiss

We're Married!

Up Next: The Ceremony Words (Reading and vows)

Anyway, think: Retro Glam. Marilyn Monroe, Rat Pack, etc. There is some jeweled detail on the dress… I am looking for a large cuff bracelet or several bangle bracelets in a jeweled pattern of squares, rectangles, triangles, ovals, you name it.  For my earrings, same jewels but a drop earring, nothing round or hoop-ish.

This is my jewelry inspiration from Haute Bride:

What fabulous jewelry ideas have you found?

A. JAFFE SAMPLE SALE

November 5th-6th, 2009
11:00am – 8:00pm

For more information, click on the image above or visit the Michael C. Fina website.

Happy shopping!!!

After we got engaged, people immediately told me to start looking for “the dress”, that I would find the perfect dress, and not to give up until I did. I started looking at dresses in magazines and finally found one I sort of liked:

Alfred Angelo Style 1148

None of the other dresses looked right to me. I found a local bridal store that carried that line and went to try it (and a few other dresses) on. Even though I knew the “other” dresses weren’t right, I still wasn’t sure about that dress. The one they had at the store was about 6 sizes too small, so I still really had no idea how it would look on me. I started showing the pictures to anyone who would look at them, and it was unanimous – everyone agreed it was the one. And yet, I didn’t feel it. It didn’t feel like “the” dress.

I started to doubt myself. Why wasn’t I excited about the dress? Was there something wrong with me? Did that mean I shouldn’t be getting married to Iris Dude?

I drove an hour to another bridal store that had a sample of the dress that was closer to my size. I tried it on, and suddenly… I started to feel something. I couldn’t quite describe it, but something felt a little special about the dress. I still wasn’t sure if it was “the” dress, but… something felt different.

Finally, I took a leap of faith. I ordered the dress, and had it shipped to my apartment. Earlier this week, I arrived home to find a FedEx delivery slip. I retrieved my package, went home, closed myself in my bedroom and opened the box.

Instantly… I was in love. Something about seeing the dress in MY size, MY color, holding it in MY bedroom, looking in MY mirror… I just knew. It was right. It was mine. It was “the” dress. Now, I can’t stop imagining myself wearing it down the aisle. I can’t stop planning what I’ll do with my hair and what jewelry I’ll wear and what pictures we should take. Suddenly, I’m so excited!

Anyway, I just wanted to share this with any of you other buds who might feel the same way I felt about the dress. It’s completely normal! Don’t rush your decision. You will find “the” dress. Just give it time!

To brainstorm, I did what most would do and turned to Google.  What I managed to find were these adorable cards that ask that very question in creative, unique ways: Will you be my bridesmaid?

www.greetingcarduniverse.com

To go along with the cards, I bought each a pair of Bridesmaid/Maid of Honor Hanky Pankies

Hanky Panky "Bridesmaid" at www.bloomingdales.com

and put them into a personalized cosmetics bag, which ultimately made for a very cute and practical gift for each of my special ladies.

Personalized Cosmetic Bags at www.beau-coup.com

Now, all I can hope is that all my other wedding decisions will be as easy and fun as this was!

From www.adamzyglis.com/magazine6.html

There, I said it. The ugly truth is out there. Do you hate me for it? Am I the only one to ever feel this way? Admitting this feels somehow shameful, like I am letting you all in on a big ugly secret. Any advice or suggestions to get through this wedding planning bump in the road are certainly appreciated.

What’s really doing me in are my anxieties and my expect-the-worst-scenario nature which are really getting the best of me.  A summary of my worries:

I am worried that no one will dance.

I am worried I am picking the wrong vendors (DJ, photographer, flowers, etc.)

I am worried that everything will fall apart and everyone will point fingers at me and call me a bad person/wedding planner.

I am worried that my family and Snapdragon Dude’s family won’t find the middle ground to come together and have a good time.

I am worried that I will trip and fall while walking down the grassy aisle.

I am worried that I am making people travel a long distance for something they don’t really want to go to.

I am worried that it will suck.

I am worried no one will like to food (and not having a chance to do a pre-tasting doesn’t help that worry)

I am worried I won’t look my best (humidity + Snapdragon bud’s Hair = NOOOO!)

I am worried we won’t get the wording of the ceremony right, or people will think it’s cheesy.

I am worried Snapdragon Dude will regret that I talked him into this type of wedding.

I am worried that we will be so busy feeling the need to host all our guests and meeting their needs that we will not be able to focus on the importance of what we are doing for each other, you know, getting married.

Should I just cancel the whole thing and call it a day? I don’t think that’s the answer, because I do believe in my heart that I can make this work. I am just in the weeds right now and at some point the puzzle pieces will join and the day will be beautiful and exactly what I wanted, or at least mostly so.

When I saw Jess’s post on her gorgeous wedding shoes (that’s Miss Budget Savvy Bride of course!), I did not hesitate for even a second before adding this mini-DIY to my list!! I lovelovelove shoes, and I was super-thrilled with my purple wedding heels, and I thought this was a perfect way to add a little bit of character to the soles of my toes! After all, these bad-boys deserved some love… they were supporting me while taking the walk of my life right?!

I just love how Jess’s look so whimsical!! BUT, let’s face it, I am an engineer, so my glitter letters (don’t they look exactly like Jess’s?! yep… stole that idea point-for-point!!) are freakishly symmetrical!!

Thanks for the brilliant inspiration Jess! I loved putting these on, and even though no one but me and my girls knew about it, it made me smile when I thought about it! Of course, now that people see the pictures, they keep coming to me saying “what an adorable touch! great idea”… I agree… great idea! Like I said… no point in re-inventing the wheel! If the detail leaves an impression on you, go for it, rock it! I reiterate… it’s the finest form of flattery right?

NOTE: pics of my purple kicks are from [6:8] Photography

I’ve seen many buds post here about their personalized photo books, and became more and more intrigued about creating a book of my own using the engagement photos that Orchid Dude and I took.

I had explored a few sites and checked out what they had to offer in terms of design and overall look, and through the recommendation of Canadian Living Magazine, I decided to check out Picaboo.

Picaboo.com

In addition to creating a book with our engagement photos, I wanted to turn it into a guest book so that I could easily share them with my wedding guests.

I also wanted to combine the two elements for a few reasons:

1. Orchid Dude and I aren’t the type to put photos of ourselves up all around the house, but we still wanted to be able to look at our engagement photos without having to log on to our computer every time.

2. We want a guest book at our wedding but know we’ll never look at one that is just full of signatures. Once we pack it up for our move, it will probably stay in a box.

With our photo/guest book, we can look at the pictures any time we like, share it with friends and family at any time, as well as skim through all the well wishes of our guests very easily.

Having never made a personalized photo book or used a photo book creator, I didn’t know what to expect. But Picaboo was EXTREMELY user friendly and it couldn’t have been any easier to create my book!

They use a very simple drag-and-drop editor with tons of different page layouts for you to choose from. They also have extensive Background Community where you can choose from backgrounds according to their colour, designer or popular tag OR you can even use your own photo as a background image.

The hardest part of putting this book together was making sure I had chosen the perfect pictures to share with our guests!

Once I processed my order, it took a very short 1 week to be made and shipped to my house. I also found a 50% off coupon for first time users that doesn’t seem to have an expiration date. 

Coupon Code:1P50PO

In total, with all my international shipping charges my book ended up costing me about $40.00 (I imagine for residents of the US your shipping charges will be much less bringing down the overall cost quite significantly).

My book arrived yesterday and I am completely happy with the product that I received. I would happily and eagerly recommend Picaboo to anybody who is looking to make their own photo books. I am now thinking of making small books with our wedding photos in it for our parents as a little ‘thank you’ after the wedding.

This is a picture of ticket stubs from the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame - when we got engaged!

Our Summer engagement pictures, with an area for guests to sign

Our Winter engagement photos

The back of our book - we chose black leather

There is a possibility that I may use a hair accessory. I think their lovely, but I guess it all depends on the gown I select. I found three companies with very different styles that may appeal to a variety of brides.

Let’s start with Jennifer Behr. All of her pieces are handmade and exude a modern look.

Hand curled silk satin rose with bud and leaves sewn onto a 1.5" comb.

Then, I found Twigs & Honey. She’s from the Pacific Northwest, just like me. Her pieces are inspired by nature with an organic composition. She is also known to have a true talent for combining textures.

Double ivory silk flower with coque feather accents.

The third vendor I found is called the Little White Dresser. The designer of is a full time textile student. I had a lot of fun browsing through her selection.

Handmade silvery lace covered with beautiful crystals and tiny silvery glass beads.

What do you think? Should I purchase my gown first and then determine if I will wear a hairpiece, a tiara or just the veil?

Monday, November 02, 2009
4pm to 9pm
The Roosevelt Hotel
45 East 45th Street, New York, NY 10017

A promotional email I received about this event features Sylvia Weinstock, David Tutera by Faviana, Yves Saint Laurent at Bergdorf Goodman, a Couture Fashion Show, Cake Tastings, Gift Bags & Bridal Makeovers from Bobbi Brown The Studio!

What else can a bride-to-be ask for?!?! What’s that? You want free tickets, too?? Done! For Complimentary Tickets ($50 Value, Admits 2) use code TBNY9C.

Enjoy!

From SweetThings Blog

Cake tasting was the one thing that I looked forward to the most in wedding planning. I pictured plates full of sweet, sugary goodness and I wanted to taste every cake in town! Well, timing and this little thing called Diabetes really didn’t allow for all of that cake tasting to happen. So, we selected our baker and went to two tastings with them.

It was important for us to have a cake that was both visually appealing and appealing to the taste buds. I wanted to capture each dessert craving with each succulent layer.

Layer 1 – We started with a neutral flavor that would satisfy most palates without being boring and too…well, “vanilla.” Sexy Red Velvet: Perfectly simple red velvet cake filled with the ultimate cream cheese frosting.

Layer 2 – One of the most popular cravings is, of course, chocolate. How did we satisfy that craving? S’mores: Ultimate chocolate cake filled with vanilla bean marshmallow frosting, milk chocolate ganache, and graham cracker crunch.

Layer 3 – We satisfy the craving for sweet and tart with this layer. Luscious Lemonberry: Light lemon cake filled with tart lemon curd, lemon cream cheese frosting, raspberry jam, and handfuls of fresh all-natural raspberries.

Layer 4 – To fulfill the sweet, creamy and fruity cravings we chose.. Strawberry Bomb: Luscious fresh strawberry cake filled with our ultimate cream cheese frosting, strawberry preserves, and handfuls of fresh all-natural sliced strawberries.

I am quite sure that this cake will delight and wow our guests! If you will excuse me now, I must go hit the gym to prepare myself for all of this eating….

Here are a few photos from our wedding cake vendor, Gimme Some Sugar, Las Vegas

We switched our rings to our left hands during our ceremony, after we said our vows.

"With this ring, I join my life with yours."

Since I was fresh out of college and blew my savings on the trip to Italy where we got engaged, our rings were inexpensive sterling silver. We planned to upgrade to white gold before the wedding, but it got pushed aside in the flurry of all the other wedding stuff we had to take care of…

I ran into a few roadblocks in the process of upgrading my wedding ring. I was looking for a white gold band with no stones, but with some personality. I started by browsing online, and I liked these rings:

from goldandgems.com, kay.com, and ice.com

Then I took myself into a store with my heart set on the ring center above. And somehow, I walk out of the store having ordered this ring:

from kay.com

I really, really liked the ring, but after a day or two I was convinced that I had done myself a disservice because I didn’t even ask to see the ring I originally wanted. More than that, I “really, really liked” the ring with diamonds, but I didn’t love it, and I think I should love my wedding ring. I spent the week it took to get the ring with diamonds sized agonizing over my choice.

I ended up ordering the center ring above online so I could compare both rings. Now that I have both, I ended up loving the ring I originally wanted, so I will be returning the ring with diamonds.

The lesson here is definitely to trust your instincts and don’t let yourself be persuaded by a sales clerk until you have seen what you went into the store to see in the first place.

I have gotten a few “but you deserve to have diamonds in your wedding ring” comments from friends while making up my mind, but I had to go with my intuition. And I love it!

I’ve heard time and time again that as great as engagement is, its also a very difficult time. Trying to balance everyone’s wants and needs with reality is not easy. For some reason, the pressure of looking for venues, picking a date, and trying to get everyone on board caught up to me last Monday. My dear Gardenia Dude, who just started a fantastic new job, has been impossible to get an answer from. Between proving himself at a new company and nightly MBA classes, he is pretty difficult to track down. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming him, but just trying to explain the factors contributing to The Breakdown.

With an MIA fiance, its quite difficult to make big wedding decisions. Its his wedding also, therefore before I do anything or make any decisions, I want his input. Without being able to get a response via email during the day or see him in the evenings, this has been almost impossible. To make matters worse, his latest joke is that we’ll be finished wedding planning within the first month of our engagement because of my preparedness. Needless to say, I don’t find it too funny…

So, the MIA fiance combined with parents who live 5 hours away, who have no concept for things in D.C. except that they are expensive, who are planning another wedding, and who have their own everyday issues made for one emotional, attention-seeking bride! So, what did I do? I threw my toys. In my defense, I felt pretty helpless – but ever since, I’ve been 100 times better. Its amazing what a good tantrum can do. Since then, we’ve been able to almost finalize the venue, the church, and the date.  So, while I do not recommend such a breakdown to all brides, I will say that maybe toddlers have the right idea – a good tantrum is not only cathartic, but it really gets people’s attention!!

I was browsing the lovely Amore Bride etsy shop and found these wine centerpieces:

I thought that would be a cute and functional way to decorate, but I’m also scared that it’s not big enough to be a center piece. What do you think? I’ll have to tell you my final decision on centerpieces when it comes to me!!

When looking for our venue, I did have a brief list of “needs”: I needed a place where we could have our ceremony and reception in the same place. I needed a venue that was entirely indoors, or had an easy (and free) rain plan. I preferred a place that would let me choose my own caterer. And I needed somewhere fun, somewhere that felt alive and exciting and playful. What better place than a kids museum?

This picture was taken from the second floor, looking down at another event in the main area where our ceremony and reception will be held. Isn’t the globe great?

It’s certainly not the perfect venue for every bride (but then again, Iris Dude wasn’t perfect for everyone either – just me, and that’s all that mattered!) but it felt right to me and Iris Dude. We walked in, immediately knew we had found it. It was perfect! And on top of that, it fit our price range, and the staff is amazing (helpful, accommodating and so supportive!)

This is the guest information desk, looking back towards the area where the reception will be held. We’ll clear this desk off, and use it as the bar. I love being able to use something other than a regular table for the bar! It makes it much more exciting looking.

Plus, how could you NOT love a venue that includes a pirate ship?

We’re trying hard to think ways to play up the atmosphere – fun, playful ideas. Any suggestions??

I’ve worked very hard coming up with clever yet stylish ways to personalize various aspects of our wedding, and when it came to finding a thank you gift for my bridesmaids I knew exactly what I wanted to do!

Personally designed bracelets for my bridesmaids

A friend of mine from High School started up her own jewelry making business as a part time venture while she was in University. I decided to contact her about my interest in some custom bracelets, and she invited me to one of her beading workshops to view her recent work.

She had boxes and boxes full of gorgeous crystals and beads, and loads of beautiful pieces that I wish I could have taken home. I had a blast going through all the different pieces, and by the end of the workshop we had set a date for the 2 of us to explore the ‘bead district’ of Toronto to find the perfect beads for my bracelets.

The final stop on our bead adventure was to Arton Beads on Queen Street W. I was completely blown away by all the stunning beads and jewels I saw, and it was very hard to make a decision about what I wanted included in the bracelets.

We narrowed it down to black and red (to match the colours of our wedding) and went with black pearls, red rectangular glass beads, some seed beads and some other red and black prismatic beads (which I can’t remember the name of). As an added personal touch, I chose a silver heart charm with a Swarovski crystal in the center to hang off the clasp.

Swarovski crystal detail

Last week I went to pick up the finished bracelets from my friend, and I fell completely in love with them the moment I saw them. I think they are going to look beautiful up against the bridesmaid’s black dresses. I can’t wait to see their reaction when they open them!!

The finished product

I went into the washroom, and thought, wow… after all the hard work, tears, exams, phone calls, paper cutting, discussions, workouts… wow, it was here!! I am not gonna lie peeps, I can’t say the emotion was excitement. Nope, it was simply CALM. It was happening, I was ready, I had had a pretty good night’s sleep, most things were done (and even though I knew there were some things that quite simply wouldn’t get done, I was still calm!!), I wasn’t going to look outside at the weather, we were getting married! My cousin (and bridesmaid) came into the washroom, and told me I had to go back to bed… it was my wedding day, and I needed a bit more rest! So, without fighting her, I went back to bed. I knew our hair and make-up queen was to arrive at 7am, so I asked P-ah to wake me up then.

7am: things started rolling. I didn’t do much… had coffee, wandered around the lodge admiring all the work my peeps had done the night before (while my girls and I were out for dinner!!), ate an apple… calm (borderline zombie!). just some of the handiwork of my ladies… beautiful right?! All the flowers were grown by my mom and step-mom, and arranged by my step-mom and about 5 girlfriends!!

Our table numbers! My hubs and I made them about 3 days before the wedding… using rocks from down by the river (literally), and some gold leaf I had in my craft box… $0!

I just LOVED the rectangular tables!! The burlap runners were crafted by my mom… and note to the DIY teams… get the burlap at the hardware store… for cheap!! Don’t get it at craft or fabric stores! These were the tables before the flowers were added!

P-ah was the first to get started with hair and make-up…

And then things started to get rolling… beauty salon style!! I started with hair into rollers, and then I had a few hours to chillax! Well, ok, I did have one important task… I still needed to write my vows!! Yep, you heard that right… the words hadn’t come to me earlier, and I didn’t want to force anything. I knew the format I would be writing in, and had most things going up in my head, but they really needed to get written down. So this is a pic of my momma and I while I was trying to hide from everyone else in the house, and get some words on paper!! Note the I DO sign on the stairs (made by my mom and step-dad) directing our guests up to the ceremony site!

My other girls were busy getting prettied: JB was next…

And then my MOH, CC:

And I was still writing… this time in our closet!

Then it came time for me to start getting beautiful… make-up first:

Still calm as can be… this little treat didn’t hurt:

Yep, bridesmaid P-ah hookin me up with a massage DURING makeup!!

So, the morning was off to a really great start! Jordy (our hair and makeup guru) is a friend, so it was really nice to be able to hang out with her too! I didn’t really leave the room much during the morning, so I didn’t have a clue what was going on in terms of set-up or anything else for that matter, so I remained in my state of calm bliss!! This is easy!!

I was always really worried I wouldn’t be able to be relaxed the morning of the wedding (hmmm… worried about being worried… not a great plan!), but the night before the wedding, I was out for dinner with my three girls eating the most delicious Thai food in one of my fav little restaurants in Fernie, and we were laughing NON-STOP, not even thinking about the wedding… just hanging out!! I knew at that moment that the wedding was about spending time with your most favorite peeps… and I knew nothing would be able to ruin the day!! So, I enjoyed the whole process!! Everyone tells you that the day really flies by, and in some ways, it totally did, but to be honest, I really felt that the morning was relaxed, calm, and FUN!

NOTE: all photos by the talented [6:8] Photography!!

from http://digifree.blogspot.com

…and your new to do list! Imagine that, after two and a half years of wedding stuff, I still have some wedding stuff to do now that we are married. The Nest provides this list of newlywed to dos.

Here is my post-wedding to do list:

• Send announcements (Check!)
• Write and send thank you notes (Check!)
• Clean and store my dress (Check!)
• Create and order wedding photo album
• Pack up wedding stuff strewn about my apartment
• Sell some wedding stuff or donate it
• Upgrade my sterling silver ring for white gold (which was supposed to be done before the wedding…)

Some of the common things you should do as a newlywed, we were able to take care of earlier (like calling Calla Lily Dude’s tax preparer) or I don’t have to worry about (like changing my name, since I am keeping my own).

I am happy to get some things off the list and was able to do so rather quickly with some planning. For example, I had our DIY announcements printed at the same time as our invitations and thank you notes, so I just stuffed announcement envelopes when we were getting our invitations together. Our announcements went out in the mail the day after the wedding.

I also printed 2 sets of mailing labels to make sending thank you notes a breeze. I even took a stack of thank you notes and a print out from our registry on our honeymoon, since I knew I would be up earlier than my dear husband and would need to kill some time. I am happy to report that I got all of our thank you notes sent within 2 weeks of the wedding. I like to think of myself as a thank you note rock star because I have several friends who never sent out thank you notes and regret it to this day, years later.

As for the other to do items, I am currently working on creating our wedding album using Shutterfly.com, but stalled on packing away the wedding miscellany in our apartment or selling/donating it . I think I am attached to all the wedding clutter after being surrounded by it for the last two and a half years, so I am reluctant to see it go… but I know I can’t have boxes and stuff laying about forever!

I have ordered several new wedding rings, so look for a post about that…

I am settling into married life quite nicely, but I still have to take care of a few more wedding-related to dos, so the wedding adventure is not over just yet!

Our Save the Date card project has been a labor of love and a long journey. Oh my! I did so much research that my head was just spinning by thinking about it.

The images on this post were taken by my Matron of Honor (MOH). I really wanted our wedding style to come across on the Save the Date cards. We put a lot of thought into each detail and are proud with the finished product.

To make these cards a reality I had to find the right photographer; select a hair and make up artist; find the best location for our photo shoot; determine the date, time and attire for the shoot; purchase the materials for the cards…and finally assemble them.

I had my MOH and a friend help me with the assembly. For the production assembly, I decided to use my office, since we had the privacy and space needed for the project. I was inspired by a designer of custom invitations and greeting cards, known as Keg Design. I used her idea with a “splash” of our own style and personality.

During my research I discovered the art of rubber stamping. I decided to use it as part of our first formal wedding announcement. I purchased all of my stamps and ink at Impress in Tukwila. I found the magnets at Michael’s; and the Tiffany blue paper with the white envelopes were purchased at Paper Zone in Tukwila.

My friend measured the stationery in order to ensure a perfect alignment between each stamp. She was taking measurements for about 15 minutes. MOH and I were so impressed with her strategy. You can definitely tell that she is a pro at creating and producing greeting cards.

MOH did a fantastic job of creating the labels and sticking them into the envelopes. Now, what did I do while everyone was working tirelessly on this project? I stamped the back of each envelope with the word “announcing…” I absolutely LOVE this stamp. It just sets the stage to whatever you want to announce to your friends and family. I also worked on a second task which was cutting all of the magnets that go on the back of each card. The purpose of the magnet is to have our guests place the card in their refrigerator at home or hang it in any place that can attract the magnet to the surface.

Here is an image of how our table looked like while working on the project.

MOH and I scheduled a second day to finish the project. I went to Kinko’s beforehand to have them cut the photo strips. At MOH’s house we glued the photos into the stationery. Towie Bear and his brother glued the magnets into the back of the stationery and then put each one inside the white envelope. MOH and I started gluing the photos, while the guys created a template for us to make sure that we perfectly aligned the image between the “P” and the “Save the Date” stamps. That was so nice of them!

And here is the finished product. We went to the post office and got the wedding themed stamps. I didn’t know there were so many images available to pick from. This was truly a whirlwind experience for me, but I learned so much and had fun with the people that I care about. I love our cards!

All my friends know how much of a planner I am, but regardless of how much you try to make everything flawless, there are going to be things that don’t go as you had planned. I only write this as a note to those who are still planning and worrying about their big day. I hope that it will help them realize that the small stuff doesn’t really matter and the important thing is to enjoy the total bliss of a day dedicated to celebrating your new marriage with friends and family.  Perfection is defined in many ways .

Some of our Wedding Oops…
– An hour late to rehearsal
- Weather that was 20 degrees below what it had been on the same date three years in a row
- Finding out the flower girl’s shoes didn’t fit 1 day before the wedding
- Two guests almost lighting the place on fire when getting paper too close to the candles
- Walking down the wrong aisle during the recessional
- Having the wrong year printed on a batch of invitations and having my father ask if he missed my wedding
- Forgetting to put the bouquets and petals on cake table
- Broken bench in the photo booth from an earlier party
- Guest shattering glass as they eagerly tried to catch the garter
- Forgetting to dance with my husband during our last dance song. Instead, I randomly danced with another friend and our officiant

Frankly, I think that these quirks add to the fond memories of the event. Embrace them and just laugh the silly things off. I promise you everything will turn out great!

Bar from Snazzy Jazzy

10 ft. bar from Ice Occassions, Las Vegas

I’ve been to several hospitality parties with ice bars and weddings with ice carvings. I am not one who is much into the monogram or two swans necking…. So this is my new quest: To find ice bar inspiration. I love the luge style bar and would love to have our last initial incorporated. Or our initial to be the luge. Anyone have any luck finding an iced “F”??!?

Mammograms save lives. Please help spread the word and encourage all your female friends and family members to schedule a mammogram, so we can all celebrate a world with more birthdays!

…and just think, a world with more birthdays means more weddings, too! 

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by Periwinkle Blossom.