DC NearlyWeds

A Pocket Full of Poseys...

2009-11-14T20:45:00.003-05:00

(Source) Or rather, a bouquet full of roses is what I'm talking about! Our lovely florists, Atelier Floral Design, put up some photos on their Facebook fanpage from a wedding they did at Glen Echo Park over the summer and I started squealing! It made me SO excited about my wedding. The pictures totally inspired me to share with you guys what I am hoping to see in March.

(Courtesy of Steve O'Toole Photography)

When planning this wedding, the ONE thing (out of many...tee hee) that I HAD to have was real flowers. Not trying to knock anyone that uses silk or other fake flowers, but it's just not my thing. Soon after discovering wedding blogs, I stumbled across Saipua and was floored by Sara's ability to make flowers look wild and put together at the same time. Her blog, along with a huge list of others, have fed my total obsession with all things floral.

Below are a few ideas for my bouquet. We are using garden roses, anemones and berries in hues of peach, ivory, green and white. I want the look of peonies, but cannot afford them. Rachel and Jennifer will use large peach garden roses to give the look of peonies, but without the cost (SCORE!).

(Source)(Source)

For the bride's attendants, I have asked for purple bouquets. The flowers will be similar to those within my bouquet, but using a mix of lavender and deep purple hues.
(Source) For the centerpieces, there will be a mixture of tall arrangements resembling the second photo above with mini tea light holders hanging from the branches. We will also have clusters of ball jars with green, peach and lavender arrangements. Our third centerpiece will be books with a flower arrangement on top or surrounding them.

(Courtesy of a lovely bride whose image I saved and did not write down the location of this picture for, please comment of this is your image and I will properly credit you)(Source)

Rachel and Jennifer will also hang paper lanterns for us inside of the bumper car pavilion. A sprig of lavender at each place setting will add a little extra piece of loveliness to the overall table decor.

These two are truly awesome. I emailed them WWWAAAYYY before one even thinks about hiring a florist (in actuality, when Mr. Glen Echo and I met with them, another florist actually turned down my request to meet with her because she said it was too early for me to think about flowers...too bad for her, oops I booked someone else). They were so nice in answering all of my premptive/budget planning questions. When we met in January (yes, they were booked in January, over a year before my wedding) they did not question or hesitate considering my wedding was so far away. In general, they are such nice people, considerate of time (and budget) and did a fantastic job at one of my best friend's wedding this summer. I cannot wait until March when I get to see everything in person! Just 4 months and 2 weeks away!

oh goodness another 2 dress bride

2009-11-11T15:05:00.003-05:00

weeee I'm so excited!! ok I've mentioned this before but to sum up, I bought a dress in March that was beautiful and cheap and made my mom cry - but it didn't make me swoon. I bought it because I liked it well enough and it was an amazing deal (priscilla of boston dress for under $200? Yes please). I had done some other dress shopping and fell in love with a couple different ones but they were way out of my price range.

Enter preownedweddingdresses.com. I've been randomly trolling the used/sample dress resale sites for a long time, hoping hoping hoping I would see one of the 2 dresses that made me swoon in the beginning. The Jim Hjelm one is often up for sale, almost never deeply discounted because honestly, they don't have to. It's gorgeous and popular. The Sarah Danielle dress is not so common, I almost never see it for sale used or in a sample sale. Until last week! I did another google search for "sarah danielle sample sale" and up popped a new preownedweddingdresses listing - it was the dress. it was $400. and it was close enough to my size that alterations would be easy. The girl says she bought it as a sample but ended up wearing a different dress for her wedding so this one has never been worn or altered, and it has absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I just paid for it via escrow.com (recommended over paypal by all the wedding dress resale sites) and it should be on its way to me tomorrowwwwwww!

I would post pictures here except Mr. Fairfax follows this blog - but here's a link to it (mr. fairfax verboten!!). weeeeee!

Any other 2-dress brides? Anyone else have a dress they're not crazy about? My advice is to keep looking. I was gonna be fine with wearing the dress I bought - it really is quite pretty - but now that I'm getting this one.... Now I get what all the fuss is about.

Style Board Challenge

2009-11-11T09:33:00.003-05:00

Announcing the Dessy-Pantone-OneWed Style Board Challenge

Win $500 in Dessy Accessories or up to 8 Lela Rose Bridesmaids Dresses We are so enamored by the new Dessy-Pantone Style Board tool that we have teamed up to offer a luck bride (actually 4) $500 in Dessy Accessories for the best inspiration board they can create. In November, December, January and February we will be selecting a monthly winner. At the end of February we will select our grand prize winner who will win up to 8 Lela Rose bridesmaid dresses. We’ll, of course, showcase our favorite inspiration boards and brides-to-be on the OneWed Savvy Scoop Blog

Remix

2009-10-29T14:40:00.002-05:00

I really want to write about my wedding, but I am waiting to organize my pictures that we got from our photog so I can share some of my faves.

Until then, I am here and there helping other friends who are in the process of getting hitched with some last minute accessorizing. I happen to love THE REMIX, this fabulous vintage store in Capitol Hill ( and online shopping!).

I have to admit, some (most) of the clothes are crazy expensive, but what I love about this place are the bits and baubles they have. With weddings, you really want to express your personality not just through your dress, but have it shine out head to toe (omg, I sound like Tyra).

One of the pieces I saw online that would be so fun for a wedding day clutch is this beaded darling:

I also love Annie Cream Cheese in Georgetown. Look at this possible rehearsal dinner dress:

I love this place because they have tons of crazy cute jeans and sexy little dresses. It might be worth a trip in there or to The Remix to find something for the bachelorette party, bridesmaids presents, or something nice for yourself after a long day of wedding planning.

So don't gloss over some of the rad vintage we have in this area. Some of the items can turn into really fantastic finds!

Other area stores that I have visited or heard great things about are:

Mood Indigo on U St.

Meeps and Aunt Neensy's on U St. (Never been but some students of mine have and loved it there)

Vogue to Vintage in Reston.

So happy hunting for those vintage goodies! And hope everyone has a safe , fun, and spooky Halloween! I get to attend a masquerade ball wedding on Halloween so I will let you all know how that wedding goes.

Excuses to Shop...

2009-10-29T08:14:00.007-05:00

Hello, my name is Miss Glen Echo; and I am a shop-a-holic.

Being engaged has allowed me to indulge my addiction with total inhabition (to the dismay of Mr. Glen Echo). For example, recently, there has been a lot of talk about my bridal shower in Feburary. A trip to pick up a birthday gift for a friend resulted in me irrationally justifying purchasing a shower ensemble...mmm...4 months in advance. At least this time, my indulgence resulted in purchasing something really cute and interesting that was also ON SALE!

This is my bridal shower dress...LOVE IT! I got it at Antrhopologie for $50 on sale (SCORE!) I figure...Feburary, Valentine's Day, Red, Loveliness! And...IT HAS POCKETS!

(source)

I already have a light grey cardigan I got at the J Crew factory store at Arundel Mills. It looks a bit like this one, but it has two little light and dark grey flowers near the neck line. I think it will go well with the dress.

(source)

So now I am searching for shoes...this is where I need your help Ladies. I cannot decide between:

1) Grey Pumps: Urban Outfitters, $48

2) Red, White and Blue Pumps : Nine West, $89

3) Purple Flats: Piperlime, $49.99

So, help me choose Ladies...
Which one do you think will go best with what I have so far? Accessories will be picked based on the shoe choice. I know the choices are not at all similar to one another...so if you think something else would look better, please give me a link...especially if its a good deal.

COMPLIMENTARY BRIDAL TASTING, Compliments of RSVP Catering!

2009-10-27T23:54:00.000-05:00

RSVP Catering invites all future brides and a guest to take part in a complimentary tasting on Thursday, November 5, 2009 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. The event will be held at RSVP Catering, 2930 Prosperity Avenue, Fairfax, VA 22031. Call (703) 573-8700 or register by email: info@rsvpcatering.com.

The tasting offers prospective brides an opportunity to sample RSVP Catering’s creative cuisine, including selections from Organix by RSVP, a seasonal selection of local, organic and sustainable foods. Guests will also have the chance to meet RSVP Catering’s team of wedding professionals and to check out the latest wedding trends.

bridesmaid gifts

2009-10-27T14:12:00.003-05:00

It might be early for me to be worrying so much about this but.. I've been doing a lot of looking around online for bridesmaid gifts and I'm having some trouble figuring out what to do! First let me just describe my bridal party:

MOH: tall, masculine lesbian, wearing a suit in the wedding. does not do girly. cannot buy her a cute clutch or feminine jewelry or anything like that.

Attendant#2: oldest sister, kind of a hippy/tomboy, straight but not into much of anything girly. outdoorsy, all about being eco-conscious (she takes her own mason jar to coffee shops ok. not even one of those normal reusable plastic or metal to-go mugs. a glass mason jar with a screw-top lid. ok.).

Attendant#3: other older sister, totally opposite in terms of personality from oldest sister. Girly type things ok for her, but nothing Too girly.

Attendant #4: old college roommate. completely different from any of the above, this girl is the definition of feminine class. Never leaves the house undone up. A place for everything and everything in its place kind of a girl. Could totally do the traditional bridesmaid gifts for her, or I could do a more personalized thing.

Sooo HALP. Clearly the Sugared Lemon Clutch (pictured above) from eclu would not work as a gift for all of them, as much as I love it. So I've been trying to find a way to get Something that's basically the same to give to all of them (like a bag or a neato In Touch Clutch), and then maybe something else that's personal. But I don't have a huuuge budget for this.

I could of course just find a necklace that would suit the three more feminine bridesmaids (like THIS? LOVE), and then some kind of nice accessory for my MOH (personalized belt? pricey but awesomely androgynous ring?). I just want to do more than that. But I can't be spending $100 on each girl so I've got to narrow down my ideas.

What are you all thinking about doing for your attendants/bridesmaids/whatever-you're-calling-them?

Who Can Resist FREE....Wedding Cake!!!!

2009-10-26T23:27:00.002-05:00

Free Wedding Cake from Fluffy Thoughts.

Fluffy Thoughts Cakes, a McLean, Virginia based specialty bakery and one of DCNearlyWeds Top Pick Bakery for July 2009, are offering a free wedding cake to a member of our armed forces serving in the Washington, DC metro area.

Fluffy Thoughts Cakes will be accepting entries for the free wedding cake beginning now through November 1, 2009. The recipient will be selected on Veteran's Day November 11th, 2009.

To qualify, the bride or groom must be a member of the military and must be getting married in 2010 in the Washington, DC metro area.

To enter the give-away, the applicant should send an email to Fluffy Thoughts Cakes at lara8@aol.com including the following contact
information: Name, Phone Number, Wedding Date, Location of Wedding.
Additionally, please include: Why you should win a free wedding cake and a photo of the couple.

And we have a dress!!

2009-10-24T20:01:00.002-05:00

Today was the 2nd day of the Brides Against Breast Cancer event in Silver Spring, MD. I decided to attend the event because a) I still needed a dress and b) it goes to an awesome cause. If you don't know anything about BABC, it is an event that occurs in various cities across the country. Brides donate their pre-owned wedding dresses and they are sold at a significant discount (ranging from $100-999, with couture dresses being a bit more pricey). Dresses are no more than 5 years old, so luckily you don't get any 1980's poofy sleeved numbers floating around. It really is a great cause, and if you still need a dress, tomorrow is the last day of the sale!

Anyways, I attended the event with 4 of my 5 bridesmaids and my mother. For me personally it was a difficult process because I was very specific about what I wanted. My dress must be strapless, not poofy, and no embroidary/loads of beads/sparkles. However, I didn't want it to be super simple and boring. This was really really hard to find at the event, especially because I wear a size 14 in wedding wear. Doesn't it make you feel AWESOME when you're a size 8 in real life, but in wedding world you're a 14? Aaaaaaaanyways, most of the dresses there were beautiful, but not what I was looking for (at least, in my size). After trying on about 30 dresses and with my bridesmaids and mom pressuring me, I finally found the one.

And I say "the one" because it just happened to be the one I chose. If I had thousands of dollars to spend on a dress, I guarantee you I would have gotten Melissa Sweet's "Dora" dress and would have jumped in excitment second I put it on (LOVE that dress!). BUT, I don't have thousands of dollars. So, I picked a dress. My bridesmaids started jumping and screaming in excitement. I did not. I mean, I like the dress. I like the way it looks. It's beautiful, it's what I wanted. Maybe I'm not the type of person to scream in excitement about a dress. Or maybe I've just settled. Either way, I have a dress and I really do like it, I swear. I don't have a picture of me in it yet, but here it is from the Mori Lee website.

I got it for a steal at $600, and it has many of the elements I wanted: Lace, empire waist, and strapless. I'm hoping it will be casual enough for my chicken fajita, outdoor wedding in the middle of July. :) Next up, choosing a venue!

This is my confession

2009-10-24T13:29:00.003-05:00

This may have to be a multiple part post because I have so much to share! First off, I have been married for three weeks and so far so good:-P The wedding was fabulous and I would have blogged sooner but I had another wedding to attend the weekend after our wedding and an event at work the weekend after that so it has been a little hectic since October 3rd!

Before all the good juicy wedding goodness, let me confess...

...The day before the wedding was slightly disastrous. Well, at least for me it seemed that way. The entire time we were engaged I had a few "moments" where I felt like ripping someones head off, but for the most part (and I have people who will testify on my behalf) I was well behaved as far as brides to be are concerned. But the day before the wedding, I snapped. Maybe it was lack of sleep, or that my cake lady bailed on me a few days before, or the crappy weather, but man, I was not nice at all for a good chunk of the day on Friday. I hate to admit it, but I was definitely a bridezilla for a few hours.

While I would never condone being one, I sympathize with other brides who have just lost it at one point or another. I think we all want to be the most perfect bride and have everyone who worked with us or were part of the wedding say that we were so fabulous that they have nothing bad to say. Well, I can honestly say that this is true for most of my wedding planning, but I would not fault anyone for calling me out for my lapse of decorum the day before the wedding.

I was on the phone snapping at people, sending angry text messages, bursting into tears when I felt that the food for the rehearsal picnic got there too late (which while it was a tad bit late, no one noticed or cared by me), that no one was having fun (they all were---I mean--there was beer and good friends, how could they not have fun?), and that the world was collapsing around me. I know, drama queen. And I thought the no one could tell that I was having a breakdown but everyone knew.

So my advice for the day before the wedding is to think about what my now husband told me when I was nearly in tears and being a total sourpuss: "You are the only one not enjoying today and you need to get over it. No one cares about all the things you are freaking out about."

He was right and by the time the rehearsal started, after seriously mulling over what he had said, I was back to being me and the last 6 hours were a blur. I spent the rest of the night enjoying the time I had with friends and family who came from far and away to be with me and my husband to celebrate our wedding. I also spent a good chunk of time apologizing to the people I had snapped at.

As you get ready for your big day, keep those words in mind. It is so easy to get caught up in all the frenzy and fuss of the wedding that we sometimes forget that no one but us, the bride, cares about all the teeny details.

Have you had a meltdown yet?

Deep Thoughts by Miss Glen Echo...

2009-10-23T08:00:00.006-05:00

(source)
What is a bridezilla? Am I a bridezilla? Several events have occurred lately has me self-reflecting on this...and I am a little concerned...

A "Bridezilla" is defined as follows: "Webster's Definition: Bridezilla\ bride-zil-a n 1 Horrific, bulging-eyed bride prone to screaming spells and spontaneous fits of hysterical rage. Bridezillas are known to drop blows over seating charts, get bug-eyed at the mere mention of carnations and view hurling champagne at their wedding planners as a form of hazing." Actually, this is the definition from Bridezilla.com...although Webster should just go ahead and adopt it.

I am not quite there...yet...but I feel the rage coming. I am going through some issues with the woman that is doing our invitations. I have been emailing her since June...it is now October and she has finally finished our invitations. She sent me some paper samples and I picked a nice green color that went well with our overall color scheme. I was SO excited about the prospect of 1) seeing my wedding inviations and 2) finally being done with this whole process. She gauranteed them to me, by today, last week. She emailed me about them and said they should be arriving this week...that's all.

Yesterday, I got an email saying that they did not have the paper I picked and she went ahead and had them printed on white paper and that they looked nice. She had the nerve to include a "YAY" in the email! I do not think I have ever been that mad over the color of paper before in my life. My main complaint is that she did not even ask me if that was what I wanted. She indicated that they ran out of the green paper I wanted and SHE made the decision to put them on white, but that if I did not like them on white, she would re-print them on the green. Which leads me to think that she should have asked me if I was willing to wait the extra time for the green paper instead of sticking it on the white paper that I specifically did not want.

Mr. Glen Echo helped me calm down, because I was ready to flip out via email. He suggested waiting to see what arrived and then going from there. So, I am now calm...but I swear if that deliver does not come today!!!! This might be me... (source)

I tried to step back and reflect...because in the back of my mind, the idea of losing my 'ish over paper was borderline, if not full on, bridezilla. But, why? I mean, if you spent $150 on a couch, wouldn't you be upset if the wrong wrong was delivered? Or, if you purchased a dress, wouldn't you return it if it was in the wrong color or just didn't fit right?

Then, why is my reaction of displeasure about the color of my invitation paper making me so paranoid? For some reason, being upset about anything associated with your wedding means you are a "zilla" or at least that label immediately comes to mind. Is this fair? Of course I want to be a laid back bride that takes in the "moment" when the day comes instead of crying over every little detail that does not go right. But, right now, I am thinking about the money I am spending to get to that point and that I am paying for a service that should be done right.

Anyone else concerned about potential Bridezilla-ish tendencies?

Ceremony musings plus: random DIY tip

2009-10-19T10:27:00.004-05:00

I'm enjoying this lull in planning right now. I feel like I could get some things done and out of the way but I don't have to, and that's very pleasant. Probably once we get past the holidays I will enter the urgent-oh-crap mode but for now I'm enjoying just focusing on whatever I want, for however long I want.

Random I WANT: Gruyere and Black Pepper Gougeres. Found on Etsy - they're sold out but I just bet you can convo them for a new order. I've been looking for an idea for a "pre-ceremony finger food type thing,"I think this would be perfect.. (source)

Last night Mr. Fairfax and I had a really great little ceremony planning session. We went through the vows and ring exchange wording sent to us by our officiant, changed 'em up a little to our liking, and then went over the other pieces we'd come across that we'd like to work in.. it's very exciting. A couple times we said things out loud just to make sure they sounded ok and a little thrill went through me, like Wow. This is what we're going to say to each other. Weee! It's very exciting. Just need to figure out who we'll ask to read the special pieces we've picked out. Do you have special readings you'll ask friends/family to read during the ceremony? How did you go about choosing the readings/who would read them?

We've also decided we're totally stealing the Jewish wedding tradition of the yichud. I first heard about it on A Practical Wedding and it just seemed so darn perfect, I can't believe all wedding traditions don't include this. It might be the 15 minutes I'm most looking forward to.

This weekend I also set my mom on her projects - hand-painting our aluminum tins we'll use for favors, and designing a hand drawn map that we'll give to the guests in their welcome bags in their hotel rooms (she won't have to hand draw each one, I'll have them printed from her design). It's great having an artist mom! So glad I'm able to include her in these things so I don't have to feel bad for shooting down her veil ideas.. :)

Random tip: if you are doing any DIY paper pieces (program, invites, table signs, etc.), and you have not heard about Impress, go check it out! I heard about it a long time ago but only recently re-discovered it and immediately bought a bunch of stuff. I can't wait till it arrives so I can start stamping and punching every scrap of paper I have lying around..

Bridal Book Giveaway

2009-10-19T09:20:00.002-05:00

Shortly after Hubs and I got engaged, the daughter of a family friend - Hubs' former baby sitter to be exact - gave me a bunch of bridal books. I've since passed a few of them on, but I have a few more that I'm looking to pass on.

You see, to give a little background, Hubs and I are moving. Finally! I thought when he accepted the job last week, except he's already working up in Connecticut, and I'm down here sorting through everything and trying to get everything packed, sorted, given away in two weeks.

So, expect more recaps/vendor reviews in the coming weeks, I'm waiting on our pictures to do the recaps which should be coming soon :)

The books are all in great condition, and since they were given to me, I'm going to pass them down to the first commenter.

Enjoy!

The Results of My Procrastination...

2009-10-19T08:55:00.007-05:00

These days, my life is filled with a tremendous amount of writing for school, so I have not had any time to write for fun...so I apologize for being MIA. Hopefully after this week, once I have FINALLY completed my research paper, I can actually think about and do other things.

Although, at this exact moment, I am procrastinating and thinking about the wedding rather than doing my job (sshhhh...don't tell my boss!). When I am in the mood to procrastinate, I scroll through my Google Reader and check in on my favorite wedding blogs. This morning I came across this post from The Bride's Guide via Martha Stewart Weddings with this cute little dress

I know I have approximately 5 months left before the wedding, but I have been thinking about my rehearsal ensemble and I think this dress would be absolutely perfect! I just love the shape and I feel it will give me a bit of a 50's flare that would go great with the ambiance of our rehearsal dinner venue. I also like the idea of wearing a bridesmaid dress for my rehearsal...not sure why, but I like it ;-D

I am also feeling these two dresses from J Crew. I have been totally obsessed with all things J Crew the past couple of weeks (or maybe the past couple of months...or maybe for at least a year now...), especially since I discovered the J Crew factory store at Arundel Mills Mall (SCORE!)

I see myself procrastinating for a while today...

I am loving the series of posts from The Bride's Guide. They are covering Bridal Market this week which is apparently an extravaganza of beautiful dresses and all things bridal. If you are looking for dresses to daydream about or just to see what is new this season, you should head over to their blog and check it out!

Anyone else out there procrastinating today? I have TONS of work to do, but for some reason, I cannot concentrate with all of the little lovelies I see coming up on my reader!

Calling All NEARLYWEDS!!!

2009-10-15T23:19:00.002-05:00

Calling All NEARLYWEDS!!!!

DC NearlyWeds is ready to explore the lives of a few new brides. We are looking for brides in the DC Metro area who are planning weddings in the Spring, Summer, and Fall of 2010.

Join the Nearlywed ladies and Moderator Miss NotYetWed as you navigate your way down the aisle!

Brides who are interested, please send an email to:

blogwithus at dcnearlyweds dot com.

No later than 10/23/09.

Each applicant should respond with a short recap of her planning process and vision, wedding date, and story of her relationship and engagement.

I'm a bad blogger

2009-10-13T20:58:00.003-05:00

And I'm so very sorry!!!! I really haven't had any wedding planning to blog about, and I honestly haven't had any time to do so with my new job. But don't you worry, within the next few weeks I will be blogging about choosing a reception site (we have it narrowed down to 3: snow hill manor, glen echo, and the comus inn) and going dress shopping -- so there is definitely more to come!

For now, I have been playing around with menus while looking at caterers websites. Today I was looking at R&R Catering and created my own menu combining their Tex Mex and Upscale BBQ menus, since I am Caucasian and my fiance is Spanish. Here is what I came up with tentatively, and I think it sounds soooooooooooooooooo good!!! What do you think??

Appetizers
Nine layer dip w/chips
Shrimp, mango and papaya skewers
Texas BBQ meatballs
Garden Veggie display

Entrees
Salmon burgers w/wasabi mayo and ginger
Grilled rib eye steaks w/chile lime tequila compound butter
Black bean and plantain enchiladas w/queso fresco
Chicken fajitas

Stations
Upscale macaroni and cheese bar
Aztec grilled corn station

Salads
Asparagus and roasted pepper caesar salad
Southwest pasta salad

Sides
Parsley and chive mashed red potatoes
Southern green beans w/bacon
Spanish rice
Chipotle whipped sweet potatoes

Deserts
Creme Brulee
Ice cream sundae bar
Wedding Cake

Beverages
Red and white sangria
Alabama Sweet Tea
Horchata
Various beers and wines
Soft Drinks

Jittery Speeches

2009-10-09T14:37:00.003-05:00

Last weekend my bridesmaid Amazonia got married in Phoenix, and my other friend Laura got married in Grand Rapids in late August. 2 friends down- 1 to go-- ME! Their weddings were quite lovely and it is interesting how different we all are. We have totally different styles in almost everything.

One thing I did pay close attention to at their weddings though were the speeches.

You see, Mr. NationalHarbor has a horrible fear of speaking in front of people and he is dreading having to get up with a glass of champagne and have all eyes on him during the meal at the receptions and rehearsal dinner. For my part, I don't really have a crippling fear of speaking in public- I just don't know what to say. I am not really a mushy type of gal, so I am not one to just cry and borderline hyperventilate like some girls. I feel like the hardcore criers get away with a lot because no one can even understand what they are saying through the tears so they don't even have to really be coherent. But since I am not a crier- I will have to be quite coherent as I thank the guests for traveling all this way for our special day. But I would like to be a little bit more original than simply stammering "Thank you all for coming!" as well.

I have tried to get Mr. NationalHarbor to practice speaking with me and he keeps trying to avoid the topic. I remind him that as he is very uncomfortable speaking in public anyway it is probably best for him not to try and wing it at the reception. I am trying to jot down a few ideas but I just have no idea what to say and would really like to say something that feels organic rather than rehearsed. I am torn.

The big question is- what does one say at the rehearsal and reception? What are you planning on doing? Sharing speech time? Letting the Mr. do all the talking or what?

new from Martha Stewart..

2009-10-07T12:48:00.003-05:00

Fall 2009 Martha Stewart Weddings is out! I don't know why I get so excited about her magazine but I do. This issue is definitely geared toward Fall weddings and a lot of it doesn't really apply to my spring wedding but I still just love it. The Carolina Herrera dress on the front cover (below) looks amazing! This pic is one I found on Martha's site, it actually doesn't look as cool as it does on the cover but.. still think it's neato.

Poll: If the groom looks clean and crisp like James Bond, would it be strange to have the bride looking more.. antique? I think we're mixing a few genres with our wedding and part of me is going, uh ohhh is this going to work? and part of me is like This is awesome!

Dream Wedding Venue!

2009-10-06T09:37:00.002-05:00

DC NearlyWeds wants to know: What is your Dream Wedding Venue?

Drop us a line or two in our 'Comment Box' describing the Perfect and Ideal Wedding Venue for a chance to win FREE TICKETS to

Destination... Reception!: One Day To Find Your Perfect Wedding Venue.

Tell us in as much detail as possible about your dream Wedding Venue and how your Style will shine through.

Priceless...

2009-10-05T16:15:00.005-05:00

One pair of Steve Madden flats...$21 from DSW (marked down from $39.95)

Vintage shoe clips from Etsy (shop Sweet Kathleen's)...$10

My perfect pair of "something blue"...

PRICELESS!!

The things you can't control...

2009-10-05T14:52:00.002-05:00

So I am a Mrs. too!! Our wedding was beautiful, amazing, and filled with SO much love - best day of my life hands down :) It was a lot of work - and I feel like I have a lot of perspective in hindsight, some of while I'll post about, but I thought I'd post a list of 10 things (little things) that went wrong - in an attempt to show that (no matter how many time lines, final confirmations, diagrams, meetings, phone calls) you can't plan for/control everything, but hopefully - you'll feel like I do - that despite, and even because of the mistakes, your wedding is going to be the best day ever! So push through the planning, the funks, and don't stress the details!

(Just as an FYI - I didn't even KNOW about many of these things until after the wedding - a tribute to my planners, bridal party, family, and just sheer bliss on the day of the wedding)

1. The limo did not SHOW UP to take us to the ceremony - my brothers girlfriend drove me in my Toyota
2. The tulle under my dress caught on a stake holding the aisle runner down as I walked down the aisle and caused a fantastic ripping sound
3. The trailer (read: classy) port-a-potties backed up into the sink 30 minutes before the end of the reception
4. The band blew a fuse during cocktail hour
5. Gale force winds made our candle ceremony impossible, but funny
6. There were multiple family drama issues (i.e.: who is at which table, whose table got called first to the buffet, etc.)
7. We ran out of glasses - bring on the plastic cups
8. My aunt hijacked our carefully crafted play list for the band
9. My brothers tux vest was the wrong color (this got fixed)
10. The boys and the groom were 40 minutes late to the rehearsal due to a late flight

Destination...Reception! One Day Only!

2009-10-04T23:48:00.003-05:00

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Check, Check and Check

2009-10-04T16:59:00.001-05:00

I think (gasp), that we're almost ready to get married in two weeks (from yesterday). The fiance and have managed to check several major tasks off of our lists over the last few days.

Dare I say that we even had a relaxing weekend only 13 days before we wed?!?!

We kinda did.

On Friday we ordered pizza, watched a movie and brainlessly cut out and attached 150 monogram stickers on 150 cellophane bags for our caramel apple favors.

On Saturday we shopped a lot, went to a fall festival and finished up the programs before 4pm. After a nap, we were off to John's 10 yr high school reunion, followed by a local haunted house (it's our thing, we love them).

Today, I went to the gym, got my tan on, finished all of our table assignments and printed out 150 escort cards.

Of course I still have some things left on my list-- ordering the apples, getting highlights and my final fitting-- but all of the big things have been accomplished.

Amazingly, I feel as cool and calm as a cucumber. I am crossing my fingers that I stay this way. I'm terrified about freaking out at the last minute.

I'm Now a Mrs!

2009-10-04T05:33:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but I wanted to recap the wedding day and thank my AMAZING vendors. All of you helped me make my wedding day so beautiful and I really can't express my appreciation enough. Thank you!

Clifton Inn could not have been a better venue. They made sure everything went smoothly and did a great job of taking care of all the details. The ceremony space was gorgeous, the dining rooms and reception terrace were lovely--all of our guests were talking about how beautiful it was and how good the food was. That's what we wanted--for our guests to have an incredibly good time. Check out the wedding cake! Every wedding cake should be this beautiful and delicious.

Whiskey Rebellion, our band, did a great job for both the ceremony and the reception. (I'm going to run out of synonyms for "great," "amazing," and "fantastic" really soon.) They were so easy to work with and let us request what we wanted to walk down the aisle to, even accommodating Mr. C-Ville's wish to walk to 4'33". Then at the reception they really let loose, playing some of their own original music as well as Dolly Parton and Guns N'Roses covers. Who knew that "Sweet Child of Mine" was such a lovely little love song? Fact: the one song that got everybody on the dance floor, from old to young, Brit to American, was the Talking Heads' "Psycho Killer." AND their version of "Hava Nagila" rocked. Thanks guys!

Didn't my girls look beautiful? Let them wear different dresses, I say!

It amazed me how much stuff for my wedding I was able to get on Etsy. My bridesmaid on the left is wearing a dress from Etsy. All of my wedding stationery came from Etsy (save the dates, invites, programs, thank you notes). I got a hairpiece from Etsy. And best of all, we had tartan yarmulkes in Mr. C-Ville's family tartan custom made for us by boobaloobaby on Etsy.

I really have to use the word "Amazing" again here because I have to say that about the flowers from Blue Ridge Floral Design. Amy's bouquets, the centerpieces, the chuppah were all out of this world. And here's an important lesson I learned: you're going to want to control everything. But you've picked your vendors for a reason, and if you trust them, they will do a fabulous job. I loved working with Amy because all I needed to say was, "I'd like a lot of color, a lot of texture, and seasonal flowers. You do the rest." Look at what she came up with!

I can't resist posting a picture of my wonderful bouquet:

And of course, all these photos were taken by Sarah Cramer Shields of CramerPhoto. She is an absolute star; book her now before she gets too famous and none of us will be able to afford her. It's a beautiful thing!

Thank you all very much!

Here Comes The...Bride...Maids!

2009-10-02T20:47:00.006-05:00

Or rather, bride's attendants...not really feeling the word "maid." (source)

Just like Miss Charlottesville, I am also allowing my attendants to wear a gown of their own choosing (hmm...actually not liking that word either...anyone have any suggestions..."bridesgirls," "bridescrew,"...help me out here, people). Having been in weddings before and not having anything to do with the dress that I was required to wear, I felt an animosity towards the bride that was, sort of, irrational. I do have to say though, the animosity was more so related to the fact that, in most cases, the dress was too big or small, the fabric was very unflattering and I was wearing 3 pairs of panty girdles in order to not look like a rolled sausage...although I totally felt like one...

Now that all of the dresses (technically) have been ordered, I can share with you guys my "vision" (ugh...enough with words I hate in this post) of what my brides...uh...peeps will be wearing. I gave them a few guidelines because, well, I still wanted the look be cohesive, but I was also concerned with their comfort. The rules were 1. Bari-Jay (just to make sure the color would match), 2. floor length, 3. sage in color, 4. chiffon. These are the choices they made...good job ladies!

First up, single friend of honor, Kiki (left) and married friend of honor, Polley (right)
.

Next, single cousin of honor, Melissa (top) and my girl B (bottom)

Next, my cousins and some of my oldest and dearest friends, Nana (top) and Fee Bee (bottom)

And last, but certainly, never least, lil' sis, Tia (with the cutest broom carrier ever, my nephew Julian)

How are you Ladies picking the brides...persons...dresses? Are they all wearing the same thing or are you allowing them to switch it up a bit?