I’m having a passionate love affair with that divine sparkly dress right there! I love love love it!

Find the sequin dress here the ruffle dress here Find the wine colored dress here. The best part? All of these dresses are under 100 bucks! SCORE. Big time, yo! The black jewels are from Kenneth Jay Lane for $150 and the other jewelry and shoes can be found on net-a-porter. (Except for the pink shoes that can be found here for $170!)

This vintage engagement ring is TO DIE FOR! It’s from Fay Cullen and it is divine!

I imagine a party with a jazz band under a huge white tent would be simply spectacular for this event. Plenty of florals like gardenias and lilies to grace the tables would look fabulous too! One easy way to decorate would be to use vintage photographs from the nineteen twenties to place on the tables or hang on the walls like the one below.

Use vintage photographs like this to decorate your space. It’s cheap and easy!

Also, I had to post the two pictures of Katy Perry and Drew Barrymore because their 20’s style hairdo’s are simply stunning! Try out some vintage jewels in your pin curled hair and dark dramatic makeup to make your look complete!

Love this hair style!

Red lips and charcoal eyes hidden by a bird cage veil
create the perfect 20’s style!

What is your favorite era? Will you be incorporating it into your wedding?

Christian Louboutin Satin “Petal” Bag

I used a 9″ x 5″ true vintage lace/satin snap clutch I found at Goodwill for 3.99  {if you’re going for an exact look …use a purse like this or this}

…I think I like mine better

The first board I ever made incorporated a host of images that matched exactly what I wanted our wedding to look like — or at least what I thought I wanted it to look like.  I had the beautifully dressed banquet tables… with perfect lanterns… and DIY decor that looks entirely too professional to be DIY that I could actually recreate. I also included the dress I thought I wanted… and the giant hair flower that I tried to convince myself would look good on me… BUT in the end, this board gave me more frustration than inspiration.  There was no way I could have recreated such perfection, and it kind of drove me nuts thinking that I could.  Here’s the first board I ever made:

Britt Inspiration Board #1

image sources: oncewed, watters, weddingbee, joetheguitarman, foldingtrees

After I realized I couldn’t possibly make our wedding look like this board, I made another one. One that was more eclectic… one with more of a loose color scheme… one that inspired ‘look and feeling’ as opposed to total re-creation. One that I made out of magazine clippings instead of images I found on bride blogs. Check it out:

Britt Inspiration Board #2

However, even though I connected more with this board than the previous one, I still didn’t know how the inspiration would manifest in our wedding.  I would look at this board and think, “ooo pretty, but what exactly am I getting from this?”  And the answer was always, “nothing much. Well, maybe in terms of color scheme? Sure…”

In the end, I stopped looking at and making inspiration boards many months before the wedding. Instead, I turned my attention to the venue and based my decor decisions on the vibe of the physical space, and on what we were actually capable of achieving. That’s when I decided to scrap a strict color scheme and just let it ride. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted it to look as cohesive as possible, but we didn’t have the funds, the talent, or the patience to completely back that desire. But it was a great feeling to finally let go of the inspiration board parameters.  It was then and only then that I could let our true personalities shine…   and the results were better than I could have ever imagined…  turns out I needed to follow my own “Just be You” advice and let our wedding reflect who we are and what we love — even if who we are and what we love isn’t the picture of matched perfection, or doesn’t showcase Martha Stewart-quality DIY.

Britt Inspiration Board #3: Our Actual Wedding

How many inspirations boards have you created?  Did your actual wedding look anything like the inspiration board you initially created? If not, how did it change and why?

Todays Review: Rootstock Syrah 2007

Will I be happy I went on this cheap date?

How much is it gonna hurt?: $5.99

Where’s it at, yo?: Trader Joe’s

As I uncorked this Cali. Northern Coaster I thought, “That cork looks like plastic, this maaaaay be a bumpy trip.” But as I poured, my hopes grew. This little lady has a rich dark plum color which hits you with a sniff of smokeyness when you stick your shnoz in the glass.

At this point, things are going to go really strongly one way or the other: either we are at a moment of sophistication or a flashback to bad choices in college. The anticipation built as I was about to sip. Paco the dog was at the edge of his seat (but he may have been trying to reach the block of cheese in my other hand). I sip and… I SCOOOOORE! At $5.99, this lady must be mine! It tastes at least an entire whole three dollars better than it is priced, and has a rich round flavor, a bit oaky and fruity, but not sweet. It’s got a a cotton mouth inducing lip smacking nip at the end and daddy like. Yup, this one’s a keeper.

Rating: Giiiirl, I gots ta get yo’ number cause I want some more of that lovin’!!!

WINNER!

You got a broke-ass wine recommendation for me, yo? Hit me up!

When Zombies Attack...Your Wedding

I’m just saying, I want a man who will stand back to back with me against an army of zombies, even if I was the one who had to bring the chainsaws. Luckily, that man is in my house right now. And the chainsaws? Are in the garage.

Yeah. That's it.

When I saw this, my first thought was, “Groom’s Cake!” My second thought was “Breakfast.” Whatever you’d want it for, it’s all awesome.

All it needs are the balloons...

Oh, you know you cried through the opening montage of UP, too. Some lovely man did one better and had a model of the house in the move made into a ring box to propose to his fiancee. Do you think she can ever get mad at him, again?

Useful and YUMMY.

In these eco-concious and health-conscious days that we live in, these are the perfect  wedding placecards. And they’re almost as easy to make as they look.

Soft, fuzzy and out-of the box. Everything a wedding bouquet should be. (Courtesy of the Duck Collective)

This is another one of those ideas that makes me want to have a re-commitment ceremony some day, because this is totally the bouquet I would have. Or this one, courtesy of Martha Stewart (of course):

Smile, your wedding is going to rock!

And this one? This one just makes me smile. Molly Ann, the photographer, is known for her cool wedding ring pics. This is my all-time favorite one.

So, what are the coolest wedding things you’ve seen out there? And seriously, how about that donut cake, huh?

This Week’s Wedding Deals:

Heads up if you’re in Los Angeles this weekend – Encore Bridal is having a sample sale. Get the most beautiful designer and couture bridal gowns, jewelry and accessories at up to 60% off.

There’s a new wedding reality show coming to town, and they’re looking for brides this fall. The CW and the creators and producers of “THE BIGGEST LOSER” have come together to give one lucky couple their dream wedding.  With help from fitness experts, couples will compete in weekly challenges to shed those extra pounds on the way to the end of the aisle. So, if  you and your fiance must want to lose between 50-100 lbs each, Please send pictures of the both of you to Lisette Pinnon at castingtoshed@gmail.com along with a brief description of yourselves and what you want for your dream wedding. Be creative – theme weddings are a plus!

Brooke Fitts of Brookelyn Photography, and You + ME* Lifestylists have teamed together for a great contest – readers can win a free photo shoot styled by You+Me. You+Me helps you build those special moments in your life, whether it’s the perfect birthday surprise or dinner party, a fabulous vacation, anything you need that requires just the right combination of pretty things, thoughtful gestures, and personal touches. To enter, just hop over to Brooke’s website and leave a comment on You+Me’s blog, letting them know which of Brooke’s pics is your favorite. The only caveat is that you have to be able to come to New York City between October 4 and 9.

See you at the end of the aisle,

Weeks 3 & 4 went quite well, I’ve gotta say! I’m definitely rocking a whittled waist, little by little. Or should I say whittle by whittle? Ha! Let’s take a look-see, shall we?

The Food:

Gobble Green kept it real with some new and tasty morsels for my mouth… Highlights included the “steak” with collard greens and sweet potatoes (soul food goodness), and an incredibly soft and moist banana nut muffin and (gasp) even Mac N Cheese! Lowlights included the tempeh stir-fry (snoozefest) and the southwest salad (a mixture of quinoa and veggies that left me cold).  Hunter’s broccoli latkes and potato knish brought the party to his mouth, but the carrot muffin tasted like chalky pepto bismol. No bueno. The convenience of having all this food prepared is really great, and I lurve the relief from cooking in a hot kitchen and messing with all them dishes, but it is hard sometimes to “pack” a hot lunch when out and about, so we’ve had to stray from time to time.

Overall, we’re really pleased with our month of Gobble Green meal delivery. Its very sad to say goodbye to it. I highly recommend it for folks strained with a busy schedule and looking for a convenient way to keep their meals healthy without the hassle, or brides wanting to shed a few inches before their big day. Its also a great way for folks wanting to experiment with or transition to a vegan diet – you can learn a lot about balancing meals and explore the tasty varieties out there. Sometimes its hard to keep a balanced diet when testing a new lifestyle, and Gobble Green keeps things in check for you. I definitely experienced weight loss and enjoyed a more well-rounded diet without feeling deprived! Score!

They also offer catering service, which is great news for our vegan brides and grooms out there. Your guests will never miss the meat, and the variety they offer is fantastic. Thanks for everything, Gobble Green! I’ll miss ya!

I did manage to keep my diet coke consumption to a minimum for the whole month, though – which I’m pretty farking proud of. Now I’m just a weekend user, and hope to keep paring down my use until its just a once-in-a-while treat! Alls I got to say is, thanks be to jeebus for iced tea!

The Fitness:

We were challenged to find much time for workouts this time, thanks to a whirlwind apartment hunt and preparation for a 2 week trip. The good news is, we found a place! (more on that later) We did manage to work in brief forays into fitness, and Shredded it a couple times, but ultimately, we slacked it pretty fiercely in favor of work. Its just the worst when I have to choose work over workouts, but hey, only one pays the bills!

Now we’re out in Santa Fe visiting Hunter’s family, and I brought The Shred with me so we’ll squeeze in some Jillian action and long walks in the arroyo to help balance out all the delicious new mexican food we’re surrounded by. I’m shooting a TV segment in a couple of weeks and have to keep my momentum up so I don’t feel like a stuffed sausage in front of the camera! That’s pretty good motivation, even if I am on vacation. Starting tomorrow, I am determined to at least log as many push-ups and crunches as I can muster each day. I’ll be tweeting the results, anyone care to join me?

When we get back to LA, we’ll have 10 days to pack house and move, so I’m looking forward to all that activity and heavy lifting. I am such a huge puss about working out, man. It was so much easier when I had a personal trainer. I know, waah waaaaah, right?

How’s your Flab to Fab going? Hearing about your journeys is always so motivating, so keep me posted in the comments!

I looooove the 50’s and the 60’s, and my favorite wedding dress of all time (worn by Jackie O.) is the epitome of everything a wedding dress and wedding should be. Flirty, fun, girly, and above all, classic!

Soooooooooo dreamy!

Perfect wedding attire: ivory gown, satin pumps, red lips, and diamonds and pearls

Have your guests don their vintage attire, cat eye glasses, and sip a Tom Collins on some plastic lawn furniture

Serve up some fun 50’s favorites like Coca-Cola out of glass bottles, jello molds (for centerpieces!), pot roast, a mashed potato bar, and Tom Collins or Old Fashioned cocktails to sip as signature cocktails. Skip the DJ and rent a jukebox for your favorite tunes, or hire an old-school band. Serve up inexpensive homemade punch out of a big bowl, and keep the cake simple and frosted with butter cream! Don’t forget to ride off in a sweet vintage ride, too!

PS – have you seen this dress? Still available, only $695, and to freaking die for! Please buy it. Jeebus cripes.

Are any of you incorporating vintage elements into your wedding? Dish your deets in the comments!

Your personal styles may be completely different from one another, but I’m here to tell you that both of you can rock your individual styles during your wedding without being incongruous. Take a look at this board. Every element has its own personality, yet it all meshes together seamlessly.

Let’s start with the fem-flirty side of the wedding. You and your bridesmaids could keep the fem-look alive with your attire. I found a pile of the cutest ballet slippers that would look adorable and girly on the women in your wedding party, while at the same time looking hip.  Real ballet shoes will be the new Chucks at weddings. Just you wait and see   And I don’t care what style of dress your partner likes to see you in, it’s your body and your wedding day, you pick out the dress that you feel beautiful and confident in — even if it’s a tad on the fem-side.  Your partner will likely love any dress you choose to wear, just as long as he isn’t made to wear that bowtie and newsboy cap.

As for your guy’s attire… since his style runs more closely to Tracy Jordan on 30 Rock as opposed to Ryan Gosling in The Notebook, I suggest finding him a style guru that he’d actually take advice from… because he’s clearly not listening to what you want him to wear.  And that person I will suggest, for this instance only, is Kanye West. The man knows how to rock a unique suit — one with a slight hip hop edge, but one that doesn’t make him look like he just stepped off the Big Pimpin’ yacht in a Jay-z video.

After you have sorted through the design aesthetics you don’t agree on, make a list of the things you do agree on. Let’s say you both want the occasion to be laid back, creative, fun, and a wee bit nerdy… ’cause let’s face it, despite how cool you and future hubby think you are, you know you can’t hide your computer game loving, geeks out for Lord of the Rings, nerdy sides. In fact, why not wear your nerdiness on your sleeve finger, and buy a set of ethernet rings?! You will be virtually connected as long as you both shall live.  And maybe your future husband geeks out on music, and wants to be responsible for picking out the DJ, but you don’t have the budget for one.  Then suggest that he take up a new hobby: iPod DJing. Believe it or not, there is a dual iPod docking station that actually has crossfaders and transport controls. It’s not quite as tricked out as a real turntable with records and whatnot, but it’s something to consider, especially if you or your partner have interest in amateur DJing and/or saving money on the music played at the wedding while still being cool.

As long as you both are in the mood for a laid back kinda wedding, why not make your catering reflect that mutual desire as well? Food trucks have had emerging popularity at weddings as of late. I had one at my wedding and it was a total hit.  So that got me thinking, what about food CARTS?  You ever walk out of a concert and see a host of bacon hot dog carts lining the street?  If you haven’t, they’re literally carts with little stoves that cook bacon wrapped hot dogs to perfection. Pure deliciousness that’s more than portable.  Even our own Broke-Ass Bride hired a taco cart for her e-party. Why not, right? And as long as we’re on street food carts… why not go for a street food-esque type of dessert like a churro cart?  We all know that churro carts are one of the top reasons we go to Disneyland anyway, so why not bring a little Disney deliciousness to your wedding guests?

Have you and your partner had to compromise on design aesthetics for your wedding? If so, how have you dealt with it?

Also, I am selling my wedding dress, a veil, and a few hair accessories on my personal blog. If you need any wedding goods, head here to check out the loot!

My lovely Broke-Ass Bride surprised me with a thirtieth birthday celebration of a weekend get  away to Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbra Wine Country with her awesome sister Dawn and brother in-law Wayne.  If you aren’t familiar with this little wonderland maybe you’ve heard of California’s famous Sonoma wine country. Well, Santa Ynez is like Sonoma’s li’l sister but is only 2 hours up the coast from LA and is best know as the setting for the film Sideways.

This is an ideal location for a low-cost honeymoon, romantic getaway or just a weekend out with friends.We were only there for a 24 hour grape buzz but man, did we pack a lot in. A lot of wine, that is. I could talk about this trip ’till I’m blue in the face, but for your sakes I’ll just give ya my Santa Ynez weekend Top 4!

Family Bonding at its Best

1) Driving up the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible with the top down. Growing up in New York, I’m not a guy who is into driving for pleasure. I’d go as far as to say that I hate it. For me, driving is just a necessity to get from point A to point B. Give me a train to hop on and I’m there, but my brother in-law is not of the same school. He had a vision of cruising the Pacific Coast Highway with the top down and MAN WAS IT A GOOD IDEA! Cruising with the ocean on one side, hills and farms on the other, and a beautiful blue sky above makes it hard not to adore this planet we have the joy of traversing.

Bro and Sis Driving the Good Life

2) Pea Soup Andersen’s. We stayed at The Pea Soup Andersen’s Inn and with a name like that you know this spot was cozy, cute and a crazy steal with rooms starting at $69/night. Best part about it is that it’s right next door to the famous Pea Soup Andersen’s Restaurant. In the morning we rolled out of bed, waddled next door, and I had the Travelers Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon, Unlimited Pancakes and… PEA SOUP!? Yup, amazing pea soup. Weird choice for breakfast, but an awesome deal and heck, I’m on vacation and need to make up for all those times I’ve had cereal for dinner anyway.

Soup Loved Through the Years

3) The Hitching Post II. When we drove past this little restaurant just off the highway we couldn’t help but notice a full parking lot. When we discovered we had arrived in town so late that most vineyards had closed for the night, we decided to hit this spot up for dinner. We weren’t the only ones and had to wait at the bar for an hour… so we had no choice but split a bottle of the house Saint Rita’s Earth wine, the GREATEST HOUSE WINE I HAVE EVER DRUNK!!! And nothing goes better with this wine than the smoked delights off of the BBQ Grill. We ended up with the best table in the house, situated right in front of a glass panel allowing you to see all the magic the Chef was grilling over woodchips. The grilled artichoke and wine marinated mushrooms were fantastic but the steak… OH GOD THE STEAK! I’m the husband of a vegan and hardly ever eat beef, but wow did I discover the joy of good wine and good steak. In Sideways we see Paul Giamarti finding solace at the bar of the Hitching Post. I don’t see how anyone couldn’t be a little closer to god here.

Smoked Deliciousness… Source

…With Drinkable Deliciousness Source

4) Demetria Estate: If the Hitching Post is somewhere on the path to heaven than Demetria Vineyard must be the pearly gates. We were tipped off by an owner of one of the tasting rooms we visited (I told you we fit in a lot of wine). This vineyard is a bit removed from many of the others, and is appointment only, but usually calling ahead and telling them you are coming is appointment enough. We were buzzed in at the gate and drove up the mountain through field after field of grape vines as we headed to the main house. When we walked up to the front door, a friendly face told us to grab a table outside and met us there with wine glasses. Next thing I knew we were sipping glass after glass of deliciousness in a most heavenly Italian old country setting. As Dana put it, “Did we die on the highway earlier? ‘Cause I’m pretty sure this is heaven.”

Cruising Demetria Estate

So I turned thirty in a little bit of heaven and if my 30s are gonna start off like that, well heck I bet 40 is gonna kick ass!

I’m gonna be tasting a lot more wine (but for the Broke-Ass budget). Have you ever done the wine tasting thang?

Yes, a Friday Wedding in January can be this much fun. (Picture courtesy of B&G Photography)

Ah, the pleasure of having options. By now, you’ve already found out that most wedding venues have off-peak days. They’re  less expensive on Fridays and Sundays and less expensive for lunch than for dinner. And there’s off-peak seasons, too.  Here In Los Angeles, for instance, winter is usually pretty open. We like outdoor weddings here, and that’s not really something that you can do in the middle of January. And August is not that popular a month in Midwest and Southeast, when the heat is rivaled only by the humidity.  This is where air-conditioned indoor venues come in handy.

And you can make your own off-peak wedding day, too. A photographer I worked with a few weeks ago floated the idea of creating your own three day weekend by having your wedding on any given Monday. Your out-of-town guests can fly in on a Saturday or Sunday, have a great time in your city and then fly out on Tuesday, when airfare is generally cheaper.  In-towners only need to leave work early to join in the fun.  And it’s also another strategy to cut down your guest list, since there are lots of folks who won’t be able to do it, and insures that those who really want to be there will be there.  I know, I know, it sounds a little cutthroat, but all’s fair at $79.95 a person!

So, where do you start?

First of all, you need to figure out what “off-peak” means in the city you live in. Any given wedding vendor, from a photographer to a hotel manager, to a florist can tell you that, just like I told you about L.A. Then you need  to decide what other parts of  “off-peak” you’re comfortable with.  If you want to have an outdoor wedding, February in New York is not going to work. Your wedding on a weeknight? Lunch instead of dinner? The last one gives you a little more time at the end of the day to hang with your sweetie and with your friends, but the idea of dancing until dawn has some powerful mojo, too.

From there, start venue shopping, and the usual rules apply. Confirm what their off-peak times are. Start with your budget, cut half of that, let them know that’s what you have to spend on your wedding and reception, and see what they can do.

And your guests. First of all, give them plenty of notice – this is where Save the Dates come in handy. And, there are two tactics you can employ to explain why your wedding is on a Tuesday in the middle of November. The first is a story – I coordinated a wedding on September 21st a few years back, picked because the couple liked the song (Earth, Wind and Fire – “do you remember/the 21st night of September…”). Or, Wednesday, July 14th is Bastille Day. Or you’re having your wedding on Monday to celebrate the first weekday of the rest of your lives, by making everyone take it off. Come up with something fun and/or memorable. The second explanation is the truth, whatever it is. You’re trying to save money, you can’t take the weekend off for some reason, most of your guests are in town, any variation of those. Pick one, stick to it, don’t over explain, tell them that you hope they can make it. Because that’s the truth, too.

So, how did you have an off-peak wedding? Or what do you think of any of the ideas here?

This Week’s Wedding Deals

The Knot is continuing their August sales fest, so get your bridesmaid gifts here! Unfortunately, most of my friends are already married, so I’ll have to find another excuse to get this $9.99  water bottle, which I want very badly. But, hey, my birthday is coming up, cross your fingers!

Exquisite Weddings in Chicago is offering a fabulous deal on wedding flowers through wedobo – 50% off  8 wedding party pieces, the bridal bouquet, three bridesmaids bouquets, groom and three groomsmen boutonnieres.

See you at the end of the aisle,