Wed2010 {Twenty Ten}

Rehearsal Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 03:30:00 +0000

After we were done practicing for the big day we all headed to Nighttown in Cleveland Heights where we had our rehearsal dinner. Throughout the entire planning process they were extremely accommodating. We started off the evening with drinks and small bites:

After drinks everyone moved from the private bar area into a private room for dinner. Nighttown set up a special menu for our rehearsal dinner and I have to say that the food was amazing. I had lobster and Z had a steak. It also gave everyone else a chance to get to know each other.

Bridesmaids and their dates

My sister, my bff from high school, and college roommate

Groomsmen and their dates with family at the opposite end of the table.

A photo of the bride and groom to be. This would be our last pre-wedding picture!

My mom and Dad are divorced but they've ALWAYS maintained a good relationship. When important events happen in the family they can still enjoy each other's company. I'm so grateful for that.

Before dinner started Zack's sister gave him (us) the sweetest toast. He's alway been a big part of her life and I know it meant a lot to him.

Up next: Getting ready

*Most photos were taken by my 10 year old brother with my camera. Not bad, aye?

Recap: Our Rehearsal

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 21:17:00 +0000

Our rehearsal at Manakiki went pretty smoothly. Heidi of Heidzillas worked with our reverend to make sure everything ran smoothly. Our wedding party got all dressed up and looked so cute:

Recapping The Big Day

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 02:04:00 +0000

I have my pictures back from our awesome photographer Corey Ann Photography. And I owe you recaps in a serious way. I've decided I'm going to start with the rehearsal dinner and work my way through. I'll incorporate detail pictures, vendor reviews, oh and my dress reveal as I go along. So sit back relax and see just how the hard work paid off.

Hashtag Big Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:59:00 +0000

We're married!

We had the most amazing day. I can't wait to tell everyone all about it. Right now I'm sitting at the Akron Canton Airport headed back to New York City before flying off to Mexico first thing tomorrow night.

My wedding party came up with the brilliant idea of tweeting the entire weekend. So go to twitter search for #bigfun to see what they had to say about the weekend as well as what Corey Ann and Heidzillas were up to while we were busy having fun along side them. Follow Me Here or Here!

xoxo,

Sarah

So That's How It's Going To Be...

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Sun, 23 May 2010 04:37:00 +0000

Dear Readers,

I'm sorry. I did that bad bad bad bride blogger thing that everyone swears they won't do.

I disappeared leading up until my wedding. We're getting married in 6 days. It's utterly insane how far we've come in the past two years. But tomorrow I'm spending the day packing to head to Ohio and then to Mexico. I *promise* to appropriately update you on the final details and provide recaps of the day.

Next time you hear from me I'll be married.

xoxo,

Sarah

Thirty

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:19:00 +0000

...days until the wedding.

Since the last time I wrote {over a month ago} we've done the following:

- Booked a florist

- Bridesmaid Dresses Arrived

- Finalized our Cake

- Finished and Sent our Invitations

- Had my second fitting

- Decided I needed a veil

- Bought our Wedding Bands

and I need to recap all of that for you. Which hopefully I will be able to before the wedding!

Confessional

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:21:00 +0000

Our wedding is 2 moths away and I still haven't booked a florist. Pretty much everyone is on my case about it... but I still don't really have any motivation to commit to one. When I met with Corey Ann and Heidi and our cake vendor (coming soon) I knew I wanted to work with them right away. I haven't felt that connection with anyone yet.

It's our last big thing and I HAVE to get it done ASAP. I'm meeting with someone via phone tomorrow, hopefully that will go well.

Lacking Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 02:30:00 +0000

I haven't done anything worth writing about in a long time. I need some inspiration and creativity in my life. I miss being surrounded by creative people.

3.7.10

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:58:00 +0000

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and

not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11

It's been a long and challenging week for my family. My grandfather had a massive stroke last Monday and passed away late last night. I'm glad he's in a better place and no longer suffering. But selfishly I'm sad that he won't be at our wedding. My shower is in Ohio on Saturday and if we and other guests hadn't booked plane tickets I'd probably cancel.

The photo above I took at my grandparents house a few years ago, so different from city life. I can't wait to be home this weekend sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. But when you have to take the bad there is no better place to be than home.

My Wedding Shoes

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:57:00 +0000

I went to Macy's with my friend Kara over the weekend to look for shoes to wear with our wedding dresses. Kara was looking for something red that had a heel under 3.5 inches and I was looking for something orange or green with a heel the same size. We both wanted a shoe with that had something special or unique. As it would happen there are very few green or orange shoes out right now and tons of red shoes. But a lot of the red shoes were too dark or boring or far too high, so Kara left empty handed. I ended up buying the first pair of shoes that I saw:

Via Spiga, Malibu in Carrot - $175

They were a bit more than I wanted to spend on shoes but they are perfect. I also managed to snatch up the LAST pair of 6.5 that another girl tried to sneak out from under me. But luckily my rouge sales person hid them in a different section while I ventured out to get a 10% off coupon. Another highlight is that I'll get 10% back after our wedding thanks to Macy's rewards program with their registry.

Also, If anyone has some awesome suggestions for red wedding shoes leave a comment here or on Kara's blog. :)

Swimsuit Obsession

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:37:00 +0000

Now that the honeymoon is booked I need to decide what to pack. Never mind that our wedding is 3 months away and I don't have a florist yet... YIKES!!

Check out the Swim Line that Spanx recently released. I love the modest/slimming one pieces. It's not high school anymore kids and Sarah in a two piece isn't that great to look at.

Holy Honeymoon IV

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:24:00 +0000

Are you ready to find out where we are going? It's super exciting and somewhere I never thought I'd go...

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El Dorado Maroma Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico

I always had an aversion to Mexico for travel outside of college spring break. The location is outside of Cancun so I wasn't totally sold right away. But it's one of the Travel Channel's top ten beaches, the resort is adults only, and it's all inclusive so it took out the question marks in the budget. The resort is small not massive like a Sandals or Wishes or whatever.

So why'd we pick El Dorado Maroma? The price was right, under $4,000 for flight and 8 days/ 7 nights with the honeymoon package, transfers, and as I mentioned all inclusive. We are staying in an infinity suite which means that we have a private infinity pool, facing the ocean, and an outdoor shower. Amazing, much?!

We can't wait to go. It's been one of the most fun things about our wedding. I just LOVE traveling. There aren't many things better than planning a vacation. So what do you think, do think it's as amazing as me?

Holy Honeymoon III

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:04:00 +0000

After falling for Ti Kaye Village we knew it was still high for our budget. But it was one of the more reasonably priced places in St. Lucia. The all inclusive resorts had very average reviews and we didn't think it suited us. We were starting to make each other insane discussing pros/cons and budget so we decided to take a few days away from thinking about it. Meanwhile, I'd been stalking the Honeymoon Board on The Knot. I read about where other people were going with their budgets, their process in booking, and how they got the best deals.

I've booked trips to Australia, Italy, and Greece on my own. I'd never once considered using a travel agent. I was always confident that I could find the best deals on my own. But some of these ladies swore by their travel agents. So I decided that I would contact the two most popular travel agents. I gave them both the same requirements, using Ti Kaye as the starting point.

One came back completely off track with zero of our requirements met. It took her forever to respond and half of her suggestions were over budget and were cookie cutter. I won't say her name or the company's name here as some people really like them and I don't want to bring a business down. But they failed big time.

The other one passed with flying colors and more than impressed me. That person was Hayley at Beach Bum Vacation. She was prompt in responding to messages, she listened to what we had to say, and she was patient. She took our requirements and found several alternatives for us to consider. The rate that we found on our own was pretty similar to the Hayley quoted us, but she was able to upgrade our room and have the honeymoon package included. In my mind there was no reason not to book through BBV as she found the resort which we probably wouldn't have on our own.

I never thought I'd use a travel agent but I'm thrilled that we did.

Up Next: Where we decided to go...

Holy Honeymoon II

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:05:00 +0000

With Europe ruled out we started researching unique places in the Caribbean. I thought St. Lucia would be worth researching. Why St. Lucia? Well, I'll be honest - I remembered that's where Amy Winehouse went when she left Blake. I started researching resorts and hotels in the area what were well below Amy Winehouse's budget.

Our top choice was Ti Kaye Village.

Ti Kaye is unique in that they have cottages instead of standard hotel rooms and the resort is very remote. All beaches in St. Lucia are public so some of the more popular resorts seemed to lose the privacy we were looking for. The cottages are built into the side of the mountain are aren't super close to each other.

Ti Kaye also has an amazing layout for their cottages that includes a balcony with hammock, private plunge pools, and outdoor showers. How romantic does that sound and look?

There is a direct flight to St. Lucia from JFK on Jet Blue and it seems like there are a lot of interesting things to do on the island. The cons were that the hotel was pretty far away from anything else, I realize this is also a pro, but stick with me. We didn't want to rent a car and I didn't want to feel trapped in one place forever. I get antsy pretty quickly, that's why Greece seemed so appealing, it fit both of our interests. The restaurant at the resort had great reviews but it was also pricey, we would be getting close to the high end of our budget without factoring in food and we wanted to avoid variable costs.

Z went to work researching other resorts in the area and I resorted to my google reader to catch up on wedding blogs confident that he'd figure it out.

What we did next just might surprise you...

Holy Honeymoon I

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:06:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I blogged about how we made some changes in our honeymoon planning. We gave up my dream honeymoon to Mykonos, a city I had fallen in love with in 2008 on a girl's trip. Our honeymoon is prime travel season to Europe and all of the flights into Athens were outrageous, not to mention how absurdly expensive the resorts were. We couldn't find what we wanted for much less than $10k The fact that I had been there before kind of took away something from the idea of the honeymoon. While Z was on board for Mykonos, I thought it might be nice to somewhere together for the first time.

So we made a list of things we wanted out of our honeymoon.

1. Beach Location with Local Attractions nearby, I get to bored to just beach all day for 7 days.
2. Flight ideally nonstop out of NYC area
3. Private Pool and outdoor space
4. Stampage on the Passport ++ for Sarah
5. All Inclusive ++ for Z
6. Budget Friendly-under $5,000

So what/where did we end up and what things did we give up to get there.. stay tuned.

Weddings Meet Excel

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:27:00 +0000

My friend Kara blogged about Simple Wedding Plans with Google Docs combination of things for weddings. Z is really handy with excel so we pretty much have our planning docs on lockdown. But if you need help or you are just starting your planning you should go check them out. They have pretty much everything you can think of:

Address books
Budget planner
To-do list
Seating chart
Reception menu
Wedding album
Music list
Photographer
Guest list
Schedule

Available for Download HERE.

Following Fashion Week: Tadashi Shoji Fall 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:30:00 +0000

When I saw this collection in my reader I had to share it with you. It's phenomenal... I want to both be able to afford the dresses and have somewhere to wear them. Enjoy they are seriously gorgeous.

My Girls and Their Dresses

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 02:11:00 +0000

I fell in love with the details in the Lela Rose and Dessy lines. They mimic aspects of my dress and offered a wide variety of styles and prices. With my Matron of Honor's help and feedback from the other girls I picked out 10 dresses for the girls to pick from. They varied in style and in price. The Dessy dresses are available in the same color as the Lela but at about $100 less. The store we purchased the dresses for I was able to negotiate a discount on both lines. If the girls purchased in full at the time of the order they received a 15% discount on Dessy and 25% discount on Lela if they just put the deposit amount down they received 10% and 20% off respectively. So now that you know the skinny, let's see the dresses:

Tara's dress by Lela Rose

Eryn and Brianna's dress by Dessy

Keely's dress by Dessy

Claire's dress by Lela Rose

Emily's dress by Lela Rose

Our Registry: Williams-Sonoma

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:51:00 +0000

Williams-Sonoma was our last stop on our marathon of registering. We really struggled with if we wanted to add them as a third store or just stick with two. We ended up going here because in my opinion their bakeware is far superior that we would get at Macy's. We currently have zero bakeware, literally we only have two cookie sheets and like our pots/pans they are hand me downs. But I like to bake and we have no cupcake pans or cake bans. So off to Williams-Sonoma it was to end our day of scanning barcodes.

So other than baking tins and sheets what did we register for.

1. The Ultimate Guy Item

All-Clad Electric Indoor Grill, $299

Z found this while I was filling out the paperwork to set up the registry. It was the first thing he scanned and one of the items he still talks about. I admit it looks pretty cool and significantly better than the electric grill we currently have. Grilling out one of the things I miss the most about Miami. We used to grill 3-4 times a week.

2. My Other Really Big Splurgey Request

Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven, $235

I've really wanted something that can go from stovetop to oven in a jiffy. What we currently have can't handle the heat of the oven. I've tried and put something in the oven only to make the entire apartment smell like melted plastic from the handles. Whoops... So I really put my foot down with the registry police, aka Z, and said that we really needed it. He accepted my plea and now a bright orange one has secured it's spot on our wishlist.

Our Registry: Crate and Barrel

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 04:31:00 +0000

Sorry for the really long break between posts. Sometimes life happens and sometimes you get hit by a cab while walking home from work. My February has unfortunately been a combination of both. Back to the registry...

After Macy's we went straight to Crate and Barrel, we decided to knock everything out in one day. I knew that I'd only be able to get Z to commit to one day so we hoped on a "yellow train" AKA NRQW and headed up to Madison Avenue.

1. Our Mutual Favorite Item

Party Beverage Server, $70

I know you've got this fact down pat now, but we have a tiny NYC apartment and an even tinier kitchen. It's so small and outdated it was nearly a deal breaker. So this handy dandy beverage server would keep people from getting crowded in the kitchen and it's adorable. I'm also thinking that when not in use it would be a great storage container.

2. Items most likely to make our family think we are alcoholics:

Brushed Stainless Ice Bucket, $50

Gala Wine Glasses, $3.95

Vino Carafe, $7

All- Purpose Pitcher, $30

Mojitos

*Z makes amazing Peach which I want to make in said pitcher

3. I swear we registered for that:

We totally registered for this bar and now it's off our registry along with a few other items. If registering at CB remember that their items are seasonal and change frequently. This might mean finding alternatives a few weeks after you register. I'd recommend keeping a list of what you registered for and where just in case it goes out of stock.

Our Registry: Macy's

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:56:00 +0000

As I mentioned before we registered in December. It seemed like a great idea at the time, once we arrived at the store not so much. It's 12 days before Christmas and we decided to grab a registry scanning gun at Macy's in Herald Square... see how this is adding up to a bad idea. To top it all off Santa was on the same floor as the registry and fine china. I hate children and the entire floor was swimming with them.

Anyway, we worked with a registry consultant, Leilani T, who really knew her stuff. She helped us locate items on different floors, provided us with a handy check list and a cute red bag. Which I must say is perfect for my macbook.

So what did we ultimately end up registering for at Macy's?

1. Our mutual favorite item

Cuisinart TOB-60 Toaster Oven, Broiler, & Convection: $180

Admittedly we already have this item. My mom spoiled us a bit and surprised us with it for Christmas. We use it all the time. Our little New York City apartment gets so hot when we use our oven so it's going to come in super handy in the summer. I'm not sure if another item will pull ahead later but for right now it's got our top spot.

2. His favorite:

Calphalon Cookware, $499.99

Z loves to cook and it's no secret how much he HATES our current pots and pans. We spend a lot of time debating between stainless and non-stick. We ended up going with non-stick fans, thinking that they would last longer. It might be tough to learn how to cook with them as it will certainly be different but in the end I think it will be worth it.

3.My favorite

Samsonite Silhouette Spinner, $600 $299

Much like it's no secret that Z that loves to cook it's no secret that I love to travel. On my trip to Greece in 2008 my pink big super girly suitcase got broken. Since then Z and I have shared on big Samsonite suitcase, which was fine until we went to Europe in November. For any long trip we just need two big bags, not one big bag and two carryons.

4. Item that caused the most headaches

Kate Spade Dinnerware, Belle Boulevard 5 piece place setting : $129

Do you remember how I said that we didn't want fine china? Well after we registered I kind of sort of changed my mind. I feel in love with the Kate Spade champagne flutes and cake set that we picked out and then I decided I needed the entire Belle Boulevard set. Remember how I said that we don't have a dining room table and that we live in a tiny New York City apartment? Well let's just say Z thinks that this a big fat mistake. He doesn't want to leave them on our registry and I feel like we have to have them. I know we won't be able to use the set until we have a bigger place, but it can't hurt. Right, right?!

Epic Save the Date

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:48:00 +0000

You must watch the video below. It's amazing and epic.

Our Registry Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:13:00 +0000

After Z and I returned from Europe we decided that with less than 6 months until our wedding it was time to bring out the big guns. The registry scanning guns. Considering that we’ve lived together for almost four years, we don’t really need much. Our registry was focused on upgrading from handy-me-downs (we have his parents pots and pans from THEIR wedding registry) and replacing cheap items for something longer lasting. Additionally, we love to entertain and we wanted to get a few things that aren’t total necessities but that would be nice for having people over. After thinking about what we both wanted and needed we decided to go to Macy’s Herald Square, Crate and Barrel, and Williams Sonoma. In my mind each store had a different personality.

1. Macy’s – We wanted to get the staples here: new bedding, towels, small kitchen appliances, and new dishes. Going into we decided against fine china as living in New York City we don’t even have a true dining room table. We have a great hightop table, but that doesn’t really fit the bill for a dinner party.

2. Crate and Barrel – I could spend hours at their mid-town store in Manhattan. I love their wine glasses, bar accessories, kitchen gadgets, and other decorative items for our apartment. The items are fairly reasonably priced and we were able to register for multiple items under $5 (eg wine glasses) as well as over $300 (Z really wants a bar.)

3. Williams Sonoma – We debated not registering at WS because they are higher end than the other two stores and they have fewer locations. We ultimately decided it was a must as we have zero bakeware. I love baking and I don’t even have a cupcake pan. Williams Sonoma’s products for baking are much better quality and in this case you get what you pay for.

That’s the summary of the logic behind where we registered and what we wanted to register for. In the next few posts I’ll go over our favorite items and reviews of the store thus far.

Red Carpet Love

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Asymmetrical, ruffles, fabulous details, yes please!

I've been insinuating it for a few months now. But I'm telling you these three things (Ruffles, Rosettes, and asymmetrical cuts) are going to be pretty stinking popular for 2010. I picked out ten dresses for my maids (more on this later) and each of them have one of these details. Good thing our wedding is at the start of wedding season.

Secrets Secrets Are No Fun

Following Fashion Week {Chanel Spring 09 Couture}

Michelle Obama in Jason Wu

Bridesmaids Dresses, Not So Traditional

Budget Cuts

noreply@blogger.com (Sarah) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Excuse me while I pout and try to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for me as I'm sure I'm about to sound like a spoiled brat.

Z and I have been doing some budget crunching and unfortunately one of the things I was most excited about came out on top... our honeymoon. We are no longer jetting off to Mykonos {aka my favorite place on earth,} instead we are exploring options in the Caribbean. Currently St. Lucia is our front runner. It's less than half of what we would have spent going to Greece. Instead we've compromised and we will go for our one year anniversary.... end pout, for now.

Bye, bye Mykonos....