Mrs. in May

Groom's Cake - How crazy should one go?

2009-07-21T19:51:00.011-04:00

I think like many of you the first time and only time I had heard of a groom's cake was from Steel Magnolias. I mean, who could forget that famous Red Velvet Armadillo!?
Shocking and fabulous at the same time.

As the specialty cake craze grew I heard more and more about these cakes, stemming from what I believe was a Southern tradition. It seems like now has swept the nation and is often presented at the rehearsal dinner. (I'll be the first to admit, a Virginia Tech logo would not match my motif!)

As we were planning our wedding in my hometown, and I was making the bulk of the decisions, I knew I wanted to do something nice for FH. FH is a loyal HOKIE (Virginia Tech Alum) and we had quite a large population of fellow Hokies as guests. So what else, a Hokie cake!?

While watching a Food Network Cake Challenge one day I discovered Cakes by Jay! I thought for sure he was my cake guy. Well, I am sure many of you have gone through this, as things get closer, money actually does become an object. I contact Jay about doing a Hokie cake, either of the Hokie Bird or of the VT logo. He came back saying a cake for 45 people in the VT logo would be about $350. What!???? I could only imagine if I had ordered one for the final count of the rehearsal dinner - 75 people! (To note- Jay's cakes are amazing, I am sure making a cake like the one I suggested is easy peasy but they are filled with orders so it wouldn't be worth it for them to make the cake for less- and they were SOOOOO incredibly nice. If I were in the market for a gorgeous cake and had a budget to match, I would DEFINITELY contact them. I was very impressed with their service and their quick responses)

So, back to the drawing board. My stepmother suggested Whistle Stop. Whistle Stop is an amazing family owned bakery known for its cheesecakes. My family has ordered from them for years. We had them do a full sheet cake with the Virginia Tech logo piped on and it looked fantastic! And, let me tell you, the chocolate cake with raspberry mouse and butter cream icing was to die for (much tastier than my wedding cake but I'll post about that on a later date). I mean, does anyone actually like the taste of fondant?

I guess my little lesson from this is- I attempted to go with a baker with cache but in the end going with a trusted, small vendor that has proven to be a quality vendor was definitely the right choice!

What did you do? Or what are your plans for a groom's cake?

I became a Mrs. in May!

2009-07-09T09:16:00.001-04:00

Ladies!!! I know, I know it has been ages. The wedding and work events leading up to it WIPED me out!

BUT! I am happy to report that I am back and a happily married woman! The wedding was wonderful, everything I had dreamed of (even if it went faster than I could ever imagine), Mother Nature was fair but not lovely, and the food and drinks were amazing.

I am so happy with all of my vendors and hope over the next few weeks to review them and tell you about the little and the big things that worked -and a couple that didn't!

Chat soon!
Love,
Mrs. in May!

Mature Martinis - A Classy Affair - NOT Spring Break

2009-03-04T14:59:00.007-05:00

OK, again, apologies, I know I've been away, that darn work thing always getting in the way!

I thought I'd talk today about cocktails! Maybe its because I could use one right about now (again, pesky work )

So, I found this funny, and chalk it up to the broad range of ages of people who wed. Upon entering our cocktail hour you'll have a multitude of choices for your cocktail. At the entrance you can pick up a glass of champagne or a refreshing sparkling water. Then as you enter there will be 3 martinis butler passed. And, of course, there will be 3 full bars if you choose. The point here is that when the masses (eek 250 of them) arrive there hopefully won't be a long wait at the bar.

When it came to choosing the martinis I couldn't help but laugh at the choices that our wedding coordinator came up with.
Here are some of the names:
Peach JollyRancher
Pink Lemonade Lemon Drop
Melon Martini
and lots of other fruity spring break type libations.

Now, in my day, I would have thought these were awesome, and cheers to you who think that they are. But, my wedding is in a mansion and I am in my 30s, I feel no need for crazy colored cocktails. Although I will say I love the cutesy idea of having a blue cocktail called "Something Blue" but really, do you want your guests walking around a mansion with blue mouths? Nah.

I also love the idea of having a drink named and matching your color scheme. How fun!

But, alas, again, we are in our 30s as are the moajority of our guests and both immediately agreed we would go for the classics.

Here's what we chose:
Dirty Martini
Manhattan
And - I know those of you who know me are shocked: Cosmopolitan! (I don't care if they are not trendy anymore, its my drink and I'll never give it up!)

Are you guys doing any special cocktails? Have fun names for them? Am I being too stiff? I chose 3 different colors and atleast 2 different liquors.

Obamanation meets Bridal Bliss

2009-02-16T11:12:00.006-05:00

OK, so I am sure that many of you have heard that you can do this but now that we have a new Commander in Chief I thought I would post what I think is such a fun idea.

Did you know that if you send and invitation to your wedding to the White House you'll get a note back! Chances of Barack and Michelle cutting a rug at your affair are slim to none but who wouldn't love a letter from the president for your scrap book!

Here's the address:
The Honorable Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20500

From what I have read, only U.S. residents will receive a note back)

OK- so not to out do the president, but, for all of you Catholics out there (me included) you can send one to Pope Benedict XVI as well! This is really special because the response includes a special blessing for your marriage. I'm a little embaressed that I put POTUS ahead of the Pope but its just a little more timely!

Pope Benedict XVI
Prefettura della Casa Pontifica
00120 Citta del Vaticano, Italia

(Title: His Holiness)

Have fun!

More advice needed :)

2009-02-11T17:12:00.002-05:00

OK, can you tell I am really down to the nitty gritty now?

If I heard from people after the Save the Date went out that they will not be able to make it, do I still send them a formal invite?

I think YES, because I don't want to leave them out

or NO, because I don't want them to think I am asking for a gift

Example - 2 of the couples that I know cannot make it are not people that I know, they are parent's co-workers, but there are 2 other couple who I know cannot make it and they are close friends.

What do you think?

Advice needed!

2009-02-11T13:31:00.004-05:00

OK, so I am getting down to the details now and will have my invitation wording complete and submitted by tomorrow - eek! Seems so final :)

Here's my questions, I will have about 40% of my guests from out of town. There will be a direction card and an accomodation card in the pocket style invitations.

On the direction card - what needs to go on there-

Directions to the church (main directions or specifics from the hotels?)
Directions to the reception hall (specifically from the church or the main ones they list)

How specific and turn by turn do I need to be?

Here's a note- I will have bus for those staying at the hotel to go from the hotel to the reception - the church is only blocks away, they can figure that out.

I will also have a welcome letter, etc. when guests check in and can put real specifics in there.

Hmmmmm, all thoughts welcomed!!!

Fancy Find # 11 Faux your honeymoon?

2009-02-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

So, after we got engaged last year, FH and I took a fantastic trip to Cabo, we stayed in a nice hotel but I was still weary about wearing my engagement ring. When we go on vacations we love to lay out in the sun and sip daquiris but we also love to take excursions, hike, fish, etc. Well, because of this and not wanting to leave my ring in the hotel room, I decided to get a fake ring from Kohls. I loved the idea but I have a sixe 4.5 finger and the smallest I could find there was a 6.

Anyway, while perusing the pages of Brides Magazine yesterday I stumbled on this website- emitations
Check it out!!! There are so many different designs and styles, you may not find your exact ring but you'll probably find something somewhat similar. I am definitely going to get one of these, they're more expensive than the $19.99 Kohl's one I bought but they look much better and have small sizes.

But, maybe you don't want a ring like the one you have! Maybe you want that J. LO giant rock? (they show original designs and copies of celebrities! how fun!)

A vintage look like Katherine McPhee's? (I am partial to this one cause it is similar to mine with a different cut)

Maybe you want a simple eternity band or just plain band so you can be active and not feel too dressed up!?

I actually found a ring that looks like my soon-to-be-step-sister-in-law's? Looks so much like the Tiffany Lucida!

Here's a link to their clearance- I think this is always the place to look first.

I'm torn between getting something subtle and getting something Ka-BAM! I love the WOW factor but isn't the whole idea not to get robbed? I probably shouldn't attract people who would want to rob me!

Oh- btw- there is a whole line of jewelry, not just engagement/wedding rings!

100 DAYS!

2009-02-05T11:33:00.000-05:00

Ahh, once again I am too busy with that darn thing called work for a full post but I just realized as of today I am 100 days and counting!!!!!!! I don't know what is more exciting, the actual wedding day or the thought of 10 days vacation, relaxing with my husband!!!

And the winner is...

2009-02-01T23:37:00.003-05:00

Stacie!!!! Stacie has a great blog, The Natural Way and I think that Galit's global, hand crafted style matches that of Stacies beautifully!

I am so grateful for Galit and my first giveaway, I couldn't be more proud, her pieces stopped me in my tracks and I loved sharing them!

Again, here's the piece that Stacie has won. For more check out the Etsy store or Galit's blog! Congrats to Stacie!

I really think the affordable yet gorgeous jewelry on Galit's site would make fantastic bridesmaid gifts, wedding day jewelry, or maybe something for your mother? I am loving this stuff and just thinking of who I need to buy a gift for next!

Its another busy busy week in the Mrs. In May household so there will be few posts once again. I can give this update of my weddings dealings from last week : had a conference call with the florist, my amazing bridesmaids sent out my shower invites, updated my registry, sent the last large payment to the wedding hall (final is due when I know the final count) and, um, I know there were more, does it ever end?

Ooh, also, when I get the chance I'll be reviewing a fantastic purchase I received last week from an Etsy seller, it's the perfect Mother-In-Law gift!

Drum Roll Please.... GALIT BARAK GIVEAWAY!!!!!

2009-01-25T23:17:00.008-05:00

OK, so just last week I discovered (ok, with the help of an email from ETSY, me and a million other people "discovered" lol) and posted an amazing Fancy Find from Galit Barak.

To find out more about Galit check out her blog
here's a quick synopsis...
She is a 22 year old jewelry designer from Israel. How amazing is this- she studied fine art before volunteering in a a drug rehab center, then spent time tourguiding soldiers in Jerusalem as a soldier herself. Now she is my favorite new jewelry maker hand crafting each piece with a crochet needle creating unique creations combining beautiful materials like pearls and semi-precious stones.

Now we've teamed up for a giveaway, check out the piece that could be yours!!!!!

Isn't it darling? I think its perfect for you brides-to-be or for any lady to wear around Valentine's day or any day of the year!

Here's how it will work: (NOTE: I sort of stole this process from Make Mine a Mojito, I think she does the best giveaways, ha ha, maybe its because I won one!)

1. Visit Galit's Etsy Store, particularly the Bridal Collection (of course)
2. Leave a comment telling me your favorite piece from the bridal collection
3. If you post a link to the contest on your blog, I'll enter your name twice!
4. Do the above two and become a follower and you'll get a third entry!! (don't worry faithful followers, you'll get this perk if you already are an official follower!)
5. Contest will end on Friday, January 30th and winner will be announced Monday, February 2nd!!
6. Galit will then send you the necklace directly from Israel! (I'll connect you through emails and make sure to keep in touch until you receive your prize)

Got it? Go!!!

Alert! Coming Monday...

2009-01-23T10:52:00.000-05:00

My first giveaway!!!
OK, I have been absent, I know but things have been crazy here in the DC area (have you heard?) But, to pay you back as a faithful reader I have a giveaway coming this Monday from one of my favorite designers. Check back and we'll talk then!!!

Fancy Find #10 Etsy Seller- Galit Barak

2009-01-16T10:26:00.006-05:00

So,I am not the only one that gets the daily Etsy email featuring various sellers so this may not be a "find" for you but of today's featured sellers definitely stopped me in my tracks, Galit Barak.

I love this ring! Of course, it says it is sold out but I still love it and thought it would make a great bridesmaid gift or even day of jewelry!

Here are some other things from her Etsy store that I love...

The above pieces are all from the "Bridal Collection". I didn't even realize!

UPDATE:
I just did some searching and found out a little about this craft designer from her blog!
Here's how she describes her jewelry style (take note, she does do custom orders):
"For me each jewelry is a creation stands for it self, I combine colors, shapes and textures while choosing high quality materials.
All my jewelry is made with sterling silver 925 or 14 karat gold filled, semi-precious stones and pearls.
I'm happy to make custom orders, according to your ideas, or joint thinking, for a special event, as a gift, or just because it is time to treat yourself with something new."

Hmm definitely CREATIVE!

2009-01-15T15:45:00.005-05:00

OK, so times are tough, as my dear FH keeps reminding me, during this era of "The End of Bling" I've decided to go counterculture and break the bank by going all out, mansion and all. What can I say? This economy went to pieces well after I signed contracts for this stuff!! May as well go out guns a blazin' and champagne glasses a clinkin'!

So, you may remember the Waffle House wedding I posted a few months ago. Original to say the least.

Today's Globe and Mail talks about couples throwing creative weddings like a recent one at Taco Bell -
"The couple wed at their favourite Taco Bell location, which was littered with hot sauce packets that read, "Will you marry me?"

OK, people are quirky and love to go offbeat. Actually one of my favorite blogs - OffBeat Bride often talks about these whacky, adventurous nuptials, trick is - they are funky and original but still have a touch of class.

I am all for saving a buck. But is this a little too much for me to handle. Taco Bell!?! Wouldn't a backyard bbq be just as cost effective and much nicer? And you wouldn't be making a joke of your commitment? Eh, yes, I am taking this a little too serious, I'll lighten up because it is funny!
I guess I do love that these people are out there though, gives us something to read!

My advice comes from the legend Ron Burgundy- Stay Classy San Diego.

Pre-Cana...Check!

2009-01-13T10:58:00.008-05:00

Pre-Cana, for those of you who are not familiar, is basically marriage prep course or sessions that Catholic couples go through before getting married in the Catholic church. I never thought about this before but the name comes from the old story where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water into wine at Cana in Galilee.

There are quite a few ways that couples go through their Pre-Cana, it depends on your priest, what is offered in your diocese and then sometimes what you choose. Because we are getting married in NY and live in VA our priest said we could do our marriage prep where we live. Some people meet with their priest for 6 weeks or so (with our schedules I don’t think this would ever work but one benefit is really getting to know the priest that will be performing the sacrament of marriage, because I love our priest that is marrying us, I think I would have liked to do this but the cards did not fall that way for us.) Another option for some is a weekend retreat. For me- not my cup of tea. That involved us checking in early Friday afternoon, bunking with people you never met and not leaving until Sunday afternoon. If you are very involved in your church and this is the option for you, I commend you. I, admittedly am a fair-weather churchgoer, and don’t think this is for me. All that said, both FH and I each went through 12+ years of Catholic school so we know our way around a catechism.

Our class was a little different; we went for the all day crunch session – 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM. Its funny, a lot of people I spoke too scared me to death, I thought it was going to be awful with threats of damnation for cohabitation but it wasn’t that bad. I can’t say it ended up being something I would recommend for fun but it was relatively painless.

The topics they discussed included:
Compatibility & Convictions
Christian Family in the Modern World
Communication Talk
Natural Family Planning

What I liked:
Ok, so Natural Family Planning is their thing. It’s the only thing they endorse. It’s not the NFP that I liked, it was that the couple informing us about this kept saying – “it worked for us, I only ask that you learn more about it.” I have heard from others that they were threatened with damnation for going other routes. I can respect someone telling you that something worked for them and they recommend you look into it. It’s pretty much what we do as bloggers, right? Here’s a site on NFP if you are interested. Not my bag baby but you may think it would be right for you. Its never a bad idea to educate yourself on anything.

What I didn’t like:

The old school defined roles. FH pointed this out to me first. When they discussed communication between men and women they would say things like “Men are interested in sports, women are interested in shopping” “Men like math, women like English”. OK, for us as a couple this happens to true but it really was annoying. Then they also got into roles like “Women do the dishes, men rake the leaves”. All of the couples presenting to us were households where the women stayed home and the man worked, not just the couple that had been married for 40 years but the ones that were married for 4 years also. Um, of the 35 couples at the conference, how many could possibly be in this situation? We live in DC, I can’t imagine the percentage was high. Now- I commend any family that can make this work but it’s definitely not a reality in my house anytime soon. So they would say things like, when your husband comes home from work and you have been cleaning all day and he leaves his jacket in the wrong place, take a minute and think about his day too.
Um- not in my reality, we both work like maniacs and we have a cleaning lady. The dishes are not something we fight about, I would have preferred to hear about how they deal with real issues, not dishes!

OK, done with the diatribe. In summary, we have one more thing off the to-do list! I can’t say our life has changed but I can say that it wasn’t that bad. I think they need to update their program a tad (I am not criticizing them about their beliefs- not my position to do that - just slight critcism on how they need to realize that couples have less defined roles in this day and age) and I think its good to know what your church believes if you choose to use them to marry you!

What kind of prep have you guys gone through? What did you think?

mmm mmm good!

2009-01-09T11:03:00.010-05:00

OK, so I am back with a vengeance. Things have slowed down to a normal pace at work (which still equals insanity but manageable level of insanity) and I am ready to get my wedding groove on!

Over the holidays we got a TON done, but man is there still a TON to do, I am starting to have mini panic attacks. Next week I’ll go through the play by plays of the hair trials and either praise or vent about Pre-Cana which I’ll be heading to tomorrow.

Today I will talk about the most wonderful thing we did get to do- TASTING!!! Not only were we not disappointed but we both left saying that the food and service at the Woodlands EXCEEDED our expectations. Yay!

Here’s the setting – a wedding is going on in the mansion but we are led to a separate side bar where two tables are set up- one for our group and one for another bride – get this, she was from Virginia too, so weird. We sit down and get the run down from our coordinator and then fully get interviewed by her on what we’ve got done and what needs to be done, it was really thorough and I thought very effective and something I appreciated.

Apps - In addition to stations of food (Italian, Pacific Rim, Harvest table, etc) we’ll have 8 passed hors d’ouevres . There’s a huge selection of apps to choose from but that evening we were able to taste what that bride had chosen. Some were outstanding, some just seemed like food, not bad but not memorable. Of course, the one that stood out for everyone was the grilled baby lamb chops (DELISH) but those are an additional fee and but now we have to have them! We also chose the mini hot dogs (because who can deny?) bacon wrapped shrimp, portobello and goat cheese crostini, and some others that I cannot remember. We ixnayed any skewers- I think they have run their course – are they really that easy to eat? I am done with them, others at the table disagreed but me and FH were on the same page. Another thing we had to pass on was the crabcakes. I had MD boy make that call, there are too many Marylanders attending that will be very critical of the crabcake and after the taste test, had to pass - not the jumbo lump we are used to! I don't want to sound like a downer, the apps and presentation were great but really we were there to be critical and choosy so we were!

Wine- I was interested in the wine that would be poured and hoped that we wouldn’t have to upgrade. To my surprise one of my favorite pinot grigio’s from Coppola is the house choice. The reds are from PepperWood – they are solid inexpensive wines and I am fine with those. It’s not worth the upgrade for the handful that will care.

Entrees- In the end we chose what sounds like run of the mill, steak, chicken and fish. But, these were no run of the mill entrees, we were so pleased with how the food came out, here’s a glimpse:

Filet Mignon- served with truffle mashed potatoes & asparagus. We’re actually going to sub spinach for the asparagus – ‘cause it’s my party and we’ll do what we want to (and if you want to know the funny reason and you know me, just ask).

Roasted chicken- This did not photograph nearly as nice as it looked or half as good as it tasted. This is served with garlic mash and olive tapenade- MMM MMM GOOD.

Tilapia - Ok, we did not get to taste this one, instead we got to taste Salmon and Chilean Sea Bass. I hate Salmon. I just do NOT like it and from what I have heard its never that great when served to such a large group. Chilean Sea Bass – they really still put this on the menus? I mean, delicious? Yes. Politically incorrect? Also yes. Funny, after I went on a little tirade about this so did Chef Tom Collicchio on Top Chef! And then I felt I was validated, Thanks Tom!
The Tilapia is served with a jasmine rice in a red Thai curry sauce. I figure this will give an option to some of my foodie friends, I know it’s the one I would pick!

Because there is so much to do back home I almost was going to forgo the tasting, if you have any thought of passing this opportunity up- DON’T DO IT. So many wedded ladies of wisdom told me that it really will be the only time you will get to actually taste the food. Ooh, good point!

Anyway, after being gone so long I don’t want to bore you (there's so much more here I could rave about) but I’ll be back next week to talk about the desserts, the cocktails and the impeccable service. I feel like we are really moving along now! How about you ladies??? I need to go catch up on all of your blogs, my reader is totally backed up.

VEil pick up!

2008-12-22T12:05:00.002-05:00

Stale content, I know, is the worst thing one for a blogger. I’ve just been crazy busy and not had a tremendous amount of time and really, I have been so focused on Christmas and have been working on so many unrelated projects (which means I am extra scatter brained!) that I haven’t had time to think about weddings.

Here’s some exciting news, once again work took me to the Big Apple for the day so I was able to carve out an hour and get some wedding schtuff taken care of. Most important -I picked up my veil today!!!! I have a sneaking suspicion (ok, he told me) that FH logs on to here every now and then so I don’t want to give too much away.

As you may recall, I posted a few weeks ago about my trip to SposaBella Lace to have a veil made (ask for Maci, she was fantastic and even tipped me and mom off to a sale down the block where we bought lots of costume jewelry for next to nothing - I am talking $3 nothing). The veil was a quarter of the price of getting one in the department store where I got my dress. I wanted something simple and could not justify in anyway paying upwards of $400 for two pieces of tulle.

I also picked up my hair piece, I really don’t know what I am going to do with it but I loved it and will bring it to my trial - which is this Friday!!!

All in all I could not be happier with the veil and would highly recommend thinking outside of the bridal salon to purchase your veil and other accessories. They get you because you are there. When you are spending a lot already it is easy to say – hey – what’s an extra $500, but really, think of what that could mean? That’s another 3.5 people I could invite! A step up in the welcome baskets, or heck, that almost covers the cost of my bridesmaids gifts. So when I was able to have the simple veil that was $450 custom made for $95 and the hair piece (just a simple comb) that I saw in Saks for $375 for $95, I think I made the right decision.

Coming this week...
Hair and makeup trials, food tasting, and everything else I can get done over the holidays!!!!

Father's Rules

2008-12-10T10:29:00.005-05:00

Love this, from author W. Bruce Cameron’s new book “8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter” offers humorous advice from dads to the new men in their daughters’ lives.

Here are his first three rules:

1. If you neglected to ask my permission before you proposed to my daughter, don’t worry about it. You can make it up to me by making sure your wedding is both beautiful and to a different woman.

2. There are many, many men your age in this world, but there is only one woman who is my daughter. She is unique. You, on the other hand, can be replaced at any time.

3. My whole life, it has been my job to make my daughter happy. Now it will be your job. My job will be to make sure you do your job. And don’t think that just because my daughter picked you, it means you meet my personal standards for what is good for her. I haven’t made up my mind yet, and will be evaluating you over a period known as forever.

This could be a great Xmas gift for Dad, or maybe a great gift from Dad to your fiance! Here's a description from its site:
"Following the stunning success of 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter -- which was adapted into a TV show for ABC -- W. Bruce Cameron returns with an even more hilarious look at fatherhood, capturing the predicament of the forgotten man in the tux at his little girl's wedding. "

Two dresses? Two looks?

2008-12-09T11:42:00.014-05:00

OK, so the two-dress trend is definitely one of the latest and greatest. I love the idea in concept. I mean, giant wedding dresses are definitely not always conducive to cutting a rug all night long. And sometimes the same dress doesn't look right in a church and then in a sleek reception setting.

The post idea came ffter reading an article in the Argus Times (it came across the wedding news ticker), in the article Mark Ingram was quoted saying he saw the trend emerge about 2 years ago and has continued on.

Here's one celeb that made the dramatic change: Christina Aguilera
Dress 1 elegant, form fitting with a heck of a train by Christian LaCroix

Dress 2 Sexy number, definitely a party dress made for dancing and showing the Xtina personality. This one was designed by her stylist Simone Harouche.

Designers are now catering to this trend as well. Go to Priscilla of Boston's website and there is a whole section of "Reception" dresses!
You could go from one of their over the top Platinum collections like this

Or maybe you have a garden wedding and you are looking for something romantic like this from the Vineyard collection?

But then you want to let loose from the tulle or drop the romance and get sexy so you throw on one of these numbers and you are ready to partay (all shown from POB)

Conceptually I LOVE this idea but for a couple of reasons I cannot fathom doing this.
1. My dress was expensive. Maybe not for everyone but for me, its definitely the most expensive thing I have ever worn. How could only wear it for the 1 hour ceremony plus some pics? Seems ridiculous (unless you are the above mentioned Xtina and the wedding dress is just another expensive thing you will don). I mean I justify buying $200 jeans by tellinng myself I will wear them again and again and again. How could I purchase something for thousands of dollars to wear for an hour?

2. I love my dress. I really love it. I want to wear it for as long as possible.
Besides, I didn't go too over the top and I moved around a lot when I tried it on to make sure it was danceable.

However, when I started planning my day, I did want to add some sort of costume change in there. The ceremony is during the day at a traditional Catholic church by the beach. The reception is in the evening in a formal setting, The Woodlands mansion. Wouldn't it be the perfect wedding for a dress change? I think so, but again, not really in the cards.

So here's my plan-
For the church I am going to do pearl studs, pearl strand necklace, veil. Not exactly like this - well not really at all but you get the idea, classic bride wearing classic pearls.
(pic from BridalfashonMall)
Then, once I am ready to get to the evening reception and want to sport a more nighttime look, my plan is to get a pair of "wow" chandelier earrings and go drop both the necklace and the veil. I'll also have in a hair "spray" that I got from here.

What's your thoughts on the dress change phenom? Do you plan to do anything to differentiate the ceremony and reception? NOT that you HAVE to, you spend months figuring out what to wear to one!

Ring Bearer- Pillow Alternatives

2008-12-03T23:40:00.000-05:00

Dear FH has an 8 year old son that is very much a part of our family and we want to have play a big role in our wedding. We thought that he would be an usher and stand alongside the bestmen (yes I said men, there are two) but when we told him about the wedding he said, "Cool, can I be the ring dude?"

LOL, sure, you can be whatever you want. I think when we get to the rehearsal though, he'll want to stand with all of the guys. He's a guys's guy, and he's 8. There's no question he is a rough and tumble sports fanatic (his father's son.)

Here's the dilemma. While doing all of this wedding obsessed Internet surfing I kept finding the most gorgeous ring bearer pillows.

Like these from blogger extraordinaire, Brooklyn Bride who started Brooklyn Pillow:

I mean, can't you totally see throwing this on a chair to funky it up after the wedding?

Or I love the elegance in a pillow like this from Etsy seller Emici Bridal:

Well, everytime I almost bought them I thought of the face I would get when I told future stepson he had to walk down a church aisle carrying a pillow. It just seems wrong to make this boy's boy carry a dainty pillow.

I started wondering if there were alternatives to pillow carrying. Here are some cute things I found:

Maybe carry a banner like WeddingBee Mrs. Radish did?

HOw about a bell ringer? I had a cousin do this and it was adorable. Although, I'm not sure he would go for this either. If he did, I can assure you it will be quite the ringing. Here's a cute pic from Bridal Party Tees Blog. She also has a nice post on this option.

Do you have any ideas? PLEASE share!

BTW- 8 down, 50 more to go!

2008-12-02T16:14:00.003-05:00

Just as a quick update, with the Save the Dates out about a month now we have heard about 9 people that will not be able to make the wedding (4 couples, 1 child). It is awful but I am relieved. One couple I am sad about but they have a VERY good reason. The Save the Date went out to 259 people (meaning number of people that would be invited with those STDs, dates, etc) and my dream goal is exacty 200 people which is what our minimum is (yes, I included FH and I). I think we are in good shape because so many people are from out of town. If, by chance we get a lot of "no's" I am not worried, we are well prepared with a b-list of people that definitely should have been on an a-list if we didn't both have such huge families.
Anyway, just something I was thinking about and thought I would share.

Fancy Find #9 - PaperZest, Wedding & Christmas!!

2008-12-02T10:21:00.009-05:00

OK, yet again I have been an absent blogger, this darn work thing always getting in the way. I totally thought I would coast between Thanx and Xmas but that has definitely NOT been the case.

Nevertheless, I have a great FANCY FIND for you today!!!

My friend Sara, (you may remember her beautiful wedding details from this post) had some of the most beautiful, fun and funky stationery I have seen in a long time. She ordered her customized suite through PaperZest. Which, I have seen recommended on such sites as Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book and others.

Here's some pics of her fun stuff:

I love how everything is coordinated but nothing is too matchy matchy- something that lots of people strive for but not always achieved.

Sara and Christina from PaperZest hit it off so well they decided to collaborate and do some Christmas cards together!!!They have an Etsy shop where you can buy these sassy little greetings. I think they are great if you are giving a gift certificate or something like that where you need a special card for your fun friend. Maybe order a few and add them to a hostess gift. You'll love the fun designs and the witty sayings that are perfect for the stylish and saucy gal pal or boy toy.

I love this one:
"All I want for Christmas is you"
"And something from Tiffany's but that's neither here nor there"

How great! You know you all love it! There are more fun cards so check them out!

I'm Back! Custom Veil Shop

2008-11-25T09:53:00.007-05:00

Hey Ladies!!! I am back and back to a semi-normal work schedule where I can blog a bit and more importantly read some blogs!

I got a lot done in a short period of time but there's still a lot to do, I cannot believe I only have 172 days left. Whoa, once you take out the holidays, it will really be here tomorrow.

Let me tell you about the great veil experience I had! I should start by telling you that when I found my dress the sales woman gave me the perfect simple veil to try on. I loved it, just two pieces of tulle, not very puffy and a simple ribbon edge. As I was signing my bill I thought, wait, this does not add up. Oh, because she threw in the $450 piece of tulle. "My dear, this is a very good price for Manhattan", which made me think to myself "listen skinny little NYC socialite wedding fashion authority, then I will look someplace else!" (I say this with the disclaimer that I love and adore her, I just wasn't about to pay $450 for tulle that you can buy at Michael's)

Enter my mom who works in the garment district in NYC. There are fabric and trim stores everywhere. She works close to the famous Mood from Project Runway. My mom started looking around on her lunch breaks and stumbled upon Sposabella Lace. She told them I was looking for a fingertip length two layer diamond white veil with a simple trim. No problem! So I told my mom just to go ahead and order it and they told her that I had to come in, "your fingertip and her fingertip will not be the same length" duh, we didn't think of that!

So, when I had about 2 hours free in NYC last week we went in.
Here's the front of the store, nothing special, just a small fabric store. Its got some really bad flourescent lighting but you are paying a quarter of the price while getting it made specifically for you so you get over it.

I turned the corner and there were two rows of veils.

Its not overwhelming at all, just the perfect amount. See, there really are just a couple of basic styles and you work from there. You pick your length or general style (I wanted simple tulle) then started adding trim, picking the amount of "poofiness" by how much it is gathered, adding layers and the way it falls. The sales girl was great, I, of course, forgot her name but I didn't get the impression that there were too many people that work there.

I went with a simple double ribbon edge, which shockingly is the one I do not have pictures of! But, here's all of the trim you can look at! You can even bring in samples of your dress if there is lace and I can gaurantee that you will find a match.

In the end I went with a simple, two layer, simple gather (middle amount of "poofy", the technical term they used and wrote on my order form) with a double edge satin. It is like two thin rows of trim and just adds something to it. It is fingertip and diamond white. It is almost identical to the $450 one from Saks, instead it has a little extra with the edging. You know what I paid for it...$95!!! Hooray!!

Now, I haven't picked it up yet so I don't want to give them the ultimate glowing review but so far definitely so good, choices were vast, price was right and service was really friendly. I have to be back in NYC for work in a couple of weeks and will pick it up then. I imagine you can get it in about a week and you can have it shipped to you.

Here's the address and contact information for you NYC brides:

Tel: 212-354-4729
Fax: 212-391-4208
Email: Sposabellalace@aol.com
252 West 40th Street, New York, N.Y. 10018

Oh, one more thing before I forget. As tried on the different styles we (me and sales assoc.)would look at my mom for an opinion. She gave subtle opinions but nothing overwheming, the perfect amount of guidance a girl would want. The sales woman was so amazed by this and kept telling me I had a great mom. As if I didn't know that!:) :) And funny enough there was a girl in the store getting a lace and satin dress custom made (you can do that too!) and the mother was being SOOO pushy they were both almost in tears. I could not imagine!!! So yes, I know, I have a great mom!!!

More to come, I did get a beautiful hair piece, tried on my dress (no pics of that) and my mom got her dress! For now, I have work to catch up on but glad to be back!

Quick update!

2008-11-14T08:23:00.003-05:00

So, I'm here in NYC and working like a dog but on Wednesday I had 2 hours of wedding shopping, my mother and I took this city by storm!
Heres what I got done:
Had a veil custom designed (which is a little bit of an exxaggeration considering how simple it is)
Bought a hair comb that I am in love with.
Tried on my dress and LOVED it.
Got a great idea for my flower girls.
My Mom got her dress and she got her dress for my stepbrother's wedding in August!

Anyway, I am off to a meeting but wanted to give a quick update so you don't forget me. I'm off to LA after this so I won't have much time until late last week but I did take pictures!

One good thing about business trips...sneaking away and wedding planning!

2008-11-06T10:46:00.005-05:00

Traveling for work can be fun, it can also be exhausting. Next week I am hitting the road on Wednesday and over 10 days will stay in three hotels on two sides of the country and carry around a giant binder with all of the plans and telling people with large egos and high pay grades where to go and what to do, and most importantly what to say and what NOT to say (I am in PR).All while trying to remain flexible and smile (Good bride training, don'tcha think?). I'll also pop over to Long Island in between for some family fun!
Here's the good news. My travels are taking me to the Big Apple and I just happened to have worked in an hour or two in the afternoon to go and try on my dress! Not for a fitting, they just want me to come in for a "try on", I guess to make sure it is the right size and assess how dramatic or simple the alterations will be.

Two other things I am going to try and fit in:
Veil- there is a custom veil maker in NYC by my mom's office. They start at $100 and since I want the simplest of veils, I hope it will be right around that. I'll try to bring a camera and will report back on the process.
Flowers- when I head to LI and try and get some sleep on Saturday I am going to see if my florist has time to meet. We've never met- crazy, I know.

Anyway, you can understand that I am completely swamped prepping for this trip and my posts will be limited. When I get back, however, I should have lots to report.

To make up for my sparse posts over the next couple of weeks I thought I would leave you with something to watch.
I have fantasized about this countless times. My cousins and I have danced to this at a million weddings and parties. Its a dream - LOL. Can you believe how serious this guys takes this? I am impressed. OK, I'll stop talking you just watch!!!

A New Fad Diet

2008-11-04T15:07:00.004-05:00

OK, I know all of you brides are looking to be at your fighting weight on the big day. I think I found the secret this morning. Before I headed out to wait in line and fulfill my civic duty I was going to head to Starbucks. Eh, it was cold out and in the wrong direction so I went to the drive-thru at McDonald's. LET ME TELL YOU- It is 3 PM and I am still shaking and not the slightest bit hungry. What on EARTH do they put in that stuff, crack??? Now, to be fair, I am not a regular coffee drinker, I average about 3 cups per week and one nice cozy one on Saturday mornings. So, I am not a regular caffeine person and its been known to hit me harder than others but this is ridiculous! I have made no less that 15 phone calls and sent at least 50 emails today, 2 blogposts, and not an ounce of food.

LOL, I think I found the cure for the common hips! Now, I am wondering if I am going to crash at like 6 PM today or if I am going to end up staying up all night?

Fancy Find #8 - For the Princesses

2008-11-04T10:23:00.005-05:00

My undeniably cutest flower girls in all the land are the twin daughters of my cousin, who also happens to be a bridesmaid. She's got fantastic taste so I am just going to let her figure out what the girls should wear. The great thing is, we'll be right after Easter so there will be tons of little girls dresses available. We checked last year in March or so and there were tons of options. they are twin 3 year olds, I could put them in seagull outfits and they would be the stars of the show!

But, just because I need a break from the craziness that is my job right now, I did some online searching and found these beautiful dresses from Malley & Co.

The downside is you have to buy them at a boutique and I can't tell what the prices are. But, at least I know there are really adorable styles out there.

I think these two are my favorite:

especially since I could get them with a blue ribbon.

But I really love these ones also:

To see a list of boutiques where you can purchase them, click here:

Where are you getting your flower girl dresses from?

What's the proper etiquette here?

2008-10-31T11:54:00.004-04:00

So the Save the Dates went out - check. We have heard from 3 couples that they will not be able to make it (wheew, we way over booked that flight!). Here's my question: do I still send them invitations?

I don't want it to seem like I am now just asking for a gift but I didn't know if for some reason it is rude not to send the invite now?

Oh yeah, and Happy Halloween! I am working from home today and just realized that I have NO candy. Eeek!

Tagged!

2008-10-30T21:43:00.004-04:00

Oh man, I have been tagged again! This time by East Coast Wedding and Peony: Love . I am still a little on the fence about being tagged. I don't think I like to play but I also love to be invited and thought of! Its definitely the chain letter of the blogosphere.
So here goes
6 things I value:
1.future husband 2.family 3.friends 4.career 5.reality tv 6.wedding planning

6 things I do not value:
1. wedding planning (its a love hate thing) 2. Laziness 3. head colds 4. candy corn 5. traffic 6. being late

Six Quirks-
1. I lose everything 2. I hate scented lotions 3. I despise buying anything before its first markdown 4. I am a meal time purist: I could never eat pizza for breakfast or eggs for dinner 5. I prefer blue pen and hate to write in black 6.I keep a million windows open on my computer at the same time. Rows of them.

Fancy Find #7: A Find for Him!

2008-10-29T17:02:00.004-04:00

I found these great cuff links on Thistle and Bee. Now, they are a little expensive (OK, I think really expensive) but that is why they are a fancy find, not for your everyday shopping. These fun guys range from $195 to $295 for the enamel animal ones but I thought they would be fun as a groom's gift, or maybe for the best man or even for your dad. There are tons more on the site with everything from fox to frogs, different color patterns and your classic silver monogrammed ones.

Just like I think every woman deserves at least one piece of knock your socks off fancy jewelry, I think guys should at least have one pair of nice cuff links.

Poem, By the Seaside

2008-10-29T12:00:00.005-04:00

I was looking around for some classic poems or passages to put in our program (looooong Catholic ceremony, I'd like to give people something to read :)) and came across this beautiful poem. I think it is perfect since our church is across the street from the beach. We're not getting married on the sand (this is PERFECT for anyone who is) but we're close enough and our pics will be on the beach.

By the Seaside
As we stand beside the ocean tide,
may our love always be as constant and unchanging
as these never-ending waves that pour beneath our feet,
flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea;
your love came softly upon my heart,
just as the foam comes softly upon the sand,
and just as there will never be a morning
without the ocean's flow,
so there will never be a day
without my love for you.
I pledge myself to you this day.
Our love will be as unchanging
and dependable as the tide;
as these waters nourish the earth
and sustain life, may my constant devotion
nourish and sustain you
until the end of time.

I'm wondering if there are other uses I can come up with other than in the program. Thoughts?

The Church's Approval

2008-10-28T10:46:00.004-04:00

We finally are booked for our pre-cana schtuff. We elected to go to an all day conference instead of committing to a certain night of the week for 6 weeks. With our schedules at work, that would never do. Besides I think we are more of the rip the band-aid off type people. Both FH and I are Catholic and went to Catholic schools our whole lives so we are not strangers to this sort of thing but spending a full day at a Conference for the Engaged sounds like torture. On a positive note, they let us in. I have to say I was a little worried about that (we live together, FH has a son, we're not long time members of the parish and are not even getting married in the diocese) but in good church fashion, when the donation is big enough, your sins are absolved.

I hate to sound so negative. I actually love the priest that is marrying us and it was really important to me to get married in my hometown church. He was the first calming factor after the engagement and the first person who was able to get me to take a breath and realize what the whole thing was about, our marriage, not the big party on the perfect date with the perfect venue and the right colors.

Any one have good experiences at pre-cana? I really have heard only stories of how boring it is and out of touch. Or, has anyone not passed? Whoa, never even thought about that!

Make Mine a Mojito- Jewelry Giveaway

2008-10-23T11:28:00.003-04:00

Hey, I love a good blog giveaway!
Make Mine a Mojito (could you think of a more fun blog name?) is having a giveaway for her 100th Post. I signed up, you should too!
Enter here

Smarty Had a Party

2008-10-22T09:57:00.006-04:00

Don't you just love the name? Smarty Had a Party is a website I stumbled upon that sells disposable plates, platters, etc. I was thinking this would be great if you were having a casual rehearsal dinner or day after brunch. If these events are going to be at a house the day before or after a wedding, who wants to clean dishes? I get that you can rent them but thought this was another good option. Heck, even if you were having a casual wedding. Some of this stuff is really chic and would look great at any type of affair.

For shrimp cocktail or an amuse bouche?

How about a trendy triangle plate for the entrees?

Coffee and saucer?

Domestic Goddess in Training

2008-10-21T17:55:00.006-04:00

I had visions of me being this fantastic wife who could whip up some chocolate chip cookies on a whim. The sticky looking solid deflated mess you see here is me attempting to do just that!!!! Good thing I have a paying career to fall back on!!!

In my defense I did make a blackberry-apple crumble on Sunday night that could be entered into a contest, but the cookies, well, I'll definitely have to work on those!

Fancy Find #6 Porcelain Ring Bowl and more!

2008-10-20T23:00:00.000-04:00

While surfing through Etsy on a road trip this past week I came upon these lovely little porcelain dishes. I can't really nail down what it is I love about them, I think just their simplicity makes them beautiful and makes the words just that more important. This one here says "Love conquers all" in Latin.

There are tons of things you can get from Paloma's Nest on Etsy but it was this personalized ring dish that jumped out at me and made me explore her store further.

At some point, I am going to purchase something from here, just not sure what yet! I think they would make a really nice gift for someone.

Real Wedding: Real Fun, Real Fab Part 2: Place settings, etc

2008-10-20T11:22:00.005-04:00

OK, here are some of those details that in my mind, really bring it all together. But, they also maybe the type of stuff that only a wedding obsessed person would appreciate. (Like would FH actually tell his friends how nice their menu and place settings were? I think not)

Either way- looked fantastic to me and I certainly appreciate it all. Actually, while FH may not remember all of the details, I think the likes of him remembers that they were there and how lovely everything really was. OK, he would probably say "Cool" or "top notch" definitely NOT lovely, but you get it.

Let me tell you, I ate that macaroni and cheese like a champion. I was actually embaressed that others could see how much I had on my plate but I couldn't help myself!
How delightful! Love and good fortune to you guys too!

Bad Blogger

2008-10-20T11:03:00.004-04:00

Ok, bad, bad blogger. I know, I have been absent, its that little thing I call a job that's been keeping me busy and given the market these days I'd like to keep the one I have! I have a lot of halfway done posts and some fun updates I will share this week. I'll be back!

Real Wedding - REAL FUN, REAL FAB (Flowers)

2008-10-13T15:33:00.012-04:00

So yesterday I went to a fantastic wedding of great friends, Nick and Sara. Nick and FH work together and we became fast friends. I'll start off by saying that these pictures are taken by me and I barely know how to use my new camera! Also, I have like NO pics of the bride and her gorgeous dress. Mostly because every time I saw her I was too excited that I forgot to shove a camera in her face.

First off - her flowers were great and she had little touches of feathers - how fun!!!

this was outside the church doors - so pretty! I love how she didn't go to overboard with the fall colors. I love rich fall colors but I don't feel like you have to be a slave to your season, I also don't feel that you should totally deny it either. This was perfect!

Here's some more -
This stunning arrangement/s looked fantastic at the altar and again as decor for the cocktail hour flanking the arched courtyard entryway. And- she's a crafty one - it was again repurposed as decor for the buffett line! GREAT JOB!!! And, of course, only someone planning her own wedding would notice the repurposing, to the average eye they were gorgeous arrangements seen everywhere! It was done very much on the sly which I loved.

The reception flowers were a fantastic complement without being exactly the same - I loved it. There was a mix of high centerpieces and low ones. The high ones were set on the outside of the room and the low ones in close, this was great - you never had to worry about a blocked view! How smart! Oh- don't you love those peacock feathers!!??

Things I don't have - the bridesmaids or the brides boo-k or the really fun boots the boys wore - feathers!

So, more to come, I even have some video, I just have to figure out how to get it on here.

Garter - to wear or not to wear?

2008-10-08T17:38:00.008-04:00

So under no circumstances am I going to have FH take my garter off on the middle of the dancefloor. I'm not against kitchsy wedding things; we are going to cut the cake, be announced and have our first dance - I just have NO desire to have my father watch my FH run his legs up my thigh - NO THANK YOU.

Shoot me for being a non-conformist but I am not tossing my boo-k either. Having dated FH for nearly 7 years before getting engaged - I was the victim of the boo-k toss many times. My one friend threw hers at me like a spiral football, I panicked and ducked! It made a scene and I was red with embarrassment- lol, I told her not to throw it at me! I was actually hiding when they called the ladies up and the waited and searched for me!
You know what happened to the girl that ultimately caught it?
Yep, they got married next, they also got divorced! Glad I ducked now, right?

Now, I am in my 30s and 99.9% of my friends are married. Why am I going to single out my 3 single friends, who are also in their 30s, and point out to everyone that they are single? They are happily single too! Its not like they are sitting around hoping they will catch a boo-k and one day, they too can plan an overbudget, over crowded wedding!

Back to my question- the garter. Should I still wear one? Why? Is there a tradition assigned to it that I don't know about? Does it itch? Its not like it is going to be holding up my pantyhose, which I don't plan on wearing either. Also -I don't think it is going to be flattering cinched around my thigh, doesn't it have to be relatively tight to stay on all day even through dancing? I am not conjuring up a cute image here -

If I were to wear one, I think the first place I would look would be Etsy. (Funny side thought: I don't know why I am in love with Etsy, I just am. I have NEVER been a fan of anything crafty or homemade but it just seems like there are such awesome finds on here with funky styles!) Here's some beautiful ones I have found there.

(both from seller GarterLady)

But again, why would I wear one? Help a bride out...

Rehearsal Dinner - Setting the Tone

2008-10-08T16:53:00.013-04:00

When it came time to think about the location of the rehearsal dinner, one very convenient place came to mind. Let’s call it Vinny Gumbatz’s or VG’s. VG’s is around the corner from the church, has a parking lot (important in the small parking spot limited beach town), good food, well priced and a private room. What more could you want?

Well, atmosphere.

This place is a local establishment that serves traditional Italian and has no shortage of three piece suit wearing men who all want you to think they are “connected” when really, their only connection is that they may have once served the nephew of Gotti some ziti. FH loved it! He thought it would be great to see his family’s reaction to the kissing Eye-talians as they hug and kiss the men and women and serve you cheap wine out of a jug. Thinking of our rehearsal here, I was somewhat nervous. But, like I said above, it had all the criteria!

The private room…

The private room was decorated with mirrors, marble, rope lighting and fake flowers which hung from the ceiling. Oh! And there was a dance floor made out of marble tiles glued to the floor. Think about that, tiles glued to a carpeted floor.

Enter the voice of all things local and reason…

My cousin's husband sat my FH down and said, VG’s is a great place. A great place to get a good plate of macaroni and gravy; but this is not the place to set the tone for your wedding weekend. He pointed out that the rehearsal dinner really sets a tone for the rest of the weekend, and when I thought about it, I agreed. And after thought, FH agreed too. My cousin and her husband had an amazing wedding in Cape May a few years ago and they are right, their awesome but casual rehearsal dinner definitely set the tone for the weekend - a tone of laid back fun, good music, good people, good fun, and which fab touches of class. The dinner doesn't need to be fancy but there needs to be an element of class. VG’s has everything needed logistically, but, no element of class or anything that matches the "feeling" of the wedding.

We have now booked our rehearsal dinner, and since the contract was signed and deposit delivered today, I can talk about it! I could not be more excited and my gratitude towards the future in-laws runs deep. This will not be the cheapest thing but they have a lot of people from out of town and they wanted to do it right. Kudos to them!

We booked our dinner at the new posh hotel where are guests are staying. And we got the rooftop lounge! I don’t think we’ll get the massive amounts of food that we would at Vinny G’s but we’ll have enough and it will be trendy and great. We are having stations with salads made to serve, tapas, carving station, pasta made to order and kabobs. I think it will be great! And, the best part, it will be on the rooftop deck over looking the ocean.

The place isn’t finished yet but here’s a rendering:

This the view of the Atlantic we will have:

The dinner will be for invited guests from 7-9 and then at 9 we are inviting all guests that came to town for cocktails on the roof. I think it will be perfect! It is very different from the wedding’s dinner at a mansion but still has the same level of style and sass!

Here’s what I have to think of now, let me know your thoughts…What to wear? (We’ve had this rehearsal dinner dress discussion already)
Do I need centerpieces or any decor? (a good friend that I trust with this stuff told me not to waste the time, money or headache, I am starting to lean her way but was thinking of some sand filled hurricane glasses with pillar candles?)
Do favors come to play at a rehearsal dinner?
Anything else I need to think about for the rehearsal?

Do tell, I've been focused on the wedding and since most of those logistics are booked, I am thinking about all of the little details that bring the whole weekend together and focusing on how to make it special for everyone!

Fancy Find #5 - Monogrammed Table Runner

2008-10-06T15:56:00.006-04:00

Ok, here's something that I can categorize as a fancy thing I never knew I needed (You're right- I still don't NEED), wanted, or every really knew it existed! I love the idea of having a beautiful cake table with this table runner as a centerpiece of the wedding reception room. And one of the things I love most is that this is something you can probably repurpose, maybe use on an armoir, or make into a pillow?
I found this "Find" on Etsy - you know Etsy, right? Its from Etsy seller ArtfulBeginnings and she has lots of fun stuff on there and can help you coordinate your colors, monograms, etc.
I really love the idea of buying things off of Etsy and supporting small craft businesses. it just seems so much more personal for some reason.

Here's another cake table runner from Filigree Monogram Designs:

Vote for me!

2008-10-06T11:21:00.003-04:00

Hey guys! While spending the weekend forced to watch football I entered an inspiration board contest over at Creative Odd's and Ends!

Take a moment, head over there and vote for me! (ok, only vote for me if you think mine is the better one, which is Inspiration Board #1)

Vote for #1 Here

It was fun to create the board and put together something really unique and totally different from my wedding.

The task was to take this picture:

And create an inspiration board around it. Here's what I came up with. Don't you want to go to a wedding like this? I feel like there would be mulled wine and osso buco there, and that's something I would enjoy!

Happy Monday- I hope to have lots of fun posts this week, its just been a little crazy!!!

EEEEEEEEEKK!!!! The Dress is IN!

2008-10-03T15:27:00.005-04:00

I got the best call yesterday afternoon. MY DRESS IS IN!!!!!
I had no idea I would be so excited! I mean, the dress has been delivered to Saks in NYC, I live in VA , I really don't know why I am so excited. I think maybe I was worried that something would happen and I would end up having to find another dress, I don't know, something dramatic. But, no, it is in! And check this out, this is why buying your dress at a department store ROCKS. I paid for half of the dress when I ordered it. Then the rest now. But, the woman in the bridal department said she would charge my card this weekend because they are having a double points weekend. All in all, I am getting a ton of points and a $375 gift card!!!! Can you say Manolos? Wait, let me help you MA - NO - LOS. Yes, it rolls so nicely off my tongue.

One thing that hit after I got the call- HOLY COW- get movin on that diet girl!!!

There's been a ton of progess this week, I don;t know how it all happened but things have been moving along nicely. I'll post more updates shortly - things have been a little crazy in my work world, wedding planning world, and just overall - but all is good!

Save the Dates - CHECK!

2008-09-29T17:24:00.003-04:00

I am thrilled to say that my save the dates are officially stuffed, sealed, labeled, stamped and have been dropped off at the post office!!! Can you say AHHHHHH? I can, one more thing off my plate!
The other big to-do this week: PRE-CANA, dun dun dunnnnnnnnnn...
We have got to get that thing booked and a date set in stone or this bride who has always dreamed of getting married in her hometown church will be heading to city hall and will be WAY over dressed!

It Happened Again...

2008-09-26T16:21:00.003-04:00

FH (Future Husband) is virtually invisible to vendors. He is tasked with the rehearsal dinner. I just got an email from the hotel where it will be and they flat out said - Tom let us know that you guys would like us to draw up a contract, is this correct?
What? Do they think he is trying to sabotage things? Is his money not good enough? it is really so STRANGE! I mean, it took an effort to not respond directly to him, dig up my email and find me? Why not just reply to him????? BELIEVE ME I WANT TO DELEGATE THIS!!!!

Tagged? What's this? I am flattered! I think?

2008-09-26T15:45:00.005-04:00

Ok, so I am a total newbie to the blogosphere but one of my favorite brides to be - Atlanta Bride had "tagged" me! I think its like a giant game of Internet tag. I've been meaning to respond since last week but just kept getting sidetracked. I am honored to have even have been thought of! (People read this thing?!) This whole virtual world of wedding bloggers that I have thrust myself into is still a little out there for me, its like Second Life for divas.
First I have to answer:
5 Reasons Why You Love Your State:
1. Where I met people that changed my life. (Translation: college friends and FH!)
2. DC - I live about 4 miles from DC, a city that I really love.
3. The history - did you know that more U.S. presidents are from Virginia than any other state?
4. Landscape- we have mountains, beaches, and everything else in between (including a ton of man made lakes which are wierd to this beach gal)
5. Diversity! Not sure about other parts but Northern Virginia is extremley diverse and a cross section for various cultures, I love it!
NOW:
Link back to the meme creator: Caz
Link to the person who tagged you: An Atlanta Bride
Link back to the originator of the positive SA movement (as this is how this all started): Cheap Thrills
Tag at least five people - Since this is really a modern day chain letter I am going to end my link here. Fun- yes, but I don't think I am cool enough to ask someone else to do it. Nor do I have very many cyber friends!

The rehearsal dress that will never be...

2008-09-25T12:19:00.003-04:00

So, I am completely in love with this dress from J. Crew. I think it would be absolutely perfect for the rehearsal dinner. The problem - it is on sale. Whaaaaaa? how is that a problem, you ask? Well, it is still $199 (a bargain since the starting price was $395) but because it is on sale and on clearance, there are no returns or exchanges! I actually thought about buying the same dress in the new not on sale version (it is in a floral print that I don't really care for), ordering two of those in different sizes, review the neckline to make sure the cleavage was not inappropriate - return the dresses, and if I love them, buy this on sale one. Crazy? Um, yeah. When I thought about it, the chances of this dress still being available in my size and the shipping costs and well, the effort, were a little much for a simple dress. It's not that I am hunting for a rehearsal dress right now either, I just saw this dress and fell in love with it and tried to come up with a place to wear it! Maybe I will check out their outlet and see if it shows up there. If you kept up with that little rant for nothing, thank you, I just had to tell someone my love for a dress I will never have :)

How Cool is this Wedding?

2008-09-23T17:35:00.009-04:00

I only dream of being so cool...

Read more about this hipster couple on Offbeat Bride, a favorite site of mine for a little inspiration. Even though I am as pretty darn mainstream as it gets, its nice to get a little flavor of (as FH would say) "what the cool kids are up to these days."

Fancy Find #4: Photographer Yun Gen Yang

2008-09-22T18:46:00.002-04:00

(Not necessarily a fancy item but a vendor I am currently stalking and I think he's fancy)

So yesterday during my Sunday evening Internet surfing (I do this while FH watches football) I came across a photographers website that held me captive for a good hour. His name is Yun Gen Yang and his website can be found here: Yang Photography.

He's based in NYC and looks like he covers most of the Tri-state area. Now, I found and am thrilled about the photog I chose (Matthew Sowa) but I cannot deny that this made me question my research- how did I miss this guy? He has an obvious love for the sky:

and just overall color and beauty. I put together a two little collages of my favorite photos; one from his wedding collection and one from the lifestyle/personal collection on his site. Check them out and check out his blog as well!

Who knew...

2008-09-22T10:14:00.005-04:00

I could be inspirational enough to inspire a whole post ? - LOL -
Last week Practical Wedding (one of my favorite blogs that keeps me grounded) posted this amazing real wedding with get this - NO VENDORS. The pictures are amazing and I was just in love with the whole concept and commented. Practical Wedding just started a whole post based on my comment asking people what they remember most about weddings they have been to or their own, and no, its not the bustle of the dress or the programs that first come to mind.
Check it out...

(Photo from Practical Wedding, Courtesy of Jessamyn Harris)

Its his wedding too!

2008-09-18T17:13:00.010-04:00

Grooms get no respect, why???
So, I am not sure why this is and whether or not I find it funny or frustrating.

On more than a few occasions I have delegated duties to dear FH and each time, it seems, the contact will search high and low to get to me and bypass FH as if his opinion has no bearing on the situation at all.

Believe me, I want FH involved and when he is willing to take the ball on something, I am more than willing to hand it off to him! He's a great party planner and really good at logistics - he even has an eye for aesthetics - in short, I really value his opinions and decisions on this stuff!

Hotel- FH did a great job negotiating a rate and getting a block set up. He's been in touch with them and even had a discount rate extended. I have no idea how they even got my contact information - I think it was somehow through my mom! - but they tracked me down yesterday to ask me a question and get my email so they could send us the latest rooming manifest. Why not just send it to FH? Why not ask him? Please, I have enough I am working on!

Rehearsal Dinner-FH contacted the hotel catering and cc'd me on an email to them. Well, after he was pretty far down the road, they cut him out completely and would just email and call me! Every time I would get an email I would just forward it on to him, he'd respond to the caterer and then she would email ME back. LOL, that takes an actual effort!

Now the funniest one! His MOM! We're at the point where we have to make some cuts to the guest list before the save the dates go out. The list just grew waaaaay to big and caused the implosion of the budget. So, we all had to cut a couple of people. FH called his parents and asked them to cut. She said she would talk to him last night and come up with a few people. I was in yoga last night, come out of class and have 6 missed calls from the in-laws. I check my message and it is to tell me who was going to be on the chopping block. Why not just call FH? Let him know?

I love that people think I am the authority but man, there are quite a few things where I would be happy to - I WANT to- I NEED to- give the reigns to FH and let him handle from start to finish.

Whatever makes you happy...

2008-09-16T14:19:00.006-04:00

Waffle House Wedding;
From the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Funny thing is, I find the photography in this slide show to be awesome!
Well, I think one of the hardest things about wedding planning is making it unique and personal, this couple really outdid themselves...

Update:
For those of you that read the story, all I keep thinking about is "who is the jerk that wouldn't cover the groom's shift on his wedding day!"
Nice friends! Either way, it definitely turned out unique and something to talk about!

Hair jewelry

2008-09-09T13:18:00.005-04:00

So, I have been on the lookout for hair jewelry. I am not a tiara girl but I need some sort of somethin' to make the day special. This is wear I wish I worked by my mom in the garment district of NYC. There are showrooms with this stuff everywhere. The thing is, I think I want to get a few things and try them on, right?

Here are some of my faves, some are realistic, some are just avant garde.

From White Aisle (an amazing site for paper, favors, jewelry and more)
*Note the coolest part- everything below (and for the most part their entire collection is under $20! The highest I saw was $39.99 but it contains freshwater pearls

Tigerlilly also has some gorgeous pieces, these are the more avant garde looks and well, more expensive ones. They seem very editorial to me but I would love to go to a wedding with a bride sporting one of these - I'm too boring to pull one od these guys off!

There are a ton of options out there and the costs are extreme also. The trick is finding the perfect one!

Bridal Bootcamp

2008-09-09T09:29:00.005-04:00

New wedding reality ALERT: Bridal Bootcamp is set to air in the Spring of 2009 (a little too late for me!)

But... along with my gals from the neighborhood we are now part of a Tuesday night bootcamp club run by trainer extraordinaire, Lisa Reed. Lisa is fantastic and EXTREMELY motivating. She trains a ton of brides, check out the Bride to Be Fit section of her website, she will customize your workouts based on your body type, fitness level and the style of your dress! I imagine most brides, like me, are looking for the toned arms and shoulders and a flat belly! (easy, right?) Back to the "If I had a million dollars", well, I would totally do the three days a week program with her but it is just not in the financial cards for me. I am so happy doing the group boot camp sessions with her, I just hope we find a way to do it once it gets cold outside - I need the motivation.

I know I wanted to "Chill" on my honeymoon but...

2008-09-08T17:23:00.004-04:00

this is NOT what I was talking about!

According to People.Com Singer KT Tunstall is heading on a honeymoon in Greenland. Ok, I get that it is a statement and its all for the environment but brrrrrrrrr.....

Newlywed KT Tunstall to Sail to Greenland

The article states:
The newlyweds, who exchanged vows on the northern tip of Scotland's remote Isle of Skye on Saturday, have signed up to help climate change awareness charity Cape Farewell, according to a rep for the organization.

Good for them, I'll be sipping coladas and getting massages, oh yeah, and I will be warm!

Home and garden for inspiration

2008-09-08T10:15:00.010-04:00

So, I never would have thought about looking at Better Homes and Gardens magazine for inspirational wedding ideas. But during my Internet navigation of all things weddings, I came across the most beautiful flower ideas and photos.

They have a number of slide shows for wedding ideas.
Here's some that have held me captive:

Reception Centerpiece Arrangements
Editor's Pick: 30 Best Bouquets
Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

I am all about fresh flowers being beautiful for what they are. I am not looking for really structured pieces, I am getting married in the heart of May, I may as well embrace the abundance of gorgeous flowers that will be in full bloom.

Here are some of the pictures I love from BHG:

The Eco-Friendly Wedding Planner

2008-09-04T21:37:00.006-04:00

Check out this article from AboutMyPlanet.Com...
The Eco-Friendly Wedding Planner

I guess I should have read this article before I got this far down the road with planning. Wedding's really are a practice in gluttony and superabundance. Why not try and combat that with some eco-friendly practices?

How about a buying some carbon credits to offset your traveling guests?
Carbon Fund has an awesome calculator which allows you to see how many tons of CO2 your guests will be emitting and what you need to do to offset that:

Other ideas include using a caterer that specializes in local & organic food, having invitations made from recyclable or plantable materials or not even having printed invitations - do them all by email! there are eco-friendly materials for dresses, and the list goes on. I'm the first to admit I am not the most eco-friendly but I am getting MUCH better and am going to try and do at least one or two things for the wedding. One - we are definitely going to do a donation for our invite (OK, not necessarily eco-friendly but it is socially conscious) and Two - I am planning to use reusable grocery bags for our out of town guests welcome package - cheap and enviro-friendly)

Here are some other sites and articles for ideas on eco-friendly weddings:
World Wildlife Foundation - Wedding Tips
Eco-Wedding.org
Saving the Earth, one vow at a time - San Francisco Chronicle
Suite101.com

Fancy Find #3

2008-09-04T13:39:00.004-04:00

If I had a million dollars - or a very small wedding - I think I would have to get invitations as gorgeous as these.

I found them while doing my lunchtime wedding Internet search, they are made by Alia Designs and they are just gorgeous. There are quite a few designs on there that I heart.

Here's another great one:

I do have a secret weapon though, one of my close friends and style goddess is helping to design my invites!!! Once I get more I will share. In the meantime I will surf the net for ideas for the invitation suite and covet things like this that are totally out of my price range (I just looked and their minimum order is $2000!)

What's Better the Wedding or the Honeymoon?

2008-09-03T15:53:00.020-04:00

We are booked! I cannot tell you how incredibly excited I am that we have our honeymoon booked. We may still try and change some things as far as our flight goes but for the most part we are DONE! 7 nights in St. Lucia, one in Miami!

I really wanted to go to Spain and tour the coast but it just was not working out. Multiple factors like the piddly value of the dollar, the long flight, etc. I had clear instructions that if we were going to go somewhere in Europe it would not be for a sightseeing, backpacking trip, it was going to be on some European beach where we could relax. Marbella! Have you heard of this place? Its part of the Costa Del Sol in southern Spain and it is where the wealthy play. And...there is a Marriott there where I could use my points!

Well, like I said, things were just not lining up in our favor and even the planning part was exhausting. And we decided if there was one thing we wanted out of the honeymoon it was RELAXATION.

FH and I are total Caribophiles (yes, I made that word up but you get the idea). In our years of dating we have visited the Carribbean about 6 times together and have a great routine, I soak up the sun and drink frozen drinks, FH reads approximately 3 books a day, we meet up for lunch, then again in the late afternoon and figure out what we are going to do for dinner. We also love to find something active to do a few of the days like kayak, hike, something to not be total mushes.

For some reason when it came to honeymoon planning, the Carribbean just sounded too easy and cliche but the more I thought about it, well, there are reasons so many people honeymoon there:
1. It is GORGEOUS
2. Relaxing
3. Easy to get to (relatively, certainly easier than a small beach in Spain!)

So- why was I fighting it!?

In the end we decided on St. Lucia.
Yes, that's probably the most cliche of them all! But, we decided to stray from the pack heading to Sandals and rent a small bungalow in the East Winds Resort.

Not so bad, right? I can't wait!!!

Fancy Finds #2

2008-09-03T14:51:00.006-04:00

OK, here's something else I thought there was no point in getting until I stumbled across this gorgeous card box from Estilo Weddings - they have some really fantastic but pretty pricey things.

Isn't it ab-fab? Totally matches nothing in my wedding so I am not going to get it, but its another one of those things I came by and thought - oh shoot - do I NEED one of those? In the Northeast everyone gives cards with money, it is RARE to receive an actual gift. We will have a safe in our bridal suite. Do I need a card box too? Hmm. Not sure. There is something about having a receptical for your money that is tacky but at the same time I don't want to be handed someone's very generous gift and just toss it next to my cake - that seems tackier! I'll be thinking on this one. Surely I can make something at Michaels, right? LOL- So many past brides warned me about this, I had all of these ambitious ideas of things I was going to make myself and yet have not conquered one DIY yet, and I really don't see too many in my future. Maybe this will be my one task.

Fancy Find

2008-09-02T21:51:00.004-04:00

So, for some reason when thinking of some details, I kind of get bored. Like- a guest book. Do people actually read them? Do you save them somewhere? So much dust, so little space in our condo. That was, until I found these fun ones on the GuestBookStore. I love 'em!!

Here are what the pages look like:

Here is the cover that I like the best but there are so many!

Unproductive but tan

2008-09-02T12:28:00.004-04:00

So I spent the weekend on Long Island, FH came with. I thought for sure we would knock some stuff out this weekend but we got NOTHING done. FH said- we came here to spend the weekend at the beach not to visit vendors. It was hard to argue since we had 2 great days and one day that wasn't a beach day but we did a lot of exercise (In a way this is wedding prep, right?)

I did visit the hair salon while I was there and had a bridal consultation. one of the things I learned is that with the hair style I am thinking about, I need a veil that lays flat when the blusher is pulled down. The consultant explained this to me 4 times and I still do not know if I understood her completely. Either way, I know I need a metal comb, and the veil sewn with a straight line. Who knew?

One more dilemma. I have not been able to get in to see my hair colorist - our schedules were just not meeting up. So I went when I was back home and I LOVE the way my color came out. I can't seriously go to NY every time I want my hair colored! But now, I may have this girl color my hair a few weeks before the big day, I am sure I will have to be up in LI running errands anyway.

Dum dum dummmmmmmmmmmm

2008-08-28T15:35:00.002-04:00

OK, well I just realized that tomorrow morning when I wake up, I will no longer be a twenty something. Wheeeeew. Its a lot to take in. I am heading to the beach and some good old family time this weekend which always helps make me feel fantastic. Maybe I'll even get a little wedding planning in.

Moooooo

2008-08-28T13:34:00.005-04:00

So I was just doing my lunchtime check in with my favorite blogs and came across something pretty cool on Brooklyn Bride

Moo cards.

Its seems like there are so many fun things you can do with these Moo products. Stickers, greeting cards, mini cards, postcards. And the key- they are CHEAP!!! The other cool thing is that you are not limited to one image, you can have 90 different photos or images in one $9.99 sticker book. I'll have to let this marinate a bit and figure out the best use.

This is almost as exciting as when I came across the Print Gocco - which, I still haven't gotten but I haven't given up yet.

The Power of Three

2008-08-26T15:39:00.013-04:00

For me, the most successful method I have come up with when planning from out of town and working (a lot) is the power of three. I use it when I am ready to choose a vendor - or anything really.

Here's my motus operandi: after tons of Internet research (reading reviews, searching for pictures, etc) I narrow my choices down to three and choose from there. I probably do this because to get anything approved at work over a certain dollar amount we have to show we have looked at three different options. We put together an analysis of the costs, deliverables, and any other factor that would lead you to choose one thing over the other two. Or, maybe I learned this method from Goldilocks?

So far this Goldilocks method has worked with numerous items. It really just helps you pull the trigger and decide on something.

I did this with a reception halls. I scoured the Internet, read countless reviews, saw millions of pictures and made an astonishing amount of phone calls pleading for available dates but when it came time to visit - I only went to 3. I went with my Dad and Stepmom and 3 sheets of questions. There was one that stood out to me and I chose The Woodlands. It was actually the first we visited and I loved it from the get go but I just needed to get other prices and see what was out there.

I did this with bridal salons (not dresses but the salons). First, I went to one with my Maid of Honor (MOH)in Manhasset, then to Bergdorf Goodmans, then Saks - which was my final destination. Even there, I had tried on a multitude of dresses and then found three I loved. The one I chose was hands down my favorite but it wasn't what I had pictured so I had to think about it for a while. But in the end, narrowing down to three really helped and when I thought about all three I knew I found the one and it was time to stop looking.

Photogs-
I narrowed my choices of photographers down to three via Internet research. I contacted all three and heard back from two - and well, that narrowed me down to two right there. If you are planning from out of town or you are on the road a lot like I am, the number one priority is good communication via email and phone. I only met with one, the one I went with - Matthew Sowa - and he was great. I got a DVD and spoke with Gail Chetalain and really thought she was fantastic, I will totally recommend her to friends. She was also a great price for a photo journalist photog, I just felt like I really clicked with Matt and that FH would not be annoyed by him (and thus be a little more patient during picture taking - something he despises). Gail is a free spirit - she returned my calls while on the road from Cali to Florida "I normally fly but I needed to find myself" is what she told me! Works for me but that attitude is definitely not one for the hippie-hater FH!

DJs-
Not so much the power of three but the power of two. We wanted to meet with the DJs and thought this was something we should both decide on - and given FH's limited patience for wedding planning- I needed to make this as painless as possible. Here we met with two, we loved the first one DJs Unlimited, our guy Dave met with us and totally pegged us within seconds of introduction. He knew we were a little older and didn't want to turn the beautiful 1920s mansion into a night club "I am guessing you are not a laser show or strobe light type couple," (Um, you got it) he actually suggested one of the least expensive packages. Our second visit - well- she tried to sell us an Andean Pan Flutist for the cocktail hour(I wish I was joking) at which point FH laughed in her face and I knew I was going to have an entertaining car ride home. We went with the first one.

Right now I am collecting florist quotes. I know which one I want but just don't know if I can justify her price quote. The second quote I got was SIGNIFICANTLY less but I really do not like their style. I am going to get a third quote this week to gauge how far off my preferred gal is. Just like Goldilocks, I am hoping to find the one that is juuuussst right.

Inspiration Boards

2008-08-26T12:24:00.004-04:00

So one of the things I find as I go from wedding blog to wedding blog is the Inspiration Board. At first I was put off by this but the more I take a deep dive into planning (getting major logistics out of the way) I found that after I put one together it sort of helps ground you. There are so many options for everything that it is a good way to paste together things you like and create a vision for yourself.

Now, there is a picture of the Woodlands in here and some other things that are close to what I am actually going to have but mostly its about inspiration and theme.

UPDATE
Check out Polyvore its a really fun site for creating a collage or inspiration board, not just for weddings but maybe even for your own new fall wardrobe!

So much done, so much to do

2008-08-26T09:45:00.002-04:00

Well as of today with 263 days to go I feel like I am in good shape.
Here's what I've gotten done so far:
Church -Check - St. Ignatius, Long Beach, NY
Reception Hall - Check - The Woodlands, Woodbury, NY
Dress - Check - You'd like to know, wouldn't you???
Bridesmaids Dresses - Check - Unfortunately no online pics are available
Photographer - Check -Matthew Sowa (One of my favorite vendors so far)
Hotel- Check - Allegria Hotel and Spa , Long Beach, NY
I have to tell you FH was really great about getting the hotel set up. We actually have 10 rooms already booked!
Save the Dates - OK, well these are done and are in my living room, they just have not yet been sent out yet!

What's left?
Well, I wish I could say not much but there really is a lot.
Flowers - I am pretty confident I found the one but just need to do a little more research.
I would like to take this moment to thank our favorite local Alexandria florist for helping me with some questions to ask and judging prices. So, thank you to Gwen from the Flower Market!
Limos -this is a tough one, they never seem to get back to me when I call or email, and not just one company, several!
Rehearsal Dinner -We may actually take care of that this weekend, that would be so great!
Pre-Cana - We have GOT to sign up for this and get moving on this one!
And lots and lots more... Those are just things that are top of mind right now!

Am I Really Starting a Blog? Will Anyone Really Read This?

2008-08-25T21:21:00.000-04:00

Welcome!!!

I am still a little unsure about starting a blog but since all of my friends and family are scattered across the country and we are busy, busy, busy I decided this would be a good way to keep people posted.

My Future Husband (I'll go with FH in future posts) and I were engaged last October and are planning a wedding on Long Island in May 2009. Hopefully this blog will give me an outlet to share the joys, headaches, frustrations and exciting times that go along with planning.

Planning has been quite an adventure and I am stumbling across some of the most beautiful, unique and creative ideas some are budget breakers and some are budget makers. Something else I come across- some of the strangest, tackiest and whackiest stuff you have ever seen - I hope to share that as well!

Join me, as I vent and share the road to becoming a Mrs. in May!