If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy so many flowers
(I would buy so many flowers)
If I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
I'd buy us a photo-booth guestbook
(Maybe with props and fake mustaches)
And if I had a million dollars
(If I had a million dollars)
Well, I'd buy us some fireworks
(Some nice, patriotic fireworks)
If I had a million dollars I'd buy your love
Anybody know that little folk diddy? That definitely sums up wedding planning for me. I see these blogs everyday with beautiful things that, well, I don't really need. And this morning I saw the latest take my breath away thing that is probably expensive and I definitely don't need.
Check out this Alice in Wonderland tablescape from Project Wedding. It's just too, too cute. And too girly for a wedding, but wouldn't it make the dreamiest Bridal Shower ever?
There are also some tips on how to pull this look off yourself at http://www.projectwedding.com/wiki/show/diy-decor-alice-in-wonderland
Okay, yes, so its over the top. But doesn't it just make you wanna have a Mad Hatter's Tea Party? And if you're behind on time, you could run around shouting, "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!"
Friday, May 29, 2009
If I had a million dollars (part 1 of ?)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Deals and Steals in NYC
Just in case we have some NYC brides (or brides visiting NYC, or just shoppers in general) following the blog, I thought I would mention a few great deals I found over the weekend.
1) Calypso Outlet (the awesome outlet branch of Calypso Celle) is selling the Butter by Nadia signature convertible dress in satin for $90!!!! They have teal, pale gold and maybe a green remaining. Call or stop by for details. I actually checked this one out for my girls b/c it's such a good idea, but in the end, I knew they preferred the jersey and the color wasn't quite right.
2) Check out this adorable lace vintage dress I spotted in a vintage store window on Grand street in Williamsburg. This dress was beautiful and a steal at $45. Perfect for anyone looking for a vintage, short wedding dress. I would've snapped it up myself, but weirdly, the armholes were tiny! Did people have smaller arms in the 50s? It's also pretty small in general and would best fit someone size 2 or smaller (this is me in the dress, but not zipped up. Shhhhh,) Also, in case you can't tell, the dress is white lace with a pale blue liner. And it's super adorable! I think the store is Flores Vintage Clothing and they had tons of great stuff. Especially if you're planning a 70s prom party anytime soon. 
(try to ignore the makeup-less face)
Monday, May 18, 2009
Yep, the flowers still look pretty when I do them
Like I said last time, flowers are already pretty so I should be able to do them myself right? Well, on the way home from work tonight I stopped by a deli and decided to do some DIY flower trials. I bought 5 bouquets for $28. For that $28, I got 2 stems blue hydrangea, 2 stems white hydrangea, a bunch of (what I'm calling) pink delphinium, a bunch of blue hyacinths and one dozen small yellow roses. Here's what I was able to make with that.
The Pink Delphinium Bunches
A single stem of Blue Hydrangea--wouldn't these be lovely nosegays for the mothers or bridesmaids?
4 stems of hydrangea bouquet--forgive the Cruella D'ville 2-tone. I didn't know which color I wanted, so I went with both.
The white hydrangea centerpiece
Yellow Rose Bouquet (1 dozen roses)
Yellow Rose Centerpiece
White Hydrangea and Yellow Rose Centerpiece
Blue Hydrangea, Yellow Rose, Pink Delphinium
White Hydrangea, Yellow Rose, Pink Delphinium 
My first idea for escort card--single bloom in a mini vase (baby food jar)
Escort Card with piece of a Hydrangea
Another idea would be to replace the single bloom with one of these tissue paper carnations. Probably cheaper and definitely greener.
Similarly, here are some blooms made from paper. We could make these from pages of old books.
So what do you guys think? Can I do DIY flowers? Do they look too DIY? Should I look into different flowers? What about the paper flowers? Cheesy or a cool alternative?
Or should I scrap the whole DIY thing and just buy these pre-made centerpieces? They come to about $15 each.
But flowers are already pretty, right?
Alright, despite hearing over and over again, "arranging flowers is a lot harder than it looks," I've decided to keep moving forward with the project. I mean, flowers start out pretty, right? How far off could I go? The trouble, it seems, is figuring out what to order. I would like kind of a messy, wildflower look (which everyone assures me is the most difficult to pull off), but I have no idea what flowers to order. My colors are blue and blue, but in an all-white reception hall, I'm worried monochrome would look too boring (or worse, too prom.) Anyway, here are a few examples of some centerpieces I like
On the other hand, here are some cool centerpieces that don't use any flowers at all.
Stay tuned for my first attempts at DIY flowers.
Monday, May 11, 2009
First the Bridesmaid, Then the Bride
I'm sure most of you guys know this, but next month I'll be taking my very first ever turn as a Bridesmaid and will be taking the honor of Maid of Honor to boot. (How's that for jumping to the top?) Yup, I'll be the MOH at my sister's wedding on June 12th. And as I spent a lot of this weekend thinking about that wedding, I thought I would share with you my bridesmaid style and approved my my sister, the Bride.
First up the Dress:
My sister generously let each bridesmaid choose her own dress, provided it matched the red she chose. As fate would have it, I stumbled across an Amsale sample sale and found this dress on the sales rack for $75 from $400!
It was actually a sample they sent the stylists for the Kate Hudson movie, My Best Friend's Girl. They eventually chose a different dress for Kate and sent mine back to it's bargain bin destiny.
Here's a pic of the one they chose for Kate in the color I'll be wearing as a bridesmaid.
Next up: The shoes
Because of the long, flowy, grecian nature of this dress, I decided gold, flat sandals would be the perfect completion to this look. I'd been eyeing these at J Crew for months now and would love to make them my summer sandals after the wedding. 
They are marked down, right now, from $99 to $59 so it seemed like the perfect time to pounce. But when I got there, I found these other gold, flat t-strap sandals that I fell in love with also on sale for $60 and I took them home instead. They've mysteriously disappeared from the website since then, but they're simple, thin t-strap sandals in a very shiny, soft gold leather. However, I'm still torn b/t the decision. Ultimately the t-straps seemed more delicate and therefore more appropriate for the wedding, but will I miss the gladiators later?
Finally: the hair
I think, in keeping with the Grecian inspiration, I want to go with a loose, romantic updo. Much like Michelle Williams' gorgeous Oscar do. (But I think I'll trade the red lips for a nude gloss.)
And I'm thinking about adding this little jeweled ribbon headband from Anthropologie. (It's an ivory ribbon, bedazzled with clear glass bead, circled in gold.
So what do you guys think? Should I go for the gladiators or stick with the t-straps? Can I pull off the messy up-do or will I look like I rode to the wedding with Thelma and Louise? And should I spring for this dream clutch from Lauren Merkin?
Shopping for the Mister
Oh to be a boy. While I had a nightmare of a time dress shopping, my mister couldn't have gotten off easier. He decided early on that he wanted a suit from Brooks Brothers as he felt it had a bit of cache w/o being crazy expensive. And, except for the fact that I forced him to try on a suit at J Crew so he could compare, he really only needed one shopping trip to make this happen. Last weekend we stopped by the Brooks Brothers flagship store near Grand Central to learn about suits. 5th floor is the suits and tux floor and it's such a boys club, they even have a pool table up there! I wish I had thought to bring my camera, but I'll try next time when we go for the fitting. There we met Gabe, our fashionisto salesman. He knew everything there was to know about suits and proceeded to educate us about different materials, weights, designs and options. He pulled several suits to try and we went back to dressing rooms as fancy as those at Kleinfeld's to see what was what. Matt tried on suits from $600 to $3000 and while we could definitely tell the difference in the $3000 suits, they were quickly eliminated from consideration. It basically came down to a made to measure suit where he could pick everything from the lapels to the vents (the split in the back of the jacket for those not in the know) or the fancier (better material) 1818 Fitzgerald 2-butto. In the end, we went for the nicer Fitzgerald. But, b/c they were running a Friends and Family discount, we got it for 30% off or the cost of the cheaper suit!
Here's the Fitzgerald in Navy:
And trust me, my guy looks way cooler in it than this stiff. Also, fun fact, it's called the "Fitzgerald" after JFK who had similar suits custom-designed for himself from Brooks Brothers. And this is what BB has to say about the style:
"Inspired by our archives, the 1818 Fitzgerald suit is distinguished by narrow lapels, higher armholes and trimmer fitting plain-front trousers. It is truly a statement of elegance and refinement. Tailored from pure wool woven in Italy. 2-button. Center vent. Made in the USA."
We went back this weekend (stopped by J Crew for the obligatory try-on) and selected the 1818 Fitzgerald and I gotta say, my man looked hot in a suit! Normally you pick a suit and then the on-site tailors take your measurements and mark the suit right there, but when the tailors got a look at Matt, they insisted that he order an unusual size to accommodate for his "large chest and shoulders." That's right. I'm marrying Superman. So he didn't get to do his tailoring this weekend, but we have the suit ordered and it should come in soon. Then we went downstairs and bought a nice, slim-cut dress shirt with the discount. (If you're interested, definitely try on their slim fit shirts before springing for a custom-made number. Depending on your build, you may not need it.) All in all, I'm a pretty big fan of BB and am really excited to see the fiance in his wedding finery!
Other fun moments at Brooks Brothers:
1) Dutch guy yelling at the tailor b/c the sleeves made his gray 1800s style tails tuxedo look "ridiculous!". Um, no. The tails do. You look like you're trying out for a Jane Austen movie on PBS.
2) Mother demanding to know why the pants for her full-grown son "bulged in the crotch." Awk-ward.
And for those interested, the 30% off sale runs through the 15th of this month and you just need to mention it to get the discount.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Devil's Got a Blue Dress On
This just in from Kathryn the Dress designer!
NOT FOR MATT
What do you guys think? Do you like the blue peeking out? Do you miss the lace on the bottom? Could we have both? Do you like more lace on top?
Let's hear it!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The first Official Cake Tasting--Lucy's Cakes
Today we embarked on the the part of wedding planning I've always dreamed of--the cake tasting. Unfortunately, we were not there. Obviously, we couldn't go to Austin for a cake tasting, so I got a pinch cake taster to go instead. (And believe me, there were plenty volunteers. First up, Lucy's Cakes of Austin, Texas. Lucy's came highly recommended by the other two married people I know in Austin, particularly the chocolate groom's cake. Lucy's is reasonably priced, has good designs on the website and was pre-tasting, the one to beat. Yes, pre-tasting. Unfortunately, Lucy's did not live up their reputation. My pinch taster said, all the cakes with the exception of the Italian Cream were very dry. Boooo Lucy's.
Of course, she didn't just say that. She marked it down on the cake tasting score card. Yes, there's a score card. B/c I couldn't be there for the tasting and am very particular about my desserts, I wanted to know how the cakes scored on various parameters. Something my pinch taster, Hillary, found hilarious enough to build a score card and proceed to Simon Cowell Lucy's Cakes. 
I know, I know. Totally bridezilla. But there's some good information in here. For example, cakes were tasted on 5 things: sweetness, color, texture, moisture and stability. (some of which i hadn't even thought of. Great job, Hillary!) The white/standard cake scored an average 3.4 out of 5, the famous devil's food got a 3.0 with 2s in both moisture and texture (on a scale of melts in your mouth to 5 days old), and the Italian Cream managed at 3.8 but got it's highest score in the color category and I'm not even sure what that means. The icings also managed middling scores, but the big disappointment of the night was the Strawberry filling which scored a depressing 2 on sweetness.
Oh well. Hopefully Michelle's Patisserie will fare better. We (Hillary) will be hitting them next week, and hopefully with pictures. Stay tuned!
Dress Update
Alright, now that Kathryn (the dress designer) and I are on the same page as far as the design goes, she has begun sourcing materials to make the dress with (and the official cost estimate.) She apparently had in stock some silky ivory satin for the main part of the dress and has been diligently shopping for the rest. Because we decided on lace for the parts of the dress, she has been lace shopping. And I have, by proxy, been getting a lace education. She has decided that Alencon lace (pronounced al-an-sawn, it's French) would be best. Through some google searches, I have learned that Alencon lace is "is a needle lace that originated in Alençon, France. It is sometimes called the 'Queen of lace.'" I have also learned that "Alencon lace is Chantilly Lace which has been re-embroidered with a very fine rayon cord" and that Kathryn only uses hand-made lace. Yes. Hand made. As in there are some French ladies making it by hand at some Chateau right now. Okay, not right now, b/c apparently it takes a year to make hand-made lace which is what makes is so fancy. This might be the most fancy, fussy, over the top thing about the wedding so far. It's so fancy sounding, it almost makes me uncomfortable. But Kathryn says, "there is so much lace out there but the good stuff is rare, hand-made and usually made wider for entire dresses. It also comes and goes quickly especially now during high wedding season. It takes aprox one year for the hand-made lace to be made.....it is a very specialized industry." Whew! Anyway, we believe we have found some lace that may work and I'm posting it here. 
*Warning: apparently it's only yellowed in the picture. Kathryn assures me in real life it's light ivory and matches the satin. Before I decide for sure, I'm going to check out the lace on my mom's veil again to see if we can't get a close match.
But Kathryn hasn't just been doing lace shopping. She's also been shopping for the Tiffany Blue sash I may or may not wear with the dress. She's mailing me samples and I have pics as well. 
I think I actually found the perfect ribbon at Kate's Paperie a few weeks ago, so when the sample comes in, I may go by, pick some up and compare.
Finally, Kathryn has been coming up with even more ideas for the dress. Today she sent me this brilliance:
"There are lots of things that can be done with the edging of the gown. For example you could have lace set in place at the edge of the gown, and you could have aqua tulle set into your petticoat that peaked out slightly when you walked or danced."
Umm, awesome? I asked her if she thought it would be too much with the sash and she assured me it wouldn't as long as it was subtle. She also mention doing the sash in reversible white and aqua blue. What do you guys think? Is the reversible sash necessary? What about the blue tulle peeking out from under the ground? Awesome or childish? She said we could make these decisions at the end, but i'm curious about what you guys think. And, just for fun, she sent me a new and improved dress sketch.
NOT FOR MATT'S EYES
So what do you think? Should I push back for more lace on the bottom? Wait to see how it turns out? And isn't this thing getting awesome?
Perfect Palette Giveaway
Today, I checked my email to find out a fellow wedding blogger left me a comment and suggested I check out the giveaway she's doing on her blog. I did and it's pretty cool. Perfect Palette (http://theperfectpalette.blogspot.com/) is giving away a $25 gift certificate to Garnish!--a online seller of boxes and bags. Now, usually a $25 gift certificate is just to get you to buy more stuff. But it could actually go a long way with Garnish!. If I win, I'll be getting the lunch sacks and glassine bags and make some nifty Out of Town bags or favor bags or tossing petal bags or whatever. If you're interested, just head over to http://www.thinkgarnish.com/store/Scripts/default.asp and then leave a comment at Perfect Palette saying what you would use the gift certificate for. Here, courtesy of Perfect Palette are a few cute things from Garnish!.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
It's a hit!
I got an email this morning from Kathryn over at www.snippetandink.blogspot.com--one of my favorite wedding blogs. She says our Save the Dates are "awesome" and would like to include them in her blog post this Friday! I'm so excited that something from my wedding will be featured at one of the top wedding blogs. And it's so flattering to hear the style I've chosen is "awesome." (Although to be fair, most of the credit has to go to Cristin, the designer.) She told me she's about to move to Austin and wanted the low down on cool places to go, so I obliged and promptly sent her to our wedding website for recommendations--which she also said was "awesome." Yay, us!
Then, right after that, I got a second email from another big blogger (who'll remain nameless for right now) who called the save the dates, "positively beautiful" and also asked to post them. Unfortunately, after I explained to her that they were going to be featured at Snippet and Ink, she decided it would be best not to post them on her blog as well. Instead, she asked me to be a guest blogger on her site after the wedding for a week! Cool! So far, I feel totally validated in my wedding planning abilities and feel capable of knocking out some more big, awesome tasks this month. :)
In other news, check out this image of the bridesmaid dress we picked from the "Weddings: The Creative Process" event.
Image from http://carrieroseman.blogspot.com/
I love the sparkly brooch! What do you think? Should I add some bling to my 'maids or maybe a silk flower in a contrasting color? Or keep it simple? Let me know!
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Save the Dates have been Delivered!
If you're reading this blog, you've probably already received your Save the Date, but I'm so excited and proud of how these turned out. My good friend, Cristin Burton designed these. Cristin is a very talented designer working here in New York and
has actually studied the music poster genre in grad school. So she's obviously the perfect choice for this project. We started out with a meeting over brunch where she brought a book of vintage music posters for inspiration. We bounced around a lot of ideas, paid the check and went on about our Saturday. A week later, Cristin emails us several options--all too awesome to make a decision. We hemmed and hawed and Frankensteined some posters together and Cristin came up with these two beauties. And we liked them both so much, we couldn't decide which to send. So we printed 40 of each and randomly sent them out to our guests. So some got white and some got blue. Hopefully when they saw the other color at their friends house it was like, "Cool! Mine is different!" and not, "What?! Why didn't I get blue? :(" But so far they've been a big hit with our families and friends. We think they set the tone for the wedding and introduce our website where we've been getting loads of traffic. More on that to come!
***NOTE: If you're interested in having a Save the Date or any other part of your invitation suite created by Cristin Burton, she can be reached at cristinburton@gmail.com.
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