My First Inspiration Board

Sorry for the long hiatus. That "medical school thing" took me away for a second, but I'm all settled in/buried under mountains of biochemistry now.

I wanted to share my first inspiration board here. I'm not making any decisions quite yet, but here are some things I love.

Save The Date!!!

I discovered another bride-to-be who will be married on our date! Lucky for me, because she has great taste.

Look what she found...


I am totally in love with these save the date cards by Melissa Jill. I've already asked my most fashionable friends to help me find the perfect outfit (even though we probably won't take pictures until the spring).

Hopefully, I can design something supercute like these!!!

Pose For the Camera Now...Click! Click!

Photography. Everyone says it's one of the most important items for your wedding day.

For me, important translates as "you know if you make a bad choice, your wedding pictures will be terrible". Ahhh!

Ok, here goes.

Choice A ...

• Great for the Budget


• Seems to have an Amazing Eye


• Has Only Done FOUR Weddings

Choice B ...

• Extremely Experienced


• "Clicked" Immediately With the Photographer Who We Would Work With


• We Require Some Serious Budget Shuffling

Choice C....

• Right on the Money


• An "OK" Style, Nothing too Impressive


• Not Exactly Sure Who Would Be Filming

Let the deliberations begin!

Found a Dress in the Color I Want!

I found this dress as Jessica McClintock on a trip to the mall!
It matches the fabric swatch I've been carrying around in purse like a lunatic! It's a bit short, but very cute.

Is it too "party" for a bridesmaid's dress?

We shall see if Jessica McClintock comes out with any other styles in this color...

Houston Bridal Extravaganza

An entire convention center filled with wedding vendors? I thought it would be a bride-to-be's dream. I got asked at least seven times if I'd registered for a "free" tux at Men's Warehouse, but at least the terribly sad looks on groom's faces were enough to keep me entertained. (Ladies, unless you've got a groomzilla on hand, PLEASE don't make him suffer!)

I didn't get a ton of ideas and leads, but the show did allow me to show my mom and maid-of-honor (who are both skeptics when it comes to anything I choose) more of my ideas.

We saw this table, which convinced them that a bright saturated table cloth could work for the reception space.



We saw a pomander ball that convinced them that it would, indeed, be okay for my bridesmaids to carry them instead of bouquets.



It seems like a bridal show is more for "idea gathering" than actual planning.

The Red Tent

I just finished The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I admit that I'm a sucker, but I cried.

I cried at the happy parts and I cried at the sad parts. The women of the Bible had to have stories that were never told, and this one, the story of Jacob and Leah's daughter, rings as true as any we may ever find on earth.

The Red Tent illustrates that then, as now, love is dangerous. You put a lot on the line when you give someone your heart. And there are so many things that can take your loved ones away. It's both terrifying and beautiful.

The women of that time celebrated marriage differently of course - but they didn't forget the important parts - family, food and a week of "alone time". :) One year to go till our day comes, and I hope I don't forget the important parts.

What are your colors?

This question is getting to be a little ridiculous. I mean after someone finds out I'm engaged, shouldn't they want to ask something a little more sentimental like, "Are you excited?" or even something more practical like,"when is the wedding?"?

Maybe I'm only feeling this way because...i.don't.know.

There are many things to consider. This is how the thought process goes...

1. Green would look great on black bridesmaids...
2. .....but I've always loved purple.
3. ....but purple looks cheap on many fabrics.
4. Purple and green? .....Barney.
5. Ok, nix the purple. Pink and green?.....Rival sorority colors.
6. How about between a pink and a purple?...gorgeous.
7. Ok, between and pink and a purple. Like this color....


8. Wait. Chiffon? Not going to work.
9. Can't find this "Wildberry" color anywhere else!
10. Maybe the green would look "richer".
11. Back to number one.

Location, Location, Location?

When it comes to the location for our wedding, these are the facts:

What he wants: a LOT of people

What I want: gorgeous, an “outside” feel, NOT a stuffy ballroom with pink curtains

What we’ve got: a tight budget, a bride who is going to be in medical school and not willing to completely make over a space

My online searches pulled up what I thought was going to be my dream location. A gorgeous glass enclosed chapel overlooking a forest? Works for me. Capacity of up to 350 people? Check for him.



When I visited, I was assured of two things: 1) it was gorgeous and 2) it was out of my budget. :(

After I sulked for a few days, I realized that Ashton Gardens, while nice, was a little generic - a kind of a “hurricane vases with floating petals in your colors” place. I won’t tell you how many other places I visited, but eventually, I stumbled on a gem.

Our wedding venue is large, gorgeous and has an outdoorsy feel. The fact that it’s NOT one big giant room immediatley nixes the stuffy ballroom feel. I was sold! Email me to check out a video tour!

Like Night and Day

I’m not the kind of girl who has dreamed of her wedding since she was five, but whenever I imagined getting married, I imagined it at night. I mean, doesn’t every bride want an evening wedding?

Of course!

So every location charges more for an evening wedding.

Yuck!

I tried to make the case to Mr. Man. I used all the excuses in the book. It’s more romantic. It will give more of a “party” feel. Less flowers and more candles means less money. We can make a super-cool exit with sparklers. The ceremony and reception won’t be rushed so they can get in another event. People will just be getting up at noon! And I’m sure I came up with something else.

Seems like the money is talking a little louder.

Others have tried to convince me that an afternoon wedding will be just as good.

Out of town guests can enjoy a night on the town later. People will dance and have fun no matter what time it starts. The people set the tone, not the time. No one wants to figure out where the centerpieces and stuff should go at ten at night when they are exhausted. And other such comments.

Brides-to-be and planners, what’s your take?

First Things First: Engaged(The Video)

I hope this doesn’t make me sound like the most terrible/ungrateful bride-to-be ever, but Mr. Man’s AMAZING surprise proposal has certainly hyped up my 2009 wedding. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, but how can I, little old me, plan and execute a wedding to top that night?

There were about 80 people there, 10 limousines, 17 rooms at a downtown hotel, an incredible amount of planning that all resulted in this video.

After all the smiles, tears, and “I love you’s” between me and Mr. Man, I’ve gotten comments like this: “I can’t wait to see what the wedding is like! ” and “if THAT was just the proposal…”.

Am I allowed to be worried? Please say yes.

Engaged and Confused

Since one of the most AMAZING nights of my life (the night he proposed), I've been doing what I said I would never do: wed-obsessing. I've sat for hours in Barnes and Noble with magazine after magazine and in front of a computer screen on other wedding blogs. I'm just like all the other brides-to-be who frustrate wedding planners - picky, not exactly sure what she wants, and on a tight budget. Hopefully, this blog will help me (and maybe others) navigate this whole wedding thing.