I Have....

...wedding shoes!!!
(Well, they are on the way to Dallas.)

Let's hope our awesome photographer gets super cool shot

like this one from Santa Barbara Wedding Chic.

p.s. whipped cream

p.p.s. i know i'm posting on a Saturday night. i am in med school. what do you expect?

Favor-ite Things

Pretty please, help me decide on the last favor for the "favor bar".

...something to "write it down on"....



...something to "sit it down on"....


...something to "heat it up" with...




Of course, they'll be personalized and coordinate with the rest of the decor.
What would you choose?
Leave me a comment and tell me what you think!

Getting Things Done - Part III

Rehearsal umm...."Dinner"
Two of my fabulous bridesmaids spent all day with me scouting out rehearsal dinner sites. We'd decided on an evening rehearsal at the hotel followed by dinner at restaurant in shuttle distance from the hotel. After our ah-ha moment, we sat down for a bite when the mothers decided that our idea was out. "Do not pass go, do not collect $200", they said. We're back to a 10:00 AM rehearsal and rehearsal "lunch".


Guestbook
Got it! Preview coming soon.



Bridesmaids Shoes
On their way to Dallas!


More on the Invites
After tinkering in InDesign, I scouted out someone to do the printing. If our guest list were smaller, I'd tackle it myself, but I'm outsourcing this one for sure! I got a few quotes via email for around $250 , but when I went to another store, they quoted me $100. After seeing the surprised on my face, the guy said, "everyone else has over charged you, hunh?". Yippee-skippy for people actually being nice.

photos from elizabethannedesigns.com and ajnproductions.com

Help for a Less Than Tech-Savvy Bride

I've been busy working on the invites (with help and insipration from Budget Savvy Bride), but I'm running into a snafu! When using InDesign, all the pretty fonts I've downloaded turn ugly when I export them as a PDF. Does anyone know how to fix this? Please help!!!

I'm In Love With Love Songs...Especially This One

This song reminds me of Mr. Man. He broke a lot of my rules, his personality really does shine for all to see, and with a man like him by my side, I can't help but feel surrounded by love. Also, if you know me at all, you know any reference to dancing made me love the video.

By the way, is Beyonce having ballet class nostalgia? Leotards everywhere! I just hope the teenagers and crazies don't start wearing them on a daily basis.

Could we include it somewhere in the wedding? Should we?

video from youtube

Getting Things Done - Part II

The First Fitting
I was little surprised at the color of my dress, but I still had a huge smile on my face as I unzipped its bag. With mom's help, I tried it on over this huge petticoat they gave me (thinking that it was the one I originally ordered) I stepped out and the seamstress immediately shooed me back into the dressing room to take it off!!! She said I didn't need one. I got pulled and poked by pins and then I had to take the dress off. (Please insert a moment of sadness because I didn't want to take it off.)Then... the saleslady tried to tell me I couldn't return the giant petticoat! Ugh. We're still in a debate about that one. How can they make me pay for something they mistakenly ordered?

And no, this is NOT my dress. Did you really think I was going to show you a picture of me trying it on?

Linens
I'd already decided on the vendor, but she and Mamma WideEyedBride spent 30 minutes convincing me that what I had picked would work. Indecision is a terrible thing! But alas, after playing with tablecloths and napkins, I had a centerpiece revelation! Woot!

Cake
Future brides take heed: if you've got a picture you want replicated make sure your vendors see it before you sign ANYTHING. We'd already signed a contract and they were trying to tell me that they could only recreate what I wanted for twice what they'd quoted me. This happened even after I'd described and drawn the thing at our first consultation! Apparently, to get 3-D look I wanted you have to use royal icing, which takes an entire day to dry and must be hand painted. Luckily, they worked with me to create a compromise.

photo from http://www.freewebs.com/emf7701/index.htm

Making It Happen - Part I

Spring break was a whirlwind of planning! It has definitely been a week of both delights and disappointments. I'll recap over the next few days.

Bridesmaid and Hostess Gifts
I just can't ruin the surprise here, but I am super excited to give my girls their gifts. I couldn't ask for better girls to be there for me on the big day. And now that I've got a sewing machine, there's no stop to what I will make or personalize for them! I promise I wont' make them wear pink veils; see below.




Mr. Man
He ordered his guy's gifts too. I'm trying to convince him to let me come up with some cute...errr I mean manly way to package them. Wish me luck!



DIY Invites
In the works. It's tougher than I thought, but when the going gets tough, the bride gets Googling! Here's some paper goodness for inspiration.

photos from etsy.com, blog.african-americanbrides.com via globetrottingbride.blogspot.com, funnyweddingphotos.com

I know you're out there...

I get lots of friend who send me Facebook messages or emails telling me that they read my blog. Of course, I get super-excited because I never thought anyone would actually be interested in my musings; I'd wanted the blog to be a place where I could record my ideas and be forced to do them in an organized way.

Sadly though, the benefit of having other people's input is lost if they don't comment ON the blog! All of this is written for me to say, leave a comment! It will make me smile!!!

In other randomness, I've decided against a clutch because I'm sure I will lose or not use it on the big day, but if I WAS going to get one, it would be this fab-ness from J.Crew.

image from j.crew.com

The Hostesses With the Mostesses

I am uber-excited to see my line sisters at the wedding. I just couldn't bring myself to choose one or a few to be bridesmaids, so they are all going to be hostesses. They are the most awesome bunch of future lawyers, doctors, educators, and stars you will ever meet. No.Really.

Did I mention they are fiiiiine, too? The photographer isn't going to know what to do with her camera when she sees us all together, lol.

Especially in something champagne like these little numbers...

photos from dillards.com, nordstrom.com and anntaylor.com

Spring Break + Sparkle

It's spring break! Whoop-whoop! Despite the fact that some studying must be done (ugh. medical school.), I plan to tackle a lot of wedding things this week. Wish me luck!

While I'm re-writing the "future accomplishments" list(again), check this out...

At adornbrides.com you can rent jewelry for the day. Now, I'm not normally into bling-bling, but I would love to don this gorgeousness on the big day.

Too bad it rents for 2,200 dollars.
Hey, if you're big balling, check it out today; they are offering 15% off - a whopping $270!!!

Oh yeah, and if you happen to have $32,900 sitting around (after you've given a considerable amount to God and the charity of your choice, of course) you can pick this little baby up - a paisley diamond cuff bracelet by Chad Allison.

photos from adornbrides.com and chadallison.com

Speaking of Shoes

If you will remember, I really (really) wanted these.


But then I found out I'd have to sell my first AND second born to get them. And that if I wanted, I could wear a bright color.

So, I got super excited and wanted these! Raspberry-esque, low-heeled and pretty = perfect! And they didn't even require selling my first born.



Until I couldn't find them in my size in the right color.

Now I'm thinking about a flat, since I can't find a low heel. How about these?

Or these? I know my online super shoppers will have some suggestions!

photos from zappos.com, amazon.com, and 6pm.com

I'm all about updos....

but THIS makes me want to wear my hair down.

photos from nancyaidee

March (Menswear) Madness

Officially four months and two weeks left!

The clock is ticking, and there are definitely somethings that I wish I had done by now. Don't they say, "Nothing to it but to do it" or something like that?



One thing I (sorta) wish I had done was make my life easier by picking a more trendy or easy to match color. Finding raspberry bridesmaids dresses wasn't too hard, but now I can't find any ties for the guys! Mr. Man's only request is that they not wear bow ties, and I support him one-hundred percent. But that's as much as has been decided regarding the guys attire.

Can you help in the hunt?
Will I survive the next four months without going crazy?
Let the "march madness" begin!!