A Flurry of Taffeta

I could not be more excited, my wedding dress is here - 2 full months early!

And so, this brings me to a whole new topic for today - hairstyles and veils.

Do I want an updo or do I want a more flowing, natural look? Do I want a long cathedral veil, or am I more of a fingertip veil girl?

I suppose the hair should come first, since I may not even be wearing the veil the entire time. In an earlier post I commented how I wanted my hair down. This is more "classic me", and I know future husband loves it when I wear it down.

However....six months later and (surprise, surprise) ideas have changed. An updo not only offers a more classic bridal look and fits with the formality we are going for, but it also will offer a cooling breeze for me while in my dress. Not to mention, my hair does not hold a curl (as much I may want it to).

And so...here are the hairstyles I am currently in love with:









Each of these low, woven buns offer plenty of space for the addition of a veil. Fingertip? Elbow? Cathedral? So many options!

How will you wear your hair?

Braving the Bridal Show

Future sister in law came up to visit yesterday, and we went to a bridal show that one of the other bridesmaids was participating in. For those of you that have never been to a bridal show, let me tell you a little about it. First of all, when you walk in the door, all you see is a sea of newly engaged brides and their posses. Some will come with just their mom or one bridesmaid, but some I think bring everyone involved! Once you make your way through all these people, you will be bombarded with so much bridal information you never knew you needed, let alone existed! Tread cautiously as you explore this information, as every vendor in the room will want to talk wedding with you until your ears bleed, especially when they discover which one in your party is the bride! Be prepared to show your ring, tell your wedding date, and fully explain your wedding vision at least 500 times, if not more! Lastly, be prepared to fill out your contact information to win some pretty cool prizes (like free makeup/hair, DJ, or laser hair removal!)

Although most of my vendors are already booked, the trip was still quite informative, and made me realize just how much I really do want the limo experience on my wedding day.



My only problem? With the ceremony and reception being the same venue, we don't technically need a limo. So how can I fit one in? Perhaps to bring the bridal party from my mom's house to the venue the morning of to get ready?

So much to think about and so little time! 313 days seems like forever, but the time has been flying!

In other news, my dress is due to arrive at the salon in the next month or two, which means it's time to start thinking of accessories! The photo below is from the bridal show - my bridesmaid, "Bridal Barbie", is showcasing some lovely accessories!

A Little More Food for Thought

So yesterday I discussed the need for menu cards at a sit-down wedding. I honestly have never been to a wedding that gave out menu cards, so I'm not at all sure where this obsession came from, but I just cannot imagine my wedding without menu cards slipped into the napkins on each table.

Each day I obsessively check weddingbee.com for any new DIY menu templates. This ends up only taking five seconds out of my day, because sadly, there is never anything new. Until yesterday! I finally found a simple, clean, classic design that I loved, and while no template was available to download I took it upon myself to create a copy using Publisher and my newest obsession (thanks to Maid of Honor for this one!) GIMP. I highly suggest you download it. It's like photoshop, but free, and MUCH easier to use!

Here is what I came up with:



If anyone is interested in the template, please feel free to send me a message - I know how hard it is to find one out there!

Food for Thought

Topic of the day: Menu cards. Are they necessary, or simply a nicety? I have heard many opinions on this, and am still unsure of what I want to do. If dinner were buffet-style, I would say this is a no-brainer. As a "selectitarian", it is always difficult for me to arrive at a buffet and know what I can and cannot eat. Every time, without fail, I will arrive back at my seat with a heaping helpful of food that I cannot eat. So if you are having a buffet-style wedding, please put labels on your food stations!

That said, this is not the case for our wedding. We are having a sit-down dinner, and guests will select their options on the RSVP card before arriving. However, how many times have you gone to a wedding not remembering what you've selected? Even though I almost always select the vegetarian entree, I still am always at a loss to what I am going to eat. And so I think menu cards in the end become a necessary nicety.

This brings me to my big problem: finding a style I like that does not cost an arm and a leg, that coordinate with our invitation style. I absolutely refuse to pay more on menu cards than we did for our invitations (which takes out any professional website with a style I like). I also cannot find any online templates I like, that will fit all of our food options! We will be having an appetizer, salad, and three options for the main course (as well as two dessert options), which is simply too much information for one little card. *sigh*

What is a bride to do???

Entertaining the Kidlets

While there won't be too many children at our wedding, they will be there. I think between the flower girls, the ring bearer and a few other select invitees, there will be a total of five children there (not including those under the age of one). And while a babysitter will be available for the reception, I still feel we should create activity kits for these kids, and make them feel special and included in our day. (Yes, I am adding yet another DIY project to my ever-growing list!)

Here comes the most important question: what do we put in these kits? The children will range in age from 3-10, so a coloring book, crayons, and stickers are a must. I also want to include some small, non-messy toys that also will not create a huge mess, like slinkies.

Are you including children in your wedding? What do you plan on doing to keep them occupied? Here are some inspirational photos to get you started!

DIY Toss Cones: Part II

This morning I decided to turn to my dear friend Google for photo imagery of the perfect ribbon orientation for our toss cones. To my complete and utter shock and amazement, my blog appears on page two of the Google search, and our toss cones are the second photo to appear on Google Images! I have officially made it!

After my excitement had died down a bit, I turned my attention back to the task at hand: how on earth was I going to place ribbon on 150 toss cones, without it taking an hour per cone??

Here are some inspiration photos I found.









After looking at all these beautiful ideas, I set to work myself. Here is the end result:





I used a ribbon hole punch (purchased on sale at Michael's for $3) to create the bow in the front, and a regular one-hole punch to help create the top ribbon, which will allow the toss cones to hang from each chair at the ceremony (although looking at it, the regular one-hole punch seems to create a really large hole, and so I might try the ribbon punch on top as well!)

This Way To Happily Ever After

323 days to go! The topic of this morning's wedding email? 12 Wedding Day Details Not To Miss. Most of these I have under control: escort cards, guest book, lighting, cake table, chairs, grand exit...but wedding signage was a new one for me.

It is very important for guests to easily find their way to your ceremony and reception site. Being from Cooperstown, we may think it is easy to find our venue, but this may not be the case for many out of town guests. A simple sign such as the ones below would make it easier, while still keeping it formal and classy.





Another option is to create fun, classy wording to direct guests, such as these:





Other wedding signage could include something cute for the cake table, such as large wooden letters that spell out "We Do" or "Let Them Eat Cake". There also need to be signs for the guest book, gift table, card holder, etc.

And here is my absolute favorite: Mr. & Mrs. chair signs. Not a necessity, but definitely a cute photo op!

DIY Wedding Postcards

This is by far my favorite DIY project. It is also the most complicated and vexing project as of yet. I typically begin my projects with hours of online research - what did brides do before the internet? Once I have found two or three basic ideas I like, I try to combine them and put my own spin on them. However, what we are using this project for seems to have not been done before. Or if it has, no one felt the need to write about it. At all.

I am finding that one of the most difficult aspects of DIY projects is that unless you are going to copy someone else's project, you cannot know how something is going to turn out until you try it. At this point, a lot of time and money has been invested in something that may or may not look how you envisioned it. I like to think of myself as a laid-back, carefree person, but unfortunately, I have expensive envisionments. I expect high quality, but do not believe you need to pay a premium to get it. I enjoy doing things for myself, and love the personal touch it adds.

As far as my research into DIY photo postcards go, there are a few options. I can opt to spend $100+ and get them done through an online retailer. However, I want matte photos, and the only option available seems to be a glossy finish. Strike one.
I could have them printed at Staples for about $50, and then cut them myself. Problem? A month of looking for special wedding fonts has left me with great fonts, that unfortunately Staples does not have access to. Strike two.

The most promising template was found on Martha Stewart weddings. Printing photos at home on thick cardstock, cut out using deckle-edge scissors and use a stamp on the back to create your own postcard design. I immediately gathered the necessary supplies and set to work.



Initially, I was upset with the weight of the cardstock. I bought white 110lb cardstock, and after running it through my printer, it seemed pretty flimsy. Of course, once I let the ink dry overnight, the paper thickened right back up. However, it is still a bit thinner than I had expected. Also, I'm not sure how I feel about the deckle-edge scissors. While it creates a wonderful vintage look, it also creates multiple ways for the postcards to easily stick together, which may cause problems for guests.

Another option is to purchase 4x6 matte photo paper. The edge will not be as pretty, but then again, this is a vintage meets modern wedding, and the clean lines may add that modern touch. Also, the cardstock will be thicker. My one problem at this point is: will the paper be too thick to run through my printer?

Escort Cards and Planning Mistakes

326 days to go, and in my email this morning? Top 10 Wedding Planning Mistakes. Yikes! I had better read this one right away, to avoid any and all of these!!

The most important one I noticed was leaving the escort cards or seating chart for the week of the wedding/night before. I fully intend to be too nervous and jittery to be thinking of seating arrangements in the 11th hour. At that point, all I want to do is enjoy time with my family and bridesmaids, and relax!



While we are on the topic of escort cards, I have noticed lately that a new trend in receptions seems to be to handwrite the escort cards (note the above photo). I love this personal touch. It fits in perfectly with our escort card idea (which we will be keeping under wraps until our wedding day). While our wedding is taking place at a formal venue, we are a more laid-back, casual couple that like to dress up and go out on occasion, and we would like the wedding details to reflect that.

Registry Days

With 332 days left to go, my wedding email this morning was all about our registry. What belongs in a registry? Traditionally it was all china patterns and fancy bowls. Today, anything goes. With so many stores opening their doors to registries, from Macy's and Pottery Barn to Home Depot and even Amazon.com, the options are limitless for couples. Many couples have already started their lives together, and do not need the traditional items of years past. Couples today are registering for everything, from traditional china patterns to ipads and camping gear.

As a couple who has spent the past three years living together, we have a lot of what we need. We discussed what to register for at length, and have decided to upgrade what we currently own. Most of what we have has been inherited from my grandparents' well-stocked kitchen. While these items have come in handy for the past 5-8 years, it is time for an upgrade. We spend a great deal of time in the kitchen, and cooking dinner together is an everyday occurance that we both look forward to. Some guests may find our kitchen list to be quite extensive, but it is these items that define us as a couple.

What will you register for?

11 Months to Go!

We received our 11 month emails this week! According to our yearly planner, we should book our reception site and order my wedding dress this month. Check!

Some of you may laugh that we are so far ahead of the planning game, but it because of this that I was able to catch a major detail in our invitation kits ahead of time. For any of you drooling over the BRIDES chocolate and ivory pocket invite kits, be warned - the "envelopes" are actually the cardstock pocket folders. This means your invites will not be entirely secure, as the only thing making sure they do not open and fall apart while undergoing the rigor of the US mail system is a small sticker. Yikes!

Enter envelopemall! They have all envelopes of all shapes and sizes and colors, at very reasonable prices. Of course, if you are looking for ivory envelopes, as we were, Staples has a box of 100 invitation envelopes for only $16! Great deal!

Our First Family Halloween

Last weekend we took a well-deserved break from wedding planning, and went out with with my soon-to-be sister-in-law, her boyfriend, and one of our best friends (the man responsible for us being together!)

This is the first year that FH and I have worn outfits that coordinate, and of course we had to get our little pug, Tasha, involved as well! Here we are, Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter, and our little White Rabbit!