from miss to mrs

bachelorette party gift buckets

2010-06-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

So I survived my bachelorette party in Vegas last weekend & one of the "projects" I decided to take on was to make gift buckets (instead of baskets?) for the rooms. I figured this would be a nice treat for the girls who so graciously joined me on this trip to help me celebrate! :) Here's some pics of the buckets I made...

I found the pink buckets at Target in the dollar bin (score!). I was originally going to fill the chinese take-out boxes with goodies for each girl, but this was so much more economical.

I filled the bottom of the buckets with kraft paper crinkle filler (?) that I found at Michael's on sale. Next, we (and by we I mean my mom and I) tied the pink, silver & black beads together with pink ribbon. I wrote each girl a little note thanking them for joining me and how much they meant to me - that's what the scrolls are with the names on them. I filled them up with advil, lots of snacks I bought at Trader Joe's, Bachelorette Party napkins & plates that I bought at Party City, pins with funny sayings and mini cans of Champagne with the paper pink straws. I found the straws on ebay for a great deal (25 for $4).

I wanted all the girls to have the champagne together on our second night out so I attached little notes that said "Please save me for Saturday night!". I knew some of them would see the goodies and dive right in :)

Here's some more pictures of the trip!

hmm....

2010-06-08T14:40:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling inspired by this picture I just saw on SMP...

Isn't this a beautiful alternative to a normal corsage? I bet this would not be too hard to make either, if the right bracelet was found....

awesome tool

2010-06-08T11:53:00.000-07:00

On twitter today I saw a link to this very helpful tool from Real Simple. Awesome!

Wedding Wine & Liquor Calculator

Based on this tool, here's what Real Simple suggests we need for our 100 person wedding.

100 Guests
Red Wine: 12 bottles
White Wine: 12 bottles
Champagne: 20 bottles
Beer: 120 bottles
Vodka: 4 bottles
Gin: 2 bottles
Rum: 2 bottles
Bourbon: 2 bottles
Scotch (blended): 1 bottle

...Lord knows we're going to have PLENTY of liquor. We're doing a keg for the beer, which is the equivalent of 160 bottles. Perfect. My plan is to hit up the 5 cent wine sale today at Bev Mo to look for some Wine & Champagne options. Cheers! :)

to do...

2010-05-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

As I near the "100 more days" mark I'm starting to realize I still have a hefty list of things to do....

* Finish assembly of invitations & start addressing labels -- DONE
* Figure out postage of invitations & purchase stamps -- DONE
* Shop for & purchase wedding bands -- DONE
* Finish details of wish tree (my demise and ultimate source of panic and hatred at the moment)
* Purchase under garments for wedding day -- DONE
* Find pictures of hair style for day of wedding & run-through with stylist. Confirm make up artist -- DONE
* Find & purchase bridesmaid gifts -- DONE
* Find & purchase groomsmen gifts -- DONE
* Schedule final dress fitting -- DONE
* Figure out amount of wine, beer, & champagne needed for wedding -- DONE (see above)
* Re-inventory liquor and determine amount needed for day of
* Figure out amount of mixers for wedding bar -- DONE (3 mixers per bottle of booze)
* Print/Make ceremony programs -- DONE (just need to finish)
* Finalize ceremony & email officiant -- DONE
* Find & send out rehearsal lunch invitations -- DONE
* Figure out music for wedding ceremony & "do not play" list for reception -- DONE
* Meet with DJ three weeks before wedding -- DONE (appointment made)
* Figure out escort cards (limit the hundreds of ideas running through my head) -- DONE!!!
* Finalize schedule
* Seating
* Send invitations -- DONE!

.....yikes.

numbering RSVP cards

2010-05-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

This seems like a great tip...I've already stuffed my RSVP cards but may go back and number, or number the envelope so I hopefully don't have this problem...from "I Will" to "I Do" (very helpful, great blog)

Don't Forget to Number Your RSVP Cards

My aunt is getting married in a few weeks and told me that she got an RSVP card back with no name and no return address. I immediately asked if she had numbered her RSVP cards and she answered, "obviously not."When you are putting your wedding invitations together number the lower corner of the back of the RSVP cards and make a list - on paper or on your computer (maybe on an excel sheet that also tracks your will/will not attend) - where a guest name or couple corresponds to each number. This way when you get an RSVP card back in the mail with no name or return address you can easily figure out who sent it back and you won't have to worry about calling everyone you are waiting to hear back from to see if they were the nameless guest.

help!

2010-05-10T08:38:00.001-07:00

I need shoes to wear with this dress.

go buy one of these...now

2010-05-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a Bone Folder. Well...maybe not everyone, but if you're putting together anything for your wedding, a shower, party, any kind of paper good or craft...then yah, you need one of these.

One might think, hmm...how would I use a bone folder?

I'm currenty using mine for the daunting task of assembling our wedding invitations - and I've used it for every step of the process. I also used it for putting together our Save the Dates (the evelope lining), assembling the photo books for my bridesmaids, and other crafty projects I've done around the house...since you know I'm so crafty.

It's great for scoring paper before you fold it, making good creases (a good crease is definitely under-rated), and pressing paper after you glue it.

$4.99 at Michael's in the Martha Stewart Craft section. Or buy it here.

Go. Now. Buy. Fold. Enjoy :)

You're Welcome....

Tuxedo Deal!

2010-05-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

I found this online, seems like a pretty great deal. Travis and I are going to work on the tuxedo/suit situation after he finishes the GRE next week. We looked at Men's Warehouse and weren't too thrilled about their selection - and not to mention the fact that you can't try it on! That's nuts!

Here's a list of locations in Southern California:

Save the Dates

2010-04-29T11:08:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to say our Save the Dates have been created, mailed, and are securely now hanging on everyone's fridges I'm sure :) But really, Travis & I are so lucky and feel so blessed to have the opportunity to share our special day with so many of our friends and family.

Here it is...

...it's a little hard to see the colors because this is a scan of one of the cards. I had the cards printed on a linen cardstock, which I really love.

I've received MANY compliments on our Save the Date cards, so I figured I'd go through a step-by-step of how I created them (or, had them created I should say...) Here was one inspiration I had from Martha:

My initial goal was to make them myself. That idea lasted about ten minutes once I realized how much work that would involve. What I liked about the above picture was the finger STD with the knot. This incorporates nicely with our Invitations. I also liked that it looked vintage-y (is that a word?) with the image, but more modern/contemporary with the type/fonts.

Since I wasn't about to try and tackle designing these myself, I started looking on etsy. I knew I wanted to incorporate a picture from our engagements, and I knew I wanted our cards to coordinate with our invites, so the search began. I stumbled upon Announcing You, and loved Amber's work. The card I saw which grabbed my attention was this Movie Poster Save the Date.

(Side note: this girl must be really confident in her feet/pedicure to have the focus right there) Okay moving on...

I emailed Amber, told her I loved the design, loved the price even more, and had her design me a proof. It was perfect. Travis chose the picture for us to use from our e-shoot, and I really like the way the black and white turned out. Here's the picture he chose for us...

Amber incorporated our colors, the fonts from our invitations, and had them printed and mailed before I knew it. Amber was so great to work with that my mom and I used her services again for a retirement party invitation. She's amazing!

All in all, I payed a total of $85 for our Save the Date cards - I think I ordered 70 of them! This included the design fee, printing, envelopes, and quick shipping! HELLO! No brainier!

After receiving all the STDs in the mail, I got to work on lining the envelopes. THIS was quite a task - but I think well worth it. I took the pattern we're using to line the envelopes for our invitations, and it color copied at Staples. They were also amazing to work with - and put up with my many changes..."Can you make it darker?" ... "Oh, too dark, a little lighter?" ... until it was perfect. Thanks for your patience Staples copier lady!

Here's an example of some other beautifully lined envelopes...you see these all over the blogs. A little detail, which is very time consuming, but SUPER easy and looks great.

I posted a video that I found to teach you how to line an envelope. All you need - a good glue stick (I bought a super strength glue stick at Michael's), a bone folder (Martha! a must!), good scissors, and some patience.

To address the envelopes, I used my printer from home. I incorporated the same fonts which we used on the actual Save the Date, and the invitations.

Overall, I was VERY happy with how they turned out! Like I said, I was so happy to hear all the compliments from our friends and family!

Thanks again to Amber from Announcing You on Etsy and of course, He & She Photography! Check out their amazing new blogsite!

Well hello there...

2010-03-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

Yikes, looks like I haven't been here in a while, which is okay. I guess that means I've been busy busy --

Last weekend I went to San Diego to visit some friends, and three of us took the Amtrak to San Clemente to do some "research" for the wedding. It was amazing. We ate at Beach Fire Grill on Avenida Del Mar, where we're having the Rehearsal Lunch. We'll be having a lunch, rather than a dinner, because our wedding is on a Sunday. Therefore, there's a wedding going on that night so we have to rehearse at noon. Which means lunch! Yum!

We drank Zangrias - uhmm YUMMY -- made with Strawberry Vodka & Pinot Noir among other delicious things. I had a salad with chicken and goat cheese, Laura ate a chicken sandwich and side salad, and Kristin had steak tacos, which I was mildly obsessed with. Also, I have to say that Chris, the manager has been great. The ability to answer an email in an appropriate time is definitely underrated. I'm definitely looking forward to having our rehearsal lunch at Beach Fire.

From there, we ventured out to a few local bars to continue our "research". One condition of our venue is that we're out by 10:00pm, so we definitely need a location for an after party. We went to Goody's (which Kristin & I realized we had been to before when we walked in), definitely our kind of place. Dive bar...cheap drinks...pool...Wii...darts...dance floor...giant Captain Morgan in the corner...awesome. Looking forward to giving this place some business with our craziness. See ya Labor Day weekend!

Here we are...with the Captain at Goody's.

And here Kristin & I are waiting for the train...

I love you girls. SOOO much fun :)

grateful

2010-02-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

I guess celebrating Valentine's Day this weekend with Travis made me a little nostalgic, or maybe I'm just having a more emotional day than others :) Either way, I've been thinking a lot in the past few days about how very lucky I feel and how grateful I am for everything I have in my life. When I consider the lives of some of my students, the struggles they are growing through at the age of thirteen with their home lives, or when I think about families who have lost everything in the past few years, losing jobs and homes - or even those around the world with less than I have - it makes me feel so humble, and blessed.

I remember thinking just a few years ago about how I *wished* I could have someone to spend my life with, I'd pray every night to let me meet the person I could be with forever...who knew he was under my nose the entire time! The point is, I guess (if there is a point to my typing/rambling) that if you're thinking life sucks - it can get better. I can only hope that I'll continue to be this happy, this much in love, this secure, this peaceful about life for the next 80 years....

lining an envelope

2010-02-06T14:21:00.001-08:00

Just received our Save the Date cards in the mail...now to prep them and get them sent! I'm going to line the envelopes myself, so I found this demo video to help. Wish me luck!!

http://www.monkeysee.com/play/7030-how-to-line-a-wedding-invitation-envelope

shoes!

2010-01-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

Well, at this point I have most of my accessories figured out for the day...bracelet (christmas gift!), necklace borrowed from my mom (something borrowed!), earrings (I know what I want but haven't found them yet, hmmm...), and my hair piece.

Other than undergarments, to be tackled at a later date and probably in private, I am yet to find my SHOES!

For my dress, since I'm somewhat normal height, I need to find 3" to 3.5" heels - 3.5" preferably. This way I don't have to have my dress hemmed.

Here are some I've seen so far in the SAVE and SPLURGE versions. Just like your dress, you don't need to spend a small fortune for something you're going to wear once. Look amazing in an almost replica without the brand name for less than half the price. LESS THAN HALF! That's just crazyness...Nina at Zappos - reasonably priced - $99.95

Splurge version - Badgley Mischka from Piperlime - $215
RSPVP also at Zappos - only $89

Bagdley Mischka at Piperlime - $215! Do they not look almost EXACTLY the same?!?
Another Nina at Zappos - $89
Kate Spade - Nordstroms - $285

I will find more...to come in another post...I'm determined...

a must see save-the-date

2010-01-23T20:35:00.001-08:00

press play... from tim and jane on Vimeo.

master timeline

2010-01-23T10:35:00.000-08:00

I found this fantastic article on DIY Bride on creating a master timeline to streamline your day and plan so everything goes perfectly...

A timeline will be the single most important document you will create for your wedding. Without a realistic timeline, your wedding may have unforeseen challenges and actually create more work for you (or your family) on your big day.

As a wedding planner we create one master itinerary for our couples. The only time they will see this master plan is before the wedding. This document will include both wedding party information and vendor information (which we like to call a production schedule). We personally like to color code because at the wedding any member of our team can easily glance at the itinerary and know immediately which tasks apply to vendors vs. wedding party. This may be an option you would like to consider, because it is important to understand both vendor needs and personal needs when planning your wedding day.

Before we begin there are key vendors that you need to contact to know their schedule needs.

1. Your Photographer – knowing when he/she wants to begin your pictures is very important (taking into consideration if you are getting all your photos done before the wedding or some before/after your wedding). You’ll also want to check the length of time you contracted them for to be at your wedding so you won’t schedule events after they are suppose to leave.

2. Caterer – have a detailed conversation with your caterer to understand their needs for setup (for instance; if you are providing rented linens they may want those a day before your wedding so they can set your tables). You will also need to know how long it will take to serve your wedding guests so you can appropriately gauge the timeline at the reception.

3. Florist/Decorator – they will need to know all the setup times that they can get into the reception venue and church as well as break out times. Remember if the reception venue says that you need to be out of their facility by midnight, you can’t end your wedding at 12:00am. You’ll have to end earlier so all decorations, personal items and your entertainment has time to breakdown and remove their items.

4. Hairdresser/Makeup Artist- this person is important because you’ll get information as to when to start your wedding day and know how long it will take to be ready to get to the church to start pictures. More often, the entire wedding party is joining you, so we see entire wedding parties starting their hair/makeup at the salon at 8am in the morning so they can all be done to make to the church for photos.

Creating the Timeline

So let’s begin. Always start at the start time of your wedding and work backwards to figure out the timeline at the beginning of your day. Let’s say your wedding ceremony starts at 1:30pm (that is what is printed on the invitation). That would mean that you need to have everything done (photos, décor, etc) by half an hour before hand. So 1:00pm because the “starting time” for your wedding for all the vendors and wedding party.

Now you will work your way backwards from that point, beginning with start time and finish time for your photography and then to your hair/makeup. You’ll want to be sure to schedule setup times for your cake, caterer, entertainment, reception decorating, bartenders, and caterer.

We like to create timelines that are in 15 minute increments. Understanding that may not always be possible or realistic, but it is always a good idea to “pad” your timeline with extra minutes. For example, if it takes 20 minutes to get from your hair salon to the church, then simply allow 30 minutes in the timeline.

It will read:

10am Girls conclude hair appointments and leave for the church

10:30am Girls arrive at church to dress

11am Photos begin for bride (insert your name), bridesmaids and bride’s family

11:30pm Groom (insert real name), groomsmen and ushers arrive at church, dressed

It is our experience that weddings take a life of their own and sometimes you are ahead of schedule and then behind schedule, and then suddenly on time! It’s no big deal…it all works out in the end, but you can’t foresee one of your bride maids taking longer on their hair or a flat tire. The one constant will be the time you actually walk down the aisle, especially if you are having a church wedding. Priests and Pastors like to start ON TIME, because there may be more activities going on in the church after your wedding (confessions, mass, etc).

After the wedding you’ll want to estimate how much time it will take to complete the ceremonial activities. For instance, 300 guests and you want to do a receiving line? Let’s calculate, if it took only 30 seconds to greet every guest it would take 45 minutes! You may have backed yourself into a corner for post wedding photo opportunities.

In the timeline, you’ll want to include every single vendor you have contracted. You will want to have an arrival time and a departure time. This allows you to look at your wedding on paper and you can literally walk yourself through the day.

Finally when you have completed this master itinerary document (don’t be surprised if it is 5-6 pages long), you’ll want to remove most of the vendor information and downsize it for the wedding party to distribute at rehearsal. Your bridesmaids don’t need to know when your cake is going to be delivered at the reception venue.

You will want to include these important times for everyone:
start time Hair/Makeup
start time Arrival at Church
start time Starting time for photos: (break it out for wedding party/parents, grandparents, children, extra family members. Usually it is not necessary for grandparents to show up 2 hours before the wedding for photos).
est times General flow of the day for special events; toasts, dances, cake cutting, etc.

Finally when you have completed this beautiful master plan of your entire day, give it to someone else. NO BRIDE should be ever be holding her wedding day itinerary. If you are not hiring a wedding planner or coordinator for your wedding day, then ask a family member or friend to implement your plans. But it should NOT be a person in your wedding party. That’s right! Your MOH should be with YOU, helping YOU…not running around contacting vendors or answering the hundreds of questions that happen during a wedding.
Plan on!

This article was submitted by the uber-fabulous Saundra Hadley.
Saundra is owner and event engineer with planning…forever events

registering!

2010-01-20T12:43:00.001-08:00

Well, we began our registering during our Holiday vacations. I of course loved it, and lets just say he only "liked" it :) No, but it really is kind of stressful. Especially for my fiance and I, since we're not living together until after the big day, we really don't have much. Which means we're hoping for all necessities as wedding gifts.

Here's our run-down as of now...

We have registries set up at Crate & Barrel, Macy's, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. We're inviting around 75 couples/single people to make around 100 guests. They suggest we register for around 150 gifts to accommodate for showers, etc.

So far we have...

29 items at Crate & Barrel
16 items at Macy's
32 items at Bed, Bath & Beyond

...for a grand total of 77 items!

Yikes! We have some shopping to do!!!

michigan wedding video

2010-01-16T08:18:00.001-08:00

This has got to be one of the cutest weddings I've seen in a while, and this video is adorable. Featured on Style Me Pretty, it's one of the best I've seen!

Sarah & Rupert Wedding 16mm Film from sarahandrupert on Vimeo.

engagement pictures!

2010-01-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

So excited to see some of our engagement pictures posted on our photographer's blog, He & She Photography! CHECK THEM OUT!

Leave lots of happy comments too...everyone loves a happy comment :)

ideas, ideas, ideas!

2010-01-12T13:35:00.001-08:00

So, true story...I'm browsing Once Wed and see this beautiful bouquet, and wedding, that I love. *Yes, I'm blogging at work again. Don't tell...* The wedding was at the Smog Shoppe in Culver City, which I've been seeing a lot of lately. Looks like SUCH a cool venue, especially for those into throwing a green wedding. Anywho, I click to look at the photographer's blog to see more pictures and what do I see?! A little something we're going to have for our wedding, which I will not reveal. Duh, some things need to stay secret! Browse away though, because the images, this bride, everything is gorgeous.

I LOVE the succulents used as escort cards/probably favors. Everything just looks so beautiful. I still cannot get enough of that bouquet. The table decorations...her shoes...the boloro...perfect. Whoever this girl is, needs a pat on the back!

random

2010-01-10T19:52:00.001-08:00

This really does have absolutely nothing to do with planning my wedding...but it's really funny :)

this excites me

2010-01-09T08:17:00.001-08:00

SMP Home?! Apparently this might be a new venture for a favorite blog of brides and wedding pros - Style Me Pretty Home.

NOT that I'm thinking about babies - but I love these colors and this set.

Looking forward to Style Me Pretty Home!

flowers

2009-12-29T17:31:00.001-08:00

My mom and I are making a trip to San Clemente sometime this week (tomorrow hopefully!) to meet with our florist, among other things. The florist we're heading towards is Downtown Flowers, a local San Clemente florist. I've seen her (Krista) featured on Style Me Pretty, and think she does beautiful work. I'm so excited to see her ideas - and she fits within our budget! Score!

Here are some ideas I L-O-V-E...

These obviously aren't my colors, but I love the idea. It looks very vintage chic! Love the succulents, different shades of roses, and I am swooning over those deep purple flowers thrown in there.

One of my favorites is hydrangeas. I've always dreamed of having lots and lots of hydrangeas at my wedding - and did you know they're beautiful dry also? Love these classic white, and the greens.
I'm not sure what these are called (anyone?), but I've been seeing more and more of them in bouquets lately. Pretty cool!

Succulents! They add such a unique, almost rough, feel to a pretty-pretty bouquet. I think it's a great way to add greens without being so cliche. Beautiful!

foodzie

2009-12-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

So, this isn't really wedding related, but still a great idea. Love etsy? Love food? :) Who doesn't?! Here's a site that combines the two...www.foodzie.com.

You can grab some items for a dessert bar, favors, or goodies to have in your bridal suite.

Like this tasty treat I found simply by clicking on "Bakery" - cheesecake in a jar! Yes, please! A six-pack of cheesecakes decoratively displayed in a reusable mini wooden crate?! Who could say no to that? THIS could be the down fall to my bridal diet...

Yummy!

wedding website!

2009-12-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited to say that our wedding website is up, running, and for the most part finished! We've been working on this for a while, and we'll of course still be adding things as we see fit. Check it out! We love all the messages we're receiving in our guestbook!

http://www.heatherandtravis.wedsite.com/

engagement pictures...idea!

2009-12-24T16:06:00.000-08:00

I saw this and thought it was such a creative idea...I'll have to throw this at our photographer when we do some of our pictures in the orange grove...

engagement pictures

2009-12-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

So I'm getting VERY excited for our engagement pictures we're taking in a few weeks. Our photographer's, he and she photography, are coming to Redlands to take our pictures. I'm thinking we'll do some near historic, old buildings downtown and some in the Redlands orange groves. They're AMAZING, and I can't wait.

My big dilemma has of course been deciding what to wear :)

I got this sweater this week at Anthropologie which I'm going to wear for one of my outfits with a white cami, cigarette jeans, and a pair of brown heels.

I really wanted to incorporate colors that I'll be using for our wedding into the pictures - so this sweater is perfect. I'm mildly obsessed with anything purple I can get my hands on these days

I also found this great black scoop-neck dress with sleeves, very simple, with pockets that I'm going to wear with a pair of nude heels. It was on sale at Anthro for $29! Can't beat that! I got this necklace to wear with it...

Trav has a few nice button-down shirts that he'll probably wear to coordinate with me. Yay! Can't wait to take the pictures and see how they turn out!!!

hotel accomodations

2009-11-23T11:31:00.001-08:00

Something I've been working on/thining more about lately is where we're going to stay, and blocking rooms for guests. I went through our list and at least 85% of our guests are from out of town! (Meaning they don't live in Orange County). So, techincally it's a destination wedding :)

This site gives great information on hotels in San Clemente.

I've been calling around, and a few hotel managers have been really helpful. The first is San Clemente's Little Inn by the Beach. They're able to block rooms for us, or give our guests a discounted rate of $85/night. Pretty amazing for a holiday weekend! They're less than a mile from the Casa Romantica, too!

There's only 18 rooms in the hotel, which obviously won't accomodate all our guests, but maybe wedding party and family...

The next two hotels we'll look into and maybe block rooms at are the Hampton Inn in San Clemente and the Travel Lodge.

There are also lots of really cute B&Bs in San Clemente, and also the option to rent a beach house for the weekend. I'd suggest booking anything early, though, since our wedding is over a holiday weekend.

We're getting closer and closer to our big day! I can't believe it's already the week of Thanksgiving. Before we know it the holidays will be here and it'll be 2010! Woohooo!

e-shots

2009-11-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

I don't know this couple, but I kind of wish I did. These pictures are on our photographer's blog, and I love them. I'm getting so excited for our engagement pictures, we take them on January 7th! Yay!

philosophy wedding giveaway

2009-11-21T09:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Lisa, another soon-to-be-bride, sent me this link to share! I definitely entered this, along with every other wedding giveaway I see.

Check it out!

october wedding

2009-11-21T09:34:00.000-08:00

I've been SO crazy busy lately...from work, to traveling on the weekends, to coaching waterpolo, to trying to squeeze in working out and actually having a social life...that I haven't been on here in a while.

First, I want to add some pictures of a beautiful wedding I went to at the end of October in North Carolina. My friend Ashley got married at the Lake Lure Inn, which was one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been to! We had such an amazing time and the bride, my friend, looked SO amazing. Seriously, one of the most beautiful brides I may have ever seen!!!

Don't they look SO happy?!

caterers, djs, oh my!

2009-10-31T08:47:00.000-07:00

Booked our DJ today. Here he is in action, Emiliano! :) We're going with "Fly By Nights" DJs because they were the most affordable I could find, but at the same time giving us everything I need/wanted. They're going to be there an hour early to set everything up, including music for the ceremony and reception. I chose this guy here because I like how he mixes all the music together! Check him out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYtjhlQ4D98

I also got really excited (see how the little things excite you while planning a wedding) when I saw this picture of the buffet recently on our caterer's blog, Jay's Catering. This is just like the one we're going to have! So pretty!

We're still deciding on the chairs we're going to have. Our catering package comes with these chairs shown, but we're thinking of upgrading. Help! Ideas?

We also set our date for our engagement shots with our photographer, He & She Photography, which I'm SO excited about! January 7th!

more ideas from martha...

2009-10-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

I was trying to think of a fun idea for guests to "send us off" from our ceremony instead of bubbles, bells, petals or rice...I saw this DIY flags that I thought were really fun. How hard can this be? I love the sheer fabrics....
I found this on Martha too, cute idea for escort cards. Fabric inside frames with the numbers pinned inside. Love it!

inspired by martha

2009-10-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

So you may or may not know this, but I have a major girl crush on Martha Stewart (I know, pathetic). She is just so classy (minus the whole prison thing) with the perfect mix of crafty-do it yourself-ness. Does that make sense? Haha.

I saw these today while browsing Martha Stewart Weddings (no need to buy the glossy magazine, browse for FREE). Such great ideas to add to the list...yikes, do I like too much??

I am loving the top right STD (woah, weird) with the finger and string. It'll fit perfect with our invite look, maybe with a picture on the back? Hmm...ideas are flowing.

I'm also loving this guest book featured from a wedding on Martha Stewart. Their whole them was elementary school because the bride & groom met when they were kids. Looks so cute. See, you can do anything and class it up. I already purchased my polaroid online, just waiting for it to come in. I found a "like new" pre-used camera on amazon for around $17. I just need to find the film, and I love this idea of placing the photo corners in the book for guests to place their pictures in. I was wondering how I would go about having everyone stick their picture into the book...problem solved!

ring bearer bowl!

2009-10-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

I got this in the mail today...custom made from Elm Studios on etsy! I love it, and they were so great about customizing my bowl to be exactly what I want it to look like. I'm excited to have this as a keepsake for us to have in our new place after our big day!

shoes!

2009-10-13T21:20:00.001-07:00

I just may need these...

more stuff i like...

2009-10-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

wish tree

2009-10-08T12:36:00.003-07:00

Okay, I may just like way too much stuff that I see. Love this idea of a wish tree. Photo booth (which I'm in the works of planning) and a wish tree? Too much? What do you think?

Here's a link to Here Comes the Guide - a tutorial of how to make your own! Lovely!

cute wedding from smp

2009-10-07T18:03:00.000-07:00

I saw this wedding on SMP that had such amazing diy ideas. Almost all her vendors were ones from etsy. Some ideas I loved:

wedding budget tips

2009-10-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

I found these budget tips on Style Me Pretty...how to bring your dream wedding to life, while planning on a budget. Why spend a fortune? Let's see how I'm (we're) doing...

Without further ado, here are Angela of Lulu Events cost cutting tips…

1. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize – by creating a theme or sticking to a cohesive look you can make a wedding or event look very sophisticated with just a few ideas that guests will always remember. Prioritize what is important and spend the money there.

We're going to have a "vintage" inspired cohesive look for our wedding. I love this idea, as I see many a vintage wedding online, and because our venue is a vintage, 1920s estate in San Clemente. Check!

2. Identify your color palette and stick to it. Remember you always need an accent color. One main color and 2 accent colors are ideal.

Hmm...my color palette is going to be greens, chocolate browns, and "pops" of purple. Do I need another accent color? Check!

3. Party Rentals – by selecting a colored or textured linen you get more bang for your buck than spending money on lots of colorful flowers on a white table cloth. The linen color will transform the space immediately and set the tone for your wedding reception.

I'm meeting with our caterer this weekend to taste food (yum!) and I'll have to ask about linens. I'm not planning on spending lots on flowers anyway...but I do love the idea of a colored or textured linen (brown probably).

4. Choose flowers that are in season and go for a monochromatic look, buying flowers in bulk is less expensive than buying many different types of flowers and my favorite trick is to incorporate fruit in to the centerpieces!

We haven't yet decided on flowers either, but I'm thinking I want to try and make the center pieces ourselves. We'll have the bouquets and boutonnieres probably done at a florist, but the rest we'll tackle ourselves. How hard can it be? Fruit in the centerpiece? I don't know if that goes with our "theme"...we'll see...

5. Choose a live musician for the ceremony and cocktail hour but nix the band and stick to a dj for the reception. It will save thousands of dollars. Just make sure to choose a play list that reflects the mood of the event and personality of the couple.

We're going to have a DJ who will be there with music for the ceremony and reception. Check!

6. By booking a wedding venue off season or on Fridays /Sundays – wedding venues and vendors will likely give you discounts so you can save your money for a honeymoon splurge!

Sunday, September 5, 2010! Check!

7. Consider hiring a wedding planner – we really are experts and our tips & ideas can save you time, money and get you discounts with vendors.

I'm not hiring a wedding planner. Although along the way I've been thinking about having one, it seems like just too much money for something I could figure out myself. How much of a discount can they really get you? More than the price for the coordinator - which sometimes starts at $1,000 just to be there the day of the wedding?!

I must say though, if you can afford it, a wedding coordinator must be fabulous. Putting all their creativity & your ideas to life without you having to do all the work- worth it!

8. Select one signature cocktail for the cocktail hour such as a Bellini or Kir Royale that will be passed by the waiters and offer wine and beer only the rest of the evening. You will be amazed at the cost savings!

We're planning a signature cocktail (or a few) for our wedding. I definitely want to have some sort of Mojito, maybe a bellini, and some "old" cocktails - to fit our vintage theme. Check!

9. Minimize the guest list- do you really need to invite that neighbor that you pass thru the hall or your second cousin Vinny that lives across the country?

Our guest list is definitely minimized. Sticking to only 100 is tough, especially when you have fairly large families. We're not doing many "plus ones", and inviting strictly close friends and family, which makes me so very happy! Check!

10. Skip the wedding favors (do we really need to see another Godiva chocolate at the place setting?), instead spend the money on a signature cocktail or a favor the guest will use during the course of the evening like a black and white photo booth!

We are having wedding favors, but they're homemade. And you're gonna love em!

11. Never ever try to skimp on a photographer- a talented photographer will capture memories that will last a lifetime!

We definitely didn't skimp on our photographer. This is the one area where I'm really digging into my savings for. So excited, check em out - He & She Photography. They're amazing! Can't wait! Check!

another idea...

2009-09-30T19:37:00.001-07:00

Really like this idea too...

yummmmy!

2009-09-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

Should I be worred that I am noticing a lot of dessert posts lately on here? Probably because I rarely eat a dessert these days (other than Fro Yo, which barely counts). I love using the "wedding diet" excuse with people.

These pictures were sent over by my event coordinator from our catering company. I had told her how we didn't want a wedding cake (WHAT? YES --- NO CAKE!!) and she sent over some amazing other options.

ohhh-emmm-geee

2009-09-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Holy fantastic idea - who doesn't love a doughnut? And yes, I'm now officially blogging while at work (shhh...don't tell).

escort cards...{place cards}

2009-09-27T20:19:00.000-07:00

I read recently, probably in my new Mindy Weiss Big Wedding Book, that technically "escort cards" were used so male guests would know who they were escorting to their seats. The cards we put out so guests know where to sit are called "place cards".

I thought these were cute, and totally DIY-able. Maybe I'll have a sign on the table with these luggage tags about "traveling to your seat" or something totally and completely cheesy :) .

Here's another cute vintage luggage tag which I like...love the ribbon and metal...

love this idea - done!

2009-09-22T17:02:00.000-07:00

Kinda hard to see, but I saw this idea on Style Me Pretty today and loved it! The bride of this wedding did LOTS herself (what I'm hoping to do), this idea included. The bottom chalkboard sign reads "Don't ruin your makeup! Take one of these VINTAGE HANKIES and dry your eyes in style instead!"

I love this idea for the ceremony....so I found vintage hankies on ebay for super cheap. I'm going with white, fairly plain ones, to hand out. Maybe I'll have them in a basket near the sign?

awesome

2009-09-19T20:05:00.000-07:00

jewelry giveaway!

2009-09-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Woah!

Another fabulous giveaway - this time from Pre-Owned Wedding Dresses. They're giving away a jewelry rental with Adorn Brides worth $2,500!

Click here!

cool giveaway!

2009-09-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

Woah, it's been a while. I guess I've been kinda crazy busy with school - I really haven't thought too much about the wedding lately at all! Which I think is probably a good thing (I may or may not be making the future hubs a little crazy...hehe)

I saw this though, and had to share. Bare Escentuals, my favorite makeup that I wear EVERY DAY, is giving away a makeup artist for your wedding day. My mom & I were just talking about this, figuring out how we're going to do this part of my day down in Orange County...I feel for you girls who plan your wedding from far away (and I'm only an hour).

So great of them to give this away. To enter, click here.

love this story

2009-08-21T12:11:00.001-07:00

This sounds like it could be the story of any of our friends from college/San Diego, which is why I loved it so much. These engagement shots are perfect! Love it!!Matt and Jennifer both attended the University of California at Santa Barbara and were introduced by mutual friends. Four months after they first met, they saw each other again at a party. Riding home that evening on their beach cruisers, Matt wanted to give her a kiss goodnight, but he paused a little too long. So, teetering on her bicycle she leaned over, gave him a kiss and pedaled away!
On December 5, 2008, after six years of dating, Matt proposed to Jennifer in the Marin headlands overlooking the San Francisco skyline. Close friends were waiting at Harry Denton’s Starlight Room with champagne to celebrate their engagement!

facebook love

2009-08-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

CUTE...(kinda creepy?)

About 100 guests are expected to gather at a Florida yacht club this October for Kelly Hildebrandt's wedding -- to Kelly Hildebrandt.

Kelly Katrina Hildebrandt says she was bored one night last year and decided to search Facebook for her own name to see if anyone shared it. Kelly Carl Hildebrandt of Lubbock, Texas, came up as the only match.

The two exchanged e-mails, then occasional phone calls. Eventually that turned into daily conversations, sometimes lasting for hours. After a few months, he visited her in Florida, and that cinched it. Last December, she found a diamond engagement ring hidden in a treasure box on a beach.

While the couple says it's fun sharing a name, there have been complications. They nearly had a cruise canceled when a travel agent deleted one ticket on their reservation, thinking it was a duplicate entry.

The couple are including their middle names on the wedding invitations to save confusion. And, they've ruled out naming any children Kelly.

Story of ABC News

DIY Bridesmaid Cards

2009-08-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Although I'm very pleased with the bridesmaid's gifts I sent to my girls, I just LOVED this when I saw it. From Once Wed, one of my go-to blogs, this is such a cute and (easy?) way to personalize your invitation to your wedding party. I also love that it lets everyone know who will be in the entire bridal party!Check out all the crafty how-to details here!

Something else this inspires me to do is learn how to calligraphy! And not old-English calligraphy, beautiful, unique, stand-out handwriting like on these envelopes....

table decor

2009-08-15T20:41:00.001-07:00

So not only do I enjoy doing this because friends say nice things to me like how much they enjoy reading - which is lovely - I like to use this as a way for me to document things I like during this planning process.

I had a vision in my head from the beginning about table decorations and numbers. While blog browsing today I found these pictures on With This Ring... that fits my vision perfectly. I love the numbers, the framed menus, the simple flowers, antique-looking votive holders...

free from benefit!

2009-08-10T08:15:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't love something free? Benefit cosmetics is sponsering a give-away on Snippet & Ink - a free bright eye pencil if you spend $40 or more online. In the checkout enter the code WEDDINGS. Also, check out their makeup tips for brides - some good, practical advice.

ring pillow alternatives

2009-08-06T11:13:00.000-07:00

I saw this morning on 100 Layer Cake a contest to win one of these handmade samplers. Too cute!

I of course entered the give-away explaining how I think it would be a fabulous alternative to a ring pillow. This got me thinking about other creative touches you could use as a ring pillow for your little guy (or girl...or dog?) to carry down the aisle...

I've seen these ring bowls by Paloma's Nest on many a wedding blog, and even in Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine (another obsession). This is definitely a keepsake you could display in your house forever, and they have so many lovely options for messages inside.

Interested in something a little more botanical? Apparently now florists can make you a beautiful, eco-friendly ring pillow. Incorporate your colors or favorite flowers into this to personalize the "pillow". I love these two.

These pillows were made by the bride of this featured wedding from 100 Layer Cake. The bride and groom must have been from California & Ohio.

happy birthday future hubs!

2009-08-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

Today is Travis' birthday! We've been celebrating with his family, my family, and tonight...just the two of us! I am SO grateful to have such a wonderful fiance. I love you!!

fingerprint jewelry

2009-08-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

What a cool idea - personalized fingerprint jewelry. I found this on What Junebug Loves (browsing wedding blogs again...surprise, surprise) and thought it would be a great wedding gift for your future spouse or accessory you could just buy yourself!!

The idea is to have the fingerprint of your husband/wife engraved on the jewelry instead of traditional initials, I heart you, etc. These are made by Chris Parry and can be purchased on his etsy shop.

I love the heart necklace with the fingerprint. It's probably too casual to use as an accessory for my wedding day, but just might have to convince Travis to get it for me one for Valentine's Day with his print...

casa romantica

2009-07-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to see featured on our caterer's blog, Jay's, our venue in an article, calling it the "Jewel of Orange County"...check it out!!

cocktail time!

2009-07-29T09:24:00.000-07:00

Something I've been considering lately is how we're going to approach the cocktail/bar situation at our wedding. The caterer we're hiring is allowing us to bring our own booze (HUGE money saver), which was really important to us, especially since both my dad and brother are in the liquor business (cocktails at cost!).

I've read over and over that another way to save money and personalize your wedding is to have signature cocktails, along with beer and wine. I love this idea - and think it would be easier than trying to guess how much of each mixer, liquor, etc. to buy.

How delicious does this one look? Perfect for fall - it's an apple pie cocktail! It's made with agave nectar, apple pie spice, lemon juice, and apple vodka (they make apple vodka?)

Yummm...pink grapefruit mojito? Made with mint, lime, simple syrup, rum, grapefruit juice, grapefruit liquor, and sparkling water.

An idea I love that I might adopt for our day is having a cocktail menu themed "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue". I've seen classic cocktails for the "old" - like a gin and tonic; A "new" cocktail like a mango martini; "something borrowed" could be from a family member's past or best man/maid of honor's favorite drink; and "something blue" could be a blue cocktail like a Blue Hawaiian...

Hostess with the Mostess has tons of creative cocktail recipes - from a vanilla pumpkin pie martini to a strawberry peach daiquiri!

Another great resource is The Knot, you can search for cocktails by season, color, or watch a slideshow with lots of yummy drinks.

Bottoms Up! Cheers!!

the five love languages

2009-07-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend Travis' family was in town which was so fun - I love spending time with his big, crazy family and all the little kiddos (new neices and nephews)! One of his sisters had brought the book The Five Love Languages with her and we discussed it at length.

There's a quiz in the book, one for males and one for females, to discover your "Love Language". The idea behind the book is that each of us receives and feels love in a different way - words of affirmation, physical touch, receiving gifts, acts of service, or quality time. It's interesting to think how you receive love, and how you show love - usually the way you might show someone you love them is the way you think you'd like love to be given to you. Often though, your spouse/significant other receives love differently.

After taking the quiz we realized my love language is words of affirmation - I love me some compliments! :) Trav's love language is gifts, which is a tough one for me! This makes so much sense though, he is so good at giving, and loves giving thoughtful gifts.

What love language do you think you are?? :)

wedding video

2009-07-24T19:56:00.001-07:00

Ashley & Jamie's Same Day Edit from Anguilla from Julie Hill on Vimeo.

address stamp

2009-07-23T19:54:00.000-07:00

This is somewhat wedding related...thought I'd share. I bought a similar return address label from Lettergirl on etsy and I have definitely been sending more snail mail because of it. Cute, huh? I'll probably get another one similar to use for our wedding invitations, reply cards, and save the dates.

I bought the self-inking stamp and it works pretty well! They have lots of different styles and ones specifically for weddings...

Not wedding related at all...but how stinkin' cute is my dog? :)

yummy sweets

2009-07-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

One thing I knew right away when I started planning was that I didn't want a traditional wedding cake. I don't think I've ever eaten wedding cake while being a guest at a wedding, and also Travis & I are just not big cake people. We want to do something different.

We're going to end up with a "Sweet Station" from our caterer, but here are some other great ideas that we could incorporate as well. Cupcakes have become the new cake these days, and who doesn't love a Sprinkles?

If you've never tried one of these delicious little guys, you need to! They have all these amazing flavors - my personal favorite is the peanut butter chocolate. How fun would it be for your guests to have options for their dessert. Hmmm...banana or chocolate marshmallow?

Also, if you're willing to shell out the big bucks ($2,000 minimum) you can have the SprinklesMobile come to your event and serve cupcakes out of the Sprinkles Mercedes Van.

Another sweet boutique new to me is called Sucre. They're out of New Orleans and have some seriously yummy looking goodies. This wedding I saw on Style Me Pretty featured their macaroons as a centerpiece and dessert.
Too cute, huh? They had a key to let guests know the different flavors of the macaroons on the table. The macaroons come in flavors like almond, pistachio, lemon, pecan...yummy! They also have handmade marshmallows in seasonal flavors and lots of different chocolates, truffles, etc. I'm very tempted to order a box to try....

utterly engaged

2009-07-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

I found the most beautiful e-zine (apparently an on-line magazine) this morning. I love that everything in here is Southern California. How refreshing that they actually include the budget details from their real weddings also. It is SO nice to see that other people are spending according to their own plans, not just what the knot has told them how to spend their wedding budget!

Here's another beautiful picture from the e-zine...
This just could be my new favorite thing. Check it out!

redlands/beaumont wedding

2009-07-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Travis and I had the opportunity to attend a beautiful wedding this weekend. The ceremony was at the Bethany Church in Redlands (on Cajon) and the reception was at the PGA Country Club at the Golf Course in Beaumont. One of the best things of the wedding was a short ceremony! It was probably close to 100 degrees on Saturday in Redlands so it was nice to have a short, indoor ceremony. To the point...we liked it!

The DJ was great, in fact I got his card - but lost it later (too many glasses of wine I guess)! Good food, we had great seats (haha), funny speeches, and overall a very fun time!

Thanks Jannellis! Beautiful wedding!

photographer

2009-07-16T19:19:00.000-07:00

So I'm kinda obsessed with the photographer I met with today. She was super cool & laid back, and their rates are pretty reasonable. Something I really want is someone more "artsy" to do our photos, ones I'd want in my house forever and EVER! I can't copy photos from their site, but if you want to check them out you can click HERE! :)

bow wow

2009-07-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

My mother is ADAMENT on Cooper having zero part in my wedding, which is most likely what's going to happen. BUT - I thought, hmm...can people incorporate their pooch while still keeping it classy? Here's some of the best pictures I found of brides and grooms bringing their dog into the special day. It's got me thinking...a tuxedo for Coop? Pearls? :)

I mean come on, he looks so darn good in his birthday hat...

bridesmaid dresses

2009-07-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

I wasn't really trying, but came across a post on Style Me Pretty that showed some beautiful bridesmaid dresses that I really like.

Okay, so they're kinda hard to see in these pictures. If you want a closer look, click here. The bride wrote on the site that her girls' dresses are Butter by Nadia. Cool site, but CRAZY expensive. I would never expect my girls to pay over $250 for a dress they're going to wear for a day - even if these are ones that you might actually wear again.

Well, I did a little research and looks like there are some alternatives. I had seen Two Birds Bridesmaids before, which is the same concept, and pretty much the same price tag. What I did find that I'm excited about is a dress from Victoria's Secret that's pretty darn close!

It's the same idea, that you can twist the straps around to different styles. Theirs is called the Convertible Dress and it's only about $100! That's more like it! I ordered one to see for myself if I liked it and how it fit, and I figure if it's a no-go I can always return.

See, once again - don't pay the big bucks until you do a little research first!

amazing invitation

2009-07-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

How cool is this?! I LOVE it. Saw it on a 10,000 dollar wedding and thought it was so cute - I love how it tells the whole story. Read it all...can't see it? Click here.

printablepress.com

2009-07-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

This could be one of the coolest things I've seen in a while. Like I mentioned before, I love browsing wedding blogs (I've added more below - seriously check them out!) and always have to see their "budget" ideas and DIY sections. Well, I found this invitation company that provides beautiful stationary designs that you print yourself. You can print them from your own computer or take them to a print shop - and you only pay once! You can print as many as you want for one price. They also have thank you's, menus, etc. I'm in love! What a great budget friendly way to have beautiful invites...

Aren't they pretty? If I were getting married at a honey bee farm I would definitely use the bee design. Or maybe if I were a bee farmer (do those exist?)

http://www.printablepress.com/

And no, I'm not being paid to endorse them...(I wish!)

dresses!

2009-07-10T09:28:00.000-07:00

The dress is definitely the one thing I'm most excited about when it comes to the wedding. Isn't it everyones? This is why I LOVE the show "Say Yes to the Dress" - just some kind of joy watching girls try on wedding dresses. I could be one of those girls who works at the dress shop, watching happy people all day getting ready for their most exciting day, trying on beautiful gowns.

Okay...so my adventure trying on dresses started on our annual reunion trip to Seattle (here we are above). They say cardinal rule #1 for trying on wedding dresses is to NEVER try on dresses out of your price range, but I think that's bull. Here's why...

I tried on CRAZY expensive dresses (well, crazy expensive for me) at this beautiful boutique with my best friends (all my b.maids) which was so special for me. It was amazing wearing these designer dresses that made you look sooo good...which I could never afford. The positive thing in trying these dresses on was seeing what I liked - and having an idea in my head as to what I wanted for my own dress. Well, I fell in love with this Jenny Lee gown...couldn't stop thinking about it, didn't want to take it off, etc. I was convinced that was THE dress and I couldn't find anything like it.

When I started looking around at dresses actually in my price range, I started feeling really down. I was mad at myself for trying on this dress that was WAY too expensive for me. I started searching online to find a used dress (which apparently a lot of people do), even emailed the designer (no joke - I got a response from "Jenny") to try and buy a sample.

I talked to Trav and my mom and they talked some sense into me - that you wear a dress for ONE day, and it's not worth throwing all your savings away to wear this one great dress. They were RIGHT (and I don't like admitting that)!

I found a dress that I really liked, very similar to the Jenny Lee gown for a FRACTION of the price at a great boutique, Marry Me Bridal in Orange, CA. They were very helpful, and the gal there was wonderful. Here's the dress I thought was the one...Maggie

It's a beautiful dress, and compulsive me wanted to get it right away, but my mom convinced me to keep looking because there were a few things here and there that I didn't like.

Just the other day I went to another shop in Orange County, Mariposa Boutique in Anaheim, and found THE dress. It is JUST like the Jenny Lee gown, but literally a fifth the price. I'm not going to post pictures - I have to keep some secrets (especially if Travis reads this) but it is beautiful. I was even able to share the dress with Terissa, another b.maid and Travis' twin sister, and she approved :)

Moral of the story: try on the expensive ones! It may cause some heartache at first, but then you'll be SO excited to find one that's in your price range, and so similar! I'm now convinced nobody should ever pay tons and tons of money on a wedding gown. You don't need to!

wedding party invites

2009-07-08T10:33:00.000-07:00

I saw a really fun DIY project on Style Me Pretty a while ago and just knew I had to use this somehow in my wedding planning. I decided I would make these mini photo books as a way to ask my wedding party to be a part of our special day!

Here are the instructions that I followed (for the most part) to make these books for my guy & gals. I got all the materials I used at Michael's. Other than the ribbon & the pretty pen, everything is from Martha Stewart's line of crafty stuff. These were LOTS of fun to make, and I only had minimal help from my mom (the ultimate crafter).

I actually drew the pretty letters on the front myself - with the help of the font I used for the inside (DJ Inkers Fancy) which is another obsession of mine. DJ Inkers is every teacher's go-to cutesy website/company for fonts, clip art, etc. I of course went with browns & greens since these are the colors I'm planning to use for our wedding.

Inside were three photos from over the years mounted on different papers (Martha Stewart) and a message asking to be a part of my wedding party on the last page. They opened accordian style, which I love because they can put them out on a dresser, etc. to display if they so choose.

Above is the book I made for my brother, Wes, who will be my Man of Honor!

inspiration board

2009-07-08T09:11:00.001-07:00

One thing I love to do while browsing all the many fabulous wedding blogs I love (see the links below!) is to enter almost every give-away they have...which is a lot! One that I recently entered was to win save-the-dates from the fabulous Delphine and Mohawk Paper. To enter the give-away you had to submit an Inspiration Board showing one of their invitations along with your vision for your wedding day.

Well, I didn't win - but I was a finalist! My Inspiration Board was feautured on the blog Oh So Beautiful Paper which I was very excited about!

Here's the board I made, featuring images from Casa Romantica, Style Me Pretty, The Knot, and Etsy!

we've set the date!

2009-07-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

Talk about a sigh of relief! This was one of the most stressful pieces of starting to plan for me, choosing a venue & setting the date that would fit within our budget.

I started researching and browsing online for different venues, just looking for someplace I thought would be "pretty" enough for our big day. We weren't picky about where, just as long as it was in Southern California. I looked in the Redlands/Inland Empire area, San Diego, Orange County, and Palm Springs. We also knew we wanted to get married outside. I started making a list/spreadsheet with pricing information and started looking!

My mom and I only looked at two venues before we fell in LOVE. The first we looked at was the Mitten Building in Redlands. I had this idea in my head that getting married in our hometown would be something special to share with our guests. We visited the Mitten Building and it is a very unique space that I really liked. It is an old, historic building (which I loved) filled with brick and original wood paneling. It's definitely a space you could decorate and make your own. Leaving the Mitten Building, it was a definite contender in my mind.

A few weeks later we made the drive to San Clemente (about an hour and a half from Redlands) to visit the Casa Romantica Cultural Center & Gardens. The second I got out of the car and saw the space, I fell in love. It's also a historic estate, looking over the ocean. My favorite thing about the venue is that we have the entire estate for the day - ceremony in one area, cocktail hour in another, dinner here, dancing there... The gal at Casa Romantica was great, and so helpful. She gave us lots of ideas and tips, thanks Regina! I'm really looking forward to working with her.

Well, we decided this was THE place and decided on a date - September 5, 2010! The great thing about this date is that it's a Sunday (which means Sunday prices) but it's like a Saturday because it's over Labor Day weekend! Don't worry, Travis approved :)

I feel this huge weight lifted from me now that this is decided. No more stress from here on out, right? :) Here are some images of this beautiful space...

first post!

2009-07-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Well...let me start by saying that I thought I'd create this blog to have a way to "journal" my way through my wedding planning. Since it's all I talk about (ask the fiance) I thought I'd share all I have to say with whoever is crazy/bored enough to read it. I'm mildly obsessed with all things wedding blogs, and by no means am I trying to create one myself, I just thought it might be fun to try and compile all the things I see and love in one place.

The fabulous man I'm marrying has been a close friend of mine since we were just kiddos. We began dating only a few years ago, but have known each other since the days of junior high, raging hormones, and awful bangs/braces (okay, I guess that was just me). Here we are at the age we started this journey...

Thanks for reading! Stay tuned! :)