I’m SO Excited March 31, 2008

I ordered a bolero! Not only is it not like *every other* bolero out there, but mine is actually custom made for me and my slightly-chubby arms, built from measurements of my body, so it should fit like a dream!

Anyway, I got it from Etsy (as I seem to be getting a LOT of my bridal outfit accessories). The shop owner, Emily, actually does quite a bit of theatre costume design. She has an amazing eye for beauty and detail.

Check out her Etsy shop - Rohm - if you want a custom bolero for your wedding.

p.s. for the record, my bolero will have cap sleeves and is made of alencon lace over dotted stretch netting. I’ve asked for no closures.

Flowy, Beautiful Wedding Dresses March 26, 2008

Sigh… I am *almost* at a loss for words when I look at these dresses.

Wai Ching of Seattle, WA has some of the most AMAZING dresses I have ever seen. They range from about $199 to about $2,500 per dress, and I’ve heard a rumor that she’ll work on custom features for brides — hello lucky coin sewn into the dress and hidden pockets!

I love, love, love the flow and feel of these amazing dresses. Perhaps its a good thing I haven’t for-sure choosen my dress!

Stella! March 24, 2008

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We took Stella to Madison last weekend for an early-Easter meal with the GTB’s family.

Here are some sweet shots of her enjoying the ride and gassing us out with her stink butt.

Spot The Fake Smile March 24, 2008

This has very little to do with our engagement (with the exception of me faking smiles when people bring the ring talk into uncomfortable territory or challenge my decisions).

But its cool. See if you can spot the fake or real smiles in these short videos. I got only 75% correct. Hrmm.

Click Here

Que Magnifique! March 22, 2008

I love old-style ceramics!

Clara French Ceramiques have these beautiful, custom glazed cake plates. Sigh. I want that!

They come in a selection of scrumptuous colors — Rustic Mauve, French Pear, Silk Blue and others.

I think I’ll just have to get the “Bijou Footed Cake Stand in the Elle style (front stands in image). While the prices are steep (about $175 + shipping and handling), I don’t know how I could use anything else now that I’ve seen these stunning cake stands.

Oh, And THE RING March 21, 2008

Here’s a pic of the ring. For some reason, diamonds are REALLY difficult to take photos of!

Didn’t the GTB do a fantastic job? Even the edges are squared so it doesn’t turn on my finger.

Here we go!

Cheap & Easy Vases March 20, 2008

Okay, we all know that we can rent vases, we can buy vases. Easy peasy. But, I’m a fan of DIY stuff and really actually like getting my hands dirty with a craft, whether its easy or frustrating. So… enter Pom Tea.

This stuff is tough to drink while driving (unless you’re cool spilling on yourself). Heck, its hard to drink while riding as a passenger in a car, walking, or even talking.

But its totally delicious, so I keep buying it (and keep spilling on myself). As a result, I have a bunch of these Pom Tea glasses. And I realized, “damn, these puppies would make sweet vases!” I could tie a little grosgrain ribbon over the logo (which is clear, but somewhat visible) and “voila!” instant vases for the reception tables!

Check out these pics of “before” and “after” — what do you think?

(before photo from Pom Wonderful, after photo from Apartment Therapy)

Choosing A Venue - The Losers March 19, 2008

We’ve already ruled out a bunch of venues. Some for location or size. Others for ridiculous stipulations (i.e. must spend $x per person or event), a few because they can host multiple weddings in one day.

Here is our list of just some of the venues that we’ve ruled out. If you’re looking, some of these awesome sites could work for you!

Choosing A Venue March 17, 2008

So, the GTB and I delved into a stack of available site rentals for the reception and ceremony.

We’ve already decided against a church wedding (though we believe in G-d, I don’t feel like its right just stomp into some church I’ve never attended and ask to be married). Besides, I feel that religion is more a sense of what you feel than a location.

Our stipulations include:
* must hold 200 people (eek, there goes the “small wedding”)
* must offer some options for catering (I don’t want to be forced to use a specific caterer, just because I am renting a certain space)
* must be within 3 miles of a decent hotel
* must have parking available
* must allow live music
* must have indoor/outdoor space available
* must not cost over $2,500 to rent (I know, I know, we sound cheap, but come on! If we’re trying to pull this whole thing together for under $15,000 (no small, feat, I know!), we simply cannot spend almost 20% of our budget on renting a space.

Suddenly, many, many of the venues are out. Here are some decent locations in consideration:

So we started out with some cool places –

Beautiful Bag To Carry Your Gloss March 16, 2008

My other favorite handbag designer is Nelle. This cutie is a silk charmeuse with a hand-dyed ribbon. What’s cool about these bags is that each one comes with its own unique broach. If you’re cool with a little bit of mystery and magic, this cutie-pie flex-close bag is perfect! It comes in different shapes (this one is 6″x6″ with a vintage brass handle, but there’s also a 13″x6″ bag)

Know what else is awesome? Its under $150!