Cut It Out June 29, 2008

paper orchid stationary

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

Have you seen Paper Orchid Stationary?

They have this great collection of cutout invitations, as well as cupcake liners, etc.

The beauty of them is that they don’t actually cost that much.

For example: a pack of 50 of these invitations would be $80. That includes the yellow backer (where the cutout is), the insert papers and the envelope. So… 150 invitations would cost $240? Cool.

They’ll also do custom printing — starting at $40 for 50 (and only $57 for 150 invitations!)

And, 50 RSVP cards are only $36 with envelopes.

If you’re having a budget wedding, it could be feasible to order 150 custom printed invitations, RSVP cards and thank you cards for around $500. Nice.

High Batting Average June 19, 2008

shu uemura false lashes

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

I’m a girl with thin but long lashes. I get it. When I wear mascara frequently, my thin lashes seem to become even more thin. Ack.

As a result, I’m a huge fan of false lashes for big events. There’s no question that I’ll be sticking some falsies onto my upper lids on the day we get hitched.

I’ve always been happy with MAC false lashes, but I think I found the ones I’ll use on my wedding day. Day-um, Shu Uemura packs a punch with these criss-cross lashes.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also find lashes made of feathers and feathered velvet. They come in shocking blue, and of course black and brown.

The real beauty is that they start at $20!

Sexy & Subtle June 17, 2008

Jenny Lee

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

I really dig this lace-up back by Jenny Lee.

The lace-up space is broad (nearly the entire back), the laces are thick (so much classier than thin straps) and the dress just exudes classic beauty.

The cut is modest yet beautiful.
I like the ballerina-style of the front of the gown.

If I didn’t already have a dress, I’d seriously track this baby down and try it on. Its available at one shop in Minnesota — L’atelier Couture in Saint Paul (along with several other amazing lines, like Elizabeth Fillmore, Jesus del Pozo and Rosa Clara). Or, you could hop a plane to NYC and check it out at Bergdorf Goodman. Its your choice.

Image from JennyLee.com

Great Wedding Makeup June 17, 2008

MAC fergie

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

I love MAC. So much that, I even go to their little events in which they launch new collections.

I’ve used MAC and their talented artists for most of the weddings in which I’ve participated.

I’m even considering using them for my own wedding (though I have a few months to pin down an artist).

Check out this gorgeous look that they’ve posted on their site. It’s called “Fergie.” I love it (though I think it needs some bronzer and blush to finish it off).

I love the neutral yet sexy eye color, the dark shade in the crease, the lighter shade near the lash line and the false lashes that go out to “there.” There’s the dramatic liner and of course the shadow under the eyes, giving the impact of all-around liner without the small-eye syndrome that comes from applying liner all the way around.

These colors could work on most any bride, and the dramatic yet subtle application takes the look from everyday to “wow.”

Image from MAC

Find Your Perfect Venue June 16, 2008

vendor fetch

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

Bella Gala, the monster company of all things wedding, has come up with this handy-dandy vendor fetch.

I’ll just ignore the fact that the image is an impossibly close rendition of the iPhone or iPod Touch.

The Vendor Fetch allows you to search for venues based on location, style of venue, size of our wedding, features of the site or price of the venue.

This tool is quite handy if you’re still undecided on the location of your wedding and want to uncover some sites that you wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Its annoying because it doesn’t allow direct comparisons and it seems that many of the photos are broken.

But, in all honesty, this tool is quite awesome. Take it for a spin!

The Cupcake Incident June 15, 2008

miel_y_leche_limoncello_cupcake

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

The GTB and I headed into Letterbox stationary shop to see if they had a certain flavor of cupcake.

(backstory: we’re catering our cake — or cupcakes to be exact — for our wedding with Miel y Leche. We adore Sheela, she’s funny and kind and innovative and willing to go the extra mile to make sure our wedding cupcakes — and display — are nothing short of amazing. We had decided on three flavors, but there’s one left to choose. We just HAVE to try that flavor before we sign on the dotted line. Of course it wasn’t one of the flavors available, so we decided to try 3 other flavors, for fun. The chocolate raspberry is AMAZING. Strawberry coconut is light and delicious. Cherry almond is, as we expected tasty.)

As we stood in line to pay, 2 women in their mid-to-late 60s (clearly from one of the more affluent suburbs, based on the amount of jewelry, designer duds and perfectly coifed hair) were commenting on the cupcakes. One of the women reached her hand out and actually touched one of the cupcakes. If she didn’t walk away with frosting on her finger, I’d be shocked.

This is when the woman working (I’m going to assume it was the owner, Kimberley, though I’ve never actually met her) was like, “Hey, lady, come back here. I can’t sell that cupcake now that you’ve paid for it.”

Older woman #1 (I’ll refrain from the word lady) – “I’ll pay for 1/2 of it and we can share.”

Older woman #2 – glances back and walks away.

Older woman #1 – follows her

Kimberley (I think) – chases them out of the store – “Lady – get back here! You just ruined this cupcake.”

It escalated. I was thinking (hoping) that that stupid older lady would have a cupcake thrown at her head, but it never happened.

Moral of the story: Letterbox is not only awesome, but people who mess with them don’t escape unscathed. This is a business at which I actually want to spend my money!

(image from Cupcake Takes The Cake

Love Alterations! June 13, 2008

I took my dress in for alterations. Before taking it in, I asked around on prices.

I had a laundry list of alterations:
1. remove attached sashes (SO long, so not me!)
2. reinforce 2 spots inside the dress where boning seemed to be planning an escape (it was a sample Vera Wang — I’d be kidding myself to think it wouldn’t need something fixed.
3. bustle the dress
4. well… lets just say that I bought a Vera Wang 10, which is closer to a street 6. And, I am closer to a street 10 or so. So, I packed myself into the dress, knowing that taking a dress out is VERY expensive and can leave yucky results.

The lady, Edie, who has done alterations for 3 prom dresses and 2 bridesmaid dresses (the one I didn’t take to them was the one that ended up having a broken zipper — thanks naughty bridal shop). Anyway, Edie measures me, checks the dress out, etc.

And gives me the quote.

Now, let me tell you that the over-the-phone estimates I had gotten so far were in the $180 – $350 range. Manageable, but not favorable.

Edie’s quote? Easily under $100 with money left over. My jaw fell when she told me the actual price, and she was like, “Oh, if that’s too high…”

The best part, I’ve seen her work many times and REALLY trust her.

So… crossing my fingers, but expecting the best!

Find out where –

Two Things To Be Excited About June 10, 2008

Melissa Sweet Reverie crumbcatcher

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

First — this dress is part of the highly anticipated (on my part) Reverie collection by Melissa Sweet. Its a “lower-cost” line of wedding dresses that is still trendy and beautiful. This dress and many others will be available at Priscilla of Boston.

I’m psyched to check and maybe try them out when they’re released in July.

Second — um, loving the crumb catcher! I know that crumb catchers will be hugely popular in the upcoming 2009 season, so its cool to see a beautiful, inexpensive version in this pretty little dress.

How Does She Know? June 5, 2008

Monique Lhuillier back tie dress

Originally uploaded by KikiLaRae

How does Monique Lhuillier know? Seriously, how does she get it right so often?

This dress is another example of something beautiful. While its hard to imagine on someone with breasts or hips, the lace detail and delicate tie back are simply stunning.

If I had a larger wedding budget, this dress would be on my short list.

Since
a. My budget is meager
b. I already have a dress

I cannot have this lovely dress. However, that doesn’t stop me from trying it on at the Monique Lhuiller store at 50th and France.

Photo From Brides.com