I Have NO Willpower — Haute Bride Must Know This! November 26, 2008

I have zero willpower. Whether it’s a tasty treat, a beautiful winter jacket or amazing bridal jewelry, I am quite poor at resisting.

I’ve been searching for jewelry that works with my theme, gown and, well, personal style and haven’t found anything that made me giddy. Let me rephrase that I haven’t found anything in my price range that makes me giddy. Most days I can be found with eyes glazed over, gazing lovingly at the Haute Bride site. Sigh.

Well, today, I bit the bullet — sort of.

Most of the jewels are gorgeous and lovely, but too chunky to work with my super awesome gown(s).

However, there are some darling pieces that I covet daily that would be smashingly lovely on me.

I don’t know what happened, but I was on the site the other day, and suddenly, I looked down and saw a paypal receipt of payment on my screen. Payment was sent to Haute Bride. Oh boy.

So now I am guiltily pleased to await the arrival of my gorgeous bridal jewelry.

Here are some of the beauties I long for.

Back and Forth, and Again, and Again November 24, 2008

We started with a venue in Stillwater, MN — a beautiful courthouse with the perfect spot for a ceremony, to boot. We changed our mind and decided to find a space closer to the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities.

We the put a deposit down on a restaurant with an awesome space, hardwood floors, great lighting, a view of downtown and a private patio.

Then R & I freaked at the potential cost as we juggled a new house with a soon-to-happen kitchen remodel (the kitchen is… okay — but the 1958 cabinets, aqua oven and scratched to he## parquet floors would have to go), a largish loss on the recently sold house and all our other obligations.

We began to plan an at-home reception. Then, I began to freak about the rental costs — $750 for a tent, before installation and delivery fees?! $500 for tables and chairs — with UGLY chairs? Plates, forks, serving platters, glasses, buckets to put drinks into and additional homeowner insurance to cover potential drunk drivers (hello! We know our friends, there’s no way to avoid that extra policy), bartenders, servers and cleaning people/lawn people? Suddenly our perfect little home reception became a money-sucking nightmare, and the worst part was that there was NO GUARANTEE that our home would even be ready in time.

So… we were banking on a POTENTIALLY complete home… Hmmm. Not so much.

This Guestlist is Out of Control! November 22, 2008

We just sent our guest list to our calligrapher (thanks Mom!) to have our invitation envelopes hand addressed in beautiful script.

Of course we had a *slight* disagreement over the etiquette of “and guest” before sending the list. I stick closely to etiquette rules that recommend — “If you allow one invited single guest to bring a guest, you must do the same for all other non-married guests.” R is operating under a different rule — in that it’s a “case-by-case basis.” For example, people with serious relationships can bring a guest, those who are not in serious relationships cannot.

Hmm, I think pretty highly of myself, but I would never consider being able to look at a relationship and deem one “serious” while another is “not serious.”

So, in the end, we ended up allowing the “and guests” because he felt that some people would be upset if they weren’t able to bring a guest, even though our guest list jumped by 40 by allowing them. Sigh.

The budget trimmer (me) has to find a way to fit another 40 people because the budget controler (R) wanted to include them. I’m not angry, just… excited at the prospect of fitting 178 guest onto a guest list and budget that was altered to fit 120. Of course it’ll work. But I’m not promising that our reception won’t run out of food

What’s Wrong With David’s Bridal? November 18, 2008

Seriously, I read more complaints about David’s Bridal.

I had an awful experience where I actually made an appointment to check out crinolines for my potential wedding dress.

I went through the whole sign-in schpiel, and was paired with an awfully snarky woman who was clearly disappointed that I’d be wasting her time on something as cheap as a crinoline. After trying one on (she said it was the ONLY kind they had in the store, even though I was told when I made my appointment that they had several styles), I asked if I could look at dresses as well.

Her response? “Since you ONLY made an appointment to look at crinolines, that’s what you’re doing today. If you want to look at dresses, go ahead and make another appointment.” Right. After the eye-rolling and impatient sighs, I decided that it wasn’t worth the stress and feeling like I was imposing. David’s Bridal was crossed off the list.

Here’s another friend’s recap of her experience:

I also went to David’s Bridal last night – WORST experience ever.
The first girl was just leaving for her break, so she couldn’t help me. Then, she called someone else up, and they were still helping someone else. Again – none of that stuff if really a big deal.

Then, she called the third person up. She asked the lady if she could help me, and you know what her response was? She said, “ugh, I suppose.” I was like, “Do you not want to help me?” And she just replied that she had been trying to find someone else to do it.

So, I looked at my mom, and we just stood up and said we were leaving. It was unreal. I couldn’t believe how horrible that service was. I mean, c’mon!!!

I understand that working at DB can be stressful, but there is NO reason to be rude to your customers, especially when those customers are planning one of the most expensive days of their life.

Shoes for Sale! November 17, 2008

J. Crew has one of the best, wearable, gorgeous, trendy-yet-classic wedding/party/work shoe collections.

Bonus: right now, all their full-price boots and shoes are 25% off.

Hmmm…
I’m in!

The code is “SHOESALE” and it lasts through November 19.

Is Planning a Wedding Stressful? November 17, 2008

I hear that planning a wedding can cause undue stress. Hmm.

I also hear that working fulltime, going to graduate school (Accounting this semester — believe me, I am crying inside!) and planning a home remodel can also be stressful. So… why am I doing it all at once?!?!

I know I’ve whined about it before, but here’s a good reason why: Our new Electrolux appliances!

Now, you see why I’ve been procrastinating on getting the invitations done (or, gulp, started).

Warming Up Your Gorgeous Gown November 14, 2008

I don’t care what style of gown you plan to wear, if you live in the midwest (or in any of the U.S. states that see snow in the winter), you’ll probably want something to coverup or warm you on your wedding.

I searched for the perfect alencon lace bolero and found it on Etsy. On the way, I also found many great alternatives. even though my search is over, I keep falling upon great ways for brides to feel warm and look hot without compromising the beauty of their wedding ensemble.

Check out these cuties, both from Anthropologie (love!).

#1 is the perfect cream capelet to keep you cozy without overpowering your gown. Added bonus, this would look adorable with a winter muff!

#2 is more of a silver tone (not so good with ivory, but fantastic with classic white) shrug that would look simply stunning with a strapless!

And… they’re both under $100!

Have at it, ladies, and keep the cold shoulder away from your beautiful day.

Simply Gorgeous November 12, 2008

Look at this necklace… stunning.

My Blog Obsession November 11, 2008

I used to be a Weddingbee junky. I was constantly checking up on my favorite bees and their adventures, DIY activities and the message boards. With the purchase of Weddingbee by eHarmony, I’ve noticed a change. The bees aren’t blogging as much, and they’re doing these weird sponsored things (Hello — The Secret Life of Bees?! — great book, but having all the bees share a “secret” was a bit forced).

I still go to my usual favorites, but I’ve also settled in with a fantastic blog that never lets me down, fills my mind (and folders) with inspiration and manages a certain grace and style that’s hard to find online. Right now, I am professing my love for Southern Wedding’s blog. Sigh. Love it!

This message brought to you by my 4-year-old niece November 7, 2008

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