Jessica's Wedding Blog

Favorite Pictures Part I - Ceremony

2011-01-23T18:36:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure if any one even still looks at this blog anymore - it's been so long since I posted and I needed a LONG break from everything wedding related. Anyway, our online gallery is going to expire soon, so we're trying to decide on our favorite pictures to get to hang in the house. Here are some from disc 1 (of 2 discs) that are in the running:

It is so difficult to choose which ones we like best. We are trying to choose 2 of these, because we'll probably choose another 1-2 from the reception photos on disc 2. If anyone still does read this- any thoughts on which ones we should pick? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

DIY Projects - Pro Pics

2010-11-08T23:08:00.002-05:00

Bride & Groom Sign

Menus

Programs

Customized Water Bottles

Snapfish Account Sign

Table Numbers

"I Spy" Scavenger Hunt for the Kids

Cake Card Box (I can't take credit for this one- my mom made it :)

Mrs. Cassity (Officially!)

2010-09-04T15:06:00.002-04:00

I received my new social security card in the mail yesterday, so I am officially Mrs.Cassity. I've been using the MissNowMrs website (that I won a gift card for) and it's pretty helpful in terms of knowing who to inform about the name change. It's got lots of templates that are pretty useful too. There is such a long list of places to change your name! I've sent lots of letters out already, but I wasn't able to change my drivers license until I got my new SS card- so that's next! Here's my running list:

~~Social Security Card~~
~~Driver's License~~
~~Employer Payroll~~
~~Bank Accounts~~
~~Health Insurance~~
~~Auto Insurance~~
~~Voter Registration~~
~~Passport~~
Lease
~~ASHA Membership~~
~~MD SLP Licensing Board~~
~~Doctor's Offices~~
~~Student Loans~~

I also have started the process of reviewing vendors. I'll post more about that later. And- if you have pictures from the wedding, PLEASE post them on our snapfish site, we're so anxious to see them!!! (It will be a while before we get our professional photos.)

Snapfish Update

2010-08-29T22:24:00.000-04:00

If you would like to order any pictures from snapfish (or view/upload your own), the new and easiest way I've discovered to do this is by joining our wedding day album "group". The group password is "august". If you do it the old way you can view and add pictures, but if you want to favorite any or order any, joining the group will allow you to do that under your own name. Seems simpler than logging in the old way!

Thank you and a question!

2010-08-28T17:06:00.001-04:00

We just wanted to thank you for all of the love and support that you've shared with us. We would also like to give a special thank you to all of you that have sent us many thoughtful gifts. Unfortunately, a bride & groom picture frame did not have a gift tag on it and we are wondering who to thank. If any one knows the giver of this gift, please let us know!!

Please continue to share your photos with us online at snapfish.com. If you need help using this service, feel free to email me and I'd be happy to help. Just because the wedding is over, doesn't mean that I'm done blogging! Upcoming posts will include pictures, tips (things I loved and things I would do differently on my wedding day), vendor reviews, and I'm sure I'll think of more. The past year has involved so much planning, I think I will have to slowly transition into post-wedding mode.

A couple of quick wedding reflections:

1) Make sure you take the time to let all of the details go and truly take in the beautiful people and atmosphere around you. These wonderful images will be embedded in your mind forever! I'm really glad I did this!!!

2) As dull as it sounds, appoint a guest book person -or at least tell designated wedding party members/family members to encourage others to sign (we didn't do this, but since it was a regret, I figured I'd mention it to help other brides-to-be)- only 25% of our guests saw/signed our guest book and we put a lot of time/effort into designing it (it was created by our photographer with pictures from our engagement session).

Relax Time!

2010-08-21T21:44:00.001-04:00

The wedding was absolutely amazing and more than we could've ever imagined. We feel so blessed that we could share our joy with so many family, friends, and loved ones. I want to thank everyone who was there because you truly contributed to making our day that much more special.

Please share your pictures with us by uploading them on snapfish. Here's how:
Go to snapfish.com. Login with the screen name "thecassitys@comcast.net" and the password "august". Can't wait to see your pictures!

Now it's time for the honeymoon and we can't wait!! Will be sure to post pictures when we return!

2010-08-17T17:28:00.001-04:00

Wedding week has begun!!! Just picked up the tuxes & arriving at Normandy Farm now!

Hair Inspiration

2010-08-17T01:17:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures I'm using as inspiration for fine-tuning my day of up-do.

I still haven't come across the perfect picture, but each of the ones above illustrate something about what I do want. The first picture shows the area of my head I'd like to have covered with curls, the second picture illustrates a few free flowing curls at the bottom of the 'do, and the third picture shows a good mix of the tight and loose curls that I'm looking for. I'm showing these pictures to my stylist on Friday, so I'm sure it will turn out great!

Wedding Week Itinerary

2010-08-16T01:17:00.000-04:00

Just finishing up some last minute details! My mom is coming down to pick up my dress tomorrow so she transport it in the van (so we don't have to worry about it getting wrinkled in our car). All things considered, I'm feeling pretty calm-- although I've had a headache for 3 days straight and really am hoping to wake up without one tomorrow! Anyway, here's what the week ahead holds for us:

Tuesday, August 17th

We arrive at Normandy Farm
Dinner with our parents

Wednesday, August 18th

7:00 PM - ?: Bridal Party Meet Up at Normandy Farm - beer & pizza to be served

Thursday, August 19th

6:30 - 9:00 AM: Deluxe continental breakfast served at the Coleman Restaurant
10:00 AM - 3ish: Guys go golfing at Blue Bell Country Club
11:30 - 3:30 PM: Girls go to Head to Toe Healthy Spa
6:00 PM: Rehearsal in the Silos Garden (rain location will be a conference room)
7:00 - 10 PM: Rehearsal dinner at the Coleman Restaurant at Normandy Farm
11:00 PM: Time to rest up for the big day!

Friday, August 20th

6:30 - 9:00 AM: Deluxe continental breakfast served at the Coleman Restaurant
9:00 AM: Hair (Dar Clinton) arrives - 1st appt to begin at 9:30
12:30 PM: Make-up (Emily Aznavourian) arrives - 1st appt to begin at 12:45
1:30 - 2:30 PM: DJ/lighting (Tom Carroll) arrives
3:00 PM: Flowers delivered by Ways Florist, Lorraine Daley & assistant Greg (photography) arrives, Videographer (Well Spun Weddings) arrives
3:30 - 4:30 PM: Bridesmaid, Groomsmen, Ushers, Flower Girls, & Family Pictures
4:00 - 4:15: String Trio Arrives
4:30 PM: Nancy Hauser (officiant) arrives
4:35 PM: Groom, Groomsmen, & Ushers to meet up with officiant in Silos pre- function area
4:40 PM: Ushers begin greeting guests
4:50 PM: Bride & Father meet up in Silos pre-function area
5:00 PM: Ceremony begins
5:20 - 5:30 PM: Bridal party to have a few photos taken after ceremony
5:30 - 6:30 PM: Cocktail hour (Bride & Groom to have photos taken together)
6:30 PM: Reception begins - bridal party introductions & first dance
6:40 PM: Welcoming, toasts, & grace
7:15 PM: Dinner is served
7:30 PM: Father-Daughter & Mother-Son dances
8:00 PM: Table toasts from the bride & groom
8:30 PM: Cake cutting
10:00 PM: "After Party"
11:00 PM: Reception ends

Saturday, August 21st

7:30 - 10:00 AM: Regular continental breakfast served at the Coleman Restaurant

Another lucky win!

2010-08-09T20:26:00.000-04:00

I haven't had time to enter contests lately, but I entered this one a few weeks ago for luggage. Guess what? I won!!! : )

Yup, I won a $200 gift certificate to luggage.com! I am hoping (but doubting) I will get the gift card info soon so I can get a big suitcase in time for the honeymoon. Even if I don't, it's still free $ for a nice suitcase!

Escort Cards = DONE!

2010-08-08T22:38:00.001-04:00

Finally!! Our biggest final project is done! I never want to do another escort card or seating chart again in my life!

If I had to do it over again, I probably would've gotten the cards pre-cut and scored, because those things were pretty time consuming. I did the graphic design using Photoshop, and I think they turned out pretty well. Now we just have to finish our videography editing form, submit our table breakdown, submit our banquet order form, print day-of time lines, attend my final fitting, get my ring cleaned- and just a few other last minute odds & ends. Only one more full week of work until the wedding/honeymoon!

OMG!!!

2010-08-02T01:28:00.004-04:00

ONLY 2 1/2 WEEKS LEFT!!!

I'm learning that no matter how much pre-planning you do, there will always be a million last minute details. The latest has been finalizing the seating chart, totaling up the head counts (adults, kids, vendors, etc.), filling out spreadsheets with table meal breakdowns (required by the venue), filling out/creating floor plans (required by our venue), and finalizing all of our playlists/music selections before our phone meeting with the DJ this Wednesday. Once we tackle all of that, it will be on to the place cards.

I had my second fitting this weekend, and that went okay. They hemmed my dress crooked, so they will need to fix that before my final fitting (scheduled for next Thursday). My veil still hasn't come in yet, so that is making me a little bit nervous... but there's not really too much I can do about that.

I'm exhausted, but excited at the same time. So looking forward to seeing everyone and having a great time!

Things Are Starting to Come Together

2010-07-28T23:52:00.004-04:00

After I finished that long list of wedding tasks last weekend, I needed a little break from the wedding (not that that is really possible, but in terms of projects I took a break). I have my second fitting this weekend, and possibly our last (or second to last) dance lesson, so it's starting to sink in that the wedding is getting pretty close. I've continued to stalk the non-RSVPing guests, and I've gotten replies from most of them, but a few maybes are still lingering. Once we get the final count, the next step will be place cards. Other than designing and printing the place cards, everything else that is left really is just a matter of planning and organizing.

I've been working on table assignments, timelines, vendor contacts, etc. I've also been trying to set up instructions to assist my mom's friend in setting up the cocktail hour/ceremony. Look at my ~~crazy~~ precise little diagrams:

Below is a picture of what's going to be on the tables at cocktail hour. It's silver floating candles in a shallow vase with clear stones & pink gems on the bottom.

Then, on the outdoor tables at cocktail hour, we'll have the same shallow vases, but filled with a mix of pink and black candles (we couldn't find any gray floating candles).

Wedding Day Purse

2010-07-25T13:27:00.003-04:00

I'm being having trouble deciding on a wedding day purse. Here are the candidates:

Option 1: Jessica McClintock Satin Flower Clutch at Nordstrom

Option 2: La Regale Gathered Satin Clutch at Endless.com

Option 3: La Regale Ivory Lace Clutch at Endless.com

Option 4: La Regale Silver Beaded Clutch at Endless.com

Option 5: Touch-ups Silver Satin Clutch at Zappos.com

At this point, I think I'm leaning toward option 2 or 5, just because they are the simplest and I don't want a flashy purse competing with my dress. I also worry that anything that isn't simple might be "too much" when put next to my dress. If you need a reminder as to what the dress fabric looks like, click here. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

***Update: Thanks for the input. I chose #2. Ah, another thing to check off my list : ) ***

List of Wedding Tasks

2010-07-23T23:56:00.009-04:00

These are my wedding tasks to tackle this weekend:

~~Finish making wedding slideshow~~
~~Finish making table numbers~~
~~Decide on floating candle arrangements for cocktail hour (indoors & outdoors)~~
~~Finalize/confirm floral decisions with florist~~
~~Continue to stalk people that haven't RSVP'~~
~~Cut out votive templates~~
~~Wrap votives~~
~~Start creating directions for decor set-up~~
~~Make hair appointment~~
~~Make wedding photography checklist~~
~~Pick out wedding day purse~~
~~Work on floorplan/table assignments~~
~~Get some sun so I'm not a pale bride!~~

And if I have any time left over, I might start thinking about designing a place card template. Only 28 more days!!!

Fans

2010-07-22T19:18:00.000-04:00

I've been kind of concerned about what the weather will bring in August, since we've had such a hot summer so far. While moving the wedding indoors might end up being our best option, I think another cute idea is to have little fans. I decided that I didn't want to order them because it would be a waste if we did end up moving the ceremony inside. I was discussing this with a co-worker who was recently married and she said that she had fans left over from her wedding. How nice is it that she just gave me her extras? Anyway, to personalize them, I added little bows using the ribbon that has our names/wedding date. I think they'll add a nice touch. And if we do decide to move the ceremony indoors- no big deal!

Bachelorette Pics

2010-07-19T22:11:00.001-04:00

The bachelorette was such a great time! I think we over-estimated the amount of time and ambition we'd have, but sometimes less is more! We stayed at W.57th Street by Hilton Club, we ate dinner at Chipotle (yum!), relaxed & enjoyed the awesome hotel room, and went out to Ava Lounge (a rooftop bar).

Here are some pictures of the hotel room:
(pay close attention to the table photo- the girls filled a table with my fav foods and hooked up an ipod next to a large pic of Scott, so he was our "DJ" for the night - so cute! :)

And the rooftop lounge (unfortunately, I can not take credit from these pics, I borrowed them from yelp.com):

And us:

Hair Trial

2010-07-13T19:14:00.002-04:00

The trial went well and I think with a few minor modifications the day of, my hair will look great. A few changes I would like to make to have a more "polished" look:

get full highlights next time I get my hair done - I think that will help to "blend" the style together quite nicely
have more structured curls that are pinned in place vs. as many messy/loose curls - I do like the loose curls, but I just want fewer of them on the day of
start the style a little further up on the top of my head or at least build the curls up in the center so it kind of "rounds things out" vs. looking at me from the front and only seeing hair sticking out from either side

Here are some of the pics (remember, this style was not heavily hairsprayed and is only 90% of what it will be the day of):

Also, I must mention the most terrible customer service I've ever experienced in my life. Here is the complaint letter I sent to Sally Beauty Supply:

"I am writing to report the most terrible customer service I've ever experienced. I frequently shop at this store (at least several times a month), and while the customer service has never been outstanding, I have never been treated with the level of disrespect I experienced today. I was going to the store to get some supplies for my upcoming wedding. I entered the store to see several employees gathered around the register (one of which was sitting on the counter top) and started toward the products I needed. As I walked forward, a loud voice screamed "I said HELLO!". Startled, confused, and very caught off guard, I peered out behind the shelf and asked this person if they were talking to me. (I guess this person said hello to me as I walked in the store, but I did not hear her.) The woman then pointed her finger, yelling, "Yes, that would be you!" Rather than arguing with a clearly irrational person, I stated, "Okay, I'm going to leave now." I walked out of the store and can honestly say that I have no intention of ever returning. Typically I would not go out of my way to tell others about terrible service, but this is a rare exception. It is unacceptable for anyone to ever be treated this way."

Bachelorette

2010-07-11T19:36:00.003-04:00

My bachelorette party is this Saturday- I can't wait!

Here are some ideas for an NYC Bachelorette Party:

$10 Mani & Martini at The Beauty Bar
Watch a comedy show at Ochi's Lounge
Check out some Rooftop Bars
Play beer pong at Biddy Early's Pub
Dance the night away at Webster Hall
Drink some tea at a tea bar
Watch an indie artist perform

Who knows what we'll do, but I'm sure what ever we end up doing, it'll be a great time!
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I was able to check making the snapfish sign off of my list. I thought this would be a good idea to give guests a way to share their pictures from the wedding with us. I created this graphic (this one is edited to keep our info private), and put it in an 8x10 frame. I think it turned out pretty cute!

Bridal Emergency Kit

2010-07-08T21:19:00.025-04:00

I thought the idea of a bridal emergency kit sounded cute, but practical at the same time, so I decided to make my own. Here it is:

Here's what's in the kit:

Bobby pins & a hair elastic
Chapstick
Lint roller
Band-Aids
Safety pins
Gum
Instant stain remover
Nail file
Fashion rescue tape (double sided)
Mini sewing kit
Tissues
Deodorant
First aid kit
Medicine (aleve, immodium, cough drops)
Straws (to keep lipstick from fading)
Tampons
Wrinkle spray
Hair spray
Oil blotting sheets

I plan to keep the kit in the bridal room that's located above the ballroom where the reception will be held. That way if I (or any other ladies) need it, it's close by!

*Hair Update*
So, I've decided to give the hairdresser another chance... she is coming to Baltimore (to make it up to me since she missed the trial) on Tuesday at 4:00. Hopefully, I will have nothing but good things to report. The down side is- Scott is most likely going to end up seeing my hair. I think I'm okay with this though, because I'd rather him see it and me get to test the hair style out, vs. him not seeing it and me not knowing if the style will hold up well.

Also worth mentioning- we have managed to squeeze enough out of the last bit of our budget to get a videographer. Yay! At first I was unsure about a videographer, so I abandoned the idea for a while. Then I started to entertain the idea again not to long ago, only to find that the videographers that weren't super-cheesy cost a fortune! Luckily, I was persistent in my search and found one that looks talented and is within our budget. We have decided to go with Well Spun Weddings. They do vintage wedding films and were rated "Top 25 Trendsetters" by Modern Bride. We will be getting the one song edit, in addition to 3 DVDs with chapters of the ceremony and important reception events (both of which contain real audio), as well as all of the raw footage. So happy to be able to preserve so many great memories from our day!

I can't believe the wedding is only 43 days away!! I have created a wedding checklist of all the things I still need to get done before the wedding....still so much to do!!

E-Session Photos

2010-07-06T18:41:00.003-04:00

Scott and I are really pleased with our engagement session photos. The turn around time was awesome (about a week) and Lorraine & Greg did an amazing job! If you'd rather see the pictures in a slideshow format, click here.

All Photos Taken By: Lorraine Daley Wedding Photography

First Fitting

2010-07-02T23:31:00.019-04:00

Tomorrow, Christina & I will be going to my first fitting. I'm excited to do something that focuses on being the bride, rather than all of the crazy planning. I wonder if my veil will be there yet.... I'm assuming they'll be checking the length and the fit and all that good stuff, but I'll also have to decide what I want to do about straps. I think the best idea I've heard is to wear them for the ceremony and then take them out for the reception (they said they can put snaps in so I can just take them out when I want). Pretty cool, huh?

I'm happy to say that I finished the menus tonight! Here's a picture of the final product. We're definitely going to use the easel stand, but I'm not sure about the candles yet.

I still have many candles to wrap and tons of programs to glue. Luckily, my mom helped me with the binding (using her sewing machine), so the insides are put together, I just need to attach them to the outer cover now. Hopefully I'll get through a lot of that this weekend!

*Oh, and by the way, can you believe the wedding is only 49 days away???!

Wedding Weekend is Over!

2010-06-27T23:30:00.062-04:00

~FLOWERS~ On Friday, I met with Diane from Way's Florist. She was super helpful and I think my floral anxiety has come to an end... hopefully. Here are the decisions we made:

My Bouquet - roses in 3 shades of pink
Bridamaid Bouqeuts - a "mini" version of my bouquet, but only with the 2 lighter shades of pink (so the darker shade won't clash and/or blend with the dress)
Groom's Boutonniere - dark pink rose
Groomsmen - medium pink rose
Ushers - light pink rose
Centerpieces - all dark pink carnations

~MAKEUP~ After the florist appointment, I met with Emily from Cheekadee. She was awesome. Very down to earth and good at what she does. Here are two pictures from the trial (we took pictures in the sunlight to see what it would look like for the wedding ceremony). The eye make-up in the first picture is a little more natural, and in the second one, it's a bit darker. I think I like the first one best. I'll take these pics down in a few days to make sure Scott doesn't see them.

~PHOTOGRAPHY~ Although it was insanely hot, it went great! Lorraine & Greg (our newly engaged photographers) were really nice and fun to work with. I think we got the hang of it and we ended up feeling a lot more comfortable than we expected. I can't wait to see the photos (we should expect them in about 2 weeks or so)!!! I'm really glad we chose Longwood as our site, there were so many amazing "picture perfect" areas. Here are some of the places we had our pics taken:

Chimes Tower & Waterfall

Main Fountain Garden

The Rose Garden

The Flower Garden Walk

*Hair Update*
I heard from the woman who was supposed to show up for the hair trial today. Apparently, she had a double ear infection that gave her terrible vertigo and was making her very confused and out of it. She called 911 after she spoke with me because she could no longer drive and then was at the hospital most of the day. She called me as soon as she got home and apologized and said that she'd go out of her way to make up for it. She can not come tomorrow before we leave because she's not able to drive for 3 days, but she did say that she would come to Baltimore to do the trial. She said she wasn't well enough to plan for that yet, but that she'd call me tomorrow or the next day so we could set something up. If she is willing to come to Baltimore to do the trial (and shows up on time!), I'd be willing to move forward and use her for the wedding.

I fell in love with this up-do, although I'm having a hard time accepting that it's on Taylor Swift. I would like a few modifications, cutting out the curls that are pulled out on the sides and in the back and adding a few loose curls falling from the updo (rather than having the curls pinned so tightly). Here is the picture for my updo inspiration:

Busy Weekend Ahead

2010-06-20T23:01:00.000-04:00

Only 2 more months!!!

One of our busiest "wedding weekends" is coming up this weekend. Here's what we're looking at:

Friday

11:30 - Meet with Diane from Way's Florist to make revisions to the original floral agreement
2:00 - make-up trial with Emily from Cheekadee

Saturday

? Hair trial with Dar Clinton

Sunday

4:45 - Engagement session with Lorraine Daley at Longwood Gardens

I am completely stressed out about what to wear for the engagement session. Given that I haven't really been clothes shopping in about a year or so, I'm having a really hard time picking something out that I already own. Most of my stuff is outdated, very worn, or doesn't fit. Hopefully I will have some time (and energy) to shop at King of Prussia after my make-up trial on Friday. Maybe I'll even find a dress for the rehearsal dinner while I'm there!

I am also stressing about the flowers. I don't know why, but I am. I think I want to change my bouquet and the bridesmaid bouquets. I think I'd rather just do all roses for my bouquet because I'm having a really hard time picturing what hydrangeas, roses, and carnations mixed would look like in a bridal bouquet. I've had little success finding pictures of this online. Also, I'm thinking that gerbera daisies are too informal and "country" for the bridesmaids bouquets. I think a fluffy bouquet of carnations might look prettier. The one thing I have decided for sure is that I'd like to cut the chair bows and do the rose petals lining the aisle instead. Here's an example of the rose bouquet, carnation bouquet and the rose petals down the aisle:

Kindly RSVP

2010-06-17T23:36:00.001-04:00

Just a friendly reminder for anyone (family, friends, bridal party, wedding guests, etc.) to please RSVP as soon as you can. That way, we aren't bombarded with as many last minute RSVP's. Oh- and, don't forget that just because you're family doesn't mean you don't need to RSVP- we need your meal selections!

I promise my next post won't be this lame! : )

Invitations are Done!!!!

2010-06-09T22:56:00.000-04:00

We are sending them out tomorrow, so expect one soon! Sooooo happy they're done!

Busy Busy

2010-06-07T23:27:00.001-04:00

We are trying our best to get the invitations out this week. I think we'll get it done-- just a couple of more labels to re-do and 3 more envelopes to print. There is so much to do for the wedding (almost every single day), and there have just been too many things to post about. My biggest project lately has been the programs- making them has been so time consuming. Luckily my mom has volunteered to help bind them with her sewing machine (can you believe staples wanted $300 just for binding them??), so that should help take some of the pressure off.

It's really easy to get so caught up in the planning process and focus too much on making sure everyone is going to have a great time. I know that everyone says that no one cares about your wedding as much as you do, but it's just so hard to hear that when you put so much effort into planning an event that you want everyone to appreciate and enjoy. Anyway, I really liked what our officiant wrote it our most recent email exchange... it really captured what I try to think about as much as possible, but need to remind myself of more:

…it is a time for you to enjoy your friends and family because you will never be together in quite the same way again. Weddings truly are life-changing events.

That is so true and I think that is why it is so easy to get carried away with all of the details. One of the most important details is the "family and friends" because without them, the wedding just wouldn't be the same. : )

I am looking forward to our first dance lesson this weekend, it should be a nice distraction!

Dresses are in!

2010-05-30T23:13:00.000-04:00

My dress arrived and I went to Betsy Robinson for my "gown visit" this weekend. When I was there, they told me that the bridesmaid dresses came in, so they're ready to be shipped/picked up whenever you guys are. If you are having them shipped, call the shop to verify your mailing address because they won't ship them until you do this!

Programs

2010-05-24T23:07:00.014-04:00

We have almost finished all of the envelopes, and are prepared to send the invites out in early June as expected. The next big project is the programs. I'm going to be posting some pages from the programs, so if you guys could help proofread and let me know if there's anything I need to change, I'd really appreciate it! (Just click on the image to see the text enlarged.)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FUTURE HUSBAND! : )

Wedding Postage

2010-05-19T23:41:00.002-04:00

We received our custom wedding postage in the mail this weekend- how cute is that?

All of the invitations are officially done, and we plan to send them out some time in early-mid June. So far, we have about half of the envelopes printed, stuffed, and stamped.

Our apartment looks like a disaster right now with all the boxes from things that we've ordered for the wedding! We received the tall vases and will be experimenting with them this weekend to decide how we want to set up the place card table. I'll post pictures of that later.

Extra thanks to my bridesmaids for the juicer. I'm trying to fight off this nasty cold/flu I caught while I was home, so I taught myself how to make my own O.J. yesterday. Delicious and great for you. I love it!

Also- I added some new pictures from the bridal shower, so scroll down to the previous post to see them (if you haven't already).

Bridal Shower

2010-05-16T22:34:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone for making my shower extra special. I appreciate all of you that took the time to be there and I appreciate all of you who helped put everything together. THANK YOU!!!

Flower Girl Dresses

2010-05-15T19:59:00.000-04:00

I have finally made a decision for the flower girl dresses! Here's the dress:

It's from The Briar Patch and is an ivory satin dress with a rhinestone accent. The girls will obviously be wearing the one that is ivory/pink.

In the Double Digits

2010-05-13T23:31:00.000-04:00

99 DAYS!!!

Flower Girl Dresses

2010-05-12T23:28:00.000-04:00

Here are the candidates:

Double Layer Baby Doll in Ivory or Pink @ CandyGirlDress

Pink & Ivory Dress - Matte Satin Bodice w/ Gathers @ PinkPrincess

US Angels Satin Sash Dress @ Lord & Taylor

US Angels Renaissance Chiffon Dress @ Nordstrom

Satin Dress with Rhinestone Detail @ The Briar Patch

Embroidered Pink & Grey Polka Dot Formal Dress @ Dress Days

Tafetta Lattice Bodice Dress @ The Briar Patch

Place Card Table

2010-05-10T23:11:00.000-04:00

We've been brainstorming some ideas for our place card table and here's what we've come up with.
... 3 tall vases that will hold floating candles or floating flowers- with the possibility of dying the water pink. We'll also place pink squared votive holders in rows of 3 to separate groups of the place cards. We ordered a few things this weekend, so we'll experiment when everything arrives.

Here's the inspiration for this idea. (from TheKnot)

But we're thinking we will do pink water or just leave it as is. We ordered these vases (3 of them):

And plan to float candles (probably hot pink and black) near the top of the vase:

Here are the votive holders (in pink) that we'll also place on the place card table.

We also ordered some floating candle bowls for the cocktail tables. We'll probably float candles or gerbera daisies in these:

Still going crazy trying to figure our what I'm going to do about these flower girl dresses. I found one that I really like (and thank you for your "reviews" Christina!), but I am still not certain. Maybe I'll post some pictures of those next time. Can't wait for my shower this weekend- so excited!!

Bridesmaids

2010-05-03T23:31:00.000-04:00

The Bridesmaid Shoes: (to see them on shoes.com, click here)

And a cute little clutch to match:

Now I really need to focus in on picking a flower girl dress. I was trying really hard this weekend, but I'm being so indecisive. Plus, it's really difficult to make a decision based on an online picture! I refuse to go to a bridal shop where they'll charge $200 for a dress that these girls will grow out of in a few months. Hopefully I'll be posting an update on my decision soon.

Tuxes

2010-05-02T19:23:00.000-04:00

We made our tux selections today at Men's Wearhouse.

The Groom's Attire:

I'll edit this post later with links to the vests/ties for the groomsmen/ushers and Dads.

Honeymoon - FINAL DECISION!

2010-04-26T23:16:00.017-04:00

It's final- we chose The Body Holiday!

One of the biggest selling points is that it is all-inclusive (includes all food, all alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages) and even includes spa treatments on 3 of our 5 days! Another selling point was that their food is prepared with your health in mind, using local and organic foods as much as possible. We plan to leave on Sunday the 22nd and return late Friday night. We originally wanted to fly out of Philly, but ended up booking our flight out of Baltimore because it cost half the price. So happy we finally made our decision. Another cool thing about this place is that you can "personalize" your stay prior to your arrival using their online service "Personalize My Holiday". So, we plan to choose our spa treatments soon and book them online. So cool. Also worth mentioning, we are staying in a "Grand Luxury Ocean Front Room", so we will be right next to the beautiful ocean. Oh- and did I mention they had flag service on the beach? I was not familiar with this until now. It's where you have a little flag that you put in the sand when you want a drink and someone comes and takes your drink order and delivers you an ice cold drink while you lie on the beach. Ahhhh... I can't wait!

Here are some pictures of the place:

To see more, go to the Resort Map- it lets you hover over different areas to see what they are. Then, if you click on an area, it will show you actual photos.

Oh-- and guess what? I won another giveaway! I'm having a serious lucky streak this week.

Flowers

2010-04-25T17:33:00.000-04:00

Here are the flower selections we made at the florist last weekend. I am not positive that all of these are correct and I won't know for sure until I get the written estimate in the mail. Will make any necessary revisions then!

My Bouquet: Hydrangeas (light pink), Carnations (hot pink), Roses (medium pink) - I can't remember if I had another rose in there, but I'll know for sure when I get the written estimate in the mail. I like the idea of mixing several shades of pink.

Bridesmaid Bouquet: Gerbera daisies (hot pink) and Hydrangeas (light pink). I think that was it... again, I can confirm once I get the written estimate from the florist.

Scott's Boutonniere: Rose (light pink)

Groomsman Boutonniere: Hydrangea (light pink)

Usher Boutonniere: Carnation (hot pink)

Mother-of-Bride & Mother-of-Groom: Rose bouquet (ivory - as of now, this might be changed once they get the dresses)

Father-of-Bride & Stepfather-of-Groom: Rose boutonniere (ivory)

Flower Girls: basket of rose petals

And guess what? I won another giveaway! It was the MissNowMrs gift card giveaway at Broken Teepee.

We are getting closer and closer to making our honeymoon decision. Will post all about it once we are 100%.

Our Menu

2010-04-24T22:48:00.003-04:00

I created our menus today. I think I'll put 2 on each table and set them on mini easel stands. Before I print them all, can you guys please help me proofread?

We picked out our cake (it's included in the package) when we were at Normandy last weekend. The quality of this picture isn't very good because it's actually a picture of a picture, but you should get the basic idea. Imagine it without the flowers because we'll probably do something a little simpler than that. A sidenote: the cake is not crooked- it just looks like it because I took the picture at an angle.

Today I went shopping and got a few wedding-related items, I'll write more about that tomorrow. Right now, we're going to research more honeymoon stuff. We've narrowed the search down and are leaning toward Body Holiday or Jalousie Plantation.

Honeymoon Ideas

2010-04-17T23:32:00.004-04:00

Choosing a honeymoon location that isn't too far away, is within our budget, and that meets our other basic criteria, is proving to be a difficult task. It's so hard to make a choice when so many places look amazing! Here are some of the possibilities:

Cap Maison - St. Lucia -- on luxurylink -- on tripadvisor

The Body Holiday - St. Lucia -- on luxury link -- on tripadvisor

The Verandah - Antigua -- on luxurylink -- on tripadvisor

Anse Chastanet - St. Lucia -- on luxurylink -- on tripadvisor

Rendezvous Resort - St. Lucia -- on luxury link -- on tripadvisor

Windjammer - St. Lucia -- on luxury link -- on tripadvisor

The Jalousie Plantation - St. Lucia -- on luxurylink -- on tripadvisor

Something Borrowed

2010-04-14T23:02:00.018-04:00

I meant to post about this a while back, but I officially have my "something borrowed". I discovered an awesome website called Adorn, where you can rent jewelry for special occasions. That means that I can wear beautiful diamonds that I could otherwise never afford. Jenny pointed out that this takes care of my something borrowed. The only catch here is that I can not see the earrings in person before I get them. They've been ordered and will come in a couple of days before the wedding. They look beautiful, so I really don't see how it could go wrong, but just in case, I will have a back up. Here they are (the ones I plan to wear):

I have been wedding-crazy lately. Only 15 more invitations to go!!!! Yay! I am getting excited for the bridal shower too- I can't believe it's only one month away. Over the past few days I've been looking at ideas for bridesmaid shoes and flower girl dresses. I'm definitely thinking charcoal gray for the shoes, but just haven't decided on a style or fabric. I will be putting some of the pictures up on OneWed at some point in the near future. I'm also working on our list of questions for the planner on Saturday (which is pretty much done, I'm just adding any last minute things that pop up) and still trying to check out some places for our honeymoon.

I just found out we are going to meet with another florist on Sunday too. The original florist was way expensive, and while we might still go with her, we still want to compare the proposal with some place else. I'm also waiting to hear back from her for an itemized breakdown of her budget proposal to see if there's anything we can cut and still go with her. Who knows.... it'll be interesting to compare the two if nothing else.

Giveaway at Broken Teepee

2010-04-11T23:25:00.002-04:00

Despite the fact I was recently made fun of for liking these "name change" kits, I can't help that I like something that keeps me organized and saves me time! That's why I've entered the Giveaway at Broken Teepee for the chance to get one of 5 gift cards to MissNowMrs.com. Check it out- ends 4/24!

Imperfection & Weekend Update

2010-04-11T23:02:00.001-04:00

I just learned that there was a typo on some of the Save the Dates. I wish I never knew about this.... We can thank Scott's work friend for bringing that to our attention now. Sorry to any of you that may have gotten the typo'd version. I am really bummed that happened, but there isn't much I can do about it now. I moved all of the templates onto an external hard drive, so I haven't even checked to see how many were misspelled. I'm hoping it was only one per page, instead of half of each page. That would mean only 1 for every 8 was wrong. Ughhh. Again... oh well.....

This weekend we spent lots of time trying to decide on our honeymoon location. We finally thought we had it- Curtain Bluff in Antigua. Turns out they're closed for a few months during the off-season (which is when we'd be traveling there).

I also spent some time on table numbers. Scott was really into helping me brainstorm for this idea. Here's what we decided on:

It might be kind of hard to tell here, but it's decorative paper with the number carved out. Vellum is attached on the inside so we can light a candle inside of it so the numbers have a "glowing" effect. I'm in the process of doing a tutorial for these. I figured it would be nice to do one since many tutorials from other brides have been so helpful to me.

I am looking forward to what Scott and I have labeled "parents weekend". Next weekend our parents will meet for the first time and we will also be meeting with our wedding planner and officiant. There should be lots to update!

Cute for the Kids

2010-04-08T23:19:00.001-04:00

I saw this adorable "I Spy" idea on Martha Stewart Weddings. I know we aren't planning to have too many kids at the wedding, but I think this is a fun idea for those that will be there. Here is my revamped version with colors that will fit our wedding:

The idea here is that this scavenger hunt list is placed with a disposable camera and they take pictures of the things listed on the "I Spy" card. Super-cute!

Cute DIY Inspiration

2010-04-07T20:08:00.000-04:00

This is an Inspiration Board I made with some creative DIY ideas I've seen on other blogs and websites. The numbers next to each picture coordinate with the first few links listed below.

Table Numer Love Notes at Once Wed (1)
Recipe Book Favors at Intimate Weddings Blog (2)
Wine Glass Candle Lamps at Save on Crafts (3)
Fun Photo Display at DIY Wedding Day (4)
Illuminated Table Numbers at Intimate Weddings Blog (5)
Decorative Clothespins at DIY Wedding Day (6)
Framed Table Numbers at My DIY Wedding Day
Tile Coasters from Style Me Pretty
Water Balloon Luminaries at Candle Tech
DIY Hanging Votives at Project Wedding
Glass Etched Votives at Wedding Bee

Out of Town Bags & Program Creativity

2010-04-05T23:12:00.000-04:00

Scott & Christina helped out with cutting the Out of Town Bag labels this weekend. Here are the bags with the labels:

I was also working on the programs this weekend too. I know I won't be able to print them for a while, but I want to make sure that I have a nice template already formatted. I came across a few ideas that were cute "extras" to put in the program, but none of them really appealed to me. Scott & I decided to make up our own "extra". We created a "How well do you know the happy couple?" quiz to put in for guests to look at as they are bored and awaiting our arrival. We still need 1 more question (to make it 10 total) for the quiz- any suggestions? Here are some clips of what it will look like:

Cute huh? If you disagree, I ask that you please not tell me because we spent a lot of time coming up with questions and formatting this thing! Usually I want honesty, but for this I do not! I might put up pictures of the program at some point and ask you guys to help me with proofreading. It always helps to have a few people look it over before printing out a final copy!

Favors & Monograms

2010-03-31T23:05:00.000-04:00

We've thought a lot about favors and decided that we might not even do them if we couldn't come up with an idea that was cute, within our budget, and suited us both. It looks like the winner at this point is personalized tea tins. Check out the DIY tutorial over at Style Me Pretty for some pictures of this idea.

Also, I've been playing around with Photoshop to create a cute monogram for our out of town bag labels. Here's what I've got so far:

There are some great tutorials over at Brianna Nichole's Wedding Monogram Blog, so I might be learn some more and then play around with it again until I'm completely happy with the final product.

Flowers & Fun

2010-03-27T20:49:00.005-04:00

It was fun meeting with Donna at Beautiful Blooms today. She was super-nice and is clearly very good at what she does. The studio and library of floral books were quite impressive. We talked about what we were looking for, now she's going to review the info and provide a quote for us sometime this week. It was also fun spending time with my mom and Jenny. Here's a picture of Jenny & me in the very cute Northern Liberties area in Philly:

When I got home tonight, I arrived to packages containing possible wedding shoes and some possible decor. I ordered 2 pink parasols to see if they might work for an idea I saw on another blog. The idea is to decorate the sides of the aisle with colored parasols-here's a picture:

Anyway, I figured that even if I decided not to follow through on this idea, the parasols would be cute for the flower girls to carry. Here's a picture of the one's I ordered (I am very pleased with them!):

As for the shoes, I'm undecided. They are cute, but my feet are just so narrow that I'm not sure if they're going to stay on comfortably. I'll see if there's anything I can do about that....

Our Wedding Bands

2010-03-25T23:01:00.000-04:00

Our wedding bands came in, and Scott picked them up yesterday. Here they are!

Giveaway at Broken Saucer Ends Today

2010-03-25T18:59:00.002-04:00

Broken saucer is giving away a Le Creuset bakeware set. Contest ends today!

OneWed Tip of the Day

2010-03-23T22:28:00.002-04:00

Flowers

2010-03-22T22:54:00.004-04:00

Jenny & I (and I my mom- I think!) are going to look at flowers on Saturday. We have a 2:00 appointment set up at Beautiful Blooms (blog) in Philly. Their work looks amazing. They recently did a Bridal Event at the Please Touch Museum and here is one of their beautiful displays:
I'm excited!

DIY Update

2010-03-21T22:58:00.008-04:00

As I worked on the invites this weekend, I also decided to take on one of my more "fun" do-it-yourself projects. I wish I could remember where, but a while back I saw this idea to make bride & groom signs. The signs can be used to hang on your doors while you get ready the day of the wedding, you can hang them on your chairs at the reception, and if nothing else, they're a good photography keepsake. Here's the finished product:

Here are the pictures of the votives I've been working on. I printed the damask on vellum (instead of regular paper) because it had a nicer glow to it when the candle was lit.

Also, I heard from the lady at the bridal shop and the orders were placed on Thursday morning!

Giveaway at My Purple Wedding

2010-03-20T22:51:00.002-04:00

Planning my Purple Wedding is giving away 100 4x6 custom designed cards that can be used for printing recipes, invites, etc. Check out the giveaway here!

Giveaways

2010-03-20T22:44:00.002-04:00

As you guys know, I have been entering some giveaways lately. I might be mentioning some of them in my blog posts because that is often one of the requirements for entering the contests. Just wanted to explain!

Lucky Me

2010-03-16T23:12:00.001-04:00

I've never really had much luck when it comes to winning contests, but I decided to enter a few since there seem to be so many for brides-to-be. I've won 2 so far! (I've entered about 5) Most of the giveaways are for little things, but every once in a while there is a giveaway for a honeymoon or something big like that. Looks like I'm going to keep entering! Click the blog links to see the winnings with my name posted on their blog : )

Brenda's wedding blog (click here for the winner announcement post): 52 credits to Invys.com (credits to download artwork/printable invitations for thank you notes, invitations, save the dates, etc.) (contest description post)
Bella Lucia Photography blog (click here for the winner announcement post): a book called "How to be a Beautiful Bride" (contest description post)

Food I Like

2010-03-15T22:38:00.007-04:00

I know you guys were asking about some of my favorite foods that are within my dietary restrictions. Since I know I won't be able to think of everything at once, I decided to do a blog post rather than an email- that way I could keep updating it as I thought of things to add. I'm assuming you're asking for grocery store items, so I will list lots of my favs from Trader Joe's in mind (although some of these things you could obviously get anywhere). I also don't know exactly what kinds of food you're curious about (snacks, apps, desserts, meals, etc.), so I'll try my best to add a little of everything. I'm just going to pretend I'm making a shopping list.... Feel free to make comments or email me if you have more specific requests!

roasted red pepper hummus
3-layer hummus (layers are: roasted red pepper, original, cilantro)
everything bagel chips
pita bite crackers
organic baby spinach salad
organic blueberries
organic strawberries
organic baby carrots
organic apples with organic creamy, unsalted peanut butter
organic corn chips
Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or any FRESH salsa without additives or preservatives
T Joe's all-natural vanilla cake mix (if you were looking for a dessert item)
chicken shu mai (T Joe's all natural asian apps in the frozen food section)
all natural egg rolls (I'm pretty sure Trader Joe's has these too)
organic white wine (I generally don't drink, but could make an exception for the shower if there is going to be alcohol- if not, that's completely fine too :)

Just to sum up the restrictions/foods that I avoid again (along with a few strong opinions I threw in), here they are:

organic when possible
when organic is not possible (b/c there are many times it's not), all-natural is the best alternative - just make sure that it is really all-natural (meaning nothing artificial is included and there are no preservatives used)
no dairy products (almond milk is my milk alternative)
for chicken or beef (which probably will not apply for the food you guys are getting, but just in case...) I will only eat chicken or beef that is all-natural, free-range, vegetarian fed, never treated with antibiotics or hormones - if it doesn't say this on the package, that means that you're eating medicated meat that's been caged in a dark, unsanitary living area on top of other animals that are sick and sometimes dead... yup, pretty gross... I highly recommend watching the documentary Food Inc. if you'd like to see what I'm talking about. Oooh, I just learned that I can post the trailer for the movie. Watch below.
NO artificial sweeteners (this includes sweet n lo, nutra sweet, splenda, anything with aspartame, etc.). Aspartame causes cancer, this is a fact. Another documentary, Sweet Misery, A Poisoned World (while very informative, it is rather boring...) that I will post clip of below.
avoid gluten when possible (this can increase my symptoms, but it won't hurt me if I have it here and there)
no alcohol (I haven't drank since New Year's and don't plan to drink again until the bachelorette, so I don't think a glass of wine would kill me)

*Will update more things as I think of them!

Food Inc Clip:

Sweet Misery, A Poisoned World Clip:

Bridesmaid Dresses - Final Decision

2010-03-14T22:58:00.004-04:00

I made the final decision that the bridesmaid dresses will be the Priscilla of Boston, style 1608, in the color azalea (the color shown in this picture is not azalea).

Hopefully the orders will all be sent out this week- we should expect them to arrive in about 4.5 months.

Invitations - Wording & Etiquette

2010-03-12T17:24:00.003-05:00

I have had to search this stuff so many times that I've decided to put links up on my blog just to make it easier to find. Also, it seems that there are samples for bridal shower invites, rehearsal dinners, and many other occasions- so they might be useful for you guys too!

RSVP Sticker

2010-03-09T23:30:00.003-05:00

It dawned on me that I left out the "R.S.V.P. by..." date when I did the reception cards. Since I already printed most of them, I tried to come up with a creative idea so I wouldn't have to re-do everything. So, I made a sticker that will serve as the seal to hold the envelope together, but also has a little message that says "R.S.V.P. by August 1st". Also- I printed a matching name label for the front of the envelope (not the one that is mailed, but for the inside envelope). I know stickers sound tacky, but I think that these ended up looking pretty tasteful. Here are some pictures to try and help explain my idea....

The sticker that holds the envelope together:
Name sticker on the front of the envelope:
Envelope standing upright to show where the 2 stickers are located:

DIY Distraction

2010-03-08T22:58:00.000-05:00

Since I wasn't feeling great today (recovering from my vacation illness and now herxing after restarting my antibiotics again), I decided to distract myself with a new project. I've seen some ideas for decorating your own votives, and I decided to experiment. I made one with patterned vellum, another with pink paper and heart cutouts, and another with ribbon. Here's how they turned out:

Vellum Votive

Ribbon Votive

Heart Votive

I really like the first 2 for inside, and I think they would look pretty on the reception tables in 4 clusters of 3. (I keep seeing that look, and I really like it.) I think the pink votives with the heart cutouts would look cute outside. Maybe they could outline the terrace, which would look really pretty after the sun sets.

Bridesmaid Dresses

2010-03-01T23:42:00.003-05:00

Bridesmaids- check your email for an update on the dress situation. Please get your measurements to me ASAP because I am pretty sure that I am going to go ahead and order the Priscilla dress. I will be out of town Wed-Sun so I won't be posting much, but am probably going to try to get the order started over the phone (if that's possible) because these dresses take 4 1/2 months to come in. Will update more about the dresses as soon as I get some more information from Stefanie at the bridal shop.

Bridesmaid Dresses

2010-02-27T17:05:00.009-05:00

Here were my 4 favorites from today (there might have been more, but I ran out of time):

Vineyards (Priscilla of Boston) - 1608
Dessy - 2792
Amsale - G544T
After Six - 6554

The pictures of me turned out terrible and I'm hesitant to post them because they really don't do the dresses any favors-- at all. Obviously, a professional photographer will be taking pictures from more flattering angles and this will not be an issue on the day of the wedding. I will post the one of me in the dress I liked the most. Disregard the weird skin discolorations on my shoulders- I was trying to photoshop my bra straps out to make it look nicer.

And on the model:

The problem with these two dresses is that the one on the left comes in a color I really like, but not what I had planned to have for the wedding and the one on the right- I'm not completely sold on the bow. If there were a way it could hang down and not be so obnoxious- I would really like it.

So, I saved the best two pictures for last. Hahahaha. The 6554 was waaaayyy too big for me, so trying it on really didn't help at all. I think the look on my face here is priceless. My other complaint about that one would be that I'm not too sure about the halter- it is flattering, but might not be fancy enough to go with my dress. The 2792 was also too big, which made it look pretty unflattering when I tried it on. My main reason for posting these two pictures is just to give an idea of how different some of these dresses are once you try them on....

Pink Style Board

2010-02-26T01:15:00.005-05:00

I made this pink style board on the Dessy website. I think I'll try again later and pick a shade of pink that is a little closer to the one I want to have for the wedding. Today I have an appointment at 3:00 to look at bridesmaid dresses at Bella Bridesmaid. Will post pictures later!

Reception Cards

2010-02-25T23:01:00.001-05:00

Here are the reception cards that are going to go inside the pocket of the invitations. Before I print all of them- any suggestions or anything I should change? Let me know!

Normandy Pics

2010-02-21T13:28:00.005-05:00

Normandy at NightSilos Ballroom

Silos Garden (for outdoor ceremony)

On top of the Silos

Wedding Invitations - Take 2

2010-02-21T11:34:00.003-05:00

After thinking it over, I realized the original invitations that I quickly designed just weren't going to cut it. I kept hearing "the invitations are the first glimpse of what your wedding will be like" and as much as I would love to ignore that stupid rule, I just couldn't. I really love most of the things I've put together for the wedding (out of town booklets, what I've started of the programs, the save the dates) so I just couldn't convince myself to settle thinking that the invites were just "okay". Needless to say, I've started a new idea and I really like it! It's an invitation that sits in the middle of it's own self-enclosed envelope, and has a little pocket on the left side to hold other information (RSVP info, etc.). So, here they are- what do you think??

I'm still trying to decide on the sticker I want to use to seal the invitation, but I'm using a silver heart sticker for now. I'm also considering using the bride/groom stamp I used from the save the dates. I was thinking I might stamp that on the back of the envelope in silver- not sure, but thought it might tie them together.

Vendor Update

2010-02-19T22:06:00.002-05:00

We finally have just about all of our vendors. We only have one more that we need to find--- a florist. Anyway, here is the almost-final list of those we've chosen to help make our wedding day amazing :)

Venue: Normandy Farm
Photographer: Lorraine Daley
DJ/Ceremony Music/Lighting: Magical Sight & Sound Productions
Hair: Dar Clinton
Make-up: Cheekadee
Florist: ???

Lots of wedding crafts are on the agenda for this weekend- and tomorrow we have an appointment to look at wedding rings at Nelson Coleman Jeweler!

DIY Wedding Stuff - Part II

2010-02-11T21:59:00.004-05:00

I saw personalized water bottles a while back and thought they were such a cute idea to include in the welcome bags. It would be ridiculously expensive to buy these and pretty annoying to have them sitting around the house for months, so I decided to do the labels myself and put them on plain water bottles. I was so excited when I saw that another bride made a template, which I found on a blog called "Ruffled". The template saved me soooo much time, and I was able to modify it to make it look the way I wanted. I printed the images on sticker paper so I could just stick them directly on the bottles. Here are the pictures of the finished product. Pay attention to the nutrition information section- how cute is that? (You can click on the images to see a larger view)

DIY Wedding Stuff - Part I

2010-02-11T21:02:00.005-05:00

All of this snow has given me a chance to catch up on some of my wedding projects, so I have lots to post today. I'm breaking this up into 2 posts so it's not so mashed together. Anyway, I completed the out of town booklet and here is a picture of the final product. I used the ribbon with our names/wedding date to tie them together.

I also worked on the cover for the program. I made some stickers with our name and wedding date and plan to put them on the front. It is pretty basic, but I wanted to keep it simple since the stamped designs on the corners take some time. Here's what they will look like:

Decisions Decisions

2010-02-07T11:27:00.010-05:00

I think that we have finally decided on a DJ (Magical Sight & Sound). The bonus is that this company also does lighting and offers ceremony music. I think we've decided on a trio for our ceremony music. If you are wondering what that sounds like, click here and listen. At first we weren't sure if we wanted a solo, duo, or trio- but we decided that if we used a DJ during cocktail hour (instead of live music), then we could afford to go with the trio for the ceremony.

We are also planning to have pink uplighting to add some personalization/elegance and deduct from the neutral paint that is kind of boring. In case you're not familiar with uplighting (I wasn't until a few months ago), here are some pictures:

Wedding at Normandy

2010-02-06T23:18:00.000-05:00

I found a video of a couple who got married at Normandy Farm in the Silos Ballroom (where we're getting married). You can't see all that much, but I thought I'd mention it in case anyone was interested. This link takes you to a page of a bunch of videos, just scroll down until you find the one that says the reception was at Normandy. You might want to fast forward through the first half because the ceremony was not at Normandy.

Revisions to the Last Post

2010-02-03T22:29:00.002-05:00

Well, my mom informed me of a few errors in my last post. Firstly, the suites run for $169 (I accidentally posted $159 in the last email). Secondly, the hospitality suite is not just for the night of the wedding. It will be available for the entire week (Wed - Sat) and stocked with drinks, snacks, etc.

Tasting

2010-02-02T23:00:00.003-05:00

There actually isn't too much to say about the tasting- it was good, although there wasn't as much decor as I had anticipated. I was hoping to see more floral arrangements so I could decide if I'm going to use their in-house florist. At this point, I'm leaning toward no... We made some lodging decisions while we were there. There is the main hotel, with the standard rooms and there are also these "houses" outside of the main hotel, which house the suites. So, we reserved the entire "Carriage House", for the bridal party and parents of the bride/groom. So- when making your reservations, you will call Paul Junas (215)616-8506 directly and let him know which room # you will be reserving. We have a rough draft of which room will work best for whom, and will let you know your room #'s prior to booking. That way, we can all be in the same "house". The reason we're going to assign room #'s is because one room is going to be a hospitality room so everyone can have a place to hang out and get food/drinks/snacks/etc. after the wedding is over. Also, this room will be connected to my parents room, so we really had to map out who would be in what room to make sure that all of these plans fell into place. We got the suite rates knocked down to $159/nt (was $189/nt), so that's a nice bonus too! I'm going to post some pics of the rooms- although the quality is lacking on some because I took a few of them on my phone.

This isn't the Carriage House, but it is a picture of one of the "houses" where all the suites are located. This pic was actually taken to show that there's a nice little grassy area right outside our house if we ever wanted to hang out outside.

Bathroom in one of the downstairs rooms

I think this is the room we are planning to use as the hospitality room for those that want to hang out after the wedding:

Each room has a fridge and microwave:

Some of the upstairs rooms have the original beams exposed:

Although there aren't really any common areas in these houses, there is a cute little sitting area outside of the two rooms on the second floor:

Invitations and Tasting @ Normandy

2010-01-27T23:00:00.001-05:00

After receiving quite a few invitation samples in the mail, I realized that I was just going to have to make them myself. I was having a hard time finding the exact colors and I wasn't really falling in love with anything I had seen. I know I said I wouldn't do this, but I'm hoping that if I start early enough, it won't be that big of a chore and I can stretch it out over a few months. I tried to keep them pretty simple to minimize the work involved. Here's what they're going to look like (aside from a few edits):

One of the edits I'm going to make is to take out my dad's middle initial- it looks weird. Also, there seems to be a big stink about when the "evening" begins. Technically, it looks like it is 6pm, although- I've found many sources that say that it's not uncommon these days for 5pm to be considered "evening" on an invite. Who knows... does anyone have an opinion on this? I really don't feel like changing it, but if it's really that big of a deal, I guess I could.

I'm getting really excited for the tasting at Normandy this weekend. We'll get to try lots of food and drinks and I think they show us some options for decorations as well. We're going up to my parents on Saturday night and then me, Scott, my mom, and my dad are all going together on Sunday. I'll definitely post about it when we get back.

Wedding Prep

2010-01-18T22:19:00.006-05:00

I've been trying to take care of some things that I probably won't feel like doing as it gets closer to the wedding. I ordered personalized napkins and ribbon that just came in and here are the pictures. I really like the napkins:
I also started working on the covers for the program, and here is the start of one that still needs a lot of work:
I've also started constructing an out of town booklet to put in the welcome bags at the hotel. This weekend I did the cover and the first two pages:

Bridesmaid Dresses

2010-01-17T22:24:00.007-05:00

Not sure whether I'm going to go with short or long, but I'm leaning toward short. There were a few long ones that I liked that were really lightweight, so I'm going to post some pictures of them first.

Bill Levikoff - Style 520

Saison Blanche - Style 2124 - I realize this dress may not be realistic for a bridesmaid dress, but I had to add it because I thought it was so pretty
Jim Hjelm - Style AV9772
After Six - Style 6592After Six - Style 6589After Six - 6537After Six - 6220

Cute Online Shops & Other Stuff

2010-01-13T12:55:00.016-05:00

Some online shops I've come across that carry cute items for potential wedding decor, stationary, etc. (I'm really just posting them here so I don't forgot about them)

Also, I got to try on my dress again today :)
I had to go in to get additional measurements for the length of the dress. They needed to know what kind of shoes I would be wearing and I've decided to go with flats. That way I don't have to worry about tripping, sinking into the grass, or being too tall. I saw these from Dessy and thought they looked cute & comfy. I'm a little worried about the heel though- it looks like it might be a little too wide for my abnormally narrow heel. I guess I won't know for sure until I try them on.

Since they won't be visible- and to make them a little more personal, I'm also considering pink or charcoal grey.

I looked at lots of bridesmaid dresses today too. I wrote down designers & styles I liked at the bridal boutique and I plan to search for them online and post pictures. Hopefully I'll be motivated to do that sooner rather than later!

Future Mrs. Cassity

2010-01-04T20:50:00.006-05:00

Saw this tank top on The Knot and I had to have it. The letters are actually black, even though they look maroon in this picture. I'm wearing it right now :)

We're Getting There...

2009-12-27T20:04:00.002-05:00

So, we met with 2 photographers over the holidays and have decided to go with Lorraine Daley. We also set up our time slot for the tasting at Normandy Farm on Jan 31 for 1:00. I also am in the process of booking make-up for the day of- I have decided to go with Cheekadee. Next on the list: hair, ceremony music, and a DJ.

Invitation Sites

2009-12-22T12:39:00.004-05:00

Here's a list of online invitation sites I got from ads in a bridal magazine. I'm sure some of them aren't so great, but it's a lot easier to keep track of them all if I just put them online... Let me know if you have any suggestions or know of any other sites to loook at!

Hair & Make-Up

2009-12-19T15:40:00.002-05:00

Think I'm gonna be using Cheekadee for my make-up. They're located in Philly, which is where I will go to have my trial done- but on the day of the wedding, they come to me! If anyone is interested, it's $75 if you want to have it done on the day of the wedding. I'm not really expecting anyone feeling the need to have their make-up professionally done, but figured I'd throw it out there just in case. They require a 3 person minimum, and we've already met that, so no pressure!

Photography Update

2009-12-19T15:34:00.002-05:00

We were supposed to meet Lorraine Dailey at 3:00 and Liz Warnek at 5:00... but the snow storm prevented that from happening. We might meet with Carol McDonald on our way up to Maine tomorrow, but we're going to wait to see what the roads are like before making any decisions...

Dress Pics - Up for One Day Only!

2009-12-14T11:35:00.011-05:00

I'm posting some pics of my dress that I took this weekend. I'm leaving most of them up for today only, because I don't want everyone to see what I'm going to look like!

There are pics of the dress with and without straps- still haven't decided which I like better....

Click on the pics to see them enlarged.

Dress Fabric:

Update: I took the pictures down so the dress would still be a surprise for most- and to make sure Scott didn't accidentally see it!

Decision Made

2009-12-13T17:10:00.004-05:00

I stuck with my original decision- so I have officially found the dress!!! It is from the Betsy Robinson's private label bridal collection. It is beautiful! I haven't decided whether it will have straps or be strapless, but it is currently strapless. It is a trumpet-style dress with a beaded sweetheart neckline. It has all over shimmer, which comes from sections of beading around lace over satin. The people at Betsy Robinson's Bridal were soooo helpful and really made me feel great about my decision- they did not pressure me at all. I feel much calmer about everything and am very happy with my decision!

Dress Shopping

2009-12-13T12:03:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was a long day of dress shopping. I was very thankful to have my mom, Laura, and Christina with me- it was really helpful to have their input. At the end of the day, we were all ready to make a decision, so.... I got a dress! Even though I love the dress, I am worried that I made my decision too soon. To ease my fears, I'm going back to the bridal salon today at 3:00, just to make sure there's nothing that I overlooked during the first appointment. When I chose the dress that I chose, I really thought it looked like "a little too much" when it was on the hanger. When it was on, it was a completely different story. But I am worried that I might not have been looking for similar styles because initially I wasn't sure I would even like it when it was on. I know I'm being a little crazy about all this, but I feel like this is a HUGE decision. I'm hoping my second trip will ease my fears and I'll leave there much more confident about the choice I made. Will post the outcome of the appointment when I get back!!

Dec 14th - Trying on Dresses!

2009-12-04T19:20:00.026-05:00

On Dec 14th, my mom is coming down to look at dresses with me. So far, the plan is to go to The Bridal Boutique of Columbia at 10:00, and then to Betsy Robinson's Bridal at 2:30. Here's a list of designers carried at each shop:

Bridal Boutique of Columbia:

Betsy Robinson's Bridal:

Photographers

2009-11-29T23:27:00.012-05:00

Photographers in the area:

Jeff Wojtaszek Photography (you can also see his blog here)
David Difuntorum Photography
Laurie Beck Photography
LoveShackPhoto
Carol McDonald
Liz Warnek Photography
Lorraine Daley (you can also see her blog here)
Sarah Dicicco (you can see her blog here)

I like some of these guys more than others. I really like Carol McDonald, although she photographs in the Poconos. I emailed her to see if she'd be willing to travel to eastern PA for our wedding, because her rates are much more reasonable than lots of the photographers in the Philly region. Even if she charged to travel, it would probably still cost less than some of these other photographers, and I think it'd be worth it since I like her photography style. I emailed everyone on this list to see more about packages/rates/availability. Will post more as I narrow down the search. Oh- we also started looking at music for the ceremony/cocktail hour this weekend. We're awaiting a few CDs, so I'll post more about that after we get more info in the mail.

Save the Date's On the Way!

2009-11-29T22:09:00.003-05:00

Save the Date's are DONE!!!! Expect to get the finished product sometime this week! Here are our cheesy pictures capturing one of our first wedding "moments":

Dresses by Watters

2009-11-25T15:00:00.007-05:00

I saw that Watters has a trunk show December 11, 12, & 13th at a bridal shop that's only a few minutes away from my house (Betsy Robinson's Bridal). I figured I would look closer at these dresses to see if any were worth going to see. I really didn't find any that I truly loved, but here are the ones I liked:

Casandra -
Clarissa -
Francesca - even though I don't think I want strapless, I should at least try one on to see...
Gloria - I wish the beading went all the way to the bottom of this dress
Ivette -
Love - I kind of like this, minus the brooch
Patricia - I don't think I really want spaghetti straps, but you never know
Toulouse - this style is a little different from what I would normally like, but I think I'd like to try it just to see what it looks like when it's on

Save the Dates

2009-11-23T21:32:00.002-05:00

Check em' out. Still a lot to put together, but here's the finished product!

Updated Save the Dates

2009-11-22T21:04:00.004-05:00

So... my perfectionism got the best of me and I chose new envelopes and a new font for the save the dates. Here they are:

Here's the idea for the save the dates. After hours of frustration with Microsoft Word, I've decided to do them scrapbook-style. The base of them is pink/gray, and I've made a little envelope thingy to place the magnets in. Check it out:

Dresses

2009-11-21T10:38:00.005-05:00

Here are some dresses that I like (seriously, this time):

Dresses

2009-11-19T23:18:00.002-05:00

Since we've found a place to have the wedding, I'm excited to start looking at dresses now. What do you think of this one?

Save the Dates

2009-11-18T23:21:00.003-05:00

I'm thinking magnets... I haven't decided whether I'm going to make them or if I'm just gonna order them online, but I started the envelopes today. I just got some plain white ones from Joann's and printed the addresses on. I also decided to make them look a little fancier and stamped some silver swirls on the front and back. I also got some beautiful paper (perfect shades of pink and gray) for some other DIY stuff in the future. Bridesmaids- if you click on the picture of the envelopes, the picture will enlarge and you can see your name- I blurred out the street addresses :)

Wedding Location

2009-11-15T15:27:00.006-05:00

After a long, long, Saturday- we're 99% sure we've chosen our wedding location. As long as everything promised reads true in the contract, there really is no reason why we won't have the wedding here. It is very reasonably priced and gives us a nice place to have the ceremony and reception, in addition to a place for all of our family & friends to stay. While I'm not thrilled about the exterior appearance (not a fan of the hotel or barn in the ceremony background), things are beautiful inside of the facility. I'm exhausted, but very excited to start planning more of the "fun stuff" now! Here's a slideshow of some of the pictures I took while we were there yesterday:

Busy Saturday

2009-11-15T00:24:00.004-05:00

Saturday was a very long, but productive day. We saw all the places we had planned to see, which ended up giving us great insight because each place was so completely different. Here's my description & review of each place:

1) Holly Hedge Estate - small bed & breakfast-type place - 15 guest rooms - nice property, nice ceremony and reception location - priced above-average
2) Normandy Farm - medium sized hotel/conference center that used to be a farm - has 113 hotel rooms & 28 guest suites - has an okay ceremony site (with a good indoor alternate) - has a pretty cocktail hour area and pretty reception hall - very reasonably priced
3) Fonthill Castle Estate - historic landmark - looks much better in pictures - prices are okay, but still are a little high given that they don't include alcohol in the package

Saturday Schedule

2009-11-12T20:47:00.003-05:00

Time	Place	Location
10:00	Holly Hedge	New Hope, PA
12:00	Normandy Farm	Blue Bell, PA
2:00	New Hope Vacation Rental	Doylestown, PA
3:15	Fonthill Castle	Doylestown, PA

I talked to someone at Stroudsmoor today too, and August 20th is still available... so that is always an option if the places we see this weekend are too expensive or if we don't like what we see.

A few other ceremony/reception possiblities...

2009-11-10T22:01:00.000-05:00

Places in the area (Philadelphia suburbs) that we plan to see this weekend:

We are also still looking at the Stroudsmoor in the Poconos. We always really liked it, but hadn't really considered it because we thought we were going to plan everything on our own. Now that we're thinking about having the ceremony/reception somewhere else.. we're thinking it might be a good option because then we could find some more houses that are more reasonably priced for the week. Who knows... this is so confusing. I REALLY REALLY just want to make a decision this weekend. So if we don't like these places... Stroudsmoor it is!