The A Team's Wedding

No Diet!

2009-03-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

So my dress came in today, ya know that one that was a size too small, and it turns out that it was the perfect size! Woo hoo! No alterations, I'm so relieved!!

yayayayayayayay!

Size charts are stupid

Shoes!

2009-03-04T21:44:00.001-08:00

So, I work at a company that started as a shoe store. Every time I go downstairs when I'm at work, I'm surrounded by some of the most gorgeous shoes in all of San Francisco. Even though, I'm still having a really hard time finding the right shoe for my dress! :-/

The main problem is that I've been OBSESSED with Mr. Louboutin for quite some time and just can't let go of wanting to wear his gorgeous creations on my feet.

Anthony says I'm just torturing myself for even looking at 900 dollar shoes...I mean, that's insane, I know, I know, but all this looking at the beautiful shoes makes me not want to get the shoes that are in my price range...

Anyone have an idea for a great heel that would look good with my dress?

Lighting the Backyard

2009-02-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

So, I'm not getting a tent.

The peeps at Grand Events in Modesto think that I'm cuckoo for not getting a tent, but whatever! I refuse to spend money to enclose the backyard and block the view. So, now I have a lighting issue. I've been trying to figure out how many feet I need of these crazy glorified Christmas lights, otherwise known as G50's.

I'm thinking I'll have them strung from the little balcony outside my parents room down across the deck and pool area. Do you think that if I do that, there will be enough light? We can also put regular white Christmas tree lights in the oak trees.

Also, I have this grand plan of placing luminarias EVERYWHERE! Who's with me?

DIY Flowers

2009-02-17T22:22:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may be unaware, I'm cutting costs by doing my own DIY reception centerpieces. Woot! So, if you would prefer to not arrange flowers the day before the wedding, I would encourage you to be conveniently busy, lol.

On the advice of the amazing blog A Practical Wedding I did a test run of the flowers, just to make sure I wasn't getting in over my head. Here's the finished product:

And my shampoo

The arrangement only took 10 minutes! It was a combo of hydrangeas, carnations, and roses. Yay for saving money!

RIP Raylia Designs

2009-02-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

Today I got a frantic call from The Paris Connection, the bridal shop where I got my dress. The owner, Marie, exclaimed in a fast Parisian accent:

"YourdressmakerRayliaisthelatestvictimoftheeconomy"

"Whaaaa?" I said

"The factory where your dress was to be made was closed because of the economy. There is no dress available in your size"

Oh crap

So this is the pitfall of having your wedding during the worst financial crisis that our country has seen since the great depression. Don't worry, Marie told me that she was able to secure the LAST dress in a size smaller than the one I ordered...

So now it's time for a diet.

Anyone have any tips on how to lose weight only from your waist? That's what I need to do

Hello world, I'm back from retail land!

2009-01-10T22:09:00.000-08:00

Yay the holidays are over!

THANK...GOD...

Retail kinda makes me hate Christmas a little bit, I know it's sad.

So, here's the deal, I can't make a decision about bridesmaid dresses. So, bridesmaids...please cast your vote and either email me or write a comment :-D Also, the other 2 people that read this can vote too, haha

This one is from Nordstrom, at full price it's 148 but we get to knock off 33% from that, woo hoo!
It only comes in this color and black.

Ok, this one also from Nordstrom. Full price: $168
Yay for discount

Okay, on to David's Bridal

Okay, so I know the bubble hem will date us all a bit when we look at these pictures in 20 years, but those bubble hem taffeta dresses at DB were awesome and fit beautifully. This one will run you $135 and I'm digging the color "marine" (shown) and "juniper" (next one)

So, this one is ugly on the model but cute in person! And only 135!

Okay, so what do you guys think?????

Back from the break!

2008-11-18T09:52:00.000-08:00

Hey guys!

So after I found my dress I took a little break from all the wedding planning to get everything in order for finishing my secondary for Touro Med. Now that's all done and I'm back to planning.

Next up...bridesmaid dresses!

Woo hoo!

So here's some that I like:

Image from Davids Bridal

I'd probably get them in a blue tone...

Thoughts?

I Found THE DRESS!!!!

2008-10-21T11:08:00.001-07:00

**DISCLAIMER** --
Anthony, you are sooooo not allowed to click on the links...I will stop cooking till the wedding if you do ;-) I love you but DO NOT CLICK, you will only ruin your surprise! --**

Okay, back to the blog

You all have seen my posts stressing about "the dress." Was this "dress" a mythical legend, does a dress really speak to you, how do you even know it's the one? Well, I don't know how to explain it, but yesterday I went dress shopping at a lovely boutique in SF called The Paris Connection and found the dress. Most of the dresses that I've tried on have either not been my style, had too much fabric going on, or made me look as big as a house. But as soon as I stepped into that store, I knew I had found something more up my alley. I tried on several dresses, even one that looked just like the dress from David's Bridal that I loved, but nothing spoke to me till I tried on this one.

I know, I know, nothing special right?

That's how all dresses look like on the models...a little lame...

But here it is on me...

I'm holding it up because the sample size is a bit too big, also there's a tear on the front that Marie (the owner of the shop) and her seamstress are working on, and I'm wearing it in champagne, I'd probably get it in ivory...

Hope you like it! I love it and want to wear it right now! :-)

Glammy Theme Board

2008-10-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

So I was doing my daily snoop of some wedding blogs and found a really awesome inspiration board at Snippet and Ink

I love the white and lime green combination and I think it'll go wonderfully the outdoor space where the reception will be. Plus, the mojitos and cigars add a little Havana glam to the event...

Does anyone see a theme brewing?

Squeezing it all in

2008-10-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

Lately, Anthony and I have been stressing a bit about the guest list. There's quite a lot of people on the list, and definitely not enough room for everyone at the house. I've mapped it out, and i know for a fact that we can fit 146 people outside at my parent's house...and that's a tight squeeze. Unfortunately, or fortunately since we have a lot of family and friends, there are 190 people on the list. And that's with our parents being incredibly gracious and not inviting everyone they would like to. It also leaves little room for Ant and I to add new friends to the list or include the complete families of guests on our list.

I know what you're thinking...our wedding reception depends on a LOT of people not coming.

So, we've bounced around ideas. Cutting more people, which I'd really rather not do because weddings are supposed to be big fun parties where all of your family and friends are in attendance. Cutting people would leave out some family and friends. The next idea was to "strategically" send out Save the Dates, only to people who were "must invites." This practice is now seeming a bit tacky to me...

So, now the new idea.

Hors d'oeuvres wedding reception!!!!!!

So, here's my little plan. Having the wedding at my parent's house is really important to me. It's the place I've called home since I was eleven and it's a beautiful home. Soooo, to fit everyone, we're just going to cut out a bit of seating. Instead of having tables seating everyone at all times, there will be like half the amount of tables, plenty of seating outside (there's bench seating everywhere on the porch), and a big area to dance. I was also tossing around having an outdoor furniture area on the lower patio by the pool where people could sit and "lounge" while everyone is dancing. So, yeah, that's the plan for now...

But you know me, I change my mind a million times.

The Big White Dress

2008-10-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

Apparently my theknot.com time line suggests that I should be in the process of ordering my dress. However, like all things that theknot.com has suggested, I am behind. I've been dress shopping twice now and haven't found the dress that I must have. I'm starting to believe that finding the dress is somewhat of a farce created by the wedding industry to convince you that you must spend $3000 on a dress you only wear for one day. But, on the other hand, I have found a dress that I think is
1. Beautiful
2. Inexpensive (Thank you David's Bridal)

But it doesn't "feel" like the dress.

If you've known me for a while, you probably know that I picked out my dream dress a long time ago...the Melissa Sweet "Hallie"

Should I go to Needless Markup...ahem...Neiman Marcus...to try it on?

Wedding Calm

2008-09-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

When I first started writing this blog, I was very very nervous about our wedding. How would everything work out? Where would be fit everyone? Will people like the centerpieces? Little stupid questions like that kept me up late at night and had me obsessed in front of my computer. As of late, it has been the opposite. I am so calm and serene about the day, that something in the back of my mind is wondering if I've missed something. Maybe it has to do with the fact that we've booked most of our vendors and have a finalized guest list. But, even with that there are still many loose ends to tie, creative juices that have yet to flow, and a slew of DIY projects I still have to do. But at the end of the day, I know that the wedding will be wonderful because all of our friends and family will be there to join us. If the flowers aren't exactly right or if the music isn't perfect, it'll be okay because all of you will be there and we'll spend a great evening together.

Ok, enough with my wedding "yoga calm"

btw, I think we have a caterer!!!! Get ready for Tri-Tip kids, yes, you are coming to Oakdale ;-)

I did something!!!

2008-09-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

So, our Save the Dates are done!!!

Woo Hoo!!!

My lovely Save the Date designer, Sara Luke of Less Ordinary Designs, completed these lovely things and are having them printed now :-) Next step, getting a bagillion addresses...oh yes...you know you're jealous! hahahaha

Not Related to Weddings At All

2008-09-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

So lately I've allowed myself a little bit of break time from "creative" planning of my wedding and have actually gotten some non-wedding-ish things done. Like approving a final mock up of our save the date and making appointments with caterers. Colors, place settings, and general figuring out how to fit 150 people in my parents house has gone on the back burner....and what have I replaced it with??

Drum roll please...

The super addictive Twilight book series!

ta da!

Does anyone wanna go see the movie with me this Christmas? I'm sooooo excited!!!!!

Would You Like the Chicken or the Fish?

2008-09-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

So, the latest thing in weddingville is my lack of a caterer. According to theknot.com I should've had a caterer in May....I still don't, I think it'll be okay, and generally the knot is waaay to OCD for my taste.

Initially, I reasoned that it would be easy to find someone that would be able to cater a wedding for about 150 people at my parents house. Apparently, that's not the case. The first catering company that we met with (which I'll leave unnamed) insisted that a party of that size couldn't happen at our venue and tried to get us to switch to the venue that she is contracted with. Also, she gave us a quote for about 70 dollars a head...in the valley...heck no...

Basically, we didn't hire her.

Then, last weekend we met with a catering company that was just too good to be true. They brought a testing of these lovely chip/mango/proscutto/ appetizer things that were to die for. Aaaaand, they quoted us for 26 dollars a head for appetizers, salmon, tri tip, and sides....yayayayay!!! We were ready to hire them on the spot. Plus, they were excited about doing the wedding at the house and were willing to work with us and not against us!!

But, they were too good to be true....

The day after we met with them they found out that they had a scheduling conflict.

:'-(

Sniff Sniff....

Does anyone know of a good and tasty caterer in the Modesto area that doesn't cost an arm and a leg????

Saving the Date

2008-08-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

So, I've been a wee bit lazy about posting lately. I've been working a lot and Anthony and I have starting going to the gym. Woo hoo getting in shape! Or just running off the cookie dough I love to eat. ;-)

Anyways, I haven't completely foregone wedding planning. We decided that we were going to send Save the Dates a while ago because our wedding is in a bit of a remote area (yay Oakdale) and also we're getting married on Memorial Day weekend. After much online searching, we found the wonderful Sara Luke of Less Ordinary Designs on Etsy.com. If you ever need customized photo cards or announcements, she is amazing. Here's her shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5409043

Anyways, we're almost done tweeking the final product, I'll post it as soon as it's done. But it's going to feature our engagement photos taken by the awesome Aaron Draper.

Blitz O' Planning

2008-08-25T17:28:00.001-07:00

So, today the pool people came!

I have this crazy idea to build a floor over the pool. I know, I know, it's insane, but I think we can squeeze it into the budget...

Anyways, a crew from the local party rental company came around and did official measurements. I'm super excited to finally get the ball rolling on this whole crazy party. AND, bonus, if I figure out this pool-floor thing by the end of the month, Anthony will let me have the wedding at home.

He's a bit nervous about this whole planning thing. I don't really blame him though since I am the one planning it. I'm not really a planner by nature, but this wedding has brought out a new side of me!

Also, in other news, I am officially on crazy mode for my dress from davids bridal. I think I wanna get it...and it will be fancy and wonderful :-)

Here's a cool invite on etsy.com that I love. The peacock, teal, and green scream evening event in my mind. AND, the "evening affair" goes with the fancy dress, yeeee!

Birdcage Veils

2008-08-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

Today, being the first Sunday I have had off from my retail job in a long time, I decided to go home and visit my parents and do some wedding planning. On my way into town, my Mom convinced me to go dress shopping at the local David's Bridal. I was a bit skeptical at first, I wasn't even ready to go dress shopping yet, but now I think I may have found the one!!!!!

But, it's a bit art deco/40s vibe.

So this got me thinking.....

DO you think I can pull off the vintage birdcage veil look?!?!?

Soooo pretty....puurrrrrrr

Chairs, chairs, and more chairs

2008-08-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

So, I really really want Chivari chairs. From the first time I stepped into the rental store and I saw a tablescape with my colors (!!!!) I wanted those stupid chairs. So bad....

I think Anthony thinks I'm crazy

Maybe I am

Is it sane to want to forego reception flowers just to have these?

I know I know, I'm nuts

That Oakdale Bride...

2008-08-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hello Wedding World!

Remember the first time you used AIM, or myspace, or facebook, and promised yourself you wouldn't get carried away and spend all of your time online?

I'm hoping this blog does not
1. Suck up all my time
2. Turn me into a bridezilla

However, I'm pretty sure the former has already occurred and the latter will (cross your fingers) never be experienced. I've decided to start this blog so that I stop annoying Anthony with crazy wedding ideas and also so I have an outlet to brainstorm.

Anthony (the fiancee) and I are getting married next May and I'm soooooooo excited!!! In the meantime, I'm applying to grad school and working retail (woo hoo!) so I have a lot of time to plan and plan and plan. I love feedback, ideas, and budget friendly solutions so that my parents still love me when this big shebang is all done. Oh yeah, the wedding is next Memorial Day weekend at my parents house :-)