My crowning glory

I never thought I would wear a veil. Never! Ralph and I even talked about it. He really hoped I wouldn't. Then I tried on this Pronovias dress.

And then they put it on me.

And I knew I had to wear a veil.

For the record, I love this dress, but it just didn't feel like the dress I would marry Ralph in. I know that sounds weird - but it works in my silly head. It would definitely be the dress I would wear if I was having a frilly, vintage-insipred, garden party wedding. And that sort of wedding wouldn't work for Ralph - therefore it wasn't meant to be the dress I would marry him in.

When I did find THAT dress, I put on this simple veil.

But in the end I decided to go for a longer veil. Why? Well, because of this...

Credit - the wonderful Zlatko Batisticho

Aren't they beautiful? You are a gorgeous bride J!

I like the drama from the back. I can't help it! So when I stumbled upon a bride selling her long simple veil for a fraction of the price (for reference that veil I am wearing in my dress cost a whopping $125), I jumped on it. In addition to saving lots of $, I couldn't be happier that I am re-using a perfectly good piece of tulle. We may not be throwing the most green wedding ever - I am trying to do my part when I can.

And so here it is, on the pretty bride I bought it from (wearing a dress I did try on)...

(credit)

I received it today in perfect condition. I can't wait to try it on with my dress (which is coming up very soon). I promise to post pics!!!

Sharing some of my attempted craftiness

Poor Ralph, he thinks I am crazy. I have about 10 different DIY projects going on at the same time. Why? Well, I want to have as much done as possible before I leave in December (which would be December 9th!!!).

Some stuff just has to wait to be revealed until the big day. But in the meantime, I will share my latest somewhat finished project. The other day, we were shopping at Target and I was perusing the $1+ section in the front of the store, and found these:



I decided that for $2.50, I could make some nice signs to direct people to our ceremony. I just needed some materials that I had laying around my house. I sanded them down and painted them with some latex paint that I found in our utility closet.




Then it rained on them and they looked pink. I tried another coat - still pink. So, Ralph stepped in and got some flat spray enamel in white. He said he would take care of it - but in the end it was largely all me...




Next I needed to paint on the letters - not an easy feat. So I printed up a design in word. Using a ballpoint pen, I traced over the letters using alot of pressure. This left an imprint that I then followed with the craft paint I used for the escort frames.




The result wasn't perfect, but good enough. I am glad I didn't bother with stencils. I like the imperfect look.

I made two signs for a total cost of $8. Sure it was cheaper than buying them on etsy, but it was a little more time consuming than I would have liked. The only thing I am missing is the correct ribbon.

Oh and I have no idea what I will do with these after the wedding. Maybe flip them over and paint something else on them???

So excited!

My mom is coming to visit us and to come to my first dress fitting. I couldn't be more happier that she will be here with me!

Tiiiime AIN"T on my side...

no it ain't!!!!

Yep, my workload has finally crashed in on me, which means no posts. I have also been doing a fair share of wedding stuff, with a heavy dose of help from Ralph and family, but some of it just has to stay a surprise.

Anyway, I just had to share this.

This is a slideshow from a wonderful South Florida photographer Stephan Maloman (yeah we couldn't get close to affording him). He shot this reception at Jungle Island. Not many couples have their reception outside, preferring to stay in the climate controlled ballrooms, so this was a pleasant surprise.

Enjoy the pics!

Back in town and with some DIY goods

I have been gone for awhile and have been keeping busy. Even when I was in Belize "working", I still had wedding stuff on my mind. Emily and I were perusing a tourist trap souvenir shop, when I happened upon the 70% off clearance rack. There I found some cute little handmade embellished frames that sort of falling apart.



They are made of recycled and natural materials.

You can see that they used an organizer for some of their backing materials

The recycled paper insert for the frame has a very nice texture.


How could I resist?

I thouroughly checked them out and found that the glue holding on those sad little embellishments came off really easily. Although that was a problem for them, but good for me. I figured that with a little bit of paint that they would make really nice escort cards. For those that haven't been keeping up with wedding lingo, escort cards are the little things that tell you which table you are suppose to sit at. We will be assigning tables, but not seats, since it seems that people need just a little structure.

Anyway, I himed and hawed a bit, but Emily, who is a crafter extraordinare, talked me into getting them. I proceeded to convince the saleslady to break the packages up so I can buy just the blue and green ones. It really isn't hard to convince her, since they are in such sad shape. I probably could have negotiated the price, but I knew I was helping the local economy in their VERY low season. So, I bought 68 of these little guys. While Emily and I were sitting around waiting for some transportation, we along with some new found hostel friends started to remove the embellishments and glue. And now with a little bit of acrylic paint ($0.80 on sale at Michaels)...



I hated that I had to cover up all the natural fibers with paint, but I had to. At least you can still see some of the imperfections in the paper frame. We will print our guests names, on the recycled paper insert along with their assigned table (we are naming the tables after Florida-growing plants)...

A little photoshop goodness (Mom- do you like the names???)

The great part is that these can be used again as frames. In case our guests don't take them home, I can always give them to another bride who is having a smaller wedding. Recycled and reusable!

The rules of the game...

I found this list of at From Fumpy to Foxy as a guide of what not to do as a wedding guest. I added in my take for some of them in green.

• Don't Be Fashionably Late - as the song says, get to the church on time! Oh please let my family read this! I may be a habitual offender of this, but not at weddings, job interviews, or other important events.
  
• Don't Produce Sound Effects While at a wedding and reception, turn off your Blackberries and cell phones, put them on vibrate, or better yet, don't even take them!
• Don't Talk Trash It may sound obvious, but it happens all the time. No matter how big or how loud a wedding is, things get overheard. So, be on your best and most polite behavior. Oh dear! We might have some trouble with this one.
  
• Don't Come Bearing Gifts Whether you're planning on gifting the happy couple a Cuisinart or cold hard cash, do them a huge favor and don't bring it on the wedding day. If you do, they have to keep track of it and haul it home at the end of the night. Send the gift ahead of time, or after the actual ceremony -- at a time when they can really relax and enjoy it. This is my #1 fear as we live 3000 miles away from the venue. But I see it all the time.
  
• Don't Dress Down Whatever you choose to wear, make the effort to look your best for the bride and groom. They'll appreciate that you got dolled or duded up for the occasion. If the invitation doesn't specify dress code, put in a friendly email or call to the bride, groom, their parents, or attendants to get more info. Black Tie means you've got to dust off that long silk dress or rent a tux. If it's an outdoor affair, there may be more leeway, but get details on the location, so you can come prepared (because it's isn't fun to be traipsing around in the sand in your stilettos!) That is why there are wedding websites to fill people in on the nitty gritty. I hope they look at it.
  
• Don't Bring Mr. or Ms. Random If you're single, choose your date carefully. If it's someone you've only been out with once, it may not be the best idea (could be awkward for you, your date, and the newlyweds). Same if it's someone you recently "sort of" broke up with. Weddings are intimate affairs and bringing in a stranger should be done with thought. Let the bride or groom know if you decide to come alone so they can seat you with other fun "ones!" And as much as you may love your kiddos, don't take them if children aren't invited. This is one thing we really don't care about. I would hope that our guests have someone to keep them company whomever it is. And kids... well, kids at weddings are hilarious.
  
• Don't Steal the Show Wedding ceremonies take all forms -- from religious to poetic, musical, or humorous. Whatever the vibe, let the bride and groom set the tone and follow their lead. If you're normally a loud, life-of-the-party type, bring it down a notch and let the wedding couple stand out. If you're a weeper, bring tissues and sit where you can sob without disturbing the I Do's. If the ceremony includes religious rituals, find out what you should do (or not do) ahead of time.
• Don't Pig Out If food is serve-yourself, avoid the buffet line stampede and wait until the crowd dies down. Also, avoid going back for thirds. I would hope that everyone gets their fill, as it sure is costing enough.
  
• Don't Drag Out Skeletons If the bride blushes, it should be from pride, joy, or sheer love. Not because someone just stood up and told a humiliating story about the loser she dated in high school!
• Don't Stockpile Party Favors At the end of the night, as you're saying your thank-yous and farewells, avoid the urge to hog all the super-cool (or yummy) party favors! You don't need to take some for people who weren't able to attend. You don't need extras. Take one for yourself, unless someone in the wedding party urges you to do otherwise. Take them all. Geez, I don't want to haul them 3000 miles home or send them to the thriftstore.

Well it seems that we aren't too fuddy duddy after all. They are good guidelines, but I have seen just about about all these happen at weddings. Are there any particular offenses that you hope can be avoided on your wedding day?

I can be slow...

at making decisions, especially when it comes to purchasing things. The fiance and I are polar opposite in this regard. I take time, read customer reviews, find the best price, and ultimately determine if I really want it. Ralph on the other hand, decides he needs it and immediately goes out and buys it. He isn't happy if he doesn't get it the same day.

You can see that my approach to purchasing things doesn't bode well for registering for gifts. I am just thankful that our registry allows us to update stuff online. Lets just say that I have been altering things here and there as I have done some research and read customer reviews. No one needs to buy us $100 item that is piece of crap and will work for only a few years. It is the kitchen appliances and such that I am being such a discerning shopper - like the toaster oven, select pots, hand mixer, and blender. I suppose that is why we already have some of "the good stuff" already in our kitchen - you know, stuff that should last a lifetime:

KitchenAid Stand Mixer - check (thanks Aunt Diane),

an assortment of Le Creuset things - check (thanks Mom/Me),

a breadmaker (used almost exclusively for my focaccia dough) - check

Great Cutco knives - check (again Mom).

An assortment of other gadgets that I love

And even some of my other "good stuff" got left behind in my move to California. So, yes, I am a kitchen equipment snob - remember I did say that I have been waiting years to register! It just means that I need to do my homework about what I (er, we) need. And since what my picky little self's likes and needs aren't always at my registry store, I decided to open another one. A place: that hooks up to lots of other stores and therefore has a great selection, that has pretty awesome prices, and free shipping over a $25 purchase. Yes, that place would be the great and wonderful, Amazon.com!

How many places did you register at? And did you have a hard time picking out your potential booty?