Klutzy Bride

Hive, I have a confession to make: I am an incredibly klutzy person. It's rare if a day goes by that I don't trip on something, drop something, break something, or spill something on myself. Mr. Cupcake is constantly rolling his eyes and asking "are you okay?" or moving my water glass away from the edge of the table for fear that I'll smack it and spill it all over the place. (It's been known to happen.... More than once.) I am a Grade A, Certified Klutz.


Last April (on Friday the 13th, nonetheless) I took quite a terrifying spill down half a flight of stairs in our apartment. It happened as if it was in slow motion, and the whole time I was tumbling, I was thinking to myself "this is, by far, the stupidest thing I have ever done." (Klunk!) Unfortunately, it was a combination of me rushing down the stairs in heels because I was late for work and having my arms full that lead me to fall down the stairs with nothing to hold onto. Luckily, the bag on each shoulder also prevented me from injuring my hands, wrists or head and are probably the reason I didn't do somersaults down the stairs. I did manage to break my middle toe, but overall, it could have been much worse (although, over a year later, I still have what I endearingly refer to as a BFT — that's Big Fat Toe).

Last October, Mr. Cupcake and I had one marathon weekend of two weddings (one on Saturday, one on Sunday). Both were in Central Pennsylvania so we stayed at his parents' house for the weekend. A few days before we went, I decided that I shouldn't wear my same ol' standby wedding-guest-dress to both weddings, so I found myself a second dress to bring for the weekend. Good thing, because five minutes before we had to leave for wedding #1 (as I was rushing — shocker — to put my makeup on), I dropped my lipstick and it conveniently fell straight down the front of me and left some pretty ridiculous marks down the length of my dress. So, I ended up having to wear the same dress to both weddings after all!

I've also had some recent incidents of klutziness that make me immediately think of the wedding — like a few weeks ago when I burnt my knuckle on my left hand while taking an english muffin out of the toaster oven at work. Yup, that's gonna leave a mark that will probably still be there in September. And the constant cuts on my legs from shaving.... I'm going to have to explore alternative methods of hair removal in the week leading up to the wedding, so I'm not covered in band-aids on the wedding day!

Needless to say, I am a little nervous about Klutzy Cupcake making an appearance on the wedding day. I mean, really, are the Wedding Gods trying to kill me? Whose brilliant idea was it to make a girl wear a white, floor-length dress for an entire day? A day that involves wine, lipstick, and cake, all things that I am likely to spill or drop at some point. I am also a little terrified about any part of the day that involves stairs, because as we all know, stairs and I don't really get along so well. If I'm not falling down them, I'm tripping as I walk up them.

There are usually two big factors behind my clumsiness: feeling tired, and feeling rushed. This reminds me that I need to make sure to get plenty of sleep leading up to the wedding, and I'm also going to have to be pretty liberal when creating the wedding day timeline with my DOC to build in lots of extra time so I never feel rushed.

Are you a klutzy bride like me? What precautions are you taking to make sure you don't embarrass yourself with any clumsy antics on your wedding day? (Or, is it just a lost cause??)

Smash That

Over this past holiday weekend, Mr. Cupcake and I met with his home pastor who will be performing our wedding ceremony. We went over the order of the ceremony, the basic logistics, and some options for the prayers and vows that we'll be incorporating into our ceremony. Easy peasy.

However, towards the end of our meeting, the pastor (who is normally very laid back and light-hearted) suddenly got very serious, and I got a little nervous. He wanted to let us know that there is one big thing about many of the weddings he has presided over and attended that he disapproves of.... Mr. Cupcake and I sat quietly waiting for him to complete his thought....

He told us that the one thing that he absolutely hates about some weddings.... is the infamous smashing of the cake at the reception.

Photo found here

Photo found here

Photo found here

Mr. Cupcake and I quickly reassured him that we are also not fans of this tradition, and before we even became engaged we always said that we would never, ever smash the cake into the other's face at our hypothetical wedding. I have nothing against the people who do decide to do this and can enjoy getting a good laugh out of it (and enjoy giving their guests a good laugh), but it is just not for me. Thankfully, Mr. Cupcake has always agreed, so there will be no surprises during our cake cutting.

I prefer a nice, sweet, feeding-of-the-cake-to-my-new-spouse, like this:

Photo found here

After all, I'm spending all this money on hair and makeup — there is no way I'm going to let it get all messed up with icing in every nook, cranny and crevice of my face! I actually think I'd be really, really upset if this happened to me in front of all my friends and family and I had to take time away from my reception to go get cleaned up.

What are your feelings on the cake-smashing frenzy? Have you and your FI discussed what you'll do, or will you just see what happens in the moment?

Wedding Blog Inspiration

I'm sure it comes as no surprise that I read a lot of wedding blogs. A LOT. I'm sure a lot of you (since you're reading this wedding blog and all) share the same sentiment and slight addiction to all of the great wedding blogs out there.

When I first got engaged, I didn't really know that wedding blogs existed. Actually, I still thought that blogs were just personal journals that people kept online for the world to read, and, to be honest, I thought the whole idea was a little creepy. I had NO IDEA about all of the amazing blogs out there geared towards brides-to-be, moms-to-be, designers, computer lovers, pop culture addicts, etc. etc. etc. I had no idea that this amazing wealth of informative and inspiring blogs was hiding in the depths of the internet until my sister-in-law introduced me to Weddingbee several months into my engagement, which in turn led me to the, oh, about 7 kajillion other blogs that currently fill out my Google Reader.

Last week while in New York for the National Stationery Show, I met some of my favorite wedding and creative bloggers. I met the fabulous Mrs. Bee, as well as Anne from Perfect Bound, Vané from Brooklyn Bride, and Joy from Oh Joy! It was cool to meet these fabulously stylish and inspiring women, and it made me realize how many ideas for my own wedding I've taken from these fabulous blogs. I can't help but think that without wedding blogs, I'd still be stuck trying to come up with the perfect centerpiece idea and I'd still think that every idea on TheKnot.com must be the end-all, be-all of wedding planning.

I'm sure a lot of other brides out there feel the same indebtedness to wedding blogs as I do... so tell me: what are your favorite wedding fashion, decor, and other inspirational ideas that you have found thanks to the world of wedding blogs? What are your absolute favorite wedding blogs to read daily?

Bet Your Bottom Dollar

Every couple has their mini-fights and debates, there's no doubt about that. Mr. Cupcake and I are no exception. We are both fairly competitive and we hate being proven wrong, so we've had our share of intense debates and disagreements over mundane things.

Some of our debates come down to pop culture trivia (I pride myself in retaining a LOT of useless information about everything pop culture, so you best know what you're getting yourself into before you challenge me); other debates are over items on our shared Google calendar ("you never told me you are going to the Flyers game tomorrow night..." "yes I did, I told you last week, and I put it on the Google calendar"). There have been too many debates to count.

Our favorite solution to solving our debates? We bet each other a dollar. It may sound silly, but it works. every. time. We'll go back and forth disagreeing about something for a minute, each stating our case and neither one budging, until one of us whips out the dollar bet. It's like the "I double dog dare ya" of our relationship, except there are no tongues frozen to poles as a result.

The debate always ends with a handshake to seal the dollar bet, until we are able to consult the interweb for the correct answer (because, you know, the internet never lies!). That's when the loser ultimately has to hand over a crisp green dollar bill to the winner. And I know it's only one dollar, but when you win a dollar bet, it is more satisfying than you can imagine!

How do you and your FI deal with debates and disagreements? Do you have a "dollar bet" type of tradition with each other to keep things interesting and light-hearted?

Precisely Perfect Cookie Favors

I've seen some cute cookie favors at weddings and showers..... but these precisely perfect cookies from New York-based company meli and angi really take the cake.... er, cookie.


I cannot get over the amazingly precise lettering and dainty piping on these cookies. I don't know how they do it! I can't even write that nicely on paper. They're almost too nice to eat. Almost. I'm sure I'd get over that real quick if given the opportunity to scarf one down.

Will your wedding favors be edible, or something that is more of a keepsake?

Accessorize Me, Part Four

I have heard lots of brides say that they barely even use or notice their purse on the day of their wedding, so with this in mind, I decided to stick with a tight budget when it came to a bridal clutch. Sometimes I was tempted, though, by stunners like these:

Martine Satin Party Clutch from J.Crew - $98

Franchi Clarice Evening Clutch from Endless.com - $102

La Regale Antique Frame Full Bead from Endless.com - $98

Franchi Handbags Azure Tafetta Clutch from Zappos - $149

I also found this cute one for $39, and although it's much less expensive than the others, I still don't feel like spending $40 on something that no one will even see.

La Regale Satin Clutch from Endless.com - $39

While in New York last weekend my SIL took me to some jewelry stores that had walls completely lined with costume jewelry at very good prices. Although this is not where I found my earrings, I did find a great little simple clutch that not only perfectly matched the swatch of my dress fabric, but it was only $15.

It's hard to tell in the photos, but I swear it's champagne!

It is more structured than the other drool-worthy clutches that I can't afford, but simple doesn't have to be a bad thing. I can easily dress it up to be a little more fab:

With a rhinestone broach that I wore on a sash in my brother's wedding

Or with the Piper Ewan flower I bought off of Etsy
(originally for my hair, but I decided it's a bit too bold!)

In what creative ways have you spruced up bargain purchases for your wedding?

Accessorize Me, Part Three

Shoes, glorious shoes..... how I love you so!

A few months ago I posted about finding the perfect wedding day shoe. I finally decided to take the plunge a few weeks ago and I ordered three pairs from Zappos:

Liz Rene by Touch Ups - Melissa

Touch Ups - Abby

Touch Ups - Nona

After receiving all three ridiculously fast (I think about 36 hours after I ordered them), I immediately tried all of them on, and the hands down winner was the lovely Melissa. While the Abby and Nona looked cute in pictures and they met my not-too-high-heel requirements, they just looked goofy on my feet. That's not to say they won't look adorable on someone else.... but they were not right for me. I also found that they were a bit stiff and not very comfortable.

The Melissa shoe was much more comfortable and much more flattering on me, and I was thrilled because all along it was the shoe that I wanted to work out. I love the bling and I love the overall look. The Melissa shoe was slightly more expensive than the other two at $89 (compared to $64 for Abby and Nona), but still not a bad price, and apparently the additional $25 means more comfort.

Here they are on my tootsies....


They are dyeable silk, so I am going to have they dyed a slight ivory so they are not too stark white next to my champagne dress. I have plenty of time to break these babies in, so I'll be strutting around the house in them for the next 4+ months! :-)

How is your shoe search going? Are you finding it difficult to find comfortable shoes that won't break the bank?

Accessorize Me, Part Two

Last weekend when Mr. Cupcake and I were visiting Bro & SIL Cupcake, we found ties for the guys and earrings for me at the mother of all Macy's. The day after we returned from our New York visit, I had an appointment to try on my recently-arrived veil with my dress at The Wedding Touch, so it was the perfect opportunity to try the earrings on with the whole ensemble. I apologize that I don't have any photos of me with the earrings on, but needless to say, they just didn't do it for me. I'm trying to go for more of a relaxed look and the earrings just looked too.... structured, or something.

As always, my style-hero SIL Cupcake came to the rescue. Once she sent me the link to Lunessa.com, I fell in love with these stunning earrings:


These Freshwater Pearl cluster earrings are so so so so pretty; I like that they have pearls but still have a little bling with the Swarovski crystal accents and CZ teardrops. You can choose between sterling silver (shown) or 14 Karat gold, as well as this beautiful version with peachy pink pearls and gold:


Unfortunately, the $118 price tag (or $125 for the gold/peach versions) is a little bit more than I was hoping to spend on earrings. I decided to keep looking and simply use these images as inspiration. *Sigh....*

Then, though, I was pleasantly surprised when I showed the photo of these earrings to my dad and stepmom, and they offered to buy these for me as a birthday present (in August) to wear on the wedding day. I was very excited and touched! It will be nice to wear something that is a gift from my dad and stepmom, and it will make the earrings more of a keepsake for me.

I'm still hesitant to make such a purchase without seeing the earrings in person, but luckily I'll be back in NYC next week for work and I can stop by Lunessa in SOHO to see them up close and personal. Right now I am thinking that the peach pearls will look so pretty and vintagey with my gown.

Has anyone else purchased their wedding jewelry from Lunessa?

Accessorize Me, Part One

Last weekend Mr. Cupcake and I went to visit Brother and Sister-in-Law Cupcake in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Sunday turned out to be a beautiful spring day, so the four of us ventured into Manhattan to try to find some wedding accessories — particularly ties for the guys, and jewelry for me.

My brother is a successful menswear designer, so Mr. Cupcake and I trust and value his opinion. With a swatch of the bridesmaids dresses in-hand, we journeyed to Macy's to find some ties. Sure, we could have gone to any Macy's to find ties (there's probably 4 or 5 within a 30 minute drive from where we live), but why not go to the Macy's of all Macy's? After all, it is.....

Photo found here

I was originally picturing the groomsmen wearing something with stripes, but I was really liking the subtle paisley design that the guys found for the groomsmen, and the tonal stripe for Mr. Cupcake. Brother Cupcake felt that bold stripes would be too much for the groomsmen, so I put my trust in him and we bought 'em all.


It's hard to tell in the photo, but the paisley ties have a light teal accent, and I think they'll be the perfect complement to the bold-colored bridesmaid's dresses.


The ties were nicely priced at $39.50 for the paisleys and $45.00 for the striped, plus 20% off for the sale that was going on AND an additional 15% off because Mr. Cupcake opened a Macy's charge account.... so our grand total for 6 ties came to $135.95. We saved $106.55! I love a deal. Now all we have left to find are ties for the dads.... oh, and tuxes :-)

SIL Cupcake and I then headed over to the jewelry department at Macy's. I mentioned in a previous post that I am accessorizingly challenged (yes, I made that word up). SIL Cupcake has a great sense of style and always has great jewelry, so I recruited her to help me find some fab earrings. I found one pair that wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but I liked them, and I decided to give them a shot.

Sorry for the blurry photo!

Since Mr. Cupcake had opened a Macy's charge, I was able to make use of his discount and the current sale, so I got these $50 earrings for about $37.

More to come throughout the week on the hunt for the perfect (and affordable) accessories! In the meantime, what great bargains have you found on accessories for your wedding day?

Great Expectations

Well hello, hive! I apologize for my absence over this past week. Truth be told, I've been knee-deep in trying to design our invitations, and it has not been without stress. After obsessing over our save the dates for months before finally getting them out the door in March, I'm feeling a little burnt out over trying to come up with something spectacular for our invitations. And, since I plan to model the rest of our stationery and decorative touches after our invitations, I've got a large list of design projects looming over my head and I've been feeling a little overwhelmed by it all.

It has forced me to think about these great expectations that we brides set for ourselves. I am completely guilty of leaving no stone unturned when it comes to seeking out the "perfect" ideas that will knock our guest's socks off. I pore over wedding blogs every day, trying to grab bits of inspiration that will make our wedding a conglomeration of magnificent ideas and personal touches. Some days, I am excited and thrilled with all of the possibilities and awesome ideas I have piling up. And other days, I just feel exhausted from it all. I see photo after photo after photo of all of these gorgeous weddings in exotic locations with charming little everything and I feel like I'm a failure of a bride.

These are the days I have to remind myself to step back, prioritize, and not obsess over every. single. detail. These are the days that I escape from it all by going to Iron Hill with Mr. Cupcake to people-watch, have a drink, and laugh with each other.... and that's when I'm reminded that that's what it's all about. Not the perfect invitations or the perfect signature cocktail or the perfect jewelry or the perfect perfect perfect.... it's about the perfect guy for me and how perfectly happy he makes me, and how perfect our wedding will be to us — not because of all the details, but because it's ours.

That's not to say that I don't love me some gorgeous bouquets, or adorable favors, or fantastic shoes, or drool-worthy stationery. And while there's nothing wrong with trying to add lots of personal touches to our wedding and making sure it's a day our guests will enjoy, I do have to learn to focus on our big picture instead of everyone else's big picture that I want for myself.

How have you dealt with setting expectations for yourself with wedding planning? What do you do to remind yourself that it doesn't all have to be perfect all the time?