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?
Monday, May 26, 2008
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?
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?
Saturday, May 10, 2008
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?
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:
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
La Regale Antique Frame Full Bead from Endless.com - $98
Franchi Handbags Azure Tafetta Clutch from Zappos - $149I 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
La Regale Satin Clutch from Endless.com - $39While 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!)
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:
Touch Ups - Nona
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:
Touch Ups - NonaAfter 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?
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?
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.....
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.....
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!
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?
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?
Thursday, May 8, 2008
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?
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?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Money Matters
Budgets are always part of the wedding-planning equation. The budget is a necessary evil and, without a doubt, the major determining factor in the majority of wedding-related decisions. But along with the logistics of how much lighter your pockets will be after paying for all the wedding expenses, I have also found that others don't hesitate to let you know what they think about your wedding dollars and cents (or, rather, sense).
We are having a wedding with close to 200 guests and I realize how lucky we are to have the financial support of our parents to make the wedding and all of the events surrounding it happen. But at the same time, we are, by no means, having an extravagant, lavish, six-figure kind of wedding. Sure, our budget may be much larger than some, but it is also much smaller and less flashy than others. Our parents have been really great throughout the process and have not made things at all painful when it comes to money discussions. They have been generous and reasonable about everything.
What it really boils down to for me is that how much money we (meaning Mr. Cupcake and me, and our parents) are spending is ultimately our choice, and no one else's business.
Apparently some people didn't get the memo.
On more than one occasion, people have made it clear to Mr. Cupcake and I that they think large weddings are a waste of money — one person told us that the money spent on a very nice wedding that we attended "could have fed a lot of hungry people." Ouch. (We never even specifically mentioned that it was an expensive wedding — we just said it was a beautiful wedding, which I guess translates to "dripping in money.") I have also picked up on a few eye-rolls and sarcastic comments about wedding costs from people who may or may not know us well — their comments are not necessarily directed at us or our wedding in particular, but of course it's hard to not take it a little personally. Judgments like this upset/annoy me because:
a.) how much we choose to spend on our wedding (and how we spend our money in general, for that matter) is no one else's business
b.) some of the judgmental comments have come from guests who will be attending our wedding and I feel like they'll be judging/disapproving the entire time (while eating their $$$ prime rib ;-))
and
c.) they're assuming that people who spend money on things like large weddings aren't also capable of giving to those in need. Why can't someone spend money on material things and also give to others? Since when do we have to choose one or the other?
While I understand that the money spent on a wedding does seem to disappear quickly and it could certainly be spent other ways, I also think it's okay to splurge on the most important day of our lives. And let's not forget that we're supporting some talented vendors (and the struggling economy) in the process. What's so bad about that?
Sure, there are a lot of vendors out there who give the industry a bad name, and overcharge for anything that has the word "wedding" thrown in front of it. But I have met enough enthusiastic, honest, well-priced vendors to know that it's not all about overcharging and taking advantages of brides. And certainly there are brides whose weddings become a spectacle of affluence, but some of us truly just want to celebrate our wedding day with the people we love the most in the world and treat them to a really great, memorable party.
Have you had to deal with a lot of judgments from others regarding how much dough you're putting out for your wedding? How do you deal with it and/or justify how much you're spending?
We are having a wedding with close to 200 guests and I realize how lucky we are to have the financial support of our parents to make the wedding and all of the events surrounding it happen. But at the same time, we are, by no means, having an extravagant, lavish, six-figure kind of wedding. Sure, our budget may be much larger than some, but it is also much smaller and less flashy than others. Our parents have been really great throughout the process and have not made things at all painful when it comes to money discussions. They have been generous and reasonable about everything.
What it really boils down to for me is that how much money we (meaning Mr. Cupcake and me, and our parents) are spending is ultimately our choice, and no one else's business.
Apparently some people didn't get the memo.
On more than one occasion, people have made it clear to Mr. Cupcake and I that they think large weddings are a waste of money — one person told us that the money spent on a very nice wedding that we attended "could have fed a lot of hungry people." Ouch. (We never even specifically mentioned that it was an expensive wedding — we just said it was a beautiful wedding, which I guess translates to "dripping in money.") I have also picked up on a few eye-rolls and sarcastic comments about wedding costs from people who may or may not know us well — their comments are not necessarily directed at us or our wedding in particular, but of course it's hard to not take it a little personally. Judgments like this upset/annoy me because:
a.) how much we choose to spend on our wedding (and how we spend our money in general, for that matter) is no one else's business
b.) some of the judgmental comments have come from guests who will be attending our wedding and I feel like they'll be judging/disapproving the entire time (while eating their $$$ prime rib ;-))
and
c.) they're assuming that people who spend money on things like large weddings aren't also capable of giving to those in need. Why can't someone spend money on material things and also give to others? Since when do we have to choose one or the other?
While I understand that the money spent on a wedding does seem to disappear quickly and it could certainly be spent other ways, I also think it's okay to splurge on the most important day of our lives. And let's not forget that we're supporting some talented vendors (and the struggling economy) in the process. What's so bad about that?
Sure, there are a lot of vendors out there who give the industry a bad name, and overcharge for anything that has the word "wedding" thrown in front of it. But I have met enough enthusiastic, honest, well-priced vendors to know that it's not all about overcharging and taking advantages of brides. And certainly there are brides whose weddings become a spectacle of affluence, but some of us truly just want to celebrate our wedding day with the people we love the most in the world and treat them to a really great, memorable party.
Have you had to deal with a lot of judgments from others regarding how much dough you're putting out for your wedding? How do you deal with it and/or justify how much you're spending?
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Cute Cake!
This cake is not what I, personally, am looking for in a wedding cake..... but I had to share it with the hive because it's just so stinkin' adorable!
I see a lot of the same cake designs over and over again from our favorite magazines and blogs (I'm guilty of stealing my own cake design from a photo that Miss Milkshake first posted), and this one is just completely different from anything else I've seen. I love all the little details. How adorable are the little shrubs and trees sitting on the tiers? How cute is the bridal shoppe on the bottom tier, and the bakery on the middle tier? It's like a little mini bridal village dollhouse-turned-cake!
Where are some other hidden gem cake designs that you have come across online?
I see a lot of the same cake designs over and over again from our favorite magazines and blogs (I'm guilty of stealing my own cake design from a photo that Miss Milkshake first posted), and this one is just completely different from anything else I've seen. I love all the little details. How adorable are the little shrubs and trees sitting on the tiers? How cute is the bridal shoppe on the bottom tier, and the bakery on the middle tier? It's like a little mini bridal village dollhouse-turned-cake!
Where are some other hidden gem cake designs that you have come across online?
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