One Dress, One Day...

Moved

2010-09-13T00:09:00.000-07:00

Haha. Again! Too many people had problems commenting on this blog and, well, the wedding is over.

Follow me at homemadegrade.wordpress.com. Please leave comments! My wee little blog needs some love.

End of Ceremony

2010-07-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

Wedding Party + The Ceremony pt 1

2010-07-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

I'll start this off with some fun group shots pre-ceremony. When it came down to it, we had to rework our groomsmen attire. We opted to go without jackets. Yaaaay for organization and sticking to the original plan! Lol. It still looked nice though.

I was happy with the way my bridesmaids looks all turned out. Remember they all got to choose their own black dress and shoes. I provided the jewelry.

Here is a close up of the bridesmaid's bouquet. A high school friend got some good shots so I will be intermingling some of those in with my actual photog's shots.

Guests started to arrive at around five.

And after I completely became a nervous wreck, and we thought about hiring a backup officiant, our officiant the groom's grandfather arrived.

And the ceremony began! Here is the group lined up:

And down the aisle (not pro-pics right here, and not pictured in the order they came down)

This is my little brother, can't you tell? Lol

And the kiddies

My groom waiting for me

Dad gave me a kiss good luck.

And then it was our turn

MIL crying.

And then we were seated. In case you forgot this was an Islamic ceremony and it is common practice for the bride and groom to be seated.

And the vows began while everyone looked on.

*There was a seating of the mothers. I have to find those pictures, the photographer didn't catch that because I told her to be back with me during that time.

The Details

2010-07-20T14:09:00.000-07:00

If you remember, I made a list of things I wanted photographed for the photographer to go by. It helps. Now, because of the unpredictability of the day, all of my requirements were not met. I blame that on me. But as far as inatimate objects, she got photos of everything I wanted! I have more pictures than posted here, but these should give you a good idea. And also, keep in mind we only paid her for service of three hours. She offered to stay longer, but I wanted to respect her time and ushered her away once the three hours was up. So, we got quite the variety of pictures for such a short amount of time.

The Cake

This was a semi-DIY. We ordered the cake from the cake baker, and then bought items ourselves to decorate it with. We had a florist who agreed to fix it up himself. The butterflies and gems all came from Michael's. The florist supplied the flowers. We had the cake arrive at 3pm and when the baker showed up to deliver it, my first words were "It's three already?!"

Ring Shots

My Bouquet

Head Table Center Piece

Welcoming Table inside the Reception Hall

This was cute, and something I didn't have to stress about. There you will see a framed photo of the groom's parents at their wedding. And our quintessential prom picture, the photo that pretty much was famous in our families for representing us. Lol! It was housed in my mother-in-law's living room before using it the wedding day. I also had up there a miniature broom as homage to African American tradition, and our invitation, our guestbook, and a gift to us: a photo people could sign of us.

The Invitation, a DIY project:

The sand ceremony in place. I was at a loss for how to jazz this up, so, here it is. Lol:

The ceremony space (I made the pomanders you see hanging from the gazebo)

Reception Hall

The Food

Our friendor made tons and tons of Mexican food that we served buffet style. We got lots of rave reviews about the seasoned beef. I was too tense to taste anything, so I just believed everyone else when they said how good it was. Lol!

More to come later.

Just Thought I'd Share

2010-07-19T11:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite sites, clutchmagazine.com, just launched their sister site, Coco and Creme!

These are magazines that cater to the lifestyle of African American women. A far cry from the dreadful (and boring, imo) Essence, Ebony, etc. I mean, I still check out essence, but it's pretty much on a lifeline.

Check it out here.

Recaps Pt 1: Getting Ready Plus More

2010-07-17T12:18:00.000-07:00

Here is the first part of recaps.

I found this dress the week before my wedding, and I hadn't even planned on switching it. The pink dress was never my favorite after time set in, but I gave up hope looking for a dress. Then I saw this dress, in my size, at the right price. It was meant to be!

And by right price, I mean next to nothing. Lol. Here are my shoes and jewelry:

My bridesmaid Chanel and I slept the night before in a hotel before heading to my mother in law's to get my hair and makeup started. I did not want to worry about me, so I wanted to be first to get eveything rolling. Then Chanel and I went to the weddding venue and set up shop in the bridal suite at noon, when we got access to it. We were the first to arrive.

Then from noon to four, we just chilled. All the bridesmaids arrived at around one or two and we all got ready, one by one. Then my mom arrived and we finished with my makeup and getting me in my dress.

I look stressed because there was definitely something that threw us all for a loop. Our officiant, my husband's grandfather, is up in age. Still independent, but sometimes to his own detriment. The wedding started an hour late because he got lost and his car broke down. Doesn't that sound out of this world? So that explains why I have faces like this getting ready:

And here are more pics. Makeup was done early in the morning and then it was finished/touched up right before the ceremony, done by my mother in law:

And then my mother helped me into my dress. I asked everyone to leave the room.

Then some group shots:

I actually had my girls put lotion on me and help me into my shoes. Lol! What do you think? I'll be doing recaps all this week, so stay posted.

Feaured On Our Photog's Blog

2010-06-30T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yay. A sneak preview of some of our pro pics for you guys.

Check it out here

And by the way, she murdered our last name but it's okay. Lol!

Waiting

2010-06-28T01:15:00.000-07:00

The photog will send a cd and then I can do recaps. I got the photos back today and am happy with them. Of course it took a few hours and other family members to see them for me to feel okay. I initially never like pics of myself, and then later on love them.

Don't worry! They are fine. And my recaps are going to be pretty low key, just like my blog. My profile pic is one of the pro-pics, but I had to do a screen shot and all kinds of cropping to get it because I couldn't save it on my comp which is why it is so small if you click on it.

JEM, and Ivy, you're like the only ones waiting to see these anyway. Lol!

Dedication to Him

2010-06-24T20:33:00.001-07:00

I'm dedicating beautiful love songs to my hubby and sending them his way. Something to do habitually. Try it!

Some Pictures I love

2010-06-14T20:33:00.000-07:00

Not sure when our pictures from the pro will be coming in. Can't wait to share with you, so I thought I'd show some pictures to you while we wait.

We did it!!!

2010-06-13T16:27:00.001-07:00

Here's a teaser. We did it! The weather was *PERFECT*! Can't wait to tell you guys more about it. This is a pic after my dad walked me down the aisle. I'm spending two nights at a resort with the hubby and we'll honeymoon later in the summer so I'll probably post recaps soon (when I get them from the pro).

Thanks for all your wishes! We all must have prayed really hard for that weather to be so beautiful. Ta ta!

Things We Did/Are Doing

2010-06-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

It's getting down to the wire. I've been at work nearly every day this week and last week, on top of doing a writing internship from home that requires ghost writing, on top of trying to finish a complete short story for me and my buddies to review...It's due tomorrow...yikes!

Anyway, we got our marriage license on June 2nd! I love how all of these meaningful
things are happening in my birthmonth. That's right, because my birthday is Monday, the 7th! 21 baby!

Amidst all the craziness, here are some things we did this week:

-Got marriage license
-Bought my wedding night/ week lingerie
-Finalized program info with aunt who is doing them
-Photog/song lists
-Bought serving materials/water bottles/soda cans
-Bought room smell enhancer things because I feel like our venue has an 'old building/home' smell
-Bought torch fluid for the bamboo torches that will go in the ceremony yard

Just for fun I thought I'd give you some lists of things we still need to do:

-Book the hotel for the wedding night!!! I am super excited about this one.
-Groom hair cut (next week)
-Pick up tuxes (no jackets for the groomsmen because it is so freaking hot) next week
-Get my extensions in (again, I took them out last week)
-Get my nails done next week

Update:

My sister is still throwing my bachelorette, and I think it's for sure on now because she is actually in contact with all of my bridesmaids. I am excited, and glad she will be getting help. I told her I don't need anything extravagant, just something.

**Side note, I see why people use clever invitations for their bridesmaids like: Thank you for being my bridesmaid! Here are some of the things I am thankful you will be doing for me:
Being a strong support system
Be honest with feedback
Wear a matching dress of your own style
Plan and help throw my bachelorette party
Help plan the most important day of my life

Lol. It's a cute way of directly being like "Here, this is what I expect from you."

That being said, only two of my bridesmaids are in AZ right now. My sister, and one of
my high school friends. I'm still waiting for my third bridesmaid to arrive on Sunday, the next on Monday, and my oldest sister wednesday evening. I think the brunt of family arrives Thursday. I love having this many guests to look forward to.

And I have a huge, HUGE surprise for you on the wedding day. Like, I hope you don't call me a "sell-out" for it. But I'll keep quiet until we get photos and you can see for yourself in the re-caps. (This is probably a pretty good hint. Any guesses?) But I'm also not good at keeping secrets of my own, so I'll probably tell you before then.

Next week! I can't wait!

Song List Request

2010-06-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

I'm really into 90s R and B and hip hop. So that explainst this list. Our friend is the dj, I sent him this list that he was nice enough to ask for. I also said no sexually explicit/grinding songs. I mean that's self explanatory, but still. Don't take things for granted! I do not want to hear "sex therapy" at my wedding, even though I love that song. Lol!

Here it is: (Keep in mind my fiance is doing his own list, and I'm sure that he will cover up to date stuff, and the dj is still going to play some of his own things as well.)

Ceremony Music

Pretty Wings-Maxwell (It's sooo pretty, even if it is about breaking up. I guess I justify it by saying someone had to set my baby free so he could find me!)
Ordinary People-John Legend (love ain't a fairytale, ya'll)
By Your Side-Sade (LOVE!)
Still Ray-Raphael Saadiq (Soo sweet)
Tell him-lauryn hill (Gotta have my girl somewhere)
Ride of Our Lives-Jon B (From helpless romantic album. It is a breathtaking song, to me)

WHEN BRIDESMAIDS WALK DOWN: Play “No One Else” by Amel Larrieux so then the bride can walk down to it too.

Reception Music

FIRST DANCE: “Like a Star” Corrine Bailey Ray

Think of you- usher
Oh My Gosh-Usher
This is how we do it-montell jordan
As-Stevie Wonder
Isn’t she lovely-Stevie wonder
Ain’t nobody-chaka khan
I feel for you-chaka khan
I know you, I live you-chaka khan
Put your hands where my eyes can see-busta rhymes (clean/edited)
Feels good-tony toni tone
Green light-john legend
So fresh/so clean-outkast (edited/clean)
Do for love-2pac (edited/clean)
Don’t talk-jon b
You know what’s up-donnell jones
Upgrade you-Beyonce
Get me Bodied-Beyonce
Single Ladies-Beyonce
Waiting for tonight-Jennifer Lopez
Love Like this FATMAN SCOOP REMIX-faith evans
Timbaland featuring Magoo & Fatman Scoop - Now Drop
I can love you-mary j blige ft. lil kim
I can transform ya-chris brown
I get it in-omarion
Jumpin’ jumpin-destiny’s child
Gimme the light-sean paul
Get busy-sean paul
Beat it-Michael Jackson
What about us-total
I like to move it-don’t know who made it (song from Madagascar movie, lol)
Oh Sheila-ready for the world
No Matter What they Say-Lil Kim (edited/clean)
Candy Rain-Soul For Real
Don’t Leave Me-Black Street
No Diggity-Black Street
If I Was Your GirlFriend-Nicole Ray
Pass That Dutch-Missy Elliot
One Thing-Amerie
Vivrant thing-q tip (yes, ‘vivrant’)
Breathe and stop-q tip
The good life-kanye west
Million Dollar Girl-Trina, Keri Hilson
Never leave you-lumidee ft busta rhymes and fabulous
Headsprung-ll cool j
Pretty Girls-Wale

CHILLING SONGS
Passing me by-the pharcyde
The Light-Common
Love of My Life-Erykah badu ft. common
Bag Lady-Erykah badu
Crazy-Gnarls Barkley
NO Letting Go- Wayne Wonder
Pimpin all over the world-ludicrous
Bonita Applebum-a tribe called quest
Umi says-mos def
The people-common
4Ever-Lil Mo
Before You Walk Out of My Life-Monica
Human Nature-Michael Jackson
Right Here-SWV
Weak-SWV
Beautiful-snoop dogg ft. pharell Williams
Paradise-ll cool j ft. amerie
Keep ya head up-2pac (edited/clean)
I’m still in love with you-sean paul
Pulling me back-Chingy ft. tyrese

Slow Songs

If I ain’t got you-Alicia Keys
Michael Jackson-Butterflies

....I'm lacking in the slow songs department. LOL!

I encourage you to look up some of these on Youtube. I had a ball, because once you look up one song on youtube you'll be reminded of a million others you loved. I think it's a good way to come up with a suggestion for your dj. Any song suggestions? Especially slow ones?

Photography Request List

2010-06-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

This is a working list I'm putting together to send to the photographer. She requested it, and I am glad she did. Feel free to borrow it to get yours going! I am adding to it, and arranging it constantly but I think it makes sense so far. Let me know what you think.

Details

Inanimate Objects:

Hanging dress with shoes and jewelry
Bride's Bouquet
Bride's bouquet with bridesmaids bouquets
Groom's suit/shoes/boutonniere
An invitation
Bride and Groom's rings
Cake/Cake table
Close up of a table centerpiece
Card Table
Program basket
Food buffet

Spaces: (please take pictures with no one in them)
*these would probably look best with “effects”
Groom’s dressing room
Brides’ dressing room
Reception hall
Ceremony yard (people will probably be in this, that is fine)

Pre-Ceremony Activities

Bride getting zipped into gown by mother
Bride getting make up done by Mother in law
Bride looking into mirror
Father fixing groom’s tie
Groom looking into mirror adjusting tie
Bride either in doorway or something else so you get a silhouette

Ceremony

Expectant groom
Flower girl and ring bearer
Individuals of all (5) bridesmaids walking up the aisle
Bridal party wide shot
Shot up the aisle at us exchanging vows
Kiss
Bride and groom walking down the aisle

After the ceremony:

Bride and groom with both sets of parents
Bride and groom with grandparents (only groom’s side will be present; his grandfather + wife, and then one single grandmother)
Bride with mother
Bride with mother in law
Bride with father
Groom with father
Groom with father in law
Groom with mother
Bride with all bridesmaids
Groom with all groomsmen
Groom picking up bride
Bride with junior bridesmaids and flower girl
Groom with ring bearer
Bride and groom with ring bearer and flower girl
Bride and groom with entire bridal party
*If time allows, bride paired with each bridesmaid.

Bride and Groom

Abstract photos of bride and groom near the front gate/doors/steps
Bride and groom alone under gazebo
Groom dips bride as if dancing (a recreation of a photo we took at our prom)
Hands displaying rings shot
Individuals of us (Bride with bouquet)

Hair Trial + My Dress

2010-05-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

After I saw that JEM over at Aqua Bride did her OWN hair trial 3 months out from her wedding, I figured I better get on top of my stuff and get a hair trial done too.

Just kidding! Lol. I already had it planned. I went to my favorite beauty school student, who put in extensions last week, do to a trial this week.

Armed with this picture:

I came out looking like this:

No picture from the front because my face is shiny! I think I may need the "bump" adjusted a little to resemble the picture more. But it came out better than I could have imagined, and is true to the picture but unique as well. I'm gonna go back to her the morning of the wedding bright and early for hair. It works out because we can't even access the venue until noon, and our wedding starts around 5pm.

But I have something else to show you ladies:

I took my dress to the tailor, and had the idea to add this lace strap to the right side of the dress. I love it. A little over 3 weeks to go!

Ok, Ok, Ok! First Dance Song

2010-05-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

Alright, it's been a long, hard decision. Our first dance song will be "Like A Star" by Corinne Bailey Ray. She's an artist from our time, the lyrics are meaningful, it sounds beautiful. It's not too showy or "doing too much" as we like to say.

Listen to it here

Whew. A huge weight has been lifted. Here are the lyrics:

Just like a star across my sky,
Just like an angel off the page,
You have appeared to my life,
Feel like I'll never be the same,
Just like a song in my heart,
Just like oil on my hands,
Oh.. I do love you,

Still i wonder why it is,
I don't argue like this,
With anyone but you,
We do it all the time,
Blowing out my mind,

You've got this look i can't describe,
You make me feel like I'm alive,
When everything else is a fade,
Without a doubt you're on my side,
Heaven has been away too long,
Can't find the words to write this song,
Oh.,..
Your love,

Still i wonder why it is,
I don't argue like this,
With anyone but you,
We do it all the time,
Blowing out my mind,

I have come to understand,
The way it is,
It's not a secret anymore,
'cause we've been through that before,
From tonight I know that you're the only one,
I've been confused and in the dark,
Now I understand,

I wonder why it is,
I don't argue like this,
With anyone but you,
I wonder why it is,
I wont let my guard down,
For anyone but you
We do it all the time,
Blowing out my mind,

Just like a star across my sky,
Just like an angel off the page,
You have appeared to my life,
Feel like I'll never be the same,
Just like a song in my heart,
Just like oil on my hands

Thanks Aunt and Uncle

2010-05-17T22:23:00.000-07:00

My fiance's aunt gifted us this cake serving set and got it engraved for us. She was so nice, she emailed us pics of different options on Ebay and we chose this since it came with flutes and a cake serving set. She got it engraved for us. It's still at her house but here are the pics she sent me:

Say Hello to Our New Photographer

2010-05-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

Laura Sokol Photography out of Mesa. I found her on Craigslist last night at a great deal. For this beautiful work? Yes, please! All pictures taken from her blog here.

And a baby shot:

We have moved on from our original photographer due to horrible customer service and mediocre pictures. Finding this woman was a blessing, my fiance and I decided to go with her and she is a FRACTION of the cost of our other guy. I am ecstatic. Good things can happen unexpectedly!

Why we went with the first guy? The urging of my MIL. She was only trying to help, but I don't think she is hip to the new wave of wedding photography that is out there and becoming the new standard. He did not have a website so we were just going off of trusting MIL. This work blows his out of the water, and the work of any other local photographers I've seen. She was so friendly. I think she will be a big difference from our engagement shoot guy. Another reason why E-pics are good is you get a feel for your photographer and get to honestly see the work they do with YOU.

She asked so many important questions right off the bat of talking with her, like if there are special ceremony moments she should be aware of (sand ceremony), if we prefer her to stay rooted in one spot during the ceremony to not distract the guests (hell no, girl, go anywhere you want to)and also she was interested in viewing our wedding website. How sweet! Less than a month to go and we changed photographers. It's all good, I couldn't be happier.

Another Award! Woohoo!

2010-05-17T10:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to JEM, I got the lovely Gorgeous Blogger Award.

The rules:
Accept and thank the person who gave it to you!
List 10 things about yourself
List 5 additional things you DON'T like
Then pick ten people to give this lovely award to!

10 Things about Moi

1. I love, LOVE Kathy Van Zeeland Purses. She's probably the only designer I can actually spot.
2. I'm not a shy person, in fact I am pretty bold.
3. I prefer bite-sized cookies. You don't have to worry about crumbs!
4. I love being an aunt.
5. I always look up the meaning of dreams in a dream dictionary.
6. I have kept and filled up diaries since I was 10 years old. I always say "Dear Journal."
7. I am always sticking up for other people.
8. I do not like not being able to help a person whether it's a friend, at my job, in class, etc.
9. Ironically, I was always scared to give anything to homeless people until I met my fiance. He always makes sure to stop, pull out his wallet, and prefers to give paper money over loose change.
10. My father is Ethiopian.

5 Things I don't Like

1. As soon as I get excited about a blog and decide to follow, that's when the blogger drops off the face of the earth.
2. People who are too, TOO similar to myself. Usually don't get along. Lol!
3. Governor Jan Brewer.
4. Kids who are spoiled, disrespectful and generally do not contribute anything to life other than being a reckless, selfish individual.
5. People who are passive, so much so that it brings about negative consequences in their life.

Ten People To Award!

1. Sony
2. Thoughts of the All Consumed Bride
3. Confessions of an Indecisive Bride
4. Amberdawn
5. Jaryce21
6. Gonna be his Mrs.
7. Mrs. Oliver
8. Bicoastal Bride
9. Sara
10. Bee

Flowers on a budget-Thanks Mom and Dad!

2010-05-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

While at my parents house today, I had a stroke of brilliance. My mom and I were talking and I brought up the fact that some brides and their families specifically plant flowers a year or so before a wedding so they can use them in their wedding.

Then I realized we could use the flowers in my parents' yard for the wedding!

White, light pink and hot pink oleanders. Look at these babies, taken from my camera phone in my parents yard:

We have about six or seven HUGE bushes of these flowers. I would use them for the bridesmaids, and then buy light pink and white roses to mix in, especially for my boquet. And it will be free! And when we actually picked a few to play around with:

I have been waiting to hear from the florist my MIL had a connect with but he seems so flaky and uncommitted. I am over it, and I don't want to shell out any more money, even if it isn't my own. My mom loves the idea, my dad takes care of these flowers and I know he would be filled with pride that he was the supplier.

These flowers hold up in Arizona heat, so it's all good. And we can make our boquets really full. The colors are perfect! We'll add some ribbon, and a few other flowers from boquets we'll buy from the supermarket. I'm excited!

Fiance's Graduation

2010-05-15T09:29:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share pics. I see other brides all the time who post graduation pictures and I am happy to be able to add this one to the list!

My fiance graduated Summa Cum Laude, and not only that, he was one of three majors to be recognized for having earned a 4.0 GPA and completing his major in 8 consecutive semesters.

I was sooo proud of him. We took a few pictures:

I swear more family was there (aunt, grandpa, father, sister) but we took most pictues on his dad's camera and I will have to get those later.

Our school is huge and we had to go to two ceremonies over the course of two days. It was rough waking up at six a.m. each day to get there on time! But it was worth it.

And after all of that, we went to his friend's graduation lunch, his graduation dinner, and then I threw him a graduation party! I used Dollar Tree to hook up the decorations! It was so fun, and his family was hilarious because when they found out I was doing a real "college party" for their nephew/grandson/son some people couldn't help but stop by. One aunt in particular, who is generally very proper, has a real sense of humor. She came in and we took a picture of her with a bottle (unopened) and his dad came and asked for a mixed drink while we were setting up. OMG! I had a good time. He had a great time. It was the perfect way to end on a high note.

Friends came out and signed a gift that myself and a good friend helped to make! I love it. And what's nice is the glass of the frame snaps into place so they actually signed the area around the pictures and then the glass goes on top. It actually only holds three 4 by 6 pictures. I am glad because I hate huge pictures. This can go in any room in our new place:

The first is of him and I, next is just him, then him, his siblings and mother. (I will switch that with a photo of him, his mom and dad and siblings once his dad sends me a picture). I went and bought HP premium photo plus paper (for $19!!!) at Walmart to print the photos. Can I just say I am in LOVE with the quality of the paper. And I love the frame, which was marked down 80% at a CVS. We decorated it with fun graduation themed items from Michael's. It was an idea on a whim but I love the sentimentality. All of his closest friends, aunts who were at the party and brothers signed it.

I also enlisted the help of said friend who is of age to supply the "goods" for the party. Fiance got his own bottle of some of the best Vodka for thirty dollars (that was the sale price). It's called 1860's Genuine American Vodka, is hand crafted and distilled from the U.S. grain, and comes wrapped in leather. People were scared of it because it tasted like water but stung stronger than anything when it went down. I did not try it! Got it from BevMo if anyone is interested. It is very highly rated!

Anyway, my fiance was really happy, so I was really happy. I love the frame I got him so much I think I will buy another one!

Random Thoughts

2010-05-13T23:23:00.000-07:00

Today my fiance went through commencement for completing his bachelor's in biochemsitry! I am so proud of him. Pictures to come. Tomorrow is the day he actually gets his diploma in a seperate ceremony.

May 13th: Parents Anniversary (This year they are celebrating 22 years! I love them!)
June 12th: My wedding

May 8th: Older sister's birthday
June 7th: My birthday

I love making connections out of nothing, lol. I am less than a month away from the wedding. Blogging is not very exciting for me right now, lol. Sorry! I will at least definitely post re-caps from the wedding. And then after that, who knows, see you in the blogosphere. But I can probably squeeze out a few posts between now and then.

Feeling very blessed, appreciative of my blossoming and stable relationship with a man I admire and respect, and am happy to partake in many joyous occasions this season. Something fun: Everybody should comment on one thing that makes them happy RIGHT NOW in the comments section of this post.

Bachelorette Party

2010-05-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

So, I can't wait until the day I get the word (or perhaps invitation) to my own bacheleorette party.

(source)

The weird thing is, I can not imagine other people planning something for me. Part of me feels like I won't have one. My BM's don't all know each other. Who's planning it? Do they even talk to eachother about it? Maybe I'm anal but I wish I could plan it myself.

It's not fair! Haha. But whatever. I'm thinking about my schedule, and we are having the wedding on a Saturday. Friday night will be the rehearsal. To be honest, I don't think I want to go "out" to party the night before my wedding. So I'm going to spread the word that whatever my girls want to do that includes going out, we do it on Thursday night. That way, we can recuperate and not have to worry about being tired/cranky on THE BIGGEST DAY OF MY LIFE.

My wedding is actually the first one many of my bridesmaid's are going to be apart of. Actually, scratch that, all of them are bridesmaids for the first time in my weding. And none of them really go into wedding stuff. I wonder do they know that brides now adays have bachelorette parties where there's (sometimes) invitations sent to the bride? And a theme involved? And games? But maybe I'm getting it confused with the bridal shower.

Anyone else a little controlling and wish they could just take charge of it themselves?

Junior Bridesmaid Dress

2010-05-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

We ordered it today. From Sears, for $24.50. My future sister in law and my niece, both plus sized girls age 11 will be wearing it. We ordered it in size 18.5, if any of you ladies have trouble finding age-appropriate clothing for your girls who are blessed with a little something extra, Sears is a good option. They had tons of dresses.

Take a look:

So We Went Looking For Apartments...

2010-04-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

We are still students. Fiance graduates from undergrad in less than two weeks, and starts medical school in August. I graduate next May. We went to the town of his med school last Friday (about two hours away from the university we both attend now) to look at apartments. We spent the night there because we went to his "Second Look" (which is like a pre-orientation) for the medical school Friday which took all day, then looked at apts and scoped out the area the next day. We fell in love with one place in particular and are looking to sign a contract with them and move in around July.

It felt good to finally see the town where our marriage will start. It's in Tucson, AZ about two hours from Phoenix and it has a baaad reputation for being boring. Well, I guess we're two boring people because we loved the place and the affordability of nice apartments to choose from. A far cry from the jacked up prices surrounding ASU!

I remember a few months back, I ran into a mutual friend of a friend on campus at school. This girl and I rarely talk and the living arrangements of my fiance and I came up in the conversation. I told her we were looking to rent while he was in med-school. She responded with "Oh, well, MY boyfriend (who isn't in school) is looking for a house. I have to have a house when I'm married, and if he has it now, that's less work for me to do when the time comes. But, you know, that's just me."

This is not the first time I've heard a girl try to push the opinion that marriage=house. It just sticks out in my mind because this conversation really made me realize how much I'd grown apart from wanting to remain "frenemies" with people who compare notes and whatnot. I've had a long history of similar situations with this person: my life, my man, my everything is better than x, y, z. I am learning to let people's values/customs not compete with or crowd out my own. If you've never had to deal with this, fine. For the rest of you women who can relate, wave a hand in the air. Alot of people view marriage as a rite of passage, and it just amplifies some of the silly things people get caught up in even more.

So, I will move into an APARTMENT with my husband this July. I am no bourgeoisie person by any means. And it will be a welcome haven for us from the stresses and difficulties of the outside world. And later, when we are more firmly established we can build our foundation together, look for a house together, and feel that we truly grew up together. Like we've been doing.

Marriages come in all shapes and sizes. Some people enter into them with no children, with children, with no exes, with a slew of ex-partners, divorced, never before married, virgin, not virgin, interracial, interfaith, age gap, long distance....And I never look at any one any different than the other. I understand that every marriage will bring joys and challenges and I can't base mine as better or worse than anyone else's. That's the problem with thinking that there is a cookie-cutter way to do things. I never stop to think about all of the diverse lives of some of my favorite blogging brides. Most of the time, we relish in fun wedding details and don't care to share our lives with the world. I realize that the nice thing about the bloggers I read all have one thing in common: excitement for the next step in their lives. The positivity is so full on these blogs that I never find myself reading about the silly things that sometimes get in the way of real-life interactions. (How big is your ring, how much is the wedding, whose paying for what, what are your living arrangements etc.).

I choose not to share much of my personal life on this blog but I do think that sometimes the things we have in common (meaning myself and my readers) go beyond planning a ceremony and reception. We all had to get through some journey to get to this next step where we are ready to get married, and we still find ourselves learning about ourselves and our partners.

And I want to pass on this link to a very relatable (for me) post on weddingbee.com about a bride whose dealing with a slew of awkward situations involving facebook/wedding. My solution? I deleted mine, for wedding related reasons and others.

Our First Dance Song

2010-04-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

A Strong Contender, "Someone" by Musiq Soulchild.

Too Sad For Words

2010-04-08T21:36:00.000-07:00

A black engaged couple gunned down and killed right after returning home from their engagement party.

Read the article here.

They are still together on the other side, that is the only comfort I can say out of this tragedy. I am saying a prayer to God for all of the engaged women who read my blog, and my fiance, thanking Him for getting us this far and hoping that we all can get to the next stage in our lives that we are so excited for, God willing.

This is unbelievable.

Ceremony Ideas

2010-04-07T13:03:00.001-07:00

We think we would like to do a sand ceremony. With pink and white sand. Another project for me to do.

(I love how the fiance sits back and does NOTHING FOR THIS WEDDING. I mean, I don't do much either, there's not that much we HAVE to do, but still. Why is the responsibility always on the bride? Don't mind me, I'm PMS-ing. The wedding of my dreams would have been eloping in a beautiful place. Whatever.)

And I think I would like to have one, or both, of the following pieces read at the ceremony:

"The Art Of Marriage"
by Wilferd A. Peterson

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

And "Love" by Roy Croft:

I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.
I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.
I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you can’t help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.
I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.

What are you doing for your ceremony?

Engagement Pictures

2010-03-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

(click on the pictures to make them larger)

Our default prom-pose picture, lol.

Some pop-art inspired photos.

And here we are on the ranch. You'll see some pictures of Mr. Pink (his new nickname on my blog) helping me off of my "high horse" lol.

I'm in love with a cowboy.

For the most part, I decided to just shut up and let you enjoy the pictures? What do ya think? I have more photos, each time I look there are new favorites. I had a few solo shots of my own that I might post later. I still don't have all of the pictures yet, I'll post more when I do.

Bought the Veil

2010-03-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Huge item tacked off of my list! *Wipes sweat from brow*

I ordered my veil today online at wedding-veils.com. They are awesome because I was able to order a few swatches for free and match them to my dress.

I ended up ordering the following veil in pink ($15 extra) with pink edges ($10 extra). With shipping it came out to $65. I should be expecting it in the mail in 6 to 8 business days.

Here it is:

And the back.

I feel like a real bride. Again. One small step for me, a giant leap for my wedding!

I loved the website, they had a lot of options as far as length, and customizing with rhinestones/pearls/edges. A lot of the veils were displayed with multiple photos and these intense 360 degree videos!

I wanted to stop shelling out money so I got a simpler veil, and I kind of the thought the fact that it was pink would make a statment on its own. I'm sure my mom and I could garnish it with rhinestones or something if we really want to. I decided that I did not want a chapel or floor length veil like I originally thought because I fell in love with this one. I hope its not the coy looking model in the photo that's pulling the wool over my eyes! JK I know I like the veil. Can't wait to have it in my hands!

Pretty Bouquets

2010-03-28T04:39:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize, until talking to a florist, that bouquets come in shapes. Then I started looking at pictures and started comparing bouquets. And I think I found the shape that I like (images taken from theknot.com):

All of the bouquets I like have orchids and calla lilies. Onto the bouquet shapes I definitely do NOT like.

1. Ones that seem to drape or spill over:

Although this one is pretty once it's held to the side:

2. Perfectly round shape. So boring:

3. Long bouquets, like this all calla lily one:

4. And this one, I had never seen before. It reminded me of an octagon:

I know I do not like bouquets that have only one sort of flower. I think two bad examples of those (for my tastes) are purely peonies, or purely calla lilies. I have no clue what my bouquet will be like yet. Hopefully orchids are in season because I love them! Although my birth flower is a rose. Maybe we'll mix those in there.

The Wedding is Bejeweled

2010-03-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Originally, I was going to get around to doing a post about the accessories I decided on for my Bridesmaids. I ended up getting Pearls for My Girls.

Here they are:

They are a light pink and are meant to not drape but be just around the neckline. I'm sure there's a term for that but I'm not sure what. Would you believe I found these beauties at Burlington Coat Factory? Bride on a budget gets an A+ for that one!It looks so pretty when I play around with all five sets. (Sorry I'm too lazy to take pics).

All of my bridesmaids seemed happy with the idea. I guess they're just glad they don't have to wear those jackets I almost bought them. Lol! But the pearls are lovely.

Now, here are my jewels. I just found them yesterday. I love how allowing plenty of time for the wedding has allowed me to just get things as I go, instead of having to make a mad rush for anything. I fell in love with this set:

18 karat white gold and swarovski crystal in *pink*! I feel so pretty with it on, even in a white t-shirt! This is my camera phone. My sim card on my camera is acting up.

**I managed to get the below picture off my actual camera.

The pictures don't do it justice. It looks so clean and the white gold is just as dazzling as the pink gems. I am happy that I'm super excited about my jewelry, something I didn't even really think about and actually thought would be kind of boring. It makes up for the jitters I someteimes still get when I think about my pink dress. IMO, this jewelry wouldn't look right with a white dress.

Anyhoo, next I just have to get a veil! And then lingerie for under the dress! And then maybe I'll be done with this whole shopping-for-a-wedding-thing! (And maybe a bracelet since I will not be wearing the other one I brought now that I have come to my senses.)

Photographer Good on His Word

2010-03-26T16:48:00.000-07:00

The pictures are in! Just a matter of me going to pick them up on Wednesday. Apparently, I missed his call when I could have come to pick them up this week. :/ Just didn't want to leave you guys hanging. I'll show you them as soon as I have them!

Grading the E-Pic Experience

2010-03-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

Well, we are officially done with our engagement pictures! It was a very exciting experience. It feels like a huge thing to have checked off of our list, and makes the wedding seem more real and like it's getting closer!

Lol. I've been measuring our progress on wedding plans based on school breaks. This Spring Break is the last break I get until the summer, when we have our wedding! I'll update you on our progress in a bit.

For now, I would like to tell you about our engagement photo session to hold you over while we wait for the pics.

We did two shoots. One at the Phoenix Civic Park, and then we drove about forty minutes to a family friend's ranch and took pictures with a set of matching horses.
I wore two outfits at the park, two at the ranch. My fiance wore two at the park, one at the ranch.

Allow me to list the pros and cons from the day.

Pros:

-PERFECT weather. Blue skies, puffy clouds. Everything I could have asked for on a March day.
-Great outfits, thanks to me. I hadn't even really pieced them all together until the day before and day of. I actually ran to Target the morning of to get a "cow girl" hat for the horses shoot, and came out with two shirts for me and my guy plus a great hat.
-Hair and make-up were done. My skin was great!
-We had perfect timing and got on our horese at our second photo shoot right before sunset.

Cons:
-Started an hour late. MIL was holding up the process. She did my make-up and was our ride for the photo shoots, so it could not have been avoided. And she brought her man and her daughter with us.
-Photographer needed a ride! He didn't have his own car, something I did not know about. There were six of us in one four door car. (Me, MIL, her man, her daughter, fiance and photographer. This is when my small frame comes in handy, cuz I sat up front between MIL and fiance and at least we weren't cramped.)
-Horses were not glammed out like we were promised. Not to point the finger, but I'm positive that planning is not a strength of my MIL. We've known about this date for how many months now? And we show up to the ranch with the horses and they didn't even "know" we were coming? Okay. Whatever. Horses are horses, whether they have flowers and jewels braided in their tails or not. (sad face)
-Photographer was a little unprofessional, a little moody, and a little lazy at times.

Overall grade for the day: B+/A-

Hmm. Looks like there were more cons than pros. But I'm pretty critical so I guess those would stand out in my mind more.

Let me rant about the photographer! Okay, how are you a professional photographer by telling us to do whatever and laughing at us because we don't know how to take pictures? After awhile we need some ideas, and that's where his help could have came in. All he knew how to do was direct us for posed pictures. I ended up pulling a lot of inspiration from what I've seen other people do. Thank goodness I had looked at E-Pics before. I don't think our photographer has done candid shots in a public setting, he's used to studios and models who can really ham it up for the camera. In other words, not us. Grr.

My next issue is I had some ideas of places I thought would make a good photo and he said no like three times. Um, your camera should be good enough to take pictures of us wherever we want to go! And if you're going to tell me "No" I want it backed up with your expertise.

He would say three in the afternoon was a horrible time to shoot pictures. Um, don't let your client know what is wrong! Make it right. And you're the one who said we HAD to do two shoots in one day, so one of them had to be at three p.m. if the other one was going to be at sunset. Grr!

So after the park, and two outfit changes, we headed out for the second photo shoot at a ranch. And if I sound mad, allow me to reassure you, I really wasn't that mad. Lol.

When we got to the ranch, we had to sit and wait for the kind folks to get the horses washed down and saddled up. We sat for maybe twenty to twenty five minutes talking, catching up with the family who owned the horses. I hinted that we should take pictures instead of sitting around, but he said something about waiting for the horses. Okay, great. But we can take pics without them too. I let it pass, but before long I had to pick up the photographer by his boot straps and say "Okay, let's take pictures now." I mean, we were dressed up so why not get more photos? I'm glad we did. BTW this guy is older than us! Like almost thirty! Get with it! No wonder you don't have a car. How does laziness earn money?

And then, to cap it off, when we got on the horses, we wanted to do multiple poses and I heard him say "That's enough now, it's getting to be too many shots to go through." Are you kidding me?! I ignored that. I said out loud "This is the only time we'll do something like this, we need to take pictures while we can." Lo and behold, we get off and the next thing I know he's riding the horses and taking pics with the family. Oh. Kay.

(Side note: If he isn't used to doing e-pics, shouldn't he be happy to have a lot of shots with a GREAT looking couple-lol-in a GREAT setting? Don't you need to build your portfolio so you can attract clients, make more money, and maybe get your own car some day? Geez).

I was happy regardless because the photographer at least had the decency to try to be sly about his attitude so I never felt like I had to actually confront him. And my fiance and I were having a great time. I was just happy because the pictures will speak for themselves. And we're not paying a lot at ALL because it is a packaged deal with the wedding, so. I'm happy to have these pictures at all. He showed us some on the camera and they looked great already.

He said we'd get them in about a week. In all, I just think this experience has been really funny. It's nothing for me to get stressed about because in this situation I feel like as a couple, we're coming up. We aren't paying, it's a greeeaaat deal (you get what you pay for!) and pictures are pictures. We'll keep them forever.

If you're wondering why we used this guy, it's not only the price but our friends also another couple (and "models") recommended him. He already knew MIL by coincidence, so all those factors made us feel like it made sense. I think that is WHY we are getting such a good deal. Plus no one elese would give us the deal he's giving us, all the rights, a few prints, etc. for around $500 total. Yes, TWO SHOOTS and Wedding day, $500 total.

Notice none of the issues involved my mother in law once we actually made it to the shoots. She has played a big part in this wedding but she is not pushy at all. So that was a positive. And she was there to tell me to move my hair out of my face and other stuff the guys wouldn't have noticed.

I brought snacks with us that day which really came in handy because after the second shoot we were starving! I also brought along lotion, a lint roller, make-up bag, hair brush and comb. I would suggest bringing ample snacks and the only thing I didn't bring was wipes for my face. I usually use dry napkins, but I will look into those oil wipes other brides rave about. But my skin was pretty good anyway.

Whew. It was fun telling you about my experience! Hopefully you laughed and did a few "Uh-uh, no he didn't!"s with me. Good luck with your engagement photos! And if you've already had yours, hope it went well!

E-Pic Prep

2010-03-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

So, tomorrow we will be doing our engagement photo shoot with our photographer. Three months before the wedding. Is that late? Early? We didn't have Save-The-Dates so I don't think it matters.

To look more like my best self tomorrow, I have taken the night to prep myself for the photos. I will share with you the things I did:

1. Shampooed Hair. (I would've gone to the beauty college to get my hurr did but they are on Spring Break this week too!)

I used Pantene Pro-V "Beautiful Lengths" Shampoo

2. After lathering and rinsing twice, I deep conditioned with the Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Time Renewal Replenishing mask. With this, I combed through my hair and sat under a heating cap for twenty minutes to deep condition.

While I was conditioning, I started working on face/body.

3. I cleansed with my Clarins Gentle Cleanser for Normal/Combination Skin. Now, this I am using twice a day. I applied to face, neck, chest, back. I will be wearing a spaghetti strap dress! Usually, I just do the face and neck.

4. Then I exfoliated with Prescriptives Immediate Smooth Exfoliator. The line closed down in January so I won't post pics because you can't go out and buy it. But I got rid of dead skin! Which is what exfoliators are supposed to do. This is the point where I looked at my skin and went "Ooh, la la!" It looked good :)

5. I moved on to using my Clarins HydraQuench Cream Mask. I left it on for 5 minutes.

6. Then I followed directions and removed with a toner. I used Clarins Toning Lotion with Camomile for Normal or Dry Skin to wipe it away.

I will put on a moisturizer from Clarins tonight.

Now, I am no expert. This post is for the sole purpose of inspiring the future brides out there to consider their beauty routine and it's importance leading up to E-Pics and Wedding Pics (and bridal shower, anniversary pics, etc., etc.) I am using these things with pretty normal results. I haven't used any of these products long enough to rave about them. But when I do, I'll update you on my progress!

If you have skin issues that you need to take care of, I suggest actually going and talking to some women at the make-up counters at the mall that offer skincare. Some big ones are Clarins, Clinique, Estee Lauder and Lancome. My MIL works at Clarins, after having worked at Prescriptives, so I'm lucky to have her expertise.

Don't let the make-up women upsale you on a lot of things; for oily skin I suggest starting with a 3-step system (cleanser, toner, moisturizer)and working your way up from there. Prices can range from $16-40 a piece. You can usually hit up deals that require you to buy one or two items and get one or two free. This is when I add on things like masks or exfoliators. I am in college and freugal!

I know plenty of people who swear by other brands like Clean & Clear and Neutrogena. Whatever you buy, don't skimp on your routine and do it twice a day of it calls for it! I'll try to follow my own advice :)

I can say my skin is much better than it was in high school now that I cleanse, tone and moisturize regularly.

Whatever your beauty routine, you'll feel sure of the results and them paying off when you feel good prepping for your pictures.

Other steps I did to prep for tomorrow:

7. Made sure I shaved. I will be showing legs and pits (maybe?) tomorrow. I do this regularly, I swear! Lol.
8. Filed and painted nails
9. Laid out and ironed outfits

Let's hope I am satisfied with my look in my pictures tomorrow.

Simplicity

2010-03-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

So, I don't want to buy anything else for this wedding. NO MORE. I don't want to junk up my wedding with all of these "deals" I've found.

It's time for me to take inventory. So far, a la Dollar Tree/Michael's we will have:

Around 16 or so paper lanterns. Orange, Hotpink, White, and Yellow.
4 bamboo torches.
A basket for the programs.
Bride/Groom signs.
2 shepherd's hooks with DIY pomanders.
A thank you sign for the card table.
I bought about candles in pink and yellow for the tables.
I bought enough materials (gerber daisies and stryfoam squares and ribbon) to make around 5 pomanders (minus the two on the shephard's hooks). Maybe the remaining three will hang around the gazebo)

And my mom and I haven't made fans yet, but there will be fans, in white. AND THAT IS IT! I don't want to junk up my wedding! Sometimes just a few nice touches are enough. I am thinking we will have a beautiful welcome table and cake table. Not to mention I haven't even met the florist guy who MIL is raving about. He is apparently going to make some pretty pieces for the ceremony. But as far as buying a bunch of stuff for every single table to be decked out-I think it is unnecessary.

Now I'm wondering what I'm going to do with the lanterns. Originally they were going to be centerpieces for each table, but if I don't like that, maybe I won't even use them. MIL is not overbearing, but she does not believe in junk. I DO! I can imagine her exclamation of surprise if I don't use the lanterns. We shall see.

Here's a picture of the gazebo and ceremony space again. I'm loving the shade! Everytime we go there, there is plenty of shade. The guests will be thankful! Hell, I'll be thankful. Doesn't it look nice, just as it is?

And here it is, in my opinion, "junked up."

Maybe I am too harsh and critical. But whatever decorations I have better look NICE or I'm axing it. I guess I should make it known that in my family I am known to be an extreme minimalist. I throw things away alot, and with a passion. I hate the idea of junk or clutter.

Surprising The Groom Getaway Style Update 3/6

2010-02-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about getting a chauffered car for our getaway, and surprsing my fiance with it after the reception.

I know I can afford to rent a Lincoln Town Car for an hour with a chauffer:

But I really want a Rolls Royce:

I called around and know I can get the Lincoln for an hourly rate of $55-72. The problem is I'd have to figure out where are we going to go. Straight to the airport? To a hotel? To our new place (once we have one, lol?) Idk. I haven't even seen a quote for the Rolls Royce but I know it's out of my league.

*Update: So, I found a place that will rent a 1961 classic Rolls Royce for $270. That is the price of the two hour minimum. I will have to see if it goes down closer to the date. I'm glad I found this, since the fiance thinks that Lincoln Town Cars are more for business execs!

Cute Favor Boxes

2010-02-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

From Pinkavenuebride.com

These are gerber daisies, like the flowers I brought from dollar tree. Kind of makes me wish I gave a crap about favors.

Dollar Tree Aisle Decor

2010-02-23T13:31:00.000-08:00

I was reading My Dream Ring and was reminded of how much I love Dollar Tree. I ran over to see what they had and got some AWESOME items to use for the ceremony decor. I need to stop buying things! But its so cheap, how can I say no?

Here's what I got:

Four 4 ft bamboo torches. Woohoo! I decorated them with the flowers I bought last spring from Dollar Tree. They really go with the summer theme of my wedding, and I hadn't even thought of them before! We will probably light them once the sun sets. And fyi, it does not come with oil to burn you have to get it elsewhere (I'll let you know when I know)

Two 42 inch Shephard's hooks. Pictured here it is seen hanging what is the beginning stages of my DIY pomander that will be on it. (BTW, is it still a pomander if it's a styrofoam square and not a sphere?)

I only bought two because I don't want to go overboard. But believe me I could have bought like eight of them! The aisle is pretty short, so I can skimp on decorations. But that doesn't mean this ceremony decor hasn't got me really excited.

And a I bought a fan-because it was pink!-to keep me cool. It's small enough to fit in my whatever purse I use for the day. I wish they had black fans for my bridesmaids! I'll go back in a few weeks.

I couldn't help but snap a few pics of these for any brides out there who may be doing a nautical theme:

So cute! The boat frames would be awesome for table numbers. The figurines would go well on a welcome table.

And because I never showed you (because I can't get a decent picture with my real camera either!) here's my DIY invites. The border is a shimmery silver, it features a bow, adhesive gemstone, and then adhesive pearl. We packed some in silver envelopes, some in plain old white. The bows were handmade by my bridesmaids and I and then super glued on. People were really impressed with them! My sis said she thought I went to a printing shop. All envelopes were sealed with silver "You're Invited" circular stickers.

Anyway the other things I got from dollar tree, not pictured: two more lanterns (I bought a bunch in the summer; they came back!), two Princess Tiana bathbooks to gift to my flowergirl, and a miniature display easel in silver to hold up my "Thank You" plaque on the gift table. If this doesn't inspire you to go to Dollar Tree, I don't know what will. You can visit their website here: www.dollartree.com

My First! The Sugar Doll Award

2010-02-18T09:23:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to the lovely bride Sony over at Bridal Bliss. She tagged me in my first award ever, The Sugar Doll Award.

Now that I have been awarded, I am supposed to list 10 things about myself, and then tag 10 other blogs that I would like to award this to! Hopefully I took so long to post this, because what can I say? Well, here I go.

10 Things About Me

1. Past celebrity crushes include: Pharell Williams, Shia Lebeouf, Blair Underwood, Mario. Well, they're all still pretty current :)
2. I want to have children after I have started my career. I pray that I have a girl first!
3. I could not pick a maid of honor because two of my sisters will be in the wedding. So we're not having one, or a best man!
4. I am so indecisive. Scared of making the wrong decision.
5. I wrote for my state newspaper, The Arizona Republic, my sophomore year in college.
6. I was also a Resident Assistant/Community Assistant in my dorm sophomore year. The person who is in charge of their floor and keeping up the rules. Yeah, I broke up a few beer pong parties!
7. Amerie's first album, All I Have, was the soundtrack to my life. Could listen to it from start to finish and love every second of it!
8. I love pretty much all of the color combinations for weddings that I see. My favorites have been green-brown-ivory, black-white-turquoise, gold-white-ivory.
9. I am soooo happy I found wedding blogs. Without them, where would I be?
10. Speaking of #9, I noticed a classmate of mine with a ring on her finger. She is engaged, and getting married in four weeks! She looked stressed. I asked her did she have any favorite wedding blogs she read. She said "What are those?" Now I know why she's stressed. I didn't have the heart to rec commend any to her because I thought she'd just be angry over seeing all the stuff she missed out on/didn't think about/didn't know about. :(

There you go! And now I am tagging:

Bridezilla? I think not!!!
Chocolate Rose
JEM Aqua Bride
Musings By Ivy
Eat, Drink & Get Married
Thoughts of the All Consumed Bride

Tying the Bridesmaids Together

2010-02-16T20:47:00.001-08:00

So, I am concerned about making sure the bridal party all matches. I want everyone to pick their own black dress, and I will provide them with something to tie it all together. The items I am looking at were found on etsy.

What do you think...Go with a sash, that is $10 and I don't have to worry about sizing.

We would tie it under the bustline of each bridesmaid and then make a bow or knot in the back.

Or a bolero, like this one? It makes a statement. Hopefully no one hates it?

This may be doing a LOT, but maybe we can have two bridesmaids with one accessory and three with the other? I like the idea of playing with the number five since that's how many bridesmaids I have. Have to consult with my bridesmaids. Ivy, tell me what you think!

Our first wedding registry gift!

2010-02-16T19:29:00.000-08:00

This beautiful 16 piece dish set from Target, courtesy of my sister!

Thanks sis! I love the color, I think it would look nice on any table. Hopefully I can throw down a good meal on this. Or the hubby can ;)

And don't worry. I wouldn't do something as tacky as list every single gift we get on my blog. I just was excited, because it was the first one and when it comes to gifts, I'm always like "Gifts? Lil ole me?" She ordered it on Valentine's Day. How sweet!

Cake Guessing Myself

2010-02-16T19:12:00.000-08:00

I meant the title to be a play on second guessing myself about cakes. *cough*

I went back to the cake baker's website. And I remember even as I was leaving the cake tasting that day, there were so many designs I was in love with. How could I be in love with the original one I chose?

If we're spending a few hundered dollars on a cake (even if it is a gift from a lovely family member) shouldn't it be the most extravagant looking one we're getting for the price?

This cake just screams elegance. I love the variety of designs on the different layers, it is visually appealing:

This cake is luxurious, especially in person. I love that weird ribbon thing it has going on. Beautiful.

This cake stole my heart when I first looked at the website. It's just so simple and unassuming. Humble. Like you would think "Wow, look at this couple. They're doing all the right things. They're in it for LOVE, not to show off some fancy pants dessert."

It reminds me of one of those backyard weddings people only blog about where the atmosphere is cozy and loving and not trying to impress anyone.

But then look at this:

Don't you just love it? It screams wedding, tradition. Ahhh, how could I ever decide? I wish someone would just pick for me. Would you? Tell me which one you like best. (FYI the first pic in this post was my second choice for a cake)

Flower Girl Dress!

2010-02-16T18:59:00.000-08:00

This just in: my sister sent me a link of the dress she purchased for her three year old daughter, our flower girl in the wedding.

It is from JC Penny and was very affordable at $27! It is light pink, though it looks beige.

Here is where you can see the dress

BC Experience + E-Pic Outfit #1

2010-02-06T11:41:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I couldn't wait to try out Maricopa Beauty College and I am excited to tell you that it went really well!

I went last Saturday, as a walk-in. They forewarned me that Saturday was their busiest day, so I lugged all of my books there(included my Shakespeare anthology that ofen elicits the question: Why are carrying the dictionary around with you?) I expected a long wait.

I told them I wanted a wash, deep condition, and to put in a few tracks. (I normally don't wear extensions, but I had a small amount of hair left over from when I did a pageant back in Nov.).

I was surprised when they saw me RIGHT AWAY, even though the place was might packed. A very sweet girl with fiery red hair named Lizette took care of me. She washed, deep conditioned, blowdried, braided in my extensions in the back, and flat ironed, and shaved the ends of my hair. Ooh, la la.

And how much did this all cost? $23!!! Seriously. TWENTY THREE DOLLARS! I was soo happy. And I was sold. Now I could be like all the high profile girls at my university who go to the hair salon every week if I wanted to- for a fraction of the cost!!! But I'll just go every other week :)

Here's a pic of my hair a week later (I need to flat iron it, but it's still pretty good. Excuse the face, please!)

It blends tremendously well when I actually brush it. I regret that I was lazy and did not take a picture last week when it was fresh. I hate pictures!

Needless to say, I have an appointment scheduled with the same girl who did my hair for Friday the twelfth. She will wash and deep condition, and I'm gonna have her make it extra curly. My hair holds curls pretty welll and I'll just touch them up over the weekend for V-Day. And I also told them to put me down for my eyebrows, nails with overlays, and a pedicure.

Hope you guys can follow my initiative and try out a beauty school near you! Hopefully it turns out well. It might be worth it try some cheap hair trials for your wedding day ;)

And moving on. I work at a clothing store, Wet Seal. They have been my favorite supplier of trendy clothes since I could shop for myself at the age of fourteen. I was on the hunt for my Valentine's Day outifit at my job yesterday and we just got this new dress in. Had to have it! I will definitely be wearing it for our engagement shoot in March.

With my 40% discount I couldn't pass it up. But, it's still pretty affordable, at only $27.50 regular price. You can see it for yourself at the website here

I also bought shoes for Valentine's Day that I think I could wear with the dress at our shoot(Not sure if I will though).

I got them from my store on clearance for $15. Not to mention their clearance is almost always "But One, Get One for a Penny." I got my shirt for Valentine's Day along with them. Either way, I def. will wear them for V-day. I'm sooo excited for the holiday!

Pamper The Bride Within (While Cutting Costs!)

2010-01-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

If you are a DIY bride, chances are you don't have the biggest budget. But that doesn't mean you have to miss out on the luxuries big-spending brides live by!

Why not tap into a local cosmetology school for pampering services at minimal costs? Just search in your state (google or yahoo)and you should be able to find one. These schools don't just do makeup and hair! They do skincare, nails, body treatments, and waxing! And everything is done under the supervision of a licensed professional.

For example, the one I found offers the following services that I am interested in:

Deluxe European Facial for 1 hour $17.50
(add-ons like customized facial mask, for an extra $5)
Full Body Spa Massage for 1 hour $17.50
French Twist and Up-do's $15 to $25
Hair extensions $10 an hour
Shampoo and Styles $5.50
Eyebrow Arch/Lip $4 each

A cool idea for strapless gown brides, a one hour back facial for $17.50.

Someone please tell me they are thinking about doing this. I will be calling this school tomorrow to set up appointments to primp myself for Valentine's Day and our engagement shoots in March. I will let you know what services I choose and how it all turns out!

Arizona brides, the school I'm talking about is maricopabeautycollege.com.

Oh, and FYI...

2010-01-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

We're paying of the wedding venue today!

Feels good. This is where the majority of our budget is going, and glad we could pay for it ourselves.

Lol at this photo! I wish!

My Next DIY Project

2010-01-18T10:36:00.000-08:00

Yay! I thought of another project to do. I am so happy, because it seems easy, it is another craft, and will really make a statement at my ceremony!

I'm going to make my very own....

Wedding fans! I'm sure it will be a hit with the guests because it will be June in Arizona, hello!

I got the idea after browsing a wedding product catalog sent to my home. They were so simple, just nice shaped paper on a popsicle stick. I thought "I could do that." Michael's would have a box of craft sticks somewhere, I'm sure. Then I knew it was a good idea when I presented the catalog to my mom.

Here's where I'm a master manipulator. (Haha, not really). Sometimes, when I want to get validation for a good idea, I'll present information to someone else the same way I received it and let them connect the dots. I showed my mom the fans.

And she said, "We could make those."

And I said "With what?"

"Popsicle sticks?"

"Mom, that's exactly what I was thinking!"

Brilliant, I know. I'm just happy that I have another simple project to do and my mom actually agreed to do it with me. So we got on the computer and started messing around and made the design we will put on them. Can't wait to show you guys! But we will make the fans closer to the wedding date because we don't want them sitting around for five months. I'll show you a mock-up though. Who else is making fans?

Goodies

2010-01-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

Well, last week when I went to Michael's the cashier gave me some 50% off coupons to use for this week.

So I went in with the intent of getting my last batch of butterflies for the cake, and the gift bags I had eyed that I wanted to use for my bridesmaids gifts. I got exactly what I was looking for, and nothing else!

Here are the butterflies in the package.

And here is one of the butterflies. It is on a pliable wire which will make it easy to stick in all kinds of places (baskets, cake, fg's hair).

I was happy I found this package of 12 butterflies for $4.99. I didn't even see them until the last minute, and was about to buy a pack of 3 small ones for $2.99. Well, these looked way better and gave me variety in color and size. I think I am all done with the butterflies, I should have enough to use them wherever I need them! Once the coupon was applied, they came out to be about $2.63.

And these gift bags came in a package of 13.

There are four polka dot, four striped, and five floral patterned bags. The cost was $7.99 and I had another 50% off coupon so they were around 4.60ish.

They are pictured with the *start* of what will be my bridesmaids giftbags.

I bought the lotion from bath and body works during their after Christmas sale. The scent is Pink Grapefruit and it smells great. I love how it goes with my theme! It will definitely go with the feel of a summer wedding, and citrus is my favorite base for any smell. I hope my bridesmaids like it! I like how I was able to tie that in with my theme :)

I will use the other bags for gifts for my MIL, and her sister who agreed to do the programs (!!!), my mother and any other important women who are helping out with the wedding.

Wedding Inspiration

2010-01-13T13:16:00.001-08:00

All photos were taken from theknot.com

A Special Breakfast for the Bride and Groom

2010-01-12T17:07:00.001-08:00

(image taken from gettyimages.com)

So I am very close with my MIL. She is a wonderful woman with great ideas, and she has been a wonderful source of support for my relationship with my fiance.

Yesterday, while we were out doing errands, she intorduced a brilliant idea to us. She thinks the day of the wedding, we should have a special breakfast set up just for the two of us. It will be a chance for the two of us to actually eat breakfast that day (very important!) and share a special private moment.

I love the idea. I always liked the sentementality of a first look, and this way we will be getting one in our own special way.

Here is what I would love to see on our dream breakfast menu:

French toast
Easy over eggs
Beef or turkey beacon
Fresh Strawberries and peaches
Toast and Jam
Tea and orange juice

Well, that's just what I have a taste for today. The menu is subject to change. I imagine we will be dressed in robes like this:

And we will talk and laugh and have our own special moment. It sounds nice.

We have to figure out what we will eat and where. I really hope things go as planned so we can fit this into our schedule. Are you doing anything outside of tradition on your wedding day that will be special for you and your groom?

We Have Chosen Our Cake

2010-01-12T01:41:00.000-08:00

Today was a busy wedding day for myself, MIL, fiance and one of my bridesmaids. We spent the day finalizing some key wedding points to check off on "the list." First up was our baker for our wedding cake!

This is the design both the fiance and I loved. We will tweak the colors. We will add flowers from the florist in the colors of orange and yellow. In place of the white ribbon design that borders the base of each layer, we will have it in hot pink. We will probably add a butterfly to the top of the cake to match our theme (I will go out to Michael's and buy more, even if they are regular price).

Our cake will be three tiers and serve 82 people. We are not planning on freezing the top layer of the cake to eat a year later on our anniversary-that really adds to the serving size. The top layer will be red velvet (groom's favorite), the second layer will be triple chocolate, and the third layer will be lemon. We tasted the flavors and they were wonderful!

Our vendor is Brian with mygoodnesscakes.com, here in Phoenix, AZ. We met him today and he was so genuine, helpful and professional. We trust him to do a good job. He gave us a quote and we will finalize and actually tell him we chose him some time next week.

Things I like about the cake:

1. Square shape! I love square cakes. And square cakes mean more servings!
2. Its simplistic, clean and sophisticated look.
3. The bright colors will really stand out against the white fondant. (We chose white, not colored.)
4. The lemon layer! It's my favorite :)
5. My fiance and I both liked it the most of all the designs!

We only looked at one cake vendor. That's all I (we) needed!

Then we met with the photographer, who agreed to do two engagement photo shoots with us at the request of my MIL. She has great connects and he is very affordable.

I am excited; one of the shoots will be where I originally dreamed of doing our engagement pictures, the Civic Space Park in Phoenix.

It just opened a year ago. It was seconds from the dorm I lived in last year and I fell in love with the space because it is beautiful and modern. Phoenix is the desert, meaning we don't have a lot of grea parks to choose from. The light rail stations are also edgy and cool, and will make for great pictures. We will do the shoot during Spring Break in March. We will also have two photographers at the wedding.

I am surprised at how things are coming together; especially since I thought we would probably have no vendors because of the cost. Weddings are so expensive! Our families have been so, so, supportive and our wedding is really turning out to be a collaborative effort. I am glad, because we can have some really nice things like a fancy schmancy wedding cake, nice photography, and good music.

I'll keep you updated on whatever else we tackle! I'm starting to feel like a real bride. I never thought I would go cake tasting! Lots more details to tell you in the coming days.

Entering For A Giveaway

2010-01-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Wow, so I'm entering for a giveaway for a cardbox! The gracious JEM Aqua Bride is giving away a handmade cardbox for FREE to a lucky follower in the color/theme of their choice!

She is an awesome bride, and has so many cool ideas. If you liked any of my DIY projects, you'll love hers! Especially her cardbox :) The above picture is her very own handmade cardbox, and it goes perfect with her Tiffany's themed wedding. Isn't it beautiful?

Even if you're not a bride, you could gift this to someone, use it for a birthday party, or if you are a bride and have a cardbox, why not use it for your bridal shower?

Head on over to her blog, and enter yourself for the contest by January 15th. And wish me luck!

Flower Girl Basket and Other Projects

2010-01-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Just call me the dollar bride. I am a student and broke. But when the craft bug hits, like now on a break from school, I can go find inexpensive ways to fulfill my craving for crafts and add to my overall vision of my wedding day.

Say hello to the practice runs of my flower girl and card baskets. I bought the small pink, heart shaped one for about $1 at a Goodwill.

The hot pink basket will be used for cards, most likely, and was $1.99.

I thought the hot pink one could be used for programs, if my MIL's sister decides to gift them to us. MIL said she would ask her sister to do our programs, because her sister did invitations for her wedding years ago. BUT! In case her sister does not decide to do programs for us, we will use this basket for cards. (I don't think I can make an actual card box. Am I the only bride doing a card "basket"?)I am NOT making programs for this wedding. I refuse. So, either her sister makes them for us or there won't be any :)

Anyway. On to my practice mock-ups of the baskets. I found these beautiful butterflies for $1 each in the dollar section of a Michael's:

I grabbed all that I could. Two pink, and six yellow. I think I will use these butterflies on my bouquet and the bouquets of my bridesmaids. (mine + bms=6). The last two butterflies will go on both baskets, I'm thinking it will look something like this:

Flower girl Basket

I did a bad angle. I swear the butterfly and the flower on it is not that huge. (Ugh, ignore the nacho cheese in the background, lol)

And here is the Card/Program (lol) Basket

On the card basket are all the colors we will use to decorate for our reception: orange, yellow, and hot pink. I was inspired by the Colors of Summer for our reception color scheme. I think the butterflies go nicely with our summer theme, and I look forward to incorporating butterflies into our decor more. I have rekindled my childhood love for butterflies!

I have a lot of silver, glittery letters left over from my bride/groom sign project. So I made a Thank You sign to go on our gift table:

I will also use the left over letters to put the letters "FG" on the flower girl basket and the word "Cards" on the card basket (Ok, so I guess I'm pretty sure we're not getting programs, lol)

What do you think? Was anything too much on the baskets? I was inspired by the stuff you find on Etsy.

And now for my money rant:

Okay, honestly, I bet you could do a challenge to do literally almost all of your wedding decor items for $1 per item. I have found and seen soooo many things for $1: baskets, buckets, ribbon, invitations, flower stalks, tulle, thank you notes and envelope sticker seals with initials, floral gems, etc. Brides out there who want to spend as less as possible, or just want deals where they can afford to skimp, please become friends with the dollar section of stores you go to like Target and Michael's. And the dollar store!

The big butterflies I bought today were a dollar each. They had smaller, individual butterflies regularly priced at Michael's literally two aisles over, for triple and quadruple that! I feel lucky these were $1. That's enough for my rant. Lol.

Fun Info For my Readers

2010-01-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

From Aqua Bride, who borrowed this from a bride who borrowed from a bride, etc.

1. What are your middle names?
Ahmed and Ansari.

2. How long have you been together?
4 years, 3 mos

3. How long did you know each other before you started dating?
About five weeks

4. Who asked who out?
I asked him to the homecoming dance. He asked me to be his girlfriend.

5. How old are each of you?
20 and he is 22.

6. Did you go to the same school?
Yes, high school for one year together and then the same undergrad college.
He graduates in May! I graduate next May.

7. Are you from the same home town?
Nope

8. Who is the smartest?
He's better at science. I'm better at writing. I think we're equally matched. I do think I CAN be a bit more immature at times.

9. Who majored in what?
He is premed biochemistry. I am English, formerly journalism. (I do NOT want to teach, I want to work in book publshing)

10. Who is the most sensitive?
Me, hands down. But sometimes his sensitivy can shock me, in a good way.

11. Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
To Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on a cruise.

12. Who has the worst temper?
Me.

13. How many children do you want?
I want three. He says no more than four.

14. Who does the cooking?
He does, but I help out if we get desperate. Haha! But I plan on cooking when we get a place. He can eat fastfood for days.

15. Who is more social? He is.

16. Who is the neat freak?
I am.

17. Who is the most stubborn?
He is.

18. Who wakes up earlier?
He does.

19. Where was your first date?
School gymnasium.

20. Who has the bigger family?
He does.

21. Do you get flowers often?
Only on major holidays. Well, he has randomly given them to me a few times. But I always want flowers! haha

22. How do you spend the holidays?
Take turns with our families.

23. Who is more jealous?
I am.

24. How long did it take to get serious?
About two to three months. We fell hard fast.

25. Who eats more?
He does.

26. What do you do for a living?
Student. I hold down internships and a part time job. Right now I review books for a journal.

27. Who does the laundry?
I usually help him with his by doing it at my parent's house. He has so much friggin' laundry!

28. Who's better with the computer?
He is.

29. Who drives when you are together?
Him. Sometimes I do.

30. What is your song?
Don't have one.

Now fill it out yourselves!

My Wedding Shoes

2010-01-06T09:37:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I went to the mall to kill time with one of my bridesmaid's. At the encouragement of my future MIL, I agreed that now is a good time to scope out sales post-holiday and before Valentine's Day picks up shoppers.

We went into Aldo Shoes and I saw the shoes. They were a beautifuuuul color and would go nice with my dress. I hadn't seen the color before. They are not gold, or silver. I asked the salesman what color they were. He said "They're like between gold and silver. Sort of like a pewter."

Well, technically they are "copper." I found them on their website, aldoshoes.com.

But to me, they are a neutral shimmery color that reminds me of pink without actually being pink. I love them. Not a steal at $69 but not anything to break the bank. I then went to Charlotte Russe and found a bracelet that matches the shoes, and I had to buy it:

This was a steal at $7.50. I am pretty sure I will wear this. Mom thinks its not wedding-y, and I need something delicate. I think it's cool and different. I love costume jewelry. We will see.

DIY: Bride and Groom Chair Signs

2010-01-04T19:59:00.001-08:00

I am happy today because I did a DIY project all by myself, and it looks great.

These are from my cell phone. Too lazy to break out my camera! Both signs together.

Sorry, for some reason my phone takes pictures really dark. The signs are bright white. I originally bought the plaques from Dollar Tree (!!!) and they were wooden. $1 each. Acrylic Paint was 89 cents from Michael's. (Titanium White from FolkArt). And The bows were left over ribbon from the invitations. Oh, and the ready made chipboard glitter letters, $5 from Michael's for 76 letters.

Love it! It was soooo easy.

Just make sure you have patience to let each side dry. Self explanatory, I know, but my impatience *almost* got in the way. So even if you aren't crafty, like moi, you can turn out some cute things if you plan it right. I'm so excited. I'm gonna keep them in ziplock bags because...um...the wedding isn't til June and I don't want anything to happen to these lovelies! (Or glitter to get everywhere).

I almost thought about jazzing these up with flowers in our colors. Turned out to be too much for me, but someone out there might take the idea and run with it!

Table Themes

2010-01-03T21:28:00.000-08:00

So, us modern brides know that we don't have to have table numbers anymore, right?

I mean, heck, why do that? We all know about the table themes of favorite destinations, or tables dedicated to favorite poems/books, or musicians. I even recently read a blog (mydreamring.blogspot.com) where the husband's love of Star Wars has lent its hands to their tables being named after planets from the movie.

I am a minimalist DIY bride. I just finished my invitations (which I did NOT do by myself, btw-the horror!). I'm moving on to my "bride" and "groom" reserved seating signs.

I'm thinking of adding something else. Maybe a theme, albeit an easy one(and maybe sort of lame) for our own tables. Inspiration? Both my name and my fiance's name begin with the letter N. We're having around 11 tables. So I started thinking, what if we did phrases that start with 'N' and pertain to love?

I have a list in my head:

Never Felt This Way
Needing You Always
Newly Wedded
Now and Forever
*Never Separate
Naturally, Yours
No One Else
No I Without You
Near and Dear to My Heart
Nothing Can Come Between Us
Nourish my mind, body and soul

Maybe I could figure out a pretty font and put it on pretty cardstock in our wedding colors. Hmmm.

I even started thinking any bride could do this, with what ever letter. Anyone have an M they need phrases for?

Made for eachother
Mines, Yours, Ours
Mi Amor
Must be Fate
Mr. and Mrs. (blank)
My Heart is Yours
Moments Like This

Or C?

Crazy in love
Comfort in You
Can't Be Apart
Constantly Thinking Of You
Commitment
Could This Be Heaven

Just an idea! What do you think? Any cool table themes you've come across?

* I had Never Felt this Way twice. Meant to say never separate. Thanks JEM Aqua Bride!

The Bridal Party Look

2009-12-23T12:55:00.000-08:00

The lovely bride (you've already seen this dress)

The groom's look. White with pink vest and tie.

My bridesmaids. They can choose their own black dress.
The groom's men. Black with pink vest/ tie.

The ring bearer.

And I haven't decided about the flower girls. They may wear white dresses or pink dresses. I put this on our wedding website too, so guests can have an idea of what it will look like. But I have not put up my actual wedding dress there, because I want it to be a surprise! What do you think? It took me awhile to figure out how to coordinate everything, though it probably looks simple now, lol.

A Little Color Psychology For Ya

2009-12-18T09:37:00.000-08:00

What Does the Color Pink Represent?

The color pink represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing.

Perfect! Just what I need to surround my wedding, and marriage!

A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits.

Ok, so I have a little white mixed in there. Good, good.

Pink is feminine and romantic, affectionate and intimate, thoughtful and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red replacing it with a gentle loving energy.

Yep, that sounds like me! :D

Pink is intuitive and insightful, showing tenderness and kindness with its empathy and sensitivity.

Aww...

In color psychology, pink is a sign of hope. It is a positive color inspiring warm and comforting feelings, a sense that everything will be okay.

Awesome. If anything happens on my wedding day, I'll be less likely to freak. And everyone around me, too.

Pink calms and reassures our emotional energies, alleviating feelings of anger, aggression, resentment, abandonment and neglect. Studies have confirmed that exposure to large amounts of pink can have a calming effect on the nerves and create physical weakness in people. Violent and aggressive prisoners have been successfully calmed by placing them in a pink room for a specified amount of time.

Yay! So I'll be a welcoming vision walking down the aisle. And creating physical weakness in people? Well, I want my groom to be weak in the knees when he sees me. I've got all my bases covered ;).

Hee hee. I love personality stuff like this. For as long as I can remember I've always been obssessed with color meaning, astrology, anything describing "personality." I don't know why! This was a fun way to brighten my spirits about the color of my dress. And what does white mean, for all you traditional brides?

The color white is cleanliness personified, the ultimate in purity!! This is why it is traditionally worn by western brides, and the reason why doctors wear white jackets.

White is color at its most complete and pure, the color of perfection. The color meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion.

In color psychology white is the color of new beginnings, wiping the slate clean, so to speak. It is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn't stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.

I've taken this information from the website that I linked to on the right side of the page. Each color has really long explanations,and you can apply it to your life as well. Find your personality color, the colors of other people you know, or figure out which color representations you should work into your life more. According to this site, there are reasons why you like and hate certain colors. Interesting stuff!

The actual color of my dress

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This is more true to the actual color of my dress. See the difference in the photos? Source.

Here is THE DRESS!!

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I brought this dress in July. I had followed bride timelines, and they said I should buy my dress 12-9 months before the wedding. These timelines were given to me by search engines.

I bought the dress online for a great deal. It came in the mail, and I loved it. Then I put it in a gown bag, which now sits in my closet.

As time has passed, little agonizing thoughts have started popping into my head. They are as follows:

Why did you get a pink dress?

Why didn't you just wait for white one to go on sale?

You tried on white dresses, nothing looked good, and they were all overpriced.

Why should you wear white? Because someone says so?

Remember when you saw Jennifer Lopez in that goooorgeous light pink gown years ago in a photo...You were only a kid...but you said you had to have a dress like that? Well, here's your chance.

Its probably the only day you could wear a big white dress and now you won't even do it.

Will I look like the energizer bunny?

Your mom and your bridesmaids loved the dress, especially when you tried it on. They wouldn't lie to you about it.
It was affordable. You didn't want a ceremonial wedding in the first place. All you need to do is relax, look good, and have a good time. No one's expecting the bride of the century.

You wanted the dress to be pale, pale. It's not the exact color pictured online.

Oh well.
(End of thoughts.)

Thinking about all of these things, I don't regret going for a colored dress. I hardly have regrets about anything, because it's so hard for me to make a decision, and when I do it's usually what I want. So maybe I'm just doubting myself for no reason. I don't regret buying it online, because I would never have found a unique, affordable dress in a bridal store. I only regret listening to this imposing bridal dress timeline. I change day to day, let alone a full year after purchasing a dress. I always scour the site, hoping I don't find another dress I love equally and wishing I would have gotten that one.

In all, I'm a little insecure. I do love the dress. And my skin is pretty dark, so even though the dress is not as pale as I would have hoped, maybe it will have the same effect on me?

Welcome to my world of stupid, girlish concerns. Don't laugh too hard.

Welcome to My World

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Today is the birthday of my fiance. How fitting that I should begin (again) my journey of blogging about our road to matrimony on this day.

Where do I start? We're engaged. We set the date. We booked the venue. I have the dress. We know the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Invitations will go out soon.

Oh yeah, I'm 20. Ok, got that out of the way.

And oh yeah, I'm the bride and I'm wearing pink. (!) That has inspired the title of my new blog. See how these things fit?

Well, I'm a little over 6 months from my wedding date, 6/12/10. And I had a blog (quietbride.blogspot.com) but I think this will be a better one for my ideas.

Let's see if I can keep this one up, shall we? I've got some things up my sleeve...