a button wedding

so I may have mentioned before that I'm incorporating antique buttons into our wedding. it started with a crazyyyy idea to just have button bouquets (inspired by something like this) and no fresh flowers at all. and then I woke up and realized I LOVE flowers, how could I even consider not having flowers at the wedding?? So I thought I would compromise and do fresh flower bouquets and then button bouquet centerpieces.
...and then I got frickin tired of making button flowers. I mean I didn't even make that many, it was more the idea of making that many of the darn things that exhausted me just thinking about it. so we're doing fresh flower bouquets AND fresh flower centerpieces.
...but I already had a gajillion old buttons (and ideas for the cake and favors already involved button-shaped candy), so I wanted to do something with them. My solution I just recently came up with: button flower pens, for the guest book. For the guest book we're not actually doing a real book, we're using this awesome recipe box my sister got for me, and asking people to write notes to us on index cards and then file them in the box by last name. So I thought we could put an index card at each place setting, and put a few of these button flower pens at each table, maybe with some crayons too so people can draw us pictures as well as write notes! I know the few kids there would have fun with that, and more than a handful of my friends and family will enjoy doodling a bit too. The pictures aren't great because I'm no pro photog but you should get the idea..
I'm really excited about how they're turning out, these little individual pens are a whole lot easier than making full bouquets.. Do you have a theme for your wedding that you thought of early on and then felt a bit, well, married to? Did you stick to it or scrap it? I'm glad I'm sticking to this one but I'm really glad I scaled it back a bit.

Mr & Miss Fairfax: Licensed to Wed

On the way back from the courthouse this afternoon, Mr. Fairfax said, "We are licensed to wed," in a sort of James Bond voice, and I knew I had a great blog post title! haha.

SO yeah we've got our marriage license!! I'M SO FRICKIN EXCITED. Sorry for the all-caps but we are 22 days away and it's all getting very real and awesome!!

If anyone's curious about marriage license deets for Virginia, here's a few points:

• license is $30, best paid in cash because they charge a 4% service charge for a credit card payment;
• both parties must be present, with photo ID;
• you can go to any courthouse in any VA county for a marriage license that is valid for a wedding anywhere in Virginia;
• license is valid for 60 days;
• if you go to the courthouse in Arlington (I'm guessing most courthouses in VA and elsewhere, not sure though), do not try to bring your cell phone or cameras or any other kind of recording device! We walked there from our apartment (a couple miles, in the incredibly blustery winds - yay car free lifestyle! *note extreme sarcasm*), so of course we had all this stuff on us (I was kinda hoping to document the whole process for the blog, so blame them for my one pic taken at home!), so we had to go across to the Detention Facility where they have little storage lockers you can use for 25 cents (or 50 cents, or 75 cents, depending on how much space you need). Not that big a deal but if you drive there, leave that stuff in the car!

The security guard was really nice, it was awesome when he said, "You two going to the 6th floor?" and pointed us in the direction of the elevators. I guess when you see young couples coming in with grins on their faces, you kinda know where they're headed. :)

The Ensemble -- Alternately Titled, "Go away, Mr. JeffMemorial!"

We're under the 70 day mark, which is just terrifying and exciting all at the same time. I now regularly get that "Oh my god! I'm getting married!" feeling. I mean, it's really happening!

Thankfully I have had most everything done for quite some time now considering this wedding has been almost two years in the making. While I am now tying up loose ends and firming up dinner reservations and winery tours for the honeymoon, for the most part I'm not feeling like I have left something undone. (Hooray!)

This does, of course, lead me to dwell on details. (A bride dwelling on details?! Next thing you know, I'll be telling you the sky is blue and water is wet!) Recently I've been pondering my whole wedding ensemble. It's taken a few months, but the whole look as finally come together... I think.

Well, I have the dress...

It's the dress picture above in this color (navy blue, for the click-through phobic), and no that's not me.

I also have the shoes.


I have Swarovski Bella Golden Earrings.

And I have a cute handmade clutch from Etsy seller "UpStyle"!

But I'm not really sold on wearing a necklace. I've asked a few people, and they're sort of split down the middle between "Absolutely no necklace! It'll take away from the dramatic neckline," and "Of course! That dress screams for a necklace!"

God, I feel silly writing this--pondering extensively over whether to necklace or not to necklace. I guess it's one of those things where, since I very rarely get dressed up, I want to do it right. And it's not just the necklace. It's an overall ensemble anxiety, which sounds pretty ridiculous. I love all of these pieces separately; let's hope they play well together, as well.

I am, however, inclined to say no to the necklace, favoring the "dramatic neckline" which is sad because there are so many beautiful bridal necklaces out there.

Part of me wonders if maybe I should have left a few actually important projects to the end of this planning process, heh. Then I wouldn't spend actual time thinking about frivolous stuff like this. Or maybe I should spend more time on my homework.

What little things did you surprisingly get hung up on?

Operation 31 Days and Counting: Mission 1, Out of Town Bags

So it is officially ON! Today marks 31 days before our wedding and I am pumped! (Ok, not really...this is just what I need to tell myself in order to attack the ridiculous amount of projects I need to get done...wah, wah, waaahhh). So, today, I am officially naming the rest of my engaged time "Operation 31 Days and Counting." Call me General Miss Glen Echo!

Mission 1: Out of Town Bags

(such a lovely NY out of town...NY is so easy...found here)

As Miss Fairfax pointed out, it should be easy to figure out DMV themed out of town favors, however, at least for me, my pool of creativity has been drained over the last 18 months. There are a few items that I knew from the beginning I wanted to include, but other than those few items I had no idea what else I should include. I decided to just google "Maryland out of town bags" for some ideas and I think I have come up with a decent bag of goodies for our out of town guests.

1) Rock Creek Soda

(source)

According to Wiki Answers, the Rock Creek Soda Company is located in Landover MD. For those from the DC area, you know that an order of wings and mambo sauce is not complete unless you have a pineapple Rock Creek Soda to go with it! This is a truly DC favor and one of the few items I came with all on my own.

2) Crab Flavored Utz Chips

(source)

Another item that I came up with all on my own. I am not into the idea of giving Old Bay Seasoning or a crab mallet. I want something in the bags that our guests could immediately enjoy. What is more Maryland than crabs and snacks, hence, crab potato chips. Perfect!

3) Goetze Caramel Creams

(source)

Manufactured in Baltimore since 1895, these have been one of my favorite candies since I can remember. Not specifically a "DMV" favor, Baltimore has a place in my heart because I go to school there and honestly, who would not want to have a few of these after a long ride. Check out their website for more info.

4) DMV Visitor Info

This will include a metro map, a welcome brochure from us with places to eat and visit while in the area and maybe a Washington Post (although I think the guests might get those for free in the hotel room...).

My plan is to keep the design simple, probably a brown craft bag with our monogramed stamp and some tissue paper. It will look a lot like the image below.

(source)

So what do you guys think? Aside from going into a fatty-sugar coma from the soda, chips and candy, would you be excited to see get a welcome package like this? What are you putting in your out of town bags?

Dance Factory: A Review

I got a request to do a post after we did our next private lesson - but since I've been a bit flaky about posting lately, I'll tell you about our other Dance Factory experience first! If we do go back for another lesson, I'll update. :)

[image from dancefactory.com]

Mr. Fairfax and I enjoy going out "dancing." And that just means grooving any which way on a dance floor, nothing actually organized or coordinated. I've always wanted to learn to dance for real, so I was excited at the prospect of taking official lessons - in particular I was hoping someone would teach me how to not try to lead all the time!

Well I'm happy to report that it's not that hard to not try to lead - as long as your partner pays attention to what he's doing, which I think Mr. Fairfax did a very good job of doing. Our instructor was Nadia, which is not helpful to you since she announced at our last lesson that she would not be teaching there anymore.. But she was great!

A couple things to know about these dance lessons:

• each section of the beginner level of classes covers the basics of 3 different dances - we did tango/foxtrot/waltz, another section covers foxtrot/triple-swing/rumba, and the third section covers waltz/single-swing/rumba. Now don't ask me what single- vs. triple-swing even means! We didn't take that section.. They do recommend that you take all three sections of Ballroom I, and I have to say I agree because I sure would have loved to learn all those other dances. You can enroll in one class at a time (so, one night a week for 4 weeks), or all three classes at once - see the prices and schedule online.


• you don't need to go with a date, but if you do, be prepared to dance with many other people! It can be awkward but I have to admit, it does help you work on being able to dance with anyone, not just your partner. and you do generally get the chance to go back to your date several times in a lesson.

We also did one private lesson - they offered one free 30-min private lesson for new students, I think they offer it all the time, but it may have been a special going on last month, not sure! If you go and they offer a free lesson, go for it! It was great getting some one-on-one (well, one-on-two) attention and instruction. The only thing I would do differently would be to know the dance you want to do at your wedding before going to a private lesson. We went early on in the month just to get some basic dancing help but I wish we had gone in with our song in hand so they could tell us which dance to do! As it is, we'll probably need to go back for another private session.

All in all, I definitely recommend Dance Factory! Let me know if you go, or have gone. Mr. Fairfax hated waltz, which I thought was funny, because it came most naturally to me of all the dances. He prefers foxtrot, which comes the Least naturally to me! But in the end I do think we'll go with foxtrot, it's the most versatile. I was talking to a friend of mine who went with her then-fiance, and turns out He hated waltz too! Maybe it's a guy thing, I don't know!

I Can Change My Mind, Right?

Why Can't I Decide?

One thing that I've learned during the last four months of wedding planning is that I am pretty darn indecisive. It's really difficult for me to discern whether I'm making a decision because it's something that I really want or whether I'm making the decision because it's something I think someone else really wants.

I've talked to my future husband (FH) about this and he's been trying really hard to help me figure out what I want for our wedding. However, even after long conversations with him (where we discuss the pros and cons of all the choices floating around my head) and I think I figure out what I want, it's not long before I change my mind again.

For example, we've chosen to have our wedding at Oxon Hill Manor in Maryland. Problem is that I've always imagined my wedding ceremony taking place in a church (one in particular), not outdoors. I know what you're thing... Why did we book Oxon Hill Manor if we wanted to get married in a church?

Well, I cried when I saw the bridal suite at Oxon Hill Manor. When my FH and me went there for a bridal show, we fell in love with it, and we thought it was the perfect location (more about our first visit here).

I'm not saying I don't like the place anymore, because I love it. It's just that I've been thinking a lot about how I originally wanted to get married in a church.

Another reason I've been thinking about a church wedding is because it would be less expensive. Oxon Hill Manor is not by any means an inexpensive venue and it's a big place, meant for big weddings. We've been talking about cutting costs, shortening the guest list, and I wonder if we shouldn't revert back to our original plan, which was to get married at Cherrydale Baptist Church and have the reception at the Hendry House (more about this venue here).

My FH is going to have a bit of a hissy, because we already "decided," this, but what if I've changed my mind? I'm finding this to be one of the hardest things about planning a wedding. Decisions are final. My FH's mom suggested we don't second guess any decisions we've made, but can't I just change this one thing? It'd be cheaper and ... well, I wonder if I'll be sad we didn't go with Oxon Hill.

Again I Ask, Why Can't I Decide?

Have you changed your mind about important wedding-related decisions (and then changed your mind again)? Do you have a difficult time deciding on something like the dress, the venue, or the guest list?

Pic One Source
Pic Two and Three By Me

Name Change Debate Solved!

After hemming and hawing for over a year and changing my mind countless times, I finally decided on my married name. I made this pronouncement sometime last week, and this internal debate has been going on for so long that my guy said, “Okay, see you when you change your mind next week!” Well, it’s next week, and guess what? I didn’t change my mind!

See, originally I thought that this would be an easy thing. For years I was determined! I was convinced that my maiden name was so horrendous that, as soon as I got married, I would plow down old ladies with walkers to get to the Social Security office to have my name officially changed.

(You might be thinking to yourself, her name can’t be THAT bad. Much like Obama, yes it can. My last name is a blatant sexual innuendo that made high school an absolute hoot!)

Well, when my guy proposed, I was excited. (Duh.) What I was surprisingly not excited about was changing my name. It was tough, though. Because my first name and his last name alone make pretty little music. Even the signature is gorgeous.

Not only that, it’s significantly shorter than my current name, which clocks in at eighteen letters, first and last. My name is so long that I have to shorten my signature by using only my first initial and my last name. Even then, I kind of phone it in with the last name, which usually ends up being a giant squiggle. When I took standardized tests in school, my first name was always cut off by one letter.

Well, I can chuck all of my dreams of happy name-writing goodbye, because in the end, I couldn’t part with my last name. It used to be some sort of perverse scarlet letter (like when parents name their kids Rain Mossball or Foothill), but now it’s like a badge of courage. I earned that name. It’s mine. To give up the name feels like giving up a bit of my past.

But I wanted his name too, because I’m a greedy only child. Cue up the hand cramps. Now my name will clock in at TWENTY-FOUR LETTERS.

E******* M********-M*****

I’ve started practicing it. It was a bit of a mouthful at first, and my hand is still getting used to the workout, but I like it. I do have concerns, though. Will it fit on my bank card? Will it even fit on a license? Do I need to start doing hand pushups to prepare for the physical endurance tests I will be putting my right hand through?

hair: follow up

ok ladies, a bit delayed but I'm finally following up on my post about my hair trial.

The woman's name is Diane, she has her own shop called Hair by Diane, right in Old Town Alexandria. She is really sweet and great to work with.

My appointment was at 11am on the day of my bridal shower, I had forgotten to print out any of my inspiration ideas, or a photo of my dress, or anything! I also was in need of a haircut, told her I'd get one before the next trial, and she offered to cut it for me right then! She also let me use her computer to look up my dress online, so she could see what kind of style I was going for. So she's really flexible and helpful and awesome - and speedy! She had me shampooed and cut, put me in rollers, and then did Three (3!) hairstyles for me, in 2 hours. Actually just under 2 hours. So here are some of my pics:

#1 - way too big in the back for my big head! but it had nice volume in front

#2 - you can't see the back but it's a nice bunch of curls, smaller than the photo above, and positioned lower on my head. I like the front on this one ok but I will ask her to play around with more styles next time (like the Natalie Portman look from my last hair post.

And, #3 - you can't really tell in this photo but the bun or whatever is off-center so it's closer to my right ear than my left - I really liked that. I think I would just want more going on in front, and this could be a great style for me. I ended up wearing this hairdo to my bridal shower that day, and my bachelorette party that night, and the 'do held up great!

This trial was mostly for her to get a feel for my hair and style. We learned a bit from each hairstyle and next appointment, I'll take my veil and combs and whatnot, and we'll work out the final hairstyle.

Did I mention Diane is coming to my hotel room the day of the wedding to do my hair, and my bridesmaids, and my mom? It's $190 for me, $65 for each of my bridesmaids and $50 for my mom. I definitely have not found a more reasonably priced stylist!

WeddingChannel.com just launched brand-new personal wedding websites, including exclusive website designs from Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, and Lela Rose. We all know brides love personalizing their wedding, so this is another way a Vera- or Monique-clad bride can actually have a wedding website that ties in with her wedding gown designer.


“Brides love tying in a signature detail throughout the entire wedding to create a chic, cohesive look,” said Sharon Stimpfle, deputy site director of WeddingChannel.com. “We’re thrilled that Oscar de la Renta, Lela Rose, Monique Lhuillier, and Vera Wang are working with WeddingChannel.com so brides can incorporate their favorite wedding designers in their personal wedding websites too.”

WeddingChannel.com Free Wedding Website Features:

Hundreds of Personalization Options

Upload Multiple Photos

Wedding Maps Feature

Interact With Guests

Gift Registry

Find Coordinating Wedding Items

Matching Save-the-Date Emails

Showered with Love!

Everthing is so real now! We have 34 days until the big show and yesterday I had my first experience feeling all bride-y. I attended my shower which took place in Mechanicsville, Va and it was fantastic! Here are a few highlights:

My cousins and bride's attendants from home did an awesome job setting everything up. It was so classy and elegant. They used some of our wedding colors and really took my personality into consideration.

We played some really fun games that made all of the guests get up and mingle. The first game really set the tone. The guests were asked to walk around and find someone that they do not know that has attributes listed on their checklist. It allowed the guest to meet one another in a cool way. We also played the "make a wedding dress out of toliet paper" game, my absolute bridal shower favorite:-D

As you can see, Mr. President made a special appearance. He loves our family and pops up at all of our functions (Thanksgiving, showers, etc...)...hmm...wonder if he will make a special appearance at the wedding...

At the end, I got to open all of my presents (Aw Yeah!)

Give me cupcakes and gifts and I am one happy girl!

We got mini-us' as gifts from my other set of bride's attendants. They are absolutly awesome and the cutest things ever! Great time, great friends and mini-me's...what a lucky girl I am!

28 Days!

Ladies, we are coming down to the wire. I'm getting really excited! Mr. Fairfax and I are planning to go get our marriage license sometime next week (I'm playing hooky from work, shhh), and then we're meeting with our officiant, Georgiana, the following weekend, March 6. Big bananas!

We've got the big stuff basically out of the way so now it's just all these little details lying around we need to get in order. Here's my (somewhat abridged) list:

Out-of-towner Welcome Bags. Not thinking of anything huge, just a little bag with a Welcome note, some touristy things to do in the area, and then some little token local item. Right now I'm really liking the idea of a sample-size soap from Union Street Soapworks. The guy's at the Clarendon and Columbia Pike farmers markets (among others), I've bought his soap before, it's awesome. The sample size soaps are like $1. Easy!

Parent & Reader Gifts. We really want to do something nice to give back to our parents. My mom is doing the flowers and a bunch of other stuff, and then Mr. Fairfax's parents are really going all out. In addition to contributing financially to the event (plus our honeymoon!) and helping us out in a lot of other ways, they let us have their anniversary date! I'm so far at a loss as to what to do for them. They will probably feel uncomfortable if we try getting them something expensive.. And then of course we have two very special ladies doing readings for us during the ceremony and it would be nice to give them some kind of thank-you gift.. Any ideas??

First Dance?! We still have not decided what we're doing for our first dance. If anyone is familiar with these things, can you tell me, can you do the foxtrot to the song "I've Just Seen a Face," by the Beatles? I keep going back to that song, I'd really love to go with that one, but we have limited time to learn new dances.. We may sign up for one private lesson at the Dance Factory to try to do some light choreography..

Week-of and Day-of Schedules. When are various key people getting to town? What needs to be done which day? When can I get a mani-pedi?? Who's getting the flowers from the studio to the venue? Who's delivering the beer/wine to the venue? ETC. I'm meeting with my day-of coordinator this coming Monday, a lot of these questions should be answered then.

I think I could go on but you guys get the picture. We're in the final month and it's getting awesome and intense, but I'm still calm. Give me a couple more weeks, we'll see how it gets... ;)

The Sad Bride

Something borrowed, something blue, something old, yadda yadda yadda. The rebellious spirit inside me yearns to fight against the many traditions associated with weddings, especially the ones that don’t make sense to me. For example, if it’s easier for Mr. Cathedral Heights and I to have our pictures taken in our wedding garb an hour or so before the ceremony, what’s the big deal if he sees me in my dress? Yet, he’s absolutely against the idea. Why even take the chance of having bad luck, he points out. I understand his reasoning, but it still seems so silly to me.

Many of our wedding traditions stem from past cultural norms that no longer apply to present-day society. The lifting of the veil once symbolized the groom taking possession of his bride. The white wedding dress symbolized purity. The throwing of the rice symbolized fertility. I don’t need a veil, white doesn’t look good on me, and, really, isn’t throwing rice a waste of food?

Queen Victoria (at her 1840 wedding) is credited
with starting the white wedding tradition,
including the white gown.

The fourth time I went wedding dress shopping, I felt grouchy and tired of looking at beautiful gowns that seemed an amalgamation of overpriced white lace, silk, and frills. I honestly couldn’t even tell which dresses complemented me—during the last three tries I had more than one moment where I thought I was feeling the sparks of the one. Wedding dresses are almost their own entity—they could probably walk down the aisle by themselves and do fine. They don’t even need my seemingly-large-compared-to-wedding-dress-sample-sizes body.

“You’re such a sad bride,” said my bridesmaid, K, with a slight smirk on her face.

She knew I couldn’t stand being stuck in the tiny bridal store filled with mothers and aunts and friends gushing over super-skinny brides and clerks ignoring me even though I was exactly on time for my appointment (for once in my life). However, when I took K’s advice and tried on a dress that she pulled off the rack that I never would have picked for myself, my smile broke through the clouds. It wasn’t an “I found the meaning of life” moment, but it was a special moment, I have to admit, especially when the store broke into applause at my announcement that this indeed would be my wedding dress.

When the salesperson brought over a veil for me to try on, I told her I would not be wearing a veil. Moments later I stood staring at myself in the mirror, veil and all. I admitted that I didn’t hate the veil, in fact I kind of liked the veil, even though I didn’t want to like it.

Another salesperson passing by, who had given me a slightly annoyed look when I arrived with my grouchy attitude, turned to me and spoke. “We don’t have many traditions left in our culture. I think it’s okay to enjoy the few that we do continue to follow.”

And with that sentiment in mind, I said yes to the dress even though it was well over my budget and I graciously accepted K’s generous offer to loan me the veil she wore at her wedding. Now I can check off something borrowed and something new.

Crystal City Marriott Wedding Showcase

The Crystal City Marriott has created a one-day wedding showcase where brides and grooms, planners and vendors can view our decorated ballroom, tour our hotel, meet our experienced event planners and staff, enjoy and assortment of hors d’oeuvres and unique cocktails, win magnificent prizes and share creative ideas to help create a memorable wedding day for brides and grooms.

When: Sunday, February 28, 2010 11 am - 3 pm

Where: Crystal City Marriott 1999 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Arlington, VA 22202

RSVP: Respond to this link: http://WeddingsByMarriott.com/WeddingShowcaseChoose option - Greater Washington, DC on the left-hand side,and then Crystal City Marriott

If you have any immediate questions about the showcase please contact Richelle Manansala at 703-413-6548 or [email protected]

A Question about Photo Booths

Unique and Affordable Photo Booths

I was watching an episode of Rich Bride, Poor Bride the other day and got a great photo booth idea. The couple wanted a Moroccan wedding, but they couldn't afford to drape the entire venue with Morrocon decor. Their wedding planner suggested creating an area to take pictures with a Moroccon theme and it turned out awesome!

Their photo area looked like something straight out of Aladdin! It was like a little Moroccan getaway, complete with fancy rugs, a couch, and other types of Moroccan decor. It was beautiful and definitely a hit at their wedding reception! Unfortunately, I couldn't find pictures of the actual set up, but here is a picture of the couple...

Source

Here are examples of the similiar photo areas:

Source

 

Source

Source

Source

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Source

There's No Such Thing as a Stupid Question, Right?

How in the world do you get these photos printed immediately? Do you have someone standing by who takes the pictures and develops them later? Do you set up a digital camera and printer by the area?

The only device I know of that produces a picture instantly is a poloarid camera -- is that what's being used here?

We'd really like to have a photo area at our reception. Our wedding is going to be about a week before Halloween and I thought it'd be really cool to set up a vintage glam, somewhat gothic area where guests can pose with an awesome background for some fun and unique pictures. I've got some really great velvet curtains that are velvet that could be used for the backdrop. We could bring in an old couch and a unique lamp. I'd have masks, mustaches, and tiaras on hand for guests to get silly in front of the camera...

We love this idea! It's affordable and unique, but we just don't know how to pull it off. It seems are only other option would be an average photobooth.

Source

erin mcdermott

since mr. uva and i moved to charlottesville, we have met some awesome people. one night, last year, i was over at my friend erin's house. that night, erin so kindly introduced me to meg runion (our engagement session photographer) and the three of us got to chatting. wouldn't it be great if we started our own wedding planning company with a la carte services. meg would be the photographer and crafter extraordinaire, i would be the logistics planner, and the lovely erin mcdermott would be the creative side and jeweler. i do still dream about this plan and how fun it would be to work with these ladies...


erin moved to charlotte, nc over the summer to live with her fiance (a fellow bride-to-be) and design her jewelry full-time and has been designing up a storm making awesome custom pieces for brides and bridesmaids. what a great bridesmaid gift idea! i'm a little jealous of all of these ladies who get to work with erin. she really is fabulous!

she sells some awesome everyday pieces as well as her custom wedding delights. my little sister wears one of erin's charm necklaces that was a birthday gift almost everyday.

new concept?

in my regular cycle of blog searching that i do each night, i checked out poppytalk and found an awesome type personality analyzer.

courtesy of poppytalk…"Spending seven years researching typefaces and personalities, twenty-three academics from Pentagram created What type are you?. A four question test that analyzes your character and recommends what type is perfect for you."

wouldn’t it be a great idea to use this type analyzer to design wedding invitations? like a combo of you and your honey’s type personalities on one invitation….

i am Pistilli Roman: “disciplined form with an emotional geometry” and my honey is Perpetua Titling Light: “if you’re a quiet old-fashioned sort of person who would secretly prefer a shoe’d stability to bare-footed liberty” – love it!

OXO is Turning 20!

To celebrate two decades of providing innovative products that make everyday living easier, we're inviting you and your readers to take a closer look at who we are and what we do. Every Tuesday, a new photo will be posted on http://www.acloserlookatoxo.com/, which will be a zoomed in picture of the featured Product of the Year. Try to guess which product it is, and visit the site the following Monday to see if you were right! Upon the reveal, you can learn a little more about the thought that went into developing each product.

Each week, 20 lucky (and correct) guessers will win a Product of the Year, from 1990 through 2010!

Also, be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter pages: http://www.facebook.com/pages/OXO-The-Official-Page/78294151872?ref=ts
http://twitter.com/OXOGoodGrips

La Ferme -The Restaurant

La Ferme is THE most romantic spot you could ever envision. The warmth of the spot is unbelievable and I can honestly say it sets the mood for a wedding like few other spots in the area. Owner Allen Roussel is the epitome of a culinary visionary who understands Romance. But don't be distracted by the love in the air the food is phenomenal. Take a peek at the delicacies offered to the participants in today's panel discussion.

Family Moons

Monica D. Williams of Couture Events & Weddings chimed in the idea of incorporating the greater family into not only the wedding celebration but the honeymoon as well. Many many resorts are offering fantastic Family Moons with something to do for everyone.

Wanna Cruise?

Marilyn Patterson of Joyous Events is seeing couples that are older and venturing onto the cruise ships for their venue. While this may mean a smaller guest list, it is a wonderful alternative for a wondrous event that many people are not aware of. Leaving out of Baltimore the destination is close by and only the beginning of the trip. Check her out for more details...

Gay/Lesbian Commitment ceremonies

Aimee Lauren of Aimee Lauren Couture says This community is a huge market and while the debate rages on in our area about legality, the honest truth is that they approach their weddings with the same fervor as anyone else.





Alex Pare of Cherry Blossom Weddings and Events: Their families and their love for each is other is paramount despite how society might feel about their actions. These weddings are true celebrations as well and more. They don't want to push it anyone's face.

See the Group - La Ferme

The panelists are a savvy bunch with keen tips on the wedding industry.
What's in, what's out and where is the focus for YOU, the bride.
Jill Neal Editor of Bride and Groom








Paula Bisacre executive editor and publisher of reMArriage







Pamela Barefoot of the well known A Trendy Wedding provided vital insight to trends to be on the look out for in 2010. Personalization is Key! Make it Yours!!

La Ferme Restaurant Wedding Trends Panel

We're here @La Ferme in Chevy Chase, MD the quaintest little French restaurant you will ever want to find!! The cream of the crop is here to listen to industry professionals dish on 2010 Wedding Trends. We'll be blogging and tweeting live so stay tuned!! We're also on Twitter so if you don't already follow MrsMatrimony and keep up with us!!

The Panel:
Washingtonian Bride & Groom editor-in-chief, Jill Neal.
reMarriage executive editor and publisher, Paula Bisacre
Washington Post On Love expert, Ellen McCarthy
Atrendy Wedding & Special Event Company founder Pam Barefoot

They're Just Not That Into You

You know what is so funny about wedding planning? It seems like every day I am faced with something I never thought I would have to deal with. That’s not always bad; it’s just that before I was actually engaged, all I really thought about was the fun fluffy stuff — dresses, rings, flowers, etc. I didn’t focus on things like logistics or what flowers were in season.

One thing I never expected to deal with were unresponsive vendors. To my unpracticed wedding-planning mind it seemed illogical that I would ever run into a vendor that literally did not communicate at all.

Source.

I mean, they WANT my business… right? Well, apparently this is not always true. I think the craziest instance of this was when I was interviewing florists.

A friend of mine got married last year, and I was very lucky to be in her wedding. She told me how her florist was great, reasonably priced, and passed on her information to me. So I emailed the florist, and she was very enthused, and when we finally met when she dropped off the flowers for my friend’s wedding, it was like the best version of the “putting a face to a name” conversation. Not only that, the bridal bouquet was gorgeous and our bridesmaids bouquets were amazing and perfectly complimentary. I was impressed! It ended with me saying, “Well, this is my friend’s day, so let’s talk next week!” She said that was great, and we agreed to chat later.

Next week came. She asked me to list my ideas and inspirations. She was seemingly jazzed about everything and said that she was going to take my lists and come back to me with some ideas by the weekend.

The weekend came… and went. And I didn’t want to be cranky. I mean, life happens, and I knew I was more anxious just to see some ideas, and not really upset at her for not getting back to me by her proposed timeline. Also, I did not want to be that bride.

I decided to let a few more days pass. A few days turned into a week because I was in the throes of writing a term paper for class! After it dawned on me that it had been over a week and a half since I was supposed to have heard from her. I dropped her a friendly line, and she replied. She was so sorry, and she would absolutely have something to me within the next three days.

And that was the last time I heard from her. Ever.

I emailed her a few times. Very friendly emails, without the slightest hint of an accusatory tone. Just shooting up a few flares saying, hey, how’s it going? Looking forward to hearing from you. Still nothing. Eventually it was just too much, and I had to write the diplomatic, “It’s not me, it’s you” email.

Even that went with no response.

Honestly, I was a bit sad because, at first, we really seemed to click. Did I do something wrong? Had I eaten too much garlic and scared her off? I didn’t think I was being unreasonable, and I started to wonder if my artichoke request was a bit too much.

It felt a bit like getting dumped, and that’s such a weird feeling when you’re planning a wedding! I remember talking to the same friend who got married. She told me how, when she was planning, she could not get a venue to respond to her. She likened getting a response from them to pulling teeth. Eventually she and her fiance opted to go elsewhere.

Have you felt at all this way during wedding planning? Has there been an unexpected disappointment with vendors? What do you do when they’re just not that into you?

Dress Disaster

This should come as no big surprise...

to other brides out there, because I know I'm not the first (or last or only) bride-to-be that's felt confused, frustrated, and downright crazy about choosing their wedding gown.

As noted in my previous post, I went shopping at David's Bridal in Springfield last week with my mom and I tried on a nice variety of dresses. As described last week, on my fourth dress I was pretty much sold although I had a really hard time accepting that the fourth wedding dress I'd ever tried on in my life was "the dress."

We didn't have enough money on us (we never planned to find "the one," that day) to hold the dress, which turned out to be a really good thing. It gave me sometime to think about the dress and that's exactly what I did -- I couldn't stop thinking about it. Nevertheless, I decided it'd be a good idea to go to a boutique and give other, more expensive gowns a try in case I found something I liked more.

The good news is...

That the boutique didn't impress me at all. I didn't like trying on dresses that weren't my size (i.e. were too small) and I wasn't impressed with their selection either. Nothing I tried on compared to the dress we liked at David's Bridal and more importantly, most of the dresses were way out of our price range. Thanks anyway, Katherine's Bridal Boutique in Old Town.
When we got to David's Bridal (we went there directly from the boutique), I couldn't wait to show my MOH (she had never seen it) the dress and affirm the feelings I had all week. Happily, I put on the dress and it was exciting. I felt really happy and nervous all at the same time. We were all excited really. My MOH said she loved it and my mom gave me the look like, "There it is! That's the one!"

Nevertheless, I decide to try on a few more because we were getting ready to put money down on the dress and I wanted to be sure. My MOH pulls something from the racks, I think it's "ok," and ...

Here comes the bad news...

When I put it on, all the same sales associates and folks (including my mom) that said the first dress was "the one," had now changed there minds! Admittedly, the second dress was more flattering for my figure. It was also more appropraite for a fall wedding, because it's made with a thicker material, it's more comfortable, and it looks like an Oxon Hill Manor dress; however, I didn't get the warm fuzzies when I put it on.

If I wouldn't had gotten that feeling from the first dress, I'd say the warm fuzzies were a myth, but they're not! It is supposed to feel like the show, "Say Yes to the Dress" looks and you are supposed to be excited, right?

Well, I just wasn't. I would (and still will) admit it's a better dress than the first. It's a lot more flattering, like I said, but I had formed quite a relationship with the first dress. Not only that, but I was really tired by the time we got around to the second dress. I hadn't eaten all day and I couldn't for the life of me get excited about it. I put the first dress back on, then the second dress on again, and I was honestly stumped. I stood in front of the mirror confused, tired, and hungry, listening as my mom, my MOH, and everyone else in the store said "it's the one!"

In hindsight, I don't know why I didn't just say, "Let me sleep on it," or "I'm not sure." I felt obligated to buy something, being that we were at David's Bridal for the second time and everyone was in consensus, but here's why this post is called disaster...

I put the second dress on layaway and I'm not sure I want it anymore.

When I finally got some food in me and looked back through the pictures, I'll admit I started to get excited about the second dress. From the pictures (which I would post here, but there's too big a risk my fiance will see them) there's no doubt the second dress looks better. It's a very nice dress, designer made, marked down significantly, and it's growing on me, but as the days go on I can't help but feel a little sad.

How come I didn't get the warm fuzzies?

Also, did I mention that I called David's Bridal the very next morning to ask about their return policy? Turns out once the dress is on layaway, you forfiet 10 percent of the cost if you chose not to follow through with the sale or you can exchage it (once it's paid for) for another David's Bridal dress.

Share your Dress Disaster stories and of course, words of advice are always welcome...

How to Choose a Reception Venue

In spite of the fact that my account at The Knot insists that I have 361 items to do on my checklist before our wedding this September, I feel pretty good about the current state of our wedding plans (ask me again in five minutes). We have decided on the venue for the reception, which proved to be the first big choice that we had to make. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I always pictured myself having a small wedding, maybe 30 people tops, barefoot on a Caribbean beach. Plans have changed a bit.

We chose the Marriot Key Bridge in Arlington, Virginia, as our reception locale. Where it lacks waves crashing against white-sand beaches, tropical plants, and the salty smell of the ocean, it makes up in convenience for us and our guests. As Mr. Cathedral Heights’s family is from Peru, Colorado, and Miami, and my family is mostly in Maine and California, with a few sprinkled in Texas, a large percentage of our guests are traveling to D.C. for the occasion. It was important to us to have the wedding in a location that offered nearby, affordable lodging and convenience to public transportation. The Marriot Key Bridge sits across the Potomac from Georgetown, not far from the Metro, and the DC Circulator bus passes right by, taking passengers to Georgetown, Dupont Circle, and downtown DC. This will work very well for our families and it will offer them the chance to explore the city in the off-wedding hours.

Choosing a venue for the reception proved a difficult task. I had so many thoughts racing through my head--whether to base the decision on what I wanted, what Mr. CH wanted, what would be most convenient for guests, what would be the most eco-friendly approach. Did I want to base the whole event on budget, attempting to keep the numbers at an all-time low while sacrificing more of my sanity or did I go with the hotel that barely fit in our budget and came with planners to help with the entire procedure? The Marriott package came with a cocktail hour, three-course dinner, cake, tables and chairs, centerpieces, table settings, discount rooms for guests, a suite for the newlyweds on the night of the wedding...need I go on? For a gal like myself, who isn't especially experienced at planning events that include more then chips, dip, and a keg, the Marriott sounded better and better. Plus, it had been recently renovated and offered a beautiful view of the city from the top floor, where the reception would take place.

We breathed a huge sigh of relief the day we put the deposit down on the Marriott Key Bridge. The first major step was complete. Now, for the other 360 to do's...

The Downside of Weddings, the Fur Edition

The day is getting close. We’re starting to formulate to do lists and schedules for the weekend of our wedding. It’s all very exciting! Then, last Thursday, we wrote down a scheduled line item that gave us pause.

“Thursday evening: drop off dogs in with Mr. JeffM’s parents in Maryland.”

It makes sense. Friday morning, all of our flowers are being delivered to our apartment, and I’m going to be spending a good portion of the day making six bouquets and 21 centerpieces. On top of that, I’ll be finishing up the cupcakes for our wedding cake. (Man, I got tired just typing that out!)

Having fluffy fur people, no matter how cute they are, bouncing around the apartment, getting into everything will more thank likely end in flower carnage and cupcakes all over the floor. So our little darlings, Clover and Horatio, must be shipped off to their grandparents.

It’s something I never really thought about. I mean I knew, intellectually that the dogs would have to go. I mean it’s not like we’re going to leave for our honeymoon and let the dogs have the run of the apartment. (“See you guys! Don’t forget to water the flowers!”) It wasn’t until recently, however, that it dawned on me that my little buddies weren’t going to be around, and we weren’t going to see them for over a week.

I feel silly, but it’s such a depressing thought! One of my favorite parts of the day is when I walk through the door, and there are two happy puppies who cannot wait to see me. They cuddle with us when we watch movies, do homework, etc. They’re so amazing whenever I’m sad or feeling upset. And to think I’m not going to have my furry little support system wandering around during one of the most stressful and crazy weekends of my life is, well, sad!

Are you worried about this kind of pet-induced separation anxiety?

Miss Glen Echo, Bridal Hoarder

I am not as bad as Lindsey Lohan or the folks you see on Hoarders, but the closer and closer this wedding gets, I am starting to relate to the feeling of being surrounded by one's own stuff.

Its not so much a problem that I don't like to throw things away, but over the 18 months we have been engaged, all of the on-line deals and "must have" purchases have definitely began to accumulate.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the evidence, uncensored...

(that pink bag in the back is my first gown, packaged and ready to be sold very soon)

Packed away, within the abyss that is our closet, is my little brother's grooms attendant suit. Here is a sneak preview of what the men in our wedding will be wearing. I love the combo of the gray and purple. I wish I could have convinced Mr. Glen Echo to have the guys do purple shirts for a monochromatic look...but alas...he vetoed it :(

Are any of you ladies swimming in your own "stuff"?

More Than Just Handbags… A Jewelry Conundrum Solved?

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am a lover of accessories. This is especially true of purses. I love and adore purses. We have a separate closet out in the hallway, where the upper half is just my purses. (Thank you, Mr. JeffM!) You might say I have a problem, but I’d like to consider myself an… enthusiast.

Source.

When it comes to choosing accessories, I generally find choosing the bag for an outfit to be the easiest decision. This was true with my wedding ensemble, as well!

But I have been at my wit’s end about jewelry. I’ve scoured etsy, and every online storefront I can think of and nothing is jumping out at me going “Love me, Liz! You know I’m just right for you!” So tonight, I took a break from pulling my hair out over jewelry to look at, well… I admit it, I decided to look at handbags from one of my favorites: Kate Spade.

While I was clicking around, lusting over the clean lines and bright aesthetic, I noticed a link on the left sidebar that jumped off the screen and shook me!

JEWELRY

I didn’t want to get up my hopes up, so I hesitated in clicking. I have had such difficulty finding anything I liked! I didn’t want my gal Kate to let me down… I would be heartbroken!

She didn’t. She didn’t let me down at all. I wanted all of it! It doesn’t all go with my outfit, but I had to share some of my finds which would go great with a lot of different bridal outfits.

Park Avenue Pearl Studs
Cute. Clean. Love.

Crown Jewels Drop Earrings
For the bling lover in us all!

Know the Ropes Knot Stud
These are my personal favorite.

Moon River Double Pearl and Bow Necklace
If I was wearing a necklace with my dress… I might need to find an excuse. Rehearsal?

Park Avenue Pearl Cuff
Would be so adorable with the matching earrings.

All Wrapped Up Idiom Bangle
HOW CUTE IS THAT BOW??

I know the Mister is probably just THRILLED that I have found more reasons to shop, but seriously, I never thought about my favorites being designing multitaskers! I guess it’s kind of a “DUH!” thing, but hey! I can be taught!

The Dress

Being snowed in gave us a chance to look at our wedding plans and get focused. Saturday evening, my mom and I marked our calendars with all of the upcoming deadlines, such as when save the dates are sent, when we visit the florist, the caterers, when we'll register, and anything else we could think of.


The next day I was itching to scratch things off our massive list. I'd had enough talking about what we needed to do and I was ready to do it! So after doing all that we could at the house, which wasn't much, we decided to venture to David's Bridal to "check out some wedding dresses." I had originally hoped to bring my bridesmaids and my step mom with me to look at dresses, but after being stuck in the house for two days, the idea of going somewhere just seemed too appealing and I couldn't resist.

Let me start by saying that stepping foot into David's Bridal was an experience in and of itself. Seeing the dresses is much different than viewing them online! When I walked into the store, it all seemed real all the sudden and it was like I'd been sucked into an episode of "Say Yes to the Dress," and I was about to embark on a whole new chapter in the wedding planning world!

My mom and didn't wait for the sales associate to start pulling dresses, I think we picked up about five... The first dress was a very typical wedding dress. It was a white and sleeveless with a ruffled skirt. It had puff, but it wasn't too puffy. I really liked it. It was cute and it was comfortable!

 

{Photo credit: Weddingbee}

I really liked the second dress because it gave me more of a shape and it would be perfect for our outdoor venue. It was an a-line dress with a very simple detail and ironically, it looked just like my mother's wedding dress! I felt like my mom in this dress and you could definitely see the resemblance!

The third dress I tried on was feminine and flowy, but again nothing too big or puffy. It was a fun dress, with a little bit of embellishment on the hip. I liked it, but my mom and I were beginning to notice that in white dresses, I look a bit washed out because my skin is very fair. It was time to try out an ivory dress.

{Photo credit: The Knot}

I was seriously prepared to try on 50 dresses and walk out of there with nothing. I really only went to David's Bridal hoping to get a feel of the gown I wanted, not actually get one! You  never know when cupid's going to hit you with that love arrow though and oh how the fourth dress caught me off guard!

Let me just say that you may think you know what you want, but you really have no idea! When I stepped out of the dressing room with this gown on, I said to the consultant, "Oh no, this is too much!" However, when took a few steps in it and actually saw myself in the mirror, I felt like a princess -- like a bride -- and like a woman who had just found her wedding dress! It's elegant, sophisticated and well, there's just no way to describe it, really!

*Plus, my fiance might see this post and I don't want to give away ANY details about the dress that will spoil the big day! Also, did I mention there are no pictures of this gown either? It's a premiere gown, which means David's Bridal is testing it before they advertise it! Yep. It's a one-of-a-kind!*

The only (only, only) problem is that was only the fourth wedding dress I'd ever tried on. It just didn't seem... well, normal that it only took trying on three dresses to find THE DRESS! Not for me anyway, because I'm very indecisive. To test the connection I felt with this dress, we pulled two more dresses off the rack with features that were similar. Guess what happened. Yep. The last two dresses didn't compare to dress number four. Not at all!

I have to say I'm shocked at how easy dress shopping was. I think the tough part is going to be sticking with this dress and this decision. I absolutely cannot wait to put on the dress again and I think the second go around, we'll have even more confirmation it's the one! If it looks the way I have imagined, there is no doubt I have found THE DRESS. Yay!!

What was your experience buying a wedding gown?

How many dresses did you try on before you found the one?

Virginia Is For Lovers

When the Mister and I thought about where we wanted to go on our honeymoon, we wanted something laid back. We wanted something local because one of our favorite things to do is to road trip together. Some of our most favorite memories is just riding together in the car, listening to music, singing terribly at the top of our lungs, and laughing together. And since we all know Virginia is for lovers, we had a whole state at our disposal.

It took some time to figure out what we wanted to do. Did we want to rent a cabin in the mountains? Did we want to go to the beach? Nothing was jumping out at us at first. Then!

Source.

A light bulb went off in my head! When I was growing up, I was blessed enough to spend Thanksgiving, parts of the Christmas holidays, and so many other times of year in a unique and beautiful place because of family who happened to live in the area.

I tossed the idea around in my head before going to the Mister with it. I wanted to make sure it was a solid idea. I mean, I had been there as a kid and a teenager, but never as an adult. Was it going to be perfect for our first vacation as husband and wife?

All the little excited wedding cheerleaders in my brain cried, “Yes, yes!” So I went to the Mister with the idea…

Source.

Colonial Williamsburg!

I know, I know. I can here some of you guys from all the way over here going, “What?! That’s a field trip! Not a honeymoon!”

I beg to differ. Between the candle-lit night tours, the romantic colonial dinners, and the spa (yes, a SPA!), I was sold. Best of all, the Mister loved it! Oh, and I did I mention how romantically wonderful our room is? We are staying at a bed and breakfast in the historic district where we get to pick our room! You see, each room has a theme and is uniquely decorated. And our room is stunning.

Source.

I can already see myself rolling out of that gorgeous canopy bed and drawing a bath before heading out to dinner with my future husband!

I love that it’s a place we can go back to for our anniversaries or other romantic getaways. I think it’s neat to realize that sometimes the perfect honeymoon might be in your own backyard. The day after our wedding, instead of braving airports and security lines, we’ll be packing up the car, pumping the stereo, and letting that gorgeous sunshine (please, weather gods?) stream through our windows, as we head south!

Wedding Website Woes

Mr. Cathedral Heights works as a computer programmer, so naturally I’d envisioned him being incredibly excited about putting together an amazing wedding Website for us. Right? Wrong.

No matter. Plan B: Make the Website myself. I figured it couldn’t be that hard—just choose a service, fill in the information, and you’re set. However, as I spent more time researching each site than I thought I’d spend actually building one, I began to realize that it isn’t so easy. As with every piece of the wedding planning puzzle, complicated details emerge that you would never have imagined, details that constitute entire college majors. I scoured the net for affordable or free packages and finally decided on one that coincided with a very well known wedding site. This particular one appealed to me because, for a small fee, I could have the domain name I wanted, which meant the url would fit on the Save the Date postcards we were soon sending. I entered my credit card information and reserved our domain name. Or so I thought.

The morning after purchasing our domain, which the site assured me was available, I prepared to get to work and instead found that suddenly the domain name we bought was unavailable. Unfortunately, my aunt, an artist, had already put the url we created on the handmade original Save the Date that she’d planned on bringing to the printers that day. (Please note: If you are getting married, this type of incident will most likely happen more than once in the planning process). I asked her to hold off while I sent a barrage of messages to customer service. Days passed and I didn't hear back. I finally called my credit card company and asked them to dismiss the charge, as I couldn’t get in touch with the service provider.

Fortunately, a friend mentioned iWeb, a Mac application that helps the average user make a Website. I’ve always been a PC girl; however, I recently started a new job and have been using a Mac for the first time in years. Along with a tiny bit of help from my brother/Man of Honor and Mr. Cathedral Heights (it’s amazing how little advice they had to share with me, both being in technology fields…men…), I figured out how to build us a site using iWeb, and my brother generously offered to host the site with his mobile me account. I don’t have a full understanding of how it all works, but I’m almost finished adding photos and text and I was able to snag a short yet personalized domain name.

And, of course, the original wedding Website got back to me as soon as I finished building the site on my own. One piece of advice for the brides out there: read the reviews that you can find on website hosts, as some are much more reliable than others. Oh, and don't be too disappointed when plans go awry--you'll find a way to fix it.

Happy Merry Superbowl!

I have been quite MIA for a while...moot court + school + work + a wedding next month = very busy Miss Glen Echo. I do promise to update you all on the status of everything as soon as the snow...er...smoke clears. For now, I will leave you well wishes on our unofficial official national holiday: Super Bowl Sunday!

Mr. Glen Echo, a very proud, nacho eating, Superbowl watching American!

"Don't forget to use the accessories wall, designers!" --Tim Gunn, Project Runway

Last night, I decided to take a break from all the coverage of the impending SNOMG (snomfg, snowpocalypse, snogasm) that will be descending upon our area today to catch up with this season of Project Runway! Bless you, DVR. Bless you.

In addition to being a local alum (that's right, gals, he went to our area's very own JMU!), we all know that Tim Gunn is all that is style and fashion. And what does he always say, other than "Make it work!" of course? Accessorize, because accessories can make or break an outfit.

And he's right. My philosophy has always been about accessories. I'm not the biggest fashion maven in the world (an understatement), but I love handbags, shoes, and jewelry. And given that I'm wearing something a bit non-traditional for my wedding dress...

To find out the backstory (and see more of the detailing) on this dress, click here. As a note, though, it's navy blue, and it's not as dark is it appears on screen.

...accessories are going to be pivotal. I already have two of what I consider to be my Major Player Accessories: shoes and handbag!

I spent many many hours over almost as many weeks searching for the right shoe to go with my outfit. I knew I wanted a nice gold shoe, but I had limitations. As I mentioned before, I am a whopping six feet tall. Mr. JeffM is about 6'2", so our limited height difference and, honestly, my complete lack of any motor skills or coordination precludes me from wearing anything other than a flat shoe. I had also decided that I wanted to wear a dressy sandal. The dress I chose has a lot of movement, as it is made from a flowing fabric, so I wanted shoes that were feminine but with a little more of a "take it easy" attitude.

I honestly thought I would never find them. After awhile, it got very frustrating. I would get shoe envy (of all things!) for people who could wear those gorgeous heels with the ribbons, bows, flowers, and other fun embellishments. It seemed like the fashion industry just didn't care about cute flats... or if they did, they cost in excess of $400, which is a hair out of my price range. I scoured Zappos, DSW, Piperlime, eBay, Nine West, Aldo, Steve Madden.... all countless times over. I was about to throw my hands up in the air when I decided to try Piperlime one last time. And there they were. Waiting for me. In my size!

Finding this gem of a handbag was a little bit easier. (I will say one note about the photo: the background isn't yellow like it comes across in this picture; it's more of a muted creamy gold. In fact the bag appears a lot more WOW YELLOW GOLD than it actually is.) For years I've lusted after the handmade clutches on Etsy, and finally I had an excuse to buy one. I was looking for something that had more of a bold design, aside from your standard bows, ruffles, and flowers. In design, I love bold lines and distinctive patterns, and this fit the bill perfectly.

About a week and a half after placing my order, this beauty arrived in a box on our front doorstep. The quality was out of this world. The silks used, and the stitching is just, for lack of a better word, divine. (I always feel so cheesy saying "divine," like I should be on Dynasty, wearing shoulder pads, and slapping someone.) Even Mr. JeffM was impressed, and he's not an accessories kind of guy.

The only thing I'm struggling with is jewelry. After some helpful hints from friends, I'm forgoing a necklace, as it will "only detract from the drama of the dress' neckline," but I am on the lookout for earrings and a nice bracelet. So far I do have a front runner for earrings.


These beauties are from J Crew. I love them, but I'm not entirely sold on them. I'm going to go to J Crew in person soon to see how they look against some of my accessories.

So far jewelry is proving to be the biggest challenge. I actually ordered an earring and bracelet set not too long ago, and while they are beautiful, they aren't exactly quite right. And I hate that! I hate that whole, "I don't know what I'm looking for, but I'll know when I see it," mindset. That's the problem I had with my shoes.

Sigh. So that's where I am so far. Hopefully Tim Gunn would be proud. I just wish he were here to give me some pointers!

Drummers Please

There's been some discussion lately between the fiance and I about our wedding reception entertainment. I'm interested in having a live band that sings a variety of music, because we've always enjoyed live music, but we've also considered having a DJ -- all typical wedding talk; however, a not-so typical idea has come up that I'd love to get your opinion about.

Aaron wants drummers. Yes, drummers.

He would like to have a "drummer performance," during the reception. Need I say more? He's shown me a few online videos of the type of performance he has in mind and I'll admit, I like the sound, I like the feel, I like the idea, but just not for our wedding reception.

The good news is that if we do decide to have drummers, we'll get the best of the best drummers in the area.  I know between Aaron and his Dad, we'll end up with amazing, ultra-talented performers.I wonder how I'll feel with my wedding dress on, surrounded by family, enjoying dinner, and then all of the sudden, there are drummers pounding away in the center of our dance floor.

Aaron says this is the one thing he really wants -- ha! Yeah right! Anyway, I hate to crush his dreams, but I think we can compromise. His mother is planning to have a second reception in Williamsburg (where Aaron's family lives) for friends and acquaintances that we are not inviting to the wedding. I think this is the perfect affair for Aaron's drummers.

There's the cake cutting, the first dance, speeches, and all the other la-de-dah of wedding receptions to consider and I'm just  not sure I want to share my precious time with drummers. Am I being selfish? I don't have a lot of good examples on hand of exactly what he wants, but I think it's djembee drummers...

Here are a few video examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT2J1Ot9N5c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPvm7wxBMKA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5QdC_kqE-4

Share your thoughts and don't be shy!!

What kinds of performances have you seen at weddings?

Have you considered anything other than traditional entertainment at your reception?

I Am The Warrior…Worrier?

I am convinced that some of the wedding Websites out there are attempting to make me even MORE anxious about the big day. I recently received an email from one of the numerous sites I’ve signed up for with the subject line, “Have You Thought About Your Wedding Kiss?”

The email went on to explain that there are many little things that us brides forget to practice, which, for me, translates to all the little things we forget to worry about while we are preoccupied with worrying about the big things. I admit it. I am a worrier. My fiancé claims that it’s one of the things he loves about me (well, maybe he refers to it as “caring”). However, being a worrier and planning a wedding don’t always jive.

When I woke up three different times last night and couldn’t get back to sleep, I tossed and turned, consumed by minute details regarding the big day—Did I pick the right colors? Is Mr. Cathedral Heights ever going to look at tuxedos? Will I get so anxious walking down the aisle in front of all those people that I pass out? Is it crazy to be spending so much money on one day when I don’t even have a car? And I still have seven months of worrying to go!

I remember when my best friend and bridesmaid—I'll call her K—got married. She said something about being concerned for me when it came time to plan my wedding. She knows me very well and had the foresight to predict how my personality might clash with having hundreds of details to organize and choices to make while everyone I’ve ever known tells me what they think I should do.

After racking my brain—and my mother’s, and K’s, and my fiance’s—over the past few weeks, I came to the understanding that I need to allow myself to not worry about some of the details. I’ll focus on the big items, or the items that matter most to me, and I’ll ask for help with the other stuff (I supposed this realization seems obvious to most). I had a moment of clarity today as well, when I took a step back and looked at the big picture. We’re planning an enormous party for ourselves—a day surrounded by loved ones, celebrating our relationship, our future, and our families joining together. This should be fun!

So, no, I hadn’t thought about practicing our wedding kiss. In fact, I want it to be spontaneous (or, as spontaneous as a planned moment that happens in pretty much every similar event can be), filled with excitement and love and nerves. I’ve made a decision: I’m going to give myself permission not to worry about the kiss.

With This Ring...

Rings are always a Big Deal in weddings, whether you're talking about the engagement ring or the wedding ring. A standard has developed, as well. There is the awesome and gorgeous engagement ring, and then you buy a wedding band that, while beautiful, is really a supplement to the engagement ring itself. After the wedding, you'll have a beautiful pair of rings, right?

Well, for me... wrong.

My parents divorced when I was very young; to the point where I don't even remember them together. My dad remarried before I turned 6, so I've always had my stepmother in my life. I remember when I was living with her and my dad that I just loved her wedding ring. She only had one ring she wore; she did not have a ring and a band. I remember looking at it and loving the simplicity of it.

Now, don't get me wrong, Mr. JeffM proposed with a gorgeous ring, but I've always had this nagging voice in the back of my head vying for a singular wedding ring. The wedding ring should be special. While I love engagement rings (C'mon, what girl doesn't?), it's the wedding and a marriage you're working toward, and the ring that symbolizes that should be the centerpiece. It really bugged me that for some people the wedding ring is a mere afterthought.

(That said, if you disagree, that's fine! It's a personal decision, and I'll still be oogling your rings. Plus, I don't like ketchup or tomato sauces on pasta, so really my viewpoints are untrustworthy.)

After making the decision to go ahead with one wedding ring instead of a traditional wedding band, I started researching. I wanted something classic, but a little bit different. I wanted a sapphire because Mr. JeffM loves sapphires (well, anything blue really), and I wanted it to be a ring that represented us. And then I found it.

I placed the order. Lo and behold, on Christmas Eve (via Fedex) it arrived...

Merry Christmas, right? It is a sapphire and diamonds set in white gold. And can I just say how hard it is to have this beauty sitting in our apartment, and I can't wear it yet? I have to keep resisting the urge to "try it on to make sure it fits right" on an almost daily basis.

Needless to say, I'm very happy, and I cannot wait to start wearing it.