Lucky in Love

Check this out! Soiree got a mention in the Washington Post's article about 7/7/07 weddings. Mercedes, one of our brides, was also included!

Good luck to everyone next weekend!

When you got it, flaunt it

I'm a fan of the Godawful Wedding Crap blog, which often showcases lovely products like this little gem:I honestly don't have many words for this one, but what the heck were they thinking? Do you think any brides would ever actually use this as their cake topper? Or better yet, pay $300 for it?

Fins Up!

Anyone else going tonight?

Alice's Tea Party

While catching up on my Jessica Claire Blog obsession, I came across her amazing photos of a children's "Alice in Wonderland"-themed birthday tea party:
How adorable is this little soiree?? There were three birthday girls but it looks like sharing their special day paid off. A petting zoo with bunnies, real grownup tea, perfectly iced cookies, fancy birthday chairs, and frilly dresses. What's not to love?

Photo credits of course go to the phenomenal Jessica Claire. For more photos and the full story, you can see Jessica's full blog entry here.

Gocco is back!!

A couple weeks ago I mentioned Gocco, which is an awesome at-home screen printing machine for DIY freaks like myself. They're perfect for wedding projects like invitations, table numbers, programs, you name it. It's been unavailable for purchase in the US for years and it's finally back! PaperSource is carrying the large model and all the fixins, which will certainly get you started on your own projects. They even have an instructional video online if you want to learn how to be a Gocco pro!

Hi Becker & friends!

OK, so we've hit Big Time. That's right folks, the amazing [b]ecker, of SoCal photography fame, has noticed us in our little corner of the blogosphere. Better yet, he's even driven more traffic than we've ever seen on this side of the Mississippi! Thanks Becker :)

If you have no idea who I'm talking about, please go here, then maybe even go here.

Hi also to the folks from Anaheim, Mexico, Mobile, Olathe, and Alliance (plus many more) who were kind enough to link on over.

Plannerzilla?

Does everyone watch Whose Wedding is it Anyway? like I do? I swear I must be addicted at times...I think I've seen them all at least twice. Not only do the planners on that show come up with some beautiful ideas, but their personalities are equally as entertaining!

My husband and I will sit on the couch and comment, "did she really just put them $20k over their budget?" "did he just stress the bride out on her wedding day?" I admit that most of the time they're phenomenal people, but every so often there's a 'plannerzilla' who just takes over.

That being said, I was really intrigued to come across this New York Times article about wedding planners. Of course there are plenty out there who only have their best interests in mind, but when searching for a coordinator or planner you'll want to make sure that they're friendly, responsive, and genuinely interested in what's best for you. After all, it's your wedding day! Who are we to tell you that you should upgrade your linens and skip the dessert bar?

Some questions to ask your potential coordinator/planner are:

* How many weddings have you planned?
* How many weddings do you take in a year?
* What's your least favorite part about planning people's weddings?
* What happens if you can't be at my wedding? What's the backup plan?
* How can you save me money on my wedding?

I Missed the Washington Post's Weddings Week!

How did that happen? Luckily they've put everything online in a handy, easy-to-use, one-stop-shop location.

Hot or Not?

The Bride and Bloom Magazine has put out it's 2007 "hot or not" list for weddings! Here's a small sample:

HOT: Vintage styling and details, lace and ruffles, embroidery, colorful sashes and accents, spanx and sandal

NOT: pleats, long trains and heavy bustles, beading, hosiery – especially in white or sparkly tones

You can read the full article on their website here.

Twenty twenty twenty four hours to go....

....and what are you doing to your body?

Yahoo Food published a great article that lists the things you should and should not do the day before your wedding. Some tips include:

- Snack on Brazil nuts
- Drink chamomile tea the night before
- Avoid carbonated sodas that morning

Here's the full article if you want to learn the method to their madness as well as see the rest of their tips.

20% Off at Anna Bella Stationery

I'm a fan of Anna Bella Stationery's blog, so I was uber-excited when I found out they have a sale going on! From now until my birthday (August 30th if you're not hip to the lingo), take 20% off of their Occasions line.


Here's some of the great stuff you can get at a discount:
And here's their main site, if you want to check out the rest of their wares. Enjoy!

New Wedding Stamps!

Since the rate hike a few weeks ago, there have been no wedding-themed stamps from the USPS! Sadly, brides have been forced to use the ugly Liberty Bell 'Forever' stamp or the 'blah' Flag or Jamestown stamps on their beautiful wedding invitations:


These new pretty wedding stamps will be available on June 27th! While I don't think they're as cute as the old pink and green ones, they'll do the job. Like the old ones, they'll come in two denominations....one for your heavy envelope and one for the lighter response card.
From the USPS:

The artwork on the Wedding Hearts stamps was created by illustrator Nancy Stahl, who based her designs on memories of a wide range of intertwined objects, including silver charms and old-fashioned garden gates. The one-ounce denomination features a light purple background, while the two-ounce denomination features a light pink background.

Hurrah for the Post Office!

Happy Father's Day!

I'm very lucky in that I have two very supportive parents. Growing up, I was daddy's little girl and he did all the regular 'dad' things like teaching me to ride a bike, mow the lawn, and change a car tire. He also taught me the importance of persistence, honesty, and peanut M&M's. Here's a photo of me and my dad on my wedding day:
Happy Fathers Day, dad, and also to all the other dads out there!

More great blogs......

Here's some more amazing blogs I've spied with my little eye:

Mel's Brainstorms
(design & wedding inspiration)

Fresh Floral Art
(floral design)

Jasmine Star
(wedding photoblog)

10% off at Martha Stewart Crafts

Expires June 22nd. Thanks for posting this, WeddingBee!

Congratulations, Ryfie & Jason!

I'm a little late on this one, but I got these photos a few days ago and wanted to share Ryfie & Jason's wedding with you! This happy couple tied the knot on April 30. I met Ryfie only a couple months before the wedding and I couldn't believe how incredibly organized and on top of things she was. Typically at that point our brides are realizing how many little details they had wanted to include but never started on! This couple had so many cute ideas incorporated in their wedding and it ranks as one of my favorite events.

The Newlyweds:The chuppah was hand-made by one of their friends and now stands in their garden:
The ceremony was simply gorgeous -- the pond added some romance and the chirping birds added a soundtrack:Guests found their escort cards clothes pinned to a nearby tree. Ryfie & Jason wrote personal notes to each guest on the outer envelope and inside held a small seed packet:Centerpieces were potted plants from a hardware store set inside galvanized buckets:The slight breeze helped the chiffon overlays dance:
The tented courtyard provided some shade for lunch and dancing:
Sparkler exit in the daytime? No problem! It was still just as fun:Some of my favorite touches included baskets of plump, juicy strawberries set about on cocktail and buffet tables, the gourmet sandwich buffet complete with pasta salad, All You Need is Love played as the recessional, mint chocolate chip ice cream in waffle cones, the view down the mountain of the manicured formal gardens, and of course the beautiful chuppah cover your mom quilted out of decorated fabric squares sent in by your guests. Everything was personalized which made the day special for you, your family, and your guests.

The venue was the gorgeous Stronghold Mansion on Sugarloaf Mountain near Frederick, MD. Catering was provided by Canapes and these amazing photographs were taken by Lisa & Christin of Boggs Photography. It was a pleasure to work with so many great vendors.

Speaking of Boggs Photography, check out more photos of this wedding here and here

Indian Wedding Planning Sites

The nice folks over at Love, Romance & Dating sent me a link to one of their new blog posts, about Indian 'matrimony sites'. While I thought I was getting into some more information on Indian weddings (there's so much to learn!), I quickly realized their top 10 list was of Indian dating websites that match couples for marriage. While their blog is still a fun read for anyone on the dating scene, it's not quite what I was hoping for.

With that, here are some other interesting Indian wedding planning sites:

Indian Wedding Site
MyBindi.com's Wedding Section
WeddingSutra

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart!

It's hard to believe that it's been a whole year since we exchanged vows about chilly feet, new adventures together, and eating pickles. Time really has flown!
In the past year we've shared joy in welcoming a nephew and a niece, celebrated new marriages of our friends, discovered new destinations, saw some really stupid movies, explored new careers, and found fun in just generally spending time together. We even watched the whole James Bond box set and you survived my many awful movie selections. I couldn't have asked for a better first year of marriage and I'm looking forward to many many many more years waking up next to you.

Etsy highlight:

Look at this super swank dupioni silk ring pillow from seller bychay:


The silk just glows and the champagne color will go with any scheme. I especially like the pearlescent button in the center to hide the gathering. You can easily change out the ribbon to match your scheme. She also has green, red, purple, pink, and gold pillows if you want to jazz it up a little.

Upcoming Wedding Shows

As an engaged woman, I could never get enough "wedding TV." I particularly enjoyed A Wedding Story, as well as Whose Wedding is it Anyway and Bridezillas. It seems there's always a new wacky way to exploit poor brides who want to be on TV!

That being said, the Style Network is throwing a 21-day wedding party! From June 2-22, you can catch wedding shows like Wedding Altered, Married Away, Weddings from Hell, and I Propose. Even the Knot's jumping on the bandwagon with My Celebrity Wedding with the Knot, but while they say it's new I'm sure I saw it a few weeks ago (Christina Aguilera-inspired...NYC loft space...pink bridesmaid dresses...icy twig decor...photobooth...anything ringing a bell?). Check their full schedule to see when your favorite shows are airing!
The icing on the cake is that they're giving away diamonds every day! You can either win a pair of diamond stud earrings or a diamond pendant necklace. For that you have to enter here every day.

Rhymes with Orange

I'm a dedicated reader of the Hostess with the Mostess blog, which shares some really fun ideas for entertaining. Recently they posted about hosting a bridal shower and using the color orange as a theme! Since I obviously have a thing for orange, this was right up my alley. Here are some of the cute ways they tied the event together.

Using oranges as a centerpiece, complete with orange placemats and napkins:Serving orange-flavored beverages, such as IZZE sparkling juices and mimosas:Lining a vase with orange slices and using potted calamondin as favors or decor:

Cute Napkin Folds

Okay, so maybe I'm the only one that gets excited about things like napkin folds. But come on -- they're napkin folds! How much more exciting can you even get??
Gourmandia shows us how to make some really unique napkin folds, from the 'rabbit' to the 'peacock.' Here are some of their pretty ones:The best part is that they include videos of a person actually doing the fold! As helpful as diagrams are, sometimes they don't quite cut it when you're learning a new skill.

Have fun!