When Blogging Collides with "Real Life"

I had an interesting experience last night.

I met at girl (who is a friend of a friend) last night. We got to talking about wedding things and she already knew everything...because she has been reading my blog!

It was a very strange phenomenon. Talk about a cyber world/real world collision!

People have asked me about my blog, if I feel like I'm giving too much away. And I have to say...no.

I love giving people the inside information on my wedding details. Any guests who read my blog will know the back story on everything, whereas those details might otherwise go unnoticed, or at least under-appreciated.

But I am curious how many people I know read my blog - time for a roll call! Leave me a comment and let me know you're reading!

And thanks for being so interested in my upcoming marriage! :)

Table Number Idea

Too cute.

Source

I have thought about doing this, but have more tables than years. :)

Registry Addiction

I have an addiction.

I am a registry addict.

My fiance and I went together to put things on the registry. Since that time? I have changed about 50% of what is on the registry.

But see, this is how I shop. I buy something, then really think about it, decide I don't want that, return that item and pick out a new one. And as in wedding planning, I am notorious for changing my mind.

My fiance jokes that he doesn't even know what is on the registry anymore. But the truth is? He doesn't care. Why? He wants one thing for our wedding - cash to buy his TV.

He is soliciting cash gifts from his family, while I hope for the "pretty" things from mine. And it is a "pretty" thing I have been contemplating adding to the registry lately.

Right now, we have the Lenox Tuscany stemware on our registry. Love it. It is staying on the registry. (Although, it originally was the very similar Waterford Marquis.)

Very simple, clean, classic. Great for "everyday" use.

But then I was at my friends' house last night and they gave me a glass of wine in their crystal, Vera Wang Duchess.

It wasn't until I took a sip that I finally realized what the big deal is about cut glass. It looked beautiful at the bottom of the glass under the wine!!!

So now I'm debating adding this "fancier" crystal to my registry. Maybe just a few sets?

Is anyone else out there a registry addict?

Must Have Photo

I absolutely love the shots of the "hanging dress". It just looks so timeless, so elegant. This is definately a must-have shot for me. Here is what I mean...

And as you can see from these photos, the hanger for your dress actually can matter! Honey My Heart actually posted on the hanging dress phenomenon this morning too! And she has some great ideas for hangers too. Just something else to add to the "to do" list.

Do you have any "must have" photos?

(All photos found on the Weddingbee Gallery, except the last one which is from www.abryanphoto.com)

Stunning Photographs!

Okay, these latest images from my photographer just might be my favorite yet! You have no idea how excited I am for her to photograph my wedding!!!

Because They Make Me Happy

I saw these on sale at TJ Maxx last night for a CRAZY good deal and HAD to have them. I put them on my feet and got the BIGGEST grin on my face. They make me so happy! I am wearing them for my reception. I love them!!!! Just the sight of them makes me smile. :)

My Necklace!

I went home last weekend prepared for a few days of hard work on those invitations. What I did not expect? Daddy giving me my bridal necklace!

I have been hunting around Etsy and other sites for some beautiful, but reasonably priced jewelry. (They have some fabulous things by the way!) I sent Mom some ideas of what I wanted and she in turn told Daddy.

Daddy decided that this was something that we had to "get right". Apparantly Daddy bought Mom a necklace for their wedding that ended up turning her neck green. :)

He wanted to make sure I had something to pass on to a daughter or daughter-in-law someday! (Told you before that my dad is a total softy.) :)

So he and Mom went to our local jewelry store to buy me a bridal necklace! They took some of the ideas I had sent to Mom and found themselves torn between these three options...

So what did they do? They bought all three! So after dinner, Mom brought me all three boxes and said, "Pick one." WOW!!!!

I loved all three, but after trying them one, we all knew one was just "it".

Which one did I pick?

The third one - the single pearl. It is STUNNING and absolutely timeless. I love it! What an unexpected gift! (Thank you Daddy!)

Have you received any unexpected gifts along the way in your wedding planning?

Featured!

Don't you love when details from your wedding are featured on other blogs?

I saw my shoes today here! (And look - more anemones!)

And my witty, yet total softy Dad posted a fabulous picture of me today. Check out his blog here.
Enjoy!

Suits or Tuxes?

This has been the question floating around for the past few days. Should we have the groomsmen wear suits or tuxes?

There are arguments on each side. (And as a lawyer, this is how I look at everything). :)

Pros for Tuxes: More formal, more uniform, easier (everything is already picked out and included).

Cons for Tuxes: Expensive! Paying as you would for a suit on a tux you'll only wear one day. And apparantly the shoes are an issue. (See my dad's blog: http://poorweddingdad.blogspot.com/) Hehe.

Pros for Suits: Less expensive, can keep forever, often really can't tell the difference between a black suit.

Cons for Suits: Adds headache to try to find the right suits, at the right price, in all the right sizes; have to find matching ties (or coordinating ties); not uniform.

What's your vote? Suits or tuxes?

And can anyone even tell the difference?

Invitation Assembly Marathon

My family spent the past weekend engaged in an invitation assembly marathon.

The best part? My future in-laws came to help!

It was the first time our families have gotten together, so we had a great time over dinner and assembling the invitations.

This is how it all began...

And then there was this...

And lots of this!

Look - my fiance even helped out! :)

I wish I could show you the finished product but....they're not quite finished yet. We ran into some unexpected bumps along the way.

Learn from my mistake - make sure your RSVP postcards are the right size! Ours were off by a half inch, and the USPS is picky about those sorts of things!

So, we have re-ordered the RSVP postcards, and will be back to the invitation assembling next weekend! Stay tuned!

New Photos from My Photographer!

I know, I know. I owe you all a weekend update. And I promise...one is in the works. But until then, check out these beautiful photos from my photographer's latest wedding! Once again, I find myself SO excited that she will be photographing our wedding!

A Preview...

...of our weekend! More to come soon! :)

The Difference Between a Bridesmaid and a Maid of Honor

I have three sisters. My fiance has two brothers. There is a gap of ten years between my younger and youngest sisters. It just made sense for my fiance's two brothers to be Best Men and my two sisters closest in age to be my Maid and Matron of Honor.

My youngest sister is only eleven years old, but I didn't want to make her a junior bridesmaid. Heck, she will be taller than most of my bridesmaids! (She is a fabulous basketball player).

I was afraid she would be offended that the other sisters were Maid/Matrons of Honor, while she would be a bridesmaid. When she asked me what the difference between the two is, I responded,

"The Maids of Honor have to hold up the bride's dress when she goes the bathroom."

My youngest sister was suddenly very okay with the idea of being a bridesmaid. :)

I could help but think of that exchange when I saw this photo on Wedding Cabaret - love it!

My Dad Has a Wedding Blog!

Dad has started his own wedding blog: Poor Wedding Dad. Too funny!

Please check it out and how him some love! :)

The Family Jewels

Forgive my post title. I couldn't help it. :)

I'm sure many of you have seen the beautiful centerpieces with jewels that seem to be dripping off them.




These are pretty similar to what we plan to do with our centerpieces (I love those hydrangeas!)

Source for All Photos

Mom saw some of the dripping jewels and had a thought. My grandma always decorated her Christmas trees with jewels! We all began searching through our Christmas stuff, and we found these!





We have enough to include about five on each centerpiece! I love the extra bling they add, and I also love using something my grandma loved and collected. (My grandma has Alzheimer's and won't be able to make it to the wedding - I love being able to include her in this way!) Aren't they pretty?


Are you adding any personal touches to your wedding decor?

Will You Boudoir?

I have no idea if "boudoir" is a verb. I just liked the way the post title sounds. :)

I have heard of many brides giving their groom a book of their boudoir photographs on their wedding day. My photographer, Audrey Snow, is an expert at boudoir photography and does amazing work. I have decided not to do this as a groom's gift, but I still love the art that goes into and definately recommend it if you aren't sure what to get your man!

Audrey posted a "Boudoir 101" on her blog and I thought some of you may find it helpful! And before you read, just to show you what an expert she is, here are some of the images off her blog!

In Audrey's words...

There are a lot of questions and misconceptions when it comes to boudoir photography. This is a photographic specialty that is gaining more and more popularity, particularly amongst brides. Many women have heard and seen enough about it to know they are interested but not enough to have any idea what to expect. Since the start of Audrey Snow Photography I have photographed many boudoir sessions and answered even more questions on the subject. It seems about time to shed some light on the boudoir shoot for those still curious.

First off, I’d like to tackle a couple of common misconceptions I’ve heard regarding boudoir sessions.

1. “I would love to have photos like that of me if I had a perfect body. Maybe I’ll hit the gym hard for 6 months and then schedule something.”

Nonsense! One of the best things about a boudoir session is it is a gift to yourself. A gift to celebrate who you are and what you look like now, because truly, you’re gorgeous, even if you don’t yet realize it. We are our own worst critics, especially when it comes to our appearance. So give yourself a break and let someone else be the judge!

2. “A boudoir session seems like fun, but I’m not engaged, so I have no purpose for one.”

As I just mentioned above, this is a gift for you as much as anyone else. There is nothing like it to boost confidence and celebrate your life and femininity. Don’t be afraid to do something special for yourself now and then. You deserve it! I have photographed women who’ve battled or are battling cancer, a women facing life changing surgery, and women who just want to celebrate the way they look and feel at this moment of their lives. As wonderful of a wedding gift as this is, it’s not just for weddings!

3. “I’ve seen glamour shoots on photographer’s sites before. It seems trashy. I don’t think that’s for me.”

Okay, it’s possible a boudoir session isn’t for you, but take a look at the difference between boudoir and glamour before you decide. Even between boudoir photographers, there is a big range of styles. My brand Allure Boudoir is based on a sense of natural femininity. Like a glimpse of a secret world, it’s flirty and intimate, sexy and natural, but NOT trashy or vulgar in any way. This feel comes from the use of tasteful yet seductive poses. It also is marked by the use of natural light whenever possible, soft dreamy focus, and natural, casual shooting environments (most often the client’s own home).

Well, that sums up some of the biggest un-truths about boudoir, but there are still questions I hear repeatedly. So here are my answers…

1. “What do I wear? How many outfits?”

For an Allure shoot, the number of outfits depends on the package selected, ranging from 2 to 5. For outfits, there is no wrong or right, but here are some ideas.

Cute and sexy lingerie. I love Victoria’s secret, La Perla, and B. Tempt’d to name a few. Garter belts and stockings rock. Ruffles are adorable. Lace is romantic.

His dress shirt and/or tie. Remember how Pretty Woman/Julia Roberts/“Viv” rocked Richard Gere’s/“Edward’s” white dress shirt? Classic is hot.

Skin. Go as bare as you dare, I’ll keep it classy. Black and white fine art nudes are always gorgeous.

If it’s a gift for him, then his gear (professional or hobby) is a terrific way to let him know you “get” him and are thinking of him.

Good ideas: Fabulous high heels, fun accessories; pearls, birdcage veil, feathers, anything you love. Editorial style props; glass of wine, cup of tea, a fan, anything that gives your hands something to do.

Bad ideas: Tan lines, glitter, poorly fitting garments (try it on before the shoot.)

2. “Where does the shoot happen?”

All on location, usually in your home or perhaps a pretty hotel room or B&B. Don’t worry if you think your house won’t make the perfect backdrop. Most of the images are closely cropped or have blurry backgrounds, so you really don’t notice the surroundings that much. Of course, if you do have a really interesting or beautiful room I’ll likely take advantage of the variety.

3. “Should I get my hair and make-up professionally done?”

While it’s not absolutely necessary, I highly recommend it. It will yield a more finished looking you and be that much more fun for you to be photographed. I love dark and dramatic eyes. If you don’t have a stylist and make-up artist in mind already, I can recommend one.

4. “I have a specific date I want a finished product for. How far out do I need to schedule?”

Three months out is best to ensure plenty of time for editing, your time to make selections, and time for printing and/or assembly of products such as albums, wall art, etc.

5. “Will my image be on your website and blog?”

Only with your permission. All of the women in my portfolio have given their consent for their images to be part of my portfolio. Some women prefer not to and that is fine, though I do love and appreciate when you allow me to share. I’m so proud of this work!

6. What products do you offer?

I offer coffee table albums, gallery wrapped wall art, fine art quality prints plus new products on the way.

Well, I covered everything I can think of, but if I missed something, just shout it out! Inquiring minds want to know! And please let me know if this information was helpful to you. I’ll be sharing all this and more at Florida Wise Bride workshop on June 7th, so your feedback is much appreciated.

Thanks Audrey!

So...will you boudoir?

No Cake in the Face

This has become my fiance's mantra. I think at least once a day he looks at me, with a very serious look on his face and says, "No cake in the face."

I couldn't agree more. I would much rather have this:

My parents' wedding

Than this:

Alex & Ashley's wedding two weekends ago

Although the picture does make me laugh. She was SO not happy with him at that moment. Or the following moments when she was desperately trying to clean it off her face and out of her eyes.

How do you feel about cake in the face?