Where have I been?

Where have I been? That is a good question! I have  been gone for a little under two months! Yet, it feels like forever.  Although, I have thought about this blog often, I had to stop.

I guess if I don't share, I leave you confused.  If I do share, I need to open up and give you more information about me than I ever thought I'd share in a blog.  In the end, I've decided to share because I think it will do me good to better understand where I was before and where I am now.

It all began with Weddingbee.  It is a beautiful, wonderful wedding community made of brides that share their wedding planning experiences.  I really wanted to become one of those brides known as a "bee".  It is the reason I started this blog, in hopes that I'd apply to become one of their bloggers and that they'd accept me.  I can admit now that I became a little obsessed with Weddingbee.  I was on it every day and commenting all the time.  When you're planning a wedding it is so easy to turn everything into a "me" world,  "my" wedding, and what "I" want! It's what happened to me.

The truth is....I lost track for a short bit about what a wedding really is about. A union- a decision to love- a promise before God.  I started taking God out of my planning and investing too much time on wedding stuff.  It didn't take me long to realize my mistake but it was a lot harder to quite than I thought.  

When I realized I was focusing on our wedding too much, for the wrong reasons, I began to pray.  I asked that God would help me understand what I should do. I actually asked him to help me find a way to fit blogging into my life.  I was trying to convince myself that I could keep my wedding focused on God AND blog about wedding details. But ... He didn't answer those prayers.  Right around this time, though something interesting happened with my account on Weddingbee.  It didn't allow my comments to show on the blog.  So, I would read something, would write a comment, and click send but my comment never showed on the blog site.  Other girls had the same problem, but they were able to fix it.  I honestly saw it as help, but ignored it a little bit longer.

In February, two things happened on Weddingbee that helped me get over my obsession.  One, one of the brides that blogs quit.  She admitted to everyone that it was taking away from her life.  It was taking too much of her time to write posts and kept her from her priorities in life.  After reading it, I was able to admit to myself that while I still wanted to be a Weddingbee writer, I cared about my other priorities more: my fiance, my family, my job, my church group.  The second thing that happened was the closure I needed.  Someone took the name and avatar that I had wanted to apply for: Miss Lace.  Miss Lace's avatar was a beautiful purple lace swatch that was dainty and sweet and elegant.  I felt crushed the day I found out but a little relieved.   This was the final sign I needed, the answer to my prayers.  I was finally able to let go of my Weddingbee craze.

I bet you think I quite Weddingbee, but that is not true.  The truth is I still love that website, it really is a great community of brides and I have received a lot of help and advice from the girls there.  I have learned it is all about moderation though.  I no longer read every post, and I have accepted that I won't be blogging for them.  I am grateful that I was able to refocus my attention for our wedding - and I am grateful that I still have a few months to enjoy being engaged without the stress of needing to blog almost daily. 

The funniest thing is that the girl that took the name, Miss Lace, lives in Southern California and is a teacher!  Not that big a deal, but since I'm from Southern Cali and a teacher too, I really feel like I could just live vicariously through her posts. Ha!

So now you know why I couldn't blog for almost two months. I first had to stop, think, and redefine my purpose for blogging.  And now I know - I am not doing it to look good on an application, I am doing it for me!  My posts won't be every day or even every week.  But I will blog and when I do, I know it's because it's what I need to write about.

I will be writing again, soon!

The Hunt for Bridesmaid Dresses Begins

The only bridesmaid picture that I saved early on was of this floral dress from Nordstroms.  It has a casual, gardeny feel and would be great for an outdoor wedding.   When I showed it to one of my bridesmaids she wasn't too excited about it. So I let it go.  I didn't really push it because maybe... (in a whisper voice) I can use it on the night of the rehearsal dinner.

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Even though I didn't really have an idea of what I was looking for,  I set out on Saturday with three of my bridesmaids to hunt for dresses.  The first place we walked into had walls and walls covered with bridesmaid dresses.  Long ones, short ones, red, black, silk, satin ones! It was a little overwhelming, but we quickly learned that the dresses were sorted by designer and by length.  We only looked at knee length dresses since my wedding is in the summer, and after about 20 minutes of pulling dresses, we headed to the dressing rooms. I apologize for not having any pictures to show but, this is mostly due to the fact that after trying on  about 10 dresses we didn't like any of them.  They weren't even maybe's.  We decided to leave and hoped for better luck at the next store.

The second place we went to was much more helpful.  To begin with, we had an appointment and a gal was assigned to just my party.  She listened to what we were looking for and started making suggestions.  We had a lot more dresses to try on at this place so our hopes were high. Again, some dresses were a quick NO!  but others got maybe's.  Two dresses did catch our attention, though. 

The first one is a Melissa Sweet strapless bridesmaid dress but we liked how the skirt looked. It fit nice and seemed dressy and casual at the same time.  Best of all the material wasn't too thick, which is important to consider since we are getting married in the summer.

Taken on my camera.

The second dress, we liked from the Vineyard collection, had only one strap.   The first thing my bridesmaid said when she opened the dressing room door was, "You know, I wouldn't normally pick an asymmetrical dress but I really like the way this one looks!"

We all agreed that it wouldn't be a dress we normally would pick but we all did like it. It looked stunning on her.  It complimented her figure and it was also a light weight material.  The best comment one of the girls said was, "You know, I think this is a dress that I really could wear again!" Which made me giggle and made me think of 27 Dresses.

I would consider our hunting trip a success but I still want to go to some more bridal stores and see what's out there.  I am not too worried about the timeline but I am worried I might end up with too many choices and then I won't be able to decide. 

How did you decide on your bridesmaid dresses? Did you go to several places before deciding? 

200 Days from Now...

200 days from now, I will get to wear the prettiest dress I've ever owned and will have my dad walk me down the aisle.

200 days from now,  we will stand before God and our families and declare our love for each other.

200 days from now, we will say, "I do!"

And when the priest says, "You may kiss the bride." He will and I'll be elated!

So much that I still have to do, so much to plan, but the best part of the day has already been decided! I play this out in my head and it just makes me smile! I can't wait to be married! 

The best part: 

200 days from now, I will be Mrs. Vuong!

Time to make Resolutions

I guess a common cliche for January is to make some resolutions. I think most people are sincere when they make resolutions because, after all, they are improvements we'd like to make in our lives.  Resolutions like: "I'm going to work out everyday", "I will get to work on time" or "I will make more home cooked meals." No joke, those really have been past resolutions that I've made.  And you know what conclusion I've come to about resolutions: they only last for about a month! Maybe two! So a few years ago, I resolved to have no more resolutions.

But since 2010 is going to be such an important year, I thought why not? I'll make some resolutions.  Some that I can actually stick to or try and stick to! So here we go:

1. Do not become a bridezilla - no matter how stressed I am!  I don't want to take my stress out on anyone, especially Hanam.  If I feel stressed, I will find different ways to relieve the stress. So far, I haven't felt too much stress and I want to keep it that way.
   
2. Make up my mind and stick with it!  I procrastinate.  Guilty...very guilty!!!  I procrastinate on wedding stuff 'cause I can't make up my mind. I see one thing and think "Oooh, I like that." then I see something else "Ohhh, I like that too." Can you see where this is going. It's fine to have several ideas but I can't sit on it and wait. Once, I have sevral ideas, I need to choose one and do it.
3. Don't leave things to the last minute! It is my goal that the last week before we get married will be project free! I know that there are going to be some last minute things but I don't want any of them to be DIY projects or things that could have been done in advance.   Picking someone up from the airport is okay, making 200 napkins rings...not okay!
4. Enjoy every minute of our wedding day! On that day, I don't want to worry about flowers, food, DJ etc. No thoughts will start with: "I should have...." or  " I wish we would have....". None of it! It's our wedding day and we are going to have a blast. Period.
5. Last and the most important: Amongst all the planning, running around, and DIY projects .... I don't want to lose sight of what July 24th really means: It's our wedding day, the day we receive the sacrament of marriage and all of it's graces. Before God, we will give ourselves definitively and totally to one another. 

I'd like to note #2 and #3 seem to go hand in hand. If I can do #2 then #3 shouldn't be a problem but I'm going to leave #3 because a little reinforcement will work for me!  Also, it seems that #1 and #4 are tied to #5.  If I can constantly keep the reason for our wedding on the forefront of my mind, then I won't become a crazy bride and I won't worry about what happened or didn't happen on our wedding day.  At the end of the day, if Hanam and I get to say "I do" before God then I will consider my day a success. 

So, I've made some resolutions which is a good thing because it will help keep me sane and calm and ready to enjoy our amazing day!

Are you making any personal or  wedding resolutions this year?

 

 

Michael's FAIL, sort of

On Monday, I was able to convince Hanam to go with me to Michael's so that we can get started on our wedding signs for our chairs.  I have the wood but need to buy the paint to make it have an antique crackled look.  I was proud of myself because I remembered to print a 50% coupon off the internet.  We drive over and walk in.  

As we're walking in, I instantly get excited! Hanam looked over at me curiously and made a great analogy.  Michael's is to me what Bass Pro Shop is to him! I like crafts, he likes fishing -can't argue there. 

We had to ask for help on which aisle to even find this crackle paint that I needed. Once we are in the right area, I know that I'm doomed.  I thought it would be easy to just grab a jar and go, but not so.  There were all kinds of jars and different colors too.  What kind did I need? Good question.  I didn't know! Oh, well. No crackle DIY project for me. It's a fail. Boo.

Since we had the coupons though, we walked around to see what else we could find. Guess what we found? Potential wedding invitations! They match our colors and we liked the design.  With the 50% coupon, each invite would cost us less than a dollar.  Who can beat that? Hanam kept saying, "If we spend less on invites, we can invite more people." Which is a good point.  Anyway, I'm still not 100% sure. I want to open the box and check the quality of the paper before I make up my mind.

In the end, our Michael's visit wasn't a complete failure!  

Has that ever happened to you where you walk in to a craft store to get one thing but walk out with something else? 

Our Photographer

One of the first things we picked after the venue was our photographer.  I had read that photographers get booked quickly, so I wanted to make sure we shopped around and had a chance to pick from the best.  We looked at several photographers and we really did find one of the best.

I am so excited that we get to work with April Smith as our photographer! She is an amazing artist and really loves her job.  Hanam and I both got to meet with her in her home office.  She did a great job of helping us feel comfortable by asking questions about how we met and how he proposed.  Because she wanted to create a feeling of being comfortable with her, I know that she will also do that on the wedding day.  

Aside from feeling comfortable with her, the reason we hired her was because of her work. She doesn't just take pictures she finds one-of-kind shots to show off the couple.  Sometimes, she does this editing technique that makes a picture look antique, like this picture.

Or she plays up the colors and makes them really vivid, like this pic.

Her blog and website are covered with great pics but this is one of my favorites! It just captures such a sweet moment.

Early in the planning, Hanam and I decided that good, quality pictures were a priority for us.  We wanted to hire someone that would capture us and our wedding with great pictures.  I know that April is going to do just that for us.

All pictures are from April Smith's website or blog.

Inspiration Board: A Romantic Night

I am a sucker for candles at night.  Their glow just seems to add a touch of romance.  That is the basis for the inspiration board I created.  It's not all candles, as you can see, but the lighting in all the photos create a warm romantic feel. (source)

Since we our venue is outdoor, I  will be incorporating candles into our decor.  I also want candles with the centerpieces and maybe throughout the reception area.  There is also a fireplace that will need decorating and I am leaning towards candles.  I think the candles will just create a great mood for the night.  I savvy thing to also remember is that candles can be an inexpensive way to decorate but still make it look elegant.

Colored Shoes on a Bride

I always thought that the day I get married I'd wear a white dress, white veil, white shoes, you know, the basics. Simple, right? Except now the new "in" thing is to wear colored shoes. Shoes are mostly hidden under wedding dresses but every so often they peek through and make for great pictures.  Since I am a shoe lover, you don't have to tell me twice that color is allowed! I love the idea! 

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Those red shoes look so beautiful peeking out just a little from the dress. But me, I'm a purple kinda girl! This next picture makes me smile. Seriously, I literally feel happier every time I see this picture!

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Last month, Miss Cheeseburger from Weddingbee, posted about shoes and guess what color she's looking for?! Yup, purple shoes! Crazy, huh? (source)

I am not a fan of all of these shoes but the colors are amazing.  

Even though I kind of have the idea that I would like colored shoes, I haven't been actively searching for wedding shoes.  My wedding dress doesn't come in until May, so I figured I have a couple of months to try on and pick shoes.  Until...these shoes!!!!

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I was at Nordstrom when I saw them.  I am not kidding when I tell you that I walked right over, picked them up and ohhed and ahhed out loud!  These shoes are major eye-candy and would look great with my dress.  

Although, I don't really have a reason to not buy them, I still haven't.  A small part of me, and I mean small, keeps thinking I should keep to my original vision of a white dress with white shoes.  And a small part of me is worried that I will regret not wearing white shoes? Am I crazy?

What do you girls think? Am I over analyzing? Should I just get the amazing cute purple heals or stick to the original plan of white heals? Oh, and just to add more variety, what about two pairs? White for the ceremony and purple for pics and the reception?

Save our wedding date!

We sent out our save-the-dates!  Woo hoo!!! We got our save-the-dates in the mail back in October and we finally put the final ones in the mail last week!  

After talking for awhile about what we wanted for save-the-dates, we decided it wasn't going to be a DIY project because it would be time consuming.  We had two criteria: something quick and inexpensive.  Truthfully, I didn't do any research.  I relied on the reviews I found on Weddingbee. One of the bees found several websites that can do wedding magnets, postcards, etc. We checked out three website to see what they could offer: Overnight Prints, Vista Prints and Invitesite.  Soon into our research we noticed that postcards where a cute and inexpensive way of letting people know about the wedding. So our first decision was done: our save-the-dates would be postcards!

At one point, we were on Vista Prints scrolling through their premade postcard options when a a really cute came up! Simultaneously we both said, "Oh, what about that one."  We kept scrolling through the page and found several more we liked but we kept saying "But the first one is cuter." We checked out more just to make sure but we kept going back to the one we both liked.  It was very girly and so I checked and double-checked with Hanam that a girly postcard was okay and he was fine with it.  What finally sealed the deal was a 50% off coupon that we found for Vista Prints! Who could beat that? We had found what we wanted: cute and affordable!

So without further ado......

(I took the picture)

Isn't it adorable! I really like the way they came out!   The wording is something that I saw awhile back and have always wanted to use! It just seemed so fitting to use for our save-the-dates! I also the think the picture really captures how we both felt when Hanam proposed! 

I was really impressed with Vista Prints.  The turn around time was less than a week and the quality of the paper is good.  Good service and affordable prices? Our save-the-dates mission was a success!

So fellow brides, what are you planning to do for your save-the-dates? DIY or pre-made?

Shoes! I'm addicted!

My shoe obsession - I think it started back when I was a little girl. My mom had the best heals, or so they seemed to me. It seemed like she had a closet full and in all kinds of colors. I always wanted to play house and wear them.  Of course, my mom wouldn't let me.  When a pair was really old though, she'd finally let me have them. Ha, I can still remember wearing my heals with socks, using chapstick as lipstick, and wearing all my plastic jewelry I could find. I was playing "grown up" and I always needed heels for that!

Fast forward to now, and I am a self-proclaimed shoe-aholic. I don't think anyone that knows me would deny it, though. I don't know what it is but I am just drawn to them. Flats, flip flops, sandals, boots, but especially heals! I still have this idea in my head from my childhood that heals make you a grown up. Heels help me feel grown up and lady-like.

It's hard to walk into a department store and not walk by the shoe department.  I just have to look and see what they have. Well, about a month ago I was walking through Macy's and saw these. They are Carlos by Carlos Santana.

I stopped in my tracks and my jaw dropped.  They are gorgeous! I instantly thought of my wedding because they are pretty much one of colors of my wedding.  They look so girly and feminine.  Also, the ruffles up front remind me of the headbands and fabric ruffled belts that are really in right now. The label says they are a bordo color, which remind me of wine, which reminds me of wineries, which reminds me of where we're getting married.  I just had to have them!

I bought them not knowing when I'd used them and I still don't. I'm thinking they'd look amazing with a dress for a bridal shower or the rehearsal dinner.  Either way, these were a great buy and I can't wait to find a cute dress to coordinate with them.

Does anyone else have a shoes obsession? 

p.s. This definitely not going to be last shoe post! I still have to find my shoes for the day of!

My Grandma

I didn't think I'd be able to write this post so soon, but I  feel inspired today.  My grandmother passed away about two weeks ago, on November 6th.  It has been a long two week! The emotional shock of losing someone so loved is finally going away, but leaves behind an ocean of emotions to cope with. My grandmother was more than just a grandmother, she was the center of our family.  She was my last living grandparent and the one that I was closest too! She took care of me as a child while my mother worked and I got to take care of her in her old age.  

Our relationship was special for me from a very young age.  My grandmother loved to travel, our first trip together was when I was 4! She took me to Mexico with her.  I don't remember it but they tell me that I had a great time.  Our trips continued throughout my childhood, most of which I do have memories of.  I remember our road trips to Mexico with her and my grandpa in his red truck.  I would have a small cot set up on the back camper of the truck and would chat with them from back there.  She took me to Puerto Vallarta several times and we'd get to go wading in the ocean together.  A grandmother spoils her grandchildren and she was no exception.  What I remember most of our vacations was the freedom to be a little girl.  She never said no.  If I wanted to go swimming, she'd take me.  When I was hungry, we'd order some food.   I realize now, her enjoyment was seeing my joy.  Once I was in high school and college our roles reversed.  I still got to go to Mexico with her but now I was the care taker.  I had to administer her medicine and make sure she rested.  I was mindful of what she ate and sometimes had to be the food police and say no to pork tacos or similar indulgences. We had fun though! I was still with her, we got to enjoy our family together, and we created lasting memories that would take a lifetime to describe.  Through the years our vacations to Mexico were less and less because of her health but just last week she was commenting to me how much she would love to go back.  Of course, this is just one of the many loving experiences that have wandered into my mind this week.

When I look back and reflect on her personality I see of  lot of her in me! Definitely our love of traveling but so much more.  She was a strong woman who loved her family.  She loved us unconditionally and showed us the value of family.  Her strong faith came later in life but once she encountered the Lord, her devotion never waivered.  Although there was an age gap, our conversations about God and family seemed like we were old friends.  She was a spiritual guide for me and she always encouraged me to seek out God.

Although this isn't directly wedding related, it is to me. I keep thinking about how I will have a wedding without my grandma? I won't be able to receive her blessing before walking down the aisle, like I'd planned. She won't be there to smile and see me glow on the alter.  I won't be able to run into her arms and share a small special moment with her after the ceremony.  So many potential moments that won't be.  My comfort comes in knowing that although she won't be physically present, she'll be with me in my heart.

What more can I say? I love her.  I will miss her.  And on my wedding day, when I think of her, I'll smile, maybe shed a tiny tear, my heart will swell up with love and, before I leave the church, I'll say a prayer for her.  And for the rest of the day, I will celebrate my beautiful marriage, because that's what she would have wanted.  I will celebrate the way she used to celebrate- surrounded by a ton of family, sharing our laughter and love and having a good time.

Dress shopping = Emotional Roller coaster

*Note: I am writing about wedding dress shopping but I can't post pictures because my FI is a faithful reader of my blog. *

I went wedding dress shopping this weekend and it has been a roller coaster of emotions for me. At first, I was hesitant to go. I am willing to admit that it's because of my size.  I have put on weight and this is NOT the ideal size I want to be when trying on dresses.  So I wasn't looking forward to looking "fluffy" in these pictures. Walking into the store, I felt overwhelmed.  How many dresses can one store hold?! There were so many styles and looks.  Who knew that white could come in so many shades! 

When I finally tried the first dress on, I felt a little disappointed.  It was the Jim Hjelm one that I had blogged about in an earlier post. That dress looks a lot better on that model.  It had too much lace on the shoulders.  It was eating up my shoulders.  I had been looking forward for so long to try on this dress and when I finally did...blah. It looked blah on me.  I just kept thinking, "Oh, no! This was suppose to be the one!"  But once I looked at the price tag, I instantly felt relieved. "Phew, good thing this isn't the one!"

I tried on about four or five more and they felt okay.  Some got a very quick no and some got maybe's. The maybe's weren't cutting it for me.  I didn't feel a wow factor.  And then..... I tried on the prettiest dress we had.  I felt so beautiful in it! The term blushing bride comes to mind.  I felt so happy instantly! But guess what? It was strapless!!!! I felt shocked.  What?! But I had sworn I wouldn't get a strapless. How can this be the one I like the most? But it was! I twirled around in it.  We took some pictures.  We talked about the accessories.  We discussed how great it would look in a church and later outside in a vineyard.  It wasn't too heavy or too poofy.  It was just right. (Wow, that sounded very Goldy Lock-ish).

The dress fitting ended with me having a big smile on my face! I think I'm going to try some more places just to make sure I'm not missing out on anything, but I just know I am going to compare every dress to that last one.  Of course, I also want to have my Mom help in the decision, so I have to make an appointment for us to go back?  

Is it really this easy though? I don't want to say I found my dress, but it feels like I found my dress.  Every time I think of me in it, I smile!  That's a good sign, right? How often do brides find there dress after the fifth or sixth dress? My last emotion on this roller coaster was concern.  Am I being too quick in picking "the dress"? Should it be a lot harder than this?

It feels official!

I know that we've been engaged for several months now but I finally feel like we are officially getting things done.  So far I've only been giving away my money.  Although I spend, I have nothing to show for it ... but not anyyyyymore.  A few weeks ago we ordered our Save-the-dates and we just got them in the mail today!  I am excited! They are really cute and I can't wait to send them out.  I won't be able to post a picture until they go out but they are sweet.  

Did that ever happen to you? It didn't feel official until you had something concrete to show for it?

Wine barrel decor!

We're getting married at a winery. Will there be wine barrels? You bet! Wine barrels are a simple way of adding a nice touch.  They add the rustic, shabby chic look and it doesn't take a lot because they are simple to decorate.  Just add some flowers, a frame, candles, or anything else that needs to be displayed.

Isn't this image great?! Adding some apples is a great idea. Simple yet charming. I've been trying to think of a way to incorporate raspberries or blueberries into our reception.  I'm not sure if it'd work but what if I put some in berries on fancy candy dishes or bowls and set them out on the wine barrels?

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This last picture came out a little small, sorry.  But you'll get the idea.  Why not use a wine barrel to hold the cake? It seems easy enough and then I don't have to worry about having to buy and hunt for a nice cake stand.  The wine barrel will draw all the attention needed and a simple cake stand from the baker would suffice.

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I never really gave wine barrels much thought until our wedding, but now I realize they have so many possibilities!  How else would you use them? If you have more ideas let me know.

Aughhh! The Guest List

A guest list! It is seriously a dread for me and my fiance.  We've tried cutting people out, we really have, but then we put them back on.  We have big families.  There is no way around it.  I don't know how to cut our list.  A small wedding sounds so beautiful. I imagine it being so beautiful. I just don't know how to get it to be small.  

To begin with I have a Mexican family.  Enough said, right.  Mexicans have big families. Hanam's family is Vietnamese.  In this way, Mexicans and Vietnamese are very much alike.  We have big families.  To give you an idea. My dad has 9 siblings. Hanam's dad has 12 siblings. And they have kids, and some of those kids have kids.

So what do we do? As of right now, we're expanding our guest list.  We might end up with a guest list of 200 instead of 150.  I know, I know. It seems like a lot to me too, but what can we do.  At least the dance floor will be packed!

How to save the date?

I can't believe that I've reached the point in my planning where it's time to plan for Save the Dates! Save the dates usually go out about 9 months before the wedding and end of October will be about 9 months for me.  So I have to start thinking about what we want now because if I'm going to DIY (do-it-yourself) then I'm going to need some time to make them.  I am trying to think of what I'd like.

Maybe something simple like a calendar.

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This save the date is really cute.  I like the idea of the tickets.  Does it seem personal enough though? I just keep thinking that a save the date should have our picture.  

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This save the date is a little more elaborate, but it has a picture.  Cute idea, huh, stringing the date? 

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I like this one too.  Again, it has pictures.  I am not sure that we'd want to put childhood pics though.  Maybe just a picture of us together. It's a little simpler than the one above.  Picture and a string wrapped around.


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These save the dates are going to be my first wedding DIY project but I hope it won't be too hard.  I will make sure to post what I end up doing?

Chair Signage

Is it funny to put a sign on the chair where the bride and groom are going to sit? Probably. I mean, no one is going to see a table for two and think, "Oh, let's go sit there." Right?! Regardless, I still want a sign for my chair. After I saw this picture, the idea never left me.

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I think these signs will look great outside and add a small touch of elegance.  Now, all I need to decide is do I want them to say "bride" and "groom" or "Mr." and "Mrs.".  This will be one of my first DIY projects.  I will let you know it goes.  

What do you think, bride and groom or Mr. and Mrs.?

My man is stylish!

One of the first things I was attracted to about my fiance, Hanam, was his style of dressing. He has good fashion sense and likes to wear nice clothes.  So, when I mentioned that I thought it'd be cool if the groomsmen wore suits instead of tuxes, he objected adamantly.  He said that he always envisioned his guys in a tux.  He also said that a simple tie and black socks would be just fine. Now just to clarify, I don't have anything against a tux but the feel that I am trying to convey for our wedding is more of a "casual elegance" and therefore, I thought tuxes would be too much.  After a slightly heated conversation, we decided he'd be in charge of what they guys wear, and I would be in charge of the girls.

Imagine my surprise, when he sent me these pictures as ideas that he likes.

It's guys in suits!!! I asked him why he changed his mind and these are his exact words, "If it makes you happy for us to wear suits, then we'll wear suits.  No big deal."  Isn't he wonderful. 

The next two are of groomsmen showing off their argyle socks.  I am not sure if we'll get argyle socks but they do make for cool pictures.

And of course, the Converse shot.  My Sweetie does like his Converse.  He has them in black, brown, red, and I know he wants to get them in green.  Is this the style we're going for? Not really, but I'd be willing to compromise.  Maybe the guys throw them on during the reception or something.

What do you girls think? Should the guys wear a tux or a suit? 

"Berry" Beautiful

One of my favorite wedding websites is Style Me Pretty. Look at the beautiful picture they posted yesterday! Does this scream berry colors or what?! The vibrant colors feel warm and inviting. I like the romantic candle lighting too. It looks simple and effortless.
This tablescape is my new inspiriation. 


Here is the whole inspiration board.

(Click to enlarge the board.)

This one actually includes berries in the pictures.  I think it's a good idea to incorporate berries somehow.  I'm going to have to think about it for awhile.

"Berry Chic" Inspiration Board #1

So, in case you haven't found out. I chose my colors! I picked berry colors!!! 
Here is my first inspiration board that I made on Style Circle by Style Me Pretty. Hope you like it.

(I think if you click on it, you'll see a bigger version of it.)

I am always drawn to purple.  My wedding is a spin on the purple - "berry" colors.  Think blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry.  Is plum a berry? No? Well, then I'll make up my own.  Plumberry! Add plumberry to the mix.  Since our venue is a ranch/winery, I am want to create a Casual Elegance with a touch of Rustic feel.  The colors will look great in the summer and I think they'll really pop with the greens and the browns of the ranch.