I'm not made for this.

I'm in Denver and it is COLD.

I'd kill for a 60-degree California winter right about now.

But it's been worth it to enjoy some quality time with the fam :)



My big sis is getting married in June, on top of a mountain, so we took a trip up there to see the spot. IT. WAS. FREEZING. With the wind chill it was about 15 below. which is just not right.

photo evidence:


LOVE this picture of Heather and the two men in her life:

So... my sister and I are polar opposites. I'm obsessed with planning all the little details of a wedding, and she would rather elope. Somehow she talked me into being her wedding planner. Which means... two weddings in 5 months. Am I crazy? yes, obviously.

If you live within 50 miles of Denver, Beatrice and Woodsley is worth a special trip. The brunch is amazing, but you will probably pee your pants over the decor. I wish I had taken more pictures, but I felt like I might get escorted out of the place. Like I was in a museum or something.

Heather, Me, and our Mama

Remember my shoes? I brought them with me all the way from California so I could go back to the Priscilla of Boston salon and try them on with my dress!



Curt reads this blog, so in order to keep the element of surprise I can't post more dress pictures on here. But check out my posts on Wedding Chicks and I'll share the love :)


I also experimented with my hair. I've been going back and forth on whether to attempt DIY-ing it on the day of the wedding. I think it turned out ok, but even this quick little trial run stressed me out! I feel silly spending money to have it done when I'm fairly capable of making it work, but I definitely don't want to feel rushed on the day of the wedding. Thoughts?? Anyone know a talented but affordable stylist in the Orange County or LA area??


I'm definitely going to order a custom hairpiece via here, here, or here (for reals, Etsy makes me so happy I could cry). This is just something they had at the salon, but my piece will probably be pretty similar. I'm loving the tulle and netting combo, but I think I want a slightly bigger piece of netting so it falls across my face a little bit. I've even considered making a visit to the Millinery Supply in LA and buying the materials so I can try to create it myself. But my lack of craftiness scares me. a lot.


Hope you're all enjoying the holiday season with the people you love the most!! This is the last Christmas that Curt and I will spend apart... I'm so excited to spend next Christmas as a newlywed :) But for now, I'm freezing my booty off, so please send warm and toasty thoughts my way!

Counting My Blessings

1. My mommy got a new job! Her first interview in over 20 years and she nailed it! Go hot mama!

2. I got a new job! Details to come...

3. Going to Denver tomorrow to visit my mom and sister (and her new fiance!) for the holidays... and it looks like a White Christmas is in store :)

4. Six people were laid off at Curt's work, and Curt was not one of them. Of course my sympathies and condolences go out to those who unexpectedly lost their jobs... at the same time, I'm so grateful that Curt does not have to deal with the pain of finding something in this economy (because, I just dealt with it. It ain't pretty.)

5. I'm officially a college graduate! The diploma will take a good 5 or 6 months to show up, but that's fine with me. As long as no one makes me write anymore 15-page research papers.

6. Christmas trees. LOVE them.

7. We met with our mentor couple last weekend and they are awesome and so much cooler than we expected.

8. I'm healthy.

9. I'm happy.

10. I'm marrying the man who was made for me. In less than 10 months. ohmygod.


Stay tuned for pretty pictures from my adventures in Denver!

Pretty Maids All in a Row

I just sent the final contract for the bridesmaids’ dresses!!!

I’m so excited to see them all together… I can’t believe we have to wait till April!

So here’s the story with my BM dresses… Originally, I was just going to have each girl pick out any knee-length dress in some shade of plum or eggplant. Easier said than done. There were not very many options in that color, especially not in the price range we were aiming for. Plus, once I picked out my dress, and we decided on an evening wedding, I realized we would need something elegant and classy for the girls. The bodice of my dress is satin, and I thought, especially for the sake of the pictures, that it would be nice for the BM dresses to be satin as well. (I guess I might as well give in and show y’all my dress. Everyone except my future husband has my permission to click here…. Isn’t she lovely? *sigh*)

Back to the story… Over the summer, I started working at Bella Bridesmaid, an adorable little boutique in downtown La Jolla. There are locations all over the country, and I highly recommend them if you are still looking for Bridesmaids dresses! The La Jolla location carries some incredible designers, including Jenny Yoo, Coren Moore, Vera Wang, and Priscilla of Boston. But despite having so many lovely dresses right at my fingertips, I was still planning to have the girls find dresses from a department store or something in order to cut down costs. I just couldn’t ask my sister and best friends to spend upwards of $200 for a dress. Fortunately, my employee discount was far greater than I had imagined! I ended up getting the best of both worlds… the perfect dresses, at wholesale prices. My bridesmaids are loving it :)

I told the girls they could pick any knee-length Priscilla of Boston or Melissa Sweet dress in Satin or Silk Charmeuse. I decided on a deep purple color called “Fig,” and it’s exactly the shade we’ll be using in the invitations, decor, etc. And it looks great on everyone! I couldn’t be more pleased with the dresses that everyone ended up picking… and no one fought over a particular style!

Here they are!! The third dress down is shown in the correct color, so you just have to use your imagination and try to picture them all in that lovely shade of purple. The last dress is the one my mommy picked out, and she decided on a beautiful gray-blue color called “Slate.” It will match my FMIL’s dress perfectly!

style #MS107

My Older Sister/Matron of Honor (she’s getting married this May… my poor mom!) will be wearing this gorgeous dress. The sash will be a silver-gray color to match our color scheme.

style #MS223

My BFF/Maid of Honor (we’ve known each other since we were 3 years old!) picked this saucy little number. I love it! And it has pockets!!!

style #MS128

Curt’s younger sister is tall, thin, and gorgeous. This dress looks amazing on her!! This is what the “Fig” color looks like… I can’t wait to see all the dresses together in the right color!

style #PB214

I met T in fourth grade when we auditioned for The Wizard of Oz (she was Dorothy, I was Glinda the Good Witch, and the aforementioned BFF/Maid of Honor was the Wicked Witch of the West!). The three of us were inseparable in Middle School and Junior High. T got married in June and I was honored to be in her wedding. She picked this beautiful dress, another one with pockets!!

style #MS114

And this one was K’s pick. Without K’s help, Curt and I might have never started dating!! She acted as our intermediary during that awkward “Do you think he likes me?!” stage, and she persuaded Curt to (finally) ask me out… she was probably sick of us flirting all the time :)

style #1422 (Vineyard Collection)

Last but not least, my mom’s dress!!! She found a really cool vintage brooch to wear at the bottom of the V-neck. We might also try to find a pretty wrap or bolero for her. Anyone have a good recommendation?

I’d love to hear your bridesmaid dress stories!! Did you have a hard time finding the perfect color or style? Did you change your mind during the process? Has anyone had to wear a bridesmaid dress they hated??

Got a Case of the Mondays??

....Yeah, me too.


Turn that frown upside-down!


You could go for some classic internet humor by visiting I Can Has Cheezburger...

But why limit yourself to just kittehs? Cute Overload has pages and pages of adorable animals!

Maybe some good music will put you in a better mood. Visit Wing's website and listen to her rendition of "Dancing Queen"! (Scroll down to the bottom of the page)

Cheeky vintage-style T-shirts, oh my! Thanks Palmer Cash!

Cake Wrecks. Quite possibly the funniest blog in the universe.

And this is a wedding blog, after all, so I'll leave you with some wedding-related humor...

Engagement ring coffee mug via Mrs. Green Tea on Weddingbee

Choreographed Dance set to a Timbaland song? Sign me up! (Thanks Miss Powder Puff!)

And finally, the most amazing Wedding music video EVER. This is GENIUS, people (via The Broke-Ass Bride).


Brian & Eileen's Wedding Music Video. from LOCKDOWN projects on Vimeo.



...Are you cured yet?

Try This.

I've been quite the expert procratinator the past few days. Anything to keep me from writing those dreaded final papers...


But I discovered an amazing food combination last night, and I have to tell you about it.


Grab a handful of peanut butter filled pretzels (I love the ones from Trader Joe's)

source.

Then make yourself a cup of hot chocolate. I prefer to make mine the old fashioned way, with cocoa powder, sugar, and milk mixed together in a saucepan... and whipped cream on top, naturally!

source.

Something about the deliciously salty-sweet combo was enough to put me in a good mood long enough to get some work done!


Does anyone have a sublime food combination that I might be missing out on? Share with me!!

Swoon.

source.

I must be really emotional today... I got a little teary eyed when I saw this picture.

I want my whole wedding to have the feeling that's captured in this image. Simple, charming, a little retro, and so full of love. (And hello, she's wearing a short dress and colorful shoes!!! How could I not love it?!?)

Can't wait to see more pictures from this real wedding on Once Wed tomorrow!

A Green(ish) Wedding

On top of all the other lofty goals we have for our wedding, we also want it to be environmentally friendly. Or at least, within reason.

I’m the same way about life, really…. I recycle whenever possible, take my own bags to the grocery store, and fill up my reusable water bottle every day (I won’t use the Wedding Chicks blog as my personal soap box, but if you’re interested, I’d be more than happy to give you my spiel on bottled water…) I’m no treehugger-extraordinaire, but I think small personal efforts can really add up! So Curt and I are going to try to incorporate “green” elements into the wedding wherever possible.

The first green element was actually really easy: It’s our venue!

The Marvimon House was built in 1924 (by an Italian racecar driver!) as one of LA’s first automobile showrooms. The current owners totally renovated the building a few years ago and now it’s an amazing super-loft that is available for all kinds of events…

(source)

(source)

(source)

(source)

I can’t even tell you how many countless hours we spent scouring the internet for a venue. The Marvimon House made all the searching worthwhile. The moment we stepped inside, and talked with Sherry and Miguel, the wonderful owners, we just knew. Go to the website and check out the rest of the pictures… I guarantee you’ll be blown away :)

Not only is the venue perfect for us, but it happens to be green! Score!

According to the website:

“Marvimon is GREEN because…

We’ve reinvented a centrally located, nearly abandoned, 80-year old building that is convenient to a variety of public transportation including the Gold Line and Union Station. We limited the impact from demolition and construction by using as much of the existing structure as possible. Our design reduced the building’s original footprint by 40%, converted that area into a permeable, living oasis, and created an ideal environment for productions, events, and ceremonies. We even salvaged the lumber from our demolition and recycled it to make Marvimon’s rustic tables and benches.

Our strategically located oversized courtyard doors and skylights are passive lighting, cooling, and heating elements that minimize energy usage throughout the year by taking full advantage of our sunny, breezy southern California climate. Marvimon [went] solar during 2008 and will begin generating more electricity for the grid than it consumes annually.

We increasingly encourage and support green events and introduce our clients to green planners, stylists, and other resources. Marvimon Productions diligently recycles.

Finally, Marvimon’s multi-use nature lowers its environmental footprint—one building performing as three or more: production studio, gallery, event space, residence, etc…”

I’ll share more of my semi-green ideas and tips with you in the near future! Is anyone else aiming for a green wedding?

Long Weekend Recap

Wednesday: Drove up to Orange County. There was no traffic. Weird.

Thursday: Gave Curt a haircut (I'm no professional, but I'm getting pretty good!) Cooked a tasty Thanksgiving meal, including these yummy garlic mashed potatoes with carrots and dill.

Friday: Hit up Ikea's Black Friday sale and scored this bad boy for a sexy $99:

(Malm Queen bed frame, retails for $199.)

I must confess, I had never done any Black Friday shopping before. I'm more of a morning person than Curt is, so I really didn't mind it. And saving $100 on the bed was totally worth it!

Later, we met up with some old friends and took a short trip up the freeway to check out this place.

Saturday: Stopped by The Diamond Connection in Old Town San Diego to pick up our wedding bands. Aren't they pretty?

(photo courtesy of my hubby-to-be)

And here's a picture of my engagement ring, btw...

On the drive back to Orange County on Saturday night, we both "practiced" wearing our bands (shhh! don't tell!). My band looks so gorgeous with my engagement ring that I didn't want to take it off and put it back in the box...

Today: Slept in. (Mmmmm.....) Worked on my research paper, then watched Citizen Kane (because, you know, it's one of those movies that everyone has to see at least once).


Tell me about your holiday weekend!!

YAAAAAYY!!!

My Big Sissy got engaged yesterday!!!!

Congratulations, Heather!!!

I love you!!!!

my sissy and me, last Christmas :)

Fragrance Test-Drive: Week 2

I meant to post about this a couple days ago and totally forgot :(


For the post about last week's fragrance, click here.


The next fragrance on the list is Burberry The Beat:



The bottle kind of reminds me of a cocktail shaker. A chic, sexy, miniature cocktail shaker. Anyone else seeing that? (...and no, I'm not an alcoholic. Don't you worry.)

What I like so far:

1. The sample vial that the nice Sephora lady gave me actually has a little atomizer, so the fragrance goes on the way it's supposed to (the samples I got from Nordstrom are just tiny glass tubes with plastic caps, and you have to dab on the perfume with your finger.)

2. It seems to last a bit longer than the Versace Crystal Noir, but that might just be a result of #1.

3. It's floral but not too flowery or sweet. The tea, musk, and cedarwood notes give it a nice balance.


I'll be wearing this one for the rest of the week and see if it grows on me or just fizzles out. It would definitely be more of an everyday scent, and I'm really hoping to find a sexier, going out scent. Maybe if the man is feeling reeeeeally generous this Christmas, I'll end up with both :)



Also, I have something SOOOOOO friggin exciting to share. But you'll have to wait till Saturday.... Just in case a certain someone is checking my blog more frequently than I think he/she is. AAAAAAAHH I hate keeping secrets!!!


THIS is pretty much exactly how I'm feeling right now. (P.S. Kirsten Wiig I have a huge crush on you.... not that you'll ever read this but hey.)

Miscellaneous #1

Just dropping in really quick because there's a whole slew of things I want to share. Life's kind of crazy right now because I'm graduating in about 3 weeks!! Posting might be a little light for a while, but I feel compelled to talk about the following little tidbits...




Yay me! I was asked to be a contributing blogger on Wedding Chicks, the awesome planning blog created by Amy of Amy Squires Photography and Jocey of Joceybella Invites! Click here to see my page... I promise I'll be posting more on there soon!!


I ordered my dress! And the bridesmaid dresses! I never imagined that these two HUGE items would get crossed off the list so early in the process, but it's such a relief to have it done! Full post on each coming very very soon...


Speaking of dresses, Mackenzie of Something Old, Something New brought this little number to my attention:

J. Crew, you're making me drool.

It's gorge. Y'all. I luurve it. I've always had an affinity for J. Crew's wedding dresses, but I think this one takes the cake. The little feather details, the adorable bow....sigh. If I hadn't already ordered my dress, and if I wasn't so adamant about having a short dress to show off my shoes, I would definitely consider wearing this!



My lovely photographer Sarah K. Chen was scheduled to deliver her baby girl Ellie yesterday afternoon. I'm checking her blog every 5 seconds, anxiously awaiting the good news!



A huge thank you to A $10,000 Wedding for this post. Genius.



I think that's all for now... Wish me luck as I start writing about 40ish-pages worth of final papers.

No! Not the "B"-word!!

It is undoubtedly the LEAST exciting part of planning a wedding. Just thinking about it is enough to make most brides cringe a little.


Yep, I'm talking about the Budget, my friends. *collective shudder*


Still, it's gotta be done. And I figure we might as well be frank about it. For some couples, it's a completely private matter, and I can totally respect that. But I have no problem with being open about where our priorities are and what we intend to spend on this whole shindig. We've spent a lot of time figuring out how much money we'll be able to come up with, and even though the budget is still a bit of a touchy subject, we're actually pretty comfortable with the decisions we've made so far. And the best part? If all goes according to plan, we won't have any debts to pay off after the wedding. And we like that.


Now, I should tell you that Curt's a wizard with an Excel spreadsheet. He knows all those fancy little tricks that make something in one column affect something in another column, and he actually understands all that stuff about algorithms, and blah blah blah.... totally not my thing. I'm moderately tech-savvy, but spreadsheets? ugh, gag me. Anyway, he's got our whole budget set-up all fancy schmancy-like, and it works beautifully. Every time we get a quote from one of our vendors, we just plug it in, and voilà. Everything adjusts accordingly.

So the point of all this? I found something today that made me very.... well, relieved, I guess.

Miss Deviled Egg on Weddingbee did a budget-related post today and mentioned a fascinating website: www.costofwedding.com. Here's what I learned:


Average Cost of a wedding where Curt currently lives: between $17,807 and $29,678

Average Cost of a wedding where I currently live: between $21,580 and $35,966

Average Cost of a wedding in Curt's hometown: between $26,422 and $44,036

Average Cost of a wedding in my hometown: between $32,377 and $53,961


Total estimated cost of our wedding: approximately $22,000.



So... I'm pretty impressed with our budgeting skills. And I feel a little less ridiculous for wanting to spend so much money on one day.


For more thoughts on staying sane while budgeting, click here.

Happy Engage-iversary to Me!

11.10.07.


Best day of my life.


It was the closing night of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," undoubtedly the best show I have ever been a part of. If you're not familiar with the show, it's been running off-Broadway for over a decade, it's been translated into about a dozen languages, and it has been performed in over 400 cities worldwide.

Comprised of only a four-person cast and a two-person orchestra, it's an intimate, heart-warming, and hilarious show about the joys and disasters of love, dating, marriage, kids, and old age. Do yourself a favor and see if it's playing in your area!


(Here's the only decent picture I have from that night. The opening scene involves the four actors chronicling the history of love in the form of a chant, hence the monks' robes...)


Our version was put together in less than 10 weeks' worth of rehearsals, with a budget of less than $500. We directed, choreographed, and costumed the whole thing ourselves, with help from a few other friends. Everyone was so impressed by the fact that it was entirely student-run, and we received so many compliments on our professionalism.

But nothing could top what happened on closing night.

Curt had watched the show on the previous night, for the first time. He had not seen any of our rehearsals and I had told him very little about the show. There's a scene near the end where an older married couple (portrayed be me and my friend Paul) walks into their kitchen and goes through their entire morning routine with complete fluidity, without ever making eye contact. The couple has been together for so long that life has become a comfortable routine, and their movements are so habitual that they can function without thinking about it. As they are sitting down with their newspaper and morning coffee, the husband suddenly looks at his wife and realizes how much, and how deeply, he still loves her, and he sings this song:

The experts say it does not last.
The experts say it's fleeting.
The experts bray love fades so fast
Then tell me, why is my heart still beating?

Shouldn't I be less in love with you?
Shouldn't I address what time can do?
Shouldn't I be more inclined to flee?
Shouldn't I explore all I can be?

Shouldn't I confess a sordid fling?
Shouldn't I caress a cute young thing?
Shouldn't I asses what we've been through?
Shouldn't I be less in love with you?

After 30 years together
All those brutal fights
those futile fights
then the sleepless nights

Shouldn't I have quit 'cause marriage ends?
Shouldn't we have split like all our friends?
Shouldn't I profess it's time to go?
Shouldn't I be less in love with you?
No.

The way Curt tells it, he was struck by a sudden, urgent awareness that he wanted to experience every stage of life with me. He wanted to get to that point where, after 30 years, he woke up amazed at the strength and depth of our love for each other.

After curtain call that night, he walked up to me and held me tighter than he ever had before. He had tears in his eyes (he hardly ever cries!) and I asked him what was wrong. He just smiled, shook his head, and said, "I just love you so much and I'm so proud of you. That's all."

Apparently, he didn't sleep a wink that night. He called his mom at 2 in the morning and explained that he was going to propose to me after the closing show. He stopped by my apartment early the next morning and asked my mom for permission to marry me (she was in town to see the show) and then called my dad to get his permission as well. When his family arrived in San Diego, Curt found a ring, had it sized, and bought it, all within the span of a few hours.

The entire cast, crew, and orchestra was in on it, and I was completely oblivious to Curt's plans. Being actors, they held their composure really well, and didn't give away the secret.



At the end of the curtain call of the final performance, my friend and cast mate Rachelle made an announcement: "In honor of closing night," she said, "We'd like to do something really special to close the show."

The other 3 members of the cast walked offstage, leaving me completely confused. I saw Curt get up from his seat in the front row, and I heard our song start playing.

The rest is kind of a blur. I remember him talking about how much he loved me, and how he was certain that we were meant to share the rest of our lives. He bent down on one knee and pulled the ring box out of his pocket. I'll never forget what he said next:

"I love you. You're perfect. Will you marry me?"

I said "Yes!" and the audience erupted with applause and cheers. Curt put the (gorgeous!) ring on my finger, and we stood there together in the middle of the empty stage, just holding each other and taking in the moment.

I couldn't have dreamed up a more perfect proposal.


Happy engage-iversary baby! I love you more than I could attempt to put into words, and I can't wait till the day I become your wife. 11 months to go!!! whoo-hoo!!!

Fragrance Test-Drive: Week 1

The fiancé and I went fragrance-hunting yesterday. I'm always keeping my eyes (er, uh, nostrils?) peeled for the perfect wedding day scent. I found a couple that I LOVE, and I also discovered quite a few that I wouldn't mind having for daily use. I've been wearing Marc Jacobs for about a year now... it's a lovely interpretation of gardenia that's lush but not overwhelming. I've never found a "signature scent," and I love having variety and switching things up now and then, so I'm on the lookout for something to put on my Christmas list.

The nice people at Sephora and Nordstrom made me a few little sample bottles, and I'm going to wear a different scent each week for the next four weeks, and see which one is my favorite.

The first contender is Versace Crystal Noir.
Check out that giant black crystal on top of the bottle...a little gaudy for my taste, I'll admit, and the fact that it's Versace will make me (unwillingly) think of Maya Rudolf impersonating Donatella on Saturday Night Live. But I'm loving the way it smells: feminine, but not too sweet or flowery. Sexy, but not aggressive.

Curt's joining me in the fragrance search, so he's testing out Guerlain Homme this week. It's inspired by a mojito, but it's not too citrusy or sweet... my nose picks up the bergamot and cedarwood notes. Ladies, let me tell ya, my man smells delish.

I'll keep y'all updated on the fragrance search.... I'll also be trying Burberry The Beat, Kenzo Amour, and Calvin Klein Euphoria. Anyone have any other suggestions?

Stop reading my thoughts, Priscilla.

The Priscilla of Boston design house just GETS me. Like, they can see inside my head. It's uncanny.

The other possible explanation is that I am a bit of a visionary and I can predict the future of bridal fashion....? Highly unlikely. Let's just go with option 1, shall we?


Here's a little back story....


I've already told you about my fabulously sexy shoes. Yes, they are very purple, and an early wedding gift from my sissy, who paid a pretty penny for them :)

Just in case any snooping eyes are wandering around on this blog, I won't post any pictures of me in my dress, but I will tell you that it's part of Priscilla of Boston's Vineyard Collection, and it's tea-length (cuz I want to be comfy and I gotta show off the shoes, yo).

The point of all this is that I was on brides.com yesterday, drooling over all the brand-spankin-new dresses from the runway shows that took place just a couple weeks ago...

...when I saw this:



source.

Tea-length dress? Check.

Purple shoes? Check.

Like I said, they can read my mind.

Do It Yourself: The Photo Booth!

Okay, so remember how I mentioned that we're on a budget? It's not exactly minuscule, but it's not gargantuan either. So we appreciate shortcuts.... more affordable versions of all the things we'd splurge on if we could. Of course, the term "shortcut" is a bit misleading, because being budget-friendly usually means taking the DIY-approach, hence spending less money, but more time and energy to get what you want. But I digress....

Example: A Red Cheese Photo Booth would be SO much fun at the wedding, and we love the idea of turning our guests loose and reaping the benefits via hilarious pictures, but the #1 rule of budgeting is keeping your priorities straight, and this idea just didn't make our top 5.

Then, hallelujah, there was an article in a Southern California Brides magazine that planted the very first DIY seed in my brain. It was simple: hang a cool piece of printed fabric as a backdrop, set up a tripod, and presto! Instant photo booth. We'll definitely be making a trip to L.A.'s fashion district to find some sweet fabric for our backdrop. (P.S. I tried to find the original article on Brides.com, but no dice. If you are inclined to skepticism, click here.)

Nate and Jaclyn of The Image is Found have put their own spin on the Photo booth, and the results are hilarious, unexpected, and often embarrassing. Check out their blog (scroll down to 10.12.08) and you'll see what I mean.






(All images from theblogisfound.com)


In an effort to encourage even more silliness in the photo booth, we'll be providing a bucket o' props (Remember, I used to be a bit of a theater nerd, and I have lots of theater nerd friends. We like props, ok?) Here are just a few of the items that will fill the bucket:

Feather boas
Stunna Shades
A Sombrero
A Rubber Chicken
Water Pistols
Fake Mustaches
A Viking Helmet

How will we obtain all these outrageous props? I'm glad you asked. Browse around the Windy City Novelties website, if you dare. It's a little addictive. Don't say I didn't warn you.


Anyone else going to set up a DIY photo booth or portrait station? Do you have any suggestions for other props we could provide?

Happy Halloween!

Here's a picture from our first Halloween together....



Love you babe! Wish we could be spending Halloween together this year, but I know there are many more to come!

Seriously?

*Disclaimer: This is coming from a bride on an itty-bitty budget.

But SERIOUSLY???? $1,300,000.00!


I mean, sure, there's the 40 ocean-view villas, the custom wedding gown and bridesmaid dresses by Carolina Herrera, and the celebrity entertainment....

But SERIOUSLY????

I just don't know if I could ever, EVER justify dropping over $1 mil. on ONE DAY. Could you?

BTW, check out the rest of Neiman Marcus's Christmas Book for more insane fantasies.



P.S. sorry for being so M.I.A. this past week. I'll try to be a more responsible blogger...

We love Sarah!

As promised... a full post dedicated to the incredibly talented Sarah K. Chen.

For us, photography was pretty much priority numero uno from the very beginning. We knew we wanted someone with a fresh, unique style, combined with impeccable skill. Sarah certainly fits the bill! Based on her blog and our e-mail correspondences, she seems like an amazing woman and we can't wait to meet her and have her take pretty pictures of us!

Here's some eye candy. Oh yum.

PR Season 5 Finale!!!!!

source.
















Ok, so I know everyone hates Kenley... but I still dig her retro style, despite the biatch attitude.

And dude, I would SO wear that wedding dress.

Here on the West Coast, the finale isn't over yet, so I don't know who the winner is. I honestly like all three of the designers... but I think I'd put my money on Leanne.

We shall see....



*UPDATE* Congrats to Leanne "Petals" Marshall, winner of PR Season 5!

Happy Feet

One of the first things I did after getting engaged was start looking for a photographer. We figured since it was the one thing that was actually going to last, we were willing to devote a significant portion of our budget to finding someone who could capture all the love, excitement, and fun of our wedding day. Enter Sarah K. Chen. I'll definitely do a full post on Sarah soon, but trust me, her work is fan-freakin-tastic, so pleeeeease do yourself a favor and go check out her blog. Like, now. I'll wait.


Ok, so after perusing Sarah's entire blog (multiple times), I comprised a list of "must have" shots, i.e. shots I CANNOT WAIT to hang in our house. At the top of the list is the Shoe Shot.


from Sarah K. Chen



from Sarah’s own wedding, courtesy of the amazing Jose Villa



another incredible Jose Villa shot



...and one from the fabulous Amy Squires



Great shoes + Great photographers = SWOON. In fact, it was these shots that inspired me to buy these bad boys:

zappos.com


Hecks yeah I’m wearing purple ostrich skin shoes at my wedding. The hard part is resisting the temptation to wear them now. I’ve resorted to keeping them at the future in-laws’ house so I don’t take them out for a test drive. But the best part? After the wedding, I’ll be able to wear them again. And again. And again.


Anyone else wearing a non-traditional wedding shoe?

The Low-down

Curt and I have known each other since we were 14. We took lots of "smart kid" classes together in high school (notice the fancy white robes), and I thought he was the hottest nerd I had ever seen.

But he was a jock, and I was into musical theater. So despite our shared nerdiness, we were just too different.... or so we thought.

I had always hung out with an older crowd (which might make me sound cool, but trust me, I wasn't...), so when I entered my senior year of high school, I suddenly found myself all alone. I discreetly merged into another group, comprised of people who are now some of my best friends, and lo and behold, also included my future husband.

We officially became an "item" on November 24, 2004. Now, four years later, we're planning our wedding.

And may I just say, folks, this party's gonna be off the heezy! We are so excited with how things are coming together, and considering our immense adoration of the internet and all its glory, a blog seemed like the perfect way to document the process.

Dear readers, if you exist yet, please feel free to jump in at any time... I would love to hear your feedback as I share my ideas and inspiration. Hooray for the blog-munity!

I'm Jumping on It

.... the bandwagon, that is. I'm finally joining all those other blogging brides-to-be, because I can no longer resist the temptation.

I've been engaged for almost a year, so I've had plenty of time to think, plan, and lust over all kinds of wedding-related things that I can't afford.

Now is as good a time as any to get started... there are exactly 365 days to go, and I've got a whole lot to share.

So, welcome to my blog!