4.28.2009

This makes me so happy. And so sad.


Pleeeease don't die, Polaroid! I need you so I can make a display like this and put it by the cake table. Poladroid is nice but it's just not quite the same.

Curt's got quite a collection of polaroid cameras but we have to ration what little film we have left. We'll probably use most (if not all) of it at the wedding, and it just kills me to think that after that, the polaroid joy will be all gone... I was hoping to use the display in place of a guest book, but I don't know if there's enough film for that so we may have to rethink that plan.

Here are some of Curt's shots with his SLR 680 and Polaroid 300... maybe we can just incorporate these into the display? Not as utilitarian but it could still be a nice touch...












first image from Nicole Hill photography, the rest from Curt's flickr.

4.27.2009

My Inner Southern Girl is Squealing with Delight

Y'all.

We finalized our menu.

Pulled Pork Sliders served on Cheesy Rolls
Fire Roasted Tri-Tip
Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Ranch Style Beans
Four Cheese Mac N' Cheese
Mixed Green Salad served with Candied Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Grape Tomatoes and Raspberry Walnut Dressing
Cornbread and Assorted Dinner Rolls
And a 15-gallon keg of locally brewed Hefeweizen

$25 per person.


Katie @ Bad to the Bone: I think I love you.

4.24.2009

Interview with THE HUMAN JUKEBOX

Happy weekend everyone!

By now you're probably aware of The Flashdance, the virtual lovechild of Max Wanger, Our Labor of Love, and DJ Michael Antonia.

A few weeks ago, Curt and I had the chance to meet up with Michael at MILK in West Hollywood and chat about wedding stuff. Mostly we talked about how the blogosphere and the internet in general is changing the landscape of the wedding industry... how there are soooo many more options than there were 10, or even 5, years ago, and how weddings are becoming way more individualized and personal.

Michael is just a really rad guy and I think y'all will appreciate his fresh take on wedding music. Curt and I are beyond thrilled to have him as our DJ, and if you're looking for someone who won't play the same old crappy disco, he might be a good fit for you, too! Just check out the Flashdance website for his contact info.

image from here.


As promised, here's my interview with Michael...



Mason Jar Bride: How did you first discover your talent?

Michael Antonia: trial by fire really... in 98/99 whitney (our labor of love) and i were producing around 100 concerts and club nights a year. some people don't know this but most djs are notoriously late, perpetually stoned, bums...and our opening djs were no exception! since i was doing so many shows i was receiving promo vinyl from a lot of record labels which i would have on hand just in case, many nights i would be the default opening dj. eventually the other djs got what they had coming to them and i stole their job!


MJB: Favorite group or artist you’ve opened for?

MA: it was a big thrill for me to open for Grandmaster Flash. i was honored just to meet him! he started it all! a true pioneer who is still a perfectionist, still buying and playing new music, and still pushing the boundaries of what is conventionally considered hip-hop. i was supposed to do a show with jam master jay but fate fucked that all up... that would have been awesome though.

MJB: How was The Flashdance born?

MA: whitney and i always talked about taking our experience in event production and marketing/advertising and applying it to the wedding industry. we had very unconventional weddings and people were always talking about how much fun they had. we thought that we could bring some of that style to the industry. we dabbled in it for awhile but always had other things going on. then we both had kids and decided that being on the road for months at a time, and working 100 hours a week wasn't as cool as we had always thought it was (but it was pretty rad sometimes!). then we met max and it just seemed like the right time.

MJB: How many albums do you have on vinyl?

MA: oh jeez, maybe ten thousand? i have been collecting since i was nine.


MJB: Name one album you could listen to on repeat for a full 24 hours.

MA: that's easy. bob dylan - blonde on blonde (i've listened to nothing but that album for days in a row. it is a perfect record in every way)


MJB: What's your best piece of advice for brides in terms of music selection?

MA: be yourself! be timeless! there are a million different people telling you a million different songs that are "must plays" or " THE alt wedding song" etc. don't listen to that crap. the most important music to have at a wedding is music that you and your family will love and remember for the rest of your life. some new cool "alt wedding hit" or whatever isn't going to mean anything to you next year let alone in 2047! play music for the whole fam for two hours, then for you and your friends for two hours (grandma is going home after cake, mom is going to be drunk after two hours, and kids love everything...)


MJB: What's your proudest accomplishment?

MA: my little lady.. elodie swan antonia




MJB: What's the craziest thing you’ve ever seen at a wedding?

MA: maybe not too crazy, but easily the best thing was shana and her bridesmaids doing a choreographed rendition of beyonce's single ladies dance. http://www.theflashdance.com/index.cfm?postID=115 (there is a link to video of them doing the dance highly suggested!)


MJB: Thank you SO MUCH! You're the best!

MA: NO YOU ARE THE BEST! thank you.



"But wait, there's more!"

Michael sent me a little playlist of five very different songs that, at first glance, look like they'd be a disaster if you put them together. But he puts them together flawlessly. Unfortunately I can't post the mp3 on here (booooo, Blogger...) but since almost-husband uses Wordpress, he can. So hop on over to AUCOTI and listen to the excerpt. It's from a show where Michael opened for N.E.R.D. about 3 years ago. Here are the tracks in the mix:

Fly Like an Eagle - Steve Miller Band
Nobody Beats the Biz - Biz Markie
Fame - David Bowie
Shake Ya Ass - Mystikal
Hypnotize - Notorious B.I.G.


Michael, thanks again for stopping by MJB!

Printable Press from Erin!


Erin just launched her Etsy shop, Haute Off the Press (love the name!)

She's just getting started, but keep an eye on this shop because you're sure to see some jaw-dropping designs for invites and save-the-dates.

While you're at it, definitely check out her blog, Erin Ever After. A cornucopia of eye candy and inspiration awaits! If you like Mason Jar Bride, even just a little bit, I promise you will LOVE Erin's style.

Congrats on launching the shop, Erin! Can't wait to see more!

Nothing Short of Genius


When a short wedding dress hits the runway, you can bet your booty it'll end up here on Mason Jar Bride.

These lovelies are from Oscar de la Renta's spring 2010 collection. I'm loving how he mixes these chic, tailored, 60s-inspired frocks with giant ethereal poufs of tulle.

And sure, the logistics of actually wearing gloves on your wedding day (what do you do when you're exchanging rings?) are undeniably a little messy, but for a runway, I LOVE them.


I would wear that coat all. the. time.


I think this last one is my favorite. Pretty, playful, and unfussy. You know what would look great with it? My shoes.


Via modern romance

4.22.2009

E-shoot Hotness

I had to restrain myself from posting every. single. image. from this engagement session.

AHS Photography is a brother-sister team. How cool is that?!?


There are no so-so images in the whole bunch. All 100% frameable. In poster size. Or bigger.

A big striped chair in the middle of a field? genius.




Go check out the rest of this E-shoot (and by that I mean the 2 or 3 images that I was dying to post, but didn't) here.


*all images from the AHS Photography blog.

winna winna chicken dinna


I comment on giveaway posts all the time, but until today I had never won anything!

This was definitely the perfect thing to win... Curt has ridonkulously broad shoulders so it's next-to-impossible for him to find shirts that fit correctly. So now he gets to wear a custom-tailored shirt on our wedding day, hooray!!!

Dear Wedding Chicks: You rock our socks. And shirts :)

choked up.


from reading this.

more is more.


Jennifer Behr's statement-making hair pieces seem to be all over the blogosphere (and the heads of quite a few celebs) lately. Not hard to see why, right?

Perfect for a bride who wants to channel a modern Billie Holiday. Or just... be awesome.

4.21.2009

More pictures of the unnamed puppy




My sister's surprise Easter present. I can't wait to go out to Denver next month and meet him!

4.20.2009

Real Wedding: Mark and Vanessa


I'm SO excited to share this wedding with you! Here are my top 3 reasons:


1. It was shot by Sarah K. Chen, our photographer. And y'all already know how much I love her :)

2. Vanessa, the bride, is not only impossibly sweet, but a ridiculously talented wedding and event planner! Check out the V3 site here.

3. You will just fall in love with all the little details!




OK, I guess I'll just let Sarah and Jonilyn take it from here...


Liz of Makeup by Liz got Vanessa and her bridesmaids all dolled up.








Lovely details on Vanessa's GORGEOUS dress







Jonilyn hung out with the guys while they got ready





Marilyn Ghigliotti created Vanessa's beautiful bridal 'do











Sarah dubbed this one "The Money Shot"!



I was right about Sarah being so sneaky... she managed to grab this shot before a Homeland Security official shooed them away for taking pictures on a public transit platform! (I had no idea you couldn't do that)


The reception was held at The Madison. Vanessa has been raving about their food... I guess I'll have to make a trip up to Long Beach sometime :)








Sarah never disappoints with her ring shots!


She admitted to eating all three of these Ferrero-Rochers after capturing this shot. Well hey you can't trust a woman who doesn't love chocolate, you know?


All the tables were named after places that Mark and Vanessa have visited, or hope to visit in the future.




Soft clusters of peonies + The flicker of candlelight = a winning combination every time.


Vanessa was so sweet to share some "After Thoughts". Here they are....

• Don’t procrastinate! When planning and prepping for a wedding, everything, literally EVERYTHING, takes longer than you may anticipate – especially if you are filling your wedding with lots of DIY details. I can almost guarantee you that any DIY project is a much more enjoyable experience 3 weeks or 3 months before your wedding rather than 3 days before. It is not at all unusual for numerous little tasks and errands to mysteriously appear the week of your wedding, so whatever you can check off the list earlier down the road, do so! You’ll thank yourself later!

• Involve others - I was so pleasantly surprised with the number of friends and family members who were willing to lend me a hand while planning. For the longest time, I politely refused for fear of inconveniencing anyone or foolishly thinking that no would get my vision. I came to learn that many of the wonderful people around me were just about as excited for my wedding as I was and that it was their way of celebrating it. In the end, everything was that much more meaningful because they had a hand in it.

• Lastly, when you are thisclose to walking that aisle, or better yet, before you even get to your rehearsal dinner, LET IT GO! There comes a point where you just need to stop planning and worrying, focus on what’s important, and cut ties with the things that are not. No one but you will know what didn’t get done or what doesn’t look exactly as you had planned it too. It’s time to trust your plans to the very capable vendors you have hired – after all that’s why you chose them! ☺

On this note, hire a wedding coordinator! I’m not just saying this as a shameless plug to my industry or company, but I am speaking to you sincerely as someone who didn’t figure out till late in the game that a coordinator was a MUST for us. I, like many of the brides I work with, consider myself absurdly organized, creative, and a perfectionist (almost to a fault!) But when it came to our wedding day, rarely was my mind focused on anything else but the man I was about to marry or the love and blessings I’d experienced that day. Timelines, layouts, and details were so far from my mind. And while I had all sorts of wonderful offers to help from family and friends, I wanted them no further than arms length away from us as we prepped for one the most unforgettable days of our lives. Our coordinator allowed us to just relax, LET GO, and be in the moment. Hiring a wonderful and experienced, professional coordinator will be a decision you will never regret!


Stop by the V3 Events website and check out Vanessa's portfolio. You'll be smitten.




Mark and Vanessa: Thank you so much for allowing me to feature your beautiful wedding, and congratulations on your upcoming first anniversary!



Oh and I couldn't resist showing you this picture of Mark and Vanessa's pug, Diezel. What a handsome boy!