Mason Jar Bride

Lauren and Jeff: A Vintage E-session by Ashley Rose

2010-05-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

I've been holding onto these images by Ashley Rose for... well, way too long. Between my new job and my other blog, I've definitely neglected poor little Mason Jar Bride.

But in addition to being Mother's Day (love you Mom!), it's also my birthday (!), which means I've had absolutely zero obligations today and I finally had the chance to sit down and share this beautiful Engagement Session with you.

I first met Lauren back when I was working at The White Dress. She was one of the kindest, sweetest, and most adorable brides I ever had the pleasure of working with. I helped her choose her gorgeous Cymbeline wedding gown and I know she is going to make an absolutely radiant bride. I hope she and Jeff will let me share some pictures from their upcoming wedding too!

Lauren is also one of the luckiest brides you could ever meet, because she has a rockstar team behind her. She hired my coordinator/co-designer/florist/all-around-wonder-woman Jesi Haack, plus she's got the talented eye of Miss Ashley Rose behind the lens.

Lauren and Jeff are obviously smitten with each other and they have style to boot! I know y'all are going to LOVE their Engagement Session. Enjoy :)

Lauren, Jeff, and Ashley: Thanks so much for letting me share these gorgeous pictures! Can't wait to see shots from the wedding day!

It's Been 6 Months

2010-04-11T21:42:00.000-07:00

...and I still have my bouquet. How many brides can say that?!

It's hard to believe it's only been six months since our wedding day... it feels like we've been married for years! Even after such a short time being married, our love for each other has deepened in ways I couldn't have predicted or imagined. It's awesome.

And... I have a bit of an announcement to make. I don't know if any of you have been wondering why my posts have been so scarce around here, but yes, I do have a good reason, and no, I'm not pregnant. (We're gonna wait a few more years for kiddies.)

The thing is, Curt and I started a new project together a couple months ago. I'd like to introduce you all to...

Grizzly Bear Modern.

I won't try to describe it here because it really can't be summed up... but I'll just say that it has a little something for everyone. So go check it out, leave us a comment, follow us on twitter and be our fan on facebook! pretty pretty please?

So there ya go, that's why MJB has been getting quieter and quieter. But I do have the rest of my recaps and a few other things lined up. So stay tuned, and come visit me over on GBM too!

xoxo,

Jessica

Wedding Day, Part 2: The First Look

2010-03-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

There seems to be a lot of debate among brides when it comes to the First Look/No First Look debate. Some couples want to save that moment for when the bride walks down the aisle. Others want to allow more time for pictures. It's totally a personal decision and I don't think that one way is necessarily better than the other.
We opted for a first look for several reasons: 1. Plenty of time for pictures 2. Plenty of daylight for pictures 3. A chance to spend time together and really enjoy the exciting lead-up to the ceremony 4. No need to feel rushed 5. We wouldn't keep our friends and family waiting post-ceremony 5. Opportunity to hang out at Union Station and grab some rad pictures... etc. etc. Clearly, we were very committed to getting lots of great pictures and for us that was the primary reason for doing a first look. In any case, we're both so glad we ended up going this route! I feel like it gave us the chance to really absorb the wide range of emotions we felt that day, and to have some fun and laugh off any remaining jitters.

Did you/will you take any pictures before your ceremony?

*all images by the amazing Sarah K. Chen

Wedding Day, Part 1: Getting Ready

2010-03-04T17:44:00.000-08:00

Waking up on the morning of my wedding was kind of surreal. I was feeling so many intense emotions, but mostly I was just so ready to finally marry Curt. And that feeling kept me grounded (and surprisingly relaxed) up until the moment I started walking down the aisle. But that's for another post...

After the rehearsal brunch on Saturday morning, I packed up my car full of stuff for the wedding and drove up to our apartment in L.A. Curt and I spent the rest of the afternoon making sangria and organizing last minute details. Oh, and I baked a carrot cake. And some brownie pops. For the dessert bar. Yeah I'm kind of crazy. But baking is like my zen thing... so it was all good.

That night, we gathered everyone who was in town for an impromptu pizza party at the Standard's outdoor fire pit. It was the perfect chance for everyone to relax. And at that point I was like eff eating healthy because come on it wasn't going to make any difference. So I ate my pizza and it was delicious. Everyone hung out in our hotel room for a few hours and then parted ways. Once I realized my grandma (who, bless her heart, sounds like an engine revving when she snores) was going to be sharing our room, I decided to crash with my in-laws at their hotel across the street. I need my sleep, yo! Thankfully, Corrie is the best sister-in-law ever and she shared her bed with me. Thanks, Corrie :) Surprisingly, I slept like a log. Probably just the result of sheer exhaustion, but I was grateful for it. Even though I didn't have to be ready until noon, I ended up waking up around 8:00 because (eeep!) I still hadn't quite finished writing my vows. But I woke up feeling so refreshed and clearheaded that I perfected them in about 20 minutes.

After that, it was just a matter of relaxing and killing time until I had to start getting ready. Eventually, the girls started arriving and Jesi stopped by the hotel to drop off the bouquets. Before we knew it, Sarah and her team were there with their cameras ready!

My lovely maid of honor Sarina did a fabulous job with my hair. Why pay someone $100+ when your best friend can do it for free? My sister/matron of honor Heather let me borrow her "bride" robe to get ready in. It's not usually my style to wear anything bedazzled, but I have to admit it made changing into my dress super easy.

Our room at the Standard had this huge window which was the perfect place for doing my make-up. It was already shaping up to be a nice sunny day so the light was perfect!

Sarina did Heather's hair, too, and it was gorgeous! That girl's got skills, I tell ya.

Ok, this one requires a little explanation. No, my mom is not crying because her baby girl is all grown up and getting married. Nope. She's crying because she almost lost my engagement ring. See, while I was busy applying my makeup I handed her my ring and a little toothbrush I use for cleaning it. I wanted to make sure it was nice and sparkly. Well, there she was, scrubbing my ring to a shine when --oops!-- right down the drain it goes. She's panicking, crying, freaking out... I'm completely oblivious. My brother-in-law Michael was able to get it out in a matter of seconds, so it really wasn't that big of a deal, but my mom apparently didn't stop crying for about 10 minutes. Speaking of Michael...

...best brother-in-law ever! Throughout the day he was there making sure I was ok, seeing if I needed anything or if there was anything he could help with.

Ok, can we talk about these bouquets for a minute? Jesi is a GENIUS, y'all. I can't believe she convinced me that she could turn kale into a gorgeous bouquet, but I'm so glad I trusted her because they were amazing! A few days before the wedding, my mom and I met her at the flower district in downtown L.A. and we were like kids in a candy store picking everything out. It was so much fun, not to mention a huge savings! Total cost of ALL the florals, minus the succulents, was about $200. And when I post all the detail shots you'll see that we got copious amounts of flowers. If you're having a SoCal wedding I'd definitely recommend going this route. By the way, how cool are those leaves? They're actually eucalyptus leaves that happened to be dyed the perfect shade of plum. Those were a very lucky find.

When I told Jesi I wanted to incorporate succulents in my bouquet, she totally ran with it. I love that she added the peacock feather and baby's breath too! My mom carried baby's breath when she married my dad so it was a really meaningful touch. The pearls are my dad's mother's, who passed away when I was pretty young. I don't remember her very well but I've always loved the classic simplicity of her pearls, and they were the perfect "something old."

And the perfect "something new"... my shoes. LOVE them.

The girls picked their own dresses from Melissa Sweet/Priscilla of Boston. A word of advice: don't be a dress Nazi when it comes to your bridesmaids. Nobody likes looking like a clone. Just sayin'.

Mom zipping me up. Super-freckle-y back. But my arms are toned! woo-hoo! Thanks Jillian!

Finishing touches...

Oh la la! This one was just for fun... sorry if I blinded anyone with my thighs.

I love this shot that Sarah captured. Aren't my sister's sandals cute?

Ready to go! This picture pretty much sums up how I felt the whole day. I couldn't stop smiling!

San Diego Brides: This one's for you!

2010-02-25T22:29:00.000-08:00

Justine Murray is a bridal accessory genius. I could sing her praises all day long.

I felt so lucky to wear a few of her fabulous creations on my wedding day:

So, if you live in the San Diego or Orange County area, don't miss Justine's trunk show this Saturday! Here are the deets:

Saturday, Feb. 27 (call for appointment)

Chez Bride Moderne, La Jolla, CA
858.551.1295

*Mention Mason Jar Bride and Justine will give you 10% off any of her amazing designs!

Can't make it to the San Diego event? Don't worry, Justine will also be showing her collection in Orange County and L.A., and she's making a special trip to the Bay Area April 30-May 1! Check out her website for more details.

Rehearsal Brunch

2010-02-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

Kathryn, Sarina, Michael (bro-in-law), and Heather (my sis)!

I really wish I had more pictures from this day. But I much prefer the role of "hostess" over "photographer" so I was buzzing around all morning, making sure everyone tried my cinnamon rolls... and I barely remembered to pick up my camera.

And it seems that hardly anyone else took pictures... maybe they were distracted by how delicious the cinnamon rolls were. Hmmm.... well, in any case I have a couple of my own, and the rest were shamelessly stolen from my sister's facebook page.

When Curt and I were trying to figure out what to do for a rehearsal, we threw around a lot of ideas... we knew the chances of an actual rehearsal at Marvimon were pretty slim, plus even if we could reserve the space for an hour on the morning before the wedding, it seemed silly to drag everyone over there just so they could walk down an aisle. It's not that hard. They're all smart people and I had faith in them. So we decided to have a small, casual brunch at my in-laws' house on Saturday morning, and do a quick little rehearsal in the backyard. Easy peasy.

my Maw-Maw and my Dad

Pastor Ryan showed up and I introduced him to my family members who had come from out of town, while simultaneously handing him a plate of food... maybe playing hostess helped me feel more in my element and it calmed me down, I don't know. But I honestly wasn't stressed out or nervous at all about the wedding. I was just uncontrollably happy and full of adrenaline!

my momma and me!

Once everyone was stuffed, we gathered in the backyard and Jesi and I got everyone organized. Leland, one of our good friends from college, was going to be playing acoustic guitar for the processional, and I completely trusted him to improvise and still sound amazing. He offered to come up from San Diego for the rehearsal but I didn't want him to have to make the drive two days in a row. It didn't matter, he was absolutely perfect, just like I knew he'd be. No one had to worry about memorizing a certain spot in the music, they just walked when Jesi said "go" and Leland played along. He's the best!!!!

not really sure what's going on with Ryan's face here...

So we walked through the processional, and once everyone was in the right spot, Ryan talked us through the ceremony. I won't go into any details right now because the ceremony was HANDS DOWN my favorite part of the day and I'll be writing a nice hefty post on it... but anyway we talked through the main points and practiced our kiss....

sneak attack! haha

And that was it! Simple, fun, and delicious. That's the way (uh-huh uh-huh) I like it.

Next: The morning of the wedding! Getting ready at the amazing Standard Hotel.

First Things First

2010-02-22T20:28:00.000-08:00

let's get caught up...

I mentioned that Curt and his buddies did something pretty non-traditional for his bachelor party. Over Labor Day weekend, the guys kidnapped Curt and took him up to Big Pine (close to Bishop, CA) for a camping/fishing/hiking trip. They slept in tents and bathed in a stream and made a Craps table out of cardboard, and Curt had a blister on his heel the size of a golf ball when he got home. No joke. But they had a lot of fun. And come on, this is a much nicer setting than a Vegas strip club (I guess that depends on who you ask. but whatever):

My bachelorette party was a bit more typical, but none of the standard penis-shaped accessories. Thank God. Instead, Sarina and Kathryn made me a really cute veil headband, which was far less embarrassing. We went out to one of my favorite spots, Nick's in Laguna Beach, the Friday night before the wedding (remember, our wedding was on a Sunday).

Even my grandma got in on the action... that's her in the middle, and my mom on the right.

Corrie got me some granny panties and wrote "10th Anniversary" on the butt. Or was it 5th?

The girls had to throw in at least one traditional make-the-bride-do-something-embarrassing move... at some point one of the bartenders brought me a "BJ shot." I'm sure you can guess what the rules are when downing this particular drink...

"Look, ma! No hands!"

I know I'm going to regret posting this next shot, but for the sake of full disclosure...

Ok, yeah. Moving right along...

This is Betty. I'm pretty sure that wasn't her real name but somehow that's what we ended up calling her. She was really drunk and she really liked Corrie. And she bought shots for the whole table. Oh, Betty. You are one crazy lady.

The whole group: Corrie, Kathryn, Me, my grandma, my mom, my sister Heather, Rachelle, and Sarina.

LOVE these girls. So much.

So there ya go! Nothing too crazy, but it was still crazy fun. Stay tuned for the rehearsal brunch... unfortunately I only have like 2 pictures of it, boo :(

After that, wedding day recaps! So excited!

They're Here!

2010-02-20T17:58:00.001-08:00

All 853 of them. Which means I finally get to start sharing the story of our wedding day!

So here's my question (for all 5 of you who are still reading this poor little neglected blog):

What kinds of stories would you like to hear? What are you curious about? I'd love to know :)

Ask me anything and I'll do my best to include my answers somewhere in the recaps.

Update...

2010-01-29T14:51:00.001-08:00

SOLD!

...to an absolutely lovely girl in Pasadena. It fits her perfectly. And her fiance is from Milan, which means... my dress is going to Italy!!!

How exciting is that?!?!

P.S. Many, many thanks to Emily and her fabulous team over at Once Wed. Y'all are amazing!

Blogs, you know I love you, but...

2010-01-19T21:49:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while I have to make myself put down the laptop and pick up a book. I'm always in the middle of 2 or 3 books at a time and for some reason I get so distracted by other things (namely, blogs) that I take forever to finish reading a novel. So. I'm gonna read more books.

Care to join me? Go here to get a nifty little stack o' books for your blog, then pick a book (or a newspaper, or a magazine) and start reading.

I'm currently in the middle of Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer. It's really good. But I've been reading it since.... Thanksgiving. That's sad.

I gotta give credit where credit is due... this was cevd and esb's idea. They're pretty smart ladies, dontcha think?

Jenn and Danny's Smog Shoppe Wedding

2010-01-19T21:18:00.000-08:00

How FUN are these pictures by Steep Street Photography?! Looks like there was quite a bit of silliness involved, and if you ask me, your wedding day is a great day for silliness. Plus those bridesmaid dresses are adoooorable.

Oh, and Miguel and Sherry (owners/operators of Marvimon and Smog Shoppe) seriously know how to rock a succulent wall. We got a woolly pocket as a wedding gift... now we just need, oh, 100 more. And a giant outdoor wall. And soil. And a whole lotta plants. Hmmm, maybe I'll just leave that one to the experts...

Yay for super-rad friendors!

2010-01-05T21:04:00.001-08:00

My amazing coordinator Jesi Haack is someone I like to think of as a "friendor" (friend+vendor). I LOVE this lady! She is so insanely creative and so much fun to hang out with.

Jesi's equally-awesome husband, Ryan, just launched his very own photo blog. Go check it out and leave him some love!

And, ummm, how much do you want one of those BeardHeads right now?? I know I do.

*photo courtesy of Mr. Haack.... check out some more BeardHead action here.

Thanks, Bride Tide!

2010-01-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

Well, waddya know. People are actually still reading this little blog o' mine. Somehow Mason Jar Bride ended up on Bride Tide's list of Top 100 Wedding Blogs to follow in 2010! Thanks Bride Tide! I'm super flattered.

If you're popping over here for the first time, welcome!

So... I guess this means I should probably get my act together. And actually start posting stuff?

Don't worry, kiddies. Lots of cool things in the works....

My Big Sis is...

2009-12-29T21:45:00.000-08:00

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was our very own little Christmas miracle. Ever since Heather was diagnosed with PCOS almost eight years ago, her doctors have told her that she probably wouldn't be able to conceive. But after only four months of trying, she's pregnant! This morning at her ultrasound, she got to hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time. She said it was absolutely surreal.

By the way, the Prego jar was how she broke the news to us. She and Michael got on video chat and Heather told me she wanted to show me one of my Christmas presents, since it wouldn't get to California in time. All of a sudden, there was a jar of pasta sauce with a big shiny bow on top! I was a little confused at first but as soon as it sunk in I started screaming in excitement.

I can't wait to meet my new niece or nephew!

Lovely Veil.

2009-12-17T09:37:00.001-08:00

If you have the chance to wear an heirloom veil anything like this one, DO IT.

Check out the rest of this breathtaking wedding here on Snippet & Ink.

*photo by Raquel Reis

"Cute" is an understatement.

2009-12-13T22:49:00.000-08:00

The other night when Curt got home from work, he swung the front door open and victoriously proclaimed, "I've still got it!"

This is what he had found on his car earlier that day:

Hey, it takes guts to leave your number on a guy's car. So I gotta give Kristy mad props!

When Curt sent her a text letting her know he was married, she responded:

"Aww, bummer. Well your wife's a lucky lady."

well, you got that right :)

P.S. see how I made the last four digits disappear? photoshop skillz. I haz dem....JK.

Ummm... anyone want my dress?

2009-12-09T21:55:00.000-08:00

All that tulle is takin' up too much room... so if you're on the hunt for some tea-length prettiness, or know a bride who is, let me know! My dress made me so happy (look how it twirls!!!!) and I'd love to share that beautiful, giddy feeling with someone else.

It's up on Once Wed and you can see the listing right here. Of course, feel free to email me directly if you have questions!

Well.... Shucks, Y'all!

2009-12-09T10:41:00.000-08:00

Our wedding is being featured on the Southern Weddings Blog today!

Most of you don't know this, but I was born in North Carolina, and I'm a bit of a Southern girl at heart. So it's a huge honor to be featured on this amazing blog! Emily, the art director for Southern Weddings, sent us a bunch of questions and we had so much fun answering them. Check out all 3 posts (here, here, and here) and leave us some love!

so i sorta have a crush on these guys...

2009-11-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

The balloons, the books, her SKIRT??!?! fab.

Plus, those are two of my most favorite, never-get-sick-of albums.

If these guys lived anywhere near us, I kinda think they'd be our new best friends.

Sarah Rhoads photography, via Snippet & Ink.

Some Merry for Your Mantel

2009-11-17T11:08:00.001-08:00

Our little apartment doesn't have a fireplace, but that's not gonna stop me from hanging Christmas stockings! I'm LOVING these modern felt creations from Etsy seller rikrak.

What's the best thing you've ever found in your Christmas stocking?

gorgeous.

2009-11-16T21:25:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting and waiting to see pictures from Erin and Chuck's wedding. They are here and they are lovely. Erin is a girl after my own heart and her vintage-inspired wedding at the Dana Powers House was AMAZING.

Emilia Jane, another of my favorite bloggers, baked all the cupcakes and served as Erin and Chuck's day-of coordinator. Both ladies have such rad style, I'm not surprised that all the little details were absolute perfection.

And did you see that veil? I'm DY.ING.

See all the loveliness on Once Wed, Veiled Vows, and Corbin Gurkin's blog.

love notes

2009-11-16T21:13:00.001-08:00

Naturally Nina is one of my favorite daily reads... Nina and her fiance, Simon, seem like such a sweet couple! And how cute is this:

"every monday for the last year my love has written me a special note. i laid them all out on the floor tonight and read them all again.

and then i realized... every monday, for the rest of my life, i'm going to wake up excited to read his note. and if we're lucky, and we live for another 50+ years, i'll be the receiver of over two thousand love notes."

awww. I just love love. Don't you?

Blush

2009-11-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

I LOVE Wiley Valentine's insanely chic stationery, so imagine my surprise and delight when I saw our wedding featured on their blog! Yaaaaay!!! Thanks ladies!

Wiley Valentine's entire collection is on display at Urbanic, a paper boutique on Abbot Kinney in Venice... Curt's been promising me a trip to Abbot Kinney since before the wedding, so I'll definitely be dragging him into this store... thank-you notes maybe?

*image from Green Wedding Shoes

I want to look like this.

2009-11-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

That coat is just killing me. And the boots too. But mostly the coat.

Visit The Sartorialist to see lots more Burberry goodness.

like, woah.

2009-11-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

Hard to believe it's already been a month.

It's weird settling into this new reality and thinking, "This is my home now. And that's my husband." It's weird and surreal but it's AWESOME. And I'm loving this new role of "wife."

Yup, married life is pretty cool.

P.S. Jesi Haack, my ROCKSTAR coordinator/floral designer/all around superwoman did a really sweet post about our wedding including a couple of never-before-seen pics. Go check it out!

*photo by the incomparable Sarah K. Chen

vintage lovelies

2009-11-10T21:10:00.000-08:00

All from one of my fave Etsy shops, Timeless Vixen. All totally wedding-appropriate.

Someone PLEASE get one! Just, uh, good luck fitting into it. The last time I had a 24-inch waist, I was probably in, like, 5th grade. Yikes.

Tons of LOVE from the Wedding Chicks!

2009-11-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

I'm ridiculously thrilled because the Wedding Chicks are featuring our wedding all day today!!

Amy and Jocey are two of the sweetest ladies ever, plus they have a great sense of style and they always feature the most incredible weddings on their site.

It's been so fun blogging for the Wedding Chicks as one of their WC Brides... Amy and Jocey assembled a really fun group and it's so great to see all the ideas from brides around the country and around the world! You can read my posts by clicking here.

They had to split our wedding into four different posts because Sarah, our photographer, sent them so many great images! There are a few new ones in there that I've never seen before... so exciting!!!

Go check out each post and leave some comments!

I'm Back. I'm Married. I Have Pictures.

2009-10-30T14:38:00.000-07:00

Sarah is a rock star and she's already posted her faves from our wedding.

Go, Go, Go!!!

5 days.

2009-10-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

I was pretty sure that, at this point, we'd be ready. All the details taken care of. Done and Done.

And we are. Almost.

But there are still a million things running through my head at any given moment. And I still have a hard time falling asleep at night because I'm constantly checking items off my to-do list and adding new ones.

Mostly we're just excited. And more than ready to be married. We can finally stop splitting our time between LA and OC, and we can start doing all the things we've talked about and dreamed about for years. It's a nice feeling.

We're also really looking forward to spending some time here....

Aaahh, Cancun.

Easy to get to, warm tropical waters, really good food, and everything is cheap. Our kind of place. And my mom graciously offered us the use of her timeshare, so our gorgeous condo is free.

We considered going somewhere a bit more exotic, or adventurous, or whatever. But we have the rest of our lives for that. And when all this planning is over, and we've just finished hosting a party for 100 people, we're really going to need a week of pure bliss. And lots and lots of sleep.

It's hard to believe it's so close! I can't wait to share all of our wedding details with you. We've kept a lot of things secret and I'm just itching to do the big reveal.

Where are you going (or where did you go) on your Honeymoon? Did you plan out an itinerary or just wing it?

two weeks to go.

2009-09-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

y'all, it's crazy town up in here. not just the wedding, but moving, and trying to find a new job.... it's nuts. sorry i've been such a bad blogger.

i will give you updates as soon as i can. in the meantime, perhaps you'd like to follow me and my almost-husband on twitter?

Wishpot = My Current BFF

2009-09-19T21:34:00.000-07:00

Y'all, it is crazy fun times to see pretty little presents being reserved on our wishpot wish list every day! Our friends and family members are super generous and we love them :)

The thing is, I think we need to add more items! Not that we really need more stuff, and honestly we're hoping that people will choose to gift us with cash or gift cards, but apparently people really love buying presents... all the big-ticket items are being snatched up first.

So... would y'all do me a huge favor and take a look at our wishpot? I'd love to hear your ideas, feedback, whatever. Is there anything important that we forgot? Anything fun we could add?

Click here to see our wish list, then throw me your ideas!

BTW, we've also updated our website a little bit, and you can check that out here.

3 weeks to go! so excited.

Apparently our E-pics rock AND roll.

2009-09-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Y'all. Our engagement session was featured on Rock 'n Roll Bride the other day. Sweeeeeet.

Thanks Kat!

Also... just noticed I have 100 followers. So.... YOU GUYS rock 'n roll :)

Sometimes I really like my job.

2009-09-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

I've been working here for the past 9 months. It's been the perfect place to be during this transition period while I'm waiting to get married and move to L.A. and start a whole new chapter. All the girls I work with have become great friends, and I've connected with some wonderful people in the wedding industry. Plus, every once in a while, I meet really cool brides. They are sweet, down-to-earth, have amazing style, and they want to create weddings that are honest, practical, joyous, and reflective of who they are.

Ginger is one totally 100% one of those brides. When she told me she was getting married in Maine and having a clambake reception, I got really giddy. Finally, something different and fun! We didn't have much luck finding the perfect dress that day, but she came back a few weeks later during a Melissa Sweet event and fell in love with the Santorini dress from Melissa Sweet's Reverie collection. After looking at some pictures from her wedding day, I'm sure you'll agree it was the perfect choice.

Ginger and Will tied the knot on July 25, 2009. Although they live in L.A., Will's family is from the East Coast so they chose Portland, Maine for their wedding location. When Ginger told me that her photographer had posted a few pictures, I rushed to watch the slideshow and was instantly smitten. Their photographer, Amy Salerno, did a wonderful job of capturing all the emotions of the day. It's so clear from the pictures that this wedding was practically dripping with love and excitement.

Being the sweetheart that she is, Ginger graciously answered a few questions...

Mason Jar Bride: How did you and Will meet?
Ginger: We met at work - both teachers!

Ginger brought her two sisters with her to The White Dress... I also helped them pick out their bridesmaid dresses!

MJB: What made you decide on Portland? Was it difficult to do all the planning from the opposite coast?
Ginger: Will's family is all from the East Coast, and mine is all from the West Coast, so we had to choose one. It was easier to get my family over to the East coast for a vacation, so we opted for that. It also gave us the opportunity to have a clambake theme. Planning was a bit more difficult, but the good thing about planning a destination wedding is that when you find a good vendor you have to make a decision to go with them - you don't have the opportunity to shop around. Since I'm really indecisive, limited options were really good! Will's family was also a huge help in scouting out the photographer and other vendors.

LOVE Will's seersucker suit. Perfection.

On the first day we met, Ginger mentioned that the wedding would be very DIY and would take advantage of the multifaceted talents of friends and family. Here's what her photographer said about the DIY approach: Family and friends were the central focus of the event. Ginger’s aunts created the beautiful floral arrangements and bouquets, a friend of the groom performed the ceremony, and the reception was rocking thanks to the talents of many of the guests. Every time I turned around someone new was up on stage. The groom even took a turn at the mike and keyboards.

MJB: Is there anything you DIY'd that you wish you hadn't? Or vice-versa?
Ginger: DIY things were the flowers, band, favors, invitations, place card rocks, programs and my hair and makeup. They all all turned out great I think, but all in all I was a busy bride. I don't regret any of it though - I loved it all.

MJB: Was there an overall style/theme/mood/feel that served as the inspiration behind the decor?

Ginger: We wanted the wedding to have a outdoor island feel. It was a clambake (which means mussels and lobster) which can sometimes be informal, so we kept all the decor really classic in order to dress it up a bit.

MJB: What was your favorite moment of the day?

Ginger: I had two favorite moments - the ceremony and the first dance. We put so much planning into the perfect reception, that we weren't expecting to be so moved by the ceremony. It was so beautiful, and my husband is so sweet. For the dance, we did a traditional Filipino dance where we jump in and out of bamboo sticks that are being hit together in rhythm. Will and I practiced a ton (not to mention that we choreographed it), so we were really pleased that it was a success.

(Go check out Will and Ginger's slideshow to see a couple pictures of the first dance... it looks like so much fun!)

MJB: Any advice for other brides?

Ginger: My biggest piece of advice for brides is to stay true to themselves, and plan a wedding that they want. I tried to remember this, and ended up having a really special day.

MJB: Where did you guys go on your honeymoon?

Jamaica!! So beautiful :)

Congratulations Will and Ginger! May you enjoy many years of bliss!

Curt's Manly-Man Bachelor Weekend

2009-09-05T22:33:00.000-07:00

So the mister is gone all weekend for his bachelor party.

The boys essentially kidnapped him Friday afternoon, told him what to pack, and put him in the car for a long ride to the middle of nowhere.

I've been left in the dark about the whole thing, but Curt finally got a chance to call me this afternoon and I found out that they're camping and fishing in the mountains somewhere near Bishop. Definitely not your typical bachelor party, and if you read his blog you know that Curt's not exactly a rough-and-tumble mountain man...

But they're sleeping on the ground in tents, bathing in a stream, and apparently they hiked about 4 miles today to get to the lake to go fishing. I would looooove to see that.

Dear Dane, Dan, and Ryan: Thanks for not taking him to Mexico. Or Vegas. I appreciate it.

On a completely different note, this episode of It's Me Or the Dog is playing as I type.

Yeah, Corrie, that one's just for you.

Grab a Comfy Seat.

2009-09-04T22:59:00.000-07:00

'Cuz this is a looooong post.

I'm so excited to finally share our engagement photos with you! Our awesome photographer, Sarah K. Chen, met us at the Orange County fair on a hot sunny afternoon at the end of July. We had SO MUCH FUN taking pictures and pigging out on delicious fair food. There are almost 150 pictures on the disc we got from Sarah, and it was hard to pick our favorites, but here's a nice little sampling...

Ok, yes. The oversized-balloons-at-your-engagement-session thing is getting a little cliche around the blogs. I realize that. But at this point I had been obsessing over Joanna's pictures for, like, a year, so whatever. We had to have them. And they were perfect for the fair. And it was FUN, damn it.

What we learned from this, #1: We look kind of funny when we're kissing. We need to work on that.

Always a sucker for shoe shots...

Y'all.

I LOVE Curt's face in this next one. Doesn't he look SO happy? Every time I see it I just want to give him a big squeeze.

We brought Corrie and Ryan along so we'd have some extra hands. They were life savers. (Thanks guys!) Unfortunately, we had an escapee when trying to transfer the balloons from one pair of hands to another...

We tried to get a good shot of our silhouette but you can't tell people at the fair what to do! This one guy had no clue what was going on, and we couldn't get him to move. So his shadow is in the shot too. After several failed attempts to get a clear shot, we just got over it.

That thing we're standing on? It's the middle section of this big planter with a small brick wall all the way around it, and of course there were like 20 people sitting there, but Sarah was determined to get us up there, so we just asked really nicely and people let us squeeze through them. It was not easy to climb up there in a dress and heels. But so. worth. it.

The lucky recipients of the big yellow balloons! They were so cute :)

Hands-down FAVE:

For me, the fair is really all about the food. And the roasted corn? Like Mr. Pibb and Red Vines, it's crazy delicious.

While Sarah adjusted her settings, we got down with our bad selves.

Dying to see more? Click here.

sneak peeks

2009-09-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Here are some projects we've been working on....

busy, busy.

Our invitations!

2009-08-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

We sent these out a couple weeks ago... sorry it took me so long to get the pics up here! We decided to keep it really simple with our invitations. Our Save-the-Dates were a true labor of love, and we had fun designing and creating them, but this time we wanted something a little more streamlined. No RSVP cards, ergo, no inner envelopes, no double postage = huge savings. And so far, no one has made a fuss about using our website to RSVP (except our grandparents, who don't own computers, and that's ok, we still love them!) Curt used Photoshop to design these, and his dad was kind enough to take them to work with him and print them for us. The whole project- including postage- cost us less than $100 (for 80 invitations). No joke.

One of my favorite bloggers, Erin of Erin Ever After, has this great little Etsy shop called Haute Off the Press... our invitation design was inspired in part by her "I Heart You" invitation suite. We love the clean, modern aesthetic!

I'm no calligrapher, but I actually had a lot of fun addressing all the envelopes, and they turned out great! Seriously, you could have the worst penmanship in the world and it wouldn't matter. Writing with a shimmery silver paint pen makes everything pretty.

A7 Solid Dark Purple Envelopes from paperandmore.com
Silver Shimmer A6 note cards from Paper Source
DecoColor Silver Paint Pen: Paper Source

Also, if anyone cares, we used these stamps. Nothing spectacular, but they fit the fun, contemporary style of the invites and looked great against the purple envelopes.

It felt SO GOOD to put the last batch of these in the mail... the RSVP's have been trickling in but we still have no clue how our final guest count will look!

Handcrafted Treehouse Wedding

2009-08-18T11:04:00.000-07:00

Our Wedding from Eric Whedbee on Vimeo.

Love this Super 8 video from Hollin and Eric's wedding on 100 Layer Cake.

Love that they chose a Sigur Ros song. Perfect fit.

Love that vintage phonograph. Where can I get me one?

Love her tights (yes, tights. under a wedding dress. lovely).

Love that she made her veil and all the headpieces from vintage millinery supplies.

Love that there was a treehouse involved. A treehouse, people.

Go take a peek at the Ben Blood Photoblog for more.

Sufjan Stevens is planning on giving us a belated wedding gift.

2009-08-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

Click here. It's gonna be epic.

(Curt knows that if he wasn't in my life, I would be finding a way to marry Sufjan. Or at least have his babies.)

take me to new york right now, please.

2009-08-05T21:04:00.001-07:00

e-shoot in the meatpacking district and a wedding in central park?

heck yes.

by (who else?) max wanger. more here.

Bridal Shower... better late than never :)

2009-08-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 3 weeks (yikes!) since my bridal shower... sorry I'm so late posting these! Still thought y'all might enjoy them, and I know certain friends and family members keep nagging me to put them up, so... here ya go.

My lovely Maid of Honor, Sarina, was an amazing hostess. Everything was flawless!

Perfect setting, perfect weather...

perfect food...

everything was delish!

I think the highlight of the day for everyone (except me) was the marshmallow game. I knew it was coming... I had subjected my sister and one of my best friends (both bridesmaids) to the game for their bridal showers, so it was only fair :) It really is a great ice breaker and if you ever have to host a bridal shower, make sure you throw this one in.

Here's how it works: Before the shower, someone contacts the groom with a list of 20 questions about his personality, preferences, life experiences, ideals, etc. (e.g. "Should the toilet paper roll go over or under?", "What one thing would you like to have an unlimited supply of?", "What's the most you've ever spent on a concert ticket?" Then, the bride gets quizzed about his responses. For every wrong answer, the bride has to put a marshmallow in her mouth... it's like "Chubby Bunny," remixed.

I did pretty well, but my mom was the one who came up with the questions, and some of them were really hard!! Curt told me later that he didn't even know how to answer them, so he wasn't sure if I'd be able to.

I think Sarina had way too much fun asking the questions.

By the last few questions, my mouth was so full of marshmallows that I had to write my answers down on paper instead of saying them out loud.

One of the questions must have had me pretty stumped!

My mama flew in from Denver so she could come to the shower and spend a little time in our new apartment. It was SO HOT in the valley that weekend, but she toughed it out.

Ava gets the prize for best baby EVER. She was so good and she made friends with everyone there.

yummy snickerdoodle cupcakes!

a sexy nightie from Kathryn! woo-hoo!!

ridiculously adorable apron from Becky... I wear this every time I wash dishes because the faucet is situated really high and water splashes everywhere.

And another apron that Lisa made for me! LOVE it. These ladies must know how much time I spend in the kitchen :)

About 9 weeks to go... How are the rest of you October brides feeling??

Not Dead. Just Busy.

2009-08-01T19:39:00.000-07:00

Good things coming.

Stay tuned.

dress shopping tips

2009-07-14T21:17:00.000-07:00

Occasionally, I moonlight as a Wedding Chicks bridal blogger.

Ok, so I haven't posted anything over there in eons, I've been busy, ya know?

But I finally got my act together and did a super hefty post full of advice for all you brides who are still in the midst of wedding gown shopping. As a bridal consultant, ahem, bridal stylist, over at The White Dress, I kinda sorta know what I'm talking about.

So if you're still shopping around, or know someone who is, go here and read. And leave me some nice comments. Thanks!

say YES! to color!

2009-07-14T21:13:00.001-07:00

Loving this color palette, via Matthew Morgan photography. More here.

good question.

2009-07-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

via I Can Read.

Today at 12:34 and 56 seconds...

2009-07-08T10:10:00.001-07:00

Only happens once every 100 years. So make sure you're doing something cool during that second.

See? Your Wednesday just got a bit more interesting.

Thank you, Mr. Bovitz.

2009-07-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

Lucky us! Curt's boss has season tickets to Dodger Stadium, but was in Oregon yesterday for a business meeting and offered us his seats. Hooray for one of our first rites of passage as responsible Angelenos! So we got to watch the Dodgers lose to the Colorado Rockies 3-0. Sure, it's a bit of a bummer that they lost, but the seats were great! And everyone knows that baseball is all about the food anyway...

World Famous Dodger Dog! (Not the most attractive picture, sorry about that...)

The coolest part was that they let everyone on the field after the game and put on a great fireworks show. Complete with Patriotic songs. You know that Ray Charles version of "America the Beautiful"? It ALWAYS reminds me of The Sandlot.

Brand new shiny shoes ($30 at Marshalls, yo!) on the most beautifully maintained grass in Los Angeles... Seriously, that stuff is so strong, you'd think it was fake.

excited for fireworks!

Are y'all doing anything exciting for the 4th? I'm SO looking forward to having a Saturday off!

do this 'do.

2009-06-29T23:16:00.001-07:00

I L-O-V-E this bride's hair. Not sure if it would work for me... with my tea-length dress I'd be concerned about interpreting vintage a bit too literally. But I love it on her. Just stunning.

Also, she and her groom obviously have killer taste. The wedding was held at Smog Shoppe, the sister venue of Marvimon. The fabulous details aren't limited to her hairstyle, so go check out the rest of the wedding here! soooooo many pretty pictures.

sweet nothings

2009-06-29T22:44:00.001-07:00

ADORE this 1920s-themed wedding that's been melting my heart all day on Once Wed.

il matromonio di giacomo e paola

2009-06-29T22:33:00.001-07:00

short dress. black lace. and ITALY.
beautiful.

see more on Little Winter Bride

how swell

2009-06-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I'm daydreaming about baking cupcakes in one of these fabulous frocks from Timeless Vixen Vintage on Etsy. Definitely the very last thing I should even think about spending money on right now, but they are gorgeous and most of them would (just barely) fit. There are even a few that could most certainly pass for a wedding dress. Go take a peeksie.

Almost-husband spotted these on Please Sir, which I'm requiring you to add to your daily reads.

true.

2009-06-25T22:37:00.001-07:00

I Can Read, via LittleMiss.

woah.

2009-06-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

does anyone else feel like this month went by SO FAST?

I feel like I just got back from Colorado, but that was almost 4 weeks ago.

anyhow. I apologize for the complete lack of posts... but I have so much to report so there will be plenty of good ones coming up!

In the past few weeks, we've....

set a date for our E-shoot with Sarah (it's exactly one month from today!)
started working on our invitations (they are puuuurdy)
made our to-do list (massive, but manageable)
enjoyed the lovely weather in Laguna Beach
MOVED! I'll post pictures soon :)

For now, I'll leave you with this mid-century modern inspired engagement session by RC Jones Photography. I'm really loving it...

via The Wedding Cabaret. See more here.

100th Birthday Parties

2009-06-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

If I make it to 100, I'm going to celebrate in style like these people did...

Read about all 15 of these fabulous 100th birthdays here... it will make you smile!

buzzfeed.com via A Cup of Jo

pretty little ruffles

2009-06-11T21:36:00.001-07:00

I think this could actually make a really cute wedding dress.

for $68.

from J. Crew.

see it here.

4 Months??

2009-06-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

yikes.

there is still a LOT to do.

YES. EXACTLY.

2009-06-09T21:21:00.001-07:00

Spotted Johanna's insanely gorgeous bouquet on 100 Layer Cake last week and instantly fell in love. I emailed Kate Harrison, the photographer, explaining my obsession with the bouquet and asking if she could send me some more detailed shots of it. She kindly obliged :)

I'm really feelin' it. I think this might be pretty much exactly what I want. Maybe with a deeper purple. Or maybe not. Why is this the one thing I'm so indecisive about?!? sigh.

Heather and Michael's Wedding: Sneak Peek

2009-06-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

Just got off the phone with my big sissy. She and her brand new hubby just got back from their honeymoon in Cabo! Apparently it was pretty crazy... they both got stung by a jellyfish and Heather's reaction was so bad that she almost ended up in the ER... but other than that it sounds like they had quite a bit of time to just relax and enjoy being newlyweds.

Heather and Michael "hired" Curt to do all the photography. He took almost 1300 shots so there is still a lot of editing to do... but I thought y'all might enjoy a little sneak peak while you're waiting for the full recap. Enjoy!

I just have to say... how EPIC is that last shot?! I love it.

Complete recaps (and lots of pictures!) coming soon...

10 things that make me happy

2009-06-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

1.) Miss TTO (A $10,000 Wedding) finally showed her lovely little face. Their wedding was exquisite. Max's pictures? Perfection, as always.

2.) The abundance of succulents at Vanessa and Doug's wedding, via Snippet & Ink.

I'm thinking we need to put succulents on at least one of the cakes. Maybe a pair of succulents instead of a cake topper? hm. I like.

3.) This ring shot by one of my ultimate photog crushes, The Image is Found

4.) Blue and Orange

sfgirlbybay, via Lake Jane

In Denver we picked up a yard of fabric pretty similar to the one used for the blanket in that first picture. Boss Vintage is a great place for unique vintage finds if you're ever in the Cherry Creek area... they had a few storage bins full of small bundles of fabric. We'll probably end up using it to make a couple throw pillows for the couch.... that is, once we get a couch :) We're loving these colors set against lots of natural woods and textured, menswear-inspired grays. Obviously I'm getting way too excited about post-wedding nesting.

5.) All the details of Marisa and John's surprise wedding via 100 Layer Cake.

6.) This engagement session at a greenhouse/nursery type place in San Francisco:

Tinywater Photography, via Green Wedding Shoes. See more here and here.

7.) Once Wed's fabulous makeover (and I didn't think it was possible to be more in love with that site...)

8.) Woolly Pockets! These nifty little things helped Miguel and Sherry created the succulent walls/ vertical gardens at Marvimon and Smog Shoppe, and now Miguel is selling them. We're totally using these to spruce up the balcony at our new place.

9.) This inspiration board from Green Wedding Shoes, which is making me ridiculously excited for our E-session at the OC Fair next month!

10.) Good Food and Good Movies. I went to the movies twice in three days (that never happens!) We saw Up on Saturday and The Hangover last night. Seriously, if you don't get a little teary-eyed in the first 15 minutes of Up, then your heart is made of stone. And The Hangover, while quite... uh, raunchy... is full of great laughs. Just make sure your groomsmen don't get too "inspired." As for good food, I'm still stuffed from the fried chicken and biscuits we ate at Honey's Kettle last night. Sweet Baby Jesus it was delicious. But definitely a once-every-6-months kind of thing. Way too fattening. No more till after the wedding.

I would love to hear about 10 things that are making you happy! Share them on your blog!!

I've been Splashed!

2009-06-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

Erin Ever After is one of my favorite daily reads, so I was delighted to receive the Splash award from Erin!

Here are the details of being Splashed:

The Splash Award is given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring blogs. When you receive this award you must:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let your nominees know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.

5. Remember to link to the person from whom you have received your Splash Award.

And here of some of my favorite blogs that I've decided to splash!

Wedding on a Half Dime (I had the pleasure of meeting Kristina in person the other day when she came in to try on dresses! She has a rad sense of style and she also happens to be a photographer, check out her work here...)

A Glimpse of the Girl Next Door

Craft My Bride

Tea and Whimsy

Project: Bride!

Pinwheels and Poprocks Wedding

A Summer Picnic Wedding

Five oh Eight Baldwin

Sarah Elizabeth

If you haven't already, go check out these blogs for some great inspiration!

Our new place

2009-06-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the lack of posts recently.... as soon as Curt and I got back from Denver, we went into serious apartment-hunting mode. His lease is up on July first and we really wanted to find a bigger place before the wedding.

But my Craigslist sniping skills paid off and we're moving into this AMAZING apartment in 10 days!! It's in a restored 1950s building on a small, quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. It's a two-bedroom with huge windows and it feels so open and airy! The building is only 6 units and the rest of the buildings on the street are small ranch homes so it's not a very crowded area. We're so excited to move and start setting up our new place! I won't officially move in until after the wedding but it's nice because we'll have so much time to get things settled before the wedding chaos hits.

Ok, on to the pictures... they're from Craigslist so they're not the best... we'll be posting plenty of good ones once we've moved in...

These guys are also moving on the 15th. Happy moving day!

I can see!

2009-05-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

Y'all have no idea how much I've missed you. This computer hiatus has been torture. But I'm so glad to be back! And I'm writing this post without any help from contacts or glasses, which is AMAZING.

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments and emails. My Lasik procedure went perfectly and it was honestly such an easy (and totally painless!) process. I'm so glad I did it.

Glasses + zero makeup = not a pretty combination. I called Curt right before I walked in for surgery because the nerves really started to hit. I didn't realize it was going to be such a cakewalk! The procedure itself only takes about 8 minutes and the results are almost instantaneous. I sat up from the operating chair and I could see my mom waving at me through the window! So cool.

Me, my mom, and Heather last night at her "bachelorette party," which consisted of wine and dessert at Beatrice and Woodsley, that place downtown that I also posted about here. It was just how Heather wanted it... nice, low-key girl time.

As far as Heather's wedding is concerned, everything is coming along just fine. It's definitely been chaotic around here, mostly due to the logistics of getting 60 people up to a remote location in the mountains. But I'm sure everything will turn out beautifully. I can't wait to post some pictures so y'all can see what we've been working on! Meanwhile, you can check out their wedding website here.

Also, it just so happens that this is my 100th post! I know it's not a very exciting one so I promise I'll make up for it soon :)

For now, I should probably stop staring at this bright screen. I will leave you with this:

david + grace's same day edit // cape may NJ from StillMotion on Vimeo.

Just beautiful. And I'm pretty sure that while she's getting ready, the bride is wearing the same shirt I'm wearing in the picture above. haha :)

Thanks almost-husband!

2009-05-20T20:58:00.000-07:00

So my surgery is tomorrow at 4:00 Colorado time. Pre-op went really well today and the surgeon thinks I will recover very quickly!

Posting will probably be really light (or nonexistent) for the next few days... I'm not really supposed to use the computer until Monday. But I promise there will be lots of updates as soon as I'm able to post something!

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments and encouragement. I'm feeling really optimistic and I'm sure everything will go perfectly. Y'all are the best :)

2009-05-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm headed to Denver for my sister's wedding! Hopefully I'll manage to get in a few posts... I'm also getting Lasik while I'm there, which I'm incredibly nervous/excited about. I've been wearing glasses or contacts since 3rd grade, and my eyes are so bad that I can't see more than 6 inches from my face. I'm legally blind. It's kind of crazy.

Please send your prayers/happy thoughts/good vibes in my general direction tomorrow (Thursday) around 2:00 Mountain Standard Time.

Have any of you had a Lasik procedure? I would love to be reassured by your success stories :)

yum-tastic

2009-05-18T20:53:00.001-07:00

Watermelon, Avocado, and Tomato salad. (Almost) too pretty to eat.

Epicurious via Lake Jane.

In My Mailbox

2009-05-16T17:37:00.001-07:00

There was a lovely little present waiting for me when I got home from work today. Sweet swag from The Flashdance!
Beautiful letterpressed envelope by Milkfed Press...

Nestled inside this pretty little package were two CDs: One of Michael's monthly mixes, and his "Gangsta Pop" compilation...
Photos (complete with cartoon speech bubbles!!) from Max Wanger and Our Labor of Love...
Y'all. We have the coolest DJ ever.

photos by Curt, taken with his Nikon D50.

well-groomed groom

2009-05-15T19:11:00.001-07:00

This guy is rocking the sweetest 'stache ever. Via The Wedding Cabaret via Rock n Roll Bride via Katherine O Photography.

I want to go to there.

2009-05-15T18:44:00.000-07:00

So originally, we were thinking something along the lines of a cozy little Mexican food place for the rehearsal dinner. I mean, no one passes up melty cheese and pre-game Margaritas.

But this place is making me at least pause to reconsider. Food and art?? And inspired by the maid-cafes in Tokyo? I like.

I wonder what it would cost to reserve their VIP lounge (that's the one with the huge screen and those comfy-looking chairs).

See more on Green Wedding Shoes!

Great Gatsby-esque

2009-05-15T18:31:00.001-07:00

Right now I'm wishing I could pull off something that fabulous on my head. She makes it look so easy but I know that if I tried it I would look a little ridiculous. This wedding is insanely gorgeous and has a very handmade feel to it... go take a look at the rest of the amazing shots on the gabriel ryan photoblog.

LOVE this bouquet.

2009-05-15T18:22:00.001-07:00

Forget the whole purple vs. white dilemma... maybe an all-succulent bouquet is the way to go.

Check out the rest of this charming desert wedding on Once Wed.

Happy Birthday to Me...

2009-05-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

So, it's my last birthday as a single woman. (Yay!) Here's my plan for today:

Work. But we're having a really great trunk show for Modern Trousseau so the day should go pretty fast.

See Iron and Wine at the Troubadour with Kathryn.

Come home and eat the rest of my birthday cheesecake, if there's any left :)

Enjoy your weekend!

*image from here

ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

2009-05-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Max shot a wedding at Marvimon.

It's.... flawless.

I would post some of the pictures, but I love them ALL. And I can't pick. There's just no way.

So please.... just go here. right now.

Thank you.

Jessica & Eric

2009-05-06T23:07:00.001-07:00

Jessica, my manager at work, just got the pictures from her engagement session! She and Eric are just the cutest couple! They're getting married in August at The Ocean Institute in Dana Point.

Working with another Jessica definitely leads to some confusion at the store... especially because we have quite a few things in common... brown hair, green eyes, both engaged to guys we went to high school with... but we make it work :)

I absolutely love the feel of these shots. This next one is my favorite!

We were having really weird, late-summer weather a couple weeks ago when they ventured out for their E-shoot... Jessica said it was about 100 degrees where they were shooting. But these two look so relaxed and refreshed despite the heat!

Yummy lighting on this one...

Check out the AHS Photography Blog for more amazing E-shoots. Congrats Eric and Jess!

yay :)

2009-05-06T22:45:00.001-07:00

source.

Just noticed that I have 50 followers. That's pretty sweet. I never imagined that this little blog would actually have an audience beyond my friends and family. So thanks, y'all!

By the way... if you follow Mason Jar Bride through Google Reader or some other RSS feed, I'd love to know so I can return the favor! Just leave a comment saying "I'm here!"

I'm sold.

2009-05-06T22:17:00.001-07:00

Big Balloons are awesome.

Also, how fabulous is her dress?

images from Boutwell Studio (one of my all-time faves), via For the Love of Weddings.

This makes me so happy. And so sad.

2009-04-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

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.

My Inner Southern Girl is Squealing with Delight

2009-04-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Interview with THE HUMAN JUKEBOX

2009-04-24T22:33:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-24T16:48:00.000-07:00

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

E-shoot Hotness

2009-04-22T22:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-04-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

from reading this.

more is more.

2009-04-22T20:26:00.000-07:00

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.

More pictures of the unnamed puppy

2009-04-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

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

Real Wedding: Mark and Vanessa

2009-04-20T17:53:00.000-07:00

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!

Yes, that IS who you think it is.

2009-04-20T15:26:00.001-07:00

That's Sir Paul McCartney. No joke.

The late George Harrison got his star on the Hollywood walk of fame last week. And my buddy Mark was there.

After the ceremony, Mark waited to catch a closer glimpse of Paul. That's his hand in the bottom left corner, tapping (very politely, I'm sure) on Paul's window. But to no avail.

Boo. Sometimes famous people are not very nice.

Everything Max Wanger Shoots is Sexy.

2009-04-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry. But I just can't stop obsessing over his work.

Palm Springs is sexy.

Those shoes are sexy. I want them.

The bride and groom are sexy.

Wait. Did Max just make green apples sexy? Yes he did.

All the guests are sexy.

Sparklers make any picture look SEXY.

*All images from Max's blog.

Apology.

2009-04-20T10:37:00.000-07:00

......

I've been a bad, lazy blogger.

"sorry"

Hopefully you'll forgive me when you see all the good stuff I have lined up for this week, including:

A gorgeous real wedding by my photographer, Sarah K. Chen

A guest post on the V3 events blog as part of "mini fashion week"

An interview with uber-rad DJ Michael Antonia

*image from here.

Tell me he's not the cutest dog you've ever seen.

2009-04-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is my sister's new puppy.

He was an Easter present.

But the poor little fella doesn't have a name yet!

Now, don't you think an adorable face like that deserves a name?

Heather says he's already a Daddy's Boy :)

And he loves to help out around the house.

What should Heather and Michael name their fuzzy little bundle of joy?

Leave your ideas in the comments!

Creative Q&A's on AUCOTI

2009-04-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Almost-husband has been doing a really cool "Creative Q&A" series on his blog, AUCOTI.

His latest interview is with super-rad LA-based producer Daedelus. Pretty freakin' sweet.

Go check out the Daedelus interview and all the others in the Creative Q&A series!

Easy, helpful, AND free? Yes, please!

2009-04-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

Have y'all been to My Wedding Workbook yet?

I had heard it mentioned on other sites and blogs before, but never checked it out for myself. I was missing out! It's a great site, especially if you are in the early stages of the planning process. You can organize pretty much every aspect of your wedding and keep it all in one place, and it's really easy to export all your work into spreadsheets, too!

My Wedding Workbook was created by a very organized bride-to-be and her web programmer fiance, so you know you're getting tools designed by people who know what it takes to successfully plan a wedding.

According to Jeff Kear, the co-owner of the site, "My Wedding Workbook is an easy-to-use, comprehensive online wedding planner that helps brides-to-be stay on top of all their wedding details, includuing budgets, guest lists, calendars, RSVPs, gifts and more."

I wish I had looked into this site sooner, but I'm still going to utilize a few of the planning tools :)

Hop on over and take a look!

Oh, and this.

2009-04-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

From the same wedding that I just posted a few seconds ago.

We NEED to make one of those.

And put it right here:

Awww, yeah, boyeee.

first picture from here, second one from here.

YES.

2009-04-08T21:27:00.000-07:00

The Flashdance posted their first wedding.

Please go look at it.

And then let's talk about how we wish we knew the couple.

Or maybe we could have just crashed the wedding.

Yeah, that's what we would have done.

Cuz we're rebels like that.

*photo by the geniuses at Our Labor of Love.

P.S. Michael Antonia aka "The Human Jukebox" component of The Flashdance is gonna let me interview him! Keep an eye out for that :)

Almost-Husband picks out my clothes.

2009-04-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

A few days ago we were browsing the racks in one of my favorite stores. Almost-husband handed me this ruffly chiffon blouse and said, "Gingham is supposed to be really big for spring."

I didn't stare at him wide-eyed. My jaw did not drop.

Because this is actually a totally normal scenario.

See, he's got a really good track record when it comes to selecting things for my wardrobe. He's just got this uncanny knack for it. And he understands fashion and he knows what looks good on me. Is that weird? Maybe. I kind of don't care though.

He lovingly reassured me that if there is some freak accident during my Lasik surgery next month that results in blindness, he'll dress me and make sure I look cute every day (which got me thinking, would he learn how to do my hair and makeup too? that's a really funny thought).

Oh, by the way. That gingham chiffon blouse? It's in my closet right now. And I luuurve it.

What you don't need

2009-04-01T21:44:00.000-07:00

You must go read what Meg's latest words of wisdom. And maybe all 50 (and counting) of the comments.

Hooray, sanity!

I mean, yeah, I consider myself a pretty practical bride. We're being smart and sensible about our budget, and making this wedding a really accurate reflection of who we are. Which is great.

BUT.

The WIC is a tricky little biatch. And I still have moments of anxiety and confusion because of it... I start stressing about what I do and don't need and end up just feeling paralyzed... the "wedding blackouts" that Meg refers to.

I feel pressured to keep up with all those silly little checklists. You know, the ones that just assume you're going to hire a calligrapher, and go to cake tastings, and sit for your bridal portraits. Not that any of those things are bad... it's just, I don't need them.

So. In an effort to keep myself as sane as possible, here is my list of things to which I will "just say no."

letterpress, chiavari chairs, custom-colored linens, favors (see here), amazing fondant-covered cakes, hair and makeup trials (other than the ones I do myself), a seating chart and escort cards, a pre-wedding massage (especially since the almost-husband is so good at giving them, for free), a champagne toast....

There. I'm sure the list could go on. But I already feel a lot better. Very liberated. Aaaaah.

Do you have a list? Spill it, sista!

*I know all my readers are smart, sensible people who won't take this too personally, but, uhh, just don't. Because this is my list. And yours will definitely be different. And if you can have letterpress and champagne, then by all means go for it! But don't go for it just because you feel like that's what you have to do or because it's what's expected. Just had to throw in that little disclaimer. Ya know, just in case.

Oh yeah, baby. That's my venue.

2009-03-31T17:41:00.001-07:00

Did y'all see that amazing wedding today on Style Me Pretty?

It was at Marvimon!

Seeing pictures from real Marvimon weddings always gets me really hyped up. I'm so excited to get married there.

194 days to go!

*all images by Docuvitae, via Style Me Pretty.

I just got the call.

2009-03-31T12:46:00.000-07:00

My dress has arrived and it's ready to be picked up!

Now it's just going to sit around and taunt me for the next 6 months.

But I'm totally ok with that :)

get in my closet.

2009-03-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

Something you may not know about me: there are quite a few blogs on my Reader that are not wedding-related (gasp!)

Among my daily reads are several design blogs, food blogs, fashion blogs, and funny blogs (this one is my favorite).

Anyway. That image above is from Tim Clarke's portfolio, via Elements of Style.

And I'm just saying. One Day. I will have a massive wall of shoes like that.

Spill it, ladies... how many pairs are in your collection? I won't judge :)

Cake Flavors

2009-03-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

We're Thinking...

Red Velvet
Carrot
Vanilla
Lemon Coconut
Spice Cake
Chocolate Raspberry?

Some will be from small local bakeries, others will be homemade.

Are we missing something? What are your favorite cake flavors, my dears?

Also, this reminds me. We need to find more cake stands. So far, Craigslist has not proven very helpful. Anyone have ideas for other resources? If we can't find them we'll be taking on this project (I heart Design*Sponge).

Hmmm. Thinking about cake makes me salivate a little bit.

*image via Once Wed