Choosing: Impractical Bridal Shoes

I'm a klutz. Everyone knows I'm a klutz. We have 22 steps in our venue between where I get ready (also where we sign the ketubah) and where we get married. We also have steps between where we're sitting and where we'll be catching up with 30 of our guests at the reception.

Agree with me here. Cute stillettos or platforms are not practical. 

That said... I want cute shoes. Boots are more practical. Boots are more "me." Boots are totally consistent with the overall image/style. But I don't care. Adorable purple shoes are screaming to me. These have bows and that annoyingly bridal heart on their soles.

Luichiny Gal Lop Sandal in Purple

$68.95 from Endless with Free Two-Day Shipping (not available in my size)

$89 from Shoes.com with Free Shipping (available in my size)

Fergie Missy in Violet

$89.95 from Zappos with Free Standard Shipping

Nine West Epitomise

$98.95 from Zappos with Free Standard Shipping

Ok they're cute but not in keeping with our vintage romance theme. But maybe with one of my outfits for the honeymoon (a fab grey dress)? Or with my outfit for the shower (again an amazing grey shift with ruffles).

So what would you do? Have you struggled with one of your bridal fashion decisions? Did you find yourself envious of your girls' shoes? (Trust me there will be a shoe shot of my Diva of Honor's shoes because they're just that hot. And while I *know* what they look like, I'm not going to ruin the surprise here.)

Back to me. These lovelies are in line with our style and could with slight alteration sport a purple bow.

Menbur Closed-Toe Pump in Ivory (to which I'd add a purple bow)

$156 from Endless with Free Two-Day Shipping

Shannon Britt Victoria Pump in Ivory (to which I'd add a purple bow)

$295 from Endless with Free Overnight Shipping

OK I'm obviously stressed as when I'm stressed I go shopping. Vintage clothes shopping. Dress or cute socks shopping. Or shoe shopping. I'm going to step away from the iPhone and just stare out the train window. Here I go, stepping away... 

What We Did: Food for All

We're one week and three days from the big day. Each day I wake up focused on what still needs to be done. A couple of days ago I saw Miss Brooch's Looming Projects and Decisions post on Weddingbee. What caught my attention wasn't that it was another post about never ending checklists. What caught my attention was her mom's suggestion to make a "did it" list when she starts to get overwhelmed by her to do list. 

Between now and when we say "I Do" I'm going to highlight something we did that I'm extremely excited about. The funny thing is that until I started thinking about the details that are falling into place I only really saw the stressy bits. 

Other brides in the depths of planning: share your "Did It" lists or tell me what you did. I'd love to hear! I'm tired of checklists and countdowns.

Here goes my first "Did It" item. Today what I'm most excited about is the food we're going to have at the wedding.

First we have a cake that I can eat. A refined sugar free and dairy free cake. It's a cake that all our vegan friends can eat. And it's a cake that our friend who can't eat gluten can eat. 

Besides that we can all eat this cake, want to know the best part about this cake? It tastes AWESOME. This cake is SO awesome that when I shared the news with one friend she squeed and jumped up and down in delight. Definite score. Something we should be proud of. I don't remember the official name of the cake we chose from Cafe Gratitude. I do know that we call it "We Are Married."

We didn't stop there though. With help from Chef Mike of Cafe du Nord we went further. First we needed to make sure that guests who eat kosher style would be fed. Shellfish and pork were struck from the menu. Next with the exception of one appetizer and the Vegetarian entree, dairy was banished (meat and dairy cannot be eaten together) so that no one would accidentally violate a mitzvah. (This had the dual benefit of making everything but the Vegetarian entree something I could eat.)

Once the major dietary restrictions were considered we eliminated or found a second option for friends allergic to avocados, bell peppers, eggplant, eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, and walnuts. A couple of appetizers have tomatoes but we added a third which didn't. And only the Vegetarian entree has mushrooms and tomatoes.

So that guests would easily know what they could eat we included ingredient lists in our program. For the dinner buffet, we created signs with the item name and allergens highlighted (mushroom icon, tomato icon, dairy cow icon, etc.).

We chose our caterer - Cafe du Nord - for a couple of reasons: 1) they know our venue better than any other caterer and 2) Chef Mike's willingness to work with us to provide a yummy dinner that everyone could enjoy.

Thursday Purseday: Purple Rosettes

As we get closer to the our wedding I have purple on my mind. Besides that I just love purple it's one of the secondary colors in our wedding. Therefore my first submission for Thursday Purseday has to be a purple bag.

Betsey Johnson Petal-uma Belt Bag

$142 from Zappos.com

Check out these other blogs for more Thursday Purseday posts:  Brancoprata,  The Charity Wedding, The Demoiselle, Enchanted Dream Weddings & Affairs, Meant to be Sent, Niche White Bridal Loft, PeachBride, Postcards & Pretties, A Realistic Wedding, Sparkle & Hay, and  Swatchbook Weddings.

What Inspires Me: Signature Drinks

Photography Credit: Michele Ehlers via Hostess with the Mostess

If you and your partner don't have a signature drink there are a few ways to find one.

• If you're planning a vintage wedding, choose a drink from the period. For example, our wedding pulls heavily from the 1940s/1950s. We could easily choose The Arnaud's Special (found via Serious Eats).
• If your favorite bar or restaurant has a special drink, recreate it. For example, The Night Marcher at Los Angeles' Tar Pit (found via Chow).
• If your favorite TV show or movie has a signature drink, use it. For example, True Blood fans can feature a Plasmapolitan, Fangbanger, or other concoction (check out the winners of FMCG's recent cocktail contest). James Bond fans can serve the Vesper Martini.
• If color is your thing, select a drink that complements your color scheme (via Hostess with the Mostess).

For more ideas and some recipes, check out The Wedding Workroom.


Are you serving Signature Drinks? For budget reasons or because there's a special memory?

Our signature drink found us. Found us you ask? We were planning our playa wedding when we discovered some of our guests were planning on "eating" our other guests (some of the playfulness that a Firefly theme can introduce). Our solution? Borrow an idea from another of our favorite shows - True Blood. We served our guests Fangbangers. An easy to prepare and an easy to serve drink. We simply mixed 2 oz of Kettle One Vodka and 8 oz of Tru Blood Beverage for 100 people with ice and served in a Beverage Cooler.

Losing the Time Game

It's 5:29AM and I'm not looking forward to today. Of course it doesn't help that the 5:36AM train is already a few minutes behind schedule.

Three criteria that I overlooked when I selected vendors was 1) whether or not they had weekend appointments, 2) whether or not they were easily accessible via BART, and 3) whether or not there was easy-to-find parking. These things become very important when you work about an hour and fifteen minutes from work - one way including the walk from home to the BART station, the train ride, and the walk from the BART station to the office. (We're not going to think about driving as it's the SF Giants last home series before they pack in their mitts and bats. That traffic turns a 45 minute door-to-door car ride into a variable nightmare that ranges anywhere from an hour and fifteen minutes to over two hours. Back to why location is important.)

You're going to need more appointments than you planned for. You aren't going to have enough hours in a weekday to meet with vendors. Think about it. 3 of 24 hours are spent commuting. 8 of the 21 remaining hours are spent working. So that leaves 21 hours for wedding stuff.

If a vendor is not along your commute route and not easily accessible by cab (remember to add 20 minutes at least for just trying to find a cab), it will probably be more convenient to drive. Now if your vendor doesn't have parking AND is located in a busy metropolis add 30 minutes to your schedule for the inevitable circling your going to be doing. We have 20.5 hours.

Let's add getting down the peninsula or just across town into the equation. If it's a week night, you have to contend with traffic. 4.3 miles can easily take almost half an hour to navigate. Roundtrip for a local vendor let's say an hour. We have 19.5 hours.

Appointments never seem to take less than hour. (Two with one vendor did, but she was the exception.) Hair and/or makeup trials are typically slotted for two or four hours respectively. So conservatively we have 17.5 hours free. To anyone other than a sleep walking bride (or parent of a young baby) this seems like an abundance of time. Remember though that we haven't allocated time for eating or sleeping or for hanging out with your partner.

Let's be generous and give the bride five and a half hours for sleeping (although what the bride really wants is to sleep forever). We're down to 12 hours available. If the couple's schedule align, dinner and catching up can be scheduled together. 3 hours of "downtime" - walk to local restaurant, leisurely savoring the food, sipping wine, and getting to hang out.

Ok break's over 9 hours left. We should probably have an hour for lunch. 8 hours left. We really want 2.5 extra hours of sleep so whether or not we actually get sleep we'll be thinking/dreaming about it. Deduct another 2.5 hours. 5.5 hours left if every minute is meticulously scheduled.

Anyone see why I'm not looking forward to today? I'm trying to get to work before 7AM so that I can have an hour lunch and still make it to a 6PM appointment. Right now eloping is looking mighty nice.


At the end of the day the vendors are trying to help make our day turn out as we envision. That said, I'm trying to fight becoming a bridezilla but it's becoming an uphill battle.

Real Can Still Be Styled

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the world of wedding blogs, it's important not to overlook the importance of words, especially in the context of real weddings.

Phrases* such as:

• "an architect"
• "a buyer"
• "a graphic designer" "freelance graphic designer"
• "graphic designer and artist"
• "a graphic design major"
• "illustrator/graphic designer"
• "interior designer" "an interior designer" "an interior designer" "an interior designer"
• "an interior designer by day and paper genius by night"
• "in PR"
• "visual artist/graphic designer"
• "own my own clothing boutique"

And why are these phrases important? Because if you miss them and look just at the pretty pictures you can inadvertently set a bar that you think your wedding needs to jump over. When looking at their beautiful weddings, remember that in each of these jobs/hobbies, people think (and obsess) about visual impact. Their weddings - with or without intending to - have been styled.

Does styling mean a wedding is less authentic? Not necessarily. One of my favorite weddings - Lauren's (Miss - now Mrs. - Scissors on Weddingbee) - is both visually stunning and authentic. Lauren is a graphic designer and photographer. (Check out her blog, I Love You Very Much, for recaps of her wedding.)

So why do I notice what the bride and groom do for a living during the day and by night? Because I'm in marketing (and a photographer to boot). Words and images are my lifeblood. And while I'm not always aware of it, I have noticed that before even one wedding photo has been taken, I've been visualizing backdrops, thinking about how colors will complement and contrast with one another, and editing to keep details uncluttered.

Are we going overboard on styling? I don't think so. On one hand, I'm not draping a bar - I'm leaving the wood and gray mosaic Formica alone. But on the other hand... yes, I did include dark brown wood tones and gray/silver in our color palette. 

*Phrases were repeated so that I could link to the related weddings.

Authentic vs. Original

I just read Becca's post about her losing her cool (a mini-meltdown) and felt I needed to respond.

For those not yet following A Los Angeles Love, I'll summarize: Becca and her fiancée Jason are getting married this coming April. They've been planning now for about 13 months and Becca's been sharing the details, the unexpected, the stress, and the triumphs. Becca is a real bride - not one who has bought into the WIC or labels. In her post she talks about how Jason just returned from a friend's wedding and talked about what they did for escort cards. Turns out Becca had been planning on doing the "same" thing. Now this was one of the details that Becca hadn't blogged about (if you're not a bride blogger, let me explain the significance-the details you don't share are the ones that you care about the most and want to share the day of for guests and/or your groom). So Becca had a mini-meltdown and lamented about being seen as a copycat.

Now I understand the emotion. I understand the belief that people will see you as a copycat. How do I know? Because I saw a friend give her boyfriend a birthday gift - a gift that we were going to be giving to some of the boys in our wedding (of which he's one).

Note that this wasn't even a wedding (no one but me would tie the two occasions together) and I went into full "OMG I'm going to be seen as a copycat" mode. (Context: These gifts were not blogged about. I'd been trying for almost 6 months to acquire these vintage items and had just succeeded in getting the 4 I needed.) Unlike Becca I went into full on tears in front of my friends (and almost into a panic attack). In hindsight, a total overreaction. But in the moment with the stress of running our Burning Man camp it was too much.

Luckily my friends are very understanding. And luckily my bridesman came up with a solution (once he calmed me down enough to figure out why I'd burst into tears).

The gist of what he said? And how it applies to Becca? The gift/idea for escort cards is authentic. Everyone who knows you (and your guests should know you) is going to know you carefully thought about and selected the detail. And here's why original - or being first - doesn't matter. If you're authentic - that is people see you and your partner in what you're doing - no one is going to see one detail standalone. Each detail is viewed in the context of you. 

Our wedding will be original. Not all of the details will be new to our friends or to the blogsphere (we've been planning for six months and ideas that we thought we original - not on blogs - are now showing up on blogs, but we're not changing our plans). But the combination and presentation of those details will be new. 

And more important than original? We'll be authentic. Just like Becca and Jason.

So when you see your friend or coworker seemingly overreact, remind them that it's the authenticity - the unscripted moments - that makes your wedding special.

Etsy Tuesday: Vintage Table Numbers

Have a rustic vintage theme? What about these metal numbers to guide guests to their tables?

$5.50 from Two Angels in Paris

Or modern simplicity? What about these reflective black numbers? 

Available numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6; $8.50 each from Two Angels in Paris

Tuesday Shoesday: Pretty Little Bows

Today's shoes are so dainty, so feminine. But what caught my attention was how they were hung on a clothes line with colorful clothespins. While not an image I would shoot - I would have cropped a little tighter - moving the shoes from almost center further right - it's definitely creative.

Photography Credit: Marianne Taylor via Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Because I've got pretty little bows on the brain, here's one of my favorite shots. Why is it one of my favorites? The contrast between the deck, the shoes, and the little blue bows. And the leading lines of the deck slats. See how your eyes are drawn to those bows? 

Photography Credit: James Bass via The Sweetest Occasion

Are you thinking of creative ways to showcase your shoes?

Check out these other blogs for more Tuesday Shoesday posts: April Foster Events, Bellwether Thoughts, Brancorpa, Demoiselle, Gwyneth Paige, Landlocked Bride, Life in the Super Burbs, Little Miss Bride to Be, Meant to be Sent, Postcards & Pretties, Santa Barbara Chic, Simply & Forever, Swatchbook Weddings, SWOONOVERIT. (Archives and/or occasional posts: Lauren Kelly Events, Slice of Lime Design).

Ideas Worthy of Stealing

No not mine. Ideas from another bride and another bride's maid of honor and bridesmaids. I'd been asked by a couple of guests about our guestbook, specifically, if I don't cook, what should I share? I recommended their favorite restaurant and tip for ordering a yummy meal. Or memory of a meal they've shared with us or would like to share with us.

So I've been thinking about and looking for ways to keep our guestbook's interactivity and make it more inviting. I'd always planned on providing food-related stickers for guests to add to their page. I'd seen how popular this was with both teenagers (at a High School Graduation Party I photographed) and adults (at a New Year's Eve Wedding Reception I photographed). Here's what it can look like for recipes:

(Source: A Mountain Bride)

But that idea assumes guests have brought a recipe with them. Some of our guests are traveling. Some don't cook. So while fun, it doesn't give everyone an equal opportunity to participate.

Now when I saw these two ideas, I knew exactly what we were going to do. You'll have to wait to see how we steal these ideas, but they will be making an appearance in our festivities.

Interactive Guestbook Page designed by Emily

"I am a graphic design major, so I designed the invitations, stationery, and special interactive guestbook pages at each guest's seat."

Photography Credit: Wes Roberts via Glamour and Grace

This idea caught my eye a couple of months ago. Why? It's a recipe box for a foodie bride who doesn't cook. A perfect way for any of our guests who might not cook to share their favorite haunts (local or otherwise).

(Source: Miss Hamster's Maid of Honor and Bridesmaids via Weddingbee)

Update: Guestbook

This weekend I took a brief break from the table number and program projects. What did I do? Mixed media and scrapbooking.

Specifically I embellished our guestbook. I'd hinted that I'd planned on customizing it when we decided to use a journal from CreARTing Handmade. Here's what it looks like now.

Personal Photos

At the reception guests will have the opportunity to add their favorite recipes, recommend restaurants and dishes, recount meals shared with us, and suggest the next meal they'd like to share with us. 

The guestbook station will be set up initially in a bay window with stickers, paper scraps, markers, and glue sticks. After the cocktail hour ends the station will move to near the bar so that guests have time throughout the evening to add their tips.

This is one DIY project that could have been overwhelming had we (I) decided to make the journal from scratch. Instead by starting with a handmade journal, this has become one of my favorite projects. I can't wait to see what our guests contribute.

To our guests: Be sure to check out the sample page layouts in the guestbook. (Hint they tie to Our Story and our table numbers and may have some of the answers to the puzzle found in our program.)

Update: We have a Plan - A Seating Plan that is

We had our site walkthrough this past Thursday. It was great to see the space again and get opinions from our Onsite Coordinator - Kerry - and our Wedding Coordinator - Brittani. 

While not everyone will be on the same floor for dinner, we were able to successfully seat all of our guests in Freja. We walked through the balcony and double checked the view of the main floor. All of our guests will be able to see the wedding party as well as the toasts and the cake cutting. 

We were also successful in that no additional tables were required (so no new rental fees). The tables on hand at the venue work. That also means no additional table linens were required (so no last minute rushing around to match our ivory). And the best part? We actually need less table runners than originally planned. Less sewing for our friends!

Here's a rough layout of where our guests will be. 

We decided to forgo escort cards and use place cards (when we originally made the escort cards we left the table numbers off until we had a final RSVP count). This layout with table names will appear in our program along with a listing of seats per table. At each table guests will find their seat by looking for their place card.

I'm so relieved that we have successfully placed each guest at a table; thus ending the seemingly never-ending game of musical chairs.

Perspective: Wedding Truths

Calling all hindsight brides and brides in the final weeks of planning. What are your wedding truths? Those things that you saw other brides struggle with and thought that you by planning or luck would avoid?

Here are my wedding truths:

1. You will run around like a chicken with its head cut off. No matter how much planning you do, the last three weeks before you say "I Do" are not your own. "Final" alterations will end up taking 3 times as many visits as you anticipated. Vendors will need to reschedule. You're going to inevitably double book an appointment. NOTE: Even if you plan ahead to have a clear schedule, it won't stay that way. However plan for a clear schedule so that you can deal with the unexpected.
2. Your guests are not going to RSVP by your response date. Your response date will come and go with only 50% of your guests having told you their plans. Once you forgo etiquette and send an email tickler you'll still have 20% of your guests to track down.
3. You will discover the "obvious" guest you forgot to invite just after you send out your final counts.
4. You will have at least one meltdown, probably more. Get a massage. Let your Maid/Matron/Diva of Honor take you out for drinks. Schedule a night off.
5. You will start to wonder why you didn't just elope in the first place.
6. You will long to have your life back. Regular nights in where you cook? A luxury. Closest you'll get? Take out delivered, plated, and presented by your partner.
7. You will need to rethink your final DIY projects. See #1. You aren't going to have the time you thought you were going to. NOTE: Prioritize all your DIY projects. For those you can work on early, do it. The more work you do in the planning slump, the easier your last couple of weeks will be.

Here's another question for all you hindsight brides and those brides two weeks out. What did you do to deal?

My approach so far has been to take my Maid/Matron/Diva of Honor up on her offer of whisking me away. You aren't going to be productive in meltdown mode. And you are going to need to reconnect with your friend and your life. Delegate tasks. You don't want anyone else in the crazy, but if you try and do it all you're just increasing the crazy exponentially.

Recap, Our Playa Wedding: Getting Married

Photography Credit: Mikest via Flickr

Last year a friend joked about exchanging vows on a bullhorn. This year that's exactly what cubes and I did.

Photography Credit: Jessica Palopoli via Flickr

Besides the odd amplification for the ceremony, our stage was a little different - a scissor lift - and our officiant was a time traveler.

Photography Credit: Jessica Palopoli via Flickr

Our officiant returned from the future to ensure that our union take place as there was a 28% chance the world as we knew it would end if it didn't. (To all brides thinking of scripting your ceremony yourself - let your officiant have some creative freedom. We entrusted the entire ceremony to Joshrander and it was better than anything we could have come up with.)

Photography Credit: Jessica Palopoli via Flickr

Photography Credit: Jessica Palopoli via Flickr

One touch that our friend 10_9 arranged for us was a Sign Language Interpretor. At home, we typically swap her Sidekick and our iPhones back and forth as we converse. I loved the fact that everyone was able to be in the moment with us.

Photography Credit: Arlette via Flickr

Our Playa Wedding Recapped

• Sneak Peek
• Getting Ready
• Herding Cats 
• Promising
• Traditions
• Friends
• Getting Married

Planning a Mini-Moon, Update: Dining like Royalty

It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that cubes and I love food - especially good food. So what are we doing for our honeymoon? Cooking and eating of course. 

We also love reading about food. One of our favorite books, The Man Who Ate the World: In Search of the Perfect Dinner, is the inspiration for our honeymoon. Our theme? The Couple Who Ate the Wine Country: In Search of the Perfect Bite.

So when we started planning months ago, we had an idea of the restaurants we wanted to dine at. Now, getting to dine at said restaurants is easier said than done - one must hit the phones and the Internet two months prior and hope and pray. Two of the restaurants were completely booked: The French Laundry (3 Michelin Stars) and Cyrus (2 Michelin Stars). One had an early brunch available but would have required waking up at an ungodly hour, so we passed: Ad Hoc. 

Want to know the lineup for our quest? Here you go!

• (James Beard Semifinalist Best New Restaurant) Bottega Napa Valley
• (One Michelin Star 2010, 2009) Domaine Chandon - Etoile Restaurant
• (One Michelin Star 2010, 2009, 2008) REDD
• (One Michelin Star 2010, 2009) Solbar - Solage

Making Up the Bride: Inspiration for Take 2

Ok I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about makeup. Smoky eye? Sexy eye? Um one means one thing and the other means a completely different thing. So with this caveat, my first makeup trial was probably doomed to failure from the start. I probably said one thing and was really thinking another.

Here goes. This is what I looked like after my first makeup trial.

I think I look like a raccoon. I also hate that the makeup is cakey (is that a word?) and not more seemless. When I do wear makeup, I prefer DiorSkin AirFlash Spray Foundation as my base. So I'm probably also suffering from what every bride who typically doesn't wear makeup suffers from - fear of looking like a clown or not me. Besides the foundation - I think the blush and the lipstick are too much.

Tonight I have my next makeup trial. This trial is with another makeup artist (MUA) - one who made me up last year for our friends double wedding.

So I pulled looks that routinely catch my attention when I'm flipping through magazines at the salon.

What I like about the looks is the pale lipsticks (top two photos), the touch of pale blush (top two photos, bottom right photo), the shadowing of the outside edge of the eye (left two photos), and lighter shadow near the nose that gradually moves to the darker edge (left two photos, bottom right photo).

What I like about the top two looks is that the blush isn't overwhelming and much more natural. The two bottom looks caught my attention for the paler blush with pale lipsticks - the eyes are too smoky.

I also pulled looks that I dislike and totally could not imagine on me. Here those looks are:

There's too much blush on the photo on the left. And the smoky eye is just too dark - especially with the pale lipstick (which I actually do like). (Now that I've seen an example of smoky eye I think it's not well suited for my face.

Hopefully these images give the MUA a better idea of what I'd like for our wedding. Basically I want to feel like me - the me cubes fell in love with. (Maybe this next admission makes me a bad bride but I love the makeup I wore for our playa wedding - none. You can see what my face looked like in the recap of me getting ready.)

Did you struggle with getting your makeup right?

Choosing: Mason Jars

I love eating by candlelight. There's just something so romantic about it. In my search to find a budget-friendly last minute candlescape, we keep returning to mason jars with tea lights. Meets venue requirements. Satisfies budget requirement - friends have and can lend us.

But... are Mason Jars right for our look? And what is our look? We're Vintage. We're Elegant - table runners and silver platters. We're Retro - train cases for holding the kippahs, keeping the guestbook supplies organized, and collecting cards.

Do Mason Jars work in these categories? Or are they only appropriate for "Rustic" weddings - something we're definitely not?

Photography Credit: Jenn Cress via Style Me Pretty

Photography Credit: Joy Marie via Oh Lovely Day

Image source: Gingerbread Snowflakes (includes tutorial using Mod Podge)

Photography Credit: David Newkirk via Style Me Pretty

Another Take: The Dress Shot

We're all familiar with that stock dress shot. You know the one I'm talking about - where the dress is hung from a fan or chandelier with light streaming through from behind.

Photography Credit: bec+fo via Whimsical Wonderland Weddings

Photography Credit: Kariz Matik Photography via Polka Dot Bride

Other than overall shape little can be seen of the actual dress.In a magazine, I immediately flip the page. On a blog I scroll past scanning the provided text for a clue to what's special about this particular dress.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that brides skip the dress shot. I'm just asking for a little more creativity. A background that draws out or highlights features of the dress. Say like these two shots. The first is a shot of a dress in front of a window - but look at all that detail!

Photography Credit: Rebekah J Murray Photography via Inspirations & Creations

Photography Credit: Cathie of BG Productions via Emmaline Bride

Creativity does exist - it just seems to be in short supply. Although when unleashed, an unexpected draping or featured detail catches me mid-scroll and has me slamming on the brakes. For example, this reclining dress.

Photography Credit: Maranda of Evoke Images via Glamour and Grace

Without this image, I wouldn't have read that the bride's mother designed and made the dress.

Have you seen dress shots that take your breath away? Did your photographer do something unconventional for your dress shot?

Recap, Our Playa Wedding: Friends

Before we get to the recaps of our ceremony and our venue, I wanted to highlight our guests. Our friends. Our campmates.

Photography Credit: Tom Cavnar via Flickr

In the moment I forgot all about someone needing to coordinate the affair. I was so caught up in seeing everyone and thanking them for joining us. I was also busy handing out our favors. It wasn't until the I was on the scissor lift that I realized just how many people had come to see us say "I Do" (or just happened by the sculpture). In fact, I wasn't even nervous until I climbed up into the scissor lift, turned around, and looked out. 

And that's when it hit me. There was a sea of smiling faces - some we knew, some we didn't - surrounding us. We'd asked guests to wear costumes inspired by Joss Whedon's Firefly series or Serenity movie (River and Inara-inspired costumes that I'd found on Etsy). And people had done exactly that!

All of a sudden the moment seemed that much greater. For me time didn't move quickly; it seemed like an eternity between when I started and finished my vows. But it did end and the sun set completely. And the rejoicing began.

Here are some shots of our amazing guests.

Photography Credit: Arlette via Flickr

Photography Credit: Arlette via Flickr

Photography Credit: Arlette via Flickr

Photography Credit: Arlette via Flickr

Our Playa Wedding Recapped

• Sneak Peek
• Getting Ready
• Herding Cats 
• Promising
• Traditions
• Friends

DIY Update: Step away

At a certain point, regardless of if the DIY project is special to you or not, you need to step away. Your vision isn't going to happen no matter how much you try to force fit it. And most importantly, most of your guests aren't going to notice the absence.

So what DIY project did we walk away from? A lot actually. One was postponed until after the wedding for a more personalized thank you. 

The latest? The hardest one to let go of? Our collection of wine and beer bottles. You remember the ones that were going to be filled with eco-friendly dripless tapers down the center of our U-shaped table? The ones when open flames were banned that were going to be filled with sprays of baby's breath?

Now, yes, tables lined with sprays of baby's breath would have been gorgeous. But that wasn't the original vision and it was a vision I kept forgetting. I kept imagining and wanting candlelight. Okay, not just imagining, obsessing. 

Obsessing to the point that I was considering getting a bottle cutter and creating my own votive holders. Heck after a quick search I saw lots of tutorials. Mrs. D'Orsay's write up makes it look simple - just time consuming. A thread on the Craftster Community Forums quickly convinced me this *might* not be the best project to tackle when facing a time crunch. 

Miss Locket via Weddingbee

Knowing how stubborn I am - determined - I did the only thing I could. We took all of the beer and wine bottles we collected and tossed them into the recycling bin.

As cubes reminds me each time we come across one more misunderstanding or scheduling conflict, focus on what's important. He's right. At the end of the day, I'm not marrying a bunch of wine and beer bottles and we had fun with our friends over the past year collecting them. And heck, friends are one of my top three.

The other benefits of axing the bottles? We don't have to find a bunch of baby's breath before the wedding. We don't have to mockup another tablescape. We don't have to thread ribbons through keys and tie them around the bottles. We don't have group bottles into neat bags by table. And best of all? No one has to haul them up 22 steps.  

What Inspires Me: Chuppahs

In Jewish weddings, couples get married under a chuppah (or huppah) which symbolizes the Jewish home. And chuppahs can be elaborate or simple.

Here are some that caught my interest.

Photography Credits: 1. Unknown via Happy Sighs; 2. BB Photography via Style Me Pretty; 3. Laurel McConnell Photography via Style Me Pretty; 4. Amac + Wise Photography via Polka Dot Bride; 5. Studio 563 via Style Me Pretty; 6. Michelle Turner via Style Me Pretty; 7. Erin Hearts Court via 100 Layer Cake; 8. Person and Killian Photography via Chatty Brides; 9. Anna Rozenblat via 100 Layer Cake.

We're going the simple route - a tallit suspended from four poles borrowed from our rabbi. Which do you prefer - simple or elaborate? Did you buy or make your chuppah? Or did you borrow it?

Check In: Nineteen Days to go

Two weeks and five days. Nineteen days. Why can't it be now? I'm tired of waiting. I'm tired of boxes arriving. Of lugging things down to the car and then from the car up into our apartment. Of the unpacking, organizing, and repacking. Of writing instructions. Of meetings every night.

Even with planning everything still comes down to the wire. Hair and makeup trials. Corset fittings. Dress fittings. Music planning.

Still so much to do...

1. Take going away dress to tailor for alterations
2. Design and print ketubah
3. Decide on table arrangements; assign seats
4. Layout, print, and assemble table numbers
5. Proof programs, print, and assemble
6. Print photographs and adhere to ribbon for entry way decoration
7. Finish watchwerk "time" pieces
8. Design and print signage for kippahs, cards, and guest book

Our Previous Checklists

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Etsy Tuesday: Ketubahs

Since our last meeting with our rabbi we've been working on our ketubah - finding both a design and text that's "us." For inspiration we've been looking at various designs. Jennifer Raichman offers a variety of options.

$130

$110

$130

How did you chose your ketubah? Did you pick an element from your wedding design (we have hydrangeas on our cake and in my bouquet)? Or something else?

Tuesday Shoesday: Glamor

Context is everything. Casually hang these Goldwyn T-Strap Dress Shoes by Steve Madden heels from a bucket and voila: Rustic Glamor.

Photography Credit: Stephen Knuth Photography via Glamour and Grace

But... set these heels atop an upholstered divan with handbag and pashima or bouquet in a room punctuated by gleaming waxed wood floors you'd think Hollywood Glamor. 

Photography Credit: Marie Labbancz via Inspirations & Creations

Depending on how a photographer frames a shot, depending on where a photographer places a detail, your images can convey a very different feel than what you envisioned.

Check out these other blogs for more Tuesday Shoesday posts: April Foster Events, Bellwether Thoughts, Brancorpa, Gwyneth Paige, Landlocked Bride, Life in the Super Burbs, Little Miss Bride to Be, Meant to be Sent, Postcards & Pretties, Santa Barbara Chic, Simply & Forever, Swatchbook Weddings, SWOONOVERIT, Weddings & Pretty Things (Archives and/or occasional posts: Lauren Kelly Events, Slice of Lime Design).