Skiing Anyone?

Inspired by this weekend's ski trip, I thought it would be fun to imagine a skiing-themed wedding. Enjoy!

What a fun groom's cake—"Another One Bites the Dust" via SkimbacoLifestyle.com

I love the incorporation of the mini pine cones in this bouquet via Captured Soul's Flickr spot.

Gardenia centerpieces via Red Envelope (obviously would not buy them all from here!) Gardenias smell so great, but would be bad for anyone with sensitive noses or allergies.

How adorable?!! I wonder if you got all bundled up you could pull this off in the winter too?? Photo by Kari Douma by way of Awesome Photographs

So unique and personalized! From WeddingCakeToppersIdeas.com

I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything about this dress from Love by Enzoani. The color, the draping, the embellishments... Photo from The Knot.

Locket Up

I have always loved lockets—the idea that you've got a secret is very appealing. They're great for weddings, whether a photo of your sweetie around your neck or a photo of a lost loved one pinned to your bouquet. A locket would also be a nice gift for a bat mitzvah, sweet 16, or quincenera, because what girl doesn't love jewelry? :) You could pre-fill the locket with a special photo or leave it up to the secrets of her heart.

Some great lockets of all shapes and sizes:
Dahlia Jewels
Banana Republic
MStevenson Designs (AWESOME)
Old But New
Macys
Red Envelope

Spotlight on: Pen and Ink Calligraphy

Oh so pretty! I love the uniform look of calligraphy, and I envy those who do it well—like Lisa Ridgely of Pen and Ink. She's self-taught, if you can believe that, and her different styles are gorgeous. My favorite is the "Sarah" not because it's my name :-D but because of its understated elegance. The loops and swirls are beautiful, but my personal style is more simple.

Designated Driving for All Guests

If alcohol will be served, always consider extra precautions to make the party safer:

• The bride and groom should always have someone driving them from the reception, whether they drink or not, because it's just more fun. :)
• If the party is at the hotel where the guests will be staying, great! Problem solved.
  
• If guests are staying elsewhere, be sure to ask the concierge ahead of time to make sure that there are cabs available to take your guests back to their own accomodations.
• If the party is at a location without taxi service, hire a shuttle bus to deliver your guests to and from the site. Some may choose not to ride, but you have provided a safe way to get back to their hotel. Let guests know ahead of time by including this item on the response cards:
  
  
  There will be a shuttle bus available at the Hampton Inn for the journey to ThorpeWood.
  
  Would you like us to save you a seat on the shuttle bus?
  ___Yes, please ___No, thank you
  

  
  
  This also will help you estimate the number of people the bus needs to hold—really helpful when it's time to reserve!

One transportation service in the D.C. area that I have worked with is Bowen Bus Service, headquartered in rural Maryland (but available for locations in the entire metro area). They have charter buses, school bus shuttles, and limo services; I have yet to find a working website for them, but their number is (443) 535-0203 and I work with Jackie.

No Bar is Better Than a Cash Bar

Despite the relaxation of "proper etiquette" in today's society, the bottom line is that these people are your GUESTS. They have given up at least two of these, if not more:

• Their time—maybe the most important of the list.
• A wedding gift—even if it's small, it's something they gave up for you.
• Transportation costs—plane, train, automobile rental, you name it.
• Accomodations—unless your entire guest list is from one area, someone is going to have to pony up for a place to stay.
  
• New clothes, haircut, etc.—sure, this is optional, but if they are representing you, you'd want them looking their finest!

I think it's completely inappropriate to have a cash bar at a wedding. If you can't afford it, don't have alcohol at all.

However, I was interested and a little shocked to find these responses to "Dear Abby." I don't think having your guests pay for their own drinks allows you to wash your hands of the matter and feel that you are not responsible for what happens to them. You're still providing the alcohol.

Did You Know? (Postcard Sizes)

If you're making your own Save the Date announcements and you want to get the postcard rate (a lot cheaper than letter), your postcard needs to be between 3.5 and 4.25" tall and between 5-6" wide.

Birdcage Veil: To Make or To Buy?

It seems like everyone and their sister are wearing birdcage veils lately. And it's easy to see why this style of veil is so trendy: they are SUPER cute! Not for everyone, either by personal taste or face shape, these veils will add a cute touch to any gown.

The easiest way to get one is, as with most things, to buy one. There are a ton of veil sellers online; two bigger websites are Something Bold and BirdcageVeils. Within the realm of birdcage veils, these suppliers have multiple styles, from not only with simple combs, to veils with flowers or feathers, to multi-layer veils with lots of volume.

Another source, and maybe one that's a little more fun, is to hunt for handmade birdcage veils on Etsy. I just did a search, and you can find birdcage veils between $130 and $5, depending on your taste and how much you want going on up there. My favorites are by sellers Joei Reed Custom Millinery (if you want to be unique, kick it up a notch with some color or a hat!) and Brenda's Bridal Veils (she has lots of ready-to-wear variety and she takes custom orders as well!).

Other than purchasing your birdcage veil, you could also try your hand at making it, if you're crafty (or even if not—it's not very hard to make the simple net-and-bobbypins style) or if you have a friend/sister/mother you can talk into trying it. The absolute best site that I found with directions was VintageSewing.info. There are step-by-step instructions along with old-school illustrations to show you what to do. Another site with directions is this personal site where the author describes how she made her simple net-only veil and has a little hand drawing to boot.

To make or to buy? That is a question you have to answer for yourself.

By Pattern

I came across this great site tonight: ReproDepot. So many great ideas if you are looking for a party theme to tie things together. It could be an all-out theme (I think an Alice in Wonderland party would be so fun!) or just a few details to make the event flow and make everything mesh.

This bold pattern really caught my eye—I love the combination of a really bold architectural frame with the soft freeform of botanical elements—so mod but still fun. Everyone loves a black and white party; it's a theme but people don't have to look "dorky" to participate.

I picture this vase with bright yellow roses as centerpieces and using the fabric as placemats at a white table with black chairs, bright yellow plates (like Fiestaware or something equally chunky), and some really great black and white drinks: Black or White russian, Blackout, Piña Colada, Cement Mixer (recipe from a vast source), and Guinness beer (close enough!). Additional yellow accents here and there would add that necessary kick of color.

Playlist:
Pearl Jam—Black • Jefferson Airplane—White Rabbit (so awesome and fitting with the modness!) • AC/DC—Back in Black • The White Stripes • My Chemical Romance—The Black Parade • Barry White • Amy Winehouse—Back to Black • Cream—White Room • Black Velvet • Black Crowes • Velvet Underground—White Light/White Heat • Procol Harum (or Elliot Yamin)—Whiter Shade of Pale • Plain White Tees (they have better stuff than just "Delilah") • Black Eyed Peas • Black Flag • Dido—White Flag • Blaque • The Black Keys • Vanessa Carlton—White Houses • Michael Jackson—Black or White (oh yeah, I went there!)

P.S. Someone pleeeease give me a reason to use this fabric/theme (Lea???):

I am a Geek

My friends teased me about having an Excel spreadsheet for my wedding—with a wedding budget, guest list, wedding checklist, you get the idea. But having everything at your fingertips and all in one place saves so much time, especially when you are planning on your lunch break.

For example, it was great to have notes that the bus company estimated $1170 for two buses because a few months later when they estimated $750 for one, I mentioned the previous estimate and we got the bus for $580. This was a make or break situation in being able to provide a shuttle for our friends and family and have a DD available to everyone.

Basically, I am a geek and I like to be organized. I need to be able to keep track of every cent and every conversation and every idea. How else can you be fully informed and make good decisions?

If you'd like a peek at the spreadsheet, shoot me an email and I'll divulge more! :)

Old is the New Black

From Oh Happy Day by way of A $10,000 Wedding:

Poladroid is so fabulous—check out their Flickr page! I miss real Polaroid photos, and this is the next best thing. I picture turning different vacation photos into Poladroids and then using them as table signs at a rehearsal dinner. Such fun!

Fry and Lela all 'droided out.

Money ≠ Happiness

After Andy and I were engaged and the general excitement of the proposal turned into the "practical" matters of planning, I began to research venues online. And then I freaked out. I had yet to talk to my parents, but I knew that I was not going to have an unlimited budget. I also knew that I didn't want my parents to be hurting financially over ONE DAY.

While I was in full freak-out mode, I was looking for advice and inspiration within the anonymity of the glorious blogosphere, and I found A $10,000 Wedding. The author has such a passion for all things wedding, and an obvious commitment to stay under $10K. Especially around the holidays (and hello, major recession) it's really important to remember that money does not equal happiness.

Strength in Numbers

Planning a wedding is tough. There are so many options, so many decisions to make, and yet you never quite feel that you have all of the necessary information. The best place for idea sharing is the Kvetch section of IndieBride. People from all over the country—and the world—share their ideas on anything from non-floral centerpieces to whether or not to show your tattoos!