Once Upon a Time in Mexico

My boss has been on her honeymoon in Mexico since Monday. I've thought of her often this week as I slave away without her in the frigid Arlington cityscape... And decided that it would be awesome to have a Mexican themed wedding, perhaps even taking place in Mexico.

This image of Frida Kahlo inspired the board below—gold and crimson—and it's a stunning portrait of the famed Mexican artist.



Ruffled capelet from Kate Towers; dress by Alfred Angelo; groomsman image from Wedding Tactics; vintage gold earrings from Cayuse; crimson bride bouquet image from Beginning2End; Aztec wedding cake image from Great Wedding Cakes; gold "Bretelle" sandal by Christian Louboutin; bridesmaid dress and shawl from Bill Levkoff; rosary made by Rosebud Rosaries; San Antonio mission shot by Walt Hubis; mariachi photo by throughsarahseyes; Guatemalan Wedding Dress bag made by Stacy Leigh; gold flake martini from Trendhunter.

My Birthday Party

Unfortunately, between the holidays and the apathy/lethargy that accompanies them, I haven't been as diligent with my posts as I maybe should be. This is me acknowledging that the holidays are over and it's back to reality. *sigh* Anyway...

Tomorrow is my birthday! I'm not having a party, but if I was, there are several key elements that I'd like to incorporate:

• Karaoke. I've always wanted to try it, but have been too shy every time. What better place than a room full of friends for your first time singing in public? After all, these are the people who will remember and taunt you with the memories for the rest of your life.
• Red velvet cake. By far the greatest type of cake there is. When it's bad, it's horrible—but when it's good it's great. And if it could be in the shape of an armadillo with gray icing and all, it would be literally the best birthday cake EVER. (Armadillo from the INCREDIBLE DebbieDoesCakes in Oakland!)
• Asian-inspired elements. I especially would love to have Pad Thai (no forks allowed!) and I'd get some awesome henna on my hands and feet—I've always wanted it but never had a reason to get it. Do you even need a reason??
• Of course I'd want my bestest friends there—people make the party for me. I don't really need anything else!
  

Rustic Formal Events

I absolutely love these photos from Colin Cooke, seen on the Housemartin, the Ink & Peat blog. I think I'm drawn to rustic settings because of the beautiful contrast made between them and a formal occasion. Plus my wedding was rustic, so I always get a warm feeling seeing photos and settings like these... Definitely more to come on this topic!

Wedding Movies and Wedding Scenes

The weather here has been kind of crappy lately, and it's perfect for snuggling up on the couch and watching a good movie. Some movies about weddings or with good wedding scenes (you can check them out on IMDB or request them on Netflix!):

• Love Actually
• Mamma Mia!
  
• Monsoon Wedding
• Father of the Bride (Did anyone else know that the Steve Martin movie was a remake??)
  
• Steel Magnolias
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• Wedding Crashers (ha!)
• Runaway Bride
• Bend It Like Beckham
  
• Kill Bill
  
• Sweet Home Alabama
• Made of Honor
• The Godfather
  
• The Wedding Planner
• Monster-in-Law
• Clueless (at the end!)
• Bridget Jones: the Edge of Reason (at the end again!)
• The Wedding Date
• The Best Man
• The Princess Bride
• The Marrying Man
• The Graduate (classic wedding scene!)
• Sixteen Candles
• Oklahoma!

Recommended wedding movies that I have yet to see:

• Father of the Bride (1950 version)
• A Wedding
• That Old Feeling
• It Happened One Night
• The Deer Hunter
  
• It Had To Be You
• Betsy's Wedding
• The Philadelphia Story
  
• 27 Dresses
• Four Weddings and a Funeral
• Muriel's Wedding
• The Bachelor
• The Other Sister
• My Best Friend's Wedding

Can you think of more? Recommendations welcome!!

Reflex Blue Wedding

I love reflex blue!!! It's a color in a standardized matching system (PMS) that printers all over the world use—I have a PMS swatchbook, and it's such good inspiration for finding just the right shade. Anytime I'm out and see something this shade, I am immediately drawn to it. To me, reflex blue is bold, powerful, and strong; its counterbalance would be a bright yellow. If these colors were used somewhat sparingly with mostly neutral surroundings, a modern minimalist wedding would emerge. My inspiration board:

From top, l to r: Gorgeous bridesmaid dress from Nordstrom; simple but elegant cake from the Knot (I love the brooch-like accents!); tie by Krisar; beautiful yellow bouquet featured by Olde Town Florist Weddings; Top of the Town in Arlington; Beaded purse and heels from Asos; blue bouquet seen on Something Blue; gorgeous submerged yellow flowers from a real wedding on the Knot; a fun arrangement with willow branches seen on Project Wedding; vintage glasses from my personal collection :)

I haven't been to Top of the Town yet, but I think their view is so impressive that it almost doesn't matter what the inside looks like! I want to go sometime to soak up the view and try the food... ah, research is so grueling! :)

Vintage Wedding Dresses/ Rockabilly Wedding

My friend Lea has always said that she is going to have a non-traditional wedding in Vegas. I suggested that she check out some vintage prom dresses to wear as her wedding dress—my favorite site for finding vintage dresses is Vintageous—they have SO MANY dresses! The only thing is that you have to surf often because these dresses get snapped up quick.

This is my pick for Lea:I think we could make this pretty easily ourselves, now that I think of it.

And some fun Lea shoes from Zappos:
Cute and EASY pin-up girl hair tutorial from ilovegerardo on YouTube! And slightly less easy (for me—I'm bad at blending) but very detailed makeup from askmemakeup.

Her man can get his outfit off of eBay... there are a ton of "rockabilly suits" there.

Rockabilly wedding cake? Why yes, please! From My House is Better Than Yours on Flickr, via Offbeat Bride.Or she can just go to the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel and ask for the Rockabilly Package—with optional Elvis cake add-on! (I LOVE Elvis, who doesn't??)
And the next time Lea goes to Portland to visit her friend Jessica (or the next time she shops online), she can pick up this swimsuit from Popina—the better to lounge by the pool in! (I wouldn't trust a vintage swimsuit. I guess it's personal preference...)

He Who Pays Also Has Control

This is a classic question: how much control does the person paying for the wedding get? Should it be proportional to the amount of the budget they are contributing? How would you split up the decisions? If your parents pay for your entire wedding, do they get a final say in all decisions?

I were a parent I could see where I might want to have some control of where my money is going. I guess I would draw the line at matters of taste. If my kid likes hot pink and yellow and wants those as her wedding colors, well why should I stop her just because I think that would be hideous? But if she wanted to spend half of her budget on her wedding dress, I might step in and get her back on track.

My personal opinion is that if it is your wedding, you should be able to make decisions within reason. It's YOUR day, right? What do you think—how much control should the financiers get?

Here is are some other opinions on this classic dilemma:
Discussions on TheKnot.com, and the "expert" opinion
OK, more from TheKnot
Info from The First Dance
Question/Answer at The Wedding Bee
VideoJug (AWESOME website... I could easily get trapped here during work hours!)
iVillage wedding advice
Aussies weigh in on their views

There are tons more but they all seem to be saying the same thing I said. I have a problem with seeing both sides to the story, never committing to one opinion, but in this case I think you have to take a compromising position (ha!) on all issues.

My parents were great and literally just gave what they wanted to give and said have at it. Of course, I was so excited that I told them about all the plans, but they just said "that's nice" and "you're so organized!" Because I am. :)

Wedding Dress Fears

I knew I wanted my mom to make my wedding dress because she has mad skillz :) and it would be a special way to include her since she lives 9 hours away. But I was scared to go into the chi-chi bridal shops and try on dresses that were meant to be worn on super-thin models. (I've gained about 25 lbs. since meeting Andy, and have struggled with "image" issues for a long time.) I was so afraid of trying on dresses that I never did, I just looked at lots of photos and went with something I knew had worked in the past. (We ended up making me a new dress 2 weeks before the wedding, but that's another story!)

I wish that I had read this post by Miss Cleveland Park at DC Nearlyweds before we got married. Don't get me wrong, my mom did a fabulous job and she/I have gotten SO many compliments on the dress. It looked amazing on me and it was so comfortable! My favorite part was that the skirt was velvet (we got married in October) which I find so luxurious.

Anyway, I wish I had read the post because it would have given me the courage to just try on different things and see what looked good on me and what I liked. It doesn't even have to be a wedding shop; just going and trying on formal dresses at Macy's will give you an idea of what you like and don't like. Just make sure you take a trusted, blunt friend who will not give you bad advice! :-D

Awesome photo by Rachel Naft!

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.

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.

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! :)

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!