Wedding Planning Wednesday - Wedding Registry!

Last weekend Mando and I went to go register for the wedding! Because we are planning to buy a house with my mom in the near future, I knew we didn't need much. She literally has every single gadget and appliance known to mankind. I'm talking ice cream maker, waffle maker, espresso machine, blender, food processor, bread maker. You name it, she has it (in stainless steel Kitchen-Aid no less!) and lucky me, I get to inherit it! We decided to register for just fun, wish-list items so we headed to Macy's Home to look around.

As soon as I saw the Martha Stewart baking collection, the idea of us 'not needing much' went right out the window. There were so many pretty cake platters and beverage dispensers and ruffled pillows and perfect white plates! At one point, Mando was just shaking his head and laughing at me as I was scanning everything in sight including the Kate Spade bow glasses and matching cake cutter set. It was fun until I went home and looked at everything I scanned. Yeah, might need to edit my list. It's a little ridic! But that's the fun of registering, right? To pick out all the things you could not or would not ever buy for yourself! It was a fun little wedding tradition that I'm glad we got to partake in. So many things about this wedding and engagement have been non-traditional sometimes it's nice to do those little things that everyone talks about doing. I don't think either of us really care what gifts we get, but we got to enjoy that experience together!

Tomorrow it will be 4 months until the big day! Craziness! We are over our heads with meetings and emails and planning and buying but I have some fun DIY wedding projects to share with you soon! Happy Wednesday everyone! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - Found the Dress!

Last week and the week before were all about the dress! Truth be told, I've been putting off dress shopping for quite some time. I don't know why I wasn't more excited about it... I think I'm just trying to deal with the fact that since having Cayden, I just don't have the body that I thought I should have on my wedding day. I was definitely feeling insecure and scared that the dresses wouldn't look right on my body. I'm so glad I had my mom, sister, and best friend there with me to support me. I knew they'd be honest with me and I respect their opinions so much! Just having them there calmed down some of my anxiety and made the whole process so much fun!

I had an idea in mind of the type of dress I wanted. I knew that I wanted a simple dress in ivory and as much lace as possible. I'm not into puffy or blingy or even super fancy... I just want to be comfortable and elegant! As for the silhouette, I went in knowing that an A-line would probably look best on my body type, but to be honest, most of the dresses I liked had a more fitted/mermaid style.

The first shop I tried was Alfred Angelo. The customer service at that shop was amazing. Everyone was really sweet and I adored my bridal consultant. She gave me a lot of options to try and made me feel really comfortable. I really wish I found my dress there, but unfortunately they only had a few lace options and I didn't LOVE any of them. I was however surprised to learn that the fit and flare style dress did look good on me, and it accentuated my curves. I wasn't a huge fan of the A-line shape and I thought it made me look wider than I am. I also ended up purchasing my veil there! I originally wasn't sure if I would even wear a veil... I just didn't think they were my style. You can imagine my surprise when I tried on a cathedral veil and fell in love with it. It's huge and long but oh so pretty! I just know Mando, being so traditional, will love it. They had an ivory one on sale and I couldn't resist the price, so I bought the veil without having a dress! Crazy, I know.

Next week we went to try on dresses at David's Bridal. Now, let me just say that I HATE David's Bridal. I've been there a million times with my sisters and friends to try on dresses and I just think they have the worst customer service ever. I really didn't want to buy my dress there, but I decided to give it a try. When we got there, nobody greeted us or said anything for at least 30 minutes and when they assigned me some 20 year old girl to help us I knew it was going to be less than pleasant. We ended up just ignoring the employees as much as possible and made the best of the situation. The first dress I tried on was a lace A-line with a ton of fancy beading on it that we had seen in the front of the store and liked. My mom and sister both fell in love. I did like it, but I thought it was too much for my outdoor wedding in the woods. I tried on a few more options with no luck, and then I tried on THE DRESS. I immediately liked this dress because of how light and comfortable it was. All of the other dresses thus far had been so heavy and tight and uncomfortable, but I could actually move and sit down in this one. I loved the all over lace, sweetheart neckline and ivory color... it was exactly what I had in mind. She called the silhouette sheath, but to me it looked like a fit and flare gown. It hugged my curves in all the right places and when I looked in the mirror I just thought "THIS is what I should look like on my wedding day". I knew I wouldn't cry or get emotional, but I did get the overwhelming feeling that this was the one. When I showed my mom, sister, and maid of honor I was so happy they they loved it as much as I did. And what made me even happier? The price! It was even on sale. I snatched that pretty thing up right away and now... I have a dress people! I love it!

After my dress was chosen, it was time to choose my bridesmaids dresses. I really wanted them to like it and want to wear it so I let them choose a few different options. Since this is an outdoor Spring wedding I just knew I wanted it to be a short dress and more casual. When they tried on the cotton strapless dress I fell in love. It was short and cute and it had pockets! I was thrilled that they both loved it as well. We decided to go with a champagne color which looks horrible in the picture below, but I swear its not so awkward and shiny in real life.

I debated on whether or not I wanted to show you guys the dress beforehand. I do want some elements of the wedding to be a surprise. In the end I decided to show the dress from the website and keep the pictures of me wearing it private. You guys can see what it looks like, but you won't see me in it until the big day! These photos from the David's Bridal shop are pretty bad, but you get the general idea!

My dress. Mine is ivory of course, and looks a lot different on me. It gives me an hourglass shape and really shows off my curves which I love. You can't really see the lace details in this photo, but it's gorgeous! I love the long train too... even if it will get absolutely filthy at the wedding!

The bridesmaids dresses. I have no idea why this dress looks so weird online but it is not shiny like this in person and the color is a lot more neutral and subtle. This dress is so adorable and flattering on all body types. I want one too!

Next on the list is getting Mando's suit figured out. He is going to get fitted tonight and has an appointment with all his groomsmen on Dec. 3rd! I can't wait to see my man all dressed up and fancy! Have a great week everyone! XOXO

Our engagement photos

My disc of images finally arrived! Yay! I've been so excited to share these pictures with you all ever since I saw the sneak peak on Facebook. I definitely do not consider myself photogenic and HATE being photographed, so the fact that I loved every single picture Tammie took is pretty major! As you know, we wanted to have a picnic theme and I am so happy with how it came out. I think they look beautiful and timeless and I will cherish them for years to come!

Tammie was so awesome to work with, made us feel comfortable, and kept us cracking up! We loved her right away and I can't wait to see what she does with our wedding photos! If you are in Southern California and are interested in booking with her you can find her at any one of the links below. Mention my blog and you can get 20% off your session! (Also, she's always posting specials on her Facebook page so make sure to Like her there!)

Website

Facebook

What most of you don't know, is that I embarked on the great quilt hunt of 2011 when preparing for these pictures. I've been wanting a pretty patchwork quilt for AGES and I finally had a real reason to buy one! I found The Rag Patch on Etsy and fell in love with her colorful, handmade quilts! I immediately offered to feature her shop on my blog and she sent me the beautiful quilt you see in our photos. Not only was I impressed with her sweet disposition and good communication, but the quilt arrived lightning fast! Look how adorable her packaging is, too!

The quilt itself was beautiful, and the quality was amazing. You can really tell how much time and energy went into it! I have already received so many compliments and it has become a permanent fixture on my couch. If you are looking for a beautiful quilt to brighten up your home, I cannot recommend The Rag Patch enough! Find her at any of the links below and remember, repeat customers get 10% off using code 'REPEAT1'!

The Rag Patch etsy shop

The Rag Patch facebook page

I hope you've enjoyed these pictures as much as I have! This weekend I'm trying on wedding dresses for the first time and to say I'm terrified is an understatement! I'll let you all know how it goes next week! Have a great weekend everyone! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - Wedding bands

So, I lied. I won't be able to share our engagement photos quite yet because I ordered the disk from my photographer too late and I haven't gotten it yet! It should be here any day now and I promise I will post them as soon as possible! Today will just be a quickie post to show you pictures of our wedding bands that we purchased last weekend!

I love them all! I really like the band Mando picked out and I think it suits him perfectly! I went back and forth on a plain band or the one with diamonds and ended up choosing this one. I'm glad I did because I love how it looks next to my engagement ring! Sparkly, yay!

That's all for now! I'll be back soon to post the engagement photos! Oh, and 10 gold stars if you can guess what book I'm using for the background... I bet my sister knows! It's my all time favorite! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - My Favorite Pins!

I cannot even begin to explain how valuable Pinterest has been to me for my wedding planning... To have all of your inspiration pictures in one place that can be added to any time? It's every planners dream! I can easily say that over half of my great ideas for my ceremony and reception have come from Pinterest. It's such a great source of inspiration! Today for Wedding Planning Wednesday, I wanted to share my favorite wedding pins. I am so happy that this amazing new site popped up... The timing couldn't be better!

I am obsessed with these favor bags. I love the burlap + lace combination and the clothespins on top! I will definitely be creating something similar to put our skeleton key favors inside. The only thing I would change is to have the little tag say Thank You instead of LOVE. So cute!

Lately I have been trying to figure out what I want our flowers girls to wear and carry. There are so many options these days from traditional basket to big, fluffy flower poms. I saw this picture and I'm now in love with the idea of doing little paper cones. I think it adds the perfect rustic touch!

You guys may remember that I'm doing my own florals for the wedding, so I've been looking for inspiration pictures for the bouquet wraps. I really love this burlap wrap with the lace coming from the top. It's so pretty! I would do a skeleton key instead of that little round pendant though!

Mando and I are trying to find a way to creatively display the seating arrangements. I love the idea of finding an old window frame and writing the names for each table in the squares. It's the perfect vintage touch, don't you think?

Are you sensing a theme here? I'm obsessed with burlap and lace and this ring bearer pillow is beyond perfect. How pretty are those fabric flowers? It's both rustic and elegant! I'm going to see if my amazingly talented sister can help me make something similar!

I've been obsessed with these burlap banners long before I even got engaged and now I can't wait to use them! I love the idea of Mr and Mrs banners to hang on the back of our chairs for the reception. It's little details like these that make me happy!

Have you used Pinterest to plan your events? If you're not on there yet you really need to sign up! And if you need an invite, just leave me a comment with your email address and I'll make sure to get you one!

Tonight we are off to meet with our amazing wedding planner (I just hired her this week!) to go over some of my ideas and to-do lists. It's getting to be crunch time! Oh, and I promise that next Wednesday you will get to finally see our engagement pictures. So excited! Have a great week everyone! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday - Invitation Inspiration

It has been a busy, busy week in the wedding planning world! Mando and I have a wedding planning timeline and according to that we are actually way behind! A few of the things we are supposed to already have booked are the food, wedding planner, and invites. I've been extremely busy looking up Mexican food caterers because we aren't having much luck with the food truck idea. Now we are thinking of a taco cart and I'm pretty sure I have it narrowed to 3 places, so tasting will happen next week! We also may have found a bakery for our wedding cake so we're hoping to do cake tasting this weekend.

One thing I've been obsessing over this week is the invitations. Although it's a fun part of the planning process, it can also be really overwhelming. So many options! My biggest struggle so far has been narrowing down the 'theme' of our invites. I've been going back and forth between what part of our wedding theme we want to incorporate into them and I've narrowed it down to 4 options: lace, fun/kitschy, trees, or floral! 

(Allie Ruth)

Lace is a huge theme of our wedding. It will pretty much be incorporated into everything from our cake to my dress to the decor. I really love the idea of lace invites but it can be tricky! Do we add lace ribbon or do we print a lace pattern? I really love the two options above and I think they are very elegant. I just don't know if it's TOO formal for our casual outdoor wedding! These are definitely the more standard wedding invitation of the bunch! 

(Andimans)

If there's one thing you guys should know about me by now, it's that I'm not traditional in any way. To me, traditional = boring and I will go out of my way to make sure that the things we chose aren't what you normally see at a wedding. Enter these invitations, completely opposite of the first ones. I absolutely love this kitschy style invitation and I think they'd be really fun with our casual wedding. The mustaches! I die! My only problem will be getting my extremely traditional fiance to agree with me on this one!

(Mink Letterpress) (Blackberry Graphics)

Another theme we are considering is a tree theme. After all, we are getting married at a nature center covered in 200 year old oak trees! This theme is definitely Mando's favorite. I do like it, but I'm not sure if I'm completely in love with the idea. I think the above ones are very beautiful though, and I know we could come up with something that works for us!

(Rifle Paper Co)

I am a little obsessed with these invitations from Rifle Paper Co. This company is 100% NOT in our budget, but I really love the idea of doing a unique floral style invitation. I like the vintage feel and soft colors and I think these go with our theme really well! My only challenge will be finding something equally pretty as the ones above!

No matter what theme we decide to go with, our invitations will be 100% custom. I've already been discussing ideas with my favorite graphic designer and I know she'll be able to come up with something we absolutely love. Now Mando and I need to sit down and really narrow down our options! Which theme do you love best? I'd love to hear!

We have another busy weekend ahead of us! This Sunday we are taking our engagement photos and I cannot be more excited! I can't believe it's finally here! Hopefully I'll have a sneak peak for you all by next Wednesday! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday: Photographer booked + our engagement shoot inspiration!

Big news in the wedding world: We finally booked another vendor, yay! I'm so excited to have booked Tammie Halcomb as our engagement and wedding photographer! I 'met' Tammie on Twitter and actually designed some party decor for her adorable triplets' birthday party earlier this year. When I saw all of the amazing pictures on her FB, I knew she was the perfect photographer for us and I'm so, so excited to work with her! She's sweet, funny, and has the biggest heart... I just know that we'll work well together!

Our first order of business is doing the engagement shoot. We probably should have done this months ago but with Cayden's birthday, the Oregon trip, and our move we honestly have not had a chance to do it yet. Now we're forced to do it before it gets too cold out which means we have about a month left. EEEK! I have been pinning and scouring Etsy like a mad woman trying to get our concept and 'props' down and I think everything is finally coming together.

We went back and forth over what theme we wanted our engagement pictures to have (because you all know I NEED a theme!) and after my 'country fair' idea was thrown out we agreed on a picnic theme. It's very romantic and timeless (as Tammie wisely pointed out) and I'm getting really excited about it! Here's some inspiration pictures I've dug up so far...

{Original image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.}

Aren't they all gorgeous?! I seriously can't decide which one I like best! I think if I had to choose it would be the top and middle left pictures but they are all amazing! Right now I'm obsessing over patchwork quilts and trying to find the perfect one for the pictures. Then I'll work on styling the props... I'm thinking a wooden picnic basket, a pretty bunch of sunflowers, and maybe some fruit/bread/wine in there somewhere. I'm also enlisting the help of my sister to make me a few coordinating throw pillows! Then I need to figure out outfits and accessories, and well, as you can see I'm very busy!

What do you think of the picnic theme and what items do you think I should include in the photos? I'd love to know your opinion! XOXO

Wedding Planning Wednesday: Food Trucks

{image source}

I'm back with a new Wedding Planning Wednesday post! It's been awhile, but rest assured that I missed you guys! Today I want to talk about one of the most important parts of any wedding... the FOOD! Mando and I went back and forth on whether we wanted to serve dinner or just desserts, but in the end we both agreed that serving a meal is a must for our families. I still wanted to keep a casual atmosphere, so a formal sit down dinner was definitely out, but I didn't want to compromise the quality of the food. We were also faced with another problem... Our venue is outdoors and has no kitchen so our options for serving food are very limited. I really wanted something fun and different from most weddings, yet still in our budget.

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but food trucks are all the rage right now. In fact, we are currently hooked on the Food Network show The Great Food Truck Race. Just in Orange County alone, there are TONS of food truck festivals going on almost every weekend. When I first came up with the idea, we thought, why not? It's in our price range, all the food will be fresh and hot, and it's the perfect solution for our outdoor venue. I love how quirky they are and you can find almost ANY type of cuisine being served. And don't be fooled by the truck... these are gourmet meals! We still haven't chosen a specific truck, but we're thinking of either a Mexican theme or the classic burgers and fries. Either way, I know it will be delicious! Luckily, every Tuesday there is a hugely popular gathering of food trucks right by our house so we plan to go next week and try to get some ideas and hopefully find the perfect truck!

What do you guys think? Tacky or delicious? I'd love to hear your opinions! XOXO



Wedding Planning Wednesday - The Big Exit

I've always believed the best parenting advice comes from other mom's, and I believe the same thing can be applied to weddings. I think real life experience is the best resource out there. Brides know what works and what doesn't work and people that have been to a ton of weddings have seen it all and can offer fresh ideas! This is where you come in... If you've been to a wedding, helped plan a wedding, been a bridesmaid, or had a wedding yourself then I want to ask your advice! Every now and then I will dedicated my Wedding Planning Wednesday to asking for YOUR suggestions and opinions. Any and all feedback is needed and greatly appreciated! 

The first topic I need help with is our BIG exit! Traditionally rice was thrown at the bride and groom as they left for the night, however it is prohibited in most places nowadays because birds try to eat the rice and choke on it. Modern brides have done everything from birdseed to sparklers to confetti for their exit, but all of those things are prohibited at my venue because it IS a nature center first and foremost. So what does that leave me with? The only thing I can think of is bubbles.Now. bubbles aren't a bad idea but I just feel like it's so predictable and I would love to come up with something a little more creative and unique. I've seen dried herbs such as lavender thrown and I am considering that, but there's got to be other ideas out there! So tell me, what have you seen done at weddings and what would you suggest we do? If you leave a suggestion in the comments below I'll love you forever and ever! XOXO

*image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.

Wedding Planning Wednesday - Lighting

Some brides are all about the dress, some the venue, and to some the flowers are the most important thing. For me, I'm all about the lighting and ambiance. Because we are getting married in a forest that's covered in oak trees, lighting is very important. If I don't have enough then it will be pitch black by the time the sun goes down! When I first started researching weddings to get a feel of the look I'm going for, I fell in love with cafe lights strung over the reception area. Cafe lights are basically big round light bulbs on a string that are attached to poles on both sides. I think they are oh so romantic and cozy!

I really want to take advantage of the beautiful trees at the venue, too. My first idea was to hang candles in mason jars, but because open flames are not allowed I would have to use LED flameless candles instead. I also can't decide if I want to string white lights around the tree trunks and branches or just stick to the cafe lights. So many options! If anyone has any advice or opinions I'd love to hear! XOXO

all image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.

A very much needed date night...

Last week was hard. I've been so stressed out lately that I started feeling sorry for myself. I became one sad mess moping around the house with very little patience. It was taking a toll on Mando and I's relationship so I decided that we needed a date night. I wanted to keep it a surprise so I didn't tell Mando where we were going; I just packed a bag Friday night with a change of clothes and a blanket and when he arrived home all three of us were on our way.

Because it's already the middle of July and we still hadn't been to the beach I wanted to go to Ruby's on the Huntington Beach pier. I kept Mando guessing the entire way there although he did guess the beach (but I'm sneaky and said no, hehe!) and it was so nice to see his happy face when we arrived! The weather was gorgeous outside but there was enough wind to keep it from being too hot. There was a small wait when we got there so we let Cayden run around the pier as we waited for a table. When we got inside, we got a table with an ocean view and stuffed ourselves with cheeseburgers and milkshakes. It was the perfect family date night and we all felt so refreshed afterwards. Sometimes it's easy to forget that we are newly engaged because we are so busy as a family, but I think it's important to celebrate that fact every now and then.

The rest of the weekend was spent swimming and planting flowers at my mama's house, shopping for Cayden's birthday party (2 more weeks, eeeeek!), and getting all 3 of us hair cuts. Cayden did so good and looks so grown up now! I'll be back later this week for Wedding Planning Wednesday to share more fun wedding inspiration with you all! XOXO

My little wild baby has been tamed and looks all grown up now! *tear*  (Please excuse the iPhone After picture)

Wedding Planning Wednesday - Skeleton Keys

I adore skeleton keys. I think I first started paying attention to them when my sister started collecting them and even got one tattooed on her. It was one of those things where I'd always look for them to give to her as gifts and eventually I fell in love with them myself.  Last summer, before Mando and I were even engaged, we went to the Long Beach flea market and saw buckets and buckets of antique keys for sale and I mentioned how cool it would be to give those as wedding favors. The idea has stuck with us ever since. When we finally got engaged I explored other options such as jars of raw honey or coffee grounds (can you tell we have eclectic taste?) but we both still loved skeleton keys the best. I love the rustic look and how each key has a past and a story. Isn't that the most amazing thing about antiques after all? I also want to try to incorporate the keys into our theme somehow. Alana had the idea of using them in the boutineers which I love and it gave me the idea to also hang them from the bridesmaids bouquets!

Now that it has been decided, I'm super excited to start antique shopping and collecting keys. Hopefully the flea market still has them for sale! XOXO

*All image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.

Wedding Planning Wednesday - The Venue

Who knew May was such a popular month for weddings? I expected June/July/August/September to be busy, but thought that May was a safe date! Apparently I was wrong however, because several venues Mando and I called were already booked for 2012! We realized that we needed to book our date fast and the hunt for the perfect venue began...

I originally had my heart set on finding and old, rustic barn but believe it or not barns are few and far between in Orange County and the ones that we found were way out of our price range. After the bitter realization that I would not be able to get married in a barn I was determined to find something equally lovely. I had a few requirements for the venue:

• I wanted the wedding and reception to be at the same location
• I wanted it outdoors
• I wanted to get a 'rustic' vibe from it

After checking out 6 different places we ended up choosing the Oak Canyon Nature Center in Anaheim Hills. The nature center offers stunning scenery that just takes your breath away when you see it for the first time. 300 year old oak trees tower over you and you can cross several gorgeous bridges and creeks to a number of hiking trails. It's quiet and tucked away and many people don't even know it's there. The ceremony site consists of rows of wooden benches facing a platform for the bride and groom complete with a wooden arbor. There are 3 options for the reception site, but we like the area to the left of the ceremony site best. To the left of that lies a gorgeous bridge leading to the rest of the nature trails.

What I love is that it meets all of our requirements, is under budget, and all of the money to book the venue goes towards preserving wildlife. I do have some reservations about the backless benches and how 'rugged' the terrain is (we are concerned for our older guests) and I also have a lot of decisions to make regarding decor (Should I get rid of the pink in our wedding colors?) but I'm actually really excited to have our wedding here... I know no matter what I can make it work and our wedding will be a beautiful day!

left: the ceremony site                                            right: the reception site

A closer look at the ceremony site and benches

the beautiful bridge to the left of both ceremony and reception site leading deeper into the nature center

side view of the ceremony site and a view of the 300 year old oak trees

Wedding Planning Wednesday - The flowers

Most of the weddings that I've seen are all about the glitz and glam. The bride wants to be pampered and treated like a princess with her big, poofy dress, jewel encrusted centerpieces, and dance floor complete with a custom made monogram. I, on the other hand, would be happy getting married in a barn with 20 close friends and family members and a vintage dress. I definitely prefer the look of DIY weddings and I know that I can create a beautiful day doing the planning and creating myself with a small budget. I love the personal touches you get with a DIY wedding that you just don't get when you use an event planner!

One way I plan to save money is with the flowers. Flowers are one of my favorite things about weddings. And because I worked in a flower shop and assisted with bridal arrangements I plan to go to the LA flower market and do the bridesmaids bouquets and centerpieces for the wedding myself. Here are some of the flowers I'm thinking of using!

Baby's breath is known as a filler flower. It's what you typically see nestled in between your dozen of red roses. I happen to think that it is lovely, delicate, and understated which is exactly the look I'm going for. I'm thinking of using a big bunch of it for bridesmaids bouquets and as far as centerpieces go, I love how it looks displayed in mason jars and antique vases and tea tins. And the best part? Baby's breath is very budget friendly! 

For my bouquet I might go to a florist if I end up wanting something more complex. Right now I'm really liking unique flowers such as ranucnculus and anemones. I think the above arrangement is delicate and whimsical and having the twine wrapped around  would make it tie in really well with my theme.

That's all for now! Tonight and tomorrow we'll be looking at hopefully the last of the venues and if all goes well I'll be able to share which one we chose by next week! YAY! XOXO

**all image sources can be found on my Pinterest wedding board here.