Engagement Picture Teasers – aka An Ode to Kitty Maer September 28, 2008

Oh. My. GOODNESS. Kitty Maer is forcing me to do all sorts of things I never do, like add periods in between words and type in all caps, because that is the only way I can attempt to describe how much I adore our engagement teasers. Drew and I wanted pictures that reflected us, the way we usually are (although without our normal camera awkwardness of course). We strolled around our neighborhood, window-shopping and eating ice cream while Kitty followed us, working her magic. It was such a fun and relaxed experience, and I am beyond excited to see the rest of the pictures! You can check out more examples of Kitty’s genius at her blog.

We’re actually standing in an overgrown garden at an abandoned school, but I love how the filtered light and soft colors make it look like our own little urban oasis.

.I’ve already changed my mind approximately eight hundred times, but I really think this one might be my favorite.

One of the original inspirations for our pictures was a funky upside down mural of American Gothic, so we tried to channel the faces here…it lasted about two seconds before we starting cracking up, so Kitty must have Spiderman-like reaction time!

I love how my feet are a little blurred, because I have to take about three steps for every step Drew takes. Stupid tall people…

Sigh…this picture is so romantic it makes me warm and fuzzy inside.

White Aisle September 24, 2008

I’m sure this is old news in the wedding blogging world, but I love White Aisle! I don’t know how I went so long before discovering it, especially since the whole vintage/modern hybrid design of their site is right up my alley. I was especially impressed with their bridal jewelry: it looks expensive but almost all of the pieces are very affordable. 

These earrings look way more luxe than their $14.99 price tag.

One of the better do-it-yourself program kits I’ve seen that includes a printed cover and your choice of paper and ribbon color for $1.50 a pop.

Gorgeous handmade silk flowers could be used to dress up ringbearer pillows, centerpieces, or bridesmaid’s hair. They come in a variety of sizes and range from $10 to $20 each.

 

Clang Clang goes the Trolley… September 22, 2008

Here was my dilemma: our ceremony and reception are at the same place, literally a half a mile from where our guests (and we!) will be staying. This is only a ten minute walk, but at the same time one of our first priorities was to provide some sort of transportation for our guests, even for that short distance. Some of us are wearing very high heels

I looked into lots of options, hotel shuttles, party busses, limos you name it. And then I found this:

And it’s the cheapest too! Sold…

Vintage Millinery Flowers September 18, 2008

A lot of brides like to dress up their wedding hairstyle with flowers, but depending on the quality and where you buy (and how encrusted it is with Swarovski crystals) one ornament can cost up to $150. I know because I’ve looked! If you’re shopping around for something similar, the Vintage Millinery Flowers Shoppe on Ebay is definitely worth a look. They have flowers, leaves, and feathers all out of vintage fabrics, and best of all almost everything in the store costs under $10.

When everything goes wrong… September 17, 2008

So many brides get caught up in the idea of a “perfect day” and a “perfect wedding” that its nice to see how wonderfully everything can turn out, when everything goes wrong. And I also figured this was an especially appropriate video when so many people in Ohio are still without power, which hopefully won’t be for much longer! Just as a disclaimer, I am not a sappy person, but this is pretty adorable.

Spring 2009 Fashion Week – Wedding Gowns September 14, 2008

I feel pretty fortunate to be lounging in my basement blogging and watching the Steelers game right now (ok, more blogging than watching). Central Ohio experienced the remnants of Hurricane Ike today, which were much more forceful than most people here expected. Drew and I, completely oblivious, went out to Barnes & Noble where the power immediately went out, we were bombarded with leaf and dirt shrapnel outside, encountered at least a dozen downed trees on the way home, and arrived home to our patio furniture and grill tumbled all over the backyard. But we’re completely fine, snug and spoiled with our air conditioning and internet access.

Plus this lazy Sunday evening has given me the perfect opportunity to start finally trolling through the fashion week pictures. Of course there is limitless inspiration to be found, so I figured I would break up wedding and bridesmaid dresses into separate posts.

Not surprisingly, Marchesa showed one of the largest collections of wedding worthy gowns, including this sculptural pleated dress I think could be really striking on the right bride.

Badgley Mischka also had sleek silhouettes, but with softer fabrics including this simple delicate patterned lace dress.

Even though the feathered hem is a tad fussy, the short train keeps this L’Wren Scott gown from feeling too overdone, and I like the dotted veil although I would drape it differently.

Oscar de la Renta had so many beautiful gowns I couldn’t just one. Both of these are classic shapes, but I love how one plays with color and one with texture.

There isn’t much new about this Monique Lhuillier gown in terms of draping, but I do like the look of a long pendant worn over a sweetheart neckline and the slightly smoky color is very pretty.

“I Promise Never to Wear A Flannel Nightgown” September 11, 2008

Most bridal lingerie makes me grimace. Or yawn. A lot of this is due to the fact that my pasty self is not most alluring when strapped into frothy material approximately the same color as my skin, but I also feel like lingerie companies make full use of the same “get out of jail free” card that bridal gown designers use. Make it white, lacy, and expensive, and women will buy it. Don’t get me wrong, of course there are exceptions like this vintage inspired get-up by Ophelia Fancy...

but generally the more basic lingerie is much more my style. These are definitely more the type of items that will be on my honeymoon shopping list:

The purple color is gorgeous, and I love ruffled trim and slightly undone looking hem. You can buy this babydoll at Bare Necessities.

My love affair with Stella McCartney continues. This is simple, chic, and luxe looking plus since it’s Stella, you know it’s eco-friendly.

All I have to say is this is a lot of bang for your 26 bucks.

Pretty, delicate, just classic Cosabella. And if you ignore the model’s pained expression, it looks very comfortable!

Mrs. Jane Smith-Doe September 10, 2008

Imagine my surprise when I came home today to mail adressed to me with my married name...eight months before the wedding? It was just a mailer from our mortgage company (and it was clearly a mistake since we cosigned for our house with our current names) but it was fun because it was an unexpected reminder that married life is on its way. I can’t wait!

This little incident also made me think about the issue of name changing in general. If I had any attachment to my last name I would keep it. But because a) both Drew and I have extremely generic last names b) my family name was changed at Ellis Island so it doesn’t have much history and c) its just so much more convenient I didn’t think twice about it. I understand and agree with women keeping their names if they have a personal reason, although there is something about sharing a name with your significant other that speaks to the whole partnership aspect of a relationship. It doesn’t have to be the groom’s last name. I’ve heard pretty endearing stories about men taking their wife’s name and of course there is always hyphenation (as long as your poor future kindergartner doesn’t have a 37 letter name to spell). In the end its always a personal choice, but I do think its cool that we have so many more options today, even if I did end up with the typical one. Drew’s family name did use to be Fury back in the day though, so maybe we’ll have to change it back because that’s pretty sweet!

Fall Fashion Forward Wedding September 8, 2008

Fall is far and away my favorite season. The crisp weather, Halloween, back to school (yes, I’m a nerd, a teacher, and a grad student), and best of all: issues of fashion magazines that weigh several pounds apiece. I subscribe to Vogue and Lucky, both of which I thought were particularly awesome this year. There are actually a lot of trends this year that I’m all about: deep purple and black color schemes, menswear inspired shoes, tartan plaids, sheer lavender tights, openwork knits…basically I’m in love with the “Gothic Inspired” feature in Vogue. So in that spirit, here is an inspiration board based on all of the above.

dress bridesmaid dress tartan boutteniere handwoven cape skinny tie martinis menswear mary janes roberto cavalli pumps circular ceremony black tree centerpiece black bottle candles plaid pashmina fascinator veil bridal bouquet