Marla J Designs February 25, 2009

Sorry I’ve been MIA lately, I have about a billion and one things going on…not only are we under the three month mark until the wedding, work has been insane, we’ve had house guests every weekend for a straight month, and I’ve started training for a half marathon (more on that later). So needless to say I’ve fallen behind on more than a few areas in my life! But I have Spring Break coming up for teaching and grad school so I should have lots of new posts up soon, including the very first BridalCheek giveaway which I’m totally excited about. Yay free stuff!

In the meantime, let me start with a long overdue post about Marla J Designs, yet another fabulous Etsy resource for the vintage-inspired bride. I found Marla’s page in my quest for vintage jewelry, and she has some fabulous and affordable pieces, not to mention handmade birdbage veils and flower/feather fascinators. Here are some of my favorites:

Our Invitations! February 18, 2009

Piece by piece this wedding is becoming a reality, and I couldn’t be more excited! Our latest step was to have Marit Hanson design our invitations. We wanted to continue the bold and modern feel of our fabulous save the dates, add a little bit of formality without being stuffy, and play with the damask pattern. Marit did all of that and more!

We wanted to keep it everything simple, from the wording to using an online RSVP system on our website. I absolutely love how they turned out, and as always Marit was perfection to work with. I can’t wait to start putting these bad boys together this weekend!

Honeymoon in France February 8, 2009

Originally we had planned a Greek honeymoon. But unfortunately, right about the time when we got serious about booking flights there was that series of riots in Greece that threatened to overthrow the government. This combined with the fact that planning an island-hopping trip in Greece is really difficult since none of the websites seem to be updated, and the ferries are notoriously impossible to schedule, clinched our decision to change plans. Where else in the world could we lay on the beach, drink wine, shop at local markets, visit museums, and immerse ourselves in a new culture?

France was the next obvious choice especially because I speak French (I figure that will help for our first international trip together). We didn’t want the hustle and bustle of an entirely Parisian trip, though, so for the first 9 days we’re renting an apartment in Nice through Riviera Pebbles. Renting an apartment is so much more affordable than I thought it would be, especially when you consider the convenience of having your own kitchen, washing machine, and cute little terrace to sit out and people-watch from. Plus we’re less than a five minute walk from the beach!

From Nice, we’ll take the train to Paris and spend 5 days in a boutique hotel in Montmartre. Some of the touristy things (going up the Eiffel Tower) we’re not interested in, but others (all the museums and Versailles) we are. Really I think we’re most excited to pretend we’re living in another country for a few weeks! Where are you going for your honeymoon?

More Wedding Shoe Shopping February 2, 2009

Yes, I am addicted to shoes. And so far I think I’ve done pretty well by only using the wedding to rationalize  buying one pair of shoes for the the day of…but there’s still the rehearsal dinner and honeymoon to think about right? Here is my current shoe-lust list:

• flat gladiator sandals (but nothing too bondagelike)
• a new pair of Chucks, since mine from high school are getting a little worn out
• a pair of high wedges 

The wedges will probably be the hardest to find since I want something that will be comfortable enough to walk to dinner on the honeymoon, won’t sink into the grass at the rehearsal dinner, and of course something with a high cuteness factor. So far I’ve found:

These Enzo Angiolini wedges come in a bunch of colors and are on sale for $42.90 at Nordstrom…too bad they’re out of my size.

I love Gwen Stefani’s L.A.M.B. line, and you can find the shoes for a lot cheaper at Amazon including the Sandra for $100.

Chunky wood heels, two tone woven leather, what’s not to like? You can find these Colin Stuart wedges at Victoria’s Secret for $99.  

These I may just have to buy whether I wear them to the rehearsal dinner or not. I love the adorable ruffle and they’re only $29.99 at Target!