Bridal Beauty {resolutions}

Happy New Year! I've never really been one for serious New Years resolutions because I try to make little resolutions all year long. I already work out on a regular basis, drink lots of water, and make healthy food choices (most of the time ;-), but in these last seven-ish months leading up to our wedding I definitely want to step it up a notch. When I'm dancing in my wedding dress, I want to know that I gave it my all. So this New Year marks a chance for me to make some little resolutions so that I'll be the best version of myself by my wedding day.

Here are my bridal beauty resolutions...

Source: left, right

Source

- Set ambitious, but do-able, fitness goals. My goal is 3-4 Dailey Method classes and 2 jogs per week. The Dailey Method is a similar workout to The Bar Method or Barre3. I started DM early in 2012 and was so thankful to finally find a workout that I enjoy this much. I love that it is always challenging, but, at the same time, you don't feel like you are beating yourself up. It feels healthy. And gives us ladies that long, lean, and strong body. I like to mix in some jogs for cardio and because it's something my fiance and I like to do together.

Source

- More tea, water, and veggies. Less coffee, sugar, and starches. These are sort of on-going, but I will be making an extra effort to amp up the water and tea and cut down on the coffee and dessert up until my wedding. Also tipping the dinner plate in favor of veggies over starches and white breads. I know these aren't the most measurable goals, but I'm a big believer that you can have most things in moderation, so I don't like to set hard-and-fast rules when it comes to food.

- Take my vitamins daily. I have vitamins but I always forget! Keeping them at work and taking them right after lunch has proved to work pretty well for me recently. Vitamins are great for that glowing skin and hair.

Source

- Facials. I'm going to schedule one this month to make sure I'm using the right products and then shoot for three, about once a month leading up to the big day. WebMD recommends scheduling your last facial no later than two weeks prior to your wedding day. I might have to throw in a massage for general relaxation :-)

If all fails, I'll be surrounded by some pretty awesome family and friends, and one wonderful fiance, and I think that's what really gives us brides our 'glow.'

Some healthy, glowing bride inspiration...

Source

Source

Source

What will you be doing in the new year to make sure you are looking your best by your big day?

Less than 6 months out

Ok, I know everyone says it but seriously, time flies. One day you have 14 months to plan your wedding and then pow you're less than 6 months out. Crazy if you ask me. We're now at the planning stage where things could potentially get stressful, all the moving parts are coming together and we need to make sure it all blends well and makes for a great day. I am 100% a goal setter and I need goals/lists/checkboxes listed out in order for me to get things done. So with less than 6 months to go, I vow to:

 

How was the final 6 months of planning for you? What were some of your major accomplishments?

Minted Design Contest

Minted always has the best collection of stationery, invitations, and cards. Today you get to be the judge and choose the next Save The Date design that will be available for sale on Minted! The designer of the winning card will receive a cash prize (how awesome is that?!) AND Minted is giving away not 1 but 3 $100 Minted giftcards to 3 random voters! HOW TO ENTER:

Choose your favorite design + comment which number it is!

PRIZE:

3 random commenters will each receive a $100 Minted giftcard to use for anything on their site. The winners will be announced January 15, 2013.

Good luck to all!

Our Holiday Gift Wrapping

I have an obsession with wrapping. If you don't believe me just look at my wrapping Pinterest board. All year I have been trying different designs, color palettes and toppers in preparation for my holiday wrapping. between my husband and I there are over 20 people in the family to give gifts to, so I needed something awesome but easy!

Remember this Sarah Seven brunch I designed last month? Well, I made a pom pom wall and therefore ended up with several hundred poms that made perfect toppers for presents. I bought some grey paper, gold ink, and a snowflake stamp from Paper Source and went to town stamping all the paper before wrapping them up!

I them made some fabric tags with each person's name. They look like they took a while, but it was the easiest piece of the wrapping puzzle.

And for good measure I made a few glitter tape bows. I was obsessed with this one.

Over the holiday season I accidentally accumulated a bevy of glitter tape options. I can't wait to use all of these in 2013! (What's left of them anyway)

What did you do for your holiday wrapping?

Put Her Best Foot Forward {flats for your bridesmaids}

My sister is my MOH and sole bridesmaid, and, while she is amazingly smart, gorgeous, and funny to boot, she is not a heels girl. Lucky for her, I am not a bridezilla (hate that word), and couldn't give two hoots about the shoes on her feet. That being said, her dress is short, so I'll take it upon myself as bride and the more shoe-obsessed sister to find her a lovely, wedding-friendly pair of flat sandals to wear with her dress. Her dress is similar to the below, from David's Bridal and J. Crew:

Source: 1, 2

Here are a couple of shoes I think would be fun and unique for a bridesmaid...who ever said all bridesmaids need to wear silver kitten heels from Chinese Laundry? Ugh.

And a few more sparkly options:

Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

As for me, I'll be in these... ; )

Source: 7 

Bold & Bright Wedding by Lowe Photos

There are so many things I love about this wedding, first being those bridesmaid dresses! It is hard to find fashionable dresses for your lovely ladies, especially if like me, you prefer something non-traditional-bridesmaid. The bride is so giddy and excited that you can't help but smile when looking through this wedding. And lastly, the ombre floral backdrop is awesome.

"Kara and Eric's beautiful wedding was full of love and amazing details. It all took place at the beautiful Westward Look Resort in Tucson Arizona. From the hand painted ombre flower backdrop at their ceremony to the floral print shoes the bridesmaids wore, the whole day was lovely and elegant."

Floral Designer:  Inglis Florists

Invitation Designer:  Magnet Street

Cake Designer:  Village Bakehouse

Tuxedo and Mens Attire:  Men's Warehouse

Bridesmaid Dresses:  Asos

Event Venue:  Westward Look Resort

Hair Stylist:  Gadabout Photographer:  Lowe Photos

Holiday Engagement Shoot by McFadden Studios

Before we all shut down for the holidays, here is a fun engagement shoot to warm your hearts. I love everything about this shoot from the wardrobe, to the ornaments and of course those awesome lights. You just don't see lights like those anymore! Everything was captured perfectly by McFadden Studios.

"Nestled between a small private airport and a quaint small town in you will find a Pygmy Forest hidden from sight. Paige and Will thought it would be fun to decorate one of those pygmy trees with their special ornaments, wrap up in a cozy blanket with some home made hot chocolate and marshmallows, and watch a sunset together. They brought "Cupcake" along too, yes, it's the pale blue truck they snuggle up in. Paige handmade the wreath, marshmallows, garland, and some of the ornaments that adorn the tree for this session. Our hearts melted as we captured the love shared between these two."

Fun and Unique Wedding Guest Books

Gone are the days of the traditional guest book! Now there are so many fabulous ideas for a unique and fun way to have your guests sign in. I am loving some of these ideas! Polaroid or Photobooth Scrapbook

Source

Fingerprint Guestbook

Etsy is a great place to find all different and fun fingerprint images!

Source

Wedding Mad Libs or Advice

Source

Source- Buy them here!

Wine Bottle Guest Book

Source

I LOVE our guestbook and can't wait to share it with you after the wedding!

Until Next Week!

-Jess

Follow me on twitter @jessdawnd and follow my Wedding Pinterest Board

What could have been {Winter wedding inspiration}

We are getting married in July, an absolutely stunning time of year in Sonoma County--not too hot and humid, rarely rainy and foggy, overall, pretty perfect weather. Despite our chosen date, I've found myself fantasizing about winter weddings. There's something so picturesque and magical about winter weddings that I find pretty unique. We went to a beautiful winter wedding last year, of my good friend Marian, and it remains one of the most memorable weddings we've attended. While we're set in our date, and in our summer wedding plans, here are a few things that would inspire me if I were planning a winter wedding.

 Source

Source: 1, 2 

Source: 3, 4

Source: 5, 6

 Here's one of many gorgeous photos from my friend Marian's wedding, taken by the super-talented Alison Yin. (Marian's wedding was recently featured on Rock N' Roll Bride here!)

Source: Alison Yin Photography 

How do seasons inspire your wedding plans?

Feeling the Post-Wedding Glow

Well, over a year after I started blogging my eco-friendly wedding planning journey here in E&I, I am finally a Mrs. And it feels awesome!!! Our wedding day was the best day of our lives. We worked our butts off the week leading up to the wedding, crafting, running errands, and [trying to] make time for friends who were in town. We barely got any sleep that week and it was stressful beyond belief, but as soon as I saw Kyle on our wedding day, all of the stress over details melted away in a flood.

Our wedding was perfect.

As a perfectionist - and any other perfectionist can relate - I never say that word. Kyle and I went back to our beautiful hotel room that night, and we fell on the couch with grins from ear to ear and both said "It was perfect."

Everyone tells you that "things will go wrong, and it's okay." But honestly, nothing went wrong. A couple of things may not have gone exactly the way I dreamed it up in my head, but certainly nothing went wrong. It still holds true for both of us that this was indeed the best day of our lives. The time and energy that we put into every single detail paid off, and people noticed. Although we went over budget, the wedding would not have been what it was without those extra expenses. In the end, it was all worth it.

 Here's a photo our dear friend Dan took of me and Kyle at our rehearsal dinner at the end of the night, when we were about to say goodbye. We were so excited to finally marry each other, we couldn't let go.

I'll post wedding photos as soon as I can, and I've got another blog coming about the things they don't tell you about married life (what little bits I know of it, anyway). Thank you all for your support over the last year and for your help making decisions with me to put together the wedding of our dreams!!