Wedding Party Party & Cocktail-Off

Ever since I got engaged, I've been saying that I want wedding planning to be fun. And as the planning days tick away, I'm taking full advantage of this mantra! We wanted to make sure our wedding party had a chance to meet each other before the wedding weekend. Some of them know each other, but we wanted to get everyone in one room, have some drinks and be close enough to really celebrate together. So we hosted everyone at our house for a Sunday-Funday Cocktail-Off.

Wooden Sign, Hand Lettered Sign

That's right. A cocktail making contest. And the winning drink will be the signature cocktail at the wedding! We thought this would be a fantastic way to have some tasty drinks, spend some time together and let our wedding party feel like they are really apart of the big day. And, it was a huge success (as evidenced by our near-empty cups!)

Personal photos from our Cocktail-Off

We tasted six different cocktails (yes, I know....we ate pizza and played bocce before anyone headed home). We tried everything from peach juice and ginger beer to a fall-spiced sangria to a blackberry mojito. Once we all tasted, we voted for our favorites. And the winner was.......a watermellon mint concotion made my two of my bridesmaids. And it was DELICIOUS! The name was also discussed as a group...possibly "Mint To Be Together"? :)

1, 2, 3, 4

So now we have to find a way to make it happen for the wedding. It may need to be tweaked to be doable for a large group, but I love that it is something from our closest friends.

What about you? Did your wedding party know each other before the big day? Did you spend some time together?

time to accessorize {2 month mark}

Whenever I find myself wondering where should I be in the planning process I refer to Brides magazine. In every issue they have a countdown, and so far it hasn't failed me. At the 2 month mark it suggests:

• discuss ceremony readings and songs with officiant... check! We'll be doing that next week
• Check your state's requirement for a marriage license... need to do this.
• Mail the invitations.... they're arriving THIS WEEK! woohoo!
• Do a hair and make-up trial.... need to schedule, and at least I know who I'm using ;-)
• Order or make the favors... oye, this will be a task.... stay tuned for a future post on this one.
• Accessorize your look!

The last bullet point is what I'm doing today- accessorize your look! Check out some of my inspiration!

A little clutch to hold gloss & other make-up:

Diamonds vs. crystals.... who can tell the difference? Either way, both of these chandelier earrings are fabulous:

Since I'm not wearing a statement necklace, I think a statement cuff will do.... especially one like this!

Belts and sashes are very in this season. Although I'm not wearing one, I really love these:

So brides-to-be.... how do you plan on accessorizing your look??

Lock-in the Date!

This next year is shaping up to be a pretty action-packed year for us.  Not only is my fiancé’s brother getting married about three months before us, but a couple of my good friends are also tying the knot next summer.  Not wanting to miss out on any of these weddings and pre-wedding festivities, getting our Save the Dates out is at the top of my wedding to-do list. Of course, selecting a Save the Date design may not be as easy as I had thought. With so may clever and fun Save the Date ideas out there, the pressure is certainly on to come up with something unique and creative.

Source: 1, 2

Below are a selection of DIY ideas I found, ranging from stamps, fingerprints to just hitting print and tying a bow (might be more my style).

Source: 1, 2, 3, 4

Since the majority of our guests will be traveling from out of town, I also like the idea of incorporating our state/wedding location into the cards.

Source: 1, 2, 3

My engagement ring is a gorgeous vintage ring, so I have also been playing around with more of a vintage feel.

Source: 1, 2, 3

And, since we did meet on Match.com (more than 4 years ago...wow how time flies), I have also thought about incorporating matchbooks into our Save the Dates. Maybe a little too cheesy, even for me though.

Source: 1, 2, 3

So, there you have it, so many ideas to choose from! How did you decide on your Save the Date concept?

Cocktail Hour {Signature Drinks}

Conveniently it seems that just as wedding planning stress kicks into an all-time high, it's time to figure out what our signature drink will be. Time to try 100 cocktails in 100 days!

  Style Me Pretty, photos by Shannon Moore Photography

Well, not really. But lots of cocktail is lots of days until I find the right one. And cocktails are proving to be quite valuable during the madness of doing completely DIY wedding invitations and creating a wedding website from scratch.

  Martha Stewart Weddings

I think I'm going at this a bit backwards though. I've picked the liquor I want as the base, and now I'm trying to find the right cocktail to serve that compliments it. Trouble is, since I'm far too obsessed with aesthetics, I really want this drink to not only taste great but to look pretty too. Ideally, it will be served in a coupe glass with no ice and lovely little garnish. Is that asking too much??

Joy the Baker

If I still haven't found my holy grail of a cocktail within one month of the wedding, I might need to make some concessions. But in the mean time, I've been trying drinks from a Gin Fizz with blueberries and fresh rosemary from our garden, to the classic The Fitzgerald, to Gin and Joe Rickeys.

 

St. George Spirits is a local Bay Area distiller that makes a series of 3 really delicious gins. I would love to feature one of these gins, since they're locally made and many of the ingredients are foraged from local areas, and they're all very well crafted to boot.

San Francisco Chronicle, photo by Liz Hafalia

So I've been loading up on mixers and pinning drink recipes like crazy in search of the cocktail that embodies the right balance of drinkability, creativity, and prettiness.

Do you have any favorite gin drinks? Or any good suggestions for where I can find great recipes? Time to experiment!

Gift Wrapping With Stencils | Neon Pink + Kraft Paper

If you following my Pinterest, you know by now that I am obsessed with gift wrapping. I'm having so much fun trying every pattern, color, paper, and of course, toppers!

I picked up this furniture stencil from Royal Design Studio as well as some kraft wrapping paper. This neon pink paint comes from Michaels (It was on sale, only .10!!!!)

Simply, I put the stencil on the paper and took a sponge brush to dab and paint the paper. I tried taking a roller to the paper, but paint started to build on the side and looked pretty bad. To create the cleanest lines possible, you have to go piece by piece on the stencil and dab, brush and dab again until you get the desired amount of paint.

This small present took about 45 minutes total, so if you are looking for a cheap and fast alternative to wrapping paper, this definitely isn't it. But if you are looking for something totally different, well just check out how awesome this looks done. I added some Washi Tape to complete with look :)

There is plenty more where that came from! I already have 3 more complete gift wrapping projects to show off, so stay tuned.

Thanks to Royal Design Studio for the stencils to create this awesome wrapping paper. 

Adventures With a Registry Gun

After reading blog posts and registering and looking through magazine articles that said I "had to register" for this or that, I really wasn't all that excited about setting up our registries. Between the horror stories and the long list of things that I should have but will have no need for, I was ready to just include our Paypal info and call it a day. (Is that tacky? I assume you're nodding your head yes.) The more I thought about it, the more I wondered why it has to be a negative experience? So I decided it wasn't going to be. Easier said than done, right?

Source: Crate and Barrel

So the Mister and I had a chat about what stores or sites we wanted to use for our registries and then headed over to our first destination which was Kohl's. I shop at Kohl's regularly and they are really great about returns and I get tons of coupons which is really helpful when you have a lot to buy at once. I tried to be proactive and set up our basic information online beforehand so we could just pull up the info and start scanning! Unfortunately it didn't end up going that way. By the time the scanner was in our hand we were already a little frazzled from spending 30 minutes re-setting ourselves up. I think if that little bit of stress hadn't have happened it would have been a great experience but since it did, I quickly became overwhelmed by where we needed to start and trying to remember each thing we might need. We left with only about half of that registry done.

Luckily after about a month break, we went back to getting our registries done and it went really well! We did our Target registry which was really simple and a lot of fun. This time we took an open approach by just walking through each department and added things we could see ourselves using and things that would work cohesively in our home. Surprisingly it made a great date night! Dinner, desert and registering.

Source: Pottery Barn, Pottery Barn

So here's what I took out of it and what we'll stick to  in order to continue having fun while getting it done.

• Make a list of where you want to register and see if there are any perks or rewards from registering there. Certain stores give you coupons or will give you special items for purchasing any remaining items on your registry. Also make sure the places offer registries and how easy it will be for you and your guests to use their registry.
• Ignore the "have to register for" lists and register for things you feel you'll really need and use. Don't want an extra set of dishes and flatware just for special occasions and holidays? Don't include it! Not really interested in "things"? Register  for your honeymoon and experiences!
• Don't try to get everything registered all at once. Trying to make sure you have every kitchen utensil you might need is a waste since you'll probably forget a pizza cutter. Break up the registries into a couple days in store and/or online.
• Make it fun! Do fun things before and after and enjoy yourselves. Your fiancee might not like looking at throw pillows to add to your registry, but he will like scanning them with the gun! Maybe even let him add in some novelty glasses or a tech item he's been wanting. Also register for fun things like games to play when friends come over. Add things like camping gear or things for hobbies that you can do as a couple.
• Make things easier on yourself. Using nifty things like the Amazon wish button (like the Pinterest pin button where you can add anything to your registry) and apps like Wedding Scan to add things from any store to a master registry. Not only are you saving yourself from having to sign up for multiple places, but you don't have to stress on filling an entire registry with items from just one store or having a registry on your website that only has a few things.
• Revisit your registry. Make sure your in-store additions make it onto your registry and check in later to make sure you still want the things you previously added.

Source: Crate and Barrel, Anthropologie

What did you find helpful when registering? What items were must haves for you and your fiancee?

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Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Planes, trains and automobiles...all three might be possible modes of transportation for our wedding weekend next July. Almost all of our guests will be traveling by plane and/or car to reach our (not-too-far-away) destination wedding town of Hood River, Oregon. The actual wedding location is about 15 miles south of Hood River. So, high on our list of priorities is making sure everyone can get easily to and from our venue without worrying about getting back after enjoying some adult beverages. Thankfully, our ceremony and reception are at the same place, so we just have to arrange transportation to the the wedding and back to town (a.k.a. the after party). So this week, I've been looking at different options for transportation. Not all of them work for our location, but they sure are fun to look at!

My friends had one of these red buses at their wedding last summer and it was awesome! Guests love them and (bonus!) they are such a perfect photo opp!

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If I was getting married here in San Francisco, I would love to use trolleys! I used to live on the trolley line on California Street and even with that constant buzzing of the trolley line out my bedroom window, I never got sick of them.

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School buses would be super fun and actually would work with our location...

Sources: top, bottom left, bottom right

As for the trains, there is actually a train in town that you can take around the area. Might be a fun pre-wedding day activity.

Did you provide transportation to and from your wedding? Any fun ideas that I'm missing?

Hair Today

My goodness. I feel like each time I do a post these days, we're hitting a wedding countdown milestone! Tomorrow will be the official one month mark and I'm definitely starting to feel it. While I swim among the thank you notes, seating charts, and craft projects, I'm really looking forward to heading up to Sebastopol for my hair trail next week! I'm still not 100% sure what I want to do with my hair, but I'm hoping a pile of photos will provide the needed inspiration for my stylist to come up with something fantastic.

I love braids and twists. I know it's trendy, but I like the boho feel to it (I do live on the Berkeley border after all). I'm thinking a loose braid or twist is a must. Aren't they gorgeous?

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

The wedding is fairly casual and I typically wear my hair down, so something pulled all the way up doesn't really feel like me. That said, I definitely want my hair to feel special (and to stay off my face when dancing). I'm thinking a side pony is a great solution to achieve both a casual and special feeling together in one style.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

So take one part braid and mix in one part side pony tail, I guess this is what you get!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

What do you ladies think? Any advice, do's or don'ts for wedding day hair?

not wed yet {the bachelorette party}

I cannot believe my bachelorette party is this weekend!!! My maid of honor, Monica, has been planning for months to coordinate what she affectionately calls, "the best bachelorette party EVER." Here's what I know about the weekend: we rented a house with a swimming pool and outdoor bbq in beautiful Santa Barbara, we are going wine tasting; hiring a driver of course, and we are going out for a night of dinner, drinks and dancing on state street (I think). Regardless of what we end up doing, I know I'm going to have the time of my life because I'll be surrounded by over a dozen of my favorite girlfriends. This post is dedicated to what I'll be wearing this weekend. I already have both dresses picked out, but figured I'd throw some inspiration your way for those of you brides-to-be out there who still need to shop for your last "fling before the ring" attire. ;-)

Since we'll be spending one of the days out in the sun wine-tasting, it's important to have a casual, but fun and flirty sun dress. Here's some inspiration below.... BTW I found/bought that turquoise necklace online for only $40!! In person it looks like it is worth hundreds! What a find!

photo credits: left, top-right, bottom-right

And for the night we hit the town I envision myself in a white & sexy little number. FYI, I bought the BCBG dress on the left. LOVE it!

photo credits: left, middle, right

Here's some inspiration from my last bachelorette party fashion post:

And finally, here's a sneak peek at my party invitation (Monica knows me so well).... and a shot of me wearing the fabulous dress I recently bought- that one will be for the wine-tasting extravaganza. OOOOH, I'm so excited!!!!!

photo credits: invitation &  Taya's Dress

What do you have planned for your bachelorette weekend? Are you doing something local or traveling somewhere new? Would love to hear your fun stories!

Over a Year Till I Do & Halfway Dressed

Okay, so, I’m going to admit it:  I have never been one of those girls who has dreamed about her wedding day since she was a little girl. When I got engaged last November, the questions started piling up fast. “Where will you get married?”, “What do you want your dress to look like?”, “What is your vision for your wedding?”.  Almost 9 months later (yes, I realize 9 months is an entire engagement period for some couples), I still can’t completely answer any of these questions, but I certainly have a better idea of what I want and how to best make it happen. I never thought that I would care as much as I do about my wedding dress.  I started my search by aimlessly and casually browsing through Bridal magazines mentally tearing apart everything I saw.  Searching for wedding dresses on Pinterest only confused me further, because the styles and silhouettes I was gravitating towards were all so different.

Source: Dove Sparrow Photography, Watters Brides, Samuelle Couture, Jenny Packham, Lindee Daniel, Melissa Blackburn

After looking at three bridal shops (Panche Bridal in Santa Barbara, Lovely Bride in Los Angeles (my favorite shop!), and Camarillo Bridal in Camarillo), I discovered that I have expensive taste. At each shop, the dresses that I liked most were on the higher-end of my dress budget, and I was not completely in love with any of them.

The search continued while I was visiting some friends in San Francisco a month ago and decided to try my luck at Glamour Closet, a discount bridal shop that sells sample wedding dresses at up to 75% off retail. I was in luck! I walked away with a Monique Lhuillier lace corset (very similar to the photo below) at a price too good to pass up and a new vision for my "wedding dress."

I had never thought about looking at two-piece dresses. I had wrongly mentally labeled them as 90's prom dresses gone wrong. But, once I started trying on two-piece dresses, I began to see how this concept would give me more flexibility, more creative control, and maybe even keep me within my dress budget.

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And so, my search for a perfect bottom continues. I am leaning towards designing my own (maybe even two: a long skirt for the ceremony and short skirt for the reception) with the help of a local tailor. The following are my inspirations so far.

Source: Sarah Seven, Bonzie on Etsy, Carol Hannah

Have you thought about or gone the two-piece dress route?  Do you have pointers for designing your own dress? Am I crazy??