Under the Dress and Other wedding related stuff

I've been thinking a lot lately about what goes under the dress. The last time I tried on my wedding dress (ages ago), it was pretty snug but who knows how it fits now. I've been working out a lot and lost some inches since then. I am all about comfort when it comes to my undergarments and I would hate to wear anything that would make me...uncomfortable.
I would like something that provides all around slimming and gives me a smooth silhouette. And I want something that looks cute at the end of the night as well. Lol. TMI anyone? I want to dance the night away in comfort but still look good. My dress has a v-neck neckline in the front and back so finding an undergarment that doesn't show will be a task. I hate shopping for undergarments. I really need to get on this before my next fitting because whatever I wear under will affect the overall result. Have you guys already bought your undergarments?
Here are some bridal options from good ole Vicky's Secrets:
What do you guys think about all that wedding paraphernalia that people wear on their big day? I'm not really sold on wearing a "Bride to Be" hoodie or shirt because of the seemingly short statue of limitations it has. But it does make for a great photo op. If I chose to, I would wear a robe with my new last name scrawled on the back, that way I can wear it everyday!
What are the rules for those types of clothes anyway? Can you only wear it that day or can you wear it again after? What do you guys think? Will you be wearing any type of wedding paraphernalia?
Photos courtesy of Classybride.com

Men are So Easy

Men are so easy in regards to wedding attire. Last night, I met my fiance at Men's Warehouse and we picked out tuxedos for him, his groomsmen, and my father. The fiance was running a few minutes late so the style coordinator and I picked out the tux styles for the whole party before he even arrived. Since the bridesmaid dresses are from David's Bridal, it was super easy to get the vest and tie in the matching lapis color for the groomsmen. She assured me that it would be a perfect match with their dresses.

I have been trying to convince the future groom to wear an ivory tux for months now. He saw a certain celeb wearing a white suit and his mind changed quick. Haha.

I gave him the big job of picking out the color of his vest and tie, since he was refusing to wear lapis. Not that I really cared, as I just wanted him to stand out with me. He chose a really nice champagne and gold flecked tie and vest which was perfect because it brought out the other colors of the wedding. Their actual gold colors were either too pale or too yellow for my taste. This picture is not the one we ordered, but you get the general idea.

I chose for my father to wear the same outfit as the groomsmen unless he really really objects but I don't think I'm really going to give him much wiggle room here; seeing as he's been trying to control every other aspect of this wedding.
I decided not to order tuxes for the ring bearer and bible carrier because I thought a simple black suit would suffice for them. And the ring bearer was recently in his mother's wedding and he already has a black tux. I just got them ivory shirts and the purple tie/vest combo which were inexpensive. I'll leave the buying of the ivory shirt up to their mothers but decided to do the whole package for everyone else because it seemed easier to manage and more uniform. I was a tad nervous about having different shades of black and suit styles on the men.
(Courtesy of Essence.com)
I saw this picture of this wedding and had immediately wanted this vest-less look for my big day. But all that changed with one visit to Men's Warehouse and I like the idea of the vests now. Plus we got this deal where my fiance gets a new suit or tux up to $400. He liked that idea and so did I.
We have until April 17th to change any looks and for everyone to pay for their tux. My fiance claims that he is entitled to three fittings like I am for my wedding dress. He is really cute that one.
That's one more thing to cross off my list. Picking out the tuxes ranks third on the super easy list with picking photography shots and saying yes to my future husband!
What kind of looks do you want your groom and his guys to wear?

Bridesmaids Gifts

I have been racking my mind and working with my FSIL to come up with the perfect bridesmaids gifts for my friends. At the previous weddings that I've been a part of I have; I have received jewelry. While jewelry is always a great option, I really want to give my girls gifts that are personalized since my bridal party is so small. I found the perfect gift for my two flower girls who are also my cousins.
Its a wedding camera that already comes preloaded with 24 exposures and I know they will have so much taking pictures of everyone! I am so excited to give it to them and it only costs $8!
And it available to buy at Theknot!
As for my 2 Maids of honors; one of them has great fashion sense and is very fashion savvy. She has helped me put together many great outfits and I want to get her something that goes perfectly with her keen eye for fashion. Jewelry would be great but I'm not sure if its unique enough for my personal taste. My second MOH is more conservative and doesn't really wear jewelry. She is in medical school and I would like to get her something that she can use over and over again while thinking of me. The one thing that they both have in common is that they have to travel; one for school and the other for leisure. I'm not trying to get them both the same gift but I can see that they both can benefit from this gift. I was thinking that I can either still put the jewelry in the bag or fill it with toiletry items (pictured). Here are some items I found online. And I still have the option to personalize them. And these are gifts that they can use forever and I'm all about longevity because I don't even wear some of the jewelry I've received as a bridesmaid.




Here are some other popular bridesmaids gifts that I found online in my search. Courtesy of Beau-coup.com

I do like the idea of the picture frame along with another gift. That may be something I could send later once the wedding pictures are developed.

What kind of gifts have you recieved as a bridesmaid and did you like it? What kinds of gifts would you like to receive or definitely NOT receive? For those brides, what are you going to give your bridal party as gifts?

103 days to go!!

I have finally entered that period of wedding planning where I am starting to get excited rather than stressed! It all started when I began to compile my mandatory photo poses for my photographer. As I began to think about the different ways that I wanted to immortalize our big day, I just got really happy. I am in control of the types of pictures that we will be looking at years down the road. I have provided a few (Essence.com's Bridal Bliss and Theknot.com) of the shots that helped to inspire my list as well as tips from Theknot.com.


(Picture courtesy of Theknot.com) I think this shot is just so unique and really showcases the personality of the couple.


(The following pictures are courtesy of Essence.com's Bridal Bliss section)

I just love how the photographer captured the moment where the bridesmaids are helping the bride get picture perfect for her big moment!

I LOVE the purple calla lillies that consist of the bride's bouquet and this reminds me of my own color scheme for my big day; purple and gold. Great minds think alike huh?
I thought this was such a fun picture of the bridal party. I think its important for everyone to have fun during pictures.
You gotta capture those romantic moments...


Still on my to-do list: Trying to find a church that will marry us with costing an arm and an leg. I have contacted a few people about providing string music during our ceremony and I think I may have located a couple that won't cause us to go above our budget! Craigslist is a gold find. I have to send my finalized guest list for my bridal shower coming up. Super excited about that. My fiance and I have an appointment with Mens Warehouse for his tuxedo fitting. I'm way more excited about it than he is, but it will be fun nonetheless. I have been slacking on my registries and I should finalize that before my invitations get finalized. And I still have to give my parents that threatening phone call about finishing their guest list. Sigh. There is so much more to do but these are the things on my mind at the moment. How are your wedding plans coming along?

Chere Haiti: Keep Haiti in your Prayers

I have to take a break from my wedding blogging just to implore to all of you to please keep Haiti in your prayers. Most of my family still resides in Haiti and it wasn't until today that I found out that my aunt and cousin are alive and safe. Unfortunately, this is not the case for many of my friends who are finding word that their loved ones are still missing or dead. Not to mention the people in Haiti who were simply on vacation, on voluntary/mission work, or etc.
This is a tragedy that could have easily affected any of us and we should not take our lives for granted but appreciate every single moment that we have here on this Earth.

There are numerous ways that you can help those suffering in Haiti:
If you like to shop, like I do, you can turn that act into a selfless one. According to the Fashion Bomb, these stores are giving some or most of their proceeds to Haiti.

You can also go to to www.yele.org, www.redcross.org, www.hopeforhaiti.com, www.transformhaiti.org, to donate a financial contribution.

If you are always on your cell phone: Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 via your cell phone or Text “HAITI” to “90999″ to make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross. Also, call this toll free number, 1-888-407-4747, to find information via the State Department regarding your family members in Haiti. You can also go to cnn.com to upload a picture with their name and age directly on the site to locate missing friends/relatives.

Remember this is not a political thing, its a human thing.

What about your Friends?

If wedding planning has taught me anything, it has taught me the importance of knowing who your friends are. I think when people think of friends, different meanings come to mind. I am talking about the people you call when you are depressed, happy, angry, or bored.

When I first wrote up my guest list, I had images of being reunited with old college friends, old high school friends, and present good time friends. Don't get me wrong, I would have a fabulous time with these people, but in the grand schemes of being budge conscious; somethings gotta give.

It was really hard in the beginning. I couldn't take off my old college friends who I never speak to except for the occasional facebook comment. I am plagued amnd guilted by old memories of all nighters, trips to Wawa in the middle of the night, tearful confessions about stupid ass boys, and etc. They were part of life that helped shape who I am today and part of me feels guilted into inviting them to my big day. But in reality, I have no idea what they are doing these days, who they are dating, or if they have a job. Did they follow the dreams we discussed in our dorm rooms or did they follow a completely different path?

Then I was confronted with people whom I am aquaintances with throughout my life and for some reason I feel like I MUST invite this person to my wedding. Their names appear on the guest list to my bridal shower even though in reality we have never chatted on the phone, never did anything that remotely resembled friendly-like.

I then had to choose between my current graduate school friends and my newly found good time friends. My graduate school friends studied with me in the library all night long, they dragged me to houkkah bars to unwind, they bought me food or vice versa when money was clearly not there. My good time friends only call me when they want to go out or meet boys or are bored. They have never celebrated my birthday with me, nor did they grace my new apartment with their prescence.

Seriously, I was conflicted and then my photographer/graphic designer said something profound to me; "Nobody has that many friends."

Although I like to think that I really am that popular, I realized she was right. When I am aching to hang out with my girlfriends, half of these people don't even come to mind. So why the hell am I spending money for them to come to my wedding?

Needless to say I cut that list quick! There are still some people who won't be invited, that I would like to come for sentimental reasons, but I'll get over it. For my special day and for the rest of my life, I would like to be surrounded by friends who are forever and not just those who are just there for the "moment". I'm just glad I can sleep soundly at night with out dreams of guest lists trying to kill me.

Table Names

For the past few weeks I have been haunted by dreams of the wedding; first it was the guest list and last night it involved my table numbers/names.
I don't really know what my wedding theme is. I think it is more along the lines of simple elegance with touches of royalty throughout; after all my colors are purple and gold. Plus I found out the reception venue provides a special king and queen chair. Yay!
I've seen lots of pretty photos of table names/numbers and I am still not sure how I want to do it at my own reception. Since it will be a mixed cultural celebration, it would be nice to incorporate that somehow.

The pictures below can all be future DIY projects as well.

I am all about making everything have a dual purpose! The champagne bottle with table number can also be used for the champagne toasts! I think this is my favorite idea so far although I do love anything with a photograph. Picture courtesy of Thia Konig Photography)


This couple used a horseshoe theme in their picture. (Picture courtesy of Nathanial Edmunds Photography)



I like how this couple used places that were important throughout their relationship with a lil' blurb. Cute way for your guests to get to know a little more about you. (Picture courtesy of Stella Alesi Photography)



I like how this couple used black and white shots with their table number incorporated; it really stood out against their table linens. (Picture courtesy of Baltazar Photography)

We're in the 2010!

Happy New Year my lovelies!! I can't believe it is 2010 already!!! I wish you all a year full of health and happiness. I feel really good today, as some personal things I've been stressing over are finally resolved. Thank God for that!
So far this journey to my wedding has been full of ups and down. I feel like I am on a rollercoaster ride that never ends!!! My wedding was originally set to take place in New York but is now happening in South Jersey. The new place is actually very lovely and offers so much more in their package so it is a welcome relief to my wedding fatigued ears. I don't have to worry about centerpieces, linens, chair covers, even the cake. Hallelujah! Unfortunately I have to find a new ceremony place because I am not ready to commit to get married outside. An outdoor wedding is my dream but I don't think I can handle any more stress; because I will fret over the weather from now until May.
My wedding planner resurfaced and everything is back on schedule. I also finally cut down my part of the guest list and gave my parents an ultimatum to provide me with their part on Friday. We'll see how that goes. My BMs are working on my bridal shower and I am super excited about it! I keep looking up things online and have to stop myself. Its not really a surprise since I'm providing the guest list and my theme. Lol.
And we got a new photographer who also happens to be my graphic designer. I am excited that she has so many talents and can't wait to schedule our engagement shoot. WhoHOO!!!

I also went with my bridesmaids to try on their dresses and that was a two hour ordeal. It was a good thing I went because the color I originally wanted, sangria, turned out to be more burgandyish. So I had to change to lapis, which is more of a deep purple. It looked really great on my sister. My MOHs had to find their dresses and it was pure torture trying to find dresses that they both liked. I wasn't even trying to have them wear the same dress; that was asking too much! But surprisingly, we found a knee length one that they both liked and looked good in. Now I just hope that everyone orders their dresses on time! Here is a picture of their dress in a different color, I'm not tech savvy enough to get it in lapis! Lol.



I also found a new website get married.com and it has a video showing you how to make bouquets. I am going the DIY route with my more experienced cousin so I thought this was a great find! I haven't looked at the whole video so let me know if its good!
I thought these bouquets were really pretty and simple. (Courtesy of Mike Kehr Photography)

I saw this bridal party shot on Essence.com and just loved the look of the brick building behind the girls.