What's Your Style?

The first florist I met with told me that she asks clients what their homes look like if she is having a problem figuring out exactly what style someone likes. On a side note, she didn't have to ask me; she guessed. Right after that, I met with a florist in his home and loved his style from the neutral tones and mix of modern and natural to the comfy pillows and streamlined accessories. I wondered even more...Does our home style translate into our wedding style? If so, maybe I need to see all of my vendors homes (that was a joke:)).

So, when I saw the Ethan Allen style quiz on Young House Love I couldn't resist. And they hit the nail right on the head! I am Metro with a touch of Loft ... they seem like opposites, but somehow they work so well together, kind of like most good things.

metro

The verdict is in—your style is Metro. Metro is a great modern space. Chic, comfortable, clean. Do the math. Strong horizontals plus graphic clarity plus a fearless blending of metal, woods, leathers, and wovens; minus the superfluous and the clichéd; equals urban architecture domesticated, a vision for living.

This online portfolio shows your style. Brought to life in rooms. A subtle mix of furniture, accessories, and attitude. Different “looks.” Because every home should be unique. Come see.

loft

Energetic. Fashion-driven. Practical. Materials borrowed from industry, architecture, and nature. Clean shapes. Punches of color. Spontaneous and fresh. Kids and pets? Bring them on.

It turns out that I think weddings and home decorating are at least closely related (at least second cousins) because my wedding style and my home decorating style are one and the same. I am constantly torn between my modern style and my love for everything natural, simple, and fun. More about this latter.

The F Word

Does anyone else dislike the word Fiancé as much as I do? Maybe it comes from those obnoxious people who get engaged and drop it in every sentence that comes out of their mouths (sorry if you are one of those people). Or maybe it is because Brett likes to say it in a Pepe Le Peu accent and only uses it in funny situations in which he laughs hysterically afterwards (he hates the word, too). I just feel like I am being pretentious or obnoxious and I want to giggle every time I say it. On the other hand I catch people looking at the ring on my finger whenever I use the word boyfriend which is an equally awkward term at this age.

I wonder how I am going to say "husband" (yikes/weird) when that time comes. Brett has been my boyfriend for 8 years and it is a hard transition. Any other ladies out there find it hard to utter the F word?

(Pictures by Axioo via Green Wedding Shoes)

Maybe a fun engagement session like this one would get me into the spirit?

Let Them Eat Cake...Cheesecake

Alright, so you can all scream and tell me I am crazy and beg me not to do it over and over. But I am crazy, and I am going to do it, and it will be fun and amazing and yummy, all at the same time! I am making my wedding cake! That is right, I am making all 200 mini-cheesecakes that will be accompanied by a topping bar at the reception. This little trick will save me around a grand and will taste better too! My aunt has a killer cheesecake recipe and I am going to try to wrangle her and my mom into helping me the Thursday before the wedding. We have two mini-cheesecake pans between the two of us so if I get 2 more that means we will only need to make five batches. That’s not so bad, right? I have a feeling some friends might be getting mini-cheesecake pans for Christmas next year.
(Picture from Martha Stewart Weddings)


Brett and I don’t like cake, but both love creamy cheesecake. I want to make plain, chocolate, and a few with fruit hearts. The topping bar will have:
Blueberries
Cherries
Strawberries
Peaches
Raspberries
Toffee
Chocolate
Caramel
Nuts




Oh yeah, that’s rightI. t is going to be drool worthy, just like the rest of the dessert table. However, these little gems are going to be the star! Wait for a post coming soon about the rest of the dessert buffet…it is going to blow your mind! Leave it to the girl who comes from a LONG line of sweet toothes to obsess over the dessert bar.

Here Comes My Girl

(photography by Liz Linder via A Practical Wedding)

So, as I said in this previous post I am a bit of a flower child at heart. I love laid back Sundays, cotton sweatshirts, and organic produce. Brett and I also love a good Tom Petty concert. So naturally, Tom Petty is going to be our first dance. Either "Here Comes My Girl," which if we have “A Song” it is this one, or "Wildflower," which is Brett’s song for me (he calls me his wildflower).

The problem is that I like the words better to "Here Comes My Girl," but it is a very fast, upbeat song for a first dance. "Wildflower" is a pretty song and is slower, but the words are not as romantic (I guess this doesn’t really matter as long as we like the song). Because "Here Comes My Girl" is so upbeat, I feel we would need the assistance of a dance instructor. I know dragging Brett to lessons would be about as easy as prying a steak out of a lions mouth though, and I am not too excited about the prospect of trying to dance in front of a complete stranger either.

For all those brides out there who have taken lessons or had a song that was a bit different, what did you do?

I Never Thought Asking For Presents Would Be NO Fun

Who thought that shopping for gifts for yourself would be one of the hardest wedding tasks out there? I know when I first picked up that little scanning gun I felt like a kid in a candy shop, but twenty minutes later I was confused, indecisive, and overwhelmed. Brides who have been living with their groom before the wedding might find it even more difficult to register. Do we ask for the traditional pots, pans and towels? Or should the list be full of fun things we don’t yet have but don’t really need? Will people think we are frivolous? Will guests be disappointed not to find the staples on the registry if we think outside of the box? I think the best advice here is to ask for what you want traditional and non-traditional. Your guests truly want to get you something you will enjoy so register for those things that will put a smile on your face. Give your guests options. If you have some less traditional registry items add a few new towels in the mix or some sheets to make Aunt Nancy happy.

Here are some great alternatives to the traditional registry:

Register for your Honeymoon, guests can purchase something as large as the airline tickets down to a bottle of wine for a romantic dinner. You can even ask for scuba lessons, or better yet a spa treatment. I think that the best site out there is honeyfund.com. It is completely customizable and there are no fees for you or your guests.

The Unbride suggests Wedding futures, a web site where you can register for your financial future. Here you can register for stocks and bonds,. If that doesn’t scream modern bride I don’t know what does.

If you’re an art lover you will jump at this idea. Have your guests fill your walls with fabulous art work. While you might not be able to afford that perfect piece of art for every wall of your home you guests could help make those bare walls beautiful. Nascent Art offers an option for the bride and groom to register for art for the new nest.

Good luck and happy scanning to all those brides out there registering right now.

Let's Party

Cocktail weddings are getting more and more popular. A lot of brides like the feeling of the more casual food even if it is a formal setting. Plus, people can pick and choose what they do and do not want to eat and the options are endless. This is definitely a step up from the ordinary chicken and asparagus. The traditional wedding fare is definitely the perfect choice for some brides and grooms out there but if you are looking for something unique and a little outside of the box this might be the way to go.

Bite Catering does a great job at this type of food (too bad you have to be an LA bride to enjoy them). All of their menus include petite samples of favorite foods including, hamburgers, tacos and pizza. While these options might not sound fancy enough for a wedding caterers are now fancying them up. Guacamole is served in dollops atop crisp plantain ribbons. Sliders are served on pretzel rolls with blue cheese and avocado, and pizza includes smoked mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and basil. These are all yummy, fancy options that will wow guests.

(Pictures from bitecatering.net)
I will talk more about how I am incorporating this into my wedding later but if you are a bride who doesn’t want guests to circle chicken or steak on your RSVP then this is definitely an option to look into.

I Wish I May I Wish I Might Have This Wish I Wish Tonight …..

Oh, how I wish that would work. Loving these amazing Fuchsia shoes by Pura Lopez that I found on Endless.com, but I could never bring myself to spend on these what I will on all of the bouquets for myself and my maids. They would be perfect for the reception. Perfect to get the party started! Well, a girl can always dream…Ebay here I come!

And the Bride Wore….

“You will just know”

“The right one will find you”

“It will give you butterflies”

Does this advice sound like something your mom told you when you were looking for Mr. Right? Well it’s the same advice you get while looking for a dress. Although the idea of the Perfect Dress finding me is somewhat comforting I am not sure that “the perfect dress” exists. There are millions of amazing dresses and when you try them on a lot of them look stunning. What you thought you wanted changes and the idea of picking just one seems impossible. So I teeter back and forth. Is there just one dress? I know there is just one groom for me, the perfect fit. People kept giving me all of the advice above when we were looking for houses as well and I was a bit skeptical then, too. But when the right house came along, I knew it was the one; there were other very nice houses but this house felt like mine from the time I stepped into it.

The more I worry about it and the more stress that I fell over finding the perfect dress the harder it has become. I keep thinking, "Will I know when it is 'the one?'” I don’t know what the one feels like so how will I know if it feels like the one? I know, I know your just do!

So my venture continues to find the perfect dress and although I think there might be many perfect dresses out there, or at least a lot of amazing choices, I hope that there really is one that is MY wedding dress. I hope the right dress finds me like my future husband and cozy little house did. I want a dress that feels like me, one that I don’t want to take off, one that I dream about.

The fun Oscar de la Renta dress makes me smile ... I hope my wedding dress is just as cool.

Do Blondes Have More Fun?

I am toying with the idea of finding out if blondes really do have more fun. I have been a blonde for a long long long time and feel that it might be time for a change. Ok, so I had a short affair with brunette locks about two years ago, but I don’t think I really gave it a fair trial. I always go darker in winter, but not usually brown. However, with the wedding coming up I thought it might be good to give my tresses a break from the peroxide. I would love to have long, beautiful, healthy hair on my wedding day and I think this would help. I would go back to my roots (ok, that was a really bad pun…Bad!) for the wedding. I want to look like myself, which means dirty blonde it will be for the big day. I just can’t help but love shiny chocolate brown hair on other people...Maybe I will like it on myself.

What do you think? Should I cross over to the dark side? Or was I born to be a blonde? Take the poll on the right hand side of the screen. Don't worry, I can't tell who voted for what!

Wedded to Perfection

Have any of you seen Wedded to Perfection? It is am amazing new show on TLC featuring the event planners of Fete. This show blows me away. The design of the events that they plan are meticulous. Their style is right up my alley!









Perfection...I can't wait for Tailored Engagements to be as accomplished as Fete. I would love to flex my creative muscles like Jung and Josh Brooks.

(All pictures from the Fete website)