(Hair)piece of Mind

Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!

I am so excited. Here’s a quick back story to my elation:

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the main perks to working at The Knot whilst planning one’s wedding is that my coworkers know quite literally everyone worth knowing in the wedding biz. Even the people that might not be considered “well known” just yet.

Case in point, my lovely coworker Anja has a genius best friend named Becka who has recently started designing bridal hairpieces. She has an Etsy shop (seriously, that site needs to sign me as their spokesperson) called Bexcessories with a few gorgeous designs, but she’s also more than willing to design a custom piece (and I don’t know about you, but having some design me a custom ANYTHING makes me feel fancy beyond belief).

So anyway, I contacted her a while back, sent her way too many pictures to try to describe my wedding style, and today she sent me the “first draft”!!! I’m bouncing-out-of-my-seat excited. Check it out!

This isn’t the final product (I requested a few small changes), but it gives you a definite idea. I’m so in love. Now I just need to figure out how to do my hair…

Getting Crafty

I like to think I’m a pretty crafty person. (In the arts-and-crafts kind of way, not the Disney villain way.) Growing up, my mother was always very encouraging about taking on crafts that involved drawing, painting, sewing, sculpting, and just generally being creative, and I think it’s served me pretty well (as long as it’s a fairly basic craft).

That being said, I’ve decided to try to make as many things as possible for our wedding. It’s generally cheaper than purchasing, and I like the idea of looking back on my wedding and seeing a personal stamp on the details.

So here’s a list of all the things I want to DIY:
1. Veil
2. Cake topper
3. Escort cards
4. Table numbers
5. Bouquets
6. Boutonnieres
7. Cake table décor
8. Pomanders/pennant banners
9. Favors
10. Guest book



For the boutonnieres, I want to do this:

I thought about just buying them (my wedding is fast turning into an ad for Etsy.com), but I think I can whip them up for cheaper. Plus, so cute, right?

Maybe all my projects are a little ambitious, but after all, I’ve got 227 (eek!) to figure it all out.

Photo: LindenLovebirds

Made You Look

So here’s something I love: first look photo shoots.

I mean, I LOVE them. I do think there’s something to be said for waiting until the ceremony and having your big moment and whatever, but in my mind, you still have that moment with your guests. But with a  first look, you ALSO have a moment just for you and your fiancé.

Plus, I have never heard anyone say they regretted doing a first look. (Though, if those people are out there, please leave a comment as to why!)

Case-in-point, this cute cute cute shoot:

I can’t look at these pictures without grinning! And since the fiancé is on-board too, you can bet your big moment that we’re going to do one.

Eek, can’t wait!

Photo: Jonas Peterson (JonasPeterson.com)

The Tired Bride

Hello, my lovelies!

Here’s the thing, folks. I’m feeling a little…overwhelmed. I swear, I have not abandoned you! I've just been a bit crazed with work (you know, writing about OTHER people's weddings). Plus dealing with the standard family drama that comes with weddings. Plus…I don’t know…feeling pulled in too many directions. I’m sure there are other working brides out there who can relate.

BUT, on a more positivenote, I have a lot of great posts in store for you! Including:

1. Our save-the-date! I’m hoping to get them made next weekend. Keep your fingers crossed!

2. Our table numbers!

We bought the hockey pucks, we just need to buy paint and some sort of dowel to mount them on. The Fiance and I came up with a truly brilliant seating chart idea (if I do say so myself) to add a bit more hockey love into our wedding.

I think my favorite part about the hockey stuff is that every time The Fiance tells his dad about some other detail we’ve added, his dad refused to believe that I have OK’d the idea until he hears it directly from me. I’m very easy-going, I swear! Besides, the hockey stuff is fun, and of the two requirements I have for my wedding day, one of them is FUN. (The other is pretty, in case you were wondering.)

So, to sum up, sorry for being overwhelmed and neglectful of this blog, but good things (and projects!) to come!

Photo: Elizabeth Messina (KissTheGroom.com)

Cute Cover Up

You guys know how I love a cute wedding slogan, right?

Then feast your eyes on these beauties:

I don't know if I feel kitschy enough to create wedding bibs, but if I do, I'm totally stealing this clever catch phrase.

Photo: Sean Walker Photography (SeanWalkerPhotography.com)

All in the Family

I don’t know how I forgot to mention this before now, but my little sister recently got engaged! (Well, “little” is used for ceremonial purposes only – she’s only two years younger, and she’s about three inches taller. What can ya do?)

So my lucky parents now get to plan for TWO weddings next year. (Don’t worry; mine is in April and hers is in October, so they at least get a little time to recover.) I think it’s super exciting. For one, I love weddings. (Shocker, right?) For another, my sister and I are about as different as two people with the same genetic coding can get, which means our weddings will also be totally different.

Of course, I can’t help but start planning her wedding in my mind (just suggestions, I promise not to be a sisterzilla…or whatever the “zilla” equivalent would be). I may have sent her three inspiration boards this morning. (Total disclosure: I did. Including these two:

They're a little haphazard, but I kept thinking of ideas! I just can’t help myself....)

I love that I now have an outlet for the awesome, funky wedding ideas I think are awesome, but that don’t fit my own aesthetic.

What about you? Are there wedding ideas you love but don’t think you could pull off? Anyone else have more than one family wedding to worry about in the next year or two?

Calling all bridal bloggers!

 So you know how this blog is also fed onto TheKnot.com as part of the Knottie Diaries?  Well, guess what! We’re looking for some new bloggers to add to the blog.

Do you have a blog about your wedding plans? Email a link (along with a photo, a brief bio, and why you would make the best new Knottie bridal blogger) to messageboards[at]theknot[dot]com.

Post a note in the comments section if you have any questions!

Bride's Favorite Cookie

 For the other brides out there that aren’t into standard wedding cakes, feast your eyes on this little beauty:

Um, whoa. And yum. And YUM.

I don’t know about you, but I love Oreos almost as much as I love creative wedding ideas. This treat was crafted for a swanky housewarming party, but how easily could it transfer to a reception as the groom’s cake or even the main confection? The Fiance hates chocolate, but maybe I could swap in some Golden Oreos to please everyone…

Bigger question, why do I think about these things before lunch?


Photo: Paul Costello

Taking the Plunge

Yup, it’s another Two-Post Thursday (just made that up). But I saw these photos and couldn’t not share them:

I’m actually not a fan of the “trash the dress” photo shoot. If you don’t want your dress anymore, donate it. Or sell and try to make some moolah. But simply destroying a piece of clothing that many brides pay crazy amounts of money for seems…wasteful. Besides, I love my wedding dress -- I don’t want to destroy it.

But then, of course, the moment I make up my mind about one wedding tradition I find something that makes me question my opinion just a bit. I probably still won’t trash my wedding dress, but how ga-ga-gorgeous are these underwater photos? *Swoon*

Photos: Michelle King

Show Business

Well, I can officially scratch another item off the “100 things to do during your engagement” list -- the future hubster and I attended our first bridal show last night.

We like free things.

Not only do you get to check out a bunch of awesome wedding vendors in your area (all in the SAME building!), you also get free food and drinks. And when the show is hosted by a catering hall, you’re not just getting a lunch meat tray from the grocery store -- we’re talking the same scrumptious treats the venue would be serving your guests. 

Last night’s event was also in conjunction with this contest I entered to win a $100,000 wedding (because seriously, Knot editors don’t get their weddings free on our own), so we got to attend the “VIP” party just for people who had entered.

Sidenote: We find out if we won next week. Send us good, winning vibes!

The only awkward thing was that the event was held at the venue we didn’t end up picking. Eh heh….Although it was kind of cool to get of glimpse of what it would have been like.

The best part of the whole thing was that we got information about the limo company we’re interested in, as well as a few tips for good (and affordable) DJs. It’s all coming together, folks.

Crybaby Bride

So, I have a confession: I’m a wedding crier.

I wasn’t always. When I was younger, I just didn't get crying at weddings. It’s a happy time, right? Who cries about happiness?

Surprise; this girl.

Somewhere along the line I started getting more invested in the meaning behind things, and really happy things started getting me all misty. And when I think about the meaning behind people saying their wedding vows, I get a little choked up. (Especially when the guy says his. I feel like wanting to get married is a much more natural desire for women -- which is probably sexist of me to say…oh well -- but for men it’s something you have to grow into. I think it’s very sweet.)

So why are my theories about wedding vows and tears relevant? Well, it turns out I am not what you would call a “pretty crier.” My eyes get red, my face is blotchy, and my nose runs. And I don’t know if you know this, but people take a lot of pictures of you on your wedding day. (Heck, you hire them to take a lot pictures of you.)

And since just thinking about my wedding day has the tendency to form a lump in my throat, I’m a little worried about turning into a total mess on the actual day.

Anyone have any advice for holding back the tears? Or at least crying prettily?

Photo: cp_odd

I Got My Wedding Dress!

I’m SO excited.

I picked up my wedding dress last night! It’s a little amazing because they told me it wouldn’t be in until October, but a coworker (you know her as Knot Annie) who used to work at a bridal salon told me that they often give brides extended deadlines so they don’t have anyone calling them every day to check up on it. Besides, it’s always a pleasant surprise getting something you’re looking forward to early!

The only downside to having my wedding dress (exactly!) eight months before my wedding day? I live in a studio apartment. Meaning I do not have storage. What I do have? A nosy fiance dying to see my dress. (Ok, he admits he would be disappointed if he saw it early. But he still hates being left out.) So currently it is wrapped in a sheet (they gave it to me in clear plastic – not good for hiding anything) and tucked into a corner of my closet, safe from view.

I’m going to have to get it steamed anyway, right?

Oh, I forgot the other downside to having my dress early: I want to wear it all the time. Like when I’m watching TV. Or reading. Or sleeping.

Where did you store your dress prior to saying “I do”? Did your fiance ever find it?

A Sterling Idea

Ok, I know I JUST posted, but my dear friend Michelle just sent me a link for one of the cutest wedding ideas I’ve ever seen:

Stamped forks! How adorable would this be for the first bite or cake or as a cake topper? 

Get yours here!

All Mixed Up

When I tell people that I’m not picking my bridesmaids dresses (rather, just giving them a color and saying, “Have at it.”), I get one of two reactions:

1. “Oh, that’s nice of you. That’ll look neat.”
2. “Wigga-what?”

Ok, the second one doesn’t really happen -- but its more eloquent counterpart (“You’re doing what?”) sometimes does.

One of the more difficult aspects of being an editor at TheKnot.com is that my fellow editors and I see wedding trends the second they happen – sometimes before that. And trying to describe a relatively new trend -- such as mismatched bridesmaid dresses -- to more traditional wedding guests (i.e. Great Aunt June) can cause a bit of a stir. It’d be like trying to describe the iPhone to someone in 1986; sure, it sounds neat, but they just can’t buy into it yet.

But it’s not like I’m just telling them to wear their favorite pair of cut-offs and a red T-shirt. I’m thinking something like this (the color is even right!):

And I love the corresponding bowties for the guys (though I think we’re going to stick with neckties):

See? Not a bad looking bridal party:

What’s the trendiest thing you are incorporating/incorporated in your wedding? And what wedding trends are you ready to see disappear?


Photos: Aaron Shintaku Photography (aaronshintaku.com)

This is Why I'm Marrying Him

Can we just talk about how adorable my fiance is for a second?

Yes, I’m aware that I am mildly biased. (Due to that he gives me pretty, sparkly things. And I, you know, adore him.)

But remember when I said that he was only kind of into wedding planning? Well, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t just like to be helpful. So when we first got engaged, I delegated finding a DJ and transportation to him. (Ok, I may have done some research myself. Just to make sure. This is my job, people.)

But last night we were out to dinner with some friends, and all of a sudden his face lights up and he goes, “Oh! I found our wedding DJ!” And you know what? He had. And for a great price. And with great optional features.

Yes, he got some help from his mom, who has worked with the DJ through her job (thanks, future-mom-in-law!), but I say it still counts.  Yay for fiances who care!

Besides, who couldn’t love that face?

It's A Date

So I totally forgot to mention that we picked our wedding date! (Per the selection of our reception venue.)

I will officially be an old married lady on April 10, 2011.

(Yup, THAT happened.)

One thing you need to know about me is that “patient” will NEVER be one of the three words I use to describe myself during a job interview. Which means that counting down the 251 days left until my wedding (thank you, TheKnot.com wedding ticker!) is already getting stale.

Of course, then I remember that I still need to figure out tastings, wedding flowers, wedding save-the-dates and invitations, a DJ, transportation, and lodgings for my out-of-town guests (*gasps for air*), and suddenly eight months, one week ,and one day seems like hardly enough time to get it all accomplished.

Everyone says it flies, so I’m trying to savor the planning time as much as I can (for a girl who just wants to marry her fiancé already!).

To all the married ladies out there, what did you think? Do you wish you’d had more time, or would you have gladly cut a month or two out of the planning time?