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Happy Friday! To switch things up a bit, Stephen and I decided to take turns sounding off about the reception classic that is the garter toss. Here's what we both had to say. 

Groom's View by Stephen

To some, the garter toss may seem like a long-standing tradition, but it was never done at any of the weddings I went to as a kid. Because of that, the ritual doesn't have the same significance for me as it does for others. The one time I did see a toss, the garter removal was done in such an over-the-top fashion that it seemed more like a burlesque show than part of a wedding celebration.

The worst part was that when it came to the actual toss, the half-dozen guys made hardly any effort to catch the garter, and were completely disinterested. Compared with the jostling and general excitement during the bouquet toss, the garter toss came across as being awkward and devoid of any enjoyment.

I'm not completely opposed to having a garter toss at our wedding, but I'm also not going to do it simply for the sake of tradition. It needs to mesh with the overall feel of our celebration, and if that can't be done, well, then it isn't worth doing.



Bride's View by Heather

Having seen enough garter tosses where the groom (in many cases after enjoying the open bar just a bit too much) got completely carried away, I've gone back and forth about whether we should include this ritual as part of our wedding reception.

On one hand, the garter toss sounds like a fun tradition I would hate to miss out on. Plus, I know that Stephen is definitely not the type of groom to carry things too far. But, that said, I'm afraid that if we do include it, everyone will expect us to go all-out in a way I'm not comfortable with, especially in front of our families, former professors, and a couple teenage guests.

To keep things sweet and only a little sassy, I envision us playing a cute song, maybe the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love," which is one of our favorites, while Stephen kneels down, kisses my hand, and removes the garter with his fingers, not teeth. After that, he can perform the traditional toss of the belt to all the eligible guys at the party, who, with the right build-up from the DJ, will hopefully show some enthusiasm. It's classy yet simple, and would still let us include the toss as part of our celebration.



Well, those are our thoughts, ladies. What are yours? Do you think we should be more willing to "let loose" during the garter toss, or do you like what I have in mind as a compromise?

(Photo Credits: Garters by Kristi)

i've been a bad blogger. With work being as crazy as it's been, i've been very bad keeping up with my favorite blogs... So i only noticed this today... but on my coordinator, Paola's blog (Just Chic Events. wordpress) - She just did a wedding for Jessi and Adam and I absolutely love it. Not only are our color schemes very similar - i just love everything she did with it, so i had to share. (Images from Nataly Lemus - who is an amazing photog, so go and check out more of the pics from Jessi and Adam's wedding)...

Here are just a few...

Absolutely love the details... these shots are amazing... makes me more excited for my own Gray & Yellow (with navy trim) wedding :)

To add to what is becoming a series of inspiration blogs from me... here is my creation to celebrate one of my favorite style icons, Ms. Grace Kelly.

Photo Credits: Google Images

When I think of the Wedding of Kelly and Rainier, I picture elegance, softness and opulence.  I also think of her huge sparkler. ;)  No one was ever created to be a princess so much as Princess Grace.

Yay! A very special thank you to A Cape Cod Bride for passing onto me the Fabulous Sugar Doll Blogger award! As the rules of the award go, you must provide 10 facts about yourself (and in this case I'll make it about my fiance too, so it's wedding-ish) and then pass the award onto other deserving bloggers. So here goes!

1. My fiance (Joe) and I grew up in the same city, but it took us both moving to another state to meet one another. We are both from St. Louis but didn't actually meet until mid-2006 until just after we coincidentally both moved to Florida.

2. How's this for fate? Joe had never been to Tampa before moving, and I had only visited once when I was younger. He wanted to try living in a different city for a while and chose Tampa based on it's repuatation for gorgeous weather. I had just gotten into Grad school at the University of South Florida and wanted to temporarily relocate to continue my studies while exploring a new city.

3. We ended up getting a job at the same company. Joe started working at MediaLab in Spring 2006, and I got a job there just a few months later. We hung out with coworkers on weekends and first became friends.

4. Our first date was at a Borders bookstore. One Friday Joe asked me what the work-crew was doing that night, and I told him I was going to skip the usual outing and instead go hang at the bookstore by myself. He said that sounded like fun so I invited him along... and to my surprise, he agreed!

5. Joe is 12 years older than I am. It's never been an issue... he doesn't look a day older than me.

6. One of our favorite things to do together is to hit the gym. We live together, so it's easy to carpool to work and then to the right gym after. We also do our best to do run cardio together in the mornings before work.

7. We love having breakfast at Bob Evans to celebrate special occasions. And we're very guilty of indulging in the Banana Pecan Caramel Pancakes... (Oops.)

8. Our favorite TV shows are The Office, Lost, and Hell's Kitchen.

9. Other than the bookstore, one of my favorite date nights is when we go to the Pottery Studio to paint bisque. To my surprise, Joe is hooked on it too! It's a great opportunity for us to challenge our creativity while spending time together.

10. I love watching Joe play on his ice hockey team. We're such big fans of the St. Louis Blues that we bought first-row tickets behind the bench when they came to play in Tampa last year.

And although some of my fellow bloggers may already be recipients of the award, I'd like to pass kudos onto my favorite Blogger Brides... BiCoastal Bride, March-Eleven2010, A Chocolate Lover's Confessions, Born to Be Mrs. Beever, Heathern-Will, Bride_Kari, SassyBrideTN, Emmy In LA, Miss to Mrs., and Stacie Francombe. YOU LADIES ROCK!!

The cooler weather brings weddings inside...

But you can still have a Spectacular wedding !!!

Just give your event lots of Drama !!!!!

Grand and Opulent Florals and intense dramatic lighting set the perfect spot light on a wedding set indoors...

Even create your ceremony area to be over the dancefloor in the ballroom,

Give your space a lift and suspend your altar area....

That way it becomes a focal point and major decor element for the entire party !!!

So I'm a huge Grey's Anatomy fan.  But even before the hype of some of their catch phrases, I think I was already using one of the word's that has shaped many a conversation in my life.  If you're not sure what I'm talking about, check this out:

It all makes sense to me now; all of the pain and heartache that I have had to endure in my life. It all led me to the man that I want to spend the rest of my life with. In all my past relationships, including the one following The Bachelorette, I always had questions on whether I would spend the rest of my life with "that person". All of my friends who are happily married always said, "When you know...you'll just know". I never understood that statement because I never felt one hundred percent about any guy I've ever dated. Come on, we all know that I have openly wanted my "fairy tale ending" for so long now. But, with all the reality shows and all the relationships that spawned from them, none of the relationships felt right....until now.

I am so excited to tell you all that I am crazy in love!!! I met this wonderful man over the summer and have fallen head over heals in love with him!! I now understand the statement, "when you know, you know". I have never been so sure about any one thing in my entire life before...other than this man and this relationship. I am going to marry him. I am going to spend the rest of my life with him. I am going to have a beautiful family with the man of my dreams. I am finally getting my fairy tale ending....

His name is Stephen Stagliano. He is the twin brother of Michael Stagliano from the last season of The Bachelorette...who coincidentally dates my best friend, Holly Durst. Weird web we weave, huh?!?!!?

Me, Stephen, Michael and Holly

We all coincidentally met through The Bachelorette. Funny how I didn't find true love a year ago on the show but, because of the show I have been led to my one true love. Stephen is a high school teacher who loves to dance and sing, loves to play golf with me, and loves to try new things. He is so smart, so genuine, so honest, and has a truly loving heart. For the first time in my life, I feel myself with the man that I am with. He is everything that I have searched for...for so long. This statement is true: when I stopped looking, it happened. Just when I was feeling down and thinking that this "love" thing would never work out for me, Stephen walked right into my life and swept me away! He makes me want to be a better woman and he has brought love back into my life! I adore him...I adore the man that he is and the man he will be.

I am so happy right now. I am glad to finally be in the best place in my life with the man that I love. I give it 6 months...6 months before I will need all of your help to plan my very own wedding!!! ;)

One color and one flower sounds pretty simple, right? Maybe even boring- but take a look at this!

This design concept of one color/one flower comes out feeling abundant and chic.  To make this look work use vases that vary in height and buy flowers that make a statement. Also when buying your blooms try to get ones that don't look exactly the same, get some open and some closed. Peonies are wonderful for this and are classically chic, we used these brilliant fuchsia ones. Lastly we added some candles and whala! Simplicity at its best.

Incorporating kids and animals into your wedding is a fun and intimate way to make your wedding day special. Here is a fun wedding at the McAllum House in Mendocino, CA photographed by the talented Anna Kuperberg. Every picture makes you feel like you right there at the wedding and a part of their family. I love how each picture is of something obviously special to this couple- such a neat idea. While the wedding gown is amazing and unique and the colors are vibrant- each photo focuses on a moment or memory that will not be forgotten.

Photos by: Anna Kuperberg