So I was a bridesmaid a year ago at the Plantation Gardens in Kauai. It was a beautiful beach wedding in Poipu-the grounds were lush and amazing and the food was top notch. MY BIG QUESTION: Can I have my rehearsal dinner at the same location my friend had her Kauai wedding???
11 Mar
11 Mar
photo credits: Google Images
If you have money in the budget I would really recommend looking into a photo booth. There are all different kinds out there at all different price levels and they are rented by the hour most of the time so you don’t have to get one for the entire reception. Most companies these days will provide you with a digital copy of all the photos your guests take so you can add them to any scrap books or online albums you might be making. Use of props can really turn the fun level up and get people in a playful mood. Often times they will add a custom logo on the film strips for you so everyone knows the pictures came from your special day.
What do you all think of photo booths? Fun or a waste of money?
11 Mar
Lesson number 1 was much better than i anticipated. Our instructor Deborah Joy, from The Wedding Dance Specialist was great. She explained the basic fundamentals in a way that made it easy for someone as novice as me to understand quickly. Deborah explained how everything can be very black and white, and very structured, which makes it much easier for a man to comprehend. Trust me, this is true.
I think our biggest obstacle that we need to overcome going forward is Amy’s fear of letting me be in control. I have faith that she will overcome this hopefully as easily as i have overcome my fear of dancing. maybe explain “and by fear, i mean my fear of thinking i’d be able to do this… don’t get me wrong, I am still worried about the public performance – but, Deborah has made me feel that I really have a good shot at doing this, and even doing it “well.” When Amy was practicing with Deborah, she had no problem letting Deborah lead, but when she was practicing with me, she kept trying to anticipate what i would do instead of just following my lead. I’m certain that with practice (hint hint) Amy will come to trust me and let me be the “pilot” who takes her, the “princess” on a wonderful journey, as Deborah explained to me that this should be my attitude towards dancing.
Deborah began by teaching us how to find proper balance, shifting our weight to the proper points which allows Amy to feel where i am trying to lead her to. Her first question to me was “You always start with your left foot, Why?” and I responded “Because my right foot is my planting foot!” and she quickly said “No! Because as you said, you have two left feet.” This little joke quickly broke the ice as we tried to learn posture and positioning. We also worked on walking forward in a straight line without having to look at our feet. We then worked on doing it backwards, which is a bit more difficult, but we got the hang of it without out too much trouble. Then we dealt with turning. This was not so easy and will require some more practice lol.
We initially wanted to do “Walk the Line” by Johnny Cash for our first dance, but the beat just didn’t work and Amy kept complaining about every slow version she heard. So instead, based purely on lyrics that Amy sent to me one day – we chose “Whatever it is” by the Zac Brown Band whom Amy loves! Although we chose this song, after listening to it several times, we weren’t sure about the beat for our first dance but had no other options on the dance menu so brought it along to dance class. Deborah listened to the song and instantly started choreographing a dance to it. I was amazed at how quickly she turned our hesitance about whether we could actually use our song into confidence that we could dance to it, and dance effectively.
All in all, i am very impressed with how much Deborah was able to teach us in just one hour. I now have a lot more confidence that by our wedding day we will be wowing our guests with our dance skills. I know I have a lot left to learn, but i think the biggest thing that I personally got out of our first lesson was the confidence that I will be able to do this (which i did not have prior to that night). Deborah is a powerful motivator because she has me really believing I could do this dance… and not just this dance, but that I can actually dance with just the right tools as a social dancer. As long as Amy and Deborah have patience with me, I know we can get this done.
Oh yeah, and Deborah did a little dance with Amy at the end to a club-dance type song while i sat back and just watched. I mean, really whats hotter than watching two hot women dance?
I am excited for our next lesson, because if I learn as much each time as I did last night, I’m sure i’ll go from total novice to coordinated novice to skilled amateur in no time at all. I believe the most important thing in learning any new skill is gaining the confidence that you can in fact learn it, and going by that standard, Deborah has already been successful in tackling the biggest hurdle she will face in teaching someone like me…a hesitant, sports-loving (some say fanatic) guy who has rhythm on a field/court but none when it comes to a musical beat.
Stay tuned for my next post and if you want to read prior posts, click here!
11 Mar
Who would ever say that Chalkboards could be so charming??
Loving these ideas:
All images by Mary Swenson
11 Mar
well ladies, i haven’t been blogging in some time. is it just me or have any of you ladies lost alot of sleep at night, just up searching the web, for wedding ideas and pricing. well i seem to be in bed every night by 1am just surfing the web. well i have my venue, and decor, colors and caterer; now i have to find the cake baker, the photographer and videographer, invitations, favors, i can go on and on.
but i wanted to ask you ladies, do i have to send out Save the Dates? can you all tell me some great and affordable sites to find flower girl dresses and bridesmaids?
11 Mar
Today, it’s all about bridal fashion and style, as L.A.-photographer Damien Smith shares with me his tips for ensuring a photo-perfect wedding day look!
As a fair-skinned bride, I’m concerned about turning into a lobster on my big day. But I’ve also heard it’s important to watch how much sunscreen I use, since it might affect the amount of light reflecting off my skin in the photos. Is that true?
Yes, this is true, since sunscreen can make your skin very shiny. It’s best to use an oil-free product so there is no shine or reflection.
When shopping for a dress, what should a bride keep in mind about the types of details and silhouettes that usually photograph best?
Don’t let your desire for a perfect silhouette picture influence the type of gown you buy. Get the dress you really want, because a professional photographer will definitely be able to capture a great shot no matter what. However, if a stellar silhouette photo is really important to you, try not to get a dress that’s super puffy.
As for as the fine details of your dress, such as beading and shimmer, your professional photographer will capture all of it, usually before you put on your dress, and immediately after you put on the dress. Most wedding photographers do a one-on-one session to showcase the lovely bride and her dress.
When I was trying on gowns, some of the dresses looked completely different in the mirror than in the photos we snapped with my digital camera. For example, the intricate beading and embellishments on the gowns were not as visible in the pictures, and the shots looked dark. Will a professional photographer’s camera be sophisticated enough to truly capture these details?
Point-and-shoot cameras use an averaging system to determine the best exposure for a picture, and so do professional cameras when used on certain automatic settings. When you have a lot of white in the frame, the natural response is for the camera to darken the picture.
However, professional cameras can be adjusted manually by the photographer. As long as your professional photographer knows how to use his camera, there will be no problems. A good question to ask a photographer is, “Do you shoot with your camera using automatic settings, or do you shoot making manual adjustments?”
You want a photographer who makes manual adjustments, as this is the mark of a true professional and someone who knows which settings to use to get the best pictures. If the photographer doesn’t understand F-Stop and shutter speed, run!
What should a bride keep in mind when it comes to her makeup for the photos? I’ve heard horror stories about brides who tried doing their own makeup and ended up looking way too washed out in the pictures. How important is it to hire a makeup artist skilled at doing applications for photo sessions?
Unless the bride-to-be is a professional makeup artist, she should not attempt to do it herself. Hire a professional, because there’s a huge difference between doing your makeup to go hang out, and doing makeup for your wedding. Professional makeup artists understand that a bride’s makeup must be “camera-ready” to prevent that washed out look.
Why let thousands of dollars in photography, attire and so on go down the drain just to save the couple hundred dollars that a professional makeup artist costs? When choosing your makeup artist, always ask to see pictures of other brides he or she has done makeup for.
What are your plans for hair and makeup, and which photos of you in your gown are you most excited about?
(Photo Credit: Damien Smith Photography)
10 Mar
Now that the Disney half-marathon is over and I’m back in the gym weight lifting full time, I’m realizing just how much I really miss my engagement ring when it’s not on my finger. In reality, I’m not one to wear jewelry very often… I’m more of a jeans and tee kinda girl and only wear earrings and necklaces for special occasions or when going out with friends. For some reason I’ve just never liked how jewelry feels when I wear it! I find it to be slightly annoying. I also tend to easily lose small articles if I’m not especially cautious, and I’ve lost more accessories and sunglasses than I care to count. So with my engagement ring, I’ve always had to be extremely particular about where I store it when I’m not wearing it.
I love (love, love, love!) my engagement ring and don’t prefer taking it off. For one, I am proud to wear it, and to be completely honest, enjoy showing it off! But I also know that I have to be really careful as to not lose it since I’m notorious for misplacing things. However, my ring adorns about 70 tiny side-stones around the solitaire and I’m sometimes fearful of losing stones if I’m not delicate. My ring is also made of 18K white gold which is particularly vulnerable since white gold is soft and wears down easily. And maybe I’m being too anal, but I don’t like constantly getting hand lotions and soaps on the diamonds because it makes them less sparkly until I have the time to clean it again. So for all of these reasons, I (rather reluctantly) do remove my ring under two circumstances: While I’m showering, and while I’m lifting weights in the gym.
To ensure my ring would never randomly be misplaced, I initially had to determine an exact location where I would keep the ring when I’m partaking in either activity. There’s a little dish on the top shelf of my vanity in the bathroom where I place it while showering, and I kept the original ring box to leave in my gym bag so I can safely store the ring while I’m lifting weights. My plan has really worked out great so far! The ring has been in my possession for a year and three months and I have known where it is at all times. That really is quite an accomplishment for someone like me!
This was taken just after my run… wearing my ring!
It’s funny how I’m not a big fan of jewelry but have still managed to become pretty obsessive over this ring. When it’s on my finger, I don’t notice it too much except to admire it every few days – okay, okay… maybe every few hours, but that’s besides the point! – but when it’s not on my finger, I think about it every five minutes or so. I guess I subliminally do think about it more than I even thought, because if it’s not on my hand, I find myself constantly using my thumb to feel around where where it is on my finger, and when I notice it’s missing, I have to quickly reassure myself that it’s in it’s designated safe place. I really can’t imagine taking it off more than I already do, though. It would probably drive me nuts and I would likely suffer from separation anxiety! In a way, the ring has truly become a part of who I am.
So, under what circumstances do you remove your engagement ring, and how do you make sure you don’t lose it? Do you suffer from separation anxiety when you have to take off your ring?
10 Mar
Wedding shop First Lady Bridal in Oakland County, Michigan was the scene of a truly bizarre outburst that occurred as a result of bridezilla type proportions. The customer purchased a dress from the store and wanted to make alterations. Apparently, the fitting was in question which led to an exchange of words, which then led to an all out bridal shop melee.
Owner Hekmat Putruss stated, “She started threatening me, saying ‘you don’t know who I am, I’ll call my husband to kill you, to teach everyone here a lesson’.” The bride was so furious that she even called in her family to start pushing around staff which included Putruss’s son who at one point is stripped of his shirt and slammed into display cases and thrown to the ground. Over an alteration? Really? “Ok, Ok, you’re a size 3, sure. I’ll take it in, I’ll take it in.”
When all was over, damage was done to the tune of almost $20,000 and police made three arrests in conjunction with the altercation. You have to see the video to get the true humor of it in context.
Regardless, you can click this link for the full story courtesy of Sun UK. Be sure you watch the innocent bride-standers in the background who quickly dash back into the dressing rooms. It’s pretty funny.
by chunkymonkey |
Filed Under | 2 Comments
Tags: bridal shop, wedding, wedding dress, wedding dresses, weddings
Tags: bridal shop, wedding, wedding dress, wedding dresses, weddings
10 Mar
I adore shoes. Ok… maybe it borders on obsession. It doesn’t matter if they are flats, heels, sandals or boots. I am equal opportunity lover of great shoes. But, did you notice that little word there? Great. So, you can imagine the stress I went through trying to find that perfect shoe to wear for my big day! For months I searched and tried on and wept over ones that were vastly beyond my budget but would have been perfect. At last, I did find that one great shoe that was in budget… but they were so plain. The shape, the fabric, the structure and construction were all perfect… but there was no “HELLO” factor.
What is a girl to do? Shoe clips, of course!! I hunted through vintage and a few shoe shops… nothing really caught my eye. Finally, I ventured out on a limb and asked the uber fabulous Jade at SweetGrassMill on www.etsy.com if she would consider making my clips for me. I say this is out on a limb because she has never listed any of these for sale and mine would be the first she had ever made! She has custom made all my feathery goodness to date with amazing result, however, so I knew she would be fabulous AND be able to have reference of what the other stuff looked like. Well, hallelujah, she said yes!
For a while we went back and forth on design and placements, etc. until we arrived at perfection. I am absolutely over the moon!! I have been dying to post these here ever since they arrived, but as yet, I had not gotten the chance to snap the pics. Last night I got my first pedi of the year, though… What better time to take a shoe pic?!
So… without further ado…
10 Mar
When we first started the planning process FH and I thought that we were going to have a really casual reception. I had seen a short wedding dress months before we got engaged that I totally fell in love with. The fact that I am short and we were planning a totally casual reception made me think that a short dress would be totally fine. So I went out and I ordered it and I was in LOVE! Plus, bonus! Everyone was going to get to see my shoes 
As the planning went on and we decided to totally change venues I started feeling nervous that my dress choice might not have been right. We were now having this elegant ceremony in a beautiful room overlooking the city of Boston and I felt like my dress just didn’t measure up. So I started thinking, maybe I made a mistake. But I knew how I felt in the bridal shops when I had put a few of the long dresses on, like I was going to trip at any moment. So I decided that I would keep the short dress for the reception and find a reasonably priced long dress for the ceremony.
Now some people may find this to be over the top but for me, it just happened to fall into place. I love the long puffy dress that I got for the ceremony (and it was such a good deal!) but know that if I was going to have to wear the same long dress the entire time I never would have gotten this dress because I wouldn’t have been able to dance my little heart out all night in it without fear of falling on my behind!
I’m going to save the long dress choice for now…but here is the reception dress…
Photo Credit: Priscilla of Boston
What do you all think? Do you think that the reception dress trend is a new fun wave or do you think it’s over the top and unnecessary?
