(Source: Wedding Nouveau)

When was the last time you dreamed of mantillas, bull fighters, Catalan, and the essence of Spanish Vogue?  Have a wonderful week.

Spicyhugs,

Fri

Enjoy!

Well, to my complete and utter surprise, our particular church is not only fine with songs like “Here Comes the Bride” and the well-known “Wedding March” recessional by Mendelssohn, but also with plenty of other non-traditional tunes, as well. So, without further ado, here are our picks, which I’m absolutely thrilled about!

Processional

Trumpet Voluntary in D Major

I love this march, “Trumpet Voluntary in D Major,” especially when played on the organ, which we’ll have available at our church.

Bride’s Processional

Wedding Processional from The Sound of Music

After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to walk down the aisle to a revised version of the wedding processional from The Sound of Music, one of my favorite classic plays and movies. I can’t wait to walk to this melody, which we’ll shorten and tweak so that the song doesn’t launch into the “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” portion.

Recessional

The Lord of the Dance

We’ll ask my bridesmaid Gianna, who will be our cantor throughout the ceremony, to sing a couple verses of this song, “The Lord of the Dance,” as we make our joyful walk back down the aisle together.

Which songs will you include?

Having experienced my own engagement and the recent engagements of my friends, plus reading about other’s experiencing in the world of wedding blogs, I’ve quickly learned that engagement rings are a big source of controversy these days.  You have the traditional brides who want the Tiffany & Co. platinum setting, the hipsters and practical brides who want a vintage and/or cruelty free bauble, and the budget minded brides who want something simple that won’t break the bank. There are even some who are on board with men wearing engagement rings as well, to symbolize their equal commitment to their relationship.

But all of this bling controversy begs the question, why have an engagement ring at all?

When I was home for the holidays and visiting one of my best friends from college, her mother stated that she was never given an engagement ring.  In fact, neither my mother nor my MIL ever had engagement rings either.  According to my friend’s mom, their generation, which pioneered the feminist movement, felt that engagement rings were completely unnecessary, and worse, a misogynistic symbol of a man buying a woman.  Why not just have two people make a consenting, adult decision to get married, and then be done with it?

“Well Mom,” my friend replied, “I may not need a man to buy me a diamond, but I’d still like one.”

My friend’s statement is the perfect representation of my generation’s attitudes towards engagement rings.  As woman who grew up in a world where we were taught we are independent, capable, and equal to men, we don’t need a ring to symbolize that we are a man’s property, but most of us still like the tradition of wearing something sentimental and meaningful to us.  We are able to choose how traditional we want to be (through our engagement ring choice and other life choices) because through their rebellion of cultural norms, our mothers paved the way for us to have any opportunity and freedom we desire.

To be honest, my husband and I took a more practical route and had already made a mutual decision to get married and even enroll in marriage classes before we made it “official” by him getting me a diamond ring. And while I love my ring and what it represents, I always found it silly that people still don’t consider you really engaged until you have that ring on your finger.

What are your views on engagement rings? Do you view them as necessary in our current culture? Would you be willing to get engaged if your fiance did not present you with a diamond?

But even though it was very challenging… and even though i was sad that i sucked at it… i’m still looking forward to the next lesson… I want to improve individually and as a team. This being said… well, I’m sure you read FH’s Lesson 1 post… Yes, I am Type A. Yes, I am a control Freak. Yes, I am having a very hard time allowing myself to be lead… Yikes, this is not only physically challenging but i think its more mentally challenging for me!

The lesson started off fun. Deborah, our instructor from The Wedding Dance Specialists, asked “What foot do you lead with?” and I said “My right!” and she said “And do you know why?” and i responded, “Because I am ALWAYS RIGHT!” and she said “YES!!!” and of course we had a good laugh at that.  We did basic positioning of how we should hold each other. We stayed in position as she adjusted our frames and holds, and explained why certain form helped us.  Holding position was hard – i won’t lie, my arms started to get that dull ache LOL (i’m that out of shape!

We brought our first dance song in, and I was a bit tentative when she asked what it was. I love the song “Whatever it is” by Zac Brown Band and the words were just kind of perfect. The beat is great but i just couldn’t see FH and I pulling off a “first dance” that was slow to the song. Within chords of the music being played, Deborah was off… just swaying to the music and doing steps that totally worked! I started to get excited.

So we had two dance options… both of which i thought would be fun, natural and to be honest – kind of sexy… in a non-lewd kind of way… and i kept envisioning myself in my dress dancing with FH to “OUR” song… and I couldn’t stop smiling.

But now here’s the hard part. I couldn’t do the basic fundamentals. I mean the circling was really hard. But i felt awkward doing the basics. I don’t know why, maybe i felt self-conscious? Maybe I was afraid of doing it wrong? Whatever it was, i felt a little off. And then when we put the two of us together, I just could NOT follow… i could not “let go” … it was sooooo hard!

All in all, Deborah says we did well. She said we didn’t have any breakdowns in communications and that neither one of us lost “it”. I think its because whatever “it” is, we didn’t have “it” in the first place LOL… but seriously, she gave us a decent grade on our first lesson but i felt like it was all FH. I mean, with a smile and an open mind – he did EVERYTHING she asked. He didn’t shy away from a single move and just kept trying. I was super impressed with how willing he was to make this work. And the fact that Deborah told him that this is something he can do – he truly believes her. I do too!… But now i feel like, I’m the obstacle.

So my BIGGEST lesson to learn is to let go … and I have a feeling if i do let go on the dance floor – this is a couple’s hobby that FH may be willing to further explore even post-wedding. So i’ve got a lot riding on this… b/c i really think that not just on the dance floor but in certain general life issues – i need to let go and not be so controlling, i’ve just always had a hard time with that…

So wish me luck as we get ready for our next dance lesson… I pray that I can be mentally more open like FH is! WHO KNEW he’d be teaching me something about dancing!!!

Stay tuned for our next posts and read the rest of the He Said, She Said Series!

At Davids Bridal, round 1, I tried on about 7 dresses and posted the pictures on my facebook. I tried to post them here but the picture size was too large and I’m unsure how to resize them properly. My family and friends commented on all of them and all liked a specific dress that ran about $500, over my price range but decent considering the average price for a wedding dress nowadays is around $15,000! There was another dress that no one liked aside from myself, my fiance, and an aunt in Michigan.

This past week I decided to put dresses from my mind. I was begining to get confused and overwhelmed by too much choice and style. But then I saw an ad on TV that Davids Bridal was having a $99 sale until the 22nd of March.  So I figured that I’d at least check it out though I doubted very much that I’d find anything to my liking and read many rants over how badly many brides were treated at these sales in various states and stores.

Today I went ot David’s Bridal, after snatching up one of the few open appointment positions. The place was PACKED! Not only was it the sale but it is also prom season, which is madness in any store offering satin and tulle and sequins. Luckily, I had the aid of 2 sales persons back and forth in between myself and many other clients. Still thinking I wouldn’t find anything, I was very patient and casual with everyone.

I grabed 5 dresses from the sale area, sized 12-16 which didn’t have many in that size catagory. One I liked alright but looked more like an overgrown flower girl dress, the others desired more bust than I have and the last was an old friend from before: the dress no one but myself, my fiance and an aunt in Michigan liked.

Style No: T9391

It was a size 12, a lil small and unable to zip up completely, but perfect all the same. Marked down from $549, it was over $400 off! I had several sales attendants inform me how lucky I would be if I bought it.

The issue was the alterations. I am 5 ft tall, the dress is made for a woman at about 5′8″. David’s Bridal’s alterations people charge $95 just to cut off and serge the hem! Then there was the fact that only this version of the dress was on sale, all other sizes come in the original $549 and I don’t fit in a size 12 easily, I really need a 16 to be honest. The alterations person said they could put a corset back and that would fix the issue of it not zipping all the way up but…the corset addition is $99 plus $40 for the cord for the corset…adding up, with the cost of the dress on sale, about $340 not counting tax. Now this is still about $200 less than if I bought the dress in my size mind you…

My mother is paying for the dress and said to me before going into the store, “if you find something you love then I will give you my card number over the phone so you can go ahead and get it.” Wow, right? However, my generous mother wasn’t too keen on the $240 in alterations and kept asking, isn’t there a dress that FITS that can cost the same or does this HAVE to be the one?

In the end, we bought the dress (I was crying and it scared my fiance and my saleswoman) and I’m calling around at other alterations people in the area to get a price comparison about the hemline. Surely it costs less than $100 to cut off fabric and hem it?

What about the corseting? It isn’t needed if I can lose some burdensome weight, which I need to loose anyways. I have until August 1st to loose weight, after that, if I need alterations, I need to turn it in to have it done by the time I leave for New Orleans. So now I’m going to work out  diet and excersize plan, which I will post on here once I figure it out.

Mom asked me what condiments (accessories) I was thinking about. I’m thinking, since the dress has an art deco feel and we’re leaning towards 1920’s in New Orleans, I’m going to get a flower an feather hair comb, some flats or short pumps, a beaded handbag, and long strands of pearls. I’ll post as I get them.

So now the dress is hanging in its bag in my closet and I’m in love with it. Tomorrow I put it back on to show some of my fiance’s family and take some detailed photos for those out there that can’t stand the idea of me in that particular dress lol!

(Photo: blog.favorsinthecity.com)

I didn’t grow up with the technology of computers (at least not in the advanced way they are used now for education and communication) but even still, I can’t imagine my life as it is now without having access to the world wide web. How on earth would I even plan my wedding? I live in a city that is 16 hours away from where my wedding is taking place. Over the past 15 months of planning, I’ve utilized e-mail and search engines and product reviews in order to contract practically everything relating to my wedding. Sure, I read a lot of magazines and books to gain the necessary knowledge to plan my own wedding, but I’ve found it to be extremely helpful that I have the ability to extend that research on a product’s website, or to reach out to fellow brides on message boards and blogs, thereby benefitting from direct advice and ideas. In a way, I truly feel like the wedding I’m having is only made possible because of the internet. Here are some of the ways in which the Internet has been of assistance during my planning process…

• I discovered our photographer via a fan page on Facebook and then also contacted and booked her through Facebook.
• I found our florist by browsing through real wedding photos on a vendor-recommendation website. When one bride’s flower photos caught my eye, I looked up the florists’ website and consulted with and booked them entirely via email.
• I scheduled our venue visitation via email. Once we visited it in person and decided to hold our wedding there, I’ve since consulted with the coordinator entirely via email and even accepted and signed the contract over email.
• I’ve ordered several accessories - including the cake topper, garters, wedding guest “book”, and decor – through money-saving websites like Ebay and Amazon.
• I created a blog on Get Married’s Blogger Brides site, which has been extremely beneficial for both documenting my wedding as well as sharing ideas and getting fresh perspectives on how we can make our own wedding unique. I’ve also picked up countless etiquette tips just by searching through these forums.
• I created and currently maintain our budget and guest list entirely on a free wedding website. It saves me the hassle of having to keep track of all these loose papers, and this way I can also access this information no matter where I’m at.
• We self-designed our save-the-dates at home, then ordered them to be printed on magnets through a cost-effective printing website we found online.
• We created a personalized wedding website that shares valuable information with guests. This way the wedding details are always right at their fingertips… and I don’t have to constantly repeat the same information.
• I located several wedding cake designers via google search and we were able to narrow down our choices based on the information I found on the bakers’ websites. I then booked cake-tasting appointments entirely via email after communication with each baker entirely via email, even getting price quotes based on example photos I found in google searches and blogs!
• Our home-made wedding invitations were inspired by browsing thousands of examples through google searches and blogs. We’ll also be ordering all of the supplies and paper online through an affordably priced paper website.
• I am able to keep up with the latest in unique ideas and giveaway contests through newsfeeds on Facebook and Twitter.
• I’ve downloaded dozens of podcasts through iTunes to listen to wedding advice and tips while I’m on the go and don’t have the time to read.
• I’ve attended Bridal Shows that I was notified about through e-mail advertising.
• I’ve narrowed the search for my wedding gown by perusing designer websites, and have been able to locate stores that sell these dresses and price compare, all thanks to the internet!

This list makes me wonder how entirely different the outcome of my wedding would be if the internet didn’t exist. Would I be spending a lot more money because I’m not able to easily price compare? Would I have as much fun with the planning process if I had limited capability to access the endless ideas I’ve found on blogs and websites? It’s no wonder I’m so addicted to the Internet these days… it’s truly been my source of inspiration! I wonder, how did anyone plan a wedding before the Internet was so widespread and relied upon?!

(Photo: CartoonStock.com)

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to plan your wedding without the Internet? Just how much do you rely on email and social networking to make your wedding dreams a reality?

I saw these origami wedding decorations and I thought they looked really neat. Then, I read the significance behind them and I was hooked.

Origami Wedding Decorations

According to an old Japanese tradition (“sembazuru”), the Bride and Groom are supposed to make 1,000 cranes before the wedding.

Making the cranes brings the couple together and signifies the ideal values for a happy marriage: love, patience, tolerance, understanding, etc.

I guess the couple who folds together, grows together?

Although this would take a lot of time and effort, I think the project would be fun and a beautiful display of our love. A thousand cranes also signifies happiness, prosperity and can even grant wishes!

Some more information on the tradition:

http://www.lisashea.com/japan/origami/sales/history/wedding.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thousand_origami_cranes

Enjoy!

So, what better way to celebrate the happiest time of my life than by throwing my bachelorette party at the Happiest Place on Earth?! I truly can’t think of anything that could be more fun, so this April, that’s exactly what we’ll be doing. Not having been to Disneyland in well over a year, I can’t wait to hit the park, pick up my own cute pair of Minnie Mouse bride ears, and ride the day away with the girls!

What about you, ladies? How will you or did you celebrate being a bachelorette?

Are you a Disneyland or Disney World fan? Which rides do you love best? My all-time favorite is Big Thunder Railroad!

(Photo Credit: Disney)

I don’t have a photo of this item, but I will have a blue brooch that was a piece of Mr Fix It’s mothers costume jewelry attached to my bouquet.  She passed away long before Mr Fix It and I met when he was in his 30’s.  I know he really misses her.  So when we were going through some old boxes at his place and he came across a bunch of her old jewelry and asked if I wanted any of it, I immediately saw the brooch and told him that I would be using this somehow on our wedding day

So let’s hear it girls…are you willing to share your ’somethings’ from your big day?

A TREMENDOUS thank you to all of our wonderful sponsors and friends who made our event so special!

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?

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.

Stay tuned for my next post and if you want to read prior posts, click here!

Loving these ideas:

All images by Mary Swenson

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)