Centerpieces: Table Numbers

I've been trying to figure out what to do with the centerpieces.  Well, I came across something on the Thoughts of the All Consumed Bride blog that I fell in love with:

I think it's perfect!  Anyway, that blog directed me to the Shooting for a $3,000 Wedding blog which had more specific instructions.  The directions still weren't completely clear, but I knew I could figure it out.  

I already had some Dollar Tree frames laying around.  So, I went to Michael's to find some vellum.  I went with Recollections Translucent Specialty Paper.  I also picked up a few other items for some other projects.  ;)

Anyway, when I got home, I printed up two 4x6 black and white photos and a 4x6 table number (all on 1 sheet of paper -- that stuff isn't cheap!).  Then I cut them out.  I used the hot glue gun to attach the photos to the frames.  

Then I had to figure out how to attach the frames.  I was going to use L-brackets but I didn't have any laying around.  So, I used duct tape.  I'll probably pick up some L-brackets later to replace the duct tape, but for now, it worked.  

It seems to be relatively stable.  And it definitely looks nice as it is.  I put a tealight (in a glass holder) in the center of the frames.  And, here it is:

I tried to take pictures in the dark and in the light but the pictures do not do it justice.  It looks fantastic.  :)  This will be a definite addition to our tables.  And, the one that I did tonight only took about 20 minutes.  That's including the time it took for brainstorming how to put the thing together and to find the duct tape!  So, I think that when I'm prepared and get an assembly line going, these should a very quick project!

Tealight Candle Comparison

I am using tealights as a part of my centerpieces.  I don't want to have to spend a ton of money on them.  So I, of course, went to Dollar Tree.  I found two options.

First, Luminessece unscented white tealight candles in a 16 count bag.  Of course, they were a dollar.   

The other option was an 8 count box of Luminessence vanilla tealights.  Again, a dollar.  

I tried them out tonight.  I wanted to determine how long they would last.  I wanted to see if I could get away with paying half the price.  

The 16 count bag candles only lasted about 2 hours.  They definitely will not last for the amount of time that I need for the reception.  The 8 count bag candles lasted about 5 hours.  That's more like it!  

I know you might be tempted for tealights at half the cost, but unless you want to be lightless at 2 hours in or have to replace all of the tealights in the middle of your reception, I think it's best to use the 8 count box. 

Of course, I'm going to continue to look for deals.  Maybe I'll find some tealights that will last even longer or for less money.  We will see! 

Centerpieces revisited

I've been working on a centerpiece mock-up lately.  I still haven't come up with anything that I really like, but I'm not giving up.  I have an idea, but I'm having some trouble deciding the small details.  

First, I'm using these:

on top of these:

I'm going to use hot glue to attach them (I'm thinking of turning the holders upside down  for a different look).  These will be used for the baby's breath.   There will be two of these on each table.  This is where I'm having some difficulty.  I don't know what to put in the vase under the flowers.  I'm not sure if I should leave it empty or if there should be something else in the vase.  Ideas?

Next, I'm putting these:

on top of these:

and put these in them:

So that they will look like this (the top part, at least):

Again, I"ll be putting them together with hot glue.  There will be two of these on each table as well.  I think I will leave these plain.  There's not really any need to add anything in with the votive candles. 

Next up are the table numbers.  There will only be one of these on each table.  I'm going to use our engagement photos for them.  They will look similar to this:

Or this:

There will be a photo on either side of a piece of cardstock.  I'm not sure how I'm going to hold it up yet though.  I still have time to figure that out though.

Next up, tealights.  I'm using these:

The ones that I'm using are in the top right or the left middle (the plain round ones).  I wanted something simple that went along with the look of the rest of the table.  I think they work nicely. 

And underneath all of that, I'll be using a navy colored table runner (on top of ivory colored tablecloths).  I think we are going to be getting our tablecloths from our caterer but we'll be getting our napkins and our table runners from http://www.linentablecloth.com. 

Of course I'll take some photos as soon as I have finalized the look.  Hopefully that will be soon.  I'm waiting for inspiration to strike.  I'll be sure to blog about it as soon as it does!  With photos, of course!

The Dye Disaster

I bought some tulle (for the chair sashes) and some fabric rose petals (for the Flower Girl) from Dollar Tree.  They were both white.  I wanted them in navy blue, but it's a whole lot cheaper to buy them from DT and dye them.  Or so I thought.

I bought some liquid Rit dye and tried the machine wash directions.  I was terrified because the dye looked purple.  But, I went ahead with the instructions. 

All did not end well.  I ended up with lavender colored petals and tulle.  They look really pretty, but they're not what I was going for!  

So, I looked up how I should really dye these flower petals.  I found instructions on the DT website here (FYI: that's how my petals actually look!  ha!).  The Dollar Tree website actually has a lot of helpful information and ideas for weddings (and other events!). 

Anyway, I'm going to pick up some more dye tomorrow and give it another go.  Hopefully take two will end better than take one!  But, hey.  At least I managed to not get any dye on myself (but my washing machine looks like and Easter egg -- hopefully a bleach cycle will take care of that!). 

SIX!

Six months to go until our wedding day!  Holy cow!  Where does the time go??

I have a few more projects in the works.  I did a Dollar Tree run on Tuesday night after work.  I found some cool things and came up with some new project ideas.  I'll be blogging about them a little later.  :)  

I'm most excited about a basket I found at Dollar Tree.  It's so adorable.  I'm going to make a few changes and turn it into the flower girl basket (photos later!).  

We are thisclose to ordering the bridesmaid dresses.  As I said before, it's down to 2 dresses.  Once the decision is made, then we'll just have to get the measurements of the girls and put in the order.  I just wish the decision would get made!  

We got the tent reserved this week (along with the tables and chairs).  I think that was the last major vendor we had left to find.  We decided to go with Hess Tent Rental.  

My mom, my FMIL, Philip's aunt (our on-site lady!), and I have been emailing back and forth to nail down all the details to make sure we're not forgetting anything.  It's been very helpful.  

I think I may have changed my mind about the centerpieces.  I'm going to do a mock-up tonight and see what I like.  

The invitations are coming along.  I've got a few of the inserts completed.  I need to get some photos so that I can show you all.  :)

Anyway, with six months to go, I'm feeling really good about where we're at in the planning.  I'll blog about some of the projects I've got completed a little later today when I can get photos done!  

Honeymoon Itinerary

Philip and I have been working diligently on planning our honeymoon.  We now have a tentative itinerary.  We are flying into Rome, but we will not be spending our entire honeymoon there (even though we could!  I love Rome!).  

Once we arrive in Rome, we will spend 2 days there (September 26-27).  The first day will be spent exploring on our own.  The second day will be spent touring the Colosseum and other hot spots in Ancient Rome.  

On day three , we are taking the train to Florence.  We will spend two days there (September 28-29) exploring and visiting museums.  We definitely plan to see the Uffizi and the Accademia to see David (before I saw it for the first time, I thought that it was overrated -- now I can't let Philip leave Italy without seeing it; it's amazing!).  

On day five, we are taking the train to Venice.  When I was there in 2008, I thought it was seriously overrated.  It was smelly and crowded.  However, Philip really wants to see the city.  And, I know I'll have much more fun with Philip than the class that I went with.  Besides, it will probably be better since I'll actually get to experience the "romance" of the city with Philip. We are going to spend 2 days (September 30-October 1) here exploring all that the city has to offer.  

On the 6th night, we are taking the night train to Naples.  We plan to spend a day (October 2) exploring Naples.  We want to see the castles and the coast and visit the world's oldest pizzeria, Antica Pizzeria Port'Alba.  The following day (October 3), we plan to visit Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius.  I've heard that it's overrated, but it's something we have to see while we're there.  

On the ninth day (October 4), we will return by train to Rome.  We will tour the Vatican and see anything else we have left to see in Rome.  We fly back to the states on the morning of October 5th.  

Phew!  It's going to be exhausting.  But, we are going to have a fantastic time!  

My Dress: Update

With all of the attire updates I've done, I felt I should give a wedding dress update!

 

We found the dress on January 24th (long before all of these other attire decisions!).  It was a lot of trial and error but we knew that we had found the perfect one.  :)  The bridal shop told us that it would take 10 days to 16 weeks (or 112 days, or 4 months).  *Sigh*  

 

I was hoping to be closer to the 10 days than the 112 days.  I knew it was unlikely.  We're currently at 55 days in. 

 

Well, Friday, my mom sent me an email.  I got excited by the subject line (The Dress) and the first line (Greta's called me.).  If you don't remember, Greta's is the name of the dress shop where we bought my dress.

 

I, of course, immediately jump to the conclusion that my dress is finally in.  Then I read the rest of the email.  They were just calling to let my mom know that they had received the payment.  *Sigh again*

 

However, they did tell my mom that the dress is scheduled to arrive in early May.  That burst my bubble.  It's definitely a lot closer to the 112 day mark than I wanted to be, but at least we have an ETA now!  

 

Ahhh!  I just can't wait for the dress to arrive.  I want to see it and try it on and just touch it!  I can't wait to get any alterations done and see it in it's final glory.  It's going to be beautiful and perfect.  I just know it!  Most of all, I really cannot wait to see the look on Philip's face when I walk down the aisle.  And, we're getting ever closer to that day.  Only 188 days to go until the wedding (and since it's almost midnight here, I'm going to go ahead and say that it's actually 187 days to go)!!

Mother of the Bride Dress

While we're updating attire decisions, I'd like to mention that my mom (MOB) has made a decision for her dress!  She's also going with Alfred Angelo.  They have a collection specifically for mothers.  It's a separates collection (tops with skirts instead of complete dresses).  

She decided on the top from this photo:

Alfred Angelo 6573

And the bottom (the skirt) from this photo:

Alfred Angelo 7161 (skirt is MSKTFZ)

The color she chose is Eggplant.  I know that she's going to look beautiful in it!  It's all coming together.  I can't wait until the wedding day.  I really want to see how everyone's attire comes together!  We are all going to look fabulous!  :)

Groomsmen's Attire

While the bridesmaids' attire has been slightly complicated, the groomsmen's attire was decided pretty early on.  We wanted something simple.  We knew we were going to have an outdoor wedding, so we didn't want to have the guys wearing tuxedos.  Besides, Philip isn't really a tuxedo kind of guy -- he's a t-shirt and cargo shorts kind of guy.

So, we decided on a simple, white, button-down dress shirt with khaki pants:

(Source)

(Source)

(Source)

Obviously our groomsmen won't be wearing purple or orange ties.  I'm thinking about having the groomsman wear navy blue striped ties like these:

(Source)

(Source)

And then having PHilip wear a solid navy tie, like this one:

(Source)

The only complication with the groomsman/groom attire is trying to find a tie that will closely match the color of the bridesmaid dresses.  Alfred Angelo only makes dresses, no ties.  But, I'm sure we'll figure that out.  It will be much easier once I have the BM dresses in my possession!  Then I can find a color match much easier!  :)

Bridesmaid Dresses

There are just over 6 months left to go until the wedding.  And, we still don't have a bridesmaid dress decision.  It's driving me crazy.  

I left that up to my MOH (and sister) to decide.  My only stipulation was that the dress be navy.  I wanted to give her a chance to find a dress that she felt comfortable in, could possibly wear again, and be within a price range that she was comfortable with.  Maybe I should have just picked something and made her get it.  ;)

Last weekend, she went with my mom to do a little more dress shopping (we did some searching in December/January as well).  She found 2 dresses that she liked.  

This is Alfred Angelo 7056.  She really liked it.  I like it, too.  It would be in navy and ivory instead of the purple and magenta colors shown.  I think it's really cute on her.  It's not overly formal and it's something she could wear again.

This is Alfred Angelo 7044 (no pics of her in it though).  Again, it would be in navy and ivory.  This one is also cute.  It's a similar shape to the one above, so I think it probably looks nice on Tonya, too.  

I do have a few concerns, though.  First of all, the AA website makes the navy color look almost royal blue.  I do NOT want royal blue.  I did a few Google image searches, though, and found some photos of the dresses on actual bridesmaids and the navy looks like navy.  So, that eases my mind a bit.

My other concern is price.  I really didn't want to have my bridesmaids have to fork out a bunch of dough for the dresses.  The dress shop my sister went to was really pricey.  I did a little searching online and found them for a bit cheaper at http://www.plussizebridal.com (don't be fooled by the name; they carry all sizes!).  

I have to figure out if Tonya is set on these dresses now or if she wants to keep looking.  Either way, I'd like to get dresses ordered by the end of the month!  **Fingers Crossed**

If she is set on these dresses, I may try to pay for half of the dresses for the girls.  I've only got 2 bridesmaids, so it wouldn't be overly expensive to help out.  We will see!  

Wedding Registries

(Source)

If only that were a possibility, right?  ;)  But, kidding aside, registries are hard.  I don't know what to put on them.  I've been on my own for years now so I've already accumulated a lot of stuff I need for our home.  

Plus, I kind of feel awkward about it.  It's like I'm asking for gifts when I'm doing the registry.  I don't want people to think that they have to give us gifts.  But, all of the etiquette things say to do at least 2 registries to make it easier on the people who do want to buy you gifts.  

So, a lot of the stuff on our registry is the upgraded version of whatever we've already got.  I don't know what all kinds of things are supposed to go on a registry, so I think ours might be a little strange.  I don't know.  There's just only so many dishes you can register for before you get bored.  ;)

Also, I'm supposed to put smaller things on there for people to get me for a bridal shower gift.  I don't know what to put!  Who knew registries were so complicated!?  Any ideas for me to put on there?  Any help is greatly appreciated!

Flights!

Last night (well, technically very early this morning), Philip and I booked our flights.  We will be flying from Denver to Philadelphia on Thursday, September 22nd.  Then we'll spend Friday getting everything set up.  Friday evening we will have our rehearsal dinner.  And Saturday will be the wedding!  :)  

Then on Sunday evening, we will be on a flight headed for ROME!  It's so exciting!  After an eight and a half hour flight, we will arrive in Rome on Monday morning.  We will spend TEN days in Italy before flying back to the states on Wednesday, October 5th.  After a 10 hour and 45 minute flight, we have a 2 hour layover in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Then we have another hour and 40 minute flight to Indianapolis.  We will arrive in Indy at about 7:25pm.  

Then it's off to my parents' house in northern Indiana.  We will spend a few days relaxing with them and then they are having a party for us at their house on Saturday for the friends and relatives who couldn't make it to the wedding in Pennsylvania. 

Then it's back to Colorado on Sunday, October 9th!  Phew!  It's going to be an exhausting few weeks, but I know it will definitely be worth it!  :)

Photoworks is closing!

Some of you may remember that I ordered the photos for my STD magnets from PhotoWorks.  Well, the company is closing down on April 4th.  I am so glad I got my photos ordered in time!  Until then, they are offering 25% off everything on the website (code: LASTCHANCE).  Some stuff (like 12x12 photo books!) is 75% off!  

Also, if you have a current account with PhotoWorks, you can transfer all of your photos to Shutterfly and receive a $30 credit on your Shutterfly account!  I have used Shutterfly before and I know that they do a great job!  Also, I had thought about doing a photo book as our guest book, so I may use the credit I get for Shutterfly on that!  Woo hoo!  :)

Hurry though!  Remember, the company is closing down on April 4th.  And, you've only got until May 2nd to transfer your photos or they will be deleted (and you can't get the $30 Shutterfly credit!).  

Earthquake

In the mess of wedding planning, I know that some of us get caught up and forget about what is truly important in life.  Yes, the weddings that we are planning are important.  But don't forget about why we are planning this wedding in the first place.  It is to bring together all of the people we love to help us celebrate the joining of two people.  

Don't let dresses or invitations or bridal showers get in the way of friendships or families.  After all, you never know how much time you have on this earth.  You can't predict when something like this is going to happen:

Be thankful for all that you have.  Remember what is really important.  Remember to enjoy life and tell the people you care about that you love them.  You never know if you'll have another chance.  And keep those in Japan and the areas affected by the tsunamis afterwards in your thoughts and prayers.  

Finished Map Insert (Seriously this time!)

So, I did a little more tweaking on the map insert for the pocketfold invitations.  I increased the font size (so people don't have to bring a magnifying glass with them to read the map!).  And, here is the finished product:

Of course, the blog shrinks it a little bit to fit the entry window.  I think if you click the picture of the map, it should blow the photo up so you can see how big it will actually be (4.5"x5.75").  It will be the biggest of the inserts.  I want to make sure the map is clear!  Well, what do you think?

Map Insert: Finished!

I put the finishing touches on the map insert when I got home from work today.  This is what I've got:

 

I might have to do a little more tweaking to make the font a little larger.  I don't want people to go blind trying to read the map!  What do you think?

Shoes, Revisited

I've done some more searching for shoes.  I think I'm closer to deciding what I want than I was a few months ago.  I am certain that I will order from Amazon.  I'm a Prime member, so I get free 2-day shipping.  Also, I get free returns.  

That's a big deal for me.  I can't seem to find any shoes in stores that I like but I'm terrified of buying shoes online (it's difficult for me to find shoes that fit!).  So, since I can return things to Amazon for free if they don't fit, it eases my mind.  Especially since I know that Amazon returns are super easy.

Anyway, that certainly narrowed my search (thankfully!).  I limited my Amazon search to prime eligible, navy colored shoes made of man-made materials (no leather -- they have to be animal friendly).  That still left a whole lot of options!  Here are a few of my favorites:

(Source)

 These are probably my least favorite.  They are cute, but I think I want something a little more feminine.  The rivets might be a little too much for me.  However, they are only $21.99 -- great deal!  

(Source)

These are super cute and fun looking.  However, they have a 5 inch heel.  That almost surely spells disaster for my walk down the aisle.  ;)  These are a fantastic deal at $16.00 a pair (wow!) but I'm thinking they're probably not right for me.  

(Source)

These are a lot like what I pictured.  However, I'm concerned about the color.  They say that they're navy, but if they are true to the color on my computer screen, they seem to be more royal blue... not what I want.  These are a little more expensive, but still very reasonable at $34.50 a pair.  These are definitely in the running.

(Source)

(Source)

These shoes are a little plain, but if I got these, I would jazz them up a bit with a pearl brooch (I plan to wear pearls, have a pearl tiara, and also have my BMs wear pearls!) on each shoe.  These shoes are a little more expensive at $34.99.  The brooches I found are on eBay for $2.85 a piece.  So, the shoes still wouldn't be that expensive.  These are also in the running!  

(Source)

 These are really cute.  These are something that I would normally wear (when I actually wear heels).  I'm trying to decide if that is a good thing or not.  I'm not sure if it's a good thing because I would be comfortable or if it's a bad thing because I should step outside the box for my wedding shoes.  These shoes are great at $27.60 a pair.  

(Source)

I really like these shoes.  Again, they're similar to something I would normally wear, but they've also got some cute, feminine touches (the bow!).  They've also got just a little bit of bling.  The heels are only 2 1/2 inches, too, so they shouldn't be too uncomfortable!  And, these puppies are a steal at $21.38. 

*Sigh*  So many options.  And all so cute.  Thoughts?

Wedding Party

I realized as I was blogging about the DIY canvas totes that I haven't said much about our actual wedding party.  So, here goes!

Philip and I are having a small wedding party.  We each only have two attendants.  First up is Richard.  He is the best man.  He and Philip have been friends for years.  They went through the awkward high school years together (seriously.  I really mean awkward! I'm still trying to convince Philip to let me use some of those photos in our wedding photo album!).   Thankfully, he seems to have kept Philip out of trouble in his early years.  ;)  He's currently in the military and we are very proud of him.  :)

Roger is a groomsman.  Like Richard, Philip and Roger have been friends since high school. In fact, all three of them were friends.  Philip and Roger (and Roger's wife!) were housemates for a while as well.  Despite the 1,600 mile difference between them, they are still video game buddies.  ;)

Tonya is the maid of honor.  She is my only sister.  She's three years younger than I am.  She's been there for me through thick and thin despite the fact that we couldn't be more different!  I once wrote adoption papers for her in crayon when we were wee little.  She's still a bit sensitive about that.  But, she's still agreed to stand up with me on our big day!  I'm just hoping that she's not so gorgeous that she overshadows the bride.  ;)

Aileen is a bridesmaid.  We met in college.  We were in a lot of the same classes together.  We once tried to have a girls night but it didn't work out.  We didn't know what to do!  We ended up inviting the guys!  The fact that neither of us is very girly is just one of the many things that bonded us together.  She's also the reason for my second trip out of the country!  A group of friends and I visited her (and her now fiance) in South Korea.  It was an interesting trip!

Our flower girl is the daughter of Philip's aunt and uncle.  She's cute as a button.  She is sweet and beautiful and I was so excited when she agreed to the duty!  She is a little on the older end of the typical flower girl, but we knew that there was no one else we would want more for the position!  Thankfully, she was really excited that we asked and agreed to be our flower girl.  I am so looking forward to seeing the dress that she (and her mother!) choose for the big day!  I know that she will look absolutely lovely.  :)

We don't have a ring bearer (we don't actually have any male friends or relatives that age!).  I've actually been toying with the idea of having Jack, our oldest pup, be the ring bearer.  He's sure cute enough to be the ring bearer!  And I know that our flower girl would absolutely love getting to bring Jack down the aisle (obviously!  she can't help but hold him every time we visit!)!  

Can't you just picture the flower girl walking Jack down the aisle?  My heart melts thinking about it! 

Well, there you have it!  These wonderful people make up our wedding party.  And, there are no other people who could possibly fill those shoes!