To Cake Top.... or NOT to Cake Top

That is the question I've been facing these past few days.  Being a budget bride, you've got to cut here and there.  I mean, do I really need to invest in a cake topper that 0.5 people will even notice, or do I want to invest in 5 other flower displays to place around the room? 

I can't complain, there could be worse things to ponder over like....should I give my kidney to a family member who really needs it?  Or, I may have breast cancer, so should I do chemo or just get a double mastectomy?  If you know me, you know I'd say cut those puppies off.  I hate lugging around 20 lbs of breast everyday.  It's ALOT of work.

To complicate my decision even more, I'm doing a massive cupcake display...NOT a cake.  My fabulous mother in law bought this super cool display from Europe that will form the cupcakes into the shape of a cake.

She has been awesome in bringing my cupcake vision to life down to the metallic gold icing and baby peacock feathers sticking out of each cupcake.  I'm not particular or anything.... ;)

Just when I thought I had made the decision to NOT cake top....I found this......

Fucking awesome.  I know.

And then, I thought perhaps this would be fun....

My fiance is OBSESSED with the fact that his last name starts with an 'X.'  I mean seriously.  It's tattooed all over his body.  So, I know he'd love to have a massive 'X' sitting atop the cake.

So, HELP all of you (cough, cough) 3 readers out there. 

To cake top or NOT to cake top.  That is my question.

Meeting with the florist = Success

So....I totally suck and didn't take pics of our 'rough draft' bouquets, but let me just tell you.  F'ing perfect.  I brought one of the bridesmaid dresses with which was definitely a good call, because seeing the look all come together was just what I needed to see my vision come together! 

A few of the dark purple flowers I choose to make up the bouquet

Not the green part...just the pretty bloom

Then I choose a sweet little green leaf filled stem to bring the look together.  Completing the look, you ask? PEACOCK FEATHERS. I know, you're so surprised.



65 days...ish. Wow.

So, we are down to about 9 weeks and I just can't believe it!!  J and I were laughing the other day about when our countdown began, it was like 40 weeks to go!  We could've gotten knocked up and had a kid by now.  I know, my humor can be quite disturbing.  Just ask my friends.

I haven't updated much lately because I've been super busy with wedding shizzzzz and haven't had time to even think about uploading any pics to show what craftsy crap I've been dabbling with. 

Next post I'll touch on the super fun rehearsal dinner invites.  If you're anything like I was, you're thinking, "What?  We have to come up with yet another damn invitation?"  My solution--simplicity and fun.  Can't wait to show you pics soon!

An update on the wedding planning progress:  Had first dress fitting on my birthday this past week--best present to myself ever!  I was able to meet my alterations gal who wasn't taking any more brides until April, but she squeezed me in.  I used my fab sales skills to swoon her.  She fell for it.  Now, I have the best gal in town.  She eased my anxiety about the final fit and bustle and I'm more excited than EVER to wear my dream dress.  To be honest, I'd been really second guessing myself the past few months about the decision, which is totally in my nature. But slipping it on again and getting some expert advice did the trick.  It's so beautiful and so me and I just can't wait.

This weekend, surprise surprise, hoping to get a few more things checked off the to-do list including finally meeting with the florist.  Can't wait to see how she plans to bring my peacock feather theme to life.  Super stoked. 

And, while I'm on the bandwagon of my 'look'...I'm checking out some jewelry boutiques in the area to see what I can come up with.  Fallback plan if I don't find anything--I've contacted a super neat designer I found on Etsy.com.  Where has Etsy.com been all my life!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, what has my life become.  Wedding, sleep, wine, wedding, work, wine, HDTV, wine, wedding, work, and more wedding.  Sad, but I'm lovin' every second of it.

Tootles ya'all!

Stuffed, stamped and IN THE MAIL.

Thank. God.  We assembled, we drank, we hot glued, we drank, I handwrote every address, I drank, we stamped, we drank, I stuffed and......a celebratory 'drank' is in order for this evening once I drop off the invitations at the POST OFFICE. 

Thanks to all who helped.....the finished product was WELL WORTH all the blood, sweat and tears involved.  Ok, no blood, but it sounds so much more dramatic.

Hope the invit---ees love 'em as much as I do!


A necessity:  booze

Step one:  Cut each ivory sheet of cardstock in half



Short peacock feathers purchased for wholesale price online

Not a must, but my wonderful Madre did iron each piece of ribbon to make sure they were as beautiful as possible 

Step Two:  Hot glue peacock feather FIRST.  Then hot glue the piece of ribbon on the back of gold sheeet on each side

Step three:  Once feather and ribbon are hot glued to gold metallic sheet, using glue dots (purchased from Hobby Lobby), attach the gold sheet to the cut piece of ivory cardstock. 

Then take a break to play the rubber penis circle toss game
(see background)

Matching metallic gold envelopes, purchased online from envelopes.com (Note:  Can't find these suckers in a store)

I'm an animal LOVER (especially rescue animals)  so I had to go with these shelter pet stamps for the invites and reply cards.  I'm also obsessive compulsive, so I hand picked each stamp based on each invitee's personality. 
Now you understand why I drank so much.

Another necessity:  A wonderful team!



Leave me some love and tell me what you think!







These wedding invitations are going to be the death of me.

A few months back I started thinking about the invites and what 'look' I was going for.  I wanted funky, eccentric but classic and elegant at the same time.  While scrolling thru cyberworld I came across this one and FELL. IN. LOVE.

However as my fellow brides know, wedding invitations can put your ass in debt real quick if you don't reign it in.  For instance, this UNASSEMBLED kit would cost approximately $700 for just enough for 100 invitations.  Key word, UNASSEMBLED. 

Needless to say, the decision to take the DIY route for the invites was a very easy one.  On the flip side, if you decide to tackle the mountainous feat of doing each wedding invitation by hand, you better hope you have the following:

• A wonderful mother who is just as crazy as you are to be your support
• Fabulously devoted bridesmaids to help you not stab yourself in the eye with scissors
• Many bottles of cheap ass vino
• TIME, TIME and MORE TIME, like we're talking weeks

Thankfully I had the holidays to get a jumpstart, but this Saturday is D-day. The day where all the girls are coming over, the day where I see these puppies all come together beautifully (notice how I left out the word hopefully) and the day where we consume more wine than a lady should in a months time.  Hopefully we're not throwing glue sticks at one another and strangling ourselves with ribbon at days end.

Wish us luck.  Because believe me, we'll need it. 

Honoring the 'Little Ones' in Your Bridal Party

 

"When I was just a little girl about the size of you
I dreamed one day I'd fall in love and then get married too

So now that I am all grown up about to be a bride

I would love you Addy & Summer to be my flower girls

And be right there by my side"

Now that I'm about 8 months into wedding planning, I have to say, the hardest part has been trying to include everyone we love in some way or another.  We had to get a bit creative when it came down to all the littles ones on my side of the family.  Needless to say, we have lots of tots!

When it came to the flower girls, we decided to have two because I have two darling nephews that are going to be our ring bearers.    For the little one, we choose Summer Rose, I know, so cute!

                                       She's one of the groomsman's little girls. 

We spend alot of time with her and just adore her!  For our second, we choose my little cousin Addy who is 4.  Addy and I have always had a special bond...she totally reminds me of my 'diva' self at her age. 

I have this vision of the older one holding the little ones hand, guiding them down the aisle with big smiles on their faces and beautiful little dresses, perfectly well behaved while all of the guests look on adoringly.  However I'm realistic about the likelyhood of tears, tantrums and crushed oreo cookies plastered to their faces.  Whatever the case, I can't wait to see how the kiddos do!

We asked little Summer at her second birthday party over the summer.  Since the girls are so young, we figured it was their first time being a flower girl so we bought them their very own flower girl basket, of course the same one they'll be carrying down the aisle.  (Let's hope it's not brown by April 23, 2011)

That poem you read was what I used in asking both of the girls. I printed the poem off and for Summer, inserted it into a frame I had decorated.  Pink Pink Pink of course, to match her room. 

For project #1, the materials needed are:  Clear glass frame, pink rhinestone stickers and the inserts were created and printed out on home computer.  Total cost:  $20.

Before

After

The poem you read at the beginning of the post was what I used in asking both of the girls. Found it on the internet & just tweaked it a little bit to my liking.  I then printed the poem off and for Summer, inserted it into this frame in the main part.  In the slot to the right I typed up a little insert that said, "Future Picture of the Flower Girl with the Bride."  At the wedding we'll take a photo together and I'll get it printed out for her to put in the frame.  The decor for the frame had to be Pink Pink Pink to match her adorable room. 

For Addy, we simplified the process so this will give you another option if you don't have the time needed to dedicate to project #1.  Materials needed:  5x7 photo of you with the little one and a printer.  Simple, easy and (keyword) still personalized. 

I printed off the poem and glued it to the back of the photo then slid it into the envelope.  We then wrapped up her little flower girl basket for her to open up.

Darling

Me & Addy with her little sister, Hayden

I have a few other tots that are a few years older than the rest of the brood; Reese & Peyton.  They are both absolutely adorable and very well mannered.  Ok, maybe not Peyton so much...but that just comes with men in general.

  

Beautiful Reese



Rowdy Peyton


  You know how most people think getting assigned to the guestbook is SO lame and they really don't want the duty, but say yes and smile to appease the bride?  Well, we avoided that issue all together.  We decided to switch it up a bit and have the two older kids be our guestbook attendants!  They'll match the rest of the tots which I hope will make them feel special and included.  I know their smiling faces will really bring some 'cheer & cuteness' to the typically boring guest book table, and I'm really excited to have them be a part of our big day!

Signing off for now...tootles!

Peacock Feathers Ordered....Check!

Since the fiance has slowed down at work this winter season (he's the director of golf at a course here in town)...he has been hard at work hunting down the best online deals of the season.  Due to the funky decor for our big day, a few things are only purchase-able online.  Is purchase-able a word...nope, don't think so.

If you've been following my blog you've probably already figured out that our big day decor is centered around the oh so beautiful peacock feather.  I fell in love with the colors; the metallic golds, deep purples and beautiful greens and most of all I fell in love with the eccentric touch the feather will add to many aspects of the decor.  It all started with this beautiful dress that my beautiful bridesmaids are each wearing....the dress totally syncs with all the peacock decor.

Saw it at a runway bridal event....and it was love at first site.  I wanted to be selfish and buy it for myself.  Instead I bought it for each of my gals.  Bari Jay is the designer and got each of them for UNDER $150, freakin' hot and I love 'em.  Check his looks out at http://www.barijay.com/.

For any other peacock brides out there, the fiance and I have scoured every possible feather website you can find out there in cyberspace and decided the cheapest and most legit was http://www.featherplace.com/.  We were able to order 300, yes 300 for only $100 bucks (including shipping).  If we would have purchased at Hobby Lobby or any craft store in town, we would have paid $300 at minimum.  Thank you world wide web.
We are using the feather in several different locations:  A touch in the centerpieces, a few in each bouquet, formal invites and one of my favorite places--the boutonniere.

Love this pic because it features the boutonniere on khaki and we're using khaki suits for the fab men in the bridal party.  (Sidenote:  We found the suits at a local JC Penny Outlet store for under $400 for all FOUR of them, yes you read me correct folks, ALL FOUR OF THEM) 

With the amount of time I've spent scouring the web, i've come across lots of brides asking where the best deals can be found.  I hope with this blog I can help other bride-to-be's save every $$$$$ possible with different tips here and there.  The key is DIY....Do It Yourself.  That time you spend on crafty little wedding projects, working with loved ones & sipping on Vino, is so rewarding not only for your relationships......but for the pocketbook. 

Tootles!