Seeing as I won’t be around tomorrow (or in any condition to anything other than don my sweatpants and recover from the inevitable food coma that will ensue) I thought I’d wish you a Happy Thanksgiving a day early!
Can’t wait for that dessert table! MMM!
{Images: Wedding Cake Jamee Photography via The White Aisle. Cake Table from Martha Stewart Weddings 2007 via Brooklyn Bride.}
This morning I have another guest post from Janine!
#5 A Penny Saved, A Penny Earned Goes Toward Something Else
Most likely while planning your wedding you are trying to cut costs in some places so you can put those savings toward other areas. The wedding cake is a great place to do that. I had 3 desires for our wedding cake – inexpensive, pretty, and tasty. If you desire the same, then know that you can have your cake, and eat it too! (I had to write that, sorry!) It’s important to research the designs and flavors of cakes out there by either web surfing or visiting bakeries in your area. Simply gather ideas from everywhere possible and use these inspirations to create your own delicious dessert – while sticking to a sensible budget!
After doing some research on the web I found April Reed! She makes absolutely beautiful cakes but they were definitely out of my budget! I visited a great bakery in the area of our reception venue, which we ultimately ended up working with, and showed them the picture of the cake that I fell in love with online. For about 60% less in cost, our cake was everything we wanted it to be! Going with a local, less-expensive hometown bakery, instead of a high-priced bake shop, afforded us the ability to order our favorite gelato tartufos to serve along with the wedding cake. We also took advantage of the oldest trick in the book to cut even more costs – our wedding cake smaller in size and we ordered extra sheet cakes made of the same flavors. Unless guests actually go the kitchen to see the cakes being sliced and plated, they have no idea what cake their piece actually came from!
#6 DIY or Bust
It’s easy to see by all of the details described and pictured on this blog that Manders and the Fiance are Queen and King of this 6th “take-away”. By the time their wedding arrives they will have truly mastered the art of do-it-yourself projects that look anything but homemade. If you have the time and creative ability, then you will have no problem doing an entire project yourself, but, even adding just one DIY aspect to a project can go a long way. You ultimately get what YOU want, and you pay a lot less!
Our thank you gift for our wedding guests were Bucks County Coffee 12 ounce ground coffee bags (Dulce de Sol to be exact), nestled next to a “Rainbow Wood Spoon” which is truly a wooden work of art (and the perfect measurement tool to make a pot of coffee)! I designed the coffee bag label using just Microsoft Word, and I printed the label on weatherproof label sheets ordered from OnlineLabels. I have to thank my mom for packaging each of these favors. She put them in clear, flat bottom cello bags and surrounded by chocolate brown crinkle cut paper shred (also purchased online) — my parents still have an entire box of this shred left which is very slowly dwindling down. Each gift was finished off with a lavender bow!
Along with the coffee, our guests were greeted at the end of the night by a “Breakfast to Go” table which consisted of a display of fresh, individually wrapped bagels and shmears, which were delivered on the wedding day with our cake and gelato tartufo desserts. Also there for the taking were copies of the local weekend newspaper that the guests could enjoy the following morning with their coffee favor and bagel treats. The groom played a very important role the day before the wedding which was waiting for the delivery of newspapers at his home - and then bagging each one so no one would get inky! These are just a few of the many projects, where we got our hands a little dirty, that made our wedding day everything we hoped it would be!
Thank you so much Janine for sharing your gorgeous wedding day and all of your tips and projects! (I think I may have to steal your Breakfast-To-Go idea for my own wedding! YUM!) And Congratulations again on your First Anniversary!
Janine is back with two more experiences to share!
#3 Go Green (or Purple?)
Now more than ever everyone is talking about “Going Green”, and there’s no reason why a wedding can’t incorporate this ideal. For centerpieces, bouquets, reception decorations, etc., try to use items that will stay around forever (or at least won’t be tossed in the dumpster after Donna Summer’s “Last Dance” plays at the end of the night).
Lavender has always held some special meaning to my family. Which meant dried lavender and dried cranberry-colored roses made perfect sense for us instead of fresh flowers — and for so many reasons. First, they cost less than fresh flowers. Second, they were “season appropriate”. And third, they had longevity! The folks at Peace Valley Lavender Farm in Doylestown, PA (peacevalleylavender.com) created beautiful bouquets, boutonnières, purse corsages for the moms, Church decorations, a special flower girl bell decked out in lavender, and most importantly, arrangements for the dinner tables and for throughout the reception area. Because everything was dried, we were able to transfer all the girls’ bouquets to vases after the wedding, and we gave the dried lavender and rose arrangements to our bridal party and family members as holiday gifts. The arrangements made great keepsakes as well as great additions to home décor! The best part is there was no waste because unlike fresh flowers, nothing got thrown out at the end of the night!
#4 Christian Louboutin Who? You be the Designer!
As a previous Buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue, I, like most women, have a love for beautiful shoes, clothes, handbags… that being said, wedding day fashion was a must!
Every bride has her own “fashion focus”, and mine was on The Shoes and The Veil. Oh, The Shoes! Originally, I bought 3 ½ inch Swarovski crystal-detailed peep-toe heels. They were magnificent, but, they also hurt – a lot. So, about 2 months before the wedding, I returned them and started over. Far from Saks or Neimans, I found my dream shoes at Target for about $30. They were Isaac Mizrahi if it makes any difference (don’t think so though). I took a spin to the great Albert Zoll, Inc. (albertzoll.com) in Philadelphia’s Fabric Row and found a gorgeous 2-piece Swarovski crystal brooch. Long story very short, I asked my local jeweler to remove the under-clasps on each side of the brooch — my mom attached the crystal brooches to the shoes using fabric glue and clear fishing wire. The shoes were/are so great! I was comfty all night long and they are being dyed black right now, a year later, so I can wear them with jeans.
And, The Veil! On a trip up to NYC one weekend, my aunt and I hit 2 birds with one stone… We had our picture taken with the Naked Cowboy at Times Square, and we located Sposabella Lace (sposabellalace.com) in NYC’s garment district where I selected the fabric and trim. (Britney Spears and Celine Dion are apparently frequent shoppers at this store!) My aunt designed and made my cathedral-length veil, using Chantilly Lace and Italian Silk Organza, which later that evening turned into my beautiful wrap for the reception! I had purchased another brooch at Albert Zoll which was used to hide where the fabric of the wrap came together in the back. Thanks to the genius idea of a Pennsbury School District Art Teacher, a clear plastic cable tie was looped through the back of the brooch which successfully held the veil fabric tight and in place all night, without being seen!
How cute is that ring bearer with his spikey hair and Yankees jersey?! And I love The Shoes!
We have one more guest post from Janine, stick around!
I’m so excited to have Janine guest blogging on her First Anniversary (congrats, you guys!) to give us the low down on her wedding experience. I won’t keep you in suspense!
I am so excited to be a part of Manders and the Fiance’s nuptial creative process by writing a guest post on I Do, You Do, We Do. The site, like the happy couple, is simply fabulous!
Every bride and groom will go through a unique adventure leading up to the big day, but it is so important that every couple makes the journey their own. And, there are countless ways to accomplish this while staying on budget and keeping in style! Like any bride, I could go on for days explaining the most intricate details about my wedding day, and all the preparations made beforehand, but I won’t. Instead, now at my one year anniversary, I’ll share with you 6 “take-aways” from my incredible wedding experience that I would recommend to any blushing bride-and money conscious groom-to-be.
#1 Make it Personal from Gunshot to Finish Line
Give your friends and loved ones a peek into your relationship. I don’t mean that you should send an email out to long lost relatives and co-workers about the type of undergarments your fiancé wears – but incorporate special moments and passions that you enjoy together as a couple in various parts of your wedding day.
We thought it would be fun to get personal with our “Save-the-Dates”. Although we shared our engagement story with as many people that would listen to us, we thought it would be nice to share a visual of the day that was so special to us. We returned to the engagement site and snapped a picture of my (now) husband’s computer classroom where he popped the big question “Will You Marry Me?” A picture is truly worth a 1,000 (or 4) words! We printed this black & white snapshot on magnet paper (avery.com) and used glue dots (from any craft store) to adhere the magnets onto off-white deckled paper (which you can find at most paper stores). We hoped that these Save-the-Dates would give everyone a glimpse into the start of our lives together, while acting as a reminder for the big day!
#2 Every Wedding is a Destination Wedding… if You Want It To Be
Destination weddings are great! Leading up to the big day I was often asked if I was having a “destination wedding”. I always answered, “Yes, of course – in New Jersey!”. Take advantage of your wedding area’s local attractions! Don’t just have a rehearsal dinner, celebrate an entire wedding week! So much time, money and effort is put into the big day, it only makes sense to truly enjoy the few last days leading up to it! I would recommend that the bride and groom take the week off before the wedding, or at least a few days, to unwind from “work mode” and get focused on the great day that is about to come! It’s not so outlandish… look at Hindu culture for example where weddings are such grand affairs that they usually last one full week!
Our immediate families celebrated “wedding week” with us. And though not everyone was available to join in all the festivities of the week, friends and close relatives were also there to celebrate. We took advantage of the short ferry ride from NJ to mid-town NYC and went into the Big Apple. We attempted to see a Broadway show (but everyone was on strike at the time!), had a free tour of the Food Network Studio (my family is a bunch of foodies), visited Rock Center, Fifth Avenue and of course Radio City. It was also great to keep up our tradition of celebrating Thanksgiving that week as well with both immediate families together. (It’s always nice to have a holiday close to the wedding day. Everyone is already in the festive spirit!). You get the picture – celebrate, celebrate, celebrate!
Stay tuned! So much more to come!
Happy Friday! I know I haven’t been around much this week (more on that later) but you’ll have to forgive me… I’m a busy bride to be!
In other news, how cute is this photo? On Monday, her one year anniversary, this beautiful bride, Janine will be stopping by to give us the inside scoop on her gorgeous day by sharing six things she’s taken away from the experience!
Stay tuned for our first ever Real Wedding here on I Do, You Do, We Do!
If I wasn’t going to be designing my own bouquet, as well as my bridesmaid’s bouquets, and my groom and his groomsmen’s boutonnieres, I’d definitely call this girl and have her throw together something gorgeous for me.
Last night the fiance and I went out for mexican and ended up at El Fuego (seriously great burritos). While we each chowed down on our 2lb. spicy chicken burritos (like I said, really great) the talk turned to wedding (as it so frequently does these days, as in every time we’re alone together, which is often, as in always). The latest topic of discussion?
The tent. I don’t want a tent. Buuuuuut, I do want a tent.
Apparently, I’m having tent anxiety (thanks Moms).
I guess our biggest concern with having no tent is rain. But look at these beautiful tent free weddings! No rain there!
I suppose it helps when you live in California though because contrary to popular belief it is NOT always sunny in Philadelphia. Then again, I could live with this tent design. I love the branches. I don’t know how I feel about the paper laterns though… I think I’m over them.
What about a partial tent? It’d be useless against the rain, but it’d be so pretty!
Can someone decide for me? PLEEEEEEASE!!
Images from top to bottom: D’ette Cole via {frolic}; Leigh Miller Photography
via Snippet&Ink; Real Wedding via Snippet&Ink; Real Wedding by Pollen; Rebecca Cole via {frolic}; Real Wedding by Oh How Charming via Style Me Pretty.
It’s been a while since I’ve done an Etsy post and I had to show you these wooden books! Aren’t they so gorgeous? Lacuna hand makes each of these incredible books by gving new life to recycled furniture, mainly drawers and doors. They’re all hand carved and hand bound with recycled paper, making each book completely unique. Wouldn’t one make a beautiful guestbook? The fiance and I are actually considering ordering one with our logo carved into the front to use for that very purpose.
Lacuna also has a blog where you can see even more of her beautiful books!
No, NO! Not that first time! God! My mom reads this blog!
My first time being “Tagged” and at the same time nominated for The Uber Amazing Blog Award by the hilariously funny Engaged and Enraged at I Hate Planning My Wedding! Thanks E&E!
So, getting tagged apparently means I’m supposed to share 7 random facts about myself, as well as share the rules associated with being tagged.
The Rules:
Link to your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by including links to their blog.
Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog!
The Goods:
1. When I was little I hated my naturally curly, naturally red (and I mean really red) hair. I desperately wanted smooth, black flowing hair, ie. Pocahontas.
2. Now, as I quite frequently receive compliments about my red hair, I secretly and maliciously enjoy that you can’t get this color from a bottle!
3. Before I became an Interior Designer, I went to school to be a Marine Biologist.
4. My last name happens to be the German word for my all time favorite spice, pepper.
5. I despise any food that has the consistancy of pudding (applesauce, any and all pudding, jello, oatmeal…) just the thought of them makes me shiver.
6. Growing up I swore I’d never have kids, now that I have a (almost) stepson, I can’t wait to have more!
7. My favorite books are the Harry Potter series. I’ve read them all, at least twice.
And now, onto the main event!
You’re it!
All three brothers of TUCOS
Emily of Once Wed
Kat of a kat in a bird’s world
Amy of Pikaland
Darci of With This Nest
And, I also present each of you with The Uber Amazing Blog Award!
This blog award is given to sites who:
Last night the fiance and I sat down to do some wedding “stuff”. We worked the kinks out of our logo (I’ll show you that later) and talked invite design. We talked about materials, came up with a method of mailing (woo hoo… gonna be neat!) and decided on the logistics of execution for Project Invites. (Get ready for some DIY fun Bridesmaids!) After about 2 hours we had a layout and size nailed down, as well as a plan of attack. Now we just need to actually work through the design and gocco those bad boys and… assemble them… mail them, CRAP!
Anyway, I was feeling pretty good about our invite ideas when we went to bed, actually about wedding stuff in general. I think we’re making decent progress!
Then it happened… another nightmare.
The first nightmare happened a couple weeks ago. As you know, if you’ve been paying attention, I have a small case of OCD. I can’t help it, it’s the designer in me! So, in this, now reoccurring, nightmare all of our planning has gone great. We’ve made it to the Big Day and all is well in the world, my world anyway. My bridesmaids are off getting ready and I’m patiently waiting for my turn at hair and makeup. Except it never happens. I can’t remember why, but my stylist never shows up! Somehow, I end up looking like I got caught in a thunder storm and then a tornado! I have hair everywhere, it’s ridiculous and everyone keeps telling me it looks great, in a it-really-doesn’t-look-great-but-we’re-trying-to-make-you-feel-better way. So, I guess I got over it because next thing I knew we were at the ceremony, which was perfect. When it was over, our guests went to the cocktail hour and the fiance and I went to check out our reception tent and get some photos taken. When we walked into the tent it was a disaster! Our mothers were in there “decorating”. (Now, I love both my mother and the fiance’s mother very much, but neither of them has very much style (sorry!) let alone the ability to decorate an entire tent moments before the party is supposed to start and have it be on par with our vision.) None of the tables are set, as in no linens, no plates, silverware, no centerpieces. Chairs are stacked in one corner of the tent. The dance floor is in pieces in another corner, and there are mint green plastic tablecloths steaked to the grass! Yea, exactly… mint green plastic tablecloths stuck to the grass! WTF?
This morning I woke up in a cold sweat, again. When I called my mom to yell at her about mint green tablecloths she just laughed “What? You’d have a problem with that?”
It’s too early for me to be loosing my mind, isn’t it? We’re still 11 months away!