So, a while back when my FH and I decided on the black and white color scheme, we though tuxes. But the more we considered it, we really think a great suit fits our personality more. I mean, don't get me wrong - I love a black tie affair as much as the next glamour girl, but when the only people wearing tuxes in the room are the bridal party (because it was mandated), it feels a bit forced. Enter the Alfani Red Tonal Stripe Suit from Macy's. It may not look like much online, but in person, it is cut just right for the modern guy! After many suit trips and try-ons, we stumbled across this style. It is cut slimmer in both the shoulder of the jacket and seat of the pants, with a shorter rise in the pant as well. What does this mean to us girls? Well, it means our guys look slimmer, a little less "boxy", and don't have the obligatory massive shoulder pad that accompanies many a suit.
While classic suits definitely have a place in the boardroom, the slimmer, cooler Alfani has a great place in our wedding! We are pairing it with a black tie (Windsor knot), white french cuff shirt, and pocket square in a TBD color.
The best part - we got the suits on sale for 155 (including tax). For the ENTIRE suit! We also managed to score these great Tasso Elba french cuff shirts on sale as well. So, for 200 dollars, the groomsmen get to keep their suit, rather than paying to rent a tux.
Oh - and another side note. If you are a Macy's cardholder, register as early as possible for your registry items! Once you register, any personal buys you make with your Macy's card will give you 5% cash back to Macy's. That doesn't even include the items other buy off your registry! We used our Macy's for Christmas presents and are now building a steady little honeymoon wardrobe fund in Macy's rewards!
Thoughts? Did you go the tux or suit route? How much input did you have in your FH's ensemble?
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Vendors: Check, check, check! And then write actual checks....
So far - here is who we have booked for the details:
Florals: The Special Event Florist
Tina Barrera made me feel so very warm and welcome during our initial consultation. She walked me through vase heights, flowers that would withstand my *potential* August heat, as well as those that fit the aesthetic we were shooting for. We decided on huge pomanders of white flowers atop glass cylinders on half of the reception tables. The other half will have a trio of shorter vases with 3 different types of white flowers. My bouquet is still TBD - but right now we are thinking roses and ranunculus - hooray!
Strings: Serenade Strings
After getting some fairly ostentatious quotes for a string quartet, I found Serenade. They have an enormous Beatles repertoire (which I plan on using as much as possible), and were incredibly easy to work with (hello - Paypal deposit site!). We are planning on having all Beatles music for both the processional and recessional, as well as some modern classics (think, Viva la Vida) for the receiving line.
Linens: Weinhardt Rentals
I was all set to sew my own damask tablecloths, until I found Weinhardt! The price they quoted me for these linens could not be beat - and so they are officially booked! We will also be using them for the welcome bbq hosted by my parents, but that will be blogged about later...
Cake: TBD
Gasp! *Insert stern look* Less than 4 months away and no cake booked? Well, I have narrowed it down. My father had surgery this month, and I promised him he could join my FH at the cake tasting. So, we are hoping to go over the coming weeks! We are looking for something simple, white buttercream, black ribbon, big obnoxious monogram.
Transportation: St. Louis Transportation
After searching many car options, I decided to gift the bridal party a vehicle that would not require acrobatics to get in/out of. While I love the look of a stretch Chrysler Hemi, shoving my 10 person bridal party, plus bride and groom, plus photographer, would not be fun. So, I traded my pretty vision of an elegant car for a much more practical (and perhaps more fun) Limo Bus. It seats 25, and has perimeter seating, and little handy tables for drinks, and best of all - they were amazingly affordable! Not to mention that I won't have the dreaded fear of ripping my mermaid gown trying to get in and out of a limo. I'll have dainty little steps up and down in my new ride!
There are a few more surprise vendors that I will reveal over the coming days. Right now, I want to keep them a secret - as my FH and I are the only ones who know!
I am having vendor overload. That is all for now. Next up - let's groom the groom - and his men! Hooray for menswear shopping!
What was your favorite vendor to book? What vendor did you enjoy the least?
Florals: The Special Event Florist
Tina Barrera made me feel so very warm and welcome during our initial consultation. She walked me through vase heights, flowers that would withstand my *potential* August heat, as well as those that fit the aesthetic we were shooting for. We decided on huge pomanders of white flowers atop glass cylinders on half of the reception tables. The other half will have a trio of shorter vases with 3 different types of white flowers. My bouquet is still TBD - but right now we are thinking roses and ranunculus - hooray!
Strings: Serenade Strings
After getting some fairly ostentatious quotes for a string quartet, I found Serenade. They have an enormous Beatles repertoire (which I plan on using as much as possible), and were incredibly easy to work with (hello - Paypal deposit site!). We are planning on having all Beatles music for both the processional and recessional, as well as some modern classics (think, Viva la Vida) for the receiving line.
Linens: Weinhardt Rentals
I was all set to sew my own damask tablecloths, until I found Weinhardt! The price they quoted me for these linens could not be beat - and so they are officially booked! We will also be using them for the welcome bbq hosted by my parents, but that will be blogged about later...
Cake: TBD
Gasp! *Insert stern look* Less than 4 months away and no cake booked? Well, I have narrowed it down. My father had surgery this month, and I promised him he could join my FH at the cake tasting. So, we are hoping to go over the coming weeks! We are looking for something simple, white buttercream, black ribbon, big obnoxious monogram.
Transportation: St. Louis Transportation
After searching many car options, I decided to gift the bridal party a vehicle that would not require acrobatics to get in/out of. While I love the look of a stretch Chrysler Hemi, shoving my 10 person bridal party, plus bride and groom, plus photographer, would not be fun. So, I traded my pretty vision of an elegant car for a much more practical (and perhaps more fun) Limo Bus. It seats 25, and has perimeter seating, and little handy tables for drinks, and best of all - they were amazingly affordable! Not to mention that I won't have the dreaded fear of ripping my mermaid gown trying to get in and out of a limo. I'll have dainty little steps up and down in my new ride!
There are a few more surprise vendors that I will reveal over the coming days. Right now, I want to keep them a secret - as my FH and I are the only ones who know!
I am having vendor overload. That is all for now. Next up - let's groom the groom - and his men! Hooray for menswear shopping!
What was your favorite vendor to book? What vendor did you enjoy the least?
Guilty as charged: Delinquent blogger....
I realize it has been 4 months without me blogging. No wedding postings, no hellos, no nothing! No excuses! The horror!
Well, here is what happened. I work full time for a major research institution here in the city, and on top of that decided to go back and take Anatomy and Physiology II this semester. I have MCAT dreams for next spring, and this course gets me one step closer in my preparation. Well, between class 2 days a week, working full time, and trying to get to the gym as to fit into *the* dress, my blogging went by the wayside!
Well, here is the latest. My class ends in 3 lovely weeks, and I could not be more excited! I have dedicated May to be all wedding, all the time, and I am SO looking forward to it. As someone who finds thrills in the minutia of event planning, I can't wait to pour over floral books again, dream of the perfect font for programs, and choose the perfect ceremony readings and music. So, it is with a very sincere heart that I ask - can you forgive my absence and welcome me back??? : )
Photos to come...I know I am behind!
Well, here is what happened. I work full time for a major research institution here in the city, and on top of that decided to go back and take Anatomy and Physiology II this semester. I have MCAT dreams for next spring, and this course gets me one step closer in my preparation. Well, between class 2 days a week, working full time, and trying to get to the gym as to fit into *the* dress, my blogging went by the wayside!
Well, here is the latest. My class ends in 3 lovely weeks, and I could not be more excited! I have dedicated May to be all wedding, all the time, and I am SO looking forward to it. As someone who finds thrills in the minutia of event planning, I can't wait to pour over floral books again, dream of the perfect font for programs, and choose the perfect ceremony readings and music. So, it is with a very sincere heart that I ask - can you forgive my absence and welcome me back??? : )
Photos to come...I know I am behind!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Hitting the ground running...
So when I first became engaged this past July, I hit the ground running...and by running I mean in a Usane-Bolt-kind-of-way. Everyone thought I was crazy to lock in our venue, church, photographer, band, color-scheme, etc, so quickly. I had a method to my madness - I did NOT want to be tackling wedding to-do's over the holidays (specifically the time between Thanksgiving and New Year's). Truth be told, I am glad I did it my way - it has left me with a fair amount of sanity (thought some might argue differently), and time with my fiance!
Also - any future bride to be can go loony over the bountiful choices that bombard engaged couples. So, I offer my helpful tidbits.
*Disclaimer: I am not a wedding planner with years of experience, but I am a bride that very much believes in a gut instinct and not getting roped into too many choices or busting the bridal budget!*
1. Limit the number of people that accompany you to various key appointments. These are meetings such as bridal gown browsing, venue searching, and florist visits. More people=more opinions=harder to decipher what YOUR (and your fiance's) true feelings are! Originally I felt bad that I did not include more people in my decisions, but now I am happy I decided while I knew what I wanted, and not what everyone else thought I wanted...
2. If it looks good, feels good, and seems good, it probably is...and you should book it! I could have looked at a dozen venue sites - but the golf course where he proposed had a site that overlooked our proposal site - hello??? Of COURSE I made it easy and toured the reception site, asked the questions, looked at the budget, etc....when it all matched - I said "yes!"
3. Don't feel the need to compare/contrast your friend's weddings to yours, and don't "outdo" anyone else! I have a close friend who was desperate to make sure her wedding was perfect and stood up against her friend's nuptials. The truth is, after the happy couple says their vows, seals it with a kiss, dines and toasts with guests, and tears it up on the dance floor - the other "extras and decor" are just icing on the proverbial cake. If it doesn't have a special meaning to you, don't spend the money to impress your friends. They are already impressed you have found a love so great you want to spend forever with that person - so just be happy!
These are my loose wedding planning commandments, and I vow (as a present bride-to-be) to do my best to hold true to them!
What about you guys? Any tidbits your friends and family shared to keep you sane through the planning process? Anything you wish they would have said?
Also - any future bride to be can go loony over the bountiful choices that bombard engaged couples. So, I offer my helpful tidbits.
*Disclaimer: I am not a wedding planner with years of experience, but I am a bride that very much believes in a gut instinct and not getting roped into too many choices or busting the bridal budget!*
1. Limit the number of people that accompany you to various key appointments. These are meetings such as bridal gown browsing, venue searching, and florist visits. More people=more opinions=harder to decipher what YOUR (and your fiance's) true feelings are! Originally I felt bad that I did not include more people in my decisions, but now I am happy I decided while I knew what I wanted, and not what everyone else thought I wanted...
2. If it looks good, feels good, and seems good, it probably is...and you should book it! I could have looked at a dozen venue sites - but the golf course where he proposed had a site that overlooked our proposal site - hello??? Of COURSE I made it easy and toured the reception site, asked the questions, looked at the budget, etc....when it all matched - I said "yes!"
3. Don't feel the need to compare/contrast your friend's weddings to yours, and don't "outdo" anyone else! I have a close friend who was desperate to make sure her wedding was perfect and stood up against her friend's nuptials. The truth is, after the happy couple says their vows, seals it with a kiss, dines and toasts with guests, and tears it up on the dance floor - the other "extras and decor" are just icing on the proverbial cake. If it doesn't have a special meaning to you, don't spend the money to impress your friends. They are already impressed you have found a love so great you want to spend forever with that person - so just be happy!
These are my loose wedding planning commandments, and I vow (as a present bride-to-be) to do my best to hold true to them!
What about you guys? Any tidbits your friends and family shared to keep you sane through the planning process? Anything you wish they would have said?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
What? There are non-wedding related things in the world?
Before I became a full-time bride, I once enjoyed witty blogs to break up my day. That being said, I still have a few that I follow through my igoogle (have you tried it? sooo addictive!) They are as follows:
3FatChicks - This is a great weight loss website full of other blogs from men and women fighting the bulge. There once was a blog entitled "Those pants don't make you look fat, your fat makes you look fat" - which is albeit, a long title for a blog, but still hilarious (and oh so true).
Anyways, take a look and perhaps start your own witty entries on how you fight the bulge.
Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist - one word, fabulous. She writes on how to balance work and personal lives, how to be a kick-ass woman and still be fabulous in your own right, etc. I find it to be a lovely break from my wedding planning, because it reminds me that I do have a career to chase concurrently with planning my nuptials.
Personal Branding Blog - With all the constant chatter of wedding monograms, etc (I love a good monogram - don't get me wrong) - how about some own PERSONAL branding? Like - you - the career minded individual who has dreams and hopes for their future? Here they discuss great topics and source interviews with wonderfully innovative people - check it out if you need a good read.
Wiki How - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee for updating me on how to ride a bull without making an ass of myself, or how to knit a crochet square, how to make oatmeal in the hotel coffee maker in my room, or how to get rid of stretch marks (not that I have any presently). : ) Always good for an enlightening tidbit.
Women's Health Magazine - As a subscriber to a number of female health and fitness-minded magazines, I somehow always come back to Women's Health. Perhaps it is their no-holds-barred approach to fitness and advice, or how they always manage to be truthful (let's face it - losing weight and looking good is not as easy as 30 minuts of Pilates and a Mediterranean diet). Whatever their source of infinite wisdom and inspiration, it often inspires me the way Jillian from Biggest Loser does when she is in a moment of fitness-rage. : ) I say this all, of course, as I eat a chocolate Santa and stare at my uber-fitted mermaid wedding gown. *grin*
3FatChicks - This is a great weight loss website full of other blogs from men and women fighting the bulge. There once was a blog entitled "Those pants don't make you look fat, your fat makes you look fat" - which is albeit, a long title for a blog, but still hilarious (and oh so true).
Anyways, take a look and perhaps start your own witty entries on how you fight the bulge.
Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist - one word, fabulous. She writes on how to balance work and personal lives, how to be a kick-ass woman and still be fabulous in your own right, etc. I find it to be a lovely break from my wedding planning, because it reminds me that I do have a career to chase concurrently with planning my nuptials.
Personal Branding Blog - With all the constant chatter of wedding monograms, etc (I love a good monogram - don't get me wrong) - how about some own PERSONAL branding? Like - you - the career minded individual who has dreams and hopes for their future? Here they discuss great topics and source interviews with wonderfully innovative people - check it out if you need a good read.
Wiki How - How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee for updating me on how to ride a bull without making an ass of myself, or how to knit a crochet square, how to make oatmeal in the hotel coffee maker in my room, or how to get rid of stretch marks (not that I have any presently). : ) Always good for an enlightening tidbit.
Women's Health Magazine - As a subscriber to a number of female health and fitness-minded magazines, I somehow always come back to Women's Health. Perhaps it is their no-holds-barred approach to fitness and advice, or how they always manage to be truthful (let's face it - losing weight and looking good is not as easy as 30 minuts of Pilates and a Mediterranean diet). Whatever their source of infinite wisdom and inspiration, it often inspires me the way Jillian from Biggest Loser does when she is in a moment of fitness-rage. : ) I say this all, of course, as I eat a chocolate Santa and stare at my uber-fitted mermaid wedding gown. *grin*
Monday, December 8, 2008
Gushing...
Okay, I have to gush over my photographer, Lisa Hessel. She took our engagement photos, and will be doing our wedding next summer! After sifting through many photographers, I finally found her - and she was truly a breath of fresh air! Her husband is also a photographer, and they will shoot our day in tandem - splitting up to shoot the guys/girls/etc, which is just fabulous! Lisa travels for shoots - so if you have a photography need, I HIGHLY suggest taking a look! Please give all photo credit to Lisa Hessel Photography.
Return to sender...
I did the DIY project, I diligently addressed the envelopes and fought tooth and nail with my printer, I lovingly applied postage, and gently placed them into the mailbox to be delivered to our wedding guests and family.
Then it happened....
The RTS stamp from the post office, accompanied by my lovely save the dates and the addresses that no longer were. WHY would someone give me the wrong address? I only ordered a set number, and had planned on cutting costs by mailing them to "The Smith Family" - more formality planned for the invites. Now I have to go back through, make more envelope liners, hope I have enough envelopes, and re-send them? Ugh!
Has anyone else had family send them the incorrect address? How hard is it to make sure the numbers on the outside of the house match those in your composed email?
Okay, that is my bridezilla rant of the day....calmness will resume shortly...
Then it happened....
The RTS stamp from the post office, accompanied by my lovely save the dates and the addresses that no longer were. WHY would someone give me the wrong address? I only ordered a set number, and had planned on cutting costs by mailing them to "The Smith Family" - more formality planned for the invites. Now I have to go back through, make more envelope liners, hope I have enough envelopes, and re-send them? Ugh!
Has anyone else had family send them the incorrect address? How hard is it to make sure the numbers on the outside of the house match those in your composed email?
Okay, that is my bridezilla rant of the day....calmness will resume shortly...
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)