Buyer's Remorse?

Eek.

Are you guys sure my dress is okay? With the beading you know where?

Slightly panicking.

My gown details

I'm watching Bridezilla...good gracious, I hope I'm not at all like this...

Centerpieces to fill my time, and yours...

Because I can't sleep... and I'm trying to fill my time... (what in the world am I going to do when I don't have a wedding to plan???)

Michael's on Steroids...

Next Saturday...maybe a visit to this store that Rachel che che suggested...(as a Michael's on steroids!)

http://www.yelp.com/biz/michaels-moskatels-and-crafts-los-angeles

Dress Success

I bought it! I got the David's Bridal dress. $299, marked down to $249, from $699! What a steal! ;)

I always wonder how much of the what the salesgirls say is the truth and how much is for the sale... I got thumbs up from all the salesgirls, however I should take it. :)

And Mum's going to make my veil! I'm uber excited about that! And not just because those other veils are $200, but because now it'll be extra special!

I love the internet!

Because they have all kinds of discount and buy in bulk stores.

The store I found (www.save-on-crafts.com) has my orchids, vases, floralytes (those things you could submerge in water with the flowers), manzanita trees to my heart's content. All at prices cheaper than Michaels and JoAnns.

I want to buy some sprigs and try my hand at more centerpiece arrangements.

Wedding Theme

I'm going for an elegant theme. Simple, but classy. Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. (Are they simple but classy?)


I hope my dress fits this theme.


Monchromatic colors- purple and white, maybe silver.


Orchids have simple shapes and simple colors.


The (planned) invitations have clean, simple lines, shapes, & lettering.


I think the centerpieces will be simple too: stem of flowers in water, in various glass vases, candles - votives and/or floating. Maybe single, white flowers or petals on the table/purple overlays.


Yes, elegant does not need to just be simple, but should also look nice/classy.


How is it that I can be an English teacher without being articulate?

My Theme

I'm going for an elegant theme. Simple, but classy. Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly.

Dress decisions

Soooooooo after much internal debate, and possibly just wanting to settle on a dress already, I think I'll be getting that dress from David's Bridal... I can't justify paying $1000 for a dress I'm wearing once for a few hours, and if I look good in all - or many - of these dresses I've been trying on, and I still haven't found a dress that is THE one, then...price becomes the next determining factor? My two major concerns were the halter neck pulling and if I looked okay in the dress. I guess I don't want to look just OK, but would like to look ummm stunning, gorgeous, awe inspiring ;) So unless I'm seriously mediocre in the dress, I think that's it.

And if I get the dress taken care of, now we can figure out hair up/down/side ponytail; flowers or tiara; jewelry? earrings, no necklace is necessary for me if I have that halter neck. I also should probably find a hair style and stylist, make up artist... Actually I think the hair style will be pretty easy. Probably half up and half down with curls, and I think flowers rather than tiara. Oh yeah, and I probably should figure out the veil. To make or buy?...

Dresses and Flowers

So I've been scouring The Knot for purple and white ideas... I prefer purple and white to purple and lavendar. I still haven't really found any bouquets that I really love... I do know that I like a purple boquet for myself with some white, and I like the white bouquet with purple accents for the girls.

I like the color of the dresses here, but would want to flip flop the flowers so I'd have purple and the girls would have more white.

This is a little too bright of a purple dress here, but I like the inverse colors. I would not want monochromatic bouquets like these though.

I think the purples in the bouquets are too light here, and I'd like less green in the bouquets.

Oodles of Orchids

DIY Invites

I made an invitation modeled after the one we had liked from before.

I'm thinking of asking Uncle Mike with help on the lettering. And will use the same style for the programs etc. If not Uncle Mike, maybe Pris ee ee or Luke?...

I have another idea for an invitation kinda taking shape in my mind. When we were at the Wedding Expo over the weekend, Eddie saw a custom invitation that had a piece of tulle sticking out of it, as the veil on a bride (it was the back of a bride and groom's heads; they were sitting in a car and the wording on the invitation had something to do with a journey together or on the road to something or other). He liked the dimension it added to the invitation...so I have some tulle and now need some ideas how to incorporate it into an invitation...

Ayieee...

Budget. I gotta remember I need to stick to a budget!

Fantastic Fox Theater...

I really like the Fox Theater! I like the atmosphere of the place more so than Etiwanda Gardens, which is just a big square room. The lady we met with is relatively new to this wedding package/planning thing, but very friendly.

For $45/person we get:

Hall rental
60" round tables/10 chairs per table
Gift table
Buffet tables
Dessert table
White linens
Dance floor
2 lobbies (upstairs to be used during cocktail hour, and downstairs)
Security
Event coordinator
Corkage & Cake Cutting
In-House Catering (choice of menus)

At 300 people, 18% gratuity, 8.75% food/beverage tax, this would be $17,145
($14,287.50 for 250 people)

This would not include:
Overlays for the tables ($10/table - $300 for 30 tables)
Colored napkins ($1.25 each - $375)
Bartender ($250)
Chair covers & bows ($3/chair - $900 for 300 chairs)
AV Equipment/Screen ($200)
Special lighting ($500)
Live music ($300)

Etiwanda Gardens is still cheaper though...at $12,181.37

The Fox *RAWR*

So we have an appointment set up for tomorrow at 4 pm to check out the Fox Theater (I wonder if there used to be a chain of theaters called Fox Theater??...isn't there one in Fullerton? And I know there's one in Riverside...)...

I wonder what kind of experience we'll be in for... Here's what I read on the website:

"The Duchess leads you into the tremulous tail of the Fox, curling you around her royal finger and enticing you to want to share in the majestic presence of a historic Medieval setting. Come let the lure of the Fox whisk you away for an evening of blissful reminiscence!"

Bring on the blissful reminiscence. ;)

More purple

I like the purple drapery and hanging things (lanterns?...)

More of an example of what I don't want

as far as purple flowers in a bouquet...

Purple

So as Jessica and I waited outside of AA for our 10 appt, we got to discussion the overall asthetics (or lack thereof) of the wedding. Other than knowing I want orchids and color, I really don't know what kind of feeling I want at the wedding...

After perusing several websites, magazines, inspiration pages, etc. I think I like purple. So let's put pool and peach aside... and talk purples and white. I like the darker purples for dress colors, maybe the lighter purples/lilac with white for the bouquets to keep it from getting too dark. And I can still do my orchids. There are some really pretty purple orchids and some white orchids with purple in the middle too!