Wedding Sparks by Carolyn & Alan

DIY Burlap "Love" Banner

2011-04-15T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hello Hive. Long time no hear from me. I couldn't stay silent on this project. I thought there might be a lot of you who want to do it!

I have been super inspired by burlap lately and wanted to make a banner for an upcoming engagement shoot that my husband is doing. It turned out to be a super easy project and I wanted to share with you the details:

What you need for my (easy) Burlap Banner version:

burlap (you can buy this at any craft/fabric store, some hardware/farm stores even have thicker versions.
scissors (any kind! sharp.)
sharpie markers (you determine the color...I used black and red)
needle and thread (khaki colored thread)
thick hemp (or ribbon) - I got mine at Wal-Mart
letter stencils - these are what I used Stencil Ease (from Hobby Lobby)

Step 1:

Lay out your hemp and determine what size flags you want to create. I used a word document and literally threw a triangle on it. Printed that out (home printer) on card stock. Cut the stencil and there you have it!

Step 2:

Lightly trace the flags onto the hemp. I used a thin sharpie for this. Use the top seam as a guide.

Step 3:

Cut out your hemp flags using your scissor. Don't worry if they aren't perfect lines. The hemp provides a rough edge (which is really nice!)

Step 4:

Use your stencil to stencil the letters on. I wanted to keep this super simple and just used a sharpie to trace the letters and fill them in. Some things you can put on your banner "Love", "In Love", "Just Married", "Marry Me", "Forever" and my favorite "Bliss"

Step 5:

Create a heart stencil. I just used word. Print the heart out and trace it onto your burlap. I used a red sharpie for this and colored it in. Super easy!!

Step 6:

Get your needle and thread (this would obviously be a lot easier with a sewing machine!). Line up your letters, slightly overlapping the edges of the flag. And sew the hemp string onto the back of the flags. My stiches went around the hemp and through it.

How easy is that!!

Marriage...Year One

2010-10-03T15:39:00.001-07:00

By far the number one question that I have been asked in the past year is "how is your first year of marriage going?." This comes from friends and strangers alike. I always respond the same way...."you know....it has been....well....easy." And that is the honest truth.

On October 3, 2009 I got to marry the best man I have ever met. The kindest, most decent man I have ever known. And the last year has been, easy. We fit together. After spending so many years in a long distance relationship the transition into life together has been smooth and pretty blissful. I realize that at the end of the day I get to be with him and that makes things just....better.

We have been together over 7 years. And here are a few things that I cherish about our relationship:

He still answers my phone calls "hello, beautiful"
He always makes it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and if he has to leave first...he always seems sad
He continues to challenge me and push me to follow my path
He is proud of my job and wow...I am proud of his
He believes in my sister and loves my mom
He thinks it is great that I spend 1 night a week at my best friend Patrick's house to vlog about TV and he never gives me a hard time for watching "my strange reality shows"
He constantly reminds me that life is about slowing down and enjoying the path

The first year of marriage has taught me a lot about companionship. Because at the end of the day marriage is about support, honesty, respect and partnership.

As we did on 10.3.09 I want to repeat the words from our wedding program. I feel strongly about them and am disappointed that our country still fails to recognize the true meaning of marriage.

"And as we remember those who are not with us,
we also recognize those who are still denied the civil right of wedded union & the social & legal benefits of marriage. We have come a long way toward treating all men & women as equals and yet, we acknowledge that we still have further to go & more we can do to respect the choice to love & be loved."

Alan & Carolyn :: Highlights from FocalPoint Cinematic Weddings on Vimeo.

Alan & Carolyn :: Wedding Trailer from FocalPoint Cinematic Weddings on Vimeo.

Choosing a videographer

2010-02-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

So let me start by saying that I am biased. My background is in video production, I am deeply moved by movies and I know what makes a good "shot". I can't imagine not having decided to have a videographer capture our wedding. I am not here to convince anyone to spend extra money but I do want anyone that is considering spending a ton of money on flowers, invitations, programs or alcohol to really consider hiring a videographer. It is one of the best decisions that we made.

There are few things that go in to choosing a videographer:

1. You don't want someone that is going to cramp your style. You need them to fit in, get your vibe, get your relationship, understand what you want and be open minded.

2. You have to look at their work. Get examples, get reviews, get testimonials and really understand what their forte is. Do they love telling a story? Are they big on detail shots? Are they modern? Are they traditional?

3. Most brides create a inspiration board or vision board for their weddings....SHARE THIS WITH YOUR VIDEOGRAPHER. They are a big part of your day so make sure that they are "in the know" and get your style.

4. Don't get taken advantage of. DO NOT OVER PAY. Do some research. And don't get suckered into a million extra DVD's or extra coverage that you don't need. We had 6 hours of wedding day coverage, Wedding Highlights, Full Length Ceremony DVD and a Wedding Trailer. All for around $2,200 (give or take a few dollars).

Alan & Carolyn :: Wedding Trailer from FocalPoint Cinematic Weddings on Vimeo.

5. You will get what you pay for but honestly...be creative. If you don't have extra money for a videographer reach out to a college with a great broadcasting school (I was in a program, I would have loved an extra $300 bucks to edit a video for a wedding), ask around for friends who love taking videos of their kids/friends/dogs, rent a camera. There are options out there if you can't afford to hire a "professional". IT IS WORTH IT, even if it isn't professional!

6. Once you find the right person give them time to scout locations. It is really important for the videographer to be comfortable where they are shooting and to find "interesting" and "compelling" shots.

Alan & Carolyn :: Highlights from FocalPoint Cinematic Weddings on Vimeo.

7. Another **could be controversial option**if you are expecting your family or friends to give you a big gift, ask them to group together and get you a videographer! Maybe this is a good job for your MOH or the mother of the bride/groom to organize. People want to give good gifts, they want to make you happy and they don't want to get you glasses that you won't ever use. Find a way to hint that a videographer is a great gift!!!

And with that. I am open to answering any questions about videographers! More recaps coming soon.

It's Here! Our Wedding Video

2010-02-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

After being silent for a while. I promise I am going to finish recapping the wedding soon. In the meantime, so you will forgive my silence :) I am sharing our wedding video that just arrived from the amazing Focal Point Cinematic.

Alan & Carolyn :: Highlights from FocalPoint Cinematic Weddings on Vimeo.

It is more than I could have ever expected! We love it.

It's Time: Bridal Shoot - Part Two (the ladies and a gent)

2009-12-17T05:21:00.000-08:00

After heading up the mountain to get some bridal portraits done we brought the ladies and my bridesman Patrick up to shoot together. They were such troopers! It was so cold but it was so beautiful. I was thrilled to have the prefect day and the perfect scene!

The balloons!!!!! They make me so happy and it gave something for Patrick to hold.

Remember the Christmas tree fields! Here they are with us in them.

I love this picture because you can see my precious bridesmaids bellies, they are both due any day. And you can check out their headbands! Remember that project :)

My mom came up on the mountain too but she wasn't dressed yet. It meant alot to have her watching from distance!

***All images by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography***

It's Time: Bridal Shoot - Part One

2009-11-17T06:12:00.000-08:00

Once we were all ready. I was was in my wedding dress and my girls were in their dresses with headbands :). We grabbed our bouquets, some balloons and headed up a mountain. My mom came up with us. I always knew that I wanted pictures on top of a mountain but wasn't sure we would be able to get them. On our drive up "the hill" we passed a gorgeous Christmas tree farm and all decided that we had to stop on the way back down the hill.

We started with a bridal shoot. I was so excited. The wind was blowing and the Italian silk was just flawless when the wind blew!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

Everyone knows I love, love, love balloons!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

MY FLOWERS!

The amazing Anna Naphtali Photography really captured my feelings in these pictures. I was on cloud 9. I was so excited about everything.

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

(image by bridesman Patrick Sandora!)

Up next...we add the girls and a bridesman to the mix!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

Other recaps:
It's Time: A Tea Party
It's Time: Getting Ready
It's Time: FLOWERS!

It's Time: The Flowers

2009-11-16T06:50:00.001-08:00

Before I talk about the bridal shoot that I got to do the afternoon of the wedding I must talk about the flowers. I loved my flowers so much that I wish I could have taken them home with me and had them forever. I knew that I wanted dahlias in rich jewel tones from the beginning. I even had dreams about the flowers. I worked with a NC florist who completely blows my mind. He is brilliant. His name is Jason Clodfelter of The Bitter Pear.

I wanted my bouquet to be rich with colors. I also decided that I wanted each of the bouquet's wrapped with the Italian trim that we used on my wedding dress.

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

For the arbor I wanted it to have a fall feel but still stick with the bright rich colors. Jason incorporated orchids and greenery. He also used lots of dahlias!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

I had mason jars filled with flowers lining the aisle.

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

We wanted a "wow" piece at the reception and Jason created this bark piece. I love it!

We also wanted some "wow" pieces around the candy bar.

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

This picture was from the day after the wedding. Even then the flowers were still so gorgeous!

There were more flowers on the table. I will write about those soon! Up next, my bridal shoot on top of a mountain!

It's Time: Getting Ready

2009-11-16T05:07:00.000-08:00

How did I choose the "It's Time" as a theme for the recaps. If any of you are Steel Magnolia fans you will remember the part just before Shelby (Julia Roberts) walks down the aisle she says "Daddy, it's time" and he asks "what" and she repeats "its time" and he says "oh...IT'S TIME"...I love that part!

We wanted to be traditional on our day and not see each other until I walked down the aisle. We decided that on the day of the wedding we really wanted to relax, hang out with our friends and family and have no stress.

Mr. AC decided that he, his groomsmen, his sister and a few other friends would hike at one of our most favorite locations in the mountains of NC. The place is called the Hebron Rock Colony and it is absolutely the most beautiful place in the world. Mr. AC really wanted to sky dive but I nixed that plan! From all accounts the hike was great and they had a wonderful time.

(Image by Mr. AC)

My bridesmaids, bridesman and I all decided to hang out before the wedding. We decided that we didn't want to go ANYWHERE. Our wedding was held at the Banner Elk Winery and we stayed at the winery in the Blueberry Villa. The villa was so beautiful and it was huge!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

We all had our own rooms and they were so beautiful. We were able to really treat the place like it was our own home! (I made signs for each of the doors!)

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

Our hair team (an family friend of one of my bridesmaids) came to us. They set up a mini salon in the villa and it was perfect. So...a little note about me...I didn't decide about what I would do to my hair until the day of the wedding. It was a little stressful but honestly I just wanted to worry about other details and DIY projects so I sort of put my hair on the back burner. I am really lucky because I have super curly hair that I can keep either curly or straight. I decided on the wedding morning that I would go with straight hair but add curls to it.

(Sister AC (MOH) and BM Morgann getting makeup on!)
(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

(My sister did my makeup! Saved money and was great!)
(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

(Hair and makeup double duty!)
(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

The guys were at their cabin getting ready. Sweet Mr. AC wrote me a note and I love that there was a picture taken of him writing. It sounds like they started their morning out with a drink and cigar! I guess that is what guys do :)

(picture by brother in law)

Once my hair and makeup was finished I was so excited to get my veil on and get the show started!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

When it was time to put on the dress I knew it would be quite the task. One of the things about handmade, custom dresses is that they need work right until the moment you put the dress on. This was definetly the case. My sister (and team) had to sew me in. But it was really fun seeing these pictures of them getting me into the dress!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

The girls got all dolled up and each put on their earrings and headbands!

(image by the amazing Anna Naphtali Photography)

Once we were ready to go we decided to climb a mountain for pictures. That is next in the recap!

Our Wedding Trailer!

2009-11-04T07:17:00.001-08:00

I am taking a break from our recaps to share our wedding trailer with you. I am so excited to have hired a videographer to capture the day. It seriously made an impact on the day. We decided to go with Focal Point Weddings to shoot the day. We loved their style and knew that it would be just what we wanted.

Today they shared our wedding "trailer" with us. This is a preview to the full highlights package. I am so excited. Seeing this gave me chills. They really captured some great moments.

Alan & Carolyn :: Wedding Trailer from FocalPoint Cinematic Weddings on Vimeo.

It's Time: The Recaps Begin - A Tea Party

2009-10-29T05:06:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to start my recaps. I think this will be really fun. I am also going to continue to post projects and if you see something that you want to see more of just let me know!!

How did I choose the "It's Time" as a theme for the recaps. If any of you are Steel Magnolia fans you will remember the part just before Shelby (Julia Roberts) walks down the aisle she says "Daddy, it's time" and he asks "what" and she repeats "its time" and he says "oh...IT'S TIME"...I love that part!

We started the wedding weekend out with a Bridal Luncheon for me and a hike for Mr. AC. My sister and MOH Meg and my grandmother threw the luncheon. It was at an adorable "tea room" called The Azalea Inn. The tea was all about hats and tea...oh and yummy treats. We all gathered in the sitting room and decided what hats we wanted to put on. There were so many fun choices!

We picked our hats and took millions of pictures. It was such a great ice breaker to see everyone in different hats. We all laughed a lot. It was fun!

(MOH and #1 sister!)

(my mom's best friend!)

(my amazing photographer cousin Dorsett - she took most of these pictures)

(MOB and MOG)

Each guest got to choose from 20 teas and we all got our own tea pot. Aren't they so adorable! I love the fabric sleeves that the owner used. Once we got our tea we also got a delicious spread of food. From cucumber sandwiches to scones and chocolate covered strawberries. It was SOOOOO yummy.

We sat at dining tables throughout the tea room. It was fun to have Mr. AC's grandmother and my grandmother sitting together.

The tea was such a wonderful treat and we had such a great time being together and being dressed up! It was the start to a fantastic wedding weekend.

My bridesaman and a kick butt video

2009-10-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

I had a bridesman in the wedding. He is my best friend Patrick. He came from New York City to be part of the wedding and it was better because he was there. He is a huge part of my life. Each week Patrick and I do a vlog on YouTube about reality television. And we decided to do a wedding vlog because our viewers were interested. I wanted to share it with the hive!

All of our vlogs start the same way "Hi the is Pat and Carolyn" so this one starts that way too!

We had an official videographer at the wedding (Focal Point Cinematic) and soon I will get to see their video but in the mean time I have been watching this video over and over! Hope you enjoy it.

12 things I loved the most about our wedding.

2009-10-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

There is so much to talk about. So many projects to share. So many pictures to show. I don't even know where to begin. I wanted to start with 12 things that I loved about the wedding. You will remember that before I left I wrote about 10 things I was most excited about and I thought it might be nice to write about the 12 things that I loved the most.

1. Taking a week off before the wedding was SOOOO worth it. It was amazing. Getting to indulge in being a bride was so wonderful. I did so many things the week before the wedding that were wonderful.

2. I loved getting to spend time before the wedding with some of my dear friends. I went hiking with my bridesman (former roommie) Patrick and my MOH and sister Meg. We had a great time on top of a mountain overlooking my favorite place on earth Boone, NC which is very close to where the wedding took place. We had such a great time playing around and pretending to fly!

(my bridesman Patrick and sister MOH Meg flying!)

(yes we found some corn!)

(we found some cows!)

3. Spending a few days with one of my bridesmaids Morgann and her family was amazing. They hosted me and treated me like a PRINCESS. The room I was in was beautiful, we had a gorgeous fireplace, delicious food, a new fresh towel every day. The impact they made on my week I could never put into words. We spent an entire day baking and preparing for for the candy bar and I even got to spend time with Morgann's Nana who had a birthday and great news regarding her cancer taking a hike (she got a great report from the Dr.)!

4. I loved having dinner with a group of friends in Boone. Mr. AC still hadn't arrived but I really loved getting to see some of the groomsman and getting to drink yummy drinks and eat good food.5. I loved getting our marriage license. We waited until the Thursday before the wedding to do it (cut it close!) but it was fun being in our town and making things official.

6. I loved checking into the villa where the wedding was and settling into my sick room. It was huge and had a fireplace. It had french doors that looked out onto the winery. It was so comforting knowing that we would be in the same location for the whole weekend.

7. I loved the bridal luncheon my grandmother and sister threw for me. I loved the hats we got to wear (more to come).

(photo by Dorsett Clark Photography)

8. I loved our rehearsal dinner. Everyone had so much fun and Mr. AC and I got to dance and laugh and relax. We had a bluegrass band and they rocked! (more to come!).

9. I loved having my family and the bridal party all in one location. We were able to get up the morning of the wedding and just relax.

10. I loved having a bridal shoot on top of a mountain and in a Christmas tree field! It was so cool. (More to come!)

(photo by Anna Naphtali Photography- more to come from Anna!)

11. I loved walking down the aisle with both my mom and my dad. It made everything perfect. And my mom looked so amazing.

12. I loved seeing how happy Mr. AC was. He was BEAMING! I loved the live music at the ceremony and that at the end of the aisle after the ceremony Mr. AC and I danced together to the end of the song. It was perfect.

I have so much more to come but I wanted to share some of my favorite moments so far. I honestly could write 100 because it was SOOOO perfect.

January Wedding - A song!

2009-10-19T09:29:00.000-07:00

I am obsessed with a band. My sister, my mom, my husband, my friends, my town, my state are all obsessed with a band. They are called "The Avett Brothers" and they speak directly to the core of my being. They have impacted my life, made me feel things deeper, taught me about family and love and life.

They just came out with a new album called "I and Love and You" and #2 on the new CD is called January Wedding. I wanted to share it with all of the January brides. It would be such a great 1st dance song.

We played a ton of their music at our wedding. If you are not familiar with the band then I have a few requests:

Listen to the lyrics...they will move you
Listen to these songs first: If It's The Beaches, The Offering, When I Drink, November Blue, I and Love and You and then listen to every single other song!

Lyrics to "January Wedding" by The Avett Brothers:
She keeps it simple
And I am thankful for her kind of lovin'
'Cause it's simple

No longer do we wonder if we're together
We're way past that
And I've already asked her
So in January we're gettin' married

She's talkin' to me with her voice
Down so low I barely hear her
But I know what she's sayin'
I understand because my heart and hers are the same
And in January we're gettin' married

And I was sick with heartache
And she was sick like Audrey Hepburn when I met her
But we would both surrender
True love is not the kind of thing you should turn down
Don't ever turn it down

I hope that I don't sound to insane when I say
There is darkness all around us
I don't feel weak but I do need sometimes for her to protect me
And reconnect me to the beauty that I'm missin'
And in January we're gettin' married

No longer does it matter what circumstances we were born in
She knows which birds are singin'
And the names of the trees where they're performin' in the mornin
And in January we're gettin' married
Come January let's get married

Have you found your first dance song? Did you choose it because of your wedding month?!

Rehearsal Dinner Wine - DIY labels

2009-10-18T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our rehearsal dinner had a theme (I promise to share pics soon!). It was a country bluegrass event but not cheesy country (if you know what I mean). We decided to have beer and wine at the event but I wanted the wine to of course have some custom labels.

I came up with a quick design to match the rehearsal dinner invitations and really love how they turned out.

(here is a reminder of what our rehearsal dinner invitation looked like)

Each label is 10” by 3”. I wanted to have a little overlap so I could tape it together. I also made 2 different types of labels. Some for Shiraz and some for Cabernet.

I did the design in word and it was super simple. I just added a few text boxes that were 10” x 3” and threw the design elements in from my RD invites.

(cheap wine from Trader Joe's)

(photo by Anna Naphtali Photography- more to come from Anna!)

I printed them on my home computer and they worked perfectly!

Did you create any DIY projects for your Rehearsal Dinner?

It's the little things - earring holders (quick DIY)

2009-10-15T18:31:00.001-07:00

I made headbands for my bridesmaids to wear on the wedding day and shared it with you guys in a past post.

(photo by Anna Naphtali Photography- more to come from Anna!)

I decided that the headbands weren't enough so I went on a hunt for earrings. I went to Kohls and founds some great earrings and with some major sales I got them for a good price. The one downside with Kohls was the packaging for the earrings. It was your typical white earring holder. You know what I mean they look sort of boring and plain.

(3 of the girls got these!)

(1 of the girls got these!)

I decided last minute the day before the wedding to use some of my extra woodgrain paper and print up some earring holders.

(photo by Anna Naphtali Photography- more to come from Anna!)

The project was super easy. I just created 2 x 3 inch text boxes in Microsoft Word and added what I wanted in the box including the text and our "image". I then took my small hole punch and punched 2 holes.

Did you create any last minute DIY projects.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

2009-10-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

We are married and we are happy. We are also heading to our honeymoon tomorrow and can't wait! I wanted to share a teaser with you. More to come soon.

(pictures by bridesman Patrick Sandora)

The day was everything we wanted it to be. The weather was perfect. The music was moving. It was relaxed. There was very little stress and the love was real.

Can't wait to give you millions of details.

Signage

2009-09-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

I have totally gone overboard with paper products for this wedding. I fully admit it. But when you have such great paper it is easy to think of projects! I decided that we needed to have some signs at our wedding and I wanted to create a few on my home (regular ink jet) printer. I decided to make 3 signs.

1- "Sign our bench": This sign will be placed at the cocktail location next to the bench that we want everyone to sign as our wedding book.

2- "Love Is Sweet": This sign will be placed at the candy/treat bar.

3 - "Leave a note for the bride and groom": This will also be at the cocktail hour with little notes for guests to leave a note. I wanted them to have something to do!

Each sign is 18" by 9". I ran the signs through my regular home printer. I just used Msft Word and made the page size the exact size of the actual page size. I was nervous but it worked perfectly! I bought thick poster board that I plan to put these on using glue dots.

Pocket Schedule - quick DIY

2009-09-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

This project started as a necessary project to keep everyone informed and turned into something "too cute" not to include! I have been to weddings where people are confused about the schedule, don't have important phone numbers and don't have addresses. I wanted to make sure that the wedding party and immediate family have all of the information. I thought a cute little pocket schedule might help!

I designed the layout in my handy dandy Microsoft Word and printed it on some cream paper that I have. This is the same paper that I used throughout the wedding suite. I then used a folding tool and made them accordion style.

It is business card size so it can fit right in the wallet of our party! We are giving a handful to my parents and Mr. AC's parents in case they want to share!

Did you create a schedule for the day?

Calm Is Settling In

2009-09-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

I must say...I am pleasantly surprised that the calm and excitement for the wedding are settling in. I am2 full days away from leaving for the big day (I am taking a whole week in North Carolina before the big day). I have shared so many projects with the Bee (and there are more to come) but I must say that I have been light on the "emotional" talk. I am the type of person that under stress shuts off all emotional expression.

I think now that everything is coming together, the projects are getting completed, my family and friends are getting excited, we are getting fun presents in the mail...I am catching on. I don't feel very stressed. I just feel excited.

There are some hurdles on the horizon but honestly I think I can take them like a true Olympian. Jump right over them gracefully.

We still have to finalize our music, create a few more projects, get a marriage license (we are cutting it super close to our wedding date) but honestly I just know everything will get done and work out.

People keep asking me what am I most excited about and I can't narrow it down to just one thing so I thought I would share the 10 things that I am most excited about.

I can't wait to see Mr. AC at the end of the aisle. I know his smile will be huge and I know how excited he is. I am really excited for that moment.
I can't wait to hear my cousin sing "To Make You Feel My Love" (by Adele) when I walk down the aisle. I know it will be nontraditional but I know it is exactly the right song for me. I am also excited that I am including the lyrics in the program so that people will know how much the words mean.
I am excited and proud that my mom will be walking me down the aisle. She is my whole world and I am honored that she will be holding me up. And I am glad that my father will be on the other side. Our relationship has been (to put it mildly) challenging over the years but I am glad that he will be holding up my "other side" as we go down the aisle.
I am excited that all of the fun projects I have worked on will be out in the open and I am excited about how many people have followed the blog and finally get to see the projects in action.
I am excited about the videographer and the photographer. They are both so talented and I am so glad to work with them.
I am excited for the food and the candy bar!
I am excited to have all of the people I love in one place and enjoying themselves
I am excited about how gorgeous my bridesmaids will look. I have such beautiful friends and I know they will glow. 2 of them are pregnant and I am excited to have their little buns in the oven part of the big day
I am over the moon that my maid of honor is my sister, Meg She is (like my mom) my whole world. I know she is looking forward to the wedding and that makes me proud. I love her so much
I am excited to become a wife. There is no one in the world that is a better fit for me and I will be super lucky to call Mr. AC - my love, my husband.

Ok that is emotion from me. Don't worry - I still have lots more projects over the next 2 weeks. Just thought I would give a little emotion ;).

DIY Programs - another labor of love

2009-09-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

I designed my programs a few weeks ago. I knew I wanted to use the woodgrain paper and incorporate many different images from the wedding theme (i.e. birds, branches, etc). I started designing and came up with a plan.

I would use the woodgrain paper for the covers and cream paper for the pages (i still used a thick card stock because I wanted it to have a hefty feel), I decided to make them 5X7 and I decided I would have 5 pages.

1. Ceremony
2. Wedding Party
3. Music & Lyrics - Adele "Make You Feel My Love"
4. Music & Lyrics - Ingrid Michaelson "Way I am"
5. Thank You

It was really important to me to have the lyrics in the program. My amazing cousin is singing and I chose these songs for their lyrics. I thought it would be cool for the guests to really see what the words are.

Once the pages were printed I cut them all out. Sadly the corners had to be rounded by hand. Once they were all cut I put them in order and punched holes in teh top left corner. I wanted them to be able to fold open.

The pictures show an example with a twin knot holding them together. This was really easy to do. I also purchased brads to try out but definetly leaning towards the knot(get it! tying the knot).

This was a definite labor of love and took a really long time but I know it is worth it. I am already preparing myself to see these in the garbage (because lets be honest who keeps programs forever?!?). Did you spend alot of time on your programs? Was it worth the work?

Birds on the table!

2009-09-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

When I was in North Carolina for my shower/brunch/bachelorette extravaganza I had to take advantage of the craft stores. I have been on a hunt for birds to put on the tables. I got inspiration from these weddings where birds look so adorable on the table.

(Photo via Once Wed by Jose Villa)

I got sooooo lucky when I walked into Michaels and they had their fall stuff on sale to make room for the holiday stuff(who knew…it is only September!). I found these ADORABLE birds. They had 2 sizes and the little ones were only $1.50 and the big ones were $2. I decided to buy them all. I thought I could but 2 on each table. I am excited!

I have to decide if I want to keep them the colors that they are or pain them another color. My mom and sister both thought I should keep them the brown tones because it “goes with a fall theme” but I am tempted to spray paint them a flat color, like a gray or antique white.

(this is my attempt to show what the birds would look like if they were painted)

As a reminder here is my inspiration board for the whole wedding.

What do you think, should I leave the birds the way they are or should I spray paint them?

Take a shawl and snuggle

2009-09-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

I wrote about a shawl basket that I loved and decided to borrow the idea! Well I received my shawls and I love them and of course had to create some adorable signs and tags to go with them. We are super lucky to already have a great basket from Mr. AC’s mom that we are going to use.

We decided to only have around 22 shawls. I think (if I am being honest) that these shawls were more for the “idea” or “look” of having shawls. I am not sure anyone will actually use them and if they do…there aren’t very many. I am pretty sure I should have gotten more or not used them but after going through SOOO much trouble I am going to put them out.

The tags I designed in Msft Word (as usual) and I decided to take my birds and create a new image to use. I wanted to keep the bird thing but knew that people might get tired of the branches.

I really hope that the guests like them and that some of them aren't irked by not getting one.

We are trying to decide where to put the basket. Part of me feels like putting it before people go down the aisle and the other makes me think it makes more sense on the porch where cocktail hour is being held. Where do you think it should go?

And they wore flowers in their hair.

2009-09-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

Once we picked the girls dresses I knew that I wanted them to have headpieces. I battled with the headpieces finding SOOO many that I loved on Etsy and online. I was willing to spend the money to buy them. I thought the time it would take me to make them would be too much to handle.

But then I made the mistake of going to the trim shop (living in NYC is a luxury for this reason…there are amazing trim shops all around). I walked into the trim store and found these gorgeous ribbon flowers. And they even had the exact navy that my bridesmaid dresses were. I thought that all navy would be too much so I looked to see what else I could find. I found a really nice gray and decided to get that too. And then I got to work on these DIY headbands.

The flowers were all connected to mesh already so I needed to get the following supplies:
• Needle and thread
• Felt (for backing)
• Headbands & clips for securing
• Hot glue gun
• Beads for decoration

Instructions:
I separated each flower and got to designing. I didn’t want them all to have the exact same ones but wanted to make 3 examples for them to choose from. Here are the designs I came up with.

Design 1: No headband - just 3 flowers secured to a clip

Design 2: 4 flowers secured to a headband!

Design 3: 3 flowers secured to a headband

I secured each of the flowers to the felt and then glued the clips and headbands to the felt.

Adding the beads was a last minute decision. I felt like the beads gave it a more polished look.

I will also make a boutonniere to match for Patrick (my bridesman) and a few flowers for my cousin who is singing, my FSIL who is reading and my friend Becky who is reading. I am going to make a small one for my mom but she probably won’t wear it!

It was so fulfilling to finish. Did you feel this way when you finished your projects?

Oh how you SPARKLE! DIY Project

2009-09-15T18:33:00.000-07:00

There are SOOOOO many details and pictures coming over the next few weeks but I wanted to share a few more projects that I haven't yet shared.

Like many other couples we decided to go the sparkler route for our send off. They make for amazing pictures. Of course I really wanted the sparklers to not be just sitting there so I used some of my left over wood grain paper and printed the words “thank you for adding SPARKLE to our day” and cut out 1” by 8” tags for the sparklers to sit in.

I created a template in Msft Word and just printed them on the handy home printer.

I also wanted the match books to have a little something special so I created some little matchbooks. More on that to come.

(photo by the amazing anna naphtali - lots more to come!)

Did you use sparklers at your wedding? How did you display them?

DIY Bird Reserved Signs

2009-09-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

So in my last post I showed you the table/place cards that almost were. Sadly I had to leave that project in the dust due to time but decided that my reserve signs had to be rockin! As usual I turned to my handy Msft Word to create a template.

I was trying to explain the project to Mr. AC. I said "image a reserve sign that is printed on our woodgrain paper and has a bird sitting on top". He didn't get it so I drew this little sketch to show him.

He loved it so I got to work. I thought about it for a little while and though. If I print on a whole sheet of the paper but place the bird on the top line (the fold line) I can use my exacto knife and cut the bird out. There will be an opening (backwords bird) on the backside but that can face the centerpiece and no one will see it. I did a test and IT WORKED!!! I was so happy.

(you can really see the woodgrain in this picture!)

I decided to print 8. And I think they look really good. It was a very simple project. I used the Albemarle Swash free font for the "reserve".

Did you spice up your "Reserve" signs?

The Seating Cards That Almost Were

2009-09-15T05:17:00.000-07:00

I am so sad that I am abandoning this project. I really loved it and when I did it DIY style I just got so excited. I wish that there was a way to make it work but the amount of time it would take to cut out each bird has slipped away.

Basically the idea was for the birds to serve as placecards and sit on each glass. I designed a template in word and basically just traced the birds in Paint (from my invitations) and rotated them. I connected 2 birds at the top so that when I cut them they would be together at the top. Sort of like a table tent.

I then cut them out and cut a little slit so they would sit on the rim of the glass.

We decided that we will not have assigned seats and we will just have reserved tables. I didn't want to have just plain "Reserved" signs so coming up next I will show you what we decided to do.

Did you abandon any DIY projects that you loved?

A Wedding Guest & Pure Talent

2009-09-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

My mom's best friend has a daughter, Bridget Kelly. She is amazingly talented and has been trying to break into the music world for a long time. Her talent is limitless. She seriously is incredible. This past weekend she rocked Madison Square Garden with JAY-Z. AMAZING! The song is the same song he sang with Alicia Keys at the VMA awards but honestly (and yes I am biased) she did a better job!!!

She seriously has talent. I will fully admit that I cried watching this and couldn't be prouder. Check it out everyone!!!!

Check out her myspace page here: www.myspace.com/stuckonbk

I am honored that Bridget and her mom will be at the wedding.

WOW! WOW! WOW!

Candy/Treat Bar

2009-09-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Now that you have seen the bags I am using for my treat/candy bar. I wanted to share with you the things I have decided to include. As I mentioned in my bag blog one of my bridesmaids and best friend's mom has offered to spend the day baking with me (a few days before the wedding) to help create the candy/treat bar. I am so thrilled that I will get to spend the day with my BM and her mom and I know it will be relaxing and meaningful. I have been collecting ideas on what to include for months.

Here are the things that I know we will be making:

PROJECT: CANDY BARS
(I found this idea on the Creature Comforts blog. Here is a link to the DIY Project) This is an easy project where we will just wrap Hershey chocolate bars

WHAT WE NEED:
• Chocolate bars
• Paper to wrap
• Labels
• Glue Dots

(from Creature Comforts blog)

PROJECT: HEART BROWNIES
(I found this project on the amazing Twig and Thistle blog)
This project should be easy we just need to make yummy brownies and cut heart shapes!

WHAT WE NEED:
• Brownie Mix
• Heart Shape cookie cutter

(from Style Me Pretty)

PROJECT: RICE CRISPY STICKS
Hopefully this will be easy! We just need to make rice crispies and add to it!

WHAT WE NEED:
• Rice Krispie Treats
• Sticks
• Dipping Chocolate

(from Style Me Pretty)

PROJECT: CARMEL MARSHMALLOWS
I have never done this before but not sure how hard it would be. I think we can use regular marshmallows and coat them in caramel. It would be awesome with square marshmallows.

WHAT WE NEED:
• Marshmallows
• Caramel for dipping
• Sticks

(from Style Me Pretty)

PROJECT: CANDY BUTTONS
When I saw this idea on Bake It Pretty I flipped out. I love it so much. I immediately went out and bought the candy molds. They were a great price! Buy them here.)

WHAT WE NEED:
• Chocolate Candy Melts
• Molds
• Little baggies for candy
• Labels

PROJECT: CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS
This is simple but I thought it was easy to throw in the bags.

WHAT WE NEED:
• Pretzel Rods
• Chocolate for dipping (white/dark)

(from Style Me Pretty)

PROJECT: WRAPPED CANDIES
I love the look of these. I know they are simple but I thought they could be fun!

WHAT WE NEED:
• Candy to wrap
• Tissue paper in pretty colors
• Twine
• Ribbon Lace

(from Martha)

PROJECT: COOKIES!!
I would love to have some chocolate chip cookies in a jar to include! I thought we could make a big batch with yummy, yummy gourmet chips!

WHAT WE NEED:
• Recipe
• Chocolate Chips

PROJECT: MINI CUPCAKES
I thought this might not be too hard. But with ADORABLE mini cupcake holders, it could be perfect.

WHAT WE NEED:
• Mini Cupcake Tins
• Cupcake Holders
• Cake Mix
• Icing

(from Flickr)

I feel so lucky that my BM's mom offered to help with this. I know it will be a fun day before the wedding putting all of this together.

Did you have any shower alternatives?

My headpiece - a DIY tease

2009-09-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

There are 2 things I knew when I started this wedding process. I wanted to wear a birdcage veil and I wanted to wear some type of headpiece in my hair. I have seen SOOOO many amazing ones online and even wrote about them here. This is another example of something I really wanted to do and was willing to pay for but got roped into doing it DIY style, and this is how the finished project turned out.

I decided to go with feathers, white lace and a slate blue/green material (that matches the trim on my dress.

(I took this picture before I added the feathers)

(the trim from my wedding dress)

I will post instructions in a later post but had to share! Total cost of this project was less than $5. Yay! Are you planning to wear a headpiece?

Shower…Brunch…Bachelorette – ALL IN ONE!

2009-09-10T04:39:00.000-07:00

I live in New York and all of my bridesmaids live in North Carolina. Most of my family is in North Carolina and lets be honest…my heart is in North Carolina. When my friends asked to have a bachelorette party and shower for me I know that I couldn’t ask them all to come to New York. Plus I love excuses to head down south. We settled on Labor Day weekend and I have just returned from being “showered” with love from my family and friends.

Our 1st “event” was a lingerie shower on Friday night and it was held at my moms house. I knew I wanted things to be laid back and relaxing so we grilled out and had cookie cake! My sister planned the event and did a great job. It was fun seeing her get excited. I am the first to get married so both my mom and sister aren’t used to all of this “wedding” stuff. My sister did a great job (with some help from my FMIL’s left over shower goods).

My sweet bridesmaids all attended and even baby Mae (a new addition to my best friend Devon’s family) came. My two stepsisters came it was meant so much to have them part of the evening. Even my sister’s best friend came for the fun.

(baby Mae and my bridesmaid Devon)

( my stepsisters!)

(my bridesmaid Heidi - and baby Max in her tummy!)

I got some AMAZING lingerie and even a book (which I won’t go into details on!). I can’t believe how generous my friends were. Mr. AC is SURE to be happy with their picks.

On Saturday morning we had a champagne brunch thrown by my bridesmaid and best friend from college Jaime (and her amazing mom!). The brunch was at Jaime’s beautiful home and it was perfect. We had pineapple mimosa’s and cupcakes in the AM…which I love. My friends were so generous and I received lots of lovely presents. My aunt also attended and that was really special.

After the brunch we headed to downtown Charlotte to check in to our hotel and get ready for a “wild” night. I put “wild” in quotes because I am typically a very tame party person. We had a great dinner in downtown Charlotte. I wore a super cute white dress that my sister picked out for me and all of my ladies wore black. They all looked HOT as we headed onto the town. I want to add what troopers my friends are. 2 of them are pregnant and one just had a baby and has 2 year old twins. They lead he troop and it was awesome.

(my sister and stepsister!)

(the list which i really did NOT want to do but decided to give a few things a shot!)

(i'm not a big drinker - as you can see by this face!)

(my bridesmaid Jaime!)

(my sweet bridesmaid Morgann!)

(Devon and I laughing! I love this pic)

We didn’t get too wild but we had a great time. My sweet sister and MOH created a signature drink and it was really awesome.

This weekend was a reminder that weddings are about being with the people you care about most in the world and that is worth the travel, time and hangover!

Candy/Treat Table Bags - DIY Style

2009-09-09T06:14:00.000-07:00

I have been given a great gift by one of my BM's mothers! She wanted to throw me a shower or a luncheon but I thought there must be something different that we can do. Mrs. Greene (my BM's mom) is an amazing women. For years in college she hosted get togethers at her home and made delicious meals and yummy desserts. She has an amazing kitchen and loves to be in it. I asked Mrs. Green if she would consider helping me with my DIY Candy Bar the week before the wedding. SHE SAID YES! So a few days before the wedding we are planning to get together at her home for a day or baking, candy making and more.

I am so excited about what we are going to put on the candy bar but I will share that a bit later. I have spent months trying to determine how our guests will get their candy home. I had a few ideas ranging from baker's boxes to cellophane bags to more.

Option 1: Baker's Boxes: I saw this gorgeous DIY project on the Style Me Pretty Blog and loved the boxes. You can see the DIY instructions here.

Finally this weekend I decided to go a simple, cheap, DIY route and I am super excited about how the treat bags turned out. I decided to use brown paper lunch bags which I got (40 for $1 at the Dollar Store). I thought I would test them on my handy printer and I love how they turned out.

The design was inspired by alot of different elements. I pulled in the font from my invitations and other pieces. I used a flower from an old template (from the amazing Bella Bella Co.). I used my birds (changed their colors). I really love how the kraft paper was pulled into this project...it makes everything come full swing from my save the dates to the invites to the RD invites.

I used the Martha Stewart punch to punch out the tops.

The design was super easy. I designed this in word (like all of my other invitations) and used cool fonts. I set the paper size in word to be the exact size of the paper bags and it worked really well. Here is a stack of them yet to be punched.

I am still deciding how they will be sealed but I am thinking of buying some adorable little clothespins that people can use.

(these are from the Etsy shop of Dozi)

You can find the pins online. Here is a link to 50 of them for $2.49.

I am so excited about how they turned out and how cheap they were!

Our Guest Book Bench!

2009-09-08T18:35:00.000-07:00

You will remember from this post that we really wanted a unique guest book. When I saw a bench used for another wedding I knew that I wanted to go that route.

(image source)

Mr. AC and I are incredibly lucky, our friend Will Bucher is an amazing wood worker (he owns Hill Country Woodworks) and he very generously made us a bench to use as our guest book. I am over the moon excited, not only to have a bench but to have something made impeccably by a talented wood worker to put in our home is priceless!

We will use special pens for our guests to sign the bench with and then Will will seal the signatures.

Will makes other incredible pieces. They are all custom and amazing.

(I love that this table expands. The details are awesome!)

Will is always open to custom projects. You can reach Hill Country Woodworks at 919-929-2075.

Did you have a unique idea for your guest book?

DIY Door Hangers - Do Not Disturb!

2009-09-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

I loved the idea of making door hangers for our guests and have seen so many brides make some really great ones! I decided to give it a try. I found quite a few templates out there but decided to tweak mine just a big.

I have lots of left over wood grain paper and want to carry that theme throughout the wedding. I decided to make a template and made each hanger 3.5" by 8". I was able to fit 3 on a page.

The design elements I included were:

Our bird on a limb image
The typical "Please Do Not Disturb "
I found an image with the "Thank you for sharing our wedding with us" - I can't remember where this came from - if someone knows please share!
Our bird

I then used my handy home "cheap" printer and am really happy with what came out.

(how scary does my hand look?!?!?)

Did you put any DIY elements in your OOT bags?

Mr. AC's Wedding Band

2009-09-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

***A Post from Mr. Apple Cider on his wedding ring choice!***

I wanted my wedding band to be unique. I wanted the ring to be noticed.

Miss AC and I had been looking at all the typical jewelry stores, combing through all the on-line galleries, and I was never really sold on anything. Then a while ago I read a post on wedding bee (yes I am the first to admit that I do follow wedding bee). He had the brilliant idea to search on Etsy. Of course… why not? Why didn’t I think of that!

So the search was on. I still had no idea what I was looking for, but I knew that I would “know it when I saw it.” And I certainly did. I found the ring in the Etsy shop of Artisan Look. Their website is here.

There were so many rings that stood out, but when I saw this one the search was over.

The ring is called “walk with me.” How perfect is that and I love all the symbolism you can pull from this ring. Miss AC and I love art and we love supporting artists. This ring is different, unique and most importantly true handmade art. There are so many reasons that I love this ring, and I can’t wait for the day I put it on for good.

Did your guy go for a more traditional wedding band or something different?

DIY OOT boxes = happy bride!

2009-08-31T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have been in DIY mode the last 2 weeks. This weekend we worked on our out of town bags and they were all do it yourself style! I have been thinking about our out of town "bags" for months and finally came up with a design and plan this weekend and made them! I am really excited to share with you.

You will remember from this post that I purchased this gorgeous paper lace from Etsy. I decided I will incorporate it into the out of town "bags" which last week became out of town boxes. Here are the things I purchased:

50 Gable Boxes (we went with the 9X6X6 size) from USBox.com (.53 cents each)
4 Paper Lace rolls from Bohemian Market ($4 each)

I incorporated my left over cream paper for the tags, used left over brown twine to tie the tags, used my tree stamp, bird stamp, embosser, embossing powder and stamp pad. Over all the idea was easy, the process took some time but I LOVE WHAT CAME OUT! The DIY process took some time but Mr. AC stepped right in and helped! Here are the steps:

We measured the paper lace to fit around the box horizontally. Then we cut each piece. We made sure that the boxes could still be folded down for easy transporting to NC for the wedding.

We decided where to put the stamp and proceeded to stamp each side of the box and emboss "our tree" on the side

We used our handy glue stick and some tape and glued the lace to the box

We created a tag that said "Welcome, Treats from the bride and groom, Rest, Relax and Indulge in the weekend"

More on what will go in the boxes later!

Were you excited when you finished your OOT bags?

Our Rehearsal Dinner Invites - DIY Style

2009-08-27T05:48:00.000-07:00

Our rehearsal dinner invitations excite me! I knew I wanted to make them extra special too and started thing of a design in my head. Our rehearsal dinner is being held at an old apple barn and we decided to go with an old country theme. Not "cheesy" country but simple, old country. We hired a blue grass band and I have started gathering design elements!

I have so many talented friends and among them is my friend Ashley (check out some of her work on her awesome blog!). She is an artist. Once I had this initial invite idea I sent it to her to "clean" up.

(this is the design I sent her)

She came back with perfection! I fell in love with the invites. She offered to print them too and even suggested kraft paper (another theme at the wedding). I was smitten. She sent them in this adorable wrapping!

Once I had the invites I knew that I couldn't just put them in a regular envelope so I went on a hunt for the "right" fit. We used vellum envelopes for the wedding invite so I checked those out.

And then this save-the-date came to mind and I knew what I had to do (I first saw this idea on the)!

(Save The Date from the awesome blog Creature Comforts)

I bought some sparkly navy paper, some red tissue - grabbed my hole and circle punch and Mr. AC and I got to work.

(the remnants of our punching)

I thought I would just make the enveleope plain but knew it needed a bit of flare. I decided to play with a banner clipart and came out with this.

And this is how they turned out!!

Everything was done in Microsoft Word.

SOME DETAILS:

The doily images are from Martha Stewart and you can find them here.
The font is called Susie's Hand you can find it here.
My printer is a regular $100 Epson.
The total cost was $20 envelopes, invites (free!!! Thanks Ash), stamps $25, ink (estimate $10). Total for 50 - $55.

I finished them and out they have gone! Did you spend a lot of time on your rehearsal dinner invitations?

DIY Bags for OOT bags

2009-08-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

My dear best friend and bridesmaid Jaime came to visit New York this past weekend and while I wanted to just hang out with her and eat cupcakes she reminded me that we had a project to do. We decided to make the bags that will hold hot chocolate and apple cider for the the guests. These will go in the guest's out of town bags. I still haven't decided what the actual OOT bags will be - they might be apple baskets or gable boxes!

I decided to buy muslin bags because I love the natural look and the cost. I only paid around 25 cents each. I got them from this website.

I had already had the tree stamp made from the image we designed for my invitations.

I decided I need a stamp that said "enjoy" and it took around 15 websites to find one...but I did. I bought the "enjoy" stamp for around $10 with shipping. I found it at 1-2-3 Stitch.

Once I got the bags (they were 4X6inches) I ironed them...they got a little wrinkled in the mail.

Then we set up our assembly line in the living room. I stamped the tree and Jaime stamped the "enjoy". I used a piece of cardboard to make sure that the ink didn't soak through.

(my BFF Jaime!)

I found the hot chocolate online and went with a more expensive kind because I liked the packages. I know that is not good but I decided to splurge a tiny bit. I decided to get Bellagio hot chocolate from the English Tea Store.

I am not sure about the tag yet but think we will probably add that too. Did you do any DIY projects for your OOT bags?

DIY Wedding Signs!

2009-08-18T05:27:00.000-07:00

When I visited to West Virginia a few weeks ago for my wedding shower my FMIL took me to Craft 2000 (a craft store in WV) and I proceeded to go down every single aisle looking for inspiration. In the "wood" section I came across these great arrow signs and had to buy them. They were marked as $9.99 which I thought was an OK price. It wasn't GREAT but it was ok. To my excitement when we got to the register they were on sale and were only $1.29. I knew it was work a little experiment.

Mr. AC decided to make this project his. I printed out "wedding" in the Albemarle Swash font and let him go at it. He wanted to add in our "birds" and I think it turned out really nice.

Next we were going to put "reception" but decided that it should say "dancing". I like how this one turned out too - I don't have a picture to share. Overall the project cost less than $5 and I like it!

Did you have a cheap and easy project for your wedding?

Our Ties Are Here!

2009-08-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Remember the post I wrote about the amazing ties by Cyberoptix?! Well, we ordered ties and they arrived this week. They are AWESOME! We matched them with the girls dresses EXACTLY and Mr. AC really liked the oak tree so we chose that image. Not only do the ties rock but the company was so great to work with and the ties arrived very quickly.

The guys will be wearing a dark gray suit with a crisp white shirt and the tie. Mr. AC hasn't decided if he wants a boutonniere yet but I hope he does! If not we are going to make a pocket square to match the tie.

In the next week or 2 we are going to buy Mr. AC's suit and do a fashion show! I promise to share pictures.

my sweet bridesmaid Morgann modeling her dress!

Did you get excited when your groom's style was finalized?

The Honeymoon Decision - from Mr. AC

2009-08-11T06:02:00.000-07:00

***This blog post is thanks to Mr. Apple Cider who has been working on our honeymoon***

Hello Bees -
Our honeymoon search has been taxing. I thought I would share with you the process of how we picked our spot!

We were getting closer and closer to our wedding day, and we were getting further and further from a decision on our honeymoon. Miss AC has been reading the E-zine Utterly Engaged and came across an ad from Katie of Easy Trip. The ad offered to help one Utterly Engaged reader to find there honeymoon destination.

We decided to give it a shot and send Katie an email. There seemed to be too many upsides, getting our honeymoon planned with someone who would take the time to find out what we really wanted, as well as the possibility of getting it featured in a magazine! So it all started with an email to Katie, and here is an excerpt from that message:

Hello Katie,

After stumbling across your website I yelled out loud "thank you!" I had no idea how frustrating this honeymoon search could be and after countless conversations and email exchanges with travel agents we are still struggling. My fiance and I have been searching the internet, talking with friends, and literally pulling places out of a hat for the last few months now, and I feel we still haven't made any progress…

Every time we look o line we find some other great deal leading us in a different direction. We have finally settled on a beach vacation, and are pretty much sold on the Caribbean (though Hawaii keeps popping up). Our first choice was St. Lucia for its beauty, mountains and beach, but the prices we keep finding seem to be a little much for us right now. We have been looking more closely to Jamaica, US Virgin Islands, and the Bahamas, but again we are not sold on anything just yet. We also keep coming back to all inclusive deals because of the ease they can offer. We would love a beautiful setting with great beaches, comfortable and fun accommodations with a view, great food, and may be little bit of culture.

I knew our description of what we wanted was quite vague, but we wanted to see what she could find. We went back and forth with Katie as she asked us questions about preferences, likes and dislikes, money and much more. She gave us three options at a time that pretty much covered the Caribbean. It was clear from the start that Katie had a handle on what we were looking for. After a few more emails Katie found this amazing place on the Maya Riviera in Mexico. Here are some pictures of the place.

The Zoetry Experience seems to fit us perfectly. Their focus on wellness and relaxation combined with luxury sounds like a great mix. The gourmet dining includes a lot of organic choices. They also have a new spin on “all inclusive” renaming it “Endless Privileges – Luxury without Limits.”

Here are some of the many things that are included with their endless privilege:
• Private chauffeured airport transfers
• Luxurious oceanfront suites with terraces providing direct access to the private beach
• Bottle of champagne and fresh fruit basket daily
• Daily breakfast, lunch and dinner gourmet dining options with an assortment of organic food and beverage selections
• Daily shopping excursions by boat
• Hydrothalasso pool and aqua gym
• Exclusive Visia® complexion skin analysis
• Unlimited cocktails and specialty beverages from a variety of domestic and international premium brands
• Traditional Temazcal steam room ceremony every other day
• Access to sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi and cold plunge pool
• Anti-aging medical diagnostic to identify health and skin characteristics
• Daily afternoon tea time featuring live plant tea infusions

These are some of their activities that are included:
•Fresh water and salt water swimming pools with wait staff service
•Private beach with wait staff service
•Sailing aboard “La Bonita,” our private 3-cabin catamaran
•Snorkeling - 7 minutes from the world’s second largest reef
•Hobie Cats
•Windsurfing
•Kayaking
•Tennis
•Water aerobics
•Stretch classes

Along with our reservations we were given a $200 credit for the spa. I think this resort will be the perfect place to unwind, relax and enjoy great food and drink after the wedding.

TIP: One thing that we did when researching is found a place and then looked for pictures on Flickr.com. Sometimes pictures on websites can be deceiving so seeing real people pictures helped to make a solid decision!

Did you feel relieved when you booked your honeymoon?

My Wedding Shoes --- maybe?!

2009-08-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

I haven't tried these shoes on but I saw them and fell in love. I have just ordered them and am using "the secret" so that they fit and are perfect! They seem to match the trim on my wedding dress perfectly and the heel isn't too high which is great!

I found them at Urban Outfitters and they are a bit pricey at $88. I feel ok about spending that much but didn't really expect to. I didn't think too much about the shoes but after seeing soooooo many great shoe wedding pictures I knew that I needed to find a good pair.

I love the detail in these shoes. I think they have a vintage vibe.

The shoes have other color choices including tan, black and pink. Check them out at Urban Outfitters. Did your potential pictures influence your shoe choice?

Introducing Our Labor Of Love - Invitations

2009-08-04T06:43:00.000-07:00

What a process our invitations were! They seriously took me months but they were worth it!

These were the pieces that I created:

Invitation 5X7
RSVP card 3X5
Info card 2X4
Map 4X6
Tag 1X1

[INVITATION & ENCLOSURE]

[RSVP CARD]

[INFO CARD]

[MAP]

[TAG]

What I bought:

Printing - all printing was done on my home Epson All-In-One Printer
Wood Grain Paper - from Gmund Germany - GIFT
Vellum Envelopes (100) - bought from Envelope Mall for $16.75 for 100
RSVP Envelopes (100) - bought from Envelope Mall for $12.95 for 100
Enclosures (100) - bought from a paper store in the city $14 for 10 - total 140
String (8 packs) - bought from Craft 2000 (similar to Michaels) for $6.00 total
Stamps for RSVP - each cost $.44 - total $44.00
Stamps for whole thing - each cost $.61 - total $61.00 for 100

TOTAL COST: $281 or $2.81 each

For the final packaging we went with dark brown enclosures and decided to use vellum envelopes.

[ENCLOSURES WITH INVITE AND RSVP]

[THE ENVELOPES ALL PUT TOGETHER]

[THE BACK OF THE ENVELOPES]

Invitations Are Finished!

2009-08-03T06:53:00.000-07:00

All of the fun/stressful/DIY details coming very soon but today we sent our invitations and I AM SO THANKFUL THEY ARE OUT, OUT, OUT!!!!! It has been such a process.

Originally I was going to have my invitations made. I felt great about that decision, was ready to spend the money BUT one day I decided to do a "test" invitation on my own and my world came together/fell apart. I decided that I could save the money do the invitations myself.

(in the box ready to go!)

After what seems like months of grueling work and printing. The invitations are out there door and it was worth it! I am excited to say "we made those ourselves", and spend the money on something else.

Full details coming soon. How did you feel when you finished your invitations?

Overwhelmed Bee

2009-08-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

I am stressed. There is no hiding it, no pretending that I am not...this wedding is stressing me out. I am getting things accomplished (soon I will have my invitations to share) but wow are weddings stressful.

I am suffering from severe blog guilt (anyone else know what that is like)? My wedding/life/job/recent move is stressing me out and it is affecting my blogs. I am overwhelmed, nervous that things won't be perfect, scared that people will think that things are halfway done and the worries go on and on and on.

(i need this! haha - love the old add)

Some days I want to just run away from the blogging, the wedding and elope. I won't because I have put so much work into things and I know that everything is going to be wonderful...not perfect but wonderful.

I am still a 2 whole months away from the wedding and I think that is part of the problem. I have been writing for a long time about this wedding and it isn't like I am running out of things to say...it is that there is SOOOO much to say. I think I just need to get my act together.

Mr. AC and I moved in together on Friday. It isthe first time we have lived together in our 6 year relationship. I hate moving but I am so excited to be in the same place as Mr. AC (Alan). There are a lot of emotions associated with moving for me though. I am leaving my amazing New York City apartment to move to a borough (Queens) (for those of you not familiar with NYC - this is a HUGE change). I am leaving my roommate and best friend Patrick...who has been NYC to me. Living with Mr. AC will be less stressful. He calms me down, he cooks and he is incredibly helpful with DIY projects. I know that things will get better but it is a bit tough right now.

I had to vent and I had to apologize. You are all stepping up to the plate, creating great blogs, adding great comments and sharing wonderful projects. I have a lot to share in the coming weeks but just had to get the feeings out there....I never thought I would be one of those people to say weddings are stressful...BUT THEY ARE!

Has anyone else felt this way? Any advice? Thanks for listening! And more to come from me soon!

Showered!

2009-07-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend was not only my first wedding shower for myself but the first wedding shower that I have ever attended! Surprising right?! I have been in a lot of weddings but living far from North Carolina I have never been able to attend the showers.

(Mr. AC's mom arranged for our name to be on the church marquee, it was SOOO cool seeing our name up there)

I must admit that I was a little nervous. I am not a very "girly girl" and I don't really like being the "center of attention" but I embraced it and it was super fun!

Mr. Apple Cider's mom threw the shower and it had a "love birds" theme...much like our invitations. The shower was in Mr. AC's hometown in West Virginia and my mom and sister drove up from North Carolina. It was so wonderful having them there. My sister stepped right into the MOH role and I was so relieved to have her there.

(my adorable sister and MOH rocking the headband)

(me and the marmie!)

The shower was adorable. There was cute balloons and birds everywhere. We played fun games, ate yummy food and had some delicious cake...with our picture on it!

We opened lots of presents and were so excited to get fun things for our new apartment.

It was really special to be surrounded by women that saw Mr. AC grow up. The love for him and his family was evident. I was glad that my mom and sister could see that.

(Mr. AC's sweet grandmother who is almost 90 and made the trip for the shower!)

Wedding Shower Road Trip

2009-07-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

Things are getting serious. This weekend is our first wedding shower and it is far from the busy streets of NYC. It is at Mr. AC's parent's home in West Virginia. We are both really excited about the shower. It will be the first time (in 6 years) that my mom and sister have been to their home. It is the first time my sister will meet Mr. AC's parents.

I have had a lot of stress the last few weeks. The wedding is really causing stress in my life but I have to say I am really looking forward to this shower. Being together with your family, your future in-laws, friends and family is what weddings are all about. And I think at less than 2 and a half months out this is an important reminder for me.

Since all of my bridesmaids including my sister live in North Carolina, I haven't seen my BM dresses in person. I have asked my sister to bring her dress to the shower. I will also get to see Mr. AC's moms dress and show everyone there some of the things I have started to make including my invitations (which i will share with the hive soon), fun door hangers and other cool projects!

Were you excited about your wedding shower? Did you use it as an opportunity to take a break from wedding planning?

Umbrella, ella, ella, ella

2009-07-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

I am not an umbrella bride but I know there are some out there and I had to share this really cool umbrella that I found on Etsy. They could be the perfect accessory for some bride out there!

Are you a parasol bride? What are some of the other accessories that you are using in your photographs?

Getting my "booty" in shape

2009-07-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

As most brides do...I am trying to get in shape before the big day. I have been working at getting in shape for the last year. I have been working out more, got a trainer at the gym and have generally been trying to get healthy.

As most of you know I had hip surgery in April that left me on crutches for 6 weeks and basically out of commission for a solid 2 months. It was a major set back but I am committed to getting back in shape and finally off crutches and cleared to work out full time.

This past week I started "booty camp" in the city. 2 times a week for an hour I get up at 5:45am and head to a pier in NYC to "train". It is basically like basketball camp. The trainer is great. She is a former pro basketball player and pushes us...but in a nice way.

After day 2 I was so sore that I could hardly walk but it seems to be worth it. I am pretty much the worst of the class. I am not a runner (plus my hip is still hurting a little). She has us doing things like champion runs, sprints, crab crawls and more and more and more. It is really tough. Today I told myself that I don't have to be first, I have nothing to prove, I paid for this camp and I did it for me...so I am only competing against myself. With that mentality I think I can make it.

I am trying to be realistic with expectations. There is no way I am going to lose 20 pounds in 2 and a half months (which at 1 point was a goal). I now just want to feel good and healthy and get to a point that I can continue after the wedding.

Mr. AC and I are moving in together for the first time in a few weeks and we have committed to getting more healthy together and I am hoping he will hold my feet while I do pushups (that seems like love to me!).

How did you approach "getting in shape" for your wedding? Did it overwhlem you?

Registering - Part 2 - ETSY!!

2009-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

After our experience with the "big brands" (i.e. Bed, Bath & Beyond and Williams-Sonoma) we felt an overwhelming need to find more "us" stuff. Don't get me wrong...we registered for a TON of stuff at BB&B but we have a love of unique art pieces and I thought we should create an Etsy registry.

Currently Etsy doesn't have an official registry so I decided to create a button on my website and a post just with some items that we wanted.

(this button is on our website but not clickable here)

I asked people to comment on the blog post if they purchase anything. I wanted to share with you some of the items that we registered for!

Square Bird and Branch Dish by Laurel Begley Ceramics - $14

Super Bowl in Outfit pattern, Vapid colorway by Jill Rosenwald - $200

NYC Coaster Set by PepperSprouts - $25

Would you consider setting up an Etsy registry?

Registering - Why Is This SO hard?!

2009-07-08T08:07:00.000-07:00

We did it...we finally registered and we felt like huge jerks. I wish registering felt better than it did. EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE! Living in NYC has given us a different view on life. Everything is expensive...our rent, our food. Neither one of us was that excited about registering. I am not sure why. Maybe it is that it is hard to imagine what we will need. Or maybe it is that we have a tiny apartment that we are moving in to and it is hard to imagine it full of stuff.

Our first stop was Williams-Sonoma and wow was this place overwhelming. The one bright spot was the lady that helped us. She was super friendly and gave us great advice. Once we got started though we felt sort of out of place and I just couldn't bring myself to ask guests to get us a $500 pot. I just couldn't do it.

(filling out forms at WS - Mr. AC is behind the camera)

After Williams-Sonoma we headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond. Being that almost all of our guests are from the south we thought this was a good place that everyone was familiar with. It was SOOO much more comfortable there.

The girl that helped us was a dream. She agreed to walk around the whole store with us and gave us ideas on things we should register for. She had great pointers about how much to register for compared to the number on the guest list and having a wide price range of gifts that would allow for every budget.

We started with china, and with our helper's help we started to get into the whole registering thing. She really broke the process down for us and spent a lot of time setting up different place settings, with different stem wear, silver wear, place-mattes and much more. We went through every department and debated, matched and thought out every detail we could.

What seemed to make the process more difficult was trying to imagine everything we liked in an apartment we haven't moved in yet. And planning for our eventual "house" added another level of complication but it was starting to get fun.

Some of our favorite things that we put on the list are an 18 bottle wine cellar/chiller/fridge (totally unnecessary but only $199), a complete sushi set, and a couple of cool bedspreads.

Our helper really stressed the point of having things we liked on the list because you never know who might purchase them, and if they do not get picked up by a guest we can still have 10-20% off for two years.

After both Bed, Bath & Beyond we thought alot about it and decided that if we were going to have folks spend money on us...what about supporting artists and setting up an Etsy Registry????!!!! More to come on that next.

How was the registry process for you? Did you feel guilty?

Outtakes from our engagement pics!

2009-07-07T05:16:00.000-07:00

Laura Taylor from The Darling Life Photography shared so many pictures with us from our engagement photo session. I wanted to share some of the outtakes. It is really fun to get to chose from SO MANY! I am lucky to have a generous photographer.

This is my favorite outtake - i love that i am handing him all of the "boy" balloons

How adorable is this little girl in the bottom left!! She really wanted to balloons. We didn't give them to her BUT on the way home we gave all of the balloons to a little boy and he kept saying "mommy just like Up, just like Up (the movie)". So cute.

Mr. AC - WHAT A STUD and I appreciate him indulging me with the balloons

Balloon heads!

Walking in Central Park

A close up

This is because I made him carry balloons around all day!

Did you have any fun outtakes from your wedding or engagement shots?

Great idea from Martha!

2009-07-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this idea in the latest Martha Stewart Weddings and now have to "borrow" the idea for our cocktail hour. It is such a fun idea and I think would make for a fun wall hanging after the wedding.

There are a few options for getting a number sheet:

1. You can use the PDF from Martha (get it here)

2. You can use Wordle and create your own. Check out that site here.

Here is a link to the How To from Martha. Martha used corsage pins from Michael's Floral Supply. You can get 150 pins for $3.99.

Have you added any last minute DIY projects to your plans?

Our Engagement Photos - Part II

2009-06-30T09:55:00.000-07:00

As everyone knows I am obsessed with balloons so the first round of pictures I shared are all with balloons. I really think they turned out well. We wanted to take some without the balloons too and I think they turned out well! Here they are.

These pictures were taken in Central Park. It was hazy/cloudy all day but I think it helped with the lighting.

(all photos by The Darling Life Photography)

This picture was taken on one of the piers in Chelsea.

We were so lucky to get to go on the High Line Park the day it opened. If you don't know about this park, check it out here. It is super cool!

(all photos by The Darling Life Photography)

We also headed to my roof to take some shots...shhhhh...don't tell my landlord. There was this cool beam that we sat on. It was fun up there. This was the first place we went

(all photos by The Darling Life Photography)

This last picture we took on the street in front of some graffiti . I added the "love is real" to the picture but thought it was fitting.

How did you feel when you got your engagement photos?

Our Engagement Pictures - Part I

2009-06-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we spent the day with the amazing Laura Taylor from The Darling Life Photography. I have been a big fan of her work for years and she kindly agreed to take our photos. We had a great time gallivanting all over New York City taking pictures with Laura. She was patient and fun to shoot with.

Here are some of our favorites (CLICK THE PICS TO MAKE THEM BIGGER):

(all photos by The Darling Life Photography)

(all photos by The Darling Life Photography)

Part 2 coming later today! Which are your favorites?

Now we have to decide what to do with all of these photos!!! I think we might make a coffee table book but thinking of other fun things we can do. What did you do with your engagement photos?

Recent Etsy Buys!

2009-06-26T04:53:00.000-07:00

As I have said 100 times Etsy is a gem in my life and in the lives of so many brides. I made 3 random purchases from Etsy this week and I am not only excited about them but don't feel at all guilty for going off the "budget plan" for these.

First, these gems from the Etsy Shop of Ay Mujer. I plan to use them at my rehearsal dinner and just think the mixed colors are so fantastic! The seller takes custom orders. My set of multi-colored flags were only $11 for 1 banner = 13' long, with (9) 9"x10" flags. I bought 3 sets.

Second, I found these adorable paper strings that have "love songs" on them. They were $4 for 16 pieces in the Etsy Shop of Ormolu. I bought 5 sets. I love them! Songs include: "i can't help falling in love with you", "say that you love me", "thank you for loving me", "love is all we need", baby, I love your way",, "have I told you lately that I love you?", "I want you, I need you, I love you", "baby I need your lovin". Check out her shop for some other amazing finds!!

Lastly, was this gorgeous vintage lace ribbon from the Etsy Shop of A Bohemian Market. I bought the deep pink and got 1 roll of 12 yards for $4.00.

What have some of your spontaneous Etsy buys been?

Wedding Rubber Stamps

2009-06-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

I decided to order rubber stamps to use on a lot of different wedding elements (some determined and some yet to be determined!). I am so please with them that I wanted to write about them.

I decided to order the birds separate from the tree so I could change the colors of ink/embossing powder if I wanted to!

I had two stamps made and they were both custom. The first stamp was the tree stamp. It is 3" by 4" and I bought it for $17.50 (not including shipping) at Impress Rubber Stamps. I was very happy with the quality.

The second stamp was the bird stamp and it is .5" by 1" and I ordered it from RubberStamps.Net. I was happy with the quality of this stamp too. It is very small which is good but I will say that the bigger the stamp the easier to maneuver.

Here are the stamps in action!

Ways I plan to use my stamps:

Soap for OOO bags
On the invitation enclosures
On the muslin bags for my OOO bags (they are small!)
On the programs
On the apple cider mugs (more on that to come)

How are you incorporating stamps into your wedding? Any other ideas for ways I should use the stamps?

Our Invitations - A Sneak Peek

2009-06-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

My invitations have caused me a lot of stress. I have had so much inspiration from wedding blogs and of course the bloggers here on the "Bee". But sometimes inspiration can be overwhelming. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to have my invitations letterpressed. I just thought that this was something that I couldn't pass up. I also knew that I wanted to have a "woodgrain" feel and had hoped to achieve this look with letterpressing. I seriously have been thinking about this since day 1 of my engagement!

(CLICK FOR CLOSER LOOK ON EACH PICTURE)

(here is a sneak peak at our outside "packaging")

A few weeks ago I was introduced to the GORGEOUS paper made by Gmund, and low and behold they made a woodgrain paper. I ordered some samples back in April and when the arrived I was floored. They were perfect.

***budget tip: Gmund will allow you to order 10 sample sheets for FREE and no shipping (they come all the way from Germany!) (www.gmund.com)

My design came together a few months ago. I knew I wanted to include the birds and tree and wanted them to be simple. I tapped into the amazing resource of Mrs. Cupcake to help line things up correctly and create a formal document. (she is a life saver!)

So the real stress was the actual printing. Did I spend the money to have the invites letterpressed or should I give it a shot with my own printer and this gorgeous Gmund paper? Well on Saturday I decided I could sacrifice a sheet of the paper to do a test. And things turned out....SO MUCH BETTER THAN I EXPECTED.

Here is the rsvp card. I love the woodgrain. I love that it almost makes the invitations look letterpressed.

Here is a sneak at the actual invitation. Again I think the woodgrain looks so rich!.

I have so much more to share but I have only made ONE OF THESE! I have so much work to do but I promise to share all of the details including costs. I estimate that by doing it myself I am saving at least $500 and it seems so worth it!

Did you feel so relieved when your invitation design came together?

Bridal Luncheon Invitation

2009-06-22T06:04:00.000-07:00

My sister and grandmother will be throwing me and my bridesmaids a luncheon the day before the wedding. I am really excited for the event. I think it will be sweet and fun, and exactly what we need to kick off the weekend. We decided on an adorable location. We will be having a "tea" complete with scones, cucumber sandwiches and hats. Yes, I said hats!!

The location is the Azalea Inn and one of the owners has a room called "Karen's Tearoom" where she hosts teas. Azalea Inn has several hats you can wear while experiencing their afternoon tea…or wear your own. I am so excited!

I decided to design the invitation and would love advice from the hive on what invitation you like best. It is so fun making all of these invitations!!!

(CLICK FOR CLOSER LOOKS)

Version 1:

Version 2:

Version 3:

Did you get to participate in designing your shower/luncheon invites? Did you enjoy it as much as me?

Yay for awards!

2009-06-22T05:51:00.001-07:00

I just found out that the awesome "Stylish Events" blog gave me a "Wedding Blog Award of The Week" for my DIY soap project. The project won the "The Most Creative DIY Project of the Week". Yay!!

You can read more at: http://stylisheventsblog.com/

DIY Soap Instructions

2009-06-16T05:53:00.000-07:00

I shared a sneak peek of my soap project last week and I am now here to share the directions. This project is simple and cheap. You can up the creativity and challenge by actually making your own soap (I knew that I didn't have time) but that is a great idea.

First things first -
Buy your soap. I decided to go with dial soap bars and bought 36 of them for $14. If you are planning to make more you can purchase soap at places like Sam's Club or other wholesale stores. Here is one that I found online: Kitchen Supply Direct

You want to go with a soap that is already wrapped but not boxed. I found that the boxed soaps seemed more like presents than soap bars. i tried ivory soap first.

Second -
Decide on your paper. I got a great deal on Martha Stewart paper at Wal-Mart ($3 a pack) but you can really use any decorative paper that you want. A few things to note here: your paper should not be too thick or too thin. You want to be able to easily fold it and also don't want it to be see through.

Third -
Measure your bar of soap. You can use these great directions from Creature Comforts for size or you can eye ball it.

Fourth -
Spice it up. I decided to also use my handy Martha Stewart punch for additional wrapping. I used stamps of our birds (a theme in our wedding) and also some left over twine/hemp. I am also creative a sticker to go on the back of the soap.

Fifth -
The soaps are complete and will stay fresh (since they are in their original wrapping (underneath). I will use the soap in the bathrooms at the hotel, villa and reception venue!

This dress - no, not the wedding dress :)

2009-06-16T05:31:00.000-07:00

Everyone is talking about this wedding dress on the blogs and i will admit - it is stunning! But check out those bridesmaid dresses!!!!! Those are the same ones that I am having and the exact same combination - 2 with straps and 3 strapless. Mine aren't in this color but wow, wow, wow they look great! I love the 2 different colors here but excited for my "marine" color.

(click for a closer look!)
(image via "the image is found" - all via the rock n' roll bride blog)

Need a reminder about what dresses I chose? Check out this post. They are from David's Bridal and very reasonably priced. Did you get excited when you saw your dresses in a "real wedding"?

A Real Wedding To Drool Over

2009-06-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

I saw the pictures from this wedding (via my photographer Anna Naphtali Photography's blog) and was completely floored. Everything about it is amazing. It is so nontraditional yet breathes inspiration, romance and joy. The photographer is an old friend and my photographer (HOW LUCKY AM I!!!). Anna from did a great job with this one!

The bride is PRECIOUS. I love the flower in her hair and her short dress. I also love the style of the groom.

(all images from Anna Naphtali Photography)

This couple is beautiful. Doesn't their love just shine through them.

(all images from Anna Naphtali Photography)

Incorporating bikes into any wedding shots always makes me happy! How adorable is this picture.

(all images from Anna Naphtali Photography)

How precious are these kids! And the lemonade steals my heart!

(all images from Anna Naphtali Photography)

The laid back feel of this wedding reminds me that this is exactly what I want for my own wedding. Also, seeing the bike makes me want to purchase one. I looked online and found some for less than $100 but I am going to check in with some of the people I know to see if we can track one down!

(source)

Want to see more from this wedding check out the photographer's website www.annanaphtaliphotography.com and click on her store!

DIY Project #1- soap bars - sneak peek

2009-06-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give you guys a sneak peak at my first DIY project. The soap project. I decided not to actually make soap. While I think that is an amazing project, my time is limited and I don't mind a little Ivory soap every once in a while.

The soap will go in the hotel rooms of our guests and in the rooms at the Villa (where I will stay and my lovely ladies will stay - long with mom). I will also put a bar in the bathroom at the reception site.

(these 3 are my favorite so far!)

Above are the 6 bars that I "tested" this weekend. They came out really well I think. I still have something to add - a stamp to the tag - a label on the back so everyone knows it is soap. Once I have all of that I will share the DIY directions and final images.

Did you get excited when you started your first DIY project?!?

We are SOOO lucky

2009-06-03T19:00:00.000-07:00

For the last few years I have been obsessing over a photographer named Laura Taylor from The Darling Life Photography. She is one of the truest and rarest photography talents out there. I have purchased her work for friends and family and have seriously been a stalker fan. By a stroke of fate I was have been able to get in touch with Laura over the years. As soon as I was engaged I sent Laura an email and asked her to shoot some engagement photos of me and Mr. AC. Over the weekend we finally set the date and on June 10th (next week) Laura is coming to New York to spend the whole day shooting us. I am honored, floored, nervous and excited. I know that the photos will be forever mementos.

Here is some of Laura's work. You can learn more about her on her website www.thedarlinglife.com. She is not known for shooting weddings/engagement photos but I think that is what makes me so excited. Her style and her talent will be unique.

(I have purchased this print for so many friends! How perfect is it for a bride or baby girls room.)

(this photo is another that I drool over)

(i love the depth and colors in this photo)

(how stunning is this self portrait of Laura - true talent)

She has some ideas for cool photos and I have some ideas. We are going to combine and do some really fun stuff. I am sure there will be some props involved and I can't wait to share the photos with you guys in a few weeks.

Some places I am considering:

On the Brooklyn Bridge
At Coney Island
In Central Park
In Chelsea - the funky artsy part of town (and where I live)
A fabric store - think about the color pops

Any New Yorkers or other folks have ideas of places to shoot in NYC? We are also planning props! I AM SO EXCITED...I feel like the fun is about to begin, after months of planning!

DIY Dread

2009-06-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

I am 4 months away from the big day and only now do I feel like I can get ready to start my DIY projects for the wedding. I am trying desperately not to get overwhelmed but the ideas just shoot off in my head in the shower, when I am drinking my first diet coke, at work, in the subway, in the car, in the taxi, at night, in the middle of the night.....you get the point :).

I am thinking that I really need to list out all of the projects that I want to do and then prioritize. I made a deal with my self that I would start all DIY projects in June and finish by September. Today marks June 1st and the 1st day I can get down to business!

Here are the DIY projects I currently have planned:

Invitations: I am having my invitations and RSVP cards letter pressed but I want to make the enclosures myself.

Soap: I really want to take soap that is already made and repackage it. I only plan to make around 50 bars - they are for my out of town bags and for the bathrooms at the villa and wedding venue. I plan to use these DIY instructions from the awesome Creature Comforts Blog:

(DIY instructions from the awesome Creature Comforts Blog)

Hot Cocoa & Tea: I really want to make some adorable enclosures to hold hot cocoa and tea for my out of town bags

Programs: I have some ideas for the programs and definitely plan to DIY these.

Candy Bar: I am going to be making most of the treats for the candy bar a few days before the wedding but I also plan to DIY a few candy bars (re-wrapping them) and also plan to DIY the boxes/bags that the treats will go in. Here is an awesome DIY tutorial from Creature Comforts Blog.

(DIY tutorial from Creature Comforts Blog)

Table Numbers: We haven't decided what we are doing with this but once I figure it out, I will likely DIY!

Wine & Water Labels: We are planning to label water and some wine bottles

These are a few of the things I have planned over the next 3 months. I am excited to start sharing them with you soon! Up first, soap!

Were you overwhelmed by your DIY plans? How did you prioritize?

My Rehearsal Dinner Dress

2009-05-27T05:03:00.000-07:00

And now for my rehearsal dinner dress which looks similar to my shower dress (only hotter!). It doesn't go AT ALL with the country theme but I fell in love with the dress and had no choice. When I was in North Carolina I visited a small boutique called K.LA and found my dress on the clearance rack. It was still pricey at $80 but I felt like splurging!

(even though i am not smiling i am happy! i was focusing on the picture :))

I have been to so many rehearsal dinners where the brides looked so gorgeous and had a real "glow". I still remember what they wore. My friend Dave's wife wore the most gorgeous blue dress - strapless and royal blue satin (hot!). My best friend Heidi wore a beautiful pink dress. My littlest step sister wore a short teal dress. They were all memorable and made me want to find a great dress!

The top part has a silver sheen to it. And the back is super cool but I forgot to take a picture. I love the crisscross of the fabrics

Now I get to think about some fun shoes to wear! I am thinking either teal or a bright color. The first 2 pairs are from Mod Cloth Online. The flower pair is from J. Crew.

These are from Piperlime and DSW. The cream pair are gorgeous!

Did your rehearsal dinner dress go with your "theme"? Did you get excited about picking shoes!!

We booked a band - FOR OUR REHEARSAL DINNER!

2009-05-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share that we booked a band for our rehearsal dinner!!! Mr. AC and I have talked a lot about wanting our rehearsal dinner to be a really fun event. We don't want it to be too formal, too uptight, too serious...we want everyone to celebrate.

After booking our venue, an adorable old Apple Barn in Valle Crucis, NC, we knew that having a "down south country theme" would really fit. We decided that it would be awesome to hire a blue grass band to play. We want people to have delicious country cooking and be able to dance! We found a blue grass duet and they play everything from a fiddle to a banjo to a guitar and they even sing!! We are spending $400 for 4 hours of music. I think the price is relatively reasonable.

(image from this awesome Flickr stream)

Remember the inspiration board that I created for the Rehearsal dinner - here it is again. I think the Blue Grass band is going to go perfectly with it!

(CLICK FOR CLOSER LOOK)

I also got these napkins (that I wrote about before) in the mail a few weeks ago and LOVE THEM! I found them at Plum Party and got a discount. I bought 100 for $32.

Have you considered music at your rehearsal dinner?

Inspiration of the day - birdcages!

2009-05-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

When I saw these pictures, on the awesome Duet Wedding Blog, my heart skipped a beat with excitement. I am in love with the styling, the bird cages, the colors. It inspired me today and made me think of so many fun things I could do. I had to share with everyone.

(all images from the amazing Duet Weddings Blog)

I found a few places to find cheap bird cages. Ebay is a great place to look. These are all less than $25 each on Ebay.

I wrote about Areo Home a few days ago. They have some bird cages. They are a bit more pricey.

How would you incorporate the birdcages into your wedding?

Cheap Find For the Nature Brides

2009-05-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

I just found these really cool twig bundles and had to share with my fellow rustic/nature brides. the prices are really great, $12 for the small and $14 for the large. I really like the way these look. I think you could even make some type of DIY cake stand. I might try that!

Check them out at Aero Home - www.aerohome.com- let me warn you that I have never bought anything from here before but hopefully they are trustworthy.

Another favorite for cheap wood finds is Jamali Garden Supplies. They always have great stuff. Check it out!

(these are around$8 - you could stain them!)

(these are $14 each)

(then small ones start at $10)

Where are some of your secret places for finding fun wedding things?!