Wed2010 {Twenty Ten}

Wed2010 {this is it}

2010-01-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Z and I got engaged exactly two years ago. When we first got engaged and set our date 2010 seemed so far away. But here it is - it's now 2010 and we are getting married THIS YEAR. I can't believe how much our lives have changed in the last 24 months. But the most important thing is that we are still happy and surrounded by great family and friends.

If you are getting married this year as well, I hope it's your best and brightest year yet!

Because I believe every post should have a picture, check out the 2010 Love Stamp from USPS. You just might be using them on your invitations or Save The Dates.

We're Back

2009-12-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

We had an amazing time in Europe. We loved Barcelona, The Amalfi Coast (above), and Tuscany. Rome will always hold a special place in my heart, it's what is responsible for giving me the travel bug many years ago. The two cities we stopped in France were very ehh, perhaps because our French is non-exsistence. There were a few must see places that I'll write about to come, just in case anyone is looking for honeymoon ideas.

I'll be getting back into the swing of posting soon... I hope.

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

2009-11-19T17:23:00.000-08:00

I'm left on a jet plane today.

{yes this post was scheduled}

10 days in Europe...

...3 Countries...

...7 Cities...

... infinite memories.

This is the first of many European adventures for Z and I.

I'm excited to see the world with him.

I'm excited to see my future in-laws.

I'm excited to take a much need vaction.

Ciao Bellas... I'll be back refreshed and with lots of pictures.

{probably too many}

Best Proposal Scene

2009-11-16T18:30:00.000-08:00

Previously I blogged about my personal favorite proposal from a movie. For me Sweet Home Alabama has the most creative and arguably most expensive proposal. On the TV front Derek Shepherd rocked my world last season when he took a personal approach to asking for Meredith's hand in marriage.

Notice the common thread here.... it's Patrick Dempsey, aka McDreamy.

Caved.

2009-11-12T20:20:00.000-08:00

I bought the Longchomp bag. Everyone in New York had one but me. Seriously, I counted 17 during my commute yesterday. Plus I think it's essential for my travel essential. See how that works, the thing you PUT your essentials IN because essential.

By the way... use "HOLIDAY" for 20% off at Bloomingdales before 11/15. Just thought I'd share the love, you know in case you don't get spammed by fabulous and distracted sales in your inbox.

Travel Musts

2009-11-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

Next Thursday we are off to Barcelona! I truly can't believe it's almost here. It's Z's first trip to Europe and I'm hoping he catches the travel bug before he begins planning our honeymoon. So as I start thinking about what to bring, here are my travel musts:

1. Moleskin City Guide

2. Cameras! I travel with my DSLR and a Point and Shoot {I bought it}.

3. Classic Video ipod - When going abroad I leave my iphone at home. It's too much of a risk and I want something that if I lose it's not a big deal. So I take an old ipod.

What are your favorite things to bring with? Is there something I must pick up before I leave? Other than this Longchomp bag that I really want....

Stalling.

2009-10-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

Today marks 7 months until our wedding, down from 30 months. Oh lordy time flies by far. to. fast. How is it already almost November?!

.:staying on topic:.

With only 7 months to go to the wedding I still have *so* much to do.

- Florist (narrowed down to 2 or 3)

- DJ

- Transportation

- Cake

Lately I just haven't been feeling it. Dare I say that I'm burnt out from being all weddings, all the time? Maybe I'm just tired or distracted by other things in life.

Did you go through a stalling phase in your planning. How long did it last? Do I still have hope?

How We Saved The Date: Everything Comes Together

2009-10-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

After we had the books and the bookmarks it was time to get those suckers sent out to our near and dear.

We wrapped each book with kraft paper and I had addressed each book using a sharpie. To save on shipping costs all of the books were sent via media mail.

Now that you know how we saved the date, I'll break down the costs for you.

1. Books (x80) = $70
2. Bookmarks (x100) = $15 - Printed using Overnight Prints
3. Shipping ($2.77 per book x60) = $167

Total Costs: $252

How We Saved The Date: The Books

2009-10-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

We left off needing a creative touch to our bookmarks. I already knew what I wanted to do I just had to find a way to make it happen. Enter Housing Works...

I worked with the special orders department for a books by the foot order. I requested hard-cover books with classic romance titles to send to our friends and family. It took about two months to collect but we finally arrived with 80 books. Not all of the copies were perfect examples of romance novels and not all of them were hardback. But all in all we were happy with the results. I drug them from their SOHO store all the way up to my Upper East Side apartment. It took several trips, but it was well worth it.

All of their proceeds go to a great cause and they were a pleasure to work with.

How We Saved The Date: The Bookmarks

2009-10-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned a few times that we decided to use bookmark save the dates. I posted on here a few early drafts so I thought I'd take you through the evolution of our Save The Dates.

1. Bookmark the Date

2. Bookmarks Before our Engagement Photos:

3. More Final Drafts:

After running through a few drafts with close friends (including Corey and Heidi) we settled on this as our final draft:

We were able to incorporate our favorite photo from our Save the Date. I also used a graphic I created of Ohio with a heart near Cleveland as a tip of the hat to our hometown. While I think the bookmarks are unique to us and different than most people would receive, they still needed an extra something special.

A Little Break

2009-10-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

October is a fabulous time to leave New York City. There is nothing like spending time with old friends and a nice drive through the country. Oh and journey through a corn maze isn't so bad either.

ps. Aren't K and B the cutest? We introduced them a few years ago and they are still going strong! Look for more of them in the future- She's one of my bridesmaids and full of pee your pants fun ;)

Ruffles and Rosettes

2009-10-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

I'm absolutely in love with the Luisa Beccaria Spring 2010 collection. Her ruffled tiers, lace rosettes, and one shouldered dresses are gorgeous. Enjoy:

images via {Style.com}

All You Need Is Love

2009-09-28T20:30:00.000-07:00

... and amazing friends. I'm going to see my dress tomorrow and make sure everything is okay. All of my bridesmaids live in other states so I'll be going with co-workers. Who happen to be the best kind of co-workers in the world. Thanks, CK and LE :)

I'm so excited to see my dress again. Like most wedding dresses, it came in a few months early - only taking four to complete and lovely readers, it's only 8 months until our big day!

Statement Jewelry on the Cheap

2009-09-27T18:38:00.000-07:00

Check out this fun necklace from Ann Taylor Loft. At only $50 it's a great buy for any wedding related function. It's the perfect piece for your wedding shower, rehearsal dinner, or possibly even your wedding.

My Day My Way

2009-09-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

via {flickr}

Oddly, Zack doesn't think about wedding 24/7 nor does he spend his evenings staring at photos of strangers weddings. Well guess what kids - I do every day and I love it. When I ask him his opinion on something his answer has become "Your Day, Your Way". I wish he'd give me a bit more to work with. But I know if he actually hated something he'd tell me and elements of the wedding that he cares about he's pretty outspoken about.

However, in some ways his little phrase isn't so bad after all. The day certainly is all about us or at least all about us sharing our commitment to each other with our near and dear. So let's talk about the things that we are doing that aren't so traditional:

1. I'm having a man of honor. {You'll "meet" him soon}

2. Zack's sister is standing with him as a grooms-girl.

3. Our wedding isn't in a church - a big deal for my family.

I'm sure that more things will come up as we continue the planning process. What are you doing that's different for your area or your family?

Long Distance Wedding Planning

2009-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Planning your wedding from a far isn't the easiest thing the world. In fact it's pretty difficult. Although, up until this point it hasn't been that terrible. I was able to venue stalk through local photographer's blog which kind of killed two birds with one stone... picking a photographer. I will say that on two separate occasions I thought we found the venue. Only TERRIBLE follow up from both of them lead us to keep looking. Our photographers we interviewed with a few one the phone and met others in person.

But now we have come to the fork in the road. We have the following things left to book:

Florist
Band or DJ
Cake
Transportation
Hair Stylist/ Make up Artists
Officiant

Given that we won't be back in Ohio until December I've developed RFPs (Request for Proposals) for potential florists. It's three pages long, with the first page outlining the location of our event, the timing, our likes/dislikes for flowers, vases, and other non-floral elements. We also included budget information, number of bridesmaids, working theme/scheme. So far I've sent it to two florists and had phenomenal results with one of them. I'm still waiting on one proposal and two call backs. We'll see how it goes.

I thought I'd share the last two pages of the RFP with you. I created it in indesign - it was pretty simple and really didn't take much time. Are you planning from a distance? What are you doing to keep your sanity? Suggestions are greatly appreciated!

A Little Bit of Sanity

2009-09-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

Barcelona in 58 days.

I need a vacation in SUCH a serious way.

ps. Our wedding is only 248 days away.

pps. My wedding dress is in!

Engagement Photo Ideas {Mad Men edition}

2009-09-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted ideas for engagement photos. Probably since we took ours in July it's not really on my mind as much. But, when I saw these pictures on Vanity Fair I had to share them with you. I love January Jones. She is GORGEOUS. I love her in Mad Men and I want to have a fabulous posh life like these picture portray:

Coming Soon

2009-09-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

... our Save the dates. The letter beside them was a jury duty survey. I've wanted to have Jury Duty since the day I knew what a juror was. It was a good mail day.

I'd say that getting them together is a five step process - of which we have completed three. Hopefully we can get them all out this weekend. A girl can dream, right?

Wedding Crashers

2009-09-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Zack and I went to a wedding yesterday for one of his co-workers. The wedding was beautiful and every detail was perfect.

But what I {okay what most guests} took away from the wedding wasn't her immaculate centerpieces or gorgeous wedding dress. What everyone is going to remember is the wedding guest from hell. The one who's boobs kept falling out of her dress and who kept flashing the world what would have been her underwear - if she had them on. We later found out that neither the bride or the groom new this interesting girl. She was one of those invites you extend to family to make things easy.

Will your wedding guest list be tightly monitored to make sure these things don't happen?

Daily Inspiration

2009-09-10T19:38:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about how we are going to incorporate classic romance (novels) into our wedding. So I've been looking around for wedding pictures from famous authors. Check out Ernest Hemingway's below:

via {JFK Library}

Things I'm Loving: Rosettes

2009-09-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

via {mod cloth}

via {Bergdorf Goodman}

via {emersonmade}

I've got Bridesmaids!

2009-09-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

I have officially asked all of my girls to be in my wedding party as of last week. Now it's time for some serious dress stalking. Here are a few dress that I'm liking a lot. Most Spring 2010 Bridesmaid dress lines aren't out yet. I'm looking forward to seeing the Spring 2010 lines from Jenny Yoo, Priscilla of Boston, Lela Rose, and pretty much everyone else!

It's Great To Be...

2009-09-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

... a Miami Hurricane.

Today is our first game of the year against Florida State. It's our biggest rivalry and my favorite game to go to. Unfortunately, I'm now two football seasons (one full year) out of school and I'll be watching from an alumni bar in the city. But I thought I'd say Go 'Canes! After all "The U" is where we met and responsible for the color scheme of our wedding. Because I'm a firm believer in every post needing a picture, check out our first and last FSU games:

Flower Friday

2009-09-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

I think I want to have three types of table settings. We will likely have less than 15 tables and I like when people mix it up. I'd like to incorporate books into at least one of the looks as classic romance novels are our biggest source of inspiration right now. I want more of a classic feel rather than something super modern. Even my dress has more of a flowy organic feel that I want to continue portraying throughout.