Five Fabulous Frames

Another one of my Memorial Day weekend trips was taken to Hobby Lobby. I love this store. It seems like every time I walk in there, whatever I'm looking for is 50% off. This trip was no different! I knew that I wanted to put about five picture frames on the guestbook table, two pics from my bridal portraits, and three from our engagement portraits.

Lo and behold, when I walked in and headed to the black pictures frames, they were 50% off! I chose 2 - 8x10s, 2 - 5x7s and 1 - 4x6 to put on the table. I believe I spent somewhere about $40 with tax for all five frames. Then, I took my cds of pics to the local Walmart and printed them out on the Kodak kiosk. $20 for all 5 photos, not too bad if I say so myself. In about 30 minutes I had all of the pics, headed home to trim them up and put them in their new frames.

Our big e-pic. Some people have complained because they don't get why it's so sunny and orange, but this is one of Mr. H and my's favorite pics, so it was definitely in!

E-pic 2, I love Mr. H's smile in this pic.

1st bridal portrait - I chose this because it's a real smile. A story behind it is that when this pic was taken I was looking at my bridesmaid and completely joking around, which is when I think that some of the best pics come out! Everytime she sees this pic, she says "You were looking at me and no one knows it!"

Had to have the attitude pic, Mom H hates it, but it's just too fun not to show!

2nd bridal portrait.

All of the pics together (and Chango trying to get a little camera time)!

The hardest part of all was choosing which pics to print out, but I'm happy with my final choices. I fought with having them all black and white or in color, but chose color in the end because our photographer did such an amazing job and it wouldn't do justice to the pics to just have them in black and white.

We plan on taking the frames and hanging them in our hallway to our guestrooms at home after the wedding. How are you all planning on using your wedding purchases after the wedding?

Are You Thirsty?

For our OOT bags, I knew that I wanted to put in a couple of bottles of water with our logo on them. Since water doesn't go bad, I figured I might as well get these knocked off my to do list. I decided to use Nestle bottles of water because the labes are the easiest to remove. I took off a label, measured it, and created a label with our monogram. I put about 6 labels on one sheet, then took them to Staples and had the labels printed on white paper that was waterproof (at $16 for 10 sheets, it was not cost efficient, so I probably wouldn't chose this again in hindsight).

After cutting the labels, I ran 30 of the labels through the Xyron machine for an easy stick. We're only expecting about 15 rooms for out of town guests, so I figured 30 bottles was a good start. It took me all of 20 minutes to unlabel and re-label the bottles. I made more labels then bottles of water, so if I need to get more water, it shouldn't take long to recreate the end product. Here's a little play by play:

A 30 pack of Nestle water, purchased from Sam's Club for all of $4.

All of the labels, removed.

Our monogrammed labels after being run through the Xyron machine.

Labels are on!

Chango wanted some credit for being Mom's helper!

How are you all customizing your OOT bags? What all do you think is most helpful to put in the bags?

Saving My Back

This post is a little more TMI then I normally like to put on here, but I think it's important to bring up because I know I'm not the only girl who has this problem. I've fought on and off with acne my entire life. Right when things start to clear up in one area, they pop up in another. Right around dress fitting time, this area happened to be my back.

I used to have this problem when I played tennis all the time and sweat up a storm, but never just because. While I would love to get "back-cials," or facials for your back, it's just not in my budget. When perusing the skincare section of my local Walmart (I refuse to spend tons on beauty products, except for shampoo and some makeup) I came across Neutrogena's Body Clear Body Wash. I bought a bottle and figured, what the heck this might help. I used it every morning on my back and, if I took another shower at night, I would use it again.

Let me tell you, this product has worked miracles on my back. Now, I'd be lying if I said that I never had one pop up, but it seriously has helped. So much so, that for my bridal portraits, I was nervous at all as to how my back looked in my dress, especially since you can see quite a bit of it.

What tips/tricks do you all use to take care of the breakouts that happen to pop up at the most inconvenient times?

*Image from neutrogena.com

Please find your seat ... errr table!

While we won't be assigning each guest to a specific seat, we will be assigning guests to specific tables. Because Mr. H and I come from very different families, and cultures, we didn't want his side of the family on one side of the room and mine on the other. We are having a buffet/stationed dinner so assigning a specific seat wasn't necessary (phew! I know that takes a lot of work)!

I decided that Memorial Day Weekend would also partly become my wedding prep weekend. I got quite a few tasks checked off my list, and the great sales around town definitely helped this. My first task was to make the table numbers. I designed the numbers in Illus trator. Because I think that we will be using 6" stands, my original idea for 5x7 cards seemed to big, so I shortened them to 5x5. Then, I decided that I wanted them double sided, so I bought some black card stock to attach the numbers to.

After my design was complete, I took the document to Kinko's because I wanted to be sure that the print quality was better then just my printer at home (plus I am running out of ink and was too lazy to buy a new cartridge). While the cards printed, I used their paper cutter to cut the black cardstock to 5.5x5.5 pieces.

Once they were finished, I cut the table numbers as well in their 5x5 sizes and headed home. I ran all of the table numbers through my Xyron (such a great investment) and within 20 minutes I had 25 table numbers. Since we haven't even sent out invites or come up with our layout for the room, I made more numbers then necessary just incase.

Here they are in our wedding workroom aka our dining room that we haven't decorated yet:

Printing was about $6 with tax and the black cardstock was $4 for 8 sheets. Overall, pretty inexpensive for the table numbers. Now I just have to get back on ordering those holders!

For My Party

I keep on forgetting to blog about some of the details for the wedding, but luckily some of the members of the Hive are good at reminding me! A while back, I saw a post on the boards about For Your Party matchbooks from Weddingbee reader, Suzanno. She wanted to know if anyone had ordered from the company because she wasn't 100% sold on the samples that she received.

I decided to use For Your Party to print our cocktail napkins and our matchbooks. I created two logos that incorporated our names (or initials) and the initial of our married name. I have tried to not use our married last name in any of the monograms, except for the reception items, when we are actually married. I went with black napkins with a white monogram and white napkins with a black monogram. I copied these for the matchbooks as well.



I have to say, I am very pleased with the outcome. After sending in the monograms and my product selections, For Your Party sent me proofs and recommended that I changed the shape of one of the matchbooks to better fit the logo. I did, and I'm super happy with the outcome!

Overall, price-wise and product wise, they came out great. Our invite list is at 250, so I ordered 300 of each cocktail napkin. I figure that whatever we don't use, we will have to use in our home until they run out.

I only ordered 50 of each matchbook. We are going to have a cigar roller that will provide about 75-100 cigars, so I figured this would be a good amount. At this point, if they run out, then so be it. They are cute and the people who take them will enjoy it.

For Your Party delivered earlier then I estimated and everything ran very smoothly. I would definitely recommend them to other brides!

Country Chic

I know that I talk about my photographer a lot on here, but I just can't help it! When browsing through my Google Reader this morning, I saw that a recent wedding he photographed was on Style Me Pretty. What is so awesome about this wedding is how completely unique it is, from cowboy boots to feathers in the flowers, toy guns to chunky turquoise jewelry ... Country Chic all the way.


There are so many incredible little details to this wedding and it is so colorful and fun. It looks like it would have been a blast to attend. Just thought I'd share the love, and maybe inspire a few of you out there who want to have weddings that are "outside the box."

How many of your are incorporating some fun items into your weddings to give it that bit of personality that strays from the norm?

For more pictures of the wedding, you can check out Perez Photography's blog!

My Second Piece

A couple of months ago I entered for a chance to receive a piece from Castle Bride Couture at a fraction of the price and won! Since I had been debating whether or not to get a second dress for a while, I decided that I definitely wanted one once I ordered the piece for my hair. Last weekend, when I tried on, and bought, a second dress, the girls at Warren Barron happened to have pieces similar to the one that I ordered and it looked awesome with my dress.

So now, without further ado, I introduce you to my beautiful second hair ornament:


She custom made the piece for me, but when I first received it the flower had a lot of pink on it. There was pink on the pic of the flower that I liked from their site as well, but I didn't notice it. I wrote her back and told her that it was awesome, but I wasn't really a pink person. She kindly offered to have me send it back and they redid the flower to a solid ivory.

I am so excited because I think it will be a great addition to my second getup, and fun/funky to boot!

Are you all doing anything fun/different at your reception in terms of your bridal look?

A Million Thank Yous

Thanks to the overwhelming response to my previous post, I definitely did some thinking about my wedding dress. I have to say, I wasn't sure how my post would be received, but you all were amazingly kind and really made me re-think my doubts about my dress.

On Saturday, Mom H and I went dress shopping one more time to make sure that I had no doubts about my dress for the big day. Our first, and ultimately final, stop was to the Warren Barron bridal salon in Highland Park Village in Dallas.
My wedding coordinator setup the appointment for us, so when we got there the owner already knew that I had a dress and was having some issues. They were amazingly kind to help me out and suggest advice for the dress that I already have.

As I tried on several of their long dresses, we all talked about my existing dress and I showed them my pictures online, to which they all had the same reaction as you wonderful women of the hive! After trying on the three dresses, and realizing that nothing really was "my dress" like the one I already had, they gave me the name of another tailor and said that my dress could easily be fixed to have me feel more comfortable.

Then, I asked to try on the short dress. If you all remember, I had been pondering the possibility of a second dress to wear at the end of our reception and to the little after party we are planning for the wedding. Once I put this on, it was love:

Mom H was kind enough to make me a deal: if I promised to keep my existing dress and not give her another heart attack like I did when I was upset, we could get the second dress for the reception. DEAL!

So now, I introduce you to my new love, but without the flower on the shoulder like pictured. Next, I'll introduce you to the piece that I received from Castle Bride Couture that I will wear in my hair!

In the end, it all worked out for the best, I just wish I hadn't made it all into such the ordeal that I had. I guess it takes us all that one moment of craziness to put it all into perspective (and reality). I just want to say thank you, again, to all of you for your kind words, advice and support ... I really needed it more then you all even know!

Images from here and here.

Bridal Breakdown

Yesterday I received my bridal portraits from the photographer. He did an incredible job with the photos and I couldn't ask for a better photographer. His subject, however, I was completely upset with. That subject = me.

Last minute I decided to wear my hair down, a good decision, but I wore it curly, which is completely unnatural for me. My makeup, which I told the artist to make smoky eyes, began to smear a bit with the heat and it was just way too much. Basically, I think I wanted to be a little more glamorous then I really needed to be.

The dress, which I have been fighting with or a while, just didn't photograph on me like I would have liked and my qualms about it in general are now more prevalent then ever. While I am not as toned as I would like to be, I have lost a little weight ... in my boobs. In some of the pics I look like I fill out the dress, and in others I totally don't. After a hefty amount (and cost) of alterations, I'm pretty disappointed that it didn't fit me a little better.

I guess the whole process has made me realize how much pressure I've been putting on not only myself, but this wedding in general. I have lost focus of what the day is truly about and am letting these little things upset me way too much. I sit here tearing up as I say this because Miss Hydrangea is thoroughly disappointed in herself for letting it all get this far.

Today, I'm going to start really enjoying this process and not let the small stuff get to me. This is about Mr. H and I wanting to spend the rest of our lives together, nothing more, nothing less.

I want to share with you some of the pics from my photographer, Cesar Perez, and his wife, Tanya, because they are truly great to work with. After hearing how I felt about how I looked, he immediately offered to do another shoot for me, whether I choose to get a new dress or keep the one that I have. His support and understanding is truly admirable since I'm sure it's not the best thing in the world to hear that a bride you photographed is unhappy with her pics (again, I reiterate, because of the way I chose to style myself for the pics, but not the pics themselves).

Even now, as I look back through them, the way I look is starting to grow on me. I think that, with the advice of some of our fellow Bees, I just needed to take a step back and look at the pictures from another perspective, and not be so self-critical.

Bridesmaid Bags

About a year ago, I had to find a cute gift for a friend having a baby. Now, you might be thinking, what in the world does this have to do with weddings? But, because of my purchase, I now receive a cute childrens catalog in the mail. Today, when I was looking through it, I came upon these cute totebags that would make a great gift for anyone, including bridesmaids, moms, wedding party members, etc.!


At only $20 each, I'd say it's a pretty good deal! They also have these cute towel-in-a-bag options ($18) that, while meant for young girls, I would totally sport myself!


You can find these, and more, at Koo Koo Bear Kids!

Frantic Friday

Friday I spend the ENTIRE day preparing for my bridal portraits (who knew how much went into it) and then a couple of hours taking them! Here’s a little recap of my day:

8:00 am – 9:30 am Eat breakfast, run last minute errands

9:30 am – 10:45 am Get the nails done

10:45 am – 11:45 am Shower, dry the hair, pack up the car

12:15 pm – 2:15 pm Hair and Makeup

2:15 pm – 4:00 pm Pick up my bouquet, quick lunch

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm Drive to the location, find a room to change and get ready for the pics

5:30 pm – 7:45 pm Photos

PHEW!

It was exhausting. If that’s any indication of how the wedding day will be, I’m definitely going to need a couple of glasses of champagne before all of the festivities to calm my nerves, and learn how to pace my energy throughout the day because it was a long one. I was so nervous the entire day to have everything on me all at once. Up until this point, everything having to do with being a bride had been in the store or in my closet.

A few tips for those of you who are going to take portraits:

1) Take an entourage. – My mom recently had surgery on her wrist so we knew she wouldn’t be able to do much heavy lifting. Luckily, one of my bridesmaids (and best friends) offered to take a half day at work to help. She ended up carrying the back in of my dress for the better half of the two hour session. My mom was in charge of the sheets and veil and, believe it or not, even our photographer’s wife had to help us on the shoot as well.

2) Pack a white sheet. – In fact, pack more then one white sheet. If you plan on taking your pictures outside, near the grass, or in a remote area, this sheet will come in handy to help you keep from staining your dress. It’s inevitable that it will get a little dirty, but this will definitely help.

3) Pack some hand wipes. – We took my pictures in an old cotton mill that was under construction, so there was dust everywhere. That, and the fact that it was humid and 90 degrees outside, led to some wiping of the face full of makeup. The hand wipes definitely came in handy to make sure we didn’t transfer any of the dirty stuff onto my dress.

4) Bring a fan. – Just a paper fan will work fine, but you wouldn’t believe how hot you will get underneath that dress!

5) Bring blotting sheets. – Or tissue, etc. If there is any chance of heat, you will need these to blot your face. Unfortunately, I didn’t have them, so hopefully my face doesn’t look like it’s melting off in the photos.

6) HAVE FUN! – It can be extremely emotional being dressed as a bride in all of its glory for the first time. Remember that these pictures are supposed to be fun and portray how happy and exciting this time is for you. It took me a while to lighten up, but, after I began sweating, all formality was gone and I spent the day joking around with everyone and trying my best to be a model (which is def not natural for me)!

I think the most emotional part of the day for me was not putting on the whole outfit or posing for the pictures, but picking up my bouquet. Bella Flora made the most beautiful bouquet of white peonies and incorporated my cross that, when I picked it up, I seriously almost got teary eyed – not an easy thing to do to me.

I have to give another hand to my photographers, Cesar and Tanya Perez, because they truly made me feel more at ease in front of the camera and I can't wait to see the shots that they got! The teaser pics should be in later this week, so you’ll definitely be hearing more about them soon. All in all, even if you don’t do bridal portraits in your area, I would really recommend them so that you can get some time to adjust to your dress, and to relax in front of the camera.

My last minute bouquet change …

When we first met with Bella Flora to talk about our flowers, I wanted something modern. I’m still sticking to my guns about the florals for the ceremony and reception … except for one item … my bouquet.

Included in my floral package is a smaller version of what I’ll carry on the wedding day to use during my bridal portraits. As the portraits crept upon me, I realized that I just wasn’t in love with our initial idea of all white calla lilies for my bouquet. In my head, what we had planned looked something like this:

(Image from here)

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful bouquet. But, all of a sudden, I decided that I wanted something a little more romantic and traditional for this one particular item in our wedding. Immediately I thought “Peonies!”

(Image from here)

I e-mailed our wedding coordinator to see if this would be a possibility for my portraits, since the likelihood of having peonies in our late-September wedding didn’t look so hot. Luckily, the florist said he could definitely do a bouquet of all white peonies. I can’t wait to pick it up tomorrow and see the final result with my bridal cross that I purchased for the bouquet.

(Image from here)

My next task is to find a similar type of flower that we could use in September for my bouquet, it just has to be the color white … any ideas?

NOT My Smartest Move...

Sunday was my FFIL's birthday, so Mr. H and I spent the day at his parent's house. While Mr. H worked on his car, FFIL H and my FBILs worked on a playground for Mr. H's nieces. I took over and played with Heidi, Mr. H's oldest niece (who is two), outside all day so that her mom could get some things done around the house.

We rode around on the wagon, rode around on her bike, chased each other in the yard and had a really fun time, just the two of us. While I wore a long sleeved light jacket so I wouldn't get tan lines for my bridal portraits, I completely ignored my face. Not a good thing.

I now look somewhat like this:

(Image from here)

Ok, it's a bit of an exaggeration, except for the tip of my nose. I've always been a person who tanned in tanning beds (horrible, I know) but for the past year and a half I have quit the fake baking to save my skin for my future. I had realized how bad it was for me, how much it was costing me, and, finally, go use to my paleness and really started to embrace it.

Unfortunately, because I used to tan, I was also used to going in the sun at the beginning of spring/summer and not having to worry about the burn. I haven't learned my lesson yet.

My main concern, now, is, what in the world do I do to prevent myself from some major peeling before I have to take pro pics in four days.

Any suggestions?

Are you excited?!?

With less then five months until the wedding, almost everyone who I speak to about the wedding inevitably asks, "Are you so excited for the wedding?"

Well, to be honest, not yet. I mean, there are moments where I just can't wait for it to get here, but, for the most part, I'm too worried about finding those table number holders, finishing the design of our invites (or, truthfully, starting them), getting the jiggles on my body to tighten up, finding that second dress I really want, worrying over the little details that most people won't even notice, etc.

And, to top it all off, when I think of the wedding, my first, true thought is, "Holy crap, how am I going to walk down that LONG aisle in front of all of those people?" Followed by, "Holy crap, I hope I have time for a glass of champagne (or two) before I have to dance in front of all of those people!"

Don't get me wrong, with all of the hard work that has gone into planning, I'm so excited to see how everything turns out. Most importantly, I'm so excited for the wedding to be over, for Mr. H and I to be man and wife, and to finally be our own little family, same last names at all.

I just hate to disappoint people when I answer, "Well, not really yet. I'm ready for it to be over." They give me this look of horror, like, how dare I say something like that about my wedding? I'm just being honest.

But try me after my pictures next week, when I've been made-up, worn the dress and veil, and carried a bouquet around. Then, just then, the excitement might really hit me.

Were you all excited from day one? Did it come and go as planning commenced?