My Latest Obsession...

We are so getting an embosser.


Perusing The Knot bios, I saw where many brides recommended Wilshire Graphic Press, where you can custom design any embosser plate you want. You can submit your own artwork and even email them the font you want to use. We (and by we, I mean Jay) were going to design our own modern monogram for use on programs anyway, and this is sooo much more elegant than something printed on the computer, less messy than using stamps/ink, and way better than any sort of gold foil, etc. The possibilities are endless! We can use it on:

• Programs
• Reception napkins (no custom printing, just buy the color napkin we want)
• Invitation envelopes (also considering buying a "return address" plate)
• Reception cards to tuck in invitations
• Thank You notes (again, just buy the cardstock)
• Cards for "wishbowl" at reception

I am getting so excited about this!!! A great way to save money on custom printing on so many items, and it looks so elegant! And we'll be able to use it long after the wedding is over.

Weekend in Asheville...and Meet Our Photographers!

We had a wonderful weekend in the mountains. The leaves have been slow to turn this year, but once we got up over about 3,000 feet (bite me; the Appalachians are the oldest mountains in the world and have slowly been worn down) the colors were beautiful! On Saturday we got a wild hair to go to Grandfather Mountain, but at that elevation the cloud cover moved in thick as night, it was sleeting, and freezing! The winds were already up to 70mph! We couldn’t go up to the Mile High Swinging Bridge like we really wanted to. Oh well. We went back down the mountain and made our way to Blowing Rock, NC. A really quaint, swanky mountain town with lots of shopping and dining. J was able to introduce me to the estate jewelers responsible for hand-crafting my engagement ring, and they were thrilled to meet me. It was so much fun talking with them. We discussed a wedding band for J, as well as an appropriate band for my ring. Also learned that the best solution for cleaning my ring is Windex & a baby toothbrush!

We had a most delightful meal at Storie Street Grille (I had Ravioli with Herbed Walnuts and Jay had Bacon-wrapped Pork Tenderloin).

On Sunday, we took the Blue Ridge Parkway into Asheville, stopping at overlooks along the way. Truly the way to go; that the trees had not shaken their leaves yet made for some beautiful views.

We met with our final photographer selection. Her stuff, her color especially, (she shoots completely film) was outstanding. We were so torn on whom to go with: the photographers we met with in Raleigh last weekend, or this one from Asheville. It was such a toss up; we knew we’d be satisfied with either. I made a Comparison List on the way home. They were similar in many ways, and super positives on each side. I won’t bore you with the list, but we eventually decided to go with:

The Riersons They are a young (I’m estimating early 30s) couple. We hired both of them to document the wedding, which will give us approximately 700-900 proofs. As I mentioned in a previous post, they are both techno-geek and old-fashioned developers. They shoot unlimited (no time or film limit). They’ll attend the rehearsal just to get to know the bridal party and get a feel for the venue. They’ll take pictures at my bridal luncheon. They were excited about my outdoor shot ideas (more on that later). A real artist’s vision. And their personalities, which truly clinched it for me, are wonderful. Warm. Eager. I feel like I can suggest things and it will be well-received. Just so together on the business and creative fronts. Felt like the best of everything that we want.

When you go to their site, be sure to click on “Show Me Pictures”. Regan & Geoff and Kristie & Keith – those are my favorites.

Well…I found my dress!

And I wasn’t even planning on it!

Nitsa’s, the premiere couture bridal salon in Charlotte, had a sample sale Sunday from 12-6pm. Their sister store in Winston-Salem also brought in all their samples for the event.

But…J and I were out of town. We spent the weekend in and around the Asheville, NC area. We had a photographer appointment (the woman who photographed J’s sister’s wedding in 2001) at 12 noon on Sunday, right before we departed. Since we wouldn’t be getting home until 4pm, I didn’t think there would be much of a selection left and wondered if it was even worth going.

But I went...alone, around 4:30. I was floored by the amount of dresses left—Reem Acra, Amsale, Vera Wang, Judd Waddell…all the top designers. Picky me found about 4 or 5 gowns that I really liked.

(Many of you know I got my appetite whetted (perhaps to my demise) by trying on couture gowns at Traditions a couple weekends ago in Raleigh. I fell in love with a $3200 dress. All the other things I’d tried on paled in comparison to the rich silk number by Romona Keveza).

I am such a couture girl, though, and I’ll tell you why: High-end designer dresses let the fabric and construction do all the work: not a lot of crusty beadwork or extraneous detail. That said, a lot of designer gowns can be, well, boring—strapless silhouettes. The trick is finding something that is simple and sophisticated but with an interesting twist or two.

I definitely found that combination!

So I bought my dress! I absolutely love it. I wish I could go into more detail on my blog…I can tell you exactly what J knows…let’s just say I found a gorgeous silk Vera Wang gown for 70% off!!! The best part is, the name on the tag means much less than getting all of my “must haves” in one dress. Email me if you’re interested in seeing pictures, and I can tell you what my must-haves were.

I’ll post an update on the weekend in Asheville/photography dilemmas tomorrow!

Various thoughts....

• Trying to decide if I want to do Christmas card/Photo Save the Date cards. Ya know, the photo cards from Costco that everyone sends out, but put "Save the Date 6.17.06" and Happy Holidays or something. Then part of me says, will that ruin the special-ness of J & I sending out "Our First Christmas" cards. I will never in my life make Christmas cards, I can very nearly assure you. People don't appreciate them. Except maybe my mom and dad.
• 
• I very nearly despise the term "DH" (aka "Dear Husband"). If you ever hear or see me use that term, tell me it's against my principles. I don't quite know why, maybe it's the cheese factor. Hope I haven't offended anyone--I know a few of you use that term, and don't tiptoe around me for doing so. To each her own :)
• I don't know what I am going to do about a wedding dress. The one I love most is too expensive. I called around various bridal salons to see if they'd sell me their sample, and they said no. Can I just say that I dislike 80% of the wedding dresses I see in salons, think 10% of them are "ok", like 5% of them a lot, and love only about 5%. Add to this my extreme indecisiveness. So more wedding dress shopping on the horizon for me.
• TheKnot.com messageboards rock! Many of the women have bios on there was the coolest reception, favor, flower, etc ideas. These women have created Excel templates to track RSVPs, Word templates to create DIY invitations and wedding programs, etc. And they share all of this with everyone. Plus, they do vendor reviews following their wedding on the individual state messageboards so you can see how they liked certain photographers, caterers, etc.

More Dresses, and Photography...

Spent the weekend in Raleigh doing more dress shopping. I found another dress that I absolutely adore (can't go into to much details, obviously, b/c J reads this--hush hush to those I sent a link to). Of course, it's couture. *rubs forehead*. It is stunning though.


Dresses
My mom and sister came up for the day/night. My sis missed out on dress shopping a couple of weeks back, so she was super geeked about it. We had a full day. My fabulous future sister-in-law came with us as well, and besides being the warm, wonderful person that she is, she also worked at a bridal salon at one point and was a valuable resource in that aspect.

10:00am SIL and I grabbed a biscuit at McDonalds
10:30am Mom and Sis arrive (3 hr trip)
11:15am First stop, Bridal Boutique . Found 3 dresses I really liked here, none I absolutely had to have. Nice shop, pretty good selection.
1:00pm Next stop, Traditions, where they carry exclusively couture. We had the place to ourselves, and the employees were pleasantly unstuffy and very helpful. Found my dream dress, as well as another beautiful option. You can certainly tell these dresses are couture-- the fabrics are luxurious, each dress can be customized (down to the lace pattern, or ribbon, or colors). Not a lot of bedazzling going on here--couture dresses don't need a lot of fuss to be fantastic. Didn't want to leave.
2:30pm Rushed lunch at Nantucket Cafe, because we had a 50-minute drive to Fuquay-Varina for the last dress shop of the day. Have to mention this place though, because I had such a delicious chicken salad sandwich and tomato basil soup.
4:00pm Last appointment of the day, at Enchanting Moments. Was expecting so much from this store, but very disappointed. Didn't even find one dress I really liked, and even the Helen Morley gowns didn't impress me. I thought the store was a bit antiquated. Again, had great customer service and attention from the employee, but I wasn't feeling the store.

A great time was had by all. I tell ya, there is no experience quite like trying on wedding gowns. The anticipation exiting the dressing room, the oohs and ahhs, standing in front of a three-way mirror in gorgeous gowns...truly a princess experience.

Photographer
J and I found what will likely be (we have one more appt left!) our photographers. A husband and wife team. I'll post a link to their site once we officially book them, but they were the best of everything we've seen thus far--totally dig their artistry and their philosophy. A great mix of old-school and new school--for instance, they still use a dark room and will develop our final b/w for our album themselves. That is like a lost art in the days of digital wedding photography. They shoot both film (for their black and whites, the best saturation) AND digital (for their color). Jay is old school in that he still believes film gives a richer, truer image and isn't as flat as digital.

They have top of the line equipment, and use a variety of cameras and lenses. They see the fun in shooting. They have, as Jay says, an artist's mind set but are technologically savvy (the guy is a confessed gadget guru). Plus, we really jived with their personalities--warm and relaxed. Yet they have everything together on the business end. Love them.

Next steps: Final photographer appt next Sunday. Calling around to see if I can get my couture gown at a discount (bridal salons selling samples?!). Working on guest list.

I Hear my Hometown Calling...

This weekend was a fun one. I got to show J’s parents my hometown, and it really allowed me to see it through refreshed eyes. I sometimes forget how special my hometown is, and how much history it has--ya know, because I was so busy trying to get out of it.

My hometown has some of the coolest turn of the century buildings still intact, 19th century houses, and such a picturesque down town area. Flowers. Brick. Storefronts. We did the walking tour around the main streets, and it was so enjoyable. Ya know, we visited “the” bookstore, “the” coffee shop, etc.

Another thing about getting married in a small town like mine—the people are nice. They know one another, a friend of a relative, an acquaintance from school. They really try to help you, not pull one over on you. We may run into problems here or there (inevitable) but the integrity of those involved is trustworthy.

Loved seeing the (probable) rehearsal dinner location. We met with the garden director, PhD., who was just awesome. So kind, so knowledgeable. The house has plenty of room for the dinner, and can seat up to 60 people. The garden grounds are just beautiful, and behind the house there are trails and a nice walkway for people who want to see the acres of lush greenery. (see below)


Still haven’t nailed down the post-rehearsal dinner party location. Going to check out the local college next, for possible banquet-type locations. That is the problem with small towns -- the selection is pretty limited for entertainment venues.

Will keep you posted!

Planning

Disclaimer: By reading this blog you hearby swear not to release any details/ideas/favors/cake ideas to any other woman/man/friend/cousin/female dog. I'm trying to keep my wedding as unique as possible, and I don't care if you live in Alaska or Delaware, I don't want anybody taking my ideas. Even if my ideas are inspired from magazines. :) Thank you for indulging my paranoia :)

ETA: The date is June 17, 2006 (five years to the day of our first date) ;)

What I've done (and by "I" I mean me and/or my fantastic mother):
*Booked the church
*Booked the reception hall
*Booked the florist
*Booked the caterer

We still have miles to go, of course, because I haven't discussed my ideas and preferences with those folks yet.

What should be done this weekend:
(I have the cutest agenda typed up, you don't even know. J's parents are coming into town)

*Book the rehearsal dinner location (pending J's parents approval)
*Book the post-rehearsal dinner party location (the coolest boathouse on the water, glass-paned doors overlooking the water, plenty of space for dancing inside, a little kitchen. It is so rustic and warm and nice)
*Show J's parents the hotel where we'll block rooms, visit my church, discuss guest list.



What should be done by October 31:
*Book the photographer. Having serious stress issues about this, because our weekends are so jam-packed. I have seen four (1 we really like) photogs and have 2 more to see out-of-town. We really need to get this done because the best ones are going fast.

What should be done by November 15:
*Buy my dress. I have been to one dress shop, going to 2 or 3 more next weekend in Raleigh, then need to go check out the Brides Against Breast Cancer Tour of Gowns before making a final decision.

The photographer and wedding gown issues will probably have their own, more specific, posts :)

Musings:
You know how people have carving stations or the like at wedding receptions? It is so wrong that I want a Panera Bread Station at the reception? Any type of fresh-baked bread you want: Sourdough, Tomato Basil, French, Honey Wheat... Since I won't have a lot of time to eat at the reception (sniggers: I will eat, don't you worry), perhaps I should just have an IV started on the way to the reception of pure Panera breadification. Liquid bread love, if you will. Hey, my sister is an RN, she could do it!

Thank you!

I'd like to send a big shout out to my friend Jessie for creating the awesome banner for my blog! I sent her some photos, a color scheme I liked, and the blog title and she went to town. Absolutely LOVE it!

Thanks for stopping by. Please add a comment so I'll know who's reading.

I'll be posting my first entry soon enough!