I think we're long over due for a little Etsy eye-candy!  If you have never visited Etsy before, you should stop by immediately but only if you have a multi-hour block to devote to happily skipping from one stop to the next which will all be filled with delightful handmade and vintage items, THOUSANDS of which could potentially be of use to you in your wedding decor, attire, gifts, accessories, etc!  Don't try and spend ten minutes on there...it won't work.  And if you're thinking, "Yeah, right.  This lady doesn't know what she's talking about.  I can do whatever," then just go ahead and try.  I love a good chance to say, "I told you so."  :)

Okay, so here are some more shops that have been either suggested to me or that I've stumbled upon that make my heart go pitter-patter for various reasons.  I hope they make you smile too!

First off we have Choosing You, a shop devoted to moss covered monograms and other shapes.  How cool would these be on your guest book table or hanging by your altar??

     

  

And now something for the men.  These cufflinks from Pink Top Hat would be such a great gift for the groom or the groomsmen!

     

Check out these darling necklaces from designer Rachel D.  These would look so pretty either with a bridal gown, a rehearsal dinner dress, or even everyday wear...

     

This next shop features the ultimate in bling bridal accessories.  Whether you like Paris Hilton or not, she's been spotted wearing items from Kristen Kuehn Designs. 

     

Even your drinks and favors can be tied up in a neat little package when you stop by Fort and Field's shop where you can find cute little bags, straws, and string!

     

Burlap, I believe, is one of life's most underestimated fabrics.  While great for potato sacks, it can be a wonderful texture to add to your wedding palette, and Funky Shique is just such a shop that can help you do this.  Check these fun things out:

     

And finally, here's a link to a shop that specializes in a current hot trend in wedding decor: blue tinted mason jars.  These old canning jars used to be thrown away but have recently been recognized in value for their potential to be vases, candle holders, aisle markers, etc.  Take a look at what Matt Laura Jones offers:

     

So there you have it!  I hope you've enjoyed this snapshot of what Etsy has to offer all of us wedding related people.  What other finds have you found?  What makes your heart go pitter patter?  And we aren't limited by Etsy; share all of your favorite places to find your wedding do-dads!

So now that I've got my fiance on a roll of being excited about wedding stuff, I thought we'd just keep feeding that fire!  This past weekend we formally outfitted my guy.  First of all, I should share some background info.  My fiance is a much more conciously good dresser than I am.  I am perfectly happy schlepping together an out fit, and if it's wrinkled, I'm okay with that.  Sometimes I don't quite match.  My weight has flexuated a TON over the last three years, so often times my clothes are too baggy.  I'm kind of in that place right now where I'd rather spend money on wedding things than a new wardrobe, so for now, my dud duds will have to make do.  My fiance, on the other hand, is frequently complimented on his apparel.  He always looks...sharp...dapper...put together. 

Therefor when it came time for him to decide what he wanted to wear, I knew it would be a big deal.  The only input I gave is that I wanted the guys to wear suits not tuxes and that if they could be dark blue, that would be ever so nice.  I wanted suits rather than tuxes because our overall feel of our wedding is lovely and well done but comfortable...  Our color scheme is with blues and yellows and shades of white.  The bridesmaids are all picking a yellow dress, so that's how we ended up with the guys picking out navyish suits to wear.  Anyhoo, fast forward to last Friday where my fiance and I decided it was time to go shopping for him.  After stopping in quite a few places, we sound discovered that you could rent black suits, white suits, brown suits, tan suits...but we couldn't find a single place that would rent a blue suit. 

We decided that buying a suit wouldn't be so bad after all because then my fiance could have the suit for many occasions down the road (i.e. interviews, social occasions, date night! ).  We ended up in Mens Warehouse which is a little overwhelming.  I know nothing about suits.  I mean I know there's a jacket component and a pants component, and other than that, I'm clueless.  We were graciously welcomed by Phillip, the manager, who spent the next hour and a half with us. 

I would say that Phillip was "helping" us, but it was so much more than helping!  The first thing that he did was took some measurements on my fiance, asked us a few questions, and then started bringing over some jackets.  Each jacket he brought over was in the blue category which was our only real requirement, but with each one, Phillip pointed out specific attributes that made that jacket unique from the one next to it.  For example, did you know that suit jackets come either with a center vent, no vent, or two side vents at the bottom?  And depending on which jacket style is chosen, the pants chosen should be either with or without pleats?  Depending on a man's body type, certain jacket and pants styles will fit better. 

Another fun thing about all the jackets that Phillip brought over were all the beautiful linings inside.  No, not beautiful...manly, handsome, dapper.  However you prefer to compliment a man's wardrobe, the linings were fun!  I know that no one ever sees the linings, but man, there is some neat handywork on the inside of a jacket! 

Also, buying a good suit may mean that you need to have alterations done.  In rare occasions, a man will pull a suit off the rack and everything will fit perfectly, but usually there is something that needs to be done.  Shortening of the arms, changing the venting styles, taking in a waistline, etc. 

In the end, we walked out of the store with my fiance's suit, shirt, shoes, tie, and pocket square for the wedding as well as a jacket, shirt, and shoes for the rehearsal dinner:

You can't quite tell in the pictures, but the darker suit is a deep gray blue...I think the picture from my phone makes it look kind of blackish brownish...

This whole experience was really satisfying, and just like everything else that we do, we tried to make it fun and right for us.  For others, maybe renting a formal tuxedo or suit will be right.  I'm glad we got our ducks in a row this weekened and got the outfitting of the groom checked off of the to-do list.  And my fiance will look beautiful!  Err...handsome, I mean!  :)

My questions for you today:  Where have you gone to get your guy's formalwear?  What tips can you share about do's and don't's?  For what "handsome" style tips should guys be on the lookout?

Happy Happy Mother's Day, everyone!  I'd like to take this opportunity to say that I'm blessed to have a fantastic mom who is a supportive role model and friend.  I'm taking her out for brunch and mani and pedi's today.  Since my dad and brother are out of town, we don't have to feel guilty about ditching them to go out and do girl stuff!

Even though this day is traditionally about our biological mothers, don't forget to give a thank you in the form of some friendly gesture to all the other "mom"s in your life: step-moms, foster moms, adoptive moms, grandmoms, mom-in-laws, sisters, friends, coaches, etc.  

In honor of the estrogen, today's post will be all about mom fashion at your wedding!  With two great moms in my life, my own and my fiance's, I want them to look and feel spectacular on our wedding day.  My blanket statement of "wear whatever you want" wasn't exactly the most helpful stance for them.  They both had a lot of questions...

Here are some commonly asked Q and As by moms for brides about wedding day attire:

Q.  Do the mom's need to coordinate with the wedding party?  

A.  That is a conversation that the moms and the bride to be need to have.  Some brides will want their entire wedding party and family members to coordinate some how whether it's a certain shade of color or a certain length of dress or some other element.  If a bride has a particular vision for what they'd like people to wear, she should speak up early on so that the mom's can get their shop on without having to return or adjust later.

Q.  Do the mom's need to coordinate with each other?  

A.  Traditionally, the mother of the bride will pick her outfit out first, and then the mother of the groom will go next, coordinating as needed.  This does not have to be the case as two women might have completely different ideas about what is going to look good on them and what style is required.  The bride may want to assist in communicating back and forth with the moms about outfit choices and about her preferences of formality, color, etc.  

Q.  Are there any color no-nos?

A.  Again, it depends on the bride.  Traditionally, no one but the bride wears anything resembling a white dress, and black and red have also been shied away from in the past.  Nowadays, colors are generally much more welcome in a wedding color palette.  Before purchasing your outfit or even before you begin shopping, you may want to ask the bride about any specific colors you should be looking for or staying away from.  

Q.  Are there any styles to stay away from?  

A.  Not really, but you would want to make sure that you are not upstaging the bride.  If your dress is very sexy, embellished, or wildly cut, you may want to get a reading from your daughter before purchasing.  Make sure that you coordinate with the formality of the event as well.  If your daughter's wedding is going to be a back yard casual wedding and she is wearing a casual wedding dress, you would look out of place showing up in a formal ball gown.  Likewise, if your daughter is throwing a black-tie affair, you would want to make sure that you wouldn't show up in a sun dress.

Q.  Are pant suits and outfits okay?  

A.  Certainly!  A dressy pant suit outfit can be absolutely tasteful and stunning on a mother of the bride especially if she would otherwise feel awkward or out of place in a dress.  The bottom line is that your outfit should look like you, just you on a particularly fabulous day!

I think the themes running here are clear:

1 - Moms need to communicate with their daughters, and daughters need to communicate with their moms.  

2 - Make sure everyone knows the formality level, color scheme, and bride's wishes.

3 - Find an outfit that you love, that you're comfortable in, and that will let the daughter that you love relax because she knows her mom looks fabulous and tasteful!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

First off folks, my apologies for the absence in posts last week. I've gotten over a nasty bout of flu, and I'll be catching up to speed this week, don't you worry!

Question:  What do brides most often wear on their heads?  Um..a veil?  Survey says...CORRECT!

Question:  Name one variety of veil.  Um.....hmm....I know this one...eh...A long one?  ERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (That was the sound of the buzzer and the Family Feud Bridal Version bouncers escorting me off stage.)

There are so many types of veils out there!  Where to start?  What will look good with my dress?  What will look good with my hair?  Oh me oh my...

Today we are featuring some handy dandy definitions and pictures that can serve as a guide for us when we go veil shopping...I've listed them below with an example picture in order from shortest to longest:

Birdcage veils generally feature a small piece of tulle or netting that covers part or the whole face.  

Pouf: A gathered piece of tulle or netting that fastens to a headband, comb or headpiece to create height for the veil.

Flyaway: A multi-layered veil that just brushes the shoulders; less formal than other veil styles. A good choice for brides wishing to emphasize the back details of their gown. Appropriate for an ankle length gown. May be up to 18" in length.

Blusher: A short, single layer of veiling worn over the face before the ceremony and lifted back over the head at some point during the ceremony.

Elbow: The elbow length veil is most appropriate in an informal setting. May be used in combination with longer layers to create the blusher or face veil. May be up to 25" in length.

Fountain: A veil gathered at the crown of the head and cascading over the shoulders to form a "fountain" shape. Usually shoulder or elbow length.

Fingertip: A long veil that reaches the fingertips when arms are relaxed. The fingertip veil may be up to 45" in length.

Ballet or Waltz veils feature a length that falls somewhere between the knee and the ankle.

Mantilla: Traditionally, the mantilla is a circular piece of tulle or lace with lace edges draped over a comb. An alternative to more traditional and formal veils, the mantilla is appropriate for formal and semi-formal weddings. May be any length in between elbow and ballet.

Chapel: A formal veil that extends to the floor and may be up to 108" long. Appropriate to wear with a formal gown with a chapel or sweep train. May have multiple layers or a blusher veil.

Cathedral: The cathedral train is the most formal veil style and may also be referred to as a "royal veil." May have multiple layers or a blusher veil. Most appropriately worn with a cathedral train in a very formal setting.

What veil style is your favorite?  How did you decide that it was the one for you?  Did it match your dress?  Did you love it so much that you made your dress to match your veil?  Tell us all about it on the message board!

On the last post we talked about the possibility of winning an amazing dress. Today I'd like to focus on brides who can't wait to trash an amazing dress.  Trash The Dress sessions have been a growing phenomenon lately, and I can't quit scratching my head over it.  If you're thinking to yourself, "Surely she can't mean that they trash their dresses...", then I will tell you that 1) Yes, they trash as in destroy their dresses, and 2) don't call me surely...  :)

Here are some examples:

photo from chugach peaks blog

 

photo by nine photography

 

photo by rachel richter photography

 

photo by rick johnson photo

I have good feelings and bad feelings about this. Let's do some pros and cons.

Pros: Those pictures are interesting, thought provoking, and unique. It would be very liberating to go crazy in a dress that you've been fairly cooped up in during the wedding day. I've heard that dry cleaning can get out just about any stains other than motor oil, and you might have to dry clean your dress even if you didn't trash it..

Cons: You will quite possibly ruin your dress forever. If you ruin your dress you won't be able to pass it on to a daughter or donate it, so it's pretty eco-unfriendly. Your mother would kill you. (Hint: If you do this, dry clean your dress, and show it to your mother before you show her your Trash the Dress pictures. Less chance of a heart attack for her or a slap in the face for you.)

So what do you think? I think...the jury's still out...