Wow!

All I can say is wow!!!!  The day was amazing!  I will do my best to describe it:

We had a great rehearsal dinner the night before at Paul Martin's.  It was wonderful to catch up with our out of town visitors and to have a chance to relax before the big day.  I slept at the hotel the night before so that I would be able to get ready with my Mom.  We were still trying to do last min. things until about midnight.  I fell asleep, hard, until I woke up at 3:00 a.m.

There was NO way that I could fall back asleep; I was way too excited!

My wonderful hair and makeup artist Jennifer Gilchrist showed up at the hotel at 7:00 a.m. and got started! Both my Mom and I were so happy with the results!!! (See pics below).

My Matron of Honor and Flower Girl came to pick me up just before 9:00 a.m. and we were off to La Provence (minus my bridal undergarments; more on this later in "TIPS")!

The hour before the wedding flew by so quickly.  It seems like I blinked and almost missed it.  I got got to walk around the venue a bit before having to get dressed; what a blessing!  My day of coordinator Bekah was phenomenal!  I knew I wouldn't have to worry about anything while she was running the show!

Before I knew it, I was pinning corsages and boutonnieres, and getting ready to walk down the aisle.  The processional music started (thanks DJ Hustle!), and we took our places.  I could see the guys walking down to the ceremony site; then it was our turn.  My Matron of Honor started down, followed by my Flower Girl.  Then the music changed over to "When I Say I Do," my parents took my arms and we headed down.  I was literally doing everything I could to not cry.  Mr. T said that he could see me holding it in.  When I got about half way down the aisle I was able to see his face and I was fine; no more welling up! :-)

The ceremony was perfect.  Our pastor knows us very well, so it was extremely personalized.  At 10:40 a.m., Pastor Dwight pronounced us married!  We celebrated up the aisle to "Higher and Higher!"

The rest of the day really does go by VERY quickly.  It seemed like just minutes had gone by when we were cutting the cake, thanking everyone and saying goodbye!

Looking back, I can honestly say that it was the best day of my life (so far)!  I can't wait to continue my life as the MRS. T!!!

(Professional pics to follow)

Another Productive Day!

With 11 days to go:

• Ordered 12,000 ivory rose petals, 750 ivory roses (250 Amelia and 500 Vendela), and 80 stems of white hydrangeas!
• Finalized rentals!

I'm on a roll baby!

Flowers, Flowers And More Flowers!

What type of flowers are you using for your special day? Mr. T and I have decided to go primarily with hydrangeas and roses, all in various shades of ivory/cream.

We will have 30 centerpiece arrangements, one sign-in table arrangement, and an aisle lined with rose petals. I can wait to show you how it all turns out!

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Checklists

Okay all you Future Mrs. out there!  How many of you are "list ladies?"  I know I am!

Let's go through my major to-do list:

Done:
Venue: Check
Officiant: Check
DJ: Check
Photographer: Check
Cake: Check
Order Wine and Champagne: Check
Order Favors: Check
Pick-Up Wedding Bands: Check
Wedding Dress/Suits: Check
Groom: Check!

Still To-Do
Rentals: Finalize this week
Flowers: Finalize this week
Follow-Up On RSVP's: Hunt down the stragglers this week!

Am I forgetting anything?

Save-On-Crafts.Com

Who loves Save-On-Crafts.Com?  I do!  I have used Save-On-Crafts for everything from floral foam spheres, to candles, flower girl baskets to centerpiece mirrors, and floral tape to natural branches.

As a premier site for catering, special event planners, wedding planners, and the DIY bride, they have everything you want, and a few things you didn't didn't even know you had to have!  They have pretty much everything you will need, minus fresh flowers, at a great price.

I just opened my shipment of floral supplies.  I can't wait to use my Oasis Mini Deco Holders to make the pillar arrangements for our family tables!  I'm even considering using one of their great DIY projects, a floral tree, for our sign-in table.

Everything ships from Watsonville, CA, which is great news for you west coast brides; I placed my order on a Friday morning and received it the following Monday.  Everything is packed with care, and shipped via UPS.

Have you found any great deals out there for DIY brides?  I'd love to hear about them!

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Color Board: Mine!

Ladies and Gentleman!  I am proud to announce that I have finalized the color board for my own wedding!  Good timing, considering that we have just over a month to go!

Do you have your inspiration/color board finalized?  What has been your favorite part of the planning process?

Wholesale Tropical Flowers

Today I wanted to share another one of my great resources with you: Wholesale Tropical Flowers.

Wholesale Tropical Flowers is located on the Big Island of Hawaii, one of the world's finest tropical flower growing regions. They ship daily to the "mainland" via FedEx, and have a the following satisfaction guarantee, "Your order will be delivered fresh and beautiful and arrive on the day that you have requested."

They offer all types of tropical foliage and flowers, including orchids, leis, birds of paradise, and more.  Their customer service is not to be outdone, and they have amazing pricing to top it off!

If you are looking for an economical way to have over the top tropical decor, this is the vendor for you!

Wholesale Tropical Flowers can be reached online, or by calling 808-982-4555.

Summer Color Board - Red and Orange

I don't know about where you are today, but it is rainy, windy, and cold here.  I need to get warmed up!  And what better way, than with a summery color board.

I absolutely LOVE the details in this inspiration board that I found on Groom Sold Separately:

Floral Fiesta

Many brides are empowering themselves by taking on DIY projects.  Some because they love the challenge, some because they are crafty, and some for budgetary reasons (like me!).

If you have decided to go DIY for your wedding floral, the question becomes, where to begin!

• Create a Concept
• Google Images is your friend!  If you are unsure of what you are looking for, type in "wedding floral" into Google, click Images, and then select a color to start your search.  The possibilities are endless!
• Look through wedding magazines and start your own "look book" of ideas you like.
• Do Your Research
• Youtube is a great resource.  Search for DIY wedding bouquets and centerpieces (see below for an example video).
• Look-up what flowers will be in-season around your wedding date for cost cutting!  Nothing is worse than falling in love with a flower and finding out that it is triple the cost because it is out of season.
• Try out  your concepts on Designed by The Bride, which allows you to create virtual bouquets, centerpieces, and cakes.
• Decide Where to Buy 
• There are several options when it comes to purchasing your own fresh floral.  
• You can purchase directly from a florist.  Some florists will work with you, allowing you to use their tools/shop to create your arrangements.
• You can purchase wholesale locally.  This is more cost effective than purchasing from your local florist.  It can be a little overwhelming if you've never been in a flower market before.  If your town does not have a flower market, search online for "wholesale florist" in your area.
• You can purchase wholesale online.  This is my favorite option!  There are plenty of online wholesale florists, including my personal favorite, Global Rose.  I have used Global Rose many times and can highly recommend them for both their quality and pricing!
•  Get the proper tools.
• Craft stores are a great place to get the floral tools and supplies you will need to make your own arrangements.  Remember! Always check for coupons!
• Buying your supplies online, from a supplier like Save-On-Crafts, is a great way to save money.  They will also have items you cannot find in your local craft store.
• Get Your Team Together!
• You don't want to do this alone.  Ask around; you will be surprised how many of your girlfriends have experience with DIY floral.
• Have pictures of sample arrangements and instructions printed for your team to use.
• Order pizza and block out at least a half a day (time needed dependent on the total number of arrangements.
• Remember To Have Fun!

Kissing Ball Pomander

Okay!  I think I have the flowers selected for the big day!

We are getting married under a large oak tree grove.  There is a path leading up to the guest seating area that I want to line with pomanders on shepherds hooks.

I found this great video that shows how to do your own!

DIY Bouquet

Part of having a loving budget is doing a lot of DIY!  I know that a lot of people are not comfortable doing their own flowers.  Don't be intimidated!!! 

There are tons of great resources out there.  Here's a great video on creating your own bridal bouquet that I found.



Remember that you can use any color rose for this bouquet that goes with your theme!

Centerpiece Ideas

Being on a "Loving Budget" means tons of DIY!

I know I want to go with a muted ivory/cream pallet for my centerpieces and aisle decor.  This means that I can really play up our colors in unique ways.  I already have most of the vases I need for my 23 tables (yes you read that right, 23 tables), thanks to a friend of mine who got married in May of 2010.  For her wedding we simply wrapped a red ribbon around the top of each vase to tie into her romantic, Spanish theme.  You can see our inspiration on the top, and our results on the bottom.

 

I know that my centerpieces will not be as dramatic as hers.  I am going for a more modern look.  

I will not be using the taller centerpieces as my tables are smaller.  I plan on using the shorter vases, in varying heights.  To change the look of the vases I am considering two different techniques.  The first would be to wrap the vases entirely in cloth.  The second would be to wrap each vase with a single band, or a layered band of ribbon.  Let me know which you like better!