Macy's Registry

Post wedding madness I wanted to give you my thoughts on the Macy's Wedding Registry.

I will preface this by saying that Macy's is one of my favorite stores!

I should not have been surprised when Mr. T expressed interest in being involved in the registry process, but I was.  We picked a day when we had a couple hours free and headed into our local Macy's.  Our first impression was, "Wow! Where do we start?"  Of course, Macy's answers this question effortlessly by having a wedding registry area in the store.

We met with a lovely consultant, who showed us how to use the scanning wand (loved it! want one!), and let us know that she would be happy to offer suggestions, or to answer any questions.  We headed straight for the china!  We had already narrowed down our choices online, so it was easy to make our final choice, Ralph Lauren, Silk Ribbon, Pearl.  From there, things got tough!  Luckily, our consultant stepped in and offered to "set" our place setting for us.  Using a table in the registry area, she set out our china with options for all of our linens (hadn't even thought about those!), crystal glassware, and flatware.  It made the whole process so much easier!

From there, we just had fun!  We headed over to the housewares section and started scanning away.  Two and a half hours later, we had selected everything except our every-day dishes.  We were exhausted, happy, and done for the day!  It was a great start.

One of our favorite things about the Macy's registry is that the online registry is so user friendly!  Trust me, you will want to "tweak" your registry more than once.  Instead of having to go into the store each time we wanted to make a change, we were able to log-in and make changes as necessary.

They even have a "Thank You Manager," which gives you the ability to track who has gifted each item, and if you have sent them a thank you note (very important!).  It was a life-saver for us when a card fell off a gift and we weren't sure who had sent it!

Overall the Macy's registry experience was fun, easy, and enjoyable!

Tips For The Big Day (Post Wedding)

Okay!  Here are my top tips for the big day:

1. Make the decision that any projects that are left to do the day before the wedding get left undone: We stayed up till midnight wrestling with a seating list that wouldn't cooperate before giving up and going to bed.  I only got three hours of sleep and my mom only got five hours of sleep.  Yeah for adrenalin!!! 
2. If possible, have a day of coordinator, who is not a guest:  Bekah was invaluable to us!  She fixed every issue before I was even aware there had been an issue, she thought of everything, covered all of our bases, and kept us on schedule.  Without her, we would have started an hour late, and gone over by at least two hours :-)
3. Have candy ready to bribe, I mean "assist" the flower girl and ring bearer down the aisle: A red sucker worked wonders to avoid a ring bearer's melt-down!
4. Eat when food is presented to you:  You will not be hungry when food is brought to you (in our case right before we took our photos).  We did not end up eating anything until after our cake cutting.
5. If you are planning on visiting each table, make two rounds; one for saying thank you and one for photos: 
6. The only regret that we have is that we didn't get around to everyone; we stopped for WAY too many photos!  It would have been much better if we'd done one round to say hello and another to take pictures.
7. And most importantly, don't forget to BREATH and ENJOY!!!!

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)

Thank You!

Thank you all for the well wishes!  The day was a dream :-)

I will be back to posting in full force when we return from our honeymoon in about a week and a half!

All the best,

The Mrs. T!

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!

Check, Check, And Check!

Phew!  We've gotten tons done!

Last Friday Mr. T and I went and got our marriage license (kind of important!).  I picked up my mom and she and I met with the on-site coordinator at my venue along with with my day-of coordinator, to go over all the final details and time-line.  Then the three of us (my mom, my day-of, and myself) went to Miosa to my dress fitting.  We ended up talking with Michael, the designer at the shop for over an hour; he's awesome!  Oh yeah, the alterations were perfect :-).  It was on to Michael's from there to get the table number stands.  Finally we went to See's Candies to pick up the truffles for our favors.  All of this by 2:00 p.m.!

Sunday afternoon was wedding prep time!  We took all the vases and supplies for the favors to my matron of honor's house.  A couple of friends came over and the four of us got to work.  We prepped all the vases (washed and grids in place), and put together 150 favors.

It feels good to get so much done!

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?

Crisis Averted!

Yesterday I took my dress to Miosa Couture bridal salon to see about having it shortened.  Yes, you read that right, shortened.  I am 5' 9"; the "perfect" height for most bridal gowns.  Unfortunately, the dress I chose was too long, even with my 4" heels!

I was extremely nervous, as the bridal salon where I had originally purchased my dress from had told me that the alteration would be anywhere from $400 to $600.  The high alteration cost quoted was due to the amount of work required in removing and reapplication the delicate lace applique, the scalloped seaming at the mid-thigh (yeah for mermaid styles!) and the hemming of the satin under layer.  Please keep in mind that I got a screamin' deal on my dress; if it was going to cost me $400 to $600 I might as well buy a new dress.

In swoops Miosa Couture!  I had my consultation over my lunch hour yesterday (I have to say that I looked pretty silly walking downtown with my dress, my petticoat, which was not contained, and shoes in hand). Though I had purchased my dress through another salon, my consultant and the rest of the team at Miosa never gave me anything other than superior customer service.

I got dressed and the seamstress immediately got to pinning.  She discussed the different possibilities for the alteration, and came up with a solution that I was comfortable with, that would also be cost effective.  In fact, Miosa is able to do the alteration for about half of the original quote.

Yeah for Miosa Couture!

1125 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-443-1301

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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Ladies & Gentelman! Our Recessional Song

Mr. T has spoken!

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?

Bridal Shower Bliss

This past Saturday my family and extended family gathered together for my "Family Bridal Shower."  The sun was shining, we had a delicious lunch, with a beautiful view, and people came together who hadn't seen each other in a long time.  I could not have asked for a more perfect day! 

What did you do for your bridal shower?  Did you have a quiet luncheon, or a huge party?

Photography Must Haves

I spoke with our photographer John Hoeft, of Hoeft Photo, yesterday, and he reminded me that we need to meet to go over my "shot list," or my "must haves" for our wedding photography.  That got me thinking (and researching) on what I really wanted.  My complete list is over 80 shots long; don't worry, I won't list it all here!

Here is my short list of shots that I really want.  What are the shots you are looking forward to your photographer capturing on  your big day?

• Close-up of details (place settings, name cards, centerpieces, etc.)
• Bride's dress on the hanger
• Shoes shot: bride, bridesmaid, flower girl with shoes on, holding up the dresses
• Close-up of groom's face when he sees bride for the first time
• Close-up of each hand as the rings are exchanged
• The kiss
• Happy couple walking back down the aisle together, as married couple
• Group shot of bride, groom, family and wedding party
• Bride being lifted or carried by groom or sitting on groom's lap
• Bride and groom's first dance
• Best man (or other guests) making a toast to the couple
• Guests dancing and cutting loose on the dance floor
• Bride and groom whispering to each other
• Bride and groom cutting the cake
• Bride and groom in back seat of getaway car

Color Board: Spring!

I have to say that I am so happy that the sun is shining again. I love spring! The flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, and love is in the air.

Here are two of my favorite spring themed inspiration boards; aren't the gorgeous?

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Signature Drinks

To host, or not to host, that is the question. Mr. T and and I will be doing a combination of a hosted and a non-host bar. We are starting off the day with a hosted wine and champagne bar. We are also hosting selected cocktails. We will be finishing off the day with a cash bar.

One thing to consider is having a signature drink. You and your future Mr. will can have fun finding the perfect drink that represents the two of you. Since we're going to Hawaii, we could call our signature drink a "Maui Sunset." What would your signature drink be called?

Tropical Wedding Cakes

Can you tell I have Hawaii on the brain now?

I came across these beautiful wedding cakes by Cake Lava, Kailua, Oahu, HI, on  Style Me Pretty's website.  Cake Lava has been featured on TV including TLC and The Food Network, and in numerous magazines.  I can see why!  You can view more of their cakes on their website, www.cakelava.com.

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RSVP's

Sorry I've been a little "invite" heavy in my blogging lately!  But, I have to share!!!!

Drumroll please.........

We got our first two RSVP's back today! (Insert cheering here)!

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:

Today Is The Day!

Okay!  Today is the day; invites are going out! (Insert major jumping up and down, clapping and "yahoos!" here).

I sent out two test invites to make sure that they "travel" okay.  They looked great!  Away they go!