big sur wedding

Vendor Review - Big Sur Bakery

2008-10-23T22:25:00.001-07:00

We visited Big Sur about a year before we got married and scheduled a cupcake tasting with Michelle at the Big Sur Bakery. Typically, I like lemon better than chocolate, but in this case, Michelle's chocolate cupcakes were amazing! And of course, the lemon was great too, but I was definitely mesmerized by the chocolate.

We also ended up ordering a small chocolate cake (8 in.) in addition to the chocolate and lemon cupcakes. The only downside was that no one could find a cake box at the end of the night and the remnants didn't really survive the trip back to the lodge.

Michelle was really easy to work with and extremely helpful. We really enjoyed working with her. It was very stress-free, which is perfect for a wedding vendor.

On a side note, a friend of mine and her husband had dinner at Big Sur Bakery the Friday before the wedding and they raved about it! I can't wait to go back and have a proper meal there.

Photo by matirose

table numbers

2008-10-23T22:22:00.001-07:00

I just saw these postcards at Little Otsu. Since there are 10 of them, they could make really cute table numbers.

boutonnieres

2008-10-05T11:17:00.000-07:00

Here are the boutonnieres I made for the wedding. They were pretty easy. I bought the velvet leaves from circabear and the pinecones were in a bag from Target. The mushrooms were from Small Stump.

itunes playlists

2008-09-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post about this for so long now. One of the reasons we chose the Henry Miller Library was because we could use an iPod or even our computer (using iTunes). I spent waaaay too much time putting together playlists, but it was probably my favorite part about the wedding planning.

Here are the lists:

Pre-Ceremony

The bridesmaids walked in to "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane.

Then I walked down the aisle to "Hard Sun" by Eddie Vedder.

Once the ceremony was over, we exited to "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by The Darkness.

Our first dance as a married couple was to "You Are My Sunshine" by Elizabeth Mitchell.

Then I danced with my dad to "Moonshadow" by Cat Stevens and Troy danced with his mom to "Wildflowers" by Tom Petty.

Cocktail/Dinner

Dance (I didn't make an effort to weed out explicit songs - we had mostly people in their early 30's, it was a bbq, and we wanted to PARTY - I realize this isn't for everyone)

vows

2008-09-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

This post is going to be pretty long, but I thought it might be helpful for anyone who is looking for help with their vows. Our officiant, Eva Stramer Nichols, sent us some ideas and we really liked the Buddhist vows. We made some minor modifications and added a honey ritual too. We are more spiritual than religious, so it worked perfectly for us. Eva did a fantastic job as the officiant.

Here goes...

Introduction

Today, Troy and Liana promise to dedicate themselves completely to each other, with body, speech, and mind.

In this life, in every situation, in wealth or poverty, in health or sickness, in happiness or difficulty, they will work to help each other perfectly.

The purpose of their relationship will be to attain enlightenment by perfecting their kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings.

Marriage is the vehicle to practice serving others. It is a practice ground. Love is wishing others happiness.

Marriage is the equal commitment to the happiness of your partner, toward their awakening.

Our inner potential is developed through taking on challenges, not just through joy.

We need people in order to practice compassion.

Since their marriage is dedicated toward the happiness of all living beings, those gathered here are the representatives of all living beings.

Readings

Reading from the Little Prince – Ashlee, groom's niece
Reading “Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog” by Taylor Mali – Kyle, man of honor

Honey Ritual

Eva (Ordained Minister):
“Honey is a symbol of the sweetness in life. And so, with this honey, we proclaim this day as a day of great joy and celebration – a day to remember – Your Day. We thank you, Mother Earth, for creating this divine substance, and ask you to bless it, even as you will bless this holy union.”

[Groom feeds honey to bride; bride feeds honey to groom]

“As together you now share this honey, so may you, under Mother Earth’s guidance, in perfect love and devotion to each other, share your lives together, and thereby may you find life’s joys doubly gladdening, its bitterness sweetened, and all things hallowed by time, companionship and love.”

Vows
Eva (Ordained Minister):

Troy and Liana are happy today not only because they can share the joy of their love for each other with friends and family, but also because they have the opportunity to express their aspirations for the future.

Troy and Liana, do you pledge to help each other to develop your hearts and minds, cultivating compassion, generosity, ethics, patience, enthusiasm, concentration and wisdom as you age and undergo the various ups and downs of life and to transform them into the path of love, compassion, joy and equanimity?
Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Recognizing that the external conditions in life will not always be smooth and that internally your own minds and emotions will sometimes get stuck in negativity. Do you pledge to see all these circumstances as a challenge to help you grow, to open your hearts, to accept yourselves, and each other; and to generate compassion for others who are suffering? Do you pledge to avoid becoming narrow, closed or opinionated, and to help each other to see various sides of situations?

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Understanding that just as we are a mystery to ourselves, each other person is also a mystery to us. Do you pledge to seek to understand yourselves, each other, and all living beings, to examine your own minds continually and to regard all the mysteries of life with curiosity and joy?

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Do you pledge to preserve and enrich your affection for each other, and to share it with all beings? To take the loving feelings you have for one another and your vision of each other's potential and inner beauty as an example and rather than spiraling inwards and becoming self absorbed, to radiate this love outwards to all beings?

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
When it comes time to part, do you pledge to look back at your time together with joy--joy that you met and shared what you have--and acceptance that we cannot hold on to anything forever?

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Do you pledge to remember the disadvantages of ignorance, anger and clinging attachment, to apply antidotes when these arise in your minds, and to remember the kindness of all other beings and your connection to them? Do you pledge to work for the welfare of others, with all of your compassion, wisdom and skill?

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Do you pledge to work to develop the wisdom understanding the relative functioning nature of things and the wisdom knowing their deeper way of existence that they are empty of inherent existence? And to remember the laws of cause and effect?

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Do you pledge day to day, to be patient with yourselves and others, knowing that change comes slowly and gradually?

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Do you pledge to maintain the awareness that all things are temporary, and to remain optimistic that you can achieve your greatest potential and lasting happiness.

Bride & Groom: "We do”

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Will all of you witnessing this wedding do all in your power to uphold Troy and Liana in their marriage?

People: We will.

Eva (Ordained Minister):
Exchanging of Rings

“The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in partnership.”

Pronouncement and Blessing

May your home be filled with laughter and the warm embrace of a summer day. May you find peacefulness and beauty, challenge, and satisfaction, humor and insight, healing and renewal, love and wisdom, as in a quiet heart._May you always feel that what you have is enough. I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride.

Presenting and Congratulating the Couple

“Ladies and Gentlemen please join me in congratulating Troy and Liana.”

Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog by Taylor Mali

2008-09-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

Kyle, the man of honor, read this at the wedding.

First of all, it's a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you're walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain't no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you're all wound up and can't move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.

birch bark table number holders

2008-09-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to weed through the rest of the wedding paraphenalia. I have 11 birch bark holders that could use a good home. These were originally from netterb. I will just be asking for shipping (approx. $11). Anyone interested?

Update: They found a good home. Thanks!

eco-chic weddings book giveaway

2008-09-07T16:26:00.001-07:00

I have a copy of Eco-Chic Weddings for anyone who is interested. I just ask that you pay for shipping (should be less than $3).

Please leave a comment if you're interested (with your email address in the appropriate field) and I'll draw names to decide who gets it. I will close comments by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 9.

Description from Amazon:
Planning your wedding can be the best time to be eco-friendly. The wedding industry has a huge impact on the global economy and the environment, as wedding parties spend over $125 billion a year in the U.S. alone. Eco-Chic Weddings presents the quick, simple, and easy-to-follow tips you need to make your wedding socially responsible. This indispensable guide gives you the choice, comfort, and chance to share your own unique style for a truly memorable wedding.

the ringbearer

2008-09-02T22:26:00.001-07:00

We intended to have both dogs in the wedding, but Berlin was too nervous. Sirus did a great job though as the ringbearer.

wedding photos

2008-09-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

Our photographer posted a few photos on his blog, Joshua Caine Photography. I love how they turned out!

vintage plates

2008-08-24T07:10:00.001-07:00

I have about 50 plates that I need to find a home for. Shipping is pretty outrageous, so I would recommend finding someone that could just pick them up in San Diego. I will probably be asking about $40 total. Let me know if you're interested and hopefully we can work something out!

wedding

2008-08-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

The wedding was last weekend and we had so much fun. It was a little stressful doing a lot of it ourselves, but luckily we had help from a lot of friends and family and that made it much easier. Here are a few photos:

the little prince

2008-08-06T23:01:00.001-07:00

Troy's niece will be reading the following excerpt from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

“One only understands the things that one tames,” said the fox…
So, the little prince tamed the fox… [and the fox said], “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“What is essential is invisible to the eye,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
“It is the time I have wasted for my rose,” said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember.
“Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose…”
“I am responsible for my rose,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.

iTunes

2008-07-28T22:55:00.000-07:00

I was going through my iTunes making different playlists for the wedding and realized I have about 20 hours worth of music set aside for the wedding. Wow, I seriously thought I might not have enough, but I have the opposite problem: way too much.

At least it will be easy to pare down. Then I just need to back up the music onto my iPod and maybe some back-up discs too.

I can't seem to find my original sources for iTunes help, but the two best pieces of advice were the settings to standardize the volume (Sound Check in the Playback tab under Preferences) and the crossfade playback in the same tab. The crossfade playback is what gets rid of any dead air in between songs.

We're choosing a ton of music from bands that played at Coachella in the last few years for cocktail hour and then your standard rap/hip hop for dancing with a sprinkle of disco. Umm, I threw in a Milli Vanilli song as a joke, but now I'm wondering if I should play it at all. I'm imagining the dance floor with end up completely EMPTY.

Oh, and the funniest response card we got back was a friend of ours (male) who crossed off "dance" in the response that read "Ready to wine, dine and dance." I'm already planning to have numerous people pull him onto the dance floor on a regular basis. Mwah ha ha ha.

19 days, 18 hours, 32 minutes until we tie the knot

2008-07-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

Things seemed a lot easier when the countdown on our wedding web site said 450 days until we get married. Now that it says 19 days, I'm realizing I need to stop procrastinating on a few things.

I still have not ordered flowers. The jam is made for the favors, but the labels haven't been done. We do not have vows picked out. The playlist for the iPod still needs refining and added up somehow to figure out if we have enough music for a 6-7 hour event. S'mores ingredients and marshmallow sticks still need to be purchased. I haven't even made a test boutonniere to see if I like the ones I want to make. I have only practiced doing my own make-up once and that was in 2007.

We finally got around to ordering Troy's ring, only to find out that it might not actually get here in time for the wedding (in which case, they will loan us the store sample that is slightly too big for the weekend). We're usually better than this, but procrastination has reared it's ugly head and neither one of us can seem to motivate much.

I started out getting a ton of stuff done early (about 8 months early), and then things started to fizzle. Thank goodness I got most things done early or I never would have been able to get through this.

I have used the following excuses to procrastinate on the wedding planning in the last few weeks:

surfing lessons

emergency animal sheltering training

rescuing three dogs

cleaning the house (we have a housecleaner)

walking the dogs

sleeping

blogging

table numbers

2008-07-10T20:28:00.001-07:00

Hmm, I'm not really sure if you still call them table numbers if there isn't a number, but here is what I ended up getting for the table assignments. I ordered these from Gardening for Wildlife (they do ship to the U.S.). There is a set of 14.

The other idea I liked was to use these letterpress from The Curiosity Shopppe and Saturn Press.

a few ideas from Big Sur Bride

2008-07-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Sierra from Big Sur Bride left me a comment and so I was checking out her amazing blog. I love this log place card holder idea. I've been trying to figure out what to use and I will definitely be looking into something like this:

I'm also totally in love with this inspiration board she posted:

man of honor

2008-07-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Kyle has been one of my best friends since we met during our first year of college at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. We first met in Botany class, then realized we had Art History together and that we lived in the same building (Kyle on the first floor, me on the second floor).

We studied together A LOT and that included a few hysterical laughing fits in the library. Kyle would be leaning back in his chair and almost fall, and I would start laughing the kind of laugh that you couldn't stop and I would have to go outside until I could contain myself again.

We were neighbors in Cedar Creek (second year) and then roommates at the Marsh St. house (third year). I still attribute the fact that we are so similar to the fact that we were born only two days apart.

When it came down to the wedding party, I knew Kyle would be a part of it. Dani was my maid of honor and at some point I realized I could have a maid of honor AND a man of honor, so that's how it was decided!

On a side note, Kyle was the man of honor in my friend Ericka's wedding in 2006 and the DJ announced him as the man of the house instead of the man of honor. We thought this was hilarious and still call him the man of the house.

make-up ideas

2008-07-04T16:58:00.000-07:00

I decided to do my own make-up to save a little money. I went to Sephora awhile back and got a free make-up lesson. I'm planning on going back at least once more for some more practice. Here are my inspiration photos:

aww, crap

2008-07-02T21:17:00.000-07:00

I was really praying that the fire would not get worse. I feel terrible for everyone who lives there. So sad.

Entire town of Big Sur, Calif. evacuated for fire

Update from the Henry Miller Library

plates

2008-07-02T20:35:00.001-07:00

Ahh, I'm finally finished thrifting plates! We officially have 100 plates so far. We invited 112 people, but I'm really only expecting about 80. I think I missed taking photos of a few, but most of the plates are documented on flickr.

Here are a few:

s'mores bar

2008-06-30T19:44:00.001-07:00

Troy and I love to go camping, and we always bring stuff to make s'mores. When I first read about people having s'mores at their wedding, I knew it was perfect for us. Does anybody know where to get marshmallow roaster sticks for cheap?

image from brides.com

inspiration board

2008-06-28T18:19:00.001-07:00

Now that things are a little more finalized, I made a new inspiration board.

fire in big sur

2008-06-28T07:51:00.001-07:00

Some of you might have been following the news. There are currently fires in Big Sur. Our wedding venue is one of the places they are trying to save.

Here is the latest update from Magnus at the Henry Miller Library:
We are experiencing a severe wildfire.

Contrary to news reports!
As of 5 PM JUNE 26 the HML is OK
A lot of fire suppression efforts, using ground crews and helicopter support,
has brought the fire under control and left the Library itself unhurt.
Crews are still on location monitoring potential flare-ups. It feels good.

Of course, this brought up a whole new can of worms. People asking me if I saw the news. What would happen if our venue is no longer available? Do we have a plan B? I guess this is why people buy wedding insurance. We don't have a plan B, it was hard enough to come up with plan A!

But I do know that I'm not going to stress out about it. If we have to find another location, we'll find one. If we have to get married in a campgound in Big Sur, that's fine. I'm pretty sure we'll still go to Big Sur and do our best to have a party like originally planned. But for now, the Henry Miller Library is still standing and I have to send many thanks to the firefighters that are keeping it safe!!

Not only is it our wedding venue, but it's one of my favorites places. It's a piece of history and I know those firefighters will do everything they can. Unfortunately, there have been homes lost in the fire, and mostly I feel bad for those who lost their homes. The fire is only 3% contained so far.

Firefighters keep watch on the Henry Miller Memorial Library and its fanciful art in Big Sur Friday June 26, 2008. The Basin Complex Fire in Big Sur is still burning. (Patrick Tehan/Mercury News)

Saving Henry Miller Library - Stan (KUSP)

For those of you who are getting married, do you have a plan B?

attire for the boys

2008-06-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

We have really been procrastinating on what the guys will wear. Originally, we thought maybe Mexican wedding shirts. We liked this idea, but didn't really have any luck finding a color we liked. Then we thought grey tuxes. Then we started looking for grey tuxes and realized they are insanely expensive to rent. We couldn't find anything under $120. Plus, we weren't even sure the guys would wear the jackets, so that didn't really make sense to rent anything.

Eventually, we ended up kind of doing what we did for the girls. They will be wearing their own grey pants (any shade of grey is fine), a white shirt, black shoes and we will be providing the grey ties. Troy will be wearing a yellow tie, so that he stands out a little. Kyle (the man of honor) will get a grey tie that is slightly different from the other groomsmen.

I'm partial to the 70's style wide tie. I scoured thrift stores, but apparently grey was not a popular color for 70's wide ties. I found nothing, nor did I have much luck finding any regular ties that were grey and reasonably priced. We did however find some decent skinny ties, so hopefully they look good on everyone!

Troy's tie from Target:

Here's Kyle's tie (man of honor) from Urban Outfitters:

And the groomsmen's ties from Hot Topic:

sweet b papers

2008-05-11T14:16:00.001-07:00

Sweet B Papers makes some pretty cool boutonnieres. My favorite is the first one listed. They also make a really cute ring pillow (at the bottom).

dinner plate dahlias

2008-05-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure we'll end up with dahlias for flowers at the wedding. Recently I've seen more photos of dinner plate dahlias, the ones that are big as yer head. It might be fun to use these instead of bouquets. And I think they might look really good as a single stem in the birch bark tubes. I'm just not sure how easy they are to find.

how much wedding do you want in your wedding?

2008-05-03T15:38:00.001-07:00

When we first got engaged, I was pretty stressed out about having a wedding. There were a few nights where I couldn't sleep and had nightmares about spending too much money (what can I say, I'm a cheap MF).

We thought about going to Vegas, but I wanted to get married somewhere that had more nature and less neon lights. After spending Memorial Day weekend in Big Sur, we realized it would be a great place to get married. There was an elopement package at the Ventana Inn that sounded perfect. And only $2200 including flowers and photography! I decided it sounded great and proceeded to try to talk Troy into eloping in Big Sur.

Troy has a little more family than I do. I grew up an only child and I see family only occasionally. I would be completely fine with getting married and not having any family there (sorry Mom). Troy didn't really feel the same way. And of course, people always tell you that you'll regret not having a wedding. So, we compromised. We found a great venue where we could have the dogs, a s'mores bar, an ipod, and it was all outside. I agreed we could have a wedding if there wasn't a lot of "wedding" involved.

Then I proceeded to try to remove everything "wedding" related from my "wedding." We are basically having a giant bbq. And this has allowed to me to sleep at night.

Here are a few "wedding" things we are avoiding altogether:

No bouquet toss and no garter throw. There is a Sex and the City episode that explains my feelings on the bouquet toss.

No dj, we'll be using an ipod

No veil

For the most part, no white allowed. I like color.

Thankfully our family has been supportive and the bbq is really perfect for us. I wonder if people will even miss the traditional wedding stuff?

photography

2008-04-10T21:14:00.000-07:00

My friend Deann (who did our original engagement photos), recently attended a Jose Villa workshop (I'm jealous) and took this amazing photo. Where on earth did these huge pine cones come from?

yellow dresses

2008-04-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

When first considering bridesmaid dress colors, I thought yellow might be fun. Unfortunately, I think my bridesmaids would have killed me if I picked yellow. Grey was my second choice and I think it will look great with yellow bouquets. Still, I think these yellow dresses from J. Crew are so lovely.

wedding dresses {etsy}

2008-04-01T20:19:00.000-07:00

KT Jean Designs has some amazing custom wedding dresses available on etsy. The photography is beautiful too. I might have to order one of the short ones for the rehearsal dinner.

birds and flowers

2008-03-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

Creature Comforts just posted about la la laurie ! paper creations by laurie cinotto. Her creations are fabulous!! I love the woodland details and the velvet leaves.

engagement photos {more}

2008-03-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

When we first got engaged, we had my friend Deann do a photo shoot which culminated in some really cool photos. Later on, we hired Joshua Caine to photograph our wedding, and our package came with an engagement photo shoot, so Josh came down to San Diego and we had a great time taking photos (even though it was insanely windy at the beach). Here's a preview of his shoot:
Troy and Liana (Engagement).

unusual hotels of the world

2008-03-20T21:43:00.001-07:00

If you're looking for a really unique place to stay for a honeymoon, I would recommend searching the Unusual Hotels of the World web site. They have categories for treehouses, igloos, floating/boats, lighthouses, underground, underwater, etc.

Unusual Hotels of the World

inspiration :: flowers

2008-03-16T11:28:00.001-07:00

Ariella Chezar does some really fabulous work with flowers. Here are a couple of my favorites.

flower girl dress

2008-03-12T22:58:00.001-07:00

I think this would be a really cute flower girl dress (from J. Crew)

boutonnieres

2008-03-06T19:29:00.001-08:00

Here are some boutonnieres ideas that I think are fun.

inspiration :: cake

2008-03-04T06:52:00.001-08:00

Here's another really cute cake from Elegant Bride magazine. The cake is made by BabyCakes NYC. I love the iced stars and dragees.

wedding inspiration

2008-03-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Doesn't this look like it would be a fabulous wedding? I love the short dress.

snippet and ink

2008-03-01T07:49:00.000-08:00

Snippet and Ink posts some really amazing inspiration boards, here are some of my favorites:

Nicole's Garden Dinner Party

Picnic Please - the colors in this one are very similar to mine.

Ariella-Inspired, Part Two

wedding dogs

2008-02-29T18:26:00.000-08:00

We decided early on that our dogs had to be part of the wedding. They are such a big part of our life, that we knew we wanted to share our special day with them. Sirus and Berlin are both german shepherd dogs. Berlin is more nervous in large crowds, so we may not have her walk down the aisle, and we do have a back-up plan in case she completely freaks out (but I think she'll be fine). Sirus is much more easy-going, so he will probably be the ringbearer. I'm going to head down to Old Town San Diego to find Berlin a tissue paper flower to wear and we'll probably craft a yellow bow-tie for Sirus. Isn't this wedding dog adorable?

honeybees

2008-02-27T19:02:00.001-08:00

I saw this board on Snippet and Ink and it's one of my favorites! I love honeybees.

more dahlia inspiration

2008-02-26T18:17:00.001-08:00

I really like the dahlias in the glass jar hanging on the chair. I think that would be fairly easy to try.

hairstyles

2008-02-25T19:40:00.001-08:00

I've been looking for hairstyles for awhile now and didn't really have much luck until I started flipping through some of my Anthropologie catalogs and realized all of my inspiration was right there!

virgin suicides inspired wedding

2008-02-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn Bride had a post about movie inspired weddings including this one inspired by The Virgin Suicides, one of my favorite movies. I absolutely love the invites from Bird and Banner , the dahlias, and the cake by Sarah Magid.

stamps

2008-02-23T07:54:00.001-08:00

Ever since I saw the use of vintage stamps in Martha Stewart, I wanted to give it a try. I'm imagining most people won't even notice them on the invitations and response postcards, but generally it's not that much more expensive. When I saw that Lena Corwin used vintage stamps for hers, it sealed the deal for me:

I ordered some of the wildlife and pine cone stamps already, but here are all of the ones I'm considering:

dahlias or ranunculus?

2008-02-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

We're planning on using dahlias at the wedding. I'm just not sure yet how we'll actually get them. I might order them online or pick some up at the farmer's market in SLO. There is also the San Francisco Flower Mart (if my mom picks them up) and I can also order flowers from the floral department at Scolari's in Pismo Beach.

I also just noticed they have ranunculus at Costco online. But I'm assuming they won't still be available in August, since they will be out of season. Although if they are, it might be a hard decision to make. I love them both.

Here are some of the images I'm using as inspiration:

hairpin

2008-02-17T11:24:00.002-08:00

Here are the photos we took at Relish at Home in Berkeley. I'm ordering a hairpin in yellow, but this is basically how it will look. Hairpin made by K. Autumn.

wedding music

2008-02-13T20:56:00.000-08:00

iTunes has some great ready-made playlists and I'm planning on using some of the songs in the Indie Wedding songs playlist (opens in iTunes).

It's going to be hard to narrow down which songs to play at the wedding. I think when I transferred my music onto my new computer, I had 5,000+ songs. How's a girl to choose?

inspiration :: earrings

2008-02-10T14:57:00.000-08:00

I bought these cute earrings from Banana Republic the other day, I think they will look great with my dress!

hairpin from k. autumn

2008-01-26T17:23:00.000-08:00

When I first started planning my wedding, I found Lisa Wong Jackson's wedding featured in Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. I thought her hairpin was so gorgeous, so I did a little research and found the K. Autumn web site.

Last week, I was visiting my mom in the East Bay area and was lucky enough to meet Kelly from K. Autumn and order my hairpin in person (in Berkeley). Kelly is so fun to work with! She has a great personality and is very helpful with providing ideas. My mom came with me and we had a great time.

dresses :: thread

2008-01-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more cute bridesmaid dresses from Thread. The white one could make a cute wedding dress.

inspiration :: bridesmaid dresses

2008-01-24T06:47:00.001-08:00

I've seen a couple of cute dresses at Urban Outfitters that would make cute bridesmaid dresses for a more casual wedding:

inspiration :: cuff links

2008-01-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

Etsy is one of my favorite sites to browse, and they have a fun selection of cuff links. Here are some of my favorites:

Custom Letter Scrabble Cuff Links, $14

British Links, $15.25

Recycle Cuff Links, $15.25

Monopoly Dog Cuff Links, $19.99

Monopoly Car Cuff Links, $19.99

inspiration :: grey dress (maternity)

2008-01-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Two of my bridesmaids are currently pregnant (but will have had the babies right before my wedding). One of them just ordered this super cute dress as a potential bridesmaid dress (from the Gap):

cupcakes :: mrs. beasley's

2008-01-16T21:11:00.001-08:00

My friend Ruhi turned me on to Mrs. Beasley's cupcakes at her wedding shower. They are probably the best cupcakes I've ever had. My favorite is the peanut butter cup, but they also have flavors like mocha, coconut, chocolate ganache, strawberry and lemon. If you stop by the store, they also have 100 calorie cupcake poppers. Sooo delicious!!

inspiration :: flower girl accessories

2008-01-16T21:06:00.001-08:00

I've seen some cute hair pins lately that would be great for flower girls, here are few:

From Foundling at etsy, $6 each

And here are a couple more from Wren Handmade, $12

registry :: fitzsu

2008-01-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

Fitzsu has a wedding registry that includes more modern items. Personally, I love the shape of the littala wine glasses.

cheap ways . . .

2008-01-09T07:09:00.000-08:00

The author of one of my favorite wedding books also has a blog with some tips about saving money on weddings. Be sure to check it out if you're looking for ways to save:

Tips by Cara Davis

inspiration :: mother of the bride dresses

2008-01-08T07:08:00.001-08:00

My mom has been checking out dresses at Coldwater Creek and found this dress:

I think these are cute too:

inspiration :: more grey dresses

2008-01-06T09:15:00.001-08:00

I've been helping my bridesmaids find grey dresses and found a few more worth posting.

These two are from the Gap:

This one is from J Crew:

These are from Urban Outfitters:

inspiration :: flower girls

2008-01-05T13:23:00.000-08:00

I've seen some really cute pillowcase dresses on etsy that would be fun for flower girl dresses. Here are some of the vintage inspired ones that I think would be fun to use:

70s Vintage Daisy Pillowcase Dress by witherine for $35.

Vintage Bouquet Pillowcase Dress by Witherine for $30.

Sweet Little Rosebuds Vintage inspired Pillowcase Dress by Sew Original for $19.

DAISY JANE. Vintage pillowcase dress by Sew Original (sold)

inspiration :: black dresses

2008-01-03T21:42:00.001-08:00

When I first started planning, I thought I might go with black dresses. Since the wedding will be in a casual outdoor setting, I ended up going with grey, since I thought black might be too "cocktail hour". Although, when I look at these dresses from Anthropologie, I think they would have been fine for a garden wedding.

hostess wedding cake

2008-01-02T21:43:00.000-08:00

Ready Made magazine had a Love issue awhile back and my very first wedding inspiration came from the weddings featured in that issue. They also featured a Hostess Wedding Cake that shows just how creative people can be. I love to see people get down and dirty creative.

inspiration :: cake + decor

2008-01-01T11:04:00.001-08:00

I saw these photos on Frolic, and thought they were so cute. I love the Mexican wedding flags.

cakes :: woodland

2007-12-23T19:56:00.001-08:00

These images are from Rebecca Thuss. She has some fabulous ideas for weddings.

inspiration :: shoes

2007-12-16T21:23:00.000-08:00

I have been stalking these shoes on the Anthropologie web site, but they still aren't cheap enough for me.

inspiration :: anthropologie

2007-12-12T22:11:00.001-08:00

If I was having a more upscale wedding, I would go with this necklace and coat from Anthropologie. The chandelier would be fun too.

inspiration :: veil alternative

2007-12-11T19:36:00.001-08:00

I first saw this in Martha Stewart Weddings, and I'm 99% sure this is what I will use instead of a veil. I think they are so cute! Hairpins from K. Autumn.

inspiration :: name cards

2007-12-02T12:46:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I'll admit that I'm not having name cards, but if I was, I would want these. {image from Martha Stewart}

dresses :: thread

2007-12-01T15:09:00.001-08:00

Your Wedding Day is one of my favorite bridal magazines. Here are a few photos from one of the spreads on bridesmaid dresses. I think these dresses are from Thread.

cakes :: whimsical

2007-11-26T06:53:00.000-08:00

Your Wedding Day has an article with some really fun looking cakes.

registry :: heath ceramics

2007-11-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Heath Ceramics has a fabulous selection of dishes, vases and other pottery. If we weren't doing the honeymoon registry, I would probably register with Heath.

engagement photos

2007-11-15T22:05:00.000-08:00

I met Deann in photography class earlier this year. Her final project (photos of the Salton Sea) was one of my favorites. I figured she would rock at engagement photos and she does. We headed to Balboa Park for the photo session and had a blast! Thanks for the awesome photos, Deann!

Our engagement photos

Deann's photography site

Sorry for the lack of posts, my computer died. I just got a new one though, so I'm back at it!

honeymoon :: ice hotel, sweden

2007-10-02T21:55:00.000-07:00

When we first started talking about honeymoon ideas, I remembered reading about the Ice Hotel awhile back. This is at the top of our list of places so far. Where else can you stay the night in -5 °C to -8 °C and take a dogsled from the airport? Plus there is an Absolut Icebar and I still think the coolest part is that it's re-built from ice every year, so it changes year to year. I'm pretty sure I'll freeze my hiney off, but I think seeing the Northern Lights would definitely be worth it. I hope it works out!

inspiration :: cake stand

2007-09-29T13:35:00.000-07:00

I received the Room Service Home catalog the other day and saw this bird cake stand. I'm thinking about buying it for our wedding. Plus, the cake in the photo is very similar to what I want.

inspiration :: wrap

2007-09-26T07:03:00.000-07:00

This Crochet Trellis Shrug from Anthropologie would make a really cute wrap at a wedding.

inspiration :: grey dresses part II

2007-09-25T18:57:00.000-07:00

These potential bridesmaid dresses are all from Anthropologie.

Soft Pour Sweater Dress ($188)

Laurel Run Dress ($218)

Lovely Lace Shift ($168)

Boom Days Dress ($118)

Calm, Cool and Collected Dress ($188)

Notebook Dress ($228)

Stratus Dress ($338)

inspiration :: grey dresses

2007-09-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

I finally made a decision to go with grey bridesmaid dresses. I decided to go with non-matching dresses, so the girls get to pick any dress they want as long as it's tea-length and not satin. Here are a few ideas I provided them with to start. I will post some ideas from anthropologie tomorrow.

Grey Maggy London Two-Tone Dress from Nordstrom ($148)

Graphite Maggy London Chiffon Dress from Nordstrom ($128)

Grey Dress from Melissa Sweet ($200-something)

Grey and White Dress from Melissa Sweet ($200-something)

Grey Strapless Cotton Eyelet Dress from Macy's ($75)

Strapless Wool Jersey dress from J Crew ($118)

Emily Dress in graphite from J Crew ($165)

Sofia Dress in graphite from J Crew ($165)

inspiration :: tord boontje

2007-09-21T08:01:00.000-07:00

Tord Boontje is a designer who creates fabulous woodland scenes on plates, etc. His work is magical. This photo shows a cake inspired by Tord.

dresses :: siri

2007-09-20T07:41:00.001-07:00

Siri has some really cute bridesmaid dresses.

cupcakes :: babycakes nyc

2007-09-11T20:12:00.000-07:00

BabyCakes NYC creates some delicious looking vegan cakes and cupcakes. They even do nationwide mailorder.

photography :: blonde tulip

2007-09-04T07:17:00.001-07:00

I especially like the photos from the Hans Fahden Winery in Calistoga. Photos by Blonde Tulip.

honeymoon :: bermuda

2007-08-29T21:56:00.001-07:00

I saw this resort in a magazine on the airplane on the way back from Florida. The cabanas over the water have plexi-glass windows in the floor so you can see the tropical fish swimming below.
9 Beaches Bermuda Resort

dresses :: jenny yoo

2007-08-27T20:48:00.000-07:00

I'm really liking the dresses available at Jenny Yoo. So cute!

photographer :: jeff newsom

2007-08-17T12:53:00.001-07:00

Jeff Newsom is another photographer from the San Luis Obispo area. He knows how to work the angles.

inspiration :: vera wang

2007-08-14T16:23:00.001-07:00

Vera, why do you taunt me with your beautiful dresses?

inspiration :: honeybees

2007-08-12T17:50:00.001-07:00

The latest issue of Martha Stewart weddings had a spread on honeybee related items, which would be perfect for an outdoor wedding. The letterpess is from Pearl Marmalade on etsy.

candles :: pottery barn

2007-08-11T12:39:00.001-07:00

I've been trying to get as much done as early as possible (I still have a whole year to go), but sometimes I feel a little like maybe I'm doing things too early. Either way, I bought two of these candles from Pottery Barn, since I thought they would look great on the guest book table. I have a bad feeling I'm going to have a room full of decorations by the time my wedding comes around.

inspiration :: pink gowns

2007-08-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

All of these are from the lovely Martha Stewart weddings site. I love the idea of a pink dress . . .

frames :: anthropologie

2007-08-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

I went to Anthropologie last weekend and bought the birch bark frame (the first photo). I wanted a couple of our engagement photos (yet to be taken) on display at the wedding, and I thought this frame would match our look. It was hard to pass up the other two shown, I might have to go back . . .

centerpiece :: small stump

2007-08-07T06:40:00.001-07:00

I decided early on that I wanted to use the birch bark tubes from small stump on etsy, so I finally bought them last month. They are as fabulous in person as on the web site. I'm not sure I can wait a whole year to use them, I might have to put a couple out in our living room. I just hope the dogs don't try to use them as chew toys.

inspiration :: strawberries

2007-08-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

I love the strawberries on these invitations by heatherjeany on etsy. The strawberry necklace from anthropologie would also be fun for a berry themed wedding.

bridesmaid cards

2007-08-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

I found these fun bridesmaid cards made by Sarah Ridgley on etsy. I ordered some and sent them to my bridal entourage. Sarah mentioned she can also do custom colors if you want to have them match the rest of your wedding.

inspiration :: pine cone

2007-08-05T22:02:00.000-07:00

I love these invitations from oliostyle on etsy. I think they would be perfect for a Big Sur wedding. Just the right amount of vintage.

rings :: me & ro

2007-08-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of Me & Ro jewelry, so when it came time to find a ring, it was the only place I visited. I did look at other rings online, but it was the only one I tried on and it was perfect. Mine is the small bombay ring in platinum (the platinum version of the first photo). And the salesman was even nice enough to let us know they were having a sale the following month, so we saved 20%.

cupcakes :: peyton and byrne

2007-08-03T15:17:00.000-07:00

If I lived in the UK, I would definitely be getting wedding cupcakes from Peyton and Byrne. Aren't these lovely?

inspiration :: wedding gowns

2007-08-02T16:22:00.001-07:00

With all the amazing wedding gowns out there, how's a girl to choose?

Image from Alvina Valenta

Carolina Herrera dress on theknot.com

Oscar de la Renta dress on theknot.com

Rivini dress on Martha Stewart Weddings

Vera Wang on Martha Stewart Weddings

Image from Melissa Sweet

photographer :: cameron ingalls

2007-08-01T11:18:00.001-07:00

My friend Ericka got married in September, 2006 and this was one of the photographers on her list. Ultimately, she went with someone else, but I'm a big fan of Cameron Ingall's photography {photos from his site}:

inspiration :: bridesmaid dresses

2007-07-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorites so far . . .

From Anthropologie

From left: Blue chiffon dress, by Watters & Watters. Green chiffon dress, by Thread. Yellow chiffon dress, by Lazaro.

From Siri

From Melissa Sweet

From Jenny Yoo