Your Perfect Match

So it's typical, when you're the single girl or guy at the wedding, to huddle yourself next to the one or two people you might know and not spend time getting to know all of the other guests... or maybe people are spending too much time clumping with who they know, and you'd rather they get to know your husband's family for example. In Martha Stewart Weddings' recent edition they give us all an idea for getting our guests to mingle. They're called "find-your-match" cards and I think it's a fabulous idea.

How to Play

• Announce the rules early in the evening (consider asking a member of your wedding party to explain them). Each guest will receive a card with the name of one half of a famous couple--and will have until the end of the night to find it's mate.

Make It

• Download MS's heart cards here and print them onto card stock. Write a famous pair on each card, with one name on either side of the heart. Cut out cards along their outer edges, then cut each down the middle with decorative scissors. Place one card at each table setting.

Perfect Pair List

• Adam/Eve
• Beauty/The Beast
• Eliza Doolittle/Henry Higgins
• Bonnie/Clyde
• Elvis/Priscilla
• Ginger Rogers/Fred Astaire
• Joanie/Chachi
• King Kong/Fay Wray
• Bogart/Bacall
• Lois Lane/Clark Kent
• Lucy/Ricky
• Carrie/Mr. Big
• Scarlett/Rhett
• Romeo/Juliet
• Tarzan/Jane
• Elizabeth Bennett/Mr. Darcy
• Ozzie/Harriet
• John Lennon/Yoko Ono
• Barbie/Ken
• Blaire Waldorf/Chuck Bass
• Homer/Marge
• Princess Leia/Han Solo
• June Carter/Johnny Cash
• Buffy/Angel
• Popeye/Olive Oyl
• Wendy/Peter Pan
• Dylan/Brenda
• Ross/Rachael
• Bella Swan/Edward Cullen
• Luke/Laura
• Sonny/Cher
• Kermit/Miss Piggie
• The list could go on and on....

Best part about this is you could customize it shows you like, or people you don't think parents will even know, or really just anything. Heck I would even make it into a game, where you got a prize if you found your pair (most likely everyone will, so maybe the prize is just their favor--they don't need to know that). But I think in the end this is something fun that your guests will enjoy, and a great icebreaker.

If someone tries this at their wedding, please let me know how it goes! I'd love to share it here.

My Wedding: In Real Time

WHAT A GOOD DAY!

In opposition to my post from the other day (see Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day) today was amazing! Well it started off with a dr.'s appointment (Fri my iron was too low, but today they said I'm perfectly fine) which went well minus the three times they had to poke me to get blood, then I came back for a work meeting about the golf tournament I'm planning. We got so much accomplished and I'm excited to know it'll keep me busy until October (right alongside the other conference I'm planning). Then I went to lunch with Kristin, which is always a delight. I love helping her plan and talking about life as a future military wife.

After that I finished work and went to Safeway to get gas (hello 3 cents cheaper per gallon!) where I had such a fabulous experience! As I rolled up I saw that they had windshield wiper liquid for sale right next to me (which I desparately needed) and I asked the attendant if I needed to get out to purchase it. He said no, that he'd do it for me with my gas. So then another attendant grabs the bottle and asks if I need it in my car. Of course! So he opens it and opens the hood of my car and pours it in for me! Then he asks me if I want it put (and I go to grab it) in my trunk! So I'm like SURE and he puts it in for me! Talk about amazing customer service!!!

But the best part of my day was deciding on a photographer. Guillaume and I, well mainly just me, have been working on getting quotes from some amazing photographers for our wedding. Knowing all that's out there, I had some really high expectations. And when I found that some of them were disappointing me by being out of my budget, I almost gave up hope on finding one I could afford--just like my wedding venue situation. I didn't want the normal guy from our small town but it was looking like I might be doomed to use him. Until I got a quote which really sealed the deal. I will confirm the photographer after I tell the others we're not using them, but it was AMAZING!

The tip I can give you guys for getting the photographer you want, is doing just as I did:

1. Figure out exactly what you need, and what you want.
2. Come up with exactly how much you can spend on your photography. Be honest with yourself here.
3. Find a list of photographers you really like, who you think are honestly within your budget (the high and low ends). This prevents disappointment later.
4. Email each of those photographers listing exactly what you want, and what you'd like if they can make it work and your budget (or really the amount you're not willing to go over). It lends to photographers working hard to meet your budget and give you all they can to sweeten the deal.
5. Lay back and wait for the results. When you get the quotes, if there are things you'd like to change or some questions you'd like to ask them about go for it! Do not be afraid to get exactly what you want. This is your wedding and you don't want to say ok to something you're not ok with. See if they're willing to make any alterations.
6. Pick the offer that's the best in the end! If you're like me, you'll get lucky and one will just be so good there's no way you could turn it down.

Happy photographer hunting!

~A

Photo Inspiration from Project Wedding

Project Wedding is a great site to get ideas! So today I thought I'd provide you with some photo inspiration straight from their site. Enjoy!

My Wedding: In Real Time

Since I only have a little bit of time before I leave to visit my fiancee (who's been gone for two weeks now at military training) I figured the easiest post to do real quick would be one on my current wedding planning status.

I think this week has been all about databases!

I have created so many databases to house information, it's crazy. You see, I'm super organized and it's so much easier to look at 8 different options when all of the details about each are written out in a way that you can read/view easily.

My first database was one I had created a while ago, on budgets. I'd taken budgets that different magazines or books had used and then made an Excel spreadsheet where I could enter my budget and then excel would divide it in the different ways they had prescribed--totally easy and recommended! It was neat to see where they differed, and it gave me a general estimate about things, which proved somewhat helpful.

On the second sheet, I created a database, taken out of Mindy Weiss' book, of all of the costs of the wedding, along with how much the estimated cost was, how much the actual cost ends up being, and the deposit amount. I have spent all week playing with the numbers for everything to make it work (in the budget column). Right now I'm only $155 over budget if we don't have to use the tent (we're only reserving it in case of rain....which in August, I hope not!). So for me, that's pretty good. Plus I overbudgeted on some things to help myself, so likely (cross my fingers) I might even come in under budget. Most brides never do, so I'm not betting money on this, lol.

On another database, I created a list of all of my wedding ideas so far. I have so many, and it's hard to remember them all, so I put them all down, with a column for likelihood of actually using them, and a notes section which has proven valuable.

On the second sheet I took those items and separated them out by sections, like food, desserts, favors, activities, and more, to see a general overview of everything I was thinking for the wedding/reception.

Then my next issue is photography. Right now I'm working very hard to be able to afford the photographer I want or be able to find a photographer who can do everything I want, in my price range. It's my one splurge of the wedding, and it has still proven difficult. So the first thing I did was create a general outline of my day, by time. This was used to tell me how much photography (in hours) I think I'll need. Which for me, when including getting ready, big family pics, a Catholic ceremony, pics of everyone, plus reception is about 10 hours!

Finally, I contacted the few photographers I'm interested in using and have created a spreadsheet detailing which photographer, what their package includes, and how much it costs. I'm going to use this to make a determination (and to make it a little easier for G to understand). Right now I'm waiting on hearing back on one quote and then we'll get to start making decisions. Yay!

So ya, all-in-all I'm realizing why people take a year to get married (I think it may really take me that long to get everything prepared for the wedding I want) and I'm finally ok with it. At first I was hating the wait, but especially because I'm also planning my mother's wedding (in Sept 09) and a few others, not to mention all of my events at work, I think it may take that long to squeeze in everything for my own wedding. And the databases are helping so much! I HIGHLY recommend them to reduce stress.

If you have any database questions, or any other questions in general, feel free to email me at triedandtrueweddings@gmail.com. I'd love to help any bride!

~A

An Event at Garden Vineyards (OR)

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Need to check out a wedding venue? Well this might just kill two birds with one stone. Garden Vineyards (located near Portland) is offering free admission to their event this weekend, where they'll have sangria, lawn games, music, and more! Hours are Friday and Saturday 2-11pm (or whenever the movie ends).

Garden Vineyards is also an amazing event venue which offers locations such as an outdoor vineyard, vineyard house, and more. I have to admit that we did look into holding our wedding there but it was going to be too expensive for us. The cool thing that they offer is that their price of rental is all inclusive, meaning it includes pretty much everything but the kitchen sink--location, food, wine, beer, rentals, and more. So for a bride looking for a beautiful venue and not much fuss, this is the perfect place to keep you from stressing.

Their site was having some issues as I tried to access it, but it's www.gardenvineyards.com for anyone wanting more information!

Sale at David's Bridal!

I received an email on this sale earlier this week, but just now read it. From now through Monday every dress in their shop is $50-$300 off and you can enjoy 10% off your veil, headpiece, bra, and slip as well. Even better, receive a free gift when you purchase your gown (so long as items last). So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!

The Schedule

So I'm kind of planning-crazy (I mean I'm an events coordinator, can you blame me?) and today I started planning out a very general schedule of events for my wedding day. But it's surprising to me that there are some brides who don't even think about a schedule until the day or two before, and some don't think about it at all! A schedule is the difference between craziness and happiness on your wedding day, especially if you're not hiring a day-of planner to take care of your lack of planning.

And since you don't want to spend your honeymoon recounting all the errors made from lack of planning, here are some tips for your wedding day schedule!

• Your event schedule should cover your event from beginning to end (including setup and takedown) and should include every single little aspect of the wedding. Once you have one fully completed, you can extract different parts for different people (vendors, bridal party, planner, etc.) who may only need to know what they are dealing with.
• The more detailed the schedule the better. Include times, locations, names, notes, and more. Your wedding planner may do this for you, but if not, grab the computer program you're most comfortable with and start from the beginning. Imagine walking yourself through the entire day. If you're like my fiancee and this may be too hard for you, find a friend who would be able to help you and ask you questions to ensure everything gets on there.
• Ask your vendors for their information and work it into your schedule. If the florist says she'll be arriving at 7:30am and will need someone to meet her and show her the nearest water faucet, you better have all of that scheduled. When you have completed your schedule, send a copy back to the vendors and take edits as needed. This way you're both on the same page.
  
• Don't be afraid if your list is pages upon pages long. The more detailed, the less likely chance of something huge being forgotten. If you do still happen to miss a minor detail, well you're likely to be the only one to notice. And this should prevent that anyway.
• Start making your schedule at least 8 weeks in advance of the wedding. By about 3 weeks, you should have most things set, and by 1 week there should be no changes (except for very minor ones). Make copies for every vendor at your wedding (to be distributed as they arrive), for your bridal party, and anyone else who may be involved in the planning/setup/take down.

A few extra tips...

• When planning out time for photography, allot 1.5 hours for a very small bridal party, 2 hours for a bridal party of 5 attendants each, and 3 hours for a large bridal party. Add even more time if you also have a large family. Depending on if you choose to do this before (which I recommend) or after the ceremony you'll need to be time conscious with other plans--you don't want your guests waiting 3 hours for you to show up to the reception! And if you need to get hair/makeup done before pictures, and pictures have to start at 11:00am, you better make sure hair/makeup is starting at about 8:00am.
• With things like this, it's better to over budget your time in the schedule than under budget it. If you get your hair done and have 20 mins to just spend time with your friends before the photographer arrives, then it's an extra perk. If you run 20 minutes late and the photographer goes 30 minutes longer, you may be starting your wedding an hour late, and there's no one attending who will be happy about that!
• Some people are always late. If you know that a member or two of your bridal party will show up late to get ready, have their start time be 30 mins before the rest. It's not mean, it's just protective of the schedule.
• Make sure to include with your schedule, a detailed list of all your vendors and their contact information, even flight information if you'll be heading straight to the airport after the reception. Again the more information, the better. You can't leave the reception to grab your flight itinerary and it's not nice to make someone else do it for you either.
• If you're having a destination wedding, make sure to include a schedule for all events (including the days prior when you are at the site) and include everything from picking people up at the airport, to dropping off welcome bags, to playing golf.

Well I think that's plenty for you to start with. And just remember that if you do all this scheduling and planning, there's always a chance for something unexpected to happen, so do be flexible if that's the case. You do this planning and scheduling to save yourself stress, but no matter what happens on your wedding day, you are only allowed to smile and enjoy yourself! Leave the issues to your planner or your family to deal with.

Bad Day

Sorry guys. They might as well have named this book "Amber and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". It's been such a bad and long day....I just don't have the energy to do a post today, but life will be better tomorrow and I promise to make it up to you.

~A

How Far is Too Far with a Cupcake?

So I was reading in the newest version of Modern Bride, about "cupcake couture"--basically taking cupcakes to a new level....but I'm not so sure it's a good idea.

The first cupcake they mention, is the BLT version (yes it's exactly what you're thinking) with bacon in the cake, ranch-style frosting and tiny tomato slices on top. Chicago's More Cupcakes also has an earthy white cheddar-truffle combo. Kumquat Cupcakery in NYC also features bacon baked inside. It may be that I'm a picky eater, but this is just a little too far over the edge for me.

Another type of cupcake couture they mention is spicier sweets--featuring flavors like curry, chai, and saffron. The Good Life Gourmet in NJ features a lemongrass, basil and coconut cake, and a sesame, wasabi, and ginger cupcake with chocolate-ginger frosting. Similar to the movie Chocolat, Chicago's Bleeding Heart Bakery spikes chocolate cake with cinnamon and chili.

Finally, and probably the only one I'd even be ok with, are cocktail cupcakes (it's like two goods in one package!). The Carolina Cupcakery in Virginia has more than a dozen liquor-filled treats including a hard lemonade version and Kahlua and Cream. L.A.'s Yummy Cupcakes adds wine to make a rich chocolate-merlot and an airy lemon-pinot grigio confection. I actually think my fiancee would flip if they had something like this in Oregon...in fact they might!

My suggestion, if you want any cupcake like this, is to go into your local bakery (or multiple if you get a no answer) and ask them if they're willing to try a combination of these flavors. I would assume an alcoholic flavor is a little less of a stretch (because liquers are already used in chocolates and other sweets) when compared to BLT, but you can't fault yourself for asking. You may just end up with a cupcake no one else at your wedding has ever had--and believe me, they will definitely be talking about it for years to come!

Inspiration Board: Hallie's Wedding

Sorry for the late start in getting this up today. I was supposed to be going to meet Guillaume in Eugene (where's he at a training for the Marine Corps for 2 weeks) today, but yesterday at about 3:30 he called me and said his free time had gotten changed around and I could spend the night with him down there, so I rushed out the door, and just now got back from that and I am much happier having gotten to spend some time with him.

As for the inspiration board, Hallie emailed me about a week ago (after I posted--in response to your feedback--that in order to do new inspiration boards more often, it would be helpful if you could tell me about your wedding and give me your color scheme to work with) to ask for an inspiration board for her wedding. Hallie is getting married at her parents' lakehouse in Northern Michigan and was looking for a wedding theme in navy and maize (yellow)--Michigan colors. She wanted classic, a splash of preppy, and fun. I think I have come up with some answers for her (or at least some ideas which might get her going in the right direction).


I searched the internet for some inspiration and I started getting this need for lemons. I think it lends a classic but preppy elegance to an event, with a hint of a modern twist. You could incorporate the lemon theme on everything from your invitations (maybe paired with a navy monogram) to the centerpieces, to the drink coasters, to the candy bar and even the drinks. Lemondrops are always a favorite among guests drinking liquor! I would of course also suggest lemonade for those non-drinking guests (I just got this idea for a blueberry lemonade, but not sure how that would actually turn out).

For your accessories I went very navy (navy handbag, navy Louboutin heels, sapphire earrings, and sapphire ring) which lend very well to elegance. Your bouquet could be in blue or yellow, but I think yellow is very fun and cheerful and would match your bridesmaids (already wearing yellow).

I included guest welcome bags (since most of her guests are from out of town) filled with American items in navy and yellow. I might also include a few British or South African items as well, since both Hallie and her fiancee have spent quite a great deal of time in both countries. You might want to incorporate places you've travelled to together, in the form of names for your guest tables (aka cities in South Africa or other countries you've been to together).

I absolutely adored the lemon cupcake with the little sugar candy lemon on top. Since Hallie said they wanted cupcakes, I thought this was a great mix. You could also serve fun (and untraditional) blueberry and lemon pies to give it more of a sense of a summer party versus an elegant reception. Since they're marrying at the lakehouse, I would suggest an outdoor reception, with lots of outdoor string/globe lights to set the mood in the evening.

Finally, for favors I would maybe do something that either represents America or an American specialty/tradition (for all of your foreign guests) or go the opposite way, and do something which maybe represents your fiancee's English heritage. I know that I'd like to incorporate a lot of my fiancee's French-Canadian heritage into my own wedding, to make him feel a part of it (and his guests to feel included as well), and favors are such an easy way to do that.

Hallie if you'd like more detailed advice or special questions answered, you are always welcome to email me again at triedandtrueweddings@gmail.com. Other soon-to-be-brides are also able to email me for help or inspiration boards as well.

Pictures for this inspiration board were found at: Martha Stewart Weddings (bride and her mother in the navy dress), The Knot (coasters, honey favor, blue drink, candy bar, place cards, lemon centerpiece), Thread (yellow bridesmaid dress), Navy and Lavendar (welcome bag), Ebay (blue sapphire earrings), Jason McGrew Photography (feet engagement pics), and more taken from around the internet.

If your photo has not been accurately attributed, please contact me and I will remedy it as soon as possible. Thank you so much!

-A

Hallie's Inspiration Board

Stay tuned tomorrow, for an inspiration board designed specifically for a reader of the blog!

Movie You Can't Miss!

Sorry for not posting yesterday guys. I worked a golf tournament (which had me up at about 5am...not good for this non-morning person) all day in the overcast clouds which gave me a really bad surnbun on only ONE arm (annoying), then I came home, took a nap, and went out to see a movie with my step dad and my sister.

Which is why I write! This movie was wedding related, but it's focus was not so much on the wedding as the characters about to be in the wedding. I have not laughed my butt off so much in a romantic comedy in so long. So what's the movie you ask? The Proposal with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds!

To summarize, without giving much away, Andrew (Ryan's character) works for Margaret (Sandra's character)--who is a complete bit** if I do say so myself--and is always having to complete her every request. When she finds out she's about to be deported back to Canada, and lose her job, she tells the bosses she's engaged (to her assistant!). What happens after that is the funniest movie that is at the same time very real, memorable, and romantic. You can't miss it!

Handmade Party Favors from Martha Stewart

I'm smart enough to have signed up for emails from Martha Stewart (not just the daily wedding ideas but pretty much everything she offers) and today I got an email linking to some great things on the Weddings Website. They are homemade party favors with complete how-to's and there are so many to choose from. I think everyone could find a favor for their wedding out of her options..provided you might have to change a color or a fabric. I know I got some ideas (if not for me, then for my brides).

Here are some photos of my favorites, but click the link here, and it will guide you to where you can find all of them.

My Wedding: In Real Time

With G being from Quebec, he couldn' t help but be Catholic (it's practically the only religion there) and upon my mom's divorce from my dad, she sought religion, and somehow (ironically when they don't believe in divorce) we (me and my sister) ended up being raised Catholic as well. Problem is that neither G and I ever got confirmed. His family wasn't that religious and somehow despite going to Catholic school he never was confirmed. Me, well I actually went to confirmation classes for a bit before I quit them, wondering if in high school I was really ready to sign my faith over to the Catholic church once and for all.

So what does this have to do with a wedding you ask? Well, when it came to our ceremony, we knew it had to be a Catholic one. The one thing I really love about the Catholic church is all of their customs and traditions and how formal it all is, so I definitely wanted that with my wedding. Problem is, neither of us have attended Catholic church in years! So when we finally talked to a priest at a nearby Catholic church, we were surprised to hear he married non-parishioners (those who don't attend his church). I set up a meeting to go meet with him, which happened today.

I was really nervous, and for some reason, Catholic priests never come off as that friendly neighbor you're hoping for. Turns out you have to be confirmed to get married at a Catholic church (oops) so now both G and I have to do that before our wedding, and well, it sounds horrible to just do it to get married, but I don't really care at this point and I don't have time to go searching through other religions. Also, we have to send him a copy of our baptism certificates (me, check, already called the parish, G...well that'll be a lil harder seeing as how it's in Quebec, hopefully I can trust him to get that taken care of), and finally we have to go to Engagement Encounter (which our priest said could be 2-3 weekends, but really it's just 1, so that's good!) where we'll do marriage counseling and whatnot. FYI: if you're not a practicing Catholic, be prepared to jump through hoops to get married in a Catholic Church and don't think you can do this in 6 months or less! We're lucky we've got over a year.

So I got done with that (and stole a few pics of inside the church for future reference--it's gorgeous but I'm not showing it to you until the wedding) and then it was off to do more wedding planning....except not mine! I don't remember if I told you guys, but I'm currently planning my mother's third wedding. It wasn't quite happy news to hear she was getting married right before me, but well I've learned to live with it, and in the meantime I'm her planner. She's getting married in San Diego on the beach at Hotel Del Coronado. It's the most gorgeous place and one of our favorite destination spots. My mom actually took me there for the first time because I was homesick and sad that G had just left for bootcamp (3 months of not talking) and she wanted to make me feel better--funny thing is his bootcamp is in San Diego, so it was happy and sad at the same time. But anyway, back to the story.

Well my mom never had her "big fairy tale wedding". I mean, she married my dad because she was pregnant with me, she married my step-dad to have a dad for me and my sister, and so neither time I think it was for the right reasons...aka it wasn't ever a "dream wedding", and now she swears "he's the one". So it's like I'm working with a 20 year old bride in excitement and ideas, except for the fact that she works her ass off, is a parent to three kids, and never has a spare second to work on wedding stuff. Oh wait, not to mention that her future husband's daughter (my future stepsister) got engaged about a month after my mom, but is having her wedding next weekend, so my mom spends more time worrying about Danae's wedding than her own. And my mom, like me, doesn't always handle stress well. So planning with her hasn't always been easy.

So finally tonight we scheduled a few hours to just work on stuff. By now (we're three months from her wedding) I had a huge list of things I had asked her to do that she hadn't done, and a whole bunch of questions for her to answer, so that I can move forward with the rest of the wedding planning. For you busy brides, I think this is key: schedule time out of your day (make it a meeting on your work calendar if you have to) to work on your wedding, at least once a month. Meet with your planner, get caught up on everything that needs done, and of course, make sure to do it. Mom and I got more done today than we have in the past six months of planning via phone and email. And I think we're finally on the totally same page; I think it's smooth sailing from here.

But I'm excited for her wedding, and it should be a great time! I've technically been to every one she's ever had, but this time I get the benefit of actually bringing her dream to life, and I can't wait to see her totally happy. Plus after that, it's less than a year to my own, so I just can't help but be excited!

I hope all of you are making it through the struggles of wedding planning, and if you ever need any help or advice, feel free to email!

Love, A

To EVITE or not to e-vite

In my usual walk through blog world today, I found a topic brought up that I thought would be a useful one to talk to all of you about.

A bride wrote into Martha Stewart's blog, "The Bride's Guide" asking why we were still killing trees (in this time of super-greenness)? Why couldn't we send wedding invites via email? (See question and following commentary from their staff here)

You could almost hear their editors' freaking out like nails on a chalk board, and for good reason some might say. It's definitely a prominent topic today. How do you throw a green wedding or if you can't do one entirely, how do you throw a wedding with green aspects? The first thing many brides think is, well I can cut some of the stationery wastes--and hello, that's not hard when it's the one "paper" thing that's prominent at your wedding--invitations!

I've heard of brides turning RSVP cards into postcards, so as not to use an additional envelope, and brides not using an inner envelope at all, and even brides listing their website or email for RSVPs on the invitation instead of using RSVP cards at all. I think these are all wonderful ideas and great ways to save a tree.

But you've got to wonder, is getting rid of stationery altogether and sending an email just going too far? I would say yes, except for a few circumstances. Are the only people going to your wedding immediate friends and family you see everyday? Like a total of 10? Maybe ok. Can you only have a wedding on a $500 budget? Maybe ok. But in pretty much all other circumstances, you don't want your guests feeling like you emailed everyone in cyberspace an invite, just so that those who obviously would never come would send you a gift. Plus it's super impersonal and probably doesn't save a tree, because they print out the invite and stick it on their fridge to remember the date anyway.

However, there is a place (or event rather) where I would say to take advantage of websites like Evite.com and their many beautiful online invitations--every engagement party, bachelorette party, wedding shower, or other small wedding "party". People aren't expecting any special expensive invite for these! Most people planning these simply pick them up at a local party store for a few dollars. And you likely do have emails for anyone who's close enough to you to be attending. Oh, and it saves a tree, lol. I'm actually thinking of doing online invitations for our engagement party, well or at least telling our mothers to use them, because it's way easier, and well it's probably one of very few things I'm doing to save the world these days.

So e-vites, in my opinion (and no I'm not always right, so don't be offended if you disagree please), should not be used in place of your wedding invitation, but have their own rightful place in the wedding scheme of things at your other wedding events.

All About Tents...

I've been hearing that you guys like to know what I'm up to with my own wedding (and forgive me if I'm wrong) so I'll take you on a short little trip with me right now into the world of tents.

When I decided I was having my reception outdoors in the middle of August, I didn't even think about the need for a tent! Except for the fact (as I was reminded) that in Oregon, you can't even count on a month without rain--even in the dead of Summer! So I knew I had to at least get a tent put on hold for the big day.

I knew the first step was just to research my local vendors who rented tents, and surprisingly I found quite a few, even around the small town where the reception will be held. I wrote each of them (after ensuring they had tents for rent) an email telling them what I needed: a tent big enough to hold 200 people seated at tables if necessary and a dance floor. A lesson I learned is that's pretty much all you have to tell them for them to be able to give you an estimate of the size tent you need. PS: do decide if you want a frame tent or a pole/peak tent, or ask the different vendors which type(s) they offer and which is more expensive. You can find out which is which pretty simply.

However, they didn't all come up with the same opinion. One vendor said I needed 20,000 sq feet and another 32,000--that's a big difference! So I consulted the book (by the book I mean one of my many wedding resources--this time it's "the knot wedding book of lists") and found some information along with a table on how much square footage you really need.

Here's what it says:

First decide if you have enough space for a tent. To calculate the space needed, multiply the number of people coming to the wedding by 13 for the minimum size in square feet, or 15 for the optimum.

Their cheat sheet:

• 50 Guests: 650-750 sq ft
• 100 Guests: 1300-1500 sq ft
• 150 Guests: 1950-2250 sq ft
• 200 Guests: 2600-3000 sq ft
  
• 250 Guests: 3250-3750 sq ft
• 300 Guests: 3900-4500 sq ft

So of course it told me that 2000 sq ft was not enough! And not to mention, if you're planning on putting more underneath your tent like extra tables for cake or gifts, or a dance floor, or a stage for a dj, or any of that stuff, you better be adding some square feet!

Secondly, once you've picked a tent, see who will give you the best base price, but then also see what their additional costs are for delivery and setup. Often they won't tell you right away what they charge. You can usually give them your address and they can tell you all of the fees.

Finally, and especially if you're just getting a tent for "just in case", see what their policy is for just that instance. Often times you pay a deposit for the tent and you just don't get that money back if you cancel the tent at last minute--but you don't pay the full price. However, take notice, because some companies have deposits of 50% and some only 25%, so make sure to check. Also, I had one company say that if I booked other rentals from them, then I could cancel the tent within a week of the wedding and not be charged anything--no deposit, no nothing. So you just need to ask all the right questions!

I'm not reserving my tent just yet, I mean hell my wedding isn't for a year, but at least I know who I'm renting from and I know that I'm making the right (and cheaper) choice! If you have any questions about tents, feel free to email me at triedandtrueweddings@gmail.com.

New Inspiration Board: Tulip Garden Party

This inspiration board was inspired by the tulip cake by Bakery Bar (one of the great Oregon wonders, lol). I see this event as one that's held outside, fun and lighthearted. Included in this inspiration board are pictures from: Bakery Bar (cake), Etsy Seller Bonzie (green shrug), JCrew (green bridesmaid dress), The Knot (green drink, red can), Not on the High Street (white mirror), Wedding Bee (ice cream cupcakes), and many more photos which I found around the internet.

As always, please contact me if your photo has not been properly attributed. I'd be happy to fix that for you asap.

Photo Inspiration

Here's a piece of photo/floral inspiration from JL Designs. I just thought it'd be a great way to start the weekend. Happy Planning!

Poll Results

So I polled you guys to try and find out what you're looking for from the blog here at Tried and True. Not that we got a lot of reponses, 5 in total, but I will take those to stand for everyone. If you didn't vote, and you don't like the results, well that's your own problem.

Results were 2 for more real weddings, 2 for more wedding planning advice, and 1 for more inspiration boards.

Here's my feedback on what you have to say!

More Real Weddings: I only know so many friends who have gotten and married and I've only gotten close to so many photographers wanting to share their pictures...so this is what I need to make this happen: 1) more of you to submit your own wedding photos, or get your friends to send me theirs--I mean who doesn't want that publicity?! 2) If you're a photographer with some shots to share, I'd love for you to send them to me. I'll always link the photos to your site, so it's a great way to increase your views!

More Wedding Planning Advice: Definitely! I wasn't sure how much this was something people wanted to hear, but I'm all about throwing more at you. If you have a specific question that you want answered, or some topics you think I should brooch, just email them to me at triedandtrueweddings@gmail.com and I'd be happy to get that info posted ASAP. I can only read your mind so much, so please guide me in the right direction!

More Inspiration Boards: These take me a bit of time (in finding photos and piecing them together) and that's why there aren't as many as I'd like, but I will do my best to create some more. If you have a theme you're thinking about or a specific set of colors (say navy and peach) then email them to me and ask if I could create an inspiration board for you. Then I'll work my best to create one for you and everyone else to view.

If you have anything else you'd like to see, or any additional ideas to throw at me, or any questions you want answered, just email! I check it a few times a day, so you'll definitely see results ASAP.

Love, A

Think Twice When Picking a Date

Of course as you all know, we recently picked a date (or at least it's pretty firm) of August 21, 2010 for our wedding. And for us it was somewhat easy (after we factored out that we couldn't do it right after my mom's wedding in September, he was in school, Christmas break was too soon after my mom's wedding too, he was in school again, oh and then he was gone at OCS Marine Corps Training from mid-May through early August, lol) because we didn't have a lot of options. But sometimes there are other things to think about when picking your date, that have nothing to do you with you, and a lot more to do with everyone else!

Besides the obvious major holidays, there are a lot of dates you might want to think twice on, before scheduling your wedding. Not only may these dates cause problems for travel and hotel plans, but often your guests may prefer to (sorry I said it) be doing something else with their 4-day weekend. And the simplest way to fix the problem is just to ask a few of your guests (both travelers and non-travelers) how they would feel about it. And of course, in the end, really you make the decision on if you care if they're there or not. If you're adamant about a Halloween wedding, just know that guests with small children may decline to attend.

But to be advised, take special precaution with these dates (oh and make sure to look out for big local community dates too....like Oktoberfest Weekend in Mt. Angel for everyone where I'm from--not only will people hate to miss it, but it would be very hard to find room for any guests in the local hotels):

• April 1, April Fool's Day
• Chinese New Year
• Christmas and the surrounding days
• December 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
• Father's Day
• Final Four/March Madness
• 4th of July Weekend
• Friday the 13th
• Halloween
• March 15, The Ides of March
• March 17, St. Patrick's Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (or weekend before)
• Mother's Day
• New Year's Day
• New Year's Eve
• Oscar Night
• Labor Day & Weekend (typically the first full weekend in September and the following Monday)
  
• September 11
• Super Bowl Sunday
• Thanksgiving Weekend
• Valentine's Day
• Weekend before April 15 (Tax Day)

Now some of these dates may mean nothing to you, but they may be big regionally (if you have out-of-town guests) or religiously/culturally/nationally (I need to double check this for G's family coming in from Quebec) and do make sure that if you schedule a wedding during a daylight savings time weekend, be prepared to send out lots of reminders about the time change. You wouldn't want people showing up an hour early or an hour late!

For any more questions about picking a date, feel free to email me at triedandtrueweddings@gmail.com. I love taking your questions, and I'll help as best I can.

Love, A

**After post edit: thanks Jessica for noticing I didn't post labor day weekend! Seeing as how my mom's wedding is over this weekend, I don't know how I forgot!**

Paperwink Deal: Today Only!

As you can see in the graphic above, go to Paperwink and receive 30% off all online orders over $30 today only. The special promotional code is BIG 30. They have amazing stuff, so I'd recommend it!

Engagement Picture Inspiration

I'm really into exciting and new engagement pictures...and I really want Guillaume and I's to be that way too! So I'm always looking for new ideas and today on Style Me Pretty (& Little Black Book Blog) they featured some great new pics. So here they are for anyone who hasn't gotten a chance to see them yet. Kristin Vining is the amazing photographer who took them.



My advice--find something you like or enjoy, and make your engagement photos out of them somehow. Do you enjoy cooking together? Then take some fun photos in the kitchen. Are you big movie buffs? Then rent out a movie theater one day and take some fun photos there. Are you a kid at heart? Take photos at your local park or amusement park. There are so many opportunities and ideas out there. Don't be afraid to try them out!

My Wedding: In Real Time

I don't have a lot of time to post today, and so the easiest and fastest thing for me to do is to update all of you on my own progress with my wedding.

The past few weeks have been really crazy, but for once I feel like maybe (just maybe) we're actually starting to move forward. So let me tell you the problems before I tell you the (possible) solutions.

I followed all of the rules and I got my questions together, I did my research, found the venues, visited them with my man, and fell in love.....with places I found out I couldn't afford. I figured my budget was one amount but it actually ended up being much less (about $8k less) so it was like back to the drawing board for me. I wanted this big formal wedding and now I knew I couldn't afford it. And I'm picky about locations, so I was kind of stuck.

To add more problems to the mix, I grew up attending Catholic Church, but after high school I really haven't attended any church at all (blame it on my crazy life and my hatred of getting up early). Guillaume was baptized Catholic as well, so we really wanted a Catholic ceremony. Problem with this is that they don't really like non-parishioners getting married in their church. My ideal church (St. Mary's in Mt. Angel) is absolutely gorgeous, but because everyone wants to get married there, they said the only way I could marry there was if I waited until 6 months out and saw if the date was still available--6 months are you crazy?!?!? Plus, they said they already had 3 weddings scheduled for that month already, so by 6 months out it would never be available.

So I was sad and mad and really frustrated because the wedding I wanted was totally not going to happen. But today I think my luck changed (or at least I'm crossing my fingers it did). My "Uncle" Ken is a big guy at the Catholic Church in Mt. Angel and he's talking to the Father of the Church for me soon to see if he can twist his arm on letting me get married there. Also, my mom reminded me of the Catholic Church we went to in Sublimity once (which is also very nice) which is actually closer to my mom's house, and I emailed them to see if they'll allow us to get married there, so hopefully they'll say yes as my backup.

If I can get my Catholic Ceremony in either of those churches, then we're going to do the reception at my mom's house. It's not just a normal house. It's a house on 40 acres of forest and beautifully landscaped gardens where I could easily have the reception. And I came across a theme which will be absolutely PERFECT for it, if everything works out well--I'm not telling you guys the theme just yet...I want to keep it a surprise. I spent all day planning out a million ideas and I know it would be something really unique and yet really amazing and at the same time, AND really affordable. Oh and even better, G liked it too!

So I'm hoping (again fingers crossed) that things are turning around, and while I may not be having the wedding I had originally planned for, I think things may turn out even better! So wish me luck! I'll let you know how it all turns out as soon as I can.

Love, A

Getting Unique with your Invitations

I love love love Wiley Valentine (and even more so their blog) and today when I was totally bored at work I started going backward in their blog....until I stumbled on the perfect post for today. Now we can't all go to Bora Bora for our wedding, but we can recreate this idea/sense for our own destination or local weddings.



Boxed invites are all the rage right now, but talk about taking it to another level! According to Wiley Valentine, cloth folders held the save-the-date along with a map of Bora Bora. Then it was the invitation that was contained in a custom box stamped with their names. "Inside [they] created a sandscape full of fresh flowers and seashells. The invitation was a scroll, rolled up, tied with raffia and topped with a shell." Then of course they hand-delivered the invites...I mean who could trust such excellence with the postman?!?!

I hope this gives you a little bit of inspiration for your own invitations and gives you an idea how you can make something like this for even a local wedding. Obviously it's easy to recreate this for any beach wedding, but I'm sure there are things you could do for your own venue (say pinecones for an outdoor wedding or fresh garden flowers and tea packets for an outdoor garden party wedding). I mean play this out as you wish, but I think you can never go wrong being creative with your invitations. They say a lot about you!

Oregon Wedding Venue: Deepwood Historic Estate

I've known Deepwood for years. It was actually where my mom and step-dad got married when I was a kid (although they got married in the house and not the yards as you'll see later), and where I went to take my senior pictures. The landscape there is gorgeous. But seeing as how I'd wanted an indoor wedding, I hadn't thought of looking at it for my own wedding.

Well now that the budget is less than I thought, G and I are contemplating an outdoor wedding. So on my way to a meeting for work in Salem, I stopped by Deepwood (FYI it's open everyday for anyone to just walk through the gardens) to look around again and take some pictures. I had already requested information from them on a possible wedding, so I knew it was in my price range.

I was surprised (IDK why) at how gorgeous it was! I took a bunch of pictures of the ceremony site(s) as well as possible reception areas to show G and even meandered down to the creek (you have to know it's there to find it) where I remembered dipping my toes in the water for a senior picture that turned out really great. This place would be an ideal spot for photos regardless of if we get married here. PS this top photo is the ceremony site I would choose!


This tent is set up right next to the ceremony site and is huge, but below is a possible alternative for another outdoor reception area.



So anyways, IDK if this is going to be our wedding venue, but it was fun looking at it again, and I already know what my theme would be if we got married there. I hate to give it away, because I know my friends read this, so let me just say it would be really really awesome and I can already see it turning out to look much like the Wiley Valentine posts I saw awhile ago. If you're interested in booking this venue, you can always email me for photos or the information they send out. It's really handy in my email!

Fete: The Wedding Experience

As I told all of you a week or so ago, I recently bought Jung Lee's new book called "Fete: The Wedding Experience". I spent a good amount of time reading it yesterday, and decided to share some planning information from her (book) through me to you.

On the ceremony:

• Dim the Lights: lights direct attention. You may well want to highlight beautiful stained glass or divert people's eyes away from the walls in general by dimming the corners of the church.
• Light Lots of Candles: I find any space is transformed by an abundance of candles. I love white ones, but I also appreciate the mood that only red and amber colored votives can give. You can line the perimeter of the aisle or the room itself by bringing in tiered wrought iron stands for the votives.
• Line the Altar and the Aisles: We've rented antique oriental rugs from a local rug store. They add lots of charm and warmth to the church, especially on a wintry day.
• Call in a Choir: There's nothing more angelic than the sound of a children's choir. Once, we hired a boy's choir in full vestments, and, when the children processed, had them hum "somewhere over the rainbow," a childhood favorite of the bride's.
• Hire an Opera Singer: Second to children's voices, an opera singer is nothing short of spiritual.
• Skip the Flowers: I only mention this as a point of interest, since traditionally you would assume that flowers would top the list of ceremony decor. Don't assume you need flowers, especially if you go for tiers of candles.

On the Reception:

• Create an Inviting Hub: First impressions are everything, which is why I like to create a focus. In this case, we made the lounge area be the center of attention, almost like a foyer would be in a home. Everything led back to this area, giving guests a natural place to gravitate toward.
• Focus on the Tables: Rather than have people look at the room itself, we made the long tables the focus. I like 36-inch tables, which this resort didn't have. So we had plywood tops cut and placed on the 30-inch tables to widen them, which gave us room to create beautiful "tablescapes". This further kept the eyes on the tables.
• Drape the Walls: When you don't like the walls, erase them--or at least drape them in a beautiful fabric. I like the gauziness of white sheers. You can back light them with color if you'd like.
• Bring in the Mirrors: This is one of my favorite tricks--mirrors, mirrors everywhere. While my original plan was to bring in ornately framed gilded mirrors on the walls, they proved unpractical. Instead of linens, we lined the tables with mirrors which served myriad purposes: first, they reflected the flowers and candelabras (and were a safe surfacte for the wax to drip on). Also they gave the room a sexy sleekness it otherwise lacked.
• Add the Illusion of Height: There's nothing you can do about low ceilings, but there are many things you can do to make them appear higher. Here we used lots of single candles and candelabras with tall (18 to 24 inches), thin tapered candles. The effect was elegant and lavish, with no one noticing the ceilings.
• Color by Mood: Since Katie and Chris wanted a lush, decadent feeling for their reception, we went with the color of passion--red. We had floral arrangements that featured every red color we could find, as well as pomegranates and grapes. We slipcovered the chairs in mix-and-match embroidered fabrics and velvets for added texture.

There's a myriad of other advice and tips in her book, so make sure to buy it soon or at least stay tuned to future advice posts from Tried and True.

Not Your Normal Site

Sorry about not posting yesterday guys. I fell asleep on the couch out of exhaustion after work, which made me late in getting to a family friend's bday party, and then spent the night at my parents' house because we were going with them to the farmer's market in the morning. After a day of buying plants and veggies and shoveling/hoeing dirt, I'm finally in to post something.

Not on the High Street is a website out of the UK that sells pretty much everything you could think of and even has a special wedding section. Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish created the site after always wishing they had that one unique item someone had found elsewhere and after tending to find those unique little vendors at urban markets, country fairs, and more. And I can tell you that the items you find on their site are so unique that you won't find them anywhere else.

Sure the cost is in pounds, not dollars, but the prices are usually so low that the extra you might pay in the price conversion or in shipping is not bad at all.

And even better is the fact that they have a wedding registry, which they call a wedding gift list. You can go through their site, select items of every kind (and I mean every! kind), and then tell your friends and families where you're registered. It's that easy! And they offer you your own personalized wedding consultant, should you wish for help with your registry. What big name store does that now-a-days? Even more, they provide guest list notification cards for your wedding guests and will send out emails to up to 15 people at once to let them know of your registry.

So if I haven't convinced you yet, here is a variety of some items from the site. Go directly to their site by clicking here.

Save-On-Crafts

It's a link on my Resources, but I don't know if I've ever told all of you how great Save-on-Crafts is as a resource for planning any event! They have every decor element you could think of (always at discount prices of 20-50% off) and a variety of things you'd never find somewhere else. Today I'm attaching some of those non-traditional items that I have fallen in love with.


These are some great 9"x12" envelopes that look like they came straight from India. You can get 6 for $5.49. They'd be perfect to send all of your invitation items in.


This unique hanging candle holder can be hung (obviously) or will actually sit flat on a table if you'd like. You can fill the center with anything (probably a floral arrangement) and then put candles on the edges. Personally, I'd spray paint this black for my own wedding. It costs only $26.


is totally unrelated to weddings, well unless you have kids. I just couldn't help but show you this stuffed animal. I am in love with it and I think I'm going to have to get it for my best friend who's preggo. They also have all sorts of other animals. Oh and did I tell you they only cost $19?!?!?


These green parasols are fabulous and also come in white and peppermint green. These beauties cost $5.69 each or 10 for $5.50 each.

Slice? Wow, I'd never heard of it...but it's SO COOL! This machine comes with some beginner cards which will cut out letters, shapes, and more in sizes from 1" to 4" for $119, and then you buy additional cards like the one above for additional letters and shapes ($29). I would love to use this one to cut out accessories for my escort cards. It's so much better than stenciling!

This adorable ceramic bird vase comes in blue, white, and yellow for only $14.99....what a great something to add to your guest card table or guest book table, or anywhere else (even your buffet)!

So these are just a few of the great newer items I found today, but there is so much on this site. You should definitely check it out if you're looking for a deal. I always check Save-On-Crafts for supplies before I do my own events, because usually they have the best deals!