Cupcake Jones

Cupcake Jones is a Portland, Oregon cupcake shop, committed not only to the making of delicious cupcakes but also to giving back to their community (once a week they give back 5% of their total sales to a non-profit organization), helping the environment (they recycle anything and everything), and shopping local (they try to buy every ingredient they can locally). I think you could officially call them a green cupcake shop. I found out about their shop through New and Blue a Portland-area stationery store and had to check it out.

Cupcake Jones offers three flavors daily that don't change (pearl, downtown cupcake brown, and velvet painting) but they also have a monthly menu of flavors that vary by day. This month they feature such flavors as: caramel apple, chocolate chip cookie dough, pumpkin pie, and chocolate covered pretzel just to name a few. Each cupcake is baked from scratch each day, the same for their cupcake garnishes (such as gingerbread cookies, marshmallows, and candied carrot chips). After reading all about them I'm honestly craving a cupcake!

You can find out all about Cupcake Jones here or read their FAQ's (like do they do weddings, and of course the answer is yes!) here, or even read their blog and keep up to date with them here. I honestly can't wait to stop into Cupcake Jones and try out one myself. I hope you get the chance to enjoy them for a personal treat, if not a personal treat to all of your guests at your wedding. I have a feeling they can make any flavor combo you'd want to try!

Wedding Salon Event

I have a lucky gift for two of my readers. Since I don't have the money to hop a plane really quick to NYC I have to give up the two free tickets to the wedding salon event I was given complimentary today. It looks like a FABULOUS event and I'm kinda sad I'm going to miss it. This is the bummer thing about living in Oregon on the West Coast.

The first person who emails me about it can have the two tickets, unless you only want one, then I'll give another to the second person who emails. My email is triedandtrueweddings@gmail.com. Hopefully I'll talk to a lucky winner soon!

~A

Fabulous Finds from Etsy

Please excuse my absence for the past few days. I turned 24, so I think I'm excused. But now I'm back with some more fabulous finds from Etsy. For those who are (I don't know how) unfamiliar with this amazing site, Etsy is a site which hosts a gigantic variety of personally made (for the most part) items and fabulous personal services like calligraphy. You can even click a tab on the left to search specifically for wedding items.

Here are some of the neat things I found today:


For a fall wedding, you just can't live without this burgundy and white clutch from Melodyjune.


This necklace would mean something special to me, as my fiancee is French-Canadian and I love hearing him speak French, especially if he does so at the wedding. It's made by ArtWark.


Shouldn't something sparkly be added to the list of old, new, borrowed, and blue? This amazing bracelet is made by kalliArt.


Don't want to spend the time creating your own tissue paper flowers? Then let annemusingdesigns do it for you!


Or have PartyPoms make a whole set of them for you.


Baumbirdy makes some really great and unique cake banners. What a neat idea!


...and some really creative programs too!


I love these custom designed sugar cookies for your wedding by FunFavors.

So I hope these pictures were a bit of inspiration for you. If not, search yourself for some great values, designs, and ideas. Best of luck on your wedding planning!

A Big Thank You!

Sometimes I wonder if anyone out there is listening or reading, because well this site layout doesn't allow comments for quick feedback and I rarely get emails from readers, but then I check my stats and am amazed at the number of readers checking my blog each day! (Which makes me feel really bad about how crazy work has been lately, keeping me less able to write as often...but I hope to remedy that soon.)

In addition, I googled my name today to see where my company and blog might come up. I figured it would only bring up my website, but it brought up countless others who have featured an article on the blog or added us to the "list of blogs they love" or something else. To these sites, I want to say a big thank you! I couldn't continue to help more and more brides if it weren't for those vendors featuring my work and advice.

So thank you to...

1. All of my readers!
2. Vibrant! (Vibrant Table's Blog)
3. Sara Lil Photography
4. Elizabeth Anne Designs
5. Snippet & Ink
6. Groomasaurus
7. JL Designs
8. Oh Joy Blog
9. BrideTide
10. Couture Events by Lottie
11. Breathe the World
12. Susan G Komen Blog
13. Pink Laughter Designs
14. and any more I might have missed!
    

I really love what I do and I love being able to help people out or give them inspiration for these very important days and moments. Thank you so much for listening!

Brides Against Breast Cancer Event

I am currently working on a breast cancer awareness event for women in our hospital community, but when I came across this local event happening here in Oregon, geared towards brides I jumped at the chance to let you know about it.

The Brides Against Breast Cancer group is a non-profit organization aimed at making dreams come true for men and women with Stage IV Breast Cancer. Each year they hold bridal gown sales, with all of the funds raised going toward the granting of these wishes.

Right now there is an event going on in Oregon at the Canyon Place Mall in Beaverton (located on 4005 SW 117th Ave between Red Robin and Marshall's). These wedding dresses come straight from designers, manufacturers, retailers, and even girls like you (donating their own dresses for a great cause) for you to purchase at a fraction of the price. Dresses range in price from $75 to $799 with some valued as high as $8,000!

Yesterday was the first day (sorry guys I just found out about it) but they're offering free admission from now through my birthday, Sunday, October 25th. Hours are 10am-8pm other than Sunday when it's 10am-5pm.

If you're looking for a great gown at a great price for a great cause, you just can't miss this event! Click here for the flier.

PS Other events are going on in the DC area and the San Francisco area shortly. Visit here for information regarding those events.

Make a Totally Creative Wreath for Your Big Day!

Wouldn't this be a great way to add color and fun to your ceremony doors or reception venue gate? Follow these easy instructions from CB2 (Crate & Barrel's younger sister, lol) to design your own ornament wreath!

Your Registry List

So G and I haven't decided exactly where we'll be registering (options include: Williams-Sonoma, Macy's, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Crate and Barrel, and more) although I did just read an article saying Bloomingdales rocked (bummer we don't have any here) followed by Williams-Sonoma, with Crate and Barrel and Target getting bad reviews. If anyone has great advice on where to register let me know. I was also informed that Amazon.com has a registry (giving you options on millions of items, plus you can tag any item online and it will be added to your Amazon registry--awesome huh!) so you can try that out too.

But why I'm really writing is because a few months ago, my friend Te said that I should blog on what to register for. She was in the middle of setting up her own registry and was just overwhelmed with what she should be adding. Unless you have a list, I'm sure you're lost. I would be. So I'm including some links to wedding registry checklists from around the web. They're not all the same, and you'll need to pick and choose the items that work for you, but it's at least a starting point. I started write out the list I have in detail, but it was taking forever! Sorry guys. :)

Bed, Bath & Beyond's Checklist
The Knot's Checklist
Bride Magazine's Cheklist

Goof Proof Your Invitations

Do's and Don'ts for your Invitations via Brides Magazine

• DO order your invitations about six months before the wedding.
• DON'T budget for one per guest--a couple or family receives just one invitation.
• DO use the phrase "request the honor (or honour if you prefer the British spelling) of your presence" if you're marrying in a house of worship; otherwise, it's customary to say "request the pleasure of your company".
• DON'T use "A.M." and "P.M." on a formal invite; instead, write "in the morning" or "in the evening".
• DO spell out numbers (like the fifth of June).
• DON'T order additional enclosure cards (maps, itineraries, etc.) unless you really need them.
• DO proofread the invitation before giving the stationer your approval (reading it backwards can help). Ask someone who's detail-oriented to proof it, too.
• DON'T print the word "gift" anywhere on the invite.
  

When I Look Back...

When I look back on my wedding, this is exactly what I want to be saying! (Link takes you to great personal story with pics on WeddingBee). Enjoy!

25 New Food Stations

In the most recent issue of Brides Magazine (November/December) the last page features a list of 25 New Food Stations. Food stations can be used for the entire meal, if doing a heavy hors d'oeuvres dinner, or can simply be a feature table (a way to incorporate something special into your everyday catering). With each of these ideas, you can either serve a variety of the dish itself in small portions or serve the dish with a variety of toppings or garnishes. These ideas are fresh, new, and meant to show guests something they've never seen before. Not to mention, people like variety and the ability to make exactly what they want, even if it's not typical.

1. Risotto
2. Gazpacho
3. Ravioli (maybe offer different kinds and a variety of sauces)
   
4. Mac & Cheese (offer different garnishes or types with different cheeses)
5. Ceviche
6. Tacos (a complete taco bar would be great, and maybe even include fish as an option)
7. Flatbread (with a variety of types and spreads)
   
8. Chowder (corn, clam, etc. and don't forget the chowder crackers!)
   
9. Sliders (who doesn't love a good mini burger, made of beef, chicken, or even pulled pork)
10. Dumplings
11. Burritos (great for a spanish-inspired wedding)
    
12. Asian Noodles (maybe it's a stir-fry station where they can pick their own ingredients and watch them be fried right there)
    
13. Smoked Salmon
14. Mini Paninis
15. Pies (offer small mini-pies or a variety of pies with small slices)
    
16. Cupcakes (different flavors, different toppings)
17. Brownies (or Brownie Pops!)
18. Creme brulee
19. Cheesecake (well you have plenty of choices here)
20. Mousse (chocolate, white chocolate, raspberry or maybe you also incorporate desserts made of mousse in addition to the mousse itself, or even include toppings for the mousse like graham crackers, strawberrys, white chocolate chips, etc)
21. Truffles
22. Gelato
23. Strudel
24. Chocolate (again different types, desserts made with chocolate, this one has so many choices, maybe even chocolates with specific wine pairings)
25. Fruit tarts

Note: you can also do this with drinks. At one of our most recent events, we did a bloody mary bar with a variety of additions one could add to the drink.

Escort Cards & Table Inspiration

Your escort card table and your escort cards are one of the first things your guests will see at your reception, and they can set the mood for the rest of the evening. Do they emote fun and outrageous? Or formal and elegant? Or maybe something else entirely? Sure you can always do something simple, but when you step out of the box and do something your guests haven't seen before you make your wedding that much more memorable. Here are some photos of different ideas for your escort cards and tables courtesy of my personal photo collection:

What a colorful way to display your escort cards! Not to mention you get a sweet treat when you pick yours up!

Want to display your escort cards on something other than a table? Hang them with clothes pins or lace them in between the wooden slats of a window shade. Either way, it's gorgeous and unique...not to mention rustic.

I love this wooden stand, made to hold the cards in place, but also the different elements incorporated between the rows.

Worried about your cards flying away? Pin ribbon in rows over them, which keep them secure but still easily available to guests. Also note the beautiful hand calligraphy. This photo from Martha Stewart Weddings.

Who says escort card tables have to cost a lot of money? These cards were placed inside of frames bought at IKEA which were spray painted white. This picture courtesy of JL Designs, who also did the flowers which were interspersed on the table.

Being a sweet tooth myself, this is one of my personal favorites. What a way to incorporate candy into something as simple as your escort table. Notice also, the small florals located behind them, which add a little variety. This table was designed by Heather at Amorology Weddings.

For a green or nature-inspired wedding, I'd love to see the incorporation of these bird cookies and tags. It's so unique and memorable.

This fabulous design by Amorology Weddings shouts Spanish flair with an amazing burst of color. I also like the incorporation of a round table and the cards placed radially. Oh and you can't quite see it, but the princess in me also loves the red crowns on the left side of cards which add a personal touch.

What a fabulous use of branches, florals and candles to add elegance and flair to this all-white table.

The best thing about these cards is that they are so fun and carry through the theme of the wedding. It's not just a name and a table number here.

Who wouldn't love getting something amazing along with their escort card? This chocolate lollipop is sure to keep them full until dinner! This picture from Amorology Weddings.

This table is simple, yet very romantic and elegant, just like the Governor Hotel where this wedding was held. I love the incorporation of the candles. Class Act Events based out of Salem, Oregon designed it.

Sometimes it's the display that makes the table. This great incorporation of bold colors catches your guest's eye and the great candleholders and statuary from Z Gallerie add something unique and fun to the table, not to mention that great blue glass ball. This table courtesy of Amorology Weddings.

Tags on Jones Soda Bottles: totally unique and if you go one step further you can actually order Jones Sodas with your own photo on the label. Talk about a keepsake!

Or why not use a soda/energy drink can which matches your color scheme or holds a special place in the hearts of the bride or groom? Picture courtesy of The Knot.

I hope these photos have given you some great ideas about what you could do with your own escort cards and escort table. I encourage you to think outside of the box and do something unique, fun, and memorable, versus the norm of every other wedding. You're unique, so why shouldn't every aspect of your wedding be the same way?!

Friends as Vendors

When perusing wedding blogs as usual, a few weeks ago I came across a post written by Beth Helmstetter of Beth Helmstetter Events. She's an amazing wedding planner who started her career planning weddings in Hawaii (lucky girl) and has expanded so much. The article was one that intrigued me. It was titled, "Planning Tidbit: Don't Feel Obligated to Use Your Friend's Services" and it gave some really great advice about dealing with friends as vendors.

As a planner, I've seen brides use their friends as vendors and have the experience turn out great. In fact, for Shanna's wedding, she used a variety of friends to their best capacities. Her schoolmate Alex was a fabulous dj, her friend Kristin and I planned her wedding, a family friend videotaped the ceremony and reception, etc. etc. She was lucky and she was surrounded by talented individuals who came through for her in the best of ways. Not only did they add to her wedding, but they kept her on her budget, saving her valuable money she might have had to spend for a "professional". I don't discourage such things.

But I will say there are a lot of risks you take in having friends as vendors. I myself asked a friend and former coworker/graphic designer to make my wedding stationery. She accepted at the time (years before I was engaged) and again once I was. But when the time came near to actually make them it turned out she was far too busy with her real job to do mine. I understood, being always busy myself, and lucked out because I myself am pretty good with the Adobe Creative Suite. I knew I could at least get my save-the-dates done myself, saving me valuable time and money until I could decide on what to do with my invitations. But a lot of people aren't creative in more ways than one. Had this been a friend or client of mine they would've been stuck and probably in a panic scenario.

So it's definitely something to consider when you make these decisions. I would ask yourself these questions before coming to a conclusion about hiring a friend:

1. Does this person do professional (or at least really good) quality work? Have I seen examples? Can they provide examples? (i.e. I saw my mom bake this fabulous cake and decorate it even better. I know she'll do a great job)
2. Will this person have the time to get my work done? (Does my sister really have enough free time to get this done and get it done well?)
3. Do I feel confident in entrusting this piece of my wedding to them? (Do I know this is a person who would never let me down?)
4. Am I able to treat this friend as I would a vendor, including complaining about things to ensure I get exactly what I want? (Am I able to tell my best friend her invitations look messy and totally different than what I wanted?)
5. If something goes wrong, do I have other options? (Do I have budget room to afford a vendor if using a friend goes wrong? Do I have the skills to do it myself if necessary?)
6. Would it be helpful to create a contract, so that there are no miscommunications? (Should I write everything down on paper, including what I want, how I want it, where I want it, for how much money I want it, etc. to make sure we're on the same page?)

On a positive note, I think if you trust your friends and you get positive answers to all of these questions, I think you should definitely go for using a friend (or family member), especially if you're looking to save money.

First of all, it creates more personalization for your wedding. My mom's wedding veil was made by one of her best friends at the time and I know it made the veil that much more special. Secondly, it makes those around you feel included in your big day. By allowing her new husband's sisters to cook the meal for the reception, my mom was forming a closer bond with her new family and getting great food out of it.

And even if you don't feel comfortable allowing your friends and/or family to be vendors, you can always include them in steps like putting together the favors or writing names on the placecards, etc. This is always more of a help to you than a hindrance.

If you need advice on a particular situation, just write to me at triedandtrueweddings@gmail.com. Best of luck in your planning situations.

~A

Tissue Paper Inspiration

Ok I truly apologize (for the millionth time) for the lack of posting. You have to understand that I have four major events to run, each within less than two weeks of eachother (and some within days) so I'm doing my best. I'm hoping to catch up a bit this weekend.

But until then, here's a little tissue paper inspiration...

If you want simple for your wedding (as in less stress for you) this can definitely be the way to go (i.e. premade, store-bought streamers like the picture above) or it's also a way to do something a little DIY without going over the top hard (i.e. the dahlia-esque pom pom balls). Martha Stewart Weddings has some great step-by-step instructions for these things right now, so check them out! Your wedding guests will be stunned by how you made simple tissue paper look amazing!

Honeymoon Advice from Leeandra Dittman, Guest Blogger

I told you in one of my latest posts about the frustrations of starting to plan my honeymoon and how magically, one of my best friends (and bridesmaids) was writing a guest blog for Tried and True on that very subject. She sent it to me from Spain just today and I think it's full of great advice for anyone beginning to book their honeymoon. If you have any specific questions for Leeandra, just email them to me and I'll send them to her in Spain and she'll respond back within a day or so and I'll get the answers up on the blog. Also check out her blog (link provided at the bottom of the post) for stories and advice from her many worldly travels. I miss you Lee and can't wait til you get back for my wedding!

THIS IS WHAT SHE WRITES...

So my friend Amber has a blog about wedding planning and advice, and she asked me to write a blog entry about how I planned my honeymoon in hopes to help out other brides in this fun (albeit stressful) endeavor. So here goes!

When booking your honeymoon, you can approach it in the same way you would any vacation. You can always go through a travel agency if you don't feel confident in yourself (but you will pay extra for their help). Or you can take my advice and book your trip on your own.

I know each person has his or her own method of planning so I'm not saying my way is the best, but I ended up having a perfect honeymoon and so I'd love to share with you how I made it happen.

The first thing I would do is start off by figuring out what kind of honeymoon you'd like- is it a week in Paris sightseeing and enjoying delicious pastries while admiring the Eiffel Tower light up each night? Or is it relaxing on a white sandy beach with a pina colada in one hand and your sweetie's hand in the other? For me, I chose the latter, and by narrowing it down to the type of

vacation I wanted, I was able to play around with different possible locations that also fit within my budget.

And then there's the budget. Realistically plan out how much you are able and willing to spend on your honeymoon. Take into consideration plane tickets (which can vary between a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars each), the hotel (which can make or break the budget depending on how picky you want to be), food (every meal, drinks, snacks etc.), excursions you

may want to take, and souvenirs you'll likely buy.

Knowing I wanted to go someplace tropical on the ocean, I played around with searching for different plane fares to different tropical destinations. My honeymoon was in the middle of August of 2008, and at that time, the South Pacific (Bora Bora, Tahiti, French Polynesia, Fiji) was much more expensive than a flight to the Caribbean. It didn't take long for me to realize that it was twice as expensive to go to the South Pacific as it would be to go to the Caribbean (and even more so to go to the South Indian ocean). Although I originally wanted to go someplace very exotic, my husband and I realized all we really wanted was to relax on a beautiful, warm beach, and so the Caribbean it would be.

From there, I searched for flights through different airlines and companies. Although any will work, I have to say my favorite is with Expedia. They allow you to search for flights and hotels together, and the cool thing is they show you exactly how much you would spend on tons of different hotels, ranging from the cheapest to the most expensive.

The way I found out if a hotel (or hostel) was decent enough for us or not, was throughtripadvisor.com. In a separate window, search for the hotel in google. Click on the result with "tripadvisor" in the link, and it will take you to a site with photos and comments from previous vistors at that hotel. It's simple and it is very quick to tell you if that hotel has everything you want AND is a good deal, or if all the comments about it are negative. (Note: I have found that there will ALWAYS be a negative comment or two from somebody about every hotel you search for... but just use your best judgement!).

My husband and I decided on Aruba as our Honeymoon destination. It turned out that during our honeymoon dates, Aruba had the best deal on flights and hotels combined. We literally looked at a map of the Caribbean and played around with flights to different islands. We also did a little research online about the country before choosing it (Aruba is a pretty safe, Dutch island). After many visits to tripadvisor, we decided on the Manchebo Beach Resort and Spa as our hotel of choice. It seemed to give us all the things we really wanted out of a hotel and for a good price. The comments on tripadvisor were positive, and after spending nine days in Aruba we realized we had been spot on accurate. We were 150% satisfied with our honeymoon!!

Here is a list of the top ten honeymoon spots according to About.com:

1. Hawaii
2. Italy
3. Tahiti
4. Anguilla
5. Fiji
6. St. Lucia
7. Mexico
8. St. Bart's
9. Jamaica
10. France

I will go ahead and plan a fake trip to Hawaii since it's the most popular destination. We'll go to Maui- after doing some research on Hawaii we've decided that Maui would fit us best.

I searched Expedia first for only flights. I reorganized the list by price, lowest to highest first.

It looks like the cheapest flight through Expedia is with Alaska Airlines and is about $1260 for two people, round trip.

I then went to the Alaska Airlines website to check out the price for the exact same flight. It's the exact same price- at about $1260 for two people, round trip. I would recommend checking flights directly through the airline, but if you're like me, you may want to plan your flight with your hotel, and you can usually get a better deal booking them together rather than separate.

So I searched through Expedia again with flight AND hotel combined. I organized the list by price, cheapest deal to the most expensive. After only a little bit of research (through trip advisor, I have decided on the Aston Maui Lu. It has pretty good reviews and is pretty cheap. It sounds a little outdated but it is right on the beach. It sounds like they're doing renovations so by next summer there may be some nice improvements. I would suggest asking for an updated room upon arrival, as some previous guests have recommended.

This hotel and flight combo would cost you about $1450, for two people, flights and hotel included, from June 20th, 2010 through June 27th, 2010.

To book the same hotel separate with the most basic room, it would cost a total of $1200 for the week. Add this to the cost of the flight, at $1260, the total for the trip booked SEPARATELY would be $2460. Therefore, in this situation, it's a MUCH better deal to book both the hotel and flight together through Expedia.

Of course, this all depends on which hotel you go with (you may want something nicer than the one I chose above), which dates you choose, and which city you depart from. It all just requires a little (well, a lot) of research.

There are so many things to take into account when planning any vacation. Perhaps you have frequent flyer miles through a particular airline that can give you a discount? The time you fly can be half as cheap if your dates are open (although most honeymooners of course have only a set period of time to work with.)

I would also recommend a few more things. Look for all-inclusives if you'd rather not worry about food on top of the other costs you'll have. My husband and I opted out on the all-inclusives because we knew we'd want to try out the local cuisine.

Also, I'd suggest waiting until you arrive at your destination before booking any excursions or car rentals, etc. You are more likely to get a good deal through your hotel than online.

And one more thing! When you book your hotel, tell them it's your honeymoon! And tell them again when you arrive! We told ours, and when we showed up we received a free upgrade on our hotel room, free T-shirts (as seen in the photos above), a free dinner, AND a free photo shoot on the beach. You never know what you might get because it's your honeymoon!

Good luck planning! Please let me know if you have any questions at all (breathetheworld.blogspot.com). Happy Honeymooning!

-Leeandra

My Wedding in Real Time: Honeymoon Plans

For knowing most everything about planning weddings (or at least a lot because I still have much to learn) I'm finding out that in the area of planning my honeymoon I'm somewhat clueless. I mean I've traveled to a million places across the US and Canada in my 23 (almost 24) years, but that doesn't help me decide where to go and where to stay and how to book it all.

When we first envisioned our honeymoon (before we were engaged) we talked about Tahiti. In fact G will always tell the story about how he said he wanted to go to Tahiti and I said Bora Bora, and then seconds later I went, "oh wait, Bora Bora's in Tahiti isn't it"--blonde moment. But we researched it and while flights are not so bad because we live on the West Coast, the hotels you can stay at there can be pretty spendy, especially for an overwater bungalow (which we wanted). We also started realizing that besides laying on the beach and swimming in the ocean or snorkeling/scuba diving there wasn't much to do there.

So time flies by, we table the subject, and more recently G says he wants to start planning the honeymoon--you see it's the one project I'm letting him handle even though I'm scared to death to let him do it all. He mentions that he doesn't think we should spend that much money to lay on a beach and I kind of agree with him. We could do that anywhere. We also decide we want to go somewhere that has more to do or see. Discussions of Europe or the Caribbean abound. We talk about wanting to go to Italy or Greece or France. Then we start saying that we want to go to a resort which is all-inclusive (for those of you who don't know it basically means you pay for your room, your activities, your food and your drinks all in one and it usually saves you lots of money plus you don't spend your week emptying your wallet everywhere). Problem is that all-inclusives are primarily in Mexico and the Caribbean, not Europe.

So we get stuck. G's dad mentioned to us that his wife's sister has membership in a chain of resorts primarily located in Mexico (which I said no way in hell are we going there when we could really go there anytime since we live on the west coast) but that they just opened one in the Dominican Republic. My friend Meredith got married there, and it looked gorgeous, but I kind of wanted to go somewhere no one else had been. We looked at it anyway. The resort looks amazing, it has seven restaurants, a casino, a spa, and much much more. The cost for two of us for seven days to stay there was just $1400...and that's not including the discount we'd get through his aunt. It has beautiful beaches and snorkeling too, but you also can go zip-lining (which I've always wanted to do) or take tours of the area. Flights there from Oregon right now (and I mean we're still 10 months out so who knows what they'll really cost) are about $1300 per person (and they send you to LA, then to NY, then to DR which makes no sense) so the flight is really the expensive part. It's definitely on our list of possibilities now though.

We really just want to find a location which is unique, we haven't been to, has a variety of things to do, can be relaxing and enjoyable, and won't cost us a million dollars. It really shouldn't be that hard, but it's hard to know where to start. Do we pick a point on the map and go from there? Do we look at specific websites? Are there good books to buy about it (I'm guessing no because I looked on Amazon...I mean they have ones for specific locations, but not one on picking a location)? What's the best way to find all-inclusive resorts? As you can see, this time I'm the one with questions.

My friend and bridesmaid LeeAnn is (while living in Spain) writing up a blog post on this very topic and I can't wait to see the answers. She has traveled and lived across the world (Spain, Costa Rica, etc.) and has dealt with decisions like this too (she went to Aruba for her honeymoon). So she will by my advisor and I will share her information with all of you, who might be in this same situation. If you have a question you'd like to ask her, email it to me and I'll make sure she answers it for the blog.

I'll keep you updated on our honeymoon planning. I'm just very happy we have until August 2010 to figure it out....

Much love,
~A

Kim + Phil Photography: Bridal Shoot

Sorry for my lack of posting this week guys. I have a huge golf tournament I'm planning which is being held Monday and I'm spending every moment making sure everything is taken care of, leaving me little time at home to post. But thankfully, I did at least find time for a moment to get this one up.

Kim and Phil (of Kim+Phil Photography) emailed me a few weeks ago to see if I would look at their site and if I liked what I saw to post some pictures for all of you. They are based out of Portland, OR and they definitely have a Portland feel. I really liked their photos, and today I'm showing you a bridal shoot they did.

We haven't really showcased bridal shoots on Tried and True yet, so this is a well-needed first. I know that many brides are on a budget and decide not to take bridal shots, hoping they can at least get a few of them at the wedding instead. This is true, but you really don't get many photos of just you (few if any sometimes) as the focus of your wedding should be on the "us" not the "me". My stepsister Danae had her bridal shots taken, and not only was it an opportunity to try out the dress, the hair, and the makeup altogether before the wedding, it created some great shots--one of which was framed for everyone to view at the wedding. This also makes me remember a picture of my stepmom which sits in my parents' bedroom. It's a picture of just her in her wedding dress (and while not a bridal shoot photo) it is a gorgeous picture that always brings me back to that day (with me at the age of 4 running naked through the house with my hair all curly from the curlers I'd had in all night). But enough about me, I just say that if a photo of you in your dress is important to you and you can afford the extra shoot, I'd recommend doing a bridal shoot.

Kim and Phil did a great job showcasing the bride and her dress all throughout the city (in areas near the water, to flowers, and even in city buildings) and many photos look like shots out of a magazine. I really recommend doing a variety of shots in your dress, just like they did.



If you like these photos, be sure to stop by their site for even more inspiration, and details about pricing (packages as low as $1500) and the couple themselves. They have an amazing wedding featured on their blog right now which looks straight out of a magazine.