This is kristi's Blue Wedding!

I think we might have conclusively decided to maybe change venues.

Doesn't that sound promising?! =) All along we've been pretty sure we'd get married on a Lake Huron beach near Rogers City (one of the smallest towns on the Lake) and have the reception in the historic pavillion at the State Park. I've been worried about catering, and having to buy all of the place settings and then - GASP! - Do. The. Dishes. UGH! No way! And I can't see FI's family camping for the weekend. But I LOVE love LOVE that location.

Anyway, we got engaged at Black Star Farms last New Years and since then have been considering having a reception at the BSF Inn. It's absolutely gorgeous and has a dining room and ballroom that can serve up to, like 150+. And it might provide an opportunity for a multi-course wine pairing for a really unique, fun dinner. However, I have become 100% committed to the idea of a beach ceremony, and all year we've been unable to think of the "right" beach on Grand Traverse Bay. Well, DUH - why does it have to be on the Bay??? There are several amazing beaches on Lake Michigan that are only a 1/2 hour from the Inn! And I thought if we had it at BSF, it'd have to be in the winter, which would kind of kill my "water birds" theme. What is wrong with me and my dumb assumptions? We can still have a late summer wedding and the bird theme would go great with the decor at the Inn (Loons and terns are black & white and Great white herons are everywhere up there!) Just because the Inn itself is red & white doesn't foreclose a black-white-sand-sky blue color scheme inside.

I'm pretty excited. If we can afford it *crossing fingers* this seems to meet all of our needs & desires.

So I think it's the perfect place. Profile changing in 3... 2...

Here is how I think I can combine some very elegant details with a beachy - outdoors setting. Lots of candlelight, gorgeous flowers & feathers on the tables, and muted colors. I think I like it!

Credit goes to Lisa Vorce for the photos, which I think I found on projectwedding.com.

So I've been a "green" bride for a while....
I started out as a "blue" bride....
I think I might have been an "orange" bride for a minute...

And I'm back to blue. Sky blue, sandy brown, antique silver and all colors of beach stones. I do love the orange details, too!

OMG.

OMG.

I bought this dress last week!!!!! Jim Hjelm 8716 - I canNOT believe I did it!!!!! I fell in love with it the minute I walked in the door to the salon and saw it on the dress form. I didn't want to love it but I couldn't help it. Please tell me that silk satin is not totally wrong on the beach? Please tell me this dress is not too insanely huge and formal for an outdoor wedding. Please tell me it's all going to be alright! =D

I know, I know, "anOTHER inspiration board, Kristi???" Yes, another one. This one is from Oslo Press - check them out at http://www.oslopress.com/blog/

I LOVE it, and can't believe that someone's working on my ideas ;-)

Has anyone had the opportunity to see the latest MS collection (Fall 09, I think, or maybe Spring 09) in person? I really love Summer Royale! I hadn't considered Maggies before because they were so popular for a while and I just didn't want to risk having the same dress as someone else I know. BUT the new collection has some very unique designs! Sasha is another one of my favorites.

Any new Maggie brides out there? Pics to share? How do you feel about quality & value - are the materials nice? Any info is welcome ~ thanks!

I am SO excited! We actually bought something today for the wedding! It's our first wedding-related purchase - the groom's shirt. I know, something totally strange to start with and it was totally spontaneous but it is perfect. We couldn't have found something better if we had been shopping for it.

We actually went to Macy's last night for something else entirely and walked through the men's dept by this gorgeous off-white linen-ish blazer that had a really cool lion applique on the chest, and FH mentioned he liked it. Well, I liked it, too, but thought it was something he'd only wear once or twice so I dismissed it. But this morning he actually said it would be something he might like to wear for wedding attire! (??!!??!!! I didn't know he was actually THINKING about the wedding - we don't even have a date set yet!) So we went back this morning to buy it, but when he tried it on it didn't fit very well, but he also found this gorgeous blue tone-on-tone striped shirt that fit like he was the model. It is very light, both in color and in weight, and looks smokin' hot on my FH!

I know I should NOT be this excited about a men's dress shirt, but I am stoked =D Only you girls will understand. Oh, and if any of you run across any really cool casual sport coats send me a comment. Thanks in advance!

*UPDATE* We had a change of plans so I didnt' get to go to the trunk show afterall =( But hopefully I'll get to try on a few of these dresses when we're in Chicago NEXT weekend. I'll keep ya' posted.

We're going to Chicago next weekend to celebrate my birthday with some of FH's family, and while we're there I'm going to a Jim Hjelm trunk show! I'm really excited. The gowns to the left are my must-try-on's.

Any Jim Hjem brides out there willing to share your opinions, photos or experiences? Thanks in advance!

Top middle photo from theknot.
Gown - Jim Hjelm.

call it a sunset color scheme.

uh oh, green girls... I might be leaving you. Blue and orange have started to call on me and I don't know if I can resist much longer.

don't be a hater. Just come over to blue & orange boards when you get a chance. You might even like it =)

Top photo is from one of the locations we're considering.
Middle photos from theknot.
Bottom photo from Sleeping Bear Dunes, the day of the proposal.

With a .... Sarah at Saipua is hilarious. Go there and waste forty-five minutes. I did. And if you do, I won't feel so guilty .

http://saipua.blogspot.com/

And then add it to your dailies. You'll thank me later. ;-)

~Kristi

Check out their amazing online gallery. Some of their examples are to the left.

www.poppyspetalworks.com

A while ago I discovered Christina Aguilera's video for her song, "Save me from myself" and it brought me to tears. The video has actual footage of her own wedding, which was SO glamorous. The song, though, is the most touching part. I dedicate it to my FH and share it with you here...

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=26031279

ahhh... I adore the photography of OneLovePhoto, Seattle, WA. Heather is poetic, lovely and incredibly romantic. We had to have been sisters in a past life.

Anyway, I wonder if they would travel all the way over to this corner of the netherworlds for the adventure of camping on Lake Huron for a weekend with me, FH and our crazy families, even though FH has a blinking-at-camera-lenses problem?

Actually, their price list is AMAZINGLY REASONABLE! If you're in the Northwest, check them out. Even though I am NOT in the NW, I MUST inquire, despite my doubts that they will venture this far into nowhere.

Go directly to all these and more at:
http://onelovephoto.typepad.com/heathergilson/weddings/

Especially if you're having a non-traditional outdoor ceremony. With ours likely on the beach, I can't see FH in a tux or even a suit & tie. Okay, maybe a suit, but no tie. He wears a suit & tie every day. And although he generally looks great everyday, he looks HOT in an open-collared shirt & sport coat.

I know there are no rules for groom's attire, especially on the beach, and there are a million options, including the Hawaiian-style shirt, but I HATE short sleeves. I dig long sleeves rolled up, especially in a gorgeous pastel blue like Chris Cranis in the main pic, but NO short sleeves. A lot of guys in some of the more interesting weddings posted around the blogs lately are wearing vests & colorful ties without a jacket. That's a cool look, but not very beach-y. Anyway...

Does anyone else believe the groom's look gets neglected? It hasn't been easy to find stylish, casual-but-not-funky-cuz-we-are-incredibly-conservative-types looks for guys. What I have noticed in the photos I like best (versus the ones I dislike) is the importance of a good fitting suit. Anyone going JCrew or Banana for their groom's look? Show pics!

(Photo credits are in the captions.)
PS ~ I love Jose Villa! If only I had a million dollar budget...

I've ever seen! I came across this today on projectwedding.com and just had to share. The bride is SO beautiful and the pictures show just how much fun she, her husband and all of their guests had in a huge Seattle snow storm.

Amazing Photos by Treasure Photography, San Francisco.

The rest of Chad & Lauren's pics are availalbe online here:
http://www.treasurephotography.com/client/solbakken/index.html

Oh my goodness... I have discovered treasure!

I quite nearly dismissed the idea of wearing a veil for my wedding, but today I was looking around for ideas for a girlfriend and I discovered Sara Gabriel at bridechic.blogspot.com. I absolutely MUST reconsider my choice of hair accessories! Sara's styles are classic, feminine and oohhh... sooo lovely...

There are many more on her website, http://www.saragabriel.com/

You cannot complete your bridal look without going to that website. At least I know I can't!

Last weekend I went to a Melissa Sweet / Priscilla of Boston trunk show and had a GREAT time! My favorite dress was Mila. The pics here are mostly by Kim Le photography. Aren't they gorgeous?!

Melissa Sweet brides, show me your dress!

I have been SO anxious to make this post I don't know how I contained myself this long....

WE ARE OFFICIALLY ENGAGED!!!!!!

And the proposal was so amazing I don't think it could have been designed better by a movie studio. It was January 3rd, 2009: the first sunny day of the year... we hiked to the top of Pyramid Point in the Sleeping Bear Dunes on Lake Michigan, and with the sun on our backs, the turquoise water in front of us, the blue sky overhead, and not a breath of wind to cause a chill, he said, "this is the perfect day. The perfect place. The perfect moment..." And I just knew...

Omg, I can't even explain it. I am mildly terrified and fully overwhelmed with happines, love and excitement. I'm the luckiest woman on earth and I never want this feeling to end!

Over New Years we spent five days at the Inn at Black Star Farms, a winery in Northern Michigan. We LOVE this place!!! It's the first place we ever stayed together and we talked about possibly considering it as a location for a wedding reception (OURS, perhaps???)

Their website has a bunch of wedding photos, too. www.blackstarfarms.com.

They have indoor and outdoor ceremony sites and a few different spaces for a small reception, and it's incredibly elegant, possibly more formal than I was thinking for our wedding. The main space in the Inn has a two-story great room with a curved staircase and giant chandelier that screams romance. The grounds are lovely, and it's home to a dressage training center, so there are always horses in the pastures out front. Even if Black Star isn't the place for us, though, I thought others might love the idea for their wedding.

Oh I love these! Posted recently on projectwedding.com, Morgan + Michael's wedding is beautiful neutrals and greens, with the most elegantly-done harvest theme details. White pumpkins, dried wheat sheaves, roses, pearls, and of course, since the wedding was in California wine country - WINE!

I love these pics, and there are more (by Sherman Chu) on projectwedding.com. Morgan & Michael are possibly the most beautiful couple I've ever seen.

Enjoy!

This is gorgeous. Coco + Kelley posted this the other day and it has been lingering on my mind ever since. I wonder how much it would cost to have those chair covers for a whole reception of 100+. ??? And that centerpiece tree! Wouldn't those fill a room? That would be SOME diy project, that's for sure. I'd do a few of them scattered on larger tables and do low floral arrangements on the rest. I love this monochrome mocha color palette, too.

Enjoy!

I think we have finally decided that we are actually taking a (MUCH-NEEDED) vacation to Negril next March AND I think we may actually be staying part of the trip at the Rockhouse Hotel! Here are some pics of Shey Marin's wedding (knottie MrsMarin, I'll be posting more about her blog 1iopen.blogspot.com later) there.

Since the Rockhouse is on the cliffs, and I've never been to Negril before, we're also considering spending some of our nights on the beach. Possibly at The Charela. I've done some internet research but can't seem to gain a lot of confidence in any of th beach resorts. Have any of you been to Negril, or do you have any info on good places to stay there? Do share!

This is it, I'm pretty sure. Along with the other delectables I described in a few posts ago, this little cake, which MUST be coconut by the look of it, if not it will be for us, will be the star of our dessert "buffet".

This is from the latest real wedding at snippetandink.com. There are a ton of super-cheap, super-charming ideas in it you all should check out. (No, Kathryn from S&I does NOT pay me, I just adore her blog.)

My next post will focus on another one of the real weddings she posted over the wknd, just because it looks like it was a freaking BLAST!

Enjoy!

Check out this fabulous real wedding posted yesterday on Stylemepretty.com (one of my favorite blogs EVER!) The pink wine glasses add incredible color, volume and texture to the tablescape. They really make the reception unique, and I think your golden-amber toned glasses would be just as spectacular. The full post is at:

http://www.stylemepretty.com/2008/11/04/real-wedding-v-2/

Enjoy!

I think I found the perfect idea for the ceremony "decor" - a driftwood arbor. Like this birch log arbor, I KNOW my FH could build the perfect piece, and we could adorn it with hanging flowers, bundles of grasses around the legs, flowy fabrics, etc. At the waters' edge, at the end of the boardwalk that is our "aisle", it would be the perfect view frame for our nuptials. I can already picture Pastor Jeffrey standing under it... Wow.

Go to oncewed.com to see the rest of the pics from this amazingly budget-friendly wedding. The details are great for all you diy'ers.

The other three pics are random arbors that might help with the design-build end of the project. I love the one on the beach with the white drapes.

From my cattail inspiration photo, and a trip to Michael's last week (looking for Halloween stuff, actually) I came up with this mini-inspiration board dedicated to a centerpiece idea. Michael's has these amazing dried mum-like flower-pod things that I instantly HAD to have (the ivory, not the red). And with the soft contrast of the tiny-textured dried hare's tail grass, surrounded by antiqued ostrich feathers - OH MY GOODNESS!!! I thought this was perfect for my woodsy-beach theme.

But, the dried florals seem very delicate - will they get destroyed in transit?!?! And will they be too dull?

Has anyone used dried florals, or is anyone considering it? DIY? I think this has to be it, but I'm scared it won't have the impact I'm hoping for without some kind of added sheen - like maybe some crystals (but will that be tacky, or too out-of-theme???) Maybe just candle light? Hm. Whatcha think?

I just got our photos from our last mini-vacation uploaded and they are SO inspiring, I can't help but share.

First, I want to print some of them and frame them with wide ivory mats for an art series on our bedroom wall as a gift to FH. We've often talked about doing a "memory wall" with pics of all the gorgeous places we've been, and this will be a start.

Second, I'm thinking about turning the cattail pic into a stamp or block print or something for our stationery. I don't know how or what exactly to do yet, though I've seen some ideas on stylemepretty.com and oncewed.com . Has anyone done anything like that - used your own image for custom stamps, prints or stationery? I have no faith in my ability to create or operate a letterpress, but would LOVE to do that (of course on an itsy-bitsy budget!) Any DIY'ers help is greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance,
~k