mrstaylormade's Black Wedding Blog - Wedding By Color

First Dance - Just Dance: Anyone doing anything special for their first dance?

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:21:00 PST

Ever since this process began, I was transfixed on the idea of having a specialty dance. Something that would be fun for us to do, and entertaining for our guest to see. I'd seen time and time again on TV and on youtube the "fake me out" first dances and had to have this as part of our day. So secretly my FH and I have been practicing our dance...and I must say...it's freakin awesome. lol. We are going to start off by playing So High/Cloud Nine ( John Legend) and lead into: Bust a move, Its Not Unusual (oh yes, we are doing the carlton dance), and end with Night Time is the Right TIme ( Best known from the episode of The Cosby Show where Cliff and the kids perform for their grandparents on their anniversary...think little Rudy lip synching "BAAAABY....BAAABY"). We also have a pretty cool intro set up for the bridal party! Im so excited. How many of you all are planning to do something for your first dance/bridal party entrance? Oh...if any of you are interested in making your own mixes for things just like this, go to: www.jamglue.com. It really is the best...you can mix and cut your own mixes and it is sooo easy to do...plus you'll feel so proud of yourself once you've completed your mix. I've made my bridal party entrance mix, wedding processional/recessional mix, and first dance mix all from this site. The easiest and best DIY project I've done so far.

Flower girls - Flower girl Dresses

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 06:09:00 PST

Im so late with my postings!! I was reminded about my flower girl dresses the other day when I discovered...one of my girls couldn't fit into her dress!!! The measurements for her were WAY off... she's an 8 year old girl, and they figured that she could wear a size 6! Me not knowing anything about children's clothing had not even question the size. Oddly enough her mom, who is a bridesmaid, got her dress and it was practically falling off of her...which makes me think the tailors at the bridal shop she went dont know what the heck they are doing. So please, tell your girls to double check their measurements so they dont have to spend extra getting alterations, and you wont have to deal with crazy situations like this. Anywho, I was able to get it all switch out in the nick of time and things are all good to go for my littlest girlies. This is the dress that they are wearing...I think it is sooo adorable!

Wedding Video - TIP: Reception

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:59:00 PST

I was bored at work the other day, and stumbled upon this by Dan Nichols, a DJ out in Michigan. He offers 17 pointers that will help you in throwing a great reception. There were definitely some things that I hadn't considered, that I now will make sure to include. Enjoy

30 DAYS LEFT...O-M-G

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:47:00 PST

Man, time has been flying by! I cant believe that the day is quickly approaching...oh so many things to do (but not really I think im just putting alot of pressure on myself). Pray for me people...lol.

Fashion - Rehearsal Dress...which one should I choose?

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:22:00 PST

So Ive been in search of the perfect dress for my rehearsal practice and dinner...and I've narrowed it down to three. All three of the dresses have that vintage vibe to them, which is what Im looking for. I like The Cultural Trust Dress and The Confidential Dress, because you just cant go wrong with a cute little black dress. I also like the cloud nine dress because it somewhat resembles a cute/fashionable wedding dress, and I think it would be cute to walk down the aisle in at the practice. Which would you choose....?

Wedding Hair Style - My make Up & Hair

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:29:00 PST

I had my bridal hair and make up trial, and I think, for the most part Im really happy with how it turned out. Im going with the nice fresh look that Zoe has in the attached picture, and the nice bouncy, vintage inspired bob that Eva is wearing. Im so happy that the fashion part of the day is all coming together...no if only these DIY projects could majically get finished. Hmmm Ill post bridal portraits soon...

Wedding Hair Style - How Much is too much...

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:17:00 PST

Im at a cross roads with what exactly I should do about my hair stylist for the day of. I met with the girl who (for now) may be doing my hair and the bridal parties hair. However, when I met with her, she quoted me a price that is way out of my range ($650). I was just curious, what do you think is a reasonable price for hair? Because I definitely need to shop around. All I want her to do is style on the day of; no cuts, washes, or additional things (weaves, etc.) required. I have 7 people that need to get their hair done for the day...and Im thinking $40 bucks a head.

Wedding Reception - Finally settled on the wedding reception look...

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:37:00 PST

After doing crazy amounts of research on reception decore...I've finally finalized the look for the evening. The colors of course will reflect the Black, Champage, and Green color scheme. Im thinking: Table clothes will be black, the room will be lit in champagne uplighting, centerpieces will provide the accents of green im looking for, and the candle like on the tables will lend to the champagne ambiance. I was considering the hanging elements...but im not sure...what do you all think. Too much? Anyway the pics say it all...I just think its so vintage, clean looking, and glamorous.

Honeymoon - OH Yes!!! Going to St. Lucia for the Honeymoon..

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 07:52:00 PST

FINALLY...my FH has coughed up the money for us to go on what I think will be the vacation of a life time. : ) After a suggestion from fellow WBC bride we decided to go the all inclusive resort route, and will be staying at the Sandals Grande St Lucian Resort. I've heard some awesome things about it, and am excited about what they have to offer. All the booze, food, and fun we can handle...something we both are in need of. We work hard, so now its time to play hard. Since the FH did purchase the actually honeymoon package, the excursions are on me. Which is cool, I have a couple surprises that I think im going to line up...one in particular...the helicopter ride to our resort...yes I did say...helicopter! Oh I can see us now...ziplining through the canopys, snuggling up on the beach, and having us some good ol fashion fun. *sigh*...let me get back to work. : ) Ahhh!!! Im so excited.

DIY Wedding - Crikeys...long time no post.

Sun, 31 May 2009 19:22:00 PST

With work calming down a bit. I finally have time to do some REAL work...on my wedding. 75 days and I'm beginning to feel the pressure, so what better to do then some DIY projects. This weekend I busted out some DIY's that Im pretty proud of: Best Man/Grooms Man boxes; Flower girl & Bridesmaids flip flops, Registry reminder cards, In Case You Get Cold Feet labels, and Grooms Man/Best Man/ RIng Bearer socks. I also started my bon voyage flags, but they aren't complete quite yet (cliff hanger for next post). Next DIY...center pieces, flags, and favors... oh my. Yikes!

Wedding Dress - Woo Haa...I found my dress

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 20:29:00 PST

Yessir, I found my dress! This weekend was a lot of fun, and I accomplished my main mission...to find my perfect dress. I wanted something classy, vintage like (of course), and something that made me look extra fly. After checking out 3 or 4 bridal shops this weekend, I found my super sleek, super sexy, vintage yet modern dress at David's Bridal (unexpectedly...i was a bit discouraged when I saw the throngs of people ). So my dress (check out the pic...I would post the pic of me in the dress but for some reason the pic of me in the dress comes out sideways)...it is a Oleg Cassini dress. It has a sweet heart cut bodice, and a trumpet shape so it hugs all my curves perfectly but allows for freedom of movement. Im still considering the veil, I want to do birdcage...but im not 100% about how it will look with the dress. I guess if I dont go with birdcage Ill just go with a headpiece. What do you guys think?

Ask a Question - FH's wedding planning involvement

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:20:00 PST

I guess this is kind of like a venting/question post. So I've started to do much more planning regarding our wedding and am kind of disheartened with my FH involvement. 8 more months to go, and there is a lot to be done not to mention I want to make sure that our wedding reflects what we both want. All that aside, I gave him the task to complete his part of the list maybe 2 months ago, and he kept making deadlines for when he would get it done (the first being thanksgiving and the second being Christmas)...and he hasn't made any of them. All weekend Ive been doing stuff for the wedding...and no questions from him about what I was doing, didn't ask if I needed help.... frankly im kind of irritated with it. He's said before that he's not really picky about what we choose or how the wedding day goes, and that im more inclined when it comes to planning stuff. But is that just a cop out? So I dont know what the deal is. Am I expecting too much, or is he doing too little. I refuse to do this all and then have something be said the day of or after about how things are. So how much and in what ways is your FH helping you with the planning? Am I the ONLY ONE experiencing this?

DIY Wedding - A couple more DIY project completed by moi

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:09:00 PST

So I also did the boutonnieres for the guys. Found some material/plant (from Michael's for like 50 cents, due to the clearance on Christmas stuff) that I thought would still apply to the vintage theme, the colors, and be a little different and came up with a retro like style. I like...my FH, not so sure, he kinda just picked it up and looked at it. So need some feed back (add something, take away something). Then I made feather cameo hair pieces for my girls. Im still not done...Im going to add some champagne swarovski crystals. Im going to make a couple more for my ushers, but completely in black. So thats that...any feedback would be awesome...I still think the hair pieces are missing something...just dont know what. Thanks gals

DIY Wedding - My recent DIY projects...had to brag a bit

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:37:00 PST

After a brief posting intermission thought I would come back and share some of what I've been doing. Initially I was going to get all of my bridesmaids flowers done by a floral shop, but one trip to Michael's totally changed my mind about this. This past weekend I went to Michael's and saw that they were having a 50% sale on all of their floral stems...so I decided...hey, I can try to make a bouquet. So I did, and BAM...surprisingly something quite nice came from my efforts. For the bouquet I used large peonies, magnolia, apple blossom, roses, and green hydrangea. The base is wrapped in an Ivory ribbon, and a string of pearls. My next project was my hanging monogram. I am doing the first initial for both of our names. Today I started on his initial. I started by downloading a font I liked (Have no idea which one I used, because I actually did this part a month of so ago) and going to Office Max to get it blown up. Then I just placed the enlarged font on top of the foam and got to cutting...and ta da....the almost results. I plan to spray paint the "A" gold and then place the flowers on as they are in the picture. I love getting my creative juices flowing!!! Next my initial, the guest book...and who knows what else. And Michael's is the BOMB...I went back today and found initial name luggage tags for $1 and they have SOOOO much damask stuff. So do check them out...oh and the flower sale runs until Saturday.

Ask a Question - Any ideas on how to spice up a DIY slideshow??

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 12:05:00 PST

Im going to be doing a slide show for my reception and didnt want to bore my guest to death by doing some hum drum presentation. I think the show will be 5 to 8 minutes, and I plan to incorporate pictures that will elicit some kind of response from the crowd to reduce the chance of my guest nodding off. Is there anything else I can do to keep people entertained through the use of my slideshow?

Wedding Reception - Typewriter guestbook idea scraped...

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:42:00 PST

After much thought and some feedback from some of you guys, I think Im going to scrap the typewriter guestbook idea. Although very cute...I just think it might make for too much chaos for the guest and drain me of my funds (trying to buy all of the necessary stuff). SO instead...Im going to either go for a polaroid guest book or purchase a large picture frame and a digital photo printer (which I need anyway)and have guest take pictures for the guest book using the frame (sample of what im talking about is on the left) and write something under their pic in the guestbook. Are any of you doing anything specila for your guestbook?

Wedding Reception - Flagging the Newly Weds Down

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 11:22:00 PST

I found this awesome post by Mrs. Lollipop on the weddingbee website. She came up with a great alternative to throwing items (rice, confetti, streamers, etc.) at the new bride and groom. She came up with the idea of giving her guest ribbon wands and streamers to wave. They are super easy to make, and bring a unique feel to the wedding celebration. Im thinking about incorporating this idea at the reception, when the FH and I exit into our get away car. Initially I was going to have my guest wave sparklers, but I dont think my reception venue will allow for that so this idea works perfectly! I think this idea will make for awesome pictures and that this would be a lot of fun for the guest. Im thinking about making the flags black and using green font and making the ribbon wands a champagne color. Check out the flags Mrs. Lollipop made, and my templates for my flags!! Cant wait to get to work on these. What is everyone giving their guest to throw, wave, shake, etc...?

Wedding Reception - Interactive Guest book

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:50:00 PST

I've found a great idea for my guest book that would go wonderfully with my vintage theme. I am thinking about having guest type their entries for the guest book using a typewriter. I think it would be best to have two set out on the guest book table (to forego the formation of a line) for guest to type their special messages. I liked the idea because I thought it would be entertaining for guest and give them something to do during the cocktail hr prior to the reception or during the reception. Im also thinking about having my ushers take polaroids of each guest to add to their entry in the final guest book that I will make from guest responses. Now...the question is, where can I find an antique typewriter? The search is on!

Inspiration Board - Reception ideas

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 06:17:00 PST

After securing my reception venue (post pics soon) I was inspired to make an inspiration board. I've found some great ideas, and am really excited to incorporate them into my big day. Table Setting: The central picture pretty much shows how I want my tables to look at the reception. Of course I probably wont have silver plates, and will go with the basic ivory that they provide at the reception site. I would really like some kind of table cloth that will contrast the ivory, rather then having an ivory table cloth to match (which again is the only color the site provides), but Im not sure what color to go with....champagne, black? Im thinking black napkins...so if anyone can offer any insight... The Centerpieces: The centerpieces are going to be candelabras. I was going to go with just the plan black candelabra, but after pricing them...I decided to go with another cheaper alternative...wine bottle candelabras, which I think fits perfectly into the vintage theme. You just buy the candelabra tops (which can range in price from 6 to 30 bucks) and cork them into the wine bottle. Because the wine candelabras are a little too plain for my taste Im going to dress it up with some crystal garland ornaments to give them a little pizzazz. Cool right! Plus this serves as a twofer favor. Im planning to randomly place stars either on the bottom of plates or back of name cards, and who ever has the star at each table wins the wine bottle centerpiece. In addition to the candelabra I want to provide additional lighting elements with these awesome glass candles I found from the inside out collection. They just look so awesome, so I was thinking I would leave some bare and cover others with champagne damask transfers....but Im playing with the idea, because I think the candles look so interesting by themselves. As for the green orbs....Im not quite feeling them, instead I might incorporate some kind of white floral arrangement that incorporates green into it. Favors: So Im a person that is very much about utility when it comes to getting and giving gifts. Its my feeling that people appreciate a gift they can actually use or eat, and I wont feel bad about my gift choice because I know it can be of use to them. So for the fellas Ive chosen a cute folding alarm clock. They are fairly cheap (ranging from 2.50 in bulk to 12 bucks) it just depends on where you can find the best deal. I found a pretty good deal on a couple of styles of these clocks at promotional outlet stores online that offer purchase in bulk (ex: http://www.apromotionaloutlet.com/newsearch.html). The ladies are going to get cute little heart mirrors. And everyone will get a pair of truffles...that Im going to try to make myself. Table Assignment Card Holder & Guest Book: I thought this was cute idea, and way to incorporate green into the reception. Im going to use Damask name cards and place them in a bed of faux grass trays. I found the guest book on Targets site, and Im going to dress it up with some Damask or green ribbon. Toasting glasses: If I dont go for the inside out candles on the tables...Im def going to splurge and get these super hot champagne toasting glasses. They too are inside out, and I thought they looked so nice and unique!! To dress them up Im going to get one of the monograms from my previous post and get it etched on the glasses. I think this will look extra cute! Cakes: Im not really decided on what I want my cake to look like. I want it to stick to the vintage theme but have a modern twist to it. I posted a couple of cakes in my inspiration board that popped out to me in my search for the perfect cake. After all is saidand not quite donewhat do you all think? Is it too much, too little? Any additions I could make? Anything you think I might want to rethink? Im open to any additional ideas.

Bridesmaids - Question: What are you getting your bridesmaids

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:41:00 PST

I know it probably far to early to think about this, but its exciting to think about what great goodies I can get my bridesmaids. Im kind of a theme type of person, and thus I've gone as far as to think of a theme for the the gifts im going to give my girls. Im going with a vintage modern theme (of course) and giving all of my girls a "Cute As A Button" gift bag. I haven't gone shopping for anything yet, but have done a lot of research online on how to carry this theme through the gifts I give. I've added some pictures just to give you all an idea of what Im going to get the girls. I also found this great DIY project that shows you how to make your own stencils on shirts and bags and stuff like that. I am probably going to try to use this stencil project to personalize each of the girls bags with their initials and the tag line. Im crazy excited to see how this project is going to turn out...and am about a thought away from heading out to the store to get the stuff. Ugh..need to hold my horses...and remember my priorities. Im still playing around with ideas, and will post more items as I find them. But what I would like to know: What are you /have you given as gifts for your brides maids?

DIY Wedding - DIY Fun with Monograms!!!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 13:20:00 PST

Hope everyone got out there and exercised their right to vote. I did and I feel great! Hopefully we get the change we all desire from this election. Well, after my time at the polls I thought Id utilize some of my creative energy and make something. On today's menu...monograms. I've been looking at great monogram samples and thought that I could make my own...no prob. So need a little imput. I've made probably about 12 monograms, that I might use for various things (flyers, lables, invites, toasting glasses, etc.) and need some feedback. Which looks best? Is there something that could be added to make one or the other pop? I want to use a monogram that really draws the eye to it. Thanks everyone! Look forward to hearing your opinions. (And I just noticed the year is wrong on some of the monograms..should be 2009..easy fix)

Colors - Wedding Colors

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:28:00 PST

I think im 100% that these are going to be the colors for my wedding/reception. I think all of these colors bring additional meaning to the wedding: Champagne- vintage Black- Sophisticated, Sexy, Conservative Green- Growth, Desire to expand/increase, prosperity, new state of balance Im excited to make something beautiful with these colors.

Family - The Guest List Tug of War

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 14:05:00 PST

The push and pull involved with the guest list...is ridiculouso. Whew! It all began with conversations with the FI about the number of people to have at the wedding (if it were up to him we'd have a HUGE wedding...ultra extended family members and every person he knows in the city) . Now its the discussions about who to invite with the fam., who is cousin jimmy 2 times removed? We already know there are going to be people that aren't going to make the wedding list, and addressing that is another hard fact about making the guest list. What kind of crazy experiences have you all had in creating your guest list? How did you resolve it?

Inspiration Board - Inspiration Board: The Bride and the girls

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 13:11:00 PST

I've been doing a bit of online window shopping and have gotten a ot of ideas that are going to get me that vintage look I want for my wedding. I finally figured out how to make an inspiration board on powerpoint, and thought I'd share some of what I've found and get a little bit of feedback. The wedding dresses, I think, all have a vintage flair to them with a modern twist. Im not really sold on any particular dress, and think I wont really know what I want until I see what it looks like on. I also really love the idea of having a birdcage veil, I think that it will really bring the vintage motif to the look. The hair im not quite sold on yet. My hair is a little longer then shoulder length, and Im not quite sure what to do with it. I definitely want something vintage inspired, but dont know if I want it up or down. I found a Marilyn inspired look and then a kind of pulled back look...but the jury is still out on what the heck im going to do with my hair. Another concerns is that my wedding is going to be in Aug, and in VA its always freakishly humid around that time. So I have to be careful about the style I select so that I dont end up with a hot mess on my head by the end of the ceremony. The brides maid dresses are all going to be done in Champagne, and right now im favoring the style in the in the first pic on the top row(the dress in the middle). The ushers will be wearing black dresses, and im really digging the flirty style of the dress in the 2nd row for my girlies. Last are my babydolls, my flower girls. Haven't done as much research on styles for them, but I came across a cute litte retro dress that I thought would look adorable on them. So thats that...but not really...because im pretty sure this inspiration will look different tomorrow...if not by the time I finish posting this post.

Ask a Question - Shape up or work with what you got...

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 21:39:00 PST

I thought I would take a break from stuffing my face with all that I will be depriving myself of for the next couple of months, and write about this proposed workout plan that will get me that "Im so fly" wedding day body im hoping to achieve. In 4 days I will embark on a journey that is going to take motivation, determination, and will power (all of which have failed me in my past attempts to get right...maybe this time will be different?). Nov 2nd marks the beginning of my P90X workout plan. Im just trying to drop 10-15lbs, so I can look Haute for myself and hot for my man (wink wink). Im sure you guys have seen the infomercials on TV for this workout. Its all about doing intense workouts that confuse the muscles, and get you a healthier more toned body in 90 days. Im actually excited about starting, and fortunately I have a friend doing it with me so maybe that will help with the motivation piece. Ill be sure to keep you all posted on the progress. But im interested to know... What are some of you all out there doing to achieve that fabulous, glamorous wedding day look?

Ponderings & realizations... - WOW...you mean weddings dont plan themselves...

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 20:34:00 PST

Hi everyone!! I found this site, and have been checking out some of the other blogs here and thought this would be a cool way to capture the highlights and stresses that Im bound to experience over the course of planning my wedding. Im new to this blogging stuff, so please forgive me if my first post totally sucks. Hmmm..where to begin. Well, first off...I cant believe that I am a fiance and will in 289 days be someones wife. Wow...this is really real, and oddly feels exciting and strange at the same time. Im kind of apprehensive about the whole planning thing, I guess because Im kinda of clueless when it comes to weddings (I've only been to one in my lifetime). Trying to figure out the logistics and everything that makes a wedding tick has been enlightning and surprising at the same time. This is going to take a crazy amount of work, but im up for the challenge. At the moment it just seems like a lot because of the other commitments that life tends to bring with it (Im currently a grad student...graduating in DEC...woot woot, doing an internship FT, working PT, along with a host of other things..draining). The good news is that I have a good start, and have a pretty good idea about my theme (Vintage Charm) and my color scheme (Black, Champagne, green). I love everything vintage (friends often say im trapped in the wrong era) and recently got hooked on the Damask design pattern...its so retro. So this has definitely gotten my creative juices flowing and im excited to share with everyone what Im doing for the wedding. Let the craziness ensue...