This is soon2bmrsstrassburg's Blue Wedding!

I have been MIA on account of having no job and therefore being depressed. I can't work on happy wedding stuff when i'm like this, I'm just not interested.

Anyway, we had a previous appointment to meet our caterer at the Aquarium to check out a wedding that was being held there last weekend. We wanted to check out their set-up since it was in the same area that we wanted to use. It looked amazing. They weren't finished setting up yet and we were only there for about 15 minutes. Anyways, it was beautiful. I also really liked the way the black wood folding chairs looked, how they faded into the night sky. Before I was sure I wanted the white woods because of a previous picture i posted on here.. but now i'm just not sure!!

I’m finally finished editing the photos from our e-pic session with our friends Russell and Kristina! Thanks soo much guys, they turned out really well… even though I had to cut and paste Chris’s face from different photos in a few (he thinks it’s funny to make dumb faces) But actually he did really well. Thanks babe, I know how much you hate getting your picture taken.

We started the photo shoot at Centennial Park where we walked around looking for some nice spots to take photos. Chris and I go on walks there when the weather’s nice. Afterward we drove over to Main Street Ellicott City to take some more shots walking around the historic district. This is another spot that we frequent, since we live so close. They have the coolest little shops and restaurants there. We had a fun time.

Let me know what you think… i’m gonna need help deciding which ones to use in the save-the-dates!

This sucks, never thought this would ever happen to me! I work(ed) at an ad agency.. web designer. We have lost some big clients lately.. They laid off 3 ppl today including me. Did I mention this sucks?

All of the girls got their "Will you be my bridesmaid?" packages and flowers and they loooved them! Everyone is so excited, which makes me even more excited! I wanted to dedicate this post to introductions... (Sorry in advance for all of the exclamation points.)

Maid of Honor: Katie
We have been best friends since second grade, so she was my natural pick for Maid of Honor. We have had more memories together that can be counted! She is from Maryland, but has been living in Philly for the last year and a half teaching third grade, and getting her teaching degree at the same time. So she is super busy multitasking, and now she gets to add Maid of Honor duties to the list! I am so excited to have you by my side at my wedding Katie!!

Bridesmaid: Jacki
Jacki is one of my dearest friends, we have been close since high school. She just moved out to LA this summer to pursue her degree in psychology, and I miss her so much! She is also a pre-school teacher. Juggling grad school classes, teaching, and helping me with my wedding won't be easy, and I want to thank her in advance for all of her help! I know she won't be able to come to a lot of stuff, but the internet and telephone are powerful inventions!! Thank you so much for letting me share my day with you, Jax.

Bridesmaid: Jaime
Jaime is a good friend and my future sister in law (she is engaged to my brother, Josh)! We have grown closer in the last couple of years and she is very important to me. She is hilarious and fun and is never too busy to lend an ear! Thanks Jaime, for listening to me blab on and on about wedding crap. Think of this as a trial run for your wedding in 2010!

Bridesmaid: Gaby
Gaby and I met in an Environmental Science class the first year I was at Maryland after I transferred there. That was about four years ago and we've been great friends ever since! She is the most supportive person I've ever met, and super creative. So yes, she will be helping me with DIY projects. Gaby, thank you soo much for helping me with all my wedding stuff!

P.S.- I will have to look for a picture of Jaime and I when I get home tonight...

Okay, I am really starting to get fed up with all of these unsolicited phone calls!! I have only gone to one bridal show, and I have signed up with David's Bridal, as that is where I found my dream dress. So clearly, I am not whoring my number out to anyone who asks.

Anyway, I keep getting phone calls from numbers I don't recognize, and I never answer because I don't know who they are. These people never leave messages. And they don't answer if you call them back. I usually look up the number at reversephonedirectory.com or just google it, where I find them listed on one of those Scam websites with everyone's complaints.

I am just tired of it. I know for a fact that David's Bridal sold my information. Recently, I called a number back that had called, and it rang 50 times before someone answered (seriously, I just put it on speaker and browsed the internet). Anyway, when this woman finally picks up (she is a wedding photographer), and after demanding that she remove me from whatever list I'm on, she tells me that she got my number from David's Bridal.

OR! If they don't leave a message, they tell me that I've *won* some amazing gift package. Which always turns out to be bull... whether it be extensive fees, blackout dates, or just plain old pressure to purchase their product during your "pampering spa day."

I also hate checking my email lately because I only have spam email about wedding crap, rarely I get a real message from an actual person!

I guess I just feel like if I want or need a certain service or product I will seek it out myself, I can't deal with people waving it around in my face every five seconds.

Has anyone else been experiencing this or is it just me?!

Hello ladies, maybe you can help me with this.

I know I want to have a whole bunch of votives scattered around the reception, and I know this is something I can skimp on. I have been looking around for the cheapest votive candle and glass holder combo, and the best i've found so far are at the Dollar Tree.

They have unscented votive candles for 25 cents each, and they come in a case of 72. So that would be $24. If I get these candles I would get the square glass votive holders, which are $1 each, and come in a case of 12.

A cheaper option though, would be the ivory jar candles, which are $1 each, in a case of 12. I don't like the way these look as much as the first idea though. Maybe I will go try and find them at a local Dollar Tree and check them out to see.

So I would either be spending $1, or $1.25 for each votive/candle.

Has anyone found any cheaper options?

It started with an innocent trip to David's Bridal with my brother's fiance at the end of July. We wanted to go and check out what styles we liked, not expecting to find any gowns we would even consider for our big day.

The minute I saw style P9345 I became obsessed. I completely fell in love with the unique gown. The delicate draping, the detailed buttons down the back, the interesting neckline, the trumpet silhouette, the sweep train, it was all too perfect. I liked the way the first consultant described the gown: spunky and dramatic.

In the months that followed, I kept seeing couture gowns that were oh so similar... but ten times the price. How could it be possible that such a stylish gem was hiding in the racks at a chain bridal boutique? Eventually, I decided that I must go back and try it on again with my vintage rhinestone necklace. I also wanted to see if they had an ivory one at the store. So Jaime and I went back to the Rockville location. To my disappointment, they don't stock the ivory shade, and somehow, the size 8 that I tried on two months earlier had vanished. The size 10 dress left much to be desired, and I went away feeling defeated.

But then as October went on, I just couldn't get that dress out of my mind. So tonight my mom and I went to check it out together, as she had only seen the gown in pictures. We went to the Glen Burnie location this time, as the Rockville staff left a sour taste in my mouth.

Wow, our little spat is over and this gown and I are best friends again. The Glen Burnie David's Bridal not only had my size 8, but the consultant (Janice, who is the best!!) had put aside another dress in the exact shade of ivory that this style comes in. It's a very light shade of ivory, so it's subtle and could still pass as white. But man that white is white.

I still want to go to some other bridal salons to at least try on a few more... but I really doubt I will find anything that I love more than this one. I know that everyone says once you find it you will know and you should snatch it up. But I'm too practical for that. Hopefully it will still be available when I want it! Don't worry, I won't wait too long ;)

I have asked a good friend of mine if he would take some engagement photos of Chris and I. Thanks Russell!! We have been engaged for two years now, but I think I might want to use them for Save-the-dates and to display at our wedding reception. Plus, they're just nice to have.

So the shoot is scheduled for Sunday, November 9th, which gives me less than two weeks to decide on a spot. Hopefully it won't be as cold and windy as today!

I really like the urban shots with brightly painted concrete, fire escapes, bricks, but then I also love the fall foliage at different parks in the area. I am in love with the red bridge at Centennial Park..

Here are my ideas for locations and some photos i've found of them:

* Tide Point, Baltimore
* Centennial Park, Columbia
* Federal Hill, Baltimore
* Historic Ellicott City
* Main Street Annapolis
* Georgetown, DC

If you have any other ideas that you think we might like, send them my way!

UPDATE**

2/4 of the packages were delivered on Thursday! They really got there quickly, even though the girls were in the same state as I am. I only sent them out Wednesday afternoon! Gaby called me on Thursday night and was sooo excited. Then Jaime called me on Friday night once she checked her mail (finally!). I am not sure if Katie's in Philly was delivered yet, the usps confirmations i added for $0.75 don't work very well (it still says Gaby's hasn't been delivered when I know it has), but I don't see how it couldn't have gotten to her yet.. I also think that it will work out that Jacki in Cali will get hers before the flowers arrive as well! I wanted the package and flowers to get there the same day, but oh well. It all worked out fine. I will write a post later about who each of my bridesmaids are. :)

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Since the four lovely ladies that I will be asking to help me out on my day are such wonderful friends, I wanted to make asking them to be my bridesmaids a special event.

At first I wanted to send them one single flower along with a nice handwritten letter telling them how special they are and how much it would mean for them to be one of my bridesmaids. I thought that it would work out fine because we had pitched this idea to one of our clients a couple of months ago. But once I started doing some research I realized that no florist is going to offer to send one flower to only four people. So I ended up deciding to send them all a bouquet.

Anyway, I have $60 worth of Cashback Bonus money on my Discover Card account, and I can double it by choosing a gift certificate from ftdflowers.com. I have to call them and make sure I can do this, but it seems like it will work out perfectly. I might not have to spend anything out of pocket.

I went to Borders yesterday to check out the bridesmaid's books I found on Amazon to make sure I liked them. I love The Bridesmaid Guide by Kate Chynoweth. It is written well and beautifully illustrated. This is definitely something I would recommend giving to your ladies, especially if they have never been a bridesmaid before.

I ordered four copies of the book, and I'm going to package them up along with the letter I plan on writing to each of them. I will either put a note on the outside saying not to open until a certain date (when I send the flowers) or plan it so they arrive on the same day.

Along with the book and the flowers, I decided to hone my crafting skills and make them a personalized bookmark. I used some thick cardstock I had lying around, a vintage map, an initial bead, ribbon, and patterned papers. I made them reversible for even more fun. They're not done yet though, I have to pick up some clear packing tape to "laminate" them. Hopefully they will not only use them in their bridesmaid guide, but their favorite novel as well.

P.S. I hate the way capital G's look.. especially when I draw them. So I opted for a lower case g instead. Hey, it was my project so I took creative liberty.

I have been MIA on here for a bit I know! I had some things going on that were keeping me busy. One being planning my trip to LA to see one of my best friends next week! So check back for some LA wedding dress pics :)

Anyway, I am soooo excited to announce that my wedding budget has been approved by my dad! As well as the location of the ceremony and reception!! Our wedding will be at The National Aquarium in Baltimore next October!!

I had thought that the catering company (the location works with them exclusively) was going to be too expensive, and then once I started talking with them, it didn't go very well. It's a bit of a long story, but basically they were pretty rude to me and didn't seem to care about getting my business. I wrote a blog entry about my experience, and the Vice President of the company contacted me. He assured me of their services and was super helpful. It all worked out pretty well, and now they are giving us a discount for my trouble.

As if that wasn't enough... my dad wasn't so convinced of the Aquarium. Keep in mind my FH and I are obsessed with having it there, it will be so different! Anyway, pops wanted us to look at some other "normal" places... or wedding factories as I like to call them. I had already looked at three other places, and while this might not seem like many, I had done a ton of research to narrow them down, so I knew what all was available to us. So I agreed to look at two "normal" places, even though I knew I wouldn't like them. He suggested some historic mansions and other similar locations.. I actually never ended up looking at them though, because he realized that I wasn't going to change my mind. And after much convincing; contacting other brides for references, etc, he agreed to it! I knew he was going to let me do what I wanted in the end, but man, that was a lot of hoops to jump through! I guess this is what happens when your parents are paying :/ Oh well, i'll live.

So I hope that this doesn't come across the wrong way.. but I just had to say something because things like this drive me crazy. So here goes.. Whenever referring to the walkway that you go down to meet your husband in the church, or a row of products in a store, it is spelled "aisle," and not, "isle." An isle is actually an island.

Just a friendly spelling lesson. Sorry in advance if I have come off in any way offensive.

I've had it for 2 years, and I still love it just as much as the first day he gave it to me <3

This morning I woke up to an article that my FI had left for me to read. "The Anti Wedding" printed in the Washington Post Magazine on September 7th.

As I read the article, I started to become offended, was Chris trying to tell me that he thought I was becoming a crazy bridezilla (gasp)?! Did he not want to see me in a beautiful white dress?! Does he not want flowers?!

But I read on. This is one interesting article. They are obviously going for shock value. But the point that I think they are trying to make is that a man and woman shouldn't feel like they are supposed to have a traditional wedding with calligraphist addressed invitations, flower center pieces, an individual favor for each guest, and a white dress.

The bottom line though, is this: Every bride and groom should plan the wedding that they want. Not the wedding that the wedding industry leads them to think they want. It makes it difficult when anything with the word "wedding" stamped on it comes with a higher price tag. I think that the writers are trying to change this fact, or at least take the first step to it. Because everyone doesn't want the OTT wedding. But the ones that do, that's great too!

This is definitely making me rethink some things that I have been planning for my wedding. Because I want the event to reflect the couple that Chris and I are and have every guest remember our special day for its uniqueness. Our location is one thing at least that won't be at all traditional.

What are you doing that will make your wedding reflect the couple that you are a part of?

The venue that we are considering to have our ceremony and reception at is in Baltimore. So naturally, there won't be much free parking available to guests. There is a parking garage really close by to the location, within walking distance. My dad has expressed concerns that this is inconvenient, and wishes that there was an easier option, like a paved free parking lot. This just isn't going to happen in Baltimore.

So my question is, do you think it would be rude to not pay for all of my guests parking fees?

I don't know if my budget will allow for it, I haven't researched into it enough. Other possibilities include renting a bus of some sort or setting up a shuttle. But I doubt that all the guests will be staying in the same hotel. Plus I think that they might want to stay closer to the families, which will be in the Columbia area, not Baltimore.

Ok so on my lunch break I admit that I was looking for damask, but after I checked Target and Micheal's I was done. So I headed to Safeway to grab a salad and this is what I see as soon as I enter! I couldn't believe it. It was no question that I had to buy them. They were on clearance for 50% off so they were $15 each.

What's funny about my whole damask obsession is before when I would see something that I loved I wouldn't let myself buy it because I didn't really need it. But now I can buy all this beautiful stuff because it has a purpose, it's for my wedding! And of course I can decorate my house with it afterward, so that's a plus :)

P.S. The next day, my mom went to two different Safeway's and found FIVE more! Maybe I will use them as center pieces... but that means I will need at least three more.

P.S.S. My mom is amazing, she went to yet another Safeway and got five more of these vases! So now I have 12 total, these are def my center pieces, lovin it.

So I stopped at another Dollar Tree today to see if they had these frames that I want to use as table numbers (they didn't have any) and I saw a poster explaining that you can purchase in bulk on their online store!

I think that this is such a great idea. Because if they don't have the amount you need at your local store you can just check online! They don't have everything that they have in their store online though... like my frames.

They have lots of party supplies, and some nice white favor boxes (for REALLY cheap, like nine cents for each box cheap) The only problem is, you might have to order more than you need, as they sell by the case. But i'm sure you could get rid of the extras on good old ebay.

You could mix this cheap stuff in with everything else that your using for your wedding and no one will even notice! Spruce up the bubbles with some ribbon and you're set. Also check out the Indiana Glass vases, so pretty!

I think that this is definitely worth a look. Be sure to check the other sections as well like candles, vases, and new arrivals

My FH and I have been together going on 7 years, since I was in tenth grade. It has been the best 7 years of my life :)

We had probably started talking about getting married after about 3-4 years of being together. It was kind of casual conversation where one of us would say, oh when we get married we could do this.. blah blah. In the two years before our engagement we would look at rings online together. So I knew a proposal was coming eventually but I didn't know when...

I was planning an Xmas dinner party for my closest girlfriends and I was running around all day like a crazy person trying to get things done. He called me around 2:30 and asked if I could stop by, because he wanted to give me my Xmas gift early, because it would look really great with my dress (it was a formal dinner party).. I thought nothing of this and assumed his gift was a necklace. About two hours later I finally make it to his Mom's and step-dad's house, where he lived at the time. As soon as I walk in he is standing there waiting for me, and gets down on one knee with the ring in his hand!

I was so caught off guard, I am pretty sure I screamed or swore at him. He asked me to marry him and I just jumped into his arms and started crying. He was so nervous, it was so sweet. Finally he puts the ring on my finger and I say "of course!"

And it went great with my dress.

This weekend I am at the beach with my mom for our annual mother-daughter trip... but with Tropical Storm Hannah we didn't get much beach time. So.. we went shopping! We hit Micheal's, Marshall's, and a few different dollar stores in search of damask. I scored a pair of amazing glass candle holders with a brocade design, and a ton of cheap frames from Dollar Tree that I'm going to spruce up. I will post pics of everything later. I documented my other finds along the way, so check your local stores to see if your fav product is in stock there.

When we returned it was still pouring (duh) so I did some surfing around the internet and found some more products that could be used for all of us damask brides' wedding receptions! Enjoy :)

I think the Black Halloween Candelabra is my fav find on the net so far, I had been looking at similar ones for around $50! Now that I think about it though, I am slightly nervous about being allowed to use candles at my venue! I am going to call the event coordinator tomorrow morning to check...

P.S. I am still searching for the thin black and white damask ribbon that someone on here had said Micheal's sells... I can't find it!

So I found my necklace a few days ago! My mom, brother's fiance and I were looking at wedding related stuff outside on the deck on my macbook on Labor Day, and we came across a vintage jewelry website.

As soon as I saw this necklace I was obsessed, I had to have it. I actually thought that it was a vintage replica, so I was going to bookmark it and order it later. But my mom realized that it wasn't! It is an original 1950's rhinestone and pearl necklace. My mom ran to grab her credit card to buy it for me. I am so excited!

I have been looking for earrings that will go with it, but not be too "matchy matchy," I am worried that if I buy something that isn't real 1950's style it will look completely different. They didn't really have any earrings appropriate for a bride on the vintage site I found this necklace at. The earrings to the left are some styles that I like. I also want to find a vintage 1950s hair comb that will go with everything.

Does anyone know of a vintage jewelry website? Or have any other resources where I could find 1950s rhinestone and pearl earrings?

Originally I was certain that I wanted my wedding on June 20th, 2009. But the fact that this date was pretty much taken at every venue I contacted, and that our #1 local only allows tented weddings during the summer, caused me to change it. We can use the interior of the venue from March-October. We went with October because it won't be too cold, and I love fall! My fiance helped me realize that October is the best way to go, as autumn is really my favorite season.

Anyway, for you ladies that are saying your nuptials when the beautiful crunchy leaves are aplenty, what colors are you using? And most importantly, what flowers are you going with? (I am using white calla lilies and possibly another white flower.)

Now that it seems I am inching closer to finalizing my venue and date, I have been thinking more about my wedding colors and other elements. Originally I had planned on using turquoise and chocolate as our colors, but for several different reasons (fiance refused to wear a chocolate tux and I think that black with chocolate accents would clash), we decided to go with black, white, and turquoise. Our theme will be Gothic/Victorian. This is much more our style anyways. So we will incorporate design elements like Gothic style vases and Victorian chandelier wall decals. Also, I am so excited to use my grandmother’s vintage “milk glass” vases as part of our wedding day decor. They will fit in so well with this theme, and they will be my “something old.” There will be damask patterns and flourishes in black and white, and lots of crystal and glass candle holders. Our flowers will most likely be white Calla Lilies. These look amazing submerged in a glass cylinder as a centre piece. I know it will be easy to find lots of stuff in black and white damask because I see it in every store!

I am so excited to start designing the invitations and other printed peices!

I need to find more elements in my turquoise color, most of the elements that I used in my inspiration board weren't the right color, so I did some Photoshopping.