AZ in August

Vendor Review: Sedona Sounds

2010-11-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

Bobby Russell of Sedona Sounds has got to be the best DJ on the planet…

Ok so I’m probably slightly over exaggerating, but he’s a damn good DJ that’s for sure. He was simultaneously respectful, clever, witty and generally incredibly good at reading a crowd. He mingled with the guests asking for suggestions but was never hard to find. He always had a smile on his face, even when we were faced with the threat of monsoon (it didn’t monsoon by the way).
He did an amazing job learning our processionals to play on acoustic guitar. Both our processional songs were untraditional contemporary/alternative rock pieces that he played BEAUTIFULLY.

His price tag of $1800 may seem a little steep, but he is truly worth every penny. I would recommend him up and down to everyone and anyone. He is professional, courteous, and very responsive to calls and emails. Plus he gets the whole crowd bogeying down!

Technorati Tags: DJ,vendor review

AZ in August: The Details

2010-11-02T06:12:00.001-07:00

These are some of my favorite “detail” shots from our wedding, we were truly blessed having our wedding in Tlaquepaque because it is so beautiful! We were lucky enough to have the problem of narrowing down all the gorgeous places for photos, so here’s what we came up with!

Ok so I must admit something, that even though I love the photo above with our rings on the tile… the next set is by-far-and-away my favorite of our ring-shots. I didn’t think of it, but my lovely and talented Sister in Law did and I said “Go for It!” And she did… and it was awesome.

Don’t our rings look gorgeous in the offering hands? And to think I would’ve passed that little stone monk by! What’s your unexpected favorite wedding photo?

Couple’s First Christmas

2010-11-01T19:37:00.003-07:00

We’ve all seen the adorable “First Christmas” ornaments for newlyweds, but what really gets me into the Holiday spirit is Christmas Cards! What better way to go, as newlyweds, than to make personalized Christmas cards with wedding photos? Shutterfly makes it easy, fun and affordable. But just because it’s affordable doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with the standard photo only card, they have traditional Folded Greeting Cards that you can easily write your messages in.
I love the easy to use picture editing page, which is super easy for a non-graphic designer. The “soft focus” really gives your photos that romantic glow, but they also have a saturation feature which makes the photos very vibrant, or even a black and white option to inspire that vintage feeling.

The Card Editor is very user friendly and you can easily switch between the front of the card and the top and bottom.

But what I love most about Shutterfly’s card editor is the fact that you can change the layout on the inside of the card. We’re not talking minor changes look at all the options. I decided to go with three of my favorites from our wedding.

But let’s not forget your new Mr. & Mrs. address labels, and wouldn’t you know it, they have matching designs! It really ties the whole project together.

The selection is great for Christmas, Chanukah, or simple and beautiful happy holidays… the problem is picking the best one for your first holiday card!

So what are you doing for your oh-so-important first Christmas or Chanukah? Our final card...

Holly Frame Christmas 5x7 folded card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

AZ in August: Mis Familias

2010-10-31T16:10:00.002-07:00

O ur family photos were much like herding cats, but it was worth it in the end, take a peek..

I think the side profile of my mother and myself is easily my favorite, but mainly because I hate head-on photos. Anyone else notice my niece's beautiful red shoes? She had to match mine…

Next up the beautiful detail shots that Dawna & Daniel captured before the wedding.

AZinAugust: Reception

2010-10-21T21:38:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the hiatus folks, but the truth is that I’ve been dealing with the flower fiasco. You all thought it was over, and I did too. I’ve been told 3 times that my refund check is in the mail and once they even refunded it back to my credit card, which is no longer in service since I’m married and I changed my account. OY! Anyway let’s dwell on some more entertaining things…

Our reception came out perfectly as planned, despite the flower fiasco, my hair, and our makeup artist situations. We trucked it over to the Patio de Las Campanas and made our grand entrance…

We got to look down at everyone and the beautiful setup….

Then of course there was the first dance… During our first dance the clouds kept moving producing some beautiful shots.

Then everyone boogied down… and had a fabulous time!

The night ended with an after party at my In Law’s place. I don’t have any photos but it was the most fabulous night I have ever had. I couldn’t have been happier. Up next I’m going to share some family photos and some of my favorites of us.

AZ in August: The Ceremony

2010-10-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

So this is what I’ve really wanted to share with you all. The beautiful chapel where we got married 46 days ago. Yes I did the math darnit. I should preface this by saying if you have a gorgeous venue you needn’t add much. This chapel with it’s hand painted fresco and beautiful architecture needed nothing. That being said I rented the altar candles and had the florist sprinkle petals, the rest is there naturally and I can take no credit.

You may now kiss the bride…

And because our Pastor is an equal opportunity minister he opted for a “Now you may kiss the groom”

With that the ceremony was over and Phoenix’s “1901” came blaring on and I looked at Mr. AZ as my husband for the first time.

I really got a kick out of the “equal opportunity” bit in our ceremony. I wasn’t expecting it, and I think I giggled as I grabbed Mr. AZ to lay another big smooch on him. Did your officiant throw in anything fun?

AZ in August: Getting Ready

2010-10-04T22:37:00.002-07:00

Because of all the fiascos that took place on our wedding day, we weren’t able to get those classic/picture-esque “getting ready” shots. But what we did get was really beautiful and amazing photos that showcased our personalities and meant more to us. Don’t get me wrong I’m totally bummed I didn’t get the “putting on the shoes” picture, but in the long run is that what I need? No, instead this is the gem I treasure the most…

That is Mr. AZ’s infamous Grandma Peggy. The Grandmother who upon my meeting her (approximately 5 months into dating Mr. AZ) proclaimed I was not allowed to leave. She is the Grandma we spent endless hours playing Bananagrams with and the active-on-the-go Grandmother I hope to be one day. We also got some hilarious, funny-face photos…
The above shot is Mr. AZ dealing with yet another crisis, or at least that’s what I recall. And below is Mr. AZ making his “dapper Dirk” face, which makes me giggle!

We also had some awesome shots of our beautiful bridesmaids chillin’ in the Bridal Suite. I love their dresses, they photograph so well.

Yes I realize this next photo makes Mr. AZ look really weird and me all in shadow, but I love how my shoes popped, so whatever it’s being included even though it’s not really flattering.

Then I began getting choked up and close to crying. It was really starting to sink in that in less than 30 minutes we would Mr. & Mrs. AZ.

Should I mention that only one of the above photos was taken by one of our “professionals”? I really love candid photos because I don’t freak out. These are from our good friend’s camera. She and her husband have known Mr. AZ for approximately 15 years. The husband served as a groomsmen and a really awesome candid photo-taker as well. Up next: the ceremony!

Arizona in August: The Rehearsal

2010-10-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

I know I said I’d start wedding recaps, but hey- let’s start at the rehearsal. It was kind of funny, since we had such a small wedding over half our guest list was present for the rehearsal. I have some funny pictures to share from that experience… firstly what the heck is Mr. AZ doing in this photo?

This is when we had to step together, boy was that harder than it sounded!

And of course the gratuitous adorable-flower-girl shot. Look at her 3 year old Sassy face!

Then our families, ourselves and our bridal party headed over to Joey Bistro for an excellent rehearsal dinner. Sorry no pictures of us or of the food, just the beautiful company!

In case you were wondering about the young man with the thumbs up sign and the sunburnt face that would be my little brother… he got sun burned the day before the wedding. Oh well C’est le vie! On Monday we’re going full-throttle into wedding recaps. I promise this time. The food was phenomenal by the way, if you’re ever in Sedona try Joey Bistro at Los Abrigados- their cannolis are to DIE for. Literally I would die for one right now.

What did you love about your rehearsal? Did you also freak out about “walking in step”? Thank goodness for long dresses, that’s all I have to say!

Something Always Goes Wrong

2010-09-30T06:01:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I’m not going to lie to you all… something always goes wrong on your Wedding Day. It just happens. So before I get into the recaps, I’m going to tell you how the world ganged up on our little wedding and how Mr. AZ and I fought back in “Scott Pilgrim vs.The World” fashion.

Ok so there weren’t SEVEN things that went wrong… but by the end of the fight it felt like it! It all started at 8am…. not even kidding. I went to get the girls started on hair and makeup… and we found out the Makeup Artist had quit… yup quit.

She quit for a good reason, her ailing mother was not doing so well and she went to take care of her in California. But I think my face was even a little more expressive than that… but I put on my best Tim Gunn and declared “We’ll make it work.” And we did, we called up local salons and someone was able to get the 3 of us in no problem. FABUOUS! So the first Evil Would-be-Wedding-Disaster was defeated!

But only an hour after my hair was done the curls had all fallen out…. seriously I was back to stick straight hair, which hadn’t happened in the trial. So in Tim Gunn fashion yet again, we made it work. We grabbed his curling iron and thankfully Mr. AZ’s Aunt was a former hair dresser. She shellacked my hair in product and you better believe it curled. So the second Evil Would-be-Wedding-Disaster was defeated!
I was feeling amazing by this point, the first two Evil Would-be-Wedding-Disasters had not thrown me off my game, I was calm, cool and collected and ready to take on the world. UNTIL the flowers arrived. I had ordered a mixture of pink and apricot roses and beautiful red dahlias…. imagine my shock when I walked into the room to see a big pack of these….

Yup, orange, and what’s more is that when my maid of honor called the florist assuming she had simply dropped off the wrong order she argued that’s what our contract stated. Ladies keep records. My email transcripts came in handy. I printed off every communication with every vendor to Cover My Ass, and boy was I happy I did. Lucky they fixed the centerpieces and my Sisters in Law both had worked at a Florist in high school, so they fixed our personal flowers to the best of their abilities. I will admit I cried a little at the orange flowers. But mostly I felt like the deranged Red Queen…

I mean they were supposed to be Red! Anyway, it all has a happy ending. Bliss Floral did check the next day and found out the updated contract with the red was never placed in our wedding file. They were happy to offer us a full refund. Amazing, I really applaud them for double checking and admitting their mistake and guess what- I’d still recommend them… take a peek at our FIXED centerpieces…

Stay tuned for how the day really turned out, and some funny faces/dances by yours truly. What was your major fiasco? Were you lucky and got through the Wedding Day unscathed? What helped you “make it work”?

Roman Honeymoon 5

2010-09-29T06:07:00.000-07:00

Well since our honeymoon lasted 11 days, and I don’t feel like boring you with loads blog posts dedicated to our honeymoon, I’m going to share with you my favorites today. So enjoy! And tomorrow comes the real wedding p0rn!

The Vittoriano was referred to by American Soldiers as “The Wedding Cake” for this reason Mr. AZ cannot remember the proper name. I mean, doesn’t it scream wedding cake? It makes me hungry just looking at it! Inside is a beautiful Italian museum, which is NOT AIRCONDITIONED. This isn’t a problem if you’re there in fall or winter, but summer WOOO…

This monument was in the middle of just a regular old plaza. It’s beautiful with intricate carvings all the way to the top. It’s insane to think these things are just everywhere. As a side note: I love the way the sun is centered behind it in this photo.

And what trip to Rome would be complete without the Pantheon, it’s beautiful and it’s free admission. So that’s a win-win!

The beautiful Spanish steps, by the way the first McDonald’s to open in Italy is just a block from these Steps, and it’s actually very pretty inside. Useless trivia I know!

Inside of St. Peter’s Basilica. Fun fact: below that arbor is the tomb of St. Peter himself. Which you can also tour. Many Popes have also been buried at the Vatican. The River Tiber the setting for Romulus and Remus and the birthplace of Rome itself.

That’s me in the coral top in front of the Trevi Fountain. It’s pretty by day but beautiful by night. Also way more crowded at night!

I hope you enjoyed our mini-tour of Rome. Tomorrow: Wedding p0rn!

Roman Honeymoon 4

2010-09-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

If you like/appreciate/adore art like we do, it will seriously take you two days to do the Vatican properly. They say you only need a day, but the ominous “they” lie. Let me preface this by saying I am Roman Catholic and Mr. AZ is Lutheran. So it’s not necessarily that we really loooove the “Casa de Pope” as I have dubbed it, it just speaks to so many generations of stored artwork. I think you really need to take it all in. Here are a few of our shots from the Vatican itself. Our shots of the artwork inside the Vatican came out quite dark as flash photography isn’t allowed. But what you’ve seen in books cannot compare to seeing all of the tapestries, paintings, sculptures in real life.

The above photo is just a hallway in the Vatican Museum. It’s just a hallway with beautiful artwork in the ceilings and on the walls and on the floor. The mosaics were mind-blowing. Truly. Honeymooner Tip: the last Sunday of the Month=FREE ADMISSION to the Museum, we saved €28! But be aware if it’s a Holy Day, it’s closed regardless. And if you’re at the Vatican you MUST got to the top of St. Peter’s Basilica, the prices are €5 for stairs the whole way or €7 for a lift to the mid-point then stairs to the top. The extra €2 are totally worth it. The stairs are a bit frightening… I say that being barely 5 feet tall and petite and having no claustrophobic tendencies whatsoever. Keep that in mind.

Taking a quick breather and trying to remain composed as I whimper “Are we there yet?! Seriously”Another point to make about the Vatican Museum and St. Peter’s, you must have respectful dress on. No shoulders, no knees. So by the time you reach the top of the Basilica in August in Rome, you too will look this sweaty. It wasn’t just me. Many of us were “shiny”. Although Mr. AZ hides it well, I do not.

But isn’t the view worth it, look at that. And as my Cousin Kate told me, the design mimics two arms embracing the Vatican. It’s a lovely thought.
Oh and if you thought the worst was over, here’s a look at some of the stairs down. They are teeny tiny.

Was anything hard but totally worth it on your honeymoon? We wouldn’t have traded walking up the Basilica in the 90 degree heat for anything.

Roman Honeymoon 3

2010-09-27T16:53:00.003-07:00

So in our last installment we had just arrived in Rome, had a lot of Espresso and jumped on a double decker tour bus. The next day we decided to hoof it to the Colosseum and the Forum. Insert beautiful pictures here…

My best advice to Roman Honeymooners is this: get to the Colosseum early, but not American early, Italian early, say 9am. The lines were super short. If you love to sleep in, but your tickets at the Forum where the lines are pretty well non-existent and you can buy a pass for both the Forum and the Colessum. Plus if you’re there early you’ll get the beautiful light we got, not counting my poor shot below.

Most of those beautiful and priceless pictures were taken by Mr. AZ. I cannot stress to you all enough to invest in a DSLR before your honeymoon. You will not regret it! I cannot wait to print off all these pictures, I may make a honeymoon photo album as well as a Wedding one.
Oh and P.S. there are only 2 more of these type posts before I get to the meat and potatoes of the wedding blog world… that’s right the wedding recaps ladies. They’re coming, I’m finally getting off my lazy butt. See you next time!

Winner Winner!

2010-09-20T06:32:00.001-07:00

I’ve had a bit of an unanticipated hiatus due to starting my new job. I apologize ladies, but I’m back with some fabulous news. The winner of the Blush Design Studio giveaway!

Blush Design Studio

The beautiful stationery goes to #11…..

LabRat101 of Delightful Little Mess who also just became a Mrs. this weekend!

Double Congratulations to you LabRat 101, on your marriage and your win, please contact me at AZinAugust@gmail.com with your contact information so I can pass it on to Liz!

Blush Design Studio Giveaway

2010-09-09T06:29:00.000-07:00

A week before our wedding, a good friend and my own personal Invitation Goddess friend Liz at Blush Design Studio offered to sponsor a GIVEAWAY on the blog.

Below are some of my favorite pieces she's worked on. Blush Design Studio will do wedding invitations, save the dates, programs, baby showers, bridal showers, thank you cards, business cards and just about anything that you wanted lovely and letterpressed. Take a peak...

Blush Design Studio

Why yes that is my invitation in the bottom left-hand corner, thanks for asking! I began work with Liz in January of this year and I couldn’t be more pleased with my invitations. Absolutely every person to receive them ADORED her work. But enough gushing, onto the good stuff….

♥♥GIVEAWAY♥♥

One winner will receive a set of 8 Letterpress Flat Cards & Envelopes

THE Details: Eight (8) one color (of your choice) letterpress flat cards and envelopes. In the design shown below “4Bar Vintage Florals”

Blush Design Studio

♥♥ENTER♥♥

1. (Mandatory entry) Head over to Blush Design Studio or Blush Design Studio's Etsy Shop and leave a comment on this post with an answer to this question: What is your favorite piece?

2. (1 extra entry) Twitter about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with the link to your tweet or your twitter name. If you Twitter, please use @AZinAugust in your tweet so I can track them. And to make things extra easy, feel free to use this tweet:

I just entered @AZinAugust’s #GIVEAWAY for floral letterpress flat cards made by Blush Design Studio. http://su.pr/2wYsNb

3. (1 extra entry) Blog about this giveaway and leave a separate comment with a link to your blog post.

Please remember to leave a way of contacting you in one of your entry comments. Giveaway ends on Friday, September 17th, 2010 at 11:59PM MST. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be announced on this blog on Monday, September 20th, 2010. Winner must respond to email or blog post within 48 hours or another winner will be randomly drawn. Good Luck!

Roman Honeymoon II

2010-09-08T06:01:00.001-07:00

Ok, so if you read the previous entry you will have learned that we had 3 and half hours to kill and were seriously jetlagged. For those of you not so good with time zones (like me) it’s a 9 hour time difference from Phoenix to Rome. WOW. We seriously underestimated this puppy. So beleaguered and tired we stopped for a quick cafe. P.S. “cafe” generally means espresso, which is fabulous when you’re fighting for energy.

Source

After our little energy boost we decided to be incredibly touristy and jump on a “Panoramic Bus Tour” of Rome. I know it’s super cheesey but it’s a quick, fairly cheap (about €12/person) way of familiarizing yourselves with the lay of the land. Or in our case familiarizing Mr. AZ with the lay of the land. We manage to get some beautiful shots from the bus though…

The bus tour was great because we got to really see the lay of the land and where each of the big “sights” were in relation to on another. It also gave us a starting point when comparing to maps we had. I would also love to say that it “inspired us to work through our jet lag” but that would be a lie. We got to the hotel after the tour at Noon and promptly headed up to our room.
Up next, our room with a view. What’s your big tip for honeymooners dealing with jetlag? Do you battle the beast with loads of caffeine or try our more subtle approach?

Roman Honeymoon I

2010-09-07T12:43:00.003-07:00

So we decided that it would be fun to hop on a plane, ride 4 hours to Atlanta, have a 2 hour layover, hop on another plane ride 10 hours to Rome and spend about 10 days there. We were right, it was fun, but it was also hard on the system. So I’m going to show you a few pictures and give you some of our helpful hints when traveling abroad. But for now, let's see how it all began...

After landing at approximately 7am we went through what the Italians refer to as “Customs”. Be advised it is incredibly easy. We didn’t check any baggage and frankly it was a walk in the park. We showed the bored passport woman our U.S. Passports, she didn’t stamp them and merely shooed us away. Then we went down a hallway which split, one side said “Customs- Declarations” and the other side said “Nothing to Declare”. We went down the “Nothing to Declare” hall and that was it. Nothing, no one working, no security. Just walks you out to transportation. WOW, that was fast. We had arranged transport to our hotel from the airport, so that was a breeze. By the way Rome’s DaVinci airport is about 30 minutes away from the center of Rome, so be advised your car fare should be about €50-60.

So there we were about 7:30am and already at our hotel. We asked the conciegre if we could check in early, but 7:30 is very early regardless of what country you’re in. They did tell us we could check in at Noon, we were relieved, but still had to distract ourselves for about 3 and a half hours… so we wandered down the street.

Up next: how we killed 3 hours or what you talkin’ about Jet-Lag?
What adventures did you face on your honeymoon? Any good suggestions for killing time in a foreign country?

Post Wedding Chop

2010-08-24T02:59:00.000-07:00

You may know that currently I’m on my honeymoon (this was written in advance). But what you may not know was that I booked a post-wedding chop for 2 days after our wedding. That’s right, I’m a little bit crazy. Plus I really loved the idea of donating my hair to a child who needs it more. Hair grows right? So here’s my journey from LONG to SHORT!

I promise when our honeymoon is over I will show you prettier pictures of my hair cut. But I haven’t had an opportunity to get any “live action” shots of it yet. Are you doing the post-wedding chop? Do you love or loathe the idea of getting 10+ inches cut off? Anyone else donate/donating to Locks of Love?

We're Married!

2010-08-23T12:42:00.001-07:00

Hello readers! Well we did it, we got married! I wanted to share a quick (unedited) teaser pic with you before we depart on our honeymoon. So here it is...

Have a fabulous week!

Wedding Weather Watch

2010-08-18T10:31:00.003-07:00

I’ve seen other bloggers mention this in days leading up to the wedding, that they are constantly checking the weather for their venues. Well they’re right. I check it twice a day. Just to double check. And a little more frequently since our very big Monsoon last night. Thankfully our day’s outlook has not changed too much. Want to see the progression? Oh well, I’m showing you anyway!

10 Days Out….5 Days Out… 4 Days Out… 3 Days Out…

(All images from The Weather Channel)

So it seems the humidity has gone up very slightly as has the projected temperature. The good thing about all this is the partly cloudy. Diffuse light = lovely pictures! I’m hoping for a nice semi-cloudy day! I’m happy to report that the www.weather.com has not in fact given me any panic attacks yet! Hooray!

Although I would largely attribute the lack of panic attacks to the fact that our venue comes with a built in back up ballroom. Thank goodness! All I have to do is say the word at 3pm on our wedding day and our festivities are moved inside and upstairs. I cannot stress enough how wonderful that is. I have only has passing thoughts of bad weather because of that back up plan.

Did you stalk your wedding-day-weather too?

Finished: Out of Town Bags

2010-08-17T06:21:00.001-07:00

You may have learned from my previous post that I finished our Out of Town Bags (or OOTs for short). I wanted to share with you the design and contents of the bags for some last minute inspiration before I skip out of town on Thursday.

So you may remember that we used fabric spray paint to draw the design of Cathedral Rock in Sedona,AZ (also my blog header) onto each bag. We also tied on a little hang tag, printed by www.UPrinting.com, and then attached 3 beautiful buttons. The buttons (Kawaii Cactus, Space Cowboy and Vampire Cupcake) are a Steam Crow design.

Now let’s have a look on the inside…

Contents:

An information folder with our timeline, restaurant reviews, locations of banks/salons/churches etc.
2 bottles of water (essential in Arizona)
2 Arizona Chocolate Bars
1 package of popcorn
1 bag of cookies
2 bags of peanuts

What do you think of our Out of Town Bags? Are you doing “Out of Town Bags?” What’s inside yours?

Packing

2010-08-16T06:10:00.001-07:00

Well ladies, it’s nearing that time. It’s Monday morning, only 5 days until our wedding, which means we’re packed and crossing last minute things off our list. I wanted to let you in on some of the chaos. You wouldn’t think there would be much to pack, but you would be very wrong.
We have 2 bins just filled with OOT bags, keep this in mind because we only have like 25 of these suckers. They take up a LOT of space. Just a good DIY tip from me to you. We also had a set back learning it would cost us $5 a room for the reception staff to hand these out. But really at this point, another $100 sure!

Then we have bins of presents, decor, sharpies, first aid kits, bathroom baskets. You name it. It’s in there. You can even see my ribbon bouquet for the rehearsal.

Now that we’re all packed, it’s time to make confirmation calls, cross our T’s and dot our I’s. Any advice on packing you’d care to share?
P.S. Remember to pack your marriage license!

Every Bride Needs This

2010-08-12T08:01:00.001-07:00

I just finished up my table numbers for the Umpteen Millionth time and I decided to make a fun thing to display at work. Whilst looking up Memes I finally discovered the Origin of the “Keep Calm” meme, which has sky rocketed in popularity this year. I know what you’re thinking “What the hell is a Meme?” am I right?

A meme is a cultural unit that is often the beginning of a widespread cultural phenomenon like the “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster/saying/t-shirt. For a better definition see www.KnowYourMeme.com Anyway I was really bored today and decided to capitalize on craftiness and the “Keep Calm” Meme. Behold the calm/panic bridal gauge…

I think of it as a nice token to remind me how crazy wedding planning is, plus it gives me something to do with my left over Ikea Tolsby frames. I also think it can serve as a warning to if I’m in a normal calm mood or panic mood.

Did you make any non-wedding related crafts out of boredom? What were they, please share!

Showered with Love, Wine & Cupcakes

2010-08-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

Okay so I finally got my bridal shower pictures, so I figured I’d share them with you. Let’s start off with the important things: the eats. Who doesn’t love Sprinkles cupcakes? Seriously, if you don’t step away from the blog. They’re decorated with little circles that spell out LOVE and a topper that looks like a bridal gown, or anyway it’s supposed to. Don’t knock it- I made it.

We sort of had a wine tasting theme, and by sort of I mean 5 bottles of wine later… Anyway my beautiful co-hosts had glasses made with our names & the wedding date as favors. Very cute, now we have approximately 30 of these in our possession due to an over shipment. We shall never run out of pretty wine glasses! Hooray! We’re thinking of giving them away at the rehearsal dinner, why not we’ll never NEED 30 glasses!

Here are my FMIL and FSIL #2 having fun with the crazy games! I swear they are having fun!

And FSIL #1 posing for the camera! I sort of love the contrast of the Lily in the shot. Don’t you adore her spectacles? Got to have love for the Cat-Eye glasses.

Did I mention 1/2 of everyone there was in the medical profession? This is Mandy she’s studying to be a Naturopathic Physician. Yay Mandy! She got me eco-friendly/sustainable Bamboo serving spoons and a big Bamboo bowl. We tease her, she may or may not be a hippie. Not the Dirty kind, that’s her fiancé!

Here’s me “looking funny for the camera”? I seriously don’t know what the eff I’m doing. But it looks like I’m having a good time doing it! Our very talented, new-mother, and co-host, Stacy! The one who made those rockin’ packets with the questions. Seriously that is her precious 2 month old baby girl. Two. Months. Old. The lady is a craft-diva.

So the spot light was stolen by an adorable 2 month old baby girl. It seems fitting. So why try to upstage her adorableness. I’d rather show you my crazy chipmunk face. Otherwise known as the dreaded “bubblegum game” yes the one where they make fun of you for not knowing questions about your fiancé. BTW I got 4 wrong- the pieces of gum were GIGANTIC!

I hope you enjoyed virtually attending my bridal shower. Are you excited for your bridal shower? Have you already had one? Was there an awesome theme? Cupcakes? Wine? All of the above?

HOT Bride

2010-08-10T13:17:00.005-07:00

I’d like to thank Helper of the Bride who nominated me for this award. They are a great site that maps out where your favorite Bridal Bloggers are, so you can read based on location if you prefer! So the deal with this award is that you pass on 7 pieces of advice and then nominate 7 more bloggers.

HOT Bride Award

So without further adieu here are my top 7 pieces of wedding-related advice.

Do what makes you happy.
Choose your battles.
Do premarital counseling, it’s always good to communicate.
Don’t be fooled by Say Yes to the Dress, it’s OKAY to have a firm budget. Odds are you will find a dress you love at any price point. You just have to look.
Be upfront about your budget with your vendors- it gives you both a starting place.
Find your method of dealing with panic attacks, and make sure it works. (I suggest Frozen Yogurt)
It’s okay to not love every-little-thing-about-weddings. I don’t photograph well, so I don’t care, and hey – it’s ALRIGHT!

I would like to nominate:

Showered with Love, Wine & Cupcakes: The Games

2010-08-09T11:09:00.004-07:00

While I’m waiting on photos from my bridesmaid I decided to share with you some of the awesome games we played and the cute packet that Stacy made for everyone to write in. I also want to point out on the co-hosts of my shower, Stacy, is also a NEW MOM. Seriously she has a beautiful 2 month old baby girl and still made these amazing scrap-book style packets. Marvel at their crafty glory!

The first game we played was about me, how fitting. Obviously I didn’t participate in the game, I just told everyone the answers. But I thought some of the alternate answers were quite hilarious, except for the alternates to #1- die hard Seminole here! Obviously #5 is just for fun, the answer is false.

The next game we played was essentially Wedding-Related trivia. I should explain that I got every one of these questions right because Mr. AZ and I had originally planned to make trivia cards about wedding superstitions and were going to place them at every table. We instead went with Arizona-Info on the backs of all the table numbers. We found it to be just as interesting!

Okay so you may laugh at this next one. It’s a Wedding Scramble and I swear some of the words were really obvious once she read them. I also realize I spelled Garter wrong, I was in the heat of the moment trying to write out as many as possible. Oh well! I marked myself wrong for it.

Did your bridesmaids do anything crazy for your shower? How awesome is that packet, seriously? Anyone else know how to scrapbook, because this whole thing baffles me!

Adventures in Spray Paint

2010-08-06T16:23:00.002-07:00

You may remember my beautiful, finally tangible, table numbers. Oh you don’t do you? Well let me give you a quick refresher…

Well for some reason or another they just weren’t sitting well with me. They would be the ONLY white thing aside from men’s shirts at the wedding. So I decided to dip into the Krylon and go on a spray painting adventure.

Source

And the result, much more rustic, champagne colored, to match my dress, beautiful table numbers. I now think their journey is complete.

Yes I realize the spray is somewhat uneven on a few of the frames, but the reception is in the evening outside with candle and string lights. So I really wasn't striving for perfection. I was trying to take the "stark white" off.
What do you think? As an aside I do have 10 unpainted backups, because they were $1 each and because frankly I have panic attacks.

Bunting Flags & Burlap: A Love Affair

2010-08-05T18:47:00.003-07:00

A while ago I fell in love with the most beautiful rustic banner imaginable… behold the Bienvenue…

Etsy- Funkyshique

Beautiful no? But very French, and me and Mr. AZ, well we’re not French. Not even a little, not even Canadian. So we had a banner commissioned on Etsy in the exact same style only reading “Celebrate”. My pictures do it no justice so just imagine the above photograph reading “Celebrate”. I love using that word because it can instantly be used at Birthdays, Anniversaries, and Christmas! Love re-usable crafts.
This banner did more than become a banner we will hang at our Rehearsal Dinner and Wedding, it became inspiration for throwing in a little more rustic burlap into the mix for texture at a minimal price.

Ruffled

Just look at the beautiful texture it adds to those tables and the frayed edges- I adore it! Well I should say I adore the no-sewing-involved aspect. Anyway the more I looked for inspiration the more I adored burlap. But natural light burlap not the dark stuff that reminds me of potatoes.

Style Me Pretty

So with it being 2 weeks until our wedding day, I have decided to take no-fuss, frayed edged, burlap runners to go with our beautiful “Celebrate” banner. What do you think of the emerging burlap trend? P.S. Isn’t this when people generally STOP adding things to their to-do lists? I feel like I have crazy amounts of energy at the moment. WEIRD.

Saying Thank You

2010-08-04T20:00:00.002-07:00

What are the two things every parent says? “No” and “Say Please and Thank You” right? Well that’s my thought process anyway. So it got me thinking. How many times do you say thank you to the same people in your wedding? Say thank you for the Bachelorette, say thank you for the bridal shower, thank you for the gift, thank you for being part of our day. That’s a lot of Thank Yous- and I hate repeating Thank You cards… so I have a rotation.
Don’t believe me? Check it out…

Gold Glitter Thank You- Bought at Target in a pack of 50 just about a week ago. This is my standard pack of Thank Yous for gifts. I really like it, it’s got just enough glitter to say “Hey THANKS- SERIOUSLY, there’s glitter involved” who lies about glitter?

Silver Polka Dots- bought at Target approximately 3-4 years ago in a pack of 20. (Probably 10 left) Perfect for the casual thank you for your support, love, help, what have you. Contribution, in my mind, should get a thank you all it’s own.

The Queen of Thank Yous- Vera Wang embossed Thank You with matching envelope liner. This was a hefty $19 for a pack of 10, but hey when you get a really awesome gift or a loved one you hadn’t seen in years comes- you should give a really awesome thank you right? I also love spoiling people who like paper products with this one, ooh embossing.

This is hands down my favorite Target thank you card. Seriously do you see the cut outs? They are amazing! And I don’t know if you can tell that’s peralized paper. Oh I just adore it.
Do you find yourself giving people lots of Thank You notes? Do you have a rotation you use? What’s your favorite?

Place Cards no Escort Cards

2010-08-02T05:58:00.003-07:00

Well, now that we've moved onto the fun-but-not-necessary paper products I figured we would just jump all in with Place Cards as well! Please note I'm probably not using the words "place cards" correctly, as this is sort of a fun hybrid. So it's really more of a place-escort-park-your-butt-card.

What I did first was find a template online for these silly little things. Wouldn't you know it, Martha has a template! Why wouldn't she?

Martha Stewart Weddings

Anyway, we replaced the ribbon in the template with the fun Spanish tile style border from our Table Numbers. Take a look at round one...

The idea was to make the names really stand out, while integrating the table number seamlessly into the design. I think my MoH did a FABULOUS job! Next up to pick a font that helps that name stand out very well. Which do you think stands out?

They're all really pretty fonts, but in the end we went with the Chancelleresca because it was the perfect blend of calligraphy, bold design, and frankly ease of finding. Plus who doesn't adore those flourishes? We ended up printing 6 to page and then cut them all out. Now it's just about folding them, and bagging them for the wedding! PHEW!

Did you take on any fun/un-necessary projects as you got closer to your date?

Crisis: Processional

2010-07-29T15:40:00.004-07:00

Remember when I had all my Alt-Rock Music stylings picked out with NO problems? Well I'm having a crisis.... I found the most beautiful song ever, well it's a cover, but I sincerely think it may be a better processional.

Original Pick: "New Slang" by The Shins

New Favorite: "Heartbeats" covered by Jose Gonzalez

So I finally remembered- DUR our DJ is also a classically trained guitarist!

Bobby Russell of Sedona Sounds

He's learning to play both of those beauties, "New Slang" for the bridal party and "Heartbeats" for me! What do you think? Best of both worlds?

Thrifty Thursday

2010-07-29T07:48:00.001-07:00

Attire

Win a Sundress (and MORE) via Sometimes Sweet

MAC

Accessories + Makeup

Win MAC Stereo Rose MSF via Pretty as Peaches
Win a NomieEcoWare Recycled Fabric Necklace via Chubby Cheeks
Win a set of Baubles by Kari for your Bouquet via Lucky in Love

Lucky in Love

Paper

Win a set of 25 Critter Personalized Letterpress Cards by We Heart Paper via Sandy a La Mode
Win a set of 25 Mustache Personalized Letterpress Cards by We Heart Paper via Janie Hearts

We Heart Paper

Miscellaneous

Win a Fuji Instax Camera and a $100 GC to Anthropologie via oh, hello friend
Win Vera Wang Ducheese Flutes via Dog 'n' Bird

Dog 'n' Bird

Day of Binder

2010-07-28T16:01:00.004-07:00

Some of you may know that we're putting some of our family to work at the wedding. Mainly because well they genuinely like helping, but that doesn't mean they are all on their own. I have developed binders and timelines for each. There are schematics and drawings to help them. So I figured today I would share some of those with you. In case you might be turning your FSIL into a DOC!

Everyone needs a starting point, and what better than a list of phone numbers. In case anyone is AWOL she will be able to hunt them down quickly from this list (and yes the real list has full names and phone numbers). I also enclosed a rough timeline...

8:00 AM- Breakfast, Shower
10:30 AM – Order lunch for Bride, Mother of Bride, Mother of Groom, and Bridesmaids and have it delivered to Family Room for an 11:00 AM Lunch. Blue Moon Café selections to be given to DOC ahead of time.
Blue Moon Café- (928) 284-1831
11:00 AM- Quick Lunch
11:30 AM- Bridal Party Hair and Makeup. Bride scheduled first, followed by bridesmaids, and then Mothers.
Salon @ Sedona Spa- 928-203-8988
2:30 PM - Bridesmaids arrive to bridal suite bride to put on dress, jewelry. Bridesmaids’ hair and makeup done, ready to go by this time. Photographer, 2nd shooter begin shooting day. Photographer arrives at bridal suite. 2nd shooter to hook up with Groom/Groomsmen at this point.
3:30 PM- Personal Flowers Delivered to Los Abrigados Lobby, please deliver to Bride (In The Family hotel room, and the Groom will be waiting in the Lobby to be pinned)
3:45 PM- Bride & Groom to Tlaquepaque for “First Look” photography.
4:30 PM – Bridesmaids and Groomsmen to Tlaquepaque Chapel for group photos
5:00 PM- Pictures wrap up (MUST)…everyone get inside to cool off and relax…Photographers take detail pictures and pictures of guests arriving.

5:30 PM - Ceremony Starts (Processional: "New Slang" by The Shins)
6:00 PM- Ceremony Ends, (Recessional: "1901" by Phoenix) direct guests to Patio de Las Campanas. Family stays for group photos (approximately 30 minutes). Children escorted to babysitting at Los Abrigados Resort.

6:15 - 6:45 PM- Cocktail Hour, please check to see that the escort cards are in place and that the gift/guestbook table has been set up properly with “Celebrate” banner.
7:00 PM - Guests asked to be seated for dinner
7:10 PM- Grand Entrance, Bride & Groom (Music: "Strange & Beautiful" by Aqualung)
7:20 PM- First Dance
7:25 PM- Cake is cut, Dinner is immediately served. Photographers break for Dinner.
8:00 PM- Toasts. Photographers resume taking pictures.
8:30 PM- Dinner cleared, Cake is Served.
8:40 PM- Father Daughter dance, Mother son dance (Simultaneously to "My Eyes" by Travis)
8:45 PM- Dancing begins
10:00 PM- Bar Closes
11:00 PM- "Closing Time" by Semisonic to be played by DJ and announcement made that party continues at Stakes & Sticks at Los Abrigados

This is based on Mrs. Penguin's timeline. I think it goes into just enough detail for our intimate wedding and reception held in the same place. I didn't need to write travel times on mine because there aren't any. Our resort is a 1-2 minute walk from the Chapel and the patio for the reception is just another 30 seconds away.

We also enclosed copies of all our contracts, payments, and documents that are marked PAID IN FULL, as well as our seating arrangements and song request list. That way there's no confusion with anyone. I also enclosed our "very rough" setup schematic, so that she could oversee that everything was in it's place as it were.

Is there anything else I should be adding? What all are you giving your DOC or DOC fill in?

Bridesmaids Gifts

2010-07-27T20:42:00.000-07:00

Excited to share with you my completed bridesmaids gifts... so if you are in fact one of my bridesmaids, please step away from the computer and do something fun. But seriously do not read this.

Are they gone? Awesome! Here are there wonderful gifts, I wanted to share with you my strategy because as we all know gifts can get expensive. Almost every gift in this bag I got 50% off or greater, except one.

Of course every lady needs some pearls, so I got them each pearl earrings ($20 going out of business sale) and a matching handmade bracelet. I actually won the bracelets on Indie Bride, so like I always say- enter those giveaways! They were made with freshwater pearls and garnet beads by Ocean Pearl.

Since the wedding reception is on cobblestone I decided to also get them something very practical. Sole Mates, which are only $10 a pair! I did pay full price but seriously these things are amazing- lovely clear pieces that slip onto your heel to make walking on uneven ground or grass much easier, forget about it! I adore these and I'm sure my ladies will appreciate it!

Who wouldn't want something to frame their memories in, so I bought them each a lovely mother of pearl frame! I bought them at the same going out of business sale where I got the earrings for just $15 (over 50% off).

I'm also throwing in two Dolce Salon and Spa Quarter Hunnies (similar to a giftcard) into their bag for hosting my bridal shower. What's best about this is I got each at half price during a sale! So although I'm giving them $50 I only spent $25 which is fabulous when you're on a budget.

Keep in mind I only have two bridesmaids for our intimate wedding. All in all I spent roughly $70 on each of their gifts, including the Dolce Hunies which I intend to give them as a bridal shower thank you. I did this over the course of an entire year to get the best deals. What do you think? Did I round up some fun gifts or give you any ideas? What are you getting your bridesmaids?

Get Yer Programs

2010-07-23T06:30:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have seen the fabulous 5-petaled program fans.... they're not new Mrs. Tomato blogged about them on the 'Bee, Aylee Designs has a tutorial, and so does Weddingbee Pro. Thankfully I stumbled upon the Aylee Designs tutorial, and was able to download the basic template found at the link above. So, without further adieu, here are my precious-fans in all their glory.

What do you think? I have to make 50 of these puppies. Am I bonkers? What are you doing for your programs?

Thrify Thursday

2010-07-22T10:43:00.003-07:00

Attire

Win a designer dress by Lola via Wild and Precious

Lola

Paper

Free Bridal or Baby Shower printables via Hostess with the Mostess
Win 100 postcards from My Postcard Printing via Happy Hour with a Housewife
Win 25 Personalized Letterpress note cards via Janie Hearts

Janie Hearts

Photography

Win Free Destination Wedding Photography via Destination Wedding Day

Destination Wedding Day

Misc

Win a $100 GC to Beau-Coup via Busy Bee Lifestyle
Win a $60 GC to CSN Stores via At First Swoon
Win a Beautiful Yellow Purse by Bags by Lora via My Leigh Ashley

For Phoenicians Only: Dolce Salon & Spa (an amazing day spa) has a deal going on where you pay $200 and get $400 in their Hunnies (similar to a giftcard) I'm giving these to my local bridesmaids, it may be a good idea for you too! Plus you may have leftovers for you!

Beautiful Blogger Award

2010-07-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so when I saw a tweet from @ThriftyinWhite about her choices for the Beautiful Blogger award I seriously grinned from ear to ear. Thrifty in White is a blog about a couple having a budget wedding Chicago wedding, which is where I happened to go to High School, in case anyone cares. And by "Chicago" I of course mean the Northwest Suburbs but that frankly takes too long to discuss.

Hollie at Thrifty in White is truly a blogger's inspiration, she always comes up with the best Chicago-Local giveaways and wonderful real weddings to share. An area where I am severely lacking and I swear I'm trying to fix that. I mean heck, take a look at her current giveaway...

Hilda

How very modern/boho chic can one get for crying out loud! Also check out my favorite real wedding to date: Amy & Chris's Wedding featured on Thirfty in White. I could seriously go on about her all day, but instead I'm going to share the Beautiful Blogger Award with some of my other favorite reads...

♥Meagan Gets her MRS is an amazing blog, filled with lots of wonderful pictures and a beautiful soul!

♥Beer Budget Bride whose series about Jesus and Juice made me giggle till I cried!

♥Eyes Open, Feet First who is not only planning her wedding in approximately 5 months but also cheered for Espana to win the World Cup!

♥Convention of a Wedding who has been with me since the beginning and sent me the book on Italy she won! :o)

Thanks so much for being supportive and wonderful women and fantastic bloggers. The list of blogs I love is long and I could've added so many more of y'all but I sincerely appreciate each and every one of my readers and blog-buddies!

Who will you pass this on to?

Shoes for the Groom

2010-07-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

Well in our last installment we traipsed over to the Designer Shoe Warehouse to look for shoes to match Mr. AZ's suit. Well, you could tell from the many many many shoe-shots that none was a clear winner. This weekend we decided to brave Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale to find the perfect Grooms shoe.

And we did, some of you brides may have heard of the Cole Haan Nike Air Bridal shoes? Like the ones pictured below...

Nordstrom

Well they also have the same technology in formal men's shoes as well. Which is terrific. They also feature a rich dark burgundy/brown color that goes AMAZING with Chocolate brown. Not only that, they were also $100 less than usual! Needless to say Mr. AZ was very happy to try them on.

Nordstrom

Sadly they were completely sold out of this color so they gave him the black color to try on. He reports that they feel more like sneakers than formal shoes and that the toe is incredibly flexible. So the Nordstrom sales associate searched stores for his burgundy Cole Haan Airs in size 10 and they found it! I'm happy to report they will be delivered by this Friday, which is 1 week before our "due date" on buying his shoes.

Did you find any fun/super comfy shoes for your groom? What's your groom wearing? How much do you love an amazing deal?

Bridal Shower!

2010-07-20T06:32:00.000-07:00

So a while back I mentioned I was going to help throw my own bridal shower. Mainly because I love getting together with the ladies and having fun, but because most of my ladies are busy ladies indeed. But last week I opened up an email....

evite

I am having a Bridal Shower! My crazy busy friends Bridesmaid Jenna (ER Physician's Assistant) and Stacy (New 1st time MOM!) have decided that I simply deserve a bridal shower. So I'm totally excited, it's the day after my doctorate graduation, and apparently there will be a Sprinkles Cupcake tower!

Sprinkles!

I am way excited. I have no idea what to expect, you know other than a Red Velvet Sprinkles cupcake. How excited were you to get your bridal shower invitation? How did it go, what did you wear?!

Wedding Favors!!

2010-07-19T12:10:00.002-07:00

Let me preface this by saying that I don't enjoy a small box of candy, edibles of any kind, nor things emblazoned with the Bride & Groom's names and date of the wedding. I generally agree with A Los Angles Love that they're not necessary. I really didn't even know if I wanted to DO favors.

If I did I wanted to keep in the rustic, romantic, Arizona-theme of our wedding. That's a pretty tall order for a favor. Lo and behold the patio in which we are having our reception also contains one of my favorite stores "Feliz Navidad" (translation: Merry Christmas) a store filled with handmade ornaments. I found these beauties there...

From Left to Right: Kokopelli, Roadrunner, Coyote, Cactus, Quail and Javelina ornaments

They are handmade Iron Ornaments, each is a unique Arizona animal or symbol. They all correspond to the Table Numbers we made, in case anyone can't figure out what they are.

Ultimately we found them to be beautiful and in keeping with our overall rustic feel. But how to designate them as Favors and not just decor... enter UPrinting. I won a st of 250 hang tags (retail approximately $60) and threw together a Thank You card to tie onto the Favors...

But, much like Alton Brown doesn't like single-use kitchen appliances, I don't like single-use paper products. So I also directed them to our iRave Account to upload photos after the wedding.

That's the story of our favors! What do you think of them? Are you making a iRave or Flickr account for your guests' photos? Did you also do a complete 180 like me on favors? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Freebie Friday

2010-07-16T00:01:00.003-07:00

Attire

Win a Wedding Gown from Bonny Bridal

Bonny Bridal

Eats/Favors

Win a dozen beautiful cookies via Cupcakes and Corsets

Fancy Lady Gourmet

Photography

Win a Holga from Holgarama via For the Easily Distracted
Win an Engagement Session by Natasha Montero Photography in Connecticut enter at Weddingistas
Win an Engagement Session in San Francisco via caroekg Photography

caroekg photography

Paper

Win 10 Thank You cards via Janie Hearts
Win a Personalized Primele Stamp via Sogni e Sorrisi
Win 100 Minted wedding invitations via Green Wedding Shoes

Minted

Misc.

Win a $40 GC to CSN Stores via Lucky in Love
Win a $60 GC to CSN Stores via Bride on a Budget
Win a print of your choice from Olive Juice Photography via Sandy a la Mode

Olive Juice Photography

Mother of the Bride

2010-07-15T06:10:00.002-07:00

How shall I say this... the Mother of the Bride is persnickety. Hmmm...

Merriam Webster

Yup that covers it. So shopping for/with/about the Mother of the Bride, heretofore known as MoB, is quite the challenge. In fact it was only YESTERDAY (38 days until the wedding) that she started looking for an outfit. It takes a lot of build up to get her to go trying things on, which she know she will dislike. Here are two contenders that she bought, just in case she likes either....

Now she loves red, but this is a bit too big on her. I don't believe the shape of this dress will take to altering easily or well... which is sad because she LOVES red.

Contender number two, which really doesn't look like much of a hit.... let's see it with the matching jacket.

Somehow adding that jacket really makes the dress look amazing, I don't know how and I certainly don't know why. I'm not a fashionista but clearly my MoB is. So right now I'm leaning towards #2 and I think MoB is leaning towards another shopping trip. Cross your fingers that she will find something!

Did your MoB or MoG have difficulty finding their dress? What are your tips for my Mother of the Bride?

Cute Gifts for our Moms

2010-07-14T05:42:00.001-07:00

Okay so we bought our Moms these beautiful Frames made of Mother of Pearl, I know how apropos right?! But I was at a loss of what to put in them. They are intended for our wedding photos, post-wedding of course. I just hate handing people empty frames. To me (and probably me alone) it's like saying "Hey this was pretty - but I dunno what to do with it, maybe you will?" So here's what we did...

Frame by it's lonesome.

Frame + Left Over Invite

Simple and yet really cute. What Mom doesn't want to keep a copy of the invitation? Now they have something to fill the space until they can put in our wedding photo... ya know if they want to! What are you doing for your Moms? Are you spicing it up a little with some wedding left-overs?

The Chop

2010-07-13T06:06:00.000-07:00

Not the Seminole Chop, but the Post-Wedding Chop. I am desperately anxiously,Arizona in AUGUST, waiting to chop my hair off. Because frankly it's long and it's hot. Seriously hot. Like really really hot. I can't wait to chop it all off 2 days after the wedding. You heard me right, it's all gone 2 days post wedding.

But I also really wanted to donate to Locks of Love which means I should start looking into short bobs, because even though my hair is VERY LONG, it will soon be very short. Want to see...

Now when you're going from super long to super short you really need to have someone who knows what they're doing for the cut and style. That's why I started looking into different salons and spas in the Valley of the Sun. Then I found Dolce Salon & Spa, which not only does Locks of Love cuts, but is also complimentary if you have a qualifying donation. They even have a facebook photo album of people who donate. Look at this cute little girl...

Image from Dolce's Facebook Page

I figure if that little girl can do it, I can to! So I picked up the phone today, while booking my pre-wedding mani/pedi, I also booked my Post-Wedding Chop benefiting Locks of Love. Are you doing the Chop for a good cause?

Tangible Table Numbers

2010-07-12T06:37:00.000-07:00

Well we finally finished the Table Numbers that have been ruminating in my head for quite some time. You see we wanted a very "Arizona themed" wedding. Being that we have a combined 16+ years of University between us, we also wanted to educate our guests on some of the more unusual desert life. So take a peek and let me know what you think...

We stole the frame idea from Ruffled and Mrs. Dolphin and made it our own. At least I think we did. We took photos and illustrations from the old Arizona Highways magazines books we are using for our ringbearer books, and reprinted them into 4x6 photos at Costco (howdy 13cents a print) and then wrote up some "Fun Facts" on the back.

And if you can read the backside we also cited our sources, very important and professional for a recent doctoral graduate (well I will be at the wedding). The fantastical Moroccan/Spanish style border for the "Fun Facts" was designed by Blush Design Studio, well because Liz is awesome. I may still work on the spacing of the Fun Facts, but it's fun to see them almost finished! I also failed to write one up for the Jack Rabbit pictured in #5.

Did you use your table numbers to educate your guests or stir up some interesting conversation?

Thrifty Thursday

2010-07-08T14:15:00.003-07:00

Attire

Win a Kara Janx Cocktail Dress of your Choice via Merci NYC

Merci NYC

Jewelry + Accessories

Win a $30 GC to Gussy via Adventures in Dressmaking
Win a $25 GC to Pretty Things by Meg via Wild + Precious
Win Lock & Key necklaces via Wattlebird
Win a Lena Lime clutch via I Do Budget Weddings

Lena Lime

Paper Supplies

Win a hand carved Stamp by The Mayberry Sparrow via Blush!nk
Win a letterpress card set via Janie Hearts

Misc.

Win a $60 GC to CSN Stores via A Diary of Lovely
Win a Kitchen Wizard art print via Niche White
Win a Print from Dear Colleen via Sogni e Sorrisi

Dear Colleen

inVESTed

2010-07-07T06:26:00.000-07:00

Well we tried to become inVESTed, I really love the look of a 3 piece suit but ladies, in the U.S. at least they are hard to come by. Unless you don't mind black, but any other color was a miss. Case in point Mr. AZ's suit is deep chocolate brown, so when we decided that a custom vest (with a custom pricetag of $300) was out of the question we wandered over to Amazon.com and found two contenders.

Let me tell you these were disappointing at best... see for yourselves. Please note Mr. AZ's pants in the picture are in fact deep brown. The first resembles that of a Ringman in a Circus.

And the second deserves it's own side show. Well we tried to do the vest thing, we really did... but sadly the outcome was subpar at best. But let's appreciate what we DO have...

One fine looking suit and tie and a very handsome groom! As for the vests, well we shall return those. No harm no foul. Oh and for the nay sayers (or those who have been nay-sayed at ala Ms Potato Chips) Mr. AZ's suit is dark brown, his shirt is white and his tie is a creamy ivory to match my dress. And it doesn't look dirty at all! Did you hit any bumps in finding your grooms apparel? Or did you find that you liked it just the way it was, without all the extra fuss?

OMG Shoes

2010-07-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

So we all know I love my shoes, and unlike my wavering hair-inspiration my shoes are a constant. Mr. AZ on the other hand still needs shoes... so we ventured into Designer Shoe Warehouse...

Boy warehouse is the right term I can tell you... that place is daunting. We quickly set out to try on shoes, but not just any shoes. Formal shoes with laces that had rounded toes, Mr. AZ knows what he likes I guess! So take a peek at our options...

This shot is just to highlight that his suit pants are a deep chocolate brown when comparing his black dress shoes to the brown shoes he's currently trying on. It's amazing how a stuble change in color really changes the look of the pants.

The verdict is: we're sleeping on it, but we're leaning towards the ones pictured above, which in case you are interested are Mercanti Fiorentini's Leather Oxford. Did your Mister have to sleep on the all-important shoe decision?

Hair Inspiration Strikes Again

2010-07-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

Ok, this is my fourth hair inspiration post, but I hope this will also be the last. If it weren't for Mrs. Hamster's awesome vintage hair I would be fine with my last hair trial, but alas I am not....

Mrs. Hamster

Oh my god, I want that hair! I swear normally I don't sweat the small stuff but that hair is perfection... but I didn't want so much curl as Mrs. Hamster as my hair is naturally stick straight and frankly I don't think I can pull off that much curl. So while talking to my amazing FSIL/Photographer/Veil Making Goddess she thought of Jennifer Connelly in Dark City, a favorite movie of ours.

Source

What do you think of my NEW idea? Anyone going vintage stylized? Do you think I'm absolutely nuts for having YET ANOTHER post about hair inspiration?!

Freebie Friday

2010-07-02T06:17:00.016-07:00

Jewelry/Accessories

Win a pair of Pearl Earrings handmade by Polka Dot Moon via Sogni e Sorrisi
Design and Win Your Wedding Bands via Recycled Bride
Win a Devon Behr statement necklace via Kitchen Belleicious

Recycled Bride

Paper

Win a Custom Invitation Set via Brenda's Wedding Blog

Photography

Win 10 disposable cameras via Sharon Naylor Wedding Books

Misc.

Win a beautiful white Owl Vase via The Way We Are
Home Sweet Home decor via Vintage Indie

Sparkle Power

Accessories in Action

2010-07-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

Ok so before you can see the whole shebang you get to see the pieces that make the look cohesive...

First the Earrings

And the Shoes...

And of course my awesome DIYed Veil

Let's not forget the Bustle...

We went with the very simple American/Over Bustle, mainly because it involves ONE BUTTON. Seriously easy. For information about types of Bustles Miss Sewing has a great post on that. So, what do you think so far? The veil really took the "bridal look" to the next level, and I'll be sharing more full shot pictures on Tuesday! What accessories brought it together for you?

(Wedding) Clutter Closet

2010-06-30T05:35:00.002-07:00

So does anyone else's closet closely resemble chaos?

With our wedding less than 2 months away the "wedding" is slowly creeping out of it's designated closet and into our living room...

And into our treasured office with a mock up of our "guestbook"...

For self-professed neat freaks this is quite alarming. When did your wedding take over your house? Are we the only ones sharing living space with unfinished DIY projects? What project of yours takes up the most square footage?

Veil

2010-06-29T05:59:00.000-07:00

So very exciting news to share, another thing I got for my birthday this week was a gorgeous hand-sewn custom veil from my Future Sister in Law/Photographer! And I have some pictures to show off! Today is my 2nd dress fitting and I fully intend on taking many pictures of me in the dress/veil/shoes/and earrings so you can get a full sneak peek!

But for now, more veil teaser...

Right now it's sitting in the scary wedding closet de-wrinkling. But later today it's going to be on my head! I can already feel more bridal! What attire or accessory completed your "bridal look" and made you feel like a real bride?

RSVPs

2010-06-28T06:10:00.003-07:00

There's nothing like opening up your mailbox to find little shimmery azalea colored envelopes. I wanted to share with my readers some of my favorite things about my RSVPs. I love our little rudimentary filing system for the RSVPs...

I also love our RSVP by date. You see my Abuelita who passed away last year would have been 80 on 7/17/2010 so I wanted to honor her memory in a small way on our RSVPs. No one was supposed to notice but I got a lot of happy-tear phone calls from my family thanking me for it. Just looking at her birthday gives me the warm-fuzzies....

Moving onto more funny things... we got some wacky write-ins. Now, we had pretty standard/formal invitations so you wouldn't really expect anything more exciting than "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" and then the number "2". But here are some highlights...

The last one is extra special funny, because I had asked my mom on SEVERAL occasions to send me her list. Well she never did, despite my constant pestering. My mom decided to invite her best friend Elena without telling me, and then called me to say she had invited Elena and would that be okay? Oh Moms!

And of course they wouldn't be complete without our secret code....this is what you see....

And this is what we see...

Did your RSVPs make you cry, laugh, and smile like mine did? Or am I crazy?

Thrifty Thursday

2010-06-24T17:20:00.012-07:00

A somewhat comprehensive list of giveaways for the week!

Attire

3 Bridesmaids Dresses via Project Wedding
A Pair of Vineyard Vine flip flops via A Wedding Story
Win a Hand Crafted tank top via Dear Lillie
A Eden's Bouquet Surprise Saturday Market Package for a girl or boy

Dear Lillie

Jewelry + Accessories

Win a Hand Crafted Veil of your Choice via Brenda's Wedding Blog
Customized parasol by Weddings by Kristin via Happy Hour with a Housewife
Win a $20 GC to Sadie Olive via The Ardent Sparrow
Win a $100 GC to Eden's Bouquet via The Chronicles of Windy Ridge
Win a $50 GC to Vibrant Vows via The Indie Bride

Vibrant Vows

Photography

100 Layer Cake is giving away a wedding photo package and engagement session with Jen Rau

Misc.

Tie for My Guy Giveaway via Thrifty in White
$60 GC to CSN Stores via Sandy a la Mode
$50 GC to CSN Stores via The Candid Reviewer
Win a Banner and 4 Gift Bags via Bridal Gown Blog
$40 GC to CSN Stores via Saving Mom's Sanity
$60 GC to CSN Stores via Frugal &Fabulous
$50 GC to CSN Stores via Gabby, She Wrote
Win a Honeymoon via SnapKnot

Birthday Fun

2010-06-22T06:44:00.000-07:00

Well it's my birthday! I wanted to share with you some funny pictures from our joint FathersDay-MyBirthday-MyNiece'sBirthday-MyFFIL'sBirthday Celebration from this past weekend.

Our Niece and beautiful flower girl got a Disney Princess Dress Up Kit and Matching Shoes because Me and Mr. AZ are suckers... look how cute she is....

Anyway! I also got some stuff.... like amazing family portraits...

Me, Niece/Flower Girl, FSIL/Photographer, Nephew/Ring Bearer #2, FBIL/Photographer, Nephew/Ring Bearer #1

Mr. AZ, Me (in mid-sentence), Flower Girl, FSIL/Photographer, Ringbearer #2

Dawna, my FSIL and photographer and the lady sitting next to me, got me these amazing towels, why? Because they are our most hotly anticipated wedding registry gift and I got one for my birthday! As Douglas Adams says "If you want to survive out here, you've got to know where your towel is."-Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*.

Have you received any wedding gifts for other occasions? How happy did it make you?

*Towel Day is celebrated every May 25th in tribute to Douglas Adams the author of Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Mother of the Groom

2010-06-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend myself, our photographer aka FSIL #1, our DOC aka FSIL #2 and their mother aka my FMIL went out shopping for MoG dresses. How's that for acronyms? Anyway we looked at a few dresses for our important Mother. Here were some contenders...

Dillard's

But then she went off the beaten path to Maya Palace in Tucson... this is a very, how shall I put it nicely... "eclectic store" and some of the outfits are straight out of Madonna and the 80s, some even scream halloween. But our Mother of the Groom found the most amazing outfit. Down to shoes, jewelry, and clutch...

Personal Photo

Stunning AND sophisticated! When she came out in this her 3 year old very girly grand daughter said her nickname with awe: "Buuuuubuuuu, pwetty" And that my friends solves that. A beautiful gown in an unexpected place.

Did you venture off the beaten path when looking for outfits for your Mothers?

Post-Wedding Christmas Cards!

2010-06-18T05:45:00.006-07:00

So yesterday I decided to take a distraction from my troubles and my cares to review Minted.com's Holiday Photo Cards and I found some AMAZING ones! Take a peek at my favorites for Newlyweds...

holiday photo cards - peaceful flurry

holiday photo cards - Winter's Woodland

holiday photo cards - Contemporary Hanukkah

holiday photo cards - Merry Marry

holiday photo cards - Merry Candy Stripes

holiday photo cards - Gifted

holiday photo cards - snowfall

holiday photo cards - mistletoe kiss

holiday photo cards - Joy and Love

I know it's only June but this is typically when me and Mr. AZ bust out the Christmas music, I don't know why. We always do... but between it being June and Minted's Holiday Design Challenge, we're already in the Spirit of the Season... our season just lasts longer.

Do you all start celebrating early? Do you want to use these gorgeous photo cards post-wedding? Which one is your favorite? Psst...Mine are the 1st and Last ones!

Unanticipated Guests

2010-06-17T17:19:00.001-07:00

Well readers, all I can do is siiiigh. Please do not interpret this as a rant, this is intended to be therapeutic to me, as i know this isn't the end of the world. I get that not everyone understands wedding etiquette...

Emily Post's Wedding Guest Etiquette

Almost all of our guests understand this very important principle, but there have been one or two who have added a plus one to their single selves. I would however like to correct Miss Post by saying I would LOVE it if I were asked about a plus one, chances are I would say yes, but when you just tack one on I have to scurry around in a tizzy because my venue has a hard and fast 45 seated capacity.

Wedding Chaos

The friendship of these people means a lot to me, hence why they are on our very small guest list. So of course my newly coupled friends can bring their dates, but there's still a tiny bit of me that's afraid it may get out of hand. We can only seat 45 people, I know I've said this already. But our anticipated guest list is already at 59, including 7 who will be on the altar, leaving 52 guests in 45 seats.We haven't heard from everyone yet, so my fingers are crossed that it won't be a musical chairs for the chapel seats.

Have you had to take a deep breath when dealing with wedding planning and just hope that everything works out okay? If so what are your techniques for dealing with the stress? I'd love to hear them!!

Review: Neutrogena UltraSheer*

2010-06-14T07:25:00.001-07:00

When planning a wedding the question "So are you getting that pre-wedding glow/tan/sunkissed look?" comes up more frequently than you would think. I tan very well, but am generally opposed to the idea of skin cancer. I also live in the dessert of Phoenix where we have sun and we have a lot of it. I have, for the four years I've lived here, tried to find a sunscreen that is sheer enough to not cause break outs and doesn't have that "sunscreen smell." You all know what I'm talking about. So when Tidal Labs started advertising for people to review the Neutrogena UltraSheer Liquid Daily Sunblock I leaped at the chance.

Well after a few weeks of use I was quite glad I had....

Yes that's my no-makeup face because I love my readers and I "keep it realz". Anyway back to the point at hand, it was in fact very sheer to apply and layered wonderfully under my makeup. It does have a bit of a "sunscreen smell" but after it dries you hardly notice it. I would also like to stress you MUST let it dry before applying your makeup or else you will have streaky makeup. It takes about a minute to dry and it's really faired well against the Phoenix Sun. If you want to try out Neutrogena's There is a $2 coupon available for friends & readers at http://www.neutrogena.com/suncoupon

Are any of you avoiding the sun before your big day to ensure you don't have icky tan lines or a bad burn?

Would you like to review products, too? Then go to http://giantwavepool.com !

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the product mentioned above for free for review purposes from Tidal Labs. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Ever-Evolving Guestbook

2010-06-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

Well you may have heard about my guest book ideas here and here. Well, if you don't remember our last idea was to take photos from items around the house to mimic what the Letter Keepsakes company does for you.

Letter Keepsakes

I just didn't like the photos we got to use for our last name, so after getting some Weddingbee inspiration in the form of DIY Friday, I tried again this time using the restaurant logos. The results I'm pleased to say are much much nicer, take look! Here are the letters in no particular order.

All of the letters pictured above are from little restaurants, pubs, or unique local shops here in Phoenix. Mr. AZ and I spent about an hour or two driving around central Phoenix and the surrounding burbs taking these pictures and talking about why we loved them. So we hope to use it as a talking piece once it's framed and hung up in our home, after the wedding. Once we get it matted there will be pictures of the completed project, we anticipate it being done by late June, well before our July deadline. Are you adding a local flair to your guestbook? Have you taken on this project with your significant other.

Nicole's Real AZ Wedding Pt. II

2010-06-09T06:01:00.002-07:00

Some more of Nicole's beautiful wedding at Firesky Resort in Scottsdale as captured by Brides for Brides

Brides for Brides

Vendors:

Photography: Brides for Brides

Makeup: Adriana Fontes

Cake: Let them Eat Cake

Wedding Planner: Meant 2 Be Events

Venue: Firesky Resort in Scottsdale AZ

Florals: Enchanted Florist

Candy Shop Inspiration

2010-06-08T05:58:00.000-07:00

So you've seen the candy buffets, the cookie buffets, and the desert buffets. But I wanted to show you the inspiration BEHIND these ideas. This weekend, as you read yesterday, we headed off to Smeeks a wonderful retro-candy shop and let me tell you- it would be wedding candy buffet heaven.

I took a few pictures to share...

We also found this really kitschy slinger that shoots mini brides + grooms. Don't believe me?

Wicked Cool Stuff

We bought a mini bride and groom and after we paint them I'll show them off! Isn't that candy shop awesome though? I especially love the aqua and candy apple red color combo. Have you found any amazing inspiration in the form of local shops?

Sparkler + Wand = AWESOME

2010-06-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

Okay okay, so I know we've all seen the beautiful sparkler send off before, but just to refresh your memory it looks something like this:

Source

We've even seen things spelled out by Sparklers...

Source

Gerald Pope Photography

Yes there have even been melt-your-heart Hearts...

Source

But this weekend I went to Phoenix's own retro candy and novelty shop, Smeeks...

Personal Photo

And well ladies, I hit the sparkler motherload so to speak, sure we could continue to spell out things or draw hearts but what about a personalized sparklers?

Personal Photo

Think of the photo opportunities!!! You and your bridal party could hold up your wedding date punctuated with hearts for dashes. Think 8♥21♥10? Cute no? You and your groom could kiss and both hold the heart. Your flower girl/ring bearer could hold the star like a magic wand. The possibilities are endless!

Have you ever seen these amazing sparkler wands? Are you doing a sparkler photo-op?

Freebie Friday

2010-06-04T05:47:00.009-07:00

There are some awesome giveaways on the web this week ladies, from wedding gowns to photography! Enjoy your Freebie Friday!

Attire

Win a Bridal Gown from Bonny Bridal

Jewelry & Accessories

Win a $75 Novica GC from An Optimistic Beauty!
Hope's Cafe is giving away a $50 GC to The Vintage Pearl
The Indie Bride is giving away an ocean pearl beaded necklace
Win Vintage Bridal Jewelry courtesy of The Recycled Bride
A Bridal Clutch from Designer Apparel via Bride on a Budget
Anything from Odalisca Jewelry Design Shop via Wild & Precious
Win a Yellow Wallpaper Handmade Clutch via Sogni e Sorrisi

Recycled Bride

Photography & Printing

Engagement Session by Bliss Imagery via "I Do Budget Weddings"
Vistaprint Photobook via Happy Healthy Families

DearLillie

Miscellany

Win a Ring Bearer Pillow & Clutch from Dear Lillie
Win a CLC leather portfolio book via Hope's Cafe
Win a $40 GC to CSN Stores via Wife on a Budget
Win a $40 GC to CSN Stores via The Green Hanger Shop
Win a KitchenAid Mixer in the color of your choice via Baby Loving Mama
Win an Ironing Board Cover of your choice via Take it From Me
Win an Xtrema Ceramic Skillet from Take it From Me
Win a Mosaic Dish from Sigmoasics via Mint Green with Envy
AXE Grooming Kit for your GROOM! via Bride on a Budget
Win $180 worth of Wilton products via Two of a Kind
Win a $40 GC to CSN Stores via (flash) pasturized

Real AZ Wedding

2010-06-03T05:40:00.001-07:00

Get excited Phoenicians, here's a sneak peek at our very first Real AZ Wedding Submission is here and let me tell you this bride rocks! The next installment will be up on Monday, but for now, because I'm very excited, here's a little taste...

Brides for Brides

Aisle Decor by Meant 2 Be Events Photo by Brides for Brides

Brides for Brides

Vendors:

Makeup: Adriana Fontes

Cake: Let them Eat Cake

Wedding Planner: Meant 2 Be Events
Venue: Firesky Resort in Scottsdale AZ
Florals: Enchanted Florist

The Problem with Wedding Photos

2010-06-02T05:54:00.000-07:00

I should be excited about our impending wedding photos... the only problem is that **I** will be in them. This poses a significant problem as my mere presence ruins photos. I generally have rock-star level self-esteem so please do not misinterpret my meaning. "Unlike you bunch of wack-jobs, I think I'm just fine the way I am."-Missy Pyle as Alexandra Cabot in "Josie and the Pussycats"*

IMDB

I am, however, one of those people who receives this comment FAR too frequently "She's so much prettier in person".Thatsnotacomplimentthankyouverymuch!?!?! I have read and researched methods to correct my un-photogenic ways. Tips to look better and more natural in photos seem to work for others. Penga had a great post on just this.... but did it work for me? Of course it didn't. Case in point...

Personal Photo from my Friend Laura's Wedding

Seriously? WTF is up with my face?! I totally ruined this awesome funny photo. Or I made it funnier. But I wasn't mad or concerned, that's just what happens to my face around cameras. I just kinda scrunch up and become awkward. Cameras basically stress me out, and the only thing that helps...

Personal Photo: Me on the Right

Yup you guessed it, a little booze. Not kidding. I go from horrible in photos to decent in the blink of a champagne toast. Am I the only one who needs to be slightly tipsy to alleviate the dreaded "Scrunch Face?" My weapon of choice for our wedding photos:

Francis Ford Coppola**

Do you have any photography secret weapons? Please tell me I'm not the only not-photogenic person here? Seriously?

*I sincerely recommend this movie. It was really glossed over in 2001, but it's about how record companies are trying to brainwash the youth of America through rock and roll music. Hilarious.
**My running joke for this canned Champagne is: "It's like a CapriSun for Adults!" I feel like this tagline will catch on soon.

Why Do Shoes Have All the Fun?

2010-06-01T06:35:00.003-07:00

Okay so well all know of the colored shoe trend, and I love it.

Island Bride Jamaica

Heck, I'm even doing it! And I love colored bridal bouquets too...

Bliss Floral

But why stop there, what about some beautiful, bright earrings?! When I googled this I came up short. But through the powers of OffBeat Bride I wrangled a few inspiration photos...

Like these green studs.

Donald Norris Photography

Or black and gold chandelier earrings...

August & Everything After Photo by Sarah Neal

As for me I'd do something like this....

Kendra Scott

Don't get me wrong pearls are nice, but sometimes it's fun to let your personality shine. What do you think of this little known trend of colored/statement earrings? Will you be going with the traditional pearl or be an offbeat girl?

Gifts

2010-05-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

Let me preface this post by saying whenever I actually get a gift I'm in complete and utter shock. I just really don't expect them, and no I didn't expect any for our semi-destination wedding, even though we clearly registered for some gifts. I thought it was nice enough people would be flying or driving in for the wedding. I have been pleasantly surprised and there's still 82 days away! Well guess what landed on our doorstep on Friday? And by "our doorstep" I mean the Condo office's doorstep from which I lugged a very big box while trying to walk my dog in the Phoenician 97 degree heat.

Seriously Bed, Bath and Beyond does some amazing things with their gift wrap- how adorable is that package? I almost don't want to rip it open....

But we did! And now it's time for the great debate, send the thank you now or send it after the wedding? A quick twitter poll revealed I should send them now.

So it's off to craft my first Thank You Card! What's your stance are you a now or a later?

Custom Veil Sneak Peek

2010-05-26T06:35:00.002-07:00

Well a while back I mentioned that FSIL/Photographer was also going to sew my custom dress-lace onto my veil? Well she just pinned it all so we could play with it at the hair trial. So here's some teaser pictures as it's not yet completed. Please excuse the faces as the only photos I have of the veil involve my Big-Texas-Hair, so the look of being uncomfortable is more a result of that than of my beautiful veil.

Are you so excited or what?! It's going to match the scalloped edging of my gown so well! As you get closer to completing your DIY adventures what really excites you? Is anyone else making their own Mantilla veil?

Hair Trial Pt 2

2010-05-25T06:31:00.001-07:00

Ok so when we left off I had a beautiful half up/half down hair do that was very curly and majorly teased and very accurate to my first set of inspiration pictures. But my hair got bigger.... much bigger... Steel Magnolias bigger. The industrial strength Bobby Pins started flying...

And my hair quickly transformed into Texas Pageant Hair. Can you see me saying "Help me!" with my eyes? Because I clearly am...

Wow.

While this was a lovely, all be it Bigger-and-Better-Texas-Hair, style it wasn't what my second set of inspiration pictures were. Remember those? The loose low bun off to the side, we did not achieve it.
Oh well. Part I went well, and I think the verdict is a resounding DOWN! What do you think? Do you love my Big Pageant Hair?

Hair Trial Pt 1

2010-05-24T11:32:00.003-07:00

So my hair trial was on Saturday and my wonderful FSIL/Photographer decided to come with me. So I have some pretty hilarious and artistic photos of the transformation from bedhead to bridal styling.

Pretty sure I'm channeling Amy Winehouse in this next photo... "They tried to make me go to rehab but I said No No No..."

An artistic shot of all the massive amounts of product that go into Wedding Hair...

The Haze is not an illusion- it is residual hair spray in the air... no joke.

The bigger the hair the closer to god, as my Texan friends say...

And I am apparently very happy!

Wow that was a lot of photos, but we did try up-do hair style as well. So that will be up tomorrow. So what say you, did you like the artistic hair-stylin' shots? We did my hair trial almost 3 months out, what about you- when did you start?

Blush Design Studio: Vendor Review

2010-05-23T06:54:00.003-07:00

Just realized I've never shown you all my fabulous invitations designed by Liz at Blush Design Studio. She is based in Massachusetts but is clearly available to work with anyone via email in the U.S. (I have not asked her about Canada).

Just a quick reminder of our mock up....

Blush Design Studio

Here's some eye candy for you, taken from her blog...

Blush Design Studio

:
:Sigh:: aren't they lovely? They came out even better than the mock-up. I highly encourage you to check out her work. She has a very broad range and can work with you to customize your invitations. The design process went very smoothly and the invitations were delivered quickly and in tact. I cannot recommend her services more, she may be my favorite wedding vendor.

I was also recently introduced to a Local Arizona Letterpress called Seesaw Designs and will hopefully be showcasing them at a latter date. Do you have any wedding vendors you would love to share?

Winner of the Poster Giveaway

2010-05-21T06:46:00.002-07:00

The winner of the Online Poster Printing Giveaway is.... lucky commenter #16 who said...

Congratulations Susannah!

Poor Planning or Subconscious Sabotage?

2010-05-20T07:12:00.025-07:00

In the past few weeks I have seen some of my friends make some decisions and fall into poor planning during their journey down the aisle. While I was discussing these unimaginable scenarios with Mr. AZ I simultaneously went through shock, sympathy and utter confusion. I couldn't imagine what I would do if I was the bride in any of these, and I found most of them helpful- each made me stop and think. I think I learned something from each and that's why I'm sharing it with you, my readers. Most of the time it feels like bad planning but sometimes it looks like clear, possibly subconscious, sabotage.

Scenario 1: Waiting until 3 months before the wedding to start thinking about invitations for a wedding with 300 people on the guest list.

source

I think Scenario #1 is more a result of not understanding how long the design to print process takes. If you work with a designer you really clique with it can be a breeze, but sometimes translating your vision into paper can take a while. So if invites are very important to you began early! If not, then 3 months should be fine. I began planning my invitations with Liz at Blush Design Studio a good 8 months in advance. Granted we did not finalize them until 5 months in advance but it never felt rushed or hurried, which I really appreciate.

Scenario #2: Being wish-washy on the bridesmaid's dresses and letting your MOH change your entire wedding color palette.

source

I'm not talking Blush Pink to Bubblegum ladies, I'm talking RED to GREEN. Seriously, like a stop light. This scenario largely occurred because of bride's indifference to the bridesmaids gowns and general laissez faire attitude. Was she upset? A little. Did she really argue, no. Was her wedding beautiful- of course it was. This really boils down to the same question as above- does it matter to you? Because in weddings sometimes you have to pick your battles. I think if it really mattered to the bride she would've spoken up.

Scenario #3: Bride returns wedding gown 26 days before the wedding.

Say YES to the Dress

No, this is not a SYTTD episode, this is real life. Oh and by the way the bride in question leaves for Hawaii (for her destination wedding) in 23 days. Her reasons for returning her original gown were that it "wasn't the one", well being 23 days away from your W-Day and having to buy a whole new PERFECT dress and have it tailored... it seems almost impossible. But this bride is getting married on the beach- so she may be able to buy a beautiful gown off rack that doesn't require as extensive tailoring, so it's very possible. It's a stressor I don't want a month before my wedding, but I don't make the rules for everyone- so if you are a level headed lady that can deal with that- I applaud you. It simply wouldn't work for me.

Have you been a victim of poor planning? Have you seen any examples of subconscious sabotage from your friends who are getting married? Does seeing other weddings around you make you want, nay crave being a Wedding Planner so that this doesn't happen to other brides, or so that you can help them make the best out of their situation?

Petal Sprinkler & Dress

2010-05-19T06:30:00.001-07:00

Well remember waaaay back when... when we were looking for flower girl dresses? We did finally pick one and buy it online from a company called Girls Dress Line. My only complaint was that this dress is a little bit darker in person. Just take a look at our Petal Sprinkler...

Beginning with the obligatory getting ready shots of the little Princess....

Personal Photo

"This uh MY petty dwess!" -direct quote

We're kind of lucky, it magically fit her! Even if she grows an inch or two before August we should still be set with this dress. What do you think of our Petal Sprinkler's gown? Did you buy your flower girl's dress online? Know of any good resources to share?

Bridal Shower: Kitchen Edition

2010-05-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Well I should probably let you all know that I'm all alone out here in the Wild Wild West and all my female relatives are out East, way east like FLORIDA! My Maid of Honor is all the way in Chicago and my Bridesmaid is a bit busy working in the emergency room.

It would be a little hard for any of those people mentioned above to throw me a bridal shower. But I'd still like one. So I schemed with my FSIL and we decided to tackle the Bridal Shower ourselves. It's easier and way more fun for me as I like to plan things! First thing's first we need a theme. There are some great ones like "Around the Clock" where everyone brings something that corresponds to a time of day they're given. But I always go to Hostess with the Mostess for more theme inspiration. After taking a peek at some of their ideas I decided on a tried and true bridal shower theme.

The Kitchen Shower!

Minted designed by Push Papers

My Good Greetings

Aren't those invitations just adorable? I think the colander "shower" is my favorite, since it's a literal interpretation of a shower in the kitchen. I digress, but this theme really does lend itself to some beautiful/whimsical tablescapes...

Hostess with the Mostess

And how are these for some economical favors...

IKEA 49cents for a set of 3

Wrap it up with some beautiful ribbon to match your decor and viola! A beautiful low cost and use-able Bridal Shower favor! With everyone moving so much these days are you separated from your family? Are any of you helping to plan your shower?

Wilton Flower Fun-Cups Review

2010-05-17T05:48:00.001-07:00

I recently won Wilton Flower Fun-Cups from Real Gloss and wanted to do a quick review because these would make great additions to a floral themed Bridal Shower or engagement party. They really add a quick touch to a simple cupcake.

Source

But they are a liiiiiitle different than your standard cupcake paper. So let me take you through the step by step. First you need to wash them before use then just pour in your batter- they have a 2/3 line in each cup which is very helpful.

This is what happens if you try to put icing on the cupcake while it is still in the broad flower cup.... no bueno.

Here is what happens when you then try to ganache the same cupcake...

Well that's a delightful mess. Again, no bueno. The secret to these cups is that it's very easy to get the cupcake OUT of the silicone cup, apply icing and decorative touches, and then slide them right back in. Observe...

Much better and much less messy looking! Just lather, rinse, repeat and you'll have a whole tray of this:

Beautiful cupcakes fit for a Bridal Shower or Baby Shower! We actually served these for our belated Mother's Day. They were a BIG hit. Do you have any handy tools or decorative touches you like to add for showers?

Freebie Friday

2010-05-14T06:12:00.027-07:00

Attire
Tutu via Take It From Me
Beautiful Shoes (Perfect for a Flower Girl) via Joyfolie

Source

Jewelry
A $15 GC to Dazzling Jewelry and Pearls via "I Do" Budget Weddings
Bib Necklace from Coco Rose Couture via Wild &Precious

Misc
Poster Printing Giveaway via AZinAugust (seriously)
Photo from Little Brown Press Store via Sogni e Sorrisi

Poster Giveaway!

2010-05-13T17:49:00.004-07:00

I'm very excited to be hosting my very first giveaway, sponsored by Online Poster Printing*. I can't think of a better way to show off a beautiful wedding photo or possibly make a gigantic seating chart than a poster. They have generously offered a Poster to one lucky reader!

The Details:

18x24 Rolled Poster in a High Gloss or Semi Gloss
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only. Must be 18 years old and up.
Ends May 20th at Midnight PST

Mandatory Entry: Tell me what you'd print on your poster and please include your contact information.

Extra Entries (Please leave a separate comment for each):

Become a follower (1 entry)
Be a Current Follower (2 entries)
Follow me on Twitter @AZinAugust (1 entry)
Tweet and comment with the link to the Tweet: I just entered to win an @uprinting Rolled Poster via @AZinAugust http://ow.ly/1KSIO (1 entry per day)
Post about this giveaway on your blog and comment with the link (3 entries)

*For hosting this giveaway UPrinting is providing me with a 18x24 poster.

Brown Sugar

2010-05-10T05:50:00.000-07:00

When most of us think of Weddings we think of the black tuxedo or at the very least a black suit. But sometimes black isn't flattering on all men. Black is very harsh and very stark. It's what I liken to the WHITE WHITE gown, only in this case, for the groom.

Alan Tudyk source IMDB

Especially in the case of a groom with auburn or red hair, who tend to have more ruddy complexions, just like Mr. AZ. Now I'm not saying that Alan looks bad in this black suit above, but it really does bring out the redness of his skin tone. In that case I vote for deep dark brown. This earthy tone takes away a lot of ruddiness from the face and is more universally flattering, in my humble opinion.

Personal Photos from Men's Warehouse

This is when we fell in love with brown, when we realized it was much more softening like ivory. Are you taking into account your groom's skin tone when picking out the suits or tuxes your guys will be wearing?

Freebie Friday

2010-05-07T19:20:00.004-07:00

Remember my advice, enter the giveaways? Seriously do it. Last week alone I won a silk robe, amazing shoes, and a pearl necklace set. With that being said here are this week's giveaway round ups:

Attire
$100 Gift card to Dear Lillie on Etsy
Anything in Theta Mom's Etsy Shop via BonBon Rose
$50 Gift card to Lingerie.com via The Mom Reviews
$50 + $25 Gift cards to Kohls via Contest Corner

Dear Lillie

Accessories
Strawberry Quartz Bracelet on Apartment #34
Ink & Button Hair Fascinator on Ever Ours
$40 Gift Card to You Are My Sunshine on Etsy via Etsy it Up!
Bracelet and Earring Set from Guy+Eva via Busy Working Mom
A Monogram Necklace via MerciNYC
A Birdcage Veil via Chic n Cheap Living

one little dove

Photography
Via Stacey Doyle Photography

Misc
A MissNowMrs Name Change giveaway via She Just Got Married
A $15,000 Detroit Embassy Suites Wedding via Windsor Hospitality
Destination Wedding via Celebrity Wedding Blog
A Mini Emergency Survival Kit via Jane Buckingham
Addie Bugs fabric banner giveaway via Take it From Me

The Language of Love

2010-05-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

So I've shared with your our preliminary plans, my potential outfits, and now it's on to the most exciting part (for me). You may or may not know that I speak Spanish and I know ASL. You may not know I also took Japanese for 4 years in high school and college and independently studied the Welsh language. Anyway, Mr. AZ came home with a guilty look on his face... what do you think he got?

Source

Well fellow Mystery Inc. members? No guesses? Italian honeymoon...Jenni doesn't speak Italian... Wait I see a spark...

Rosetta Stone

For a self-professed language geek like me this is what I am most excited about. Well this and the gelato! With the amazing special running for mother's day we got $125 off and free shipping! I should also mention they do have a 6 month return policy, and if you are not satisfied you can return it within that first 6 months.

So are you studying up for your Honeymoon? Are Mr. AZ and I (combined 16 years of University between us) the only nerds who are using our Honeymoon as an excuse to learn a foreign language? Also did I mention we intend to pass this nerdiness onto our yet unborn children?

Outfitting the Honeymoon

2010-05-06T06:28:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I mentioned in the first installment about the Honeymoon that Italy is more formal in their dress. Even more so in the evenings. So this weekend I decided to find some dresses that can walk the line from casual to semi-formal.

Ann Taylor Loft

What's even better, they're all cotton. A great summer dress for Italy or for Phoenix. Also did I mention Ann Taylor LOFT had 40% off everything this past Saturday? Not to mention my 4% cash back on BoA. Don't worry, if you missed that amazing sale they're currently running a 40% off all regular priced dresses now through May 9th. Whoohoo! Honeymoon here I come!

Did you do any shopping for your honeymoon? What do you think are important buys?

The Honeymoon or Luna di Miele

2010-05-04T18:32:00.003-07:00

Is up to Mr. AZ, well sort of. When Mr. AZ and I broached the subject of Honeymoon I said "Oh you can be in charge, but I'd really like to see the Vatican."

The Holy See

What could be more romantic than being Sposi Novelli (Newlywed) in Italy! Well Mr. AZ was all about it, a chance to go to Europe again, fabulous! So he started researching, and like any good mechanical engineer there were spreadsheets... oh my there were spreadsheets.

Detailing the price rates for each hotel and the different suites available at the various rates for each.

Looking at each hotel individually and comparing that to walking distance from the places we'd like to see and again detailing the cost breakdown.

And of course one detailing our "Must See" list, and the cost for each. Did I mention Mr. AZ loves his spreadsheets and even developed macros for some that would pull the daily cost of the Euro into play? Oh yes, he went there. But we also found a certain book invaluable as well. It was given to us by Penga/Miss Sewing. I highly recommend it for those of you traveling to Italy for your Luna di Miele (Honeymoon).

Fodor's Italy

Without it we wouldn't have known that dress is generally more formal and that tipping is not customary. We would have also missed out that sitting or rather standing at the bar for lunch or drinks, if you're planning a quick lunch, has no service fee added. Did you know sitting at tables incurs a service fee which is higher if you are outside because it is considered entertainment? Also because it is cultural to not rush you, and in fact only come to the table when signaled.

Huh, and all that we wouldn't have learned if not for Fodor's! Do you have any secrets up your sleeve for planning your Luna di Miele? Where are you going? When did you decide? Oh and anyone else love spreadsheets?!

Bridal Party Processional

2010-05-02T08:57:00.002-07:00

Crap I forgot their processional! This was far and away much harder than picking ALL THE OTHER SONGS. So we have a few contenders to share:

The Alternative Rock Choice:

"The Killing Moon" by Echo & The Bunnymen

The Classical/Instrumental Choice:

"Comptine d'un autre ete: L'apres midi" by Yann Tiersen
(featured in the Amelie Soundtrack)

The Fun Choice:

"Rush" by Big Audio Dynamite

The Funny Choice:

"Sucker" by Reel Big Fish

So ladies what would you do? They're all awesome choices, but sadly I can only choose one!

3 Piece Suit Inspiration

2010-04-30T06:10:00.000-07:00

Well ladies, I think I've decided to go with the 3-piece suit, mainly because Arizona is warm and I want my groom to be able to go sans Jacket while still looking formal. Enough with the talk, here's the wedding p0rn...

A Suit That Fits

Mrs. Cowboy Boot

Ruffled

Seriously isn't that detail shot of the vest with the pocket watch amazing? P.S. Mr. AZ has his great grandfather's pocket watch just like that, which would be a rockin' wed-cessory. Oh and I love the fact that it's another way to single out the groom from his groomsmen like in the very last photo.

What are you thoughts on the traditional 3-Piece "Wedding Suit?" Do you love it, or leave it?

113 Days From Now

2010-04-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

I'll be a Mrs./Dr. well technically I'll be a Dr. 13 days before I'm a Mrs. But who's counting? Um the girl who went to 8 years of college. Oh that's right me! Anyway I wanted to pop in and tell you some amazing news our list of things to do is thinning out, and I couldn't be happier. Unfortunately productive weeks lead to sparse blog posts because I'm editing the content to share. So here's what's to come...

Booked the Hair + Makeup Artist
Got our AMAZING Invites from Blush Design Studio (more on that tomorrow)
Ordered Pink/Burgundy/White Argyle Socks for the groomsmen
Looked at suits and narrowed down our options
Ordered our Flower Girl's dress
Set our rehearsal dinner menu (geez it's long)
The Future Parents in Law decided they were adding Arizona Chocolate Bars to our OOT Bags- score!

We also had some minor setbacks:

While researching in our awesome Guidebook to Italy that Penga/Ms. Sewing sent us we found out that the dress in Italy is more formal aka Jenni needs some nice dresses.
Our suit options are: 3 Piece Suit in either Black with Pinstripe or Dark Brown, so one could argue they have not been narrowed down.

So there you have it, a productive wedding week and it's only Wednesday! Holy Moly! Now we have to get our invites out next week and we're on our way to our real wedding.

Source

What have you accomplished this week? When did your weeks begin to be jam packed by wedding-ness?

Meeting My Dress

2010-04-27T06:22:00.000-07:00

Meeting my dress in person for the first time was overwhelming, happy, sad, and exciting at the same time. Overwhelming because I had been waiting so long. Happy because I finally saw it in my own size. Sad because I had to leave it at the store. And exciting because well shit, I'm getting married!

Can you tell how ecstatic I am in that last photo?! Now comes the daunting task of having it altered. Because it is drastically too large in the waist. P.S. I clearly have to tone up those bulgy arms. Anyway, back to the alterations. Suzanne's Bridal recommends 4 fittings starting approximately 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding. First thing that's happening the bow has got to go.Sorry Bow, no hard feelings but you just don't fit into my design as ethic. Secondly the waist needs to be taken in. And then a very minute hemming needs to take place.

I advise all brides-to-be to keep alterations in mind and ask the sales staff about how much alterations run and how good the seamstress is. Suzanne (aka the owner of Suzanne's Bridal) is the seamstress and she charges very little compared to other bridal shops which makes my alterations a bit less of a headache.

How excited were you when you got your gown? Was it a flurry of mixed emotions or just sheer bliss? Share your "Meeting the Dress" story!

First Fitting Necessities

2010-04-26T06:44:00.001-07:00

Well Suzanne's Bridal called me Thursday night and left me the greatest message ever. My beautiful gown was in! They wanted me to try it on within 48 hours to ensure that there are no mishaps. Apparently within that 48 hour window they can send it back at no additional charge to the manufacturer if anything is wrong with the gown. So I rearranged my schedule and headed over on Friday afternoon.

So in my happiness-tizzy I decided I should pack for trying on my gown, lest I forget an important detail. Hear me out, there are a few things you need to have when trying on your gown.

Personal Photo

Contents:

Bag
Spanx
Strapless Bra
Wedding Shoes
Cutlets (Below)

Nordstrom

Did you "pack" for your first date with your dress? How excited were you when you got the call that it came in?