Custom Dress Image – which style do I choose?

Remember when I was oohing and ahhing over the thought of a custom dress illustration? Well, if there is one thing I have learned since entering into the world of wedding planning, it is that people can really come out of the woodwork, in a good way!

Shortly after posting about my desire for a beautiful illustration of my dress, an old friend from high school (we’ll call her A) got in contact with me. She went to college at Parson’s for fashion design (yes…location of Project Runway, Tim Gunn…sigh…ok I'm going off topic now...). Anyway, she offered her services…and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

Since she is so skilled, A is able to create the illustration in a number of different styles…it is up to me to decide which I like the most! These are the styles I have to pick from (but obviously, they'd be of my dress instead!)…

Vintage Poster Print

Text could even be added to the side to make it resemble the vintage posters!

Modern and Color Blocked

Simple Pencil Sketch on white paper

I’m a sucker for Audrey Hepburn…but that is beside the point…

Glamour

1940’s style

A fun pose

At the moment, I am gravitating towards the vintage poster print or the “fun pose” that would be a bit more unusual. Which of these illustrations strikes your fancy? Where do you think you would put an illustration like this?

Rehearsal...lunch???

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So, pretty much any and all weddings I’ve seen/heard of featured a rehearsal, followed by a meal. Seriously, with my penchant for perfectionism, a rehearsal for the ceremony is absolutely essential. Practice makes perfect!

However, there is one little snafu with the plan.

Since Mr. Buttons and I are getting married on a Sunday, our rehearsal would (typically) take place on Saturday night. Except for the fact that another bride is getting married at my venue that evening. Insert conundrum…here.

Hmmm ok, so what are the options then? If we want a night-time rehearsal at the venue, we’d have to hold it on Friday night. Well, sadly, that just won’t do for us, seeing as our guests/family/etc might not be arriving until that evening. I wouldn’t want to be tied up with the rehearsal and miss welcoming them to our wedding weekend!

We also considered holding the rehearsal on Saturday evening, but at a different location. Potential? Yes. Cost? Not a fan! Most likely, we’d have to shell out extra money to rent out a space for the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner…it would be a very big party (around 60 people), and probably not easy on the checkbook! Scratch that…

That brings us to Saturday morning. The venue WILL allow us to hold our rehearsal during the morning/early afternoon, before they start setting up for the wedding that evening. Whew…breathing a sigh of relief here! However, that does present us with a somewhat “different” time schedule of events.

OneWed.com

Rehearsal LUNCH, anyone?

As it stands, we’re going to hold a late morning rehearsal at Carlouel with the bridal party and immediate family. Now, what we are trying to decide between is having a lunch directly after our rehearsal, or to hold a dinner later in the evening.

So, of course...I made a list of pros and cons for each scenario.

Lunch:

• Pro - directly after rehearsal (aka convenient), it could be more casual, I would have a good amount of time afterwards to get ready for the following day
• Con - guests would maybe have to give up beach time to attend, holiday weekend at Clearwater beach = VERY busy at lunch spots, what would our guests do for the rest of the day/evening (would we have to plan/help to plan something for nighttime)?

Dinner:

• Pro - it is more "traditional," allows our guests to have time at the beach during the day (unless they are in the bridal party/attending the actual rehearsal), gives our guests something to do for the evening, I get to wear two cute outfits that day (haha...had to throw that in)
• Con - time lag between rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (Mr. Buttons' parents live 30 min away; would he and his family drive in to Clearwater 2 times that day?), potentially more expensive since it is dinner (and guests may consume more alcohol in comparison to lunch)

Personally, I am on team "rehearsal dinner" at the moment...it might be selfishness on my part, but I feel like I might go slightly insane if I have most of the afternoon and evening before the wedding day without an event scheduled. However, I'm sure I will have a to-do list a mile long that day...

Have you been to a wedding/did you have a wedding that held a rehearsal dinner at a different time than “normal?” What did/do you think about it? Would you be on team "lunch" or "dinner?"

My feelings on “THE dress:” That loving feeling...

If you haven't been following along on my dress buying experience and you need to catch up…

Part 1: My inspiration, Part 2: I went shopping, and Part 3: I made up my mind

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So, you are aware at this point that I selected my wedding gown. What you may or may not have noticed was how I failed to describe my overwhelming feelings of joy and excitement at finding “THE dress.”

Oh…wait…that’s because I DIDN’T have those feelings.

I find it very interesting when I read over and over how girls find their dress and immediately know that they were meant to be together. And, it isn’t that I’m unhappy with my dress. Quite the contrary! I know that it is absolutely perfect for me; it will make me look spectacular on my wedding day, no doubt in my mind. But, where were the butterflies? The excited squeals? The tears? There was nothing…not even a titter. Overall, during my shopping experience, I never became excitable. My mother and I discussed the options at length, we tore apart the different features of the dresses that we had looked at, and I came to a decision in the end.

So, I wonder…what would it take for me to achieve that giddy, I’m going to jump up and down in glee feeling? Well, if I had to guess, it would probably appear if I were to don a gown WAY out of my price range. I pay attention to fashion, I love designers…it would be unreal to wear a Monique Lhuillier or a Vera Wang…a girl can dream! But hey, that is all it is…a dream. And I have reality to focus on.

And, you know what? Just because I didn’t have the feeling during the dress shopping experience, DOESN’T mean that I won’t get it later on. Just you wait, I’m going to turn into a blubbery wreck when I am completely put together…the hair, the makeup, the shoes…that’ll push me over the edge in the end. I’m just…on hold for the moment being.

I know I am not the first bride who has experienced this, and I certainly won’t be the last one. If you are worried about this happening to you as well, here is my piece of advice: don’t let it frustrate you. Everyone’s shopping experience is different, and just because you aren’t jumping around the dressing room, screaming at the top of your lungs, or turning into a puddle of happy tears over your dress does NOT mean that you will look any less spectacular on your wedding day. Of this I am certain.

Did YOU get that feeling when you found your dress???

Monogram Magnificence

As usual, in my wedding planning quest, I have stumbled upon some things that I feel compelled to purchase, even if they aren't completely necessary...

Exhibit A: custom monograms!

I stumbled upon a bevy of monograms on Etsy one day, and I couldn't stop drooling over them. At first, I couldn't decided which I preferred: a stamp version, or a digital pdf version…both have great possibilities…

On one hand, I love the rubber stamp option…I can use it to stamp the envelopes on our Save The Date’s, and possibly on our invitations. I could use it to stamp our favor bags…programs…the list could go on!

I love the stamps from Modern Art Stamps’s Etsy shop…

Lovestocreatestamps also has some beautiful designs…I'm particularly fond of this one:

On the other hand, the pdf graphics could be useful as well…programs, stickers…you name it!

I love the tree designs by WeddingMonograms

And the birds...(also by WeddingMonograms) are adorable!

Lovelogos’ shop is just too cute…

And then...I stumbled upon monograms by Foxglove Design, and the decision was made instantly...for $20 I received 4 different custom monograms...and they were oh so very perfect for our wedding (all images from Foxglove Design's Etsy shop):

I LOVE how they are all a little different, and that I will be able to use them for a variety of projects! I ordered mine without our wedding date, so that I can continue to use them after the big day as well! You'll see one of these beauties popping up again very soon, as it will be making an appearance on a very special piece of stationary!

Did you/are you planning on having a custom monogram created for your wedding? Did you use a digital file, or a stamp?

Looking for Love...

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A few months ago, a group of the Bees put in their two cents in a relationship series. Of particular interest to me was when a bunch of the ladies were asked to respond to the question of whether or not they were actively looking for love when they met their fiancé.

Well now…for me…I would have to say no! Don’t you love how things like that happen? When Mr. Buttons and I met, I was completely submerged in the application process for graduate school. I had decided that August that I would begin taking my tests (grrr those GRE’s are just AWFUL…anyone else out there with me???), filling out pages and pages of applications, writing essays, and the like. There were 18 applications in total (yes, I am indeed insane…).

Ah...a picture taken on the day that I first spotted Mr. Buttons...I was pretty content taking my pups on outings to the beach to blow off some steam...I wasn't looking for a man! My two little furbabies were enough for me...

At first, when we met, I was under the assumption that our relationship wouldn’t really go anywhere (ouch!). I could tell he was a great guy, and I loved spending time with him ever since our first date, but I knew that I was going to inevitably be moving out of the state to attend school if I was accepted. I suppose I had an “ending date” stamped on our relationship…because honestly…who in their right mind would want to be in a serious relationship with me knowing that I am packing up and moving a few months down the road?

Thankfully, I was wrong about that! Mr. Buttons quickly changed my perspective on things. In the end, I decided to simply let things progress naturally (which was not my first instinct…I was so worried that he or I would hurt the other’s feelings). And, as you can probably tell, the relationship took off, and here we are today! I still pinch myself sometimes because I feel like I’m dreaming to have someone in my life who loves me enough to pick up and move across the country with me. I can’t imagine my life playing out any differently!

So what about you...were you looking for love when you met your significant other, or did he/she pop up out of nowhere?

My feelings on “THE dress:” I make up my mind…

I suppose I should have started my dress-buying series with the caveat that the shopping experience happened months ago (in the summer, actually)…thank you to everyone who has offered advice/tips over the past few days though!

So…where did I leave off? If you are behind:

Part 1: My inspiration, Part 2: I went shopping

And in Part 3, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. I make up my darned mind!

After shopping around at a few other stores, my mom, grandma, and I headed in to CC’s Boutique in St. Petersburg for my appointment. I filled out my info card, and then my consultant, Monica, met with me to start the dress process (by the way, she was amazing!). She had me describe the details that I was looking for in my dress…I provided her with 5 key words: lace, strapless, sweetheart neckline, fitted. Then we began.

Monica explained that the first dress she brings out is the one she feels is the closest match to your ideal dress. Depending on how you react to the different aspects (too tight? Too sparkly? Too poofy?), she adjusts her dress selections from that point.

And…wouldn’t you know it…the dress I purchased was indeed the first one she brought me. But first, let me show you another dress that almost stole my heart, before the big reveal...

Obviously, we couldn’t stop at the first dress even though we loved it, so I spent an hour or so trying on various gowns, comparing each one to the first dress. I tried a beautiful organza gown in champagne by Pronovias, the Oleaje, that was a top contender for a while (actually, you may have seen it before, on a featured wedding on TheKnot! And, coincidentally, she got married at my venue…). Monica informed me that we could easily have the straps taken off as well...yay! The price was also great - at around $900, I would still be under my original $1000 budget.

Sadly, I wasn't allowed to take pictures of myself in the Pronovias gown, but trust me (and the pictures below)...it was gorgeous!

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But...in the end I kept going back to the James Clifford. It met all of my criteria; strapless, form fitting, the neckline, and the lace…perfection. No sparkle, no beading. Glorious. My grandma started to cry when I first put it on. My mom was sold on it, my grandma was sold on it...and then I flipped the price tag when Monica was out of the room, and felt a little sick. My beautiful lace dress was $500 over my budget. Crap.

Well, I'll make a long story short, but after a little hemming and hawing over the price...and some serious reasoning/justification in my head...I decided that I was willing to take the plunge. Throughout my session, none of the dresses were close to being as perfect on me as the J1820 (sheesh, sexy name huh?). Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!

So, do you want to see it?

Well, the stock photos at least…for now…but I will say that the photos pale in comparison to this dress in real life…they just don’t do it a bit of justice whatsoever.

If you are Mr. Buttons, AVERT your eyes! Go away! And, if you don't want to see it, just don't scroll down!!!

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So…did you feel a sense of relief after you found your dress? Did you stick to your budget, or did you go over/under it?

Signature Sips...

When we met with our venue, the manager informed us that it would be very feasible for us to create some signature drinks to be served during the cocktail hour/reception. Of course, we want to allow our guests to order drinks of their choice, but I think it would be very fun to concoct a few special “somethings” for them to sip on! We want to have at least two cocktail options, and perhaps name them after ourselves (if we can be creative enough)!

There is so much inspiration out there, its overwhelming! First, I hopped over to theKnot to check out some photos in the gallery…

We could be very simple and serve champagne, or spice it up by adding a fruit floater on top…

(also from theKnot)

Mmm although these don’t match our color scheme, a combination of champagne, orange juice, and grenadine looks absolutely delish! Our cocktail hour will take place at sunset…perhaps these could reflect the beautiful color of the sky (assuming we have good weather!)…

TheKnot

Mojitos could work well with out color scheme…the mint leaves would match wonderfully! Ples, they are one of my favorite drinks…

TheKnot

So, clearly there are some yummy options out there…but then Mr. Buttons and I started brainstorming ourselves…what if we created our own drink for the day? Or, could we copy some of our favorite drinks that we have had at restaurants…etc? I have a few ideas…

Last winter, I was obsessed with Bonefish’s Winter White Cosmo (pictured in the front):

Courierpress.com

It is a mixture of vodka, Cointreau, lime juice, white cranberry juice, and it is garnished with frozen cranberries. Perhaps the frozen cranberries could be switched for something else that would make them less “wintery” (perhaps a pretty twist of lime to play up the green?).

My favorite martini at P.F. Chang’s? The Chinese 88 Martini. It is a mixture of gin shaken with lemon juice, and topped with sparkling wine. YUM-O! I have made these myself at home, substituting sour mix for the lemon juice to make it less tart, and they turned out amazingly! We could also garnish these with limes instead of lemons to play up the green hue…

And then…we have a mutual favorite of both Mr. Buttons and I…we don’t have an official name for it, but we make them on a weekly basis…

Doesn’t it look refreshing?!?! (and ummm it kind of looks like it is floating, no?)

Here’s the recipe if you would like to try it yourself…(ignore the lovely electrical socket in my picture...haha)

1 ½ oz (1 shot) citrus vodka

½ can Fresca

cranberry juice

lime

I fill a tall glass halfway with ice, then add the vodka and Fresca (up to about ½ inch from the top). Add a splash of cranberry juice to taste, and squeeze a wedge of lime. Stir, and enjoy!

We definitely have some decisions to make…thankfully there is still quite a bit of time for us to determine this!

Do you have any favorite drink recipes that you would suggest? What do you think about a signature drink?