Figs & Ginger - Bridesmaid Gifts

Now you all know I have a LITTLE thing for woodland creatures. Since last year I've had a MAJOR thing for Figs & Ginger (they are currently on vacation hiatus, but they'll be back). I happen to own both pairs of these earrings, the birdies and the fawns both in the silver finish (the patina finish is shown here) and I wear them daily. They are the perfect size to wear everyday, but are more interesting than a standard stud. All pieces are made-to-order with care and are made of eco-friendly sterling silver by a husband and wife team.

If you are looking for a little something to give your bridesmaids these would be a fabulous little gift. Heck, just pick up a pair for yourself. They are the most versatile piece of jewelry I've ever worn (besides my engagement ring of course).


(I'm apologizing now for this weekend's posts as they will be on the mushy side. You have been warned.)

Pre-Wedding Beauty - The Wedding Workout

Looking for something to help you whip yourself into shape? Don't have the time or funds for the gym? Tight on space? I started this workout 4 weeks ago as part of my new years resolutions and the start of my new health and beauty routine for the wedding. I figured I'd do a little review.

The way this DVD is set up is you can either choose to do a workout routine built for strapless gowns (upper body focus) or a routine built for fitted or short dresses (lower body focus). Each of these combines a series of segments into daily routines (one for each day of the week and resting on Sunday). So everyday you are focusing on different things (one day I do cardio and lower body, one day I'm working upper body, one day I'm focusing on abs & core, etc.). OR you can create your own workout with the a la carte style menu.

To make a long story short, I'm loving this DVD. It's quick and efficient and so far it's been effective. I'm feeling better, with more energy and looking better too. It's certainly not for dramatic changes, but if you use it consistently you should start seeing some areas firming and toning. I'm noticing changes especially in my hip and butt (which has always been a tough area for me to tone).

Plus, it has some cute segments about walking in heals, what to eat leading up to the big day and "enjoy your honeymoon" aka striptease 101. *wink*

So I give this an A so far. I plan on continuing it up until the wedding at least so I'm feeling confident and beautiful in my dress. You can pick this up on Amazon.com or anywhere else you buy DVD's. Hope this helps some of you.

Real Wedding - George & Glenn

(Photography by Alison Pierce Photography)

In the most recent issue of Portland Bride & Groom this wedding was featured and I couldn't get over the amazing DIY details and perfect setting. And what's not to love about those amazing custom made suits and that big beautiful old tree that served as a backdrop for the ceremony. To see more photos and read more about the lovely little details head over to Portland Bride & Grooms website. Here are a few more of my favorites.

Freedom to Marry Week.

This week is the 12th annual Freedom to Marry week and with all the recent developments with proposition 8 it is more important than ever to show your support. If you have a second, please stop by Freedom to Marry and see what you can do to help support the cause.

In a couple hours I will be sharing a few photos from my recent favorite wedding featured in Portland Bride & Groom magazine.

Just a bit of fun. Word Clouds.

Not really wedding related (though I'm sure I could find a way to relate it) but super fun. Head over to www.wordle.net and make a word cloud! Enter text or a URL (in this case I entered the URL of my blog) and see what it produces. Some of you may see your names in this one. Have fun and happy planning!

Save-the-Dates are done. Vistaprint.com review.

Well, as promised here are our completed Save-the-Date cards (which are going out this week). Overall I'm fairly pleased. They weren't terribly expensive, but we did have to order 100 so we have a lot left over. The cutting was a little off, so some of the design that bleeds off on the right side would show up a little on the left side too. And the cutting in general wasn't very good (edges were rough and jagged) so I trimmed them up a little myself before sending them out. The printing quality was fair. Some cards were streakier than others and the colors are a lot lighter than they were supposed to be (vista, if you are reading this, you really should re-calibrate your printer!). But again, overall you get what you pay for and I'm glad they were done quickly and cheaply.

One more thing to cross off the list.

Teaser Shots - Joanna & Wyl

Remember Joanna & Wyl's engagement session photos? Well, I've been meaning to post the teaser shots she sent me. I can't wait to see the rest of the photos of their GORGEOUS Greek fall wedding. Joanna is one of the most stunningly beautiful brides I've ever seen and man, does she have taste! This is a fall wedding done 100% right. Photography by Carasco Photography.

Stick around in the next couple weeks to see the rest of Jo and Wyl's wedding. Have a great weekend everyone!

Yum! (and coming soon...)

Just love this photo. You know how much I love photography of all the little details. This shot is just perfect in my opinion. Photo courtesy of Christina Gilchrist.

Coming soon: Vendor review for out save-the-date cards designed by a friend and printed by Vistaprint.com. As well as my wedding work out and grooming routine. Plus, we are six months out as of February 15th! Nearing the home stretch now!

Our Alternative Solution to Groomsmen Attire.

Those of your with groomsmen all overt he country can feel my pain on this one. We originally wanted to rent suits, but after hear the price, the hassel it would be to rent them for guys all over the country and how ill the fit was going to be we skipped the whole thing and looked for a new solution.

Jared will be buying a suit for the wedding day, but for the rest of the guys we selected this green v-neck from gap.com and are going to pair it with a white shirt, brown tie, khakis and a brown belt and shoes. The sweater is so light weight they should be much more comfortable than they would have been in a stuffy, ill fitting suit and it will cost them a fraction of what a suit would have. I think it will look really nice and be a great way to add some color to our wedding party too.

I spent all morning frantically calling every gap in the state of Ohio to locate and order these sweaters since they were taken off the website. Talk about a headache. But at least they are purchased and ready.

One more thing to check off the list.

Bridesmaids in Patterns.

(Photo courtesy of Brooke Schwab Phototography.)

I've always loved the idea of skipping the usual solid colored bridesmaid dresses and opting for a pretty pattern or floral instead. As you probably know, I'm a huge fan of print and texture, so I really think it gives the bridal party some depth.

Later I'll post some of my picks for patterned bridesmaid dresses. For now, here are a few more pictures from theknot.com of pretty bridal parties in patterns.