venue sneak peek...

we got it!

the venue is booked!  i am ahead on theknot.com's terrifying to-do list by almost 4 months!  this is a huge deal, since i am almost always behind on every other to-do list, ever.


*UPDATE*
Back to square one with the venue search.  And we can't get the date we want.  Rats.  Sometimes, eloping seems like the best bet.


other things that are still looming on the horizon:
-band
-flower arrangements
-bridesmaid dresses
-groomsmen attire
-colors
-menu/tasting (but now that we have a venue, that will come soon!)
-save the dates and invitations
-and probably about thirty gazillion other things that i have no idea about yet.

eeee!  exciting.  scary.

luna di miele

my dream honeymoon would be to go to tuscany.   jordan has never been, i am dying to go back, and it really just doesn't get more romantic than italy.

staying up all night drinking wine sitting under the ponte vecchio

taking a stroll to the piazza michelangelo
 to see this beautiful view of firenze

visit vestri cioccolateria for orange-chocolate gelato...
the best in the UNIVERSE.

day trip to cinque terre to hike between the 5 seaside villages

stroll through the san lorenzo market to haggle with vendors
for fresh cheese, fruit, and leather!

spending the day in san gimignano exploring their old cathedrals...

...and spend the evening sipping their
delicious white wine!

have a picnic outside the palazzo pitti...

...then get lost in the boboli gardens.

dress success!

so, i think i found the one.  and i don't just mean a guy, but i mean a gown too!

on tuesday morning my mom and i took a train up north to connecticut.  our travels north were not without difficulty, as we were stuck at a standstill on the tracks on an overpass in new jersey due to a gas leak at a station 10 miles ahead.  finally, after almost 2 hours of sitting completely still, we got moving again.   

my mom's friend ally picked us up from the station and our wedding mid-week extravaganza got off to a bang!  she took us right away to juliska, a beautiful portuguese tableware designer, for a quick bite in their cafe and a meeting with their registration consultant.  it was beautiful, and the items in their store are exquisite.

we also stopped at a stationary store to get a taste of all of the options available for invitations, save the dates, place cards and more.  i think the stationary might be the most overwhelming part of the planning...there are so many beautiful options and so much to think about!  letterpress?  calligraphy?  deckled edges? (<---i didn't even know what that meant before tuesday...but now i know i need it!)

that evening we had a beautiful dinner on the terrace at ally's house...pici with homemade pesto with basil from ally's garden, cherries, and champagne!  before bed we all were flipping through flower books and wedding magazines, marking every other page with post-it notes.

i could hardly fall asleep that night since i was so excited.  my eyes popped open at 6 am and i couldn't get back to sleep!  i lay in bed until i heard other people in the house moving around, then i got up, got ready, and off we went!  we drove into the city and hit some traffic going in, so i was about 20 minutes late to my first appointment, but the consultant understood since new york is never not trafficky.

the first boutique was super-tiny, with all the dresses hanging on just one rack.  since i had been obsessively looking at all the dresses on the website in the weeks before, i knew exactly which ones i wanted to try on.  at first, i will say that i was honestly a little disappointed that my absolute favorites were not exactly stunners when i actually got to try them on.  maybe it is because i am not a five foot eleven rail thin model.  but all hope was not lost: my mom suggested that i try on a gown that she had really liked on the website.  it wasn't my favorite of the bunch, but since there were only ten to choose from, and we had a two hour appointment, i obliged.

i have to say that my mom really called it: the gown was PERFECT.  you know how on that show "say yes to the dress" the girls usually start crying when they find the dress they want?  well, that happened.  the consultant brought out a veil and then all bets were off.  we were all a hot mess with runny mascara and everything.  it was wonderful!

we had appointments at two other boutiques (one of which had a broken air conditioning system...you can imagine trying on enormous gowns in 98 degree heat and new york humidity was not the most pleasant situation).  although all the other gowns i tried on there were absolutely gorgeous, beautifully constructed, and made me feel like i was going to an affair in Hollywood circa 1948, they didn't make me feel like me the way the first one did.  i have even had a few dreams about that first gown since i tried it on, so that must mean that it is the right one for me.

so the traffic, the heat, the stress of not fitting into all the sample sizes, the boob slips, the sweat, and the tears all paid off.  i can't wait to go back in august to seal the deal!

wedding season has begun!

yesterday afternoon jordan and i journeyed to pennsylvania for a wedding for one of his old friends.  i was excited about this wedding since it is the first i have been to since getting engaged!  i paid attention to little details i never would have looked at before.

some things i liked:

-a great selection of cold appetizers and crudites at the cocktail hour (including delicious cheese!!) something for everyone!  perhaps it is odd that i am listing this first, but i really do love some good cheese.  manchego, figs and olives?  sí, ¡por favor!

-spider mums to add a little pop of color to centerpieces of white roses, white hydrangeas and white lilies.

found here

found here

found here

-an outdoor ceremony and an indoor, air-conditioned reception.  no matter how pretty it is outside, summer weddings are hot, and i get cranky if i have to eat dinner under a tent in 100 degree temperatures.  i'm the bride, and i say my reception is going to be inside. :)

the cairnwood mansion was a beautiful spot for an outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception in a gorgeous, gilded age mansion reminiscent of the biltmore

-photo booth pictures for guests, bride and groom!  at this wedding an instant photobooth was set up, with room for six people, the option to take your photos in black and white.  the machine printed out 2 copies: one for the guests to keep and one to go in an album for the bride and groom.  the pictures are available online for guests 2-3 days after the wedding as well.  SO much fun!  the wilmington photobooth company provided their services for this wedding.

how many people can fit into one photobooth?

-vests from j. crew for the groomsmen.  SO sharp!

j. crew suit vest in italian chino, $98

-a chocolate fountain.  a bit messy, but so delicious, and so distracting that i forgot to get a piece of wedding cake!

killer chocolate

i can't wait to go back home to the eastern shore next weekend to celebrate the wedding of our friends, phil and jess.  can't get enough weddings now!

over sensitive?

also, this commercial pretty much made me cry.  does that mean that i'm crazy?

bergdorf bride

a family friend suggested that we go to bergdorf's during our nyc gown outing.  although i lack the money to own one of these masterpieces, i am still allowed to dream, right?

notte by marchesa, one-shoulder flower detail gown

i love the flower on the shoulder, and this gown proves that you don't need to show cleavage to be sexy.

j mendel, ruffle bust mermaid gown

 i generally tend to think that mermaid silhouettes are a little too barbie-esque, but they can be sweet when they aren't black taffeta.

zac posen, pleated mermaid gown

how fun would it be to twirl around the dance floor in this gown??

carmen marc valvo, pleated metallic halter gown

ok.  i LOVE this.  i love everything about it.  i know that don't want a bridal white gown, and so this metallic shade is daring and modern!  and the halter neckline is universally flattering, and the deep plunging back is SO sexy and feminine!

now, i don't know which one of these gowns i would actually wear, because i don't think any of them are really me...but they really are beautiful!

dress shopping!

so my mom and i are heading up to nyc next week to go on my very first gown search!  it all stemmed from the beautiful dresses i found on one designer's site that she sells exclusively at her shop on the lower east side.  (i will refrain from posting specifics or pictures because jordan is not allowed to see!)  but the good news is that she also makes bridesmaid dresses, so i will get to see two of her beautiful collections at the same time!

i am so excited, but also very nervous.  what should i wear?  what if it is a billion degrees and i sweat all over the gowns?  i just saw the movie "bridesmaids", so i know that i will stay away from a spicy lunch before trying on dresses.

when i called this particular salon three weeks ago to schedule my appointment, i had a classic molly embarrassing moment.  i called them literally as soon as i found their gown collection online, and i didn't realize that my phone battery was dying.  my phone makes a really loud "beep" noise periodically as its battery charge slowly dies, and this "beep" interferes with any conversation that you're trying to have over the phone and makes it difficult to hear the person on the other line.  so my phone call with this bridal boutique went something like this:

Lady: Good morning, _________, how may I help you?
Me: *BEEEP*Hi, I was interested in making an appointment to try on your bridal gowns.
Lady: Wonderful...
[Appointment is made]
Lady: Now, there are a couple of things you need to do when you come in.
Me: [with pencil and paper eagerly in hand] Yes? *BEEEP*
Lady: Make sure you arrive fifteen minutes early, and be sure to wear flesh-colored underwear and *BEEEP*.
Me: Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't hear that last part, what did you say?
Lady: I said, be sure to wear flesh-colored underwear and *BEEEP*
Me: Oh god, I'm really sorry, my phone is...um...I just...could you just say that last part one more time?
Lady: [notably frustrated] FLESH COLORED UNDERWEAR AND A STRAPLESS BRA.
Me: okthankyouverymuchilookforwardtoseeingyousoonbye.

SO embarassing.  i hate asking people to repeat themselves, and the lady probably wasn't thrilled about having to repeat detailed undergarment instructions three times.

wish me luck this week!!

welcome!

as if i need another project...

but since so many people that i love and care about are far away from me, i wanted to start an inspiration board for all things wedding related to get myself and everyone else ready for the big day next summer!

so in between all the calls, emails, skype dates, venue searches, fittings, auditions, tastings, and all the stress in between, check here to find pretty things and let me know what you think of them!

love,
molly