Rehearsal Dinner Invites? Yes, No, Maybe

I really never thought about whether you send invites for the rehearsal dinner, but with all the hours I am spending on the net... I have found some do send invites to the dinner. With booking the Bar B Que Shop for the Rehearsal Dinner. I couldn't help but think how cute would it be to send the following invites! Love them... Love the pig!

http://www.paperstyle.com/... great site for invites... I might even say reasonably priced.

Here... Piggy piggy piggy! Please be my invite!

Bubbles with a twist and some beads

This past weekend I took a night to dress up my yard sale bubbles. In one of the many magazines I have read, I saw a picture of the bubbles with ribbon and beads.

I added a bit more with using a colored wire and additional beads. I also used an embellished ribbon with loops on the edges. The tulle is ivory. The picture is a bit washed out. The beads are Chocolate Brown, Gold and Red.

I think they are adorable and well worth the night I sacrificed to complete them.

Love them... and I actually enjoyed the quiet time to make them.

Thanks Heidi for holding my hand at Michael's... to think I couldn't make a decision on the color of the beads or the pre-cut tulle or the wire color... The little decisions are just over whelming!

Pew Wreaths - Formal enough?

During discussions with my florist, I determined it was out of my budget to have pew markers. The church as double aisles... meaning each row has to have 4 pew markers. There are 21 rows in the church. I had never considered putting markers on every row, maybe just every aisles, but I had considered every 3rd aisles.

Basically, on the first and second row with the next marker on 5 row then 8 row then 11 row and so on. It totals up to 7 rows would have markers at 4 markers per row... 28 markers!

28 markers at .... yes $20 each!... is $560! What for markers on the pews... really! Oh so not worth it i my mind.

So on to plan B....

On Sunday, I took a few minutes before church to dress up one of the grapevine wreaths I purchased at Hobby Lobby (at 50% off $1.50 each!)

I didn't spend more than 5 minutes adding a few sprigs of Boxwood, Nandina, Curly Willow, and fallen Magnolia leaves (thanks Brandon and Kevin!) from my yard. I only had a small brown ribbon to use. In a perfect world, I would have used a coppery orange. So please use your imagination and add a beautiful Coppery orange ribbon on the wreath... adds a pop to the wreath.

Here are some of the results...

The question is... Are the formal enough? Are they too rustic?



















A few of the flowers that will be used in the other arrangements in the church might add more color and more "formal" feel to the wreath. Or will it? Here is a picture looking down the aisle.























Here is a pic of the pew... no marker. Anyone have any ideas on another possible "inexpensive" option for pew markers?

Party Supply Websites

Check out these party supply websites! Great ideas at great prices. My favorite idea on this website that I will probably incorporate into our reception is hurricane shade & base with a pillar candle surrounded by petals! Awesome!

At the Rehearsal dinner, I would love to use Ardent's 24 hurricane shades and add wood chips instead of petals. A ribbon tied at the bottom will add a punch of color.

http://www.save-on-crafts.com/ This is a very extensive website and very user friendly. The prices are reasonable which is always important. I love that they list additional items you might need when you click on a specific item. A project section is also available for everyone to browse. Not only do they provide a great number of project ideas, they provide detailed instructions on how to complete the project along with a list of items you will need with links to each item. This is a definite bookmark site.

http://www.chillerswholesale.com/ - Best koozies in the world! You can design your own using a simple program they provide. Great fonts and lots of graphics. Check it out and have fun designing your own Koozie! Love this site... I might have even ordered something... maybe... it's a surprise!

Grapevine Wreaths: I would recommend waiting until Hobby Lobby has a 50% off sale on wreaths. But check out these other vendors:

http://buygrapevines.com/grapevinewreaths.html

http://www.directfloral.com/productdetails.asp?ProductID=453055729

For all those Criers out there

Yes, I am one of those... I do tend to cry at weddings and thought I would help all my fellow "Criers" with a packet of tissues! The idea of having them available for those in need... seems to me to be perfect... The plan is to have the tissues placed next to the sign in book at the Church.

Did I mention they are a perfect match for our wedding invitations.

The following website has every type of tissue you might ever need - www.thetissuestore.com

Do I just do it... Do I just need to have these available? YES!

Bridesmaid Jewery Selected

Surprisingly... or not so! I had great difficulty picking the jewelry for my Bridesmaids.

Funny enough, once I stopped looking, the perfect jewelry found me. I wanted something fun, but still traditional enough for a formal wedding. It also needed to tie in the colors of my wedding - Chocolate brown, burnt orange-red, and gold.




Well, I think I found it!


If not, please let me know... (I could just be desperate at this point!)

I kept the receipt! Love a store with a great return policy.

Registries Completed

It's official... Elizabeth Montgomery and Joseph Brown have completed their wedding registry and listed below are where they are registered!

Macy's - http://www.macys.com/
Pottery Barn - http://www.potterybarn.com/
Bed Bath & Beyond - http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/

Lowe's - http://www.lowes.com/

I have had several people stated they could not locate any of our registries on the net. This post in my blog should insure that anyone who googles our name and registered should find this blog!

Celebrity Eyebrows available for the Masses

Have you been getting the "Eyebrow Makeover" you need when you have your eyebrows waxed?


Over the years, I have asked several professionals to give their opinion on the shape of my eyebrows. They each told me I was doing a great job and the shape was good. Some didn't even look, but they did say they looked great, right? Why question?

When I do get my eyebrows waxed, they never change the shape. They just clean up the edges so to speak. Even though I have always wondered... Do women change their eyebrow shape like the change their hair styles? Was I missing something that every other woman in the world was hip to?

Well... in the last several months, I have seen several makeover shows which featured a whole section regarding eyebrows. They had stencils, they had small scissors, they had small brushes, they had small combs and .... Each had a expert who spoke on the various shapes and the pros and cons of each based on eyebrow length and thickness. While watching, I noted that maybe I could indeed have a better shape than I had. And clearly, women do change the shape of their eyebrows.

Given the enormous pressure for great wedding photos, I definitely didn't want to have bad eyebrows!

I mean.... seriously, an entire section on eyebrows on a makeover show! That said I have been growing out my eyebrows! Please understand this does mean I've cheated on occasion and plucked the stray hair here and there.


If you too are worried about your eyebrows or just want a change, check out this website - www.eyebrowz.com. This website has tons of information on eyebrow shapes and even instructions on picking one. I also love all the photo examples with links to celebrities with the same shape.

Who knew you could order an eyebrow stencil so you could have Elizabeth Taylor eyebrows or for that matter Julia Roberts, Audrey Hepburn, Cher, Britney Spears, Jewel, Jennifer Lopez.... Hundreds of celebrities are available!

My favorite for my particular measurements is Niki Taylor's eyebrows!

Wedding Ceremony Songs

On Sunday, I had time to speak with the organist. He's a great guy and I was able to give him a short list of favorite songs for the ceremony. All very classic and traditional... no surprises!

And here they are...

Never knew I was such a Bach fan!

JESU, JOY OF MAN'S DESIRING - BACH
AIR ON THE G STRING - BACH
CANON IN D -PACHELBEL
THE BRIDAL CHORUS FROM LOHENGRIN - WAGNER
THE WEDDING MARCH - FELIX MENDELSSOHN
ARIOSO – BACH
HALLELUJAH CHORUS - MESSIAH
ODE TO JOY – BEETHOVEN (MAYBE)

If you would like to listen to them go to iTunes. They are all available for a 30 seconds snip it!

Here's a link to a pipe organ version of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lrsUbdeeK8

Round Two - Shoes ordered (again)

I actually had to go outside the US to find these shoes. A bit more than I wanted to spend... but nothing like a pair of Christian Louboutin Bridal shoes (Maybe one day and I will stop talking about these shoes).

I would love to have a pair of high end designer shoes, but with the average heel being 4 plus inches... my feet just can't take that kind of heel all day long.

The shoes I found are by Pura López and are entitled Alis. Pura López is a Spanish shoe designer who "believes that shoes are much more than a mere accessory: she sees them as a key means of expressing a sense of femininity and seduction, and which marks the difference between vulgarity and elegance." And I whole heartedly agree. This is the perfect ladylike pump... a perfect bridal pump! I love you Pura! You rock...

The website selling her shoes is http://www.footlux.com/! Check them out... they have an awesome selection of shoes!

I have had a blast tracking my shoes on the UPS website as they make their way from Madrid, Spain to my little feet in Memphis!

Keep your toes crossed they are all they can be!

Advice from a wise wife - Make the future special too!

I came across this suggestion today and I loved it! It reminded me of a conversation I had earlier this summer with a married friend of mine. I asked her if she had any suggestions about the wedding or any thing she wish she had done differently. They have been married almost 10 years and wouldn't change anything.... but she did regret that they had not paid enough attention to anniversaries. She wished that they had done something special for each one.

Well, I found the perfect idea to insure you do make those first anniversaries truly special.

Toast to Tradition

What it is: Like the true oenophiles you are, mark the milestones of the first few years of your marriage with fabulous bottles of wine, surrounded by the loving tributes of your friends and family.

How it's done: At the reception, set out five bottles of vino, one for each of your first five anniversaries. Tag each bottle with the specific anniversary that it will commemorate. Start with a great champagne, and then include four special vintages that will improve with age until their scheduled opening time. Gather a bunch of pens that write on glass (silver and gold Sharpies work well), and then invite your guests to cover the bottles with their well-wishes for that anniversary.

Tip: Be sure to store the champagne cork up, and the other four bottles on their sides in a dark, cool environment (a wine cellar or dry basement is best) until you're ready to enjoy them.

Crane's Etiquette is a most...

I am trying to finalize the wording on the invitation. Who knew there are so many rules to follow. A wise friend pointed me to Crane's Etiquette. Thank yo so much! If you are trying to find the perfect wording for your invitation definitely look to Crane's.

Visit the website at http://www.crane.com/etiquette.aspx?C=WeddingEtiquette&S=WeddingInvitation&I=Date_Line

I hope to have the finalized version of my invitation this week. As soon as it's done... I will definitely be posting it.

Wedding Night Booked!

Where to stay? Why does getting married require answers to so many questions? First it was Bridemaids dresses, then invitations, and last but not least... Shoes. During this whole time, I have also been considering where to stay on our wedding night. You would think this would be an easy decision. All you need is a decent hotel with clean sheets and no bugs, but for once... I will be arriving in a Wedding Dress! Not the day to plan on staying at the Hotel 6 or the Red Roof Inn.

You need a hotel with style, a grand entrance, valet parking, and close to the reception site. I have had several hotels in mind.

1. The Madison - www.madisonhotelmemphis.com
2. The Doubletree Downtown Memphis - http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/MEMDNDT-Doubletree-Hotel-Memphis-Downtown-Tennessee/index.do
3. The Peabody - http://www.peabodymemphis.com/home.cfm
4. The Inn at Hunt Phelan - http://huntphelan.com/

Well... some are now not available. All booked up and others have irritated me (no surprise here... Hunt Phelan!)

We have decided on the only one left - The Peabody!

An interesting fact: My maternal grandparents and my maternal great grandparents both spent their wedding nights at the Peabody! Both had wonderful marriages! I can only hope for the same.

Peabody here we come!

I decided to go with traditional my grandparent and my great-grandparents both spent their wedding night at the... (wait for it)... The Peabody!

Seriously... It's a pair of shoes!

As I continue the hunt for what have envisioned as the perfect wedding shoe, I have stumbled across many a shoe website. And being a good girlfriend, I thought I would pass them along to you. I have seen some phenomenal shoes at even better prices!

www.like.com - I can not recommend this site enough. Very user friendly and a whole lotta shoes... The site even has a "visual search". I love all the search able options they give you. Perfect when you know exactly what you need. (like wedding shoes) You will also notice $15 shoes listed beside $595 shoes. Very wide selection.

www.makemechic.com - Really cute fun and funky shoes. This site is a bit young... but aren't we all young at heart. The prices can't be beat. Definitely keep an eye on the shoe details. Some of these aren't always as new as you might like them to be. Also, if you are phobic about your shoe boxes, this might not be a site for you. Some shoes do not come in their original box! Heaven forbid! Anyway... just FYI. Oh... this fall I will be buying some of the fun boots they have!

www.zappos.com - I have purchased and returned shoes from this site. Very friendly and very professional. It's not my favorite site for getting around in, but I can't stress how easy returning a pair of shoes was. You can buy and feel comfortable knowing that if they don't fit, don't look right on your feet, aren't the right color... so on and so on... You can ship them back (at no cost to you) and they will credit you back for the full price! Love no pressure buying.



Happy shoe buying!

It's Forever - Engraving your rings

It's time to order our wedding bands and I started thinking about what to have engraved on Joseph's. As usual, I took a casual poll at work of who's ring was engraved and with what. I was surprised by the number that weren't engraved and I was really surprised by the number of husbands that didn't remember what was on the ring. Several had to actually take off their rings to read it to me.

I have flipped and flopped on this quite a bit... sweet or funny or sweet & funny.

Here are some of my favorites....


You complete me (date)
I love you... Now put the ring back on!
Nothing else matters
It's me and you honey bunch
Lets grow old together
You are SO mine
Soulmates (date)
Do or do not, there is no try
I made a wish and you came true.
You’re the music!
I'm not done with you yet!
Mine, all mine!
My dream came true...
A lifetime is all that I need...
Wrapped around you forever
Resistance is Futile
Everything I've ever wanted
Home is where we are...
Forever isn’t long enough...
If removed, alarm will sound.