A Sketch of Your Wedding Dress

Okaaay, I know I've been slacking. It's been almost a month since my last post. Ugh. Sorry ladies~ I've been preoccupied. I accepted a new position within my company on April 1st, so that's been keeping me busy on the weekdays (meaning, I'm not in the mood to sit in front of a computer again when I get home from work -- can ya blame me?). During the weekends, I'm doing one of two things -- planning our next vacation (Italy, baby!!!) or sitting at home waiting for prospective buyers to come see our place. Right now, I'm having an open house, and I thought I'd squeeze in a post while I wait for the knock on our door. We're trying to sell our place and move to a bigger place this year. Anyway... take a look at the beautiful sketch below...


To make up for my slacking, I wanted to find something cool to share with you all and I think I found it! This website My Dream Lines.com was featured in the spring 2009 issue of InStyle Weddings Magazine. They offer custom sketches of your wedding gown by an artist who lives in the South of France *lucky bastard*. The sketch would be approx. 8 1/2 x 11 in size if you want to frame it, or you could order it as a set of thank you cards. Prices start at about $100 depending on how detailed you want your sketch to be. For example, if you want to include your veil and bouquet, it might cost extra.

I think this would make a great gift! A gift to yourself for all the planning you did for the big day. A gift from the groom to the bride on the wedding day. A gift from husband to wife on their 1st year anniversary (afterall, paper is the traditional 1 yr anniversary gift). A gift from a friend or sister to the bride. Or even, a gift from you to your bridesmaids -- because you can order sketches of the bridesmaids dresses too!I I just love it~

Sweet Inspiration!

Are you thinking about having a candy buffet at your wedding? Sweet!~ Here are some amazing photos to inspire you...

A Family Affair and Some Cheap Ideas!

Happy belated Valentine's Day! And I guess happy President's Day too? I love 3-day weekends. I've always thought that all weekends should be 3 days long. It just seems more fair that way -- 3 days off and then 4 days of work, instead of just 2 days off and then 5 loooong days of work. Right? Anyway, my husband and I spent the entire weekend with my family and we just got back home about an hour ago. We celebrated my dad's b-day (which happens to fall on V-day, unfortunately for my mom) and we visited my grandfather. It was a family-filled weekend! =)

My parents are classic, hardworking immigrants. They came to the States in their twenties and have been here ever since. Every time I'm with them, I'm reminded of how unbelievably hard they've worked all their lives to give my sister and I everything we've ever wanted. So, it's no wonder that for several days after I visit them, I go on this "gotta-save-money-mission" where I try to be super frugal and not waste money on stupid, useless, over-priced "things" that I don't need. So, in the spirit of being cheap, I offer up some budget-friendly ideas for your big day.

When your guests arrive, they're likely going to bring cards (hopefully filled with cash!) and they'll need a place to hand them in. For my own wedding, my father took a plain cardboard box and wrapped it with pretty wedding-themed wrapping paper, cut a slit at the top of the box, and tied a white bow around it. It costs us nearly nothing and it worked great. To dress it up a bit, you can stack a bunch of different sized boxes (for height). Take a look at this one constructed from stacked Tiffanys boxes and white satin ribbon. It's eye-catching and unique... and best of all, cheap!


This next idea is one of my favorites! I wish I had thought to do this at my own wedding. Take a few vintage family photos and frame them for your guests to view at your cocktail hour. These can be a great conversation starter as guests mingle during the hour before your reception. I would use wedding photos to match the occasion. Ideally, you'll want to include small table cards or tags to identify each photo (i.e., "bride's parents" or "groom's parents") so the guests know whose photos they're looking at. Add small candles around the photos and you have a table filled with interesting and original decor. Love it~


My final idea for the day is for the more ambitious brides who are courageous enough (and organized enough) to create their own reception centerpieces. If you don't want to spend big bucks hiring a florist, but you do want flowers for your tables, try making your own "submerged garden" centerpieces (I just made that name up, but this look is a hot trend these days!). Just like in the photo below, you can buy various sizes of glass vases, fill them with water, and then completely submerge your flowers in the water for a soft, fluid look. A few tips: 1) You can purchase the glass vases at bulk prices from online wholesalers such as Save-on-Crafts or from arts & crafts retailers such as Michaels or AC Moore. 2) For the best selection of fresh flowers, cut out the middleman and go straight to your local flower market. The one in NYC is located on 28th Street from Seventh Avenue to Broadway as well as Sixth Avenue from 27th to 29th Streets. 3) To make sure that you preserve the freshness of the flowers, don't submerge them in the water until the morning of your wedding. 4) Don't be afraid to experiment with different flowers, different heights and shapes of vases, and feel free to try adding rocks or pebbles in the vases, and candles around the table. Have fun with it!!~

Spring Inspiration Board

Hello, fellow wedding junkies!
This is my very first post and also my first inspiration board. I created it for my dear friend who is thinking about having a blue- and yellow-themed spring wedding. I wanted to inspire a stylish, yet whimsical look that conveys that the couple doesn't take themselves too seriously and knows how to have fun. Afterall, a wedding is a big party... a celebration... and it should feel like one!

I'd love to hear from other brides who are thinking about blues and yellows. Inspire us with your ideas!