Love this editorial from the June 2009 US Vogue. Lily of the Valley are in the running for bouquet status.
February 16, 2010
February 15, 2010
all angles
so my dress has a deep V back. I'm completely undecided about my hair. But if I wear it up, I was thinking of using a necklace to add some detail:
a gorgeous bride shot by the talented angelica glass
ashley olsen at last year's CFDA awards
Maybe some pearls?
February 14, 2010
really?!
WIC, you're killing me. for reals.
somehow, when you get engaged, the universe finds out. and starts bombarding you.
when you update your facebook relationship status to "engaged", all the ads on the right side turn to bridal diets and photographers.
I receive bridal expo postcards, and I have NO idea how these people got my address. I've been getting about one postcard a week. no joke. today when i checked the mail from the past couple days there were two. two different bridal expos in the area.
Today there was also a typed letter from an orthodontic office up in northern california. The letter began "dear bride" (even though my name was on the printed label on the envelope) and offered me discounted invisalign and whitening services. seriously? who are you people?!
So much paper wasted. no wonder some brides go crazy, thinking they need all that stuff.
somehow, when you get engaged, the universe finds out. and starts bombarding you.
when you update your facebook relationship status to "engaged", all the ads on the right side turn to bridal diets and photographers.
I receive bridal expo postcards, and I have NO idea how these people got my address. I've been getting about one postcard a week. no joke. today when i checked the mail from the past couple days there were two. two different bridal expos in the area.
Today there was also a typed letter from an orthodontic office up in northern california. The letter began "dear bride" (even though my name was on the printed label on the envelope) and offered me discounted invisalign and whitening services. seriously? who are you people?!
So much paper wasted. no wonder some brides go crazy, thinking they need all that stuff.
love
fiancee and i went out to dinner on friday since he had to work all weekend, so i'll be spending the day doing homework. but it's no big deal, valentine's day is a little too much for me. yes it's fun to get flowers and such, but the emphasis that this is the ONLY day of the year to show someone you really love them? um, no thanks. Our anniversary is in 2 weeks, so we usually celebrate that one. plus, it's a pain to try and go out to dinner ON valentine's day anyway. we're not the most patient, combine that with hunger and you're in trouble! So I still got to dress up, wear high heels and curl my hair, enjoy a delicious meal and a glass of white zinfindel with my future husband.
Let's talk honeymoon. It will be dependent on how much money we've got. Our parents are amazing and will be covering the wedding for us, but it will be a set budget (which we haven't decided yet).
Currently in the running:
northern california coast road trip: monterey, san francisco, bodega bay, possibly all the way up to mendocino. little B&Bs, cold foggy mornings, hole in the wall restaurants, fireplaces.
seattle, WA. the pacific northwest. cold, rainy. cityscape.
victoria, vancouver island, canada. i'm pretty adamant about this one. if we can swing it financially. vancouver island is actually fairly temperate, so although it'll be winter, the temp rarely drops below 45 F, just lots of rain. B&Bs/inns with fireplaces. beautiful scenery. day trips to vancouver to frolic in the city (which i hear has amazing and diverse food culture, we're all about food!).
New York City. Fiancee went after we graduated high school. and loves it. I've NEVER been, and it is very very high on my list of places to visit. i feel i might be overwhelmed by how many things there are to do there. but it would be so fun.
DREAM: England. i have a giant crush on England ever since studying abroad at Cambridge a few years ago. i would pack up and move in a second if i had the opportunity. it's just an unspeakable, indescribable feeling i have about that whole country, particularly London, Bath and Cambridge. I really want to share it with fiancee. I just don't think it's quite in the budget yet. It will definitely be a line item in my budget though, perhaps after a couple years we'll make it over the pond.
Let's talk honeymoon. It will be dependent on how much money we've got. Our parents are amazing and will be covering the wedding for us, but it will be a set budget (which we haven't decided yet).
Currently in the running:
northern california coast road trip: monterey, san francisco, bodega bay, possibly all the way up to mendocino. little B&Bs, cold foggy mornings, hole in the wall restaurants, fireplaces.
seattle, WA. the pacific northwest. cold, rainy. cityscape.
victoria, vancouver island, canada. i'm pretty adamant about this one. if we can swing it financially. vancouver island is actually fairly temperate, so although it'll be winter, the temp rarely drops below 45 F, just lots of rain. B&Bs/inns with fireplaces. beautiful scenery. day trips to vancouver to frolic in the city (which i hear has amazing and diverse food culture, we're all about food!).
New York City. Fiancee went after we graduated high school. and loves it. I've NEVER been, and it is very very high on my list of places to visit. i feel i might be overwhelmed by how many things there are to do there. but it would be so fun.
DREAM: England. i have a giant crush on England ever since studying abroad at Cambridge a few years ago. i would pack up and move in a second if i had the opportunity. it's just an unspeakable, indescribable feeling i have about that whole country, particularly London, Bath and Cambridge. I really want to share it with fiancee. I just don't think it's quite in the budget yet. It will definitely be a line item in my budget though, perhaps after a couple years we'll make it over the pond.
February 13, 2010
love love love
February 9, 2010
check
p.s. did I mention I got my dress?
Because I did!
My mom and I stopped into David's Bridal on a whim while I was home over christmas. I tried on a few dresses and just felt like i was playing dress up. Then I finally tried on one that I'd been eyeing online for a while. It combined all the different elements I wanted in a dress. I felt comfortable, felt like myself. No crying just calmness. Also it was on sale and I got to take it home that very day. It also happens to go along with my mom/grandma's veil quite well. yay!
It only needs hemming and a bustle, otherwise it fit like a glove! Also David's does a complementary spot clean/re-beading/pressing when you get alterations so even though I took home a sample, they'll make it look good as new.
That's out of the way. No more looking at dresses for me, I've been very good. Deleted all the pictures, un-bookmarked the websites. I can't imagine wearing anything else. It's hanging safely in a closet at my parents house. I can't wait for Fiance to see it when I walk down the aisle!
Because I did!
My mom and I stopped into David's Bridal on a whim while I was home over christmas. I tried on a few dresses and just felt like i was playing dress up. Then I finally tried on one that I'd been eyeing online for a while. It combined all the different elements I wanted in a dress. I felt comfortable, felt like myself. No crying just calmness. Also it was on sale and I got to take it home that very day. It also happens to go along with my mom/grandma's veil quite well. yay!
It only needs hemming and a bustle, otherwise it fit like a glove! Also David's does a complementary spot clean/re-beading/pressing when you get alterations so even though I took home a sample, they'll make it look good as new.
That's out of the way. No more looking at dresses for me, I've been very good. Deleted all the pictures, un-bookmarked the websites. I can't imagine wearing anything else. It's hanging safely in a closet at my parents house. I can't wait for Fiance to see it when I walk down the aisle!
February 8, 2010
miracles
Fiance and I had a reality check early on regarding the fact that life is not perfect and therefore weddings certainly will not be perfect.
I feel like my engagement ring really symbolizes us and myself. Simple, frugal and unique. Plus I love gold, fair-trade/sustainability and organic-style jewelry. Sarah Perlis fit the bill. I had showed him some of her work months before. And afterward he spent a long time searching through google images to find her website and surprise me with the ring. Unfortunately he ordered too small. So I had to wait a week, wearing my engagement ring on my pinkie until we had the time to get it resized. I was so excited to finally wear it once that was done.
That was also finals week for me, absolutely insane as usual. Thursday night I had a huge group presentation (that didn't go so great), then headed to Yard House to meet up with two of my TAs from England when I studied at Cambridge. It was their first time to America and they were only going to be in the area for that one night. So even though I had a final the next day to study for and I still needed to print out and organize a 150 page report to be turned in the following morning. But I had to take at least an hour break to sip some cider while catching up and reminiscing. It was wonderful. After Yard House I drive all the way home (over 20 miles). Only to realize the moment I walked in the door that I had left behind my flash drive in one of the computers at school, which had the entire project on it. I freaked and raced back to my car, calling everyone I knew to see if someone could find it. Luckily someone did and was holding on it while I drove the almost 20 miles back to school.
I finally get to school and get my flash drive. Sigh of relief. I sat down at one of the computers just to double check the project and make sure everything is there. Then I look down at my beloved engagement ring. and the diamond is gone.
I was stunned. I felt like someone got the wind knocked out of me. The last time I had seen it was at Yard House. My friend helps me trace my steps across the industrial carpeting, down the stairwell, across concrete and asphalt to my car. Scour my car for a teeny tiny rough diamond. Nothing. Because that diamond is uncut and small, it would be pretty much impossible to find, if one could even see it, it would look like a rock or a piece of glass. I tell my friend thanks and I'll be back to the lab in a minute. I get in my car and sob as I call fiance. To tell him that the beautiful diamond he gave me nine days earlier which he had saved up who knows how long for, was gone.
The first thing he says? "It's just a ring. Don't worry about. You have other things to deal with right now. We'll figure it out. Just get through finals. I'm sorry and I love you." One of the many reasons why I'm marrying this man.
I attach sentimental value to EVERYTHING, ticket stubs, packaging, brochures. It's ridiculous. So when it comes to one of the few things that actually deserves emotional attachment, I was a wreck. But he was right. It's not about the ring itself. It's about what's behind it. We lost the diamond, but we still love each other and can't wait to be married. It's not about the "stuff", the material objects. So I picked myself up, got everything done and managed to pass my finals.
We talked to our parents and our moms put together some old jewelry we could sell to put toward the new-diamond-fund. We thought about getting Fiance a credit card and putting the fee on there and start making payments so he can build up his credit. I didn't want a whole new ring, (frankly I still didn't even want a new diamond, I wanted my old one), so we held our breath and emailed Sarah Perlis to ask about how much it would cost.
And then a miracle happened. She emailed back with something along the lines of "Oh no! I'm so sorry. I will happily replace it for no charge." WHAT?!! And the universe was right again. There are still good people who do good things. So we sent back my little gold band through UPS and insured the heck out of it. Then I waited patiently for almost a month. I just got the ring back on Friday. So we've been engaged for 2 1/2 months and I've actually worn my engagement ring for a total of 7 days. The new diamond is more pear shaped than round and I'm super paranoid about it. But it will be a great daily reminder, both in the story behind it and the irregular, imperfect shape of the diamond itself, that life will not be perfect but it is still beautiful and full of love.
I feel like my engagement ring really symbolizes us and myself. Simple, frugal and unique. Plus I love gold, fair-trade/sustainability and organic-style jewelry. Sarah Perlis fit the bill. I had showed him some of her work months before. And afterward he spent a long time searching through google images to find her website and surprise me with the ring. Unfortunately he ordered too small. So I had to wait a week, wearing my engagement ring on my pinkie until we had the time to get it resized. I was so excited to finally wear it once that was done.
That was also finals week for me, absolutely insane as usual. Thursday night I had a huge group presentation (that didn't go so great), then headed to Yard House to meet up with two of my TAs from England when I studied at Cambridge. It was their first time to America and they were only going to be in the area for that one night. So even though I had a final the next day to study for and I still needed to print out and organize a 150 page report to be turned in the following morning. But I had to take at least an hour break to sip some cider while catching up and reminiscing. It was wonderful. After Yard House I drive all the way home (over 20 miles). Only to realize the moment I walked in the door that I had left behind my flash drive in one of the computers at school, which had the entire project on it. I freaked and raced back to my car, calling everyone I knew to see if someone could find it. Luckily someone did and was holding on it while I drove the almost 20 miles back to school.
I finally get to school and get my flash drive. Sigh of relief. I sat down at one of the computers just to double check the project and make sure everything is there. Then I look down at my beloved engagement ring. and the diamond is gone.
I was stunned. I felt like someone got the wind knocked out of me. The last time I had seen it was at Yard House. My friend helps me trace my steps across the industrial carpeting, down the stairwell, across concrete and asphalt to my car. Scour my car for a teeny tiny rough diamond. Nothing. Because that diamond is uncut and small, it would be pretty much impossible to find, if one could even see it, it would look like a rock or a piece of glass. I tell my friend thanks and I'll be back to the lab in a minute. I get in my car and sob as I call fiance. To tell him that the beautiful diamond he gave me nine days earlier which he had saved up who knows how long for, was gone.
The first thing he says? "It's just a ring. Don't worry about. You have other things to deal with right now. We'll figure it out. Just get through finals. I'm sorry and I love you." One of the many reasons why I'm marrying this man.
I attach sentimental value to EVERYTHING, ticket stubs, packaging, brochures. It's ridiculous. So when it comes to one of the few things that actually deserves emotional attachment, I was a wreck. But he was right. It's not about the ring itself. It's about what's behind it. We lost the diamond, but we still love each other and can't wait to be married. It's not about the "stuff", the material objects. So I picked myself up, got everything done and managed to pass my finals.
We talked to our parents and our moms put together some old jewelry we could sell to put toward the new-diamond-fund. We thought about getting Fiance a credit card and putting the fee on there and start making payments so he can build up his credit. I didn't want a whole new ring, (frankly I still didn't even want a new diamond, I wanted my old one), so we held our breath and emailed Sarah Perlis to ask about how much it would cost.
And then a miracle happened. She emailed back with something along the lines of "Oh no! I'm so sorry. I will happily replace it for no charge." WHAT?!! And the universe was right again. There are still good people who do good things. So we sent back my little gold band through UPS and insured the heck out of it. Then I waited patiently for almost a month. I just got the ring back on Friday. So we've been engaged for 2 1/2 months and I've actually worn my engagement ring for a total of 7 days. The new diamond is more pear shaped than round and I'm super paranoid about it. But it will be a great daily reminder, both in the story behind it and the irregular, imperfect shape of the diamond itself, that life will not be perfect but it is still beautiful and full of love.
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