Going fruity

A number of people have asked about my general ideas for my wedding color palette, so here are some images that might paint a clearer picture of what I'm going for. I'm looking at watermelon and canteloupe/peach as my primaries, with light lemon and lime accents.

Think: 1920s garden party, early summer florals, gentle breeze and cold pitchers of sweet cocktails and fruit drinks...

{all above via elizabeth anne designs}

I DO: BHLDN, a romantic and affordable wedding line

I have always loved Anthropologie. Not just because I was a cultural anthropology major in college and have an affinity for the name, or because their clothes and home decor are too cute for words, or because the PA-headquartered company's first store -- located on the Main Line in Wayne, PA -- was only a short drive from my parents' house when my interest in fashion began to bud.

I've loved Anthropologie because they "get it." They get me. They know that girls like me don't want to dress like vixens or runway models all the time -- they want to feel comfortable and cozy in the clothes they're wearing or in the sheets they're sleeping under. They know we want quality clothes that will last, and that we're willing to pay a little extra for them. They know we value attention to details, like hand-beading, dyeing, ornamental buttons or mood-lifting patterns.

So today's news that Anthropologie will be rolling out a wedding line, BHLDN (pronounced "beholden") next month is simply warming the cockles of my heart. As my friend McLean explains on her fashion and life blog, the line will feature original designs from the brand as well as pieces by Fleur Wood, Tracy Reese, and Catherine Deane created exclusively for Anthropologie. Dresses will run from moderately priced ($1000) to moderately expensive ($4000). 

If the styles, fits, and detailing of these dresses and accessories are any reflection of Anthropologie as we know it I'm sure brides everywhere will be queuing up for the launch -- fittingly, on the most romantic day of the year: Valentine's Day.

The Martha Stewart debut

Had a great long weekend up in New York, and got to spend some quality time with a bunch of my close friends -- including my MOH and a couple of the bridesmaids.

I rendezvous-ed with Marisa at Penn Station an hour before the show and limped to the studio on my gimp foot (I forgot to mention in previous posts that I fell off a pair of 5 inch heels 45 minutes into the New Year, and seriously mangled my right ankle). After what seemed to be ages waiting in line in the blustery cold, we were ushered in to the studio to be prepped, to primp, and to submit our questions and release forms prior to taping.

The aforementioned gimp food proved fortuitous in the end, as it ushered me and Marisa to the front of the line and the front row of the studio audience.

The taping took almost two hours and it was a fun experience, but although we came back with some nice things (like an espresso machine, a swank pair of Hanky Panky's, and some Oscar de la Renta perfume) there weren't as many bridal takeaways as I had hoped. I think the most useful thing I went home with was the winter issue of Martha Stewart Weddings magazine.

Check out the preview for our TV audience debut here, where Marisa's bright orange shirt makes an appearance: http://www.marthastewart.com/show/the-martha-stewart-show/winter-weddings-show

The show airs today (Thursday) at 10am on the Hallmark Channel.

I DO: In love with United With Love

Hands down, United With Love is my favorite new wedding blog obsession.

Recently started by Nole Garey and Juli Smith, who were once DC brides themselves, United With Love features real Washington weddings and offers a plethora of creative DIY decorating ideas, playful themes, and unusual color palettes that so closely mirror my own taste. (Let's be honest, pretty much everything I'm going to do at my reception will probably have been stolen from a post I saw on UWL). It's hard not to find inspiration in a post, and I'm always clicking the refresh button to see if something new has been added.

And, without wasting an entire day at the office perusing the blog last month, I would never have found my photographer, Lisa, in the sea of DC vendors!

Washingtonian: Unveiled

Washingtonian Magazine is hosting its annual wedding showcase on January 23rd.

Aside from working the check-in desk at a bridal expo for extra cash in college, I've never attended one of these things and am yet to be sold on their merits. I tend to suffer from information overload (a la those annoying Bing commercials all over TV), and I feel like I would be over-inundated with different ideas and suggestions for vendors for every service I need to book all at once. I much prefer to do one thing at a time -- nail down a venue, find a priest, then get a photographer, a caterer, a florist, and so on and so forth down the line. Everything at once would just overwhelm me. Not to mention, $55 is a steep price to have advertisements thrown at you all day.

So I've entered to win tickets for free, and if I happen to get picked then I'll probably go. Otherwise, I'll just keep to my system and get any vendor info I need online from peer reviews on sites like Wedding Wire, Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot, and from an occasional purchase of Washingtonian's Bride & Groom magazine. 

Back from radio silence...

Once again, I've failed to update the blog regularly. For shame! Especially since December was such a busy month with a lot of goings-on that were definitely worth posting on here. So I'll try to get through a few updates as succinctly and as interestingly as I can.

Firstly, my friends' good juju with the Martha Stewart Show has rubbed off on me, and yours-truly will be in the all-bride audience next week for a very special weddings episode! At the encouragement of my Martha-in-training friend McLean, I submitted a very hastily-assembled pitch through the show's website as to why I deserved an invitation. Apparently, Martha's screeners bought it. So on Thursday, January 13th, I'll be heading up to New York City for an advance taping that will air at a later date (usually the show is live). And, I'm excited to say, I get to bring a fellow bride as a guest -- so that means my dear college friend Marisa (who ties the knot with fiance Aric this May) will be in tow. We've both been instructed to wear BRIGHT COLORS and be prepared to tell our engagement and wedding planning stories, so I'm hoping that means we'll get some one-on-one opportunities with Martha and possibly have the opportunity to win some prizes! At the very least, I expect to come home with some sweet audience swag. McLean and another friend, Kristina, told me they came back with amazing gifts from their audience experiences.

Secondly, we have booked an amazingly talented photographer, Lisa Boggs! :::The crowd roars!::: This development warrants its own post, so more on that later.







Thirdly, we have reserved a date at St. Mary Catholic Church in Old Town Alexandria for our ceremony, and will be importing our own Ukrainian Catholic priest! Both DC-area Ukrainian churches are far away from where we live, our venue site, and our preferred hotels for guests and are additionally not in areas that are easily accessible by metro or other public transportation, so exchanging vows at either location would've caused a lot of problems for everyone. It took some wheeling and dealing to convince parties on both ends, but it looks like we'll be able to pull this all off... and with only a little extra donation in our church coffer each Sunday.

Lastly, there are a ton of wedding showcases, expos, sales, and so-on ahead on the calendar to kick off the new year, and I will try my best to hit as many of them as I can!