Surprise! It's another wedding!

Okay . . . so sometimes plans get changed . . . sometimes summer weddings become fall weddings . . . as in THIS fall . . . instead of next summer! Yes, that's right, my daughter Bethany, who was supposed to be getting married next summer (and I thought I had plenty of time to recoup from my other daughter's wedding this past summer) has decided to get married on Columbus Day weekend! That's right, just 1 1/2 weeks from now!

It's going to be a small intimate wedding--the ceremony at the bandstand where Jenni & Jose were married and a nice roast dinner at the house after with champagne, mulled cider, a pretty cake and background music. I am going crazy decorating right now--candles everywhere, pumpkins, bittersweet, mums and bowls of candy! It's going to be great--small, economical and very romantic!

Luckily, Bethany already had the dress--Bob bought a suit, she bought shoes--they lined up a JP, already have the marriage license, just ordered the roast and the cake and phoned the guests! Things are moving quickly--and I, being the mother-of-the-bride once again (just 2 months later!) want for it to be just as magical as Jennifer's wedding--so, my job is to decorate, to fill the house with everything fall and romantic and cozy and spiced!

The cake above is similar to the cake she and Bob have ordered. We will make her bouquet that morning--some sunflowers with some red and orange dahlias or gerbra's. I just love the rich colors of fall!

I'll post again on my progress . . . if I have time! Who says you can't plan a wedding in just 3 weeks? Just you watch me!

Summer Hydrangeas to Inspire for Wedding #2

Okay, so it's time to get the creativity flowing again for wedding #2! Beth loves the idea of using hydrangeas and I think they are just so pretty at weddings, maybe mixed in with some white freesia or white roses! Anyways, found these pretty invitations to inspire me! Jenni will most likely design the invites for her sister (since that's what she does), but it helps me to have some kind of image to jump off of, to come up with ideas and so here they are--my fave hydrangea invites (actually, I couldn't get me very favorite to upload--click here to see it). Beth's thinking of a midnight blue for her bridesmaids, but I'm thinking we need another color to go with this . . . any ideas?

DIY Wedding Album Search

All the photos are in and thanks to all the photographers out there, we've over 1,000 photographs of Jenni and Jose's wedding!

Now, what to do with them?! We've decided to make our own album online; the only problem, how to choose!


Picaboo has some really beautiful albums, a variety of options and easy-to-follow instructions. You can incorporate double-page spreads, custom backgrounds, collage pages and more. Prices range from $19.99 - $349.00, depending on the size and style.


But I'm not sure we need so many bells and whistles; I'm thinking of a clean and simple design and layout; something that will showcase the beauty of that day--the summer colors, the beach setting, the gorgeous flowers, and of course, the bride. The wedding was classic and simple--I think the album should reflect that as well.

Shutterfly had more of the simple and elegant design choices I'm looking for. Just look at the fun and casual feel of the cover below! This better matches Jenni's style and the mood of her seaside summer wedding.




They have a "storyboard" feature that helps you design your album and choose the best layout. The only thing is, I'm not sure if the page count is limited and it doesn't tell what options might be available. Prices start at $19.99 and all albums are 20% off until September 23. What I like about Shutterfly are these soft and simple color choices.


And, so the search continues for the best DIY wedding album--stay tuned!

Whatever J Crew Can Do . . .

. . . I can do for less! I just love J Crew's classic timeless beauty in design. So when I found this $165. Sophia dress (far right) on sale last January at J Crew for $39.99 (plus shipping), I snatched it up in bright rhubarb! A bargain!


Of course I just had to pair it with the same chunky gold jewelry the models were wearing! Above photo:J Crew's bauble bracelet for $70.00. Below photo: My TWO bracelets for $62. on etsy! The gold bauble was $22. from AMIDesigns and the one-of-a-kind vintage bracelet was $40. from kd designs.


And of course the red strappy shoes! J Crew price: $198. My price: $54. at zappos.com with free shipping!


Bottom Line:

J Crew Mom-of-Bride Ensemble: $503.00

My Mom-of-Bride Ensemble: $155.99

Woo-hoo!

The Ring Blessing

This is the ring dish I had made by elm studios on etsy.com! It was given to Jenni at her bridal shower as a prize for doing so fabulously in our little Newlywed Game (where we asked Jenni the same questions that we asked Jose ahead of time: she matched every one!).

At the bandstand ceremony, the best man, Bob, placed the rings in this dish and Jose's father, Jose Sr., who was a pastor in Guatemala, came up to say a few wonderful words and finally bless the rings. It was a beautiful moment, where God was brought into the ceremony and the lives of Jenni and Jose and their families.

Now Jenni and Jose have this darling little keepsake dish as a reminder of that special part of their wedding ceremony!

A Bridal Tea

Okay, so as Bethany has recently informed me, her wedding is only 11 months away (July 24, 2010)! No rest for the weary mom-of-the bride! This means her bridal shower is only say 9 months away! Needless to say, I've been searching the internet for fun and fresh ideas that won't in any way mimic her sister's shower.

I've come up with: a chocolate party, a wine and cheese gala, an evening margarita fiesta and the traditional bridal tea with all frills and pretty things. I came across these photos of a baby tea shower on Jordan Ferney's oh happy day blog and I couldn't resist tucking them into my possibility file--what a fun and festive shower idea for a baby or a wedding! Even if I don't use it for Beth's bridal shower, I'll save it away for a someday-baby-shower!

Just look at all the yummy treats on display! How smart to take a photo of it all!