Ooh La La Love!

Wow, ladies and gents, this is my last collage for the Behind the Veil competition. It's been a long journey, full of good times and stress (like life's supposed to be). But I have had a wonderful time, learned so much, and I'm getting really excited for the big Battle of the Betrothed weekend coming up fast (Feb. 6-8!!).

So for our last wedding theme, may I present, Paris!

*Insert iconic Parisian accordion music HERE*.

For our fair city wedding, a collage of the flavors and airs of Paris. Incredible fashion, simplistic gourmand food, sweeping architecture, back door cafe style, and...ooh la la...the Eiffel Tower.

So here's a few things to know when planning your own Parisian wedding. First, you'll find lots of cute stuff featuring the Eiffel Tower. Sweet. There's a lot of styles you can choose with a Paris themed wedding. Some cute ideas: turn of the century Paris - this theme touches into the early days of film making, with the yellowy photographs, and the iconic black and white striped shirts can easily be used (even though it's a Beatnik thing). You can go glamor and gallery - using the romantic architecture and couture fashion as your method. Or, you can go what I call "gentle Paris" - think cafes, strolls along the Pont de l'Archevêché, sitting in the park, and window shopping. Very cute things can be incorporated into this idea - like a backyard reception, waiters in those stripy shirts, cute little ceramic "Hotel de Paris" jars in the bathrooms, painted wood signs, and a nice mix of fancy gowns and wood folding chairs.

And so, ladies and gents, I present to you, my own version of "gentle Paris" - Ooh La La Love!

{Rebekah} Paris: Ooh La La Love! - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Love (and a diamond) is Forever

Wow, diamonds! Are they expensive, or what?! For today's wedding theme, splurge vs. steal: Diamonds, I wanted to be as true to diamonds as I could. Where I couldn't for the splurge, I tapped the amazing source of Swarovski crystals (and gals, if you can't have a diamond, this is one hell of a replacement!).

To keep this wedding from being too crazy expensive, I've formed both weddings around a total party of 30 people, with 5 total tables (6 a table). Half the guest receive the paperweight favor, half the key ring favor. Everyone has one diamondtini (ooo!), and each table is decorated with the table confetti.

So enjoy! Drool!

{Rebekah} Diamonds: Love (and a diamond) is Forever - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

I Pledge Allegiance to Your Love

Today's wedding is focused on Washington, DC. As I mentioned the other week, when I was 12 I went with my family to DC, and I fell in love with the town. It's always been my dream to live there (and work at the Smithsonian, drool!), and my sister and I's hope to one day open a restaurant there (we've got it all worked out).

For today's wedding, I wanted to showcase some of the amazing architecture of DC. There's so much to see, but not many places that will let you have a wedding or reception there (darn you, national archives!).

So for the wedding, the National Cathedral. Oh yum. And the reception? The Daughters of the American Revolution's Banquet Hall. Double yum.

Add a little southern hospitality and DC glamor, and you've got such a beautiful wedding. Enjoy!

{Rebekah} Washington DC: I Pledge Allegiance to Your Love - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Pop! Goes the Wedding

Ok, who got the title? It's a play on the song "Pop goes the world" by Men Without Hats, that incredible 80's band. And that's today's theme - the incredible 80's! When neon was the norm and jelly shoes were a fashion statement. So lets have a wedding!


There's a lot of different paths to take in an 80's wedding: 80's glam, 80's rock, 80's executive, 80's pop. I could go on and on. For this wedding, I wanted to use the 80's pop idea, cuz it's SO fun!


A few things to remember for your 80's wedding: Jelly shoes rock, the bride needs to wear lots of tule, and early Madonna is a mix of the 50's and shabby-chic. So grab your mix tape, and dance, dance, dance!



{Rebekah} 1980's: Pop! Goes the Wedding - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

The Best of Seattle: An Interview with Kelli Morse of Kelli's Creations

Tell me about Kelli’s Creations

Kelli’s Creations does wedding and specialty cake design. I have 15 years of professional experience as a cake designer, and I have been working for myself for the past 3 years. The whole process of the cake creation and design I do all myself.

What is your philosophy in wedding cake design?

My trademark is “cakes as unique and beautiful as you are”. I like to think about the bride a lot as I am making the cake, and I aim at making the cake as perfect as she wants it. The bride and I working together come up with the idea for the cake.

Why do brides come to Kelli’s Creations for their wedding cake?

Brides come to me because my cakes stand out both in flavor and look. I make my buttercream icing from scratch, and I only use high quality ingredients in my cakes. I’ve perfected making my cakes straight and level, people often ask “is this really a cake?” There are endless design possibilities I can do, and when a bride comes to me with a picture of a cake she wants I can duplicate it exactly.

What would you like brides to know when wedding cake shopping?

Brides should do their homework and ask questions on the pricing, this is where a lot of commercial bakeries get tricky. Some places charge more for little things here and there, like piping and special flavors. Ask question on what’s included in the price. When I quote a bride, it includes absolutely everything to create her cake.

What made you interested in participating in the Battle of the Betrothed?

When Christi Masi (of the Healthy Bride) approached me, I thought it sounded so exciting, and it’s been really great to get to be a part of this.

Any last comments?

I love what I do. I look forward to going to work every day, and I love weddings. Each wedding is different and I enjoy being a part of it.

Hole in One Love

A golf wedding is such a fun and easy sports-themed wedding to do. A ceremony and reception at a golf club, with ceremony on the green, some fun putting photo op's, and a ride on a golf cart for all! How fun!


Some extra ideas - include the kid's putting area in the reception and put up a neat sign "if you get a hole in one, we kiss!". For table numbers, use numbered golf flags (an easy DIY project too). There's so many neat things to do, and I've included some great ideas from other brides and grooms on my collage below.


Enjoy. And don't forget: fore!


{Rebekah} Golf: Hole in One Love! - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

The Best of Seattle: An Interview with Laura of Totten Photography

Tell me about Totten Photography

Totten Photography is myself, Laura Totten, and my lovely assistants, Dave Knirk and Stuart Grinnell. I photograph people and life events– weddings, families, pregnancies and newborns, high school seniors, reunions, and I do some fashion work as well. I photograph bands for KEXP, and some of my commercial clients are the Seattle Seahawks and the Sounders. Working recently with the Sounders (our soccer team) has been awesome because the players are so diverse and come from all parts of the world. But I always love to photograph people.

What is your philosophy or technique when photographing a wedding?

I like to let things happen naturally and try to capture the energy of the day. There are parts of the day when I’m directing people, but mostly I just put my couple in a location with good light and tell them “go be in love!” and something natural happens – they kiss or hold each other in a way that you just can’t choreograph, and that’s the moment I capture. The first time I meet with a couple, I make sure that my style of photography fits their needs. I also find out what they specifically want photographed (certain objects or moments), and what formal family pictures they expect. But usually they trust me to be creative and capture candid moments throughout their day.

What makes Totten Photography stand out? How are you unique from other wedding photographers?

My clients love that I have a calming effect on them and their wedding day, and they appreciate that I am unobtrusive. They also understand that I appreciate the sensitivity of what is happening during the day, and can capture it artistically. I balance capturing the event and allowing space for people to enjoy the day and be in the moment. Most of the time, people don’t notice me clicking away. And most often, I end up becoming friends with my clients! I include an engagement session with all my wedding packages, and this way we can spend some casual time together and see how the photography process works without the pressure of the wedding timeline. When I’m at a wedding, it’s like I’m a friend of the couple who happens to be photographing their wedding.

What should brides know when looking for a photographer to hire?

Two things- first, that they know exactly what they are getting for their investment (album, a disk of the images, etc). And as a couple, they should determine beforehand what they want (not necessarily what their friends want or what they’ve read in a wedding magazine).

Second, that they have good chemistry with their photographer. This is someone you’re spending your whole day with – your wedding day – and you should get along.

What made you interested in participating in the Battle of the Betrothed?

It sounds awesome – it’s a great idea to involve a lot of different wedding vendors and aspects of weddings and make a competition out of it. There are so many negative wedding shows on TV, ‘Bridezillas’ and disaster weddings, so it’s refreshing to participate in a fun and motivational event.

50's Family Wedding

The 1950's was the height of the classic American family, where kids and parents ate dinner together every night, and played board games with each other. It's the style of American family that many people today try to emulate. Some of my own best memories were spend around the table playing games with my parents and my sister (my sister often won).


With this wedding, I wanted to use that incredible clothing style of the 1950's with vintage clothing, but use that happy memory of board games and include them in the wedding reception, with each table (6 total) having a board game to play with each other. It's a great way, too, for in-laws to get to know each other better.


I also wanted to use the classic wedding style of simple, white, and clean in everything. The 50's were also the time of bleach and the perfect, crisp, clean clothes mom folded neatly in your dresser, so using that in the color scheme, and in the cake - simple, straight lines.


So enjoy these two versions of the 1950's wedding!

{Rebekah} 1950's: 50's Family Wedding - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

The Best of Seattle: An Interview with Amoreena of Midnight Blossom

Tell me about Midnight Blossom

I’m a studio florist, and I do weddings, events, and also arrangements for businesses. I try to work with people, find out what their vision is or what they’re going for, and then work with how to get that with their budget. I mostly work alone, but for the occasional big project I bring in other people, but the design is all done by me. I like to do something different that people haven’t seen before. I offer custom work, sculptures or art that people look at and say, “Wow, I haven’t seen that before”. I use flowers, not a couple blossoms and a lot of greenery. The flowers are worth the money my clients put into it.

What is your philosophy or technique when doing the flowers for a wedding?

With weddings I keep up with the trends and work from there. I see what’s going on and then make my own design from there, I’m not about creating a photocopy of what’s in the magazines, I use them as a starting point for something better. When working with a couple, I like to find out what the overall emotion is that brought them to a certain flower arrangement, and work with them on how to invoke that same emotion in an arrangement that reflects them but is also within their budget.

Why do and should brides choose Midnight Blossom for their wedding?

Most often, people go to my website and see that what I have to offer is different. I’m flexible, I don’t throw out a lot of rules and contracts at brides, and being that I’m a studio, I can be more flexible than the bigger shops and companies. I can easily travel and meet people or talk in my studio. Pricing is important too – I don’t have a lot of overhead, so when a bride spends $100 on a bouquet she really feels that she is getting $100 worth of flowers. And shopping with Midnight Blossom is supporting a local business!

Do you do something or have a floral item that is uniquely yours?

I don’t have a trademark item, I try instead to create something unique for that moment. I like always making new things for my clients and surprising them. I do a lot of natural items, wood, bamboo, sand, stones, driftwood, and birch bark. When clients see something natural and relaxing, they know it’s made by me. My style is cohesively mine. I like to use other botanical elements too, like feathers or pods. I go out to the mountains and the ocean and find my inspiration there. My work is celebrating the world outside and bringing that in. I keep waste minimal – I don’t use a lot of wrapping or tissue – instead I use handmade or local containers, like handmade wood boxes from a local wood worker, the whole idea is for people to be able to give an organic gift when they buy flowers from Midnight Blossom.


What should brides know when floral shopping?

A lot of it is intuitive as you’re working with someone who’s creating something for you. you don’t have to spend $10,000 on a wedding, you can work with a budget and still have something beautiful. When walking in to a meeting with a florist, you should know 2 things – your wedding style and what you want the wedding to be. “Here’s my budget, colors, and style”. And you should be able to get something you love. As for the contract – get in writing the parameters of what your arrangements will look like. Things change in the natural world, and if roses come in looking awful, you need to have other options – not necessarily specific flowers, but the overall feeling - keep the flowers in the same family and filling that vision. You also need to like the person that you’re working with and make sure that they can help you create your vision. You should also feel confident that you can change your mind, on the color and scheme until the time the flowers need to be purchased. You may like the big feathers and jewels, but a year later say “what was I thinking?!” and you need to make sure that the contract and the person you’re working with is flexible.

What made you interested in participating with the Battle of the Betrothed?

I first heard about the Battle of the Betrothed after talking with Sarah from Avant bride. She mentioned Christi of the Healthy Bride and it sounded interesting. As I learned more about it, I really got excited and I love that I have the opportunity to do this. It’s been a lot of fun and Christi’s been a great connector with other local businesses. We all benefit from it!

Punk Rock Love

Punk rock music has such an incredible attitude to it that speaks of independence, of fun, and of finding your own road.


For this wedding, I wanted to go for a feel of a concert and a wedding "married". The ceremony and reception taking place in the same room, with the ceremony taking place on the stage, then after the wedding, a great Ramones cover band, The Ramonas, takes the stage.


For the bride, this incredible Wai Chang wedding gown made of hand died silks. It's so incredible. paired with some kicking black stilettos, and a peacock feather fan instead of (in the words of the Offbeat Bride) the "standard clump of flowers".


For the bridesmaids, a cute little black frock with plaid shoes (I had to, they are so delish), a nice studded wrist cuff and less-pretty peacock feather fan.


The invites, a play off the invites to Ashlee Simpson's wedding. You could use the Gashlycrumb Tinies as a theme style. And I love the cake, by the Bleeding Heart Bakery - the ultimate in punk bakeries.


But overall, make it fun, make it dark, and make it punk!


We miss you Joey!

{Rebekah} Punk Rock Music: Punk Rock Love - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Giving the Gift of Love

A wedding can be a time to celebrate your love that is also an opportunity to better the world. You're spending so much money on your wedding day, so make the money mean something.


The first step, is to take a look at everything on your 'shopping' list and find out what charitable options are out there to get your list checked off. You need flowers - why not buy flowers from a charitable fundraiser organization that supplies beautiful arrangments with all profit going to a charity organization. And there's lots of companies out there that sell bottled water that send the money to feed childhood starvation, help villages get clean water, pay for education - there's so many out there to choose from.


Instead of favors to your gifts, make a donation. Instead of gifts to you from guests, ask for them to make a donation. You can give your guests an option as to whom to donate to (have 4 or 5 charities you can work with), or make your whole wedding and opportunity to raise money for one organization.


If you can't find a company that sells, for example, wedding cakes that benefit a charity, why not ask your baker if they would donate a percentage of their profit to charity? Heck, ask all the vendors you're working with if they would make a 5% donation from your purchase to a charity! It doesn't hurt to ask, and you'll be surprised at how many people are willing to help.

{Rebekah} Love of Charity: Giving the Gift of Love - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Finding Love on the Beach

"Finding Nemo" was such an incredible film, teaching children and adults lots of life lessons, the #1 being (in my opinion)- family is important so don't forget to say I love you. It's a great message, and worthy of celebrating at your wedding.


For a "Finding Nemo" inspired wedding, you've got to remember the most important thing - when creating the film, the artists behind the movie wanted to show their audiences how incredibly colorful the ocean is. It's not just tan beaches and blue ocean. There's pinks, purples, yellows, deep blues, and orange! So when planning your "Finding Nemo" wedding, don't just do all tan with a splash of orange - celebrate the incredible array of color of the ocean!


Use the colors in your ceremony on the canopy and chairs. Your invitations can gently hint to the theme with a real star fish and colorful ribbon. Give your bridesmaids different colored dresses (not everyone looks good in orange), and give them a nice gentle bouquet of tans and whites, so no matter what color their dress the bouquet won't clash. For the bride, a nice beach dress, the lace reminiscent of the gentle porousness of the reef, and a nice bright orange bouquet tied with white ribbon (Nemo's colors!).


And the reception, keep the tables classy with the ocean theme, touches of color provided by the cool drinks and amazing foods. Decorate the tables with dried coral to really add some flair. For the seating cards, use cute silver turtles (dude, sweet!) that guests can take home. And the cake, oh heck! Just have fun with it with this snazzy "Finding Nemo" cake.


And don't forget- there's more to the ocean than just water. There's more to a "Finding Nemo" wedding than tan and blue, and there's more to your "Finding Nemo" wedding that will continue to surprise and delight your guests!

{Rebekah} Finding Nemo: Finding Love on the Beach - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Love Around the World

You love to travel. It's what brought you both together, helped you fall in love, and you want to celebrate this passion for each other and the world in your wedding. Easy!


There's two ways to do this - with one heck of a purse, and inexpensively.


For the big price tag wedding, a beautiful mermaid dress and a designer bridesmaid dress start this off right. The invites - custom passports with the photo of both of you! The cake? Uh! A Sylvia Weinstock globe, with little sugar 'pins' for each place you've been. The favors, beautiful umbrellas of five major cities - the ones you'll be using for the reception - each table at the reception is a different place (Paris, London, New York, etc), and they are marked by beautiful ice sculptures with the icon of the city (Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Statue of Liberty, etc). Top it off with an outdoor reception under a tent with Parisian-striped linens! What a wedding (for only $23,272).


On the sly - what a great dress and gown find - and tons less. Passport invites from Invitations by Dawn, and luggage tags of major cities as the favors. The cake, a little more of a cartoony rendering of the globe, and just as nice a Parisian reception, but saving huge on no tent, and cutesy statuetts of the city icons! Not bad at $4,534.50!

{Rebekah} Love of Travel: Love Around the World - by bekahross on Polyvore.com

Wedding Fiesta!

Today's wedding is based on the love of a certain dish, and then designing a wedding around it. And what's better than fabulous chicken mole with fresh avocado? It's chicken and chocolate!


So let's plan a traditional Mexican wedding around this incredible dinner choice. Using the beautiful colors on the left side of the collage, we've created a wedding using traditional wedding cakes, wedding flags, a crystal wedding laso, pinata, el mariachi, dancers, even a pinata!


As the calla lily was created as a cash crop in Mexico in the 1800's, there's a strong tie between many Latin-American villages and these beautiful flowers.


On a beautiful spring day, have the wedding on the steps of the old mission church. For the reception, find a near-by hacienda (estate) to have a mixed indoor-outdoor party. The pinata will be such a huge hit with the kids, especially the 30-year-old kids!

{Rebekah} Dinner Choice: Wedding Fiesta! by bekahross

YES WE DID! Celebrating Our 44th President

The world over today is celebrating the FANTASTIC fact that Barak Obama is now our 44th president. My fiance and I woke up early this morning and watched on MSNBC as the events unfolded, cheering, clapping, and crying, as President Obama took the oath of office and made his first ever presidential address. "My fellow citizens" he spoke, "I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors".


All across the earth and this great nation, people of all beliefs, colors, and backgrounds are joining together like this country has never seen before to celebrate this great man and his dawning presidency. In salute to this fact, I've created a collage telling three stories of such celebrations.


These three stories are of distinct groups of people: the classy shin-dig with evening wear and slow music, the apartment party with flashy music and flashy clothes, and the street celebration with warm coats and Obama-wear.


First, here's the overall collage:


{Rebekah} President Obama: YES WE DID!! by bekahross


Party one takes place in a fancy hotel ballroom. Guests are resplendent in red, white, and blue. The fashionable women are dressed in gold dresses like Michelle's worn during the inauguration (and what an incredible dress!). Drinks abound through dozens of toasts, and guest munch on the exact same dinner that Obama ate at the inaugural luncheon - duck with cherry chutney, pheasant with wild rice stuffing, molasses whipped sweet potato, and cinnamon apple sponge cake (all the recipes can be found here).


Party two is invoking the youth of the new generation, with an apartment party full of loud music and featuring Chicago style deep dish pizza. The ladies are again dressed in the flag's colors, with the fashion trendy wearing gold to salute Michelle's style. Drinks abound, especially Barak's favorite mixed beverage, "God Damn Americano", a drink he invented in college - half sweet Vermouth, and half Campari.


Party three is an impromptu expression of exuberance, on the streets of America and around the world. People still bundled from the inauguration and full of hope just start to celebrate. They show off their Obama t's and mittens, eating Chicago style hot dogs and having a beer, singing with strangers, and making them new friends.


This is America. In all her styles, in all her tastes, and in all her glory. We are a people with many pasts, many opinions, many dreams. But together we have helped this great nation of ours make the first step to a brighter future, as today WE made Barak Obama our president!

Inaugrual Ball Wedding

Today America marks a huge moment in her history books, 'cuz Barak Obama's our president!! Woohoo!!


In the spirit of our newly anointed President Obama and the 12 inaugural balls he and First Lady Michelle are visiting tonight, I wanted to create a patriotic inaugural ball wedding. Using our flag's beautiful colors but in a polished way, let's look at the wedding I've put together for our bride and groom.


Starting the day, the invitations our couple sent. This set I found on Bellis Blog is very chic, very simple, but really nicely portrays the red, white, and blue. It's really lovely.


As our bride gets ready, she dons her lovely ballgown wedding dress by Alita Graham. Next, her jewelry. She slips on her lovely bracelet by Chanel and earrings by Brian Danielle. Next, her engagement ring (by Jewelex New York), soon to be joined by the matching wedding band. *Sigh*.


Last, our bride slips on her blue and red Christian Louboutin pumps. So cute!


Now that the bride's dressed, our bridesmaids are at a flutter! On go their red satin evening gowns and matching Valentino pumps. As the bride's gift to them, red ruby flower earrings.


Meanwhile, our groom and groomsmen are getting ready in their black tuxes with royal blue vest and matching tie. Everybody's ready to go, and off to the ceremony. Along the aisles, beautiful arrangments of blue flowers with white ribbons. Down the aisle comes the bride with her red, white, and blue bouquet. *Fun fact! In late 1986, the rose was named the "national floral emblem" of the United States!


Congrats to the bride and groom! Off to the reception! The tables are beautifully set with a dominate red and accent blue. The ceremony was full of blue, so the reception is pulling in the other bright color of the flag. Beautiful bright red carnations make a mound of red to brighten the white linens.


Time for cake! This beautiful cake (from Martha), is a dream of white, with the tops making a 'basket' for red and blue fresh berries. What a fun way to use the red, white, and blue colors!


Our guests have had an amazing time, and in parting thanks, the bride and groom have supplied a variety of red, white, and blue bound journals for their thoughts as the county and the couple step into a bright new future in America!

{Rebekah} Patriotic: Inaugural Ball Wedding by bekahross

Great Gatsby Love

Today we're doing a 1920's theme wedding. Yes, I know I did a 20's art deco wedding, but this time we're doing a different flavor of wedding and are having a Great Gatsby inspired flapper wedding. For those of you who don't know, the Great Gatsby is a book by F. Scott Fitzgerald published in 1925, and taking place in 1922 following the lives of a group of very wealthy socialites in New York. It's a classic read and worth the time if you've never read it.


Starting out - the invitation. This cute little 20's style is from Elegant Handmade Creations, Inc.


So with out 20's Great Gatsby (GG from now on) wedding, our bride dresses herself in this incredible flapper gown from Net-a-Porter. It really invokes the classic flapper dress with the luxury of a GG debutant. For her shoes, a take on the classic Mary Janes. Mary Janes came out in fashion in the 20's and the clunky version of this shoe was a flapper's must. This cute pair is from Bettye Muller. Her necklace, a 72" rope of pearls. In the style of the time, flappers wore long ropes of pearls ('rope' is the term used for any necklace 42" and longer). The pearls are wrapped twice around the neck so it looks like a choker and an uber long rope, and the end of the rope is knotted. Cute! To finish her look, a faux fox fur stole. Fur was in like Flynn in the 20's and any gal with the purse for it owned at least one great stole. For her hair, the classic flapper style with a bob-do and headband with a blossom.


The wedding ring is absolutely georgeous. This is a vintage 1920's platinum and diamond ring worth over $66,000! Uh! Can you imagine spending that much money on a ring? They really lived lavishly back then.


Now our groom - resplendent and effulgent in a white tie tux. In case you didn't know, the white tie is considered the most formal of formal wear, and was reserved for elegant state dinners and very special occasions. I'm imagining my fiance in this - wow!


Our couple is ready! Now to the ceremony. A lovely outdoor affair with white chairs and canopy. The aisle chairs decorated with a big tropical leaf and a creme hydrangea. The canopy flowing with white linens and buds. After the ceremony, our bridal party is off to the reception in a large tent outdoors. In GG style, couches and lounge chairs on a beautiful green outdoor rug.


The cake is a dream and just perfect for this wedding. The scroll work style reminds me so much of the cover of the GG novel. Topped with a vintage 20's bride and groom and it's perfect.


Wrapping up our couple's perfect day, a decorative wedding certificate painted just like the ads of the 1920's and featuring a cute 20's couple. What a day!

{Rebekah} 1920's: Great Gatsby Love by bekahross

Love Jamaica Style

Jamaica has long been a place known for providing it's tourists with a complete get-away experience. One of exotic foods and splendid beaches. It's an incredible location for a wedding, and regardless of your budget it's easy to accomplish it in style.


With money as no object, I wanted to highlight a few things that will make the ultimate Jamaican wedding experience. First was finding the right location. With the help of Five Star Alliance - the Expedia of luxury 5 star hotels - I was introduced to Half Moon Resort. And it's absolutely beautiful. But with rooms starting at $609 a night, very expensive. With a ceremony at the gazebo pier - out surrounded by water on three sides - the ceremony alone is $600. For the reception, dinner for 100 at the Seagrape Terrace is $1,000. Lucky that being outside is decoration enough!


As the ceremony is taking place on a solid surface (not beach sand), we can have these amazing Fendi peep-toe pumps ($705). The dress is a Badgley Mischka ($7,500), and I just love the neck line.


For the earrings, I fell in love with these chandelier earrings by Gucci ($2,490). Last - the cake. The overall palette for the wedding is white and creme, and I wanted to reflect that in a simple-chic cake - this beauty by Cake Alchemy ($1,200). And there's the basics you need for a splurge wedding in Jamaica at $13,495.


Wow, that felt very showcase showdown (from the Price is Right).


Now, let's do the same on the sly. For a much more affordable hotel, I found the Rock House Hotel, awarded many titles by CBS and travel magazines for being a luxury hotel at every day affordable prices. Rooms start at $125!


For the ceremony, another great spot where you're surrounded on 3 sides by water, the oval stone deck ($200). For the reception, dinner at the Rockhouse (original name, huh?) for 100 is yards cheaper at $575 (a 3 course dinner is only $25!). If I ever go to Jamaica, I'm so staying at this hotel.


Now the shoes - not as fab as Fendi, but pretty darn good when it looks so similar and is only $73 (by Topshop). The earrings, a very similar pair by Isharya, and feature my favorite stone, the moon stone ($175).


The dress, a Nichole Miller! Awesome, I know! And at only $750. Last, the cake - I actually like this one better because of the way they added the little squiggle lines, by Cheryl Kleinman Cakes ($420).


Ok, I'm invoking my inner Bob Barker - All this, and more! Yours if the price is right! Only $2,193!!

{Rebekah} Splurge vs Steal Jamaica: Love Jamaica Style by bekahross

Rented Elegance - A plus!

Yesterday, as part of the Battle of the Betrothed, I attended a meeting with Christi Masi of The Healthy Bride at Rented Elegance. I was very impressed. Rented Elegance provides the props you need for your wedding ceremony and reception (or any other kind of party), and they even make their own items so it's easy to find something for your wedding that no one else has. Their office is beautiful, all in one color scheme and using a lot of the unique items they rent out. They're constantly changing the look of their office with a deign for the season - right now a black and white affair with the use of jewels and candles. When you're looking for help designing your wedding, give them a visit.

Spring Renewal Love

Spring is a beautiful time of year to get married. Everything is just starting to wake up, and the air is filled with excitement and potential. It's the perfect atmosphere for joining with the one you love.


When planning your spring wedding, there's a few things you need to keep in mind. The first - it's not as warm as you think it is. Your daytime temperature will be warm enough for a strapless gown, but save yourself from freezing at the ceremony and go with the big ballgown skirt, and put your bridesmaids in floor length dresses. Trust me on this one. And it'll be nice enough for an outdoor ceremony, but for the reception, especially if it's at night, bring it indoors.


Second, your colors. Spring is when things are just starting to bud and grow, so keep your palette to pastel shades. Bright reds and oranges and yellows are summer colors - for spring, you want very light tones - like butter yellow, baby pink, and yellow-greens. Light purples and blues are good too, but keep them very light!! You'll be overpowering the natural tones around you if you choose robust colors. And don't forget - this is the time that green comes back to vegetation, so use it!


And third, focus on the natural. Buy flowers that will be in season, or gentle buds that invoke the look of fruit blossoms - like peonies. They're soft, come in gentle tones, and look so much like apple blossoms. For foods, use fresh vegetables like baby carrots and asparagus. Keep your drinks light and fruity - for example, in my polyvore wedding for today, my signature drinks are margaritas and sangria's.


More about my wedding - I've got the big beautiful full wedding dress, this one from Platinum for Priscilla of Boston. For the bridesmaids, floor length dresses in the wedding colors from David's Bridal. The flower of the day - peony - accented in the centerpieces with fresh limes and lemons in the vase.


For the ceremony, a simple and beautiful setting on a lawn with white chairs and a white garden canopy. For the aisle flowers, keep it simple, and have some lovely blossoms or plants laid naturally on the lawn. It's making a statement without having to spend oodles on props. The program is a lovely little booklet made of cardstock and stamps, again using the colors of the wedding.


And for the ring bearer? A pillow of greens - green Kermit mums! The big reveal of the ceremony, after the kiss, little boxes along the aisle open to release hundreds of butterflies as the couple proceeds down the aisle. So sweet.


Now the reception - using those tips and bringing it back indoors. The tables set with linens in the wedding palette in a variety of miniature shade changes and multiple pairings of the three basic colors. Our peony and lemon/lime centerpieces - bringing in the palette with a fresh, citrus smell. For the table assignment cards, cute little leaves attached to fresh green apples. So cute! At the tables themselves, the place cards are miniature watering cans with the guest's name on the ribbon - a little play on the spring showers.


Again, the fresh fruit drinks of margaritas and sangria's, fresh, light, and coming in the palette! The drinks include the fresh fruit for guests to munch on. Yum.


Lastly, the cake. Something simple and budding. This gorgeous creation is from April Reed Cake Design and invokes perfectly the feel of the entire wedding.

{Rebekah} Spring: Spring Renewal Love by bekahross

Revolutionary Love in Williamsburg, VA

When I was 12 I got to go, with my family, to Washington DC for a week. Like any family on a budget, we drove. On the way back, we took our time, stopping at some amazing places, all historical centerpieces to American history - Mount Vernon, Newport News, and Colonial Williamsburg. I was incredibly impressed by Washington's home and the colonial city and they sparked my love affair with historic clothing that I carry with me today.


The thing about Colonial Williamsburg that stuck with me the most was the incredible beauty of the buildings and how much I wanted to don the garb and play revolutionist. So when I saw that today's wedding was all about Williamsburg, VA, I wanted to use that opportunity to dwell in the great things offered by Colonial Williamsburg. There are so many opportunties to create a wedding with a designer gown and a tux, but it's another thing to create a historical masterpiece that really envelopes you into your setting.


The first thing I wanted to do was find the right setting. Though historically parties in the 1770's were lavish and huge, the buildings at Colonial Williamsburg don't lend themselves to a 200-person wedding. For today's wedding, we'll be having an intimate party. To start, the ceremony itself, in the back yard of one of the manor homes of Colonial Williamsburge, surrounded by old-growth trees and antique rose bushes. For the reception, horse-drawn-carriages abound, and take the couple and their guests over to the Governor's Palace for a dinner in the dining room made in historical methods. Can you say sweet potato biscuits? I heard Jefferson's got an amazing recipe. After dinner, dancing in the ballroom (the blue room in the collage) with live music from harpists and flautists in historic garb.


Our wedding couple will be resplendent in their period clothing. There's a lot of talented clothing makers that make historically accurate clothing, and you'd be surprised by the number of non-professionals as well. The groom's clothing (uh! love it!) is made by Chimera Costumes, a very talented lady who does clothing for museums and movies. The bride's beautiful gown is made by a woman named Koshka who's abilities in period clothing are amazing - and all as a hobby. And just a side note - today, brides wear a white gown for their wedding. But this was not the case until Queen Victoria chose this color for her own wedding day in 1840. Until this time, brides wore their finest and most fashionable dress, regardless of color. In fact, bright colors as your clothing signified your enhanced wealth.


For the jewelry of the bride and groom, I wanted to use some of the hand made masterpieces made by the workers of Colonial Williamsburg. For the bride, a pearl cameo choker. Her engagement ring, a gold, diamond, and saphire ring made exactly like it's historical counterpart.


The wedding rings are one of my favorite classical styles - scroll rings. Today, scrollwork is used as decoration on a band, but historically, the difficult ring was a scroll itself. They are absolutely beautiful, and like the rest of the jewelry, all made using historic methods in Colonial Williamsburg itself.


And for the honeymoon, a night in one of the cottages in the colonial city, complete with a grand 1770's feather bed. It's incredible that you can rent a whole house to yourself, and it comes fully stocked with food and firewood.



{Rebekah} Williamsburg, VA: Revolutionary Love in Williamsburg, VA by bekahross

Seen In Miami Love

Miami is a unique part of the fashion and hip world. The city has it's own style, it's own pace, it's own way of doing things. The style (both fashion wise and culture wise) is a fantastic mix of central and south America, the sun and beach, and a kind of fashion that is a balance of the crazy color prints and light solid tones. If you're looking for a good example of Miami fashion and lifestyle, check out the tv show Burn Notice, and the fashion designer Ulrike Herzner (from Project Runway season 3).


Fist, I wanted to find a location for the wedding that really hit the Miami feel, and I found the Renaissance Eden Roc Beach Resort and Spa in Miami Beach. For the ceremony, something very simple. The emphasis for this wedding is the reception - Miami is about the socializing - not "the party" like LA is, or bars and clubs like New York, but the sit and talk, drink some wine, and enjoy the scenery. So the wedding, a little something on the beach, a simple aisle and arch, guests standing for the short ceremony, and bringing it back to the Renaissance's Ocean View Terrace for the reception, with additional guests showing up then.


The reception itself, very much a focus on a cocktail and hoers d'oeuvres reception. The terrace is a smattering of low couches and cocktail tables, some chairs. A DJ and lighting provide for a hip environment for the group to enjoy the night. The drinks, in the colors of the wedding (three shades of pink) - I found these really refreshing looking drinks on the Knot and they just screamed the look and feel I was going for.


For the clothes - I wanted to hit that fashionable side I described earlier. It's either a big flashy colorful print, or a light solid color. The bridesmaids dress I found first and I absolutely LOVE it! This dress is from Two Birds Bridesmaid, and it's one dress you can style 10 different ways, and I don't mean some boring styles - the dress comes with instructions on the 10 different styles and they are night and day contrast from each other and FAB!


The bride's gown took some hunting, and I really love what I found. This Reem Acra dress from the Spring '08 collection is perfect. The architecture of the dress is very Miami, the beading is a nice salute to both the Latin influences and the shape is very palm tree. Last, the overall flowy-ness of the gown and shade is the ultimate finish. This dress screams Miami beach wedding and sexy scene.


For the flowers of the wedding, I wanted to use a native flower to southern Florida, and I found this beautiful pink rain lilly and it's just the thing. To wrap it up, the cake. I wanted to go back to the color scheme but subtly, but I wanted it also a little sweet. (Sweet "aww" not sweet sugar). So this lovely creation from Maisie Fantaisie was perfect.


And there you go! I very Miami wedding - hitting the style, the feel, the pace, and the fun that truly optimizes the city and the lifestyle.

{Rebekah} Miami: Seen in Miami Love by bekahross

Bollywood Love

For those of you who don't know, Bollywood is a term used to describe the whole of Indian film and the 'Hollywood-esque' creation of stars and buzz that has grown around it. Originally, the term was used to describe a specific production house. Bollywood films have been characterized as being like the original big Hollywood productions of song, dance, glamor, and lots of romanticized stars.


Think Virginia Mayo with a nose piercing.


And what's a Bollywood wedding without the Hindu ceremony and big Hollywood money? For today's wedding, I present to you a splurge vs steal Bollywood wedding.


On the splurge side, we start with a lovely bridal ghagras from Khaas Boutique ($760). In Bollywood style, traditional jewelry with the diamond flair, earings ($9,172.35), tikka headpiece ($424), bangle bracelet ($4,488), and necklace ($2,756.30) from the Gold Palace.


In proper Hindu style, next is the mandap, a special pillared canopy the couple and their parents (and the maid and man of honor) all sit during the ceremony. This lovely piece ($4,000) is from Nu Creations. For the reception, a beautiful indoor affair complete with lounging couches and an indoor tent ($15,000). To top it off, a cake from Ann Ogden of Celebrations Ltd in the Caman Islands ($4,000).


And now - the steal. The dress, a bridal sari ($389) from Kaneesha. The jewelry, a set also from Kaneesha, and made with plated gold, comes with the necklace, tikka, and earrings ($89). The bangle bracelet ($25), in traditional wedding red is from Kaneesha as well.


For the mandap, instead of a solid structure, a beautiful tent ($2,000) from Raj Tents (my favorite). The reception, an outdoor affair, again from Raj Tents ($4,000). And last but not least -the cake, from More than Cakes ($600) mirroring the outline of the splurge cake (and the flowers), but just no additional piping (and made in the states).


Overall - the splurge cake came in at $40,600. And the steal at 17% the cost - $7,103!

{Rebekah} Bollywood: Bollywood Love by bekahross

Slam Dunk Love

Today's wedding theme is basketball. Two things I know about basketball: the ball is orange, and guys get really sweaty playing it.


But, unlike baseball, it's not a sport that's had a romantic history in the states - like baseball. And guys get really sweaty playing it. So I wanted to use the colors and the shape of the ball itself, and not get all "let's put a basketball on everything". My first step: I created a color palette. Enjoy! I couldn't find something professional to represent the palette, so I used pillows. Unique, huh? :)


For the colors - medium and dark orange, dark brown, bronze, and creme. The bridesmaids in brown, the bride in creme-brown, the flowers in both shades of orange. The flowers? Dahlias. They have a lovely round shape that reminds me of a basketball. Also round - the orange pomanders hanging on the aisle chairs and carried as bouquets by the bridesmaids.


When I was thinking about pomanders, I realized something - historically, pomanders were scent balls used in Elizabethan times to hide the fact that no one bathed. Rich people used silver balls filled with cloves, and the not-so-rich used oranges studded with cloves. And what a neat idea to make a cloven orange with the cloves making the lines of a basketball to put a couple on the tables to add a nice scent - and makes a tasty snack.


Also historical: the cloven fruit game. It's really fun, and great for hooking up your single friends. You want the details? Email me. *wink!*


For the reception table, use the orange and creme shades as the base, and the brown and bronze as accent colors. And the favor? Gourmet candied apples made in the wedding colors! Yum!

{Rebekah} Basketball: Slam Dunk Love by bekahross

A Few of My Favorite Things

I just finished taking a little break with a pot of tea and the man I love, and it was lovely, refreshing, and relaxing. I'm a tea-aholic. I love taking tea, and if you're ever looking for a great place to have tea, I've got some in mind.


So while thinking about my lovely tea break, it occurred to me that this would make a lovely addition to my wedding. It's something my fiance and I both love and has great meaning for us. And isn't that exactly what a wedding is?


So when you're thinking of neat things to do at your wedding, and are torn between what one magazine tells you and what another tells you differently, stop and think - does this have meaning for me? Will it mean anything to me and my fiance if we do [fill in the blank] that we are being told has to be in our wedding?


Your wedding day is all about you and the person you are marrying. Don't feel like you have to do something because it's expected, either by a magazine or a great-aunt. Do what has meaning for you two. Do something that you will love. It's your day!! Don't let anyone try to convince you otherwise.

Love on the Fourth of July

To me, the fourth of July is a time to gather with your family and friends and enjoy a meal, watch some fireworks, and really enjoy the fact that this is a backyard holiday. No need to wear fancy clothes or buy expensive gifts - just you, your favorite jeans, and some honest food.


And that's the feel of this 4th of July wedding - an easy and relaxed wedding in the back yard with your friends, some kids, and the one you love.


Starting off, I wanted the bride to be in something comfortable and breezy, and I came across this cute strapless dress (very summery) from Monsoon. I wanted to bring the red, white, and blue into the color scheme without making it crazy (what do I mean by crazy? look at this horrible dress). So I decided to put the bridesmaids in one color, and make the groomsmen's tie the opposite. Since white is the bride's color, and red dresses are a bit flashy, blue it is! And then! Oh! I came across this so so cute gingham dress from God Diva in the UK, and this made me think, "bam! here's our overall theme!" So for the groomsmen, red gingham ties to go with their cream-color suits. Love it!


My next thought was flowers. Something simple yet American, thinking 'girl next door' influence. Gerber daisy's. You've got the simplicity and innocence of a daisy, yet it's just a little more dressed up for a wedding (and comes in different colors!). For the bride - a bouquet of red Gerber daisy's. For the bridesmaids, white Gerber daisy's (for the contrast to their outfits and the bride's bouquet). From there, I found this cute centerpiece idea of the daisy's in a shallow vase with a striped ribbon around the base - just substitute a red, white, and blue ribbon, change up the flower colors per table, and there you go!


The tables, a nice play on the gingham for the tablecloth. Stick with one color for all the tablecloths - having both a blue and a red tablecloth (one table with blue, one table with red, etc) will actually take away from the cohesiveness of the look.


The ceremony - again, want simple. So for the aisle chairs, such a cute idea, little blue paper lanterns hung by red ribbon. I absolutely adore this idea! And, they can be moved to tree branches when the sun starts to set to add romantic lighting.


For the invitations I wanted to, again, find something that conveyed the color-link to the Fourth, without going crazy (like that dress above). So I hunted and found this pretty white invite with a blue and red ribbon, and the envelope has a blue inside as well. It doesn't scream '4th of July', but makes it obvious when your guests read the invites. Perfect.


So I needed a few more things. I didn't want to add fireworks 'cuz they are very very dangerous for kids to play with, and hiring professionals costs a few thousand dollars and this isn't that kind of wedding. So how to incorporate firework fun without firetruck eventuality? Martha Stewart showed me the way. I love this - add some glitter (in the wedding colors) to some balloons (in the wedding colors) and then fill with helium. This is uber easy to do at your local Michael's. Then, let the kids loose with a little pin. You get the pop and sparkle from the sky like a firework, but won't burn down the house!


The signature drink needed to be something refreshing (as guests are most likely very hot at this point), so mixing some punch, I've got a great recipe for a champagne punch - perfect for a wedding, and put them in a highball glass. Another cute idea, add a little 4th of July umbrella to make it fun.


Something I saw once a few years ago and absolutely loved, individual pies for each guest. But to make it extra neat, have some pies be cherry pies, and some pies be blueberry pies. This way, you're bringing the color scheme into your desserts in a unique way. And last but not least - the cake. There's a lot of interesting Independance Day cakes out there. But this one from the Oh Joy Blog (bakery not noted), is the perfect mix of fun, cute, and color. And the best part? It's got gingham ribbon!


{Rebekah} 4th of July: Love on the Fourth of July by bekahross

Home Run Love

When I found out that today's wedding theme was "baseball", my response was, "yeah, sure, ok", and then I proceeded to check out what Google had to offer on the subject. Let me say this? If you are ever planning on doing a sports-theme wedding, honey you've got the uber at your fingertips! Apparently, sports weddings are a big thing. So never fear!


With the particular wedding I put together in my head (and on my polyvore), I went modern/cute for the overall method. Starting things off, for the invitations, I found some stadium-style tickets that can be custom filled, to be wedding invites. Party 411 makes these invites in lots of different colors, and even has a custom creating section to make your invite from scratch with your own pictures. The dress? I decided something in a cocktail dress length was appropriate (more on that in a sec.). This flirty number is an Oscar de la Renta - yum!


Now, the ceremony. Like any good baseball fan, you'll be dying to have it in the park. And by park, I mean the Seattle Mariner's Safeco Field. It's bright, it's open, and hey, can't do much better when it comes to decorations. You can even having the scrolling marquees read "Congratulations Sarah and Jay" (see, in the picture!). So have the ceremony like this - the bridesmaids and bride in the home dugout, the groomsmen and groom in the away dugout. As the music starts, the bridesmaids and groomsmen enter the field and pair up at home plate, and walk to the pitcher's mound. Instead of flowers, they each have a white painted baseball bat (can even paint on your names and wedding date as keepsakes). The ring bearer, instead of using a mitt, carries a ring pillow that is shaped like the home plate - cute! The bride comes out and walks to the pitcher's mound, where the officiant is. Love, honor, kissy, and then, the attendants move down the aisle a little, and lift their bats, for the now husband and wife walk through (like Marines do with their swords - see the picture in the polyvore). The wedding party and guests retire to the executive clubhouse for gourmet park fare - snazzy hot dogs with gourmet sauces and toppings, hand made soft pretzels, beer, and at each place setting - a bag of peanuts and a bag of Cracker Jacks! To help guests find their seats, little season ticket place cards! For this idea, you can use the stars of your favorite team, or take photos of you and your fiance playing baseball and use those!


The cake? Again, modern but cute. What I paired was an elegant white 4-tier cake (this one from Specialty Cakes), but the topper - a bride and groom playing baseball.


So after the food is eaten, the rug been cut (by dancing), out come the favors - baseball t-shirts with the couple's names on the front, and the wedding date on the back. If you're getting a wedding logo - make that big on the front. And surprise! The lights in the stadium come on, and everyone troops down to the baseball diamond for a fun game of baseball, under the stars, and with good fun and friends.

{Rebekah} Baseball: Home Run Love by bekahross

Emerald Love

When you want to wrap your theme around a specific color, or in this case, a color that's also a gemstone, it's always fun to look at both sides - if money was no object, and if you wanted to save it for the new house. There's some really great options out there for folks who don't have a problem with good looking fakes, so here's the best of both worlds!


For these weddings, there's 3 bridesmaids, 60 guests, and needing to take place in Victoria, Canada.


For the splurge wedding, we start off with a Vera Wang wedding dress ($18,000) and some Michael Kors emerald green shoes ($244.95), an emerald cocktail ring ($16,598), and emerald earrings (540). For the bridesmaids, lovely babydoll gowns from Russia ($739 each, $2,217 for 3), and their gift, emerald earrings ($499 each, $1,497 for 3).


I love the invites ($36 each, $1,080 for 30) from Dochelle. The ceremony and reception take place at the Hatley Castle gardens ($4,000), 'cuz what's better than emerald green manicured lawns? For the ceremony itself, a lovely hand painted aisle runner with a custom monogram for the couple from the Original Runner Company ($600). For the reception, the tables decorated with lovely crystal emerald vases ($246.90 each, 6 for $1,481.40), and crystal green stemware ($135 each, 60 for $8,100).


Now, for the contrast! A lovely gown from Alfred Angelo ($1,000), Max Studio shoes ($89.99), a faux emerald cocktail ring ($79.95), and faux emerald earrings ($79). The bridesmaids in uber cute dresses from Forever 21 ($30 each, 3 for $90), and their gift, some lovely faux emerald studs from QVC ($31.32 each, 3 for $93.96).


The invites are a light emerald green with jewel, just like the expensive invites, but at only $75.80 for 100 from the LC Design Company. For the ceremony and reception, the famous Butchart Gardens ($899). The aisle runner a real steal at $125 from Aisles with Style. Vases, just colored cut glass, $19 each (6 for $114). And the stemware, very lovely, from Table and Home ($20 each, 60 for $1,200).

{Rebekah} Emerald: Emerald Love by bekahross

Go Vikings!

More and more couples today are opting to show their college spirit by involving their alma matter into their wedding, sometimes making it the whole wedding theme. There's so many neat ways to include your college pride into your wedding, and lots of levels of reflecting that pride.


For the uber devoted, the college mascot, or whatever big identifier of their college, can be included in name placards, on invitations and as bouquet jewelry, and, at the ultimate, in the wedding vows. ("I Janet, take Brad and the UW Huskeys, from this day forth...") For other couples, just the touches of college pride with the inner knowledge that it's for the school is good enough.


Here's a middle road.


With this challenge being college alumni, how could not do my own alma matter, Western Washington University (GO VIKINGS!!!). Our colors are navy blue and white, and our mascot is the Vikings (could you guess?). The two images Western uses to ID the school are a Viking ship and a viking face with a big-ass horn helmet. Since I'm not a fan of the horns, I used just the ship image for my icon usage.


Ok, the archaeologist in me (yes, I have a degree in archaeology) feels the need to correct a misunderstanding. Viking is not a noun, it's a verb. To go a viking. Basically, the word viking is the same as the word pillage. Class dismissed.


So for the bride, a sweet mermaid dress by Mori Lee titled "Blu". Aw yeah. The bouquet - blue roses. Why, you ask? Western prides itself on being know for a couple of things - and one of the top 4 is it's incredible rose garden, featuring about 30 different species of rose. So gotta give props to the roses as being the flower of the wedding.


The bridesmaids in navy blue dresses by Forever 21, with white rose bouquets. I love having a contrasting bouquet for the bride from the bridesmaids. For their hair, blue rose hair clip!


Now, the overall decor. You know how I mentioned Western priding itself on 4 major things? Well the second thing is the trees on campus. We literally have a 200 year old giant sequoia. They even have an online tree tour.


Anywho, there's a walkway of trees leading up to the 'Old Main' building - the first building of the school, and, for everyone who walks down that path, you get a tingly feeling on the back of your neck, and you can't help but feel a part of something so important, and can't help feeling important yourself. I found only 1 photo of this walk online, and it's a winter shot. I'll check and see if I can find a photo I've taken in the summer.


I really wanted to bring this into the wedding. So for the ceremony and reception, taking place in a park or something with lots of large trees. The aisle walking either between a path of trees or near some large ones, lit by candles with lights hanging from the trees. At the reception, bring the trees under the tent, and have small topiary's as centerpieces, or, like the photo in my polyvore shows, have some larger potted trees.


For the invitations, it's easy to find a navy blue and white set, like this beautiful one I found from Fine Papers. It's really unique to find wedding invites that come in a non-white envelope - very, very cool. I also found a wedding cake that sticks to this general scheme (blue as the domanant color), navy blue with white 'pearls' - so beautiful!


Also at the reception - blue cocktails! I found 13 different blue cocktails at the Absolut Vodka site - just typed 'blue' into the search bar. They really make it easy to find a color-coordinated drink for your wedding.


And to bring in the school icon - martini shakers with the school's viking ship logo on them for all the attendant's gifts. You can also add a little viking 'jewel' to the bags of Jordon almonds. Simple, and gets the point across that the Vikings ROCK!

{Rebekah} College Alumni: Go Vikings! by bekahross

In Love with Pachelbel

Another "bet you didn't know about me": I'm a classical clarinetist and oboist. So when I heard today's theme is classical music, dude - heaven.


The first step was deciding what to focus on specifically, as classical music spans hundreds of composers, thousands of works, and a big batch of years. But my favorite classical music piece in regards to weddings is Pachelbel's Cannon as a wedding march. Uh! If you've never heard it, here's a link to an orchestral version.


My second step, was finding the perfect venue. What better than the home of the Seattle Symphony - Benaroya Hall - the crown jewel of Seattle's classical music scene. You can easily have an incredible wedding at Benaroya, as they've had lots of experience, and offer great wedding packages. The two photos on my polyvore of Benaroya weddings have the S. Mark Taper Foundation Auditorium for the ceremony - the room with the huge organ pipes - and the grand lobby for the reception - a beautiful venue with it's sweeping ceiling and massive windows. With the exclusive caterer being Wolfgang Puck, you've got one hell of a setting.


The dress and invitation I chose because they very quickly reminded me of the treble clef. The gown is a Vera Wang, the invitations, also reminding me of parchment sheet music, by 1st Class Invitations.


For the bride's jewelry, pears strung on ribbon -the classical style, the original style, that jewelry was strung. Going back to Pachelbel, I threw in the sheet music, and what's with the wind chime? Did you know, you can get wind chimes in the key of the notes of your choice of classical music? What a great wedding favor to attendants than the wind chime in the key of Pachelbel's Cannon.


For the reception table, check out the cute music stands I found for place card holders from My Wedding Favors. For a cake topper, if you and your man are classical instrumentalists, how about this fun topper from Magic Mud. And the favor for guests? A CD of you and your partner's favorite classical music, including the processional and recessional and first dance from your wedding.


Speaking of that - for the ceremony, music by the local string and flute trio Windsong. Nice and compact group, very talented, and have a soft sound for your ceremony. For the reception, need something stronger - and if you can't afford Canadian Brass (the best brass band ever), there's a very good Seattle group, Mosaic Brass - they sound just like Canadian Brass but thousands less. I totally want to book them for my own wedding.


So if you're a classical music fan, here's some great ideas!

{Rebekah} Classical Music: In Love with Pachelbel by bekahross

A Love Blessed by God

There's nothing more beautiful than a lovely wedding in a cathedral, with the lights streaming through the stained glass windows. For our Seattle catholic wedding, what better location than Seattle's iconic St. James Cathedral. Our ceremony, a non-mass ceremony, takes place in mid afternoon, our bride resplendent in a Melissa Sweet gown with a bouquet of blue hydrangea. Her attendants in matching floor-length iridescent gowns by Watters, and her cute little flower girl in a dress matching the hydrangea flowers carried by the bride and maids.


The ceremony, a full Roman Catholic wedding mass, with the programs filled with the music for the ceremony, in a matching blue theme. In the ceremony itself, many representations of the joining of two - the union candles, and a personalized bible with the couple's names and wedding date, used by the priest to join them before God.


After the ceremony, a nice sit-down dinner at the Sorrento Hotel, following the blue theme. on top of the cake, a lovely cake topper of the cross with entwined wedding rings.


Solemn, sweet, and filled with the commitment the couple have for each other and God. Lovely.



{Rebekah} Catholic: A love blessed by God by bekahross

Birthday Bash

Today is my fiance's birthday! And this brought up an interesting question in my mind - what do couples do for birhtdays when they are trying to make a wedding budget work and don't have lots of other money lying about? Well? Ideas?


First thing is for you and your fiance to talk about birthdays in relation to your overall couple's budget, and when putting aside money for the wedding how to make sure you both feel special on your own day. Come up with a plan you both can feel happy with - and be totally honest with each other. If you really don't want to go see a movie on your birthday, than don't lie to make your partner feel like you do. But keep in mind, if you and your fiance are wanting a posh wedding and are making some sacrifices to do so, don't be greedy on your birthday, and don't expect your partner to do a big all-out for you and get into a hissy if he or she doesn't.


Bottom line - communicate. This one word will help you and your partner have a much healthier marriage, and a happier one.

Love in the City

Recently, the long-awaited wedding of Carrie Bradshaw took place, amidst a barrage of glamor and designer shoes. Can you guess what today's wedding theme is? That's right, the wedding of Carrie and Mr. Big from "Sex and the City", the movie.


If money's no object, get the exact same things Carrie did. The dress Carrie wore in the movie is a very glitz gown by Vivienne Westwood's Fall 2007 collection, costing roughly $18,000. The shoes? A strange pairing with the dress, but when it's Christian Dior's gladiator platforms with rhinestones ($870), you must oblige. Finish the look with a faint-worthy white roses and ranunculus bouquet ($552), and bam, you are clone Carrie.


The bridesmaids, in Zac Posen floor length gowns (3 at $3,200 each) in shades of blue, black, and coral/orange. The beautiful local for Carrie's wedding was, surprisingly enough, the New York Public Library, in the Astor Hall and Mcraw Rotunda, at a mere $50,000 to rent. For $79,022, you'll be picture perfect Carrie.


Now, if you're living in the real world and working with a budget, here's how to mimic the look. The dress, a St. Pucchi, at half the price, $7,140. To make your bridesmaids even happier, a very similar gown by Jasmine Bridal at $200 each for 3. Much easier price to swallow, huh?


The shoes? Can't beat this - $13 at Make Me Chic. Hello! And simplify the bouquet with just white roses, 40 stems for $41.95 from Beyond Blossoms.


And last, but not least, the ceremony and reception space. The NY library is an architectural masterpiece in baroquian theme. How about a nice manor house with baroquian flair? How about one that comes with a big 'ol library? The House of the Redeemer, stuffy name, beautiful local. Upstairs is a full large library, downstairs multiple rooms and a paved garden, rent the whole thing for $4,500. For $12,249 you're spending a lot less for a very similar feel.


As for the weird blue bird on Carrie's head? Ew, no idea where she got that.

{Rebekah} Sex and the City: Love in the City by bekahross

Hepburn Chic

In every Audrey Hepburn movie, her incredible style is so well represented, that it's made women everywhere look for an opportunity to mimic her simple, chic method. Today's wedding is based on the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's", a role most people think of when thinking of Audrey, and one which she claimed was her most demanding role she ever played.

In order to properly represent the B@T theme, the bride and the bridesmaids need to bring in that Hepburn style, so I found this beautiful dress in silver that looks a lot like the dress Hepburn's character changes into at the beginning of the movie, and a similar style for the bridesmaids in black. For the bride and her ladies, gloves that go past the elbows, and luxurious large rim hats - all very B@T. Another nod to the movie is the pearl necklace for the bride (see photo of Hepburn). In the movie, Audrey's character often smokes a cigarette through a very long cigarette stick. Since that's icky, but want to mimic the style, the bridesmaids will carry a single white calla lily. Fab! For the bride, a lovely whole bouquet of the scrumptious flower. And the wedding ring? Tiffany's of course.


For the ceremony, shepard's crook flower holders with very simple white flower pomanders hanging from Tiffany's blue ribbon. The canopy, or chuppa, a simple structure in white, with more white pomanders on Tiffany's blue ribbon hanging from the top and the sides. The ceremony will take place around 9 am, in order to fit the morning theme represented by the movie.


I found some really neat invites from Imagine Invites in Tiffany's blue, which has in the series a neat favor box that screams Tiffany's.


For the reception, a breakfast of course! Espresso and danishs on little plate and cup sets so guests can easily walk around and chat (like Hepburn did in the movie), and couches and chairs placed comfortably around the space for guest to sit and nosh and chat. Love it!


Lastly, the cake, a pile of Tiffany's boxes. Couldn't you have guessed? Such fun to use such a great movie as your wedding theme.

{Rebekah} Breakfast at Tiffany's: Hepburn Chic by bekahross

I Love Color

One thing about planning a wedding is having to choose a choice two or three colors to be your palate for everything. And you stick to those colors. Or, at least, that's what some people say. What if you chose a bunch of different colors, and just enjoyed them all in their natural variety? Bam! That's today's wedding.


First thing I thought of, was how to have color in the wedding dress without 1. having a single color, like red dress, and 2. not having to go do David's Bridal. What came to mind? Gwen Stefani's amazing Dior gown that she had died Ombre style, with pink dye. What is ombre? It's that neat transitional dye look. We all learned a new word together!


So obviously, need ombre gowns for the bridesmaids, same general style, but each girl in a color that flatters her best, along with a matching bouquet (no more "is this bouquet yours or mine?"). For the bride, a gold bouquet. Yum-o! The groom in a black tux with a color tie and vest that best suits him, and his groomsmen in a tie and vest that matches the bridesmaid they are escorting down the aisle. LOVE IT!!


Bride's shoes are gorgeous! Royal blue peep toe, woof! The invites are all the same style, but different color combinations. This theme is then easily adopted everywhere else for the programs, place cards, etc. And with all the color options out there it's uber easy. For the aisle, petals of different colors, this particular shade scheme made up of tropical flowers. I love the parasols - a great addition and favor for outdoor summer weddings. And for the reception? Instead of having "table 3", have "blue table" and "orange table". And a last easy decoration idea - multiple colors of paper lanterns.


And the cake? Each layer, a different color. Mix it up even more, and have one layer in poka-dots, one in stripes, one in plaid....


Your wedding will be full of so much vibrant energy!



{Rebekah} Color: I Love Color by bekahross