I heart this Dress!

I was procrastinating at work and checking out some of those no-thinking required websites - ya know - like People.com. I know its hardly anything close to worthwhile - but sometimes brains just need a break! Anyways - that was where I saw this dress! Normally I'm kind of on the fence about Cameron Diaz's picks - sometimes I love it - other times I hate it. Well today - I love it! I am obsessed with this dress - it would be perfect for my rehearsal dinner! Now the task of finding a knock off version on- line. I guess work will still have to wait!

Other things I am obsessed with - finding pictures of updo hair styles to bring in for my hair trial. I am perusing alot of celebrity pics as of late (umm can you tell?!) and I love Cate Blanchett - I think her style is just to DIE for ( and here are some rocking do's that she has pulled off that I really like:

I definitely want to go for that vintage glam look - I just don't want my hair to look too sculpted and stiff because I plan on dancing all night - so I want something with movement!
Other news - I sent this invitations out last weekend! It felt great - a post to come on what the invitations looked like!!

Wedding Jewelry

My wedding jewelry...... It's one of the aspects of my wedding that I am most thrilled about..and happens to be really personal and meaningful.

For my jewelry I am lucky enough to have a friend who happens to be a FANTASTIC jewelry designer...her stuff is on Etsy under Hoovershank. Almost every Christmas, since our first Christmas together, my fiance has gotten me a necklace made by this friend. Her jewelry is eclectic, fun, colorful and one of a kind. Every time I wear one of her pieces I get millions of compliments on them -and I always love saying oh my friend made this! For the wedding, she is making the girls the necklace below - except she ordered some beads from India that are deeper yellows and deeper amethysts to mix in with these lighter more transparent beads pictured below. The shape of the necklace hangs perfectly will the V neck dress for the bridesmaids - which will double as my gift to them. These necklaces are subtle and timeless - I heart them!
There are matching earrings to go with the necklace - a simple gold drop chain with one purple and one yellow bead. The earrings are stunning. These sets are so pretty and I hope that the girls can wear them over and over again. I could never thank these girls enough for being my best friends and such an amazing source of support and inspiration for me - but I hope this jewelry is a start!For my jewelry she is making me this unbelievable double loop delicate gold chain necklace with tiny pearls spaced out. I got the idea from this picture posted on Martha Stewart Weddings. Hanging from the longer chain is a locket that was my grandmother's. The locket has an A on it - for my grandfather's name - which also happens to be the same name as my fiance's. I knew the minute I saw this picture that I wanted my jewelry to look like this! I can't wait to see this vintage necklace with my vintage all- lace dress!!! We haven't done the earrings yet but I envision really simple drop crystal earrings - kinda like the ones in the picture! Can you tell I'm obsessed witht this look?!!!!. I'll post more when my jewelry is completed - I seriously can't wait!!! Oh Jewels I dream of you all day long!!

Inspirational Pictures

It's pretty outside and it is feeling like summer - which is reminding me why I love this season so much and I am so excited to have my wedding during this time of year!

Things are progressing! And I thought I would include some pictures that are giving me inspiration and also include some updates.

Now that I'm pretty much taken care of - I recently booked the make up artist Colleen used in her wedding! Yeah Jill Gosser! Which is awesome cause I loved her and she did an awesome job! So I just have a few things left (undergarments, some jewelry things, and hair) and my brides maids are all well on their way. I am now turning my attention towards the groomsmen. The groomsmen, ushers and the groom are all wearing navy suits. We are leaving it up to each individual to find their navy suits since there is a wide range in the suit sizes, and trying to be considerate of people's budgets these days we thought this would allow each guy to spend what they wanted to - or even use a navy suit that they already owned. They will be wearing white shirts - so the one thing that is not known are the ties!

So here are some ties I have found that I really liked....

The last picture is from a wedding featured on style me pretty - the tie up close is this pretty paisley print with aqua and greens and light blues, which I hadn't really thought about doing till I saw this tie - I really like it against the navy suit! I also am really drawn to silver ties to play off the girls silver/grayish dresses!

Speaking of bridesmaids...I have told the girls to go ahead and accessorize their dress in a way that fits their own personal and unique style. I left it open so they could choose what color shoes they wanted - if they wanted to add a belt to go for that and just really have fun with it - and make purchases they will use again and again! Two of the girls have purchased their shoes and it sounds like all the girls have opted to look for belts to add some fun! Here are some of the choices that have been made so far:

So these shoes

with this belt

And another maid picked this belt below with a deep orange patent peep toe from jcrew:

I love what everyone is choosing - and their choices are such a reflection of their personalities! It's fun to watch this progress and I LOVE LOVE LOVE all the extra color its bringing into the wedding. I feel like all their choices are really going to be tied together with the flowers. Which I found a new pictures on style me pretty - which is much closer to the style and look of my bouquets then what I had posted before:

1 year old!!

Nearly the entire day went by before I realized what today was! Today is the first anniversary of The Everyday Bride!

In some ways it's hard to believe that it's been an entire year, especially when I come across blogs that have been around for years and years and years... But, in other ways, it seems like an eternity has passed. I was in such a different place 365 days ago...5 months away from my wedding, knee deep in contracts and spreadsheets, spending over 8 hours a day on wedding planning...such a different place.

But, as always, I digress... Instead, I should be thanking you, the reader, for taking time out of your busy day to read whatever little blurb happens to be on The Everyday Bride! Thank you, readers!!!!! Here's to many years to come.

bouquet inspiration

With summer here, I've found myself day dreaming about flowers more than ever! I've been drooling over several fellow bloggers' inspirational bouquets, and skipping to posts on flowers on nearly every blog I've visited. And, after weeks of inspiration searching, it's safe to say that if I had to do it all over again, I would have used one of these photos as my inspiration!

However, keep in mind, I am an equal opportunity lover - I love any bouquet so long as it's full of texture and visual interest.

Whether it's organic in shape and style, like i heart peonies famous bouquet...

...or slightly manicured, like this 2 Excited Nests' beauty...

Whether it's bold in color like these gorgeous jewel tone bouquets...

...or bold in texture like these vintage-inspired bouquets with ruffled peonies and striking anemones...whatever the case may be, I LOVE them all!

And, on a side note, I love the idea of using ribbon for additional visual interest...I can only imagine how gorgeous it would be to have ribbon fluttering in the air as you're walking down a grassy aisle... Love it!

photo credits: 1) i heart peonies, 2) 2 Excited Nests, 3) unknown - if you know, email me!, 4) The Bride's Cafe via Green Wedding Shoes, 5) housemartin, 6) 2 Excited Nests

I ordered my candles!!

Hi -
so rather than doing my real work on this gorgeous Friday - I put my self on the task of pulling the trigger and ordering the tea light candles for my wedding! I wanted to give a quick shout out to fellow bloggers Wed in the White City and Soon to be Koo because that's how I was able to decide on where to purchase my candles from! Soon to be Koo - thanks for the post on Worthysoycandles on Etsy - I loved that you tested the burn time because that's what ultimately persuaded me to go with this seller! This seller put together a great deal for me - since I am ordering 250! I got all the candles for $69.00. Plus, as Soon to be Koo mentioned, the clear holders are much prettier than the standard metal holder for the candles. Wed in the White City - thanks so much for your helpful comments - you pointed me in the right direction to Soon to be Koo's blog and I am going to be ordering my votive holders for the tea light candles off of Crudge! So thanks fellow brides- to- be!!!


So all in all - I was able to save about $100 dollars from what I had originally budgeted for candles ....and that makes me very happy!!! Now what to do with that extra $100 dollars? I think some new summer shoes are in order right?!!!

Here is the link for the etsy seller Worthysoy candles:

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5252990&&ga_search_query=worthy+soy+candles&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Tea Light Candles

Hello All-
So I know there are tons of people out there that have ordered tea light candles and votive holders for their weddings. Candle lights are really the only decoration we need for our reception space - but we need A LOT of them. I am looking for the mini pillar votive holders that hold tea light candles and I need to order about 200 of both the candles and the holders and I am trying to do this as cost effectively as possible. What are the cheapest places to order from?! Thanks for the help! BTW I am getting MARRIED in exactly three months from today!!!! EICK! AHH! no freak outs!!!

Hotel

Hi!

So figuring out the hotel piece was little more challenging than I had anticipated. I figured its a hotel - either it has rooms or it doesn't - right?! WRONG! Its the valet parking, its the size of the suite (cause that's where myself and the bridal party will be getting ready) its is there an attrition policy and is it a nuisance for people to get there after the reception?

Well, after calling every hotel down town - I swear to god there were some sales departments that were like - you called here five minutes ago. So what if I can't keep track of the all the numbers I'm calling - I'm a bride! Hello - I have a lot on my plate! Then it was a struggle to find times to go to the hotel and see the rooms - they don't make appointments for you to come in and see the rooms - and the suites were always booked when I'd stop in!

After seeing many hotel lobby's and talking to many sales departments we settled on the Renaissance downtown. It's convenient and easy to find, the rates were more reasonable than others. ( I did find cheaper rates at Hotel Allegro - but the rooms there were so tiny I didn't think it would suit our out of town -ers needs.) There is no attrition policy with Renaissance - meaning that they will not charge us for rooms we don't use and the valet prices were comparable to all the other hotels. I think it will be a great Chicago experience for our family members who are coming from Peoria and Iowa - plenty of site seeing and excitement!I am still looking for a second hotel to book some rooms at - if there is anybody out there in the blogger world with recommendations - I'd love to hear 'em!!!

Caterer

So I wanted to do an entry on our caterer AFTER the food tasting - but that means I'd have to wait till the end of June and I am far too excited to hold off for that long!


We are using Biagio's - they have a couple of locations in and around Chicago and even a banquet center which they host a ton of weddings. After many phone calls - most of which Terrified me and my fiance at their proposed prices - we were so thrilled when we found Biagio's. They were actually recommended by Salvage One - although with Salvage One you can bring in any certified caterer - this was suggested to us because they have done events before at Salvage One and they are really good at working within people's budgets. After several scary conversations we were convinced we were going to have to feed our guests crackers and cheese and only serve beer. But that is not the case!!! Considering that my fiance has a ENORMOUS family - try 88 first cousins (not including spouses) and they are all Irish Catholic we knew an open bar with all the fixings was a must. We told Biagio's what we wanted and our price range and we are getting everything we wanted! In terms of food I knew I wasn't sold on a formal sit-down dinner. While I totally love them and have had a great time at all the weddings I have been to with that - I originally wanted to elope and get married on the beach - so having a semi-traditional wedding was a big concession for me. So we are doing 8 buffet serving tables - with lots of big Hors D'oevure platters and then we are having a chef that will be carving turkey and beef tenderloin, pasta and salad stations. I envision people to be grazing - picking food up as they take a break from the dance floor and just a really fluid casual affair. I'm really try to make this as much like a house party as possible - and luckily Salvage One and Biagio's have totally been helpful in making that happen!



For our wedding Biagio's is also providing floral arrangements for the buffet tables and a cake from a bakery (that I'm blanking on the name right now) ! I highly recommend them - they are so easy to work with....and I'll post more later after we taste the food! :)

Renting Wedding Supplies on Craigslist

Genius! Seriously! I was just perusing the pages of Craigslist for a buffet (like an actual buffet for our dining room) when I came across a listing for RENTING candy buffet supplies. GENIUS! Apothecary jars can be insanely expensive. And, while I have utilized some of my (ill-fated candy buffet) apothecary jars in my home decor (i.e., on my book shelf, in my front hall, etc.), chances are, you'll never really use them again. So, my budget-savvy friends, Craigslist away...Craigslist away.

fiesta bachelorette party: beverages

I was recently enlisted to co-plan and host a friend's bachelorette party, and while I'm more than happy to oblige, I have to admit, planning and executing a sweet little fiesta-inspired bachelorette party in only a few short weeks (while in the midst of moving and keeping up with work) has me extremely nervous! Extremely!

So, my plan is to tackle it bit by bit. For instance, today, I did some menu development and beverage research. And I've come to one conclusion, as long as we have sangria and margaritas, all will be good - especially if they're displayed in my Crate and Barrel jars with lids and stainless steel ladles (I'm pretty sure the ones in the photos below are identical to mine)!


I found several highly rated drink recipes on my good-old-standby, AllRecipes.com, but I think a variation on White Peach Sangria and (would-you-believe-it) Beer Margaritas (don't knock it until you read the reviews!) are the winners! Of course, I'll have to test them with Nathan (I know, life's tough!) before I commit. I'll be sure to report back.

White Peach Sangria - variation
Serves 24
4 bottles dry white wine
3 cups peach flavored vodka
1-1/2 cups frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 cup white sugar
4 pounds small diced white peaches
3 cups small diced apples
3 cups whole raspberries

Beer Margarita's - variation
Serves 24

4 (12 fluid ounce) cans frozen limeade concentrate
6 cups tequila
6 cups water
6 cups light Mexican beer
ice
4 lime, sliced

photo credits: Real Wedding Saturday: Allison & Mark

Bridesmaid Dress

Two posts in one day! I feel so productive!
So, I just found out that all the maids have ordered their dress...so because I'm pretty superstitious and being blond and Polish I feel like I have a tendency to jinx myself when I speak too soon - I was hesitant to post before everyone had their dress ordered! So all the dresses are on their way to their ladies and I can safely reveal the bridesmaid dress!!!

So here it is!!!

It's got this great Audrey Hepburn A-Line cut which doesn't show up too well in the pictures. The fun A-line skirt is gonna be so fun for the girls to twirl and dance in! I love it's called shark gray and it photographs beautifully ( I made my sister pose for a few shots in it). I love that its a more neutral color so I can go bold and bright with the flowers, shoes and jewelry. Plus it was pretty reasonably priced and I hope the ladies can wear it again. I see it with black tights and a cardigan for a more dressed down winter look, or cute wedges for a more dressed down summer affair. Being a banana republic dress I felt pretty confident that it was gonna be a rad dress since I typically like their stuff! The final deciding factor on it being THE bridesmaid dress was it is comfortable! You can even wear a normal bra with it - yes, I went there. So happy that the dress is decided upon and every one's gonna have it with plenty of time to spare!!!!

Florist

So I know I have been MIA for many weeks now...let's just say this wedding planning business is a time consuming ordeal!!

I am reentering the blogging world with my post on my florist - who I am absolutely in Love with! Her name is Beth and she owns Anna Held Florist - which for the north side readers - her shop is located in the famous pink building off Lake Shore Drive and Bryn Mawr.

She is so reasonable -and I get to have everything I want! Yeah! I really wanted something kind of eclectic and just have all the colors I love! So my bouquet will have orange, yellow and red spray roses, hyper cum berries, green hydrangea's, and ivory and purple calla Lillie's. I know it sounds like a lot - but the greenery in the bouquet really pulls it together and the flowers will just add some eye popping detail to the wedding!!! I can't wait for these flowers!!! The bridesmaid party will have the same flowers, just slightly smaller bouquets. For the grooms men, their boutonnieres are purple Picasso calla Lillie's which will look awesome with the guys navy suits.

The Florist's website is http://www.annaheldflorist.com/ - check her out - she's seriously the BEST. Below I am attaching a lot of inspiration pictures, but really none of them quite match the look I'm going for.

This one has great color - mine will have a bit more green in it though.

I love the green in this bouquet.

Love the shape and again the green!

The multi-colored roses are so pretty.

These are the picasso calla lillies! Love them!

mod milk glass?

Nathan and I trekked out to Ikea yesterday (Nathan's personal hell) to brainstorm possible media storage solutions for our new place, and of course I spent an additional hour exploring all of the inexpensive decor possibilities... You really can't take me anywhere these days. :)

During my exploration, I came across these adorable modern white vases that reminded me of milk glass! If you're a mod girl having a mod wedding, wouldn't it be cute to incorporate these into your centerpieces!? Filled with a single bud or left empty displayed at varying heights, I think these vases would make a perfect addition to a sleek wedding design!

Haha - BFF - our brains our synced up!

Colleen.......... so funny that your last post was on Uncommon Ground - that's the number 1 contender for where we want to have our rehearsal dinner. We love that they use organic local farmers! Also, check out the treetini - when ever someone orders this martini - Uncommon Ground plants a tree! (My inner - hippie self just thinks that's AWESOME!!!)

So sorry it's been entirely TOO long since I've blogged...I am well overdue for some major entries. But be prepared - I will be posting on the bridesmaid dresses, flowers, save the dates (which I am so late on!!!), photographer and caterer this week/weekend - I just need work to settle down for a day here!!!