bride-on-purpose

Is the drink pouring all over the floor?!

2010-07-19T07:36:00.007-06:00

"Ummmm, yep, but I can't do much about it, so why don't you just keep telling me about your summer!!"

OKok, a bit of background... remember this post, where I discussed the pros and cons of the punch bowl and the "beverage dispenser"...

you know, the punch bowl (sorry, I can't for the life of me figure out where this picture came from... somewhere on the oncewed site though!):

and the "beverage dispenser":

picture from here

Well, I decided the "beverage dispenser" would be the best choice, since I was worried about the inherent spillage that comes with the punch bowls. So I went off and found myself these perfect (i.e. CHEAP) containers on ebay that I thought would work well:

PS... I totally recommend the seller... he was great, and the containers arrived really quickly, they looked great, and I know I will use them again!

So after I got the jars in the mail (and unpacked them, sending Styrofoam pellets All.Through.My.House) I proceeded to DIY 'em making labels...

I had brown cardstock in my craft supply, and some left over ribbon from my guest book table sign (stay tuned!), and since I had a font I was loving, I quickly printed off some signage. I made a couple slices in the cardstock to weave the ribbon through:

And then glued the label over top the ribbon to keep everything in place:

And tied the ribbon around the jar:

The cocktail that would go in to the containers was a drink that my hubs coined when he took a bartending course. He called it the Kjearsy Royale (incorporating his last name), and we also made a virgin drink for the non-drinkers and kidlets. The signs read:

"KJEARSY ROYALE: created by the groom in the mid-90's... yours to enjoy today!"

and

"VIRGIN KJEARSY: as close as it gets to the real deal... refreshing for everyone".

Cute right?!

Now, I am no dummy, I know that turning a little spigot, holding a glass, and balancing a camera, a wedding program, maybe a purse, and perhaps a plate of munchies would not necessarily be the easiest thing in the world, so I suggested to my caterer that I have a couple of my friend's daughters help out. She assured me that she would have it under control during cocktail hour, and to let ALL my guests just kick back and have fun. So... I trusted her. Well, without going in to too much detail... the caterer quite simply overestimated her capabilities for the entire evening, and needless to say, the cocktail station was NOT manned by ANYONE, and the guests were left to operate these beauties on their own. Not the end of the world right?! hahaha... well, there is a reason I don't have any pics of these guys in action.

At one point during cocktail hour (before I escaped of course!), I was chatting with one of our guests when he sort of jumped and gasped... I looked to see what he was reacting to, and there was signature cocktail pouring all over the floor. He said to me... "it looks like the end cap came off, and like the drink is pouring all over the floor?!". I smiled and nodded, and said, "Oh well, hopefully the staff will clean it up, cause I am not saving this one!!".

So, the moral of the story is two-fold: firstly, as great as the drink containers are, make sure the spigot has a safety stop on it, cause not everyone can remember the ol' "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey" bit; and secondly, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS!! If you think you need to recruit someone to help (yes, even to help your paid professionals), DO IT!! Our caterer was simply NOT prepared/capable to execute all the tasks she assured me she would take care of.

It was funny though!! And I still love our containers!! The funniest part: the spigot didn't just drop to the floor... the pressure of the drink actually made it shoot out across the room... and LAND IN SOMEONE ELSE's DRINK!!! hahahaha... ok, we were lucky it didn't hit anyone in the eye... but... hahahhaha... it really was kinda hilarious!!

all pictures from personal collection, unless otherwise noted

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Lonely

2010-07-16T09:18:00.012-06:00

Alright ladies, this might make some of you uncomfortable... kinda how our cocktail hour made me feel. BUT, you know the rules around here... you only get the straight up real-deal kinda wedding stuff here!

So, a bit of background... like MANY brides, we chose to do a first look so that we could have more TIME for photos, have a later ceremony that would flow right in to cocktail hour and the reception (I mean come on, we were getting married up on a mountain, it's not like there was a lounge that our guests could go wet their tongues at in between the ceremony and reception while we got our pictures taken!), and so we could mingle at our our own cocktail hour...

WELL, my sister, the perfect big sis that she is, warned me that the cocktail hour might not go as I had envisioned... something like this:

sis: "why do you want to go to your cocktail hour?"
me: "well, you know, so I have more time to visit with our guests..."
sis: "uhhh, ya, that's what I thought, but it doesn't really happen like that!"
me: "whatcha talking about?"
sis: "well, at our cocktail hour no one even talked to me?!"
me: "but EVERYONE wants to talk to the bride?!"
sis: "all I'm sayin is be prepared to kinda feel like a 'pink elephant' that no one wants to talk to!"
me: "that's ridiculous!!"

So, after our ceremony, we went outside, took a big ol' group photo, some family photos, and then we re-assembled upstairs for cocktail hour.

SIDENOTE: We had planned on having cocktails out on the balcony, but due to the weather inconsistencies, my invisible wedding fairies some how made it happen back upstairs where the wedding had just happened?! Seriously, I don't even know how this happened, BUT, while I was outside getting a few family pictures taken, my amazing friends/families/wedding fairies dismantled the ceremony site, finished the reception set-up (ie. ceremony chairs doubled as reception chairs!!), and assembled the cocktail hour upstairs... yep, AMAZING peeps I had on my side!!

So upstairs I went... expecting to be greeted by a lineup of excited guests to talk to the bride.... although the room was abuzz with chatter, laughs, hugs, and stories, I felt like I could here a pin drop. My sister was right, it was like I wasn't even there? At one point a grabbed a great friend of mine, and side, "heh, what's the deal, how come you're not coming to get a hug from me?!", and he just had the dazed look on his face and said, "you just look too beautiful, I don't even know what to do". Um what? Ladies, I am not tooting my own horn here... this was literally his excuse for not talking to me... and this friend is a TALKER and loves to chat my ear off?! I told him to stop being ridiculous, but the point was made... I was the pink elephant in the middle of the room... only I was a bride... wearing white...

Looking at the photos, it was clear everyone was having fun...

My mom was making the rounds...

As were my girls...

Yep, and my husband was doing the mingle... But seriously... not a single picture of the bride during cocktail hour?! Not that I care about the pics, it's just the proof in the puddin. To be perfectly honest, at one point, one of my girls, JB, came up to me and said "heh, how are you doing?" to which I replied... "seriously, no one is even talking to me... I'm not feeling it!". Being the AWESOME maid that she is, she looked me dead in the eye and said "wanna get outta here?"... HELL YES! The two of us went and sat in one of the suites in the lodge and had a glass of wine... BLISS!! Quiet, no pressure to mingle, we got to chillax and forget about our posture, and we got to LAUGH!!

Now don't get me wrong, it's not that I hate mingling... sometimes I actually love it! BUT, it really wasn't the vibe I was going for. I didn't want to have to "work the crowd"... I wanted laid back COOL! But apparently, right after a wedding ceremony, a bride in white doesn't exactly elicit a 'laid back cool' kinda vibe. I was glad my sis had warned me though, so that when I was confronted with this feeling of loneliness it didn't shock the crap outta me. I just thought to myself... "ohhh, this is what CC was talking about!".

anyone else out there feel LONELY during their cocktail hour?! Come on... it feels good to admit it! OR, if you loved your cocktail hour, maybe you can help us out and let us know what we did wrong...

all photos by the amazing [6:8] Photography

LOVING the mountains!!

2010-07-15T06:14:00.004-06:00

Hi all!! Hope everyone has been enjoying the summer days (we've been hearing a tonne about the heat wave that went through the East... but it's been ch-ch-chilly here in the West?!). The hubs and I are coming up to that infamous 1 year mark (what??), and remembering the utter craziness of last year at this time (thesis, wedding, thesis, thesis, thesis, wedding) makes me so happy and grateful that this year is a bit more normal!!

But, that doesn't mean I don't still LOVE an amazing wedding shoot, and this morning I was BLOWN AWAY by the most recent work of our photogs, Kevan and Duane of [6:8] Photography. They had a GORGEOUS couple, and a truly spectacular backdrop in Lake Louise, AB.

Here are a few of my favorites, but seriously, I know you want the link, cause you will want to see this entire wedding, so after looking at em here, head on over to feast your eyes on all the beauty!!

Amazing work guys!!

Ideas I Shamelessly 'Borrowed' From Other Brides... #3

2010-06-17T13:20:00.006-06:00

So now that we have got back into the "detail" section of the recaps, I am ready for the third installment of my Reference List. In case you missed the previous entries, I first gave a shout out to Mrs. Lighting of weddingbee, for the great grooms-socks-wrapping-idea. And of course, I had to mention Jess of Budget Savvy Bride and Jess Lehry Designs for her awesome idea for blinging out my wedding shoes!

But now, it is time for a shout out to Nicole from Our Little Life... who's GORGEOUS wedding was one that gave me muchos inspiration. The main thing that I shamelessly borrowed from her wedding was the aisle decoration. I thought they were simple, but perfect, and knew they would be great at our mountain wedding.

How do you think I did in 'borrowing'... ok, who am I kidding, it was more like a full-on copy! Heh, I don't apologize for this blatant flattery... the girl had a great idea, and I thought it would be great for us too!!

Their aisle decorations:

Our aisle decorations:

Their 'sticks' behind the bride:

Our sticks behind the bride:

Their sticks behind the groom:

Our sticks behind the groom:

As much as I tried to get the same effect as Nicole's, it didn't quite work out. Here are a couple of reasons: I deligated this task. Let's face it ladies, the night before our wedding I had a choice: 1) stay at the lodge and work on the little details like a detail-oriented freak that I can very easily become... OR, 2) Go out for amazing Thai food with my ladies and have the BEST-NIGHT-EVER... ya, you can guess what I did!! But, the girls that were back at the house executing the details did a fantastic job, and although I pictured the "sticks" (as the hubs referred to them) being closer together, my wedding-elves (love you cousins!!) really did get it better. The simple fact was that our ceremony space was cramped... the sticks being off to the side a bit made it more visually open, with really only the mountains and sky as a backdrop. So we might ask... were the sticks really even necessary?! Well, with photos like this one...

I think they were a great addition!!

All photos from our wedding courtesy of [6:8] Photography, and those from Nicole and Grants were borrowed from Lauren Brooks Photography.

Our Montaintop Wedding - Confident

2010-06-16T12:37:00.012-06:00

The time was finally here... the day had been a blast so far. We had spent an amazing morning/afternoon with each other, and with our bridal party, but the moment had arrived. Our family had assembled, we could hear the music playing and the chatter of our guests. My girls and I gathered in a small room on the main floor of the lodge where we were met by our Jordy, our make-up and hair guru, for last minute hair curling, dress steaming, and make-up touch-ups! We shared a quick glass of champagne, and my great friend Cindy came in to let us know it was time.

And the one emotion that was overriding all others was CONFIDENCE.

Of course their was a mixture of all the days emotions... anticipation, gratefulness, pride, familiar love, even a bit of feeling torn, but above all else, I was confident in the vows I was about to make, and those that I would receive. I was confident in the man I was marrying. I was confident in our foundation, our hopes and vision, and in our love for each other that would provide the framework for our future.

And so, I nodded to my mom, accepted my dad's arm, and started up the stairs...

I was surrounded by the people I loved the most, and who supported, guided, and protected me. I was confident, with my mom by my side, that this walk was a purposeful one. One that was well thought out. A walk that lead me to the man I was meant to spend the rest of my life with.

I was confident in walking towards my husband... and it was like there was no other place I was meant to be. Inspite of chaos, emotion, trials, tribulations, successes and failures, that inevitably form any bride's foundation, everything seemed to fall away, making space only for this walk as a woman about to become a wife...

And then we stood together. Bride and groom, friends, lovers, confidantes, cheerleaders and critics

And nearly... husband and wife.

I made sure to soak it all up... and especially tried to connect with our friends and families in the 'audience'.

And before we knew it, it was time to say our vows. We chose to include a somewhat typical "do you promise to...", complete with "I Do's", after which we exchanged our personal vows. As it turned out, we both finalized our vows that morning, and it was hilarious (proof in the pudding... check out my laugh) that we had both written our vows in coil notebooks which we proceeded to read them from :) Seriously... it took some of the nerves away, and was soooo US! Dorky, goofy, note takers!

So first up was the hubs... his vows were sweet, direct, and calming. They were him... he's not really a man of words, so they were short and too the point... but they were perfect!

And then it was my turn. I also think mine were "me"... long winded and thoughtful! Yep, sometimes I can ramble. What can I say... this was the reason I was here! I followed the "I love you because..." and "Because I love you..." that I first saw here. I don't know why, but as soon as I saw this style, I knew it was how I wanted to share my love and promises with my man.

Of course there were many details to the ceremony, but at the end, and most importantly, we sealed the deal with a kiss...

And we confidently entered the world of MARRIAGE!! We were FINALLY husband and wife!

all photos credited, as always, to [6:8] Photography

And PS... don't you just love that I FINALLY figured out how to post with larger images?!

Guest Post on another mountain peak...

2010-06-11T10:16:00.003-06:00

And by 'Mountain Peak', I mean blog written by mountain-loving bride... Yep, that's right, I am over at A Mountain Bride today, sharing a glimpse of our mountaintop wedding!

Jess was recently married in Arizona, and has kept a thoughtful, inspiring, and gorgeous account of her wedding planning over at her blog... seriously, I can NOT wait to see her pics! I gained MUCH inspiration from her blog over the months leading up to our wedding, and we have become blog-buds which really has been one of the best parts of writing this blog. The ladies that we all get to meet through the planning (and remembering!) stages of weddings really bring a whole new level of camaraderie to brides. So Jess, thanks for having me over there at your FAB site... and hurry up and come home so you can share your wedding pics with us all!! No seriously, I hope you are having a blast on your honeymoon!! Can't wait to hear all about your wedding in the mountains!!

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Anticipation

2010-06-04T10:11:00.004-06:00

Wow... you are here... to the end of the formals! This has been a long journey of recaps, and more importantly, of emotion. As you have travelled with us chronologically the morning of the wedding, you have seen the amazing work of our photogs, [6:8] Photography, but I hope you have also felt the emotion of the day. The good, the bad, the ugly... and the amazing!! For those of you who have missed it and want to catch up, prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster...

The day started off calm as hair and make up got under way.
But with the reality that my wedding day had finally arrived, so too came some family issues that had been unresolved, and let's be honest, I was torn.
After making the best decision I knew how to at the time, I started to get excited to see my husband, and my heart went crazy pitter-patter
And seeing my husband for the first time brought everything to a stop... and it really was pure bliss
A bit of frustration with rain and transportation resulted in some flask-ing
and let's face it peeps, a bit of booze and umbrellas seems to calm things down... ahhhh-relaxed
My man was the coolest groom ever, and I couldn't have been more proud
And when we were reminded of a turning point in our relationship, we realized just how blessed we were to be marrying eachother
As the morning turned in to afternoon, we were surrounded by the most comforting emotion yet... familiar love

And if you're still with me, the journey brought us to our little trek in the trees. And at this time, their was really only one emotion in the air... anticipation. We had only a couple shots left before we drove back to the lodge to say our "I Do's". Admittedly, I kinda didn't want to go. Not because I didn't want to exchange vows, but because I was so LOVING hanging out with my groom...

It felt like it was the first time we had been together in MONTHS (*which was kinda true considering the lock-down I had been in prior to the wedding finishing my thesis and defending it), and I was kinda lovin it!

I knew, though, that sharing our vows with our friends and family would be such a special experience, and so we savored the last few moments alone in the forest...

And before heading back, I prepared myself to step into the wide world of WIFE... but let me be straight up here guys, I was also kinda thinking about the fact that in a few short minutes my dad would be walking me down the aisle with my mom, despite my mixed emotions on the topic, and I was preparing myself to be in the moment (sorry to bust up the picturesque dreaming of wedding bliss with harsh reality, but that's the way it went down). The anticipation of having my dad there was trying to take over, but it DIDN'T... it was present, but more importantly, the confident love that was streaming between my groom and I gave me all the confidence in the world to face my dad...

Because with him by side, want couldn't we take on??

Ya, we were ready... let's get this party started!!

All photo credits to Kevan and Duane of [6:8] Photography

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Familiar Love

2010-05-27T07:41:00.007-06:00

Hiya!! Thanks for believing me when I told you "I was back"!! And thanks, too, for following this emotional journey with me, as I recap our Fernie wedding! The last stage of the journey was a quiet reflection of our relationship, as our photogs had taken us to a location that was rooted in our history! We knew we were truly blessed to be together, to love each other, and to be getting married in one of our most favorite locations!!

When the cliff-side photo shoot ended, we went back down to meet up with our bridal party again... this time we were OUT OF THE RAIN (yah baby, the sun was SHINING!!) and went from barns and umbrellas to sun and rocks!
So let me explain the title of the post... there is so much about a wedding that is foreign to me... of course the obvious is the WHITE DRESS (ya, sooo not my familiar!!), but there were MANY elements of the day (or prepping for the day) that were completely unfamiliar. Here's a short list: being called 'bride' for MONTHS, opening shower presents in front of a LOT of women, shedding tears in front of a LOT of people, getting beautified for HOURS, being obsessed with the weather, having people take my pictures with the expectation that I look GOOD, being 'pretty' (that's a whole notha blog-worthy post!)... you get the idea! BUT, there were also many FAMILIAR parts of the wedding day too, and it was our bridal party (ok, who am I kidding, it was my girls!!) that really made me feel at home. These three girls have literally been my side since I was born... aren't they gorgeous!!

And Ian's boys were definitely a bright spot in his day too... BOYS! Enough wedding talk... flowers, seating arrangements, playlists, menu.... let's just have fun!

And there is something about that familiarity that made our love even sweeter:

Here's some solo shots of my girls (which I highly recommend getting done!). My sister and maid of honour:

And my two cousins... the first, P-ah, was born a couple months before me, and we have grown ULTRA close... and her smile is a showstopper:

And her sister, JB, the eldest, and leader of the pack, has always been my ally... if we were fighting with our sisters, we would align and conquer! She is a great friend, and quite a beauty:

The girls were there for me to make sure I was looking good... and this is about as familiar as it gets! My three girls have always been the "pretty" ones, and they have always worked to smooth me down, touch me up, dress me up, primp and poke, as I was more concerned about getting out the door to par-tay!! Well, here is a glimpse of those roles staying true to form:

And it looks like the shot came together!

And of course, familiarity rings in the FUN we had all afternoon... goofing off in front of the camera:

Until we were ready to strike a pose:

And sometimes we like to just kick back... I love this picture for a couple of reasons. First of all, the scenery and the lines melt my heart! But more importantly, I love how my sister is watching over me... and she has that look in her eyes of "don't you mess with my baby sister"!! I love her to bits, and this picture is a perfect reflection of us... I have always been off on my own a bit, but my sister doesn't need to be standing right beside me to hold a watchful eye! Now this is familiar love!

A group shot... sorry, I tend to focus on the girls, but yes, we had a blast with our ENTIRE wedding party!!

And what about the 'bride and groom'?! Well, in spite of wedding dresses and suits, we had that comfy, familiar ease too... and we took another moment to steal off for a kiss or two...

For me, these moments of familiarity in a day that can otherwise seem COMPLETELY foreign are what make all worthwhile. My day would not have been the same without the familiar COMFORT and PROTECTION of my ladies, the laid back quiet support of the hubs' boys, and of course, the simple, unmistakable love between 'bride and groom'!

As always, photo credit is given to Kev and Duane of [6:8] Photography... thanks for capturing the familiar love in a way that makes our wedding day fit seamlessly into the record of our lives!

Is it possible?!?!

2010-05-21T08:36:00.003-06:00

That I am actually back to continue the journey that have been recaps?? Well, ALMOST!! I am back, and I will continue recapping, but I wanted to let you in on a lil secret...

It has been hard.

There you have it. That's the plain-ol-up-front-no-hiding-TRUTH!! What's been hard? Life after wedding has been hard! Not just the post-wedding blues... we have gone through some shit. The hubs and I have been living long distance since we got back from our honeymoon. We bought a house.... a SECOND house. Yep, 2 mortgages :( We renovated one of those houses. We moved out of one and rented it (YAY... no more 2 mortgages!). We both started new jobs. I applied for a got denied a dream job. The hubs quit his job and needs to relocate a business. We struggled with communication. We worked through it. We made some tough decisions about babies. We have dealt with the ongoing drama of alcoholism in my family. This has brought up some bad memories from the wedding. There you have it... it's been hard!

But then I think about the journey from here...

Photo by [6:8] Photography

to here:

(that's us the day we handed over the original house to our new renters... and closed the door on the renovated beauty! personal photo)

And I realize that it's ok. It's better than ok... it's a success!! The amazing part of this journey, is that we have come out STRONGER, happier, and totally confident about our future. There are still many unknowns (JOBS, timing of babies, etc!!) but the one thing we know to be true will get us through the rough patches... and that's our love and commitment to eachother. So I finally feel like I can start telling you all about the wedding again. The wedding high is over, but the amazing memories will truly last a lifetime. There are some not-so-beautiful memories, and you know that you get the straight up truth here, so I will share those with you too... and more importantly, I will share with you how the emotions have translated into the everyday too.

So, if you're still around, thanks for hanging on... I really do want to share this whole shit-and-caboodle (sorry, don't know where that came from... my mom used to say that, and it literally just popped into my head!) with you!

I swear I haven't forgot...

2010-04-01T10:38:00.003-06:00

I just can NOT seem to write about the wedding right now?! I have so many more awesome things to tell you, pictures to share, 'wisdom' to put out, laughs to have, and memories to reveal... but for some unknown reason, I simply can NOT bring myself to write about them?! Please know that I think of you all, and this blog, almost daily, thinking today will be the the day... but the day hasn't yet come? I know this journey will eventually unravel itself in the form of words and images here @ bride-on-purpose, but I have to give it time. IknowIknowIknow, I've had time... like nearly 7 months of time (yep, it's been almost 7 months since our amazing weekend of I Do-s), but lately, so much has been going on, that it just doesn't seem like the right time to put fingers to keyboard.

Anyways, I hope you all are GREAT! If you still come around here, I say "thanks!". If you have got tired of waiting for the continued recaps, I understand... but stop on by now and again and see if I have got over my writers-apathy (nope, it's not writer's-block, cause I seriously haven't even tried to write!).

Until then, here is a picture that I look at many times over the course of the day that I just LOVE (it's on my phone too!!)

Picture courtesy of [6:8] Photography

In Case You Missed It...

2010-02-01T12:09:00.002-07:00

Our photogs have a new website! You know I am their biggest fan, so head over and check it out... along with our slideshow, cause they're featuring it again!!

Good Work Kevan and Duane!

Our Montaintop Wedding - Blessed

2010-01-27T10:00:00.008-07:00

The recaps continue... I miss my wedding?! That sounds lame I know, but I really do miss the day, the preparation, the people, the laughter, the anticipation, the stress (I know... weird!), and most of all, I miss the images. Fernie was such a spectacular location for our wedding, and thankfully I have the pictures to look back on, but I really do miss being out on our wedding weekend soaking in the beautiful views of the peaks and valleys. Can you tell I haven't been out skiing yet this winter?!?! The house buying and long distance relationship have proved to put a damper on our extra curricular... i.e. getting out the mountains where we said our "I do"s.

So yes, this post has perfect timing, because it is a treat for me to share with you some of the most amazing pictures that Kev and Duane of [6:8] Photography shot for us... and the emotion of this moment really was blessed. We were so lucky that the weather cooperated with us, and that we were in one of the most beautiful spots in the world to spend time together on our wedding day. We were so blessed to be in Fernie!!

Caution... picture-heavy post!! Proceed at your own pace :)

I just love the color of the cliff face on this one... red dirt!!

Our photogs reassured us that the lighting would be perfect for the photos... and, well, we couldn't agree more!

The next picture is similar to the one that won us a canvas from [6:8] (thanks again for voting!!), but I just LOVE the white water in the river below. Funny story about this location... we didn't realize we would be going here, but this location is literally a stone's throw from where Ian and I dropped our rafts into the water when we went white water rafting VERY early in our relationship. I'm talking EARLY! OK, obviously there is a story behind this one. Well, to be perfectly honest, the first weekend we spent together in Fernie was a "let's get away from the day-to-day so we can actually talk about us, and whether or not we should make a go of our relationship". Yep, that early! We had started off pretty casually, and our first weekend in Fernie was a turning point... and obviously the road we turned on to lead to great things! So, it was really a full-circle-moment when we went back to this very location. Again, we realized how blessed we were that we had chosen to work on our relationship, chosen to be together, and chosen to love each other. As you can tell from the title of my blog, I believe our path is a purposeful one, and the hubs and my relationship is no different... conscious decisions and choices lead to us being together! So, there you have it... Fernie has seen many pivotal points in our relationship!

Sorry, got a bit off track there... here we go, the white water:

Caught in a moment of reflection...

And the two of us looking out onto the river that brought us together... how crazy was it that our photogs chose this location?! It still sends shivers down my back remembering walking onto that ledge and realizing when we had been there last!

Yep... blessed is the word! Thank-you Fernie... your landscapes, your weather, your skies, your clouds, and most of all, your place in our hearts!

And just for good measure... the boys trying to get me to be all fierce-like!! Tyra... help!

Who wouldn't want to get married here?!

So, with this post, I want to encourage all of you brides out there (yep, and you too guys!) to stick to your guns when you know where you want to get married. We were faced with some resistance to having our wedding in the mountains ("you're having a destination wedding?!" was the comment I hated the most during our planning!), but at the end of the day, we knew Fernie was where we were meant to get married. We absolutely love it there, and like the pictures show, it really is beautiful. We were blessed to be able to bring our family and closest friends to this place we love so dearly!!

As always, photo credit goes to the amazing talent behind [6:8] Photography. Thanks for giving us the gift of these images that I can go back to when I miss the peaks of Fernie!!

347 unread messages...

2010-01-04T08:37:00.004-07:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of my fabulous readers!!

A bit MIA I know... my google reader reminded me of this fact when I opened her up this morning to find 347 unread messages?! WOWZA! I briefly buzzed through them, but mostly just clicked the ol' "next item" button. I know I know, it's bad, but 347?!

So, first of all, I would like to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of you who voted for my hubs and I in our photogs' best shots of '09 contest!! Your support really meant a lot, and best of all, it got as a freakin beautiful canvas... yep, WE WON!! So thanks thanks thanks for visiting [6:8] Photography's site and voting for us! We are very appreciative! And now the task becomes... where do we hang this new canvas?

maybe here:

or how about here:

What are these new locations you ask?! Well, in the midst of the usual Christmas activities (mainly eating, drinking, playing in the snow, and eating some more!!), the hubs and I made a pretty exciting purchase! Yep, we bought a new house! Wait, here comes the kicker... it's our second house. As in, 2nd mortgage. As in... yikes!! What I haven't totally filled you all in on yet is the fact that the hubs and I are living LD... the dreaded long-distance! Let's be completely honest here... the first year of marriage is not designed to be LD. It sucks. BUT, it will be better now that I will be moving out of my sister's house, and into OUR new house! The hubs will continue to live in Ctown (about 3 hrs south of Etown where I live) during the week, but he will now be joining me in our new home on the weekends. It has been a very stressful time (I definitely understand why Christmas is a slow time in real estate... it really is NOT a good time to buy a house people!!), but we are coming out of it now! We take possession on January 15th, so we are moving out of the bad stress (i.e. trying to convince the bank that we can afford the second mortgage, trying to buy a house during holiday hours, and trying to find time for 3hr home inspections in the middle of the work week all the while trying to finish Christmas shopping!), and sliding on in to the good-stress... like what colors in the new bathroom, what to cook for the first dinner party in the new kitchen, and best of all... where-oh-where is my dream dining table?!

So, the next few weeks (or months) of blogging will definitely continue to recap our Mountaintop Wedding, but there will probably be spurts of house-stuff in there too (cause let's face it, this is all I can think about now!). A year ago this time, I was freshly engaged, and all I could think about was WEDDING! And now, 4 months into an LD marriage, 10 days away from a new house, all I can think about is decorating, renovating, moving, cooking, hosting... so much to do with a new house... where to start?!

I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season, and I hope you have come into 2010 with great ideas, creative projects, exciting goals, and best of all, a strong love with your partner!! I will be honest with you all, my hubs and I have had to WORK to stay strong during these last few weeks... the stress has tested us, we have definitely fought, but I know these are all trials and tribulations that will make us stronger. Afterall, he is my man, forever!

We need your help... it's a contest!

2009-12-22T10:03:00.005-07:00

We interrupt the previously scheduled wedding recap post, to bring you a plea... for help... well, VOTES!! One of our wedding pictures (coincidentally it was going to appear in the next recap post!) was entered as one of [6:8] Photography's top 15 pictures of 2009. They are holding a contest, where the winner (with the most votes) will receive a beautiful canvas of one of their own favorite wedding shots.

This is the pic from our Mountaintop Wedding that was entered:

So, if you have time, definitely head over to their contest and check out all the photos... and if ours still ranks up there on your list, we would be beyond grateful if you voted for us, Tiffany and Ian!! It would be the best Christmas present ever!!

Click here to find the voting!!

Thanks all!! Have a great day!

Our Montaintop Wedding - proud

2009-12-21T09:31:00.005-07:00

Wowza... it's a mere 4 days till Christmas?! Where has the fall gone? It is crazy to think that a year ago today, I was on the ski-hill in Austria completing my final day of testing, before packing up to return home... and now, 12 months later, I am married, I have finished my PhD, I have moved cities, and I am hours away from buying (hopefully... fingers crossed!) a new house!! Yep, lots has happened, EVERYTHING has changed, and it truly amazes me every day how the body can sustain stress, love, adventure, heartache, excitement, anticipation, and more stress, and still feel great!! We are lucky!

Our wedding day, as you all know, was blessed enough to have some rain, but we were also lucky enough to be in the mountains, which meant that a 30 minute drive was enough to bring out the sun, stop the rain, and produce some new, dramatic backdrops for our photo shoot! We were still relaxed, and super grateful to have some time without the rain, but the emotion I was feeling here was pure pride...

We arrived at our next location to find a dirt biking track, which let me tell you, made my hubs veerrryyy happy! He jumped out of the jeep, and immediately flagged down one of the bikers, who was more than happy to allow my man-in-black to do this:

Yep, my man figured it was a perfect idea to go dirt biking in the mud in his black suit even before we were married... mmmm, muddy suit in the ceremony? Not quite what I had in mind!

So I admit, I was apprehensive about his carefree spirit shining through on the bike, but come on, how else do you react when you see your soon-to-be-husband with the hugest smile on his face, doing something he freakin' loves (hello, all things with motors he loves!), after months and months of helping me plan a day that would meet and exceed all of my dreams... well, I was proud that he was loving this day as much as he was, because it was his day too of course!!

And a few minutes later, after a quick 4x4 to our actual photo location, he was back to business, bringing out his inner Tyson Beckford!

And I mean really, my man in black, on his wedding day, minutes after dirt biking, looking as handsome as this...

and here's that smile I love...

Yep, I was downright proud of my man! Proud of the fact that he was mine, but even more so, proud of the fact that he is his own man, he knows what makes him happy and goes for it, all the while moving mountains to make me happy!

We really had come such a long way... trials and tribulations, peaks and valleys, highs and lows... it was only fitting that on this day, we were surrounded by the mountains and valleys that mimic our relationship so perfectly. And just like the mountains, no matter how rugged, moody, and unpredictable they can be, the beauty of our relationship, and the mountains we celebrated it in, is undeniable. I was (am) so proud at where we had come... and where we continue to move toward!!

photo credits to the uber-talented, and equally FUN Kevan and Duane of [6:8] Photography.

Our Montaintop Wedding - ahhhh... relaxed!

2009-12-15T08:10:00.006-07:00

First of all, thanks for coming around! I know it has been nearly a month since my last post, and I am thankful that you are here to follow this bride's emotional journey :)

The last we left off, I was getting over some bridezilla frustration, and we were just getting started with the portraits. It's strange thinking back on this time, and although it really was just a photo shoot, it amazes me that it was so relaxing. I look at this next picture, and am just so thankful for my girls. They have been with me through the thick and thin of it all (we grew up together, so when I say "it all", it really does mean "it all"!) and having them looking GORGEOUS, trudging through a WET farmer's field on a pretty cold September day, all the while having their show-stopping smiles on, it makes perfect sense why it was so relaxing!
I have mentioned quite a few times that I love wheat fields. I was born and raised in Alberta, and the prairies (considered to be dull and boring by many), really do feel like home to me. Kevan and Duane ([6:8] Photography) promised me that we would see the wheat, and they came through! I love how in the next photo it is all wild and disheveled (my hubs refers to me as a disheveled mess all the time, so I extra like this wheat!), and then on the other side of the road (the last few photos), it is standing up strong and straight in defiance of the wind and rain... isn't wheat just so courageous?! (Yep, that's how much I love it!)

In this next photo, our crew was staying warm in the vehicles, and we were just having fun in the fields. Who woulda thought that after months of planning, tears, $$, and emotion, me walking through thigh deep WET grass/grain in a WHITE dress would be relaxing?! But it really was...

Look at the expressions on our faces in the next two shots (which, by the way, I believe to be genius!)... serious and intense in a way, but also simple and calm... man and wife... relax... relaxing... relaxed.

And, for a bit of fun, here is a shot of my hubs covering my butt as I walked back up to the cars with my dress (literally) around my waist! Our photogs thought it was hilarious, and even snapped a pic of my bare-bride-butt (that I probably won't share here)...

but that's what I'm trying to tell you all about... it was fun and relaxing. This might sound lame, but as I walked and sometimes RAN through the fields with my dress up and the wet grass/grain soaking me, it was not unlike that feeling of running around it wet running shoes in shorts and a tank top in that totally unexpected rain storm as a kid (ya, who am I kidding, as an adult too!). Were we getting married? Yes, but that didn't change us... we were still fun-lovin' peeps who have always loved the rain... relaxed in the rain... that's just how we play!

As always, photo credit goes to the amazing talent of [6:8] Photography.

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Frustration

2009-11-17T14:10:00.008-07:00

No matter how often you tell yourself that you will NOT go bridezilla on your wedding day, there just might be a little disturbance that you are not prepared for... and it can spark something inside that you swore wouldn't light on fire!! YEP, I had a bridezilla moment! Emotion of the moment?! FRUSTRATION!!

I was soooo frustrated with my husband when, after our moment of bliss during our first look, we started to head outside to get our modelling on! You already know it was raining, but since we had a spent a few minutes inside doing our first look, the weather seemed to have calmed down a bit, but it was still drizzling, and definitely still a bit messy from the early RAIN!! So, I waited patiently outside with an umbrella, while our peeps figured out the vehicles. We knew in advance that we needed 4 wheel drive to access one of the photo-shoot locations, and we (hubs and I) had already decided that we would be driving his truck (convenient right?!). Well, you can imagine my surprise when he informed me that he had left his truck at the hotel, and that we would be taking his best man's jeep... not that big of a deal right?!

My mom came out to help and make sure I didn't get dirty...

(I think he knew he was about to get in trouble...)

Well, let's just say that the Jeep was NOT CLEAN?!?! and... out came bridezilla! I was pissed right off... oh wait, I am using the slightly less dramatic term "frustrated", but let's face it ladies, I was pissed! Um, what part of WHITE DRESS did he not understand?!? So, after catching sight of the interior...

I think this is me trying to keep a happy smile pasted on my face ;)

I tried to remain calm!! I actually ended up retreating into the house after hissing something along the lines of "how could you have NOT thought this through?!?!" to my husband. I told him to deal with it, and not bring me back outside into the rain unless it was so!! (I told you... bridezilla!!). Well, what ended up happening was pretty simple... they cleaned the seats as best they could, brought me a towel to sit on, and I climbed in the front seat (NOT the back like they had originally suggested!!), and we went on our 'marry' way.

On our way to the photo location, we completely lost our bridal party?!?! They weren't answering their phones, we were driving back and forth on the road trying to find them (which is ridiculous since there is one road, and only a left or right turn on to it from our driveway??), and I was getting more and more pissed off... I mean... frustrated! Long story short, they had gone back to get our rubber boots (which was a great idea), and in a few minutes, they met us at the location...

...and they helped to calm the 'zilla...

Yep, that's me, rain boots and a flask! And so the photos started.

I still wasn't quite convinced that he should be forgiven...

But he probably told me something funny to make me laugh (he's pretty good at that!)...

and I started to come around...

But once my man starts to nuzzle my neck... game over!! I was one happy bride after this:

and we both knew it was going to be an amazing day...

And so started the portraits... a bit rocky, but with the horizon in site, we were on our way!!

All photos courtesy of [6:8] Photography.

2 the North Tuesdays... Edition #5 (yes... I know it's Wednesday!!)

2009-11-04T12:06:00.007-07:00

Hey all!! So remember waaayyy back when, when I was trying to light up the blogosphere with shout-outs to the Great White North?? Well, after the wedding, I slacked. And it definitely was not because I don't think it's important anymore, no, not at all! It's mainly because I am busy. And so the little blogging time I do have, I have been focusing on recapping the emotional journey our Mountain Top Wedding brought about! BUT, there is a fab new website that is sure to make the lives of many Canadian brides easier... well, specifically, Fernie (BC) brides like I was!! Soooo, without further adieu...

2 the North (Tuesdays) Wednesday - Edition #5

FernieWeddings.ca

(screen shot from the website)

I found out about this site while I was procrastinating at work, and catching up on facebook (sidenote... is anyone else seriously annoyed with the 'news feed' these days?!). Duane (yep, you know them well now, it's Duane of Kevan and Duane at [6:8] Photography) mentioned that he was busy with the new website... www.FernieWeddings.ca. Well, didn't I just about giggle when I went over for a visit! Then I realized that I wasn't planning our wedding anymore, and it really wasn't as valuable as striking gold... but I knew it would be valuable for other brides who are considering Fernie for a wedding location.

So... why is it such a great new site?! Well, let's start with a bit of a background with Fernie. It is a small mountain town. I'm not talking Banff or Whistler mountain town... nope, this is a small, BC town 3 hrs away from an international airport. It is not a destination for weddings... ie. you don't google "fernie weddings" and come up with thousands of hits. BUT, now you come up with this awesome hit!! Although it is still a relatively new site, it is already brimming with valuable info for those brides who feel like they are planning a wedding in the middle of nowhere (yep... I felt that way a time or two!!). You might notice that the lodge we got married in (Elk View Lodge) is on the homepage (in the screen shot above), and if you look for caterers, DonnaMarie of Fernie Fine Foods (who catered our event) is on there too!

I am really stoked to give this shout-out, not only because our friends of [6:8] Photography are behind it, but because it is great to give some exposure to our favorite little mountain town! Fernie is not only home to the most amazing powder in the winter, but it is the perfect summer-hangout with hiking and mountain biking, and even floating down the river. We happen to believe it is also the BEST place to get married! It is not too busy/touristy, and you can still get great down-home hospitality that is often lacking in some of the other crowded tourist-filled mountain towns the Rockies are known for! But, the downside of this quaint atmosphere, is the resources available for throwing said big party... but this new website will definitely improve that situation for new brides!! So for any of you brides out there that are looking for an intimate mountain experience, and need help in the planning, head over to www.FernieWeddings.ca for a great lead on a... what else... Fernie Wedding!!

Oh, and PS, if you click on real weddings, you can find us there!!

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Pure Bliss

2009-11-03T09:59:00.004-07:00

Thanks for coming back for more of the emotional journey this bride faced on her wedding day...

For those of you who are just joining us (heyyyy!! welcome!!), the day started off cool-calm-collected, with hair and make-up, and a little bit of family drama saw a bride torn, and then, as the moment approached, the heart wouldn't stop... pitter-patter, pitter-patter... and this where you last saw me:

And then it was simple... pure bliss!! I saw my man standing and waiting patiently (or nervously, or excitedly... to me, he just looked plain ol' CUTE!!). I think this little smile on his face meant that he was feeling all of the above, but ladies, this is when pure happiness came over me! The moment was here...

... I was going to see my man, and he was going to see me...

... and then I knew, we were going to be together forever... starting right at this moment...

... and it felt really, really good!! The emotion was overwhelming, but so simple too. I was marrying my man, my rock, my lover, my partner, my comedian... yep, pure bliss!

And I think at this moment he realized it too...

And then we saw eachother, as we would only see eachother this one time, as bride and groom! For the first time, and nearly the last time, we would be bride and groom, taking on a whole new adventure!!

Yep, I think we like what we see...

But just for good measure, let's take a really good look...

Oh but wait... let me not only see, but let me feel, smell, taste... this was my groom, and soon he would be my husband. I absolutely adore this picture... just the two of us, revelling in the moment, but also dreaming of the future... together...

And for right now, we really were just bride and groom... in a few short hours, we would meet back at this exact spot, and exchange vows declaring our lifelong commitment. But for now, pure, simple, sweet, bliss... anticipation, excitement, nerves, anxiety, drama, tasklists, etc. etc... it all somehow added up to this sweet moment of bliss!!

Once again, the drama of the photos perfectly captured the emotions of the moment!! Thanks to [6:8] Photography for these sweet memories!

My favorite accessory featured...

2009-10-29T07:55:00.002-06:00

I was super excited yesterday when Miss Myra Callan of the infamous Twigs & Honey veils/flowers emailed me to let me know she would be featuring me (wearing her work of course) on her blog... check it out here. Thanks Myra, and as I said in the email, thank-you so much for the stunning hair flower and veil, they really were the drama in our mountaintop wedding!! Myra's work can be found on her etsy shop here (shout out etsy!), or on her official website.

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Pitter-Patter

2009-10-28T12:44:00.007-06:00

Ok, ok, I know, Pitter-Patter is not an emotion, but it is the sound my heart was making as us girls got the finishing touches done on hair and makeup... it was a combination of 'excited', and 'nervous', so Pitter-Patter will be the name of the next emotion, k?!

For those of you following, be sure to catch up on the emotions of a bride (yep, this bride) on my wedding day: CALM, TORN

The family issue had been 'dealt with' (I use the quotes for all the reasons discussed earlier... it had been dealt with in the best way I knew how how to at the time... moving on), and time seemed to be moving faster and faster. My girls were mostly ready for the day, my hair had been sitting in curlers all morning, but let's face it ladies, I still looked like this:

There was still some work to do!! So, my hair/makeup/galpal extraordinaire got to work to bring back the "edgy glam", that I worked out in our hair trail (read about it here).

She smoothed and slicked the sides...

Then added drama with some height and angles at the front...

Now let me tell you about the time ladies... we were LATE! Yep, I was supposed to be meeting my groom at a nearby field for our 'first-look' at noon, and this picture was taken at 12:11pm (seriously, I just checked the photo properties!!). Yep, it's confirmed, we were late. But, things didn't go off the wall for two reasons: 1) my man and his boys were late too!! Wahoo!! Their golf game ran late, and while my hair was going up, they too were scrambling to get their ties done up, so all was good! 2) It was raining. full stop. Oh No..... it was raining?!?! Ya, that emotion contributed a bit to the whole Pitter-Patter situation!

I am going to be perfectly honest right now... I hate to bring up budget, and even worse, to admit I was thinking about it right before I was to see my groom for the first time (heh, you're used to it, I tell it like it is right?!), but this is the exact thought that went through my head when I realized it wasn't just lightly misting outside like it had been on and off all morning, but that there was a full-on system moving directly towards us, with wind and all: "Holy crap, we paid $xxxx.xx for some of the best photographers around, and we are going to have shoot indoors?? But I haven't cleaned up, and there are people everywhere?! Oh God... our photos?!?!?!"... pitter-patter, pitter-patter...

That was when Kevan (said awesome photographer) caught me probably with a look of the noted fear and panic on my face as I stared out the large picture window where I would later say my vows. He told me to leave the photography up to him and Duane (who was shooting the boys all morning), and said, "Tiff, you probably won't believe this, but this is the type of weather Duane and I pray for on weddings...". He was right, I didn't get it, but I decided then and there, that it was all going to happen as mother nature had planned, it was out of my control, and no matter what, I was getting married... holy crap, I was getting married! pitter-patter... pitter-patter!

Let's get this show on the road... the veil went on. There was no time for the ceremonial mom-of-the-bride pinning the veil on the bride, it just had to get done!

But there was definitely time to check it all out in the mirror before the dress went on:

Alright ladies, let's get that dress on me... I gotta groom to see!

Ok, it's over the hair now... "how late are we?"... pitter-patter....

Ziiippppp! Yep, smellin good too ;)

Shoes please!!

Ok, then my mom gives me the gift from my groom, and part of me thought (to myself of course), 'what? you're giving this to me now, when I have been sitting in a chair getting hair/makeup done for the last couple of hours... I'm late!'. BUT, I reminded myself, that this was special, and deserved my time, without stress... and so I opened.... first a letter:

It really was sweet. I am going to share with you ladies a small part of what he wrote, because it truly is one of the most memorable moments of the day for me: "You are so beautiful today. More beautiful than yesterday, and not quite as beautiful as you will be tomorrow". Sigh. I almost lost it at that point. The bottom line is, he loves me. Period. It doesn't matter about the white dress and the great hair and makeup. I am beautiful no matter what. That moment really helped me remember what the day was all about. It is true, I had worked out like a madwoman leading up to the wedding, I had watched what I ate and drank, and tried to get my beauty rest. No matter what though, it wasn't about how I looked... it was all about how our love felt... and it felt great!! PITTER-PATTER...

He also gave me a beautiful little 'diamond' ring charm for my Links bracelet, which, for reasons I won't go into here, was so perfect! Here are my ladies watching as I open my little box: (don't you just love this picture... man, perfect!)

And it was showtime... the finished product:

Kevan told me the new rain-plan was to do the "first-look" at the house (which is also where we would walk down the aisle, have our first dance, and party our butts off!), so I snuck back into our room, and waited until my man was appropriately positioned... pitter-patter, pitter-patter... and then, I got to sneak my own little first peek, before we saw eachother for the first time... pitter-patter, pitter-patter...

Of course, all the beautiful photos are from our boys, Kevan (with me above) and Duane, at [6:8] Photography.

Ideas I Shamelessly 'Borrowed' From Other Brides... #2

2009-10-14T12:34:00.004-06:00

My next installment of my reference list is here... shoe adornment!!

When I saw Jess's post on her gorgeous wedding shoes (that's Miss Budget Savvy Bride of course!), I did not hesitate for even a second before adding this mini-DIY to my list!! I lovelovelove shoes, and I was super-thrilled with my purple wedding heels, and I thought this was a perfect way to add a little bit of character to the sole's of my toes! Afterall, these bad-boys deserved some love... they were supporting me while taking the walk of my life right?!

I just love how Jess's look so whimsical!! BUT, let's face it, I am an engineer, so my glitter letters (don't they look exactly like Jess's?! yep... stole that idea point-for-point!!) are freakishly symmetrical!!
Thanks for the brilliant inspiration Jess! I loved putting these on, and even though no one but me and my girls knew about it, it made me smile when I thought about it! Of course, now that people see the pictures, they keep coming to me saying "what an adorable touch! great idea"... I agree... great idea! Like I said... no point in re-inventing the wheel! If the detail leaves an impression on you, go for it, rock it! I reiterate... it's the finest form of flattery right?

NOTE: pics of my purple kicks are from [6:8] Photography.

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Torn

2009-10-13T08:36:00.004-06:00

photo from [6:8] Photography

My makeup was done, and it was time to start the hair. We were running a bit behind schedule, but I wasn't going to get too worked up about it. There was one thing left that needed a decision... and this is where I felt TORN.

If you have been reading a while, you will remember that I have had some struggles with my father. I wrote a (PART 1) post on whether or not my dad would be walking me down the aisle... and I never finished the story. I had a couple of reasons for not finishing it, but for all of you out there who were awaiting the results, it wasn't fair of me to leave you hanging. I didn't write about it again, because it was simply too painful. BUT, the wedding has come and gone, and I really want to share the story with you now, so that it can serve as 'one bride's experience' that might help other ladies in similar situations prepare for what family-conflict really looks like in a wedding.

So, backing up... I told you all that I did NOT want my dad walking me down the aisle. And I didn't. I felt very strongly about it. You all gave me strength to trust my own emotions and perspectives, and I forged ahead with my plan... my mom would walk me down the aisle. Period. I set a date to go and talk with my dad, my fiance in tow, and this is generally how it went:

ME: "So, dad, I am going to tell you something that you probably won't like hearing. I want you to know though that I am not telling you this to hurt you, but because it is very important to me. I want my mom to walk me down the aisle".
DAD: "As in, you want your mom to walk you down the aisle with me?"
ME: "No, I want my MOM to walk me down the aisle"
DAD: "Well, if you do that, there is no f-in way I will be at your wedding. AND, you can count on the rest of my family not being there as well"
ME: "I am sorry you feel that way dad. I obviously want you to be a part of the day, and I thought you would understand that my mom deserved this role, since she has been my rock throughout my entire life".
DAD: ... let's bring up every LAST issue we have ever encountered in our relationship, and try to use it to manipulate Tiffany into coming to her senses, and have me walk her down the aisle because I will be so damn embarrassed if I have to sit in the audience and watch her mom do it.
ME: "dad, please, if you want to discuss this, can you NOT open that bottle of wine?"
DAD:.... oh, now she is going to tell me not to drink. Yes, I am an alcoholic, but I can not face this torture of hearing that I am not important enough in my daughter's life to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day, and I HAVE TO DRINK...
ME: "this obviously isn't going anywhere, I am leaving"

It was a very dramatic conversation, and I left devastated. My man was finally witness to the drama that is my father, and I think the experience helped him to understand me even better. BUT, at the end of the day, my dad told me he wouldn't come to my wedding. AND, he promised to tell the rest of his family not to come either. This might seem trivial to some people, but I am extremely close to his family, and they made up more than 1/3 of our guestlist! Although it should be true that if they weren't there to support me, and if they chose my dad over me, then they weren't that important in the first place, but come on, as a bride, I did not want to come face to face with that reality on my wedding day?!

So, I don't speak to my dad for the month or so between that conversation and our wedding. I email him and leave voicemails to find out whether or not he is attending the wedding. He finally emails me back (three days before the wedding) to tell me that he has decided he will come to the wedding, but to nothing else (bbq, brunch, etc), and he will not participate at all in the wedding events. I should have been happy right?! Well, the simple fact is this: there was NO good solution. At this stage of the game, the hurt had been suffered, the hurtful words had been spoke, and it was simply a lose-lose situation.

The day before the wedding we had a rehearsal. My mom walked me down the aisle. I bawled. I imagined the look on my dad's mom and sister's faces as they watched my mom walk me down the aisle. I wondered if I was making the right decision. I wondered if it was going to ruin my day the next afternoon seeing the hatred in their eyes knowing I had hurt my dad so much by excluding them (I have seen this look before, and it sucks!).

The picture at the top of the post is just as I was about to get my hair done. My sister came to me asking what I was thinking about my dad. I told her I didn't know what to do. She told me she could have a discussion with him, telling him that I might want him to walk with my mom. That it didn't change the relationship, but that I didn't want any drama on my wedding day. I told my sister I didn't know what to do. And to you my readers, I really honestly didn't know what to do. The daughter in me that had been hurt time and time and time again did NOT want my dad walking me down the aisle... to be perfectly honest, part of me didn't even want him there at all. BUT, the bride in me didn't want the drama. I wanted my nana to give me a hug and kiss after the ceremony and tell me she loved me... she probably wouldn't even look at me if I excluded my dad. The bride in my wanted peace. The daughter in me didn't want to fake anything... because my dad has people who fake peace with him all the f-in time. The daughter in me wanted payback for all the pain he had caused me. The bride in me wanted PEACE.

And so, the team meeting shown above resulted in my sister talking to my dad, and eventually, to my dad walking on the other side of me. I would love to tell you all that I have no regrets with my decision, but that would be a lie. The daughter in me definitely regrets it. BUT, the bride in me was thankful to at least avoid drama on my wedding day. The daughter in me is ashamed at the decision, and for not being true to myself and my feelings. The bride in my sees pictures of me dancing with my nana at the reception and smiles. The daughter in me knows that I have no relationship with my dad, but I still allowed him to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. The bride in me also knows that I have no relationship with my dad, and that him walking me down the aisle was a concession for a simple and happy day. The WIFE in me knows that I can only move forward, knowing that I made the decision I felt most comfortable with at the time, and that my husband loves me and supports me every moment of every day, and he does not judge me for my decision. The WIFE in me knows that I have a man now that will never let me down, and this makes the hurt imposed by my father so much less significant.

And so brides, I can only tell you this: I empathize with all of you facing family dramas. No matter what decisions are made, family issues suck. They don't disappear on your wedding day. Have faith that the right decision will come to you, even if it is on the morning of your wedding. But also be prepared for the emotion... I thought I would be a rock, and I would be able to say f-you, this is my wedding. But emotions are real, and they will creep in, no matter how hard you work to keep them at bay. But, use the love and commitment of the support system you have assembled around you to make those difficult decisions... it will all work out in the end!

Good luck ladies! Thanks for listening, and thanks for you support. I hope my decision didn't let you all down.

Ideas I Shamelessly 'Borrowed' From Other Brides... #1

2009-10-09T08:00:00.006-06:00

I have made no secret of the fact that I found a LOT of my wedding inspiration in my precious Google Reader... from you all! I also make no secret of the fact that I do this shamelessly!! The simple fact is this... we read blogs to share in eachother's journeys, be inspired, support and get supported, laugh, swoon, and sometimes even debate! So, when you are under a time crunch, as most of us brides are, I don't think it is obligatory to add your own personal touch to an idea if you just straight up love it... COPY THAT IDEA!! Afterall, isn't this the greatest form of flattery?! So... since many blogging brides are not so upfront with admissions of wedding-plagiarism, I am here to write my reference list, and to give credit where credit is deserved!!

First up... a gift for my man!! I had been tossing back and forth whether or not I would look-like-crazy to get my hubs matching socks for the infamous sock-shot. I really loved those pics, but to be honest, it was just another thing to add to the to-do-list! I kept my eye out for fun purple-ish socks, of course to match my rocking purple heels, but never found anything great. So I kinda dropped this item to the back burner... not necessary, and only adding shopping time to my already jam-packed schedule! BUT, when I saw this post from Mrs. Lighting on Weddingbee, I knew I had to find a great pair!! She showed this awesome sock-wrapping idea that she originally found here, and I thought it was a perfect, simple, DIY fun job that would put a smile on my man's face the morning of the wedding! This is Mrs. Lighting version... "Just to make sure you don't get feet"

photo from here

So... I went to task... shopping! I broke down and went to Holt Renfrew where I knew I would find some fun socks, and I did! Purple Polka Dots ladies!! Yep, my man can rock the dots!! And then, well, then I copied Mrs. Lighting's wrapping idea, and this is how it turned out: (oh ya, I even used the same quote... cause it was perfect! "Just to make sure you don't get cold feet")

personal photo

And I really think my man loved them. This is him putting them on the morning of the wedding... cute right?

And of course... the shoe-sock shot!!

NOTE: last two photos from the wicked [6:8] Photography.

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Calm

2009-10-07T10:29:00.015-06:00

I am going to start recaps at the morning of the wedding... so many things happened leading up to the actual day, and I really do want to share these with you (and I will... promise!), but to be perfectly honest, I am starting here cause I have all of our professional pics to do the recaps with, and they weren't there the week leading up to the wedding!! So... withouth further adieu... the morning of the wedding... The alarm clock was set for 6:00am, and I woke up a little bit before it went off... I was getting married!!

I went into the washroom, and thought, wow... after all the hardwork, tears, exams, phone calls, paper cutting, discussions, workouts... wow, it was here!! I am not gonna lie peeps, I can't say the emotion was excitement. Nope, it was simply CALM. It was happening, I was ready, I had had a pretty good night’s sleep, most things were done (and even though I knew there were some things that quite simply wouldn't get done, I was still calm!!), I wasn't going to look outside at the weather, we were getting married! My cousin (and bridesmaid) came into the washroom, and told me I had to go back to bed... it was my wedding day, and I needed a bit more rest! So, without fighting her, I went back to bed. I knew our hair and make-up queen was to arrive at 7am, so I asked P-ah to wake me up then.

7am: things started rolling. I didn't do much... had coffee, wandered around the lodge admiring all the work my peeps had done the night before (while my girls and I were out for dinner!!), ate an apple... calm (borderline zombie!). just some of the handiwork of my ladies... beautiful right?! All the flowers were grown by my mom and step-mom, and arranged by my step-mom and about 5 girlfriends!!

Our table numbers! My hubs and I made them about 3 days before the wedding... using rocks from down by the river (literally), and some gold leaf I had in my craft box... $0!

I just LOVED the rectangular tables!! The burlap runners were crafted by my mom... and note to the DIY teams... get the burlap at the hardware store... for cheap!! Don't get it at craft or fabric stores! These were the tables before the flowers were added!

P-ah was the first to get started with hair and make-up...

And then things started to get rolling... beauty salon style!! I started with hair into rollers, and then I had a few hours to chillax! Well, ok, I did have one important task... I still needed to write my vows!! Yep, you heard that right... the words hadn’t come to me earlier, and I didn’t want to force anything. I knew the format I would be writing in, and had most things going up in my head, but they really needed to get written down. So this is a pic of my momma and I while I was trying to hide from everyone else in the house, and get some words on paper!! Note the I DO sign on the stairs (made by my mom and step-dad) directing our guests up to the ceremony site!

My other girls were busy getting prettied: JB was next...

and then my MOH, CC:

And I was still writing... this time in our closet!

then it came time for me to start getting beautiful... make-up first:

Still calm as can be... this little treat didn’t hurt:

Yep, bridesmaid P-ah hookin me up with a massage DURING makeup!!

So, the morning was off to a really great start! Jordy (our hair and makeup guru) is a friend, so it was really nice to be able to hang out with her too! I didn’t really leave the room much during the morning, so I didn’t have a clue what was going on in terms of set-up or anything else for that matter, so I remained in my state of calm bliss!! This is easy!!

I was always really worried I wouldn’t be able to be relaxed the morning of the wedding (hmmm... worried about being worried... not a great plan!), but the night before the wedding, I was out for dinner with my three girls eating the most delicious thai food in one of my fav little restaurants in Fernie, and we were laughing NON-STOP, not even thinking about the wedding... just hanging out!! I knew at that moment that the wedding was about spending time with your most favourite peeps... and I knew nothing would be able to ruin the day!! So, I enjoyed the whole process!! Everyone tells you that the day really flies by, and in some ways, it totally did, but to be honest, I really felt that the morning was relaxed, calm, and FUN!

NOTE: all photos by the talented [6:8] Photography!!

Our Mountaintop Wedding - Featured on BSB!!

2009-10-07T10:01:00.002-06:00

Jessica, Miss Budget Savvy Bride, featured our wedding on her blog today!! This was so exciting because I gained so much inspiration, confidence, and knowledge from Jess over the course of our wedding planning, and she was one of those super-smart and "savvy" brides that got me into the whole blogging world! Thanks for your kind words Jess, and for helping me start the recap process!

When I emailed Miss BSB with the details of our wedding, I thanked her for getting me into the thought process for sharing our wedding with you, my readers! I have really struggled to figure out a way to put finger to keyboard, and to share the awesome details and emotions with you... I mean come on tiff, you have been married 1 month + a day... get the recaps started! I have been busy, true, but I think about writing every day, and have simply not known where to start. I told you that I wanted to recap by emotions, but the emotions are just so complex, it is tricky to package them! BUT, I promise, I will have a real-live post up this afternoon, starting at the beginning!!

Thanks again to Jess, and as always, head over to her blog for awesome wedding planning tricks and tips, and for wicked inspiration, check out the pics of her own recent wedding!!

What does the real world mean now?!

2009-09-25T08:48:00.004-06:00

We're back!! We had a glorious 2 weeks in France and Italy that involved a marathon, plenty of wine, bread, cheese, and pasta, hiking and walking, exploring backroads, beating the touristy pavement, sights and sounds, music and art, and most importantly... each other! This was the first time my man and I have done Europe together, and while there was a learning curve with real travel (as opposed to easy vacationing which we have done together quite a few times!), we truly enjoyed each other's company. I had one afternoon where I was craving some alone time (not surprising, though, as I am a VERY independent person, and absolutely adore alone time!), but for the most part, we couldn't really get enough of each other. It was exciting for me to watch my man come to enjoy wine (he is a tried-and-tested devoted beer drinker!), and we both were amazed at the beauty, history, and soul of the places we visited. I, of course, will share much of the trip with you all, as my recaps get to the honeymoon, but in the mean time, I am excited to talk all things wedding with you.

I've gotta put it out there though... I came home to over 1000 unread posts in my google reader, and I thought, OK, I could try to catch up on them... but I gave up! I checked to make sure I hadn't missed any of my blogger friends weddings, and caught up on some pics from August 15 Bride, but then I did the unthinkable.... I clicked the "mark all as read" button! I know I know... it's bad!! I still TOTALLY value all of the hard work, creativity, and emotion that everyone has put into sharing the wedding journey with their readers, but I really couldn't find the energy or emotion within myself to swoon over other peoples' details. The fact is, our wedding has passed... it was amazing... but not PERFECT. It was heartfelt, meaningful, and tonnes of fun, but there were some things I overlooked or simply ran out of time to attend to. It was family filled, memorable, fresh-mountain-air exciting, but there will always be little things I could have done differently. The simple fact is, I love the details... all details. Even those details I read about and think "oh come on now, who has the time to do THAT?!" yep, I love those details too! I could have 4 or 5 more weddings (of course to my one and only man, cause he is my dreamy-delicious-kind-fun HUSBAND forever!!) and still never incorporate all the details that I think are FABULOUS! So, I couldn't go back in time to look at my 1000+ posts, but I will still read wedding blogs I think... they are just so dreamy! I especially look forward to watching all the brides out there make their own leap of faith... all you brides are so brave! I definitely realized what a HUGE deal it is to get married... HUGE!!

Most recaps are different from each other... the way brides organize their thoughts/emotions/sentiments related to their wedding is unique to themselves. So yes, my recaps will probably not look like anyone elses. I have thought about how they will look, and it is hard even now to imagine it, but the one thing I really want to work hard to express are the feelings that surged through every moment of the whole wedding weekend. Some feelings I expected, others I was surprised by... they were all over the map!! So the story will likely unfold chronologically, but the focus will likely be on the emotion. I hope you are all with me for this journey, because you have all been supportive so far... and I have to come to rely on you a bit ;) And, if my experiences can help any of you prepare for or anticipate feelings on your own wedding day, I know it will be worth it!

the most amazing day... ever!!

2009-09-13T01:46:00.004-06:00

Hey friends! I know I have been MIA lately... the fact is, I am a married woman, on her honeymoon, loving every minute of QT with my HUSBAND!! It was a crazy busy homestretch the last week before the wedding, but it all resulted in the most fantastic wedding weekend... better than I could have imagined. All the work that we had put into creating a three day retreat in the mountains for our family and closest friends brought the most delightful experience to fruition... and the best part... at the end of the Sunday, we were man and wife!!

Above all else, I can tell you that the weekend was filled with LAUGHTER (I am talking a LOT of it!!), and lovelovelove... between my man and I of course, but it also floated through the air like laughing gas, hitting everyone to come within the vicinity of our lodge... it was EVERYWHERE! It was so unbelievably humbling how much our family and friends that stayed at the amazing lodge helped make our day possible... like, beyond 'help'.... they were seriously integral in how the whole weekend unfolded, and for that, we are forever indebted... they took our vision to heart, and worked tirelessly to make it happen! My eyes are getting wet just typing this and picturing my little brother giving directions like he was football coach... "no, that table goes here... ok boys, let's mop the floor before we set up the chairs... come on people, I need all hands on deck to move these couches...", and one of my bestest girlfriends working around the clock like freaking Martha Stewart to create a BEAUTIFUL room that surpassed any/all expectations that I might have had... seriously, I had the BEST team ever working to make our day the best possible!

I will give all sorts of juicy details when we return from France/Italy, but for now, a few of my fav pics from our photogs... enjoy!!

His and Hers

2009-08-31T06:33:00.004-06:00

OK, the countdown is on... 6 days till I'm married, and 4 days till we will be on the road to Fernie... yup, that means some things are getting deleted from the DIY dreamlist!! BUT, more importantly, things getting done at a rapid rate (can you hear the optimism... the reality is things are taking longer than I ever expected them to, but heh, they're getting done) (2nd bracket: the sneeze just reminded me tell you that, as expected, as soon as the defense finished, my body started releasing all of the stress I have been holding on to the last few months, and I am now sick?!?! I asked my body so firmly to stay healthy until the defense was over cause I couldn't handle being sick... why didn't I ask it to hold on until the wedding?! oh well...)

So, this post is allll about my new favorite tool: the circle punch, and my new favorite supply: the full-page labels (P.S.... seriously, how did I live before the full-page labels?!?! They are so friggin awesome!). First things first... our OOT bags, or shall I say, baskets! I can only show you some of the items that are going into the basket, since my step-mom has gloriously offered to assemble the apple crates (I guess those aren't baskets?!) complete with croissants, homemade cherry jelly, coffee packets, and I really don't know what else. But, to add our personal touch to it, the circle punch and labels made a big appearance!!

I formatted a page worth of labels, in different colors, and pre-cut them using scissors (this was my first punch, so I soon realized that at least one edge had to be cut pretty close to the edge of the circle, but in no time I got the hang of this new trust tool... look, there's even a window to make sure everything is lined up (told ya, total newbie!!)

My stack of purple and green labels:

And the candy supplies: my favorites (lindt chocolate, and hot tamales), his favorites (after eight bars and nibs), small clear plastic bags, and of course, the labels! What I didn't get a picture of was the beef jerkey we ALWAYS pick-up when we drive to Fernie, which of course was labelled as a favorite of the bride AND groom, and a couple packs of gum for good measure!!

All the goodies labelled with hearts:

And the stack... a couple will go in each basket (we are only doing baskets for the 4 houses we have rented, which will have about half of our guests... the rest are in individual hotel rooms, and we drew the line there... I know, I tried to avoid the special treatment of the house guests, but what can I say??)

And since we're on the topic of circle punch and labels, here's a glimpse into their second use... gift tags!! (PS: don't you just love those adorable round purple tins I wrapped the girls' head pieces in?? Now they have the perfect storage case for them!!)

The gift pile seems so small... how did I go so broke buying a wee-little basket of gifts??

OK, I warned you, labels and circle cutters... my new best friends!!

Dr. Bride

2009-08-29T07:53:00.007-06:00

OK, I am actually back... after a successful PhD defense!! I'm not gonna lie, it was probably the hardest day of my life, but in the end, I heard the words "pass", so I am a happy girl. I would have LOVED for it to go more smoothly, and I have spent a few days feeling sorry for myself, and mourning the loss of those 2 hours that I had envisioned being confident, strong, and impressive, and am now coming to terms with the fact that they simply were not my best hours, but it's ok... I passed, and life goes on. Thank-you all for your kind words of support, it really did mean a lot!!

OK, I am actually back... as a bride 8 days away from getting married?!?! WHAT?? I know I know, catch your breath, relax, and hold on for the ride!! I can't believe the wedding is almost here, and I have been so MIA with you guys I barely know where to start?? We leave for Fernie on Thursday next week, so I have a mere 6 days left to get everything ready... the only problem is, I don't know what to do?! The defense took EVERYTHING out of me, and I am finding it difficult to convince myself to get up and get productive. On top of that all, the PhD was definitely a stress on the important relationship... with me and my man... but I know in the end it will make us stronger. The only unfortunate thing, is it coincides with the inherent stress of wedding planning (time, money, emotions, energy... the works!). So, we are going to try to spend some time today on us, just good ol' fashioned fun time together putzing away in the garage (yes, on wedding DIY stuff, but still, it will be fun!), and trying to bounce back from the last couple of months where it has admittedly been all about me, with very little attention paid to him. I know we will get through it, and in 11 short days, we will be drinking wine together in France, as husband and wife... yes, we can get through this!!

BUT, because I have been so negligent here for a long time, I will share some goodies with you... nothing will be in order, all is random (like the thousands of thoughts swirling around in my head right now... someone to deliver bouts.... Cajun appetizers?!.... remember to bring steamer.... did I ask P to bring Cranium or did I just think about asking.... get licence renewed... YOU GET THE POINT RIGHT!!).

Today though, let's talk about the rehearsal dinner... otherwise known as the welcome BBQ! We have decided to throw a casual lunch at the wedding lodge, to which all of our guests are invited! And yes, a LOT of them are coming... 90 to be exact! So, my mom and step-dad, famous for their steaks, are bringing 90 AAA Alberta (the best!) beef tenderloin steaks from their butcher, and grilling them up with some homemade baked beans, and my grandmas buns... with a little Caesar salad thrown in for some greenery! Most of the food has already been cooked and frozen, which should make the process pretty simple. We aren't afraid of the big parties (we have a cabin where we regularly have 30-40 people over for steak!), but this is definitely one of the biggest ones we have done!! What does this have to do with DIY... well, this isn't all that creative, and definitely not challenging or even original for that matter, but, it is still worth sharing (I hope you agree!):

UTENSILS: you might remember this post about Ecoware utensils, so you've maybe already seen these before, but here are a few more details...

I bought green and white IKEA napkins (super affordable, nice and big, and pretty thick and soft!). I bought 100 white and 100 green, which I believe came to something like $12 or $15. We are also using the utensils for the day-after-brunch, but yes, we will definitely have MORE than enough!

Rolling utensils is not too exciting, but for those of you without waitressing experience (I have rolled quite a few 'roll-ups' in my day!), I thought I would show you the process:

You definitely want to leave some of the utensil showing (I think they are adorable!)

Because our napkins were pretty big, and I was a bit anal about how the final product looked, I folded the corners of the napkins in, to ensure a straight edge at the end:

To secure the roll-ups, I used some of that homemade paper (in purple) that feels like fabric. This paper ended up being awesome. Because of the texture, it rolled really easily, and laid smooth (sometimes a normal paper will get creased/crunchy, and in my opinion, doesn't look as clean as these turned out). The lady from the paper store that I bought it from told me definitely don't use a glue stick... she suggested double sided tape. BUT, double sided tape just got caught up in the fibres of the paper, while the glue stick worked really well! (Just a note about the paper, I bought one sheet for $5, and cut it into strips ~1" wide, and maybe 3" long... I did 200 roll-ups with it, and still have some left over!!)

The finished product front and back. You can notice the nice straight edge on the back (and I made sure the folds were such that the edge would land on the back and not the front of the roll-up... I told you I was anal!)

The stack getting bigger:

Kinda cute right? But wait, since we're on the topic of welcome BBQ, I thought I would share with you the outfit... and I am just gonna put it out there... I think I almost like this dress more than my wedding dress... yup, I said it! I LOVE this dress... it is just so unique and fun that I want to where it at every possible opportunity. I will likely be overdressed for the party, but heh, it's my party right?! And I'll over-dress if I want to ;) So without further adieu... The first 2 pics are taken in the dressing room at BCBG when I was trying to convince myself that since it was waaaayyyyy over budget, I would take pictures of it just so I could think about how it felt, but that there was no way I could afford it!!

The super cute embellishment:

And even though it TOTALLY broke the bank... I bought it!! And, I have already worn it to one wedding (check out me with my man back in July...)

Whew... first post in a while... sorry it was so random!! How are y'all doing?! I've missed you!!

the countdown is officially on... 3 and 14

2009-08-23T23:05:00.003-06:00

Hey All,

I had a glorious weekend with mom-daughter-sister spoiling, QT with the nephew, and the most amazing non-shower shower a girl could ever ask for!! As soon as I get pictures, I will share, but in the meantime, I have to put this in print so I will actually believe it:

In 3 days I will have a PhD!!!

In 14 days I will have a husband!!!

wowowowow!!! Where has the time gone?! It was a fast (I'm talking short people, like I can still remember the smell of the Vietnamese soup we were eating when he proposed 8 months ago short!!) process from returning from Austria to do PhD research, to completing (almost) that PhD and becoming a wife, and to be honest, I am having a bit of trouble catching my breath!! I am finishing up my Defense presentation right now (hence the short diversion to update you!), and it is truly unimaginable that these 2 HUGE life accomplishments are within arms reach... someone pinch me!!

Edgy-glam

2009-08-20T13:50:00.005-06:00

OK, so it's probably only edgy in my mind, but heh, it's all about how you feel right?!

I went in to my hair trial with basically no inspiration photos... my poor stylist right?! Well, she's a friend, and luckily we were able to take our time, she had a bit of her own vision, and she knew I was pretty easy going about it all. My dress is a deep-V neckline, with a cross in the back... the cross in the back is really the only visually interesting aspect of the dress (not in a bad way, I like that it is simple), and I knew I didn't want to hide it. I also knew that I like my hair pulled back, especially when eating (and eating RIBS!!), so it doesn't get all up in my food yo! BUT, my man likes my long locks, so I knew it still needed some sexy curls... who's confused yet?? Well, here are the results:

from the side, showing off my veil and headpiece from Miss Myra

from the front

A better shot of the makeup in natural light

So, I was feeling pretty good about the first go... but something just wasn't right. I looked too "CUTE", and cute is definitely not my thing. I knew my hair had to come down a bit, it was just too cheerleader-curl-ish... Instantly I knew the 2nd round was better:

From the front... better right?

And from the side:

OK, so it was really close, but I was still feeling a bit chipmunk-ish... yes, I have an extreme phobia of fat-face-syndrome! I definitely gain weight in my face first, and since I have been working really hard to NOT gain weight, I needed to make sure I didn't have fat-face-syndrome... something was just telling me it needed a bit of tweaking. Jordy, my hair and make-up guru asked what was on my mind, and I told her I needed a bit more lift at the front... and... voila: the final product:

What do you think?? Did we get it right? I always love her makeup, so I knew she would do a great job, and the hair really turned out perfect... just like I had pictured! Another thing off the wedding to-do list!! VICTORY!!

My Man's Look

2009-08-19T10:08:00.000-06:00

This is a detail that started way-back-when... I dunno if you remember, but I had some issues with an etsy seller (catch up on the rant here). I didn't want to specify the seller in case something terrible had happened, and as it turned out, there was apparently some sort of 'family emergency' that made it difficult to fill the order. I tried to overlook everything, but was hoping at least for some sort of apology for being totally MIA for over a month, but alas, I didn't get an apology, and after another 2-ish weeks, I finally got our... ties!!

We ended up going with etsy's Cyberoptix ('Ties that Don't Suck'). Because I have been in such an 'execute' mode lately, I hastily gift-wrapped these suckers to give to our groomsmen before I got a picture, but the picture shows you what my man's tie looks like (gold on beige). The three ties for the guys were printed on khaki, which is slightly darker than my groom's, and they were printed with ink matching the girls' dresses... remember?

The ties really do look great... we are both really happy with how they turned out, and hopefully the boys will love them too! The engine print really suits my man, who is all about cars, and swears one day the Alpha Romeo that is sitting in our garage will be spiffed up and we will drive to the coast in it with the top down!! I had my eye on a fiddlehead print, but let's face it, this is one of his only ways to show his style, and he loves the print! I wish that everything had happened more smoothly with the seller, especially since I know how great of reviews she has had from so many of you blogging-brides. I have already purchased one of her ties for my man as a stocking stuffer last year, and, well, it did not make it in time to get stuffed. To be honest, I'm not sure if I will buy from her again, but rest assured, those of you willing to wait will end up with a product you love... the ties really do rock!!

Another quick note about bridal-party-fashion... my sis, MOH, best friend, and now... MOM TO BE... can't fit into her bridesmaid dress?!?! We both knew there was a good chance she would be pregnant at the wedding, but the dress she got was well suited for a small baby-bump. Well, as this is her 2nd baby, her 'small' baby bump is a little bit bigger than expected, and, yup, last week, with less than 30 days till the wedding, she broke the news... the dress simply did not fit. She had already been out shopping, and found a cute maternity dress she liked (which fit in with the color scheme), but then I found out the price... $250+. Now, considering the cost of bridesmaid dresses, this isn't bad, but one of the main reasons my girls were able to pick out their own dresses, was to give them the opportunity to stick to their own budget. If you remember my post about their gorgeous mis-matched dresses, my sis originally paid something like $60 for her dress... so I was really not keen on the idea of her spending nearly $300 on a replacement. Well, next to etsy, my favorite wedding shopping store is ebay!! And yes, I found her exact same dress, one size bigger, brand spanking new, for around $60 including shipping!! WAHOO... crisis averted!!

The best part... the tie that I got color-matched to this exact dress, still matches!!

So, with the ties, the groomsmen are taken care of (easy-squeezie, they're wearing their own black suit, white shirt, and black shoes!), and my groom was one step closer to being dressed!! Check and Check!

2 the North Tuesdays... Edition #4

2009-08-18T16:56:00.015-06:00

Alright, let's get back into it... Canadian wedding elves! Again, my apolologies for my blogging hiatus, I've had a few other things on my plate as of late ;)... BUT, without further adieu, here we go..

2 the North Tuesdays - Edition #4

Fuller Edge Photography

I know I have already given shout outs to the infamous Canadian Photographers over at Still Motion, but I gotta tell you, the team at Fuller Edge is rockin' my world right now. After stumbling upon their site and fishing around, I came to realize that they are part of the Little Black Book over at Style Me Pretty... small world this whole blog land!! Anyways, about the team... they are a husband and wife team, who claim their style is a mix of "vintage and sexy"... honestly, I personally think they ooze sex... in an oh-so-fabulous way!! I LOVE their work, and the pics make me wish I was as sexy as their brides!! Feast your eyes friends: (NOTE: all pictures are from the Fuller Edge blog)

aren't these blue sequin shoes to die for?!

hello... bride on a piano?? I want that to be me!

gorgeous lighting!

this makes my heart swoon...

downtown Calgary... my home!

Love this pic on the river... definitely love the creative lighting!

So, I hope you have enjoyed the eye candy as much as I did!! Fuller Edge is based out of Calgary, AB (yup, I live here, nope they're not my photogs...). They do amazing work, I drool over their sexy photos, and I wonder, every time I look at these, what it would be like to be a sexy bride!! I love our photographers, but if I could have two weddings, these guys would shoot the second one!! Maybe they do boudoir?! If you are in the area, of having a wedding in the rocky mountains, contact Fuller Edge (and then send me some of your photos!!). Fuller Edge, another killer Canuck Wedding Elf!!

Hello my long lost blog-friends!!

2009-08-18T07:40:00.003-06:00

I'M BACK!!

from here

WOW, is all I can say... the last few weeks have been some of the hardest of my life, but somehow, I have made it out alive. Thank-you all for your words of support, I really did feel you cheering me on as I wrote wrote wrote, cried cried cried, and wrote wrote wrote! The support I have received from family, friends, and strangers (well, you know how it is, technically you all are strangers, but I feel the friendships that this blog has built!) has been overwhelming, and it really is true that it takes a community to raise a child (and in this case, the child was my thesis!!). I know I have sooooo much to catch you up on, and of course, I haven't forgot that today is Tuesday, and I definitely have some catching up to do on the 2 the North features, and all is coming your way. I am 19 days away from being married (holy crap... how did that happen?!), and a mere 8 days away from defending my thesis... yes, it will be non-stop until the wedding day!! I have tonnes of DIY details to share with you (that's pretty much all I've been doing since I submitted my thesis!), updates on dress and hair, bachelorette parties to share, and of course, lists miles long... so stay posted, cause I will be writing like a mad-woman the next couple of weeks to share this process of last-minute wedding planning with you!!

Thanks again to all of you for being my little blog-cheering-squad, and I can't wait to share more fun stuff with you (let's face it... there really is nothing fun about thesis writing!!).

talk to you soon... almost-a-bride, almost-a-doctor!!

it's me, the PhD Candidate... I can't find the bride?!

2009-07-31T11:18:00.006-06:00

Hey All...

Thanks for being patient while I finish my thesis...

6 days and counting!!

Things are coming together, I have decided I won't quit, and I will actually finish... MAN, it has been a TOUGH road!! I totally understand now why so many people never finish their dissertation... it's killer!!

So, to encourage me along, my '15 minutes for eating lunch' has turned into 'please oh please make me laugh... anyone... someone?!' (all comics from here)

2 the North Tuesdays... Edition #3

2009-07-28T07:38:00.005-06:00

Thanks to the power of scheduled posts, I can showcase another awesome Wedding Elf from the great white north... but rest-assured, I am furiously typing away at something else while you read this... my thesis!! I am only 9 days away from submitting, which is why I haven't been able to drop in to let you all know how my bachelorette weekend was (but I am sure it will be fantastic, and by the time you read this, I can almost guarantee it WAS amazing!!). But for now, lets introduce our next Canuck:

2 the North Tuesdays - Edition #3

Haute Wedding Design

This is a VERY new company, but so far, I like what I am seeing!! The crew is based out of Calgary, but I can't say I am making a personal recommendation for their services since I don't have a budget for planning services, but for those of you looking for a modern wedding planner in Calgary, or those of you just swooning over the Canadian Rockies but don't live close enough to plan your dream mountain wedding alone, Haute Look just might be the answer for you!!

I was first attracted to Haute when I saw this: (all pictures borrowed from the Haute website)

It's a Calgary-Stampede inspired wedding, and for those of you not familiar with the CS (which is, by the way, the greatest outdoor show on earth!!), just soak it all up as a really fun country wedding inspiration board. I loved this board not only for the fun colors, but I adore the horseshoe escort cards, the carnival kisses, and come on, those hay bales are awesome!

Here's another great inspiration board from the website: an easy, breezy, and dare I say romantic bicycle inspired wedding board!! I just LOVE the bicycle graphic on the tie, and the bicycle sketch used to perfectly set the rings for a fun twist on the classic ring shot!!

So this edition was a quick intro to a new, and promising Canadian wedding elf!! I think Haute Wedding Design has a great eye for detail, which definitely comes through in their inspiration boards, and being such a new company, I figured they needed some love! Brides with a dream of having a wedding in the mountains, or a laid back but stylish wedding out on the farm set in the beautiful prairies or rolling foothills of Alberta should definitely check out Haute Wedding Design's website!

A deep, dark hole...

2009-07-24T13:40:00.005-06:00

(my own picture... I have a serious fascination with clouds and wheat fields, so this pic, even though dark and looming, really makes me happy!)

... that's where I'll be, in case anyone is wondering!! It has been a very difficult time the last couple of weeks, as I try to figure out HOW HOW HOW I will get my thesis done by August 5th, but I am forging ahead, and WILL NOT QUIT!! I will be back with a vengeance when this is done, cause y'all know I have to kick my wedding butt into HIGH GEAR!! Time's a tickin!! I hope you will come back to visit in about 12 days when I will have officially delivered my little baby (although right now this sucker feels like a 20 pounder... if ya know what I'm saying!!).

I also just wanted to say welcome to the new faces around here... glad to have you! sorry to leave so soon after your arrival, but make yourself at home, get caught up on the happenings of this bride-on-purpose, and I will be back even before the end of cocktail hour!!

see ya on the flip side (not married, but one step closer to being a doctor!!)

2 the North Tuesdays... Edition #2b

2009-07-21T17:19:00.007-06:00

Thanks for coming back for part 2 of this weeks 2 the North... don't you all just love Kasia Fink though?! She really does deserve the whole day for herself, and so does this next Canuck wedding elf... but heh, it's like a Canadian smorgasborg of amazing talent today!!

2 the North Tuesdays - Edition #2b

Still Motion Photo and Cinema

This team is another well known group of wedding elves, making themselves known over at weddingbeepro, but they DEFINITELY deserve a shout out here!! Yesterday, in the midst of dealing with a mild (read: severe) work-related panic attack, one of their a-ma-zing wedding videos landed in my google reader window... I literally could not stop the tears from rolling down my face. Still Motion makes love palpable on a computer screen, makes laughter and tears during a wedding ceremony reach out of my screen and shake me by the shoulders, makes music dance around me, makes marriage and weddings seem like a fairytale where the brides are angels, and the grooms are on white horses... these guys are wedding-videography taken to a WHOLE NUTHA LEVEL!! Definitely run over to their blog and peruse their videos (I have officially forBADE myself from going over there until my thesis is done cause I have a serious problem... you know, like the addiction-type... to their videos!!) . The Canadian Connection: the amazing Still Motion team is based out of the Tdot (that's Toronto!), but travels tonnes for their art. Perusing their site you can see that they have travelled as far as London, England, and even to Japan to shoot amazing weddings! All I can say is, if I had a big ol' budget for a wedding vid, these guys would be the dream team!! This one Canadian Team that rocks my world!!

Oh, and that's not all folks, they take some killer still-shots too... some of favs that I borrowed from their blog:

So today kinda turned into a Canadians-plucked-from-weddingbee edition, but Kasia Fink Veils and Still Motion Cinema and Photography are two Canadian wedding elves the WORLD needs to know about!!

2 the North Tuesdays... Edition #2a

2009-07-21T07:11:00.010-06:00

Hi All! First off, I just wanted to thank all of you for leaving messages of support (read: excitement) for this new weekly feature! I have been getting more and more excited as I continue my search for Canadian wedding elves... and have some great interviews planned for creative canucks that I think you all will enjoy!! But for today, I need to share the Canuck spotlight with two a-ma-zing wedding elves to the north... these two are no strangers to the wedding blog world, and maybe I never read the fine print, but I didn't know that these elves were Canadian. I know, I know, this in no way changes/elevates/redefines their skill/talent, BUT, I think it is important information! Why?! you ask?? Well, a couple of reasons... the go-green trend in weddings is a great one, and buying locally is often very important for the eco-conscious brides. I'm not gonna lie, we have tried to make choices along the way that reflect our love of our planet, but we have definitely trucked/flown some stuff in! While I LOVE my veil/flower from Myra of Twigs n Honey, it's also nice to know that there is a vendor closer to home that could have been used! And let's not forget about SHIPPING rates from the US to Canada, and that little devil called 'exchange rate'!!

You may also be wondering why I am sharing two Canuck elves today... well, let's face it, most of you know of them already, and this isn't their premier event on the wedding blog circuit, so I thought they wouldn't mind having co-stars!! Here we go...

2 the North Tuesdays - Edition #2a

Kasia Fink Veils

All about Kasia... well, I don't know her personally, but when you're a bee... you feel like you know them right?!?! Yes, Kasia is the infamous Mrs. Seabreeze over at weddingbee, so most of you will likely know her, and her work. She creates all the flower and veil loveliness from Vancouver, Canada (shout out WEST COAST!!), and was recently married in the Dominican Republic. That means she gets it... us, brides, weddings! And I love this quote from her website: "On the day I wore a birdcage veil and fascinator, I’ve never felt more sassy and gorgeous"... and you can see why... check out these pictures from her wedding... definitely gorgeous and sassy!! (NOTE, all pictures shown are from kasiafink.com)

My favorite fascinator is the Marisa... in all its feathered glory:

And here's some trivia... where did the Marisa fascinator get its name?!?! Well that was from bride Marisa (or as most of you know her, Mrs. Cheese, also from weddingbee) who put in a special request for a feathered number... and here she is wearing her gorgeous piece:

One other of my fav brides wore Kasia too... yep, it's Jessica (aka Budget Savvy Bride):

So, we know her bride accessories are swoon-worthy, but she also does mini fascinators for bridesmaids: (so sweet, classic, stunning!!)

BUT WAIT... don't leave yet... you haven't seen it all!! This is possibly my favorite of them all... the black fashion-ator (I just made that up, don't hate on Kasia for dorky plays-on-words!!). I love how the creative and talented women out there can just whip up a custom accessory for a night out on the town!! Doesn't this just scream chic?! I love it!!

So, for those of you up here in the north looking to support the Canadian bride-conomy (oops... I did it again!), get your order in with Kasia!! Beautiful work, amazing talent, and, yup, she's a Vancouverite!! http://kasiafink.com/

2 the North Tuesday Edition #2b coming later today!! stop by again :)

There's a first time for everything!!

2009-07-17T08:20:00.003-06:00

from here

YEP... I won my very first contest!! August15Bride has seriously hooked me up... with 250 custom stickers from UPrinting.com!! I can feel my fingers relax already... nope, I will NOT be handwriting my return addresses onto my thank-you cards after the wedding!! This is some gooooood news my friends!!

Trail Map?? Nope, it's a seating chart!!

2009-07-15T11:01:00.004-06:00

Wahoo... another DIY item close to being checked!! OK, the only progress I have made is got the final image from one of my favorite wedding elves, SarahNWonderland (shout out to etsy!!)... but that is still progress. The DIY part will come next, but it should be simple!! OK, stop rambling, what is this all about you ask?!?! Well, remember a little while back I told you about my search for the fun, unique, mountain inspired seating chart?? And remember how I told you that Sarah agreed to do some more of her amazing work for us in the form of a seating chart?? Well, she has done it again!! Feast your eyes dear friends...

WHA-WHAT?!?! That's what I'm talking about!! I am seriously loving it!! I told Sarah I didn't want it to look like tables at all, but more like a hiking trail map through the mountains! The "tables" are represented by mountain-worthy 'items' like birds, rocks, trees, tents, and oh ya, a picnic table where we happen to be sitting!! The layout of these "tables" represents the actual layout of our reception room (yes, I have laid it out already!!), so the tables should be easy to find! Table 2 is where us, our wedding party, and our wedding party's significant others will be sitting (NOTE how we are NOT sitting at the front of the room where everyone can watch us eat!!), and the rest of the tables are appropriately marked!

(PS... wondering why that picture of the hiking groom and bride looks familiar?? She incorporated the same graphic from our Save The Date!!)

We will be using large rocks (well, not crazy huge or anything, but big enough to paint the table numbers on) which will act as our table markers. How will people know which table they are sitting at?? Relax grasshoppers... more details to come soon!! For now, just revel in the absolute personality of what could be (and normally IS), a rather boring component of wedding decor!! If anyone out there is interested in spicing things up, Sarah is definitely your girl (THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT... I just really, really love her work, and she is great to work with!!). OH, and PS, I haven't seen the final bill yet... but rest assured, this girl is AFFORDABLE (think $40-ish for that custom graphic!!)!! Send some love her way, and definitely let your imagination run wild!! Even if you don't have the graphic design skills to make your wildest wedding-ideas come true, Sarah can bring them to life!! Again... her etsy store can be found here!!

What do you think?? How have you used non-wedding elves in wedding-elf type ways??

The Great White North

2009-07-14T11:08:00.007-06:00

I've been inspired... by my new blog friend A Little Birdie! Go visit her at her blog A Little Birdie Weds. We spoke briefly about being blogging buddies from Canada. While blogs allow us all to communicate from all corners of the world, it is safe to say that most blogging brides are from the U.S. For the most part, tips, tricks, resources, and suppliers that my neighbourly brides to the south blog about can be accessed and taken advantage of up here in Canada, but there are slight disadvantages... namely, SHIPPING!! While most places will ship to Canada (at a greatly inflated price), some downright refuse to?!?! What's up with that? Anyways, this isn't a rant post, this is an introduction post... to my new weekly feature:

2 The North Tuesdays!!

Yep, you got it, it's my duty as a Canadian Bride-who-Blogs, to give props where props are deserved... to our local wedding elves! I have to be honest though... so far, I have not been the best at taking advantage of our local resources. I hear more about my southern elves, get links to more American finds, and have way more US-based blogging-brides that are downright fabulous... and it's impossible NOT to get inspired by them!! I do hope, though, that some inspiration can start flowing from the north to the south, so let's get it started...

2 The North Tuesday - Edition #1

Ecoware Biodegradable Utensils

Now, before you think that I first found these elves in my backyard, let's clear this one up... I got connected to Ecoware Biodegradable by the infamous Budget Savvy Bride. I mean come on... who doesn't think these are adorable:

from here

I knew these utensils would be perfect for our welcome BBQ, and our day-after-Danish-brunch, so I straight away got in touch with Darrel at Ecoware, and when I realized they were from Canada... holla... yep, I was excited!! Every small victory is celebrated, and when I knew I wouldn't have to pay crazy shipping, that the price quoted was in CAD$$ (wahoo!!), and of course, the main bonus, that these babies were green-green-green, I was raising the roof!! Giddyup and sign-me-up! I will post again soon with the details of my utensil package, but just check em out... LOVE IT!! (PS... personal pic taken during the assembly process)

So, whether you live in Canada or not, Ecoware Biodegradables are a great option for disposable utensils... that are friendly to our environment! We are using them for day-before and day-after parties, but if you are having a more casual/rustic/homegrown wedding, I think they would be perfect for that too!! The only reason we aren't, is because our caterer is taking care of all things utensils!!

Do any of you Canadian brides know of awesome local vendors the rest of us brides should know about?? If you are a Canadian vendor that wants to share your product as part of the 2 the North series, comment below and we can get the word out!!

Should the drama stop the wedding?!... PART ONE

2009-07-13T11:47:00.006-06:00

image from here

This post is/has probably been my most dreaded post to date... oh wait, that didn't sound right, it's the ONLY post I have been hesitant to write. The basics are this:

My disclaimer... drama is inherent in relationships, and I am certainly not going to say I have been dealt a bad hand of cards when it comes to my relationships (especially with my dad). I have been dealt my own hand, and I have NEVER felt sorry for myself, nor have I ever used my history/reality as a crutch in how I conduct myself in my personal/professional/emotional/spiritual/... journeys. BUT, every person's reality plays a part in defining their experiences, and I hope that my experiences with weddings/family/etc can shed perspective for some/all of my readers. This post (and the follow up) will contain my honest feelings/perceptions/experiences... no judgement required (please!).

I have a very hot/cold relationship with my father... and have had for as long as I can remember

My parents were divorced when I was 1-ish

I lived with my mom full time, and for the first few years, my dad lived in another province... he drove/flew to see us every other weekend, as part of the visitation schedule; he later moved to the same city as my mom, and we saw each other on a similar schedule... maybe even a bit more

My dad and step mom (oh ya, and new half-brother) moved to an acreage in Alberta, about 2 hours away from my mom, when I was 11-12-ish (don't remember the exact timing)
Seeing my dad at his house on a regular basis made our relationship very sketchy... why? Because my dad is an alcoholic, and it wasn't until the farm that he stopped 'hiding' it from us... oh no, the booze started flowing quite openly

I learned the concept of BOUNDARIES... yes, at the ripe age of 12ish (maybe even earlier!), I learned NOT to speak to my dad on the phone when he had been drinking, I could tell the differences in his voice (sober/not-sober), and maintained very strict boundaries on our relationship

I quickly grew into a VERY strong, determined, and somewhat emotionally unavailable little girl

OK, fast forward to 2003. I move from Alberta to Ontario, and my dad helps me make the 40 hr drive across country. Things go OK, until we get to Toronto, and he goes out and gets drunk, asks me to pick him up, and when I call him out, he says some extremely hurtful things... I don't think I will shock you with the details, but suffice it to say he crossed a line never to be erased again. From there, the relationship looks more like this:

I only speak to my dad on the phone under controlled circumstance.

We start to rebuild the trust

When I tell him about a cycling trip I have planned, he asks if he can join me... and I say yes

At the start of the trip he gets drunk, drives my car drunk, and I tell him to leave, find his way to the airport, I will NOT continue the trip with him (I told you I have some serious conviction when it comes to boundaries!!)

Pretty much the last straw that broke our relationship's back!! (NOTE: many many many hurtful exchanges excluded from this brief summary)

Dad barely knows my groom-to-be... in fact, has NEVER been to visit me since I moved back to AB... we have only seen each other at family functions, or when I have gone to his house for one of my lil brother/sister's birthday, etc.

OK, hopefully you're still with me, and are not too uncomfortable with the candidness of this post... I know it is a bit selfish of me to lay this on you, my cherished readers, but I hope that for any of you struggling with wedding/family issues, you can see my perspective on one way to deal with them!

Switching gears a bit, this is how I have felt about weddings until about 1.5-2 years ago:

I did NOT want to have a wedding... EVER!!

I did NOT want to get married... EVER!!

I imagined myself living alone, as a single mom... HAPPILY!!

Then, after meeting my man, learning (a long, sensitive road of discovery) to love and be loved by a man, who, sidenote, wanted to get married... wedding and all... my thoughts on weddings started to evolve:

I am a STRONG WOMAN

I have a MAN that LOVES ME

WE deserve to get married in front of our friends and families

The only reasons I didn't want a wedding (or at least the MAIN reasons) was because I didn't want my dad walking me down the aisle, I didn't want to dance a father-daughter dance, and I didn't want my dad to get on a microphone in the reception

I want to honour my mom, and the amazing support, guidance, love... unconditional love... she has provided me my ENTIRE life... I wanted my mom to walk me down the aisle!

If I stayed true to my personal beliefs, and we created a wedding that would be an authentic experience with no farces or fake impressions, a wedding could (WOULD) be an amazing celebration of our love

I WANTED A WEDDING... an authentic one!!

So, obviously we decided to have a wedding... that meant one major thing: My dad had to be brought up to date on the fact that my mom would be walking me down the aisle. This emotional journey will be shared in the follow up post... I hope you come back!

Don't forget about the Inkubook Coupon

2009-07-09T08:46:00.002-06:00

Inkubook has generously offered all of you, bride-on-purpose readers, $10 off your inkubook order! Considering how reasonable their prices already are, this is a screaming deal!! All you have to do is enter the coupon code BRIDEOP (get it, BRIDE On Purpose) when you check out, and you get 10 smackers off an order of $30 or more!!

Photobooks... What I have learned!

2009-07-08T10:57:00.009-06:00

I have purchased 3 Inkubook photobooks in the last couple of weeks, and thought I would share with you some of my experiences. The first book I bought was the guestbook. I used our professional engagement pics and some casual, fun, personal pictures, to create what I think is a pretty great guestbook. I also recently purchased two books documenting the surprise trip my mom and sister planned for me to New Orleans. These two book are identical except for the dedication page at the front. In creating this book, I used the easy photo-editing program Picassa to get vivid colors in my pictures, and I think my ladies are going to love them!! So, here is a breakdown of what I love about them, what I have learned about them, and the changes I will make in the future...

FRONT COVER: below I am showing you the front covers from the two books. In the guest book I used a pretty bold graphic that wrapped around from front to back, and was part of the "Modern Guest Book" background options in Inkubook. This is totally customizable, but I really like the boldness of it. Compare that to the front of the N.O. book, which I used a soft pattern as the background. I really like the soft pattern with the Comic Sans font... it creates a casual feel, and I think the background works well to pop the photo I took at the N.O. airport! The other main difference between the two books is that the guest book cover is matte, while the N.O. cover is glossy. What I learned: I definitely prefer the glossy cover; I like the bigger text I used on the N.O. book; have fun with the background... I thought they both worked really well.

BACK COVER: Again, two totally different covers. For the guest book the same background graphic wrapped around from the front cover... but I love love love the picture I used here, along with the whimsical font. I think that is my favorite part from the book! For the N.O. book, I used a full bleed picture, with a small caption of thanks. I really like the impact of this picture, and the quality is great... I am just not in love with how the background pattern from the front wraps around the spine... that's just being picky though! What I learned: Well, again, I love the finish of the glossy cover in the N.O. book, but I think I prefer the smaller picture of the guest book.

LAYOUT: There are so many layout options available at Inkubook, that it really is only imagination that limits you. While it is definitely possible to create your own layouts in Photoshop or other programs, I really liked how easy it was using the pre-set layouts. If you have great high-res pictures (ie. from your professionals) definitely do the full bleed layouts... they are dramatic, and look fantastic (check out the one below from our e-pics). The layout on the left page of the spread shown below, though, could use some work. I really love the picture-on-picture that I used, especially since the inset pictures contrast the full-bleed picture, but it would have been better if I put the inset pics on the right, so they wouldn't get lost in the gutter. Another thing I found that I loved, was using a background picture behind detail pictures. In the shot below from the N.O. book, my sis took a great black and white shot of one of the cemeteries we visited, and I think it worked really well as a background for a couple detail pics from us touring the grounds. What I learned: keep pictures out of the gutter so as not to lose any details; when using background pictures, make sure there is enough contrast between them and the detail pics sitting on top; have fun with your layouts, and mix up how you combine the left and right pages... keep it interesting!

COLOR: There are many background color and pattern options available to you in Inkubook, and for the most part, I am loving the freedom to choose. I tend to gravitate towards white and black backgrounds, as I find the pictures really stand out against them, but I have definitely used some of the color and pattern options available. You can see in the picture below that I used the yellow background... out of all of the ones I have used, I found this one to be the most bright (read: distracting!). It's not horrible or anything, but I would just be careful of how bright you want to go... the softer colors seemed to add enough visual interest without overpowering the images. What I learned: definitely play around with color and pattern... just be careful not to draw attention AWAY from your images!

So, that's my experience so far... I am definitely learning as I go, but can say for sure that Inkubook is my go-to-spot for photobooks. I looked at a bunch of other options, but it was the ease of use of Inkubook that really worked for me. You can get creative and create your own layouts, or you can simply drag-and-drop to their many preset layouts! The quality of the books has been great (but I don't have anything to compare it to), the colors and quality of the pictures have all met my expectations (but be careful... if a picture looks grainy on your computer screen, it definitely will in print too!), and the customer service is really useful. Hopefully they will find a printer in Canada too so we can enjoy lower shipping rates, but since their book prices are so affordable, they are definitely the most economical option I have found... shipping to the north included!!

I hope this has been helpful! I also hope to hear back from you all if/when you take advantage of the coupon code we are offering here!! I always love seeing the creativity of the brides out there with their photobooks!!

DISCOUNT... INKUBOOKs for bride-on-purpose readers!

2009-07-08T07:57:00.006-06:00

Hey All!! So, I was about to jump up and down shouting "my first contest my first contest!!", until I realized this is even better... "it's a coupon, it's a coupon, for all of you, my dearest readers!!". Whew, got a bit lightheaded there... it's too early in the morning to jump up and down shouting about contests! But, I hope I got your attention!!

Inkubook has generously offered all of you, bride-on-purpose readers, $10 off your inkubook order! Considering how reasonable their prices already are, this is a screaming deal!! All you have to do is enter the coupon code BRIDEOP (get it, BRIDE On Purpose) when you check out, and you get 10 smackers off an order of $30 or more!!

I have already told you about the inkubooks I made for our guest book, and then as a gift for my mom and sister for the trip to New Orleans they surprised me with... and yes, I did get a bit giddy with the whole inkubook widget! The project that started it all has yet to be revealed, but trust me, the bridesmaid gift books I have made (and just ordered) will be shared with you all soon!! I am sure many of you are waiting to hear about my review of the two books I have already ordered, so stay tuned... real live review coming up today!!

Go on, run over to inkubook and take advantage of this awesome offer!

My little bride elves...

2009-06-30T09:48:00.015-06:00

image from here

The wedding is... wait for it... 68 days away!! YIKES!! That means the PhD defense is 58 days away... OMG!! Ya, some things have GOT to get done asap!! I have been feeling a bit like a drunk Santa these days... my thoughts about gifts are blurred by the intoxication that is finishing a thesis, planning a wedding, and oh ya, training for a marathon (honest, more to come on that soon!). I can't keep track of which little kids have been good this year, and which ones deserve coal in their wedding-sock! Every time I go to talk to my elves about who's been naughty or nice, I seem to be nursing a hangover... I need to splash some water on my face, gargle with some Scope, and get on with things... I have got to make a list and check it twice...

OK, we know for sure that my girls have been nice... these bridesmaids have been my saving grace, mostly on an emotional level since they live 3 hrs away and aren't exactly involved in the planning process. I have told you about the photo books I plan on giving them... well, the second part (not sure how many parts their will be in the end...) I have been swooning over for quite some time... say hello to Jewels of Luxury!! Shout out to etsy... the ultimate elf headhunter!!

(all images are from the etsy store... check it out!)

I found these amazing vintage timepieces-turned jewellery that I knew I had to give to my girls... to me, these vintage watch-rings signify our years together. The time between the four of us is like gold, and I wanted to give the girls a piece that resembled our years together... these vintage timepieces really spoke of history, years, countless memories... plus, let's face, they are edgy and different!! I hope the girls will love them as much as I do! The three rings are for, in order, by sister and maid of honour, my cousin and bridesmaid P-ah, and my cousin and bridesmaid JB.

The next name on the list (ok... let's face it, he is right up at there at the top of the list!!) is of course my man! I had really hoped to be able to find a way to afford him a gorgeous Tag watch... they are his favorite!! But let's face it, after 10 years in university ladies, the purse strings are tight enough to suspend an overweight tight-rope walker carrying huge buckets of water!! I simply can NOT afford a $2-3000 watch!! So, I was hoping that the vintage charm of these cuff links will show him my intent, and look down right sexy on our wedding day! Yes, these cuff links will be part of his wedding-day-present, in honour of his Tag watch that he will get as soon as I can afford it, and also in representation of our journey, because, as we say, for us it was all about timing!!

And since we're shopping, I know that these cuff links are the PERFECT gift for my brother-in-law, who is our DJ, catering equipment guy (he works in restaurant equipment sales and is hooking us up HUGE with dishes, etc... to save us major $$), our slide show mixer, general go-to guy on the day of, and jokingly, our ring bearer (ok, not so jokingly... we had really wanted him to officiate for us, but in Canada this really isn't possible, so then we told him he could be our ring bearer... my nephew -his son- is a bit young for the job, but we might have him walk him down the aisle with the rings... yet to be determined!). Bottom line, he is a big help, and I know these cuff links will rock his world!!So, to recap... this etsy elf has helped me cross off portions of my man's gift, my bridesmaids gifts, and crossed off my bro-in-law gift!! Yay for me!!

What elf have you gone to when checking your list twice?? Who's been naughty and who's been nice?? Is it hard to keep track of who is getting gifts??

Remember that little trip to New Orleans

2009-06-25T08:20:00.002-06:00

So it took a while to get the pictures together, but I have finally created a thank-you book for my mom and my sister (this one is for my sis... but it's only the first page that is different from my momma's). Check out our awesome weekend in New Orleans... oh, and ps, can you tell I am loving inkubook??

Spiked or virgin?!?!

2009-06-19T07:57:00.009-06:00

Signature cocktail that is!! Our wedding ceremony starts at 4:30pm, immediately followed by a cocktail hour on the deck of our lodge, leading right into dinner and dancing at 7:00pm. That leaves us a good hour to hour and a half of cocktailing (our ceremony will be no longer than an hour), and we want it to be as simple, fun, casual as possible... and one thing that makes me nervous in cocktail hours or house parties is punch bowls! I am THAT GIRL, that ALWAYS spills, dribbles, splashes red beverage over myself, a white tablecloth, or, in the worst case, white carpet! So, while these look amazing, they make me nervous... (pictures from oncewed!!)

We could have our service staff pre-pour our signature cocktail (just want to clear things up about this whole signature cocktail thing... as trendy as it is, we think 'punch' is a great way to cut costs during cocktail hour, and if we put a wedding-ish name to it, a punch becomes a signature cocktail!), which looks really great, but still seems a bit fussy for me... looks nice though! (picture also from oncewed)

So... the best solution, that I can tell, are these gorgeous drink dispensers (these pictures were found at snippet and ink, top one from here, and the second one from here)

Perfect right?? Well, I found some beauties on ebay... and while some were pretty prices (think $80-ish), I found this one for $20...

We bought two of these glass drink dispensers, one for a spiked version of the punch, and one for non-alcoholic!! Sooooo excited!! What are you doing for cocktail hour? Self service? Bar staff? Are you doing punch, or something special?

Ask and ye shall receive

2009-06-18T06:42:00.004-06:00

image from here

Hi All!! I am a bit more upbeat today!! After my complete frustration with the flower industry, I knew I had to get creative... heh, I've been a student for 10 years, THIS I know how to do!! So, to Kijiji I went (craigslist didn't turn up a lot for me). What did I find? Well, to be honest, not a lot. Most of the flower service/wedding flowers/florist hits were for silk flowers. But, I did find one lady, Miss Karen, who works with fresh (and high quality) flowers. What I found out when I met her last night was that she used to be a big player in the flower business here in Calgary, but when she sold her shop in 2006, she had to sign a non-competition agreement... but, she is now able to work again, and compete she is doing! I sent her the correspondence from my previous consults (which I posted for your benefit too here), and of course all my inspiration photos, also found here, and she responded with this:

Bridal bouquet hand gathered and tied loose with natural look stems 1/2 wrapped with burlap and lace. Finished with silver pins.

To include:One Bloom of Kayle in purples
3 stems yoko ono mums
3 stems white spray roses
3 stems of eryngium
2 stems of misty blue
3 stems of trachellium
5 small bunches of 3 wheat stems trimmed
7 stems of lavendar
3 stems of heather
herbs of rosemary and thymeseeded euc greens
one no charge throw away bouquet
$110.00

3 Bridesmaids
similar style as bride finished the same way (No Kayle)
to include:
3 stems yoko ono mums
3 stems white spray roses
2 stems eryngium
2 stems misty blue
3 bunches of 3 wheat trimmed
5 stems of lavendar2
stems of heather
herbs of rosemary and thymeseeded euc
$75 each

I supply all needed materials and I deliver everything to you at no charge. I hope I hear back from you soon. Karen Thank you for your interest.

That's a total of $335 for the EXACT SAME flowers the boutique floral shop sent me... AND she provides all materials (I was going to have to bring in the burlap and lace I wanted to wrap the bouquets in), and oh ya, a wee little throw away bouquet (which I will probably use to decorate the dessert buffet table or something!). That's HALF THE PRICE!! Ummmm, kijiji, I love you!!

I met with Karen last night, and she was great. I felt very comfortable leaving it in her hands, and I trust that she will not take advantage of me (we discussed this problem at length when I told her I was already feeling pretty jaded about the industry, so she was getting the skeptical customer... she understood completely, and told me what I needed to hear to lighten up!!). I told her I am flexible on flower choices, and if lavender or heather are going to push the budget up, let's just forget them. She told me she will try to stay under $300, and she knows her work will speak for itself.... hello referrals!! Already, I am thinking of who I can send her way!

After we met last night, she sent me this picture of a bouquet she just did... she thought I would love it...

... and I do!! It is a bit blue for my palette, but I love the texture and whimsical feel of it! What do you think??

My bottom line... ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT, and even when you feel a bit intimidated in an arena that you are not the expert, you can get what you want at the price that you can afford! Of course everything must be within reason, but when you are on a tight budget, you don't need to feel bad when you hear "$300, well, that's not a lot of money".... ya, I know, thanks WIC!! That's because I have a whole wedding to spend $$ on, and I am a budget-conscious bride!! Whatever your budget, just remember, there is always someone who will spend waaaayyyy more than you, and brides that will spend less! Your request is reasonable, and as long as you stay flexible (and more importantly, creative), your vision will become your wedding day reality, and, yes, you can do it all ON BUDGET!!

Thanks Karen! And thanks kijiji!!

But aren't they filler flowers??

2009-06-16T10:44:00.004-06:00

Well ladies, I have had my first major jaw-dropping wedding consult... FLOWERS?!?! I have no idea how much flowers should cost, but I do know one thing for sure... brides get SCREWED OVER!! I have been postponing the whole flower consult thing for a couple of reasons: they are NOT my priority; I know very little about flowers, so I was intimidated to go; I don't like getting screwed over by the WIC; I don't have a big budget for flowers... and even worse, I have no idea what I should have in the budget. BUT, suffice it to say, the meetings had to get started, and I had to start figuring out what I was doing about my bouquet!! I set-up two appointments in Calgary, one with an off-the-beaten-path florist, and one with a more trendy downtown florist. I came prepared... along with pictures of my dress and my girls' dresses, I brought a whack-load of floral inspiration gathered around the bridal-blogs! Of the stack I brought... this was my short list:

top row (L to R) from here, here, and here; second row (L to R) from here, here, and here; bottom row (L to R) from here, last two pictures... can you help me with the source? Sorry, these have been in my inspiration folder for so long... can't remember where they came from.

My first appointment left me pretty underwhelmed... to start, the lady doing my consult was late?? The lady who ended up sitting down with me (not the one I was supposed to meet with) was an older lady who had certainly been in the business a long time, but unfortunately I did not really connect with her. I found her educational and professional, but for some reason, I left feeling a bit let down. The quote for 4 bouquets was ~$400. Now, this where my complete lack of knowledge in this area is messing with me... I gasped at that price!! I didn't want to spend more than $300 for the 4 bouquets (you'll remember we already got our gorgeous bouts and corsages from Myra). When I asked my lady if I could get a copy of the worksheet she had filled out (with all the names of the flowers, etc.) she told me it was against store policy to do so unless I had put a deposit down... um thanks for nothing!!

OK, onwards and upwards... on to the 2nd meeting. I LOVE this flower shop... have received a few very special bouquets from here!! I immediately connected with my young, chic consult lady, and really felt that she knew what I was looking for. She had great ideas, but more importantly, she listened to my thoughts, even though I am admittedly uneducated in this arena! I was more prepared to ask questions at this meeting, and really wanted to get to the bottom of the pricing... since the first quote seemed to get pulled from thin air! She told me that they do up a detailed order sheet, add up the per stem costs, and mark-up the total by 30% for wedding orders... yup, that's right ladies, 30% more than anyone else would pay because why?? Because we're brides, and we should pay more?!?! When I asked her for a guess-timate, she told me she couldn't off the top of her head, but she would send me a quote in a few hours. She reassured me though, since most of the flowers I wanted were "filler flowers" (her words, not mine), it wouldn't be very expensive. No callas, peonies, hydrangeas, orchids, etc... yes, ladies, I want filler flowers!! Here are the details we worked through (which she sent me with her quote, copy and pasted directly from her email):

Bridal Bouquet
Style of Bouquet: posy, gathered-look of ‘wild flowers’, loose structure.
Colour of Bouquet: More purple/blue flowers than white to contrast bride’s gown.
Bouquet to include: yoko ono mums, misty blue, trachellium (purple),
white spray flowers (only white flower in bouquet), single kale (purple veins), eryngium (blue sea holly), lavender, heather, herbs (such as rosemary), seeded eucalyptus, wheat (bunches of three, trimmed) a bit of greenery.
Open-stems (approx. 2” at bottom). Stems wrapped in burlap with lace details and finished with silver pushpins.
Bride will be bringing in burlap and lace for stem wrapping.
Price: $195.00
Bridesmaids Bouquets (3)
Style of Bouquet: same as Bridal bouquet, but smaller scale.
Colour of Bouquet: More white flowers to contrast the bridesmaids’ gowns.
Bouquets to include: Same flowers as bridal bouquet, but no kale, no trachellium.
Open-stems (approx. 2” at bottom). Stems wrapped in burlap WITHOUT lace details and finished with silver pushpins.
Price: 3@ $140.00
Total for Flowers $645.75 (GST inc.)

Ummm, what?? $650 for herbs, wheat, and filler flowers?!?! REALLY?? OK, well, at least the $25 consult fee got me the list of flowers right?? Because I definitely do NOT have $650 in the budget for bouquets!! Where to next?? Craigslist!! I MUST think outside the box, and find someone who will work with me to create flower bouquets, NOT wedding bouquets... because apparently there is a big difference!! Any other suggestions on how to get these bouquets done for a more reasonable price??

help!! please!!

Rock it out!!

2009-06-12T07:27:00.009-06:00

If I was a rocker-chic bride I would...

... have a dramatic e-session with balloons and hobo-circus inspired attire

... wear a killer black t-shirt to my rehearsal

... drive myself to my own reception in a rockin pick-up

... then take decidedly chic portraits in that same pick-up

... I would build a pyramid with my best mates... with me on top of course ;)

... I would definitely rock the bloomers, and jump real high so everyone could seem them

and most importantly, if I were a rocker chic bride...

... I would dance till I was good and sweaty!!

all photos from here

To see all the amazement of this wedding, run, don't walk, over to Josh Goleman's site!! I was first directed to this site by Snippet and Ink (PS... thanks for the directions... this was amazing!!)

Bridezilla... or assertive customer??

2009-06-11T07:39:00.004-06:00

from here

Help!! I am worried I am turning into that bride!! Here's the situation: I have been convo-ing a certain etsy seller for the past couple of weeks in regards to some custom attire pieces for our wedding party (I don't want to throw this seller under the bus, as I am assuming it will all work out in the end), and she has been very good... timely responses, thorough answers to my questions, etc. etc. I have purchased from her in the past (non-wedding related), and have had no complaints... great product, quick shipping, overall I've been satisfied.

BUT, now I am nervous. She last convo-d me on May 29th (back and forth communication leading up to this last one was daily, up to, at most, 2 days between my email and hers). She sent me the final colors (she was doing a color match) for me to review, and when I expressed a bit of concern, but overall satisfaction (I convo-d her back the same day), it seemed to hit a black hole... NOTHING?!?! Hello etsy seller, where are you?? I heard nothing back from her. So 7 days later, I sent a follow up email, very polite, stating that I hadn't heard from her and just wanted to touch base to see where we were at with the listing... that was June 6th... NOTHING?!?! OK, seriously, WHERE ARE YOU??

Here's the issue I am suffering with... I told my sis about this, and she said "email her again... and again... and again until she gets back to you... you're a bride, you can do that!". Well, ok, so far I haven't had to pull out the bride card (well, between you and I, things got a bit heated over my invite envelope printing when they screwed that up, and the bride might have shown her face a bit). When things haven't gone totally smoothly (and trust me, in the early days, we hit some very rough terrain in dealing with our venue), I stayed calm (in front of them at least), and assertively worked to amend the situation. I really do NOT want to be a bridezilla! I work very hard to not let other people's lack of attention/care/foresight/etc., set off a bridezilla-esque tantrum... thanks Eckhart Tolle. BUT, I am, on a day-to-day basis, a very assertive customer. I expect a level of service from the people who are in the customer-service business (makes sense right??). The old adage "the customer is always right" is something that tends to get lost (we live in an oil city, and the quality of service has been pathetic... but the recession has started to turn things around), but as an assertive (and paying) customer, we should get what we want.

So, this is my dilemma... do I continue to send emails, or even start making demands... or do I trust that she has something going on, and that she will get back to me at her earliest convenience? This is custom work getting done, and while our wedding is still 2.5 months away, I need to know this stuff is getting taken care of. But, most importantly, I need this off my list, so that I can move on to the next item!! What would you guys do??

Today is all about blog-loving!!

2009-06-10T13:00:00.007-06:00

SERIOUSLY, you MUST head STRAIGHT over to the Broke Ass Bride's site, and then to her photogs blog... no seriously... go now!! These are photos to dream about now and forever!! And I am not even the bride!! These are just a few of my favorites... but seriously, I could have put them ALL up here!! (All photos from CHENNERGY WEDDINGS) CONGRATS to Dana and Hunter... and thank-you for sharing your magic!!

Smack it!!

2009-06-10T11:28:00.007-06:00

I just found this awesome site via a comment thread over at Green Wedding Shoes (another one of my fav wedding blogs!), and boy am I glad I did. Her name is Donna, and her blog's name is Shiny Happy Weddings. A bride who loves old school innocent fun as much as I do... yup, I dig this girl!! Feast your eyes:

Can't you just imagine taking a blind smack at a pinata to get the party started?!?! LOVE IT!! This would be a great way to relieve any wedding day stresses that you weren't easily able to brush off... you know, like a drunken best-man speech, or hot soup served luke warm, or your mother in law greeting your guests like it was her own wedding... yup... smack that pinata and I bet the stresses would just melt away!!

Here's another great shot from Donna's blog... dontcha just love the whimsy in these colorful flags?

And speaking of Green Wedding Shoes, today Jen did an awesome post about one of my favorite topics... bridesmaid dresses of the non-matching varieties... My favorite pic from her post is shown below!

Which way to the... table?!

2009-06-09T15:33:00.009-06:00

Seating charts... wait!! Don't leave!! I know this isn't the most glamorous of topics, and probably one of the biggest hassles of wedding planning (especially since it haunts us as the days tick away, when our weddings our just around the corner!), BUT, I am determined to at least make this creative, if not fun!!

Our wedding in the mountains is nothing too formal, uppity, or glamorous. It is really a weekend for family fun, and a little deal called a wedding ceremony. While stationary and calligraphy make my heart melt, let's face it, they really don't belong at our wedding. We have (or will) bucked tradition when it came to our save the dates, invites, dessert, menu, bridesmaid dresses... and well, the list goes on I guess! Some of the amazing seating charts done by the bride-land-famous calligraphers are truly pieces of art, but we are looking for something just a bit different!! Here a few ideas out there that have perked my interest:

all from here... and while I am not personally into race cars (my man is though?!), and even though the airport style is a bit confusing, these ideas really show the personality of the bride and groom.

The next one is, well, swoooon-worthy!! This is from one of those A-list calligraphers I mentioned, Miss Laura Hooper of Laura Hooper Calligraphy, and A Lucky Orchid Wedding.

Dreamy right?? ya, I know!!

Well, to make a long story shot... I contacted Laura, and described my vision of a hiking trail through the mountains inspired seating chart, and, suffice it to say, this was not an option for us!! I'm talking almost as much $$ as my wedding dress... and yes, I bought by dress on ebay, but still. A seating chart can NOT even come CLOSE to the cost of my wedding dress!!

So what's a girl to do?!?! Well, you might remember Sarah from sarahNwonderland (shout out to etsy!!). She created the graphic for our save the date (shown above), and she was awesome (read... totally affordable) to work with!! She is clearly a talented girl (also did some work for my girl Dana, aka. The Broke Ass Bride, shown below), and I can totally picture an awesome, whimsical, unique seating chart created by her... can't you?!

from here

Soooo, I have sent Sarah an email to request (ie... beg and plead for) her services again, for our table seating chart!! I don't know yet if she is on board... but please keep your fingers crossed for me that she will be willing to do such a job (which, sidenote, is way out of her normal repertoire, but heh, it never hurts to ask right?!).

I will update you as soon as I hear from her!!

Inked, then booked, and now... now it's a widget!!

2009-06-06T07:52:00.003-06:00

OK, this might be the coolest thing since... well, since animoto movie mixin!! You can flip through our book to check it out!

inked and booked...

2009-06-04T08:43:00.011-06:00

I just couldn't wait to share our guest book with you... so, I took some snapshots off inkubook to show you some of the spreads... I just love them!!

A bit of background... I have been working on a few books with inkubook for the last couple of months, including a book for my man to give him the morning of the wedding, telling the story of our journey so far, books for my bridesmaids, chronicling our 29+ years together, and this one, our photo guestbook. Well, when my girl Jess (Mrs. Budget Savvy Bride) hooked us loyal readers up with a 40% discount code for inkubook, I jumped all over it! The only kicker... I hadn't purchased our e-pic files yet. Well, this was a good reason to do it, since the main purpose of us doing the photo guestbook was showcasing our engagement pictures. So, I frantically called up our boys at 6:8, hoping they could send me the files asap (it was Friday, and the coupon expired on Sunday!!), and they made it happen (thanks again guys!!).

The guestbook is a combination of casual fun photos of the two of us beside our actual guest book entry pages (I used half/half of traditional name/notes entry page, and a blank page for writing, entitled "words of wisdom" where I hope a lot of our guests will get creative with their entries!), and spreads of our professional photos (courtesy of 6:8 Photography). There are also a couple of spreads with pics courtesy of my sis/MOH, when we did a practice e-shoot in Costa Rica... she got a couple of really cute ones. I will let the screen shots speak for themselves: first up, some of the spreads from our pro shots...

A couple of the casual pics with the two types of guest entries (first shown is the name/notes page, and the second is the words of wisdom page)...

This one is courtesy my sis... love the soft colors in the sunset pics (don't you love us being dorks trying out our angles?!?! I really like the pic on the right... lines, angles, colors... I think she got a great shot!)

The back cover of the book is probably my fav... I was breezing through my sis' pictures and saw this one! We didn't know she was taking it, but I love it, and think it is perfect for the back cover!!

I am super nervous/excited to see how the book turns out. I really hope the quality is good, as it will hold precious memories!! It was a blast putting it together, and for the most part, a pretty easy program to use. There are always quirks, and while I know a lot of people don't love that there are limits to the layout options/designs, I appreciated how easy it was use!!

So, what do you think?!?! I will let you know when I get it so I can comment on the quality of the printing/binding, etc.! Fingers crossed it is beautiful!!

Two weddings and a... family feud?!

2009-06-03T11:23:00.006-06:00

image from here

Well, in spite of my desperate attempts to avoid wedding-related drama and stress considering my current state of stress at work (sorry to keep bringing it up, but that is my reality right now), we have hit a tiny (ie. HUGE) road block. As the days pass, the impact seems to lessen, but suffice it to say, the long standing issues between my FH and his younger brother (much younger... ie. 13 years younger!!) seem to be surfacing right in the middle of our pre-nuptial stresses. The background on this form of sibling rivalry is that lil bro is the quintessential baby of the family... could never do anything wrong, endlessly protected and defended even (ie. especially) in the face of obvious screw-ups on his part, and quite frankly, is always the centre of the attention. NOW, I am also the youngest in my family, but grew up with a mom who treated us identically... I'm talking Christmas present budgets to-the-penny-equal. So, it is difficult for me to watch my FH struggle to build a relationship with lil bro when he obviously resents him for the star role he has stolen from him, and his sister (2 years younger). Well, lil bro has definitely swooped in and stole the show from us... more importantly, from MY MAN... it pains me to see how this has hurt him.

Lil bro started dating a girl a couple of months ago... I'm talking 2 months ago people. His mom has mentioned that they are just head-over-heels, to which I have responded "lil bro falls head over heels when he meets ANY girl... this will last a couple of months most, just like the rest of them" (that's me, the cynic talking!). We haven't met this girl, so needless to say, we fell off our chairs when FH got a call from lil bro last week, telling him he had PROPOSED?!?! Yup, at the ripe age of 23, knowing the girl for 2 months, never having lived together, popped the question. But the best part... wait for it... the wedding date you ask?!?! 4 weeks after ours?!?! 1st weekend in October!! Yes, do the math dear readers... that means these two kids will be marrying 5 months after meeting. Don't mind me, but I think that is ridiculous!!

My FH has taken serious offense to this news, and is absolutely livid that lil bro didn't even have the decency to ask what we thought of him getting married right after us. Now, I know a lot of you are thinking, it's no big deal, it's a month after yours. And to be honest, I personally agree. I know it really isn't the end of the world, but because of their history, and how badly my man has taken the news, I am offended. lil bro knew this would be an issue (he even told his mom and dad that he didn't want FH offended...), and he still couldn't muster up the balls to speak to us directly. The family has FOUGHT about this let me tell you. They won't acknowledge FH's feelings, or validate his concerns one bit, which is causing him to shut down. He doesn't want to talk to them, he says he is hesitant to share things with them at all now, and while we both know what's done is done and it's time to move forward, I can't help being sad that a wedge sits between my FH and his little brother, who is standing up for us, all over the issue of attention.

I understand why people elope... family feuds over weddings... not fun?!?! Help me... are we fair in feeling put out by this? Would you care if your younger sibling swooped in like this for a spontaneous wedding weeks after your own? Any tips on how to not let it affect our emotions about their wedding/marriage??

Tie One On

2009-05-28T08:40:00.010-06:00

In the midst of my overwhelmingly stressful work situation (that is, 33 days until proposed submission date of my PhD dissertation, with a LOT of work still to be completed), I have been trying to win mini wedding-battles to at least maintain a rolling momentum. To be honest though, the wedding is NOT my priority, which, considering the short 3-ish months to the day, is slightly scary.

One of the items on the to-do list is to order ties for the groomsmen. I knew from way-back-when, that I wanted the geniuses over at the Cyberoptix Tie Lab (shout out to etsy!!) to create some magic for our men. I mean, not many people can make ties look original... think about it... you can head over to Banana Republic and get some nice ties for your boys, or splurge and go to Holt Renfrew or Harry Rosen (yup, I am a Canadian!!) to get the creme de la creme, OR, you can rock it out with some kickin ties that will make your boys look like they have a bit more personality than a young and cocky investment banker... ya, that sounds like a better option!!

Take a look at some of the beauties...

So, what's the battle then you ask?? Well, the biggest issue (in my bride-eyes) is the fact that her color selection for the ties themselves are not rocking my world... she has a decent selection, but considering our girls' different dress colors, I wanted to keep things pretty simple... I don't need people getting dizzy when presented with our bridal party!! Well, when I saw this...

... the battle was more of a slight conflict! Color matching people... this I can work with!!

So, I figured it would be simple enough to clip a tiny piece of fabric off each of the girls dresses from an inside seam or something, send it to the Lab, and order some rockin ties... not so much!! Clipping fabric was NOT an option. Bethany at the Tie Lab told me that digital pics would not be the best option, since, as we all know, the colors don't necessarily translate from reality to computer screen, let alone from one computer screen to the next. WELL, what to do?? I don't live in the same city as the dresses, but my mom (I LOVE YOU MOM!!) offered to take care of it... she came through, BIG TIME!! Bethany mentioned that a Pantone # would tell her all she needed to know... a wha?? I didn't even know what a Pantone was, and neither did my mom, but without stressing me out with the details, a few days later my awesome mom emailed me the Pantone numbers!! Victory!!

So, here they are... the official colors of the girls dresses (keep in mind that these are the colors, but in reality they each have their own unique metallic finish to them, but the colors are as shown) (SIDENOTE: the color palettes were all created over at ColourLovers.com)

Beautiful right?!?! You might remember my post about my color inspiration, where I showed you this palette:

Well, although none of the girls dresses match exactly to my inspiration palette, I think they look amazing. Actually, I think they do a better job of capturing the colors of the mountains than I did with my palette... yep, that's me, I'm a happy bride!

Ok, so I digress. I now have the Pantone #s for the girls' dresses, which means that I can (and have) ordered ties that won't cause dizzy spells with our guests (at least with the color anyway... stay tuned for the ties we chose). sigh. of. relief. I can now work work work, knowing I will progress through this wedding planning process one mini-battle-victory at a time!! I repeat... sigh. of. relief.

What online/long distance vendor required you (or your wedding helpers) to step outside the box and problem solve? Or, a more fun question, what off-the-wall wardrobe decisions are you contemplating?!?! Or, even better in the name of gratitude, who pulled one out of the hat for you and relieved some serious wedding stress??

somebody pinch me...

2009-05-26T13:02:00.005-06:00

... because I honestly don't know if this can be real... it is toooooo amazing!!! I found this wedding over at the ever-reliable-and-inspiring Style Me Pretty, and it has left me breathless!! I will only post a few of my fav's, but definitely head over there to see the whole lot!

Let the parties begin!!

2009-05-20T08:04:00.006-06:00

My first bride-party has come and gone... and it was A-MA-ZING!! Two years ago when my sister got married, my mom and I surprised her with a trip to San Francisco, a girls weekend, a mother daughter bonding trip, bride celebration. Well, the tradition continued this past weekend! The destination was a surprise, and a complete hit!!Yup... my girls hit the top of my cities-in-the-states-to-visit-list with an amazing long weekend in New Orleans. How fitting right, considering our Cajun inspired menu!! And boy let me tell you, we ate up as much inspiration as we could... food and music for 3 full days... bliss!! Yes, the pants all got a bit tighter on this little trip, but let's face it, it was soooo worth it!!

That's the three of us at the Court of Two Sisters Jazz Brunch for our first New Orleans dining experience. We sampled some of New Orleans' classics, including crawfish, bread pudding, cornbread, and the most amazing stewed sweet potatoes.... ummmm, hola!! This stuff was beyond a food experience... it was a lather-up-my-thighs-with-fat-cause-I-don't-care-how-many-calories-are-in-here experience!! I thought it would be a unique addition to our dessert buffet. Well, get this ladies, I filled in a comment card (glowingly of course, because the food and service were spectacular!!), and requested the recipe for this heavenly treat, and literally, the day I got home, they had emailed it to me... wahoo!! I see stewed sweet potatoes in our wedding guests' future!!

I will post a whole wack of pics soon, but since I have been off work for 5 days, it is time for me to hit the books!! Stay posted!!

Are you there venue... it's me, bride!

2009-05-12T11:13:00.011-06:00

We haven't been out to our venue (3 hour drive away) since New Years, and like my dress, I have been missing it lately. With all the wedding planning that has been surging through our heads/bodies/and home, really all I want to do is curl up in front of the gorgeous picture window where we will be having our ceremony... and RELAX!! BUT, no rest for the weary... this PhD has some serious momentum, and wedding to-dos are getting checked off the list as efficiently as possible. So until I feel even remotely confident that I will in fact finish this PhD on time, for now, well, it's just day dreaming about the beauty that is our wedding venue... the Elk View Lodge!!

Well, our boys over at 6:8 have done it for me again... pictures that will, at least for the rest of the day, inspire my daydreaming, have popped up on their site. They did a whole blog post on our venue, and answered my question... are you there venue, it's me bride?! Yup, she's still there, in all her glory... check her out!!

from the driveway:

... where the magic of the ceremony will go down

yup, this is part of the dining area for the reception... we will be using rectangular tables, and will have the room to the left of the window (shown below) for extra space...

This is the second room. This will be our chillaxin zone for the rest of the weekend when we don't need to fit 120 people for dinner... gorgeous right??

Check out my master bath people... holla!! Can you say pamper me dear hired help?? YUP, I will be soaking in the star treatment in this beauty! Might need to wake up a few hours early to accomplish all the pampering I plan on accomplishing!!

And finally, the kitchen!! I am MAJOR into cooking, so it is safe to say that the day before the wedding, I will be getting my nerves-killer-cookin on!! The kitchen is my safe place in times of stress... cut, fry, bake, saute, slice, grate... oh yeah baby!! This is definitely gonna see some magic over the weekend!!

So, there you have it... my venue-spiration for today!! I hope thinking of your venue puts a smile on your face as big as mine is now!! Thanks Kevan and Duane for these little treats on this otherwise grey and gloomy day!!

Hello old friend

2009-05-11T05:48:00.007-06:00

My dress is currently being stored at my sister's house, which is in a city 3 hours away from me... so needless to say, sometimes I wonder about her, how she is doing, how she feels, and occasionally, I wonder how she is fitting (read: have I gained/lost anything that is affecting how gorgeous she will look on September 6th!!). I have only tried her on about 4 times since I bought her online (that's 4 times total I have tried on ANY wedding dress), and it has been a good couple of months since I have seen her... until today!!The pictures were found over at Style Me Pretty... and definitely go check out this post... many great shots of the beautiful wedding over there!!

I am still in love with my dress, and when I see such gorgeous pictures of it, it makes me smile!! It also makes me hungry.... you can tell the dress doesn't leave anything to the imagination!! MUST STOP EATING CHOCOLATE!!!

Have a great day!!

Movie Mixin for Novices

2009-05-08T11:14:00.001-06:00

Alright, I think this could be a winning tip for all you brides out there that don't have the time, resources, or interest in learning moving mixing programs. This is the easiest, breeziest, coolest movie mixer I have seen, and it literally requires you to upload your pictures, then your song, then click GO!! I found it over at animoto.com, and tried it out myself...

The free movie mixer can only be 30 seconds long, but for a mere $3, you can produce a full length video, mixed to the beat of your song, with no joking, 3 steps. This sample took me about 2 minutes to create!! Done and Done!!

PS... scroll down to see the movie (sorry, I embedded it right from animoto... convenient, but wasn't exactly sure where it would show up!!)

Movie Mixin for Novices

2009-05-08T11:08:00.001-06:00

What's for dessert?

2009-05-08T08:17:00.010-06:00

Our reception menu has been a process, as one would expect... this is a party for 120 people after all! We knew we wanted it to be casual in feel, but downright tasty. It should be a meal people talk about afterwards, but one we can afford. We are stoked with the menu that has evolved, and while the cocktail hour menu still needs a bit of tweaking, the Cajun feast we have planned is gonna rock the socks off our guests!! But, when the meal has been served, the dishes passed, the bones sucked dry, and the wet-nap used, the end to the meal has to be similarly fun, interactive, and meaningful. Yup, the dessert has got to pack some punch ladies!!

We knew long before we had a menu planned, that we would not have a traditional wedding cake, and while cupcakes are cute and occasionally tasty, they really don't do it for either of us. Baking is a family treat, a pass-the-ice-cream-it's-nana's-pie experience, not simply a sweet treat you order at the end of the meal. Our families have got some ladies who can cook. I mean, eyes-roll-to-the-back-of-your-head gooooood cookin!! My aunt learned the art of fine chocolates from Bernard Callebaut himself (that's THE chocolate guy out here in Alberta), my grandma makes the best berry crumble I have ever eaten, and my nana, well, let's face it, cooking for 6 kids plus all of us 27+ grandkids has got her into the swing of things... pies are her trademark, but personally, I love her sex-in-a-pan the best!! My man's side is Danish, so the baking is a whole new world, and his favorites, by his grandma, are waffle cookies (they have this delicious icing in the middle of two waffle-like pastries... soooo good!!), and his aunt has been known to bake a traditional Danish wedding cake.

Danish wedding cake found here

So, it soon became clear that we a) wanted to represent the women in our lives who have baked their way into our culinary memories; b) wanted a variety of desserts for our guest to enjoy; and c) didn't want to be paying our caterer to mass produce a generic dessert as the fourth course in a pre-set meal! The DESSERT BUFFET became an obvious choice, and our moms, aunts, and grandmas became the chefs of choice... it is them, after all, that have the expertise, the recipes, and most importantly, the heart that they could pour into our dessert course, making for sweet treats that meant a lot to us, and hopefully to our guests!!

Some of my favorite dessert buffet shots were found over at Snippet and Ink:

from here

and a couple of my downright favorites:

from here and here

I love the fruit plate in the last picture... probably wouldn't have considered fruit, but hello, totally makes sense!!

Check back for a line-up of our confirmed dessert sponsors!! PS... what would be your favorite dessert item to snack on over a wedding slide show?? Light and juicy, or chocolaty and rich??

What about this as a backdrop??

2009-05-07T11:50:00.004-06:00

So one of our photographers (Kevan, of Kevan and Duane from 6:8 Photography) emailed me the other day, to ask me about our plans for photography for the wedding day. He wanted to suggest a location that was spectacular, but needed ~ 35 minutes (and a 4x4) to reach. The pros were... amazing photos, totally different from our engagement pictures, oh, and did I mention spectacular shots?? The cons were... took a bit of time to drive to, which would cut back on the number of shots we got in Fernie, and we needed a 4x4 to get there. BUT, to these I would argue, Fernie is cute and all, but let's face it, we are there for the mountains, not the 1 street downtown. We got our engagement pics done all urban-ed up, so we really aren't concerned about getting any skyscrapers in our pictures (of course there aren't any anyways in Fernie). And is a 4x4 trek on your wedding day ever a con?? I say heck-no, let's crack a road-pop while we're at it!! (PS... road poppin in Western Canada is totally legit, although never legal!!)

How spectacular would the shots be you ask?? Well, feast your eyes bride-buds...

(picture borrowed from Kevan's email, props to 6:8 Photography)

Not bad right?? The only thing I posed to Kevan was my deep, undying love of wheat, and all things grass/fields/meadows... and he assured me that we would get our meadow shots!! He suggested we set-up our 'first-look' shots in a field (since we are doing our photos before the ceremony), and then go from there.

So, what do you all think?? Is the 30 minute drive worth it?? I think the beauty of the location speaks for itself, and since we have allotted a very generous 3 hours for photos, I think we should be ok... but would love to hear your thoughts on this one!! help!!

She Weds She Weds... that's Miss Budget Savvy Bride!!

2009-05-06T09:00:00.003-06:00

Jessica, aka Budget Savvy Bride, got married on the weekend, and she has been posting quick sneak peaks of the pics the last couple of days, and I just watched the slideshow from their photogs... seriously, you have to check it out!! The emotion captured in the pictures is beyond... just beyond raw! The happy couple look like they are in a state of bliss the whole day... and the details... WOW! This wedding makes me wonder how I will feel on our day. I have been following Jessica's blog since, well, since I got into wedding blogs, so in a strange way, I do feel like I know her. So when I saw the pictures, I felt like it was all coming true... all of her hopes and dreams for her wedding day. I hope I will be as relaxed as she looks in these pictures, and while I am sure the day flew by, it looks like she was present the whole time, soaking it up... I want to be able to do that!! I hope she was able to appreciate all the details that came together so perfectly... the colors so coherent, the wine labels and programs, her jewellery... was she able to really see it all?? I hope so, because she did a great job, and she deserved to revel in it!! WOW!!

PS... I am getting married in 4 months today!!! HOLY CRAP it is coming up fast!!! I will be back soon (honest) to update you on the latest in the planning!!!

e-pic-reality

2009-04-30T14:22:00.013-06:00

So, the inspiration was abound, now the reality had to be laid... yup, it was time for this engineer to bring out a little ANTM (yes, I love that show more than a fresh bride-to-be loves 'say yes to the dress'). I had worked on my poses... you know, got a friend to take some pics and tried to see what works and what doesn't. While I didn't have Tyra scrutinizing my fierce-ness, I thought I had an idea of when to smile with my eyes, when to think about something sexy, and when to be bold and downright gorgeous. Did this work in the actual e-session... uh, well, let's just say that I probably wouldn't continue on "in my hopes of becoming blogger-brides next top e-session model", but overall, I am pretty happy with how the pics turned out. (OH, and I did learn that profile shots are NOT on the "must-shoot" list... let's try to minimize the nose people!!)

I will share with you the photos that our artistic visionaries posted on their blog, and when I actually get around to purchasing the whole set of files from them (that is, if I can manage to massage our post-thanksgiving-dinner-TIGHT wedding budget to find room for the expense), I will post more. But, for now, feast your eyes dear friends...

This next one makes me laugh every time, because we were having so much trouble kissing this way. Our photogs told us that Ian's nose had to be behind mine in the kissing shots, and we never kiss this way (we always tilt to the right, and here we had to tilt to the left)... felt so weird, and we could barely keep straight faces!!

I really like this next one...

OK, this one might be my favorite... city, red shoes, and heh, I'm not gonna lie... I think the legs look good... what do you think??

So, there you have it... the whole session was pretty fun, and although a bit awkward at the beginning (especially the whole, 'pretend we're not here and kiss... but do it really slowly so it adds drama to the picture!'), it was great experience for the actual wedding pics. We really have a fun comfort level with Kevan and Duane at 6:8 Photography, who made things really simple, not too pose-annoying, and kept things light. I definitely recommend this practice round to get the jitters out, and preferably with your wedding photographers to learn about each other!

e-pic-spiration...

2009-04-30T05:40:00.019-06:00

So if you read my post about wedding stress, marriage, and love, you had a glimpse into the day that was our engagement pictures!! Although the lead up to the shoot was shaky at best, I did eventually find something to wear that I was pretty happy with, I did remember to enjoy the moment, and yes, I (we) did end up having a blast! Our photographers, Kevan and Duane from 6:8 Photography have been the objects of my affection since I first saw their work back in September. Actually, it was these pictures, of Zoe and Quinn, who got married at our wedding venue, that really hit me... (PS... check out our venue... gorgeous right??)

all pictures from 6:8 Photography

Kevan and Duane have shot some really amazing engagement sessions too, ranging from nature-inspired to edgy urban shoots. Here are some of my favorites from their e-sessions...

the nature pics:
and the urban beauties:

Of course, all pictures borrowed from 6:8 Photography

So, with our wedding being in the mountains, the urban pics really sent me a droolin... please please please can we have graffiti and parkades in our e-pics?!?!

Stay tuned today (I swear I promise I will be back!!) for OUR session... I think you will likey :)

Practical, brave, and insightful

2009-04-23T08:09:00.005-06:00

Please, head over to A Practical Wedding (the image of course is from her blog), where Meg offers such great insight into the Wedding Industrial Complex. Her words are to the point, always practical, and her perspective of weddings and marriage are down right brave.

A heavenly perch

2009-04-22T06:43:00.003-06:00

So, my man and I have decided to fore go the option of having a ring bearer or flower girl, mainly because we are trying to keep things simple, and because my little brother and sister, who filled those jobs at my sisters wedding, are getting a bit old to do it now, and my nephew who would be my first choice, is just too little. So, this should mean that we don't need a ring pillow right?? Well, this get-out-of-jail-free card was a sigh of relief until I saw this:
I originally saw the post over at weddingbeePRO, then found the bride's blog, and ultimately found the website of the amazing designer, LLubav. This is simply beautiful. Honestly, the thought of paying ANY money for a sleazy white satin pillow with a colored ribbon holding onto our rings made me cringe. But this pillow is dreamy. Sent from heaven like a Westin mattress, all for the comfort of our symbols of love. Did I mention I love it?? Well, I am sure it is out of our price range (a design deposit is $50), but for those of you out there who have a bit more cash to spend, seriously check this girl out. She does tonnes of other great things too, like garland and headbands... adorable!!

My bride crush... and my shoes!!

2009-04-20T08:14:00.012-06:00

So, inevitably, with the overwhelming amount of wedding porn out here in cyberspace, you will crush, swoon, envy, dream, drool, even whimper over some of the dresses, shoes, rings, flowers, stationary, or food posted on bridal-blogs. Have you ever had a downright crush on a bride?? I have!! I'm talking, make your heart skip a beat, red in the cheeks imagining what it would be like to be her for a day, looking at yourself in the mirror and wondering if you could ever look so dreamy... oh ya, I have a serious bride crush!!

I first met Beka over at Snippet and Ink, where her stunning wedding to Jesse was documented. This wedding is clearly an out-of-my-league wedding, complete with calligraphed invitations and a custom painted dance floor, Armani and Louboutins, and surprise vintage cocktail rings, but still, I dream of being her. Just look at this picture of her getting her hair done...

I still get little pitter-patters in the ol' heart when I see that picture.

Don't even get me started on the shoes people... come on, these are simply the PERFECT wedding shoes... ever!! Here's a close up:

Hers of course are Louboutins, and her sister's are Manolos... definitely an out-of-my-league-er!! These next pictures really seem to capture her confident sophistication. In my bride-crush love story, she is young, but wise beyond her years, and is comfortable knowing she has met her soul mate. She is exquisite and unique, fashionable and understated, and secretly, I think she has a wicked sense of humour (I wasn't lying when I told you this was a serious crush!!). Her beau is her best friend and confident (not to mention cute!), and together they are bliss.

I just wonder what it would be like to be so friggin beautiful...

So, where has the bride-crush left me?? Well, I know I am not her, and our wedding is definitely not theirs, but rest assured, she has inspired me in one small way... well, maybe two! First, I absolutely adore her hair... I like it in that 2nd picture, where she is still getting it done... half down. I haven't had a hair trial, but I will definitely be taking that picture in for inspiration. But the major inspiration came from those shoes. It is out of the question for us to be spending Louboutin $$ on footwear, considering our small small small budget, but I swear to gosh, if I had scene those shoes in a store, I probably would have died and gone to heaven (and charged them!!). But, suffice it to say, I am not the proud of these amazing shoes... (PS, I am definitely NOT the only bride swooning over these... they were also posted over at Elizabeth Anne in blue)

Now, I had told myself explicitly that I would only buy shoes if I found just the ones for me, and that I would wear something out of my massive shoe closet if I didn't find the fabulous pair that I dreamed about. I knew I would know when I saw them, and this ended up being true. I had my eye out for my-wedding-shoe when I found these... first pair I tried on, and they are perfect!!
I adore my shoes... they are purple satin t-straps with a gorgeous rose-bud at the toe. I found them at Town Shoes, and just knew they would be perfect. They look amazing withe the purples in my hair piece, and add that perfect little pizazz to my ivory outfit!! Whatcha think?? Crush worthy?? Well, definitely crush inspired!! Have you crushed over any bride in particular?? What did they inspire you to do??