stationary...

So it is the final countdown (cue the song by Europe)! Only 4 days left and I will be a Mrs.!
I have been looking through everything I have made up to this point and even T said I should put together a portfolio... my second career idea other than Sweet Disposition!
The most recent of my DIY stationary endeavors would have to be the programs that will be distributed to our guests who attend our ceremony (FYI: to those of you who don't know, the beautiful church we chose to become married in is now covered from sidewalk to bell tower in construction scaffolding). We decided to go with a simple single folded program in white cover stock (see the post about staples). This way, I could design the entire thing and print it at home with ease. That is exactly what happened. I made a few drafts and asked T to choose his favorite. He ended up choosing the program on which I placed graphics from our invitations. I framed the outside and inside with hemispheres and scrolls from our invites. I then used one of my favorite free font websites to add a little font flair. I even added a little fairytale touch to the back hinting at a happily ever after. The last thing I added was a little sparkle, of course!

Updates: Gifts, MOH's, Cake stands, favors, even more deatils...

Since it is now officially crunch time, my rear end has been set into hyper drive when it comes to the little details and DIY projects that I have decided to take on...

The girls' gifts are finally complete and have been packaged up nicely.  They are ready to be delivered this Saturday at our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.  I really hope they enjoy them as much I had in choosing and putting them together.  My flower girl's gift is super cute and I cannot wait to give it to her.  

Don't worry... I will be posting pictures once they have been given to the girls... I cannot go and spoil the surprise that I have been so good at keeping! 

A quick update about MOH... I am the luckiest bride around because I now have 2 MOH's!!  My very best friend and my "little" cousin <3 Love them both so much!

Our fabulously delicious cake will now be sitting atop an awesome cake stand.  My dad has really taken the idea of the tree stump cake stand and run with it.  He was nice enough to carve the top of the stump so when the cake is taken to be cut and distributed to our guests, guests will be able to see the carved stand on display!  I cannot wait for everyone to see this piece of art!  Here he is in action!

This wedding is a family affair!  My mom finished the favors for the wedding and they are awesome!!!  I will be taking pictures of them all together but if you forget what they look like, check it out!

One other project I have taken on is a Bride and Groom sign for our chairs so no one gets confused and takes our chairs from the sweetheart table (because that would really happen... no comments please :) ).  I had taken even more tree cross sections (like the ones used for the tables numbers) and painted Bride and Groom (font inspiration from a special free website).  Holes will be drilled in them and ribbon will be strung to hang on the chairs. 

 

Last thing that might be of some interest... I found my dream shoes and could not be happier!  They are pink, they are Kate Spade and they are phenomenal!  Pictures to come soon.  

I cannot wait to see all of the details come together... hopefully they will! 

The Official Countdown... 10 Days!

So it is official... we are down to only 10 days!  I can remember when we had 150 days left!  I would remind TJ of the remaining days each day by looking at my app that I downloaded from TheKnot with a daily countdown.  TJ finally asked me to let him know when we only had 150 days... then when that day arrived, he asked me to alert him of 100 days... then 50... then 25... now 10!!  I cannot believe that it is almost here.  I was telling TJ that with all of the planning and our lives being taken over by table linens, flower choices, dress debacles, DIY details, and favors, it feels as if the planning will never end and the wedding day will never arrive... It has become commonplace to be stressed, pressed for time, and fearful of the details not falling into place as I imagine.  However, lately, I have been feeling a sense of calm.  

There have been so many hiccups along the way of planning that I seem to be immune to any more set backs.  Just for the record, here are just a few of the hiccups (in case you are unaware):  the original wedding gown I feel in love with was discontinued when I went to buy it, it rained on our engagement shoot, it rained on my bridal shower, the person I originally hired for my makeup cancelled on me last week, my moh (love you!) cannot make the ceremony, the original canter cannot sing at our ceremony, and to top it all off... the entire Church is covered from sidewalk to bell-tower in construction scaffolding.  

Now, you might be reading this and saying to yourself, "But these little things do not matter in the end.  All that matters is that TJ and you will be married!"  This is the notion that I have been conditioning myself to understand (while suppressing the inner princess) and I finally have become numb to any other bumps in the road.  If I cannot get to making the I-Spy cards... Oh well!  

This is the metaphor I have used to illustrate my feelings:  I have been rollerskating down a very steep and bumpy hill (the entire planning process) and now I have hit a ramp and am flying, weightlessly (carelessly) through the air, waiting to hit the ground and come back to reality (post-wedding).

I am tired, stressed, fatigued but still so excited to be marrying my best friend and soul mate.  After all, that is all that matters <3

P.S.: Words to the wise (teachers)... DO NOT get married during the school year!

More details...

It is coming down to the wire... 24 days to be exact!

The little details are falling into place.  Most recently, I visited the Heldrich to choose our table linens.  T and I were thinking of traditional black floor lengths with white overlays and purple napkins... however, when I saw it in person, I wasn't a huge fan.  Instead, I chose (after sending pictures to T and getting his OK) a floor length chocolate linen with no overlay and maize napkins.  This will go perfectly with our theme of "Enchanted Forest" by pulling in the warm browns and setting a nice backdrop for the wood-sy decor.  The coordinator helped a lot by dimming the lights and giving me an idea of what everything would look like. 

I originally bought about 20 beautiful leaf pattern table cloths but quickly realized they would not be appropriate and would not convey the feel that we wanted for our wedding.  The chocolate linens will make the white plates and silverware pop along with the many candles I am requesting for both the table and the centerpiece.  I figure if we make the table linens simple, the details will stand out even more.  Less is sometimes more... unless we are talking about glitter!

My School Bridal Shower!

More to come...

Our Guest Book arrived!

Using our engagement photos, we (by "we" I mean "I") utilized the Shutterfly picture book creator to generate a beautifully unique guest book!  We were able to completely customized EVERYTHING down to the spine font, size, color, etc.  Each page has a lovely picture and the adjacent page is blank for messages/signatures.  But you know me by now... those pages are not completely blank.  They have pretty frames in matching colors and designs. 

We were elated when our book finally arrived!  The quality of the book is exceptional.  The covers are beautiful and the pages are sharp.  We could not be happier!  I would recommend Shutterfly for photo books!  Check out a sample page...

We hope our guests will fill the pages with beautiful words and wisdom for a long, joyful life as husband and wife!

DIY continued!

Since my last DIY post I have decided to take on even more DIY projects to add a special touch to our very special day.  One project I decided to start (with help from my fellow Bride-to-be Tricia) was making cocktail stirrers! They are turning out to be the cutest personal touch yet, according to me of course! 

After conversing with Tricia, I did my research on the very inspirational Etsy (big surprise).  Once I visited the site, I found stirrers that I simply fell in love with!  They were scalloped circle cut outs with little circle centers with cute saying and greetings.  Thanks to Tricia, again, I was supplied with a bunch of wooden cocktail stirrers.  If you refer to one of my earlier posts you will discover that I bought cover stock from staples to save some $$ on a prior DIY project.  That cover stock has come in very handy and has been used to create some noteworthy documents and details... now, including cocktail stirrers!!  I visited one of my favorite font websites, chose a beautifully swirly font and went to town!  Making sure the saying would fit in a 1-3/8" circle paper punch, I printed out the sayings on the cover stock.  For the backing of the stirrer, I ventured out to the wonderful Michael's and purchased shimmery (are you surprised) plum heavy scrapbook paper... on sale!  Using a 2" scalloped paper punch, I punched out the backing paper, hot glued it to the stick, and then hot glued the circle with the saying onto the stick and backing.  Voila!  Sassy cocktail stirrers!  Check 'em out...

These are the cutest detail that our guests will throw out!  But they were so worth the time!

Hen Party...

I have been educated in Bride-to-be etiquette in Scotland thanks to my cousin's friend Ashleigh from St. Andrews.  Apparently in other countries, Brides forgo the traditionally American "Bachelorette party."  There is no party with the girls that results in bad decisions, head aches and lost days following the party (due to the activities from the previous night).  Instead, the Scots choose a more subdued (from what I hear) gathering of women involved in the impending wedding.  This is traditionally known as a Hen Party... mirroring the "Stag Party" for the men.

I have already been lucky enough to have a Bachelorette Party thrown for me last month by my beautiful bridesmaids and maid of honor (you can read about it in my earlier post).  However, I have been even more lucky enough to have moms in my life who care about me especially when my other half is enjoying his Bachelor Party.

Tonight, my mom, TJ's mom and step-mom, and I traveled to the beautiful and sentimental city of Princeton to enjoy a lovely Hen Party.  We chose Mediterra which turned out to be an outstanding choice.  The Cosmo was perfection, the dinner was delectable and the dessert was superb (especially the little candle the waitress added to it to celebrate my impending nuptials).  This night meant a lot to me and took my mind off of the Bachelor Party (the intention of the Hen Party). 

I was able to spend quality time with the magnanimous women in my life which means the world to me. 

The Guest Book

Thank goodness for Shutterfly!  

We received our engagement photos which are outstanding!  The pictures we immediately placed onto Shutterfly and I began placing them into a simple template of a photo book.  The photo books they offer are wonderful and perfect for what we need it for... a guest book for our guests to sign and add their words of wisdom.  We look forward to seeing this book when it arrives and then reading the messages our guests place into it on the day T and I become husband and wife!

My Bridal Shower!

Coming soon!!

The 2nd Engagement Shoot!

We absolutely LOVED our first (impromptu) engagement shoot with the wonderful family photographer Mary.  Last year, Mary was gracious enough to take time out of her very busy schedule one day in October to take pictures of T and me in Thompson Park in Monroe.  The weather was beautiful and the leaves were shades of orange, green, gold and maroon.  What a perfect backdrop!  What made everything better was Mary's very professional, artistic eye and the fact that we are so comfortable with her.  The photos came out beautifully and were used in many different details during our engagement.

 

This is just one of the many amazing shots that Mary was able to capture.

After choosing Art Work Photography for our wedding day photographers we quickly learned that we would have an engagement shoot (yes, another one).  The motive behind having an engagement shoot with the wedding day photographer was to get to know the photog and becoming comfortable with their style and vice versa.  After coercing T into taking yet another shoot we met the extremely talented Leah on Friday, July 29th of this year.  The setting was a no brainer to us... Princeton University; the site of our first date.  The weather, however, was lack luster to say the least.  We thought we were in the clear of the "isolated" thunderstorms until we arrived to the Starbucks on Nassau St.  The humidity was so high that the second I stepped out of Starbucks with T and Leah my hair seemed to elevate.  What was once long, pin straight hair turned into a big nest looking wig that felt like a wet blanket.  Gross!  I sucked it up and said to T that if Leah is good, she will be able to capture great photographs out of this stormy and humid backdrop.

We made our way through the university and after taking a few shots, the clouds opened and the rain fell.  I gave up... my luck has always been horrible but... come on!  I was convinced that nothing I will ever do in my life will be easy but, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!  I still ask T if he is ready for a life of mediocre/bad luck with me. 

Leah seemed not to mind at all and pushed us to shelter where she continued to snap shots.  The rain continued to fall but we were covered on the steps of a building with huge pillars.  The sky began to clear a bit and revealed stunning colors of pink, orange and purple.  Here is the silver lining. 

We moved to the adjacent buildings for more photo ops when Leah stopped and snapped as I opened my umbrella. 

 We continued to courtyards and magnificent architechtual land marks in the university.  Leah caught the exact feeling with her camera that we wanted. 

The 3 of us then moved to Princeton Battle Field where I quickly changed.  We had a short time there before the sun set but Leah handed us cowboy hats as props and shot away.

These photos will be used to build a guest book where guests will sign and add their words of wisdom for T and me as a newly married couple <3  The fact that T and I will be the new Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Hunter is feeling more real as each day passes!

The Bachelorette Party!

"Surprise!"  Little Scotty Jr. was yelling this to me while flailing his blanket in excitement!

A few days before, my future sister-in-law called and asked if T and I would like to go out to dinner with her and TJ's brother.  Of course we said yes and I was immediately excited to spend time with them in New Brunswick.  The plan was to go to Clyde's but meet at their house "no earlier than 6:15" on Friday.  Friday came and I picked out a cute outfit and made sure T approved... of course he did!  Before we left, T mentioned how he wanted to leave gym clothes in his car... weird, but I did not probe.  I just thought he wanted to have emergency gym clothes for a rainy day.  

While driving to their house, we were talking about the eccentric menu that is offered at Clyde's and laughed about ordering antelope.  We arrived at the house and made our way up to the door.  Joan answered brought us into the kitchen and then lead us into the living room where I first saw Scotty Jr. waving his blanket and yelling, "Surprise! Surprise!"  I was caught off guard because I saw Scott holding Sammy smiling, and then I saw all of my bridesmaids (except Erica :( ) and my Maid of Honor Danielle!  I started backing up and Danielle said, "This is your Bachelorette Party!!!!"  I was so surprised that all I could do was cry (of course, would you expect anything less!?!).  After I calmed down, the girls showed me the paraphernalia that I would be adorned with for the festivities of the night complete with pink Mardi Gras beads, beautiful personalized buttons, a Bachelorette sash, and a sparkly tiara with a veil... they know me waaaay too well!  Once we all dressed up appropriately and posed for the photo op, we hopped in the car and made our way to Red Bank!!

When we arrived ion Red Bank, we walked to the restaurant Red.  The amount of attention I was getting was out of this crazy!  We entered the posh restaurant and was greeted by our waiter, Jeff, who was fantastic and funny.  The drinks were scrumptious and the food was ridiculously delicious!  The girls and I chatted up the night while eating the appetizers and entrees.  Before we left, we asked the waiter where a good dance party would be and he mentioned that Red, itself, has a nice club scene.  We filed that away but first we checled out Downtown.  The bar was nice and drinks were good but it was lacking the dancing that we were longing for.  After some time at Downtown, we ventured back over to Red where we found the true party.  We had some more drinks and started the dance party near the DJ.  Nikki mentioned to the DJ that I was getting married so he gave me a shout out and everyone began to scream!  I lost track of time because I was having the time of my life dancing with the girls.  After some time, we made our way back to Downtown to see the band.  When we arrived, the band was playing an old favorite of mine; Sublime's "Santaria."  Of course I began to dance and sing.  The next thing I knew I was up on stage with the band singing my heart out with the lead singer, sharing the microphone!  My dream came true!  I was singing on stage to an audience.  Crazy!

It was laaaaate by the time we were home and I was soooo happy.  That was the nest night out of my life!  I greeted TJ, who stayed at the house and waited for us girls to come home.  He was in his "gym clothes!"  I knew he was fibbing... but what a good fib he told!

My dress...

After 9 months... I finally tried my dress on!  These past 9 months have been torturous seeing that no bridal salon in close proximity to me (other than Kleinfeld's) had a sample of my dress to at least try on.  I had been second guessing my decision and wondering if I had made the right choice for one of the most important days of my life.  Needless to say I was anxious about the whole ordeal.  While waiting for it to arrive, I had been looking up pictures on Google and examining the dress on other brides... wrong move!  Apprehension engulfed my mind and I was sure that I made the wrong choice.  I was so focused on what other brides looked like in the gown that I forgot why I chose it in the first place. :::Flashback to Kleinfeld's in November 2010 when Randy hugged my waist and said, "You look stunning!":::  I began to feel like Elle Woods and questioned, why I would abandon my signature style?  Thinking about it now still worries me! 

The day came when my 3 future sisters-in-law, future niece, mom and I were at the Bridal Suite purchasing bridesmaids and flower girl gowns.  A beautiful woman carrying a garment bag full of white contents passed us by while commenting a phase that I will never forget but will refrain from writing until after the wedding for fear that T is reading.  While the girls were finishing up, my phone rang and the caller read, "The Bridal Suite."  Strange, I thought, since I was standing in the very same establishment.  The woman on the other end proceeded to tell me that my gown was in and I could come in and try it on when I have time.  Being the extremely detail oriented person I am, I was putting 2 and 2 together realizing that the gown that just passed me was MY gown!  We laughed on the phone after I explained the coincidence and the woman was a bit embarrassed when she realized what she had said in front of me while she was bringing to gown up to the front of the building.  In my mind I told myself, "Nothing new... I have been hearing things I am not supposed (and don't want) to hear for a while now!  Why should comments about my wedding gown be any different.  I seem to have ears of a dog whether I like it or not."  :-/  

A few days passed and finally my parents and I went to try my gown on for the very first time.  I tried to refrain from thinking of the other brides I had been studying for the past 9 months and focus on the matter at hand.  For some reason I could not shake the anxiety and I felt a mild panic attack setting in.  My parents sat in the parlor while I was behind the curtain changing into the most important dress of my life.  As I looked at it hanging up, my stomach dropped... "That cannot be it..."  I undressed, hopped in, and as my consultant fixed me up I began to feel faint.  All of the sudden I felt hot, nauseous and extremely dizzy.  I hadn't felt that way since senior year of high school when I mistakenly decided to donate my O- blood and then passed out on the table.  I told the consultant, "I don't feel very well."  She reassured me that I would be OK.  After everything was just right, the curtain opened and I took the walk to the pedestal.  Once propped up, I looked at myself in the mirror and immediately thought of TJ... I cannot wait to marry him!  My eyes welled up and I couldn't help but break down and sob in my hands.  After I hugged my mom, I felt better and was ready for the examination of the dress I chose.  It looked so different... in a good way!  Everything was just so and I could not stop staring at it.  Then my consultant "jacked me up," or so Monti says on Say Yes! To The Dress Atlanta.  After the veil was on, the original feeling of love for the dress returned and I couldn't have been happier. 

I hope TJ loves it <3

DIY Part III

What is my new project?  Funny you should ask!  I was recently on my most favorite site, Etsy, when I stumbled upon something I just knew I had to make.  They were ribbon wands with bells that are used to send off the bride and groom after the ceremony.  I loved the idea because it incorporates both the sounds from the bells and the look of beautiful streaming satin ribbon.  I Googled pictures of these being used at weddings and loved them!  After seeing the price at which people were selling these wands, I was provoked to research the material prices and figure out whether it was worth buying the wands already made or making them on my own.  

Well, what did you expect... the title of this post is "DIY Part III."  Of course I am going to make them!  

After many trips to many AC Moores and Michael's I have acquired the dowels, perfectly purple & white ribbons and mom has bought the bells.  I will begin assembly this week and will post pictures of the results.  Below is a mock up.  So far I have saved $40 by buying the materials instead of the finished product.  We shall see if this is all worth the work :)

P.S.:  I embellished the once naked "bride" and "groom"  hangers and they could not be any more adorable!  Take a gander!

Tasting at The Heldrich!

Unlimited Pinot at a beautiful hotel with delicious food = Nicole buzzed!  
We were treated like royalty by our planner and our server at the Heldrich when we arrived for our tasting.  T and I had no idea what to expect: Were we going to be in a huge hall with other couples or were we going to be by ourselves?  To our delight we quickly realized that we were going to be the only couple.  We started with wine tasting (YEAH!).  We chose wines that would be passed during the reception and others that would be at the bars.  In between sips and the server pouring me more delicious Pinot, we chose table linens and figured out the logistics of the night.  The first course came out and we were to choose between 2 salads.  We chose a delicious salad with a yummy veggie tart (SO GOOD!).  More pinot = more tipsy!!  The next course was the entree... all four choices were so incredibly tasty but we had to hold back because our planner mentioned that the cakes were up next!!!  

A week before our tasting, we had to give ideas of cakes and frostings that we wanted to try so we ended up send a lengthy list... this should be no surprise to you since I have a cake addiction and a cupcake business with the lovely Lauren!  

The wonderful server came into the private room with a huge, white, wavy plate full of scrumptious cakes and ramekins with dreamy clouds of frostings!!  Needless to say, this was a dream come true!  I had my loving fiance' beside me, a man bringing me plates full of cake and chocolate and another man refilling my pinot!  Pinch me!  The cakes were out of this world!  I couldn't believe how good the combinations of flavors that we chose complemented each other!  I am not going to share the the flavors just yet but lets just say if you like Java Chip Frappuccinos and cannolis, this cake will be right up your alley (it sure fits T and me VERY well!).  We also talked about the style of cake.  It will be at least 4 tiers with vanilla butter cream (no fondant) and branches going up the cake.  So exciting!

We could not be more happy with the service, food and ambiance that the Heldrich has to offer.  Once the cakes were tasted, the details straightened and my buzz in progress, we were on our way out of the Heldrich ecstatic about our big day!

DIY Part II

Since I posted last, I changed my name to Butter because I am on a roll!  Ok, enough with the corny jokes (and I have more where that came from ;-) ).  When it comes to DIY, I have tried to either make the little details left on my own or add my touch to the pieces that are already completed.  For example, I attempted to place little baby rhinestones onto our invites thinking they would create a bit more interest and texture but after showing them to T, he responded with, "You cannot even see them..."  Enough said.  I agreed and I wasn't going to waste my time and SuperGlue. 

The next victim of my serial DIYing was the program.  We originally wanted a single sheet printed front and back with the ceremony information.  Looking at it again I decided it would look better and more polished if I made a simple folded program that was spaced out rather than crammed onto one sheet.  After looting and pillaging (what I do best), I was able to place the art from our invitations onto the program.  I refined the text and even added a special little saying on the back.  T loved it!  The perfectionista reared her ugly head once again and I was looking for ways to improve the next elegant program.  Bows?  No.  Paper punches?  No.  Rhinestones?  YES!  Who can say no to rhinestones?!  And If you know me, I am never one to turn my back on a tiny sparkly circle that can be applied to anything!  I ventured into my craft bag and picked out my pretty rhinestones I was using to decorate the hair clips I was making a while ago.  A dab of glue, and voila!  A perfectly embellished wedding program fit for our day!  Now if we could only figure out the order of the ceremony...

My most recent accomplishment was achieved today!  Last night I had been up late surfing Etsy (yes, I am addicted) and while searching "weddings" I came across these delightful wooden hangers.  I know what you're thinking, "Oh, no.  She re-discovered her BeDazzler and encrusted the hanger with rhinestones."  Though a great idea, no, that is not what I did.  These hangers were simple but so cute with wire shaped into letters spelling out "bride," "groom," and all sorts of other names.  I was taken aback and could just imagine my dress hanging on the "bride" hanger waiting for me to slip into it and get married to my best friend.  The hanger started at $25.  Showing T the hangers, he agreed that they were pretty nice but then he responded, "Go pick up wire and a hanger and I'll make it for you."  Lightbulb! I can make these myself!  So, of course, today I printed my coupons and made my way to Target and Michael's.  I came back, used one of the templates on Etsy (shhh!) and went to town!  Sometime later, the "bride" hanger was my result!  Ecstatic, I showed T and he liked it a lot!  I then made him a "groom" hanger.  Check them out!

TJ told me that I am impressing him with all of my crafty and creative work these days <3 I have to admit, I am surprising myself :)

DIY Bride

I never thought I would consider myself a DIY Bride... until today.

On my To Do list for the day was:

1. Print hotel and direction cards at Staples
2. Check postage on invites
3. Figure out tags for favors

 To conquer my first task, I went to my local Staples with my fabulously cute turtle USB drive (a gift from Holly) loaded with the necessary files for the cards.  I was to get 15 sheets printed front and back in color on a thicker paper but not card stock.  I met a very helpful Juan (names have been changed to protect the idiotic) who helped me choose paper weight, color and finalize the files that were to be printed.  Juan mentions that there will be a "file transfer fee" to transfer the files from Word to PDF... absurd!  I could have done that at home for $0, Juan!  I guess the cute turtle USB gave off the aire that I was not tech-savvy (which I am!).  I unhappily gave my okay and continued choosing paper.  As I chose a lovely 67lb white cover stock, Juan dropped the bomb... I mean price.  He told me that printing front and back on the cover stock on their "special" printers would cost $2.00 each.  I thought in my mind, "that sounds a bit much... and I don't have a coupon for this".  I quickly called T and while waiting for him to answer I devised a wonderful plan to get a round this $30+ trip to staples for 15 sheets of paper.  I posed to T that I could by a ream of the same cover stock and simply print them at home!  We agreed and a $6.00 ream of 67lb cover stock was bought.  As I drove away I suddenly thought back to one of greatest Will Ferrel movies, Step Brothers; "So many activities!"  

By activities, I am referring to the many uses for this cover stock such as tags for favors, tags for bells, programs for the church and the list goes on.  As I returned to a computer, I looted and pillaged a particular website that will remain nameless for the time being and customized adorable tags for the yummy favors that will be for our guests.  Yet another light bulb went off when I thought of my craft-savvy friend Lauren and her paper punches.  After printing out a 50% off coupon for ACMoore, I ventured out once again and purchased a circle punch that I then used to punch out the favor tags instead of sloppily cutting them out by hand.  Genius!  You better believe that I will be using this paper punch and cover stock for the bell tags as well.  These two purchases are the gifts that keep on giving!  My dad gave me one of the greatest complements by saying, "Wow.  You should become a wedding planner and do this!"  One day Dad, maybe.

So thank you, Juan, for giving me a minor myocardial infarction from the price and inadvertently persuading me into buying my own paper therefore becoming a DIY Bride!  The ideas are endless and even as I finish this post, I am thinking of all the details that I could enhance.  I will be up for a while :) 

Oh yeah, I ended up going to the Post Office, too... I didn't forget!

What do we think?

What do we think about these... Sergio Rossi Metallic Leather sandals in pink

Also, I am liking these... completely off track!

And then there is this one...

It has a leaf on it! 

Ok... I have spent too much time on this...

Shoes... help!

I never thought that the most difficult find would be my shoes but of course, it seems like what I want is not made by anyone!  I wish I was a shoe designer then I would not have this problem.  All I am looking for is a low heeled, pink or glitter peep-toe shoe... Is that too much to ask??  I guess this is my OCD rearing its ugly head. 

As of right now, I am in possession of a beautiful pair of peep-toe, glitter sling-back pumps.  If I discover nothing better, these will be my shoes of choice.

The websites of choice when looking for wedding day worthy shoes have been Bloomingdales, Lord & Taylor, and Nordstrom.  So far I have found 3 pairs that are interesting...

 

This Rosina shoe is by J. Renee and is from Nordstrom.  I love the height and the glitter.  These are similar to the shoes I currently have but I am not sure about the bow...

 

This shoe is a bit different in that it is a platinum color leather with a beautiful broach.  They also sell this Badgley Miscka Lacie is a light pink.

 

This Badgley Miscka Lelah has a few interesting elements and a beautiful color.  This is the highest heel of the three so I am on the fence about it.

I will be keeping an eye out for my perfect pair of shoes... if they are out there :(

If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to comment!  Help!

Excitment...

Since it is now less than 5 months until our special day, it is feeling more real everyday.  The little details are falling into place and the excitement level is rising.  I am finding myself more excited than worried about the minutia that will make the day amazing.  For example, today, after wishing Grandpa Tom a Happy Father's Day, he replied with, "Thank you! Wait I have something for you!"  He showed us the top-secret ring bearer pillow that he made with his own hands!  It is more beautiful than we had imagined!  We cannot wait to see Scotty and Ethan walking down the aisle together holding the pillows which will have our rings laying on top.  The pillows are confidential so you will just have to wait to see them (don't worry, it's only 152 days away...).  

Another thing that I am ecstatic about would be the fact that I have finally chosen what I want engraved on my rings.  T already has his ring engraved with a beautiful Italian phrase that tugs at my heart every time I think about it.  My phrase will begin on my engagement ring and continue on my wedding band.  Each part of the phase is stand alone but when put together (when I wear both rings) the phrase is a perfect fit for us and how I feel with T.  We will be taking my marvelous blings to Gary Michael to be engraved soon during which I will be paranoid about abandoning my beauties for a short time.  

Coming up, the bridesmaids will be choosing their gowns (all different styles but in the same color - plum) and we will be having our engagement shoot with Art Work Photography.  We have chosen to have our shoot at Princeton University (the site of our first date) where there is immaculate Gothic architecture and picturesque scenery.  

This local was a no-brainer and we are excited to see how the shoot goes, how we get along with the photographer and how the pictures come out.  The shoot will be at dusk at the end of July around 6:00 which the photographer told us would be the best lighting (I bow down and release my OCD to the pros).  These photos will be used to create a photo guest book that our guests will sign before entering our reception. 

P.S.: My MOH <3 is coming home soon and I cannot wait!!!  While she is home, there will be dressing picking, fittings, decision making and much needed time together :)

Almost 5 months to go!

Take a look at the magnanimous Cinderella ticker to your right... Wow, how the time flies!  I cannot believe that there are almost 5 months left until I become Mrs. Hunter (Joining the ranks of the beautiful Mrs. Hunters)!  Very surreal.  We have been finalizing things and I have been hearing chatter about little details pertaining to a bridal shower!  My opinion is being asked and the guest list is growing.  I have butterflies just thinking about the real-ness of the situation.  It is setting in more and more everyday and with every new decision.  I just updated our wedding website from TheKnot.com after changing the background template about 8 times (indecisive to the n-th degree).  Feel free to take a gander. 

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/NicoleMartinez&TomHunter

Since the planning began, I have been excited but extremely nervous, asking myself question after question; Will we make the right decisions about the details? Are we missing anything? What if we forget something?  Thank goodness I have a wonderful, fairly decisive (more than I am) fiance' who forces me to leave my fairytale dreamland and visit reality for a short while in order to make poignant decisions.  He reassures me that everything will turn out wonderfully and I have to expect a few hiccups and just go with the flow.  I am usually a very easy going person so this should feel natural, but we shall see... I might need a bottle of champagne or perhaps a tranquilizer in order to function properly. 

Back to some details... Thanks to Stephanie for sharing an Etsy site (what did I tell ya, Esty's amazing!) that offers birch bark vases that can be personalized.  Check them out! http://www.etsy.com/listing/73907435/birch-bark-vase-for-wedding-centerpieces   

I love these but am not sure where they can be incorporated.  Mom suggests to place one with a bouquet of our colorful flowers by the guest book and seating scroll.  If all else fails and we cannot find a perfect place for it, it will just have to take root on our kitchen table.  It will not go un-bought.  This seller also offers unity candle holders that look similar that may need to be bought also.  I am going Etsy-crazy and I am loving it!

Hair & fascinators!

After watching many episodes of "Say Yes to The Dress" I have been finding myself focusing on the headpieces and accessories that the consultants pick out for the brides-to-be.  When I picked my dress at Kleinfeld's my consultant, Debbie, chose a beautiful rhinestone headband that matched perfectly with the dress.  However, the headband was a whopping $900.00!  Way too much moolah for my liking.  Since then, I have been on a mission to find something similar that will accent my dress and hairstyle nicely.  My hair will be more than likely up in a very romantic loose style with curls and pull backs.  

Etsy.com has been my very best friend for a while and now it is more so than ever.  I searched for "rhinestone applique headband" and there were many results that sparked my interest.  Here are a few that I loved...

I loved this one because it is subtle and simple with a braided look.  There is no excessive bling but just enough to look elegant.  

This headband is very similar to the one above but it is more scalloped than twisted.  It looks to be embellished with the same types of crystals and beads; both of which I love.  It has the same subtle romantic feel just on a smalled scale.  

This headband is a mix between the two choices above.  The appliques are different sizes which is interesting but I have always been in favor of symmetry... 

This last headband could be beautiful (wish I could see it on a bride) because it resembles the second choice but just doubled up.  This reminds me of a Juliet style headband or even Grecian.  

 All of these headbands have the romantic touch which is exactly the feel I want to have for my headpiece.  When I was younger, I always had the typical princess vision wanting a tiara but now I want a more subtle headpiece.  These choices from Etsy seem to mesh well with the theme that T and I are going for... romantic enchanted forest.  I already feel like a princess who has found her prince so the tiara is not needed.

First meeting at the church.

Yesterday T and I met with Father Peter who will be our officiant.  We will be meeting with him several times before our wedding day to talk about many different things that have to do with marriage.  Yesterday was an introduction of what is to come in the future months.  He was asking us many questions about our relationship.  I felt nervous at first but then felt at ease because we were simply talking about why we want to marry each other.  It was so nice hearing each other say what we cherished about each other and how we knew we were to be married.  As we were talking with Father Peter, I could not help thinking of our wedding day in St. Peter's church.  I was imagining all of the lights on in the church with Father Peter (dressed to the nines) standing next to my future husband (of course dressed to the tens!).  The feeling is overwhelming and I thought of nothing else... not the flowers or the favors but just the moment that T and I will see each other and proclaim our love to one another in front of our loved ones.  Being with TJ at the alter, above all details, is what I look to the most.  This played out in my mind like a dream sequence and I can only hope that our day will feel as magical, if not more.  The many details have taken my attention over the past months but now I realize the most important part of the day and that everything else is icing on the cake tree themed .  I know I have said this many times before but now, more than ever, I mean it with every part of me... I am so excited!

Less than 6 months to go...

Wow... less than six months until our wedding day.  It feels like yesterday that TJ asked me to be his wife in Rutgers Woods.  Like every other OCD bride, I have a countdown from The Knot on my phone and every day I check it (183 days!) and share the dwindling time with T.  Time is going by quickly.  I cannot help but become anxious that I am forgetting to do something or am waiting too long to do something.  Thank goodness for the many checklists that I have collected from many magazines.  I mention checklists, plural, because each one has different milestones to take care of that another might leave out.  They are all in my infamous binder and keep me on track.  There are also many checklists available online which give mainly the same information but in a more "green" way. On top of the checklists, I have printed out a 2011 calendar and have color coded different due dates with an accompanying key (Proof reading this, I notice I sound  uber OCD!).  I do not know how brides go without a binder, checklists and calendars!  Unheard of!  

I believe it is time to sit back and relax a bit since a majority of the details have been taken care of.  All I am waiting for anxiously is my dress!!  It will be here in July so you will definitely be hearing about that soon!

Time to relax this summer and bask in the engaged life with my T!

Photography

Lately, I have been thinking about photography and what it means to T and me.  I moved photos from my old laptop to another computer and in doing so, I resurrected old images from early in our relationship.  I could not help myself... every folder was being opened and TJ was being called over; "T!  Look at this one!"  45 minutes had passed and we found ourselves reminiscing.  After that, I realized how important photography is.  If it weren't for those photos, we would have forgotten minutiae of events that shaped our relationship.   

Thinking of our wedding day, one of my most important aspects would have to be the photography.  I am very detail oriented and tend to see the minor but poignant features of a photo so finding a photographer who could do the same was extremely important to me.  I know that our day will go by quickly (as many brides have told me) so I want to be able to look back fondly at the entire day through photos and find new interesting things each time we look.  Another request of mine was that the photographer not be traditional but more photo journalistic.  The artistic touch is key and can bring life to a picture while telling a story.  T and I searched high and low for a photographer.  We met photographers we loved and photographers that were best for other couples.  Of course price played a huge part in our choice but we feel that we are going to have a phenomenal photographer for a wonderful price!  We chose Art Work Photography located in Mt. Laurel, NJ and cannot wait to see what they will do in our wedding day.  They are award winning and have been featured in The Knot.  I am not going to lie... I was looking for "award winning."  We have an engagement session soon to get to know the photographer (even though we already had an engagement session with the amazing Mary Hunter <3).  We have yet to choose our engagement session site but we are leaning towards Princeton University since that is where we had our first date. 

Check out the link to Art Work Photography below.  

http://www.artworkphotos.net/

Here is a sample from their website...

This picture (below) was taken by Mary Hunter!

Royal Wedding Inspirations

Yes, I was one of those people who woke up at 5:30 to catch a glimpse of the royal wedding!  How could I miss such an amazing and historic moment?  When I turned it on, Catherine was in the middle of her car ride to Westminster Abby.  She looked so beautiful in the car with her father while waving to the public I couldn't help but become teary.  When she stepped our of the car, I was overwhelmed when I saw her entire dress.  It was simple yet elegant and regal.  I also LOVED her veil!  It gave her entire look a soft touch since it was a silk tool.  Her entire outfit fit her perfectly and accentuated her body in an appropriate and elegant way.  I only wish to look as polished and stunning as she did.  

After watching most of the ceremony and the first kiss (with my students during my first block class, haha) I realized that there are many inspirations from their day that can be subtly incorporated into a "normal" wedding.  First, the readings from the ceremony were traditional but very meaningful.  T and I will be thinking about the most meaningful readings for our ceremony but what Catherine's brother read was heartfelt and fitting to the couple.  
Another inspiration that I hope to incorporate would be the choir that sang the beautiful hymns.  The singing along with the organ gave a very traditional and ethereal feel.  
Call it insignificant, but I also loved how Catherine's father and Prince William held her hand down the aisle.  
One last inspiration that we might implement on our big day will be the mandatory hats and fascinators... 

or maybe not.

Dress decisions...

So, I visited the Bridal Suite again today with my mom, one of my bridesmaids and my flower girl.  It was so much fun having my flower girl (Kay) pretend to be on "Say Yes to the Dress" and dance around in the many flower girl dresses.  She was adorable, as usual, and was a wonderful model who work each dress she tried on.  We had her try taffeta, chiffon and satin.  We all agreed that Kay looked the cutest in a floor length satin, ivory gown with a purple sash that would match the bridesmaids.  The choice is very traditional but I think it makes her even cuter (if she can get any cuter...)!  Kay had so much fun and was ecstatic when the shop girl told her she could stay in the dress for the entire appointment while her mom tried the bridesmaid dresses on.  Kay continued to entertain and crack everyone up with her little witty comments.  

Next, Mary (one of my bridesmaids and one of my 3 future sister-in-laws) tried on the 5 dress options I had chosen earlier this month with my cousin.  All the choices were from Bill Levkoff, satin and eggplant in color.  Mary looked beautiful in each dress while expressing her likes and dislikes (which I was thankful for).  The last dress she tried on was a mix between chiffon and charmeuse and it was a deep plum color... very different from the borderline-maroon eggplant color of the satin.  When she walked out, right away she mentioned how comfortable it was and how much she loved the dress, especially the color.  My mom agreed and said that she loved the color compared to the eggplant.  I knew right away that plum was what I really liked.  Knowing that I could not get any satin dress in plum, I had to made some decisions.  I originally did not want chiffon because I had thought it was too summer-y.  My mom and Mary quickly noted that the fabric gives the dresses a romantic, enchanted feel and that was all they had to say... I was sold because that is totally what I am going for!  Once this idea was planted into my mind, I found every chiffon dress they had and Mary, like a trooper, tried on every dress I wanted (thanks again, Mary!).  Each dress was gorgeous!  

So instead of the satin, eggplant dresses, I am asking my bridesmaids to choose from 12 different styles of Bill Levkoff, chiffon, plum dress.  So far, 3 out of the 6 girls have chosen different styles... we will see what the other 3 choose!  I am so excited about these dresses and truly feel confident that these are the right choices for the girls (fabric, color).  They would, of course, look beautimous in anything they wear!