She's Here!

When I finally got the email from Bliss letting me know that my dress had arrived at the bridal salon I was so happy I actually squealed. Mr. P came running into the room and asked "Good news or Bad?" When I told him my dress had arrived, he gave me a hug and said " I am so proud of you!" (Is it possible to over-train a man?? hehehe.)

Back to the news at hand. I immediately emailed my seamstress Susan to set up an alteration date. Susan is A-MAzInG! She was not only able to travel to my house for the fitting which was so crucial since I was right in the middle of finals but she also volunteered to store my dress for me while I'm in Amsterdam. Did I mention she is A-Mazing!?!

Within hours of receiving the email I was plagued with second-thoughts! The washed over me and consumed my every thought. I couldn't study. I could barely even think straight. What if it wasn't THE dress!?!?

My three doubts about the dress were (1)the neckline. The neckline isn't a true sweetheart neckline, which I knew when I bought the dress so I was just hoping it would be a pretty easy alteration. (2) I wanted an all lace dress but Mr. P and my Momma P hated all-lace dresses. (No, Mr. P did not go wedding dress shopping with me but we did look at a few dresses in magazines together so I could get an idea of what he liked.) Lastly, and most importantly, the bottom of the dress isn't very full. The reality is, I don't really remember how full it is and it was like 5 sizes too big so I can't really get a sense from the pictures of how the bottom will sit.

Once I bought the dress I tried really really really really hard to stop actively looking for dresses but now that the dress is here all bets are off! I immediately started googling mermaid dresses to figure out what I really wanted.

The reality is, I love a full mermaid skirt, I mean have you seen the size of Vera Wang's Spring dresses!


{Source}
However, it just didn't seem practical to try and get a dress that size to Costa Rica. Also I am not sure I'm tall enough to carry it off so I decided to focus on a more modest skirt.

I love the shape of this Jim Heljm and I think it's a good compromise size. I just think she's so elegant, romantic and feminine:

{Source}

However, I think that it's also really important to look at real brides to get a sense of the way different shapes photograph and move throughout the day. Here are three of my very favorite real brides.

{Source}

1. The fullest - I love this tiered skirt. My dress isn't tiered but I also love the shape this dress gives the bride. I think this skirt has the most crinoline and I kind of the love that it doesn't need to be messed with in order to get that great shape. However my train is a little longer than this one so I have to figure out how that would look.

{Source}

2. Medium fullness - I think this dress is the closest to my own dress shape and if it isn't then I think it's the shape that I want the most!

{Source}

3. No fullness - This dress doesn't seem to have any crinoline and still has an amazing shape. I think this has a lot to do with the brides natural shape and the tiers of the skirt.

At the end of the day, I think its gonna come down to my budget versus my obsession with having the "perfect" dress. I haven't even met Susan but I get a great vibe from her (aka she answered my emails while on a Caribbean cruise and even apologized for taking 48 hours to respond!) and I think she'll be really helpful in deciding which of these looks will be best for me. I hope that this process of looking at dresses has helped me collect my thoughts so that I can both articulate my feelings and be at peace with whatever decision I make.

**I am obviously also trying to keep open the possibility that I will just love her once I get her on and perhaps I did pick the "perfect" dress.

How much did you alter you dress? How bad were your second thoughts and when did they finally stop!?

Flower overload...

One of the hardest things about being a DW bride-to-be is that I don't get to see every single detail beforehand and I really have to trust my wedding planner to understand my vision and make executive decisions. This is insanely difficult for a Type-A, control freak, perfectionist like me!

While we were in LA for Thanksgiving, we were trying to think of a wedding related activity we could do that was (1)low stress and (2)low pressure. Since my FMIL was really excited to "help with the wedding planning!" We decided that we should go to the Los Angeles Flower Market. As I've mentioned countless times, I am not a huge flower person so I don't really know what I like outside of orchids (which I LOVE).

This is what I learned:

1. When you look at flowers have a plan! This place was huge and it definitely more than a little overwhelming. Most of the stores carried the same flowers so it was really about finding flowers that I wanted to see in person and figuring out what colors/sizes they came in.



2. I love ranunculus. They are like a smaller, tighter peony (sort of?)... before I get too excited, I need to ask my wedding planner if they are even available in Costa Rica.



3. Peonies are HUGE! I didn't realize what a big flower the peony is... They don't have them in Costa Rica so they aren't really an option but it seems like if someone was DIY-ing their flowers, a few strategically placed peonies would go a long way. They are also all pretty closed still at the flower market so it would be important to figure out how far in advance you need to get them so they are in their full glory on your big day!



4. I pretty much hate hydrangeas. They are definitely great filler flowers and super affordable but they just aren't my style. Of all the flowers, they also seem to be the most wilt-y. That being said, I have definitely seen a lot of arrangements with hydrangeas that I do love so.... we'll see.



5. I still LOVE orchids. They are just so fabulous and elegant.



6.Last but not least, I love mums. I especially love the China mum. Look at how huge and gorgeous this flower is!



It turns out that I also don't really know the difference between mums and dahlias. Sigh. So much to learn and so little time!

Were there things you learned about flowers and your own taste once you saw the flowers in-person? Do you have any advice or suggestions about flowers that will hold up in the Costa Rican heat and last all day?

Toddlers in Tutus

{Source}

I love tutus...obviously. I haven't given up on my own tutu dress dreams but I am now also obsessed with flower girl tutus. I know its pretty cheesy but adorably so, in my opinion. Over Thanksgiving, while I was in Manhattan Beach, I saw this Manhattan Beach wedding on Style Me Pretty.

{Source}

As per my modius operandi, I first looked for all the flower girl tutu wedding porn I could find:

{Source}
{Source}
{Source}
{Source}

After looking at dozens of flower girls in tutus I realize that for itty bitty flower girls (less than 6-ish), I prefer the poofier tutus that stick straight out as opposed to the ones that look more like skirts. With this in mind, I started to do a little bit or research about where I could pick up a tutu for my own flower girl. It looks like tutus cost between $20 and $40. Tutu Girl has a great selection of solid colored Tutus for $34.99. Tutu Cute Baby also has a great selection of tutus in solid colors and mixed colors. Their tutus start at $24 but go all the way up to $114 for the red santa baby tutu dress (which is adorable by the way, but also a little sexy for a two year old...in my opinion. A cute black cardigan could fix that though!). Sweetie Pie Tutus also has a great selection of tutus for the youngest flower girls and their tutus start at just $19.

If you prefer the longer tutus check out Miss Priss Tutus. At $30 a piece the have a fabulous selection and a pretty cute website.

To be honest, I think that the longer tutus are totally adorable for flower girls who are a little older... or even brides for day after photos???? hehe.

Raise your hand if you love paper straws.

{Source}

I first noticed these fabulous striped straws when I entered SWMag's MMInk calligraphy contest. (BTW how much do you love Moya from MM Ink). Then I started to notice that they are everywhere...which was inevitably followed by this ache in my stomach for paper straws (which I didn't even know was a think two weeks ago!) It's embarrassing but true. I am such a sucker for cute details. I mean, LOOK:

{Source}
{Source}
{Source}
{Source}
{Source}
{Source}

So here's the deal on these darling details. As far as I can tell they come in a few colors: red, green, hot pink, blue and gray. You can get them from Kikkerland and they come in boxes of 50 for $3 or 144 for $7. Shipping and handling is $10 because Kikkerland is in the UK.

Art Fire also has them in packs of 100 for $16.

There are also a number of sellers on Etsy and Ebay who sell these straws but they all seem to be fairly pricey. All the Etsy sellers I could find seem to sell them with the flags included so they are about $25 for 20!

While it seems like most people like to decorate the actual paper straws, I love this mix and match idea. How a-dorable are these stirrers??

The further along I get in the planning process, the more I realize that one of the best and worst things about a small wedding is that I am convinced that I can add/afford anything and everything....sigh.

Update: I told my sister about my obsession with these straws and then she sent me this email:

(This is the exact email. No message just a picture sent from her iphone.)

How fabulous is my sister! I am now the proud owner of 100 pink and white paper straws. I heart my sister :D

Has anyone gotten these straws? Did you find any good deals? What other wedding details have you fallen in love with that you didn't even know existed?

Sparkles and Shines

{Source}
There is really nothing more amazing than a great statement necklace. I know there was certainly a time when a single strand of pearls was the only option but that was probably also when brides wore traditional veils and white satin shoes. There is obviously nothing wrong with traditional but there's also something amazing about moving away from tradition and expressing your personality on your big day.

For me, that's not only gonna be a hot pair of pumps but a stunning statement necklace. I LOVE big bold necklaces and adore pearls. Yes, I know pearls and lace, could I be any more predictable, but I like what I like. Lately, I seem to be spotting a lot of great necklaces around the blogisphere and wanted to share:

{Source}
{source}
{Source}
{Source}
{Source}
Aren't they gorgeous-ness!?! Also how much do you love those touching pre-wedding photographs of the MOTB helping the bride put on her necklace.... so precious.

I officially have a new obsession (yes, after shoes, orchids, delias, letterpress... sorry, but I have an obsessive personality!) These are the early possibilities I found today but the search is still young I am sure there will be plenty more to come!

{Nordstrom: $58}
{Banana Republic: $98}
{Ann Taylor: $138}
{J.Crew: $118}
{Nordstrom: $38}
{Nordstrom: $32}

There are also SOOO SOOO SOO many DIY pearl necklace tutorials available on the internet but I've filtered through a couple dozen and found my top favorites, which I picked because I thought the necklaces were cool, the inspiration was on point, and the instructions were fairly clear.

One of the best things about living in NYC is the fabric district, it's called that but it's actually a source of all things crafty, from beads, lace, and ribbon, to crystal buttons, and feathers. Basically anything you would need for an arts and crafts project you can find in bulk! That being said, I figure I could make a list of the supplies I'll need and bring them with me to Amsterdam, this def seems like a travel friendly DIY project that I could work on overseas.

Here are some of my favorite DIY posts from around the blogosphere:

{Source: instructions}
{Source: instructions}
{Source: instructions}
{Source: instructions}
{Source: instructions}

{Source: instructions}

Have you decided what you are going to do about jewelry? How much did you budget for your extra sparkle and shine? I haven't quite decided which one I love....which are your favorites? Have you ever made your own necklace? Am I in over my head??

Feelin' Boxed In(vitations)

Note from Miss Pancakes: I wrote this post in November when I was 200 hundred days out. Now that I am 100 days out and ready to post my completed invitations I thought I should share this post.

Where did the time go?! There are now less than 7 months until my wedding... it seems like it was just yesterday that I was saying “I’m not worried, I have 14 months to plan…” Sigh.

That being said, things are going well but I think it’s time for me to order invitations. I will be moving to Amsterdam for the semester in January so I would really like to get my invitations assembled and addressed before I leave. Finals start the second week of December so I need to have all the pieces before December and then I can assemble after finals, between Christmas and January 8, when I leave.

In addition to my love for letterpress, I have fallen head over heels in love with boxed invitation suites. I first saw these boxed suites on Wedding Chicks and fell in love.

{source}

But I was obviously worried about the DIY-ability of these suites, not to mention the mailing costs! Then I headed to the Bee and found Miss Perfumes gorgeous boxed invitations.

{source}
Although Mrs. Perfume didn't DIY her invites she did assemble, wrap, and address (label) all the boxes, and from the look of things she had twice as many as I will need. But I was still really apprehensive. It just seemed like a lot of work, on top of being a full time law student, working part-time as a nanny of four kids, and a research associate at the Vale Center on Sustainable Investment, I have a take-home midterm due in two weeks, my MPRE (Multi-State Professional Responsibility Exam) this weekend!

But then I saw this on Green Wedding Shoes. Not only are the pieces amazing, but its a New Orleans wedding. Let's just say "I know what it means"...


{source}

I try really hard to avoid this term because it is so overused on wedding blogs but these invites are SOO SWOON-able! I'm hooked. So this weekend my lovely bridesmaid LA, is coming back in town and we are gonna start throwing out ideas and making mock-ups! I am SOO excited.

Anyone else loving boxed invitations? If you've done it, let me know!

What goes up must come down??

As you may or may not know, I won an amazing birdcage veil from One Little Dove, a few months ago. It's a lovely little veil but I haven't quite decided how I want to wear it. There are two issues:

1. Should I add a fascinator of some sort (feathers, flowers, a feather flower, crystals, etc)? (I will deal with that in a separate post)

2. Should I wear my hair up or hair down?

A few months ago Miss Sloth posted this first look picture:
{Source}

Which got me thinking about the birdcage veil hair-up/hair-down dilemma. It also reminded me of this Style Me Pretty Costa Rica Wedding. (This couple is so gorgeous its not even fair!)


{Source}
( **In case you don't remember, this wedding was planned by my wedding planner and photographed by my photographer. I know, they ARE awesome.)


{source}
So here's the dilemma it's gonna be hot and humid in Costa Rica so hair up seems like the more realistic option... BUT I also don't wear my hair down that often and I love the way my hair looks when its down. Plus, it is a special occasion, so maybe I should wear my hair down...

After looking at all the gorgeous hair down options it seems like an easy call... then you see all these:

{Source}



{Source}
{Source}
{source}
There is something so bridal about a nice loose up-do... it's just so easy but it'll also make my neck, and shoulders look better in my strapless dress. (I am strangely obsessed with my collar bone. I am convinced it is my most attractive body part!)

Sometimes it seems like the decisions never end!

What do you think? Did you pick your veil to match your desired hairstyle or did you pick your hairstyle first and then choose the best accent (veil, flower, jeweled headband)?