Luscious Verde Stationery Contest

Want to win $5000 worth of invitations + save the dates, menus, etc? Then head over to Luscious Verde and enter their contest (there's a small bubble on the left side that has a link to the contest). All you need to do is enter some basic information about yourself and write two brief (250 word) statements on 1) your wedding color theme, and 2) what food represents you and your fiance.

Winners will be chosen on creativity (40%), believability (30%), and fit with the "Truly Custom Wedding Invitations" theme (30%), and they will be announced sometime around Valentine's Day.

Good luck!

And you thought I left

How nice of me to show up after nearly 3 months!

Starting now, I’ll be posting more regularly (I’ve come up with a brilliant plan to maximize my time). I’m actually going to start from way back in August and go over our search (and selection of) a venue, baker, and a whole bunch of other vendors.

We got a lot done in the first two months, then kind of cooled it for a bit because a lot of what was left really didn’t need to be done a year in advance. I decided that I would resume planning in 2009 and, oops, 2009 somehow showed up sooner that I expected it to. So now that it’s nearly mid-January, I’m back into full-tilt wedding planning. I keep meaning to sit down and get myself completely organized so that all of this doesn’t get chaotic and overwhelming, but I somehow never manage to do so…funny how that happens.

Anyhow, I’m done procrastinating and am excited to share the planning of our totally awesome wedding with all four of you who read this (and hopefully more than that once I actually start posting regularly).

Is Martha giving someone a killer cake?

I got totally excited last night when I saw this post on Darcy Miller's blog for Martha Stewart Weddings, The Bride's Guide:


Pretty much all of those things describe me (and the f), so of course I had to leave a long comment.

It seems to me like they're going to make one lucky bride the recipient of an awesome wedding cake - maybe by Wendy Kromer, Martha's co-author of the wonderful wedding cakes book? And it also seems like said bride will get to be on the show.

Pick me!!!

Free tickets to the Wedding Salon in NYC

I've been engaged for almost 2 months now, so it's about time that I go to one of those bridal expo thingies, right? I've read about a number of these and I've usually rolled my eyes at them...seems like a bunch of annoying brides who are there to one-up one another while sizing up everyone else's engagement ring.

Funnily enough, I'm going to TWO of them next week. Fear not, I have not gone crazy (yet), both of them are free - there's no way I'm ever paying to go to one of these things. I'm just going for the free stuff - champagne, cake, and gift bag. Might be amusing to check out the crowd and perhaps I will get an idea or two for event design, etc., but I've already gotten most of the ones I want from the wedding blogs I've been reading for months and also my overactive yet lazy brain.

Anyhow, let's get to the point - one of the events next week is the Wedding Salon, which claims it is "the world's first luxury wedding showcase, featuring must-have products and services for the sophisticated bride and groom." (That is verbatim from their website, I did not make that up.) This "luxury wedding showcase" is on Wednesday, October 22nd from 3 pm - 8 pm at the Prince George Ballroom, which is located at 15 E. 27 Street. (Luxury indeed...the 3 pm start time says to me that the people they want at this things have so much money they don't need to work. I, a mere mortal who must work a day job, will be there, fashionably late, at 6 pm.)



Here's the link to the event that includes vendor info - I have to say there are some good vendors:

• Ceci NY - because their invitations are pretty awesome, except for the over-the-top ones that require massive deforestation for a set of 100 invitations
  
• hypnotiq - because nothing says luxury like mystery-flavored blue liqueur
• Maybelline - because everyone can afford Great Lash
• Bridezilla.com - because being a bride means that you have the unequivocal right to be a total bitchbot to everyone who crosses your path, er, fails to recognize your vision

All snarkery aside, this might actually be an entertaining event, and hey, it's FREE.

Just email me at boldbride at gmail dot com to get a code for a pair of tickets ($50 value).

I love CB2, Part 1

I knew I was in trouble the first time I picked up a CB2 catalog. CB2 is similar to their parent company, Crate and Barrel, in that their products are also modern and minimal, but CB2's wares differ from C&B's in that they are more whimsical and easier on the wallet. Affordable + adorable + awesome = love at first sight.

I've been eyeing these for a long time and I think I just might have to buy them for use as part of the decor for the reception site.

Teardrop beaker hanging vase


Teardrop hanging vase


Teardrop diamond hanging vase

Whirly hanging candleholder (silver)

Whirly hanging candleholder (clear)

My meeting with a DOC, or, evidence that I might be a little too into wedding planning

I’ll admit that I’ve been reading wedding blogs for the past 9 months. I figured that I may as well get lots of ideas and do lots of research while I had the time in Baltimore because I knew that when (who am I kidding, IF) I moved back to NYC, I probably wouldn’t have the time.

I was right.

I started my new job in July and there is no way in the world I can look at wedding blogs or other sites at work. Not only am I so busy at work that I barely get to check my email, but I work for the City government, so they can totally track my computer usage and I’m pretty sure my boss wouldn’t be too down with daily reading of Weddingbee and perusing of the wedding section of www.marthastewart.com

Anyway, back to my point. My many months of research have turned up many of the same names – a few DJs, day of coordinators, and florists keep getting rave reviews on pretty much every wedding-related item I’ve browsed, so, of course, I took note of who these people were so that I could contact them when it came time to actually start planning the wedding.

One DOC got the most amazing reviews I’ve ever read, so I contacted her shortly after getting engaged last month. We didn’t have a date at the time, though, so she told me to get back to her when we did. You better believe I sent her an email the second I faxed over the deposit. We arranged to meet this afternoon at a location halfway between our workplaces in downtown Manhattan. Work has been not-so-hectic lately so I figured that a mid-day appointment wouldn’t be a problem.

I was wrong.

My 11:30 meeting went almost until 1 pm, which is when I was supposed to meet said DOC. I sent her an email at 12:55 asking if we could reschedule for later in the day or week, but it turns out she’s booked for the rest of the week and will be out of town next week, meaning I wouldn’t be able to meet with her until the 2nd week of October. Which of course meant that someone else would get her for my wedding date and then I’d be high and dry and my wedding would not be perfect and oh my god I can’t believe my stupid work meeting ran late and why don’t I have a blackberry so that I could have sent her a message during the meeting and now I can’t get the DOC that I’ve read about for 9 months and emailed right after I booked my venue and I am so organized and on top of things but I have been foiled by a stupid meeting and now I have to find another DOC and ARRRRGHGGHHHHHHH.

Very rational thoughts, I know. My first wedding spazout. Awesome.

Two deep breaths later, I called her up and asked if she would still be available to meet in 15 minutes. Thankfully, she said yes. 15 minutes and two subway stops later, I finally met with her.

Our meeting was great – she’s just as wonderful as everyone has made her out to be and she really knows what she’s doing. I have two weeks to decide if I’ll hire her (she’s holding my date), but I’m pretty sure I’m not going to need all that time. I was really impressed by her warmth, knowledge, and confidence, and I’m completely certain that she can keep things running perfectly the day of the wedding.

So while I have might have some more spazouts in the next year, I’m pretty sure I won’t have one on the wedding day!

Here we go...

Yes, I'm starting a wedding blog despite the fact that I've slacked off on updating my food blog and I've all but shut down my regular personal blog.

Reasons for this include, but are not limited to: my minor obsession with blogs, and, of late, wedding blogs; the incredible ease with which my friends and family can be filled in on my latest wedding planning hijinks; wanting to chronicle what is sure to be a fun, slightly stressful, and exhilarating experience; and, lastly, hopefully serving as a resource to other women who are planning not-so-typical weddings. Sure, every wedding is different, but I bet you'll be hard pressed to find another wedding that features black invitations, a 1-hour Hindu ceremony, and a bride in a purple gown.

Details forthcoming!