So this was supposed to publish last Wednesday but for some reason it didn’t sorry for the delay!

Planning a wedding is hectic.  There is no getting around that.   It seems like every weekend is just filled with making sure this thing happens.  So being able to plan on the go is pretty handy.

I am not huge on the iphone apps.  I tend to download them, then not use them or forget about them.  BUT I do approve Wedding Wire’s iphone app.  Had it been out while I was planning our wedding I would have used it.  Luckily for us there weren’t many vendors to manage, but knowing what a good friend went through dealing with so many vendors I know you can use some major help and advice.  We also had the benefit of the Greenbrier sending us a sample budget through excel that we could edit and use, and I know that is not the norm.

Wedding Wire itself not only has vendor ratings, but many useful planning tools like managing budgets, timelines, guests and vendors.  We used it for our very complicated seating chart.  I think a detailed and easy to use budget application itself is really nice and beats creating your own on excel.

Their iphone app let’s you follow your checklist and complete items on the go- for those who don’t have an account the checklists are very detailed and divided into categories, so it is well organized and easy to use.  You can also manage your budget and check out vendors through the i phone application so if you are meeting with vendors or making last minute decisions all the major information you need is right there.

And if you have a high tech Husband this will help him stay involved and on track because he can follow everything on his iphone or computer.   Wedding Wire is so useful, if I was doing it all over again I would have used it from the very beginning to manage more of our wedding.  After checking out a few of the other wedding planning sites, this one is by far the best and now it is even better.

Sometimes people find my ideas a little shocking.  Especially my hair expressions.  Take for example my large hair swoop at a cocktail party a few years ago, my 1930′s finger curls at a fraternity dance, or my latest the large Marie Antoinette wedding do:

Eventually my hair finds its way onto the fashion scene.  This Spring a good year after I picked my wedding hair the latest runway trend was big updos.  This trend was started with the Amy Whinehouse beehive, the Sarah Palin bump then it grew into haute coiffure articles in magazines.  Now there isn’t a runway without a big coiffure.  (See Marc Jacobs below one example of many)

We can’t help our love affair with big hair.  Throughout the ages big hair has been with us, from the Japanese buns, to powdered wigs, the big 1800′s bun, the beehive, to the modern Farrah Fawcett do and the 80′s curl.  Why this love affair?  Because it is flattering.  Big hair draws attention up the body, it offsets a big look below.  It always makes one look skinnier.  So my advice for the wedding day: go big, oh yes, go for the big hair.  As is always said in the south, “the bigger the hair the closer to God.”

No one will remember a simple bun, or a normal french twist with a few curls.  If you have long hair you must go big.  Here are some inspirations for you:

If you need more convincing go to the Atelier Aimee website, or watch some of the Spring 2009 runway shows.  But big hair is timeless it is a classic.  If you pull pictures of old coiffures you fall in love with the classic beauty of the pile of hair on top the head.  It is a long devoted love affair.

This Wednesday I wanted to detail my experience with having my wedding at the Greenbrier because it really was great.

We started out looking at the Greenbrier because that is where Hubby wanted to get hitched.  We also comparison shopped in the DC area.   What we found out is that it would cost us about the same maybe less to have a fantastic wedding at such a grand resort as it would in DC.

Room rental was $500.  Some room rentals in DC went up to $10,000 just for room rental.  We had to guarantee a minimum number of rooms occupied the nights of our event, but for the night of our wedding it was 1/3 of our guests and less than that the night before, and they discounted the room rate significantly.

We also negotiated that people could rent multiple rooms cabins for the same price per night as a room so if it was a 4 bedroom cabin they would pay discounted room rate x4.

The Greenbrier coordinates with Gillespie Flowers (they have the Florist shop inside the Greenbrier), Scott Logsdon with East Coast music and helped coordinate with the Pastor, Brent Sturm, who is the Pastor at the Methodist Church in the area.  The event coordinators really served as event planners making sure that everyone knew what was happening, when and where in regard to everything happening at the Greenbrier.

They really went above and beyond in terms of the service they offered.  I really wanted a Smith Island Cake as my wedding cake, not only had they never made one before they didn’t even know what it is.  Never the less, I sent a sample cake to them and their pastry chef recreated a huge wedding cake that tasted amazing, just like a Smith Island Cake should, after trying to recreate the frosting and not getting it just right they ordered icing from the Sweet Shoppe, a company I recommended because icing is a big deal to me.  I don’t like fatty tasting buttercreams, hate fondant… very picky.  They really worked with me on this, and I can safely say to any other brides that if you request it they will try their best to do it.

Hubby’s family really likes Virginia wine, they being very proud Virginians, and I am in full support.  They requested we have Jefferson wines from Monticello at the rehearsal dinner when there weren’t any wines we particularly liked ont he banquet list.  The Greenbrier worked with them, et voila.

When we were having a sample dinner at Sam Snead’s we fell in love with the white chocolate mints served there and requested these be put on each table for guests, done.  (Although I wish they would have boxed up the extras to go home with me, mmm, I love those chocolates, they are the ones that look a bit like a brussel sprout for anyone interested)

We wanted a DVD stand to play pictures, done.

We wanted chocolates in certain guest rooms when they arrived with a note, done.  They put free boxes of chocolates in all our important guests rooms (Mother of Bride, Fatheror Bride, Grooms parents, Grandparents of Groom, etc)

I even needed a new fragrance and bought the last bottle of a scent they had in the cosmetic store and the lady gave me the almost full sample bottle as they would be no longer carrying it, as well.

I had bought the plates, vases and votives for part of our flowers and brought them in from outside, that wasn’t a problem.

Just to illustrate how smoothly things went when we pulled up with a huge car load of stuff and the wedding planners came rushing out and boxes went here and there and everything ended up in the right place, the vases to the florist, the toasting flutes and cake cutter stored, presents for our guests to their rooms, guest book to a spot where people would sign it.

The food at the rehearsal dinner at Sam Snead’s steak house was great.  We had steak, vegetarian, sea bass or chicken with a salad and family style mashed potatoes and asparagus.  It was all very good.

At the wedding we started with a salad with Virginia country ham, goat cheese and mandarins which was a combination of salty, citrusy and rich fullness with crisp greens.  We next had a leek soup that was by far the best course.  It had a light green froth on top.  It was smooth and rich, not too salty and very creamy.  I ate every bit of it.  I really appreciated the sit down meal because I can see how Brides might not get enough to eat without it being part of the agenda.  The main course was a skin on breast of chicken with a nice, not heavy, brown sauce with mushroom beggars purse and green beans.  The food turned out so well.  It was a menu most people could agree with since it was chicken (and a few vegetarian entrees), but it was done in a really nice way.

As a tribute to my Grandmother I requested that for the wedding Somewhere over the rainbow play at some point during the ceremony, but I found as I would go throughout the Greenbrier that weekend the house band would play it when I would come by.  That was such a nice touch.  Something that the staff did without me knowing that really made me feel like my Grandmother was there and having a good time.

I cannot recommend a place for a wedding or even a vacation more highly than the Greenbrier.  They have amazing class, style, staff and food.  If I called for curlers and a curling iron it would come within a few minutes, if I forgot toiletries they do their best to get me everything I need.

The free afternoon tea with petit fours in their beautiful rhododendron cups is so much fun and a nice time to sit and talk in the afternoon.  The whole place is just relaxing.

So many people commented that I was the calmest bride they have ever seen and in large part it was because the Greenbrier did everything they possibly could to make sure everything ran smoothly.  Because of that I spent my days enjoying the guests who were there with us, not fretting about anything.  So thank you to all at the Greenbrier, you will always be my favorite home away from home.

(Will post some pictures soon as there are a lot and I must cull)

So I am covetting this set of china that I saw at Bloomingdales.

It is the Flora pattern by Villeroy and Bach.  My favorite are the pink plates below.

The major problem though is that they do not match with the decor of my current house.  (Well the blue would, but I love the pink)  Well Hubby would also  claim that the other problem is that I just got new china and I have rather recent new casual dinnerware and I just put in all the cabinets we can and it now just fits all my current china, as well, details, details.  But if these match your house please register for them or buy them and take good care of them and then pass them on to me, ok? (Ahem, I know of a few certain brides who NEED to register, at least for china)

What makes them so appealing is that they look very similar to the rhododendron china that is used at the Greenbrier which is just stunning china.  They have stood the test of time there looking so classic.  The rhododendron china was used at my wedding, and is used during regular tea and dinner service their and just looks amazing.  They would be perfect for my Aunt who has beautiful pinks and greens in her home and her dining room.

They are on sale, as well.  So girls that need china and have a beautiful classic apartment or house, really think about these, yes they are bold colors, but Dorthy Draper never feared color and look how great her creations turned out.

Any bride can tell you that decent dress shops are few and far between, but helping a good friend find her dress I happened upon not just a decent dress shop, but a wonderful dress shop.

Bridals by Elana- located at  556-D Ritchie Highway (Route 2 South), Severna Park, MD 21146.

Bridals by Elana carries a really diverse selection of designers and they handmake dresses, as well.  To see pictures of some styles they carry check out their website.  (As on many wedding dress sites, they will direct you to the collections of the designers they carry.) Their prices start at below $1,000 and go up depending on the level of detail requested.  But they have beautiful dresses at all price levels- I have first hand experience we saw multiple gowns priced at around $850 that were just stunning.

What impressed me most though was their level of customer service.  They were a full service bridal shop- meaning they help you in and out of the dress, they will pin the bustles, they will make veils and matching accessories; yet, they were not pushy or giving you a hard sell.  Instead they sell dresses based on their great selection, eye for beautiful designs and customer service.

The showroom was large and comfortable, it’s in Severna Park which is only about 30-40 minutes from the DC area without rush hour traffic of course.  Appointments are necessary, but they are usually not booked until about a week before appointment times.  I really truly recommend this store for a good bridal experience where you don’t feel belittled or pressured.

I wanted to feature my wedding photographer this Wedding Wednesday.  Her name is Dominique Attaway.  She did a fantastic job at our wedding and my portrait.  She has a real eye for light and is very down to earth. Although she resides in Charlottesville she is willing to travel and does weddings in the DC/NOVA area and in other areas.  She travelled a good two hours to make it to our wedding.

You can find her blog here.  She really worked with us so well and quickly could get really good photographs of hubby, friends, family and I.  I was delighted to see pictures of people laughing and smiling at our wedding.  You scrolled through the pictures and could just see the joy.  Her rates are very reasonable and I really think she has a way of matching your photographs towards your wedding.  We had a very formal wedding and the pictures really matched the theme well.  But if you look at her more casual weddings they also look so appropriate.  I have worked with a couple professional photgraphers and found that she photographed me better than many people could, so I was really happy.  She also has a list of other photographers she recommends in other areas.  Her portraits and photos of children and families are also great so if you can get down to Charlottesville, or need a great wedding photographer at a good price definitely investigate her site and blog.

I am not featuring any of her work here, as her sites really showcase it best.

I don’t have many purses, except if you count the few small bags, most of which I have had since high school, one since before elementary school that are mainly just small cloth able to hold…. my phone.  Still probably all countable on one hand.  And evening bags are an even more rare thing for me to own.  It’s not that I don’t love or appreciate a nice purse, it just isn’t my thing to spend money on, but this purse here is one I had to own.

The brand is BeeGee Bags.  And the maker of the purses is a local Arlingtonian, which is one reason I bought it.  I really like to support local artists when I buy products.  As a quasi-artist jeweler myself, I appreciate things that are hand crafted.

I also like them because they are so colorful, you could wear them with something that doesn’t really match, but coodinates and it is very cute.  My Aunt would love these as they have big, bold retro prints which is something she adores, and she really likes evening bags and purses.  They suggest them for a bridesmaid gift, I actually had a bridesmaid carry mine during the wedding then had it at my table after so I could put on lipstick and etc.  They are very well crafted.  And the owner of BeeGee Bags is just as nice as can be.  So if you want a colorful, fun evening bag definitely check them out.  I love peacocks, so currently I am coveting this peacock one here which is just beautiful.   And ask her to put a couple business cards in the purse so when people ask about your extremely cute purse you can give them a card.

Yea yea peeps I came back and now I am still late.

Workload was fierce when I came back.  Adjusting to the job again hard.  Contractors are ripping apart my kitchen and bathroom and while the rooms not being ripped apart are stacked with wedding presents.

But never fear in a couple weeks it will all be pretty, fresh and new.

But the blog should not suffer.  I will try harder and on that note you get two posts tonight.

The First is Wedding Wednesday.  This is just going to be a quick tip for all you brides.  Practice your posture.  Do it way beforehand because if you don’t train yourself early you won’t remember on your wedding day when so much else is running through your mind.  I have pictures, and they are beautiful, but I wish I had better posture.  It is something I have always struggled with.

On the other side, I have a few friends with always beautiful posture and pictures of them just look  so nice.  So do it.  I know you don’t want to, but you will thank me later.  I say this while slouching on the couch, but really I try sometimes.  And I am going to work on it.  Beautiful posture makes beautiful people, and it stops you from becoming a hunchback in old age.  Two big perks.

Ok kids thats the tip and it may be short and sweet, but it is huge.

People will tell you that your wedding cake doesn’t really matter.  In your mind you might think the wedding cake doesn’t really matter.  And that is sort of right.

While I wouldn’t spend oodles of money on a pretty cake, I think it should look nice and compliment your tastes.  But I wouldn’t sacrifice taste over looks.  Good tasting wedding cake sticks in your mind.  We have friends who got married in the outer banks who had a key lime flavored cake that was one of the best cakes I have ever eaten let alone wedding cake.

I hate fondant and buttercream.  To me fondant is thick goopy sugar that is gross.  If I am served a cake with fondant I will politely nibble a few bites of the cake and then put it down.  Buttercream to me has too much butter.  Most of the time there is so much fat that the taxture is too greasy for me and loses most of the taste.

Hubby hates coconut.  Really he likes bundt and coffee cakes above all others.

Luckily we both love the taste of the Smith Island Cake.  Maryland’s State Cake.  Never tasted it?  Oooh are you in for a treat.  Smith Island cakes are like a traditional Southern layer cake, except each of its ten layers is baked seperately and not cut from a larger cake.  The traditional cake has chocolate between each layer then it is iced in chocolate icing.  The effect is that the chocolate kind of mixes in a tiny bit with the outside of the layers giving it a really moist taste, but good cake texture.  I think the Sweet Shop in Crisfield Maryland is one of the best places to get one from.  They ship too! They are a small group of ladies from Crisfield, Maryland who formed a business, went online and are now moving to a bigger place soon so people can watch them make the cakes.  They are a great group who even shipped icing to the Greenbrier for me, when the Greenbrier couldn’t get it just right.  Thanks!!!

Normally they look like this.  The Greenbrier, however, made one that looked like this:

The icing was just plain normal icing which saved us a lot of money as fondant is expensive.  Some hydrangea and birds my Aunt carved for me were added to the top.  After seeing many wedding cakes my advice is: go simple.  The intricate cakes are really pretty, but you are going to eat it and really save the moola for other things.

If you haven’t tried a Smith Island Cake I highly recommend it.  While not every place may have the guts to try to attempt  it, if you are in Maryland or close by I bet you can get one.

But my real advice is go with what you like.  Like pie- go for it.  Mad about cookies?  DO IT.  Go with what you like, go with what tastes good, and don’t get all worried about it, and for goodness sakes don’t spend massive amounts of money on it.  And please I beg of you don’t freeze it and eat it on your anniversary- for goodness sakes bake a new cake or make him buy you one.  Personally I recommend ordering the traditional chocolate Smith Island Cake for your anniversary, even if you didn’t have it at the wedding.

Ok peeps today Wedding Wedneseday is all about the jewels.  Well actually one particular jewelry site that I am particularly found of: Mali Jewelry and Accessories.

I first visited this store shopping the Miracle Mile in Chicago and when I was in the store what hit me most was how perfect the jewelry would be for a wedding.  But online they have a huge selection of one of a kind necklaces and accessories which are just beautiful, especially this year when big jewelry is in.

Their jewelry would also be very appropriate for a Mother’s Day present as they have some cool chunky jewelry that any Mom would love.

The bonus for you is that I suscribe to their mailing list and this month they have a 20% off Mother’s Day discount.  Just enter 20 at the checkout.

Check out some of my favorites below:

For a daring Bride not afraid of some color.

For a more traditional bride.

For something a bit smaller.

Something pretty.

Something blue (I believe this one is adjustable, how cool).

Also pretty.

Lariat style perfect for a v-neck dress.

They also have some neat, but a little pricey, evening bags:

Isn’t the gem detail beautiful?

One last one I promise:

So enjoy one of my favorite online jewelry stores!  Perfect for brides and everyone else (including Mom’s don’t forget to do something, I will be calling my brother to remind him)!