tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22569253382207853942011-09-06T15:44:20.519-04:00I'm a Colorado native trying to plan a wedding from my place of exile, the East Coast. (No offense to East Coasters, but I miss my Rocky Mountains and the big blue skies!)Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.comBlogger1441100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-48549401897676976352009-09-04T10:13:00.004-04:002009-09-04T10:53:01.354-04:00

A. at AccordionsandLace wrote a great post yesterday on the things that went wrong at her wedding, and how she simply could not be bothered to give a shit. I was sincere when I signed off in my last post, but I couldn't resist the chance to spread the word: Things Will Go Wrong. There will be mistakes. But you can choose not to dwell on them. You can decide that today you just aren't going to

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-7027630267916022092009-08-28T09:27:00.000-04:002009-08-28T09:27:00.105-04:00

After kicking around a few different ideas, I've answered that difficult question of what to do with my wedding blog after the wedding.My answer is: move on.I've loved writing this blog -- it let me rant about my dislikes and squeal over things I loved without inflicting yet another call about weddings on my poor bridesmaids. And I can honestly say that wedding blogs often kept me sane -- not

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-48517294507621857412009-08-27T12:49:00.002-04:002009-08-27T13:13:01.385-04:00

As my husband and I look through our photos, it occurs to me that I'd really like to tell the story of my mother's dress.It begins back in November of '08. I had ordered my bridal gown from a store on the East Coast, and on a visit out to see us, I took my mom to the bridal salon to take a look.We walked through the first floor of the bridal salon, and the owner, seeing a potential sales

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-38914906511059164362009-08-20T14:25:00.000-04:002009-09-02T12:51:34.500-04:00

Now that I’ve finished wedding “recaps,” I’ve decided to write another semi-obligatory post-wedding post: vendor reviews. The business side of the wedding is not nearly as much fun as the wine or the dancing or the food or the wonderful pictures of your family members hugging post-ceremony. But at the same time, I know how helpful local recommendations were to us in our wedding planning (

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-39463077833854674672009-08-20T10:15:00.004-04:002009-10-10T20:11:07.732-04:00

Guess what arrived in the mail yesterday? A DVD with our photos! Naturally I ran right upstairs to put 'em on my computer, and then surfed the web right to Blogger to show off ... er, I mean share ;-)Let me say before I continue how highly I recommend our photographer, David Wegwart of Photocraftz. The shots here barely scratch the surface of his talent, and he was absolutely wonderful to work

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-17226108552374493622009-08-19T13:54:00.003-04:002009-08-19T13:54:00.735-04:00

A while back, I promised a reader that I'd do a breakdown of how much alcohol we ordered, and how much we had left over. And I like to keep my promises, so, here we go!BiE and Econo Boy's Alcohol BreakdownEstimated number of guests: 150Actual final guest count: 137Bar time: 4.25 hours (as specified in our contract with the venue)What we ordered:* 12 cases of wine (6 red, 6 white)* 2 cases of

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-47961841335392165122009-08-17T09:55:00.003-04:002009-08-17T15:21:20.852-04:00

Much of the best advice Econo Boy and I got while planning our wedding came from those who had been there -- whether in person from friends close by, over e-mail or phone from friends far away, or via blogs. So what advice would I personally pass on? Why, I'm glad you asked! (OK, you didn't ask. But I'm going to tell you anyway. It's a habit of mine and a key reason my chosen career is that

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-12417504806560880182009-08-14T09:00:00.003-04:002009-08-14T10:11:42.530-04:00

We're waiting a bit longer for photos -- the DVD with our images is on its way! And wow, are the ones I've seen amazing.Just about everyone's got an opinion on wedding planning. Before the wedding, it's hard enough to brush off the people who insist that you HAVE to do things a certain way, or who passive-aggressively comment about how gee, they wish they had the guts to be so "unorthodox," or

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-28477579076042267792009-08-13T11:18:00.002-04:002009-08-13T11:28:30.612-04:00

I was shocked when Econo Boy told me it was only 15 minutes before the dancing ended. Where had the time gone?!After the last dance was danced, I went back to the bridal suite to throw my things in my suitcase and came downstairs to find Econo Boy's groomsmen waiting with eager smiles on their faces. I knew immediately they'd done something to our car.I should say now that I'm not a huge fan of

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-70984057416901485662009-08-12T11:30:00.000-04:002009-08-12T11:30:00.153-04:00

I've really been into white wines this summer, which is unusual for me. But darn it, they're refreshing and delicious on a hot, humid East Coast day! This Saturday, at the wine tasting run by our local liquor store, we were introduced to this beauty: Pine Ridge 2008 Chenin Blanc-Viognier, on sale for $11 (down from $14).Image from wine.comThis is a rich, almost exotically floral white wine (the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-50438421610532606112009-08-11T10:00:00.001-04:002009-08-11T10:00:00.347-04:00

After I finally scored my pair of David Tates, I started to feel a little silly about the whole shoe thing. I had a perfectly nice pair of wedges -- why on earth had I gotten so obsessed with finding "dancing shoes?"But my craziness was vindicated on the day of the wedding. Because while the wedges were perfect for walking on grass, at the end of the ceremony? Those thin plastic soles on the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-39787638253158004562009-08-10T10:32:00.002-04:002009-08-10T10:32:00.294-04:00

The ceremony had ended, the marriage license was signed, and our families assembled on the porch for those dreaded posed shots. Meanwhile, our guests started the outdoor cocktail hour. Hors d'ouevres were passed, and the lovely caterer brought a plate of them to the bride and groom, who scarfed them down gratefully. Those empanadas did not disappoint.And then? Just as the last family shot was

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-56860686684685218352009-08-09T10:00:00.000-04:002009-08-09T10:00:02.495-04:00

There was but one little hiccup in our otherwise perfect ceremony. When Econo Boy's father got up to read the prayer we'd selected ("Wedding Prayer" by Robert Louis Stevenson, an author dear to both Econo Boy and his dad), I looked out at our loved ones and realized something: no one had programs! With the rain, they had simply never made it out to the chairs as planned.At the time I brushed it

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-76673050803802955352009-08-08T10:55:00.000-04:002009-08-08T10:55:00.531-04:00

I don't think I can attach the word "vignette" to our ceremony. It was too weighty, too beautiful, too perfectly imperfect to think of as just another little story. Talking about it still gets the two of us choked up. This was due in no small part to our officiant, Katie, a family friend and socially progressive minister. She opened with a welcome, including the following words:As we celebrate

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-6432243863482222842009-08-07T11:00:00.000-04:002009-08-07T11:00:00.386-04:00

Pictures were taken. The rain had lifted. Our awesome DOC said the ceremony was a go. And so we all lined up at the side of the house to process down the aisle, up to the front steps of the mansion.The processional began with Katie, our officiant, followed by Econo Boy and his parents, then the groomsmen, all to the strains of Vivaldi's "Largo" from the "Winter" suite of the Four Seasons.As my

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-26880792066567591832009-08-06T10:00:00.002-04:002009-08-06T10:00:01.057-04:00

When Econo Boy and I decided to have our ceremony outside, we of course made sure we had a contingency plan for bad weather, but we never thought for a moment that we'd actually *need* it. Colorado is bone dry in the summer. Rainstorms in the summer are short, few, and far between ...... except, as it turns out, in the summer of 2009, the wettest Colorado summer since 1882, when they began

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-13001268975932768512009-08-05T10:00:00.002-04:002009-08-05T10:00:04.161-04:00

We interrupt our recaps to bring: a return of Wine Wednesday, and a brief rant on the liquor laws in my new state.I don't think it's telling you too much to say that Econo Boy and I have relocated to the Boston area. (We're American academics, it's sort of inevitable.) There are many things I like about our new home, including the beautiful wine and liquor store that's literally just around the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-13956684796451175072009-08-04T09:00:00.002-04:002009-08-04T09:00:07.741-04:00

The morning of the wedding, I woke up feeling rested and happy. My bridesmaids, who were staying next door, came over for breakfast (mmm, leftover brunch muffins), and a lovely, lazy morning began.But despite getting some exercise and eating some snacks, the nerves began to build. I had to force down the light lunch of tuna salad and grapes my mom prepared. And so every half hour or so, I

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-72824504233285398652009-08-03T16:00:00.000-04:002009-08-03T16:39:36.131-04:00

My mother-in-law completely outdid herself with the rehearsal dinner. It was western-themed, with BBQ food, adorable table settings, wildflowers everywhere, and 75 chocolate daisy lollipops, hand-made by Econo Boy's mom.And they were yummy, too!It started with a cocktail hour outside, then moved in for BBQ food and fun. I got to meet Econo Boy's aunts, uncles, and cousins, and he got to meet

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-78505152740278643352009-07-31T14:00:00.000-04:002009-07-31T14:00:01.368-04:00

The rehearsal, on Friday afternoon, was brutally hot. It was 90 degrees outside, and at 3pm, we were standing more or less in direct sun. But the bridal party pulled through like champions, and when it was all over, Econo Boy and I were looking forward to hanging out with our buds for a while before the rehearsal dinner.Not to be. The groomsmen departed to fix a tux situation, and the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-92059996267076050562009-07-30T21:12:00.003-04:002009-07-30T21:30:21.189-04:00

Whew. Now that? That was quite a week.To be honest, I'm not even sure where to start with a recap of our wedding weekend, so I'll start by saying this: it was fantastic. We had a blast, felt incredibly loved, and we think (we hope!) those who attended had almost as much fun as we did! There was also some last-minute wrangling of details, a few minor stressors, and a slightly annoying

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-29303867215659045432009-07-23T10:00:00.000-04:002009-07-23T12:18:44.841-04:00

Previously: My frustrating search for shoes moved online, and I ordered two pairs, which arrived 4 and 3 days before my wedding respectively.Contender #1: Coloriffics Knotty, sold by DSW.com. Price: $29.95 plus $15 for two-day shipping.Image from www.DSW.com A little plain, but the knot in the front saves them from being totally boring. At that price, I couldn't pass up the chance that they

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-14995034232255376652009-07-22T10:00:00.000-04:002009-07-22T10:00:08.282-04:00

Econo Boy's parents are also regular readers of the WSJ Tastings column, and when we came to their house for a few nights, they had this lovely wine waiting for us: the Frontera Sauvignon Blanc, recently recommended by Dottie and John.Image from ConchaYToroUSA.comFrontera is sold in large, 1.5L bottles for around $9 (for those keeping score, that's the equivalent of $4.50 per regular bottle!),

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-90295572878219116272009-07-21T10:00:00.001-04:002009-07-21T10:00:05.803-04:00

One of the things I've struggled with this week is gratitude, and how to balance the appropriate amount of gratitude with the appropriate amount of sanity-saving alone time and appropriately saying "no, I'm so sorry, we won't be able to do that." Let me elaborate.Weddings that turn into "wedding weekends" get a lot of flack from the indie bride community. But now I see how they happen. Econo

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-15073850208448895912009-07-20T18:00:00.003-04:002009-07-20T18:09:41.249-04:00

The little inkjet printer in the room is whirring, whirring, whirring, working its heart out to print the inside of our programs! It has already given us the front of the programs, our wine lists, and drink menus, plus name tags for the rehearsal dinner. Next up: place cards, color-coded according to meal choice. (Number of ink cartridges depleted thus far - 1, at $50 a pop. HP, hats off for

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-27574563063945633782009-07-16T12:20:00.004-04:002009-07-17T00:31:06.676-04:00

Two minor things were accomplished this morning.* I ordered liquor and beer to fill out our bar -- and the store was running a sale! $7 off Bombay Sapphire and $3 per 12-pack off our favorite beer (Blue Moon). Yes! (My brother will be relieved when he sees the drinks menu. His cocktail of choice is the G&T, and I've been teasing him by saying that I'm going to buy the ultra-cheap Gordon's

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-89031936899291649742009-07-15T23:42:00.007-04:002009-07-16T01:27:07.859-04:00

OK. I pretended to be all cool and calm in this morning's post, but the truth is I'm having a meltdown. I'm swimming in details, constantly exhausted, and I feel like an unorganized failure. I know that's silly, that we've done a lot of things right and we're actually very organized, but in the past few days I just keep slamming against stupid little humiliating things that aren't working or

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-90412776834580613762009-07-15T10:00:00.000-04:002009-07-15T10:00:00.565-04:00

Y'all. I am exhausted. 2 walkthroughs, numerous errands (votive candles for $5 a dozen at Michael's! Hooray!), a listening session, and what seems like an infinite number of discussions later, Econo Boy and I have picked our vows, purchased place cards, finished the seating charts for the rehearsal dinner and the reception, and somehow managed to squeeze in time with all 3 branches of the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-65806567205752090112009-07-09T17:20:00.005-04:002009-07-11T10:32:37.378-04:00

Our efforts to follow up with guests who hadn't RSVPd yielded one excellent excuse, a couple who did RSVP but whose card went astray, and a handful of pretty lame responses.* "I'm definitely coming, but my wife hasn't decided if she can make the time yet. Can you put her as a 'maybe'?"* "Sorry I didn't return the card, I thought my dad already told you I couldn't make it." (Is it just me, or

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-20629203101739006292009-07-08T10:00:00.003-04:002009-07-08T10:00:04.880-04:00

In their Wine Notes column last week, my favorite wine writers, Dottie and John of the Wall Street Journal, gave advice to a student at Chapel Hill looking to expand his palate on a tiny budget. Their advice was excellent -- go down to the local wine store and buy a mixed case of wines under $10. Econo Boy and I have been doing that for a while ourselves. We'll take an afternoon, go down to

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-5968700720579878202009-07-07T12:15:00.003-04:002009-07-07T12:28:44.232-04:00

A good friend of mine officially has the best reason ever for not RSVPing: he didn't receive an invitation!In our defense, we did send one. But he had just moved, hadn't sent out his new address, and hadn't updated his addy with USPS. And fortunately, he did receive our e-mailed save-the-date back in January and had already purchased plane tickets and a hotel room, so he won't miss our wedding

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-57225389928331984682009-07-06T10:00:00.010-04:002009-09-02T12:51:00.945-04:00

I don't know if anyone else is finding this to be the case, but as we get closer to the caterer's final deadline, I'm starting to see our guests, our beloved friends and family, almost purely as numbers on the spreadsheet -- as 1s in the "yes" column or 1s in the "no" column, as chicken, beef, or vegetarian meals, to be carefully color-coded on the place cards and reported to the caterer.I am

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-82236435340730589722009-07-05T11:10:00.002-04:002009-07-05T11:10:01.285-04:00

Every couple has a few wedding-day regrets, I'm sure. I may have more to report after our actual wedding, but at 3 weeks out, these are some things I wish I'd done differently, budget-wise.Choices I wish I'd made differently* The dress. Yeah, I know, I just said this came in under budget. But I feel like I could have spent even less and been happy with what I had. I also wish I'd looked into

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-23396090592261118082009-07-03T10:00:00.002-04:002009-07-03T10:00:47.622-04:00

In Part I of my budget recap, I mentioned that we're right on target to be within $100 of our initial budget. I then went on to list a bunch of areas where we saved moolah. So where did all those savings go? Read on to find out.BiE's Budget, Part II: Where the savings went* Catering. By far the biggest sticker shock for us was the food and service. Part of this was due to lack of

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-26940610328798304522009-07-02T10:00:00.001-04:002009-07-02T10:00:12.074-04:00

A while back, sera at broken*saucer wrote a great post about budgets, and the sharing of them online. In the comments, I said that I wasn't planning to share any budget information on my blog. The last thing I want to do is second-guess myself, or make someone else second-guess their own budget choices. In addition, it's incredibly difficult to compare costs across regions -- my budget would

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-24159327126610015552009-07-01T09:00:00.001-04:002009-07-01T09:00:33.784-04:00

Several weeks ago, I wrote with great sadness and regret that I had to break up with a longtime friend -- Pacific Rim Dry Riesling. I think PRDR and I could reconcile if it said it was truly, sincerely sorry for the flabby, metallic wine it delivered at our last cookout, but in the meantime, I needed a distraction. A gorgeous, sleek, vibrant Dry Riesling to make me forget my bruised heart.Enter

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-67391091615947739882009-06-29T10:00:00.003-04:002009-06-29T10:00:10.888-04:00

My first confession: posting will be rather sporadic this month. Econo Boy and I are moving to a new city, and after 6 days of setting up house there, we'll fly to Denver to hang with our families and tie up the last few loose ends for our wedding! I've saved up a few posts that I've scheduled at regular intervals, but when those run out, all bets are off. We're excited, nervous, stressed

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-80172758294739026602009-06-27T23:27:00.003-04:002009-06-27T23:38:25.235-04:00

Forget the Jonas Brothers or the Backstreet Boys. My longtime celebrity crush has been class-act tennis player Roger Federer. Watch the man hit a perfect winner in the corner of the court, while appearing to expend no more energy than most people do shooing away a fly. I dare you not to swoon.Naturally, when I picked up the People Magazine (at the gym, I swear!) with his wedding photos in it,

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-64351249462021210842009-06-25T10:30:00.001-04:002009-06-25T13:51:01.109-04:00

RSVPs are rolling in, and for some reason, last week I thought it would be a lot of fun to start playing around with a seating chart.Fun. Ha. What on earth was I thinking?Image from TopTablePlanner.comThe primary thing I'm worried about with the seating chart at the moment is the issue of kids. Months and months ago, Econo Boy and I decided to limit the guest list to ages 12 and over. Econo

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-78754600199919723122009-06-24T10:00:00.002-04:002009-06-24T10:00:31.068-04:00

About a month ago, I mentioned that Econo Boy and I ordered the Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava for our wedding, 100% untasted by us. It was on mega-sale, it had glowing critical reviews, and we've liked every Cava we've tried, so we figured what the heck, let's go for it.Ever since then, I've been trying to track it down at area wine stores, with no luck -- until I stumbled on the website for a

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-37554716769485427272009-06-22T12:00:00.003-04:002009-06-22T12:00:18.183-04:00

Sometimes, no matter how old she gets, a girl just needs her mommy. At least, that's how I felt when I realized that I needed to pick out table settings for the wedding. I could have just gone with white everything and relied on the centerpieces to provide color, but my mom is kind of a genius at home decor. (She should have her own blog -- heck, her own magazine. Martha Stewart, look out!)

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-68800823359668621882009-06-18T12:00:00.000-04:002009-06-18T12:00:22.790-04:00

I've admitted in the past that I am not the world's greatest DIYer. It's not that I don't want to be! In truth, I look with envy upon those who can whip up gorgeous handmade details for their homes and their loved ones. And in middle and high school, I used to sew -- nothing fancy, but I did make myself a sundress, and I also sewed an awesome 40s replica dress for our school's production of "

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-67324266204523751532009-06-17T10:30:00.000-04:002009-06-17T10:30:00.802-04:00

Zinfandels are hit or miss for me. Some Zins subscribe to the "fruit bomb" theory of red wines -- think liquefied blackberry jam mixed with vodka. Some people love the fruit bombs, but they're not my thing. But drier, spicier Zinfandels are some of my favorite wines.One of the best Zins I've ever had is the Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel. It practically explodes on the tongue, with

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-29996935302905391442009-06-16T14:00:00.001-04:002009-06-16T14:05:06.220-04:00

I have a bit of a strange relationship with my wedding dress. I go back and forth from loving it to thinking I should have gotten something less formal/with ruching/with less lace/that wasn't white/that cost less. If I had it back to do again, I would probably look more seriously into having it custom-made, or go for something like this Jenny Yoo silk shantung bridesmaid's dress (in pale pink

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-45875274760539672692009-06-15T15:54:00.001-04:002009-06-15T15:56:35.713-04:00

This morning, a random guy stopped me to ask for information about the bus schedule, and then awkwardly segued into asking me about where I lived, whether I was a grad student, what department I was in, etc. I think he may have been trying to flirt with me, but I’m not sure. (I wasn’t wearing my ring, by the way.) I’ve never been sure about that kind of stuff, even when it’s glaringly obvious

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-47207609495450932842009-06-11T14:00:00.001-04:002009-06-11T14:00:04.289-04:00

Shortly after we hired our DOC, I ran across a debate on a message board about the entire DOC concept. The brides fell into two camps on the issue.Camp A: You spend SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT on this ONE DAY and it should be PERFECT and why on earth would you leave the details to anyone but a PROFESSIONAL?Camp B: Ugh, I don't need to pay someone else to organize for me. I'm laid back. I won't

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-55982533745731780812009-06-10T18:57:00.006-04:002009-06-10T22:40:03.636-04:00

The wonderful Anna just named me a recipient of the Lovely Blog Award -- thank you, Anna! :-) In return, I must nominate 10 blogs that also deserve this award. So here are 10 blogs I think you should be reading ...Accordions and LaceA Glimpse of the Girl Next DoorA Peachy WeddingA Practical Weddingbroken*saucerCats, Cheese, and a Wedding, Please!Color Me GreenDoubly Happy Too-Privilegeand of

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-4903080648621379182009-06-10T10:00:00.001-04:002009-06-10T10:00:00.866-04:00

I never cease to be amazed by the character, complexity, and value of Chilean wines, and this week's pick is no exception. Introducing: Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc.Image from www.vineyardbrands.comIf you're looking for a light, citrusy wine, with vibrant hints of green apple and flinty mineral hints, something to make you grin and forget the heat and humidity, this is the wine for you. It would

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-10646554876941307292009-06-09T11:09:00.002-04:002009-06-09T12:03:14.202-04:00

Whoa. I logged onto Etsy yesterday to find a solution for my musty-smelling dresser drawers (mini lavender sachets!), and out of curiosity I decided to check out my invitation designer's store.Her feedback rating is now at 68%. Recent feedback includes 2 negative reports from buyers who never received their wedding invitations.Is it weird that this makes me feel better, in a way? Obviously I

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-25527644977524442122009-06-08T14:00:00.007-04:002009-06-08T17:09:34.837-04:00

My favorite wedding vendor so far is probably our photographer David, a charming British man who's been in the business 20 years, shoots gorgeous photojournalistic photos, and never fails to respond to my calls or e-mails within 24 hours. And yet, the photos are something I'm kind of dreading on the wedding day. Why? Keep reading.I have no doubt that our photographer will be able to capture

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-16128181761484019052009-06-04T12:30:00.002-04:002009-06-04T12:30:00.860-04:00

Five years ago this January, my parents decided to divorce. Suffice it to say that the divorce was not amicable (there was Another Woman involved), and although my parents have tried hard to get along better in recent years, there are a lot of residual resentments and hurt feelings hiding just below the surface.The wedding, as weddings do, has brought those resentments to the forefront. My dad

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-49572617071356751942009-06-03T09:00:00.002-04:002009-06-03T09:00:02.132-04:00

Econo Boy is a champion entertainer, which I absolutely love (especially since I get to plan the fun parts of dinner, namely appetizers, dessert, and the wine!). Last week we had some friends and colleagues over for grilled ginger chicken kabobs, and I don't think I'm bragging too much when I say my man has serious cooking chops.The evening's first wine selection was a tremendous success: the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-83005175817927985662009-06-01T09:00:00.004-04:002009-06-01T09:00:01.046-04:00

In emulation of A., Meg, and many other of the fabulous blogs on my blogroll, I have decided to try and further the noble cause of making it OK to have opinions in the wedding blogging world. Also, like most grad students, I enjoy complaining. So here are 5 more wedding things I just don't get:5. Caterers who think "extra side dishes" is a legitimate vegetarian optionI may be a carnivore, but

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-89390077290316446502009-05-30T11:10:00.004-04:002009-05-31T13:05:34.987-04:00

Econo Boy's parents called us last night to share some good news -- our invitation arrived in yesterday's mail! In fact, we've heard from family members as far away as LA that the invites are arriving.Wow, this is really happening. People are getting our invitations. My mom will soon be receiving an avalanche of RSVP cards and logging them into our Google Docs spreadsheet. (I swear, I should

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-59645937345936064212009-05-28T09:00:00.001-04:002009-05-28T09:00:01.539-04:00

This week, I had a freak-out, and I think I need to write about it.This year has been a very busy one for Econo Boy – he’s been job-hunting and teaching a fairly heavy course load. As a result, I’ve been taking on a larger share of the household chores every now and then. More of the meal planning, more of the shopping, more of the cleaning, and almost all of the cooking. I was happy to do it

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-46421595221293075942009-05-27T10:00:00.007-04:002009-05-27T10:00:01.619-04:00

Last week I blogged about several wines I tried while visiting Sonoma, and one of the reds I mentioned was the Ledson Legend blend, which I decided deserved its own entry.Econo Boy and I almost didn't go to Ledson on our trip to Sonoma. It was within spitting distance of our B&B, but I have to admit that we were suffering from a bit of reverse snobbery as we looked at its gorgeous building.

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-58146586134112588932009-05-25T09:00:00.004-04:002009-05-26T16:53:38.359-04:00

One of the refrains I hear over and over again in the wedding planning world is this one: "Your wedding should be unique. It should be a reflection of you as a couple. You should fill it with thoughtful personal touches that are totally you."Most of the time I think this is great advice. There are so many people who will insist that you HAVE to do yellow cake with white frosting or you HAVE

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-41239088858638196842009-05-23T09:00:00.001-04:002009-05-23T09:08:48.266-04:00

We delivered our first invitation this week!While it's not strictly correct to hand-deliver wedding invitations, according to Miss Manners, in this case it really was our best option. See, our best man, T, is sort of a globe-trotting international man of mystery. We have 3 addresses for him on 3 different continents and it is impossible to keep track of where he is at any given time. Hence,

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-36506261785157760702009-05-21T09:00:00.004-04:002009-05-21T09:39:17.085-04:00

Ok, so I decided to think a bit more about the flowers. Easier said than done. When it comes to flowers I'm pretty easy. I love 'em all. Wildflowers, carnations, daisies, dahlias, peonies, in red, yellow, white, purple, pink ... you get the picture. So how does a floral omnivore narrow down her choices?Well, she doesn't. She looks at lots of photos, likes them all, then turns back to work

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-52952242428071989702009-05-20T09:48:00.006-04:002009-05-20T10:49:58.293-04:00

This is my 21st Wine Wednesday post -- which means my wine blogging is now of legal drinking age! (1 week on the internet = 1 year in the real world.) To celebrate, I'm putting together my very own "best of" list.I do not claim that any of these picks represent the world's very best red wine, white wine, or anything else out there. My experience in wine drinking is nowhere near broad enough

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-80746321937413059082009-05-19T09:00:00.004-04:002009-05-19T09:00:01.566-04:00

Lately, whenever I find myself in need of a dissertation break, I've been surfing flower photos online and rethinking my initial flower inspiration. Recall that this is the bridesmaids' dress:Image from JCrew.comThe J. Crew navy is extremely dark, and my initial impulse was to counter the darkness of the dresses by going ultra-bright with the flowers -- fuschia gerbera daisies, bright yellow,

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-47326159464335958522009-05-18T14:37:00.008-04:002009-05-18T15:01:59.906-04:00

Our invitations!Click on the photo to enlarge it and get a better look.A couple of observations:1. I think I may be a contender for Worst Photographer Ever -- I apologize to any real photographers who may be reading this for butchering their art, and for my lame attempt at photo-editing out our last names and wedding location. In real life, the blue is much more vivid than it looks here, but I

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-12182212945260761012009-05-17T21:29:00.001-04:002009-05-17T21:35:34.495-04:00

Attention fellow Mac users: The Broke-Ass Bride is giving away 5 suites of Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac!I've got to admit, I'm kind of dying to win this -- my current Office suite is 10 years out of date, and I would love the software upgrades so I can snazz up my menu cards and wine lists (not to mention read the Vista "docx" format that my students keep inflicting on me). So if you're like me

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-79747842855963037532009-05-17T15:28:00.008-04:002009-05-17T18:45:37.151-04:00

Lately, Sweet T has been musing on culture, inheritance, and the ways those concepts can come into play when planning a wedding. Like many white Americans, I have only vague notions of any cultural identity. The names in my family tree are mysteriously generic, giving little hint as to whether my forebearers were Swiss, Irish, German, French, or something else entirely, and I've been able to

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-61163344023815407952009-05-15T19:52:00.003-04:002009-05-15T20:01:41.894-04:00

... but today's happy occurrence requires an exception. They're here!! Our invitations actually arrived!!And how are they, you ask? They're great. Exactly what we wanted. Not the most expensive letterpress in the world (I've seen other sets with much thicker and more luxurious paper), but it's letterpress nonetheless, with our custom design. Now, an ethical question: the seller sent me a

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-49296065540653642402009-05-13T22:27:00.004-04:002009-05-13T22:41:59.484-04:00

In my last post I mentioned that I generally avoid Chardonnay because I don't like oak in my white wines. American Chardonnay in particular tends to be lousy with the taste and smell of wood chips. But let's not blame the innocent Chardonnay grape! Properly handled, Chardonnay makes some incredibly special wines that even I can appreciate.French Chablis, which is unoaked Chardonnay, is one of

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-8061804452978806982009-05-12T20:22:00.004-04:002009-05-12T20:36:52.584-04:00

I still don't have my invites in hand. And today, when I contacted the seller to ask her to follow up and warned her that I would have to report this as a non-delivery if I didn't hear from her ... she changed my Etsy purchase status to "Declined"!!OK, you can't finish the order. Annoying, but OK. But you ignore my communications and passive-aggressively cancel my order 4 months after

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-57341206573004176082009-05-06T09:00:00.006-04:002009-05-06T10:35:43.116-04:00

Delicious wine can come from just about anywhere -- including the much-maligned state of New Jersey. Econo Boy and I recently hit up a couple of Delaware Valley wineries, and one in particular stood out: Alba Vineyards in Milford, New Jersey.After a delightful tasting, we walked away with three bottles: Old Mill Red, Mainsail White, and the 2005 Dry Riesling.Old Mill Red is a blend of Marechal

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-60065284688641559372009-05-02T16:24:00.004-04:002009-05-02T16:29:32.116-04:00

Received a box from my invites designer today. It contains ... the envelopes. And only the envelopes. No invitations, no RSVP cards, no inserts.AND the return address on the invitation envelopes has a mistake (she included my mom's name when I asked for just the address -- nothing major, I'm just annoyed she didn't listen to me).Now, when the designer sent me the tracking number, she said the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-43593393270373517942009-04-30T20:48:00.003-04:002009-04-30T20:58:03.396-04:00

I'm going to cement my geek rep here by posting this link to a Penny Arcade comic: Mr. Period's Forum Tips . Apparently the wedding world is not the only place you'll find people who act like jerks on the internet! (Shocking, I know. Also, language NSFW. Also, if you don't play video games, the comic won't make much sense, except for the joke about the backslash.)And, on a totally unrelated

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-50964223854511388712009-04-29T09:00:00.001-04:002009-04-29T09:00:01.092-04:00

It took me a while to warm up to white wines. It took me even longer to figure out sparkling wines. I always assumed they were for Special Occasions. I also assumed the only good ones were expensive, because the cheap ones I'd had at college parties tasted vaguely of vinegar. Econo Boy loves sparkling wine, but even he never thought to just grab a bottle for an everyday meal.As has often been

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-60884329236117655942009-04-28T10:55:00.004-04:002009-04-28T11:10:51.564-04:00

The cake didn't arrive? Your caterer brought shrimp cocktail instead of shrimp skewers? The flowers are the wrong color?Don't worry. Your wedding is still going better than Ellie Bartowski's. Luckily she's taking it in stride.Image from sepinwall.blogspot.com Last night's "Chuck" finale featured the wedding of Chuck's older sister Ellie and her fiance Devon, better known as Captain Awesome (

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-84225042873531315552009-04-23T11:09:00.012-04:002009-04-23T11:09:00.919-04:00

When planning a wedding, you are bound to run into at least a few trends and traditions that just make you want to scream and run away, often for reasons you can't quite identify. Here are 5 wedding things that make me go "ick." I have no real reason to dislike any of the things on this list (with the possible exception of #4) -- it's more a knee-jerk reaction. But I'm feeling a bit punchy

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-3462166650358550372009-04-22T18:00:00.001-04:002009-04-23T09:39:22.862-04:00

Aaaaand we're back to here.My recalcitrant printer agreed to mail my invites on April 15 and send me the tracking number. On April 16, having heard nothing, I contacted her to ask what my status was. She replied that she was out of town for a family emergency.She returned on the 21st, and when I contacted her, she told me my new delivery date is April 30 ... more than two weeks after what she

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-48480469310473832742009-04-22T09:00:00.001-04:002009-04-22T09:00:01.017-04:00

Econo Boy has described my memory for certain wines as "disturbingly good." That's only partly true. A boring wine that I don't like much won't stick in my head -- in fact, I'm pretty sure I've bought the same dull, thin Bordeaux twice because I couldn't remember trying it and not liking it the next time I went to the liquor store. But I remember the good ones. Two years after our trip to

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-31241788487581472152009-04-18T10:42:00.007-04:002009-04-22T15:55:57.356-04:00

OK, I'm sick of weddings again. But that doesn't mean I can't blog! Here are three totally awesome things that I think you should know about. They have nothing to do with weddings, but did I mention they're awesome?1. "Chuck," 8/7c Mondays on NBCImage from www.geekshow.usTake a sweet, smart guy whose life hasn't quite gone as planned -- that's Chuck Bartowski, our titular character. Now add

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-60804629444526634782009-04-15T10:00:00.001-04:002009-04-15T12:49:27.916-04:00

My wine-drinking education continues. Did you know that wines get discontinued?I didn't. I mean, it makes sense that if the 2007 bottling of a particular varietal doesn't sell well, the vineyard might not make a 2008 version, but I'm used to seeing the same wines vintage after vintage on the shelves in the store. So I was rather startled last week when the nice man at the liquor store called

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-56760502846080474082009-04-14T10:26:00.006-04:002009-04-15T12:09:03.259-04:00

The other day I was surfing WeddingWire and I came across something that made me worry a bit -- a negative review for a vendor we booked. Granted, this is one negative review among the dozens of glowing ones, but it still took me by surprise, and suddenly I was questioning whether we'd made a mistake.Earlier today another negative vendor review caused me to bite my lower lip and worry. I signed

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-33944235528630168352009-04-12T14:00:00.000-04:002009-04-12T15:34:32.919-04:00

Attention shoe lovers! Shoes.com is having a 15% off sale! Enter code spring15 to get 15% off your purchase.In related news, I just ordered the Coloriffics Grace sandal.Image from Shoes.comI decided I needed to look into wedges since the ceremony is outdoors, and this is one of the few pairs that didn't have a cork heel. The sale knocked them down to under $50, and with free shipping and free

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-82884256500168075792009-04-09T18:40:00.007-04:002009-04-10T11:31:54.373-04:00

Early on in the wedding planning, I came to a disturbing realization: almost everyone assumes the bride is in charge. Even if your fiance is organized and efficient and happy to talk to vendors, it is darn near impossible to get a caterer or venue coordinator to call the groom, no matter whose number you put down as "primary contact." Our moms are slightly more effective buffers (apparently

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-4166562732065397342009-04-08T10:00:00.006-04:002009-04-08T13:26:35.401-04:00

Whoa. We ordered our wines.To be perfectly honest, I had no intention of ordering any wine until at most 6 weeks before the wedding. But a major sale at a Denver-area liquor store prompted us to action. Econo Boy's wonderful mother played a huge role in this: she alerted us to the sale, called the store to verify that some of our top picks were being discounted, and moreover is going to pick

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-68160390405148398622009-04-07T15:45:00.004-04:002009-04-07T16:10:40.286-04:00

After the crushing disappointment of Prop 8 in California this past November, I was very heartened to hear that same-sex marriage will soon be legal in two other states, Iowa and Vermont!But as Sweet T points out in her blog entry for today, state-by-state victories will not confer federal marriage rights to same-sex couples, a fact that carries devastating personal consequences for some

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-6710138424540530512009-04-03T20:40:00.005-04:002009-04-03T23:12:24.670-04:00

When I went to pick up my dress back in January, I decided to go ahead and order a veil. I knew exactly what I wanted -- a 2-tier fingertip veil with some sort of edge and minimal "poof." The saleslady showed me a 2-tier veil with a corded edge that I thought was the perfect length, and had the sheer, sleek look I wanted. We'll call that one Veil A.She then suggested I look at a vermicelli

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-27815025014324259282009-04-02T15:00:00.004-04:002009-04-02T15:18:39.128-04:00

The new blog Help Me Pay For My Wedding has been the subject of some talk on wedding blogs and boards lately. In a nutshell, a newly engaged woman is asking people on the internet to donate money so she can throw her dream wedding in a fabulous venue. The discussion is going about how you'd expect, with some people thinking she's clever and others getting in a lather over how tacky, spoiled

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-35775062370065389262009-04-01T09:00:00.002-04:002009-04-01T15:55:37.962-04:00

My mixed drinks IQ is pretty small. Growing up my parents never had hard alcohol in the house unless someone gave us a bottle as a gift, and those would sit gathering dust for years. When I hit college I discovered that I liked vodka with cranberry juice ... and almost nothing else when it came to hard alcohol. (OK, margarita on the rocks, but only with an enchilada platter.)Long-stemmed

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-8543048846171786372009-03-30T12:33:00.002-04:002009-03-30T13:13:12.084-04:00

Every year for the past 4 years, Econo Boy and I have spent a couple nights at our favorite B&B. It's a great romantic getaway, with a delicious breakfast, and best of all it's only a 30-minute drive away -- less travel time means more walking-around-cute-towns time! Last year he proposed to me there, so it will always be a special place for us.This year, our annual trip yielded an unexpected

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-13882654986339118552009-03-27T09:00:00.002-04:002009-03-27T09:00:01.286-04:00

Image from givemeinc.comI've sometimes wondered whether it would be acceptable to serve an entire reception meal of just our caterer's hors d'oeuvres. They just released their spring/summer seasonal menu, and I'm drooling. Who can resist these yummy-sounding bites?Argentinian corn empanada with chimichurri sauceZucchini beignet topped with a creamy tomato and walnut sauceHousemade jalapeno

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-60541662019602174142009-03-25T10:00:00.001-04:002009-04-05T09:25:24.985-04:00

My fondness for Cabernet is no secret, and the best Cabs I've had recently for under $12 all have one thing in common: they come from Chile. My preference in Cabs runs to the dry and tannic; Econo Boy prefers them fruitier. But we've both enjoyed these three Chilean Cabernets:1) Andes Peak ReservaImage from ultimatewineshop.com Yum! Rich, full-bodied, and a great color. Very fruity -- the

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-85502644042331422862009-03-18T10:00:00.002-04:002009-03-18T10:00:01.971-04:00

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has been getting a lot of good press lately. Econo Boy and I already love Nobilo, and so when I saw the highly-rated Brancott 2007 Sauvignon Blanc at the local grocery store for $11 a bottle, I had to give it a try. The intriguing description on the back mentioned grapefruit, lime, peach, and bell pepper notes. "Right. Bell pepper. Whatever," I thought to myself

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-16590524816627732112009-03-17T11:33:00.011-04:002009-03-17T15:30:59.225-04:00

An update on the invitations: on Monday morning I sent the designer an e-mail pointing out that it had been a month since I'd heard from her, mentioning the recent negative feedback on Etsy, and saying that I was becoming anxious that she would not finish my project. The result? Proofs, by the end of the day, of every single element of our invitation suite, and a promise to have the invites in

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-15376990487163385922009-03-14T11:43:00.011-04:002009-03-14T22:16:53.107-04:00

It appears I may have spoken too soon about our wedding invitations.In the past two months, I have sent our invitations designer 5 e-mails requesting further information on the project. In return, I have received exactly 1 e-mail from the designer, explaining that they are "backed up" but promising she would send me the proofs and have my design on press the next week. That, by the way, was 4

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-90580335627843632212009-03-12T19:45:00.006-04:002009-03-13T15:42:15.003-04:00

I have a confession to make: I haven't been drinking much wine lately.One of the semi-irritating things about wine is the size it's bottled in -- too much for two lightweights like myself and Econo Boy to consume in a single evening, unless we're committed to vegging in front of the TV for the rest of the night. Given the amount of work we've both had to do lately, sacrificing entire evenings

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-85452885965296514762009-03-02T13:02:00.004-05:002009-03-02T14:20:45.570-05:00

I'm not really one for wedding shows. That's partly because I don't get cable, but also partly because the wedding shows I have seen, like "Bulging Brides" or "Bridezillas," seem designed to humiliate the couples they portray. That doesn't exactly fill me with the warm fuzzies. I also stood fast and refused to see "Bride Wars," despite my girl-crush on the gorgeous Anne Hathaway, because the "

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-20781495073967450732009-02-28T16:22:00.002-05:002009-02-28T16:39:40.221-05:00

The good news first: thanks to my dad's awesome musician-booking skillz, we have now booked almost all of our wedding vendors!Now the bad news: I'm kind of bored with wedding planning. My married friends tell me this is actually a good sign, that it means I've taken care of things and I'm ready to go. But I'm not sure that's true. Here are the things I haven't done yet.* Signed a rental

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-37559980651902923462009-02-18T12:21:00.005-05:002009-02-18T12:40:30.867-05:00

OK, I know I said last week that Pinot Noirs are not my favorite. The thing is, they *are* Econo Boy's favorite. Also, I had grand plans to try out the rack of lamb recipe from Ted Allen's wonderful cookbook The Food You Want to Eat, and Dorothy and John from the WSJ Tastings column always suggest Pinot with lamb.So that's how we ended up opening a bottle of Mark West 2007 Pinot Noir on

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-34693107693823689512009-02-13T09:00:00.001-05:002009-04-23T12:11:29.665-04:00

My feelings about wedding favors have gone through several stages.Stage 1. What's a wedding favor?Stage 2. You mean that smelly sandalwood fan I got at C's wedding was a "favor"?Stage 3. Oh, these coasters/personalized glasses/CD favors from my friends' weddings are fun!Stage 4. Crap, I can't think of anything good to give as a favor. I guess we'll skip it.Stage 5. What do you mean, favors

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-54513901402351540222009-02-11T09:00:00.005-05:002009-02-11T09:40:18.898-05:00

It may shock you to learn that there are some wines I don't like. For starters, I've never been able to get excited about Merlot -- I think they're too sweet, too thick, and generally kind of undistinguished. From what I understand, Merlot used to be an undiscovered gem, but then it got popular and wineries started making tons of Merlots that weren't very good and by 2000 or so the quality had

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-77521962203960731532009-02-09T09:25:00.000-05:002009-02-09T09:25:00.909-05:00

I just remembered a funny conversation Econo Boy and I had with my brother (a groomsman) over Christmas, and felt compelled to post it here.A yellow freesia boutonniere, similar to what we picked out for our groomsmen.Image from TheKnot.com.Bro: So which bridesmaid will I walk with?Me: Hmm, I'm not sure. It's kind of tricky, since we have four bridesmaids and three groomsmen. I think one

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-56308715068826148182009-02-06T12:25:00.005-05:002009-03-14T13:20:58.526-04:00

Sweet T tagged me for this meme -- how could I resist?The RulesStep 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.Step 2: tag other un-tagged people.Make a list of things you can see without getting up:A lamp from Target (missing a few beads from the shade), a couple of

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2256925338220785394.post-78191153764789474272009-02-04T11:57:00.004-05:002009-02-04T12:10:54.825-05:00

Econo Boy and I will, in all likelihood, not be taking an immediate honeymoon. Much as we'd love to jet off to some exotic locale right after the wedding, scheduling-wise it just doesn't make sense for us. Instead, we've promised ourselves some sort of six-month or one-year anniversary trip.If we were planning a honeymoon, I would push hard for a week of wine tasting in Italy, home of some of

Bride in Exilehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08842191847941847564noreply@blogger.com0