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 out, hopeful, terrified, and all of those other emotions you tend to experience at times of major upheaval. Please send us good thoughts as we lug our boxes down to the moving van!
My second confession is a little more painful. I adore wedding recaps, especially if I've been following the blog for a while. I've been drooling over Sweet T's amazing wedding photos for the past few months -- it's so much fun to see how it all comes together at the end!
Which is why I feel a little bad about what I'm about to say: I won't be posting recaps. Or, if I do, they will be quite limited in scope.
I've always been somewhat touchy about my online privacy. I don't post photos of myself, except on Facebook (where I have my privacy settings set to "friends only") or if I've edited out my head. I don't use my real name in any of my online handles, and I've carefully avoided specifying our current location. Econo Boy is even worse; he doesn't even have a Facebook account because he thinks that's TMII (Too Much Internet Information). So the idea of posting a ton of pictures of us here, where anyone in the whole world could (theoretically) see them, runs against our rather private (some would say Luddite) nature.
At the same time, my online life, especially when it comes to wedding planning, has been kept almost entirely private from my friends and family. Exactly one person from my "real life" knows about this blog (hi, Apricot!). And I wouldn't feel comfortable posting photos of my loved ones when they don't even know that I have a blog.
So, no recaps from yours truly -- at least, not ones with photos of people. But I will tell all the stories, and share as many "detail" photos as I get! Blogging, and reading blogs by other amazing women, has definitely kept me sane over the past few months as I've grappled with wedding planning and impending wifehood. You guys are awesome!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wedding love: Roger Federer and Mirka Vavrinec
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, I was thrilled to see Roger and his new wife, Mirka Vavrinec, looking so gloriously happy.
Images from www.gotennisblog.com
Things I love here:
1. Mirka's gorgeous knee-length Oscar de la Renta gown and delicate, sexy mules.
2. Roger's shy but happy smile.
3. Mirka is pregnant and a) wears white and b) is absolutely glowing and stunning.
4. While magazines were permitted a limited photo op prior to the wedding, the ceremony and reception were limited to a guest list of their 40 nearest and dearest, no magazine photographers allowed.
Best wishes, Mirka and Roger!! And thanks for skewering that annoying "marriage curse" myth in tennis. (Roger won the French Open just weeks after marrying Mirka. Maybe you just have to find the right person to marry!)
Naturally, when I picked up the People Magazine (at the gym, I swear!) with his wedding photos in it, I was thrilled to see Roger and his new wife, Mirka Vavrinec, looking so gloriously happy.
Images from www.gotennisblog.comThings I love here:
1. Mirka's gorgeous knee-length Oscar de la Renta gown and delicate, sexy mules.
2. Roger's shy but happy smile.
3. Mirka is pregnant and a) wears white and b) is absolutely glowing and stunning.
4. While magazines were permitted a limited photo op prior to the wedding, the ceremony and reception were limited to a guest list of their 40 nearest and dearest, no magazine photographers allowed.
Best wishes, Mirka and Roger!! And thanks for skewering that annoying "marriage curse" myth in tennis. (Roger won the French Open just weeks after marrying Mirka. Maybe you just have to find the right person to marry!)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Duck and cover: the kids issue
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.com
The 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 Boy's parents love kids, but in their social circle, no one invites children to weddings -- weddings are Adult Events, end of story. Upon hearing their reasoning, my dad, who has less than zero tolerance for the misbehavior of toddlers, jumped on the adults-only bandwagon so fast my head spun. (I have no idea how he survived our Terrible Twos.) So, with the major financial contributors strongly backing this option, no-kids-under-12 it was.
So far, no one has objected or been upset at having their young children left off the guest list -- at least, not that I know.
But now I'm looking at a version of a seating chart that has a couple with 2 young children who won't be there (ages 1 and 4) at a table with 2 older children who were invited (ages 12 and 14). Suddenly I'm worried the couple whose children aren't there will be upset that other children were invited, even with the obvious 10-year age difference. I'm also worried that people will get their noses out of joint when they see that some close friends of ours are bringing their 2-month-old baby. (But good grief, the kid is nursing and eats every 2 hours, and they're flying out for our wedding. Asking them to come sans baby would be insane.)
This is one area where I fear that the wedding blogosphere has overloaded me with information and opinions. I would never have fretted about this kind of stuff had I not read so many scary comments about people's reactions to kids/no kids.
And frankly, I'm still a little baffled at the strong feelings people have about bringing their kids to weddings -- some parents seem to feel entitled to bring their uninvited little ones because "weddings are about FAMILY and children are part of FAMILIES and if you don't invite FAMILIES your wedding is a SHAM and you are an awful bridezilla." Really? The marriage is fake and the couple (mostly the bride) is evil because they thought a late-night party with an open bar wasn't a great place for kids? Aren't we overstating things a tad? And when did the concept of "FAMILY" become a club you use to beat your loved ones into submission?
I can't help wondering if this is one of those areas where a vocal minority on the internet makes a particular problem or opinion seem much more common than it really is. What do you guys think? Is the kids/no kids battle overblown? Or are you finding yourself facing it at your weddings?
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 Boy's parents love kids, but in their social circle, no one invites children to weddings -- weddings are Adult Events, end of story. Upon hearing their reasoning, my dad, who has less than zero tolerance for the misbehavior of toddlers, jumped on the adults-only bandwagon so fast my head spun. (I have no idea how he survived our Terrible Twos.) So, with the major financial contributors strongly backing this option, no-kids-under-12 it was.
So far, no one has objected or been upset at having their young children left off the guest list -- at least, not that I know.
But now I'm looking at a version of a seating chart that has a couple with 2 young children who won't be there (ages 1 and 4) at a table with 2 older children who were invited (ages 12 and 14). Suddenly I'm worried the couple whose children aren't there will be upset that other children were invited, even with the obvious 10-year age difference. I'm also worried that people will get their noses out of joint when they see that some close friends of ours are bringing their 2-month-old baby. (But good grief, the kid is nursing and eats every 2 hours, and they're flying out for our wedding. Asking them to come sans baby would be insane.)
This is one area where I fear that the wedding blogosphere has overloaded me with information and opinions. I would never have fretted about this kind of stuff had I not read so many scary comments about people's reactions to kids/no kids.
And frankly, I'm still a little baffled at the strong feelings people have about bringing their kids to weddings -- some parents seem to feel entitled to bring their uninvited little ones because "weddings are about FAMILY and children are part of FAMILIES and if you don't invite FAMILIES your wedding is a SHAM and you are an awful bridezilla." Really? The marriage is fake and the couple (mostly the bride) is evil because they thought a late-night party with an open bar wasn't a great place for kids? Aren't we overstating things a tad? And when did the concept of "FAMILY" become a club you use to beat your loved ones into submission?
I can't help wondering if this is one of those areas where a vocal minority on the internet makes a particular problem or opinion seem much more common than it really is. What do you guys think? Is the kids/no kids battle overblown? Or are you finding yourself facing it at your weddings?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Wine Wednesday: Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava
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 wine store about 15 minutes' drive away. They didn't have it in stock, but I put in an online order, they graciously ordered it for me, and last week I drove out to pick it up. After getting horribly lost, pulling over to ask for directions, and then finding the store more or less by accident, I was on my way home with my long-searched-for bottle of Segura Viudas!
Image from SeguraViudasUSA.com
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 wine store about 15 minutes' drive away. They didn't have it in stock, but I put in an online order, they graciously ordered it for me, and last week I drove out to pick it up. After getting horribly lost, pulling over to ask for directions, and then finding the store more or less by accident, I was on my way home with my long-searched-for bottle of Segura Viudas!
Image from SeguraViudasUSA.comAnd? Our gamble paid off. It's delicious. It's almost Prosecco-like in its clarity, but not quite so delicate -- it's definitely got presence. I missed some of the nuttiness I get with other Cavas, but the smooth finish and overall elegance of this wine is a winner. I think it's a perfect pick for a large party because it's well-made and complex, but still refreshing and approachable; it will appeal to a wide variety of palates. I wish I had another bottle right now! (Not all to myself, of course.)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Table settings, or: my continuing quest for the World's Worst Photographer award
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!) So naturally I dragged my mom with me to the rental place to help me figure out what we were doing.
Here's a photo I brought along of a table setting on a dark blue tablecloth, with something close to our newly-selected flower colors:
Image from Brides.com.
At the rental showroom, my mom and I immediately pounced on their new navy blue organza overlays -- not quite as cool as the textured ones in the photo, but a) available and b) affordable. The rental folks were nice enough to set up a sample table for us so we could evaluate different looks. After some rearranging of plates, glassware, and trying several different napkins only to settle on the first one we tried (navy), my mom and I came up with this:
OK, the photo sucks, but this time I have an excuse: I took this on a cell phone camera, it being the only camera we had available at the time. Ignore the unfortunately-placed seam and the wrinkles from the folds. I think with the centerpieces, mirrors, and candles, it's going to look really cool!
Here's a photo I brought along of a table setting on a dark blue tablecloth, with something close to our newly-selected flower colors:
Image from Brides.com. At the rental showroom, my mom and I immediately pounced on their new navy blue organza overlays -- not quite as cool as the textured ones in the photo, but a) available and b) affordable. The rental folks were nice enough to set up a sample table for us so we could evaluate different looks. After some rearranging of plates, glassware, and trying several different napkins only to settle on the first one we tried (navy), my mom and I came up with this:
OK, the photo sucks, but this time I have an excuse: I took this on a cell phone camera, it being the only camera we had available at the time. Ignore the unfortunately-placed seam and the wrinkles from the folds. I think with the centerpieces, mirrors, and candles, it's going to look really cool!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
DIY: Menu cards and wine lists!
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 "The Diary of Anne Frank."
But when I started the wedding planning, I promised myself (and the ultra-patient Econo Boy) that I wouldn't attempt anything crazy, like planting and growing 30 wildflower centerpieces or hand-sewing the perfect tablecloths. The thing is, I'm a perfectionist, and I'm also not that artistic (and I kill plants -- not on purpose, but that's another story). Plus, my mom still has my sewing machine in her basement. I knew that if any potential wedding DIY projects turned out less than professional-looking, I would end up crawling under the bed and sobbing and not doing any dissertation work.
But if there's one thing every grad student knows how to do, gosh darn it, it's use Microsoft Word and an injket printer. Introducing: our menu cards.
As a food lover, I always enjoy the menu cards at other peoples' weddings so I can get a head start on drooling over the evening's fare. So I decided to order textured linen card stock samples from LCI Paper and give it a shot. And ... it turned out surprisingly well! We found the perfect wine cork menu card holder at CorkeyCreations on Etsy, and the combination of card stock + MS Word + inkjet turned out really nicely, for around $0.20 per card (not including ink).
Our menu cards! The two-columbines motif was designed by our invitations printer, whom I have chosen not to name here for obvious reasons.
This is more a mock-up than a final version. For one thing, I thought I was being really clever by putting the table number at the top and not having to use table number stands, but I'm starting to reconsider -- I'm not sure the numbers will be large or obvious enough. For another, we still haven't done our tasting, so the menu isn't final! The other side of the menu cards will be printed with our wine list (which I haven't shown here because they'll include the names of the people who recommended the wines to us). I'm also going to print drinks menus with our wine list and our beers and liquors on the bars.
Incidentally, CorkeyCreations is a great seller -- she sent me a free sample holder so I could verify that the place card holders we liked would be large enough to hold 5x7 menu cards. When I ordered a full set of 50, they were in the mail within 48 hours. Highly recommended!
But when I started the wedding planning, I promised myself (and the ultra-patient Econo Boy) that I wouldn't attempt anything crazy, like planting and growing 30 wildflower centerpieces or hand-sewing the perfect tablecloths. The thing is, I'm a perfectionist, and I'm also not that artistic (and I kill plants -- not on purpose, but that's another story). Plus, my mom still has my sewing machine in her basement. I knew that if any potential wedding DIY projects turned out less than professional-looking, I would end up crawling under the bed and sobbing and not doing any dissertation work.
But if there's one thing every grad student knows how to do, gosh darn it, it's use Microsoft Word and an injket printer. Introducing: our menu cards.
As a food lover, I always enjoy the menu cards at other peoples' weddings so I can get a head start on drooling over the evening's fare. So I decided to order textured linen card stock samples from LCI Paper and give it a shot. And ... it turned out surprisingly well! We found the perfect wine cork menu card holder at CorkeyCreations on Etsy, and the combination of card stock + MS Word + inkjet turned out really nicely, for around $0.20 per card (not including ink).
Our menu cards! The two-columbines motif was designed by our invitations printer, whom I have chosen not to name here for obvious reasons.This is more a mock-up than a final version. For one thing, I thought I was being really clever by putting the table number at the top and not having to use table number stands, but I'm starting to reconsider -- I'm not sure the numbers will be large or obvious enough. For another, we still haven't done our tasting, so the menu isn't final! The other side of the menu cards will be printed with our wine list (which I haven't shown here because they'll include the names of the people who recommended the wines to us). I'm also going to print drinks menus with our wine list and our beers and liquors on the bars.
Incidentally, CorkeyCreations is a great seller -- she sent me a free sample holder so I could verify that the place card holders we liked would be large enough to hold 5x7 menu cards. When I ordered a full set of 50, they were in the mail within 48 hours. Highly recommended!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Wine Wednesday: Zinfandels
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 tons of fruit and spice, and goes down with a delightful peppery finish.
Note: don't confuse this Ancient Vines Zin with the Cline red-label standard Zinfandel. The latter is very fruit-bomb-y, with much less character and pop. Econo Boy loves the Cline red label, but I'm less of a fan. For a good comparison of the two Clines, see this post at CheapWineRatings.com. Unfortunately the Cline red label is much more widely distributed than the Ancient Vines, but if you're ever in Sonoma, Cline is absolutely worth a visit!
One of the best Zins I've ever had is the Cline Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel. It practically explodes on the tongue, with tons of fruit and spice, and goes down with a delightful peppery finish.
Note: don't confuse this Ancient Vines Zin with the Cline red-label standard Zinfandel. The latter is very fruit-bomb-y, with much less character and pop. Econo Boy loves the Cline red label, but I'm less of a fan. For a good comparison of the two Clines, see this post at CheapWineRatings.com. Unfortunately the Cline red label is much more widely distributed than the Ancient Vines, but if you're ever in Sonoma, Cline is absolutely worth a visit!
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