Bridal Look: Drop Veil

This year instead of ghouls and ghosts, witches and goblins, I spent my Halloween in Lansing, Michigan with Mom and maids of honor. This year, instead of throwing a Halloween party I bought my wedding gown! It embodies everything I was looking for, soft, feminine, elegant, quiet drama. This gown does not sparkle like a sequined prom dress or dancer. It shimmers like fresh snow under the moonlight or dancing sunbeams on the water. It's stunning.... Unfortunately, I am not going to post any pictures of the gown. My fiance is rather traditional about the whole thing and doesn't want to see me in the gown or know anything about it until he sees me walking down the aisle.

The gown is by no means simple; that's just not my thing. Since there is so much detail on the bodice, and the skirt for that matter, I decided to go for a classic and subtle veil. I want it to compliment my gown, not overpower and compete with it. Since I don't like large and puffy veils I am opting to wear a drop veil. I have ordered a sample from Veil Shop and another from Occansey Designs.











Here's some drop veil love!

Details: Mercury Glass

Long have I been in love with antiqued mercury glass. One of my favorite things to do is rummage through dusty hole-in-the-wall antique shops treasure hunting for unique pieces of mercury glass. I love it all. My most cherished Christmas ornaments, the candlesticks on my dining room table, and many other objects in my apartment are all mercury glass. I prefer the antiqued look as opposed to the flawless chrome-like finish of newer and/or more well taken care of pieces. I just think it gives it a bit more depth and character.

Fabulously luminescent and a glimmer into bygone eras, antiqued mercury glass is exactly what I am looking for. It captures the entire look and feel I would like the wedding to have.

I have spent countless hours coming through design books, wedding websites, and watched hours of Who's Wedding Is It Anyway? looking for inspiration for the reception and centerpieces and nothing really seemed to pop at me. It was all so sleek. . . . . . . . . and modern. And while that look works for others it just is not our style.

I don't remember what triggered it exactly, but I remember the light bulb going off in my head. Aha! Mercury glass centerpieces! Eclectic yet uniform, refined, elegant, perfect. If everything works out according to plan the centerpieces should look something like this:
But different flowers and less modern mercury glass. I have more ideas on where/how to use mercury glass but more on that to come...

Cultural Exchange

A few months ago after news of Jesse and I's engagement had spread around the office, one of my co-workers surprised me with a makeshift engagement party. Mai came in to work that day with several extra bags than she normally carries in. Moments later, she called me over to her desk where she had set up "tea for six" and these fantastic gooey dates.

"It's not much," she said, "but in Saudi Arabia when a woman gets engaged it is considered a very big deal. I have been wanting to give you something in congratulations so I brought in Arabic coffee and dates to celebrate."

I was so touched that she would have thought to do this. There we stood, the IT guy, Mai, myself, and Lee, huddled in the IT cubicle drinking exotic and fantastic Arabic coffee and eating these fabulously delicious dates.

This was a Friday. She went on to explain that in her country (Saudi Arabia), the end of their week is on a Wednesday. So on Wednesdays, co-workers take turns bringing in treats to "help make the time go by faster". And since it was Friday, our end of the week, she thought this would be a good way to celebrate.

Thank you Mai.

Wedding Inspiration: Baroque Revival

I created this Versailles-inspired inspiration board for my wedding! Jesse and I are planning a classically elegant wedding in 2011. The reception will be absolutely stunning with black, white and purple.

Step One: Engagement

Ever since my fiancé proposed to me I have become obsessed with everything wedding. Well lets face it, I've always been obsessed with weddings so I suppose this is not anything new. However, this time I get to plan my own wedding. And after countless hours combing through blogs, wedding advice books, bridal magazines, and boutiques I have decided to take up blogging my wedding in an attempt to get organized. Hopefully this will help me keep track of ideas and be able to share them with close friends and relatives better than a late night phone call trying to describe the centerpieces I saw earlier that day. Oh don't get me wrong, they'll still get the call but they will have a visual refereance as well. Hopefully it will be a fun way to check in on the wedding planning. And who knows, maybe along the way someone will stumble accross this blog and it will provide them with inspiration for their own wedding.