Category Archives: Bridal Party

June 22, 2011 · 8:00 am

Girls Just Want to Have Fun!

Happy Hump Day! After today it is a straight slide into the weekend! Perhaps your wedding weekend? Anyone? The official start of Summer just passed us by and I would say it has officially just started to get REALLY hot. Like “walk to the mail box and need to change your clothes when you come back inside” hot. As an Arizonan I know I should be grateful that we had a somewhat slow start to the really miserable parts of summer but each year that heat always seems to be such a shock! All this would be made better of course if we only had a pool. Our budget might allow us to get a sprinkler head that we could run around in.

I have a fun little feature on deck today and I have to give all the creative credit to Kim of Maru Photography. She sent me an email to ask if I strictly feature full weddings or if I would be interested in featuring photos from several of the weddings she has shot that all relate to a common theme. I really had never considered the idea but I thought it sounded super fun so I told her to come up with a theme and send the images my way. She said some of her favorites from weddings are of all the girls just having a great time. I love this for a few reasons, One: These photos might typically get lost in the sea of other great wedding photos if they were just mixed in with a wedding feature. Combing them with like pictures from various weddings really makes them stand out!  And Two: Picking Bridesmaids is one of the most fun and important tasks of wedding planning. These are  the ladies that have likely been by your side long before you were engaged, perhaps before you even knew your husband to be, and they get to be with you during your planning process. Getting to see these photos really showcases great friendships, fun, and the bonds between women! There are also some fun ideas for unique Bridal party shots!

Which one is your favorite? I love the ones that capture candid moments between the girls! What other themed features would you like to see? Shoes, ring shots?

Have a great Wednesday!

**Don’t forget to shop our Jewelry Trunk Show that benefits charity!!

7 Comments

Filed under Bridal Party, Real Weddings

Tagged as , ,

February 4, 2011 · 8:00 am

Bridesmaids Gifts and Our Last Giveaway!

Alright friends, today’s giveaway is a BIG one. Big in the sense that there will be not one but four lucky winners! If you are suffering from snow covered landscapes and freezing temps, you are going to love this. This final giveaway celebrates all the incredible people I have met during this year of blogging, who although we have never met, I consider to be friends. Some of those friends are the ladies over at La Purse, a lovely shop dedicated to beautiful and unique scarves. I am fortunate enough to own one of their infinity scarves and I absolutely love it. For that reason, I wanted you to see everything they have to offer for you personally and for your wedding. I’ll give you the details of the giveaway in a minute but first lets talk Bridesmaids gifts.

Deciding who is going to stand by your side not only on the big day but also throughout the entire planning process is probably one of the most important and most fun aspects of wedding planning. It was the first decision I made and for the most part it was pretty obvious who I wanted to fulfill the job. For those of you that have been a bridesmaid, you know how much it entails in both your time and your money. Agreeing to be a bridesmaid is a big commitment and while most of us are more than willing to do it, it can still be taxing. Duties of a bridesmaid generally include helping the bride along the way, going with her to appointments, buying a dress, shoes, and jewelry, helping to throw the bachelorette party and shower, and possibly paying for your hair and makeup not to mention travel and various other expenses you might incur. Depending on the Bride and her requests, being a bridesmaid can require a lot of dedication. For that reason Brides generally give each attendant a small gift to say Thank You and show their appreciation for all the time and money you contributed to her big day. There was recently some Facebook chatter on this subject and the conclusion was that the gift shouldn’t include items or services that you are requiring them to wear or do on your big day. For example, buying them the necklace that you are requiring  them to wear or paying for them to get their makeup done. While it is nice and completely appropriate to do that, you should also consider something a bit more thoughtful that is just for them and that they will love. I gave my bridesmaids several different items and all of them were things to be used on the wedding day but they were also things they could use after the wedding. Budget, how much you asked of them, how much time or money they contributed to your day, and the relationship you have with them can all factor in on what gifts you decide to give.

If you are planning a wedding during a cooler season, I think scarves or shawls are a great option. Your girls can wear them during your wedding and you can get a cute picture like the one above but they can also use those scarves all season long. In addition it shows them that you thought about the fact that they might be cold in their sleeveless dresses and you wanted to make sure they were comfortable! Getting back to La Purse, they have some of the most unique and lovely scarves I have ever seen and their prices are great. For $25 or less you can get each of your girls a gorgeous fashion accessory that will make them think of you every time they wear it! From hand-painted silk scarves to cable knit you could even pick out a different scarf for each girl that suits their personality. So in an effort to expose you to all the fabulous options that La Purse offers they agreed to give away 4 of their scarves. Cecilia, the manager at La Purse, suggested we give away a few Valentine’s inspired scarfs since we are just a few days shy of the holiday. If you aren’t getting married, these are great gifts in general, if you are a guy, this is a good option for your sweetie! The Valentine’s picks include:

1.

Magenta Scarf With Rose Detail

and

 

Reversible pink blush and pink shawl.

How gorgeous is that? Perfect for a bride or her bridesmaids!

Then she wanted to offer something that would keep you extra warm which also happens to be the scarf I own!

 

Cable Knit Infinity Scarf in your choice of color.

and finally for the fourth choice, Cecelia had the idea of giving away a surprise scarf that she would hand pick based on information you will provide if you are the winner! She will select a scarf that isn’t on the website so you will have something completely unique! I’m so excited to see what she picks!

To Enter (You don’t have to be a bride to enter):

  • Head over to the La Purse Website and leave a comment telling us what your favorite scarf is as well as which of the above you’d like to win.

For extra entries:

  • Like  La Purse on Facebook. Come back and leave us a comment so we know.
  • Tweet “I just entered to win a scarf from @Lapurse over @CharityWedding! http://wp.me/pNDns-HJ” Come back and leave us a comment so we know.
  • Blog about this giveaway! Come back and leave us a comment so we know.

This giveaway will run for a full week, so spread the word! Be sure to enter our coffee giveaway and our gift certificate giveaway too!

*Oh and don’t forget, if you are a bridesmaid, consider donating your dress so a high school student in need can wear it to prom!

45 Comments

Filed under Bridal Party

Tagged as , , , ,

November 18, 2010 · 7:30 am

Guest Post by My Sister: Speech Writing 101

This post is especially for the people in your wedding party that have to give a speech, generally the Best Man and Maid of Honor. I have yet to serve that position but the thought of not only writing a speech but also giving it, gives me anxiety. I imagine some of you are in that boat so I asked my sister to write up a little post about what she went through while trying to write the speech for my wedding. Enjoy! Below is the only picture I have of my sister giving her speech. My apologies for my face and for the fact that Kyle looks frightened.


 

The day my sister got engaged and asked me to be her maid of honor I immediately started thinking back on  our 25 year relationship. At this point the parties, dress fittings and registries didn’t cross my mind. No, at this point, day one, my first thought was, “what am I going to say about my only sister on the most important day of her life?” For me the speech is the daunting part of being the moh, I can throw parties and shop for shoes, dresses and flowers like a professional. However, public speaking isn’t my favorite past time.  Luckily for me this would be my second speech as a MOH so I’d had some practice. However this one was more nerve wracking for me as it was not only for my only sister but it would be in front of all of our immediate family and the closest of friends.
I definitely over think most things in my life and my speech was not an exception. I started looking at wedding and love quotes for inspiration. I continually wrote down my own thoughts on my phone for months. But it wasn’t until a month or so before the wedding that I started to put all of these thoughts into a solid speech. And this is how I came to my final draft. The first part of my speech was easy, thanks to Facebook where I had posted something about writing my speech and Alicia instructed me to “start with how awesome she is.” I knew that line had to come back in my speech. Luckily not only was this line cute but it’s true. All of you reading my sister’s blog all these months know this. I think in every good wedding speech especially as MOH, you must mention plenty of sweet things about the bride. The next part is a bit more tricky. I wanted to add a cute, somewhat humorous anecdote from our lives together. This part is hard because you don’t want to be embarrassing or insulting in anyway. Alicia’s personality is very different from my own and even Kyle’s. He and I tend to be more quiet, and laid back with Alicia usually holding the reins. This has been our relationship for as long as I can remember. My family appreciated this addition and even talked with me about memories of it’s truth after the speech. A wedding of course is about the couple so don’t forget the GROOM! Lucky for me I have the greatest brother in law, it was easy for me to welcome Kyle into my family. This was nearing the end of my speech as well so I tried to tie in what I said about Alicia and relate her awesomeness to Kyle’s. I finished my speech with a wedding quote that made me cry every time I read it.
The speeches are a very memorable and important part of your loved one’s wedding day. The most important advice I can give is keep it personal, buy not too personal. Grandma does not want to hear about your crazy Mexico trip! And give it some thought before the spot lights hit. You may not over think as much as I do but having a game plan is important. Lastly, have fun with it the Bride & Groom will appreciate your efforts!

My speech to Alicia and Kyle: Enjoy!

About a month before the wedding I really started to think about what I would say when the time came to make my speech. Alicia told me I should start with how awesome she is. So I guess I will. My sister puts herself out into a world of selfish people everyday and comes out wanting to make it a better place. She sees the world in a different way than most people, in a beautiful way. This is so much a part of her that she made it the theme for her wedding. If you knew Alicia and I growing up you would know that we are very opposite people and that we may not have always gotten along. Alicia has always been the one telling me what I should and should not do. Pretty much the boss of me since she was able to talk. I have learned to embrace this. I love her for this part of her  personality albeit sometimes I love it under protest but I know Her convictions are strong and her heart is big. She’s always there to lend a helping hand, be a support or provide a witty comment when I need a laugh. Alicia is awesome and i am lucky to call her my sister.
In life we are constantly trying to find happiness, trying to find those that make us better people, people that complete us and make our lives worth living. Alicia and Kyle do this for each other. They complement each other and anyone can see they make each other happy. Kyle is the same type of loving person that Alicia is. His love for people, just like Alicia’s is outstanding. And like myself Kyle has come to embrace my sister’s strength, he takes it calmly, he silently smiles, and protests less than I do. He completes her. He’s her perfect partner. I am lucky to call him my brother in law.  I am looking forward to sharing in their happiness tonight and forever.  And cant wait to see what else they accomplish together.

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
-Author unknown

Let’s raise a glass to Alicia and Kyle! To a lifetime of love & happiness!

2 Comments

Filed under Bridal Party

Tagged as , ,

August 5, 2010 · 2:57 pm

Four Legged Ring Bearer…

We are those people, the ones that treat their pets like people. In fact in our eyes they are our children. They are so integral to our lives and bring us so much joy. We are not planning to have a flower girl or ring bearer and have toyed around with the idea of incorporating our dogs. However we just weren’t sure they would be able to handle it and I didn’t want to be disciplining dogs down the aisle. In early May, our dog Lily passed away. We were devastated and continue to miss her terribly. The truth of the matter though is that she was our problem child. She was a typical “little sister” if you will, that completely ruled the house, did not share her stuff, and picked on Charlie any chance she got. In fact she used to chew stuff up all while Charlie was watching on the sidelines wanting a piece of the fun. She absolutely would not let him near her treasure until she knew we were coming. At which point she would book it and leave him completely framed. Charlie just doesn’t have the gumption to test the rules so we knew there was no possible way of him initiating the situation. Charlie is more mellow and we have always trusted his behavior a little more. So with the unfortunate turn of events we once again considered incorporating him into our wedding. We took our first round of engagement pictures with them and now that Lily is gone, I could not be more grateful to have those pictures. For that reason I would love to have Charlie at our wedding and in the pictures. The biggest travesty with pets is that their little lives just aren’t long enough even if they make it to old age. So we know at some point, we won’t have Charlie. Having him involved in such a big day will be a great memory down the road and accurately portray our life as it is today. I also know that some people will think we are crazy for incorporating our dog into our wedding. What are your thoughts? Good idea or bad idea? Before you answer, let me show you how cute Charlie is:

As you can tell, we enjoy torturing them with various costumes. The picture on the left is from a Valentine’s Card I made before we added Lily to the family. The picture on the right, is from a Get Well Card we made for Kyle’s Grandma. See how photogenic he is!? I have no idea how we got him to sit up so regally while Lily laid there looking so sickly. I’m pretty sure she was very upset that we wrapped her head up.

Here are a few weddings that included the four legged family members

So pet owners, what do you think? Does your furry friend have a place in the wedding? Yay or Nay?

2 Comments

Filed under Bridal Party

Tagged as , , ,

July 26, 2010 · 10:23 am

Bridesmaid Success!

In case you aren’t following all my planning moves closely, my bridesmaids are wearing black dresses. In an effort to insure the dress fits both their style and their budget, I am letting them each select their own dress. This also alleviates the burden of having a dress they will never wear again from me and slides it over to them since they had full ability to pick something amazing. If on the wedding day they don’t feel completely fabulous, that is again their fault. I don’t want all that extra stress! Amanda, one of the 4 bridesmaids, asked if I would come down and go shopping with her for the dress just to be sure it was wedding approved. She had a store in mind which is known as being a prom dress store and generally has a good selection of dresses at a good value. As we walked in I saw a super cute dress in the window in a deep purple. I said, I love that dress if only it were black. After a few minutes of browsing we found that dress in black! She tried it on, loved it, bought it, and we were finished! This goes down in history as the easiest shopping experience of my life. As you all may know when you are looking for something even if its something as simple as a black dress, you can not find it. Well not this time.

I adore a one shouldered dress and this one looked especially cute on Amanda! This shopping experience was exciting for many reasons. One being that we were both hungry and eating was only to occur after the dress was found but secondly and more exciting, this was probably one of a handful of cute dresses in this store. As I looked around I was surrounded by sequins, toule, and visions of the ugliest prom of all time. It took all that was in me not to try on some of these horrifying dresses just to see if maybe, maybe they would look better on. While I knew there was no chance of that happening, it seemed like it would be a good time and had I not been so hungry it might have happened. The biggest problem was that there were many young girls in the store trying on some of the worst dresses and I don’t think trying them on as a joke would have been appropriate. I won’t claim to have had good taste in high school and perhaps I am just out of the loop.  My favorite was a floor length dress in jewel tones complete with a sequined bodice, layers of brightly colored toule atop a satin, neon leopard print. It belonged in a drag show in Vegas, not anywhere near prom. Whats even more frightening is that many people also consider this store a good place to find bridesmaids dresses. I wish you could have been there to experience racks upon racks of dress tragedies. Like this:

And this. Which is made of denim.

Beware of ugly dresses ladies. Pictures never die.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Bridal Party, Bridesmaids, Dresses

Tagged as , , ,

June 28, 2010 · 9:51 am

The World’s Longest Checklist

My mom used to be a wedding planner so she is well aware of all the small details, the last minute decisions and the all out chaos that can become the wedding day if you don’t plan accordingly. She has been unable to be very involved in the planning process because she lives in Kansas while I am here in Arizona. So recently she said she would put together a check list of sorts to make sure I was on track and help make sure I was remembering all the little things. Well 3 emails and 9 attachments later I had her checklist(s). I would show them to you but I don’t want you to have a panic attack like I did. I am officially 109 days away from the wedding and thanks to my mom’s lists, I realized I have a lot left to do. I prefer to focus on the things I have checked off the list though and one item on her list related to bridesmaid’s gifts. Little did she know, I was all over this month’s ago and have a plan in the works. A college friend turned jewelry designer, Carly Thomas, makes incredibly beautiful jewelry as part of what she humbly calls a hobby. I should also mention that she is a new mom so it’s not like she has a ton of spare time. However I asked her if she would be willing to make me some earrings and a piece of jewelry for my bridesmaids and she whole heartedly agreed. I am incredibly grateful and so excited to see what she will come up with. The best news: All her work is on Etsy so you can have some too! This checked off task is essentially lost amongst what is still left to be done but checked off none-the-less.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Bridal Party

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

April 11, 2010 · 9:33 am

Rethinking the Bridesmaid Rules

Today I will be spending the day in Phoenix in order to get fitted for my bridesmaids dress I will wear at one of my best friend’s up coming wedding. It got me thinking about bridesmaids dresses in general. Lucky for us modern brides, the bridesmaid rules of the past are long gone. No longer do you have to pick one color and one dress with a one size fits all mentality. And absolutely forget about getting some stock bridesmaid dress from a bulk bridal store. Real brides and their pictures, are proving that going outside of the typical bridesmaid mold not only works but looks amazing too. Chance are your bridesmaids are different shapes and sizes and have different preferences about what they feel comfortable in. For example, I am super pale and look extremely unfortunate in yellow. If I were asked to wear a yellow dress because all the bridesmaids were doing it (and I would if that is what the bride requested) I would likely appear to be suffering from jaundice or some other disorder which may be distracting in pictures. An exaggeration maybe but discomfort often shows in pictures so try to think of your girls and find ways that they all can feel their best too. I found a few pictures of non-traditional but growing in popularity, bridesmaid selections. See what you think.

Since I used yellow dresses in my example, it seemed fitting. This example comes to you from the Green Wedding Shoes blog. All one color, different styles. The ladies can pick a style that suits their figure. In my friend’s upcoming wedding, her sister/maid of honor is pregnant. Imagine if a few months ago she would have selected a dress similar to the first one for us all to wear. This option still has a classic look and I think an even better look because no one looks awkward in the dress.

Different colors and styles. It definitely makes for a fun photo! You can go with different shades of one color, a specific color palette, or any mix of colors you choose. The traditional side in me has a hard time enjoying the complete random selection of colors but I do like the different shades of one color. Too many colors can get slightly distracting. I think the bride can potentially get lost in all that color. That’s just my opinion.

Patterns, I LOVE patterns. A very fun way to bring in a little excitement and also bring in more than one color without overwhelming the picture.

Pair a pattern with a solid if you think everyone in a pattern is too much. If you have a lot of attendants this may be a good option.

I don’t know what to say about these other than that I love them. They have a vintage, comfortable feel perfect for a summer outdoor wedding. Bonus: Your girls can wear these again.

The little black dress with a little flair. Add funky jewelry and some fun shoes, and you have yourself a very chic bridesmaid! It’s true, black looks good on everyone. It’s becoming more and more popular as a bridesmaid choice and you can find a black dress just about anywhere and in any price range.

*The moral: Bridesmaid’s dresses no longer have to represent just your favorite color. Have fun with them and let them be a representation of you. If you are fun and funky go with a fun pattern or a bright color. Just keep in mind that the girl’s have to wear them, likely pay for them, and have their picture taken in them. It’s your wedding but luckily you can now find something you love  that they will love too.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Bridal Party, Bridesmaids, Dresses

Tagged as , ,

March 31, 2010 · 5:44 pm

A Tribute to My Bridesmaids

I recently came across a contest to win Bridesmaids dresses. All you had to do to enter was write a brief explanation about what your bridesmaids mean to you or why you chose them to be in your wedding party. Easy, I thought, so I started writing. I didn’t really have an idea of what I would say but I figured it would be easy as all my girls are amazing and I feel lucky to have them as friends. However, a story developed that I never really thought of before. Here is what I wrote:

My bridesmaids aren’t just my friends. They each represent a unique stage of my life. My sister, my maid of honor, and my very first best friend has been with me since day one. She knows my childhood secrets, our family jokes, and was the brunt of my teenage hormonal angst. Unlike the rest of my bridesmaids, I have fought the most with her, I’ve hated her, I’ve wished she wasn’t around and at the same time I couldn’t imagine life without her. I’ve spent holidays with her, had countless slumber parties, and she will always give me an honest answer to any question I may have. She knows me to the core. Sisters have a different bond than friends though. We never got to chose to be in each other’s lives but we are both better off for it. Next came Andrea, my grade school best friend. We were literally inseparable from 4th-8th grade although if you asked her she would say 5th grade as she didn’t like me quite as much as I liked her in the beginning. My dresses and girlish personality were a sharp contrast to her hiking boots and athleticism. Somehow I won her over and I believe influenced her for the better as she no longer wears hiking boots on a regular basis. We grew up together, literally, from children to teenagers. We coped with our parent’s divorces, our blended families, and our parent’s new relationships, together. We went to different high schools and while we maintained our friendship we both had new lives to lead and thus new friends. Jessica, was my high school best friend. We were two lost souls in a sea of an all girls, wealthy prep school. We weren’t stunningly gorgeous, amazingly athletic, outrageously wealthy, freakishly smart, or overly bubbly like the majority of our classmates. We preferred movies, pajamas, and staying home. Don’t get me wrong, we weren’t nerdy. We had other friends but I wouldn’t have survived without her. I didn’t love high school but I’d go back to be able to hang out like we used to with no worries or responsibilities, laughing, eating ice cream and not even realizing that we weren’t like everyone else. We went to different colleges and life started to get in the way of our close bond. Enter, Amanda, my college roommate. Unlike Andrea and Jessica, Amanda and I didn’t think alike or have similar personalities. Amanda was the ultimate college student. She partied like you wouldn’t believe, drank enough to make you sick just to watch and yet still managed to go to class and get good grades. She was a year younger than me which is a huge detriment in college when everyone turns 21. She was always by my side though; on my 21st birthday we had to leave a bar because she got her fake Id taken away. So with her less realistic looking ID, we headed to a dive bar without hesitation on her part. We were hungover together, complained about our jobs together, and eventually walked the stage together. She was also around for every step of my relationship with Kyle and graciously endured him practically living at our apartment. I am grateful for each of them and for the impact they have had on the different stages of my life. Each was the perfect fit for what was going on in my life at the time and each has made me who I am today. I have a unique relationship with each of them and they each know me a little differently. It will be an honor to see them standing up on my wedding day as it will be like little pieces of my past coming together to celebrate my future. Although they each have a different part of my past, they are all a part of my future and I can’t wait to see where our friendships will go from here.

It’s funny to think that none of them were ever friends with each other, they only share the common bond of being friends with me. It is also really amazing to me that although we each had times where we were super close and times where we weren’t, to this day I am still friends with all of them and could count on each of them for anything. I feel blessed to have such wonderful people in my life and look forward to moving on into our next stages of life. Cross your fingers that they win those dresses as they all really deserve it!

2 Comments

Filed under Bridal Party, Bridesmaids, Dresses

Tagged as , , ,

March 13, 2010 · 2:31 pm

Bridesmaid Appreciation

Ok so you figured out who you want in your bridal party, they were honored and more than willing to accept. Then you went Bridezilla on them, made them wear a pink taffeta gown circa 1980, and had them doing everything from invitations to clean up, right? Well maybe that’s only in the movies, but your experience is probably some variation of that. Being a bridesmaid is an honor but it is also a responsibility. You are required to wear whatever dress/shoes the bride wants, perhaps even do your hair a certain way, and insure that everything runs smoothly to minimize the bride’s stress. So despite the craziness of wedding planning and the day of, most brides recognize all the hard work from their bridesmaids and select a gift to show their appreciation. I am incredibly lucky to have 4 wonderful bridesmaids who have already been very easy going and helpful. I am also committed to remaining realistic and make sure that A. My wedding doesn’t break their bank (from dresses, shoes, hair, makeup, bachelorette parties, showers, etc., etc. ) and B. They feel just as beautiful as I do in a dress that compliments them and that yes, they will wear again. I imagine that many brides get caught in the moment and feel like little things, like what pair of earrings one girl is wearing, really matters when in fact it really doesn’t. So give your bridesmaids a break and remember that people are looking at you, not them. Anyway back to the gifts. I have been thinking recently about what to give them to show my appreciation for not only their hardwork leading up to the wedding but also for their friendship in general.

Here are a few of my favorite sites for fun, unique gift ideas, that of course benefit charity!

Global Girlfriend recently took over one of my all time favorite online places to shop, Original Good. The shop features fair trade jewelry and apparel made by women in poor countries. Many of the products are made from recycled material like grocery bags. My favorite product lines are the jewelry and purses. The purses are made from everything from hand dyed materials, to shells, to recycled sari’s to name a few. They also have other items like candles and journals. The women that make the products are supported by organizations that bring job opportunities to women in poor and developing countries so that they may live independent lives. Each purchase goes to support the organization and provides for more work for the women. The products are produced all over the world in places like Afghanistan, where the per capita income is approximately $200, India, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. Your bridesmaids will not only love these gifts but you will also be benefiting the greater good. Their prices are very reasonable and they are currently running a special to receive $5 off a $25 purchase. Can’t beat that!

My newest favorite place to shop online is Etsy. If you have never visited the site, you are missing out big time. Etsy was created in June 2005 to give artisans a chance to sell their home made products and make a living doing so. The artisans span the globe and each person makes a unique product. The site features many eco friendly options and some of the “shop owners” even donate some of their proceeds to charity. You can literally spend hours on this site browsing through everything from art, to music, to clothing, and of course jewelry. Because there are so many different people producing products, there is absolutely something for everyone on any budget. With some items going for only a few dollars all the way up to several hundred dollars. I spend most of my time in the jewelry section and my favorite part is that each piece is one of a kind. The artisans often only make one of any given design so you will be the only one wearing it. Some shops let you choose your own color or style so you can personalize it just the way you want. There is also an option to shop local by searching for artisans in your area. Don’t visit the site unless you have some time on your hands as you won’t be able to leave. Just talking about it is making me antsy to go look for more stuff. My biggest problem on this site will be what to choose for my bridesmaids.

Leave a Comment

Filed under Bridal Party

Tagged as , , , ,

February 25, 2010 · 10:17 pm

My Maid of Honor

Kyle and I made a trip to  Flagstaff today for business errands. Luckily for me Kyle handled the business stuff and I got to head to the salon for a facial and hair cut. Guess how much I paid for both? $50? $100? Nope.  Nine bucks. Talk about a bargain. My sister is currently a student at a local cosmetology school in Flagstaff which fits amazingly into my budget or any budget for that matter. We try to take full advantage of our trips up north by getting hair cuts, stopping by Target, and eating at the various restaurants that Sedona doesn’t offer in addition to fulfilling our actual purpose for being there. Not like the 45 minute drive is a huge deal but when you are used to small town life, 15 minutes is a lot to ask. Anyway any girl knows going to a salon is a treat as you get to gossip and get pampered all at the same time. What makes it even better is instead of chatting mindlessly with someone I see once every 2 months, I get to chat with my sister. She will be helping do hair and make up for the wedding which means I can try out as many hair styles as I want and give her all the practice she needs to get it just right. Not to mention, she is much more excited about “my day” than any other person would be. I am excited to have her help to transform me from regular Alicia to Bride Alicia. We discussed a few options for hair styles and she even curled my hair today to give me an idea of what it might look like.

My sister and I have had the typical sisterly love hate relationship. We went through stages where we couldn’t stand eachother, and where we would go out of our way to annoy eachother as well as times where we could hang out for hours on end, go shopping, and just be friends. My grandma will attest that we could play Barbie’s for hours (at a point where we were probably too old to do so.) We are only about a year apart which has both its ups and downs. We liked the same clothes and wore the same size, we had similar friends, similar likes, and we were both going through the same waves of puberty around the same time. Teenage girls are a disaster and we were no exception. Sorry Mom. I bet you were terrible too though. I am also lucky to have some really amazing best friends. The difference though is that my sister knows more about me than any of my friends. We endured the same life experiences to some extent. We have inside jokes that go back farther than any one else and we know where eachother is coming from. My sister and I have pretty close to opposite personalities. She is laid back, likes to have a good time, and is incredibly messy. Sorry Erin but its true. She has called me an “old lady” before because I am less likely to go out and more focused on responsibilities. The funny thing is, she is actually older. I am known to tell it like it is and not hold back. My sister is more sensitive and more emotional than me. I also did my share of picking on her again taking the roll of the older sister. But now that we are both adults, we have a lot more love and a lot less hate kind of relationship. We still argue and we always will but I am grateful to have her in my life. I know she is always there for me, will forgive me if I said more than I should have, and will laugh with me about past family memories. My mom lives out of state so unfortunately she doesn’t get to be super involved in the planning process. My sister has stepped up to help me get things done. It was a no brainer to ask her to be my Maid of Honor. I am honored that she has accepted the duty and will be with me every step of the way.

1 Comment

Filed under Bridal Party

Tagged as , ,