The week before the wedding is a total blur. I can not believe how fast it went.  I was fortunate enough to have had a ton of vacation days so I took the whole week off prior to the wedding, which really helped cut down on the stress level. My mom and I sat around and watched a lot of scary movies and started the off-the-air tv series, Jericho! Thank you Netflix instant! Exciting, I know!

Here is the week summed up in one little blog post!

Part #1: Wedding Prep

Poinsettia Dude flew back from San Francisco and we got our marriage license.

I got my hair highlighted at Glynn Jones Salon by the best colorist (personal opinion) in DC!

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If you’ve spent any time on the wedding blogosphere, there is one look you can’t get away from…braids! I absolutely love braids so am happy they are making a comeback.

This beautiful braid from the blog Love Maegan is absolutely stunning!  The link includes a tutorial to show you how to do it yourself and trust me, you can! I just tried it out and it was a success!  With a few more tries and a little bit of patience, I could have the “perfect” side braid updo.

Don’t believe me? Let me show you!

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Tom’s Shoes has gone bridal!  Do you approve?

I love Tom’s Shoes mission statement and their One for One campaign of giving a pair of new shoes to a child in need everytime a pair of their shoes is bought. BUT….I can’t help but hate their bridal line.  I could never imagine walking down the aisle in these.  To me, they scream “casual,” which I personally do not associate with a wedding.

What do you think? Would you wear these?

By now, you’ve probably seen a brooch bouquet or twelve! What used to be a unique alternative to your bridal bouquet is becoming a bit overdone in the wedding world! Hey, it isn’t the brooch bouquets fault it’s so darn cute!

To get back the uniqueness of the bouquet, check out this cool twist!  A heart-shaped brooch bouquet!

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With a month left to go until my wedding, my mother and my groom’s mother are without a dress for the occasion.  In fact, they are in exact opposite situations.

My mother (who has only worn a dress once in her life) hasn’t even started looking while my future mother in law has six dresses, in which she can’t decide amongst them.

To give my mom a jump start on her dress search, I suggested this cute little number from Nordstrom.com ($138).

Let me give you some background information: attending a black tie optional wedding by candlelight, age is mid 40s, shy personality, size 10.

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A bridesmaid gift is one of the best ways to say “Thank You!” to your lovely ladies.

Make it special!!

Your gift will say thank you for all the things you forget to say, such as, “Thank you for spending $300 on the bridesmaid dress you will never wear again!

One great idea for your leading ladies is JEWELRY! What girl doesn’t like jewelry!?

Here are my top picks!

1. First up is a cute little necklace from Dogeared.com ($26-$54)! Lots of different charms and colors to choose from with a poem that is way better than what you could ever think of on your own!

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Are you still looking for a unique and meaningful reading for your wedding.  Are you having a hard time formulating all the perfect words to sum up your relationship and hopes for the future?  Look no further! It’s called The Key to Love.

The Key to Love

by Anon, 1st Century BC, China

The key to love is understanding …
The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word,
but those unspoken gestures,
the little things that say so much by themselves.

The key to love is forgiveness ….
to accept each others faults and pardon mistakes,
without forgetting, but with remembering
what you learn from them.

The key to love is sharing …
Facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together;
both conquering problems, forever searching for ways
to intensify your happiness.

The key to love is giving …
without thought of return,
but with the hope of just a simple smile,
and by giving in but never giving up.

The key to love is respect …
realizing that you are two separate people,
with different ideas; that you don’t belong to each other,
that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond.

The key to love is inside us all …
It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients
that will take you to its threshold;
it is the continual learning process
that demands a lot of work …
but the rewards are more than worth the effort …
and that is the key to love.

Dear wedding guest who used invisible ink on your RSVP card, I wanted to personally thank you for adding on some stress to the already stressful process that is wedding planning!

How in the world am I supposed to know who is/is not coming when I sent out 70 RSVP cards? It could be anyone! Believe it or not, I’m not psychic, people!!

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When a bride gets to the point in her planning process where she picks out the music in her ceremony, it can be a daunting task. Please use this as a guideline for the six (6) major parts of the wedding ceremony music.

1. Prelude

• Song(s) played as guests are seated
• Choose a cheerful, yet subdued music
• Begins 15-20 minutes before ceremony

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I think I’ve found it! You have to love Etsy.com! I have an unusual obsession with it!  Anyhoo, I came across these cute clutches made by Brighter Day!  Any bridesmaid would be ecstatic to receive this from her lovely bride!

Especially when it includes a personalized note!

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