Guest Post: Military Bride Part 3

Welcome back to the third installment in a three part series of one military bride's story.  If you didn't catch the first two posts, here is the link to part 1 and the link to part 2.  Abby was a FCW client in October 2010 who has a pretty incredible story that started in a grocery store in Blacksburg, VA and ended up halfway across the world living in Guam.  She keeps updating her adventures on her blog, Seaweed & Sassafras, so check it out to see the latest.  This last post is about the formal wedding planning.  Enjoy!

We quickly settled into our little beachfront Condo. How many couples come home from work and walk the beach, or meet with friends to play volleyball? It was heaven. After a few months we decided we were ready to tackle planning a wedding. Now remember, Guam is a good 14 hours ahead of the East Coast, USA. So if it is noon in Maryland, it is 2am in Guam. Plane tickets cost about $2000 and it takes about 26 hours of flying to reach Maryland. It was obvious all of our planning was going to be done via internet and phone calls. After a few talks with my Mom, we realized we needed help; someone to help keep us organized and on track. Enter, Felicity. The first step was prioritizing what we needed to get done and when. We knew Chris would be deploying from November until June, so we started searching for a venue. Being 10,000 miles away from our venue meant no walk through for this girl. I had to trust in my heart to know it when I saw it. It helped to have Felicity and my parents visit the top choices and send me photos. I fell in love with Swan Harbor Farm the moment I saw it on the internet. It had sweeping lawns, grand old trees, overlooked the Chesapeake Bay, I swooned. We took whatever opening they had. In the mean time, Felicity and I would trade emails of decor ideas, colors, etc., trying to pinpoint some design elements. Chris and I share a mutual love for the outdoors and wildlife, so we decided to incorporate that into our theme.

When Chris deployed (for the first time) it was very hard, especially not living in the same country as my friends and family. But I did what every military wife has to do, pick up the pieces and make the best of it. We stayed in touch through email, a few port visits and just the anticipation of the day he would come home. He was always supportive, but let me make a lot of the decisions.

I was able to come home for the holidays. Three weeks turned into a whirlwind of wedding meetings. Felicity and I were finally able to sit down in person and talk through ideas, advice, tips, etc. This trip was also my only chance to find a wedding gown! There’s a little added pressure in finding a wedding dress knowing this is pretty much your only chance, but it didn’t take away from the special moment. We didn’t get everything done, but I left feeling like we had really made progress.

Guy's Corner: Stylin' & Profilin'

There are so many ways for a groom to be both handsome and comfortable on the big day.  Modern day grooms and groomsmen have a plethora of options for wedding attire.  I've picked a few of my favorite personalized items to ensure stylish and happy men, enjoy! 

First up, if you like Converse then you might have already seen their newest design idea.  Converse's Create & Customize option allows brides and grooms to personalize wedding day chucks with names, dates and pretty much any words you want.   Check the site for specific pricing and order details, making sure you allow enough time for delivery without cutting it too close to the big day.

 

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For the groom & his guys who want a splash of awesome up top, Cyperoptix offers a wide range of colorful & awesome ties.  This is a great option for wedding attire that is right in between informal and formal.  Attire rules are less rigid now so don't be afraid to dress up suits with a pop of personalization.

The Quick List: Making Your Holidays A Bit Easier

As we are right in the trenches of holiday shopping and all together holiday prep, I wanted to share a few tips for making this season a bit easier. 

#1. Holiday Cards-  As always, you have some options. You can buy cards (and upload your images) online in a 'one stop shop' like minted.com or vistaprint.com complete with printing and shipping, create your own template (I have used Microsoft Publisher) to send to your printer or you can buy stock cards without personalization (Target, Walmart, Kmart, etc.).  Well there is a NEW, affordable, time efficient option: using a professional template.  Blue Brush Studio on etsy.com offers uploadable templates on sale for as little as $3 and range up to $18!  I'm so excited about this new discovery, the one time purchase allows you to customize with your own photo(s) and print to your own printer instead of paying the printing and shipping fees associated with online card shops.   For that small template price, you can even splurge and print the cards off at a professional store like Staples or Kinko's.



#2. Gift tags- don't buy them.  Seriously.  They are such a waste since they are a one time use item.  My solution is for gift bags with tissue paper, fold a corner and write the 'to and from' on the tissue paper.  That way, the recipient can cut off that small section and re-use the tissue paper later.  

 

#3. Quick & easy recipes for your holiday parties- Most of us don't have time to make an elaborate dish for every holiday gathering this season.  While my tried & true recipe involves chocolate-covering pretzels and chips, I'm trying to expand my horizons.  Here are a few quick links to my favorite holiday recipes I've seen recently & I'm dying to try out!

http://camillestyles.com/2011/12-tastes-of-christmas-minty-meringues/

http://camillestyles.com/2011/12-tastes-of-christmas-candied-orange-peel/

http://theplungeproject.com/fab-friday-finds-cake-batter-recipe-roundup this link has 5 recipes!

The 411: Small Business Saturday

Holiday season is upon us.  While we are welcoming back another year of holiday commericals enticing us to get our wallets ready for this huge shopping weekend, there is one new movement that is gaining a lot of steam: Small Business Saturday.  SBS is actually in its 2nd year and the whole point is for consumers to shop only at small businesses this coming Saturday, November 26th. 

We all know that Black Friday is a HUGE American phenomenon, with thousands of people camping out on Thanksgiving night in anticipation for stores opening at midnight with mind blowing deals on holiday shopping.  And yes, we all love the big retailers, but think of how many small businesses are overlooked?  Taking one day to support will make a huge impact on small businesses across the country, a boost we all need.  Shopping exclusively at these small businesses is not only good for the them, but think of all the personal interaction that you miss as just another face in the crowd at the nationwide stores, not to mention the unique gifts for your friends & family.  And just to be clear, small businesses are located in your community and online (hello Etsy!) so show your support however you want.   

Not sure where to find these great businesses?  Since social media is king, Small Business Saturday has a facebook page which allows small businesses to register and consumers can search their local businesses!  According to the Small Business Saturday Consumer Spend Survey 2011, 61% of consumers plan to shop at locally-owned clothing and accessories stores on November 26.  I'll be posting local vendors this week for you to check out, focusing on the great wedding vendors I've worked with through Felicity C Weddings.  Because of course you can shop for wedding items along with holiday shopping!  

 

If You Love Etsy...

If you have not heard of Etsy yet, you are missing out.  Etsy is a website featuring handmade goods ranging from accessories, clothing, jewelry, stationary, and housewares.  Designers open up Etsy "shops" (registered webpages within Etsy) and sell their creations.  Beyond the "feel good" factor of investing into a small business and local entrepreneurs, the number one advantage is having one on one contact with the sellers.  SO many items are able to be personalized which is the obvious drawback in shopping in a huge national chain.  

As appealing as this website is for regular shopping, many brides seek out new and creative items on Etsy from accessories to stationary to decor.  So when I saw that Etsy has started a wedding specific site, I kind of freaked out.  Because weddings + Etsy= AMAZING. 

I always thought that if Etsy had a specific wedding site, it would be Wetsy but that sounds like an outdated doll that pees itself (good thing I wasn't in charge of the name!).  In reality, Etsy's wedding site is called Wedzu and once it is here, I can't believe we all existed without it. 

Wedzu features categories including apparel, ceremony & reception, jewelry & design, and calligraphy just for starters.  So my advice is to set side a few hours and check out Wedzu for yourself.  I can promise some great finds and probably a lot more than just a couple of hours of viewing awesomeness.  Enjoy!

The Emma Custom Flower by Petal Petal

Pearl and Filigree Glamour Necklace by Shlomit Ofir Jewelry

A Rose By Another Other Texture

I am constantly amazed by people's creativity.  Constantly.  In the world and specifically in the wedding industry.  I posted about paper flowers in July and recently I have seen more and more fabulous floral options.  Here are 4 of my favorite new ideas.  Enjoy!

1. Clay Flowers.  As seen in this amazing Etsy shop, this artist manipulates clay into beautiful bouquets!  And the best part?  You get to keep your beautiful bouquet forever!  I am quite a fan of practicality for all event planning and so I am totally in love with this idea.  You may be wondering how real these clay bouquets are and so I've included a picture from the Etsy shop:

 

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2. Fake Floral Runners.   Real petals are rarely allowed at ceremony or receptions sites because when you step on them they become very slippery and are therefore a hazard.  Yep, next to open flames, real flower petals is the next big item that most venues have firm policies against.  Still want that romantic runner down your aisle?  Enter these AMAZING fake flower runners seen in this post.  Ready, set, gorgeous runner!

 

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Let's Hear It For The Bride- Diamond Girl

SO, I have the BEST brides. True statement. The grooms are great too, don't get me wrong, but I typically have the most contact with the bride gearing up for the big day. In the first minute or two of an introductory meeting I know what kind of wedding this newlywed is envisioning and I'm already crazily spinning ideas. All of the weddings I have done are completely different & I would not want it any other way. I love stretching my ideas & inspirations as a wedding planner and adding new visions to my portfolio. Since I do love all my brides, I decided to start featuring my brides and what makes each of them uniquely awesome in my "let's hear it for the bride" section.  Enjoy!

First up is my lovely May 22nd bride, Mrs. Diamond. She is creative (the DIY queen!), lovely, and it was so much fun to work with as her day of planner. I featured her wedding in the post Vendor Love: Lindsay MacDonald Photography.  This bride had a definite vision, shares my love of details, and was incredibly laid back and easy going- all key qualities that a planner thrives on.  As a thank you after the wedding, this bride sent me a great thank you note with a necklace from her Joies Etsy shop. Working on her wedding was such a pleasure and now, this necklace has become my default/wear all the time necklace! Talk about great benefits! She told me in the note that she has a lot more time to work on her jewelry now that all the planning is over and I'm really excited to keep up with Joies shop. To get an idea of her style, I included part of her bio on Etsy and some photos. Do yourself a favor and check out her whole site!

Joies Bio: I create handmade simple and sweet jewelry that hopefully brings a smile to your face. After all, that's my goal! I use glass beads, wood, metals, stone, and minerals to create original pieces for everyday wear. My designs are all inspired by nature – whether it be the grove of trees behind my house, or the many birds that stop by the bird feeder. There is inspiration everywhere to create a simple and sweet design.