Remembering Your Bachelor

Weddings are supposed to be all about the couple, but let’s keep it real: its mostly about the ladies.  So when my friend P. told me about this great little project she’s putting together for her groom’s bachelor party, I was so excited!  I don’t exactly know what to call it, so let’s just call it bachelor party care packages…

Here’s what she’s including:

Step 1: Custom T Shirts

P. went to Custom Ink and designed shirts:

Preview courtesy of custom ink!

She included the image of a car because the guys are driving to Atlantic City in vintage sports cars as a tribute to her car-loving guy.  She also went in blue and orange, which are classic Porsche racing colors.  Cute right?  I’m sure it would be easy to come up with a similar image to suit any bachelor party theme without much work.  You could easily do this for even less money by buying iron-on printable transfers and making them on your home printer.

Step 2: Custom Ribbon

PrintMyRibbon.com's version

P. is making special ribbon to wrap around each T shirt.  The ribbon will say “Please take care of [Fiance].”  Sure you could pay someone like PrintMyRibbon.com to do this and it would look good, but she’s going to use paint pens and regular old ribbon.  Genius right?

Step 3: Add Necessities

P. is tying Tums and Excedrin onto each bow to complete the care package.  Because we all know our men generally go out and do all kinds of crazy dumb things at bachelor parties (from what I hear, the poor bachlor usually is the best-behaved and it’s the groomsmen who go wild, but what do I know, I’m sure they’re all fibbing.  Ahem…)  In any event, I think they’ll appreciate the pain relief the next morning.

Tum tum tum tum...

Step 4: Fake Mustaches

Villainous Hairy Mustaches, $4.99 per dozen!

I don’t really think I need to explain why adding these is a great idea.  P. found hers on Oriental Trading and got 20% plus free shipping with a $20 purchase using an online coupon.  These will go in cello bags with the other “Necessities.”

Do you love this idea as much as I do?  What would you include?

Cute Bridesmaids Dresses, Halleluiah! (part II)

Today I want to share with you the cute assortment of dresses chosen by stepsister S. for her August garden themed wedding!  These dresses are floaty and lovely in buttercup yellow (I predict this will look great with a tan) and all are tea length.  The dresses are all from Dessy Group, so they’re pretty easy to find.  And can I just take a moment to say THANK YOU to S. and D. for letting me choose my own dress?!  I always love a group of matching girls, but I am equally in love with this trend of coordinating-instead-of-matching and I’m psyched to be the beneficiary of it!

Ok so again, we need your help.  Shoe suggestions please?!  Methinks yellow shoes would be too much of a good thing (and a throwback to the 1980’s), but maybe with the right yellow?  And what do you all think of orange shoes (orange is the other wedding color, think: sherbet not traffic cone).  Or would you go with metallic?  Something else?  Comments with links to affordable suggestions will be given extra credit! 

6566- in the buttercup shade we'll all be rocking (this style is designated for the MOH)

6537

6518

6506

6505

2750

2058- I didn't even have to try this on to know it was "the one" for me!

Cute Bridesmaids Dresses, Halleluiah! (part I)

Yesterday I spoke about my uncertainty about whether I love or don’t love Twobirds Bridesmaids dresses.  Well today I’m going to share with you some bridesmaids dresses I DO think are cute!  FSIL D. has chosen these dresses in apple, from David’s Bridal, for her group of girls.  I really like these dresses because (1) the color apple red is just adorable and will look so cute in a cocktail length, (2) these already reasonably priced dresses are all $20 off because she got her own lovely gown there, (3) they are made of cotton (thank the heavens above) and (4) since there’s a David’s pretty much everywhere, its easy for us ‘maids who live all over the United States to go try them out.  Pretty nice eh?

So here’s where you come in.  What kind of shoes would you pair with these dresses?  D. is thinking about black open-toed shoes or strappy silver.  I personally think well-chosen shoes of either style would look nice.  What do you think?

Davd's 83312 (this looks like it would be flattering on lots of shapes, and I love the sweetheart neckline)

David's 83690 (I love that this is a little different!)

David's F13818 (I'm 99% sure this will be the one I order- dare I say rewearable?!)

David's F13695 (adorable pockets!)

Hot or Not? Two Birds Dresses

I’m wondering if anyone else has thoughts on this topic because I think I do (but I’m still not sure).  Two birds Bridesmaid’s dresses.  Have you heard of them?  One dress that can be tied in a variety of ways.  The fabrics and colors are nice, and they are one-size fits all, no alterations required.  In theory they are rewearable.  And if you live in the NY area, one of their employees will come help your girls put them on for the wedding, so that they look their best.   But they’re pricey ($270 for short, $290 for long).

The dress, pre-styling.

I’ll be honest, I’m not madly in love with these dresses but I can see the appeal of choosing a dress that travels well and can be customized so extensively.  But… I bet that even though they say you don’t need alterations, I’d probably want to have mine hemmed because I’m short, and I’m not convinced that these look so great on ladies who aren’t models or girls who are well-endowed (these dresses look like they lend themselves to sagging).  I mean sure, you put a gorgeous tall 20 year old in this and it will look hot.  But what about a size 16 30-something?  Is that just cruel?

YOU be the judge.  Hot?  Or not??  (click on images for sources)

from Style Me Pretty

 By the way if you love the look but prefer a better price point, check out the Victoria’s Secret version of this dress.  It’s not the same, but its a good alternative.

Bacheloretting The Sane Way

Today’s post comes from guest blogger Phara, who has some wise words for anyone out there planning a bachelorette party (tips that I fully agree with).  Coming soon, guest blogger Christina will tell you some ideas for throwing just such a party Chi town style, but in the mean time, read on for a few “best practices” for planning a fabulous fete that won’t end in hurt feelings or lost sanity!

 .  .  .

While the bachelorette party is certainly a milestone for the bride, it is often a source of tension among members of the bridal party.  Here are a ten tips to make this process go as smoothly as possible, and to help keep the focus on fun rather than funds.

1.  Organize a casual get-together for the bridal party early in the process.

 I think it’s important for members of the bridal party to all know one another in a fun, social way before they have to start making decisions together. 

2.  Follow the leader.

Next, someone needs to take charge.  Generally, this is the Maid of Honor’s responsibility.  However, in certain cases, your Maid of Honor may be young or out-of-town.  In that case, the bridesmaids should offer to take care of the party, but it’s still the Maid of Honor’s decision whether or not to let them.

3.  Do not involve the bride.

Ask the bride very early on who she wants to invite to her bachelorette party, and confirm the party’s date.  The bride should not be involved in the bachelorette party after this.  The bride should not be made aware of petty disagreements, or decisions about what to do or where to go.  In my opinion, members of the bridal party should know the bride well enough to know her likes and dislikes.  (A drag queen club is not necessarily the best idea for a bride who likes to strictly spend her evenings with wine and a good book.)  Other than that, why add more stress to the bride’s plate? 

In my case, early in the process, my sister (Maid of Honor) complained to me that my friends (other bridesmaids) were being “mean” to her and shooting down all of her ideas.  While I understand that my younger sister’s automatic action is to complain to me about everything, this is not something that I was willing to get involved in.  I reminded my sister that she is the Maid of Honor, and therefore, the supposed “leader” of this party.  I explained that she just needed to be confident and establish herself as that leader.  In all honesty, I think my friends still think of her as the ten year-old girl trying to tag along with us teenagers.  She’s now a 23 year-old law student – she can handle it.  As soon as she did that, there were no more problems.  However, if I said something to my friends, I would have gotten in the middle of small conflict and made it a big one.  No need for that, and everything was resolved without me.  I haven’t heard a thing since.

More tips after the jump… Continue reading »

The Rehearsal Dinner!

Well, we’re back from Hawaii and it’s time for more recaps!  Yipee!  When I last left off, we had just finished our rehearsal at the church…

So after church, we all scooted as quickly as we could to the Cornerstone to get our post-rehearsal eat on!  We were so excited when we booked the Cornerstone because it had a nicely sized private room (harder to find in our area than you might think) and wonderful details like original ceiling tiles and exposed brick walls.  Vintage character but approachable, pretty but not stuffy!  It was so much fun to get to the restaurant and see everything set up- the seating cards were passed out so folks could reserve their spots, and the 3-sided menus were on all the tables, looking lovely!  Even the presents for our bridal party had been dropped off early and set up on a table.  It was so meaningful and fun to see it all come together!

One of the first things I did after grabbing a glass of wine, was give flower girl A. and ring bearer M. their presents.  I had gotten them lots of little goodies that I thought would entertain them during dinner, and probably through the wedding reception the next day too.  I picked up a sticker book, 3 Christmas story books (2 with CD’s), and green bear beanie babies on super-sale during the year, so those went into the bags first.  I also made them personalized coloring books and bought crayons and markers at the dollar store to go with them.  The kids also got bubbles, slinky’s (thanks Target dollar bins!), play dough, silly putty, and magnets.  Oh, and don’t forget, candy (I’m sure their parents loved me after that)!  A. also got a pair of white gloves and M. got a boutonniere.  They were happy campers!

I love how A. is such an expert with her sweet smile for the camera.  Meanwhile M. is going to kick your butt if you try to steal his candy!

After saying my special thank you to the kids, I found J. and we mixed and mingled with all of our family and friends!  Having our entire family there was such a treat, especially since I have 5 sibs and J. has 3.  Getting us all in one place isn’t easy!

Before long, it was time to get down to business: dinner time!  We could have served a seated meal, but we thought the group might appreciate the informality (and amount of food!) of a buffet.  Dinner included rolls, salad, penne a la vodka, chicken piccata, beef medallions, rice and veggies.  J.’s mom also made big trays of cookies for dessert which everyone promptly devoured.  Yum!

After dinner, J. and I got up and said a few words of thanks to everyone for being there with us.  And then J.’s brother presented a slide show of the two of us through the years.  I’ll be doing a separate post on this because it was downright incredible seeing each of us as babies, toddlers, school kids, highschoolers, and eventually through our time as a couple.  He even chose coordinating music for the various parts of the show.  I think more than a few of us got a little misty!

Finally, it was time to distribute presents, followed by more visiting!  I should note that I mostly only had family photos to share- the photos of most of my friends were either too dark, or were never sent to me (ahem, you know who you are!)  But if you are one of those friends who is wondering where your photo is, know that it is not for lack of love, just lack of photos!

Oh but you know the party didn’t stop after dinner.  Next up, we kick back in the suite and get pumped for the big day!

And how did we get here?  Checking In;  Practice Makes Perfect: The Rehearsal!

I think I’m pretty funny…

But I think this is a lot funnier than me!  Admittedly, it might be a stretch to figure out a way to incorporate such a thing into your wedding, but it definitely fits how I feel today, given that I’m trying like crazy to avoid thinking about returning to work Monday!

click image for source

I promise more recaps next week, but in the mean time, head on over to Despair.com and have yourself a good giggle… and yes, I do keep a copy of this exact image on my desk.  I recommend you do the same.

Honeymoon Travel Tips: Sarasota

Today’s guest blogger is Adrienne, a coworker, fellow alumna and my new running buddy!  Adrienne hails from the magical land of Florida where sunshine and charm abound.  And based on what I’ve heard, her hometown of Sarasota would be the perfect place for a vintage inspired, low key and fun honeymoon.  Read on for more of Adrienne’s excellent advice on how to get the most from a romantic Sarasota getaway!

I didn’t know it at the time but I grew up in paradise.  As a teenager, I kept a bikini and a beach towel in the backseat of my car in the way that people up North always travel with an ice pick, because you never knew when you’d need them.  I left Florida at 18 but now as I get older, I find myself going back to visit more and more. Lately, I’ve taken to suggesting to friends planning vacations and honeymoons, “Why don’t you just go to Florida?  You can do all of that in Sarasota…”

And really, a stateside honeymoon in a Florida beach town has a lovely 1950’s vintage vibe and you can save a ton on flights.  While Sarasota may have a Ritz, it also has countless adorable mom + pop beach bungalow resorts and you will have the opportunity to go both fancy and budget.  Below is a quick hit list of retro Florida charm from my hometown….

Siesta Key is a 7 mile barrier island off the Gulf of Mexico.  Two bridges tether it to mainland Sarasota.  The sand on the beaches is 99% quartz, making it some of the whitest sand in the world (which keeps it from getting too hot in the summer – - – hello 7^th grade physical science!).   A good way to stay on the beach and save is to stay at a resort that shares beach access with another resort – this will allow you to stay alongside the beach and always have a parking space.  Google Siesta Key and lots of fun retro options show up – prices are cheaper after spring break and stay that way until December.

While you’re out on the Key, be sure to check out Siesta Key Village (locals just call it the Village).  The Daiquiri Deck offers some fun Florida silliness with a wall of machines mixing 13 different frozen concoctions (and one non alcoholic daiquiri of the day – ask your server).  It’s 2 for 1 Daiquiri’s from 3-7 and you’re on vacation so it’s totally fine to start drinking at 3 (or 11 am for that matter….) A word of advice – don’t drink the ones that boast grain alcohol….those are for the single girls and you really don’t want to end up barfing into your honey’s hair….

Up the street is the Old Salty Dog, a Sarasota fixture with great hot dogs and an awesome blackened grouper sandwich.  You’ll pass all the cute souvenir shops on the stroll where you can pick up postcards to use for thank you cards!  Be sure to also get a waffle cone from Big Olaf’s – sooo tasty! 

My hometown is not all deep fried hot dogs and custom-built booze slurpee machines.  We have a pretty excellent cultural scene for a town so small!  At the turn of the 20^th century John Ringling commissioned a museum to house his art collection which became open to the public in 1931 and houses a Renaissance heavy collection.  This commitment to the arts has lived on in future residents and we also host the Florida State ballet, have an opera house, and a great number of galleries around Main Street in downtown Sarasota.  You can also wander the grounds alongside Sarasota bay and see the old Ringling mansion (which was featured in the remake of Great Expectations).    While you’re driving around, check out the public access radio station, WSLR 96.5.

Finally you can’t get vintage Florida without checking out the state parks or having some time out on the water.  There are tons of places to rent kayaks or jetskis if you’re staying on the key.  Close to Sarasota are two state parks, Myakka River State Park and Oscar Scherer State Park.  At Myakka you can rent canoes, go on boat tours or just go hiking and biking – they’ve also built a canopy walkway on one of their trails which is absolutely gorgeous.   Oscar Scherer also features canoe rentals, hiking and has a lake for swimming.  It also connects to the Legacy Trail a “rails to trails” path that connects Sarasota to Venice, a town a little ways south.  The trail is great for biking and jogging.  

Happy Honeymooning!

Aloha from Maui!

Aloha everyone!  Today J. and I are wrapping up in Maui and heading for Oahu’s north coast.  Maui was a fun island!  I’ll be honest, some of the things that were hyped up here, were not as good as I’d hoped, but some were waaaay better. For instance, when we checked into our hotel on day 1, the Royal Kahana “upgraded” us to a two bedroom suite which was absolutely the grossest hotel room I’ve ever seen (and I don’t generally mind budget accommodations).  I can’t say enough bad things about it, do not stay there people!  I freaked out and told them it was unacceptable, so they then sent us to another room which was only marginally better and only because the bed wasn’t super saggy in the center.  Yuck.  So I got on the horn with our travel agent, we threw some money at the problem, and after one irritating night at RK we moved to a significantly better condo at this place called the Mahana.  *cue heavely angels*  It is literally right on Ka’anapali beach which is this long stretch of super-perfect sand, where we can walk a few hundred feet in either direction for incredible snorkling and nice waves for swimming.  The beach also happens to be about 20 feet from our room and we have a perfect ocean view.  We can also see the island of Molokai, and this part of the ocean is where whales come to give birth so we’re seeing whales all over the place.  It is such a 180 from where we began, and the trip has been divine ever since!

Once we got settled- really settled- we started exploring the North coast of Maui with the top down in our Jeep (a small upgrade from J!), which has an incredible cliff-hugging drive with these semi-secret “Olivine Pools” which you have to basically have to climb down a cliff to get to- but which were absolutely awesome in person.  And the Hana highway?  Pretty cool even with this season’s lack of rain (no seven sacred pools this year!)- we saw an ancient temple, lava tubes and arches, a black sand beach, and let’s not forget how we followed our guidebook’s instructions and did some off-the-tourist-road hiking to find an amazing waterfall and perfect swimming hole with NOBODY there!  Whale watching?  Better than I ever thought possible!  Our boat ended up being surrounded by three whales for about an hour, so we got to get within 10 feet of humpbacks, watching them play and breach.   We’ve mostly done cheap or free things here to account for the extra hotel expense, but with so many natural wonders, that’s been easy to do.  And of course, the restaurant scene here is outstanding!  Overall, I give it an A++!  So here’s some of the highlights from our five days of Maui-mooning:

Our room with a view!

The Olivine Pools- Secluded Secret or Death Trap?

Whale tail!

Yes, there are THREE whales in that photo!

Luau!

Piilanihale Heiau, the largest ancient temple in Hawaii.

Poised on the edge of a lava tube!

J. braves the icy spring water for a shot at our "private" waterfall!

I savor a sunset and watch the big boys surf near Mama's Fish House (home of the best seafood ever).

Honeymoon Travel Tips: Jamaica

Next up, a post from my college roomie, bridesmaid extraordinaire, and awesome gal pal Erin!  Erin and her husband Anthony planned a destination wedding and honeymoon in Jamaica (you’ve seen them before on The One!) and so when planning some post for while I was away, obviously Erin had to be a guest author.  Read on for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about honeymooning in Jamaica!

Remember these love birds?

Let me preface this entire entry by saying that if you are a high-maintenance person or someone with little patience, Jamaica is NOT the destination for you.  I mean it.  Don’t even bother reading on.  Jamaica takes “island time” to a whole new snail-paced level!  From the time you get to immigration and customs (prepare for a long, hot wait), to the time you get in line for your boarding pass home, you will be inching your way through each day.  But if you’re looking for an escape, isn’t that part of the draw?  Bring your patience!  There.  Now that we’ve gotten that business out of the way, let’s continue!

Pancakes of the day: worth the patience!

My husband and I chose Jamaica as our weddingmoon destination for myriad reasons: it’s easy and relatively inexpensive to get there (compared to other Caribbean destinations), it’s absolutely covered in all-inclusive resorts, it only has a 24-hour “residency” period before couples can legally wed (and no pesky blood test),  it has a definitive island culture (I loathe islands that make me feel like I’m still stateside!), and it has LOADS of things to do.  Plus, as neither my husband nor I had ever visited Jamaica, it would be a new adventure we could forge together. 

Seriously, how cute are these two?

Ultimately we zeroed in on Negril, Jamaica, home of the famed 7-Mile Beach,  often featured in “world’s top beaches”-esque specials, and Rick’s Café, a great place to enjoy some cliff diving.  Negril has a wide variety of hotels and resorts ranging from economy to luxury.  The majority of the hotels are on right on the 7-Mile Beach (Couples Swept Away, Hedonism II, Sandals Negril, Negril Treehouse, and Idle Awhile), although you will find several all-inclusive resorts further north on the Bloody Bay (Couples Negril, Riu Palace Tropical Bay, and Breezes Grand), and a variety of smaller hotels and resorts further south on the West End (Rockhouse, Catcha Falling Star, and Tensing Pen).  Picking a hotel when you’ve never visited a location before can be quite daunting.  I find that maps are helpful to put things in perspective [for a fabulous map of Negril’s hotels (and restaurants, shopping, and more!), click here!]  Do your research, but beware of online reviews.  If you’re a seasoned traveler, you’re probably already aware that the Internet and sites like TripAdvisor give a voice to any and everyone.  For every glowing positive review, there is a scathing negative one.  Sometimes it sounds like they’re talking about two completely different resorts!  Try to keep realistic expectations and read reviews with your eyes open.  I was floored that people complained about bugs around the resort, or that restaurant service was slow, or that it rained every day.  Um, hello, folks?  You’re in the Caribbean; there are bugs, island life moves more slowly than the hustle and bustle of the big city, and tropical islands are visited by rain (almost every afternoon in Jamaica – a great time to enjoy indoor honeymoon activities).  Why did you even visit a tropical island?  Sheesh.  At any rate, you have more than ample choices!   

Oh, yeah, THAT's why I visited a tropical island!

I poured over travel books and websites and magazines before finally convincing my husband that we wanted to stay at Couples Swept Away on the 7-Mile Beach because it was a couples-only, all-inclusive resort with inexhaustible entertainment and dining options on the premises.  I was also bowled over by the die-hard Couples fans on the resort’s message board (and quickly became one upon our return).  CSA has six different restaurants, ranging from a nearly all-day buffet to a Jamaican-Mediterranean fusion restaurant to a dress-code-enforced gourmet restaurant.  My favorite was the Sea Grape Café, a tiny café right on the beach with slightly healthier fare (and a soft-serve machine… I did only say “slightly,” right?).  There are also bars everywhere you look – bars that look like little tiki huts and serve the most amazing frou-frou concoctions ever (I recommend anything involving rum crème).  Another selling point for CSA was the full spa located on their sports and fitness complex.  If you get any spa service (which you must – a massage at least!), first grab a pineapple-infused ice water from the spa juice bar, then show up early to take advantage of the gorgeous Jacuzzi (we were lucky enough to enjoy the sights and sounds of a relaxing tropical rain shower during our visit to the Jacuzzi and spa).  The final selling point for CSA was the variety of activities available each day (all of which are included).  You could go SCUBA diving or snorkeling (seasoned divers – beware – the reefs are pretty torn up from inexperienced divers flailing around, but there is a lot of great marine life to enjoy), take a sunset booze cruise down to the cliffs, take a kayak out on the ocean, learn how to sail a Hobie cat, join a game of beach volleyball, learn some margarita mixology, take a couples massage class, learn the history of Negril, partake in a squash clinic, or just relax on a beach lounge chair and have the frou-frou drinks delivered right to you (thank you, little green flags!).  Honestly, the beach and the ocean are so gorgeous in Negril that it’s hard to pull yourself away! 

Laze around in a hammock?

Despite the fact that CSA met all of our entertainment and dining needs, its location also gave us the freedom of direct access to any public 7-Mile Beach activities.  We could walk down the beach from our resort and hail a parasail boat or a jet ski rental, swim out to Margaritaville’s giant water trampoline, or patronize beach vendors selling various crafts.  Being on the beach also allowed us to take advantage of roving musicians and vendors selling “fresh crab, banana, good smoke,” if we were so bold.  Of course, the resort was so fabulous that we only left it to spend time with our family, who were staying elsewhere.  Destination brides, you may want to consider that!  We also ventured off campus to visit Rick’s Café (twice).  It’s a great place to watch a sunset, listen to live music, and enjoy the entertainment of some truly amazing cliff divers (or jump for yourself!).

Cliff diving!

Let’s talk weddings, since this is a wedding blog, after all.  If you’re going to get married in Jamaica, you need little more than a birth certificate.  Jamaica is a relatively popular wedding destination, so most hotels and resorts have wedding planners who will literally take care of everything for you – you just have to mail your documents, pay the bill, and show up!  Many of the all-inclusive resorts even offer complimentary weddings (with the potential to pay for any upgrade you might imagine).  This was the draw for me, as I’m relatively lazy.  CSA’s wedding planners took care of everything for us; we opted for the complimentary wedding package with upgrades to my bouquet and the arch, plus we arranged for our own photographer, Diana Campbell, to shoot the wedding.  Again, though, be patient; you’re on an island!  Just relax and enjoy your own special day. 

The happy couple!

I hope some of you decide to spend time in Negril.  My husband and I have no regrets about our decision.  Negril set the perfect stage for our vows, and we look forward to returning there for future anniversaries.