The Last Two Weeks & the Next Two Weeks

Sorry for missing my post last week! It has been a crazy few weeks and a couple more crazy ones to come! We have a little less than two weeks until the big day. TWO. WEEKS. We've been planning this wedding for nearly two years, so it is really hard to believe how close we are.

So, what have I been up to, you ask?

Last weekend was my bachelorette. My friends kept everything a total surprise, gave me a packing list and picked me up on Friday afternoon for my unknown adventure. We ended up in Oceano (right on the beach outside of San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach) for a weekend of lounging on the beach, girly craziness and a lot of surprises--including, but not limited to, a pole dancing class! It was an amazing weekend of girl bonding, so needless to say I was a bit on the tired side when I got back.

Since then, I've been swimming in a sea kraft paper, washi tape, bakers twine, vintage wood, stamps and more. I'm crafting like a mad woman, with the hope to be done by the weekend. Here's a quick snapshot of my last two weeks.

Personal Photos

I think my favorite craft project so far has been our hand-stamped cork board. It is covered in polka dots (my favorite!) and will be used to display our escort cards. My fiance and I made a giant grid using string to align all the dots, then I dotted the whole board using a white ink pad and the back of an eraser. I actually can't wait to put it up in our office after the wedding :) (Sorry I don't have pics of the final product. Guess you'll just have to wait for the wedding photos!)

Personal Photos

In these next two weeks, I need to finish programs, welcome bags, table numbers and escort cards. I have some honeymoon shopping to do, plus a much anticipated spa day a few days before the wedding.

I'm a little stressed, a little overwhelmed, but a lot excited! How did you feel the last few weeks before your wedding? Any to-do's I might have forgotten about?

Doggie Do?

On my wedding day I would like to be surrounded by the people who I love the most. This also includes my dog Otis (pictured below). Derek and I adopted him from the Humane Society right after we moved to Ventura almost two years ago.  Otis truly has changed my life for the better with his constant cuddles and easy-going personality. I know he will play a huge part in keeping me sane through the wedding planning process, and naturally I would like to include him in some way.

Despite my large family, Derek and I do not have any relatives or close friends with children around ring bearer/ flower girl appropriate age. This is where I am hoping Otis can step in (if he is up for it) and take on a dual role. I am envisioning him in a special bandana (I don't think a bow-tie is his style) led down the aisle by a leash adorned with flowers or ribbons.

Sources: Gambol Photography, Shannon Renee Photography, Chattman Photography, 4, Cedar House Photography

I have been researching tips and pointers for including your pup in your special day and I have put together a "DO" list.

The Pet Parents' Check List of Dos before the Big "I Do"

• DO double-check that your wedding venue allows dogs.
• DO have realistic expectations of your pet. Even the most well-mannered pup may let out a bark or two, or some other unpredictable behavior.
• DO prepare to be flexible on your wedding day. You can't force it. If you expect your pet to perform a certain task, have a backup plan in case he is not up for it.
• DO assign someone who can handle your dog. Preferably someone your dog is familiar with, or a professional pet sitter -- keeping tabs on your pup does not have to be your job!
• DO practice with your dog as much as possible before the wedding. If you want him to carry a basket or walk down the aisle with the rings, run him through his paces regularly as the wedding approaches.
• DO schedule a grooming appointment a couple of days before the wedding. You'll want your dog to look his/her best, but not quite as good as you :)
• DO prepare a travel bag of must-haves for your pet (include treats, toys and comfort items).

Sources: wscottchesterblog.com, 2 & 3, Victoria Souza Photography, Dottie Photography

For more tips on including your pet, check out this Huffington Post article.

Are you thinking about or did you include your dog in your wedding ceremony? What kind of role did they play? Anything else I should be considering?

Breaking the Ice {Table Games}

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend the wedding of one of my dearest friends Caroline who has been with her now-husband Carter almost exactly as long as Kyle and I have been together. Among many of the personal elements that I loved about the wedding, one thing that both Kyle and I loved was the little hand-stamped packet that was set at each place setting filled with one fake mustache and one set of false teeth.

We knew no one there before the wedding, but by the end we felt like we had made great new friendships with so many people. And I think we can thank the mustaches for that.

Needless to say, we loved this idea! Now I'm looking for inspiration for some other fun and awesome ice breakers for wedding reception tables. Here are just a few that I have found.

Photos by Emma Case

Isn't this cool? Guest pick a button out of the jar and write some "words of wisdom" based on the word on the button. Better yet, it doubles as your guest book. There's a great DIY with printables over at Rock My Wedding for this darling Jar of Hearts!

  Top left: Penny for Your Thoughts; Top right: Date Night; Bottom: He Said, She Said

Have you been to a wedding with some great dinner table ice breakers? If so, what were they? We really want to do this at our wedding, and want to hear your ideas!

Save-the-Dates {and the 10-Month Countdown}

Right now, I'm looking at the 8 to 10-month check lists (our wedding is July 20, 2013)...and if you've planned a wedding, you will know they are serious lists! They may look small as far as number of check boxes, but, in reality, they are some of the BIGGEST decisions of all! The wedding dress, the officiant, DJ/band, caterer, photographer, the registry and so on. Two months ago the date was July 5th. I had my ceremony and reception venue and day-of planner booked, our wedding parties all figured out, our guest list lined up - I was feeling good. Fast forward two months and I now have a new job that is keeping me crazy-busy, and nothing else booked for our wedding. Don't get me wrong, we have been looking into things and thinking about things, but you can't have a wedding by thinking about it ;-). Needless to say, it's time to get back in the wedding planning zone. The 10-month countdown begins.

So, that brings me to what we need to figure out this week. A couple, seemingly-unrelated, things that all tie together. The hotels/lodging, the wedding website and save-the-dates. Because we are getting married in a small town along the Columbia River Gorge that also happens to be a destination spot for many outdoor activities, from windsurfing to hiking to wine tasting (I consider wine tasting an outdoor activity), the lodging is in high demand. In a perfect world, we would love for our guests (or even just us and our wedding party with their family's) to group together and rent a couple houses in town. There are so many within walking distance of each other and downtown and we think it would be a great way to spend time together. Whether we can figure the house thing out or not, we will still need to find a hotel for people to stay at, which leads me to the two other things on our list needing to be done ASAP - the wedding website and the save-the-dates (if we do them). I wrote this post a while back about websites and save-the-dates (just realized you shouldn't abbreviate that, yikes!). Bottom line is we need to get the word out about our lodging recommendations to our guests so that they can book soon. Our wedding still 10 months out, but time is flying and we don't want to have last picks on the places to stay.

This brings me to the last thing on our list for this week - Save-the-dates. We are trying to figure out whether or not to do them. I think they are so fun and you can do so many creative things with them, but I'm trying to figure out if I can justify the time and cost for something I ultimately just want to lead people to our website where they can find the details on lodging and the weekend activities. Thoughts?!

Here are some I like:

Source

Source

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If only we could get our cat to sit still for a minute...

Source

Did you or didn't you use Save-the-Dates? Are you using a wedding website that also offers 'virtual' Save-the-Dates? What do you think about renting a house/houses for the bride, groom and wedding party to stay at over the weekend?

All Signs Point to I Do

Wedding DIY's are not something you can't wait to complete until the last minute so I've been narrowing down exactly what I want to do.  Wedding signs are a great way to add a personal touch and these are my favorite!

I'd really love to have a cute sign that sets the tone for the day like one of these that tells your guests to sit anywhere they'd like during the ceremony! And since we'll have a good amount of tech savvy guests, the bottom right sign for Instagram would be great to replicate for our big day.

Source: The Sweetest Occasion, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes

I also love the thought of having old fashion signs to direct people to different places within the venue, or even tell them how far they are from major destinations!

Source: Style Me Pretty, The Sweetest Occasion

And you can't forget a cute sign for photos and even for your sweetheart table.

Source: Wedding Chicks, Kiss The Groom, Style Me Pretty, Green Wedding Shoes

Also, if light DIY is more your thing you can always check out the free printables page here on Wedding Chicks and print out a pretty wedding sign with minimal supplies!

Did you or are you including a handmade sign for your big day? What do you think about the personalized hash tag for guests Instagramming and tweeting about your wedding?

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Wedding Party Party & Cocktail-Off

Ever since I got engaged, I've been saying that I want wedding planning to be fun. And as the planning days tick away, I'm taking full advantage of this mantra! We wanted to make sure our wedding party had a chance to meet each other before the wedding weekend. Some of them know each other, but we wanted to get everyone in one room, have some drinks and be close enough to really celebrate together. So we hosted everyone at our house for a Sunday-Funday Cocktail-Off.

Wooden Sign, Hand Lettered Sign

That's right. A cocktail making contest. And the winning drink will be the signature cocktail at the wedding! We thought this would be a fantastic way to have some tasty drinks, spend some time together and let our wedding party feel like they are really apart of the big day. And, it was a huge success (as evidenced by our near-empty cups!)

Personal photos from our Cocktail-Off

We tasted six different cocktails (yes, I know....we ate pizza and played bocce before anyone headed home). We tried everything from peach juice and ginger beer to a fall-spiced sangria to a blackberry mojito. Once we all tasted, we voted for our favorites. And the winner was.......a watermellon mint concotion made my two of my bridesmaids. And it was DELICIOUS! The name was also discussed as a group...possibly "Mint To Be Together"? :)

1, 2, 3, 4

So now we have to find a way to make it happen for the wedding. It may need to be tweaked to be doable for a large group, but I love that it is something from our closest friends.

What about you? Did your wedding party know each other before the big day? Did you spend some time together?

time to accessorize {2 month mark}

Whenever I find myself wondering where should I be in the planning process I refer to Brides magazine. In every issue they have a countdown, and so far it hasn't failed me. At the 2 month mark it suggests:

• discuss ceremony readings and songs with officiant... check! We'll be doing that next week
• Check your state's requirement for a marriage license... need to do this.
• Mail the invitations.... they're arriving THIS WEEK! woohoo!
• Do a hair and make-up trial.... need to schedule, and at least I know who I'm using ;-)
• Order or make the favors... oye, this will be a task.... stay tuned for a future post on this one.
• Accessorize your look!

The last bullet point is what I'm doing today- accessorize your look! Check out some of my inspiration!

A little clutch to hold gloss & other make-up:

Diamonds vs. crystals.... who can tell the difference? Either way, both of these chandelier earrings are fabulous:

Since I'm not wearing a statement necklace, I think a statement cuff will do.... especially one like this!

Belts and sashes are very in this season. Although I'm not wearing one, I really love these:

So brides-to-be.... how do you plan on accessorizing your look??

Cocktail Hour {Signature Drinks}

Conveniently it seems that just as wedding planning stress kicks into an all-time high, it's time to figure out what our signature drink will be. Time to try 100 cocktails in 100 days!

  Style Me Pretty, photos by Shannon Moore Photography

Well, not really. But lots of cocktail is lots of days until I find the right one. And cocktails are proving to be quite valuable during the madness of doing completely DIY wedding invitations and creating a wedding website from scratch.

  Martha Stewart Weddings

I think I'm going at this a bit backwards though. I've picked the liquor I want as the base, and now I'm trying to find the right cocktail to serve that compliments it. Trouble is, since I'm far too obsessed with aesthetics, I really want this drink to not only taste great but to look pretty too. Ideally, it will be served in a coupe glass with no ice and lovely little garnish. Is that asking too much??

Joy the Baker

If I still haven't found my holy grail of a cocktail within one month of the wedding, I might need to make some concessions. But in the mean time, I've been trying drinks from a Gin Fizz with blueberries and fresh rosemary from our garden, to the classic The Fitzgerald, to Gin and Joe Rickeys.

 

St. George Spirits is a local Bay Area distiller that makes a series of 3 really delicious gins. I would love to feature one of these gins, since they're locally made and many of the ingredients are foraged from local areas, and they're all very well crafted to boot.

San Francisco Chronicle, photo by Liz Hafalia

So I've been loading up on mixers and pinning drink recipes like crazy in search of the cocktail that embodies the right balance of drinkability, creativity, and prettiness.

Do you have any favorite gin drinks? Or any good suggestions for where I can find great recipes? Time to experiment!

making your mark {the guest book}

In just over 3 months our BIG day will finally be here! I was just thinking yesterday how amazing it's been to write for E&I every week. Blogging has definitely helped me stay on track with planning this monumental event and has kept me calm too. Like I've said recently, the big things on my list are taken care of.  Now I've moved on to the details....like, the guest book. I have to admit, when it comes to the "gust book," I'm not really keen on tradition... i.e. Having an actually bound book that says "Guests" where people just sign their names- BORING! I'd like to do something more creative; something we will actually look at and admire in years to come. I got the idea today to blog about thumbprint family tree "guest books" because I recently saw a gorgeous one at the new home of our friends, Michael and Megan Conway. The family tree had every guest's thumbprint in the colors of their wedding, and the print was framed for them to hang in their homes as a memento. What an adorable idea!

Well, here's some inspiration:

 Source: Left & Right

There are so many great DIY ideas out there for creative guest books. Do you have any suggestions or perhaps any tips on how to take on this project?

Sunshine Inspiration {Shopping for Flowers}

I will become Mrs. DiCarlo in just 117 days from now..... oh. em. gee. People have continued to ask me, "how's the planning going?" and I simply reply, "great!" That's the truth folks. Maybe I'm in denial about how fast time seems to be flying by, but I honestly don't feel stressed at all. All of the big stuff on my list has been taken care of. These next 117 days will be all about the details. This Thursday I'm going to visit a floral shop and linen store with Linda, my wedding planner, so I'm using today's post to do a little homework in preparation for our visit.

If you've followed along with my past posts about florals, you know that I love succulents. The difference between then and now is that I have confirmed that my colors are grey and yellow.  Here is some of my inspiration...

Source: W-WeddingFlowers.com

Source: one, two, three

Source: one, two, three

 

Source: left, right

Source: one, two, three

Source: Styleblueprint.com

One thing I learned from researching flowers is that they have some funny names, like: "Billy Balls" and "China mums." I have a feeling this is going to be a very educational experience for one who does not have a green thumb, like me....I'll keep you posted on how the trip went!

In the meantime, do you have any pointers or tips to help me prepare for my trip to the florist? Anything you wish you knew or did before you went? I am hoping that I can save some dough by getting some of the containers for the flowers on my own and giving them to the florist. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!