Bachelorette Weekend {Girls Just Wanna Have Fun}

We are just 9 days away from the wedding and there is so much going on right now it's unbelievable. But let's just take a minute to focus on something fun, not stressful (like our rehearsal dinner caterer canceling on us 10 days before the event!!) Tomorrow I'll be heading up to Healdsburg to spend the weekend with 7 amazing women. Drinking wine, eating great food, relaxing by the fireplace. They each mean so much to me and have supported me through different periods in my life. I am so excited to get away with them for my bachelorette weekend!

C Magazine, photo by Lauren Ross

We rented a house in the Alexander Valley, just a few minutes outside of downtown Healdsburg. We're surrounded by wineries, so we'll spend our Saturday walking to a few wineries and tasting all that the Alexander Valley has to offer. We'll cook together and laugh together, and most importantly I'll have a chance to reflect on what's coming in the week ahead and refocus, now that I'm done doing the balancing act between work and wedding.

  Top left: Haute Living; Top right: Brides, photo by Amanda Marsalis; Bottom: Inspired by This, photo by Caroline at Tiny Water

I love these girls and am inspired in unique and beautiful ways by each of them. I hope that this weekend will honor every one of them, and kick off my wedding week with a bang!

Inspired by This, photo by Caroline at Tiny Water Photography

Is there anything particularly awesome that we must make sure to do this bachelorette weekend?

Only one more post to go. Eek!

Completing the Look {Finding the Perfect Accessory}

I am so excited to be blogging every week until our January wedding!  Since we are about 2.5 months away from the big day, the very big items like venue, dj, photographer and florist are all completed and now it is all about the details.  The details really can be overwhelming but we are trying to just have fun!

I am currently loving the idea of adding an extra special accessory to my "bridal look".  My fiancé, Eric, has been amazing through the planning process and I truly think he has great taste (He likes to remind me all the time that he is the one who picked out our wedding invitations).  We have made every decision together as a team except my dress which is why I am so excited for our first look.  Eric has no idea what my dress looks like or any details of my "look" for the day.
Some ideas I am currently obsessed with:
Cardigans
I love how you can tie in one of your wedding colors by just slipping on a cardigan!
Bride in Cardigan
Seriously in love with this sequin cardigan/jacket look!
Sequin Cardigan Bride
Hair Bling
The headband and the bun...so chic!
Bridal Headband
I love this look.  It reminds me of a more subtle take on Anne Hathaway's headpiece.
Wedding Head Piece
Personalized Rings
Your engagement ring and wedding band will still be center stage with these delicate bands.  I love how you can stack them and they would be a great bridesmaid gift too! (Plus they are only $35!)
Yes Ring
Would you wear any of these accessories on your big day?

Wedding Week Details {t stones}

Well, my big day is just around the corner. The festivities will begin this Saturday, and on Sunday I will marry Vinnie- my love, my best friend, and my better half. Although there have been some hiccups along the way, all-in-all, this planning experience has been fun and educational. I mean, who knew I could plan such a big & beautiful event!? One of the things I've truly enjoyed is magically stumbling upon talented people to help me. It happened once with finding LizzyBLoves, who designed my gorgeous invites & programs, and it happened again with the gifts for my bridesmaids. I had a vision in mind for the jewelry I wanted my girls to wear. I searched high and low at stores and couldn't find the right thing. Then I happened to run into my friend Tiffany Adams who owns a jewelry line called "T Stones". She showed me her portfolio and before you know it... boom! I had stunning custom, hand-made jewelry for my bridesmaids that totally complement the dresses! It's amazing how eventually your vision just comes together in the end. I can't show you what Tiffany made my girls, because I don't want to ruin the surprise ;-) but here's a peek at some other pieces she's made. If you live in Los Angeles you can check out her work at Cami in Manhattan Beach or give her a call to have something made just for you... The holidays are just around the corner (hint, hint)! The necklaces and earrings are made with high-quality stones and are reasonably priced! Here are two of my favorites:

Photo Credit: T Stones Jewelry

My advice to other brides out there is to have faith that it will all be beautiful and wonderful like you imagined, DELEGATE, and stay organized. It has helped me tremendously that I have been doing little things for my wedding all year; I learned recently how important delegating is too. This week I have ironed out the following details:

  • seating chart (not as bad as I thought it would be)
  • welcome bags (fun & affordable)
  • party favors (delegated to the moms- check!)
  • put someone responsible in charge of gifts & cards
  • DIY table numbers & directional signs
Other than that, I just have to pick up my dress tomorrow and show up on Saturday for the rehearsal! I feel relaxed & ecstatic at the same time! I know that this weekend will be one that I'll remember always!
On that note, I'll leave you with some breathtaking "first looks." I can't wait for mine! :)

Photo Credit: Bridal Guide

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty

 It's hard to believe that I have contributed 46 posts to this fabulous blog over the past 11 months. This has been such a rewarding experience. THANK YOU Allison for this opportunity. I'll be back posting on E&I a couple more times to share with you my thoughts from "the other side" and of course share photos and video with you once they're ready.

Yours Truly,

Taya (soon-to-be DiCarlo)

Bridesmaid Dresses {The Color Face-Off}

My biggest dilemma with my bridesmaids dresses has been the color. I think I really like the ombre' or varied hues in one color look like the below examples.

Source: Green Wedding Shoes 1 & 2

I feel that I should stick to one color like blue or creamy tan. Same dress, totally different feel in each color.

Source: For Her And For Him

The blending of two colors looks great here though!

Source: Green Wedding Shoes

My coordinator said the tan would look best with the blue flowers, but I think they would look great with blue dresses as well. Also, the styles may be a bit different to compliment each girl. Need your input all!

 

Which pallet are you feeling?

 

Connect with me elsewhere! Twitter | Pinterest | Blog