Dreaming of Faraway Places :: Honeymoon

I don't know what it is about this week, but I can't stop thinking about faraway places, aka going on vacation! It might have something to do with the warm weather tease we are getting from San Francisco (as per usual), and my trip to Austin a couple weeks ago that have me wanting more. While I have gone on some wonderful trips over the past few years (Hawaii, Mexico, Solvang, CA) I find myself yearning for a longer and farther away spot. I want to see things I've never seen, experience a new culture, and bask in the sun from another side of the globe. My fiance and I went on a two-week trip to Germany and Italy back in 2009 and it definitely sparked the travelers within us. Neither of us did the study abroad or post-college travel thing, so we both feel like we have so many places we want to see and experience. We have been thinking about our honeymoon since before we got engaged - not specifics, but mainly that we wanted to go somewhere we had never been and that we'd like it to be in the Europe vicinity. Basically our honeymoon is our excuse to go on a trip just for us.

The things we want in a destination include good food, warm weather (in late July/early August), beautiful sights and a place with lots of history. Here are some of the countries calling my name. This is before much research so I will, of course, do another post when we have more figured out.

Greece. My fiance is 50% Greek and has never been there. Our honeymoon seems like a fitting time for a first trip there for both of us. We'd love to go to some of the cities on the mainland and the islands. Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Crete. 

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Turkey. I've heard they give quite the exfoliating body treatments at the Turkish baths in Istanbul. Also pictured are the Lycian Temple Tombs near what is now Dalyan, Turkey. During our trip in Italy, we discovered we are more sight-seers than museum-goers.

Sources: Baths, Temple Tombs

Croatia. I don't know much about this country but have heard and seen great things. The latest Bachelorette episode added fuel to my Croatia fire, but I swear I wanted to go before Emily went there! ;-) Also, parts of Game of Thrones are filmed there...major selling point.

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Bali. Okay, I know this is not at all in the Europe vicinity, but I warned you, I have travel on the brain and I'm all over the place. Too many places to go, not enough time! Everyone we know who has gone to Bali raves about it, so it's on my list for sure! Also, I hear it's cheap once you get there. I know I would instantly be more relaxed and carefree thinking 'that dinner only cost us $15 US dollars?!'

Sources: Hotel, Tanah Lot, Rice Fields 

With so many amazing places to choose from, how did you narrow down your honeymoon search? Do you have any advice for locations that can be done on a budget without missing out? Where can we find the best combination of cuisine, sights, natural beauty, and relaxation?

Wedding Colors :: So Many to Choose From

I have to thank blogging for keeping me on track with my wedding planning. While I consider the planning process fun and something I look forward to, I still have had weeks where life gets crazy and I don't do much thinking about the wedding. All of a sudden I realize the week has flown by and I have done nothing. I think it's good to have those weeks - we shouldn't let planning completely consume us, but at the same time, we have to stay on track and a weekly check-in, even if it's just taking a few moments to think where you are and what is next to do, seems to be just the right amount. The colors/theme/feel was one thing I felt a little stuck on and without knowing that piece, I was having trouble envisioning everything. For me it was more than just picking two or three colors I liked together, I want everything to complement the venue, not compete with it. Even when I envisioned colors I like together, I didn't see how that translated into the wedding party, the table settings, etc. So, this past week, I didn't book any vendors or try on any wedding dresses, but I did do a lot of thinking...and internet searching. A couple nights ago my fiance and I sat down, each with a laptop, and talked about COLORS! We did a lot of searching and saying what we liked and didn't. Here's how we started - I listed the colors already at our venue. It's an outside setting, so most are the typical natural colors. They were: greens, blues, browns, white, tan, and grey/silver. To see pictures of our venue click here.

After about 30 minutes of searching, I was a little overwhelmed...so many amazing colors, so many ways to coordinate it all. This wasn't the first time I had thought about the wedding colors, but when I actually sat down to try to make some decisions, it was hard. Chris's main focus was what the guys would be wearing, but thankfully he was patient enough to listen to me think out loud about everything else and give his opinion. Dozens of searches later, we knew there were things we liked and others we could rule out, but we still weren't sure how it all came together. I liked the idea of having more of a 'color scheme' or 'palette' rather than having everything be two-three colors. When we stepped away from the computers and let everything sink in a little is when we finally figured it out. What we ended up liking the most and agreeing on is similar to the images below - neutrals, greys, pops of a bright poppy/orange and light blue accents.  Here's how I envision it playing out...

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Bridal party: guys in grey, ladies in light.

Source: Groomsmen, Bridesmaids

I love the bright flowers and the pale blue glass.

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Here was our thought process behind the colors. It started with the wedding party attire. We knew we didn't want black suits because of the time of year (hot, mid-July) and the fact that we wanted more of a casual feel. We were thinking tans or greys and Chris preferred the grey. Easy! For the bridesmaid dresses, I was originally thinking a navy, but then I was having trouble imagining everything. Once I saw the wedding images above, I liked the lighter, more neutral look with the pops of bright colors. This was a harder decision for me. As far as silver vs. gold, we will go with silvers because our venue already has silver accents - the roof of the barn, the dance floor is a cement grey, etc. The flower and accent color inspiration comes from my infatuation with poppies. My mom's love of the Wizard of Oz rubbed off on me at an early age and I will never forget the fields of poppies. Over the past few years Chris and I have been going on runs through the Golden Gate Park and I would spot the state flower in the gardens of the Conservatory. I've heard the actual poppy flower doesn't hold up very well once it's cut, so I may have to go with other flowers, but the color is what I will be going for. The pale blue glass...I don't know where that came from. I just love the look of it with the bright colors!

Now that I picked the color scheme, I can envision everything coming together. What a good feeling!

How did you pick your wedding colors? Did it come easily for you? 

A little shout out to my dear friends, Serena and Kevin, who used the neutral colors as a base for bright color accents. It worked so well with their Mexico location.  Check out their feature on Style Me Pretty here.

Designer at a Discount :: Dresses

Last week I wrote about one of the most fun parts of wedding planning for me thus far – dress shopping! I was in Austin last week and went to two stores…it definitely got me on the dress kick and I have already been again since getting back to San Francisco. Some girlfriends and I went to the Bridal Galleria in the Financial District. We had a great time (and I tried on some killer dresses!), but the first thing I noticed was how much more expensive the dresses were here. It definitely could have had something to do with the stores I went to, but it got me thinking – is it even worth trying on dresses over my budget? Will I fall in love with one only to be disappointed that I can’t have it? Naturally, my next thought was about alternative ways of buying wedding dresses. I know there are many. And being someone who doesn’t like to pay full price on my clothes, why should I pay full price for a wedding dress?! It is, after all, the most expensive single item of clothing I will have ever purchased. Eek! So, while I plan to try on more dresses at regular bridal boutiques, and may even buy from one of them, I’d like to at least attempt to find the dress I end up picking for a deal! Below I’ve compiled a list of alternative ways to buy wedding dresses. This is by no means a complete list, so if you have others you have heard good things about, please do tell in the comments!

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1. Trunk Shows: A trunk show is when a designer (or their representative) brings their collection to a bridal boutique and provides personal consultations. These trunk shows also typically come with a discount on the designers' dresses. This is a great option if you have already had a chance to go shopping and have found a designer and particular cuts and styles you are drawn to. You wouldn't want a trunk show to be the first time you try on dresses because you might feel pressured by the temporary discount.

Click here for a guide of upcoming trunk shows in some of the major metro areas. Also, if you are in a store and love a certain designer, you can ask your consultant if there is a trunk show coming up for that line.

Source: left, right

2. Discount Stores: I heard about Glamour Closet through my future sis-in-law, fellow E&I blogger and deal-lover, Taya. See her dress post here. She had great success at GC in LA and I feel super lucky that there is also a location here in San Francisco. I will definitely be making a stop by GC before my dress shopping is through.

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3. Pre-owned (aka 'used,' gasp!) wedding dresses: How GORGE is the gown above?! It is Monique Lhuillier, listed for $3,000 - more than $2k off the retail price. The site I found this one on has so many designers - see more at PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com. I think this would be for the bride who has found the exact dress she wants, knows her size and has time to wait and see if it becomes available on the site. You also have to be the type of person who doesn't mind if someone has worn the dress before you. As long as the dress came clean I really wouldn't care that it had already been worn. And, hey, you know the girl who wore it before you must have impeccable taste! ;-)

I recently heard of a company called Nearly Newlywed. Not only can you buy 'nearly new' dresses, but you can also sell your dress to them after your big day (post dry-cleaning, of course). 

Sources: left, right

Here are some other resources where you can find used dresses: Once Wed, 100 Layer Cake, SmartBride

Then there is always the option of getting a dress that is not technically a wedding dress, like a white prom dress or something not branded as 'wedding.' I think I am going to stick with the 'wedding dresses', but I could definitely see this working for the right person with a knack for fashion.

Have you considered any alternatives to buying a new dress at a boutique? Did you have a good experience? 

Playing Dress Up

Shout out from Austin, TX this week! I am here visiting my little sister (also my MOH) who moved to Austin last year. It's my first trip here and, wow, what a fun place! My mom and grandma also came in for the week. It's not too often these ladies are all in the same place, so it was a must that we go wedding dress shopping.

Up until this point I really hadn't given much thought to the dress other than knowing I would like it to be described as simple and classic, yet fun and young. This description could really go many directions so I was pretty much starting with a blank slate. With other wedding details on my mind, I hadn't started ripping pages out of magazines or pinning dresses on Pinterest. This meant that when it came to my first day trying on dresses yesterday, I was totally open-minded - I just wanted to try on anything and everything! What girl doesn't love to play dress up?!

Here are some shots of a few of the dresses I tried on. Like I said, I was trying on many different styles.

 Blush Bridal Lounge

Erica, the owner of Blush Bridal Lounge was awesome and had the most amazing belts! We had so much fun seeing how different belts can totally change the look and feel of a dress. She also gave us lessons on different types of lace. Erica gave some great advice about wedding dresses - she said that it is a decision to be made with your heart, not your head (loved that advice!). I also liked that she would pin the dress up with me facing the mirror and ask me what I thought before turning me around to face my family. This way I got to assess how I felt about the dress before hearing other opinions.

Next up was Unbridaled, another great boutique.

Unbridaled

Kelsey assisted us at Unbridaled. She is also the buyer for the store, so she knew it all! She was great at seeing what I liked and then pulling other dresses that fit the bill. Just like everything else in Austin, these bridal dress boutiques did not disappoint. The people here are so genuinely nice and cool. I definitely recommend coming dress shopping if you are ever in Austin and in need of a wedding dress! :-)

I loved two dresses in particular – one from each place. One of the two was not a style I was expecting to like as much as I did and I was pleasantly surprised! If I do end up wanting to get a dress here, I can get measured while I’m in town and have them ship it to me in San Francisco. If you go this route they charge for the shipping but you don’t have to pay sales tax - not a bad trade-off!

Not only did I find a few options that I could see myself wearing on the big day, but I learned a lot about what I'm looking for and am excited to continue the search for my dress.

What was your dress strategy? Did you go in knowing what you wanted? Did you come out with what you thought you wanted or something completely different? When you tried on the one, did you just know?

Until next week, ya'll!

Bridesmaid Asks :: DIY

I've heard that you are supposed to be a few months into the wedding planning before you ask your bridesmaids. But I don't think I'm alone when I say that I got excited and wanted to ask them right away! While people may have different opinions on the exact time you are supposed to ask your bridesmaids to be a part of your wedding, I think we can all agree you should be asking not telling. Being a wing woman to a bride these days can be a big commitment (both with time and money) and while it is a fun experience for most ladies, not everyone is in the position to take on the responsibility. With that said, I don't think you can go wrong with asking your bridesmaids, whether it's over the phone, in-person or sending a little note, but for those who want to do something extra crafty, I found some great ideas.

Remember paper chain dolls? Well, they grew up and got a lot more stylish!

Source and Instructions

Love this card with the lace:

Source and Instructions

Or you could play off the little engagement ring box with something like this...

Source and Instructions

If you want to go big and are a little further along in the planning process, you could make a box like the one below with details about the wedding party and wedding. It sounds surprisingly simple (and fun) to make!

Source and Instructions

If you are more into letting others craft for you, there's always Etsy! I have seen these hangers used for pictures of the bride's wedding dress, but they would make super cute bridesmaid asks by adding a personal note to each of your ladies. It would even make for cute pictures on the wedding day with all the bridesmaid dresses (and your wedding dress) hanging together.

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Here are the cards I made, ...

Supplies you will need:

• Pre-made cards and envelopes (I used Square)
• Colored paper - mine was an opaque orange color
• White scrap paper
• A pen - I used navy
• Elmer's glue gel

Instructions: draw a silhouette of a dress that you can use to trace the dresses. Trace the number of dresses you are going to need and then cut them out (cut inside the line you drew so it's not visible). Glue a dress onto each card. Then use your pen to free-hand draw the little bouquets and cut them out. Once the dresses have dried, glue the bouquets on top. I made a special version of the card for my sister (my maid of honor) by cutting a wedding dress shape out of shiny, textured white paper and putting that next to the 'bridesmaid dress' on the front.

Weigh the cards down with a heavy object, like a book, to keep everything from rippling as the glue dries.  Lastly, write 'will you...' on the front and 'be my bridesmaid' on the inside and write a little note to your friend/sister/sister-in-law to be. I tried my best on the hand writing, but these would look even more professional if you have great handwriting. Or you could use a computer and printer if you know how to do that or get some alphabet stamps. I think if I were to do this over again, I think would use letter stamps to spell the words out.

How did you or do you plan to ask your bridesmaids? Did you do something crafty or go with the tried-and-true way of just asking over the phone or in-person? 

Venue...Check!

I'm happy to say we found the 'where' and the 'when' for our wedding! We took an extended weekend trip up to Oregon last weekend and fell in love with one venue in particular...it had all the checks on my list and then some. Not only that, but we got to spend an afternoon in Hood River, where our guests will be staying, and had so much fun! As a bonus, our friends and their sweet ten-month-old baby girl were passing through town too, so we got to go to lunch and walk around town with them (with a little wine tasting room pit-stop). I can only hope for the 80-degree weather from last weekend when our wedding comes around! I hadn't been to Hood River since I was a teenager, and I can say that it definitely lived up to the memories. I know our friends and family will enjoy this town as much as we did. As I mentioned last week, it's really important to us that our guests are staying in a place that they can explore and hang out with each other. As we walked around town, we kept our eyes out for places we could be in the days before the wedding. There were so many great spots and things about the town that fit our style...breweries, fresh and local food, outdoor decks, nice people, etc.

The downtown area is full of quaint buildings with home and clothing boutiques, windsurfing stores and restaurants. In the background is the Columbia River and the State of Washington.

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Hood River is also the windsurfing capital of the world!

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 About a 30-minute drive south of the town of Hood River, past wineries, lavender farms, and pear orchards lies the spot we will be saying 'I do' in July of 2013 - Mt. Hood B&B.

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Here are some pictures of their awesome 47-acre property that sits on the northeast side of Mount Hood.

Mountain backdrop: check.

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Room for lawn games: check.

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Great dance floor: check!

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Spot for the music: check (although now my fiance wants a band and I'm not sure if that fits into our budget :-)

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Another reason we loved the B&B is that the owners were really sweet and helpful. Jackie (the wife/mom) happily answered my million and one questions. The couple raised their four kids on the property and now their daughter is also a day-of event coordinator. We wanted a day-of coordinator and she knew her stuff, so we hired her on the spot. That is sort of becoming a theme with our planning - if we know we like something, we make the decision quickly.

I am so relieved to have the date set and the venue booked. Now I feel like I can make all the other decisions within that framework and the vision can sort of fall into place. My mind is racing with all the other fun details...the colors, the dress, the flowers! Did anyone else feel like this? Or are the hard decisions yet to come?

Location, Location, Location :: Venue Search

You've heard it before - 'location, location, location' - and while it usually refers to real estate properties, I think it's also applicable to wedding venues. In searching for where we want to have our wedding, we were quickly faced with thinking not only about where the actual ceremony and reception would take place, but also where our guests would be spending a weekend. As I mentioned before, Chris and I have many friends in Oregon and my family is there, but we have lived in San Francisco for the past five years and his family is in California, so we have a community here too. Over our wedding weekend some of these people will be meeting for the first time, so it's really important to us that everyone get to know each other and have plenty of opportunities to hang out. As we come together in this union of marriage, we want our friends and family to come together as well (sounds corny, but it's true!). When thinking about this, we realized that if people just came from their house to our wedding and then went back home, it wouldn't have the effect we wanted. So, we decided, what better way for everyone to get to know each other than to be thrown into a small town over the course of a couple days?! Hence, our decision to narrow our search. We think the perfect place for what we have in mind is the Gorge/Hood River/Mount Hood area because it will be a 'destination' for almost everyone. At the same time, it's only an hour drive from the Portland and PDX airport, so it's not crazy remote for anyone either.

After we made the decision on this general location, the search has gotten easier and I'm beginning to actually picture what everything will look like. The main things we want in a venue are for it to be outdoor (although an indoor backup plan in case of rain would be a huge plus), some views would be nice, for it to fit our style - outdoor chic/whimsical - and to have a great dance area! Here are some of the images inspiring me and that I hope to find parts of this weekend on our visit. I know part of it will be being able to envision what we could turn a space into with some creativity.

Bridal Veil Lakes, sources: left, top right, bottom right

Mt. Hood Organic Farms, sources: Top, bottom left, bottom right

Mt. Hood B&B, sources: top, bottom

Gorge Crest Vineyards, source: all

I'm loving each of these venues for different reasons. I can't wait to see them in-person in a couple days. And it doesn't hurt that the forecast is showing 81 and sunny on Saturday so it will feel like summer!

Bear with me on one more real estate comparison...blame it on me living in several 'for sale' houses growing up (and countless HGTV shows in the past few years). If you remember last week when I talked about the difficulty seeing a venue through their website, I mentioned that I was sick of seeing countless close-up images of people's weddings - from their centerpieces to their rings on a grape vine, etc. I'm not trying to sound insensitive, it's just that that's not what us brides are looking for we search online for a venue (we want to see that when we are looking for a photographer or for DIY projects). The principle already applies in real estate - when you are trying to sell your house, you want to stage it in a way that other people can picture themselves living there, but at the same time, don't picture your family living there. So, you take down personal touches - family pictures, your moisturizer and toothbrushes from the bathroom counter and so on and you 'stage' it so that they think 'oh that little side room would make the perfect library/office!' I think wedding venue websites would benefit from a similar mindset. Instead of treating their sites like wedding blogs with pictures of all the details, they could find a way to balance couples being able to let their imaginations run wild with the space (staging), while removing the personalized elements of other weddings (family pictures on the wall). Any out-of-state brides out there? What do you think - are you running into this issue?

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Follow up to my first week: If you were patient enough to read through this post, below is a picture of my finished ring!!! My first post two weeks ago was about the ring my fiance proposed to me with (his grandmother's beautiful ring) and how we went to design the 'engagement' ring that day together. Well, he got down on his knee again last night with the ring we designed in-hand (actually in-pocket) for me to see for the first time and it seriously exceeded all my expectations. For some reason I'm not super comfortable posting pictures of my ring for all to see, which is why I hid it all the way down here. Perhaps it's because I don't want to come across as superficial or giving the impression that the loveliness of a ring has anything to do with what truly matters about a couple, because it doesn't...but I do truly love this ring and the guy who gave it to me and I'm not ashamed of either of those things.  ;-)

props to our amazing jeweler!

Venue Time :: Destination Unknown

While my fiancé and I live in one of the best cities in the world - San Francisco (yes, I know I'm biased!), we have known for a while that we wanted to get married in Oregon. I grew up in Eugene and we met while in school at the University of Oregon. We both have a lot of history there and the summers, especially, just feel like home to me. I can't imagine getting married anywhere else. Beyond knowing the state we want to tie the knot in, we are pretty open. The areas we have been focusing on spans from Eugene, up north to Portland and, from there, east to Hood River and the Mount Hood area. With this vast area in mind, the next question I asked myself was – where can I picture getting married?

Sources: 1, 2

• Vineyards: I grew up in the Willamette Valley, which is home to some beautiful vineyards and delicious wines! Chris and I had our first date at King Estate Winery and have visited many times since.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

•  Farms/Ranches: Views, nature and a little country flair…what more could a bride ask for?!

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• The Beach: I grew up going to our condo at the Inn at Otter Crest, located about 8 miles north of Newport, Oregon. The Oregon coast is scenic and raw and would make for amazing pictures. The downside of an Oregon beach wedding? The weather. If I got married in a beach setting I would want it to be outside and Oregon beaches aren't exactly known for warm summer evenings. Cold and wind-blown wouldn't be a good look for me.

Source: 1, 2

• Urban Scene: Portland isn’t just for shows about quirky, over-the-top Portlandians, it also has some great potential wedding spots. I am envisioning an industrial, exposed-brick-and-beams look for the reception. Possibly a little chapel for the ceremony (not because we are particularly religious, but I think it would be sweet and fun).

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• Hood River/Mount Hood area: ahhh, the views! If you’ve ever had the opportunity to drive along the Columbia River Gorge, which forms the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south, you know it’s a sight to see. I was not surprised to hear that this area is increasing in popularity for weddings. A snow-capped mountain in the height of summer would be such a cool backdrop for the big day.

Brainstorming was the fun part. Next came the searching where I found out the hardest part about planning a destination wedding is just what I thought it would be – not being there! The internet has been a lifesaver for me over the past couple weeks in the quest to find the venue but, with that said, most of the websites are not designed with the destination couple in mind. It is so tough to get a feel for the space and its layout through the pictures most sites have posted. I keep thinking to myself ‘I don’t care about these people’s center pieces and wedding rings hanging from a grape vine; I want to see the space!’ This is where Google Earth’s Satellite and Street View’s have come in handy for me. I have been able to zoom in on the area and see the layout of these places. Why don’t more sites feature a floor plan?! (It could be the interior design student in me. Does anyone else think this?)

Not only has it been hard to get a feel for the spaces through companies’ websites, I quickly realized that venues are booking up for summer 2013. So last week we bought plane tickets for a long weekend trip up north to see some of these places in-person - we're leaving next Friday! I do feel lucky that our ‘destination’ is a quick and direct flight away!

With just a weekend to look at spots, we don’t have the luxury of spending weeks looking and visiting, going back and weighing our options, but the destination thing is forcing us to be efficient and I like that!

Are you having a destination wedding? Destination or not, did you have the same trouble with venue websites? What was your venue strategy?

Put a Ring on it :: Something Old, Something New

With this being my very first post on E&I, I thought it appropriate that I start at the beginning – the day I got engaged. Most of us ladies picture the moment of our proposal with a big shimmering diamond peeking out of that little box. My story happened a little differently (and I could not be happier with how it turned out!). My boyfriend, excuse me fiancé, Chris, proposed to me with his maternal grandmother’s wedding ring. It fits perfectly with the vintage style I love and is so special to have something that saw his grandmother through many wonderful years.

My Ring!

Chris’ idea was that this ring could be my wedding band and that we could go design the actual ‘engagement’ ring together later that day. He knows how picky I can be and while I know I would have loved whatever he chose on his own, I was thrilled to have a part in designing the ring. Chris’ family friend and jeweler, Lynn of Lynn Hill & Co., had been helping him with the process of fixing up the ring he gave me and he had an appointment for us that afternoon. I have loved pear-shaped rings for the past few years so I at least had that part figured out.

Here is some of my inspiration: 

Source - Clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4

The traditional way to wear pear stones is with the pointed side up, but I love that you can change the whole look by turning it over. Lynn was so patient while I tried on rings and figured out just how I wanted everything to look. While I thought I knew exactly what I wanted before I went in, I found it was a little more complicated when I actually got into the shop and had all the amazing options around me. Not to mention taking into account that I wanted the two rings to complement each other. I was imagining how guys must feel on their own picking out a ring – the pressure!

I finally came to all the decisions I needed to make and can’t wait to see the end result in a couple weeks. I decided on a thin, plain band (because with pave it just looked like too much going on along side the existing ring), bezel setting (since the ring will already be sitting high enough to get up over the wedding ring and prongs would make it even higher), and a halo around the main stone (hopefully I have all my jewelry lingo right!).

Did you have a hand in your engagement ring design or did you prefer to leave it up to your man? If you did go along to help design the ring, did you find it harder than you thought it would be?

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Of course rings, jewelry and all things sparkly are so much fun to day dream about (and try on!), but this brings me to another thing I’ve been thinking about over the past few weeks…staying grounded/calm/sane during this coming year. I think the first few weeks of being engaged are sort of the calm before the storm that can be wedding planning. Once reality sets in that you have a very important party to plan! In this time I have been thinking more big-picture – what it means to be getting married, what our dream wedding would be (if logistics and money were not factors), what things will be the most important to us on our wedding day and looking back on it.

Time and again I come back to two things that I know I want – 1. For our wedding to be a true reflection of Chris and me as individuals and as a couple along with the community and lives we have built together, and 2. For everyone to have FUN! I am hoping that if I can keep these two things at the back of my mind during this process, it will help me to be confident in the decisions I make and enjoy this special time as much as possible. Of course, I want other things too (i.e. great food, lovely décor, etc.), but I think by coming back to my main points of focus, I will be able to make decisions with more ease.

How are you staying grounded during your wedding planning? Do you find that having some basic theme or idea to come back to keeps you on the right track?

E&I Bride: Rachel

I'm really excited to share a small new batch of E&I bloggers with you all! I shuffled through lots of brides to find 3 that would truly fit our style and be the best gals to follow along with in the wedding planning process. Today I am super excited to announce our newest gal, Rachel. As a side note, she is Taya's soon-to-be sister-in-law! How awesome is that? Rachel is planning to get married in Oregon since that is where her and her now-fiance met almost 6 years ago. She will be blogging here every Wednesday so make sure to stay tuned for her lovely posts! She currently lives in San Francisco, so this will be a mini destination wedding of sorts. Chris, the fiance, just popped the question a few weeks back so the two are newly engaged and ready to get started! I'm especially excited about it because I'm excited to see her start from scratch and blog the whole wedding experience right here with us!

Their personalities: Things we love: Food and cooking together. Wine and weekend or day trips to wine country. University of Oregon Football. Traveling - we took a trip to Germany and Italy together a few years ago. Chris loves all sports - watching and participating. He is an avid snowboarder and golfer. I love reading and my monthly book club with my girlfriends. I love interior design and decorating. Chris works in financial consulting for an aviation management company. I work as the manager of digital sales fulfullment for SFGate.com, the website of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Source: Shoes, Table Setting, Appetizers, Lace Runner, Groom, Table Number, Wooden Board, Table, Dress

 The Wedding: We plan to get married in Oregon in June or July of 2013. We picked Oregon because it is where I grew up and where we met. I envision having a whimsical, classic look. I want our wedding to feel like 'us' and have personal touches throughout. We have a relatively small budget, but we're not going to let that stop us from having a beautiful and fun wedding! I'm not afraid of a good DIY project and my sister, and maid of honor, is even more crafty than I am, so she will be a huge help.

We don't have our venue figured out yet and I think that will have a big impact on the rest of the decisions I/we make, from the look of my dress, to the color scheme, to the general feel of the wedding. I can't wait to pick the venue so the rest of my vision can fall into place.

For more of her wedding inspiration, check out and follow along with her Pinterest board! She will be joining us next week for her first official post, but in the meantime let's welcome her into the fold! Congrats on the engagement and I can't wait to see your wedding unfold!