Introducing... Miss Boa!

Since I am a Weddingbee fanatic, I will like to refer to my engaged friend in the proper Weddingbee style, not only because it's crazy fun, :D but also because it helps protect her identity and all that jazz.

She will now be referred to as Miss Boa! (the snake not the feather accessory XD)
(Yes, Miss Boa, I know this is probably a cobra or something, but it was the cutest snake drawing I could find! XD)

Why Miss Boa? Well, Miss Boa is an animal lover, to say the least. She has studied animals extensively during her undergrad career, tended to exotic animals during her trip to Africa, and owns about a dozen different snakes! (Plus a couple rabbits, a lizard or two, a scorpion, a dog, and probably some other pets that I'm forgetting!)

So it made perfect sense that the ring her finace proposed to her with, (which was custom made by the way), was a coil of two snakes surrounding the diamond!!! And the heads are anatomically correct boa snake heads.

That way I could choose "Miss Boa" without insulting her other snakes! XD

Well, now that I have a proper way to reference her, this is the scoop on Miss Boa's wedding plans:

Basically, due to elderly parents, Miss Boa wants to get hitched this summer, leaving about 7 months to plan the whole shindig.

Now add graduate school to the mix and you have a crazy few months of wedding planning! o.0

Good thing she has a VERY enthusiastic (i.e. wedding-crazed) bridal party to help her plan out all the details!

One bridesmaid is getting married this summer as well, another bridesmaid just finished a previous bridesmaid experience, and the man of honor (yes, man of honor), has been studying up on weddings and how to be a proper right hand man for the bride! :D

And ME, (yea for being a bridesmaid!!!) just a crazy girl who is once again focused on weddings! XD

And so, armed with gathered wedding knowledge and advice pouring in from all fronts, Miss Boa prepares for wedding bliss!

ONWARD HO!

And Without Further Ado...

...the blog posts shall start again!

I am sooo sorry for not posting sooner, but due to the holidays and the fact that I was having the boyfriend's parents over for Christmas, (Yea relationship progress! lol), I did not have much time to dedicate to reviving the blog.

But I also didn't have much material to work with until now, my lovely engaged friend needed time to develop a basic framework for her wedding!

(And also give me permission to blog about her wedding adventures, lol.)

So now that the basics are in place, let's begin!

<3

Blowing Off the Cobwebs

Hello old friends.



It's so strange to be back. It's like I'm looking back into a past life.

But I have good news. A close friend of mine is engaged!!! :D

And you know what that means...



THE BLOG IS BACK IN BUSINESS!!!

Farewell For Now

As much as it pains me to write this (since I just started getting decent followers and views!) I just cannot focus on weddings right now, for the sake of my relationship.

I've already put enough mushy-feeling stuff about how being a lady-in-waiting stinks, XD so I'll put in a nutshell:

Focusing on weddings right now, and hoping for my own, will probably make me so upset with my boyfriend that I will leave.

Woah, you might be thinking, what a crazy emotional woman. But this is 2+ years of buildup that I didn't think would last this long.

So I have to deal with it by trying to shift my viewpoint to encourage a healthy environment for a relationship. Which doesn't involve looking at dozens of gorgeous weddings every single day. XD

So until my one friend gets engaged, (since having someone else's wedding to focus on and put energy into is just fine, it has nothing to do with my relationship) I have to stop writing entirely. You guys probably saw this coming from my sad month of not posting, but I think you deserve a written confirmation.

I'm apologize to my readers, but I hope to start up again in a few months. (Hey, who knows? Maybe it will be a week! XD)

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer :( but I hope that when I do come back, it will be full speed ahead! :D

Good luck with all your happy endings,

<3 Sarah

Bridal Writer's Block...

So as one could probably tell, I'm a bit uninspired lately in wedding-blog-land. :P

With the realization that I won't be engaged any time soon, with my research reaching the extent of it's reach, and wedding blogs that show, while still gorgeous, breath-taking, and exciting, weddings that I basically already seen.

Being completely immersed in weddings does have it's drawbacks XD

Don't get me wrong, I love many, many elements of all these lovely celebrations, but there's nothing "new" to discover lately, I have seen too many aspects. All lovely variations of good, solid, fun ideas.

Such as:

Mini food!
Photobooth!
Grooms cake!
Unique toppers!
Flip flops favors!
Pashmina favors!
Colored shoes!
Purse bouquets!
Hair flowers!
Unique chair decor!
Non-floral centerpieces!
Cupcakes!
Mood lighting!
Magnet Save-the-Dates!
Hanging ceremony decor!
Creative send-offs!
Unique guestbooks!
Escort cards as favors!
Unique napkin settings!
Chargers!
Signature drinks!

(you get the idea)

All lovely, but I am fairly well-informed of them now. Being unable to pick and choose what variations would work for me just makes everything so...inapplicable to me. Does that make sense? Poor readers, lol.

At least I can say I'm aware of all my options! XD

(Once I get motivation to write, I'll start looking through said list and figuring out what I haven't discussed on the blog yet! Just because I've seen doesn't mean you have :) Thanks for bearing with me!)

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Just for fun, (because I haven't had a real fun post in a while,) I'd thought I'd post some of the more interesting folders in my wedding inspiration stash:

(Btw storing photos like this does not help you figure out where you got all that lovely inspiration from... XP, but if anyone knows please message me or comment and I'll add the link in right away!)

Small Food Touches -

Who wouldn't want to eat veggies when they're served in such a cute manner?! :D


These lace drink umbrellas are just. too. adorable!


My mom will probably kill me for putting up extremely fancy jello shots, but they're so different I can't resist! XD


Lighting and Candles -

I love how just putting the hanging lanterns in a line not only makes a statement, but decorates the high ceilings so well!


This photo alone makes me wonder about a winery wedding XD


My favorite paper luminaries...they look damn good for DIY!


Small Touches -

I so love these fancy and elegant paper scrolls!


You see the soft and pretty floral centerpiece on the table. What do I see? "OMG those are the cutest napkins ever!!!" XD


I don't consider myself whimsical...but I really like these cute banners! <3


Hope you enjoyed!

The One, The Only...Boldt Castle

So I figured I might as well give you the lowdown of the castle I have mentioned, the lovely Boldt Castle!


A gorgeous castle surrounded by pretty gardens on a heart-shaped island in the Thousand Islands area!

Lovely, isn't it?!

It wasn't always that way. The castle was built by George C. Boldt for his wife Louise as a labor of love, but unfortunately mid-construction she passed away. Heartbroken, Boldt abandoned the project and the castle.

Years later in 1977, renovations began to take place and now a good part of the castle is back to, or greater than, its former glory and open to the public. There are still many parts of the castle left to work on, and as time passes more and more areas of the castle are completed.


Weddings here are a bit structured to say the least. You can only have the wedding outside at the gazebo, (if raining on the veranda) but since the rental fee is basically just admission fees to the castle, (and a new $150 "reservation fee" XP) all attending can view the castle if they like.


What to expect for a wedding at Boldt Castle:

First and foremost, it is on an island, so the biggest thing is getting your guests, your bridal party, your decorations, your officiant, your musicians, etc. across the water to your ceremony! Fortunately Uncle Sam Boat Tours does group sales for its shuttle, so you can decide to either pay for your guest tickets or just reserve a block of tickets for them.

You have a limit of 150 people in attendance, including the officiant, musicians, photographer, etc. and you have an hour and a half for setup, the ceremony, and cleanup of the site. Not much time to work with, but I assume you can have photos taken onsite before or after the ceremony without much fuss, since it is a public attraction after all!

They say the staircase in the castle is not available for photos, but I would definitely try to make a special request...


Every ceremony comes with a changing/waiting room for the bride and bridesmaids, all ceremony chairs, a portable address system, and a free wedding rehearsal for the wedding party.


Costs for a ceremony is $7 per adult, $4.50 per young child for all attending, (again, officiant, musicians, photographer, etc. included), and a $150 reservation fee.

You cannot have a reception on the island, unfortunately, but if you're really set on having your reception at a castle, Singer Castle might be more up your alley!


I will probably do a review for Singer Castle sometime, but personally I like the grounds of Boldt Castle more. However if it can hold a decent number of people for a seated dinner then I may consider it Thousand Island reception option #5! XD

So yes, while the castle is pretty, it's no bargain in my opinion. If I have 100 guests, that's $850 just for the ceremony site... XP At least viewing the rest of the castle will give my guests something to do before the reception??? *shrugs*

But it is a castle...such a pretty, pretty castle XD

Old Navy $1 Flip Flop Sale!

Hey readers!

Now everyone can buy $1 flip flops at Old Navy this Saturday, May 21st! :D :D :D

There's a limit of 5 per person, so bring your family and friends to help you collect enough lovelies for your reception!

Good luck ladies!!!

Old Navy Flip Flop Presale!

Hey readers,

Just letting you know if you have an Old Navy credit card, (or any of your family or friends...), you can take part in the Old Navy $1 flip flop sale going on tomorrow only, Saturday the 14th!

There's a limit of 5 per customer, and it's only in-store, but get a crew going with you and you should have a decent stock of them before the real crowds come!

Good luck!

Craigslist Is A Bride's Best Friend

I know...craigslist...

The borderline between awesome and shady, great deals and spammers, because no one knows who's really on the other end...

But craigslist is so your friend if you know how to use it!

Just the other day I was doing my regular craigslist search for awesomeness, (because I could still use a few furniture items for the house and whatnot,) I found an ad for eiffel tower vases.

(Which did not come up when I searched for "wedding" and was in the household items section, so look in all sections to find potential hidden gems!)

Being obsessed with weddings, :) I couldn't help myself and viewed the listing.

" 20" Eiffel Tower Clear Glass Vases - $60:

20" Clear Glass Eiffel Tower Vases in excellent conidition.
Used once will silk flowers, no water has ever been in them.
Make great centerpieces for weddings and special events.
Have weighty base for stability.
Have 29 vases."

29 vases...for $60?!?!

I thought it was too good to be true.

So I quickly sent an email to the seller, (always put your first name only in the email to make things more personable and less spam-ish, without giving away your complete identity,) asking if they still were available and confirming that all 29 vases were in fact jointly priced for $60...and she said yes, all for $60, and left a phone number.

OMG MY JAW DROPPED TO THE FLOOR!

or rather, dropped to the table XDThat works out to be $2.07 per 20" vase!!!

I. could. not. pass. this. deal. up.

I called right away, and scheduled the pickup at a large store plaza that was (generally) a midpoint between where we both worked. Great! A public area so I know I won't get mugged! XD

Usually I take someone with me just in case of shifty situations, (and I probably should have taken someone with me anyways,) but a public place is a much safer bet than a private residence. Never go to a private residence alone!

The seller was in fact the mother of the bride who used the vases, and the nicest woman ever!

She chatted with me about her daughter's wedding, told me what her centerpieces were like, asked what I was using them for, (to make things straightforward I told her I was planning on using them for my own wedding...telling her about my blog and hopes and dreams would have been TMI for a stranger! XD)

Meanwhile I had to keep myself from blurting out "OMG these are so cheap, do you know these things sell for at least $5 everywhere else?!?"

Then she helped me load up the car, I paid her the $60 in cash, (most sellers will not deal with anything besides cash for small purchases,) wished me well, and was off!

And now, I have 29 crazy-cheap 20" high eiffel tower vases, ready for unexpected increases of guests and centerpieces, proud and triumphant!!!

Whee!So in conclusion,

Craigslist is AWESOME!

Great Accessories Sale on Groupon!

Hey my lovely readers, do you have your accessories for your wedding day ensemble yet?

Well I would highly recommend looking at Send the Trend, which has a Groupon deal going on now for 3 accessories for $30!

This is a great deal considering every accessory is priced at $29.99 to begin with! :D

Just watch out for the monthly accessories service...if you sign up for it they will charge you $29.99 a month unless you tell the site to "skip a month" before the 5th of the month. Now I don't know about you, but I would forget to do this...frequently. XP But it is just an option for you after purchasing the 3 accessories, so as long as you opt out, there should be no problems!

Here are some of my recommendations:

If you mother wants pearls, but your a bit more of a modern girl, this Mallory Opalescent Cage Cuff seems to be a wonderful compromise! Classic yet fun, and a great way to bring some bling to your look!


There were so many earrings that I loved, but I have to say these two were my favorites--

Again, another fun play on pearls, modern pearl earring clusters!


And some classic crystal earrings that are so wonderfully elegant!


If you have a more casual look, or want a very understated necklace, this Virginia Love Necklace is just too cute to pass up!


Also, this headband seems to have enough sparkle for a wedding hairpiece, yet is understated, for those who would rather nix the tiara!


So as you can see, Send the Trend seems to cater to a variety of tastes, I would recommend checking them out--you never know what you'll find!

Happy shopping! <3

(As a side note, Send the Trend and Groupon gave me nothing for doing this post, this is just my thrifty opinion!)

Why I Can't Stand BHLDN

What did you say? *GASP!* How could you!?

Everyone loves BHLDN! With their lovely vintage style, how could you refuse?!

Well, in my opinion, their prices suck and are horribly high.

Clothes? Fine, let the dresses be overpriced, clothes have always varied greatly in price for no good reason.

But with the new wedding decor line, come on! XP

Paper chargers for $1.70 each?! Really?! You can MAKE these, it doesn't take rocket science to cut out a scalloped circle! (Especially if you own a Cricut...)


Again, paper polka dot garland, 8ft for $18, you could also make this yourself with some metallic paper or foil covered cardboard, and some fishing line.


They even admit this LOVE banner is made of cardboard, not even 2ft in length for $28?! You can make this with cardboard letters, fine glitter, and ribbon. Cardboard is cheap, Dollar Tree sells ribbon, so the most expensive thing here is the glitter. You can buy ultra-fine glitter at Joann Fabrics for $5...


More paper nonsense, Cake-To-Go boxes that they sell unassembled, for $2.50 apiece. Yep, you're paying $2.50 for a piece of paper-covered cardboard with a stupid adhesive strip on it... XP


Paper wrapped votives for $5.67 a piece when you can buy glass votives in bulk and wrap them in patterned paper yourself. Geez...


Selling a FELT leaf garland for $1.16 a foot?! That you can tell is just connected loosely?!


You can buy a 3'x6' piece of felt at Joann Fabrics for $4.99, and cut out the pattern yourself.

The site says it's 3" at its widest, and each piece is either 7.5" or 9" long. So let's say 4" are needed to cut each width of leaf garland on the piece of Joann felt, and you make them all 12" long. You get 54 leaf sections from the piece of felt, and since they're all a foot long you get 54 feet of garland, making each foot cost $0.10 each and a bit of your time!

A $178 9" CAKE TOPPER THAT IS CLEARLY FAKE FLOWERS TIED AROUND A WIRE WREATH WITH A WIRE RIBBON BOW AND SOME WOOD BELLS TIED TO IT!?! PLEASE TELL ME HOW THAT IS $178 TO MAKE?!


See?!?! WAAAYY overpriced! D:<

I could go on and on and ON with this stupid decor line! D:<

So my lovely readers, please, use BHLDN's decor for inspiration only and try to find the products somewhere else. You will find cheaper alternatives, or you can try making most of them yourself.

But save your precious hard-earned money.

*end of rant*

Guestbook Deal Only Til the 6th!!!

After seeing an episode of TLC's Extreme Couponing, I was very, very, intrigued...and wondered how I could do that!

So I google it online and I find this nifty coupon site, Hip2Save.

And what is on the latest post?

$40 worth of Paper Coterie products for FREE. Get $40 worth of merchandise, get $40 off, just pay shipping! :D (Click link for the coupon code.)

And Paper Coterie sells guestbooks. 30 page, fully custom, (except for the general design, can change the photos and wording of titles, headings, and text,) hard cover guestbook for $29.99.

So you do need to add another product to get the $40 discount, the cheapest thing they sell are custom 20"x13" posters for $14 that are made from a durable fabric that somehow sticks to the wall! Neat! Not to mention they have some really cool designs, how cute is this heart polaroid design?!

But hurry! This offer only lasts until May 6th!!!

Can I get a woot woot for affordable custom printed products?!? :D

Woot woot!

(As a side note, Hip 2 Save and Paper Coterie gave me nothing for doing this post, this is just my thrifty opinion!)

Another Alert to All Thrifty Brides!!!

We have more amazing thrify-ness from The Christmas Tree Shop and the Dollar Tree! :D

First, we have The Christmas Tree Shop find, cute and comfy hooded terry wraps for just $8 each, in white, pink, blue, yellow and (I think) black:

These would be a perfect bridesmaids' gift, easy to customize, and a great way to get those cute getting-ready pics!


At the Dollar Tree, they're selling what most brides wait til June for...$1 flip flops!!!

You can get them in black or white designs or in black, dark blue, light blue, pink, purple, or yellow!

No more waiting in line at Old Navy ladies! Get these while they last!

Your welcome.

:)

(As a side note, Dollar Tree and Christmas Tree Shop gave me nothing for doing this post, this is just my thrifty opinion!)

My Review of the Royal Wedding

What a lovely wedding we saw today. :)

In my opinion, Kate kept things simple, classic and elegant.

She could have gone over the top.
She could have ruffled some feathers being more "modern".

But she didn't! And it was perfect!

I was actually very surprised with her understated elegance.

Her dress:

Very simple and sleek, with a v-neck lace bolero-like top over a strapless neckline, with an (I believe) an a-line skirt and a decent (but not excessive) sized train.

It's modern due to it's simplicity, yet is traditional enough that there's no question it is a Royal Wedding gown.

Her tiara and earrings are gorgeous, but not over the top, and do not demand too much attention, so the focus is on the beautiful bride!

Having her hair half up and curled was perfect for her ensemble as well, very regal, and very pretty in an effortless way.

Her maid of honor:

I was very surprised to see her sister Pippa wearing white! (Or ivory, I cannot tell the difference really! XP) However she does look very lovely in a sleek, trumpet style dress which I believe does have some lace on the sleeves.

I kinda really loved the way the bridesmaid's hair was done, with a bunch of lily of the valley pinned to back of her half-up hairdo. Again, effortlessly pretty!

(and btw those flower girls are A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.!)

Her flowers:

At first I thought most of her flowers were mainly baby's breath, but with a bit of research I learned it was bunches of lily of the valley! What a high-class touch! Her bouquet consists of lily of the valley, hyacinth, ivy, a sprig of myrtle, and sweet william! (That is just too cute!)

I was very surprised at the size of the bouquet as well, compared to American brides, it is definitely on the small side! Not that it matters, it just wasn't what I expected. Still very romantic!

The ceremony:

Westminster Abbey does not need much decoration, so anything added to this space just adds to the elegance, charm, and awe of the place! Tall trees lining the beginning of the isle is a very modern touch in my opinion, really works with the height of the Abbey, and the rest of the flower arrangements were large, but fairly traditional with white flowers. Kept them straightforward but pretty!

Also the ceremony had a very nice timeline, it was not too long or drawn out, with a lot of audience participation with the hymns. It was very enjoyable to watch.


But the most important thing of all...they look so happy!


I wish the couple much happiness and joy in their new marriage! Congrats you two!

<3