I'm sure everyone loves there vendor's mostly I feel like I've found some really really good ones!! The first one that Mike and I found was our DJ. I had gone to a friends wedding last year and this was the DJ that they used. He was very energetic and I felt like he had a good read on the crowd, keeping the dance floor full for most of the evening. I think one of my pet peeves about DJ's are the ones who just sit up at their podium and say stuff like "We have everything folks, just request it". I really think to be good you have to have personality. I'm no expert so those are just my thoughts. The DJ that we booked is Mitch Perez Showtime DJ. Like I said we got the DJ first then very shortly after we got the location.
After the DJ I attended a bridal show in Feb and met Jennifer Starr of The Memory Journalists. We stood there and talked for about 30 minutes about life, the universe and everything but wedding except for a brief moment when I said I was still looking for a photographer. It was a connection I couldn't get out of my head and I had Mike meet her and he agreed. It was a little out of budget but, I know we are going to get great pictures and some great friends possibly! I'm looking forward to working with her and I am excited about a little surprise we are putting together..... :)
Finally, I got around to cake tasting. I went to my favorite bakery and I wasn't impressed...I was pretty bummed out about it actually because I love this bakery so I searched on for another baker. I had seen ads for Sugar and Spice Specialty Desserts and decided to give her a call. Carissa Jones the owner was fabulous!! When we went for a tasting she brought out this huge plate of different things to taste along with 3 different types of cakes (they were still warm)! Everything was good!!! It was hard to make a decision but, we did and I'm sure you'll love what I picked out!!!
I just had to post about these guys because they are so great. They are great business owners and even if I'm not the only bride in the world I sure do feel like it!! They always know who I am when I call and I think that's another great thing!!
Originally a blog about my wedding planning, that was 5 years ago. I recently became inspired to start blogging again. I'll see where my adventure takes me.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
The search for the dress...
So in the beginning of my search, I wanted something sleek, something with lace or maybe satin. Something that would fit into the 1920's Halloween costume of the bridal party! You see Mike and I are suppose to be Bonnie and Clyde and I wanted to find a dress that would accent this....So here is the story of my search....!!
In February I went to David's Bridal with my maid of honor, Crystal, and a bridesmaid, Nicole, to try on dresses. I liked several that I tried on but, I just felt like this isn't the right dress. The sales lady kept asking me "What would you change about the dress?" I didn't really know I liked them enough but, I'm having some body issues and I kinda wanted the dress to go with the theme and for me to like it. Dress 1 fit the theme but, Crytal said it made my hips look huge and Nicole said she felt it just wasn't the right dress and it did accentuate my hips! I'm glad I have friends I can count on to tell me the truth and not sugar coat things. I tried on a few other dresses and I was torn....I really liked this one but they were right it didn't look the best on me and the other dresses I tried on were just ok. The sales lady was a real help with her query of "What don't you like about it?" each time!! Really!? You are suppose to be a bridal consultant and that's all you can come up with?
When I finally did find another dress that I liked ,similar to dress 2 picture, the sales lady came in for the kill!!! No really that's how it felt she wasn't helpful then to top it off I find a dress I like and she's like, "if you don't order it now we may not have it, this is the last one in stock, it's a sample dress that we are trying at this store for a limited time" ! She was pretty relentless... I told her I'd like to talk it over with my friends before I made a decision. My friends were like we can tell you don't love it and we know you wanted your mom to be here when you find the dress so why don't you see if they can hold it and then come back in a month when they get here. I think at that point that's where I was headed then Crystal asked me a very good question "How upset would you be if dress 2 got away?" I thought about it and I wouldn't be that upset I decided. So The sales lady comes back and I tell her what I've decided "I'd like to make another appointment to come back when my mother and grandmother are in town so they can see the dress and I can get their opinion". The sales lady immediately changes her tune of "you have to buy this now before someone else gets it" to "Oh we can do that, you're not getting married until Oct so you have plenty of time if we needed to order it!"
PLEASE where was this 5 min ago?! This was my first attempt and the only bridal store I had gone too I wanted to go try on other dresses I just wasn't sure. Additionally, with Davids' Bridal what they have in the store is what you get so if they don't have your size to try on tough luck...I think the only dress that I actually wanted to try on of the 10 or so that I did was the first one I posted on here. I digress..
So a month goes by and I have an appointment at DB and an appointment the following day at two other bridal salons. Just in case you are wondering Monday is apparently a very busy day to go try on dresses....not Sat or Sun as you may be thinking. I'm sure those days are busy too but, Monday OMG it's almost impossible to get in without an appointment!! I take Mom and grandma to DB and I try on the first dress for them. This time the consultant is very helpful and she gets me into a bustier corset type of undergarment and a slip I try this dress on and my hips don't look huge!! I like it even more now!! but...grandma isn't sold.... mom likes it but, she says its up to me.
A quick side note Mom is a tomboy and doesn't really have an opinion about dresses, grandma is old fashioned and the whole idea of our wedding with costumes and what not she's not digging it!
OK, so I like this dress but, I'm not certain and I want to try on more dresses. I think I'll have better luck with the consultant this time around she seems to be very knowledgeable and very helpful!! I try on about 8 dresses and each time grandma doesn't like it....I know I'm not trying to please grandma but, she is getting silenter by the moment. The women in my family are the stubborn silent type.... The Bridal consultant comes into the fitting room with me and says "OK what do you want? I can see you aren't happy with the choices your mom and grandma are picking for you and I just want you to know this is your day, it's about you. It's not about what mom and grandma want..." That was very nice of her I just felt like I wanted a different body....You see wedding dress makers are cruel and if you are a size 10 in real life you can expect to be trying on a size 12 or 14 in wedding dresses....I know size doesn't matter if the dress looks good on you but, this is one obstacle that is very difficult to get around. I tell her I'm just not sure and I want to try on more dresses. I need some time to think about it before I jump into a $700 purchase that isn't returnable... She totally understands, she says "I want you to be happy with your dress, you are spending a fair amount of money and I don't care about my commission I just want my brides to be happy!" I'm telling you she was great!! I actually need to get around to writing a thank you note to her because she was so outstanding!
The next day we head out to Bridalmart, a lower end bridal salon that offers everything! When we walk in I'm directed to the room with the dresses and they way they do them here is by bra size....ok a little strange but I had like 10 racks to look through! So far a much better experience then DB. I pick out like 20 dresses including my dream dress.
I'm only allowed to bring 5 at a time back to the dressing rooms oh and I was suppose to bring my own undergarments they don't have those to try on with the dress....I wish I would have know this before, I'm wearing decent undies but a bright pink bra.....Great, ok we will make do with what we have. I try on 3 dresses that are immediate no's besides not fitting (because they go on the rack based on bra size...) I'm just not liking them but I think them but, I'm optimistic because I have such a huge selection. This time my consultant says "OK so all of the dresses you've tried on so far have similar things in common they sort of have a drop waist. I have a dress I want you to try on that I think will look great on your shape!" I'm thinking OK I'm open to suggestions and was that a compliment or not?! "Let's try it" I say. I try it on and it's the first dress that fits, I don't need the clamps to hold it on!! I'm excited about that part. I walk out to my mom, grandma and Crystal (she joined us for today). They all look up and Crystal says..."Uh oh...I think we found it" I look fabulous in this dress. It's not anything I had started looking for but It's beautiful!! I like it, grandma likes, it mom likes it (she even said that), and Crystal likes it. I say "Let's try it with a veil". I didn't expect this but as soon as I got the veil on I started getting emotional. I was tearing up and everything...."I think I found my dress guys" I say to them all. My voice is a bit shaky but, I'm sorta holding it together! I hadn't yet tried on the dress I came here for so I decide I want to try that dress on even though I'm sure I found the one!! I try it on and it is beautiful (it also fits) but, it's not the one. Everyone knows it.... So I call the other salon after purchasing my dress and I tell them I'm canceling my appointment because I found my dress, they are bummed and try to talk me into coming anyway but, I tell them I don't want to waste their time. We all go out to lunch after that to celebrate, and I get to cross another thing off my list!
UPDATES:
Here is a picture of the dress I ended up purchasing. :)
In February I went to David's Bridal with my maid of honor, Crystal, and a bridesmaid, Nicole, to try on dresses. I liked several that I tried on but, I just felt like this isn't the right dress. The sales lady kept asking me "What would you change about the dress?" I didn't really know I liked them enough but, I'm having some body issues and I kinda wanted the dress to go with the theme and for me to like it. Dress 1 fit the theme but, Crytal said it made my hips look huge and Nicole said she felt it just wasn't the right dress and it did accentuate my hips! I'm glad I have friends I can count on to tell me the truth and not sugar coat things. I tried on a few other dresses and I was torn....I really liked this one but they were right it didn't look the best on me and the other dresses I tried on were just ok. The sales lady was a real help with her query of "What don't you like about it?" each time!! Really!? You are suppose to be a bridal consultant and that's all you can come up with?
When I finally did find another dress that I liked ,similar to dress 2 picture, the sales lady came in for the kill!!! No really that's how it felt she wasn't helpful then to top it off I find a dress I like and she's like, "if you don't order it now we may not have it, this is the last one in stock, it's a sample dress that we are trying at this store for a limited time" ! She was pretty relentless... I told her I'd like to talk it over with my friends before I made a decision. My friends were like we can tell you don't love it and we know you wanted your mom to be here when you find the dress so why don't you see if they can hold it and then come back in a month when they get here. I think at that point that's where I was headed then Crystal asked me a very good question "How upset would you be if dress 2 got away?" I thought about it and I wouldn't be that upset I decided. So The sales lady comes back and I tell her what I've decided "I'd like to make another appointment to come back when my mother and grandmother are in town so they can see the dress and I can get their opinion". The sales lady immediately changes her tune of "you have to buy this now before someone else gets it" to "Oh we can do that, you're not getting married until Oct so you have plenty of time if we needed to order it!"
So a month goes by and I have an appointment at DB and an appointment the following day at two other bridal salons. Just in case you are wondering Monday is apparently a very busy day to go try on dresses....not Sat or Sun as you may be thinking. I'm sure those days are busy too but, Monday OMG it's almost impossible to get in without an appointment!! I take Mom and grandma to DB and I try on the first dress for them. This time the consultant is very helpful and she gets me into a bustier corset type of undergarment and a slip I try this dress on and my hips don't look huge!! I like it even more now!! but...grandma isn't sold.... mom likes it but, she says its up to me.
A quick side note Mom is a tomboy and doesn't really have an opinion about dresses, grandma is old fashioned and the whole idea of our wedding with costumes and what not she's not digging it!
OK, so I like this dress but, I'm not certain and I want to try on more dresses. I think I'll have better luck with the consultant this time around she seems to be very knowledgeable and very helpful!! I try on about 8 dresses and each time grandma doesn't like it....I know I'm not trying to please grandma but, she is getting silenter by the moment. The women in my family are the stubborn silent type.... The Bridal consultant comes into the fitting room with me and says "OK what do you want? I can see you aren't happy with the choices your mom and grandma are picking for you and I just want you to know this is your day, it's about you. It's not about what mom and grandma want..." That was very nice of her I just felt like I wanted a different body....You see wedding dress makers are cruel and if you are a size 10 in real life you can expect to be trying on a size 12 or 14 in wedding dresses....I know size doesn't matter if the dress looks good on you but, this is one obstacle that is very difficult to get around. I tell her I'm just not sure and I want to try on more dresses. I need some time to think about it before I jump into a $700 purchase that isn't returnable... She totally understands, she says "I want you to be happy with your dress, you are spending a fair amount of money and I don't care about my commission I just want my brides to be happy!" I'm telling you she was great!! I actually need to get around to writing a thank you note to her because she was so outstanding!
The next day we head out to Bridalmart, a lower end bridal salon that offers everything! When we walk in I'm directed to the room with the dresses and they way they do them here is by bra size....ok a little strange but I had like 10 racks to look through! So far a much better experience then DB. I pick out like 20 dresses including my dream dress.
I'm only allowed to bring 5 at a time back to the dressing rooms oh and I was suppose to bring my own undergarments they don't have those to try on with the dress....I wish I would have know this before, I'm wearing decent undies but a bright pink bra.....Great, ok we will make do with what we have. I try on 3 dresses that are immediate no's besides not fitting (because they go on the rack based on bra size...) I'm just not liking them but I think them but, I'm optimistic because I have such a huge selection. This time my consultant says "OK so all of the dresses you've tried on so far have similar things in common they sort of have a drop waist. I have a dress I want you to try on that I think will look great on your shape!" I'm thinking OK I'm open to suggestions and was that a compliment or not?! "Let's try it" I say. I try it on and it's the first dress that fits, I don't need the clamps to hold it on!! I'm excited about that part. I walk out to my mom, grandma and Crystal (she joined us for today). They all look up and Crystal says..."Uh oh...I think we found it" I look fabulous in this dress. It's not anything I had started looking for but It's beautiful!! I like it, grandma likes, it mom likes it (she even said that), and Crystal likes it. I say "Let's try it with a veil". I didn't expect this but as soon as I got the veil on I started getting emotional. I was tearing up and everything...."I think I found my dress guys" I say to them all. My voice is a bit shaky but, I'm sorta holding it together! I hadn't yet tried on the dress I came here for so I decide I want to try that dress on even though I'm sure I found the one!! I try it on and it is beautiful (it also fits) but, it's not the one. Everyone knows it.... So I call the other salon after purchasing my dress and I tell them I'm canceling my appointment because I found my dress, they are bummed and try to talk me into coming anyway but, I tell them I don't want to waste their time. We all go out to lunch after that to celebrate, and I get to cross another thing off my list!
UPDATES:
Here is a picture of the dress I ended up purchasing. :)
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
166 Days to go
Ok, so I'm going to make more of an effort to do this. I found the location of wedding and ceremony, it's going to be at the Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento. We decided to do heavy appetizers because the food cost was just too much!! We found the DJ next. We are using Mitch Perez of Showtime DJ. He is great!! Then we found the photographer Jennifer Starr of The Memory Journalists. We got our invitations on line at tinyprints.com. So the only thing/s I have left to do are find a florist, and determine the little things and how I'll do the decorating of the place. It's absolutely gorgeous on it's own so I won't need to do too much, it's something to consider. Ok, So I posted. Hopefully I'll do this more often....
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