I don't think that it's been much of a secret that Kevin and I have had to change our wedding date... more than once. Turns out that the Navy can be a really inconvenient factor in planning a wedding. I think that's why I stopped blogging for a while... the Navy was discouraging me from thinking I could ever have a wedding planned more than a month in advance. Recently, things are starting to look up again and it looks like the wedding is set for August (I hope I didn't just jinx myself).
Anyway... now that I'm cautiously proceeding back into the world of wedding planning I thought I would share this website I found 100 Layer Cake. It's a great place to get decorating ideas, find vendors, and best of all buy/sell used wedding decorations. So all of those candles, vases, etc. that you bought in bulk for your wedding you can resell them on this website... or scoop up someone else's at a good price.
Also... Kevin and I are finally getting our engagement pictures done next weekend!!!! I really wanted to get them done in San Diego to capture our time living out here (and to longingly flip through while Kevin is deployed... kidding!... kinda)... so we'll be heading to the beach and pier for a fun Cali vibe.  Check out the photographers website here.

JCrew

JCrew bridal attire has really taken off recently. I feel like the bridesmaid dresses have been popular for a while now but so many people are choosing the simple, classic and (bonus*) affordable JCrew designs for their wedding dress. 
I love New York Magazine's online wedding section - they don't update it often but it's a great spot to find vendors and tips in the tri-state area. Anyway, they recently did an interview with Jenna Lyons, President and Executive Creative Director at J.Crew, and Tom Mora, Head of Wedding Design at J.Crew asking them for style tips for the bride. See below...

At all the weddings I’ve been to this year, the bride was wearing a strapless dress. What’s the deal? 
T.M.: It’s all about strapless.
J.L.: Always.
T.M.: They love it.

It can look really great or really bad.How will you know? 
J.L.: It has everything to do with body type. If you have very strong shoulders or are better endowed on top, it might look less flattering than it would on a smaller frame. I do love that with the right fit and the right tailoring, so many body types can look good in it.
T.M.: Tailoring is so important. It has to be small, even a little uncomfortable. Most brides lose weight before their wedding, so you need a fitting about a week to ten days before to have it adjusted without going too tight. If it’s taken in too much, your back can look like a Shar-Pei.
J.L.: There has to be a proper interior so the bustier is holding up the dress. When the dress itself is holding up the dress, it’s a dangerous thing.
T.M.: Yeah, you don’t want to be the bride who’s tugging at her gown the whole time.
J.L.: It’s not a good look.
T.M.: You should be dancing with your arms over your head!

What kind of dresses have waned in popularity? 
J.L.: People aren’t looking for the heavily encrusted dresses anymore.

Do you have any tips for accessorizing?
J.L.: If you’re wearing dangly earrings, don’t do a necklace. If you have a big necklace, then no bracelet. The idea is to create a little bit of energy and pop, which you can usually do with one piece of jewelry. Also, never forget to bring your shoes when you go for a fitting. They’re very important.

Jenna, you designed your own wedding dress. Wasn’t there anything at a boutique worth buying? 
J.L.: I wanted a triangle top with tiny straps and a full skirt, and there was nothing out there like that. But I had contact with incredible embroiderers and an amazing beading house, so the dress had beautiful beading. We used multiple layers of tissue linen, which is very light, and worked in an embroidery pattern with large flowers and birds in different shades of ivory—you had to get close to see the detail.
T.M.: It was really beautiful.
J.L.: Tom was there. This is really embarrassing, but I never picked it up from the dry cleaner. It’s at Madame Paulette to this day.

Say Cheese!

I was having a difficult time trying to find a photographer for our wedding. I know the style I like (photojournalism) but I was having a difficult time choosing the right photographer. There are so many options that you need to consider when choosing the photographer - do you need a 2nd photographer? does it matter if you receive your photos on a DVD or a CD? how much should a photo album reallyyy cost? how many hours of coverage are necessary? is an engagement session included?

I think the bottom line here is - picking a photographer is NOT easy.

I had found one that I really loved - but with our new wedding date they were no longer available (bummer). Oh welll! Luckily, I had already stumbled upon the best website ever. It's a website that lists all of the photojournalists in your area, their packages and pricing, and their website/blog. It's a huge help when comparing photographers.

Paper

I have been having such a fun experience coming up with my and Kevin's Save the Date cards. That's probably because I've been working with a gal by the name of Katie Jensen. She is so creative and has done an incredible job of taking my scatterbrain ideas and creating something so beautiful but most importantly... something that is a reflection of me and Kevin. Here are a few sample invites that she has done which I love...

Videographer

My apologies for my serious lack of posts... but it's been a crazy two weeks (I'll share more details on that soon!) Anyway, Kevin and I have recently made some progress on the wedding planning front. We hired a husband/wife videographer team that is awesome! They were recommended to us by Kevin's cousin, Aly, and after seeing the videos they made from her and Sam's big day - I was sold! They're called MoHo Creative and they're videos will make you cry over a complete strangers wedding (that Laura and Ben video was adorable!) I can't wait to see what they come up with for me and Kevin.

Bridesmaid Dresses

I've been doing a lot of research lately on bridesmaid dresses... and I have really fallen in love with Simple Silhouettes. They offer a great variety of styles, colors, and fabrics - and the dresses are beautifully made.
You can visit their NYC location by appointment only... so I paid them a visit with 2 of my bridesmaids on Thursday and tried on several different styles. It was so much fun because they only accept 1 bride and her guests at a time so we had full reign of the place. They really made it such a fun and personal experience.

Here's a picture of the studio and one of the amazingly colorful racks of dresses

 Here's a rack of bridal gowns - perfect for a beach/destination wedding!

Paperless Post

I just wanted to share my new favorite website... Paperless Post!

It's a really great website that sends out the cutest evites. I have received a few in the past and I have always remembered them for being really cute and fun.

Recently, I created an evite on Paperless Post for my beloved (work) friend, Sarah's, going away party.  That little over-achiever is ditching me for lawww school (just kidding!). So in order to send her off in style - I used Paperless Post for her going away party. It only costs a few dollars and is truly worth it. I got so many compliments on how great they looked.

It arrives in your inbox as an envelope that opens up to a beautiful piece of stationary which you can then click through for additional details for your party. You can customize everything and it comes out beautifully.

I thought that this would be a great idea for a bachelorette party, engagement party, and maybe even a Save the Date?

Holy Moly

While Kevin was visiting Memorial Day weekend... I thought it would be nice to try to accomplish a few wedding things together. The main - and most important - task was reserving the Church.
We weren't sure if Holy Cross would allow us to get married there because we aren't parishioners - luckily, Kevin's grandfather was able to talk them into it. So, we got the Church we were hoping for!
Which brings me to my story... we thought we just had to make a quick stop to pick up a few papers and finalize everything. Boyyyy was I wrong!
When we met with the lady who works in the rectory (who was practically dressed in an American Flag for the holiday weekend)... I should have known that we were in for a much longer meeting when she told us to take a seat and then brought it in piles of papers and brochures for us to go through- together! That part was not bad... in fact, we learned a lot about having a Catholic ceremony, the steps leading up to our wedding (pre cana, etc.), and most importantly our marriage to each other.
The second hour was the part Kevin and I were really not prepared for - our individual interviews!!! We were separated from each other and then literally had to swear on the Bible before we had to start answering questions.
Now, the interview was not difficult or anything because we have obviously spoken about all of the important things that she asked us questions about - but there were a few that really caught me off guard... questions along the lines of "Are you related by blood OR adoption?" (seriously!?)
Anyway, two hours later we walked out of the parish office starving and laughing over the whole experience. 

There are several steps that we need to take before we can have a Catholic ceremony and I'm sure they will lead to some funny posts - which I will be sure to fill you all in on!

Enjoy pictures of the Church!

Military Wedding... yes, please.

When the question arose of whether or not to have a military wedding... the answer was quite obvious to me... abso-freaking-lutely!
Kevin was concerned that I would want to be the only one dressed in white on our big day, but I simply laughed........ as visions of Tom Cruise from Top Gun and Richard Gere from An Officer and a Gentleman danced in my head. Was he nuts?! This was gonna be awesome!
The idea of a military wedding is really beautiful, but to be honest, I had never been to one before nor did I really know what I was getting myself into.
KEVIN'S MOM TO THE RESCUE!
I recently received a book from Peggy, Service Etiquette. I'm telling you... this thing answers any potential questions I could possibly have about a military wedding. It provides details on everything from invitations to the sword arch. If you're planning a military wedding... you should pick up a copy.  This book is so interesting and fun to go through!

Blog Heaven

I have to admit that in the past couple of weeks I have really gotten into the wedding blog scene. I can't help myself! There are so many inspirational wedding blogs out there that you can't help but get lost searching through them. One minute your sitting there and then all of a sudden you realize an hour has gone by and you have a million ideas for something as simple as place cards!
I have loved going through wedding magazines with my mom and sister for as long as I can remember and I guess this is just the next step in my wedding planning addiction.
There are probably a million wedding blogs (trust me, I've done the leg work) but here are some of my fav's:
Style Me Pretty
erin ever after
Once Wed
East Side Bride *so funny
La Belle Bride
Sienna Wedding

And of course my standby fav websites:
The Knot
Martha Stewart Wedding

Wedding Planner/Organizer

So my incredible sister just gave me a great planner/organizer to help keep me organized during this planning process.  It's really awesome and is going to be so helpful! It's a binder so it makes it easier to add things as I go. It comes with a 3-hole puncher to add in anything I need, clear bags to put any loose ends in, folders, business card holders (got my 1st card for a photographer on Friday!) and even a hot pink bag that says "Bride" on it! The last part is actually true but I don't think I'll be using that.
It also has great tips for saving money and developing a budget.

It's basically the Cadillac of wedding organizers.