Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Busy body....

We are gearing up for our engagement photo shoot next weekend at a local fair. I am stoked but also somewhat concerned. My fiance (love him to death) is unable to take good posed photos. He has a natural smile that melts my heart but as soon as a camera zeros in...awkwardness. He does this thing to try and make himself laugh that ends up looking like he has a serious bout of gas. It reminds me of that episode of Friends where Monica discovers Chandler can't smile.

(video from YouTube)


Friday, August 27, 2010

It's the freakin' weeken'

Any plans for the weekend? St. Louis has finally cooled off from the blistering summer weather so I plan to take full advantage of it. See ya Monday :)

(photo from The Knotty Bride)

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Feeling Whimsy!

This is a wedding I saved a while back and I am still in love with it. It comes from wedding photographer Victor Sizemore.  I am still salivating! Have a look:


The invitations, balloons, cut-outs, colors, games and ferris wheel....the details are impeccable!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Ciao Bella!

Over the weekend, Andy and I discussed potential honeymoon options. I can tell this is going to be an up hill battle...My philosophy for ALL travel is go big or go home. As for the honeymoon, I want to break the bank. Ok, ok...I have a little sense about it. I would not compromise our finances (and our marriage!) for the sake of a one week experience--but I absolutely want to go somewhere unforgettable. I only plan on taking one honeymoon so I want to make it count!

The dilemma: where to go "big."

This is turning out to be a huge heritage clash. I want to go to Italy, he wants to go to Ireland. Totally different experiences. I really don't see the romance in Ireland but I am keeping an open mind. In addition to my case, I stumbled upon a post from Grey Likes Wedding this week that featured an Italian honeymoon that was breathtaking! Have a look:





I saw these photos and my jaw literally dropped. Stunning! I can just see us wandering the streets of Sorrento, filling our bellies with the best pastas we'll ever eat, enjoying amazing wines and walking down to the Amalfi Coast at sunset. Do I really to do anymore convincing?

If this isn't your cup of tea, any recommendations for a unique honeymoon?

Monday, August 23, 2010

Oh Martha...

That Martha Stewart is a dream. Prison really served her well. She must have been scrapbooking all kinds of cute little ideas in there...Like this DIY Lollipop Tree.

This will go splendidly with our circus themed reception!

Hey Mr. Dj!

This weekend Andy and I started talking about the music at our reception. One of our biggest concerns for the reception is that it's not only fun for us, but also fun for all of our guests. Music is a HUGE part of that.

We stumbled upon this website over the weekend and it was a major success. It's a website devoted to songs for every part of your wedding..."First Dance," "Father/Daughter." You name it, they have it. They even have ready to go playlists! SOOO convenient. I would recommend Hi-Fi Weddings for brides not knowing the direction they want their reception to take (musically, that is)...Because who really wants that lame DJ coaxing the crowd for their participation in "The Duck Dance."


(photo from Dirty Martini)

(cue crickets)

Friday, August 20, 2010

Ahh, the weekend.

I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend...maybe get whisked away by a Forensic Files marathon? 


Have a good weekend!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Paper Tigers

One of the things I am quickly finding out is how expensive a wedding really is! The more I think about it, the more it makes me queasy...I mean, it's only ONE day! One of the first things that needs to be established when planning your wedding is a budget. Absolutely vital. Once that is in place, you can find ways to tweak and trim the things that are of high and low priorities.
One big expense is flowers. Remembering to purchase flowers in season (*on your wedding day*) can save you beaucoup. Flowers aren't a high priority for me so we are entertaining the idea of having paper flowers.


I love the color palette of these paper decorations.


It's hard to believe these paper flowers are made from coffee filters! Check out the DIY tutorial here from Design Sponge.

(photo via Aunt Peaches)

Another option is to attempt to make your own bouquets. I have been warned that this might be biting off more than you can chew however, I like a challenge. These projects might take a little more time and energy, but it will definitely save you a hefty portion of your budget to spend elsewhere.

Where else can I save some money??

The Tux

I recently went to my first big bridal show since being engaged....I was absolutely flooded with all of the options that are available for weddings these days. Between the sheer size of the event and the blood thirsty brides-to-be, the only thing we managed to check off our list were the tuxedos...and a gagillion phone calls from vendors that I thought were a good idea to fork over my information. You just get so excited about all of the cool booths and forget that maybe a honeymoon in Branson, MO wouldn't be ideal after all. Oh well, I imagine the calls will continue throughout the year :)

As for the tuxes, we decided to go the non-traditional route. The circus theme alone is pretty unconventional so we thought we'd keep it consistent for the tux. With the exception of the 80's, most weddings I've been to the groom/groomsmen look like penguins. The black and white, extremely thick, extremely heavy and extremely uncomfortable traditional tux. At the show, we stumbled upon these dapper suits from Men's Warehouse. After a thorough pat down of the young man modeling it (kidding), we discovered how amazingly thin and light it was! Your welcome boys for not letting you melt in your tuxes...

(photo from Men's Warehouse)

So now, my Andy won't look like my waiter--he'll look like my husband!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Step Right Up!

We've been engaged for a little over a month now. We have the church and reception booked but I still feel very unproductive. I thought with my killer decision making and serious organizational skills, the planning would be a breeze. This is the day every girl dreams of growing up....the larger than life dress accompanied by a gaudy 9 foot long veil.  Point of the story: I thought I'd have this thing nailed out, but I'm pretty positive there aren't many 9 year olds thinking about how not every dress is going to look amazing on their now much lumpier body or the "no play list" you are requiring from the DJ (or they won't be paid!).

Moving on...We are taking this wedding to the circus and no one can stop us! I was blown away by some of the ideas I've come across on the internets with similar themes. This one comes from Once Wed





(photos via Josh Goleman)


Doesn't this look like so much fun?! That is the kind of wedding I want to have!

Tootles!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Here Comes the Bride...

Welcome to my new little place on the web :) My name is Lindsay, Your Blushing Bride. For the next year, I will be planning my own wedding with my wonderful fiance. We have been together for a little over 3 years and FINALLY decided to make it official (love you babe ;) ). We are best friends that have the best time with each other. There is no one else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. Alright, enough with the sap!

For our big day, we wanted to make it an event that would be fun, light and something people would definitely not forget. It didn't take long for us to arrive on the idea of having a circus/carnival themed wedding! Before you jump to conclusions, we recognize the extremely fine line with this type of theme...we could very easily let this event slip from classy to trashy. That is why I have you guys now :)

I invite you to take the journey with me as I scour the web for the little details that will make our day truly unforgettable. Let the games begin...(insert circus music "root doot da doot")