Well I finished Rebecca Mead's One Perfect Day so it's time for a little book review.

Overall, it was a pretty interesting book but I didn't learn anything THAT shocking about the wedding industry. I've already blogged about the Unity Candle which was really my one big surprise. I didn't realize the unity candle trend is only about 20 years old, tops.

I learned a bit about the history of David's Bridal and how it became the first real off-the-rack wedding salon as opposed to the other designers that require 6 months lead time to produce your gown. Its sort of the Walmart of the wedding world but in this case I'm ok with that. I cannot justify spending thousands of dollars on a gown. I don't spend that much money on clothes ever and I don't see my wedding being that exception. Andy has loved me and thought I was beautiful in my $2 Old Navy t-shirts that I own in 15 colors. I don't think I need $5000 in crystals to make him realize he's making the right decision.

The book did cover the world of wedding planning and its rising role as a career path. It was interesting to hear a little about the founding of this field. It makes perfect sense given that more and more women now work and we have less and less training in the formalities of entertaining (except for me because Amy Vanderbilt taught me the PROPER seating arrangement at every type of dinner party. Side note, did you know that those RSVP cards that are wedding standard in invites were only devised because unmannered Americans stopped learning how to write a proper RSVP themselves. Ya know, get out a pen and paper and write a note back that says you'd love to attend. Now we practically write it for our guests, complete with stamp. WHO KNEW? But enough on this, I'll write more etiquette book musings later.)

Overall, the wedding industry is cut throat. They do their best to make everything feel like a sentimental must have, like your wedding will be doomed without it. Like every other product we buy in the US, its made overseas under deplorable labor standards.

The book was  easy to read and did have some funny anecdotes from the wedding experts the author followed. The book basically reiterated many of the retail aspects of weddings that I detest. It tried to explain the bridezilla culture and the quest to have your wedding be a declaration of your personal style. If you're looking to delve into the workings of the industry, this book will be a good read for you!

I was back to looking at that website where cheap makes you look thin. I came across another stunner.

I know you can theme your wedding any way you please these days so I thought I'd highlight how easy it is to throw a kitschy wedding.

First, the dress has another brilliant description "Wedding is the symbol of the women’s vision of romance, but a symbol of the warm color pink stands for the health care to the women themselves. If you own a pink wedding gown you will be soft and gentle."

Um, are they making a reference to breast cancer?

To complete your wedding, you can serve a variety of hello kitty wine, register for hello kitty house hold appliances and you can top your wedding cake.  And I found all this in 10 minutes on google.

I guess it goes to show, when it comes to weddings you can have whatever you want. I like Snoopy, maybe I should reconsider my theme. Something Snoopy has a nice ring to it. In case I go that route, I did find this article on How to Snoopify your Wedding.

Andy's still out to sea, so I'm spending a relaxing evening at home with my dogs and lots of wedding websites. Plus, Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta is on too! BONUS!

I thought tonight I'd look for some websites specializing in cheap wedding crap like oriental trading company. Instead, I got something infinitely better! My search for cheap wedding led me to this!

I saw this dress and immediately laughed. I've never seen pleats like this. Who on earth would wear this? As I was chuckling, yet again, about ugly dresses I started to read the actual website.

"Most women like the price cheap. On most occasions the price of white is the best choice for the wedding dresses. But some women want to have a totally different wedding by wearing a cheap wedding dresses. When someone is dressed in cheap, most people would regard her as a gentle woman with good education.

Why so many people have the same desire for the cheap? To begin with, the cheap is different from white so the cheap will make you feel different from other people. What is more, if you are a little fat, you should choose the cheap wedding dresses. Some data has suggested that cheap will make you look like more thinner. Most important, the cheap is the price of ocean and it will give the dresser a charming feel. So when the brides have the wedding dresses with cheap in them, the brides will become the most beautiful woman in the world. Not only the special price you choose but also the culture behind the cheap you take can you be the most charming woman in your wedding."

WOW! All I can say is wow. Cheap will let people know I have a good education, I'll look thin and something about the ocean??

That just made my evening :)

I can't even begin to tell you how long I've been dying for a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Today, for some reason, I got bored and decided to start exploring registries.

One of the things I dislike about registries is they restrict you to only a couple stores without looking like a tacky, greedy bride. But, the truth is, I've had a house for quite a while and i LOVE to cook, so the things I "need" are sort of wide ranging. If I needed all sorts of basics, I would do just fine at a couple stores. Instead, I'm hoping for some more unique cooking items. I think I'm atypical because unlike other brides that fill the house with gadgets they'll never use, I really truly make an effort to use everything in my culinary endeavors.

Also, Andy and I don't have anything for home improvement. We could really use a decent cordless drill over new dishes. So, I was very excited to learn about GiftRegistry360.com I signed up today to try to explore it a little more thoroughly. Its by The Knot but it claims you can merge existing registries into one place AND add things on the internet, allowing you to include many stores in one place. Its a cool idea. I'll let you know if its worth it in a few days when I have more time to read reviews and explore.

I also figured I'd start on a fun "project". I'm drafting up a list of things for a registry. I read a lot that you should register for a lot of items so your guests have lots to choose from. This is true. At many weddings I've attended I've procrastinated buying a gift and then sort of got stuck with the random leftovers. Weddings are sentimental and I kind of like to be able to pick what I want off a registry. I want the couple to remember I gave it to them, so I want it to be something that fits my personality. I remember being so very excited when my college roommate Meghan got married because on her registry was my favorite go to cookbook, The Joy of Cooking. I instantly knew that would be included in my present because I knew I could send a long a note telling them how much I love that cookbook.

I also decided to start researching some of my bigger items I intend to register for. Namely my beloved mixer and a food processor. I want reasonably priced items but I also want them to be the model I'm interested in. So, I'm trying to not slap the first cool mixer out of the 25 models KitchenAid makes on my registry. I mean, do I want a tilt head or bowl lift? Do I need 5 or 6 quarts? Do I want the food processor with the blender? Or the larger stand a lone version?

As an avid cook, this exploring is really fun. Although, the idea of requesting items on a registry still feels funny. I feel like I'm writing a letter to Santa except instead of thinking some magical man who lives in a land where money is no object is buying me gifts, I know its my often money strapped friends. Really, weddings can be quite awkward.

The whole gift giving thing leads to so many etiquette rules. Do not list registries on invites, only by word of mouth or your wedding website. Then, do you send a gift if you can't attend? How long do you have to send a gift?

One of the biggest questions I always have is what is an appropriate amount of money to spend on a gift. If you're in for a good laugh, I suggest you google that subject. The range of answers is astounding.

Also, what's up with having to give bridal shower gifts and wedding presents? I mean, I do it without much thought but what's the difference? I think lots of this depends on your social circle because the answers I've seen are very different.

Anyway, I have to admit, its pretty darn fun to dream up all the things to fill a house! Too bad I've pretty much filled the house I already have. Perhaps its time for a good spring cleaning :)

After a long weekend in Maryland, I'm back here in Alabama and I've got soooo many wedding thoughts swirling around my head.

I ordered all sorts of stuff from Amazon last week, including some magazine holders to get my "craft room" aka guest room ready for the madness. I figure I need to start organizing my ideas and inspirations. I'm so excited to start crafting but I don't know where to begin.

I also read about half of my book on the selling of American Weddings. Its proving to be very interesting but learning how women in Taiwan are paid 40 cents a day to sew skirts on wedding gowns is a little depressing. I'm not trying to strip ALL the romance out of the idea of a wedding.

For me, there are so many things we see and do at weddings and I just don't know why we do them. I don't mean this in a "that's so stupid, I don't know why we do it!" but more of that little kid never being satisfied with an answer. Its religious, its tradition. That's not enough for me. Everything started somewhere and I want to know where, why and how. You've probably noticed this already since I've gone on and on about diamonds and white dresses.

One of the traditions this book uncovered for me was the Unity Candle. I've seen the Unity Candle a bazillion times. I thought it sort of made sense. The moms light candles and then the kids use those to light the big one. Its a nice idea. And of course, the newest Unity Sand variation. What I didn't know was the Unity Candle was actually harshly protested by some churches for a while!! If anything, I would've thought it was religious.

I guess the idea that is contested is that candles burning represent Christ. And in a unity candle the flame isn't really Jesus, its symbolic of the two families coming together. Apparently, this has been resolved since I've seen the Unity Candle in a number of churches. But, perhaps this is what gave rise to the unity sand. Jesus may have dibs on the flame but I don't think he does on colored sand.

Now, Andy and I really haven't seen ourselves as Unity Candle or Unity Sand type of people. Honestly, I keep telling Andy I'd make our Unity Sand into an ant farm. Obviously, we still need to do SOMETHING in our ceremony so I'm searching my options. You may have remembered Shanna's suggestion of the Unity Gong. Well, I got one better. I actually read this in my Brides Magazine this month!

UNITY VOLCANO!

I kid you not. I saw it in a magazine and then here on YouTube!

Of course, I love it. I'm a nerd and I love science. I'm sure Andy is reading this cringing (he's out to sea on a research cruise for 10 more days, so I haven't actually told him about this yet...)

On a serious or not serious note, anyone got Unity Candle alternatives?

Well, I'm giving y'all (yep, I'm southern) fair warning, I just bought a few books. My dear friend Erin alerted me to the fact that Amazon is giving college students a free YEAR of Amazon Prime. Free two day shipping = Ali shopping nightmare. Pair this with a free $25 gift certificate from cashing in my credit card rewards.

Today I bought One Perfect Day: The selling of the american wedding so I can dive into a little sociological study of weddings. I also bought The Rise and Fall of Diamonds: the Shattering of a Brilliant Illusion which I mentioned in my diamonds as engagement stones post earlier!

Secondly, I'm looking for advice on colors. I've recently begun to wonder how one would incorporate teal into flowers. I mean, there aren't really teal flowers. To make things worse, teal and true green really almost clash! So, any floral with greens isn't going to really look good with a teal ribbon.

I've known for a while that I'd need another accent color. I've been thinking black and teal for a while now. Then, I'm not sure what else since black obviously doesn't open up any new flower colors. I've thought about white or yellow. Then I thought about purple. Then after Dan and Teresa's wedding I decided I really like multi-colored flowers (pink, orange, yellows).  Anyone got any more suggestions?

Anyway, expect more after this weekend. I'm heading up to Maryland and on Sunday I'm having lunch with 4 of my bridesmaids, my sister Erin (Maid of Honor), Chelsea and Bri (college roommates!) and Amanda (friend from down here that lives in Delaware). This is on top of heading to the greatest concert ever with my high school friends on Saturday!

I figured its about time that I did a little blog on my ceremony and reception site, The Ezell House. I've mentioned it a few times but I'm so happy with our decision that I thought I'd give it a little space in the blog.

The house is a wonderful mansion in downtown Mobile. It has plenty of indoor and outdoor space. We can have our ceremony in a brick courtyard in front of an old fountain. The house has porches, wrought iron and all the other trimmings you'd expect in a southern home.

We really didn't actually consider many places seriously. We immediately decided we wanted to get married downtown because the location is so convenient. So many guests will be from out of town that we wanted to make hotels and restaurants readily available. The downtown hotels are serviced by airport shuttles and the home is only a few blocks from the hotels so many guests may not have to rent a car. There are a wide variety of hotels in many different chains so I hope there's a hotel in everyone's budget and liking. The house is also close to bars in the historic area downtown so we can plan an after party. Even though this day is supposed to be about "us" I'd like to actually have as many people attend as possible. Being young and strapped for cash is difficult enough and then all your friends start getting married and you're shelling out for more trips than you ever imagined. I hope that this choice makes it a little easier on the wallets for people to attend.

Other pros:
- The site coordinator at the home is AWESOME. She has so many ideas and is very helpful.
- the site includes many chairs and tables so the rentals will be minimal.
- the site has really nice areas for the groom and bride and their attendants to get ready before the wedding
- you can bring in whatever caterer you want!!
- the home is old and ornate so the decorations will be minimal which is a great cost saving feature and it makes the place memorable without me having to pump a ton of work into decorating a ballroom or something similar.
- the flow of the location is nice. Its a home so things are more broken up then a ballroom but it still feels unified. I really like the different areas of the home and courtyard and how we can utilize them for the wedding. We can have the ceremony in the courtyard but then break down all the chairs and turn that into the dance floor!

Choosing a place was really stressful for a while. At first, I felt like we should really visit more places and dig deeper. But then, in the end, I realized its a nice place and very convenient. I realized we can have a very nice wedding here so why should I bother looking elsewhere. It fits into our budget and has so many things we like about it. There's so much pressure these days on picking a venue and having it be spectacular that it really overshadows what you need. But, the Ezell House has everything pretty much everything on my wish list so I'm happy with the decision.

I'm curious how other people choose their wedding sites.

I asked my college friend Meghan about this when the task seemed daunting and overwhelming. Her first piece of advice was to obviously get a head count. This was much harder than I imagined. Once you start tallying up friends and family the number was a lot larger than I had thought it would be. (This was also very flattering because I realized how lucky I am to know so many great people all over the place!) I keep seeing brides on online forums freaking about about their guest count and venue size. I'm so glad we heeded this advice. The Ezell House could easily hold everyone on our list (and maybe a few more) if they all come. The other challenge was making sure that if half those people don't attend that the house not feel empty. Tricky tricky. Luckily, I think the Ezell House will look great at either 100% attendance or 30%. haha.

Overall, I'm very happy and also relieved to have a date set. Now, I can start moving onto what I consider the "fun" details and craft projects!

I woke up this morning and Chelsea had emailed me some completed pictures so I decided to post them since they're much better then my own!

Sorry for delayed absence. I completely and totally forgot to blog! Last weekend I went to Tallahassee to visit my darling friend (and bridesmaid) Carly for labor day. Her husband is in the Arctic doing research and Andy is out on a NOAA cruise, so while they're away being marine scientist, we had a girls weekend.

As you can tell by the title of this post, I have bridesmaids. I've finally managed to ask everyone (and they all accepted). At first, I was going to wait a while. In fact, I was going to have Carly be the first (after my sister) because I had this girl's weekend planned. One thing led to another and I eventually asked all of them before Carly. haha.

See, what happened is that Andy and I have been talking about when and who to have in the wedding party. Since Andy doesn't have a brother his obvious best man choice is his friend Nate. I'd already asked my sister to be Maid of Honor immediately after the engagement, so Andy wanted to have at LEAST a best man. Then, Andy comes to find out Nate has been asked to also be in the wedding part of his college roommate. And the kicker, the wedding is in October 2011 just like us!  Luckily, we have different weekends but Nate will be serving in wedding parties two weeks in a row! yikes!

With that in mind, it got me thinking maybe I should ask the wedding party much sooner than I had anticipated. I'd hate to find out one of them has a conflict. So, despite what all the planning books says, I asked everyone over a year in advance. At least everyone has plenty of time to plan.

Now its time to brag. I REALLY love the way I asked my bridesmaids to be in the wedding.

Sorry about the crappy pictures...

I decided to "pop the question" to my friends by giving them a ring box with a Ring Pop inside!

I bought little white boxes at Michael's and painted them white and teal. I bought paper flowers there too from the Martha Stewart collection of fun things. This picture doesn't show it but I also glued ribbon and a bow around the side of the box for some more teal details.

On the inside, I cut foam from the fabric store to fit inside the box and then covered it with a teal velvety material. I then glued all this into the bottom of the box to make a sort of ring pillow. Inside the lid I put a note "Will you be my bridesmaid?"

Originally, I tried to unwrap the Ring Pops but that was a sticky disaster so I ended up keeping them in the package. Some of the girls actually were sent in the mail, so I was a little worried if they'd make it.

Unfortunately, I kind of forgot to take a final picture. I was in a rush to get them in the mail. I still had Carly's but I forgot to take a picture. haha. Oh well.

Anyway, I'm super excited to have bridesmaids! And I was very excited to get to work on my first wedding related craft! I think these were a success. I just wanted a fun and unique way to ask them to be part of my special day. They very much reflected my personality so I couldn't be happier. My only regret was I didn't think up this idea until I'd already asked my sister because she would LOVE it.