Weddingbee

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Without further ado… our babies.

The whole package. We have two versions: one that includes a rehearsal dinner invitation and one without. The whole design is about texture and paper cuts! Our designers were inspired by paper cut extraordinaire, Rob Ryan (who also has a wonderful blog and a great book that would be the perfect groom’s gift.) Bird and Banner used a combination of hand cutting and illustration techniques to come up with the custom designed borders. We also used two types of paper with different patterns and color tones, which were then letterpressed with the text and art.

Then all the cards were punched with a brass eyelet and hand-bound with a gold ribbon.The Chinese version of our invitation. Bird and Banner provided me with the card spec and I set the type in an Illustrator file and returned it to them for printing.

The beautiful map that Bird and Banner recreated. I provided them with the invitation inserts that Pier Sixty gave me. From there, they used a mixture of hand cutting and illustration to design a map that fit the tone of the invitation. Behind the map are printed directions. This way it’s easy to flip over and skim (if necessary) while driving!

The cards all spread out. I love that the design is tactile yet compact!

The rehearsal dinner + wedding reception reply card and envelope. These were tucked behind the invitation, secured by the ribbon binding. Our outer envelope matched the antique gold of the reply envelope.

I am so happy with them and our guests have been emailing and calling to rave about the design. This was my big ticket item to splurge on being a huge paper fanatic… so I’m really glad I did. It’s getting everyone (myself included) very excited for the wedding!

And I can’t thank Nicole and Erin enough. They were so engaging throughout the entire process. Even though we weren’t in the same state, I was able to email and talk to them on the phone frequently. They even hand delivered our invitations to us to make sure that they arrived safely! I highly recommend them if you’re looking for an invitation designer. They do not have a standard wedding portfolio and custom design every invitation. Check out some of their past work on their site– I used to visit just to drool over all the featured designs. Or contact them directly:

Email: info@birdandbanner.com
Phone: 215.285.8055

Were invitations high on your priority list? Did you design them yourself or work with a designer?

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Have your weekends been consumed by wedding errands?

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The first person I met seemed to completely disregard our little budget issue. We had a meeting at her office and I brought along my inspiration PowerPoint to show her my ideas for the wedding. She immediately began discussing various ways we could decorate and apply my ideas, but I kept trying to steer the subject towards coordination instead of decor because our venue only allows us to choose from a menu of six florists and we already hired our florist (who would take care of all the decor too). But despite my efforts, she disregarded that as well. Her proposal came back and it was triple what we planned to spend. We never called back.

After that experience, I was more cautious and spoke to DOC #2 on the phone, before meeting in person. She was very knowledgeable and had lots of experience and didn’t care a lick about doing my flowers or decor. We set up an appointment and Mr. Canary tagged along. It was a pretty straightforward meeting where the DOC gave us a basic idea of timeline and quick-fired questions regarding the details of our wedding. I liked her business-like demeanor, but Mr. Canary was put off by what he characterized as “too cool.” He thought she was too rigid and might end up stressing people out more. Her quote was above what we really wanted to spend, but still reasonable. We held off on booking on the spot and we could tell she was disappointed.

I deliberated for a day or so and was going to book DOC #2, but then I heard back from Christine of Exquisite Affairs Productions. I had read about her in one of Mrs. Peony’s posts and she just sounded too good to be true for what she was charging. But Christine’s office is 10 minutes from mine, so I decided to meet with her for good measure.

I am so glad I did because we hit it off right away! We actually spent close two hours chatting up like old friends during our first meeting. I felt comfortable and relaxed and basically like I could tell her anything. Unlike DOC #2, Christine is bubbly and warm, yet still very organized and put-together. In between all our gabbing, Christine was able to draft a timeline and give me some great vendor suggestions. I could tell that she really loved planning weddings and wasn’t just churning out schedules and timelines– she genuinely wanted to hear all the details. I was actually laughing, smiling, and not feeling stressed at all. Right after our meeting, I called Mr. Canary to tell him about my fabulous meeting with Christine. The price was right and he could tell from my excited chatter that we got along really well. We decided to hire Christine immediately and mailed out our deposit.

Since then, Christine has been an endless source of vendor suggestions, a sounding board, and cheerleader. She understands what I value and prioritize about the wedding and therefore tailors her suggestions to match. Christine has helped me find a florist for our personal flowers (saving me close to $1,000), book transportation for Mr. Canary and me, the bridal party and my entire family, and play chief negotiator with all our other vendors (who we had hired before finding Christine and most of whom she knows personally or is on very good terms with!)

Christine is always available on email or the phone. She responds to me in less than 24 hours and she’s always up for a Starbucks run to discuss the most mundane detail of the wedding. If you can’t tell, I have a huge crush on her!

Even with their growing popularity, the rates for Exquisite Affairs’ services haven’t changed. They’re super reasonable for the amount of personal service you receive. And every time after I’ve had a meeting with Christine or I tell Mr. Canary of another great vendor she provided, he agrees that it’s one of the best decisions we’ve made. I just know that Christine will keep me cool and collected on our big day.

If you’re in the market for a DOC, don’t forget to check them out. You won’t be disappointed! Also, if you’re looking for more wedding inspiration, Exquisite Affairs just started a blog that showcases some fabulous New York weddings.

Exquisite Affairs Productions
Email: Info@ExquisiteAffairsProductions.com
Web site: www.exquisiteaffairsproductions.com

Are you hiring a day-of-coordinator? Was it a priority and in your initial budget?

ed. note: please see our editorial policy.
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My next favorite Google application? Google Docs. Mr. Canary and I literally use it every day now that planning is in full swing. This is where I keep the master of all documents… our To Do list. It used to have about 150 items on it… now we’re down to about 95. Not bad with two months to go. Mr. Canary and I share the document and update it every time we finish a task. We also assign priorities and ownership so that we’re not doubling our efforts. It’s also a great passive aggressive tool when I start to highlight things that I want Mr. Canary to do ASAP… but have probably already nagged him in person about 100 times. I was getting frustrated with hand writing and rewriting everything I needed to complete every week and then emailing Mr. Canary about certain items that needed following up. This way, we can both log in and see in real time what needs to be done in a certain week. Really meticulous… I know, but it works! I don’t have panic attacks because it’s like I can see into the future and know that, “Oh, we only have four things we need to do next week… no sweat!”

I’ve also used Google Docs with the bridesmaids to plan the bachelorette events… I loaded an Excel sheet with names, phone numbers, and emails making it really easy for them to track a guest list and book reservations.

Another thing Mr. Canary and I use Google Docs for is as a repository for all the little projects we’re working on, i.e. our wedding announcement (Mr. Canary will start the document and I can go in and make edits), text for our programs and menus, our music play list (so if either of us hears a song we’d like played, we can immediately go in and add it to the list), and our honeymoon matrix (yes, it’s a matrix! we plotted out all the cities we’ll visit and compare rates of hotels in a sick spreadsheet).

I am a bridesmaid in a close friend’s wedding and we use Google Notebook to trade ideas that we find on gowns, favors, venues, and all other wedding stuff. Notebooks is great because it’s grab and go and basically mindless. I get really excited to go through some of my notebook items and find things I had forgotten about! Yes… the simple pleasures.

And what bride can be without a good calendar. I love my Google Calendar… which is another thing Mr. Canary and I share. We have a master calendar that we meticulously update. We have everything from personal appointments, friends’ birthdays to all the miscellaneous wedding items from our To Do list. And for all you Outlook users… now there is a sync function! My life is now complete.

And for the organized obsessed, here is a screenshot of our To Do list.

What are some tools or programs that you and your significant other use to stay organized during wedding planning? Any other Google addicts out there?
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Also, I got to think about some logistics about getting in and out of the dress. The back is corseted and thus there is no zipper for easy in-and-out access, so when I change into my qipao, one of my bridesmaids will have to just undo the entire corset instead of just loosening it up. I just hope it won’t become a Carrie and Miranda wedding gown incident! Mama Canary thought it was pretty hilarious that I could get into the dress by myself but not out of it!

How many times have you tried on your wedding gown? Do you love it more every time?
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The next two are very inexpensive options for anyone with a backless or low back dress. They were fine, but didn’t do much for me in terms of support or comfort, though it could have been a sizing issue, which I later found out…

QT Strapless Backless Bustier Bra 1710
$27.00

QT Strapless Backless Corset Bra 1110
$22.00

After trying the above options at home and not feeling very excited about any of the pieces, I decided to make an appointment with Bra*Tenders, a lingerie store catering mostly to the New York theater clientele, but where many brides have found the perfect bra.

The “bar” at Bra*Tenders
{Image from here}

When I called to make an appointment, I was surprised that they were booked up for the week, so I had to get one for the following week. Upon arrival at the shop, I realized why I had to wait so long– they only work with one customer at a time. If you’re early, you wait in the lounge area where there is a pile of wedding magazines and chocolate (they know their way to a woman’s heart!) to entertain you. Then when it’s your turn, you are invited into a very large fitting room lined with mirrors and various mementos from former customers (camisoles signed by Uma Thurman, Rachael Ray, and Kate Winslet). My fitter, Raquel, was great and immediately made me feel at ease. I showed her photos of the dresses I would be wearing on my wedding day, so she could get an idea of what type of bra I needed.

I have to warn you though, if you’re shy or very body conscious, this may not be the best route. The first thing Raquel asked was to see me in the bra I was currently wearing (i.e. lift up my shirt). After that, Raquel assessed that I may be wearing the wrong bra and cup size… which would explain why I had such a hard time ordering bustier bras online.

Raquel disappeared and came back with a regular bra so we could figure out what size I should be wearing, and she guessed right! After that she returned with a long line, nude, bustier bra from Bra*Tenders private label that fit perfectly! I was so ecstatic. It was in a size that I normally thought would be too small, but Raquel explained the bras often stretch out after a few wears so that’s why even though in measurements I may seem a bit larger, it’s best to buy a smaller bust line size. Next, Raquel showed me a great convertible bra that would be perfect for my reception dress. Again, it fit perfectly and felt very comfortable. I was a convert and was tempted to replace all my current bras!

The store is lined from top to bottom with any kind of underwear you could imagine! On the left is a peak into the fitting room.
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The stock room. It’s rare that Bra*Tenders would not have your size for bridal fittings. They keep all their inventory on site.
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I was in and out of the store within 30 minutes with exactly what I needed and wanted– definitely one of the best wedding shopping experiences thus far.

If anyone is in search of bra in New York, I highly recommend an appointment at Bra*Tenders. There is no obligation to buy after the fitting. Though there is a strict return policy: no returns, but exchanges are allowed for other store merchandise.

Location:
630 Ninth Avenue (at W. 44th Street)
Suite 601
New York, NY 10036
Phone: 1-888-GET-A-BRA, or 212-957-7000
Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Has anyone else had a great lingerie shopping experience? Where? Has anyone else shopped at Bra*Tenders?

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Mr. Canary and me before the last leg of the tour… bracing ourselves for the final stretch– the Verazzano Bridge.

Mr. Canary and I are really passionate about our hobbies (me: art and design; Mr. Canary: music and film). Bicycling is something that we’re both very enthusiastic about. Though we’re not even close to the intermediate level, it’s the one recreational thing that we love to do together. Not that we don’t like doing things together, but usually one of us is more interested in the activity than the other. For example, there could be a really cool exhibition at a museum that I would love to go to and Mr. Canary would come along with me and enjoy it as well, but not be as excited as I would to attend.

The Five Boro also got us really excited for our honeymoon, which of course includes lots of biking (and eating!) It was nice to take a break from our massive wedding to-do list and do something completely non-wedding related instead.

Do you and your significant other have a lot of shared interests or just one? Please share!
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I’ll definitely be including these in my out-of-town gift bags or bridesmaid packages.

Check out Ez’s other tutorials here.

Does anyone else have other budget friendly gift suggestions for the wedding guests or wedding party?
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Look at those pleats and the tiny ruffles on the sweetheart neckline.
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I love the composition of this photo. The pink train and the pink couch. Perfecto!
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Chrissy hard at work!
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If you’re not in the Seattle area, but are interested in Chrissy’s dresses, just drop her an email and she can help you come up with some custom ideas over the phone or email. Chrissy has been one of the best vendors to work with because she really loves what she does and she is just so friendly and easy-going.

Are any of you wearing alternative wedding dresses? If so, do share!

*All images from One Love Photo (Heather Gilson)

ed. note: please see our editorial policy.

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There were five rooms and each was dedicated to a specific theme. The first room was Wedding in White, which you may have guessed was mostly about the power of the white wedding gown and all the culture and tradition associated with it. I just loved walking into the room and seeing it like this.

The other pieces I loved in this room was a paper dress called Dada Poem Wedding Dress by Lesley Dill. The dress was sculpted in paper and screen printed with an Emily Dickinson poem.

The second room was titled, Artful Negotiations, and displayed pieces associated with dowries and various items gifted during courtship. I loved these Japanese clam shells for a game called kai-awase (shell matching game) which shows images in pairs from The Tale of Genji and was part of the bridal trousseau of aristocratic/affluent families.

My favorite room was Color and Symbolism in Wedding Attire. I always knew that red was an important color in Asian weddings, but didn’t know that its significance was primarily because the color is associated with blood, life giving energy, love, happiness, fertility, good fortune, beauty, and wealth. The room was filled with beautiful wedding attire from many different cultures as well as accompanying explanations about each piece. Mr. Canary and I also spent about 30 minutes watching various videos on traditional wedding customs from various countries. The Chinese one was pretty interesting because it was about a small country wedding and most of it highlighted the sadness of a daughter leaving her family to be with her husband’s family, which is something that is rarely considered in Western weddings. I also loved this example of a traditional Chinese costume. I told Mr. Canary that oftentimes, the bride’s face was covered by a silk cloth the entire wedding day and grooms did not see their brides until the night of the wedding after they were married. He found that pretty amusing.

Chinese wedding gown, late 19th century, silk, gold metallic thread, China, Dennis Helmar photographer, Peabody Essex Museum, gift of the estate of Julia C. Deane, 2001. {Image from here}

The fourth room, Art and Ceremony, had many examples of headpieces traditionally worn by brides as well as other examples of ceremonial decoration and necessities like a ketuba and chuppa. This amazing crown caught my eye and I stood mesmerized for a few minutes noting all the detail and handiwork (who am I kidding… I was staring at the bling!)

Nuptial Crown, 1884, Russia: St. Petersburg, Silver, diamonds, velvet, height: 5 3/4 inches, diameter: 4 inches, Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens; bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973 (ACC. No. 17.36) Photograph by Edward Owen.  {Image from here}

This was the crown worn by the last Russian empress, Alexandra on her wedding day. It was pretty spectacular in person!The final room, Remembrance, featured random pieces that commemorated weddings and also items that addressed the trials and tribulations of marriage. I was particularly interested in this fanciful quilt made from vintage fabrics and images. I thought the main quilted piece of two wedding bands inscribed with “With this ring I thee wed, Until I changed my mind” was pretty hysterical.

Fractured Wedding Ring: Divorce Attorney’s Quilt, 2005, Teddy McMahon Pruett, vintage and recycled fabrics, Lake City, Florida, Walter Silver photographer, courtesy of the artist. {Image from here}

All in all, it was a nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon observing wedding traditions and seeing everything from a bird’s eye view for once and ignoring my massive wedding to-do list. If you’re in the area, definitely stop by and check it out. It took Mr. Canary and me about 1.5 hours to look and interact with everything. The exhibition will be up through September 14. Also if you’re interested, the museum is hosting some really fun workshops and talks that include a letterpress class and a panel discussion on gay marriage.

To visit:
Peabody Essex Museum
East India Square
161 Essex Street
Salem, MA 01970-3783 USA
Phone: 978-745-9500, 866-745-1876

Open daily 10 A.M.-5 P.M.

Have any of you seen the exhibition or visited the PEM before? I personally think it’d be pretty awesome to have a wedding there!

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