Weddingbee Blog

With fittings and alterations for my wedding gown just around the corner, I started to shop for some good underwear.

Nowadays I buy 90% of all my things online, so the internet was the first place I looked. I ordered a few pieces from Her Room, which was a great shopping experience. Everything arrived quickly and there is a flexible bridal return policy. But I just couldn’t find the right fit. I was in search of a long line bra or bustier that would support without being too constricting.

These are the three pieces I tried:

I actually loved the look and feel of this bra. It’s very sexy and still functional. I also liked the front closures making it easy for me to clasp it myself, but the cups were too big and I don’t think the bodice provided enough support.

Va Bien La Flirt Alert Bustier Bra 810
$68

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Despite being in wedding crunch time, Mr. Canary and I (along with our MOH) decided to participate in the Five Boro Bike Tour yesterday. It was the first time for all of us and despite the grueling 42 miles, we had a blast!

MOH, Mr. Canary, and me
All bright-eyed and pumped at the starting line up for the tour. We met up at 6:30 AM!

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I read Creature Comforts every day and am delighted when EZ posts her DIY tutorials. I found this one perfect for a bridesmaid, hostess or even Mother’s Day gift. Simple and very budget friendly. EZ even provides the template and file for you to download her label designs.

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I got so excited after seeing this post on Elizabeth Anne Designs. From my previous post on a reception dress, most of you know that I am absolutely in love with Wai-Ching designs and the designer, Chrissy Wai-Ching (I seem to have crushes on a lot of my vendors!)

Anyway, I saw this dress in Chrissy’s studio when I had my final fitting of my Bliss dress back in March and almost had dress envy. I was just amazed at all the detail… the bodice and pleated neckline… the fantastic pink train. So I was actually giddy when I found Heather Gilson’s blog with photos from this bride’s wedding. (By the way, if you check out Heather’s blog you’ll be sucked into hours of scrolling through and admiring all her beautiful pictures. Anyone looking for a photographer in Washington?)

Without further ado, here is another Wai-Ching masterpiece… I promise I will unveil mine after the final alterations!

I can’t get over the hot pink train.
{Image from here}

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Mr. Canary and I were visiting Boston last weekend (thanks to fabulous fares on BoltBus) and decided to stop by for the opening of Wedded Bliss, a new exhibition at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. Now I know what you’re thinking… aren’t you supposed to be witch hunting in Salem? Well yes, you can do that along with visit many other historic sites, but I think the PEM is a hidden gem. It’s the perfect sized museum and for any sailing or boat aficionados out there, it has a great collection of nautical history and memorabilia. Not to mention the museum’s prized exhibition is an awesome Chinese house that was transported brick by brick and then re-built on-site as it was in China.

At first, Mr. Canary and I were scoffing at the idea of a whole exhibition devoted to marriage and weddings, but we actually had a great time! Not only were there great demonstrations and other interactive programming, we learned a lot from the exhibit itself. It was like going to an abridged historical bridal show.
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Not my man… but another I greatly admire… Mr. Louboutin.

Image from The New York Times, Sunday, April 27, 2008
Please pardon the crooked scan!

Lookee at what I found in this week’s New York Times Style section. Have a real “Hello, lover” moment and meet the maestro himself at Barney’s! He’ll be at the New York and Beverly Hills stores in early May.

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From one of my favorite artists and domestic commentator, Anne Taintor
{Image from here}

Mr. Canary and I took the plunge and registered at Crate and Barrel a few months back. Though we are combining two households and really don’t need more “stuff,” we decided to register for a few items for our new home for the more traditional guests.

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{Image from www.amainyc.com}

Last Christmas I discovered Amai cookies and was reminded of them when I finished my last scrumptious green tea cookie a few months ago. I was very sad and decided to go online and find more. Instead of just finding more cookies, I found my favors.
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Hi bees and readers. I haven’t been a very good blogger lately because of an illness in the family. I try not to get too overly personal in my posts, because I think Weddingbee is a great place for people to find tips, inspiration, and ideas for weddings. But I also know that Weddingbee is not only about weddings, but also a great community and a place of support for real people as well.

My maternal uncle passed away yesterday morning. He had been waiting for a liver transplant for a year and a half and was finally deemed ineligible last week because the cancer had invaded a very important blood vessel. He was sent home to hospice care and was given a sentence of weeks to a month. This was a huge blow to me. My uncle and I were very close when I was a child. He had no children of his own. Most of my earliest and happiest memories include him and his wife taking me on various excursions. As I got older, with school and eventually adult life, I was not able to see him as often. When he was diagnosed with cancer, I was suddenly very involved in his life and health care because his English wasn’t so great. We got to catch up when he was well enough in the past few weeks. He finally gave up yesterday morning and his heart stopped. I had been mentally trying to prepare myself for this all week, but couldn’t have imagined the tremendous weight of grief and sadness that has overcome me.
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{Image from here}

Mr. Canary and I met at Boston University, but it never occurred to us to get married there. Randomly, I remembered seeing a wedding there when we were at school. Considering that we met at BU and a majority of our wedding party consists of friends from college, it would have been a cute idea to get married on campus.

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Mr. Canary and I are working on our guide to NYC to include on our wedding Web site and as a little pamphlet in our out-of-town bags. This is a great little pet project for Mr. Canary who loves to write, but also a lot of fun for both of us to reminisce about our favorite spots. I’ll post more on that when we’ve completed the project, but while we were compiling our list, one of my most favorite places in the city came to mind, The Strand Bookstore.

If you’re a New Yorker and a bibliophile like Mr. Canary and me, you’ll know why The Strand is a “must-visit” on our list. It was one of the first places I took Mr. Canary when he’d visit me during our summers in college. It’s the best no-frills shop… all about books (over 18 miles actually!)

The Strand circa 1938 {Image from here}

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In college, I took a Chinese calligraphy course that was great when I could focus, but my biggest hurdle was patience. Mama Canary had told me that older Chinese folks practice calligraphy for peace and tranquility– a Zen sort of thing. I found it quite frustrating! My fatal flaw is perfectionism and with calligraphy it’s hard to get there when you’re a novice.

Before deciding to hire a professional, I thought I’d give DIY calligraphy another shot and discovered that I really enjoyed it. I found a fun Wedding Crafts Book at Joann’s that had some calligraphy how-to along with a few cute wedding project suggestions. While there, I also purchased a calligraphy practice pad and four different sized felt-tipped calligraphy pens.It took me about 2 minutes to form each letter and even then I made a few mistakes. I started to imagine the task of addressing 200 envelopes. AAAAAAAH!

My first attempt. Unfortunately, I never completed the entire alphabet.

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After returning from my brief trip to Tokyo and seeing Mrs. Ant’s fabulous guide to Japan… I’ve been missing Japan even more.I never realized what a huge DIY and craft culture existed in Japan, well at least, Tokyo. During my first trip last year, I was overwhelmed with all the craft and stationery choices available. I literally, did not know where to start! This time around, I had some experience and a goal: to find Gocco supplies.

Shibuya in Tokyo was one of the areas I frequented the most for craft supplies because most of the craft shops I wanted to visit were in close proximity to each other. My favorite place to hit up was Tokyu Hands which had the largest selection of Gocco machines as well as inks and other supplies.

Upon arrival at Tokyu Hands I immediately asked the nearest sales clerk where I could find a Gocco… (please note that Miss Canary does not know a lick of Japanese, but would attempt to communicate mostly with hand signals and drawings). It was a good thing I carried around a little notebook. The clerk had no idea what I was talking about so I wrote “RISO GOCCO” and showed it to him. He understood and directed me towards Tokyu Hands’ design center which was located on floor 5C. (Check out the sick floor plan below. There is nothing you can’t find in this store.)
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While discussing ideas for our invitations with one of our designers at Bird and Banner, Nicole (knowing about my obsession with all things paper and paper-cutting) introduced me to The Roving Artist, a silhouette cutting artist’s site based in the UK. I was immediately smitten. I’ve always admired paper-cutting as an art-form, but it just dawned on me that this would be a fabulous wedding favor.

Silhouette by Charles of The Roving Artist
Image from The Roving Artist

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With spring approaching, I’ve noticed some really fantastic new shoes that would be great for weddings whether you’re the bride, bridesmaid, or guest. Too bad I already found my perfect pair, otherwise, I’d be buying up all of these. But I thought I’d share with all of you shoe-lovers in the hive.

I saw these at Nordstrom and they are just perfect for a wedding or a night out. I even tried them on and they are so comfortable. I love the thick straps and the shiny gold heel. They also come in black and red, but I think the gold is the nicest looking color.

BCBG Panthea Sandal, $88.95
From Nordstrom

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