Weddingbee

I like simplicity. I like it so much that I sometimes find myself making snap decisions about things that should never be snap-decided on. Like a wedding gown.

When Mr. Lovebug and I were originally engaged, we set a date that was seven months out. We felt ready to do the deed as soon as reasonably possible. Plus, wanting an outside wedding in the desert can really cut into your options: scorching summer days, frigid winter evenings. So we booked our venue for lovely, mild October and jumped into planning.

We booked almost all of our vendors quickly and easily. But as I delved into researching one other, slightly important detail (my wedding gown), I realized I was in a serious pinch for time. I would have to find a dress immediately if I were going to have it made and altered in time. I bought loads of magazines and scoured the internet for hours, terrified and overwhelmed.

Recently, I told my FI that we needed to talk about STDs ASAP. He looked at me like OMG, so I said, “FYI, STDs give PPL the 411 about the wedding ASAP, especially those OOT from BFE.”

“OIC,” he said, “Like a reverse RSVP.” LOL, I said “OK, sort of.” “BTW,” I said, “IMO, I could probably DIY them with my MOH and BMs and maybe my FMIL. I’ll just consult the STD FAQ on the WWW. What’s your POV?” But by then, he was ZZZing. TBC, I guess.

Way to go, everyone! We issued the call, and you answered. We’ve had a blast reading dozens of applications (and we’re not done yet!), and we’re delighted to say we’ve already found a great new addition to weddingbee.

It gives me great pleasure to introduce our newest veggie-bee, Miss Tomato! She’s just two months away from W-Day, so she’s got lots to share about everything she’s learned so far. (I mean, just look at those bargain-hunting skills!)

Name: Miss Tomato
Age and Occupation: 25, Technology Project Manager
Fiance’s Age and Occupation: 25, Engineer
Engagement Date: October 22, 2006
Wedding Date: July 2007
Venue: Auberge du Soleil (Napa Valley)
About Me: I love all things beautiful. From handmade stationery, feminine fashion and delicate flowers, to the little moments in life treasured with your loved one. I am also notorious among my friends to be a deal hunter! My best deal was perhaps my wedding dress–an unworn Monique Lhuillier dress for $1100 (orig. $5000). I also tend to use a lot of exclamation marks! =)

There are some issues in this world that really tend to polarize people: politics, religion, cake toppers…

I for one come down firmly on the side of Switzerland regarding this last item. But I do know this. If I were sure I wanted one, and I were sure my wedding were going to be retro-riffic, I’d know where to go. Fancy Flours has a great selection of vintage toppers from the 20s through the 70s. They range in condition (poor to mint) and accordingly, price ($65 to $195):

Can’t you just hear the Gerswhin?

For anyone following my early foray into cake country, I can assure you that nothing’s changed. We’re still clueless. In fact, we’re worse than clueless. We’re confused.

We met with adorable Ella, who showed us her portfolio and watched patiently as we loved each cake more than the next. And who wouldn’t? Some options:

I think the word you’re looking for is “totallycompletelyunbelievable.” She said some of those flowers took eight hours to make. Mr. Lovebug is just wild about the topsy-turvy crazy cakes like these:

One of the things I love about Mr. Lovebug is that he consents to letting me put together fantastically hip outfits for him. For dinner the other night, I had him in a Goonie’s t-shirt, a velvet blazer, True Religion jeans, and Converse. Very dashing, I assure you.

Of course, I can’t rest on my laurels. The drive to keep him cutting-edge cute compels me to scour the net for the latest in metrosexual man-wares. And as every well-accessorized woman knows, god (and goddess) is in the details. So if details like shirtcuffs linked with beautifully detailed enamel and sterling silver from Duncan Quinn…

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m going to make my guests earn their cake and bubbly. None of this come-as-you-may, pampered and indulged nonsense. There will be challenges to be met. Obstacles to overcome. Puzzles to…puzzle out.

Take for instance, the table names. This baloney:

is entirely too easy. Enter my favorite online wordscrambler. In three easy steps, you can create your own personalized placecard-to-table puzzles that guests must solve to find their seats.

10. Your ribbons are tied to things using other ribbons.

9. Words like “festoon” and “garland” enjoy daily use in your vocabulary.

8. Your friends and family staged an intervention that involved you shredding five yards of double-faced satin ribbon with dull pinking shears.

7. You can say “ribbon” in French, German, and Italian (from specialty orders overseas).

6. You get around your fiance’s “No More Ribbon!” rule by substituting things like shoelaces and quilling paper.

5. You find yourself eyeing the priest’s collar and wondering if he’d mind substituting it with a nice grosgrain.

4. The expression “tying the knot” makes you tingly all over, and it has nothing to with getting married.

That’s it. I’m relocating the wedding. The cuteness of these favors/placecard holders surely warrants a 2,441 mile move to the Adirondacks, doesn’t it? Hello? Shirley?

At 3.25 inches high, they come standard in natural–or they’ll paint them for $1 more each (although I think this is the sort of DIY project that even I could handle). Check them out here. Oh, and the minimum order is six; very, very small weddings need not apply.

And the best part is, you can sell any leftovers to people who collect these. Just say it’s a previously undiscovered Eames design.

Big news! Mr. Lovebug and I have our first cake consultation tomorrow! I’m so excited! I’m going to get this wedding ball rolling! I’m completely, utterly unprepared!

We found this amazing, Siberian-born pastry chef named Ella. She was recruited by the Moscow government to be, like, Yeltsin’s personal baker or something, then subsequently schooled in Switzerland and France. Even just speaking to her on the phone, I can tell she’s a top-of-her-class, type-A pastry wunderkind. Her cakes are absolutely jaw-dropping. I’m absolutely terrified to meet her.

Every cake she bakes is designed from scratch based on the couple’s ideas. Ella is clearly a master craftsperson used to women with definite opinions about what they want. She asked us to bring our “thoughts and inspiration” with us. Dress swatches, ribbon, flowers, photos, sketches…

We’re bringing a necktie.