Wedding Blog

Mexican weddings could be the most fun ever. I went to my first when I was about 7, and it was there I became obsessed with all things paper. The banners, the streamers, the glittery flowers. Did I mention the banners? Mexican papel picado can be amazingly beautiful.

Photo via The Illustrious Bean.

#1 from Snowbride

A duster. Not even a feather duster but a fluffy cotton sort. Were they trying to imply my house needed to be dusted? Please!

I also received a jar of salt and a jar of pepper-but no shaker, no grinder… Just the salt and pepper inexplicably in a box.

#2 from Jamia

I’m sure there are far worse things, but this freaking hat was the worst…

I know I am not the only one to have ever seriously questioned the appropriateness of a wedding gift, so now I’m calling all my fellow candy underpants recipients to spill the beans.

Tell me all about the bad wedding gifts you’ve received. I’ll post the entries, pick the worst, and reward the winner with a lovely Eternity Garter from Spoylt.

How about that?

~~~
1. Email entries to…

Mr. Caterpillar and I attended the Sapuquezes’ wedding in mid August. By the end of August, we had a thank you note filled with lovely handwriting and heartfelt sentiments. Mr. Caterpillar and I are not the Sapuquezes. We have yet to write a single thank you note.

I’m tempted to blame our lack of thank you notes on our current homelessness, but I’m pretty sure more…

Aren’t they gorgeous?

For all the surliness at Thread, I have to say that the dresses looked amazing.

Vendor Review — Makeup

Rita Brown
Shu Uemura San Francisco
1971 Fillmore Street (corner of Pine)
San Francisco, CA 94115
415.395.0953

Quality — A+
Service — A+
Value — A+

Rita Brown is a superhero. When the makeup artist I had booked in March basically cancelled on me 9 days before the wedding, Rita came to the rescue.

Really, as soon as I walked into my trial appointment at Shu Uemura, I knew Rita was…

Vendor Review — Alterations

Lynn Gallagher
Galigula Bridal Services
2266 Union Street (between Fillmore & Steiner)
San Francisco, CA 94123
(415) 345-9200

Quality — B
Service — D
Value — C

Because I left for California more than a month before the wedding, I couldn’t have my alterations done at Mark Ingram. Or rather, I wanted to do them closer to the wedding date in case my body wanted to have a full scale…

Mr. Caterpillar and I only had 4 days between our wedding/reception(s) and the wedding of the lovely Megses, so I figured we were going to stay somewhere relatively local for the minimoon — local meaning maybe we could find a tent or build a fort in my parent’s backyard. But, Mr. Caterpillar is a super genius, and he surprised me with a trip to One…

Seven tiers of strawberry shortcake and chocolate strawberry shortcake, all topped with whipped cream.

I loved my wedding cake something fierce.

The wedding is on Saturday, and myriad things remain undone. But, I’m officially stepping out of the fray at the end of the day today. No more last minute crafts; no more last minute errands. If it’s not done by 9pm today, we’re going forward without it!

If I would have changed anything about this process, I think I would have

1. Hired a wedding coordinator —…

Marcus Aurelius is my head usher. I wanted him to be in the bridal party, but fears of my putting him in a seersucker dress prevailed, and he’s now head usher.

I searched high and low for an appropriate gift for him, but kept coming up empty. He’s not really a monogrammed money clip/key ring/silver frame kind of person; so standard groomsmen’s gifts were out. So…

More good news for the tiara-fearing.

Kanazashi are traditional Japanese hair ornaments — you’re supposed to change the style of the ornament in step with the seasons. Or just find some nice ones and forego the tiara.

Top: Available online at Kimonome.
Middle and Bottom: Available online at Harumi Antiques.

Tomorrow I will be in San Francisco having my dress fitted for the second time. NB: This is not a second fitting. I actually have to have my dress altered down a second time.

I’m sure this will cost me a billion dollars since the wedding is on Saturday, and it was just last Friday that I realized my pants don’t fit . . . and…

I just do.

And decoupage is my new favorite project. It makes sign painting very, very easy. I just print out the text I want, cut it to fit my sign board and add a coat of ModPodge to the whole thing.

I used the same technique to make these initial gift tags.

Petite Paris — an online treasure trove of wonderous things.

Petite Paris is based in Japan, can be paid in Euros, and ships worldwide. Now go buy some of those little Eiffel Towers. You know you want some.

Via the ever inspirational Oh Joy!.