Weddingbee Blog

Tomorrow my mother, future MIL and fiance are going to take a look and possibly decide on invitations. You’re probably wondering where I, or the bride-to-be, am in the previous sentence. I won’t be going with them because I have work. So I’m leaving the decision to my fiance and our mothers.

Is this a bad idea?

I trust the three of them will make the right decision. The one thing I am a bit worried about is my mom. She mentioned how she wanted to include the birth order of my fiance and I on the invitations, like it would on a traditional Korean invitation. I told her it really is unnecessary, and that the parents’ names and ours would be fine. I don’t even know how you would word something like that in English without it looking ridiculous and keeping the invitation to one page. But my mother feels strongly about it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that someone tells her there won’t be enough room on the actual invitation.

I’m having an outdoor shoot with my photographer in about 2 weeks. I pray to god it’s not in the middle of another horrendous heat wave because I will just die!

The first part of the “casual” shoot will coincidentally take place where my fiance and I met for the first time - Piola 46 Cafe in Edgewater, NJ. Then we will head out to Soho for the second half of the shoot where we will change into more trendy attire (by request of the photographer), so we can be photographed amongst a lot of people. The thought of lots of people around during a shoot is making both of us nervous.

I am looking for some dresses I can possibly wear. I’ve got 2 weeks to find one and only 2 days from my work schedule to physically go out, look and try them on.

I found this dress at an Anthropologie store:

$168 USD

My sister loved it, I loved it. We loved it so much we were going to go half and half on the dress. Why didn’t I buy it? Because the only size they had in stock was a 4. It fit perfectly except for the bustline. It was a bit snug and my sister mentioned it “flattened” me out and I can’t have that. LOL. And to be completely honest, I didn’t think I could diet and get it to fit me better in 2 weeks. Now, I am kicking myself in the butt for not getting it.

For my wedding, I’ll be having a Korean DJ. I have yet to meet him but he’s supposedly well known in the wedding business. He was also highly recommended by my photographer, which gave him my parents’ nod of approval.

My fiance wants Korean music. I want hiphop and jazz. The last wedding I attended was about a 4 years ago (if not longer) so I don’t even remember the music.

Whatever music we play, I want all the guests to have a good time. The last thing I want is the awkward moment where the music starts and people don’t want to be the first one out to shake their booty, so they wait forever for one brave soul to get out on the dance floor.

What kind of music is usually played at weddings? Is hip hop a no-no at weddings? I know for certain after a few drinks, I would definitely want to hear some.

Any suggestions on songs that make you want to bolt up out of your seat like your hind’ is on fire and shake it?

This is something that’s been on the back of my mind. I’ve got less than 5 months left before the big day, and I’ve been going back and forth on who should be on the guest list.

I’ve got my close friends and family, and a small handful of my sister’s and brother’s friends. The big question mark is my co-workers. When I’m not at home, the bulk of my time is spent at work - the M.A.C makeup counter - and I get along with all of them. In a short amount of time, we’ve almost become a little family. And as hard as I tried to keep the wedding planning talk to a minimum, I couldn’t with everyone asking and others giving valuable input for my special day.

Originally, I was going to invite just 3~4, but I know word will eventually get out and I’ll be left feeling slightly guilty. I feel obligated to have them all there. There are about 16 girls - half are married or are in serious relationships - and I can’t have them all bring their significant others… that would be too many people.

So my question is: What do I do?

Oh~ what a web of pain I’ve woven myself into! I told my seamstress that I will be wearing 5 inch heels on my wedding day. Technically, I think my feet can handle the pain. I’m usually in 4 1/2-5 inch heels during my 8-9 hour work shifts. Yeah~ I totally kick myself in the ass when I get home and I’m limping. The sad thing is, I’d rather look good and be in pain than look short.

My Maybe’s:

Try to picture them in white, PLEASE~!

$29.00 @ Fredericks. An open toe, closed back style, adjustable instep strap, 5 inch heel and in faux kidskin leather.

ON SALE for $22.99 @ Fredericks. An open toe, closed heel, adjustable strap and stacked 5 inch heel. WOOHOO~! This is actually my favorite. I’m not sure if it screams wedding but I can definitely see myself wearing these A LOT~!!

Betsey Johnson Leather sandals (in silver) with rhinestones
$153.95 @ Zappos

These shoes were featured in InStyle Wedding’s Summer 2006 issue. They don’t scream, “IT~!!” for me, but they definitely caught my interest. And they’re below $200.

Does a sexy, high heeled AND comfortable shoe even exist? Celebrities rave about Christian Louboutin. Style-wise they are my favorites, but do I really want to be insane and pay $500-800 dollars for shoes I’ll wear a few times? I splurge on makeup not shoes.

Shoesusa offers handmade high heels with cushioned insoles that claim to be comfortable too. Celebrities wear them and some of the shoes look great and are reasonably priced. But their return policy is strict and has various restocking return/exchange fees. If they can promise comfort~ I may just go for it.

On your wedding day, are you/did you have two pairs of shoes? One uncomfortable pair for pictures that looked fabulous? A second comfortable pair to stay hidden under your gown for the reception?

I spend the bulk of my time at work doing makeovers, consulting, applying, and at times - playing with the new merchandise. With MAC’s infinite selection of the best color shadows to choose from, it is where I find customers spending most of their time - second to lipsticks.

Some brides come in wanting to match their eyes EXACTLY to their color scheme. I think it’s great to have wedding colors inspire you, but they may not be the right colors for you. Be willing to compromise. You want to select shadow colors that will complement you, your natural eye color (lens), and skin tone. The goal in the end, is to have makeup to enhance you eyes and make them “pop.”

Blue Eyes- warm & rich browns, taupe, soft peaches/corals, light pinks

Green Eyes- golden browns, taupes, rich coppers, soft peaches, sheer to medium violets

Brown Eyes- golden browns, soft to dark grays, purples, greens, blues, soft pinks/rose

Must-Have Eyeliner:

MAC LiquidLast Liner - $16.50

Recommended Colors: Point Black (black), Coco Bar (brown), Powerplum (plum), Inky (navy)

A smudge-proof, waterproof and flake-proof eyeliner that comes with a fine tipped brush for the most precise application. You’ll need a cleansing oil or Lancome’s (oil-based makeup remover) BiFacils to get this liner off. Through tears of joy and laughter, your eyeliner pulling a disappearing act on your most special day, will be the last of your worries.

False Lashes

Falsies will make your eyes look noticeably bigger and prettier. I know some are probably thinking: false lashes=drag queen and/or MAC artist. But you can enhance the look of soft, bridal makeup with a pair of false lashes and mascara. That one thing will add “ooh-la-la” to your eyes without the “woah mama~” eye makeup.

Recommended Brands: MAC lashes priced at $10.00 #3, #4, #7 & #21, Andrea & Ardel priced at $3.00 and under (found at your local pharmacy or drug store) and VOV (can be found at your local Korean supermarket)

Mascara

If you were blessed with full & long lashes, I hate you. Just kidding. But for the unblessed like myself, I’ll most definitely be donning false lashes with lots of this product. Those that want to do just mascara, here is the greatest of the greatest:

Anna Sui Super Mascara Waterproof
$24.00 @ strawberrynet

Waterproof mascaras are known to really hold curls. This one will do that plus lengthen and volumize your lashes, AND really is smudgeproof. So say BYE-BYE to racoon eyes!

Brows

I can’t leave out brows. What would our eyes be with too much, too little or completely without them? They are what really DEFINES our “windows to the souls.” I know I will never have a set of full, perfect brows without makeup. But there is such a thing as the perfect brow pencil.

Kevyn Aucoin Precision Brow Pencil - $24.00 @ Victoria’s Secret Beauty

This seductively packaged brow pencil comes in one shade and is flattering to all. Whether you are filling up sparse areas or creating an entire set of brows, this is an easy twist up pencil that has the perfect consistency. Soft but not smudgy, and a bit waxy for great staying power. I’ve been through many Korean brands that looked very similar to this with the spoolie on the opposite end. This one is absolutely hands-down the best~!

Flower Ideas I love from In Style Weddings:

Love Story by Jo Gartin

The courtship of you and your fiance printed on heavy paper, hot glued on a band of colored ribbon. The striped tulips look so vibrant and amazing~!

Precious Jewels by Jo Gartin

A bouquet of black calla lilies secured with green floral tape and a rhinestone cuff placed on top. I can totally see this for my own wedding with a different bouquet. I love the touch of sparkly~!

Dramatic by Rick B. Davis

The petals of over 3 dozen Esperance roses to create one magnificent, elegant bloom framed with monastera leaves.

In the summer issue of InStyle Weddings, page 81. These orchids are exactly the colors I want for my wedding in December. I apologize about the poor quality of the picture - I took it with my camera phone. I didn’t have the patience to charge up my camera for a few hours. Don’t you love it when you look through magazines and have little moments of “This is it! It’s PERFECT!”

Miss Ant’s entry on cosmetic illiteracy inspired me to write a blog combining several entries from booly (my make-up blog), in hopes of helping other brides-to-be. I may not be as involved as I thought I’d be in the planning of my wedding, but mention makeup and I will talk forever and a day about it.

I work for the MAC counter as a makeup artist & product specialist. Miss Ant mentioned how the “heavily pigmented faces” were intimidating. Do not be afraid - the dramatic makeup is more a part of our jobs, and to express our creativity as artists. The artists behind the counters are not only experienced in the “woah~” dramatic makeup, but also have the capability to create beautiful, flawless, natural makeup as well.

But no amount of makeup will perfect bad skin, so take good care of your skin.

The Basics:

• Sunscreen on the face, neck, bust and hands is an absolute must 365 days of the year. Those areas over a long period of time with/without sun exposure will be the first places to show signs of aging.
• Properly cleanse the skin. NEVER go to bed with your makeup still on.
• Keep your skin hydrated by drinking 8-10+ glasses of water.

Makeup Primer

Purpose: It can be worn alone but primarily, it is used as a base to your foundation. Primers will fill in pores and fine lines to smooth out the overall skin’s appearance. It also leaves the skin matte, silky soft and prepped to give your foundation a long-lasting finish.

How To: Apply to clean skin. A little goes a long way. You need one pump (if not less but nothing more) to have a sheer application over your entire face.

My HG (Holy Grail) Product:

EI (formally English Ideas) Solutions Complexion Primer: $37.00 @ dermadoctor. If you think Smashbox’s Photo Finish is amazing, you haven’t seen nothing yet~! I love, love, LOVE this product. This is great for all skin types; sensitive (like me) to really oily (like my co-worker). It’s oil-free and fragrance-free. It’s been tried and tested on other brides and their feedback has been nothing but the best~! I get many customer compliments even towards the end of my 8~9 hour work shift on how great my skin looks.

Foundation

They provide sheer to full coverage in forms of powder, cream, matte, mousse and liquid. Choose a foundation that is right for your skin type. You can try a simple test when you wake up - take a tissue, place it over your face, blot and take a look.

• If the tissue’s clean, you have dry skin.
• If the tissue’s oily in just places over the t-zone(forehead,nose,chin) you have combination skin.
• If the tissue looks oily all over, you have oily skin.
• If you have very little oil randomly, you have normal skin.

Choose the right color. Go to a counter with many foundation color choices. A makeup counter that carries the “usual” ivory, beige, tan and dark is not going to be suitable for all. Everyone’s skin coloring falls in or in between a cool (yellow) or warm (peach/pink) undertone.

How To: For cream/liquids, dot on desired areas and blend outwards. Finish by blending downwards to make sure the small “peach fuzz” (facial hairs) lay flat.

Favorites:

Estee Lauder Double Wear - $32.50. A medium to full coverage liquid foundation. Best when applied over primer or lightly hydrated skin. This foundation stands against humidity, sweat and giving birth (as told by several customers) You can get sheerer coverage when the face prepped with a primer and applied with a foundation brush.

Something to keep in mind. EL’s color/shading system for the following skin undertones are as followed. N= Peach, W= Yellow + Olive , C= Pink.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid - $24.00. A buildable medium coverage liquid foundation. It is long wearing, leaves you with a natural, beautiful finish and comes in 23 color shades. I love the fact that the foundation is buildable because it works great as a concealer to after it has set. For the best results, apply with the #109 or #187 brush.

#109 Small Contour Brush - $32.00; #187 Duo Fibre Brush (or what I like to call “the skunk brush”) - $42.00.

Not only will using brushes will give you an air brushed look, but by using gentle, circular motions to evenly smooth the foundation, you are actually improving the skin by helping the blood flow and circulation to your face.

* My Secret Tip*

I publicly share with you my technique I use at work and with clients. When you mix the the foundation with strobe cream, it will give your face a flawless (non-cakey) finish with a candlelight glow.

Strobe Cream - $27.50

Concealer

Purpose: To help hide imperfections (under eye circles, puffiness, blemishes,etc.) and enhance the skin’s appearance.

How To: Concealer should be applied after the foundation and on a well hydrated surface. Applying concealer before foundation will only move it around making it completely useless. For best results, apply with a small synthetic brush, pat gently with your ring finger (will give the least amount of pressure) and set with powder.

As for various types and formulas, use what works best for you. Something too moist will slip around and move into fine lines and creases, and something too dry will only accentuate.

My Favorites:

MAC Select Cover-Up - $14.00

For the under eye area, I use the peach color corrector mixed with a little bit of my foundation. I found this to work the best for most skin types and color.

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer - $45.00

A skin enhancer. It is what it says with a splurge-worthy price tag. It can give you a range from sheer to full coverage and can be used as a concealer or foundation. Blending is key with this product so a brush would be the most ideal. The greatest part about the product, aside the fact that it is buildable, is that once the product sets, it is transfer resistant.

Loose Powder

This should be your last step. Powder sets your concealer, foundation and everything else giving your skin a velvet-like appearance. I prefer loose powder over pressed because it has more oil absorbing ingredients. For a light application or to swipe off excess powder, I’ll use a powder brush. For the absolute best coverage, I like to use a powder puff by using the “rolling” method. By pressing and rolling the powder puff, you are basically “pushing” the powder into the skin, helping the foundation and powder to bond into one for an even more natural finish.

My “it” Powder:

Awake Stardom Loose Powder - $38.00 @ Neiman Marcus

Awake is a great product line. This loose powder leaves my face looking completely flawless without the whole no makeup effect. The powder has a cooling & moisturizing effect with the fact “more than 77% of it is made up of water.”

How It Works: “The powder releases water upon application on skin and adheres close to the skin with a cool, refreshing touch. It has a translucent, semi matte finish, to provide a glowing complexion.” Even with a not-so-fabulous makeup brush, you don’t feel the harsh bristles because the powder is so soft to the touch. I loooove, looooove, LOVE this powder! It’s a refreshment to your face that leaves you with an INSTANT smile.

This seems to be the ultimate topic on weddingbee at the moment. My friends have been stressing and asking me what I want. Not to worry. It’s really s-i-m-p-l-e.

I’ve told them all, gift cards. I personally would rather have credit towards my stores of choice, so I can slowly take the time with my husband-to-be to pick out things to furnish our new place. But for our friends that don’t like the idea of gift cards, I know they will come up with something that I love anyway.

Also, the #1 reason is time. It is not something my fiance and I have a lot of these days. The whole registry idea - pointing and shooting items of choice - seems like a lot of fun. But it’s nearly impossible to find a day in our schedules where we can meet up for even a few hours. When we finally get time for ourselves, I’d rather spend that as quality time to eat, laugh and maybe catch a flick instead. I feel it’s the only way we’ll keep our sanity and our record of three and a half years fight free.

The title of my entry really explains it all when it comes to me and wedding planning. When I went through wedding magazines in the past, I came across the timelines and to-do lists thinking, “ooooh~~ I am TOTALLY going to follow this when I get engaged!”

That is SO not the case with me.

I’m not really sure as to what I’m doing, except that I’ve gotten pretty much everything done by letting my parents take the reins. My own personal confession on why I’m not getting myself so involved with the planning, is the fear for others that I will become THE ultimate bridezilla. I am really the perfect candidate for one with my strong personality and how I naturally tend to be on the bossy side. (or so my sister says)

I’ve lost sleep in the past on whether I made the right choices on the colors of my bridesmaid dresses. Currently, I’m thinking if I should’ve ordered my bridal gown a size smaller. I am leaving that totally up to the bridal shop owner because I feel she would know best if anything. When the other weddingbee brides blog of color schemes, I feel I can’t really contribute because I have all sorts of colors. I am leaving that up to the florists because I am confident that they will do an amazing job. *keeping fingers crossed*

All in all, I just hope everything will come together perfectly like matching puzzle pieces in the way my fiance and I have.

For my wedding, I’ve decided to cut costs on flowers and spend more on the “ambience,” which translates to me into CANDLES~!! I’m having low flower centerpieces of orchids with about 12 votives and 4 tapered candles at each table. There will be a little over 25 tables all together.

Crazy Deal Find

72 White Votive Candles AND Glass Holders
(for the miracle price of) $35.44 @ Cudge.

That’s $0.49 for the candles AND holders. Sounds pretty amazing to me~! They do charge for shipping and when I calculated my 6 boxes, the unit price went from $0.49 to $0.63. Still, not too shabby!

Then there are these $0.13 candles (white & unscented) @ buyacandle that my girlfriend, Jenny came across.

My Calculations: (shipping charges all included)

1. $272.93 - 6 boxes of the clear glass holder and candles from cudge
2. $261.09 - 6 boxes of clear holders (only) from cudge and 3 boxes of candles (only) from buyacandle
3. $282.77 - 6 boxes of frosted holders (only) and 3 boxes of candles (only) from buyacandle
4. $271.93 - 3 boxes of clear holders, 3 boxes of frosted holders from cudge and 3 boxes of candles (only) from buyacandle

There’s really no significant savings buying separately from two different websites.

Do you think 300+ clear votive candles for my 25+ tables will be too bright? Should I do half clear and half frosted votive holders? Or should I do all frosted votives?

Depending on what holders I decide to go with, it’ll be #2,#3 OR #4!

With almost 6 months to go till’ the wedding day, I’m ready, set with almost everything and can’t wait until the day I can be a married woman.

The Rockleigh Country Club
My venue. The pictures on the website do not do justice to how magnificent and wonderful the place really is. It just oozes with elegance.

Kim, Jin Hong
My family and I have known this photographer for nearly 20 years. He is truly amazing and worth every single penny. One visit to him and he pointed my family and I to everyone.

Rana Bridal
The owner, Rana, is a sweetheart. She gives you her honest opinions and suggestions. If you give her the style of dress you have in mind, she will hand select a few “perfect” gowns for you to try on. She meets with brides by appointment only and one bride at a time, so she can give you her full undivided attention. She was recommended to me by my photographer. He is not one to recommend just anyone in the business. She managed to get one sample of the dress that I’ve had my eye on, so I will be going in sometime this week to try it on. I’ve narrowed down my dress to that and one other, a Kitty Chen Couture gown. I don’t have pictures of the Kitty Chen dress because it is part of their new season collection.

Il Mare
The florists my family and I decided to go with. I met with 2 creative designers, Lisa and Jasmine about 2 weeks ago. One has worked with Preston Bailey in the past so you can actually see a little bit of his work incorporated to their floral designs. I’m really excited as to how my centerpieces will look. There will be LOTS of candles and some orchids sprinkled throughout. A bit of a summery feel for a winter wedding but I’m fine with that because I don’t want a cliche winter theme/feel.

As for the DJ, we’re pretty much set with Yang, Sae Il. He was recommended by the photographer (again). Mr. Snail and I will have to meet with him sometime this week or next to discuss some things. Mr. Snail wants some korean music and I need my hip hop. I also have to mention no cheesy songs like the YMCA, Macarena, Electric Slide, Chicken Dance, etc.

All this within less than a month. Crazy~!

I started browsing bridal magazines long before I got engaged, ripping out pages and putting them into a 3 ring binder. There is one picture of a wedding dress I came across while looking through the spring/summer mega wedding gown issue of the knot magazine.

From the Timeless Bridal Collection, “a strapless dropped waist ball gown with french trim of handmade baby roses, shirred chiffon bust line, and draped skirt” with a $$$$ ($3,001~$5,000) symbol by its description.

I remember my cousin and I squealing over the picture of this dress when we saw it while racing to say the words, “I claim this mine~!!” I promised that this would one day be mine.

I wasn’t going to mention this but my parents and future in-laws expect me to rent a dress. When they said this at the engagement dinner, I almost choked on my food. I’ve had my eyes set on this and only this dress for nearly a year. Obviously I’m not living the celebrity lifestyle –it’s not every day I get to wear something so expensive and I wish they could understand that. As desperately as I want the dress to be mine, I know it’s not going to happen and it really makes me a bit sad.

My wedding dress requirements:

• ball gown or full A-line. I want anything that’ll make my waistline look tiny.
• strapless and corset-like bodice
• dropped waist

I want something that’ll look delicate, soft, simple and romantic without crazy sequin/embroidery. I’m not sure if I’ll find anything I love on a budget, but I hope I can.

*keeping my eyes shut & fingers crossed*

I spent much of my Sunday afternoon at Barnes & Noble with my fiance browsing and taking notes from various magazines and wedding books. I ended up purchasing 3 books and this is the one I immediately fell in love with.

I’m not really much of a book reader, but I found this to be well written and the authors are actually quite amusing. In one of the first chapters, they list commandments for bridal bargains:

” If you pay full retail for a bridal gown, please give us your home address so we can come over and whack you on the head with this book. Seriously, we found TWO DOZEN ways to slash that dress bill….”

Then it leads to a section on bridal gowns, descriptions and ratings of various designers, tips from previous brides, etc. The rest of the book pretty much carries on in the same organized and fun fashion.

I have a date set but no venue so these are tips I got from the book:

* Make appointments with 3~5 places but first confirm availability.

It seems obvious, but with all the unorganized wedding thoughts racing through my head, it was probably a good thing I came across that and wrote it down.

$$ money saving tips $$

* Fail to mention WEDDING for 8 out of 11 places (that’s been tested) quoted the “marriage mark-up”

ex. One Connecticut bride said the party was for a family reunion, saved 20% and told the restaurant 2 weeks before the reception, it was actually a wedding.

* Practice your poker face. Many sites are willing to negotiate but if you act like you MUST have the venue, they think they’ve got you and don’t have to negotiate.

* Get promises made in black & white (written in signed contract)

They also say never to sign a contract with the following clause:

“….retain the right to change ballroom, even up to a day before the wedding.”

I couldn’t believe such a ridiculous clause would be in a contract. So like mother dearest said, “always read the fine print.”

Tomorrow, I’ll be making calls to make appointments to hopefully see 2 venues this coming Friday. I know not to mention anything wedding. Can you ladies suggest any other helpful tips on what or what not to say?

During the engagement dinner with both families, we were discussing possible wedding dates when my mom suggested December 12th (my birthday). Mr. Snail immediately responded, “…then we won’t have a separate special day or anniversary.” I looked over at him and gave him the biggest smile.

What a sweetie~!!! Moments like this make me fall in love with him all over again. I can definitely see us together for a lifetime~!