Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
I’ve been working hard over here in Champ land on our invitations. My gocco and I are both tired, but we’re finally almost done!
One of the most important parts of our invitation will be to inform out of town guests where to stay. You might remember I had a really hard time finding accommodations that would be reasonable because our wedding falls on one of Vail’s busiest weekends during the ski season. I was getting hotel quotes for $1000 a night, and let’s face it- nobody in their right mind would be paying that for one night. I even considered changing the date of our wedding, things got so bad. That’s when I started looking at options that weren’t necessarily in the heart of the Vail Village. Sure guests would have to take a shuttle to get into town, but for the price of these rooms, it was totally worth it!
I searched around the Internet for wording for an accommodations card. It was kind of tough because I wanted to give guests enough information, but I really want them to visit our website where I’ve done SO MUCH RESEARCH on affordable condo rentals and hotels. I also really want our out of town guests (almost 70% of our guest list!) to see the many options for activities in Vail that I’ve posted on the website. So how to tell guests in a semi-formal way that we’ve reserved a block of rooms and they should take a serious look at our website before they come? Here’s my wording: Read more…
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
Our initial flower budget was pretty weak. I thought we would do candle centerpieces and maybe a few very small arrangements on the cocktail tables. That’s before I discovered that you can find peonies in February! It’s true… I totally didn’t believe it until our florist came back with a quote and some arrangement ideas. I had no idea what to expect from a floral proposal, so this might help those of you who are clueless as to what to ask for!
Here are the bouquet pictures I showed her for inspiration.
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
I’ve been searching for a flower to put in my hair during the reception. I’ll wear a chapel length mantilla veil for the ceremony, so I thought a pretty flower would be fun for the reception. Of course etsy has wonderful options, and I’ve seen several I love, but I came across Sara Gabriel, a headpiece and veil designer. I love her designs, and they’re all unique in their own way.
Veronica comb: Hand-formed feather flower with ostrich accents & Swarovski rhinestone/crystal center. So unique!
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
I wanted to gift my bridesmaids something that they would be able to use again. I know every bride says that, but I thought I could get the Lady Champs something fitting for our winter wedding.
***Please pretty please stop reading if you’re a bridesmaid—that means you KC–I know you want a peek, but don’t you dare!*** Read more…
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
This is how I wanted my hair to be done for our wedding—loose curls and all down. I thought this would be the best look for me, and I was really looking forward to seeing it all come together.
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
You already know how much I love the pear shape, so it’s no surprise I wanted to incorporate that into my wedding day jewelry. Originally, I budgeted a rather hefty amount for some nice earrings and maybe a bracelet, but as I searched for sparkly pears I realized that I might not need that generous budget.
Here are some of my favorite pear finds for wedding day earrings. I’ve listed them in order of decreasing price- can’t even tell, huh?!
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
There are a few good things about having curly long hair…
1. When you don’t have a brush, it’s OK most of the time
2. You can easily go for the beach-y look
3. Many people with straight hair will envy you
There are also a few not-so-good things about having curly long hair…
1. When you don’t have a brush and you try to use your fingers, it’s a frizzy mess
2. You sometimes feel like your hair always looks beach-y
3. You will envy people with straight hair
Now, what do I do about it? I straighten most of the time. I’ve been doing it for a while and there are a few tools I cannot live without and I feel I must share.
Must have #1: Paddle brush and a hairdryer with an attachment. Watch out, they get hot hot hot!
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
I guess I usually consider myself pretty thoughtful when it comes to gift giving. I really make an effort to listen when people say they want things or need things, because there’s always an opportunity to give someone a thoughtful gift. But this year for Champ’s birthday, I was surprised to hear the response when I told my friends what I would be gifting him.
It’s no secret- Champ cares about his appearance. Not in an obsessive way, but he takes care of himself. So when he tried Crest White Strips to help whiten his teeth, I wasn’t surprised. After all, I’ve been a huge White Strips fan myself and they’ve really brightened my teeth. But, as some of you may know, the strips can make your teeth a little sensitive, and I guess Champ is a sensitive guy. He couldn’t deal with them!
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
Yeah ok so that title was a bit of a stretch, but there’s really no other way to explain this next DIY. Champ and I wanted our guests to feel comfortable and pampered so we decided we would use guest towels in the restrooms. If you recall, we’ll have floating candles (probably gardenia because of the yummy smell) in the restrooms, but we wanted to add a personalized touch.
I purchased 400 Hoffmaster “linen-like” guest towels in ecru (similar to ivory). They’re pretty thick and soft enough to feel good while drying your hands.
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
I don’t know about other couples, but throughout this whole process there’s been a clear line between the subjects Champ cares about and those which he could care less about. I mentioned he was big into our Mountain Menu choices (specifically his obsession with buffalo), but there have been less obvious details he’ll take over.
I mention this because yesterday when we were in Crate and Barrel, Champ casually leans over and tells me that our low ball glasses are no longer available online and we should look for some to replace them on our registry. Um… say what? You check our registry??? He might be the only groom I know that actually cares about registry details. He’s even added random items to our registry like a scull print beach towel.
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
Before I left for my trip last week, I was so excited that Champ would finally be able to make some wedding related decisions! He’s really only been interested in a few things, and we were planning on really incorporating his interests into the trip. Unfortunately, right before we were supposed to leave, I found out that Champ wouldn’t be able to make the trip with me because of a big thing at work. Big time bummer… I was feeling a little nervous about making all of the decisions myself—most importantly the menu.
I should start this off by giving you the background of Champ’s obsession with mountain animals. Last winter as we were driving from Denver to Vail to visit my family, Champ screamed. No, not a manly scream, I’m talking a girlie-girl scream. I slammed on the brakes and nearly crashed as he yelled, “A real live buffalo!!” I looked over and he was almost in tears he was so excited, like a five year old boy. Since then, he’s had this obsession with having buffalo as part of our “mountain menu”.
You carnivores may know that buffalo, although tasty, does taste pretty similar to beef and it’s a helluva lot more expensive. Read more…
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
So I mentioned things got a little crazy before my trip to Colorado. Suddenly I realized that this was the only opportunity I would have to get things out to Vail without having to ship them. I quickly thought of any last minute DIY projects I could squeeze into my schedule before my flight. I thought about our church doors and how pretty dark red letters would look in the snow. So like many bees, I ordered wood letters from (16″, Times New Roman, 1/4 thick) Craft Cuts . This size is large enough to make a statement but won’t completely take over the church doors.
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
I’m FINALLY back from a whirlwind wedding trip to Colorado, and I’ve got so much to share with you!! Planning a wedding from so far away is pretty tough, but I’m so glad this final trip went as planned. All except one of our vendor meetings went without a hitch, our food will be fantastic, and I managed to shed only one tear of frustration at my disastrous hair trial (more about that later). I even got to meet up for coffee with Mrs. Cookie!! I would post a picture here, but I completely forgot to take one. Booo for wedding induced sleep deprivation.
I figure that before I share with you some of our final decisions that were made this past weekend, I’d show some of our original inspiration. When we first started wedding planning, we thought that the cake wouldn’t be a huge decision. At first I thought about doing one of those Styrofoam cakes that would be decorated and then guests would just eat a less expensive sheet cake. I figured that it would save money and we would still get the look of an expensive cake. Wrong!! Those cakes aren’t cheap!
Our original inspiration stemmed from my early obsession with Damask. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s almost too much damask for me!
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
So I know I’ve been a little MIA this week and it’s only because I’ve been so freakin’ busy! I’m headed to Colorado this weekend for my final wedding weekend. I’ve got a shower Sunday, meetings with literally every vendor Monday, hair and makeup trials Tuesday and then it’s back to the real world. It’s tough to plan a wedding from so far away!
Because I’m making this trip, I’ve tried to get a bunch of projects done so I could bring them with me and leave them instead of shipping everything. So I promise I’ll post about my most recent DIY projects soon! In the meantime, I thought I would share with you a little secret that I picked up on our last vacation.
A few months ago, Champ and I went to visit my Dad in Big Sky, Montana. I’m used to strange summer weather, but it literally snowed the ENTIRE trip (in the middle of June!!). I definitely wasn’t ready. On the way home, we started talking to one of the airline attendants. He was wonderful and while in flight he told me about the best hangover drink (half beer and half bloody mary mix) and the best 5 minute manicure! Read more…
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
Whew! That’s a lot of bees, and I give in. I do have a few secrets that I haven’t shared with the hive. It’s not because I’m embarrassed… OK maybe it is, but I thought I might share with you my somewhat double life. Here goes: I was an orchestra playin’, a capella sangin’, performing arts nerd.
When I was very young, I was watching TV at home and saw a woman playing a violin. According to my mom, I got really close to the TV and wouldn’t budge. I begged for violin lessons and my parents agreed. Because I was only about 4 years old, I started on a little cardboard violin and gradually moved my way up to a full size violin throughout the years. We lived in the sticks of Colorado (OK, the mountains really, but it was still pretty rural). My poor parents had to constantly drive me from lessons, to dance class, to orchestra practice. It exhausts me just thinking about it now.
Mrs. Champagne, DC/Vail/ColoradoAge and Occupation: 26, Eye DoctorFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 13, 2006Wedding Date: February 2009Blogging Since: July 30, 2008Venue: Small church ceremony with mountain-view log cabin receptionAbout Me: I'm a small town mountain girl with a city heart. Found my way to the east coast, and Mr. Champagne kept me here so we're planning a wedding from afar in my hometown Vail, Colorado. I'm secretly obsessed with reality TV, Wii games where I can shoot a gun, country music, and Caesar: Dog Whisperer. I also spend time pretending to golf, backseat driving, having one way conversations with our MinPin Maxwell, loving champagne, and wedding perfecting… I mean, planning. I use way too many repeated symbols and letters when I write, and I'll love Mr. Champagne endlessly…
All-Inclusion Invitation Suites
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He couldn’t deal with them!
Booo for wedding induced sleep deprivation.
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