Weddingbee Blog

It’s a long and winding road that leads to our venue. If it weren’t for the three forks that diverge toward park offices, the marina, and God knows where else… I’d feel pretty confident that even the most disoriented guest would be able to find our venue. While we included turn-by-turn directions on the backs of the maps that accompanied our invitations, I’m quite certain that few guests will actually remember to pack theirs for the trip. So I’ve decided to add an extra layer of planning protection (and a quick last-minute DIY project) with some simple signs.

Here’s what I used to make them:
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I have a confession to make. I went into my hair and makeup trials with only the vaguest idea of what I wanted the end result to look like.

I put off these very important decisions until just last week and found myself scrambling the night before my appointment to find appropriate inspiration photos. The problem is, there really wasn’t any combination of photos to illustrate exactly what I wanted… mainly because really I didn’t know what I wanted. (Oh, how I envy the bees who’ve known exactly what they wanted when it came to their wedding day looks!)

As far as my hair, I was only sure that I wanted a natural looking (i.e. not lacquered to my scalp) updo. These are the photos that I took to Mayerly, my super-patient stylist at the Biltmore Hotel Spa.
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I know it’s been a while since I’ve blogged about any DIY projects. That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been plenty of crafting going on at Casa Yorkie. Here’s one project that I’ve been holding off on posting about until I was able to get a decent photo of the final product… no thanks to the perpetually rainy weather lately.

Next weekend (when the skies miraculously dry up), our ceremony will take place on the beach. Considering the sand, a traditional paper or fabric aisle runner just won’t do the trick. From the start, I’d had in mind something made of natural fibers that would fit in well with our tropical setting. I quickly learned that what I wanted was called lampac, a material made of woven grass, often used in tiki-style decor. The only problem was that a 3’x26’ roll cost WAY more than I was willing to pay. On a rare trip to Walmart (that place makes my head ache!), I spotted exactly what I needed: woven beach mats! At $5 a pop, I was a happy Yorkie!

Over the past few months, friends have joked that I’ll be crafting my way down the aisle. In a way, they’re exactly right!
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Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.

~ Denis Waitley

With our ceremony outdoors on a public beach in the middle of June in Miami, there’s no telling what conditions will be like on the Big Day. For starters, there could be pouring rain (as there has for the past 18 days straight). Another concern is that on the section of beach that Mr. Yorkie and I have identified as our “perfect spot”, there could be any number of bathing suit-clad park patrons, camped out with their coolers and umbrellas. Since the beach officially closes to the public at sunset (about an hour after our ceremony), we really aren’t allowed to ask them to move. Aside from asking someone to hang out on the spot for us, for who knows how many hours before the wedding, there isn’t much that we can do about it.

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Considering the we’re getting married NEXT weekend (yikes!), I figure it’s about time that I start working on our programs. Last weekend (in addition to hair and makeup trials, finishing the aisle runner, and stocking up on OOT bag goodies) I did just that.

With a couple of fabulous inspiration examples to work from, I set to designing a pocket-sized program that would fit right in with our silhouette-sprinkled wedding details. Here are the images that got my creative juices flowing.

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Like most soon-to-be-married men, Mr. Yorkie can’t wait to get some quality time in with his guys before the Big Day. With friends flying in from all corners of the country, he really wants to show them a good time. Unlike some soon-to-be-married men, though, Mr. Y isn’t up for the typical bachelor party activities. To be honest, I’m secretly relieved to hear that, but not at all surprised. He’s just not the stripper-loving type.

Mr. Yorkie wants to be able to kick back and relax doing something he loves. Along with his Best Man (aka BIL Yorkie), he’s come up with a plan to do just that. I’ve mentioned before how much Mr. Y loves baseball. (Our first date was actually to a Marlins game!) So it’s only natural that he’s choosing to spend the day with his buddies at the ballpark.

Cheering on the Giants at the 2002 World Series

The party will start with a tailgate at Land Shark Stadium.
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Ever since we finalized the details with the cake, I’ve been on the lookout for the perfect pedestal stand. If you’ll remember my original inspiration photo from Jordan Ferney’s wedding, what initially struck me was her amazing collection of milk glass stands. While the vision for our own sweet creation has seen its share of changes, one thing has remained constant: the stand.

There’s just something about the graceful lines of a simple stand that can elevate a cake to the next level (pun intended). I wish that I could tell you that the search has been a piece of cake (sorry, I couldn’t resist!). Unfortunately, it hasn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve found some GORGEOUS pedestals in the process. The only problem is that most of them have been too small! (The ones that are large enough for our 13″ cake are, unfortunately, much too expensive for our remaining budget.)

While none of the following were winners in The Yorkies’ search for the perfect pedestal, I think they’re at least worthy of an honorable mention!
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In just a couple of weeks, Mr. Yorkie and I will stand on this beach shortly before sunset and pledge our lives and love to each other before 120 of our family and friends.

If it doesn’t quite look like the flashy, fast-paced scenes of Miami Beach that you’ve come to know from shows like Miami Vice and CSI: Miami, there’s a good reason. This isn’t Miami Beach. It’s Matheson Hammock, Miami’s very first park and best-kept secret.
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When it came to deciding on our favors, I was adamant about not giving our guests trinkets that would either end up in the trash or (worse) collecting dust on a shelf. Mr. Yorkie agreed, and so we set to brainstorming practical favors that our guests would actually use and enjoy. Immediately, we started thinking about edible favors!

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I’ve been smitten with Minhee Park’s wedding details since they first appeared in Martha Stewart Weddings in Fall 2006. I especially love the little ice cream scoops served with custom-printed wooden spoons!
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Remember how just the other day I was remarking about the phenomenon of brides with various twos? Well, I have a little announcement to make: my shoes are no longer my only twos. Nope, I can now officially be counted among the growing population of two-dress brides. Meet Delores…

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I have to admit, I wasn’t terribly excited about this new development at first.
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Ever since our very first “date” (which I’ll share more about later), Mr. Yorkie and I realized that in addition to running, we both share a passion for family history. I’m not exactly sure how we got on the topic that night, but before I knew it, we were heavy in discussion about surnames, census rolls, and subscriptions to Ancestry.com.

Our love of family is definitely something that has brought us closer together. One of our craziest adventures yet involved sneaking into a long-abandoned cemetery in the backwoods of Allen County, Ohio, in order to track down the final resting place of one of Mr. Y’s great-great-great grandfathers.
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It’s hard to believe that this photograph was taken just one year ago today! That delicious little Sprinkles cupcake served as my birthday cake. (Yup, today’s my 31st birthday. I don’t even want to think of what that makes me in dog years!)

So yeah, a year ago today, Mr. Yorkie and I were in Los Angeles. While turning 30 is kind of a big deal, it wasn’t the reason for our trip. Nope. We were there to celebrate something more important; the wedding of one of Mr. Y’s best friends, Big Don. It was the culminating event of what turned out to be one amazing week-long trip.

We started our journey in San Francisco, where Mr. Yorkie and I ran the 97th Annual Bay to Breakers 12K.
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These days, it’s not uncommon to hear of brides with various twos… be it two veils, or two dresses. The idea is to wear one (usually the more traditional style) during the ceremony, and change into the other (oftentimes more modern) for the reception. Every girl has her own reason for the quick change, be it a call for comfort, or a passion for fashion.

Well, while I haven’t yet decided on all of my wedding day accessories, I do know that in at least one way I will be a “two” bride. My twos will be my shoes! (Considering my recent posts, aren’t you glad I didn’t say “cakes”? Ha!)

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Ever since laying eyes on the July/August ’08 issue of BRIDES, I knew that I wanted to rock a pair of fuchsia peep-toe heels under my wedding gown.
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Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Remember that last item on my list of things to do? Well, Mr. Yorkie and I have finally gotten around to doing something about it!

Despite my Cuban heritage, I was totally skipped over when it came to distribution of the rhythm gene. I’ve never felt comfortable out on the dance floor, and for that reason have always sat out on the sidelines at every wedding I’ve ever been to. My biggest fear since we got engaged has been that our first dance will look more like a scene from some middle school spring fling, with us standing in place, awkwardly shuffling our feet from side to side. (That’s the one move that I unfortunately have mastered!)
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So, I was at Michaels again last night. As always, I went with the intention of picking up just a couple of things and taking no more than 15 minutes. Needless to say, it never works out that way. There are just too many temptations!

Anyway, back to the reason for my post. After paying at the register (more than an hour after I got there), the cashier handed me the receipt and an orange flier. It’s a little piece of paper that can save you big bucks. You see, Michaels is having a Summer Madness Sale on May 25th from 9AM - 1PM, where you’ll save 20% off your entire purchase, including sale items!
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