Weddingbee

Way, way back in the dark ages… you know, in March of 2008 when I furiously started planning this wedding, I fell in love with escort cards tucked neatly in beds of wheatgrass. And really, what’s not to love? It’s bold, vibrant, matches our color scheme… and if we get really ambitious, we can make healthy smoothies with it the next day!

I didn’t, however, want to use the standard folded escort cards. I wanted paper flowers.

Source: Brooklyn Bride

For the past year (yes, year!) I have searched high and low for the perfect way to fulfill my vision. I’ve always loved origami, so I tried any and every folded flower I could find instructions for (beyond the basic lily… far too easy, and I wanted to show off some mad origami skillz). But every option I found either wouldn’t have set well in the wheatgrass, would be difficult to attach a leaf to, or just simply involved far too many steps for me to make 60+ flowers.

Another roadblock with origami was the paper.
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I never thought I wanted anything more than a few sprigs of lavender to top our wedding cake until I saw this:

source

The little birdies that Lauren Alane makes are so cute! I didn’t exactly have a “I need to have it” sort of reaction, but the wheels did start a-turnin’. The thing is, I’m not exactly cheap, I just get this crazy idea in my head every once in a (frequent) while that when I see something artsy I like, I can re-create it. There are plenty of instructions on the net, right?
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Yesterday, Mr. Toucan and I celebrated our first anniversary. It’s hard to believe that one year has gone by! Since there are still so many married ladies buzzing around in the hive, I’ll be putting together a short little series of posts of how we celebrated our one year, and will share our paper anniversary presents! But first, let’s take a look back…

We decided to go through our wedding pictures and reminisce, and we each picked out one picture from our day to share with you.

Hers:

While this might not be the *best* picture, it’s definitely one of my most favorite pictures. It’s the best feeling in the world to love someone so much, and to know that they love you that much back. You can see the love on Mr. Toucan’s face. He looks at me like this every day.

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For the past 13 years, I’ve stuck to the same routine for cleaning my skin before hitting the sack. I’ve added in a few products over the years, but the base products (cleanser, moisturizer) still remain and I’ve even stayed loyal to one brand for the most part. My skin? Dry, dry, dry. Living at a high elevation sucks the moisture right out. I don’t break out very often save for the occasional zit. So, my main focus lies in moisturizing.

Lately, I’ve been straying from my brand-of-choice and trying out some different products. Mainly because I get a samples through work here and there and, what can I say, free product is free product. Some I love, while others leave my skin peeling or stinging. So, in preparation for the wedding, I’m going to keep it simple and head back to my staple brand for most everything.

You’re wondering what brand that is, aren’t you? Let me break it down for you.

My fountain of youth: H2O+. Their sea-derived skincare products are gentle and natural. While not drugstore-priced, they aren’t the most expensive out there and you get a fair amount for your money. Plus, they last a long time–sometimes it takes me six months to get through a product.

Step 1: Make-up Remover
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Have I ever mentioned how much I love Etsy? Well, I totally do! It’s allowed me to find totally unique, completely adorable gifts for my favorite girls.

So, cute clutches, check! Next on the list—earrings!

I wanted something unique. Different from the typical pearls or crystals. Luckily, my favorite friend Etsy came to my rescue with these sweet little beauties, courtesy of seller Ben and Oliver:

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Everyone has gotten their invites, so here they are!

On first impression:

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Hello, hive! Mr. Taffy and I are back, rested, and ready to bring on the marital bliss! I don’t have any pro teasers yet, but here is one of my favorite guest photos to give you a sneak peek.

I love that my cousin captured Mom Taffy’s profile in the shot.

I am very pleased to report that our wedding was full of fun, love and happiness. I always scoffed when people told us that our wedding would be one of the happiest days of our lives. I assumed that they meant that it would be the best moment together in our relationship, and that we should expect things to go downhill after this one special day. Not the most encouraging thought for the bride to be.
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My mother, sister, and I arrived at La Fogata fashionably late. Upon arrival I was instantly overwhelmed by the sheer number of people scattered about. The restaurant was filled to capacity with the familiar faces of friends and family milling around, laughing and chatting excitedly. It was a beautiful thing.
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Over the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about what beverages we will be serving and how much we’ll need. I looked over our list of guests and came up with a breakdown of who thought would drink what. Then I played with several online beverage calculators and came up with the following beverage needs:

• 2 cases of both red and white
• 3-4 bottles of Pimm’s
• 3-4 bottles of Gin
• 1.5 cases of bubbly
• 1 keg of beer
• Assorted 2 liter bottles of soft drinks

We have a budget of about $720.

Our red wine selection is only $6 a bottle. When we had it, we were surprised it wasn’t a $8 or $9 wine. We’re buying the gin at the Coast Guard station and are hoping they carry Pimm’s too. If not, we can buy it at the state liquor store or have some of our European visitors bring it in for us.

Over the weekend, we visited a wine shop our rehearsal dinner caterer suggested. They recommended the $6 Cabernet Sauvignon we really like.

The visit was OK, but a little shocking. The person who helped us obviously knew his wine; he suggested some good wines we could try in the $8 range. The shocking part? The amount of wine he thought we needed.
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A few weeks ago, I had a dress fitting at a local tailor. I went alone and was really excited. I hadn’t tried my dress on in months, but I knew it needed a bustle. The rest, I figured, was in the tailor’s hands. I wish I had a sweet story to tell you, but to put it nicely, the appointment was a disaster. How? Let me count the ways.

First off, L.A. was experiencing scorching 100 degree weather, and the place had no air conditioning. In short, I was a sweaty mess before we even started. But I needed to get fitted, so I changed into my dress behind the severely shortened curtain and scooted my way out. The first words out of the tailor’s mouth after he looked me up and down with a judgmental eye…

“Is that your wedding dress?”

Umm, no sir, it’s not my wedding dress. Actually it’s a big flowy ivory gown with a train that I plan to wear out clubbing. What a stupid question. Sorry, but it was a stupid question said in a very condescending way. Strike one.

Then, I told him that I would need a bustle.
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