Weddingbee

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Loved its vintage style and eBay price ($225), but the ease of wear was almost even better. The train was manageable, I could sit, walk, and dance without trouble, and not once did I have to suck in my stomach, adjust the neckline, or otherwise worry about my dress in any way…. I was free to just enjoy myself and be a bride!

Red Shoes: No-Name Brand from eBay

Originally, I considered wearing beribboned ivory pumps for the ceremony and switching to these flats for the reception. But I don’t wear heels often, and after suffering through the rehearsal dinner in 3″ heels, I swore it would be flats for the wedding day. Turns out it was a great decision — not only was I extremely comfortable, but my cheerful red shoes made me happy all day. And the guests loved them too — I got so many comments on my “ruby slippers.”

And, in a funny coincidence, my mother showed up wearing the same shoes in gold!

Veil: Veilsbylana on eBay

I knew that I wanted a veil because wearing one made me feel “like a bride.” In fact, as soon as we put it on, my bridesmaids remarked that “wow, you were a bride before, but now you look like a BRIDE!!”

Beautifully crafted veils can run hundreds of dollars. But you certainly don’t have to shell out that much. My version was $35 (including shipping) on eBay. In fact, it was the most expensive version in the seller’s whole store. And it did the trick just fine.

Parasol:

I love the look of parasols in wedding photos, so I picked up a few red parasols for the bridesmaids from the Paper Lantern Store. For myself, I bought a beautiful vintage Japanese parasol off eBay … but as I opened it to show it to my MOH during our dressing hour, it EXPLODED! Apparently, seven-decades-old paper = very fragile. So, back to red!

Shawl:

In my mind, our late-March wedding would enjoy beautiful, sunny, spring-like weather. Sadly, the reality was much colder. Thank heavens I panicked and picked up a shawl (a peacock, which I love, in red and turquoise like our wedding colors) from eBay a couple of weeks before the wedding.

Other Accessories:

I did carry a small clutch, which I purchased off eBay for less than $10. I’m glad it was inexpensive, because in the end it just sat in a corner all day. It would have been far easier to ask my MOH to carry my lipstick and handkerchief.

My ruby earrings were originally for sale in my own small eBay store, but I always loved them and wished I could keep them for my own. It was so exciting when I realized they were red and perfect for my dress! Sadly, I don’t have much of a photo.

The shawl wasn’t entirely warm enough, so I also resorted to an ivory wool coat that I already owned. (From eBay, of course! $40 from seller evaluebrands, which sells Bloomingdales catalog returns.) And it looked fine, even over my dress. Because, when in doubt, it’s better to be warm than to suffer for fashion! (Though, even growing up in Wisconsin in below-zero winters, I’m afraid it took me a while to learn that particular fashion philosophy….)

How will you accessorize your wedding day?
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But my hair did need help — major help. Pieces started falling within an hour of my leaving the salon. Thank heavens my MOH came pre-armed with extra bobby pins just in case!

Even more than the help, I appreciated having the special “girl time” together before the festivities began.

Love this shot of the bridesmaids’ red shoes.

After one last coat of lipstick, we were out the door. But not to the ceremony site just yet — we had a bit of time for photos in the Hotel Monaco’s colorful lobby.

(Amazingly, the girls’ wraps were not planned in any way! Like the shoes and the dresses themselves, they were slightly different but coordinated so beautifully.)

(All photos by Punam Bean.)

Finally, it was time to walk the 3 blocks to the ceremony site, where we sequestered ourselves in the basement, had a bit to eat (literally, a single bite in my case — so many things to attend to!), and I enjoyed the final moments of singledom….
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Thanks to suggestions from the Hive, I made Zoe a pearl necklace to pretty her up for the Big Day. It was as easy as stringing some big vintage “pearls” (already in my crafting stash) onto elastic cord and adding a red ribbon to hold the rings. The pearl collar was almost invisible in her fluffy ruff, but the ribbon stood out nicely.

(For anyone who remembers our search for a classic-but-unusual wedding band for Mr. T, we ended up with a “Love” ring from Cartier. Click the photo for a better look.)

I also made Zoe a ribbon leash, out of the wide ribbon from my bouquet handle. I just made a loop at one end the size of Zoe’s neck and a loop at the other end the size of a hand, and then secured the loops with fabric glue.

We didn’t exactly ask permission to have a dog at our ceremony venue, so the Sheltie Wrangler lurked outside till the appropriate moment, then set Zoe loose down the aisle. Zoe was a bit confused by all the people in the audience (she loooves people), but did an admirable job of trotting straight to us.

The hardest part? Untying the ribbon knots! It’s definitely best to be sure any knots are tied loosely, or you can use fake rings on the dog/pillow/etc. and keep the real ones tucked away in a pocket.

(Almost there….)

(Success!)

Who or what will “bear” your rings?
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But then I realized there was a budget option: my friends at the Aveda Institute. You never know which student will be assigned, but my many haircuts have run the gamut from adequate to great. And the price? $10 for a makeup application, $15 for a short-hair do, and $40 for an updo!

At least, I think that’s the updo price. I paid for my mother’s short-hair style but never had the chance to pay for my own beauty …. BECAUSE A STRANGER PAID FOR IT!

A note to the anonymous person who paid for my hair and makeup on my wedding day — I can’t tell you how much your generous gesture meant to me. The enormous smile that was pasted on my face all day had its start in the amazing warmth I felt from your act of kindness. I pray the good karma comes back around to you someday.

As far as tips go, (1) I highly recommend bringing photos of the style you’re looking for. Even though I had no personal history with the stylist or makeup person, it’s easy to say “I want volume in front and a sort-of-simple bun” or “I like a natural face with some color on the eyes and lips” if you have illustrations of exactly WHAT those terms mean to you. (2) If you go the Aveda Institute route, you’re in luck if you’re a late planner — when I first tried to make an appointment, they told me to call back a month before the date. (3) And if you’re not an early riser (as I am not), be prepared! We had to arrive at 8:30 to be sure there was no rush with travel/clothes/etc. before our 2:00 ceremony.

Also? What a great place for funky photos. Here are a few more of my favorites. (All photos by Punam Bean.):

Aveda Institute DC
713 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
(202) 824-1624

(If you’re not in DC, you may still be in luck — there are Aveda Institutes in 20 states and several countries.)

And for any DC gals or guys who aren’t comfortable with the beauty school idea — I also highly recommend my new haircut and highlight guru: William at Salon Ava. He’s great with hair, totally knows his stuff, and believes what matters most is that YOU like the results. (Mr. T got his wedding haircut from William, and now he’s started going back regularly as well.) Their makeup artist, Andre, has done the makeup for TNT’s “Christmas in Washington” for several years. And best of all, their prices are quite reasonable for their level of service.

Salon Ava
225 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 544-5111

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First, when I returned from the rehearsal dinner and afterparty the night before — absolutely exhausted from socializing and 40+ hours without sleep — I found the most AMAZING thing waiting for me on the hotel room desk.

There was a card whose front said “For your last night as … Ms. Maidenname”, and inside it explained that the gifts were something old (an old quote on a bookmark), something new (a book called Autobiography of a Fat Bride, by Laurie Notaro, which turned out to be hilarious!), something borrowed (a pack of cards), and something blue (a blue journal). Plus a couple of super-tasty heart-shaped chocolates. It was the most unexpected and most charming thing I’d ever seen!! [And here’s an Internet shout-out to wonderful, wonderful Joanna at the front desk, who put it all together and wrote the card….]

The second night, there was wine and cheese (next to my bottle of wedding perfume):

We felt genuinely welcomed by everyone at the Hotel. They put a note about our wedding on their computer system, so everyone we spoke to knew about the Big Event and congratulated us repeatedly. And of course, once we starting walking around in wedding finery, there was no keeping secrets! Everyone from the other guests to the valets to a housekeeper passing through the lobby stopped us to offer the warmest of wishes.

We took advantage of the beautifully decorated lobby for a quick pre-ceremony photo session. Here, I was cracking up because a tiny elderly lady in a tweed hat was peering shamelessly through the windows from the sidewalk outside:

For anyone planning a visit to Alexandria, VA (or to DC itself — Alexandria is very close, extremely charming, and joined by Metro), I can’t recommend the Hotel Monaco highly enough. It was a special experience for us because of our wedding, but even as a normal hotel stay it ranked very highly. We spent ages at the day-after brunch raving about the hotel with other wedding guests who stayed there — the beds! the decor! the location! — and all agreed it was a genuine treat.

(The bathroom wallpaper was the coolest.) (1st and last 2 photos by Punam Bean)

Oh, and P.S.: The last morning of our stay was Easter. They put a chocolate egg on our bed the night before, and hid Easter eggs all around the lobby the next morning. How cute is this?

Where will you spend your wedding night? Splurge or budget??
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After picking up our one-way rental car at the Oakland airport — oddly, much cheaper than if we’d picked it up at SFO — we headed down the coast to Santa Cruz. Which was mostly a one-night stopover for 2 local attractions that I wanted very badly to visit: First, the elephant seal rookery at Ano Nuevo State Reserve (not a super-telephoto lens; we were really that close to the elephant seals!):

…and then the giant redwood trees at Big Basin State Park:

Our next 3 nights were spent in Monterey. Actually, in the next town, Pacific Grove — a charming little town with a dramatic rocky shoreline. Mr. T and I are trying to figure out how we can relocate there ASAP!

We’re nuts for animals (says the person with 5 pets), so of course we adored the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium. The Aquarium is justifiably well-known for its otters and its penguins, but just about every exhibit was memorable. For example, the jellyfish were psychedelic:

And this huge tube of anchovies swimming in a circle was oddly mesmerizing (and tasty!):

We tried to go whale watching one day — a longtime dream of Mr. T’s — but sadly the boat had to turn back because of HUGE waves in the bay. But on our way south through Big Sur, we fulfilled one of my own longtime dreams — riding horses on a beach:

As for Big Sur itself, nothing to say except SPECTACULARLY GORGEOUS! By the end of the day, we were actually blase about stunning vistas. (”Oh, hm, another dramatic green cliff dropping into the turquoise sea? Been there, seen that.”)

(Bixby Bridge, built in 1932)

(McWay Falls, in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park — the waterfall path was closed, but there is this dramatic view from the highway above)

There aren’t many many places to stay — at least many affordable ones — in Big Sur, so we overnighted in Cambria, just south of Hearst Castle. The next day, we toured the Castle itself. I’m not usually big on “fancy building tours,” but everything from the setting to the house to the decorative details were absolutely amazing. I’m now fascinated with William Randolph Hearst and can’t wait to read his biography.

Last stop, L.A. We didn’t do much city touring, but did spend an afternoon wandering Santa Monica and attended a taping of Real Time with Bill Maher. (And we finally got to try the famous In-N-Out Burger, but I’ve got to say these outsiders didn’t understand the hype. DC’s own Five Guys is so much better!!)

In a world with unlimited time and funds, my dream honeymoon might have been Bali or the Greek Isles. But all in all, we really enjoyed our time in California. It was beautiful and relaxing, we didn’t have to travel halfway around the world to get there, and it didn’t cost a fortunte. Which is not to say we can’t go tropical someday, but I’m rather glad we tackled something a bit lower-key just after the wedding….

Is anyone else staying in the US for your honeymoon?
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We had a number of wedding-related disasters, including car accidents, nearly-forgotten rings, last-minute venue hijinx, and NO MUSIC for the reception. But it was still an incredibly joyous day. I spent all day with an expression like this:

Expect many more details as we have photos to illustrate everything!

(photos by the wonderful Punam Bean)
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Though there appear to be 2 inserts in the photo, there are actually 3 — a direction card (which we did on the inkjet, since it’s just small black type), RSVP card with envelope, and small card (in blue-and-red) that gives the reception time and location, our wedding website address, and our name and address for after the wedding.

Originally, I purchased Snow & Graham cherry blossom paper to use as decoration for the front. But we decided it looked too busy, so instead we did something simple on the Gocco. (There was only 1/2 of a screen left, after inking our smallest insert. But it was enough!) In retrospect, I wish I had bordered the white square, but the front bit was all rather last-minute and “let’s just get these darn things done before the weekend is over”….

We were happiest with the RSVP cards. Which is nice, because it turns out you see a lot of them when they start coming back to you!! I also used my beloved cherry blossom paper to line the envelopes, so I get to see it every time I open one.

The Double Happiness symbol was motivated by our engagement, which took place on August 8 — 8/8 is a representation for “Double Happiness” in Chinese numerology. We had a devil of a time trying to word the RSVPs because all the examples seemed too formal. But I love what we (by which I mean Mr. T) came up with. The choices are all very clear, it avoids that “M__________” line that makes me irrationally angry, and it both clarifies that children are welcome and helps us know how many little ones to plan for.

Here’s the cost breakdown of the materials. (Not including the purchase of the Gocco itself, since it’s something I’d wanted forever and will use for many other projects.):

75 blue pocketfolds (Cards & Pockets) $70

50 sheets red cardstock (Paper Presentation) $15.10

100 sheets white laser card (Paper Presentation) $21

100 6″ square red envelopes (Paper Presentation) $31.10

100 4″ square red envelopes (Paper Presentation) $21.10

2 sheets cherry blossom paper (Paper Studio) $6.00

Gocco ink, bulbs, and screens (Northwood Studios) $35

Glue dots, glue lines, glue stick $5.00

Total —————————- $204.30

Per Invitation ——————- almost exactly $3

(After seeing that total, they sounded more expensive than I’d realized. I had a moment of panic that I could have just purchased something — and probably something more professional — for the same price! Luckily, a bit of searching on Etsy suggested that isn’t true….)
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My mother called, sounding wretchedly ill, to let me know she had pneumonia. (In fact, she wound up in the hospital a day later….) And what was the first thought through my brain? Not, “oh, you poor dear, I don’t want you to suffer.” Not “what, oh what, can I do to help?” No, the first thought through my head was: “WELL, YOU’D BETTER GET BETTER IN TIME FOR MY WEDDING, LADY!!!”

Of course I love my mom very much, and I did NOT share that sentiment out loud! (and hopefully she’ll be completely healed in time for her trip out to our wedding….)

What Bridezilla moments have surprised you in your wedding planning process?
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