Sole Mates

I needed a good laugh on a Friday afternoon at work (could this day feel any LONGER?) and I got it when I checked out the site for a new product called Sole Mates. While this product makes sense, I got a good giggle looking through sample shots.

Who plays golf in their heels?...

Ladies, what do you think? Toes up or toes down?

Drink up! It's Friday!

After a long week in the office, nothing is better than an ice cold bevy on a Friday. I'm always up for trying something new, and recently got a very cool (and free) app on my iphone that has recipes for every drink I can (and can't) imagine. Scrolling through, I realized that there are tons of great named drinks that can be used for weddings. However, there's no reason why you have to wait until then to give 'em a try :)

The theme for this first round: Romance

Happy taste testing!


A Goodnight Kiss
- 4 oz Champagne
- 1 splash Campari
- 1 cube Sugar
- 1 drop Angostura bitters


Cloud 9
- 1 oz Frangelico
- 3 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Chocolate syrup
- 4 cups Coffee
- 1 cup Milk
- 10 cubes Ice
- 2 tbl spoons Sugar
- Top with Whipped Cream

Kiss Me Quick
- 4 cl finlandia Cranberry vodka
- 2 cl Apfelkorn
- 7 cl Schweppes Russchian
- 8 cl Apple juice
- Ice cubes

Love Potion
- 1 oz Orange vodka (Stoli)
- 1/2 oz Chambord raspberry liqueur
- 1/2 oz Cranberry juice

Soul Kiss Cocktail
- 3/4 oz Dry Vermouth
- 3/4 oz Bourbon
- 1 1/2 tsp Dubonnet Rouge
- 1 1/2 tsp Orange Juice

Stop Motion Wedding Invitation

If you and/or your partner have:

- loads of patience
- tons of time
- oodles of creativity
- great taste in music
- oh yeah, and an interest in stop motion...

...you should draw some inspiration from Corey & Rachel's wedding invitation:

Stamp of Approval

A while back a friend of mine was telling me about custom made stamps. She and her husband had designed their own with a photo from their engagement photo session and used them to mail out the wedding invitations (the only reason I didn't remember this was because she ended up giving us an invite in person).

So, I did a bit of research on it the other day - and all I gotta say is...

That's friggin' awesome.

Whether it's for a special occasion or just for everyday use, I think having my own custom stamps is a fun idea! After a quick Google search, I found sites for both Canadian and American stamps. The process is really easy and they cost just as much as a regular stamp (plus shipping costs).

I presented the idea to Office Groom last night, and after promising him that it wouldn't be a cheesy kissy-kissy photo of us, he was all for it. High five!

And while the idea of using a pic of my shoes is tempting (I can't help it, you should know by now that I'm obsessed with shoes), it definitely won't be this but I just wanted to give you an idea of what you can do!

Best Blog Award

When I started this blog it was more of a means for me to get wedding talk out of my system and to practice the good ol' art form of writing. So imagine my surprise when just after a couple of months, I already have 10 followers, and two votes for the Best Blog Award!



A big thanks goes out to Vee, creator of Gorgeously Stupid and PMerr, creator of Countdown to 8/14.

The rules of this award are as follows:

1. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.
2. Pass the award on to approximately 10-15 other blogs that you recently discovered, and think are great!
3. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Here is the list of whom I'm passing on to:

1. Gorgeously Stupid - Weddings and everything else in between.
2. Countdown to 8/14 - Big wedding plans for a small town girl.
3. Gracious, Good - Fabulous fashion finds, new & vintage.
4. Miss Fancy Pants - The balance between university and wedding planning.
5. Drunk Girl Comics - 'Cause there's a Drunk Girl in all of us.
6. Wonderday - Blogger and Event planner extrordinaire.
7. Conor Casey Today - He's a writer because he says he is. 'Nuff said.
8. Polish on Digital Paper - Need fancy nails? This is the blog to check out.
9. Ink on Digital Paper - Anyone who can maintain two blogs deserves two votes.
10. How To Make A Wedding - Get crafty with Annie.

Office Wedding Talk

While most of these may seem obvious, I thought I'd point them out anyway, since even the most level headed woman can get caught up in the world of weddings and blah blah blah about it all day long (*cough* me)

So while you're at work blah blah'ing away about the big day, you might want to consider...

1) ...taking any phone calls on your personal phone in a quiet place. Your co-worker doesn't need to overhear that you've decided to go with peonies instead of roses.

2) ...the "Speak when spoken to rule." If people ask, then answer. Otherwise, avoid volunteering info on your latest bridesmaid gown find just to fill dead air.

3) ...using tabs on your web browser. That way you can easily switch from Etsy to NASDAQ with the click of a button when you're employer walks by your desk.

4) ...using a private e-mail address for any wedding e-mail correspondence. You'll avoid all the spam mail that vendors tend to send out.

5) ...using the power of Wedding blogs and chatrooms to get it out of your system. Because, let's face it - the only other people who are as interested in wedding talk as you are other brides :)

Need to recharge

I'm having one of those days today where I just DON'T want to think or talk about anything wedding related. I know... *shock*

It started yesterday when the Office Groom and I were with some friends and one of them asked how the wedding planning was going. My normal response would have been to eagerly give them any updates (as I have been following the golden wedding planning rule of only sharing details when asked). However, I just didn't have it in me and kept it pretty vague.

Then it dawned on me today. Why shouldn't I be a bit tired of the wedding talk? I do it almost every day on this blog, or with my fellow Bees on Weddingbee, so obviously there are going to be days where I want to talk about anything BUT the wedding. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! In fact, I don't think it's healthy for anyone to obsess over one thing day in and day out.

Once I realized this, I took a deep breath and actually got some work done...at WORK of all places! There is plenty of time still to get things done, and I'm officially taking a break from all things wedding today. I suggest you do the same at some point.

Recharge ladies!

Ladies - Start you engines...

Picture this: A gorgeous white limo pulls up in front of the church. Anyone lucky enough to be standing nearby can catch a glimpse of the beautiful bride, as she makes her first appearance. They catch their breath as the the driver comes to the side of the limo and opens the door. A cascade of beautiful white fabric falls to the floor, and underneath there's a slight hint of her crystal detailed shoe. The blushing bride begins to exit the vehicle, but her shoe gets caught on some fabric. "Rrrrriiiip." Getting out of this car is going to be a lot harder than she imagined. With a not-so-gentle push from her Maid of Honour still sitting inside, and the tug of the driver and wait, oh, now her mom, the now red faced bride finally gets out of the car, breathing heavily.

Absolutely beautiful.

Don't get me wrong. I love limos as much as the next person. But having been in my share of limos for past weddings and other special occasions, I can safely say this -they are damn hard to get of gracefully. And - it's been done.

So, if you're looking for an alternative mode of transportation for the big day, with either a touch of class, or a touch of "wow" or both, you might like some of these options:

Double-Decker Bus

No longer an exclusive vehicle to England, you can find these red buses in most major cities, such as Los Angeles for example. My brother and sister-in-law rented one of these for their big day and it was a big hit! After the ceremony there were several trips made for guests to check out the city before the last round of pick up for the bridal party to the reception. It's a great way to transport many people at once, and it's definitely got "wow" factor.



Streetcar

Live in a city of rails? Then why not use a streetcar to travel between locations? Toronto charters two different types of streetcars, one vintage and one modern. The price is a bit $$, but there's some satisfaction in having control over a public transporation vehicle :)



Karaoke Taxi Cab

The idea of singing "Chapel of love" on the way to the church makes me giggle. I'm also at my desk, so I have to stop thinking about it. One Dublin taxi driver knew how to do it right in his hometown.

A picture says a Thousand words...

The title for this post can also be:

"Make sure your photographer takes a sec to assess the shot before snapping"

You'll just have to see for your self here.

Dear Scale

Thank you for pointing out that I am infact 10 lbs HEAVIER than I thought I was. I would also like to commend you for making my every effort in the past to lose weight seem insignificant. However, this war is not yet over, Scale. Oh no! I am going to work harder than ever to shed those pounds and get healthier - you just wait and see.

Until then...

At long last - my SHOES!!!

Left work yesterday feeling pretty tired after 9 hours in front of a computer (and catching up after a fun/beer/deep dish-filled weekend in Chicago). Got on the subway, and realized we didn't have anything for dinner, or for the rest of the week for that matter, so I grudgingly went to the grocery store to pick up some stuff. "Some stuff" turned out to be 5 full bags, which was a good workout for my biceps on the walk home.

But all of this is just a distant memory, for as I approached the front door of our apartment, I saw a beam of light at the foot of the door. A package.

My shoe clips!!!!!!

Needless to say, I picked up the package and fumbled for my keys (while still holding 5 bags of groceries), desperate to get inside so that I could introduce my shoes to their new clips.

The moment I paired the two together, I knew I had the perfect pair of shoes for the big day. And yes, I wore them around the apartment for a good 20 minutes, waiting for Office Groom to come home so he could see them.

Nine West Luceros ($39 CAD) meets Etsy's TwistedCrystals ($16 US).

Get away with your fiance!

The Office Groom and I just got back from a short vacay in Chicago! It was a first time there for both of us but definitely not the last! Everything from the beautiful architecture, the fun musuems, and the good food - we loved it all. Since we're on a budget this year, we couldn't do our usual week away for fun-in-the-sun. However, with all the craziness that comes with organizing a big wedding, we wanted to at least get away from it all for a few days and enjoy each others' company. And let me tell you - it's the best thing we could have done! If you and your FI can afford to get away, near or far, for just a few days, I highly recommend it! Here are some pics from our trip!

A night of laughs at The Second City



"Fantasea" at the Shedd Aquarium



A view from the top of the John Hancock building

Away from my desk...

Taking a little break from the office (Yesterday) and today!

My FI and I are in Chicago for the first time!!! We the upcoming months undoubtedly hectic, we wanted to give ourselves a little break and get away!

From the Desk of... Marcie

Nothing says "Love" more than matching outfits and a Sears photo shoot. Read how Marcie and her husband Jon pulled off one of the best and most original wedding invitations I've ever seen...

"Ok. Here is how it started. Jon came across a Christmas calendar with David Hasselhoff. It was hilarious! Jon finds these types of pictures really funny, the kind that are super cheesy and ridiculous. We also saw these pictures in American Pie, Juno, and some other funny movies.

We decided to make a Christmas card that was really cheesy and similar to these types of photos. Our first card was the two of us, sitting by our tree, in silly sweaters and santa hats, holding all three of our cats. This became an annual Christmas tradition.

When the wedding was approaching, we wanted to save money and do a wedding invitation that was similar to our Christmas cards since we got such positive feedback every year for the hilarious pictures. Jon thought that it would be a good idea to get the pictures professionally done.

We went to Sears and asked the photographer to do really cheesy poses. We got our outfits from Value Village and just happened to find a pair of yellow shorts and a yellow skirt that matched perfectly. We found two white turtlenecks and two pairs of white golf shoes. We were a matching pair.

I decided to do my hair and make-up like I was from the 80's. We changed at the photography place, although I had to walk around with my 80's hair and make-up, and the photographer was awesome with understanding the exact cheesiness we wanted. We had the photos on a CD and just placed them on card in powerpoint and printed it off on blue paper. We kept the large 8x10 photos, framed them, and displayed them at the wedding.

It will haunt me until the day I die."

FRONT OF INVITE



INSIDE OF INVITE







From the desk of Marcie

Featured on Gracious Good!

The world of Bloggers is wonderfully supportive! Check out Gracious, Good's review on The Office Bride!

Gracious, Good is a blog on everything fashion and store finds! Love, love, love it!

DIY Shoe Clips - Fit for a Princess

I love Etsy for the same reason as most others; because of all the great one-of-a-kind items you can find, created by very talented artists. But I think I love the arts n' crafts site more for all the ideas it gives me for my own DIY projects.

Yes ladies, I admit it. I am a "Getsy" artist - Getting ideas from the site and trying them out on my own, lol.

When I first started doing my research on pizazzy shoes, the idea of shoe clips came up. "Brilliant," I thought. Shoe clips meant that I could get a great pair of reusable shoes, and give them a little something extra for the big day.

Naturally, I started perusing through Etsy for shoe clips and was happy to find a great selection - everything from rhinestones, to feathers, to fabric flowers. LOVE IT. I ended up going with a seller who was able to create my perfect pair (and matching hair clip) to the T - but I was curious to see if I could make another pair on my own, just for the hell of it.

$16 dollars later - I ended up with this:



(I couldn't help it. I had to take it with my Prince Charles / Princess Diana tin box, LOL)

Not too shabby, if I say so myself! Granted, it helps that I paired them up with a fabulous pair of Guess shoes, but they make a huge difference!

Interested in making a pair for yourself? Here are the deets. Note that I bought all of my materal at a bead store on Queen W, Toronto, so prices will vary, but you can find all of them through Etsy supplies sellers.

MATERIAL
- 6-8 feathers (PLUMULE, Etsy)


- Pair of shoe clips (themyseticalgarden, Etsy)


- Pack of large rhinestones (Toffeehouse, Etsy)


- Pack of small rhinestones (Twinkledropz)


- Glue gun and glue sticks ($8)

- Cardboard or felt

INSTRUCTIONS:

- Glue small rhinestones all around one large rhinestone. Allow glue to dry completely.
- Glue 3-4 feather on the back of the large rhinestone. Make sure they are places in slightly different directions. Allow glue to dry completely.
- Glue small piece of cardboard or felt on the back of the large rhinestone. Allow glue to dry completely.
- Glue completed piece to shoe clip - make sure that it is placed on the very bottom edge of shoe clip, otherwise the spring mechanism will not work properly.
- One clipe done! On to the next one!!
- Best part is, if you bough material in bulk, you can make more!

Soon you will find yourself with (hopefully) a shnazzy pair of shoe clips which you can pair up with any shoes, for any occasion you see fit!

Happy crafting!

From the Desk of... Miss JY

Living proof that you can plan a huge event from the comforts of your desk :) Introducing Office Bride, Miss JY!

"Aside from my 2 hour stint at the dress boutique and a 1 hour consultation at our reception venue…

I have done all of my planning from the place I call my second home: my cubicle/desk at work!

It started off small, just researching a few pics of wedding/BM dresses to take with me to the trunk show sale. Then, I randomly stumbled upon MyWedding.com, thus beginning the creation of our wedding website. From there, the ball just kept rolling.

I honestly think it’d be a shorter list to tell you what I haven’t planned, than to go through everything I’ve accomplished in my cubicle haven.

From

- researching vendors via the internet,
- creating invitation templates via Microsoft Word,
- blocking off hotels via my office phone,

To

- keeping up with my pastor, bridesmaids via on-line chat,
- setting up our three registries via online tools,
- getting real-life advice/references via recently married coworkers,
- setting up DIY projects via our exclusive printing department…

I have literally planned everything up to this point sitting in my office chair, staring into the abyss of the internet wedding world.

I guess it works that I’m an efficient person. I’m not too picky, so my decisions about the wedding have been quick. I’ve figured out my office/workload habits to actually find the time to log onto WeddingBee for wedding inspiration or blog on my journal for personal amusement, all in the midst of completing a “full-day’s work.”

It’s worked out really well for me, because without these resources, I would be completely lost in the planning process!

Happy Planning!"

From the desk of Miss JY

Will the real Nina please stand up?

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Halt! Holt Renfrew Sale!

All fall and winter clothing left over after the Boxing Day madness is now up to 60 per cent off!! Whoa! Now I can finally afford to buy something from there, lol!

Sale runs until Jan. 30.

For more details, visit Holt Renfrew's Website

How low can you go?

I'm not very good with hair. There, I said it. I've got a lot of it, and to be honest the lack of effort on my part is mostly due to the fact that I don't have enough time in the morning to do anything fancier than a pony tail (and I still manage to stroll into work 10 minutes late, wtf). So, no time to do hair = no time to develop skills.

BUT - I love hairdos. I appreciate the fine art and skills behind a braid or a bun, and secretly wish I could look like Evita every day. OK, so maybe not every day. But certainly on formal occasions. I'm thinkin' low and in a bun for the big day, which to me looks romantic, slightly more laid back than an updo, and has a touch of spanish flair to it (paying homage to my ancestors).

Here's what I found on the good ol' www:



Although I don't trust myself to pull off any of these looks on my own, it would be fun to experiment at home, and wear it out for a night on the town. Youtube to the rescue!



(The music is a tad annoying in my opinion, but still a very helpful tutorial)



(Unenthusaistic, but nice outcome)



(Very clear instructions. I love how it sounds like a corporate video LOL)

Wedding Websites

In an effort to save trees (ok, and money) and to embrace technology, Office Groom and I decided to integrate a wedding website into our invitation process. While there are several great sites that allow you to have a unique site along with your own URL address at a fee, we opted for one of the many free sites that offer almost the exact same services.

Here are just a few:
mywedding.com
sharedweddings.com
weddingannouncer.com
theweddingvendor.com


Honestly you can't go wrong with any of them. What it will come down to is the look you're going for and the information you would like to make available to your guests.

Let me go off on a tangent for a sec. Some will argue that a wedding website is not formal enough, or will be a challenge for technically-unsavvy guests. Well, to these people, I say, for a lack of better words, "Pffft."

Wedding websites are becoming more and more popular, and with so many options to choose from you can definitely have one that looks shwanky and elegant (if that's what you're going for). You could also provide a phone number as an alternative for those who have never turned on a computer before.

Not sure how to word it in your physical invitation? This is what we decided to go with, and by all means take what you want from it:




We decided to go with mywedding.com. First off, we liked the website name - simple and straight to the point. The second thing that grabbed us was all the different themes available. With a bit of time and experimenting, we decided on one called Love Letters. We loved the neutral color palette, font, and most importantly, it worked perfectly with the book theme which we are carrying throughout the wedding (subtle but noticeable).

Once the design was selected, we sat down and figured out what information we wanted to make available to our guests. First and foremost - an RSVP page. Hands down the best feature that any of these sites offer is the ability for guests to RSVP and for couples to keep track of responses!

Here are some other items you might want to add:

- Map and location of ceremony and reception
- A short story about you and your groom
- Bios for you wedding party members
- Photos
- Blog
- Accomodations and recommended attractions for OOT guests

Some advice:

- Keep your url simple and easy to remember. It will also encourage guests to actually visit the site.
- Check and double check your seplling and yer gramma.
- Make sure bios, stories, and photos are accurate and appropriate for all readers
- Keep maps and directions simple and straight to the point
- Allow guests to choose what entree they prefer (it'll save you time and hassle later)

Once it's all done, you'll find yourself with a great looking website that is both nice to look at and easy to use! Good luck!

Fuss and Feathers

While the idiom "Fuss and Feathers" implies being overdone, I don't necessarily take it as a bad thing when weddings are involved. After all, it's a WEDDING. Even the most laid back of brides will overdo something during the planning. It's one of the laws of nature.

So - put your realistic-laid-back-it's-just-a-wedding attitude aside and let's fuss about feathers, shall we?

"Something Blue" by Nylora (Etsy)


Feathered Celebrities


Peacock clutch by Retrospettive (Etsy)

BM Outfit Guideline - What every Bridesmaid should know

Over the holidays I spoke to a few former BMs and there was one thing they all agreed on: whether they were all wearing the same outfit or doing the SBD, a guideline from the bride was always appreciated.

Every bride has an idea of how they want their bridal party to look and fit in with the rest of the wedding theme. Even the most outspoken, I-want-to-express-my-individuality BM can understand that at the end of the day, it's YOUR vision, so she won't want to disappoint you.

(And if she doesn't seem to be the least bit concerned with your two cents, you might want to sit down and give her a friendly wake-up call).

That said, if you are fortunate like me to have a bridal party full of great (and different personalities) who are willing to do whatever is easiest, then here are some useful guidelines you might want to consider passing onto them. Although all these may not apply, they do work for both uniform and SBD looks.

- Colour and fabric
- Preffered designer(s)
- Any "Friendly Requests" (eg. nothing over the knee)
- Provide a few images of suggested styles
- Store information (location, contact info, upcoming sales, discount info)
- Preffered shoes and accessories (In my case for shoes, I said anything black and pretty!)
- Any make up / hair details
- Keep it fun and light hearted! (I added funny pics of the groomsmen to show the girls with whom they'd be paired up )

I found it easiest to type it all out and send them a PDF file. That way, they have all the info in one document and they can also print it out if necessary.

Happy New Year!

It definitely wasn't the easiest getting up this morning after having a week off and rolling out of bed at around 11 am. However, I can honestly tell you that there was one thing keeping me motivated as I got myself ready today - internet access. Ours at home wasn't working properly during the holidays (Bad weather? Too many people using the lines? Old modem? Not sure.) There were short windows of opportunity to use it, but definitely not long enough to peruse the many websites that I normally visit at one given time.

But at the office - the internet works just fine. And FAST. Aaaahhhhhhhh (choir of angels).

So I'm back baby! And ready to dish out more details on the big day and share anything I find along the way!