We'll have a perfect cake... and we'll eat it too!

So, until yesterday I haven't cared much about my wedding cake at all yet. The way I see it, they all pretty much look the same: layered, white-ish, flowers, maybe an icing monogram, maybe a last initial on the top... etc. HOWEVER, I was looking through the most recent (Fall 2009) issue of D Weddings (it's a local DFW magazine) and I found the most perfect cake!!!!!!! I am in love with it. Mine won't look identical to the one pictured on page 147, but hopefully it will be something similar! For those of you who don't have your issue of D Weddings handy, the picture of the cake is below, but it's kind of small... sorry!

The cake is from Romano's Bakery in Dallas. The bows are made of fondant icing and each one has a crystal broach in the center. I am picturing this cake in a very light lavender with the bows just a few shades darker. The bows and broaches will remain the same... and we will have crystal monogram letters "e C b" on top (also pictured below).

This decision isn't set in stone, but it certainly has my vote so far. My mom and I are meeting with the people at Romano's Bakery this coming Tuesday, July 28th to look at all of their designs, talk about pricing, and taste test their cake flavors! I will keep you posted as to how the meeting goes!

THE cake:

The Crystal Monogram Cake Topper:

To anyone currently planning their wedding...

I'm SO excited... I searched online last night for a free seating chart template that I could download and I finally FOUND ONE! It's awesome... it has a page for budgeting, a guest list with "yes/no" options for whether or not you have sent them an invitation, the number of people that were invited, the number of people attending, the gift you received from that person/family, and a "yes/no" option for whether or not you sent them a thank you note, and also a seating chart template for various different sizes of tables. All you do is type the guest's name in the numbered box and their name is written next to that seat. It's SO nice and such an easy way to organize everything!

Here is the info...

• Website Link: http://www.weddingvic.com/tips/organiser.htm


• Click the button that says "Click Here" to download


• You need Microsoft Excel to use this template

This is a little preview of the seating chart template...

I will be so glad to have this when it comes time to make seating charts!!!

Detail Oriented

So, when planning a wedding every bride has their "thing" that they are incredibly excited or particular about. My "thing" (or should I say, "things") is flowers and table linens. I know that sounds strange, but they can really transform everything from great to really grand. I have decided that I want my bouquet to be solid white, with a mixture of Peony's and Roses, and the bridesmaids bouquets would be mostly yellow with some purple. I know that I want the table centerpieces to be very structured, round, tall, and really grand. ("Spray" type floral arrangements remind me of a funeral). Since I'm not particular about the kind of flowers being used other than for my own bouquet, I basically plan on using the florist who can give me the best deal. I want LOTS of flowers and I want the centerpieces and my bouquet to be BIG... so a good deal will be very necessary.

Does anyone know a florist who will give me a good deal?

ALSO, my mom is the sales manager at The Piazza in the Village (a very prestigious wedding venue), so if a florist partnered with us and gave a really good deal, my mom would definitely be referring each of her clients to our florist... a win win situation for everyone! :)

These are pictures similar to what I have in mind...

1. My bouquet... all white with peony/rose combination:

2. Bridesmaids Bouquets (size and shape of the first photo, but with purple like the second photo):

3. Centerpieces (obviously not these colors... they would be like the bridesmaid bouquets... mostly yellow with some purple):

...More ideas to come!!

I also don't know who to use for table linens because I have scoured the metroplex and nobody seems to have the royal purple damask or scroll pattern I want! If you know where I can find these kind of table linens, let me know! :)

Oh how I looooove wedding planning... especially all the little details!!

"Love's like a runway..."

I am excited to say that my bridal shoes were purchased this morning! I have always dreamed of looking like a bride out of Vogue... very couture and almost slightly avant-garde. The latter will be achieved by wear of my royal purple Manolo Blahnik Hangisi pumps on my wedding day! It is certainly not customary to wear colored shoes as a bride, but I think they are very "me"... and they're my favorite color! I found these shoes and didn't even piece together that they were the same design as Carrie's bridal shoes in the Sex and the City Movie, only hers were midnight blue. Manolo Blahnik designed those custom for the movie, and then recreated the shoe in a few colors and made them available for sale shortly after the movie was released. I had never seen the shoes in purple before, and I'm completely in love with them. It's such a regal and vintage look, but modern all at the same time. I can't wait until they arrive! What better a feeling than walking down the aisle in Manolo's? Well, getting married to the love of my life, of course! ...But I'm sure it will be a close second ;)

No need to stress... I found The Dress!!!

After barely surviving the Dallas Bridal Show, my mom and I decided to visit the Priscilla of Boston boutique since we were already out in Dallas, which was a rare opportunity because neither of us enjoy driving out there! I called around 4:45pm and set a last minute appointment for 5:30pm. We arrived about 10 minutes late (fashionably, of course) and walked into the beautiful bridal salon. An adorable red head greeted us and said she would be my consultant. We filled out paperwork and talked to her about my taste and "vision". I warned her that I am very decisive and particular, so I will probably be very blunt about the gowns I do and do not like-- which she said would actually be very beneficial. We walked to each collection's section beginning with "Platinum". I chose about 6 dressed I loved from this collection, which is very exquisite and embellished. We then moved to the classic "Priscilla of Boston" collection, but there was nothing that really stood out to me. We continued to a few other sections and selected a few other gowns, totalling around 10 dresses to try on. The first dress was pretty but nothing special. When I started putting on the second dress, my mom said, "Oh I think I'm going to love this one!" I liked it on the hanger, but when I put it on... well, I fell in love with it! I went and stood on the alteration pedestal to look at it from every angle in the mirrors. I loved everything about it... and I had a huge cheesy grin the whole time I had it on. I went back to my dressing room and continued trying on several other dresses, all of which were beautiful... but none compared to the dress I fell in love with. My mom and I narrowed our selection down to two. I tried them both on again, asking my mom over and over what her opinion was of each (she has excellent taste). She liked them both, but she told me I had a different kind of glow and happiness when I put on the initial gown that I loved. She told me, "It just looks like you... it makes a statement." I then tried on a feather hairpiece and a veil with the gown, and tried pulling back my hair to get the full effect. It was utter perfection. I knew the look I was trying to go for and this nailed it head-on. I wanted high fashion, slightly vintage, sophisticated, different, somewhat traditional, a dropped-waist, strapless neckline, ivory fabric, and lots of bling. That's quite a few specifics to find all in one dress... but this one had it all! I know it seems early to have made this decision, but I just know this dress was meant for me.

It's perfect.

I survived the Dallas Bridal Show... barely!

Yesterday afternoon I decided to head to the Dallas Bridal Show to see my mom since she was working a section for her employer, The Piazza in the Village. I had no idea how completely chaotic those bridal shows are! They give you a pink "Bride to Be" button when you enter... which I refused to wear, as if I wasn't already being attacked by a million people with pastel fliers and rattling off sales pitches as I speed-walked past them! I did walk around for a little while looking for a booth with table linen swatches but to no avail. I managed to find the Dillard's section (which looked really nice, thankfully!)... but I ended up just staying with my mom in her section for the majority of the time to avoid the utter chaos. I met a videographer who seemed to have popped one too many Xanax, a super strange photographer at the booth next to my mom, and a very cool DJ who I may actually end up using. I also met a lady from Elite Bride who chatted with me for a while about potentially featuring my wedding in the magazine and putting me on the cover! That was a very exciting conversation and I am definitely going to remain in contact with her... that would be such a fun piece of wedding memorabilia! I will let you know when I learn more!