A couple of years ago I was working on a breezy sewing project when I realized I needed to find a JoAnn’s Fabrics before I could finish.  I figured a big city like Washington, DC must have a JoAnn’s within its borders… right?

Wrong.  A quick search on trusty ol’ Google Maps showed that the closest store was in the Seven Corners area of Falls Church, and not directly on the metro line.  On the Maryland side, I was faced with Greenbelt.  Not exactly city-convenient.  So it begged the question: how can a bride-to-be get to crafting when all the big-chain craft stores are out in the surburbs?  And more than that — what’s a gal to do when she needs to pop into her local Columbia Heights Target for vases or jars for the candy buffet?  Lug 15 of them on the green line?  I don’t think so.

[Source]

Enter Zipcar.  Most of you are probably familiar with how Zipcar works, but for those who aren’t: Zipcar is a membership-based, short-term car rental company.  Members apply based on their eligibility requirements, then receive an electronic membership card.  The cars are parked all over the city, and members can reserve them online for as little as $7 per hour.  At the time of the reservation, the membership card is swiped over a reader on the car’s windshield, unlocking the doors.  Once inside, drivers will find the ignition key as well as a gas card for free (!!) gas while driving.

Insurance, 180 miles of driving, and (as I mentioned) gas are included with the rentals, and driving plans start at a $25 application fee plus $50 per year.  It’s an inexpensive way to use a car only when you need it — and avoid those pesky registration and parking fees (and gas, and parking tickets) that go hand-in-hand with keeping a car in a large city.  And for just a few dollars extra per hour, you can cruise around in a Mini, a BMW, a Prius hybrid, or a pick-up truck.  (That last one means that when you find a local farm that has birch poles you can buy for your arbor or chuppah, you don’t have to turn it down!)  You can even use your membership in other Zipcar cities, so that girls weekend in LA you’re planning just got that much more flexible.  Hell — give yourself a break from the crafting and the to-do lists, throw on some SPF, and drive one up to Rehoboth for some sun and sand this summer!

Best of all, it’s available for short trips, and is at your disposal all over the city.  Which makes those cute candy buffet jars a lot easier to lug home.

This post is inspired by all of the summer weddings I am getting ready to attend, most of which are outdoors. For ladies who have gotten engaged in the past few months, you are probably beginning to plan your 2011 spring/summer weddings. Here are some of my favorite outdoor wedding bridal styles.

Flower Wreath headpiece by mairzydozy on Etsy. Dress by Claire Pettibone.

The Bohemian Bride

I have a very close friend getting married on top of a mountain in Colorado this summer, and she knew right away that she wanted to go boho chic for her nuptials. Here is a great look for an earthy or hippy chic bride. Whether you are getting married in a field of flowers or overlooking a river, a 60′s inspired flower child gown is perfect for your outdoor wedding.

Pillbox hat by JustLiv on Etsy. Dress is Winnie by Peter Langner.

The Nautical Bride

For ladies who will be getting married on a boat or at their favorite yacht club, a sleek and chic retro look is the perfect way to say “I Do”. Your wedding pictures will look all the more beautiful while you are wearing a very white and simple dress in front of a beautiful background of sailboats.

Pink Orchid Hair Flower by Serendipity Tiaras. Dress by Amy Michelson.

The Destination Bride

For the bride who plans on spending a week on a beach drinking cocktails and topping the vacation off with a walk down a sandy aisle, a simple white dress and a huge flower in your hair is all you need. Who doesn’t want to say “I do” barefoot in the sand?

Just Opened Hitched Maids

Our favorite bridal boutique in Georgetown has just opened a bridesmaids boutique inside their store as well. Check out Hitched Maids, now carrying designers Lela Rose, Jenny Yoo, Amsale, Anna Elyse, Simple Silhouettes, and Thread, all for your bridesmaids.

1523 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington DC. 202.333.6162. info@hitchedsalon.com.

Save-the-Dates are an excellent way to give your family and friends who live out of state a head’s up for your upcoming wedding. This way, your guests can be better prepared for a flight, hotel, expenses, and wedding gift a couple of months before your big day.

There are so many options for Save-the-Date cards or magnets online that one almost doesn’t know where to start!

We used www.savethedatemagnet.com from New and Blue Enterprises, based out of Seattle, WA.

We ordered 100 magnets for a grand total of $119.00.

Our family and friends loved the magnets and have them posted on their fridge.

If you are stuck in a Save-the-Date rut and don’t know where to order your magnets or postcards from, try http://www.savethedatemagnet.com

Our wedding pictures came in yesterday. (click here to view them!) And like a typical, proud bride, I sent them to everyone under the sun. The responses I received were amazing.

“That dress was made for you!”

“Very classy bride!”

“Looks like you achieved the intimate feel you were going for!”

“You’re so Audrey Hepburn!”

“What a beautiful bride you were!”

“Quite tastefully done!”

“I’m sitting here crying!”

A week and a half into my marriage, I can’t help but to re-live the day over and over again as family and friends comment happily on the glow of our wedding. As they do so, I can’t help put to be thankful for the little voice deep inside of me called my GUT.  

I mentioned in my very first post here that the wedding we actually had was the SECOND wedding day we planned. The first debacle was a complete circus. It was big, overdone and expensive – the very elements that I was trying to run away from. You see, I’ve been dreaming about my wedding day since I was 6. I always knew that it was going to be an intimate, evening affair located in a city with candles, calla lilies and a few loved ones. But as we began to plan, the opinions of others started to take over my dream. Before I knew it, I didn’t recognize my own wedding. It was such a terrible time. My fiance’ and I weren’t getting along. My mom and I weren’t getting along. I wasn’t eating (I lost over 10 lbs!). And I carried more stress in my body than a mother with 10 children. It was a mess. I cried and cried and cried and cried. Soooo, due to the overwhelming disappointment surrounding the situation, we decided to postpone the wedding.  That decision was one of the best we’ve ever made as a couple, besides picking each other to marry of course.

The second time around, I knew things had to be different. Following my gut instict, I re-molded my wedding to fit me. To do so, I allotted 30 days to plan our wedding, invited only 40 family members to a reception dinner, changed ceremony venues to a more private location and set it for a Friday afternoon to shrink down the number of guests who would be able to make it. I know that may seem a bit mean, but I wasn’t happy doing it the other way and was determined to have a joyful experience. I knew that I had to put my foot down. And because I put my ruby red, BCBG-clad, stiletto heel down, I had the most perfect wedding I could have ever imagined. It absolutely lived up to the expectations I set since the age of 6.

So if you want pictures that radiate and speak to who you are, my advice is to stick to your gut. If you’ve dreamed of your wedding since you were small, HAVE THAT WEDDING. Of course some elements may change here and there depending on realities that didn’t exist when you were young, but don’t compromise your overall dream to make everyone else happy. Doing so is a bad move. Believe me, I know! So go and make beautiful radiating pictures that you’ll love forever and ever. It’ll be worth it. I promise. =)

jendayi

Wedding Planning Pointer #6

This is Part 1 of my two part series: Putting it all together and getting Organized.

If you’re anything like me, you still get great satisfaction out of striking lines through hand-written lists and doggie earring magazine pages. But I quickly learned that my wedding planning experience was going to take a lot more than a purple pen and a notebook. There are solutions for girls like us, however, and they can all be found at your local book store. Whether you’re looking for some pointers for your planning or some books for your bridesmaids, loading up on some books, binders and magazines can be a great alternative to the new-age electronic “find and file.”

When you walk into the Barnes & Noble to peruse the pages of the wedding isle for some guidance, you’re going to get overwhelmed. But I’ve flipped through and found some favorite must-haves.

• The Barnes & Noble Quamut for wedding planning. It’s $2.65 to download and it’s a great start.
• A huge binder. I prefer a plain white one that I can organize and fill myself. But you can find a few that are filled up and outlined for you. I love the The Complete Wedding Planner & Organizer. It’s available in Barnes, but it’s cheaper on Amazon.
• A book of lists- one thats small enough to carry around as you shop vendors and venues. A little book called Instant Wedding Planner has been a lifesaver and I highly recommend it. With its compact size and its organized format, it makes meeting with vendors a breeze. It offers up a list of questions to ask and some guides for prioritizing your needs.
• Need something to get your mother in the spirit of it all and offer up a little guidance? The Mother of the Bride: A Practical Guide and Elegant Keepsake is a great how-to for mom’s that keeps them in today’s nuptial loop.
• If you’re interested in getting your best girlfriends a tangible “thank you” for accepting the request to be your Bridesmaid, consider this helpful Bridesmaid handbook- you might as well since you’re probably about to be a huge pain the [er eeee] for the next 9-12 months. It’s called The Everything Bridesmaid Book and it can be a great gift or a fun way to ask your lucky besties to be by your side on your special day. Just write her a note on the front page and she’ll treasure forever… Or at least until you snap at her because she refuses to spray tan (….jk).
• Lastly, and most importantly, magazines! Lots of magazines. These will come in handy for next week’s post so grab ‘em and start doggie earring your favorite looks and tips.

Have some good books that you’ve found to be a breath of fresh air in the wedding planning world? Share them in a comment below! Have fun leafing through the pages and be sure to email me with any questions at CTerry@DistrictBrideGuide.com

My mother called me this weekend and told me that I had to come over at some point and see the beautiful vintage wedding gown that she found at a church rummage sale. She, like myself, is a lover of all things vintage and when you unleash us into any sort of consignment shop or vintage store, we come out of it with dozens of garments in tow that we can alter and tweak into updated masterpieces. I wasn’t, however, expecting her to ever find something as fabulous as the wedding gown she found. I had been pretty skeptical that this may just be another reminder that she wanted me married and popping out babies as soon as possible, but when she unleashed it from her closet, I was completely in awe. It was a perfectly preserved, 1930′s, intricately beaded dress. I knew right away that with about 12 inches off the hemline and some minor adjustments to the sleeves, this could very possibly be my future wedding gown.

Now, I know that I am not like most brides. I think there is probably only a small percentage that actually want to rifle through yard sales and vintage stores for the most important dress they will ever put on in their life. There is also the issue of not wanting to wear something on your big day that someone has already worn, but think of how unique your dress will be if it is decades old and practically one of a kind. Not to mention, vintage dresses sell for a very small fraction of what new wedding gowns cost, so you can go buy yourself a pair of Louboutins with the cash you save on your wedding dress. And let us not forget that the modern girl’s fashion icon, Carrie Bradshaw herself, ended up walking down the aisle in none other than a vintage suit.

So, for you ladies that are opting for this unique approach to your wedding day ensemble, I have scoured the internet for sites to help you out:

The Frock

TheFrock.com has exquisite designer vintage gowns ranging from $2,000-$6,000. The above dresses are certainly my favorite from their bridal collection. The light pink dress on the left is a vintage Balmain from 1970, made of french silk and in excellent condition. On the right is a Hattie Carnegie gown from the 1950′s made from tiered organdy with sequin and bead detailing on the bodice.

Etsy

I know, I know, Etsy is where you go to buy vintage jewelry and hand-made headbands- not exactly as glamorous as taking your bridesmaids to a bridal boutique and watching them sip champagne as you try on layers upon layers of lace and tulle. Etsy does, however, have some vintage gems, and for only a few hundred dollars. The above dresses from seller LipstickWhiskey are each under $400.

So when hunting for your perfect wedding dress, if you are inclined to be unique and finding nothing at bridal boutiques, consider vintage. Happy hunting!

May 20-22

Rivini Trunk Show at Carine’s Bridal

Appointments Only.

1726 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC. (2nd Floor). 202.965.4696.

May 21-22

Anna Maier~Ulla-Maija Trunk Show at Hitched

Appointments Only.

1523 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington DC. 202.333.6162.

May 21-23

Augusta Jones Bridal Collection & Thomas Knoell Accessories Trunk Shows at Betsy Robinson’s Bridal Collection.

Designer Thomas Knoell will be in store on Friday and Saturday!

1848 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, MD. 410.484.4600.

May 21-23 11:00 AM- 5:00 PM

Essence of Australia and Martina Liana Trunk Show’s at Bridal’s by Elena

Gowns sold during the show will be 15% off.

556 Ritchie Hwy (Route 2 South). Suite D. Severna Park, MD. 410.975.0076.

Flowers are so lovely and yet can be so expensive. I have 10 (yes TEN) bridesmaids and so needless to say, my budget on flowers is very limited. I even joked with a friend that I’m going to get anorexic bouquets to cut cost. Yes I know – Not funny.

But seriously though, a bride can expect to pay anywhere from $25.00 up to $50.00 for a bridesmaid bouquet. If you have tons of bridesmaids like I do, that cost adds up FAST!

I wanted simple roses for my bridesmaid’s bouquets. 6-8 roses tied in a ribbon.

I finally found the perfect vendor that is providing me with what I want for the price I want.

Ladies! If you are looking for a flower vendor, I highly recommend Royal Florist!

Royal Floral Designs, Inc.

7100 Brookfield Plaza
Springfield, VA 22150
Phone: 703.913.3450
Fax: 703.913.5377
royalfloraldesigns@netzero.net

Yawn…

I am soooo tired. Our wedding was nothing short of amazing. But at this very moment, I’m paying the price. I can hardly keep my eyes open! In between keeping up with facebook congratulations, maintaining the gift list for thank yous, decorating the house, doing honeymoon laundry, figuring out what we still need to buy for the house and getting settled as husband and wife, I’ve come across very little normalized sleep. My sleeping pattern is sorely disoriented. The first few of days of married life, I kept waking up in the middle of the night. The first time was to simply remember that I was married and laying next to the man of my dreams. The second time was to haunting whispers courtesy of my husband. Apparently he was talking to someone in his sleep. And the third time, while swapping at fantasy mosquitos in his dreams, he accidentally swapped me in the arm. Lol. Needless to say, nothing has quite been the same about my life, let alone my sleeping patterns. My husband is so cute though. In true newlywed form, he wants to cuddle, kiss and spoon 24/7 . While I love this man with all of my heart and want to cuddle, kiss and spoon as well, one piece of advice I was given keeps blinking in my mind like a bright, neon, orange, warning sign. DON’T FORGET TO TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF.

My mother wants to know when we’re going to start back at the gym together. My sister and her boyfriend want to come over Saturday to hang and see what we’ve done with the place. My mother-in-law is calling me with plans for a post-wedding reception in her hometown. And my own ever-busy mind is trying to plans meals for next week and figure out when I’m going to fold the masses of laundry that are waiting for me. I must admit, it’s all necessary. And I’m very pleased that all of my family members, old and new, are still radiating off of our day. But if I don’t catch some good, HARD zzz’s, in addition to some JJ time, I won’t be able to radiate with them!

As is the case in most things, balance is key. For me, that means listening to my body. As brides, we often run ourselves ragged with ideas, thoughts, deligations and tasks. But here are 5 tips that I’m going to put into practice even though I’m already married. Before you start walking around like a zombie, I’d suggest you do the same.

1. Start a novel during your wedding time. A really good book will allow you to escape for a hour or two a day and will renew your soul.
2. Enjoy time with your groom, but remember to do some things alone. Enjoy the time apart, and I’m sure he’ll be thankful for it as well.
3. Say no. Everyone’s going to call you, ask you, tell you, request that you, and beg you… Just say no when you need a break.
4. Plan to only talk about the wedding on certain days! I know that seems impossible, but if you already have a busy life, you may need to compartmentalize. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and Saturdays are wedding days. The other days of the week are off limits. Tell your mom, groom and friends what the deal is and you might just be able to breathe better.
5. Last but not least… SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP! It’s the only way you’ll last! I promise!

Happy wedding/life planning!

jendayi