missbliss's biography
We're Married!!! Our wedding was on October 16, 2010 and it was the best day of my life!!!
I love being married to my husband!!!
We've finally been blogged! It took nearly 10 weeks but I have to say.. it was TOTALLY worth the wait! Can't wait to see the rest of them!!!
CREDIT: Gregory Paul Photography (aka wedding photog extraordinaire!)
What a beautiful day!!! I'll do a full recap eventually.. but here are a few pics for now!
How we meet...
So my sister calls me one night and would not stop gushing about this guy she had met at her husband's company Christmas party. I can still remember her words... "C, you have got to met this guy. Talking to him made me feel like you were there!" I had just gotten out of a serious relationship and was still in the "anti-men" phase. But I was moving back to my hometown and told my sister she could introduce us when I moved back... but only as friends! Right.
I'll never forget the way it felt the first time K and I met. Something clicked... we chatted the whole night like old friends. He was so different (in a good way!) The next time we hung out was at my welcome home party with my whole big crazy family in attendance. He fit right in, everyone loved him, but the craziest part was that he wasn't even trying. He was the most sincere, genuine, kind-hearted person I had ever met. By the third time we hung out, I told my sister "I'm going to marry this guy!" No doubts... just the absolute certainty that this is the person I was made for... just like he was made for me!
We've been inseperable for four years now, though I barely remember a time when he wasn't in my life. I truly feel like the luckiest girl alive... I get to spend the rest of my life with my bestfriend, the most amazing person I have ever met! I <3 him!!!
We got engaged on May 29, 2009. This is how he proposed.
K called me at work that Friday and our coversation when something like this...
Him: "Don't forget about your appointment tonight"
Me: "What appointment?"
Him: "Oh, I didn't tell you? You have a 90 minute full-body massage at your favorite spa tonight at 5."
Me: "Are you kidding?! OMG!!! Ok, ok, ok... um, what time?"
At that point I knew what was coming (we had picked out the ring about 2 months before).
So after my super-awesome massage, I was getting my nails done when the girl from the front desk says (with an ear-to-ear grin) "When you're done here, you have a surprise waiting for you in the dressing room!"
Myself and about half the staff (I filled them in on what I *thought* was going to happen that night) ran to the dressing room and one of them pulled back a curtain... where there was a dress bag hanging up from White House Black Market with a little note attached. The note said "Choose the one that you like best, the other will go back with the rest. Please be ready by 7:00, for a romantic dinner at DiJons" And this is how cute my guy is... he even remembered to pack my make-up, unmentionables, and all my black shoes! I was feeling lightheaded! My hair was still oily and wrapped in a towel and I almost started getting dressed like that! I was so beyond excited!
So after showering, blowdrying, etc., I walk out to the lobby to see K standing there, clean-shaven and dressed to the nines, waiting to take me to dinner. It was sunset and the restaurant was on the beach, so we walked on the boardwalk, took a few pics, and headed back for dinner. And omg, was the food amazing! Chillian Seabass, lobster bisque, lamb chops...yummy!
After dinner, K says he has another surprise. He takes me to this private beach where he used to give me surf lessons the first summer we met. We walk hand in hand to the water, and he says he has another surprise. He put his hand in his pocket... and pulls out his Blackberry! He played this amazing song with the most sentimental lyrics, and I just hugged him and cried. When it was done playing, he said... I have just one more surprise, and got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! To which I replied "yes yes yes yes yes!!!"
I tell him that I can't wait to see my family, and can we please stop by. He tells me that my whole family is already together, waiting for us to arrive. He thought of everything!
K had done a ton of behind the scenes work to make the proposal magical, and I loved hearing about all he crazy things he did to make it special. He had even taken that Friday off from work, just so he could meet up with my then-preggers sister at the mall (with her one year old, mind you) to help him pick out the dresses!
What is a Save-the-Date Session, you may be asking?
Well basically, we wanted to use a professional picture for our Save-The-Dates. We didn't want book our pro engagement session with our wedding photographer yet because I'm still trying to lose weight. So we asked a friend (who is just getting started in photography) to do a sort of pre-engagement session for us.
I'm SOOO happy with the results! Here are a few of the pics!
We made our own Save-The-Dates and I was really happy with the way they turned out!
I got the template from www.weddingchicks.com and the cardstock from www.paperpresentation.com. Rather than spend extra money on envelopes, I purchased standard ivory envelopes from Stapes for $12.99/50 pack. I then purchased a rubber stamp from Michaels that had a bunch of mini hearts on it. I cut the hearts out, then pasted them to the end of a pencil. My mom and I assembled them and they were in the mail by April!
Here are the supplies...
My mom and I...
Ready to be mailed!
I went dress shopping with my future sister-in-law the day after Thanksgiving and was SO not expecting to find my dream dress. This was just supposed to give me an idea of what I liked, and I planned to do "serious" shopping with my mom and sister (MOH). Well low and behold... I found "THE ONE"!!! After trying on a few goreous dresses, the minute I put this dress on I got the chills and started tearing up. I could envision the whole wedding around me, esp walking down the isle towards K.
I am a hopeless romantic, so the lace really spoke to me. I love the scalloped edging and the fringe detail that comes up over the bodice and is repeated at the bottom.
The designer is La Sposa. I have to say that I am getting a little freaked out because of the alterations. This dress is actually a v-neck, but I have the straps tucked in. The owner of the store said we can easily remake the top into a strapless, but at the time I didn't even think to ask about the cost. Oh well, guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there!
3/6 Update: I finally went dress shopping with my mom and sister last weekend... but all that did was reconfirm how my I love my dress! There was a very close contender, but in the end I couldn't part with my beauty!
9/22 Update: So after trying on my two layer, standard fullness, pencil edge, cathedral length veil a million times.. I could not talk myself into it even though it was free. So after spending so many hours looking for the exact right veil... I finally fell in love with a raw edge, DROP VEIL!!! I love how soft and sheer they look! I almost ordered one from Occansey Designs.. the lady was a DREAM to work with, so sweet! But in the end I found exactly what I was looking for on ETSY! This is my third etsy purchase and I couldn't be happier! Here she is:
This part has been very tricky for me. I have such a specific color in mind and it's been VERY difficult to find.
I'm going for sort of a peachy/blushy/nuetral pink. All the swatches I've seen are either super light almost white pink, baby pink, or bright pink.
I'd like to find a dress that has a very flowy, romantic feel... floor length and we're on a budget. Soooo, these are the contenders so far:
Option 1 (and my fav):
Option 2:
I just LOVED this dress from Bill Levkoff! Unfortunately, the charmeuse sash did not come in the Petal Pink. It would've had to be a two-toned dress, and that's something I really didn't want.
(please excuse the dreadful picture! I took it with my phone)
Option 3:
My two sisters (bridesmaids), my mom, AND the saleswoman all loved this dress the best. I loved it too, but it wasn't exactly the look I was going for. Plus the color pink this one came in was really PINK.. if you know what I mean.
(again, sorry for the horribly quality... stupid camera phones)
UPDATE (05/28/10):
After trying to find another dress in the style of #1 but in a more nude color, I FINALLY chose to go with the first one! In the end, it was my favorite style and the closest color I could find. Plus it was the best price... can't argue with that! The only dilema we now have is that I have waited forever to order! The dresses will be ordered this week but the manufacturer won't be ready to send them until 08/27/10, which means they won't get here til the first or second week in September. Eeks!! I'm considering adding a rush (since the dresses were such a low price anyway) just to be safe.
And here was inspiration pic that I liked because of the color:
BLUSH, TAUPE, AND GOLD!!!
The inspiration for the wedding is blush and taupe tones with gold accents. I'm going very classic and romantic, with a touch of vintage. We will be using a bird theme throughout the wedding. I'll post an inspiration board as soon as I make one.
This section is dedicated to all those little details that you forget about until you start making a list and all of a sudden remember "oh yes! I need this!" and "oh! can't forget that!" :P
So, I'll be posting favors, garters, flutes, server sets... all that good stuff here.
TOASTING FLUTES:
It's hard to find a beautiful set that isn't expensive! After much searching, I found a set here on PW that another bride used for her wedding (sorry! I can't remember who is was!). It's from Anthropologie and it was only $12 per flute! Of course it's not crystal, but the quality of the etched engraving is beautiful! And I love the unique design. I think they will fit into our romantic/vintage theme wonderfully!
FAVORS:
These are the boxes we purchased. I'll add a gold ribbon around it and gold monogramed sticker over the front. We had wanted to order a nice 2" round magnet with our picture then add "Thank You! 10.16.10" to it, but everything else is adding up so quickly! So we'll probably fill them with pink/gold candy. Oh well, as long as they look pretty!
(the favor box is hidden behind our bird cake toppers in that second pic)
SOMETHING NEW:
Well, besides my entire ensemble lol...
Garter is from JLWeddings on Etsy. I just ordered it today (9/15) and can't wait to see it! I LOVE IT!
SOMETHING BLUE:
I purchased the Mindy Weiss "I Do" Rhinestone applique for my shoes :) Now I just have to find the shoes!
HAIRFLOWER:
I have been eying hairflowers for quite sometime and could not decide on one! I finally ordered one from WeeGardens on Etsy and I love it!!! I'm still a little unsure, only because it seems very bold to me so I want to try it on with my dress and then decide.
WEDDING DAY SCENT:
The One from Dolce & Gabbana!!! Love it!
We're getting married in my fiance's hometown of Naples, Florida. The ceremony will be held at his family's church. His sister just got married there in June of '09 so we're excited to have a little history there :)
It's a very simple, white chapel. Perfect :)
We're lucky that FI's dad manages a beautiful country club in one of the most beautiful cities in Florida. He's doing the reception for us, which has made planning a breeze!!!
LETS EAT!
Appetizers:
Brie purses with rasberry sauce, Cocktail Shrimp, Crab Salad, Mini Reubens, and an AntiPasto display.
Salad Course:
BLT Salad.. it's my favorite from the club!
Main Course:
Veal Picatta, Snapper topped with a Crab and Lobster sauce, served with Garlic Mash Potatoes and Asparagas Spears.
OTHER ELEMENTS:
-Best DJ ever! This guy has done so much for FI's family, from K's 16th Bday party to his sister's wedding last year. He is seriously AMAZING and is a family friend to boot!
-Ice Sculpture. I swear, it is good to know people! K's dad knows the owner of this place, so we will be getting an amazing deal (otherwise I wouldn't bother). Here's exactly what we'll be getting:
-Flowers! K's dad works with a wholesale florist who delivers the flowers from Miami, then FFIL and his staff will arrange them. So I basically get free reign on design! I'll be using mostly cream/white roses and hydrangeas...
-Cake Topper
I'm so excited about the cake! Orginally, we were going to try to cut costs by having my mom make the cake (she's done a few wedding cakes in her time). But she finally decided to purchase a cake for us!!!
We had our first cake tasting with a start-up business on 4/18. It totally sucked. The lady was completely unprofessional and everytime we talked to her, she increased her price. She originally quoted us for a 4-tier cake at $400. Then she said it would actually be $500 for 3 real tiers and one fake tier. By the time we made an appt and worked out costs, the final price was almost $600! And all I want is buttercream and some piping! She didn't even have her own store front! It was so sketchy.
Anyway, my mom started doing some research and found a bakery that is the most reputable one in Naples (they've even done cakes for the Ritz!). We thought they would be completely out of our price range, but gave it a shot. Turns out we are going to get 4 real tiers at $4.50 a slice for 100 people... so it came out to $450 plus $25 for delivery! Score!
We have our cake tasting on 5/15!
UPDATE:
We went to the cake tasting and it was seriously AMAZING!!! The cake was so delicious, the owner was a breeze to work with and super creative, and the place had so many beautiful cakes on display. I feel confident they will design a gorgeous and yummy cake!!! The flavors will be:
Bottom Layer: White cake with Strawberry Grand Marnier in cream.
Middle Layers: Tiramisu!!!
Top Layer (for FI and I to enjoy later): Chocolate cake with chocolate mouse filling
Here are my inspiration pics:
We purchased our wedding bands! Here they are!!
His...
Hers...
Together :)
Saturday, July 10, 2010
My bridal shower was more than I ever could've hoped for! My mom and sister went all out! They planned the whole thing and didn't tell me any details except for the date (so I could pick out an outfit of course!) It was at a yacht club and was a beachy theme. My mom made the cake, which was so beautiful! She even made the little chocolate shells on it!
I am so overwhelmed by the generosity and love surrounding the day! Out of 200 pics, here are a few :)
This was hilareous... my grandma knitted me a Wedding Afghan which was so touching. So I was SHOCKED when the next gift I got from her was lingerie! My expression here says it all!
My two sisters and cousin, who are bridesmaids. And my beautiful mama!
Crowning me! lol
And at the end of the shower, my honey came to pick me up and load up the truck! He even dressed up for a little photo-op! How cute is he!
This little project is going to be a real labor of love. I've always enjoyed flipping through old photos and learning about my family history. So I thought it would be really cool to frame old wedding photos of our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents (basically as far back as we can go) and display them at our reception. Here's a few I have scanned in so far. I just need to print them and find some antique-y looking gold frames.
My maternal grandparents (11/18/56):
My maternal great-grandparents (taken sometime in the 1920's):
My paternal grandparents (taken in 1955, and still happily married):
My paternal great-grandparents (taken in 1930):
This has been one of the hardest parts of planning! But with about a month to go, here's what we decided on so far:
Ceremony
Prelude: Bach - Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Processional: Bach - Air on the G String
Bride: Pachelbel's Canon in D
Unity Candle Ceremony: The Prayer
Recessional: All You Need Is Love (Beatles)
Our honeymoon is booked!!!
When we were thinking about where to honeymoon, we had a few criteria. One, it had to be relaxing above all else! Two, we wanted to go somewhere tropical (what's sexier than beaches, cocktails and bikinis?) Three, it had to be cost-effective.
So the answer? A cruise! We have done a few Carnival cruises in the past and we love them. So we decided on Carnival's newest ship, The Dream.
We're leaving the week after our wedding (October 23rd) for a seven-day cruise, with stops in Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. We booked an ocean-view balcony suite and plan to at least two couples massages, one adventure excursion and one romantic excursion. Hubba-hubba ;)
First stop... BAHAMAS!!!
St. Thomas, USVI!!!
St. Maarten!!!!
{HONEYMOON ATTIRE}
I love this bikini from VS!
