The wedding was a blast and it went by lightening fast! Everything went as scheduled and everyone had a lot of fun. The food was great, the place was amazing and everyone looked so beautiful! Pictures coming soon...

Brian and I met at work. We were working at a small airport in North San Diego County. We worked at an FBO, it's basically a small business like terminal for private jets only. He worked Line Service where he flagged the planes in, fueled, helped with baggage, etc. and I worked Customer Service. I finally got up the guts to ask him out and the first time he just walked away. He says he didn't hear me...but I asked again a few days later and apparently he heard me that time because we ended up going to Universal Studios for our first date. It was non-stop fun from then on!

Magnets are in and I made the holders at home with the same ivory printer paper as the invites. They were a steal from an EBay vendor, saved quite a few dollars over Vista Print! Visit their store: http://stores.ebay.com/Our-Space-On-The-Web

After looking through countless invitation magazines and spending hours online and in paper stores I decided to make my own invites! At first I wanted to try the pocket fold idea but I soon realized I don't have the patience or the math skills for that task!! I get frustrated easily! Instead I added some ribbon to navy blue Stardream card stock and ivory printer paper. I think they'll do the trick. I wanted something a bit sophisticated but not over the top. So far I've got the invites, RSVP cards and direction cards finished. Just need to work on some hotel deals and finish the accommodation cards and that will be yet another item to mark off my list! The photo is of the trial run pieces, not 100% perfect by any means!!

I knew after we booked the place that I wanted to have a polished feel to the wedding. We went with navy and gold. It was actually a toss up between navy and burgundy and the gold had to be there because my dress is a light gold. I tossed around the idea of having silver as the accent color but figured I would stick with gold/ivory hues as the highlight color.

After scouring the internet and calling every store in my city I finally came across my dress! It's a Maggie Sottero. I had a friend who was due to get married in Sept. She bought a Maggie and from that point on I knew I had to be a Maggie bride as well. The dress will be light gold. It's a two-piece, strapless, corset back gown with a ruched organza bodice and a caught-up organza over satin skirt with chapel train. Sorry, no pic because FI knows about this site!

I fell in love with these shoes when I saw them online! I loved the tie in the back and the sparkle on the ankle strap. They are so comfy too, I think the chunky heel helps! They're Dyeables and the style is called Passion.

Bridesmaid dresses will be navy with champagne accent...I wanted the same style as my gown to tie it all together. Their skirt is much more mellow though; it sits very close to the body and the pick-ups aren't as elaborate as the ones on my gown. It has optional straps for those who want to wear them and we've decided to tie the waist sash in the back-the front tie looks too young!

The guys are renting from Friar Tux. They'll be wearing 2 button jackets with matching pants by Calvin Klein. Vests and ties will coordinate with the color the women will wear.

FI's vest and tie    Groomsmen vest and tie   Father's vest and tie

The lovely ladies will receive robes from Target with their names embroidered on the front, wedding day shoes and jewelry in the cute canvas bag! Not quite sure what we'll be giving the guys. FI doesn't want the usual flask gift so keep your eyes peeled and let me know if you see something!

After contemplating the idea of beta fish as centerpieces and getting advice from the lovely ladies of Project Wedding, I am pleased to announce that I will NOT be having fish as part of my centerpiece! We've opted for 1/2 tall and 1/2 short centerpieces. All centerpieces will have white, yellow and cream colored roses, alstroemeria, gladiolas, rhododendron and lily's. The tall centerpieces will have fern draping down the side while the short centerpieces will have bear grass to give it some height. The tall centerpieces will be in 3 foot tall vases that have a gold metal footed stand and blue tinted glass vases on top and the short centerpieces will be in 4x4 clear square glass containers. We'll also have votive candles on the table and we're debating on scattering rose petals and crystals on the table...what do you think, will the rose petals and crystals be too much?

The bouquets, bouts and corsages will have the same style flowers. My bouquet and FI's bout will have some stephanotis with gold pins added. My bouquet will be wrapped in ivory with gold criss-cross and crystal pins down the center (similar to photo below) and the bridesmaids will have navy satin wrap with gold criss-cross and gold pins.

We met with our bakery and selected our cake!! It's going to be a 3 tier round cake with dark ivory butter cream frosting and white piping detail around the border like the photo above. Our border will be a bit different like a combo of the two hand drawn cakes (I know, bad drawings on my part)! Each tier will be a different flavor. The top will be carrot cake with cream cheese filling (FI's favorite!), middle will be orange cake with midori drizzle and mango mousse filling (soooo good!), and the bottom will be red velvet with white chocolate filling (my fav!). Our baker includes a 6" round cake in the flavor of our choice on our 1 year anniversary so we don't have to worry about saving the top for 12 months!

I knew I wanted to give a favor that wasn't going to collect dust and wasn't going to be gone by the time the guests got home. I've received my fair share of shot glasses, votive candle holders and wedding candies so when I saw these coasters I knew they would be the perfect favor! I ended up buying quite a few from different gals on E-Bay who had purchased too many for their wedding. I swear by E-Bay...gotta love a deal! The coasters come in a two pack and already have a clear package with white ribbon but I wanted to dress them up a bit so I put them inside take-home cake boxes and wrapped a piece of gold organza ribbon and blue satin ribbon around the box. The boxes have a little extra room in them so we are going to add some wedding mints inside the boxes in personalized tins. We've also, recently, decided to have a photobooth which will be perfect because guests can put their photos from the booth inside their coasters once they get home!

So far, here's what we've done:

Booked cremony/reception location
Booked officiant
Booked DJ
Booked photographer
Selected ceremony music
Booked the florist
Purchased gown, garter, veil, jewelry and shoes
Purchased bridesmaids dresses
Purchased both wedding bands
Purchased favors, cake knife, toasting flutes
Purchased parents and attendants gifts
Booked wedding night accomodations
Booked our honeymoon (airfare, hotels and cars)
Made and mailed invites, RSVP cards and direction cards
Selected tux's
Book makeup artist and hair stylist
Book honeymoon excursions
Booked bakery and selected cake style/flavors                                                                                                                                          Booked photobooth


What's left to do:

Print and put together programs
Seating cards for reception
Select music "must haves" and "do not play's"
Book rehearsal dinner location
Final dress fitting
Get FI into tux place to be measured
Final meeting with officiant (8/4)                                                                                                     Final meeting with DJ (7/23)
Trial run with makeup artist and hair stylist (8/5)
Book limo

FI surprised me by picking out and picking up our cake serving set as well as our toasting flutes. I really like them, he did a GREAT job! He had the serving set engraved with our names and date but he wasn't sure about engraving the glasses. I'm not too sure either, it's something to think about.

They are from the Vera Wang Love Knots collection. Macy's has a ton of cute things to match (china in the same pattern, flatware, picture frames, bud vases, napkin rings and a champagne bucket)!

Just got word that the Bridal Shower will be on Sunday, July 20 and I can't wait. I know it's at 1:00pm and it's going to be Hawaiian themed (since we're honeymooning in Hawaii) so I'm excited to see what the day has to hold!

**Update**

I have two dresses and I can't decide. It's in the backyard so it's casual, Hawaiian theme still and it's going to be warm out (around 85). Ahhhh, decisions decisions!!

 **Update Again**

The shower was a lot of fun, my BM Natalie did a great job with help from my Mom and FMIL. The Hawaiian theme was perfect, everyone came in an outfit (no party poopers) and they decorated nicely and the food was soooo good! As you can see, I ended up wearing the more casual of the 2 dresses!

We had leis and bracelets to wear and the favors were scented starfish, seashell and seahorse soaps in organza bags. There was also a bride pillow that had a veil on and played here comes the bride that everyone signed!

We had a hula-hoop contest and I couldn't believe there was a tie between Sarah and my FMIL!!

FMIL was in charge of dessert - we had a cupcake cake...it was really cute and really tasty. Everyone had blue lips at the end of it!

I had my hair and makeup trial with Cindy...she is so cute! We spent 2 hours playing around, talking and came up with a half up do for the hair. For the ceremony my clip would sit in the middle with the veil coming down from the bottom. Then for the reception the veil would come off and I would only use the clip. For the makeup, we have a light smoky eye, pink cheek and it looks like pink lips but it's more of a dark mauve. Excuse the goofy look...hard to keep a straight face with your friend sticking a camera 6 inches from your face!!

Our rehearsal is set for Thursday, August 28. My dress is Calvin Klein, got it at Marshalls along with the handbag and the shoes are from Target!! It's a white cotton dress with silver detail cutouts at the bottom hem as well as on top.

The rehearsal dinner will follow at Monterey Bay Canners in Oceanside. We will have an open menu and an open bar for ourselves, the bridal party and our immediate family. It should be a small dinner, approx. 16 people, and from 4:30-8:00pm.

We're registered at 3 places. We couldn't find all of the items at one store so we chose 2 stores for traditional registry items and we're also going to see how well we do with a honeymoon registry.     is our main registry store. We love BB&B because of all their selection and of course they have some great prices. I could spend all day in that place!! 

We have a few things under our registry at . There were a few Martha Stewart items that I liked and could only find at Macy's not to mention I LOVE the Libbey Martello glasses and they have a great 16 piece set!

Hawaii here we come! I checked out all of the different honeymoon registry sites and decided to use . It was super easy to setup and I liked the fact that I was able to select from the guests being charged a convenience fee or us paying. I didn't like the idea of having a guest give a gift and then realizing they were going to pay and extra 7% charge.

Out of all of the items we registered for, of course I have a few that I would like to receive first and foremost. More than anything, I really want my Calphalon cookware set. I've been using the same cookware set for 8 years and it was a run-of-the-mill box set from Target. Not to bad mouth Target but the poor pans have seen better days! After the cookware set I would like either the crockpot or the blender/smoothie maker. We're smoothie junkies, they make a great breakfast, dessert or snack! My third choice would have to be the casual dinnerware set. We have fine china, passed down from my Grandma, but we could use some everyday plates and bowls. I love the simplicity of a white dish!  

Fallbrook is a quiet little town and doesn't offer very much but we did find a place to stay that was close to the wedding site. We will be staying at the Pala Mesa Resort and Spa. They have a restaurant on-site as well as a golf course. This will not only be the hotel for our first night but it will also act as the space that the ladies and I will get our hair and makeup done in prior to the wedding. My Mom was kind enough to give us 2 nights here as my Bridal Shower gift!

With the help of a winning at a bridal fair and Brian's Dad's timeshare ownership with WorldMark we will be going to Hawaii for our honeymoon. Neither of us have been to Hawaii before so this is perfect timing...our first trip as husband and wife and our first trip to Hawaii!

The first stop will be in Maui. We'll be staying at the WorldMark in Kihei, compliments for Brian's Dad. This is the property. Not exactly on the beach, but it's free and our legs aren't broken! We'll be here from September 1-5.

Then we'll be off to Oahu where we'll stay at the Ohana East. The room is from a prize I won at a bridal fair from a travel agent who had a booth there. This is a great deal because we'll be on Oahu from September 5-9.

Our last stop will be Kauai from September 9-12. We've been on the waiting list for the WorldMark Kapaa Shores for about 6 months now and recently decided we needed to book a backup so we had booked the Marriott Kauai Beach Club but Brian's Dad told me this morning that we're confirmed and will be staying at the WorldMark Kapaa Shores! YAY!!

-Location-

The Grand Tradition Estate – Beverly Mansion
Fallbrook, CA
(760) 728-6466
www.grandtradition.com
Our on-site coordinator - Jenna Fransway
Rating: (A+) My first visit to the Grand Tradition was alone and just a recon mission as my FI was at work. We had visited quite a few places, maybe 10, before here. As soon as I left I called him and told him he HAD to see it. We went back later that afternoon and I showed him around. He loved it as much as I did. We took our Mom's with a week after and it was a unanimous decision...we we're all smiling from ear to ear as we paid the deposit and selected our date. The night of the wedding, Jenna and the whole Grand Tradition staff was amazing. They had always been very friendly and willing to help through our months of planning and the wedding night was no difference! Everything went so smooth and I didn't have to worry about a thing with Jenna by my side. All of the guests had a great time, the facilities were as beautiful as ever, the food was outstanding and the night was a dream! Worth every penny and then some, A++++ from my husband and I!!

-Photography-

Engagement and Wedding:
Meurer Image
Carlsbad, CA
(760) 634-9782
www.meurerimage.com
Husband and wife team - Chris and Andrew Meurer
Rating: (A+) Engagement pictures were great. There were only a few posed shots and then plenty of fun natural ones. Their team dynamic is stellar! They always answered emails within 24 hours and were really flexible. They showed up early on the wedding day and stayed all night log. We actually ended up with all 3 photographers for the night (what a value)! We've seen a few pictures and they are great so far...can't wait for the rest! They were all professional and you never noticed them in your face but you knew they were all around shooting their hearts out! 

Boudoir:
HenryC Photography
Orange County, CA
(562) 254-8871
www.henryc.com
Husband and wife team - Henry and Cindy Chan
Rating: (A) They were so easygoing. With a topic like boudoir it's important to feel calm, relaxed and have fun and they really made that easy for me! Would recommend this style of photography to anyone looking for a good time as well as a terrific boost in self esteem!

Trash the Dress:
Dezign Photography by DeShun
San Marcos, CA
(760) 809-1240
www.dezignphotography.com
Husband and wife team - Deshun and Yasmine
Rating: (C) Photos were not that great. He was looking for more “high-fashion” and his wife was looking for trashing. We too thought we were doing a TTD shoot so we were prepared to get dirty. She got a bit of an attitude on the phone with me because they weren’t what she was looking for. He seemed rushed when he was shooting; I think they packed his schedule too full. Can’t complain too much since it was free (he was just starting out in the TTD field).

-DJ-

Can-Do Productions, Inc.
San Marcos, CA
(760) 471-4796
www.candodj.com
Owner and DJ – Victor Cannon
Rating: (A+) Victor is so funny and outgoing! We met with him twice before the wedding and I liked his attention to detail. He went over everything with us and practiced the names of the bridal party until he had it down pat. He did a great job at working with our coordinator to make the night run smoothly. Our guests really liked his style and interaction. He was a great addition to our memorable night!

-Officiant-

Pastor David Plank
Vista, CA
(760) 727-1555
www.pastorplank.com
Rating: (B+) Pastor Plank is such a sweet, caring man. He seemed to be a little forgetful about some things but he did a nice job at the wedding. He put some character into the ceremony and had the guests laughing a little.

-Flowers-

Anar Floral
Vista, CA
(760) 734-1400
www.anarfloral.com
Our floral designer – Ariana Parsi
Rating: (C) Ariana did a nice job with the flowers, I wish they were a little fresher. Some had brown spots starting to show by the end of the night. She was patient through the process and let me change my mind a lot! When she brought the flowers they were not marked so the guys didn't know who was supposed to wear what bout. The groomsmen and father's ended up with the wrong ones but whatever. The rentals that we were supposed to used had to be changed a little bit since a previous bride didn't return all of them so we had to use backup versions. It was a little off without the blue vases but nobody knew but me! Last, I don't remember her telling me that I was in charge of returning the rentals...I thought she would go pick them up but apparently I was wrong. She called a week after the wedding while we were on honeymoon and I had to call my Mom and ask her to deal with Ariana since I wasn't going to be back. She needed the vases in 3 days for another wedding and my Mom said she tried to argue with her and that she had a little attitude.

-Cake-

Jodee’s Bakery
Temecula, CA
(951) 699-2399
www.jodeesbakery.com
Owner and Master Designer - Malinda
Rating: (A) Malinda, the designer/owner, is so cute! I loved the cake tasting, her ideas are so neat and she was willing to work with us on our style, guest count and cake wishes! The cake turned out almost perfect. We wanted a dark ivory frosting with white design...the ivory could have been a little darker but that's the only thing, everything else was spot on. The taste was just like the tasting, delicious! There was enough cake to go around and some people even came back for a second piece! I told my husband that I want to order cakes from her for every occasion now!!

-Limo-

Palomar Limo
Carlsbad, CA
(760) 720-9400
www.palomarlimo.com
Rating: (A+) Our driver was early, kind and didn't have a lead foot! He did a great job manuvering the stretch limo through the cars and up the narrow driveway leading to our hotel room. I didn't think any driver would be able to get us close enough to our room but he pulled it off like it was nothing! Price was great too, didn't want to take us for every penny!

-Photobooth-

Photo Booth Now 
Fallbrook, CA
(877) 517-7770
www.photoboothnow.com
Booth coordinator and contact: Christopher
Rating: (A+) Christopher was a big help with the contract and questions. The price was a steal compared to the bigger name companies and I liked that it was a curtain all the way around instead of a wood box...it allowed for more people to be in the shot with the curtain! Everyone loved the booth and I liked that the attendant printed extra copies for the bridal party when we did group shots! Less than 2 weeks after the wedding we had a disc in our mailbox of all the pictures taken!

-Table Linens-

Bonsall Village Florist
Fallbrook, CA
(760) 941-7314
www.bonsallvillageflorist.net
Our coordinator - Sharon
Rating: (A+) Sharon was really helpful and sweet! Prices are great and she wasn't trying to push a lot of extra pieces off on us! The linens looked great, even though they were simple...it was exactly what we wanted!

-Hair & Makeup-

Cindy Rankin
Oceanside, CA
(760) 994-7733
www.cindyrankin.com
Celebrity Make-up and Hair Stylist
Rating: (A+) Had my trial with Cindy and it was great. We tried 3 hair styles and the 3rd was a charm. I had a good time with her, she's very friendly and was so patient. She did a fab job for the wedding. I looked beautiful, the bridesmaids looked so pretty and natural as well. Cindy made my Mom look a few years younger and the best part...it lasted all night long!! Cindy is very talented and affordable!!

-Bridal Gown-

Wedding Gown:
BridalGown.Net
Webster, NY
(315) 524-4526
www.bridalgown.net
Rating: (A) I went to local shops and tried on gowns until I found the one I loved. I then found bridalgown.net and read up about their services and quality and purchased from them at a $200.00 savings. Dress came in perfect condition and exactly as I wanted. Came a little later than quoted (said 16-18 weeks and arrived at week 20). Worth the price!!

Trash the Dress Gown:
David’s Bridal
Vista, CA
(760) 806-9745
www.davidsbridal.com
Rating: (A) Usually I don’t like David’s Bridal stores as their employees always seem to be mad at the world unless they make the sale. I went here for a $99 dress for my TTD shoot and found what I was looking for. The girls were nice, helped me but didn’t push and had the dress steamed overnight for me!

-Alterations-

Bridal Showcase
Vista, CA
(760) 630-1440
www.bridalshowcasebrides.com
Rating: (A+) Alterations are going great. Both myself as well as 1 bridesmaid are having alterations done at Bridal Showcase. They are very fast and turning out perfect! Alterations all done and 110% satisfied. My dress and BM's fit like a dream, great pressing service and fast turn around!

-Bridesmaids Dresses-

Bridal Showcase
Vista, CA
(760) 630-1440
www.bridalshowcasebrides.com
Sales Rep - Jennifer
Rating: (A+) Dresses arrived quickly and as ordered. Jennifer was a big help and was understanding to the fact that I had to come in multiple times before making my decision on which dresses to order.

-Mother of the Bride/Groom Dresses-

Mother of the Bride:
Chantik
Escondido, CA
(760) 737-5017
Rating: (B+) The sales women were a little pushy but backed off as soon as I let them know that if we needed assistance I would go and find one of them. We didn’t go with the intention of purchasing, we were just looking but did end up buying that day. They had a small selection of dresses and not a lot of sizes but we did manage to find a nice pair of dress pants and a beautiful top (my Mom isn’t the dress type)!

Mother of the Groom:
Aria Bridal
Escondido, CA
(760) 834-2742
www.ariabridal.com
Rating: (D) Customer service wasn’t what it should be and prices are high. Purchased off the rack and they gave a small discount since it was a discontinued style. I went back weeks later and the sales girl made a few snide comments about our previous visit. Good selection of dresses so I suggest using their store to try on and get an idea but not to purchase. They cut off as many dress tags as possible and switch around item numbers so take notes on what the dress looks like if you plan to purchase elsewhere. Watch out though, they are on you like hawks!

-Tux-

Friar Tux Shop
Vista, CA
(760) 414-9800
www.friartux.com
Rating: (A+) Guys looked great. Easy to order with, flexible when it came to pick up and drop off dates and times and they were right on with the measuring and all of the orders were right the first time.

-Rehearsal Dinner-

Monterey Bay Canners
Oceanside, CA
(760) 722-3474
www.montereybaycanners.com
Rating: (A) The service was great, our waitress was a hit! The food was good and everyone enjoyed their meal and drinks. They accomodated us with bringing in our own cake! The restaurant doesn't have a seperate room so they try to keep you in your own area but it's hard to keep nosy people away. 

-Invitations and STD Magnets-

DIY Invitations:
*paper supplies from*
Kelly Paper
Escondido, CA
(760) 489-0093
www.kellypaper.com
Rating: (A+) The girls that work there are really nice and helpful. Helped me pick out paper weight and colors, called other stores to check availability and they have great prices. Invites turned out great and I really think they helped with the outcome by being so knowledgeable.

Save the Date Magnets:
Ebay Vendor – Our Space on the Web
www.stores.ebay.com/Our-Space-On-The-Web
Rating: (A) Magnets came out good and it was so easy. They email you the proof based on what you say you want and then you can make changes until you’re content. Magnets came 3 days after I gave the “go ahead” and they looked great for the price, they were so affordable. I should have spent a little more time tweaking the colors, but other than that I was pleased.

I have the following for sale. I'm in North County (San Diego) if you want to meet up or I can ship them to you! Jewelry, shoes and dress are brand new!

Quantity         Item Description                                               Asking Price

85                 4x4x2 white cake/favor boxes                       $5 - SOLD

122               Ivory 5 3/4" x 8" envelopes                           $5

22 pieces       Stardream Paper 8.5x11, Lapis Lazul color        $5

1                  Wax Seal Stamper "J" from Michaels                 $3

1                  150+ pieces of 67lb. Ivory printer paper            $3 - SOLD

125               White envelopes (size #17 mini)                     $5

7                  Bath & Body Works Spray (2oz.) Coconut         $7

8                  B&BW Spray (2oz.) Magnolia Blossom               $8

6                  B&BW Spray (2oz.) Cotton Blossom                 $6

7                  B&BW Spray (2oz.) Gardenia                          $7

96                "Ring for a Kiss" Place cards w/ bell                 $10

25 packs        Glass photo frame coaster 2/pack                   $15 - SOLD

 (Includes ribbon and thank you tag, not name tag)

50                Cream envelopes (size A8)                            $3

1                 Ivory Shoes-Dyeables Passion sz. 8.5 - NEW     $20 (reg. $65)                

(stock photo of the white shoe)

1                The Everything Wedding Etiquette Book             $3

1                 The Budget Wedding Sourcebook                     $5

2                 100 yard spools of 3/8" navy blue satin ribbon    $5 for both

1                Victoria Lee by Maggie Sottero Necklace-NEW    $40 (reg. $70)

1                Victoria Lee by Maggie Sottero Earrings-NEW     $25 (reg. $40)   

1                B2 by Jasmine Style B8092 - NEW w/ tags          $50

   (Actual dress is a size 12, regular length, Cayman Blue with Vanilla waist tie and bust accent color. Also has removable vanilla spaghetti straps).