Etsy T Shirts For This Exact Moment

I'm just sayin'.  :)

[caption id="attachment_1759" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="let's be honest here, I really do.  note the use of one of my favorite images too. "][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1760" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="or at least, I will be in 11 days."][/caption]

(images link to their etsy source)

Guest Book Sneak Peek

Today is a short and sweet post, because I just so happen to be busy getting ready to get married!  :)

But I couldn't just leave you hanging!  So here's a sneak peek at our framed photo-guest book.  We took one of our favorite shots from the engagement session, blew it up on metallic paper (which does amazing things for the colors) and had it framed at Michael's with a 50% off coupon (which was still expensive, but slightly less so with the coupon).  Michael's did a great job, and even agreed to leave the glass out so people can sign the mat at the reception; afterward, we'll bring it back to have the glass put in.

We have a "wedding wishes" book which will be put out with this photo too-- the wishes book has cards in it where guests can write us a note if they wish.  For both items, I purchased archival quality pens, so that there won't be fading years later.  I think its going to look great!

Featured! The Best of the Best in Money and Personal Finance

We're pretty psyched over here today, because The One! has been featured over at Len Penzo Dot Com (the offbeat personal finance blog for responsible people) for The Best of the Best in Money and Personal Finance as an editor's pick.  That is just a fancy way of saying that our recent post, How to: Save over $10,000 on Your Honeymoon, was one of only 11 articles selected from 105 qualifying entries (not counting all the junk and spam), for the blog carnival.  Cool huh?  An extra-special thanks to Len for including me!

And by the way, you should head over and check out some of the other editor's picks.  There is some excellent financial info about investing, getting out of debt, even some women-specific information, all of which could be particularly handy to newly-weds, long-time-weds, and never-weds alike!  If you're like me and you love Suze Orman, you'll love reading the articles at The Best of the Best in Money and Personal Finance!

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Welcoming Guests from Out of Town

I can't believe the wedding is almost here!  One of the final details we recently finished up was making our welcome boxes for out of town ("OOT") guests who will be staying at the hotel.  We put a lot of thought and time into these, because we really wanted our guests to know how much we appreciated that they traveled to be there for us, especially during this very busy time of year!

Each guest will receive a box, and an envelope.  The boxes are gable boxes with a green toile print, and an embossed foil sticker with our wedding monogram.  I tied each box closed with gold or white ribbon.  I think they look adorable!

[caption id="attachment_1622" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The finished OOT boxes, with their embossed foil seals!"][/caption]

Inside the bags are two bottles of water, with labels I made on our home computer.  We purchased Halloween candy on sale on November 1, and wrapped up a selection of our favorites for each bag in cello.  We also made cello bags containing hand creme (a winter essential!), hand sanitizer (possibly even MORE essential!), tums and tylenol packets (for the morning after the wedding).  Also enclosed were pita chips and apple chips, which I found in bulk on Amazon at very reasonable prices.

[caption id="attachment_1614" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="And the contents! Pita chips, apple chips, chocolate, bottled water, tylenol and sample goodies!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1621" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="This is the envelope which will be give to each guest with their OOT box. Inside, more goodies!"][/caption]

Each guest will also get an envelope with their OOT box.  In the envelope is a welcome letter we made containing directions, maps, and of course, a crossword puzzle.  We had some extra "give us your photos" cards, which had been made for the favor bags, but we decided to put the extras in the OOT bags for good measure.  Hopefully people will send those photos along!  In addition, we put New York City travel guides (with fold out maps) and vouchers for coupon books at the nearby outlet mall.  I think these round out the boxes well, and maybe give some of our guests some ideas for activities while they are here!

[caption id="attachment_1620" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The welcome letters were folded, and I printed seals on mailing labels which were folded to close the letter."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1619" align="aligncenter" width="272" caption="The newsletter, which has directions to all key wedding locations, along with a map!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1618" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="And of course, a crossword puzzle about the bride and groom, to complete the letter!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1617" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A not-so-subtle reminder to guests to send us their pics!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1615" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Detail of the fold out maps, in the NYC visitor guides."]

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All the paper goods together! Now we just need to add the breakfast invitations...

Would you make OOT bags/boxes, and if so, what would you put in them?

Choosing A Bridal Scent

I don't want to simply look good on my wedding day (though I definitely want to look good).  I also want to smell good.  And although I have a slew of lovely fragrance bottles gracing the top of my shabby-chic'd dresser, I want to wear something else that day.  Something that makes J. pause and say, "hey that smells amazing!"  Something that will always remind me of the big day whenever I smell it.

So choosing the right wedding day fragrance became yet another project on my "to do" list.  One of the first thoughts I had was to try Estee Lauder's Beautiful Sheer.  Regular Beautiful (the one with the ads you see with the brides and all the flower girls!) just doesn't smell good on me, but Sheer smells like rose petals to me.  And it comes in a cute, frosty pink bottle.  They even sell it at the Estee Lauder Company Store near my office, so I could have gotten a bargain on it.  Only one problem: I've liked it for a long time.  Meaning, I'm a little tired of it.  So sad.

[caption id="attachment_1606" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="I especially love this formula, the mist!"][/caption]

After ruling out Beautiful Sheer, I decided to hit up Henri Bendel.  The second floor has an amazing perfumerie with scents from around the world, especially Paris.  And Parisian fragrances do smell different.  My theory is that it's because those fragrances have been around for a long time (and a long time ago, people bathed less, so stronger smells were probably helpful).  But that's just my theory.  Anyways, the fragrance, Child, is sold at Bendel's and I've always loved it on my friend with its bright floral notes and soft undertones.  Sadly it just smelled on me.

[caption id="attachment_1607" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Sleek, simple, lovely. Just not on me."][/caption]

However, Bendel's did carry one fragrance that I fell head over heels for.  It is called La Chasse Aux Papillons (translates as "chasing butterflies") EDT and it is from L'Artisan Parfumeur.  The Parfum didn't smell quite right on me, but the EDT was perfect- it had something to do with different ratios of rose versus tuberose.  And the bottle was so vintage, so French, so pretty!  I was almost sold, but figured I'd better let J. smell it first.  And when I got home... he did not like it.  Woe is me!

[caption id="attachment_1608" align="aligncenter" width="180" caption="bergamot, lemon, pink pepper, orange blossom, lemon blossom, linden blossom, tuberose, jasmine, ylang-ylang"][/caption]

Fortunately, J. had actually done his research and had found another fragrance he loved: Victor & Rolf's Flower Bomb.  So we went out and tried it, and thankfully I loved it too!  It had many of the fragrance notes of La Chasse Aux Papillons but it smelled a bit more youthful, with brighter floral notes.  It was perfect.  It was a little pricey, but my mother purchased it as a gift for my 30th, so I could enjoy it guilt free!  It was a perfect birthday gift- I refuse to wear it until at least our rehearsal, but I'm literally counting down the days. 

[caption id="attachment_1609" align="aligncenter" width="286" caption=""It starts with lots of sugar candy and a bit of citrus, and dries down to a sweet, slightly vanillic dessert of amber and patchouli. It is very smooth and creamy, with no hard edges...""][/caption]

Will you choose a signature wedding scent??

Houston, We Have A Videographer

You'll have to forgive me but I recently had a brain fart and totally forgot to blog about the best thing that has ever happened to me ever, of the lifetime.  Ok, ok, exaggerating.  But seriously, SO good!   

You may recall that back in the day when J. and I were budgeting, we found that we did not have enough budget for videography.  Most places in our area start at about $1500, and I didn't even like most of them.  So we figured we'd make do with just photos.  People have been doing it for years, right?

But for the sake of at least trying, I put up a couple of classified ads on Craigslist and WeddingBee's New York local board.  In my ad, I said that J. and I were looking for a videographer, and would be ok working with someone starting out, but that we had a very small amount of money to spend (I did say the exact amount in my ad, and I expressly stated that I knew what I wanted to pay was unrealistic).  My Craigslist ad expired, twice, with no response, and I got some suggestions from WeddingBee like "check local film schools for students" but it just didn't seem worth the effort.  I let it go, and decided to simply accept that videography wouldn't happen.  I was ok with that.

Fast forward 4 months.  My WeddingBee inquiry worked.  I got an email from Luke Barber-Smith at True Love Photo & Video and he was willing to work with us!  Luke has been photographing weddings for a while, but has only recently gotten into the video world, so that was why he was willing to work with our budget.  My reaction: this talented, very nice guy wants to do our wedding, and he's not a prison convict?  SCORE! 

Furthermore, Luke's work is excellent.  I highly recommend you go check him out.  He's got a great eye for realism, and he photographs people as they are, with great beauty.  On top of that, he was really cool, and I enjoyed meeting with him.  My general vendor test is whether I'd want to be that person's friend- highly scientific- and he passed with flying colors!

So yep, we found a videographer!  The lesson here is that it really can pay to do your research.  Post on those blog boards ladies, and don't give up if you really want something.

image source: True Love Photo & Video, via WeddingWire

License to Wed

Well, today is the day we  head over to the good old Teaneck municipal building to get our marriage license!  In New Jersey, you have to be licensed in the place where you live, and both applicants must come in together with only one witness who knows both applicants.  You also need a social security card, birth certificate, AND you have to make an appointment with the one person who makes them.  Oh and they are closed Friday.  Our NJ taxpayer dollars at work.

So we're off to go jump through all these silly hoops, so that we can get our marriage license!  Another big step in the process is about to be done!

image source