I Heart Indy.

No no no, I'm not talking about Indy car racing! I'm referring to my awesome cinematographer!

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Remember way back when Mr. Lab and I got into a little tiff about the "need" for a cinematographer? Well, after that mini meltdown, I put finding a cinematographer on the back burner. I had posted listings on Craigslist but wasn't getting any bites. I decided I'd deal with it later and soon forgot all about it.

"Later" finally came last week when I suddenly remembered that I still hadn't booked anyone! I frantically began combing the internet and making calls but sure enough, everyone was booked. But then one company referred me to a few of his colleagues which is how I found indy Productions!

I've gotta tell ya, I was actually glad that company was booked up because Indy is WAY more our style. I cannot wait to work with Dustin and his wife Elizabeth. I've already had a couple good laughs with them on the phone and just the fact that they are willing to drop their schedule (he had a race scheduled that day!) to help me out on such short notice means the world to me. Plus, the package we went with is about $1000 cheaper than the one Mr. Lab was willing to let me book if we couldn't find someone through SCAD or Craigslist!

So, you want to see what all my fuss is about? Go to their blog to watch some AH-mazing videos. Soon, our video will be one people like me will be ooohing and aaahing over!

Did you hire a cinematographer to capture your day in motion? How far in advance did you do it?

Piece of Cake Part 3: Breaking The Mold

[Note to Pengy: Please put the second photo as the default on the WB post so Mr. Lab won't know what it is! Thanks!]

So I finally found someone to do our groom's cake at a price that didn't include an arm, leg, soul, or firstborn child! I'm working with Sonja of Art Cake Company in Savannah and can't wait to show you the finished cake! But since I can't share the cake with you quite yet, I figured I'd at least share a couple details about it not mentioned in previous episodes of my cake saga.

Mr. Lab: With only single digits left until the big day, I think you're more than capable of refraining from clicking on the link below! :)

First off, the cake flavor! How does bourbon chocolate with a Kahlua filling sound? Delish? Yeah, I thought so! ;)

Okay, here's the part I REALLY wanted to share! Remember the cake topper I wanted?

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Well, I loved it, but it was obviously missing something. I'm not sure if you've noticed it or not, but I don't exactly have the same skin complexion as that cookie cutter cake topper. I searched high and low for something similar to it but featuring an interracial couple, and came up empty handed. The closest I got were some custom toppers that cost a fortune. So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I bought the cake topper and painted it!

I grabbed some leftover paint from other projects and started with the shoes. I figured they would be the easiest fix if something went wrong.


It didn't take long for me to get the hang of it and learn the best techniques. But as I was taking photos for this post, I realized something was still missing:


It was the red sole on my shoes!


But I didn't have any red paint laying around the house and I really didn't want to go out and buy a whole tube just for those tiny, Barbie-sized heels. *cue light bulb over head* RED NAIL POLISH! If nail polish good enough for Mr. Louboutin's first red-soled shoes, it's good enough for my cake topper!


This wedding planning business has really helped me become more creative AND resourceful!


And here's the finished topper! It's not perfect, but the flaws won't be noticeable in the dim reception lights. Not to mention it looks a LOT more like us now! :D


Have you had to customize any "cookie cutter" pre-made wedding items to better reflect you or your fiance?

Help Me Pick A Quote For Our Love Letter Box!

We've picked our wine, are in the process of writing our love letters, and have finally narrowed down the bazillion quotes floating around on marriage to 5 we really like for our love letter box! Now we need your help narrowing the quotes down to 1! We will then have that quote along with our names and wedding date engraved on a brass plate attached to the back of the box.

So which one is it going to be hive?

"To keep your marriage brimming,
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong admit it;
Whenever you're right shut up."

-- Ogden Nash

"A good marriage is the union of two good forgivers."

-- Ruth Bell Graham

"We are a work in progress with a lifetime contract."

-- Phyllis Koss

"New love is the brightest, and long love is the greatest,
But revived love is the tenderest thing known on earth."

-- Thomas Hardy

"Ultimately the bond of all companionship, whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation."

-- Oscar Wilde

[Poll]

• Ogden Nash
• Ruth Bell Graham
• Phyllis Koss
• Thomas Hardy
• Oscar Wilde

Thanks so much in advance for any votes! I'll let you know which one we pick soon!

Are you including a special quote somewhere in your wedding?

Playing Dress Up

I've just about finished shopping for outfits for all my remaining wedding events and wanted to give you ladies a preview! Some purchases were steals while others were splurges (luckily, FMIL gave Mr. Lab and I $300 just for wedding outfits as a gift last time we visited her). I even plan on reselling at least one of the dresses after the wedding, so if you see something you like, let me know to call dibs! ;)

First up, my bridesmaids' brunch outfit. I'm throwing my girls a tea party at Savannah Tea Room. I've instructed all the girls to wear frilly dresses and floppy hats so we can channel our inner Southern Belles for the brunch! And of course, since I'm the bride I'll be wearing white:

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I scored this cute ruffly dress at Forever 21 for only $27! Definitely one of my "steals". To spruce up the dress a bit I bought the following accessories:

The same J. Crew belt Mrs. Cowboy Boot wore on her wedding dress. I've been eyeing it ever since this post and finally decided to snatch it up when it went on sale. I'll be able to wear it often as it matches a million things in my closet!

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A pretty, girly necklace:

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All some matchy girly earrings:

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I'll be wearing white wedge sandals I already own. And of course, my floppy hat the FILs got me! It looks like this:

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But boy would I love to own something as whimsical as this:

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But all is well. I plan to jazz up my hat with some ribbon and maybe even some tulle. ;)

Next up, the rehearsal dinner outfit! This was a pricier purchase and I will definitely resell to recoup my costs (I can't help it! I hate wearing things I already own for big events, so I buy now and resell later. I like to think of it as "renting" an outfit! hehe). I got this dress from Mod Cloth (I can now thank Mrs. Apple Cider for my new obsession with their clothing which is typically out of my price range! :P).

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I have a black cardigan I'll carry with me in case it's cold that night (we'll be outside for the rehearsal then on the riverboat for dinner and the ghost tour after that). I haven't found any shoes to go with the dress yet but I'm looking for some along these lines (but waaaay cheaper):

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I'm wearing black flower stud earrings I already own plus this dramatic statement necklace:

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Then comes the reception/after party dress. Some of you may remember that I already had a dress for this part of the wedding weekend (as seen in my profile pic). But due to an unfortunate (and shameful) event during my bachelorette party (still waiting on photos from my girls *hint hint!* so I can post), I no longer have my dress. So I had to find a replacement. It took forever but I finally settled on one that comes close to the way I felt about my engagement dress.

I really really really wanted this one because it would compliment my wedding dress so perfectly...

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...but $400 is simply too much for me to justify. And I couldn't even use the excuse of reselling it because I KNOW if I bought this dress I wouldn't give it up for the world. *le sigh* If I were a short dress bride, that would be my wedding dress in a heartbeat!

So I went back to the search, deciding that I wanted something similar to my original reception dress but a little more bridal. I quickly came across a photo I used for inspiration. I love Solange's dress!

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Working off the inspiration photo I found this gem!

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I've said it before and I'll say it again; if it blings, sparkles, or glitters, I LOVE IT. The sweetheart neckline and flower embellishment just sent my love over the edge. And I could live with the $133 price tag (after a promo code to take 10% off!). I'll decide after the wedding whether I want to resell this one.

I also bought special shoes to go along with this glittery dress:

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And I'm wearing earrings I already own:

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I'm wearing a short veil I ended up getting for free on Ebay after the seller refunded me the full price when it arrived super late (I wanted it in time for my boudoir photo shoot-more coming soon on that!). I'm also switching bags before we go out and using the one my MOH got me for Christmas last year (that's only $5 now!):

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*Whew!* Okay, that's all...for now. I still have to share my bridal outfit! You know, the wedding dress and all? :P I pick up my dress from the alterations shop next Friday and I'm hoping to get a post in before the wedding on the much-anticipated "inspired by" purchase! Stay tuned and more importantly, stay patient my lovelies! :D

DIY Bridal Bouquet Part 3: Getting a Grip!

My bridal bouquet is officially complete! Remember way back when I hinted to the handle decoration and even gave a sneak peek to my "something blue"? Well, I've finally received my special adornments from my Ebay shopping excursion.

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I planned to do two gold lockets to display photos of family members that will not be able to join Mr. Lab and I on our special day (although I know they'll be there in spirit). One locket would hold a photo of my grandmother who passed away a couple years ago and a photo of my dad who passed away when I was 14. The other locket would hold a photo of Mr. Lab's late father and his mother's twin sister who passed shortly after FSIL's wedding. But when the seller backed out of my purchase because he had misplaced the items since the close of the auction, I decided to go another route.

I was just doing a routine "locket brooch" search when I came across the Coro locket. These gorgeous lockets hold not 2, but 4 photos at once! And many of them are more fancy looking than regular brooch-style lockets. Isn't it just fabulous?

The locket on my bouquet handle.

Then there's my something blue (and something sparkly) on the front of the bouquet:


With these small additions, I am officially done with the bridal accessories! I'll let you know soon what my other accessories are (jewelry, clutch, and shoes, oh my!)!

Will your bouquet have any special or sentimental adornments?

Made Up

A couple weekends ago, I had my makeup trial with Savannah's famed Jules of Dollface by Jules. I had a blast with Jules who is a bride-to-be herself. She's super stylish and very easy going. I know she'll provide some comic relief and much needed calmness to my big day while getting ready.

These photos really don't do her work justice. I had driven 4 hours that day straight from my home in Athens to the appointment in Savannah. When I got to the studio, I realized that my camera was dead and my mom had the charger. And if you remember from this post, I also had a bit of a crying fit before my camera was charged and I took photos of the trial results (hours later after sitting in my FSIL's house with a broken A/C!). So please keep all that in mind!

The overview. Kinda blurry but you get the picture.

Jules asked me what I wanted and unlike most brides, I let her use her creativity and just wing it. Because I model part-time, I've gone through several makeup appointments and was kind of sick of having to let the artist know exactly what they had to paint on my face. And no matter how many inspiration photos I bring in to an appointment, they never recreate my vision (even though the makeup was done nicely, it's just never done to my specifications). So this time I went in with no expectations. All I said was that I wanted a soft, romantic feel and I let Jules work her magic.

Before:
(Actually taken the next morning since I didn't get a chance to take a real before photo!)

After:

I loved the results and they lasted through hours of sitting in a very hot and humid Savannah condo (notice the "glow" on my clavicle)! I only had to blot with an oil sheet and dab on a light layer of blot powder to freshen up. My kind of upkeep!

Geez...I've gots a huge honker!

I think I'm going to ask for a little more of a light pink on my eyelids instead of purple. In my experience, purple seems to be the "go-to color" for MUA's to use on people with brown eyes. She's also going to add false lashes the day of the wedding to really help my eyes pop!

Cheesing it cause I'm happy!

Good lawd it's hot in heeerrrrree! Like my lace fan? :)

So whatcha think? Any suggestions? Have you done your makeup trial yet or are you waiting until the last minute like I did?

Crazy Simple DIY Project (And Sneak Peeks Into What's In The Works!)

My MOH recently bought a new house about 40 minutes away from me. With the wedding fast approaching, we've used it as an excuse to visit each other quite a lot lately. :)

During my first visit to her new home, I found something that caught my eye while snooping...er...checking...everything out. ;) She had the cutest little birdcage in her closet!

Cameo by my bridal bouquet!

I got her permission to not only borrow it for the wedding, but to also spray paint it to match our colors. And that's just what I did!


Although spray painting is pretty easy, it can be a little tricky to get all in between the wires on something like this. But I stayed patient!


And soon I had this!


I used leftover bouquet ribbon to add a little "something" to the birdcage. I may or may not add a tag or sign that says "cards". I might just be lazy and put a card in it beforehand to show what it's for to our guests.

Bow on the back!

And as an added bonus, here's a sneak peak into some other projects that included some spray painting!

Lanterns for some of the table centerpieces:

Shepherd's hooks for the ceremony decor:

Go MOH Lab, go!

And last but not least, a frame from our "faux"tobooth:

And as an extra extra bonus: our wallpaper for the "faux"tobooth!

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Hope I didn't tease you too much. I can't show much more on the "faux"tobooth until after the wedding because it won't be assembled until a few days before! Hang in there! :D

Manaz...Manza...Pretty Branches With Votives Hanging From Them!

Yeah, I've been engaged for nearly 11 months and still can't remember how to pronounce that "m" word for these:

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But I really didn't care about pronouncing them as long as I could make my own decorative displays using them. And thus, I set to work!

I ordered my manzanita branches (12-13" tall), plaster of paris, and river rocks from Save on Crafts. The tin cans were purchased at an A.C. Moore on sale for $2 each! And the votives were from Crate & Barrel for $11.40 for a set of 12.

This project is pretty self-explanatory, so I'll let the pictures do the talking!

All of my supplies. I didn't even realize that my Halloween decoration sort of reflects my current project until I looked at the photos!

I followed the mixing directions on the plaster of paris bucket and made sure to use disposable containers. I also did this on my (nasty-doggy dirty) floors to make clean up easy.

Start of the mixing...still chunky!

Finally smooth! (Btw, that's an old blender mixer that I used to stir it!)

Carefully pouring to keep splatter to a minimum.

I quickly placed my branches into the pots then propped them against a wall.

It literally took less than 15 minutes for the plaster to set. I'm glad I was moving fast because I had NO idea it would set so quick!

I used leftover paint from other projects to paint the plaster.

I wiped excess plaster splatter away with a damp paper towel.

Then I filled the pot with the river rocks (I may get some more at Wally World just to fill it out more).

I did a quick trial with hanging the votives using leftover floral wire before Mr. Lab offered up some of his clear fishing line.

Some of the votives with the fishing line. We're hanging 6 per pot. We also tested out the candles (using tea lights we already have) to make sure they didn't get too hot and melt the line.

I forgot to get a photo of the final product, but you'll see the real deal in action soon enough! I'm using them as decor on the guest book/gift tables. Total cost of this project? $40.99 for two full displays! :D

Here are some useful links I used that I figure will help someone else!

Securing Manzanita Branches With Plaster
How To Make Hanging Votives

Are you incorporating man...manza...pretty branches with votives on them at your wedding?