Save-the-dates

Typically sent out 6 months prior to the wedding, save the dates are mainly for your out-of-town guests. If you are getting married in a busy month (May, June, October) it’s probably wise to send out save the dates to all of your guests, so that they know to reserve your wedding date on their calendars. Postcards are a great option, especially since postage is $.29 as opposed to the $.44 for letters. There are many options and layouts for postcards. I don’t like the traditional- a picture of the couple on the front and then save the date on the back. I prefer original or unusual designs. We’re currently debating on ours, whether to do a funky modern or rustic vintage style. I’ve made a rustic looking option but I haven’t made the funky option simply because we haven’t done our engagement pictures yet. Time is slipping away so I may just stick with what I have and call it done. I’m not going to fret over having the perfect save the date; I can worry over my invites! Here are some of my favorite save the dates that I’ve found around the web (mainly etsy!)

 

What an awesome and unique ornate shape

French victorian vintage

Romantic vintage, so dreamy!

Perfection! Another magnet that will be saved!

cute as a button

Chic destination

for the pet lovers! SOOOO CUTE!

For the contemporary couple

Cute & classy!

Vintage travel theme

Retro vintage *local vendor

Chic calendar

Tie the knot, so cute!

Greetings from…!

 

 I’m terrible with technology and can’t figure out how to link my photos to their corresponding websites and give credit to the artists. Here are the sources for these awesome save the dates; so hop on over and check them out!

 

retro vintage ItsmeIC (a local Tulsa gal)

tile magnets by AngelEllie

ornate shape by KenziKay (out of KC to boot)

button magnets by MAUpromos

starfish tags by Mavora

pet lovers by icingonthepaper

french victorian by sweetcookie

romantic vintage HelloandCo

vintage travel   beyonddesign

chic calendar wasabse.info

greetings from bryanandrewruiz

tie the knot idoityourself

 

 

The Royal Wedding

I wasn’t planning on waking up, but Mr. C woke me up so we could watch a little of it together He’s such a romantic at heart! He left for work and I continued watching and I was amazed at how stoic Kate was. No crying, no tears, no nervousness, just all smiles. How did she do it? I know I’m going to shed a few tears at my wedding, heck I got a little teary eyed watching hers! I need whatever she was on for my wedding day!

 Her dress was absolutely perfect. I loved how it was so Princess Grace with modern twists. The pleating in the front made her waist look tiny. I know she lost a lot of weight, but I have to wonder if she had on a corset?! The bustle (a true bustle, not pick-up skirt bustle that everyone refers to now) was the perfect proportion. It gave frilly volume in the back but didn’t make the dress huge. That dress is going to become a classic and I can’t wait to see all the imitations!!!

One last comment; her posture…. wow… She sat up so straight, walked so straight with her shoulders back, she looked like true royalty. She was either groomed very well or has impeccable posture. I sat and walked a little straighter today; I want to have great posture on my wedding day so I need to get some practice in!

*update*

after searching the web just a little, I found one of my fav knock-off designers is already in the process of making a copyKate! I’m more excited for the knock-off of Pippa’s dress though, that might be a fab dress to have to wear to the Opera!!!

Craig’s List Search

Bought something for your wedding and now it is sitting in your closet collecting dust? List it on Craig’s List! Make a little extra cash and use it for a romantic dinner out with the new hubs! Looking for great wedding items? Why pay full price for something you’re only going to use once? Great bargains are lurking on Craig’s List each week! Here’s what I’ve found this week.

Aqua Mason Jars

These would make beautiful centerpieces, great as aisle runners with floating candles or if you’re having a small wedding they would look cute with your signature cocktail and a swirly straw!

               

Beverage Dispensers

Can you imagine fresh cucumbers and lemons or maybe even mint to spice up boring old ice water?! What a wonderful way to flavor your water and a add burst of bright color!

Apothecary Candy Jars

Cut glass sparkles just like crystal! Candy bars are still all the rage, why not make your candy bar uber special with these heirloom compotes?

Best Wedding Books

I recommend going online and purchasing subscriptions for at least two bridal magazines immediately after you get engaged. I love getting snail mail and I love to see all the latest wedding trends, so this was a no brainer for me. If you can’t commit to this, then go to Walmart and purchase at least one so you can get a few ideas of what kind dress you might like and some ideas for your floral arrangements. If you’re really against this, go to Barnes and Noble, buy a coffee, and sit down in the cafe with as many magazines as you can get your hands on- it’s free.

This is my ultimate must have book. If you don’t already own an Emily Post Etiquette book you can probably pass up buying it and just get this book. This book has everything and I’m in love with it. I’d forgo buying a typical wedding binder and get this book if you had to choose. Look on Amazon.com for the best price.

This is my favorite planner so far. It’s nothing fancy, doesn’t have any pockets or tearouts BUT it has everything you need. It’s handy the way it is bound like a spiral notebook because you can lay it completely flat and the pages aren’t going to rip. There’s plenty of writing space and there’s a column for 3 vendors in each of the sections. This is great for when you’re interviewing a vendor; there are columns with all kinds of questions you might want to ask a potential vendor.

Skelly Lodge

Taken from the Skelly Lodge website: “Skelly Lodge is an elegant eight bedroom Swiss chalet that rests high on a ridge with a commanding view of the Verdigris River Valley and the wooded hills of northeastern Oklahoma. Only minutes east of the Tulsa metro area, we are surprisingly secluded.”

This was the venue we looked forward to visiting most. It reminded us of Mike’s family lakehouse in western AR, but without the long drive! Inside: 8 fabulous bedrooms with huge & comfortable beds! Large living area with flat screen tv and fireplace. The kitchen is a chef’s delight! Gourmet at it’s finest with viking appliances, warmer drawers, ice machine, Sub Zero glass front fridge, a Kitchenaide professional mixer and ample granite countertop space. There are 2 verandas and 1 porch. The two verandas have tables & chairs and ceiling fans. The porch has multiple bistro tables and a huge grill. Outside: There is an ivy covered arch set against a boulder backdrop. There are also several electrical outlets spaced around the rocks- for whatever you can imagine that you might need! The front circle drive is a perfect flat area if you would like to put a tent, just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. The views of the Verdigris River Valley are breathtaking. You can see this in one of the photos, how especially gorgeous the view is when the leaves are changing. This place not only makes a fabulous wedding venue but can you imagine having a vacation here?! That’s the way we see it, a weekend vacation that just happens to include a wedding! Here are some of the photos from the website. Later there will be more photos that I’ve taken into the Skelly Lodge gallery under the venue tab.

First Post

I’m new to blogging, so my site is shall we say beginner-esque? I don’t have the training to make my site as elegant & fanciful as I would like, but one thing I can manage is the excellent content! Backstory: I got engaged in May and have been toying with planning the wedding ever since. I didn’t get very serious about the idea until November, which is when I found that there wasn’t a suitable website for gals in Oklahoma planning their wedding. Sure, there is the *nameless* magazine website, but you’ll only find information about the vendors who have paid to have their information on the website. I don’t find that very condusive to planning a wedding, do you? So, this is where my blog finds its little niche in the bridal blog world. The blog will focus on midwestern vendors with a little extra attention to Oklahoma. There’s a reason for that- I live in Oklahoma and it’s easy for me to travel around, take pictures and talk to the local vendors! I look forward to planning my wedding with you guys and hope that you have fun along the way!

First stop… the date

After getting engaged priority number 1 should be choosing a wedding date. The wedding date will be what determines what type of dress is appropriate, what flowers are in bloom, what type of fruits and vegetables are in season, etc.

If you have more than a year then choosing a date won’t be too hard; anything less than a year and places tend to be pretty booked. Unless there’s a certain date that you must have, then I suggest simply narrowing your choice down to a certain time of year. Personally, we wanted a certain venue that only had a few dates left, so we simply chose an open date at the venue and that’s how we decided when we were getting married. We aren’t worried that we got engaged in May so we should get married in May, or that our first-date anniversary is in September. Those dates are special but, our *new* anniversary will be the most special to us now.