Eat, Drink, Learn Useless Info

A while ago I stumbled upon this photo of these awesome personalized cocktail napkins, and LOVED the idea!

via Style Unveiled: Photo by Fancy Fin Photography

They are so witty and adorable! With phrases like "thanks for being quiet during the ceremony. You look great by the way" who wouldn't want to giggle a little reading these while standing in line for a cocktail, enjoying finger foods?

While I thought they were adorable, I didn't really think I could waste a bunch of money on having them made for me, and so I gave up on the idea....until I saw this old post by Mrs. Cupcake, who used her gocco to add fun facts to plain cocktail napkins, tutorial provided. If you remember, I bought a gocco on a (terrible) whim one day, and have been searching for new projects to use it for so as to not feel like i wasted my $200. So you see, this project was a true win-win situation; I got to use my gocco again and I got my adorable napkins:
(personal photos)
And in case you want to see the 5 facts I chose:


In total I spent about 2-3 hours making 300 of these babies. I think I will have to make more, though, so I am in the process of coming up with some other fun facts to use.

Overall, this project was surprisingly easy, and cheap (well...if you have a gocco or access to one). I keep anticipating experiencing problems with this gocco, but I cannot tell you enough just how simple the process is, and how hard it is to screw it up! YAY!

Were the majority of your DIY adventures a success? And do you have any other Gocco projects I can take on for the wedding?

The Story Of My Dress

One day, a girl and her fiance went to run some errands. While driving out of the shopping center, the girl saw something out of the corner of her eye that made her squeal with delight. A bridal salon she had never before noticed! She quickly called and made an appointment for later that week (aka the next day).

When she walked into the bridal salon for her appointment, though, she became disappointed. There were only 20 or so bridal dresses in the entire store, and none of them looked anything like the style this girl was looking for. While all of her instincts said to leave, the girl felt bad and so she talked to the consultant. She explained that she wanted a fitted dress, preferably one with lace, tulle, petals, flowers, etc. The consultant said she knew just the dress but it was already in a fitting room. She took it out and it was just a plain lace dress, limply dangling on its hanger with odd straps. The girl was disappointed. She didn’t really like it very much, but decided she would be polite and try it on. Once the dress was on, the girl looked up into the mirror and….. SPARKS FLEW! The girl did not want to take off the dress! She looked at it from every angle, confused. This was not what the girl had wanted- there were no ruffles, no petals, no rosettes- all of the features of the girls dream dress. But the girl quickly realized all of the dresses she had tried before that had had those details never seemed right. They were all too childish or too trendy or too overbearing and simply put too much. This dress, though, was simple, understated, elegant and classic. The girl realized that the other dresses she loved so much on models she would have looked back in 5 years and wondered “what was I thinking?” but this dress, even if it became outdated, would always be stylish.

And that, my friends, is the story of how I found my dress. Want to see her? (personal photos)

Did you end up realizing that the overall look you thought you wanted was just not right for you?

Isn't Lace For Old People?

To be quite honest, Mr Elk isn’t really big into fashion. With 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of sneakers, and 10 button down shirts in varying colors, it would be more accurate to say he doesn't care about clothes at all, which will become all the more evident when you hear this story: When I first started dating Mr Elk I had an event to attend and wanted his advice on what to wear. I tried on two dresses: one was a long red dress with thick straps and a deep V neckline. It rouched on the side and had floral detailing. The other was a maroon strapless chiffon dress with a sweetheart neckline, natural waist, and had an ombre effect. He looked at me in both dresses and stated “what’s different about them? They are both red dresses.”

Via Really Funny Pictures

Flash forward six years later, and here I am wedding dress shopping. I had originally intended to show him some of the dresses I tried on to 1) get his honest opinion about which silhouette worked well for me and 2) prove to him I wasn't picking some tacky mess (which apparently was a concern he had). But soon I was showing him every dress I tried on and asking for his opinion, unable to hold back my excitement. 99% of the time his response was, as predicted, “I don’t really get it- they are all just white dresses”. First of all- I don’t think any of the dresses I tried on were actually white, but that is beside the point!

When I came home from the shopping adventure that resulted in finding my actual dress, I was SUPER excited! Even though I hadn't intended on showing him the dress, I couldn't hold it in. The words were like vomit, I couldn't hold them back: "I think I found my dress....want to see?" Because of his reaction to all the other dresses, I figured it wouldn't really be a big deal. His reaction, though, wasn't what I was expecting. His response to my beautiful, lovely, awesome, amazing dress was “Isn’t lace for old people….like isn’t that what they put on their dining room tables?”.

Does THIS look like something an old person would wear?!?! (note this is not my dress, although it is FREAKING GORGEOUS)

Monique Lhullier Scarlet

Sighhhhhh…I guess I should have seen something like this coming. A more caring bride may have decided to go back to the drawing board and begin the dress search again, especially because I hadn't actually purchased the dress yet (which is why he was willing to tell me his honest opinion). But after over 50 dresses I was not about to restart the search. I just hope he gets over his lace is for old people schpeil when he sees me in the dress.

Would you find a new dress if you found out your FI wasn’t thrilled by yours? Or would you do what I did and pretend like you never showed them the dress in the first place?

Right this way, madam....

A long time ago I fell in love with these escort cards:

picture via: saras butterfly cottage (original source no longer available)

Unfortunately, they are no longer available on etsy. I really want to recreate this look and feel for the wedding, so another trip to Michaels it was! I found decorative paper in varying patterns and got to work.

First I cut out squares of each paper using the cheapest paper cutter I could find, and folded them in half: (all personal photos ahead)Next I bought a cool paper punch in the shape shown on my inspiration photo:
I haven't completed the last step, which will be to print guests names and table numbers onto paper and punch them out using the awesomely shaped punch above, but I did want you to get an idea for what they will look like once completed:

I plan on having these escort cards correspond to a table number, so that all the pink escort cards above will belong to table #5, and the big 5 on that table with be covered in the same matching paper (hence my table number DIY project).

All together this was a very easy, doable project! Super excited to (almost) cross another DIY off the list!!


Did you fall in love with something only to find out it wasn't available any longer? If so did you attempt a DIY version?

The Poochasaur

Mr Elk and I have been arguing a lot about one particular subject with regards to the wedding:

personal photos

our dog, Harrison.

In my corner: I want him at the wedding walking down the aisle, standing right next to us. He is our baby, and I can't imagine our wedding without him being a part of it. Plus, how adorable would a shot like this be?

Photo by Davina Plus Daniel via: Style Me Pretty

In the other corner is Mr Elk, and Mama Elk. Both agree that while it's a cute thought, it is a terrible idea. You see, our pooch, while sweet as can be, is not the brightest. He is also extremely nervous, and at any new noise or object in his path he will cower and retreat. I can therefore see where Mr Elk and Mama Elk are coming from in thinking that him walking down an aisle will lead to disaster. Moreover, we have no place to leave him during the reception.

Since I have been outvoted on this issue more times than I can count (though I keep trying!), I have started to think of other ways of including the pooch in our wedding.

Option #1: I saw a wedding that had a cute doggy topiary, and thought hmmm....that could work!? It is pretty stinking adorable, and I could put a sign around it's neck that says welcome or something. This option costs about 120 dollars, and Mr Elk isn't so into it.

Via Hidden Nest Studio

Option #2: When I saw this Quaker inspired marriage license, I swooned over the tiny little pooch hiding in the bottom right corner! This would definitely lend itself to a subtle nod towards our canine child, and my brother could easily include a rendition of our dog in his custom marriage certificate.

via: Etsy Ampers and Ink

Option #3: Doggy Cake Topper. Honestly, I'm not particularly into the whole cake topper thing, so I don't think this one is going to happen.

I am conflicted. I think adding a mini pooch to the marriage certificate is easy, but a little too subtle for me. I want him to have more of a presence at the wedding. I still like the topiary, but wonder if people will think it is really strange, plus $120 is nothing to sneeze at for a freaking moss dog!

So, what do you think is the best way to include our furbaby at the wedding? Do you have any other ideas for me?

Dress Shopping- The Rejects Round 4

Before I get to the goods and show you my beautiful dress, there are still a few rejects to review! Note these are all personal photos.

These first two are Mikaela, which is a pretty awesome brand at a great price point. I liked the shape of this first one, and it was super comfy. The bottom looks strange on me though- almost unfinished.

I loved this one! So simple but a very unique back. I didn't feel like me in it, though.

And this last one is Alfred Angelo. I think this is an extremely flattering dress, it is super comfortable and light, and for under 600 dollars you can't do much better! A little too plain for me, though
And now you have seen all of my rejects- well all the ones that were actually photographed.

Did you have a reject pile a mile high after dress shopping?

Pretty Pretty Please Let There Be Trees!

A few years ago I stumbled upon a wedding featured on Style Me Pretty that made me gasp out loud. Although this was well over a year before my engagement, the wedding has always stuck with me as one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was beyond simple, and some of the photos of the bride and groom were taking in front of a gorgeous old weeping willow:

via Style Me Pretty/photo by Watson Studios

Soon after, pictures of crystal chandeliers dangling from the larger branches of trees started surfacing all over the interwebs, and once again I couldn't help but swoon! I love the idea of the simplicity of nature starkly contrasted with the formality of a chandelier. I think it helps bring a unique formal feel to an outdoor space without making it feel too overdone or showy, and I think it makes a gorgeous backdrop for an outdoor ceremony

via Style Me Pretty/photo by Raya Carlisle Photography


via Chez Wed/Photo by Sledd Photography

Unfortunately, while my venue met every other criteria I had set forth, there is not a single tree in the vicinity surrounding the ceremony site. BOO! I guess I need to come with another way to bring a bit of a formal feel to my outdoor space...but I think I may have just the solution! Just a couple kinks to work out before I unveil my plan for the ceremony space.

Were you a wedding stalker well before you got engaged? And what do you think of the tree/chandelier look?

Gocco meets tears

I broke down and bought a gocco printer. I don't know what made me decide I could spend 200 dollars on some printer thingy, especially considering I am not planning on using it to make my invitations (which would have saved me money). Instead I wasted a lot of money, and now I feel I must use this crazy contraption on a bagillion other DIY projects to make up for my splurge.

So today, I present my first ever Gocco'd project; Tears Of Joy packets! I bought glassine envelopes off of ebay, printed a design I quickly put together in powerpoint, and voila! I was a gocco printing machine. (Personal Photos)

I know these have become fairly popular in the wedding blogosphere, but I've actually never seen them gocco'd before, and I'm pleased to say they look nice and were SUPER easy to make. I am a little scared by how smooth things went. I almost feel like it was the calm before a really bad gocco storm.

Did you splurge on a super unnecessary item and then buy more things to rationalize the original splurge?

Dress Shopping- The Rejects Round 3

When I started dress shopping, there was one brand that stood out above all the others; Watters. I was beyond convinced that my dress was going to end up being one of their creations, which are filled with lace, three dimensional floral details, and all things pretty. Unfortunately, of the 8 salons I had managed to shop in, only 2 carried the brand. And of those 2 salons, they each only had 1 Watters sample. BAHHH I was not a happy camper. I decided I had to go to a store that carried most of the line, and so I traveled an hour and a half away to another city in search of my beautiful watters dresses. Before I tried them on, these were some of the clear contenders:

(Note: all dresses courtesy of Watters)

Dallas: Loved the V neckline, loved the lace and floral detailing!
Mojave: you can't see it very well, but the fabric of this dress has a rose design on it and it is BEAUTIFUL!
Austin: So light, floaty and ethereal looking!
Sonara: my favorite by far going into dress shopping! The shape is to die for, and the floral detailing is just enough to give it some texture.

As you can tell by the title of this post, things did not turn out as expected (all personal pictures ahead)

The first Watters gown I tried on was Lasara. I think it's gorgeous, but I didn't feel like a bride. I also thought it hit my hips at a weird spot. My mom totally wanted me to get this dress, though.

Desdemona- Again, I thought this dress hit my hips at a really weird place. I also felt like a little girl and not very bridey.
Austin- I REALLY wanted to love this dress. I stood in it for a long time, looking at myself over and over again. In the end I realized I wasn't feeling sexy at all, and the skirt is quite a lot of fabric to carry around. When I ruled this dress out, I made the decision that my dress would definitely be fitted.
And what of my most beloved Sonara? Well I did get to try her on, and I HATED her on me. I had lusted over this dress for months, and was more than disappointed when she was actually on my body. I didn't take a picture because it was just so bad, and I couldn't get out of the dress fast enough!

Were you wrong with your initial dress picks or did you get it right from the start?

Dress Shopping- The Ultimate High

I….am….an….addict. Yes, I admit it, I am addicted to wedding dress shopping. For almost a full month after getting engaged I did not allow myself to walk into a bridal salon. I knew that mama Elk would be hurt if I began the search without her, and since we were 5 hours apart and I was on my surgery rotation, there was no way we could get together until I was on break from school. When I did finally allow myself to begin the dress search process, I became crazed. I would walk into a bridal salon and in a frenzy rummage the racks. I would pull 3 dresses at a time dragging them in my wake. I did not listen to the advice of consultants. I was manic. I pulled dress after dress onto my body, sausaged into my spanx.

I went to 9 different salons in 3 different cities, some on multiple occasions. I tried on well over 50 dresses, all within a 3 month period. While I never went to a blowout sale, or Kleinfelds for that matter, I feel that Monica sure represents who I was while dress shopping (read-crazy)

PS- don't you just love their version of Kleinfelds? I especially love how few brides are waiting and how unimpressive their version of the store looks!

So, back to my original point- going back through all these pictures of me in dresses is giving me a bit of a complex; I want to go shopping again! Please hive- don’t let me! I MUST NOT GO WEDDING DRESS SHOPPING AGAIN! I have my dress, I love my dress, and soon you will see it and love it too. That is my mantra, and I will repeat it as necessary.

Did you get carried away while dress shopping?

Our Jecular Wedding: Because who wouldn't want something pretty to hang on the wall?

Another Jewish wedding tradition is the Ketubah. For those of you who do not know, a Ketubah is the Jewish marriage license signed prior to the ceremony. It is usually gorgeous, a la these fab creations:

source: etsy ketubahkraftsource: Etsy jennifer raichman

To me, a Ketbuah has always been a beautiful reminder of a wedding day- something you can hang on a wall and look at every day. Now, a Ketbuah is extremely religious. Most are in Hebrew and talk of God and faith. I realized that while I loved the idea of a Ketubah, I wanted something similar but sans religion, so I began searching for alternatives and found the Quaker Marriage Certificate, like this one:

source: Etsy Graceful Studio

These provide guests a place to sign their names (not pictured above), as witnesses to our vows and ceremony, which I absolutely love. They are like certificates and guest books all in one! I started searching for Quaker-inspired certificates and found these awesome examples:

via Designs With Chon

Via Merriment Events/ Designed by Orleans paper on Etsy

source: Etsy Ampers and Ink

I absolutely love this idea, and lucky for me my brother is a former graphic designer turned elementary school art teacher, and his girlfriend is super artistic and crafty herself! She sells awesome, unique jewelry at her etsy store florapamo, like this necklace made of tags from the metropolitan museum of art:

via Etsy Florapamo

and these earrings made of shredded magazines:

Via Etsy Florapamo

So I feel pretty lucky that they both agreed to make us our very own Quaker inspired marriage certificate! I think it is a pretty awesome wedding gift, one that will definitely be treasured for a lifetime, and I can't wait to see what they come up with!

Do you have talented family members who offered their talents as a wedding gift?