Last Saturday I picked out and purchased my wedding dress at Brides Against Breast Cancer. Brides Against Breast Cancer is a non-profit organization that sells discounted wedding dresses to benefit the Making Memories Breast Cancer Foundation. I was able to not only find my wedding dress there, but I found a veil and tiara to match. I found out about the event in an article in The Washington Times which went on to explain “Brides Against Breast Cancer gowns typically sell for $400 to $800, a fraction of the retail price. Some gowns are worth as much as $8,000 … Many brides are looking for a deal, as well as a way to help someone. “ Finding my wedding dress is truly the icing on my wedding cake. Oh yeah cake … I still have a lot more planning to do!
This is just half of the dresses they brought to the event at The Westin Hotel in Arlington, VA.
This is my Mom getting my dress, veil and tiara! The man in the back is putting my dress in the protective cover! NO peeking!
I got my wedding dress and we helped Brides Against Breast Cancer! ( From Left to Right: Me, my Mom and Dad)
After much searching and scrutinizing of portfolios, Kristina and I have chosen JPG Photography to photograph our wedding. Since photography is a hobby of mine it was a natural fit for me to take the lead in the hunt for the perfect photographer. Browsing online portfolios can be hit or miss but JPG Photography’s portfolio stood out from the crowd. Their photos are well composed and interesting. The amount of polish and colors that pop really resonated with my own photography values.
Speaking with Joe, the owner of JPG, on the phone sealed the deal as he was very easy to talk with. His fly-on-the-wall documentary style and vision aligned with our idea for the perfect photographer. Apparently we aren’t the only ones who see the excellence that Joe can bring to an event.
Below are some of our favorite shots from JPG’s Blog:
P.S. We tried to get this guy but his schedule was a bit tight.
Ever since our engagement, or for about a year now, I have been on the internet searching and seeking wedding related ideas for our big day. During this process I have come across some very interesting finds that I felt were share-worthy.
A Brief Guide About Bridesmaids
For example, “A Brief Guide About Bridesmaids”is a super-cute animated video created by the Vancouver Film School. The video does a wonderful job at describing the duties and experiences of a typical bridesmaids and also describing the origins of bridesmaids in different cultures. “A Brief Guide About Bridesmaids” video is sponsored by The Dessy Group, an online store for bridesmaid clothing and bridal dresses.
Being Erica
The second video I have to share is from a bridesmaids point of view and how she feels about the planning and dress shopping process. The women in it is from the Canadian show Being Erica, and as a way to advertise the show they created a prequel where she video blogs. Most of her entries are hilarious but this one in particular is funny because I hope my bridesmaids never feel like this.
Even though it is a Canadian Show, Russell was able to download episodes for me. Or you can catch the show on SoapNet in the United States.
I hope you enjoyed these fun online videos about bridesmaids!
Next week will be the beginning of May, that means we will be a year away from our wedding date! I am so excited to get the ball rolling on vendors getting booked and plans figured out. With Russell and I being engaged a year now and us having our wedding date and venue secured since January we have had a lot of time pass by in regards to planning I hope within the next couple of months to have the major vendors researched, contacted and booked. With all this planning ahead of me a bride will absolutely need her bridesmaids by her side.
My bridesmaids have known before I got engaged that they would be in my wedding, duh! they are my best friends and I hang out with them all the time. These wonderful & beautiful girls have become my closest friends ever since being my roommates in college.
Even though they know they are in the wedding, I have waited until now to “ask” them to be my bridesmaids. If you are getting married and have read any wedding magazines or browsed theknot.com, brides are now formally asking their friends “will you be my bridesmaid?” and giving little gifts to commemorate the occasion. I think this is a great idea! There is a lot of commitment on the bridesmaid part: from planning and going to pre-wedding functions, paying for a dress, as well as being a big supporter to the bride. I also love the idea of presenting them with a token of appreciation before all the madness takes over as it gets closer to my wedding day.
I have been waiting until May to have a get-together type luncheon with all of the girls so I can formally kick off the process. I tried to think of a cute restaurant to have this Bridesmaid Luncheon and I came up with Mrs. K’s Tollhouse Resturant in Silver Spring, MD. I am hoping the weather is good because they have a beautiful garden in back to take pictures. Then after the luncheon we are all going to go over to the Strathmore Music Center to show them the venue. All of the girls have not seen Strathmore and showing them where the ceremony will take place, cocktail hour and the reception area is vital in order for them to picture the day. This will also help when I will need to plan and pick decor and get their opinion if it will go or look good in the venue.
The Luncheon is planned for Saturday May 2nd, 2009! I am super excited that all of them can make it. If you know me I love to craft and do hands on projects so this was a great excuse to make my own invitations (pictured below). I found these “Petal” cards in the clearance section of Paper Source in Georgetown. The cards were a plain pink inside so I added everything from the ribbon, pink and green paper, paper flowers and gems from past craft projects. I think they turned out amazing and Russell and I are thinking of incorporating a “Petal” packaging for our wedding invitations. This is how they turned out:
I am going to write another blog post discussing how the day went and to reveal some of my surprises! Shhh I can’t say now because I don’t want my bridesmaids to find out until our luncheon on May 2nd! Stay tuned.
I wanted to make it “blog official” and tell everyone that we have set a wedding date and found the perfect place. I went with my parents back in January to sign the contracts but forgot to update it on our blog. Back in January, we had our fair share of hard times in securing the place on the right date, but when we finally did it turned out to be great. We originally were thinking March, but now the wedding is in late May. The weather will be beautiful and the flowers will be blooming as well as the trees will be green for an outdoor ceremony. Also May 29th is Memorial Day weekend, which I think is a good thing. We will have a lot of people from out of town coming in and this way they can make the wedding weekend into a long weekend. We will just have to inform everyone early (by word of mouth, this blog, save-the-dates and invitations) so plans don’t collide.
Some of the “pros” of having our wedding at the Strathmore Music Center:
Metro accessible, from Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro Station
Free parking with a covered sky bridge to Center
Located right off of the Beltway
Great location close to Washington, D.C.
The place is gorgeous, modern yet classical appeal (View the pictures below)
Soaring 65 foot high glass wall and tall ceilings give an open and airy feeling for the reception
Terrace for the ceremony overlooks an 11-acre site of greenery
Inside and outside options for ceremony, just in case of rain I will have a beautiful “plan B”
Offers catering with on-site chefs and kitchens
Enough space for a separate cocktail hour
Striking built-in bars with granite counter tops
Bridal Party Suite/Dressing Room: large enough for the people who perform there
We think Strathmore Music Center is so beautiful inside and out. We know this place will provide gorgeous backdrops to our photos and decor. Below are some stunning photos of the Center which don’t give it half the credit of seeing it in person! With all the visits I have taken to the Strathmore Music Center I have not seen it laid out for a wedding yet with tables and a dance floor. We asked the Catering Director when the next wedding is taking place and if we could drop by for a couple of minutes before the wedding to check it out. He said yes and we going to visit it on May 23rd of this year! Which is perfect because it will be within the same time frame as our wedding next year. It will give us an idea of the weather, the timing of the sunset for pictures, when to start the wedding, and especially the look of the foliage around the Strathmore Music Center.
Strathmore Music Center
Sculpture Patio (For Cocktail Hour)
Covered Sky Bridge from Grosvenor-Strathmore Metro station
