Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Top this!



This is our cake topper!  YAY!  I love it.  I ordered it from a seller on Etsy named oilpainta.  She custom made the topper to incorporate our wedding colors, interests, and even replicating our wedding attire.  The domed building is the Duomo in Florence, Italy.  Sam and I first shared a glass of wine and began to get to know each other.  The mountains are the Alps.  We met on a hike in Austria during our post-graduation Europe Trip Extravaganza.   I'm so very excited about the topper and I hope some of my friends use oilpanta when they get married!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Sam's Band

I've been a really bad blogger! We have been really busy with wedding, work, and traveling. We just got back from a wonderful weekend with our family and friends in Knoxville. I wish we could have spent more time with everyone!  



We did a little important wedding shopping today.  Sam's wedding band!  Yay!!  Very exciting!  Isn't it pretty?  I think he picked a great ring for himself!  What do you think?


Friday, June 20, 2008

macys.com

Dear Readers,

I want to preface this post: I am not a very critical person.  I am understanding and I tend to let a lot of things, that initially upset me, slide before I deal with the person or thing causing the problem.  However, this needs to be said.   I will NEVER order from Macys.com again!

Let's back track.  We order the first batch of GM ties from Ralph Lauren and I found the exact same tie in a beautiful shade of blue online at Macys.  I was so excited!  (This was before our orange/pink ties actually arrived)  So, I ordered two of the St. James Spots tie in blue for my dad and my FFIL.  We anxiously awaited both shipments arrival.  

One night while I was in class I received a text from my FI saying "Macy's ties are here!".  Then as I'm driving home another text, "Don't be mad...they are the wrong ties."  I thought to myself "Well crude, I'll have to exchange them for the correct ties.  That's not too big of a deal."  When I walked in the house my FI was speaking to customer service about the issue.  He wanted to confirm we would receive our initial discount again.  

I should also state here that I had to call when making the first purchase because this discount did not work.  I do not five dollars to a wildlife preservation organization through Macy's and was supposed to automatically receive 20% off my purchase.  Didn't work...there was no code to enter, so I had to call then as well.  

The customer service representative had to speak to me since the purchase was in my name.  She assured me that I would receive the discount again and apologized for the mix-up.  Mistakes happen, I understand.  I have in fact worked in retail for a long, long time so I tend to be very understanding about these sorts of things. 

Well the story isn't over.  After sending the wrong ties back and waiting and waiting.  I checked my credit card statement online and noticed I was being charged again by Macy's for an amount that did not equal the cost of the ties.  Also, my first purchase had not be refunded.  So, I called again and expressed my concerns.  The customer service rep. was very apologetic again.  Told me she would check with the warehouse as to why I was being charged and refunded my credit card for that strange amount.  

Then the ties finally arrived again.  Guess what...wrong again!  Not only were they wrong, but they were the exact same incorrect ties as before.  Also, my invoice indicated that I order four ties in pink, not blue.  It was all messed up.  So, I returned the order and received a full refund.  However, several weeks later a third charge was placed on my credit card by Macy's for a different amount again.  After I phone call, I was refunded this money as well.  I politely asked them to lose my credit card number and that I would not shop with them again.  

I have never had problems shopping online or returning items!  I can't believe how unorganized Macy's was.  Though the customer service reps. were always polite, I don't think one should have to call at least four times over an order for two mens neckties.  

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Strike 1, Strike 2...

Nothing has been as difficult to locate as ties for our GM, dads, and usher!  Here's the picture that inspire much of our color scene for the wedding: 


Image from The Knot

Grey suits: Check
Mini Flame Calla Lilies: Check
Burnt Orange Ties:  ummm....no luck!

We have been searching for ties since December and have had zero luck.  The first place I ordered ties from was Ralph Lauren.  They were slightly out of our budget for ties, but I thought they would be great gifts for our guys. 


Image from Ralph Lauren

I was very excited to receive these!  They showed up on your doorstep while three of our groomsmen were here celebrating the end of the school year with my FI.  I rushed to open the box and pull one out.  Then I heard, "Are those pink?!"  "No, they are orange...I think..."  Not the reaction I was looking for, but I absolutely agreed.  They weren't burnt orange like this picture would led you to believe, they were bright orange and looked rather pink.  They were returned after we took them to several suit stores and they looked terrible!  Also, we ordered this tie in blue for our dads but it never arrived (more on this later). 

The next place we found possible contenders was Jos. A. Bank.  The day we went suit shopping we found these ties.  


Please ignore the glare...sorry!

We thought these were perfect.  They were much more reasonably priced.  The orange tie has two shades of blue in it that are very similar to the BM dresses.  Also, the blue tie (for our dads and usher) has small orange dots in it!  Perfect, right?! 


Well our friend who works at Jos. A. Bank cannot locate enough of either of them for us.  So, it's back to the drawing board and I'm feeling very discouraged!   Here are some possible contenders:



Images from Brooks Brothers


What do you think of these ties?  Are stripes too business casual for a wedding?  HELP!

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day!

In honor of today, I have been thinking about the important role our dads play on our wedding day.  The first time our guests see us, whose arm are we on?  Not our future husbands, our fathers.

Images from bobbi + mike

What about one of the tenderest, most emotional moments: the Father Daughter dance!



Images from bobbi + mike

Happy Father's Day DAD...I can't wait to share these moments with you!

Friday, June 13, 2008

A Hidden Treasure

One of my favorite things is when two people you love become engaged!  I don't think anyone would disagree.  Hearing this news is one of the most exciting conversations you have with your friends and family.  According to my FI, I perhaps become too excited when I hear "I'm engaged". Case in point: on the season finale of the The Office before Jim narrowly missed the opportunity to propose to Pam (dang it Andy!) my heart rate was through the roof with nervous excitement.  Umm...they aren't really people!?!  

So, you can imagine my excitement when people I just adore (in real life) get engaged! 

Meet Mimi and Blake:



Ok, don't lie...they are two of the cutest people you've ever seen right?!  Well I certainly think so!  Blake is in school with my FI and Mimi will be an elementary school teacher very soon.  Not only do we feel like we have a ton in common but I don't think we could get along any better.  I love them both so much.  

Imagine my excitement when last month, Blake got down on one knee and asked Mimi to marry him!   YAY!  They waited to tell us in person, at a restaurant where I'm pretty sure I screamed very loudly and jumped up and down.  Since the engagement, they have set a date and begun planning. 

Of course, it's not smooth sailing though.  With busy schedules and year around optometry school they were really confined to one weekend in May 2009 to get married.  
Church: Check
Minister: Check
Reception Venue: Come to find out it, also happens to be a weekend during which Knoxville will be invaded by some conference of some sort.  So, I searched and searched for ideas trying to help Mims find a place.  One after another were booked or not large enough to hold more than 150 guests.  What's a girl to do?  

Persevere, that's what she does!  My advice to other brides is to do what Mimi did:  Ask local vendors in the wedding business for help and suggestions.  Mimi asked a local photographer for suggestions and look what she found: 

Hunter Valley Farm




Look at the view!

They told Mimi that in the fall they will be enclosing the space with glass where all the opening areas are and installing air conditioning and heat to make it a year around venue.  Also, they will be putting in a dock where tables can be set up and beautiful photographs will be taken!  Awesome find Mims!  I can't wait till May 2009. 

Hunter Valley Farm
9111 Hunter Valley Lane
Knoxville, Tennessee 37922
(865) 691-8225

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Should I? Should I not?

A couple months ago I discovered Weddingbee! An amazing resource for brides-to-be planning their weddings.  Oh the ideas it's given me!  Foremost, the things I could do with a Gocco.  


Image from Wikipedia

You may think to yourself "What the heck is a Gocco?".  Well it's the single most wonderful invention I have discovered since becoming engaged.  The Gocco is a self-contained, high quality colored printer.  It's the pinnacle of DIY tools for brides interested in printing their own wedding stationary and so on.  AND I really want one!!  

I was concerned about learning how to use the machine, but I found this amazing How-To video on Etsy (another new obsession, more on that later).  It doesn't seem too hard and with some extensive practice, I think I could create some wonderful pieces. 

So....should I buy one?  We are having our official invitations letterpressed, but I think I could do so many things: bridesmaids mani/pedi outing and luncheon invitations, groom's golf outing, thank you cards, address announcements, invitations for events for my engaged friends...so many others!

What should I do?!