Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue…

 

Image source: http://www.plumetismagazine.net

Past brides, what was your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue? Brides to be, have you started brainstorming and collecting for your own wedding? This is an English rhyme dated to 1898 and the idea is that a bride would wear this for good luck. Though this is an Old English tradition, it’s something that Americans have adopted and have managed to incorporate into their weddings. As I have learned more about this, I love the novelty of it!

Here’s what each item symbolizes:

Something Old- Continuity with the bride’s family and the past

Something New- Optimism and hope for the bride’s new life ahead

Something Borrowed- The idea of something borrowed (typically from a dear friend or family) is a reminder that the bride can depend on her family and friends in her new chapter.

Something Blue –Blue has been connected to weddings for centuries and it symbolizes love, purity, and fidelity

The sixpence in her shoe…well, for obvious reasons, Americans have dropped this piece.

Now that we know the meaning behind the poem, it’s time to start collecting and brainstorming! I’ve been thinking about this for some time now and wanted to share with you some creative, heartfelt ideas that will make your wedding that much more personable, memorable and well…you know…something to talk about for the rest of your life!

1. I love how “something old” allows us to connect the past to our present. Here are some of my favorite ideas of something old:
   • Wrapping a vintage piece around your bouquet (this can be a lace doilie or a handkerchief)
   • Incorporating an old family recipe card as your wedding favor
   • Wearing your mom’s jewelry
   • Having your groom wear his father’s cuff links or watch
2. Understandably, bride’s dress is the “something new” and this tradition is the easiest part to incorporate. But for those brides who may be borrowing their gowns or wearing their mom’s, here are some ideas:
   • A new piece of jewelry
   • A new veil
   • A fashion accessory like a broach
3. Typically, the “something borrowed” is a veil or a piece of jewelry, or unless you’re the Duchess Kate Middleton, you can borrow the Queen’s tiara (I just checked…and gentle reminder, you’re not her)…but here are some ideas of what you can borrow…and remember, those close to you want to lend you something for your special day:
   • I absolutely love the idea of borrowing something from another culture and tastefully making it a part of your wedding…I so love this idea! Who says that Chinese food is only for Chinese people? But this goes the same for the concept of your gown and many other components. It’s your wedding, borrow away.
   • Borrowing somebody’s car as you leave your reception
4. The most expected “something blue” is the garter, but there are many other creative ways to tie this in:
   • Blue heels -I especially love this satin number from Manolo Blahnik
   • Lingerie–I especially love pieces by Jonquil –keeps things fun and exciting!!!
   • There are many gorgeous blue gemstones (think aquamarine earrings or a topaz bracelet)

Most of all, don’t (or DO) overthink it and have fun! I’d love to hear about what your selected items were and why and for us future brides, lets start collecting!

Happy Wedding Planning Wednesday!

 

Signature Cocktails? I do!

Oh, Signature Cocktails…I love them. Do you like the idea of them? It’s a love potion concoction that is representative of the couple, what’s not to love? A signature cocktail leaves your guests with the memory (or not, depending on how much they’ve had); and your guests will talk about it for some time. It’s also something the newly wed can recreate down the road if they want to take a trip down memory lane. They’re great way to showcase personalities of the couple. For example, Tony is a scotch and whisky kind of a guy while I like whisky, I can appreciate some good tequila and gin paired with citrus.

Your signature cocktail does not necessarily have to be a combination of the couple’s favorite ingredients though…I mean, that can lead to a major hangover in some cases. Right?! It can be something significant to the couple. My friends, Katie and Jason, had this amazing drink they served at their shower and the recipe was inspired by a drink served at their hotel while they were on vacation in Hawai’i. It can also be the first drink the couple had while on their first date. I also love the idea of asking a mixologist friend to write up a recipe in honor of the newlywed.

A signature cocktail is a great way to personalize a wedding or a shower and it’s also a means to keep costs down since it simplifies cocktail options. It’s Wedding Planning Wednesday and I’d like to hear about your take on signature cocktails. Did you have a signature cocktail at your wedding? Do you plan on having one at yours? If so, do you know what it’s going to be? Here are some wonderful cocktail recipe ideas shared by my friends at Wedbites.

Wedbites

Who doesn’t love a spring wedding? Everyone will be looking forward to the great weather and beautiful blooms on your special day, but there’s no reason to stop there!  There are so many ways to tie a spring theme to your wedding beyond just your bouquet.  I compiled a few of my favorite floral inspired drink recipes for you to try. Looks like this spring will be a gin-lovers dream!

Lemon and Lavender Collins
2oz gin
1oz lavender simple syrup
1oz lemon juice
Seltzer Water
Sprig of lavender or lemon wheel for garnish

Lavender Simple Syrup Recipe
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1 Tbsp Lavender Extract

Part 1 – Making the Lavender Simple Syrup
– In a saucepan over medium-high heat, add the water and sugar
– Stir to combine, then bring to a boil
– When all of the sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat and…

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Wedding Bar Ideas

One of my favorite things at a wedding or a shower is the bar station or stations. It’s the perfect place where you can get up and go to and meet other guests. It gets people up and moving and they’re just always a lot of fun! You know…that saying, “Eat, Drink and Be Merry!” It’s also a great way to show the personal sides to the bride and groom. For example, if he loves cigars and scotch, a cigar bar may work well. Dessert bars are fun, dramatic and kids just love them! Me, I am much more of a savory person, and hands down…will likely have a Nacho Bar with all types of toppings (guac, every kind of salsa and queso!!!!)! It’s also a great way for guests to drink and/ or  sober up. You can have more than one bar station and it’s a ton of fun!

It’s Wedding Planning Wednesday and I’d love to hear about what are some of your favorite bars as a guest? What did you have or will you plan to have at your wedding? There are so many different ideas out there, I’d love to hear from you!

S’mores for the outdoors?

Cronut Bar

Scotch and Whiskey Bar

Cigar Bar fun!

Who wouldn’t love a Churro Bar?

Popcorn bar for the couple who loves movies!

I love how this bar steals the show

Nacho typical bar

Beyond the Mason Jar

Image Source: Wedding Bee

I am guilty. I have shelves and boxes of the ever versatile/ multi-functional/ repurposed/rustic/ dainty/ simple/ inexpensive mason jar. You name the type, I probably have it.

My name is Sammy and I’m a Mason Jar addict. Seriously, I am.

It seems that they can be found anywhere. At weddings, showers, parties, restaurants, restrooms…they’re in virtually every workspace…and you know what?! As much as I can appreciate them, I can’t contain myself anymore, and I am going to say it. I am over them. They’re overplayed. They’ve had more than their 2 minutes and there are many other creative and stunning ways to contain your flowers and add flare to your centerpieces or wedding décor. It’s Wedding Planning Wednesday, and we’re thinking beyond the mason jar and talking about containers or vases that can be used for your wedding centerpieces or décor.

I especially like vases that are one of a kind, but I can also appreciate something that can be repurposed for use after the wedding. –Something that the bride and groom or their guests can take home and reuse! What did you use at your wedding? Did you have vases? Or if you’re in planning mode, what speaks to you? I’ve always been a fan of old, antique tea tin cans and there is also something very magical about bird cages. Lanterns can also be very rustic and modern, and sometimes, a clean square or circular vase does the trick as they’re simple and the lines are clean! I love things that allow you to layer and give your centerpiece more depth…think lots of little things (vases, frames, trinkets) that make up once centerpiece. Below are my top picks for wedding vases or centerpiece containers. They’d also work for other events like parties or back yard gatherings.

Image Source: http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/

Image Source: BHLDN http://www.bhldn.com

Image Source: http://www.weddingchicks.com/

Image Source: One Fab Day http://www.onefabday.com

Image Source: Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com

Image Source: zankyou.us

Image Source: Refinery 29

Image Source: AFloral.com

Image Source: http://www.canadiangardening.com/

Image Source: Wedding Bee http://www.weddingbee.com

12 Month Wedding Planning Timeline

It’s Wedding Planning Wednesday and I absolutely love how Chef Doug Brown’s Wedbites organizes and simplifies an overwhelming party wedding planning timeline. This timeline is a frazzled bride-to-be’s dream come true. With his permission, I wanted to share this with you in today’s post. Happy Planning!

Do you have any planning advice? Is there any planning you wish you would have done? Let’s hear it!

 

Wedbites

When you first get engaged, it seems to be proper for you to immediately start planning the wedding.  But in my opinion, you’re missing out on an amazing part of your life together if you do that.  Why not enjoy your engagement a little bit before you go bonkers and start stressing out?  Why not celebrate the fact that you’re going to spend the rest of your lives together, instead of spending all of your time worrying about one day?  Not to say that your wedding day isn’t a big day, it’s a huge day!  But don’t let it get to you.

I’ve looked at a lot of timelines people suggest for when you get engaged, for when to start looking for a venue, when to order your cake, your invitations, etc.  But they all seem to have items on their to-do lists that I just don’t think are necessary…

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Are we destined for a Destination Wedding?

Destined for a Destination Wedding?

The idea of a destination wedding never really crossed my mind. As a matter of fact, I used to think it’s more of an elopement while on a vacation with a handful your loved ones. Until, well…Instagram planted a seed in my head. As my nephew, Chris says, “Blame everything on Instagram or Pinterest!” It’s Wedding Planning Wednesday, and it’s time to talk about location, location, location!

Well, this seed is sprouting and the ideas are brewing. Can we be destined for a destination wedding? My friend Deborah shared that she had a very intimate wedding at one of her favorite wineries; and my very wise friend, Judy, urges to save the money and travel somewhere! The options are endless! What’s #trending right now are open spaces (barns, industrial buildings, historic buildings, camp sites, back yards); and I love this idea! Not only does this give me the flexibility to curate my vendors and personalize as much as I’d like, I quickly realize that this platform will not mesh well with my hands-on and must-do-it myself attitude. In other words, lots of self-imposed stress!

Recently, Tony and I have been thinking about where we’d get married? Our backyard? Somewhere in Los Angeles that speaks to our hearts? Our immediate families are all here in Los Angeles and while most of my extended family is here, most of Tony’s is in Mexico. Most of our friends are in California, but we have friends scattered across America. A destination wedding would make sense. It would be a great opportunity for us to share quality time with our loved ones and share a new experience at destination spot. The options are endless and I’ve been to many beautiful weddings at various locations. Only where do we want ours to be? A beach side wedding? A vineyard somewhere?

We started to think of the logistics, flights, hotels, the idea of working with foreign vendors, and the idea of asking our guests to take time off work for our big day. There are lots of things to consider. Sweet Jesus…what if I forgot my dress at home? Would I be able to let go? Would this really simplify my need to be involved with every detail? Might it be easier and less stressful to keep things closer to home in Los Angeles?

Last night, we started to create a list of pros and cons. I’d love your help — what’s your advice?

Dress Stress – What’s my style?

Before I even got engaged, I’d wonder what kind of a bride I would be. Actually, I remember daydreaming about this as young as the age of ten when I was at a relative’s wedding. Elegant, classic, chic, traditional, simple, dramatic, there are so many different styles to choose from, and at any given mood, I can be any of these…it just depends on what day it is! But there is just one big day. Decisions, decisions.

Past brides, what did it for you? With endless styles and options out there, what made you say “yes” to your dress? What did you go with and why? What was your wedding style? How did you finally decide? In the end, my advice to future brides and myself is to be true to my personal style (and curves for that matter). I’d love to hear from you and get our advice. How did you go from Dress Stress to saying, “Yes!” ?

Here are some of my favorite styles that speak to me:

Elegant – Source: Raffine Bridal

Classic – Source: Wedding Inspirasi

Modern, Elegant & Chinese Traditional – Source: Rusly TjohnardiAtelier

Glamorous & Dramatic – Source: Mod Wedding

Sophisticated – Source: Belle The Magazine

Modern – Source: Wedding Bee

Bridesmaids equal Drama?

It’s Wedding Planning Wednesday and it’s time to discuss…Bridesmaids! The Bride and her Bridesmaids…They celebrate over mimosas, brunch and have a ball as they toast to their new roles. It’s short-lived. By the time the wedding is here, some relationships are severed, sometimes never reconciled. Oh, how funny we are. How does this happen?

The words “bridesmaid” and “drama” seem to go hand in hand. I used to think otherwise, until I started noticing that this was the rule rather than the exception. Hollywood has even poked fun at it. I think we can all relate to both Lillian and Annie in this Bridesmaids scene:

Wise Brides and past Bridesmaids, what has your hindsight wisdom taught you? I am not going to lie. The fantasy of having my dearest entourage all adorned in something dainty and gleaming alongside with me on my special day is something I dream about. It’s quickly taken over by my experience. I don’t think any bride or bridesmaid ever says, “Hey, let’s plan this wedding and risk our friendship to some unexpected drama ahead!” No thanks. Am I silly for avoiding having a wedding party for the sake of preventing an unforeseen fallout? I am still thinking this through.

While my experience as a bridesmaid has always been a fun one, that’s not the case for many. In most cases, I can empathize with both the bride and the bridesmaids. Once, a friend of mine had enough of her micro-managing bride and understandably threatened, “If the white tips of my french tip manicure are too thick for your taste. I am NOT going to get them redone. If you don’t like them, I do not have to be your bridesmaid.” The bride “allowed” her to keep the nails and be in the wedding. They laugh about it today.

Unfortunately, the ending isn’t always as happy. When my dear friend was a bride, one of her bridesmaids grew recluse, avoidant, and weeks before the wedding, the focus became more about the bridesmaid. In some twisted way, this wedding became about her and her failed love life and her parent’s divorce. While her feelings were valid to her, it was all unfortunate. After the wedding the two (bride and bridesmaid) had a blow out. Over ten years later, they’re still not friends.

I’ve witnessed the unthinkable. Friendships ending because one was not asked to be a bridesmaid, bridesmaids going into debt due to “unexpected” expenses, furious brides who are upset at their bridesmaids who aren’t stepping up to the plate, bridesmaids feeling unappreciated. Ultimately, I think that what can help is understanding the expectations of both sides. Though, given the nature of weddings, we often don’t even know what we are expecting until it an expectation has not been met.

Have you experienced Bridesmaid drama? How did you handle it? What’s your takeaway? Future Brides to be what are your thoughts/ apprehensions on your wedding party? I’d love to hear from you.

 

How understanding the 5 Love Languages has helped me

Quality time is both of our primary love languages ~Los Angeles Dodger’s game

The 5 Love Languages has helped me better understand myself and my relationship with my loved ones. Have you ever found yourself giving love, for example doing something for your loved one, and they didn’t receive your love the way that you’d hope? Frustrating, right? The reason can simply be based on the fact that you gave in a way that does not speak to the recipient’s primary love language. When we speak different languages, it’s easier to disconnect. Yes, it’s Wedding Planning Wednesday and almost Valentine’s Day, but really, love is an everyday subject matter.

Love is so elusive, yet we tend to search for a universal way of experiencing love. For as long as I can remember, I’d wonder how do “normal” spouses and partners show love? My dad passed a few months after I was born, so while I grew up in a loving home, I didn’t grow up seeing two adults experiencing love. Wondering…I’d day dream.

Does the mom do all the cooking and serve dinner to show her love? Does the dad give love by gifting toys to his children? Does the mom receive love through his affectionate kiss and touch? Do the kids receive love because their parents provide them with praise? The 5 Love Languages outlines five ways to express and experience love: gifts, quality time, words of affirmation, acts of service (devotion), and physical touch (intimacy). Chapman explains that we have a primary and secondary love language, and we typically give love in the way that we prefer to receive it. It’s important to observe the way we express love to others, analyze what they complain about, and what they request from the loved ones the most.

Simple, quality time is the best! Halloween with my favorite Piñata

Fortunately, both Tony and I share the same primary love language, quality time. While sharing a common love language makes it easier for us,  we quickly realized that we both value doing different things with our time. It was important for us to list out the common things that we can experience together. On the same note, because Tony’s secondary language is words of affirmation, this also happens to be the last item on my list and is the least important. Thus, it’s especially important that I work on giving or speaking to that part of him. Understanding this has allowed the both of us to be better for each other.

Having this understanding also helps in other relationships. Though my mom does not verbalize, “I love you,” it doesn’t mean she loves me any less. Her language is acts of service, which is why when she says, “Sammy, EAT!!!” Though I am stuffed, I still accompany her in her meal and accept her love.

I’m interested in knowing how you give and receive love. You can take the quiz here. I hope that you’re also able to take away from this as much as I have.

 

 

Fearless?!?

What did I just do? I think I just decided to take on fear.

I went into the gym just to try to understand their pricing structure and ended up spending some $$$ and committed to an 8 week “Lose 2 Win” program (a program for those determined to lose 10-20 lbs, ahem ME!). Also, I wasn’t sold on it…it was me who did all the probing and sold it to myself! No joke.

Today, I am giving up Fear.

Oh man. Did I get my workout game on today? Well, sort of. After my sales consultation, I headed to Trader Joe’s (right next to my new gym) and bought chips, salmon dip, bacon and cheddar dip, kale & spinach dip and a nice bottle of wine. I called one of my best friends, got his assurance. Came home, inhaled just about everything! Wait…but I was so impressed and convinced that I had to call my sister. She’s in. She’s joining in on the fun and is going to be a member at my new gym too! Now, that’s love.

How and why I got here? I don’t know. Actually, I do. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. It’s wedding time and time to push myself. It’s been many moons since I joined a gym and it’s scary. The machines, the people, the embarrassment, and just the fear of just letting myself down, it’s all there and it’s so real. BUT! There was just something so accepting and hopeful that I felt today. The people, the vibe, or as Deepak says, the ENERGY! This gym feels like it was made for me and everything just feels so right about it.

It’s Think Out Loud Thursday and I think it’s time to share that I am tired of thinking of getting fit, it’s time to get vulnerable and be fearless. And once I am done with this bacon dip, you’ll see what I mean. Seriously…you will! The words “fit” and “fat” start and end the same but the difference is in “I”. I swear, I just made that up…but it’s so true. My struggle is real, but I am determined.

BTW: I can’t believe I just put myself out there tonight.