the "i like pretty things" wedding theme

according to the wedding sources i've been reading, most weddings/brides have a certain style to them, and determining your own can set the tone of the whole shebang. from invites, decorations and dress - everything can be affected by the "type" of bride you are... 

i am quickly realizing, there is no way i can decide on one certain style. they each have their own appeal, and after many discussions with dave, i could easily see myself fitting into any of these:

the eco bride: attempting to minimize the impact on the earth with the big day, many decorations are all natural with a whimsical earthy green feel. a long time lover of mother nature, this style really appeals to me:

a few of my favourite eco options

sadly, flying to jamaica is the least environmental route i can think of. dave and i are already investigating ways of offsetting the carbon footprint being created by flying 40 of our closest friends and family to jamaica for the event. and i am sure both canada and jamaica have pretty strict restrictions on what seeds, fruits and plants we bring in and out of the country. introducing an exotic species and being responsible for pine trees and pussy willows rising up all over jamaica will not be my fault.   hopefully we can find other ways of greening up our ceremony as we get closer to the date.

the DIY bride: the crafty bride trying to save money but still producing amazing looks:

we can do all this, and bring it to jamaica - right?

though we do hope to bring a few DIY projects, we obviously cannot take too much stuff on the flight... i've already inquired about getting additinonal luggage space...

the vintage bride: i'm not sure if this is a real bride style, but for me, it is. classic, hip and fun. perhaps my mom is right... a lover of archie comics from the day i started reading, there is something about the 50s vibe that just appeals to me. i think this was made clear in our invitations...  i can't help it. i swoon over audrey's style, marilyn's body and anything involving milkshakes:

hmm, does our resort have a soda shop? where's a pop tate's when you need one!

and of course, i think it's clear, i am definitely the destination beach bride: leaving on a jet plane to say i do while enjoying sun, sand and surf:

getting more excited each day!

after all of this, i think it's obvious... i just like pretty things. and will likely be a crazy combo of the ECO/DIY/VINTAGE/DESTINATION BEACH bride all rolled into one. 

as long as i'm not this bride type, i'm happy:

the barefoot bride?

to shoe or not to shoe, that is the question...

unlike most girls, i am not a shoe addict. not high heels anyways. a seeker of comfort, i am often found in flats, sandals, runners and boots. don't get me wrong, i think heels look fantastic, i just can't be bothered to squish my toes, upset my posture, or worse... damage these amazing knees of mine even further. i will of course fancy it up to a heel for special occasions - usually for weddings. and to be honest, i think heels look fabulous on brides...

however, for my own wedding, high heels seem like the last thing i'd want to wear. never mind the safety hazard of heels on the beach (i can see it now - heel stuck in sand, bride tumbles down aisle, takes out groom and officiant, all have broken bones for the rest of the trip - yes, i am this accident prone), but... i kind of feel heels on the beach look a bit ridiculous too.

i want to feel free to walk, run, jump, dance, move, etc. not attempt to walk without falling...

and so, i'm trying to decide between the various options of flats, for which there are oh so many..

or of course, the au natural look..

not sure i can forgo shoes completely, i'll likely end up in a combo of sandals/flats and barefoot. and who knows. i may even have a set of heels packed after all...

let them NOT eat cake!

rest assured, this does not mean no dessert... 

wedding cake - according to wikipedia: the traditional cake served to the guests at a wedding reception after a wedding, typically white to symbolize purity.

though these cakes tend to beautiful, in my opinion - they also tend to be tasteless and full of sugar. dave is not a cake man (unless it's ice cream of course) and though i do enjoy cakes, i usually seek out a more flavourful hearty cake, such as carrot with layers and layers of cream cheese icing... unfortunately, ice cream cake and homemade carrot cake do not seem like reasonable options for jamaica...

not wanting to decide between white or dark cake - just to have cake... we have decided to not have a wedding cake at all.

that said, we realize there is tradition around the cake - the action of the bride and groom cutting the cake is meant to symbolize their first joint task in married life while the gesture of feeding cake to one another is a symbol of the commitment the bride and groom are making. we have decided we will instead make our first task to choose the best looking dessert for that day together, and serve each other. it may end up being a piece of cake, but it could also easily be an ice cream cone, or even a pina colada... hey - it's still white right!

so, i apologize to our guests in advance for the lack of "wedding" cake. but, in sticking with our easy breezy beautiful wedding attitude, rather than letting you eat cake, we're going to let you eat whatever dessert you like!

i may however slip some silly cake toppers into our luggage to put on top of our cones or pina coladas... just for the photo ops! 

dress for success

apparently what you wear while searching for THE DRESS is very important... luckily - a quick online search moments before our bridal shop departure, google saved me from some extreme embarrassment.

tip 1. like your mother always says, wear clean underwear.

first of all, i did not know you needed "help" into these dresses. i felt like a rich princess just holding my arms up and allowing dresses to be slipped on and off of me. sounds easy right - except when you're standing more than half naked in a change room with strangers... unless you want you want your hoo-haw hanging out for the sales ladies, you will want full coverage underwear. i was very close to wearing thongs, to avoid the dreaded lines while trying on dresses. shows how much i know about wedding gowns, most i tried on had enough material over the bum area i would get lost inside while they were being slipped over my head! more than once i heard "just look for my hands" while wading through piles of white. thank you google for sparing Kaitlin at David's Bridal a full moon on a Monday morning.

on top of that, they do not have all dress sizes, and will "clip" you in so you can get an idea... this means when you come out of the change room, you may not be fully covered... giving a nice display to the entire store!

tip 2. wear a bra, ideally strapless

similar to tip 1, unless you want your boobies on display, wear a bra. this may sound like a normal task, but - I am typically found in yoga tops, which means built in bras. i almost had a girls gone wild monday morning, but at the last second snagged a strapless bra while running out the door. unlike underwear - i do believe the shops will lend you a bra at least. probably so the helpers don't have to molest you with each dress they pull on and off your body.

tip 3 - wear deodorant

i had no idea trying on wedding dresses was such a workout. most of the dresses are heavy and full of crinoline, silk and tons of other sweat making materials. i was caught more than once sniffing my armpits to ensure i was clear of nasty scents. and next time i'll be sure to have a stick of deodorant in my purse, just in case! again... these helpers are all up in your business in those changes rooms...

there are a few other tips, such as not wearing make up, bringing a camera and of course bringing a close friend (thanks carol!!). but i do feel these top 3 saved me from stinkily parading around in my birthday suit.

and so the search continues, but now i know to be armed with granny panties, bras, and shaven deodorized arm pits. they never show these tips on the go to dress shopping show...

signed, sealed, delivered...

wedding invitations - we've got them signed and sealed - and our fingers are crossed they will be delivered soon. 

our e-invites and website went out a few weeks ago, and our plan was to have our paper invites out within a few days of this... 

http://www.daveknight.com/121212/

unfortunately, due to issues at the printing company, this did not happen. after waiting  7-10 days for delivery, and still not hearing or seeing anything - i realized the copies were likely not happening. a heated conversation on the phone with their customer service made me realize it was not worth our time or effort - and we should have just stuck with the "do it" ourselves attitude in the first place. luckily my office has a colour printer, that actually does a decent job. we were surprised by the quality! so we settled in for an evening of folding, cutting, stuffing and stamping... 

into the post box they went this morning... and hopefully arriving in the mailboxes of our families and friends soon!

the queen also wants you at our wedding...