A Parisian Bridal Shower

Here's how the bridal shower I threw for my sister turned out. I was quite pleased and we placed huge fuchsia paper pom-poms all over the room and even pinned some to the (conveniently) cork board wall. By the way, I actually spent $4 on the flowers instead of $10 as I previously budgeted -- I bought potted mums (fuchsia) instead of cut flowers and placed them in pink flower pots.

GRAND TOTAL = $64.74 or $3.24 pp

{All photos by Vera D.}

I also created a scrapbook for my sister's bridal shower gift and I had the attendees complete a "Dear bride" letter I downloaded from 100 Layer Cake. I used scallop-edged scrapbooking scissors and chose the navy-pink motif (there are 4 colors to choose from). My sister said it looked like "Parisian" stationary! Download the free template here.

Bridal Shower Style Under $125

It's a Jaime Thing just tweeted Peter Som's Spring Fashion Week 2010 as inspiration for a bridal shower look.

I found my look for less yesterday at Banana Republic.

The silk Boho dress was only $89 ($40 off original) and the silver weave leather peeptoes $32 (in-store only)! Yahoo!

Bridal Shower on a Budget

My little sister's bridal shower is this weekend, and I tasked myself with the decorations and favors.

The wedding entourage chose a tea party theme, and I upgraded it to a Parisian tea party with pink, black and white as the main colors. My sister got engaged in Paris, so I thought it would be a nice tribute.

I did all my shopping yesterday -- hitting Paper Outlet, the Party Warehouse, Ichiban Kan (a Japanese equivalent of the 99 cent store), Pier 1, TJ Maxx, IKEA and Target (whew!).

Here's how I fared (all totals include tax at 9.75%):

$2/pp incl. tax for favors
Packaging

• Eiffel tower mini gift bags 2-pack $0.50 ea. x 10 (Target)= $5.49
  
• Scallop edged premium tissue paper $2.99 (24 sheets) = $3.28
  

Favors

• Rum raisin votives for $0.38 ea. x 20 (Pier 1 Imports) = $8.34
  
• Body lotion/bath gel for $0.68 ea. x 20 (Pier 1 Imports) = $14.93
  
• Tealight votive holders for $1.49 for 4-pack x 5 (IKEA) = $8.18
  

TOTAL = $40.22


As for the decorations, I'm borrowing a couple Eiffel tower candle towers from my own MOH, and stringing hanging paper lanterns and garlands. I'm using black and white polka-dot gift wrap as a table runner and pink flower pots to hold white flower topiaries.

• Eiffel Tower table decor - free (borrowed)
• Paper garland (pink) - $1.50 x 4 = $6.58
  
• Hanging paper lantern - $2.50 x 2 = $5.49
  
• Pink flower pots - $1.99 x 3 = $6.55
  
• B/W polka dot gift wrap (as table runners) - $0.50/yd x 3 = $1.65
  
• Flowers - $10

TOTAL = $30.27

GRAND TOTAL = $70.49 or $3.52 pp

I can't wait to see how it turns out! I'll post photos next Monday.

Inspiration #37: Leaving Your Mark

This has been circulating the blog world, and I couldn't resist sharing it with you. I had been considering whether or not to do a wish tree or some other way to gather blessings from friends but when I saw this, I was smitten. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Photo of Paul + Cassie by Jonas Peterson.

Win a Bare Escentuals Makeup Artist for Your Wedding

My favorite wedding design site, 100 Layer Cake, has partnered with Bare Escentuals for a contest offering a BE makeup artist to get you dolled up for your big day! Two runner ups will win a year supply of the new Matte foundation SPF 15. I just bought it at Sephora last week and apparently matte is supposed to minimize your pores and fine lines. I don't know about you, but at 31 I need all the help I can get.

To enter the contest click here: Bare Escentuals + 100 Layer Cake

Photo by: Thayer Alyson Gowdy

Inspiration #36: Guitar Pick Boutonierre

I've been meaning to make boutonierres for my fiance and his groomsmen. He's a musician and so are his buddies, so it's only natural that I create guitar pick boutonierres. Where a rosebud would normally go, I'm hot-gluing a guitar ornament! My inspiration comes from Fritts Rosenow (of San Francisco) pictured above.

I found this set of 4 guitar ornaments on Amazon.com for only $4.69 + shipping. Not too shabby. And since my fiance is a guitar teacher, he's got lots of picks laying around the house. I just need to head to the local floral supply shop and pick up floral wire and tape. A spool of bargain ribbon at Target runs $1.00. Wouldn't you agree that boutonierres for about $2 a piece is pretty sweet?

Why Follow the Herd?

Lately, I've been buying lots of baby gifts all of which seem to feature a safari theme. Lions, giraffes, tigers, elephants. All so adorable. And so baby. But safari can be grown up. Sophisticated, even Paris Hilton hot. My venue is certainly not safari friendly (heck, it's a historic 19th century Episcopalian garden and arts and craft reception hall), but if I could choose my venue all over again, it might be a zoo!

I recently had the great joy of tagging along on a friend's tour of the local zoo for her wedding and I was impressed by what the venue offered. The zoo is the perfect place for a wedding if you and your fiance are kids at heart and it's versatile to boot. The zoo we visited had an arts and craft "great hall," exhibits, an animal encounter for the cocktail hour, carousel (perfect photo opp!), and of course 2 baby giraffes (and baby zebras and gorillas). Those were the first things we laid eyes on, and the oohing and aahing were non-stop.

For zoo chic style, I just love this wedding shot by Lillia Photography of a same-sex couple's wedding day at the San Franciso Zoo:

If you follow the Offbeat Bride, you might have also caught this off-the-wall yet creative wedding, also at the San Francisco Zoo. The self-described "nerdy-gamer" couple used Hungry Hippos as centerpieces, played Rock Band, and took their photos on the carousel.

Here's a sophisticated zoo wedding at the Santa Barbara Zoo, captured by Wedding 64 & Art:

And to cap things off, here's an Los Angeles Zoo wedding by Furious Photographers. I think I was drawn to this one because the bride also has an orange and blue color scheme like I do AND she's sportin' peacock shoes under that dress. How's that for a bit of animal print?

Videographers Who Rock. Literally.

Jeff and Heather from W. Video Productions on Vimeo.

You might have already sat through a bunch of video clips trying to figure out whether or not hiring a videographer for $3,000+ is worth it. I had just about given up on hiring a videographer when I met the wife-husband team, Christy and Mike Wohlert, behind W. Video Productions. Their video of Jeff and Heather is splendid. I honestly have never been riveted by other wedding videos online (okay, except for that infamous dance-down-the-aisle to Chris Brown Youtube video) until I watched Jeff and Heather's!

As I mentioned before, I'm a reality TV addict. As I watched W. Video Productions work, I felt as if I were watching a show and I compelled to watch it to the very end. Eclectic shots were blended together into a fabulous music video that highlighted the best moments of the day. I also found their shooting and editing techniques to be sophisticated, the music choice not too cheesy and appropriate, and the price just right! In fact, $1,200-2,500 is such a reasonable price. You've probably got friends like mine who paid 2-3x as much for a video, or those who paid less and got mediocre work.

I interviewed W. Video Productions to share a little insight on their style and inspiration:

1. Why did you decide to go into video? What are you passionate about?

We decided to go into video in part because we didn't have a videographer for our wedding and it's something that we really regret. We had a friend with a little hand held who did his best to put together something nice, but when we look back at the day, we wish we would have had something more professional - after all, it's something we'll have for the rest of our lives. Maybe we should have taken the money we spent on chair covers and put it towards a videographer :0).

The thing we're most passionate about is capturing the emotion in a wedding and creating a video that displays that emotion and feeling.

2. How would you describe your style? What do you think sets you apart from other videographers?

We have a very modern and artistic style. We shoot more like a photojournalist than like a typical videographer. We like to be creative with angles, focus, and depth of field, which gives a fresh and engaging look to the video. Anybody can turn on a video camera and shoot video. The thing that sets us apart is the ability to capture the emotion of the day, and from that, create the Art Film. The Art Film is our favorite part of our package, and is an artistic 5 minute "music video" containing some of the best shots of the day. Its our way of creatively interpreting and expressing the couple's wedding day in a piece they can share with all their friends and family.

3. What is your favorite part of a wedding?
Is it clique to say that our favorite part is when the bride walks down the isle and we shoot the grooms reaction? It's incredible to capture that moment. We also really enjoy the toasts...we have heard some of the best, most hilarious, most touching, emotional toasts and also some awkward ones. That's a part of the wedding that you really don't know what to expect.

4. How do you know what music to use? Clips?

Weddings give off a certain vibe from the couple, the ceremony and also the location/decor. We try and find songs that express that same vibe. Also, we like to use songs that grab you emotionally. If a piece of music can make you feel something inside, it's a great piece to use.

5. What has been your favorite wedding so far? What made it so special?

This is a hard one. Each wedding is so unique and special in it's own way. We'd have to say that our favorite wedding was one of the first weddings we shot and we were just getting started with the business. We got a call the day before the wedding from a friend of the groom. He shared with us that they didn't have money budgeted for the wedding video and would love to let us come and shoot the wedding to help build our portfolio. The wedding was spectacular. The couple that got married was so in love. They have the kind of love that makes you want to be a better spouse. And, everything about the day was perfect. We'll be talking about that wedding for a while.

6. What would be your dream wedding to film?

Shooting a wedding in another country would be pretty amazing. We love to travel, and you learn a lot culturally from being a part of a wedding ceremony in another country.

Thanks for sharing, Christy and Mike (the happy and talented couple below)!

Asker and You Shall Receive...a nifty pew flower arrangement

{Photo by Jason Chong}

For $5.99, the IKEA Asker makes decorating your pews stylish and for a great price and half the time of making floral pomanders! My friend Linda W. recently helped decorate her friend's wedding, and I couldn't resist sharing how she creatively used the Asker container, which is often used to save countertop space as part of an IKEA kitchen organization system. She attached the vases onto the pew by tying a satin ribbon into a loop and securing with a bow. You'll probably want to ensure the floral arrangements stay in place by using floral foam bricks inside the vessel. Here's the close-up:

{Photo by Jason Chong}

{Photo by Jason Chong}

If you've done something similar with IKEA containers, please share your story!

Inspiration #35: Street Food Chic

Did you receive the latest issue of Utterly Engaged? I have been chatting with some friends on alternative food options for our weddings -- the San Francisco Bay Area is teeming with street food trends, with the Street Food Fest last weekend and the Eat Real Fest this weekend in Oakland, CA. Gourmet "taco" trucks are the hottest thing right now.

I'm swooning over how d*lish design and Grey Likes Weddings brought this trend to life, here's a sampling. Visit their online issue for more eye candy.

{Photos by Bonnie Tsang Photography}

4 Must-Haves for the Circus Themed Wedding

{Josh Goleman Photography}

Ever since I saw Josh Goleman's photos of Adam and Halli's wedding in Georgia, I've been smitten with the circus theme. My fiance and I are incorporating a circus spirit in our cocktail hour (with carnival games, a kissing booth (featuring his jovial dad), and mini-corndogs with a gourmet mustard bar. If you're DIY lite (as one of my fellow Wedzilla bloggers calls it) like me, you can find some great items online to bring the circus to life for your wedding. Here's some of my favorite finds:

{Petitsmetier | Custom Pinwheels - $35 for set of 10}
If you'd rather make them, click here for the how-to.

{Homemade Circus |2 Lovebirds under Red Diamond Tent - $75}

{Royalsteamline | Coney Island 1896 Vintage Wedding Invitation - $4}

{Bunting Boutique | Bunting Flags - $4.50 US}

SF Brides: Save the Date 8/27/09

I met Peter Towers, owner of Magnolia Photo Booth, at the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco last month and he just invited me and my readers (yes, you!) to Magnolia Photo Booth's launch party at 111 Minna. Attendees will get a chance to win a free 4-hr rental (value $1,300). See you there!

The Magnolia Photo Booth Co. is celebrating its arrival in the Bay Area with a soiree in the friendly confines of 111 Minna. For the past three years, the Magbooth has brought vintage charm with modern sheen to parties, weddings, corporate events, and other fine festivities all across the midwest.The Magbooth is renowned for turning run-of-the-mill moments into photographic marvels, and now we're touching down in my native San Francisco to keep on keeping on.

Stop by on Thursday, August 27th from 5pm to 9pm, have a drink, and get a behind-the-curtain look at the stylish, fun, and fully portable Magbooth.

We'll have free pics and drink specials all night, so you can try time and time again to see if your face really can get stuck that way. You can also enter a free drawing for a chance to win one of two free Magbooth rentals! These will be full-fledged rentals valued at $1300 each.

So ladies--let your hair down, and gents--comb your moustache, because The Magnolia Photo Booth Co. is here to take your picture and greet you with a firm handshake.

Top 5 Etsy Wednesday Wedding Bargains under $50

I recently attended the Renegade Craft Fair in San Francisco, and if you haven't already gone to RCF in the nearest metropolitan city nearest you, I urge you to go and support craft and design artists, many of whom are on Etsy! Today, I'm sharing some of my top 5 picks for wedding bargains under $50 on Etsy.

#1 {Cake Toppers: Peggies $6 for 2 sets of Guys & Dolls}

Seller NakedPeggies sells custom-painted bridal cake topper peggies for $55-75. If you want to save money, paint the peggies yourself using these "naked" ones.

#2 {Pr. Champagne Flutes: Lovebirds on a Leafy Branch - $22}

#3 {For Him: Vintage Typewriter Key Cufflinks - $24}

#4 {Poster: Custom Romantic Love Bird Silhouette - $17.95}
Custom silhouettes of you and your fiance are available too, but price varies.

# 5 {Placecards: Peacock Placecards - $25 for 25}
{I published this post on Weddzilla.com, check out more tips from other featured bloggers here}

Masters of Reception: Premieres tonight on TLC

I have a confession: I am a reality TV addict! Top Chef and Project Runway top my list but those darn marathons of America's Next Top Model and Real Chance of Love get me hooked. Tonight, TLC premieres its newest show for bridezillas across the country: Masters of Reception. The show centers around Robert and Jerry Frungillo, who've been creating over-the-top weddings in New Jersey for over 30 years. The cameras will document how the Frungillos will deal with zany requests, from incorporating cats into the ceremony to finding Diablo Conjuelo (Dominican) dancers for the reception.

What are you planning in your wedding that will be uniquely you and your fiance?

Inspiration #34: Love...Tennis Style

{Tennis hotties, Marat Safin and Tommy Haas | Out in Hollywood}

I'm an avid tennis player and can't go a week without playing. My tennis association used to run a "Wood and White" tournament, an homage to the golden years of tennis, when white was the only color you could wear and wooden tennis racquets were in vogue. I'm such a big fan of tennis that I secretly wanted to have a vintage "Wood and White" wedding of my own. What would it look like? Here's some inspiration from the talented gals at Lollipop Event & Design (photos from their Bubbles, Baubles and Breasts charity event) if you want a unique spin:

{Bubbles, Baubles and Breasts | I Love Lolliblog}

For your sweet tooth, you can try this green lattice cake or a meringue topiary:

{Green Lattice Cake | The Party Dress}

{Meringue Topiary from Domino Mag | The Succulent Wife}

Finally, check out this cute tennis dress from Stella McCartney, perfect for a laidback, sporty wedding that you can pair with Stuart Weitzman's Sashay peeptoes:

{Stella McCartney Tennis Dress $160 | Sugar High | PopSugar}

{Stuart Weitzman Sashay Peeptoes $165 | Zappos}

9 Ways to Throw a Budget Bachelorette Party in Las Vegas

{Photo from Arborteas.com}

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, right? I'm all for abiding by this infamous motto, but not when it comes to parting with my hard-earned money. As a bridesmaid for an upcoming wedding, I was obligated to attend a destination bachelorette party in Las Vegas a couple weekends ago. Each person easily dropped a few hundred dollars on the bare essentials, such as hotel, airfare, drinks, and meals. Today, my mission is to show you that having fun in Vegas on a budget is possible!

• Airfare: Book early, or book late! I booked my tickets well in advance -- February -- and scored $98/RT (albeit, I've got the advantage of being only an hour from Vegas). Orbitz and Expedia certainly offer great deals at less than $120 RT compared to most major airlines. If you're willing to gamble, you can wait for last minute deals on flights, but you run the risk of getting a very early/late arrival or departure or more than 1 stop.

• Hotel: Share your room with 2+ guests at hotels on the end or off-strip. We split 2 rooms at Caesar's Palace (a prime central location on the strip) among 8 girls (not including the bride-to-be). This certainly cut the cost tremendously. If you want to trim your budget even more, check out hotels further away from the center of the strip, such as Excalibur, The Tropicana, Stratosphere and Flamingo Las Vegas.

• Cash: Don't leave home without cash and avoid ATMs in the casino! I made the mistake of not pulling out enough cash before I left home. When I tried pulling out cash, the ATM fee in the casinos were $4.99 for withdrawals up to $51. Insane. I was lucky to find a Bank of America tucked in a hallway in the Caesar's Forum Shops and saved $2.99 in ATM fees. There are bank ATMs in most shopping areas; definitely don't withdraw cash from the casino areas!

• Alcohol & Water: There's nothing wrong with BYO alcohol and water. See if someone is willing to check in luggage (about $22-30 R/T) as most travelers are allowed to check in up to 5 liters of up to 140 proof alcohol. An average bottle of vodka, like Absolut, or Patron is 750mL and 80 proof. By doing this, you can save a few rounds of $13-20/shot at a nightclub if you do a few shots or mix your own drinks in your hotel room before you go out! We had about $100 worth of liquor in our hotel room that lasted 2 nights where in the club, some of the bachelorettes spent $90 + tip for 1 round of shots for 6 girls. Of course, you can also leverage your charm with the guys, who are likely to buy you shots as long as you are willing to flirt a little {wink, wink}.

• Transportation: Yes to the Double Decker. First, when you arrive to the airport, definitely invest in buying a round-trip pass for the airport shuttle (about $12 RT); that way, you won't have to worry about how you'll get back and you'll save on cab fare, which can add up quickly while you're sitting in traffic. If you're staying on the ends of the strip, you should also consider getting a $7 24-hr pass to the Double Decker bus that runs up and down the strip. The group I was with preferred to take cabs everywhere and each trip (about 10 trips x 2 cabs each time) ran anywhere from $10-17 with tip -- just to go 2-3 hotels down! If you'd rather hoof it, stash a pair of flip flops in your clutch.

• Meals: Do your research (for prefixe/tasting menus) and don't be shy to pack a few snacks. Since I was already checking in luggage, I packed a box of Trader Joe's crackers (the starchy antidote to one too many shots) as well as a soft lunch cooler with a Trader Joe's Thai chicken noodle sandwich (packed in ice). As soon as I arrived to the hotel, I had the salad for lunch, saving myself $15 for the same thing I could have gotten had I gone to a casino restaurant. I had also used Yelp.com to run a search on user reviews for 3-4 star places on the strip with a low to moderate cost ($ - $$). Definitely plan one special dinner, such as prefixe dinner at Fiamma ($45/pp) and eat cheap the rest of the time you're there (especially if you go to the more divey casinos like O'Shea's). Some restaurants have specials after 9:30PM; keep your eye on the Chowhound.com boards for recommendations.

{Photo from Destination360.com}

• Nightlife: Getting a VIP table is most desirable, as you'll get to lounge and avoid the long lines at the bar; however, minimum fees start at $1,100 per table or $375 for bottle service. Yikes. First, if you're at a hotel with its own nightclub, check with the front desk staff or concierge to see if they can offer you free VIP passes that will get you to the front of the line and waive the cover charge. For example, Caesar's Palace offered us passes to Pure later that night -- it had an outdoor terrace that had a great view of the skyline and multiple rooms. The hottest new nightclub in Vegas, XS at the Wynn's sister, Encore, costs $20/women and boasts a spacious indoor/outdoor dance area and access to cabanas and wading pool for your tired feet. We were fortunate to get in for free the night before Jay-Z threw a party (cover was $150/pp the night he was celebrating the last day of Beyonce's concert at the Wynn).

• Games: Good Vibrations Bachelorette Party in a Box ($18.95) includes a tiara and an assortment of games; it'll save you time and money than if you were to buy the tiara and games separately.

• Shopping: Try the outlets! Since I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, trendy upscale stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and more are easily accessible. Nonetheless, thousands of people flock to the Caesar's Forum Shops, Fashion Show Mall and Miracle Mile to whet their fashion cravings. If you're willing to see a bit of Vegas beyond the strip, you can hop on the Double Decker just past the Stratosphere and catch the 108 to the Premium Outlet Mall (by the way, the keyword here is "premium" as I endured the misery of going to the regular outlet malls past McCarran airport). The Premium Outlet Mall features designer stores such as Christian Audigier (bunches of tees were $23-25), L'Occitane, Banana Republic Factory Store, Dolce & Gabbana, and more. I was in budget shopping heaven. {Photo from The Premium Outlet Mall Las Vegas}

Conclusion: The bottom line is, doing a bit of preparation beforehand will save you money in the long run, from booking your flight, packing your libations and cash on hand, to figuring out whether your weekend will be focused on partying vs. R&R by the pool. Planning ahead will help you keep your mind off how much is left in your bank account and more on having fun with your friends!!

Yay! We Won Davina + Daniel's Free Photo Contest

[Johanna and Noah 7.5.09 by Davina + Daniel Photography]

Apologies for the long break, my darlings. My first post on Weddzilla.com is in the queue and so I can't share with you my tips on throwing a budget bachelorette party in Las Vegas until it's published. I didn't win big, not even a $1 on penny slots in Vegas, but Fred and I did find out we won Davina + Daniel's free photography contest! According to Davina + Daniel, what sold them were keywords such as "romantic glam and crafty chic,” zooey deschanel, “retro-pop whimsy,” vintage white milk glass compotes, guitar pick boutonnieres… but what really sold [them] was their vision for a carnival-themed cocktail hour, “complete with mini corndogs, a gourmet mustard bar, a kissing booth, a ring toss, vintage photo booth, and caramel apples.” Davina + Daniel sold us on them: their photojournalistic style oozes with sophistication and yet balances it with a playful spirit and warmth. We loved Davina + Daniel's wedding photos of Johanna and Noah on July 5 -- it was just what we are hoping for in terms of a balanced mix of lighting, black and white shots, rich/deep color saturation, softness and....sassiness!
They are flying all the way from Montreal, Quebec to shoot our wedding next fall. We can't wait to show them around Sausalito, where our wedding is taking place! Above is the inspiration board we submitted to Davina + Daniel that we are continuing to build on it. And thought you should also check out some samples of their work that won us over:

[Johanna and Noah 7.5.09 by Davina + Daniel Photography]

[Kate + Eric 7.18.09 Photography by Davina+ Daniel]

[Angela + Anthony 6.27.09 by Davina + Daniel]