August 19, 2010
Thinking about having your wedding in the beautiful gold country? Check out the Gold Country Bridal Fair this Sunday, Aug. 22. The event takes place at Sequoia, which is located at 643 Bee St. in Placerville from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. While at the fair, enjoy a fashion show, meet more than 40 wedding-related vendors and—possibly—win some great prizes. Tickets are $10, but bring friend and you’ll get two-for-one admission by pre-registering here. You’ll also get a free copy of Our Wedding magazine (while supplies last). Maybe I’m biased, but with the cost of the magazine at $5.95 an issue, that alone is worth the cost of admission!
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August 18, 2010
Brides-to-be (or really anyone looking to throw a party) are invited to attend Grand to Gold, taking place Thursday, Aug. 19. The event—held in a progressive format at two different venues in Sacramento—will introduce attendees to the people they’ll need to help them throw a good party, including DJ’s, florists, photographers and more. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. with an open house at the Sacramento Grand Ballroom at 629 J St., in Sacramento (tour the SGB’s rooftop terrace) and runs until 6 p.m. From 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. enjoy the Grand Opening Cocktail Party at Courtyard D’Oro (1107 Front St., Old Sacramento). Perhaps the best part of the event—which includes among the two venues hors d’oeuvres, wine and beer, music and dancing—is the price: free!
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August 17, 2010
Add White House Black Market to the list of mass-market retailers that have jumped into the bridal gown business. Like J. Crew, Macy’s and Target, WHBM has apparently wised up to the fact that there are plenty of brides who can’t afford a $10,000 Vera Wang. The retailer has four wedding gowns on its website (www.whitehouseblackmarket.com), priced from $348 for a polyester satin gown to $698 for one made of silk taffeta. The prettiest—the $598 Victoria—is a strapless gown of ruffled tulle, with a pleated bodice, mermaid skirt and abbreviated train. Fittingly, it comes with a black ribbon sash. White Gown Black Sash—get it?
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July 29, 2010
Want to really make your wedding gown pop? How about pairing it with custom-made earrings? San Francisco-based designer Vittoria d'Aste-Surcouf offers just that. Simply e-mail a photo of your dress to vdastesurcouf.com and d'Aste-Surcouf will come up with a design. Jewelry can be made in yellow gold, white gold or sterling silver and be accented with cubic zirconia, pearls, diamonds or colored stones. D'Aste-Surcouf also can custom-make earrings for your bridesmaid. Ready-to-wear earrings and bridesmaid’s charm bracelets also are available. For questions or to schedule a consultation, contact d'Aste-Surcouf at (415) 418-0247 or e-mail her at info@vdastesurcouf.com. Jewelry is available by website or starting Aug. 6, you can view and purchase some pieces at the Napa Valley Museum in Yountville. d'Aste-Surcouf will be presenting her jewelry in person at the museum Aug. 6.
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July 28, 2010
Good news for brides: House of Fashion has extended its 50th anniversary sale (see previous post) through Sunday, Aug. 1.
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July 14, 2010
Attention brides! House of Fashion’s 50th anniversary sale is in progress. Through Sunday, July 18, you can save up to 50 percent on sample bridal gowns, and mother of the bride and flower girl dresses. Choose among dresses by Amalia Carrara, Bellissima, Enzoani, Rahmanian and many other designers. Walk-ins are welcome.
House of Fashion is at 2101 J St. Call (916) 554-7440. Hours: Weekdays 11 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. (Wednesday until 7:45 p.m.), Saturday 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m., and Sunday noon to 4:45 p.m.
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July 9, 2010
I feel good—calm and ready. All of the rentals are now sitting at my mom’s house. The yard is ready, except for some last minute things that can’t be done until tomorrow.
All of my organization paid off and fortunately I’m not stressing about anything.
That’s not to say everything has gone as planned. I got word yesterday that the transmission in my father’s Suburban decided to stop working . . . roughly halfway through his trek from Missouri. The GM dealer in the area was able to order one and have it sent overnight. It is due to arrive this morning and they are hoping to get my family back on the road by early afternoon . . . if everything goes well.
There is now no way that he will be here in time for rehearsal, or the dinner following it. If everything goes as planned, they will roll into town about 1 a.m. the morning of my wedding. I’m bummed because that was the only time I’d get to really catch up with my dad, step mom and brothers.
I can’t control the situation, and have to believe they will be on the road soon. He does have an important duty, after all . . . I’m not walking myself down the aisle!
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July 3, 2010
As we head into the holiday weekend, the break room table here at the magazine is loaded with goodies: sugar cookies, angel food cake and fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries and white nectarines. I tried everything. Five minutes after I finished, FatCat Scones stopped by with fresh scones. I immediately ate two. Twenty minutes later, I ate the other half someone left in the box.
I wish I could say stress is causing me to pig out—no, I eat like this regularly. At a ball game, I plow through nachos with extra jalapeños and go beer-to-beer with my fiancé on a regular basis. I love carne asada tacos, chili fries and Squeeze Inn burgers (with the skirt of cheese, of course). I love food, hate diets.
Over the past couple of months, numerous people have asked what kind of diet I’m on for the wedding. My weight hasn’t fluctuated more than five pounds over the past 15 years—why diet now? The groom fell in love with me the way I am, not a skinnier, hungrier version.
That being said, I do have to fit into my wedding dress so I can’t exactly GAIN weight. Joe and I will be up at my mom and step dad’s home this weekend, which means lots of great food. I guess I should limit myself to just one piece of mom’s lemon meringue pie (per night). If not, I may be living off sugar-free Jello next week.
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July 1, 2010
Wow. We’re into the single-digits now! I took the day off work so that I could try to knock out a few items on my to-do list: phone calls to vendors, picking up bubbly, ordering beer. One of the biggies: sort of a trial run on how my hair will be for the wedding. This was something that was important to me and I wasn’t sure if I’d have time to fit it in.
I have friends who have had their hair done for special events and after sitting in the stylist’s chair for two hours—they absolutely hate the outcome. I don’t even wear hair spray normally—I certainly don’t want a style that looks like a can of shellac was used to paint it in place. I also don’t want to look like I’m going to prom.
Consider it a dress rehearsal for my hair. It’s not that I don’t trust the stylist—but if there is going to be an outcome that is less than favorable, let it happen at dress rehearsal.
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June 30, 2010
Ten days to go and I am forced to admit that I haven’t even started on the vows. Neither has Joe. I know what I want to convey to him, but can’t seem to find time to put those words on paper. Between a few unplanned trips to Oregon and running errands, we have been busier than ever.
We plan to use a few of the traditional items—Joe still has to love me if I’m sick. I’ll promise to love Joe even if we win the lottery and suddenly find ourselves rich. I’m sure it’ll be a struggle, but . . . we’ll manage. I plan to work a bit of my personality into the vows and hope that he still says, “I do.”
I vow to write the vows . . . just not today.
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