The tangibles...custom photo book

In the digital age of photography, printing photos has become a fading trend. Most of us view our photos on a computer screen or on some sort of media device. We even display our photos in digital picture frames. Yet we spend thousands of dollars on wedding photography. I did not print any of our photos until requests were made by our families. Most of our relatives are an old fashion bunch. But they also knew technology could not replace something as amazing as an actual photograph. After all, when you see a photo on a computer screen or in a book, you really have no idea about the real colors or the depth that exists in the picture. Looking at the photograph, you can also feel the joy and the emotion in a way that simply does not exist otherwise.I am amazed at the number of brides who don’t print their wedding photos, whether for their own enjoyment or to give to friends and family; to experience it as something tangible, outside of the computer is wonderful.

Photos also deserve to be beautifully presented. It is always important to preserve your memories with the finest frames or a quality photo album which is why I absolutely adore the custom photo books and guest books offered by Etsy seller, Kris Stewart of Scroll. It is a less expensive alternative to the professional press books. This particular photo book has a cover and back made from lokta paper from Nepal with a gold mum pattern. It has a luxurious textured surface and the specks of gold makes the album an exquisite piece of art. The personalized name plate is also a nice touch too. 

More Details:

This album measures 6 1/4 by 8 1/2 inches with a usable page size of 6 by 8 1/4. There are 30 sheets of very thick, unlined, acid-free, warm white paper inside. This is a longstitch album where the pages are actually sewn through the spine, allowing the book to open fully and lay flat for ease of writing. The lines of linen stitching will be visible in neat parallel lines on the spine. Perfect for polaroids or one 4 X 6 or 5 X 7 photo on each page.

Melancholia Wedding Dress

Last night, I saw Melancholia, a slow moving movie about a wedding gone awry and the end of the world. The film is a visceral vision of depression and destruction. One of the lovely leading ladies in the movie is Kirsten Dunst, who plays the beautiful but deeply depressed bride. For most of the movie, Dunst dons an exquisite romantic strapless cleavage baring gown made with silky layers of light airy tulle and a bolero with a circlet of soft roses. Honestly, I was more involved with the wedding (love the scene where the guests send sky lanterns into the night sky) and the wedding dress than the rest of the movie. As for Dunst, she looked absolutely stunning as the blushing bride. The dress is rumored to be the creation of costume designer, Manon Rasmussen. See trailer below.

Happy 1 yr Anniversary!

1 year ago, I married my best friend. At times marriage still feels like a strange phenomenon to me. I am no longer daydreaming about what my spouse will be like—I can reach out and touch his fingers and count his toes. I can choose between pinching myself and pinching him, and no matter which one of us I squeeze, he is still real. Our love is real. :-)


Happy Anniversary Mon Amour!

Sweet Seduction: French Macarons

French macarons are a sweet confectionery filled with a silky smooth butter cream or ganache filling, sandwiched between two soft thin cookie crusts. These versatilely flavored and colorful treats are light, airy and delicately delicious! French macarons make great wedding favors. They are also a scrumptious substitute to the traditional tiered cake or cupcake tower. These delectable little desserts will seduce any sweet toothed gourmand or cookie fanatic. I am a bit surprised that macaron madness has not swept the wedding scene.


Pierre-Hermes, creator of the World's finest French Macarons


Pom Pom Macaron Favor set by Sparkles Macaron via Etsy


Rainbow tower of French Macarons

Savvy Save: Bridesmaid Dress

The high cost of being a bridesmaid is something that is often overlooked. Weddings in general are expensive so the parties involved including the bridal party are expected to spend a good amount of money. After conducting a study that surveyed nearly 20,000 brides, WeddingChannel.com found that it costs about $1,695 to be a bridesmaid. The cost of the dress, accessories, travel expenses, wedding gifts and more (Bridal shower, Bachelorette party ect.) can really add up. Cost conscious brides can help reduce the cost of some of the bigger expenses. For instance figures and finance should be considered when selecting a bridesmaid dress. Since most bridesmaid dresses are worn only once, an affordable option should be made available to the bridesmaids. Also finding a flattering fit for all your girls is an important consideration. Shop savvy to find the right dress because you might find it for a lot less.

The bridesmaid dresses below are the same color, very similar in design and fashion from the same material (100% cotton) but the difference in cost is huge!


Fully lined pleated collar dress with side pockets by Amanda Archer $200


Fully lined pleated collar dress with side pockets by Ananya $60

Recycle Wedding

For the savvy bride looking for ways to minimize cost and maximize the budget, Etsy, Ebay and Craigslist are great places to score a deal or a steal! However, online wedding classifieds offer an ever bigger market place full of new and used wedding items from dresses to diy decor. Below are some of my favorite online wedding resources.

1.Recycled Bride
- Recycle bride's philosophy is that they believe every body's wedding stuff deserves a second chance to make a first impression. Members only, sign up is free, free to sell or buy used and new wedding items.

2.Ruffled Blog
- Another free wedding website that allows brides to sell and buy without fear of fees or commissions. Items listed are more defined. Brides can search by categories. There is even a WANTED section for brides looking for specific wedding things.

3.100 Layer Cake
- Similar to Ruffled except vendors are allowed to sell their goods and brides are allowed to request vendor services and browse vendor portfolio.

4. and 5.Wedding Bee Classifieds & Project Wedding Classifieds
- Two different website with the same concept. However, Wedding Bee Classifieds is updated daily - more frequently than any of the other sites. Serious sellers and buyers flock to the site to buy new and used items listed in categories with the most recent date at the top of the forum. Project Wedding Classifieds do not have subcategories, just posts made by brides which means you have to trudge through pages and pages of endless listings. Unfortunately brides do not always post pictures and prices on both sites. Sometimes a private message or e-mail is the only way to inquire.

6.The Knot Trash to Treasure Board
- A true treasure trove that is buried deep with endless posts of wedding listings - much like Project Wedding Classifieds there are no categories. However if you have the patience it is worth it.

7.Once Wed
- Primarily selling new and used wedding dresses, this site makes it easy to sell and buy a dress. Listings are free and the site is user friendly.

So while browsing some of the sites above, I created a high end bridal look below with some fine frugal finds.

Preowned Priscilla of Boston Vineyard "Drew" dress $950, retails for $2,000 via oncewed

NEW Twigs and Honey Silk Flower $85 via 100 Layer Cake

USED Mini Birdcage veil pouf by Tessa Kim $30 via Weddingbee Classifieds, retails $39

NEW Badgley Mischka shoes $100, retails $245 via Ruffled Blog

Dear Blog

Sorry I've neglected you. I've been preoccupied with my new found love - Pinterest. Don't worry though, I have not replaced you. But I did need to remind myself why I started blogging in the first place. It was to collect my thoughts, observations and obsessions; to create a diary of things that inspired me and this blog in particular was meant to document the wedding planning.

So I will make more of an effort to blog even if it is about the mundane details of my life. On a side note, the hubby thinks it is absolutely absurd and downright silly that I write to the blog. I like to think of this post as a sticky note reminder.
:-)

Pinterest

My new found love is Pinterest! This virtual pin board has served as a huge inspiration. I have created several boards for weddings, home decor and everything in between.

Free Wedding Photography & Videography Giveaway

The talented Nicole Chan & Promessa Film is giving away $10,000 worth of photo and video! The deadline is Feb 21st, 2012! Click on the link for more info

Nicole Chan Photography

I bid thee

Farewell? Goodbye? Adieu?

I don't know...This blog has been my sanity saver throughout the wedding planning process. Besides being a therapeutic outlet, it was a great way for me to connect with my fellow brides. The most supportive, creative and encouraging bunch of women out there. Bride bloggers find the beauty in every wedding.

However, my wedding is over. There are no more post wedding blogs to cover. So for 2012, I want to refocus the new blog on daily life *yawns* lol. I will continue to blog about weddings as I am still a moderator of The Knot R.I board but also because the endless inspiration, love stories and swoon worthy photos are still part of my daily obsession.

I am excited to share the new prospects and opportunities in both my personal and professional life. Moi will report back with more details in a future blog post. :-)

In the meantime, Happy Chinese New Year!

Best,
Moni

STOP S.O.P.A