Pepe Le Pew Marries Penelope Pussycat

I bid thee

2012-01-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

Farewell? Goodbye? Adieu?

Not yet! This blog was 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

2012-01-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

My Modern Cambodian Wedding

2011-12-10T21:25:00.000-08:00

A modern Cambodian wedding has traditional elements of Cambodian culture including a condensed version of the wedding ceremonies. The reception is Westernized, which means it is generally not held at an Asian restaurant or banquet hall. Often times a Western ceremony is also performed at the reception venue or in a church setting. The Cambodian wedding and reception is celebrated in one day instead of 2-3 days. In a previous post I blogged about why we choose to go the modern route. It was important to us and our families to include only the ceremonies we considered important. Below is our Cambodian wedding program with a time line of our wedding day from start to finish.

Traditional Cambodian Wedding 8:30 Am - 1:00 PM @t Parent's Home
(Location traditionally takes place on the bride's side)

6:00 AM
- Hair & Make Up for Bride & Bridal Party
- Groomsmen get ready too
- Photographers arrive

8:00 AM
- Day of Coordinators arrive

8:15 AM
- Bride & Groom 1st outfit change
- Bridal party 1st and only outfit change

8:30 AM
- Blessings from the Monk or Soat Mun
- Bride & Groom 2nd outfit change. Hair and Make up Touch ups
- Call to Ancestors

- Pairing Ceremony or Knot Tying Ceremony

Blessings along with money and jewelry are given during the The Knot Tying ceremony

Palm flower seeds
We did not have the groom's procession. This is when the groom and his groomsmen parade down the street with friends and family in tow - carrying fruits and gifts wrapped in bright colors to the bride's home. It is definitely a spectacular sight to behold but my hubby and I decided not to have this ceremony as it was more for show than anything else. We also did not want the presentation of dowry, a complex and lengthy ceremony to perform. We skipped the hair cutting ceremony aka the Cleansing ceremony (sometimes this entails washing your future husband's feet!) and the Tea Ceremony, which is a great way for Cambodian Chinese couples to observe their Chinese heritage.

Originally we planned to perform this ceremony but alas time was not on our side so the very expensive fine China tea set I received as a gift from my husband did not get used. I really wanted to honor each of our parents and pay respect to our Chinese roots. So in total we had 3 ceremonies with bits and pieces of cultural love here and there. My husband's cousin married us at the Western ceremony. He also provided music with his flute at our Cambodian ceremony. It was such a special blessing for us because it made our wedding so warm and personal. We never felt so much love.

Dry palms with Bird of Paradise for the ceremony centerpieces

Many of the fruits symbolize fertility. The Cambodian eggplant (round with green and white stripe marks) are called "trop" in Khmer. The word sounds similar to the Khmer word for"Fortune" so it is always part of the dowry presentation.

Tips

- Keep it simple. Save time and money by selecting only to wear 1 or 2 outfits. Stay with one bridal look for your Cambodian ceremony.

- Choose outfits that will not only look good on you but your groom too. I would avoid overtly feminine colours like pink and purple. There are colors that might not work on some complexions - like lime green. Blue, Red, Gold & White are gender neutral. It is best to select the outfits in advance to ensure proper fitting.

-You don't need to hire live musicians for the ceremony. The cost of this service can exceed $1,000. The Cambodian coordinator/stylist or Priest should be able to provide recorded music as part of their services. Each ceremony has its own song so you will only need songs for the ceremony you selected.

- Decor should be bright and bold to represent the richness of Cambodian culture. Silver and Gold are found in many of the decor pieces and traditional clothing worn during the ceremony.

- The flowers should compliment the decor. Look for blooms with a Asian flair like Oriental Lily, Orchids and exotic Bird of Paradise and Plumeria. Roses and Carnations are also ideal because they come in a myriad of colours. Greenery like bear grass, palm leaves, ti leaves or banana leaves (can be found frozen in the Asian grocery store) make nice full fillers too. Dracaena also known as Lucky Bamboo also make beautiful arrangements. Palm Flower seeds will be needed for tossing. My mother-in-law was kind enough to bring it over from California. Some Asian markets will have them available too.

- Prepare yourself for a long day by getting plenty of rest the night before. I know this is easier said than done but you definitely want to wake up feeling refresh and energize. I took 10mg of melatonin the night before the wedding to help ease my nerves so I could fall asleep. Melatonin is naturally found in the body and is safe and non-habit forming.

12:30 PM
- Lunch
- Formal Portraits

1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
- Cinematographer Arrives
- Personal Flowers delivered
- Resting

- Hair & Make Up/Getting Ready for Reception
- Travel
- Vendors Arrive to set up
- Bridal Portraits with Bridal Party

Western Ceremony & Reception 6:00 PM - 11:30 PM @t Easton Beach Rotunda

6:00 PM
- Processional

6:15 PM
- Recessional

6:30 PM
- Cocktail hour

7:20 PM
- Introductions

7:30 PM
- First Dance

- Dinner

8:15 PM
- Dancing
- Cake Cutting

8:45 PM
- More Dancing
- Private Portrait Session: Bride and Groom

- Meet & Greet with guests
(Bride and Groom with their bridal party visits each table to collect gifts and thank guests)

11:00 PM
- Bar Closes

11:30 PM
- Reception Ends

12:00 AM
- DOC drives us to our hotel for the night :-)

Review: Metal Photo Print

2011-12-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

We ordered our mental print from Full Metal Photos over a month ago with a Groupon purchase but because of the holiday rush and the overwhelming popularity of the Groupon discount, the production time and delivery period took longer than usual. However, it was well worth the wait.

Pictures on my camera phone doesn't do the actual product any justice but it does show the thinness of the metal photo print

Metal prints are ultra modern and they are water proof, fade proof, and scratch resistant. They make a great archival piece of art without the glass. The product itself is a thin light weight aluminium material with the picture heat infused on the surface. I love that the details are sharp and the colors are vibrant. The resolution is also impressive. Overall quality is very nice. The only drawback is that they are pricey compared to traditional canvas prints. However metal prints are a great investment because they are guaranteed to stand the test of time.

Professional shot of a Metal photo print by EZ Photo Templates

Other popular photo labs that offer metal photo prints with different styles and surfaces are Metal Murals and Image Wizards. Bay Photo also gets good reviews too. They offer a great product line of metal photos including ornaments.

Budget Savvy

2011-11-30T12:45:00.000-08:00

I am a strong believer that you can have your dream wedding without breaking the bank. As a self-proclaimed frugalista with a voracious appetite for all things chic and cheap, I wanted to save as much moolah on the big day as possible. Below are a few tips and tricks I used to plan a budget savvy wedding.

1.We booked our venue on a Sunday. But we choose a holiday weekend to take advantage of the Monday off. Booking your wedding on any day other than Saturday is going to save you money. For most brides, a weekend wedding is a must so I suggest a Friday or Sunday night. (Take advantage of Memorial Day or Labor Day). Another big way to save is getting married in the off season. Most venues offer discounts so even a Saturday night wedding in April is going to cost less than one in June. For brides who are very flexible with their date, last minute bookings can equal huge savings.

2. Catering Costs

- For our cocktail hour, we skipped the cubed cheese platter since it is considered the least popular item at a wedding. Most of our guests are Asian so cheese is not a very palette pleasing food. We also choose less expensive but filling appetizers like mini pulled pork sandwiches with corn bread over pricey shrimp cocktails. We did have a fruit and veggie display and food stations so guests self served which saved on labor costs. Our caterer told us that serving comfort foods with a twist is a great way to save money. Think mini grilled cheese bites and garlic smashed potatoes in martini glasses. People eat with their eyes so offering a creative visual presentation makes the food more enticing without raising the cost

- Family style is a marriage of a sit down dinner and a buffet. There are definite pros and cons to this type of dinner service but it worked well for us because traditionally Asian weddings serve up multiple courses. Family style offers guests more than two entree selections. You also don't have to worry about losing money if a guest doesn't show up since you are not paying by the plate. However, some caterers are opposed to self serve meals simply because they don't have the experience to estimate the appropriate portions for a dish. And while family style is more expensive than a buffet - you and your guests won't be waiting in a long line. You also have the option to serve some dishes family style and have a couple of food stations set up that offer up something totally different like say sushi :-)

- An all-inclusive wedding package does not give you the same freedom or flexibility like booking your own vendors. This is especially true when it comes to providing alcohol for your guests. It was important to us that we host an open bar. We saved money by purchasing our own alcohol (tax free) from the state liquor store in NH. We bought a liquor license online along with our venue insurance and hired bar tenders for their professional services with all the bar fixings (ice, sodas, mixers, plastic drink ware, ect.). Our bar tenders were able to get us a deal where any unopened beer would be returned to the store. At the end of the night, we collected all of the left over liquor to stock our personal bar at home :-)

- Mind you, we bought a mix of premium and ultra premium liquor. The really good stuff was reserved for straight shots. We also skipped the champagne toast which saved us some money too. People toasted with whatever they had in their hands at the time. We did offer glasses of Moet & Chandon to our guests and we kept the liquor flowing with a good selection of beers and the basics for mix drinks.

- Cake Cutting Fee
If you decide not to use the in-house baker supplied by the caterer, than you might incur an additional fee to cut and serve the cake which is between $3-$5 in some cases. We had a dessert bar which included cupcakes, parfaits, cheesecake and other scrumptious sweets served up in unique dishes and martini glasses. Our guests really loved the eye candy display, it was a real treat for them and it was less expensive than the traditional wedding cake.

- Gratuities
Not to be confused with service charge. Definitely consider this as part of your final tally for catering cost.

- Taxes
There's no way to avoid it but paying the taxes in one lump sum will help ease out the existing payments. Also ask for different payment options because going the green route (cash) will sometimes get you a discount on your final bill.

3. Rentals
chargers and fine linens can add up. Skip the chargers and buy the linens in bulk online. You can always resell them after the wedding or use them for other occasions. Keep the table setting simple and uncluttered. Buy fancy disposable napkins instead of linen napkins which can cost up to $3 per rental. We used origami napkins with a linen texture that were cheap but elegant and also disposable.

4. Postage - For the DIY bride, make sure your invite is not over sized, bulky or irregular because you will pay dearly for it. Things like envelope liners can be skipped (nobody will notice) and fancy multi-layer invites add extra weight that will increase the postage cost.

5.Overtime - When planning for the big day, factor in the time you need to get ready, travel and the time reserved for pictures among other things because the last thing you want to do is incur extra cost from your venue and vendors because you went into overtime. For photography, 5 hours is really limited so make sure you carefully plan your day of timeline to include everything you want including extra time for any mishaps!

6. The Wedding Dress

via Etsy

Ladies, there are bridal outlets like Vows in Watertown, MA that will deliver you your dream dress for way less than retail. If you are up for Running of the Brides than you might be as lucky as me and score your dress for $250. Also, make sure you get properly measured by a professional seamstress so you know that the bridal consultant isn't ordering a dress size that is way too BIG for you. This way you are not paying for extra alterations to get the dress down to your size. Used or Sample dresses are the best way to save. Most designers will also offer discounts at trunk shows so be on the lookout. And whatever you do, stick to your budget! Bring in pictures of dresses you like and don't be afraid to try on different styles. KEEP AN OPEN MIND. You might be surprised to find that your dream dress is something you never imagine yourself wearing in the first place! The custom route is another option for the bride who has done her research and knows exactly what she wants because she can have a pro recreate her dress for less. Also, you can order a WHITE bridesmaid dress and accessorize it with a nice bling belt and hair accessory - turning it into a simply stunning wedding dress.

7. Do yourself a favor and skip the favors altogether. Unless you can DIY on the cheap, it isn't worth it. Most wedding favors are usually cheesy and tacky and get tossed out. However, edible favors are popular and are relatively inexpensive. If you want to splurge, your guests will appreciate the photo booth more than that expensive paper weight. It is still one thing though that can easily save money if crossed off the list.

8. Flowers

I highly suggest using seasonal blooms to save money and to use less flowers by decorating with ribbons, lanterns, glass bowls using flower heads or candles. Non floral centerpieces are a great alternative. We alternated between floral and non-floral centerpieces. Reusing blooms from your ceremony (or skipping them altogether) will save you money too. For instance my bridal bouquet was the centerpiece for our head table. I cut down the flower bill by having my bridesmaid carry fans instead of bouquets. They also had floral wrist corsages as a floral accent. Non-Traditional bouquets made from brooches and fabric flowers are also a nice alternative plus they last f-o-r-e-v-e-r as a keepsakes!

via Etsy

If you are a flower lover like me, certain blooms like orchids will be costly but having a great florist helps. My florist suggested mini Cymbidium orchids instead of using Phalaenopsis or the full size Cymbidums in my bouquet which brought down the cost. Also, roses...they are available year round and they are lush/full and come in a myraid of colors. Cheaper flowers like carnations make a huge impact as clusters.

The lovelies with their fans and flowers

9. Shrink the guest list. This is the quickest and surest way to save money. We did not have a big fat Cambodian-Chinese wedding. However by most standards, 200 guests is still a lot of people. Each time you subtract a name from your guest list, you significantly lower your overall cost.

10. Lastly, be realistic. If you have grand visions of a gold gilded ballroom venue and chiavari chair rentals at $7 a piece than you need to prioritize! Find the 3 things that matter most to you and your beau because most couples don't have a unlimited budget. So if you decide to splurge on that designer Monique Lhuillier wedding dress or the 6 tier fondant cake than you have to find other areas to cut or save.

- Most brides have some half baked preconceived notions about wedding budgets (myself included). The DIY route doesn't always equate to savings, just more creativity and control over the final product. Most brides don't complete all of their DIY projects because they fail to factor time and money into the equation. Sometimes it is best to hire a professional like say for alterations on the wedding dress (unless you are an expert seamstress with experience). Also, don't expect the parental units not to put their two cents in when they are contributing dollars to the wedding budget. Our parents did not and therefore had little say in our wedding plans although we respectfully listened to their ideas, opinions and advice. Just remember, the person or persons who hold the purse strings have the final say.

11."You get what you pay for"

While I don't believe you have to pay an arm and a leg for great service - it goes without saying that hiring a professional is always a good idea. So do you research! Weddingwire.com, The Wedding Channel and Yelp to name a few have thousands of vendor reviews available online at the click of a button. The Knotties on your local board can also recommend vendors in your budget too. Less experienced vendors will be significantly cheaper but if the deal is too good to be true than you are probably not getting the quality service you deserve.

One fellow bride told me about how she hired a amateur DJ for her wedding - who not only showed up late but he was also very unprepared (he forgot the no play list) so there were several songs played that raised more than a few eyebrows.

- A friend who is a vendor can sometimes be a slippery slope. They are called friendors. If this friendor is hired for his or her expertise in a profession they do for a living than go ahead and hire him or her. However to ensure the friendship is still intact after the wedding please pay them for what they are worth even with the discount. Show your appreciation. Also be upfront with expectations so there aren't any surprises. C-o-m-m-u-n-i-c-a-t-i-o-n is key with every vendor including the ones who are your friends.

I asked for small favors and designated certain tasks to members of my bridal party and family in order to avoid the messy ordeals with friendors. My bridal party completely understood my expectations and my family knew how to handle me - and my sometimes silly demands :-)

Everything else I left in the hands of my Day of Coordinator (another great wedding investment).

- The non-professional-friendor. I am kinda against hiring them. They don't have the experience or insurance to handle a crisis should god-forbid something goes wrong on your wedding day. Don't take this huge risk if you want peace of mind. It is complicated enough to hire your friends but if you are unhappy with their services because the friend didn't decorate your wedding cake to your specifications or the photos your friend took didn't include the detail shots on your photography list than you might lose a friend because of a wedding snafu.

Case and point - Your photographer friend gets sick or something terrible happens to him or her on the day of your wedding. Does this friend have a backup available to shoot your wedding? Probably not. Does this friend have liability insurance to cover costs for any damages that occurred during the wedding? Probably not. Does this friend have backup equipment for the backup? Probably Not. Does this friend have the experience, education, skill, software and lenses/lightening equipment to shoot your wedding come rain or shine? Probably not. If so, he or she would be a professional in their field. Yes, you will be saving money hiring your friend but your visual memories should not be measured in nickels and dimes. They are a treasured keepsake that should be a reflection of the happiest day of your life. So you NEED a professional with a artistic vision to capture all of that!

I had 3 professional photographers plus a family member who is also a pro. We had him marry us so there was no way we could ask him to shoot our wedding too. We also had a friend, who is really talented but because he didn't have the experience, we could not ask him to shoot our wedding. He did deliver us some amazing pictures but when I compared them to our pro photographers' work, there were definite differences in style and the types of lens and post production work. We knew we made the right decision to hire our photographers. They were worth their weight in gold.

Below are a few articles worth reading in regards to hiring a professional photographer. There are differences between consumer photographers, commercial photographers and wedding photographers so it is worth noting that wedding photography is a specialty. The last link is a tool to help you find a wedding photographer. G.L

http://www.vandenheuvelphoto.com/2010/why-hire-a-professional-photographer/

http://www.weddingwindow.com/blog/2010/11/26/why-everyone-should-hire-a-pro/

http://www.bridepop.com/advice/professional-for-wedding-photography/

http://www.wpja.com/

For Sale

2011-11-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

The hubby has been on my case for many moons about selling the wedding leftovers. Some items have been gently used and others are brand new. Prices are for local pick up only. Cash & Carry. Thank You~

Custom Tie
- Microfiber silk screen design in White & Gold
- "Oh Honey" Design by Cyberoptix Ties (click for more images)
Condition: Used/Excellent
Price: $13

Wedding Gown: Pronovias Romina

Street Size: 6
Style: Lace Modified Mermaid/fit and flare with chapel length train and French Bustle. Removable one shoulder strap, modified sweet heart neckline (slight curve), Zippered back
Condition: Used/Altered/Very Good
Color: Ivory
Price: $220
- The dress has not been cleaned
- You may try on the dress
- Ideal for petite brides
-Relatively light weight despite the layers, easy to boogie the night away in!
- Contact me for more pictures!

Veil: Ivory Lace Fingertip (40 inches in length and 54 inches in width with 2 inch lace trim)

- The lace is similar to Alençon lace

- Originally retails for $78

- First image is of me wearing it. I kept the veil on all night as it was so lightweight.

- Second image is of the veil on Etsy.com

Condition: Used/Fair – I bought this item used with a slight defect so there is a tiny hole in the veil but it is barely visible.

Price: $10

Veil: Ivory Chapel Length (90 inches in length and 108 inches wide)

- 2 tier circular drop veil

- comes with a metal comb

Condition: Used/Excellent

-I wore this veil for group formals only.

Price: $35.00

Bridal Shoes: Coloriffics Carmen

- Ivory Satin with a cushioned sole

- Size 7

- 2 inch heel

- Originally Retails for $67

Condition: Almost New/Excellent

- I never wore them on the Big Day but I did try to break them in a little but changed my mind last minute when I found bridal sandals which were more appropriate for my beach wedding.

Price:$21

Linens - 120" Round Turquoise/Teal Polyester table cloth

Condition: Brand New

Price:$7

- ideal for 60" table (seats 8-10 guests)

- high quality

Linen - 90 X 156 Fuchsia Satin table cloth

Condition: Brand New

Price: $7

- ideal for rectangular banquet table

- high quality

I also have available used 120” Turquoise/Teal satin round table cloth and 90” Fuchsia satin round table cloth. I will update on the quantities soon. Each are priced at $4 a piece, discount on bulk purchase.

Basket – Medium Rustic white wicker basket with handle used to hold programs

Condition: Used/Excellent

Price: $5

Basket - Small Rustic white wicker (used to hold bathroom essentials)

Condition: Used/Excellent

Price: $3

Mini picture frames - 2 fuchsia frames, 4 turquoise frames

-used as table numbers

- Indian Design

- size is 2"L X 2"W
Condition: New & Used/Excellent
Price: 75 cents each or $4 for all

Golden Buddha Card Holder - 1 piece

- Size is 2" L X 3" H X 1" W

Condition: Used/Excellent

Price: $2

Acrylic Gold beaded rim chargers – set of 6

Condition: Used/Excellent

Price: $7

Battery Operated Flickering Tea lights - Set of 10
- Safe Alternative to real tea lights, longer lasting too.
- Not pictured since they were used inside our paper luminaries.
- They can be commonly found online if you need more than 10 pieces.
Condition: Used/Excellent
Price: $5

Heart Shaped Glass Candy Dish

- size 4 1/2" L X 5 1/2" W, 2 inch depth

- used primary for mints for guests
- Not pictured (stored away in a box for safe keeping)

Condition: Excellent

Price:$1

I Heart Weddings

2011-10-29T00:52:00.000-07:00

It's been exactly 153 days since Pepe and I got hitched! However, the wedding day is still very fresh in my mind. I can easily recall the tender loving moments we exchanged at the altar. I cried because I was so overcome with emotion. The sight of my husband to be and our love ones around us simply tugged at my heart strings. It really was the happiest day of my life.

So when people ask me about my wedding. I can't help but go on and on about it. But it isn't just my wedding that I love. I love weddings in general. Weddings are a day of celebration, pure and simple. It's two people coming together, two families coming together and how their lives will become inextricably intertwined. And the best weddings are those that celebrate the couple in love and showcase details that are meaningful to their relationship.

I may not be planning my own wedding anymore but I still have the DVR set to record a host of wedding shows. I still have mod duties on The Knot R.I board. I am also really looking forward to my friend's wedding next week and my nephew and niece's wedding in the fall of 2012. Years from now, Pepe and I would love to have a vow renewal to celebrate our love all over again. It's also a good excuse to throw a fabulous party!

So for those brides-to-be that are a little doubt plagued about taking the leap into matrimonial bliss. It may not be an easy ride but hang in there. The cloud of stress you are feeling while you plan your wedding will be lifted and it will be worth it because your love is worth all of the hard work, time and money you put into making that one special day perfect. Yeah, it is just one day but you know it's significant and you are committing forever....So just remember to enjoy it. :-)

Love,
Moni

Tying the Knot: Budget Breakdown

2011-10-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

I was never planning on doing this post. But after getting a few requests, I decided to share the nitty-gritty details of our budget. This post is an ode to my good work- my hours and hours of hunting for the best vendors and feeling like we really did spend our money well.

That said, here is a fairly accurate estimate of all the gory details. I did round up the numbers since I did not include what we gave in tips. This was a Newport wedding for close to 200 guests (178 lovely people showed up)We are incredibly thankful for all of the monetary gifts we received from our friends and family. They were so very generous.

Venue: $2,000
Damage Deposit: $200
Insurance/Host Liquor License: $175 (required by our venue)

Photography: $3,250
Video:$1350

Band: $1500

Catering (Cocktail & Reception):$7060
Catering Rentals:$484.00
Bar Expense: $500 (Bar tending service fee plus all the fixings)
Alcohol: $1100 (we hosted an open bar but bought our own alcohol)
Dessert Bar:$450

Officiant/Monks: $100
Cambodian Ceremony Food & Drinks: $250
Cambodian Wedding Clothes Rental: $200 ( The hubby and I only wore TWO outfits and my bridal party wore 1)

Day of Coordinator: $750

Invitations: $275
Save the Dates: $45

Flowers & Non-Floral Centerpiece:$852
Decor: $229
Linens:$375
Misc. items: $189.00

Wedding Dress & Alterations:$528

Bridal Beauty:$580 (I also paid to have my sister and my MOH and BM have their make up done professionally)

Bridal Accessories: $191 (including two veils, two pairs of shoes and a custom couture hair accessory)

Groom & Groomsmen attire/accessories:$512

Transportation:$206

All in all, not too shabby considering we got what we wanted and our day was beautiful and memorable. We did go over budget by a few grand which means I didn't stick to the budget but in the end, we both felt it was worth every penny. The average cost of a wedding varies from state to state. It is actually very expensive to get married in R.I (MA even higher). The national average is $26,542 so we are under by a bit. If you want to find out more about wedding costs in your area, check out the link below. G.L and happy planning!

Cost of Wedding

Picture Perfect Prints

2011-09-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

Photography starts with an artist and a camera but it ends with a beautiful image captured in time. So in this digital age where all our memories are stored away in a electronic device, it is so wonderful to actually hold something as tangible as a photograph. The nostalgia is in the physical prints. They preserve a special piece of the day that a digital image simply can't replicate.

We recently took advantage of a special offer by Kodak Gallery to have 200 premium prints (matte or glossy) printed for pennies. We paid close to $3.00 for all of the pictures plus free shipping. The pictures will be sent along with our Thank You cards to friends and family. I also ordered some professional prints from a couple of online photo labs to compare the difference between the Kodak Metallic Endura and the Fuji Crystal Archive Pearl. The metallic has a nice glossy finish and of course metallic appearance. The paper creates images with exceptional visual depth. In addition to delivering rich, vibrant colors and flattering flesh tones, this paper also offers century-plus image stability. The pearl paper is equally beautiful. It has a more softer subtle opalescent shimmer than the metallic paper - hence the "pearl" in the name. I love how neutral and well balance the black and white photos look with the pearl paper. The pictures have the same high gloss as the metallic but with a milky iridescence. I had a combo of both types of photo paper printed to display pictures in our home. The nearest Home Goods store provided professional matte frames for a inexpensive price (starting at $7.99 for 5 X 7). I also took advantage of a Groupon deal to have a metal photo printed. Yes, metal! The metal is heat infused with an image to a specially coated aluminum surface giving the photo a luminescence sheen. It is definitely a great way of preserving and displaying an image. According to the companies that offer metal photo printing, they are scratch proof and are impervious to water. The metal photos are more expensive than the traditional canvas prints but with the deal, I wanted to see for myself what a metal photo looked like. I recently placed an order so I'll be back to write a review on the final product. Also be on the look out for Groupon and Living Social deals for Print to Canvas products as well as other photo print friendly offers.

As for our wedding album, I decided not to go the professional route because it really isn't in our budget. Pro albums can cost thousands of dollars. Plus we also don't care for the traditional flushmounts. They are definitely beautiful but we like the more modern and simple but sophisticated look of the press books. I'm currently working on the parent album with a pre-made designer template on adobe. It is definitely a lot of work but worth it.

The Details pt. 1

2011-09-19T15:32:00.000-07:00

Life is all about the details. Weddings are no exception. As discerning urbanites, we wanted an escape from the mundane. More importantly, we wanted our wedding to be uniquely about us. This was by no means an easy feat to accomplish as what was expected from us was a very traditional Cambodian wedding. And yet somehow everything came together for us. We got what we wanted and so much more. Our theme? Moni & Aaron.

The primary colours for our wedding were Fuchsia and Teal. A vibrant shade of pink made perfect sense for a spring/summer wedding. I also loved how the fuchsia complimented the color teal my husband choose. We both love teal and our home is evidence of that - we painted the accent wall in our living room teal. Our kitchen is also a shade of teal with white trimming. So yeah...we heart teal! We also used a lot of gold in our wedding as a accent colour. Gold is a classic rich colour used in Cambodian weddings.

Concept wise, we wanted to keep things clean, simple, modern but also fun and whimsy. The colors and cultural influence created a marriage of modern meets lush jewel tone seaside soiree.

Teal Satin linens were much more inexpensive to buy than to rent. We also purchased fuchsia linens for the specialty tables (dessert bar, consumption bar, escort table and card table). The colors complimented the centerpiece decor. Our dinner set up was pretty basic and simple - not cluttered since with 7 courses we needed ample space on the table. Chopsticks were also provided by request. The disposable origami napkins were chic and cheap. As a Origamist, it added the perfect touch to our table setting.

I've always considered flowers to be an important aspect of a wedding. They bring color, texture, warmth and aroma to the ceremony and reception. Our venue is a blank white canvas so we used bright bold colours to paint life into them. The roses came in every shade of the rainbow which made it an easy choice for flowers. They are also available year round and are relatively inexpensive so I highly recommend brides to use them. Peonies are one of my favorite blooms and lucky for me they were also in season. Their lush fullness and vibrant pink hues are so dreamy. The billy balls aka Craspedia flowers and bear grass added texture and a whimsical look to the centerpiece.

- Special thanks to Sherry from Wholefoods University in Providence for turning my vision into a seamless reality.

We alternated the floral centerpieces with fuchsia Lotus candle holders made from capiz shells. They were small but had a big impact. Lotus flowers are significant symbols in Asian cultures especially in Buddhism. They represent elegance, beauty, purity and grace. Many of our guests loved them. We used soy candles because of their longevity - as oppose to using paraffin wax candles. It was also an eco-friendly choice too. The non-floral centerpieces helped cut down on the cost. They also last longer than fresh flowers so guests took them home as a keepsake favor.

We eschewed from the traditional choices for cake toppers. I didn't want a generic porcelain figurine, flowers or a monogram letter. Luckily Etsy provided a host of personalized options. We choose the custom clay couple from Etsy artist, Mudcards. she created cute cartoon figures of us. My husband wore his favorite sports team jersey under his suit while holding his xbox controller. I wanted to make sure to his other favorite hobby, tennis was also represented. I decided to have my figurine wear a traditional Cambodian outfit since I had no intentions of changing from my white wedding dress into one. My way of paying homage to our roots.

We had another Etsy artist create us a fabric scroll for us to use as a sign in guest book. We have a space spoken for it on one of the walls in our living room. It has the signature of all of our loves one on it. The Apsara monogram from our wedding invitation suite was also used in our paper luminaries and reserved cards. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of our luminaries from the wedding. We used mini picture frames I found at Target for $1 a piece as table numbers for our reserved tables.

Since we had no assigned seating for our guests, I had place cards made only for us and the bridal party. I had an Etsy artist laser cut their names in gold cardstock (our accent color). Our names doubled as decor at our reception which made for some nice pictures. I still have our place cards in the living room.

As I mentioned before, we had no assigned seating arrangement but we did reserve tables for some of our guests - mostly for the out of towners and our friends who are more accustomed to the Western style seating arrangements. I made a manzanita tree with the names and table numbers but one of the hiccups was we lost the bag containing the origami cranes with the names of our guests and the hanging crystals. Luckily, my day of coordinators quickly crafted paper punches with names of the guests and their table numbers. If time was on our side, I would have requested fresh blooms to decorate some of the branches.

The personalizations continued with the luminaries. I had a Etsy wedding and my penchant for paper things and hand crafted goods made up much of our decor. The Apsara luminaries (not pictured) and the custom name luminaries were placed in one of the many glass windows overlooking the beach. We used led lights for safety reasons to light them up. Our coordinators set up the name luminaries right behind the bar. It was the perfect place to greet our guests. We were careful not to go overboard.

Better Together

2011-09-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

After all that's happened, my happiest days and my saddest moments -the fire inside me has been rekindled. The hubby and I are trying to add to the list of "us adventures" by spending the whole day together doing nothing particularly special except being together. We realize everything in our life is just better when we are together.

Better Together

There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a, shoebox of photographsWith sepia-toned loving
Love is the answer,
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Like why are we here? And where do we go?
And how come it's so hard?
It's not always easy and
Sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together

~ Jack Johnson

Blessed

2011-09-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Today my dad took me to the temple to be blessed. While I was there, the monk offered me some spiritual guidance and advice on life. One of the things he told me was that all great marriages include conflict. This just means the couple is trying to get it right. He told me I had to face my fears and insecurities if I wanted to grow as a person. But most importantly change the way I respond to people. I am going to try my best to make amends and work on my relationships with not only my husband but my mother and the other important people in my life.

I'd like to be able to say that after this week, my irrational behavior is no more. Kind of, sort of, is closer to the truth. I'm still learning to manage my anger, cope with stress and pull myself out of depression. After looking deeply into my soul and talking to good friends and the most supportive family a girl could ever have, I've come to recognize certain things about myself. Not to get all Dr. Phil about it, but I've had to examine my history with an emotionally damaged and strong-willed mother and the biological father who abandon me. I have to face up to all the ways, both good and bad, that those relationships have affected how I approach my marriage. But that's the strange beauty of it. Marriage is full of hard times and hard lessons that no one can ever prepare you for. But in the end, those are the things that give richness to your life together -- and make your love even deeper and stronger than when it began.

Limbo

2011-09-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Within one week, I've managed to destroy everything important in my life. My uncontrollable rage has left me physically and emotionally scarred. My relationship with my mother and my husband is damaged. I am not sure if they can be fixed. All I know is that I feel very hopeless and alone right now. My husband is on vacation visiting his family some 3,000 plus miles away while I am here in the depths of depression. He is in equal pain or so he says. I just can't sense that with the stone cold tone in his voice. I don't know if this is the end. Maybe this is grief or pain or whatever it is they call it. Language always falls short of describing this type of misery. But I want to numb it. I want to be lobotomize so I can have dissociative amnesia. That way I won't have to remember or relive all the painful memories all over again. He will return home to a broken home...literally...I have torn to shreds all of our pictures and broken things that would remind me of us. I am left wondering if I can pick up the pieces of my life and put it back together again. Everything is such a mess...

Vows

2011-09-02T00:39:00.000-07:00

“May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn’t live a day without you” - Leap Year

Thank You Cards

2011-08-26T09:51:00.000-07:00

Most brides - and grooms might find writing personal thank you notes to be a daunting task. Not moi! I relish in the art of writing. However, we are a little late with sending them out. The mister and I wanted to use our wedding photos as thank you cards so we had to wait until we received the pictures from our photographers. It also took me a bit of time finding the right card design. After scouring Etsy and the like for reasonably priced greeting cards, my fancy-self decided to have someone create us a digital template for a small fee. We choose a printing company, Nations Photo lab for their pressed cards with the metallic sheen but we had an issue with the order when they came in a few days ago. The photo "cards" were printed on photo paper instead of heavy card stock material like postcards. Part of the design (our pictures) were cut off. Needless to say, I was really disappointed and called up the company to complain about the so-called photo cards. They gave us a credit to reorder the cards. However, their ROES software program is really complicated. *Sigh* we should have used ProDpi, which is the best professional print lab in the U.S and Canada. Of course I wanted to save some moolah so we didn't order from them. It would have saved us the headache. So today I am going to try to get in touch with a rep at Nations Photo Lab so we can figure out how to place an order. Honestly, I find learning how to use Adobe photoshop easier than ordering from this company. Lesson learn!

Lovelies

2011-08-18T23:01:00.000-07:00

It's been a few months since the wedding and I have already let most of the details slip away. I wish I was more diligent with writing down all the tid bits but I was so busy before and after the wedding that I never really found the time. I did soak up every moment of our day like a sponge. My husband looked so swoon worthy in his suit and tie, it was Love at Second Sight :)

Sneaking in a "few" faves of the day. There are just so many beautiful photos that I could fill multiple blog posts with pictures alone.

Blog Worthy

2011-08-17T16:27:00.001-07:00

Last week the mister and I received our wedding photos and a cinematic dvd from our photographers. Today we made it on their blog roll. We are in total awe at the artistic composition and cohesive narrative they created with our photos. They were absolutely worth the wait! Thank you Konrad, Piotr and Monika for such amazing pictures.

Visit our online wedding gallery

Moni & Aaron

Reviews I

2011-07-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

I know my vendor reviews have been long overdue. Originally I wanted to wait until I had the pro pics but alas my patience is wearing thin these days so I thought whatever! I will just follow up the post with pictures. The reviews are divided into two parts. They are written in no particular order. I rated my vendors based on a scale from 1-5 stars instead of using the alphabet grade, which is not commonly used to rate online reviews outside of the Knot forum

I also intend to re-post my reviews on weddingwire, wedding channel (The Knot's sister website) and Yelp so brides searching for a particular vendor can easily find the reviews. I highly recommend brides to follow suite as the reviews posted on The Knot community forum will simply get lost. In regards to my vendors, please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks again!

Sewing Creations by Rose ***** (5 stars)

Rose, my fairy godmother turned my oversized and wrinkly wedding dress into my dream dress. I brought my Pronovias Romina to her with some hesitation as I wasn’t sure if the dress was right for me. I found it at Filene’s Running of the Brides but the dress was way too big so I had a difficult time envision myself getting married in it. However, I loved the soft fabric, intricate lace and beaded details. I was also in love with the beautiful cathedral train which Rose added a French bustle to so I could dance the night away. Rose did extensive alterations on my dress. I wanted a one shoulder neckline that would help cover up the small scar on my chest. She also gave my dress a fuller skirt for a more fit and flare look. Rose’s most impressive handiwork was the lace and bead work realignment at the hem of my dress. I was worried that the lace would be lost once it was cut to my size but she made sure the continuous lace pattern was perfectly re-attached without error. As for Rose’s personality, she is very sweet and endearing. She carried my dress to my car and had my perfectly pressed veils ready too. Rose also left me a heart felt note. I can't thank Rose enough for making my dress perfect for me.

Sam C ***** (5 stars)

While Sam is not a professional hair stylist by trade, she is every bit a pro. She made me look picture perfect on my big day – somehow she managed to tame my wild mane and create a soft flowy and romantic updo for the reception. She also works quickly and is very reasonably priced. As a budget bride, she was definitely the best bang for the buck. So yes Sam lives up to her hype. My advice is to book her in advance because she is highly sought after and because of her busy schedule, you definitely need to plan ahead to schedule for a trial. I did not have a trial with her because of our conflicting schedule but because I knew what I wanted and we communicated via e-mail and phone, she was able to create my wedding day hair without any issues.

Sara Faella Make up Artistry & Hair Design, Custom Couture Hair Accessory ***** (5 stars)

As a woman of color, it has always been a harrowing experience for me to have my make up done professionally. So after several disastrous make up trials, I was delighted to have met Sara. She completely embraced my Asian features. And with the wave of her brushes, she turned my uneven skin tone into an impeccably even velvety complexion. Sara’s ability to highlight my finer features and downplay the rest is amazing. She creates this flawless universally appealing visage. For me, it was not only her ability to perfectly match my skin tone to the right shade of foundation but her wonderful bubbly personality. Sara never felt like a vendor to me. She was more like my friend and confidant.

On the day of the wedding, she got me dolled up at the crack of dawn (literally very early in the am) and than she came back with her assistant to do touch ups on me and apply air brush make up on my ladies. I was very pleased with my first look - although I would have preferred to have gone with less make up, traditional Cambodian wedding dictated otherwise. I also wish I decided to go more natural like at my trial but this bride was a bit indecisive at the last minute. As for my hair for the Cambodian ceremony – it held up perfectly. Sara is just as talented with a make up brush as she is with a curler. I was also impressed with her glam gal. She worked with my ladies to create a day to evening look that lasted all night. Sara also created the most beautiful floral hair pin for my big day. She designs custom pieces with great detail and tailors the accessories to the bride’s desire.

Visual-Obsession Modern Photography ***** (5 stars – pending final product)

You know when you hear a song that you really love, and it makes you feel a certain way? Well, that is how I felt when I first looked at Konrad and Piotr's collection of beautiful wedding photography. Their pictures are not your typical run of the mill wedding photography. Instead they are amazingly varied– from bold brassy colors to soft washed vintage and classic black and white. I love everything from the kinetic motion shots – like the one of us jumping in mid air at our first photo session to the sweet intimate close up shots of us under the twinkling street lights in downtown

The photos are really multi-dimensional just like everyday life. Yet despite that, they don’t feel scattered at all when you look at them as a group – there’s a real cohesiveness that comes from their amazing eye. And their ability to connect with their clients is just as impressive as their talent behind the lens. The Mr. and I are not photogenic so we appreciated their “direction” and their laid back easy going vibe really put us at ease. Communication wise – they were also the most responsive vendor!

On our wedding day, they had their assistant Monika help cover the wedding. We had close to 200 people and with two wedding ceremonies, the extra set of eyes captured every moment of the day. They were completely unobtrusive and extremely patient with our rambunctious crowd. The guys easily got our group together for formals while still making it a fun event. Konrad and Piotr also included a picture of us on a business size card that had a link to our online wedding gallery. These cards were at every place setting so all of our guests have access to the photos online.

As a budget bride, photography was a splurge for us. We spent a little over 3 grand but our package did include everything we wanted and more. Our photographers were there from beginning to end with no time limit. They included a First Look session, all of our wedding photos in high resolution on a DVD with reprint rights plus resized versions for the web and mobile phone. They also include a cinematic animated DVD slideshow and a personal web page for viewing to share with friends and family. All of the photos are edited and refined so I know we are getting the very best version of our pictures. Overall, we considered our photographers to be one of the best investment we made because at the end of the day, there is nothing more important than having your visual memories preserved.

Gracie Lou Events ***** (5 stars)

There are so many details that can easily slip the mind of a nervous, excited bride-to-be but the sanity savers at Gracie Lou Events left no stone unturned. They were there from start to finish - ensuring a smooth execution of both the Cambodian wedding and the Western ceremony and reception. I was really impressed with their ability to communication my wishes. I was even more impressed with how warm and welcoming they were with our guests. The mini crisis we encountered on our wedding day was quickly and quietly resolved. Their calmness and confidence became an anchor for me whenever I started to come undone. My husband and I are so thankful to have them (Liz, Adrienne and Kate) part of our big day. Hiring a DOC was not in our initial budget but Gracie Lou Events worked with us. They were the best wedding investment we made because they gave us complete peace of mind. I say this because even at the end of the night, Adrienne drove us (I and my less than sober husband) to our hotel.

Tip-C Cupcakes ***** (5 stars)

I absolutely loved the idea of serving alcoholic infused cupcakes at our wedding. However, we also wanted to have a variety of dessert options available. Tip-C cupcakes worked with us to create a scrumptious parade of Asian inspired sweets. They really wowed our guests with twists on traditional favorites. The presentation was also amazing! Chanara, the co-owner is absolutely charming. Her creativity and passion for cupcakes definitely won us over. Needless to say, we will be repeat customers forever!

Whole Foods University: Florist ***** (5 stars)

I love flowers so it only made sense that they would set the style and tone for our summer seaside nuptials. However with my shoe string budget and particular pickings (for flowers), I wasn’t able to find a florist who wouldn’t break the bank. Well this is until I met with Sherry from Whole Foods. Yes, Whole Foods - the super market health chain. Now I will be the first to admit my skepticism. I didn’t think they would understand my vision or more importantly, execute it. I was quite wrong, Sherry completely understood it. She was very attentive at the consult and her communication was great afterwards (quick response via e-mails). She even priced everything out for me as well as made suggestions to reduce cost. Now, I know Whole Foods is not typically on a bride’s radar when it comes to wedding day flowers but I highly recommend their floral services. The quality and craftsmanship is comparable to any reputable floral boutique in the area. And the best part is the prices are dirt cheap. So you really get the best of both worlds.

For the budget brides, I spent about $850 on flowers including delivery to the house and our venue.
9 short centerpieces with peonies, roses and crespedia aka billy balls, bear grass accents in a clear 4 X 4 square glass vase. (Glass vase included in price)
1 bridal bouquet with peonies, roses, and mini cymbidium orchids, and bear grass loops
2 wrist corsages for my bridesmaid
12 bouts/pin-on corsages for family and the groomsmen
1 dozen roses used for the Traditional Buddhist ceremony. The petals were reused for tossing.
1 bouquet of exotic green foliages with baby bananas, ginger and bird of paradise blooms (split into two centerpieces for the ceremony and reused at the reception)

PSP Syndrome

2011-06-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

I am currently suffering from the "post wedding slump" - as my date twin on The Knot describes it. This is when one goes into wedding withdrawals! Now that the wedding is over I have all this time left over. I thought I could occupy it with my next big project - Home Renovations! Alas, I miss planning. I still have pictures to look forward to and I am definitely going to write about the big day and the days leading up to it. I will also finish writing the reviews and clearing out the wedding stuff. For now I want to share some eye candy from the wedding. My friend Kim and cousin Rady took these pictures. It is just a preview of what is to come.

Moni & Aaron

Honeymoon Hiatus

2011-06-08T21:08:00.000-07:00

Moni & Aaron highlight reel - Hope this makes up for my lack of blogs. Will return when the high wears off! Still twirling and whirling in the after glow of our beautiful day.

Lust Often, Love Always,

Moni

Prince of Providence

2011-05-20T21:11:00.001-07:00

By popular request, our little love had some wonderful shots at our e-session too.

First Look Favorites

2011-05-17T20:50:00.000-07:00

Our photographers, Visual-Obsession delivered us some stunning shots from our Night Escapade session. Pepe and I are in total awe. We are not the most photogenic people. In fact we are pretty camera shy but our photographers made us feel so comfortable they completely put us at ease. They also gave us plenty of direction when it came to taking photos. They even took turn watching our dog, who was a bit of a handful at times. The night was a bit nippy and after the long day we were tired. However, it was all worth it.

Goody Bags

2011-05-05T23:41:00.000-07:00

Pepe modeling the puppets
We are expecting quite a few little ones between the ages of 4-8 at our wedding. So to keep the kids entertained during the wedding, we decided to put together goody bags for them. Included in the bags are the adorable finger puppets Pepe found at Ikea, pipe cleaners for creative craft projects (highly recommended by our day of coordinators, ribbon wands, Hello Kitty note pads and pens for the girls, and mini slinky for the boys.

1. Pipe Cleaners $2.99 for 100 pc
2. Ribbon Wands $1.25 each
3. Hello Kitty note pads were 4 for $2, I bought 3 sets for $6
4. Hello Kitty Mini Pens $2 for 4
5. Mini slinky $1
6. Finger puppets $15 for 27 (Each child will receive two puppets)
7. Mini gift bags 0.40 cents each

15 kids total, 10 girls and 5 boys...oh my!

I also purchased 48 mini bubbles ($7.99) for the kids and adults to use during the beach ceremony and 30 glow in the dark stick bracelets for $2.
As for the older kids and teens, I will probably have some sweet treat for favors plus the ribbon wands. I did not include any sugary delights for the little ones in fear of a sugar high. I am still on the hunt for baby favors as I have a few tiny tots. The little trinkets I put in the goody bags were choking hazards for any child under 3 yrs of age. So if anyone has any suggestions, let me know!

Most of the items I purchased were from Target - thanks to a friend/mommy for informing me on the great deals!

Cultural Conflict: RSVPs & Open Seating

2011-04-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

One of the most tormenting task for me has been creating a seating chart for our wedding. The other is getting guests to RSVP. Both are relatively foreign notions to most of our Cambodian guests. So I have resigned myself to the fact that most of our elderly guests will not RSVP. I can accept this as RSVP is not the norm. However, I can't figure out why my friends - mostly my age have not RSVP yet. I had to send messages, texts and make a few phone calls. It is a bit annoying as the deadline date gets closer. I don't want to assume no response is a no show.

As for my plans for open seating - it makes me a bit nervous. I find this type of seating arrangement to be unorganized and somewhat chaotic. However this is the norm at Cambodian weddings. On the other hand, it is often helpful to design a seating chart that assigns tables but allows individual guests to decide. This works well with guests who know each other and are assign to the same table where they can intermingle freely. We have decided to mark a few tables "Reserve" for these guests and the rest is free style - open seating. Wedding Seating Etiquette differs from culture to culture but being able to find a compromise that is both practical and respectful is always important.

Engagement session in Cambodia

2011-04-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Beautiful, Breath taking, Brilliant! Those are the words that sum up this amazing engagement session on Savady Photography . The couple looks blissfully in love while the the backdrop shots of the majestic temples of Angkor make it even more Ah-mazing! To see more stunning photos please click above!

Hair comes the bride!

2011-04-21T18:20:00.000-07:00

A Cambodian bride will have more than a dozen wardrobe changes on her wedding day or days if she chooses to go all out. She will have her hair styled and make up applied just as many times. As a no fuss bride, I prefer practicality over tradition. I plan on wearing two traditional wedding outfits for the morning ceremony and than don my white gown for the evening reception. This means I will have two looks for the wedding. My make up for the Cambodian wedding will be on the dramatic side. I will go more natural for the Western reception. As for hair styles, I love the half up and half down dos with soft romantic curls. A dramatic updo is also timeless and classic too. My hair trial isn't until May 5th so I have a little more time to narrow it down.

Light it up

2011-04-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

My monogram luminaries came in the other day! I assembled two so I could bring them to the venue on Monday when we meet with our DOC. The luminaries look really chic. They are also fairly budget friendly. Originally, I wanted uplights but I couldn't justify spending the money with so much daylight hour (sunset is around 8ish).

The luminaries will be used to decorate the windows inside the Rotunda ballroom. I am using battery operated flickering led lights for safety reasons. 6 luminaires, 3 lows and 3 highs for each window unit. There are 9 window units total so that's about 54 luminaries! We have a few more that will be used to decorate our guest book table. Thanks to The Papery Nook for making my custom luminaries!

The Menu: East Meets West

2011-04-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Cocktail Hour

- Shepherd's Pie (My favorite!)

- BBQ Pulled Pork with Corn Bread (Pepe's favorite)

- Scallops wrapped in Bacon

- Boneless Buffalo Chicken wings with celery and bleu cheese dip

- Crispy Veggie platter with tangy parmesian and peppercorn dip

- Fresh Fruit platter with low fat yogurt dip

Dinner - Family Style

1. Marinated Beef Sticks

2. House Fried Rice (pork, chicken, shrimp, eggs) w/ carrots

and peas

3. Lemongrass Chicken Wings

4. Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup with Shrimp

5. Steamed Whole Fish with ginger and scallion

6. Fried soft shell crabs

7. Seafood Delight with Bird's Nest

- also served with white rice

Tip-C Cupcakes, North Providence, R.I

The Dessert Bar

- Creme brulee

- Tiramisu Espresso Rum

- French style Cheesecakes with assorted toppings

- Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits

- mini tarts (coconut, bananas, and pineapple)

- Stuffed Coconut pancakes with nutella

- Alcoholic cupcakes in assorted flavors

Off the Cuff

2011-04-03T19:47:00.000-07:00

Tuxedos have always been the standard for men's formal wear but for our seaside soiree, we wanted something a little less formal but still refined and sharp. So the gents will arrive in stylish suits by Alfani Red in solid navy. The slim fit is not only flattering but modern too. They will also don fitted white Kenneth Cole Reaction dress shirts. I am particularly fond of the mercer tonal stripe detail. The tailored look will be completed with a custom designed microfiber tie in white with gold for the groom and fuchsia with gold for the groomsmen. Phalaenopsis orchids with bear grass for the groom to compliment my bouquet and lush fuchsia roses with bear grass for the groomsmen.

While the suit purchases was a bit of a splurge, we felt it was still a great investment in the long run because the guys will definitely put some mileage on them. Macy's had some special sales that saved us some moolah so the total cost was $442 (not including the shirts & custom ties). We did put it on plastic but it saved us an additional 15% so it was worth it.

Growing Guest List

2011-03-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

Argh! My guest list keeps growing even though I know there are quite a few OOT guests that won't be able to make it. Pepe and I hope everything will work itself out. But I am still worried because we have sent out invites that have exceeded the max number of people allowed at our venue. The magic number we'd like to be at is 180 or 186. This does not include the 3 staff at the venue, our 8 member band, two photographers, 2 DOC plus a staff and 1 cinematographer. The venue's total capacity can't exceed 225 or else it will be a major fire code regulation. The guest increase was due to the fact that we had to send out extra invites to extended family on my Fiance's side plus my parents wanted to invite more guests...as in two more couples who they forgot to include. This meant I had to cut a couple of guests on my side - which I wasn't thrilled about but it is what it is right? Family and close friends come first. I just hope I don't get anymore requests to invite more people...

To-Do List & Checks

2011-03-27T18:32:00.000-07:00

The checklist tool on weddingwire has been extremely helpful with keeping us on track with our wedding plans. The month to month to do list is very detailed. However, I have been a bit laxed lately. It isn't easy keeping up with my studies and working part time while planning a wedding. We are also doing some remodeling in the kitchen and dining room. I feel a little overwhelm right now but I guess that's normal. I just need to get the ball rolling. So here is what needs to be crossed off.

1. I need to pick out a wedding band! Monday I will be visiting Ultra Diamonds to see if they have a nice selection of curved micro pave diamond bands.

2. Place orders for custom ties

3. Order Photo Frame card box. I finally found a unique and secure card box that we can re-use after our wedding. They are also fairly affordable too.

4. Order Toasting Flutes. Etsy seller, Laserbird has a beautiful collection of personalized toasting flutes. I saw a pepe le pew set that is purrrfect for us.

5. Misc Decor Stuff - luminaries, tea lights, led tea light, glass place card holders, wedding ceremony rug and pillows for the traditional portion of the Cambodian wedding

6. Put together favor bags for the kids. Yes, the kids. I decided the adults don't need favors but it would be nice to individualize the favors for the kids with gift bags I plan on putting together.

7. Go shopping with my bridesmaids to pick out fabric for their dresses

8. Bridal Shower sometime in mid April

9. Take our e-pics sometime in late April

10. Finish my final DIY project: Manzanita Escort tree

11. Continue with my skin care regiment and diet plan

UPDATE:

We booked a videographer! It was a bit of a splurge for us but David from Waves Media worked with us to ensure that we get coverage for both the traditional Cambodian ceremony and the Western reception. Pepe and I decided that our visual memories are too important to miss out on.

No tux rentals as the cost was close to $600 for 3 suits. We decided that buying suits would cost slightly more but at least the guys would get to keep them. The attire also works better for our destination seaside soiree.

We ordered the table linens for the reception tables at Smarty had a party. Reasonable prices plus free shipping and special promo code via FB saved us some moolah. I still need to purchase 4 banquet table linens and 4 table linens for the 48" tables.

Set up a tasting with B & M Clambake next week. We choose a menu of classic comfort foods for cocktail hour. I am soOo looking forward to it.

My sister and I have started working on the origami crane escort cards but I won't have all of them completed until final count. Yay for productivity!

The Hardware pt.3

2011-03-24T11:31:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Pepe picked out his titanium wedding band at Ross-Simons. He decided not to get a precious metal wedding band. Like most men, he doesn't wear jewelry so wearing something as heavy or solid as platinum or palladium was out of the question. He liked a style in the white gold but selected the titanium band for the durability and light weight factor. Most men will lose their wedding band if they are not used to wearing jewelry. It is definitely important for the ring to feel snug. This ring will be a test for the new hubby. As for me, the hunt for the wedding band continues. The selection out there is just really limited. I am going to MRT Jewelers today in hopes of finding a band as they carry a large selection of estate jewelry.

The Pen or the Printer

2011-03-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

Etiquette, I'd like to kick you in the (__I__) right now! There is absolutely no way I will hand address all our wedding invitations after the Save the Date debacle (I found out that a good number of our Save the Dates did not travel to their intended destination). So yes, I had to resend a few more Save the Dates because I foolishly failed to put a return address on the postcard magnets.

Our Save the Dates were relatively inexpensive and easy to put together. But our wedding invites are a true labor of love. We rather not run the risk of ruining them with my not too shabby hand writing and Pepe's chicken scratch penmanship. Hiring a calligrapher was not in the budget but I didn't want tacky wrap around labels put on our elegant invitations. In the end we conceded to computer printed calligraphy. The results look better than I expected.

I found a faux calligraphy font on abstractfonts.com called Beautiful ES that was simple to read. The tricky task was setting up the envelope and labels in MS Word 03" because it did not allow for configuration of vertical spacing so everything typed looked double spaced. We tried to single space with little success until I stumbled upon a envelope template for our A7 (5.25 X 7.25) envelopes. Through a little trial and error and proper centering of feeding the envelopes, our old ink jet printer was able to print out the envelopes with no problems.

Notes
- Martha Stewart & The Knot has given their blessing in terms of computer printer calligraphy
- Tape the flaps to prevent the envelopes from jamming the printer..
- Addressing guests can be a tough task especially if cultural customs and practices play a part in the etiquette process. For instance, it is customary to include "& Family" in Cambodian culture because you usually invite the entire family (including older children, elders in the family or single parents with children). It is also very common for women in Cambodian culture to retain their maiden name. So it is important to note that when addressing invites to the couple.
- For general etiquette guidelines in Western culture, click the link below.
Wedding Invitation Envelope Etiquette

Divine Design

2011-03-07T18:44:00.000-08:00

Our table top set up (courtesy of Rentals Unlimited virtual table top) They have a tool that allows you to design your dream table setting.

Featured above is a satin teal table cloth, lemon polyester napkin, white coupe china (not shown is the soup bowl) stainless steel fan flat ware, and Embassy stem ware. We also decided to buy the disposable Asian soup spoons instead of renting or purchasing porcelain soup spoons. This is a cost effective way of saving on rentals especially if the soup spoon is offered in limited quantities or simply not available as a rental.

Half the tables will have floral centerpieces in 6 inch glass cubes and the other half will have non-floral centerpieces. We are using beautiful capiz Lotus flower tea light candle holder from Luna Bazaar. They are made from shells and come in a variety of colors. I love the fuchsia, gold and teal shades. The candle holders are approximately 6 inches wide and 4.5 inches high, which make them the purrrfect size for a family style dinner.

Wedding Checks & Projects

2011-03-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

- Scored my shoes at a local bridal shop for $58! (Free Delivery too)
- Won 6 gold rimmed charger plates on Ebay for $12.99 (including shipping)
- Won one flower girl dress for my niece for $25.00 (including shipping)
- Purchased a $150 Wedding Channel Deal gift certificate via The Knot for $75 from Sara Faella Make up Artistry and Hair Design
- Received a complimentary hair and make up session with pro pics from my lovely make up artist Sara Faella.
- Working on invitations and re-sending some Save the Dates as some people didn't receive it. I don't know what went wrong but it is a bit of a concern for me. I definitely should have stamped a return address on the back. Thank you USPS....
- Working on Two DIY projects including the flower girl baskets using 10" bamboo baskets ($5.99 each) spray painted white, tied with fuchsia ribbons and adorned with silk peony and rose flowers in light pink and fuchsia to match their dresses. I estimate the cost to be under $10 for each. My other project is the shoe clips. I found the backings for $2.50 on ebay and the ivory organza flowers with rhinestone center for $11 from etsy seller Supplier. I can't wait till everything comes in so I can get started!
- I found gold foil origami paper for my sister to make the paper cranes. So I am slowly piecing the smaller components before putting the manzanita tree together.

Modern Meets Vintage Love

2011-03-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

When we first started planning our wedding, Pepe and I didn't exactly decide on a particular theme or color scheme but we knew we wanted something Asian, chic, modern and colorful. Our venue, the Rotunda ballroom is a blank slate. It has lovely hard wood floors, sweeping ocean views, and a charming carousel that adds a vintage element to compliment the otherwise modern layout of the reception ballroom. Most of the wedding porn inspiration I found on the web had a vintage or rustic feel to it. The colors were usually saturated or soft playful pastels and grey tones. There was always a hodge podge of nifty cute stuff. Something I love because that is exactly me. Modern Meets Vintage. But I wonder if there can be a happy marriage of both in our wedding? My idea is to add a few pieces of vintage love to our wedding, things that can work harmoniously well with the contemporary look. Like the delicate pearl and swarovski crystal hair comb below (one of my favorites!). I think it will compliment my soft flowy romantic wedding dress.

via Etsy

The Hardware pt.2

2011-02-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

Sunday, we go shopping for wedding bands. My sparkler has a unique design that may need to be custom made. Pepe wants something simple and durable so we are looking at other options other then gold like platinum, titanium, or tungsten. Design wise, simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication.

The setting is a split micropave halo ring with diamond accents on the side and a round brilliant "centerpiece" a little over 2 carats total. I think a nice compliment is a band of micro pave diamonds.

:-)

2011-02-25T22:45:00.000-08:00

Oh happy day! How do I count the ways?

1. Booked a caterer, finalized the menu and all of the details! We also stayed within our budget

2. Check off the venue! We paid the damage deposit and the remaining balance.

3. Received a very reasonable quote from Wedsafe for wedding day liability insurance (required by our venue). We also plan to purchase the Host Liquor Liability Insurance too. The quotes we received from two local bar tending services were higher because they were based per person but it is discounted through the insurance company. I read rave reviews about Wedsafe so I feel good going with them.

2011-02-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

I had a meltdown (as evidence in my previous post and FB status) It was a temporary madness that subsided after a couple of hours of cuddle time with Pepe. Once my sanity was restored, we talked about alternative catering options. We could forfeit our deposit at the Rotunda and change our venue to one that is Asian friendly (Providence area plus a kitchen) or we could serve Western fare with an Asian flare. Neither options enticed me as I truly LOVE our venue and I don't care for fusion food because its rarely done well. The good news is that we might not have to make any compromises. We met with two Asian caterers in the Newport area interested in our wedding. After meeting them today, Pepe and I breathed a sigh of relief. The uncertainty is still there but not enough to worry me to pieces. I can happily continue with the planning process. Hopefully, we can work out the logistics and book a caterer by the first week of March. It would be a nice birthday present to have all of this sorted out.

2011-02-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Last night, I was overwhelmed with a deep sense of sadness, something I am feeling right now as I fight back tears of frustration and hopelessness. I'm just not ready to accept the loss of our wedding. But as the date of the venue deadline grows closer, I can't help but feel complete and utter despair set in and this makes me want to cry. I can feel my nose swell up as I type this and if I let myself have a pity party, I could cry for a few days straight. But I know I can't even though I feel it would let out every single negative emotion I feel. I know it won't do any good because we still won't have a wedding...

Bubblicious

2011-02-20T19:30:00.000-08:00

“Here’s to Champagne, the drink divine, that makes us forget all our troubles; It’s made of a dollar’s worth of wine, and three dollars worth of bubbles”

Yet a good bottle of bubbly will cost you some serious moolah. I am not even talking about the ultra fine, high end luxury brands either - Cristal or Dom Perignon. It simply isn't in our budget to serve them but we are splurging on an open bar that will include ultra premium hard liquor, unlimited beer and bottles of Remy Martin and Hennessy. Asian people favor the flavor of cognac so no great party is without bottles of VSOP or XO (anything less is not drink-worthy). However, I never developed an affinity for cognac or acquired a taste for alcohol in general. But on some rare occasions like uh a wedding, I do drink. And my preferred choice is champagne. So while I can't have bottles of Moet & Chandon (Parent company of Hennessy), I found an equally tasteful choice for a lot less. Let me introduce you to Westport Rivers sparkling wine. Yes, sparkling wine. In France, by law, a sparkling wine is called champagne but only if it is produced in France and is made by what is called la methode champenoise. Anything else is called sparkling wine. Now that doesn't mean sparkling wine is inferior to Champagne. The U.S produces plenty of fine sparkling wines including Westport Rivers, which is a local favorite that has won rave reviews and international recognition. My personal fave is the 99" Blanc de noir. It has a distinctively delicate flavor layered in fruit with a smooth clean finish that is refreshing to the palate. The best part is a bottle retails between $25-$35. Budget friendly without compromising taste. I hope my guests will be able to admire the flavor as they sip the tiny bubbles and look upon its lovely sun set colours with pleasure.

Frugal Find: The Flower Girl dresses

2011-02-18T20:43:00.000-08:00

Another fancy find for the frugalista bride! Ebay seller 87sweetgirl has a fabulous selection of flower girl dresses starting at $8.95. You can also find floral hair bands, flower sashes, and other special occasion outfits listed on her ebay site. Pepe and I fell in love with the particular style pictured above. The ivory satin bodice and tulle overlay rose petal dress in fuchsia features a removable flower sash that is purrfect for a spring/summer look. I found a similar style on PinkMarie.com for $42.95 but the one on ebay is $14.99 for a starting bid and $19.99 for Buy It Now. I am going to bid for one dress to test the quality of the dress as I want my little lovelies in nice garments. The reviews for the seller have been mostly positive too.

Cambodian Wedding Invitation

2011-02-13T00:01:00.000-08:00

Low and Behold! Bridal Flats!

2011-02-08T23:31:00.000-08:00

Meet Mes Souliers! Coloriffics Carmen, retails $66. These enchanted flats went over my budget a bit but with such stylish charms and comfortable sensibility, I think they are going to be worth it! I just wish they were available on Zappos as I would have no qualms about purchasing them online. I did find a few local bridal shops in the area that sell the brand so I'll make some phone calls tomorrow to see if the shoes are available in a size 7 and Ivory color. After my fabulous fitting with Rose today, I am super excited to see how the shoes will look at the second fitting when the dress gets hemmed. I am glad I continued to shop around as the selection of flats are limited. Coloriffics Carmen heel height is under the 2 inch mark. The stylish straps and feminine peep toes were made to show off a pedicure. Other contenders included the Annie Aliza and RSVP Sadie (but not available in my size).

NWT: Got the Blues

2011-02-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

We had plans to paint, furnish and decorate our living quarters when we first purchased the house in June but the paint and decorate part was put on the back burner so we could concentrate on the wedding plans. The work free weekend provided the perfect opportunity for us to get started on some of the home renovation projects. The first thing we wanted to do was transform the look of our traditional living room into a more contemporary space. We also wanted to infuse color and texture too. This meant that the original wood trim would need a fresh coat of white paint to go with the two tone blue walls we choose for our colors. After pouring through countless inspiration pictures of beautiful home interiors, here are a few favorites.

:-(

2011-02-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

The title of my post sums up how I feel about the caterer canceling on us -117 days before the big day. The reason or excuse they gave us didn't make much sense either. I mean why did they agree to caterer our wedding if they felt the venue was too far? Why did they not tell me upfront about how ill equipped they are to execute dinner service without a kitchen on site? Why ask me to set up an appointment with the venue coordinator a week before canceling on us? Finally, why wait to tell me now and not earlier...like when I inquired 4 months ago? I know our wedding is small fries compared to the Big Fat Cambodian weddings with like a bazillion guests. Profit wise we are just not on the top of their list. So instead of finalizing our menu this weekend, I am scrambling to find caterers that can serve up authentic Asian cuisine. My options are limited but it's okay, I'm not going to panic and jump overboard. Planning has been smooth sailing before we hit this huge snag in the sail. I just hope that one of the caterers we meet with is going to be our life saver.

Planning Updates

2011-01-30T22:00:00.001-08:00

According to my wedding planning guide, I'm a little behind schedule with the save the dates. Sending them out was not our top priority as STD is not a common practice in Cambodian culture. However, we did want to make sure our OOT guests and our Caucasian guests receive them. Originally, I planned on evites but felt they were too informal. Luckily, we found a free Mad Men inspired custom design Save the Date on Weddingchicks.com The STDs are printed on flat 4 X 6 postcard material which we attached magnets to so guests can put them on their fridge. We ordered beautiful vellum envelopes on Paper and More for $5.99! It was a a total steal. I can't wait to pick them up this week and have them sent out.
As for our menu, we finalized it with the caterer. We won't get a quote until after Saturday. The caterer wants to visit the venue space and go over the set up details for the day of the wedding. Easton Beach Rotunda does not have a kitchen on site but a space for caterers to set up and prepare food. We are hoping there won't be any logistical problems as this could increase the cost.

Other wedding items in production or in the mail include our custom designed guest book scroll, cake topper and the name luminaries for our head table decor. Next week I start the DIY ribbon wands for the kiddies. The other DIY project is our origami crane escorts and the Manzanita tree. Blooms and Branches recently added to their catalog, the Manzanita wish tree kit in the sandblasted color. I can't wait for it to come in so I can get started on that project - although with school and work, I might not tackle it until early March during Spring Break. I'm allocating vacation time to finalize details with the florists and order the vases for our centerpieces. I am also hoping my cousin will come through with the linens too. Still waiting for word from Cambodia :-/

On the calendar next week is my first dress fitting! I lost 5 lbs so far but need to shed 10 more pounds before I reach my weight loss goal. Pepe and I started the slow carb diet to help shed the weight. It was a difficult battle for me because I love fruits and carbs but I made it through week one. We modified the diet to fit our needs and life style. So far success! I am also looking forward to my new role as moderator on the Knot R.I board and while I have been slacking with my blogs on Chattybrides.com, I still want to contribute. What I am truly looking forward to is meeting other brides on The Knot next week!

Tie the Knot

2011-01-17T22:33:00.000-08:00

Step in style with ties that don't suck. The guys at Cyberoptix Tie Lab create simply just that! They have stylish screen printed silk or microfiber ties as well as bow ties too. Pepe and the guys will definitely be sporting one the design prints featured on their Etsy store. The great part is the ties come in an array of colors and the prices are reasonable too. Check out their store for more ties!

Little White Dress pt. II

2011-01-15T13:03:00.000-08:00

Gallery of short and sassy reception style dresses to delight the eyes!

Little White Dress

2011-01-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

My beautiful Pronovias Romina dress made an appearance on last night's episode of Say Yes to the Dress: The Group Calls It. The bride who wore it looked absolutely stunning! However, I will have to change into a second dress as it is customary in Cambodian culture for the bride to wear a traditional outfit when greeting guests at their table. I'm still on the fence on whether I want to go this route or if I should change into a reception dress as my Romina is so lacey-long and delicate. I've seen a rise in this popular trend where more brides are opting for a wardrobe change into something more fun and flirty and short. Some brides still opt for a full length gown but modern and stylish. I've fallen in love with a few short styles including the soft and romantic Oscar de la Renta dress, Jasmine Couture chic dress and the ultra sophisticated Romona Keveza number

22E53

F417

RK91

Money Talks

2011-01-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

When Pepe and I first started planning our wedding, we didn't exactly sit down and come up with a budget. We didn't have a clue where to begin or how to go about planning the wedding. So I immersed myself in research and came back with a figure that steadily grew to what the budget is today. Since we were paying for everything ourselves, we knew that it was not possible for us to have a big wedding. Luckily, our parents were okay with it. Pepe and I are also low key people so we prefer an intimate gathering of friends and family over a Big Fat Cambodian Wedding. It also didn't make sense for us to go into debt when we wanted to buy a house. Yes, I know most Cambodian couples make bank after the wedding because guests give monetary gifts but we didn't want to make our wedding about money - spending it or making it. We wanted our wedding to be about our love and we wanted to throw one big party to celebrate it.

So this meant we had to have some priorities for our big day. We knew that great food and music were essential ingredients for a memorable event but the venue would be the determining factor on how our wedding would look and feel. The splurge on the Rotunda was worth it. It created a destination feel for our wedding. Easton Beach also had a special place in our heart as we spent some sizzling hot summer days there. The distance from the ceremony to the venue was also within convenience too.

Photography was another important thing to us as our visual-memories were going to be the only thing we had left at the end of our wedding. Everything else didn't matter as much - well that is until I saw all the pretty weddings on the pages of every bridal magazine I open and on every wedding blog I frequented. At some point, I realize it didn't matter if my wedding wasn't blog worthy. So I scratched the uplights and the grand floral fantasy I had planned for the venue. It wasn't in our budget and we were not going into debt for it. I constantly had to tell myself this because one year after we started planning our wedding, we have a new house and a cute little doggie too. Most importantly, we are not in wedding debt (nothing on plastic). These things meant more to me than a few hours of uplighting and flowers that would die the next day. Starting our life together debt free is much more important. And somehow it all worked out because I actually found a compromise that would allow me to still have flowers for our wedding without going over our budget.

I am really proud of myself because before I started planning our wedding, I didn't have a drop of discipline. Really, I would spend money if I had it and if I wanted, it was mine. My fiance on the hand was the money manager in the relationship. He taught me how to live within my means and this wedding turned out to be our first lesson in marriage. We learned to sort out our finances and how we as a couple would spend our money. It has been the most valuable lesson I have learned so far. I have my honey to thank for it too. :-)

A fan favorite

2011-01-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

Pin wheels, paper tissues, buttons, brooches, feathers, and parasols have all been used as an alternative to the traditional floral bouquet. I will be carrying a bouquet of blooms but my maids will be carrying brightly colored hand fans to go with our Chic Modern Asian wedding. The fans make for a stylish accessory for our outdoor nuptials on the beach. It might also have a practical purpose should the mercury rise that day. However, I still want to include flowers for the girls. My budget friendly idea is to have them wear floral wristlets. I want to use orchids for their exotic beauty and because my MOH is allergic to fragrant blooms, orchids have a light scent and hold up well out of water.

Image by Datura: A Modern Garden

As for the wedding flower situation, I am not going the DIY route. The time sensitive and delicate craft is best left in the hands of the professionals. My type A personality would agonize over every detail. Nor do I want to enslave my bridal party and family. It's too much work and simply not worth all the stress. However, flowers do mean a great deal to me. So it is really important that the artist who creates the flowers for our wedding day completely understands my vision. The problem is finding a florist that will work with our teeny tiny flower budget. My solution...divide and conqueror.

Whole Foods! At first I was quite apprehensive about a super market chain providing the wedding flowers. However, I was sold after I read the rave reviews on the Knot about the quality and freshness of their work plus their very competitive pricing. Unlike a typical flower shop, Whole Foods does not have a high overhead cost to cover for materials, labor and rent so they don't need to charge exorbitant prices to make ends meet. As a result, Whole Foods is able to offer customers whole sale prices for buying flowers in bulk. Since our centerpieces are relatively simple, we would only need Whole Foods to provide us the 9 short centerpieces, two small ceremony centerpieces and provide us with fresh petals and dozens of blooms to decorate the head table and window displays at the venue. The location I am working with also offers delivery services which is a big plus. The other plus is Whole Foods buys locally and seeks out earth friendly selections from around the world.

As for the personal flowers, I would prefer a local florist to provide us with the flowers. I have some very specific requests for my bouquet, which might provide a challenge for the staff at the Whole Foods flower department. I also have some unusual requests like floral garlands for the bride and groom. I will be paying relatively more for the flowers but it's okay because I saved on the flowers for the centerpieces. The flowers for the bridal party only includes my bridal bouquet, 2 floral garlands, 2 floral corsages, 3 bouts for the groom and groomsmen, and two pin on corsages for the moms, and 2 bouts for the dad so it is still considerably small. I saved money by not having my maids carry bouquets and by having a smaller bridal party.

Phnom-enon Food!

2011-01-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

Food has always been an important aspect of Cambodian culture. The complex layers of flavors and unique ingredients make the dishes a real treat for the palate - especially when paired with a nice bowl of Jasmine rice. So it was without a doubt that our wedding would be focused on the menu for the ceremony and reception. We decided to serve the truly authentic and include some of our favorite dishes. The list below are the contenders we are strongly considering for the ceremony menu

Ceremony Buffet brunch

1. Cambodian Beef Salad in tangy lime dressing (plear)
2. Cambodian Chicken and Shrimp Salad (Nyoum)
3. Papaya Salad (Cambodian-style)
4. Marinated lemon grass beef kabobs
5. Lobster ginger stir fry
6. Cambodian egg rolls also known as Lot
7. Spicy chicken wings (Aaron's recipe)
8. Jasmine rice
9. Banana tapioca pudding
10. Coconut custard
11. mango with sticky rice

The reception dinner typically includes Chinese dishes (paying homage to our Chinese roots). Traditionally, 7-8 course meal is served family style. We are going for a tasting next month to finalize the menu and other important details. The food won't be cooked on site since our venue does not have a kitchen. The restaurant has assured me the food will be served steaming hot.

Bouquet Inspiration

2010-12-31T11:16:00.000-08:00

How fruity is this bouquet? I love the sun set colors and the kumquats! The turquoise wrap is also a beautiful touch.

Holiday Hiatus

2010-12-29T13:30:00.000-08:00

Wedding planning has taken a backseat as I and Pepe prepare for the New Year. We spent some time with his wonderful family in So. Cal for Christmas vacation but we are back here in Lil Rhody (after a flight cancellation due to a Nor'easter) ready to celebrate the last few days of 2010 in total bliss. Happy planning! Wishing 2011 the very best year ever!!!

Sign-in Scrolls: The Alternative Guestbook

2010-12-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart. ~William Wordsworth

In Chinese culture, a common practice at weddings is to have a scroll available for guests to sign. After the wedding, the newlyweds would either frame or hang the scroll in their new home. Unlike a traditional guest book which is usually stored away and rarely gets open, a hanging scroll "guest book" is a unique way of displaying the sweet words and well wishes of friends and love ones. Most often the scroll is backed by red silk brocade, fine paper for writing and features a double happiness symbol. I have seen other variations available online and in some specialty stores in Chinatown but I was looking for something more personalized as I wanted to have our names, monogram and wedding date on the scroll too. I stumbled upon ArtfulBeginnings' custom work via Etsy (of course!) and quickly fell in love with her designs in wedding scroll invitations and vintage hankies. She is going to construct our "guest book" using a cotton sateen fabric and hand paint the borders in gold to match one of our wedding colors. The size of the scroll is approx 14 x 30 which should be sufficient space for our guests count (180ish) I'm also going to provide guests with colorful fabric markers for writing. I'm really looking forward to seeing the final product. And yes I will post pics!

Aisle Style

2010-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

My inspiration for our beach aisle! It will add a pop of color and the simple DIY project is also very inexpensive. I plan on reusing them on the wraparound deck of the venue too. I will also provide guests with bright parasols to protect them from rain or drizzle. It's going to be simply beautiful!

Frugal Find: Veils

2010-12-12T02:05:00.000-08:00

Veil. In botany - a part of some fungi. In bridal - a part of the 40 billion dollar empire. This means that a relatively cheap fabric like tulle or some other sheer material gets upgraded with a hefty price tag. I got sticker shock after my first wedding dress experience. The thousand dollar dresses did not make me bat an eyelash but the $450 veil (I wanted to accessorize with my lace Pronovias gown) made me cry poor. Finding the purrrfect veil can be a little complicated too. There are just so many options! Wedding veils come in different colors, cuts/styles/embellishments, lengths, fullness and finished edges. So where does a bride begin? Well I recommend this site, Occansey designs to get a better understanding of what your options are when it comes to the types of wedding veils available. They offer custom design quality veils for a reasonable price but it was still too much for this budget bride. I can't justify spending no more than $50 for a veil for 30 minutes (for ceremony and photo ops). A good quality mantilla (type of lace veil) with a scalloped edge will cost you well over $200 and that's just for a fingertip length. So I thought for sure my dream of having a beautiful cathedral (floor length) mantilla veil would be out of my reach. But I was wrong. I will be able to have the "wind swept beach effect" with a long soft flowy veil (thanks to countless of beach wedding inspiration pictures). You just got to know where to look and the first place I looked was Ebay. I actually found a preowned veil in excellent condition for a fraction of what the new one would cost! While it may not have been the exact length I wanted, I realize I could still purchase a second longer veil from the original designer. After all my veil was only $15 (retails for $65 on the designer's site). I also have room in my budget for a beautiful hair piece. Of course I recommend Etsy.com to find the perfect accessory.

As for my veil, my only concern is that the lace is not nearly identical to the lace on my dress but I know it doesn't have to be matchy matchy but we will see if it compliments the dress. It will be the $15 gamble.

Visual-Obsession

2010-12-09T19:57:00.000-08:00

Invite Sample

2010-12-03T10:24:00.001-08:00

Our first English sample invite is completed! We still need to tweak one or two things but otherwise they turned out better than we expected. Yay to DIY! BTW this was printed on our ink jet printer with no problem - using metallic text paper and backed with metallic gold card stock from Paper and More. Custom designed by Kemba Celebrations on etsy.

2010-11-19T12:28:00.000-08:00

We finally found a Save the Date design that we both love! Thanks to wedding chicks for the free custom download of this Mad Men inspired Save the Date. Love the retro look and the show! We are still deciding whether to send them out as postcards or to turn them into magnets. Either way, it is a fairly simple project and pretty cost effective too.

~Fun Favors~

2010-11-14T18:54:00.000-08:00

Pinwheels, parasols, and ribbon wands will add a little bit of color and zing to our outdoor nuptials on the beach. These fresh decorative accents are not only budget friendly but they will be a fan favorite for the little people at our wedding. The best part is that the pinwheels and ribbon wands are relatively easy DIY projects that my sister and I can put together in an afternoon. The parasols, which have a practical purpose (to shield Mr. Sunshine) are relatively inexpensive. I can't wait to get started on these projects!

Ribbon Wand Tutorial w/ customized banner

Pin Wheels Tutorial

DIY Invites

2010-11-09T23:15:00.000-08:00

Materials

1. PDF File Custom Designed Invite Suite $125
(created by Kemba Celebrations on Etsy)
Note - $50 for the PDF file & $75 for custom design monogram, which is feat. throughout our invite suite. The splurged was on the one-of-a-kind design of a Apsara motif with our initials.

2. Guest List w/ Contact Info
-We use Google Docs spread sheet to keep tabs on our guests list

3. Paper Cutter: Tonic Studios 12-inch Guillotine Paper Cutter $30.00
- This paper cutter is considered a favorite among scrap book enthusiasts and crafters
(Overstock.com)

4. Adhesive Tool: Glue Glider Pro $15
- Easy to use and cost effective adhesive with no mess!
(Cards and Pockets)

5. Laser Printer - We have a family member who has offered to print our invites.

6. Calligraphy pens: Pilot Varsity Fine Tip Disposable Fountain Pens $2
- My new favorite writing pens! They have a real nib that makes for smooth writing.

7. Paper Supply:

Text Paper - 8.5 X 11 Pearlescent White Metallic Text Paper 100/$20
( Paper and More)

5 X 7 Panel Card Stock - Pearlescent Metallic Gold 100/$14
(Paper and More)

3 5/8 x 5 1/8 RSVP Envelope - European Flap style 0.12 per piece
(Cards and Pockets)

5.25 X 7.25 or A7 Invite Envelope - European Flap style 0.17 per piece
(Cards and Pockets)

Notes:
The 8.5 X 11 size text paper produces TWO 4.5 X 6.5 invite which will be layered onto the 5 X 7 panel. It gives a 1/4 inch border frame. This fits a A7 envelope purrfectly.
RSVP Card & Event info card is 3.5 X 5 ( printed on left over text paper). We ordered extra envelopes for mistakes and the left overs will be used for T.Y notes. We have not included postage costs since most of the invites will be delivered in person.

Estimated Quantity: 60 English Invitation Suites, 30-35 Khmer Invitations w/ some that will include RSVP and Event card.

First Set: English invites include a full invitation suite (Invite, RSVP Card & Event Card)
We hope to have them completed before Christmas vacation because we intend to hand deliver some of them to our close friends and family on our trip to California. The rest of the English invites will be sent out in early March. We have set the RSVP due date 3 weeks before our wedding date.

Note: Etiquette dictates wedding invitations should be sent out 8 weeks before the wedding. RSVP due date is usually 2-3 weeks before the wedding date.

Second Set: Cambodian Invites will not include an entire invite suite since it is not Cambodian custom to RSVP. However a few will include RSVP and Event cards for some of our guests who also follow Western customs. This does worry us a bit as our space has a capacity of 200 people. The Khmer invites will also be printed at a later time as we do not know the formality regarding the proper wording. A friend or family member will be assisting us when the time comes as I don't read or write in Khmer *hangs head in shame* We will hand deliver most of the invites and send out the rest to OOT guests.

Meet Dayton

2010-11-09T01:55:00.000-08:00

The bridal shop gave me a call today to tell me Dayton has arrived! The sample dress is on loan as part of the lending program by Blue by Enzoani. I missed the trunk show at another bridal shop so I tried to locate the nearest dress shop that carried the line. Unfortunately, the 2011 dresses won't be available until after January so I asked if they could send me a sample. I will get to meet her tomorrow. So excited!

The dress has a unique feature - a sweet heart neckline with a detachable Swarovski crystal halter strap and razor back. The modified mermaid is a light weight tulle and lace dress with a ethereal train. Puuurrfect for an elegant beach wedding!

Visit Blue by Enzoani, click on the 2011 line for Dayton

Custom Crazy: Etsy Finds

2010-11-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Nobody wants a cookie cutter wedding. So why not put your own spin on things by having personalizations that will make your wedding a memorable event! Etsy, the global market place for unique goods and hand crafted artifacts has a section devoted to weddings. There is everything from one of kind custom cake toppers to snazzy bride maids gifts. It's truly your one stop place for creative finds.

Some Etsy goods we purchased for our wedding include a custom made rubber address stamp from Sugar Letter. We also had wedding stationary created by Kemba Celebrations. There are a few more customizations we have in mind.

For our head table - Custom Name Luiminaries lit by mini led tea lights. I intend to add fresh or silk flowers as accent to the luminaries. The color of the card stock and font can be customized. Symbols can also be added too. See Paper Acorn for more designs and pricing info.

A custom cake banner ($20) with a paper bride and groom cake topper ($8) adds a fun factor with vintage charms. Created by Ready Go

As part of the gift set to my bridesmaid, I wanted to

give them each a silk dupioni cosmetic envelope or jewelry roll (pictured above). I'm going to include a treasure trove of beauty products and some nifty trinkets as a way of saying thanks. I also want a money bag with Pepe's last name customized on it. Prices range from $10.99-$28.99 Created by Plethora

Modern Floral Centerpieces II

2010-11-03T21:38:00.000-07:00

After scouring the internet for modern floral art, I stumbled upon these fun, whimsy arrangements as inspirations for my short and tall centerpieces.

I heart the free flowing lily grass and cascading phalaenopsis orchids in the tall centerpiece. The petals looped through the lily grass in the second centerpiece (2nd picture) adds a really funky effect. (Floral Arrangements by Datura: A Modern Garden)

Clustering of flowers make a huge impact especially when using bold colors. The yellow billy balls (Craspedia) flowers in the short centerpiece adds a pop of color, texture and a fun factor!

Modern Floral Centerpieces I

2010-10-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

I dream of color! Shades of vibrant pinks, soft oranges and lush greenery. Clusters of blooms - Peonies and roses. Exotic notes of bamboo or horsetail as accent. And loops of bear grass for a whimsy twist.

To-Do List: October & November

2010-10-14T08:26:00.000-07:00

- Currently meeting with potential florists, hope to book before the end of this month.

- Tasting with our cake caterer this Saturday. We will make our flavor selection and finalize the details. Put down a deposit.

- Hotel room blocks (This is an urgent matter I have to attend to soon b/c Newport hotels book up quickly)

- Meet with our caterer to discuss the menu and put down a deposit.

- Start a few DIY projects including our invites and the manzanita tree + escort cards. I plan on purchasing the supplies this month via Amazon for the origami paper and Blooms and Branches for the manzanita tree branches and containers. I still need flowers and crystals to decorate but I will check the craft stores and ebay for deals.

- Order STD and send them out by the end of November

- Order supplies: Guestbook, sign-in pen and card box

- Order Golden Blossom tea set from Teavana. This will be used for the Chinese tea ceremony. It's also a great piece of fine bone china set to own too. Currently on sale for $69.97

- Finalize linen selection and send out swatches to Cambodia. We are having them custom made there.

- Order my dress. I have a meeting with my seamstress, Rose on Monday to get the proper measurements. I am leaning more towards the custom made route but I am still going to two more bridal shops in the next month to get a better feel for the style of dress that best flatters my body shape.

- Continue to reach my goal for weight loss.

Stress Free Planning

2010-10-13T11:06:00.000-07:00

So I am either on drugs or blissfully ignorant because I think our wedding plans are going to turn out perfect. Uh yeah I might be jinxing us here. But you see...I get this euphoric feeling whenever I do anything wedding related. I get high off of the gold metallic gleam of our European flap envelopes. (This might also be my allergy meds in full effect as I am currently nursing a post nasal drip.) I do a happy dance whenever I find decor pieces that will pull together our wedding theme. I truly enjoy every part of the planning process including the tedious work of organizing guests information. BTW I heart Google Docs. I'm not even at all fazed by the obstacles we've encountered. First, my dress does not fit me and can't be altered as I am too petite for it which means still no dress with less than 8 months to go. Second, I have increased our battered budget for flowers ($1800) and cake ($400-$450) so the budget is really getting a beating here. Third, we have no idea who we will hire for the band or how to go about putting together the Cambodian portion of our wedding. Although we are lucky that our families have offered to help in this area but the uncertainties still make me kinda nervous. However, I am confident everything will turn out beautiful and unforgettable as we have a dream team of talented vendors with our best interest at heart. :-)

Uplight or Candle light?

2010-10-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

The original plan was to have uplights to brighten up the cavernous white space of the Rotunda. However, we are not sure if we want to splurge on uplights when the sunset is so late in the evening. Is it worth the money for only a couple of hours? After all, we are having vibrant shades of pink, orange, and aqua/turquoise linens custom made for our reception tables and our floral centerpieces should also provide warmth and color to the room. What we want to achieve with the uplights is a soft subtle amber glow not the heavy saturated colors of a night club dance floor. The candle light is definitely more budget friendly and still provides a similar effect. I'd like to utilize the window space with candles galore. Of course they would have to be LED lights since our venue does not allow open flames. I'm definitely okay with that and I have a few ideas for the candle holders. We can string paper lanterns, use paper luminaries, clear glass votives, or capiz candle holders in the shape of Lotus blooms. The possibilities are endless. I guess it will largely depend on the florist since my linens and decor will have to compliment the style and color of my flowers. I have met with a few florists but have three more to meet with in the next two weeks. I was initially smitten with one florist but after discussing his concept ideas with Pepe, we want to see if someone else can best match our style and budget. I was a little turn off by his rejection of some of my ideas and my request to have half short and half high centerpieces. I do want someone who will give me honest feedback but not someone who tries too hard to impose his or her ideas on my wedding.

Reception Inspiration

The Rotunda with uplights

Sweet Surprise

2010-09-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Look what came in the mail on Monday. I heart my DOC, Gracie Lou Events. They are the sweetest ladies. You can imagine my surprise when I found these yummy sugar cookies neatly wrapped and perfectly packed. Pepe thought they were "too pretty" to eat. The personalized cookies are courtesy of Cookie Creatives by Jennifer

Flower Power II

2010-09-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I wrote about my love for flowers and what I envision for our wedding day. I decided that having all floral centerpieces will not work within our budget so we decided to do half plant centerpieces. Bamboo is a great option because they are fairly inexpensive and fits our Asian theme wedding. I am also making a short list of fab florist I want to meet with. I admit that I am more excited about flowers than cake tastings or trying on wedding dresses.

Bamboo Centerpiece Inspiration

Stamp of Approval

2010-09-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Featured via Martha Stewart Weddings, these custom calligraphy rubber stamps are sure to dress up any invite. As a font fanatic, my biggest problem is choosing just one! The custom stamp addresses range from $15-$69 on Etsy. J'adore the designs at SugarLetter, Lovetocreatestamps, and Emililies (work featured above)

Frugal Find: Bridesmaid Dress

2010-09-17T07:58:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Budget Savvy Bride's post! Otherwise I would have never stumbled upon these uber cute, super sweet stylish dresses. The best part is the dress prices range from $45-$60. They are purrrfect for a seaside soiree. The only downside is that they don't seem to come in my wedding colors but I am willing to pay more for just the right colors. Hope my girls like the design because I totally fancy em! Ananya on etsy.

Check!

2010-09-12T18:25:00.000-07:00

While shopping at Target, we stumbled upon some mini Indian style picture frames. They came in our wedding colors and at $1 a piece they were dirt cheap so we bought 11 of them to use as our table numbers. We also got lucky and found two aluminum bins for the cold refreshments on clearance for only $6.98 each. Great deals and unexpected finds. Love it!

Floral Inspiration

2010-09-11T17:18:00.000-07:00

Modern. Whimsy. Colorful. Floral Fantasy.

Summer goodbye

2010-09-05T08:08:00.001-07:00

Summer has all but expired so this Labor Day, take time to smell the proverbial roses, enjoy some lovely company and revel in being happily unproductive. I know I will hehe

Wired to Vendors

2010-09-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

The downside of planning a wedding by yourself is that it can be a particularly draining, time consuming, and stressful process. If you are a bride that is as detail obsessed or on a shoe string budget like me, you know finding and booking quality vendors is a major challenge. Weddingwire has created a great service called vendor match. It's a tool used to help brides find vendors in their particular budget and style. Basically brides fill out a few Q&As like event date and budget and Weddingwire does the rest. They send your info to potential vendors and the vendor can either choose to accept or decline your request. The best part is the service is FREE! Of course it does have some limitations as the search is based on certain regions and vendors have to pay a small fee to view your info. So don't take it personal if a vendor rejects you. I do hope the service search will extend to all areas in the country. The vendor match is great though because it cuts research time in half and makes it very easy to get in touch with vendor via e-mail or phone. You also get to read vendor reviews from past couples while checking out other info (sample of work, faq, and any discounts). Overall, it has been my new favorite wedding planning tool! As a busy bride planning her summer nuptials in 2011, this was a life saver. Can I also add that I just love how easy it is to create a wedding website on Weddingwire too. Highly Recommended!

Dress Dilemma

2010-08-21T08:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I attended Filene's Basement ROTB with my entourage. We had little success in the beginning as most of the nicer dresses were in piles on the floor or being hogged by brides who made the early bird arrival at 8 am. Well after 3 hours of trying on so-so gowns, I was able to accumulate a good number of really nice dresses through trades and the sharp eye of my girls. I fell in love with two particular dresses, both traditional styles and not at all what I thought I wanted since I was looking for something more modern yet still romantic. My final pick was a gorgeous all lace off white gown by Pronovias. Her name is Romina and she is two sizes too big for me and way too long but her soft delicate fabrics and sweeping train had me wrapped in rapture. I am not sure Romina is really for me but I am going to take her to the seamstress to see if she can be resized for petite-me. I am afraid to lose the beautiful lace details at the bottom of the dress if it needs to be hemmed. If not, my inexpensive purchase of a designer gown was still worth the experience of going to ROTB. I will probably sell the dress if alterations don't work out and have a dress custom made instead. Now this brings me to another dilemma. The dress I initially fell in love with was a Tara Keely gown which was not available at the bridal shop I visited (that carries the designer line). I tried on a very similar dress but can I really have this gown made without actually trying on the dress? I am not sure. I never thought finding a dress would be this challenging. I watch, Say Yes to the Dress and think about how silly those girls are because they are so indecisive and I am really not like that at all. Well I learned that choosing a dress is really an emotional decision because the wedding dress is a reflection of the bride's style and personality. It is really what defines her on that day.

Romina

Sneak Peak: Monogram Design

2010-08-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Our invite designer, Kemba Celebrations recently sent us monogram designs I had them create for our stationary. We really love the color combo of the third monogram as it is a beautiful marriage of colours with the metallic gold card stock backing, the pearlescent paper with cornflower blue and fuschia colours. It will look similar to this invite but with our Apsara monogram and using the floral lattice pattern Kemba created for their social event collection. We still have to work on wording our English invites, RSVP and Event card. A blank text will be used for the Khmer invitation suite. Hopefully, we will have our STD and Invites completed by the end of the year as we do have to send them earlier since half our guest are OOT.

Open Bar

2010-08-18T13:07:00.001-07:00

I knew that taming the budget beast meant we had to cut back on certain things like flowers and taking on DIY projects (invites) but one thing we could not trim was the alcohol or at least we tried. Our guests like to drink and they really like - no, LOVE cognac. Well, Hennessey VSOP to be precise but we can't afford to have a bottle on every table. So we will compensate with open bar on beer and cocktails. A limited service on cognac and champagne. A good bottle of bubbly is pricey but I don't want to serve the cheap stuff either. However, we are very fortunate that our venue does allow us to bring in our own alcohol so that will save us some pretty pennies but since our caterer does not have a liquor license, we need to find a professional bar tending service. Finding this service for a reasonable price is nonexistent in Newport. I know, I know...I choose to host our wedding in this ultra expensive city so now I must suffer or in this case my wallet cries poor. The alcohol alone is a little over our $1,000 budget. We are getting beer kegs to save money and waste (no bottles/cans) and serving limited cognac and champagne. No wine - as the complex layers of flavors in Asian cuisine doesn't always pair well with every dish in a 7-10 course meal. Don't fret too much though as there will be plenty of beer and top shelf/premium liquor. Thanks in part to our neighbors up north, New Hampshire. But we still need quality bar tenders to service guests. So my hunt continues. We still have ample amount of time to buy alcohol and to find a pro bar tending service but I'd like to get as much planning done before I resume school in the Fall (next month). We are going to visit Maine (to see my granny and the rest of the family yay!) and on the way back swing by the New Hampshire liquor stores to check out the inventory and maybe stock up on alcohol. Sounds like a plan!

Possible Beer selection
- Sam Adams Boston Lager
- Blue Moon Belgian Ale or Honey Moon (Summer Ale)
- Miller Lite
- Bud Lite
- Heineken

Wedding Website

2010-08-18T08:59:00.000-07:00

After much procrastination, I decided it was time for me to start working on our wedding website as we need to select a Save the Date (STD) design. I plan on having the website link printed on the STD. This will save us a ton of time and some money, not to mention a few trees. We won't have to print any additional cards for the invites (only RSVP and Event Card). I will also see if having one Fan Menu (created by our invite designer, KembaCelebrations) placed on every table is feasible. I am still not certain if I will have programs available for the traditional ceremony as we have a tight stationary budget. We will have all our wedding related information available on our new website, Moni & Aaron. Weddingwire.com made it so easy to create the wedding website with their diverse selection of templates and easy to follow instructions. It didn't take me long to get started.

Check!

2010-08-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

We booked our photographer(YAY!!! We narrowed it down to two photographers, Visual-Obsession and Tyra Bleek Photography but it was the chemistry we had with Piotr and Konrad of Visual-Obsession that made them our first pick. The benefit of having two photographers was a big plus for us too. Pepe and I are really excited to have a night escapade session with them in the near future!

Cambodian Invite Design: Old School V.S New School

2010-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Feet: Kelsi Dagger Sandals

2010-07-24T08:18:00.001-07:00

Beach brides rejoice! This is a sandal with a fancy flair! Purrrfect for sun and wear!

These enchanted flats also come in Black, Raspberry pink, yellow, light blue and light grey

Meet Monaco

The details:

T-Strap

Buckle enclosure

Ribbon Ruffle Accent

1/2 Heel

Leather outsole

Upper: 100% snake-embossed leather

Price Range: $50-$80

How Sweet is Love

2010-07-14T18:41:00.001-07:00

At our wedding, we want to tantalize taste buds with a parade of scrumptious sweets and delectable treats. Featured on the dessert bar menu is Pepe's favorite, rich chocolate walnut brownies and my favorite peanut butter brownies from Pastiche Fine Desserts. We will also have their delicious sweet and tangy fruit tart too. To top it off, a towering tree of cupcakes with two flavor varieties (which has yet to be decided) and some other surprise sweets. Presentation is key here. A big impact on a small budget that doesn't skimp on the goods!

Save The Dates: Calendars & Postcards

2010-07-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

Traditional Simplicity

2010-07-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

NWR: A Happy Tail!

2010-07-12T13:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Pepe and I adopted a dog at the Providence animal rescue league (PARL), a shelter for cats, dogs and little critters who have been given up for adoption by their owners. We met a few furry friends that we wanted to take home but it was Prince, the handsome mix mutt that tugged at our heart strings. We were told right away that Prince would go home with us on Tuesday. Who knew adoption was that easy! Needles to say, we are wicked excited!

Check out Prince's profile.

Just a Reminder!

2010-07-11T08:19:00.000-07:00

Rhode Island and Southern Mass have quite a few bridal boutiques but I narrowed it down to my fave three places. If I don't find a dress at ROTB than I know for sure one of these bridal shops will carry the gown of my dreams. I might also consider taking a visit to Vows in Newton, MA to see if the price is better there.

1. Helene's Bridal Shop, East Providence R.I
- I want to try on Tara Keeley dresses

2. Ana's Bridal Shop, East Providence R.I
- Carries most of my fave brands like Enzoani blue, Pronovias, Paloma Blanca

3. Alexandra's Bridal Boutique, Fall River R.I
- I bought my prom dress and other special occasion dresses here with great success. They also have a wide selection of designer gowns too.

Beauty Blues

2010-07-10T21:01:00.000-07:00

It has been 4 long sad months since my last facial. I normally get a specialty facial or micro/peel at a spa almost every 6-8 weeks. It was my ME time to relax and rejuvenate. I kept up with an at home routine that included exfoliating and using a masque every week. Now I just wash my face twice a day (with my clarisonic) and use a toner and moisturizer at night. Yes, the very bare minimum. Sometimes, I even slap on some sun screen. I know. Shame on me! SPF is really important. And while, I have never been a make up junkie (don't wear any), the health of my skin has always been important to me. Unfortunately, work, school, and the financial strains of paying for a wedding and furnishing a new home has taken away the time to maintain my beauty routine. So starting next month, I will go back to taking care of me. I just need to pick up a slew of products from Sephora next week including

1.Shu Uemura Skin Purifier Cleansing oil
- used primarily to remove make up or excess oil/dirt
2. Boscia Clarifying Detox Mask
-Natural and Organic, I use this along with the cleanser and toner from the same line. Boscia is by far my favorite skincare brand.
3. Yu-Be Foaming skin polish
- Natural and Organic, a great exfoliant that isn't too abrasive even for sensitive skin types. I am trying to use beauty and skincare products with the least amount of parabens or toxins but are still effective and produce great results.
4. L'Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream W/ Shea Butter
- Super soft non greasy formula that makes my skin feel like silk!

NWR: Modern Cambodian Home Fashion & Decor

2010-07-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Tendance-Khmere, a Paris based home decor boutique that carries everything from accent pillows in bold geometric patterns to hand-woven Cambodian silk quilts. Anyone looking to infuse color and culture into their living space will love that Tendance Khmere offers modern designs with a French-Cambodian sensibility. Look for their website launch in the near future and for more Cambodian fashion and furnishings, check out my links under Cambodian Resources.

Hair Inspiration

2010-07-05T20:55:00.001-07:00

Dream Dress: Tara Keely

2010-06-28T07:43:00.000-07:00

Air Brush Make Up Trial

2010-06-27T17:53:00.001-07:00

Picture taken by Sara Faella at her studio on June 27th, 2011 at 1 pm.

My trial with Sara Faella was a success! I absolutely love the bridal look she created for me using the Temptu air brush make up and the HD make up. My make up lasted all day even with the humidity and rain (yes, rain). I was standing in line at the Phantom Gourmet BBQ beach party when the rain clouds rolled in and started to pour. Despite the weather, the make up didn't melt or smudge. Pretty impressive eh? Well it takes a really talented and skillful make up artist to do this and Sara...well she is amazing because she works with your best features while playing down the rest to produce a flawless and appealing visage. Needless to say, I am booking her for make up (she does hair too) and I am having her create me a custom couture hair piece. Sara has such a warm and bubbly personality that having her on my big day is sure to bring smiles to everyone.

Pictures taken 9 hrs later - sorry for the poor quality. I quickly took them with the camera phone before we headed out again.

Dream Dress: Rivini Balia

2010-06-26T10:08:00.000-07:00

Eye Candy

2010-06-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

I am not a big fan of the tiered wedding cake but I love this unique spin featuring mini two tiered cakes and a untraditional design. The gum paste flower is a super sweet detail!

Music: Chnam Oun 16 ft. Raashan Ahmad by Bochan

2010-06-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Click on the link below to sample a taste of Neo-Cambodian singer, Bochan. Love her sound, wish she could play at our reception. A modern mix of classic oldies that is sure to please the old and new school especially since she is well versed in both. Look out for her album drop June 29th, 2010.

Chnam Oun 16 ft. Raashan Ahmad by Bochan

Bridal Beauty Inspiration

2010-06-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Moving

2010-06-23T09:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog, I am sorry for neglecting you but the whole moving process has been overwhelming! We are simply exhausted. My body and my feet ached for days after the move. We have our work cut out for us as the house requires a ton of TLC. We hope to be house ready in another month. Wedding plans will be put on temp. hold until after the July 4th weekend. However, we are interviewing a photographer tonight and I am meeting with make up artist, Sara Faella on Sunday for a trial. I am hoping the air brush make up will work for me. :-)

Summer Wedding To-Do list

1. Save the Dates

2. Book Photographer

3. Book Cupcake Vendor

4. Meet with caterers - still scouting out Asian caterers

5. Work on Invites

6. Make payments on venue

7. Research Cambodian bands and DJs