Bouquet Inspiration

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

Holiday Hiatus

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

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

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

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

Invite Sample

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.

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~

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

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

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

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

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

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

- 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

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?

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

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

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

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

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!

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

Modern. Whimsy. Colorful. Floral Fantasy.

Summer goodbye

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

Happy Feet: Kelsi Dagger Sandals

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

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

Traditional Simplicity

NWR: A Happy Tail!

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!

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

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

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

Dream Dress: Tara Keely

Air Brush Make Up Trial

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

Eye Candy

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

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

Moving

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

Modern Cambodian Wedding Inspiration

I love Lisa and Edgar's stylish and modern Cambodian wedding. Contemporary Khmer weddings are rare so the couple's avant-garde take on Khmer weddings is very refreshing. Coordinated by Masterpiece wedding and photography by the insanely talented Lindsey Tropf.

Beautiful Reception and Ceremony space for their outdoor western ceremony.

The personalized details on their wedding invites added a special touch

For more pictures and details about Lisa and Edgar's big day, click here and here.