February 2010
10 posts
Wedding Destination: Mendocino →
Guitar Fred and I have never been — together — to Mendocino, a coastal town 3 hours north of San Francisco, so we’re excited to get away from the kiddies (Munch, our dog, and Speedy, our cat) for…
Spreading the love: contests →
It’s Friday and to kick off the holiday weekend, here are some cool contests you should definitely enter if you haven’t already:
The Swede Records’ “I carry your heart with me” decoupage tray…
Inspiration #62: Handmade Invites →
This past December, I met Quyen, a prospective client for my wedding coordination services. I clicked with Quyen straight-away over email and even more in person as we share a love for great design…
Inspiration Boarding →
If you’re like me, you’ve probably been hoarding inspiration by way of weblinks and torn pages from bridal magazines. With just about 8 months to go until our big day on 10-10-10, I’ve started to…
Re-energized →
I spent the last two days in the Marin Headlands, just outside of Sausalito (the town we’re getting married in), for a board retreat. Not only did I reconnect with the great outdoors, I was able to…
Inspiration #61: Birds of a Feather →
Southern Weddings featured this real wedding (Kyle + Chris) and I just adore the clever use of a bird’s nest — from the groom’s boutonniere, bridesmaids’ bouquets and the cake flowers. Very…
I-Do Wedding...Hair →
{I-Do’s Wedding Hair by Dianna Perona}
As a wedding coordinator, a lot of my clients ask me for recommendations for bridal makeup and hair. One of my recent “discoveries” is…
Nonpareil for DIYers →
The new online magazine, Nonpareil, launched this week and offers fashionable brides like you and me, DIY projects and inspiration. You much check out the tablescapes on a budget as well as…
Inspiration #60: Odile →
I love San Francisco Ballet and my favorite full-length program — Swan Lake — just completed its run. Today’s inspiration is Odile.
{SF Ballet’s Odile; Maria Kotchetkova,…
How it turned out →
Wow, dinner last night was wild and fantastic. The menu was delicious and included parsnip and meyer lemon soup with pickled and crispy ginger; vanilla butter poached black cod with Oregon black…
January 2010
26 posts
Inspiration #59: Chocolate Butterbean Signs →
I envy the belles getting married in the South because they’ve got Chocolate Butterbean to make kick-ass signs. I’m sure these custom wooden signs are way beyond my budget, but a girl can dream….
Sneak Peek: IKEA Tablescape →
Tomorrow, I’m hosting a dinner for 20 guests using a 20-ft and 8-ft tables. Here’s what I picked up at IKEA on Friday. The print fabric was especially a good deal — discounted by 84% to $0.99 a…
A Kitchen Themed Bridal Shower →
I’m a foodie. So when I saw a kitchen-themed bridal shower on MyWedding.com, I was jazzed. The post’s author offered fun tips like sending recipe card theme invites or having guests decorate…
Sophisticated look for less →
This is really lovely, isn’t it? And it’s only $110! Local San Francisco designer, Christine Aiko Beck of Aiko Designs creates necklaces, earrings and bracelets such as these by…
Eat my garter →
I was at a dinner party yesterday night and the subject of edible panties came up (don’t ask me how). And then everyone thought it’d be a great idea if I wore an edible garter at the wedding…
Help me design an "extreme" tablescape →
{Photo by Vera Devera}
I have a dilemma. Next Sunday, I’m hosting a dinner party that’s going to be filmed for TV. For this special occasion, I’m feeling pressured to come up…
What's in your purse? →
What’s in your purse & why?
Would love to see on your blog & don’t forget to relink back :-)
{Thanks to Jenny May at The Swede Records!}
I use
this Franco Sarto
bag almost…
I heart Elizabeth Hurley →
{Elizabeth Hurley Photography - Michelle + Ben}
I’d like you to meet Elizabeth Hurley. No, not Hugh Grant’s ex. I’m talking about a talented San Francisco wedding…
Ho$tel vs. Hotel →
According to Emily Post, proper wedding etiquette calls for the bride and groom to pick up the tab for their attendants’ accommodations. We’d been hoping my parents could help in this department…
Love when you can →
{Photo by Vera Devera, Toronto Music Garden}
I learned very sad news about a good friend on Monday. He was vivacious, smart, funny and always made you feel like you were…
Oahu for us! →
{From the Jason Mraz video shoot as featured on Hawaii Magazine}
So, our meeting with Guisselle (of Mundi Travel) was great — we left with smiles on our faces! (By the…
Destination or staycation? →
{Hotel Majestic in Barcelona | Source: The Big Day.com}
So, will it be Barcelona or Kauai?
Guitar Fred and I have been staycationing a lot. While most people have…
The Beautiful Blogger Award goes to... →
Cheyenne of Girl v. The World nominated me for the Beautiful Blogger Award. I’m blushing!
Here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Paste the…
One to watch: Aaron Lee Films →
For the San Francisco brides, every Thursday on the brand-new Bay Area Bride Guide, I’m going to introduce you to local vendors you should consider in your search. I’ve found these vendors on my…
Dear Vera: Is it possible? →
Yesterday, I got a question from a lovely reader, Cheyenne, and it’s one that’s probably on all our minds: is a budget wedding possible? Thank you, Cheyenne, for letting me post your questions —…
Inspiration #58: My Dream Bridal Shower →
{Max + Kat Engagement Shoot at Flora Grubb Gardens, Source: Gabriel Harber Photography}
One of my passions is gardening and I love tea parties. But I don’t want the traditional…
8 months and 29 days →
{That’s me about to get my hair done by I-Dos-Wedding-Hair}
January 10, 2010 marked 9 months to the big day. And how did I spend it? At a bridal fair, of course! The Bay…
Inspiration #57: Hello, The Indigo Bunting →
Jack and Jill
Originally uploaded by indigobunting Over the summer, you may have seen the whimsical work of graphic designer, Erin Jang, float around the blog world, like …
Some Glam Blog Love →
Chocolate Lover bestowed me with this sweet blog award. So, now I’m paying it forward to 6 glam bride bloggers who’ll make you laugh, swoon and be inspired!
Giovanna at Swoon
Who's behind the lens... →
A few months ago, Davina + Daniel (the cutest couple ever!) selected us for their 2009 Photography Giveaway. I was tickled with their recent blog post, where they show what it’s like to be a…
Inspiration #56: The Barong →
Does your cultural heritage have distinct wedding attire? The most well known are probably the Chinese red dress or the Korean hanbok for brides, but what about for the groom?
{…
Inspiration #55: Under the Moon and Stars →
Martha, how I love thee. Another stroke of brilliance. This can be set up using cardboard cutouts and lots of Martha’s yummy glitter.
{From MarthaStewart.com, Wedding Ideas…
Budget idea: Paperless invites for pennies →
{One of the design concepts by LED}
I mailed a batch of save-the-dates to out-of-town guests, relatives and our attendants last week. The locals will get theirs later this…
How to Find Vintage Books for Under $1 →
If you’re a DIY bride like me, I’m sure you’ve oohed and ahhed over centerpieces featuring books, like this one seen on OnceWed.com:
{Source: OnceWed.com}
I finally…
Dog in a wedding? →
First, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Secondly, yes, my chi-corgi, Munch (above), owns a tuxedo. Guitar Fred and are debating whether or not to include him in our ceremony — either to walk down the…
Happy New Year →
Hold My Hand
Originally uploaded by .nicky. Happy New Year! It’s about 9:00PM here in California, and Guitar Fred and are settling in for the night. I came down with a cold so our…
December 2009
5 posts
Tied up. →
Guitar Fred and I spent Monday night shopping — not his favorite past time but it was all about him. After he spent 1.5 hrs buying a new pair of shoes (80% off of $169 — good boy!), I dragged him…
Inspiration #54: A Tulip Chandelier →
Okay, crafty-nistas — how can I make this stunning display on my own and for no more than $100?!?! This is fantastic, so whimsical and modern at the same time. I suspect I can buy the hanging…
Inspiration #52: DIY Table Details →
Considering Guitar Fred is the bookworm, these table card number “stands” are pretty clever:
{From Wedding Belles Online}
And to keep paper at a minimum, these napkin ring…
Details on a Budget for the Design Novice →
I used to work at a design firm, but I’m by no means a designer and instead a project manager. It seems that the most successful bride DIYers are also graphic designers so I was starting to feel a…
Inspiration #53: More Flowers →
This Christmas, Guitar Fred’s mom sent me home with almost all of her vintage white milk glass collection (bless her heart) and I’ve already bought 16 really cool yellow “Nantucket” lanterns at the…
September 2009
11 posts
Our Musically Romantic Wedding...a sneak peek →
{Photo of She & Him as featured on listentoliliana.com}
I just got Round 2 of our save-the-date designs from Lollipop Events & Design (LED) and I’m floating on cloud nine because they…
A Lovely Illustrated Invite by Molly McCoy →
addthis_url=''; addthis_title=''; addthis_pub='weddzilla';I used to volunteer for a nonprofit arts organization and found a designer named Molly…
A Parisian Bridal Shower →
Here’s how the bridal shower I threw for my sister turned out. I was quite pleased and we placed huge fuchsia paper pom-poms all over the room and even pinned some to the (conveniently) cork board…
Bridal Shower Style Under $125 →
It’s a Jaime Thing just tweeted Peter Som’s Spring Fashion Week 2010 as inspiration for a bridal shower look. I found my look for less yesterday at Banana Republic. The silk Boho dress…
Bridal Shower on a Budget →
My little sister’s bridal shower is this weekend, and I tasked myself with the decorations and favors. The wedding entourage chose a tea party theme, and I upgraded it to a Parisian tea…
Inspiration #37: Leaving Your Mark →
This has been circulating the blog world, and I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. I had been considering whether or not to do a wish tree or some other way to gather blessings from friends but…
Win a Bare Escentuals Makeup Artist for Your... →
My favorite wedding design site, 100 Layer Cake, has partnered with Bare Escentuals for a contest offering a BE makeup artist to get you dolled up for your big day! Two runner ups will win…
Inspiration #36: Guitar Pick Boutonierre →
I’ve been meaning to make boutonierres for my fiance and his groomsmen. He’s a musician and so are his buddies, so it’s only natural that I create guitar pick boutonierres. Where a rosebud…
Why Follow the Herd? →
Lately, I’ve been buying lots of baby gifts all of which seem to feature a safari theme. Lions, giraffes, tigers, elephants. All so adorable. And so baby. But safari can be grown up….