So I came across this photo while practicing my favorite method of procrastination, reading PerezHilton.com.

Now, I know I don’t exactly have the same skin tone as the gorgeous Zoe Saldana, but her make-up in this photo is flawless. Her skin is glowing, her eyes are piercing, and the subtle pink lipstick and blush balance out the sexy smoky eye perfectly. STUNNING.

I’m thinking it’s the perfect look that I’m going for and I’m employing Josselyn at Bhivebridal.com to get it done for me! I’m so excited I found her. She’s a fabulous make-up artist in Buffalo who’s portfolio is totally impressive. I trust her to make me look and feel absolutely gorgeous- exactly the way you should feel on your wedding day.

I’m hoping to do a trial run with her on the day of my engagement photos in 3 weeks. I’m thinking I’ll be taking this photo along for inspiration.

So my mother has graciously accepted the task of putting together my wedding centerpieces. We are saving a TON of money by assembling them ourselves.  Centerpieces like these, when done entirely through the florist, can cost well over $1,000 for supplies and assembly time. For us, it will be less than half that cost and we can sell some of the vases afterward on Craigslist to make some of our cost back. We are using vases my mom found at different stores but are nearly identical, branches taken from my mother and future mother in law’s backyards, and stones found at the Dollar Store.

Here is prototype #1.

My Mother glued on some small white silk flowers as an option to see how it would look, however my florist will be supplying real flowers, white opened roses or ranunculus, with wire on them for the actual day. Then my 2 wonderful, kind, loyal friends (love you Krystal and Brittany!!!) will wrap the flowers onto the branches the day of my wedding. This way we can drop off our centerpieces sometime earlier in the week without worrying about someone trying to deliver the large, bulky completed centerpieces the day of the wedding.

And I think my Mom did a great job! They will be just perfect for our winter wedding and tall enough for our grand venue. They will also be surrounded with different sized pillar candles that I’ve hand-wrapped with various types of lace. What do you think?

I know another month+ bloggy absence but I promise it’s for a good reason and I return with a plethora of new wedding resources for all my favorite brides out there. Now that we are almost at the 6 month mark- my life has turned into wedding madness. I have been inundated with new tasks just about every day. Before I accomplish one thing- I remember another and I fly into a frenzy of Googling and researching. Currently in my thought process…

1. Correct size of wedding shoes. I chose Martinez Valero, “Ozzie” in black satin. I’m so tall when I wear them! 4 and 1/2 inches with a 3/4 platform. LOVES it. Check out 6pm.com for awesome deals on designer shoes. They are the outlet website for Zappos- so I promise it’s legit. Just make sure you double check the right size- because they don’t have exchanges available- so you’ll have to return and reorder if they are wrong. But you can’t beat the deals.

2. Candles. I ordered about 200 candles from YummiCandles.com. I have wrapped them individually with different types of lace to go with our theme. I highly recommend the company- you can order pretty much any candle you can imagine in any color you need for a great price and they are a company out of my hometown in Buffalo, NY.

3. Rehearsal dinner/lunch. Being that our rehearsal will fall on New Year’s Eve- it is making our plans to find a restaurant difficult. It’s difficult to get anyone to accommodate such a large party on a holiday. I’m hoping we found the place finally. It’s called Bacchus and it’s associate with the catering company we are using for the actual wedding. Major score! Amazing food, amazing service, amazing everything. Another plus- it’s a wine bar!! How perfect considering we got engaged in Napa! Thank you again to Austin at Asbury Hall- the best damn wedding coordinator you could hope for. Seriously- if you want to get married in Buffalo- get married at Asbury Hall. You won’t regret it.

4. Lights for the venue. We are using Buffalo BalloonMasters to hang across the balconies on and we are sharing the cost with another bride who’s in the same venue the night before us. It will add such a fabulous ambiance to the room- especially since our ceremony and reception are in the same room. Saving cost by not having to decorate 2 separate spaces.

5. Weight loss. I’m 8 lbs. down! WOOHOO!!! This is major cause for celebration. I haven’t seen this number on the scale in quite some time. I contribute this a lot to working out and Jazzercise and also to making much better food choices, but also taking the time to relax as well and eat when I’m hungry. Who would have thought- diet and exercise are finally working! I’d like to lose 5 more by the end of the month and then work on the last 10 through the Fall. I think I can do it!!

6. Budget budget budget. Enough said. We are doing well but I’m always nervous because there are always things you forget about!

7. Our engagement shoot with Elisha Orin. I have an idea of “vintage picnic” in the downtown Elmwood area of Buffalo. It’s always been one of my favorite places and I think it would be fun to showcase some of the things Chris and I love. I’m currently searching for adorable outfits and props. I also can’t wait to meet Elisha. If you haven’t seen her work- check it out because she’s incredible.

8. Bridemaids and parents gifts! I have the BEST idea ever (which I cannot divulge here because some of my girls tune into read this little blog) but I’m on the hunt for what I need. Hint- it will make pictures completely fun.

9. Save the dates have officially been sent- very exciting news! I’m getting lots of emails and texts from people saying they love them! Now I’ve got to finalize the invitations and get those ordered. If you need an awesome designer try Shana at PoshPaperWorks.com. Custom designs at unbeatable prices. Shana has made some beautiful stuff for us and I’m so excited to see the final product.

10. Photo booth. I really want a photo booth at the wedding. I think it’s fun and quirky and the guests will love it. But the best price I’ve found is still $700 for 4 hours of time. That’s NOT cheap. Now I’m considering DIY options. I love these chalkboard speech bubbles and how much fun I’ve seen the guests having in all the pictures of weddings who had them. I think I can do it myself but it’s another project- do I really want to take something else on right now?

11. Bridal showers. Yes I said showers. There are 2 separate showers in Buffalo back to back to include all the family that wants to come. That’s a LOT of bridal madness. It’ll be really fun though and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there. It’s nice to know how many people want to celebrate with you. I think some of my friends are also planning another shower here in Columbus because they can’t make it to Buffalo for the others. I’m a lucky girl to have such wonderful people in my life.

12. Music. I have a fabulous DJ for the reception- thanks to Signature Entertainment (who has also promised not to turn into my DJ nightmare filled with the chicken dance or We Are Family). I also have a jazz band for the ceremony which is being run by a friend of mine and I’m trying to figure out exactly what I want played and if it’s even possible with small jazz trio or quartet. More on this later…

I think that about covers it but I hope that somewhat explains my recent absence in blogging. I can’t blog when I’m out there actually planning! There are so many decisions to make. I should probably write about them more so I can work out my thoughts and not be so scattered. I’ll work on that.

6 more months and this will all be over. Would you believe me if I told you I was excited for the end to come? 2 year engagements are a LONG time. Please leave words of encouragement so I don’t have another bridal breakdown.

This is not the newest idea but I still love using magnets as Save the Dates! In fact we just ordered our Save the Dates from MagnetStreet.com. I particularly love the style we chose because it’s fun to showcase a few photos from all the years we’ve been together as well as provide something slightly useful as opposed to a piece of paper. Magnetstreet’s design tools were very easy to use and their customer service support has been great, especially considering that I had special requests for their designers. I can’t wait to see them in person when they hit my doorstep in a week or so!

This particular design is offered for $1.49 a piece when you order 100 pieces. Price varies if you want more or less. I also snagged a coupon code after some Googling and got an additional 10% off. Major win.

What do you think??

Dear Vera Wang,

You speak to my bridal soul. Every time I’m doubting I have the “bride gene,” I take a glance at your gowns and I’m immediately daydreaming of walking down the aisle. Currently I’m enamored with this beauty-

The striking black sash, the layers of luxurious fabric, and the playful textures make my jaw drop. There isn’t a whole lot more to say other than I love you Vera. You are a visionary genius.

And if anyone owns this gown and wants to sell me their used one… just let me know.

Which designer’s creations speak to your soul like Vera speaks to mine??

***UPDATE*** This dress is called “Eliza” from the Fall 2010 collection. It retails for $9,000-10,000.

***UPDATE 2*** Did you hear that sound??? I’m pretty sure that was god laughing at me.