Simply Amazing

While I was attending an ACPWC training course last week I was lucky enough to meet David of David Robin Films. His work is beautiful and I would be in heaven if he did my wedding. Judging by, well...everything, he seems to come with a heavy price tag. That's okay. I can cut the budget somewhere right? Like...food! People don't actually need to eat, right?? Yikes, stuff is really starting to add up.

Anyway, check out his 2007 wedding video and website here.

Oh, Monique...

Why does every single one of your dresses have to be so stunning....and expensive?? I know it is becoming predictable for every bride to love her and that about (don't quote me now) 50% of last years brides wore her well-known tulle creation Swan Lake (remember the barbie?), but I am not even close to sick of her designs. This is my all time fave. It's and oldie but a goodie. Mmmmm, I want to go back to her boutique and touch it. And hold it. And run. Or I could always win the lottery. Those are both very realistic options so, yeah, this will most definitely work out.

The Stillwell House

I am back! I have been so distracted with things lately, but it feels good to be blogging again. : )

Joe and I have still not decided on a venue. I am warning you this is going to sound stuck up, but nothing seems good enough. All the venues we have toured seem so "cookie cutter" and because my head is filled with images ranging from simple to outrageous wedding ideas I am having a hard time envisioning where exactly I want this shin-dig to take place. So this is where The Stillwell House comes in. I picked up a flyer with some info at a bridal show a few weeks ago and have been casually (NOT obsessively, really) glancing at it since. It is a historic home that was purchased by a local family that now rent it out for special events. The inside of the home has beautiful dark wood floors and a stunning staircase. Outside is a southwestern cantina and garden courtyard where the ceremony or reception can take place. What is most appealing about it is that they work closely with Candace Flores of Flores Event Design. That's right...an on-site planner that actually knows her stuff! Woo Hoo!

So, I am going to check it out tomorrow night at their weekly open house. I really hope we fall in love with this venue because I want to start moving forward with the planning. Specifically cake tasting, shoe shopping, etc. I can't help it....

We have done it!!

No, we didn't go get hitched. We made our first wedding related decision! We have actually agreed on a first dance song! I am sorry about the excessive use of exclamation marks but this is huge (Donald Trump style)! Why is this such a big deal? Because we have polar opposite tastes in music so I always thought we would be debating about this up until the ceremony. Woo Hoo!!

So, what is it you ask? We have decided our first dance song will be "Wonderwall" by Ryan Adams (originally by Oasis). You can listen to it here. What do you think?

For the maids

***SPOILER ALERT***........don't look if you are one of my bridesmaids!

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I have had many ideas about what to get my bridesmaids as gifts and it seems that I always go back to jewelry. Good ol' jewelry. Honestly, a girl can never have too much of it, right? So, I want my maids to have beautiful, unique jewelry ensembles to wear on my wedding day (and hopefully after) that A) don't cost a fortune and B) are unique to each girl in color and design. Well, hallelujah! I might just have found what I was looking for at Chemistry Bridal. I wasted way to much time "researching" (mmmhm) all of their cute looks. Check them out (if you're not a bridesmaid of course ; ) and see just what I am talking about.

Bright Centerpieces

I am pretty much all over the board when it comes to wedding colors. I love brown and blue (like most brides...lol), classic white, green and purple, corals, black and white...the list goes on and on. My latest wedding color love affair is with the bright colors in these gorgeous, low centerpieces.

Tasteful Graffiti

Yep, you read right. But don't worry it's not what you're thinking. Wonderful Wedding Graffiti creates beautiful printed monograms, designs, and quotes on transfer paper that you can stick to walls, dance floors, cars, and just about anything! Another reason I love them is because they had a photo of my "vision" (omg, I am a nerd) for our ceremony on their website. See Above. Romantic, huh?

The only thing is that I have never been a big fan of monograms everywhere at weddings. This might sound silly, but it just always seemed to "in your face" to me. If your guests flew out to come to your wedding....I can assure you that they know who you are. There is no need to remind them on every piece of stationary, bouquet, and the dance floor. Bottom line, it's just been done too many times before. **Steps off soap box**

Please excuse the split photo, I have no idea how I did that...

A Great Keepsake

I have been admiring these custom made cake toppers from Patch NYC for months now. I first saw a topper from patch in pics from a wedding circling around the internet and, because I find pretty much anything wedding related (not matter what the cost) adorable, I decided one would be perfect for our wedding. The artists at Patch NYC custom make the topper to match you and your groom and your attire for the day. I just love the home-made, quirky, and creative feel they have! So....how much is that "home-made" feel gonna cost? Brace yourself.........$500+. I know a lot of people think paying that much is insane but I am really impressed with all the detail and creativity.

I guess I am so attracted to them because I have never seen anything like it. Because I am planning on selling a lot of the big, space consuming things from our wedding (dress!) , I think that this would make a perfect keepsake.

What do you think?? Have I completely lost it?

Lolie Loves Sergio

The photographer, silly. I came across his work on wedding bee and it was love at first sight. He is based in Tucson but travels all over to shoot weddings. Plus, his name is Sergio, so he has got to be good! For some reason I imagine him as one of those "Oh yes! Make love to the camera!!" kinda guys or maybe he is super suave and likes to hook up with a bridesmaid or two by the end of the night. Okay, that's bad. Sorry. Anyway, you can check out his breathtaking photos here. These photos were taken at a wedding at Westward Look resort.

In Honor of the Charger's Win Today

Although Joe and I have decided not to have a traditional garter and bouquet toss (we are doing something a little different), I couldn't resist posting this pic of a San Diego Chargers garter.

Also, I need to go ahead and apologize ahead of time for any obssesive football talk that might take place. Being that the regular season began today I have lost all control of my "football filter".

Garter from Ebay.

Who cares what it tastes like...

...as long as it's pretty!

With designer cakes costing up to $20 per slice (ouch!), the idea of having a cake just as gorgeous on a "not so designer" budget is starting to seem out of the realm of possibility. To my surprise, I found this fun, spring time cake online at Lovin Sullivan. Looks like a stencil and some food coloring might just solve my problem. A local bakery can handle that....right?

So Many Dresses... Only One Wedding

When Joe and I first got engaged I had pretty much made up my mind as to what I wanted my wedding dress to look like. Slim, all over lace, simple. You know, think Monique Lhuillier. Now that I have spent countless hours fueling my addiction looking at dresses online I feel that I no longer have any idea what I want. Everyday I stumble across a dress that I adore, but that is completely different then the last one I adored. My most recent love affair (sorry Monique Lhuillier) is with this Oscar de la Renta dress I stumbled upon. What?? It's not like I was looking or anything...

Image from brides.com

Dear Anemones...

I may not know how to pronounce your name correctly, but I do know one thing, and that is that you're gorgeous.

The only thing I am not sure about is whether or not they would look okay for a Tucson wedding. All I can think about when I look at them is climbing out of a taxi cab in my sleek Vera Wang dress and riding an elevator up to the 30th floor of the trendiest New York loft (lit only by candle light, of course) where Joe and I exchange vows overlooking the Manhattan skyline. Something tells me that just isn't do-able with our budget.

Am I over thinking this whole wedding flower thing? Don't answer that.

Photos from the knot and style me pretty.

My Vow

OK, I am going to be honest. This whole blogging thing is a bit intimidating. I mean, the idea of having a blog is quite exciting...coming up with a cute name, a fun format, telling people, "Yeah, of course I blog. Don't you?". But it has just hit me, as I sit at my computer, that I actually have to write stuff. Wedding stuff. Don't get me wrong, I have enough ideas in my head to drive me crazy enough to end up in a mental institution. It's just that the idea of putting my ideas out there for everyone to see, judge, laugh at...whatever, is enough to give me writers block. Or is it "blogger's block"? See! I don't even know the right term!!

OK, enough rambling. The point of my first post is to establish my promise to the world of bloggers and their readers. In the spirit of weddings, here is my vow:

"I, Lolie Love, vow to blog openly and honestly about all things weddings. I promise to share all things that inspire me with my readers (almost) daily. When my "bloggers block" is rough I vow to persevere and get through the rough times. **gets out tissue** And, I vow to never abandon my blog **sniff** and to whole heartily love and support it. This is my solemn vow."