Monday, December 28, 2009

Star Hair Clips

At home sick today I leafed through my latest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings (an engagement gift from my cousin that keeps my apartment awash in wedding magazines) to see their story on star hair clips.

I've been a fan of these since Kiera Knightley dressed-up her art deco do in Atonement with a pair of clips (one is found by her well-meaning but nosy younger sister, alerting her that Kiera and the maid's son are canoodling in the library), but it's hard to find them at prices less than your month's rent (the Martha clips above top $1200 for three. Sheesh.).

As usual, though, Etsy (the hipster/indie/DIY/poor bride's best friend), comes to the rescue with a few vintage options, ranging from $5-$25 (I know.)

I like the nature-inspired look of these two, with the lazy-swaying starfish on the left and the leaf-nestled beribboned star on the right. ($10 from Gypsy's Trinkets)

Although a little dusty, this sweet little star is a steal at $5 (from bjalderman)


This one would pair nicely with the one above, and was the only to break double-digits ($25 from Billy Galaxy)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Carved Wedding Bands

I am still waffling about my wedding band, since my requirements are much more complicated than Dave's (plain, simple, white gold). I know what I'd like: something not too flashy but still personal, something small, something that could complement my engagement ring, something I could wear out hiking in the mud or making a sand castle or painting without worrying about, something elegant enough for a fancy dinner or the ballet or a business meeting.

I'm still searching, but I think I've found the style I want: a carved wedding band. Although some of them can inch towards looking a little Lisa Frank, the wheat design of this art deco band is so lovely.

And how beautiful is this modern-style crown of olive leaves?

I'm leaning towards a band of flowers. My mom has one and loves telling the story of how she and my dad visited their jeweler with a little bag of diamonds and how he sketched out a few simple flowers, dropping a diamond in the center of each. I always loved how simple and feminine it was and how unique the design felt in comparison to most jewelry store bands.

My mom's band is yellow gold and rather wide, and she wears it alone (her engagement ring was turned into a necklace). With the help of my design-o-matic brother, I'm hoping to have a ring a little smaller and more delicate and modern.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Wedding Thoughts

While Dave and I are still mulling whether or not to have a mass + wedding service wedding, we're still enjoying planning the readings and songs during the service. I was reminded of this verse while reading The Grapes of Wrath, but I thought it would also be something lovely for a wedding service (or playbill? invitation? decorative plaque?):

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

-Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Fingerprint Wedding Bands


Love love love these fingerprint wedding bands from artists Brent and Jessica Williams. They're perfect for people who want something personal on the inside of their bands, but have no idea what to write (like me and Dave. Somehow initials don't quite cut it). Dave and I both want something simple and plain for our bands (my ring is white gold, solitaire stone with four emerald-cut baguettes on each side), and these would be just lovely. Starts at $125 for women's, $150 for men's at Brent Williams Designs or their etsy store.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Wedding Blahg: Redux


Well, one month on and nary a post in site (oh puns...)! It was on purpose, as Dave and I try to figure out what we're doing with the whole getting married thing and I didn't want to start posting until we had clearer ideas of where/when/what our wedding would be. I'm not sure if that was a good thing though, because I would have liked to write about the process: the anxiety of thinking there is NOWHERE in the entire state that is just right for our reception, the silly flood of bridal magazines taking over my living room, the frightening and overwhelming distinctions between flower arrangements (wtf pomander?).

And I also was curious what information would be shared over the blog. Dave and I are not particularly "let me tell you about my colonoscopy"-type people (who are those people?), and we don't like too much fuss/drama/attention (Dave is predicting that on our wedding day I will spend 10% of the time basking in the focused attention of dozens of friends and family and 90% wondering when we can leave, get a pizza, and go to sleep). Plus, we're going all-in on personal details that mean a lot to us, and while I'm not someone who thinks she owns gardenias tied with hand-crocheted lace, I do feel weird exposing the inner workings of my brain/sketch book (same diff?).

But, over the past month, I've increasingly thought "Oh I wish I'd kept up with the wedding blog--I could have written something about that," and now with some of the big blocks starting to fall in place, I'm feeling, dare I say, bloggy.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Mwaiage


Hello, readers, and welcome to Hello, Wedding!, my brand-new blog detailing my and my new fiance's explorations into planning a wedding. First, a little about us:

Bride (aka me): 23, radio journalist, painter, sketcher, sometimes clothes/jewelry designer, Harvard grad (history and literature), living in New York, from New Jersey (Morristown)
Groom (aka him): 25, economist, soccer player, Excel enthusiast, sometimes singer/beat boxer, Harvard grad (eco, natch), studying in Chicago, from New Jersey (Moorestown--I know, cute right?)

We got engaged just a little over two weeks ago, standing in a pretty little field of wildflowers somewhere in the mountains of Spain. Wedding date is far away, mostly because I am clinging to the last radio journalism job left in the world, and Dave has been accepted to the wonderful ec PhD program at the University of Chicago. We have yet to decide much more than the basics: the place (Morristown), the church (my high school's chapel), and the people (him + me + priest).

Why blog? I thought it would help us focus the kind of wedding we would like, provide an online portfolio for curious friends and family, and connect us with similarly-minded brides and grooms who could (hopefully?) offer suggestions or advice. Also, I like blogging (witness my foray into cooking for myself: Res-o-puh-leese). With that said, welcome and enjoy!