Another kind of invitation

Now that all the wedding invitations are sent and delivered properly (I think), I had another batch of envelopes that I was waiting to mail out.. the rehearsal dinner invites!

Funny story.. I knew I would be writing this post today and seriously had a nightmare last night about how everyone hated them and thought they were gross and dumb. That was sad.

Anyhoo, the closer the wedding date gets, the more VIP guests (you know.. bridal party and family and whatnot) have been asking us when they need to be in town for any wedding related festivities. I've been telling everyone what they need to know over the phone or email, but I still get questions and concerns and all those fun things that come along with it. Of course I could have just sent everyone one big informative email (which I'm still going to do), but I felt compelled to get all artsy-craftsy again and whip up some kind of "formal" invitation.

I wanted something simple, fun, and that was able to make use of some of the leftover and unused invitation supplies that I still had lying around. You know, like the 40 sheets of card stock I bought from Michael's right after I got engaged, not realizing until later that they were ultimately the wrong color for the invites. #notthinking

For some reason, I became hell bent on writing and using my very own cute little poem that would include all the details.. easy peasy, right? Well, obviously not; have YOU ever tried writing a (sensical) poem for a rehearsal dinner? (If so.. I envy you and you can disregard this.) Once I started running around asking Foxy what rhymed with "rehearsal" and "crab" (blab? drab? flab?), I figured I should maybe Google it (and by Google it, I mean Weddingbee it). Of course you guys had something already whipped up and easy enough to adapt to our specific situation. And so that's what I did.

So what exactly does a poem + some card stock + washi tape + more sparkly paper equal?

How stinkin' cute are those crabs?! I almost did another sparkly heart, but when I saw that Martha  Stewart had a CRAB punch.. well, obviously my mind was made up for me.

Do you also like how I added that there will be more options besides crab (even though it says crab feast and I've already literally told e.v.e.r.y.o.n.e. that there will be chicken, shrimp, salad, tuna, etc, in addition)??

Apparently, some people get antsy about things (like crabs). One thing I've learned is that you have spell everything out to avoid repeating yourself a dozen times.. and even then, you'll still get questions. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Are you sending out rehearsal dinner invites in any fashion (mail, email, carrier pigeon, etc)? Have you found yourself having to repeat wedding related things a dozen times to anybody?

Drumroll please...

Finally! It's time for the Fox invitation reveal!

I re-sent the envelopes that were returned to me early last week, and I know that at least my mom got hers already, so I think we're finally good on all that post office nonsense. About damn time.

So let's start with the envelopes (that you've all seen plenty of already). As I opted for a square invitation, I needed a 6" square envelope to send those babies out in. Good to note: square envelopes automatically cost 20 cents more to mail.

Then there was the issue of addressing them. To make a long story short, I didn't want to use labels, couldn't afford to hire someone to write them all fancy like, and I am much too lazy to learn calligraphy (unlike some fabulous other Bee's!). The next best thing was to print the addresses straight onto the envelopes. However, since I opted for the fancy, shimmery envelopes.. the ink basically didn't dry. I tried waiting three days to touch it, tried spraying it with artist fixative, but nothing seemed to work for me.

Gross.

My solution? Embossing. I've seen the word many a time here on the Bee, but honestly had no idea how to go about such a fancy thing. A bit of embossing powder and heat tool usage later, I realized just how amazeballs easy it is. Another thing to note: you cannot use a hair dryer to emboss - you must use an embossing tool. (Just trust me on this one.)


So I ran the 80+ envelopes through the printer two times each - once for our return address on the flap (sprinkle with powder, use heat tool to emboss), and once for the mailing address on the front (more powder sprinkling, more heat tool embossing). While it was all relatively easy, it took hours over the course of several days. I'm a total antsy pants and can only sit still for so long, so I usually only ended up getting about 20 done at a time. It's really time consuming, but definitely worth it in the end. Absolutely no ink smearing!

Ok, enough with the envelope babble. Let's open that baby up!!

Sorry for the blurring! :(

Oh boy...

Well hello, gorgeous!

Notice anything familiar? I decided to keep the "theme" of the glittery hearts (they were magnets in my Save the Dates) and use them as clips to hold everything together. I ended up abandoning the belly band idea that I was so set on before, mostly because I didn't like how it was (or really, wasn't) holding everything together. I think the clips worked out rather nicely, though, especially for our MiniMoo website card!

I was a bit nervous that people wouldn't flip the card over and see the web address, but guests have assured me that they noticed it (I can also tell by the increased views on the website)!

Then, finally, we have the main invite itself.

I got both the main part of the invite and the RSVP card printed out via CatPrint (the same as my Save the Dates), and I was quite pleased with the way they turned out!

These babies were absolutely a labor of love (and, let's be honest, some hate.. there were frequent curse words involved). But I love the result. And while my friend(or) Michelle designed the actual face of the invite and RSVP card, I was responsible for sprucing the suite up a bit. There was a lot of cutting, taping, carefully aligning, and wine involved.

::Phew:: Well, I'm glad they're done.. but it's all a bit surreal! The RSVP's are already coming in, making mail time even more exciting! Now I just have to get Foxy to stop opening them before I have the chance to. I worked hard on those, yo! I wanna open them myself! ;)

Bee's, Brunch, & Bottomless Mimosas

I mean, what could be better than that?!

Mrs. Candy Apple, Mrs. Lox, myself, Miss Mink, and Mrs. Pony

This past Sunday, a few of us DC/Maryland/Virginia (heretofore known as the "DMV") Bee's got together for some good eats, good drinks, and good times. Even though we were several people less than we originally hoped (we missed you guys!), we were still able to enjoy ourselves over brunch at one of DC's hidden gems, Ardeo. It's located in the Cleveland Park area of DC, and if you're ever in town (or just want an amazing and delicious boozy brunch), I highly recommend it!!

There was only one slight snafu.. Mrs. Lox was not 5 minutes away from the restaurant when she got into an accident that was.. well.. not very good for her car. She was fine - thank goodness! - but her poor car had to be towed away and her hubs had to come pick her up. The woman is a true trooper, though, and came to join us (Mr. Lox in tow!) for a slightly delayed bite and lots of (much needed) mimosas. 

One topic of conversation that came up and we all collectively agreed on was that we must do a hive-wide DMV meet-up in the next few months.. I know that the last one I was at was such a huge success!

So that was my Sunday.. Bee's, brunch, and bottomless mimosas. Hope yours was just as boozy beautiful!

On not being a bridezilla

Us ladies get a lot of shit from a lot of people about being or turning into the ever popular term bridezilla. This annoys me.

Image via Feministe

While it's true that some women can get a little.. over the top (I mean, hi, Bridezillas on WE tv was created for a reason).. that does not mean that every time someone gets a bit particular or focused on the details that they are automatically a bridezilla. It's just not fair.

What makes it even more unfair is that society tells us, as women, that we need to make our wedding day the best day of our lives. It needs to be perfect. Nothing else can compare. It's obviously the only thing we've been looking forward to since we were young. (You know.. or not.) But then, when we try and make it perfect not only for ourselves but for everyone else, we get called a royal bitch. A crazy person. A bridezilla.

In my own opinion, it's a part of society that is still very, very sexist towards women, but I won't get on my soapbox about that too much right now. The kicker is that it's usually us women who are the quickest to judge others when it comes to weddings. It's not true for everyone, of course, but I guarantee you a woman originally came up with the term bridezilla.

There's a great little article that was featured on BlogHer via Feministe a few years back that talks about the subject much more eloquently than I can. Below is just one excerpt that accurately expresses my own feelings on the subject:

"Not that I’m defending the bad behavior of some women in planning their weddings. Assholes are assholes, and there are a fair number of assholes who eventually get married and, unsurprisingly, act like assholes in the process. The ability to even freak out about your wedding is a function of socioeconomic and cultural privilege.

But when we get to the point where all we need as evidence that a woman is a selfish jerk who thinks of her wedding as Princess’s Special Day is the fact that she’s a woman, I think we’ve gone a little too far down Misogyny Lane."

Basically, people to calm their ish down. Yes, I am a perfectionist and very detail oriented, but no, I am not a bridezilla. Watch any of the three episodes with Brideszilla Karen, then talk to me (those episodes literally gave me nightmares).

What are your thoughts on the matter? Has anyone ever called you a bridezilla or even just alluded to it? Do you actually think you are one?

From two years to two months

Two years ago today, Foxy asked me if I wanted a new ring. It was his own way of asking me to marry him, it was perfect, and of course I said yes.

I like to think we're super cool because some people with shorter engagements don't even get to celebrate one engagaversary, let alone two.

Foxy always gives me crap about this because "there's so many dates to remember". I tell him to deal with it because he's actually rather lucky - I myself only remember three dates: our first date (August 23), our engagement (April 18), and our upcoming wedding date in June. Maybe it's bad, but I honestly have no clue when we became "exclusive", when we said I love you, our first kiss, etcetera. Is that stuff I should know off the top of my head?! I could tell you a time frame like a month.. but that's about it. Hmmm.

Then again, I can't give Foxy too much crap since he's bad with dates in general. I mean, the man didn't even know what day Christmas is. And he celebrates it.

Anyway, I'm in awe that we've already been engaged for two years, and will soon be married in two months. It's felt like forever and it's felt like no time at all. Foxy.. I can't wait to call you my husband!! Happy 2 year engagaversary. :))

How are you and your SO with remembering dates? Have you (or will you) celebrate(d) an enagagaversary?

I feel pretty, oh so pretty..

I feel pretty and witty and gayyyyyyy!

Ahem. Pardon my brief West Side Story moment.

Let's forget all about that post office mumbo jumbo for a minute, because today? Today was definitely a pretty day. I'm going to pin it on the fact that I had both my hair and makeup trials. Yep.. pretty sure that's it!

Real quick, before we get to the good stuff: remember how I said brideslady M was going to do my makeup for me? That ended up changing a bit. See, Brianna, both my friend and hair stylist, actually started working alongside someone who does airbrush makeup for weddings and other events. Together, they formed Metro Elegance, an on-location artistry group specializing in hair and makeup. Both ladies also happen to be super close to my good friend Emily (also our officiant) - Brianna is her sister-in-law and the makeup artist, Lauren, works alongside her during the week at a local catering company.

While I booked Bri to do my hair a while back, Lauren and I only briefly chatted about her possibly doing my wedding day makeup. As time went on and my money situation got tight, I never followed up and just figured I'd do it myself/have brideslady M help me out. However! I've gotten to know the two of them much better over the past year, and somehow all the stars magically aligned and as of just a few weeks ago, I will now be working with both of them on our wedding day! Brideslady M won't have to fret about me and my makeup, and I'll get all primped and pampered from two amazing artists and friends. It's a win-win!

Now onto the goodies - let's start with the makeup. I knew I didn't want anything too dramatic - just an enhanced version of my everyday look. I normally just go with the basics, maybe a little flair around the eyes, but nothing too fancy.

Pretty usual.

It's all I really know how to do. That, and stage makeup from my years of dancing.

Yea. That happened.

Neither look really felt.. wedding appropriate, if you catch my drift. I clearly needed some help with this, and so I turned to my trusty friend who I like to call Google search engine. I will give you one very valuable tip regarding wedding day makeup (that you likely already know): gather inspiration from people with a similar complexion and similar hair color. It seems like a no brainer - maybe it is - but it made my search SO much easier.

From left to right: Images via NonStopMama | via Top News | via Red Hair Rocks

As for hair, I was going for a messy updo type of thing. Nothing too stiff and formal - our wedding won't be like that, so why should my hair?

From left to right: Images via Celebrity - The Style | via We Heart It | via Style Bistro

So the ladies got to work - Lauren on my face and Brianna on my hair - and within an hour or so, I had magically transformed into a "rough draft" of a bride-to-be. (Sorry for the quality - my dSLR was giving me issues today!)

I'm so in love!! The ladies did a near complete version of everything in order to leave me with some element of surprise of how I'll look on the actual wedding day, which I'm totally ok with. Brianna will tease the top of the hair a bit more and curl a few more of the loose tendrils hanging down, and Lauren suggested I stick to a regimen of exfoliating and moisturizing in the next two months to ensure smooth, flawless skin. Totally doable.

I just love how they were each able to make my "bridal vision" into a reality - soft but done up, simple but making a statement, natural but pronounced. I think it will be perfect.

What do you think? Will I be a rusic-boho-chic bride yet?! What about you.. are you going for a softer, more natural look or a more bold, dramatic look for your wedding day?

On further aggravations with the post office

Oh hey. So I was all ready to post a bit about my invites, how I spent obnoxious amounts of time on the envelopes alone, how I asked to have them hand cancelled, be all helpful and such.

And then I get this in the mail:

Yes, that is a stack of invites. No, I did not mail myself 7 invitations. Those are ones that were returned to me, with this stamped on the back of them:

Basically saying I need 20 more cents of postage.

Um. Excuse me, post office. NO. You know why? Because I had my envelopes weighed, and was told they would be 65 cents each. However, once I saw the amazing cherry blossom stamps that Miss Mink recently posted about, I decided to overpay by 25 cents on each invitation so that I could have the complete cherry blossom vista (I'm kind of obsessed with them.. recall my tattoo?). I know for a fact that several people in Maryland and Pennsylvania have already received their invites, no problem. And all those invites that were returned to me? They are addresses in either New York or New Jersey.. including my mom.

So, yes, I'm pissed. Upset. Annoyed. Confounded that someone(s) clearly can't see that there are not one, but two Forever stamps on each invite. Because there is no other explanation, except for the notion that certain people just didn't pay attention. What's to say that when I mail them out again, I don't wind up with them back in my mailbox the second time around?

Ugh. Ok. ::breathing::

Anyway.. part of the point of the original post I was going to write was about hand cancelling envelopes. A lot of us late spring/early summer brides have been writing posts including invitation reveals and the mailing process of said invites as of late (Unicycle, Boa, Mink, Wizard, Doe, Hawk), and I wanted to join in on the fun.

See, this all started when I brought my invites to the post office last week to be hand cancelled. All this means is that, instead of running the envelopes through a standardized machine to sort the envelopes and "cancel" the stamps, someone physically sorts and cancels. This is a good idea for larger or oddly shaped envelopes and packages, as you'll end up with a lower chance of something getting mangled a la Miss Doe's invite.

Alas, the first post office I went to said "we don't hand cancel envelopes". Weirdos. So I went to another, bigger post office, where the clerk looked at me all fishy like and had to reassure me several times that yes, I can just leave my box of invites with him and they will all be hand cancelled. Cue slight panic and distrust on my end, because yes, I'm a crazy person. Of course I sent one invite (not seven) to myself so I would know how they would look when they arrived.. so if they weren't hand cancelled for some reason, I would know. (I swear I'm not a bridezilla. Just really anal.)

To date, I know of at least four different people who have received their invites, and so far there have been three variations on all this hand cancelling nonsense.

First variation: nothing.

Two people have received their invites like this. The folks above actually asked if we just dropped it off in their mailbox, because the envelope was so pristine looking. I mean.. the stamps aren't even cancelled. It's like a gift of 90 cents that they can use again. Your welcome, friends.

Variation two:  we're in kindergarten and need to scribble over a perfectly nice envelope and ruin it.

This was how ours came. That's the lamest hand cancelling ever. (Mind you, we live no more than 3 miles from the people with the lack of hand cancelling.) I think they knew it was us and wanted to spite me for being so nuts at the post office. I seriously hope other people don't get theirs like this. It just makes me a bit sad.

Variation three: oh hey, we actually know what hand cancelling means.

This was brideslady M's invite. Clearly hand cancelled. Looks good. Crazy Miss Fox approves.

Needless to say, I'm (not so) eagerly awaiting to see what other variations undoubtedly pop up; I may have also asked several people to send me a picture of the envelope as soon as they get it. Like I said.. #anal.

Can you tell I'm in a snarky mood today?  Some things just irk me, especially when it deals with something that I worked on for countless hours to make as close to perfect as I could manage. I also just want these invites to be out and delivered so that I can finally reveal them to you all!

Has anyone else encountered issue with the post office lately? Did it affect your invite timeline at all?

You've got questions, I've got answers

Well hive, the invites are ready. to. go.

I'm not quite ready to share all the nitty gritty details just yet (give me a week!), but I will tell you that we included a website card for information like accommodations, directions, registry information, etc. And seeing as I plan on taking these to the post office tomorrow (and have already given a few out to family members), I figured I should probably update that long forgotten website, yes? (Because I kind of haven't given it much thought since September.)

Back when I originally created the site, I had all the basic information on it: place, date, time, random details. I revised it when I sent out the Save the Date's to try and keep some mystery until the invites themselves would be sent. Since that time is now upon us, I needed to re-revise (..?) and re-include all those little details that people will surely want to know but will be clueless about based on our invite suite alone.

So what did I re-include? For one, all the details about the venue, ceremony, and after party, as well as some more recent pictures. But my most favorite part of the updated site would have to be the new and improved Wedding FAQs section. Instead of including a tab just for registry information or just for directions, I kind of just mushed it all together!

So far, here's what I've got:

So.. do we get to eat at this thing?

Of course you do!! Immediately following the ceremony, there will be a traditional cocktail hour in the Vandiver's main room and outside on the porch. We will then migrate over to the outdoor pavilion to eat, drink, mingle, and dance the night away!

What kind of food can we expect?

Anything and everything! There will be red meat, white meat, pasta, seafood, salad.. we are positive that you will find something you can enjoy!

What should I wear?

Well, clothes would be a good start! As for the "dress code".. think of a slightly dressed up version of business casual. Men can wear anything from a full suit to dress pants with a nice shirt and tie. The ladies can wear anything from a nice summer dress or pantsuit to a cute cocktail dress. We'd like for you to get dressed up, but still be comfortable!

Where are you registered?

If you are wanting to come with a gift in hand, you can find a registry under either of our names at:

How do I get there?

The Vandiver is right off of I-95 via exit 89. Their website has wonderful, detailed directions here. Once you're in town, you might find this map helpful, as well!

I'll be in the area for the weekend.. any advice on what to do?

Lucky for you, Havre de Grace is just a short drive from the Philly, Baltimore, and DC metropolitan areas! But if you'd rather stay around town, check out all the things to see and do!

________________________________________

I'm pretty sure that's all the pertinent information (at least for the things not mentioned elsewhere on the site or the invites). That last diagram is my favorite, too - I would love to find a way to stick a printout of it in everyone's room upon arrival!

((Side note: I linked the images of the BBB and Potterybarn logos straight to our respective registries there, and totally unintentionally noticed that people are already buying us things!! Total accidental registry stalk, I swear, but it was so freaking exciting. Like, pee in your pants exciting. Oh muh gah.))

If you have a wedding website, did you include a general FAQ section or have a more specific page for each detail? Should I add anything else to mine?

I'm Never Staying in a Hotel Again

No, not because of a bad experience. Because of a really, really good one in a non-hotel environment.

This past weekend was brideslady M's bachelorette party in good ol' NYC, which I helped organize and plan. After getting thoroughly annoyed at the amount of money we'd have to spend on two decent hotel rooms for 7 or 8 girls for two nights, I turned to some alternative sources.

Have you guys ever heard of Vacation Rentals by Owner or Home Away? It's where brideslady Bunny Love (formally known as brideslady G.. she requested a name change) found that amazing penthouse that we'll be staying at in Mexico for our friendymoon, and it seemed like the perfect solution for our little NYC hotel dilemma. If you are unfamiliar with the sites or the concept.. it's just a place where house/apartment owners put their properties up for rent for a day, week, month, whatever. 9 times out of 10, it's about 10000000% cheaper than getting a hotel room, and it makes it feel like a home away from home because, well, you're in someone's home. Not as weird as it sounds.

Anyway, without getting too nasty, not one of the 8 properties I contacted via Vacation Rentals by Owner got back to me about possibly renting their space this past weekend. Lame. (And terrible business practices.) At this point, M's bachelorette was two weeks away and we still didn't have a place to stay. Yes, I was freaking out like you wouldn't believe.

Luckily, M came across a similar site called AirBnB and within hours of contacting three different properties, she heard back from one located in a perfect little spot in Midtown (she also heard back from the others after only a day or two). It was a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath with a wrap around terrace on the 20th floor that could sleep up to 7 people comfortably. It sounded amazing, the pictures made it look amazing, and the owners had several positively glowing reviews. Needless to say, we had the place booked within days!

It was wonderful because we were able to cook breakfast Saturday morning..

..hang out on the terrace to pregame in the afternoon..

..and not spend an arm and a leg to have a penthouse apartment for the weekend. We were a block away from the subway, steps away from tons restaurants and coffee shops, in the heart of Midtown.. all for $90 per person, per night. I honestly would have been fine just lounging around in the apartment all weekend!

Of course we didn't do that and we went out quite a bit. A few highlights and recommendations in case you are in search of things to do in NY for a ladies weekend:

Dashing Diva

We got our nails done here on Friday night - they have several locations throughout the city, and give you free cosmos on Thursday's and Friday's between 6pm and 9pm! Nails and drinks? Yes. My nail polish was even ever so appropriately called "I Need a Cocktail." Delicious.

Sex and the City Hotspots Tour

This was a freaking blast. We hopped on a tour bus Saturday morning and got taken around to a bunch of different locations and sites used in the SATC series and movies. If you are a fan of the series and are in NY, do this. We made stops at The Pleasure Chest (where Charlotte got her rabbit), Buddakan (used many a time in the series, namely where Big and Carrie had their rehearsal dinner), Onieals (called Scout in the series, aka Aiden's bar.. more cosmo's were enjoyed here!), and Bleeker Street, where we enjoyed a Magnolia cupcake and ventured over to Fresh, the makeup store/company that worked with the stars on the show.

Bride-to-be M's special little goodie bag from the Pleasure Chest!

Posing at Buddakan like the tourists we are.

Making a massive purchase at Fresh (best lipgloss everrr, btw).

Loooove me some cosmos!

And cupcakes. Obvi.

Dos Caminos

Delicious, sorta upscale Mexican place on Park Ave. Get their guacamole and stick around for the free frozen Prickly Pear margarita shooter after the meal!

Midtown 1015 at Sutton Place

This was our drinking/dancing spot Saturday night. It was good.. not great.. but if you're in midtown and are looking for decent place with good music and a rooftop deck, this is your spot!

All in all, an awesome weekend with awesome ladies. And I can't rave enough about AirBnB and the people we rented from.. it will definitely be my go-to place for any trips I take in the future!

Have you done a vacation rental before? How'd you like it?