Huzzah! I'm Married!

So weird. So, so weird. Although I do get a kick of calling this guy my husband!

Hive, our wedding was magical. I laughed. I cried. I felt butterflies. I smiled so much my cheeks hurt.

I tried my hardest to take people's advice - to soak it all in, because they kept telling me "it all just flies by". You know what? They were 100% right. It still feels so surreal; I know I was there.. it all happened.. but it still feels like a dream. A wonderful, magical, glittery dream. ((Yep. Glittery.))

From arriving at the venue to picking crabs at the rehearsal dinner; from getting an hour of sleep to getting makeup done at 6am; from running around decorating to getting (literally) sewn into my dress; from seeing Foxy for the first time as bride and groom to locking eyes with him as I walked down the aisle; from interpretive dancing to "Call Me Maybe" to doing car bombs at the bar; from becoming a Miss to a Mrs. Everything.. literally everything.. was perfect.

We're shortly off to a (much needed trip to) Mexico, but I am so very eagerly awaiting our pro pictures.. I just want to relive this whole weekend over and over and over! Fortunately for me, my friends and family are probably the best in the whole freaking world and documented almost everything on their own cameras as well. My Facebook is blowing up, and I couldn't be happier.

So no worries.. I'll be back soon.. but I figured a few sneak peeks wouldn't hurt, right?! Enjoy!

xoxo
MRS. Fox!!

'Tis the Season

Foxy and I had been approaching the months of May and June with a bit of caution. Going in, we knew that once Memorial Day rolled around, it would be a marathon of sorts. We would have brideslady M's wedding (that I was in), then our friend Edie's wedding a week later, then a full 7 days of nonstop work, then our wedding. Holy moose!

Well, the first two have happened, we're currently in the middle of work overload, and our wedding is merely days away. Conclusion? It's crunch time. But as I sort of mentioned the other day, I'm feeling oddly good about everything.. and I have my lovely friends weddings to thank for some of that!

First off, being a part of brideslady M's wedding and attending Edie's made me realize how wonderfully, uniquely them they each were. As a result, it also made me realize how beautifully, perfectly us ours will be! Sure, it may be a bit different, a bit light-hearted, a bit more casual than what some people may be expecting, but it's going to be ours. And you can't ask for more than that!

Now as for brideslady M, I know that she spent just as long planning out each and every detail of her wedding as I have, and it was truly a labor of love.

She looked gorgeous, the venue looked gorgeous, and all the details reflected her personality and her peacock theme perfectly.

The funny part was that, for as incredibly put together she is and how immaculately she plans.. we had a lot of stuff to do in the 12 hours before the wedding! Word on the street is that hey, it happens. You plan to have all this stuff done, but it inevitably somehow still needs to be done the week, eve, or even day of the wedding. But M is an amazing person with equally amazing friends (what whaaaat!), and we got it all done, from the card box...

I'm not very attractive at 1am.

...to the place card set up...

...to the table votives...

...to the flowers that she picked and arranged herself...

((Not a complete arrangement.. just components!))

...to the cupcakes that needed to be completely redone, then boxed up...

Poor cupcakes!! The heat got to them!!

Much better.

...to her sash that she completely decorated and sewed by hand...

It was GORGEOUS, btw.

...to the programs that were finished the morning of the wedding. Phew!!

But you know what?? It all came together. And it was fabulous. And if she/we could get it all done, well then I sure as hell can get (what I hope is) less than that done in the upcoming days before mine and Foxy's wedding!

With a little help from my good friend champagne, of course.

As for Edie's wedding.. well, I know she went through a couple of situations that were not exactly ideal. Like how her photographer - with whom she signed a contract and already paid for - basically told her that they weren't going to come to her wedding a mere week out. Or how her husband travels for work, often with little to no notice, and she had to plan a lot of the wedding on her own. Or how there were flash floods and tornado warnings on the day of her wedding.

But.. once again, you know what?? It all worked out. She found a new, amazing photographer with just a few days to go. She found a wonderful wedding designer to help her with the planning. The rain magically held out until just after the outdoor ceremony was over.

She looked beautiful, she handled everything with ease, she dealt with everything that came her way. And if she can stay poised and calm with so much chaos going on around her, I'm extremely hopeful that I can take it all in with the same amount of stride!

Aside from all the little lessons learned in these past few weeks, I've also absolutely loved going to all these weddings. It's getting me so, so, so excited for our own, and I've noticed that I all of a sudden just care so much more. About the details, about the ceremony wording, about the way the groom looks when his bride walks down the aisle, about the guest book.. all those things that you may not always notice if you're not hot on the heels of your wedding day. It's a fun place to be, actually!

Cheers!

Did you have any weddings to attend or be a part of just before or after your own? Did you find you were more perceptive to everything?

Holidays, a countdown, and some more wedding porn

Apologies for the radio silence, hive! I have been enjoying lots of family, food, and relaxing this past week - I haven't had this much time to myself in ages. I was even able to read a bit and finish a book I started six months ago. Yes, it's been that long. But I digress - hello, again, and I hope you all had and are continuing to have fabulous holidays!

Our pussycat(s) does not seem to enjoy the holidays as much as I do.

So anyway, way back when I first started my little wedding blog (coughforthesolepurposeofWeddingbeecough), I had 732 days until the wedding. Seven hundred thirty two. It felt like it would never come; I dreamed of the day I could even say our wedding was next year, much less saying it's less than six months away. Because now? It is. And in a few short days, I can say our wedding is this year.

I have no idea how the moose that happened, but it did. We're under 180 days at this point, which only 80 away from 100, which is when shiz starts getting real. Miss Unicycle's post the other day made me wake up from my holiday cookie coma and realize that all that stuff I've been putting off? It should probably start be putting on. You know what I mean. So I am highly anticipating getting my tush in gear, getting more things figured out for the wedding, and blogging about it all. Win-win-win.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some pictures Foxy Mama recently emailed me. Since I already shared some images from her and my dad's wedding, and since I know you're all in search of more vintage wedding porn, here's a few images from my Grammy and Grampy's wedding from way back in 1949!

These images just make me happy - they are so classic!

For my fellow 6ish month out bees - have you gotten that little kick in the tush yet? Or would you rather gaze at pretty wedding porn, like I clearly do?

i heart tv

When Foxy and I were still living in our little apartment, we had Comcast for cable and internet for the first year or so. For those of you who know about Comcast, I should be hearing one big, collective sigh from you all.

::le sigh::

Image via Geek Word

Ok then. Now for those of you who don't know Comcast? They suck monkey balls, in both the cost and customer service departments. See, when our one year "promo" price of $99 per month for internet and cable expired, it was supposed to jump aaaaall the way up to about $160 per month for the two. Dumb.

So we decided to bite the bullet and get rid of cable, hoping to save some money. Wouldn't you know that to get rid of cable and just keep internet still would have made our bill go up to about $106 per month? I mean.. really?! Drop a service and pay more? Hell to the no.

We ended up finding a decent compromise; there's a company called Clear that provides internet for just the cost of the modem and then a $25 monthly fee, give or take a few bucks. We got rid of Comcast all together and just stuck with the (slooow) internet from Clear - we figured the combination of a digital antenna, Netflix, and HuluPlus would be more than enough for our viewing pleasure.

It was a rough week or so after we got rid of cable.. I was definitely used to all the channels and silly shows at my disposal 24/7. Then I got over it and didn't miss it all that much. Except for the wedding shows. I totally missed my wedding shows.

Long story short, our new house is Fios compatible and it would only cost us $89 per month for both internet and cable for up to two years. After that? It only goes up by $10 per month. Sold.

So now after a year plus sans cable and with really slow, crappy internet, we're back in the technology loop. Fios was installed two days ago, and I'm already in heaven.

First up:

Four Weddings

Now before you go hatin' on the show like a lot of people do, let me explain. I totally dig this show not because of the judging and bitchiness, but because of the different ideas and variety of each of the weddings. I love seeing different weddings on different budgets and how they do their own take on each of the wedding "traditions". If anything, it's helped reinforce the idea that it seriously doesn't matter what other people think of my future wedding - it will be what Foxy and I want, we're happy with that, and it's ok if other people don't like it. So there.

Next..

Say Yes to the Dress

I think you're silly if you don't like this show. Even Foxy watches it with me from time to time. Total win!

Of course we can't forget..

Bridezillas

Yes, it's true. I kind of have a weak spot for this show. It's like Real Housewives or My Super Sweet 16.. most of the stuff on this show is just too outrageous to believe. Hence why I can't avert my eyes no matter how hard I try. And let's be real.. the best part of Bridezilla's is the commentator. She's seriously stepped up her game lately, has me cracking up at her little snips, and I lurve it.

By the by, have you guys heard of these two shows?

Big Easy Brides

My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding

Crazyness. Absolute, addictive craziness.

Did I mention we also have DVR now? It's magical.

Do you have a (not so) secret love for wedding shows? Which ones?

Someone has to make decisions around here.

And no, it's not me. Yet.

A few months ago, I visited my wedding twin M in Philly so we could hunt for a bridesmaids dress for her wedding, which is three weeks before mine and Mr. Foxy's. If you recall, her wedding style is super swanky, classy, and glamorous (thank you, Fergie, for reminding me how to spell that) - basically 100% different from the vibe Foxy and I are going for.

We originally settled on a bold but elegant Lazaro dress.

Image via Wedding Style Magazine

M had a few hesitations:

1. The price. Not the cheapest.
2. The texture and weight of the fabric - while it's much lighter than it appears in the picture, it's definitely kind of stiff and formfitting. If it ends up being 90+ degrees in Philly when she gets married (a definitely possibility), this would not necessarily be the most comfortable dress.
3. The wedding party has people of all different shapes and sizes. The style of this dress just doesn't flatter everybody, plain and simple.

Those points aside, M (and I!) loved the dress and thought it would be a go.

Until she texted me the other day about a different option she just happened to find at David's Bridal. It's a Special Occasions dress that only comes in one color - which happens to be berry (the color above), which is exactly what she's going for.

She sent me a pic of our mutual friend Sam in said dress..

Pretty, right? (Sam and the dress!) While it's only slightly cheaper than the Lazaro, it's chiffon and much, much lighter. The style is also pretty universally flattering. The only catch is that since it's a Special Occasions dress and not a specific bridesmaid dress, it is on it's way towards being discontinued.

Commence mad dash to DB to try on the dress!

They fortunately had my size in stock, so I immediately put it on layaway.

I have to say, as much fun as it is to plan my own wedding and wedding day ensemble, it's super fun to be able to get dressed up for a close friend's wedding, too!

It also helps that I love the dress I'll be wearing. Have you ever worn a bridesmaids dress that you just loved?

364.. count it!

Or..

You guys. Today officially marks the 1 year mark until we get married. This is HUGE. Like, Godzilla huge.

It just clicked that this is where 'bridezilla' comes from. Shut it.

Ok, maybe not that huge, but it's definitely super duper exciting!!! My very first post on this here little blog stated that we had 732 days until our wedding.. and now we are down to a precious 364. 

Hella good!

Now my big worry-of-the-moment is how the weather will be. This will mark the forth straight year of likely shitty weather on June 16th.

BIG. SAD.

I know it'll be awesome regardless, blablabla. I just wanted to whine and fret for a hot minute. ;)

This one's for us.

I kept writing and rewriting this post, and it kept saying something different every time.

What I really want to touch on is how this will be mine and Mr. Foxy's wedding, nobody else's. Not our parents', not our friends', not the critics on all those wedding resources out there.

Ours. And we'll do what we want. And I will not care what other people think. (Must repeat this over and over.)

The problem is that all too often, I do care about what other people think. I want other people to love our wedding as much as I love it. However (and this has been a long time coming for me to accept), that is basically impossible. What I love, someone else will inevitably find "tacky". What I think is cute and quaint (and budget friendly), someone else will find "cheap". Different people have different opinions, and that's that. My recent realization and kick-butt attitude is now that Foxy and I will do what we want to do, not what your etiquette book or magazine or online forum tells me to.

Booya.

A little background so you get a feel for where I'm coming from:

I grew up on Long Island, and most weddings there are pretty ritzy. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it's just that I grew up thinking that weddings had to be a certain way. The ceremony takes place in a church with massive amounts of flowers and the reception is a big affair with a cocktail hour and centerpieces and a big dance floor and a sit down dinner and drinks and food everywhere. Oh, and lots of electric slides and macarenas. Kind of the "more money = better wedding" mentality.

Don't get me wrong, these weddings are seriously great. I totally love going to them. I just knew that something about it felt off to me and it wasn't really what I personally wanted when I got married. But I didn't think I had a choice - this was what weddings were.

Then I went to a wedding at a vineyard, and while it was still on Long Island, it started to change my view on how and where I could eventually get married. The couple was wed outside in front of the grapevines - don't ask me why, but this never occurred to me, to get married somewhere besides the church I grew up going to (and lived next door to). I started to realize that there isn't a set formula to all weddings, that just because I was brought up with a certain perception of how weddings (and parties) are in a certain area doesn't mean I have to hold true to them. (In other words: options!)

A month later, I moved to Maryland and Foxy and I attended a slew of weddings the following summer, each light years different from the next.

This was really the best thing for me. We went to a super fancy wedding on the water on Long Island, a more casual backyard one in Michigan, and pretty standard church and catering hall reception one in upstate NY. We unfortunately had to miss a second one in upstate NY, this time at a winery - they did the coolest thing and rented a BBQ pit and grilled chicken on it, in front of everyone. I'm so bummed we couldn't make it.. it really seemed like the exact kind of thing I'd love to have for our wedding.

Anyway, the point of this is that my perception of weddings changed drastically from just a few years ago. With the help of several wedding resources and a mini-reflection on our lives, Foxy and I have been able to pull together an idea of what we want for ourselves, on a budget that works for us. It doesn't exactly agree with all of said resources out there, or even with some of my friends and family for that matter (more to come on that). I've grown to kind of throw "weddiquette" out the door, because really? It's our wedding, and we'll decide what to do and what not to do. The end.

Now I just have to keep repeating that to myself, especially in the next 8+ months!

Is this something you've struggled with as well? Have you found your ideas and perceptions about wedding celebrations have changed over time?

The ones that weren't

So now that I've told you about my dress (!!!!), I thought I'd share a few more dresses that didn't make the cut. I mean, who doesn't love a little more wedding dress porn? I know I do!

Part 1 brought me to Village Bridals, Macy's, and David's Bridal.

Part 2 was a pretty extensive look at the David's Bridal collection.

The very first dress I tried on at DB was what I like to call the "mullet dress".

Oh, baby! Are you nervous yet?

Image via 80's Tees

Anyway, being serious. It's actually called a high-low hemline, because the front is shorter than the back. This dress looked so freaking cute on the model, and I thought that if I got this dress (for really cheap), I could get a kick ass pair of heels (hiii Louboutins). The front looks real cute, right?

DB CT326

However. Different story from the side view. For my first magic trick, I will turn to the side and show you my thick, ever expanding torso.

Yea. It's not that bad, but hive? I'm not that big. And the dress size was definitely right. It just made me look like I weighed 100 pounds more than I already do, and I'm trying to lose weight even now. So.. no. This was not going to work.

The next dress I rather liked. It fit me pretty well, but I knew it wasn't the one. Also.. when I previously showed Mr. Foxy a picture of the dress on the model, he said it looked like a nightgown.

 DB WG9830

I'll admit, he did have a point.

I went on try on a few more dresses at DB, which were so bad that they didn't even warrant pictures. This was one of them:

Oleg Cassini CRL277

I already have a pearish shape, but I seriously looked like a big ol' pear in this dress. A big, albino pear. No thank you. (Also? Foxy thinks all lace looks like a doily. I wasn't really letting that rule my decision, but I didn't want him to just see doilyness on our wedding day.)

Thus ended the David's Bridal extravaganza.

Onto RK Bridal: I honestly don't know the majority of the dresses I tried on there, in part because we weren't allowed to take pictures of me in them and in part because some of them were huge misses. However, the one that was a big contender and competing with my winning Allure dress was this one:

Maggie Sottero style RD1068

I actually had this gem in my dress inspiration section of my wedding binder for a while. Gorgeous. I liked this one about as much as I liked the Demetrios 3137 dress.. high up there, but wasn't getting that warm fuzzy feeling.

And that, my friends, sums up my wedding dress search! I probably tried on a total of about 25-30 dresses before I found mine. How many dresses did you/have you already tried on?