Saturday, June 20, 2009

Etiquette Question

Q. I have an issue with my fiance having a bachelor party. Is it ok to ask him not to have one?

A. Let's not let the influence of The Hangover, a movie of a bachelor party gone horribly gone, begrudge a future husband of a fun night on the town with his friends. No one will lose your groom! Keep in mind that this man asked you to spend the rest of your lives together. He has trust in you, like you should have trust in him. However, it is perfectly ok for you to have an open and honest conversation with your groom-to-be, express your feelings - he may feel the same way about your bachelorette party.

Most brides and grooms choose to have a fun night or weekend with friends, different than the stereotypical party involving strippers and far too many drinks. Good friends of mine had separate dinners and nights out but included both parties meeting up at the end of the night before heading home. This summer, I will have a destination bachelorette party with spas and vineyard tours with my bridesmaids and my fiance will have a suite at a baseball game and a casual night with the guys.

Don't look at the bachelor/bachelorette parties as the last fling. You will both still have many, many fun nights together and individually with your friends once you are married. Trust each other and relax!

Friday, June 19, 2009

Calligraphy, calligraphy, calligraphy

Now that the invitations are in, my immediate time and energy are dedicated to calligraphy. Many months ago, I decided I was going to learn calligraphy and address my invitations on my own. It is quite the undertaking! I chose to learn copperplate, which is the classic script style and is frequently used for formal writing.

Visit here to find out a bit more about Copperplate: Copperplate

Check out this video to see a professional write in this beautiful style: Copperplate Calligraphy

No matter how organized and obsessively clean you may be, the wedding will find a way to take over your space. At first, it's just a corner and at some point it manages to completely fill up a room. Here is my living room during a recent calligraphy session - I promise it doesn't stay like this for long!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Letterpress Invitations -- sneak peek at the Bliss invitations!

My invitations arrived! I love Love LOVE them!!
I have to work quickly to finish my calligraphy and get them all out in the mail as soon as possible!! I used the letterpress method for my invitations when designing them with my stationer. I fell in love with the look of letterpress, it is so classic and exquisite. The thick cotton paper is so luxurious. The bold, strong font that writes the story of our wedding day and the beautiful script that highlights our names combine to create the perfect invitation complemented by my delicate eyelet design.

I will include additional pictures of the whole invitation suite soon!

Here is a little more information about letterpress:

Letterpress printing is a term for the relief printing of text and image using a press with a "type-high bed" printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image. It was the normal form of printing text in the West from its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century until the 19th century, and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of the 20th century. In addition to the direct impression of inked movable type onto paper or another receptive surface, the term letterpress can also refer to the direct impression of inked printmaking blocks such as photo-etched zinc "cuts" (plates), linoleum blocks, wood engravings, etc., using such a press (from Wikipedia)

Invented in the 1400's, letterpress is the oldest printing process on the planet. Letterpress began as printing for the masses; it was how people used to communicate with each other. It was how people once printed their books, their broadsides, their manuals, their pamphlets, their newspapers.

Letterpress isn't the easy way to print. Constant interaction is required between the pressperson and the printing press. It's worth it, because in the end, the final product is heavy with human warmth and uniqueness. The printers and the client are tied together to a craft tradition that longs to be practiced and preserved.

Watch this for how letterpress is created: Letterpress Documentary

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Green Wedding Tip

Remember to give thought to all of your details as you plan your wedding to make the most environmentally friendly choices possible.

One detail that a bride tends to struggle with is choosing a wedding favor for her guests. When many brides select picture frames and other small knick-knacks that most guests will ultimately misplace shortly after your well-planned event, you can take advantage of choosing favors as an opportunity to share your passion for preserving the environment.

Today's green wedding tip is to give a donation to an environmental organization such as Greenpeace, in lieu of traditional wedding favors.
Let your guests know by leaving a note at each place setting with a brief explanation of the donation. A great idea is to create your notes on seeded paper from Botanical Paperworks - your guests can go home and plant the eco-friendly note, bringing new wildflowers to an indoor or outdoor garden, without any waste.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Wedding Veils and Memories with Mom

I am the luckiest girl in the world.

I often need to take a step back and look at all the amazing things that I have and that I am able to do. My parents came to visit today with the sole purpose of Mama Bliss and I shopping for my wedding veil. Upon arrival, my mom told me that my veil would be my birthday present (my birthday is VERY soon!). I somehow became even more excited to go shopping with my mom knowing that she wanted to make this piece of my wedding so so so very special.

We had a few destinations in mind, but our first stop was Bride's Head Revisited. I had been to The Wedding Library before, but I was excited to walk up to the fourth floor into this room decorated with tulle and silk flowers waiting to adorn the heads of anxious brides-to-be.


I tried on different lengths, different blushers, different trim and loved it all. I decided on a gorgeous chapel length veil trimmed in crystal beads sprinkled with crystals. All of the pieces are custom designed and made specifically for each bride. I worked with Emily and she made me feel like a princess - she asked me lots of questions, she looked at my dress online, she made suggestions based on all of the details that I told her about the wedding. When I tried on a sample, and my mom saw the smile cross my face, she knew it was the one. Our day of trying on veils took a quick, but happy turn - and we were free to celebrate together (and later with Daddy and my fiance) for the rest of our time together.

I am so glad my mom was there. She is the only one who has seen the dress and veil - I love that we have these memories to share.

xoxo
Miss Bliss