I Guess I Do

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Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

Ahh Thanksgiving - my favorite holiday of the year. The cold Ohio weather. The smell of my mom's homemade stuffing. The sound of the door bell ringing as my crazy Italian family enters the house. Nothing makes me happier. 

While this year may have been a bit of a doozy, leaving me exhausted and in need of a drink with the Ten Club (as you can see above, it involves wine), I am thankful for it all.

Because if there's one thing I've learned this year, it's that life isn't about the job you have, or where you call home, it's about the people you have in it...

Have a great Thanksgiving everybody!

xx

Monday, November 18, 2013

Sareh Nouri Bridal

I had the pleasure of meeting the extraordinarily talented designer, Sareh Nouri, in New York while at Bridal Fashion Week. Not only is she a great designer, but she's an even better person. Check out the crazy way she got into the business, and find out about her even quicker rise to the top. Just wait until you see her Fall 2014 Collection - her convertible dresses are ingenious!

Enjoy a closer look at the designer behind Sareh Nouri Bridal!








If you loved these designs, you can take a look at more of the Fall 2014 collection as well others here

And to stay up to date with the latest on Sareh Nouri, show her some love on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @SarehNouri



Thursday, November 14, 2013

Beauty Products for the Big Day


Whether it's your Wedding Day or not, here are some beauty products that are some Must Have's for your bag. (And trust me, I've tried em all.)

But as for some tips, individual lashes are a must!  If they fall off, it's not as noticeable as strips. And while we always remember waterproof mascara, don't forget about waterproof eyeliner. Chanel eyeliner in Espresso is my everyday go-to. Swear by it!










Thursday, November 7, 2013

Meghan & Ben : Making the Moment Photography

Meet Meg & Ben - whose wedding looks like your ultimate vintage Pinterest dream board come to life! From the beautiful backdrop, to the dress, to the DIY decor, everything was perfectly coordinated. But as we know, there's always more than meets the eye! Meg & Ben's I Guess I Do moments include a Groom's Snug Suit and a Short Circuit. Enjoy Meg's story in her own words below. 
...

Ben and I got engaged on Christmas in 2011, and the first few weeks of our engagement were a whirlwind. After some discussion we agreed on a small wedding party and ceremony so that we could be married on his family’s property. I learned very quickly to appreciate the friends and family who supported our vision, as there was some who certainly did not. Some unfortunate drama early on in our engagement put me out one bridesmaid, and taught me a major lesson in relationships. I had always been the one who tried to keep the peace and please the crowd and for the first time I was learning to do what made me happy, and am grateful for the experience, despite the tears that came with it… 


As a bride, you spend days, weeks, even months thinking about how you are going to look on your wedding day. You want everything to be right, the dress, the shoes, the veil... You schedule the first fitting, the second, and however many more it takes to get every detail just perfect. I mastered this part of the planning process. What I missed was giving half of that attention to the detail of my groom’s attire. 

So there we are, 2 weeks to the I Do’s and you’ll find us with our first major I Guess I Do moment. Ben’s suit had been hanging in our closet for over a month and suddenly it hit me that he has never actually tried it on. I had picked it up for him weeks ago and had (on occasion) asked him to try it on at the most inconvenient times, of course. But truthfully, I didn’t think much of it; I mean they had taken measurements, right?

I couldn’t have been more wrong… the jacket, well, it might have fit if Ben had no intention of lifting his arms the entire day, let alone moving in general. And the pants, true story, had enough room for an entire person to step in with him. Very quickly we learned the downside of a “nested” suit. 

Fast forward to 5 days to the wedding, another handful of visits to our suit retailer for additional measurements and alterations and we attempt a final fitting. Perfect, it was not, but at this point I think Ben would have been happier wearing a garbage bag. He can (almost) comfortably cross his arms and the pants stay when firmly belted. He’s beyond irritated at this point and neither of us wants to offer any more time to the matter, so the suit comes home.

If I could do it again, I would give his wedding day attire just as much attention as my own. Truthfully, no one else was aware of our suit woes, but we learned our lesson in procrastination and I encourage future brides to avoid the “nested” suit if given the option. 

I have always looked at the glass as half full, so it’s only fair that I spend a few moments talking about what went right. For a late April wedding, the weather was more than cooperative and from there everything else just fell into place. Our family and friends spent the morning setting up the reception site with all of the DIY details I had spent the last year and a half crafting. Every little detail I had envisioned fit together perfectly and resulted in the nature inspired nuptials we had both wanted. 


Our small ceremony was made up of our bridal party and family only; Ben’s uncle officiated, overlooking the pond Ben dug with his grandfather years ago, and the site provided the perfect backdrop for our intimate ceremony. From there we headed to our barn reception where our family was joined by many more friends who had yet to see us that day. We were in a state of wedded bliss from the moment we shared our “first look” and laid our eyes on the beautiful ceremony set-up. 

I had originally planned on an off-site location for wedding party photos, and 3 days before the wedding I learned that it was no longer an option. What I had thought to be devastating news resulted in the naturally simple and beautiful backdrop to our wedding photos; my specific vision had distracted me from the beauty right in front of us. 

In the hours leading up to the ceremony we had a few hiccups – including the moment when one my bridesmaids so gracefully snapped her gold “Love” bangle bracelet in half when trying to adjust it on her arm. After a valiant attempt with superglue, we admitted defeat and she wore a simple gold bangle so as not to draw attention to her naked wrist. 

Against the advice of most, I wanted my phone nearby “for emergencies” so I had one of the girls keep it in their purse. Throughout the early hours of the day I had been included in a strand of group texts so that I could give final approval to the reception set-up details. In between the ceremony and reception I decided to check my phone to check on our instagram hashtag. I was hoping to get a sneak peak of the reception as I hadn’t gotten a chance to see the final product. As our limo bus is pulling up to the barn for our grand introduction my phone buzzes with a reply to the string of texts. It read, “Who is our emergency contact for the barn? Circuit just blew.” I imagine the worst as I look towards the barn and seeing nothing but darkness on the inside. Where are the lights? I don’t see any lights. I can’t hear the band, this can’t be happening. We don’t have an emergency contact. Why don’t we have an emergency contact? 



Our photographer steps onto the bus amidst the commotion and offers to be the brave soul that scopes out the situation. The moments seem like hours as we wait for him to come back with a verdict. He calmly steps on the bus and says “We’re good, let’s go”. From that moment on the “blown circuit” is a distant memory… aside from the brief thought of “OMG, that’s my I Guess I Do Moment”. Turns out it was the circuit to the kitchen, and dinner was served a little later than expected, resulting in our bridal party crunching on cold green beans. Aside from that no one seemed to notice, and in fact, our guests raved about the food all night. 



Now, I feel like I had done a pretty good job of prepping my wedding day planner and set-up team with all the DIY details I wanted displayed at the reception. But one thing I failed to mention was the “Thank You’s” I put together and had wanted at each place setting. I was really proud of these notes as I had made them myself and they matched perfectly with our invitation suite, they even reminded our guests to visit our trail mix bar and grab goody bags for the road. But alas, no one ever saw them… 



Looking back, there’s really nothing I would change as even the moments of panic brought laughter to our day. I still cannot put into words our appreciation for our family and friends who made it all happen. I am thankful for the simple advice of friends reminding me to soak in every moment and to remember it’s not about the party, it’s about you and Ben. Truthfully, I am beyond amazed that I can still remember so many little details of the day as it sometimes seems like a dream. 

And if you loved the style of Meg's wedding, be sure to check out all of her stylist picks for Stella & Dot. Click here to see her latest trends in the accessories world!

Photography: Making the Moment  Ceremony Venue: Private Residence  Reception Venue: Muhlhauser Barn  Event Rentals: Primetime Party Rental  Florist: Two Little Buds  Cake: Groom's Grandmother  Band: The Remains  Lighting: Entertainment Unlimited LLC  Dress: Allure Bridals via Wendy's Bridal  Bridesmaid Dresses: Ann Taylor & Watters  Hair: Chelsea Feyka at Identity Salon  Makeup: Bajon Salon