GE Wedding: In the Home Stretch!

Is it Christmas already???? For me, that means we're getting married! Wedding date is 1-1-11, and that's NEXT WEEK!!!

So what did I do since I last posted the details??

1. Paid the balance on our photographers
2. Paid the balance on the venue for the reception
3. Bought a veil

What do I still have to do?
1.  Pack
2.  Buy candles
3. Make programs, menus, etc. (yeah, I do this as a business, but left myself out till the last second!)

I have to say, I've slowly been getting more excited since last week.  It didn't register till we made the final payment, and now that all the details in Cancun are set, I'm just excited to go on vacation! Right now, I'm trying to tie some loose ends at work, to prepare for my absence, and then just plan for our vacation activities!

How many guests are going?  A total of 7, plus me and the groom.  NINE.  Oh, and lol, the photographer and his assistant. We started out inviting 50 people, but 9 are confirmed.  Which is what we were kinda expecting.  C'mon. A wedding on a HOLIDAY in a foreign country?  Who's gonna want to go to THAT??  It would be difficult, and it's more expensive. So ladies, if you are planning  a destination wedding, be mindful that if you choose a holiday weekend, that your guests have the full right to decline.  It was almost 50% more per night at the Gran Caribe, and they require a minimum 6 night stay during Christmas/New Year.  I know some girls find it important for almost all their invited guests to be able to attend, but for us, we wanted the 1-1-11 date, and we weren't dead set on having a large group there. We would've been happy if it was just the two of us.  But we are so grateful to those who chose to take their vacation with us! I can't wait to see you guys there!

So I visit the destination wedding forum, http://www.bestdestinationweddings.com/ quite frequently, and they ask girls who post on their boards to post a "planning thread." This is where destination brides post photos and descriptions of their wedding details for other destination brides to see online. Only persons who subscribe to the message board can post and view.  So I will be posting on there, as well as on my own blog if time allows me to do so this week. We're literally leaving in 5 days, and I HOPE I can share my prep week with all of you. 

Self, just breathe... I'm already getting excited just typing this post! Woo hoo!

Introducing the TIFFANY Invitation

I've been meaning to post an invitation set with the Tiffany-inspired look.  Check out more photos and ordering information in my shop!

To keep the price low, this listed invitation does not come with the metallic envelopes, pre-printed envelopes, or inserts.  And seriously, I tried so hard to take great photos that would capture how truly spectacular the paper looks in person, but none of the photos did it justice. 

Jennifer and Samir

Jennifer asked me a while back to create these damask pieces for wedding, and her placecards were the first coordinating Crystal Clustered place cards that were posted in my shop.  Thanks Jennifer and congratulations!

GE Wedding: Destination Swimwear!

The wedding's in Cancun, so it's time to look into some new swimwear for the beach!  It's tough to find something new during the winter, but one of my favorite swimwear lines, Beach Bunny Swimwear, released a new line of "Safari Glam" inspired pieces.  I think the fiance would go wild over these!





The price tag only allows me to spoil myself with one style, so I'm going to have to mull this over to pick the perfect one.  Which is your fave??

Etsy Seller Spotlight: Pink Cherry Mama!

I was browsing the wedding items on Etsy, and found these super gorgeous Table Numbers by Pink Cherry Mama.  I couldn't resist sharing these cards for anyone who is looking for something different, and, well, just pretty.  These Glittered Table Numbers are so vintage and completely unique.  Everything is hand-cut, glittered and aged with patina.  The overall effect is simply stunning!



If you read the description, Pink Cherry Mama uses SEVEN layers of media to create these pieces! Definitely worth $9.95 and would be a great touch to your modern vintage wedding. Or how about a tea party theme for a bridal shower?

Interested in seeing more from this talented artist?  Visit her blog at http://www.pinkcherrymama.com/

NEW ITEM: Damask Crystal Clustered PLACECARDS

I guess I have been avoiding making this piece for a long time.  Since I came out with the Crystal Clutstered Table Cards, I knew that it was only a matter of time before someone would ask for coordinating pieces. My client, Jennifer (her post coming soon), was such a sweetheart, I was more than willing to give this a shot. 

Now if you look closely at the photos in this post, you can count FOURTEEN, rhinestones on each placecard.  That's fourteen individually placed HotFix Rhinestones.  At first, each card took at least 5 minutes to put together.  So imagine using tweezers to place these tiny rhinestones and then heating up the rhinestones with my hotfix tool to adhere them.  Imagine doing at least 100 of these. Yikes.  Over time, I got the hang of it, so, after finishing this order, I decided to officially add this to my shop.  I have a good system down, and I say, bring on the orders! The price tag is $2.00 per card.  10% Discounts will be applied if you order 150 or more. 

Now first thing you should know is that since it does take a little more time than the normal placecard order, I would need any names that need to be printed way in advance.  At least 3 weeks ahead of your event date. This is to make sure that I have the names printed at least 2 weeks before, and that will give me a LITTLE time to print, cut and adhere those rhinestone clusters on there.  It's probably better to make these placecards, and NOT escort cards. Why? Because escort cards will require you to know the table assignments of each guest, and if I am printing them, it will take time to get that information finalized.  But what if you want their table number in there??? Since this particular set is printed on white cardstock (the damask design), you can handwrite your guests' table # INSIDE each card.  Even if you choose a different color cardstock, it's still possible.

Personally, I LOOOOOVE the result. Anyone can have these little gems for their own wedding. The damask design is just one version of this, but I will do my best to create some other color samples to post in the shop.

Michelle + Andrew

Basic Seating Charts are always wonderful on their own if you display them in fabulous frames.  I always suggest looking around at Michaels' since they do have 40%-50% off sales and coupons...

Using a great font like Papyrus below, is great for a vintage and elegant feel...

Michelle decided to go with the layout of listing her guests by table...

GE Wedding: Bridal Bootcamp Is NOT for Me

It's less than 50 days before our wedding in January, so I guess this is about the time that most bride-to-be's start doing the training to get in shape or lose the last few pounds so we can fit into those dresses.  For me, I had gained about 10 pounds in the last 2 months (since I took home my dress). So on a petite frame like mine, 10 pounds = 1-2 dress sizes.  Yeah, my "skinny" jeans don't fit me right anymore.  It's like, hello, MUFFIN-top.  That was my realization last weekend when I tried to slip into my favorite jeans for a party.  YIKES. I can't afford to buy new larger jeans that fit. Not now, with all the wedding bills to pay!

Time to lose the excess weight.  Bridal bootcamp?? No thank you. I told myself this week that I was going to hit the gym and do at least 1 hour of cardio every day to start burning some of that fat.  It's Friday, and how many times did I pass the gym down the street from my house? Five times.  How many times did I go into the gym?  Zero.  By the time I wake up, I feel like I need to get ready for work, and by the end of the day, I'm too drained to change for the gym.  Each time I drove past the parking lot, I kept saying to myself,"there's no parking, I'll come back later." Haha.  You know that once you enter your front door, the gym is not an option anymore. 

Time's running out - so what to do to drop those 10 pounds between now and the end of the year?  The HCG Diet.   I actually did the HCG Diet this past January through March, and I had originally lost about 30 POUNDS, dropping 5 dress sizes.  Thirty pounds in 3 months is a LOT for me.  By May, I hit the tiniest I've ever been since I was 14 years old.  And that's withOUT looking anorexic or too skinny.  My energy level was normal to high.  I loved it. I had a great summer of feeling great about how I looked.  Let's fast forward to now, and unfortunately, I fell off the wagon, and started consuming sugar and carbs.   It's true - sugar and carbs add weight.  And fast.

Back to the diet.  Here's a link to where I bought my HCG sublingual drops.  I only plan on doing this diet for 2 weeks, using their 15 day plan.  It takes a LOT of discipline.  I mean seriously, it's not easy.  I have to cut down my calories to 500 per day, take the drops 3 times a day, and cut out all sugar and carbohydrates.  Exercise? Good thing is, the diet discourages doing too much exercise due to the low calorie intake - so no guilt trips driving past the gym.  But I am still able to walk my dog for 20-30 minutes. 

We'll see how I do on the diet this time around.  I don't have as much to lose as I originally did, but hopefully the weight falls off just as quick it did in January.  Some people think this way sounds crazy, but I know people who have tried it after seeing results on me and my fiance, and for those who stuck to the diet, it worked for them too! At least 20 pounds was lost (within 1 month) for each person we knew. 

Looking foward to fitting back into my skinny jeans.  And most important, my wedding dress.

Should I post my progression online? I won't share my starting weight, but I think I'll keep a tally of the weight loss on my GE Designs Facebook Page.  Just to prove how quick this can happen.  Or not.  Wish me luck!

Heidi + David: Destination Table Cards!

Here's a little set of table cards for Heidi and David, who are planning a destination wedding.  Their table theme centers around the oceans. I love the color pallette, because it's so beachy...

Esther + Pavel: Crystal Clustered Cards

Esther and Pavel got married last weekend, and I finally posted these photos. I got to work with Stephanie, Esther's sister in the whole process. What a great sis! Brides have enough to deal with, when preparing for the minor details of the Big Day, and Stephanie took the reigns on a lot of things, including these table numbers below. Great job, Stephanie! You get a big high five from GE Designs!

GE Wedding: Invitations... Check!

HUGE sigh of relief.  I have dropped off our wedding invitations at the post office today! FINALLY... There are only a few peeps who know exactly what a rough time we've been having this year, but long story short,  my priorities have drastically changed and unfortunately, I have not been on top of my wedding preparations as I would have liked.  BUT, I had finished my invitations this weekend, and mailed them to the family and friends who have been there for us.  The guest list of who would even receive invitations was pretty short, since the FI and I decided to only invite friends and family who have been involved in our lives in the last couple years.  But that's another story.

So here are a few photos of my invitations, which I will be selling in my shop.  The price is little higher than my other items, because OMG, these were a LOT more work than I anticipated (plus the dupioni silk wasn't cheap). It did get easier after the 5th one, but I was exhausted when I was done. I told the fiance "never again, never never never" will I make these types of invitations.  This is my normal rant after I try something new. Then I'm like, nah, I can do this again. So check it out:

Each red panel is Dupioni silk wrapped cardstock. VERY pretty in person.  It took me forever to cut the dupioni silk into the right sized panels, THEN, I had to iron each piece onto the cardstock before even adhering it... argh. I had a vision, and this was NOT exactly my vision (required more time and even more money), but I'm pretty happy with the result.

Since we have a destination wedding, "Travel Information" contains our travel agent info, resort info, etc.  It's in lieu of "Accomodations."  I really only added a "Details" Card so that there was a nice layered look to the inserts.  The Response card's 4Bar red envelope is inserted behind all the inserts, out of view.  Augh. Look at the date of the Response card: November 15. And I mailed them today! What a faux pas.  Girls, if you are mailing your invitations, make sure your "respond by" date is at least 3 weeks in advance.  Shame on me.  But life threw me lemons, and I made apple juice. I know - its just wrong (and yes, the saying is "lemonade" not apple juice).

A Monogram square closes the whole pocketfold.  I decided to add 6 small rhinestones to the square just to add some interest. I felt that it was a little plain without them. More work, yes, but nice touch.

There you go.  GE Designs' wedding invitations.  Done. Fin. Now, it's off to work on my clients' stationery.  It never ends. But I love it. :)

Here's a mini digital package for Lijah & Kory. They will be printing these files at Vista Print using their Rack template. 

Keriann + Kelso

Jaime + Steven

Jaime came up with a really cute idea for her table cards.  She and her fiance decided to personalize each card with a song title, phrase, and other important aspects of their lives.  We inserted an official definition,  and why it is important to them as a couple.  Cute little things were said about each of them on each card.  Love it!

Porsche + Timothy's Baby Shower

Porsche + Timothy had a baby shower last weekend, and here are some signs we made for the new family!   Signs for the candy cafe, cake table, and gift table were actually 8x8 cards, with the kickstand option to stand on its own. 

GE Wedding: A Musical Dilemma

I'm torn over the music for our Cancun wedding ceremony and reception.  As of today, there are less than 10 guests booked (woo hoo!), which means that our reception dinner is going to be pretty tiny.  Is it necessary for me to spend $800-1200 on a Cancun-based DJ to entertain less than a dozen people at dinner? 

I've gotten mixed reviews from my guests.  Some expect dancing, some don't expect such a small group to have a dance floor.  It's just our parents, siblings, a few friends... hmmmm.  I worry more about guests being bored, but really, how can one be bored with a dinner on a gorgeous terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean? 

The alternative to a DJ would be to have our iPod playing in the background.  Not bad.  Just means that we'll have to come up with a good list of songs to play for 3 hours or more. Is that ghetto?  I've never been to a wedding where there wasn't a band or DJ, but then again, I've never been to a destination wedding.. Unless we win the Lottery between now and January, I think we'll be leaning towards the iPod thing.  Just need to compile a list of cool songs, and categorize them so that my wedding coordinator just needs to click play. 

Now for the songs... any ideas?  hmmmm. Updates later...

Elizabeth Medina Photography: Blog Love

It's been a couple months since I've browsed some of my favorite Cancun photographers' blogs.  Elizabeth Medina posted some gorgeous photos in the last few months. Here's a glimpse of a recent entry where the colors were soooo beachy and bright (for all you beach brides).  LOVE it. It makes me glad that I've added a few orange pieces to my summer wardrobe this year, so that I have some bright pieces to wear on our own wedding trip to Cancun.  Again, I am obsessed with Elizabeth's work, and I wish she was available for us, but I can only admire from afar (on my computer screen)...

Red & Black

Here are some recent orders in red and black. For some reason, red was used a lot in weddings this month.  Plus I'll be using crimson red in my own wedding this January, so maybe that's why I'm seeing red.   I was messing around with some photos of table card orders from this month, and posted the photo below in a listing.  :)

Diona's Programs

Jennifer and Ryan's Wedding Suite

Here's one of my favorite color combinations of silver and plum.  Jennifer had a set of tented table cards, tented menus (2 per table), signs and programs. 

Courtney + Owen

Jeanine + Thomas

Katie + Chip

Here's a rush order that turned out to be a new custom design for Katie and Chip's wedding this weekend... We finished this in record time --  36 Hours! How did people function without emails and blackberries 10 years ago???

Katie had originally asked for the Swirly Design in my shop, but it kinda morphed into this design when she asked for a touch of shamrocks.

Introducing the ANNA Invitation Suite

I've been feeling that my shop needs more wedding invitations.  I don't know why it took me 2 years to move forward with that.  So here is my latest addition to my wedding invitation collection.

The ANNA collection features a pretty cool Damask/Flourish/Swirly design that I've used for my Swirly Seating Chart.  This design can be applied to any other wedding stationery -- table numbers (samples coming soon!), menus, placecards, thank you cards, etc.  I wish the photographs showed that the top white layer is a beautiful heavyweight metallic cardstock with shimmer (I did my best to take photos at different angles).  There is also a Quartz version that is off white and more shimmery than the Crystal white metallic cardstock. 

With this collection, the pop of bling and color is in the rhinestones.  Keep it simple and elegant -- that's my motto.  Available at GE Designs on Etsy. 

Colors available:
[Cardstock]

• Chocolate
• Black
• Pewter/Steel Gray
• Silver
• White
• Pearl
• Ivory
• Green
• Plum
• Lavendar
• Light Blue
• Tiffany Blue
• Navy
• Light Pink
• Fuschia/Bright Pink
• Copper/Burnt Orange

[Rhinestones]:

• Clear
• Red
• Aqua
• Green
• Pewter
• Cobalt Blue
• Pink
• Fuschia
• Lavendar
• Purple

Sean + Kristen

Laurie + Matthew's Wedding Suite

Laurie and Matthew got married this weekend! Laurie was so great to work with!  Here's a peak at their suite of programs, placecards and reserved signs...