This is the long-awaited post on using veggies for a wedding theme! I settled on tomato and basil as the central combination, which sets the theme for both the decorations and the menu. To accent the red and green, I chose a rich wine color. Enjoy!

Credits:

Bridesmaid dress:

http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/2748/?color=bordeaux&colorid=6

Margherita pizza:

http-https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQRcjdTewFEoYlWC5LSSh0c5jcuiZDQCfSIiAEGWIcpycy6NArEY_3wxEUV_Otk3hntGJZb61Qiy1jc-y4KSzDTfX3ALrwhNSqCTOxnJ5WRzA_pfClA6OMcwHnRw0UDo9M6ZPZekPkJg7R/s1600/lucali-margherita-brooklyn-nyt

Basket of tomatoes and basil:

http-//nadiaknowsgardens.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/tomato-and-basil-2008

Wedding dress:

http://www.maggiesottero.com/dress.aspx?style=AD3395

Rings:

http://www.greenlakejewelry.com/n_gallery3.asp

Calla lily bouquet:

http://www.southernbouquets.com/50.html?sm=14519

Boutonniere:

http-//media.theknot.com/ImageStage/Objects/0003/0049499/large_image

Invitations:

http-//www.weddingpaperdivas.com/product/5180/signature_white_wedding_invitations_vintage_vines.html#color/03

Seed Packets:

http-//www.naturehills.com/product_images/thumbnails/Tomato_pole_brandywine

http-//www.gardensnob.com/pictures/51Qq719F1aL._SL500_AA280_

Basil Plant:

http-//www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/images/basilspinachpasta/basilimagecopyrighted1

Tomato Plant:

http://nami-nami.blogspot.com/2007/09/just-food-photo-cherry-tomatoes.html

Things

Things I do not like:
1. People who use the U-Scan and then pay with a personal check
2. Radio stations that play car horn and siren sounds while I'm driving
3. STRAPLESS A-LINE WEDDING GOWNS!!!!

I love my cousin. And she picked out a beautiful dress. But while beautiful, it is also strapless and A-Line, and consequently, looks like EVERY OTHER WEDDING DRESS I'VE EVER SEEN.
Here it is:

Like I said, beautiful dress. But I'd like to reiterate my agreement with Lily's post from last year. Since starting this blog, Lily and I have come to think of ourselves as wedding critics, and that sometimes entails pointing out things we don't like. Choosing a strapless A-Line dress is like choosing white bread toast for breakfast.

Yes, there was a time when I would have been sucked into this. My friend Claire is probably going to call me out after reading this, because sometime in college we all picked out wedding dresses that we liked best, and I am pretty sure mine was a strapless, A-Line lace thing. Claire saved pictures of the ones we picked.

But I have seen the light. My wedding dress will at least have spaghetti straps, or maybe an off-the-shoulder neckline. Here is one I have tried on and liked:


My friends are probably surprised by this. I really was one of those girls who wanted that princess ballgown. I, too, thought something like this would be more my style:


But when Theresa and I went to a shop to try it on, it turned out to be just too poofy. Maybe it's because I'm rather short, but the A-line skirt just didn't do it for me. It was difficult to move around in, and I didn't like the feel of the stiff filler material under the dress that gives the skirt that body.

My current favorite designer is Mon Cheri. I'll be heading to a trunk show next month, and you can be sure I'll blog about the experience. I'll probably write a short article on my experience at the Demetrios store as well. Stay tuned!

Winter Olympics

Fruitastic Centerpieces

One of the ways I deal with long, cold, midwestern winter is by dreaming about everything summer. Lily and I LOVE the idea of bowls of fruit or vegetables as centerpieces. They're tasty, and seasonal, and inexpensive.
If I was using red in my color scheme, bowls of tomatoes would certainly adorn my tables; my dad has grown them in his garden since before I was born.
And what says summer more than citrus?

The best part is, fruits and vegetables can go with any time of year, as long as you pick a seasonal fruit. How about some crisp McIntosh apples from a local orchard for an October wedding? Or pears in the winter?

Edible centerpieces don't end with produce. Gingerbread houses at Christmas time? Or, if you're opting for cupcakes instead of a traditional cake, how about buying or making small cupcake stands, and having your dessert double as your centerpiece?

Keep an eye out for Lily's next post...she's taken the tomato idea and ran with it!