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!

Wedding glasses

With the advent of contact lenses, few women I know would wear glasses in their wedding. This issue recently came up on the Martha Stewart Weddings blog, but I can't think of any reason for a bride to wear glasses. Why would you disguise your eyes, and obstruct the pictures?
What do you think, readers? Maybe some of you out there could find an example of wedding-appropriate glasses, but I'm not sold. Let me know what you find!

Winter weddings

One of the best things about studying here is Saturday, when they have back-to-back weddings at the Basilica on campus. Today I was walking across the main part of campus, and saw a happy newlywed couple taking pictures. So, being a dedicated amateur wedding blogger, I walked way out of my way to see the couple up close.

The bride looked beautiful, in an ivory gown that had a lacy pattern to it, a lace wrap with a fur stole over it (foot and a half of snow on the ground here!), and a veil to the elbows. Her bouquet was a round arrangement of cream roses with greenery. The groom was wearing a tux, without tails, which went well with his bright red hair!

They were very cute, but I think if I were arranging a winter wedding in a snowy locale, I would opt for a bright white dress. This would match the snow! Plus, since this bride's stole was bright white, it must be hard to find important winter accessories in ivory.

In addition to the ways which Daisy enumerated in the poll, a winter wedding would be especially beautiful because of the simplicity of the snowy landscape. Dark bare trees, bright white snow, and winterberry bushes! The perfect color combination for a very sophisticated looking wedding.

Winter weddings poll

The best thing about having your wedding in the winter is...
--pretty icicles and newly fallen snow
--the savings realized by selecting an off-season for venues
--the opportunity to get away to a tropical destination wedding
--coinciding a wedding with Valentine's Day is just so romantic

What are your favorite things about winter weddings?