Rock On!

I've scheduled a cake testing at The Sugar Syndicate on March 15. Dig this...they can make my favorite ball cake for $4 less than the previous cake quote! I want to hire TSS for the logo alone:


I hope that the cake is delicious because the owner's e-mail response to my inquiry was incredibly detailed. I'm all about vendors who allow you to plan your wedding on the DL during lunch. I mean, do I really need to call you in person to be told that you're out of my miniature price range? Anyway, what's even cooler is that The Sugar Syndicate is 1/3 of a pastry co-op called "Sweet Collective." Some of you may recall them from this article from Daily Candy Chicago.

How cool will it be if we can get our cool cake and support an independent woman-owned business? Talk about having your decorative cake and eating it too! Girl Power!

Turn Your Memories into Healthy Mammories

I wish that I would have seen this sooner so that I would have posted it last week! Brides Against Breast Cancer is a not-for-profit organization that funds breast cancer research. They're having a gown sale.

• Date: Friday and Saturday
• Time: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
• Place: The Wydham Chicago Hotel, 633 N. St. Clair Street

According to their web site, many of the dresses are BRAND NEW FROM THE DESIGNERS! And they have sizes from 4-24 (you know, in case you're a "bigger girl too"). ;0

If you're not in the market to buy or sell a dress, the Brides Against Breast Cancer web site has many ideas for ways that you can help:

• Volunteer at an event.
• Have a "Pink Envelope" Shower or Reception: www.pinkenvelopeproject.org
• Give Brides Against Breast Cancer Donation in lieu of favors.

Cups o' Cake

The wedding process seems so anti-climatic now that my big decisions are made. As much as I longed to be at this point, having "lose 40 pounds" and "save thousands of dollars" as my only "To Dos" makes me feel a little lost. Might as well look at pretty things to pique my interest :)

I usually serve cupcakes at parties and showers because they are cute, easy, cheap, and disposable. I typically jazz them up by making custom tags to decorate them. Here are some examples of some of my old shower and bachelorette projects:










How much time would these super cute cupcake holders have saved me? And they are so much cooler than my crappy hand-cut squares taped to a toothpick! $46 for 50 wrappers from Estilo Weddings (via Unbride).

Photo: Estilo Weddings

Amazing Event Space

As much as I love A New Leaf, the narrowness of the space gives me heartache. I have to admit...if I happen to win the Big Game tomorrow, there's a small chance that I may move the wedding to the Chicago Illuminating Company. How h-o-t is this space? Unfortunately, at $7500, the rental fee is a tad out of our range. We could rent the space, but couldn't afford to actually feed anyone who showed up. Just imagine the cocktail party you could have here though...the mind reels.

Photos: Chicago Illuminating Company

"To Do" Lists are My B*tches

Andy and I have plowed through the To-Dos this weekend!

Big Announcement #1:

We're Registered!

Holy Sh*t. No one ever told me what a daunting task registering is. Originally, I lured Andy to the Crate & Barrel Registry Event by promising him pancakes afterwards. Towards the end of hour 2, I was the one who was just scanning to scan and get out of the joint. After that, we decided to create the majority of the Williams-Sonoma and Macy's registries online and just pop into Macy's to look at China patterns. We had some extra time after our tasting this afternoon, so I gently suggested that we go to Macy's and get it out of the way. I think that "We won't have to discuss China or All-Clad ever again" was the phrase that paid. Anyway, we went with slightly non-traditional China...a decision that was nagging me the whole afternoon and "L" ride home...until I got home and saw the complete set online. I love, love the bowl and platters in the background:





And, thanks to the plain whiteness, I will never have to commit to a tablecloth or napkin color. The dining room table with my rainbow-colored oyster. As you may have gathered from my blog, I am drawn to bright colors like a moth to a flame.

I also registered for a few pieces of the FABULOUS kate spade Gwinnett Lane line because I couldn't help myself. They're so frivolous, but I adore them. And, like Andy said, no one has to buy them just because we put them on the registry. Besides, if people don't buy them and I do, I'll get 10 percent off since they're on my registry.

Photos: Macys.com



Big Announcement #2:

We've selected a caterer!

We had the last of four tastings this afternoon and, as it turned out, the last was definitely not the least! Honestly, our decision was based 50/50 on food and customer service. It's as if our representative read my mind and addressed all of my concerns before I spoke them. And she was so accommodating to everything. I am so very excited to work with her.



I just sent rejection e-mails to two caterers and left an after-hours voice mail for our #2 choice. You should have heard the awful joke that I made in the message. I am such a man.

Sarah Alair Photography

I just realized that there is a tour of my photog's studio. Isn't it the cutest?

Click here.

Photo: Sarah Alair

Sarah Alair Photography

Our photographer, Sarah Alair, shot a wedding featured in this month's Knot Chicago magazine. I don't think that the photos that The Knot selected do her work justice. The work displayed in her studio and the hallway leading up to it, both of which are adorable, is really good. Also, she created a photography package within our budget, which always wins points.

Images: Knot Chicago Magazine, Winter 2008

Sorry for the crappy scans. My printer is under the end table, so I have to sit on the floor and work with the small space between the lid and bottom of the table. Come ooooon, lottery win! Mama wants a condo big enough to fit a desk.

While we're on the subject of photography and video, does anyone have a reference for a good, affordable videographer? The guy that my friend referred me to flaked out. He called me once and then never followed up.