The Wed Life. All wedding lovers ... welcome.

Anonymous asked: What kind of flowers did you get versus what you originally wanted? Your wedding photos are stunning.

I got everything I wanted. I didn’t really have anything specific in mind, I just knew what I liked and didn’t like when I saw it. I prefer less traditional flowers with some texture, so I chose spider mums, poms, bells and cottage roses in white and green, with tiny touches of yellow and sprigs of eucalyptus.  

Also, choosing flowers with full blooms — mums and poms — meant that I could get full-looking bouquets and centerpieces while purchasing fewer flowers. And I loved how modern and clean those choices looked in the long single-bud vases we put on the head tables. (You can see more photos of my flowers here.)

But truly, the only way to get what you want and stick to a budget is to choose what’s in season and not be too picky. If you HAVE to have peonies but it’s fall, you’ll be shelling out to have them shipped from somewhere else in the world where it’s summertime. Think $20 a stem or more, seriously. And, certain flowers are just a lot more expensive than others. Some flowers are $3 a stem and some are $8. And some are more than $10 a stem. If you’re on a budget, consider using fuller blooms to make a big impact with fewer stems, like I said, or simply pass on the pricier choices. No one is going to know or care that you went with one kind of flower over the other.

And trust me, you’ll never, ever look back on your wedding day and wish you paid for the $15-a-stem orchids instead of whatever you chose. The day will be so incredible for so many reasons that things like flowers just won’t matter, at all. 

Anonymous asked: I love the personal touch you added by making heart boutonnières for your groomsmen. Where did you think of it, and how did the guests and guys like it? Are you happy you did that over the traditional ideas? I absolutely love it, but I'm getting negative feedback from my mom and sister about it being a bit silly.

My thinking was that I didn’t want to spend a bunch of additional money on flowers for boutonnieres. (Flowers just were not very important to me when it came down to our budget and priorities. I literally took mismatched $4 vases from Marshalls and Ross, mason jars from Target, and a bunch of gauzy ribbon from the $1 bin at Michaels down to the LA flower market and said, I have $350, here are the flowers I want, what can we do? I worked with a guy who barely spoke English to make a sample bouquet and centerpiece. He said he’d make it beautiful and have it all there on the day, and I trusted that it would work out. And it did. For that itty-bitty amount of money, I got 10 beautiful centerpieces, loose stems for the single-bud vases on the head tables and outdoor tables, 7 bridesmaids’ bouquets, and my bouquet. Plus delivery. BAM.) Also, does anyone really notice the boutonnieres, except people like us, planning a wedding?

I got the idea because handmade, non-floral boutonnieres were making the rounds on the real wedding blogs, and I liked the idea. It was actually this specific wedding that inspired mine. I bought simple wooden hearts from Michaels, painted them gold and hot-glued pins on the back (use bigger pins, or more than one pin, and lots of glue so they stay together). For the groom’s boutonniere and the ones for our parents, I used a thinner plywood heart and wrapped them with the same ribbon I used for the bouquets and a thin, coral ribbon to match our colors.

I thought they came out laid-back, rustic and modern — just like our whole wedding vibe. And, by going a simple, handmade route, we saved money on flowers and I got to make something special for my parents and J’s parents and stepmom all got to wear. And, it was easy. 

Bottom line: It is YOUR wedding, not your mom’s or sister’s, and you should have everything you want and nothing you don’t. If you love something, do it. No one will think it is silly (or honestly, probably even notice). Google non-floral boutonnieres and you will see hundreds of examples, from simple hearts to pinwheels to elaborate feathered projects. All cool and unique to that bride and groom. It’s your day. Do you.

For those who don’t know what the heck we’re talking about … here ya go.

Anonymous asked: After 3.5 years, he says "It's time to start ring shopping..." This coming from the most logical, ducks-in-a-row-first, spends weeks researching even the smallest of purchases to make sure it's perfect, kind of guy. Now what?

I, personally, didn’t want to go ring shopping together … It would have taken the fun out of things for me. But I get that for a “ducks in a row” type …

At one point, my now-husband casually asked what kind of rings I liked, and I sent him a photo of my perfect ring (albeit a ginormous Harry Winston ring) … and when he went to start having my ring made for me, he styled it after the one in the photo. I was totally surprised at the proposal and LOVED what he’d chosen. It was beautiful and exactly what I wanted.

If you don’t mind forgoing that surprise, go shopping with him. Otherwise, send him a few photos of rings you love and describe exactly what kind of cut and metal you want … the important stuff. He doesn’t need you there to get you just what you want.

And — IMPORTANT — tell him to skip Tiffany’s and Jared and the big box jewelry stores … Find a family owned jeweler, someone you can create a relationship with and work with. They can custom-make anything you want and will save him thousands of dollars, meaning you’ll get SO, so much more ring for your money. 

If you’re at all near LA, let me know, and I can hook you up with the most amazing folks who made both our wedding rings and my engagement ring. They’re amazing. 

Anyhow, congrats on what sounds like a pending engagement :)