Shoes Glorious Shoes!

I thought I might forego shoes all together for my wedding since I'll be walking down the aisle in superbly soft manicured garden grass, however, I reconsidered when I saw the cover of Southern Weddings magazine (and those fabulous yellow rose shoes). Since I saw that cover I've been obsessed with shoes. Here are some fabulous finds from the web, though I will admit some are absurdly priced.

Top Row (L to R): Pura Lopez 'N604' Pump at Nordstrom; Pedro Garcia Dannie satin pumps at www.net-a-porter.com; Pedro Garcia melany sequin peep toe pumps at www.net-a-porter.com; Martino Valero 'Camila' Sandal at Nordstrom. Middle Row (L to R): Poste Mistress Caitlyn Curl Cream patent shoes at Office shoes; Manolo Blahnik Chiffon d'Orsay Sandal at Bergdorf Goodman; Seychelles Reservations for Two at www.seychellesfootwear.com. Last Row (L to R): Poetic License 'Frills' sandal at Nordstrom; Stuart Weitzman Pomposos Chocolate Satin at www.jildorshoes.com; Madison Harding Patent Mary Jane at Nordstrom; Pedro Garcia Arabella crystal sandals at www.net-a-porter.com.

{inspiration} winter wonderland

It's a snow day! Snow days rock, I mean who doesn't love the fact that you are free to curl up on the couch, drink a cup of hot chocolate and watch tv all day (or in my case browse the web for wedding ideas). Have I ever mentioned that I'm a grad student? In my six years as a professional student I have never had a college snow day. In honor of the snow and ice that barricades me in my little apartment, I have created a winter-themed collage. On a side note, I'm not a techie and am usually pretty slow to discover the latest and greatest (in MBA lingo, I'm not an early adopter in the product life cycle). However I was super excited when I discovered the collage feature in Picasa. My previous inspiration board was crafted in Photoshop and it took me forever. Enjoy my inspiration.

Credits: Top Row (L to R): Snowflake invite via The Knot, Photo by Jenna Walker Photography, Denver; Dress via Brides.com, Photo by Perry Hagopian; Ice skates via www.allposters.com; Homemade marshmallows via bakingbites.com.
Middle Row (L to R): Six-tier snowflake cake via Martha Stewart; Bridal bouquet by Emplume, Detroit, Photo by Nicole Ladonne Photography, Ann Arbor, found via The Knot; Snowflake earrings by H. Stern, hstern.net, found via Brides.com; Starry favor via Martha Stewart; Pitcher Inn in Warren, Vermont; White fireplace by New England Lifestyle.
Bottom Row (L to R): Bride in winter coat; Mitten favor via WeddingStyle; Four-tier snowflake cake by Cakemakers, Etc., Dan the Cake Man, Chattanooga, Photo by Bold Imagery by Jason Connel, Hixson found via The Knot; Snowflake sculpture by Sculpted Ice Works; White chocolate fountatin by Champagne and Chocolate Fountains of Oxford; Kate Spade shoes via socialdesignevents.blogspot.com; Cup of hot chocolate via South Point Mountain Home Vacation Rentals; Snowflake wedding favor boxes via The Knot, Photo by Jennifer Lindberg Weddings, Austin.

{inspiration} flower power

I've already booked Yew Dell Gardens for our wedding and reception. And I bought a dress! The dress has some cutesy floral details but I won't post a picture of it just in case Mr. H happens to stumble upon this blog. Anywho, I'm thinking about playing off the floral detail of the dress and incorporating subtle florals throughout the decor. Hence I created an inspiration board! (Hint: Click to enlarge.)



Top Row (left to right): Eze dress {Reverie by Melissa Sweet}; Champagne glasses with roses {Martha Stewart Weddings}; Dress detail {The Knot}.
Second Row (L to R): Blue shoe with floral embellishment {Seychelles Footwear}; Floral favors {The Knot}.
Middle Row (L to R): Bouquet {Martha Stewart Weddings}; Floral veil and pin {The Knot}.
Bottom Row (L to R): White cake with rose detail {photo: www.dwphotoz.com}; Dress made by Mikaella Bridal; Rose monogram {Martha Stewart Weddings}; mini cakes with rose embellishment {Martha Stewart Weddings}.

I've found some other really great photos. More inspiration to come!

unique outdoor venues in kentucky and southern indiana

As soon as I got back from New York, I started researching outdoor venues in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. We knew we wanted our ceremony and reception in the same location and we wanted something unique. Plus I was desperate for an October wedding. Lucky for me I found out that October is the driest month of the year in Kentucky (yay!) but it's also the second most popular wedding month.

With the help of due diligence momma, I came up with a list of the best outdoor venues (in my humble opinion of course). If anyone has additional suggestions, let me know!

Louisville-area locations:

Yew Dell Gardens
This is a beautiful location with some random elements that will surprise you! It's used primarily as a public garden and it has a small funky castle, two different barns and a really neat holly allee (a path lined with arched trees). Only 15 minutes from downtown Louisville, a few exits past The Summit mall.



Blackacre Nature Preserve and Historic Homestead
The Preserve was just featured in Louisville Bride magazine and it looks amazing. I have not been able to visit, but would love to learn more. According to the article, it's a real working farm with lots of greenery and an old barn. Very rustic!



Gardens at Ray Eden
I can't remember where I found this location. I haven't visited but gardens are always a good option for an outdoor wedding. I've seen some wedding pics and it looks neat. This location has a Pergola(?) that would be ideal to hang lanterns, mason jars with candles or twinkly lights.




Locust Grove
This location has a old house (the steps are where most people have their ceremonies) and expansive grounds. Very popular place. Although it didn't have as much flora and fauna as I had expected from the photos.

Whitehall Gardens
Whitehall is nice because it has a historic mansion and a beautiful garden on the property. Depending on your tastes, you can have a sophisticated ceremony in the mansion or a more laid back affair in the gardens. I will say the gardens are well-kept, trimmed and tidy. If you're looking for a more natural, organic outdoor wedding, this may not be the place for you.

Southern Indiana locations:

Huber's Orchard and Winery
Huber's is a family favorite for Kentuckianans(sp?). It normally operates as family farm where you can pick apples, pumpkins, peaches, Xmas trees, etc. They also operate a winery down the road. This is definitely a place for an informal, southern wedding. The fried biscuits with apple butter are PHENOMENAL.


Wooded Glen
My best friend was married at Wooded Glen 3 years ago. It's huge and back in the boonies. Its signature feature is a beautiful covered bridge where the bride and her party will appear and walk toward the ceremony. This venue has a retreat/conference center with rooms and a reception area. The reception area is not that impressive. I would much rather have a tented reception down by the covered bridge.



Wilstem Guest Ranch
I've not been to the Ranch but I fell in love with some wedding pictures I found on the web. I have a thing for barns and so does Mr. H. This place also has a covered bridge and a big red barn where you can have the ceremony and/or reception. However, it's located in French Lick which is about an hour's drive from the Ville.

the (not) proposal

I'll try and make this little story as succinct as possible.

From here on out, the fiance will be known as Mr. H.

The history:
Age 0 -15, we grow up in New Albany, Indiana ( a hop, skip and a jump away from Louisville). Age 15, Mr. H and I became boyfriend and girlfriend. Oh the days of passing notes and chatting on AIM for hours (mind you text messaging did not exist) have sadly passed. Age 15.3, Mr. H said the words I longed to hear "I love you" in an email. He had me from hello. Fast forward to age 17.5, Mr. H let adolescence get the most of him and dumped me for a girl in our senior year speech class. Bastard. We part ways (sort of). He chose Purdue University and I chose Indiana University. I see him from time to time (mostly because I started dating his roommate to spite him but that's another story for another day). We remain friends somehow through the years and continue our on again off again relationship. Age 22, we graduate and I go to work and he goes to grad school. Mr. H doesn't take our relationship seriously so I end it unofficially. Age 23, he finally gets it, straightens up, and we fall in love all over again. It's never been better. Mr. H moves back home to work in Louisville, while I go to grad school. Age 25, he proposes.

The proposal:
Mr. H and I planned a trip to New York and Boston over the Christmas holiday. Specifically we bought tickets to see our FAVORITE band (the best thing to come out of Louisville), My Morning Jacket, for their New Years Eve concert at Madison Square Garden. The concert was ah-mazing and lasted about 4 hours. We were dressed to the nines and decked out in glittery, lighted 2009 glasses that we bought off a street vendor. Just before the final song of the night, Mr. H grabbed my hand slipped a pear shaped diamond ring around my finger and proclaimed his love for me. However he didn't exactly "ask" for my hand in marriage so technically it was more like a demand rather than a proposal. But that's just a technicality, it was sweet and it was uniquely us.

Side note: Mr. H can be thoughtful when he puts his mind to it. He just contacted the artist who designed a limited edition poster for the New Years Eve concert and told the artist about our engagement. Low and behold, the artist is sending us one of the original test print posters (very rare). Now we'll always have a reminder of that fateful New Years night!

The aftermath:
Apparently, unbeknownst to me, my mother and his mother secretly helped him shop for an engagement ring. Well that was all it took for my mother to go into crazy hyper wedding planning mode. The night he took her ring shopping, she went to B&N and bought every wedding and bridal magazine on the rack. By the time he actually proposed my mother had accumulated 8 magazines, 2 books, a handpainted wedding martini glass and a wedding-themed Christmas ornament. Also when Mr. H and I returned from our East Coast trip, she had printed at least 100 pages of wedding-related material from the internet. Now I get 5 phone calls a day all related to the wedding. I've been tempted to pull my hair out, but have reconsidered when I remember that the wedding is 8 months away.

The planning process is officially underway.

my first post

After 3 weeks of mayhem, I've finally decided to put my pen to paper (or I guess my fingers to the keyboard) and chronicle my quest for THE perfect outdoor wedding. My eyes hurt from surfing the web, I'm constantly hungry and will remain so until our wedding date, and I have recurring nightmares of misprinted invitations and wedding cake disasters. I no longer need oxygen, just Martha and The Knot.

My aim is to give my two cents to brides all over Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The road has been long and winding and I hope that through my documented experiences, other brides can take a shorter, more straight path to the wedding of their dreams. Thanks and enjoy.