Changing settings

Idle hands to idle things, I guess. Since we've finalized a bunch of things and the newness of the ring has kind of worn off, I've been a little wishy washy about the ring setting. Sometimes I love it, other times I wish it were different. I was perusing the inflight duty free catalog on my flight back from my business trip, and I saw this set of earrings that seems to have all sorts of possible jackets/ configurations. I wish rings were more like that.

I've gone back and forth about the stone setting on the ring. Finally got it switched out today for a much more simple style setting, and it was almost like night and day... 

Found our venue, getting things done!

Found our venue, and we are slated for a Thanksgiving weekend wedding! It's going to be held at V. Sattui Winery in Napa Valley, so the ceremony will only start at dusk, after the winery has already closed to the public. This is fantastic, I'm starting to visualize everything, and I think it's going to be unique and intimate with light and votive candles really setting the ambiance... I just hope the photographer can capture this well, because I have a feeling that smartphone photos will be either blurry or overexposed. Pulled some pictures from the internet of V. Sattui in the evening, and I've started experimenting with things that would glow/shine/glisten through the evening. We might go with flameless votive lanterns for the bridesmaids in lieu of bouquets. And maybe a rhinestone trinket bouquet for me. I got some ideas initially from etsy, but I really couldn't afford a $750 crystal and rhinestone bouquet. So I headed to the craft store and basically grabbed everything that was 1) sparkly or shiny and 2) totally on sale.

V. Sattui Courtyard

Barrel room where reception takes place

Votives for the bridesmaids (maybe)

Bunch of stuff glued on a styrofoam half sphere... Kind of weird close up, but fiancé called it "so bling"... Exactly what I was going for... Haha. I dunno!

Paper invitations?

The last RSVP card I dropped in the mailbox today was routed over from my old apartment. I went through all sorts of anxiety when it hadn't arrived. I even toyed with the notion that maybe I actually wasn't invited to the wedding after all. Like many others, over the years I've started to disregard postal mail. Nothing essential ever comes in the mail, except traffic fines and medical bills, and those have little incentive for me to receive.

Yesterday over dinner, InHan and I were discussing wedding invitations - should we do them, should we do them for only people who ask for them, should we do them only for people who don't have email or internet, should we skip the whole thing?

I used to collect wedding invitations. I always thought I would have one for my own wedding, but maybe I should pull myself into the current year and go without. Save the trees?

Where does one find this?

If only I could get my hands on this 2010 Rosa Clara. Pockets on a wedding dress that looks like origami? So fantastic.

Uh oh... bridezilla tendencies

Decided that the dress I was making is totally not my style. I have no idea what I was thinking with the lace, beads, and flowers! Ended up ordering a dress, and it arrived today. I like it a lot, but it needs to fit me better. I called the alterations department and they said that they generally don't do alterations until 6-8 weeks before the actual wedding. That makes me really nervous. I mean.... what if something horrific happens with the alterations and I end up looking like a clown in a trash bag?

Anyway, I scheduled an appointment for alterations this weekend. The lady on the phone seemed surprised with my request, as if I'm the only bridezilla that she's ever met.

Heard back from the venue we really want. Still pending. Seems to be a real test of patience, but maybe all good things are worth waiting for. Furiously and heavy-heartedly text spammed the fiance today about the non-news from the venue...  So we won't know until mid-April. As an emotional reflex, I sent out another 5 or so RFPs to a bunch of places. Somehow having the other venues email me back generic .pdfs of their wedding packages was cathartic.

Badgley Mischka Thora Silk Ruffle Pump

Ahhh I love this.

Reminds me of a paper project I did last year for kicks :]

Engagement photo :)

Probably the most efficient photo session ever... 15 min and we were done. The weather was so beautiful, we finished with an afternoon stroll in the beautiful city we call home (for now :)).

Layers, layers, and lace

I have mixed feelings about this right now. Haha... haphazardly I wound up with layers and lace that make the look a bit girly.  For someone who wears mostly black all the time, I'm still struggling to visualize myself in a long white dress. I'll sit on it for a few weeks and see how I feel about it then.

Something Blue

BCBG Paris Jaze Suede d'Orsay Pump

It really blew my mind when I found out that an entire style of shoes is named after d'Orsay. Now I feel like I will definitely need these shoes to complete my wedding! I spent one of my most memorable years of life living right along the Seine, in an apartment sandwiched between the National Assembly and the d'Orsay museum, spending many Sunday mornings lounging around the cafe at le musée d'Orsay.

I incidentally just got back in touch last week with a friend that I made in Paris. She also happened to have gotten married last year, so we have many emotions and stories to share. Life is beautiful that way.

Anyway, this pair of shoes is now in my google shopping bag, pending fiancé approval. It won't work with the vintage lace and beads on my wedding dress, but maybe I can work it into a rehearsal dinner outfit... it would be poetic, and sentimental, even if only in my own mind. 

But... how can we go forward with hope and conviction, without appreciating where we have first set foot?

Still waiting for a venue

Had a good chat over the phone with the events director at the venue we have our hearts set on. Unfortunately there haven't been any updates as to the status of our date...

We are in an unusual circumstance because the venue we want is a non traditional site that's normally used for something else... And that schedule hasn't been released for the fall yet.

Feeling a strange combination of anxiety, disappointment, and hope. I've not been inspired by any other venue, so the wait continues...

DIY dress

Making my own dress has been one of the most challenging sewing experiences. I'm pretty happy with what I have so far. I just never thought that making a dress meant so much iteration and coming to terms that vision isn't always reality. To be honest, this looks nothing like what I first set out to make. But that's life!

Back view of the dress... Because I still have to figure out the front ;)

Venue waiting

So much depends on the venue. Can't send out save the dates, can't visualize much without having a confirmed site.

FI and I went to our first and hopefully only venue. We're still waiting to hear back about its availability, so the uncertainty is a lot to deal with right now.

I won't commit to any distinct photographs until we know we have it for sure, but here's a snapshot of a random corridor while touring the place. Even he admitted to having his heart set on this place. Seriously gorgeous space... Warm colors, natural elements, and modern design. Love, love, love! Hopefully we'll have good news in a few weeks.

The proposal

The engagement is setting in, and I've now had a few conversations with girl friends to kind of finesse my interpretation of the proposal. 

So for some background, last January we had a lovely getaway weekend in Napa Valley, where we blended our own bottles of wine and dined at our now favorite restaurant, La Toque. We stumbled across this restaurant because we were staying at the Westin Verasa, and rain was pouring outside. We cancelled our original restaurant reservation and opted for in house dining.

We both agreed that we'd try to make it a tradition to go back in January (off season). So this was our first time back since last year. 

Sometime during dinner, he apparently asked the valet to pull his car up, and soon we were driving north on highway 29. It was already 11pm at night, so I couldn't imagine there being anywhere to go in Napa Valley. Of course, I went with it anyway.

We finally pulled over on a road about 25 min north of Napa, and then he told me where we actually were. We were parked right outside Roots Run Deep, the private winery that produces Educated Guess, the wine he chose on our first date. We spent some time admiring the starry sky, and then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him :).

Since last January, we've been introducing the wine to friends and family as our favorite wine (it's actually really good!) So we hope that we can find a venue that's BYOB.

FI applies meaning from the name; he's mentioned that dating me was an educated guess. I thought that was a completely unromantic thing to say, but I guess that comes along with being nerdy-cheesy. Haha. I'll drink to that.

The ring

I'm a big fan of colored stones. FI and I started casually thinking about rings early last year. Knowing how particular I am about my jewelry, he asked me to tell him what sort of stone and setting I wanted. Of course I was delighted with this freedom of choice, but subsequently burdened with picking the one most expensive and expressive piece of jewelry I'll ever own, even over the wedding band itself, since that will be much more of a symbolic and practical piece.

Anyway, first I fell in love with Alexandrites for their color changing properties, but then real Alexandrites seem almost impossible to find. Seriously, the color change is so cool!

Just as I let the Alexandrite idea pass, I saw these beautiful rose gold haloed champagne peach sapphire rings on Etsy. They were so beautiful I nearly fell out of my chair.

So I fixated on the idea of a champagne peach stone. I previously had no idea that these even existed... My eyes were opened, my mind completely blown. I used to think sapphires (birthstone for both of us) only came blue.

FI found this beautiful stone at The Natural Sapphire Company in New York, and had it set in a halo of tiny diamonds. I really love the halo, it visually contrasts the colored stone against my hand.

Since he discovered The Natural Sapphire Company, I've been online to browse their inventories for kicks. Everything looks so yummy; so much beauty, in all the colors of the rainbow!

We joke that I'm going to get hungry one day and eat my ring, and also that it was inspired by my many hours of playing Candy Crush. There may be some truth to that.

We're engaged!

FI proposed this past weekend, and it's been wedding planning at full speed since then. Part of the beauty of it all is that he understands my personality really well. He understands my neurosis in needing to have everything planned far in advance, and supports my crazy attempts at subpar craft projects.

But I've perhaps embarked on the most intimidating project in my life to date - I'm going to design and sew my own wedding dress. It's also going to be quite a challenge to keep under wraps because I'll be moving into his place next month, and they say it's unromantic (or even bad luck) for the groom to see the bride's dress beforehand. I'm not a big believer in such superstitions, but it will be good for life balance if I'm not constantly working on the dress.

I joke (or do I?) that by making my own dress, I can save loads of money and finally splurge on a specific pair of Christian Dior pumps. I never particularly thought of wedding dresses as works of art. But Christian Dior shoes? That is an entire other story.

They even look wedding appropriate. Somewhere just shy of $1,000. 

Maybe?