Dyable Shoes

Since my wedding ceremony will be outdoors, I'm wondering what type of shoe I will be able to wear (and walk in). I really want to wear heels, but I'm sure that's not the most practical decision when I will be walking down an aisle made of grass. I've also contemplated wearing flats for the ceremony and then heels during the reception, but what length would you get your dress altered to? Oh the predicaments...

With the two pairs of shoes possibility in mind, a friend directed me to Unforgettable Moments. This site has about 15 different pairs of wedding heels and flats that can also be dyed to coincide with your wedding colors. They have over 60 different shades, so you should be able to find one that matches or works with your color scheme. I really want to wear purple or silver shoes...just something a little different (another tradition to break, perhaps). I prefer the Nathalie Dyeable Round-Toe Pump or the Charlottle Dyable Ballet Flat.

Nathalie Dyeable Round-Toe Pump: Payless Shoesource ($29.99)

If Unforgettable Moments sounds familiar, it may be because you have seen this line of shoes at your local Payless Shoesource. If you can't find a color you like, you can always purchase the white pair through Payless for only $29.99, instead of the $49.99 charge for the dyeable version. Also, with the Payless connection, all of the Unforgettable Moments shoes are BOGO (buy one get one 1/2 off). This is an awesome deal  if you're like me and can't decide what style of shoe to wear or are thinking about wearing a couple different pairs.

Royal Wedding Peach Moscato Cupcakes

In honor of the Royal Wedding, I decided to try making some cupcakes from scratch based on a recipe recently posted by "Cupcake Kelly" on her "An American Cupcake in London" blog. Because Will and Kate will have a variation of fruit cake at their wedding reception, she decided to make a version of fruit cake that is probably a bit more tolerable -- Bubbly Peach Cupcakes. The cake is made with champagne and also includes fresh peach chunks that sink to the bottom of the cupcake when baked.

Naturally, I decided to do some tweaking to the recipe and substituted moscato for champagne. I've never been that fond of champagne (and I've tried some really disgusting champagne cakes when I was cake-testing), so I decided to use moscato, a sweet dessert wine. I purchased a bottle of Angioletta Moscato from Hy-Vee. When I got home, I realized I had accidently purchased regular moscato instead of moscato d'Asti. I decided to still use my selection, but the sparkling qualities of d'Asti may have produced a slightly different taste.

Peach Moscato Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups self raising flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick/115g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla (peach flavoring also optional)

1/2 cup moscato or moscato d'Asti

1 cup diced peaches

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line muffin tray with paper liners. In a small bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

2. With an electric mixer on high speed mix cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating until combined. Add in the vanilla and peach flavoring (if using).

3. Add the flour mixture in two batches alternating with the moscato until all incorporated. Fold in the chopped peaches.

4. Fill each cup three quarters full and bake for 25 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes 16 cupcakes

For frosting, I used my grandmother's signature vanilla frosting recipe -- it's a family secret! Visit Kelly's blog to see her frosting recipe that included champagne.

It's Officially Royal Wedding Week!

So, in case you haven't heard, the Royal Wedding of HRH Prince William and Kate Middleton will take place just a week from today. Thus, it is officially Royal Wedding Week.

For years, I have been fascinated by the British royal family. Perhaps I just like to watch Jonathan Rhys-Meyers in his role as King Henry VIII on Showtime's The Tudors (he is quite magnificent). I prefer to read about the history of the royal family and its most infamous leaders of the past. Today, it seems, especially after the untimely death of Princess Diana, the British royal family has become stagnant, remnants of grander years when royalty still controlled kingdoms (before the elections of prime ministers). I wonder if Kate's induction into the royal family will changes things...

However, I'm sure I will watch at least a portion of Will and Kate's nuptials next Friday. After all, can anyone really avoid it? In any case, I will enjoy watching such a grand spectacle and will probably be particularly interested in the fashions. Sadly, I'm kind of excited to see what Kate decides to wear down the aisle. She has been a little risque in the past, but she will certainly set the trends for bridal fashions this fall.

Middleton (in Issa) at the Boodles Boxing Ball in 2008



Middleton (in Issa) at a children's charity auction in London during 2009



So, how will you celebrate (or ignore) the union of Will and Kate? Be sure to cast your vote on my poll in the upper-right corner!



Hallingdans

Although I am breaking a lot of traditions with my wedding, I am very fond of my Norwegian heritage and would like to incorporate my heritage as much as possible into the details of my ceremony and reception. Although I am not the most agile dancer, I really admire Norwegian folk dancing. Since I was a child, my favorite traditional dance has been the 2,000-year-old hallingdans. The dance is usually (and conveniently, for my part) performed by young men at weddings and other special events.

Despite its overwhelming masculinity, the halling is an incredibly entertaining dance to watch and crowds often get involved by cheering on the dancer or one of several dancers. The halling is an acrobatic, athletic competition between male dancers. I imagine the groom had to prove his strength and agility in order to win over his bride. I wonder if Alex has the skills to dance the halling? Perhaps I should test him…

Hallingdans has several notable acrobatic dance moves, one of which is known as hallingkast. In this move, a woman becomes involved with the role of holding a hat high on a stick or something similar, and the male dancer is supposed to kick down the hat. Hallingkast is the ultimate test of strength and coordination, since the hat is supposed to be held 7-9 feet above the floor. Below is a video of a Norwegian dancer doing the hallingdans according to tradition.

The hallingdans recently witnessed a modern revival after Alexander Rybak won the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest. His winning song, “Fairytale,” was inspired by the traditional dance and is often performed in collaboration with the Frikar Dance Company, whose founder is known as the “reinventor of halling.”

The dance was also recently featured on the Norwegian version of "So You Think You Can Dance." The video is in Norwegian, so if you're like me, you'll be mesmerized by the language and Norwegian accents.

What do you think of incorporating heritage and family traditions into your wedding or reception?

2-in-1 Dresses

Some brides with more gratuitous budgets opt for purchasing multiple dresses -- usually one for the ceremony and one for the reception. The dress worn for the reception is usually a more modern and sexier style fit for dancing and partying late into the night. A recent (but hard to find) trend in bridal fashion has been the 2-in-1 dress (a.k.a convertible dress, detachable skirt). Instead of purchasing two pricey gowns, the bride can transform into a new look with a simple unzip or unbutton.

I have mixed reviews about these dresses. I absolutely love the concept, but many of the 2-in-1 dresses I have seen don't "wow" me in both forms (the ceremony version and the reception version). Usually, I like the dress one way or the other, but not both. Some dresses look great when transformed into a white cocktail dress, but fall flat when they are lengthened with the detachable skirt. Then there are those dresses that look great in their longer version, but seem a bit awkward (and maybe too short) when the detachable skirt is removed.

If you're looking to try on some 2-in-1 dresses (like me), you'll have to do some searching. Not all bridal salons have caught on to the trend, and many that have only have one or two convertible dresses in-stock. If you're dead-set on trying on some of these, I suggest making a few simple phone calls to get an idea of which shops offer the best inventory of sample dresses.

So, what do you think of these 2-in-1 dresses? Would you wear one of these gowns?

David's Bridal ($599)

David's Bridal ($599)



Molly - David Tutera by Faviana



Eva - David Tutera by Faviana

Fergie - David Tutera by Faviana



Allure - #8700



Private Label by G - #1409






 

Wedding Traditions to Break!

Recently I discovered some blogs through getmarried.com. A recent post by SummerK got me thinking about the role of traditions in modern weddings. As I've mentioned before, I don't really consider myself a traditional bride. I like to do things just a little differently and more memorable. My mother will officiate our wedding and my dad will walk me down the aisle, but that's pretty much where the traditions stop when it comes to our wedding. On her blog, SummerK lists 10 classic wedding traditions that "were made to be broken," and based on my current plans, I seem to already be breaking quite a few of them. Below is eight breakable traditions from SummerK's list, and my reactions to each one.


My engagement ring



1. Diamonds Aren’t Every Girl’s Best Friend — I have mixed feelings about this one. My engagement ring is all diamonds, and I think the diamond will always have a firm place in the realm of engagement rings. However, I've been entertaining less traditional ideas for my wedding band. My birthstone is garnet and Alex's stone is amethyst, so I've been thinking about customizing a wedding band with these two alternating stones separated by diamonds. In the future, an anniversary ring could be added with the birthstone(s) of your child(ren).


2. Wedding March — I absolutely will not walk down the aisle to "Here Comes the Bride." No way. Among the most recent weddings I have been to, this seems like the most common tradition to break. Even Pachelbel's Canon has been overdone. I haven't decided what song would suit me best, but I'm not against playing a song with lyrics. The JK Wedding Entrance Dance went viral on the internet and even sent the wedding party to do a reenactment on the Today Show.

3. The Big “Unveiling” — Ever since I was a little girl, I've told my mom that I will never wear a veil on my wedding day. What's the point? I may wear a headpiece or something similar in my hair, but brides spend a lot of money on hair and make-up so they shouldn't have to cover it up.

4. “Obey” is SO Not OK — I have been absolutely appalled when I've attended modern weddings that have not made the necessary updates to the vows. Traditional vows that say "obey" and announce the couple as "Man and Wife" don’t reflect the modern state of women. Have a chat with your officiant and see what kind of options you have for vows if you are choosing not to write your own. Typically, an officiant will have a handful of different version the couple can choose from and make minor changes to reflect them as a couple.

5. Crossing the (Receiving) Line – I absolutely hate waiting in line after the ceremony to give the bride and groom a hug. This tradition is particularly awkward for the guests of guests who have been dragged along as a date to the ceremony. I'd rather chat with the couple briefly at the reception and offer more personalized congratulations.

6. Dance, Dance Revolution – Yeah, I want to do most of the traditional dances -- one with Alex, one with my dad, and perhaps a "dollar dance," but I also like the idea of doing a moderately choreographed dance with my husband and/or bridal party.

7. Skip the Hokey Music — For the most part, I like to skip classic songs like "Celebrate" and the chicken dance, but there are just some songs you have to play at the reception, like "The Cupid Shuffle" and the "Cha Cha Slide." And, for my family, no dance is complete without a little AC/DC.

8. Let Them Eat Cake (At Someone Else’s Wedding) — In a previous post, I mentioned that cupcakes will replace the traditional tiered wedding cake at our reception, but pie or a dessert bar are just as much fun. Plus, these modern options are easier to package and send along with guests after the reception.


Cupcakes from Scratch Cupcakery (Cedar Falls, IA)



Save the Date!

Since we haven't had our engagement pictures taken yet, it's a little too early to be putting together save-the- dates...but it's hard to resist. I recently came across a site called weddingpaperdivas.com, an online company that specializes in wedding invitations, bridal shower invitations, and save-the-date cards. It's a little like Shutterfly or Snapfish, but they focus exclusively on wedding-related documents.

Instead of hiring someone to create your save-the-date cards, save some money and DIY. I like to save even more money and use sites like these just to get some ideas. After some brainstorming sessions, I try my hand at creating my own with Adobe Photoshop. This way, you can save money both on the printing and creative sides of the project.

Out of all the sites I have looked at, weddingpaperdivas.com seems to offer the greatest variety in size, shape, color, and design. Since I'm not sure what kind of approach I want to take with my save-the-dates and invitations, I decided to have some fun and fell in love with a save-the-date card that seems to be a good match for high school sweethearts. Below is a screenshot of the card I created using the template "Schoolyard Crush." Because our engagment pictures haven't been shot, I used two photos from our high school days. If I decided to pursue this option, I would like to have a photo of us at 16 years-old on the left and an engagement photo on the right.

Courtesty of weddingpaperdivas.com