Manolo for the Brides

Kirk pointed me toward a collection of unusual rings created by designer and metalsmith Jana Brevick.

The above wedding ring set was created from sterling silver and serial plugs. See what they look like fitted together by clicking the pic!

And these were created using gold, sterling silver, and plugs with threaded sheaths. Again, see what they look like fitted together by clicking the pic.

Sure, they are a little bulky, as Kirk remarked, but they could make a sweet present for a technically-minded couple looking for something to set them apart.

And speaking of wedding rings, mine finally arrived today. It’s a good thing, too, as we were all set to cancel our order with our rather slow-going jewelrymaker. We even bought a set of plain gold bands so that we wouldn’t be left in a lurch if she didn’t come through. But here we are, scant days before the wedding, with a set of wonderful matte four-color, six-twist mokume gane bands. Yay!

Or, as I have been so fond of calling them, DIY buckets.

I sat down with a friend this past weekend and constructed my bouquets. While I did print out instructions, we never actually read them. Instead, we just laid out all of the materials at our disposal (which included some $150+ worth of silk flowers, florist’s wire, and florist’s tape) and experimented wildly with differing combinations of color, size, and greenery. I am actually amazed at how wonderfully our efforts turned out, as neither of us had ever created a bouquet. Observe:

Sorry about the pisspoor image quality — my camera is about a thousand years old and photography has never been my strong suit. The first one is the bridal bouquet and is actually quite a bit bigger (and heavier!) than the bottom one, of which there are two. At the last second, I put together a matching tosser in case I unexpectedly find myself facing a herd of rabid female relatives asking me when I’ll be throwing the bouquet. The Beard and I discussed tossing the actual bridal bouquet and then realized that we don’t need to start our lives together facing endless rounds of personal injury litigation.

I will say that the whole bouquet-making process is rather intuitive, as you end up having to use wire to keep your early efforts from falling apart while you look for more blooms and there is no better way to wrap up a mess of unruly stems than with tape that only sticks to itself. The ribbon-wrapping, which I did myself, was somewhat harder as I was using pins to secure the ribbon.

If you plan to follow in my footsteps, I suggest looking at lots of pictures of wedding flowers online and in books like To Have & To Hold: Magical Wedding Bouquets or Creative Wedding Florals You Can Make.

Now, if I can just keep the cats from gnawing on the aforementioned bouquets, everything will be peachy.

Best groomscake ever:

A friend of mine — let’s call him R. — took this photo of the utterly fantastic R2-D2 served at the Wedding wedding. Want to know what happens when your last name is Wedding and you just happen to be getting married? Printers call you believing that your surname is a typo. Vendors do double-takes when confirming your reservation. And outsiders (i.e. acquaintances) get just a little confused by the whole thing.

Today’s post is late-ish because I took a lunch-hour dance lesson. I’ll admit that I’m kind of a nut for fitness — most days I’m so busy that the time I spend climbing hills on the treadmill while reading a good book seem like my own little slice of heaven. But I understand that there are plenty of brides and even some grooms that aren’t usually fitness-minded, but want to lose some inches before the big day.

Enter the “boot camp” movement. Personally, the notion of getting up at 6 a.m. so that a drill sergeant can scream at me while I attempt to do a push-up scares the bejeezus out of me. Some people, however, call that motivation…and hey, more power to ‘em. The whole boot camp thing has really caught on, if packages like Billy Blanks Boot Camp Elite and Denise Austin: Boot Camp - Total Body Blast are any indication.

Videos and books aside, what is the deal with these bridal boot camps? You’ve got your Buff Brides, your tried and true boot camp, the John Spencer Ellis boot camp diet, Fit to be Wed, Fit to be Tied, Healthy Bride Boot Camp, and more. Programs vary in terms of how similar they are to actual boot camp, though few will ask you to competently field strip a rifle before allowing you to procure your marriage license.

The problem with boot camp fitness, as I see it, is that it’s a short term program. If you do lose whatever it is you were hoping to lose, it’ll likely come back once you stop boot campin’. Am I right?

Have any of you ladies or gents gone through the pre-wedding fitness boot camp process? If you have, please share your impressions!

I received a tip from one Toni this morning stating that Target will soon be carrying actual wedding dresses in its online store. And thank goodness for that tip, as I’m rather late on the uptake on this one. That Mizrahi fellow who is so fond of groping famous boobies on the red carpet has designed a line of simple, classic wedding dresses that will start at a mere $159.99.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the eight dresses – in ivory, white or black – include a classic tulle princess dress, slinky silk cowl-neck sheath, and a ball gown with a lace shell. The collection also includes a line of bridesmaids dresses, satin peep-toe pumps, lace slingbacks and other shoes for the bride, and cummerbunds and ties for the groomsmen.

These (and the rest of the dresses) are set to debut on May 6 and will be sold exclusively through Target.com, so keep your eyes peeled!

There are weddings coming up soon. And by weddings, I mean my wedding. Possibly also your wedding. One thing that I feel has been conspicuously absent from my wedding planning activities has been the sense of camaraderie that most of us assume will simply be a byproduct of being engaged. My sister, who will stand as my MOH, lives in Florida. My mother is in New York. The Beard’s sister, who will stand as a bridesmaid, is way far away and none too interested in the details. My girlfriends all lead busy lives.

I went to my second gown fitting recently, all by my lonesome, and got a little sappy thinking about how nice it would have been to have been surrounded by loving family and friends while the seamstress poked, prodded, and pulled. So I just wanted to give all you nice folks a big thank you for being there with me by proxy. I love reading your comments and getting your input!

If I could do it all over again, I’d choose ya’ll to be my bridesmaids and outfit you in something sleek, sassy, and re-wearable, like this light-as-air silk charmeuse number from Lynn Lugo:

Here’s a little something pretty from New York designer Cassandra Bromfield. This is the front of her wonderful, summery cocoa satin faced organza gown:

And this is the back:

I like Bromfield’s philosophy because it is one of amalgamation. When she sews a custom gown, she encourages her client to add special touches to the gown that recall special moments or special people. She suggests embellishments such as fabric from a mother’s wedding dress or buttons from a loved ones garment, though she is willing to incorporate just about anything. And, if you so desire, she will craft you a gown that is a one-of-a-kind mix of African, European, and American sensibilities.

As an aside, if you have a minute and a tale of woe, visit Take My Dress. It’s both hilarious and horrifying!