IslamoradaBride

I love the first one-- the drawings and the colors are just so cool!

You look fantastic!

Personally I don't think it's a good idea to try to get your hair to do something that it won't, especially for a wedding 'do. Mine is curly and if I tried to straighten it for my day, I know it would end in disaster! (Especially in the humidity, haha.) I would go for something that is you, but better, rather than a dramatic change. As far as hairstyle ideas, projectwedding.com has tons of pics. I bet you could find something cute there!

Hey ladies! I was browsing around on the Saks website today and found this lovely BCBG number on sale for $150: It only comes in Medium. Here is the link.

I think the drink menu looks fab! With all those choices, I bet no one will miss the hard liquor.

Ooh, that Prim & Pixie site has me drooling! We're doing pocketfolds and they have tons of great inspiration in there. I had no idea about the White Aisle designer having melanoma-- whoa! I hope she gets the treatment she needs to beat it. I did see on her blog that she'll open the print shop back up at the end of the week.

They are super cute!

#1 is definitely my fave on you! I love the color (yay pink!) and the cut is soo flattering on you. I think the empire waist is not the best silhouette for you, and the prints on the others are a little too busy.

White Aisle sells them in a couple different sizes, and if you buy more than 50, you can get custom colors. That's for silk boxes-- not sure about other types. They have really nice invitation designs on that site too. Hope that helps!

I worked in journalism for about 7 years (newspapers to be precise) but changed careers to PR last year. The newspaper business has been going down the tubes for years, and I went through so many cutbacks at work that I finally couldn't take anymore. Plus I wanted to be able to move to a bigger city with my then-boyfriend (now FI) and I couldn't do that without changing careers. I am so glad I did it-- the pay is so much better, it's just as challenging and I feel much more confident about my career path. I think training as an electrician is a great idea-- learning a trade is very lucrative, and the fact that you already have family in the business is a plus. Good luck to you!

We are not planning to for several reasons. First of all, we're pretty casual and I can't picture us using it often enough to justify the cost. Second of all, we don't have room to store it. And third of all, one of my aunts has offered us our great-grandmother's set (which I have never seen) so we don't need any anyway! Not sure where we'll put it, but we'll figure something out. We are planning to register for nicer everyday dishes, glassware, silverware, etc. because we've been using hand-me-downs forever and really need new stuff.

We used Vistaprint for our photo STDs and they turned out great! They were pretty much like normal postcards, only with us on them . You can see them here. One tip: make sure you use a high-quality file so the colors will be nice and rich.

Oh, so hard because I love them both! The Pronovias is so simple, classy, clean and sexy on you but the Amsale is breathtaking and unique. So I voted for the Amsale-- it's like nothing else I've seen and has this dreamy quality to it. You are a knockout in both-- no wonder you're having such a hard time choosing!

April, I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your father. Take all the time you need to grieve. Also, your memorial ideas sound very touching. Take care of yourself during this difficult time.

The dress looks fab on you! Great choice!

I love this idea-- I may have to steal it . (With our own logo, of course!)

What a gorgeous idea-- I love it! If we had a smaller guest list, I would totally consider it! You should totally put them up on Etsy-- I bet a lot of brides without as much time or patience would love them.

Wow, they are gorgeous! Awesome to have a family resource like this, eh?

I haven't decided yet, but these sandals by Lily Holt are totally tempting me! They have that relaxed luxury look to them, which I really like. They are a little pricey though, so I'd want to try them on before I commit.

You look fantastic! Wow, I'm so glad it worked out.

It looks lovely on you-- and what a bargain!

Ooh, the dress is gorgeous on you! I think the flower would be nice in your hair-- are you planning on wearing it up or down?

adias.angel, we do have an ally in my other brother actually. He and my SIL got married in a completely secular ceremony last year-- there was no mention of God whatsoever. My mom gave them a hard time too. My dad hasn't said anything, and my brother the priest is happy to do a blessing and has not pressured me at all. It's mostly my mom and FI's dad (who was in seminary himself at one point-- that is how devout he is) who are applying the pressure. I think everyone has given you good advice here. What's important is that you and your FI have the wedding of your dreams, not someone else's.

Welcome Yolyd!

Both FI's parents and mine have given us huge guilt trips to try to get us to be married by a priest. (FI's family wants it in a Catholic church; my parents want my brother, who is an Episcopal priest, to do the ceremony.) He is atheist and I am agnostic so we are holding firm. Why go through something that is against your belief system and that would be just for show anyway? Our little compromise is that we are having my brother do a blessing at the end of the ceremony. Even then, 4 months in, the families are still pressing and I imagine they will continue to do so up until the minute we say our vows. To me it shows a lack of respect for us and our beliefs. Honestly, the next time they bring it up, I am going to be a little ugly about it. It's not up for discussion, end of story. Every time they raise the issue, that will be mine and FI's answer.