Engagement Pictures!

Here are some shots from our engagement shoot yesterday. We shot around Philadelphia and also recreated our first date. Our photographer was the awesome and super talented Dave Austria. I would love to post all of the photos here, but there are way too many! I've posted some of my favorites below.

We Set a Date!!

We've set a date!!

I will officially become Mrs. Weiss on 

December 28, 2013!

I'm so excited to have my dream winter wedding, but I'm even more excited to marry my best friend and the man of my dreams. Now the real planning can begin!

Dress Designer: Romona Keveza

I've finally found a dress designer that I like whose dresses are carried in the U.S. (happy dance!) Her name is Romona Keveza, and her dresses are beautiful. They're a good blend of classic meets sexy. I love that her dresses are structured, but remain flowy, so that movement isn't restricted. Even luckier for me, her dresses are carried in 2 bridal boutiques within 5 miles of my apartment :)

        

 

                    

Creative Wedding Venues

These days I feel like couples are trying to out do one another with their weddings. If this couple spent $30,000 on their wedding, we have to spend $40,000. If they got married here, we have to get married somewhere else. It seems like everyone is in competition with each other. To me, yes, you want to have the most beautiful, spectacular, extravagant wedding ever, but it's not about other people. It's about you and your groom/bride-to-be. If you want to get married in a church, a synagogue, on a boat, or in a Wal-Mart, that's up to you. There are tons of ways to make your wedding unique without breaking the bank; one way is to choose a cool venue. I've found 4 awesome places to get married that will definitely leave a lasting impression on your guests.

1. A vineyard

So romantic and picturesque, vineyards are amazing wedding venues. You may even be able to work out a deal on a great vintage wine with the venue. Vineyards provide great photo opportunities, as well as awesome dinner conversation.

2. A Museum

What a fun, creative venue for a wedding. This is actually something that I've considered for my own wedding. Philadelphia has so many great museums, it would be a shame not to consider them. Another advantage of a museum wedding is that you can save on reception decorations, since the the exhibits serve as décor.

(These pictures are from a wedding at the Please Touch Museum here in Philadelphia)

3. At the Park

If you want an outdoor wedding, parks are a great idea. Most permit and location prices are reasonable. One downside: preparing for any type of weather. If you're not prepared for rain, strong winds, or insects, your big day may turn out to be a nightmare.

4. Mansion or Historical Building

This could be a great alternative to a museum. There are tons of historical buildings and mansions around Philadelphia that most people don't know about. A lot of them offer better rental rates than a hotel or ballroom, and most (if not all) of them have stunning features that will make for awesome photo opportunities. Many of them have amazing stories behind them that will make for great dinner conversation.

Dress Designer: Inbal Dror

Most girls have had their dream wedding dress picked out since they were 8. I am not one of those girls. Even though I don't know what I want my dress to look like, I've seen plenty of examples of what I don't want it to look like. 

(Warning: these dresses are SCARY)

(images from Tacky Weddings)

Luckily there are designers like Inbal Dror who have shown me that not all wedding dresses are nightmares made of taffeta or tulle. I found her website after I saw one of her gowns pinned on Pinterest, and she is my dream wedding gown designer. Unfortunately, she's located in Israel and I haven't found anything about her gowns being carried in the U.S. I did see that she makes custom gowns, so there's still hope. After my first visit to her website I was hooked. I'm in such awe of her designs. She has an eye for creating such unique gowns. They are truly unlike any others I've seen. I'm determined to wear one of her creations on my wedding day.

One thing I love about her is that she likes to focus on the back detail. I decided long before I saw her designs that I wanted either a backless gown, or something with a lot of detail on the back. To me, showing off your back is so subtly sexy. You don't need to have a slit in your skirt up to your thigh, or a neckline down to your navel if you have a sexy back. 

She is so good at producing form fitting, yet flowy gowns that flatter a woman's body. I think it's impossible not to feel sexy when wearing one of her creations. She doesn't use a million yards of tulle to create a poofy cupcake dress that reminds me of prom.

 

Seriously, how can you not be in love with this dress?! 

There aren't enough words that I could write that would describe how much I love these gowns. Now if I can just find a way to either go is Israel and buy my gown, or somehow get her to come to the states....

Does it Really Matter Where You Sit?

From what I've heard and read, doing a seating chart for your reception is a lot harder than it seems. That aunt can't stand that uncle, so they can't sit together. Those cousins don't get along with each other so they have to be sat at different tables. That's where the seating chart and place cards come in. Place cards have evolved from folded pieces of paper to creative favors that guests don't want to discard at the end of the night. I've found some awesome place card inspiration from Martha Stewart Weddings and Oh So Beautiful Paper.

Skeleton keys with satin ribbon

Seating assignment in a bottle.
I like this idea for a beach-themed wedding.

Pinwheel place cards. Cute for a spring wedding.

Vintage typewriter keys. I love this idea for a vintage wedding.

My favorite idea I found. Lucite place cards hung to look like a mobile.
Guests can take their cards as a favor.

Find old pictures of each guest and use it as their place card.
This idea would take a lot of time and effort,
so it may be best for a smaller wedding.

Greet guests with a cocktail and their seating assignment.

Wedding Colors

The second question I always get asked after "When's the wedding?" is "What are your colors?" I honestly had no idea that wedding colors were that important. Colors and shades play a key role in the feeling you want your wedding to give your guests. A bright red can make you think of fall, while a deeper cranberry red makes you think of the holidays. 

Although this is most likely to change 50 times before our wedding, I've been looking at a lot of deep blue and purple color palettes. I keep going back to these colors when I'm looking for inspiration or ideas for reception colors, bouquets, or bridesmaids dresses. Design Seeds is an amazing color palette website that will most likely be my go-to when we decide to finally pick wedding colors. 

  

(all images from Design Seeds)

Themed Tuesdays

This week's Themed Tuesday is post is about travel-themed weddings. This theme is great for couples who have jobs that require them to travel, or for couples who just enjoy jet-setting around the world. 

Invitation and RSVP card

Adorable boarding pass Save the Dates

Luggage tag Save the Dates

Seating chart map of the world

Suitcase wedding cake!

Cute idea. Paper airplane place cards.

Passport wedding programs.

(images from Pinterest)