"Ya Mon" Bride (via Chicago)

Blogging Live From the Pool, Redux

2010-05-02T12:47:00.005-05:00

Hello hive! Some of you may remember a similarly titled post from one year ago today. Then, I was a sun-kissed, happy, excited bride-to-be turned wife :) And today, here I sit blogging by the pool once again after a wonderful year.

Where, you might ask?

Playa del Carmen!

Long story short, Mr. Quiche and our dear friends surprised me with a trip to Mexico...on Thursday night! As we celebrated my graduation from school (again x2) they handed me a box. In said box I found the following items: a sombrero, maracas, a Mexican flag...and a fat stack of pesos (you know, with paper being the traditional first anniversary gift and all :) ). We left the following morning at 6 a.m. Talk about a surprise!

So thank you, Mr. Quiche (and R & P!) for a fabulous trip. Mr. Quiche, thank you for a wonderful first year.

Cheers! Honeymoon in Ireland Part 2

2010-03-30T17:07:00.001-05:00

After 3 days in Dublin, We rented a car (an experience going 1km from the rental shop to the hotel that Mr. Q will never want to recall again) & after a quick detour for M&S takeaway :), headed west towards Galway. We made a pit stop on the way to visit the oldest licensed distillery in the world , Killbeggan/Locke's Distillery. When in Ireland :)

I was lucky that Mr Q decided to blog while we were in Ireland & I need to give some credit to him for jogging my memory. I was so brain dead from the wedding & jet-lag that I had no desire to write while abroad. So, thanks Mr. Quiche!

Here is his excerpt from Killbeggan:

"Although the plant we toured closed 75 years ago, they have reopened it in close to original conditions. It was an interesting history of the making of whisky. The plant was powered by a waterwheel from a stream that ran under part of the building. Mrs. Quiche dropped her camera lens cap under it. The cap was visible and I thought we should just leave it and buy another, but she was determined to get it back. She went to the reception person and asked if it was OK for us to climb down there.

The nice lady said it would be no problem and that they had a "lad” there who would climb down there for us. We expected some strapping 17 year old farm hand to appear, but instead a 71 year old grandpa made the dangerous journey to retrieve Mrs. Quiche's 75 cent lens cap! He only hit his head once & I don’t think there is any permanent cranial damage. It was fascinating tour and it ended with a shot of their whiskey that was barreled and stored on the premises. Mrs. Quiche gave me hers ;)"

May I add that the lens cap was more that 75 cents? Thanks! :)

Edwina, our GPS, kindly led us to Galway with only a few hiccups. I swear there were times when she wanted to curse us in her proper English accent, but she held her cool and guided us west.

More from Mr. Quiche:

"Galway is Ireland’s second largest city with a population of about 80,000. We chose this city because it is known for having a lively music scene and we intended to use this as our base for the next few days to explore the Burren and the Cliffs of Mohr.

We still didn’t have a reservation and started looking up hotels in our trusty Rick Steve’s Guide to Ireland. We happened across the Park House Hotel, booked a lovely room, dropped our bags off and headed for the part of town full of restaurants and pubs. Tonight we decided on something a bit different for dinner - Indian. We found a nice little Indian restaurant that turned out to have fantastic food.

After chatting with our nice Bangladeshi waiter who has been living in Ireland for 9 years, we headed out looking for a pub with traditional Irish music.

We found one nearby with 2 seats at the bar and waited for the music to start at 9:30. I began chatting with the gent next to me who was fascinated with the sporting match on the telly. Yes, Virginia, Darts are a professional sport! I watched with my new friend as two men (who look like wrestlers) throw darts in a professional tournament. The “dart arena” is a large venue with small tables designed to resemble a pub with the sportiff sitting around drinking beer and yelling at their favorite darter (not sure the technical name of the participants in this sport). The band began playing promptly at 9:30 and at first I didn’t enjoy them much at all until a fellow joined them playing a traditional Irish tin flute. We stayed until the novelty of seeing our first leprechaun wore off and headed out in search of another venue.

On our way back toward our hotel, it began to hail the size of marbles! Between the cold rain and hail we darted into the closest bar - which turned out to be a placed called Coyote. This is an “American” bar! It represented everything bad about our great country, but there was space at the bar and the weather outside sucked so we stayed for one!

I ordered a couple of pints and in my usual friendly manner, began chatting up the local bloke next to me. His name was Matthew & he is taxi driver in Galway. I admit I have had a hard time with the Irish accent, but as this guy clearly had 6-8 pints, I could barely make out a word! Nonetheless, we communicated through grunts and “pardon me's” and developed a bond! I told him about our recent nuptials and he bought us pints of Guinness and then had our bartender bring us a bottle of champagne. I was moved by his generosity - it really made my night! Luckily, Matthew left shortly after they opened the bottle and we didn’t have to drink more than a few sips (let's just say it wasn't Dom Perignon)."

We couldn't wait to set out the following day on a road trip through the Burren & to the Cliffs of Mohr.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins
Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)
Ya Mon! Dancing, a Dress Change, and More Dancing
Ya Mon! Faux-to Booth Fun!
Ya Mon! Let's Trash That Dress*! (Pt. 1)
Ya Mon! Let's Trash That Dress! (Pt. 2)

Cheers! Honeymoon in Ireland Part 1

2010-03-28T16:22:00.000-05:00

I hadn't planned on blogging about our honeymoon, but we had such a lovely (lov-i-lee) time in Ireland, I thought I'd do a brief overview of our trip. The day after the wedding, we flew back to Chicago, unpacked our bags, repacked our bags, slept, woke up & went back to O'Hare to fly to Dublin. It was a whirlwind travel day & was quite exhausting, but luckily we conked out on our trans-Atlantic flight, missing everything from beverage service to meals & woke up when we landed.

Here was our itinerary:

Days 1 - 3: Dublin
Days 3 - 5: Galway (base point for the Cliffs of Mohr and The Burren)
Days 5 - 7: Dingle
Days 7 - 8: Kinsale

In Dublin, we stayed at The Westbury. It is centrally located on Grafton Street, which is a great boutique street bookended by Trinity College and St. Stephen's Green. I highly recommend checking out the Book of Kells at Trinity. I am fascinated by illuminated manuscripts, and these did not disappoint.

Our hotel room that was bigger than my first apartments in Chicago. Combined :)

Trinity College, home of the Book of Kells - please go see this.

As a Brit Chick-Lit fan, I've always wanted to say "We had Marks & Spencer take-away", Mr. Quiche was more than happy to oblige & we picnicked in St. Stephen's Green.

Out and about in Dublin meant food & flowers. Freshly off flower stalking post-wedding, I loved all of the flower markets & of course, the shock of green that greets you everywhere in Ireland.

A traditional Irish breakfast at Bewley's. The blood sausage might give away that this is Mr. Q's meal - I had oatmeal & cappuccino :)

There was a Starbucks across the street from our hotel & Mr. Q is obsessed, so we had to go :)

Yum.

This is not photoshopped!

You can't visit Dublin without visiting certain cathedrals. Some may pray at St. Patrick's Cathedral, some may pray to another God altogether: Guiness.

If forced to choose another career, I think I'd be an Architecture Historian. Gothic cathedrals, with their pointed arches and ribbed groin vaults, make my hear go pitter-patter. It is truly spectacular.

Jonathan Swift, author of Gulliver's Travels, was the Dean of St. Patrick's in the 19th century.

As much as we both like beer, neither one of us had tried Guinness before visiting Ireland! I guess it's appropriate that our first one was at the Guinness Factory.

What a cutie :)

Kilmainham Gaol (jail) is another place that I am so glad we visited. It is a prison made famous for its part in the Easter Rising, which put Ireland on the road to freedom from British rule.

And you can't fully experience Dublin without partaking in the many, many pubs with music twinkling out into the streets. On our first night, we headed to the Temple Bar neighborhood and to Oliver St. John Gogarty. After ditching the nicer restaurant on the top floor for fried food & garlic mayo on the 2nd, we instantly fell "mad for trad" - traditional, live Irish music.

"Singing cockles & mussels, alive! alive-oh!" - Molly Malone, a song about a prostitute fishmonger that you'll hear in every pub in Ireland.

Dublin is such a vibrant, fun city steeped in history, art & architecture awesomeness. Mama & Petey Quiche are going back to Ireland in 2 months & we are super jealous :)

Can't wait to share the rest of our Ireland travels with you!

Where did/are you going on your honeymoon?
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Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins
Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)
Ya Mon! Dancing, a Dress Change, and More Dancing
Ya Mon! Faux-to Booth Fun!
Ya Mon! Let's Trash That Dress*! (Pt. 1)

New Design Blog!

2010-03-04T12:02:00.003-06:00

As I wrap up my Weddingbee recaps, I've started a new blog focusing on interior design.

Bien Living Design

Come on over and check it out!

Ya Mon! Let's Trash That Dress! (Pt. 2)

2009-12-17T07:00:00.001-06:00

Okay now...where was I? Oh yes, that's right - I had just jumped into the water wearing a long, white dress!

After taking the plunge (ha. hahaha!), we headed over to the beach for a little rolling around in the sand :) I kid, I kid! We played photo shoot a little more & I have to admit that I loved it. Mr. Quiche was feeling a little worse for wear & holy moly, was the sun ever BRIGHT (hence quite a bit of squinting...I mean sultry stares into each others eyes).

Our papa-paparazzi got down to business...

Photo by sister

...and produced some killer shots!

Going in for the kiss!

& he plants one one me!

Love the contrast of black & white on the beach!

It was BRIGHT, we're not trying to be sexy.

And one last sweet shot from above...

Sigh...I am so glad that we did a TTD with our photographer. It was a BLAST!

Up next, a final recap of the day (also known as "Pictures I Wanted to Post in Previous Recaps, but Forgot").

All of these fun, amazing shots, by Ashley Colhouer. :)
____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins
Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)
Ya Mon! Dancing, a Dress Change, and More Dancing
Ya Mon! Faux-to Booth Fun!
Ya Mon! Let's Trash That Dress*! (Pt. 1)

Ya Mon! Let's Trash That Dress*! (Pt. 1)

2009-11-07T14:37:00.021-06:00

Okay, maybe not THAT dress, but a white dress nonetheless! I couldn't bear the thought of trashing my actual wedding dress, so I ended up finding this VS maxi dress on ebay for $30! My mom and I dressed it up a bit by adding a loooong white ribbon to tie in the back, but that's about it. It didn't really need much for us to just trash it!

See what I mean?!

(read more)

So, the morning after our incredible wedding and reception, we rose with the sun (err...tried to, at least) in order to fit in a TTD before Ashley & Philip took off for home. It's repetitive, I know, but they were AWESOME with this!

Making my way to the end of the pier...

Photo by Sister Quiche Nen

Ashley & Philip then scoped out the best area - she hopped in a little boat and went out on the wavy sea to take pictures & he was our test jumper! Talk about dedication :) Thanks Philip! We only had one shot to get this right, so Ashley had all of the camera adjustments ready to go before we jumped.

Photos by Sister Quiche Nen

Then it was time for us! Mama Quiche & Sister Quiche Nen were able to capture pictures of us running on the dock, while Ashley took pictures from the front.

1,2,3 JUMP!

Photos by Sister Quiche Nen

A close up of the jump. It looks like Mr. Q tripped and fell in!

I hate putting my feet on the bottom of any ocean/sea/lake, so I immediately started treading water and the swam into Mr. Q's arm. Good thing I did because 45 seconds later, what should happen to swim by?!

A STINGRAY! I was freaking out. Mr. Quiche was a little freaked, but he kept his cool. I told him if he put me down then we'd have some serious issues. Smartie pants that he is, he hung on ;) Then we took a few saucy shots...I'll share this one :)

Once the 14 foot stingray (I swear the diameter of that thing grows larger each time we tell the story!) swam away, we swam over to the ladder. My sister snapped this cool picture of me gliding through the water.

Then Ashley snapped MORE saucy shots as we made our way out of the water.

"We sat side by side in the morning light and looked out at the future together" - Brian Andreas

Then we headed over to the beach for (what felt like) a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition photoshoot....only with clothes on. Coming up next (even though there's a little preview at the top of this post!)!

All of these fun, amazing shots, by Ashley Colhouer. :)
____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins
Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)
Ya Mon! Dancing, a Dress Change, and More Dancing
Ya Mon! Faux-to Booth Fun!

Ya Mon! Faux-to Booth Fun!

2009-09-09T08:45:00.000-05:00

Early on in our photography meetings, our awesome photographer and I both professed love for photobooths, lovingly dubbed "Faux"-to Booth ;) We went back and forth on wheter to hang fabric or use a white screen, but we ended up with something better!

The Caribbean! When the sun sets in Jamaica, it gets dark. Fast. There isn't ambient light, which in Chicago makes me feel like the sun never sets. Pure black - a perfect "backdrop" for our faux-to booth.

Picture ranged from the normal, happy, smiling faces...to the funny, wacky faces.

Our friend Sasha hangs with my niece and nephew - they LOVED him :)

Love the pomander booty shot!

Lisa & Andrea goof around with our "props" (okay, more like chair sashes and pomanders - but, it worked!

Things also got downright saucy! A cigar came into play at some point that makes its way into many shots. A lot of people were cursing that cigar the next morning...haha.

Oops! Looks like B-Fresh caught A & J trying to sneak a smooch!

All better now ;)

Mr. Quiche and I snuck in for a few saucy shots of our own...

I may have said this about other pictures from the weekend, but these really are some of my absolute favorite shots! I love all of the fun, silly poses struck by our friends and family. They make me smile!

The newly engaged couple also gets in on the action!

Philip gets in on the action with David!

This last one is probably my favorite of all the faux-to booth shots!

Picture overload, I know...but it was too hard to pick between all of the fabulous shots! This was one of the best decisions that we made. Are you having some kind of photo booth?

All of these fun, amazing shots, by Ashley Colhouer. :)

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins
Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)
Ya Mon! Dancing, a Dress Change, and More Dancing

Ya Mon! Dancing, a Dress Change, and more Dancing

2009-09-02T08:30:00.001-05:00

Fresh off of our (second) first dance, it was time to boogie down! We decided to forgo the traditional parent dances & hit the floor. A couple of songs into the reception, I realized that it's HOT in Jamaica. Especially when dancing the night away with your best friends :)

So, an outfit change was in order. This was an 11th hour purchase for me, the day before we left for Jamaica. I tore around from little boutique to little boutique, praying someone would have SOMETHING short, white & cute. Finally, a little shop on Belmont (the 6th or 7th store) had this cute little number and I snapped it right up. I also got in trouble for bringing my Starbucks into the store, but I won't hold it against them :) I was EXCITED!

& this one shows the back pretty well. Plus, I just love this picture of Mr. Quiche & I!

We then proceeded to REALLY dance (& sing!) the night away.

Oh, that microphone was a blessing and a curse. But mostly, it was just fun :) I *think* we're rockin' out to Livin' on a Prayer here.

I love a packed floor at a wedding reception, and our friends & family did not let us down. We brought our Dance Party USA (which we typically hold in any number of living rooms) down to Jamaica, mon!

Get down, Nic!

I don't really know what else to say...the pictures speak for themselves! I love the look on everyones faces - there is nothing but pure joy & FUN.

Our Fan/Programs came in handy all night long - it was H.O.T.

Mr. Q's cousin then took the mic and freestyled the best freestyle I've heard in a long time. Seriously. He also said it was the first time he ever did it - he was inspired by all the love and new friendships that were formed over this incredible weekend - but I don't believe him. He is a rockstar ;)

We also threw in 2 or 3 more slow songs - but this was not the night for anything except gettin' down...so we ended up deleting the rest of the slow songs from the playlist.

Getting ready for some fancy footwork...this guy has moves you've never seen (trust me) :)

One last dip from my hubby!

I couldn't have asked for a better party to celebrate our marriage. I've said this 100 times & I'll say it 100 more - we were surrounded and enveloped by nothing by sheer love & joy from our amazing family and friends. This is what matters. This love gives me goosebumps! I am one lucky girl :)

I can't wait to share with you shenanigans that were going down in our faux-to booth - some of my favorite pictures of the night!

All of these fun, energetic, amazing shots, by Ashley Colhouer. :)

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins
Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)

Ya Mon! The Reception Continues & The First Dance(s)

2009-08-30T17:26:00.012-05:00

Dances, you ask? Why yes, there was certainly a lot of dancing going on at the Quiche reception. As a matter of fact, the dancing began before the dancing was "supposed" to begin - during dinner! A slight mix-up with our Dell-to-MacBook playlist conversion resulted in a few songs that were, um, out of order. No worries!

When my and Mr. Q's favorite Tim & Faith duet started playing, we knew we had to get up and karaoke. Yes, I quasi-karaoked at my wedding. SCARY! But fun :)

*
I used my Red Stripe as my mic, Mr. Q used a butter knife....classy...

Knowing that most people would want to dance dance, I only chose few slow songs. I emailed our married guests a sly note feigning exasperation at picking our first dance song & asking what their first dance was in order to get some suggestions ;) Those songs ended up being our slow songs of the night - it was really sweet.

Mr. Q's cousin (& our yogi/videographer) and her husband hadn't danced to "their song" since their wedding day 14 years ago!

*
LOVE these two!

& occasionally, a song would come on that require us to shake it. So, we did!

*

*

Now that we were nice & warmed up for Dance Party USA via Jamaica, it was time to cut the cake & dance our (second) first dance.

What do you think? Did we smash cake all over each other?

Um, NO.

It's a popular song these days, but this song has been a mantra for us for many years. Better Together. Jack Johnson is one of the best singer/songwriters out there & his music is always filtering through our house.

"There's no combination of words/ I can put on the back of a postcard
No song that I could sing / but I could try for your heart
Our dreams - they are made out of real thingshttp://www.blogger.com/logout.g
Like a shoebox of photographs / with sepia-tone lovin'

Love is the answer at least / for most of the questions in my heart
Like "Why are we here" and "Where do we go / and "How come it's so hard"
It's not always easy / and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing / it's always better when we're together

"It's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together"

"I believe in memories / they look so, so pretty when I sleep
Hey now, and when I wake up / you look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time / There is no, no song I could sing
and there is no combination of words I could say
but I will still tell you one thing
We're Better Together"

Next up, everyone else gets down!

Pictures, unless noted by a *, by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details
Ya Mon! The Reception Begins

Ya Mon! The Reception Begins

2009-08-25T07:21:00.012-05:00

With portaits and cocktail hour complete, it was time to head to the tented deck to start the party! I was so lucky to have my friend Lisa introduce the bridal party for us. She knows everyone in the party...and can pronounce their sometimes complicated names ;) Thanks Lis!

As "All You Need is Love" (the Lynden David Hall/Love Actually version, a nod to our engagement) started playing, the kids made their way in...

Followed by GM B-Fresh and Bethany, drink in hand & dancing away :)

What a lucky guy, escorting in two of my Chicago girls!

GM R and the Sisters Quiche had a choreographed entrance that stole the show. Double twirls, dips, kisses, the whole shebang!

& finally, Mr. & Mrs. Quiche. I just love this picture of us!!

After we were settled and our food was served, and Mr. Quiche changed into Groomsmen garb, it was time to delve into the speeches. I've mentioned before that (try as I might!) I had a really hard time crying leading up to & during the wedding. Which is a shock, because I am a total, 100%, tried & true SAP! Needless to say, our Best Man's speech brought on the waterworks. He is our biggest supporter & is always rallying around us. I appreciate his friendship so much.

His speech inspired a slew of more speeches, which made me the happiest bride. I absolutely LOVE SPEECHES. The more, the merrier!

I am a painfully shy person, especially when it comes to any type of public speaking. Mr. Quiche is the exact opposite & shines on stage. He speech to me, our families, my friends, & to each of his groomsman was, simply, perfect. It ranged from quirky and fun to sweet and romantic. sigh. I love this man!

"...as you may know, her family loves anything that can be dipped or scooped in a chip or piece of bread..."

"...and lastly, and most importantly, my wife, my bride, the love of my life & partner in crime..."

"...tonight I consider myself the luckiest man alive because I have married my best friend..."

(this is one of Mr. Q's favorite pictures. I have to say that I agree with him!)

"...Mrs. Quiche, I love you! We truly are 'Better Together'"

I will treasure these quiet moments from our reception more than any other part. Being surrounded by such love is exhilarating!

All pictures, unless noted, by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom
Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Details

Ya Mon! Flowers & DIY Detais

2009-08-17T09:56:00.018-05:00

Before I finish up my recaps with the reception, Faux-to Booth and (an awesome) TTD, I thought I'd share our details with you that I didn't get to prior to the wedding. What better way to show them then complete & in action?

My tray of goodies :)

A loooong time ago, I talked about flowers. I thought of DIY'ing my and the bridesmaids bouquets using a local wholesale distributor. I must admit that I am glad that I opted to leave this one to the pros. Well, part of it at least. Our wedding package included a bridal bouquet, but we would have to purchase (quite pricey) bridesmaid bouquets. After seeing the quality of Mrs. Tulip's orchid bouquets, I decided to order a pink orchid bouquet from Save On Crafts. I liked it & showed it to a few different people who couldn't tell they were fake & decided to run with it. They were $7.99 each.

I semi-DIYed these by wrapping the stems with pink ribbon and securing with pearl straight pins. Now see the bouquets in action!

I opted for an all pink orchid bouquet - there was no additional cost for this :)

My bouquet had its own little photo shoot the day after the wedding. I was so sad that I couldn't take it home with me! Picture by me.

What is that pretty blue sparkly number? Why, it's my something blue! The always lovely Mrs. Perfume suprised me with this gorgeous vintage brooch as a little wedding gift. It was perfect because I didn't have a "something blue" yet & I knew this would fit right in with our scheme. sigh. I love Weddingbee! You rock, Perf!

Next up is my big ol' DIY hair flower. I threw this together a few weeks before the wedding using a deep pink peony from Ikea. I had the blue beads leftover from a necklace project 4 years ago (see Mom & Mr. Quiche? There IS a benefit to never throwing anything away. I saved at least 50 cents.). I layered the petals with fuschia tulle, stiched it all together with a clip on the back & viola! a Big ol' hair flower that I wore for our TTD.

Picture by me

& lucky you! A TTD teaser :D

And finally, our aisle decorations (you may want to hold on to your chair for this one). These were also a semi-DIY that we haulded down to Jamaica with us. I found the pomanders at JoAnn's during their post-Valentine's Day sale for $4! The shepherds hooks were also a JoAnn's find at $3 each. I tied them into our theme with leftover navy ribbon for a grand total of $7 each. Considering the local florist charged $40 for a fresh pomander, these already constructed faux florals suited me just fine.

2 more floral projects to go! These are projects that I shared with you before the wedding - floating petals for the aisle (an up close shot by Sister Quiche Nen) and the flower girl flip flops.

This post goes out to all of you who gasp at floral quotes. There is a reason that wedding flowers are so expensive - it really is an art. If you're looking to save money in this part of your budget, don't lose hope! There are many ways to achieve an outstanding look without an outstanding budget.

Are you semi-DIYing any of your flowers? Are you opting for faux vs. fresh (or a combination of both)?

All pictures, unless noted, by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Family
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom

Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Bride & Groom

2009-08-12T16:30:00.001-05:00

Doing the First Look allowed us plenty of time before the ceremony to take pictures. We really had a blast sneaking off to different areas around the resort & taking fun pictures. And besides, we didn't want to miss the entire cocktail hour ;)

Since Red Stripe was flowing like water all weekend, we thought these shots were apropros.

Mr. Quiche doesn't really like to have his picture taken, but I do, which is why there are more solo shots of me than him :)

Then we headed off to a secret garden tucked beside the tennis courts

I love sun flare shots, as does Ashley, so we took a ton of pictures like this! My "pose" looks so forced in the other though, so I'll just show this one.

Okay, enough of the lovey dovey shots already! Time to have some fun with color!

We love this picture so much that it ended up on the invites for our Ohio reception (more on that later)!

So cute, right?!

We then had to pull ourselves away from each other and get ready for the ceremony

Mrs. Quiche: "I do" Mr. Quiche: "I do". Sweet! Time for a few more pictures! & look at that - the sun is setting, making for some warm, happy pictures.

The must-have feet shot. I kinda wish we had one of the fun, bright sandals/argyle socks shots...but I didn't have fun, bright sandals and Mr. Quiche wore brown socks & his old Kenneth Cole shoes (which were taken off immediately post-ceremony), so a barefoot shot it is!

I love the look of the moody blue sea in the background of this picture.

& finally, another kiss for my groom :)

Again, thank you for making it through all of our posed portraits! I promise to return next week with cocktail hour, our entrance, the reception, etc.!

All pictures by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues
Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party

Ya Mon! Srike a Pose: The Family

2009-08-11T17:18:00.012-05:00

Weeeee're back with more portraits - this time, it's all about family. I don't really have anything witty or even remotely interesting to add to this post. Sorry! Without any further ado, our families...

First up, with Mama and Petey Quiche

I had to get one with just Mama Quiche :) What can I say? I am a total mommy's girl! I wouldn't be where I am today without her.

With the Sisters Quiche next...

Too formal, let's try this again!

Now this is more like it :) As the middle child, Sister Quiche Sis (on the left) is ALWAYS in the middle of every picture we take...and we take lots of pictures, trust me. Anyway, I totally got to steal her space! Thanks for giving it up this one time, sis!

Who are we missing?! Oh yeah - Mama Quiche, get in here!!

Then it was time for pictures with Mr. Quiche's mom! MIL Quiche :) I think that's the first time I've ever used that acronym, by the way.

All together now..

All of the Quiche family kids love each other. YAY! I was so close with my cousins growing up & I love that they are all the same way.

I think my nephew was tyring to get the girls to laugh, what do you think? He is always cracking us up :D

Hi Philip!

Mr. Quiche, Mini Quiche A & J and I then snuck off for a little photoshoot of our own. May I present to you, the new Quiche Family.

Okay everyone, thanks for bearing with me (again!)!. Only one more portrait post, I promise! But, that one is a fun one. We played model and had a blast with Ashley & Philip...coming up!

All pictures by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues

Ya Mon! Strike a Pose: The Wedding Party

2009-08-10T09:10:00.023-05:00

This week in the Quiche recaps - Portraits! Sorry for the boring-to-everyone-else-but-me posts, but I have to say that I LOVE portraits :) In the age of photojournalism style wedding photography (which I absolutely love as well!), the fact we were able to get the best of both worlds with Ashley made me happy.

First up, our awesome wedding party. We are so lucky to have such amazing friends that travelled all the way to Jamaica to stand by us on our wedding day. I can't imagine saying "I do" without these people by our sides. They love and support our marriage 110% and will always be there for us. Can you feel the love?

Why my arm tends to be in the air in so many pictures, I will never know...

Behind the scenes shot that I love!

The boys then gathered on the altar for a group shot. What a great looking bunch of guys!

Mr. Quiche & his best man

With GM B-Fresh

It was hard for to get a picture of just the girls together! Mr. Quiche kept joining in! Oh well, I guess we'll let him. It was his wedding, afterall ;) and he loves my girls!

Finally :) Even if it is a Blue Steel shot (which you may have noticed that I tend to shout this out quite often. I am working on it, as it isn't a good look for me at all!).

While we were posing and looking pretty, the boys were kind enough to do some action shot testing for us.

DJ Nilly gets some serious air!

Okay, I lied. This was actually their idea and their "thing" which I insisted on being a part of.

Attempt # 1 - good, but not great. We're just warming up!

Attempt # 2 - karate time!

This picture is my favorite of all, and became our thank you card!

Okay, one more behind-the-scenes shot - I love these!

& there you have it - Part 1 of 3 portrait posts! Thanks for sticking with me :)

What about you? Do you like a mix of posed portrait shots and candids?

All pictures by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...
Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues

Ya Mon! The Ceremony Continues

2009-08-06T10:13:00.015-05:00

Mama Quiche is my best friend (in addition to Mr. Q, of course!), so there was no doubt that she would take part in walking me down the aisle. I've known Stepdad Quiche (hereafter referred to as Petey Quiche, because it's more fun) since I was a lanky teenage, running cross country. Yes, my mom married my cross country coach :) He has made her very happy, and is always looking out for us Quichey women! I was honored to have him walk me down the aisle as well (& he may or may not have cried when I asked him, but SHH! don't tell him I told you that!).

What't that you see in the first picture? Does the veil attach Petey Quiche this time? I think it did! :)

My laid back attitude about the wedding made me not question the Jamaican trio that we had performing during the ceremony. Can you believe it never even crossed my mind as to what they may or may not be playing? I guess I figured it would be something instrumental, but imagine my suprise when they busted out with a rasta reggae version of "Here Comes the Bride". Not a fan of this particular song, it was still pretty hilarious!

I count myself very lucky and blessed that my family and Mr. Quiche all love each other so much. There were some serious hugs going on when they handed me over to Mr. Q.

As the sun started to sink into the horizon, the ceremony began.

I made the decision early on that I wanted to write our ceremony. We were provided with the stock ceremony from the resort which, while lovely, just wasn't "us" at all! It was very important to me that our ceremony and veils reflected who we are as individuals, as a couple and as a family. I still have people today tell me how beautiful the ceremony was, and I am so happy with my decision to write it.

We were so lucky to little Miss S participate in our ceremony as well. She constantly amazes me (& everyone, including her parents!) with her insignt and wisdom. It is sometimes hard to remember that she is only 12, so we had to make sure our reading was appropriate for her to read. Nothing too gushy or adult. I've always loved "I Carry Your Heart with Me" by e.e. cummings, and she read it beautifully.

All the while ROCKING that Juicy Couture dress & gladiator sandals. What a budding fashionista (okay, her mom made her wear it :) she doesn't like dresses)!

This was also marks the FIRST time I cried the entire weekend. People, I am an emotional sap...but I just couldn't cry no matter how hard I tried (you know, those special moments where you're "supposed" to cry & just can't!).

In writing the ceremony, I wanted to have a moment that included the Mini Quiches. Not only to have them feel included in the ceremony, but to also make vows together, as a family. Talk about making everyone cry! After a blessing from the pastor, we all said our famiy vows together - I will never forget that moment.

Then it was time for Mr. Quiche and I to say "I DO"!

In a Jamaican wedding ceremony, the couple and their witnesses sign the marriage certifcate before "You May Kiss the Bride" can happen. I was anxious to lay one on Mr. Q, but followed the rules and signed on the dotted line :)

Mini Quiche A always wants to know what's going on! :)

FINALLY, some kissing!!

May I now annouce, for the first time ever, Mr. & MRS. Quiche!

Petey Quiche's reactions to this are PRICELESS, and deserve their own play-by-play - don't you think?!

After everyone made their way back up the aisle, we were met by the awesome staff at Coyaba for celebratory Red Stripes and Rum Punch. YUM! It was then time for fun wedding party pics...and cocktail hour!

All pictures by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!

Ya Mon! The Ceremony Begins...

2009-08-05T08:34:00.010-05:00

Fresh from our first look, it was time for the ceremony to begin (we took some bridal party pictures before the ceremony, but I'll share all of those later).

I've been dying to show you how some of my DIY details made their way to the ceremony. As I've said before, the wedding lawn is incredible on its own, but I wanted to do a little "something" to dress it up a bit. It's hard to pick my favorite thing, but I love the way the "floating" flower petals look! I haven't even mentioned my pomanders yet, but the way they POP makes me sooo happy!

gorrrrrgeous, no?

And here's the "before" shot, gorgeous as well!

Okay, where were we? Oh yeah, the wedding ceremony! I was squirrelled away to Mama & Stepdad Quiche's room while our guests took and seat & everyone else lined up and began their ascent to the altar.

Using the DIY fan/programs!

The boys, assembled, & looking mighty fine.

guest photo

guest photo
Peeking out behind the lovely Miss P.

Now it's time for those gosh darn cute kiddos!!

Do you think Mr. Q is starting to get nervous at this point??

& finally, time for the bride!

Next up, Ceremony Part Two!

All pictures, unless noted, by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!
Ya Mon! Our First Look & The Attack of the Veil!

Photoshop Fun!

2009-07-30T09:38:00.010-05:00

*not for WB :)

I'm taking a Photoshop class right now & to say that I am obsessed is putting it mildly :D From the basic tools alone, I'd have to say that clone-stamping is my favorite thing to do. The clone stamp tool allows you to copy one portion of the image and repeatedly "paint" over unwanted things in the picture. I have some examples below, but I've used it to completely remove things from the backgrounds of pictures, to cleaning up clutter on a bed, etc.

The one thing that makes me sad about our wedding day is that there isn't ONE professional picture of Ted and I, standing up, looking in the camera in a "normal", posed wedding shot way. & there really weren't many guest pics like this, either! I have no idea how I let this happen, as I actually LOVE posed shots, but I can't dwell on it.

Luckily, my sister Jennifer took a picture with her point & shoot of us standing on the pier at sunset. The lighting isn't great & there is a ton of "junk" in the background. However, with my handy dandy clone stamping tool, I was able to wipe away all of that clutter!

Click to enlarge the original picture (THANK YOU NEN!!!):

After Clone Stamping & fixing shine on our faces, etc:

While the color is still a little dark, this picture looks 100% better than the original.

Here I tweaked the curves to allow in a little more light & color:

Still not great, but getting closer!

We don't use these in class, but now that I own Totally Rad Actions, my love for photography has gone through the roof! Taking the original clone stamped image, I "played" various actions on the pictures to achieve various looks. Actions are great because you can use as much or as little as you want of them by utilizing layer masks. This may sound foreign to those not familiar with Photoshop, but trust me...Totally Rad actions are TOTALLY freakin' rad!

Here are some of my favorites:

grungy, grainy & awesome ;)

Totally Rad Actions are also great to spruce up color on landscapes. This first image is one my mom took while zip-lining through the Jamaican mountains. Pretty, right?

Well, check out what applying an action can do to really make these colors POP! I believe the action I used had the word Green in the title, but I can't remember.

I keep bragging about my mad photoshop skillz to anyone who will listen, so I intend on making this a series of sorts to show off. :)

Ya Mon! Our First Look...& The Attack of the Veil!

2009-07-28T09:45:00.018-05:00

We decided to do a "first look" for a couple of reasons - mainly, allowing extra time for fun pictures :) Also, since we were together all morning, we'd already cursed ourselves by seeing each other before the ceremony. Oops! It's a good thing we don't believe in stuff like that!

The first look gave us time to be giddy about getting ready to walk down the aisle & to also calm each other. We also got to relive prom when I pinned on his bouttoniere (successfully, might I add?).

One last kiss from my girls & I was on my way to meet Mr. Q at the end of the pier!

Remember when I said my veil was like a sail? This is what I was talking about.

Sooo happy :D

Then it was time to pin on Mr. Q's bout. It was around this time that my veil started winding up, readying itself for the attack...

Oh, how I wish my veil were blowing lightly in the breeze in these pictures!

Apparently the weather man didn't get my memo stating that I would be wearing a long as* veil & to keep the wind down! Because all of a sudden...

...ATTACK!

But in the end, it was worth it because we were able to get amazing shots like this...

...and this.

After we sautered off the pier, we headed around the grounds of Coyaba for a fun photoshoot - coming up next!

Did you do a first look? Why or why not?

All pictures, by the one & only Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)
Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!

Ya Mon! The Dress, The Dress, The Dress!!

2009-07-23T09:09:00.018-05:00

Besides little snippets here and there, I've never "formally" introduced my dress to the hive! I found my dress on the first (and only!) day of dress shopping, about 14 minutes after we got engaged ;) Mama & Sister Quiche Nen were in town for the Sheffield Garden Walk weekend & they suggested looking for dresses. I had a few dress in mind that led us to two random, strip mall bridal stores on the NW side of Chicago (you can see those horrid results here). At the second shop, I ended up throwing on a Watters WToo dress that looked cute on the hanger. Once I had it on, we all instantly fell in love with it! It cost around $700, so we bought it on the spot :)

source
This image, found after shopping, made me fall in love with my dress all over again!

I love the slim, floaty-ness of the dress. It's very dainty & feminine, and I love those touches as well. The flowers and leaves (which sounds strange, but look so pretty) in illusion tulle seem to float on the dress. I knew I didn't want a big, poofy number...so this ended up being perfect for me!

While I could have easily put this on by myself (& did many time while walking around the house. What? I know you did it, too!), it was nice to have these pictures of my mom helping me. There's only a zipper back there - I loved the ease of it.

You can also see my Muscari hair flower here.

Playing around, pretending to be a model :)

I try to be smoldering & sexy...and it NEVER works for me. Smiling is much better, thank you!

Then, it was time for the veil & to walk down to meet Mr. Quiche for our first look!

This thing was like a claw! Thank goodness, as the Jamaican breeze turned it into a sail that could have ripped it out of my hair (& almost made me take flight on more than one occasion) ;)

Selfishly, three of my favorite shots from the entire wedding...eee!

And there you have it! I am so glad this was a painless, fast process. How long did it take you to find your dress?

All pictures, by the oh-so-fabulous Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty
Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka Boys Getting Ready)

Ya Mon! Crewcuts Model (aka, Boys Getting Ready)

2009-07-21T10:55:00.018-05:00

I know I said I'd post about my dress next, but I just had to share these incredible pictures of the boys getting ready. Mini Quiche A stole the show with his smoldering Blue Steel and deserves a spot in the next JCrew catalog. Don't you think?

Mr. Quiche had so much fun getting ready with Mini Q. How handsome are the Quiche men?!

Mr. Quiche ended up buying a new suit about 1 week before the wedding! He wasn't crazy about the way his original suit fit, and this was after multiple trips to the tailor. We decided to invest the money in a new suit that ended up fitting him perfectly after only one trip to the tailor! Shew. His fun tie was a suprise find at Macy's one day - it's by Kwame (remember him from the apprentice?!).

We bought Mini Q's suit on ebay & the seersucker tie from JCrew Crewcuts. I think the tie cost more than the suit. oops :)

Boys Getting Ready wouldn't be complete without the requisite Red Stripe. Or 2, in GM R's case!

The thought of our wedding video makes me giddy. I cannot wait to see this thing because trust me, it will be INCREDIBLE! Cousin Quiche David was also shooting the wedding, and I am sure this footage of GM B-Fresh is priceless! Oh yeah, Red Stripe & Appleton Rum from the OOT bags! I told you there would be a Red Stripe in almost every picture!

GM P offered up his suite for the day - how sweet :)

As I was walking outside, I heard cat calls coming from above. I tossed a quick glance over my shoulder as all the guys were outside - this moment couldn't have been planned any better than this. It was priceless!

& finally, after all of the shenanigans were over, the boys were dressed & Mr. Quiche was waiting for me at the end of the pier :)

Next up - dress (I promise!), then our First Look!

All pictures, by the oh-so-fabulous Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings
Ya Mon! Getting Pretty

Ya Mon! Getting Pretty

2009-07-20T11:26:00.014-05:00

After a thoroughly relaxing morning of yoga, food & swimming, it was time to leave the beach :( to get ready for the wedding :) Mr. Quiche and I were very blase about seeing each other the morning/early afternoon of the wedding. I certainly wasn't going to stay sequestered in our room all day, and neither was he...so, we just decided to hang out together!

But alas, it was time to leave everyone partying it up on the beach. I was glad to get away to shower and relax for a bit before all of the girls descended on the room to help make me pretty :) I originally planned on having one of my bridesmaids (Laura) do my hair in a simple low bun. I decided that morning to have someone from the spa do my hair, as it allowed Laura more time to hang out and get ready. I didn't want to stress her out! Luckily, Coyaba was on top of things & a stylist was sent to the room around 1. Perfect timing!

After one trial that was a huge FAIL, my hair was done! I liked it, but didn't love it. Did I really care that much though? Nope. :) The dark bobby pins kinda sucked & little curls kept escaping all night. It was nothing that my bridesmaids (& later, Photoshop) couldn't fix!

*

While I was getting my hair done, my bouquet arrived...with a purple ribbon around the stems. Nothing against purple, but it was definitely not one of our colors, so my girls took care of demolition and rebuilding. NOTE: I brought down supplies for every possible scenario - & I ended up needing to use almost all of them!

Then they got to work on the flower girl baskets. Originally, covered in white satin ribbons & bows. Final product - adorable saddle stitched navy ribbon! This ribbon managed to pop up everywhere...I love it!

At this point, I realized that I was STARVING & THIRSTY! So, Ned (another favorite Coyaba waiter!) came up to the room bearing delicious flat bread pizza and multiple bottles of champagne!

*

Next up, make up. My incredible should-be-a-make-up artiste friend repeated what we had practiced in February & it was perfect!! Thanks Karrie :)

I did my under-eye concealer. Not that that is even remotely interesting, but I love this picture with Philip (Ashley's hubby!)in the background!

Before I stepped into my dress (which I am so excited to post about, by the way!), I needed to make sure that my late night dress was ready, in case I decided to change during the reception. I am an ironing FREAK, so the fact that I busted out the iron on my wedding day suprised no one :)

& finally, a toast to a perfect day!

Next up, the dress!

All pictures, unless noted by a *, by the rockin' Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire
Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings

Ya Mon! Jamaican Mornings

2009-07-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry to keep bragging about how stress-free, laid back, cool calm & collected I was at the wedding :) Trust me, EVERYONE can accomplish this with a few easy steps - a hot cup of coffee, a hammock, a walk on the beach, a splash in the water, a sandcastle and some yoga. Do this every day for 5 days & I guarantee* that you will feel relaxed as well. The Jamaican Mornings were some of my favorite times of the wedding weekend. Luckily, amazing Ashley was there to capture these unforgettable moments - she was everywhere!

Guest Photo

It's also nice to bring some friends along with you. Why shouldn't they enjoy the mornings as well?

Guest Photo
Especially those who may or may not be Buckeyes, but are willing to "O-H-I-O" with you early in the morning to take advantage of the sun!

Some took a morning nap, some played in the sand.

Guest Photo

Most of my mornings were spent on a beach chair with coffee in one hand, a book in the other. At 9 a.m. sharp every morning, it was time for yoga! We are lucky to have Mr. Q's cousin, Glennie, who is a yoga instructor as well as a videographer (can't wait to show you the results of that!). She lead us in yoga each morning, on a deck overlooking the sea. There is nothing more peaceful than this.

Properly stretched & perfeclty relaxed, we then sauntered off to grab breakfast...

Copy & repeat for 5 days for ultimate relaxation.

How did you stay relaxed leading up to your wedding?

*There are no guarantees in life...but I fully believe in the power of "turning off".

All photos, unless noted by Ashley Colhouer.

____________________________________________
Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect
Ya Mon! Rehearsal Dinner/Party/Bonfire

DP Bash

2009-07-16T16:26:00.000-05:00

Not for WB (duh) :)

Ya Mon! Rehersal Dinner/Party/Bonfire!

2009-07-16T10:00:00.004-05:00

Our rehearsal dinner, to put it mildly, kicked a$$. You may think I'm biased, but that statement was repeated over and over by our guests, not me. For me, the night of the rehearsal dinner was a big blur. Luckily, I have all of these amazing pictures from Ashley Colhouer to remind me what a great time I actually had!

My sister started off the night in typical Quiche family tradition - making everyone cry! She slaved over this amazing scrapbook that documented our engagement and wedding planning process leading up to the big day. We LOVE this book. Plus, it helps that she is like a scrapbooking goddess, so it is very creative & pretty :)

Thanks sis!

Then it was time to hit the bar for cocktails and listen to the awesome steel drum band that we hired for the evening. I've said it 100 times, and I'll probably say it 100 more - the staff at Coyaba are incredible! They just made everything so easy!

Guest picture
Our favorite bartender, Gladstone - love him!!

After we finished mingling, it was time to head down to the beach for our Jamaican BBQ.

The setup was perfect - bright, tropical linens topped with centerpieces of galvanized buckets full of Red Stripe and pineapples. This *may* have been my favorite part, but we only have one picture of it!

Guest picture

While we were eating, I handed out my bridesmaids gifts - Navy flip flops (to change into after dancing the night away), Pink Pashminas (in case the nights were chilly - they weren't) & I bought each of them a necklace (not for the wedding) while on my pre-wedding getaway trip to Paris. It took my mom and I hours to pick out these necklaces, they are all different...I didn't take a picture of them, either :( SO SAD!

Guest picture

Then, it was time for bonfire with Jamaican s'mores - essentially, a s'more with bananas :) I am sad to report that I didn't have one s'more the entire night! Again, it was just a big blur.

Carefully selecting the goodies...

Time to fire up the marshmallows!

The smart big kids even got in on the action!

The rest of the night was full of Red Stripe & Reggae - my kind of party!

Guest Picture

Mr. Quiche & I even snuck away for a quick photoshoot to take advantage of the lighting :)

Our coordinator was worried that the rehearsal dinner would steal the thunder (so to speak) from our wedding reception, but we weren't worried :) We loved having a big beach bash!

What are you doing for your rehearsal dinner?

Unless noted, all pictures by the super-fab Ashley Colhouer.

Previously in the Quiche Jamaican Extravaganza:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing
Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect

Asking for your hand...

2009-07-09T14:38:00.004-05:00

I was perusing Dear Abby (yet again...shameless!) & the topic of asking your girlfriends parents for "permission" to marry their daughter was heating up!

The reader responses were all over the board, of course. Some stated that they were independent women who have been succeeding on their own & would be downright insulted if their fiance asked her parents first. That to me is a bit ridiculous...insulted? I know it's old fashioned, but I like the tradition of the hubby-to-(hopefully)-be nervously approaching his girlfriends father (or mother, you get the idea), the anticipation of what is about to finally happen. I love it!

Mr. Quiche called my mom before he popped the question, and I thought it was very thoughtful & downright cute of him to do it! It made my mom happy too. When I called her after he proposed, she was practically bursting at the seams!

With Mama & Petey Quiche...a little wedding day teaser for you!

So hive, where do you stand? Is this a dated, irrelevant tradition? Did your fiance "ask" your parents before asking you?

Photo by the always awesome Ashley Colhouer

Choppity Chop!

2009-07-06T10:07:00.010-05:00

Yes, I succummed to the P.W.C. Otherwise known as the Post Wedding Chop.

I love it! I was SO tired of my hair by the time I cut it, so I am in heaven. It is the perfect summer style - so light and fresh! It doesn't hurt that Mr. Quiche loves it, too :)

I have been wanting to chop off my hair for quite awhile now, but waited so I could pull my hair back for the wedding. I also wanted to donate it to Locks of Love - but my stylist told me that I couldn't! I was suprised. He told me it was because they no longer accept blonde hair, which didn't sound right to me, but how was I to know? So, away it went with the sweep of a broom. I checked Locks of Love website & it doesn't say anything about not accepting blonde hair! :( I am so sad that I wasn't able to donate it.

With Sister Quiche Nen

So, did you fall victim to the PWC? Have you ever donated your hair?

Picture for Live Entertainment Post

2009-07-02T13:37:00.003-05:00

Picture by Ashley Colhouer

Picture for ring post

2009-07-02T12:30:00.003-05:00

Picture by me

Ya Mon! Practice Makes Perfect

2009-07-01T14:53:00.012-05:00

We so lucked out on the stress-front during our wedding. As in, we had none :) The staff at Coyaba thought of everything. All we had to do was meet with them for an hour when we arrived (we turned over our decorations, ceremony layout, and determined the line-up) & that was it until the rehersal. I think the entire run-through of the big day took about 15 minutes. This was the first time that it really hit me - "Wow, I am getting married"!

Loved my JCrew seersucker dress. We added little loops to each side at the seam & I used a bright pink grosgrain ribbon as a belt for a little POP of color!

While we waited for everyone to get to the weddnig lawn, we all just meandered around together, took pictures, had a Red Stripe :)

Then it was time to line up. Places, everyone!

As Mama, Petey Quiche and I made our way down the aisle, I was suprisingly not emotional. & I am a very emotional person. I thought for sure that the waterworks would start - oh well :) Oh, I applied a generic cross-hatch photoshop filter to these pictures because they were blurry and looked bad (note, NOT from Ashley!) - but they are the only ones I have!

How artistic (haha)!

aaaaaand...the rehersal is over! Time for family pictures! I emailed Ashley in advance of the wedding because I wanted to make sure we got a few family pictures before the craziness of the weekend set in. A classic Quiche family picture is one where everyone is walking away from the camera, so we had to get one of those as well ;)

Up next - steel drums, a Jamaican BBQ, a bonfire & more!

The first 2 and last 2 pictures by Ashley Colhouer. All others by any one of our guests (or us!) :)

Previously in the Quiche recaps:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?
Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing

Listening to Signs

2009-06-30T09:23:00.005-05:00

Not signs in the Five Man Electrical Band "long haired freaky people, need not apply" sense, but in the figurative sense.

Drawing by Brian Andreas

I've expresses my love of Brian Andreas in the past (his quote even made an appearance on our invites!). This story is the very first one of his that I read, some 6 years ago & was hooked:

"I used to wait for a sign, she said, before I did anything. Then one night I had a dream & an angel in black tights came to me & said, you can start any time now, & then I asked is this a sign? & the angel started laughing & I woke up. Now, I think the whole world is filled with signs, but if there's no laughter, I know they're not for me."

I've read a lot of blogs where a bride books/buys something based on a sign. There are a lot of cultures where signs are extremely significant. While I definitely think my life is grounded in reality, I have to admit that I've listened to signs in the past.

For example, I have (had) this pick since I was in Junior High. Yes, you read that correctly - a pick. Not a brush or a comb, a pick. I think I am the last person on the face of the earth who still uses one(?). Anyway, I LOVED this $5 Goody pick for years. When I've left it somewhere (when visiting out of town friends), I've had it FedExed to me. Anyway, this pick has been with me through everything - high school, swim meets, broken hearts, happy times - and it has been all over the world - France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, Jamaica. Oh, Jamaica. My little pick accompanied Mr. Quiche and I on our "venue research" trip to Jamaica last year.

I wish I had a picture of my teal beauty to share with you...but this stock image will have to do. sigh.

& I LOST it (lost it in the literal sense this time, as in it's GONE!). I talked to my mom while I was down there (she knows the plight of the pick) & actually said "Is this a sign that we shouldn't get married in Jamaica?". We briefly considered it...then realized that it may be a bit drastic. I mean, who is silly enough to pay attention to something like that? Not me*. We booked our wedding in Jamaica & it was absolutely perfect. The loss of my beloved pick didn't make it rain on my wedding day, didn't make my dress fall down, etc. Shew.

I know this is a silly post, but we all need to laugh every now and then :) So tell me, what signs have you received and what did you do/not do, buy/not buy, book/not book, etc. because of them?

* Okay, I lied. I lost it at the Hibiscus Lodge Hotel. It's possible that this contributed to my disdain for that place & our subsequent booking of the Coyaba. shh...don't tell anyone!

Ya Mon! Reggae Sailing

2009-06-25T06:55:00.016-05:00

*Disclaimer: I can't even describe how difficult it is to pick only a few pictures for these recaps! When I can't pick just one (or two), I'm going to start inserting photo collages. Not only do they look great, but you don't miss anything either! Thanks, Mrs. Quiche :)

We didn't want to burden our family and friends with organized activities (after all, this is also a vacation for them, not just our wedding!), but we wanted to adequately thank them for traveling to Jamaica to celebrate with us. By Thursday night, everyone was on the island and ready to party. We wanted to get everyone away from the resort for a bit to experience another part of Montego Bay. Mr. Quiche headed up this adventure - chartering a catamaran!

He contacted a few different places before settling on Chokey Taylor's Freestyle catamaran. As an added bonus, Chokey Taylor is also an awesome reggae singer...and his website is always a treat to peruse :) As a matter of fact, I recommend opening it in a new tab & listening to the music while you finish reading this recap!

Everyone left their beach chairs around 3 or 4 to start getting ready. We gathered in the beautiful courtyard at Coyaba, then took a couple of bus trips to the boat docks at Doctor's Cave Beach in MoBay. The weather was on our side & we had a gorgeous night for sailing. We decided to have a 2 hour sunset cruise with music, dancing, rum punch, & Red Stripe. Ya Mon!

The Quiche Women

With Sister Quiche Sis & my adorable niece and nephew - AKA one of our flower girls & our ring bearer

Does this girl know how to Blue Steel, or what?!

You can also charter daytime sails with snorkeling. That went against everything I was about that weekend - snorkeling (remember my cautious side? Yep, that includes swimming with the fishies & other undesirables!) and TAN LINES. So, that "forced" a sunset cruise.

Which was just fine with us! Everyone let loose and danced!

While a lot of our friends and family from across the country have met before, it was so nice to have everyone together in one area to get to know each other better. I loved seeing my Ohio girls hanging out with Mr. Q's friends, etc. We are lucky to have such great friends and family who all get along beautifully.

As much as I love photojournalistic pictures, I also LOVE posed shots where everyone is looking into the camera and smiling! :) A collage of smiling faces make me happy!

It was nice to see another perspective of Montego Bay!

Family :)

All together now!

I am so glad that we organized the sail. It was one of the highlights of the trip!

Previously in the Quiche recaps:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!
Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines Before Their Wedding?

Ya Mon! Who Zip Lines before their Wedding?

2009-06-24T09:51:00.013-05:00

We do!

Now, I am an extremely cautious person by nature. I don't tend to do anything that I feel might cause me any type of hurt. For example, when I was little I was in gymnastics. Fairly common activity for a little girl, right? Well, when "forced" to walk across the balance beam, I crumbled. Did I mention that the "balance beam" was essentially a 2x4 laying on the floor (as in, no distance between the beam and the floor). I was the awkward girl with long as* legs doing (very, very bad) eagle spreads and herkies on the trampoline, never a flip. And the list goes on.

So, when Mr. Quiche suggested that we go Zip Lining* a few days before the ceremony, I immediately said "no". I was more than happy for everyone else to go, content arranging OOT bags (let's face it - laying on the beach) by myself. Not only did I not want to perish, but what if I swept by a tree or something and ended up with a big scrape across my arm? Or face?? But, once Mama and Petey Quiche decided they wanted to go as well, I couldn't very well say no. Right?

Exiting the bus, not looking too thrilled.

Still not convinced - especially when I realized that a hook is all that is keeping me from plummeting to the ground.

Groomsman DJ B-Fresh steps in to help calm me down!

But Mr. Quiche saved the day with making me feel great & relaxed. How can you not be, when wearing such sexy gear?!

Everyone else, though, was having a blast! Trevor, our trusty guide, had us all rolling with laughter. I *think* he was thisclose to proposing to the superfabulous Bridesmaid Bethany. He was in love. Who could blame him?! :)

A montage of us, zipping away! Notice the happy grin on my face. This was a breeze, zipping through the trees with the azur sea in the background...

Easy, breezy Quichey came to a complete halt when the 3rd platform looked like this.

(sidenote: check out Trevor's fly shoes!)

Yes, you are seeing that correctly. A vertical drop. Literally, a rope going straight down and dangling. WTF? I didn't sign up for this! I honestly didn't think I was going to be able to make it down. My breathing increased as I looked for a make-shift heli-pad (that didn't exist. We're in the trees, Quiche!). Everyone else made their way down. I had tears. Mama, Petey & Mr. Quiche all waited for me to go down first, and eventually, I did.

Vertical drop? Check! The rest of the zips (and me!) were back to normal!

After hearing about our adventure, the later arrivals wanted to book a trip as well! They all had a blast :)

*So I realize, to some, Zip Lining isn't that daring or exciting...but to me, it was! eep!

So now, I have to ask: Did you do anything "daring" pre-wedding?

Previously in the Quiche recaps:
Ya Mon! Back to Reality
Ya Mon! “Goin’ to Jamaica & We’re, Gonna Get Maaa-arried”!

Ya Mon! "Goin' to Jamaica & We're, Gonna Get Maaa-arried"!

2009-06-23T07:12:00.013-05:00

And so begin the Quiche recaps! The task of sorting through & organizing all of our pictures into a coherent (and interesting) sequence of events is DAUNTING. We have the majority of our guests pictures, along with our photographers. Added up, we're looking at THOUSANDS of pictures. Thousands. eep!

Let's go back to a chilly April morning in Chicago. Luckily, Mama and Stepdad Quiche had been in town for a few days to help get everything sorted and packed. Packing was, well, interesting. I was still freaked out about going through customs with all of our decorations, gifts, flowers, and my dress. We divvied up all of the goods and handed them out to bridesmaids and groomsmen. Mama & Petey Quiche also lugged A LOT of stuff for us. Then, very early on Wednesday morning, we headed for O'Hare. Boarding was a breeze & we were on our way!

A flight attendant noticed my dress bag & upgraded us to first class! SCORE!

I think I slept for most of the trip. We ended up on the same flight as our friends from Virginia, so it was great to see them in the middle of the trip! Imagine my excitement, though, when seeing this out of the window:

The land, sand & sea...we're here, mon!

We hired a driver with a 15 passenger bus for the first few days of the trip. He did airport runs all day on Wednesday and Thursday, drove us to the store to buy the goods for the OOT bags, took us to our Thursday night adventure, etc. It was SUCH a good investment!

The first of MANY "YA MON"'s!!!

Ahhh....arriving at Coyaba. I was instantly at peace & excited at the same time. I mean, how can you NOT be, especially when you see this...in the parking lot!

And to top it off, each guest is greeted with a rum punch upon arrival!

Bridesmaid C and Groomsmen B-Fresh were already there with their families. It was great to see familiar faces when coming into the lobby! We were starving, so we had a quick bite to eat along with the first (of many!) Red Stripe. It's funny, I think there is a Red Stripe in almost every picture. oops! ;)

With Bridesmaid Beth - love my girl!

The food at Coyaba is delicious! Lots of veggie-friendly options as well, which was a big selling point for us

Happy to be in Jamaica with my friends and family!!

For those of us who were in Jamaica early, we all (well, I was in the minority of NOT wanting to do something that could potentially kill/hurt/scrape me, but I was vetoed!) wanted to do something adventurous together to kick start the vacation.

Mr. Quiche meeting with the concierge to arrange our next adventure...what could it be?!

I've missed you guys! It's great to be back & recap!

Ya Mon! Back to Reality

Pictures for Venue charge post

2009-06-17T09:45:00.004-05:00

Photos by Ashley Colhouer.

Dress for budget post

2009-06-16T21:22:00.005-05:00

Photos by Ashley Colhouer.

Shoes for Budget Post

2009-06-16T21:08:00.002-05:00

I didn't know how else to add them to B.O!

Photos by Ashley Colhouer.

Gifting our Guests

2009-06-16T15:48:00.000-05:00

Having a kick-ass Out of Town Bag for our guests was high priority on our list. I mean, our awesome friends and family were travelling all the way to Jamaica to celebrate us, the least we can do is try to thank them with a few goodies :)

Letter and agenda for our guests, rum, waterproof camera, coffee, DIY CD, sunscreen and mosquito wipes!

One of our first tasks upon arriving in Jamaica was buying two local items: a bottle of Appleton Estate Rum & Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee. We had our driver take us to a slightly shady grocery store/bar/I don't know what, where we ended up bargaining down the price of the rum about 30%! Score!

All of the rooms at Coyaba are equipped with iPod hookups and CD players. In case people didn't bring the connector cord for their iPod (or don't have one), we decided to make CD's of our favorite island beats. You know what that means - lots of Bob Marley, Kenny Chesney & Jimmy Buffet. We made them the week before we left & they were a huge hit!

Our wedding monogram, decked out in the colors of the Jamaican flag, served as our album art. Ya Mon!

Set list!

FINALLY we were able to re-use those old CD jewel cases that have been laying around for YEARS, in the off chance that we *might* use them. Well guess what?! We did! Yay for getting clutter out of our house & not spending extra money!

We transported these down to Jamaica, along with Underwater Cameras, $1 suncreen from Target, mosquito wipes (that reeked!), and these awesome bags. I found them through Mrs. Lemon & they are a great quality bag for cheap, cheap, cheap!

We loved the Jamaican vibe of our OOT bags. Did you have OOT bags? Were they themed?

A Very "Blue" Dinner!

2009-06-11T18:00:00.005-05:00

Mama and Stepdad Quiche flew to Chicago 4 days before we left for Jamaica to help organize, pack, offer moral support, etc. They wanted to treat Mr. Q and I to dinner, so that Saturday night we headed to The Gage. We decided that we would give Mama Q her "thank you for being such an incredible mom and all that you've done for me and us and the wedding and everything else" gift that night. Sharing a love of Tiffany with me, yet never owning anything from the store, I decided to get her a necklace. For the past 2 years, Mama Q has been wearing this pearl necklace that I bought for her. It's a simple pearl on a champagne colored silk thread from Dogeared. The thought is that you're supposed to make a wish on your necklace & when it falls apart, your wish comes true (gag!)...however, my clever mother bought a spool of champagne silk thread and changes it as it starts to wear :)

In keeping with the dainty theme of that necklace, along with throwing in some Chicago love, we settled on the Bean necklace (I am not sure if this necklace has anything to do with the Bean in Milennium Park, but we decided to pretend that it does ;) ).

As soon as Mama Q read the first line of the card, she slapped it down on the table. We are a super emotional family, and the tears seem to fall when we're happy or sad.

Mr. Quiche then pulled out a flat blue box. Pour moi? Oui! I was so excited - this was completely unexpected. I tore open the box to discover a perfectly preppy, patent leather, Tiffany blue luggage tag. Oh, how Mr. Q kept with the luggage tag theme! Upon opening the tag, I see my *new* name listed & then I melted into tears :)

We commenced eating our appetizers and continued with great converstation. Then, Mr. Quiche pulls out another little blue box. I was confused - I had no idea what was going on! He then proceeded to hand me another box. This time with the words that this was my wedding gift, but he wanted to give it to me early in case I wanted to return it. Excuse me?! Return fabulous pearls? I think not.

Here they are, in action, at our rehearsal dinner:

Photo by Ashley Colhouer

Did you give a gift to your parents? If so, what did you give & did it have a special meaning?

Gifting My Groom

2009-06-11T14:34:00.008-05:00

What do you buy for the guy who has everything he needs? While I might lust after something for months, Mr. Quiche is one of those people who, when he wants something, he goes out and buys it. (It has made birthday and Christmas shopping quite difficult at times. grr.) I needed to think of something truly unique for his wedding gift. He loves french cuffs, so naturally I thought of cufflinks. Having already bought him Wrigley Field wooden links the year before, I was fresh out of ideas. Until I saw Mrs. Tirimisu's gift for Mr. T - map cufflinks! Mr. Q loves vintage maps, so these would be perfect for him!

I searched for the best deal on Etsy and contacted the seller, dlkdesigns. She will custom make your links to your desired locale. Montego Bay was the obvious choice for one, and I went back and forth between Chicago (where we live) and Dublin (our honeymoon spot), ultimately deciding on Dublin to keep it in the wedding family. What's great is that she actually emails you picutures of the map that will be used, so if you don't like them, she'll find something else! In keeping with our pink accent theme, I told her I'd prefer there to be some pink in them.

Here was the proof:

Score! It was perfect!

Mr. Q opening his gifts
Photo by Ashley Colhouer

The final product!

Since the beginning of our relationship, I've kept a "Mr. Quiche & Miss Quiche Box of Memories", stuffed to the top with concert tickets, Cubs stubs, vacation trinkets, oh - and more concert tickets. We are quite the music-loving household, with live music being our favorite pasttime. Well, a box of memories is nice and all...but unless you drag it down from the top shelf and actually go through the disorganized mess, well, you never really see anything. I decided that I wanted to scrapbook our relationship. I talked it over with a scrapbook queen friend & we decided that it would probably be too much to take on. So, I ended up focusing solely on our "Life in Music".

In the simple album, I laid out groupings of ticket stubs, pictures and favorite lyrics on pages of black and silver. If I didn't have a picture from a particular concert, I wrote out the lyrics (or snippets of lyrics) to our favorite songs. I tried to stay away from the tragic lyrics that I love so much and focused on the happy, positive ones ;)

Well, take a look for yourself!

Oh Ray...how you move me with your perfect lyrics!

BM Nic joined us for Maroon5! (NOT groupies (I swear!)

I was literally putting this together the day of the wedding. Considering I started it mere days earlier, I was pretty proud of myself!

The handsome groomsmen checking it out
Photo by Ashley Colhouer

I never thought I'd DIY Mr. Q's gift - but I was so happy that I did. Not only did we get those memories out of the box and in something for us to see, but the personal touch is better than any other gift I could have bought.

Do you have a "Box of Memories"? Are you incorporating mementos from your relationship into your grooms gift?

Wedding bling!

2009-06-10T17:35:00.009-05:00

Great news! We have our disk of images back from our photographer! You cannot imagine my and Mr. Q's excitement. We look at them every. single. day.(!) Since it will take me a looong time to not only a) figure out how the heck I'm going to organize and blog my thoughts and experiences from the wedding, but also b) decide which pictures to use, I've decided to go back in time and blog about things that I didn't have time to do prior to the wedding. & if you happen to get a glimpse or two of wedding pics, well, so be it!

Let's start with jewelry. From the beginning, I had this image in my mind of what I wanted my necklace to look like. Dainty. dainty, dainty silver chain. Somewhat long-ish. Incorporate pearls and crystals. I searched etsy until my fingers bled, then decided to try my luck with Alchemy. I listed those previous requirements & added that I wanted to look like it was "floating" around my neck. A lot of great jewelry designers replied, but somehow A Finishing Touch was able to decipher my babbling thoughts and turn them into an awesome reality (sidenote - the necklace is now a design available in their shop for anyone to purchase! yeah!).

We went back and forth a few times, as they were open to whatever thoughts I had. Finally, this lovely image was sent to me, and I was sold!

& see? It's "floating"!

Big earrings with this necklace and my dress just wasn't cutting it, so I decided to wear my simple diamond studs that Mr. Q bought for me a few birthdays ago. They complemented everything quite nicely, no?

href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_08JHZcS_NX4/SjA8KID6nUI/AAAAAAAAAzk/9QsGk9-wa_M/s1600-h/GettingReady_069.jpg">
Unless noted, all photos by Ashley Colhouer

2 days before leaving for Jamaica, I realized that I hadn't finalized my Something old, new, borrowed & blue. I figured I had 3 covered (& more on those soon!), but something borrowed still escaped me. I sent out an email to some of my girls for a bracelet, to no avail. We all decided that I didn't need a bracelet, so at the last minute (as in the MORNING of the wedding) BM Laura saved the day and let me wear her dainty diamond ring. She's had it since our good ol' Ohio State days & I've always loved it. I was thrilled to wear it! Unfortunately, I don't have an up close picture of it. :(

How did you choose your wedding bling?

Are all "Thank You"'s Created Equal?

2009-05-31T18:30:00.002-05:00

As the post-wedding days fly by, I realized it's about time to design, think, write, address, stamp & send thank you notes. Seem overwhelming? Even typing all of those steps out makes me start to sweat and panic. & I only have a fraction of the "normal" amount to send.

In the past, I've divulged my love for Dear Abby & Margo. No B.S. advice handed down to you daily. I also love Annabel Manners, etiquette and advice for the preppy girl in me. While perusing her site (& justifying my LOVE and expense for a LWD - little white dress), I came across this service - "That's Gratitude" - personalized, handwritten thank you notes. Done by someone else.

insert break here :)

I have to admit, I can see how this service is appealing to some brides. The wedding is over. The excitement, anticipation and energy that propelled you through all-night DIY sessions is OVER. Also, it's possible that YOU are over the wedding. Done. & the thought of writing out 200 thank you notes makes you want to grab a bottle of wine, hope under the covers & curl into a ball. This service could be for you - I mean, no one would know (unless said note is sent to your parents/siblings/best friend/etc. In such cases, pull out a pen, people!).

I've received many different kinds of thank you notes over the years. Short & simple. Long & personalized. One of my best friends from college who had an incredible, 400 person wedding sent out a photo thank you - a picture of them on their wedding day with the same printed out thank you message to everyone. & I loved it (and would have done the same thing!). As a guest, it honestly does not matter to me what kind I receive. Yes, I gave the gift...but it really isn't about that at all.

I know there will be a lot of varying opinions on this, and I welcome a healthy discussion. How do you feel? Would you honestly care if you found out your friend used a service like this to "write" her thank you notes?

My mom & I

2009-05-20T20:46:00.003-05:00

(For Avo's photo challenge!)

Always supporting me - literally, as an infant...emotionally, as an adult.

Yeah Mon! Back to Reality

2009-05-17T20:18:00.005-05:00

Hello Hive!

Long time, no see. Wow, what an incredible few weeks it has been in the Quiche world. I'll just start of with one thing for today - WE'RE HOME!

(Umm...can I give some MAJOR love to our ridiculously fabulous photographer, Ashley Colhouer (& her equally awesome hubby, Philip!)of 13:13 Photography? Not only do we have AMAZING pictures because of them, but we also came away with some pretty sweet friends to boot! Can't get much better than that! xo!)

Our wedding was a truly unforgettable event/day/weekend. We couldn't have asked for anything more. We were surrounded by the love of our families and friends and BOY, did we have a BLAST!

Zip-lining, catamarans, beach bonfires, great food, RELAXING (what a concept during your wedding!), music, dancing & "I do's"...I can't wait to share it with all of you!

(Not to mention an incredible Ireland honeymoon...)

More to come SOON!
Love,
MRS. Quiche :)

DIY Dual Purpose Programs

2009-04-26T17:13:00.000-05:00

So, Jamaica in May? Yeah, it's HOT. I wanted to have either a fan or a parasol for each chair, but needed something that (again) was easily transportable. Considering that our multiple suitcases are already bulging at the seams, parasols were eliminated. I saw these fan/programs that I liked (but again, they are a little too bulky for our suitcases!):

source

I loved the layout and wording of Mrs. Cherry Pie's programs, & (with her permission, of course!) decided to use hers rather than recreate the wheel. Sure, people could just hold on to the bottom of these and fan themselves, but I wanted something a little more. I found butterknife fan handles online, experimented a bit, and came up with the simple idea of multiple layers of cardstock and a handle. Brilliant!

Like our menus, the programs were super easy to construct (and pretty much follows the same steps!)

Design, print and cut your programs. (Ours our double sided: one side lists a thank you to our guests - thanks Mrs. CP...I just couldn't think anymore!... as well as lists our family and attendants. The other side is the order of events for the ceremony & lets our guests know to remain on the lawn for passed hors d'ouerves and cocktail hour.) Then line the back 4 sides with double sided roller tape and stick to the backing color of your choice. We had a lot of pre-cut, leftover stock from our invitations, and designed the program to fit on top of it with a 1/4" border.

Mr. Quiche came up with the brilliantly simple idea of using stock tape to adhere to fan handle to the backside of one of the cardstock sheets. I had glue - oops!

Next, line the back of that piece of cardstock (and run a line down the handle for good measure!

Plop the other piece of cardstock on top & voila! a Dual Purpose Program Fan

ooh...so easy, breezy cool!

Lovely Little Ladies (& Flip Flop Fun!)

2009-04-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

There are lots of kids in the Quiche's world, and I can't imagine our wedding WITHOUT kiddos running around. Mini Quiche A is the junior best man, and my nephew J is the ring bearer (you can see their duds here). So, that leaves us with the little ladies. Mini Quiche J and my niece B are our (adorable) flower girls. They couldn't be more excited! J, who isn't a fan of dresses (to put it very mildly) did NOT want to take this dress off over the weekend. She loves B and is just excited to be wearing matching outfits :) Thank goodness!

I bought the flower girl dressed the same weekend I bought my dress & when I already knew what I wanted the bridesmaids to wear. Mama Quiche and Sister Quiche Nen were in town & we popped into Gap Kids. Hanging on the wall was the perfect flower girl dress and we snapped them up! Plus, they were on sale for $21 - score!

The body is cream with a navy border on the top and a tropical print bottom. Well, let's let Mini Quiche show you!

Posing with Mini Quiche A (lookin' handsome in his newly tailored suit jacket! Too bad his eyes are closed :( )

It was still Easter around these parts over the weekend. The Greek Easter bunny brought some furry friends with him (her?).

I ordered headbands from jujinjess on Etsy (where else?). She was awesome to work with! I just told I wanted navy grosgrain with a pink flower & voila! there it was!

The girls are wearing simple, navy blue flip flops from Old Navy ($2.50!). But, I wanted to dress them up just a bit. Jujinjess to the resuce, again! I emailed her and she sent me 4 pink flowers. I told her my plans to hot glue them to the flip flops, but she advised against that (they can pop off!). So, I ended up "sewing" them (as you can tell, I had a very DIY-filled weekend). It was very easy.

Supplies:

I have my grandmothers old sewing basket, and I love using her vintage thread for projects :)

I used a double strand of thread and tied a knot one the end. Threading down through the top of the bottom layer of the flower worked best, as it hid the knot.

Then, I just wrapped it around one strap, up through a petal, around another strap, down through a petal etc. until it felt secure. There was no rhyme or reason to this step. Then I placed a dot of craft glue on the top of the toe strap, to hold the thread in place. And for extra security, shoved some glue under the flower as well.

Another easy DIY project completed!

Is your flower girl wearing a non-flower girl dress?

Mmm...Food. (& an Easy DIY Menu tutorial!)

2009-04-20T15:20:00.001-05:00

With a Jamaican wedding, a Jamaican menu is a must! Our all-out Jamaican feast will be happening on Friday night (I'll write about that soon!), and the menu for the reception will focus on tropical flavors as well as personal favorites of ours. While we didn't have a specific tasting during our "research" trip in October, the food we did eat while there was delish. No tasting = no pretty food pictures, so I'll give you our DIY menu tutorial instead!

First, design and print your image on your paper of choice. We used white linen paper, as we did with our invitations.

Again, like our invitations, we used the same header but swapped the colors since we are backing these with bright pink cardstock.

Next, trim the menus down to size. We printed them so we could get 2 per page.

After the menus are cut to size, it's time to choppity chop the backing cardstock. I measured it out so there is a 1/4" trim of pink on all four sides.

And finally, run a line of adhesive along all four sides of the white cardstock (the back side, of course) and stick it on the pink cardstock. We just eyeballed them, and they turned out great (although I did have to raise my eyebrows a couple of times at Mr. Q and his centering techniques. No worries though, we just pulled them apart and re-stuck 'em!)! I had a great photo-op of Mr. Quiche on the menu assembly line, but he wouldn't let me take it because he "didn't like what he was wearing". Men.

Tropical, Preppy, EASY menu!

As you can probably read in the pictures, here is our reception menu:

Appetizer
Jamaican Crab Cakes
served with sweet corn salsa and
papaya tartar sauce

Salad
Prosciutto & Melon

Entree
Sugar Cane Skewered Chicken Breast
with Coconut Glaze
and
Grilled Tilapia with Mushrooms, Spinach
and Carrots in a Chardonnay Sauce

Dessert
Vanilla Sponge Cake with Raspberry Filling

Choosing the menu was quite simple, as was constructing them. I bought 50 sheets of 100# pink cardstock (on sale!) for $8.99. The white linen paper is leftover from our invitations, so the cost has already been absorbed there. The biggest splurge (if you can even call it that!) was on the Duck brand roller adhesive. We bought them at varying places, paying $7 for one, $5 for another, and $3.50 for the final one. $24.49 for 40 menus = 61 cents each. Not bad!

Does your menu feature local flavors?

Windy City Meet-up!

2009-04-19T18:54:00.000-05:00

The Chicago Weddingbee crew had a wonderful night last week! Miss Mascara, Mrs. Emerald and I met up with readers LatteLove, yogigal, hellopanda, Rinstar, msbelgianian and eileen marie. What an awesome group! We swapped planning and other stories over wine and pizzas, and just had an overall great night.

I think I speak for all of us when I say - can't wait to do it again! For those of you who missed it, we will plan another meet-up in the summer. Nothing says summer in Chicago better than al fresco dining!

Without further ado, the group!

LatteLove - thank you for getting the ball rolling with this! & thanks for a great night, everyone!

Top o' the Mornin' to ya!

2009-04-19T17:00:00.014-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Can you guess by the title of this post where we decided to go on our honeymoon? That's right - Ireland!

Mr. Quiche had an email alert that direct, round-trip flights on Aer Lingus were around $350! Cheaper than flying to L.A. from Montego Bay! We did some checking around and similar flights on American were just a little bit more, so we decided to book with them in order to beef up our air miles (score!).

We're flying in and out of Dublin, but are planning a trip through the countryside after a 2 night stay in Dublin. Mr. Q has a friend who travels to Dublin frequently and recommended The Westbury Hotel.

One of the gorgeous suites

View from the Gallery Lounge

After reading about the Westbury on their website, the hotel seems right up our alley. Cool, contemporary design right in the heart of Dublin and Grafton St. shopping and restaurants.

We have a rental car reserved to pick up after our stay in Dublin, and we will then take off (on the right side of the road - always interesting!) across the countryside. Due to time constraints, we are traveling around the southern part of Ireland. We want to start off in Galway, then head down the west coast towards Doolin, the Dingle Peninsula and Kinsale. We really want to stay in a castle one night, and night #3 will be spent Ashford Castle(click on that link. seriously. it's incredible.), just outside of Galway. There are a lot of activities from golf & tennis to the more obscure (for me, at least) archery, clay pigeon shooting & falconry (I'll stay FAR, far away from this one, due to my intense fear of birds).

Usually, Mr. Quiche and I are avid vacation researchers and have many things planned out - where to stay, what to do, the hot restaurants, etc...but planning a honeymoon while planning a wedding has left our plans to what you read above. Flights, a hotel in Dublin and a castle. Eeep! We need to get planning! Luckily, Mama Quiche & Step dad Quiche did a similar trip a couple of years ago. Mama Q is incredibly organized and efficient, weighing us down with her folders of locations, Michelin maps, driving directions, B&B suggestions (& phone numbers!), sights, etc. Plus 2 photo albums full of pictures with a running commentary of who, what, where and when. Score! Mama Q to the rescue :)

So hive, I turn to you. With limited days in Dublin, Galway, Doolin, Dingle and Kinsale - what should we do? We'd love any suggestions!

My other question is a simple one - where are you going on your honeymoon?

Source 1, 2, 3, 4

Where to Honeymoon?

2009-04-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

Mr. Quiche and I love to travel. We've had many awesome adventures together - be it Italy or NYC - so it's only fitting that our honeymoon should follow suit. With the wedding in Jamaica, we are essentially going to be honeymooning, times 2. Yeah!

There were 3 major contendors vying for the spot of the Quiche Honeymoon, all very different, yet fabulous in their own way.

First up: Indonesia

Specifically, Bali. Ah yes, the magnificent isle of Bali. A place that Mr. Quiche and I have been wanting to go to, yet haven't been able to justify the expense (or time off) that it would require. What better way to see this beautiful part of the world than on your honeymoon? The Amankila Resort in Bali is breathtaking. We've had friends who've vacationed here and say it is the best hotel, hands down.

source

We love to bike, so beach time paired with a few days bicycling through the smaller villages would be a perfect vacation for us! Being able to really experience the culture first-hand, rather than through a windshield, is incredible.

To me, Bali is perfection.

Option 2: Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara (okay, and along the west coast in general!) is one of my favorite cities in the USA. Growing up in the midwest & visiting family friends in LA turned me into a "California Girl" in Junior High and High School. I wanted nothing more than to go to college out west. Well, Ohio State must have been my destiny, as I never ended up making it out to Cali to live. My mom STILL says that she is shocked I never ended up moving there after college, as I bugged her CONSTANTLY about moving there all through high school. Sigh.

Wait, where was I? Oh yeah, Santa Barbara "mini-moon"! Even though our wedding is in Jamaica, we wanted to have a different getaway after the wedding. Fly from Montego Bay to LA on Sunday, then rent a car and drive to Santa Barbara. In order to treat ourselves to a little luxury, while still maintaining a budget, the Four Seasons is offering a "Buy 2 nights, get the 3rd night FREE" deal. Score! Since we are taking off a lot of time for the wedding, we could just take a quick jaunt out west for a quaint little "mini-moon".

source

Option 3: The Emerald Isle

Ireland made it's way to our potential list later in the honeymoon planning game. An email alert led us to check out some unbelievably cheap airfare. I've never been to Ireland, and neither has Mr. Quiche. My mom and stepdad went there a couple of years ago & loved it!

Their trip consisted of flying into Dublin, staying for a few days there, then renting a car to tour the Irish countryside. The idea of (like Bali) seeing and experiencing the countryside with the locals is very appealing to me! I want nothing more than to saunter up to the bar at a little pub, order a pint of Guiness & a basket of chips, and listen to the band perform. Driving the west coast of Ireland is breathtaking- rolling green hills, cliffs, the sea. Not to mention the history!

Honestly, all of these are equally appealing to me. So, which did we choose? You'll have to wait & see (okay, I won't make you wait THAT long...it will be my next post!)!

Did you have trouble narrowing down your honeymoon location?

Changing names, changing names

2009-04-15T16:02:00.000-05:00

For those brides who are changing their names post-wedding, WOW, what a pain in the arse! I've had friends who get married take months to get all of the necessary paperwork filled out. And for completely understandable reasons - it's a pain in the arse! Not only do you have to travel to each different office, wait in obscene lines, but you also have to fill out paperwork over and over again, and usually it's the same information on each different form.

There are many places where your name needs to be changed, including:

~ IRS
~ Passport
~ USPS (if you're changing your name AND moving, they take care of that, too!)
~ Drivers License
~ Voter Registration
~ Utilities
~ Credit Cards

...and the list goes on, which will be different for each person.

Confused yet? Frustrated?

(source)
I know I am!

I don't know about you, but I have ZERO interest in risking carpal tunnel! And going to each of these places in the city? No thank you!

Enter my FABULOUS bridesmaid, the lovely Miss Nicole. As one who also wouldn't have patience for this, her engagement gift to me (I mean US) was a gift card for the complete services at Miss Now Mrs.com.

I started perusing the website this morning to see what it was all about & I am floored! They do everything for you. And you only have to enter your information ONCE. Sweet! Your answsers to their questions will auto-complete the various forms that you need. As they are completed, you then review and approve & print them! They then provide you with the respective addresses, associated fees, etc. The only way they could make it easier on you is to come you house and lick your stamps ;)

They estimate that their service saves you an average of 13 hours of time. Which is completely worth the under $30 price tag. Your information is 100% secure, but if you feel uncomfortable entering say, your social security number, you can fill that in by hand after you print the forms.

Whew. It may seem like a lot of information, but it is so very simple. What a great gift idea!

Are you changing your name? If you've already changed it the traditional way, would this service have saved you time (and sanity)?

Let’s Try This Again (&, let’s Trash That Dress!)

2009-04-09T16:05:00.000-05:00

I still haven’t been able to get the idea of a reception dress out of my mind. After Max Azria seriously let me down, my search (and resulting frustration) has soldiered on.

Like my issue with shoes, I haven’t really found anything that jumped out at me, shouting “Me! Pick me! Wear me! Love me!”. Especially something that would justify the added expense in our wedding budget. A few friends have told me to just drop the search & wear my dress all night long – I mean, that’s what most brides do, right? – since it is light and airy (I had been using the “What if I get too hot?” line).

Mr. Quiche and I were stalking photography blogs of fellow Coyaba weddings & came across this picture…

Photo credit: Climie + Co

…and Mr. Q let it be known that he wanted to do that. Yeah! I LOVE Trash the Dress shots (and our superfabulous photographer, Ashley, will be with us all weekend!) & far be it from me to deny the man this simple request. But wait. In my wedding dress? Eeeeee….not so sure about that! Why not find something comfy and casual that I can change into late night (if desired) and then wear again the next morning for a TTD shoot?

Which led me to change the parameters of my reception dress. Maxi Dresses, to be exact. Loosey-goosey, flowy, fun, fabulous, cheaper-than-a-wedding-dress & “trashable”.

How romantic!

I *heart* James Perse

Victoria’s Secret has a lot of cheap options!

This adorable blue and white ticking stripe could also work!

Buying one of these dresses comes with the added bonus of being re-wearable (trust me, I would have never worn that BCBG dress again, no matter how many times I told you that I would).

I don’t think Mr. Quiche will don his Calvin Klein suit for the big plunge, perhaps wearing what the groomsmen are wearing for the ceremony (because we loved it so much & got such a great deal, we bought one for him, too!).

Are you trashing your dress, or did you find a re-wearable alternative?

Photo 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

I Don't Like White Sandals*...

2009-04-08T17:00:00.002-05:00

...so I bought silver shoes for the wedding. Last July. & apparently, I don't like silver sandals, either.

Touch-Ups "Marcella"

I liked them at first, but after trying them on with my dress again over the weekend, I just wasn't crazy about them. Maybe it's the toe thing? I'm not sure. Luckily, I ordered them from Zappos and have 365 days to return them.

There is just something about white and silver sandals that don't agree with me. Especially those fitting a very particular demographic:

Wedge (or wide heel, but not too wide)
1" - 2" heel
Dainty-ish
Not gladiators

Those that do fit this description tend to have either a black or cork heel *shudder* or are too bulky. Plus, my dress is ivory & ivory shoes are out of the question (unless they're Manolo Sedaraby's, which are also, unfortunately, out of the question :( )

Why the black heel?

I think I just threw up a little in my mouth.

Still not right!

I'd love to jump on the fun, colored shoe bandwagon that so many bees have ridden before me, but my dress just toches the ground & you can definitely see my shoes due to the fact that there isn't any "fluff" to it.

So, I'm really not sure what the point of this post is. Perhaps just to say that I am TIRED of zappos, endless and piperlime. And our wedding is 3 weeks away. I'm thinking of ordering a basic wedge flip-flop and dressing them up with a vintage rhinestone clip (or something?). If I had it my way (& perhaps not a Jamaican wedding), I'd wear thesse:

I can't quit you, Uggs!

All images from Zappos.

Is anyone else having the same ridiculous (& petty) problem that I'm having? Help!

*I don't like white/silver sandals for me, not you. Yours are lovely. :)

Bridal Shower & "Bachelorette Party", Round 2

2009-04-07T06:24:00.014-05:00

After having an incredible shower/party weekend in Ohio a month ago, I count myself as being doubly blessed to celebrate with my Chicago gang as well last weekend. Chi-bridesmaids Nic & Andrea made the journey to Ohio with me, and along with my other best, best friend Chi-bridesmaid Carrie, another incredible weekend ensued.

I feel like I say it all the time - and I'm going to say it again - I feel so lucky to have such an amazing group of friends and family! Ohio-bridesmaid Beth and Sister Quiche Nen travelled to Chicago on Friday, which just made the weekend even sweeter.

Saturday started off with with...wait for it...picking up my dress from the tailor!! YEAH! But, you'll have to wait only a few short weeks to see it :) Rest assured, it is PERFECT. We even had time for Beth to hit up the salon, Nen to hit up Sweet Mandy B's for cupcakes, and me to hit up the gym before getting ready for the shower. With all of the activity, it really was such a relaxing weekend!

BM's Carrie, Nicole & Andrea set up the perfect shower for me - High Tea at the Ritz Carlton. I love tea (and let's be honest, who doesn't love a tiny sandwich?).

Before we left - Mini Quiche J, Carrie, Me, Bethany & Nen

I loved the living room-style set up. With a larger group, it made it feel much more intimate.

Customized menus :)

Tiny sandwiches!

Champagne toast (thanks Anu!)

Mini Quiche J :)

After the shower, a group of us headed back to our house to get ready for dinner at Quartino, one of my favorite Italian tapas-esque spots downtown. It was a perfect "bachelorette party"!

Our friend (and groomsman!) B-Fresh was having a party that night. Mr. Quiche would be there, along with a lot of our other friends. So rather than head out for a wild night on the town, we instead opted for a wild night in, Chez Patel ;)

Thanks, DJ B-Fresh!

We brought the dance party with us.

Mr. Quiche loved that we were there with him...

What a fun weekend! I loved having my sister and Bethany here to celebrate. While they've met almost all of the Chicago crew before, it was nice for them to spend more time with people before we all meet up again - in JAMAICA!

Were you able to have friends from all parts of your life get together before your big day?

Chicago E-Pics

2009-04-03T09:57:00.005-05:00

Following in the footsteps of Miss Glitter and her amazing engagement pic teasers, here are a couple of ours from a Nashville photographer - Hannah, of Hannah Elaine Photography. She happened to be in town for a few days a couple of weekends ago & lined up a few shoots after posting on the Weddingbee Boards!

We had a blast with her & love the outcome. I am so glad we did this, as we were a little nervous at first. It was great practice for the wedding!

We wanted pictures taken in the city we love and live in, since our wedding is in Jamaica. Did you have engagement pictures taken so that you could capture a different city/feel than your wedding?

One month!

2009-04-02T09:53:00.004-05:00

That's right, our wedding is one month away. I don't even know where the time has gone! Luckily, things in the Quiche wedding planning household have been smooth sailing!

source

I have one of those daily desktop calendars at work, mine containing a French phrase for the day. Looking ahead & hoping to find one about love on or around our wedding day, I came across this phrase for May 1st: "J'ai perdu mon passeport" AKA "I lost my passport". And for the day we're flying out "Je n'ai qu'un sac de cabine" AKA "I only have carry-on luggage".

2 things that BETTER not happen to us (or our guests!). Mr. Quiche and I were actually talking about passports this morning. Something to the effect of hoping that certain guests actually have them. Yes, it's a foreign country (& it's on our wedding website...which no one looks at, BTW), but we are still worried that some people either don't have them or won't think to bring them. We are planning on sending out an information email the week or so before the wedding, kind of like a newsletter of times, activities, etc. But, it will be too late to remind people to make sure they have a passport.

Should I send a reminder email to everyone, or do you think that seems too...I don't know...belittling?

As for the other phrase of the day: luggage. Originally, we were flying Air Jamaica who isn't on the pay-to-check-a-bag bandwagon. In fact, they are a throwback to the days of checking 2 bags for free! Mr. Quiche and I were excited to load up our largest suitcases with all of our goods. Then, our coordinator told us not to be "obvious" that we're having a wedding, because customs in Jamaica have been known to try to weasle money out of people by claiming they are trying to sell items (especially bulk ones - like OOT bags, favors, etc.) for a profit. So they "tax" the crap out of you. Then, Air Jamaica decided to cancel all Wednesday flights. We found this out while I was in Paris last week. Mr. Quiche to the rescue, however, and we are now booked on (cheaper!) flights on American. Who has the luggage rule.

What to do, what to do! We are planning on spreading out the wedding goods amongst a group of people in order to not get harassed in customs. The white garment bag that contains my dress will "surely set them off", according to our coordinator. Do I stuff it in a potato sack?

So everyone, I guess this turned into a trials and tribulations of a Destination Wedding post. We are not discouraged, though! And I consider myself to be very lucky to have such a smooth wedding planning process. Even with one month to go & things to do. Lucky.

If you had a destination wedding, how did you handle going through customs?

March Food Challenge

2009-03-20T13:39:00.001-05:00

Salad:
Mixed Greens
Mandarin Oranges
Crumbled Low Fat Feta Cheese
& for the green:
Steamed, then chilled, green beans
Pistachios

Blood Orange Vinaigrette:
Juice from 1/2 of a Blood Orange
1 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp. Balsamic Vinaigrette
3 twirls of fresh, ground black pepper
1 pinch of Oregano
1 dash of Garlic Salt

Whisk all together and drizzle over salad (makes enough for 2)

It is DELISH.

Invites…finally!

2009-03-20T11:12:00.014-05:00

These went out a few weeks ago, the responses are pouring in & I’ve been a bad Bee for not posting this sooner :) Our invites!

I worked with an amazing Etsy designer, Karen of mtkdesigns, to design our invitation suite, programs and menus. If you are thinking of DIY’ing your invites, but need help with the graphics, this is THE WAY TO GO! We went back and forth until things were exactly to our liking & she emailed us the file as a jpeg & pdf! Easy! I printed these out on our awesome color copier at work (with approval, bien sur!), then the girls and I went to town assembling them.

The Invitation & RSVP card were arranged to fit one of each per 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper.

Karen included light grey cut lines. Chop, chop chop! They were ready for the next step.

I ordered linen paper from Blue Dot Paper Shop (a great little company, a lot cheaper than Paper Source!) in navy blue and white. I had them cut the Navy paper in half, as that would serve as the backing for the invitation. Our design allowed for a border of just over 1/4” on each side. I used Duck brand double sided tape roller on all 4 sides, then a strip down the middle for good measure.

We didn’t put any guidelines on the navy backing paper, just eye-balled it as closely as we could and stuck them down. A few were a little off ;) but nothing that a little chop, chop, chop the paper cutter couldn’t handle!

The RSVP card was just the single sheet of card stock. They were a little flimsy, but I figured this was the part that would be mailed back to us, not kept by our guests, so I didn’t mind saving a bit of money on this step!

The linen paper gave me the texture I wanted without the cost of letterpress or the added time of embossing (although I love both…sigh).

For single guests to know they could feel free to invite a “+1”, I found this natural wrapping paper on sale at IKEA for 99 cents! A bargain belly band, I tell ya! We used the pink and white sheets of the paper, folded and ripped them to size rather than cutting with scissors.

The inspiration for addressing the envelopes came from none other than the fabulous Weddingbee.com! You may remember a DIY guest post about faux calligraphy - & I am living proof that this not only works, but is SUPER EASY! I typed up the addresses using Bradley Hand font & used a fine point silver paint marker to trace over the printed grey lines. For 60 invites, I went through 4 pens.

I really feel that our invites evoke the wedding vibe we’re going for – Preppy Casual.

Oh, we finally settled on this quote by Brian Andreas...it is very fitting for us.

Did you DIY your invites with the help of a graphic designer?

Bridal Shower & “Bachelorette Party”, Round 1

2009-03-17T16:30:00.002-05:00

Due to the fact that my mom, sisters & I are all very busy gals, the only weekend we could all work out for my Ohio Wedding Weekend was at the end of February. And what a weekend it was!

Miss Quiche the Cannibal!

My aunt and cousin are unable to travel to Jamaica for our wedding, so they graciously offered to host my wedding shower as a gift to us. Lisa and I were very close growing up, and it meant so much to me.

Cousin and Auntie Quiche & I

Lots of food. Lisa was thrilled to be able to use all of the adorable serving platter and bowls that she received from her wedding two years ago…and finally used for the first time! :)

Before I was engaged - I’ll admit it – I scoffed at “traditional” wedding showers - oohing and ahhing over coffee pots & enough toilet paper to bring back high school memories of laying flat in the back of a truck in the middle of the night to TP your “crush”. I also admit when I am wrong. I couldn’t WAIT for the shower & it was a blast. Toilet paper and all ;)

With my niece (& flower girl!), Little Miss B.

Two of my Chicago bridesmaids, Nicole & Andrea, road tripped with me & the 6 hour drive (full of Swedish Fish and 100 calorie snack packs) was something I will always remember. Plus, it was great to have almost all of my girls together again before the wedding!

The Buckeye girls! Karrie, Kori, Bridesmaid Laura, Leisha & Bridesmaid Bethany :)

All together now! Ooooh! Ahhh!! A coffee pot! ;)

After the shower, we all checked in to suites at the The Lofts, a hip, cool hotel downtown (read a great review here. I agree – I do LOVE Columbus). One thing that hasn’t changed from my pre-engagement days is my loathing for “traditional” bachelorette parties with peni*es (I can’t even type it!) and the like. Bridesmaid Bethany knows me like I know myself and organized a fun dinner at Due Amici followed by a night of singing and dancing at The Big Bang. I absolutely love piano bars & The Big Bang was a blast.

One lucky Quiche with friends and family

Bethany & I

Okay, so they managed to get the “bachelorette” on stage to sing to me. I was then practically booed off the stage & was told I was the “shyest bride they’ve ever seen” after I refused to smack some random dudes behind. Whatever. Some of the other girls took care of that for me ;)

Thank you, thank you.

Chicago BM Andrea & I

The Quiche Ladies :)

I say this all the time & I will say it again. I am so blessed to have such an amazing group of friends. Each one has contributed to my life in a positive way & I am who I am today because of them. I love you girls!

Did you have a non-bachelorette bachelorette party?

Dressing the Boys

2009-03-13T08:45:00.005-05:00

It wasn’t too difficult to come up with the guys clothing choices to go with our casual-preppy-tropical wedding (Hawaiian shirts or linen shirts?). We opted to go with easy, breezy linen for the groomsmen. Again, I had to let go of my OCD when I brought up the probability of wrinkles, but I think I’ll be okay. I carry an iron with me on every trip I take & will even iron the shirt for the guys once we get down there. The resort also has a steamer (yes, I checked!) which will be good for my dress, too! I held out for Banana Republic’s 30% off sale & bought everything yesterday!

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Mr. Quiche wanted a versatile tan suit that would look great with my dress & everyone elses duds...with the added bonus that he can wear it to work for years to come! My only requirement was that it have flat front pants, and he found an awesome Calvin Klein suit that was on sale!

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Mini Quiche A will also wear a tan suit, with an adorable shirt from GapKids underneath so that he can take off his jacket right after the ceremony. We’re borrowing the suit from my best friends wedding, so no expense there! Our ring bearer (my nephew) will be wearing the same shirt from GapKids with khaki pants.

Havana Shirt from GapKids

We were lucky to get everything at such great prices that fit in so well with our theme. Where did you shop for the mens (& boys!) clothes?

How to get that wedding glow

2009-03-11T10:49:00.006-05:00

Or how to NOT get fried during your destination wedding.

Or justifying all of the above in the simple act of vanity.

I’ll just come out and say it (& I know it isn’t a popular decision) – I have been tanning in preparation for our Jamaican celebration. (Now before anyone berates me for doing this, trust me that I’ve already done it to myself plenty of times.) I am pale. All year round. & I am totally fine with that. Let me start of by saying that, when in the Caribbean sun, I don’t tan – I red. Without a base color established prior to our departure, my only viable option to a) not fry and b) not get tan lines is to hole up in our room the entire time. No thank you! With or without a wedding, I am the girl on the beach with a huge floppy hat (no premature wrinkling for me, thank you!), SPF 50 reapplied obsessively every hour, under an umbrella. I love the sun & the beach, but I try to enjoy it responsibly.

Moving on. I think I’ve been tanning a total of 4 times in my life. Perhaps once before prom and a couple of times my freshman year of college (at a place where they only had a curtain across the door opening for “privacy”. Could be why I never went back?). So, I bought a package at Palm Beach Tan and have been pleasantly surprised with the gradual results. I’ll only go in for 5 minutes at a time because I do NOT want to get burnt. But I feel gradually stepping up the number of minutes over the next 2 months will give me a nice glow for the wedding day. I love the way I look with a tan & don’t want to be a ghost in my dress.

I am also a fan of Mystic Tanning. I’ve read about orange tinted horror stories, but I’ve always had great success with them. The thing is, they fade after a few showers. Couple that with plunges in the pool & sea…and that tan would be long gone before “I do”. Mystic Tan is a great option for brides that want a nice glow for their wedding day, I just recommend that your try it out a few times before the big day.

A Mystic'd Quiche & always-"tan"-due-to-lovely-olive-skin'd Mr. Quiche

Rest assured, dear friends, my tanning sessions will halt by the end of April. I can honestly say that I will never lay down in one again. Plus, I won’t have to deal with the orange, snarky saleslady who looked at me like I had two heads when I answered “SPF 30” to her question about what tanning lotion I was using :)

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I do NOT advocate UV tanning! It is just a temporary, personal decision. Thanks!

Are you doing things for your wedding that you might not do otherwise?

March DIY Madness, Round 1

2009-03-10T08:58:00.008-05:00

With the wedding less than two months away (yikes!), it’s time to dust off the DIY projects that were started (rather, the supplies were bought) over the past 4 months. I knew it was a mistake to buy the last novel in the Twilight sequel this late in the wedding planning game, but Edward was calling me from the stacks at Costco & I succumbed. Well, the book is read & it’s crunch time, so most of my free days and nights have been spent crafting.

I posted awhile ago about styling the aisle & had a lot of great feedback from all of you. I loved the look of flower garlands hanging from the altar, but our florists ri.dic.u.lous. prices prompted a day of DIY. & I love the results. LOVE. I can picture them swaying in the Caribbean breeze as we softly whisper “I do”…oh, who am I kidding?! With my luck, they’ll be a tangled mess & Mr. Quiche will be yelling “Ya mon!”. Moving on…

The altar at Coyaba

Supplies:

NICE Fake Hydrangea bunches (there are cheap ones and nice ones - & you can tell the difference, TRUST.) Mine had over 50 blooms per bunch

Clear fishing line

Large sewing needle

A Nip/Tuck marathon (optional)

Step 1: Figure out the length you’ll need. I just guesstimated by using the top of our door moulding, since I can’t figure out a way to work in another “research” trip ;)

Step 2: Tear off flowers from stems

Step 2: Tie a knot at one end of the fishing line (actually, a series of 4 knots on top of each other or the flower might slip off!)

Step 3: Thread the needle & first bloom– this will be the bottom flower. I figured out for the bottom part of the garland, you can go straight up through the bottom of the flower (the plastic stamen part?) so that when hanging, you’ll see the most petals.

Step 4: Tie another knot appx. 8 – 11 inches above the previous flower, repeat Step 3. Tip: don't measure the distance between blooms! I had to suppress my OCD after recognizing that the strands will look better with the blooms scattered rather than in a straight line all the way across.

For the middle of the garland, I threaded the needle through the flowers at an angle. For the top, I inserted the needle through the top of the bloom, so when looking up, you’ll see the most petals.

Step 5: After the last bloom is on the fishing wire, tie another knot right above it to keep it from coming off the top.

Step 6: Hang & admire. & get back to work!

Repeat all steps until you have the desired amount of strands. It may seem like it takes awhile to do these, but once I sat there and worked, it took about an hour to do half of them. Not too shabby!

Project cost for 9 flower garlands:

2 bunches of flowers @ $4.50 ea.

Fishing wire I found in the junk drawer - free

Total: $9.00

I also made a strand with rhinestones, but they were a pain in the as* & didn’t photograph well. It’s possible that they would look much better once outside & sparkling in the sun, but I haven’t decided if I am going to use them or not.

When did the DIY bug kick in for you?

In love with makeup…

2009-03-05T10:02:00.008-06:00

I love makeup. My superfabulous friend Karrie? loves it even more.

How lucky am I to have a friend with this stash? 3 tackle boxes full of incredible makeup.

When I was home in Ohio over the weekend (Ohio shower & “bachelorette” party – more on that later!), I was able to have my makeup and hair trial. My friends have incredible talent & will be my friendors for the wedding.

So first, I’ll tell you about our makeup trial run. Karrie is an incredible makeup artist (even though she does something completely different for a living. We keep trying to get her to capitalize on her artistic talents!) & I always knew I would want her to do mine for the wedding. We had lots of practice in college, so she knows my skin, what I like/don’t like, etc.

My "everyday" look, taken at my shower that afternoon:

Hi Mama Quiche!

& the final results:

& later in the night (with my personal makeup artiste!):

I love the way it photographs. As a lover of makeup, I still wanted it to be pretty soft and natural, to fit in with our surroundings. If I were having a glam, night wedding, you can bet I’d have her do a dramatic look.

To keep me looking like myself, only enhanced in all the right places, Karrie used:

Base: Bare Esscentuals “Light” brushed all over

EYES
Mascara: Dior Show in Black (seriously, now my favorite mascara. Go buy it.)
Base: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in “Ballet Pink”
Browline & Inner Eye: Christian Dior Eye Show in “White Light Disco”
Lid: Christian Dior Eye Shadow in “Blooming Pink:
Crease: Christian Dior Eye Shadow in “Brown Sequins”
Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in “Chocolate Shimmer Ink” (upper lid)
Bobbi Brown Creamy Eye Pencil in “Taupe” (lower lid)

EYEBROWS
Eyebrown Enhancer (as mine can disappear): Brows in Bloom

CHEEKS/BRONZER
Blush: Bobbi Brown Blush in “French Pink”
Brozer: Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in “Light”
GlowFusion Micro-Tech Intuitive Bronzer in “Luminous”

LIPS
Base: Carmex (I can’t live without it!)
Gloss: Trish McEvoy Gloss in “Simply Marvelous” (also something I wear everyday)

Wow, that was a mouthful! I felt so pampered during the process & can’t wait to have it done again on our big day!

Do you have any friendors? What are they graciously doing for you?

Honeymoon in my Hometown: Chicago

2009-03-04T09:36:00.008-06:00

"It’s my kind of town, Chicago is…"

Chicago. I love this city. It makes for a great escape, whether for 3 days or a week. There are things to do and places to see for all types of interests: history, art, food, architecture, beaches and shopping. It is a large city, but has a very manageable feel. Plus, it’s in the Midwest. It’s easily accessible and the people are very friendly! :) Chicago is a city built by its neighborhoods & each has its own vibe and culture.

Where to stay

You can do Chicago pricey or surprisingly inexpensive. The glitz and energy downtown will cost you more, but if you look closely, there are many options that aren’t on Michigan Avenue, but offer a unique experience. When I travel, I like to stay where the “locals” live…to really get a feel for a certain neighborhood.

For an incredible luxury stay in the city, look no further than the Magnificent Mile. The Park Hyatt and the Peninsula Hotel aren’t cheap, but the 5 star service will leave you and your newly betrothed pampered. The rooms are gorgeous and the amenities are indulgent. Try NoMi for a great dinner & views. Also, the gym at the Peninsula boasts many a celebrity sighting.

B&B’s and boutique hotels are sprinkled across the city as well. Lakeview and Lincoln Park are such fun, upbeat neighborhoods & The Willows (off of Broadway) and the Windy City Urban Inn (off Clark St.) will give you a feel of what it’s like to live in Chicago. It also doesn’t hurt that there are a plethora of incredible restaurants and bars at your doorstep :)

Where to eat

Chicago is a foodie haven. First, I’m just going to list some of the best restaurants in the city. For serious gastronomique, go to Alinea, Moto &/or Charlie Trotter’s. Be prepared to pay upwards of $250 per person. But for foodies, it’s worth it. I mean, check out the 27 course menu at Alinea! My personal favorite is Green Zebra. It’s vegetarian friendly, but even serious carnivores rave about this place. The Quiches LOVE this place (& the bars around it for a casual nightcap).

The culinary ART at Alinea

You cannot visit Chicago without having Chicago deep dish pizza. There’s a long standing battle between Pizzeria Uno & Lou Malnati’s about who “invented” deep dish pizza, but who cares?! Both are mouth watering delicious. As are Giordano’s and the lesser known Pizano’s. YUM.

What to do

There are museums aplenty in Chicago. The most popular are the Field Museum, the Art Institute and the Museum of Science & Industry. I also love the Museum of Contemporary Art. On the first Friday of every month, they have…um…First Friday’s (natch) where the museum stays open late, is catered by Wolfgang Puck & you can sip cocktails in between viewing exhibits. All museums have “free” days during the week, which is great!

More free activities include the beaches along Lake Michigan, the numerous parks and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Most people don’t think of the beach when they think of Chicago, but our entire city is lined with them! North Avenue Beach is the most populated during the summer months (think Spring Break all summer long), but is a ton of fun. When you’re done sun bathing, head a few blocks west to the LP Zoo. Again, it’s free every day of the week! Millenium and Grant Parks downtown are also beautiful & have concerts and movies all summer long.

If you’re in to architecture and design, I highly recommend the Architecture boat tour. It winds through the Chicago River and Lake Michigan and offers a wonderful look at the skyline and the history of the city. About an hour west of the city is Mies Van Der Rohe’s Farnsworth House. A must see for design lovers (& I kind of want to live here, except for the fact that it’s in the burbs).

Where to shop

Everywhere! Michigan Avenue and State St. will have your typical shopping with luxury boutiques thrown in as well. Bucktown is the spot for boutique shopping – everything from SCOOP NYC to Marc Jacobs to little vintage shops and record stores. Halsted St. and Armitage Ave. in Lincoln Park also has boutiques (& Paper Source!) aplenty. You can also head south to Chinatown for dim sum and more shopping.

Again, the foundation of Chicago is the neighborhoods. Heading off of the typical tourist path will give you a great idea of what it’s like to live and breathe in this incredible city.

Photo Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

"J'ai deux amours..."

2009-02-24T09:38:00.008-06:00

...Mr. Quiche & Paris...

France is near and dear to my heart. I credit going to University in Lyon for changing my life. I've always had a wonderful life, enjoyed Ohio State immensely, but embarking on a new experience in Europe is what did it for me. It turned me into a girl obsessed with seeing the world and experiencing new cultures. Mama & Sister Quiche Nen came to visit me & the travel bug bit them as well. Mama Q and I love Paris. We've gone back to visit since then & it's only fitting that we squeeze in one more trip to the City of Lights before Mr. Q and I take the plunge.

Mama Q suggested the idea after a few cocktails one night in December...

Me, Mama Q, Sister Quiche Nen, & might-as-well-be-a-sister-quiche Friend L

So the trip is planned and we take off in a month! My mom is truly one of my best friends and I cannot imagine life without her. She has raised 3 incredible women (I'm biased, though!) and I consider us to be so lucky to have such an amazing mom. We are all so close, we don't fight & we LOVE spending our time together.

Sweet Mandy B's...yum...

So, off we head to Paris. After a quick jaunt to Normandy, we plan on eating our way across the city, spending the majority of our time walking through the neighborhoods & visiting the small, tucked away cafes, bars, etc. We're always looking for new places, so if you have any suggestions - let me know!

Do you have any pre-wedding getaway trips planned?

Swooning over Oscar Dresses...

2009-02-23T08:15:00.012-06:00

Talk about bridal inspiration last night! White and ivory ruled the red carpet as Hollywoods leading ladies stole the show with their gowns.

In my opinion, Taraji Henson was the best dressed of the night, hands down.

The ever-flawless Anne Hathaway

And another flowy creation that I could just eat with a spoon.

Which was your favorite gown of the night?

*All pictures by WireImage or Getty Images