Happy Halloween!

"He did the mash,

He did the Monster Mash

The monster mash

It was a graveyard smash."

-Bobby Pickett and Lenny Capizzi

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!!!!! Play Safe :)

Last week it was pints of Guinness

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We are planning to have signature cocktails at our wedding, and we also want signature beers. Beers that represent us. Having attended UCSB, our tongues have been graced by/our stomachs have been filled with such yummy beers as Sam Adams, SB Blonde, Hefeweizen, and such yucky beers as Natty Light and Natty Ice. By experiencing the good and the oh-so-bad, we've vowed to only drink the good from now on. The wedding is no exception. My favorite beer is Newcastle, and it goes great with food so we have to serve it. My love's favorite beer is Guinness. He is obsessed with it and would pay the extra dollars to purchase it during our budget tight college days. There is something about the dark, rich taste and hearty straight from the tap flavor that get him every time. His love for the beer has even gone to purchasing the following merchandise flag, sign, countless pint glasses. And since it's his favorite beer, we'll also serve it at the reception.

Today I was thinking of other ways to incorporate Guinness into his little details for the wedding. We could also have him wear the logo as socks, or he could wear a fun watch, maybe this hat for some fun photos, also cuff links would be a snazzy touch. The list goes on.

Then I saw this cake picture above, and thought it would be a very personal touch as a grooms cake. It would be a splurge to have two cakes, but since the wedding will be a few days before my love's bday, it would be great touch. :)

I also like this novelty cake and another from Charm City Cakes.

How will you incorporate favorite drinks to your wedding?

Blog title is from lyrics by The Bouncing Souls

Saturday in the park

We visited Alice Keck Park Memorial Gardens last weekend. We drive by it weekly and there are times we see wedding ceremonies taking place so it piqued our interest. Located on a city block on Santa Barbara, Micheltorena, Garden, and Arrellaga Streets, the park has such a nice and serene feel. There are lawns, a nice pond, plenty of plants, a gazebo, and paths that take you around the park.

When we arrived we saw plenty of people lounging around and a wedding ceremony about to start! The weather was so sunny and cool, it was a perfect day for an outdoor ceremony.

Walking up a few steps to the park entrance on Micheltorena Street. The grass was so soft that it encouraged picnicking.

View of some people taking portraits. Surrounded by all of the trees and a nice pond, it's like you're in another place, in touch with nature.

There were people gathering around the gazebo before a ceremony began.

The view must have been really beautiful while in the gazebo. Bride and groom looking out over the water, surrounded by loved ones and nature :)

Another view of the gazebo. Although the park is public, the gazebo was on the water it provided a sense of privacy.

This is a path that takes you to the gazebo. The light coming from behind the trees was so beautiful and romantic.

A garden wedding sounds so sweet and romantic, especially in the spring time when all of the flowers are in bloom. Since the park is smaller it provides such an intimate feel. And having nature as a backdrop is so lovely.

Blog title is from lyrics by Chicago

I loves them Lakers

Growing up in the greater LA area, I have Lakers love in my blood. I try not to miss a game, have worn purple and/or yellow on game days, read the countless articles and blogs, basically enjoy all things Lakers. Once I went to college I noticed that not everyone shared my same enthusiasm. Well most people from LA did, but the ones from Nor Cal... oh they hated the Lakers. Then I met my love. He was from Nor Cal and he loved the Lakers. :) Oh a man after my own heart. And from our young relationship until now we have been cheering/loving for arguably the greatest NBA franchise.

The Lakers being one of our most fun/shared joys, we knew we wanted to incorporate some aspect of our favorite team to our wedding but we didn't know what. We could have a Lakers theme grooms cake, name the tables after players, maybe a garter, even cuff links. But for some reason I wanted something more. Something that stood out but wasn't in your face. And then I got to thinking about wedding colors.

I was almost sure pink would be one of my wedding colors. My 2007 new years resolution was "on Wednesdays we wear pink" a la Mean Girls. It was a bit shallow but since my mom challenged me to make a resolution about something I would actually do and I like clothes, I thought it would be a lot of fun to try and do. And so every Wednesday I wore pink. And became obsessed with the color. And I knew that pink would have to be incorporated into my wedding colors. Then after a year of pink I sort of got tired of it. It's still my favorite color, but I hardly ever wear it. I have also gravitated towards other colors. And in response to the 2007 resolution, this year my NY resolution was "on Lakers game days we wear Lakers colors." Lakers colors are purple and gold(yellow), that means home games are yellow, away games are purple, and home games on holidays and Sundays are white. Pretty simple. NBA games happen about 3-4 times per week for a good six months, and nine months if you count pre-season and if the team reaches the playoffs (which the Lakers did this year). So that equates to a lot of fun purple and yellow color combinations.

And during those months of careful outfit planning, I became obsessed with the look of purple and yellow together. I wrote about considering it as a wedding color before, and as the new season draws near I find that I am seriously considering the colors. Together they are beautiful and unique. Yellow and purple are on opposite ends of the color wheel and therefore complement each other. And since there are so many variations/shades of yellow and purple out there I am more and more confident that we can find the perfect palette. Here are a few inspiration boards that I really like.

SMP Purple Color Palette
SMP Purple, Gold, and White Color Palette
S&I Mums
S&I Lemon & Iris

And here is an inspiration board I created. Nothing yet is set in stone, but I love this idea!

Row 1: Monique Lhuillier in Coutorture, Style Me Pretty, MSWeddings, MS Weddings, the knot.

Row 2: Obey Giant & NBA Store, MSWeddings, MSWeddings, JCREW, the knot.

The NBA Season begins today! Woohoo!

Blog title is from lyrics by Dilated Peoples

She wishes for flowers

Bought these lovelies at J.Crew over the weekend. I've been eying them online for a while and justified it as a wedding related purchase, my maybe "something blue". Or maybe they were cute really cute and I had to have them :)

My photos don't do them justice. Their blue color is deep and bright, and the center is so sparkly. The earrings also have a matching bracelet and ring. Put them all together for a beautiful set of wedding jewelry. I love flowers as jewelry because they are so feminine. They also are a lighthearted accessory perfect for a garden wedding.

edit: these are really heavy!

Blog title is from lyrics by Jewel

You're the one that I want

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In my daily search for beautiful invites I stumbled upon the Future Mrs. Darcy, a quirky invitation designer whose portfolio holds invitations named after famous couples (Sloane & Ferris, Rose & Jack). What caught my eye was a pink invite with black calligraphy. That invitation suite turned out to be titled "Sandy & Danny" who happen to be the main characters in my favorite movie of all time, Grease! I never thought of incorporating the movie into our wedding details until I saw the invitation suite. It's fanciful and simple, the shade of pink is sweet and light. Definitely file this under possible stationery.

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Love the place card with Rizzon and Kinickie :) Totally cute. And love how the table number is so flowy.

The Future Mrs. Darcy has an Etsy shop and blog to check out.

Blog title is from lyrics by John Farrar

And now that your rose is in bloom

A.C. Postel Memorial Garden, more commonly known as the Mission Rose Gardens, is located just a block from Old Mission Santa Barbara. We pass the rose garden every week on our way to mass. There are always people walking amongst the roses, and over the summer we would see small wedding ceremonies or bridal parties posing for photos. Last Saturday we decided to stop by and enjoy the beauty. Little did we know just how much beauty was in store for us.

At the foot of a sprawling, hilly lawn the rose gardens have neatly styled flower beds with dozens of award winning roses. Wide paths allow you to walk through and appreciate each rose. There are benches to enjoy the serene beauty, a fountain to throw coins in, and so many different kinds of roses that your head will spin. Roses include sweet surrender, belle story, pillow fight, all that jazz and honey perfume. Some are soft and grow low to the ground, some rise to over six feet. All are beautiful. Walking through and seeing the slight variations of colors reminded me of the song 'painting the roses red' in Alice in Wonderland.

I did some research and wedding ceremonies can be held at the rose gardens, the capacity is 50. Although small in size, a rose garden ceremony is so great for the spring time and would provide a very intimate feel. With the Mission in the background and surrounded by nature and fragrant roses, this location would be something I'd consider if my guest list was smaller.

Pink and reminiscent of ruffles. Belle story is such a pretty rose.

Sidewalk on the way to the rose gardens. The grounds are so well kept.

Fountain on Plaza Rubio Street.


I like the pink and peach hues of the roses above.

These rosebushes rise to above six feet. My love standing at 5'10'' for reference.

Pretty peachish flower. The petals are so delicate. Looks like it would make and awesome brooch.

I love how these rose petals go from white to a pink/purple color.

Took this last photo at sunset. The light was so beautiful. It's really amazing the slight variances in each of the roses.

Blog title is from lyrics by Seal

Trying so hard, saving up the paper

My two piggy banks hold nickles and dimes :)

An interesting conundrum. I've heard and read that in American tradition that the bride's family pays for the wedding, but it's Filipino tradition that the groom's family pays for the wedding. How random that I am Filipino-American and future hubs is Caucasian, and we find ourselves in a with varying traditions. Luckily tradition won't hold much clout in regards to the wedding budget, and I really don't like it when anyone tells me what to do (which is what could happen if family paid for the wedding), so we came to the agreement that we would share in the wedding costs.

Of course saving money is easier said than done and piggy banks can only hold so many coins. So we created a savings plan. We started a joint savings account for monthly deposits, have mutual funds that have gone up and down :(, and are trying to focus on and purchase essentials. The plan is going well so far, and it does feel nice when interest is accumulated in our savings account every month. So that makes me happy. We have also listed what aspects of the wedding are important to us (food, venue, photography) and will have a tighter budget on the other things like transportation and hotel.

Any tips on better ways to save, how you're organizing your budget?

Blog title is from lyrics by Gwen Stefani

You mix and match it girls

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Planning tends to gets so serious that it's nice to take a break to just play and create. While browsing the knot I found my inner bride, a fun program that lets you make yourself a character/icon/avatar. You can choose face shapes, body types, hair color & styles, dresses, accessories, backgrounds, and so much more. You can mix and match your dress, veil, jewelry, accessories. The details are simple and allow you to put together looks you enjoy. I played with necklines and skirt styles and hair styles. While nothing beats the real, this program is just a nice break time treat.

Blog title is from lyrics by Gwen Stefani

We search for something new

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When first searching for websites related to weddings in Santa Barbara I stumbled upon the Santa Barbara Wedding Guide.

It's a website that lists plenty of local resources for local Santa Barbara and destination brides. There is an extensive directory of services (makeup, music, photographers, coordinators, etc), a very helpful location finder (which helped us narrow down our search), inspirational wedding albums, idea galleries, and a discussion forum.

I found it very helpful in researching local photographers and reading many of their blogs, and finding caterers in the area and the type of food they have to offer. I have also swooned over locations like the Bacara, Biltmore, and Montecito Country Club, and enjoyed viewing the more historical locations like Presidio Chapel, Old Mission SB, SB Courthouse Sunken Gardens, and SB Greek Orthodox Church.

This guide works well if you are in your beginning planning stages and it's always fun to check back to see wedding album updates. Check it out!

Blog title is from lyrics by the Bouncing Souls

"I search for something to compare you to, thought long and hard for a simile true, now I'm suddenly aware, in the quest you're beyond compare." -311

And it wouldn't be the same without you

I have been thinking about our guest list for-ev-errr. My friends and I have talked about it in college, told each other on drunken nights that they'd be at the wedding, and wrote list upon list. Then I got engaged and began to compile the official list. And after listing immediate family things became more complex. While my love had a good number of friends and family to add, my list would be larger. You see, I have a huge Filipino family filled with second cousins, godparents, Titos and Titas, and family friends who we regard as extended family. Of course I can't forget high school and college friends. I was considering the relationships I've had with people, those who I currently correspond with, those who have had an impact in my life, and those who are important to my family. I want to include everyone who is special to me. So add it all up and my list almost doubles my love's. Kinda crazy.

So the count currently stands at 183. We started with two columns (his and hers) but now will combine to a nice, orderly, alphabetical spreadsheet. Here are a few that I have found helpful: Martha Stewart Weddings Planning Tools and a wedding planning spreadsheet blogged about on Weddingbee.

I really hope this helps me keep organized.

Blog title is from lyrics by MxPx

A creature conditioned to enjoy matrimony

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I love wedding movies (Wedding Singer, The Sweetest Thing, My Big Fat Greek Wedding), and I love Kate Hudson & Anne Hathaway, and I can't wait to see this movie! It's filled with planning, flowers, locations, dresses, spray tans, blue hair, and everything that wraps your mind up regarding your wedding. The friends become so engulfed in the details and trying to out do the other that they forget their friendship and the meaning of marriage. I really hope I don't get wrapped up in everything that I forget to see clearly.

Bride Wars looks like light-hearted fun, perfect to set the mood for wedding planning and to remind you about what's important.

Blog title is from lyrics by No Doubt

Ooh I got a crush on you

A darling corner café, Curshcakes Cupcakery has a clever and cute saying, "You never forget your first crush." We stumbled upon it while driving on Anacapa towards downtown, and since we love cupcakes we had to pay this place a visit. On our first trip there, they had closed early because they had sold out. A good sign of their popularity. So we returned the following Saturday, earlier in the afternoon to maker sure we could purchase a few treats.

The store is small and quaint, with bar seating inside and tables and chairs outside. A few beverages are available, as well as peace offerings merchandise. You can see the kitchen past the front counter and smell the sweet, freshly baked cupcakes. Cupcakes are grouped together by flavor and displayed on glass cake stands of varying heights. With a few flavors to choose from, we decided on crumbcake, cookies and cream, peanut butter, lemon drop, and the signature crushcake (red velvet).

Strawberry Blush looked so delicate and sweet :)

More cupcakes. So many flavors to fill my tummy.

The atmosphere was real mellow so we enjoyed a cupcake on their outdoor seating.

My favorite had to be the peanut butter cupcake. Its frosting has just the right amount of sweetness to the light and fluffy cupcake, and the texture plays very well with each bite.

My love getting ready to enjoy the lemon drop cupcake. Lemon drops are my favorite drink so I was really looking forward to the taste.

One bite and I was hooked. Light lemon flavor for the cake and just the right amount of tart for the frosting. Mmm.

We enjoyed all the cupcakes we purchased and really like all of the classic flavors available. It's great to know that Crushcakes caters so we are considering them as a vendor. I know the cupcake craze has died down considerably, but I still love them :) Plus, how could I forget my first crush?


Blog title is from lyrics by Mandy Moore

"I'm dying to know do you do you like dreaming of things so impossible, or only the practical or even the wild, or waiting through all your bad bad days, just to end them with someone you care about, and do you like making out and long drives and brown eyes and guys that just don't quite fit in, yeah do you like them." -Dashboard Confessional

Sing, sing a song

The blogger Wedding Poop just published this post about how she and her fiance got together and what song describes their relationship. It was a great post and I totally agree that songs and lyrics can bring me back to a certain time, place, situation, memory. I thought about songs a lot today. They say so much about a period of time, say things with such emotion and feeling, and say what you want to say.

Right now I'm on a love song kick. And I am in love with "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional. I think it eloquently states what we feel about each other and how we see our relationship right now. It's an end of summer, relaxed, love song. It's something that I could build the wedding theme around. When I listen to it I imagine the reception, the first dance, and singing this to each other while we dance.

Below is the video. Pure bliss. We are going to see Dashboard tonight at Staples Center! Woot!

Blog title is from lyrics by The Carpenters

• Dashboard Confessional
• New Music

The sweetness of the flowers

I am totally obsessed with flowers. The delicate beauty, simplicity, colors, fragrance, symmetry, and effervescence just capture my heart. The colors and shape are so natural. I always stop to enjoy their beauty/take a photo. And I hope to be able to incorporate all kinds of flowers to every detail in of the wedding.
Hibiscus would be awesome for a beach theme. Wear them in your hair, on your lapel, incorporated into your bouquet.

Variations of purple and yellow are another current obsession :) I really hope to see more brides use it as their colors.

These yellow and white flowers are so delicate. They would look really good in one's hair.

Above is my friend's bouquet. The orange flowers are so huge, love them.

My family knows my love for flowers extends to all parts of my life. From perfumes to jewelry, brooches to art.

Marc Jacobs Daisy :) So sweet. The bottle is quite possibly the cutest perfume bottle I've seen. Gardenia by Chanel is my favorite scent of all time.

Above are a few brooches, a hair clip, and a little felt flower. Any sort of flower brooch reminds me of Carrie Bradshaw.

Tarina Tarantino lucite carved rose bracelets. Chunky and cute, would look good on bridesmaids' wrists.

Tarina Tarantino rings with swarovski crystals. I love these rings, they're so perfect to wear for a wedding.

Takashi Murakami produces some adorable flowers, smiling faces and all. His exhibit at MOCA was ridiculous. I bought the smiling flowers to hang on my purse. They also have safety pins on the back so you can wear them like a brooch.

Blog title is from lyrics by 311
...
I recently saw photos from this wedding. Stylish like no other!