Honeymoon Hotels!

We reserved all of our hotels for our honeymoon! We researched a few hundred hotels, read eight thousand reviews, and finally booked. We have a travel agent who has always booked our cruises, and we have been able to use her advice to find the best locations for our stays in London and Italy.

In case you missed our other posts, here's the honeymoon agenda: Our wedding is on a Saturday, and we spend that night in Pleasanton at the gorgeous Rose Hotel. The following day is a brunch at my parents' house with the bridal party, and we'll hopefully be able to catch up on some sleep. We leave the next day, Monday, and land in London on Tuesday. For our week in London, we will stay at the Rubens Hotel, the closest hotel to Buckingham Palace. We'll spend the week exploring London's biggest attractions, including but not limited to the castles, cathedrals, shopping centers, restaurants, parks, pubs, and theatres. We'll also venture out to Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare's birthplace, and Terry's letting me enjoy a full day of English major geekiness basking in the history of Queen Elizabeth and Shakespeare.


After London, we head to the Amalfi Coast. Our hotel for three nights is in Vietri sul Mare. Hotel Raito is nestled right on the coast overlooking the gorgeous coastal waters in Italy. We mentioned previously that we found a great deal for this hotel through Luxury Link, and we are so excited for the few days to truly relax on our big trip. We get massages as part of our package, but the rest of the stay here will include hikes, breakfast on the balcony, and checking out the small towns along the coast.


Finally, the last leg of our trip is four nights in Rome. We will stay at the popular Hotel Artemide, only a short walk to the Spanish Steps and the heart of Rome. Our focus in Rome is historical sight seeing and tons of food. We have several friends providing must-see tips, so we can't wait to pack it all into our last few days.

So that's the plan! We can't wait for the wedding, but the honeymoon will truly kick off what's sure to be an awesome lifetime of traveling together. I'm a pretty lucky girl to get such a great travel buddy!

Boun Appetito!

Terry here! It has been a long time since I've posted. Sorry to everyone about that; I know how much people have missed my blogging, and I apologize that you've had to suffer through Julie's continuous posts (love you, Jules!).

Anyway, between work, school (I'll be done in June!), running (taking part in a Ragnar relay - www.ragnarrelay.com), I haven't made time to get to the ol' blog. But now I get to talk about the really important part of the wedding: the food!

On January 19th, Jules and I had a whirlwind day that ended with us flying from LA to San Jose, and driving out to Pleasanton for our tasting. We would have much preferred to have gone up another day, but we would have sacrificed getting to try the whole menu. We arrived at the Palm Event Center a few minutes early and were greeted with glass of champagne. The tasting itself took place in the Estate Room, which is the room in which our ceremony will be. We were seated with three other couples, all of whom are getting married the holiday weekend before us. It was really nice getting to chat with these couples and we ended up walking away from the night with several new ideas and things to consider for our big day.

The tasting started with a sampling of the passed hors d'oeuvres. Laid before was a platter with an eggplant caponata on crostini, a crab salad with preserved lemon, a smoked sausage stuffed mushroom, a mini Reuben sandwich with sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing, and a chorizo and date wrapped in bacon. The eggplant crostini was very light, prepared in a vinaigrette without a heavy flavor of eggplant. Julie and I were big fans of this appetizer and thought that this would be quite nice on a hot summer day. The crab salad was prepared in a little wafer, so it's still a finger food treat. This, too, was light, but lemony and refreshing as well. I love seafood, so I was already gung-ho on this one, and thankfully Julie didn't need any convincing. We had one more appetizer to choose! The sausage stuffed mushroom did not make the list. It wasn't just the right flavor for our liking (I thought there was a little too much cumin). So it came down to the Reuben and bacon wrapped chorizo and date. The mini sandwich was very tasty, and I was actually surprised Julie liked it as she's not a fan of sauerkraut. But the chorizo and date in bacon? Wow! I was sold on it. It's spicy and sweet, with the right amount of bacon (and how can you go wrong with bacon?). Julie and I talked it over, and though the Reuben was good, it's a Reuben. Compared to the chorizo and date, it just didn't hold a candle. So our passed hors d'oeuvres will be the eggplant crostini, crab salad, and the bacon wrapped chorizo and date.

In addition to the passed appetizers, we will also have an appetizer table. We weren't served any of the food for this as it all comes with our booking of the venue. So our guests will all get to enjoy cheeses, salamis, peppers, artichoke dip, and Spanish meatballs! Yum yum!

Onto the sit down portion of the meal. We began with three salads: a caesar, a classic wedge, and mixed green and pear salad. All were great, but the one that stood out was the pear salad. In addition to the greens and pears, the salad was topped with candied walnuts, crumbled blue cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette. It was delightful!

The entrees were definitely a feat to finish as there were 9 and we'd already had plenty for starters. First came the fish and vegetarian choices: a basil and brown sugar salmon, a seasonal white fish with chili ponzu and scallions, and a red chard and sweet onion ravioli with carrot-nutmeg beurre blanc. The white fish was light and flaky, and the chili ponzu had a nice kick to it. The salmon was oh so buttery with a light crust of brown sugar. But the surprise of the night was the ravioli! The sauce was sweet and complemented the red chard and sweet onion perfectly. I think it may have been the only dish that Julie ate the entire thing of (I polished off her other dishes). The dish was also the talk of the table well past the other entrees.

The second course consisted of chicken and pork. We had a chicken saltimbocca with onion soubise, pan-seared chicken with wild mushroom and sweet wine butter sauce, and Carloina-style BBQ pork loin with crispy onions. Again, everything was delicious. We particularly liked the chicken with wild mushroom and sweet wine butter sauce. To give you a better picture, the chef referred to it as the butterscotch chicken. It was definitely sweet, but the taste was so unique! At the end of the course, that was the front runner.

The third, and final course had the red meat: a grilled New York with brandy and green peppercorn sauce with buttermilk shallots; braised beef short ribs with upland cress and fig demi; and marinated tri-tip with red wine demi, sauteed mushrooms, and crumbled blue cheese. Everything was good, but we felt the New York was a little over done. The short ribs were super tender, and the tri-tip was prepared to perfection. At the end of the meal we were torn between those two dishes.

Well, in the end, we had to choose two of the nine entrees. We absolutely loved the ravioli, so that was in. Now we had to choose between the butterscotch chicken, short ribs, and tri-tip. After talking it over on the way home, we agreed that the ravioli and the chicken would be too much sweetness for the night (and we hadn't even gotten to the cake). Between the short ribs and tri-tip, it came down to the fact that the tri-tip had that little something extra to push it ahead of the competition. So we will be enjoying the ravioli and tri-tip.

A few things. If you're concerned about what you're going to choose to eat because everything sounds good, don't worry! Julie and I have decided that we're going to serve a family style dinner, so the food will be brought out on platters to the table for all to share and enjoy! Second, if your mouth is already watering over the menu, just remember that the menu may change ever so slightly as things go in and out of season, but that really only applies to the small details of the dishes.

So that was our tasting. Phew, I'm out of shape when it comes to typing. I'm winded from writing this, and now I really need to eat something.

Until next time!

More Girly Stuff - Fitting and Footwear

I wasn't sure what to expect at my first fitting. Too many episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" have convinced me that there is bound to be something wrong with the dress. Either it will be the wrong color or the wrong size or an entirely different dress. Luckily, those nightmares only seem to happen to reality show participants, not little ol' me. So the dress is perfect. I could get away with no alterations if I wanted to, because the size was exactly right. I don't even need a hem, fairly rare in the wedding world. My mom is thrilled - alterations can be pricey - but we still have some adjustments to make. For one thing, dresses don't come with bustles, which I didn't know, so we have to get the ribbons for the bustle sewn in. Also, my dress has a corset, so if my waist size changes at all I may need an alteration closer to the wedding. But for now, it fits great!

I'm so grateful for J'aime Bridal, the salon where I purchased my gown. They will store my gown until I am ready to get it, and they'll steam the dress and veil before the wedding. I have received truly phenomenal service from them, and they are attentive, professional, and genuinely invested in their work. I know I'll continue to be impressed with them over the next few months.

One very important aspect of any fitting is to bring the shoes for the big day...and I bought mine! Last weekend, I headed to DSW and Macy's and successfully purchased my shoes for the big day. It's no secret that I've always wanted to wear tennis shoes at my wedding, a la Father of the Bride, and that's definitely happening. They won't look exactly the same, but my mom's working on decorating a pair for me.

Shoes similar to the ones worn in Father of the Bride,
from Wedding Tennies & Formal Shoes.

But for the ceremony, I wanted to class things up a bit with some sparkly heels. I have never been so excited (or excited at all, I think) about shoes, but I think they're going to look awesome!

The details are all coming together beautifully. We're really having a blast with all the planning!

A Girly Day Indeed

Over Martin Luther King weekend, my amazing matron of honor arranged for all of my bridesmaids and me to shop for dresses and enjoy brunch together. Getting all of us together seemed nothing short of a miracle, given that only Jenn and I live in the same city. But Amanda came down from North Hollywood, Heidi drove out from Simi Valley, Winnie flew in from the Bay Area, and Fay (squeezing in a visit with her parents) traveled all the way out from Baltimore. I am so grateful that we had the chance to pick out the dresses together and catch up.

To select bridesmaid dresses, I looked through what seemed like hundreds of magazines, probably even more than I looked through for wedding gowns. I wanted all of my bridesmaids to have some options so we could try to come to some kind of consensus. At a bridal fair awhile back, I had seen a David's Bridal dress on display that was the perfect color, so I figured we should start there. With reasonable prices, good selection, and tons of convenient locations, it seemed to make the most sense. So I chose a few of my favorites, Winnie put them up to a vote, and we headed in, none of us really sure of what to expect.

Here were my priorities in looking for the right look:

• Comfort - In regard to the look and the actual fit, I wanted everyone to feel comfortable. It's a long day, and I expect these girls to keep the party going on the dance floor. So they need to be able to breathe and move!
  
• Material - Pleasanton in July gets to 100+ degrees. Regardless of the fact that our wedding is indoors, we still have to take pictures outside, so I'm hoping at least they won't feel like they're actually going to melt.
  
• Price - Obvious, perhaps, but dresses can be expensive. Everyone has a different taste, so it's entirely possible this will be a one-time-only dress.
• Color - Our color is a pretty specific shade of olive green, and DB had it. Done.
• Length - Since we're going for formal and it's an evening wedding, long seemed most fitting. Plus, long dresses mean the girls can wear any shoes they want. Once we got to the store, I was definitely willing to be flexible on length as necessary, but we ended up with long anyway.

In all, the process felt relatively painless. I am so grateful to have such mellow, accommodating bridesmaids; the day flowed so smoothly as we asked our consultant for what seemed like an endless line of dress options. All the girls looked amazing in everything, but some dresses looked too - for lack of a better word - bridesmaidy. I know, what was I expecting, right? And then finally, we found a winner. Everyone looked amazing, the material was unbelievably comfortable, and the price wasn't too bad. We had a blast trying on and picking out dresses, and the girls are going to look stunning on the big day.

Brunch was at an adorable little cafe in Redondo Beach, Creme de la Crepe, complete with mimosas and lots of Nutella. I am so lucky to have such beautiful, sweet, generous friends, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience picking out dresses. We're one step closer to the big day!

Here are some pictures of dresses we didn't end up with, sadly.

Well hello, kitty!

For the patriot in us all.

The color just wasn't right on this one.


If these didn't look too warm for summer, we would have had
an entirely different blog post here.

The results are in!

Just a quick little note to let you know that our engagement pictures from our wedding photographer, Rhee Bevere, are available for viewing. If you're interested in seeing our photos, click here, sign the guest book, and enjoy! We absolutely LOVE the pictures and can't wait for the wedding pictures!

Photos Galore...Finally!

Terry and I are learning that we're bad luck when it comes to photos. Hopefully this isn't a preview of our wedding day, but we have had more weather issues than we thought possible. Finally, after SEVERAL rain checks, we have finished all of our engagement pictures.

As mentioned in an earlier post, our good friend Roxanne is building her portfolio and has generously offered to shoot us on two separate occasions. This time, we headed out to our alma mater and our favorite place, UCLA's gorgeous campus. We feel so lucky that we were able to take pictures on campus, and now we'll have even more variety in our photos. After trying several different dates, we ended up with an awesome LA day, complete with blue skies and sunshine. And, lucky for us, we already know that the pictures are going to come out great! Here's a little peek:

Photo by Roxanne Neal

After the holidays, we managed to squeeze in our professional engagement session with our wedding photographer, Rhee Bevere. We originally had the idea to do a themed shoot, but the weather refused to cooperate (see? I told you we're bad luck). So we headed to downtown San Jose for an urban shoot, and we actually fell in love with the idea by the time we started. Rhee made us feel super comfortable, and Terry and I had a blast hanging out with her, despite the 40 degree weather. The session got us so pumped for the big day's pictures, and we can't wait to see how the photos turn out! Once we get pictures back, they'll be up here for sure. Thanks to Rox and Rhee for being awesome!

Save the Dates How To

Our save the dates went out about two months ago, and I'm finally getting around to all the details for those who might be interested. I only post this because I know how helpful it's been to me when I find miscellaneous brides' blogs and learn awesome DIY tips, money-saving advice, and super cute ideas. I've also benefited from generous advice from recent brides, including two couples from our wedding party, Heidi and Ed and Winnie and Brian. Thanks for all the tips, guys!

So here we go. We looked at a million ideas, and ultimately we liked the magnet idea. We like posting save the dates from friends on our fridge, and we even keep the ones with pictures because they're so darn cute! So a picture on a magnet seemed simple enough, but we really wanted to design our own image. We had a picture all set - we chose one from some pictures our friend Rox took at the beach awhile back- and we knew we were working with the wine theme, so Terry set off to work.

Terry used Adobe Illustrator to create the image for the save the date. He created his own shapes for the grapes, leaves, and vines, and then we played around with colors and fonts. The design process took way longer than expected, especially because my adorable fiance is such a perfectionist. In the end, the result looked awesome!

Once we had the image, I purchased the magnets through Vista Print online. We chose the Large Business Magnets and uploaded Terry's design. Vista Print has tons of coupon codes around the Internet, so we got 50% off our total order. The magnets came within just a few days, and they were perfect! We didn't have to do any extra work beyond stuffing and sending!

For the envelopes, we chose Paper Source's A2 envelopes in Moss, added a grape stamp to the back, and painstakingly wrote each address according to my etiquette book's guidelines. Terry picked up some cute wedding-themed postage stamps, and I found another great discount on personalized return address labels at Vista Print, complete with our picture (another from Rox).

The finished save the date!

The finished envelope (I know, super dorky), along with the return label.

Scout helped as I stamped all the envelopes.


Terry was thrilled that I took this cheesy
picture of him sending out the finished project.

The save the dates were super easy, fun, and a great first little project for us. On to the next!

Happy New Year!

The holidays brought so much great news in our lives, and we have so much to share, so I'll focus on those exciting announcements.

First, my awesome mom finally retired after 33 years with the Menlo Park Police Department. We are so proud of her, and we had a great time celebrating while we stayed with them after Christmas. I'm so excited to have my parents visit more and really enjoy life (not that they don't already). Congratulations, Mom!

Secondly, HUGE news in the wedding world: My big brother is getting married! He proposed on Christmas morning to my awesome future sister-in-law, Ashley, and they are an incredible couple. We look forward to their wedding planning adventure and sharing the amazing future they have ahead! Congratulations to Chris and Ashley!

Aren't they a gorgeous couple? I can't wait for my nieces and nephews!

We also celebrated the holidays with both sides of the family this Christmas, and it was really a pleasure to get to spend time with each of our parents and brothers. We are excited about the new year, the year we will take our vows and become husband and wife! Get ready for the big stuff - we're nearly at the six month mark!