Bridal Shower and Bachelorette!

Last weekend, my incredible bridesmaids threw me the most phenomenal bridal shower and bachelorette party! The most touching part of the day was that everyone chipped in to help - I felt so honored that all the girls worked together to create such an amazing weekend.

After watching my amazing fiance graduate from his Master's program, Jenn drove me out to the shower. Heidi hosted at her condo in Simi Valley, and ALL of my bridesmaids plus a few very close friends joined for a wonderful afternoon. The girls put out a delicious spread, and Heidi got the most delightful cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes (get it?!?!) - chocolate chocolate chip with cream cheese frosting...delightful, indeed! We ate and caught up a bit before Winnie hosted a few games. I've been lucky not to suffer through any cheesy games, and this shower was no exception. Winnie had contacted Terry ahead of time to ask him some trivia questions, which I then also had to answer. Overall, I answered most questions correctly, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the sweet answers responses Terry provided. Winnie also set up a game where the girls had to write one thing they hope Terry and I will do, see, or accomplish in our first year of marriage - and one "bedroom" (?) thing they hope we will do in the same amount of time. The answers were hilarious - I loved the game! For this shower, my girls focused on ensuring that Terry really enjoys the honeymoon. They did a great job, and I know he will be quite appreciative! One of my favorite moments of the day? Fay's gift - not a nightie but a turkey roaster. Super sexy indeed!

After the shower, we all headed over to Universal City to check into our hotel and dress up for the evening festivities. Special thanks to Arcadia for providing the soundtrack that got us all pumped up - good ol' Britney does it every time! We waltzed over to City Walk in our unrealistically high heels for a Buca di Beppo dinner, where a few more girls joined us. Then it was off to the main event - Howl at the Moon! I LOVE piano bars, and the girls indulged me with a whole night of singing along, dancing, and laughing way too much. We eventually all got pulled on stage because we were obviously having a blast.

After all the insanity, we hobbled back to the hotel and soaked our poor feet. It was an awesome girls' night out, and I can't thank my bridesmaids enough for organizing everything. From the shower to the night out, I had a perfect bachelorette weekend! Pictures to come...maybe. :-)

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 Ladies

I feel quite blessed to have truly wonderful ladies in my life. I don't have a sister, so my friends are my sisters, and I cannot imagine a better group of ladies! Plus, they all look great in pictures, and isn't that what really matters?



Winnie Ko | Maid (soon-to-be-Matron!) of Honor
Winnie and I met the summer after my second year at UCLA, in the Orientation Program. Her now-fiance, soon-to-be-husband, Brian, and I became great friends that summer, and Winnie and I grew close as their romance bloomed the following year. Between late-night Papa John's pizza, long talks about the men we love, and common friends and interests, Winnie and I have truly grown up together over the last few years. Terry and I love spending time with Winnie and Brian as often as we can, and Brian will also be a groomsman in the wedding! (Check out Terry's post about it here!) Winnie is generous, loving, and truly kind. She currently lives in my hometown, Fremont, and works in San Francisco in Public Relations. She and Brian will be moving after their wedding this August. I am so excited to have her next to me as Terry and I say our vows!



Fay Gordon | Bridesmaid
Fay now lives in Baltimore but still lights up my day whenever I hear from her. We are the millennium version of pen pals, except when Fay makes it out to California for a quick catch up over breakfast or a walk. Fay and I met through the Orientation Program as well, but we actually knew each other through the World Arts and Cultures major at UCLA first. I have always admired Fay's beauty, positivity, kindness, and sense of humor, and she makes me smile every time we chat. Fay is in her last semester of law school at the University of Maryland, and I am so excited to have her back in California soon! Knowing Fay will be with me as I marry Terry is such a wonderful honor.



Jennifer Marcella | Bridesmaid
In Fall 2005, after getting acquainted (also through the Orientation Program at UCLA), Jenn jetted off to Spain to study abroad for a few months. Several weeks into her trip, I received an e-mail detailing her European adventures, and our friendship took off. Jenn and I, both educators (preschool and high school, respectively), have an incredible talent for balancing excruciatingly detailed conversations about fashion with equally stimulating discussions about the most recent educational research articles. Jenn is currently working toward her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education at UCLA and living with Terry and me in West LA. She is hilarious, sweet, and the definition of fun, so she'll be the life of the party at the wedding!



Amanda Schroeder | Bridesmaid
Amanda is one of the most hilarious people I know. We have a wonderfully sarcastic relationship, which began with a few jokes on Orientation Staff and developed into a true bond. We even lived together for a bit during Amanda's senior year (she did move out rather quickly, though, now that I think of it). Amanda gets me through tough days via Gchat, and she always knows how to time her humor perfectly to get me laughing. Additionally, Amanda hates being late, and she doesn't really like it when other people are late, so we know that she will get us all to the wedding on time. Amanda has been working hard for two years and is currently applying to business schools, so she will soon be an even more brilliant businesswoman. She majored in math and has an incredible career ahead!



Heidi Stohlman | Bridesmaid
Heidi and I met through the UCLA Spirit Squad in 2004, when she was a cheerleader and I was on the Dance Team. Heidi is always bursting with optimism and has the world's brightest smile. She and I lived together our senior year of college, and it has been an incredible blessing to grow closer to her and her future husband, Edward (wedding countdown: two and a half months!). One awesome memory we share is that Terry and I helped set up for and take pictures of Heidi and Ed's engagement, and they returned the favor when Terry proposed! Heidi is almost finished with her Masters in Physical Therapy through Cal State Northridge and will begin her career as a physical therapist this summer. (We are considering free massages as our wedding favors.)


UCLA certainly blessed me with some phenomenal women, and I cannot imagine my wedding without this fab five up there with me. Between the inevitable showers, parties, preparations, DIY disasters, dress bustling, and toasts, I hope to find a way to show them each how much they mean to me. I love that despite distance (well, except for Jenn), careers, school, bad cell phone service, and the traffic in LA, we've managed to stay close three years out of college, and I hope that friendship continues well into the future!