The Backyard Bride

Signing Off...

2009-12-07T19:39:00.028-06:00

As the title indicates, this will be my final post, but before I say goodbye, I wanted to post some photos of the big day. In all honesty, The Backyard Wedding turned out to be more beautiful, more fun and full of more love than I ever thought possible. I'll be eternally grateful for every minute and every detail, from the sheer giddy girlish joy of finally becoming a bride...

...to getting to pose for photos with my amazing family and non-bridesmaids...

...to walking down an aisle lit by candles on my dad's arm...

...to hearing my dad read the ceremony we'd written together while I was looking at The Backyard Groom and crying happy tears...

...to getting a new piece of bling...

...to becoming husband and wife...

...to staring moony-eyed at each other all night...

...to seeing a simple suburban backyard turned into my dream wedding venue...

...to getting some new family members...

...to dancing with my dad...

...to getting cake smashed in my face...

...to dancing with The Backyard Groom, I mean The Backyard Husband...

...to seeing all my favorite people having fun on the dance floor...

...to just plain being MARRIED!

Thank you for following along on my journey to the altar. Blogging about my experiences as The Backyard Bride made all the stresses of planning a wedding so much more enjoyable and memorable for me. As I move on to the next phase of my life, I wish you all the best for your weddings and, more importantly, for everything that comes after the "I do."

xoxo,

The Backyard Wife

Picture Preview

2009-12-01T11:15:00.002-06:00

I think we're getting close to having pictures ready to share, but I couldn't wait any longer to post this one.

The Backyard Wife

2009-11-09T10:45:00.003-06:00

It's official! We lucked out with some truly gorgeous weather on Saturday night, and our little backyard wedding went off without a hitch. I literally had the time of my life surrounded by all the people I love most in the world. I'll have pictures and much more after we get back from our honeymoon, but for now, here's a photo MY HUSBAND snapped of me getting down on the dance floor. Cheers!

The final countdown

2009-11-05T08:15:00.002-06:00

Today is my last day at work before the wedding, making it also my last day at work as a legally single lady. Today is also my last Thursday as a legally single lady. Tonight I will be hanging out with some of my favorite ladies in the world celebrating the end of that singleness. Tomorrow we put the finishing touches on The Backyard, and we rehearse the ceremony that will unite us forever. Then Saturday is it, the day we officially become husband and wife.

Thank you to all of you who have been following along on my journey and offering your input and advice. It's been so much fun to share all of my plans, albeit anonymously, on this blog.

I can't believe that the next time I post, I'll be The Backyard Wife!

A new something blue

2009-11-04T11:10:00.004-06:00

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the horror of realizing during my dress fitting that my beautiful light blue Hanky Panky underthings with "Bride" on them in rhinestones showed through my dress. So sad and so back at square one in trying to find my something blue.

In my hunt for something different that wouldn't take away from the accessories I'd already planned, I came across some blue rhinestone shoe appliques on a blog. I can't remember where I first saw them, but I Googled for a place to purchase them and stumbled on Mindy Weiss' eStore. For $3.75, those bad boys were mine.

They arrived last night, and I easily peeled them off to put on the arches of my red wedding shoes. Check out the finished product (sorry about the iPhone camera shot):

I love that any time I wear the shoes after the wedding, I'll still get a little flurry of bridal bliss when I take a peek at the soles.

Tailor Made

2009-11-03T14:36:00.002-06:00

I have so many more wedding things and photos to blog about, but I'll probably hold off on most things until after the big day. But just in case any other Austin brides out there are in need of a tailor, I wanted to offer a quick review of mine.

In early October, I was eagerly following fellow Austinite A Bride...Again's tailoring tales. She graciously sent me emails detailing her experiences with her tailor after her initial glowing review inspired me to contact her. Over the next couple of weeks, she had to deal with some bumps, which she is now detailing on her blog, so I decided to look for someone else.

After searching for bridal alterations on Yelp, I came across Nelda's Tailors, which was not only highly rated, but also less than five minutes from my office. My experience with Nelda's was great. I brought my dress in with only three weeks to go until the wedding, and they still finished all the alterations with more than a week to spare. I had the bust taken in, the hem shortened (tricky business with beaded organza) and an absolutely gorgeous French bustle put in, all for half the price of what Alfred Angelo had quoted me for alterations.

So for any Austin brides out there, I highly recommend Nelda's Tailors on Airport Blvd. In fact, I think I'll be taking all my post-wedding married clothes there to be altered as well.

I'm getting married in five days, yo!

2009-11-02T16:11:00.002-06:00

I cannot believe The Backyard Wedding will be here in five days. I just can't wrap my head around it. And to add fun to even more fun, my birthday is tomorrow, and all my favorite ladies (aka, the Non-Bridesmaids) will be rolling into town on Thursday for my bachelorette party/hen night. Non-Bridesmaid C. even made a similarly awesome invitation for the party that echoes our wedding invite.

So with five days to go, the weather is lovely here in Austin and looks to continue on track with that loveliness through the weekend. I could not be more excited.

The past few weeks have been nonstop drama and activity, and I'm thrilled to just sit back and enjoy everything as much as possible for these next five days. I won't bother recapping all that's happened in the past week, but suffice to say, it has literally been nonstop. I need a breather. And I'll like that breather even better if it comes with champagne.

One week from now, I'll be married. I just can't believe it.

Putting on my bridal face

2009-10-23T12:05:00.009-05:00

Earlier this month, I talked about my wedding day make-up and how I wasn't sure if I'd go the pro route or do a department store counter DIY tutorial. Well, during my hair trial, my stylist talked up the new make-up artist at the salon, and I just couldn't resist booking a trial to see if having someone else apply my make-up was worth it.

After my trial, I can confidently say it's worth it, if only because it's so blissfully relaxing to shut your eyes, face away from a mirror and let someone else take care of the dirty work for you. And I'm pretty pleased with the results. I didn't end up bringing my inspiration pictures along with me (oops) but I feel like the look I got is similar.

What do you think?

I liked it, and while The Backyard Groom loved the eyes, he thought the lips were a wee bit intense, probably because he's never seen me in red lipstick before. I'm pretty much a neutral gloss kind of gal, so he took another photo of me wearing some neutral gloss.

Sorry about the goofy face. I was tired of smiling at this point, as you can probably tell by my strained smile below.

So which look do you like best - bright lips or low-key gloss?

Catching up

2009-10-22T14:48:00.002-05:00

After the flurry of posts during Decision Week, I took a break from blogging to get some wedding-related tasks done. So now I'm playing catch-up.

First up, we got our marriage license! Woohoo! I should have thought to take a photo of us standing outside the non-descript office of the Travis County Clerk but I forgot. Oops. The day we got our marriage license also marked the day that we had our very first date six long years ago. I thought that was some nice symmetry.

Next, there have been alterations galore! The Backyard Groom's suit completed its round of alterations, while I (finally) took my dress in for my first fitting. I have to admit that when I was standing in front of a full-length mirror with my dress pinned into place and my red shoes on, I may have gotten a little giddy. I just felt so much like a bride. Between the stress of planning and everything else, I think it's good to get a little reminder of that feeling every once in a while.

Then I had a bridal shower. And it wasn't just any bridal shower, but a lingerie shower. With my old-coworkers. Including my male superiors. Which was admittedly a little awkward and untraditional, but it was still a great time including three of my favorite things: pizza, cake and gorgeous lingerie! I was fully expecting to get something bedecked in pink maribou feathers, but everything I got was beautiful and soft. I can't wait to bring it all on the honeymoon. And they gave me a bouquet of pink roses that have been making my apartment smell lovely all week.

Finally, last night, I had my make-up trial. I'd hemmed and hawed over having my make-up done and ultimately decided to give a formal run-through a try. I loved having my make-up applied. It felt really relaxing, so I think for me it's worth the $45 if only to make things a little less stressful on the big day. I took pictures of the results because I need your opinion on some lip options so I'll be posting those soon.

Thanks again for participating in Decision Week!

Decision Week Day 5: Blue over blue

2009-10-18T10:57:00.002-05:00

Thank you all so much for your opinions and advice throughout Decision Week. I've got one final open-ended question for you guys today. But first, a recap.

Back in May, I posted confidently that I had all my "somethings" figured out, from the old and new to the borrowed and blue. Turns out, I was a bit overconfident.

When I went to get my dress altered late this week, I brought all my undergarments, including my blue "Bride" Hanky Panky thong. With my dress on in front of a full length mirror, I felt giddily bridal. It was fabulous. And then I turned around to admire the back and the pinned French bustle and saw a peek of blue just above my bum. I turned to the seamstress, "Um, can you see the blue through the dress?" She answered, "Oh definitely, but these aren't what you're going to wear on the day of, right?" Um, er, right.

So now do I not only need to get a nude Hanky Panky thong (which I've been wanting to do anyway since I've started purchasing a rainbow of Hanky Panky thongs), but I've also got to figure out my something blue. With three weeks to go. Yikes!

With most of my accessories already determined, what's an easy way for me to get my blue in that won't distract from my overall look? Any ideas?

Decision Week Day 4: Battling indecision

2009-10-15T16:25:00.002-05:00

So I know I promised to show y'all photos from my hair trial yesterday, but I don't have anything to show. Why? Well, even though we tried about four different styles, I didn't really like any of them.

What is it about being a bride? Does it raise your expectations to levels that are just too high?

I'm not sure if my problem was that or simply the problem of having fine, thin, shoulder-length hair that is too thin and too short for many bridal 'dos and too fine to hold one lick of curl.

We tried half up and all up, and none of them tickled my fancy.

So what's a girl to do? I paid for my trial and left with reassurances from my stylist (who is exceedingly awesome and not at fault for my meh feelings) that we would figure it out on the wedding day.

I also left with the remnants of a nixed 'do that included some braids on the side (you can see the inspiration if you scroll down about halfway on this post), and when I got home, I asked for The Backyard Groom's opinion. His response? "You look like you're going to a Bob Marley concert." And then I laughed and didn't care so much about the failed trial.

Today I looked through some photos online and came across an updo that I think might actually work for my curl-challenged, thin hair. Check out Mrs. Sea Breeze's DIY updo from Weddingbee a while back. While I don't think I'm capable of doing my own hair, I think I'll bring these photos along on my wedding day. And as an added bonus, I might still be able to incorporate the hair flower from Decision Day 2.

What do you think?

Decision Week Day 3: Bridal baubles

2009-10-14T14:15:00.007-05:00

In addition to the veil and hair flower, I'll be bringing my jewelry to my hair trial tonight in hopes that she can also weigh in on what will work best with my hair.

I actually never gave much thought about my jewelry until now. When I bought my dress, the bridal consultant at Alfred Angelo talked me into getting a necklace and earring set that she said complimented the dress. I never planned on wearing both together, because that's just a bit too matchy-matchy for my taste, so I figured I would just wear the necklace.

The next time I tried on my dress, I wasn't really digging the necklace look anymore. I'm not sure why; maybe it's because I've always been paranoid about my short neck. And especially once we started tossing around the half-up hair idea, I thought earrings might be the way to go. So I tried on the set that came with the necklace and called it a day. I wasn't in love with them, but I thought they looked nice.

Then when The Backyard Mom and I were hunting for her accessories this weekend at Francesca's Collection, I stumbled across something I liked for me. Yep, another pair of earrings. I like the way they look vaguely vintage.

So, faithful readers, which pair of earrings do you like better?

Decision Week Day 2: What goes on top

2009-10-13T20:30:00.004-05:00

Thank you for your input on the shrug situation!

I've got my hair trial tomorrow night, and I'll be bringing along two different hair accessories. Keep in mind, I'll probably be wearing my hair half-up. I won't know for sure until after the trial, but before that, I'd like to get your opinion on the accessories.

First up, we have the veil. I don't have a good photo because I haven't taken it out of the bag it came in yet, but it's ivory, beaded and fingertip length. And here's what it looks like in a plastic bag:

I'm sorry the photo isn't very helpful, but suffice to say, it's a very traditional veil. I know at the very least that I want to wear the veil for the ceremony, but I'll probably be ready to get rid of it by the reception so I can get my bridal boogie on.

So how about replacing it with a hair flower? I know they are one of the biggest trends in weddings right now, and I never really thought about getting one, but I ran across this one at Nordstrom and decided to try it with my dress. And somehow it actually matches really well.

Here is a close-up of the inside of the flower, which I think echoes the pearl and crystal beading of my dress nicely.

What do you think of the hair flower? Is it a good idea or too much of a good thing?

Decision Week Day 1: Shrug it off

2009-10-12T11:15:00.006-05:00

This weekend was uncharacteristically cold for Austin. We hit the 50s, y'all. Even though it was 90-something on Thursday, the temperature became pretty chilly, which helped remind me that it could very well be cool in November for The Backyard Wedding. So in order to be prepared for that possibility, The Backyard Mom and I went on a hunt for a wrap, shrug or bolero to wear during the reception. I'd seen some boleros I loved on Etsy, but they were way out of my budget.

After hours of shopping, we came up with two contenders, and now I'd love to hear which you like best. As a refresher before you make a decision, my dress is ivory, strapless and beaded with a little lace. It also has a pretty simple shape to it. And I'll be wearing red shoes.

Here is option 1:

It's an ivory shrug made of sweater material with some ruffling. Take a look at the detail below.

Here is option 2:

It's kind of a satiny material with a little shimmer to it and some ruffling as well.

So which do you like best? Any and all opinions would be much appreciated!

Introducing Decision Week!

2009-10-11T18:42:00.007-05:00

The Backyard Mom was in town this weekend, and the two of us spent pretty much the entire weekend running around Austin (like chickens with their heads cut off, as The Backyard Dad would probably say) picking up things for the wedding. We accomplished a lot between getting all the wine and beer and finding lovely accessories to go with The Backyard Mom's beautiful dress.

BUT in our running around, I ended up finding a few new pieces that have left me with some decisions to make regarding my wedding day look. Hence Decision Week! I would be extremely grateful if any readers out there would give me their opinions on some special posts this week showing different options for my wedding day accessories. I've even got my hair trial on Wednesday so hopefully I can post some photos from that too to get y'all's input. Now, I know many of you readers haven't seen my dress since I haven't actually posted a photo of it, but opinions are all welcome.

Before we get started on those decisions, here's one decision I already made. I posted before that we won't be having an official wedding party, which is all fine and good, except that it turns out that some wedding party members are actually needed for tasks like holding the bride's bouquet during the ceremony and holding the rings. Since my dad will be officiating the whole shebang, I hope either my mom or The Backyard Groom's mom will volunteer to hold the rings. And thanks to a $12 impulse buy at Francesca's Collections, we now have a place to put them. Check it out:

It's a small silver ring holder with a heart on it that says "Today, Tomorrow, Always." Fitting for a wedding, right?

Here's a shot with our wedding bands on it.

So now that is taken care of, and we'll be moving on to more Decision Week festivities. Thanks ahead of time for offering your input!

One month!

2009-10-07T16:02:00.003-05:00

One month from today, I get to become Mrs. Backyard Groom.

I can't believe it's nearly here. I can actually say, "I'm getting married next month." Eek!

On the one hand, we have so much left to do, like figure out our entire playlist and finish booking all our hotel stays for our Japanese honeymoon and get my dress altered. But on the other hand, I am extremely grateful for all the things we don't have left to do and more than anything all the things we're omitting entirely, like programs, table numbers, escort cards, menus and favors.

And more than anything, I just can't wait to marry The Backyard Groom.

War Buddies

2009-10-06T12:10:00.004-05:00

This past weekend The Backyard Groom and I avoided any wedding planning whatsoever and hung out for three straight days with our 65,000 closest friends at the annual Austin City Limits Music Festival. This was our fourth straight ACL Festival to attend, and we love going. But even though you get to see some great shows (Pearl Jam and Kings of Leon headlined this year), there are some logistical kinks that tend to make the experience a bit of a pain too, from 30-minute lines for the Port-a-potties to Port-a-potties in general to hour long lines for food to $8 beers (coincidentally the bar line is never long) to sky-high parking prices. But for us, we generally think it's worth it.

Usually heat and dust are the major negative points of the festival, but this year, the weather went the complete opposite direction. Friday was one of those rare perfect days in Austin where the temperature hovered in the low 80s. Saturday brought out the rain and the fog, leaving us thoroughly soaked. Here's a photo The Backyard Groom took of the Austin skyline obscured by fog behind the main stage.

See all that pretty grass? Zilker Park was closed all summer for it to be planted. But after all the rain on Saturday, the grass was gone. In its place was mud. Good thing I wore wellies on Sunday, but The Backyard Groom's shoes were ruined.

A ton of people ended up just going barefoot in the mud on Sunday, and after Pearl Jam finished rocking in the free world, the mud all around the park was strewn with beer cans and abandoned flip flops.

So what does this have to do with wedding planning? Well, it reminded me of another reason why I'm so excited to marry The Backyard Groom and so sure of the future that we've been building together. We have been through a lot together, from muddy music festivals to emotional upheavals to trips to foreign countries, not to mention our two-plus years of cohabitation. After all we've seen and experienced together, we're a bit like war buddies. When I hear statistics about divorce all the time, I feel better to know that we have that shared history, and no matter what trials and tribulations we've been through, we always come out stronger on the other side.

Mrs. Pam Halpert!

2009-10-02T13:31:00.003-05:00

The wedding I'm most looking forward to this fall other than my own is of course Jim and Pam's on "The Office." I may have even teared up a little last night during the preview for next week's wedding episode (I'm blaming PMS). And look, their wedding made the cover of the new issue of Entertainment Weekly:

In last night's episode, Pam received a check as a wedding present from co-worker Kevin and it was made out to Mrs. Pam Halpert, instead of her maiden name of Beesly. When she realized it was the first time that she'd seen her new name in writing, she got really excited.

I feel the same way. I know it's a deeply personal decision and kind of a hot-button issue, but I can't wait to change my last name to The Backyard Groom's.

I love my family, and I'm deeply proud and grateful to be my parents' daughter. But, honestly, I just think changing your last name when you get married is so romantic. Yes, it even makes me swoon a bit when I think about my new name, and I've already reserved my new email address and domain name.

What do you think about last name changes? Or are you excited to watch Jim and Pam tie the knot?

Make me over

2009-10-01T10:12:00.010-05:00

I like make-up. A lot. I could easily lose myself for hours in either a Sephora store or their website. I think maybe it's sort of an aspirational thing, where you always think you're going to stumble across one product that's going to change your life, but even if it doesn't, at least whatever you buy will be pretty and fun and make you feel a bit more glamorous for a few days.

Even though I love make-up, I by no means consider myself an expert at applying it. I usually end up with not enough blush and way too much eyeliner. I'll admit it - I've got an eyeliner addiction. I feel like I don't look like myself without it. And I know that I probably apply it a smidge too thick. Take a look at this goofy photo below (which The Backyard Groom took and loves, for some silly reason) for evidence:

As much as I like the way my eyeliner looks in the mirror, it doesn't always photograph well. Sometimes instead of defining my eyes, it just makes them look smaller. I don't want that to happen in my wedding photos. So, I'm trying to decide if I should hand my make-up duties off to the professionals (which means $$$) or just go to MAC or Sephora for a tutorial and learn how to do it myself.

Either way, I know I need to have some inspiration photos on hand of make-up I like that emphasizes the eyes without too much eyeliner. So I did a trusty old Google search for the two celebrities who first came to mind when I thought of people with light eyes, light skin and light hair.

Here is Amanda Seyfried:

She is just gorgeous, and I like the way her eyes stand out without being all smoky. Here is another example.

The second celeb is Claire Danes. I really like the way she's able to balance bright lips but still have her eyes as the dominant feature.

I think the make-up in this next photo isn't as dramatic as what I want but I do like her updo.

What do you think about my make-up inspiration? Any suggestions on how to get the look I want?

The Backyard Invites

2009-09-29T10:13:00.011-05:00

I posted a preview of The Backyard Invitations last week, but now that The Backyard Groom has done some magic to obscure our personal info, they are ready for a full reveal.

Here's the scoop. I could not be happier with our invitations. They are different than most of the wedding invites I've seen, and that's probably why I love them so much. They are very us, and every RSVP we've received so far has included a mention about how cool they are. But sadly, I don't think these pictures do them justice.

Anyway, Non-Bridesmaid C. (who might be starting her own invitation business!) designed these for us. She knew we wanted to go as economical as possible so we stuck with two pieces, an invitation and a response card, that could both be made from one piece of cardstock from PaperSource. Then she picked some fabulous red #10 envelopes with string and button closures to pack them in. And on her recommendation, I added the too cute King and Queen of Hearts stamps and sent them on their merry way.

But you don't want words. You want pictures, right? First, here are a few more words and one detail. In my post about my lack of DIY skills, I talked about how Non-Bridesmaid C. was screenprinting the invites by hand. Since our invite is all text, including some small text, the screenprinting, while adding a really cool handmade feel, ended up making some of the smaller text difficult to read, as you can see below, particularly for "November" and the end of "Saturday".

We worried it might be too hard for people to read, so C. ended up printing them out on her fancy printer, and I still think they look cool and handmade. Here's a shot of the entire invitation with some info blocked out:

In the bottom left corner, she included a small detail of a tree with twinkle lights (which you can see better in the preview post). She carried the string lights idea into the response card and even the envelope. Because the RSVP card had less text, she was able to screenprint it by hand. (Yes, after some debate, we decided to go with an e-mail RSVP. I'm sure both Emily Post and Emily Gilmore wouldn't approve, but the Earth will.)

Here's a shot of the edge of the envelopes that carried on the string light motif that was also screenprinted:

So here's a shot of the full suite:

How are your invites different than the norm?

Registry Redux

2009-09-28T15:09:00.003-05:00

Like I said before, The Backyard Groom and I didn't plan on having a registry for about a gazillion different reasons, not the least of which are that many of our guests will be traveling to attend our wedding and we've already lived together for two years. Back in August when I posted, we'd decided if we were going to register at all, we would do a honeymoon registry. Then a few weeks later, we booked a honeymoon that sounds much pricier than it actually is, and I was afraid people might resent contributing to our swanky-sounding trip.

So we hemmed and hawed about if we should do a registry at all until finally we bit the bullet and went the traditional route.

Yes, we went to Macy's and bantered over which spatulas would best flip The Backyard Groom's trademark pumpkin pancakes.

In all honesty, the entire registry process was a little weird to both of us. With only 20 guests, we just wanted to register for a few things, but the lady at the registry desk was having none of that. She told us we should pick at least 50 items. 50? Seriously? We compromised with 35, but even that felt extravagant. And a good portion of those 35 things are small things, like the aforementioned spatula.

Even after the awkwardness of standing in a store with a gun and trying to decide if we really needed nicer sheets, the actual act of telling people where you're registered reaches an entirely different level of awkwardness. Of course, we didn't put the information on our invitations, but when people ask outright where you're registered the subtext of that exchange basically reads as follows:

"You're getting married so we have to buy you something."

"You better get us something good, or we will probably cut you out of our lives FOREVER."

"Where is the list of these mundane things that we are supposed to buy you?"

"Macy's."

Maybe I'm being cynical, but it all makes me feel guilty for picking out a list of gifts I want, like I'm six years old and writing a letter to Santa. When you're a kid, eagerly dog-earing the pages of what you want from the Toys-R-Us catalog is what you do, but as an adult, it just feels strange and selfish, making the entire ordeal more like an exercise in etiquette than giving and receiving a heartfelt gift.

And speaking of heartfelt gifts, I'm also worried that having a registry will discourage the people that might prefer to get us something creative and different, and not on a registry, that they think The Backyard Groom and I might like better, like a Batman cake (I beat y'all to the punch on that one).

So what do you think? Am I a cynic, or does creating a grown-up wish list feel a bit weird to you too?

Rainy Day Photos

2009-09-26T16:31:00.009-05:00

Remember that sneak peek of our engagement session I gave last week? Well, now it's time for the feature presentation.

First, a disclaimer. Like I said before, we ended up with torrential downpours (the first in months!) on the evening of our engagement session, so we got only a few photos. We had picked an outdoor location, the Paramount Theatre, because we went there on quite a few of our early dates. We hung out under awnings and at a nearby bar while we waited for the rain to stop but it never quite did. And since The Backyard Groom and I are both photographers, we empathized with our friendor photographer's need to keep his equipment safe and dry.

So all in all, not quite the engagement session I had thought it would be. I confessed about how I obsessed on choosing multiple outfits, but we didn't even end up with time or enough photos for a costume change.

I'm not totally in love with this first photo, but you can tell by the frizzball that my hair became that it was not the kindest night to be photographed on. This was actually the first photo of the night, and I sort of feel like we already looked exasperated by the rainy day photo experience. Oops.

I Photoshopped a few of these, but I think I got a little filter happy. For our photography side business, The Backyard Groom is the processing whiz so please indulge my crazy attempts at effects.

The end! I feel like we got some cool photos out of the night, but because we were so rushed and constantly ducking in and out of the rain, I'm afraid they look a little posed. I tend to like engagement photos that feel more candid and organic (as organic as having someone follow you around with a camera can be). Our friendor photographer offered to do another shoot, but I'm not sure yet if we'll take him up on it. With only a little more than a month to go, spare time is hard to find. And I'm afraid I'll be headed back into obsessive territory.

Did your engagement session have a sequel?

A math problem

2009-09-23T11:45:00.011-05:00

What do you get when you add:

PLUS:

Put it together in:

And add a dash of:

Stumped???

The Answer is The Backyard Invites!

I'll do a full post showing all the details of our handmade invites soon.

Suit Up!

2009-09-22T14:01:00.006-05:00

A while back, I mentioned that The Backyard Groom wanted to take some style cues from the Sterling Cooper executives over on "Mad Men," but I think he also wouldn't mind finding a suit like the ones Barney Stinson wears on "How I Met Your Mother" while coining catchphrases (like this blog's title) left and right.

The first time we went suit shopping for the wedding, we hit up Banana Republic's "Mad Men" promotion. The suits were sold in separates and all very picked over, so we had a hard time finding anything that either (a) fit or (b) matched.

Next we tried Macy's. The suits were more plentiful than Banana Republic, but there was still a somewhat limited selection in his size. (The Backyard Groom wears Long sizes because he's so tall.) But on only his second attempt in the fitting room, he stumbled on a suit that suited him perfectly. It's black with black shadow stripes, narrow lapels and two buttons. And flat-front pants, which was my main hope for the new suit since his other suit has pleated pants. Unfortunately Macy's makes it very difficult to steal images from their site, and I forgot to take my camera on the shopping trip, so this is the best photo I could find online of the Alfani suit.

From the beginning, The Backyard Groom said he wanted a blue shirt, so we found him a Calvin Klein dress shirt in just the right shade of blue to make his eyes pop. Next, our very helpful Macy's sales associate helped us pick out a coordinating tie. We looked through about 20, from stripes and dots and crazy patterns to paisleys, which is what we ultimately chose. I couldn't find the exact Michael Kors tie online that we ended up with, but here is a similar one also from the Michael Kors line.

Then we picked up a couple other ties for him to wear with the suit in its post-wedding days, a new pair of dress shoes, socks and a belt. And we thought guys had it easy! Well, I guess compared to the big wedding dress hunt they do, but there were more components and choices for dressy menswear than either of us thought.

In case any of you are shopping at Macy's for anything wedding related (or just for fun!), they are running a really great promotion right now. You spend $25 for a special card, a percentage of which goes to charity (for our store it was the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas), and then whenever you show the card from now until December 31 (that means Black Friday and Christmas shopping, ladies!), they put 10% of each purchase on a gift card that you'll get at the beginning of 2010.

Now The Backyard Groom has to get his pants hemmed (glad I'm not the only one going through alterations) and then I can't wait to see him all suited up on the big day!

Did you strike it lucky with a suit?

Better By Half?

2009-09-18T14:02:00.005-05:00

WARNING: There are many, many, many photos ahead. Prepare yourself.

Back in May, I posted some inspirations for my wedding day hair. At the time, I was pretty set on an updo, both because of my hair's resistance to curl and because I thought it seemed more bride-y. Then my hair stylist suggested that because I have a strapless dress, I should consider half-up, half-down styles. I hadn't really thought of that before, but when I mentioned the idea to a few people, they seemed to think it was a good idea.

Now that I have a hair trial scheduled for the middle of October, the time has come to get serious about finding some looks that I like. Honestly, I had an easier time finding updos that struck my fancy, but I'd like my stylist to try both an updo and a half-up do. Half-up dos seem to be a little more hit or miss because there's such a slippery slope to prom hair, which is usually characterized by the top half slicked back and the bottom half in supertight curls, or on the other end of the spectrum, anything resembling the hair style of choice of Stephanie Tanner in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

The Backyard Bride

Signing Off...

Picture Preview

The Backyard Wife

The final countdown

A new something blue

Tailor Made

I'm getting married in five days, yo!

Putting on my bridal face

Catching up

Decision Week Day 5: Blue over blue

Decision Week Day 4: Battling indecision

Decision Week Day 3: Bridal baubles

Decision Week Day 2: What goes on top

Decision Week Day 1: Shrug it off

Introducing Decision Week!

One month!

War Buddies

Mrs. Pam Halpert!

Make me over

The Backyard Invites

Registry Redux

Rainy Day Photos

A math problem

Suit Up!

Better By Half?

Coming Attractions

Confessions of an Obsessive Bride

It's a nice day for a white wedding wine

Red, Red Wine

More Memory Keepers

Memory Keepers

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Honeymoon Hunting: Episode III

We interrupt this broadcast...

Honeymoon Hunting: Episode II

Honeymoon Hunting: Episode I

Picture Perfect

Un Repondez S'il Vous Plait Vert et Bon Marche

The Backyard Groom's Inspiration

Bridal Boogie Shoes

Registration Temptation

The horror!

Waaaaay More Than 27 Dresses

Adventures in Man Jewelry: Episode III

A Red Hot Bride

Those are strings, Pinocchio

Love, Hollywood Style

Best. Wedding. Ever.

Finger Lickin' Good

I wanna put on my-my-my-my-my boogie shoes

Motivation found!

Adventures in Man Jewelry: Episode II

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Let's Get Physical

Adventures in Man Jewelry: Episode I

Facebook Face-off

Holy Birthday Cake, Batman!

A truly blushing bride

A Hangover from "The Hangover"

You're invited, Mr. President!

Learning to Fly

Hi. My name is The Backyard Bride, and I'm obsessed.

We have a cake!

Ring-a-ding-DANG

Our first official taste of cake

Borrowed & Blue

The Backyard Beer

Don't stop them nooooooow

Since a veil will only cover part of it...

Ch-ch-changes

Our soon-to-be official officiant

Engaging photos

A wedding and a party without a wedding party

D-I-Why? Project #1 = FAIL

Plus one. And one. And one. And one.

Something(s) Old

Inspiration

The Sweetest Things

THE Backyard: A Virtual Tour