Wedding Update

For all of you who have been following my blog, thanks for your patience while I have been really busy. I got engaged almost a year ago and we decided to have a long engagement because most our relationship was long distance, so we just want to make sure that being together every day wouldn't make us crazy and it hasn't. It has only brought us closer together.

I have to say that I am way ahead of my wedding planning. My wedding date is June 15, 2013. I bought my dress and veil. I booked my venues, my DJ, and my photographer. I have a cake tasting and catering appointments set up. I am doing all of my own decor and flowers, which I have collected most of my props for that. All I can say is when you get engaged enjoy 2 weeks of it, and depending your time before the wedding, don't procrastinate. You will make yourself crazy.

Also when you being wedding dress shopping, bring your own strapless bras. The ones they provide for you haven't been washed between uses. They are nasty! I know, I worked in a wedding dress store. You should bring a camera with you and a note book to write down the style of the dress and what you liked and didn't like about it, if you are still considering buying it!  One last piece of advice always ask if there is a special offer if you buy your wedding dress right there and then. I got a $200 veil free!!

Welcome Bags

If you are having a destination wedding or when a lot of your guests are coming in from out of town, it is nice to have a welcome bag waiting for them in their hotel room. You can put any thing in the bags. I suggest some snacks both healthy and some junk food, bottles of water, Map of the area along with brochures of fun things to do in town and maybe a list of good restaurants they should try. Another great thing to add is something that is local to your area, i.e. Florida -oranges, or some special item that is only made in your area like a sample of key lime lotion. Here is an example of a simple bag:

Source

Non-Edible Flowers

Just for reference, here is a list of poisonous flowers. There are a lot that are not edible. Just be careful which flowers you use on your cake. Some of them can sit on the cake, just make sure the caterers know to take all the flowers off before serving.

Poisonous Plants and Flowers
Common Name	Botanical Name
Aconite (wolfsbane, monkhood)	Aconitum spp.
Anemone (windflower)	Anemone spp.
Anthurium	Anthurium spp.
Atamasco lily	Zephyranthes spp.
Autumn crocus	Colchicum autumnale
Azalea	Azalea spp. (Rhododendron spp.)
Baneberry	Actaea spp.
Black locust	Robinia pseudo-acacia
Bloodroot	Sanguinaria canadensis
Boxwood	Buxus spp.
Burning bush (strawberry bush, spindle tree, wahoo)	Euonymus spp
Buttercup	Ranunculus spp.
Butterfly weed	Asclepias spp.
Caladium	Caladium spp.
Calla (calla lily)	Calla palustris (Zantedeschia aethiopica)
Carolina jasmine (yellow jessamine)	Gelsemium sempervirens
Castor bean	Ricinus communis
Cherry laurel	Prunus caroliniana
Chinaberry (bead tree)	Melia azedarach
Christmas rose	Helleborus niger
Clematis	Clematis spp.
Daffodil	Narcissus spp.
Deadly nightshade (belladonna)	Atropoa belladona
Death cammas (black snakeroot)	Zigadenus spp.
Delphinium (larkspur)	Delphinium spp.
Dogbane	Apocynum androsaemifolium
Dumbcane	Dieffenbachia spp.
Elephant ears	Colocasia antiquorum
False hellebore	Veratrum viride
Four o'clock	Mirabills jalapa
Foxglove	Digitalis purpurea
Giant elephant ear	Alocasia spp.
Gloriosa lily	Glonosa superba
Golden chain tree (laburnum)	Labunum anagryroides
Goldenseal	Hydrastis canadensis
Heavenly bamboo (nandina)	Nandinaa domestica
Henbane (black henbane)	Hyoscyamus niger
Horse chestnut (Ohio buckeye)	Aesculus spp.
Horse nettle	Solanum spp.
Hyacinth	Hyacinthus orientalis
Hyacinth bean	Dolicbos lab lab
Hydrangea	Hydrangea spp.
Iris	Iris spp.
Ivy (English ivy)	Hedera helix
Jack-in-the-pulpit	Arisaemia triphyllum
Jerusalem cherry	Solanum pseudocapsicum
Jessamine (jasmine)	Cestrum spp.
Jetbead (jetberry)	Rhodotypos tetrapetala
Jimson weed	Datura spp (Brugmansia spp.)
Jonquil	Narcissus spp.
Kentucky coffee tree	Gymnocladus dioica
Lantana	Lantana camara
Leopard's bane	Arnica montana
Lily of the valley	Convallaria majalis
Lobelia (cardinal flower, Indian tobacco)	Lobelia spp.
Marsh marigold	Caltha palustris
May apple (mandrake)	Podophyllum peltatum
Mescal bean (Texas mountain laurel, frijo lillo)	Sophora secundiflora
Mistletoe	Phoradendron spp.
Morning glory	Ipomoea violacea
Mountain laurel	Kalmia latifolia
Nightshade	Solanum spp.
Oleander	Nerium oleander
Periwinkle (myrtle, vinca)	Vinca spp.
Philodendron	Philodendron spp. (Monstera spp.)
Pittosporum	Pittosporum spp.
Poison hemlock	Conium maculatum
Potato	Solanum tuberosum
Privet	Ligustrum spp.
Rhododendron	Rhododendron spp.
Rock poppy (celandyne)	Chelidonium majus
Schefflera	Schefflera spp.
Spring adonis	Adonis vernalis
Spurge	Euphorbia spp.
Star of Bethlehem	Ornithogalum umbellatum
Sweet pea	Lathyrus spp.
Tobacco	Nicotiana tabacum
Trumpet flower (chalice vine)	Solandra spp.
Water hemlock	Cicuta maculata
Wild cherry (black cherry)	Prunus serotina
Wisteria	Wisteria spp.
Yellow allamanda	Allamanda cathartica
Yellow oleander (tiger apple, be still tree, lucky nut)	Thevetia peruviana
Yesterday-today-and-tomorrow	Brunfelsia spp.

Welcome Summer!

Thank you for your patience waiting for new posts. I'll treat you all with a summer inspiration board. Enjoy!

Bouquet, Soda, Bridesmaid, Aisle, Shoes, Rings, Boutonniere, Centerpiece, Lanterns, Cake Table