Are these considered vendors?

Before I try and sort through the things I decorated the wedding with, I thought I should write about Mr. GB's and my personal details. Actually, I'm using this as an excuse to not have to go through the list of things I detailed the event with. It's daunting and it makes me think about how insane I am, so I'll pretend like I'm being really responsible by writing this instead. It's something, right? Baby steps!

Dress: Monique Lhuillier - Bridal Galleria SF, CA.
The buying of the dress went beautifully, but as I wrote before, they had the demon alterations manager that prompted me to rip my dress from her cold-evil hands and take it elsewhere to get altered. It definitely was the most stressful, awful experience I had with a vendor. Mind you, this is ONLY the alteration manager, who I can only hope has been replaced because she insulted too many brides, the rest of the staff was wonderful and apologetic that my experience with her was so poor.



- look mom! it fits!-
Alterations: Anna's Alteration on Geary.... um, downtown sf.
She's the sweetest! She was recommended to me by Jin Wang, who although I didn't buy my dress from, was one of the most gracious and sweet people I met during my dress search. My dress fit, and when I brought it in it had to be sized down at least 3 inches all over. I recommend her to anyone who will not be going with their bridal salon for alterations.

Shoes: Sigerson Morrison - Nordstrom
They were cute, however, I took them off fairly quickly because they hurt like a mother. I ended up returning them because I had so many blisters and unhappy toes that I knew I'd never wear them. I normally don't return things I've already worn, but I've never experiences shoes that made me wish I had wooden feet so I couldn't feel anymore. Nordstrom has an awesome return policy, so if you come in with bloodied and battered feet, they take the shoes back.

Jewelry:
Necklace: Alex Monroe
Earrings: Nadri from Nordstrom
Bracelet: Emma Cassi


Hair and Makeup: Sarah Hyde Mill Valley, CA.
Sarah is wonderful, she's very friendly and she has a way of talking to you that makes you feel like you've known her for a very long time. It's very comforting when you're freaking out about how your reception tent is on fire or they are manuring the lawn 5 minutes before the ceremony (it's happened!). My hair came out perfectly, she had a friend of mine watch so she could do touch ups for me when needed, and I actually look good in photos for the first time in my life. Sure makes me wish I knew how to put on makeup, because then maybe I could always look good! But then again, looking like crap every day keeps the creepies away... or that's how I like to think about it.



Hairpins + Pin:
The one I wore was handmade from the now well known Kelly from Relish at Home in Berkeley. I think I went crazy with hairpins because all the people I worked with on designing them were some of the nicest, most talented people I've had the pleasure of working with! I had another pin, which I ended up wearing to my BIL's wedding. I'm constantly searching for new events to wear them to, so if any of you are hosting a cotillion, let me know. Me and my head will so be there.

My sister's pin was made by the awesome girls of oda style, who like I said before, were among the nicest people i had the pleasure of working with. I recommend them to anyone who is looking for an organic or just truly personalized item!

My pin was purchased at Jin Wang, and I think I've said enough about her, I love that store, I love her and I wish I had bought my dress there so I could have worked with her rather than the alteration beast-manager.


MOH Dress: J.Crew Online.
My sister bought her dress online, I just told her what color she should aim for and to buy whatever she wanted in terms of style. I think if you have a lot of bridesmaids that don't live together, J.Crew is a good option because they can do the shopping online and find their size and style themselves. At least, I liked it!


Mr. GB's Details:
Suit: Hugo Boss. Really good for short hobbits like Mr. GB! I've heard people say they thought I would be a lot taller than I am based on the photos I posted on WeddingBee, so I am here to say that it's not that I'm so tall that I'm nearly his height, it's that both of us are really really short.

Tie and Shirt: Ted Baker. Mr. GB has a sick, sick obsession with Ted Baker, so he was desperate to work it into his outfit. That or Paul Smith, but Ted Baker had more selection at the time, so it won by virtue of availability.


Cuff links: I actually bought him two pairs, this one and a Space Invaders set, but we felt with our board games, he should wear the Scrabble pair. They are R and L, which not only work for right and left, but those are the initials of his first and middle name, so double score!! Both sets are adorable, and I can't say enough about etsy except that my bank account, and probably Mr. GB, wishes it didn't exist.

His Shoes: Were from Camper. Anyone who knows Mr. GB knows his favorite thing to do is rant loudly about anything. After months of him complaining about having duck feet, really, they are wide and look like hobbit feet, I forced him to go to Camper and try on some of their wider shoes. He now spends a lot of time in there dreaming about the room between his toes and dreaming of new things to complain about.


Did I forget anything?

Sweet Boundless Boobies!

A close friend of mine is getting married this Saturday, so I wanted to throw her a mini-bachelorette-party. It was an all day affair, but I won't go into the list of things we did that may not interest anyone, and if it does, you can always ask. That is, if I don't disappear off the face of the earth again...

My obsession with turning everyone I know, with boobs and without, onto Agent Provocateur led me to give them a call about having all the girls go and try on things, and pitch in for our friend's bridal set. I would have settled for a just letting them know they were going to be invaded, but what we got was so much better I had to share.


We arranged an after-hours private event, where we had personal attention from the super sweet, gorgeous staff, with macarons, pink champagne, rose vodka and chambord cocktails! Two hours of giggling tipsy while we all tried on mounds of lingerie, admired each other and whined about our jealousy of so-and-so's boobs, waist, or butt-to-thigh crease, we all left with at least one item, and a full set for our friend. I can't imagine a more fabulous way to end the evening to a long day of girliness.

This was their first private event in the San Francisco store, but everything went off beautifully and I recommend it to anyone who is planning a bachelorette event! Even if you're shy, you can hide yourself in a private dressing room, but I can't be held responsible if you come bursting out to show the world your goods because you look so amazing!

They even let me bring my little puppy, Frances, to the party... in fact, they requested her presence! You can't beat garters and puppies!


Agent Provocateur San Francisco
54 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
415.421.0229

I owe you

a complete list of my vendors... but nothing makes me more nervous than actually writing a review. I have no problem with self-deprecation, but if I have to say anything negative, I get all red and flustered and just run. So I'll say the good, hint to anything that was... not so good, and hope that since my wedding was so long ago that all my vendors may have turned into dust and washed away. After the months I've been gone, I imagine you all thought I turned into dust... but no, I'm here with my vendor list!

I'm going to sort these in an order that may only make sense to me, so part one: The stuff that was so big, they came into my brain first.





Location: Bear Flag Farms - Winters, CA.
Gorgeous, but did I have to even say that? You know that from looking at the pictures. Tina, the owner, is very very gracious and friendly and I can't imagine having had my wedding anywhere else.


Caterer: Rising Sun Catering - So. San Francisco.
I loved the food, I loved Heather and her husband! We did have a server who was rude, hated our settings and decor, and backed into the building with the truck, but he was fired the next day, so although we had to put up with him, I'm glad they canned him shortly thereafter. At least that means if you go with them, that guy won't be there! That and she told us the cat-vegan story, so they win points.


-this photo wasn't posed, he just made us look like we are a sweet couple somehow-
Photography: Ian Martin Photography - Berkeley, CA.
I hate cameras with a passion. There are no photos of me from the age of being able to understand that my soul was being ripped out of my body and that I had the option of hiding from the lens up until the wedding. I begrudgingly take group photos when asked, but in general, I run. I wanted a photographer I'd never see, feel, or hear. That's what I got. He's super nice, laid back, and you'll never notice him even once. I still don't know how he got so many photos of me. And so few of me looking like cow poo.



Florals: Nancy Liu Chin Designs - San Francisco, CA.
Do I have to say anything? She's amazing, bubbly, run you over with happiness and ideas friendly. My bouquet was breathtaking, my wannabe chuppah kicked the asses of other wannabe chuppahs, I really can't say enough about her. Getting a crazed excited call two days before the wedding of "THEY HAVE PINK RANUNCULUS!!!!!!!!" from the flower mart should say it all. If you can, book Nancy.



Cakes: Nora del Chamberlin Custom Cakes - Berkeley, CA. (510) 526-8732
I still dream about her cakes. I still salivate thinking about that almond cake that was to die for and the buttercream that I actually started eating alone. Make a note, I HATE any kind of frosting, so the fact that I was actually stealing it for myself means this was the best cake I'd ever had. To be honest, I feel that most wedding cake is yucky, so taste (and not a meanie) was the most important thing to me. The no fondant + amazing decoration didn't hurt.


You'd think this would be first, because this was my most important "vendor". I apologize to her, because I have only this one photo of her, or at least, I think I do. I guess that's the sign of an amazing coordinator, I never hear the bad things that are happening and you never see her. Things just go smoothly and perfectly. Here she is explaining to my "officiant" where and how everything will happen the morning of the wedding. You see, the monsoon that hit the site made it so we didn't have a rehearsal, so she had to do all the set up that morning and brief everyone for the schedule at the same time. She was 60 places at once the day of, and all the months up to it, pulled off miracles that wouldn't have happened without her, trusted Mr. GB and I to actually do crafts like we said we would, and walked me through the process of my insane wedding vision. I basically attribute the fact that I didn't fall on my face, tripping on my dress thus ripping it off my body down the aisle to her being there and her aura of making miracles happen being upon us all. She's definitely more than our coordinator, Mr. GB look up to her as a friend and our savior.

I love you, Grace!
Grace Lee Events


ps. if you were wondering what a dashing, tall, official looking person performed the ceremony, I'm sad to say he's not available for weddings. He's my best friend from college who I asked to do this for me because.. well, he's dashing, tall, and official looking. You have to admit, he does look good in a suit and he fooled everyone.. until he sat down to eat with us.