A Same-Sex couple wins Crate & Barrel Ultimate Wedding Contest!

This is such exciting news! An adorable couple from Washington, DC were named the 2nd place winners in The Ultimate Wedding Contest, sponsored by Crate & Barrel.They walk away with $7,500 worth of goodies from the store. Check out how cute they are together...

You can read all about Jonathan and Gregory here. They signed up for the contest right around Valentine's Day. The universe must have been aligned that weekend because as most of you know, that's when I proposed to Rose! I am totally geeking out right now about how awesome this is!!!

They probably didn't even realize the impact they would have by not only entering, but actually winning. It's an amazing sign that the world is moving in the right direction. According to Greg, "We entered to win because we wanted to win a $100,000 wedding, we thought it would be fun. But now we call those our famous last words: It became something much bigger than us."

You go, guys!

Forget colors, I wanna DANCE!

As soon as I tell anyone I am planning a wedding, the immediate question is almost always...
"What are your colors?"

I never know exactly how to respond to this. Although I do understand that the majority of weddings begin with a concept of 2-4 colors that dictate the rest of the scheme, I just can't seem to wrap my head around the restrictions of picking two complimentary colors for a party where I envision so many, many looks and feelings. I've bounced around between so many color choices and just can't seem to settle.

In fact, the first thing that has really inspired me and gave me the exact "ambiance" of what I dream of for our wedding is a song. The Mating Game by BitterSweet gives exactly the romantic, playful, kitschy, loungy feel I want. If I could sum up how I imagine the evening, put it to music and possibly dance around with a hairbrush as a microphone... it would be to this very song.

So now I'm thinking of toally scrapping the idea of choosing colors altogether. I'm sure eventually things will fall into place and I'll have some sort of scheme (I mean, let's get serious... I won't let things clash!), but for now I'm working from an actual feeling that I want to portray. I like to call it "Vintage Glam meets Whimsical Playdate." And as long as everyone gets up to dance... with or without a hairbrush... I'll be happy!

Ruffled about...

Hello my name is Nicole... and I am addicted to ruffles.

If I spy a shirt at the mall with ruffles on it, I must purchase it (or at least try it on). If a handbag has ruffle detailing, I fall in love. Ruffles on shoes? Yes, please!

I just cannot get enough ruffles! They have a girly flare while still looking a little strange and interesting. And with the right fabric, they can almost be downright edgy. That's why today, when one of my coworkers came in with this bag, I nearly stole it right out from her arm. If only she weren't stronger than me!

She explained that she found it at a local Safeway where a handbag boutique had set up inside. Weird occurences like this never seem to happen to me... so I am left to fend for myself by shopping on ebay.

My coworker couldn't resist buying this bag because she said it reminded her of the detailing on Jackie Kennedy's wedding dress. Of course this statement sent me right over to a Google Image search which left me drooling over the oh-so-fabulousness:

And this instilled in me an even greater need to have some sort of ruffle detailing on my wedding dress. I mean come on, if Jackie "O" did it... it's always a good choice!

Pretty please, with icing on top?

This past week was wedding week on Cake Wrecks.  Insanely disturbing desserts? Oh yes... this blog's got them! So much you'll get a toothache...

Some of these weddings cakes are just so hysterically bad, it's difficult to look away. I love a sense of humor about something that can be taken way too seriously... Call me what you will but I just get a kick out of other people's misfortunes and bad choices.  I hope I stay this lighthearted about wedding planning but we shall see how hard I am laughing if things start to go awry...

"Alofa" means Love

May is Asian Pacific Heritage month which is extra exciting because I am married to a Pacific Islander. Well, technically she is "afakasi" which means half & half... her mother is Samoan & her father is Caucasian. But we stay in touch with her poly side as much as possible. Even I like to think I am of the islands sometimes... even with my milky white skin and inability to shake my hips.

This is what I have learned so far since I have been a part of Rose's Polynesian family:
• Rice is a staple at every meal. Including breakfast and Thanksgiving dinner.
• Samoans can DRINK.
• A man dressed in a floral moo-moo is apparently the epitome of comedy.
• It is perfectly acceptable to wear a wrap-around to the beach instead of a bathing suit.
• The night just begins at 2:00am.
• A flower tucked into your hair completes any outfit.
• Playing board games with family becomes a serious, and dangerous, competition.
• Don’t make your mother angry. She is in charge.
• Big events are celebrated around an entire roast pig.
• Tattoos are not just for the rebellious.
• Coconut milk can be added to almost any dish.
• ABBA rocks.
• Raw tuna is “cleansed” with lime juice.
• Ukulele playing is a normal night of entertainment.
• … As is taking turns showing off new dance moves.
• …. And watching a fire dance in the front yard.

I feel privileged to have been exposed to another culture during my life. Before meeting Rose,I had never even tried a mango, let alone all the other crazy foods I’ve ingested over the years because of her. Now, I am considered one of the clan and even have my own Samoan nickname – Tolè! I wore a flower in my hair on our wedding day as a homage to her heritage and plan to incorporate more traditions in our reception. Maybe some coconut rice at 2:00am or a fire dancing performance to ABBA? The possibilities are endless...

Eco-friendly Wedding Tips

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd share some environmentally friendly ideas for wedding planning:

If your rings have bling, make sure they are conflict-free This guarantees that your diamonds were not obtained in a manner that results in violence, child labor, abuse of human rights, or environmental destruction.

Brilliant Earth is a great resource for beautiful conflict-free diamonds and eco-friendly gold

Provide favors that are useful or reusable Give guests a growing memory of your big day by handing out seed packets and helping everyone go a little green! Homemade candles or snacks are also a great way to ensure that your favors will go to use and not in the trash.


I adore these Natural Bamboo Coasters, too. I received similar ones as a shower gift and they are just so darn cute!

Choose a venue that does not require intense lighting Large reception halls tend to require use of lots of electricity. Find a place with lots of natural lighting. And if all else fails, go with candlelight, it’s more romantic anyway.

Bake your own cake This will generate much less energy than large industrial ovens used by the pros. And it saves tons of money, too!

Replace real flowers Go with faux flowers that can be reused for another event or ditch them all-together. If you want a few as accents on tables, purchase from a local flower mart and compliment with pillar candles, branches and/or decorative stones.

Donate leftover food Set something up with a local shelter before the event. They may even be willing to come to you for a pick-up at the venue.

Use recycled paper for your invitations Or get super creative and upcycle your own by using pages from your favorite book or collaging with old magazines!

Get inspired by these Vintage Sheet Music Pockets from etsy. The possibilities are endless!

Newlywed Photoshoot

"I love to blog, because I love my life"
~ Me!

Yeah I said that... because it's just so darn true. I am caught somewhere between the cozey honeymoon phase and the excitement of wedding planning. It rocks. You should try it!

Since Rose and I didn't get a chance to do an Engagement Session, we had a few Newlywed shots taken instead... again by my oh so talented sister-in-law!

Being married means bringing home soup when you know they need it.

Being married means getting excited about picking out new furniture together.

Being married means raising pets as your children, as spoiled as they may be.

Being married means understanding what the other needs before they ask.

Being married... is really fun! 

Internet fame!

I'm very excited to share that our wedding is featured on SoYoureEnGAYged.com

I feel so honored to have our big day included in a great same-sex wedding site. Check it out and leave some comments there, too... gotta spread the popularity!

Being a mermaid

Most of my childhood was make-believe. We had a trunk full of costumes that were used on a daily basis. Our pool became "the ocean" where my sister and I would have mermaid adventures. I even pretended to be Ariel in the bathtub. So needless to say, I have now grown up to adore any excuse to dress up and I have a fondness for anything with a happily ever after. I used to dream of having a big extravagant "princess" style wedding with a huge ball gown and castle reception. Now it's just not me anymore! And I'm sure 10 years from now, I'll look back on our wedding photos and think I would plan things differently. But a wedding also becomes a reflection of the couple's current tastes when they get married. And right now, I envision hollywood glamour meets fairy tale. That's why a mermaid dress seems to be a perfect fit! Now I have to remind myself to leave my options open and try on anything and everything... but I keep being drawn back to that gorgeous silhouette.

I also love that it pays homage to that little girl inside me imagining herself as a mermaid. I am completely terrified of deep, open water... but I also have a minor obsession with anything and everything sea related. I want a seal and a dolphin as my pets. The sound and smell of the ocean take me to another place entirely. I created an entire routine for Part of your World that I would perform in front of the television.

Cute tees from etsy!

I usually really dislike any t-shirts that imply that getting married is a chore or life-ender, especially for men. But I stumbled upon these little numbers from Something Blue Designs on etsy and they won me over (so to speak!)

I probably love them even more because Rose and I are Mario Kart addicts and we always play as Mario & Princess Peach. The design is a cute take on those overdone tees... but I'd like it even more if it said "Game Has Just Begun."

Creating our registry

This past weekend, we equipped ourselves with a scanner gun and took Target by storm. That's right... we created our wedding registry!

The Target stores in our area are all undergoing major makeovers to include grocery sections (which I think is a huge mistake personally, but they didn't ask me) so we had more limited options than usual because the shelves seemed a little scarce. It took a while to get our bearings but soon we were beeping away and envisioning our revamped nest. We will probably go to at least one other store because let's face it... Target doesn't really have everything, even if it really seems like it. But we will leave that for another day. Shopping without buying is sort of exhausting! I started thinking about "registry etiquette" and found this great list of How-To's that really lays out the basics. In summary:

• "Pick a store that suits you as a couple." We shop at Target so much we practically live there. Also, they allow couples to choose "civil unions" and "partner" when creating the registry... so major props to being gay-friendly!

• "Create your registry together." Neither of us would ever miss an opportunity to goof off in one of our favorite stores AND pick out potential gifts!

• "If you've invited lots of guests, create a large registry." Right now our guest count is somewhere “in between”… so this is a tough one.

• "Select gifts for different price ranges." I had to catch myself because I kept picking out the sale items and realizing that this is one time I don’t have to sacrifice for the cheapest version. Also, by the time guests are buying gifts… the sales will be over!

• "Avoid gadgets you probably won't use." I’m too practical to get sucked into this nonsense. Unless the Ninja food processor counts as "impractical."

• "Register for sets of things in pieces." Since we recently moved into our apartment, we did a big shopping spree and chose sets for our bathroom and bedroom, so this doesn’t apply as much to us.

• "Don't be limited by 'traditional' choices." Amen to that! Toy section here we come!!!

The only question I still have is how many items to register for! I don't want to crazy over-do it because then we may not receive the items we really need and end up with that weird chip bowl we were so intrigued by that we just had to include. But I also don't want for our registry to run out of items!

Location, location, location!

Well... Rose and I booked our venue today! We only toured one place and absolutely fell in love with the atmosphere. We will be having our wedding at.... *drumroll, please* .....

Coradetti Glass Studio in Baltimore

This place is literally a glass-blowing studio that is also rented out for events. Since I am an artist we thought it was a great fit and the space has the exact vibe we were going for.

So one major "to-do" is now crossed off our very long wedding list!

Something other than white...

Lately I have been contemplating the idea of wearing a colored wedding dress for our fall reception. I keep looking through our courthouse photos and I can't help thinking that I already did the "bridal" thing by wearing a cream dress that day. I know I am definitely not going to get anything in stark white no matter what, so I would at least do a champagne or ivory, but I'm leaning more towards an actual COLOR, now! I mean we've already broken from tradition so much, what's another thing? It would definitely open up my options for dress choices.

My original inspiration was Portia De Rossi's pale pink dress. Still so classic, but with a twist!

Check out this creative bride and her bright blue rocker dress from So You're Engayed. It really freshens up the idea of something blue!

I also found a great shop called Wedding Dress Fantasy that offers tons of dresses in almost every color!

The Quest for the Dress

My wedding dress journey began at David's Bridal. I just missed their $99 gown sale, but from the looks of the website, probably wouldn't have chosen one of them anyway. I've never worn a wedding gown before so it was really fun to play dress-up, but I left feeling a little exhausted and probably more confused than when I started. I really have no clue what I want at all!

Ironically, I've mentioned in the past that I'm open to lots of styles of dresses except lace. But, the girl at the store suggested this because of the vintage style and it was not stark white (which I am definitely against). I have to admit, I sort of liked it. A lot.

This one is an example of something that looked better on the hanger. It was pretty but just not me.

I did like the ruffles in the back though...

I definitely like the mermaid cut!

This one is even more gorgeous in person. I call it the octopus dress because of the way the ruffles look like tentacles. I loved the detail on the top! And it fit like a dream!

And check out the back! LOVE IT!

Ok this one was not my favorite at first until I got up on the pedastal and practically all the strangers sitting around oohed and aahed over it! I started feeling like a movie star...

And the back really was to die for!

My dream dress

Now that the courthouse ceremony is over, I am in wedding planning mode. We will be throwing a big reception in October of this year so that we can have all the things we missed out on by doing the shotgun thing. One of the main things I keep obsessing over is what to wear. I love fashion and fairy tales and I see my wedding dress as some crazy combination of these two things. I was recently watching the What You Waiting For? video by Gwen Stefani and got inspired by the ruffly looks she rocks while in Wonderland.

So I did some google image hunting and found what I believe to be my dream dress. I'm not even exactly sure why, but something about the whimsical old-hollywood feel of it just makes me melt.

But, alas, the image came from an overseas Chinese warehouse that offers to custom make this dress for an unrealistically low price. After doing some research, I've found tons of horror stories from brides going this route because they are essentially knock-offs. So, boo to that! But at least I know what style to look for now...

Our very own "Newlywed Game"

My very sweet friend threw together a game for Rose and I to play before going out for our "Bachelorette Party." She had us take turns writing our answers on dry erase boards and revealing them to earn points. These are the questions she came up with:

Nicole: If Rose was to make you dinner, what dish would she make for you?

Both: Where did you go on your first real date?

Rose: What did Nicole wear on your first date?

Nicole: What one habit of Rose’s do you find most annoying?

Both: Who initiated your first kiss?

Nicole: Name one activity that Rose does with you only because she loves you.

Both: What is the first movie you saw together?

Rose: What one thing that Nicole owns would you throw out if you could?

Nicole: What did Rose think about you the first time you met?

Both: Which song will be your first dance song?

Rose: What color underwear is Nicole wearing today?

Nicole: If you had little girl, what would Rose want to name her?

Both: Do you want children and how many have you agreed to have?

Rose: At what specific sport or game would Nicole say she’s better than you?

Nicole: If you gave Rose $50, what would she buy?

Both: If you could go anywhere on your honeymoon, where would it be?

Rose: If Nicole had a choice, where would she most like to live?

Nicole: If Rose could be any famous person, who would it be?

Both: What was that last thing that happened that made just the two of you laugh out loud together?

Rose: What one habit of Nicole’s do you find most annoying?

Nicole: What would Rose say is her favorite physical attribute of yours?

Both: What is the most unusual place the two of you have ever gotten frisky?

Rose: Which article of clothing is Nicole’s favorite to wear?

Nicole: Which would you say is Rose’s strongest drive: her hunger for food, her hunger for sex, or her hunger for sleep?

Both: Who was the first person to say “I love you” and how long had you been dating before it was said?

Rose: Which would you say is Nicole’s strongest drive: her hunger for shoes, her hunger for sex, or her hunger for sleep?

Nicole: What would Rose say is the one topic that you two argue about most?

Both: Which famous couple do you think you most resemble?

Rose: If Nicole was a Disney character, who would she be?

Wedding Day Photo Session

My new sister-in-law does photography as a hobby, so she followed us a few blocks from the courthouse after our ceremony to a little park area for a photo-shoot. As you can see, she is very talented...

The Big Day!

Our courthouse ceremony was on March 24, 2010. It was followed by champagne at Zola and dinner at TenPenh. We had around 13 total guests, including family, friends and coworkers.

Our rings are from Helzberg Diamonds. They have a bit of a vintage flare.

The ceremony room at the Moultrie Courthouse in Washington, DC was nice. After seeing that the door to it was covered with shiny wrapping paper, I was afraid of how cheesy it would be inside... but it wasn't too bad!

Our officiant at the courthouse was really personable. We got very lucky!

Our friends jumped for joy!

It's official... we are legally wed!