Posts in the 'Registry' Category
May 3rd, 2010 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Two weeks ago, I hopped over to Washington DC to attend the B-list Conference, and snap crackle pop was it ever a great time! I’m still kinda pinching myself over being included with a crew I find so inspiring – I mean, these are some of the best bloggers around – and I’m happy to report that they’re all just the sweetest gals evah! 
photo: Kate Headley.
Attending bloggers included back row, from left to right: Harmony from Bridal Bar, Ami from Elizabeth Anne Designs, Maddy from Inspired Bride, Lara and Kelly from So You’re Engayged, Lyla from Globetrotting Bride, Amanda from 100 Layer Cake, Courtney from Little White Book, Amanda from Ruffled, Dana from Broke-Ass Bride (that’s me!), Anne-Marie from Perfect Bound, Janice from Bridal Wishlist. Middle Row: Kelly from Santa Barbara Chic, Grace from The Cinderella Project, Jackie from Merci New York, Emily from Once Wed, Karol and Meredith from Dallas Wedding Planner, Cyd from The Sweetest Occasion, Nole from Oh So Beautiful Paper, Jen from Green Wedding Shoes, Jessica from Budget Savvy Bride, Kelly and Maria from Ritzy Bee. Front Row: Vané from Brooklyn Bride, Anne from From I Will to I Do, Vanessa and Cortnie from Lolliblog, Liene from Blue Orchid/Think Splendid, Christy from Junebug Weddings, Justine from The Unbride, Jillian and Jennifer from 100 Layer Cake, Cathy from Weddingbee.
We all got some seriously royal treatment over the weekend, which kicked off with a massive blowout meet and greet at The Torpedo Factory – an incredible artsy/lofty space in Old Town Alexandria. Vendors came from all over the country to attend, and the whole party was off the hook and so was the venue. It was fun bumping into old friends I haven’t seen in a while, and meeting some of my favorite bloggers for the first time. Let me tell you, I stumbled off that plane, changed into my dress in the airport bathroom, and rolled into this party 45 minutes later… rocking jetlag and airplane grogginess. But the buzz of being there carried me through the night, the party and the afterparty!
The Torpedo Factory was jam packed
Our lovely hosts: Anne (From I Will to I Do) & Vane (Brooklyn Bride)
Elan Artists tore the room up
They scrolled any tweets pertaining to the conference or party across a screen in real time, which would be a fun modern feature at an edgy-techie wedding. But one of my favorite features was the DIY prosecco station – which included fresh herbs, syrups, and other mixers that we could add to flavor our glass as much or as little as we liked. I got seriously addicted to a concoction involving fresh thyme and lavender syrup… that stuff was my jam!
Fresh Herbs and Prosecco? My new favorite!
Another adorable feature was Brooklyn Bride’s Pop Up Bar – showcasing items that POP… everything from various flavors of popcorn to pop tarts and pop rocks. I’d love to see something like this at a wedding instead of a candy buffet.
Once you pop, you can't stop.
They also decorated chalkboard vases with our names, which I loved. But the best was that they drew some chalk ass cheeks under our name 
See them in the lower left corner there?
Just grab some chalkboard paint and plywood to DIY your own!
It wouldn’t have been so fly without the bad-ass sponsors of the meet and greet ♥ The Torpedo Factory ♥ Ritzy Bee Events ♥ Design Cuisine ♥ Holly Chappelle Flowers ♥ Elan Artists ♥ Smilebooth ♥ Nation ♥ Envelopments ♥ Marc Parc ♥ Dolci Odille ♥ John Farr Lighting ♥ DC Rental ♥ Carlos Andres Varela ♥ Shane Carpenter
Saturday was the official conference, which we spent at the historic Lloyd House in Old Town Alexandria. Sorry peeps, what we discuss at the conference stays at the conference, but I can share with you the freaking adorable lunch they put together for us… which was almost too cute to eat! Almost. Its theme was something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue, and it included embroidered cloth napkins, bamboo flatware, artisan root beer, and special ‘B’ shaped cookies.
Gorgeous lunchboxes from Design Cuisine & Smock
Gotta give big ups to our conference sponsors, who allowed it to be free to all of us bloggers: ♥ WEtv ♥ Design Cuisine ♥ Smock ♥ Mélangarie ♥ Pottery Barn ♥ Envelopments
And afterward we walked over to The Hive and got “buzzed” at the collective studio of Ritzy Bee Events, Kate Headley Photography and Simplesong Design. We all gathered around the computer to watch Fresh Hubby’s B-list rap, which was a big hit and made this broke-ass very proud It was also a great chance to mingle and chat with the other gals.
Sunday morning, we trucked over to Williams Sonoma for a special brunch featuring some new registry trends, delicious tasty delights, and a fun cooking demonstration. Did you know some couples are registering for his and hers knife sets so couples that love to cook could each get the fit they want? As a gal with a culinary bent, that beats my drum for sure! Oh, PS – WS makes some crazydelicious frozen croissants that would be totally perf for a day-after brunch type event. You ain’t gotta tell no one that’s store bought (it can be our little secret). They are the yum!
WIlliams Sonoma put on quite a show for us!
And we all went our separate ways, toting our special swag bags… with full hearts and heads after such a rewarding weekend with the gals! Take a peek at the loot.
goodies galore!
Thanks to Chronicle Books ♥ Smock ♥ David Tutera ♥ Paloma’s Nest ♥ Rust Designs ♥ Emersonmade ♥ Wedgwood ♥ Santa Barbara Preserves ♥ Whisker Works ♥ Footpetals ♥ iomoi ♥ Viv & Ingrid ♥ Williams Sonoma ♥ 9Spot Monk ♥ Crane & Co. ♥ Delphine ♥ Bridal Reflections ♥ Sycamore Street Press ♥ Flory Photo ♥ Chewing the Cud ♥ Envelopments ♥ Scout Books ♥ Pottery Barn ♥ The Pink Initiative ♥ Lo Boheme ♥ Rembrandt ♥ Simple Song Design ♥ Thoughtful Day for sponsoring the gift bags.
It was all such a blast. I’m so grateful to everyone who made it all possible, and feel blessed to be included in such an inspiring bunch of bloggers! And you know that’s saying something, since I managed to lose my wallet and get sick that weekend. Honestly though, the people at Dulles Airport couldn’t have been nicer about helping me through security without a photo ID. It’s so rare to experience great customer service when traveling, I have to shout-out their TSA department with a virtual high five. I felt very Blanche DuBois – relying on the kindness of strangers And then, the unthinkable… a week later my wallet was returned, completely intact!
I can’t wait for next year’s conference. Keep up with and learn more about The B-List in the meantime, by following the B-List Blog!
[images from Carlos Andres Varela and Shane Carpenter for Elan Artists, Kate Headley Photography & Brooklyn Bride]
April 22nd, 2010 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Earth Day is 40 years old today, and we’re so excited. Mother Earth means so much to us, that we even made a vow to protect her during our wedding! So, naturally, on this day in her honor, we’z about to bust out some of our favorite green goodies to help you discover how being green can help you save green, have fun, and give Big Mama Earth a big, heartfelt, broke-ass hippie {HUG}
Anyone out there have disposables guilt? You know, that regretful feeling when you buy a pack of disposables for your home, a party or a wedding event? Hang onto your socks, and meet this bevy of bio-goodness. There are tons of disposables out there made from biodegradable materials, such as corn starch, bamboo and sugarcane bagasse, and they’re super affordable, yo! We used some for our day-after party and they were perfect! Biosmart used to offer a $20 party pack that fed 50 people… I wish they’d bring that back! But still you can get 125 plates for $9.99 or 250 bar cups for $24.61 – can I get a what what? That’s my jam!
Ohh Emm Geee.
Yes, please.
Sustainable Party is an adorable site filled with different styles of sustainable disposable – from your basic whites to some really stylish bamboo. They sell most items in bulk batches (ranges from 25 to 3,000) and bulk batches mean bulk discounts, and you know we love that! And I can’t resist those party monsters they put in the product porn GreenFeet has a great selection at great prices too – but my favorite has got to be the bamboo spork!
Present your disposables in a cute fabric lined basket, tie some rustic twine around the utensils, cut up recycled fabric with pinking shears to create adorable cloth napkins and some grub…. you’ve got yourself a guilt-less, easy clean up and affordable feast.
Browsing for a wedding dress can be eco-friendly in so many ways these days, its hard to justify not checking this shiz out! Naturally I’ve gotta plug the eco-fashionistas out there, having worn a gown made of sustainable fabrics… so let’s give it up for Deborah Lindquist, Amy Jo Tatum, and Puridee who handmake gorgeous confections of dresses out of organic and recycled fabrics and are just to die for!
Amy Jo's green-chic line has retro flair
I LOVE this color by Puridee!
But there before buying new, make sure to check out the zillions of bridal resale options… from vintage shops in your hometown to awesome online resalers like Recycled Bride, wedding website classifieds, or charity resale events like Brides Against Breast Cancer. You can even rent gowns like the one in yesterday’s gorgeous real wedding feature for just one night! Already married? Unload that lonely gown and send it down the aisle again on another lucky brides back, and list it for resale or donate it today!
Guiltless snacking is my favorite.
Add some sun to your day.
I’m sure you’ve seen that Sunchips has a very sexy new biodegradable bag, but did you know that all those old bags can still be put to good use? Check out this cutie pie chip bowl from Ecoist for your wedding registry or a gift, or snag a purse made from a Lay’s bag for your summer wedding!
California Pink Tourmaline, and vegan!
Something old, made new.
Eco-wedding rings do exist, and what a great way to make a vow, right? Recycling rings from estate sales and vintage boutiques is a great place to start, but you can get even more progressive by seeking alternative styles like the gorgeous wood-laid reclaimed silver bands right there, or those made of reclaimed metals and non-diamond jewels like this gorgeous $298 pink solitaire by McFarland Designs on etsy. Even better, scour your old jewelry box and ask friends or family to donate old metals, send ‘em to a jeweler, and have your own design cast from some meaningful metal.
Oh, there are so many goodies we love that support and protect the lady that feeds us, houses us, nourishes us and on which we’ll marry… I could go on for days. Do your part today and every day. As the Native American Proverb says:
Treat the earth well… we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.
What are your favorite green goodies?
March 29th, 2010 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Here at Team Broke-Ass, shopping is serious business, and so are sustainability, good value, and giving back whenever possible! That’s why we are luuurving on companies like Seven Hopes United, one of many rad Fair Trade green wedding and gift registries and shopping sites.
Fair trade is the Bibimbap Biggity Bomb, and it gives back to the craftsman and artisans who create the goods. Seven Hopes United, Global Exchange, and SERRV feature products that are fair trade certified which means that they are made in fair trade co-ops and aim to provide economic stability. Oh hello, I love that mission. The added bonus? The price will often beat large chain stores!
Fair Trade intends to provide access to other marginalized goods, and gives a higher and more fair wage back to the people who produce these products. These gift registries have crafts, jewelry, and housewares from all over the world including places such as Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Their products are beautifully handcrafted, and part of all proceeds are invested back into the artisan communities. It’s shopping for a cause!
Some of my favorite items:
This necklace is the "Taryn Delicate Y Necklace" in Teal. Isn't it gorgeous? I love the turquoise and brown together!
These could be the perfect gift for any bridesmaid. I never met a pair of baubles I didn't like!
Love these square salad bowls!
Go ahead, register for a hammock! You've earned the relaxation!
Tons of sites and wedding vendors offer fair trade or some other charity incentive these days, so be sure to patronize vendors like this when possible. It’s a great way to pay it forward while getting your shop (and your wedding) on, and to get your marriage started off on a great karmic foot, yo!
December 17th, 2009 by The Fresh Hubby
“This wedding is the most money I’ve ever spent on anything. Can we just ask our guests for cash?” You can hint, you can pray, but no you cannot ask. But you can register for the entire cost of your honeymoon at Buy Our Honey Moon.
Buy Our Honeymoon allows you to create a completely customized registry of anything you can possibly imagine and set the price point you would like.
Our newest Sponsor!
While the ultimate guava and carrot peeler/slicer contraption may seem like a must have now, the place it is most likely going is the return aisle. Why not opt for the gift of experience with the new partner in your life? Your imagination is the limit when you register with Buy Our Honeymoon. Trust us, your loved ones would rather envision you enjoying their gift of parasailing, rather than sitting down to dinner with the silver owl candlesticks that your Auntie Booboo thought were just “soooo precious”. On Buy Our Honeymoon, whatever your loved ones purchase for you is placed directly in your account as a big pile of cash that you can dedicate to how you most see fit in your new life. If you don’t blow it all on the honeymoon, than you can go on a shopping spree for those still needed items or make those new wedding credit card bills magically disappear.
Your guests got nothin' but love for ya'
Easy Peesy
“But,” you protest, “those honeymoon sites either take a chunk of our money for each purchase or they are covered with ads, and that’s not classy.” Ah… but not Buy our Honeymooon, young grasshopper. Buy Our Honeymoon charges you a one time fee and thats it. No ads, no commissions. Just a cozy classy registry that you can customize with your pics and their provided templates. They even have multiple url names to choose from, so that you can pick the registry site name that best suits your style. International Guests? No problem, Buy Our Honeymoon converts currency and takes several major credit cards. They’ll give you tips as to how best set up your registry and everything.
You have enough to worry about when it comes to your wedding. Finding the perfect toaster oven shouldn’t be something you stress about. Just dream big, and stick those dreams in your Buy our Honeymoon registry. Then after the wedding you’ll have a lot of stress free fun to look forward to. Your loved ones will love helping your dreams come true.
September 3rd, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
We got the idea to register for vintage dishware after seeing the plates of our dreams on set at a television sitcom taping we attended. I was flat out drooling for them, and even Hunter gave them a hells yeah. We scampered over to check the stamp on the plates, ran home to google it, and mentally filed it away. After a long and painful search for something new (and more readily available) that we loved just as much, we finally decided to go our own way and register for the first dishes to steal our poppy lovin’ hearts.
Wild Poppies – Metlox: Aren’t they dreamsicle?!?
It was the perfect decision for us, and we love our dishes more and more every time we use them. In fact, we ended up buying vintage silverware to go along with it!
The benefits of vintage dishware are threefold:
1. more financially friendly – the set we picked out cost less than most sets we saw at Crate and Barrel or Macy’s.
2. more eco-friendly – reuse is always a better choice than buying new, any day!
3. more finger friendly – we excel at breaking dishes. Vintage dishware is often sturdier and more break-resistant, which means keeping our wedding dishes safe for years to come!
Whatever your taste, you can find vintage dishes to suit them, in many places both online and in shops. Check out these babies:
Manzanita by Brock
Johnson Bros – Chelsea Collection
Starburst by Franciscan
Gold Dahlia by Metlox
You can search for vintage dishware at sites like Metlox California (who were supremely helpful in our registry process), Replacements.com, etsy, and ebay among many others. You can also try flea markets and antique bazaars in your town, like the Rosebowl.
There are also some progressively fierce companies taking vintage dishware/china and turning it into something modern and delicious, like Esther Dirkx!
via Reform School – a favorite green boutique of mine
“But, Dana” you protest “how do I register for something so random and hard for guests to find/pay for?”
Woman, hie thee to Wishpot! You can register for items you find anywhere, in brick and mortar stores or on the internet. Its a convenient way to unleash yourself from single-store registries, and allowed us to explore our eclectic tastes in a personal and customizable way. It worked great for us, even when we bought our flatware through auction. We just manually listed it, posted the price, and someone “reimbursed” the gift to us. Or, contact a replacement company and ask if they’ll set up a registry for you. Many offer that service these days.
There are tons of ways to make your registry more personal, and more green. But vintage dishware is my absolute favorite (she says, as she eats her cereal from a sunny poppyfilled bowl).
Did you register for any vintage items?
August 17th, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
There are few things that make me feel more pampered then a nice meal out when I don’t have to worry about every penny going into it; and few gifts please me better than that of good food for free. Let’s be real – who doesn’t love eating out? But honestly, who wants to pay full price? Not this broke-ass!
When I lived in Chicago, my favorite ‘in the know” deal was that a local radio station’s website had a 1/2 off section where you could score restaurant gift certificates for, you guessed it, half price! They had some of the best grubs in Chi-town on there… we even went to the uber-romantic Signature Room on our 3rd anniversary for half-price dinner!
Now there are tons of resources for similar deals in dining and entertainment, all over the US – and I’m all over that like curry on tofu! Many local radio and TV affiliates have the same kind of resources – so poke around and see what you can find! Try googling “half-price deals + your city”. I also find great results when I google “your city: mediawebconnect.com” like these for Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.
Another super-duper deal resource is Groupon.com – which lists a new amazing deal in each of 17 cities (and growing) every day! The trick is that enough people have to want the deal for it to become available, so bookmark this site and make sure you give props to the best deals! But it doesn’t take many to get something available, and the savings are fantastic.
Looking to get your drink on, but can’t bear full bar prices? Check out unthirsty.com and use their happy hour finder! While they missed a couple favorite local happy hours of choice, they had a lot of new suggestions I hadn’t heard about before.
I highly endorse self-pampering, whether you be in the thick of wedding planning and need a night-off of cooking without the hefty price tag, or you’re celebrating an anniversary on a tight budget, or just because Monday and you want to! But, remember, restaurant gift certificates make terrific thank you gifts to parents, in-laws, bridal party members, and all those ’special helpers’ that make your wedding day beautiful. This way, you can give a substantial gift that won’t rock your bank balance too hard, and the lucky recipients will be loving you long time.
Or get creative and book your rehearsal dinner or day-after brunch somewhere that participates in these deals – you might be able to score some great gift certificates to use toward the bill! Trust me, your in-laws will love you for it!
What are your favorite online resources for cheap eats or nights out on the town?
March 25th, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
I can hardly believe it, after 17 months of engagement, dreaming, planning and scheming…. We are officially at 2 months to go!
I can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed by all the details, vendors, et cetera that I have to keep straight somehow! Guess its time to take an inventory of our progress and see what’s still missing. Let’s see where we stand with everything:
Bouquet – check (shipping next week!)
Dress – check (picked her up yesterday!)
Officiant – check (friendor!)
Ceremony – in progress
Decor – ordering now or already have it.
Rental House for family, day-after party – check
Registry – check (wishpot, bed bath & beyond, and vintage dinnerware)
Bathroom Baskets – MOH is on it
Minimoon – working on it
Groomsmen shirts/ties/shoes – not yet
Groom’s Shoes/tie/shirt – not yet
DJ – don’t get me started
Makeup – working on it
My Ring – check/recycled
Garter – not yet
Music Selections – not yet
Marriage License – getting next week!
Groom’s gift – not yet
Bridal Party Gifts – halfway there
Guh. Its a lot, huh? What am I missing? Help a sistah out and speak up if you see a big gaping hole, y’hear?
Tomorrow night I head off to Chicago for a whirlwind weekend of wedding goodness.
MaPo is heading up my bachelorette party along with
sister (and MOH) Dawn, and I can’t wait to see what they have in store. My mom and Dawn have also helmed a shower that I know nothing about except what time it starts. I’m so excited and feel totally spoiled by all the love. It will be the first time my whole bridal party is together, and I can’t wait for them to get acquainted. Big ups to my fabulous sister
Kimberly and future sister-in-law Cathy for making the trip to Chicago for lil’ old me!
Speaking of sisters – happy birthday to Dawn today! My Maid of Honor, my sister, my heart!
Phew. Feels good to get it all written down in one place. How do you manage your checklist?
March 18th, 2009 by The Broke-Ass Bride
What does this: 
have in common with these:
?
They’re the first gifts we received off our wedding registry!
Its really happening, and I can barely believe it! With my Chicago shower approaching next week, and our invitations going out at the same time, I have a feeling I’m going to look forward to Mr. Postman now more than ever!
What made you realize the wedding was just around the corner?
*images from Bed Bath & Beyond
December 10th, 2008 by The Broke-Ass Bride
Need to get some holiday shopping done, but want to support indie designers and discover some underground gift ideas? Hie ye to the
Unique Los Angeles Event this weekend! Perhaps you’ll find some
unique wedding accessories there!
From their site: UNIQUE LOS ANGELES is an exciting two-day shopping event that showcases independent design talent at great prices. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the event brings together 200 of the best designers, artists and merchants. We believe in supporting the community, we thrive on individualism, and we hope to introduce independent design to the masses. There are deals and discoveries a plenty! Whether you’re a hipster, a soccer mom or a tween, at UNIQUE LOS ANGELES there truly is something for everyone! Clothing & Accessories • Stationery • Jewelry • Housewares • Artwork • Ceramics Gourmet Edibles • Plush Toys • Books • Photography • Screenprints • Plus more!
It looks to be great fun, and a cool way to discover unique and special gift ideas… plus, I bet you savvy-brides can source some incredible wedding goods such as jewelry, bridal party gifts, decor ideas and more. Tickets are only $5 and half the proceeds benefit CREATE NOW, a local arts-based charity for high-risk youth.
Happy shopping!
