I always said I wanted a small bridal party- I thought probably just my little sister Emma and my other “sister” and best friend for life Aubrey- but when it came time to actually think about it- there were people in my life who were way too important to not have standing beside me- Morgan, Heather, and Gabe. People who have seen me and Tim through the good times and bad times and who know me, some days, better than I know myself. Asking them to stand beside me was not about needing extra hands- it was about wanting 5 woman who I love and admire to warm up the water before I took the plunge- to put their hand on my shoulder and say, “You’ve got this!” when I got nervous. I never had any intention of making them run to Paper Source a million times to search for ribbon, or tie strips of fabric onto yards and yards of garland, or at the very last minute track down 12 umbrella’s and have them overnight-ed to our hotel in case it rained- I figured between Tim and I, I could handle all of that stuff on my own and I am kind of a control freak- but when it came down to it, boy did I need their help and not just with errands!

It was important to me to not stifle them. They are all stylish, strong, gorgeous women and the last thing I wanted to do was force them into some same color/same dress situation. However, I did have a certain vision for the whole look of the day and I wanted to choose something that would give them freedom but also reflect the general style we were going for. I have always had an affinity for vintage dresses and loved the idea of taking a “green” approach. I knew I wanted them to all be in blushes, golds, and creams…

….so Yelena Johnson and I set out one rainy LA afternoon to check out Shareen Vintage- otherwise known as a vintage-lovers heaven on earth. We combed through dress after dress in her racks and racks of beautiful vintage pieces and knew we had stumbled upon something gold! We set up an appointment with Shareen for a few months later and when we arrived with all the bridesmaids in tow she had pulled a bunch of dresses in our color scheme for us to try on!

This is what we ended up with that day….the color palette went into a much warmer salmon tone than we had planned but the dresses looked so great on the girls that it didn’t really matter at all!

With a couple tweaks, one new dress, and a bunch of gorgeous accessories made by the super talented Ashley Maxwell this is what we ended up with- following photos by Jasmine*

Throughout the year I picked up necklaces where ever I saw them in our color palette and then we styled ‘em up that day!

I sent lots of links to shoes I thought might look good, but inevitably the girls all chose their own and they came out perfectly! Heather found these vintage blue velvet pumps which worked perfectly with our color palette and Gabe and Aubs went blue too!

While we were downstairs taking family portraits Heather took some gorgeous shots of the girls in the ceremony room. I think these PERFECTLY capture the style of each bridesmaid. Wish I had one of me to match but these will definitely be a large spread in the album!!!!

Seriously, seeing all of these images together in this post just completely makes me giddy. These girls looked so fabulous and the colors and styling turned out exactly the way I had imagined!

{ Photobooth! }

Most of the dresses needed slight alterations but we added up the cost of all of the dresses and then divided the amount by 5 so the dresses definitely came out cheaper than any dress I’d seen listed as a “bridesmaid” dress online. Each dress had the perfect character for each individual girl and the whole look together really still said “Meg” !

I could not have made it through all of the planning stress and decision making without these girls. I love you all to the moon and back a million times!

What do you think???

Some more of our holiday decor: I decided to keep it simple and used a whole bunch of the decor from the wedding to dress the tree. Our guest book for our wedding, implemented by the wonderful Yelena Johnson, was an ornament making station.  To help us trim our first tree as a married couple, our guests wrote notes to us and stuffed them inside clear glass ornaments with ribbons, glitter dust, and other pretty little things.

Here is the table with the ornament making supplies. Photos by Jasmine.

And here the ornaments are on the tree! I also used a bunch of the garland from the ceremony benches. Special thanks to my sister, Emma, for sitting on the living room floor with me and untangling all that garland- and of course to Aubrey, for tying each and every one of those fabric strips to that string.

I love to use the extra branches cut from the bottom of the tree as additional filler throughout the house. Nothing like fresh evergreen scent in the house!

I used twine to string holiday cards across the mirror above the couch. At the time I took this photo we only had a couple but now it’s full and a second tier has been added! Also, my dear mom and Carolyn sewed all these beautiful tool flowers for the wedding and, unfortunately, I didn’t see them anywhere in the wedding photos so I’m assuming they never made it out of the box but they make beautiful tree fillers!

Lots of personal posts this time of year- are you guys finding me annoying yet? I promise some clients will be on the blog soon

When I tried it on at the salon it, of course, was the sample dress and was way too big. When it was clamped at my waist the layers hit my hips at just the right spot but now, after the tailoring, it felt as though it was hugging me in all the wrong places…. Everyone kept assuring me it looked great but all I could think was, “Sh*t- I can’t eat and I have to go to the gym every single day until the wedding.” The seamstress said she’d be able to let it out in the right places and fix a few other concerns and that it would be perfect. What followed in the next two-three weeks was an inner dialogue that sounded something like this:

It’s a beautiful dress. But, Meg, is it a beautiful dress on YOU? No, Meg, it’s YOUR dress. You bought it, you loved it at one time you still love it. It will be perfect! Okay, I’ll go to the gym … but I don’t have timmmmme for the gym. But, Meg, your hips are going to look huge. Okay… I think…. no no don’t do it. This is your dress! You cannot be a bridezilla this dress cost you money! But… I don’t love this dress. I don’t. I do. I don’t. Yes, I think… I need …a new dress! MOM I NEED A NEW DRESS!!!!!!

I called my mom and in a very small voice said, “Mom……I know it’s a month from the wedding but I’m not feeling good about my dress. I think I might need to go look for a new one.” Did she roll her eyes? Did she sigh? Did she reprimand me for being a ‘zilla? Nope- she simply said, “Thought so! We’ll go this week. Do some research.”Bless Tim’s heart, he didn’t say a word.

Early on in my dress hunting we had gone to Glamour Closet on La Brea in Los Angeles and tried on some sample gowns. I didn’t find any that day but I remembered there was an SF location and I knew that when you bought dresses there you could walk out with them immediately. None of that “9 month ordering process” deal. So off we went on a Tuesday morning 3.5 weeks before the wedding to hopefully find a new dress. I was bracing myself for the worst but was definitely going in with an open mind. At first I really liked this Vera Wang- I had come to the conclusion that what I really wanted to feel like was a cloud. I wanted to float down the aisle and I could definitely see myself floating in this… but it just wasn’t really what I wanted- I felt like a cupcake!

(iphone photos)

and then….. hellloooooo CAROLINA HERRERA ….

I didn’t want to take it off. The sash even matched the bridesmaids dresses! I felt like a cloud, I felt comfortable, I felt pretty, I didn’t feel like I had to go to the gym- I seriously believe this was my dress soul-mate. I still felt like I was out of Pride and Prejudice but I could breathe! So here’s where I wrap it all up. I am slightly embarrassed that I was such a baby- that I bought a dress on a whim and that it truly wasn’t the dress for me. I’m embarrassed that it took me until a month before the wedding to admit to myself that I wasn’t happy with it. All that said, I am proud of myself for not settling for something less than perfect and for being open-hearted enough to find the dress of my dreams.

2011 brides.. my advice to you, don’t buy a dress too soon.. there are so many to choose from and especially if you are going to be engaged through new seasons take your time! And if for some reason you are like me and find yourself trying to convince yourself that you love your gown – give a place like Glamour Closet a shot, you never know! You might find your Carolina

www.jasminestarblog.com

and then of course- a girls gotta have a good dancing frock! Picked this lovely number up at Gabrielle’s in Campbell – it’s by Watters .. I think I am going to dye it, it’s too great to not wear again!

Last Saturday was, hands down, the absolute best day of my life. Every single bit of it (even when I freaked out right before walking down the aisle) was perfect. The day was exactly as I had imagined it both aesthetically and emotionally and I am still exploding from the excitement and happiness of it all.

I was a little afraid that once the wedding was over I would plummet into depression. How will I spend my time? I want to do it all over again? What if I don’t feel the same way about my work after I’ve been there done that? I am so thankful to see that while I had the time of my freaking life, I am so happy to be Mrs. Timothy Resudek and so thankful to not be talking about table linens anymore! And actually, my understanding and appreciation for all my clients go through has only gotten stronger and I feel as though I will be able to do my job from a wonderful new perspective.

I noticed early on in the wedding planning process that I really found a lot of it exhausting. I find it hard to make decisions in regular every day life and the amount of choices I had to make and answers I had to come up with during the past 9 or so months was constantly overwhelming. I thought I’d blog about every little choice- this shoe or this shoe? Blush or lavender? Vintage bridesmaids or Vera bridesmaids? But seriously, a lot of the time I agonized so long over things that by the time I finally decided on them I was way over sharing my craziness with the world wide web.

I had the most amazing team of ladies to help me through it all and the day was better than I could have ever imagined- and you know, all of those pain-staking decisions actually paid off. The whole freaking thing looked exactly as I had imagined it.

I want to share (and rave) about my vendor choices, tell you all about how different being a bride versus a photographer is, and talk more about all of the decisions we made and why we made them- and I promise I will- but I’m going to head back into honeymoon mode! For now, check out J*’s blog edits here and a HUGE shout out to Yelena Johnson of The Stylish Soiree for totally and completely taking my vision and making it look like magic.

One of my favorites

]]> http://megperotti.com/blog/aloha/feed/ 7 http://megperotti.com/blog/bridal-shower-out-of-the-office-from-nov-1-nov-17th/ http://megperotti.com/blog/bridal-shower-out-of-the-office-from-nov-1-nov-17th/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:07:32 +0000 admin http://megperotti.com/blog/?p=7147 continue »]]> I started writing my vows last night and I could barely stop myself from crying. This could be bad!

I feel like I am in the eye of the storm right now. Most all decisions have been made, almost everything is purchased, we packed up and labeled all of the decor items. I have Yelena to keep me sane and my best friends are kidnapping me this afternoon for one last night of debauchery (ha!) … I look at Tim from over my computer screen and its like the world around us is spinning so fast but we’re solid- feet on the ground and steady. I started writing my vows last night after working for about 14 hours straight on album designs (holiday ordering deadline happens to fall during our honeymoon … peachy!) and suddenly it hit me- if everything goes crazy, if timelines get thrown out, if shuttles don’t arrive, if it rains, if, if, if….. I will still be marrying my best friend.

So clients, past, present, and future- please forgive me if e-mail is a little slower than usual or turn around times take a little longer than previously expected. I am working at my very fastest pace to get as much as I can get done before I am officially off the radar.

Come Monday- November 1st I am officially on vacation until November 17th.

It’s alllll happening!!!!!!!!

Here are some pics that Heather took at my bridal shower- such a fun day!

Venue!

I am rather picky. It’s not that I don’t appreciate what is- it’s that I have an issue wanting everything to be the best it can possibly be. Of course, in my life, this is both a blessing and a curse. Finding a wedding venue, much to my moms chagrin, did not escape this always becoming trait of mine. When Tim proposed I immediately fell into a state of panic. I’m sure you brides will commiserate with me on this- I couldn’t sleep. All I could think of when I closed my eyes was, “What would our wedding look like?” I’ve seen so many- I had no idea what I wanted- only what I didn’t. I didn’t want fountains, gazebos, or manicured grass. I did so much googling in the August heat that I thought my mind would melt- my mom and I spent afternoons driving around the bay area looking at venue after venue and while everything was beautiful (okay, not everything)… nothing felt quite right for us. So I stopped thinking about what our wedding would look like and took another approach- what did we want it to feel like? Ahh this was much easier.

Lovely. Artful. Sumptuous. Simple. Intimate. Warm. Cheer. Lively. Sweet. Inviting. Romantic. Grand. Fashioned.

It was through this word-storm that I found this gem: The Headlands Center for the Arts in the Marin Headlands My heart started to race- it looked perfect! I’d never heard of it: check. Artful, lovely, intimate: check……. My mom and I set up a time to tour the space with the sweet Rebecca and headed over the Golden Gate to check it out- we parked and I was happy to see there wasn’t any manicured green grass for miles- just beautiful tall wild grass blades blowing in the late summer wind- chills! With a hopeful heart we opened the large doors that led us inside the building and- wait, what was that? A piano? Someone in a distant room was tickling the ivories and the chords were practically vibrating off of the walls and into my soul. SOLD. Tim took a little more convincing, as he has a little more of a “traditional” view of weddings- perhaps it’s because he doesn’t see them every weekend? But once he saw the space in person he was in- this was it!

The space really is one of those building that feels like it has a serious stories to tell and I can’t wait to add our unity to it’s walls. Without further ado, here are some snap shots I took almost a year ago of a few of the spaces. Obviously Miss Jasmine Star’s talent and Miss Yelena Johnsons impeccable eye for event design will transform it into a wedding but isn’t it delectable??? Doesn’t it make you want to say words like divine, and oh, darling where is that Mr. Darcy?

{Front Entrance}

{Cocktails}

{Ceremony}

{Staircase}

{Dinner}

On Monday Tim and I will have been together for 7 years… (for the record, that is since I was 19 years old!) I was recently talking to a friend of mine about how crazy it is that we’re all reaching this age where people have been in our lives for over a decade… and while Tim and I haven’t quite reached 10 yet, it hit me that Tim and I have history together. We have a story and we have been such a huge part in each others lives for so long now that I cannot, and hope I never have to, picture my life without him. To celebrate our last anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend (oh, how charming!) we are having our engagement pictures taken in the neighborhood that we called home for years.

One of the first things that everyone asked me when we got engaged was, “Who is going to shoot your wedding?” Being that we were getting married in the bay area my first thought was, “Oh good lord…. can I afford to fly her up here?”  – and then I was like, “Doesn’t matter!” … When I was just a wee thing of 23 (ha!) and working at Architectural Digest and shooting weddings and not knowing which was the right road to follow my dear friend Ana took me to a party in good ol’ Orange County for a new wedding magazine launch. At the time I read, maybe, 6 blogs on a consistent basis: fashion, food, shelter, design,and The Pioneer Woman, and Jasmine *… Not knowing much about the beast that is the wedding industry I happened to see Jasmine from across the room and thought to myself, “If I had a blog, I’d want to know who was reading it…..” So, being my dumb self, I said hi! I don’t remember exactly how the conversation went but all I remember is that I left that party knowing wedding photography was the road I was going to follow and I do believe that Jasmine’s little push played a huge part in that decision.

“What’s stopping you?” she said.

It only made sense to me that she’d be the only choice. There is a lot about planning a wedding that being a wedding photographer hinders (information overload??!?!?) but this was not one of them. I have so many friends that are photographers and so many people who do such amazing work that it wasn’t easy. One huge thing was that I wanted my photographer friends to be able to enjoy themselves and only take pictures if they felt like it. I don’t want to feel like I’m short changing them! I’m only getting married once and there is only one person besides myself and Heather (who is in the wedding, duh!) who I know I will be completely calm and collected working with and that’s Jasmine. So there ya have it folks- Who is going to shoot my wedding? She is!

Can’t wait to share the images we capture on Monday- I’m part nervous and part excited .. but I’ve got a good team of girls helping me looking good and Tim is wearing the cutest clothes I’ve ever seen him in so we’re all good to go. Here are two images from two engagement shoots I did last weekend that I am looking forward to sharing next week!!!

This fall season has been a whirlwind for me…. only two more weddings left in 2009 and then I can take some much needed breaths and actually begin to make some decisions about our wedding. (Tim made me make a pact with him that I’d sit tight until January… it was stressing us both out!)

Since our date isn’t until next November, I don’t feel rushed or pressured to make any decisions but I have definitely been doing some research. Earlier this month my mom, grandma, sister, and best friend and I all went to SF and tried on some dresses. Such a fun experience!!! But all you brides out there who bought the first dress you tried on- ARE YOU INSANE?!?!??!?!?!?!?!? So much went through my mind that day.. (especially when they put that damn veil on my head and my mom started to cry!) but the biggest thing was, “How am I ever going to decide?” Grecian, vintage, ball gown, empire, trumpet…. I love ‘em all! I have been doing some brainstorming, number crunching, etc.- going to look at some vintage shops, going to check out some sample sales, and thinking about seriously considering having my dress made.

Have been to so many weddings, seen so many things done so many ways- one thing is for sure… I want this to be our wedding, I don’t want a cookie-cutter event. Every time I think about something like, “wedding cake” … I do this, “So what can I do INSTEAD of a wedding cake?” or what other reading besides “love is patient, love is kind” can I find…? Planning our wedding is a lot harder than I thought it would be but already so so much fun and I can’t wait to be a Resudek.

Here’s the direction my dress research is going….. it’s pretty “me,” right?

And because posts are no fun without photos here’s one of me and my best friend since birth (practically) Aubrey from Dana and Keith’s labor day weekend wedding! Photo credit goes to Heather Kincaid!

Photographers: What they want you to know (but are afraid to tell you)

HIRE A MAKEUP ARTIST
“Invest in a make-up artists – it will pay off in the long run. Do-it-yourself brides look fine for the first hour or so, but then the makeup wears off. Or they wear very subtle makeup that doesn’t photograph well; Nothing ‘pops’.” Cathy Short, Devonshire Photography – Wilbraham, MA

My take: Please, do! I am a non-make up wearer- seriously, I probably put make up on my face 2 days a week and usually its a tinted moisturizer and mascara- but I will hire a make up artist. Sure we can fix it in post,

but it’s so easier when there is a beautiful base to work with! Smoooooth it out.  Jasmine Dashtizad in Los Angeles is one of my favs.

SEE EACH OTHER BEFORE THE CEREMONY
“I think the bride and groom should see each other before the ceremony. It gets the jitters out of the way and gives me time to get some fun, unique images. When portraits are taken after the ceremony, it’s hard for the couple to focus. They don’t want to miss the party!” Sarah Maren, Sarah Maren Photography – Sacramento, CA

My take: HUGE advocate. Who says the bride and groom have to miss all of their cocktail hour??? Couples are always saying to me, “Well, we had already come to the conclusion that we’d just miss it.” Why? Do a first look (it’s just as, if not more, intimate and special as seeing each other at the aisle- and we actually have more than 2.5 seconds to catch your reactions!), spend an hour and a half or so doing all your family , bridal, and

couple photos before the ceremony that way when it’s over all your friends and family can just enjoy the party!

SHARE THE PICS
“When we take posed or more traditional shots, sometimes guests attempt to capture the same images, potentially slowing the process. If you request digital images from your photographers, you can send them to your guests later, and save time on your wedding day.” Craig Butler, Craig Butler Studios – Northville, MI

My take: I’m whatever on this one, although it does bug me when I see photos on facebook of a bridal party set up I did before I’ve had a chance to post the pro-version… but definitely share the gallery link so friends and family can order what they want without having to bug you for the images!

JUST GO WITH IT
“Realize that even though you feel stupid while you’re getting pictures taken, they’re turning out great. If you can just laugh and go with it, the images will reflect your personalities and show the connection between the two of you. You can be in a crappy location, but as long as you’re in a good mood (with a smile on your face), your pictures are going to rock.” Genya Garrett, Vue Photography – Panama City, FL

My take: Yes, yes, yes! Most important thing is to trust that we are professionals and we’ll be able to feel and anticipate how you will react to certain things we ask you to do. Sometimes I’ll say something like, “Okay, now rub your two little noses together Eskimo style!” and instead of capturing some cheesy Eskimo kiss I click the shutter JUST as the couple is busting up laughing because of the cheese factor. Trust us!

CLEAN YOUR ROOM
“If you want your ‘getting ready’ pictures to look their best, keep the place clean. That room becomes the basis, the background, for all your pictures. If you have ten girls dressing and undressing in the same room, it will show in your photos. The room should be clutterless. I get the best pictures when I walk into a room that someone has intentionally kept neat.” Brian Dorsey, Brian Dorsey Studios – NY, NY

My take: Love this! If you don’t have any space to keep things neat and tidy, what about finishing getting ready in a friend or family members room that is a little more organized?

DON’T INVITE THE PARTY
“Don’t cut your first dance short or have your bridal party join you halfway through it.

This decreases the amount of images I can get of just the two of you during your reception. If you dance for the entire song, you’ll end up with more sweet, intimate photos.” Alison Conklin, Alison Conklin Photography – Philadelphia, PA

My take: Usually I have enough time to capture enough images in the first minute or so but why cut that short? Just enjoy your dance together and forget about your bridal party- they can wait 5 minutes to cut a rug.

LIGHT YOUR DANCE FLOOR
“There are so many great things that happen during a reception, so you should think about how yours is going to be lit.

Ask the DJ or band to light themselves and the dance floor. Or, it it’s in your budget, look into a lighting designer, who can add uplighting to the room and give it extra pop. Lighting makes the space look cooler and preserves the ambiance.” Anne Ruthman, Anne Ruthman Photography – Boston, MA

My take: Totally worth the money photo-wise … do whatever you can to avoid overhead florescent lights! There is very little we can do to make that look good.