The wedding day look isn't complete without the jewels...

I have been scouring search engines for the last several hours (and hours on days and days before that) for the perfect wedding day accessories. And I haven't just been looking for earrings and necklaces and hair pieces to complete my look, but also belts and necklaces etc. for my bridesmaids, mothers and flower girl.

On a day-to-day basis, I don't always give much thought to accessories, but don't be fooled. I love them! They totally complete the outfit. And when you're working with two dress colors — white and black — you need to dress things up a bit! I originally thought of going very classic bling, but lately I'm feeling an urge to stick to my roots and go turquoise. Then I set my eyes on these lovelies.

I know I can't spend $600 on earrings for my wedding... but man, I wish I could!!!

The nice thing about shopping online is you don't have to physically travel from store to store to discover the next big thing. Use your online resources to uncover wonderful treasures.

Search Engines

I love searching for specific ideas in google because it provides dozens of pages of shopping results. Just as quickly as I can find thousands of images for bloodhound puppies, I locate plenty of amazing jewelry pieces to blow the entire wedding budget on.

The downside is there are a lot of duplicates since some sites distribute for multiple vendors. Also, some small mom and pop shops haven't expanded to the world wide webs (yep, did that on purpose).

Big Box Sites

Sites like Overstock and Amazon have a pretty large selection and allow you to narrow your search quickly based on the specifications of what you would like. One-carat peridot studs?

Go for it. A pair of turquoise dangle earrings for under $25? Can do! Or get the best of both worlds with these charming earrings.

Homemade Sites

If you're longing for something local or incredibly unique, you don't have to look very far. Etsy is pretty much the holy grail of all things home/handmade, but Artfire isn't far behind. Tonight, I found this adorably chic leather bow belt that I could see cinching around a bridesmaid dress.

Your Favorite Online Store

You know your style and what you like. Don't feel like you have to search and search any of the aforementioned sites or cop out by ordering through some bridal store. If you love shopping at the Limited or Betty Page, look to them for inspiration and ideas. Even if you can't order the jewelry you want from them, their website should offer a variety of looks to point you in the right direction.

It also helps having multiple sets of eyes so you don't look like a zombie the next day. That's what really great matrons-of-honor are for! I'm pretty sure mine helped me find the perfect pair of earrings for me to wear on my wedding day to help me tie multiple elements of my ensemble together. I can't wait until they arrive! Until next time, happy accessory hunting!

Planned to perfection

The majority of my weekend was spent thinking about weddings. I plopped down on the couch late Friday night, and though I've run some errands and done a little shoe shopping, I felt pretty attached to the cushion. Not only was I crafting boutonnieres for the wedding, I got my reality wedding show fix. A is now feeding my wedding addiction and added TLC's "Wedded to Perfection" to the Netflix queue. Oh yeah. You know it.

The show features a married wedding planning duo and their struggles with planning the perfect day for couples in the New York area. It made me appreciate both the simplicities and complexities of planning my own wedding. When A and I began this process, we had two visions: The rich vision and the poor vision. The rich vision was filled with opulence and high class. The poor version was a potluck in a backyard. There's nothing wrong with either concept. They're just different. I feel like we've struck a wonderful balance between getting everything we want and being frugal with our budget.

One of the issues I have with a blog I frequently read is her position on the "Wedding Industrial Complex" and the necessity to keep the real meaning of a wedding in mind. I can't possibly take such a hard stance because if I had the money to spend, I would have. Easily. But I think it's important to express yourself on your wedding day. Although you've invited all that are close to you in one way or another, it's an opportunity to express who you really are. One way I can share my love of crafts and A and my general zest for fun is to come up with creative boutonnieres. I can't wait for people to see them.

I thought to myself today that I would enjoy doing this for others' weddings. Giving people an opportunity to have a custom wedding and eliminate stress. It could be a career move... someday. In the meantime, I feel ecstatic to have a project completely checked off my list. Coming soon: a how-to slideshow featuring my craftiness.

Ultimate wedding song?

I feel like I've been distant, but a lot of things are happening. I'm changing jobs (and still working a 2nd job part time) and planning DIY projects for the wedding like a crazy fool!

Things are getting accomplished over here. I'm working on the slideshow in a timely fashion. I went to a bridal show today to try to tie up a few loose ends (and found a lovely piece of jewelry in the process).

One of our DIY undertakings is the playlist for each component of the day: Ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and four hours of reception music. We decided to forgo a traditional DJ or rent a band in exchange for an iPod/Computer setup and a fantastic uncle who will do some editing and provide a little MC flavor.

A and I have a great grasp on the type of music we want at the wedding. But I'm still left wondering: What do our guests want to dance to?

Which poses this question: You only get ONE song to dance to, what is your final answer?

I can understand why those who aren't invited may choose to withhold their response, but feel free to provide some input. Ready, go.

'Tis the Season...

Neither A nor I could sleep last night. I wish I could say it was because we were both so excited to open gifts, but mostly it was due to indigestion. I wonder--was it the taco dip? Perhaps the meatballs or cheese and sausage or lasagna. Or maybe it was the ice cream, grasshoppers, wine and brandy slush. Ugh, thank goodness A and I got in a good workout yesterday.

I'm no stranger to overdoing it when it comes celebrating through food and I can always find something to celebrate. Our wedding will be no exception. Friends and family we come across this holiday season have been asking us a lot about plans and the meal inevitably comes up. There's no question, between the cocktail hour, dinner, dessert and late-night snacks, everyone will have an opportunity to stuff their faces at our wedding.

I've been reading a lot about ways to save on the big day and multiple sources have commented that you can cut costs through two main methods: 1) Do a dessert-only reception or 2) Cut the cocktail hour in half or out completely. This is a great idea, don't get me wrong. However, it would not work for A and I. We love food... Love it. When we talk about what we want people to remember on our wedding day (aside from how in love we are) food is number one on the list, followed by the music. We feel really lucky that we have wonderful friends who will be doing the catering for us, so that's cutting tremendously on our costs and allowing us to spend more on quality food for our guests. We hope they can appreciate it as much as we do.

Whatever your reason to celebrate--eat, drink and be merry this holiday season. And stock up on Antacid pills...

Holiday gifts don't have to be the pits...

Just a quick note.

In the spirit of saving money for the wedding, A and I are trying not to fall too victim to the commercialism of the holiday season this year. We're still decorating feverishly, but we agreed not to go overboard with gifts. I'll admit, I went a little crazy on Black Friday, but seriously?!?! I got a $225 peacoat for like $70... that's just smart shopping.

Moving along. I received an e-mail that led me to a fun new site I'll be perusing that outlines great online sales. In fact, if anyone out there was thinking of getting Aaron and I an electric griddle for our wedding gift, I found a great deal on this site... save 50% and free shipping/handling. Just saying.

Anyway, I'm a huge fan of DIY gifts... framed photos, jewelry and food. But if you don't have the time or patience to do it all yourself, I recommend looking at MyBargainBuddy.com for some great savings.

Workday Blues

Those who have been there (or are there right along with me) may agree. There's a stressful feeling associated with being at work when all you really want to do is think about extravagant centerpieces and tantalizing canapes. That's why I think every good lunch break deserves a trip to The Knot. Rather than blog more today... I think I'll take a stroll through 5,000+ Wedding Photos. Come along with me, will you?

Engagement Photo Sneak Peak

I was so excited when a couple co-workers came up to me and said, "I love the picture of you and Aaron on Facebook!" I couldn't wait to get online and check it out. So here's the sneak peak!

Nissa is amazing. I can't wait to see what else she has done with our photos. And I can't wait to share them with you.

Engagement Photos

Wedding Countdown: 302 days

Yesterday and Wednesday my dear friend (and Matron of Honor) Nissa honored Aaron and I by taking some engagement photos. She’s an extremely talented photographer and artist who now resides in the San Francisco Bay area, but is here in Wisconsin visiting. I haven’t seen the end results of the shoot yet, but the process was exciting and entertaining, so I know the pictures will turn out wonderful. I can’t wait to see them. Aaron and I are so lucky to have such a great friend helping us plan our big day.

Not everyone has the pleasure of knowing a professional—or even a really amazing—photographer, but maybe you have a friend who knows a great photographer…or even someone who takes great photos. The point is, explore your resources. Anything pegged “Wedding” basically equates “expensive,” so get creative. Ask your friends and your friends’ friends if they know anyone with special skills and talents. Especially seek out those who might be trying to build up their portfolio or business. Massage and beauty schools often offer tremendous discounts so students can accumulate hours. Professionals paving their way in hopes of creating a lucrative business may be able to cut you a break.