Time flies

I cant believe its been almost a year since I updated this blog. Im sorry! That is, if anyone is still out there... Hopefully soon I will do a wedding recap. Our wedding was incredible and one of the best days of my life. I would do it over again and again and not change anything if I could. We are leaving for our honeymoon soon to Hawaii! I cannot wait to get out of this snow covered city. Im so glad we decided to wait to go on the honeymoon instead of leaving in September or October.

If you want, please check out my personal blog over here iheartsharks.wordpress.com as I dont know when or how much I will be updating this blog in the future now that the wedding is over.

Love,
Gan

Love at first bite

This Sunday we went to our second cake tasting. This time with Sweets Bakeshop in St Paul. We first met Ly, co-owner, at the Independent Wedding Fair last month. She was so sweet and her cupcakes were so adorable, we set up a tasting on the spot. (It didn't hurt that they also have beautiful macarons, my favorite treats, and Ned had already told me we could have macarons at our wedding.)



Once at the shop, we were allowed to fill up our plate with amazing mini cupcakes, macaroons and brownies. Ly left us alone to try everything and gave us a sheet with all the flavors on it and space to write down our own thoughts on each one. Ned and I got to work on the most difficult task of eating all the goods!





Two cupcakes in and we were hooked. The cupcakes were so moist, the frosting so light. But unlike with our first tasting, Ned was actually wowed. The flavors were delicious. They had so much flavor for something so tiny. With the exception of the red velvet/Southern Belle and the triple chocolate, we weren't disappointed at all. (The red velvet was too heavy/didn't enjoy the cream cheese frosting mixed with white chocolate and the triple chocolate was too rich.)

Ned accidently ate way too much at the tasting and I was worried that the nausea was going to ruin the tasting experience altogether, but thankfully it didn't and we were able to book our baker this week! We've already narrowed down the flavors we want to go with, now we just need to decide on how many and what flavor of macaroons.

A few other photos from our tasting...








(All photo credits: me)

- Gan

Posh

I just wanted to post once more about how wonderful my dress experience at Posh was. But not only that, I ran into Tina (one of the sales girls that helped me) at the International Market Square wedding fair and she ran over to me and gave me a big hug. It was such a sweet moment.

I was flipping through the Resource Guide in the back of the newest Knot Minnesota magazine just now and saw the Posh profile. Their description in there couldn't be more right on. My experience is something that I will remember forever and I cannot wait to put my wedding dress on again.

"Your visit to Posh Bridal Couture in historic Semple Mansion will be unlike any other bridal salon experience. You'll receive our undivided attention with every detail to ensure the dress of your dreams is the one you are wearing when you walk down the aisle."

So very true.


(Photo credit: Posh)

- Gan

Ned is smooth

Yes, he is one smooth guy. I'll have to tell the story of how he got his first kiss on our third date some time. But what I'm really talking about here is fondant. Yes, I'm talking about cake again. Ned loves the smooth fondant look so much. But where he is all smooth, I am all texture. (Wait till you see my wedding dress!)

We've been trying to collect ideas of what we like and it's funny how different our tastes are sometimes.

This is me:


(Yes, I know this one was done with fondant, but I would love it with creamy frosting.)

And this is Ned:



What I've been thinking about, is that if we do cupcakes, maybe we can do a combination of smooth and textured? That way we both get what we like and I think it'll make for a beautiful display.

Something like this:



- Gan

Coverage

This post doesn't have to deal with tattoo covering this time, but my upper body that is going to get quite chilly as the night goes on. See, I'm one of those people. The kind that is always cold. The kind that is always asking to have the heat turned up. I can never seem to get warm unless I am lying out in the sun, which, living in Minnesota, doesn't get to happen all that often. In the winter time we have to keep our thermostat in the mid 70's just to keep it semi tolerable for me. Everyone else I know can somehow manage with theirs in the 60's. I'm sure they save on their heating bill, but how they can last through the winter, I do not know.

Now that I have my dress purchased, I've been thinking about how I will keep myself warm as the evening sets in. I bought a strapless dress, and even though I am having off the shoulder short sleeves added on, I'm going to be freezing. Our outdoor ceremony will thankfully be during the afternoon, but in MN, who knows what the weather will really be like that day. And even though our reception will take place indoors, I know that Ned and I are going to sneak off at some point to have some evening city shots taken. Brrrrrrrrrr!

I saw this cute post on Green Wedding Shoes about bridal sweaters and it totally got me thinking that I should get myself a little knitted shrug or cardigan for the wedding. Something that I can cuddle into as I get cold or we are out running around downtown taking photos. I started searching Etsy for some pretty ivory shrugs to choose from since I know that I can't knit myself something, and these are the ones I have found so far:


This is adorable, but would not keep me warm at all. I just had to post it because it is so pretty. It's from Magical Laboratory of Fashion and they have a bunch of beautiful things.


I also liked this one from Mucar, but again, not gonna keep me all that warm with the short sleeves.


These are also pretty, but not really my style or what I'm looking for. From reflectionsbyds and moocow.

These two are also from reflectionsbyds and are the two that I like the most so far.




But after looking at all the beautiful ivory shrugs and cardigans, I started checking out the beautiful color ones and now I can't decide if I want one to match my dress, or a bright one to match my shoes!

- Gan

Ate our weight in cake

(Photo credit: me)

Well, we didn't really eat that much cake, but we ate a lot! Sunday was a busy wedding day for us. We had a meeting with our florist, a wedding fair at International Market Square and our first cake tasting. I'm kinda lost on the whole cake thing. How does one choose their wedding cake?

When Ned and I first started planning, I was thinking cupcakes because, well, I love cupcakes. Everything about them just screams cute. But Ned really wanted a wedding cake. When else do you get to have an enormous, elaborate cake? Then there was this whole moment where we went of on that pie kick. I love pie. Ned loves pie. They ate lots of pie in Pushing Daisies. I even found this incredible pie shop in Stockholm, WI that makes the absolutely most delicious pies. How cute would little individual pies have been?





But then I slowly started to move over to the cake side of things and when we were at the wedding fair at FIVE, Ned saw some beautiful wedding cupcakes and he became sold on that idea. Not that there is anything wrong with pie, but we weren't sure if everyone else would love wedding pie as much as us. Ned and I are both pretty flexible though and if one of us was leaning strongly in one direction, the other would be ok with that. If Ned said he HAS to have cupcakes, then I would be like, sure, why not?

The only thing we are differing on is fondant. We both love the look of it, but only I can say that I dislike the taste. Ned has never had real fondant. I've spoiled him with delicious marshmallow fondant that is yummy and tastes nothing like the real stuff. He's really into the idea of fondant covered cupcakes or cake right now, but has no idea what it tastes like. Fondant is beautiful, but really, is it edible? I always have to pick it off. And fondant cakes aren't cheap. You are paying for the look, but not something everyone is going to enjoy eating.

Not only do we need to decide between cake or cupcakes, but also between some sort of frosting or fondant. Oh, and then we need to decide between millions of flavors. Red velvet? Georgia peach? Amaretto? Bailey's Irish creme? Lemon raspberry? Yep, I'll take all of them. Can we just have a 15 tier wedding cake?

- Gan

Unmatched bridesmaids dresses take 2

One of my bridesmaids, I wont say which one *wink*, was asking me if I was sure that I didn't want to pick out their dresses. If I was sure I didn't want them all to match. I asked her if she really wanted me to do that. I had no idea what I was looking for in my own dress to begin with and that was taking into consideration my body, my style, my taste. How would I even begin picking something out for all of them?

I've been really open with their choices. I'm trying to be supportive and considerate about what they like and their own personal styles. I don't know why she thinks I'm going to go all bridezilla over this and change my mind later. She keeps saying, "Well, that's what you say now." But really, it's how I feel. I won't be changing my mind about this. I do not like the matchy matchy look at all. It's not me, but if for some reason they all picked the same dress, that would not bother me either. If they want my opinion on something, I'm more than willing to give it. Maybe I need to take a bigger role in helping them choose? I'm planning to schedule a day where we can all go out and look at dresses together and the girls can try some different ones on. I just know that what I like and my style differs a lot from theirs. What I might feel comfortable wearing might not be what they feel comfortable wearing. I'm really not someone who thinks, "Oh my god! That dress is so ugly and she looks horrible and it's going to ruin my pictures!"

And just to prove my point about how cute unmatching dresses are, check out these adorable photos.


(From Ashley Brockinton Photography. Seen on http://everylastdetailblog.com)

These dresses aren't all the same length, style or even shade and they look so pretty and sweet.


(Originally from Green Wedding Shoes and Our Labour of Love. Seen on http://www.rockmywedding.co.uk/)

Again, different styles, colors and lengths; still very beautiful.

(And this entry was not to call out my wonderful bridesmaid, but just to show off some lovely photos and give more inspiration. I know my bridesmaid loves me and I love her.)

- Gan