Deluxe Food Date Night

Marriage makes you poor. It's not that we don't have the same amount of money that we did before, it's that suddenly we have all these extra expenses I didn't know about (chalk this up to me being a young silly girl who was still partially supported by her parents when she got married).

With rent, utilities, savings, cars, and so many other practical items to contribute to, our entertainment/eating out budget has been substantially reduced. Since I do all of the cooking, eating out is a special treat that I really enjoy, so we needed to find a way to be able to go out and feel pampered without breaking the bank.

Enter Deluxe Food Date Night.

Instead of going out to eat once or twice (or several) times a week, we only eat out together once a month. He frequently eats out on the company dime, but both of us are very strict about not eating out using our personal budget unless it is on this special night together (except for the occasional dish of gelato at Paciugos).

A little place called Aurora has been my absolute favorite so far. Aren't those little vegetables the cutest?

With a budget of $100/month, we can easily hit up some really great Dallas restaurants (especially since we both don't drink!). Even better, we've been working on saving up some of that money for the first few months of the year so that during my birthday month we can go all out crazy and dress up and go somewhere really fancy.

For January we chose to visit a place called Cafe Istanbul. It's probably the most authentic Turkish food I will ever eat without actually visiting Turkey.

This chocolate covered pear was as scrumptious as it looks.

What unexpected adjustments did you have to make when you got married?

That Wedding: Seattle Skyline Finale

I don't write stories very often, but whenever I do I have a hard time coming up with an ending. My endings always end up sounding trite, or abrupt. I often put the story off to the side and end up forgetting about it because I can't find a way to write in the perfect ending. Telling the story of our wedding day is the one instance where I'm not left feeling this way.

The original plan was to drive with our photographer out to a park with the Seattle skyline in the background and have one last photo shoot for the day. But by the end of dinner I was so tired. All I wanted was to be done with the day, and I told Kelli that we weren't going to go to the park and that after the exit she was done shooting.

I assumed Mr. Avocado was feeling the same way I was, but when I told him about my decision he did one of the most thoughtful things he has ever done for me. He reminded me how much I loved the inspirational photos I had found, the shots that gave me the idea to do the skyline shoot. He put aside his own exhaustion and encouraged me to go through with the shoot. We only went up to the park for about 20 minutes, but the photographs we have are just stunning. We look tired, and our facial expressions in most of them aren't the best, but they so perfectly sum up the wedding for us. A classic storybook ending if I've ever seen one.

I'm very excited to have this hanging on our wall sometime soon!

I'm so happy we took a second to grab a shot with our photographer and friend, Kelli Nicole. She was such a huge part of our wedding day, it would be so sad to have her left out of the story completely.

This is the very last photo taken on our wedding day. It says "Done done done! Off to the honeymoon suite!"

The End (of the wedding day). We gave ourselves a whole week to relax and recover before our hometown reception the next weekend. Best. Honeymoon. Ever.

Previously:

That Wedding: Bridesmaid Party!
That Wedding: Whole Foods (Rehearsal-ish) Luncheon
That Wedding: Harbor Sailing
That Wedding: Putting My Face On
That Wedding: The Gift Exchange
That Wedding: Dressing The Bride
That Wedding: Bridal Details
That Wedding: The First Look
That Wedding: Into The Woods
That Wedding: Woodsy Family Portraits
That Wedding: To Wed! To Wed!
That Wedding: Showered With Love, Coins, and Hugs
That Wedding: Group Shots With a Little Spice
That Wedding: Those Groomsmen
That Wedding: The Whole Party
That Wedding: Me and My Maids (+ Manmaid)
That Wedding: Ring Ceremony Prep
That Wedding: The Ring Ceremony
That Wedding: Let Us Whet Your Appetite
That Wedding: Photobooth
That Wedding: We Dance
That Wedding: Dining Details
That Wedding: Toasting
That Wedding: Bridesmaid Cake Pull
That Wedding: 8 Lovely Cakes
That Wedding: Bedding Down
That Wedding: Grand Exit

That Wedding: Grand Exit

I was one of those brides who had the unfortunate experience of switching event coordinators at the venue. Donna did an incredible job and the transition was very smooth, except for the agreements previously made about what Hotel 1000 would allow our guests to be thrown at us at the end of the night. I was frustrated, to put it mildly, when I was told that all of the ecofetti I had invested in was no longer allowed. I forwarded them back the email from the previous coordinator, packed up the ecofetti, and decided that I would instruct the DOC to hand out the packets no matter what.

My rebellion against the system wasn't even necessary because Donna ended up telling me just before dinner that we could go ahead and do the exit with the ecofetti. I don't know that it will be so, but I hope that after seeing these photos Hotel 1000 will allow brides to have this environmentally friendly option at their own weddings.

This was the second time that day that we were greeted by cheers, clapping, and whistles when we walked outside of a building. I absolutely loved it!

In the next 5 photos I can be found smiling, laughing hysterically, ducking, batting ecofetti out of my way, etc. Mr. Avocado has the same look of relaxed excitement on his face the entire time. It says "I'm so happy this is finally over."

As you can imagine, my dress was filled with ecofetti. The v in the front created a kind of pocket that gathered a whole handful!

I love the warm colors in this guest photo.

Has anyone else noticed that Mr. Avocado really hasn't been covered in much ecofetti yet? Don't worry, his time is coming.

If you look closely at my right hand, you can see the custom ring from our cake topper.

As I leaned forward to give Mamacado a kiss goodbye, the groomsmen came out of nowhere and got my new husband right in the face! I love I'm experiencing this special moment with my mother, and he is in the middle of an ecofetti storm.

Don't you just love the look on the face of GM Nate in the far right corner of his photograph?

And it just keeps coming.

Suavacado couldn't get away without one last pat on the head by the Best Man to make sure the ecofetti was there to stay.

I love me some in-camera motion blur. Let's get out of here husband!

Kelli Nicole wound up covered in ecofetti after this experience as well.

Previously:

Avocado in Vegas!

Recognize this adorable lady standing next to me?

Punam!

I'm in Vegas this week at the largest gathering of wedding photographers in the entire world. WPPI is an annual convention where all of our favorite photographers go to learn how to get better at what they love doing. What they all don't know is that I am not only the daughter of a photographer attending the convention, I am also a blogger gathering information for a series I plan on writing to give you an inside look into the wedding photography industry.

I attended a mock wedding this weekend, shot by the worlds greatest wedding photographers (think fees of $100,000+/wedding!), and Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be spent in classes taught by the likes of Jim Garner, Jose Villa, Me Ra Koh, Elizabeth Messina, Jesh De Rox, and many, many others.

Tomorrow morning I'm getting up at 4 AM for my very first photo shoot (my very first behind the camera that is). I'll really only have my point-and-shoot Canon g9, but I'm excited to have the chance to shoot a model posing as a bride and see what I can come up with.

I've also seen someone else you might know...

Do you know which Bee lives in Vegas? This is just a quick snapshot I grabbed while shoving tourists out of the way to allow my mom to get the perfect shot in front of the Bellagio fountains. I can't wait for you all to see what she came up with!

That Wedding: Bedding Down

If you have been reading my posts throughout the planning process I apologize for regurgitating this information for the third time, but can you blame me for wanting to visit such a hilarious event one last time?

Pokładziny-The Bedding Down

In ancient times, putting the bridal pair to bed was a normal and expected part of the marriage customs, and was down with much joking and hilarity. The young couple were directed by the entire wedding party to a room that had been specially prepared for them.

The swat, still overseeing that all went according to custom, placed himself on the marriage bed to "warm it up". The womenfolk jumped up and down on the bed to make sure it could hold up and now break down. Rocks or sharp straw or thorns might have been placed underneath the sheets. The swat and swata then chased everyone out of the room and took the bride and groom to the bed and left them alone. The door was locked behind them and after serenading the bridal couple with some very warm and bawdy songs, along with vodka toasts and admonitions "not to be lazy," the couple were left alone.

The next morning, musicians awake the couple and gave them kasza cooked in milk and vodka that had been dyed red as a sign of lost virginity. The sheets were inspected for the expected stain that meant the loss of virginity. This made everybody happy and was the cause of more singing and dancing.
From "Polish Customs, Traditions and Folklore" by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab

Somehow Kelli Nicole our photographer, 4 of the groomsmen, and 7 members of the bridal party were able to sneak away for who knows how long to complete the Pokładziny for us. MOH Shay had been entrusted with a key so that all of our belongings could be moved up to our honeymoon suite for us. She had been reading my posts throughout the planning process and realized that this was the perfect opportunity to play a little prank on us.

Looks like the groomsmen settled in rather quickly. The groomsmen lying in the middle even took off his shoes and got under the blanket!

Boys will be boys, you know? Looks like they found another use for the Asian-influenced modern decor items found throughout the room.

I've been emailing back and forth with my Hotel 1000 event coordinator, and when she saw these pictures she said "Don't tell management but these are my favorite shots from your wedding!"

Hotel 1000 has very sturdy beds.

I'm just glad this group didn't show up at our door the next door the next morning to "inspect for the expected stain."

Kelli Nicole gets the credit for the brilliant photos, my sister Shaylene Rene' gets the credit for making it happen.

Previously:

That Wedding: 8 Lovely Cakes

Bittersweet Hazelnut
Chocolate Raspberry Rhapsody
Chocolate Truffle
Chocolate Velvet Torte
Chocolate White Chocolate
Lemon Coconut
Lemon Blueberry
Strawberry White Chocolate

I cannot think of anything better than a cake buffet at a wedding.

Go ahead, I dare you, name something better. These divine, magnificent, decadent, delicious cakes all came from Simply Desserts in Fremont, WA.

Tiffany and the hotel did a wonderful job setting up this buffet. The only things provided by us were the cakes and the black chargers (found at Wal Mart for $2 each), and the only directions I gave were to turn milk crates upside down under some linens to give the table some height. Those gorgeous linens, the candles, the candles, and the puffy little plants were all a surprise to me and I loved it all.

I wish they had taken the time to slide the cakes off the cardboard and have them sitting right on the platter, but I figure all of our guests were probably so busy focusing on that decadent looking cake they didn't even notice.

In the middle of the room, across from the cake buffet sat our strawberry white chocolate cutting cake.

I had considered several different topper options, and was close to restoring my grandma's topper from 1959 when That Mother told me she had talked to my aunt and asked if we would be able to borrow The Opera Singer for the evening. Created by artist Susan Lenart Kazmer, the piece is actually a jewelry holder covered in removable and wearable jewelry. The Opera Singer holds four rings, a woven thumb ring, two pairs hoop earrings, three fiber bangle bracelets, a stack of twelve sterling silver bangles and Letters to my Lover charm bracelet as her skirt. Susan is a phenomenal artist who has had her work displayed in the Smithsonian, and she has become a family friend after working with my aunt to publish her book and asking my mom to do much of the photography for it.

I scrawled all over this photo so you can see how the jewlery sits on the holder. The bracelet that makes up her skirt blows my mind.

The piece had nothing to do with our books and buttons theme, but I wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to work this one of a kind piece into our wedding day. At the end of the night, my aunt revealed that the hat on top of the singer was actually a ring custom made for me! I love having that little keepsake from the evening.

I should probably stop drooling over those cakes and show you a few photos of that iconic moment known as the cake cutting. Did you know the cake cutting tradition has root in a small wheat cake that was crumbled over the brides head by the Romans to encourage fertility? I hope it worked.

We cut using an antique silver piece my grandma picked up for us at an antique store. It's quite possible that I am whispering "Careful not to cut the cake topper honey, it's worth several thousand dollars."

My brand new husband looks at me with so much love in his eyes. I look at the cake.

Many couples talk about how they wished they had practiced cutting the cake. Looking back on the pictures I'm left wishing we would have practiced the eating part of this ritual. Having your mouth open as wide as possible is never very attractive. Maybe we should have tried feeding each other one at a time?

After the first bite most couples turn and smile at their family and friends, or shove cake in each others faces, or pose politely for the photographer. Not us. After the first bite I went right back for the second, and as soon as that was finished my thoughts immediately turned to the rest of the cakes sitting across the room. I believe I actually heard the Lemon Coconut calling my name.

Kelli Nicole I hope you put the camera down long enough to get some cake!

Previously:

That Wedding: Bridesmaid Party!
That Wedding: Whole Foods (Rehearsal-ish) Luncheon
That Wedding: Harbor Sailing
That Wedding: Putting My Face On
That Wedding: The Gift Exchange
That Wedding: Dressing The Bride
That Wedding: Bridal Details
That Wedding: The First Look
That Wedding: Into The Woods
That Wedding: Woodsy Family Portraits
That Wedding: To Wed! To Wed!
That Wedding: Showered With Love, Coins, and Hugs
That Wedding: Group Shots With a Little Spice
That Wedding: Those Groomsmen
That Wedding: The Whole Party
That Wedding: Me and My Maids (+ Manmaid)
That Wedding: Ring Ceremony Prep
That Wedding: The Ring Ceremony
That Wedding: Let Us Whet Your Appetite
That Wedding: Photobooth
That Wedding: We Dance
That Wedding: Dining Details
That Wedding: Toasting
That Wedding: Bridesmaid Cake Pull

That Wedding: Bridesmaid Cake Pull

Throughout my planning process I kept hearing of this thing called a cake pull. From what I understood it was a Southern wedding tradition, and it happened at the bridal shower. Charms were buried inside of a cake and pulled out by a ribbon, with each charm corresponding to a fortune. I loved this idea, but I wasn't having a bridal shower where all my favorite ladies would be present.

My solution to this dilemma was to incorporate the tradition into the wedding day! Sounds like a great idea right? Well it was in theory, but it didn't quite work out as well as I would have hoped.

Since we had a cake buffet (lots of yummy cake pictures to come!), I simply asked the catering staff to stuff my charms directly into the cake right before the event was to happen. I'm sure they were all standing around in the back talking about the crazy bride (that is the kind of thing I did when I used to cater weddings).

I called each of my bridesmaids forward and told them to pull on a ribbon of their choice.

I held in my hand 8 slips of paper with "fortunes" written on them.

When enough of the cake was wiped off of the charm to be able to see what it was, I handed the corresponding fortune to each girl and had them read it out loud.

Part of me still believes that this could have been really awesome (and as an amateur folklore buff I'm fascinated by the myriad of cultural wedding traditions to be found), but my execution wasn't quite what it should have been. I made up the fortunes myself, since all the fortunes I could find online were really cheesy, but like most of my wedding projects I did it at 3 am the week of the wedding and my fortunes just weren't funny enough.

BM Nay looks at me and says "Mrs. Avocado, why in the world are we doing this?"

I don't know if I intended for the majority of the guests to gather around and watch this unfold, but that's what happened.

BM Lova was married just three months before me, and I was really hoping she would get the fortune about having lots of babies, but that didn't happen.

I bought the charms from Swedenberg's Gold Chest Jewelers on eBay. I wanted something inexpensive because I knew that most of the girls would lose or throw their charms away that night and the whole set of 9 from this seller was only $15.

As with all of my crazy wedding decisions, my bridesmaids were good sports and played along with smiles on their faces. I would be very surprised if I ever saw this practice repeated again, I don't think anyone would rate it a big success.

Fate was smiling upon me at the end of the Cake Pull, when the second youngest bridesmaid pulled the baby in a high chair charm, with a fortune that stated "You will be blessed with children. Lots of them."

To which her mom cried out "Not anytime soon I hope!"

Good thing I have funny relatives who are always ready with a good joke to get everyone laughing. My advice to other brides who have ever considered doing this would be to have the funniest person you know write these out for you.

Kelli Nicole I wish you could have been a bridesmaid in a pretty black dress, but I needed you there to take my pictures!

Previously:

That Wedding: Bridesmaid Party!
That Wedding: Whole Foods (Rehearsal-ish) Luncheon
That Wedding: Harbor Sailing
That Wedding: Putting My Face On
That Wedding: The Gift Exchange
That Wedding: Dressing The Bride
That Wedding: Bridal Details
That Wedding: The First Look
That Wedding: Into The Woods
That Wedding: Woodsy Family Portraits
That Wedding: To Wed! To Wed!
That Wedding: Showered With Love, Coins, and Hugs
That Wedding: Group Shots With a Little Spice
That Wedding: Those Groomsmen
That Wedding: The Whole Party
That Wedding: Me and My Maids (+ Manmaid)
That Wedding: Ring Ceremony Prep
That Wedding: The Ring Ceremony
That Wedding: Let Us Whet Your Appetite
That Wedding: Photobooth
That Wedding: We Dance
That Wedding: Dining Details
That Wedding: Toasting