Trendspot! My Wedding Dress in InStyle!

On a whim this week, I picked up InStyle magazine. I'm not a Taylor Swift fan, that wasn't why I bought it. However, I am really into fashion, though I am one to pick and choose pieces I like. I find I often like things before they're popular, or long after they're out of style. I do choose for myself what to and not to wear, but I also love some popular trends. Anyhow, I was curious.

While flipping through the magazine, my jaw nearly dropped when I found my wedding dress listed on page 132 as #34 of InStyle's Style 100. Now, I shouldn't necessarily say that it was the exact same dress. The one in the magazine was a one-of-a-kind, custom-made dress by Burberry Prorsum. However, my dress is a fantastic reproduction of it, by Jasmine B2!

I just thought it was neat, and I wanted to share! :)

While I was looking around on InStyle's website, I found Style Me Pretty, a wedding site that features DIY projects!

Dress Details

The dress deposit is paid for. Thanks, Luz Bridal! I want to give a big thanks to my Bridal Consultant, Kim. She was extremely patient, and really attentive to what I was looking for. The dress I chose was actually one that she suggested. She made it more important for me to find a dress that I would love, that would look great on me, that fit into a truly modest budget. I likely would never have thought of those options without her.

If you ever need a prom or grad dress, or something for a wedding (be it your own, or someone else's) or you just want a nice evening gown, I truly suggest Luz Bridal. Luz is in the store most days, ordering, steaming and tailoring, and she has a staff of truly great women who treat you with great respect and care. Their store is beautiful, with a showroom full of current dresses at fairly reasonable prices. I definitely preferred that over the unaffordable couture dresses offered at the competing bridal stores.

The dress I got was the one from the last blog entry (B2). I was pining over an Exclusive Bridal dress with an empire waist and a grecian cut, but it was far more than I could afford. As it turns out, the part I loved about it was fairly easy to recreate with tailoring and extra fabric. I've ordered 2 extra metres of chiffon with my dress, which will be applied as a second layer over the skirt. It will then be hemmed with an a-line, square cut. A train will also be added with extra fabric, underneath the chiffon, that will snap-in and be removable. So the skirt will look something like this:

I should be expecting the dress sometime around March, when it will then be tailored. The hem is being modified, and some beading around the bust is being added. The nice thing is that this dress will come at a price tag under $400 CDN, after tax.

Another entry will be following soon. I've been looking around at different hairstyles, and shoes. My current accessories are pin-in white flowers with crystal accents, and a magnolia pendant necklace with pearl accents.

We Have Dress!

...well, almost.


First order of business is as follows:
The wedding is on June 26th, 2010, at Filberg Lodge, and will start at approximately 2pm. Invitations with final, solid details will be mailed as soon as possible, so the time may change, but the date won't. The following reception is about a 20 minute drive to Black Creek at the Boyes' property, Baerental. The reception itself is running until 10 or 11, before moving outside so the in-laws can sleep. We will then be having a bonfire/campout for anyone who decides to stay. I expect most people will be driving home or staying in a hotel.

Now, back to the dress. It finally came down to making a real decision, because on average, it takes 4-6 months for a bridal shop to order in your dress. Our wedding is in just over 7 months. That gave us roughly 30 days to make up our minds, and come up with the 50% downpayment. We could have hoped we'd find a pattern we liked and have one made in that time frame, but ultimately, the crunch was coming down, and I was getting pretty frustrated. Now, we went to a place called Luz Bridal Boutique, which we've been past several times and never had time to go in and take a look at.

We went in and were helped quite efficiently by Kim. She let me pick out 2 or 3 dresses that I liked and used that as a starting point to suggest others that she thought I might like. I found a few that I liked, one that I loved, and then we got realistic. The prices at Luz's were a lot more reasonable, but at even half the price of the Maggie Sottero dress, I was still biting my nails. The dress I loved was A $630 Venus dress, with a long, flowy skirt. What we're going with is about $400 cheaper than that, and it isn't even really a wedding dress. It's a bridesmaid's dress.

John and I recently saw My Best Friend's Girl, which I've seen before. I remember really loving the dress that Kate Hudson wore, which is this Amsale dress, in Cranberry. It was long, and flowy, even with sleeves, they were off-the-shoulder, which gave the illusion of a strapless, and it was long enough that when she moved, it had a lot of flattering movement and a slight train. It was a showstopper. I remember considering the design when I first saw the movie, and then forgot all about it. Anyhow, today, Kim found me a dress that was very similar!

It's the Jasmine B2#08 dress. It isn't a "wedding dress" per se, but it is a within our budget, and in white, nobody would be the wiser. We're looking at adding embellishments to it. I have some white lilly hairpins with rhinestone accents in them to put in my hair.

We are returning tomorrow to pay off the first half. I am very excited! Things are really starting to come together!!

Too Good To Be True?

So, Blush Bridal got back to me on prices. Blegh. The Alfred Sung 7089 is $1200, and the Maggie Sottero "Reese" dress has gone down to $1380 from $1440. These prices include storage, a garment bag, steaming and a matching garter.

However, my searching online for discount wedding dresses, or formal dresses suitable for a wedding, I stumbled onto inweddingdress.com, and they had the design for the Reese dress posted for $199USD. Now, it isn't a Maggie Sottero dress, it wasn't made by Maggie Sottero, it is a knock-off, essentially. However, the site custom makes your wedding dress for you based on the specs you give them (they'll pretty much make any dress you want). They can make it in under 30 days, and they ship internationally, tax-free. There may, however, be duty.

Anyway, here is the listing:

Anyhow, I've been googling, and I have yet to find a negative review from this site. Apparently their service is very reliable, and their workmanship is high-quality. I'm seriously considering this option at the moment...

The Wedding Dress Hunt Continues...

Hello everyone!

So, the quest (or mission?) to either buy or make the Reese dress has grown increasingly difficult. Apparently, drafting those two patterns together is impossibly difficult due to their complexity, and the search to find a single pattern that is close enough has been painful and fruitless. However (!) I was looking around on Bridal websites for Bridal stores in the Victoria area, and found Blush Bridal. On their site, I found a dress that is virtually identical to the Reese dress, save for the back. And the truth? We prefer it.

Alfred Sung Paradise 7089

It looks virtually identical in the front...

Only the back piece doesn't consolidate into a single strip like it does
on the Reese dress. It falls down the back, open, and the back falls lower.
This dress also retails for somewhere in the ballpark of $500 less
than the Maggie Sottero dress.

I am waiting to hear back from Blush Bridal, they will be calling me back on Monday. Apparently they have also had some problems with selling the Maggie Sottero dress due to the price, and have been special ordering it from an alternative supplier. They may be able to get me that dress for cheaper as well. I will keep you posted!

Wedding Date Update

So apparently some unexpected complications have occurred with the date we originally chose. There is a large scale event going on at Filberg Gardens on the 19th, but the Legion is available that day. As for the 26th, the coordinator seems to remember booking a wedding sometime in June and can't remember the date- and they have a policy: only one wedding on the entire grounds at a time. We may be looking at changing our date.

If anyone has booked time off, prepare to change it. Unfortunately, we may be forced to do so.

THUNDERCATS ARE GO!

This last weekend myself, John and his parents went to Filberg Lodge and Gardens in Courtenay. It is November, so at the moment it doesn't look like much, but come summer, it will be full of flowers, and green. It is an enormous waterfront property, surrounded by grass fields. On the water there is a winding staircase that leads down into a small, private Japanese Garden. If you turn the other way, it opens up to a lawn that approaches a beautiful summer cottage. Above the cottage there is a long field split in two by a path covered in ivy-covered arches. There are rows of trees on either side. It definitely reminds me of Snow White. It's very beautiful.

We're looking into reception space. But we have set a date. We don't know yet what time it will start, but clear your calendars for June 26th, and join us on our big day!

In other news, John's Mom and Sister are recreating the Reese dress I fell in love with! I am very blessed to be entering such a supportive family...

iDIY - Wedding Tutorials & How-To's

Yesterday, Lauren sent me a link to a blog she found called iDIY. It has a lot of cheap alternatives and do-it-yourself wedding crafts that are pretty great. Here's one that I found today...


Fortune Cookie Place Card (from Martha Stewart)

1. Print messages or romantic quotations (I like the idea of printing a romantic memory of a date we went on) centered onto 8½ x 11 inch card stock, oriented horizontally. Cut into ½-inch-wide strips. Turn strips over, and calligraph first and last nakes 1 inch from each end. Notch ends.




2. To make the "cookie," cut patterned paper into a circle 5½ inches in diameter (if you like, make a cardboard template using a compass). Roll circle into a loose tube. Overlap ends about ½ inch and secure with double-sided tape. Hold the tube so that the top flap is pointing own and facing away from you. Slip a fortune into the tube with the name toward you. Fold the tube inward and secure with double-sided tape.

The Details

Hello everyone!

.........................................Lots to update you on, finally (yay)! Firstly, John and I have narrowed our wedding date down to the last two weeks of June 2010. We'll know more when we can book our ceremony location.
Secondly, John was googling our blog just the other day, and apparently some of our content has been featured online, on this page at Save-On-Crafts! Just scroll down to the photo just above the cupcake tree stand!

Last week I took some time to wander into Chapters, have a frappuccino, and sit for a bit in the Wedding/Bridal section. I must have been in there for about an hour, taking notes (and, incidentally, using it as a library) for cool DIY ideas. I came up with some great ones! I also bought Stewart, Tabori & Chang's "Wedding Planner".



The Invitations (Pocketfold Style):

On black card, which is fairly cheap at the dollar store- it comes in large poster-board sheets for less than a dollar each. We will be taking a tasteful black and white photo and making 19 cent copies at a print shop, and 19 cent copies can be made. Alternatively, for a not-quite-as-nice, but significantly cheaper price, photocopies can also be made. This photo will go on the front. (We also discussed the possibility of using a decorative stamp instead of a photo, if we found one we really liked).

The main card in the middle (printed on regular white paper, and then covered with a decorative layer of tracing paper) will have the what, the where and the when, and the details about the reception. The inside of the very left fold will contain our registry information. The inside of the very right fold has a pocket containing the RSVP card. The back of the invitation will have a small map of the location of the wedding, and accommodation details.

Something I was thinking of playing with was the idea of a cross-cut "envelope" to put over the picture, that is tied with a ribbon. When untied, the photo is revealed. It's really unecessary, but it looked really pretty. All in all, each invitation should cost less than 50 cents.

All of the writing will be done by hand with a gold craft-store pen. Decorative accents will be glued on fabric flowers, flower shapes cut out of tissue paper, pieces of gold doily or lace, confettis, complimentary cutouts from magazines and dollar store gems and pearls, etc.

Minor Details:
-A nice accent I found was a bouquet charm. It's a 100x100 sq. pixel photo of the brides parents on one side, and the groom's parents on the other. Its fixed to the bouquet with a ribbon and a jump ring.

-I was thinking about using herbs or nice leaves instead of flowers to make the boutonnieres for the groomsmen, to add a more simple, masculine touch. Maybe leaves from a ficus, some fiddlehead ferns or some rosemary. Just tie them together with inexpensive, white ribbon and they can put them on with a garment pin.

-An idea for the centerpiece was a wide-mouthed glass vase filled with water. It would have some nice stones or shells at the bottom, and one in the center would have a laminated photo of John and I tied to it with fishing line or crafting wire. The entire photo would be submerged, and a small floating candle would be rested on the water. If I wanted to add extra pizzazz to it, I could use some frosted rub-on transfer paper to make a nice design on the glass. The vase would sit in the center of a wire ring wrapped in white ribbon with paper 'leaves' tied around it. The entire centerpiece would cost around $2 to make. Any additional candle holders would likely be long dishes full of bath or rock salts, with tealites rested in it.

-The cake topper is going to be the corset, which I think I'd like to have resting in some baby roses (either confectionary and purchased from a baker, or fabric flowers). I found something called a chandelier cake accent, which is crafting wire that is coiled, and has a plastic gem bead hanging from it. These are stuck into the garnish around the cake topper to give it extra glitz.

Something I came across were ideas for time capsules. I found two I liked:
1: A decorated, empty paint bucket. Cards would be set aside labeled for 5, 10 or 15 years. Guests would be asked to leave their congratulations, predictions for their chosen time frame, and any advice for John and I. (i.e. Congratulations on tying the knot! In ten years, John and Kassi will be living in an amazing beach house, own a yacht, which they take their three kids out on every summer, while their two robots care for the house.)

2. Decorated, plain notebooks, one for each reception table. Inside, people can sign it like a yearbook, with quotes, poetry, their memories of the wedding, advice, predictions, congratulations and other sentiments.

Money-Saving DIY Tips:
-Use fruits and vegetables that are in season. They will be far more available, economically priced, and they'll taste fresher. (We're still considering a cocktail reception, so this is a consideration).

-Make your own cupcake tree stand instead, using two acrylic or glass drinking glasses, three graduated sized cake boards and a hot glue gun. Cupcake tree stands are usually made out of cardboard, and run about $40.

-Eliminate casual dates for your guests from the guest list
-Use a deejay instead of a live band. (Chances are, we will be using a computer, speakers and an ipod playlist. At the very least, we will be using a stereo and an iPod dock).

Party Favors:
1. Fudge
At home, we can make thin sheets of chocolate fudge, and cut it into three different sized squares, stack them ontop of one another to make a "cake" shape, and fix them with a regular toothpick that has a bead stuck to the top for decoration.

2. Salt Scrub
An epsom salt scrub made with essential oils and food coloring (I'll likely leave out the food coloring...). You put it into a nice glass jar from the dollar store and tie some ribbon around it. This is more specific to female guests. The craft instructions can be found here.

The Dress:
We can't afford the Maggie Sottero dress, unfortunately, but we are preparing to make one that is similar. We found two patterns that we will be using to sew it. First, there is the Belleville Sassoon Dress (#1080), and the Vogue Dress (#7365).

Reference Books:

"Wedding Papercrafts" by Anne Brownfield & Jane Cassini

"The DIY Bride" by Chris Cochran
"The DIY Bride Crafty Countdown" by Khris Cochran

"The Complete Mother of the Groom" by Sydell Rabin

"The Everything Bridesmaid Book" by Jennifer Lata Rung

"Wedding Planning for Dummies" by Marcy Blum & Laura Fisher Kaiser

"Wedding Kit for Dummies" by Marcy Blum & Laura Fisher Kaiser

"The Everything Wedding on a Budget" by Barbara Cameron

"The Groom's Game Plan" by Dan Jewel & Greg Stadler

"The Idiot's Guide to Being Father of the Bride" by Jennifer Lata Rung

"The Idiot's Guide to Being Mother of the Bride" by Amy Zavatto

"Your Beautiful Wedding On Any Budget" by Todd Outcalt

"52 Brilliant Ideas: Get Married Without A Hitch" by Lisa Helmanis

Reference Websites:
DIYBride.com
MarthaStewartWeddings.com
NapkinFoldingGuide.com
Epicurious.com
With This Ring
A Bride's Brain

Shades Of White

Hello everyone!

It's been a long time since posting! Whew! John and I took a few hours today to visit a bridal store (Shades Of White) and get a better idea of what wedding dresses are like. We both still like the original idea we had for the dress, but I decided that even if I don't get my dress from a bridal store, or even new, I wanted to try some on, purely for the ritual.

I tried 5 or 6 of them on, and we both fell for the same dress. I tried two, both by Maggie Sottero, and the second one fit beautifully right off the rack, but was far more traditional than I would prefer. We both fell for the "Reese" Dress.

The dress off the rack was a size 8, and nearly fit, so I would need to go in for a fitting. But I was very impressed that we found a fairly light dress that we both liked immediately in the first store I went into. It was also one of the first dresses that caught my eye. It's entirely not at all the original idea we had, but now I'm hoping that we can either afford, make, or find something similar to this one. They did warn us that it takes about 4 to 6 months to order in a wedding dress, so we would need to order it by fall, they told us.

That just goes to show you that in movies when you see a bride walk into the dress shop, and walk out with her dress the same day, it's a totally fictitious concept, unless she's buying a discontinued dress. (Anyone seen "Bride Wars"?)

As for a veil, I think we'll likely skip it. I'd like to have flowers in my hair.

Wedding Registry News

Hello Everyone!

Big news! Things are happening and we're really excited!

First of all, a friend of ours, Tanya, gave us a gently used Maytag fridge, that is big. Our roommates have the newer one, but ours is bigger. With three men and a woman under one roof, plus Connor and Jeanelle as frequent guests, we have no room for our own food, save for a jug of milk and a bottle of hot sauce, and they're not very tasty together. So our suite downstairs is slowly being realized. This is despite the fact that John works in Victoria during the week and isn't home much. So today, we went on our second ever real grocery shopping trip, to put our food in our new fridge. We're putting a percolator and microwave in down there too.

About two months ago, Jeanelle and Amber took John and I to a Bridal Exhibition at Beban Park. Well, I entered all of these cool draws for free stuff and contests. I got a call from Herbal Magic once, and all but ignored it (I just never got around to it, but I should call them). Last week, I got a call from a company called Table Charm. Their booth was just to the immediate left of the photobooth (we have pictures, they must be scanned). I won a free trip to any one of 11 locations around the world (and they were very nice). We had the choice of an all-inclusive resort destination in the Bahamas for 4 days and 3 nights (Viva Resorts), excluding airfare, or a longer trip to one of a list of locations within North America or Mexico (VIP/Odenza Vacations). We chose the longer trip.

Now, the catch to claiming the prize was that we had to attend a 1.5 hour demonstration of a line of products sold by the company. Going in, we had an open mind and hadn't decided not to get anything. We also hadn't decided to get anything. The demonstration actually ended up being about 3 hours, but we were really glad we went. The cookware was excellent (heavy, made of BRAND NEW, unrecycled surgical steel), and is a waterless cooking system. Meaning, we can put vegetables in a pot, put the lid on, cook them for 10 minutes on medium heat with no water, and not only are they perfectly cooked, not burnt, but they haven't had all of the nutrients boiled out of them. :D

They're one-piece, and we ended up registering the set. Now, it isn't an expensive investment, but we feel it was a good one. We don't have any pots or pans. The set is 12pc. and also comes with a knife set (perfectly-wheighted, chef quality, full-tang, folded, unrecycled surgical steel) and utensils (BBQ fork, ladle, etc). The items on our registry aren't inexpensive, but this registry works based on dollar contributions, not the purchase of individual items.

For registering, we were also awarded a 4 day, 3 night Carnival Cruise. So we'll be likely going to Anaheim for the first trip, then going to L.A. to catch the cruise, and take our return airfare from wherever we dock. We would likely use this as our honeymoon, if it wasn't for the fact that we have 12 months from yesterday to claim the first trip, and getting two separate slots of time out of work in a year is hard. We do have to get Nexus cards or Passports, also, but whatever. Our registration information doesn't come in for a few weeks, yet, but we're buckling down on a date so that we can get our invitations together and send out the registration cards with the invitations. We haven't decided whether we'll be doing an additional registry ontop of this one, but for the moment, we're satisfied we have one at all. The best part is that if it comes down to it and we can't afford to immediately go on our honeymoon and we have to postpone, we won't be as choked about it.

And the funniest part of the evening? We also won a sort-of door prize at this thing, and got a set of serving utensils.

The Registry includes:

-12 Pc Pot/Pan/Skillet cooking set

-5 Pc Knife set

-6 Pc Kitchen Tool set

-Cookbook & DVD

-50-Year Extended, UNCONDITIONAL Warranty on all Table Charm Products

-50-Year 20-40% Discount on all Table Charm Products

This week has been tremedously awesome. It's really great to have some turnaround from the way things have been lately. BIG, BIG THANKS TO AMBER AND JEANELLE FOR TAKING US TO THE BRIDAL EXHIBITION! None of this would be happening without you...<3

The Boyes Wedding at GMail!

We're slowly getting this thing running more efficiently. John and I were discussing some cost-effective methods of sending out wedding invitations, receiving RSVPs, posting wedding pictures, and making it easier for people to send blog comments and receive publication updates.

John had the good idea of setting up a specific email account for our blog. It is: theboyeswedding@gmail.com.

For the moment, we have decided to make our invitations ourselves. We have a nice classic, tasteful idea for them that is classy and cost-effective. Instead of paying additional postage and printing costs to have RSVP cards made up, we will encourage people to send their RSVPs to our GMail account. Google accounts also has Picasa Photostudio, so when we post our wedding photos online, they will be available directly through this blog, though it's likely they will be posted in multiple locations.

If you would like to be added to our list of contacts, please let us know. More posts to come, so check back soon!

Important Announcement

Due to the current status of the economy, and the financial impact that we've been experiencing as a result, we have decided to postpone the wedding indefinitely. We simply can't find a way to manage the expense of the wedding in addition to our current expenses.

We are both disappointed, but have decided to use the extra time to make sure that things are planned properly. When the time comes to set a date, we will let you know. In the meantime, there is no rush to go out and buy or plan anything. We will still be posting ideas, but for the time being we have no imminent plans to use them.

Thank you for your understanding and support at this time.

The Dress

Short entry tonight, but I figured that this needed to go up pretty quick. Originally, we had agreed on the Cymbeline Anne dress, but the original was too expensive, and we couldn't find it for less anywhere online, except a knockoff site (and I've read many warnings about going there). So we had to go back to the drawing board. We went back to the consideration of making the dress, and that isn't entirely off the table. That said, John and I have agreed that this idea is the idea we like best. It would be reasonably inexpensive, and easy.

Our idea for my "dress" was inspired by these two photos:

We've seen the appropriate corset in a few stores (though we are open to others, if we can find them) for anywhere between $100-$200. The skirt is up to debate. I'm happy with something fairly simple. If someone has a suggestion about that, let me know. If you've looked around online and found pictures, leave the link in your comment. Thanks!

True Colours Are Beautiful, Like A Rainbow

Just so everyone is on the same page, the colours that John and I agreed upon are champagne, white and black. The inspiration for the colour scheme came from a necklace I bought, and decided I wanted to wear for the wedding. (Sorry I don't have a better picture of it... for the time being I am limited to the camera on my cell phone). It is a white magnolia with pearl paint and pearl accents, set on a gold chain.

There has been a lot of discussion about the colours (people seemed evenly split, for or against). Since the wedding is in the summer, and will likely be taking place in an outdoor garden, we felt that it would be nice to have more subdued colours instead of trying to compete with all of the colours in the environment. It offered a more classic feel. With that said, I am simply posting some pictures that I found online to inspire ideas about what kinds of things we were looking for.

Here are some examples of nice ideas for a dress for a bridesmaid, or a guest who chooses to match the wedding party. The colours don't have to be exact, and there doesn't have to be any specific cut. Bridesmaids are welcome to wear whatever they feel comfortable in, and feel that they look best in, as long as it isn't unsuitable for the occasion. Since I can't afford to supply the bridesmaids with dresses, that is the most I can ask for. I did mention, as well, that a plain black dress with champagne accessories (even just the shoes or jewellery) would be pretty neat, too.

The ideas for the groomsmen, ushers, and ring bearer-bearer are fairly simple. Most men own at least one suit, and it is usually black. If that's the case, if at all possible, champagne accents, like ties, vests, handkerchief are preferable. If the closest anyone can come to that is khaki, gold or light brown, that is also good. Ultimately, since we can't afford to pay for anyone's suits, black is also fine.

John and I are only very specific on one thing: we both want to be the only two people wearing white. John (very much in the tradition of the bride) wants to wear an entirely white tux, and I want to wear an entirely white dress. To that end, we are being quite traditional about the colours. John has made it clear that he feels anyone else to come wearing a white outfit would be in poor taste.

This is sort-of what I had in mind for the ring-bearer, though he will more likely be wearing a bow-tie, for the sake of safety.

I also brought another idea to Jan, about the dresses for the flower girls. They will not be subjected to the colours. John and I decided that Gillian and Shai-Ann would be more compliant, and enjoy themselves more if they were allowed to wear something "pretty". This is what we were thinking:

Have Your Cake, And Eat It, Too!

In the first little while, following the engagement,
I began surfing the internet, looking for cool ideas. I'm unconventional, though a bit of a traditionalist, so I was looking for something unique, but reasonably simple and convenient. I found all sorts of neat, artsy cakes. One of my favorites was a cake that looked like a stack of colourful throw pillows.

However, after running a few ideas past John, and showing him pictures of the cakes I liked, we agreed on two major things. The cake doesn't have to be overly extravagant, and we don't want everyone to be having to do all of this hard work, cutting and cleaning up (a lot of people make a secondary cake, to cut it up and wrap the pieces for the guests prior to the wedding). That was when we decided that a cupcake tree cake would be the best route.

This way, we can eliminate the concern for making another cake for the guests, it's fairly simple to accomplish, there is little cleanup involved, and each cupcake is a fully adorned, uncut, individual-sized piece of the cake. We haven't chosen a type yet, though John and I are both fans of chocolate and anything coffee-flavored. The cake can't have nuts in it, several of our guests have allergies. If at all possible, we want to find a diabetic-friendly recipe for things, so that myself, and guests who may be sensitive (there are a few) to sugar can enjoy it without too much worry. The top tier of the cake will be a one-piece. We've both decided that we really like this one (just to the waist).

I will have to run it past John again, but I believe we agreed that plain white and pearl were fine for the cake (we didn't want to overdo it with color, because it is already a very intricate cake top). His great idea, though, was to put "sleeves" on the cupcakes. Cupcakes obviously already come in the wax cups, but he thought it might be cool to put corset sleeves on them made out of white paper and string/ribbon. No ideas for adornments on the cupcakes yet, but I wouldn't be dissatisfied if they were relatively plain. We haven't chosen a cake topper yet, or even discussed if one is necessary, given the cake top that we've chosen. John mentioned something about possibly making them himself.

The only other suggestion that I can think of for desserts at the wedding, is something made out of Sugarfree Jello (a jello guitar sounds so cool :P) and a small selection of ice creams. Possibly some whipped cream or cool whip to go with the cake?

Diabetic cake recipes (baking splenda instead of fructose- it is still sugar), prefer ones that are not plan vanilla flavor (vanilla gets boring):

• http://www.easy-diabetic-recipes.com/diabetic-chocolate-cake-recipes.html
• http://www.easy-diabetic-recipes.com/diabetic-wedding-cake-recipe.html
• http://www.easy-diabetic-recipes.com/diabetic-birthday-cake-recipes.html
• http://www.easy-diabetic-recipes.com/diabetic-easter-cake-recipes.html
• http://www.recipelink.com/msgid/0219611
• http://www.healthy-diabetic-recipes.co.uk/Wedding_Cake.html
• http://www.informationaboutdiabetes.com/recipes/Wedding_Cake.htm

Diabetic cookies:

• http://www.facts-about-diabetes.com/diabetic-recipe-wedding-cookies.html