First day of snow this Winter.

photo via Urban Prankster

Steph here again- sorry, Pete still doesn't know what to post about. Give him some ideas! Sorry for the delay in posts. This past week has been rather crazy and emotional. Needless to say, I took a break from wedding planning, but I'm ready to jump back in. If I took anything away from this week, it's that life is way too short for us to just stand there and let it go by. I am inspired to be as he was: a do-er. I choose to be an optimist, and I choose to see the good in life. I choose love over hate. I choose yes over no. I choose togetherness.

As you can see, Pete and I changed the look of our blog. Pete didn't have a huge problem with the color combination, but I was constantly bothered by the color clash between the colors of the photos I'd post and the blue/green hues of the background of the blog. We opted for more neutral colors that happened to also be our wedding colors: yellow, gray, and white. Just because there's not a lot of yellow on the site, I can tell you now, there will be a lot of yellow the more I post photos (you're welcome, Chi Huong! haha).

Before I get into discussions about honeymoon ideas, you NEED to look at this photo. This has to be one of my all-time favorite wedding photos ever. I think Pete and I need this in our wedding/home/life.

photo via Style Me Pretty

And yet another beautiful black+white photo. I'd be perfectly content if all our wedding photos were in black+white, but our photographer has such a knack for capturing color and lighting, we just can't deny her of it.

photo via Snippet & Ink

Pete and I have most things on our checklist crossed off, and the only other major thing is to agree on a honeymoon location. I think we might stick to staying in the states (especially HAWAII!), but that doesn't stop my travel-loving heart from wandering all around the world.

Take for instance, New Zealand. First of all, it's like an upgraded version of Oregon. The trees are fuller, taller, and somehow greener. The air is ever-so-clean, and the people are (believe it or not) friendlier! One of these days, I want to take Pete to Kaikoura, New Zealand, and stay at the Hapuku Lodge in one of their - ready for this- TREE HOUSES!

photo via Hapuku Lodge

Not only is this one of the most unique getaways I've seen recently, but they're also very eco-conscious- which isn't a necessity, but more a very lovely green plus. My favorite thing is that they ask every guest to plant a tree while staying at the lodge. Isn't that marvelous?

Another thing Pete and I talked about was traveling around to see each of the seven wonders of the world. If you're wondering what the wonders are, there are two lists because many of the Ancient Seven Wonders were destroyed.

Ancient Seven Wonders of the World:

- The Great Pyramid of Giza (Cairo, Egypt)
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon (Iraq)
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus (Turkey)
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia (Greece)
- Tomb of Maussollos at Halicarnassus (Turkey)
- Colossus at Rhodes (Rhodes, Greece)
- Lighthouse at Alexandria (Egypt)


New Seven Wonders of the World:

- Great Wall of China (China)
- Christ the Redeemer Statue (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
- Machu Picchu (Peru)
- Chichen Itza (Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico)
- The Roman Colosseum (Rome, Italy)
- Taj Majal (Agra, India)
- Petra (Jordan)


Anyhow, maybe Pete and I can create our own adventure somewhere. Even a local adventure would be fun. There is so much to see in this world, and to be able to celebrate the beginning of our marriage with an escape from the "real world" would be the best thing ever- doesn't even matter where we are. Just the two of us relishing in the bliss of newlywed-ness is more than we can ask for.

We added a couple photos in the "wedding party" section. I haven't put up photos of the brideswomen yet, but the others are up! Pete and I weren't able to take our engagement photos on Sunday, and so the session has been rescheduled for Sunday, December 5, though we may need to reschedule yet again due to the Charger game. We'll see... I say if it starts raining in the middle of our shoot, we should just run into Powell's and take photos in there. Like this, for example:

photo via Derk's Works

Well, it's getting late, and I have some snow dancing to do. I hope it doesn't complicate travel plans for the rest of Peter's family. David, his youngest brother, is already here, but Mike is coming Tuesday night, and his parents Thursday morning. Luckily, Portland has one of the best public transportation systems ever, and we should be able to still pick them up so long as the airlines don't ruin our plans. Pray pray pray.

Anyway, enjoy your week, and for the fellow Pacific NWers, be safe in the snowy weather! I hear there may be icy patches around town. And lastly, Happy Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for you in our lives.


p.s. :):)

Case of the Mondays...

Oh, how I despise Mondays.

Our engagement shoot has been postponed to this upcoming Sunday due to weather (thanks a lot, Portland) and now we're facing a slight chance of snow this week. For everything that could go wrong in the wedding planning process, this is nothing. We're a little disappointed since we were so excited for it, but once it happens, we'll be so happy.

Maybe it'll snow so hard that we can take photos like this:

photo via Simply Chic Weddings

There's something very delicate, pure, and sweet about snow, and it would make for beautiful engagement photos. Winter is one of my favorite seasons (really, I like every season except summer) because I find it the most romantic. Christmas especially is so romantic to me. There's nothing better than snuggling up to your loved one in front of a fireplace, next to a colorfully lit Christmas tree, with a cup of tea or hot cocoa keeping your hands warm, Nat King Cole playing in the background, and watching the Lakers get dominated by whomever they're playing that day. :)

Unfortunately, this year, they're playing the Miami Heat, and LeBron James is so cancerous to his team and the league that I have no choice but to root for the Lakers. Not to be confused, though, with being a cancer patient (thanks, KG). I can't believe LeBron is in the running for Time's person of the year award. So much more ridiculous than I can put into words.

Wow, what a tangent. Anyhow, look at these photos posted on Green Wedding Shoes. This couple took photos in their hotel room before their wedding ceremony.

photos via Green Wedding Shoes

There are very few things I love more in life than black + white photography. I hope our wedding photos turn out similar to these. We decided that we don't like too many staged photos from our professional photographer. We love the candid and natural shots. We just find them so much more intimate. We know we can't escape posing on our wedding day, but we hired someone who has a more photo-journalistic background for the sole purpose of capturing moments we'll be able to look back on and remember the emotions of our day. The photos and videos are what will last forever, and we find it so important to get out of it everything that what we want. Our photographer is fantastic and we're so fortunate and relieved to have met her. We can't wait to be able to take our photos! Please pray for better weather next weekend!

Anyhow, I thought I'd have more to say today, but my brother gave me a cold, and now all I can think about is how badly I want to crawl into bed and watch Mary Poppins. I love that woman. I'd have to go rent that though, so maybe Annie Hall will suffice. I love her too.

I'll leave you with a photo of one of my favorite engagement sessions posted on The Wedding Chicks. They used a tandem bike!! I love those! I've linked the site under the photo. You NEED to look at all the photos from this shoot. So beautiful.

photo via The Wedding Chicks

Hope you had a happy Monday!

p.s. :):)

T.G.I.F.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Check out this very inspiring and "scrabulous" wedding cake:

photo via Wedding Bee

And this cake is pretty rad too. I think for my next birthday, I want to do it Mario-themed.

photo via Geekologie

Peter and I are taking our engagement photos tomorrow, so PLEASE pray for NO rain! We can't wait to show you our ideas for our shoot. Hopefully we'll be able to execute it well so it doesn't look lame. Pete even got a new jacket to wear tomorrow, which he looks pretty stellar in. Are you as excited as we are???

So we've been receiving really nice feedback about our blog, and we really appreciate it! Pete has been kind of shy about posting, so if you could nudge him a little, it'd make me so happy! I've been taking down questions that people would like to know about the two of us, and I'm going to put together a he said-she said kind of thing, to ease Pete into the blogging process. If you guys have any questions, leave them in the comments, and I'll try to add it to the list. What kind of questions? Doesn't even matter. This is just for our family and friends (YOU!) to know us (P.S.) a little better.

Five and a half months left to gooo!!! I can't speak for Pete, but how excited am I???? This excited:

Photo via Kiss the Groom

Okay, it's been a long week, so hopefully I'll be more inspired by Monday. We'll update the links on the sidebar with venue info, wedding party, etc. so still check back! Have a wonderful weekend!

p.s. :):)

It's raining, it's pouring.

The old man is definitely snoring.

The bridesmaid dresses were delivered bright and early this morning and they are SO cute! They are the perfect shade of yellow AND they have... are you ready... POCKETS!!! I love them so much, and I'm still trying to convince Pete that I need one for myself. We are so happy to have so many things crossed off the list. Now we just have to worry about finding a DJ, and we'll be starting some DIY projects very berry soon! Yay!

Here's one of the things I need to figure out how to make:

Photo from Style Me Pretty

It's a cake topper that I (Steph) would KILL to have for our wedding. It looks easy enough to make, and I'm going to start it this weekend. I feel like all I really need is a hot glue gun and everything else will fall magically into place. If I fail, I will just sit and cry because I've seen similar ones on Etsy selling for $100-150 which is more than what I can justify to Pete for a cake topper. It'll be a nice keepsake, though. Maybe one of our kids will use it at their wedding too!

Etsy is seriously my new favorite site. You guys need to check it out! Pete and I bought our invitations off Etsy from a shop called Captured Moments by Amy. It comes with an RSVP postcard, and we ordered similar save-the-dates. Here's a photo of the invitation we chose and just ordered:

photo from Captured Moments by Amy

Another thing I found off one of my FAVORITE local Etsy shops, Freshy Fig, is this blue locket with a little birdie on it. I was planning on putting a picture of my grandmother in it so that she could be with us on our wedding too. How I wish she could be here today. I know she'd absolutely ADORE Pete. I was thinking about wearing it, but I wasn't sure it'd match my other jewelry so I'm going to ask our florists to tie it around my bouquet. Isn't it cute?

photo taken from Freshy Fig

A lot of people have asked if we have a theme for our wedding, and at first, I didn't think we had one. I thought the only theme we had was our color scheme of yellow, steel, and white, but now that I'm looking at all the things Pete and I are drawn to, it's mostly nature-themed with trees and birds. Where did that come from?

I hadn't the slightest idea. That is, until earlier today... I had a text conversation with one of my favorite cousins (*wink wink*), and I told her how Pete and I wanted our wedding to be simple yet whimsical and romantic. I was about ready to vomit after having realized how cheesy I sounded when she replied with, "Whimsical, goofy. Romantic, gushy. It's just like u guys!" I sat there and thought to myself how accurate Pete and I had been in following through with our unintentional "theme." I am so lucky to have a partner who I can be goofy and gushy with. He and I have very little in common, but we make it work by allowing ourselves humility. We laugh a lot, and even though I hate to admit it, I feel like a girl trapped inside this beautiful and elaborate fairy tale filled with flowers blooming, birds chirping, and butterflies fluttering. So THAT is why we've been drawn to the nature-y things. We are just two lovebirds excited to get married. Hahahaha, gross, but true.

ANYWAY, before I make you guys gouge your eyes out, I wanted to tell you guys how excited I am for Thanksgiving!! Peter's entire family will be here visiting, and I couldn't be more thrilled. Mostly because this is my favorite time of year, but also because every year, we always have to decide where we want to celebrate what and when, and this year, for Thanksgiving, we don't have to choose! Our families will both be together which can only mean twice the amount of fun, love, and food! Here's something I'm going to TRY to make:

photo taken from Taste of Home

It's chocolate chip pumpkin cake from Taste of Home. Click on the link under the photo for the recipe. Doesn't it look delicious? I should probably do a test-run before I shove it down my family's throats. Haha. I love the holidays!

Stay warm out there! It's going to be a very cold, cold Winter!

p.s. :):)

Invitations

We just finished writing our templates for both Vietnamese and English invitations and have concluded that Vietnamese is SO annoying to type on the computer. A whole bunch of F-keys and F-words later, it's finished, and we're so excited to have it finally made. We will be sending out save-the-dates later this month to our family and friends who live afar, so keep an eye out for the mail! Also, we may need to contact you for your mailing information so keep an ear out for our call too!

Thanks for taking a look at our site. We know there are readers out there because we don't look at the blog that many times in one day! Feel free to leave us with any questions or comments! And thanks to Chi Phuong for being our first follower! I don't know exactly what that entails, but thank you nonetheless!

p.s. :):)

We've only just begun...

... to live.
White lace and promises.
A kiss for luck, and we're on our way.
We've only begun.

Perfect song for weddings, huh? Oh yes- nothing like The Carpenters playing while I procrastinate on getting work done on this glorious Autumn day. Soak it up, folks, before the rain comes and... soaks us up... get it?

I just wanted to get the general information about our wedding on the site so that everyone is somewhat in the know. We are ordering our invitations this week, so stay tuned.

Anyway, here's the gist of it:

Pen and ink sketch by Betty Gega

Ceremony: Saint Patrick Catholic Church at 3:30pm
Address: 1623 N.W. 19th Avenue, Portland, OR 97209
Website: http://sites.google.com/site/stpatrickpdx/
Celebrant: Father Lucas Laborde

Photo taken off venuepearl.com

Reception: Venue Pearl - cocktail hour will begin at 5:30pm
Address: 323 N.W. 13th Avenue, Portland, OR 97214
Website: http://www.venuepearl.com/
Catering: Catering by Bo - http://www.cateringbybo.com/catering/

I'm not sure what other details everyone needs to know right now. We've scheduled pictures with the bride and groom (us!) prior to the ceremony around 2:00pm until about 3:00pm. So yay! Incentive for coming early! Unfortunately, we won't be doing photos as guests come into the reception, so please come to mass early! Otherwise, hopefully we can jump in and do some photos at our "photo booth" with you!

Also, we are aware that there will be an hour-ish break between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of cocktail hour, but have no fear! Our wedding is in the wonderfully unique and quirky city of Portland, where there is a plethora of coffee shops, art galleries, music shops, and bookstores- specifically Powell's! If none of these options tickle your fancy, clearly you are someone who will just need a nice cold beer. Right across the street from Venue Pearl is Rogue Ales Brewery, and two blocks down is Deschutes Brewery. There's SO MUCH to do that you'll WISH you had more time to play! Don't get lost though! Parking might be difficult to find on a Saturday evening, so I would suggest parking the car close to the venue, and then strolling by foot around the area. I may need to make a post later about what to do within that one hour. There's seriously so much to do around there.

Can I tell you a secret? When I was at Portland State for my first year in college, I would skip class and walk around Portland and escape mostly to Powell's Bookstore, sit at a coffee shop, or watch a movie. I fell in love with this city, and now I can't get out. When I was living in San Diego, I yearned for the smell of my beloved city, and all the trees were so easy on the eyes if you know what I mean. ;)

Okay, okay. I've stopped talking about the wedding, and now I've started talking about my love for my city. Peter might get jealous...

Questions or comments? Let us know!


p.s. :):)

Welcome!

Pete and Steph are finally getting married!

We recently signed up for one of those free wedding websites that were offered, but because I am the LEAST tech savvy person ever, I couldn't figure it out and decided to scrap it, and started a blog for our plans instead. We decided we wanted to have a wedding website in the first place as our attempt to be a little more eco-friendly with our wedding.

When we started looking into invitations, we were shocked to see how much paper was being used, and ultimately, thrown out! We decided to keep only the necessities, and leave everything else to the wedding site. If it were up to us, we would have sent out an e-vite for everyone. However, some of our guests would not have responded well, and thus, the site.

Blogger is so much easier to navigate than those free wedding sites, and this way, we can keep the blog going even after our wedding! This is not our attempt to be a wedding bloggers, but more a way for Pete and myself to keep our ideas and inspirations organized, and for us to involve our family and friends (YOU!) a little bit more too. Enjoy!

p.s. :):)