April 17, 2010

Frenchie Kisses: The Birdie Details

After our First Dance (P.S. there’s a video here, if you missed it) we sat down and went straight into the speeches. However, I want to show you the details first.

You may, or may not, remember our wedding had a birdie theme. Mr Frenchie was really nervous, once the themed started taking shape, that our wedding would have too many birds. (Is there such a thing?) I really tried not to go crazy, while Mama Frenchie kept finding more and more birdie things to add. I think we accomplished a nice balance of birdies.

Mama Frenchie found these birds at the last minute to jazz up our cocktail tables…

cocktailbirds
We had complete forgot that our cocktail area would have a few ‘belly bars’ scattered around. Two weeks before the wedding, when we remembered the tables, we were at the end of our DIY rope and couldn’t come up with a single creative thing to do with them. On a trip to Micheal’s, Mama Frenchie found these right after we’d decided to just leave the tables bear. It’s funny how a last minute addition can be such a hit. Here is one of the last things we added (those birds) with one of the first things we added, David Patrone.

bandbird
Mama and Sister Frenchie worked their booties off executing all my birdie dreams.

vertbirds
Mama Frenchie found the cutest scrapbook papers at Tall Mouse, made templates and pretty much executed all the DIY goodness.

EmuTable
With only a week between finals and the wedding I relied a lot on my Mom and Sister to get all the DIY goodness done, and they ROCKED IT!

horzbirds
As you can see, we named each table after a bird. Some of the birds ‘matched’ the guests they were seated with, like the Oriole table for all my family from Baltimore, MD and the Penguin table for Sister Frenchie (she loves penguins). While others were locals birds or birds with names that fit on the wing. We also numbered the tables to make it easier for the guests (especially the elderly ones) to find.

When the guest’s found their table, we (or my DOC) had already laid out everyone’s place card. We color coded their names with their meal choice. Super original, I know! ;-)

usnames
Each place card had a Shrinky Dink birdie and was backed with the left-over envelope liners from our invitations.

backbrid
There were a few other birds scattered around. Mama Frenchie found this white wooden bird cage, by pure luck, at a local vintage store and we used it as our ‘card box’. What’s a bird cage without a bird? We had to add a feathered friend to the top.

birdcage
The extremely generous Mrs Gummi Bear, let us borrow her Ann Wood birds.

gummibearbirds
Mama Frenchie came through again a found this adorable nest for them to rest in. The nest sit atop a metal rod that she stuck in a pot of daisies, my favorite.

gummibearbirds2
And last, but not least, the detail that started the Birdie theme, our cake topper!

birdcake2
We bought this topper before I’d chosen my dress, before Mr Frenchie bought his suit and LONG before Mrs Sea Breeze made my veil. It now sits in our china cabinet and every time I see it, I smile at how much it looks like we did that day.

birdcake
Does your wedding have an obvious theme? or are you a little more subtle than we were?


So Far...We're Here and We're Married

***Note: All photos, unless otherwise noted, are by the fabulously talented, and super awesome to know, Ohana Photographers***

April 16, 2010

Five for Friday

Previous Fridays

1 - You complain more than anyone I know, when you're sick
2 - You get over being sick faster than anyone I know
3 - You found jeans with longhorns on the pockets

4 - You like things with longhorns
5 - You're very ticklish

April 13, 2010

Adventures in Dining Out: Veggie Grill

I think it was a few months ago I read about this restaurant called the Veggie Grill opening at the Irvine Spectrum. It sounded a lot like Native Foods, a Organic Vegan chain my sister and I really like in Aliso Viejo and I knew immediately I could talk her into eating there with me. Not that the Hubs wouldn't, I just knew Jen would be all over it.

Well, all over it she was, and today we went to the one near UCI for lunch.


According to their Facebook page:

"...we are very proud of the fact that our menu is 100% plant-based with absolutely no cholesterol, animal fat, trans fat or high-fructose corn syrup. Numerous studies have shown that eating 100% plant-based foods is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes, and to maintain a healthy weight."

The menu is entirely vegetarian, but to be honestly I couldn't say with absolute certainty that itis complete vegan as well. However, I know that several of the menu options are vegan. They even have a gluten free menu.

I teetered back and forth between Papa's Portobello and the Chop Chop Chef salad...


I decided on the Chop Chop Chef because it included both the 'chicken' and the 'steak'...



Jen went back and forth on a couple different salads and chose the All Hail Kale (without walnuts because she is allergic) with tempeh, because we wanted to what the tempeh was all about.




The verdict? Tempeh = Tasty! In fact both salads were outstanding! We already planning on going there again next week :)



April 12, 2010

100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes

I believe I've shared this before, but before I got into interior design and cooking (and weddings) I was a total film geek. This movie montage of the 100 Cheesiest Movie Quotes, just makes me smile :)



I love that line from Notting Hill... "I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her. "

Which is your favorite?

April 10, 2010

Frenchie Kisses: We're Here and We're Married

After taking our portraits we met up with our bridal party and got ready to enter the reception.

waitingall

After our guest were all seated, the lead singer of the band introduced the bridal party. Groomsman Joe and his wife, BM Jane.

JP
Groomsman Jer and BM Felicia…

jerfeli
Best Man Brandon with MOH, Sister Frenchie…

B&J
We waited for Brandon and Jen to get to their tables and then we were announced, “For the first time in public Allison and Jason French Bulldog.” (I stressed the the band leader that I wanted my name, just like in our ceremony).

armair
The classic bouquet in the air pose!

jsmile
From this picture you would never guess Mr Frenchie hates being the center of attention.

alicodfish

I however love it!

blursmile
We decided to go straight into our first dance. We seen this done at most the weddings we’d attended, but mainly because Mr Frenchie wanted to get it out of the way so he could relax the rest of the evening.

dancekiss
Back when Mr Frenchie and I first starting dating (about 4 years ago) we took a dance class at my church. I was SO very excited to be dating a guy that would take dance classes with me and take me dance.

dancespin
The little old ladies at my church thought we were so cute and even cut in to dance with Mr Frenchie… okay so maybe they thought he was so cute. I will never forget that date.

BWDance
Fast forward three years, we’re engaged and planning our wedding, I ask Mr Frenchie about taking dance lessons for our first down and he’s not having it. *pouty face* Papa Frenchie brings up the idea that he and I could take dance lessons and Papa Frenchie talked Mr Frenchie into taking them too.

jkneel
For a couple months I would take 2 dance lessons a week, one with Papa Frenchie and one with Mr Frenchie. Mr Frenchie admitted after the first lesson, that dance lessons were fun AND he’d actually go with me after the wedding. Thanks Papa Frenchie!

backsit
I’m not gonna lie, we only look graceful in these photos. You’ll see in the video, that although we took several dance lessons, we are nowhere near ready for Dancing With The Stars. However, I’m very glad Papa Frenchie talked Mr Frenchie into the lessons. Whenever “our song” comes around on the iTunes rotation at home, Mr Frenchie takes me hand and we do our dance.


Don’t worry I still tease Mr Frenchie about only dancing with me at the beginning of our relationship to get me to fall in love with him, once I was hooked he didn’t want to dance anymore.

After our first dance we took our seats at our “sweetheart table”

seated
aka the Lovebird table and it was time for dinner.

lovebird

Are you planning a choreographed first dance? Did you have to talk your partner into talking dance lessons? or get your father involved? ;-)


 

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