Live-in Boyfriend

Wedding Pics

2009-08-08T13:58:00.002-04:00

Bridal Shower

2008-07-30T18:20:00.012-04:00

Abigail was sweet enough to throw me a bridal shower this past weekend. I was a little hesitant at first, but I ended up having a blast. Working with 80% guys, sometimes it is nice just to have a girl get together and pretend that men don't even exist =) The theme was a "bed and breakfast" so we started the day off eating some scrumptious muffins, fruit, and eggs . And don't forget about the delicious mimosas!

The lovely hostess!

Gift time!

Abby decided that we should play "chubby bunny" since I used to force her to play it in college. I was a little ambitious and thought we should all start with stuffing five marshmallows into our mouths.
As you can see, five was a little too extreme. The best part was watching everyone die laughing as they were trying to shove marshmallows into their mouths.

Engagement Photos by Anne Ruthmann

2008-07-11T18:40:00.007-04:00

Okay, okay, I'm a liar.

2008-07-06T23:47:00.007-04:00

So we aren't going to Hawaii on our honeymoon, nor are we going to Greece, New Zealand, or any of the other places listed on the poll on our wedding website (sorry to all those people that we made vote for no reason.) We are going to Sedona and Flagstaff though! We figured that Sedona has alot to offer in spa resorts, so we couldn't go wrong there. And Kayu hasn't been to the Grand Canyon yet, and I had a crappy ten dollar camera last time I went (because I thought I lost my digital) so we might as well make a trip there. All the reservations have been made, so you won't find me changing my mind in a month!

Entrance Sign

2008-06-28T18:01:00.002-04:00

Just can't get enough

2008-06-21T23:30:00.005-04:00

One person's trash is another person's treasure =) I went to another salvation army in town and found these:This beautiful candelabra was a steal at four dollars.

I also got this metal bowl for a buck-a-roo. Now I am going to have to reconfigure all of the table decorations to fit these in =) Kayu felt the need to ask me if I was turning into my mother. haha. Love you mom!

Our first wedding gift!

2008-06-20T01:16:00.007-04:00

I came home from a long day at work to find a massive package on my front steps. I was very confused since I couldn't recall ordering anything online. To my surprise it was a wedding present. Inside was a card that read...

Congratulations to you both! Best wishes as you continue your lives together. Stay awesome, guys!
-A

It was a mystery to both Kayu and I who "A" was. It wasn't until hours later when I looked at the receipt that I saw AJ's name (one of Kayu's groomsmen) on the return address. I must admit that he is very on top of things!

(of course the cats had to sniff out that package)

Good Finds at the Salvation Army

2008-06-20T00:49:00.012-04:00

Inspiration:Find: $1.99. I think I'll place fresh flowers on it and put it on the picture table.

Inspiration:

Find:$1.99. I plan on painting this bad boy to make it look vintage and copy the welcome above.

Inspiration:

Find: 99cents each! Just vases to put the girls bouquets in at the reception. It appears that they need to be cleaned!

Inspiration:

Find: 49cents for a cup/saucer. These will be filled with flowers and placed on the head tables.

Because I like to make things complicated...

2008-06-12T22:51:00.007-04:00

My sister called me while I was back home in Michigan to ask me what I was up to. Putting labels on water bottles with mom, I responded. She then told me that I seem to be making everything more complicated than it really needs to be. I agree with her, but I do it because I want to make the wedding more personalized...soon she will understand when she starts planning her wedding...if she ever starts planning her wedding!

I enlisted the help of Kayu as well. Here he is putting ribbon on the bubble tubes. Probably unnecessary, but it sure does make them look more pretty =)

The invites are finally out....

2008-06-01T01:03:00.006-04:00

Allelujah!!! After months of putting together the invitations, I am glad to have them finally out of my house. Unfortunately the price of stamps went up, so we were left with a lame Minnesota and ram stamp because the wedding-like heart stamps weren't in.

A little help from my friends...

2008-05-23T22:29:00.003-04:00

My Aunt Jackie came into town for two days and I was sure to put her to work =) She slaved away painting flower pots for the cupcake tree. She also had the privilege of lugging all my wedding stuff back to Michigan. Thanks A.J...you're the best!

Come on Baby LIGHT My Fire

2008-04-26T00:06:00.002-04:00

After seeing this picture of the ballroom, I have come to the conclusion that lighting is a MUST! I realize the ballroom is amazing to begin with (if I don't say so myself), but it is crazy how the lighting really draws your attention to the beautiful architecture of the ceiling and the lovely chandeliers.

Honeymooning in Hawaii

2008-04-15T00:25:00.009-04:00

Since we have determined that we will be honeymooning in Hawaii, Kayu and I have been on a quest to find places to stay there. I fell in love with the Vera Wang Suite..and who wouldn't after looking at these pictures? But at $7,195 a night, it just wasn't in our price range.
Kayu did find this cute little place that is right near the Volcano National park. The description reads...
"Imagine sitting at a table or reclining in a lawn chair, perched on the mountain side above Kealakekua Bay, looking over the southern Kona coastline with an unobstructed view at the 1200 ft elevation. 'Wow', you say, 'the view is incredible!' A veritable slice of paradise, with ocean glistening to the west and mountain slopes to the south. Your soul is at peace. Red cardinals and yellow finches are scampering for food; wild turkeys meander close by waiting for a macadamia nut handout. We have such a place - a one-bedroom vacation rental on our working macadamia nut and coffee farm. There is where the South Kona Macadamia Nut Company processes its succulent nut products. The grounds around the rental have citrus and banana trees, but the orchard of coffee and macadamia nut trees comprise the commercial aspect of the farm."

We are also considering this little bungalow. Our friends Erika and Mike stayed here when they visited Hawaii.
"This 360 degree view of the rainforest can be your getaway, along with two private acres of tropical paradise. This 1600 square feet cottage was built with the earth's future in mind. It is completely solar supported and the mist of the rainforest supplies the water for all but drinking. There is ample purified water available for you to enjoy. The cottage is of 12 sides as is the 6 feet Sky light, which invites the natural glow of the moon and stars to share the evening."

To Veil or not to Veil...that is the question.

2008-03-27T14:23:00.002-04:00

I have been debating the veil issue for some time now. I am not a huge fan of the veil. It seems a little strange to me to wear a piece of netting on your head. And to be honest, it brings up images of me wearing a veil on my first communion. I've heard tons of people claim that you won't truly feel like a bride until you put the veil on. They also claim that it is necessary so the guests can differentiate who the bride is. Can they not figure it out by looking for the girl in the big puffy white dress? Abby told me that when she looks back at the pictures from her wedding, her favorites are the ones of her wearing her veil. I really wanted to wear a bird cage veil, but unfortunately can't because it won't go with my dress. As a comprimise, I plan on wearing the veil during the ceremony and then immediately taking it off.

Tux Time

2008-03-27T14:03:00.009-04:00

While in Corpus Christi, Kayu and I payed a little visit to the tux shop. I think Kayu enjoyed pretending that he was a G.Q. model while trying on all of the tuxes...if only he was a little bit taller =)We decided to go with the green color for the groomsmen since the girls will be wearing pistachio colored dresses and I doubt the guys will go for wearing pink.

Kayu really liked the silver but we ran into a bit of dilemma since my dress has some gold accents on it. I have a feeling it would clash so we decided to go with an espresso color.

The suits have a subtle black pin stripe look which I love.

Ribbon, Ribbon, and Even More Ribbon

2008-03-06T22:26:00.004-05:00

At four spools for $1, who can pass up buying a ton on ribbon? I found myself having control and counting out 16 spools, but in a matter of minutes, I was grabbing more and more uncontrollably. Now that I have so much, I will have to think of some creative ways to use it. Here is what I have to far...

Program fans to keep the guests cool since August in Michigan is rather hot.

Stringed flowers to hang on the archway for the ceremony.

My new best friend Melissa

2008-03-06T21:59:00.004-05:00

I have a new partner in crime and her name is Melissa. She is also getting married this summer, so we spend endless hours prepping for our wedding. We can be found hitting up every store in Great Falls searching for wedding goods, on the floor of Target rummaging through a bridal magazine, or at the gym attempting to get buff. It's great because she truly understands the stresses involved in planning a wedding. And for the cherry on top, we get to steal ideas from each other. I think everyone should have a wedding buddy when they are planning a wedding!

No Birds Were Harmed in the Making....

2008-02-22T17:13:00.003-05:00

So I got this idea from a bridal magazine and I decided I had to use it. During the ceremony, the guest pass around the birds nest with the rings to symbolize their belief in the union with the idea that the marriage is in the hands of friends and family just as much as it is in the couple.

Pot found growing in U-M's botanical gardens

2008-02-20T14:17:00.001-05:00

Check out an article my mom told me about in the Detroit Free Press. Great! We are getting married in a pot garden.

The botanical garden at the University of Michigan was showing some unexpected greenery this week.

Authorities confiscated 11 suspected marijuana plants after a staff member at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens discovered them Monday morning.

Diane Brown, a spokeswoman for the university's Department of Public Safety, said the plants were found among the plant projects for a student biology class. She said the plants were small and had likely been growing just a few days before they were discovered.

Brown said it was not known who planted them, although she wondered why someone would do so at the botanical gardens.

"It's against the law and isn't smart at all, especially when you're in an environment where you have people who have explicit knowledge of plants," she said.

Brown said the biology class is continuing to meet in the area of the botanical gardens where the plants were found. The penalty for planting the marijuana could be a 4-year prison sentence or a $20,000 fine.

Linda Green, a spokeswoman for U-M's Division of Student Affairs, said officials have no reason to suspect students were involved.

Life is Sweet

2008-02-19T23:21:00.004-05:00

Against my mother's will, we will be putting the cupcakes in these flower pots and adorning them with gum paste flowers.

Green & Pink Inspiration Board...now that I am addicted to them!

2008-02-19T21:58:00.004-05:00

Shabby Chic

2008-02-12T19:28:00.000-05:00

My newest find were these lanterns...at the dollar store! I lucked out since they just happened to be in our wedding colors. They even light up when you put batteries in them =) I plan on spreading them throughout the garden.

Dressing the Maids

2008-02-11T00:42:00.003-05:00

I decided to let all the girls pick out their own dress in Bill Levkoff's pistachio color and tea length since every girl has their own body type. These are what they chose:

JODIE

BRENDA
ASHLEY

POOJA

ABIGAIL

MATILDA

I think they are all going to look adorable together and I think it's a great way for them to reflect all of their individual personalities.

My First Inspiration Board!

2008-02-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

What's the Secret to a Good Marriage?

2008-02-03T00:58:00.000-05:00

The magazine "Real Simple" published an article that asked readers "What's the secret to a good marriage?" My favorite by far was this response....

I once asked an elderly neighbor this very same question. He and his wife had been married more than 50 years. He replied, “Oh, my dear, it’s really very simple. My wife and I agreed long ago that I’d make all the big decisions and she’d make all the little decisions. And in all these years together, there just haven’t been any big decisions.”
Cecilia Saad
Washington, D.C.

What's your secret??

Wedding Colors & Themes

2008-02-02T00:17:00.000-05:00

I decided that I wanted to go with an apple green and a rosy pink for the wedding colors because I thought they were vibrant and fun. After looking at a million bridal magazines, sometimes I wish I had gone with navy blue and pink, or with yellow and black. The options are really endless, so maybe my problem is that I want to get married numerous times so that I can include all of the colors and themes I can dream up!I am trying to go with a garden-like theme. I found these adorable birds at Michael's and had to get them. They will be going on top of our mini cake.

Since we are using apple green as one of our colors, I have decided to use these as our seating cards. Once I get around to it, they will have leafs with everyone's names and table numbers.

Ta DA! Centerpiece #2

2008-02-01T23:55:00.001-05:00

Viola! Centerpiece #1

2008-01-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

My Newest Project

2008-01-25T17:42:00.000-05:00

Whenever I go to Walmart, I always find myself in the wedding isle. I'm not really sure why, because every time I peruse the isle, there is nothing ever new there. This time I happened to pick up a little idea book and got some inspiration for some of the centerpieces. I bought some sparkling ice decor and set out in my backyard to find some branches. This is what I have come up with so far....I found the picture below for some more inspiration. I plan on adding some orchids to the branches and maybe spray painting the branches brown.

So happy

2008-01-21T20:24:00.001-05:00

There is nothing that I love more than flipping through a bridal magazine at Barnes and Noble with my caramel latte in one hand as a gloat over the good deal I got. I happened to come across these ADORABLE candle holders at Michaels for only $6! I can't help but think how wonderful they are going to look next to the centerpieces. Now I just have to wait for the store to get more in stock so I can buy them all!

Reservations

2008-01-17T16:14:00.000-05:00

I didn't think it was possible for another event to be occuring the same weekend we are getting married besides the Plumber's Convention and the Nascar Event in Detroit, but apparently there is! Kayu and I originally wanted to stay at the Bellanina Day Spa Guest House until we were informed that there is a "coming out party" on the streets right outside the guest house that Sunday evening. According to the lady from the Spa, it is quite the event where hundreds of people crowd the streets...not exactly the quiet evening we were hoping for on that night.

We did find a quaint bed and breakfast on the other side of town called the First Street Garden Inn that we will be staying at. Since we reserved the master suite, we have the option of having breakfast in bed. I can't think of a better way to start off our marriage!

All that's left is a band of gold....or tungsten!

2008-01-12T19:16:00.000-05:00

Our wedding bands are finally in, and that just means that we are that much closer to the wedding! And since it is already 2008...it is really fast approaching.

Pimp Ride

2008-01-06T20:26:00.000-05:00

I think it would be really sweet if we left the League in this little get-away car. And how cute would it be if it had a "Just Married" sign on the back with soda cans rattling as we drove off?

Bridal Fashion Show

2008-01-05T19:13:00.000-05:00

The Bridal Shop where I bought my dress asked me if I wanted to be in their fashion show. I figured sure, why not! Who doesn't wanna try on wedding gowns and strut down the runway?

*Disclaimer: This is NOT my actual wedding gown!

Delectable Menu

2008-01-03T00:26:00.001-05:00

For dinner, our guest will have a choice of a beef, chicken, fish, or vegetarian entree. Try not to drool as you read the descriptions...

New York Strip: Eight ounce New York strip steak, topped with ground pistachios, cracked black pepper, and breadcrumbs. Finished with an infused reduced veal stock.

Tuscan Chicken: Herbed sauteed boneless breast of chicken finished with rustic artichoke, zucchini, mushroom, and herb marinara sauce.

Maple Soy Salmon: Wild caught salmon, marinated in pure maple syrup and soy, encrusted with cracked black pepper and broiled to perfection.

Oval Spinach Agnolotti: Small crescent shaped basil pasta stuffed with spinach and served with a butternut squash sauce.

Mmmmmmm!

Napkin Options

2007-12-30T11:45:00.000-05:00

Here are some of the options for the napkins we plan on using for the cupcakes at the reception:

Cake tasting!

2007-12-27T08:36:00.001-05:00

We are doing cupcakes for the wedding, but Kayu and I decided that we wanted a small cake on top of the cupcake tree to cut at the reception. I figured we could just make the cake, but Kayu wanted a specially made cake =) I checked out some local bakeries and found Cake Nouveau. I can't say enough about the shop...it was freakishly adorable! I felt like I had stepped into the land of Alice and Wonderland, with the lively colors and designs on the wall, except it was even better because there was the rich aroma of cake!

With Kayu in our thoughts, my mom and I tasted the After Dinner Mint, the Japanese Teahouse, a Strawberry Blend, and the Brazilian Cafe. The cakes melted in my mouth they were so delicious! In the end, we went with the Japanese Teahouse, which is a vanilla bean cake infused with green tea and lemon zest. I can't wait to see what the cake looks like at the wedding!

Save The Date!

2007-12-25T18:07:00.000-05:00

Coming to a refrigerator near you!

Our Fabulous Photographer

2007-12-21T21:49:00.001-05:00

It is kind of funny how I came across her...since I wasn't even looking for a photographer at the time. As I was googling pictures of the Michigan League, I happened to come across her blog...and I have to say, I fell in love! There is just something about her style that really draws you in. Her pictures make you feel like you are in that moment of time, and I can't wait to relive our wedding when I look back at our pictures.

You too can be drawn to her work by checking out her website:

http://www.anneruthmann.com/

Wedding Planning

2007-11-19T23:54:00.001-05:00

Alright, I'll admit...I'm down right obsessed! I can't get enough of wedding magazines, I spend every evening watching "Who's Wedding Is It Anyways," I've checked out every wedding website known to man, and I'm a wedding photographer blog stalker. I never thought, I, Shannon Phillips, would turn into a wedding-aholic. Lately I have convinced myself that I'm making up for it now since I was never one of those little girls that dreamed about their wedding all of their childhood. I like to think that I am making up for lost time!

And I have the feeling that I am going to have the post wedding blues when it is over and done with. I guess I will just have to move on to children right away =) Don't tell Kayu though!

Bridezilla???

2007-11-19T21:13:00.001-05:00

My lovely fiancee =)

Kayu's Part

2007-10-23T23:48:00.000-04:00

Kayu has been hard at work building a cupcake tree for our wedding. It was an arduous process of cutting the wood to perfection, putting the molding on, filling gaps with putty, priming, painting, sanding, and then finally assembling it. The hardest part will probably be getting it to Michigan.

Hmmm...I wonder what I can have him make next. Perhaps a baby crib???

Botannical Gardens Preview

2007-10-23T23:36:00.001-04:00

Mark Your Calendars

2007-08-06T20:51:00.000-04:00

The celebration will be taking place on

Sunday, August 17, 2008!

Location, Location, Location!

2007-08-05T02:22:00.000-04:00

It looks like we may have actually narrowed down a location for the wedding...but let me tell you, it was not an easy thing to do. I think we are now set on having the ceremony at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and the reception at the University of Michigan League Ballroom. I knew that I was pretty set on having the ceremony at the Botanical Gardens, but I was clueless as to where to have the reception. We decided that the League would be a great place because of the close proximity to the gardens and its location on campus. We did run into a couple of hiccups since it is booked on all of the Saturdays in August. Due to this, we are going to have the wedding on a Sunday...hopefully there won't be too many objections from the out-of-towners.

Gateway Garden

League Ballroom

Guest Book

2007-02-11T12:46:00.000-05:00