wedding video

My friend, Kevin from college, recently got into videography and I convinced him he volunteered to film our wedding and make a highlights video.  Initially, I really just wanted to capture the ceremony, vows, procession, etc on video, especially since I don't get to see most of the procession and I was thinking of a million things during the ceremony (oh wait, you weren't?), so I asked my Uncle Ken to film the ceremony for me.  Kevin's video is definitely more of a highlights video, which awesomely sums up the day in 5 minutes (perfect for my attention span  :oP), and great for those who couldn't attend the wedding.  It rocks.

Be wowed:


Alvina + Tim Wedding Highlights from Kevin Archibald on Vimeo.


Let me know if you're looking for an affordable videographer in the SoCal area.  ;]   He's just starting out so I'm sure he can cut you a great deal.  (Right, Kevin?  haha)


Our pro pics arrived TODAY.  We just looked through all 497 of them.  I will share as soon as I can sort of figure out which ones of the 497 I want to share.  :-P
                                           

teal + grey

(Source)

Thought these would be super cute as a [casual wedding] bridesmaid dresses.  (Or to attend a wedding in, yeah yeah?)  Not to mention this color combo for a wedding would be awesome.  These each ring in at $24.80 at Forever 21.  They would be more awesome if they were maybe slightly... silky looking.  By silky I might mean slightly shiny but more like a sheen, in a tasteful way.  :-P  But for ~$25 you can't ask for too much.  They probably are much more casual looking in person and not suitable for bridesmaiding, but if my wedding colors were these, I would consider them.  :-P  Especially if my bridesmaids could dress them up (or down) and wear them again.

         

And oh, I'm suppose to receive our pro wedding pics tomorrow.  I would be excited but I'm kinda "over it" since they took so long*.  WITH NO TEASER.  Seriously photog man**.  You picked the wrong bride to not send a teaser or two.

* A long time was no longer than what was stated on the contract, but... Alvina is impatient, especially when it comes to pictures.  And did I mention not a single teaser?!  {sadface}

** He was otherwise a very nice guy and I'm sure the pictures will come out nicely.  :-P

                                     

elf

Have you heard of e.l.f.?

No not this kind...  (Source)

... nope, not this kind either. (That one was for you, Sharon!) (Source)

E.L.F. stands for eyes lips face and they are a cheap super affordable cosmetic line!  Many of their products cost $1 (WUN DOLLA), their mineral and studio line might stretch your wallet to $3, and entire kits for $10.  Ridiculous much?

I accidently stumbled on the line one day at Target.  My mom and I were looking for replacement eyeshadow applicators and I found this section.  Of make up and accessories for $1!  I was like.  What is this.  So we found the brushes, all 5 (though only 4 shown here) for $1.  Ridiculous. 

(Source)

PLUS.. they were just about the perfect size to fit BACK INTO my very little Clinique eyeshawdow case.  (Wrapping anything else around with a rubber band or just having to deal with two pieces would have been ghetto.  Obviously.)

I also bought a shiny lipgloss for kicks and thought it was okay.  That could be because I'm not a big lipgloss person but was tempted that day because it was a $1 and I was looking for some quick color.  I didn't clean out the whole section since I was a little skeptical.  $1?  Really?  Is this from China?  (Yes, I think.)  Will my skin fall off after use?

But I just did some quick online research on reviews (to find out if anyone online knew if it contained poison or something, ya know) and most people seem to like it, and no one's face has fallen off.  The other day at Target,  I picked up some blotting sheets.  50 for $1.  Sweet mother.

Green tea extract flakes.  Weird.  :oP  (Source)

I actually started this post since I thought e.l.f. products would be GREAT for bridesmaids survival/emergency kits, or as party favors or whatever.  :]  I had wanted to include blotting sheets in my bridesmaids survival kits, but the only kind I knew about was Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets.  It was ~$6 for 50 sheets, and it was in one pack.  I didn't think it was worth it to get each bridesmaid a pack, and if I repackaged one pack, that would've been more work for me.  (I doubt anyone's used their little cotton swabs/Q-tips packets!)  So I didn't bother to get them.  But if e.l.f. had had theirs out then, I would've just gotten everyone a pack!

And you know what's even more ridiculous?  They have discounts on the website.  haha.  If you hit up sites like retailmenot.com, they have free shipping if you spend $35 or other free products with your order.  Granted, buying $35 worth of products at e.l.f. may actually be equivalent to buying $75 at a normal store (to get free shipping).  :-P  My favorite part is the tools, I think.  Like the eyeshadow applicators mentioned above or getting tweezers or brushes, etc.  Definitely cheaper than Sephora (though not as good quality), but for things such as foundation sponges/wedges or things that are somewhat disposable, why spend more?  E.l.f. is even cheaper than Forever 21's make up products!  (And look of better quality.  Or at least better packaging.)

I will definitely go explore the section sonme more at Target next time.  I actually even saw an e.l.f. display at one of our local supermarkets (and one of the more ghetto ones.  :oP)  I'll be looking for nail polish since my favoritest color in the world by Wet 'N Wild has been discontinued.  Sadface.

This color looks similar to my favoritest!  (Source)

Have you tried e.l.f. products?

                                               

hang yo' purse!

I also got a smaaaaall token of appreciation for some of our helpers.  Namely the lovely ladies who (wo)manned our welcome table and the girls who helped set up for the reception (they all did an ammaaaazing job).  :-D

I got them all monogrammed purse hangers!  (Source)

In February I won a $25 gift certificate to myweddingfavors.com so I purchased one for myself, one for my mom, and two for the welcome table ladies as a trial run.  AND I loved mine.  I've seen a bunch of purse hangers... at stores or online and they all look like crap.  Seriously.  The top is cheap looking or the design is funky.  I found these to be quite tasteful.  I've also gotten lots of compliments... or at least people fascinated with what it was and what it did.  :-P  I had a server come up to me during our meal with her pad and pen asking me where I got it from and wanted all the details on how to order them.  They were a sweet deal, and who doesn't like personalized stuff?

It comes in a small velvety-texture bag, and I just keep it in my purse!  With some effort, I usually remember to use it.  :-P  I was running behind on getting stuff together the day before the wedding, so I didn't get to package in any sort of awesome way like I envisioned doing the months before.  Some of the girls were only there for the wedding and  I didn't want to end up having to mail it to them, so I wanted to make sure the purse hangers made it to the wedding (and to them!)  So while I was getting my hair done, I threw them into brown paper lunch bags (classy, I know) and scrawled their names and "thanks so much" on the front.  {sigh}  The shame, I know.  But they got to the venue and to each person, so... it turned out okay I guess.  :]  I hope they liked them and remember to use them!

Other folks either received gift cards or monetary gifts for their wonderful service and assistance.  :]  And more shame, I think there are still a couple people we haven't "thanked properly" yet.  Like my brother.  Who says he doesn't want anything.  But.  We're still working on it.
                                                  

gifts for my girls

I made myself, all my girls, our flower girl, and our flower girl's momma aka hair stylist extraordinaire tote bags!  I purchased the tote bags from CheapToteBags.com and printed out the designs on iron-on transfers.

This one was mine  :-P

Heidi likes turtles

That was what they looked like.  Sharon likes ice cream (and eating in general).

Steph likes coffee, Jesus, and guacamole (which was easier to represent in avocado form).

Vince got some grown-up lookin' swirlies with a "V"  :]

Inside the totes, they got "survival kits," snacks (Cheez-Its, Teddy Grahams, Emerald Natural Almonds, Keebler cookies, Marukawa Bubble Gum, Pocky sticks, etc.) and some other random stuff that varied between the bags.  The survival  kits also varied a bit too!  Like only Steph got a Starbucks VIA instant packet, since... needing coffee could be an emergency and vital to surviving.  :-P

Front view

Back view: list of contents!

Three bridesmaids kits, and two "wedding day" kits for Vince and our awesome head-reception setter-upper Wendy!  I also made a Groom's Kit for Tim... but that was less fancy and was in a freezer Zip-Lock so he could reuse the bag.  :-P

Our flower girl discovering the angel teddy bear in her bag  :]

Reading her book about a fairy

Sportin' the tote!

And enjoying her Teddy Grahams.  BEFORE dinner.  :-P  (All pictures of our flower girl by her mom)

I decided on tote bags since my bridesmaids weren't really clutch using people and this way they could throw their street clothes, shoes/sneakers, purses or random things in between getting ready and the wedding in.  I was in need of a bag when I was a bridesmaid for my MOH, so I thought it'd be useful.  :]  I hope it will be useful in the future for them!  Maybe... as a small grocery bag since tote bags are no longer "in."  :-P  My mom gifted all the bridesmaids their dresses (and my dress too!) and I paid for their make-up since we figured that would be more practical than having them pay for their dress and make up and then buying them... something else (that they possibly don't need) as a gift.  They just had to find shoes and jewelry, get their dresses altered if necessary, travel long distances (well, 2/3), and be my slave.  :-P

                                          

More epic e-pics!

Part I is here

We had a visitor  :]

Don't judge our nerdiness  :-P

There are a series of these.  :-P

Click here for more  :]

Herman says he's sending me the DVD soon (yay better res pics!  haha).  AND AND AND Jonathan Chan says our wedding pics may be finished by next week, so hopefully we'll see those soon too!  :]

                                 

fortune cookies

True story: On the second day I moved to Ithaca, a friend of my great aunt (my late great uncle used to teach at Cornell) took my parents and me to this Chinese buffet for lunch and I got a fortune cookie.  The fortune said something to the affect of "You have gained wisdom today and you are also less anxious."  So I was like cool... this is true... I'm beginning to feel okay being here and having walked through campus and gettin' a feel for where things are helped make me less anxious.  And then I turn it over and it was one of those "learn a Chinese phrase" things and it said, "nan peng you."  (Which means "boyfriend" in Mandarin.)  I laughed and thought, "GOD HAS SPOKEN.  This is why I'm at Cornell."  :oP


Following that one... I got ones that said, "has money," "he," etc.  So it became this joke that fortune cookies would reveal my love life to me.  :-P  I guess it kinda worked out in the favor of the fortune cookies.  At least the relevant ones.  haha.


Since it was sort of an inside joke... I thought if we were going to have escort cards, to have these!

Aren't they PRETTY?!  (Source)

 Make a circle.  Fold the circle.  Done!  Pretty spankin' easy, yeah?  (Source)

We could use whatever paper we wanted.  It could match our color scheme.  The little paper ends sticking out would have the guests' name and table number.  Easy peasy.  And while pretty paper is not cheap, it wasn't going to be an expensive project!

However I put it on the back burner and... it stayed there since I decided escort cards were time consuming and they weren't going to get a piece of my time-pie!  Also -- since it is just paper, even pretty paper, it's not something people would take with them or value/treasure really.  Unless... you like pretty paper or like to collect stuff with your name on it.  So I took the less exciting route and printed out an alphabetical list with people's names and table numbers  :]

Maybe someday if I ever help someone plan a wedding and they're looking for escort card ideas, I'll bust this one out.  :]