twenty

2 August 1997 - 2 August 2017 

Twenty

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"Only from the heart can you touch the sky." - Rumi

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Mr. Gorgeous and I renewed our marital vows in celebration of our 20th wedding anniversary - with our beloved children, ma mere divine, Coco and 16 of our family and dearest friends. Every moment of our day was magic...

love is in the air: details, details...

"Love is in the air, in the rising of the sun.

Love is in the air, when the day is nearly done."

- John Paul Young

love is in the air ~ the DRESS!

"Love is in the air, every sight and every sound." - John Paul Young

Sadly, with the ready availability of inexpensively/mass produced clothes, dressmaking/tailors is increasingly becoming a lost art - for the masses at least. Still, I was determined to get my dress from a small business. And I found it on Etsy, but it was black. I messaged the designer and asked if she'd be willing to make one for me in white, she said no. Since I had already decided to splurge on food, champagne; and my dress; I decided to look for a tailor. My criteria: find someone talented, creative, innovative, and close to home. Imagine my surprise and joy at finding the amazingly talented Kristina Giedra, who lives a mere 5 minute drive from my house!

From the first moment we met - we clicked. I showed her a photo of my dress, she said: "no problem." Her price was so reasonable, I didn't quibble. I chose a lovely understated 'beachy' mid-weight creamy crepe, then she sent me to Joann's Fabrics. I purchased the fabric, then Kristina and I realized that the dress needed a liner. So back to Joann's I went, this time with Mr. G - and that's when the whole script completely flipped...

Sparkle Plenty!

While we were wandering up and down aisles of fabric, looking for liner material, Mr. G picked up a bolt of the most gorgeous sparkly netted-fabric, turned to me and declared: "I like want this one. You should wear Stars." I instantly knew this fabric truly was the one (it drips Boho-Beach Style Parisien); and decided to design the dress myself. We returned the practical crepe - what was I thinking? Shame on me for muting my Diva! - and purchased 2 1/2 yards of this wondrous sparkly netting! I spent a night working on my design, then presented it to Kristina. She loved it and added her own expertise (my Twenty-dress literally flows and sparkles along every line of my body, hides my flaws and makes spectacular my assets) and then there's the rhinestone straps - et voila! 

Just a sneak peak...but of course there's a train. Diva!

Vivre! Rire! Aimer!

Temple

Kristina and I

love is in the air

"Love is in the air, everywhere I look around." - John Paul Young

This summer marks Mr. G's and my 20th wedding anniversary - wow, time sure does fly! On our wedding day in 1997, we promised each other that we would renew our vows every decade. We did in 2007 (with our beloved children by our side). Now, seemingly in the blink of an eye, we're approaching another 10 years of love, laughter and adventure - and we gonna to celebrate! 

For years now, we've known exactly where we want to celebrate Twenty - the Gold Coast; and who we want to celebrate with: ma mere divine, our beautiful children, Coco and 20 of our closest family and friends - an intimate, elegant, personal gathering. The theme: Boho-Beach avec Style Parisien. After deciding on the summer date, I asked our priest (who officiated our wedding and 10th renewal ceremonies) to officiate Twenty - he said yes! Second, I reserved the Gold Coast beach house. Third, I found and booked an amazing local photographer. Then the fun really began...

"We believe in celebrations both big and small." - Kate Spade

There are so many moving parts in planning a wedding, after a brief search I decided on this Kate Spade wedding planner ($50). As gorgeous and large as it is, it doesn't have enough folders. So I decided to make my own - using Cavallini file folders, with three gorgeous colorful themes: Paris, Butterflies and Birds (12/$20, Amazon has the largest selection), an adjustable 3 ring hole punch, scissors, and clear packing tape. 

I've got the major pieces in place, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Next there's: finding a caterer (choosing the menu), flowers, the cake, invitations, I'm creating two Paris Playlist(s), and the DRESS. I freely admit that planning to 'marry' my Mr. Gorgeous again has me feeling like an ingenue. I can't wait to share my journey with you. Can you tell how much fun I'm having? ;-} 

Vivre! Rire! Aimer!

Temple