The Post Office has announced that it will increase it's first class mail rates, (as of May 14th) to 41 cents for a 1 oz letter. I know that this has effected many of my clients, as the amount of postage they need to put on their reply envelopes has gone up, so I thought I'd let you all know as well. No one wants the replies lost in the mail! The new 41 cent stamps won't be available until the middle of April so if you must send your invites out between now and then, and your reply-by date is after May 14th, remember to include a supplemental 2 cent stamp, or two 1 cent ones on the reply envelopes. Again:
The 1 oz rate will increase to 41 cents.
2 oz rate will decrease to 58 cents.
3 oz will be 75 cents.
3.5 oz will be 92 cents.
Over 3.5 oz will be subject to flat rates.
Postcards will go up to 26 cents

Please, please, always get your invites weighed at The Post Office before you send them out. Just to be sure.
Details from the Post Office here.

For macaroons, jelly beans, chocolate truffles, Peach Rings, Milk Duds, rock candy, gumdrops, Sour Watermelons, Gummy Bears, caramels, Necco Wafers, Sugar Babies, Red Hots, Swedish Fish, non-parleils, Smarties, Smooth-n-Melties, licorice whips, MaryJanes, Pixie Sticks, Jujubees, Bull's Eyes, Sour Cherries, Tootsie Rolls, Root Beer Barrels, salt water taffy, Atomic Fireballs or Jordan Almonds. In short; The Candy Buffet. Or for notes to the couple. Or for centerpieces. I just thought the first option was the most fun. Plus I figured that, if you didn't hate me for throwing you off your diet, you'd get a kick out out of my nostalgic waltz thru Candy Land. HEY! Candy Land?! Remember that game? Awwwwwww. I do. I loved that game.
For the coolest apothecary jars ever, go here.
For the candy, go here.
What would you use these for? Ideas?

Oh so perfect for rehearsal dinners (or bridesmaids) and oh so on sale. Anthropologie. Anthropologie. Anthropologie.

Unique wedding bands are hard to come by. Very hard. I've tried on a few occasions to scout unique and attractive options to post about. I've always had to work Google down to the forty-second page before anything remotely interesting showed up.
Which brings me to today's post, which came completely by accident. I just happened across these unique and colorful bands by Etienne Perret. They're not cheap, but they are stunning. I can't get over the double loop (top left), it's like the perfect allegory for marriage right there on your ring finger. And the rainbow of diamonds? I've always said that if I were to have the world on a plate, the first course (the amuse bouche, if you will) would be diamonds, one in every color of the rainbow.

Jennifer Behr makes these adorable headbands out of metallic lace. I love that they could look very formal, but are also affordable and wearable beyond the big day.
She also has a bridal line of really pretty floral headpieces, but something about the metallic fiber headbands is just so unique, so dainty. So very Natalie Portman at the Oscars last year.

It's going to be a beautiful day here in New York. Tomorrow, there are rumors it will reach 70 degrees. I'm trilled, yet deep down in my bones, I know that it WILL snow in New York one more time before winter is officially over. I tell you this because we are all always so surprised when it snows in April, we are shocked to our core. We curse the weather man. I'm just trying to prepare you all. Brace yourselves, is all. Don't break out your pastel capri pants yet. In the mean time, Samantha has some major developments in the ceremony department. Here she is:

Yesterday Dave and I met with the rabbi at the café in Lincoln center; the rabbi’s son’s friend was performing there later in the afternoon. He has two other sons also, one of which was my very first friend in life. The rabbi and his wife are still close friends with my family. I can’t imagine anyone else marrying Dave and me. He’s wonderful, liberal, reform and willing to do the service as we wish. Over tea and coffee he got to know Dave, and us as a couple. We talked about modifications to traditional ceremonies and ways to include friends without having a processional. It’s really going to be a lovely ceremony, very meaningful to both of us. In the end it’s going to be a very secular ceremony with some beautiful cultural traditions interspersed that represent our culture, our grandparents and parents. We’ll use my papa’s talit on the chupah and Dave’s baba’s kiddish cup. We’re going to make a kitubah that will be an egalitarian agreement between us and we’ll have a few friends read some modified, updated blessings, some hold the chupah and one play the violin. I know it’s going to be so special for everyone in our family and hopefully our friends too. This is a picture of me and the rabbi’s son from the good ol’ days (we’re still friends today).

Oh, Claire (Claire Pettibone). How I love to see you go!
Sweeter than Easter Sunday on the way in, and hotter than Mardi Gras on the way out. I love it. It really gives the guests something pleasant to look at while you're busy saying your vows.
BTW. My will to exercise has returned! It may have been the near 60 degree weather, or it may have been the fact that it's restaurant week in Brooklyn and the dining out is making my jeans a little "squeezy", but I'm back at the gym! I did a "Punk Rope" class with Dierdre yesterday, and it really kicked the living crap out of me. It felt great. I can't move from stiffness, but it felt great.

Myna Bags by Emily & Margaret. Not Youra Bags, Myna Bags.
Not only is it a great place to find evening bags, this company has the Holy Trinity of Awesomeness. 1) it's indie, 2) it's affordable, and 3) it's got great style. I love it when I find companies that have The Holy Trinity of Awesomness. If you or someone you know has a company with The HTA, please share. I want to know.

These are fun. They're sort of sandals, but sort of jewelry. They're sandals without a sole. They're sandelry.
They come in two styles, "East of Eden"(left) and "Waltzing Matilda"(right). I think they're both beautiful. Something about the idea of foot jewelry seems so exotic and luxurious to me, it screams "Princess from a Far Away Land". The only hitch is that you can't wear shoes and sandelry. You have to choose. This makes me think that the sandelry would be ideal for a beach wedding, or a tall bride. Visit Debra Moreland for details.

Love, love the idea of birdies as cake toppers. This notion has been half circulating the wedding world for a while now. I think I remember seeing a photo shoot a la Martha Stewart Weddings with birdies as cake toppers, or as part of a place setting, I can't remember. Miss Plum posted about these glass birds (bottom) over at Matthew Stewart's Etsy shop, and has proposed using them as cake toppers. Brilliant! The queen of avian craftiness herself, Ann Wood, has posted a "Coming Soon" on her site, promising the arrival of these adorable winged bride and groom cake toppers (top). Or, (if you prefer a more DIY route), I found this floral supply site, where you can purchase any number of different species of love birds to grace the top of your cake. I especially love the Mockingbirds (No. 31) and the Feathered Goldfinches (No. 27). Tweet. Tweet.