Nothing is ever easy.

The title becomes my mantra whenever things like wedding flowers derail forward momentum in my fuzzy mind's eye. I finally googled the quote to discover that this man is owed some Teacup props, and I'll admit he looks like a guy who might say something like that. With all due respect, sir:

Image via www.goodreads.com / Author Terry Goodkind

My eternal optimist fiance and I discovered a shirt in a Tahoe souvenir shop that explains the same sentiment a little differently...although Mr. Hot Tea feels that it accurately describes his dealings with me on occassion, and we both laugh when we see it - ha ha! Yes, this shirt is in my pajama rotation.

Image via www.vintagesnow.net

My trouble is that I didn't want to care about wedding flowers. Pretty enough, I prefer to show my love to succulent plants. To me they are the real-life translation of a Dr. Seuss book setting. Case in point, here's a look at our balcony, with not a traditional flower in sight.

Initial attempts at flower inspiration included these lovelies in the equation.

Image via theknot.com.au

Image via oceventstudio.wordpress.com / 
Floral design by Krista Jon /
 Marc Weisberg Photography

Succulents happen to be a major trend in wedding decor nowadays. And trends usually up the asking price. Since we decided that flowers fall low on the list of budgeted priorities, it was back to the drawing board. Several months, hundreds of more hours logged on google search and one parrot later, I found IT - floral perfection. 

Ahhhh, sweet flower relief and my new happy place! Thankfully, they go with decisions already made, especially the attire of the entire wedding party. Whew.

The fascinating part of the wedding planning process for me is that when I truly get it and it feels right, everything falls into place and is naturally very easy! Wait a minute, did I just say that?!  

And now here it is, my final flower inspiration you've all been patiently waiting to see...

Image via www.marthastewartweddings.com

I love Martha's description: "The secret to this bountiful bouquet's endless appeal: There's not a flower in the gathering that's truly monochromatic. Deep-purple anemones with saturated centers, tightly layered blush garden roses and ranunculus, speckled hellebores, mottled begonia leaves, and ruffly sweet peas in pink, lavender, and tangerine, cinched with a shimmery ribbon, give the eyes plenty to feast on."

Bonus for me, many of these flowers will be in season!

Now that I've revealed mine, what are your favorite flowers? And where does floral rank on your list of wedding priorities?

Puttin' on the Ritz

I'm excited to share today's post because it's the first of many opportunities to gush over the greatness that is my future husband. You see, it's Mr. Hot Tea who demonstrated how to make a wedding decision. With ease. And good judgment. And without changing it three times over. (Can you tell I'm a teeny bit envious of his natural ability in this department?)

After several months of struggling with venues. And color palettes. And themes. And flowers. . . (And can you see how much I was not enjoying wedding planning at the time?!) I decided it was time to punt the planning over to Mr. HT. I thought for sure that dressing the men would buy me few weeks of sanity while he was in charge. 

So on a rainy Tuesday in February, Mr. HT lovingly agreed to share our weekly date night with a third wheel. We trudged over to our local Men's Wearhouse where I secretly hoped to meet this man:

Image via i.bnet.com / 

Photo of George Zimmer, Founder and CEO of Men's Wearhouse

No such luck. However, when Mr. HT crossed the threshold of the store, the warm, friendly welcome made him look like a celebrity! Little did I know that he had been buying his suits here for nearly a decade and his consultant happened to be on shift. We were in good hands. Even better, we learned about a little sale that happens every few months and as luck would have it was running just then.

Image via www.bargaindealsdiscountsoutlet.com

Whaaaa?! Seriously? This is where my mind is blown in 3....2....1...

Image via photobucket.com / Credit TheWoodenBlock

We wanted suits, and suits we got. Instead of asking our guys to rent a tux and fork out $149 for a rental, they are getting a suit they can keep. The suit retails for $200, and with the sale applied came out to $100 each. Their ties and shirts were also BOGO. Their shirts, originally $40, were on sale for $20 and with the offer averaged to $10 per shirt. SCORE! You wanna see the goods? Of course you do!

* personal photos *

Just like that and in an instant, the boys were dressed. Mr. HT gave me a hug and a kiss, and a bit of advice - "Wedding planning is easy." I hate to admit it, but he's right. Too bad his skill has yet to rub off of me.  

Friends, this is totally the way to go IMHO. Trusting Mr. HT with wedding tasks has given us so many memories and great stories. When I see all the decisions we've made on W-Day, I'll feel pride and happiness to remember that we're in it and did it together.

What hidden strengths or talents has wedding planning revealed of your future spouse? Have you had any similar serendipitous moments where decision-making was this easy? Share your thoughts and post a comment below!