Add a little lemon

These little lemon souffles are sure to be a showstopper in any summer inspired wedding. Brightly colored, tasty and unique, they’ll ad that pop of color to your table décor in an instant. Think about other alternatives to this, like maybe a little lemon appetizer that could be waiting at each place setting for your guests. You could also use other festive fruits like limes or tangerines, anything reminiscent of summer!

Learn how to make this delicious dessert at the Martha Stewart site.

Kids Corner

If you're planning for lots of little guests, think one step ahead by designating a spot for a kids' corner at your reception site. Fill it with floor pillows, toys, games, coloring books and washable markers. They'll be so focused on playing that it just might keep them from starting a food fight with your perfectly frosted wedding cake.

Photo courtesy of Photography by Erin Vey.

Brian Dorsey Studios

Another spectacular photographer to spotlight… Brian Dorsey Studios out of New York City.

I’m drooling over all of his city shots, especially this one of Susan & Damian. It may be because I’m a small town girl, or it may just be because Brian can capture some amazing moments out there. Either way I love the thick contrast between two people and the concrete jungle, it's absolutely breathtaking.

Take a look at the blog for more big city love!

Microsoft Office 2008 Giveaway

We've got our hands on a brand new copy of Microsoft Office 2008 for mac users, to giveaway to one lucky reader, could it be you? Microsoft Office is a software bundle that can help you out immensely with your wedding documents and organization. Get the specifics here.

Use Microsoft Word to layout your invitations and programs, with the help of some fabulous clip art, fonts, and effects you can have professional looking pieces on a DIY budget!

Microsoft Excel is great for keeping track of your expenses and to create a guest list that can easily translate into mailing labels.

Microsoft PowerPoint can be helpful if you plan to create a photo slideshow or any type of presentation for the wedding. It’s user friendly and has ready-made templates to help boost your creativity!

The Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac, Home and Student Edition, retails for $149.95.

To enter, comment on this post with your name and an idea of how you would use the software suite. One winner will be chosen at random on Friday May 1^st, 2009, at 12:00 pm EST. All readers are eligible to enter.

DIY table markers

I don’t know why, but I’m obsessed with herbs and gardening right now. Oh wait, I live in Michigan, and have had spring fever since February, that’s why!

So because of this, anything and everything I think about, wedding related or not, has to involve natural, green herbs or something of the sort. I saw these clever little kits at MagneticPoetry.com the other day and thought they would be so handy for DIY table markers!

I’d concoct little bricks out of red tinted cement (to look more like terra cotta), and then stamp in names of my favorite herbs… Basil, Oregano, Thyme, etc. Set a stamped brick at each table, surrounded by a selection of that herb, in eclectic little pots that could go home with guests at the end of the night!

Anniversary Tree

Last year, for our first anniversary, my mom got us a magnolia tree and made arrangements to have it planted in our yard. We picked a spot in the front yard and waited that whole week for it to arrive. I came home from work later in the week to discover it already planted and perfect. It was a lot bigger than I had thought, which meant I probably couldn't kill it! By that time it was way past it's bloom period, and so I really had no idea what it was going to look like.

This afternoon I came home to see pops of magenta peeking out from under the fuzzy buds. I immediately had to document it, and plan on making a series out of it... stay tuned!

Here is our anniversary tree on April 23, 2009 — Jack Frost, steer clear!

Rachel Sudlow Jewelry

Found yet another cool Etsy shop while searching for some doggie swag. Rachel Sudlow Jewelry has custom dog tags, and much much more. These more casual pieces would be perfect as a bridesmaid gift, anniversary gift or just because!

I love the little sweet pea necklace, the heart drop necklace and of course the doggie tags!

Conservatory weddings

Conservatory weddings have a lot going for them; for one, they hold that fresh, outdoor, airy feeling without the unpredictable weather! They also have natural floral arrangements that won't come out of your wedding budget! What could be better? If you have one of these in your area, definitely check it out, it might even be appropriate for a moonlight rehearsal dinner.

Other variations of this setting could include a butterfly house, botanical garden, or greenhouse.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Mimi + Karl: Wedding Photographers

I stumbled upon Mimi + Karl's photo blog the other day, and fell in love with their destination wedding pictures. Even though they are a little out of reach (they're based in the Philippines), they're still on my top 10 list to go to for a little inspiration. 

I absolutely love the photo they captured of the bride and groom above, it's so colorful and cultural! Check out their blog for more inspiring moments!

Location, location, location

Image courtesy of CMU Chem Prof on Flickr.

When it comes time to plan a shower, be it baby, bridal, whatever, think outside of the box when it comes to the venue. I attended a beautiful bridal shower this weekend for a good friend of mine, and was delightfully surprised at the location.

One of our hip local bars has a classy non-smoking section that you can rent out for small parties and gatherings. It’s historical interior and huge windows make it the perfect place to get the girls together in celebration of the bride and groom. They served awesome appetizers and had a variety of drinks available. It was really enjoyable, and not so stiff and stuffy, so mingling was an easy task. I felt more like I was getting together with old friends for a drink. Loved it!

So think about an innovative location for your next affair… an art gallery, coffee shop, or local pub?

Above, a local coffee shop could be a great spot for a relaxed shower or informal rehearsal dinner.

Celebrate Spring with Anthropologie

It’s that time again… time to shed the sweaters and pull out that cute spring dress, perfect for a shower or rehearsal dinner!

I like these funky and unique designs from Anthropologie, they’re flouncy, flowy and mot important… comfortable! Plus with their abundant supply of trendy bags and accessories, you can complete your look in one checkout!

PiperLime: The Wedding Guide

I’m always on the prowl for hot wedding shoes, even though I have absolutely no use for them anymore, I still love finding that perfect pair to entice your feet! So as you can imagine, I was delighted to find The Wedding Guide over at PiperLime. They’ve teamed up with InStyle Weddings to get the top three dress trends for brides and bridesmaids. Then they picked out the perfect shoes to go with every look.

Amazing! Above are a few of my coveted favorites.

Back in action

I was out sick all day yesterday, it was not fun, and I'm ready to get back to work! So now that I'm back, I wanted to share with you a simple map design that I whipped up for a client recently. The wedding and reception are in the older part of downtown Bay City, which can get kind of complicated with one ways and lots of side streets, so we tried to make it as simple as possible.

I highly recommend getting a custom wedding map made, or doing one yourself, so that out of town guests can easily navigate the path from your ceremony to reception.

Smock Paper Giveaway

Check out this awesome giveaway over at Oh So Beautiful Paper... The winner will receive 3 boxed sets of their choice from the awesome collections at Smock Paper. Check out the post, here. And be sure to enter before Thursday, April 16th!

Retro musical favors

For those retro couples who may be passing out CD’s filled with their favorite tunes, check out these vintage looking digital vinyl CD-Rs. They look like an old vinyl record, and they hold 80 minutes of music!

Get them in a variety of different colors and styles, including some with inkjet compatible labels for that truly custom look!

 

I’m signing off to start the Easter celebrations with lots of family. Have a sweet and relaxing weekend!

I’ll leave you with a few fun Easter centerpieces you can complete to spruce up your spring décor before the guests arrive!

All photos courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Middleburg Folk Art Studio

Another take on the cake top, here are a few folk art designs from Middleburg, via Etsy. Artist, Susan, creates these little masterpieces through a process called papier mache. Her process is very earth-friendly, as she uses 100% recycled newspaper, water and biodegradable binder. 

Gifts.com to the rescue!

Have you ever wanted to look up gift registries for friends or family, but didn’t know where they were registered at? I’m there.

This summer my husband and I have 4 weddings to attend, so in order to get a head start on gift buying (and get the best selection), I wanted to start now.

Gifts.com has this handy tool where you can input the bride or groom’s name and find out where they are registered. If your friends aren’t registered anywhere, gifts.com also has some helpful suggestions depending on the occasion and recipient.

Cupcake Flags via Weddingbee Pro

Recycle those paper scraps from your DIY invitations or programs into some of these! I just read up on this post over at Weddingbee Pro and fell in love with the idea that I can reuse some of those paper scraps. I have a ton of leftover strips from envelope liners and belly bands, and I cannot bring myself to throw any of them away (can we say pack rat). I will definitely be using this idea... and you should too!

Stick them in drinks or on cupcakes for a truly custom look. You're guests will think you had it all planned out that way!

Mini Pies

Miniature food items always win me over, be it mini wedding cakes, mini pies, whatever!

I like the idea of having a mini wedding cake for every guest, but that will, no doubt, cost an arm an a leg. Just think about all the decorating involved!

Mini pies are a delicious alternative, that you could even make ahead of time, freeze, and bake for the big day! They're cute, can be very decorative, and everyone loves pie!

Check out this unique tutorial for making jar pies (pies made in mini jars), from the Not Martha blog. Perfect for an outdoor, casual reception!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Create great photo ops!

C’mon, we all know that aside from great pictures of you and your bridal party, you also want those memorable photos of your guests! A lot of couples are opting to set-up that perfect moment by assigning a special area to shoot some professional shots of your guests. It gives a nice, predictable background for your photographer to use, and lets guests have a little fun!

There are a few ways to complete this activity; by using a professional photo booth, or by rigging up a station including a backdrop and a camera, with help from your wedding photographer. Throw in some fun props for some creative improvising!

I like these types of photos, because theyre planned and will be enjoyable to thumb back through after the wedding, unlike that photo of your Uncle Mark eating a mouthful of cake.

Image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Fabric swatches from Amy Butler and Repro Depot.