This is probably old news for some of you, but I just discovered Jean M. has a few of their stunning invitations feature at Target stores. Yes, Target! Now it’s even easier to get that classy, Jean M. look, in a ready-to-send invitation. In my mind, this would be an ideal purchase for brides who are having a small wedding, because paying a premium for 50 invitations doesn’t sit right with me.
Just thought I would share a few of my favorite ideas for unique table numbers.
Eclectic paper notebooks that double as table numbers. With these, guests can jot down memories and well wishes for the bride and groom.
Wine bottles serve as table numbers and favors for the guests in this Martha Stewart table scape
A simple black and white photograph displays the table number with a personal touch. These can be fun snapshots or variations of your engagement photos! I actually created this design just for this post. Check out more RSVP Invitation designs at the RSVP invitation studio site.
I stopped by my local office max on Tuesday in search for some simple file folders and a padfolio—since I had completely run out of both. Scouring the clearance section I spotted the whole KIT collection from Russell+Hazel and scooped up lots of goodies, 70% off!
I know some people are like… oh! Don’t waste your money on things like this, but I truly feel as though I work better when everything is organized and clean looking. I have my file cabinets stuffed with these light blue file folders, and everything has a proper label and section, and every time I need to file—I smile.
The Russell+Hazel website has tons more to check out… they have an endless amount of collections, colors, and patterns to choose from. So, go get your life organized!
Kit by Russell+Hazel or the Russell+Hazel store
P.S. They also have a super cute blog: Chicaholic
Paper crave recently posted about the awesome papier mache pumpkins made by artist Scott Stoll, of Stalloween, here. When I saw the post I almost jumped out of my skin, because I am actually taking a class instructed by Scott this weekend, where we will be learning how to make one of these bad boys. I am so pumped, it should be a great addition to my miniscule halloween decorations!
Mini herb gardens are a perfect favor for almost everyone. Who wouldn’t want a selection of fresh basil or cilantro to cook with! These mini potted herbs would be a great parting gift for your wedding attendants, and would add to your venue décor. Use them as place card holders, as a centerpiece, or even as an inspiration to the rest of your wedding theme.
There are a few different options out there, depending on how involved you would like to get.
(1) is a mixed herb garden, packed with all of the necessary ingredients to grow fresh herbs right in the adorable galvanized pail. Found at Swallowtail Farms.
(2) is a matchstick garden, packaged in a tiny matchbook, grow your favorite stalks by planting each matchstick into soil (pot not included). The matchstick gardens are available in mixed herbs, Italian garden or mixed greens, yum! Found at Brooklyn 5 and 10.
(3) the old fashioned way. Purchase a bag of potting soil, mini terra cotta pots and your favorite herbs and garden away! For best results, I would suggest doing this no more than a week in advance. That way you don’t need to keep up on watering duty as you rush around trying to tie up loose ends before the wedding!
Here is a helpful tutorial:
Tip: in addition to the favors, name each table a different herb instead of a number, which will tie in to your green theme! You could also attach a favorite recipe, using the herb favors, to the pot using a pretty ribbon or twine.
photo credit: rosemary, herb pail, navajo pink salvia, place card pots, matchstick garden, herb place setting.
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In my search for unique engagement rings, I came across this stunning emerald cut sapphire ring from the flickr album of Ralph Rayner at Rumor in London.
I love the contrast of the dark sapphire stone against the diamonds and white gold, it’s so classic! I always feel like it’s a big step to get into the colored stones when choosing an engagement ring, but if you want something bold and beautiful, this is the way to go. It’s unique enough to stand out in a crowd, but classic enough to keep you grounded.
I love the idea of adding a flamboyant cake stand to a simple, chic, wedding cake. This Pretty in Pink Cake Stand can be found at Wrapables, and would be an adorable addition to a cupcake display as well!
I've been eyeing these birds down ever since I was searching for a unique cake top for my own wedding. We ended up waiting until the last minute to figure out the little details, and so I was not able to get a pair of these, but I can still dream! Check them out, they can be found at the Etsy shop of Matthew Stewart!
What to do with all of those special items once the wedding is over? Turn them in to a still-life display with this memory box from my beloved Pottery Barn! I love this idea, which transforms random items from a special time in your life, into something that everyone can enjoy.If I had one of these, I think I would put in:+ my grandfathers pipe+ the bridal bag made from my grandmother's wedding gown+ my grandmother's handkerchief+ my mini bottle of southern comfort+ a few dried flowers from my bouquet+ our adorable favor boxes+ our handmade wedding invitationsYou can even get this personalized right on the glass (up to 20 characters)!
On Wednesday, October 15th, 2008, FFANY is hosting Shoes on Sale, at QVC. Watch the three-hour broadcast, from 7-10 p.m. EST and seize your opportunity to buy cute shoes while supporting breast cancer research nationwide!
QVC will offer more than 100,000 pairs of designer shoes at half the suggested retail price.
I’ve never personally shopped on QVC, but if shoes are involved, you better believe I will be tuned in!
I love finding new color inspirations, especially ones that comes from nature (those are the best)! So it’s no surprise that I love this tool: color hunter
You simply upload a photo from your pile of inspirations and viola, it pulls colors, hues and tones from that exact photo. How easy! This would be very helpful to those brides just beginning the planning process, and may not know what they want just yet.
Above, I chose a photo from Martha Stewart Weddings, here, and got an array of whimsical colors to choose from. My prayers have been answered!
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I think we all know and love Mindy Weiss from the many celebrity weddings she has planned so extravagantly, yes, she’s amazing in the wedding industry. I recently stumbled across Mindy’s e-store, which features the best wedding gifts and goodies, designed by Mindy herself!
I immediately fell in love with the soft color scheme and style of Mindy’s items; they are oh so romantic! Today I chose to feature Mindy’s Ultimate Wedding Organizer, which has 25 sections for pure planning bliss! You’re sure to never miss a beat with this planner, all while looking completely stylish!
About 5 years ago, my grandmother decided that her wedding gown, which had been in her closet for almost 5 decades, needed a new purpose in life. She secretly had 5 small handbags made for each of her 5 grand daughters made with the satin and lace of her gown. I received mine at a time when I was not thinking about a wedding at all, but it made that future time in my life that much more exciting!
When it came time for me to tie the knot, I carefully placed a select few items into my bag, things that carried as many memories as that very bag. A pipe from my grandfather (it still smelled just like I remembered him) paired with a tiny bottle of old southern comfort, cinnamon gum (in remembrance of my other grandfather), and a vintage handkerchief, also given to me by my grandmother. There was still enough room to throw in some makeup items for touchups later on in the night.
Personal or not, bags like this are essential to a bride on her big day. Check out the bottom row of bags on etsy for inspiration!
Left to right: peacock clutch, gold pleated clutch, aubergine honesty clutch.
My husband has officially second guessed my decorating style. I brought home these bargain chairs (yes, two of them) from my local habitat for humanity store and he about died! I tried to assure them that I knew how crazy they looked, but that wasn't the point. I needed a pair of studio chairs, but I didn't want just anything. I wanted something with a little bit of graphic flare, something that you can't find at Ikea or Target.
Ugh! That’s all I have to say about this topic. I’ve been doing some extensive research on hand canceling letters and postcards for a bride who is having some save the dates done. We are currently designing postcards with an embossed monogram front and regular printing on the back. I know that a beautiful embossed monogram would get smudged going through those horrific machines at the post office, so I was determined to have them hand cancelled. I probably made my first mistake going to the main post office on a Friday afternoon, but after waiting in line for 15 minutes I was denied the right to hand cancel. The postal woman I talked to said that they would hand cancel 10 pieces max., she also said that I would not be allowed to cancel them myself, because I might change the date on the stamp. Whatever!
I’m not giving up yet, my plan of attack is to hit the two smaller post offices in my city and see if they will be a little more giving.
Any thoughts on this… have any of you had hand cancelled letters or postcards?
image via: Dan Berkes
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Chrysanthemums, I’m in love with these crazy flowers! I really like the spider mum variety, they’re so tactile and fill out a vase very nicely!
Above you will find a few examples of the many varieties of chrysanthemums, in beautiful arrangements from some of my favorite daily inspirations.
Clockwise from left:
Martha Stewart, Decor Village, Decor Village, Wedding Bee
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You have to click yourself right over to the blog of Elizabeth Anne Designs right now and check out Leeann’s gorgeous black and white damask bridal shower! All of the girls, including Leeann put a lot of really nice touches into this event, and looked like they had a blast! My favorite element is the bold black and white pattern with the green details… like the ribbon and writing on each of the yummy cookie favors. Such a dramatic statement!
Thanks for sharing Leeann!
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The original Blockbuster color palette is back at Sephora for a limited time!
I drooled over this product last year, but never managed to snag one, however today is a different story! I don’t usually wear a lot of colorful makeup, but when I want to I never seem to have the colors I want. With this palette, you can’t go wrong! Even if the 64 eye shadows, 32 lips colors and 7 cheek colors don’t satisfy your color craving, you can always mix them to get that perfect shade.
Check out the complete shade listing at the Sephora store!
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Favors are always a tricky thing to perfect when planning a wedding. You try to choose something that people won’t just throw away (let’s think green) after the event, but also something that can be useful for your guests.
I’ve come up with an idea, and I’m wondering why this hasn’t caught on before? Am I missing something?
How fun would it be to give away stationery sets to your guests?! You could design a set of custom notes that match your wedding theme or purchase them from a well known retailer of your favorite brand. Either way your guests go home with a set of pretty papers that remind them of the two of you every time they write a note. You could even self-address the first envelope, so that they are encouraged to write you for the first time as newlyweds!
This type of favor could conform to any budget as well… custom stationery sets could run as low as $3.00 for a set of 5 notes and envelopes (as long as you order in bulk). Or as high as $37.00 for 5 correspondences, like the Kate Spade ones pictured above left.
From left to right: Kate Spade, Crane & Co., rsvp invitation studios
I just read over this helpful article, paired with some wonderful visual aids from martha stewart on wedding invitations. I loved the ideas and the tips on finding your own style!
Another fun guest post to check out over at Pearls Events. This time it’s all about hometown honemoons!
I’ve been devoting all my down time lately on getting my website up and around. It’s been put off for far too long and was pretty much just a waste of space. So, I finally got the invitations section to a point where I am happy, even though this will be constantly changing in the future.
Take a peek if you get a minute, and let me know if you have any feedback, I’m always looking to improve.
I love wedding food (well food in general). It’s almost always prepared and arranged in a unique fashion, not to mention how yummy it tastes!
I came up with two reasons why I love wedding food so much:
1. I didn’t have to cook it
2. I probably couldn’t cook it if I tried.
Appetizers are usually a good hint at what the main course is going to be, which is why I love these mouth-watering starters featured on Brides.com.
Clockwise from top left:
Joe and I made the 5 hour road trip on Friday morning for a quick weekend getaway to the windy city. He had never been, so I was so excited to see his reaction to a bigger city. We made the rounds and ended up visiting his sister and my sister (it’s quite convenient that they reside in the same city), and made some tourist stops along the way, including Millennium Park. I love Chicago!
Pictured above Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
I just ran across this handy tutorial for caramel apple favors that double as place card holders! This tutorial comes from the blog of The Wedding Bistro at Bellenza, and is probably the most specific tutorial I have ever seen, it's great! I'm a huge fan of caramel apples, especially straight from the orchard or cider mill. It's another clever idea for fall weddings, and something that I've never seen before.
My niece Grace is turning 4 next week, so I was trying to think of a creative gift for her. Since she loves books, I thought it would only be appropriate to give her a few new books to enjoy, along with these handmade bookplates.
I designed them and had them printed on thick textured paper, and then had them made into stickers. They are beautiful in person, and stick really well to just about anything!
Etsy.
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Check out the lovely Pearls Events blog today for a guest post by yours truly.
I pretty much love any kind of cake there is, but these inspiring cakes just reminded me how much I love chocolate cake!
It also reminded me that autumn is the perfect time of year to go all out and have a chocolate inspired wedding… not only is the color perfectly in season, but the flavor is rich and warming for those cooler days.
Left: Courtesy of Rob Ben-Israel Cakes.
Right:Cheryl Kleinman: Brooklyn, NY: 718-237-2271
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Just updated my etsy shop with a few new stationery items... that's what I did on my rainy weekend indoors.
Gifts: to each other from the bride and groom
Do very many people do this anymore? Aside from a sentimental note to each other before the big moment, carried along by the maid of honor or best man, what have you thought to give your future spouse on your big day?
My husband and I voted not to do this, as we were on a very strict budget, and we thought at the time that we would be our gift to each other, what more did we need! Right? It is still a tradition in some weddings, as that gift will forever remind you of your special day every time you pull it out, or use it, etc.
Here are some creative ideas for that special exchange:
+ Authentic baseball stadium seat cufflinks (a twist on the traditional)
+ Two Hearts handmade copper photo album
+ “Remember what is important” necklace
+ Jeanine Payer – satine necklace
+ Hidden message capsule valet keychain
Last week I was feeling mighty crafty… I think I was going through my “I should have been an elementary school art teacher” phase, when I decided on a simple project with things I could find around the house.
I found the directions at a cute little blog called knits and pieces… thanks Jenna!
I ended up with a fun mini terrarium that satisfied my craft craving and allowed me to garden (indoors) in the rain!
Materials:
+ 1 glass pendant light cover (clear)
+ terra cotta pot saucer
+ 1 small plant
+ fish tank stones (or dish garden topping)
Mix all ingredients and water!
Funny story about the fish tank stones… I did not want to go out and buy a 2 lb bag of the dish garden topping, so I just reused some neutral fish tanks stones instead! Viola!
How lovely would these be as centerpieces in a cluster of different sizes for an eco-friendly wedding?! If you’re not into the all natural terra cotta look you could always paint that, and even throw in a few frosted or colored pendant light covers with candles on the inside instead of plants… ooh romantic!
Then just give them away when you’re done as parting gifts. Gotta keep it green!
View blog reactionsI love it when i find a bargain, sale or clearance. It just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside (which can come in handy during a Michigan fall). So what better place to hit the sales than at the outlet mall! A few of my old college buddies and I hit the pavement on sunday afternoon, what a nice day for a shop!
Jonathan Thrasher, destination photographer, has captured my attention! Based out of Michigan, Jonathan will travel to any destination in the world. Granted, the places he visits are very nice, his photos are even more astounding. I think his commercial experience really gives him a leg up in the wedding world... not only does he capture the moment (something all good photographers should do), he brings out the beauty in the destination, and in the bride and groom, without a fierce competition!
Truly inspirational images.
Check out his portfolio if you haven’t already!
Labor Day weekend always means the end of summer for me. Living in Michigan my whole life, I should know by now that it cools down quickly this time of year, even if it is only September. It’s that time of year where you take the boat out of the water and start bringing in the fire wood.
Even though it’s not quite fall, or even pumpkin season, I love these pumpkin inspired concepts for a romantic wedding centerpiece. From our dear Martha, of course.
I can’t say I’d have the patients to do many of these myself, but if you got a crew of friends and family, you could get a handful of them done for a cozy country wedding reception!
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