My Wedding Report

Do you ever get really excited when you see pictures with your wedding colors or a similar vision to what you are trying to pull off? Well I’m always looking for someone to use colors similar to ours, because I don’t see the combination very often. In fact lately, I’ve been getting nervous if it is even a good idea or if my vision is too complicated or far off. For our color palette I’ve wanted French Blue and Deep Raspberry Pink/Burgundy with Navy and Gray accents.

And then I saw this picture of the “Classic” tablescape yesterday on WeddingbeePRO and got excited when sure enough there was the french blue that I have been talking about paired with a burgundy color.

THEN…I got even more excited when I was catching up with posts on Elizabeth Anne Designs and saw a post from Amanda with these pictures!! It’s the french blue I’ve been hoping to use paired with a burgundy. Our burgundy might have a slightly more pink undertone, but basically that is it! I was so excited that I had to come and share the pictures with you.

Thanks Amanda for the amazing pictures and design!

All pictures from Elizabeth Anne Designs

Using these colors we are going for a simple, rustic look with whimsical details.

Do you ever have this happen? Do you have any inspiration pictures that you could pass on to me?

Lately, I have been really noticing all the amazing engagement pictures that are being featured on websites and blogs. Part of this is because Mark and I will soon be taking our own engagement pictures and are trying to decide exactly where and how to do them. There are so many possibilities. What I really love about engagement pictures is how they can capture the couple and give you a little glimpse of what their relationship is all about and the love they share. Some images make you smile or laugh while others invoke a strong sense of awe and emotion.

I thought I’d share some of the amazing images that have caught my eye in the last few weeks. Many of these images are from the pros over at WeddingbeePRO. I have loved seeing the different styles each them represent and how they give you a peak into the love each couple shares.

Leigh Miller
I have to say I am continually in awe of Leigh Miller’s work. I think I also am partial to her because she is also from San Diego, has a background in psychology and has a yellow lab. I’m hoping that maybe one day Mark and I can afford to do a session with her.

Anne Ruthmann
I really like all the personality and fun that Anne Ruthmann captures in all of her photography. Also be on watch for my attempt at ring pictures based on her tutorial

Leigh Miller

Punam Bean Photography
Punam’s work can take your breath away. Something about the composition and emotion that is a part of each image will grab your attention.

Leigh Miller

Amelia Lyon

Punam Bean Photography

Anne Ruthmann

Anne Ruthmann

Photography amazes me. Especially when you can see how each photographer uses their style to convey the love and personality of each couple.

Have you taken engagement pictures yet?

Well I am having some technical difficulties with some of the pictures and posts I wanted to share today. But not to worry, I can share with you some pictures that I have been collecting for ideas and inspiration. I’ve told you before that we want a simple, rustic look with touches of whimsical and romance throughout. I picture lots of personal DIY details, lanterns, ribbon, flowers not overly “done,” candlelight, moss and rustic wooden frames.

Weddingbee

The Knot

Once Wed

Once Wed

Martha Stewart

Once Wed

Ritzy Bee

These are some of the first images I collected and I continue to brainstorm. We need to balance the simple and rustic with the romance and whimsical. Our reception is a ballroom but with exposed wooden beams and iron chandeliers that have this rustic Tuscan feel. So there is some formality to our venue amidst all its rustic charm.

What do you think? If you haven’t checked out my color palette post be sure to do so. You can kind of see some of the ideas that are forming so far that we need to ultimately pull together. I love your feedback and comments so please give me your opinions and ideas.

Grad School Update:
I just turned 2 papers in and now have 2 finals to go. I finish my finals next week and then it will be a busy month of checking things off the to-do list before I start my last semester of graduate school. Be ready!

In case you haven’t heard Southern Weddings (SW) just launched their new blog. SW is one of my favorite blogs because they are always featuring incredible real weddings, awesome vendors and have fun interviews with different brides, grooms and experts in the business. The weddings they features are incredible!!

The new blog also has some great links to other blogs and wedding resources. They are great about showing you a breakdown of all the vendors that were involved in each featured wedding and I have been able to find some vendors in my own area this way. Many of the weddings are in the South, but they do feature weddings from other places too. I’m from San Diego and have seen several Southern California vendors and resources referenced.

So if you haven’t already go check out their website!

I am quickly finding that it is so fun to meet people via the blogging world. It’s like you get to know little snippets here and there and be inspired at the same time. My newest discovery came from a comment that someone left me not too long ago. I had commented on a Weddingbee post about a San Diego photographer and Sarah linked to my website after she saw I was from San Diego to give me some helpful tips! I was able to find her website and was so excited to see her awesome blog.

Sarah runs a design studio in Southern California called Fuzzynk. She has an awesome blog that shares ideas, her designs and other helpful tips. What I really love is that she posts inspiration boards to go with her stationary and paper. Amazing! So I wanted to share some of my favorite things on her site.

I love the personality that comes from using this color combo in weddings.  I stop to look each time I see a wedding with these colors.  They are unexpected, but so fun.

This board was designed from the paper on the upper left-hand corner.  Each detail on this board goes so well together!

I love the sweet design on these pieces.  I hope that I can also create a theme that is carried out from the save the dates to the invitations to the favors.

Look at all these little design “samples,”  I wish I could see the whole collections.  I love how all the elements pull together for a unified look.

Look how elegant these invitations are…

Another beautiful inspiration board…I love the soft pinks and florals.

And last but not least a wonderful inspiration board a beautiful cakes….yum!

You can really tell that she has a great eye for design by what she puts together for color combos, fonts and images. Make sure you go take a look for some great ideas and creativity. Thanks Sarah for letting me share some of your pictures!

All pictures from http://fuzzynk.wordpress.com

Vendor Blogs:
I just created a new page with a list of Vendor blogs. It is just the beginning, but please leave comments with your favorite blogs to check. I’m hoping to get a much bigger list in the next few days.

In my last post I mentioned Posh Paperie being at the bridal show. Well let me explain why I was so excited to see them.

First of all I think their designs and products are great. They are really unique and detail oriented which I love. When I go through their website I think basically love everything I see. We don’t have the budget for having them do our invitation stationary, but I still can look at the amazing inspiration!!

Second is that one of the people behind Posh Paperie is Karrie. Karrie recently got married and her wedding was featured in Style Me Pretty and several over wedding blog sites. Her wedding was incredible and still stands out to me in all the “real wedding” features I have seen. She did a lot of the details herself which makes it even more special. She was super sweet in person and I really enjoyed meeting her, even if I felt like a totally wedding nerd when I told her I loved her wedding in the blogs.

Make sure you also check out Karrie’s blog and her new website.

Anyways I wanted to do a “real wedding report” and share with you the pictures I found from her wedding. Amy Squires was the photographer and you can see more pictures on her blog. (Also just be sure to check the blog if you want to see more amazing weddings and photography) The photos I have below are from Amy Squires, you have already seen a few from my invitation inspiration post last week, but they are great so I’m sure you won’t mind looking again.

I love the green streamers as they come out of the church!

I think this is a fun picture! I like the contrast between the dirt road and that they are dressed formally for the wedding.

Look at the ocean in the background of this picture!! This makes me wish our wedding was closer to the ocean.

Such a cute shot!

I love the simplicity of these centerpieces, but they look amazing!! I think in general I like the cluster of a bunch of different things.

This cake is beautiful! It was made by Melody Brandon of My Sweet and Saucy. It’s in San Diego, so I definitely will be calling her about my own wedding cake! She also did the silhouette cookies below:

Silhouettes were made of each guest at the wedding! I can’t get over how amazingly creative this was!

I’m a shoe person so I had to show you the close up of this fun pair!

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***I have been having problems with images above, so in case it is not working for you as well here are the pictures from Style Me Pretty.

What do you think? Can you understand why I love this wedding and why I was so excited to meet Karrie in person?

I recently went to probably one of the best and cutest bridal showers I have ever been to! My cousin “K” got married in November so we had her shower a month or so before. The shower was thrown by her mom’s book club and was on the most creative showers I’ve seen yet. These ladies are amazing! I took lots of pictures knowing that I would just have to share them with you!!

The theme of the shower was “The Perfect Pair.” I received a cute pink and white invitation detailing all the shower details with little cut-outs of an athletic shoe and a high heel pump dangling off the main invitation. This would be the overriding theme carried out so well through the whole event.

When you walked up to the front door you were greeted with an athletic shoe and high heel hanging off the door.

On the island in the kitchen was a pink and white candy bar. Inside the miniature pink rain boot were the “to go” bags. One of the hostesses also made the adorable shoe cookies (seen below) that sat with the candy bar. The candy bar was stocked with good & plenty, pink & white M&M’s, animal cookies, jelly bellies, salt water taffy and these adorable tootsie pops that she had recovered in decorative paper over the original wrapper.

Now the lunches were genius! We had boxed lunches packaged ever so perfectly in your own personal shoe box. All the shoe boxes were pink, black or white featuring some of the most well known shoe designers. The box was tied with a satin bow that your fork was placed in as well as a perfect little black high heel cookie. Inside the lunch box was a sandwich, fruit salad, chips and a cupcake. What I loved about this is that you can do all the work ahead of time and it is an easy and affordable thing to do. No need to create a huge food buffet and display, just pack your normal elementary school lunch.

All of the details of this shower were so well executed. The house was decorated with shoes that had mini floral arrangements in them (the flowers were from the home’s garden) and cute little black lanterns also filled with flowers. The bride was given a gift set of cards that matched the theme of the shower to write thank-yous on later (but I didn’t get pictures, sorry!).

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And of course we left with the cutest favor package! Inside each package was a foot scrub from Bath & Body Works; the perfect gift for the “Perfect Pair” shower.

So are you as impressed as I was? I’m really not even doing it justice in this post. I think the best part of the shower was how easy it would be to carry out something like this again. All the details are so perfect, but nothing is too expensive or impossible to actually do. It just shows how with each event you plan, you can add some personal touches and details that make all the difference for your guests. Now I can’t wait to plan a shower for a friend and use all these extra special details!

In honor of the letter “M” (aka the first letter of Mark and I’s names) I am going to feature an “M” each Monday (or for as many Mondays that I can think of an “M” thing to feature). I know it’s kind of cheesy and maybe a bit of an overload, but you will just have to humor me and look forward to “M” Mondays.

To start off the “M” Mondays I want to look at how you can use monograms in your wedding. I love that monograms can be personalized to suite your individual tastes and match the color, theme and feel of your wedding. There are so many different ways that a monogram can be used. You can use the monogram for all paper products, your cake, decor, extra decoration, registry items, garter, bouquets, parasols, favors and just about every detail you can imagine.

Now with all this talk about monograms you would think I am going to reveal ours. Nope, it is still a work in progress. But I wanted to show you some of my favorite monogram ideas from the knot.

Don’t you love the big block letters? I know I want to use wooden “M”s somewhere, but I’m not sure where yet. I want to paint them with our wedding colors.

Notice the “M”? I think these cakes are really pretty! I love the contrast of the blue and white.

This is a cute monogram idea in general, but I also love the use on the coasters.

Cute tags for favor boxes! The monogram and names on the actual ribbon would be fun too.

I really like the simplicity of this monogram and how the colors contrast on the program.

I think the monograms on the belly bands are a great way to add a personal touch to your stationary suite. Also very doable for all of us DIYers!

Such a subtle detail that adds so a lot to the overall feel of an event.

I think the monogram on the dance floor adds a sense of formality to your event.

I love the photo opportunities you have with parasols. Have you seen the pictures where all you can see is the silhouette of the couple kissing behind the parasol? So sweet!

Something blue detail…

Custom aisle runner, also something you can make a DIY project!

I could keep going but I think that is enough Monograms for “M” Monday.

What does your monogram look like? How are you using it in your wedding details?