Napkin Surprises

I never would have thought that I would be writing a post solely on napkins! In mentally setting the table for our wedding I am having a hard time figuring out how all of these different pieces (napkins, china, linens, flowers) will work together in harmony instead of competing with one another. I am leaning towards renting some mismatched china, so I would like to keep the napkins and linens fairly neutral. But, people are getting so gosh darn creative with their napkins these days  it is hard to rein myself in! Check out these adorable DIY ombre dyed napkins.

Source

Add a touch of lavender.

Source : 1, 2 & 3

Go for a pop of color.

 Source: 1, 2 & 3

Or, add even more color with mismatched napkins. I found this esty vendor that will even make them for you in your pattern and color scheme. So cute!

Source: 1, 2 & 3

 How did you decide? Did you agonize over this silly detail as much as I have? Did you buy or rent? Love to hear any tips on where to buy napkins!

Groom Fashion {navy suits}

This past week my fiancé sent the suit we picked out to the groomsmen to order. We had been looking for a nice navy suit for a while with no luck. It was not the easiest color to find at rental companies, so we thought if we could find it for under $200 (not too much more than a rental), we would ask the guys to buy them. We were super excited when our friend had the idea of J.Crew's Factory store and the suits were nice and affordable. My post on the full color scheme can be found here.

Now that we have the suits picked out, it's time to think about how to pair it with shirts, ties, and shoes...

Source

This groom kept it classic and simple, but added some fun with the gingham shirt.

Source

Here we see some other colors used - purple and grey.

Source

This guy paired his suit with a white shirt and light blue tie. I like.

Source

I'm loving the brown shoes on this groom and how he added some personality with the socks!  I also love how the bride tied in the deep blue color with her earrings and heels.

I'm not really sure how to coordinate it so that my groom and his guys all go together. I also don't want the guys to have to buy any more items, so I'm thinking we could have them wear white shirts and then get different ties - they could all be similar colors and shapes, but with different patterns. Or we could have everyone wear their own different-patterned or plain blue shirts and do a simple navy tie. Option #3 would be to keep it more simple with white shirts and the same ties. For the shoes, we'll ask them all to wear their own brown leather shoes.

Source

What do you think? How are your men coordinating?

On another note, we are about to order the proofs for the invitations. I can't wait to see them in-person!

Mint to Be

In the aftermath of St. Patty's Day and with spring right around the corner, this post is dedicated to my new favorite color, mint green! I’ve always loved how this soft, sweet color pairs well with any Springtime pastel shade. Check out this darling round up of the perfect ways to keep your wedding minty fresh! Adorable (and super affordable!) dresses for the bride or her bridesmaids.

Source: 1, 2 & 3

Darling mint ph0tobooth.

Source

Add a little mint to your cake!

Source: 1, 2 & 3

Lollipops to find your table. Great way to re-purpose those berry containers!

Source

Subtle minty details

Source

Have you added some mint to your wedding pallet?

The Evolving Color Scheme

My wedding colors from nine months ago, post here, are a little different from my wedding colors today. Over the months, with all the decisions, I realized I was gravitating towards different colors. It was sort of a natural progression when I went through picking things like flowers, wedding party attire, invitations, etc. So what better time to take a second look at the colors and make sure everything is looking just right?! The bridesmaid dresses are still going to be mix-and-matched creams and tans, just a little darker than the original off-white I had in mind. We switched it up with the suits and are going to go for navy! I like it because it's a little different and sort of a nice in-between as far as formalness goes.

Source: left, right

Let's see how they look together...

Source

Source

I'm also throwing in some hints of a soft lavender.

Source

And for the tables, we'll stick with the tans and lavender, and spice it up  with some additional flower colors - other shades of purple, blue, green, some white and off-white to balance it out, along with mercury glass.

Source

It's hard to believe we're just four month out from the big day!

Bridesmaid Dresses {mix & matching}

I recently started using the 'Secret Boards' on Pinterest and am loving it for so many reasons! This past week I've been using it as I narrow in on the look of the bridal party. I am 90% sure we'll be doing the mix and match look for the bridesmaids. I like that with the Secret Boards, I have the option to pin my own as I gather inspiration and then share with all my ladies once I'm ready! And then instead of sending an email with a bunch of links, I can send them actual pictures that link right through to where they can buy them (I heart Pinterest). I'm leaning towards neutral, light dresses. Maybe keeping the same length to keep them consistent.

Sources: top left, bottom left, middle, right

Sources: top left, bottom left, middle, right

Sources: left, right

As you can see I'm thinking a light nude/tan/ivory color palate. When we're all together, it should look something like this...

Source

Source

Mixing and matching can be a challenge, but when done right, I love the way it looks! Did you have your bridesmaids in different dresses? Any tips on making everything look polished and pulled together?

P.S. In my unrelated search this week about DIY Christmas tree skirts, I came across this link with instructions on how to make one out of your old bridesmaid dress, click here. So funny.

Color Splash

I love color, so the process of selecting wedding colors seems like a daunting task. The again, what are wedding colors really for? I have read that the purpose of selecting wedding colors is to set the tone for your wedding reception and tie everything together, but if you have a good aesthetic for color does everything really need to be so matchy matchy? So far  The Perfect Palette and Design Seeds are my favorite sites to search for color inspiration.

I love turquoise or aqua with a bright coral or yellow.

Sources: 1 & 2

Source: Design Seeds

I also like the look of a cool grey accented with muted colors.

Sources: 1 & 2

Since our entire wedding will be outdoors, I like the idea of playing off natural colors too.

Sources: 1 & 2

How did/are you picking your wedding colors? How many are too many?

the {bridesmaid} proposal

I wanted to ask my bridesmaids to be a part of our wedding in a very special way.  That was something I thought of for a very long time.  I didn't want to just ask them verbally or give them a simple card, I wanted something more, something special that they would remember.  Of course I scoured Etsy for different ideas, but nothing seemed just right.  I found a variety of ideas on how to word the question.  But how to ask?

Source (from top left):Trimmings Shop, The Inspired Note, PaperEtiquette,Caffeine Colour

Bubbly, to me, always signifies celebration and is exactly what I like to drink with my girls.

Source (from top left): Daily Cup of Couture, Classy & Style, Zoie loves, Classy in the City, Everything Fab, Global Good Group, The Glitter Guide, Riches for Rags    

So, I decided to make the bubbly the way to ask them to be a part of the wedding!  I found different ideas of how to include champagne or wine in an invitation.

Source (from left): maddiegdesigns, Southern Fried Paper, Letter Love Designs, Pepper Lindsey & Co.

As a do-it-yourself girl {and bride}, I wanted to design the tags myself rather than outsourcing the project.  I'm new to photoshop & illustrator, but it was fun learning when you have a thoughtful gift in mind.  I had to go with my go-to pattern {polka dots} and my main wedding color {yellow}.

Source: me!

They turned out great & I couldn't have been happier!  Best of all, it really screamed me!  cheers.

Location Inspiration

As someone who is engaged, I'm asked all the time what my 'theme' is. I had a lot of trouble in the beginning figuring out what my theme was because I didn't want to restrict myself to one thing. The more I thought about my theme, I realized that without really consciously trying to come up with one, I already had! I would say my 'theme' is simply, the location. From the very beginning I knew I wanted to incorporate local elements whenever possible - from the decor to the cuisine. With our wedding location being in near Mt. Hood, we will be surrounded by great views, pear orchards and fields of lavender (not all at once, but you get the idea).

Source: Erica Ann Photography, lower left, lower right

Source

Source

Source: left, top right, lower right

Source: His & Her Photography, bottom

All these local inspirations were part of the reason I was drawn to our location in the first place, so it seems like a natural fit.

Did you use your wedding location to drive elements of your wedding or did you come up with a different 'theme' entirely?

The Home Stretch {12 days left}

It's hard to believe that there are just 12 days left until my wedding day. They say that times flies by during this process, however I would like to specify that it speeds up once you hit your 3 month mark. Everything before that point felt organized, calm, and creative. I've hit a point where I simply just want to check everything off of my list so I can breathe easy and enjoy this time leading up to our big day. That being said, there are a number of loose ends that need to be addressed, and unexpected events that have happened.... for instance today I have to meet with my florist again because they completely missed the mark with what I asked for. Thank God I had the opportunity to do a final preview to make any last minute tweaks or changes! NOTE: ask for a preview of what your flowers will look like before hand! In retrospect I was much too trusting that they would understand my vision. I gave them multiple photos of what I wanted and they still messed up! Lesson learned- always get a preview of your linens and flowers.

To refresh your memory, this is the floral look I'm going for:

Photo Credits: Left, Bottom right

Photo Credits: Top, Bottom

The one thing I'm very proud of is how I've taken care of my health and body leading up to this point. From the get-go I did not want to be one of those brides that crash-dieted or went to extremes to look "perfect" on their wedding day. As Vinnie and I have discussed, "fit is the new sexy." For the past 11 months I have eaten well (not restricted myself), have exercised consistently, and taken care of my skin. Now that my big day is just around the corner I feel fantastic (inside and out) knowing I gave it my all! Here's a little inspiration board of what I've done to get in great shape and stay that way... I keep it pretty simple: Bar Method, Spin Class and jogging my dogs :)

photo credits: Top, bottom left, bottom right

This week is going to be crazy busy for me because I plan on finishing everything there is to be done so next week can be enjoyable! I am ready for the celebration, but most of all I'm excited for our ceremony. It's going to be personal, romantic, sweet and sentimental... many happy tears I'm sure.

Looking forward to my last post next week as a "bride-to-be!" yippee!

xo, Taya

Our Colors

We have been engaged for just short of two months now. With the extreme wedding obsession I am known for having, it would make sense that my wedding would be fully planned, and at one point I thought it was. But after the actual engagement occurred, my head seemed to start spinning with hundreds of ideas, and I couldn't focus it anymore! Here is my first inspiration board of my the wedding. I am sure there will be tons more to follow as I change my plans and add on more ideas and colors.

White Ivory Fuchsia Orange Purple Yellow Gray Zebra print (brown and ivory, not black and white)

Those are the colors of our wedding. I know it is a bit of a mish-mash and I know it might sound a bit crazy, but I definitely know what I am thinking for this one.

Here is my little plan. I love white and I want to incorporate that as much as possible! I want small accents of spring colors for the flowers, paper details, and favors. The dresses will probably be gray. The last thing I want to add is a very small amount of zebra print, maybe on chair cushions, runners, or throw pillows.

I plan to create a "pop" effect with the wedding colors and focus on the small details to bring the whole thing together without overwhelming the space with too much color.

What do you think about the color scheme and ideas so far?? I want to see other brides inspiration boards, so feel free to e-mail them to me. :)

PS: Need some help figuring out the inspiration and design plan for your wedding?? See how our services and advice can help you!

Photo credit: top left: Etsy, Pears and Flowers: Martha Stewart Weddings, Dress: Vera Wang, BM Dress: Sarah Seven, Invites: Alee Press