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

I've learned something about myself through this planning process; I have a unique taste. In other words my style is not traditional. So, when it came to picking out wedding invitations I felt like there was nothing out there that really rang my bell. However, the one invitation that I loved was custom designed by the bride herself... who happened to be a graphic designer. What I love about her invites is that they're simple, chic and a little retro. (note: Kelly + Chris' Palm Springs entire wedding is totally inspiring to me. And if you've been following me along, you'll see why :) Wedding invitations were not high on my priority list of spending, however I found myself feeling a little board with what was out there; everything looked so ordinary and predictable. I didn't want to straight out copy Kelly (above), so to overcome this obstacle I did what any Engaged & Inspired bride would do.... I got creative! I established my colors (grey and yellow) and I imagined what my perfect invites would look like, then I started a google image search. I am getting married at The Hotel Maya in Long Beach. The vibe there is described as "Mayan Mystique meets Urban Chic." Immediately I envisioned something with a Latin American flair with a modern twist. So, how does one find a custom invite that fits this locale? Well, I started by googling "mexican tile inspired invitation." Low and behold I stumbled upon Lizelly, owner of, and designer extraordinaire for Lizzy B Loves. Imagine how excited I got when I found these images!

I would love a custom invitation that has the tile/color scheme you see above in a format like the one below. By the way, the invite below is printed on Italian water color paper. It's textured and feels extra special.

Once I found the Mexican tile inspired invitations I was pretty much dead set on contacting Lizelly. As much as I use the internet, it was still pretty cool to call her and say, "hey I found your work through a google search. Will you design my wedding invitations?" Lizelly sent me hard copies of sample invitations she had done before and I loved them! Just recently I was in San Diego for my best friend's bachelorette party and got to meet Lizelly in person! We are working together to design a custom invitation that speaks to my style and vision. I feel so lucky to have found her. Thanks Google ;-)

Here are a few more hand-crafted invitations by, Lizzy B Loves. Enjoy!

How did you choose your wedding invitations? Were you pretty easy-going by just picking a simple template in person at a store, or were you pretty picky? Did you design them yourself? How crafty did you get? Feel free to share your story or any pointers you may have!