for crafty brides {DIY thank you cards}

Ever since I was a little girl, I've always been creative and artistic. I actually almost majored in art when I was applying to colleges! Even though I took the journalism & sales routes in my career(s), creating things is still in my blood. Throughout my planning I have had my hands in everything! For example, we are hiring a DJ and I plan on giving him a specific list of songs to play. And as you read last week, I am working with an invitation designer to create a unique & custom invitation that suites my style! In my opinion, crafty and creative weddings feel more personal and unique!

In this week's post I'm deterring from my timeline and sharing with you some inspiring DIY thank you cards! I'm looking forward to tackling this task when the time comes :)

The photo below is of an ADORABLE thank you card for your bridesmaids. Click on the picture and you'll see the entire tutorial. I think I'm going to make these for my maids :)

Martha Stewart's website has a TON of ideas for DIY thank you cards any other cool crafts for weddings! Here are some of her examples below that inspired me.

You can never go wrong with a thank you card that has a photo of you and your hubby holding a sign that says "thank you." So simple and sweet.... I think this is the direction we're going in.

What kind of ideas did you explore for thank you cards? Did you do something simple? Something crafty or unique? Please share your ideas!

Mayan Mystique Meets Urban Chic Invitations {LizzyBLoves}

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!

Engagement Story

Hello Lovelies, I am very excited to be a part of the Engaged and Inspired Crew of Brides. Since you will be following me weekly on Monday's, I felt that a little intro to myself and the Mr (aka Steve) is in order.

Steve and I have been dating over 2 years now and met through working in the same industry. I feel very lucky to have met the most amazing man who makes me happy everyday that we are together. Steve popped the question last year while we were on vacation in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. To say that he gave me a good engagement story would be a huge understatement. Every girl dreams of the romantic proposals like you see in the movies and that is just what my man delivered.

Source: 1,2

The first full day of our vacation is where this story starts. Steve and I had spent a great day at the beach enjoying the sun and getting settled into full vacation mode.  Steve seemed very adamant that he wanted to go to the marina at sunset to watch all the fishing boats come in with their catch of the day. I was game and figured, margaritas at sunset, let's go! We changed our clothes and headed to the marina. I thought it was odd that Steve had an opinion of what dress I wore, and promptly made a selection for me. Once at the marina Steve was acting odd and quickly ditched our traveling companies (his parents) and started making a brisk walk down the marina. I started scolding him that it was rude to leave his parents behind as they were in for the "margaritas and boat watching" as well. That's when he sprung it on me that he planned a surprise and to just go with it. Before I knew it we were on a sailboat enjoying the sunset views and beaches. 

Little did I know.....

My love had planned an amazing proposal complete with the crew taking photos for us, roses and champagne at sunset. I hope you enjoyed our story; now I want to hear how your Mr popped the question!

Put a Ring on it :: Something Old, Something New

With this being my very first post on E&I, I thought it appropriate that I start at the beginning – the day I got engaged. Most of us ladies picture the moment of our proposal with a big shimmering diamond peeking out of that little box. My story happened a little differently (and I could not be happier with how it turned out!). My boyfriend, excuse me fiancé, Chris, proposed to me with his maternal grandmother’s wedding ring. It fits perfectly with the vintage style I love and is so special to have something that saw his grandmother through many wonderful years.

My Ring!

Chris’ idea was that this ring could be my wedding band and that we could go design the actual ‘engagement’ ring together later that day. He knows how picky I can be and while I know I would have loved whatever he chose on his own, I was thrilled to have a part in designing the ring. Chris’ family friend and jeweler, Lynn of Lynn Hill & Co., had been helping him with the process of fixing up the ring he gave me and he had an appointment for us that afternoon. I have loved pear-shaped rings for the past few years so I at least had that part figured out.

Here is some of my inspiration: 

Source - Clockwise from top left: 1, 2, 3, 4

The traditional way to wear pear stones is with the pointed side up, but I love that you can change the whole look by turning it over. Lynn was so patient while I tried on rings and figured out just how I wanted everything to look. While I thought I knew exactly what I wanted before I went in, I found it was a little more complicated when I actually got into the shop and had all the amazing options around me. Not to mention taking into account that I wanted the two rings to complement each other. I was imagining how guys must feel on their own picking out a ring – the pressure!

I finally came to all the decisions I needed to make and can’t wait to see the end result in a couple weeks. I decided on a thin, plain band (because with pave it just looked like too much going on along side the existing ring), bezel setting (since the ring will already be sitting high enough to get up over the wedding ring and prongs would make it even higher), and a halo around the main stone (hopefully I have all my jewelry lingo right!).

Did you have a hand in your engagement ring design or did you prefer to leave it up to your man? If you did go along to help design the ring, did you find it harder than you thought it would be?

::

Source

Of course rings, jewelry and all things sparkly are so much fun to day dream about (and try on!), but this brings me to another thing I’ve been thinking about over the past few weeks…staying grounded/calm/sane during this coming year. I think the first few weeks of being engaged are sort of the calm before the storm that can be wedding planning. Once reality sets in that you have a very important party to plan! In this time I have been thinking more big-picture – what it means to be getting married, what our dream wedding would be (if logistics and money were not factors), what things will be the most important to us on our wedding day and looking back on it.

Time and again I come back to two things that I know I want – 1. For our wedding to be a true reflection of Chris and me as individuals and as a couple along with the community and lives we have built together, and 2. For everyone to have FUN! I am hoping that if I can keep these two things at the back of my mind during this process, it will help me to be confident in the decisions I make and enjoy this special time as much as possible. Of course, I want other things too (i.e. great food, lovely décor, etc.), but I think by coming back to my main points of focus, I will be able to make decisions with more ease.

How are you staying grounded during your wedding planning? Do you find that having some basic theme or idea to come back to keeps you on the right track?

Styling :: The Groomsmen

A few weeks ago I showed you our inspiration and decision on the bridesmaids. Now it's time to talk groomsmen. Styling the men is more difficult for me. I know when something looks good, but I'm lost when it comes to putting it all together. For women, I like to think I know what looks good on different body types and skin tones but I don't have a clue where to start when it comes to the men. Dan and I both agree we do not want to go with tuxes- it just isn't our style. We want something more laid back and casual like khakis and navy blazers, but don't want it to look to preppy. Like the ladies, I love the idea of having the men mismatched, and I found some great pictures where all the men are wearing the same vest, but different shirts, ties and/or shoes. Also, since we are not going with tuxes, it is likely the men will have to buy their outfit. I kind of like this idea because Dan usually spends about $200 to rent the tux when he is in wedding. At least the guys will get to keep their clothes. Here are some of the images I love. I'm warning you- they are all across the board. Please help me narrow my vision!

one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

What do you think? Advice is welcomed!

Showered with Inspiration

It is pretty unconventional for a bride to be involved in planning the bridal shower, but when my mom and sister requested I be a part of the process, I just couldn’t refuse! Over the years, bridal showers have earned a reputation for being somewhat of a chore for the guests, so I hope we can create something that is light, fun, and truly a celebration for everyone involved. Two thoughts I had were a tea party or a champagne brunch.

Since I decided to go with the light pink and mint green color palette for the wedding, I know you are all expecting me to go blush pink and ivory for the shower, but I have a new vision! Since my inspiration for the wedding is soft and romantic, I thought it would be fun to liven things up a bit with lots of bright colors for the shower.

Tea Party Shower Inspiration:

one, two, three, four

OR- how much fun would it be too attend this fab bridal shower brunch? {inspired by this stunning bridal shower feature}

one, two, three, four

*Which party would you prefer to attend? OR If you are a bride- given the option, would you want to be involved in planning your own shower?

Who Says They Need to Match?

By now, it is no secret that I adore pink and no matter which color palette we choose, pink will play a part! That being said, lets talk bridesmaids, shall we? As I've mentioned before, Dan and I decided to have a long-ish engagement (15 months). We've been engaged for just about a year now, and we've accomplished a lot in that time: the reception venue, church, photographer, and music, just to name a few, but with less than 6 months to go, I haven't been able to decide on a bridesmaids dress. My friends like to tease me that I blog about weddings but manage to be so behind when planning my own. In my defense- I maintain that I am not behind, merely meticulous about every detail and decision because I blog about weddings. They assured me they had faith, but I know, they were concerned. Since I had a clear vision of how I wanted the flowers to look, I decided to start there.

The vision:

one, two

I also knew I didn't want everyone in the same dress. I want my girls to look great and appear somewhat natural so I wanted to give them (some) control over what they will be wearing.

 This is not the best example of the style I am going for, but I just love how fun this photo is! Photo Credit 

I love the idea of letting the girls choose their own dress, all from different designers and stores, but I worried they would not look cohesive enough. I also didn't want to offend anyone if I didn't like their choice so I decided to go with one designer and color and let each girl choose her own style. I made an appointment to see some dresses with a few of my girls and explained what I was looking for. We started trying some things on and surprisingly, everyone fell in love with the same designer, Amsale. So, it was decided- short, crinkled chiffon Amsale dresses in blush. The best part of the line we chose is that there are so many choices, literally more than 50, so each of my girls will be able to choose something that complements their own style while still staying true to my vision. Even my athletic, dress-hating, stunt actress bridesmaid approves (and even kind of likes) the dresses we found.

Here are a few photos I found of the dresses. In the examples, the dresses are the long version of the dress (we will be having them cut short) but you get the idea.

one, two

*What do you think? Too much pink? Don't worry...I can take it : ) Matching bridesmaids? Yay or Nay?

The Engagement Shoot :: On The Beach

It's time for Vinnie and I to send out our save the dates. Even though we have plenty of old photos of us to chose from, I think there's something special about having an engagement shoot and using one of those photos for a "save the date." Ideally, this photo shoot would have taken place back in September when he proposed, but time flies, life happens... we got busy, and almost forgot about it.

Since we live in LA, Vinnie is from LA, and I'm from San Francisco, I think it would be suiting to have our shoot on the beach. Maybe Manhattan or Hermosa Beach, where I work.  I browsed the web and found some fun and romantic shoots of other couples to help inspire us. Vinnie is excited to have an engagement shoot, but wants our photo shoot to be unique- nothing too cheesey or overplayed. (He teased me a little about the footprints in the sand shot at the bottom of this page. lol.)

Have an ideas on how we could achieve a fresh look in an overused location, like the beach?

Save the Date! {Paper Inspiration}

This weekend my goal was to send out our save the dates. With my job, I design invitations to all kinds of events all the time, however it was very fun to finally get to design something that was entirely for me and JB. This has probably been the most daunting job for me simply because of the inspiration overload that I keep talking about. From letterpress, to printed balloons and magnets to film strips, here are some of my very favorites.

one, two, three, four, five, six

JB and I have been together for almost six years (2.5 of which were in high school), because of this we have done a TON of monumental things together from attending senior prom to venturing abroad to moving in to college dorms. I wanted a way to remind people of all the things we've done together in a simple, concise and adorable way...enter, the punch card.

We are punch card fanatics, if your restaurant has a punch card, you better bet that we'll fill that card for the free froyo, sandwich...So we decided to combine our love of punch cards with a list of the things we've done together and there you have it, a *hand-punched* punch card ending with an un-punched "Vow I do."

Kraft envelopes are my favorite and with my mom's swirly handwriting they are the perfect amount of whimsy and handmade. The one thing I wish I could have done was to use antique stamps on the envelopes (like number six above), but when I really looked at my budget, it just wasn't something I chose to do. I ordered the rubber stamps with our return address and the heart with "JB and Taylor" from  RubberStamps.net and even though it said 7-10 days, they had it to me in 5. Plus on this site, you can easily upload any .jpg image, see a preview and order a stamp (aka you can use your own handwriting for a stamp to make everything look perfectly handmade).

Next, on to the invitations! I want something more elegant for the invites, but still modern and fun. My mom is an incredible artist, so I would love to use her work. What do you think, hand painting, watercolor, more with the modern typography like the save the dates, what's your pick?

The OTHER Important Dress: MOB

There are three things you need to know before reading this post. 1. My mother is one of the most important people in my life, let alone my wedding. Her role on that day stretches far beyond "MOB." 2. 98% of the time, my mom has impeccable taste in fashion (in fact, we've shared clothes for as long as I can remember). 3. She is fully aware that this post is inspired by, dedicated to and all about her and the quest for her dress for our wedding.  

Tyler and I surprised my family for Christmas this year with a trip to Arizona to spend the holidays with them -- which of course included multiple shopping trips. Because that is what the Molumby women do (really, really well I might add). As my mom and I were perusing the winter sales rack at our favorite department store, I told her how excited I was to go shopping for her Mother of the Bride dress when she comes to Atlanta in February. I had been thinking about this for a while and was seriously so excited to get to do this with her.

So, imagine my shock and disappointment when she ever-so-casually responds with, "Oh, I already got that. In fact, I got two dresses because I'm not too sure which one I want to wear." When she looked up at me and saw the blank stare covering my face, she brushed it off by saying, "Don't be silly, Mol. You're going to love them."

Really, Mom??

In her defense, she did not know I was really looking forward to shopping for this together. So I thought to myself, "She is ridiculously cute and I do usually always love what she picks out, so I will just have to wait and see."

And see I did.

Luckily, I had the "back-up" of two of my best friends, Jules and Brit, when the dresses were unveiled. Being the good friends they are, they did not say anything, just looked at me to see/hear my response. Which was, "Mom, this is a joke right? I'm being punk'd?"

Dress #1:

Just because it says Simply Vera by Vera Wang, does NOT mean Vera Wang meant it for a wedding.

Her take on this dress, "Mollie, I can totally dress this up with colored heels." Uh, no, Mom. This little cotton number is better used as a cover-up on the beach, with a mojito in hand. (Side note: perhaps I could borrow it for the honeymoon?)

Dress #2:

In all honesty, this dress is pretty stinkin' cute. It's see-thru, but she has a black cami sleip-dress to wear under it. With a belt and some cute heels, it can definitely work for a wedding. BUT, she is the Mother of the Bride. It is a big deal and I want her to stand out above everyone. I mean, she is not just my mother, but the reason I am who I am today. (Another side note: Mom -- I would definitely like to take this on the honeymoon.)

My girlfriends and I explained how important this day is for her too and we convinced her to go back to the store (with me in tow, of course).

My mom's taste is funky, cute and a little bit hippie. I tried googling "mother of the bride dresses" and the search results were not at all her style.

Ehhhh -- these aren't really the style she/we are going for. Not even close. How do you make your mom feel like this is her special day too?

And the next question: where did you find your Mother of the Bride dress? What did you have your mother wear?

Excited to hear what y'all think.

And thank you, my sweet mother, for letting me blog about you. Just another reason I love you so.