Games, Games Everywhere!

At first thought, I would tell any bride not to have games at the wedding. Games can get pretty competitive and you don't want people losing site of the purpose for them being there just because they are too enveloped with their game. I definitely don't want people lagging behind while we are all trying to be seated due to the fact that an intense game is going on. However, my whole viewpoint really turned around at some point. I don't know if it was the venue, or what, but I sort of began adding games into the wedding plans. My idea would be to add horseshoes and bocce ball into the cocktail hour. Both are pretty social games and hopefully nothing too heated will come from those choices. But, I think they would be a fun way for people to hang out during the time before dinner. It is also a great photo opp as well! And how cute are these sets?? They would go perfectly!

Maybe games aren't bad after all! Huh? I definitely think I am going to add in these little ideas as something extra to do! Anyone else adding any games to their wedding?? Any past brides have feedback from doing it??

{Florals} A Little DIY Tablescape Inspiration

The fantastic Kia Gregory sent over some images of a little DIY tablescape she did on a whim after picking some gorgeous wildflowers the other day. Now talk about inspiration central! This whole vintage look is so simple, elegant and just all around amazing. Adding a touch of lace to the table and those chic mirrors (not those ugly ones that come with most venues) definitely sets the tone of the overall vintage centerpiece we've got on our hands.

Such a great addition, those teacups are fantastic!

Now that's what I call table love right here!

Check out Kia Gregory for more gorgeous inspiration!

Sign-In Table?? I Think Not

I have an even better idea than just a table :) OMG, I probably couldn't be more excited right now. I had the most amazing idea just pop up, and I have to share. I don't want a sign-in table if I can think of something better and more orginal! I love the sign in table concept, and can't wait to create the space that greets the guests of the wedding. So, I found this fantastic little idea of a sign-in cabinet! Let me explain a little bit.

By now, you  probably know my love of chalkboards. Along with that, I share a love of antique keys. I decided to mix them together a bit more and came up with the best way to utilize both at the same time. I plan on having little chalkboards the size of a business card connected to antique keys. You can sort of see the concept from these photos.

Source: Oh Beautiful Paper,

I love that idea, but the problem has become how to hang them. I don't really want to have two boards with the keys hanging as I feel like it might look semi out of place. So, this idea really seems prefect because I can hang the keys from the doors of the cabinets, and in the center, I can create a really awesome display on the shelves! So unique and awesome. Not to mention the fact that I can keep the piece of furniture I find. That is always a plus!

Source: Blue Dahlia Marketplace, Liquorice Living, Now the last thing I need to figure out-what is a really epic "sign-in" idea?? Something that could fit on a shelf and look awesome???

{Darling Details} The Lovely yet Manly Boutonniere

Credit: Lizzie's blog, bottom left photo: Jason + Anna Photography

When it comes to boutonnieres, it's time to get a little creative! The single rose is out, and these fun but still mainly creations are taking it's place. Etsy happens to be a great place to find boutonniere creations fit for the the creative wedding.You kind of don't realize how important the boutonniere is until you see some fantastic looking ones. This is one detail that I have always sort of looked past, but now that I see how awesome it can be, you better believe I'll be picking out some amazingly awesome boutonnieres.

I personally love what Jasmin from Wildflower Event Florals did for Lizzie's wedding (bottom left photo). Each part of the boutonniere had been incorporated into the wedding already from the wood flower that was in all the boutquets to the fabrics that had been used on the bouquets and centerpieces. They fit everything so incredibly well and looked amazing.

Cookies in a Jar {A Fabulous How-To}

Yesterday you caught wind of the fashion I hosted this past weekend. Today I wanted share the favor we made for the VIP guests at the event. This was actually one of the million wedding favor ideas that I wanted to do but had decided against at one point or another. Since I knew I wasn't going to be doing it, I thought the fashion show would be a perfect place for this super adorable spring favor!

Here are some inspiration pics first of all!

So cute right?? I know, I love them. We decided to do chocolate chip cookies because it seemed pretty easy. We added the dry ingredients of the cookies to a little mason jar and topped it with some majorly adorable paper products that Ian whipped up!

They turned out to be a huge hit, and everyone let me know how fun and creative the idea was. It made the VIPs feel like they really got something awesome and it definitely fit in perfectly with the spring/garden look.

After making these, I realized how extremely cute these would be for a wedding. I also found out that they are super easy and actually pretty cheap too! So, if you want the gritty details of the how-to, then you should read on.

We got 8 ounce jars and cut the cookie recipe in half. It actually fits perfectly.

We started with 1 1/8 cup of flour at the bottom. I suggest forming it a bit to create a pyramid with the flour, that way most of the jar doesn't look white.

Next is 1/2 cup of brown sugar. I ended up having the perfect ladle that fit right in the jar so I could push the ingredients down. This made a hold in the center of the brown sugar, but pushed it up on the sides which gave the jar a bit more color.

Next is 1/3 cup of white sugar. If you use a ladle for the brown sugar then most of the white sugar will be in the hole so won't be able to be seen from the outside of the jar. All you end up seeing is a really little layer of white sugar which is the perfect balance of white and brown.

From there you fill chocolate chips up to the top! About 1/2-3/4 cups.

And you're done!

In the end I think it cost about $1.50-$2.00 per person. Most of these products are pretty expensive in a regular grocery store, so take note of these money-saving tips!

Get the mason jars and brown sugar at Walmart. I've never been into a Walmart, but it was the only place that I could actually find what I needed! First of all, the brown sugar was like $2 for the good C&H brand. In the grocery store, the same bag is $3.49. I needed about 6 bags for 60 mason jars. Also, the mason jars were $6 for 12 jars. I later found the same exact jars at OSH for $10.

Get the chocolate chips and flour at Costco. We got a 25 pound bag of flour for $5! Insane deal. The chocolate chips were more expensive at $9 a bag. I needed 3 bags for 60 jars.

As a note, if you are going to be putting these in the sun, I recommend maybe doing M&Ms instead of chocolate chips. They melt really fast!

Oh and as far as the paper products go, you can find someone on Etsy or just contact me and we can make you some of the tops and "how to bake" instruction tags!

So there you have it! I really want to see someone do these. Let me know if you are planning on doing these astute favors or if you already have!

You Make Me Feel Like Burlap

This is one of my all-time favorite tablescapes. I don't know if it is the light and fresh color palette, the great textures it incorporates or what, but either way, I love it!

Now let's talk burlap just a little bit. The possibilities are endless when it comes to this fabric. I think burlap is just great for all those little details as it shows that everything to the last detail has been thought of and taken care of. Burlap mixed with chalkboards is just amazing. I definitely want to incorporate that into my lovely wedding, and for that matter, every other part of my life!

LOVE the chalkboard on burlap tags, those are just beyond amazing!

Have you thought about using burlap for your wedding?? How are you going to incorporate it?

I would love to see all those other fantastic ideas that everyone has!

Chic and Simple Wedding Inspiration

I'm not going to lie, it has been incredibly hard for me to finalize my vision and figure out which of the 100 million styles (and I love them all) I am going to go with. Part of the problem is that I am meshing so many different styles together (think simple, chic, modern, vintage, and fresh), so I can't just search for one genre. Since you of course need inspiration to at least build off of, it really is important to finalize some sort of color scheme, vision, and style. Enter, this photo. Now this is pretty much what I am looking for in so many regards. Let's break it down. I love the fresh and airy color scheme, natural colors and textures, white table clothes with bright and bold color pops. So this photo pretty much covers it right?? I have been trying to stear far away from pink (as much as I highly love it) because I don't want it to turn out girlie. I am totally fine with adding in pops of pink and incorporating it since it is just an amazing color, but for Ian's sake, I want to make it a bit more neutral.

And now for the details! I'm seriously obsessed with those burlap-wrapped mason jars holding the centerpiece bouquets and candles. Those candles would be so romantic letting off light through the burlap textures. I am definitely adding that to my to-do list!

And since we are on the subject of my wedding, how is the venue search going?? I went to see the Old Whaling Station last weekend. After seeing the space for a fourth time, I decided that it was just too small to work. The amount of DIY I would have to do before and during (yes during! We would have to convert the ceremony spot into the reception spot while people were fully standing there!) just seemed like it was not worth it in the end. So, the search continues.... I found a few spots, but again, I still have to go see them all. I think I should check out Napa again? Or some place like that. Or maybe I will check out some destination locations??

Image Source: Sea Studio

Inspiration Evolution: The Invitations

We all share of a love paper goods and paper designs. Having a little tag, the right font, a cute logo, etc are the elements that go into the final product of the paper products. Overall, these elements make or break a wedding if you ask me!

So check out Liz's magic when it came to her invitions! She did every single part herself after countless hours, researching her style, refining the placement, and creating an extremely cohesive element that went with every other aspect of the wedding.

I love creating invitations and paper goods so it only seemed fitting that I do it myself for my wedding. I spent countless hours getting the invitation just right. I loved the style of bold unique fonts that just speak for themselves. I had a return address stamps and logo stamp made for the wedding which I incorporated into the invitations as well to add an even more personal touch. The invitations ended up coming out beautifully. Of course we decided to use kraft envelopes since we love natural colors.

So how did these DIY invitations come about??

It started with some basic inspiration....

Deciding on the style and the colors.....

Figuring out what fonts and layouts looked best....

Trying some of her own and really honing in on the style of the whole wedding.

Picking the perfect additions to work with the invitations...

Making a few final products...then changing them around again!

Again, here is the finished invitation which I think came out perfect! In the end, it matched the style of the event, incorporated the same details, and turned out to be the perfect glimpse into what was to be expected of her wedding :)

Any DIY invitation makers have some helpful hints???

Photo Credit: All from Liz's blog, Final invite pics by Jason + Anna Photography

Milk Anyone?

What is this obsession I am having with food products?? This is so unlike myself seeing as I am the one that would be fine having no food at all. Anyways, I guess I'll keep the super cute ideas coming, but I hope everyone that comes to my wedding is aware of the fact that they will be gaining about 10 pounds that night with all these sugary treats! (We will just have to burn it all off with hours upon hours of dancing!) So my new thing, Milk. I know it sounds slightly lame, but I love these cute little milk jars in ice. Plus when people are eating their cake or pies, milk is the best thing. Of course, milk and wine don't quite mix, but even if no one drinks the milk, it will look super dooper cute sitting in tubs all around the reception! :)

Source: Jolie Jolie, Caroline Tran

Cute right??? Is this a good alternative to alcohol when eating your cake?? I kind of think so!

Two Wedding Favors?

I'm pretty sure that by the time my wedding comes around, I will have about 8 favors for my guests! They are so fun to look at and get creative with, it's all I seem to be able to pay attention to these days! That being said, I have thought of another super duper cute idea. One of the main things I am obsessed with having are fire pits with lounge couches. We will are going to have a little cigar bar there as well. The dance floor will be outside near that area so people won't be cut off from each other, but we definitely have a few people that are going to want to hang out, and a fire-pit seems to be the best way to do that.

So, I want a favor there with the ingredients to make a s'more or two. I think it would be so cute and such a good way to incorporate everyone in doing something together. This is the main element I really like, everyone can have fun with them together, chat it up around the firepit, etc. Sounds like a lot of fun!

My only concern, and this may go for pretty much just me, but I feel like there will be way too much sugar at this wedding! After the wedding cake, there will be s'mores, and after the s'mores they will have their pie wedding favor to take home (if I still decide to do that??). All three seems a bit excessive, but I am pretty sure most people won't really complain.

Source: Cupcakeology,  Elizabeth Anne Designs, Craft My Bride, Wedding Window

So, I may replace this with the pies, or I could add it on top of the pies, either way though, I think it is definitely something that I want to incorporate into the wedding plans for sure. Thoughts??