Take a Seat! {Creative Escort Card Displays}

The last "big" thing on my list (invitations) will be in the mail next week, so I'm officially ready to begin crafting! And I have to say, I'm quite excited! This weekend, Dan and I took a trip to Urban Ore (a fantastic salvage shop in Berkeley selling anything you could possibly image; it is great for crafty inspiration) to start getting some inspiration for our escort card displays. I know I want them to hang in some way and was on the hunt for interesting windows, shutters, frames or other items that could make a fantastic display.

We didn't get anything on this trip, but it definitely got the wheels turning. I'm loving some of these ideas. We could go vintage, classic, modern, rustic and anywhere in between!

Source: Tree, Wooden Posts, Twig Frame, Wooden Frame, Door, Gate, Modern Frame

One idea that we're leaning towards is displaying the escort cards on a cork board. But we don't want just basic cork. I love the idea of painting the board in an interesting pattern, covering it in fabric (or this AWESOME coffee sack!) or even having it in a fun shape! And this board made of wine corks could be a great touch for our wine country wedding. These would each be so cute with some colorful escort cards.

Sources: Striped, Numbers, Coffee Sack, Wine Corks, Ampersand, Fabric

You savvy brides out there have probably seen escort card displays with shutters, windows and doors a dozen times before. And while I think they are totally charming and great ideas, I came across some more unique ideas in my sourcing for this week's post that might spark your creativity. How fun are these?!

This one is so gorgeous! These colored plastic gems would also be so cute for an engagement party or shower decor.

Source: Boat, Firewood, Billy Balls, Wreath, Birds, Jewels

Once we decide what to do and get crafting, I'll share our DIY work here! Do you have any unique escort card display ideas?

Getting Into Gift Wrapping

Recently I have been highly enthralled by all things wrapping and gift. (In fact, I have already started Christmas shopping/wrapping!) I love a simple wrap, something subtle with just a hint of color, an awesome pattern or a badass topper.

In hindsight, this is something I should have paid more attention to during my wedding. I wasn't unhappy with the way my jam jars were wrapped, but there are just so many different things I could have done. (Like put the jam in craft boxes and wrapped each of those up, stamp those with our monogram stamp and a cute little topper.....just thinking off the top of my head) To get my fix, I have been loving unique ways to wrap just about anything I can get my hands on!

Credit: Flag, Muslin Bags, Floral Toppings

Unfortunately kraft paper has been used time and time again, and as gorgie as it is, it is time for me to move on to something just as awesome. I have about 10 showers and birthday's happening in the next few months, so I am going to practice making my own wrapping paper and hopefully I will get good enough by the time Christmas rolls around.

Credit

I love a simple sewn detail! This might just be my favorite of the bunch, however I must confess that I am horrible at sewing paper!

Credit: Boxes, Poms, Wooden Box

I'll probably do all of these and a whole bunch more in the next few months. Which should I try first??

unique & crafty gifts {bridesmaids}

Having just participated in my best friend's wedding, I am very present to how I would like to thank my bridesmaids for being in my wedding. Shana (the fabulous Maui bride from last week's post) gave us the most darling gifts. We all got monogrammed totes- mine has my future initials on it :) within the totes were goodies like a magazine, a beautiful necklace, and a fun kimono robe to get ready in- which made for great photos of all of us together. Here are some items that inspired me online, which I'll likely end up gifting to my lovely ladies.

Source: one, two, three (from left to right)

Source: Etsy.com

Source: top, bottom

Source: left, right

Source: Etsy.com

Source: one, two, three (left to right)

And for those of you ladies who are looking for a cute and easy DIY tutorial on making personalized bridesmaid hangers, CLICK HERE!

A little update on my planning: next week I'm going out with my wedding planner, Linda, to look at linens and flowers!!!! Stay tuned for a fun report on that soon :) HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!! xo, Taya

{Real E&I Wedding} Natalie + Bob's Photobooth Backdrop

Now that wedding season is in full swing, I am highly enjoying seeing some of the photos of work that I have done in previous weeks. Especially this one. This backdrop consumed me for weeks prior to the wedding. Everything from fabric choices to the mechanics of hanging 80 hoops from a pole. But it really was all worth it when I saw just how awesome it looked in photos. Below is my layout on the floor, a sea of hoops.

That combined with Gary Sexton Photography's ah-mazing photobooth setup makes quite the team, don't you think? ( I seriously can not get over how epic this is. He made it himself!) So if you are looking for a photobooth guy, you must contact him.

Here are some of the fun photos that were taken that night! It is so awesome seeing everyone enjoying themselves and seeing just how awesome that backdrop looked in photos.

Photo Credit: Gary Sexton Photography

So yes, I do get quite crafty sometimes (well, all the time) and I love making just about anything you could ever need or want. Now onto my next backdrop for a Malibu wedding in August. I think I finally chose the design and color palette :)

It's All in the Details {Wedding Invitations}

I've been talking about invitation and wedding papers a lot. I hope you aren't bored of the topic! Designing the invitations has been an incredibly fun project for me and I've loved selecting every single detail. Of course, there's more to the invitation suite than just the invitation itself. Last week, Dan and I took a trip to Paper Source to polish some final details on the invitations before we get them ready to be sent off. Here are some tips and reminders from our experience; please share your own tips too!

Sources: Map, Stripes

First, we had to select the envelopes. Do you go colorful and attention grabbing? Neutral and classic? There are a ton of choices from so many different resources, so remember that this is the initial impression of the invitation and will set the tone.

You also have to decide if you want to line your envelopes. I love the look of lined envelopes, plus it is quite traditional to have your envelopes lined. However, there are plenty of non-traditional ways to make a statement with your lining, from maps to wrapping paper to photos.

Sources: Nautical, Graphic, Vintage Floral

If you can't find a pattern that fits your look or aren't crafty with paper, how about these adorable stamped envelopes?! With this, you get the look of liners without all the cutting and pasting. A quick tip: If you do decide to line your envelopes yourself, Paper Source sells templates to make the process nice and easy.

Source: Oh Happy Day

In addition to your invitation and response card, you'll likely need to include some additional information like directions, hotels, registry, etc. I love these cute illustrated maps. I ended up opting for written directions, but we'll be printing them on some cute colored paper to match the overall scheme.

Sources: 1, 2

We've also be brainstorming the best way to address the envelopes. Calligraphy is always fantastic but not always doable because of cost. I think this label is super cute and a great way to further incorporate your invitation look. The hand-lettering in a fun color is a great idea too! Lucky for us, I have a very generous future mother-in-law with some calligraphy skills and a summer off :)

Sources: Grey and Yellow, Kraft Paper, Black with Stamp

People also have tons of fun with the stamps for their invitations, using some gorgeous vintage stamps. I still haven't picked out stamps yet, but do love this option. Another great tip: You can take your invitations to the post office and ask them to hand-stamp the letters instead of running them through their machines and you'll get that classic post office stamp.

Don't forget your return address! I love the idea of a stamp because you'll be able to use it for all your thank you notes too. And there are so many cute options! We bought the top one from Etsy and it turned out great.

Souce: 1, 2, 3, 4

Here's a tiny sneak peak of what we ended up with after our Paper Source trip. I can't wait to see them all come together!

Source: Paper Source

Any tips or tricks for putting the final touches on invitations?

Getting Crafty {Ideas & Resources}

It is SO hard to believe but I'm just over three months away from the big day. So crazy! That means pretty much all the big things are checked off the list and I get to enjoy being crafty and creative! Before I dive in to the projects, I've been doing my research on supplies. Who has the designs and colors I'm looking for, what are the prices like, etc. I thought I'd share some of my findings with all of you!

I started with cutetape. They have some cute stuff (hence the name :) ), though not a massive selection and seem to be out of stock of a lot of things. I ordered a few bags, some twine and washi tape and everything was great in person. It was a good start to my collection.

Before picking exactly what I want to get in bulk, I went to my favorite site--Etsy. Etsy may be known for handmade and vintage, but they also have a whole section of "supplies". Here you can find pretty much any craft supply you could want and some really fantastic prices!

On my crafty shopping list, I have craft bags, washi tape and ribbon.

I'm going to have favors on the place settings, similar to Allison's sister's wedding. I love the multi-colored chevron, but I'm leaning more towards the mix and match patterns of the white-printed kraft paper.

Sources: Chevron Wedding, Chevron Bags, Kraft Bags

I've shared my love of washi tape with you before, but I don't think I really understood how much you could do with washi tape. Etsy seriously have every pattern of washi tape under the sun! Stripes and polka dots are classics, but how about hearts, music notes, newsprint, gingham, or butterflies. You could make a whole wedding look around one of these rolls and put them on anything from your invitations to your escort cards. So simple yet so stylish!

Souces: Gold, Clouds, Music, Stripes, Orange Dots, Gingham, Grid, Butterfly, Confetti, Newsprint

I also discovered today that Target sells washi tape! Great for when you need some quickly and don't have time for the Etsy order (they called it printed paper tape).

In all my searching, my favorite Etsy seller of craft supplies has got to be Bahana Splits. Her bags and tape are very cute, plus she has some really fun tags and stamps. You could do so much with these!

Sources: With Love, Bunting Card, Heart Tag, Chevron Tape

Do you have a favorite resource for craft supplies? You can never have enough so please share!

Coloring Up with Orange

Lover.ly

Color is quickly becoming my favorite thing in weddings. That might sound a little crazy, but this coming from the gal who was all about white and neutrals for the past few years, well, it is a new idea for me! I'm loving that in everything from fashion to home to weddings people are taking the leap to become a little more bold and awesome by choosing color palettes that might be a little outside the box. Color is tons of fun, isn't it?

Today I'm loving orange so I have picked out just a few ways orange is the perfect choice for your details. All images courtesy of Lover.ly :) well because, we over here at E&I love Lover.ly!

Lover.ly

Lover.ly 

Animals on Your Wedding Day

Today I bring you a fun topic, animals in your wedding or wedding photos! Something we tossed around was including our dog in our wedding, unfortunately our venue doesn't allow any animals other than the horses they have for their carriage (which we didn't opt for as of now). However, I can't help but imagine the beauty and love that animals could add to our wedding. Of course who better to join in the festivities but man's best friend? 

Source: Grey Likes Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty, Martha Stewart Weddings, 100 Layer cake

Farm and ranch weddings add rustic charm and a natural feel to your wedding venue, why leave out it's residents? 

Source: Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty, Style Me Pretty

If you're thinking about including a pet or animal in your wedding, check out this article on Martha Stewart Weddings to help you decided how big or small their part will be and tips on how to make sure to keep both you and your pet happy in the process.

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cute & crafty :: {cake toppers}

Now that many of the big tasks have been crossed off my list, it's time to address the details. One in particular that intrigues me is the cake topper.  Many modern brides opt to not include the cake topper on their wedding cake. I, however, would like to have one that's unique and a little vintage looking. Here are some images that inspired me:

Source: 1, 2, 3

Source: left, right

 

Source: 1, 2, 3

Source: left, right

Source: left, right

The vintage cake topper on the right was given to me as a gift by my future sister-in-law, Vanessa. I am absolutely in love with it and can't wait to see what it will look like on our wedding cake :) Did you read my past post on wedding cakes? If not, you can check it out here!

Are you planning on using a cake topper? If so, what's your style? Will you be making one yourself, buying something vintage, or perhaps looking for one on Etsy?

The Traditional Guest Book

I am all for bucking tradition when it comes to weddings--it's your day and you can do whatever you want! And I love some of the alternative guest book ideas that you see while pursuing Pinterest and the blogs. We considered quite a few of these ideas--the thumb print balloons are very cute, vintage post cards could be really fun or it could be fantastic to have a piece of art signed by your friends and family to hang on your wall post-wedding. However, I've decided to stick with tradition for the wedding guest book. There is just something about being able to take the book out over the years, hold it in your hands and flip through the notes and well wishes. Plus, this could become a wonderful wedding scrapbook where we keep cards, toasts or any other favorite memories.

That said, this does not mean I need to have a white satin book with lines for each name. We can still have a little bit of fun.

There are so many GORGEOUS books with personalization options. We could go rustic...

Source: Kate and Mike, Once Upon a Time

...modern...

Source: Lips & Mustache, Ampersand, Nora and Ned

...classic and romantic...

Source: Striped, Wedding Journey

...or a bit more unique. How cute is the idea of using a favorite children's book or atlas of places you've traveled together?

Sources: Kids Book, Atlas

I still want to incorporate some fun and unique ideas into the book as well. I love these "conversation starters". We also plan to leave colored pens, stickers and stamps to let our guests have a little bit of fun with their notes.

Source: Conversation Starters, Taped Notes

Are you going traditional or non-traditional for you guest book (or perhaps somewhere in between?). Share your ideas!