The Details: Signage

It seems more now than ever before brides are using signs as part of their wedding decor. Of course, I could be wrong and this might be a long time practice but since I only went to my first wedding six years ago the trend really seems to have sprung in the last year or so. And I couldn't be happier this trend is "in" when I'm planning my wedding. I love signs. All signs, not just wedding signs. It's a known thing that I love signage and I'm really ok with that. Anyways....amazingly enough a friend from high school opened up a custom sign side business. Her work is absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait to incorporate it into my wedding details.

Some of the sign ideas I am loving.

Credits: Brides, Etsy, Lynnslens, Style Me Pretty, The Bridal Detective

What do you think of signs - too trendy or just right? Will you be using signs as part of your decor? Share in the comments, I'd love to hear!

When Was The Last Time You Didn't Like Neon Pink?

I recently purchased a neon pink crossbody bag. Despite the major sale, I was concerned that in a short time it would be out of style and the bag would find a place sitting in my closet to collect dust. When I told this to my husband his response was, "When was the last time you didn't love neon pink?" Of course my response was "umm, never." And just like that my decision to keep the bag stuck.

And so comes my lesson of the day. Your wedding day shouldn't be about trends or styles. With every detail from your wedding, think, when was the last time I didn't like this? If you have loved it forever, chances are your love affair won't be ending anytime soon.

Great Aftertaste

As I mentioned  in last week's post, we had our catering tasting this past week at Heirloom LA. It was wonderful!

Source (You can buy these cute forks off Etsy!)

With this being our first tasting, I had no idea what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. We got to try a smaller version of our crostini station (pictured above), five amazing tray-passsed appetizers (so appetizing that they disappeared before I could remember to photograph them), four different entrée options and two scrumptious desserts.

Our favorites of the night were Smoked Pork Chop with Yam Puree and Roasted Brussel Sprouts (pictured above) and Maple Rosemary Donuts (pictured below)

Now comes the hard part of narrowing down our options. Since we are doing a family-style dinner we want to make sure that what we pick will appeal to all of our guests. How did you decide on your wedding menu? With so many special dietary restrictions theses days (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, ect.) how did you select for the masses without giving up what you wanted?

Less than 6 months out

Ok, I know everyone says it but seriously, time flies. One day you have 14 months to plan your wedding and then pow you're less than 6 months out. Crazy if you ask me. We're now at the planning stage where things could potentially get stressful, all the moving parts are coming together and we need to make sure it all blends well and makes for a great day. I am 100% a goal setter and I need goals/lists/checkboxes listed out in order for me to get things done. So with less than 6 months to go, I vow to:

 

How was the final 6 months of planning for you? What were some of your major accomplishments?

Fun and Unique Wedding Guest Books

Gone are the days of the traditional guest book! Now there are so many fabulous ideas for a unique and fun way to have your guests sign in. I am loving some of these ideas! Polaroid or Photobooth Scrapbook

Source

Fingerprint Guestbook

Etsy is a great place to find all different and fun fingerprint images!

Source

Wedding Mad Libs or Advice

Source

Source- Buy them here!

Wine Bottle Guest Book

Source

I LOVE our guestbook and can't wait to share it with you after the wedding!

Until Next Week!

-Jess

Follow me on twitter @jessdawnd and follow my Wedding Pinterest Board

Best of {Trends}

I'm not sure how or when trends start but in the wedding industry, like fashion, there's definitely trends that come and go. There are some trends that are really "in" right now that I absolutely love (and some that just miss the boat). But the ones I especially love appear effortless but with class and sophistication oozing out of them. I've included some of my very favorite "trends" below from low maintenance succulents and herb boutonnieres and bouquets to dirty iced cakes that scream "dig in." Then there's tablescapes with lace for a dreamy romantic feel or chevron table runners with the perfect twist of spunk. And last but certainly not least, the neutral mis-matched bridesmaid dresses, perhaps my favorite trend of all. If I could, I might try squeezing each of these trends in somewhere in the day but I'll refrain. In the meantime, I'll narrow down which ones are the most appropriate for us and match the romantic and fun wedding we've been planning.

What are some of your favorite trends? Are you including any of these in your plans?

Animal Decor

I just love incorporating animals anywhere, whether it be in home decor, table decor or your wedding. Here are a few totally awesome ways to add furry friends into the mix!

Rabbits, Mercury Owls, Deer Votive,  Own Vase

Pretty Paper {Choosing Wedding Stationary}

This past week we worked on finalizing our stationary for the wedding. We used a stationary and wedding boutique in Tempe, Arizona for our invitations and LOVED working with the owner! Plus we loved the way our invitations turned out, so we knew we had to go back for the day of details!

If you live in the Arizona area, make sure to check out Definitely Debra.

Picking out our wedding invitations was actually quite simple! Once we started looking at the options, we loved the pocket invitations!  We went with an invitation suite that is similar to these beauties below!

Source

Source

Source

This week we designed our programs, place cards and other fun miscellaneous stationary for the big day! Here are some inspiration photos!

Source

Source

This is not our style but I LOVED the idea of showing the wedding party in the order they will stand. How clever!

Source

I can't wait to see the finished project and to share it all with you!

Feel free to share with me your favorite wedding invitations and stationary!

Until Next Week!

Jessica

Follow me on Twitter @jessdawnd and my wedding inspiration board on Pinterest

That Is So Us {Incorporating Personal Touches}

The big day is about 45 days away and to say that I am excited is an understatement!  

Last blog post, I mentioned that the next few weeks are all about the details. Our flowers are all set and we met with the DJ last week. Currently, in our (little) free time we are working on the "personal touches." When first discussing the wedding, we always knew we wanted the day to be a big party with our friends and family from our current home (Arizona) and our home states (Wisconsin and Illinois).  We also wanted to make sure we found fun ways to incorporate us and things that speak to who we are as individuals and a couple. I wanted to share some of our "personal touches" that we have planned (and of course, keep some a secret!):

Scrabble

When searching Pinterest, Eric and I both fell in love with this image! We love playing games! In fact, when buying a home some of our first purchases were board game essentials like scrabble, jenga and monopoly! This seemed like such a tasteful yet fun way to incorporate something we love into the wedding!

Source

We even incorporated scrabble into our engagement photos!

Source- Brushfire Photography

DIY

I am typically not a DIY-type person. I find that usually I just end up getting frustrated or have to spend hours just to make one thing! Eric, on the other hand, is very handy and actually pretty crafty. When we first moved in our home, Eric built a workshop/tool table out of wood! So we've put his handiness to good use and he's been making items for the wedding like our table numbers!

Sources: 1 and 2

Music 

Eric and I both love music! We do have very different tastes in music though and when we met with our DJ he pointed that out to us! The DJ had a a simple and short "fun fact" questionnaire on his paperwork about who we are and we had to list our favorite music artists. Our answers: Eric- Eminem and Jess- Jack's Mannequin. After going down the rest of the list (favorite sports team, favorite movie, job, etc) the DJ asked us how we even hang out! I am a true believer in opposites attract!When it came to picking out music for our big moments (processional, recessional, first dance), it was not an easy decision. We both felt it was an important aspect of the day and wanted to make sure thought was put into each song. I am the type of person who links memories to music. For example, every time I hear Genesis "I Can't Dance" (woah, 1991!) I remember being little sitting in the back seat of my dads convertible car and us just singing at the top of our lungs. It is one of my happiest memories. Knowing how important music is to both of us, we talked about "our songs" for weeks on end.The sweetest moment in all of wedding planning is that Eric insisted on picking out our first dance song and I think he did an excellent job! Can't wait for our dance as husband and wife :)

Source 

Source

How are you incorporating personal touches on your big day?

Until Next Week!

Jess

Follow my wedding inspiration board on Pinterest

Tweet me @jessdawnd

Thankful for {family}

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays (I think I say this at every holiday). I love Thanksgiving because it's all about bringing loved ones together to cook and enjoy a wonderful meal and remember what we are all thankful for. No presents. Just family, football, lazy couch time, cooking together, feasting and a long weekend ahead. ahhh I love Thanksgiving! So this week I've been thinking a lot about family and how we can incorporate our past generations into our wedding day, show a little bit of our families' histories, and also honor some people who will be there in spirit. I love the idea of using pictures, because it adds a personal touch and gives guests a chance to see that you have your grandma's nose or your grandpa's gap-tooth. You can't go wrong with pictures.

Source: all images above

Source: Mason Jar Photos

Source: Lockets on Bouquet

Are you doing something special to honor your family?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you enjoy the holiday with those you love!