China, Crystal & Silver, Oh My!

This weekend, I (finally convinced Dan to go with me and get us) registered!  It was a bit stressful admittedly, but we ultimately ended up having some fun! We started with china and crystal, which was definitely an education. Did you know that good china should be slightly translucent (you should be able to see the shadow of your hand when you hold it up to the light)? It is also really strong so don’t get too nervous about pulling out that back dinner plate (the sales woman at Macy’s startled us by smashing the dishes together!) Who knew?!

We are probably going to go with something pretty simple and classic to be sure that our china goes with anything and lasts through the years, but I can’t help but drool over these antique-styled and more ornate designs. They are great inspiration for for you wedding dinnerware too.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 

We are also going to be registering for classic, causal, everyday pieces at Pottery Barn. You really can’t go wrong with white dinnerware or towels.

Sources: Pottery Barn

And when it comes to home décor, I adore West Elm and Anthropologie. Unfortunately, West Elm doesn’t offer registry and Anthropologie only has a “wish list.” Has anyone out there done a wish list as a registry? We might just let guests know that we like these stores as an option for gift cards or making their own selections. I’d love any thought or experiences on this one!

Sources: Anthropologie, West Elm

Any other registry tips are welcome!

Honey Cutie Love Inspiration

Happy (day after) Valentine’s Day everyone! We have about 7 months until the wedding so, while we’ve knocked a lot of big things off our list, we haven’t really tackled the little decorative elements yet. That said, there is one decoration that we bought months ago because we were so in love with it and couldn’t pass it up: our cake topper.

Dan and I are suckers for pet names and nick names and rarely call each other by our given names. Our most frequently used pet name is Honey Bunny…which has been shortened over the years to Hun and Bun. As you can imagine, when we saw this PERFECT honey bunny cake topper, we had to have it! (Better yet, its actually a ring holder from Urban Outfitters and was incredibly reasonably priced!)

Source: Cake Topper

I love the idea of incorporating little pet names in to our décor. We plan on having a “honey bunny” cocktail as one of our signature cocktails. But that got me thinking about all the adorable accents you could add inspired by the pet names you call each other. I have to admit, I might have had a little too much fun putting this post together—there are so many cute things out there that fit so perfectly!

Honey Bunny: You can do a lot with this, especially if you run with the idea of “honey” as it can go so many ways.

Sources: Honey, Earrings, Invitation, Cocktail, Teal Bunny, Rings, Dresses, Thank You, I Love You, Chair, Necklace

Love Bug: I couldn’t believe how much cute stuff I found! So chic too!

Sources: Hairpiece, Roses, Invitation, Butterflies, Cuff Link, Table Numbers, Save the Date, Stickers, Cupcakes

Cutie Pie (or Sweetie Pie): This one might be a bit more obvious, but certainly no less adorable.

Sources: Pie Pop, Cutie Pie, Mini Pies, To-Go Box, Sweet as Pie

Any other cute pet-named themed décor plans out there?

Lovely Love-Themed Posters

We all know and love Pinterest for amazing wedding ideas and inspiration. But lately, I’ve been getting some non-wedding inspiration from Pinterest and it has helped me take a big leap in life. Recently, I decided to leave my job in advertising to pursue a longtime passion for interior design. Leaving a world you know to try something new is definitely a risky decision, but sometimes in life you need to take a leap of faith. And these (beautifully designed) quotes are great reminders of that whenever I started to doubt myself. I wanted to share these with you all in case they might help you take your own leap of faith (even if that simply means getting the over-the-top statement necklace for your dress that you’ve been fantasizing about but aren't sure if it's too much)—plus they are just so darn gorgeous!

Sources: Passion, Daydream, Believe

Ogling over these posters got me thinking about ways to incorporate that typographic look into the wedding. There are so many pretty posters with sweet, love-themed typographic designs. I could totally see putting these in pretty frames on tables, or hanging from ribbon from trees. Or, what about printing something extra large as a photobooth or ceremony backdrop?

Sources: Forever, We Fit, So Glad, Cup of Tea, Love Life

The best part – after the wedding, you can use them to decorate your house! What a cute keepsake from your wedding day!

Sources: Eat Drink, Keep Calm, Best Day Ever 

Anyone else using typography as part of their wedding décor? I’m not sure where I could incorporate this in our venue so ideas are welcome!

To Have and to Hold Your Flowers

Planning a wedding is such an education at times! We all know to think about what you want for your venue, flowers and dress—but there are a lot of details that I hadn’t considered. One thing I quickly learned when I started talking with florists is that I need to decide what kind of vessels I want my flowers to be in. I honestly never though far beyond basic glass and perhaps mason jars. But there are so many other amazing choices!

I still haven’t quite decided and researching all these gorgeous photos is making the decision even harder! We are loving the look of something that fits in with the outdoor garden feel, but don’t want to go overly rustic. Here are some things we’re considering.

Birch: I love how birch feels so rustic, yet so light with the white color! It really makes the flowers pop. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 

Wood Box: These wooden boxes remind me of flower boxes or something you’d get at a famers market, which totally fits our vibe. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 

Galvanized Aluminum and Silver: The galvanized metal gives a nice blend of rustic and sophistication. It feels great for the garden atmosphere. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 

Colored Glass: While clear glass can feel a little too shiny and glam for the look we are going to, I love the look of colored and milk glass. Sources: 1, 2, 3 

Coffee and Tea Tins: Dan and I are big coffee drinkers, so I’ve been thinking it would be cool to use coffee and tea tins for some smaller arrangements. Maybe on cocktail tables? Aren’t these beautiful! Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4 

Finally, I found some really unique centerpieces in my search that I though were too cool not to share. Sources: 1, 2 

Anyone else using some unique vessels for your florals?

Mix or Match? {Bridesmaids' Dresses}

I’ve had a pretty clear vision on most of the details of our wedding, but the one thing I just can’t decide on is bridesmaids’ dresses. I have too many ideas and I can’t seem to narrow in on one. I love the look of mixed and matched dresses, but I also love the idea of selecting a patterned dress. I love the trend of neutral dresses, but I’m also drawn to gorgeous color. Too many options! I want my girls to be comfortable and feel great, while everyone still knows that they are my bridesmaids.

So, this is where you come in, blogosphere! I’ve put together boards of the few different directions I’m considering (the dresses are mostly just examples for now). Share your thoughts! I need the help!

1. Mix and match coral and peach:

Sources: coral & teal, coral & peach, one shoulder, embroidered, strapless, sleeveless, lace

2. Mix and match blue-grey, pumped up a bit with coral and orange accessories: 

Sources: grey girls, grey with yellow, mrs., baby doll, belted, sleeveless, lace Jewelry: 1, 2, 3, 4

3. Finally, I found this amazing dress that has both the peach and the blue, with a general light and neutral feeling. It comes in a few different cuts, I’m just not sure I want the girls in the same dress. It is super cute though, and definitely still on the table.

Sources: Whitney Deal 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Blossoming Inspiration {Wedding Flowers}

The latest thing on my mind is flowers! We’ve just started meeting with florists and I am loving pulling inspiration for this part of the wedding planning. I have a pretty clear point of view of what I want, so it has been fun to find the images that represent that vision. In meeting with the florist, I got a whole other list of things to consider with flowers. There is so much involved in florals, and I have to say, I am loving every second of it.

I know I’m looking for something with great texture—my dress has texture, the guys will likely be in great linen suits—so I want the flowers to compliment that look. I also want my flowers to have a little personality! Instead of the traditional roses and orchids, I love dahlias, succulents, thistles and ranunculus.

Here’s some of my favorite inspiration.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

I learned a lot from the florist as well, so here are some things to think about that you might not have been considering: * What kind of vessels do you want your centerpieces in? Glass, wood, metal or not shown at all? * What color do you want your bouquet to be? That color scheme might be a bit different that you imagine for the rest of the wedding flowers (more white, etc.). * What do you want to do for aisle décor? Two big arrangements at the back of the aisle or smaller arrangements down the aisle? What about aisle petals? * Are there any other (less typical) places you want flowers? For example, our venue is a house, so I’m thinking of doing a wreath on the door that matches the rest of the wedding flowers. * Is there anything you can repurpose? Bridesmaid bouquets on the cake table? Or, could you even use flowers from the rehearsal dinner on cocktail tables, gift tables or in the bathroom? * Don’t forget votives (especially for outdoor weddings)—it doesn’t matter how pretty the flowers are if you can’t see them after dark!

Sources: Unique Vessels 1, 2, 3; Aisle Decore 1, 2; Cake Table

Anyone else have great tips and tricks for wedding flowers? Good inspiration or things I might not have thought of?

Cutest Save the Date Ever!

I know I’ve been writing about Save the Dates a lot lately, but I have one for you that takes the cake. This adorable Save the Date was conceived, designed, created and animated by my amazing friend and bridesmaid Allie. It’s pretty much the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and I think you’ll agree.

Her fiancé proposed with a series of riddles that she had to solve in order to get keys that opened a series of locks on the box that held the ring. So the subtle game theme is perfect.

http://vimeo.com/34388060

How cute is that?! It has also been so fun having a close friend planning a wedding at the same time as us. We share blogs, ideas and have even visited bridal shows together. It's been great bonding time!

I still haven’t decided what to do for our Save the Dates and have been playing with a bunch of ideas. Anyone else have great ideas or doing something this wonderfully outside the box?

The Year of the Wedding

Happy 2012 everyone! I could not be more excited for the year ahead! It is officially our wedding year, I have some exciting life changes happening and I really think that this is going to be our year.

That said, now that it is the wedding year, there is a lot to do! Here’s what I have on my mind to take care of in the next couple of months:

Hotels: Blocking hotels has proven to be more challenging than I expected! It is high season in wine country, so it has become difficult to find a hotel that has amenities for our guests, a convenient location and a reasonable cost.

Sources: Santa Rosa Hyatt, Hotel La Rose

Flowers: Flowers are a project for my future mother-in-law and me, so we are going to be tackling finding a florist and flower inspiration soon.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Save the Dates: You probably saw some inspiration a few weeks ago, but Dan and I have been playing with all sorts of save the date ideas (we are designing our own). We are having the hardest time deciding which direction to go with. We have great engagement photos to use, and a great story to tell, which means too many ideas!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Cake Tasting: Something tells me this will be a fun one…

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Guest List: We need to finalize our guest list. This is one task I’m not looking forward to as much. Any suggestions on the best way to tackle this task?

So, lots of fun ahead! Plus I have all sorts of DIY projects on my list. More on all of these projects, challenges and successes in the weeks ahead. Here’s to a fantastic 2012!

The Gift of Engagement Photos

Happy holidays, everyone! A few days before Christmas, I got a wonderful gift in my email inbox: our engagement photos!

Before the shoot, I spent a lot of time picturing a cozy and wintery shoot. This was easy to imagine while in blustery San Francisco, but when we arrived in San Luis Obispo (a town near the beach in central California), we found ourselves in gorgeous, 70 degree weather!

That didn’t stop us from cuddling up at a coffee shop and wearing cozy sweaters. I’m SOO happy with the photos and couldn’t be more excited for Ken to shoot our wedding! It is wonderful to have these casual, personal photos to commemorate this happy moment in our lives.

We started off at an eclectic coffee shop downtown.

We then headed to a gorgeous bluff overlooking Avila Beach and the ocean.

Photographer: Ken Kienow

I would highly recommend taking engagement photos, if not to capture this happy moment, then at least to get to know your photographer. Now he will be at the wedding as a friend versus a stranger. Plus, we got a little bit of experience being in front of the camera, an experience that can take some getting used to.

Anyone else have great engagement photo ideas or experiences?

Save the Date...with Personality!

This weekend, Dan and I took our engagement photos! I thought it was going to be awkward, but it really wasn’t. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and really, quite romantic! During our shoot, we took some photos that we are hoping to use in our Save the Dates. That got me thinking about how much fun Save the Dates can be, and can be a great way to show your personality, and set the tone for the wedding. And, since there isn’t as much tradition associated with Save the Dates as there are with formal invitations, it gives you a lot of leeway to do something really creative, unique, funny, quirky—or whatever fits you!

Here are some interesting ideas I found.

These are really unique and out-of-the-box ideas.

Sources: Balloons, 3D, Ribbon

Lots of people use engagement photos for save the dates, but these are a few ways to put a unique twist on that idea.

Source: Tree, Fun Slide, Dog, Grass, Traveler

And I'm a sucker for something a little geek-chic :)

Sources: Mac, Infographic, Scrabble

Finally, never under estimate the power of something simple and beautifully designed. How gorgeous and simple are these?

Sources: Letter, Illustration, Date

I think we are going to go a little quirky and tongue-in-cheek, but still simple. One of my bridesmaids is doing a fabulous stop-motion animation video for her wedding, that hopefully she'll let me share with you all when it's ready :) Do you guys have any other unique save the date ideas? Anyone going crazy with their save the dates? Send your ideas!