Tablescaping

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There are a lot of things to think about when imagining how your wedding tables will look. Here are a list of the components that go into a 'tablescape':

- Tablecloths: ask your caterer or rental company what options you have and think about whether you want to add to it with a runner or other decorative piece.

- Napkins: just like the tablecloths, you will want to find out what options you have.

- Plates, silverware, glasses: what will they look like? If you don't want to splurge on expensive rentals of ones that will go perfectly with your vision, consider using plain options that would allow the other pieces of the table to take center stage.

- Flowers/Candles: Will you be having large centerpieces, smaller mixed votives, tall, short, or a combination of these?

- Menus: a group menu for the table, individual menus for each person, or a central menu you place near the escort cards to show guests what's coming before they sit down.

- Table numbers

- Escort cards

- Food: it's good to consider how your food will come out and how much room it will take up on the table. Since we are doing family style, we need to allow for large platters. Because of this we will have smaller center pieces.

Below are images of what I'm imagining for our tables:

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We will have round tables, and I'm thinking of adding table runners. I will probably buy the fabric and then get ribbon to tie them, like in the image below.

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If you are feeling overwhelmed with all the options, I recommend creating a Pinterest board or collage just for the tables. It will really narrow down what you are thinking and give you a chance to see how it will all come together.

How did you make your tables come together?

Giving Thanks

This week I'm feeling especially thankful. My bachelorette was last weekend and it was so amazing to be surrounded by my best friends. It got me thinking about giving thanks...and about thank you cards!

With the wedding quickly approaching and bridal showers along the way, I wanted to know the 'etiquette' of sending thank you notes.

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So, here you have my quick guide to all you could wonder about giving thanks (along with some personal commentary):

Who gets thank you notes:

- Anyone who gives you a gift, whether it be physical or monetary. This includes a gift at any of the parties on your behalf: engagement, shower, and the wedding

- Anyone who hosts a party for you

- Vendors who go above and beyond - this one, I think, is totally up to you and optional

When should it be sent:

- I remembered hearing a year from your wedding date, but most sources I found said they should be sent by 1-3 months after the honeymoon or as soon as possible. Keep in mind that people will worry that you didn't get the gift if they don't get your thank you. If you get gifts before the wedding, try to get them out right away (aka before the wedding). But don't beat yourself up about the deadlines of when to send thanks. It's always better late than never. I love all the customized thank you notes with wedding pictures, but it makes me think those notes would be sent very late if you were waiting on the photographer's images. Either that or the photographer and bride and groom are just really on top of it!

- Get your groom to help you - especially for notes to his side of the family and friends. Quick tip on this - as responsible as our guys are, make sure he actually sends them and you don't find the blank cards months later :-)

What to say:

- Be personal and genuine. If the thank you is sent after the wedding, add a personal note about them being at the wedding. There are lots of sample wordings online if you get stuck or feel like you're repeating yourself a million times.

- If you receive a monetary gift, sources say to mention what you plan to use the money for. You don't need to mention the amount.

Buying the thank you's:

- Consider the number of invitations you used - this should end up being about the equivalent of gifts you receive. Then make sure to account for your shower and any other parties where people might bring a gift. I decided to get a small batch of cards of a different design for the shower because I didn't want people getting the same card twice (although I don't think that's a 'rule' by any means).

- There are a ton of places online to get inexpensive thank you cards. I chose to have my designer create a simple design that went with our invitations.

- Most sources say thank yous must be hand written and I tend to agree with this. It is extra special, especially these days, to receive mail that isn't junk. It doesn't matter if you don't like you're handwriting or can't splurge on pricey paper - your guests will love to get something that was written by you.

How to keep track of it all:

- Keep the excel or document you used for the addresses and add a column or spreadsheet showing what each guest gave you. This way you have it all in one place, along with everyone's address. Add another column indicating whether the thank you has been sent yet.

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Happy writing and thank you for reading! :-)

Holman Ranch Courtyard Styled Shoot

A month ago I had the privilege of doing a photoshoot at my favorite spot, Holman Ranch. In the coming months I'll be sharing all 4 (YES FOUR) shoots from that day, but here is a little glimpse of what we put together for the day. So many talented people helped me put together tons of wonderful details for this shoot. This Love of Yours Photography did such a wonderful job capturing these details and this gorgeous couple!

Venue: Holman Ranch Design/Planning: Engaged & Inspired Photography: This Love of Yours Dress: Hayley Paige at Haute Bride Los Gatos Paper Flowers: Christine Cater Bouquet: Huckleberry Karen Designs Necklace: J Crew

Destination Palm Springs {bachelorette packing}

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I could not be more excited to be boarding a plane to my personal paradise tomorrow! I'll be spending the long weekend with my best friends in Palm Springs. I feel so lucky to get to have all these ladies together at the same time, the great weather and pool are just icing on the cake.

When packing for my bachelorette weekend, I realized I needed to buy a couple hot weather staples that I don't usually need in blustery San Francisco. So, I wanted to make sure any items I bought could also be used on my honeymoon and even on hot days at home.

Here are the must-haves I'll be packing in my getaway bag:

Pool time:

Sources: cover up, swimsuit, hat, sunglasses, flip flops, sunscreen

Lounging around the house:

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Night out:

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I'll be wearing white and my friends will be wearing 'brights.'

Some of these I already had and some I had to buy. Luckily I was able to find things for reasonable prices and that will double as great honeymoon-wear.

24 hours until I depart for Palm Springs! Woohoo!

Addressing the Invitations

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For better or worse...I will be addressing my own invitations. I decided to take on the challenge because I want the handwritten look, but it's not in our budget to hire a professional calligrapher. I also thought it would be a fun project! While our invitations are being printed this week, I've been practicing my handwriting and trying to navigate the world of address wording etiquette. It's more complicated than I thought! And while our family and friends aren't sticklers for etiquette rules, it's one of those things - I like to know the rules before I decide which ones to break. :-)

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Here are some of the most common rules.  We are just having the single envelope (no inner one).

- Spell out Post Office Box, Street, Avenue, the word 'and,' etc. Spell out the state name, unless it won't fit on the same line as the city. Put the zip code on its own line. Use Mr. and Mrs. abbreviated, but spell out Doctor.

- Married couples: names go on the same line, unless there's a fit issue. The traditional way would be to say Mr. and Mrs. John Smith. Another option I like is from the first image, above. I don't see it in the rule books, but I like that it includes both the husband and wife's name - Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Smith. If the woman has kept her maiden or professional name, her name goes first and the two names are on separate lines unless they fit easily on the same line. 

- Unmarried couples: The names go on two separate lines, with the name of the person you know first. If you know both, the woman's name comes first or some places say to do alphabetical order when you know them both. 

- Guests: try to find out the guest's name if you can. Many sources I'm reading say it's not good to put 'and guest,' but I think it makes sense in some cases. 

- Kids: Write the parents according the 'married couples' guidelines and then put the kids first names below in order of oldest to youngest. If you only put the couple's names and not their children, it is assumed that it will be an adults-only affair.

Source: The Wedding Book by Mindy Weiss

If you're like me and you want a visual of the different variations there are some great resource and other options: here, here, and here.

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In doing my research, I realized there are differing opinions about exactly how to address envelopes. I think the best thing to do is to pick your favorite style and then just be consistent.

Did you address your own envelopes? Do you have any tips for me?

Less than three months until the big day!!!

Bling for the Boys

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In my post last week I delved into the world of menswear, so this week I'm going to stay on-topic and talk rings....for our men. My fiancé and I are going to our jeweler this afternoon to check them out. We already have my wedding band - he gave me his grandmother's ring and then we designed my 'engagement' ring together when we first got engaged - so this trip to the jeweler will be all about him!

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I'm picturing something simple and masculine, maybe a mix of brushed and shiny silver (like the one with the oval ring above). I love picking things out, so I think the hardest part for me will be keeping my mouth shut and letting him pick the one he likes the best.  :-)

How opinionated were you in your man's ring shopping?

Groom Fashion {navy suits}

This past week my fiancé sent the suit we picked out to the groomsmen to order. We had been looking for a nice navy suit for a while with no luck. It was not the easiest color to find at rental companies, so we thought if we could find it for under $200 (not too much more than a rental), we would ask the guys to buy them. We were super excited when our friend had the idea of J.Crew's Factory store and the suits were nice and affordable. My post on the full color scheme can be found here.

Now that we have the suits picked out, it's time to think about how to pair it with shirts, ties, and shoes...

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This groom kept it classic and simple, but added some fun with the gingham shirt.

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Here we see some other colors used - purple and grey.

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This guy paired his suit with a white shirt and light blue tie. I like.

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I'm loving the brown shoes on this groom and how he added some personality with the socks!  I also love how the bride tied in the deep blue color with her earrings and heels.

I'm not really sure how to coordinate it so that my groom and his guys all go together. I also don't want the guys to have to buy any more items, so I'm thinking we could have them wear white shirts and then get different ties - they could all be similar colors and shapes, but with different patterns. Or we could have everyone wear their own different-patterned or plain blue shirts and do a simple navy tie. Option #3 would be to keep it more simple with white shirts and the same ties. For the shoes, we'll ask them all to wear their own brown leather shoes.

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What do you think? How are your men coordinating?

On another note, we are about to order the proofs for the invitations. I can't wait to see them in-person!

Veiling It

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My lovely future mother-in-law has offered to make my veil for me. She made her daughter's veil last year and it turned out great, so I trust that I'm in good hands.

Last week I went to Britex Fabrics and got some swatches so I could match them to my dress color. I can't wait to see how it turns out and get everything on!

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I want my veil to be simple and on the longer side. I'm getting married in a potentially-windy location and I've been told longer veils are actually better because they have more weight to them so they won't blow around as much. The one thing I'm concerned about is there being too much volume. My dress is somewhere between an A-line and a ballgown silhouette and I don't want it to be over-the-top. I think the last image, above, is a good example of a fuller skirt with a long veil that looks natural and tasteful.

Should I go Waltz, Floor-length, or Chapel?

Polish Perfection

All I can think about are pretty, polished, shiny nails this week! I love when brides go bold and pick a bright shade. It makes me think the bride is fun and laid back. And, then again, there's nothing like the perfect, classic nude to let your dress take center stage.

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While I plan to go neutral for my own nails, I'm thinking it would be really fun for my bridesmaids to do bright colors - best of both worlds!

Will you be going for a bold or nude hue for you big day?

The Evolving Color Scheme

My wedding colors from nine months ago, post here, are a little different from my wedding colors today. Over the months, with all the decisions, I realized I was gravitating towards different colors. It was sort of a natural progression when I went through picking things like flowers, wedding party attire, invitations, etc. So what better time to take a second look at the colors and make sure everything is looking just right?! The bridesmaid dresses are still going to be mix-and-matched creams and tans, just a little darker than the original off-white I had in mind. We switched it up with the suits and are going to go for navy! I like it because it's a little different and sort of a nice in-between as far as formalness goes.

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Let's see how they look together...

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I'm also throwing in some hints of a soft lavender.

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And for the tables, we'll stick with the tans and lavender, and spice it up  with some additional flower colors - other shades of purple, blue, green, some white and off-white to balance it out, along with mercury glass.

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It's hard to believe we're just four month out from the big day!