{hiip} bridesmaids' gifts

August is half way over, which means I am getting that much closer to my wedding day! 2 1/2 months to go, people!! It feels good to look back and see how much I've accomplished during my many months of planning... and blogging.  And since the big ticket items are pretty much taken care of, it's now time to hammer out the details... not just make Pinterest boards about them ;-) I have 8 lovely bridesmaids, all of whom are very important women in my life. I want to show them my gratitude by giving them gifts that are unique, practical, sentimental, and have a handmade-loving touch. I imagine giving my maids a bag of some sort filled with goodies... perhaps even a piece of jewelry that they can wear that day.

As I was scouring the internet I noticed on facebook that many of my girlfriends back home in San Francisco were talking about how much they love their new "Hiip" bags. As I did some more research I discovered that these awesome bags were created by an old friend whom I went to high school with, Nicole Flowers. I went to her web site to see the bag styles and was pleasantly surprised to find that not only are these bags fashionably chic, they are also for a great cause!! Read more about the Hiip story and how Nicole is giving back to the community with every bag she sells. VISIT:  http://www.hiipsf.com/home/

Here's what Nicole had to say about how Hiip bags can be a fun and resourceful gift for brides & their maids, " It's ideal because it's the perfect kit for your day of planning: you can stock it with bra tape, lipgloss/stick, bobby pins, even touch-up cream; wear it around (hands-free for all the bridal stuff you'll be carrying!) to various appointments; and then use it as a clutch for the party. With so many colors and patterns to choose from, there will definitely be one that fits with the color scheme of the wedding.  All this while giving back to another in need making it an automatic karmic bonus on your special day."

I can't wait to surprise my girls with one of these bags and fill it with goodies for getting ready on my big day.... I may even customize them by having their initials embroidered. It feels SO good to give a gift that keeps on giving :) Thank you Nicole, for the contribution that you are to the San Francisco community.... and beyond!

What are you giving to your maids on your wedding? Have any creative and thoughtful gift ideas? Please do share!

xo, Taya

::invitation wording:: & a sneak preview

The most difficult task in planning a wedding was finding a venue. The second most difficult task (for me) was researching proper wedding invitation verbiage. Why was this so difficult you may ask? Well, who knew there were so many different ways to skin a cat! If you come from a divorced family (which 50% of us do these days) it changes the traditional format. Of course, there are no strict rules to this. If you're having a casual wedding you can write whatever you'd like. However, if you're having a more formal affair (which I am), then I think it's safe to safe people have expectations that the wording will reflect that. Here's one tid-bit I learned from my research: I learned that if your parents are divorced, their names should each go on their own line (mother's name first). If both sets of parents are contributing to the wedding you'd say "together with." I was surprised by how many questions came up for me while planning out my invites. Here are just a few:

  1. When do invitations go out to guests?
  2. When should the RSVP be due?
  3. If everyone is contributing to the wedding, how do we phrase that on the invitation?
  4. How much detailed info should be on the invite? Do we need an insert or should we just direct them to the website?
  5. Should we include an insert RSVP for the rehearsal dinner?
  6. How do we make the wording formal and important without sounding too stuffy?
  7. We haven't had our food tasting yet, but we need to get the invites out.... should we include meal (type) options? i.e. meat or fish?

Here are some sites I found useful for answering all of my questions and helped with guidelines in creating the ideal wedding invitation wording for us:

And now for a sneak peek at our wedding invites created by LIZELLY at LizzyBLoves, an invitation and stationary design studio.

We have not gone to print yet, so these are just PDF designs.... but you'll get the idea for what we're going for. And you'll get to see the wedding wording we came up with that made all of the moms happy ;-)

Looking forward to sharing the final product with you soon! Lizelly has been amazing in creating a custom wedding invitation that fits the vibe and theme of what we're going for. I can't wait to get them soon!!!

How was your invitation experience? Did you go the custom route? What challenges did you have (if any)? Please share!

bridal hair {inspiration}

Those of you who have been following me on Engaged and Inspired since October of 2011 probably remember my hair post, "Wedding Hair Bliss in Beverly Hills." My dear friend, (and hairstylist) Ashley, and I had fun in the salon trying different up-dos. Well, as crazy as this sounds, that was back on January 31st! It's now July 31st and I'm just 3 months and 1 week from my big day. Ashley and I will be doing our final hair trial soon....She is getting married in just over a week from now, so I'll wait a little bit to schedule an appointment ;-)

In the meantime, I revisited some bridal hair inspiration. Here's what I found that caught my attention.

photo credits: left & right

photo credits: left & right

photo credits: left & right

photo credits: top & bottom

I can't wait to do my hair trial again and decide on what style I want. I'm pretty sure I want something sideswept.... how about you? Have you had your hair trial yet? Remember to take a look at the tips I posted from before! :)

making your mark {the guest book}

In just over 3 months our BIG day will finally be here! I was just thinking yesterday how amazing it's been to write for E&I every week. Blogging has definitely helped me stay on track with planning this monumental event and has kept me calm too. Like I've said recently, the big things on my list are taken care of.  Now I've moved on to the details....like, the guest book. I have to admit, when it comes to the "gust book," I'm not really keen on tradition... i.e. Having an actually bound book that says "Guests" where people just sign their names- BORING! I'd like to do something more creative; something we will actually look at and admire in years to come. I got the idea today to blog about thumbprint family tree "guest books" because I recently saw a gorgeous one at the new home of our friends, Michael and Megan Conway. The family tree had every guest's thumbprint in the colors of their wedding, and the print was framed for them to hang in their homes as a memento. What an adorable idea!

Well, here's some inspiration:

 Source: Left & Right

There are so many great DIY ideas out there for creative guest books. Do you have any suggestions or perhaps any tips on how to take on this project?

linens {more than just tablecloths}

Last week I met with my wedding planner to visit a florist and a linen store. Thanks to my preparation and research on flowers, the meeting with the florist went very well!! He was thrilled to have a bride who knew what she wanted! I even brought my iPad to show him photos from my recent E&I posts  ;-) The visit to the linen store was.... overwhelming to say the least. In hindsight, I should have done more research on my vision for table settings to at least have an idea of what I wanted.  To be honest, I didn't even know what to expect from visiting a linen store. I seriously thought, "Linens? I don't care about linens. Just throw on a white table cloth and napkins and we should be good." After the fact, I still don't care that much about linens, but I do know what I want now... something simple and elegant.  I am blogging about this today so all of you brides out there can feel more at ease when you check this off your list.

Here are some things to consider before you shop:

  1. What color do you want the table cloths to be?
  2. Will the napkins match?
  3. Have you considered a table runner? If, so what pattern and/or texture?
  4. Do you want your linens to have texture or shine? i.e. satin, cotton, lace, embroidery, etc.
  5. What kind of chairs do you want? i.e. plain chairs covered in fabric with a bow, Chiavari chairs, folding chairs, etc.
  6. Have you thought about a sweetheart table, or do you want the entire bridal party to be at the same table? This can get complicated if you have 8 bridesmaids and 8 groomsmen like we do.
  7. If you have a dessert table and cake table, do you want the linens to match the other tables, or do you want them to stand out differently?
  8. What items do you want to place on the table to add a personal touch? i.e. vases, birdcages, picture frames, etc. (stuff besides flowers)
  9. Have you envisioned your cake table?

Here are some photos of tables, chairs, linens and decor to give you an idea of what to look for when collecting your inspiration:

Photo Credits: Green Wedding Shoes

Photo Credit: Style Me Pretty

As you can see, there's a lot to think about when it comes to linens. Are you a bride who has a passionate vision for your tables? Or, do you just let your planner run with it based on your colors and other inspiration. Please feel free to share your thoughts!

Sunshine Inspiration {Shopping for Flowers}

I will become Mrs. DiCarlo in just 117 days from now..... oh. em. gee. People have continued to ask me, "how's the planning going?" and I simply reply, "great!" That's the truth folks. Maybe I'm in denial about how fast time seems to be flying by, but I honestly don't feel stressed at all. All of the big stuff on my list has been taken care of. These next 117 days will be all about the details. This Thursday I'm going to visit a floral shop and linen store with Linda, my wedding planner, so I'm using today's post to do a little homework in preparation for our visit.

If you've followed along with my past posts about florals, you know that I love succulents. The difference between then and now is that I have confirmed that my colors are grey and yellow.  Here is some of my inspiration...

Source: W-WeddingFlowers.com

Source: one, two, three

Source: one, two, three

 

Source: left, right

Source: one, two, three

Source: Styleblueprint.com

One thing I learned from researching flowers is that they have some funny names, like: "Billy Balls" and "China mums." I have a feeling this is going to be a very educational experience for one who does not have a green thumb, like me....I'll keep you posted on how the trip went!

In the meantime, do you have any pointers or tips to help me prepare for my trip to the florist? Anything you wish you knew or did before you went? I am hoping that I can save some dough by getting some of the containers for the flowers on my own and giving them to the florist. Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts!

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

Hawaiian Inspiration {Aloha from Maui}

Alooooooha, everyone! I just got back from an 8 day vacation in Maui where I had the honor of being in my best friend, Shana's wedding. Because I just stepped off the plane and got home I'm going to keep this short and sweet....and photo inspired, just the way you like it on Engaged & Inspired ;-) Shana and I have been besties since the 6th grade. She and Bryan met and began dating in high school! After 10 years of not being in contact with one another Bryan found her on facebook and asked her out on a date... Ever since then, they've been inseparable and the rest is history!! (Of course, that is the abbreviated version!)

Here is a seek-peek at Shana & Bryan's wedding in beautiful Maui at the Olowalu Plantation House. Shana's vision and style for this event was impeccable. She kept it simple and chic, while incorporating DIY touches and historic Hawaiian charm. For those of you Brides-to-Be out there that want a Hawaiian inspired wedding that is more rustic and charming than bright and tropical, this wedding will give you spectacular inspiration! Enjoy the photos that my fiance and I took on Shana & Bryan's special day. I can't wait to see how their professional photos turn out!!

Next week I will catch you up on my wedding planning!

Hope you enjoyed this special Hawaiian treat!

Two Shades of Grey {wedding party attire}

First off, with the help of my maid of honor, Monica, and bridesmaid, Anita, we found the perfect dress for my bridesmaids!!! Yippee! $160 from Nordstrom, and Tia, the salesperson took care of the entire process. She called all of the girls, followed up and made sure everyone ordered on time. THANK YOU, Tia!!! What a rock-star you are!

Over the weekend Vinnie and I met a group of friends for dinner (and a going away party). Anita, one of my bridesmaids was there, as well as 2 of Vinnie's groomsmen; Anita's husband, Trevin, and our friend Greg. I mentioned how excited we were to have found the perfect grey chiffon dress, and the look on all of the guys' faces dropped..... they said, "if you girls are wearing grey dresses, then what color are our suits going to be???!!! You can't have 2 different shades of grey; that will look bad!" This never crossed my mind. After all, I had always envisioned the girls in grey dresses; I hadn't given much thought to the groomsmen attire.

So here I am writing this post today. I decided to do a little research on how bad 2 shades of grey would look in a bridal party, since it's unlikely we'll find the same color grey suit to match the dresses.... and if they don't match, I'm not that stressed about it ;-) Look at all the beautiful wedding parties I found online who went with the same color palette as me! See guys, 2 shades of grey can work!

Here is the dress that inspired my entire vision for our wedding. I was so excited that I found the photographer's website to include more photos from this gorgeous wedding in Mexico. I love everything about this wedding- the simple decor, the color palette, the flowers... so elegant and timeless :) Click on the photo to see all of their wedding.

Source: Stephanie Williams Photography

Here are some more grey and yellow inspired weddings...

Source: Once Wed

Let's see how my bridesmaid dress matches up to this grey suit... pretty nicely, I think!

Source: Nordstrom & Modern Day Soiree

Let's match it up to one more grey suit just to be sure.... yeah, looks good to me ;-)

Source: Nordstrom & One Wed

When it comes to your wedding party's attire, how are you matching everyone up? Same exact colors, mixed-matched, complimentary colors? How did you and your fiance determine what everyone was going to wear? I'm excited to hear your thoughts and tips!

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?