B-Maids, Bridesmaids, Bestmaids

My bridesmaids, bestmaids, are my very best friends from high school. I love each of them completely for being so adorably unique that I always knew I wanted them to each wear a dress of their choice. I gave them a color scheme and let them pick and things have gone even better than I could have imagined. Each dress looks like the friend that picked it, which is exactly what I wanted (how often do you and your friends get to dress up fancy and take tons of pics? I want them to all look GREAT). Three of my four besties have their dresses already:

one, two, three

Don't the colors look great together?! I'm in love, so sun-washed summer!

However, my fourth bestfran is still looking for her dress. We're thinking something in a caramel, warm brown color, but we're having trouble finding anything online that you can easily return for money back if it doesn't fit right. Let me know if you've seen anything you think would look great, because we're struggling!

My girls are all wearing neutral-ish shoes, but the accessories are what I'm currently excited about! The J. Crew champagne colored dress is going to be paired with a gold belt like this, and probably no necklace. However, I want my other two girls to wear some neat statement jewelry. I've been scouring the web for big ol' (affordable) statement necklaces for my friend in yellow and slightly more subdued ones for my friend in orange, but I just can't make a decision. Here are some of my faves, what do you think? Have you seen something better?

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four

We're also on the lookout for a belt or sash for the orange dress, pretty please send me anything you think would look good!

Happy New Year!

Next week I'll be sharing my Save the Dates because...I'm getting married THIS year!

The Wedding Suit

For me. it was never a question of suits vs. tuxes, it's simply always been which suit (or suits...I'm not in to the boys matching, so I'd like them to each have their own unique suit). In my dream world, all the boys in the wedding would look like this: However, I know that JB is so far from being in to these kind of suits that for him to even glance at this picture would be a miracle. So, I've pulled myself away from hoping that the boys look as if they stepped out of an Italian magazine and am beginning to try to find some more reasonable suit inspiration.

With my whimsical theme and just general taste, I won't be having any black at the wedding (I just don't really do black). So that means brown, camel, khaki, beige...suits for the men, which are a little harder to come by than a nice fitting black suit. Here's where I need your help, where do I find great, slim fit suits for my boys? I've seen Indochino.com (which is SUPER neat) but their color options are limited. Do you have any other suiting suggestions?

It's VERY important to me that the boys' suits fit them well, (I mean, slim cut shoulders, skinny legs, shorter blazer), but it is hard as heck to find suits like this for a reasonable price. Let me know what you've found, because I'm floundering in the world of Men's Warehouse without any luck!

Here is what I'd like the boys to look like (in my *slightly* more realistic dreams):

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four

Do you feel the same way? Have you struggled to find reasonably priced, modern suits for the men in your wedding. Are you having the boys match, or simply giving them parameters for a mismatched grouping?

P.S. The dress fitting was GREAT! It was the correct dress, all of my accessories worked flawlessly and there are only minor changes to be made. I was starting to think I had buyers remorse, but when I put the dress on, I loved it all over again.

The Wedding Website + RSVPing

After searching the web through all of the pre-made wedding website builders, and even building a site on Weddingwire.com (which is my pick for a premade site builder), I just wasn't satisfied. I really wanted our wedding branding to be more seamless than what the pre-built sites allowed. I am decently knowledgeable about how to build a basic website, so I decided that rather than being sad that the colors on our site and the flower-y images don't really match our theme, I decided to purchase JBandTaylor.com and create a site on my own.

I think in today's world a wedding site is essential, it allows guests to easily book accommodations, find your registry, check last minute details and it gives you yet another place to tell your story. My site is very basic (and some pages aren't even unlocked yet...I don't want to give everything away right off the bat). But I hope that it gives my guests the information they need in an easily accessible way.

The one thing I am still debating about our site is RSVPs. Should I do them all online, or should I send an RSVP card in the invitation with the option to RSVP online? The main reason that I like sending the paper RSVP card is because of this:

Oh how I love open-ended response cards. I would LOVE to have a book of these!

What do you think? RSVP online, in print or both? How do I get people to send back adorable messages like the ones above?

A Cheery Break

When I first started my wedding obsession by reading blog post upon post, I kept reading things about planning being overwhelming, stressful and all-consuming. My first thought was "great" I LOVE weddings, so I'll love mine even more. My second was "these people must not be planners." Let me tell you, I'm a planner/organizer with a strong sense of what I like and this wedding planning is OVERWHELMING! So, for a break from the wedding madness, my roommate and I threw a holiday shindig of our own. Now, I love throwing parties; I love rearranging the furniture in to the most mingle-able setting, I love browsing through appetizer recipes, mixing drinks, choosing serving platters and making the house look so elegantly "lived in." However, because we're both only 21, our collection of serving dishes, holiday decor and generally money is pretty limited, so here is our holiday soiree *on a budget* in three easy steps.

Is anyone throwing a holiday themed, wedding-y party? Wine and crafts? Holiday engagement? Winter bridal shower? Tell me...I LOVE to hear!

1. Candles! Votives are CHEAP, check out these at Dollar Tree (4 for $1) and glass jars are cheaper (do you buy pasta sauce, salsa, jam). We've been collecting glass jars to use at my wedding and figured, why not use them twice?! With all the DIYs out there, it so easy to find something festive...these are my faves. Psst, the first link has TONS of ideas. one, two

2. Easy appetizers. What's easier (cuter, tastier...) than tiny potatoes wrapped in bacon? Add in a dipping dish of Dijon and you're ready to go. Also, brie was one of our splurgerier treats...but the stuff on top is just sugar and water!! P.S. Of our limited serving dishes, we do have a wood cutting board...perfect for cheese and crackers! one, two

3. Simple, festive drinks (that you can make in BIG batches). We decided to offer two drinks, cider and nog (both of which were a HIT). The best part about these is that they are easy as heck, but still way classier than the usual 21-year-old party drink.

one, two

What do you do to break from the all-consuming wedding planning?

Don't worry, I'll be done with this hiatus next week, because this weekend I have my first WEDDING DRESS FITTING with my mom and all of my bridesmaids! I can't wait! Does anyone have any fitting tips?

P.S. I wish I could have a snowy, winter wedding...there'd be muffs and cider for all!

Wedding Veils, Hat, or Flower Crowns

My extensive list of wants and ideas for this wedding is getting a little out of hand. My mom is continually trying to help me focus, which I've done on a few parts of the wedding, but on others, it seems like the inspiration and possible choices are never ending! That brings me to my wedding headgear (not the braces kind).

I've been searching for the perfect reception headpiece for a while now to no avail. It's not because I don't like anything, it's because I LOVE everything. I can't get enough of chiffon flowers, tulle bows, vintage pillbox hats and especially not enough of live flower crowns. Now you can see my true frustration and utter confusion because of the plethora of over-the-top duds to perch on top of my head. I keep telling my roommate that I want something ridiculous because when am I ever going to get the chance to wear a flower the size of my head in my hair ever again? But then I find precious little bobby pins and my vision shifts again.

Here are a few of my favorites (a FEW). Do you have this problem? What are you wearing in your hair? Veil, hat, fascinator, nothing? HELP ME DECIDE!

Also, almost all of these are from Etsy...I am an Etsy fiend!

Clockwise from top left: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen

P.S. I've already bought my headpiece for the ceremony, but you'll have to wait and see it at the wedding (my attire is the one thing I'm trying to keep secret from JB and let me tell you, keeping it a secret [even if JB doesn't really care] is HARD for me).

Lights and Love: Nighttime Inspiration

Before I get in to all the details that everyone always asks about like the venue, the dress, colors…and my obnoxiously overzealous list of potential DIY projects, I want you to get a feel for the atmosphere I’m aiming for (I’ve been told I’m a big picture person…so here goes all of my big picture thoughts).

For me, flowers aren't incredibly important (especially because my wedding will be at night...who can see flowers at night anyways?). So my focus for the wedding is on creating a dreamy atmosphere with candles...lots and LOTS of candles.

P.S. My ultimate wedding dream would be to release TONS of floating candle lanterns...thanks Texas for your constant state of extreme drought. I guess I'll have to settle for floating candles in the pool.

Do you have and neat nighttime inspiration? 

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

P.S. The floating luminaries above (number eight), I bought a few of them and somewhere near 100 paper lanterns...these are the best deal, a TON of votives and instead of pillar candles (which are CRAZY expensive), I bought these.

Follow me on Twitter :: Get inspired on Pinterest

Engagement Photos...*swoon*

Have you had a chance to meet our Monday bride? Her name is Taylor and she is planning a backyard wedding in Texas. Read more about her! I finally had my engagement pictures taken this past Sunday (we'd been waiting for the Texas weather to cool down because there's nothing I love more than a good "wrapped-in-a-quilt-snuggling" picture) and let me tell you, taking engagement photos is FUN. I love getting my picture taken regardless, but with a professional photographer and cuddling my lovey...there's nothing better!

We took our pictures in Prosper, Texas, (I told Braeden [our photog] I wanted a field and he delivered with some field-filled terrain) on an unseasonably warm November afternoon and I am thrilled (I made JB slowly scroll through the sneak peek photos for at least an hour) with the results.

These pictures were taken by Braeden Rogers at Ambient 11 Photography and I have got to say that he was absolutely stellar. From the moment we arrived to the second we left, the three of us were laughing and having a great time. As if just generally having fun isn't enough, his photo-journalistic images are to-die-for! They are so raw in the happiest, most joyful sense! I can't wait for Braeden to take the rest of our pictures in June!!

Quick advice! We had trouble deciding between a one-hour and a two-hour engagement session and after a friend's advice (thanks Mal!), we decided to go with two-hours. In my opinion, the two-hour session was the best decision we have made this far in the process. Two-hours allows you and your fiance to get comfortable being photographed, it allows the photographer to get to know you two as a couple and (especially if you're shooting outdoors) it gives you more time to find that perfect amount of sunlight that makes your photos oh-so dreamy!

So, if your budget can handle it, pick two hours, you won't regret it!

Without further adieu...

All photos by Braeden Rogers at Ambient 11 Photography

{Real Brides} Taylor :: The Backyard Bride

Name:	Taylor Chatfield (will be Taylor Martin)
Location:	Fort Worth, Texas
Age:	21 years old
Occupation:	I work at Texas Christian University as the Assistant Director of E-Stewardship in the Office of Donor Relations.
Wedding Date:	June 16, 2012
Venue:	My parents beautiful home in Grapevine, Texas (a suburb right between Dallas and Fort Worth)
Planner:	My parents, myself, JB (my fiancé) and all my wonderful friends
Photographer:	Braeden Rogers at Ambient 11 (he's pretty amazing)

Connect with Taylor: Twitter ::  Pinterest 

About Me: JB and I began dating after a lengthy AIM courtship during our sophomore year of high school. From riding in the backseat of our parents' cars (we were only 15), to high school graduation, two trips to Guatemala, college life at TCU and six months apart while I studied in Spain and he studied in New Zealand, to finally being able to call each other fiancé, we can't wait to be married (and I can't wait to throw this massive shindig).

Wedding Style: I've always had a slightly quirky sense of style, I love things that are handmade, unique and in every sense of the word, flawed. I'm very decisive about what I like and dislike (or should I say adore and despise...my opinions are pretty strong), even if my decisiveness seems to be without rhyme or reason. I want our wedding to not take itself too seriously (eek..I hope by giving it a persona it didn't just take itself too seriously). It's a party...a BIG party and I don't want to play it off as something it's not, which is why I plan to intersperse relaxed and fun classic party decor done in a modern way throughout the event. For example, I'm planning on having people throw confetti...true paper confetti as we recess back down the aisle, however I want it to be GIANT, chic, slightly ridiculous confetti. I am very excited about all of the handmade details that I get to add to the event  and I am ready to do as much by myself (and by that I mean with the help of my family and friends) as I can. I simply want people to leave our wedding with a renewed, dreamy, whimsical love for each other...the kind JB and I share.

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight

Check you next Monday!

P.S. I love talking weddings, so feel free to email me with ideas, questions, inspiration, or if you just want to chat. If you're in DFW, maybe we could even grab some chips and salsa (I'm not a coffee girl).