the meeting of the mom's

I'm a family person, I always have been & always will be; it means everything to me.  It's not the old days where the parents meet at the wedding & exchange pleasantries but nothing more.  I want more than that.  My dream is to one day be one of those couples who have both parents visit for the holidays.  I'm lucky that both of our families raised us this way & that hopefully this dream will come true.  But first, the families need to meet!  I decided mother's first.  And, I couldn't think of a better event for them to meet than to go wedding dress shopping with me!  It gives the perfect backdrop: excitement, smiles, laughs (ok, maybe also some happy tears), and of course champagne!

Source (from top left): Westside Wedding, Bijou Bride, Intimate Weddings, Wedding by Color, Intimate Weddings, Pronovias, What Anna Loves, themette

I had previously fallen in-love with this adorable vintage wedding dress stamp, so I decided to make invitations using it to send to my mom, future mother-in-law, and 3 of my local bridesmaids.

And this gave me the opportunity to try out this DIY faux calligraphy.

Source: Side by Side

 I've recently become obsessed with my embossing gun & this was the perfect time for me to add another project to the list!

{Real Brides} Courtney: Romance and Fun

Hi Engaged and Inspired Readers! I am so excited to be here. I've been a long time reader and now that I'm planning my own wedding I knew I needed to share my planning journey with the blogging community.

I'll be here every Tuesday documenting the joys of being an engaged lady and planning a semi-destination wedding. I thought I would share a little bit about myself and my fiancé to get us acquainted..I hope you don't mind.

Source: Danielle Capito Photography

Bride: Courtney

Groom: Patrick (Pat)

Age: 26

Occupation: Online Community Manager

Wedding Date: June 22, 2013

Venue: Spanish Oaks Ranch

Planner: Bride and Davia Lee Events

Photographer: Danielle Capito Photography

About us:

Pat and I are both San Francisco Bay Area natives, growing up in San Jose. We met our freshman year of high school and continued to become close friends as the years went by. We started dating our junior year of high school and have been together ever since.

I'll be the first admit that I am one of those girls that has dreamed about their wedding from a young age. I've joined TheKnot.com when I was 19, saved wedding inspiration images, and started reading wedding blogs WAY before I was engaged. So sue me, it's true. We all have to have a hobby, right? ;)

Currently, Pat and I live in San Francisco and will be planning our wedding Santa Margarita as out-of-towners. We will be getting married and having our reception at the beautiful Spanish Oaks Ranch.

Source: Katie Disimone

I look forward to being back next week when I share a little bit about why we chose to do a destination wedding  and why Santa Margarita, CA. And of course, in the meantime find me on Pinterest, I'd love to connect!

Gray Bridesmaid Dresses from Asos

Who's ready to hang up those blush pink bridesmaid dresses and go for something a little more bold? This patterned dress is just killing me big time. I absolutely love it, and boy would it look so amazing on a group of gals! Head on over to Asos (my GO TO place for bridesmaids dresses BT-dubs) to pick up this one.

I do realize that all of you might not be ready to go so bold, so these gray bridesmaid options are perfect for a a subdued look.

Gray Bridesmaid Dress, Gray Bridesmaid Dress

Who is planning on having their girls rock gray on your wedding day?

My Favorite Accessory

It was almost one year ago today that I received my favorite accessory.

Derek popped the questions the day before Thanksgiving while we were visiting family in the Bay Area. We met in San Francisco so the city will always hold a special place in our hearts. He proposed overlooking the city after we shared a bottle of wine at the wine bar where we had our first date. It could not have been more perfect!

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I had absolutely no part in picking my ring. Derek did it all himself and spent months looking for the perfect one. And he did! The ring is vintage from the 1920's and has extra significance because some of the accent diamonds were replaced with diamonds from his grandmother's engagement ring.

It's hard to believe that a year has already flown by. Something tells me it will be hard for this Thanksgiving to live up to last years!

Minted Holiday Card Collection

I'm totally in love with Minted's Holiday Card selection. These chic designs are totally perfect for sending to family and friends. I just can't seem to choose my favorites out of all the designs they offer (there are seriously so many good ones!).

My favorite part of the site is the number of wonderful designers they have contributing to this site. These are some of the most refreshing designs on the internet!Oh and you don't have to stop at Holiday cards, they have an incredible selection of invites, kids cards and some beautiful greeting card options.

Check out just a few of the favorites that I have picked out :)

Happy Holiday Card, Be Merry, May Your Days Be Merry, Happy Everything, Family Card

Flights of Fancy {feathers as wedding inspiration}

My fiance, Mark, and I have a long-running joke about me walking down the aisle carrying a live white peacock instead of a bouquet. I'll take the flowers, please and thank you. The last thing I need is a frantic animal in my arms during our wedding. Needless to say, I have a strong and deep love of all things feathered, which I've inherited primarily from my mother, who is about as obsessed as they come. Feathers are popping up all over the place in wedding decor, bridal attire, accessories, even invitations. Here are a few of my favorite iterations:

Surely, I wouldn't look this glamorous carrying a bird.

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Feathers as decorative details...

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Feathers in your hair...

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How will you be incorporating your feathered friends?

P.S. If you've seen my Pinterest, you know I have much, much more feather inspiration, so just wait for shoes and dress posts!

Floral Inspiration {Succulents and Artichokes}

Our wedding is about 2 months away!  Yay!As the wedding is getting closer, the focus is mainly on all the little details. This past week we met with our amazing florist, Jan Dekker for a trial.  She put together an example of our centerpieces.  It was so great to see what she put together! She really understood my "vision" for the flowers and although I had some minor changes and feedback, I was ecstatic and thought they looked beautiful!

I would highly recommend to any bride meeting your florist for a trial of the flower arrangements if you can. It totally put me at ease!

Here are some of the inspiration photos I used when first meeting with Jan to design the centerpieces and bouquets:

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The overall look I want for the flowers is romantic but not over the top.  We also love the addition of the little succulents and artichokes! One thing I love about incorporating the succulents is that they are something that can be taken out of each centerpiece and planted. I don't have much of a green thumb but am hoping I can save a few for our home.

Next item on our detail to-do list is all the paper! Programs, place cards and miscellaneous signs. We fell in love with our vendor who did our invitations so we plan on going there in the next few weeks.

Until next week!

-Jess

Follow my wedding inspiration board on Pinterest!

Tweet me @jessdawnd 

Read my past posts here and here

This. Is. It.

I can't believe it's finally here. In 2 days, I will be marrying the man of my dreams and my best friend. It's hard to believe that after only 21 years of my life, I was fortunate enough to meet this incredible person. The last 6 years with Kyle have flown by, and I know the next 80 will go by in the blip of a second.

Style Me Pretty, photo by Studio Impressions

This week has been so overwhelmed by to-do lists, errands, and craft project that it's admittedly been difficult to take a few minutes to step back and relish in this incredible moment. I am grateful for these few minutes to reflect on what the past 27 years have meant, and the significance of those 30 minutes this Saturday where Kyle and I will pledge our love and fidelity to each other for eternity.

Snippet & Ink, photo by One Love Photo

Here's a confession... I've never told anyone. A friend took this photo back when I was 19 and I've stared at it ever since dreaming of my wedding day. Yes, I was wearing a tarp.

And now it's here. I can't wait to finally have my man and my moment. And a wedding dress that isn't a tarp.

See you all on the other side!

XOXO, Kalista

Setting the Mood {with Food}

Hi E&Iers! I'm back after an amazing long weekend in Southern California at fellow blogger Taya's wedding (aka my future sister in law!). It was such a great weekend filled with laughs, dancing, friends, family, new friends and new family, in a gorgeous setting...it was everything a great wedding should be. I could go on and on, but I'll let Taya tell you herself when she gets back from her honeymoon. :-)

Onto my topic of the week - food! You might remember my post, here, on finding a caterer who would work with us in making everything affordable, while still including the elements we really wanted - quality, local food, family style dinner, etc. Well, we finally found them and it was worth the wait! My favorite thing about the caterers we found was that the owner, and lead lady of this husband-and-wife-owned catering company, really listened to what we wanted and figured out where to cut corners and where it made sense to splurge a little.

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I am so relieved to have our catering booked! I believe food can really help set the mood of the day - the cuisine is just one more place to infuse your style as a couple. Loving how these weddings used food to help set the vibe of their wedding day.

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My advice to fellow brides out there is that if you are not finding what you're looking for and you are getting a lot of 'nos' to what you believe is a reasonable request, keep looking and don't give up! Ask lots of questions and reach out to new vendors until you find someone who is ready to have a conversation and work with you. I think it's also good to know what things you absolutely know you want and what things you would be okay not having. For me, I knew I wanted family style dinner, but I was okay giving up the filet mignon.

If you are getting married in the Gorge and looking for a caterer, check out Boda's Kitchen. Ask for Sirota Johnston, the owner and boss laday. She's awesome.

{E&I Bride} Courtney

Our readers really are the best. I mean come on, look at what one of our long time readers is putting together for her big wedding day! Good news is that she will be here each week blogging her journey to I Do! Introducing Courtney, our newest 2013 bride. She is tying the knot at the gorgeous Spanish Oaks Ranch on June 22,2013. Check out her Pinterest board for more inspiration from her bing day.

These two will be celebrating their 10 year anniversary 2 months before they tie the knot. How sweet is that?

Leave our girl some love and make sure to join us every Tuesday for her posts!