Perfect Gifts

Whether I like it or not, the holidays are upon us! Here are just a few things I have found recently that I am totally dying over! Consider each of these loves on my wish list this year :)

1.  Polar Stones: Super awesome! I bought a pack as a Christmas gift and they sent me a sample pack to try out! I'm totally in love with the idea behind them. Freeze the stones and add them to your drink. As opposed to ice, it doesn't water the drink down (and being the uber slow drinker that I am, everything tends to get watered down) which I love. And how stylish are these?

2. Swanlake: My next obsession is this insanely awesome necklace! I really want one right about now! I'm such a fan of oversized chunky jewelry that this piece is a little subdued for me, but I'm sure I would actually wear it if I had it :)

3. Let's Go Anywhere: LOVE. That is all there is to it. This is insanely amazing, perfect for my office.

And you can present a gift without the perfect wrapping paper. Check out this DIY watercolor wrapping paper.

Announcing --> The Lab iPhone App

It is time to let the cat out of the bag! The Lab is a bridal experience taking place in Sonoma, Ca on January 12. As one of the founders of the event, we have been working day and night creating the perfect event for brides! While we ramp up for our event, we have been secretly working on a little something special. I am so very excited to finally let you in on a little something I have been working very hard on for the last few months. The Lab iPhone App!

We are serious when we say that it is our top priority to connect brides with the right type of vendors. We want to showcase some of the best talent for you so you don't have to go and do all the research yourself. At The Lab we will have 6 spaces decked out to give you endless amounts of inspiration along with bites, great music and of course, our fashion show! We also offer a library of vendor portfolios to look through at your leisure. All this is good and all, but we wanted to take it a step further and give you a place to search through our extensive library of vendors before, during or after the event. See something you love while walking The Lab? With the app you can save to favorites or just go ahead and shoot them an email right then and there!

Download it now!

Holidays {registry inspiration}

Last week was Thanksgiving and, after registering a couple months ago, I could not stop looking at all the things around the kitchen on Turkey Day and making mental notes of what I needed to add to my registry. It's one thing walking around Williams-Sonoma with a scanning gun and it's quite another to actually be cooking a feast and realize all the utensils, tools, and serving dishes that go into making it! Luckily we were at my fiance's family's place and they had all the necessities.

Sources: left, right

So, I took the holiday as a chance to take a little inventory of the things on our registry. Some items got the boot. I'm continuing to take mental notes as the holidays get into full swing...roaster for 25 lb. bird? Check.

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At the moment I have two stores going - I chose Macy's, because they have everything and I know people will be able to go in-person if they prefer that, and Williams-Sonoma, because sometimes I like less options to choose from (and also because I love everything in that store). Potato masher? Check.

MyRegistry.com is a great option for couples that don't want to commit to a few stores. The world is at your fingertips (or mouse in this case). It aggregates any item you want into a central registry. You can even scan a barcode with your MyRegistry phone app and add it that way. Genius! If you'd like to do a non-profit registry or feature one that's close to your heart, you can do that too.

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I have to admit, when you are in the throngs of saving for a wedding, registering feels like the shopping you don't get to do!

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I love knowing that the things I'm picking out will end up being the gravy boats, casserole dishes, and platters that my groom, and our family, use on holidays for years to come. It's about more than getting presents - it's about making a house a home :)

Source: my phone + Instagram (movember anyone?)

Do you have any registry favorites?

dancing queen {wedding music}

My fiance loves live music.  He went to school for music technology.  He also plays the guitar (and owns 4 of them, which I've turned into art in our office!) and was part of a few bands.  I also love music.  I sang in my chamber choir in high school & also played a few instruments.  Not only do we both love music, we both love to dance.  And, I don't mean just love to dance, I mean we're dancing machines!  We're the type of people who are out on the dance floor from the first song until the last with just a few bar breaks in-between.

Source (from top): source, Arkansas Bride

 When it came time to talk wedding reception music, my fiance had one request and I whole-heartedly agreed - A BAND!  We wanted a full band with the repertoire to keep people on their feet.  And not just our friends, we wanted our entire family out there grooving to the music.  That's why we've chosen a band who specializes in music ranging from the 1940's all the way until today!  We couldn't be more excited for this party!

Source: Wed Pics

I hope our guests are ready to dance, because we have a little surprise planned for them!  :-)

Source: Southern Living

Red Wedding by Marcella Treybig Photography

Today's wedding is a little red treat to brighten your day! Those florals are fabulous and the DIY ceremony backdrop is right up my alley. As the days get colder this summer wedding is sure to warm you just a bit.

Floral Designer:
Cake Designer:
Makeup Artist:
Reception Venue:
Specialty Foods:
 Scoops2U
Photo Booth Equipment:
 Red Eye Photobooths
Bakery:

 

Wine Country Wedding by Megan Clouse Photography

Today's wedding is a total treat. The details, the florals, the PINK COUCH (what an amazing piece by One True Love Vintage Rentals)! It is all so marvelously effortless and elegant. This team of vendors did a phenomenal job of creating a perfect wedding down to every detail. Get those pin buttons ready because you are going to want to look at these shots by Megan Clouse Photography again and again.

Mismatched Vases

When it comes to wedding decor, I plan to keep it simple, mixing vintage and recycled items. I really love the look of mismatched vases.

Sources:  1, 2 & 3

Sources: 1, 2, 3 & 4

Over the last year, I have been collecting potential wedding decor from thrift stores, flea market and estate sales. I am gradually building my collection of vases.

I have also been saving interesting bottles which I may dye or paint.

I came across the following how-to articles if you are interested in a DIY bottle coloring project:

Tinting Spray painting Painting 

I plan to try these out and will report back on what worked the best for me.

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

Did you mix match vases or bottles for you wedding? Know any great pointers on dying or painting bottles?

Woodland Engagement by Michelle Johnson Photography

This sweet engagement shoot offers some fun details and some totally personal touches that are totally pinworthy. I love engagement shoots with a few props, but I love engagement shoots that document love just as much. Together, this is the perfect touch of beauty and fun.

Are you adding props into your engagement photos?

Thankful for {family}

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays (I think I say this at every holiday). I love Thanksgiving because it's all about bringing loved ones together to cook and enjoy a wonderful meal and remember what we are all thankful for. No presents. Just family, football, lazy couch time, cooking together, feasting and a long weekend ahead. ahhh I love Thanksgiving! So this week I've been thinking a lot about family and how we can incorporate our past generations into our wedding day, show a little bit of our families' histories, and also honor some people who will be there in spirit. I love the idea of using pictures, because it adds a personal touch and gives guests a chance to see that you have your grandma's nose or your grandpa's gap-tooth. You can't go wrong with pictures.

Source: all images above

Source: Mason Jar Photos

Source: Lockets on Bouquet

Are you doing something special to honor your family?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you enjoy the holiday with those you love!

Ready, Set, Location!

I concluded in my last post, that we decided to limit the guest limit making the final number 35 people.  So how do we find the right size space to accommodate this quantity?

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We knew that we didn’t want an outdoor event because the uncertainty of the weather would have caused us stress up until the last minute.  The venues that I was familiar with were too large for our small guest list and I didn’t want to have us feel lost in the room.  I wasn’t finding as many smaller venues in our area so I started looking into function rooms within restaurants and didn’t find just the right space.

I broadened my horizons outside of the Raleigh area and still didn’t have as much luck as I had hoped.  I then began focusing in on B&B’s thinking that might be just the right direction to take: ceremony and reception all in one.  And there it was…The King’s Daughters Inn!  It is the perfect blend of 17 guest rooms, a parlor for the ceremony and reception, sun room for cocktail hour, and a dining room for dinner and cake.  We rented the whole Inn and our wedding will be an overnight getaway for our guests!

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Has anyone else had to alter their venue ideas to better suit your guest list headcount?