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.

Source: left, right

Let's see how they look together...

Source

Source

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

Source

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.

Source

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

Color Rich DIY Bouquet

Oh how I love florals. While perusing my local floral shop I fell in love with the simple white snow flower with such rich berry tones. $50 later, I had all the elements I needed to create a bouquet rich in color and texture.

I would never suggest DIYing florals for your wedding, but I understand that as far as budgets go, sometime something has to give. So if this is your "give" here is a great bouquet with a color palette that is beautiful no matter what season.

As for a few tips, grab about 4-6 different types of floral. Pair them together until you find the perfect mix of color and texture. Then go for it. Play around until you find something that you love. (These are the best tips I can provide from one non-florist to another :) )

Cozy Cabin Wedding by Brushfire Photography

Today's wedding is an example of a wedding my husband would have loved to have. A cabin tucked in the woods with all your favorite people celebrating love. Oh ya, so much beauty tucked in the woods, I just can't get enough of it. Thanks to Brushfire Photography for shooting such a cozy and personal wedding for us to gawk over.

The Big Picture {capturing that one magical moment}

Being in the midst of planning insanity, it's really easy to lose yourself in which Pantone shade of twine you should order off of Etsy (don't judge me!). I've been trying really hard to ground myself in the fact that in less than 5 months, I am getting married to the man I've spent the last 9 years with. It's pretty incredible when I stop to think about it, and I am so looking forward to those amazing memories, and little moments we will treasure for years to come.

Sources: Nirav Photography, Nirav Photography, Max Wanger, Max Wanger, Shang Chen Photography, Shang Chen Photography, Ann Street Studio

Delicious Drinks: Stocking the Bar

What's a wedding without a fun and festive crowd there to celebrate with? One sure fire way to get people lively for the reception is making sure the bar is well stocked with delicious drinks. It's come that time on our wedding planning process to figure out our bar and most importantly speciality drinks. Our venue is completely BYOB with no corkage which has a ton of pluses to it but it also allows our imaginations to run wild. We've wrestled with the idea of an open bar during cocktail hour or just a few specialty cocktails. I think this post accurately describes the way I'm leaning. What are some of your favorite speciality cocktails at weddings?

Source 1, 2, 3, 4

Finding Your Glass Slippers

Source: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right

 Now that I have my dress, Ican't wait to pick out the heels! I love the look of a neutral color with sparkles of some kind.

Source

Source

 On the other hand, a brighter color would be fun.

Source: left, right 

Source

Other things on my checklist are that they are comfortable, stay on my feet, not be too high, and that they aren't crazy expensive. I can't wait to find the perfect ones for me. I'm thinking I'll be ordering several contenders so that I can try them on and see how they feel on and with my dress.

Where did you shop for your wedding shoes?

Table Talk

This week we began to look into our options for tables, chairs, and everything else that goes along with wedding rentals. What I thought would be a quick in-and-out chat turned into a two plus hour meeting. At the rental place we were helped by a super sweet lady who has coordinated many weddings at our venue. She was extremely helpful and learning about how other couples used the space provided a rough road-map of what works and what does not at the venue.

Up until now I had been envisioning our wedding with rustic wood tables for seating.

Source

Source

In reality these dream tables would be a pain in the but and a lot more expensive, so I think we are now leaning towards traditional rectangle or circle table with tablecloths.

Source: 1, 2 & 3

Source: 1, 2 & 3

Now onto a search for some unique table linens. How did you choose your wedding reception tables? Did you purchase or rent your table linens?

Take a Seat {Finding the Perfect Table Numbers}

Table numbers are one of those little things you don't start seriously thinking about until a lot of other things fall into place: place settings, china, glassware, dinner menu, flatware, centerpieces, rentals, color palettes, etc. As those little things are beginning to come together (5 month countdown like WHOA), I am finding my spare Pinterest time being spent increasingly on table numbers. And, man! There are some really cute and really crazy table numbers on Pinterest. I love simple, elegant, vintage, and nothing overly fussy. That being said, if you are looking for table numbers for your tropical-Winter-circus-themed wedding, surely they exist! Here are a few I'm loving right now:

Source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Going Back in Time {Vintage Rentals}

It's crazy to think just how much goes into wedding planning. From choosing a venue and a photographer, to the food, layout, guest list, music and more, you'd think it was crazy that brides would do even more than just the bare minimum. But let's be honest, those extras are where the details come in and a couple really has the opportunity to show their personality. So I am now at a crossroads, what extras do I want to include? What will add the perfect amount of personality and uniqueness to our wedding? What I'm finding is that it's a bit of a tricky balance. I love wedding details and some of my favorites extra include vintage rentals so for the past few days, I've been choosing what I'll include in my tablescapes.

Source

Source

Source

Invitation Wording {it's in the details}

Source

A few weeks ago I decided to hire an E&I alumn to design my invitations! I remembered back when she posted about her own invitations, here, and I had to find out if she was still designing. Well, she was! And she has been the best, most helpful designer I could have asked for. Click here to visit Kimberly's website.

I wasn't sure I could do custom-designed invitations while staying within my budget. But with the few special things I wanted to incorporate on my invites, it was going to be hard to just order them through a template. So I reached out to Kim and she walked me through the process and quickly turned me from being totally overwhelmed with not knowing what to do, into being really excited about all of the options. She also helped navigate the printing process and recommend some different printers.

We are now collaborating about the design and figuring out the wording. With all the options, it can be tough to pick which direction to go in...do you want them to be silly, funny, quirky, formal, religious, simple...the list goes on. I have been leaning in the direction of making them sweet and personal. Here are some I'm liking.

Source

Like the wording on these - "...invite you to join them on a most spectacular day..." and "...invite you to share in their true love and marriage..."

Source: left, right

The one on the right is sweet - "All the Roads led to you. You're invited to celebrate the start of a new path for..."

right

Source: left, right

I like the ends of these: "dinner, dancing and revelry to follow!" and "Dancing, Drinks and fun to follow"

If you are trying to figure out the wording for your invitations, Invitation Consultants and Offbeat Bride are some great resources. The first has a TON of great ideas for different situations - eloping, destination weddings, how to include parents' names, etc. The second has some more quirky and funny ideas.

How did you pick your invitation wording?