The Trip of a Lifetime: Planning the Honeymoon

This week, I've been obsessing over our honeymoon for a couple of reasons. 1) It's still hovering around 30 degrees here in beautiful Ohio, so a summer trip to somewhere warm and beachy sounds incredible right about now.

2) I've discovered the secret to those annoying early Spring/Summer dresses and sandals that pop up everywhere in February--buying for the honeymoon! (Somehow this seems a little more forgivable...don't question the shopping strategy!)

For our honeymoon, we're planning on flying into Paris, and traveling to Lugano, Switzerland, then to Florence and Cinque Terre, Italy. Isn't there just something beyond dreamy about honeymooning in Paris? I hope we can make the timing work (if only I could take a month off of work...). Lugano is the "ancestral village" of my Swiss-Italian fiance, and a stunning resort town, so I'm really looking forward to that, as well. And Florence and Cinque Terre will fill out our trip with equal parts touristy activities, and rustic, remote beach town!

Here are a few images that are so stunning, I may just make them my desktop background at work.

The Bridal Shower {Evolved}

I honestly cannot believe how quickly time flies. I feel like I just got engaged and well now it's been over a year since that happened. This month starts all the really fun activities leading up to the wedding. First there's finalizing our menu (with tasting!), my first dress fitting, and my first shower. It's all starting to feel really real and I am anxious to get it all started. When my aunt called to tell me she wanted to host a shower for me, I was giddy with excitement. But then she asked, well what kind of shower do you want? Umm what?! I didn't even know there were different types of showers. Well little did I know..showers have totally evolved and there's so many fun options.

Brunch Shower

 Garden Party

 Bridal Soiree 

Veiling It

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My lovely future mother-in-law has offered to make my veil for me. She made her daughter's veil last year and it turned out great, so I trust that I'm in good hands.

Last week I went to Britex Fabrics and got some swatches so I could match them to my dress color. I can't wait to see how it turns out and get everything on!

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I want my veil to be simple and on the longer side. I'm getting married in a potentially-windy location and I've been told longer veils are actually better because they have more weight to them so they won't blow around as much. The one thing I'm concerned about is there being too much volume. My dress is somewhere between an A-line and a ballgown silhouette and I don't want it to be over-the-top. I think the last image, above, is a good example of a fuller skirt with a long veil that looks natural and tasteful.

Should I go Waltz, Floor-length, or Chapel?

Bridal Beauty + Floral Details

Did you LOVE yesterday's bridal beauty photoshoot? I thought it was absolutely breathtaking! There were simply too many images for one post, so today I have the second installment for you to swoon over.

   

Photography: Jennifer Fujikawa Photography Floral, Makeup & Styling: Cammy Lau Dresses: Marisol Aparicio Model: Anne Miles

Colorful Place Setting

I've been having a ball playing around with place settings recently. (Did you see my spring-inspired place setting?) Today's setting is a little vintage, a little colorful and one of my faves to date. Thanks to the fabulous Jason & Anna Photography for shooting these gorgeous images.

Don't you love those forks? They are one of my favorite Antique Faire finds. I lugged an entire set around the faire for hours and hour before I finally got them home! I bring them out for fancy parties :)

Photography: Jason & Anna Photography | Styling: Engaged & Inspired Events | Glassware: Anthropologie | Flatware: Engaged & Inspired | Plates: Anthropologie | Napkin: Cost Plus | Salad plate: Cost Plus | Bowl: Anthropologie

Buying Used Dress + Nearly Newlywed Bridal Boutique + $100 Coupon

I'm a huge believer in the used wedding dress market. I find it to be a great alternative for brides looking for the perfect dress without shelling out the big bucks. Similarly, it is also a great way to find dresses you might not otherwise find in your local bride shops. I think we can all agree that there is one huge problem with buying used wedding dresses. It is a much too important decision to leave to online purchasing with private parties (and potentially spammers). After dealing with a few spam "buyers" I turned to Nearly Newlywed to sell my own dress. This is why I find Nearly Newlywed to be such a brilliant place to purchase used dresses without all the stress potentially associated with the transaction. Aside from their wonderful shopping experience, brides have the option to sell the dress back to Nearly Newlywed making it a pain free process for you on both ends.

Melissa Sweet | Eze | $1000

Monique Lhuillier | Scarlet | $2500

Elie Saab Fully Sequined Gown | $8,700

Looking for a dress? Start shopping now! And make sure to use this coupon code for a little extra something something!

Bridal Beauty by Jennifer Fujikawa Photography

I have something absolutely beautiful for your today. Jennifer Fujikawa Photography did a phenomenal job of capturing so much beauty.

     

Photography: Jennifer Fujikawa Photography Floral, Makeup & Styling: Cammy Lau Dresses: Marisol Aparicio Model: Anne Miles

A Few of My Favor-ite Things

Please excuse the punny title of this post. While wedding favors aren't always a necessity, there are tons of fun ways to give your guests a small token of thanks. Because we are such huge foodies, we want our favors to reflect that. In traditional Italian culture, five Jordan almonds represent five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity. While Jordan almonds can certainly be a little cheesy, I found these stunning silver ones that would make a really fun favor. Here are a few things that are inspiring me this week as I think about favors:

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Woodsy Engagement By Annie Agarwal

Engagement session is such a fun time for us bloggers and wedding planners. So many gorgeous couples being shot with such excitement for their upcoming nuptials. The sweet  Annie Agarwal Photography does such a fabulous job with this gorgeous couple and a wonderful sunset.

From the photographer: "Melissa and Ben are an incredibly laid back and carefree couple who genuinely love one another, which is so evident in these images. They scoped out a variety of locations, but fell in love with the simplicity of this large field on the side of the road! We spent our morning laughing and chatting, as they nuzzled in to one another to capture this sweet season of their lives. Melissa and Ben will be married in a backyard affair this summer."

White on Wood {signs}

Now that my invitation designer and I are getting closer to the final version of my invitation suite, it's got me thinking about all things signage! We are doing a lot of white text on colored backgrounds, so when I saw these "white on wood" signs, I knew they would be a great fit.

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There is a simple tutorial, here. And some ideas on where to find old wood, here.

Did you have luck finding reclaimed wood for wedding signage? If so, how did you do it?