Thursday, July 29, 2010

Escort Cards

Escort Cards are a fun & fabulous way to get creative and it doesn't have to be $$$. It's one of my favorite parts about a wedding. It truly showcases the couple's personality. Here are some fun photos of escort cards (courtesy of The Knot)

A French wire urn filled with hydrangea, hybrid roses and phlox stood in the center of the escort card display. The cards were arranged in vertical rows and separated with white rose petals and glowing votive candles, creating a warm scene for arriving guests.

Antique-inspired brass compasses tied to luggage tags paid tribute to the couple’s love of travel, doubled as favors and told guests where to sit.

The escort cards were displayed in framed pockets that hung from an easel. Ashley’s creative maid of honor helped design the display with frames the ladies found in an antique shop.

Table assignments were written in a formal script font on tented cards, which were displayed on a bed of light blue and green hydrangeas.

Delicate flower head pins were used to attach the DIY escort cards to displays made by the bride. Victoria wrapped boards with gray silk and displayed them in white painted frames.

The bride used green paper with a variety of patterns to make the escort cards and then hung them from string with clothespins inside the barn.

For a nontraditional spin on escort cards, the couple gathered smooth stones from the beach and wrote the guest’s first name on one side and the table name on the other.

The couple’s planner wrapped a thick pink ribbon around a tree and clipped the escort cards with wooden clothespins. Amy and John printed the cards themselves with supplies from Paper Source.

Cardstock with a cross-hatch design and vintage font were tucked into envelopes with guests’ names handwritten in white ink. Each card contained a table name that honored one of the locations important to the couple.

Brown card stock was printed with lyrics to the couple’s three ceremony songs -- Journey’s “Faithfully,” Lionel Richie’s “My Love” and Phil Collins’ “A Groovy Kind of Love.”

Have fun!!!

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Lulu's Love Pics ♥

Happy Tuesday =) These fabulous photos are our favorite photos for this week. Hope you enjoy and they give you inspiration for your uncoming photo shoots ♥






xoxo

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Friday, July 23, 2010

Candy Buffets ♥


Candy buffets are one of my favorite event trends. Not only are they a great favor but they are also a fun party decoration. Following are some tips to creating the perfect candy buffet bar for your special event.

Neat Candy Containers
The first thing you need to do is find some great candy containers and candy scoops. You can either rent containers (event planner, florist, or rental shop) or you can purchase them. Keep in mind that guests will need to reach into the vase to pull out candy. Choose vases with wide enough mouths to allow for easy access.

Clear containers usually work best. They showcase your candy selections, are elegant and have a charming appeal. You can add matching ribbon to add some great detail and incorporate your event colors.

Decorate the Table
In addition to the candy jars and candy selections you may want to decorate the table. Some fun ideas:

-A table runner in one of your event colors
-Flowers
-Candles
-Decor that matches your theme
-Childhood pictures of the bride and groom

One of the easiest ways to bring style to your candy buffet display is to put your candy jars at different levels. Raise the containers to different heights by putting books or other supporting materials under the table cloth.

How to Make Your Candy Selections
When making your candy selections, consider several things – your event colors, your theme, and your candy favorites.

Candy Color
Use your event colors to inspire your candy selections. You don’t have to stay true to the colors you selected for the rest of the event, but it is a great way to tie it all together.

How Much Candy Should I Buy?
Plan by how you want the display to look, not how many guests are coming. Having enough candy is crucial in making your candy buffet look good.

First, determine how many jars and types of candies you want. 7-10 is recommended (or more, depending on budget) types of candies. Buy 15-20 pounds of each variety.

Here are some of our favorite Candy Buffets; they are just so lovely and have fabulous color.





Fun Do-it-Yourself Favor
A candy buffet is a great do-it-yourself favor that your guests will not soon forget. Make sure to include favor boxes or bags so they have something to put their candy selections in.

Write a thank you note. Keep it short & sweet, but be sure guests know how special it was that they were a part of your big day. You can either write up a little note and drop into the bags or have printed on a little tag attached to the outside of the bag.

My personal favorite are these little jars. You can either have the stickers personalized with a thank you or have a tag around the top. Either way your guests will always be able to use this jar.

We hope you have a sweet time creating such a fun favor at your next event. Be sure to send us some pictures of your Candy Buffets ♥
xoxo
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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Engagement Photos ♥

As I started doing research on Engagement Photos I came across hundred's of absolutely beautiful shots. You can actually feel how in love the couples are through these amazing photos. I've decided to post new Engagements Photos for inspiration, once a week. Not only to newly engaged couples who have a shoot coming up but also for the married couples, who sometimes we take our spouse for granted and at one time did feel like this...sooooo in love!!!





OK...maybe this last one you can't see the couple but who could resist that face, lol

Photographers
Evrim Icoz Photography
Ben Godkin Photography
Threshold Visions
Fresh In Love Photography
Love The Schultzes

Hope you not only enjoy these lovely photos but get inspiration for your own shoot or to grab your honey tonight and give him/her a big smooch!

xoxo,
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Thursday, July 15, 2010

White Dress + Colored Shoes = Adorable!

Today I came across this great wedding blog and fell in love with the idea & photos. I just love them! As some of you may remember our Something Blue blog where we showed a photo of a beautiful white wedding gown with those bright blue shoes (love it!!!) So when I saw this post I had to re-post to share with you =) Thank you Ethereal Bride Blog for sharing such beautiful photos!!!






xoxo,
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Flowers & Psalms

My husband surprised me with this great book, To Have & To Hold by David Stark and Avi Adler. As he hands it to me he says "It's inspiration for your next journey".

As I flipped through the pages and started to read, "One of the most anticipated moments of your wedding planning is picking out your bouquet, but when faced with so many seductive choices, which do you choose? A tiny nosegay on an heirloom Bible?"...I paused and re-read..."A tiny nosegay on an heirloom Bible". I simply adore this. It's so simple, unique and elegant.


The Bride can carry more than a bouquet. An heirloom Bible-a gift from mother to daughter perhaps-is a note only sweetened by flowers.

The Bible, the ultimate symbol of Judeo-Christian faith, is an important religious statement. For deeply devout couples, holding one throughout the ceremony marks a commitment that draws strength well beyond the two who stand before the alter.

The book that's included in the bride's bouquet needn't be religious text in the strictest sense of the word, but rather something that holds spiritual value for the couple. One bride carried a small sketchbook that her groom had filled with tiny drawings while they dated.

xoxo,

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Thursday, July 1, 2010

The Peony

The peony has a large, full head, strong perfume, and bright color. But despite this outward showiness, the flower acquired the Victorian meaning "bashfulness." Cultivated in Asia for more than a thousand years and developed further by the French, the peony is available in two main types, the herbaceous and the tree peony (the latter's flowers do not last as long when cut). A bouquet made solely of peonies can be gorgeous; the flower can also be used to create beautiful centerpieces and arrangements. Grown in single- and double-flower styles, this expensive bloom is seasonally available from late spring to early summer but can be imported in the fall.

As some of you may know we love Peonies. To me they are one of the most beautiful, detailed flowers. The White with hints of pink in the middle are just amazing and a beautiful miracle.


In doing research on flowers we came across this great article courtesy of www.oncewed.com and wanted to share with you all! This totally inspired me to create these beautiful centerpieces for an upcoming event.


Inspired by French flower markets, galvanized tins were filled with fresh peonies and lined them up for a centerpiece. Anyone (including those with zero floral experience) can put this centerpiece together in minutes, a day or two before your event.

You will need:
-15 stems of Peonies
-3 6″ galvanized tins (can be found with numbers already attached, or you can stencil them on with a hardware stencil)
-Clippers (clean and sharp)
-Buckets of water

Step # 1
Choose peonies in three shades, pale pink, coral and pale yellow. It's recommended to buy them 2 days before and let them open up to full bloom while sitting in deep, lukewarm water. If you have trouble getting your flowers to open up, place them in a 70 degree, bright room. Do not place them in full sun. You may want to include a few budded or partially opened flowers if you are creating these the day before, as they will open up further overnight.

Step # 2
Fill your galvanized buckets over half way.

Step # 3
Each bucket will take 5 flowers. Hold one peony stem next to a bucket with the large flower head just above the rim. Do this to gage how long your stem should be. Clip the stem a little above where it meets the bottom of the bucket. Place your flower in the bucket and make sure the flower head rests on the rim of the bucket. If it is too tall, take it out and clip it again.

Step # 4
Fill one side of the bucket with blooms and work your way around the arrangement until the bucket is full.

Step # 5
Line them up down the center of the table (or group them together on a round table. for a 45″ round table, just one will do). You can place the numbered bucket in the center so guests can clearly find their table.

This flower was outside of a possible new studio so I had to take it home with me. It's a daily reminder/inspiration that all things are meant to be and I'm truly blessed that I am able to do what I love and hopefully we can begin a new journey.


xoxo...

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