Bridesmaid Style

Pretty early on in the planning process I started researching bridesmaid dresses. I found that I was drawn to the mismatched dresses within a shade. I love how they're coordinated but also show each bridesmaid's individual style. Here are just a few of the pictures I fell in love with:

1|2|3

Although I had talked to all my 'maids about the idea, I decided to make a little something they could use as a guide for shopping. I found these purple large tags on sale at Paper Source. They were begging to be used for a fun wedding project. On the front side of the card I used the collage of photos above.

On the backside of the cards I used paint chips (cut into circles) to make a scale of gray as a shopping guide. I also included a few suggestions for clarity. I finished the cards off gray twine.

To date, four girls have picked their dresses and I LOVE how the look is coming together! 

Of course you can't look at bridesmaid dresses without looking at shoes! To complete the look, I want the girls and myself to wear TOMS wedges. Since the ceremony will be on grass, wedges are perfectly comfortable for standing and dancing into the night. It makes me happy to think each girl will get a pair of wedges and a child without shoes will get a pair too. I also really, really love that TOMS created pewter sequin wedges  (bottom right).

1|2|3|4

 Last but not least, to REALLY complete the look will be my favorite ladies standing by my side looking absolutely fabulous in their shades of gray!! I'm still working on jewelry, but will probably wait until all of the girls have their dresses. Suggestions welcome!

Engaged? Check!

Photographer? Check!

Venue? Check!

Engagement photos? Check!

Popping the other question (will you be my bridesmaid?)? Check!

Wedding dress? Check!

Wedding Colors & Inspiration Board? Check!

Save Our date postcards, Officiant, ceremony music, day-of coordinator, florist and caterer? Check!

Bridesmaid style? CHECK!

Melissa & Parker's Wedding

One month ago Melissa and Parker tied the knot on the beach in Costa Rica! 28 of the bride and groom's closest family and some friends made the journey to Tambor, Costa Rica (as I mentioned here). From sunrise to well past sunset, their wedding day was perfectly relaxed and so beautiful. 

We spent the day relaxing by the pool/beach and in the afternoon cleaned up for the wedding. That usual pre-wedding stress and tension was non existent. Prior to the ceremony the ladies helped Melissa get ready and a few last minute details. The guys all made sure Parker stayed upstairs, where he couldn't see Melissa. 

Meanwhile the house coordinator decorated the entire patio and beach where the ceremony took place. The house and beach were beautiful to begin with, but the added details made it into a classy beach wedding. Clouds and light rain threatened but did not dampen the festivities.

Here are the highlights and a few of my favorite photos from the big day...

The Harts ~ February 27

Tambor, Costa Rica

gorgeous black&whites of the groom and bride before they got to see each other!

You may remember their creative passport invites

the Hart's bling with a heart shaped drift wood. 

we found the heart while search for larger driftwood for the alter (as seen in ceremony photo). 

adorable flower girl dress made by the mother of the bride

wedding ceremony on the beach

father of the bride wrote a song that he preformed during the ceremony. 

as you can imagine, it was a real tear jerker. 

the happy couple!

the poolside reception

In addition to attending their special day, I was able to help with a few of the details. 

FLOWERS

Melissa's bouquet and the men's boutonnieres

Melissa and I's friendship really blossomed during the years we worked together at a flower shop. Since then we've both done flowers for other friends weddings. When she asked if I'd help with hers, it was a no-brainer! Although on the day-of things got a little busy and we couldn't do them together, I'm so happy I could be her flower girl. 

For Melissa's bouquet we used all white calla lilies, tied together with rafia. Her grandmother's cross was also tied to the bouquet as her something old. The maid of honor, mother's and grandmother's bouquets included the same calla lilies and orange alstroemeria. They were tied together with the same rafia as Melis' bouquet. 

Parker's boutonniere was one of the white calla lilies. The father's and best man's boutonnieres were two of the alstroemeria flowers. All were tied with rafia.

PROGRAMS

Melissa's mom made each guest a welcome bag filled with goodies to help enjoy their stay. I put together programs that went in each bag.  

The programs included: welcome letter from the bride and groom, Schedule of Events, How it all began...Melissa and Parker's story, Who are all these people? a blurb from each guest.

The outside of the programs were made with colorful card stock. Using coordinated paper, I made M&P letters on the Cricut. I cut two small holes on the side of each booklet and tied them together with hemp cord. 

GUEST BOOK

While looking for wedding ideas, I came across this Surprise wedding. It reminded me of Melissa because she always talked about having a surprise wedding. I loved many of the sweet details, especially the postcard guest book. Since their wedding was a destination I thought that postcards would make a perfect guestbook! 

After a few online searches, I ordered four different postcard prints from Zazzle.com. The best part about Zazzle is that you can customize the front and back of the postcard. With the help of Jess, I picked the following cards: 

On the back of each card I had M&P's address already printed and a large space for a message. After the ceremony I passed out markers and postcards to each guest to write a message to M&P. I collected them all back to be mailed. I intended for them to be sent from CR, but that was a lot harder than expected. Instead, they traveled from CR to CA and a few put into the mail each day. I hope M&P receive all the cards and will enjoy the sweet message for years to come!

Thank you to Melissa and Parker for allowing me to attend your beautiful wedding and share the details here! 

2011 Wedding Season

With the new year comes the obvious change in date, resolutions and of course...another wedding season!! It's a time of year I always look forward to. This year promises to be another busy but exciting spring and summer full of weddings! 

I wanted to share our current line-up of 2011 weddings we'll be attending, their cute pictures and a few of the details... 

Melissa & Parker

February 26 ~ Tambor, Costa Rica

Melissa and Parker are having a small ceremony on the beach with immediate family and a few friends. They choose a destination wedding for a few reason, the biggest (no pun intended) being that they're expecting a baby in May (see the bump here)! They wanted to tie the knot now and plan to have a large reception back in Colorado in late summer or fall, after the baby is born.  

I will be traveling to Costa Rica sans B, but with some of my favorite high school ladies (plus Dave!). Not only am I looking forward to watching one of my besties tie the knot, I'm thankful for the motivation it's currently given me to workout! I am currently helping with a few wedding details (and surprises!) that I will share after the big day.

Debbie & Jeremy

April 30 ~ Turlock, California

Debbie and Jeremy are having a large ceremony (350+) and reception in Turlock, California (Debbie's hometown). While in Boston (Jeremy's hometown) last spring they had engagement photos taken at Fenway Park, home of the other love in Jeremy's life, the Boston Red Sox! 

The photo below was turned into their save-the-date, which you can see here on Debbie's blog. You can also follow along with her wedding projects as she counts down 30 before April 30. 

Over the last year or so B and I have both become good friends with Debbie and Jeremy so we are both really looking forward to witnessing their big day! I'm especially looking forward to seeing all Debbie's projects come to life, I know they won't disappoint. 

 Katie McElwee Photography

See their entire engagement photo session here! 

Sara & Andy

May 28 ~ Denver, Colorado

Sara and Andy are getting married over Memorial Day weekend in Denver. Their ceremony will take place on the grounds of Denver University, followed by a reception at an art gallery on Santa Fe. 

Perfectly aligned with their city wedding, are their adorable city engagement photos. The top photo was used in their save-the-date cards.

When Sara began her planning I was honored that she asked me to be her coordinator. After one talk we decided it would be more fun to help plan along the way and attend the wedding as a guest. Sara ended up hiring another friend as her wedding coordinator, Jackie with Jaclyn Michelle Weddings (great name, eh?)! And Kaci will be baking the cakes!

Angie Wilson Photography

Sarah & Derek

July 29 ~ San Rafael, California

Sarah and Derek are getting married this summer in San Rafael where they currently live and work. Their ceremony will take place in a local park and fitting for these teachers, their reception is at the St Vincent School for Boys! 

Their engagement photos were also taken in their neck of the woods and I just love everything about them (the photos and the couple)!

Sarah and Derek have been together for over five years, so I've known them both a long time. I know I'm not alone in saying that I can't wait for their wedding! I have a feeling it will be just like them - unique and a total blast.

 Meghan Roberts Photography

Layna & Dave

August 5 ~ Denver, Colorado 

Layna and Dave are getting married towards the end of summer, just outside of Denver at the Boettcher Mansion (same venue as Stephanie & Mark's wedding). These love birds will tie the knot in their element - surrounded by the trees and their families and friends.

Over the holidays Layna's twin sister, JNelly, took their engagement photos in Beaver Creek. Not only are they an adorable couple, but these photos truly capture their love of the outdoors. The photos will be used for their save-the-dates, which are currently in the works!

I've known Layna since Kindergarten and have been friends for a better part of that time. I could not have better hand selected a man for her to marry. I am very much looking forward to being a part of their special day!

JNelly Photography

 I promise to share details along the way and highlights after each. 

2009 wedding highlights: here

2010 weddings highlights: here, here and here

Cheers!

Emily & Ryan's Wedding

The weekend before last we traveled to Chicago for Emily and Ryan's wedding. Brian was a groomsman in the wedding. He and Ryan met in college and have been good friends ever since. 

The first time I met Ryan and Emily was in LA when we met up to see the Cubs play the Dodgers. Ryan was one of the first friends of Brian's from Iowa that I got to meet. I was releaved to know Brian had nice, normal friends who were also insanely passionate about sports (specifically the Iowa Hawkeyes). 


The four of us get along really well. Although we live far away, we've had the opportunity see them quite a few times: once to visit them last summer and then we hosted them here in CA last fall.  

During our visits Emily and I would talk, among other things, about friends, parties and weddings. From those conversations alone I knew their wedding would be fabulous. During his toast, Emily's father mentioned that in their family when they think of "wedding" they think of the movie Father of the Bride. He went on to say that if you're looking for Franck (the wedding planner), look at Emily she's our wedding planner. I loved the reference to the movie and it was a sweet statement, because she really did plan a fabulous wedding. It was classy with well coordinated details, tons of family and friends and A LOT of fun!


The Hyde's ~ October 16

Chicago, IL

Highlights:

Gorgeous church, beautiful bride and groom and adorable flower girl and ring bearer.

After the ceremony the wedding party drove around Chicago to get pictures. I was lucky enough to be invited to ride along with them, so much fun! This was the first stops and one of my favorite pictures of the couple. Roscoe Village is where they live.

Next stop was the lake front, with a view of the city skyline. I snuck behind the photographer to get this shot of the whole group. I love how the green flowers pop against the navy dresses. And well, I also love the view of the city in the background - so pretty!

a few of my favorite pictures of the group: 1. Amazing shot of Emily. Not only does she look stunning in front of the skyline, the light wind was perfect for a flowing vail shot! 2. i LOVED the bridesmaids dresses and especially shoes. They were a perfect combination of classy and cute. 3. I also loved how sharp the guy looked in their matching suits. Really an all around good looking wedding party! 4. Last but certainly not least, B's herky belt buckle made it in the wedding. I love that the photograph snagged a photo of it!

click to enlarge  

The maid of honor made this for the back of the limo. This is Emily and Ryan's dog, Archie. His sign says "JUST HITCHED HAWKEYES" 

The happy couple celebrating on the way to the reception. Cheering and a fist pump for the hawkeyes victory and their wedding, of course!!

a few of my favorite details from the reception: 1. the place cards were little tags pinned onto white pumpkins. i loved the subtle incorporation of fall  2.more pumpkins and how cute is that personalized round box cake in the background? I'm not sure if it was a gift or made by the bride but I know it must be inspired by Paper Source!   3. Each champagne glass was filled with bubbly and ready for the toast. Sweet addition, a strawberry on the side!  4. Continuing with the elements of fall, each guest received a caramel apple to take home (sorry the picture is so dark. take my word for it, they were delicious!)

click to enlarge

From the Save the Date to the invitations to the programs and menu cards, all of the paper were coordinated and very well done. Come to find out, one of Emily's good friends is a graphic designer and made them all. Shown here is the menu card in the background, although blurred, you can see the table number uses the same circular design.

Here is Emily and her Kappa sisters doing their tradition for weddings. Although I couldn't hear all the words, it was sweet. I must say it was much classier than singing to John Cougar at the top of your lungs, per the (beta iota) Theta wedding tradition. 

Thank you for allowing us to be part of your special day! We were so happy to be able to make the trip out for their festivities. Here's to many happy years of marriage, Hawkeye victories and continued friendship!! 

Inspiration from the Bride of Frankenstein

Based on the title of this post you're probably thinking: where is this going? Good question. As I've mentioned a few times, I've been doing a lot of Halloween costume brainstorming. I also love inspiration boards and wanted to start making more of my own. In the spirit of Halloween and bringing back Wedding Wednesdays...here is my first inspiration board. 

{photos via Martha Stewart, Better Homes and Gardens, My Expressions, Hostess with the Mostess and Spirit Halloween}

My first thought was, how fun would it be, as newly weds, to dress up as the Bride of Frankenstein (BOF) and Frankenstein. If you don't plan to save your dress for years to come, this would be a fun time to re-wear it. A dress could also be found at a thrift shop or easily constructed with white material and a sewing machine. Unless you have jet black hair and are handy with the blow-dryer and aqua net, I'd recommend splurging for a $13 BOF wig! 

Frankenstein's costume could be constructed very easily as well. Black pants, long sleeve black shirt and an over-sized dark gray suit jacket (hello, thrift store!). For added bulky monster affect, add shoulder pads to the inside of the jacket. A little green face paint and monster accessories and ta-da: Frankenstein! 

As I started looking around at pictures, my creativity grew. Why stop at costumes when you could have a whole Frankenstein inspired monster bash? The party could be a Halloween party, or as seen in the lower left corner, an engagement party! Whether your party is along the lines of mad scientists laboratory or haunted mansion, you could incorporate wedding elements to the theme. After all, you are dressed as a monster bride and groom! 

No matter what kind of party you throw, there are tons of ideas and resources for hosting your own monster bash. I recommend starting your search here, here and/or here. 

Stephanie & Mark's Wedding

Stephanie and I met about five years ago at work. We quickly became friends outside of work and had many adventures planning parties, helping with friends’ weddings, running races, ski trips, concerts, volunteering and camping trips. We also share a passion of organizing things - just for fun, watching the Today show, bad reality tv shows and laughing at each others good and bad jokes!

Fast forward to the 2010, Stephanie met the man of her dreams (via match.com): athletic, an early riser, traveled the world, is good at planning, likes to ski, has a great job that he loves. Before too long they were engaged and planning a summer wedding. 

While I was home for the holidays, Stephanie asked me to be her maid of honor. As her only attendant it was a huge honor. Regardless of my official role in the wedding, as soon as they were engaged I started helping them plan the big day. Throughout the whole process, it was fun to see Stephanie and Mark collaborate in the planning. The day truly reflected the two of them and was such a fun party.

The Sikora's ~ July 9
Venue: Boettcher Mansion
Golden, CO
The couple: Stephanie & Mark
Colors: Fuchsia, lime green and black
Themes: Damask, Classy, Outdoor Wedding
Highlights:

This is my favorite photo of the couple - gorgeous! 

Who doesn't go for a mountain bike ride after they get hitched?

We bought our dresses separately but ended up having the same neckline and ruching so we were well coordinated!

This is one of my favorite moments from their special day. Right before they walked down the aisle, the Father of the Bride pulled out his camera and took a self portrait! I love that the photographer captured it too.

Stephanie and I wore the same shoes. It was so fun to be coordinated with her! I'm a huge fan of brides wearing bright colored shoes. I think it's such a nice pop of color, as you can see here.

The guys had coordinating socks too!

Stephanie and I made all of the candle holders and centerpiece vases the month before the wedding. The day before the wedding I arranged the centerpieces (dahlias), which were ordered from an online wholesale florist.

One of their 'splurge' items for the reception was a photo booth. It was so.much.fun. Pictured here are my brother and mom modeling some of the photo booth props.

A tribute to their love of skiing and a fun addition to the party were the ski shots. These were made by the Father of the Bride. Seen here with the sister of the groom - great photo!

Wedding party does the ski shot

Stephanie surprised Mark with a cake highlighting all the places he's traveled across the globe. Cake was made by the fabulous Miss Kaci!

It truly was an honor to be part of your special day, Stephanie & Mark! 

Thank you for letting me share the details here.