DIY Illuminated Table Numbers

Even though the holiday crafts are beckoning to me, I thought we needed some wedding related DIY goodness today. For some reason, I absolutely love table numbers, and when I saw these, I thought, "Why didn't I think of that?!"

These illuminated table numbers were featured on the Intimate Weddings Blog and were made by Tuppence of Momfetti. Tuppence used these as her table numbers and they came out beautifully! The elegant paper combined with the glow from the candlelight adds instant intimacy to any event.

Photos via Intimate Weddings Blog

The full instructions can be found {HERE}...it seems easy enough! (I actually almost got up to make some for myself, but then I realized that I didn't need table numbers anymore.) These would also be great for some sort of themed party. You can easily change the look of them depending on the font, shapes and paper you use! Plus, they're functional and are a perfect way to add some decor to your event! Who else is loving these table numbers?

Black Friday? What Black Friday?

I've never been the one that wakes up at 4 AM to go shop Black Friday deals. It must be my mom's fault, because she never wanted to partake in the post Thanksgiving deal finding. But why participate in Black Friday when you have the internet?! Most internet retailers are now offering deals over the weekend, as well as on Monday, which has been dubbed "Cyber Monday".

These are just a few of the stores offering deals online:

Oh Amazon.com. It's a shopper's heaven. You can find just about anything, and it's usually at a lower price than you will find in stores. Plus, they're having Black Friday AND Cyber Monday deals. I got a $400 Garmin last year for $199...amazing, right? And they have that great Wish List feature, so you can tell your family, and make them do it too!

And of course Overstock.com is having deals for this weekend as well!

I recently found the yokomono Studio on a blog, and they have some great bags and home goods! Everything is 20% off for this weekend! Here is the Multi Pockets Pouch that I'm loving...

Ann Taylor Loft is having a special Style Steals deal lasting until Sunday. Sweaters and jeans are all under $29!

I know these are just a few of the stores offering deals, and there are a ton more online! However, after seeing some of the deals at clothing stores, I just might have to stop in to try some things on. Other than that, all of my shopping will be done online this year! What other stores are offering great deals online? Did anyone hit the stores for Black Friday this year?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to say....

I'll be back to regular posting tomorrow, with the start of the Friday's Finds Gift Series! Hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

LOVE: Modern White Wedding Decor

I recently helped out with a photo shoot that some awesome local wedding vendors put together, and I am completely in love with how everything came out! (You may recall my excitement over the sneak preview.) MMD Events created the design and decor, and Limelight Photography photographed the shoot.

I had never really seen anything like this, and I KNEW I had to share it! Everything was all white and modern, with clean lines, lots of candlelight, and hints of sparkle. I actually made the origami cranes that were part of the shoot too! A chandelier of the cranes and crystals was created, and I'm so excited that I had a part in the creation of something that beautiful! This decor would be perfect for a winter wedding at a modern venue, such as an art gallery or museum. However, if the decor is done right, you can achieve this look at just about any venue, and of course at any time of year!

Thank you to Limelight Photography for these gorgeous photos! MMD Events puts together some amazing and original decor...it's so much fun to work with them and see empty spaces transformed into beautiful events! Decor makes SUCH difference in the look and feel of a wedding. This all white decor is modern, yet classic, and elegant, but fun! So who wants all white decor like this now?

Rustic Red and Orange Inspiration Board

This is the last week of Fall, so I wanted to do one more fall inspired inspiration board! This combination of red and orange is so incredibly rustic and chic. The red and orange details pop beautifully against wood and the typical fall brown. A wedding with these colors is definitely going to be a lot of fun! Serve lemonade or cider (depending on the weather) before your ceremony. Have the reception in a large barn, just outside under the stars, or in a clearing between tress. How cool would it be to have lights strung from tree to tree?

Row 1: Barn, Cake, Bouquet
Row 2: Table, Aisle Post, Bride
Row 3: Centerpiece, Escort Apples, Mason Jar, Mason Jars

I just love the rustic feel of the red and orange flowers, combined with a lot of wood. And of course mason jars are my favorite. You simply can't have a rustic wedding without mason jars! What do you think of these colors for a rustic wedding? Are there any other colors you would use for a rustic event that aren't brown?

It's Been 6 Months!

I just realized that today marks 6 months since my husband, Schuyler, and I were married! It's been a wonderful 6 months, and the time has FLOWN by! From making our house into a home, changing to the same last name, and a complete 360 change in my career path, it's been an amazing start to our life together. I just wanted to mark this little milestone in our new life together and share a few of my favorite wedding photos!

All photos by CvB Photography

I wish we had more fun photos of the two of us, but thanks to Florida weather, we were rained out of our 3 hours of shooting time! You can see more details from our wedding in some of my very first blog posts. I can't wait for what else is in store for us!

DIY Holiday Decor: Ribbon Wreath

This week officially starts the holiday season for many people, but it's kind of hard for me to get in the "spirit" when it's still 80 degrees outside! So, to start getting in the holiday spirit, I thought I would share this DIY piece of holiday decor that was found on iDIY.

Via the long thread

Using grosgrain ribbon, some scissors, and a a foam wreath form, you can create a homemade wreath! The full materials needed and instructions can be found on the long thread, and step-by-step photos are here on Weddingbee. Use whatever color you want, or combine different colors to make a multicolored wreath. The wreath isn't really exclusively holiday-ish, so you can even use a color that matches the decor in your house and have it hanging year-round!

Via Weddingbee

If you're looking to add some decor to your wedding, these are great for a rustic wedding! You can hang different sizes of these wreaths from trees or off of fence posts.

I'm going to be starting my holiday crafting this weekend while I'm at my parents' for the holidays, and this wreath is at the top of my list. There will be more DIY holiday decor items to come...I've been accumulating them! Has anyone ever made any other type of holiday decor? Or used something like this in their wedding decor?

Give Your Wedding Cake a Bit of Style

Starting next week I'm going to be posting gift ideas on Fridays, because I always have the hardest time thinking of gifts for people, and I've found a couple of good ideas through some various blogs! And since a week from today it will be "Black Friday" (I can't believe it's already here!), I figured it will be appropriate to kick off the holiday posts then!

For today's Friday Finds I wanted to share Raise The Cake with you. Raise the Cake is a cake stand studio, creating beautiful cake stands and even cupcake stands too! Since the cake is often one of the focal points of the room, you want it to be as gorgeous as possible, right?

A cake stand is something that a lot of brides don't think about, but it makes a huge difference in the display of the cake. Your cake baker may have their own cake stand to provide you with, but it will most likely be something gold or silver, and that's it. You can have a plain white cake, put it on one of these cake stands, and it won't be plain anymore. Or you can have the cake design and the cake stand match, so then the stand just looks like another cake tier! A great solution if you want the look of a large cake but don't have the budget to have a huge bottom tier. Whatever way you use one of these cake stands, it will be a gorgeous addition to the display of your cake!

*All photos via Raise The Cake

They're all so gorgeous, right? No matter what the theme of your wedding is, there is sure to be a cake stand to match! You can order from the Raise the Cake Collection, design your own by choosing the fabric, ribbon and "bling", or have one completely customized for you. These cake stands are such a wonderful way to add a bit of decor to your cake! Who's planning on using one of these beauties for their wedding?

What I Didn't Know As a Bride That I Know Now

I’ve been in contact with a few new brides lately, and I found myself giving them a great deal of advice. I then realized that it was basically what I didn’t know as a bride that I know now. I learned through reading blogs and working in the wedding industry, and basically just educating myself. However, as a new bride, the first thought usually isn’t to educate yourself…it’s to grab the newest wedding magazine and start flipping through it, marking the pages of things you like. That’s not a problem at all…revel in your engagement! You have to know what you like and what you want!

Photo by Todd Pellowe

I was the first out of my friends to get married. There were so many times that I thought, “Gee, I wish I had some sort of warning or preparation so I could’ve known about this!” Therefore, I thought I would do a quick list of some of the major things that come to mind that I wish I had known when I was bride.

1. BLOGS! As I’ve said before, I had no clue about what wedding blogs were, how to find them, and what information they had! Photographers’ blogs, inspiration blogs, planners’ blogs are SUCH great resources! I found SO many great ideas and inspiration on blogs…the only drawback was that I found blogs too late in my planning and I couldn’t do half of the things that I wanted to. So you’re on a great start by reading a blog!

2. Weddings are expensive. Just know that and be prepared. There are ways to have a great wedding without “breaking the bank”, but definitely know the running price for services. Do your homework. I was in shock when I found out what the price of an average photography package was. And so were my parents. But that was because we had no idea about what photography (and everything else wedding related) entailed. When we met with other (much better) photographers and saw the difference in pricing, things started to make a bit more sense. Bottom line- do your homework. It’s okay to shop around, but know WHAT you’re shopping for and the quality of the product/service. (More details on this in another post later)

3. You can plan your own wedding AND have a wedding planner! I thought that I wouldn’t be able to put my own touch on my wedding if I had a planner. Then I realized that it was incredibly beneficial to have someone who knew the industry, knew vendors, and would be able to handle everything on the day of. You’re still planning your wedding. A wedding planner just helps you implement the plans! If ANYTHING, a day-of coordinator will be some of the best money you spend, because you will be able to avoid so much stress on your wedding day!

4. You aren’t limited to only using vendors that are local. I didn’t know this, so I only looked at vendors that were in the town that I was getting married in. Little did I know, most vendors are willing to travel! Of course it depends on how far they are traveling, but there is always a way. If there is a vendor that you want to work with who doesn’t work exclusively in your town, you can most likely still work with them! It never hurts to ask!

5. Custom paper goods. Having custom invitations made is the best thing ever. You can get invitations exactly how you want them, to match your theme, style, or color scheme, for the same price (if not better) as the ones out the big giant books. AND they look ten times better, are totally custom, and no one else will have ever received the same invitation previously (which has happened in a few occasions to my parents). There are SO MANY cool ways to have invitations made too! Why wouldn’t someone have custom invites made? Oh wait, if you’re me and find out about custom invitations the MONTH that invites are supposed to be ordered.

Via Oh So Beautiful Paper

I learned about most of these things a little too late in my wedding planning process, which is why I felt the need to share them with you all. Of course there are more things that I wish I had known, but these are the major tidbits of information that I thought were crucial to share! My wedding was awesome, but I think it would have been even better if I had known about these things sooner!

I hope some of these tips can help you have the best wedding imaginable! Does anyone have anything else that you’ve learned along the way that you would like to add? Share it in the comments section!

Rock and Roll Elegant Wedding by K&K Photography

Today's wedding was sent to me by Jeff and Ana of K&K Photography, another amazing husband and wife photography team! I've had the pleasure of recently meeting both of them, and they are the sweetest people and so much fun!

When I saw these photos, I was in a trance, scrolling through all 29 pages of the photos and drooling over them the whole entire time. The bride's style, the happiness of the bride and groom, the ceremony...everyone about this wedding is amazing.

Okay, kind of obsessed with this necklace.

Jeff and Ana shared some of the details of the ceremony: "The ceremony took place at the beautiful Cuban Centro Asturiano Theater. Each guest had a custom playbill entitled, “A Concert of Love” and it was chock-full of fun facts about the bride and groom, the different acts of the wedding/show, and even a “Who’s who in the cast”! The procession of the bridal party and the lovely bride started from the back of the theater up to the stage. The ceremony was broken into sections, and each section was followed by breathtaking performances by friends and family. We found it hard not to set down our cameras and be swept away by the art and beauty. It felt like we were watching a broadway show more than a wedding."

I've never heard of a ceremony like this! Jeff and Ana documented it wonderfully...it's like watching a movie! If you're wanting a different take on the ceremony, this is amazing!

The reception was done in a black in white color scheme, and of course had touches of rock and roll added to it!

This wedding was truly amazing! The rock and roll elements added a bit of fun, but it was still an incredibly elegant event. And I'm still loving the bride's necklace! Thank you to K&K Photography for sharing this beautiful wedding with us!