Posts Tagged ‘priscilla’
Fabulous Finds: August
Time flies when you’re having fun! This month’s “Fabulous Finds” post marks the end of summer and all that we love about it, from colorful flowers, fun paper poms, bouquets made from cotton and romantic rings. Enjoy looking at some of our favorite things from this season as we prepare for the another beautiful time in the wedding world: Autumn!
1. Photo Fans.
A great way to incorporate photos into your wedding decor is to put your image on fans with a program printed on the other side.Perfect for an end-of-summer fete in need of a cool breeze!
Jordyn and Bradley by Tec Petaja Photography
2. Purple Allium.
These adorably dainty yet buxom flowers wowed me right away, especially because I had never really noticed them before. Maybe I had never heard of them because they actually come from the onion plant! They have a modern, full look that will brighten up any arrangement, and are ideal for summer outdoor weddings.
Purple allium flowers from Nature Hills Nursery
Purple allium wedding invitations, Two For Joy Paper.
3. Paper Poms.
I’ve been loving poms since I first saw them used for a gender reveal party for an expectant mother. I think they’re perfect fun for any party, especially an outdoor wedding. They add such a distinct look that you would never imagine they’re made from paper and very affordable!
Emarie and Nick’s wedding. Images by Jen Good.
4. Cotton Floral Arrangements.
Who knew cotton could be so glamorous? These arrangements are light, airy, organic and most importantly, very unique. I think they would give a heavenly element to any wedding decor and hope to see more of them in the future!
5. Venetian Inspirations.
I’m not just saying this because Venice is my favorite city on earth, but how beautiful is the new Venetian Collection by Verragio? This line of engagement rings and wedding bands has a flair for style and the perfect combination of old-world craftsmanship and cutting edge technology. Featuring Verragio’s signature crown shaped bezel beneath the center stone and meticulous attention to detail, each ring within the Venetian Collection puts an emphasis on accentuating the side profile. Ahh, it takes me back to the magical city of romance and gandolas…who could resist? Guys, if you’re looking for the perfect ring to complete your sentimental proposal, you’ll find it in this collection!
Monday’s Montage: Groomsmen Gifts
Last Monday we focused on Bridesmaid gifts and this week it’s the guy’s turn. If you’re not sure where to begin, take a look at these six useful and personal options varying in price range as you prepare to thank your best friends for being such a big part of your life and wedding day. Many grooms give their gifts the day before the wedding at the rehearsal dinner. Have fun picking something that fits your guys’ personalities perfectly!
1. For the Beach Bum–Swimming trunks that fit each groomsman’s style is a a great gift that the guys will never forget. Each time they go for a swim they’ll remember your love of water or your beach wedding. My very patriotic brother-in-law got American Flag board shorts (similar to these red, white and blue shorts by Freshjive) as a groomsmen gift from a best friend who was known for wearing swimming trunks around their college campus (top left).
2. For the Outdoorsy Type--A stainless grill set or the one-of-a-kind Keg-a-Que stainless steel charcoal grill make a functional gift for the camping or tailgating lover (top left center).
3.For the Practical Guy–Giving your groomsmen matching ties to wear in the wedding is a way to save them money when it comes time to buy the wedding attire. A tie is also a gift that can be worn again to other weddings and dressy occasions. These matching microfiber neckties made by Toybreaker’s shop on Etsy are made in the same design, and same ink color (top right).
4. For the Cigar Aficionado–A custom Cigar Infusion Barrel from Thousand Oaks Barrel Co. is a very cool gift that guys will love to show off to all their friends. Cigars are stored and infused in the flavor of your favorite spirit from whiskey, scotch, bourbon, tequila, rum, port or mead (bottom left).
5. For the Manly Man–A personalized hammer, flask, liter, or knife make a handy gift that any guy would love to have. My husband has gotten all of these over the years and he actually uses them each quite often. This black, leather stainless steel hip flask gift set from West Coast Jewelry would be perfect (bottom center)!
6. For the Sports Junkie--A personalized cooler chair for tailgating is a fun and unique option for guys that frequent sporting events. This Sit ‘N Sip Chair Cooler from Sweet Memory Baskets seconds as a sports stool, has plenty of room for favorite drinks and snacks as well as extra pockets for car keys or other accessories (bottom right).
Star Styles: Engagement Rings
We’re starting a new trend here at Where to Get Engaged called “Star Styles.” We know we’re not the only ones that love to look to celebrities for wedding inspiration and this time we’d love to take a closer look at the bounty of gorgeous engagement rings that have recently been quite hard to ignore. It seems like every day another member of the entertainment world is engaged, and the rings are beautiful, unique and of course, over the top. From yellow diamonds and pave to pear shapes and asscher cut, you may need a refresher on what are the hottest ring trends right now. If your girl has been fawning over any of these big sparklers, now is your chance to find something similar at a more affordable price.
1. Carrie Underwood: Carrie’s ring is a yellow diamond, estimated to be worth about $150,000. Check out the Masterwork Semi mount engagement ring with a prong set radiant cut fancy yellow diamond center stone surrounded by micro pave set diamonds with a micro pave and bezel set wave design diamond shank.
2. Ali Fedowtowsky: The latest bachelorette’s ring is a 3.03 center asscher-cut diamond, accented with 184 round brilliant-cut diamonds in a platinum setting, very similar to this ring offered at James & Sons.
3. Kellie Pickler: The country crooner’s ring is a brilliant cut center stone surrounded by a halo of pave diamonds, much like Verragio’s Paradiso Engagement Ring (style 3047R).
4. Hilary Duff: Her hockey-star fiance went all out with her 14-carat, radiant-cut engagement ring that is rumored to be worth $ 1 million. If you love the look of this ultra-glam ring, but want something a bit more budget friendly, consider the radiant cut three-stone ring (style 106) by David Levy.
5. Bethenny Frankel: The Real Housewives of New York breakout star of Bethenny Getting Married has an 8-carat ring with a 6 ½-carat pear-shaped center stone flanked by two side stones. If you are interested in a more affordable version, check out this almost identical sparkler by Diamond Nexus Labs.
Helpful Groom Duties: Planning the Transportation
Jason Keefer Photography
One of the things the groom-to-be can help with in the wedding planning process is organizing the transportation. What transportation? You may be assuming these kinds of things just work themselves out while your bride is silently freaking out in her head one hundred times a day over not just how she and her new hubby will make it from the church to the reception but how her lipstick and purse will make it, too. (Yes, guys, we really do think about these things.) So if helping your bride hasn’t been on your radar since getting engaged, this is a good time to do some research and impress your fiancee with your knowledge and willingness to help plan something that she probably sees as a hassle. If she is waiting for you to take some initiative, and you don’t want to fall trap to helping with the typical “girlie” stuff, then this is the perfect way to get involved. First and foremost, begin by organizing the transportation for the wedding party members (most importantly the guests of honor–you and your lovely bride).
Some things to consider:
1. How is the bridal party going to get from the hotel (or pre-ceremony location) to the ceremony, then to the reception, and then back to the hotel?
Consider providing a limo or other special vehicle to transport the entire party, at least from the ceremony to the reception.
2. Where can belongings be stored during the ceremony (especially for the bridesmaids who will undoubtedly have a bag with their toiletries and change of clothes from before the wedding) and how will they be safely transported and stored at the reception?
I suggest having a room mapped out for things to be stored in at the church or ceremony location.Just be sure the bride and groom’s belongings are kept away from one another so they don’t potentially run into each other unexpectedly before the big moment! Then place an usher or friend in charge of making sure everything gets transported to the reception and placed in another safe, central “room” where the bridesmaids or groomsmen can go to find their belongings when they’re ready to head out for the night.
3. How will the wedding gifts be transported from the church to the reception and to your future residence?
I would suggest putting an aunt or close family friend in charge of this so you don’t lose any gifts along the way.
4. Will the bride and groom have their own “getaway car” after the ceremony or will they be riding with the rest of the bridal party?
Plan ahead to have a driver from the ceremony and reception. My husband and I had a friend drive us from the ceremony to the reception in our “new to us” white Landcruiser. No, it wasn’t a limo but it was very special to us and it’s beautiful white sheen had a definite wedding feel. My husband had champagne waiting for us and our “driver” let us enjoy some time chatting away on the way to our big party.
5. How will the bride and groom get to their hotel or sleeping destination after the reception?
Make sure you have a sober driver in mind if needed. The last thing you want to worry about on your wedding night is how you will be arriving to your hotel room.
6. Will you be leaving for your honeymoon immediately from the reception or the next morning? If so, how will you get your luggage to and from the reception and how will you be getting to your destination or the airport?
Offer to help your bride pack for the honeymoon and deliver your bags to your hotel room ahead of time if possible.
7. When you arrive at your honeymoon destination will you need a ride from the airport to your resort? If so, plan ahead and find out the name of the shuttle service to be looking for. Stepping off the plane in a foreign country can be very intimidating with a plethora of drivers shouting names in different languages!
This can be more stressful than you think, and I was very impressed with my husband when we arrived at the chaotic Cancun airport and he knew exactly who to look for to whisk us away to our resort.
Monday’s Montage: Bridesmaid Gifts
Finding the perfect gift for your bridesmaids in your price range can be a daunting task. You want it to be personal, sentimental, pretty, and of course, useful. These six ideas are bound to spark your interest and help you narrow things down as you prepare to thank your best friends for being a part of your wedding day. Many brides give their gifts the day before the wedding at the bridesmaids luncheon or rehearsal dinner. Good luck choosing the best gifts for your girls!
1. The Classic: I gave my girls monogrammed tote bags filled with helpful wedding day goodies like gum, lip gloss, and tissues and have seen many others do this since. You can’t go wrong with this traditional route! These personalized picnic tote bags are from Beau Coup (top left).
2. The Personal: Another personal gift is the monogrammed robe wrap. This can be used for the day of wedding preparations and makes for a really cute picture! Check out The Palm Gifts for these monogrammed spa wraps with hot pink and black ribbon (top right).
3. The Stylish: Giving away matching clutch purses is a great idea for the bride that wants her girls to be coordinating on the big day. These “Alexis” clutch purses were made by A03 Designs Studio using pieces of the bride’s mother’s veil! How cool? (bottom left)
4. The Practical: Add some coordinating flip-flops or comfy shoes for your bridal party to your gift to ensure everyone has happy feet at the reception! Try these SwitchFlops in Lulu Brown from Rebecca Kathleen Bed, Bath and Lingerie Boutique (bottom left center).
5. The Useful: This is a new favorite among my friends. It’s personal, and can actually be used for many years.Consider a monogrammed picnic basket or market tote like this pink floral one from Simply Sassy Trendy Gifts and Trinkets. You can also fill it with additional gifts for your girls, like snacks for the wedding weekend (bottom right center).
6. The Jewels: A traditional stand-by gift and another way to have your maids coordinate on your wedding day is to give matching jewelry. Choosing a style that goes well with the dresses will prevent a mismatch of pieces and give a uniform look to the party. A coordinating set like the Oscar Collection from TARA Pearls would be beautiful with any attire! (bottom right)
What are some of your favorite bridesmaid gifts?
Spa Treatments for Him
image from Mimisan Natural Nail Spa
Spa treatments are no longer just for the ladies, especially in this age where terms like “metro-sexual” are used in everyday conversation. So guys, if all the wedding talk is stressing you out, or you just want to look your best for your bride on your big day, consider some of these stress relievers from a local spa. Don’t worry…we won’t tell!
1.Men’s facial: A facial will clean, exfoliate and nourish the skin. Get your face in tip-top condition before the big day with European Facials by Dzialo.
2. Manicure: Maybe you’ve never considered this before now, but trust me, the last thing a delicate, dainty bride wants to hold during the wedding ceremony are rough hands with dirty nails. Think about getting things cleaned up a bit at Luv Manicures and Pedicures.
3. Straight razor shave: A five-o’clock shadow on your wedding day is a big no-no! Getting a straight razor shave will be give you the clean edge you need to complement your polished wedding attire. Try a place like Eddie’s Haircut and Shave for this luxurious treatment.
4. Foot Reflexology: Profound relaxation and pain relief can be found through the application of applying pressure to certain reflexes in the foot. Consider get a foot reflexology treatment for anything from stress,headaches to back pain or sinus congestion to get yourself feeling your best before the big day.
5. Scalp Treatment: Treat yourself with an invigorating scalp treatment. Not only does it feel great, but it can stimulate your hair growth, too! I got this for my husband for Father’s Day at a local spa and he loved it!
Don’t be afraid to pamper yourself before your big day, guys. You won’t regret it!
Monday’s Montage: Cool Cake Toppers
Twenty years ago cake toppers were a dime a dozen–the traditional bride and groom in the classic white gown and black tux. If people wanted to mix things up they would use the quasi-funny groom being dragged to the alter by his eager bride. Well, things in the wedding industry have gone from very generic and basic to extremely personal and unique, and cake toppers are no exception. Some range from the couple’s monogram or initial to something that represents the couple, like a Labrador Retriever or sailboat. Others get classy with exquisite flowers, get funny with wacky figurines or get funky with something vintage or unique to their interests. Some cake designers can even recreate the bride and groom’s face and body using a photo of the couple! With all of this customization, choosing your cake topper can get complicated. Here are some neat ideas:
Overall, your cake topper is just another way to display your personality and have some fun. Here are some unique options to explore:
The Monogram: This is a very popular choice for the classy, traditional wedding from Buttercream Dreams, LLC (top left).
The Floral Delight: This is a very easy option that will easily coordinate with the rest of your wedding theme. You can even place the bridesmaid bouquets around the cake to further tie in the floral theme. Check out more like this with Buttercream Dreams, LLC (top left center).
The Humorous Hobby: If you share a funny interest or collection, consider displaying it in your cake topper, as seen in this creation by Carrie Ashton of Buttercream Dreams, LLC (top right center).
The College Sweethearts: A college mascot in couple form is an adorable way to honor your alma mater. These Virginia Tech Hokies look great as bride and groom and represent the couple in a personal way (top right).
The “Taste”ful Approach: Grapes or other foods can be used as cake toppers, as well. These grapes would be especially appropriate for a vineyard wedding. Check out more designs from Cakes Unlimited (bottom left).
The Nautical Theme: Using a theme that’s especially close to your heart and harmonizes with the rest of your wedding adds a special touch, whether in your cake topper or groom’s cake, as seen in this masterpiece done by Nancy’s Fancies (bottom left center).
The Personal Production: This couple had mini-mes created out of clay to match themselves to a “t.” Check out Kelli’s Cake Creations to get yours made (bottom right center)!
The Customized Creation: This cake is made to order by Chele’s Customized Cakes to represent the bride and groom’s love of the winter weather (bottom right).
What are some more cool cake toppers you have seen? Send me some pictures or post some to your profile to share with other readers!
Real Weddings with David and Jennifer
For our Real Weddings feature, David and Jennifer have been chosen to share the beautiful pictures from their 10 year vow renewal ceremony. I especially love those hanging lanterns! Read on as we see the intimate details that made their celebration unique.
From their photographer, Jason Keefer:
When they got married, David and Jennifer didn’t get a chance to really celebrate because David was immediately deployed to the Gulf.
How cute are those uniforms?
Ten years later, they had an intimate ceremony and reception amongst their children, family and close friends at Jennifer’s parent’s home in Manakin Sabot, VA.
Many of the decorations were handmade or found in craft stores.
I always love the use of mason jars, especially in the summer! See Fabulous Finds: July for more creative uses!
The mix of gingham ribbon and polka-dot pots is so country chic.
Such presence.
Accents of pink bring out the spring-time feel of the outdoor ceremony.
Gerbera daisies stand-out against delicate glass vases, adding to the country spring theme.
Little guys sport their navy gear in support of the groom.
I especially love these hanging lanterns. They add such a romantic element to the reception.
An intimate evening under the trees…
Love in bloom.
Thank you David and Jennifer for sharing your beautiful day and Jason Keefer Photography for the lovely images!
Monday’s Montage: Transporation Ideas
If you’re looking to relieve your bride-to-be in a big way, planning the transportation to and from the ceremony and reception will be a huge help.
Your transportation should match up with the theme and feel of your wedding, and of course your personalities. Here are some options:
The Fairytale Option: The horse drawn carriage would be perfect for a dreamy wedding scene, just like this one from Martini Ranch Carriages (top left).
The Eco-friendly: Consider renting a rickshaw or pedicab to cart you and your earth conscious bridal party to and from your ceremony or reception. Some have the capacity to transport as many as 45 people at any given moment and can provide all-season canopies and warm blankets, to make guests comfortable no matter what the weather. Check out Cream City Rickshaw, Inc. or Boston Pedicab for some ideas (top center).
The Classic Car: The Vintage Rolls Royce would be downright swanky and super-impressive. See Best Car in Town to take a closer look (top right).
The Trendy Vehicle: The stretch Hummer limo would show some style and personality for the big entrance. Check out Churchill III Luxurious Limousine Service, Inc. for this beauty (center left).
The Traditional Limo: A black stretch limo always makes a grand entrance. Check out Andrus Limousine for some options (center right).
The Party Bus: For the fun-loving bride and groom consider a full-on “party bus” like this one from Top Dog Limo Bus and the celebration will be nonstop from the moment you begin your big day until the last party-goer is put to bed (bottom left).
The Hometown Icon: A trolley would give small town charm. Try the Grand Rapids Trolley Co. for more ideas (bottom right).
Have you seen any unique transportation ideas?
Real Weddings with Katie and Joey
For our Real Weddings feature, Katie and Joey have been chosen to share their beautiful fall wedding pictures and the story behind them so we can get a glimpse into their big day. I just love all the personal touches that display their heritage and special memories. It’s so neat how she wore her mother’s veil and displayed a doll figurine that was her grandmother’s on the dessert table. Read on as we hear from the bride herself on the inspiration behind their unique and intimate details.
From the bride:
My dad made our dance floor for us. We had priced having a dance floor rented along with everything else we had rented and the cost of a big enough dance floor seemed outrageous. My dad is quite a handyman and he loved the idea of being able to make it himself, so he priced the lumber and paint and made it himself (for significantly less than the rental cost). When I went to my parents house to see it, my dad couldn’t wait to show us his home-made dance floor along with the stenciled K & J that he had put in the middle piece. We were later able to use our dance floor boards as shelving in our basement!
I had the bride robe wrap made specifically with our wedding colors. I wanted mine to be white, where as the other girls were black with black and white polka-dot ribbon trim. My mom’s “MOB” robe was a lime green color.
Obviously most of our wedding color scheme was black and white, some with black/white polka-dots with splashes of hot pink and lime green thrown in. I wanted the programs to be very simple but also allow our guests to get to know the bridal party. In past weddings that I have been to, I loved reading about the people in the wedding party and the significance of them to the bride/groom so I knew for us this was a must!
I have been fortunate enough to have LOTS of great girlfriends and have been in many weddings, and luckily most of my friends have been gracious enough to find reasonably priced dresses/accessories so I wanted to be able to give the same to them. I had no idea what I wanted my bridesmaids to wear and had been all over trying to find something fairly reasonable, cute, AND be something that the girls would be able to and want to wear again. I had been to various bridal shops and was sick of the cookie cutter bridesmaids dress so I began to look elsewhere, especially in large dept. stores. I eventually found the dresses at Macy’s and was able to place orders through other stores to get enough dresses! The final cost per dress came to $90.
I love the Staunton trolley and the idea of our bridal party all being able to ride to the reception together. We were able to rent the trolley for several hours, fit everyone onto it (including grandparents, parents, flower girls/ring bearers and bridal party) and it worked out wonderful. We also had lots of out of town guests and were able to have the trolley make two runs to the hotel to pick up guests for the wedding and then bring them to the reception site when the ceremony was over.
We used “Grow Old Along With Me” by Mary Chapin Carpenter, “Forever” by, Ben Harper and “In This Very Room” during our ceremony. It took us a long time to come up with the songs that we wanted to be sung and finally decided on those. I have loved Ben Harper’s “Forever” for a long time and thought it was a great fit for us. “In this very room” was an important choice for us since we had several grandparents/loved one that had passed away or couldn’t make it to the wedding. We knew that although some of those folks couldn’t be there with us in person, they were there in spirit.
I have always wanted an outdoor/tented reception. We had originally planned to have the reception at my brother’s house on his land but then decided we would use the Staunton country club. My parents live there so it was super convenient to have everything so close and to be able to run up there anytime we wanted to measure, check sizes and shapes of things or just to envision what the reception would look like. We wanted the entrance of the tent to stand out and have lots of great plants (from Shreckhise Shrubbery) and also got a vinyl banner printed. I absolutely loved the way the entrance of the reception turned out and wouldn’t change a thing about it.
My parents have a house at Smith Mt. Lake that we have been going to for years. As long as I can remember my dad has been making his ‘famous’ Gin & Tonics there. As the years have gone by and more of my friends, my parents’ friends and family have been there, everyone has fallen in love with his Gin & Tonics. I loved the idea of having a signature drink and there couldn’t have been a better fit for us than my dad’s Smith Mt. Lake Gin & Tonic!
My mom’s side of the family is from Hungary and we had lots of Hungarian relatives flying in from all over the country. It was important for me to be able to show others a glimpse of the Hungarian heritage by offering drinks, cheeses, peppers and sausages along with a picture of the patriarchs of our family – my Nagymama and Nagypapa (Great Grandparents).
Joe’s family is from Southwest, Va and we wanted to be able to offer folks some of his favorite things growing up there. We had samples of pound cakes, roasted pecans, cowboy beans, beef/deer jerky for people to sample.
My mom saw the idea for the kid’s table and we ran with it. I immediately loved it. I gained six nieces and nephews and they were all in the wedding. We also knew that there would be lots of kids there around the same age group and thought that it would be fun for them to have their own special table to sit. We had the pinwheels made with coordinating colors out of scrapbook paper and placed them in lime green buckets filled with sand and huge lollipops. The kids had plastic plates, paper napkins and a cupcake at each of their seats with their names printed. We had also gotten all of the kids at the table plastic fun cups with lids in case of any spills. The table really seemed to be a huge hit with the kids there!
Our main goal with the wedding was to have lots of personal touches; we wanted it to reflect our personalities and us as a couple. The Cigar/Bourbon bar area was a last minute idea. Our neighbors had these beautiful twig benches that we were able to borrow, we had ordered lots of cigars, bought a couple of different cans of skoal/dip and had a shot table with decanters of Bourbon. This area was such a hit that I didn’t think we would ever get people away from the corner to come and dance.
I am not a huge cake fan but LOVE homemade cinnamon rolls so I decided that I didn’t have to be traditional and use a cake for dessert for everyone sand instead went with the idea and had someone make homemade cinnamon rolls. For the groom’s favorite dessert we used Chewy Charlies, since those are Joe’s favorite. We went with the idea of having a dessert bar with different things for people to choose from so we had cupcakes, Chewy Charlies, cinnamon rolls and a small cake that Joe and I used to cut.
We used lottery tickets as favors for the guests with all of the donations going to the Hope Cancer Center at Augusta Health. My mom was diagnosed with colon cancer a couple of years ago and was able to beat it with the help of the wonderful people at the Hope Center. We had such a great experience there and really wanted to be able to give something back, thus, the idea of the lottery tickets came into play. We had a friend come up with the poem and then bought 300 lottery tickets to place on card stock with a shiny penny and the poem. This was by far the most tedious wedding task!!!!! It was definitely well worth it since we were able to raise about $300 for the center!
During the wedding process I had an obsession with anything monogrammed (and still probably do). I really didn’t want to use glass mugs or cups for the beer at the wedding so we ordered the cups at American Stationery. I still have tons of them and love to use them when we have parties at the house! Who doesn’t love drinking out of a plastic cup?!
The intimate bride and groom table.
We ordered the sparklers online at Sparklers Online. It is such a cute website with great ideas! My mom found the website and the minute we saw the long sparklers that they offered we fell in love with the idea!
Since we had our reception on a golf course we decided that we would need a source of transportation to get some of our older guests easily to the site. We rented the golf cart from a place in Harrisonburg, VA and paid someone for the night to be in charge of picking up and dropping off guests. The hotel where most of our guests stayed was less than a mile away from the reception site. Those folks were able to ride the trolley to the reception and then just be dropped back at the hotel when they were ready by the golf cart. Most of our guests didn’t have to drive to any of the wedding events! This was a huge plus for our older guests and made us feel safer without having our guests drive after a long night of wedding festivities!
Thank you Katie and Joey and Dominique Attaway for sharing these beautiful images and details with our readers!
Loading ...
Find the Ring
Plan the Proposal
Plan the Wedding
