how about a blanket?

Our Winter Wedding celebration continues!

Yesterday, I wrote about the fur/fake fur stole as an absolute essential for a Winter Bride to look fabulous & stay warm.  Of course, I adore a creative Bride who has her own ideas for looking awesome & keeping toasty! 

To stay warm & dry on her winter wedding day, this savvy Bride grabbed a black umbrella, a striped blanket & tall boots.  The Bride wouldn't let a little snow ruin her plans for outdoor photos.  The results are charming!  

&, if I've said it once I've said it a million times, a good attitude & bright smile will ALWAYS make for great photos, no matter what Mother Nature throws your way.  In this montage, we don't witness the huge smiles but photos like that wouldn't be possible without a sunny attitude.  Maybe a positive attitude & a big smile are the true, must-have essentials for your wedding day!

Photo by Sarah Culver Photography via

Fur Sure

Since this is the last week of February & in my mind the last week of winter, I'm dedicating this week to the fabulousness of  Winter Weddings.  Grab some hot chocolate & enjoy this winter wedding celebration at Koru Wedding Style.  Ready, set, let's go!

What is a very important accessory for Winter Brides?  Why, a fur/fake fur stole or jacket of course!

I borrowed this luscious, rich brown fur stole from my sister-in-law & I loved rocking it on our winter wedding day.  It kept me so toasty & warm!  & it looked pretty fabulous in our wedding photos, if I do say so myself.  (Peek at the header to see another photo of me wearing it!)  I was happy & honored to wear something borrowed that was gorgeous, practical & meaningful.  The stole once belonged to my sister-in-law's grandmother.  I hope my niece Janie will wear it one day & as Erin describes its storied history she can include that Tita Katie (Filipino term for Aunt) wore it when she married Ninong Rodney (Filipino term for Godfather).      


Now let's admire other fabulous furs worn by Winter Brides, such as the wintery gray fur that makes a subtle statement on this pretty Bride:

This caramel-colored beauty is absolutely stunning against the snowy scenery:

While the gigantic balloons are pretty cool, winter white fur is the finishing touch of this bridal ensemble:

This Winter Bride looks warm & cozy in her caramel-colored fur stole:

I love me some fur (or fake fur) clad Winter Brides!  Does any other wedding season have an essential accessory that is both beautiful & practical?  

UPDATE: Visit Style Me Pretty AND Style Me Pretty New York today to see two beautiful Winter Brides rocking fur!

Photo 1 Timothy Glenn Photography; Photo 2 Katie Jane Photo via; Photo 3 James Christianson via;
Photo 4 via; Photo 5 FS Photography via

Orange Crush

See that fun wedding ring shot?  It makes me smile.  Every. time. I. look. at. it.

I can't give you a reasonable explanation as to why I love this photo so much.  Oranges aren't my favorite fruit.  Orange isn't my favorite color.  Or anything along those lines.  Nevertheless, I fell in love & I fell hard.

Ring shots are increasingly catching my attention as I look at wedding photos.  It's fun to see how creative wedding photographers can be with this wedding detail.  The best ones manage to capture the personality of the couple or the essence of the wedding or both.  We have two amazing, beautiful ring shots from our wedding (yes, yes one day I will share my professional photos with you!) & we can't decide which to include in our album.  Until we make that big decision, I sure enjoy looking at other couples' ring shots.   

Anyone with me on loving wedding ring shots?  Or have I gone crazy?  Before we part for the week, just look at that photo one more time & SMILE!   

Photo by Serendipity Studios via

Hello, Winter?

Old Man Winter, you have really, truly disappointed me this year.  One measly snowstorm?  Come on, it's embarassing at this point.  If I did my job so poorly, Koru Wedding Shoppe would be out of business.

Yes, my dears, my winter-loving heart has been broken in 2012.  Now luckily for my winter wedding loving-heart, there has been plenty of snowy wedding goodness to keep my heart beating.  Naturally, I must share my wintery favorites with you!

A  kiss is just a kiss, unless it's a kiss against a snowy backdrop:

Why not romp through the snow on the joyous day of your winter elopement? 

A little walk on the winter wedding wild side:

And this is one beautifully accessorized winter Bride (the cardigan, the necklace, the boots!)

 

I heart winter weddings SO much.  I have a little more winter loveliness to share next week, then I promise to move on to spring weddings.  Tell me, what is your favorite wedding season & why?

Photo 1 via; Photo 2 via; Photo 3 via; Photo 4 via

{fur babies + weddings} pups

Is it just me or do you imagine these adorable bulldogs stole a bit of the spotlight during this wedding?  The flower collar, the little tux, those sweet, wrinkled faces- it's too much cuteness!!  

One little regret I have in regards to our wedding is not taking any photos with our fur baby, Beagle Bailey as he is such a huge part of our life.  Due to restrictions at our church & our ballroom, there was no way to include him in the wedding.  But I got ready at home & I wish I had snapped a few photos with Bailey.  That wasn't in the cards either.  As soon as my bridesmaids, moms, hair stylist & make-up artist arrived at our condo bright & early, Bailey started helping himself to bagels & searching the hair stylist's suitcase.  He's such a beagle!  I had to haul him to doggie daycare before he got himself in trouble.  So no photos of us.  Maybe if I'd had a bit more patience, we could have worked it out.     

Would you include your pet in your wedding?  Or perhaps in a few wedding photos?    

Photo Joe Mikos Photographers via

pink

Isn't this pretty, pink cake & its dramatic display oh so romantic?!  

I couldn't think of a better way to end Valentine's Day week than with this heart-stopping image.  Enjoy~ 

Photo by Christian Oth Studio via

about last night

Did you enjoy Valentine's Day?  Was it full of yummy sweets & pretty flowers & mushy sentiments?  Or perhaps a quiet night with a simple "I love you!"  Whatever your fancy, I sincerely wish that you cherished every moment of love this Valentine's Day.  Mine was quite lovely.

There were beautiful red roses from my Valentine:

Then there was a delicious dinner at our favorite restaurant in New York City.  We went wild with an abundance of food: appetizers, entrees, sides & dessert galore.  This was a celebration!

Last but not least, there was a heart-shaped photo montage of our 5 amazing years together displayed in our main hallway:

The fun display touched my husband's heart just as I'd hoped.  The photos range from the silly to the serious & from the big to small moments.  We really needed a visual reminder of our blessed love story this year.  Because in good time & in bad times, we have each other.  We have it all. 

Photos by Koru Kate

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

May your sweet day be filled with LOVE!!  

xoxo 
  
Photo via

Koru Kate Finds: Valentine-style

This week, we celebrate Valentine's Day!  Love is in the air, I can feel it.  Naturally, Koru Kate Finds is Valentine-style.

Here's a confession: while I love every Koru Kate Finds, I don't have the money to buy all of the cool products or the time to craft all of the fun projects.  However, my find for Valentine's Day inspired me to not only feature it but to make my own.  May I present you the fabulous photo heart: 

 
I'm loving this sweet & simple DIY heart-shaped display of photographs for Valentine's Day.  Chocolates are yummy & flowers are pretty but this personalized, meaningful photo display is perfect for any budget & shows your love.  While the project is slated for kids, it's quite ideal for kids & adults alike.  The photo heart particularly spoke to me because RZ & I are nursing broken hearts & a lovely reminder of the many blessings in our lives would be just perfect this Valentine's Day.  I chose big & small moments from our five years together- holidays, vacations, engagement, wedding, honeymoon & everyday delights.  I plan to arrange our photo heart on a blank wall in our hallway to surprise RZ when we return from our Valentine's Day dinner.  Hopefully, it will touch his heart.  Photos of my project coming soon! 

Are you inspired to make your own photo heart?  The possibilities are endless- showcase big moments in your relationship or fun times since last Valentine's Day or random snapshots of your life together.  The heart shown above includes 52 photos but you can adjust that for a smaller or bigger heart.  Now for those of you who don't print photos (guilty), don't worry you can order photos through sites like Shutterfly & pick them up at CVS or Target in one hour.  NO excuses!!  Simply choose & print out your photos, pick a choice spot for display & arrange your heart of love.  Imagine your Valentine's delighted surprise when he/she spots this beauty on Valentine's Day!

What fun surprises do you have in store for your Valentine?

P.S. How sweet would a heart photo display be at your rehearsal dinner or wedding reception?

Photo via

Blue.

It has been awhile, my lovely Koru family & friends.

Since we last met, life was pretty great.  Like a warm, bright sunshiney yellow.  My Mom was visiting from California & we were sharing some fun times.  My February 4 wedding was a smashing success.  I was high on life.

Then life dealt me a very devastating blow, one that affects not only me but my husband & our baby family.  I will share this terrible blow soon because I think it's important to talk about.  But I'm not ready yet.  My body, mind & heart need time to recover.  I'm very, very blue & I have no desire to paint myself another color just yet.  

Hold tight, I will be back soon.   

Photo via