{Trash the Dress} Snowy-style

Let's get the winter wedding party started!  I could think of no better way to kick off the 
winter wedding celebration than with an amazingly beautiful trash the dress session on a brisk January day on the western slope of Colorado:

The gorgeous Bride Courtney was less interested in ruining her wedding gown & more interested taking the golden opportunity to wear it again & capture fun photos with her rugged Groom Jerad free from the hustle & bustle of their wedding day.  With just a few, simple elements like relaxed attitudes, a snowy ranch landscape & a dramatic cloudy day, the happy couple created a special winter day to remember.

And the Bride wore warm snow boots!

The Bride & Groom in the winter wonderland:

Footsteps in the snow lead to the newly married couple:

Gorgeous, just absolutely gorgeous!  The last image reminds me very much of Ansel Adams' photography, simply with the addition of a Bride & Groom.  It's safe to say that snowy-style is a good style!  

The winter wedding celebration continues tomorrow with a charming, holiday wedding!

Photography: Vendla Stockdale Photography  /  Submitted via Two Bright Lights

{Trash the Dress} Equestrian-style

Is this Bride channeling her inner Julia Roberts & pulling a Runaway Bride??!!

No need to panic, my friends.  This isn't a runaway bride; this is a Trash the Dress session done right.

Welcome to the beauty of Trash the Dress, Colorado-style.  The premise is simple.  Take a beautiful Bride wearing her wedding gown, cowboy boots & cowboy hat.  Add her gorgeous mare.  Mix those ingredients with the bare scenery of a desert.  Let the accomplished rider & her mare loose.  The results are AMAZING!

I like the idea of the Trash the Dress session featuring the Bride doing something she loves in her wedding gown.  It's a fun, interesting approach.  Now if I only knew how to ride a horse . . .

Photography by Vendla Stockdale Photography  /  Submitted via Two Bright Lights

inside

It's well established that I love checking out the cool & unusual modes of transportation that Brides & Grooms choose for their weddings.  In my quest for fun photographs of Brides & Grooms posing with their getaway cars, something else has caught my eye: Brides & Grooms inside their getaway cars.  Check this out & see if you agree these photos are something special.

Let's start with my favorite casual, relaxed photo of RZ & I riding in our beloved vintage taxi after our marriage ceremony.  The detail I love the most is one only RZ & I would notice: RZ is playing with his wedding ring, slipping it on & off his ring finger.  It's something he did throughout that ride from our ceremony to our reception & it's one of my first memories of our marriage: 

This hip couple looks classically cool in their classic car:

A quiet moment between a Bride & Groom inside their vintage car is captured so perfectly that I feel like we're peeping Toms:

Another vintage taxi, another happy couple:

Why not take charge & jump in the driver's seat of your vintage getaway car?

 

Pretty cool, am I right?!  Your thoughts?

P.S. The Wedding Wheels of April is coming your way next week!

Photo 1 Timothy Glenn Photographers Photo 2  Louisa Bailey Weddings via Photo 3 Calin Peters Photography via Photo 4  Phototerra Studio via Photo 5 Della Chen Photography via

reflections

Rainy wedding day.

A wise, beautiful post on A Practical Wedding yesterday left me thinking about rainy wedding days.  I always say that the weather on your wedding doesn't really matter; what matters is your attitude towards your wedding day weather.  Pull on your rain boots, grab an umbrella & keep smiling- chances are you'll enjoy your beautiful wedding.  Cry, pout & curse your bad luck- chances are you've ruined your beautiful wedding.

This creative photo above is a prime example of a rainy wedding day attitude done right.  Really, really right.  From the wet sidewalk to the long shadows, there is proof that the weather gods delivered rain clouds & bright sunshine for the wedding.  The happy couple took to the rain-soaked sidewalks & made a pretty incredible memory to last a lifetime.  The reflection of the Bride & Groom in a sidewalk puddle takes something ordinary & makes it extraordinary.  Talk about making a rainbow out of rain!! 

How would/did you react to rain on your wedding day?  Do/did you have a Plan B for rainy weather? 

Photo by Whitney Huynh Photography via

{wedding rings} sandy

I am enjoying one of the most beautiful Spring days & the sunny skies & soft breezes have me dreaming of beach days.  The beautiful ocean, the bright sun & the warm sand . . .

Speaking of sand, how cool is this sandy ring shot?  I'm pretty much head over heels in love.  The sand & the rings are such a perfect pairing for a beach wedding.  It's a simple photo yet absolutely striking.  The rings' shadows are incredible & the sands' texture is so detailed.  Amazing.  The black & white photography just makes this photo as I'm not sure I would like it so much in color.   

Now if only I could bury myself in the sand today . . .

What are you dreaming of on this lovely day?    

Photo by Robin Van Dyke Photography via

Wedding Wheels, 2012 Debut!

Wow.  I'm embarrassed.  March is here & I'm just debuting Wedding Wheels?!

For those of you who are new here, Wedding Wheels is a series that celebrates my love of weddings & my adoration of cars.  Yes, yes- it's an odd combo but it happens to work.  I always notice the getaway car when I look at wedding photos & share the most fun, creative options with you.  &, let me tell you, Brides & Groom are getting pretty creative! 

Sweet couple + Wedding Bike = Awesome.  I mean, clearly:

   
There is so much to drool over in this photo (Groom's attire! Bride's shoes!) but I believe we can agree that the Vespa is the main attraction:

 Perhaps you're a little more bad ass?  Then this motorcycle getaway is just your speed:

No wheels, no problem!  Just float away on a getaway boat:

Last but not least, the classic: the vintage getaway car.  A convertible to boot:

As always, to see my absolute favorite getaway car ever, just glance up above at my header :-)  I'm working on a Wedding Wheels comprised entirely of that exact vintage taxi- coming soon! 

Tell me, which getaway mode catches your eye?    

Photo 1 by Kay English Photography via; Photo 2 by Lemon Lime Photography via; Photo 3 by Greg Benz Photography via;
Photo 4 by Ashley Maxwell Photography via; Photo 5 by Stone Crandall Photography via

Mitten Magic

Hello, March!  I do hope your wet, rainy arrival means Spring is coming soon.  Yes, Spring!!  It's time to start wrapping up our Winter Wedding celebration!

Accessorize, accessorize.  For winter weddings, accessorize often means fur stoles & warm boots.  This ultra-cute bridal party sported handmade purple mittens!  LOVE.  Those bridesmaids are real troopers braving the cold with bare shoulders but at least their hands stayed toasty warm & looked super chic.  Oh & did I mention the Mother of the Bride knitted those fun mittens?!  Love, LOVE!!    

I'm adding adorable mittens to my must-have list for winter weddings.  Stat!

For more of this winter wedding eye candy (purple Uggs! cute dog! lots of snow!), please visit HERE!

Photo by Jessica Smith Photography 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

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

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

Believe

This amazing wedding photograph is oh so romantic, it makes me believe in love!

There's a little lesson here, Brides-to-be.  Whatever your budget, make sure you invest in the very best photography you can afford!  I promise you it is money well spent.  Trust me.

What vendors are/were most important to you on your wedding day?

Photo by Thayer Hearts Weddings via

Koru Kate Finds: Book of Love

Welcome to the first Koru Kate Finds of 2012!  If you're new here (hello & welcome!), Koru Kate Finds is my weekly series of wedding finds, from DIY projects to decor to jewelry, to inspire you & your wedding.  Let's start the fun, shall we?

Today's Koru Kate Finds is the DIY Book of Love:

Let's face it, everyone has computer drives full of lovely photos that we never print.  Ladies, it's time to make something of those memories.  The sentimental fool that I am, this personalized & easy DIY project is right up my alley.  All you need are fun photos, sweet memories & few basic supplies to make a Book of Love to cherish forever. 

A Book of Love is billed for Valentine's Day, although it's fitting for any special occasion.  Make one with photos from your engagement session, your bridal shower, your bachelorette party, your rehearsal dinner, your wedding, your honeymoon or your newlywed years. You get the idea, right?  

A Book of Love is a perfect gift &/or a lovely keepsake.    

For complete instructions & plenty of other DIY goodness, please visit The Wedding Chicks HERE.  Enjoy!

Our First Christmas

Our First Christmas as husband & wife ♡

Our personalized First Christmas ornament arrived from Oceanside Designs &, well, it's simply perfect.  I chose our favorite wedding photo, then Mel took it away & designed this amazing ornament that we will treasure forever.  I planned to save it as a Christmas gift for RZ but once I had the pretty package in my hand, I knew there was no waiting.  That baby went right on the tree to be enjoyed & admired!

I am so, so excited to make the beautiful First Christmas memories that we will always associate with this ornament. 

On that note, I'm bowing out from blogging until 2012.  Let's make a date to meet back here on January 2 & continue to have our wedding jollies in the new year ☺   

May your holidays be merry & bright!

Photo by Koru Kate

Where The Heart Is

Wedding Guest Group Photo: Yay or Nay?
Image by W. Scott Chester

via Ruffled

That gem of a wedding photo up there?  I love it.

My wedding planning self isn't the biggest fan of Wedding Guest group photos.  Those go down a little something like this.  Due to a lack of big, open fields in the NJ-NY area, the most common spot to take such photos is on the church steps after the ceremony.  Sweet notes are included in the program to kindly ask guests to stay behind & take a "quick" group photo.  About half the guests are happy to stay behind but they make a beeline to congratulate the Bride & Groom & lose focus on the photo.  The other half of the guests are quite intent on getting to Cocktail Hour to have a drink & don't appreciate our security guard-like moves to keep them in place.  Once everyone is indeed in the right spot, you have to attract their attention, pose them & make them smile.  Wedding Guest group photos are hardly ever quick or fun.

I mean, family & bridal party photos are enough.  

As such, we didn't entertain the mere thought of a Wedding Guest group photo at our wedding.

But wow, I adore the sweet sentiment of a Wedding Guest group photo.  Even if your group is too large for each & every face to be distinct in the photo, it's quite something to see one photo that includes each & every person who celebrated your marriage.  You wouldn't remember how long it took to find Aunt Nancy who had wandered away or how Cousin Andy grumbled about missing the raw bar.  You'd simply see the faces of those you love on your wedding day.

The heart-shaped happy couple & wedding guests photo is pure group photo perfection.  Beautiful setting, happy couple, smiling guests AND a heart.  Love, love, LOVE!

Will (or did) you take a Wedding Guest group photo at your wedding?

Wedding Wheels

Here is a little-known fact about me: I love cars.

Yes, it's true.  My little fascination with cars started when I was younger.  I favored my Matchbox cars over my Barbies.  I treasured my car & truck quilt my Grandma made me because it was much more fitting than the flowery stuff available for little girls.  I adored our family friends' Mercedes.  I dreamed of owning a classic Mustang (still do!).

You may think my love of cars got lost in my wedding planning world of tulle, lace & flowers.  Oh no.  As I pore through wedding magazines & wedding blogs, I always look for fun, creative modes of wedding transportation.  It doesn't have to be a car to catch my eye either.  Now that I can pin & save those images of wedding wheels, I'm in heaven.  My Wheels board on Pinterest is my favorite.

Allow me to share some favorite Wedding Wheels with you.  Nope, wheels aren't limited to cars!

An unexpected cherry-red tractor for a Farm Wedding:

Image via Snippet & Ink

An adorably-styled classic for a Classic Wedding:

Image via Martha Stewart Weddings

A cute bicycle of love for a Country Wedding:

Image via Ruffled

A vintage blue truck for a Southern Wedding:

Image via Southern Weddings

For my absolute favorite Wedding Wheels, just take a look at the Koru Wedding Style header!  I really love cars so Wedding Wheels will become a regular monthly feature- I can't help myself :-)

Do (or did) you have any fun plans for Wedding transportation?

Koru Kate Finds: 7th Edition

Making Memories

Image via Treasury of Memories 

Newlywed Nesting.  Is there such a thing?  Well, the hubs & I got major nesting fever back in June when we started several major projects in our home sweet home.  Now we're finishing up with a few little projects, including choosing, printing & hanging wedding & honeymoon photos on our walls.

That's where my latest Koru Kate Finds comes in.  I found this Established Canvas Kit gem during one of my many Pinterest binges & I thought it was absolutely perfect for displaying a few of your wedding photos.  It's beyond fabulous!!!  The kit comes with the four canvases, the ribbon & the established sign.  All you need to do is choose & adhere three of your favorite photos.  Then presto: you have a sweet wedding memento to adorn your home! 

Now, of course, I opt to take the more difficult route & make my own Established display.  I will pick up the four canvases at my craft store, plus some pretty ribbon to match our decor & wooden letters to make our name & wedding date.  Then I have the difficult task of choosing three favorite wedding photos.  I'm excited about these personal touches that will make the display the perfect match for our home.  I'll post the results soon :-) 

I hope my find inspires you.  Get those creative wheels turning . . . Make your own to celebrate your Wedding.  Fun gift for a First Wedding Anniversary.  Lovely gift for a baby's First Birthday.  Or great gift to mark any special occasion! 

Just Crazed

Crazy in Love or Just Crazed?
Available on Etsy in tilependantjewelry's shop

Nearly six months since our beautiful wedding day, we're happily living the life of newlyweds. Do you know what has surprised me the most? The amount of work that comes after the wedding. This is the dirty little secret that nobody bothered to tell me. I was thrilled to banish our wedding to-do list to the deep depths of some random drawer but our post-wedding to-do list is a close rival.

Here is our Post-Wedding Laundry List:

1. Decide on name change & make it official. Unfortunately, Facebook doesn't count.
2. Pick an image for thank you card & order those puppies.
3. Write said thank you cards. I can hardly wait!
4. Choose images for your wedding album. Mission impossible.
5. Clean & preserve wedding gown. Or figure out how to wear it again :-)
6. Finish submissions to wedding blogs. It's my dream to be a Wedding Grad on APW.

We have some serious post-wedding work ahead of us. As of today, we have completed Task #2. Go team!!!!

Are we crazy in love or just crazed? It depends on the moment.

Thousand Words

RZ & I having a good ol' time at our Reception
Photo by Timothy Glenn Photographers

Oh yes, Koru loves, a picture is worth a thousand words!

I was reminded of this very fact when RZ & I received the good word from our fabulous photographer, Tim of Timothy Glenn Photographers, that our wedding photos were available to view at Pictage. Oh happy day! We had viewed selected professional photos from our wedding, not to mention our guests' photos. But this. This we had been waiting for with excitement!

RZ & I spent the night reviewing our wedding photos- what fun! Tim & his crew had been with us from the time we got ready to the moment the last guest left & they captured every moment beautifully. Each photograph brought us back to the love, joy & beauty of our wedding. We were in complete awe as we relived our wedding day.

Do you know what surprised me? The wedding planner in me loves the details. I live for good ring shots, bouquet shots, table shots, etc. Check, check, check- we have them all & they are stunning. But the Bride in me adores our family & friends. The photographs of people smiling, laughing, dancing & singing their way through our wedding touch my heart. Years from now, I (probably) won't care much what the tables looked like. I will forever cherish the look on RZ's face when he saw me walking down the aisle, our parents' faces as they watched our First Dance & our family & friends as they sang along to Livin' on a Prayer.

Those wedding pictures are worth a thousand words!

Overheated in Hoboken

(Above photos by Timothy Glenn Photographers
To see more from this wedding, visit HERE)

My Koru loves, it has been one of those weeks! After a long day meeting with a bride & a long night celebrating Mom-in-law's birthday, RZ & I returned home late Monday night to our front entry smelling faintly like something was burning. We tracked down the awful smell to our heating/AC unit. We've been advised to keep it off until the heating/ac peeps can visit us tomorrow morning. Perfect, just as the weather is getting hot!

And there's more. I haven't been feeling well. I can barely stand the heat when the afternoon sun beats relentlessly through our large windows. I don't last more than a few minutes in my home office, the one room without a fan. Last but not least, I didn't prepare my blog posts in advance. This is the long way of telling you that I'm taking a break from blogging. I will be back next Tuesday to wrap up our honeymoon posts!

But I had to leave you with a little something. Last Saturday, I had the honor of attending our friends' Catherine & Chris' spring wedding. My hubs RZ was a groomsmen & my brother-in-law Tim of Timothy Glenn Photographers was the photographer. The Bride, Groom & their bridal party went to picturesque Liberty State Park for the photo session. The stormy day took pause for their photos, raining before & after- how lucky! Tim posted selected photos on TGP's blog &, well, they blew me away as always. I'm such a sucker for NYC views!! I picked a few of my favorites for you to enjoy.

To view the rest of Catherine & Chris' wedding photos, please visit HERE.

Have a wonderful week & a fun Memorial Day weekend!!!!!

Photo Session, Parts Two & Three

The action at the Bridal Party Photo Session

And then there were two . . .

After the fun & games of family photos at the church, we headed to the Hoboken Train Station Waiting Room for photos with the bridal party. We chose the Waiting Room for its beauty, convenience & comfort. The Waiting Room is an architectural wonder listed with the New Jersey & United States Register of Historical Places. Do remember the scene in the movie Julia & Julia when Julia Child's sister arrives at that gorgeous Paris train station? Well, that is actually the Hoboken Train Station Waiting Room. Now the fact that this beautiful place is a short, five minute drive from our church made it feasible to transport our bridal party there without too much hassle. Last but not least, the Waiting Room is a warm, indoor spot, perfect for a Winter wedding photo session.

As expected, the bridal party photo session went quickly & smoothly. RZ & I arrived at the train station first so we took photos on the Hoboken street with our vintage taxi. The bridal party came shortly thereafter &, being such troopers, joined us for a few, cold outdoor shots before we moved inside to the Waiting Room. Tim, the TGP crew & Eileen made the experience short & painless by directing us & assisting us. With a small bridal party of nine, it was quite easy to keep everyone's attention & keep the session flowing. Before we knew it, the bridal party was headed back to the hotel in their limo.

Then it was just us: the Bride & Groom. Snap, snap- a few more photos in the Waiting Room. Then we went to Hyatt on the Hudson where we planned on taking photos on the pier overlooking the New York City skyline that we adore. While we admire sunny, airy wedding photos, we were hoping for something more dramatic with the night sky & city lights. The next part of our photo session contains an important lesson. No matter how carefully you plan your wedding day, be open to changes!

As we pulled up to the hotel entrance, RZ, Tim & I were reluctant to release the vintage taxi without taking more photos because we loved it so much. I remembered that two blocks away from the hotel is a dead-end street that overlooks downtown Manhattan. We drove there & the location was beyond perfect. The vintage taxi parked on the cobblestone street piled high with dirty, city snow & NYC lights shining in the background. It was such a cool sight. I didn't care that it was freezing cold or that the wind was biting; we happily posed for photos. Just look at that original photo on the header of this blog: it was worth it!

Photos- done! Now it's time to party!!