Facelift Blog-Style

My Winter Wedding

Image by Timothy Glenn Photographers

Welcome to the updated, beautiful space of Koru Wedding Style!

After 340 posts in the span of almost two years, it was time to make changes.  Mostly minor tweaks here & there.  I chose a pretty script font for the blog & post titles to add a softer touch.  I switched up the font color scheme to gray & shades of purple for more contrast.  I added a sweet, sparkly background to the sidebar as a fun touch.  And the biggest (& my favorite!) change . . .

A new photo for the header!  I chose one of my favorite wedding photos to represent Koru Wedding Style.  This blog is a lot weddings, a little me.  This photo represents both nicely.  It's just perfect.

In this photo, it's dusk on our winter wedding day.  RZ & I are fresh newlyweds, officially married for about one hour.  The vintage taxi whisks us away from our church ceremony & parks on a charming cobblestone street outside the Hoboken Terminal for our photo session.  RZ & I spill out of the taxi to wait for the rest of our bridal party to catch up with us.  Tim starts snapping photos.  & this is one of them showing me & my husband in our beloved hometown on our beautiful wedding day.

& I love every last detail- the dusky sky, the city lights, the cobblestone street, the pile of snow, the vintage taxi & the happy couple.  Just as everything in this photo means something to me, everything I post here is meaningful to me.  Everything.

I hope you enjoy the facelift of this sweet space.  Let's continue have lots of wedding fun & inspire each other :-)

Koru Family & Friends, What do you think of the new design?  Like?  Love?

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! 

Thank You Notes + Fun

Signed, Sealed & Delivered
Thank You Notes- Check!

Did I write Thank You Notes & Fun in the same title? Have I gone crazy?! You may not want to ask that question after I finished writing 67 wedding thank you notes (who's counting?). Now that I've reached the other side of wedding thank you note task, I have some advice to share. Fun may have been a stretch. Let's say I have some wisdom on surviving the thank you note task with your sanity intact. Here we go:

1. Design a beautiful thank you note. This may seem silly but I swear it's a key to success. Match your wedding invitations, show off your married monogram or pick your favorite wedding photo. Whatever card will make you smile after looking at it over & over again, design it. I chose our very favorite wedding photo & it never failed to make my heart skip a beat.

2. Organization is key. As with any big project, organization saves you from unwelcome hassles. Gather your thank you notes, guest list, pens, stamps, address labels, etc before you write one single word. Keep them in one handy spot throughout the thank you note process.

3. Pick good pens. I happen to love gel pens so I stocked up on those puppies. You want a pen that you're comfortable writing with for long periods of time & you want plenty of them.

4. Set a goal & stick to it. I decided to write 10 thank you notes per night to get the notes mailed before my next vacation. I gave myself plenty of time & I took short breaks while still writing 10 notes per night.

5. Share this fun task with your husband. I didn't do this- I wrote every single thank you note. My hubs has horrible handwriting! Often, I need him to translate notes & cards he writes for me. In the interest of our wedding guests knowing what the card says, I took on the thank you note task solo. Still, I highly recommend sharing the joys & thrills with your partner.

6. Music, music, music! The Tori Amos station on Pandora saved my soul. No lie. Whether it's your favorite CD, your best iPod mix or singing to yourself, let some good tunes carry you through the process.

7. Grin & bear it. This too shall pass. Honestly, it's not so bad. I felt so much love & gratitude recounting all the generosity our family & friends heaped upon us in celebration of our marriage.

The wedding planning process is chock full of thank you notes: engagement party, bridal shower & wedding. Take the tips above & survive the process with grace!

Do you have any additional tips to share with me?

Time to Write the Thank Yous

Thank You Cards & Thank You Box
Lots of Vintage Taxi Love!

Our Thank You Cards

Each night that I sit down to write my goal of 10 thank you notes, I think of the classic Dunkin Donuts commercial "Time to Make the Donuts." Only I hear "Time to Write the Thank Yous!"

Cue thank you card writing! First things first, I pick some fun music & blast it. Then I settle at our dining room table & unpack my pretty Thank You box (our recycled gift card box!). It contains our guest list with gifts noted, thank you cards, pens & stamps. I grab a thank you note & I write. & I write some more. & I write even more.

When 10 thank you cards are signed & sealed, I'm done. Writer's block. Cramped hand. Sore shoulders. All the reasons I dreaded this task.

But mostly I feel an overflow of love & gratitude. I wish I could hand-deliver each thank you note & give the recipient a big hug & kiss. Not only was I blessed to marry the love of my life, our amazing family & friends supported us, celebrated with us & gave us generous gifts. It's almost too much. I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Koru Kate Finds: 3rd Edition

Oh yes, this is an original!
Image by Timothy Glenn Photographers

This bridal bouquet is a Koru Kate Finds original!

Waaaay back when I started Koru Wedding Shoppe, I turned to my talented brother-in-law Tim, of Timothy Glenn Photographers, to provide images for my web site. I had a hard time selecting a few photographs because there were so many beautiful ones of bouquets, cakes & other delicious wedding details.

The tulip bridal bouquet photograph was the exception. It caught my eye & heart from the very moment I saw it. So full, so lush, so perfect. Oh, & the colors, that perfect soft yellow with delicate green accents. To me, the tulip bouquet is the epitome of beautiful & therefore, it graces my web site & my home studio. Every day it reminds of the lovely & the pretty & how lucky I am to work in the wedding world.

Six years have past since I first saw this photo, six years of poring over the great likes of Martha Stewart Weddings & Style Me Pretty. I can say with 100% honestly that this tulip bouquet remains my favorite.

I hope the tulip bouquet inspires you & brings a zest of pretty to your Monday!

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!

Shiny & New

I am excited & proud to announce the unveiling of lovely, updated pages on the web site of Koru Wedding Shoppe! New copy & fresh photographs were added to better showcase Koru & everything Koru offers for Brides.

First, let me introduce the new Invitations page:

The Invitations page replaces the former Boutique page & describes how we can help Brides design the perfect wedding invitation. Here is where we detail anything & everything wedding stationery related, such as the invitation companies we carry, the wedding stationery we provide & the additional services we offer like assembly. Last but not least, there is a direct email link for Brides to make their invitation consultation.

The Ring/Invitation photo was formerly on the Shop Koru page & I loved it too much to lose it. Of course, this beauty was taken by the talented Timothy Glenn Photographers.

Next, here is the updated Planning page:

The Planning page now proudly lists our planning packages to give Brides a better idea of exactly how we can assist them with their wedding. I made a point to include "Custom" on the list so Brides realize we can do anything wedding-related that their little heart desires! The other copy remains the same but the subtle change is an important one.

The Bride & Groom Kiss photo is brand new to Koru's site. & guess what?! It's from my wedding!! I couldn't help but infuse a little bit of my wedding on Koru's site. We have Timothy Glenn Photographers to thank for this one!

&, finally, let me show you the revamped Contact Us page:


The Contact Us page gives Brides the numerous ways they can easily contact & find Koru Wedding Shoppe. Koru is here, there, everywhere! Koru's phone number is listed, as well as links to our email, blog, Facebook & Twitter. There is no way you can miss us with the new Contact Us page!

The Bride & Groom Just Married photo is my absolute favorite photo from my wedding. Again, I couldn't resist adding more of my wedding to Koru's site. Another beautiful photo by Timothy Glenn Photographers.

I'm beyond happy with the updated site for Koru Wedding Shoppe. Much has changed in the six years since I started the business (hello, Twitter!) & I'm pleased the site represents the Koru of today. Many thanks to my wonderful web designer Kate of Bella Mi Design Boutique for designing the new pages & my amazing photographer Tim of Timothy Glenn Photographers for providing the new photos. Take a look & let me know what you think!

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!!!!!

The End {For Now}

Farewell Brunch: Oh yeah, I'm a Mrs. now!
est. 1-15-11

My Koru dears, we have reached the end of my wedding story. For now. You may notice I used TGP's gorgeous, professional photos sparingly & I have my reasons. When I'm ready to share TGP's photos with you, I'll delve into the wedding details like my wedding dress, bridesmaid dress, something blue, bouquets, invitations, etc. Until then, feast your eyes on our wedding photos on TGP's blog HERE & Koru's Facebook album HERE.

I would like to leave you with wisdom & advice gained through my experience as a Bride:

1. This was an absolute shock to me: Some family & friends will not be happy for you, will not support you & will not celebrate with you. They hurt you but I promise, it is okay. In their place, other family & friends (often those you least expect) fiercely love you & stand by you. You quickly learn who your TRUE family & friends are & this is a gift. Accept it humbly & gratefully.

2. Please, please splurge on a good photographer if your budget allows. The TGP team was a gem to work with & their photos of our wedding leave me speechless. Amazing wedding photos are priceless! I look at the fabulous photo of RZ & I during the recessional, freshly married, & it instantly transports me to the exuberant joy & overflowing love of that moment. We will cherish our wedding photos & the accompanying memories forever.

3. Be present at your wedding! Your wedding goes quickly & the best you can do is hang tight & enjoy the incredible ride. Focus on the moment, not the moment that just passed or the moment coming up. Try not to stress about the time, vendors, details, etc. Leave the work, because a wedding is work!!!!, to a fabulous wedding coordinator or a trusted friend. Thanks to Eileen & her crew of An Affair to Remember, RZ & I were able to eat, drink & be merry!

4. Walk down the aisle & marry the love of your life = SUCCESS. Seriously, everything else about your wedding is icing on the cake. If your bridesmaid is sick or your flowers are wrong or the band forgets your First Dance song (I admit, none of these things happened to me but things did go wrong at our wedding), don't sweat it. Your guests will never notice & they will have the time of their life as long as you keep smiling!

5. Record your thoughts & feelings about your wedding. Hey, you have plenty of time on your honeymoon flight, right? Whether you fill a journal or one notebook page, just do it. Your memory will fade & your notes will be precious reminders of that lovely day as your words fill a gap that photos & video can't fill. I happened to share my thoughts & feelings with all of you (read the start HERE) &, luckily, I won't forget one, single thing ever. Share them with your husband on a special anniversary & your future kids someday!

That's all, folks! {For now}

The Look

The Look of Our Winter Wedding
Ivory Linens, White Flowers, Glowing Candlelight
(Photo by Friend)

There are countless ways to approach the design of your wedding. We took the venue-driven route. We chose venues that, among other things, were so stunning they require little to no decor. We wanted to keep things simple & elegant to enhance, rather than distract from, the venues' true beauty. Simple & elegant became our wedding mantra. If the idea didn't fit simple & elegant, it didn't belong at our wedding.

The snapshot of our sweetheart table & wedding cake best showcases our wedding look. The simple, bunched carnation bouquets with ivory swirl ribbon. My long, sleek calla lily bouquet with ivory swirl ribbon. Striped ivory linens with simple white napkins. Votive candles glowing. Magnolia menu cards with peony purple backers & matching shades of peony purple ink, including our swirl motif. Our pretty purple toasting flutes. Our square, white wedding cake with orchids spilling down the side. All set against the glittering backdrop of Manhattan. Simply elegant!

Now I realize some of the things I'm describing, you can't see well in the photo above. I'm working with guest snapshots to tell our wedding story; later, I'll go into every last design detail with TGP's crisp, beautiful photos. But you get the idea hopefully.

The Manhattan Ballroom took my breath away when I saw it for the first time. I was so happy to see our design ideas come to life so beautifully. But in the end, it wasn't the flowers or the linens or the menu cards that mattered. Our friends & families who celebrated with us made our wedding shine!

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!!

Photo Session, Part One

RZ's family, now Our Family ♥

My family, now Our Family ♥

Our Siblings ♡

Outtake of our Flower Girls ☺

New Mr. and Mrs. ★
(All Photos by Friends)

Our photo session kicked off with family photos at the altar of the church immediately following our ceremony (tip: always check that the church is available afterwards). We chose this time & place because we knew the major players would be at our ceremony & we could capture them quickly & easily before they wandered off in different directions. We decided to include the flower girls in the first session too because we hoped to catch them before they got tired. Sounds easy, right?

Boy, did this require some logistics. RZ & I paraded up the aisle, bright, happy, shiny & freshly married with our bridal party on our heels. Planner extraordinaire Eileen directed us to the small bridal room at the back of the church where we could relax & wait until the rest of our guests boarded the wedding shuttle. We simply couldn't chance getting caught in a long conversation with Aunt Missy & throwing off our timing. It turned out to be a sweet few moments sharing our joy with our bridal party. When the coast was clear of guests, Eileen ushered us to the front of the church where Photographer extraordinaire Tim & the TGP team were set up &, thankfully, our families were waiting.

We'd told our families well in advance to stick around after our ceremony for family photos. We'd repeated this information time & time again as our wedding approached. We included this information on our wedding web site & our wedding day itinerary. Still, you never know who might miss the memo. I breathed a sigh of relief that everyone was present.

Now comes the fun part. RZ & I are positioned at the altar. Tim & his team call out family names from the portrait list we gave them (tip: keep this list as simple & short as possible). Said family members come up as called & pose for photos with us. Well, well. Be prepared for people not listening & coming up as they please &/or not coming up at all. Our families include about 50 people but it seemed like a zoo. One sweet flower girl just wasn't having it. Things get a bit chaotic. I wondered if this was the best idea for the first minutes of our new marriage. Just keep smiling, it will be over soon.

& the treasured family photos will be worth it!

I was a very happy Bride when the family photos were over & we could move on to bridal party photos!!

Photo Session: The Lowdown

Tim, of TGP, works his magic at our wedding
(Photo by Friend)

The mere mention of a photo session can send me into a tailspin. I've been around the photo session block a time or twenty as a wedding planner. "Grandma is missing!" someone shouts. I run off in search of sly Grandma, who I've laid eyes on exactly once. She could be anywhere in the packed crowd of 250 guests. You don't realize how many nooks & crannies a venue has until you're looking for Grandma. When I finally, triumphantly!, return with Grandma, it's only to learn a Groomsmen has gone MIA. Do you get my point?

Alas, the photo session was a necessary evil for us. How often are our family & friends dressed beautifully to celebrate a happy occasion with us? Not often enough. We were determined to capture them on this once-in-a-lifetime day.

I set out to plan a photo session that was easy, contained & stress-free as possible. We had the typical two hour gap between our church ceremony & ballroom reception & we dedicated this time to our photos. We broke up our session into three, main parts with different locations: family, bridal party & bride/groom.

The photo session started with family photos at the stunning church altar immediately following our ceremony. This session involved the most amount of people & had the highest potential stress factor. Family took the wedding shuttle back to the hotel while the limo took the bridal party to the historical Hoboken Train Station for bridal party photos. I hoped this would be easy enough with our small bridal party of nine. As soon as their photos were complete, they headed back to the hotel to relax before Cocktail Hour. We stayed behind for more photos at the train station. Then we went outdoors for photos with our vintage taxi & the NYC skyline on the cold, winter night.

That was the plan. We prayed to the photo session gods that everything would go smoothly. Stay tuned for the full story!!

We've Been Framed!

Love, LOVE!

Our Wedding Photo on Display

The first professional photograph we saw of our wedding instantly became our favorite. The cobblestone street, the vintage taxi, the tainted snow, the city lights . . . It's very dramatic & romantic. We fell in love.

Naturally, we were over the moon when Tim, of Timothy Glenn Photographers, kindly presented us with a print of that very photo. I wasted no time in taking it & a 60% off coupon to AC Moore to have it framed. I had no idea there were countless mat & frame options- it took me about one hour to choose the perfect combination! Last Wednesday, they called to say the framed print was ready. Yipee!

RZ & I are so pleased with the framed print. It looks awesome! We played with a few different spots to hang the print & finally decided on our dining room. It looks right at home on the Spanish Red wall. Plus our dining room, really more of a nook, is open to the rest of our condo so the print can be seen & enjoyed from the living room too.

We're very fortunate to have a visual reminder of our fabulous, winter wedding day!

Our Ceremony, Part One

Ready to get married!

The Kiss

Just Married!!
(All Photos by Timothy Glenn Photographers
For more of our wedding, click HERE)

If you have met me or read my web site, you know I view marriage as a positive new beginning. This thought was never far from my mind during our marriage ceremony.

"Con Te Partiro" was chosen as the final Prelude song as a fond farewell to our past. As my godmother's angelic voice sang the last notes, I took a deep breath. I looked at our grandparents, our parents, my flower girls & my bridesmaids ahead of me. I felt my Uncle Denny & Uncle Frank beside me. I was ready. The time had come!

I walked down the aisle towards our positive new beginning with love & happiness in my heart. I truly believed that every little thing in my life, think "God Bless The Broken Road", had brought me to this moment. My Uncles, who have known & loved me always, were the best escorts from my old life to my new life & I wouldn't have made it down the aisle without them. Our friends & family who lined the aisle made the journey that much sweeter.

Then I saw RZ. He was the perfect combination of handsome, happy & nervous. My heart exploded in fireworks.

We joined hands, as we would soon join our hearts & lives forever. The traditional ceremony progressed, laced with readings, songs & traditions we had carefully chosen. The readings & traditions were done by family & friends- I was so honored that they supported us in this wonderful way. I was present & alert for every word, letting them sink in & taking them to heart.

Then came the best part: exchanging vows! We stood up in front of our family & friends, looking at each other & holding hands. RZ recited the traditional vows first, strong & confident as I knew he would be. I followed, a bit surprised by my matching strength & confidence as I tend to be quiet & soft-spoken. Our vows had been promised & followed by many before us, now it was our turn to honor them. This was our positive new beginning, the official start of our family!!!

Naturally, we sealed those vows with a kiss. Our priest joyfully announced as husband & wife for the first time & we floated back up the aisle. We were the happiest husband & wife!!

My Wedding March

Eileen & I walking to my marriage ceremony
(Friend's photo)

I walked the three blocks from our condo to our church. Yup, despite the chill of January & the protests of many.

This was my plan from the moment we booked our church for our ceremony. Walking was the natural choice. We live in a pedestrian-friendly (read: parking is a nightmare!) town & we walk to church. Always. My wedding day would be no different.

Still, I booked a limo. I didn't expect my bridesmaids & our Moms to walk, especially on a cold, winter day. Also, I needed a back-up plan in case of rain or snow. When word spread that I booked the limo, people assumed I'd changed my mind about walking. They were so very wrong.

Despite valid protests about slipping on ice or getting my dress dirty & among whispers of being crazy, I stuck with my plan & walked to church. The bridesmaids & Moms stayed behind to primp a bit more before the arrival of the limo while I grabbed my borrowed fur capelet & set off for our church. I'm glad I did because it was a peaceful, reflective walk. Eileen, my personal guard against ice, snow & dirt, & I chatted while Tim snapped photos but I barely noticed. The blue sky was beautiful, the crisp air was refreshing & the world was mine. I could see our stately church ahead & I could envision RZ waiting for me inside. Oh happy day!

It was definitely a walk to remember!!

The moral of my humble story? Brides-to-be, stick to your guns!!! Listen to other people & consider their advice but, ultimately, follow your heart. I would have regretted it so much if I didn't take my sweet wedding march!

It's A Wrap! 2nd Edition

Unexpected Something Blue!
Image from Style Me Pretty via Sparkle & Hay

The week is winding down (TGIF!) & here is the second installment of some goodies:

A Perfect Something Blue or any color of your choice!

OMG, I would have loved to receive this adorable print as a wedding gift!

We're not the only ones who think TGP is awesome!
Three cheers for our talented wedding photographers!

When do you say enough is enough of wedding eye candy?
(Seriously, are you reading this blog? I highly recommend it!)

I have been crushing hard on this green tote bag

When can I move in?

Happy Weekend!

Bands of Love

Fabulous ring shot of my brother & sister-in-laws' rings
Taken by our photographer, the talented Timothy Glenn Photography

RZ & I have our wedding bands!

The search started in August when we visited a few stores before settling on the store where RZ purchased my beautiful engagement ring. We narrowed it down quickly: RZ chose a classic platinum band while I chose a delicate, channel-setting band. Yet we were both torn between two bands of different thickness. Since we were in no rush, we agreed to come back another day.

Another day came in late November. We hooked up with the same, kind salesman & made our final selections within minutes. Then we were given the option of engraving our wedding bands. I was afraid another decision might set us back. The wedding date options was dismissed because we're good at remembering anniversaries (did we jinx ourselves?!). We picked our married monogram because it's personal & sweet.

A few weeks later, our engraved wedding bands were ready for pick-up. I was so excited! And the bands are beautiful, just perfect as a symbol of our wedding vows.

Only one question remains: how can I wait one month to wear my fabulous wedding band??!!

E-Session Results

"What are you going to do with a bunch of photos of yourselves?" asked a fellow Bride-to-be when I told her we were having an engagement photography session. I didn't have an exact plan. What I did have were my reasons for wanting an e-session:

1. RZ & I always try to have a nice photo taken of ourselves when we go glam for a wedding. Usually, we fail. In our last attempt, we looked great . . . as we posed in front of someone's car.

2. RZ & I were alone on a winter beach in the Hamptons when we got engaged. We took a few self-portraits but we have no official engagement photographs of us. This is a special time we want to remember.

So we had our e-session out & about in Hoboken with our photographer, Tim of TGP. Despite his camera-shy subjects, Tim captured countless fabulous photos. First things first, we framed some in our home. Here's one of our favorite photos hanging in our hallway:


Here's a grouping of our favorite photos displayed in our living room:


And that was that for our e-session photographs. Until Tim suggested using our engagement photos to create a personalized guest book. Well, well. No blank cream pages for us. Colorful, creative layouts of our favorite engagement photos instead. Our photos + our guests' notes = a very special keepsake. Good idea!

Our guest book arrived last week & we are beyond thrilled. Take a look & see if you agree:




Isn't it lovely?

Happy Weekend!!!

Book Photographer: check!

Hand-in-Hand Engagement Photograph
Image by Timothy Glenn Photography

Do as I say, not as I do.

Shortly after booking the venue, I urge my planning clients to book their photographer & music as quickly as possible. Both are important parts of the wedding day & both can only participate in one wedding at a time. Florists are another biggie but they can handle multiple jobs in one day. Once a photographer & band are booked, they're booked. For the best selection, book early!

I'm shamed to admit that RZ & I booked our photographers, Timothy Glenn Photography, about two months ago. In the wedding planning game, we were very, very late. We knew we wanted TGP to photograph our wedding from Day One of our engagement because there is nobody's wedding photography we admire more. The catch is that TGP consists of the talented duo of Tim Camuso & Glenn Maida; Tim happens to be my brother-in-law. Would it be possible for Tim to work & enjoy our wedding?!

Indeed, when there is a will, there is a way. It did take some time to iron out the details. In the meantime, we forged ahead with our planning, certain that a solution would work out for hiring TGP. We had a great Engagement Session in Hoboken with Tim that produced some lovely photographs. Then along came the final solution: Tim will photograph the ceremony & post-ceremony photography session, while a second photographer will take over for Tim at the reception. We'll have amazing wedding photographs & Tim will have fun (we hope). Yipee!

We've worked hard to assemble the perfect team to make our wedding dreams a reality & we're very, very excited that Timothy Glenn Photography is a part of it.

Don't follow our example: BOOK EARLY!!!!!!