Ceremony Classic

The cover of a ceremony program, featuring an olive knot

The inside text, detailing the order of the ceremony,
the members of the bridal party & a short 'In Remembrance' note

Yes, I'm talking about the classics again! Today is a little different because I'm not featuring a classic wedding invitation; instead, I'm showcasing a classic wedding program.

The wedding ceremony program above is one such classic. The ecru vellum cover includes the Bride & Groom's names, the wedding date & the ceremony location. Inside ecru cardstock pages include the order of the ceremony, the members of the bridal party & a short note in remembrance of deceased relatives. The black, script font matches the Bride & Groom's wedding invitation. Everything is tied together with an olive ribbon for a subtle touch of color. This program is a classic beauty!

The Bride & Groom ordered one program per couple at their wedding ceremony. Long after the newlywed couple begins their married life, programs are a fabulous keepsake for wedding guests. And who doesn't want to be remembered as a classic?!

Vendors, Vendors & More Vendors

Who will make our wedding cake?
Who will take photographs of our wedding cake?
Yup, we're choosing our vendors!
Image via Real Simple

Despite the fact that I'm a wedding planner, our wedding planning process has gone much like any other couple's experience. We got engaged & started down the path of planning our wedding. We tackled the biggies- selecting a date, setting a budget, establishing priorities & booking ceremony & reception venues. Not much different from Jane & John's wedding planning.

Until now: the vendors. Many Brides & Grooms say finding the perfect vendors can be an overwhelming process. You open any bridal magazine & you find hundreds of local photographers alone. It's hard to tell who is good, who is reliable, who best matches your needs & budget, etc. When I help my planning couples find vendors, I try to match them with five vendors who fit their style, requirements & budget. From there, I urge them to meet with at least three of them to review their work. Ultimately, they choose the vendor whose personality & work they like the best.

I have the exact opposite problem; I know so many talented, reliable, wonderful vendors from photographers to bands to wedding planners. I trust that any of them could make our wedding dreams a reality. But I can't very well book five photographers, ten bands & six wedding planners. So we must choose from all the talent! It's not easy but it's a lot of fun.

Come along with us as we choose our wedding vendors in the upcoming weeks!

Happy Mother's Day

Spring Peruvian Lily arrangement
from Real Simple

Today's post is dedicated to our Moms, Grandmas, Aunts, Cousins, Friends, Neighbors:

Happy Mother's Day with much love!

Crafting for Mom

Crafting supplies: patterned paper, shimmer paper,
adhesive ribbon, edged scissors & more!

Crafting in Progress!
Gram's card done & Mom's card in the works

I have been happily crafting for a few months now, making Valentine's Day cards, St. Patrick's Day cards, Easter cards & more for my family & friends. I skipped Hallmark for Mother's Day too & made my own creations for my Mom & my Grandma. I would've made cards for my fiance's Mom & Grandma too but he wanted the sappy inscriptions from Hallmark. With only two cards to create, I thought it was best to reuse materials from past projects.

I opened up my crafting armoire & a ton of great materials begged to be used. I started with a plain white card with a deckle edge. Then I layered it with two coordinating patterned papers that I edged in a sunburst pattern. To ease the transition between the patterned papers, I covered it with a pretty, adhesive ribbon. Finally, I made a heart out of shimmer paper & wrote "Mom" & "Grandma" with glitter pens. It was a very easy & very relaxing craft project!

My humble masterpieces for Mother's Day

A close-up of my Gram's card with purple flair
Pink has always been her color but lately she loves purple

A close-up of my Mom's card in a blue/turquoise scheme
I didn't have much in green- my Mom's fav- so I picked something fun

The unfortunate part of this great project is that the cards didn't mail themselves; the little stinkers refused. They're sitting on my dining room table with no hopes of making it to California for Mother's Day! Maybe my Mom & Gram can take a peek here for proof that I was thinking of them & making something for them with love.

Oh well. It's the thought that counts! Right?!

Monique Stunner

Oh so classic & oh so beautiful!

The wedding invitation & its outer envelope

The wedding invitation & the travel enclosure

Today is another "Stop the Press!" day. I had another post planned when an invitation order arrived last evening at Koru Wedding Shoppe. Let me tell you, it's like Christmas opening an invitation order. There is nothing quite like admiring, touching & feeling this little creation that you worked hard designing & creating. In this case, I fell in love with the invitation!

This is the first Monique Lhuillier Fine Papers Collection invitation order I have received in awhile & I needed to be reminded how much I heart these invitations. Thick, luxurious papers, crisp, gorgeous printing & incredible designs- what more could you ask for?! Not much, I assure you.

You may remember this Bride & her fun save-the-date invitations for her Cabo San Lucas, Mexico wedding. For her wedding invitation, she wanted to go the classic route. She found everything she wanted & more with this classic gem from the Monique Lhuillier Fine Papers Collection. Classic: wedding white paper, black lettering & engraved printing. Modern: horizontal layout, combination lettering & raised border. The invitation is classic with a few modern touches just to keep things interesting. We tweaked things here & there for the destination wedding. The larger Reception card was used as the Response card. The extra room was needed to prompt guests to fill in their flight arrival & departure information. The Reception card was also used as a Hotel Accommodations and Details card with some extra travel information for the guests. Perfection.

Love, love this invitation. I'm not the only one. In the Bride's words, "We really appreciate everything you have done for us & we LOVE the invitations!" In the calligrapher's words, "The envelopes & the invites are gorgeous!" Music to my ears!

E-Session Hoboken

I color myself lucky for many reasons, one of which is that the talented Tim of Timothy Glenn Photography also happens to be my brother-in-law. It comes in handy since I'm getting married! When Tim suggested a engagement session, I jumped at the chance.

Then I started to worry. Where would we take the photos? We're not models; would we photograph well? What would we wear? My worry only increased after looking at engagement sessions posted on wedding blogs that included costume changes & numerous props- so not us. As it turned out, we had little to stress about besides what to wear as Tim took care of everything.

The day of our e-session dawned cloudy & cold. Hoboken was the location of choice &, believe it or not, there are plenty of spots to choose from in this square mile. We started on Sixth Street & followed Tim's vision. First, he led us down Court Street, an old cobblestone street with a gritty, city look (see painted brick wall & black & white photos). Next, we went to Stevens Park lined with green benches & spring trees in full bloom (see last photo). Then we wandered to Elysian Park with meandering brick walkways, flowering trees & a fun playground (third photo). Finally, we went to Maxwell Pier which boasts amazing New York City skyline views (see first photo). At each spot, Tim was patient & good at guiding two people who aren't comfortable in front of a camera. Just look at those photos!

We are so happy we had an engagement session & we couldn't be more thrilled with the photos. They're the perfect mementos of this special time in our lives. The photos captured us, not to mention Hoboken, so well. We had a tough time choosing but we've already printed, framed & displayed our favorite photos in our condo. I had an even tougher time choosing a few to post on the blog today & last month. Haven't seen enough? For more photos, visit Tim's blog &/or join Koru Wedding Shoppe on Facebook. Enjoy~

A BIG thank you to Tim of Timothy Glenn Photography for the great e-session & wonderful photos!!

Just Keep Calm

Keep Calm & Carry On bandages- precious!!
Available from A&G Merch
Found on Weddings Fresh

Love, love the "Keep Calm and Carry On" message!

Ever since I found the water bottle from Paper Source, I have seen the "Keep Calm and Carry On" message in many places. On Being Erica (one of my favorite shows that I recommend checking out), Erica has a "Keep Calm and Carry On" framed print in her bathroom. Quite perfect really. A nice reminder as you primp for your day.

Then I came across these darling "Keep Calm and Carry On" bandages featured on Weddings Fresh. The possibilities are huge here! Tuck a few in the Wedding Day Emergency Kit (whether you make your own or buy one, no Bride should be without one!!) just in case. Make sure plenty are available in your bathroom amenity baskets. Add them to your out-of-town gifts bags. Gift a few, along with some other goodies, to your youngest guests. If anyone needs to use one of these cuties, they are guaranteed to smile & carry on with the celebrating.

Are you a Mom? You may be able to stop your kid's tears with those bright colors & fun message!

Have you seen the "Keep Calm and Carry On" message somewhere? It seems to be popular. Maybe it's because we need this message so much these days!