Best "I Do" EVER

Brides-to-be know the Bridal Drill: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue.

Something Blue can be tricky, although there are tons of cute, creative things on the market these days. My all-time favorite Something Blue are the rhinestone "I Do" shoe decals. Allow me to demonstrate their awesomeness from a real wedding . . .

Step One: Buy these cuties

Image via Shop Mindy Weiss

Step Two: Get Awesome Something Blue Photo!

Image via Photography by Martha

Love, love, LOVE! I adore this photo so much that it used to be the header on this blog & it influenced me to use "I Do" shoe decals as my Something Blue. Can you say obsessed?!

To score your own rhinestone "I Do" shoe decals, shop here or here. Enjoy!

Do you have a cool idea for Something Blue to share with us?

Koru Kate Finds: 5th Edition

I am counting my lucky stars. After a voluntary evacuation due to Miss Hurricane Irene, RZ, Bailey & I returned home to find everything safe & sound this morning. Thank you, thank you! Miss Hurricane Irene wasn't so kind to others & I pray the recovery is full & swift.

Let's proceed with the Koru Kate Find, shall we?

I made it no secret that I had a hard time finding fun flats for my wedding. The search lasted for months! Are you in the same boat of wanting flats with a little pizazz? Well, my dear Brides-to-be, J.Crew has sparkly, cute ballet flats just for you!

First, we have my personal favorite: Lula Glitter Ballet Flat in Metallic Silver:



Here's Lula in Metallic Pecan:


Last, but not least, Lula in Pale Gold:

(Above Images via J.Crew)

Isn't Lula just darling?! Yeah, I'm in love. Looking for all-day comfort & cuteness? Looking to kick off your heels & trade them for shiny dancing shoes at the Reception? Looking for adorable shoes for the Bridesmaids? Lula is your perfect girl!!

It's A Wrap! 19th Edition

America, the Beautiful Bride
Image via People

What a week! I came home from a peaceful, relaxing vacation to a rare earthquake, quickly followed by reports of a hurricane. Craziness. Our home is prepped with food, water & supplies for 3 days but we plan to leave town Saturday & not return unless the current storm prediction changes. I hope each & every one of my fellow East Coasters stays safe & sound!

Until we meet again, here are some lovelies gathered just for you:

So-called Ugly Betty is a Beautiful Bride!!!!
Am I the only one that missed her wedding?!

Follow me, this is sooooo much fun!

Trust me, just check out the fabulous getaway car

How did you know it was "The One?"

Wishing you a safe & happy weekend!

Back to Reality

I'm back from this place. Now I'm firmly rooted in the day-to-day realities of my life. There are no words to describe the relaxing, beautiful quality of this place so I leave you with a (mostly) wordless post.





I miss this place already.

This Place

Ahhhhh . . .

Oh, this place. One of my favorite places. Sun, surf & sand. The days are long & lazy, made for a beach chair & a good book. The nights are perfect for campfires & s'mores. I adore this place.

Where can you find me these next few days? Not here. This place.

Regular blogging to resume shortly!

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?

Koru Kate Finds: 4th Edition

A Wedding Path
Image from Martha Stewart Weddings

Today's Koru Kate Finds is another oldie but goodie.

I have been pinning my little heart out & I came across this classic image from the great Martha Stewart. The image brought me back, way back . . .

Once upon a time, I was a lost girl. Little passion, no direction. I happened to stumble into an internship with a wedding planner. Oh, I loved it so very much. The Brides, the wedding gowns, the flowers, the food. I began to eat & breathe weddings. As such, Martha Stewart Weddings was my Bible.

I remember spotting this simply incredible image in the gorgeous pages of MSW & it captured my heart. Years later, it caught my heart when I found it among the pretty in The Best of Martha Stewart Living Weddings. Then just days ago, it reclaimed my heart in the lovely world of Pinterest. There is something about this beautiful rose petal path lined with large hurricane candles that speaks to me over & over again. So powerful, so timeless. Among other things, I find this wedding path reminds me of how & why I came to love weddings.

Wouldn't you just love to walk down a rose petal path? Who knows what beauty is on the other end!

It's A Wrap! 18th Edition

How much do I love the rainbow of shoes? Very, very much.
Images via The Knotty Bride

Happy Friday, Koru Friends & Family! How was your week? I hope it was fabulous!!! Speaking of fabulous, here are some fabulous pretties that caught my eye & heart this week:

Color me a beautiful rainbow!

Don't make me blush! Scratch that. Make me blush.

Bright colors, sparkly sequins, oh my!

What more could you ask:
Adorable AND Delicious

Did I miss anything? Please share the fabulous with me!

Have a lovely weekend!

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!

It's A Wrap! 17th Edition

The Pretty Work of Hey Gorgeous Events Images via The Knotty Bride

Hello, Koru Friends & Family! Here we are at Friday again. You know Friday is the day I collect my favorite inspiration from around the web & share it with you. Today is a little different because I'm bringing you two links only, one from months ago & one from this week. Because these posts are important. Really, really important.

I've been honest that my wedding planning experience, while amazing, wasn't all tulle & roses. Oh, the never-ending joy of opininated family! I haven't gotten into the sticky details (someday) but what I can say is I learned to keep loving these people & stop caring what they think. Letting go.

Tough times in wedding planning comes in all shapes & sizes. I hope it doesn't happen to you but if it does, you are not alone. Here, with much more wisdom, grace & honesty than I can muster on the subject is ever-so-fabulous Rhi of Hey Gorgeous:

A Wedding Planning Story: Part One
A Wedding Planning Story: Part Two

Take heart, Brides. ((HUGS))

Beautiful in Pink

Happy Mr. & Mrs. + Gorgeous Bouquet

How pretty!

Pink isn't my color but it's definitely my best friend's color. She & pink are best buds. It came as no surprise when she chose bright, vibrant pink as her color for her Summer wedding. Now this was no Blush & Bashful pink situation like "Steel Magnolias." Pink was the accent color used thoughtfully here & there, like pink bridesmaid dresses, pink & white bridesmaid bouquets & pink & white centerpieces.

What had my heart was her bridal bouquet of bright pink roses. This bouquet was a classic look of open pink roses tightly massed with no greenery. So simple, yet absolutely stunning. The bouquet was beautiful in person, even more striking in photos.

Beyond that, a bright, happy pink bridal bouquet was so perfectly her, a gorgeous accent for a beautiful Bride!

Koru Kate Finds: 2nd Edition

Gorgeous Fleur de Lis Wedding Invitation
Available at Etsy in LetterpressLight's shop

Welcome to Koru Kate Finds: Second Edition!

Today's invitation find is inspired by our recent, amazing trip to the one & only New Orleans. It was my first time back to Nola since Hurricane Katrina. I found much sadness & strength in Nola as it carries a heartache for what was lost, a resilience for what survived & a hope for what lies ahead. All this & more is symbolized by the beautiful Fleur de Lis. While the Fleur de Lis was popular before the storm, it's now the unofficial emblem of New Orleans. The Fleur de Lis is displayed in every nook & cranny with pride.

This Fleur de Lis wedding invitation is pure, letterpress perfection. I adore the beauty & spirit of the design. Have you admired the back of the invitation? I love, LOVE it as much as the front. The Fleur de Lis & purple & gold color scheme are a great match for a New Orleans wedding or a New Orleans-theme wedding. Not having a New Orleans wedding? Just switch things up a bit, like an elegant black & white presentation, & make this pretty invitation your own!