{Sneak Peek} Lauren & Derrick

Happy Friday!  How is your weekend shaping up?  I have a not-so-fun but necessary appointment today, followed by a weekend at the beach with RZ & Bailey.  I'm excited for today to be over & to head for the beach!  Before I break out my sunscreen, here is a sneak peek at next Wedding Wednesday:

Oh yeah, it's gonna be country, y'all!  Bridesmaids in cowboy boots.  Drinks in mason jars.  Plus gorgeous flowers & gorgeous Vermont scenery.  & much, much more!  Check back next Wedding Wednesday for every rustic detail!

Enjoy your weekend!

Photography: Ampersand Wedding Photography  /  Submitted via Two Bright Lights

My Matching Maids

I have been talking about my matching bridesmaid dresses lately.  First, I mentioned the one thing I would change about our wedding is the matching bridesmaid dresses.  I wish I had let my ladies choose any dress in any shade of purple for an original look.  Just days later, I changed my mind & said I wish I had let my ladies choose any black dress & any purple shoe.  Did any of this leave you wondering what my matching bridesmaids looked like on our wedding day?!

I chose photos from our bridal party photo session at the Hoboken Train Station because the views of the bridesmaid dress are the best.  Plus you can admire the gorgeous train station architecture!  They just don't make buildings like they used to with the ornate, beautiful detailing but that is another story.

Without further ado, here is our gorgeous bridal party of our nearest & dearest, featuring our bridesmaids wearing a tea-length Cynthia Rowley dress in Smashing:

My handsome groom & my lovely ladies:

Last but not least, one of my favorites: me & my fabulous ladies plus the stunning stained glass ceiling:

I look back at the photos & I definitely see traditional bridesmaids in matching dresses.  I have seen similar looks before & I will probably see similar looks many times to come.  But honestly, my bridesmaids are my friends & my family.  They look happy & beautiful, as always. I am touched & honored they were a part of our wedding.  They could be wearing trash bags & I wouldn't care!

The reality is I can't change anything about our wedding.  It is said & done, a loving memory near & dear to my heart.  I'm perfectly okay with our wedding just as it was.  Our wedding was a dream come true!

Photography by Timothy Glenn Photographers

shades of purple

One quick glance at my blog, my web site or my current manicure & it's pretty obvious I like purple.  From the sweet, pretty look of light purple to the regal, grand look of deep purple, I'm pretty much a fan of any shade of purple.  Unfortunately, my husband doesn't share this purple obsession adoration & our home is purple-free zone.  I've been missing it lately so the obvious cure is sharing a lovely collection of purple bridesmaid bouquets with you!

I spy every shade of pretty purple in this lush beauty:

A sweet bouquet with a darling touch of light purple:

A gorgeous light & dark purple bouquet:

A dark purple/white dahlia is the star of this incredible bouquet:

A daring, beautiful bouquet featuring calla lilies with dark purple centers:
(this one is my favorite!!!!)

Purple, I adore your amazing self.  

Thank you for indulging me in my love of purple!  What is your favorite color?  Will/did you use it in your wedding?

Photo 1 Ashley Rose Photography via Photo 2 Edyta Szyszlo Photography via Photo 3 Simply Bloom Photography via Photo 4 Gabriel Ryan Photographers via Photo 5 Callaway Gable 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

Koru Kate Finds: 6th Edition

I was on a Shopping Mission yesterday to find a new, fun outfit for RZ's birthday.  Sadly, I was unsuccessful & recycled an outfit for the happy occasion.  On the bright side, I found pretty, well-priced dresses for my dear readers in Wedding mode.  These sweet dresses are perfect for Bridesmaids for Wedding, Guests for Wedding or Bride for Rehearsal Dinner.   

First, I offer you the soft berry Faux Wrap Sleeveless Dress for only $60:

Next, I give you the warm iron Carla Flutter Sleeve Sheath Dress for only $65:

Last, I present my personal favorite, the fresh olive Ruffle Front Sleeveless Dress for only $65:

Images via Ann Taylor Loft

Add a cool statement necklace, fun little belt &/or fabulous shoes & you're good to go!

As much as I enjoyed my experience at Bella Bridesmaid & I loved my Bridesmaid dress, I wish I had gone the off-the-rack ready route for my Bridesmaids.  The process of finding, ordering & altering those traditional Bridesmaid dresses was my least favorite experience of my wedding planning.  Hindsight! 

If you're willing to hunt & compromise on color, you can find a perfect dress for a good deal!

It's A Wrap! 10th Edition

LOVE: Bridesmaids Movie
Movie Still via Hollywood.com

Here we are at the 10th Edition of It's A Wrap!, the weekly Koru list of wedding inspiration. Yes, here we are. & I've got nothing. I'm ashamed to admit I've been a slacker this week. It's not that I haven't been reading my favorite wedding blogs & finding inspiration to share. Check, check. Unfortunately, other projects demanded my time & attention this week so my focus was lost. I have to admit defeat.

Now I did take a break in this crazy week to see a matinee of Bridesmaids. After all, anything wedding-related is considered research. My Koru loves, take yourself to the movie theater pronto & enjoy this movie! You'll love it if you're a Bride or Bridesmaid. You'll love it if you've been a Bride &/or Bridesmaid. Trust me. Whether you've been nominated as Maid of Dishonor or not, you will relate to it & you will laugh.

You probably need a break from wedding planning or real life! Go see Bridesmaids!!

Have a lovely weekend~

Cocktail Hour

Our cutie Flower Girl enjoys a treat during CH

The Bride chats with friends at CH

The Bride & Her Bestie/Bridesmaid at CH

Our family's table full of food & drinks at CH!
(All Photos by Friends)

Thrilled! RZ & I walked into our Cocktail Hour in the Manhattan Ballroom & we were thrilled. Candles flickered in the floor-to-ceiling windows with views of downtown Manhattan & the Statue of Liberty. Small arrangements of tightly clustered white carnations & bear grass-wrapped bases decorated the cocktail tables covered in striped ivory linens. Jazz standards wafted through the air courtesy of The Love Jones Band piano player on the grand piano.

Oh, there's more! Our beloved raw bar (done by special request as it's our favorite), our pasta station & our cheese & fruit station. Our colorful martini bar. Waiters & waitresses offering trays of cleverly-displayed hors d'oeuvres.

&, best of all, our family & friends. Eating. Drinking. Talking. Laughing. It was a dream come true.

I knew instantly that RZ's idea to enjoy a mini, private Cocktail Hour was beyond brilliant. We were happy, relaxed & full. We mixed & mingled as we pleased without a care. We didn't have to worry about getting food, balancing a plate & drink or being caught with food in our mouths which was quite priceless. We worked the room, giving hugs & accepting congratulations. It was our version of an informal, fun Receiving Line as we got the chance to chat with almost every guest. Such a fun time!

I could hardly believe the evening was young & it was just going to get better & better!

Wedding Belles!

I'm drooling. Are you? Or the better question: have you seen Wedding Belles, the new wedding collection from Kate Spade?

Wedding Belles is chic & whimsical, just as you'd expect from Kate Spade. It includes fun collections for the Bride, Bridesmaid & Honeymoon. Love, LOVE! I spent the major part of my weekend poring over every item & wishing they could be mine or could have been mine for my wedding. Here are my favorites from the Bride collection:

Wedding Belles Naomi Dress
Soooo cute for the Rehearsal Dinner or Celebratory Brunch

Charm Shoes
The perfect amount of sparkle & sass!

Pearl Bauble Bracelet
Classic Pearls with a bit of glitz

Very Opaque Tights
Wasn't I just saying colored tights are the perfect Something Blue?

Date Night Ring
Fun & flirty! I need this ring ASAP for our date nights!!

(All Images via kate spade new york)

Don't even get me started on the Bridesmaid & Honeymoon collections! What were your favorites?

Ready, Set, GO!

Our sweet boy Bailey before he was sent to doggie day care

Red roses from my fiance!

My wedding dress: I wish I could wear it again & again!

Me & My Gorgeous Bridesmaids

I'm going to the chapel & I'm going to get married!
(Above photos were taken by friends)

The night before our wedding, my cousin/bridesmaid & I stayed up until 4am packing up the wedding items, cleaning the condo, finishing DIY projects & gossiping. It was a little crazy & I wouldn't recommend it to everyone but it enabled me to wake up on our wedding day without a single care or worry. Everything was done! I noted the sunshine & blue skies & immediately text RZ to say, "It is our beautiful wedding day!" From that moment on, I was on Cloud Nine.

My getting ready crew consisted of my fabulous bridesmaids, my lovely Mom & RZ's great Mom, plus the make-up artist, the hair stylist, the wedding planner & the photographers. Our condo quickly transformed into a dressing room. I had an open house policy so my crew showed up throughout the morning in various stages of hair, make-up & dress. My heart warmed at the sight of each girl's bright, happy, shiny face.

I have to say, I did little more than relax in the hours before our ceremony. My biggest task was walking Bailey & taking him to his doggie daycare/hotel. Then I was able to chill & eat (seriously, Brides-to-be- eating is important!!) while everyone buzzed around me. The hair stylist & make-up artist worked their magic. The beautiful flowers were delivered. Red roses & a sweet note from my fiance arrived. Candid photos were snapped. Girls dashed here & there. It was shaping up to be a wonderful wedding day!

Of course, I was the last lady to get ready. The bridesmaids & Moms were dressed & they looked stunning!! I had my "Classic Bride" make-up done, then had my side chignon styled & my chiffon flower placed. At last, it was time to put on my wedding dress!!! I had waited for this moment for so long & I savored every second. The gorgeous dress. The simple veil. The sparkly shoes. The pearl earrings & the pearl/rhinestone bracelet. The calla lily bouquet. I had carefully chosen every last detail to transform me into my ideal version of a Bride. I've never felt more beautiful!!

Before we left for the church, we had an almond champagne toast & it was my very favorite part of getting ready. Here I was with my favorite women in the world. We looked beautiful & we were pumped: we were on the brink of my marriage ceremony! It doesn't get more special than this (a true understatement). We huddled in the living room & cheered the wedding day. Cheers!

DIY Project: Welcome Bags

Our Wedding Welcome Bag

My Mom is a gift basket-maker by trade. She makes creative, beautiful gift baskets for charity raffles, first-time home owners, wedding gift bags & more. Give her a theme & she churns out a perfectly-themed gift basket. By the time we tackled our wedding welcome bags, we had less than one week to the wedding & a never-ending to-do list. We never considered skipping the welcome bags because we still wanted gift bags to greet our guests at the hotel & provide them with information & treats. We had to make welcome bags & keep our sanity intact. My Mom was probably a tad disappointed when I told her the theme for our welcome bags was "simple."

But she went with the flow as she realized I may have a meltdown otherwise & we kept it simple. The basic idea was a plain bag decorated with our leftover "Greetings from Hoboken" save-the-date postcards tied with an easy bow & filled with a welcome letter, wedding itinerary & plentiful snacks. We snagged glossy, white bags & white grosgrain ribbon for an awesome price at AC Moore. We went to Sam's Club & grabbed anything & everything that looked good- water, apples, granola bars, cookies, pretzels, chips, etc- also for a reasonable price. We bought white paper decorated with silver swirls at Staples. I had already collected Love mints & wedding tissues.

Thank goodness this project was not so much DIY as DIT- do it together. While I worked on the letter & itinerary with our painfully-slow printer, my Mom & cousin/bridesmaid worked the bag assembly line. I can't thank them enough for their valuable support & help! Each had to be tagged with the postcard, hole-punched for the ribbon, stuffed with the treats & information &, finally, tied with a bow. Between the shopping, the assembly & the delivery, this DIY project ate a lot of time. Quite a project even on a simple scale!

The hardworking welcome bag team

Yes, I wrote "Welcome" on every treat

The tagged welcome bags waiting to be finished

The welcome bags may not have been as fancy as my Mom would have liked but I thought they were just perfect. With the "Greetings From Hoboken" postcard, they managed to perfectly welcome the guests to our beloved home & carry through our hometown theme. Plus they looked cute & simple, they were filled with yummy snacks & they had pertinent information. What more could you ask for from a welcome bag?! RZ & I delivered them to the hotel on Friday afternoon to be placed in each of our out-of-town guests' hotel rooms as a hearty welcome to our wedding weekend. The fun was just beginning!

The finished product- I loved them!