{Classic Autumn Mansion Wedding} Nicole & Corey

Happy Wedding Wednesday!

Today's wedding is a classic beauty.  It's got a little bit of everything: a historic Maryland mansion with formal gardens, an insanely gorgeous Bride, pops of bright red & killer dance moves.  Robert Holley Productions was on hand to capture every last detail:

My Favorite Moment: The sight of the Bride & Groom taking a private moment & dancing on the lawn is absolutely lovely & precious!

My Favorite Detail: The unique red bridal bouquet, including the always cool protea. 

Congratulations, Nicole & Corey!

VENDOR LOVE:
Photography: Robert Holley Productions  /  Submitted via Two Bright Lights  /  Ceremony & Reception Venue: Strong Mansion

{Real Traditional Jacksonville Wedding} Hayley & Joseph

Sometimes real weddings don't need much commentary from me as the pictures speak on their own.  Today's Jacksonville, Florida is one such wordless wedding.  Let's take a look at this classic wedding from Tonya Beaver Photography:

Okay, I can't stay completely quiet.  Hayley is a true classic Bride with her cascading bridal bouquet, her blusher veil and her string of pearls.  Then she adds a modern pop with her lovely braided chignon and embellished blue bridal flats.  Classic with spunk- I love it!    

Congratulations, Hayley & Joseph!

VENDOR LOVE:
Photography: Tonya Beaver Photography  /  Submitted via Two Bright Lights  /  Reception Venue:
River City Brewing Company

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!

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??!!

Classic & Modern Invitation

Together Invitation Suite
shown in Admiral Blue

Simple, Classic, Beautiful

Reception & Response Cards
Together Invitation by Exclusive Collection II
Available at Koru Wedding Shoppe

The Together invitation is described as an invitation with classic flourishes & modern elegance. Many Brides are trying to infuse the old with the new so it's no wonder the Together invitation is popular at Koru Wedding Shoppe. First, it was chosen by a sweet couple having their fun, formal wedding at the Bride's family's waterfront estate. Last summer, it was chosen by a fabulous Bride & her Mom hosting the wedding at the Georgian-style mansion of The Estate at Florentine Gardens.

What I adore about the Exclusive Collection II are the sophisticated designs & the ability to play with color. Every invitation is available with two imprint colors for the fonts & the designs. Colored envelopes are available too which can be a welcome change from the usual white & ecru wedding envelopes.

Funny enough, both Brides chose to keep the Together invitation crisp & clean with one color- Admiral Blue & matching blue envelopes. The pop of color is there but it's a simple, subtle touch. The Summer Bride went classic with her formal script font selection. As you can see, the results are quite beautiful!

Invitations: check!

We ordered our wedding invitations from this company!
Jennie & Mark invitation from Marsupial Invitations

Yesterday was a red-letter day in our wedding planning: we ordered our wedding invitations!

We were debating between a classic invitation by Monique Lhuillier & a stylish invitation by Marsupial Invitations. Back & forth, back & forth. Then some more back & forth, back & forth. Finally, with patience running thin, we came to a final decision: a pocket invitation by Marsupial Invitations.

How did we arrive at our final decision? Blood, sweat & tears!! Just kidding. What it came down to was me. I'm a creative person who loves designing things, especially stationery whether it's a Mother's Day card or a wedding invitation. It simply made sense to work with a stationery company like Marsupial that allows me the freedom to design our wedding invitation using their paper colors, ink colors, font styles, monograms & images.

I worked really hard over the past two weeks to design a wedding invitation that reflects us as a couple & our wedding. I spent a lot of time on every last detail. I believe I created an invitation that is traditional, yet modern & very us. I'll write more in another post about the creative process. For now, I'm basking in the glory that we ordered our wedding invitations!!!!

Invitations. Seriously.

Will we go the more traditional route?
Monique Lhuiller wedding invitation available at Koru

Or a more modern route?
Marsupial Invitations wedding invitation available at Koru

I was shamed today: a May 2011 Bride ordered her wedding invitations. This Bride was so organized! She had her ceremony, reception, accommodations & rehearsal dinner information. I only have two out of those four. I'm a January 2011 Bride & I haven't ordered our wedding invitations yet. What is wrong with this picture?!

RZ is coming to Koru Wedding Shoppe after work & we are ordering our wedding invitations. You may remember we attempted this a few weeks ago & it simply didn't work out. No ifs, and or buts this time.

Tonight is the Night!

Dress Nightmares

Kayla dress by Thread
At $480, there's no way.

Edie Dress by Thread
Again, $480. If my Bridemaids won the lottery.

Is there one item on your wedding to-do list that you dread? For me, it's choosing a bridesmaid dress. I have absolutely no patience for this task. It could be that for a brief time in my wedding career, I sold bridesmaid dresses &, well, let's just say it wasn't my favorite thing. I would rather scrub a dirty bathroom from top to bottom. From the day I got engaged, I wearily eyed the "Choose & Order Bridesmaid Dresses" task on our wedding timeline with a heavy feeling in my heart.

I. Don't. Want. To.

Time hasn't done much to change my mind. I have looked at bridesmaid dresses online & I've found several that I love . . . for $400 or more. Seriously. I've found a few I kinda like for $200. Even at that price, I want to love the dress if I'm asking my bridesmaids to shell out the money. Now the thought of going to a bridesmaid dress store, even my favorite Bella Bridesmaid, just doesn't sound fun. So I keep searching online with the same results. It's an endless circle & I grow more & more frustrated.

I have coordinated & attended several lovely weddings where the Bride had each bridesmaid wear a black dress of their own choosing. Everyone looks great & comfortable. Less fuss, less stress. The thing is I don't like black that much. I wear & decorate with little to no black. Black is not me. When I suggest to my family & friends that I may let the bridesmaids choose a black dress, they look at me with horror, knowing my strained relationship to black. Honestly, I'm at the point where I just don't care.

So what are my ideal requirements for a bridesmaid dress? Classic. Long. Affordable. Chocolate brown, champagne or dark purple. Any suggestions??!!

Golden Splendor

A new twist on the pocket invitation
The invitation & enclosures are tucked away in the pocket

The invitation features an embossed pattern & a printed flourish

A close-up of the flourish decoration

The invitation & its matching enclosures

The Golden Splendor invitation is modern & old-fashioned at once. The shimmer, champagne pocket is an updated version of the popular pocket invitation. The square shape, shimmer paper, almond ink & combination fonts are marks of a modern invitation. Yet the graceful filigree pattern gives the invitation a classic, elegant feel.

As you've gathered from previous invitation posts, many Brides see the sample shown in the stationery book or sample displayed at Koru Wedding Shoppe & customize it to make it their own. The Bride & Groom who chose this invitation took it exactly as is- font style, font color, layout, etc. The only thing they changed is the wording. They thought it was ideal for their vintage-theme wedding. Sometimes things are perfect as is!