Winter . . . or Spring?

The Empire State Building as seen from Maxwell Place in Hoboken on a sunny day

I have been pretty obsessed with a winter wedding since we got engaged. There wasn't a single doubt in my mind that winter was the best choice. Okay, maybe one flashback to my first planning job during a blizzard but I got over it quickly. I love the idea of a warm, cozy celebration with family & friends on a chilly, starry night. Was I merely influenced by the current season?

Because today has me thinking twice. Spring may not have officially arrived but she is coming soon! It's one of those days in Hoboken when you feel like you could reach out & touch New York City across the Hudson River. Blue skies, bright sun, warm temperatures- beautiful! As I took my walk along the Hoboken waterfront, all I could think is a spring wedding would be awesome. There is little I love more than the tulip bouquet that serves as Koru's official photo (thank you TGP!!!). My imagination started running wild.

The good news is I got over it. Every season has its beauty & I could easily change my mind as each one arrives. Winter is the winner!!

St. Patrick's Day Wishes

Siobhan, recently featured here, says Happy St. Patrick's Day!

An Old Irish Blessing

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.


Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

The Hunt Begins

See that glittering NYC skyline? We would like to admire that view from our wedding reception.

Once we decided to keep our wedding local, we had to narrow down the countless possibilities for our reception somehow. We came up with three, important criteria:

1. The reception must be close to our ceremony at Church of St. Ann's in Hoboken. We love Hoboken & the surrounding area & we want to share that with our wedding guests.
2. The reception must have New York City skyline views. The NYC views are one reason we love Hoboken so we'd like to enjoy those stellar views at our wedding.
3. The reception must fit our budget & only host one wedding at a time. Obviously, we don't want to break the bank. Also, we're not interested in sharing the space with another wedding.

For every Bride & Groom, their criteria will be different but I think it's important to narrow down your choices. I have witnessed Brides & Grooms who have exhausted every single possibility in the tri-state area before deciding upon a reception location. I did not want this to be us. I feel it's a waste of our time & energy. If you know what you want, it makes the process easier.

Every time I mention our three reception contenders, someone says "Well, what about such & such place?" Inevitably, it's a great place but it does not meet one of our basic criteria. We chose these criteria for a reason & we plan to stick to it. When I help couples search for a reception location, I always ask for basic criteria & I have yet to see one list that resembles another. Another couple may choose a hotel ballroom, budget-friendly & a separate Bridal Party room as their criteria. Again, this is a personal choice. What works for us, may not work for the next couple. Pick important things that matter to you to make your location hunt more defined.

Using our criteria, we chose the Chart House, W Hotel Hoboken & Hyatt Jersey City as our top three possibilities. Our site tours have began; stay tuned for details! All I can say is it's going to be TOUGH decision!!

Engagement Brunch

My sister decorated the table with spring flowers, like this arrangement from ProFlowers

They served the Irish Classic of corned beef & cabbage, shown here from AllRecipes

They topped it off with my favorite, Angel Food Cake, shown here from Epicurious

On Sunday, my sister & brother-in-law hosted a sweet brunch to celebrate our engagement. They opened their lovely home to a few of our nearest & dearest to gather. The day dawned rainy & gray but it didn't stop the champagne from flowing & the laughter from peeling.

The brunch spread was impressive, due to my brother-in-law's years in the restaurant business & my sister's creativity. With St. Patrick's Day just three days away, everything had an Irish flair thrown in. Everything was served on Sullivan china that has been passed through generations. On the breakfast side, there was frittata & sausage. On the lunch side, there was corned beef, cabbage, potatoes & carrots. In addition, there was Irish Soda bread & Guinness bread. If I hosted a brunch, a professional caterer would have to be involved. My sister & brother-in-law blew any caterer out of the water! Everything was delicious & enjoyed by all!!!

There were quite a few desserts but I only remember my tried & true favorite, angel food cake served with strawberries. I had to stop myself from devouring the entire cake. Don't think I didn't notice that my sister placed the cake out of my reach. No celebration is complete without angel food cake!

All in all, the brunch was just perfect. The only downside is I was fighting the flu (seems to mild of a word for whatever is plaguing me!) & I didn't take a single photograph- boo. These memories will have to live in our minds. My fiance & I enjoyed spending time with a few of our closest friends & family. We are so lucky to have them in our lives & we look forward to many more celebrations in the upcoming months!!

St. Patrick's Day Crafting

One version of my St. Patrick's Day cards with punched paper trim

All it took was card stock, green paper, shamrock punch & colored pens

Another version with the punched shamrocks

Good health, good cheer & good luck to all!

I needed a break last night: from work, from our wedding, from everything. I had muddled through the day with a froggy voice & scratchy throat & I was done, done. I turned off the television, tossed my Blackberry aside & broke out my St. Patrick's Day project. I had decided to make St. Patrick's Day cards for my Sullivan family with shamrock cutouts & I needed to get them in the mail pronto. Soon, I was lost in crafting. It was such a treat to think about nothing but where to place this shamrock or what to color gel pen to use. Bliss.

My St. Patrick's Day craft project was great from start to finish. The project started with a fun trip to Michael's in New York City with my high school friend Jen, of Craftiness NOW fame. Jen told me this store was amazing & she was right. It's pretty much heaven for a crafter (or a DIY Bride!!)! The Martha Stewart Crafts section alone was drool-worthy. Although I already had a shamrock craft punch & fun green paper, I picked up shimmer card stock & other goodies for another project (details coming soon).

Then it got more & more fun. My original vision was one shamrock centered on the card with a simple message. When I got home, I realized my shamrock craft punch was much smaller than I remembered. I started punching away & figured I would come up with a design eventually. I began to love the green paper with shamrock cut-outs just as much as the punched shamrocks. I designed cards using both & ended up with five unique cards.

A few of my St. Patrick's Day creations are featured above, modeled by my new, Irish Build-a-Bear, Siobhan, an early St. Patrick's Day gift from my Mom. Enjoy!!

The Classics

A classic ecru wedding invitation with mocha ink & combination lettering from Chloe B.

A classic white invitation with a monogram & combination lettering from Chloe B.

At Koru Wedding Shoppe, I have the pleasure of working with many Brides on their wedding invitations & each order is as unique as each Bride. Over the years, I have seen different stationery trends come & go. One thing has not changed: The Classic Wedding Invitation.

The classic wedding invitation features black, script font engraved on cream or white paper. The look has a timeless elegance that remains stylish throughout the years. This could be your Mom's wedding invitation & it just as easily could be your future child's wedding invitation. Once a classic, always a classic.

Classic does not equal boring but there are ways to customize a classic. Some Brides choose the traditional paper stock & add some modern touches, such as colored ink, combination lettering, motifs &/or monograms as shown above. To save money, many Brides choose thermography, a raised printing method with the same feel & look of engraving at a fraction of the cost. Still beautiful, still classic.

Don't count out the classics; they are designed to survive the trends & the years!

Location, Location, Location

The breathtaking La Jolla coastline

People say location is everything. When it came to choosing a location for our wedding, it was no easy task. We were divided between San Diego, California & Hoboken, New Jersey. San Diego is our vacation getaway of choice & Hoboken is our home. We love each location for different reasons.

San Diego instantly conjures up images of bright sunshine, perfect weather, towering palm trees & the pretty Pacific Ocean; how can you beat that? I was a frequent visitor to San Diego once my grandparents moved to California when I was a teenager & it was love at first sight. Later, I spent a blissful time living & working in San Diego, days spent walking along the ocean & relaxing at the pool. I couldn't help but share this special town with my fiance who fell in love with it during our two fun vacations there.

There is just something about San Diego. We bask in the sunshine, we unwind & we relax. After the constant grind of the East Coast, San Diego is a relief. Who wouldn't want those feelings at their wedding? San Diego was a strong contender, specially La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. Love, love La Valencia. I worked countless weddings there & I can't say enough good things about this historic, charming hotel & its amazing ocean views.

The classic, sparkling NYC skyline

But Hoboken is home & it's our home for a reason. We love this waterfront town! It's unique with its city/small town feel & its seamless blend of old & new. No matter where we have been, we return to Hoboken & we feel like we're being welcomed by an old friend. There is no place like home. Hoboken may be a mere square mile but we have shared countless memories throughout our town. Here, there, everywhere.

Let's not forget the impressive NYC skyline! During the day, the skyline shimmers in the sunlight. At night, it shines in the darkness. I pause to admire the tremendous NYC views that Hoboken offers us each & every day. I always feel so lucky to call Hoboken home.

In the end, it may be cliche but it's true: home is where the heart is. We love Hoboken & we want to make yet another incredible memory here: our wedding. We're so excited to share our hometown with our wedding guests. Things are starting to come together as we have booked our church ceremony (read about it here) & we are starting the hunt for our reception location. Stay tuned!