Steel Magnolias

Raise your hand if you love the movie Steel Magnolias.  Is your hand raised?  Mine too.

Now raise your hand if you agree that dear Shelby, she of blush & bashful pink wedding fame, would approve of this precious pink wedding cake decorated with gum paste magnolias!  Is your hand raised again?  Mine too.

I couldn't help but think of Steel Magnolias when I spied the magnolia cake above.  Steel Magnolias is one of my favorite movies, one that grows better & better with age.  I appreciate the idea of women as beautiful, delicate beings who are strong, resilient creatures when needed.  I see more & more examples of steel magnolias as my women friends, family members & I experience heartbreak & tragedy.  It never breaks our beauty or spirit, only makes us shine brighter & better.  Steel magnolias are everywhere!  

Come to think of it, isn't that the perfect description of marriage?  A beautiful, delicate partnership that is strong & resilient when the going gets tough.   

P.S. The pink magnolia cake is much better than the armadillo cake :-)

Photo via

{Mrs. Monday} Home

Today marks the debut of Mrs. Monday, a little series dedicated to my thoughts & observations on my marriage.  I plan to post Mrs. Monday about twice a month, bring back Koru Kate Finds (remember?) one Monday a month & take a break one Monday a month.  Sound like a good plan?  Good, I thought you might like it.  Let's get this Mrs. Monday party started!  

A few months ago, I stumbled upon a twist on "Home Is Where The Heart Is" that said instead "Home Is Where Your Husband Is."  You could replace husband with wife, partner, family or whatever pleases you.  I thought it was cute then I promptly forgot about it.  

Until my husband left on a business trip to India for three weeks.

I knew I would miss my husband greatly but I grossly underestimated how much I would miss him.  We're not an attached-at-the-hip couple.  We have our own interests & our own friends so we're often in two different directions.  Still, with very few exceptions, we eat dinner & walk our dog together every night.  It's our time to connect, to share the joys & frustrations of our days.  I didn't realize how much I looked forward to this every day.  Suddenly, life was not the same when he wasn't walking through the front door each night.

Trust me, I was grateful to be home with all its comforts & familiarity whereas he was navigating a foreign country alone.  I had Beagle Bailey to keep me company, I had all my belongings at my fingertips & I could sleep in my comfy bed each night.  Family & friends were just a phone call away.  Nothing was the same though.  An emptiness permeated every moment & every moment seemed to last forever.  

When my husband finally came back, it clicked.  Home is where my husband is right by my side! 

Photo by & Sign Available at YertleandMyrtle's shop on Etsy

            

{Sneak Peek} Cheryl & Mike

Allow me to tempt you with a sneak peek of the fabulousness coming next Wedding Wednesday:

Oh yes.  A beach wedding.  A beautiful Bride.  A BULLDOG with pink toenails!!!!  Who am I kidding- they had me at the bulldog.  You don't want to miss this incredible wedding next week!

Until then, Happy Weekend!

Photo by Chi Photography of Charleston

perfectly

When it comes to wise words on weddings, I don't think there is much that can top this advice:

TRUTH!

Please keep this quote in your head & heart on your wedding day.  Because the details are really just details.  Brush off the little things like the peonies being the wrong shade of pink & the limo arriving late.  None of it matters.  

Marry the love of your life.  Celebrate with your new spouse, family & friends.  & that, my friends, is wedding perfection!  

Image via

unplugged

Yesterday, it was wise words on weddings from Ryan Gosling.  Today, let's take a look at wise words about an Unplugged Wedding:

This. is. SO. important.

At a recent wedding, a cell phone rang smack dab in the middle of the marriage ceremony.  I cringed. Many of the guests turned away from the Bride & Groom saying their vows to see who was the offender.  The wedding guest silenced his phone quickly.  Clearly, he had no intention of trying to ruin the ceremony, it was an honest mistake.  An easy mistake.  An avoidable mistake.

With just a few simple words in your wedding program or discreet sign posted by the ceremony entrance, you don't have to worry about unnecessary disruptions during your marriage ceremony.  Trust me, you don't want anything to interrupt your vows!  All it takes is a little reminder & your wedding guests will take the time to silence or turn off their cell phones.  

Cameras are mentioned too but cameras don't tend to bother me or my Brides.  That's a personal choice whether or not you want to limit cameras as well.

OffBeat Bride has awesome Unplugged Wedding templates available for your use.  I chose the Modern version here but there are many others like Flowery & Vintage.  Plus they offer more advice on ensuring an Unplugged Wedding so check it out HERE!

Template available & Image from Offbeat Bride

Preach It, Ryan

While the norm around here are pretty images to inspire you & your wedding, I wanted to take a different route this week & feature some wise words on weddings. Today, we have wise words AND Ryan Gosling eye candy.  It's a win-win!!

Ryan's pretty much hit the nail on the head but allow me to elaborate if I may.  Brides-to-be, don't plan your wedding with the goal of being featured on a wedding blog.  EVER!!!!  Create & plan a wedding to perfectly reflect the personality, style & love of you & your fiancé.  The end goal is not being published on a wedding blog; the end goal is marrying the love of your life! Walking down the aisle & saying "I Do!" is the most important detail of your wedding.  The rest is truly icing on the cake & should be treated accordingly. 

If being featured on a wedding blog is important to you, think about it after your big day.  

Hey, are you even reading this?  Or are you just staring at Ryan Gosling?!  For more practical wedding advice from the ever dashing Ryan, visit Practical Ryan Gosling!

Photo via Practical Ryan Gosling

Etsy Weddings Event

Saturday was a beautiful Spring day, just perfect for heading into NYC with Jen of Jen Kim Made & attending To Have & To Hold, the first-ever weddings event hosted by Etsy.

Just beyond the white & cream ribbon entrance, the event promised unique items & plentiful inspiration for Brides, Grooms, wedding parties & wedding guests.

 

& the event delivered!  I was instantly enamored with the sweet lace number accented with a blush pink flower belt:

Fresh flower bouquet alternatives like fabric, silk & wood were quite cool but a stunning ranunculus paper bouquet to last forever & ever stole my heart:

Oh, sweet little vignettes were tucked in every nook & cranny, chock full of vintage & handmade items for creating a stylish wedding:

Why hello, sparke & shine tassel garland:

Wow, wow.  To Have & To Hold vintage book cut-out!!!: look closely:

It wasn't all about the Bride & Grooms!  As a pet lover, I thought the ring pillows outfitted for a furry bridal party members were fabulous:

Bravo to Etsy & its artists for supporting same sex marriages:

Once.  You're only a Bride & Groom once jetting off on your honeymoon so why not travel Bride & Groom-style:

They had me at good-bye with the too-cool-for-school pink vintage typewriter:

  

Last but certainly not least is a great quote about marriage:

This post shows only a snippet of the items available at the event & the event only showcased a fraction of the items available on Etsy.  Please visit Etsy Weddings for handmade & vintage wedding inspiration & shopping!

Photos by Koru Kate