Arizona Country Club Wedding by Brushfire Photography

The day comes when one of my wonderful bride bloggers goes off and gets married. Remember Jess? She was our winter Arizona bride planning a wedding with plenty of unique elements including artichokes. You heard that right, artichokes! It is always great to see how their inspiration turned into a personal vision and how that was carried out on the day of the wedding. Afterall, that is why I have real brides blogging for Engaged & Inspired. I know that we all start with inspiration but each person puts their own spin on it and it becomes something totally unique. And she went detail crazy which I happen to absolutely love. Don't we all? Thanks a million to Jess for sharing your journey with Engaged & Inspired and our readers. I have loved seeing how your wedding developed! Oh, and I love her bouquet oh so much.

Florals: Jan Dekker Designs Venue: Seville Golf and Country Club Day of Coordination: Inspired Events Photographers: Brushfire Photography Bridal and Bridesmaid dresses: Alfred Angelo Bride's headpiece: Bel Aire Bridal via Uptown Bridal Stationary and Invitations: Definitely Debra Cake: Designer: Cakes by April Chocolate bride and groom pretzel rod favors: Oh My Chocolate! Photobooth: photopia Makeup and hair: Dolce Salon and Spa DJ: Got You Covered!

Taking It All In {Wedding Week}

It's here! Our wedding week is here! At this point, it doesn't seem real! The event that we have been talking and planning for months is now here and I am just supposed to be relaxed and "take in every moment"?!  My family and friends will know how hard this will be for me but I am going to try!

Obviously, the most exciting part is marrying my best friend and the person who makes me laugh on a daily basis, Eric! I can't wait for our first look to see how handsome and happy he looks!

I thought I'd post some of my favorite inspiration photos through the wedding planning process!

Chevron Touches:

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Outdoor Ceremony:

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Grey Bridesmaid Dresses:

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Romantic and Soft Flowers:

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It's been a blast posting on Engaged and Inspired and I can't wait to share all my wedding day photos with all of you!

xoxo

Jess

Fun and Unique Wedding Guest Books

Gone are the days of the traditional guest book! Now there are so many fabulous ideas for a unique and fun way to have your guests sign in. I am loving some of these ideas! Polaroid or Photobooth Scrapbook

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Fingerprint Guestbook

Etsy is a great place to find all different and fun fingerprint images!

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Wedding Mad Libs or Advice

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Source- Buy them here!

Wine Bottle Guest Book

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I LOVE our guestbook and can't wait to share it with you after the wedding!

Until Next Week!

-Jess

Follow me on twitter @jessdawnd and follow my Wedding Pinterest Board

Choosing Your Wedding Hair Style

We are under 30 days for the countdown! Ahhhh!! If you've been following my Pinterest Wedding Board then you know right now I am obsessed with finding my wedding hair style!  I know I want a soft and romantic look but am not sure if I want it all up or part up. I have my hair and makeup trial on Tuesday and can't wait!

Here are some options I love:

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I love her hair and make-up! So soft and romantic!

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Until Next Week!

-Jess

Follow me on twitter @jessdawnd and my Pinterest Wedding Board

Pretty Paper {Choosing Wedding Stationary}

This past week we worked on finalizing our stationary for the wedding. We used a stationary and wedding boutique in Tempe, Arizona for our invitations and LOVED working with the owner! Plus we loved the way our invitations turned out, so we knew we had to go back for the day of details!

If you live in the Arizona area, make sure to check out Definitely Debra.

Picking out our wedding invitations was actually quite simple! Once we started looking at the options, we loved the pocket invitations!  We went with an invitation suite that is similar to these beauties below!

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This week we designed our programs, place cards and other fun miscellaneous stationary for the big day! Here are some inspiration photos!

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This is not our style but I LOVED the idea of showing the wedding party in the order they will stand. How clever!

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I can't wait to see the finished project and to share it all with you!

Feel free to share with me your favorite wedding invitations and stationary!

Until Next Week!

Jessica

Follow me on Twitter @jessdawnd and my wedding inspiration board on Pinterest

That Is So Us {Incorporating Personal Touches}

The big day is about 45 days away and to say that I am excited is an understatement!  

Last blog post, I mentioned that the next few weeks are all about the details. Our flowers are all set and we met with the DJ last week. Currently, in our (little) free time we are working on the "personal touches." When first discussing the wedding, we always knew we wanted the day to be a big party with our friends and family from our current home (Arizona) and our home states (Wisconsin and Illinois).  We also wanted to make sure we found fun ways to incorporate us and things that speak to who we are as individuals and a couple. I wanted to share some of our "personal touches" that we have planned (and of course, keep some a secret!):

Scrabble

When searching Pinterest, Eric and I both fell in love with this image! We love playing games! In fact, when buying a home some of our first purchases were board game essentials like scrabble, jenga and monopoly! This seemed like such a tasteful yet fun way to incorporate something we love into the wedding!

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We even incorporated scrabble into our engagement photos!

Source- Brushfire Photography

DIY

I am typically not a DIY-type person. I find that usually I just end up getting frustrated or have to spend hours just to make one thing! Eric, on the other hand, is very handy and actually pretty crafty. When we first moved in our home, Eric built a workshop/tool table out of wood! So we've put his handiness to good use and he's been making items for the wedding like our table numbers!

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Music 

Eric and I both love music! We do have very different tastes in music though and when we met with our DJ he pointed that out to us! The DJ had a a simple and short "fun fact" questionnaire on his paperwork about who we are and we had to list our favorite music artists. Our answers: Eric- Eminem and Jess- Jack's Mannequin. After going down the rest of the list (favorite sports team, favorite movie, job, etc) the DJ asked us how we even hang out! I am a true believer in opposites attract!When it came to picking out music for our big moments (processional, recessional, first dance), it was not an easy decision. We both felt it was an important aspect of the day and wanted to make sure thought was put into each song. I am the type of person who links memories to music. For example, every time I hear Genesis "I Can't Dance" (woah, 1991!) I remember being little sitting in the back seat of my dads convertible car and us just singing at the top of our lungs. It is one of my happiest memories. Knowing how important music is to both of us, we talked about "our songs" for weeks on end.The sweetest moment in all of wedding planning is that Eric insisted on picking out our first dance song and I think he did an excellent job! Can't wait for our dance as husband and wife :)

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How are you incorporating personal touches on your big day?

Until Next Week!

Jess

Follow my wedding inspiration board on Pinterest

Tweet me @jessdawnd

Floral Inspiration {Succulents and Artichokes}

Our wedding is about 2 months away!  Yay!As the wedding is getting closer, the focus is mainly on all the little details. This past week we met with our amazing florist, Jan Dekker for a trial.  She put together an example of our centerpieces.  It was so great to see what she put together! She really understood my "vision" for the flowers and although I had some minor changes and feedback, I was ecstatic and thought they looked beautiful!

I would highly recommend to any bride meeting your florist for a trial of the flower arrangements if you can. It totally put me at ease!

Here are some of the inspiration photos I used when first meeting with Jan to design the centerpieces and bouquets:

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The overall look I want for the flowers is romantic but not over the top.  We also love the addition of the little succulents and artichokes! One thing I love about incorporating the succulents is that they are something that can be taken out of each centerpiece and planted. I don't have much of a green thumb but am hoping I can save a few for our home.

Next item on our detail to-do list is all the paper! Programs, place cards and miscellaneous signs. We fell in love with our vendor who did our invitations so we plan on going there in the next few weeks.

Until next week!

-Jess

Follow my wedding inspiration board on Pinterest!

Tweet me @jessdawnd 

Read my past posts here and here

He's Got the Look {Groom's Style}

Last week, I talked about picking out unique bridal accessories that can add a little somethin' somethin' to your bridal "look."  So I thought it might be fun for this week to be about grooms and their wedding look!

Doesn't it seem like their "look" is waaaay easier to put together than ours?!  It probably is; however, I thought picking out a tuxedo would be a breeze and surprisingly, it wasn't as easy as I thought! Going into the tuxedo appointment, I thought for sure that I didn't want the guys to wear vests. It just seemed too "prom-y" for me plus I was obsessed with this photo!  (The grey and the black, the ties, no vests....perfection!)

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Eric wanted to wear a vest and convinced me to go in with an open mind.  When he came out in his black tux with the black vest, I LOVED it!  So maybe it is a little bit like wedding dress shopping, sometimes, the style you thought you would hate ends up being just right for you!

The thing I have always loved about accessories is they can add character and personality to a rather plain outfit.  Here is a list of some accessory options I am loving for grooms right now!

Suspenders

Anyone who knows my fiancé knows that suspenders are not his style at all but I do love this look!

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Socks

Such a great way to incorporate one of your wedding colors!

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Fun socks don't have to be just for the groom either! What a fun groomsmen gift! I found a lot of fun sock options on BoldSocks.com and they are affordable ($9-$35)!

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Cuff Links

Eric and I are incorporating scrabble and other games in some of our wedding decor and we absolutely will be doing this! Love!

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Boutonniere

Cotton boutonniere?! Who would have thought!

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Lots of fun unique boutonniere looks! I am; however, questioning the penguin. I think there is a time and place for animals at a wedding. (Another blog post, maybe?)

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Is your groom wearing something fun or unique? Do you love/hate any of these looks?

Until Next Week!

Jess

Follow my wedding inspiration board on Pinterest!

Tweet me @jessdawnd 

Completing the Look {Finding the Perfect Accessory}

I am so excited to be blogging every week until our January wedding!  Since we are about 2.5 months away from the big day, the very big items like venue, dj, photographer and florist are all completed and now it is all about the details.  The details really can be overwhelming but we are trying to just have fun!

I am currently loving the idea of adding an extra special accessory to my "bridal look".  My fiancé, Eric, has been amazing through the planning process and I truly think he has great taste (He likes to remind me all the time that he is the one who picked out our wedding invitations).  We have made every decision together as a team except my dress which is why I am so excited for our first look.  Eric has no idea what my dress looks like or any details of my "look" for the day.

Some ideas I am currently obsessed with:

Cardigans

I love how you can tie in one of your wedding colors by just slipping on a cardigan!

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Seriously in love with this sequin cardigan/jacket look!

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Hair Bling

The headband and the bun...so chic!

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I love this look.  It reminds me of a more subtle take on Anne Hathaway's headpiece.

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Personalized Rings

Your engagement ring and wedding band will still be center stage with these delicate bands.  I love how you can stack them and they would be a great bridesmaid gift too! (Plus they are only $35!)

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Would you wear any of these accessories on your big day?

{E&I Bride Jess} Winter Arizona Bride

I totally love our new 2013 brides, they are planning some fabulous weddings of which I just can't wait to see. Today's bride is a winter bride getting married at the Seville Golf & Country Club in Gilbert, Arizona. These ceremony will be outdoors and the ceremony will be inside making for an intimate and romantic winter affair. Welcome Jess! We are so excited to have you. PS, does that venue sound familiar? It should :) Our fabulous past bride Christina was married there a few months back.

Our Style: 

We are both from the midwest, Wisconsin and Illinois, but met in Arizona and have been living in AZ for 5 years. We want our wedding to be just a big fun party for all of our guests, especially since so many of them will be coming from out of town!  We are incorporating desert touches such as having succulents and having a margarita signature cocktail! When we started planning, we wanted green and gray, but our inspiration and taste has been shifting and we are incorporating a lot more gray as well as white and cream with a few blush details.

Want to see more of her inspiration? Check out her Pinterest board!