Details in the Heart

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, this week I have been looking at ways to subtly add hearts into our wedding without being overly predictable or cutesy.  I love a sweet heart as much as any other girl, but want to incorporate this idea with an element of restraint so as to keep it from looking like a Valentine's explosion. Here are a few creative ideas I found to add some extra love to your special day.

Wedding attire: I would love to create our own heart patch with our initials and wedding date.

Sources: 1 & 2

Add some love to your sole! These awesome heart stopper pads on the right will help you stay upright down the aisle and while you are breaking it down on the dance floor.

Sources: 1 & 2

Sources: 1 ,2 & 3

Darling Details: (above) Ring pillow, heart touches on envelopes, photos props, (below) heart confetti, guest book, and garland.

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

Source

Are you adding any heart details to your special days? Happy early Valentines Day to you and your sweet!

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

Source

Fingerprint Guestbook

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

Source

Wedding Mad Libs or Advice

Source

Source- Buy them here!

Wine Bottle Guest Book

Source

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

Best of {Trends}

I'm not sure how or when trends start but in the wedding industry, like fashion, there's definitely trends that come and go. There are some trends that are really "in" right now that I absolutely love (and some that just miss the boat). But the ones I especially love appear effortless but with class and sophistication oozing out of them. I've included some of my very favorite "trends" below from low maintenance succulents and herb boutonnieres and bouquets to dirty iced cakes that scream "dig in." Then there's tablescapes with lace for a dreamy romantic feel or chevron table runners with the perfect twist of spunk. And last but certainly not least, the neutral mis-matched bridesmaid dresses, perhaps my favorite trend of all. If I could, I might try squeezing each of these trends in somewhere in the day but I'll refrain. In the meantime, I'll narrow down which ones are the most appropriate for us and match the romantic and fun wedding we've been planning.

What are some of your favorite trends? Are you including any of these in your plans?

Newlywed Holiday Cards

I absolutely love receiving all of the holiday cards in the mail this time of year.  There's something special about the bright & cheery smiles of my friends & their families, something I only feel when I receive snailmail.  I have to admit however, I am a bit sad that my fiance & I decided to hold off on sending out holiday cards until once we're married.  I guess that gives me plenty of time to look at all the designs & start planning next year's well in advance, right?!  {ha!} We'll likely use a picture taken at our August wedding for our card next year, but that doesn't mean I can't dream about the fantastic winter designs.  Some of my favorites include snow, which of course doesn't frequent the city of San Francisco.  Who knows, maybe come late November/early December 2013 we'll decide to forgo the obvious wedding picture & head up to Tahoe to take some snow-covered pictures of me & my Mr.

Sources (from top left) 1, 2, 3, 4

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:

Source

Source

Source

Source

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

Source

Until Next Week!

-Jess

Follow me on twitter @jessdawnd and my Pinterest Wedding Board

Let There Be Light!

And lots of it! For our wedding we plan on keeping our decor very simple with lots of hanging lights playing of the natural beauty of our venue.

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

Sources: 1, 2, 3 & 4

 I really love the idea of also combing some lights with colorful streamers and ribbons.

Sources: 1, 2, 3 & 4

Since our venue is on the edge of a national park,we cannot have any open flames. Unfortunately means no candles, so we will have to get creative with other ways to add light.

Sources: 1, 2, 3 & 4

Sources: 1, 2 & 3

How did you get creative with your wedding lighting?

{Real Brides} Kerri : Modern, Chic Simplicity

Hello Brides!  Thank you for welcoming me into the E & I family and for joining in on my wedding planning adventures.  I am looking forward to sharing my inspirations, the experiences that I have encountered so far and getting your input along the way.  I'll see you each Wednesday!

Name:	Kerri
Location:	Durham, North Carolina
Budget:	It's a moving target!
Age:	33
Occupation:	Interior Designer/Project Manager
Wedding Date:	March 16, 2013
Venue:	The King's Daughters Inn
Planner:	Me!
Photographer:	Rebecca Ferguson Photography

 Connect with Kerri on Pinterest

Source: Rebecca Ferguson Photography

Source: Style Me Pretty

About me:

Who would have thought that a northern girl would fall in love with a southern boy!  Clay and I met online, we had our first date on April Fool’s day in downtown Raleigh in 2011 and we have been teaching each other about the ways of the North and South ever since!  “Y’all” versus “Wicked”…BBQ versus Linguica…Mash a button versus Push a button…Over yonder versus Over there…Chicken on a biscuit for breakfast versus Egg and cheese on a bagel for breakfast.  Chicken on a biscuit for breakfast?!?!?!  I am working hard at better understanding the southern way of living and Clay has the patience of a saint…bless his heart!

Clay did make quite the southern statement though.  He proposed to me in Charleston South Carolina, in a beautiful little park, in front of a Confederate war monument!  (He really was romantic about it!)

Source: The King's Daughters Inn

Wedding style:

Our venue has become the focal point from which our wedding planning revolves around.  The King’s Daughters Inn is a boutique B&B with 17 guest rooms and the place where our guests will witness our ceremony, celebrate with dinner and dancing, followed by an overnight stay.  It is beautifully designed around the 1920’s Art Deco style and has amazing architectural details, custom headboards and gorgeous fabrics.  We have chosen colors, attire, flowers and food that complement the setting while at the same time infusing our personal style…a modern, chic simplicity.

Until next Wednesday...

Designed By Me

Source: Malia Cano Photography

Make your wedding scream you!  I've read this time and time again in every wedding magazine, website and blog.  But, how does one do this in a day and age where there's pinterest, loverly, etsy, and a million wedding blogs all showcasing the perfect, and incredibly creative wedding?  I have always been a planner, and though I haven't thrown a million parties, when I do I go all out & enjoy the act of decorating and making each aspect really my own-this I'm sure my friends would attest to.  When it comes to planning my wedding, I want everything to be perfect.  I'm sure we all do.  But I really do.  I want it to be so perfectly us, with adorable details that have our personal signature.  There's just one issue.  So many of the wedding ideas have been done, so how do I make it different?  How do I make it unique?  These are the questions I've been asking myself at every step since we got engaged.

I'm still at the beginning of the wedding planning process.  Sure, we have a lot of the big decisions done, but not the design aspects.  I am in the "hunt & gather" stages, trying to determine what I love and what is doable.  After trying to put myself into one of the more obvious design categories, whether it be modern, rustic, vintage, classic {the list goes on}, I realized I could emulate my design style I've already developed into my home: eclectic!  So, I'm no longer trying to decide if an idea "goes" with the "theme" because it all does!  Now, the only issue is how to cull the ideas down & not try to do everything and the kitchen sink!  I hope you enjoy following me on this path.

Source (from Left): Lori Barbely Photography, the decorista, sweet designs.

Source (from left): Southern Weddings, source.

Source (from left): Food Channel, Love Me Do Photography, Languid Lovely, Belle the Magazine, The Sweetest Occasion. 

Celebration Libations

When it comes to libations, there are not many drinks that my fiance and I will turn down. For our wedding we want to offer our guest a plethora of options. We like the idea of welcoming guests with a cocktail before the ceremony and have been playing around with the idea of something with lavender to take advantage of local ingredients.

Sources: 1, 2, & 3

An agua fresca bar incorporating fresh local fruit like strawberries and oranges is also on our wish list.

Sources: 1, 2, 3 & 4

As well as a bourbon bar.

Sources: 1- 3 & 4

Personally, I don't think one can go wrong with a champagne cocktail or classic champagne.

Sources: 1 & 2

With the Central Coast being well-known for its wines, we plan to serve wine from some of our favorite local wineries as well as beer from local micro-breweries.

Source

Something tells me our guests will have no problem quenching their thirst. How did you decide what to serve for you wedding?

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!

Source

Seriously in love with this sequin cardigan/jacket look!

Source

Hair Bling

The headband and the bun...so chic!

Source

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

Source

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!)

Source

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