Bling for the Boys

Source

In my post last week I delved into the world of menswear, so this week I'm going to stay on-topic and talk rings....for our men. My fiancé and I are going to our jeweler this afternoon to check them out. We already have my wedding band - he gave me his grandmother's ring and then we designed my 'engagement' ring together when we first got engaged - so this trip to the jeweler will be all about him!

Source

I'm picturing something simple and masculine, maybe a mix of brushed and shiny silver (like the one with the oval ring above). I love picking things out, so I think the hardest part for me will be keeping my mouth shut and letting him pick the one he likes the best.  :-)

How opinionated were you in your man's ring shopping?

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!

Sweet Engagement Session

I have a super fun engagement shoot to feature today. It is so sweet with so many personal details. And make sure you check out her shoes. They are to die for. Thanks to AE Pictures Inc. for capturing this couple in such wonderful light!

From the photographer: The couple got engaged at Disneyland and wanted to incorporate a "storybook" theme into their shoot. I had the couple bring several of their favorite books to use as props. One was Thundercake so I made a cake to match the one in the book.

Napkin Surprises

I never would have thought that I would be writing a post solely on napkins! In mentally setting the table for our wedding I am having a hard time figuring out how all of these different pieces (napkins, china, linens, flowers) will work together in harmony instead of competing with one another. I am leaning towards renting some mismatched china, so I would like to keep the napkins and linens fairly neutral. But, people are getting so gosh darn creative with their napkins these days  it is hard to rein myself in! Check out these adorable DIY ombre dyed napkins.

Source

Add a touch of lavender.

Source : 1, 2 & 3

Go for a pop of color.

 Source: 1, 2 & 3

Or, add even more color with mismatched napkins. I found this esty vendor that will even make them for you in your pattern and color scheme. So cute!

Source: 1, 2 & 3

 How did you decide? Did you agonize over this silly detail as much as I have? Did you buy or rent? Love to hear any tips on where to buy napkins!

The Well-Suited Gentleman

While wedding dress shopping was quite the undertaking (hi Mom! hi sister! hi future MIL! hi BFF!), my fiance basically tried on one jacket at Nordstrom, and bought a wedding suit in under 30 minutes. Really doesn't seem fair, does it? That won't stop me from spending endless internet time finding him the perfect accessories to match his stunning suit. You're welcome, honey! Here are some of my favorites.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Braving Rain on Your Wedding Day

Spring is the time for beautiful greenery, blooming flowers and the season where a rain plan is a must. Having gone through rain (and hail) during my wedding, I have a few wisdoms to bestow upon you rainy day brides.

I was not willing to accept that rain was going to be an option on my wedding day, therefore I didn't ever prepare for it. Very luckily my mother-in-law brought her umbrella which I grabbed right before heading into the barn. And this is the shot we got right before being announced for dinner.

Accessorize up with a colorful umbrella and maybe even some galoshes. If rain does come, at least you will get some pretty awesome photos out of it.

Amazing right? Almost makes you WANT the rain to come.

Groom Fashion {navy suits}

This past week my fiancé sent the suit we picked out to the groomsmen to order. We had been looking for a nice navy suit for a while with no luck. It was not the easiest color to find at rental companies, so we thought if we could find it for under $200 (not too much more than a rental), we would ask the guys to buy them. We were super excited when our friend had the idea of J.Crew's Factory store and the suits were nice and affordable. My post on the full color scheme can be found here.

Now that we have the suits picked out, it's time to think about how to pair it with shirts, ties, and shoes...

Source

This groom kept it classic and simple, but added some fun with the gingham shirt.

Source

Here we see some other colors used - purple and grey.

Source

This guy paired his suit with a white shirt and light blue tie. I like.

Source

I'm loving the brown shoes on this groom and how he added some personality with the socks!  I also love how the bride tied in the deep blue color with her earrings and heels.

I'm not really sure how to coordinate it so that my groom and his guys all go together. I also don't want the guys to have to buy any more items, so I'm thinking we could have them wear white shirts and then get different ties - they could all be similar colors and shapes, but with different patterns. Or we could have everyone wear their own different-patterned or plain blue shirts and do a simple navy tie. Option #3 would be to keep it more simple with white shirts and the same ties. For the shoes, we'll ask them all to wear their own brown leather shoes.

Source

What do you think? How are your men coordinating?

On another note, we are about to order the proofs for the invitations. I can't wait to see them in-person!

The Trip of a Lifetime: Planning the Honeymoon

This week, I've been obsessing over our honeymoon for a couple of reasons. 1) It's still hovering around 30 degrees here in beautiful Ohio, so a summer trip to somewhere warm and beachy sounds incredible right about now.

2) I've discovered the secret to those annoying early Spring/Summer dresses and sandals that pop up everywhere in February--buying for the honeymoon! (Somehow this seems a little more forgivable...don't question the shopping strategy!)

For our honeymoon, we're planning on flying into Paris, and traveling to Lugano, Switzerland, then to Florence and Cinque Terre, Italy. Isn't there just something beyond dreamy about honeymooning in Paris? I hope we can make the timing work (if only I could take a month off of work...). Lugano is the "ancestral village" of my Swiss-Italian fiance, and a stunning resort town, so I'm really looking forward to that, as well. And Florence and Cinque Terre will fill out our trip with equal parts touristy activities, and rustic, remote beach town!

Here are a few images that are so stunning, I may just make them my desktop background at work.

The Bridal Shower {Evolved}

I honestly cannot believe how quickly time flies. I feel like I just got engaged and well now it's been over a year since that happened. This month starts all the really fun activities leading up to the wedding. First there's finalizing our menu (with tasting!), my first dress fitting, and my first shower. It's all starting to feel really real and I am anxious to get it all started. When my aunt called to tell me she wanted to host a shower for me, I was giddy with excitement. But then she asked, well what kind of shower do you want? Umm what?! I didn't even know there were different types of showers. Well little did I know..showers have totally evolved and there's so many fun options.

Brunch Shower

 Garden Party

 Bridal Soiree 

Veiling It

Source

My lovely future mother-in-law has offered to make my veil for me. She made her daughter's veil last year and it turned out great, so I trust that I'm in good hands.

Last week I went to Britex Fabrics and got some swatches so I could match them to my dress color. I can't wait to see how it turns out and get everything on!

Source: left, right

Source

Source

Source

I want my veil to be simple and on the longer side. I'm getting married in a potentially-windy location and I've been told longer veils are actually better because they have more weight to them so they won't blow around as much. The one thing I'm concerned about is there being too much volume. My dress is somewhere between an A-line and a ballgown silhouette and I don't want it to be over-the-top. I think the last image, above, is a good example of a fuller skirt with a long veil that looks natural and tasteful.

Should I go Waltz, Floor-length, or Chapel?