Personalized Wedding Invitations

This past week my fiance and I have been working on our guest list...one of the toughest tasks thus far in wedding planning. On the positive side, it has made me start thinking about the invitations. I'm really excited to pick how ours will look and figure out ways to make them personalized to us and our wedding location. I love paper goods so the invites are important to me. They are also one of the first impressions your guests will have of the wedding and include some very important details for making sure everyone makes it to your big day (or weekend)! I don't really know what I want to have them look like beyond going with our venue (outside, bed and breakfast near Mount Hood in Oregon) and fitting with our personalities and wedding color palette. So, I did some searching for inspiration. I like a wide variety of styles, from casual and quirky to more formal and traditional, colorful to black and white, and so on.

Here are some of the invitations that are inspiring me...

Source

At first glance these seem more traditional, but when you look a little closer, there are some great details and unique aspects like the accordion-folded invite.

Source

I love when maps are included!

Source

Liking the calligraphy and lace on these.

Source

These are super fun and personal - they used their dog! And took inspiration from chalkboard writing since the couple met in grade school.

Source

Incorporating the mountain that will be the backdrop to our vows. ?

Source

How did you pick your wedding invitations?

The Second Most Important Attire {Grooms Wear}

The bride's dress usually steals the show, but I think the groom also needs to get a little love in the attire department and what he is sporting on the big day.

Source

My Mr definitely had an opinion about what he wanted to wear, which I love. No, he did not pick out a powder blue suit, but he did have an opinion on what the groomsmen wore and how coordinated all the guys looked. We decided to rent the suits for the guys as our bridal state is spread throughout the state. To help us in the decision making we also brought along the best man so we had a final decision maker.

Source: Left, Right

I am very pleased to report that both guys picked the same suit and tie the minute that we walked into the tux rental shop. I automatically loved what they picked and couldn't be happier with the choice. Here is a little inspiration board that I put together before we went searching just to give the people at the store an idea of what we were looking for and styles the guys preferred.

 

 Source: 1, 2, 3, 4

Here are a few tips that will help make getting your groom outfitted an enjoyable and easier processes:

• Bring a swatch of the fabric that matches your dress. You wouldn't believe how many shades of white there are out there. Having the swatch with you will allow you to see how your dress is going to look next to your groom and the groomsmen and ensure that you compliment each other.

• Along with a swatch of your dress also bring a swatch of the bridesmaids dresses. This will make it easier to match colors and ensure they don't compete.

• Book an appointment! Not only does this ensure that you will get in and out of the store in a reasonable time, but some store give you a kick back because you booked an appointment. In our case, the whole party got their shoes upgraded.

• Even if you didn't attend a bridal show, ask anyways about bridal show discounts and specials. Often times the salesperson will extend the offer to you even if you didn't attend. In our case, we received several gift cards and the Mr's tux complimentary. It doesn't hurt to ask!

• Ask if the store actually has samples available for your guy to try on. This was a big thing for me and my Mr. I am a very visual person an ordering an entire outfit from a small swatch of fabric scared me. Not to mention you don't see how the whole thing will look  until a few days before the wedding when you pick up your rental. We actually ended up changing where we got our grooms wear from because of this. The rental company that we ended up choosing actually does a grooms preview. Think second fitting for the groom. They will bring the shirt, pants, jacket and all the accessories that you ordered and allow the groom to try it out and make sure you are happy with what you will be getting for the big day. I am very excited to see the whole thing put together when we go back in September.

So, what did you do for grooms wear? Rent? Buy? I want to know!

Heather

{hiip} bridesmaids' gifts

August is half way over, which means I am getting that much closer to my wedding day! 2 1/2 months to go, people!! It feels good to look back and see how much I've accomplished during my many months of planning... and blogging.  And since the big ticket items are pretty much taken care of, it's now time to hammer out the details... not just make Pinterest boards about them ;-) I have 8 lovely bridesmaids, all of whom are very important women in my life. I want to show them my gratitude by giving them gifts that are unique, practical, sentimental, and have a handmade-loving touch. I imagine giving my maids a bag of some sort filled with goodies... perhaps even a piece of jewelry that they can wear that day.

As I was scouring the internet I noticed on facebook that many of my girlfriends back home in San Francisco were talking about how much they love their new "Hiip" bags. As I did some more research I discovered that these awesome bags were created by an old friend whom I went to high school with, Nicole Flowers. I went to her web site to see the bag styles and was pleasantly surprised to find that not only are these bags fashionably chic, they are also for a great cause!! Read more about the Hiip story and how Nicole is giving back to the community with every bag she sells. VISIT:  http://www.hiipsf.com/home/

Here's what Nicole had to say about how Hiip bags can be a fun and resourceful gift for brides & their maids, " It's ideal because it's the perfect kit for your day of planning: you can stock it with bra tape, lipgloss/stick, bobby pins, even touch-up cream; wear it around (hands-free for all the bridal stuff you'll be carrying!) to various appointments; and then use it as a clutch for the party. With so many colors and patterns to choose from, there will definitely be one that fits with the color scheme of the wedding.  All this while giving back to another in need making it an automatic karmic bonus on your special day."

I can't wait to surprise my girls with one of these bags and fill it with goodies for getting ready on my big day.... I may even customize them by having their initials embroidered. It feels SO good to give a gift that keeps on giving :) Thank you Nicole, for the contribution that you are to the San Francisco community.... and beyond!

What are you giving to your maids on your wedding? Have any creative and thoughtful gift ideas? Please do share!

xo, Taya

Get with the Program

We have officially six weeks to go until the wedding...holy moley! We've been knocking things off the to-do list left and right and next on my list is designing the wedding programs. I'm not sure I realized there were so many adorable options for programs! First I need to decide on a design direction.

I love the cute graphics on these programs. Silhouettes are really easy to do with some basic Photoshop skills, and I love the idea of some of the clip-art graphics. Sheet music is another sweet way to make them feel special (maybe with your first dance song?).

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I also love the look of these simple, type-based programs. Pretty, and to the point.

1, 2

For those of you who've been following me for a while now, you know that I love anything with a little personality or humor infused. I love the tongue-in-cheek wording of these programs. And, yes, this is the second cootie-catcher I've posted here. Dan and I did meet in middle school, after all :)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I also need to decide how we are going to display and distribute the programs. The rolled programs are quite romantic, the rustic box is really charming and the backs of chairs feels nice and practical. Decisions, decisions!

1, 2, 3

So, what do you think? What's your favorite?

The Lab + Pinterest = Bring Your Pinterest Board To Life

The Lab is a bridal experience unlike any other. Instead of traditional bridal faires, immerse yourself in inspiration brought to life, mingle with other brides & vendors all night long, find your wedding day style with our runway show modeled by SF Fashion Bloggers, and round out the night with a fabulous dance party. All this and more is definitely what you are in for when you go to The Lab. (Get your tickets now!)

Taking place in Sonoma, CA on January 12, 2013 we will have one heck of a party for you to get inspired in the best way possible, by seeing it all right in front of you!

Want your Pinterest board to come to life by a team of the best vendors in Northern California? Pin your dream wedding and submit it. If we choose it, it will be one of our featured tablescapes the night of the event.

We have partnered with a group of FABULOUS bloggers to make this happen. Head on over to Snippet & Ink, Ruffled, City Sage, Weddingbee, (more coming tomorrow) submit a link to your pinterest board!

Here is a sampling of what your board should look like:

Comment the link to your board and we will check it out! Thanks so much and we can't wait to have you at THE LAB!

Finding Wedding Invitation Design Inspiration in Unique Places

Recently I have been playing around just a little bit with Photoshop. Once I started getting into it more I found the importance of getting inspired to create something on your own. This got me thinking even more about the places we turn to for wedding inspiration print design. Exposure to all types of design be it branding, poster work, typography aid in the final product of your wedding invitations. Here are a few ideas from ordinary places that would inspire some awesome wedding invitations.

Speaking of, I'l go ahead and show off my latest little project. The Lab is a bridal event I co-founded that takes place in Sonoma, CA each year. This year we are working on our look and creating our identity. I took a stab at the logo (which wasn't easy might I add) and finally, 200 versions later, I finally have something I am proud of and that I love. If you are planning on doing your own wedding invitations, get inspired in a variety of areas, maybe something you like online, branding you love, or the design of a favorite restaurant the two of you share. Then work and work and work at it. It will come along to be something that you are proud of. Don't give up after the 50th time. I tell you, it is worth it in the end!

So, what do you think?? Did I do a good job??

Dress Fitting Finale

Last Friday I flew to San Diego for a number of exciting wedding-related things, but the Kalista & Kyle-related wedding thing was my final dress fitting. Hooray! I zipped in for my 30-minute dress fitting, and slipped on my dress. It's like putting on a cloak of perfection, slipping into a wedding dress. I couldn't feel more beautiful, more glamorous, more sexy than I do in that little white dress. What IS it about wedding dresses?

source

The dress fit like a dream, and the seamstress just had to take off another half inch from the bottom. I picked it up the next day, and proudly carried it on to the plane with me, only to stuff it into the overhead compartment. What happened to the closets on airplanes?!

  sources: left, right

Anyways, it made it home in one piece, and now I just have to make sure not to wear it too many times before the wedding for fear of getting lipstick on it.

source

In case you're confused, yes, I did have my final fitting 3 1/2 months before my wedding. And yes, I need to pretty much stay the same weight until the wedding. But I'm not too worried about it. That's the nice thing about a sheath dress. It's relatively simple and doesn't need a whole lot of tailoring, plus I can fluctuate a few pounds and there's still room.

  sources: left, right

By the way, all of these dresses are by Jenny Packham. It's concerning how obsessed I am with her designs. But aren't they just to die for? It's a dream come true to be wearing one of them.

How many dress fittings did you have before your wedding? Did your size change a lot before your wedding day? Should I do another fitting 2 weeks before my wedding day?

Playing Catch-Up & The Other White Dress

Unfortunately wedding planning has taken a back burner lately to make time for other personal matters which means my to-do list is pretty much the same.  However, now that our wedding party has been made official, I can finally share my final product for my "Will you be my?" cards.

These cards were so much fun to make and once I decided exactly what I wanted them to look like, very quick to put together. I make cards as a hobby so these were made with a lot of tools I use normally (die cuts, embossing tool, etc.). I think my favorite part is the embossed dress on the front.

Speaking of dresses I've been trying to build of my stash of pretty frocks. When doing a bit of online shopping recently, I realized that I've become drawn to all things white! Luckily, I will have lots of events coming up that will require just that! Here's what I'm finding dreamy and oh-so perfect.

Source: Ruche, Ruche, eShakti, Ruche

 If something a bit fancier is your style, you'll love these dresses  as much as I do.

Source: Nordstrom, BHLDN, Modcloth, Bloomingdale's

The top options are casual enough to not be stuffy but versatile enough to be dressy with the right accessories. The bottom options are very chic and most would do well as receptions dresses. You can easily tie in other elements for your upcoming wedding like vintage jewelry or a pop of color from your pallet. I won't be having a reception dress but I love some of these options as inspiration for my bridal shower and rehearsal dinner dresses. 

How do you feel about white before the wedding?

Connect with me elsewhere! Twitter | Pinterest | Blog

Celebrate Good Times :: Wedding Music

Of the weddings I've been to in the past few years, I would say they have been about half DJs, half bands (and equally fun!). Like most wedding decisions, there are pros/cons with both options - if you have a DJ, you can play whatever music you want. If you have a band, it's like a mini concert at your wedding! So, for my own wedding, I could imagine either. Although when we visited our venue in-person, the first thing my fiance said about the dance floor was "it's begging for a band!" As long as the people on the dance floor look something like the ones below, I would be totally happy!

Source

Source

DJs are great because they can gauge what kind of music is working and play the next songs accordingly. You also have more flexibility with what you play. If you love a song and really want it played at your wedding, you don't have to worry that it's not on the band's list.

Source: left, right

Bands are awesome too. They become the life of the party and people love a good show. They also come with a higher price tag, so that's something we are factoring in.

This past week Chris has been doing a ton of searching for bands online. It's been fun to listen what he finds. He's been playing everything from country music to steel drum bands...although we would probably go with something a little more versatile. ;-)

Source

Source

What's your take on band vs. DJ? If you know of any great (and affordable) Portland/Gorge area bands, please share!

Checking-In and Engagement Photo Reveal

As we approach the 60 day mark we have begun full crafting mode at our home. This weeks list of items to complete includes; creating envelope liners for our invitations, package the invitations and getting them in the mail. As you can imagine we have a lot to do in a short amount of time. I can't wait to share the final product and tutorials on how we created our invitations. In the mean time, please enjoy a few photos from our engagement session by the amazing Cinzo Photography.

 

Heather