Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Tears of Joy

This brings tears to my eyes...



And so do these...



So sorry I have been rather absent as of late, been enjoying some QT with fam & friends but I will be back at it very soon. I hope you all have a fabulous New Year!

Photo Credit: Kellie Kano (A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.)


Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Let's Get Crafty: Yellow Page Flowers by Jesi Haack

I just adore Newport, CA based wedding planner Jesi Haack. I came across a gorgeous wedding she designed on the Wedding Chicks blog and I've been hooked ever since. Check out this fun paper flower DIY project Jesi featured on her blog a while back. She used pages from, well, the Yellow Pages and the result is stinkin' cute. Here's my version using last week's newspaper and some tissue paper from my craft closet...




These would be adorable strung across your head table, or dangling behind your desserts as a sweet, fluffy backdrop....




Check out Jesi's super-easy-how-to directions on her lovely blog.


Photo Credit: Wheat Blossom Weddings

Monday, December 14, 2009

Random Monday

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

Some good news: my camera has been MIA for the past 2 weeks, hence the lack of blog posts. On to the good news... it has been found! My God son has been holding it captive in Seattle... okay, he's only 8 months old and incapable of such things, but I did leave it in his home during our last visit :) I'm pretty sure we leave something behind everytime we visit their home, but usually its just a sock or something. I like to look at it as leaving a little piece of me everywhere I go, but I digress.

I was introduced to a new term in the wedding world the other day. It's a bit naughty so I will type it small in case you have little ones who enjoy sitting on your lap while you flip through your favorite blogs.... wedding porn! Hope you can read that, from now on I will refer to said term as "WP". Here's a definitition in case you're as concerned/confused as I was...

WP - magazines, web sites, and planning books related to throwing a wedding that are concealed from the unwitting intended groom, lest he freak out.
Let's use it in a sentence: "My boyfriend is coming down for the weekend, I'd better stash the WP under the bed"
Source: http://www.urbandictionary.com/
Thanks to my friend Molly for introducing me to WP. Molls and I have been good friends since junior high and has known of my WP addiction for years... thanks for feeding it, love!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Style Board: Sugar, Sugar

Get your winter wedding wheels a turnin'...



{click image to enlarge}


Photo Credit:
Burlap Pillow: Alice's Looking Glass, Etsy
Joy Banner: Alice's Looking Glass, Etsy
Chandelier: Once Wed (Bonus: It's a DIY!)
Acorn Spools: Alice's Looking Glass, Etsy
Cake: Martha Stewart Weddings
Dress: Melissa Sweet, via Martha Stewart Weddings

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Pretty little freeby from the Wedding Chicks!

The Wedding Chicks are giving away a GORGEOUS honeymoon robe and babydoll from Cosabella! Cosabella is known for their sexy (yet comfy!) lingerie, swim wear and everyday apparel. 


Entering the competition is simple: visit the Wedding Chicks blog and leave a comment about what you would love to have from Cosabella as a new bride. Enter as many times as you want! Oh, to be a bride again.... this is what I would pick:


Her name is Gretchen. She's simple, sweet and doubles as your (secret) something blue.



Photo Credit: www.abriefaffair.com 

Monday, November 30, 2009

Cyber Monday!

If you are an avid on-line shopper you are probably already aware, but today is CYBER MONDAY... a.k.a. the best on-line shopping day of the year! Lots and lots of on-line stores are offering great discounts from free shipping to 30% off your entire purchase, and possibly even more.

Here are a couple of my favorite participating addictions...

Banana Republic: 20% off your entire order + FREE shipping.
Maybe some pretty jewelry for you and your bridal party?



Ann Taylor Loft: 30% off your entire order + FREE shipping (on orders of $100 or more).
This would make a fun little rehearsal dinner get up...



Wedding Chicks Shop: 25% off your entire order.
The CUTEST line of personalized tanks, tees, totes & more for you and your bridal party.

Happy Shopping!


Photo Credit:
Necklace: Banana Republic
Dress: Ann Taylor Loft

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Weak In The Knees...

Grab your sweetie, cuddle up close and listen to the musical genius that is Ray LaMontagne. If this song doesn't make your heart pitter patter and your palms sweat, you may need a check-up... or at least a glass of wine. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I am SO incredibly thankful for all of you readers, you truly are making my dreams come true.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Great Find: Calla Bridal - Seattle, WA

One of my very loyal friends and readers lives in downtown Seattle and passed along a great wedding dress store find: Calla Bridal. There are a number of bridal stores in the Seattle area that have an incredible selection of beautiful gowns, but Calla is the only salon in Washington State to offer one of my favorite lines to date: Reverie by Melissa Sweet


Reverie features elegant, whimsical, fairy tale-esque gowns; often embellished with sweet little ruffles, ribbon and rosebud details - the ultimate girly-girl wedding gown fantasy.


For your viewing pleasure...
"Eze" from Reverie




Thank you for the wonderful tip, Ms. Bostwick! I can't wait to see all of the little beauties Calla has to offer for myself. Check out the Reverie trunk show at Calla on January 8 - 10 at:


561 NE Ravenna Blvd.
Seattle, WA 98115


Have  I mentioned that I love my blog readers?? Another fabulous reader, Claudia, may have cured my Anthropologie registry (or lack there-of) woes. Check out MyRegistry.com to create your own personalized registry from any on-line store your little heart desires. May the cute kitchen accessory obsessions begin :) Thanks for the tip, Claudia!


Photo Credit: www.callabridal.com 





Thursday, November 19, 2009

New Obsession: Tinsel Trading Company

Every once in a while, I pick up a magazine that isn't plastered with wedding dresses and centerpieces. I've been told its a healthy thing to do.



The other day while flipping through the December issue of Lucky, I stumbled upon an article that featured the holiday "survival strategies" of the magazine's editors (check out page 74). The article featured a favorite cocktail dress, the perfect red lipstick, a great bottle of red wine, etc, etc, and then there was Tinsel Trading Company, a trimmings store in NYC. Check out some of the beautiful, vintage details from their on-line store. I could see lots of these little ditties sprinkled throughout your wedding decor...


Flirty little velvet flowers...



Super cute vintage paper featuring brides, grooms & semi-creepy kids wearing top hats :)




Beautiful ribbon embellishments...




To-Die-For metal lace... I want it everywhere.




Photo Credit: Tinsel Trading Company

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Registry Love: Anthropologie

Why Anthropologie  doesn't yet offer an on-line registry service is beyond me. I realize you may not be able to furnish an entire home with sweet little butter dishes and frilly aprons that are cute enough to wear to brunch (if they had a back, of course), but you would have one pretty little kitchen. Please observe...
Exhibit A:
Joan Cleaver, eat your heart out...



These adorable flower bud measuring cups are sure to make your baking sesh just that much sweeter...


Key to your castle? Nope, just the cutest little bottle opener you've ever seen!



A sweet, patchwork dish towel... perfect for the new little love birds.



Kitchen frills are not the only goodies this wonderful store offers. Visit their website and create a little wish list of your own! You'll be dreaming of beautiful new home furnishings in no time :)


Photo Credit: anthropologie.com

Friday, November 13, 2009

Hometown Love: AK Graphics, Pullman, WA

I have had the absolute pleasure of knowing Allison Kincaid of AK Graphics for the last 7 years. She is a fellow WSU alum who also ended up sticking around Pullman after graduation... Go Cougs! Allison started AK Graphics a few months ago and has become quite the successful entrepreneur in a very short amount of time.

A couple weeks ago, I asked Allison if I could feature some of her work and pick her brain about all things wedding invite. Our timing could not be more perfect as this evening she is hosting an Open House at her new shop to feature her new holiday card styles.

Enjoy the pics and her advice for all you lovely brides-to-be...



Ummm, how cute is Allison's office space??




WB: What advice do you give to your brides?

AK: Some general advice I tend to pass on to all of my brides is that they are supposed to be having fun! Friends, family and vendors are here to eliminate stress so the brides can focus on what really matters. It can be easy to get caught up in all of the planning and busy work and forget to enjoy this special time. We're here to do the work so you don't have to.





AK: After choosing your invitations, create a tentative timeline for yourself. A good rule of thumb is to plan on mailing out save-the-dates (if you choose to send them) up to six months in advance. The formal invitations should be sent out 6-8 weeks prior to the event. The earlier you can prepare and address the invitations the better; don't wait until the last minute!

 


WB: What are some of your favorite trends/color combinations you've been seeing lately?

AK: Two of the more fashionable color trends that I have noticed lately are definitely varying shades of green and pink. From sage to apple, green is gorgeous! Baby pink pairs fabulously with mocha while fuschia and black are strikingly contemporary. Traditional crimson/wine reds remain a clasically popular choice year after year, no matter the season.





AK: As far as design trends are concerned, popular paper textiles include metallic pearl and textered linen cardstock. Damask graphics and flourish-y designs add a "shabby chic" element for a modern/vintage look. Coordinating pocket folios serve as a trendy way to assemble multi-piece invites.




WB: What are some important things to keep in mind when picking out wedding invitations and stationery?

AK: The imporant invitation/stationery suggestion I give to my brides is express yourself! Save-the-dates and invitations are a great way to showcase yoru personal style as well as set the tone for your special day. Wedding stationery should convey your individual taste as well as appropriately set the mood (whether traditionally formal or contemporary and modern); they should be a reflection of you.



WB: What do you love most about your job?

AK: Where do I start... I am very fortunate to have a career I absolutely love! I am so honored when a bride chooses my designs to be a part of her special day. I truly look forward to coming to the office everyday and being able to have the freedom to be able to artistically express myself.

Allison, thank you SO much for sharing your talent. Your work is beautiful and we can't wait to see more. Everyone be sure to check out AK graphics website at http://www.kincaidgraphics.com/.

Lovely way to start the weekend, no?


Photo credits: Allison Kincaid

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Sugar & Honey

Move over Victoria, Etsy's got a pretty little secret of her own...


Meet labellefairy.






One of a kind, beautiful, handmade garments. As a bride you spend so much time picking out what everyone at your wedding sees you in, why not pay some special attention to what only the new Mr. gets to see? I'm just sayin' :)

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Hometown Love: Paper Pals - Pullman, WA

If you are a DIY bride, this post is for you. If you like pretty things, this post is also for you.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I stopped by the Big Event Bridal Fair last weekend to network with other wedding vendors in the area. But before I could spread my love for weddings with the great Palouse, I needed one little, yet important, item that all business people must have on them at all times: the business card.

Paper Pals is the best place this side of the Cascades for all of your scrap booking/pretty paper needs. I found the paper for my business cards there, here's a little peek at how they turned out...



I'm in love with the country-vintage feel of this paper, just the perfect fit for Wheat Blossom. Paper Pals has an insane variety of paper and a beautiful display of different possibilities for your wedding invites. The staff there are incredibly friendly/helpful/lovely and will be as involved in the creative process as you want. If you're like many brides and only have time to pick out the paper, they will do all of the cutting, gluing, sparkling, embellishing, etc for you.

Check out their wedding invite blog for some inspiration and stop by their shop at 1475 South Grand in Pullman.

Monday, November 9, 2009

Big Event Bridal Fair: Pullman, WA - SEL Event Center

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great, refreshing weekend; I sure did.

After deciding to persue this life-long dream of becoming a wedding planner, I asked some of my friends in "the biz" what the most important thing they thought I should do get Wheat Blossom going. Their number 1 answer: network, Network, NETWORK! And this weekend, I did just that...

Every spring and fall, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Event Center (that's a mouth full, we'll call it SEL for short) hosts "The Big Event Bridal Fair" where brides come to meet potential vendors for their special day. On Saturday, SEL was packed with flowers, caterers (with samples, YUM), cake bakers (more yummy samples), venues, photographers, videographers, invitation designers, etc... I was aboslutlely giddy walking around to each booth as I introduced myself as a new wedding planner in the area... my heart flutters just thinking about it.

I had two epiphanies during my little adventure:

1. This is absolutely, 100% what I am meant to do with my life
2. The Palouse is a FABULOUS place to get married! (this was more of a confirmation than an epiphany!)

Here is a link to the SEL event site where you can find a list of all participating vendors. I must say that I enjoyed my time at each of the booths I stopped by, but there were a couple in particular that knocked my socks off... and I will be featuring them throughout the week :) Stay tuned for details!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Wedding Chicks + Dessy + Pantone = Lotsa Love

Here's the sitch: Dessy has teamed up with Pantone to create the most amazing, user-friendly style board program on the www. Pantone provides an incredible array of colors and Dessy has a great selection of all things bridal party. The Wedding Chicks  are hosting a friendly little competition to see who can create the best style board and I thought I would share my submission... I mentioned that my good friend (we'll call her Sarah, because that is her name) is getting married next October. Sarah is going for an elegant apple green and black color scheme for her wedding, and I'm loving what we've come up with so far. Here's a little peek at our inspiration...



Photo Credits:
clutch: Dessy
monogram wreaths: Alea Moore
cake: Arden Photography
flower hairpieces: Chicallure on Etsy 
shoes: L.A.M.B. on nordstrom.com 
guest cards: Red Ribbon Studios
apple centerpiece: Jennifer Lindberg
table setting: Jennifer Skog
green dress: Vera Wang 
white dress: Sarah Seven 
black dress: Anthropologie 

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Wino Wednesday?

This pretty much sums up how I'm feeling right now...




Waaaay too many chocolate covered macadamia nuts consumed in the past 10 days. Vacation was fabulous but I am so, so excited to get plannin' some weddin's! I am diving right into centerpieces, bridesmaids dresses and buttercream frosting confections for a college friend's wedding coming October 16, 2010. The bride and groom come from big wine enthusiast families so I'm thinking these little cork guest card holders would be delightful at each place setting. Did I mention they are expecting 250 + guests? I think we'll be drinking a little vino in the next year... its a rough job, but somebody's gotta do it :)


Photo Credits: Mindy Myers

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Garlands, and banners and streamers, oh my!

For the record, I just slapped my self on the wrist for you all... it has been far too long since my last post! If it makes you feel any better, I blame it on the fact that I'm on vacation... in Hawaii... yeah, that probably doesn't make you feel any better, but hopefully these fabulous finds will. 

Martha's done it again with this sweet, simple garland. String it across your head table, over your dessert display or wherever else your little heart desires. 



A DIY lantern project from the lovely Once Wed...




I absolutely adore these vintage paper heart cutouts, the red ribbon is just the perfect touch. Find them on Etsy by LoBoheme. Or maybe try a DIY project with sheet music paper, old book pages, etc.



Such a fun accent to your beverage table... Martha, you slay me.



Imagine this little pretty dangling across your ceremony alter. So sweet and delicate. By Poppylarity on Etsy.



Wednesday, October 21, 2009

FREE Magazine Subscription!

Get 'em while they're HOT! My fabulous friend over at Confessions of a Couponaholic just sent me a link to a FREE 2-year subscription for Bridal Guide Magazine! Thank you, Couponaholic! We just adore freebies :)


Monday, October 19, 2009

Freebies!

Is it just me or are pinwheels popping up like crazy in wedding decor? (If it is just me... humor me anyway). This week Once Wed featured some adorable barn door monograms made out of bright, multi-colored pinwheels. And the ladies at 100 Layer Cake have a great DIY project for "Prize Ribbon Place Cards" for your guests. Their example features a ribbon project, but I think you could easily sub the ribbon with paper and get some equally cute results. "But how do I make such fun, unique creations?" you ask... Enter the Freebie!


If you are a siren of the sewing machine, you are probably already very familiar with Amy Butler. Her fabric designs define c.u.t.e. Besides showcasing products on the website, Amy offers one of my favorite freebies of all, templates. And one of these templates just happen to be, you guessed it, pinwheels. 




Some more pinwheel ideas to incorporate into your wedding decor...
  • invitations
  • menus
  • garlands
  • wedding favors
  • centerpieces 
  • pretty much any paper project you can think of :)

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Happy Monday!

I thought I would start the week off with a little treat for your feet :) You can find all of these beauties at nordstrom.com. If you're looking for something really special for your special day, right now is a great time to start the search since the holiday season brings so many fun embellishments and colors to fashion. Let's take a peek, shall we?


"Peony" by Bourne. Snake skin & diamonds? I'd like one in every color, thanks.




"Spicy" by Charles David... I couldn't agree more, Charles.




"Lesley" by L.A.M.B. I just love the feathers!



"Lavish" by Fergie. Classic & pretty in a gothic kind of way; I can just see these walking down the aisle of an old, dark, candlelit church.




"Carissa" by Betsey Johnson. Classic romance in a heel... love ya, Bets.



"Anita" by Glint. I love the mesh of architecture and soft, feminine ruffles here, no?




And, my personal favorite... "Carly" by Kate Spade. Big bow + sequins = true love in my book.



Wednesday, October 14, 2009

"Ohmygosh..."

I had another post planned for today, but these were the only words/word that kept running through my head when I stumbled upon sarahseven.com today. My heart seriously just about jumped right out of my chest as I drooled over the romantic styles of this lady love. If I am a little behind on the times for just now discovering this little treasure, my sincere apologies. If I could go back and restyle my wedding weekend, it would look something like this...

Oh, hello. Welcome to my rehearsal dinner you saucy little mustard skirt...



And this is my bridesmaid, her name is Gorgeous.



And you can bet your toosh I'm partying mine off at the reception in this sassy little number. Sarahseven calls this dress "powdered sugar", I call it pure genius... to each their own :)



This is only the tip of the ice burg my lovelies. I am racking my brain for a reason to make a purchase from sarahseven immediately. Ah, that's right... I have a dentist appointment next month. Sold.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Freebies!

If you haven't checked out the Wedding Chick's blog, it's about time you hop on the train. They feature gorgeous real weddings, sell the cutest line of wedding day "getting ready"/bridal party wear, showcase a plethora of DIY projects, and {my personal favorite} offer F.R.E.E. invitation, save-the-date & thank you note templates; just to name a few. Here's a little taste to get your wedding wheels turning...



So pretty :) It would be so easy to add a belly band or other embellishments to really make these unique to your personal wedding style. Check out the blog and indulge in the many beautiful styles of, ahem - FREE, downloads.

Also, FYI, I must mention that one of the two lovely ladies (I've never met them, but I can tell that they are lovely) who make up the wedding chicks, is also Joceybella Invites. If you think these downloads are somethin' special, you should check out her invite site. Such fun style and tons of custom options, love it.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Cheers!

Check out these pretty alternatives to your everyday toasting flutes. I am a big fan of all things Anthropologie for your closet, home & why not wedding?








These tumblers could serve as sweet little vases for your centerpieces, no?