Destination: Wedding!

I don't mean a "destination wedding" - did I confuse you? I saw these amazing suitcases...but they aren't really suitcases! They are actually boxes from a paper company called Kate's Paperie. They are made of lightweight but sturdy cardboard and trimmed with metal latches and hinges. I thought they could be an interesting photo prop! They come in three sizes: small, medium or large and the price range is $10 - $15 each.

I browsed around the site awhile and came across something else that inspired me...if you have suitcase in hand....what does that mean?? That you are going somewhere....correct!! (my blog readers are so smart!) Keep all your travel details (so you will never forget a single moment of your vacation/honeymoon) in this:

Once I saw these two items, I was hooked! I stayed just long enough to know that I had to tell everyone about this great site that has unique items that I have not seen! I loved these invitations!

They have some wedding items on sale here and if you are new to the site and sign up to get their newsletter you can get yourself a 20% discount! 

Deals and Steals

Times are tough out there! So many times I hear people saying they are trying to cut costs on their wedding and/or honeymoon. Well, I have good news for you if you are a bride on a budget! Even if you thought you couldn't have some of these things - like a wedding planner, candy buffet, photo booth...well I am thrilled to tell you might be able to add these special "extras" to your wedding day without breaking your budget! How? Read on...


There is an online auction going on now with all kinds of goodies still without bids and rock bottom prices! The auctions are ending in 2 days...so either people are waiting till the last minute to bid OR people are not aware these goods are up for auction! Either way, I think you still might find a great deal on some wedding items! 


Invitations
There are 20 listings for all kinds of invites available! My favorite invitation offer was this one:

175 Letterpress Invitations valued at $1800 - Current Bid $210

Wow! What an amazing price for this kind of invitation! 

Right now, that is LESS THAN $1.20 each!

To make things a little easier (this is a big post!) I have listed all the items available by State and am highlighting a few of my favorites. Even if you are not planning a wedding, there are great deals to be had! You might be planning an anniversary, vow renewal, corporate event or even a birthday party! I am keeping my eye on a couple of the photography auctions - not for a wedding but, for my annual family pictures! The deals are just amazing! Also, check the end of this post because I listed items that are available ANYWHERE!


Arizona
Phoenix
Tucson

California
Los Angeles/OC
San Diego
San Francisco Bay Area

I have been watching (and already bid on) this candy buffet service! 

I would use it at my daughters next birthday party! 

The current high bidder better watch out...

I am planning to bid again before this closes! 

It has a value of $500 and the current bid on it is $110!

Another AHH-MAZING deal is in San Francisco! Just Cake is offering a wedding cake valued at $1200! The current bid is $235! Do you know how lucky you would be to win this? Just take a look at their website. Your jaw will be on the floor - just like mine!

Colorado
Denver
Other areas

I am keeping my eye on this photography session! The photographer is based in CO but is willing to travel to CA, NV, AZ, UT, NM, WY, NE for this session at no additional cost! 

The package is worth $400 and the opening bid is $75.00

Florida
Central Florida
Miami & South FL


Georgia
Atlanta


Hawaii 


Illinois
Chicago

The best deal in Chicago! A photo booth package worth $1100 The current bid is at $160! Are you kidding me? That is AMAZING. Since going to an event that had a photo booth, I am pretty much under the impression that EVERY event MUST have one! This package gives you 6 HOURS of photo booth fun, someone to run it and a DVD of all the pictures taken. WOW.

Indiana
Indianapolis

Kentucky

Maryland
DC/Baltimore


Massachusetts


Michigan


Minnesota
Minneapolis


Missouri
Kansas City
St. Louis


Nevada
Las Vegas


New Jersey


New York 


North Carolina


Ohio
Cleveland
Cincinnati 
Columbus


Oregon
Portland 


Pennsylvania 
Philadelphia


South Carolina


Texas
Dallas
San Antonio


Washington
Seattle


Wisconsin


Wyoming


There are also 65 auctions listed in the "Anywhere" category! You can bid on items like:
A Wedding gown - valued at $1000 with a current bid of $370, A Brooch Bridal Bouquet - valued at $800 with an opening bid of $70 and this Etsy Wedding Package - valued at $109 with a current bid of $45 (I have my eye on this one!)

Giveaway: Orange County Brides

Where oh where are my orange county brides? Our amazing giveaway for your wedding flowers is still open! Lynne Lucente generously donated a wedding flower package to the Blissful Wishes Ball in November. We bid on, and won, this package at the silent auction so that we could give it away to a lucky bride. All proceeds from our bid went to Wish Upon a Wedding, a charity organization that grants wedding wishes to couples that have a terminal illness or life altering circumstance. This giveaway includes:

* Bridal Bouquet
* 2 Bridesmaids Bouquets
* Grooms Boutonniere
* 2 Groomsman's Boutonnieres
* 2 Father's Boutonnieres
* 2 Mother's Corsages
* 2 Alter pieces
* 6 Centerpieces

Lynne works at several of the most amazing wedding venues in Southern California like: Rancho Las Lomas, Casa Romantica, Japanese Gardens, Hotel Laguna, Laguna Cliffs Marriott, Ritz-Carlton Wedding Locations, St. Regis Hotel and Villa Rockledge.

Here is some of Lynne's recent work:

Broccardo Photography

This giveaway is valued at $1265.00! In order to win you must either live in or be getting married in Orange County, California. Lynne is already booking for 2011 weddings so your date must be open for her to design your wedding flowers! 

Are you ready to enter?!

 Just click here....

Celebration of sweets!

Are you still moaning and groaning from your Thanksgiving feast? Well, if you took the day off of wedding planning....time to get back to it! There are probably several deals out there today on wedding related items! Everyone wants to capture the shoppers on Black Friday! I have found a couple of great candy companies to help you with your candy bar buffet! My favorite was the lollipops from Hammond's! You can not go wrong with a group of the gorgeous lollipops in your candy buffet! They have other fun candies as well and one of the best features - search by color!

 courtesy of Real Simple Magazine

This is a DIY project courtesy of Martha Stewart

You could be a bride like Julia who got married using this lollipop bouquet

Photograph credit: Mira Weddings

I wasn't looking for anything specific when I came upon these two candy companies however, seeing what they had to offer....I sure am glad I stumbled upon them! My creative impulses were in overdrive! From finding Hammond's, I then stumbled upon The Cocoa Room. I came across them by looking for cupcake decorations! The first thing I found were these candy coated sunflower seeds and almonds! I like Jordan Almonds but I love chocolate covered almonds!!

Dear Santa....

So, forget having those horrible disposable wedding cameras at every table. They are a waste of money, the pictures do not turn out and it is just overall very frustrating. Instead, invest a little bit of money in something like the Fuji Instax Camera and put a trusted friend or family member in charge of it. I pretty much guarantee you are going to get some pretty fun pictures from this camera!


This is option 1: Fuji Instax 210 Instant Film Camera. Price varies but it was $64.99 on Amazon with FREE Super Saver Shipping. This version of the Instant camera is a little bigger, slightly bulkier than its counterparts. But on the upside...the pictures are a little bigger.

Now, let's talk about Option 2. It's sleeker, it's a little more trendy and it prints smaller pictures (about the size of a credit card, I have read). The size could be an issue for me. I like the aesthetics of the White but I am not sure I want 100 credit card size photos. 

Here is the perfect use (and a great excuse to buy this camera!). Get pictures of people from your showers, bachelor/bachelorette parties, etc. and use these pictures as your place cards for your seating chart! Then, at the reception, have people snap a picture and then hang it up to "develop"! They can leave a little love note on the bottom for you and then voila! You have have your guest book to put together! SO CUTE! I love this idea. I love this camera. I want it (now!).

PS: Santa, if you are reading my blog....I have been a very good girl this year and this camera (the larger one) is the only thing on my list. :)

A little holiday freebie!

Here is a little freebie I came across for your holiday photo cards! There are 5 designs to choose from, each from a different designer, and each available in 3 sizes -- 4" x 6", 5" x 7", and 6" x 7.5"! Just download them, insert your picture and send them off to your favorite printing place! 

GO HERE to download and for instructions.

Checking up on a few of my favorites....

I decided to check up on a few of my favorite Etsy sellers....just to see what was new in their shops! A couple of shops are on vacation but, I was able to drool over a few new items from my favorites!!

ImeonDesign

Have your cake and eat it too! I love her paper crafts! 

LoveToCreateStamps

I absolutely loved working with Todd...he custom makes these stamps and he had a lot of new designs! 

MeandMatilda

Custom neckties and bow ties. I adore the colors and all the fabric choices!

Cupcake Confections

I am a cupcake lover but, recently they have been featured everywhere and their stock value has pretty such sky rocketed! There has been a flavor explosion...like these Bacon Maple Cupcakes from the Milwaukee Cupcake Queen who writes a blog called "No One Puts Cupcake in a Corner" (seriously love the name!!)

And while we are talking about bacon cupcakes....I have to mention that if your hunka, hunka burning love has a thing for Elvis ...you might want to think of serving your guests an Elvis Cupcake!

Banana Bread Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Bacon

I was first turned onto the cupcake craze when someone told me about Sprinkles cupcakes - they brand themselves by being "the original cupcake bakery". Since then, there has been a serious cupcake explosion! Now, we have Cupcake Camps in most major cities that benefit non-profits (there is a Cupcake Camp being held in Los Angeles THIS weekend!). There are fancy couture cupcake wrappers for all occasions and the flavors are pretty much endless - the largest cupcake menu I found while writing this was from Yummy Cupcakes in Los Angeles. Currently, they have 212 cupcake flavors!! Seriously. I dunno....I kind of like chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting...the kind I always made as a kid...what about you? Are you a cupcake connoisseur?

Orange County Brides - It's a very special giveaway just for YOU!

Hey Orange County brides....I am hosting a special giveaway - just for you! I have never had a giveaway quite like this one - for several reasons: 1.) I won this giveaway at a silent auction, 2.) I have not hosted a giveaway that was only for one specific geographical area and 3.) I have never given an item that was such a high dollar value. This is all VERY exciting!


Most importantly, this is the giveaway that keeps on giving - by "paying it forward". This giveaway is unique because... my winning bid went to a charity I believe in 110%! You can read about my evening at the Blissful Wishes Ball here and you can learn more about Wish Upon a Wedding here.


So, here's the deal on this local giveaway: Lynne Lucente donated a FABULOUS floral package to Wish Upon a Wedding for their silent auction at the Blissful Wishes Ball, which was held November 4th, 2010 at the amazing Ebell Wilshire Theater. All proceeds from the silent auction were going towards granting wedding wishes for couples facing a terminal illness or life altering circumstance. 

This giveaway is valued at $1265.00!

Lynne is based in South Orange County, California but the winner can be anywhere in the Orange County area. The winner of this incredible giveaway will receive:


* Brides Bouquet
* 2 Bridesmaids Bouquets
* Grooms Boutonniere
* 2 Groomsmen's Boutonnieres
* 2 Father's Boutonnieres 
* 2 Mothers Corsages
* 2 Alter Pieces
* 6 Centerpieces

THERE ARE ONLY TWO CONDITIONS TO THIS GIVEAWAY:

• You must LIVE or BE GETTING MARRIED in Orange County California!
• Your wedding will have to coordinate with Lynne's schedule. She is now booking for 2011.

So, you have met the two requirements above - right? Now, it's time to enter!

HOW TO ENTER:

• For ONE entry into this giveaway: Follow my blog PUBLICLY and let me know you are here!
• For a SECOND entry "pay it forward" by sharing this post with someone who lives or is getting married in ORANGE COUNTY! Leave their first name and if they post you get credit for the entry!
• For a THIRD entry twitter or blog about this contest and leave an ADDITIONAL comment to let me know you did that with a link to the post! You can find my twitter page here

WOULD YOU LIKE 5 BONUS ENTRIES?

• Share a brief story of something random you have done to "pay it forward"....did you let someone go in front of you at the grocery store? Did you buy someone's coffee at Starbucks? Did you volunteer somewhere? Donate somewhere? 

This giveaway will end on: December 15th at 5pm PST and the winner will be posted shortly there after!

What you win: Wedding flowers - fulfilled by Lynne Lucente

Value of giveaway (including shipping to winner): $1265.00

This giveaway is open to only those who reside in Orange County, California

Bidding For Good

Holy smokes! I was looking at the BiddingForGood auction site tonight and they have auctions ending in the next 12 hours! If you are a bride in the San Francisco area or you know of brides in these areas there are AWESOME DEALS!!! Spread the word!

Photo Booth from The Laugh Box - 3 hours plus extras - San Francisco Bay Area
Worth $1200 Current Bid - $152.00



Luxury Limo Service from Lone Star Limousine - 3 Hours of service - San Francisco Bay Area
Worth $330 Current Bid - $157.00



Napa Valley Portrait Session with Damion Hamilton - 1 hour service plus ALL photos on a disk!
Worth $900 Opening Bid - $50.00

Photos can be a work of art!

WOW - this is really cool! Have you heard of All Pop Art? If not, you might love that you read this post! Turn any photo into a work of art! Seriously hip! Super modern and totally unique! This would make an awesome wedding gift for the new bride and groom...could you imagine opening something like this or opening your third toaster oven?! It's not just for couples though and I love the site - you can see what the pictures look like in a room and there are lot's of different styles to choose from! I don't think you will be disappointed!

Sentimental Gestures

It's no secret I am a huge fan of brooches - especially when they are incorporated into the bridal bouquet! While checking up on one of my favorite photographers I found these pictures:

 

Photogapher, Murakami, caught the beauty of this sentimental gesture on Mandi and Brandon's wedding day. You can read more about the brooch and see the bride's reaction when she was given the brooch here. In this bouquet shot - the brooch has photos of the brides mom on her wedding day and the mom's mom (the brides grandmother) on her wedding day. How special is that??! What an amazing keepsake too! I just wanted to share this because I thought it was so sentimental and special! Do you have plans of incorporating anything in your own wedding using pictures of your mom's or grandmother's? Share your ideas with comments!! 

Just Married Car Decal

Found a nifty little I wanted to post for everyone! This isn't a giveaway I am doing (I will probably be posting that giveaway tomorrow!) The Painted House & More created this new decal and you have 1 week to enter! You can find all the complete rules and how to enter HERE! Good luck!