Engagement and Wedding Photo Props

Every wedding is individual. Which is why you may see something that has been done before by someone else that you love. Does that mean you shouldn't use it for your own wedding? NO! There are loads of sites with all kinds of wedding inspiration and sure, all of these things have been done before but, NOT BY YOU! I stick by the saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" so, if you are inspired by something someone else has done in their wedding, and you love it, by all means...make it yours!! The following items have been done before...over and over. That just means it must be a good idea! When you look back at your engagement and wedding photos, years down the road, I bet you will still love that you used some of these ideas!

Mr and Mrs photo prop signs - these have a dual use because on the back, it also has Thank and You! Sold by pertyfultings on Etsy

This photo was taken by Abigail Seymour - her work is amazing (seriously I looked at every page on her website!) She is based out of Greensboro, NC. You can just tell by her images that she has a gift. Love her work! Check it out...you will be inspired, trust me!

This photograph was also taken by Abigail Seymour from the wedding of Jen and Craig. The table signs (I just loved the saying so much I had to share!) and the Mr and Mrs photo props were made by Pertyfultings

Pertyfultings has some really great things in her shop! Prices are great and options are endless! Love that! This "Just Hitched" photo prop is also double sided (for twice the use!) with a Thanks Y'all on the back! $9.50 

What do you think? Would you love to win your choice of sign from Pertyfultings? Let me know....

Banner Art

Talking about the two new banners from Lisa Leonard inspired me! I went on a hunt to find other banners that could have many uses for a wedding (and then can be used after!) - I love how they add a personalized aspect to weddings. If you are a crafty, DIY bride you could probably make these but, for me? I would much rather find something that LOOKS like I made it! I am just not good with scissors, sewing, and paper...thankfully, others are! I love the look and feel of having homemade items to personalize your wedding! I also love that these can be used in your home after the wedding! There are so many things you purchase for a wedding that are "one time use" so, anything you can buy for a wedding that has a use AFTER the big day is good for me!  Here are some fun banners I was able to find:

String of Words Alphabet Discs - 12.99

From Mod Cloth - buy here!

This set has many uses! You get 36 thick, sturdy paperboard circles printed with letters reproduced from Victorian wood type and equipped with metal grommets, as well as a ribbon to tie these letters together! Make anything you want....over and over! Perfect price for a banner that you can use at the wedding, reception and then at home!

Love Red Glitter Burlap Banner - 26.00

From Etsy seller Funkyshique 

I have blogged about this Etsy store before....and even hosted a giveaway with her! So, you know I absolutely love her things! (I giveaway things I am in love with and would want for myself! ;) haha). Anyway, I just think her designs are great! They are all handmade and from working with her in the past I can tell you she is SO NICE too!

MR. and MRS. wedding chair hanger signs - 10.00

From Etsy seller CowCountryCreations

Fun Mrs. and Mr. chair banners have a vintage look and are accented with little rhinestone details. The ribbon colors can be changed to match your wedding theme. I thought the price was perfect for two!

Pennant Banners by Lisa Leonard

Had to share another new design by Lisa Leonard - the pennant banner! Each pennant is hand-cast and then hand-stamped with a large 1" letter. Price starts at $44 and includes 4 pennant flags, each add'l flag only $9.

Today TWO people will win a hand-stamped pennant banner with up to 6 flags! Click here to enter!! Good luck (and let me know if you win!)

New Lisa Leonard Designs

I absolutely adore Lisa Leonard designs so, when I saw an email from her today announcing a new decor line I immediately wanted to share!

 Fairy wands, banners, magnets and bowls

 Adorable to use in engagement sessions, at your wedding and then in your home! Banners are $46 for four hearts, each add'l heart only $9. You get to choose your ribbon color, too!

Perfect for your flower girl right? Fairy wands are $26 and can be personalized with a name or special phrase up to 16 characters 

Act quick to get this special discount (valid until Mar 26th): use coupon decor20 for 20% off your entire order!


Also, I know you will be interested in this....Lisa Leonard is hosting a giveaway right now for an oval wall hanging!!! (love it!)

Giveaway Thursday

I LOVE giveaways! I love hosting them, I love entering them and I especially love winning them! I have been scouring some giveaways today that might interest my followers! Some are ending quickly so act fast!

Win 50 invitations and a pair of earrings! Ends Mar 25th!

Win a personalized hanger! End date Mar 31st!

Pick the Fall 2011 catalog cover for Bonny ends April 1st

Win a Ring Bearer Bloom Bowl end April 1st

Cake pops are popping up all over!

Last week, I arrived back in Southern California from a trip to the Mexican Riviera. My first stop: Starbucks! To my utter surprise and delight, cake pops! Seriously? Oh yes. 

The plan was hatched to unveil these babies as part of their 40th year celebration! There is a cute little story on Starbucks blog where they talk about cake pops. I absolutely love the honesty about how hard these little babies are to make - I have tried and failed many times! So, if you haven't seen these in stores yet, here is the deal: 

You get three flavors:

Birthday – Vanilla cake and icing, dipped in pink chocolate and fun white sprinkles.
Rocky Road - Chocolate cake and icing dipped in dark chocolate, rolled in mini marshmallows and roasted almonds.
Tiramisu – Vanilla cake and Starbucks® coffee icing, dipped in mocha chocolate and topped with a chocolate coffee bean.

I have personally tried the Rocky Road and Tiramisu. The Birthday Cake must be the most popular! It is always GONE by the time I make it into my Starbucks! My favorite of the two, hands down: Rocky Road (but, it's my favorite ice cream, too!). The Tiramisu, they say, is made from Vanilla cake but, it's a flavored cake - not just vanilla. It was a little on the sweet side for me. All three pops are under 200 calories and they are just enough to have your cake and eat it too! 

Of course, my brain went straight to the price! I have seen some bakeries selling cake pops for $3.00 each! Starbucks has them priced at $1.50 each, 2 for $2.50 or 6 for $7.50. My thought was that cake pops are now affordable for wedding showers or even dessert stations at weddings! I have yet to ask my local store if you ordered even more if you could get a better price....but, it couldn't hurt to ask right? Even if the answer was no, the lowest price would be $1.25 each and I think that is pretty affordable! Have you tried them? What was your favorite flavor?

We have a WINNER!

I spent a cold, rainy afternoon going over the entries for the March giveaway and am happy to send a little sunshine out to...SHANNA!! Your comment was chosen by our handy, dandy friend random.org!

We will contact you later today to get your information! Congrats again! And for those of you who didn't win, there is still a 15% discount code (good till the end of March!) you can use in Tessa Kim's shop: GLWTK11. Also, don't worry....a new giveaway is RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER! Get ready for a SPRING TIME SURPRISE! 

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Will the luck of the Irish carry over for you? Our March giveaway is coming to a close and our lucky winner will be chosen in just TWO DAYS!! I am pretty excited about this beautiful ensemble! A feather fascinator and a birdcage veil from Tessa Kim. I also happened to locate another Tessa Kim giveaway going on and I wanted to let you know - because there is also a 15% discount code attached to it, so even if you don't win the giveaway...you are still a winner!

ENTER OUR GIVEAWAY HERE! 

So, if you love Tessa's designs as much as I do make sure you also enter the giveaway at Grey Likes Weddings for $150 store credit! And, that's not all! Love & Lavender ALSO has a giveaway going on for a $100 store credit to Tessa Kim's website!! They are also picking a winner this Saturday! Wahoo!

A slice of (paper) cake

It's been awhile since I have checked in on one of my favorite Etsy sellers: ImeonDesigns. In fact, it was in November of last year! You can read the post here. She creates beautiful paper cake boxes that you can order by the slice or as entire cake. Each design is completely handmade - including all the paper roses. Since I last checked in, Noemi has created more stunning designs and I love them all:

You want something unique and breath-taking to hold little thank you gifts for your bridal party, for the bridal shower or for the wedding. And then you see it; a gorgeous chocolate cake with colorful flowers delicately decorating each slice. It’s perfect! Each slice is $4.75 or you can message her for the entire cake!

You mean cakes come in another "flavor"?? Oh yes, they do....this creamy cake slice is a favor box with delicate and lovely blue toned flowers! The price for one slice is $3.50

Each cake slice is cut, pasted and put together by hand. Each flower starts off as a flat piece of paper and is twisted and turned until it comes to full bloom....and they do bloom....beautifully! I just love these. Very different, very special and something your guests will treasure as a thank you! Contact Noemi (her Etsy shop name is her first name backward!) and have a chat! She is a super, duper nice woman! I know this because we had an opportunity last year to do a giveaway with her and it was such a huge success! I think we are going to have to do something similar soon...what do you think Noemi??

March Giveaway is in full swing!

Our March giveaway is in full swing! Have you entered to win yet?! We are giving away a beautiful feather hair fascinator and a 9-inch birdcage veil to a lucky bride! The giveaway will end on March 19th, 2011 and remember that you can get up to 8 ENTIRES! Just follow our instructions on the blog post and make sure you leave ONE COMMENT for EACH item that you do (it makes our job a little easier when we are picking the winner).

Click here to enter now!

Crate and Barrel $100,000 Ultimate Wedding Giveaway

Crate and Barrel's $100,000

Ultimate Wedding Giveaway

Crate and Barrel is doing their $100,000 Ultimate Wedding contest again! To enter the contest you need to create a registry at Crate and Barrel. That shouldn't be too hard - they have everything you need (and I personally LOVE their stuff). If you already have a registry then you just need to: Click here and have ready: 

Three photos to upload of you and your fiancé and answer these three questions in 100 words or less:

1. Tell us your love story.
2. Get down to the nitty-gritty and share three important details of your Ultimate Wedding.
3. Describe how you'd design and decorate your dream home.

The deadline to get this all done is: March 31st, 2011. Then you will need to enlist your entire group of family and friends to vote because the top 100 couples will move on to the next round! The winning couple will be announced in June!

My Little Cupcake

Let me introduce you to my new must have item: My Little Cupcake Pop mold. It's a no-bake mold that allows you to create adorable, sweet treats. The owner, and inventor of My Little Cupcake Pop mold, is Jeannette Facey. She even has her 3 little children show you how to make cupcake pops in a video...could it really be THAT easy? It would be hard to make a lot of these treats with only one mold so, I suggest ordering a few - they are sold individually for $5.95 or you can buy a party pack of 4 for $23.80

Would you wear a black wedding dress?

Oh my DARING brides, where are you? A new color is on the horizon in wedding gowns: black. I actually see enough white wedding gowns to actually LOVE colored wedding gowns! Black is dramatic. Black is bold. In some cultures black is actually worshiped as the color for innocence, new beginning, new life, matrimony, sacredness, purity and chastity....but would you wear it? Could you pull it off? It's the wedding gown runway dream...

Jill Stuart

What do you think? Is too far fetched? Maybe we have to ease into this color...with just using black as an accent color:

Bonny Bridal

Allure

Unforgettable by Bonny Bridal

The Costco Connection

Do you think it's far fetched that Costco would jump into the wedding business? I am not that surprised - when it comes to throwing a big party I know that Costco is on my list to shop at. I will admit to even checking out the engagement rings while shopping at my local Costco - they have some pretty amazing rings!! This Princess Cut 1.5 carat ring is $3299.99

The Association for Wedding Professionals, says that a couple in the United States will spend $19,581 (between $14,686 and $24,476) for their wedding, not including the cost for a honeymoon or an engagement ring. If you are already married you probably already know that. Costs for a wedding add up - quick! So, Costco put out a call to their members and got (according to their article) hundreds of emails and letters about how brides and grooms used Costco services to save on their wedding. One bride even found her groom there (he worked there! haha). Other people sited their invitation prices. Their website states you save 25% off retail prices but, I still think you could get away with doing your own invites for less! 

You have to have flowers too...and Costco has you covered on that! They have money saving packages! Prices include shipping (but you have to add sales tax!)

40 Piece Wedding Collection fir $749.00 includes:

• 1 Bridal bouquet
• 1 Maid of Honor bouquet
• 4 Brides Maid bouquets
• 1 Toss Away bouquet
• 2 Mothers petite hand-tie
• 12 Corsages
• 12 Attendant boutonnieres
• 6 Centerpieces  (vases not included)
• 10 Rose Petal buds

20 Piece Wedding Collection ranges from $349.99 - $429.99 includes: 

• 1 Bridal bouquet
• 2 Brides Maid bouquets
• 1 Toss Away bouquet
• 6 Corsages
• 6 Attendant boutonnieres
• 3 Centerpieces  (vases not included)
• 1 Rose Petal bud   

9 Piece Wedding Collection for $229.99 includes:

• 1 Bridal bouquet
• 2 Brides Maid bouquets
• 2 Corsages
• 4 Attendant boutonnieres 

And what would a wedding be without a bridal gown? Costco also sells wedding gowns via 

Kirstie Kelly. I have never seen or even heard of one these special events being held at my local Costco....but if you have or if you have been to one LEAVE A COMMENT! I want to know how it went! Special events are held at Costco locations - complete with:



• A private, salon-style fitting area with three-way mirrors and experienced bridal consultants
• Six exclusive styles of gowns in sizes ranging from 2 to 24
• Samples of each dress to try on, with multiple sizes per sample
• Limited selection: Only 108 gowns will be available at each Special Event
• This is a cash-and-carry purchase; buy it when you see it
• Fingertip- and cathedral-style veils will be available
• Appointments are recommended; go to Costco.com and search “wedding dress.”
• Savings start at 40 percent of retail



Check Costco's event schedule to see if this might be your perfect fit! This wouldn't be my cup of tea for a wedding but, I have to admit, I do see the cost savings on using Costco for some wedding things! What are your thoughts?