Things We Love - Unique Wedding Card Boxes

One of the special touches we love for weddings are unique wedding card boxes. This might not be something you have given much thought to yet and is probably just a small detail in the huge scheme of your wedding plans. But alas, take a moment to check out these fabulously original ideas to hold all the special cards your guests will bring you on your wedding day. Finding or making a unique wedding card box is just another way to carry your wedding theme through. Whether your wedding theme is vintage, modern or cutesy, tailor your card box to match the decor used throughout your venue. A tasteful, decorative card box can become a keepsake in your home after the wedding.

This Stacked Antique Book Box (as seen at right and above) would make the perfect card box for a Victorian or Renaissance themed wedding, or really any wedding exuding "Old World" charm. This card box would also fit in at a fairytale or book themed event. This beautifully designed box is constructed to look like a stack of three elegantly weathered books. When you turn the stack on its side the top book will lift up to reveal a box to hold wedding cards or special notes from your guests. This piece would look wonderful displayed on a coffee table or bookshelf in your home after the wedding.

A Special Delivery Letter Box is the perfect spot to drop wedding cards for the bride and groom. This vintage twist on a mailbox/card box is charming and practical. Display this letter box next to the gift table and your guests will know exactly where to leave their sentiments. The top of the box lifts up for easy delivery of cards, small gifts or little notes to the happy couple. Personalize the box with the marrying couple's last name for a special keepsake they will treasure. After the wedding the box can be used at home to hold mail, magazines and newspapers.

Gather wedding gifts and cards together in a gorgeous vintage suitcase. This flea market find can be fixed up to hold all of your wedding loot. Scavenge in your parents or grandparents attics or garage sale-hop until you find a charming vintage suitcase. Many older suitcases like this already have a pretty patterned liner. If yours doesn't, dress it up with a little retro fabric and a "Cards" sign to direct guests. This piece makes for a lovely display on your gift table.

If traditional is more your thing, check out our selection of wedding card boxes here.

Image Credits: Stacked Antique Book Box, Special Delivery Letter Box, Vintage Suitcase Card Box

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Mouth Watering Summer Wedding Cocktails

The heat is almost here and it's time to cool off with a mouthwatering cocktail at your summer wedding! Lovely lemonades, sinful strawberry drinks and grown-up root beers will have guests coming back for more. These tasty summer cocktails are not only wedding appropriate but can be used at any wedding related summer bash. Bridal showers, bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners and morning after brunches are perfect places to showcase these delightful drinks as well! Take a look at our selection of summery cocktail recipes and prepare to get thirsty! You should probably make each of these recipes ahead of time to find your favorite. Have the girls over for a cocktail party, I'm sure they won't mind helping you out!

Strawberry Sparkler
This lovely cocktail is not only scrumptious but also a sight for the eyes! It's pretty pink color and fruity garnish make for a beautiful display. Consider serving this drink as the bride's cocktail at your reception or as a girly treat at your bachelorette party or bridal shower.

Recipe: (For one cocktail)
- 2 ounces of strawberry infused vodka
- 2 ounces of simple syrup
- 2 ounces of fresh lemon juice
- Top with sparkling wine and garnish with strawberries and mint

Peach Lemonade
Here is a summer treat that even the kids can enjoy. Fresh peaches and lemons pair up in this sunny drink and pack a punch everyone will love. This cocktail can be served with or without alcohol. How perfect would this drink be served in mason jars at your backyard wedding reception or rehearsal dinner?

Recipe: (For 4 cocktails)
- 2 to 3 fresh peaches or nectarines
- The juice from 5 lemons
- 4-5 tsp. sugar (to taste)
- Water
- Crushed ice
Squeeze the lemons and set aside the juice. Peel peaches, remove pit and roughly chop. Puree peaches in a food processor with the sugar until smooth. Mix the lemon juice with this mixture. Add water and ice to your taste. More sugar can be added for sweetness as well.

Voot Beer
This playful cocktail offers the taste of a childhood favorite with a grown-up twist! The classic root beer recipe gets a pick-me-up with vanilla flavored vodka. This quick and easy thirst-quencher will be a crowd pleaser!

Recipe:(For one cocktail)
- 2 ounces vanilla flavored vodka
- 5 ounces root beer
- Whip cream for garish
- Maraschino cherry for garnish

Serve with a straw in an ice cold mug

Drink up more delicious summer wedding cocktail ideas on our Signature Drinks Pinterest page!

Photo and recipe credits: Main cocktail image, Strawberry Sparkler image and recipe from Valley and Co. Lifestyle Blog, Peach Lemonade image and recipe from the Mirch Masala Blog, Vootbe from 303 Distillery, found on Creative Culinary.com

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Pretty Patterned Bridesmaid Dresses

Patterned bridesmaid dresses have been making an appearance at warm weather weddings these last few years, and this wedding season is no different! Brides are donning their maids in  dresses covered in the prettiest of patterns. Whether the pattern you choose is subtle or striking, it is a fun and flirty option for spring and summer weddings. When choosing patterned bridesmaid dresses make sure that you choose a print that will be flattering to all of your girls. Smaller printed patterns seem to be more flattering than large bold designs. If you decide to mix and match patterns, make sure that all the prints are cohesive with each other and don't clash. Not only are patterned dresses unique and fun, another great reason to choose them is when all the bridesmaids are wearing patterned dresses you will notice that the bride stands out even more in her solid white gown! Take a look at several different ways to do patterns for your bridesmaid dresses. From romantic to vintage or even geometric, there is a style for every wedding! 

Image Credits: Pretty Patterns Main Image,  Romantic Dresses-1 (photo by Anna Hardy), Romantic Dresses-2 by Maggie Heinzel-Neel Photographyc, Bold Dresses (Photo by zadesignz), Flirty Dresses, Retro-Chic Dresses (photo by Nathan Wu Photography), Vintage Dresses 1, Vintage Dresses 2, Geometric Dresses 1, Geometric Dresses 2

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DIY Keepsakes Featuring Your Wedding Song

The first dance at your wedding is a special part of your big day. Whether it was picked out days before your wedding or early on in your relationship, this song is significant. Whenever you hear your song played on the radio or you find yourself humming the lyrics, you will think back to that romantic first dance on your wedding day. This song holds a special place in most couple's hearts and there are ways for you to create a memorable keepsake that showcases it.

After the wedding day you can make a soundtrack to your wedding that includes your first dance song. While this is always nice, it's not exactly original and there are only so many times that you will listen to it. Why not take your wedding song and turn it into a piece of art or decoration that you can use in your home and look at every day!

From the Wit and Whistle Blog comes this uniquely adorable idea for a decorative pillow that features song lyrics or a special quote. We suggest highlighting some of the most important words from your wedding song on this quaint and comfortable piece. Read through the words to your song and pick the chorus or certain lines from the song that mean the most to you and your honey. This project is totally DIY and quite inexpensive to execute. All you need is a premade pillowcase (or you can easily make your own). Grab a ruler, pencil, letter stencil and fabric marker and you are all set to create this one of a kind piece. You can use the ruler to lightly pencil straight lines across your pillow (make sure to test a scrap of fabric first to see if pencil will erase on it). Then use your stencil to pencil in the lyrics. Remove the stencil and use the fabric marker to fill in the letter outlines. Choose any color you like for the wording but black is always a safe choice and really gives off a crisp professional look. Check out the step by step instructions for this pillow project at the Wit and Whistle Blog.

Our second keepsake idea comes from The Scout & Nimble Blog. While our first keepsake showcased the lyrics to your wedding song, this stunning piece displays the musical notation. There is something about the way that musical notes float across a page that make them a work of art all in themselves. This majestic piece will look lovely displayed in your home and makes for a great conversation piece when guests are over. For this easy project all you will need to do is locate the sheet music for your song. If you don't already have it you can order it online or even print the sheet music form certain websites at home. Follow the instructions at Scout & Nimble for directions on how to piece your music sheets together to form a piece large enough to frame. You can also take your sheet music to a printer and have them enlarge it to the desired size you want. You can distress the printed sheet to give it an aged or antique look if desired. Then find the perfect frame and you are finished! This sentimental work of art will hang in your home for many years to come!

These wonderful keepsake ideas would make the perfect wedding anniversary gift for your spouse (and yourself).

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Six Ways to Make the Most of Your Honeymoon

Planning your honeymoon? We've come up with a list of  six small ways to make the most of your honeymoon.

Try Something New. What better way to start your new life together than by going on an adventure? Trying new things together is also a great way to cement your bond, creating unforgetable moments that only the two of you share.

Do Nothing for A Day. Set aside part of your honeymoon to just relax. Order breakfast and stay in bed watching a favorite movie. After that, you can head to the beach to sunbathe or to the nearest spa for a couples massage. You deserve some R&R after all the stress of planning a wedding. This down time also allows you to focus purely on your new spouse without any distractions.

Keep Everything. Bring along little plastic bags and envelopes or a small keepsake box to tuck in little mementos from each day. These could be small things like a cocktail napkin from a restaurant, the ticket stubs to a show, or even a bar of soap from your hotel. Later these small things will bring all the memories of your honeymoon rushing back. You will be so glad you took the time to create these keepsakes.

Don't Answer Your Phone. Unless you are a parent, there is no reason why you need to keep tabs on anyone back at home. Work, friends, and family can all wait. It is a good idea to keep your phone with you in case of emergency, but just let calls roll to voicemail and save texts to be answered later. This one little act lets your significant other know that you are willing to put them first. There is also something refreshing about being alone together in a new place, with no connection to the outside world.

Take A Lot of Photos. Take pictures everywhere you go on your honeymoon. Don't be too shy to ask strangers to snap a photo of the two of you as well. You will treasure these honeymoon photos for the rest of your lives. You may take other vacations together, but you only have one honeymoon!

Get Organized. While you want to relax and let go of all your stress during your honeymoon, you also have to get all your ducks in a row in order to do this. Make sure you have all your passports, tickets, maps, and reservations easily accessible. Also make sure you bring along enough money and budget it wisely during your stay. If you button down these details beforehand, it will be smooth sailing for the rest of your trip!

Happy Honeymooning!

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Backyard Wedding Ideas Inspiration Board

Most people think that the best thing about a backyard wedding is the price. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The best things about a backyard wedding are; the intimacy, the gorgeous decorations, the fun and the food. When planning your backyard wedding consider using rustic decoration and signs to greet your family and friends as they arrive. Use the outdoors to create your backdrop for the ceremony. What is more beautiful than Mother Nature herself? Fill mason jars or vintage watering cans with wild flowers or loose bouquets to create stunning center pieces for your reception tables. Serve a buffet style meal with all the fixings and fresh lemonade and ice tea to cool your guest down on a hot summer day. Of course don't forget about dessert. Homemade cakes and cupcakes would make the perfect dessert for your guest and be the most fitting for your fabulous backyard wedding.

 Photo Credits: The Wedding of my Dream Blog, marthastewartweddings.com, modern keepsake and The Natural Wedding Company.

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Fun Flower Girl Fashion for Some of Your Youngest Wedding Attendants

Most little girls are beyond excited when they learn that they have been selected as the flower girl in a wedding.  With pretty dresses and fun accessories, what little girl wouldn't want a chance to be princess for a day?  Usually a flower girl is between the ages of three and eight, and is a member of the bride or groom's family, or perhaps the daughter of a close friend.  When it comes to her dress and accessories, you can choose whatever will go best with your wedding, but you may want to ask her input so that she is all smiles on your wedding day.

Besides the duties of your flower girl, you will want to consider what type of dress and jewelry she will wear.  She is not limited to wearing a miniature replica of your dress.  Tutus have become popular, as well as off-white tea-length dresses.  There are also many other looks which you can find on Etsy, in a bridal salon, or even in department stores.  

Photo Credits:  Pomander Balls, Green Dress with Unique Print, Tutu, Rosette Dress, A-Line Traditional Dress, Nude-Colored Dress

Whichever look you decide on, you may decide to give your flower girl a jewelry set or other accessory to match her dress as a gift for being in your wedding.  You can find jewelry and other flower girl gifts here.  Another option to dress up your little wedding attendant is a flower hair wreath.  They can be made with the flowers you are using throughout your wedding day, and are so adorable.

Photo Credits:  Flower Girl in Pearls, Pearl Necklace, Personalized Locket, Ivy and White Rose Hair Wreath, Bright Yellow Flower Hair Accessory, Simple Headband 

As far as other items for her flower girl duties go, there are a lot of great trends right now.  Traditionally, a flower girl will carry a basket of flower petals, but recently there have been many other flower girl accessories becoming popular.  Pomander balls, beautiful balls of flowers, often replace flower baskets if the bride does not want petals to be dropped in the aisle.  A few other options are Signs announcing the bride's presence, bubbles, or one of our favorites - ribbon wands!  We have even seen weddings where the flower girl will walk the couple's dog down the aisle.

Photo Credits:  Large Flower Ribbon Wand, Here Comes the Bride Sign

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Charcoal Grey + Raspberry - A Wedding Color Story

The bright palette of hot pink and orange takes a modern twist when grounded with the neutral color of charcoal grey.  We love the idea of adding in this darker shade to bring a sense of sophistication to an ordinarily whimsical color scheme. 

When putting together this palette, don't be afraid to take advantage of the different shades of pink and orange to add depth and texture to your florals, table centerpieces, and decor.  Adding in lighter shades of pink and pops of marigold and yellow will bring your look from homemade to custom made.

Photo Credits: Grey and Pink Wedding, Photo booth prop, Streamers, Margaritas, and Shepards hook, Orange Balloon Centerpiece, Striped Wedding Invitation, Chair back and table setting, Wedding Dress with Lanterns, Groomsmen

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Unique and Unusual Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes are more than just dessert. They are one of the most memorable parts of your reception. Couples have always chosen cakes that had a certain "wow" factor, but lately it seems like brides and grooms are looking for a completely custom cake that is as unforgettable as it is beautiful and delicious.  Cake artists are rising to the challenge and creating gorgeous confectionary masterpieces that are unique and sometimes a little unusual. We've chosen some of our favorite cakes that are distinctive yet still dazzling. We also broke them down into a few different themes that have recently caught our eye.

Inspired by Art

Lovers of fine art will appreciate these wedding cakes inspired by famous works of art from the likes of Van Gogh and Gustav Klimt.

Image Credits: Starry Night from Rosesen, Tiffany from Maggie Austin Cake, Gustav Klimt from Finishing Touch

Colorful Confections
Gone are the days of the pure white or ivory wedding cake. A pop of color is what brides want to see these days, even if it is just in a small decorative touch like the patterned bunting on the cake below.

Image Credits: Ombre Hearts from Erica Obrien, Colorful Bunting from 100 Layer Cake, Cubes from Project Wedding

High Romance

Frills, flowers, and a blush of pink are all details we love in this romantic, victorian look. Your hubby-to-be might demand a more masculine version for his groom's cake, but that would be a fun compromise that could only set off the feminine beauty of these ruffled desserts.

Image Credits: Ruffles from The Cake Blog, Roses from Peggy Porschen, Pink Love Letter from Martha Stewart

Playful Cakes

Nontraditional colors and shapes can come together to create a wedding cake that cheerfully defines the personalities of the newlywed couple.

Image Credits: Topsy Turvy from Pink Cake Box, Nautical from Pink Cake Box, Whimsical Cake Tiers from Confetti Cakes

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Things We Love - Darling Doily Wedding Decor

When you think of doilies you're probably reminiscing of childhood crafts, homemade Valentines or maybe even grandma's house. Although all these memories are certainly sweet, they don't coincide with the elegance that you are picturing for your wedding. Now don't underestimate the versatility of the doily, for it can be artfully crafted into something of unquestionable beauty. When used tastefully, doilies can look elegant, romantic and even whimsical. Incorporate doilies into the decor at your wedding and prepare to wow guests with each and every darling detail.

Showcasing  doily decor in your wedding is the perfect opportunity to utilize your DIY skills, for most of the above decorations can be created quite simply on your own. Some DIY doily ideas include garland or table runners made from either paper doilies or cloth ones sewn together artistically.  Have your reception dinner menu printed on large paper doilies and set on each guest's dinner plate. Doilies can be displayed pinned to a frame and used as guest escort cards. Doilies can also be formed into beautiful centerpieces, votive holders and hanging lanterns by simply shaping them around balloons or balls and using a little fabric stiffener. Combine doilies with romantic candle light by lining mason jars or paper bags with doilies. The light will shine through and highlight the intricate design of the doily. (Use battery operated votives when using paper bags). If the bride wants to incorporate this theme into every aspect of her wedding she can add some doily flowers to her bouquet or wear a single one in her hair. So if this wedding theme sounds like you, start combing garage sales, antique shops and grandma's closet to collect an assortment of doilies. The more different designs you find the better, for this will add interest to the decor. Click on the links below to find directions to the doily crafts above or further inspiration.

 

Image credits: Doily place setting from Martha Stewart Weddings, Doily garland, Doily wedding dress from Gia Canali Photography, Doily menu by Susan Stripling Photography, Half doily votive holders and mason jars, Round candle floral doily centerpiece, Doily bouquet, Large hanging doily lantern, Doily table runners from Ashley Ann Photography, Doily paper bag lanterns from Martha Stewart Weddings, Doily escort cards from Studio Castillero

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