Holding Hands

Just a little reminder from someone who has been there and done that. Its a little nerve wracking to be standing up there in front of all of your guests during your ceremony. Instead of standing up there clutching your {gorgeous} bouquet, remember to reach for your fiance's hands. Not only will your nerves settle down, but it makes for a quite the lovely picture.
Plus, it's your wedding day and guests like seeing you all touchy feely and in love!
photo via: chenin boutwell

Promotion

This little blogger just learned today that she is getting a promotion in October at her day job!

A celebration is clearly in order and the husband is going to cook up quite a feast for us tonight and an expensive bottle of champagne will be purchased, opened, and consumed this evening.

Bonus points if he brings home a breathtaking bouquet like this tonight. These lovely flowers were designed by the talented JM Flora with photos by Katie Stoops.

Sheer Happiness

If there is one feeling that you should have while putting on your wedding dress the day of your wedding, it is one of sheer happiness.
Bonus points if it makes you feel like a princess.
To all of you getting married this weekend, I cannot wait for you to experience that moment. Best of luck and enjoy every moment!

photo by amy carroll via pearls events

Killer Bridesmaid Dresses

Evoke photography is back to posting {yay!} after an all-too-long hiatus and you have got to see these killer bridesmaid dresses.
Do you see it!? Do you see the absolutely beautiful lace overlay!? Be still my little heart.

In case you weren't sure if the dresses weren't beautiful enough from far away, a little up close detail action will surely assure you that any bridesmaid would be glad to wear a dress like this.

The images are appearing too small on my little bloggity blog so you must click over to this post and see them in their true glory.

Evidence

By now you all know that I have a deep deep love for long {really long} veils. I would like to share this little gem with you. Just a little evidence of a long veil doin' it's thang and rockin' it out.
Further evidence of how stunning long veils are can be seen on this little bloggity blog here, here, here and here. And of course, my own veil in action striking a pose for the camera right here.

photo above via: out labor of love

My Special Day

Today is my 25th little birthday and, if you don't mind, I'll be taking the rest of the week off to celebrate! Here are a couple gems that I wouldn't remind receiving from a certain husband.
I do believe that this bouquet is a bouquet of sweet peas. Sweet peas for a sweet pea, right?!

Peonies peonies peonies. What girl could ever resist peonies?!

I hope that you all have as beautiful of a day as I am about to have!

xo

photos by open air photography for janie medley flora design

Potential New Best Friends

I saw a little snippet of this engagement session of a super cute couple and I instantly wished they were our neighbors. I have a feeling that we could be the best of friends. You'll see why in a second. But let's just start with the fact that both her and I wore the same pop of coral/orange for our engagement photos.

Are you kidding me with this nauticalness {below}!? I am in love. In case you didn't know, Chris and have a love for all things nautical and incorporated it into our engagement pictures here. Do you see the best friend bond forming!?But this one?! This one did me in. Be still my heart. The puppy + the life vests = major preciousness.

You wouldn't want to take all your engagement pictures in the same place or with the same outfit now would you?! I like to call this one "City Chic."
If anyone knows where Chris and I can get neighbors like this, please let us know. We'll bring over the pitcher of margaritas.

sweet engagement photos by kate headley as found on ritzy bee.

Sitting on the Beach

One of my best friends, Debbie, is getting married in Destin, Florida this coming June. I can't help but to hope that her photographer, Candice K, will snap a beauty like this one:
found on the Art of Love blog by Marie Labbancz

How I Tied the Knot: Napkin Folding 101

Previously in the post Tying the Knot: Reception Details, you saw our lovely centerpieces and details infused into our beautiful reception. However, there was one little detail regarding our reception that I wasn't yet ready to share...our dinner napkins. Hear me out on this one.

I'll be the first to admit it. I was one of those brides that obsessed over how the napkins would be folded at our wedding reception. I asked our venue coordinator if they could do a tuxedo fold so that we could stick our dinner menus inside the napkins {as posted about here}. When it came down to it, I couldn't justify spending $50+ on 150 dinner menus and I scratched the idea. I touched base again with our venue coordinator and told her that I just wanted a fun folded napkin on each of the guests plates. This is what I saw when we got a sneak peek into our reception just minutes before guests were seated:

You guessed it, I went into shock. These napkins were far from being folded and laying on the plates of our guests!!! I suppose the overall effect wasn't horrible {below}, but it wasn't what I had envisioned. It was literally minutes before the doors to the ballroom would open to guests and I just knew that there wasn't enough time for the pointy cloth towers to be struck down and refolded into something else. It was one of those details that I just had to let go. After all, as Chris reminded me, "They are just napkins."

But they don't have to be "just napkins" to you on your special day. I came across this lovely little illustration/how-to on adorable and unique napkin folds. Pick one out and send it over to your venue/reception coordinator today!

illustration found at: keg design on this post.

Lesson learned #32: Don't drop the ball with your reception coordinator, even on the smallest of details, if you have a vision you are attempting to achieve. Pointy towers of cloth napkins aren't for everyone and could have been avoided with sending the coordinator a picture of an ideal napkin fold. Avoid the shock and heartbreak I endured by letting your DOC/friend in on how you want the reception area to look. She can do the damage control when she sees something isn't how you wanted it.

previously in the series, "how i tied the knot": getting ready, our first look, bouquets and boutonnieres, socks and shoes, bubbles and getting away, the cake, thank you cards, blurb guest book, outside the mansion, the dress, the invitations, cocktail napkins, the centerpiece vases, the programs, sexy little bride

all professional pictures by: nicole green. please link back to tying the knot when posting any of these pictures.

A Chicago Wedding Recap

I will say it til I am blue in the face, Stephanie was a lifesaver on our wedding day. Because of her mad planning skills and sheer rock star talent displayed while coordinating our wedding, two of my close friends booked her within weeks. Almost a month ago, at the wedding of Candice & Landon, we were reunited. After I danced for a solid three hours, a bridesmaid's responsibility, we took a little picture together. Today, over twitter, she asked me if the little picture would make it's way onto this bloggity blog. Be careful of what you ask for.
I think that we both look equally pretty {after an outdoor ceremony & dancing}, but my aviators {gift from the bride & groom} give me a slight advantage if I do say so myself.

p.s. Stephanie is based out of St. Louis but will travel, as long as there is a McDonald's at some point on the route. Check out her blogsite here.

Since we're chatting about Candice & Landon's wedding, I might as well share a few more pretty pictures The first picture with all {but 1} of my best friends was taken during the cocktail hour. Isn't her dress amazing!??! I had serious envy.

The flowing feathery ruffles were to die for. She was such a beautiful bride. With killer pink heels.

And the feathery hairpiece was the cutest thing that I have ever seen. She made it herself for less than $10 and it complimented the dress {and her birdcage veil} perfectly.

My favorite photo of Candice, ever. Hands down.

A little preview of their day can be seen here. professional photos by katherine salvatori photo.

Wrap It

My friend Debbie joined my Mom and I at the lake this weekend over the fourth. As I previously mentioned, Debbie's now fiance finally got proposed and they are now planning a June destination wedding(!!!!). My Mommy and I couldn't be happier and there was an abundance of wedding planning talk this weekend. Mommy echoed my thoughts that favors are quite unnecessary but that people "always love a good mint." Thus, when I came across these Minty Makeovers from the Hip Hostess Blog I just had to share:Cookies are always nice too. These, cookie favors are wrapped with tissue, parchment and gingham ribbon. They would make a nice addition to any candy buffet or place setting.

You can find the DIY tutorial for those cute little buttons here.p.s. ideas shown as found on the artsy bride via this post. if you aren't reading the blog of the artsy bride, you should be.