I'll Leave the Porch Light On...

When I made my first post on this little bloggity blog back on August 22, 2007 (almost 2 months before I was even engaged!) there was no Snippet & Ink (September 2007), EAD Weddings (Oct 2007), the Bride's Cafe (October 2007), Green Wedding Shoes (Oct 2008) or 100 Layer Cake (Feb 2009). I know what you’re thinking…how in the world was one to ever plan a wedding without those blogs?!!? Back then I was (and still am) inspired by Classic Bride, An Excited Bride , Weddingbee and Style Me Pretty and I slowly began to plan our wedding day and document as much of the planning process as I could.

The wedding came and went and is now a lovely memory that I keep smiling back on. It would not have been as delightful if it had not been for the comments, ideas and inspiration left by readers like you and the copious amounts of pictures drawn from photographers blogs that helped form our vision thought the journey. After the wedding I pondered what would become of this little blog of mine. I didn’t really yet know the answer, so I kept plugging along and updating frequently with wedding things that caught my eye or made me swoon. And now, after 586 posts, I am once again pondering what will become of this little blog of mine.

I saw this quote on the {wonderful} A Practical Wedding a while ago and I think that it is most appropriate for this post of mine, "Every one of us is called upon, probably many times, to start a new life. A frightening diagnosis, a marriage, a move, the loss of a job... And onward full tilt we go, pitched and wrecked and absurdly resolute, driven in spite of everything to make good on a new shore. To be hopeful, to embrace one possibility after another - that is surly the basic instinct... Crying out: High tide! Time to move out into the glorious debris. Time to take this life for what it is." - Barbara Kingsolver, High Tide in Tucson

It is time for me to move out into “the glorious debris” of life after wedding planning. It’s time for me to cuddle more with my husband, fully enjoy nesting in our new home and make more time for friends and family. These things cannot be done while attempting to blog full time on two blogs, enduring a google reader containing over 100 lovely blogs and running a calligraphy shop on top of a real day job.
To say that this blog has brought me happiness over the past two years would be an understatement. I cannot put into words how proud I am of what this little blog of mine has become. I’ll never really be able to let this blog go, but it is time to start to loosen my grasp and move on to new shores and take this life as it is. Posting will be light and occur when the moment is right. After all, one can never resist to share a pretty picture of a soft image from a beautiful wedding, right? As long as I promise to leave the porch light on I hope that you will still drop by to visit every once in a while.

p.s. you can still catch me over at Penned & Pretty where I will continue to grow my blooming little calligraphy business and post as often on my calligraphy projects, favorite wedding invitations and other beautiful wedding paper goods.

p.p.s. perhaps a personal blog is in the works? would you read?!

photos by: adrienne beth photography . love them.

Merry Christmas!!!

Many of you know that I have a little calligraphy shop, Penned & Pretty. So, you shouldn't be surprised that I always love receiving a pretty card in the mail complete with a fabulous envelope. This little beauty would have been a welcome guest in our mailbox. Oh my deer {or buck or antelope, whatever!}! Loving the break from the traditional Christmas tree, jingle bells and Santa Clause himself.
Oh what is there not to love about this envelope!? Red & gold is always a winning color combination at this time of year! If I do say so myself, my pretty calligraphy would look pretty adorable right beside the "kindly deliver to" instructions. The icing on top of the cake is that the envelope flap is on the side of the envelope instead of its traditional spot! On this Christmas Eve, I'd like to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Here's to hoping that your stockings overflow with all sorts of goodness {and that you're not stranded in an airport!!}!
You can see more pictures of this holiday card designed by wiley valentine right here. p.s. there is all sorts of goodness by wiley valentine on their lovely blog. Enjoy!

The Perfect Gift

Looking for the perfect gift for your maid of honor or bridesmaids? I think that I have found the answer. Keel's Simple Diary . The Simple Diary is a diary for those people that don't want just any diary. One with blank pages just won't do {mostly because our daily lives aren't that exciting to write home about}. The Keel's Simple Diary will ask you how your day went and give you only three options to choose from. Example: Your day was:
{ } irresistible { } reclusive { } listening Explain.
After that each page might feature a multiple choice question, a quote to ponder and a short question to answer either yes or no. Easy as that. Short and sweet, entertaining and just enough room to document the important or not-so-important events of the day.
I actually purchased the orange Simple Diary while on a recent {soul-searching} trip to New York City. Cross my heart, each night I look forward to recording my thoughts and answering the random questions in this diary. I recently gave a copy of this diary as a gift to my newly engaged MOH for her to use throughout her engagement period. What a neat keepsake to have {in my opinion}!

The Keel's Simple Diary is available on-line or at Anthropologie {$15} and can be purchased in a bevvy of colors!

p.s. just so you know, this post was in no way a sponsored post.

Cookie Favors or Gifts

For those of you that have followed my blog for a while, you know that Halloween is my favorite "holiday" ever. So, I took the chance to send my seven bridesmaids a little Halloween care package. There were festive cupcake holders, cupcake toppers, a card telling each of them how much they mean to me and a mason jar of ready-to-make "Spooktacular" cookie mix {idea/recipie via Bakerella}.
You can get the full recipe/directions/ingredient list here at bakerella. I substituted orange, purple, black and green m&m's to make this a Halloween themed gift. Use red & green for Christmas and give as a hostess/thank you gift. These jars of goodness would also make great "prizes" at a wedding shower or bachelorette party {easily incorporating the bride's wedding colors}. You could even give them as favors if you are having a smaller wedding!

I finished each jar with an orange bandanna and a snippet of Halloween ribbon. Attached to the ribbon was a piece of green card stock with "Spooktacular" cookie mix written on the front with instructions to flip over for the recipe & cooking instructions. You could easily make a template for this card to print out multiples if giving them as gifts.

My friends loved the mix {thanks Bakerella!}! Hopefully some of you can utilize this little gem of a favor/gift. Easy to make, fun to give and good to eat...how can you resist!?

A Farmhouse Wedding

What a setting! I'm a Midwestern girl, so it's no surprise that a rustic wedding at a dairy farm would be a delight for me to feature here on my little bloggity blog. Oh, and you must stop by Penned & Pretty today to see the corresponding wedding invitation suite!

Loving the delicate details in the brides dress contrasted by the dirt road.

What a lucky couple to have their wedding ceremony in the front yard of this adorable farmhouse!

The floral arrangements looked as though they were handpicked and you can't have a wedding in the country without a banjo!

A beautiful country background is the perfect setting for this casual formal yet informal bridal party photo. I always love a great ring shot and I love the texture of the wooden planks in this one!
Don't forget, you must stop by Penned & Pretty today to see the invitation for this beautiful wedding!

This lovely wedding was first spotted at Always Tuesday. Photos by Poiema Photography and used with expressed permission.

Thankful

There are lots of things that I am thankful for, not just around the holidays, but throughout the year. I am thankful for the 23 short years that I was able to spend with my Dad. I am thankful that my Mom is not only my Mom, but a friend. I am thankful {and grateful} for a group of 10 women that have come into my life over the past seven years. I am thankful for the men & women serving in the armed forces. I am thankful that my husband and I have decent jobs and our bank account can afford my tri-weekly trips to Target. I am thankful for my little calligraphy business, penned and pretty and for this little blog {& it's readers} too. I am thankful that my husband and I have been blessed with over a year of marriage and have many more years together. And I am always, always, thankful for family.

photo by: adrienne beth

Tying the Knot: My Favorite Ring Shot

Hi my little bloggity blog friends!
So sorry that posting has been slim to none here at Tying the Knot recently. To tide you over until next week I thought that I would share a never before seen ring shot {my favorite, actually!} of our rings taken by Nicole Green on our wedding day. My hairdresser had a fabulous bag complete with quite the bling that made quite the perfect background for our rings to rest on.
I hope that you all have a lovely weekend! I have been out of town for the past 12 days and am quite excited to land back in Ohio tonight and see my husband, Rawry, my own bed & pillow, catch up with my dvr {over a glass of wine} and partake in some early Christmas shopping & decorating that my husband promised me we could do this weekend. xoxo!

Picture Perfect: Matt & Erica

I follow too many photographers blogs. Way too many. But it's all worth it when a couple that I know appears on one of those blogs. This time it was one of my sorority sisters, Erica, and her fiance, Matt. It took me all of two seconds to e-mail the ever fabulous photographer, megan w to see if I could share their pictures with all of you. You're in for a treat today.
Matt and Erica are "total foodies" as she puts it. They wanted some of their engagement photos in an Indianapolis restaurant with a unique, romantic and architectural feel.

Erica's black pumps and pencil skirt coordinated perfectly with Matt's professional suit and the attire was fitting for the restaurants' upscale cocktail hour. The pictures turned out just as Erica wanted them...a little sexy & sultry.

Matt & Erica also made a stop at Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians. Matt is an umpire in his spare time and Erica will often come to watch his games. The playful pictures from Victory field are some of Erica's favorites.

Matt and Erica took a bottle of wine to Memorial Park for a little picnic in the park. How cute is this, the blanket they sat on was made by Matt's grandma and the picnic basket was Erica's great grandmas.

This next photo is my favorite, hands down.

Erica and Matt are having their wedding and reception north of the city, so a couple of shots on the streets in downtown Indianapolis were a must. The Circle was the perfect location.

There were so many shots from their engagement session to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down. Matt and Erica also incorporated her favorite coffee shop, the Colts and the view of downtown from the suite where Matt works. They literally covered almost all of downtown in their engagement session!

You'll have to wait a little longer to see their wedding pictures. Matt & Erica are tying the knot on July 10th in Indianapolis. I'll be sure to post the pictures of the stunning bride & groom right here as soon as I get my little hands on them.

All pictures taken by megan w photography & used with expressed permission.

Effortless Beauty

I am always a little giddy when I stumble upon a local photographer with a portfolio that makes my heart pitter patter. The lovely April Foster posted this gorgeous wedding by Amanda Wilcher and I was hooked. It took me all of about two seconds to scan Amanda Wilcher's blog before my little eyes landed on the wedding of Andy & Emily. Once again, I was hooked and I think that you'll see why.

I'll give you an extra minute or so to pry your eyes off of the bride's gorgeous dress. Warning: the next photo is equally gorgeous and it features the darling couple, Andy & Emily. The photographer, Amanda dubbed these children the "Ralph Lauren" children. I couldn't have come up with a better description. They are just too adorable.
My heart always does a little pitter patter when I see bridesmaids in something other than traditional {plain vanilla} bridesmaids dresses. These dresses are just divine. And re-wearable, naturally. These next two photos are a bride's dream. The most beautiful bridal portraits that just sort of unfolded before the photographer's eyes as they were making their way up a staircase.

Talk about effortless beauty.

This last photo is a favorite of mine for so many reasons: the lighting, the angles, the picket fence and, of course, a couple so clearly in love.

It was so difficult to select just a few favorites from this wedding. You must see the rest at Amanda's blog here.

Images used with permission from the fabulous photographer Amanda Wilcher.

The Perfect Fall Bouquet

When I lived in Indianapolis, I worked with this little red head with a soft laugh and a welcoming smile. As you'll see, that little red head became a radiant bride this past October and Nicole Green {my favorite photographer} was there to capture her gorgeous day.

There was nothing, nothing {alright, perhaps the bride herself!} more beautiful than the bouquet that Kathryn held throughout the day. Be still my heart. The perfect fall bouquet:
Plum Shoes will always hold a special place in my heart. Kathryn's were just as adorable.
Kathryn, you were such a beautiful bride! I love this picture of the two of you. It's absolutely a "framer."

Kathryn gave each of the bridesmaids an adorable pashmina to wrap around their shoulders throughout the day since the middle of October can be a little chilly in the Midwest. Besides the flowers, I think that they were my favorite little detail of the day. The golden hue of the pashminas compliment the fall color scheme perfectly!

I love how Kathryn's bouquet pops against the white wall in the picture below. Like I said before, it was and is the perfect fall bouquet.
I'm always up for a good ring shot and Nicole always does such a beautiful job with them. Maybe I'll post mine for all of you to see next week. Until then, here is Kathryn's gorgeous ring atop Scott's ring and some beautiful fall foliage. All pictures taken by the lovely Nicole Green and used with expressed permission.

p.s. Kathryn was a Penned & Pretty client. Nicole was gracious enough to send over a picture of the place cards that I penned with my calligraphy for Kathryn's wedding reception. You can see it at Penned & Pretty by clicking right here!

A Gorgeous Friend Turned Gorgeous Bride: Part 2

Jessica & Steve's wedding was the perfect mix of rustic meets beach. Therefore, the gave the bride and the groom had the perfect excuse to go barefoot for most of the day.
The groom and groomsmen wore dapper tweed vests. The groom's boutonniere opened throughout the day and coordinated perfectly with the overall rustic feel of the day.
The bridesmaids bouquets looked like they were plucked from a wild garden and formed into the most lovely arrangement.
Steve and Jessica were united in marriage next to the ebb and flow of the waves. I don't think that there could be a more fitting setting to marry in than on that mirrors the ups and downs of a marriage that you have to forge through together.
Remember this post?! Let me remind you 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.These next two pictures are my favorites. I feel as though they truly convey why you and your new husband should take a moment at the end of the aisle to relish in the fact that you are finally married. For keeps, as they say.

Yet another favorite. I adore her bouquet.

I just cannot imagine a more charming venue to have a wedding reception. Picture perfect.

Now this, my friends is what a couple looks like when they are totally in the moment during their first dance.

I'm not sure on the exact back story on this truck, but I love the photos ben williams was able to capture as the couple was using it for their getaway vehicle. If you can't tell, this picture reflects the true spirit of Jessica and Steve.

Dearest Jessica, you're just as pretty as you were in high school. Figures! I hope that your wedding day was as beautiful as it appears in the pictures. More so, I hope that you have found your best friend and life long partner in Steve. Wishing you years and years of happiness!!!

Jessica and Steve's wedding day was captured by ben williams weddings. Pictures used with expressed permission.

A Gorgeous Friend Turned Gorgeous Bride: Part 1

I had a friend in high school named Jessica. She was beautiful, outgoing and had an infectious smile. As you'll see, not much has changed. Jessica got married a few months ago and my jaw dropped when I saw the pictures of her wedding day. I know you'll love them as much as I do.

For starters, meet Jessica. A gorgeous friend and a gorgeous bride.
Jessica got ready for her day in a rustic cabin. My favorite shot of her getting ready was this one in which she was carefully putting a flower in her hair as her best friend looked on.

Naturally, my gorgeous friend would marry a gorgeous guy. Meet Steve:
I have to say that some of my favorite shots of the bridal party are of the groomsmen. I love their vests and boutonnieres {to be seen in the next post}, their chuck taylor shoes {below} and the fact that they were genuinely having fun together. You just don't' see that all too often.

Not to be outdone, the bridesmaids were full of smiles too.
Jessica and Steve were married in northern Michigan at Point Betsie Lighthouse. The venue, and the area around it, provided hills, sand dunes, water and an all around perfect place to say your vows and take your wedding photos.

One of my many favorites. More of the beautiful venues and ceremony images to come tomorrow!!

The photographer that so beautifully captured Jessica and Steve's wedding day is the talented Ben Williams of ben williams weddings . Pictures used with expressed permission.