I Didn’t Buy It, But You Should

June 19, 2012Leave a comment

Designing our nursery was a lot of fun. As I mentioned earlier, we had picked the colors on our anniversary. My fabulous intern Beth found this wall decor. Since we had splurged elsewhere, I opted not to get these prints, which are available on Etsy.

I’m loving Etsy Wedding

May 22, 2012Leave a comment

My first purchase from Etsy was back in 2007 for rehearsal dinner favors. They were really cute notepads that were made from recycled CTA cards. As Etsy has grown in popularity, I feel that finding the perfect item has become a down the rabbit hole experience. There are so many good things but I spend hours online searching and searching to find a treasure. While I do enjoy the process, I often don’t go to Etsy because it’s like Pinterest: I’m never on the site for 10 minutes; it’s more like 2 hours!

If you haven’t heard the good news, Etsy now Etsy Weddings. Besides shopping all of those magnificent finds, the site include links to great planning articles, like this one on How to Plan a Modern Bridal Shower and well as Real Weddings.

Etsy has also added a registry. I think this is a great option as online registries are becoming more and more popular. That said, I definitely would recommend having a second registry as some of older guests are not going to be down with buying homemade goods on the internet.

I tested it out and made my own registry. It’s SUPER user friendly. In fact, I think the tool is so amazing that Etsy should consider adding a wishlist function. I could see users (um, myself) making a wishlist for birthday’s, Christmas, Mother’s Day, etc.!

Sam + Kyle’s Wedding: Getting Ready!

January 23, 2012Leave a comment

I am SO excited to finally blog about my wedding! It was the best day of my life! Kyle and I were surrounded with our best friends and family and felt the love the entire time. Our vendors were amazing and everything went off without any problems. Surprisingly, I didn’t get stressed out and was able to fully enjoy every moment. When people say the day goes by fast, they are not lying!

The first blog is about getting ready and before the first look.

All pictures were taken by the amazing Steve Koo Photography.

I bought this hanger off of etsy to hang my gown before getting dressed. I saw one similar on a blog and felt thought it was too cute to pass up.

I found my earrings at a trade store near my apartment. I loved them and thought they would compliment my gown perfectly.

For my something blue, I used a hat pin from my great grand-mother and pinned it in my bouquet.

I actually lasted until about 11PM wearing these 4 inch gems. Buying them 6 months before the wedding and wearing them around my apartment once a week to break them in was worth it.

I had the best glam team! Rebecca from Sonia Roselli did my make up and was putting finishing touches on me after I finally got into my dress. Also, Liv Caporale did my hair, which was exactly what I had imagined for my wedding day!

I was so excited when my bouquet arrived! It was my favorite accessory of the day…a bouquet of full, white peonies.

Here is my mom buttoning up my dress. She was so emotional all day, but I couldn’t have done it with out her!

I love this picture because it perfectly captures my bridesmaids seeing me in my dress for the first time. This was one of my favorite moments!

After I was all ready, I had to take a look for my self.

I didn’t end up wearing this sash util the reception, but we had a few moments before the first look so I put it on for some pictures. A friend from back home made this for me. It was stunning!

Here is my sister/maid of honor! She was amazing all day and so helpful.

Lastly, I have to post a picture of the guys getting ready. I’ve mentioned before on the blog how much I love “guys getting ready” pictures and here is on of my favorites! They seem to be having such a great time.

Next I will blog about the first look and city pictures!

Clare + Tom, the party…

June 19, 20101 Comment

Yesterday, I posted about Clare + Tommy’s morning.
Today’s post is going to focus on their gorgeous wedding reception!

In lieu of traditional escort cards, the couple tied labels to Izze bottles of soda.

For their signature drink, the couple ordered custom stir sticks…

… as well as custom napkins.

I am never a fan of a boring guest book. Clare + Tommy had a gorgeous framed photo made for them on etsy.

The room was lovely! With the long tables, the bride worked with Scarlet Petal to come up with the most gorgeous decor. When guests brought their bottles of Izze soda, it just made the table look more colorful!

A close-up of the flowers. Like me, Clare favors dense arrangements.

I love this shade of sherbert orange used for the card box.

The couple’s cake was very chic and modern.

Since the venue boasted an extra long bar, the couple set the candy buffet at the far end in lieu of favors.

It was a sweet treat for the guests to take home that evening.

Clare + Tommy, I had a wonderful time spending your wedding day with you!

Laura + Steve: The Details

April 18, 20101 Comment

This week I’ve highlighted Laura and Steve’s ceremony and reception. Today, let’s look at some of the special details.

All photos by: Laurie Peacock.

Laura purchased her earrings and necklace from Precious Meshes on Etsy.

The jewelry is made from vintage chandelier crystals and hand-crocheted fine silver mesh.

Did you notice how, when held up to the light, you can see a heart in the crystal?

I love her fabulous birdcage veil!

Each bridesmaid received a vintage handkerchief, perfect to tuck into their pockets on the day of the wedding. I adore dresses with pockets! The hankies were from Kindred Thymes on Etsy and the dresses were from White House Black Market.

Laura made these clutches for her girls. I like the contrast of the fun lining. Tucked inside is the Maid of Honor’s toast.

Laura’s bouquet was wrapped in lace from her mother’s dress and vintage typewriter keys.

Here are the programs. I am a sucker for coordinating paper items.

The unity candle was also wrapped in coordinating damask fabric.

These pomanders were another DIY project. They were a perfectly simple way to line the aisle.

Steve changed into Converse sneakers after the ceremony.

I tucked the escort cards into the blades of grass.

The cake was a real show stopper. We delayed cutting it until later in the evening so as to leave the cake on display. The custom cake toppers are from Goose Grease on Etsy.

Laura and Steve got creative when it came to table tents as well. Each card featured the bride and groom from their cake topper with different items that are reflective of the couple. Photos included Scrabble pieces, Wii controlers, cooking and baking utensils, and books. Their dog, Charlie, was kind enough to model for this one.

The couple purchased bags of granola as favors and packaged them in these muslin bags.

A donation was made to Blue Sky Bakery.

The accordion menus sat at each place setting. They included a thank you note to the guests.

I really enjoyed working with you both. Laura, I am excited to work with you as fellow coordinators as well!

Will you be my…

August 3, 20092 Comments

Maid of Honor?

These are my absolute favorite cards that I have ever seen! Seriously, I adore them and almost wish that I could go back and ask my bridesmaids all over again.

Local Chicago etsy designer, Greencard, will custom design cards for you. These are for Honey Bee Bride Kristen F., who will be getting married next May.

Original Invitations, Part II

July 2, 2009Leave a comment

I have two brides that are planning some amazingly unique weddings. Don’t get me wrong; I adore every wedding. However, after seeing many many white weddings, it is nice when someone decides to buck tradition and go their own way.

Take Two…

Clare + Tom had planned on a destination wedding. After winning an amazing photography package, they moved their wedding back to their sweet home, Chicago. I have had many brides tell me that they were nontraditional. However, no one has walked the walked quite as much as Clare. When she said she was thinking robots for her invitations… well, I didn’t know what quite to say. Robots???

However, once she sent me the proofs, well, I thought it was perfect. The map is probably one of my favorite components of the invitation suite. The invitations are made by Eva Paul from Etsy, in case you are interested in some seeing some of her other work.