The Hunt Begins!

I know, I know, I've been slacking. But I haven't forgotten- I've just been crazy busy! I visited Kc and Scout in New Jersey, and the day after I came home (I hadn't even unpacked) I was off again to an auction on the eastern shore which is a WHOLE other story. And not to mention a very eye opening experience. 

But good news! Ready for it? I have made an appointment to begin the hunt! The hunt for my wedding dress! While visiting downtown, my mom and I stumbled across TLC Bridal Boutique. The lady (bc I unfortunately cannot remember her name) was very helpful in giving us tips and other information to help my search. I have come across a few dresses online that I really like and have helped me figure out what it is that I am looking for. Because although I have spent countless hours watching Say Yes to the Dress, when it really came down to it I just had no idea. But here are a few that caught my eye:

Vera Wang for Davids Bridal

 I love the back of this dress (also David's Bridal) and the little shoulder straps. Since it is a barn wedding I want something fairly simple and doesn't look like a ball gown or is overwhelming. It will just look silly in the setting. And will be hot and uncomfortable in a venue without an air conditioning-hope it's not too hot!

Monique Lhullier Spring 2011

The last dress is a mere dream, because it is somewhere between 5 and 7 thousand dollars. It would be the most expensive part of our wedding (by a lot) which just feels a little absurd, personally. Especially when I know I can find a beautiful dress that I will love for less money. But I know I want a dress with a vintage feel-I want lace, buttons (I'm obsessed with buttons), preferably some kind of strap because I find it more flattering, and not satin- it's shiny and heavy. All in all I can't wait to try the first one on! Wish me luck! :)

Happy Planning

Mary

Let there be Light!

I came across a blog last week, Bow Ties and Bliss with awesome pictures of awesome lighting ideas! And I realized that it was something that I had not thought too much about. Luckily, the barn is already lined with strands of white lights but I would like to add my own touch of course! They all looked looked like a fairytale, but a few in particular that I loved were:

Lovely Weddings by Shaja who sells lanterns!

From Style Me Pretty

 I love these lanterns! And even came across a tutorial on how to make similar ones- you know I love me some good DIY! I also really love this larger strung lights like in the first picture.

Knight Lights Events- check them out...they're awesome!

The pic above looks like it is straight out of a fairytale about an Enchanted Forest! So anyway this got the gears moving on an aspect of the wedding that I hadn't yet considered. I'll add it to the lengthy to-do list :)

Happy Planning!

Mary

Do you Favors!

So I would like to keep my wedding pretty eco-friendly. Just because I find it important, I like to recycle, and when you are doing things in large volumes it is good to keep in mind your carbon footprint. I would like to have a bit of a bird theme through out my wedding! So I have found a few ways to incorporate both of these ideas into my favors.

http://ruffledblog.com/diy-cookie-birdhouse-wedding-favors/

I think these DIY birdhouses are adorable and would even be fun to make! According to this blog, you can find these Birdhouse Ornaments at Michaels for just 50 cents each! I could easily paint them up in several cute colors and put our initials as well as our date on the back. Plus, I like the idea that they have a purpose (as an ornament) rather than being a completely random knick-knack that no one wants to keep but feels bad about throwing away!

I have also come across the idea of throwing birdseed as we come out of the church instead of rice because rice is not good for animals to eat and is difficult to clean up. Bird seed is taken care of by the birds and is a much healthier option. I found these adorable little packets that come with a download-able template!

http://ruffledblog.com/resell-used-wedding-decor/

Ruffled is on of my favorite blogs for great eco-friendly and DIY ideas, definitely check it out. Some other great ideas I've come across include ideas as simple as:

1. Name cards that are embedded with seeds that your guest can take home and plant.

2. Cute little DIY burlap (or fabric of your choice) seed packets.

3. Work with caterers that get their food supply from local farmers markets.

4. Buying used wedding items (or selling your once you're finished with them).

5.  Think outside of the box! There are tons of things just lying around that could be trash OR that could be made into a unique wedding favor as simple as a plant in a painted tin can!

Keep it simple, fun and friendly to our earth.

Happy Planning

Mary