Too Cute!

Are you ever a guest at a wedding and have no clue which bridesmaid or groomsmen is which? I love how this fan cleverly takes care of that problem! It lists the names of the wedding party from left to right so that guests have a face with a name. How perfect! This is just another great way to personalize your special day...

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Image via Style Me Pretty

Simply Elegant

If you haven't noticed I've got weddings on my brain lately. I was just in a wedding last weekend that was gorgeous and I've got two more coming up this summer. Well, and there is MINE this fall :)! I came across this image on Style Me Pretty and I instantly fell in LOVE. I'm crazy about the simple elegance of the lace veil draped over the antique table and the classic white and green flowers. This would be so perfect for an altar at an outdoor wedding...a wedding cake table...or a guest book table. This is definitely going into my inspiration file!

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Real Wedding: Kate and John

I am bubbling over today with girlish giddiness because I am so excited to post images from Kate and John's February wedding. There are oh so many reasons for my excitement but here are the top three!

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1. This wedding is full of fabulous details...

2. I just LOVE Kate and John...especially together as a couple...

3. The photography is absolutely AMAZING!...and Ashleigh Peak doesn't even specialize in weddings!

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Kate and I met 5 years ago at our first job out of school and have been working together ever since...and surprisingly not just at the same job. Somehow along the way we became a little "duo" forging our way through the difficult job of fundraising and sharing our true passion for events. So, I knew way before Kate's "big day," that is was going to be simply fabulous. With a gorgeous bride full of amazing talent, I just knew we were in for a treat!

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One of my favorite elements of design throughout the wedding was Kate's playful repetition of feathers. She fell in love with a very elegant gown that she spiced up with a sophisticated yet fun feather detail, which she mirrored on her shoes and cake(a few images down).
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Kate chose a shade of dark purple or wine as her dominant color and set it off with an accent of chartreuse, and it looked fabulous!!

I just love the images Ashleigh was able to capture of Kate and John throughout the day, but this one below may just be my favorite. The weather for February was unseasonable warm, making for the most perfect day ...
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I also LOVE this cute candid moment where Kate takes a peek at the camera.

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The reception was held at the Matt Jones Art Gallery and everything from the flowers to the food had an artsy touch.

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Finally...the favors. If you have been reading my blog for awhile you know how I LOVE favors...and you may even know that I really love for details (at any type of event) to have significance. Well, Kate and John's favors did just that. Kate has traveled to Africa to do mission work over the last few years and her time there has truly enriched her life, and in turn she has blessed so many of the families and children she interacted with. As I was leaving Kate and John's wedding, I grabbed a favor and learned that many babies in Africa are fed with tea instead of milk. I opened up my favor and found a bag of the this tea and a note that said through the purchase of this tea, an African baby has been given the milk its body desperately needs to grow. Wow...I can't think of a better favor, can you?

P.S. To check out more images from Kate and John's Wedding, visit Ashleigh's blog!

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Images via Ashleigh Peak Photography

Sneak Peek: Kate and John

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I am BEYOND excited to post images next week from a very special wedding... of my very special friend Kate. Kate and John were married on February 20th in Birmingham, Alabama. It was the most perfect day, and I could not have been more excited to witness their beautiful wedding. The day was full of much love and happiness...what could be better than that?? I hope you will come back Monday to see more fabulous images...I promise you won't want to miss it!

Image via Ashleigh Peak Photography

Flirty Skirts...

How fabulous are these bridesmaids outfits?? These flirty Pucci skirts were sported at a destination wedding in the Bahamas and I think they are just perfect for a beach wedding! I love how brides are becoming more innovative in dressing their bridesmaids. I feel like the days of hideous dresses are slowly disappearing...do you agree or are your friends still making you wear bridesmaids dresses that are unflattering??

Image via Christian Oth on Style Me Pretty

Vintage Love

Lately I have been in love with all things vintage...like the tablescape below. My parents have always collected antiques and used to drag me around to antique stores when I was little. I hated it then, but I LOVE it now!

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I'm planning to incorporate antique pieces that my parents have collected over the years into my wedding reception decor. I think it will add a personal touch and be a unique twist to the typical vases, serving pieces and seating used at weddings. I was motivated to incorporate a vintage vibe when I stumbled across this fabulous wedding on Style Me Pretty...go check it out!

Image via BHG

Candles Galore

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I LOVE candles, so of course when I saw this photo on Jessica Claire's website, I stuck it in my wedding inspiration file. I want TONS of candles to decorate the church, especially the altar...I think they are so romantic and for an evening wedding they will cast the perfect glow! I get all excited thinking about my wedding and I've been having so much fun with all the planning, but I never want that to overshadow how EXCITED I am to get married... to my best friend. I stumbled across this quote the other day and thought it was good advice...
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Marriage is not a noun; it's a verb. It isn't something you get. It's something you do. It's the way you love your partner every day." Barbara De Angelis

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P.S. I would love to hear any words of wisdom you might have!

Unique Save the Dates!

I'm LOVING these unique Save the Dates! I'm still trying to figure out mine...I'm looking for something fun, creative and of course afforable!
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via Green Wedding Shoes

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via Oh So Beautiful Paper
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via From Hello to Hitched

My Wedding Inspiration....finally

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So...here it is...the first stab at an inspiration board for my fall wedding. It was a lot harder to put together than I thought it would be! As you can see from the board, I'm hoping to use chocolate brown as my main color. This board is for the ceremony...and soon, I hope to tackle one for the reception. What do you think? Any suggestions??

Winter Wonderland

I definitely prefer the sun over snow(guess that is the southerner in me), but I couldn't help falling in love with this gorgeous winter wedding shoot by Jessica Claire. Not sure if its the perfect picnic area or the fabulous pops of color, but this shoot had me at hello! Not only is Jessica Claire one of my favorite photographers, but she teamed up with JL Designs(who I also happen to be obsessed with) to bring this scene to life!
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Images via Jessica Claire Photography

Will you be my bridesmaid?

There are so many incredibly cute ways to ask your bridesmaids to be a part of your wedding celebration. I knew that I wanted to do something special to ask my sweet friends, but I didn't know what? I thought about these adorable cookies from Flour Pot, but with 10 bridesmaids I figured this might be a little out of my budget...

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and then I saw this adorable DIY project on Once Wed, but I figured it was a little too complex for my limited DIY skills!
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So, I ended up calling on my good friend Brooke to come to the rescue! I picked out some cream card stock and brown envelopes and had her print these bridesmaids cards, which I think turned out pretty fabulous if I do say so myself!
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I wrote a special note to each of my girls on the back with a gold pen letting them know just how much they each mean to me. I slipped the cards into a brown envelope and penned their address in gold. My plan is to use brown and gold as my colors for the wedding :)

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How did you ask your bridesmaids???

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Images via Flour Pot, Once Wed, and Blueprint Bliss Designs

Antique Inspiration

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I know I have been talking a lot about weddings since I've been engaged, but I don't think I've mentioned the inspiration for my wedding this fall?? My parents love to collect antiques, so naturally I'm drawn to weddings that use antiques to display flowers or food or like the photo above, escort cards. When I told my Dad the idea of incorporating some of his and my mom's antique pieces he got very excited, and also motivated to do some more antiquing! So, this weekend he purchased a ladder like the one pictured above. Instead of using the ladder to display escort cards(us southerners don't do sit down dinners for receptions), I've thought it would be fun to display vintage pictures from both my and my finace's grandparents and parents weddings. If you have any great ideas for antiques, let me know!!

Image via Salt Harbor Designs

Warm Up!

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I love this idea from Martha Stewart...personalized coffee cups! Are you getting married in cold weather or hosting a "beat the winter blues " party? This idea would be a great favor for your guests. Stop handing out the typical koozie and try this one for a change!
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Photo via Martha Stewart

July Wedding Inspiration, II

I have two very best friends from college getting married this July and a couple of weeks ago, I designed an inspiration board for Lindsay. SO, now its time for Nan! I've discovered it is much easier to design a board for your best friend than yourself! Nan mentioned just a few ideas she had for her wedding to me: suits instead of tuxes, ice cream, and the color green. I took those ideas and combined them with a few ideas of my own that make me think of Nan...flip flops, tulips, and chalkboards (she is a teacher). I can't wait for all the big celebrations this year!!

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Board Designed on Style Circle

Fabulous Favors

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I haven't even begun to think about favors yet for my wedding (I've got 10 months to go) BUT, I stumbled across this lovely idea on Snippet and Ink today! With my large guest list this idea is certainly out of my budget, but for someone planning an intimate wedding of family and close friends this would be perfect...especially if you love Champagne! You know that burlap has my heart skipping a bit...I love me some rustic details! To check out more images from this fabulous shoot designed by Ariella Chezar and captured by Meg Smith, head over to Snippet and Ink!




Image via Snippet and Ink

Romance is in the Air

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I stumbled across this amazing photo by Christian Oth on Style Me Pretty and I literally fell head over heels in LOVE! I am an ULTRA romantic at heart and this image to me is pure perfection! Don't worry, its already been put in the inspiration files for my own wedding. I have a thing for candles and have already been thinking of ways to incorporate them into the decor, and this might be just the vision I needed.

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So, here is the gorgeous church I grew up in and where I will be saying "I DO" in this fall. I think it might just be possible to transform the steps into something similar to the image above...what do you think?

Have a great weekend!

Images via Style Me Pretty and Flickr

July Wedding Inspiration

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Not only am I getting to see my good friend Allison this weekend to celebrate her little bun in the oven, but I also get to see my college roommate Lindsay who is getting married in July! I asked Lindsay to give me a short description of how she envisions her July wedding so that I could put together an inspiration board for her. She mentioned the color blue, topiaries, peonies, hydrangeas, and a sweet heart strapless dress. I took those visions and paired it with my view of Lindsay...a gorgeous, sophisticated and elegant bride. I sent the board over to Lindsay for approval and she loved it...YAY!!