Party On

Sooooo…..remember how I mentioned Natasha had won a wedding package at the Nashville Lifestyle's Wedding Show? With that awesome floral package work $845? Yeah- the florist decided he wouldn’t honor that because it has been more than a year. So what’s a girl to do with a $300 floral budget and the need for 7 bridesmaid bouquets, a boutonniere, and a bridal bouquet? DIY baby. Here’s Natasha’s floral inspiration (please pardon that I don’t know the original source, she sent them to me via e-mail and I can’t find them for the life of me!) Basically, she wants only roses, both garden and standard varieties, with either fawns ear or greenery. She did not want ranunculus as seen in the second photo. Using this criteria and thinking about her colors (cream, white, and pale pink) here’s my inspiration. I love LOVE the colors in the photo on the left , (I so love the freesia too!) but I think the size of the rose bouquets on the right is more of what we’re going to be working with. An...

Getting to the smaller details! Hurrah! I personally didn’t have my husband throw a garter (I didn’t even throw my bouquet! I know- I’m crazy), but it is an age-old tradition that can be hilarious. Whether the groom makes it awkward for people to watch, a 6 year old catches it, or all the single men avoid it like a grenade, it usually holds it’s own in the realm of wedding fanfare. That being said, it doesn’t mean we can’t make it pretty. Right girls? Let’s start with the best of the bargain garters. This beauty comes in at a cool $5 While this one is only $2 more at $7. You can find them as low as $1 a piece, but I guess I’m a bit of a snob? They just don’t seem that appealing to the eye ya know? Further proof I’m a snob- I love this (more expensive) $14 garter . Can you blame me? It’s so romantic looking. I would totally be that bride who saves the cute one and throws the $1 garter. Needing something blue? I love this lace and pearl $18 garter . More of a set fan? Maybe this...

Champagne flutes are one of those wedding items that can be used time and time again, so Natasha really wants her flutes to be beautiful and classic. We budgeted $50 for a set, though you can find flutes well above and below that price point. Here are some of my favorites… This champagne flute set really mixes modern with classic , which I think epitomizes Natasha and her husband’s style, though I think this hand painted Swarovski set gives off a touch more class.   This damask set feels so vintage to me, and is one of least expensive of the bunch (which is always a bonus in my books) but I also really like the ornate detail on this monogrammed pair . If I were to splurge on flutes (or saucers in this case), these crystal glasses would take the cake but if I wanted to save a bit I might go for these monogrammed $16 flutes by Oriental Trading Co. Not into buying your own flutes? You could always use flute charms to add a little extra sparkle to your toast.

I love the little details. Natasha plans to have her hair pulled back for the wedding and she knows she doesn’t want a veil, but she hadn’t thought about accessorizing her hair until our meeting a few weeks ago. From the way she described her ideal wedding hairstyle, I imagine it will look a little something like this She nixed headbands all together, but all other accessories are up for grab. I’m loving these Vintage inspired ? With pearls? Sounds perfect to me. I so love this Victorian inspired hair comb too, though it is a bit more expensive. These hair pins are sweet too! But flowers could also do the trick. I like the idea of incorporating her blush and champagne accent colors into the hairpiece, but white and classic with a touch of lace is always good too. Sigh…almost makes me want to get married again. To the same man of course!

First things first, let me fill you in on Kali’s party choice! She loved all the parties, but she ultimately chose a TINKERBELL PARTY ! I’m so excited!! Also- Natasha made a decision for her guestbook. She chose to have her father-in-law make the letter W for guests to sign with a soldering pen. Such a good idea! She loved the idea of guests signing a large W, but wanted to take him up on his offer to make something special for them. Truly the best of both worlds. Now…We’ve paid attention to the ring-bearer’s accessories so let’s take a minute to think about what the flower-girl will tote down the aisle. If Natasha leans toward the traditional flower-girl basket she may like one of these beauties. I love the pearl accent in the first basket , but the second basket lends some color and class . The   third basket ? I don’t know what it is about it but I love it. Perhaps it's that the basket itself reminds me somewhat of the mercury glass Natasha loves? So sweet! Looking for s...

Over a year ago Natasha went to a bridal show and won $250 toward invitations at a local invitation shop so we made an appointment and went to check out the goods today. Natasha fell in LOVE with some fabulous invitations, but honestly for 175 invitations they were running $1200-$1400! Definitely out of the budget. So I set to work finding something similar to the 3 invites she loved, but more within the budget. The breakdown? Top left: You can change the filigree color and the text font and color AND you can line the envelopes in color. Best part?  For the invite, response card, and lined envelopes for 175 people- $240 Top right :   These invites have a rough edge to them and look a bit like hand-beveled invitations. Again, you can change the design/font/colors and line the envelopes. For this invitation with a lined envelope and response cards (and envelopes) you're looking at- $210 Bottom picture : 150 of these invites with response cards and envelopes (unlined) woul...

So you have your cute little ring-bearer picked out, but you’re not sure where to put those rings? Check out these cool ring pillows and ring bearer alternatives. I LOVE this wood boxes. The guitar one is super cute and totally speaks to Bart’s Blues roots, but I also adore the customized ring boxes (I’m a sucker for moss ). However, I’m not quite sure that they’re very Parisian or vintage- so maybe Natasha will want to go for something more like…. This pearlized vintage and lace inspired ring dish . It totally hits the design nail on the head. All of Natasha’s theme ideas are mentioned in the name! Could it be the perfect item? Well….if it isn’t, there are always traditional ring pillows. Whether she wants to continue the lace throughout the ceremony, emphasize the pearls , or personalize the pillow we’ve got all the bases covered. OR if she’s going to nix the bearer bearing rings (who really lets their 4 year old nephew carry the rings? Oh wait I did! But he was only 2 s...