Wedding Day Shoes

I've not given a whole lot of thought to wedding shoes until recently. My bridesmaids will be wearing long dresses, so I'm not worried about their shoes matching. I say, let them wear what they like that's comfortable, no one will really see them anyway!

Thanks to Pinterest, I came to a decision about the shoes I'll be wearing on my wedding day. I'd been playing around with idea of wearing plum shoes to match the color of my bridesmaids' dresses. I came across some photos that I just LOVED and knew, I HAVE to wear plum shoes!

Now I'm on the hunt for plum (or dyeable) peep-toe pumps!

Pinterest

If you're like me, you may have been hearing a lot about something called Pinterest. For months I've been hearing about it, I was being told I HAD to get on it.

I finally got on Pinterest and immediately became obsessed. Pinterest is a virtual pinboard where you can find ideas and "pin" them to your boards. You can organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. It's full of recipes, crafts, ideas for decorating your home, and best of all, wedding ideas. You can browse pinboards created by other people which lets you discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. To get started, request an invite.

I've started several different wedding boards to pin things I like. I have one for Wedding Ideas (everything from reception decor, to escort cards and cake stands) another for Wedding Day Style (Hairstyles, shoes, makeup) and another with wedding photography of shots that I like - good thing my photographer is on Pinterest!

It's like having an inspiration board for my wedding day! I love that all my wedding ideas are all in one place for my friends and family to see. I've already found a lot of great ideas I want to incorporate!  This is a must-have tool for any bride-to-be!

Happy pinning!

The Save the Date Debate

Save the Date cards have been an emerging wedding trend in recent years. They've become quite common and have made their way into a standard piece of the wedding planning process. But I've heard lots of brides debate whether or not to send save the dates to their guests. My fiance and I were on the fence about them for a while. There are certainly several things to take into consideration.

The Cons:
The Cost: Save the dates are an added expense and in the wedding planning process, this is just one more item to pay for. Don't forget to calculate the cost of postage. Step back and decide if there is room for these in your budget.

The Time: When you're planning a wedding there is so much to do. Ordering and mailing save the date cards are another item to add to the list. Adding an addition item to the ever-growing list of things to do can be overwhelming.

The Pros:
Organization: Preparing to send your save the dates is a way to get your guests' addresses in order well in advance of the wedding day. When it comes time to send your invitations, you'll have your addresses ready and that will save you some stress closer to the big day.

Your Guests will Appreciate it: Save the Dates are an expected courtesy for a destination wedding and weddings that occur holiday weekends. Between travel arrangements and busy schedules, sending a save-the-date will increase guests' chances of attending your celebration.


The Excitement Factor: Let's be honest, sending out save the dates builds excitement! It's fun for your guests to receive them in the mail and mark their calendars!


The YOU Factor: Save the Dates can help set the tone for your wedding day. They are a great way you can give a sneak peak at your theme or wedding colors. You can personalize save the dates using photos from your engagement session.

In the end, my fiance and I decided the pros outweighed the cons - we opted to do save the dates!

For more on Save the Dates and etiquette:
Read more: TheKnot.com Save the Date Etiquette

More Rustic Reception Decor

Just wanted to share some more fun reception decor ideas I found on theknot.com!

 Love the rustic look of these table numbers, which were done with burnt-edge cards numbered in cranberry ink and placed in pieces of wood that were cut from fallen trees.

I like the color scheme here. I wonder if I can incorporate moss in my lantern centerpieces....

 Again with the colors and the moss...

 This guest book display table has such a warm candlelit look. I love the branches!

I absolutely LOVE this escort card display. The wooden ladders with candles and flowers are functional but also fit the rustic theme. I may use this idea for a photo display!

Nine and a Half Months to go...

November was a busy month and not busy in terms of wedding planning.

I did fit in a day of shopping for bridesmaids dresses with my maid of honor, matron of honor and junior bridesmaids. We had a lot of fun and narrowed it down to three dresses we all really liked.

I had a hard time deciding between the three. Every time I looked at the photos we took of us trying on the dresses, I came away liking a different dress. Individually, each of the dresses are great, but I wasn't sure how the dresses with a bit more beading would look with six girls wearing them.

We found a junior bridesmaids dress that matches the middle dress and can add the matching brooch as well. When I saw all of the girls lined up wearing the dress with the brooch, I just loved the way they looked together. Simple but elegant. And it is flattering on all body types. That's why I ultimately decided on this dress, (in plum):

 

Next I'll have to start thinking about shoes and accessories, for both me and the girls!

It's exciting now that the details are coming together. I can picture my bridesmaids in their dresses, standing at the alter at our church, and me walking down the aisle in my dress! Nine and a half months to go... !

Wedding Favors

I've been stuck on an idea for wedding favors. Often, wedding favors are impractical and get left behind by guests. My fiance and I agree we'd like favors that are useful or that our guests will be able to enjoy.

I finally found a great idea that both my fiance and I love and I think our guests will love too - personalized pints of apple cider as wedding favors!

My fiance and I love fall, and one of our favorite things about this time of year is fresh apple cider. It's delicious both cold and hot! What better way to share this with our guests than to give out cider as our favors?

We can make our own labels to personalize them. I've already talked to a local farm market about ordering them for the wedding.

Not only will our guests enjoy them, this fits perfectly with our rustic, fall wedding!

Rustic Decor

Now that I've decided on a theme and centerpieces, I've been full of ideas for the reception decor. Our reception venue isn't very rustic, so I'd like to bring in some decor that will accentuate the look and feel of rustic elegance.

I fell in love with the idea of using twine and clothes pins to hang photos or escort cards (or perhaps both!)

We can print our programs on natural paper and use plum ribbon to tie them together and bring in the color of the bridesmaids dresses:

These circular slabs of wood create a very natural feel

I like the idea of using wooden frames for tables numbers or using a few wooden frames for photos on the escort card table.

I'm excited to incorporate these different ideas!