LOVE TALK {The One with the Quote in the Window}

I know it’s been a little while since I last posted!  Going to the Olympics last week was absolutely amazing, but also incredibly exhausting.  I have yet to catch up on my laundry let alone my blog.  This weekend will be well spent, that’s for sure!

A friend of mine e-mailed this quote to me, and I immediately printed it and put it up by my computer as a great reminder!  It’s so easy for me to get stuck in a rut and just forget to look for the good.  Sometimes I think that there is no good to be found, but when I stop to look for it I realize that it has been starring me right in the face the whole time.

Maybe I’m reaching for it with this quote, but I can really see how it applies to a wedding day too.  Everyone hopes it will be their dream come true but there are always the select few weddings when very big things do go wrong (heaven forbid that happen to any of you).  Sometimes you can’t control the disasters, but you can always control your attitude towards them.  I think the greatest advice I can give a couple and their families is that there comes a point when you just have to let go and enjoy whatever comes.  Do what you can to prepare for the special day, but making sure the flowers are perfect and the fruit tray is laid out properly should never get between you and celebrating the love that you’ve all gathered for.  No matter what happens, even if the cake falls over on top of grandma, remember that you are with your loved ones, and you are about to start an amazing new adventure with your soul mate.  That is the good in a wedding, everything else is just icing on the cake.

PICK YOUR OWN PALETTE {What Would You Like to See?}

Happy Monday everyone!  Today I am hanging with some of the worlds greatest athletes (well…watching them is more like it), at the 2010 Winter Olympics!!  I can’t even tell you how excited I am to be here.  But I didn’t want to leave you hanging on my vaca.

{INTRODUCING} something I am very excited about!  I want to give you guys the opportunity to put some color scheme ideas together, and I will make the muse board for ya!  So basically, you get to do all the fun stuff, and I’ll do the hard work.  {Just for the record, I am not low on inspiration by any means, but I thought this would be fun for you guys.}  So are you getting married soon and want to bounce your color scheme idea off me?  Or do you just have a great combo you’d like to see come to life?  Either way, let me know what you want!  I can’t guarantee how fast it’ll come, but I’ll do my best.

 

THANK YOU {The One with the Dessy Inspiration Board Contest}

I am so grateful for everyone who voted for me, and am excited to announce that I was lucky enough to actually win!  I did not expect that I had a chance when I made these, but you guys were all so great in supporting me, I hope you enjoyed them as much as I enjoyed making them!  Thank you!

You can watch the rest of the competition at The Perfect Palette.  Thanks for playin with me!

MUSE BOARD {The One with the Champion Colors}

THE DESSY INSPIRATION BOARD CONTEST
Where did I get this inspiration?  Well, perhaps it may have something to do with the fact that I am leaving TODAY for Whistler to see the first week of the 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS!  I get to see my family from across the country, along with a million other people from all over the world, all gathered to celebrate our greatest athletes.  And you can bet while I will be enjoying some of the finest competition, I will also be able to find love there too!  I will keep my eye out while I’m up there for you guys, to see if I can find any weddings, or other ideas for those Olympians among us.  I am excited to come back with some fun ideas, as well as a much lighter wallet.  I hope you all enjoy your weekend and next week!
VOTE HERE

MUSE BOARD {The One Made of Plums & Pears}

THE DESSY INSPIRATION BOARD CONTEST
For this one, mainly I just wanted to feature the absolutely gorgeous floral backdrop at the altar, as well as the fun purple suit.  I love both of them, and figured I should put them together for twice the wow effect.  Purple and gray are really popular right now, and green is a great natural color to add.  Check out my board, and others online, and don’t forget to vote!
VOTE FOR MY BOARD!

VOTE HERE

MUSE BOARD {The One with Sunshine on a Cloudy Day}

THE DESSY INSPIRATION BOARD CONTEST!
What a better way to embrace the northwest than to plan a “dark and cloudy” wedding, but liven it up with such a sunny color?  I absolutely love the bride in rain boots, it is what inspired all of this.  This bride didn’t have to worry about the weather on her day, she was prepared either way!  Talk about a creative way to relieve some stress on your big day.  Sometimes I stop myself from wearing yellow over the winter because I feel like it is more of a summer color, but perhaps we should all reconsider the possibility of bringing sunshine into our lives more often.
VOTE FOR MY BOARD!

VOTE FOR ME

MUSE BOARD {The One with Warm Summer Fun}

THE DESSY INSPIRATION BOARD CONTEST
Is anyone else ready for summer?  I keep looking at my adorable summer clothing, excited for the day I don’t have to add layers to them again.  This is another inspiration board I made for the Dessy Group Contest.  Like what you see?  Click on the link below and let Dessy know you love it!  Oh, and question for all of you.  Does anyone else think that Dessy’s male model (featured below) looks a little like a weird version of Logan Huntzberger from Gilmore Girls?  Or does he look like someone else?
VOTE FOR ME!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR ME!

MUSE BOARD {The One with the Vibrant Winter Wedding}

THE DESSY MUSE BOARD CONTEST
One of my favorite wedding blogs has gotten together with the Dessy Group to create a little competition, which I have entered!  I actually got this color palette inspiration from a bottle of Sake I saw at Uwajimaya the other night.  Yes, inspiration can sometimes come from the silliest things.  The colors just looked so elegant together, I had to try it, and I must say I am pleased with the results.  Mostly muted colors with a bright splash of red says elegant and bold to me.  Help me win this competition (and a few choice prizes) by voting for me!  Learn more about the contest by clicking here.
VOTE FOR ME!

VOTE FOR THIS BOARD!

STRIKE A POSE {The One Just Like Titanic}

Granted, this pose first reminds me of one thing: Leonardo and Kate standing on the bow of Titanic pretending to fly.  Now if there is anyone who snickered at that scene in the movie, you were right there with me.  However, the way I figure it, your wedding day is the perfect excuse for those of you like me, who shy away from admitting that a moment like this wouldn’t be so terrible.  In life there is a fine line between over the top sap, and the genuine incandescently perfect moments.  For those of us who sometimes teeter on that line, it’s nice to have a day when no one will penalize you for letting go, opening your heart, and feeling every single ounce of love possible.  Maybe there are a few who continue to snicker to themselves during the ceremony or the first dance, but don’t let that stop you from experiencing and enjoying it all.  If anything, those cynics could use a good dose of completely sappy movie moments come to life in front of them.  If you’re truly in love, own it!  Don’t let anyone stop you!

 

Wishing this couple a happier ending than Jack and Rose…

MUSE BOARD {The One with the Rose Garden Necklace}

I said that I would make a wedding inspired for this necklace I love so much.  To be honest, I am surprised at how it turned out, since pink isn’t usually what I am drawn to.  I found almost everything I needed for this design on Etsy, and am now convinced that you could decorate your entire hand-crafted wedding with only Etsy items.  (If you’re looking for bargains, that may not be the way to do it, but all the items are absolutely breathtaking.)  I picture this wedding taking place at a very elegant courtyard garden, next to a building with marble flooring, and ivory stone walls with beautiful archways.  A dream venue for the dream wedding.

 

I looked up the meaning of the Pink Rose (every color rose means something different). The light pink color represents happiness, appreciation, and admiration.  All very good qualities to wish a couple starting the long journey ahead of them.  Happiness in the perfect moments, appreciation for how far they’ve come together, and mutual admiration and respect for each other to get them through the hard times.

 

{Silver, Ivory, Rose Pink & Platinum}

{Credits}  Wedding Dress, Cake, & Toasting Glasses    Necklace, Bridesmaid Dress, Flowers, Bird Cake Topper

EMILY SAYS… {The One About Money}

Why take my word for it when you could hear from the truest wedding expert of them all? Emily Post was the queen of etiquette, and weddings were and still are well recognized as a place to practice her rules.  Etiquette is often the backbone of every wedding tradition, and in the spirit of weddings, it wouldn’t be fair to ignore them here.
I wanted to start by relaying what she says about choosing a color scheme, but ironically enough, this is one of the few things she created structure for.  She simply says that this is a choice that can come from the season, the flowers, the formality of the occasion, or anything else.  So couples, have fun being creative, and don’t let anyone else stop you, since Emily sure won’t!
Instead I will talk about the ever popular topic of $$$$$.  Who traditionally pays for the wedding?  I once thought the answer was as simple as “the bride’s parents” too, but it’s not.  Here is a simplified version of Emily’s list.

My favorite part of this way of laying out the cost is the symbolism I see in what the groom pays for.  It reminds me of the phrase “chivalry isn’t dead.”  The groom traditionally pays for the vital parts of the wedding.  Not that the rest of the wedding isn’t important, but without what he pays for you’ve just got yourself a fancy party.  He covers the officiant fee, the marriage license, and just because he is a gentlemen, he pays for all the flowers for the brides and honored females.  He also pays for the honeymoon.  To me it is symbolic of a man taking on the role of supporting another person (not that the woman can’t do that as well).  It’s only a gesture, but it’s definitely a sweet one.
Even though this is what Emily says, it’s not set in stone.  The best way to determine who is paying for what is to sit down and have an honest conversation with everyone involved.  It is important to remember that no family member is required to pay for anything, and the bride and groom should wait for it to be offered. 
Now-a-days, the average cost of weddings is around $27,000 (which is a decline since the recession, as the average a few years ago was around $35K).  If you live in a major city you can expect that price to increase by about 20%. [these are not exact stats].  These weddings are based on the fact that most have a budget of up to 6 incomes (bride, groom, and if both sets of parents are divorced; 4 parental families).  That number may sound daunting, but I have heard it put an interesting way.  Your wedding begins your marriage, that lasts at least 50 years.  A $30,000 wedding day for a 50 year investment is only $1.64 per day.  {I am not saying I agree or disagree with that approach, I just wanted to pass it along :)}
If you’re putting that much into a wedding, I sure hope you’re investing in a good photographer and videographer in order to make sure the memories last forever!

STRIKE A POSE {The One Underwater}

Oh yes they did!  Would you dare?  An even better question would be, how much would you have to pay a photographer to get in there with you?  I know a few brides who have chosen to have a photo shoot after their wedding and crawl into the water with their gown, I believe the technical term is a “trash the dress photo shoot.”  It makes for some great photos, at the price of ruining a dress that will most likely never be worn again anyway.  What do you guys think, is it worth it?