Engagement Pictures Part Two: Save the Dates

Today I am going to share with you my Save the Date post cards, designed by my photographer Chelsea of Chelsea Patricia Photography.  Like I mentioned in my last most, I knew going into our engagement shooot what I wanted for my Save the Dates. These two pictures are what we were going for to model the cards around:

So Chelsea had me pick my 5 favorite pictures to use (which was super hard, as I'm sure you could tell from all the pictures from yesterday's post). After getting input from several trusted friends and keeping in mind our theme, my Mom and I narrowed

Chelsea took our picks and combined them with our colors and wedding details and came up with this:

and this: 

Cute, right? Totally sets the tone for what we are going for with our wedding theme. If you want to see other products Chelsea has designed, check out her product page here .

Check back today for the last installment of this series where I will share my wedding website and some tips for taking your engagement pictures and creating your Save the Date cards and wedding website!

Engagement Pictures Part One

I have been a terrible blogger, but I have lots of projects up and running and I am so excited to share them with you!

The first one is a three part series on my engagement pictures, my wedding website, save the dates, and a few tips to keep in mind when you take your engagement pictures (because you know I couldn't leave you without a list!). It will take the place of the regularly scheduled posts that I would normally do, so please forgive the interruption!

I am so excited about my beautiful engagement pictures taken by my oh-so-talented best friend Chelsea of Chelsea Patricia Photography. I knew from the day Benjamin and I got engaged that I wanted to take a particular picture for our save the dates, so we modeled our engagement shoot around that- Auburn colors and pictures revolving around Auburn history and football. So my mom, Aunt Donna, and I picked out a series of cute orange and blue sundresses/warm weather outfits and were all prepared to have a sunny picnic on Samford lawn. But the weather decided that we would not be wearing cute little sundresses. The day of our engagement pictures just so happened to be what I'm pretty sure was the coldest and windiest day of the whole winter season. Chelsea's poor husband Brock (her second shooter and lighting assistant) froze his poor hands to the point he thought he had frostbite! We were definitely freezing, but fortunately our photographer is a pro and I am used to having to pretend to be comfortable when I'm not (I'm an actor, remember!) so you can't tell that our teeth were chattering between takes!

But back to the point. We met up at a coffee shot and decided that we would go to Toomer's Drugstore for a few pictures and to pick up some lemonade and sandwiches for our picnic (which we decided to still have). On our way to the drugstore we happened upon this adorable courtyard with cherry blossom trees. We stopped and took a few pictures, and I think you will agree that the color of the trees and the sky in the background is so beautiful that it looks fake-but it wasn't!

We continued on and took some super cute pictures in front of a War Eagle wall and at Toomer's Drugs.

Then we headed to Samford lawn for our picnic.

After we had our picnic we decided to change into some warmer clothes. I knew that I wanted some pictures with the Civil War cannon lathe because of its significance in Auburn history. Legend says that if you kiss your date on your first date at the stroke of midnight and it moves, you will know that they are you true love. I took Ben on a walking tour of campus on our first date and told him the history of this piece, so it is very special in OUR history too! (Obviously it didn't move because it cant, but I can pretend it did!)

After we had finished freezing our butts off and chasing wayward photography equipment, we took a few more pictures on Samford lawn in different outfits. These are some of my favorites that we took the entire day! (Can you tell we were FREEZING??)

After we finished that, we piled back in the car and headed to the theatre. This has special significance for me, and I am so thrilled with how they turned out!

So there you have it-my engagement pictures! Please go check out www.chelseapatricia.com and see some more of her amazing work!

The Groom's Cake: Wedding History Monday

Wedding History Monday: On Mondays I will share a piece of wedding history, a wedding tradition, or a trend that has a historical base. And because that would never be enough, I also want to share how to incorporate these things into unique ideas for your ceremony or reception. So stay tuned for several different trends, including the Bride's Cake, the color white, the origin of the wedding party, and much much more!

For the first installation of Wedding History Monday, I wanted to talk about the Groom's Cake. I realize that might seem strange to do Groom's Cake before the Bride's Cake, but hey, when do I ever do things in order? I have always been fascinated by the Groom's Cake and where in the world it came from. I did some digging, and found out some very interesting information!

So where did it come from? The origin of Groom's Cake is incredibly vague, but I was able to find a few ideas. General consensus says in Southern weddings, the Groom's Cake was individually wrapped for guests (some sources say single female guests-I'll explain that later) to take home as wedding favors-not actually eaten at the reception. Other sources say it started in Victorian England as the same thing-although I can see the correlation between the two ideas. Another thought was that in Southern small town weddings, a town "marm," as one source called it, would make her traditional family fruit cake recipe and give it as a gift to the couple. Why fruit cake I have no idea, but that seems to be a logical progression- fruit cake with liquor to dark rich chocolate cake. Makes sense to me!

The best tradition that I read about was giving the cake as a gift to your guests. Tradition says that if a single woman slept with a slice of wedding cake under her pillow the night of the wedding, she would dream of her future husband. After she woke up from this dream, she would then know the man she would marry! Now obviously that wouldn't come true, but its a fun idea! This idea eventually morphed into the bride passing the cake (or crumbs) through her ring for good luck for these single women, but this trend eventually disappeared when it became "bad luck" for the bride to remove her ring after the wedding.

So when was the Groom's Cake served? That also seems to be an elusive fact, although many theories are abound! Some say it was baked by the Groom's mother and served with wine to toast at the reception. Others say it was a gift from the Groom to the bridesmaids and also served with wine. Others say it was soaked in brandy and boxed in a tin to save for the couple's first anniversary. Another that I found interesting, and definitely applicable today, is that it was saved to share with the wedding party and close friends at a sort of after party. Whatever the occasion it was originally served, it is a tradition that is very prominent in Southern weddings. Just as a side note-I was shocked to find out that it is not a prominent fixture in weddings outside the South. I couldn't believe that, but it gives further support to the theory that the tradition started in the South.

Now onto the modern day application. How can you use the Groom's cake in a way that is unique to you? One way that incorporates the history of Groom's Cake is to box up the cake (served at the reception or not) in cute packaging with your new monogram and a tag educating your guests on the origin of the gift. Or instead of sending the cake as a gift, consider putting a sign on the cake table with these traditions and histories explained. This is an idea that I plan on incorporating into my own wedding!

So how can your Groom's Cake stand out? Design the cake around your man's interests. My fiance is an archer, so it would be perfect to incorporate some sort of archery theme into his cake. He is also a HUGE Auburn fan, so that would be a great option as well. Just make sure he is involved in the decision. It is his cake after all! Another trend popping up lately is the use of smaller cakes or gourmet deserts in place of the big Groom's Cake. Can't decide on a flavor? Pick three! Like cheesecake or pecan pie better than plain cake? Go for it! Create a desert table with you and your fiance's favorite deserts. It is such a great way to incorporate your own tastes and preferences without breaking the bank! In fact, if you are having a small wedding or just a small budget, you could ask family members or friends to bring a desert that you love or made from a family recipe.

Wedding history really is a great way to learn origins of trends and traditions, and an even greater way to make your wedding unique! I look forward to sharing even more history with you as I learn it!

Pinsperation Thursday

Pinsperation: The inspiration for a wedding, wardrobe, craft project, recipe, home decorating project etc that one gains from spending inordinate amounts of time on Pinterest; The pins one places on boards on Pinterest to group ideas into one place.

Welcome to the first installment of Pinspiration Thursday! And no, despite what that word sounds like/looks like (especially to a person who reads things wrong all the time, like me) it is not about perspiring! Thursday is a day when I will share something off of Pinterest that just really freaking excites me. If you don't know what Pinterest is, ESPECIALLY if you are planning a wedding, STOP READING THIS AND GO SIGN UP! If you don't know the website, www.pinterest.com . It will change your life. So go sign up. NOW.

With that PSA out of the way, and no I am not paid by Pinterest, I'm just obsessed! Today's post is about wedding flowers. I met with my florist this past Tuesday, and I am so pumped! We spent several hours pouring over my pictures on Pinterest to find some PINSPERATION for the floral concept for my wedding. Because I had taken the time to group them all into one board (titled "florist board"), our meeting was efficient, and it took the guess work out of the process (at least on her end). She was able to look at the pictures of flowers that I was drawn to and tell me what the flowers were, price points, and if they will be available during the season of our wedding.

But enough about our meeting. I will share my concept with you later on down the road when it is more finalized. Let's get to the pictures!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these pictures. I put the links to the places that I found these pictures from, and if I could find the original place on the net, I put the links to those as well.

1. Babies breath is a huge trend in weddings right now. I think that this bouquet is so beautiful and simple, and would be beautiful for a bridesmaid's bouquet.
2. One great way to incorporate flowers in your wedding is to put them in your hair. This one is a little large, but with the style of the hair, it works.
3. More great and original ideas that are possible on a budget.
4. This bouquet? Y'all...I cant even talk about how much I love this bouquet. It is SO GORGEOUS.

5. Another unique way to use flowers in your wedding is as an isle runner. This is especially great if you need to define an isle, like in a place with grass and no walk-way.
6. This is so pretty and simple. This would be a great way to incorporate flowers on a budget, or even to showcase a few expensive blooms.
7. See, I wasn't kidding. Babies breath is HUGE. This is a very dramatic way to incorporate this trend. Since babies breath is so light, it works in the large-scale arrangement without looking overpowering or heavy.

8. This is so cute! It's definitely not my style to wear something like this, but it is a great way to incorporate flowers into your wedding.
9. Another option as an isle marker.
10. Hydrangeas. Oh how I love hydrangeas. Unfortunately for me, the only place I will have hydrangeas is very well watered indoors. No hydrangea bouquet for me. But you should expect to see something like this at my reception :)
11. I love this idea-isle markers with mason jars (or any type of vase for that matter) filled with flowers and tied on with a ribbon that matches your theme.

12 and 13. Making flowers a focal point on your cake (as opposed to just a topper or an accent) is something that is becoming more and more popular. Consider using some of the flowers in your bouquet on your cake too!
14. Ok, so I know these aren't real flowers. But holy how...these are so cute!
15. This whole set up is beautiful. One thing to keep in mind-you don't need huge arrangements on every table. Save your budget and make your focal points pop with standout arrangements and keep the table decorations simple.

16. A very original way to incorporate flowers is through your place setting. These are fake flowers and could easily be reproduced by any DIY bride!
17. These are so different. The color is too vibrant for me, but it is so striking to put a bold flower in a simple arrangement in a simple vase.
18. I have never seen this before, but giving flowers (or herbs or whatever these are) as a favor or using it for a place setting is a great way to incorporate flowers, especially if you are trying to do an eco-friendly wedding!

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of my favorite flowers from Pinterest! I look forward to sharing my favorite Pinsperation with you each Thursday!



1. http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/picture/421200
2. http://pinterest.com/pin/76279787408412919/
3. http://alexanevents.com/blog/index.php/page/15/
4. http://pinterest.com/pin/63824519688844969/
5. http://disneyweddingsblog.com/walt-disney-world-resort/2138/
6. http://pinterest.com/pin/60798663689280724/
7. http://lsloansfavoritethings.blogspot.com/2010/05/friday-flowers-5.html
8. http://www.etsy.com/shop/serenitycrystal
9. http://www.thoughtfullysimple.com/diy-wedding-aisle/
10. http://pinterest.com/pin/63824519688844986/
11. http://www.lindseygomes.com/2011/07/jenn-adrien-taft-ca-wedding/
12. http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/search/picture/392710?s=barn%20&pos=130
13. http://imgfave.com/view/1508980
14. http://sunshineandpearls.tumblr.com/post/16352195039
15. http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/231357/rebecca-and-todd-bridgehampton-new-york/@center/272446/real-weddings#/105864
16. http://www.etsy.com/shop/carrieklein?ref=seller_info
17. http://www.flowersbymadison.com/images/P/c7f348abfbc94848caada3b63bfd7128.jpg
18. http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2011/06/wedding-details-escort-cards-and-place-cards-part-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OhSoBeautifulPaper+%28Oh+So+Beautiful+Paper%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

 

The Stomach Demon and SuperMan

So I know the last time I posted I promised you a little post on wedding history. Please forgive me as I push that subject off to next Monday in order to write about something very important. I am convinced that a demon temporarily took up shop in my stomach last week. Seriously y'all, thats the only thing that could explain what I went through. After a wonderful weekend with my fiancé, I became very sick in the middle of the night. I attempted to expel that demon from about midnight Monday to about 5:30 am Tuesday. I had my wonderful, amazing, loving, giving, affectionate fiancé miss work so he could drag my sick butt to PriMed, and I am so glad I did. Demon-side-effects aside, he made me feel so much better! He held my hand and stroked and kissed my hair (which was unwashed and looking a hot mess) the whole time I was getting poked and prodded and tested and, eventually, let me know it was ok when the nurse forced a needle into a vein that did not want it there in order to give my poor demon-ridden body some nourishment. He seriously is my SuperMan!

I'm not talking about Superman, the cape and tight wearing man who flies around and attacks bad guys. I'm talking about my Super MAN. The kind of man who isn't afraid of showing his feelings and emotions. The kind of man who isn't afraid to tell you how he feels. The kind of man who tells me he loves me more than he tells me anything else. Seriously y'all. He's that awesome. And no, he isn't weak. He is the strongest man I know. He makes building things look like playing with Barbie dolls. He makes doing math (and making a budget!) look like playing dress up. He makes fixing broken things look like putting on fun lipstick. Not that he looks girly when he does it, just that it looks easy and fun. And like I want to play too. Then I play and I decide I'll let him do it because it makes me mad and I don't have the patience for it. Oh, and he always finds the stuff that I lose, too! But I digress!

Ben seriously is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He makes me happy in a way that no one else can. He seriously is my soul mate. He is my perfect match in every way, and I still can't believe he loves me and choses to be with me! I am so looking forward to the rest of our lives-together. Its gonna be awesome :)

Stay tuned this week for a report on our experience in Atlanta at the Dave Ramsey Total Money Makeover Event, and as I show you some things on Pinterest that just really freakin' excite me.

Setting the Date Part 2

And now for part two of the setting the date series.

4. Consider both of the football team schedules.
    Or baseball, or soccer, or whatever sport is king in your house. We live in Alabama, where football is religion. Don't believe me ask Harvey Updyke. (Don't know who is? Look it up. Or don't, and consider yourself better off for not having to watch/listen to/read about his ignorance.) But I digress. Here in Alabama, we don't have pro sports- we have college football. And not just one team-we have two college teams Auburn University and the University of Alabama. (Thank you Troy, Faulkner, Huntingdon, Samford, and anyone else I forgot. We know you have football teams. But you don't count. Sorry.) Your allegiance to one of the schools is one of the first things determined after birth or arrival in our great state.
    We love our football here and rarely miss a game. So we had to consider Auburn's football schedule when picking our date. We knew that scheduling our wedding on a major football Saturday was not an option, so we had to look at non-televised away games, off weekend, and small games that could be missed if necessary. Because the off weekend was later than we wanted and the only other viable weekends were taken by weddings of friends or family members of the bridal party, we knew it would have to be Labor Day weekend or earlier if we wanted a fall-ish wedding.
    We also had to look at Alabama's schedule. While we could care less if they have to miss a game, I know the family of one of my bridesmaids (and some of our guests as well) wouldn't be very happy with me if I chose, for example the Alabama vs. LSU game weekend.
     So with that being said, if you are a huge soccer fan, schedule around the World Cup. If you are a huge hockey fan, winter may not be your best season. Consider your sports. Your fiance (and friends) will thank you for it.

5. What colors do you want?
    Red and Green? Pastels? Black? All of these are great options, but could dictate the season in which you choose to get married. Red and green are Christmas. Im sorry, but a red and green wedding in May just looks silly. If you dream of pastels, spring and summer are your best bets. Black is typically formal and visually heavy, so you may want to think about a fall or winter wedding. If you want to use black in the warmer months, don't do it outside in the day. Black is hot, and again, the melty look just isn't pretty.
    I have known from long before I met Ben that my colors would be orange and blue. The shades have varied over the years, but orange and blue has always been my thing. I knew that a winter wedding would silly with navy and burnt orange, so I knew that late summer/early fall was where I wanted to look for that theme.

6. Do you have any deadlines/budget constrains?
    Ben and I knew that we wanted to be married before Christmas of 2012. To recap, because of archery, we knew that February to early August was out. Because of football, Saturdays from September to December 1st were all out. We wanted orange and blue, so August-October was our best bet. So we came up with two possible dates: Saturday August 25th and Sunday September 2nd. I don't recommend having only two options. Its stressful and you run the risk of not getting all the vendors that you want. But that's what we had, so that's what we worked with.
    If you know that you have a tight budget, January, February, and March are typically cheaper during these months, so you may be able to get your dream wedding for much less. If you have your heart set on a summer wedding, consider a Friday or Sunday. Owners are usually thrilled to have their spaces filled on typically slow days, and are often willing to negotiate a lower price. If you want a destination wedding, look at the off season. Resort's prices are cheaper in the off season, so you may be able to get more for your money.
   If you know you want to get married before a certain event, like deployment, birthday, or even baby due date, keep that in mind when you are trying to set a date. Sounds like a no-brainer, but you need to keep those things on your calendar for the whole planning process.

7. Don't try to make everyone happy.
    It is your day. And when I say your, I mean you and your fiance. Seriously. You will not make everyone happy. Do what you want, and go with your gut when making choices- and that includes more than just picking your wedding date. We had people trying to tell us to go for one date or the other. Or why a certain day wouldn't work. And believe me, people will have opinions, and no, you cant ignore them. All you can do is smile, say thank you, and that you will consider it. Your relationships will be better if you don't try to argue.
    Like I said before, we had two possible dates. We checked with all the vendors we knew we absolutely had to have. Luckily for us, all the important pieces fit into both dates. So it was all up to us to pick our date. If you know the you absolutely have to have a certain venue, photographer, florist, etc, rule out the dates they aren't available. You'll be happier that you went with what YOU wanted rather than pick a date because someone told you that was the best choice.
    Eventually we started to lean towards one date more than the other. Then we found out that if we wanted that date, there was the possibility we couldn't have our rehearsal and rehearsal dinner Saturday night. So ultimately, we went with availability when we chose our date. We didn't make everyone happy. But here is the way I feel: if someone is going to use your date as an excuse not to come to your wedding, they probably weren't going to come anyway. So go with your gut. Pick what you want and focus on your future with your fiance.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, Ben and I will be getting married August 25th, 2012!

PS: I'm really excited about Monday's post. I'll be sharing an interesting piece of wedding tradition history so come back Monday!

Setting the Date

Can I just say that setting the date for our wedding has been by far the most difficult thing I have encountered in my planning thus far? You don't realize how much goes into decided what day you will become husband and wife until you are actually trying to work around schedules of the people involved. Through our adventures in setting our date, I have come up with a list of seven questions/things to consider when picking your date:

1. What style of wedding do you want?
2. Work around your schedules.
3. Consider those in your wedding party.
4. Consider both football teams.
5. What colors do you want?
6. Do you have any deadlines/budget restraints?
7. Don't try to make everyone happy.

This topic will be detailed, so it will require two posts. Check back tomorrow for 4-7!

1. What style wedding do you want?
    When setting your date, you need to consider the style and feel you envision for your wedding. If you dream of a casual outdoor wedding, then you will not want to get married in December or January. Unless of course you like somewhere like Alabama, where it was 75-80 degrees almost all of December. Or you live somewhere in a typically and predictably warm climate. But even then, I don't recommend it. Sundresses just don't look cute in January. Period. Likewise, if outdoor is your thing, you may not want to schedule an afternoon ceremony in July. Unless you want to look like you are melting in your pictures. If you dream of a formal wedding in a church (or even an informal or semi-formal ceremony for that matter), you can pretty much plan on whatever day strikes your fancy.
     We knew pretty much right away that we wanted an outdoor ceremony. That took November-March/Early April out altogether. We didn't want to deal with the unpredictable weather we knew we would face in those months. So we knew up front we wanted to look at late April-early November.

2. Look at your schedules.
    My fiance Ben is a competitive archer, and his competitive season takes almost every weekend from early February through the beginning of August. Because of the considerable amount of focus his career takes (and the scarce availability of weekends), we knew we were limited to late August-early October. Yikes, I know. But that's life and you just have to roll with it.
    Likewise, if you or your fiance are school teachers, mid-August, mid-December, early January, and early May probably wont work for you, since those are times you would need to be focussed on new students or exams. If you or your fiance are enlisted military, you may have to work around your training or deployment schedules. Whatever your profession, consider your busy seasons and plan your wedding accordingly.

3. Consider your wedding party.
    It's not a must, but I can tell you that it is appreciated. If you know that your MOH has exams a certain week, it is not very nice to make your wedding when you know she needs to be focused on schoolwork. If you know one of your bridesmaids is in another wedding, you may want to check with her so she isn't forced to choose (or pull a 27 Dresses and race back and forth to both). While we didn't have any major conflicts, it is definitely something to think about.