Lo Boheme

Have you bought your Hitched tickets yet? They are almost gone! And you’ve really got to see our fashion show! We just added another beautiful vendor: Lo Boheme will be sharing a few pieces in the show. I’m feeling so inspired by this piece of theirs:

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Autumn Inspiration

The weather is cooling down quite a bit…especially in the evenings. The sweaters, gloves, scarves and jackets in my closet are all getting excited that they’ll be getting some action soon. Here’s a little autumn inspiration to get you going today.

Sources left to right, top to bottom: 1. J. Crew 2. Roland Bello 3. Martha Stewart 4. Roland Bello

Shana Faust

Shana Faust is a former Martha Stewart Editor and her portfolio is absolutely amazing (which I happened to find via the fabulous Oh Joy!). What’s to expect but anything near perfection? Here are a few of my faves from her site, which you must head to immediately!

Hitched Winner!

I wanted to send you off on your holiday weekend with some pretties I’ve gathered from around the web in a new column called: “I like what Grey Likes.” Be sure to check out the super cute DI-WHY? boutonniere badge at the bottom left from Louloudo. How cute would that be for your groomsmen? I love it!

Oh…and our winner of the Hitched Giveaway is (based on a random number generator): CHRISTINA!!!

Happy weekend! Enjoy your Monday off!

Left to right, top to bottom: 1. Sea Unicorn via Oh Hello Friend! 2. Chartula Studio 3. Martha Stewart via Lovely Clusters 4. Louloudo 5. Vera Wang 6. Sandra Downie via Made by Girl

Trousseau Tea

I’m starting today off with a little tid bit from my trip to Charleston last month. Before our photo shoot, I had a chance to visit family in Georgia…and I had the time of my life. I’m telling you, I think I was meant to live in the south. While there, we got to talking about southern traditions–and how could we not get around to talking about southern wedding traditions? Who knew I had so much to learn?

So apparently in the south, there’s this tradition called the Trousseau Tea. First off, you’ve got to understand that in the south, weddings are more often a big deal…and women really know how to shower brides. Weddings can also often times be bigger (particularly with more traditional couples and families) which means more guests to invite to showers. For example, my cousin apparently had somewhere in the range of ten showers. TEN. She had one for work, one for lingerie, one with her mom’s friends, and so on and so forth. So the Trousseau Tea is kind of like the culmination of all the showers a bride has had. It is an open house format, usually hosted by the mother of the bride, and guests are invited to the Trousseau Tea where all of the brides gifts are on display. This stems from a Victorian custom that involved showing off a bride’s trousseau, but today, it’s a bit more a thank you to guests and an opportunity to celebrate together once more before the wedding.

All that said, while in Georgia, we threw together a little mini Trousseau Tea and I wanted to share some of the images that photographer Lindsay McDowell had a chance to shoot. I hope you enjoy a little inspiration and a little lesson in wedding history and traditions.

Oh…and be sure to check back later today. I’ll announce the winner of our Hitched Giveaway…If you want to win, there’s still time! Leave a comment!

Honeymoon Budget Tips

Inspiration board by Green Wedding Shoes: Click here for credits!

This week I know we’ve overwhelmed you with tons of idyllic honeymoon locations, but I’m sure many of you may be thinking: “Thanks for nothing…I can’t afford any of this!” So I called on Katie to give us a few more tips about how to get the most out of your honeymoon dollars. In addition to her awesome list, we also wanted to make sure we featured some U.S. honeymoon destination that are just as amazing as their counterparts abroad. That’s coming up later today, but I wanted to start your morning off with some of Katie’s travel tips that I hope you’ll find extremely helpful.

The images I’m featuring are from the unbelievably fabulous Jen at Green Wedding Shoes. You’ve likely seen these inspiration boards because if you’re like me, you’re an avid reader of her blog. I thought they went beautifully with this post, but be sure to check out her original post here, which includes more info and all image credits!

EVER AFTER HONEYMOON BUDGET TIPS

traveling smart

-Register for your honeymoon.  Couples always tell me how shocked they were by the amount of money they received from their honeymoon registries.  Contributing to a honeymoon is much more fun than buying a couple some kitchen appliances!

-Don’t go too far from home.  If you have a limited budget don’t spend a huge portion of it on expensive flights.  Spend it on a great hotel, a spa, dinners, experiences, or whatever else is really important to you.

-Figure out what is a priority for your wedding.  See if you can spend less on other aspects of your wedding in order to have more of your budget go towards your honeymoon.

-Go in “shoulder” season- just traveling a month or two before or after the peak season can save a lot of money.  It can also be a better time to travel.  For example the summer is peak season for Europe, but Spring and Fall has better weather, cheaper rates and less crowds.

Inspiration board by Green Wedding Shoes: Click here for credits!

-Plan ahead of time.  Flights are usually less expensive in advance, and many hotels will offer discounted Advance Purchase specials.  Most honeymoons I plan just require a deposit when you book, and the balance is due closer to your departure date, so you don’t have to come up with the total amount at once.

-Get an airline credit card that provides a lot of bonus miles for signing up.  If you are close to the number of miles you need you can buy the extra miles, which is still cheaper than the flight would cost.

-If you can’t afford your dream honeymoon right after your wedding, just go on a short local trip, and then save up to take your dream honeymoon on  your 1 year anniversary

-If you are trying to stick with a set budget, go for an all inclusive hotel.  This way you will know ahead of time exactly what you will spend on food and drinks.

Inspiration board by Green Wedding Shoes: Click here for credits!

-Go for less time.  Do a shorter honeymoon, and then relax at home for a few days before heading back to work.

-Don’t leave on the Sunday after your wedding.  Sundays and Fridays are the most expensive days to fly.  Just waiting until Monday can save you money.

-Work with a professional like myself.  I can find you the best options within your budget.  It doesn’t cost you anything, and I shop around for the best rates so you don’t have to.  I also have access to special rates, and get my clients special deals only available to an agent like myself.

What are you doing to save for your honeymoon?

DIY Friday: Tea Envelopes

I spotted this simple and sweet DIY project over at A Print A Day. It would make a really darling favor for a shower, no? (Or perhaps a special “get well” to send off to a loved one?)

Snippet and Ink: Recap

I know you’ve seen some of the images from our Snippet and Ink shoot, but I thought I’d end the week off with a few more of my favorite pictures. There were so many beautiful shots taken by Bonnie Tsang that I felt remiss not to share a few more. I hope you can handle that. Again, I have to thank all of our insanely talented vendors and particularly Alicia, the owner of Key’s Creek Lavender Farm. I had the opportunity to spend several afternoons with her in preparation for our shoot and she felt just like a kindred spirit. Her farm is peaceful, awe-inspiring, and a real joy to visit. Alicia is fashioning Key’s Creek to be the PERFECT location for you outdoorsy, vintage, organic farm inspired brides.

Also, Kathryn of Snippet and Ink was so gracious to allow us the opportunity to make an attempt at bringing to life the perfection she brings us on a daily basis through her blog. I’m honored that we’re the first to have had a go.

Lastly, several of the wardrobe accessories are available for purchase here. A few pieces have already been snapped up, but if you dig those vintage gloves as much as I do, head on over here and make them yours!

Oh…and check back later today. I have a simple little DIY to start your weekend! Happy Friday!

This salmon was insanely good, and I convinced Chef Kate McAloon to share the recipe with us. To view it, click on the link below to see the details after the jump!

Peggy Wong of Blue Pool Road developed our fabulous stationery suite, Kate Holt of Flowerwild designed the stunning florals, Jeni Maus of Found Vintage Rentals put together all our killer furniture, and Chef Kate McAloon created a custom menu and styled (and cooked) all the glorious food!

FOR OUR SALMON WITH LAVENDER CHERRY LIME SAUCE, CLICK HERE!

Spotted: DIY Centerpiece

I just spied these DIY paper flower centerpieces and felt obligated to share. The bride, Sarah, also handmade burlap sachets filled with chocolate covered espresso beans as favors. You need to check out her entire wedding over on Belle Bride, but I thought I’d give you a little DIY inspiration! These images are by Andrea Dozier and I know you’re going to LOVE them!

DIY: Vintage Inspired Belt

If you’re looking for a way to add a rustic feminine element to your dress (or perhaps change it up for your reception?) I just saw this lovely trim on Etsy that has a world of DIY potential. I’ve put it into an inspiration board for you so as to spark some ideas!

Left to right, top to bottom: 1. Sara Gabriel via Style Me Pretty 2. Lace Trim from Wholeport 3. Born Barefoot