Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Engagement Ring Trends Of 2014

The opinions in this article are my own. I do not work for, or with, any brand mentioned in this article, nor do I have any official relationship with them. I have a relationship with GigaSavvy, for whom I created this original editorial content.

Recently, someone asked me what types of engagement ring trends I've been seeing. Honestly, I think it's kind of scary to think of engagement rings following trends. See, an engagement ring is an accessory that you will wear every day for the rest of your life. You don't exactly want it to be trendy since you're not tossing it after the season like a pair of new flip flops.

A classy solitaire is always safe. But safe is so predictable. So you need to find a balance between safe and modern, and I guess that means you toe the line of trendy.

One of the biggest trends I've been seeing lately is colored stones replacing diamonds. Instead of a traditional diamond, many brides are showing off their individuality with birthstone rings. You can choose your birth stone as the major stone, then have small diamonds surround it, like a halo.

Personally, I love halo rings.

Engagement Ring Trends
Photo credit: Don Roberto Jewelers
Pete's friend had given a halo ring to his now wife and I just fell in love with it. It's a diamond with a circle of diamonds around it. This one above from Don Roberto Jewelers (which looks closest to what I had originally wanted) also has embellishments on the band, which adds a bit of bling.

The only trouble you might run into with non-traditional styles, though, is finding a wedding band that actually fits. With the center stone being off center or embellished, a wedding band might not rest flush against it. So you can't just choose any band to go with any ring.

If you follow the trend of colored stones replacing diamonds, you won't need to worry, but something like a bypass cut might cause you a problem. If you have your heart set on a bypass cut (then you and I would be fast friends because that's what I have), make sure your fiance finds one that is part of a set.

Engagement Ring Trends
Photo credit: Don Roberto Jewelers

If you look at the ring above from Don Roberto Jewelers (which looks closest to mine) you can see that the engagement ring is embellished with diamonds and the band itself is just gold. I don't have extra diamonds on my engagement ring's band, just the one, and my wedding band looks exactly like this one.

The brand's standard size is 7, so anything other than that will take extra time to create and send. And that's actually a good thing to note when you're looking at rings. With Don Roberto Jewelers, the price of the ring stays constant even if you need to change the size. With other jewelers, the standard size is the standard price and any other sizing is subject to an additional charge.

You can check out the entire Don Roberto Jewelers bridal line. Prices in the collection range from a couple hundred to a couple thousand. You can shop by stone size, material, category, and price.

Connect with Don Roberto Jewelers: Facebook | Twitter

BRIDAL BABBLE: What engagement ring trends are your favorite?

Monday, July 28, 2014

Five Things You Can Absolutely Skip At Your Wedding (And no one will notice or care)




When you're planning a wedding, costs really add up. There's so much to pay for and you really don't want to pay for everything but brides don't know what they can cut.

When brides ask me, they always ask if they can skip favors. I'm totally against that. I really like favors. I think you should give your guests a token from your wedding: a personalized wine glass, a cookie, some sort of thank you for coming. Don't skip that. You guests will notice. But there are a lot of other things you can skip (and save money by doing so) and no one will even realize you did.

five-things-you-can-skip-at-your-wedding


Five Things You Can Absolutely Skip At Your Wedding (And no one will notice or care)

1. Champagne toast

Champagne is about $3 a glass, so that's an extra $300 per 100 guests. That's a lot of money (pretty much equal to the favors everyone wants to cut so quickly). But, let's think logically about what happens with the champagne: It's poured before the reception starts and is left at each plate, next to the water. It's there when you guests walk in, but can't be enjoyed until the best man says his toast. Which is after dinner and often after the bouquet throw and the garter toss. And it's always after your guests have had plenty of time for trips to the (open) bar. So, after a trip, your guests have a drink in their hands and the best man or maid of honor makes it to center stage to make a toast. Instead of running back to the table to grab that two ounce glass of champagne that's been warming all night, your guests listen to the speech and toast you with the glass in hand. The wait staff comes around after the toast, dumps the leftover, and there, at $3 a glass, your money is being poured away.

Savings: $3 per guest

2. Toss bouquet

If you remember the post about my flowers, you remember that I had a cascade bouquet. It was absolutely not something that I wanted to throw across the dance floor when I was facing the opposite direction of the potential receivers. So I ordered a toss bouquet, made in our wedding colors. The florist brought the bouquets to the church and, after the ceremony, the toss bouquet was left behind ... along with all of the vases that the bridesmaids bouquets were accompanied by. No one thought to grab my toss bouquet and bring it with us. When it was time for me to do the bouquet toss, I grabbed one of the bridesmaids' bouquets and tossed that. No one even knew I didn't toss the toss bouquet, and no one said anything about me not throwing the bridal bouquet.

Savings: $25

3. Bathroom basket

If you haven't heard of bathroom baskets, they're basically baskets that you stock with items that your wedding guests might need in case of a minor emergency (nail files, aspirin, feminine products, lotion, etc.). If you spend a few minutes requesting free samples from brands when they're available, you can pretty much fill these for free. But, if not, you can spend a couple dollars picking items up from the dollar store. The chance of your guests actually using these items is slim, which would leave you with a bunch of stuff that you really don't need. And, really, if your guests break a nail, they can wait a couple hours to file it. It won't be the end of the world.

Savings: $50 (I'm guestimating $25 per bathroom, give or take)

4. Chair covers

I never realized how much I would think about chairs. Did we want traditional ballroom chairs, did we want to upgrade to white resin chairs, or did we want to pay for chair covers? Changing the chairs was $2.50 and adding covers was $3 each. Yes, the chair covers look nice, but worth it for $3 per chair? No. Absolutely not. I really love the look of white resin chairs, but not for that price. The ballroom chairs would work just fine. And that's what I picked.

We went for our tasting and the on-site coordinator mentioned that there was a wedding the night before ours and they were thinking about upgrading to the white resin chairs. She could leave them for us, free of charge. So I said sure. And then, a few days before the wedding, she said the wedding before ours was using chair covers and they could leave them for us for free. So here I was, making a third decision about chairs. Crazy. We ended up with chair covers, and they looked really nice, but if I asked our guests (the ones who didn't know about my trio of chair decisions, anyway), I doubt they would actually even know that they had covers on them. Upgraded chairs look nice, but as long as you have chairs, that's all that matters.

Savings: $3 per guest

5. Direction cards in your invitations

We live in a day and age where directions are easily accessible. There's a good change you have a GPS or a smart phone with a GPS (or, you're like us and have both). Chances are, your guests do too. So sure, you can throw an antiquated directions card into your invitation, but your guests probably won't use it. You can modernize it with a personalized map card (although that wouldn't help you savings-wise). Instead, you can just leave it out altogether. As long as you have the address of the ceremony site and the reception venue on the invitation, your guests will find their way there. You can save yourself the cost of the entire component (both design costs and printing costs) plus, your invitations will be a little lighter and that may be the bit of paper that is the difference between costs of stamps.

Savings: varied

BRIDAL BABBLE: What is something you can absolutely skip a your wedding that you don't think your guests will notice?

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Saturday, July 26, 2014

Review: Solemates High Heelers

A Bride On A Budget received these products for review. All thoughts and opinions belong to ABOAB.

I ended up with three pairs of shoes on my wedding day. It's not that I was trying to have a trio of costume changes for my feet and, honestly, I don't even think people knew. It was just that different parts of the day required different footwear, so I came prepared.

I started the day in my wedding heels. I wore them for the church ceremony and our bridal party photos (which we took on a boardwalk and then on a cobblestone street ... you know, great places for heels). Our reception venue was on the beach, so when we took photos out there, I wore white flip flops. And then, during the reception (when everyone was getting down on the dance floor), I changed into personalized Converse that Pete and I created ourselves.

Even though I only wore them for the first third of the wedding festivities, my poor wedding heels look beat up.

purple heels

The bottoms (where Pinterest tells me brides are supposed to have their bridesmaid sign their names) are completely scuffed up. The sole of the heel is pretty dark (although it did hold up pretty well considering Pete and I played a round of hopscotch during our photos).

What's troublesome to me is that the bottom of the heel itself is really dirty. The shoes I bought (and had dyed to match the bridesmaids' dresses and groomsmen's tuxedo vests and ties) aren't waterproof. I knew I wouldn't be running in the beach with them (although I did do a shoe change, just to be extra safe), but any sort of moisture ruined the dye. Not that anyone but me is really going to be inspecting the heels, but I'm sort of bummed.

It makes me wish I had Solemates High Heelers before my wedding

The High Heelers, made of plastic, are available in three sizes (narrow, classic, and wide) and four colors (clear, silver, black, and gold). The concept is simple: slide the Solemates High Heeler onto the heel and protect your heel from sinking into grass, getting ruined on cobblestone, and pretty much just keep you protect from normal (wedding) wear and tear.

I didn't have these until after my wedding, so I grabbed my wedding heels to try it out.

 solemates

The Solemates High Heeler wouldn't fit on my heel. I tried the classic first and it was too small, so I grabbed the wide. It, also, was too small and, I'm not sure how well you can see it, but it took a small bite out of my heel, leaving a white spot. My heart sunk. I quickly rubbed my finger on it to try to fix it, which pretty much did, and then I snapped this shot.

I figured that I might be better off testing these on a pair of heels that is less sentimental.

I grabbed my favorite pair of heels (which I actually ended up wearing for our rehearsal dinner, but since I've had them for years and wore them to tons of other occasions, I wouldn't be too upset if the heel got bit also).

I tried the narrow one first and though these heels appear thin, they're not thin enough. I grabbed the classic and those slid on easily.

solemates
The Solemates High Heelers give a lot of stability to the heel. It increases the size of the bottom of the heel substantially, which is cool. Because it creates a base platform, your heel won't sink into the grass (or, I would guess, cracks on the sidewalk too). It's a great concept and pretty undetectable as compared to its counterparts.
The Solemates Shoe Essentials pack would have definitely helped with the scuff on the bottom of my shoes. The pack contains a pair ball of foot cushions, a pair of heel cushions, and a pair of anti skid pads. The latter is what goes on the bottom of your shoe, which would definitely protect the base. I actually used Dr. Scholl's ball of foot cushions in my wedding heels to help a little bit with sizing and a little bit with slipping (or, well, making sure I didn't slip). I am obsessed with putting them in my heels. I use them all the time. They're removable, so I just switch them between pairs. The ones in the Solemates Shoe Essentials pack aren't removable, so make sure you put them in the right way when you use them (you'd think it's a no brainer, but in the intensity of wedding morning, my mom actually put them in my shoes upside down. So, there I was, wedding morning, about to walk out the door, stopped, plopped down in my wedding dress, flipping around ball of foot cushions.
wedding
Such a funny moment, caught by one of our amazing photographers (plus, what an unsuspecting shot of my shoes, huh?).

BRIDAL BABBLE: How often do you wear heels?

Monday, July 21, 2014

Wedding DIY: Meet The Maids Picture Frame

At my bridal shower, my bridesmaids gave me a super cute (although, at the time, unfinished) gift. The morning of my wedding, my maid of honor presented me with the final version.

meet-the-maids-picture-frame

How super cute is this meet the maids picture frame?

It is really sweet and definitely something you could hang at your wedding, which would be a nice way for the rest of your guests to meet your bridesmaids. You should also make one for your groomsmen too.

This one doesn't have a stand on the back, just hooks to hang it with nails. Since we couldn't nail in the walls at the venue, I couldn't hang it at the reception. But it's definitely something to hang in our home.

meet-the-maids-picture-frame

Meet The Maids Picture Frame


What You'll Need:

meet-the-maids-picture-frame

What You'll Do:
  • Have the bridesmaids write something about the bride and email it to you.
  • Print these on printer paper, varying the fonts.
  • Glue them to scrapbook paper. Add the names of each bridesmaid with foam sticker letters.
  • Cut the paper to fit into the slot of the picture frame and insert one into each slot.
  • Stick letters spelling out "Meet The Maids" on the border of the frame.
  • Present it to the bride with a bow.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Would you make this meet the maids picture frame for a bride?

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Five Tips For Hiring A Wedding Photographer

There's a difference between taking photos and being a photographer. I can take photos. Heck, anyone with a camera on their phone can take photos. That doesn't make you a photographer. A photographer has an artistic eye that I just don't have. I like to think I take great photos, but when I look at shots from a professional and it puts me in my place. I just don't have the eye or expertise that a professional photographer has.

We talked about photography this week at #BridalBabble and I got to show off photos from our wedding taken by the incredibly amazing Derick & Christy Photography. I'll end up writing a whole love letter to them eventually because I'm just in awe of what they captured. But this post is just a helpful guideline so that you can pick the best wedding photographer and be as enthusiastic with your photos as we are with ours.

hiring-a-wedding-photographer

1. Decide on your style and find someone who meshes with that.

When Pete and I go out, we take a ton of photos. That's the reason I can't upgrade to iOS 7. With over 3,000 photos on my iPhone, there's just no room for anything else. We are constantly taking photos of everything and everyone … but no one knows. I mean, yes, people will see us with our phones out, but we don't ask people to pose. Almost everything we shoot is very candid. That's what we like. And that's what I feel are the real moments, the times when people are smiling because they are genuinely happy, not because there's a camera bulb in their face.

So when we were looking for a wedding photographer, we needed to find someone who shared that thought. It was important for us to find someone who focused more of their time on candid photos than posed ones. We wanted family shots, yes, but we wanted someone who would understand how to capture the feel and emotions of the wedding rather than a slew of photos of us in the middle of groups of families.

When we sat down with Christy for a meeting, she let us know up front that they don't take many staged photos. Most of what they take are candids. That's what we had gauged from looking at their albums, but it was nice to hear her say that. It was exactly what we wanted and was a great selling point for us. Whatever your preference, be sure to find someone who specializes in that type of photo. If you want portraits, don't book a wedding photographer who only shoots candids, and vice versa.

hiring-a-wedding-photographer

2. Compare, compare, compare.

There's a good chance there are multiple wedding photographers in your area. And through expos, there's a good chance you will meet many of them. They will all have portfolios of their work available for you to review (and if they don't, run). Each photographer we encountered had hard copies of wedding albums available for review at the expo but also had slideshows posted online that we could view at our leisure.

We met Derick & Christy at the first expo we went to and I just absolutely fell in love with their photos. But I didn't book them right away. We went to tons of other expos and I met many other photographers. Each time I found someone new, I opened up Derick & Christy's website and queued a slideshow. I then went to the new photographer's site and queued up a slideshow. I went back and forth between the two, checking out photos. And every single time, Derick & Christy won the battle.

My at home slideshow battles were also a great way for me to familiarize myself with Derick & Christy's work. I really got to know their style and really appreciate it. These battles made me get a feel for what our wedding album would look like and made me feel really comfortable that we would be getting what we paid for. Because that's the thing. You pay for your wedding photographer in full but you don't see your photos for weeks. And you don't get a second shot (no pun intended). You can't return your photographer if you don't like your photos. You can't restage your wedding. You have one chance to capture the moments you want in the way you want them. Be sure you know what you are getting before you book.

hiring-a-wedding-photographer

3. Hire someone who will give you the rights to your photos.

When you hire a wedding photographer, you obviously have to pay them. That's how these things go. But, with a photographer who retains the rights to your photos, you will have to pay them from now until the end of time (well, until you stop ordering wedding photos, anyway). If a photographer retains the rights to your photos, you must go through him or her every single time you (or someone else) want to order a photo. Thinking about an album with 100 photos? You have to purchase those photos through the photographer, at whatever price he or she sets. Grandma wants a photo of you in the veil? Pay the photographer. Want a canvas print to hang on the wall? Pay the photographer. Want to scan a photo to print a copy for mom? That's actually a violation of copyright law.

The upfront cost of a photographer who retains the rights to your photos may be lower than one that releases the photos to you, but in the long run, that will end up costing you a ton of money.

If you fall in love with a photographer that keeps the rights to your photos, ask if you can work out a deal where you can buy the rights. A photographer should be flexible and work with you and if they won't, my advice is to find someone new.

hiring-a-wedding-photographer

4a. Remember, you get what you pay for.

There's a good chance your wedding photographer will be the second biggest expense of your wedding, trumped only by the venue. And that's a scary thought because it is a lot of money. If I'm being completely honest, our photographers cost us more than our six-piece band.

And they were worth every penny.

Our photographers (yes, plural: Derick & Christy Photography is, you guessed it, both Derick and Christy shooting) were with us for twelve hours. They took a couple thousand photos, then spent I don't even know how many hours editing over 1,300 for us. Plus our package includes a photobook, which means we'll have a nice wedding album that is professionally put together (and that will mean they'll spend more time with our shots).

We could have picked a cheaper package where they were with us for less hours, but it wasn't an option for me. We were starting to get ready at 9am, our ceremony was at 2pm, our reception started at 6pm, and ended at 11pm. I wanted every shot from getting ready until getting ready to leave.

hiring-a-wedding-photographer

4b. And be sure to get what you pay for.

If you hire a wedding photographer with the understanding that you're getting that photographer, you don't want someone else to show up at your door on your wedding day saying, “Hi. I work with XYZ Photography. I'm here to shoot your wedding.” That's not okay.

Larger photography businesses will employ multiple photographers. And that's great for them. But you don't want to sit down for a consultation with one photographer, go over your plan for the day, pay a deposit, and then find out that you will get any photographer who is available, regardless of who you originally spoke with.

If you see an album of someone you like, make sure you get it in writing that you will have that person shoot your wedding. If not, you could end up with someone who has a completely different style and you'll be really disappointed.

hiring-a-wedding-photographer

5. Make your photography your top priority.

Your flowers will die. You'll never wear your dress again. A year later, you won't have the food. Two years later, you won't have any cake. But you will have photos of your flowers, your dress, your food, and your cake. Your pictures are basically the only tangible thing you will actually have post-wedding. So don't skimp on your photography. It absolutely needs to be a bride's top priority. You can skip programs at the ceremony to save yourself some money. You can nix a shuttle from the hotel to the reception. You can decide against an action station. But you absolutely should not skimp on photography.

As soon as we booked the venue and had a wedding date, I called Derick & Christy to set up a meeting. We booked them on the spot. There was absolutely no way we were getting married and not having them as our wedding photographers. I was that in love with their photos. I didn't have a clue where we were getting our cake; I had no idea what food we were serving; my dress was not even on my radar yet. But we had our photographers set.

Truth be told, I'm pretty awful at doing anything right away. I'll always get things done (and done on time), but there's a good chance they won't be done immediately. If you invite me to a party, there's a good chance I will RSVP on the last possible day. If I have to go out early in the morning, I will sleep until the last possible minute and be ready with no time to spare. But I knew that if I wanted Derick & Christy, I couldn't wait. I had to book them right away because I would be devastated if I slept on it and they were booked our day. So I did and it worked out better than I could have imagined.

hiring-a-wedding-photographer

BRIDAL BABBLE: What other tips would you give brides who are booking wedding photographers?

Friday, July 18, 2014

Review: Solemates Wedding Rescue Kit

A Bride On A Budget received this item for review. All thoughts and opinions belong to ABOAB.

When we were at our wedding, my dad introduced me to the banquet manager. “Anything you need,” the manager George began, “I got you.”

“Any sort of food, just ask you?” I asked.

“Anything at all,” he replied.

Great, I thought. It would be awesome to have a go to guy who could get me anything, sorta like Red from Shawshank Redemption.

“Can you get me some crab cakes?” I asked him. “I can't make it into the cocktail hour room.” I was being pulled in six different directions and none of them were towards the food. Not too long later, George approached me with a plate of beautiful crab cakes.

A little while later, I was sitting at our table and my head started killing me. It was four days since I had a full meal and I had been running all day. The crab cakes looked wonderful, but I was only able to take a bite or two.

I found George.

“Hey,” I said. “Do you have any aspirin.”

“Sorry. We can't give that out,” he said.

So much for anything at all.

I went up to my family's table to ask for aspirin. Luckily, my brother's fiance had some Advil in her purse. It was the best Advil I had ever had.

And then it got me thinking about a wedding rescue kit. It's basically a pouch filled with everything a bride may need in case of any emergency. If I had one, I would have had an aspirin on hand.

solemates-wedding-rescue-kit

Solemates actually makes a wedding rescue kit that has anything a bride could need. Inside is a pair of Solemates (a piece of plastic that you affix to your heel to prevent you from sinking into the grass and prevents damage to your heel – something I definitely could have used on my wedding day), Advil, antacid, Blistex, bobby pins, safety pins, bandage, ear plugs, sewing kit, elastic hair band, nail file, comb, tissues, Shout wipe, Tampax tampon, breath mint, and floss.

Talk about being prepared.

solemates-wedding-rescue-kit


The wedding rescue kit is a clear zipped pouch, which is brilliant. You're actually able to see everything that's inside so you can just grab the tampon if you need it. You don't have to waste valuable time searching and hunting for something in a dark bag.

Is a bride going to need all these items on her wedding day? No. But will she need at least one of them? Yes. And won't it be nice to have it on hand for her, just in case?

I had heard about bridal emergency kits before and I actually thought about putting one together for myself, but I decided not to. It just was something that was on my to do list once upon a time and got crossed off because you can't have or do everything. This kit from Solemates is actually the first time I've seen one in real life and it has, instantly, become my new favorite gift for brides. It's the bridal shower gift that gets oohs and ahhs from the other guests, ladies who silently comment on how brilliantly useful your gift was.

And it's a lot more useful than that extra set of measuring cups Aunt Edna threw in the wishing well.

solemates-wedding-rescue-kit

BRIDAL BABBLE: What item from this wedding rescue kit do you think is most helpful to brides?

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Our Wedding Songs

When you get to the tail end of wedding planning, you don't want to make any more decisions. You're at the point where you just don't care what is played when you cut the cake as long as the cake you ordered shows up and people eat it.

But when the band or DJ asks what song you want when you cut the cake, you can't say, "I don't care."

Although I Don't Care by Fall Out Boy is actually song, it's probably not what you meant. You just, quite simply, don't care. But you can't tell the band of DJ that. You can't just say, "Play whatever" (Even though Whatever is a song by Oasis).

You have to decide. Because that's part of wedding planning. You have to make decisions, regardless of if you are tired of making them or not. To try and help you out, I put together a list of the songs that we picked for our wedding songs. I already agonized over this and never ended up with "I Don't Care" (which could result in you getting that awful Icona Pop as your first dance).


wedding songs


First Dance

Bless The Broken Road, Rascal Flatts





Group Dance

Life Is Better With You, Michael Franti & Spearhead




Bouquet Toss

Good Time, Owl City & Carly Rae Jepsen




Garter Throw

Soul Bossa Nova (Austin Powers Theme Song), Quincy Jones




Last Dance

You Are My Sunshine



(Note: For the last dance, the band actually sang it and since it's a family song, my whole family belted it out too, but I wanted to throw up a video and mp3 in case no one knew it. The photo above is actually from when we all danced to You Are My Sunshine)

BRIDAL BABBLE: What are your wedding songs?

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Review: Personalized Wedding Banner From One Tiny Heart

It was just barely a week before the wedding and I was going over the items I needed.

And that's when it hit me.

I needed a personalized wedding banner for our candy buffet. But not just any run of the mill banner I could pick up at a party store. I need a handcrafted banner that says Love Is Sweet from One Tiny Heart. Kristin of One Tiny Heart hand paints letters and images on 4x4 squares and strings them together to form beautiful banners.

She just doesn't often do rush jobs. Or maybe she does. But I can't imagine there are multiple people who tweet her at 1am with an idea they need. In just under a week.

Kristin asked what I wanted and what I described needed a stencil that she didn't have. So she ordered it. 
personalized-wedding-banner

And a few days after my late night tweet, that package above arrived in my mailbox. I was so excited, I tore the packaging open (which is very rare for me. I usually am very conscious about saving and reusing any sort of packaging).


personalized-wedding-banner

The banner had the words Life Is Sweet painted, with hibiscus flowers instead of spaces. The edges had a purple that matched the ribbon, and the first and last square had a silver stenciled scroll. Some of the squares were embellished with gems.

personalized-wedding-banner

It was perfect. I was so incredibly happy with how it turned out. She rushed to get it to me on time but didn't rush her work. She took my colors and theme and just went with it and made a banner that is so incredibly perfect. You can see it on the One Tiny Heart website and order it for $19.50 if you are so inclined. If your colors are not eggplant, lilac, and silver like ours, no worries. You can choose any colors, any stencil, any words. All the banners on One Tiny Heart are completely customizable.

personalized-wedding-banner

Whatever you can imagine, One Tiny Heart can design it. Thinking about a wedding hashtag? She can create a hashtag banner. Want chair markers? Yup, she has those. Are you like me and have your own idea but don't see it on the site? She can design a custom banner for you.

This was perfect for our candy buffet (but, for some reason, we don't have a single photo of our full candy buffet. Not one of our guests or our two photographers snapped one either).

Having a personalized wedding banner is really popular right now for props for thank you cards. During your wedding photos, hold up a "Thank You" banner and use that for your thank you cards. Or hold up one that says, "I Do" and have your groom hold up one that says, "Me Too." The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. If you can think it, rest assured, One Tiny Heart can make it for you.

And you will not be disappointed. Your banner will be created on a thick cardstock so it will not bend or look cheap when hanging. It will sway, due to the nature of it, if you have it outdoors, but it won't get ruined or ripped if someone brushes against it.

If banners aren't your thing, One Tiny Heart still has something for you. You can order cupcake toppers and (very reasonably priced) gift bags. The gift bags are washed, pressed, and the ink is heat treated prior to your purchase. They are perfect for favor bags. And, knowing how awesome the banner came out, I know anything else you purchase will be extremely high quality.

Plus, Kristin is just the sweetest and wants you to be happy, so she will absolutely make sure of that.

Keep in touch with One Tiny Heart: Website || Twitter || Facebook

BRIDAL BABBLE: If you ordered a personalized wedding banner, what would you want it to say?

Monday, July 14, 2014

Action Stations (My endorsement of them and photos of what we picked)

Picking a wedding menu can be so hard. You definitely want to use it to continue your theme, you want it to have guest-friendly foods (not all meat, nothing dripping in sauce), and you want your cocktail hour menu to be memorable because that's when your guests are really going to fill up.

You also want an action station.

I talked to a lot of people before deciding on our final menu (although not any of our guests, just people in passing and in #BridalBabble) and everyone said have an action station. An action station, basically, is a station that is manned by a chef. Items are made to order, while your guest is waiting for it. Action stations -- which can be pasta stations, carving stations, a mashed potato bar, etc. -- always require some sort of interaction between the chef and guest. It's also in addition to your menu and costs extra per person, plus an additional cost for the server.

action-station-shrimp-and-grits
Photo from our wedding, taken by Derick & Christy Photography

It's absolutely worth it.

When we went for our tasting, we were able to pick a trio of items off the menu, so I picked shrimp and grits. It would be an action station if we decided on it and would add just over $10 a person, plus an additional server cost. We had options for other actions stations (pasta and carving), but those have been overdone. I've seen them at tons of weddings and always skipped them. But shrimp and grits? It is so Southern, and since the majority of our guests (more than 90%) are from up north and had never tried shrimp and grits, it was the best choice.

I had to try it.

No matter how much people told me they loved the interaction of an action station, I wasn't paying all that extra money for something that tasted bad. And I wasn't paying all that for something we didn't taste ahead of time.

It was amazing. Absolutely amazing.

My mom, who was a shrimp and grits virgin until the tasting, said we had to get it. I called my dad after the tasting and he is not a seafood person but he said he would try it at the wedding.

action-station-shrimp-and-grits
Photo from our wedding, taken by Derick & Christy Photography

It was a huge hit at the wedding. For weeks after, people were talking about the shrimp and grits. My friend even went out to dinner a few days later and considered getting the shrimp and grits but knew it wouldn't be as great as it was at the wedding so she skipped it. (It's almost a year later and people are still bringing it up to me.)

I had never heard of so many New Yorkers eating and enjoying grits (I mean, honestly, that scene from My Cousin Vinny is incredibly accurate). But it was presented in such an inviting way. The chef served the shrimp and grits in a martini glass and the guests were able to choose toppings (cheese, green onions, red pepper) to vary the heat.

I don't know anyone at the wedding who wasn't intrigued by the presentation and who didn't have a serving (or two). And everyone I saw after talked about it. It was a hit and well worth the extra money. So if your venue has the option of an action station, go for it. Cheese and crackers is great (and we actually did have that too), but no one talks about cheese and crackers the day after the wedding.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think of action stations?

Saturday, July 12, 2014

The Naked Cake Trend (And a photo of Full House Star Dave Coulier's wedding cake)

Earlier in the week, we tackled the great cake versus cupcakes debate. My favorite reply was from The Giving Bride who, when replying to if the cupcake trend is over, said: I think they're not as trendy, but they'll always be tasty!

Good point. Cupcakes are still cake and frosting and, oftentimes, filling. It has all the tasty parts of the cake in a portion-controlled size.

But now my sweet tooth wants to know what you think about the new wedding trend: naked cakes. Full House star Dave Coulier married Melissa Bring earlier this month and the couple had a naked cake.

Dave-Coulier-wedding-cake
Photo credit
Naked cakes, if you've never heard of them, are, quite simply, cakes without frosting/icing/fondant. It's just the cake and filling, all on display. The cakes often have a dusting of powdered sugar on them, but that's it.

When we were cake shopping, I was having a heck of a time finding what I wanted. The buttercream down here is so much sweeter than what I'm used to. I would try a cake and have that overly sweet taste in my mouth all day. You know, the one that immediately dries the roof of your mouth? And for me, cake was top priority, so there was no way I was having a cake that forced my guests to have a dry mouth all night.

After much searching and cake tasting, I found a cake that had a very subdued buttercream. It was amazing and exactly what I was searching for. We had two cake flavors, two cake fillings, and the entire cake was covered in white buttercream (you can check out our wedding cake, if you want). It took a heck of a time finding that buttercream, but there was no way I was jumping on the naked cake bandwagon.

naked-wedding-cake

That cake is gorgeous (and can't be found outside of Pinterest -- seriously, I tried. Google Images couldn't even catfish that bad boy and every Pinterest link I followed turned up a dead page). It's pretty. Very pretty. And probably takes more skill than a cake that's covered in frosting because each layer must be perfect. You can't cover up any construction errors with fondant or frosting.

But it also looks unfinished. It looks like there is something missing. And that something, obviously, is buttercream.

I'm very opinionated about cakes, so this just is not for me. But it's for Dave Coulier's wife (if it wasn't, he could have told her to: Cut. It. Out.). And it's for enough people that it's become the latest trend in cakes.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What about you? Do you like the naked cake trend?

Friday, July 11, 2014

Wedding Welcome Bags (The parents edition)

My parents came to North Carolina the Monday before the wedding to help with all the last minute things that go on during wedding week (making the card box, picking up items for the mimosa bar, folding our wedding programs, coming to my last minute dress fitting, on and on).

Since they were coming early and staying in our guest bedroom for a trio of nights, I put together their wedding welcome bag and left it on our guest bed for them. I decided to put together wedding welcome bags for Pete's dad and for my grandma at the same time since they had similar items. In theory, I could have put together everyone's welcome bags, but I had to make those for 100 people and I figured I would wait until my parents were in town. That way, they could help us.

wedding welcome bags

I laid out personalized tote bags made for us by CW Designs.

If you remember, we had a post about CW Designs and the personalized maps that Carol makes. We featured a bunch of her designs in the post, all of which were amazing. Even better, though, Carol made us a personalized map for our wedding. I was so impressed with it. We were able to pick out our favorite spots -- like where we got engaged, where the ceremony and reception were, and our apartment -- and she made a map of the area with our locations highlighted.

You can have your map modified to be printed on a tote bag, which is adorable. We had four made: one for my parents, one for Pete's dad, one for my grandma, and one that I used all day to carry our wedding necessities. The bag was super durable, even when multiple people were carrying mine around and hiding it under tables. The colors popped and were so vibrant, and everyone who received them were absolutely in love with the tote bags. It's definitely a keepsake to reserve for the most special people in your wedding.

So was a lot of the other items we put in these three wedding welcome bags.

wedding welcome bags

We filled them with:
  • Personalized water bottles (we got mother of the bride, father of the bride, grandmother of the bride, and father of the groom from CafePress)
  • Paper fans
  • Personalized lotions from Udderly Smooth
  • Men's & women's razor
  • Peanut butter crackers
  • Two bags of candy
  • Hand sanitizing wipes
  • Shampoo, conditioner, and hair spray
  • Personalized map from CW Designs
  • Papers including:
    • Shuttle information
    • Welcome booklet from the chamber
    • Town map from the chamber
    • Personalized Do Not Disturb sign
  • For my mom and grandma: Manicure sets in organza bags with personalized nail polish, a nail file, and travel-size nail polish remover
  • For my mom: wedding necklace from Dogeared
  • For our dads: Personalized cufflinks

wedding welcome bags

I set the bag on the guest bed and attached a personalized post card to it and left it for them to find. In the hustle and bustle of getting their suitcases and belongings up four flights of stairs after driving for 13 hours, they overlooked the bag. So of course, I had to point it out to my parents because I wanted to see their reactions.

They loved the bag and were so happy with the items that were inside.
When Pete's dad got to town, we gave him his bag and he loved it as well. Every single item made him smile so much.

My grandma got to town three days after my parents and I hand delivered her bag (which I also added Fritos to). She was so happy. In fact, she immediately took her water bottle to the BBQ we were hosting (at the same time she got to town) and she took it with her everywhere with her. Every day she was here, I saw her with that water bottle. She really liked it. And, on the second to last day my parents were in town, I went up to their hotel room and saw they each had their personalized water bottles on their respective nightstands. It made me so happy to see them getting so much use.

The bags went over so well and were such a great way to make them smile.

BRIDAL BABBLE: What do you think about our wedding welcome bags for our parents?


Want to see our wedding welcome bags for our guests?


Check out our final wedding welcome bags post.


wedding-welcome-bags



Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Is The Cupcake Trend Over? (And photos of my wedding cake)

If you know me, you know I love sweets. Dessert is my favorite meal of the day. So when I thought about the wedding and the part that was most important to me, it was definitely the dessert.

Originally, I wanted cupcakes. I fell in love with these cupcakes that are made in town and was absolutely sure I wanted nothing but them. Plus, cupcakes are really fun and whimsical. Who doesn't love a cupcake?

Well, my mom for one. Not that she doesn't love them, but she said for a wedding, you should have a cake. Especially for the photos. So we listened to her and ended up with a beautiful cake that tasted amazing (and looked amazing too -- which you'll see if you get to the end of the post). People confessed to having three slices. It was absolutely the right decision.

But even after we decided on a cake, I still had the cutesy cupcakes in the back of my mind.

Then the cupcake shop in town -- the one I wanted to order from -- closed (it has since re-opened but drastically reduced its hours). And then yesterday, pretty much out of nowhere, Crumbs Bake Shop closed its doors.

wedding-cupcakes-crumbs-bake-shop
Photo credit

Basically, yesterday, Crumbs Bake Shop informed employees that it would be closing. And that was that. Poof. It's less than 24 hours and the Crumbs website basically vanished.

Just as quickly as cupcakes were here, it seems like they're gone.

People are trying to find the next cupcake: macaroons, whoopie pies, cake pops (although I think cupcakes were the next cake pop, to be honest), cronuts, that chocolate chip cookie shooter thing. That's great for sweets lovers like me, but for brides, I don't think you should try and find the next trend. And I'm not very certain you should look for the current thing either. There's a reason why some things are tried and true, and a reason why cliches become cliches. They just work.

I think you definitely want to incorporate some trends into your wedding day to mark the time that you're getting married. Pick your wedding song as something that was popular when you met or when you're getting married. If you really like the mason jar craze, do it. Love chalkboard art? Have some. But don't have a Pinterest-only wedding and fill your wedding with trendy items only. You'll risk having a very dated wedding ... which might look dated a mere six months after you tie the knot.

And right now, stay away from cupcakes.

Maybe my wedding cake photo will sway your decision.

wedding cake

Yup, that is our actual cake from our wedding last month. It was stunning, delicious, and definitely made for a pretty picture (especially with the beach as a backdrop). Plus, I made those cake toppers myself. With my own two hands (and Popsicle sticks).

Speaking of cake toppers, don't forget yours ...
Click the images to order our favorite above or check out more cake toppers here.

BRIDAL BABBLE: With Crumbs closing, do you think the cupcake trend is over?

Monday, July 7, 2014

Review: The Bride Box

A Bride On A Budget received this box of items for the purpose of the review.

It was a little over the week before the wedding and a gift came for me in the mail from The Bride Box. The subscription service, if you haven't heard, is sent to brides monthly as a way to pamper and prepare them for their big day.

Since my big day was rapidly approaching, the lovelies at The Bride Box actually curated a personalized box for me to review.

Exciting.

the bride box

The contents of the box came wrapped in blue tissue paper that matched the pop of blue in the logo on the brand's sticker. I've gotta be honest, it was a cute way to stick in "something blue" (even if that wasn't the brand's intention).

the bride box

I opened The Bride Box and inside were nicely stuffed contents. I was really excited to see what was inside. I immediately noticed a coozie and rhinestone I Do shoe stickers. I took those out to see what else was contained inside.

the bride box


In total, the box had: an I Do banner, a Bride to Be coozie, a trio of thank you cards, a Here Comes the Bride burlap bag, a mason jar travel mug, tip cards to help make your wedding smoother, and the aforementioned shoe stickers.

I immediately took the burlap bag and put it in an envelope to mail to my friend. She's getting married in three weeks and her color is blue, plus she's doing burlap everywhere she can. It's like that bag was made for her. Pete took the reusable mason jar mug (which says Happily Ever After) and has been using it all the time.

I had intentions of bringing the I Do banner with us to the wedding for staged photos on the beach. And it made it to the wedding but we had to rush our beach photos and take them earlier than expected because there was a storm coming, so the banner got left in the bag. Totally bummed because that would have been a really nice shot.

The trio of thank you cards was a nice touch too because when you're wedding planning, you have to thank everyone. We ended up making 19 thank you gifts. That's a lot of cards. Plus, I still need to send one to my seamstress. And then there are the thank you cards you send post-wedding. Yeah, it's a bunch. So it's nice to have this trio on hand, just in case.

The items were all really high quality, especially the coozie. It bums me out that it's white because I use coozies when we're out at the beach or the park or at concerts, and it'll get so dirty so quickly. In North Carolina, there is no time when I don't go out without a coozie in my purse, so this is definitely necessary -- I just wish it was black.

Connect with The Bride Box: Website | Twitter | Facebook

BRIDAL BABBLE: Which item in The Bride Box is your favorite?