Kathy at Merriment Design has outdone herself again!  I adore these fabric-backed invitations with half sewn fabric flowers.  My favorite part is the creative use of patterned fabric to create several unique designs with the same components.

You can find the complete list of supplies and a full tutorial at Merriment Design!

Every winter for the past few years, Brian and I take a mini-vacation to the mountains for a long weekend. This all started because Brian is a professional baseball player and it is impossible to shop for a person that lives out of a suitcase for six to eight months of the year. I was worried that whatever I got he would either feel forced to carry around with him or have to leave behind during the season. Thus the tradition of not getting physical presents for each other, but rather doing a shared trip as a present began.

This past winter, we decided to take a long weekend in the Tennessee Smokies. We rented a cabin and decided to bring our pup Chambers along for the trip. I had an inkling that this might be “the” weekend, but once Saturday rolled around, I had completely forgotten about it. Brian suggested we get up early and go on a hike that morning to a waterfall he found through internet research. He said it would be seven miles roundtrip, but after a few hours of hiking uphill on only a powerbar we happened to grab on our way to the trailhead, I was convinced that he had tricked me into hiking back to North Carolina.

We finally reached the waterfall, The Grotto, and it was totally worth all the hard work - it was beautiful. When we got there, I immediately took out my camera and started snapping away, not paying any attention to Brian who had all of a sudden gotten very quiet. I turned around to find him on one knee and the rest I have zero recollection of (except the sheer joy I felt).

Here are some pictures from our trip:

First some waterfall pictures:

(it’s called the Grotto because you can walk behind it when the rocks below aren’t covered with ice, obviously)

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As you read, my fiance and I recently took a practice engagement shoot with my sister.  Good thing we did, because if I dare say so myself, we did a lot better on our real engagement shoot.  And guess what?  They’re here!  I just got home and unwrapped the most fantastic gift I’ve received to date - my 225 incredible engagement photos by the fabulous Melissa Murphy of Missy Photography (whose services we won in a blog contest back in March!).

The contest I won was originally for Missy’s services and photos for the wedding day and day-after, but when I requested we switch the day-after shoot for e-photos in NYC (Dave and my previous stomping ground and Missy’s current one), she happily obliged.  I’m sure glad she did because I am obsessed.  Not only are the pictures, the color quality and artistic shots breathtaking, but I am downright giddy and 100% in love that we have pictures at Columbia University, our alma mater, where we spent 70% of our dating relationship.  I can’t wait to show our kids the photos and point out the places we used to sit at, drink at, eat at, picnic at, meet up, etc.  I have just become a huge supporter of picking engagement photo locations that mean something to you rather than pretty sites - although if they’re also beautiful, it doesn’t hurt.  :)

Finally, before I share with you some of my favorites - I just wanted to mention Missy.  The reason I entered the contest is because I loved Missy’s photography (and had it vetted by a dozen family members before I entered), so I was confident I would be happy with our photos.  Naturally however, since I hadn’t yet met her, I was nervous about our rapport.  Within 5 seconds of meeting Missy however, I realized it was impossible not to like her, and rather, I fell in love with her!  She is super sweet, laid back, talented, easy going and cute, but also gives you enough direction so that you don’t look like a fool lost in space walking around.  Dave and I are ecstatic that she is our photographer and already, I give her a high recommendation.  Not only is she fabulous, but she sent me the edited photos within a week~!

Ok, here are some of my favorites from the ones Missy posted online.  (As you can see, I nearly posted them all, it’s so hard to choose - there are SO many I love).   I also have a gazillion others I love that will be revealed at later days (probably as STDs or guestbook photos).  You can also find more on Missy’s blog.

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I am all about practicality. I am not a pack rat - never have been. If I haven’t used it, worn it, looked at it, touched it or seen it in over 6 months - it’s in the garbage. Bill and I have had some disagreements about our “stuff”. He has a lot - I don’t. He feels like I am trying to get rid of all his. I’m not - I just like it my way right? (I am getting better with this. My therapist calls it “letting go”).

I (we) wanted my (our) guests to have a practical favor they could take home and use. I got my favors from Beau Coup - a great site for gifts! I have thrown out countless single shot glasses, beer glasses, and votive candles. My thought? If you are going to give someone something - have it be something they can use. I don’t want to spoil the gift if my (our) guests are reading this - so I will reveal the favor after the wedding!

I also wanted my guests to have a program that they wouldn’t throw out immediately and could actually use!  {August can be the hottest month of the year in Rochester, NY I didn’t want anyone fainting}. I guess programs are practical to begin with - they guide everyone through the ceremony and tell you, who’s who!

I was 100% inspired by Anna Melcon Bond of Rifle Design:

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Pie on a stick? Yes please!

{Tutorial from Luxirare found via CRAFTzine and WritheM of the Night}

I know most of you have already discovered the amazingness that is Etsy. But aside from a jewelry tree I bought for my mother almost two years ago, I hadn’t made any purchases … that is until I started to plan my wedding.

Hello clutches and earrings and hankies and cuff links and cake toppers! Where else can you so easily work with a seller to craft a customized piece just for you? And every seller I’ve contacted has been nothing short of fantastic.

I’m buying two gifts for my bridesmaids via Etsy. First, earrings. Because I want to match the ruby red earrings to the girls’ dresses, I’ve ordered the following samples and will return the two that I don’t choose:

{from HeatherlyDesigns}

{from ThePeachTree}

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ok picking up from where we left off…

I was pretty bummed after finding out several venues were already booked for the “date” we had our hearts set on…so when I made the call to Country Pines I was expecting the worse.  No one answered…so I left a message explaining that I was interested in renting the facility for our ceremony/reception and curious about the availability of a certain date.  Well about an hour later I got a call back and guess what?!…they were NOT BOOKED!  (hooray!!!!!)  The lovely lady I spoke with, Nancy, explained to me that her and her husband are the owners and do everything themselves from set-up and food prep to clean up.  She continued on explaining their policies and what is all involved with renting the facility and I liked every bit of it!

some of the pluses being…

-family owned and run facility
-make all the food on site themselves…several menu options (served buffet style) with insanely reasonable prices
-we have the entire venue for the entire day of the wedding till 1am the following day
-they set-up and take down tables/chairs/linens/food…basically everything but the decorations and whatever else we bring in
-complete freedom with decorations…the few exclusions would not matter for what I wanted
-tables, chairs, linens, dishes and glasses all included
-we provide our own alcohol and bartender = major budget helper!  (umm can I get a HECK YES!)

Seriously….I was about to put my deposit down right then on the phone!  Although our date was open at the time…she told me that they had been getting quite a few inquaries for June 2010 already and that I should probably act quick if I wanted to seal the deal.  I explained to her that because I live out of state I wouldn’t be able to just stop by and have a tour before making my decision…and amazingly they agreed to put a hold on our date until that following weekend when my mom, aunt, and sister would be able to drive down and take a look.

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 I absolutely LOVE when bridal showers or bachelorette parties have a project, craft or activity.  This love does not extend to games, because, lets face it-bridal shower games are pretty horrific for the most part.  

A dear friend of mine has started a business called Wine and Designs.  I went to her house for lunch last week, and she had painted a glass for me with my married initials on it, and I LOVED it!  I think it’s such a cute thing to do with your bridesmaids or just some close friends.  Here are some ideas I came up with in a google image search:

I found it’s important to keep it simple if you’re not super artistic like me.  I love this one:

How cute would it be to make these for each of your girls, and have it look like them!?

Ok, so here’s my attempt.  The lighting is terrible, so the colors look wrong, but it’s kinda cute.  The letters are SO hard to do-so when I do another one, I’m probably going to stay away from writing anything…

Have any of you done this before?  It seems to me like the grown up version of paint your own pottery places.  Plus, you can do them at your house-and as soon as you’re finished painting you just bake them in the oven.  They are even dishwasher safe!  You can find all of the supplies here!

Ever since I can remember I have always wanted to get married at my Aunt Jean’s and Uncle Mitch’s house (this link is to the blog I started just before Bill and I were engaged). I think about 5 minutes afer I said yes to Bill’s proposal - I ran over to my Aunt and Uncle and said “Can we get married at your house”? They graciously said “yes”.

Now, I am thrilled to be getting married here I don’t want anyone to think differently. It is 1,000 times more work than I expected. When you get married at a hotel, restaurant, country club, there is usually an events coordinator. Someone who guides YOU the bride through everything. That is not the case with private residences. I AM THE EVENT COORDINATOR. I have had to manage and figure out everything from portable bathrooms (yup) to coffee mugs. Just the other night I woke up from a dead sleep and thought “salt and pepper shakers - who gets those”?

Should we have eloped? Nah. I can handle this. I am an organized control freak. I love xcel spreadsheets, numbered bullets, lists, catergories and checking things off those lists! Check out how we are sorting out the YES and NO responses:

Bill is convinced I am nuts and that’s ok. I am in better shape than I thought I would be. Here is a peek at my to do list for the past month and on going:

• Address invitations
• Buy wedding shoes at www.unforgettablemoments.com
• Call Crescent Moon for bathrooms
• Get Bill’s suit tailor
• Pick up Bill’s suit
• Finish programs
• Make puff balls for aisle
• Get vases from friend Robin
• Pay Mary Corcoran (the best photographer ever)
• Email caterer for final $$$
• Buy hot pink tissue paper and circles from Paper Source
• Get mason jars from Sharon
• Rig up mason jars
• Bill - shoes?
• Birdcage - spray paint pink
• Garbage cans
• Call valet parking service
• Take table number pictures
• Start making table place cards for guests

I could go on and on and on and on - you get the picture.

I guess what I am trying to get across is - you have to be super duper organized to do an at home wedding, unless your budget allows a wedding planner.

By the way, I am over the salt and pepper shakers. If our guests need salt they can ask my Grandma. She probably has some in her purse.

Are you having an at-home event?

Hoorah! I finally finished my birdcage veil. It’s small because I didn’t want anything over my whole head and I didn’t want it to come down too far over my face either. I spent a lot of time with pieces of the netting, pinning them to my head with bobbypins and asking Garrett what he thought to make sure he wouldn’t hate it (because I want the person I’m marrying to like the way I look, afterall).

I goofed when I ordered the netting off of ebay and got ivory instead of white (my dress is white) so I decided to add a white accent to it. Hence the white flower, which I made with the help of a tutorial featured on EAD. I bought some feathers from a hobby lobby for maybe $2? I have a lot of them left over. I used silky liner fabric for the flower because it was cheap and I liked the texture. That was $2 or so and I have a lot of it left over as well. The netting was about $15 for 3 yards. I only used about 20 or so inches, though I cut two other pieces first that were shorter and changed my mind. I bought some combs to attach it to, and ended up using one. I sewed the flower to it first, then the netting (the more difficult part) and then stuck the feathers in.

I secured it with gorilla glue (professional, I know) and the underneath looks like a crazy mess but it works and I really like it. I had to use a bobby pin to pin down the part closest to my ear so it wouldn’t stick up, but it’ll be simple the day of and I won’t be worried about placement because the rest of it is in place. I think it was a rewarding process, but I won’t be selling veils any time soon. I’d be willing to help people do theirs, but I’d want them to have a part in it.

So, what do you think?