Real Wedding by Jose Villa

We love Fridays and thought it would be a sweet treat to kickoff the wedding with this Jose Villa stunner. It was such a pleasant surprise when our client popped over these swoon-worthy photos of her wedding and mentioned that famed photog Jose Villa had captured it all.

In addition to the invitation envelopes (not pictured), we worked on the wedding reception for this beautiful Los Angeles wedding and it is so wonderful to see our pieces tied in with the gorgeous wedding design.

We took care of the petal bag tags, "Post a Love Note" sign for the "guestbook", table numbers, menus and tags for all of the dessert buffet yummies!

Congratulations to the bride and groom!

Maps: New York, NY

New York is a magically classic city and we just love this crisp, clean black and white representation. The city speaks for itself and keeping the simple pallette allows the city hotspots to shine all on their own.

In addition to all the NYC usuals, this couple also included the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the Flatiron Building and the grand fountain in Central Park. And with the wedding festivities taking place at one of New York's premier event spaces, Studio Square, it's sure to be a good time!

Creative Tip: Personalized Guestbooks

Nature can be quite inspirational and that is exactly where product designer Gillian Stevens pulls from for her daily inspiration in creating leather and recycled paper products that comprise her company Dewdrop designs! These beautiful leather bound books make amazing guestbooks ~ both my sister and I made good use of them at our own weddings!

You can write directly on the pages themselves, or leave cards for your guests to write their message on and glue those in at a later date. This works well for you to add a photo from your professional pics with each card to keep a visual of each guest with their well wishes. The books are also perfect if you have a polaroid camera or photo booth to add day-of pictures right in!

Gillian is so easy to work with and will even add in your custom Laura Hooper Calligraphy monogram or standard calligraphy to correlate with your entire inviation suite and other print materials!

Visit the Dewdrop website to see these and other fantastic products from Gillian Stevens.

In the Press: Martha Stewart Weddings Online

Needless to say we were beyond thrilled to find our seating charts included in The Bride's Guide: Martha Stewart Weddings online yesterday!

The feature inclues three of our large poster seating charts - they are perfect for venues with many tables, or if you simply want to guide your guests!

Visit The Wedding Library  on Martha Stewart Weddings online for more wedding tips!

Real Wedding: NYIT de Seversky Mansion, New York

The lovely ladies over at Always a Blogsmaid worked on this beautifully vibrant wedding at the NYIT de Seversky Mansion in New York. They worked with the luscious color scheme of purple and blush, to create a truly unique {and super floral} look!

First we definitely need to point out the ceremony venue transformation that they pulled off. The couple loved the venue except for the fans in the ceremony site.

So instead of scrapping the venue, they figured out a way to use the fans to their advantage. Swap out the chairs and add an array of cherry blossoms, and the room is completely transformed!

And the ballroom itself was simply gorgeous!

We contributed escort cards and table signs to compliment the look.

The table signs were names of the couple's favorite restaurants around the city to personalize the room.

Thank you to Heather Waraksa for sharing her beautiful photos with us, and to see more on this lovely affair, visit the Always a Blogsmaid blog.

Destination Bride-to-Be

Three  months to go until the big day! We have already attended 3 weddings this year which were all absolutely amazing and unique. The events inspired us with tons of ideas for our own special day. With Nate going to Yosemite National Park for his bachelor party this coming weekend with 11 of his friends, I should have plenty of time to focus on some of the smaller wedding details.

Nate playing Groomsman at a wedding in Santa Monica

As a Bridesmaid in Maureen’s wedding at the Nixon Library, standing with my sister

Along with the wedding day we are also planning a few other activities for our guests if they choose to take part.

Thursday: Early Evening Cocktail Hour
Friday: Welcome Dinner
Saturday: WEDDING DAY
Sunday: Boat Excursion - Guests can book a boat tour to join Nate and myself for an exciting day of snorkeling, sightseeing, kayaking, and relaxation aboard the Cabo Escape.

The timeline for the wedding has been confirmed. We are so excited with the finalized locations. Hopefully everything comes together seamlessly!

3:00pm: First Look and Pictures (We decided to do pictures before the Ceremony because the sun will be setting at 5:35pm that day)
5:00pm: Ceremony on the Beach and the Champagne Toast to follow
6:30pm: Dinner at El Torote (The Steakhouse Restaurant)
8:15pm: Reception in the Disco with a live mariachi band, dancing, and of course wedding cake

An entire corner of our townhouse is filled with items for our wedding. It is becoming a little overwhelming, haha. Let me do a rundown of some of the main items that are completed:

The pile keeps getting higher…items stuffed in suitcases, boxes and bags

Dress: Deborah’s Bridal - It came in and looks gorgeous! I cannot wait for my first alterations appointment in September.
Shoes: Nordstrom - Stewart Weitzman flip flops embellished with crystals

Jewelry: Swarovski Crystal – earrings and necklace. Kate Spade - bracelet
Photographer: Sarah Ellen Photography
Hair: Dominique Fulling - mother of the ring bearer and flower girl
Attire: All members of the wedding party are fully clothed, minus pants for the Groom and Groomsmen. We still need to decide if we want to go with khaki or linen pants. Any suggestions?
Ceremony: Tulle for the isle way and arch has been purchased. Palm Fans will be handed out to beat the heat, and decorated paint brushes will be available to brush the sand from between guests’ toes before leaving the beach.
Cake: ClayinAround (Etsy) - created our cake topper which is absolutely amazing. The clay work is remarkable. We also received our Kate Spade Gardner Street serving pieces and toasting flutes as a shower gift. The actual cake will be chosen once we get to Mexico.
Flowers: AccentsandPetals (Etsy) - we ordered over 600 wooden flowers in varying sizes and colors

My grandmother is currently constructing all of the bouquets and boutonnieres. In Mexico we will be building all of the centerpieces with the flowers as well.
Lanterns: Battery powered lanterns from World Market will be placed around the disco to provide more light.

Feathers for my dress and hair

There is still much to design and put together, including welcome bags, welcome books, dinner menus, door signs, etc. This has truly turned into a real DIY wedding!

Lots of Love,
Amanda

Maps: La Jolla, CA

Yesterday was opening day at the Del Mar Race Track which indicates the un-official "beginning of summer" down in the sunny So Cal city of San Diego. So we thought it was the perfect time to share this map showcasing the La Jolla shoreline.

This map was created for La Jolla Vacation Rentals to distribute in their rental properties ~ such a fun and cute idea!

So ditch the heat and consider heading to the coast for all that summer has to offer!

Adventures of a Bride-to-Be

Adventures of a (Second Time) Bride-to-Be
March 29, 2011

I’m starting off today’s entry with a rant and then will show more photo goodies in storyboard fashion…

I have come to realize that planning YOUR wedding is YOUR priority, but the people you have hired to help (or even friends who you’ve roped into it!) don’t have it as THEIR priority.

I have come to the part of the planning that is no longer “novel”; the newness has worn off & now the work has to get done. And I have hired everyone under the sun and more to help, yet I cannot seem to get them all to work together, even if I hired a planner to coordinate just that!

UGH, I am so very frustrated at this point. I am usually very “in charge” of what’s going on and am not a good delegator… I know this, I don’t ask people for help for that very reason. I am particular about what I do & do not want, so I don’t impose all of that on anyone else that I am not paying to do as I ask them to (as part of a contract). My friends know this, they know I’m picky, they make fun of me for it. It’s OK! But, when I’ve hired someone to do things for me, yet I have to do the work (or actually CONVINCE them to supplement their work if only to make the work get done quickly!).

YOUR priorities are not THEIR priorities. Just keep that in mind and you won’t be disappointed or anxious about things getting done. My advice for the week, make sure each vendor has your wishes known IN WRITING along the way. Due dates, status updates, and an understanding of what would be paid for & when.

PAYMENTS. That’s another rant this week. Make sure you AGREE to the payment schedule set forth in your contract. If you haven’t built a house before or done work with “milestone payments”, ask friends & make sure you don’t pay for everything before goods or services are delivered. Once completely paid, there is no incentive for any vendor to stay in touch and I cannot tell you how many I have chased down myself (WHERE is that planner I hired?).

Before I end with “all vendors are on the take”, know that MANY are reputable, live up to their word & contracts, and are very easy to work with. It is the few, though, that take up time you do not have. Make sure you know which ones these are and keep them on your communications list so that you are on the same page on a regular basis… You will be happier for it later.

And now, with my rants for the week over (there will be more), here are some more photos of my masterpiece wedding design process.

Inline, beginning from the uppermost left corner:
WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENTS: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
RECEPTION PLACE SETTING: Kehoe Designs & Laura Hooper Calligraphy
VENUE MAP: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
WEDDING STORAGE CLOSET: Alycia’s Personal Mess
WEDDING MAP: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
WEDDING INVITATION WORKROOM: Alycia’s Pooltable (to the chagrin of her fiancé)
WEDDING ORCHID DESIGN: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
WEDDING INVITATION: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
MONOGRAM: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
MEMORIAL CARD: Laura Hooper Calligraphy
WEDDING INVITATION WORKROOM #2: More of Alycia’s Basement (again, fiancé’s chagrin)

Until next time,

“Tough times don’t last, but tough people do.”

~Bear Bryant

xoxo,
Alycia

Maps: Louisville, KY

There's nothing quite like good old country charm and this map in the "Heart of Bluegrass" exemplifies just that!

With the race course, horses, farms, Opera House, horse park and horse shoe accents, wedding guests will be ready for a fun weekend adventure! As a special touch, the couple included their two pups shown at their own home and also the University of Kentucky where they met.

Maps: Mackinac Island, MI

Just a short ferry ride off the coast of Michigan lies the quaint Mackinac Island, and here is an adorable map we created for a wedding taking place there at the end of this month!

From the island's own website...
It’s an Island suspended in a forgotten, more innocent time. Relive the simple pleasures of life: A leisurely carriage ride on silent, uncrowded streets. Slowly dancing face-to-face with your loved one on the romantic floors of the Grand Hotel. Or simply sit and wonder at a star-splattered sky. Come to our Island. Stay the night. On Mackinac Island every day is timeless, every night precious.

Um, yes, please!

This map has a few icons that we just love ~ a horse-drawn carriage, buoys out by the dock, a butterfly gazebo...such sweet touches to set the scene for the romantic weekend! This couple wanted to feature the entire island but also spotlight the Main Street area so they asked us to create a special "star" key with an inset of this significant area. To top it all off, they added a floral border for a final accent!

Real Wedding: Montego Bay, Jamaica

One of our most popular blog posts ever was one featuring a boarding pass invitation suite. We also created an adorable Jamaica map for the couple, so we thought it would be fun to share the photos from the wedding itself!

First, the pieces we contributed...

And now the beautiful wedding photographed by Andrea Jae Photography, starting with the bride in her drool-worthy dress!

Congratulations to the bride and groom!

To see more of this tropical paradise wedding, visit Andrea Jae's blog!