Inspiration Storyboard: Coffee & Cybidium

I love coffee. The inspiration for this particular storyboard came from that deep and real love of all things java. I was at a friend's house one day and on the kitchen counter sat a clear container full of coffee beans. Given my addiction, it was a beautiful sight. I then thought about the chartreuse green of cybidium orchids and discovered that the colors are incredibly striking together. The contrast of the rich chocolate color of the coffee beans and the sharp, bright green of the cybidium orchid really play against each other. Here is a compilation of images I believe demonstrate the great combination of these hues. And now I want coffee... I'm off to Starbucks!

Image source: unknown

Please let us know if any of these belong to you and we'd be happy to give you credit!

Couture Cookies

When it comes to wedding favors, you can never go wrong with something edible. Check out Gumdrop Cookie Shop, which creates beautiful sugar cookies featuring your photo, monogram, or custom design for weddings and other special occasions. Have them create a unique cookie to match your wedding invitation or even your gown. You can also choose one of their couture designs. If you don't want to use them as favors, these sweet treats would also be a welcome addition to any candy buffet or dessert bar. Visit www.gumdropcookieshop.com to place an order.

A Stellar Anniversary Gift

I know, I know. This is a blog about weddings, not anniversaries. But where there’s a wedding, an anniversary is soon to follow. Perhaps you’d like to keep this gift idea in mind for when the time comes:


It’s a custom art print showing the position of the stars on a specified date and location. The traditional first anniversary gift is paper, so this would be a perfect way to commemorate your first year of marriage. I’d suggest hanging it above your bed so you can fall asleep beneath your wedding night sky every evening.

Visit www.indigonight.com to place an order. They have a variety of horizon scenes to choose from and you can add a personalized message to your print. Prices range from $39 to $119, depending on the size and framing options you choose.

Sweet Charity

When asked about favors, Jessica and I tend to recommend that couples go with edible favors or a donation to the charity of their choice. There are so many wonderful favor options available today, however this suggestion ensures that your carefully selected gift is never unintentionally put aside and forgotten.

Today I found the perfect combination of delicious chocolate and heart-warming humanity. This great idea results in the website Truffles for a Cause.


Take a moment to browse their site. They offer a variety of rich chocolates that are beautifully packaged. When your guests open this tiny parcel, they will be surprised and touched that there has been a donation made to a worthy cause in their name.

To continue the spirit of giving this post might inspire, please take a moment to leave a response to any of the Following Bliss blog entries to support our Comments for a Cause initiative.

Ooey-Gooey Chewy Goodness

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a rare breed of human - as in, the non-coffee-drinking kind. Now, I like Starbucks as much as the next person. What keeps me coming back, though, are not the Caramel Macchiatos, but the rice crispy treats! I LOVE them. Starbucks has somehow perfected the recipe so that it contains the ideal proportion of cereal, marshmallow, butter, and some other top-secret, super-addictive ingredient. They also possess some magical cutting device that yields these perfectly square, thick bricks of marshmallowy delight.

Anyhow, the point of that unnecessarily long introductory paragraph was to say that I love rice crispy treats. So imagine my excitement to stumble upon The Crispery – an online bake shop devoted entirely to rice crispy treats! And these are not your run-of-the-mill “crispy bars,” as they affectionately call them. The Crispery marries them with chocolate, and caramel, and peanut butter, and coconut; it embellishes them with candy, and sprinkles, and cookies, and graham crackers. As my favorite interior designer Candice Olson always says, “How divine.”

I haven’t sampled these babies yet, but I only discovered the website yesterday. What a delectable way to add a little something unexpected to your candy buffet or dessert bar. (Heck, why not create a rice crispy wedding cake?) Visit The Crispery to order individual crispy bars or gift boxes of up to 16.

A Warm Welcome

This weekend, I was blessed to watch as my husband’s best friend vowed to forever love a wonderful woman. The wedding was held on a beautiful beach in Cape May, NJ. The reception afterwards was a casual and intimate affair- that perfectly reflected the personalities of the bride and groom. Congratulations Jeff & Christine! I wish you the very best in your lives together.

When we arrived at the hotel to check in, we were given an adorable little gift. It was a blue metal pail with a white toy shovel. It included a few snacks, maps and information on the town, an adorable seashell candle and information on the couple’s favorite places in Cape May. I love the concept of the couple providing their guests a nice surprise that will welcome them to the experience they are about to share.

Although this idea is perfect for a destination wedding, it can be done no matter where you plan on getting married. Here are a few ideas for kind of items you could include in your guest’s welcome package.

-A map of the town. Include directions on how to get from the hotel to the ceremony and from the ceremony to the reception.

-A postcard depicting the town. Include a warm, personal note on the back welcoming your guests

-Some favorite local treats that the town is famous for (e.g. Hershey chocolate in Hershey PA, saltwater taffy in a beach town)

-A listing of your favorite restaurants in town. Be sure to include ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

-A listing of your entertainment hot spots. List the movie theater you like to frequent, a favorite bar, and other interesting activities in the area.

-Information on local attractions. You can contact the local Visitor’s Center and they can provide you with some pamphlets on area sights and attractions.

-A few trial size samples of products they may need. If you are in a beach town, provide a small bottle of sunscreen. If you are getting married in winter, provide some hand warmers.

-A mini bottle of champagne and a few candles so your guests can enjoy a romantic evening, celebrating your wedding day by reliving their own!

And keep in mind that the vessel you set these items in can also set the tone for your wedding. Take, for example, the bride I mentioned who used a pail in honor of her beach wedding. For a rustic New England wedding, you can use a beautiful woven basket. Use your imagination to ensure that the packaging is just as intriguing and personal as the surprises inside!

Did you create a welcome basket for your wedding guests? What did you include?

(Boston, Miami and Nantucket welcome baskets shown are by Kate Parker Weddings)

Fun Find: Wine Cork Candles

Planning a vineyard wedding? These Wine Cork Candles from Wisteria would be a lovely addition to your event décor. Made of paraffin wax, they’re the same size and shape as real corks, so they fit perfectly in the top of a wine bottle. You can pick up three sets of four different cork designs for just $18.00. Wine bottles are not included, so be sure to save your empty bottles and set them aside during the months leading up to your wedding.

Charming!

As odd as this sounds, one of my favorite parts of wedding planning was selecting the gift for my maid-of-honor... my younger sister and best friend- Lindsey. It was important to me that I find something very meaningful and beautiful for this person that would stand by my side as I said "I do". I decided on presenting her with a charm bracelet. I spent HOURS browsing through charms that related to our lives together.

Here are just a few examples of the simple symbols that had incredible meaning for these two sisters:

Witch charm - For the time we went to Salem, Massachussetts with our father.


Tooth charm- For when I lost my first baby tooth due to an ill-fated bed jumping session with Lindsey

Teddy bear charm- For my favorite teddy bear that Lindsey wrote on with permanent marker because she was jealous I got a paper fan at a friend's birthday party

Check out some of these great websites for beautiful charm bracelets! Any of your bridal party members would be honored to receive such a thoughtful gift.

C.H.A.R.M

Charm N Jewelry

Charm Country

Ever Charming

photo sources:
Bracelet~ First Treasures
Witch charm~ Just Nan
Tooth charm~ Charm Factory
Teddy bear charm~ Marty Magic

Unique Bouquet Alternatives

A collection of fresh roses with stems wrapped in soft satin ribbon is what we normally picture when we think of a bridal bouquet. However, since weddings have become more unique and free-form, you have more opportunities to express yourself through what you decide to carry down the aisle. In Jessica's previous blog contribution Fabric Boutonnieres, she discussed a creative option for bridal party flowers.

Here are a few of my favorite alternatives to the classic bridal bouquet.


Put a new twist on a classic

Completely redefine the term "bouquet"

Photo sources:

Crepe paper roses - Martha Stewart Crafts

Bright paper flowers - OffBeat Bride

Clay Stephanotis - Etsy seller DK Designs

Beaded flowers - Etsy seller Bead Flora Jewels

Colorful felt & buttons - Princess Lasertron

Monogram parasol - Prior Engagement Blog

Personalized paper fan - Beach Wedding Planning

Peony pomander - Chique Weddings

Copper & beads - Etsy seller Refinerii

Monarch butterflies - Etsy seller Whichgoose

Buttons - Etsy seller Kreated by Kelly

Blue ornaments - OffBeat Bride

Feathers - HatsnStuff

Seashells - Etsy seller Chocolate Brooms and Bouquets

White Moroccan lantern - Aspen Country

Beads & crystals - Wedding Bridal Combs

Paint the Picture

Sometimes it’s difficult to truly see the big picture of your wedding design. In your travels, you find individual elements that catch your eye that you would love to incorporate into your event vision. However, it can be difficult to see the things you love objectively.

For a way to get a better sense of what your wedding will look like, I recommend purchasing a collage board.

Pick up paint chips of colors that call to you from Home Depot. Purchase a fat quarter of fabric that you fall in love with at Joann’s. Tear out photos of various décor elements from your favorite magazines. Print out ideas you have come across on the internet (including photos of your ceremony and reception locations).

Place all of these images and materials on the board to create your own wedding day collage. Spend some time standing a few feet away from it, adding new pieces and removing others.

As you inspect your wedding design collage, ask yourself some questions:

1. Do these colors complement each other? Matchy-matchy is not the goal of wedding design, but the various colors should play off each other and bring out the rest of the décor.

2. Do the items flow together? You do not necessarily need a theme, but the aspects of your wedding should provide a consistency throughout the entire event.

3. Do the items really speak to your personalities? The event should be a true display to your guests of what is in your hearts on the day you celebrate your marriage with them.

4. Are you selecting wedding elements simply because you feel obligated out of tradition? Jordan almonds are not a necessity. They may be the standard favor for a lot of weddings… but this is your time to think outside of the box.

5. Is this vision realistic in comparison to my budget? We all love the lush floral arrangements you see spotlighted at a wedding planned by Preston Bailey- but it’s not a reality for many people (myself included). However, there are ways to recreate this look. Take some time reviewing the more extravagant details you admire and brainstorm ways to invoke the same feeling for less money.

What are some methods you use to envision your event design as you make decor decisions?

[photo source: Crafty.Quirky.Fun Blog]

Add some tackiness to your wedding

No, not THAT kind of tackiness. This kind of tackiness:

Use these decorative thumbtacks (push pins, whatever you want to call them) to create a simple and unique guestbook: have guests write well wishes on little slips of paper and tack them to a fabric bulletin board or corkboard. Stikpins come in an array of super fun colors like Hot Ruby Roja and Oceanology (pictured above).

Or if you prefer patterns over solids, Etsy offers a huge variety of decorative tacks to coordinate with any event design concept, like these cherry blossom ones from seller GamiWorks . . .

. . . or these organic-inspired ones from seller MostlyMagnets.

So go ahead and get a little tacky!

Address Labels with Personality

In planning our own weddings, Jessica and I stumbled across this fun product. It is a perfect addition to your wedding thank you cards. Browse FamilyLabels.com and have fun playing with all of the variations of return address labels that you can create!

You can opt for a version displaying you and your husband in your bridal trousseau. Or as I did, you can use the label as an opportunity to introduce your new "family". In my case, this consisted of cartoons of me, Jay and our two beloved cats Gizmo and Chevy! I have continued to use these as the return labels for our holiday cards and party invitations every year. We get comments on how adorable they are every single time we use them.

Check out FamilyLabels.com and CupidLabels.com and personalize your own!

Grooming the Groom

Recently I have noticed that men are becoming nostalgic in their shaving rituals. Gone are the days of cheap plastic Bic razors and cans of Barbasol shaving cream. These implements are being replaced by expensive straight razors and badger hair brushes. My husband has recently become appreciative of the close shave only these tools can provide.


Why not use this growing trend as a way to give your groom and his groomsmen their equivalent of the bridal party pedicure/manicure outing? Not only will it relax them for the events of the day, but it will ensure that they arrive to the wedding fresh faced and nicely groomed (pun intended). Forget golfing or an outing to a local bar--- send them to The Art of Shaving in New York City!

The Art of Shaving is a salon that provides spa services and products geared toward men looking for the ultimate in shaving experiences. Owners Myriam and Eric have perfected their shaving system and The Art of Shaving’s high-end products can be found in department stores and in their 17 locations nationwide.

We women tend to think that we are the only ones who truly appreciate being pampered. Men are starting to realize just how valuable these services are. Treat your fiancé and his best friends to this wonderful experience.

How did your husband spend the days prior to your wedding? What other activities would you suggest for a groom and his wedding party prepping for the big day? Comment for a cause!

[Photo source: The Art of Shaving]

Handmade by Someone Else

I love to create (which comes in quite handy as a wedding planner)! For my own wedding, it was apparent from the beginning that a lot of my details would be do-it-yourself.

If you're not so "crafty" and still want some beautiful, handmade details for your own event, check out Etsy's wedding page. They have everything from invitations to cake toppers to ring pillows. You will spend hours browsing this site... I know I can!

Here are some beautiful finds from this wonderful site!

Daphne Bridal Tiara by SarJil Design Studio

Unity Candle Set (color customizable) by Paula's Petal Pastries

Wedding Invitation by Blossom Accents

Love Is (Still) In The Air

Although Valentine’s Day just passed, I still feel like love is in the air.

One of the best things about attending a wedding as a guest is to enjoy the romantic atmosphere with your significant other. As we go through our days, sometimes it becomes tougher and tougher to take the time to really cherish each other and do things to spark the passion and love in our relationships.

A great gift from the couple to their guests can be a renewal of romance. Your favor can act as the catalyst for this. Instead of traditional guest gifts, why not give other couples something that transport them back to the early days of their marriage.

Movie Night

There is nothing I love more than to enjoy a movie with my husband. We love to spend time together, snuggled up on the couch- watching our favorite films! A favor consisting of a Blockbuster gift card and a bag of popcorn will encourage your married guests to schedule a cozy night in, getting reacquainted with each other!

Romance Personified
Champagne and chocolate strawberries are seen as as the ultimate romantic snack. Provide each couple with a split of champagne and a box with two chocolate-covered strawberries. They can light a few candles at home and watch the sparks fly!

Extravagant Gesture
For the no-limits budget, nothing says classic romance like champagne and caviar! Your guests can pack this in a picnic basket and enjoy a beautiful day, recreating the romance that inspired them to get married in the first place!

Given how busy people are nowadays, romance tends to take a backseat to every day chores. Your wedding favor will be greatly appreciated by guests, as they find inspiration to rekindle the spark in their own relationship.

(photo credits: movie night basket via On-A-Whim, chocolate-covered strawberries via Ranch Foods Direct, champagne & caviar via AllPosters.com)

A Refreshing Favor Idea

I recently stumbled across the website of MyJones Soda, a company that creates personalized bottles of soda with your photo and a quote. What a fun favor idea! These aren’t your average, run-of-the-mill colas either. MyJones offers a variety of delicious-sounding flavors like Crushed Melon, Blue Bubble Gum, and Fufu Berry. At $29.99 for a 12-pack, these sodas would also be a great addition to your pre-ceremony beverage bar. Discounts are available for ordering 10 or more packs. Visit www.myjones.com to place your order.

Fun Find: Preserved Boxwood Hearts

I received the latest Ballard Designs catalog today and am loving these Preserved Boxwood Hearts to decorate church pews. The included hanging ribbon is sheer to blend seamlessly with any wedding color scheme. At $34.00 for a set of two, they are a bit on the pricey side, so if your budget can’t accommodate the quantity needed to decorate the full length of the aisle, pick up two or three sets to distinguish the first few rows of pews that are reserved for bridal party members and family.

The Color of Ideas

I have never made it a secret that one of my favorite things in world is color. I enjoy finding new and different color combinations. I look to my surroundings to constantly discover color schemes that are complimentary and unique.

Pantone® is the world leader in the “color industry”. It is the most widely used standard for colors in print, paint and manufacturing. Their Color Think Tank identifies new colors and continually creates new and interesting color palettes.

(source: Wikimedia Commons)

Pantone® can be a great resource in determining your event color scheme. Their website provides information on fashion’s up-and-coming color trends and the latest color inventions. Take a moment to browse through their site and you will see colors working together that you would have never thought to combine. The concept that any colors can compliment each other given the correct shade and value is one that will remove the limit from the combinations you can use for your color design. It can be very inspiring to put away the traditional rules you have always adhered to regarding color.

A lot of color combinations have been “done to death” for weddings. Take a chance and ensure that your event is truly one of a kind!

Never forget your anniversary

Does your man have trouble remembering special dates and anniversaries? Well he no longer has an excuse with these unique calendar keepsakes from Not Just Any Old Day. They offer sterling silver calendars that can be incorporated into a variety of jewelry and gift items, from bracelets to business card cases and even baby rattles. A beautiful Swarovski crystal or gemstone marks your special date. What a neat idea!




These keepsakes would make a very special gift for the bride or groom-to-be. Prices start at $98.00 for a calendar charm. Visit www.notjustanyoldday.com to see their full array of gift items.