Proud to be an American

Hands down, my favorite holiday is the 4th of July! I only recollect fond memories that come with each passing year and each grand finale. My Aunt Diane's sinfully-scrumptious cheesecake cupcakes (that I never will be able to replicate), the love of an embrace during the fireworks, and above all - turning up the volume to some good ol' rock n' roll! Songs that make you proud to be an American.

I am so grateful to the soldiers who have given their time, their lives, and even their families to make our nation privileged to stand in freedom and liberty. May God Bless America. ~

"I Believe in Fairies" Inspirational Collage No. 2

It seems like yesterday I held my daughter, Samarah Jean, for the first time. She only just turned seven months on the 28th of June, but how quickly that time has flown by. I treasure the first moment she breathed, the first time her eyes gazed deeply into mine, and every second I have spent with her since - her birth has overflowed my life with so much joy! She's the most magical person I've met.

Photography By Eileen M. Posadny


With her first birthday coming in November, I wanted the theme to express that magic I find in her - and what's more magical then fairies? So I have built a new inspirational collage and am excited to begin putting the pieces together for my little girl's first birthday. ~

 

Fairy Art: "Wolf & Willow" Blog

Baby Girl Romper: Found on Etsy Shop, BebeAlamodeBoutique

Baby Birthday Cake: "On to Baby" Blog

Vintage Cotton: Inspiration Board No.1

I first spotted the cotton theme on Style Me Pretty... and after idolizing this bouquet I couldn't rest until I satisfied my desire for more! I'm in love with the creativity this soft texture has to offer.

Vintage worn furniture is also a trend worth noticing. I myself enjoy garage sales and have purchased my own classic pieces in the past; however, if you are dismayed searching there, antique stores are filled with inspiration! Paired with touches of quality, such as table cards with calligraphy or a display of historic family photography, older furniture can ad so much personality to your wedding story. ~


Blog Love Credits:
Cotton Bouquet: Photo by Melissa Munding. Don't forget to view the entire wedding for more inspiration!
Girl with the Birdcage: Photos by Clayton Austin Found on Blog Green Wedding Shoes
Vintage Dresser:  Found on Blog Kiss the Bride
Cotton Boutonniere: Photography by Jasmine Star Found on Blog Jolie Jolie

Photographer+Artist=EVERYTHING

When a bride starts the tremendous task of planning her own wedding, I don't believe she grasps how much a wedding really costs nowadays. The average wedding falls around $30,000 and the dollars keep-on climbing from there. For some, that's enough to have a heart-attack! When you get smacked in the face with those numbers, it's even harder to understand "WHY." WHY so much for the...

Venue? -$3,000

Caterer??? -$10,000

Cake????? -$1,000

Photographer?????? -$3,000

And yes, you can go through the backroads of the wedding industry to scrape for a good deal; but my advice for all brides: GET A GOOD PHOTOGRAPHER!

And here's why.

Your wedding day will literally feel like a blur. You will spend months, sometimes years planning for the biggest moment of your life and in one day it comes to an end. It's the most AMAZING day of your life - don't get me wrong; but it goes by so fast and there's so much you will miss.

A good photographer will not re-pose these missed moments. A true artist will capture your Father's proud radiance, your Husband's hidden tear, the closeness of your love, and the details of the day.

-You can spot a good photographer, when you examine their portfolio and get the impression that each wedding tells the story of each specific bride & groom. Every shot is his ability to capture a story.

-You can spot a bad photographer, when the album is chaotic, there's no difference in each shot from the next, and he has no range in his creativity. A personality says a lot too - meet with them and see how your personalities' click. If there's no connection, you probably won't connect well with him in your photos. It will show.

Here's an example of the difference:

DERKS WORKS - Photographer averaging around $5,000.

From Derks Works, I know that Anna put a lot of love and creativity into planning her own day. She is a style blogger - check out her blog: "See Jane!"




CHERISHED MEMORIES PHOTOGRAPHY, averaging $2,000

Need I explain the difference in quality? Not to sound mean, but these couples received exactly what they paid for. 

Your photographer will tell the story of your commitment, so that you can turn the pages of your wedding album and tell your children how you and your husband fell in love. I  believe memories are what leave our legacy behind in this life and they're the most important thing we own. So whether your budget is $100,000 or $7,000 - don't try to nickel and dime the good photographer away; because a good artistic photographer is worth every single cent!

a NOT so bummer Summer Wedding!

While surfing the internet for juicy summer weddings, I happened across this cheerful array of colors that instantly attracted my eye, from Hostess with the Mostest! Where I will now become an avid visitor. ;)

What I love about this wedding: it has such a unique quality to it, with such vibrant colors and sweet touches. This concept would be great for any budget! A cheery summer wedding that says, "We're getting married - and celebrating it!" Awesome design. Awesome colors. LOVE it!

You can purchase most of the paper-art by Courtney on her ETSY shop!

This Wedding was created by: Courtney from Joyful Weddings & Events 

Simplistic Budgeting

For many, the bride's vision for her big day is BIG. For most, they've had this day perfected down to the last jot and tittle before they even found that lucky man.
Tis' true.
Now the diamond's on the finger and the race has begun!  Trying to outwit the next bride for that perfect venue! The overflowing candelabras, glittering with orchids! That $10,000 gown from Vera Wang! But hold on second, aren't we forgetting a little something? Oh yes, that's when the dreaded "B" word checks in...

The BUDGET. Just the word itself calls for a drink - margarita night, anyone?

More and more brides, especially in today's economy, are dropping their dreams for the Cinderella royal-treatment Wedding. For the hard-working American, the days of bigger wedding budgets are slimming down quite a bit; because they simply cannot afford it.

However, my belief is that you still can have that beautiful wedding - even if your budget is $5,000. It requires flexibility on your part, but offers simplistic beauty. Here are a few of my tips:

1. Have a Destination Wedding - Find a venue that really fits your future spouse and yourself. If you have a destination wedding, you can still send everyone expecting an invitation; but only close family and friends will really attempt to be their for your wedding. It's not as much stress as you may think, most venues have wedding planners on hand and can plan from afar. Also, this wedding creates more excitement, because most of your guests turn it into a vacation for themselves! Think outside of the box - like Ireland or Jamaica! If you invite 300 - 50 might show. Most venues charge per person for the whole deal.

2. Have a Morning Wedding and Skip the Liquor - No one expects liquor for a morning affair and a brunch menu helps with the budget; but still can be done-up very elegantly! Get creative - if you're those two who met at Starbucks, setup a bistro with cupcakes, donuts, and yummy lattes! Hire a French Chef to make Crepes to prepare for your guests! Possibilities are endless.

Photo from Shannon Leahy Wedding & Event Blog

3. Do It Yourself, But Get a Wedding Consultant for the Day Of - Wedding Consultants are extremely helpful, but maybe you can't squeeze one into the budget. That's ok! If anything, you'll need one for the Big Day and most can negotiate a price that's right to help you run everything in order. Get organized - present the phone numbers, names, and certain specifications you might have (a few songs for the "don't play" list, wedding-crasher-relatives/friends to avoid, decorations implemented the way you'd like, etc). Time is money; so if you waste your wedding-day worrying and things don't go right, it's worth the $500 for a Wedding Consultant. Another point, is the minute you loose your cool and start bossing people, you automatically become a.... dare I say... "BRIDEZILLA." So a Wedding Consultant takes care of that whole problem, she gets to give the orders, and you get to relax like a Princess. It's a win-win situation.

4. Get Crafty! - Not talented with some scissors and glue? Everyone knows at least one person in their lives who excels at this talent - and they're the ones practically BEGGING to help you for your Big Day. Martha Stewart Magazines are filled with creative ideas that are usually cost-efficient and if you can't find anything there, plop onto a couch and search for ideas at Barnes & Nobles with a Frappaccino. Yummy! Once you have your leads, spend a day with your artistic-self or friend and brainstorm. This makes your wedding uniquely you.

5. Off-Season - Off season weddings  (dates after the first week of November) will help you save on a venue, DJ, cake, and sometimes even a photographer! Be sure to ask your vendors if they offer this discount and not to sound desperate when asking for a specific date. The down-side of this deal, is that off-season flowers (peonies, orchids, lilies, etc.) are even pricier then usual. Instead, you can work with Autumn elements, like branches, thistles, and leaves. Another plus? Pictures in the fall are breathtaking!


6. Be Simple - Don't over-do - it's so easy to fall into this trap! When you have the sequinned-to-death wedding gown, the 5-layer-frosted cake, the over-flowing amount of orchids, and the bridesmaids dressed for their prom! 


... breathe... 


Tone it down a bit and focus on two things to splurge on. Ask yourself, "What's important to me?"


"My gown?"
"My decorations and flowers?"
"My photographer?" 


And create simple decorations to make the evening flow. Most of your guests will be overwhelmed if you do too much and may not even get to enjoy everything you worked so diligently to prepare. I recommend reading "Simple Stunning Weddings" by Karen Bussen. It's a great book to teach you how to style dramatically in a simple way. 

So, these are just some ideas that I thought to share. I hope someday to really be useful to the budgeting bride to make her dreams come true. Thank you for reading!

Do you have budgeting tips? Please share them with the rest of us! We'd love to hear your comments!

ENGAGE

Whoever thought of ENGAGE was simply brilliant. For those who desire a weekend of wedding delights and are eager to listen from the best in the industry - this is the place to be. I now have yet another aspiration to add to my 5 year plan! 

Engage Conference 2011