NYC Engagement Shoot

Let's kick off the year with an engagement! It makes sense, right? The new year is filled with such possibility and excitement, and so are those months when you are engaged. Before you settle in to married life, when all you can do is picture this momentous day that is looming in front of you. A new year is so similar in that you start off with all these images in your head of all that you will accomplish this year, and then the year goes by, and things happen you could not anticipate. Both are magical, but only one happens once in a lifetime. Here's to a kicking off the year with a little rare magic!

Check out this awesome engagement shoot from Jillian Bisinger via Brooklyn Bride. Rachel and Mario shot these super adorable photos in New York City's Little Italy. This shoot not only makes me hungry, but it also makes me wish I could exude such breezy style.


Happy New Year, peeps!

(Photos by Jillian Bisinger via Brooklyn Bride)

I Could Have Danced All Night

Photo by me!

First of all, thanks to everyone who commented congrats! I really appreciate the outpouring of love! I'm not as good as I used to be about responding to comments, so please forgive me, but I did read them all and appreciate them, as always.

I must try to hurry and get this posted because A.P. is taking me out to dinner tonight to celebrate my employment. And because I don't want to be that girl, you know, the one who always is running late (which I am 95% of the time when it comes to these things) I need to go shower, and get prettified. But first...there's the dance!

So, as I told you all before, I have designed a mock-up of our invitation. It's really, really, really in the beginning stages, and I have yet to scan it in, but after checking out Brooklyn Bride last week, I was stunned to see almost my exact same invitation! So if you're curious what ours will look like, go look at this, because I swear to God it's almost the exact same thing. Insane!

Also, remember how I said shopping carts would be the new balloons?? Um, yeah...CALLED IT! Don't believe me? Go look. Caroline Tran is a photographer I've featured before and she's worked her magic again with this delightful engagement session as featured on Green Wedding Shoes, featuring a SHOPPING CART. See? Trendsetter, or at least trend caller!

Still haven't found your wedding dress? Gangsta Bride had mad love for these under 1K dresses! I do, too!!

Now for the little details, which as you know, are my favorite! A.P. still doesn't understand why the little things always bother me, and I always say, it's because the little things are IMPORTANT. And they are. Especially when the little things are jars filled with wooden spools, vintage buttons, and woolen balls. Those are the stuff of dreams. I've been ebay browsing vintage keys, wooden spools and vintage wooden tops for MONTHS trying to make a nice collection not only for some interesting objets d'art around our house, but also for our wedding. The only issue I've had is trying to figure out how to display them. Enter Jordyn and Bradley's wedding as featured on Once Wed! Check out some of their centerpieces:

Photos via Once Wed

So simple and cute! Plus if little jars aren't your thing, check out these fabulous table settings as featured on Style Me Pretty. I love the little bird cage and bird (duh, right?)!

Or what about these fantastic papercuts as featured on Thoughtful Day? They would make beautiful centerpieces! Or if it's too costly, at least buy one and put it by your guestbook! Might I suggest the bird one? (Again...duh...like you didn't know I would suggest that one!)

Or if papercuts aren't your thing, and sparklers are (have I explained why I heart sparklers so much? One day I need to tell you about my first date with A.P.), check out this beautiful setup:

Photo via C. is for Charmed

Don't be surprised if you see something similar in my wedding photos! Or for that matter a take on these cute cake toppers from Party Perfect. Soooo adorable. I almost like the birthday girl better than the wedding one!

I keep starting paragraphs with "Or"...what am I? A manic wedding planning blogger? I can't help it. Simple pretty things get me excited. Like A Field Journal's Paper Lace banners. So simple and soooo easy! I don't know anyone who could mess this one up! I think even A.P. could make this (and maybe come wedding time, he will!).

Finally, I know I always go on and on about all these little details, and I'm sure many of you are thinking I'm crazy. But really, they do pay off. I try very hard to pick ideas for Friday dances, or just the blog in general that are simple, doable, and beautiful. So when I saw this wedding over on A Cup of Jo, I figured it would be a good example of how easy, cost-effective details can really pay off. So as my final farewell before dinner and Julie & Julia (which I've been waiting for since I devoured the book two years ago!), I give you, A Lemon Wedding!

All Photos via A Cup of Jo

Have a great weekend, party people! I'll be back blogging next week with a DIY project I've been dying to share with you!

I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor

photo by me!

It's late again...I know. A.P. had a half day yesterday and we spent the afternoon at a big book fair downtown stocking up on used lovelies, and then we grabbed something to eat, came home chillaxed, and then made dinner and watched Two Lovers, which I loved and he did not. Needless to say that there was no time in that quality time for blogging. Nevertheless...here it is, your Friday dance...Saturday...again.

So, I'm not going to lie: This week's dance is a little, shall we say light? You can tell because the pictures are bigger and two of them are of the same post! I perused so many sites this week, but call me picky, I couldn't find that much I was loving. Perhaps I'm too stressed to fully appreciate what was out there? I don't know. A.P. asked me the other day what happens to this blog after we get married. Well, if things stay like this, I'm thinking there won't be any problem. Haha. Just kidding. I still got love for my bridal blogs!

There were some posts that were awww-worthy. For instance this monochromatic beauty of a wedding over at Brooklyn Bride. First off, how cool is it that they asked everyone to wear white? I'm seriously thinking about stealing that idea! Why? Because that means all their photos looked like this:

photo via Brooklyn Bride

How aesthetically pleasing, no? They also had the nicest escort/place cards.

photo via Brooklyn Bride

This got me thinking because, as you may remember, up until now, I've been in love with these place cards, via Papier Valise's blog, Scissor Variations:

photo via Scissor Variations

The thing is, I use those same plant markers that this Brooklyn Bride wedding used! I buy them at Target every year in the cheap bins at the front of the store. They cost $1 for a set of six. This year when I went and bought more, I was thinking that they might make good nameplates. Then I decided I liked the ones from Scissor Variations more. After seeing those copper plant markers in use, though, I'm seriously changing my mind. Only time will tell, but for now, there's some serious competition. Perhaps A.P. will be the deciding vote?

Another great reception idea? Dessert buffet. No, I know, you're like, "Marty, you're losing your touch! That idea is soooo two years ago!" You're right. It is sooo two years ago...if you serve your desserts on coordinating cake plates or in various sized apothecary jars. I'm talking about dessert buffets with your pastry lovelies served out of interesting repurposed antiques. Here, look:

photo via Oh Joy!

I got this idea from a post I saw over at Oh Joy! It featured some lovely photos from a bakery and the lightbulb in my head went off. Wedding gold! I may or may not do this myself. It just depends on how lazy I'm feeling since I'm already planning so many other tentative DIYs.

Speaking of Oh Joy!, they also featured these great papercut maps, which of course you know I love! Go! Check them out! They'd make a nice wedding gift if the people have some sort of connection to either London or Paris. I myself am holding out for Brandon, FL (A.P.'s hometown). I'm certain they will be available in 2010.

Speaking of London and Paris, anyone thinking about having their wedding abroad? If so, please emulate this Italian villa wedding featured on Once Wed...especially the bride's epaulette (I don't know what else to call it, really).

photo via Once Wed

Not at the wedding dress, location , or reception ideas portion of your wedding planning yet? Just getting your invitations sorted? Then go oooh and aaaah over the adorableness of these invites featured on Green Wedding Shoes. Sigh.

Finally, go scan this article on MSN, and be glad that your life will not be as confusing as these two's. (One person shouts, "Kelly?" Both respond. Chaos ensues.) I wonder if it'll last...is that wrong? Oh well. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Friday, er, Saturday Dance!

photo by me!

So...here it is...the super belated Dance Friday post! There's so much to post!! This is why you don't take a blogcation!

First up is another Jeremy Lawson wedding. If you haven't yet figured out my intense love for Jeremy's photographs, take a hint! This is not the first Dance Friday he's been featured in! I know there are a lot of famous wedding photographers out there who get a lot of love, but I always come back to Jeremy. I like how he captures emotion, and it never seems like he's trying so damn hard to be arty. Anyway, the latest of his creations that I have fallen for is Ashley and Brian's wedding. They were married in Iowa, a state with which I have a special love affair, and even had part of their wedding shoot at the Field of Dreams! So cool! I'm so jealous! Haven't been there in ages! Check out some of the photos below, and for the rest, go to Jeremy's blog (because we all know my polaroids don't do his beautiful photos justice)!

photos via Jeremy Lawson Photography

The only thing missing from Ashley and Brian's wedding is perhaps the use of a some good vintage bicycles. They should have asked Kortney and Jason to borrow their bikes.

photo via Green Wedding Shoes

Okay, let's talk dresses for a moment. Do you guys read Chuckle's Blog? She was one of my first readers, and though her blog wasn't ever intended to be a wedding blog, it became that for a little while as she put the finishing details into planning her own wedding. Lately she's been posting pictures of the event, and while the whole affair looked very personalized and lovely, it was her beautiful vintage dress that caught my attention. Now for the part that'll make you hate her like hell...she only paid $75 for it!!! I know, I know. I'm jealous, too. Check it out:

photos via Chuckle's Blog

That's my dream...to find a cheap little vintage number that flatters my body and makes the other girls sigh both based on its wow factor and the fact that I got it at such a bargain. Don't get me wrong...I'll take expensive and sigh-worthy, too. I still don't know about veils though. I love birdcage veils and think they're so cute and chic if done right, but this girl's hairpiece made me rethink my birdcage veil aspirations. Perhaps I'll trade in a birdcage veil for a bird in nest hairpiece? If so, I'll have only Vintage Glam to thank!

Now for the reception. My big thing in wedding planning more than anything else are the tiny details that really personalize the wedding. These are my recent favorites. First up are the swizzle sticks from A Field Journal. How cute would your initials be on these pretty little sticks? You could also adapt this pattern into cute name cards!

photo via A Field Journal

My other favorite is from Parcel Post who is subbing in for Brooklyn Bride. She posted on artsy indie finds and included this simple string of yarn with hearts paperclipped to it. How cute! It's so simple and inexpensive and it's so cute. You could even glam it up a bit with pretty craft paper and pretty gold paperclips. A great idea for escort cards, too! Such a simple thing with so many possibilities.

photo via Brooklyn Bride

Finally, this video which I found over at A Cup of Jo is the most adorable thing ever. Check it out, and most of all, enjoy the rest of the weekend! Make sure to come back next week, I've got great invites from Felix and Liz, and some other cute stuff saved up!