This couple is featured on my 'Today's Inspiration.' They are excellent photographers and might be the cutest couple I've never known. Check out their website by clicking on the logo above. Just fantastic!

Troy & Aimee's engagement (Troy Grover Photographers)

 Precious engagement story of Rylan and Mali.

Please tell me Antique & Estate jewelry gets you as giddy as I do! Take a gander at Walton's Antique & Estate Jewelry blog.

Walton's is located in my hometown of Franklin, TN and are always getting great new pieces! (obsessed).

How adorable is this couple? Her reception dress is just presh! 

Photography by: Jose Villa

First Impression

Mandy Lynne Photography

This weekend I facilitated a recruitment workshop for 120 sorority girls. Now, those who aren't familiar with the ins & outs of sorority rush there is one thing we are sure to drill and that is...how to make a first impression. So it got me thinking, what would I consider the first impression of a wedding?

Invitations are no longer just an invite; they are decorated cardstock that should tell a story, your story. Now, hear me say this...I don't want you spendin' an arm and a leg. A five piece invitation kit is sure to impress but is sure to join the scraps in less than a month.

So let's talk options. I love maps. If you are having a wedding in a tourist hot-spot make a map of not only where you'll wed but also hangouts you & your groom frequent (sports arenas, zoos, lake fronts).

Plantation (old south) weddings make me weak in the knees so if this is your plan, consider highlighting your venue with a hand sketched card. There's nothing I love more than a new drawing of old oaks.

Now, I am sure you'll all agree that there's nothin' better than a good love story. A timeline of a couples courtship tucked in an envelope would have me smiling and tearing up all at the same time. The invitation below pulled at my heart strings and is worthy of some Ooo's and Ahh's.

Now to top it all off, ponder your postage! Below are Martha Stewarts suggestions for (1)Garden Weddings, (2)City Celebrations, (3)Beach Parties, & (4)Mountain Nuptials. Simply put...love, love, love.

Remember, these can be inexpensive. Ask an artsy friend to draw you out a map, Photoshop a picture of your venue, or get a card company to make one example and color copy the rest on thick cardstock. Quote to leave you with:

To impress I suggest to request all the best.

'Save' the Date! (adorable)

I Kneed Your Love

                                                                                                                                                                  Grant Isaac Studio

                                                                                                                                                                                      

Tonight, at a sports bar with two women...I hopped on my soapbox as we discussed engagements. As we talked about their engagement stories, I exclaimed my requirements. They are simple and sweet and non-negotiable...

(1) Ask for my father's blessing

(2) Kneel on one knee

Yes, it is 2011 and I am aware this isn't the "old'n days" but if you want to call me old fashioned go right ahead! There is something kind and romantic about the beau you love, offering you the choice to spend the rest of your life with him. Today, only 60 percent of men do this...so hear me now fellas, step it up and kneel it down!

" Carry Kleenex "

Phindy Studios

Now that I am in my twenties, made mistakes, and learned valuable lessons I can now say, without rolling my eyes, she was right. Mothers are a precious gift that temperamental, teenage girls (world on the brink of ending) can take for granted. So, as an ode to the women who told us so, I have chosen to share a delightful and heartfelt story of a mothers experience watching her beautiful daughter shop for a wedding dress!

                "When we arrived at our first boutique, it was a bit overwhelming. As we sat in a sea of wedding dresses, the bridal assistant quizzed Lauren on all the wedding details and her budget. Soon they were pulling dresses and Lauren put on her slip. It was in that moment, as she began twirling in the white slip that a lump began to grow in my throat. The time was here, no turning back...my girl is about to become a princess. As the assistant, Caroline slipped the dress over Lauren's head, the tears were instantaneous. At that moment, the twenty-two year old faded away, and my little five year old was playing dress-up in a tiny white wedding gown and veil. I knew immediately that this was 'the dress.' One hour and ten dresses later, Lauren also knew she had found her dress, and it was that very first dress."

Do you have advise for future mother's-of-the-bride?

                "Mom, carry Kleenex with you! Trust me, you're going to need them. And mom, you had your chance to choose your dress, let her have her chance."

Lauren, age 5

Thank you Mrs. Cindy Poché for sharing your story! I know Lauren is so lucky to have a mother like you on her side!

Belles of the Ball Gown

Carolina Herrera

After a week of fighting a virus I can't pronounce, I am back...and loaded with dresses to share! I purchased the Martha Stewart Weddings magazine tonight and started thumbing through the many ads and crafty creations. 

Might I say...big thumbs up to Ms. Stewart. Unlike the cheesy prom magazines, I loved every dress that was advertised (granted these included Monique Lhuillier and Oscar de la Renta). No matter the name, they proved to me this - timelessness and elegance is how to dress to impress in 2011!

Christos

Each page was filled with beautiful draping, intricate belts, lace and sweetheart necklines. Mix them all together and it's better than buttered biscuits from Loveless Cafe! So here are a few of my favs...Let me know your thoughts! 

Ivy & Aster