Love Song Friday, Volume 26

Thank goodness for Friday! It has been a hard day for me. We had to kennel our sweet puppy since we are heading out of town for the weekend. I cried in front of the receptionist. She assured me Jane would love being there and playing with other puppies. She told me to call whenever I wanted. I have called 85 0 times thus far. I figure I can't be too stalkerish if I only dropped her off an hour ago. One big bag of crazy is probably what they are thinking!

This week was full of excitement from lessons learned at the bridal expo to introducing another sweet couple. Justin Alexander shined on Wedding Dress Wednesday and I also covered the reasons why every bride needs a videographer. I got quite a bit of feedback on Facebook about the need for one! One sweet lady even told me she has been married almost 25 years and they still get out the VHS and watch. That alone makes me confident in my profession. 25 years later and still loving their video!

For today's feature song I needed something to put a smile on my face. Anytime that I need a smile booster what else does the trick but Glee? Yes readers I am a gleek! I seriously can't get enough of this show and while my husband pretends to not be interested I even catch him glancing over to watch. True goodness = Glee. I chose Silly Little Love Songs and am so glad to be sharing it with you all. I hope that everyone has a blessed Friday, an even better weekend and lots of laughter and love. Unicorns, rainbows and glitter oh my! Let's Gleek out y'all!

Video Source: Here

Top 8 Reasons to Hire a Wedding Videographer

Happy day y'all! This past weekend there were times when I realized that not all brides were interested in a wedding videogapher. After talking with a handful of brides, I realized that my branch of the wedding industry is still very new to some brides. This inspired me to dig deeper into the reasons why wedding videography is still undiscovered. I made a list. Are you really that surprised?

Photo Source: Danielle Davis Photography/Art

1. An always ready memory. One of the biggest joys of having your entire wedding celebration on video is that it is always on hand. Anytime you want you can pop the DVD in and relive one of the greatest days of your life. What is better than that? Not convinced yet? I will keep going!

2. I can't afford a wedding videographer. Myth! You CAN afford a wideographer. Every bride should research around, ask questions and make sure that each vendor you select is right for you. Don't settle for a mediocre videographer. Find one whose video's move you to tears. Ask other brides their recommendations or other vendors you are using. I can guarantee that the perfect one is out there waiting for you!

3. For all you miss. As a bride you are not able to see every moment. While you are waiting for the ceremony to begin I am getting shots of the groomsmen dancing around the room. You don't get to be apart or see every moment but with a DVD of your wedding you don't miss a thing! One of the biggest things brides tell me when they see their DVD is "I didn't know that happened. I am so glad you got that!"

4. Regret. This is me! I had a family member shoot my wedding and he did great but I wish I hired a professional. A professional would be able to edit, get eye catching shots and make memories that would leave a lasting impression. Ask another bride who didn't hire a videographer and see what their take on it is. Trust me. They will say the same thing as me.

5. Makes all the other money spent worth it. Not only will you enjoy the video but you can also enjoy seeing all the hard earned money that you used on your wedding. Through video you can see what each guest experienced, the decor, cake, flowers and the DIY projects that took you up to days before the wedding to complete.

6. Sharing with your one day babies. Enough said. So special!

7. We play numerous roles. Not only will I be recording video of you but you can count on me to get a stain out of a bridesmaids dress, tuck a stray hair, hold your train, make you smile and produce a video that you love. I always tell my brides to contact me if they have any questions about their big day - even planning questions. I am here to help!

8. Why not? All these reasons are great reasons to jump on the videographey band wagon. Like I mentioned above, if you ever have questions about videography just ask me. I always want to help you have the wedding of your dreams whether that means I film your big day or help you choose floral arrangements. I love what I do and you will love it too! I promise. (Smiles)

These are just a few things that I find very important. When making your wedding budget, make sure you include wedding videography. It is always worth it!

Wedding Dress Wednesday

Happy Wednesday friends! So glad to be midweek and celebrating the occasion with a gorgeous gown by Justin Alexander. Just like every gown I love every single detail about it. I love the elegance, slimming floral band and full skirt. I think I could stare at this gown all day and be completely happy. I have to say the idea of Wedding Dress Wednesday sure is brilliant. I hope that you all are having a wonderful day!

Photo Source: Here

Lovebird Spotting: Nikki and Jordan

I am back today with another fabulous October couple. Nikki and Jordan are getting married on October 15th. Warning this couple is absolutely beautiful. Just gorgeous! Getting to interact with Nikki has been such a treat. She is kind and so full of life and love. I am so honored to be apart of their big day! Let's find out more about this sweet couple:

1. Tell me how you two met. 

The first time we met was as undergrads at the University of Arkansas. He was a Sigma Chi while I was a Tri-Delt. We had a lot of the same friends in common. We even went to a lot of the same functions but never with each other. It seemed we crossed paths many times socially but never romantically. Sure enough, we both ended up in Little Rock after college. We still ran with the same group of friends, so we bumped into each other from time to time. He came to see me in school and let me practice cutting his hair. A couple of times when he came to get his haircut, he would ask if I was seeing anyone and if he could take me out on a date. Unfortunately, I said no. I didn't want to ruin our friendship. 

2. How was your first date? What did you do? 

So after turning him down a few times I invited myself to his lake house for the fourth of July, we hit it off and have never been apart since! We spent the weekend with his family and friends on Hamilton in Hot Springs and never left each other's side when returning to Little Rock. With Jordan's persistence and my rude manners, I will now get to spend the rest of my life with a wonderful man!

3. What is your favorite memory as a couple? 

This is hard to confine to one memory but if we must choose one we would have to say that our favorite memory is our ski trip to Angel Fire, New Mexico! We had fun hunting, going to the lake, going to the races, antiquing, hiking, football games, going to the beach and just grilling out at home. One of our favorite hobbies that we look forward to every year is a ski trip! This particular ski trip was just Jordan, Archie (our dog) and myself. We drove fifteen hours from Little Rock, Arkansas to Angel Fire, New Mexico with our new little baby boy, Archie. We booked three nights at a dog friendly hotel and packed an ice chest of food so we wouldn't leave Archie by himself all day and night. We would wake up in the morning, get our ski clothes on, ski from 9 till noon, get lunch on the mountain, check on our Archie and ski for a few more hours in the afternoon. We would go in, play with Archie, eat a sandwich, go to the hot tub and prepare for the next day. We had so much fun that our three night stay turned into a five night. We had to sneak Archie into a different hotel in Taos, New Mexico which was really fun! We had so much fun with our little family. Just the three of us doing whatever we wanted to do! (Archive is photographed below and he is so cute!)

4. How did he propose? 

Jordan and I spent our first ENTIRE Christmas holiday together and by this, I mean we went to each and every one of our many family Christmas festivities. Don't get me wrong, they were all wonderful! We are very blessed to say the least and kind of spoiled rotten, just to be honest. So I guess you are probably wondering what does this have to do with anything? Well I'm working on getting to the point! Jordan took some time off work for the holiday. He didn't get to duck hunt much so since we were going to be in Hope this year for Christmas he wanted to hunt a couple of days. Jordan, his family, and I went to their camp Christmas weekend and we had a very relaxing time. It was nice to be lazy since we had been all over Arkansas in a matter of a few days. Jordan's parents had to go back to work on Monday, but Jordan and I got to stay at the camp another night. And NO he did not ask me at the duck camp! I'm getting there. Just a bit more. We spent another night and then we left on Tuesday, December 28th to go back to Little Rock from our Christmas extravaganza. All we could talk about on the trip home was seeing what we had gotten for Christmas. So we finally got home and we began to unload the car. Jordan brought in our bags and sacks of goodies and I began to go through them and separate our things into piles. By the way, I looked and smelled like poop! Remember, I had been at the duck camp for three or four days. Don't worry, I'm landing the plane. I am sitting on the couch and Jordan is putting together some T.V. trays we had received. I came across a distressed box of gun shells. I asked him, "Do you know what this is? Is this really what this is?" He said, " I don't know. Just open it and see." I opened the box and out slipped another box. Except this one was black and really shiny! I told myself not to get excited. I figured they were cuff links he had gotten from his parents. But HALLELUJAH, it wasn't! It was a beautiful, gold diamond ring!!! He slid over onto one knee and asked me to marry him! I said...."Is this it? Are you really doing this, right now, right here?" He replied with, "Well yes. I'm sorry there's no confetti falling from the sky!" We both laughed and hugged and I was bawling out of control! No, I was not trying to be a snob. I just could not believe my big 'ole blue eyes! It didn't feel real at the time, but I will remember that moment for the rest of my life! It was absolutely perfect! I feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world!

5. Details about your wedding. Date, color scheme, theme, location…

Because Jordan and I were both raised going to the woods and have developed a love for the great outdoors it would only be right to have our ceremony at my Dad's deer camp located on the Arkansas river. This may come across as "Redneck" to most and we are not guaranteeing that it will not end up just being that. But we do promise that we are going to have a heck of a time! The Ceremony will be held at Turner Neal Hunting Club on October 15, 2011 at 6:00 in the evening. There is NO Razorback game that weekend. NO RAZORBACK GAME! (For us Arkansans this is very important to us - very important.)

And lastly, Nikki's advice: 

Do not get worked up about the details! Everything is not going to go as planned! You may get very stressed along the way but in the end you are going to be married and that is the only thing that matters! Your wedding is only for one day but your marriage is forever. 

Now for their amazing engagement photos! Side note: I love  Danielle Davis Art/Photography. Danielle posted these photos of Nikki and Jordan and I thought to myself I want to do their wedding. About two weeks later, Nikki contacted me and I feel out of my chair! Like I mentioned before, this couple is stunning. Enjoy!

San Antonio Bridal Fair *Shout* Extravaganza

I feel like you have to shout Extravaganza. If I were an announcer I would. Well folks...in the words of Reba, I'm a survivor. Yesterday was a ball of emotions! My little ol' booth was surprisingly a hit. I say surprisingly because I am not crafty at all but it looked great and a lot of brides complimented it.

I started the day so nervous. I was going to be on display in front of a lot of people. Don't get me wrong; I knew what I signed up for but still it was a bit nerve wrecking. Not only could I be rejected by brides and their mothers, vendors could not be a big fan either. Some of the booths/vendors have been in the wedding industry for years and I still haven't even hit the year mark. I am confident in my work and what I do but approval is important.

I did learn a lot and in true Katie fashion made a list of those things:

1. Carry cash: This may seem silly but such an important thing. I wanted to get to the fair fairly early so that I could carry a few remaining things in and get everything in place. First mistake was not having cash. When I arrived the day of the event to park I needed $11 in cash. No idea. I sweet talked the garage attendant to let me park and I promised to come back and pay him then I was on the search for a ATM. I asked a cop to help show me where one was. He joked with me about being honest and going back to pay even though I already parked. Hello...southern character y'all. I used the remaining money to grab a soda and a bag of chips!

2. Ask questions. Maybe I got caught up in all the excitement but when I signed up for the booth I didn't ask many questions about the day of activities. I knew their was a meeting at 11:30 the day of the fair for vendors but I didn't know where to even go in the convention center. On Saturday (set up day) Rusty and I walked all around the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. All. Around. It. I finally called my bridal fair consultant to ask where to go. She helped us and then I learned their was a loading dock! It was considerably closer to my booth than the other parking garage we had gone too. We paid $9 for 20 minutes of parking before finding out about the loading dock. Needless to say I know what type of questions to ask next time!

3. What about lunch? Tummy growl! I didn't even think about what to eat. I got to the fair around 10 am and didn't leave until 6 pm. I had a little bit of money for a soda and chips at the concession but saved my remaining dollars to tip the guys who would load everything into my car. When things died down at points I would run to other vendors and sample their food. Added bonus was my booth was next to a bakery. They let me have too many cake samples. It was delicious!

4. Did I really wear those shoes? Self explanatory. Totally my fault but I looked cute.

5. Don't force it. The biggest thing I can't stand is a vendor jumping out in the aisle to grab you. If you are like me you like to be nice to everyone but a pushy vendor is not fun. The one thing that I strive to do is make eye contact and offer a warm smile. Most brides know what they want. If they smiled at me I would kindly ask if they had a wedding videographer. Some lie, say they do and keep walking. That is okay! If they said no they didn't have one I would offer them pricing information, my card and go over the basic package that most of my brides choose. They had the option to leave their contact information with me for further follow up but didn't have to if they weren't further interested. The brides were kind! I want a bride who knows what she wants and is confident. Those brides don't need a pushy vendor; they need a helpful vendor full of spunk!

6. Remember how it felt to be a bride. After going over my information, I would smile and reassure each bride. I can remember bridal fairs. Loud music, tons of people, countless vendors, lots of walking and information overload. It is a lot to digest in one day. I worked to make sure each bride I met realized that I was also their to help. Not only do I want to film your wedding but I want each bride to have a great wedding! The wedding they have dreamed of. I told brides to contact me for any questions about wedding planning, videography, was taffeta was the material for them...anything!

7. Thank goodness for a stool. I am so glad I thought to bring a stool. Even though I only used it for the last 20 minutes or so, it was beyond beneficial.

8. It is all worth it. I talked to numerous brides but even if I only get one or two weddings, it is worth it. You don't realize how doing a bridal fair can boost your confidence as a vendor. I love interacting with brides. I met a few brides and grooms yesterday that were amazing! They are the reason I signed up. They were such dynamic couples full of love and life. Those are the couples I want. They make it worth while!

9. Networking. I also loved getting to meet new vendors. Florist, caterers, bakers, travel agencies, other videographers, photographers...everyone. Each vendor has something new to offer whether it is a recommendation from them about me or words of advice. I am grateful for networking!

No post about a bridal fair is complete without numerous amounts of pictures. The theme that I wanted my booth to have was vintage and rustic charm. I decorated my table with the thought of what I would want another wedding of mine to look like. Let's take a look:

I had a lot of brides stop and take pictures of my banner. I explained how simple it was to make and hopefully sent them away inspired! I am so blessed to have been a part of the bridal fair and to meet so many wonderful brides! Happy Monday folks!

Love Song Friday, Volume 25

Time for another rousing round of Love Song Friday Edition 25. This week has been full of business, fun and anticipation. I know I talk about this every day but I am working hard for the bridal fair. I am looking forward to Saturday afternoon when I can go setup my booth. I finished my banner last night and it is beyond cute. I am pretty amazed at myself considering I have no craftish (made up word) in my body. Like I said before I promise to share all the details soon!

Thank you for baring with my bit of absence last Friday. I was on the road and will be again in the next few weeks. With that being said let's recap this week. Monday we played a little Whitney for a later than normal edition of Love Song Friday. Tuesday I debuted one of my October couples, Laken and Murray. For Wedding Dress Wednesday we delighted in BHLDN. They never disappoint. Napkins were the topic on Thursday and now we welcome Friday. What a week!

Today I am getting to watch my first parade in New Braunfels. The Comal County Fair is in town and they have a parade every year. I have front row seats and am really excited! Rusty and I are going to go to the fair tonight. When I think of the fair I think of Joe Dirt. One of Rusty's favorite lines, "Thanks for taking me to the fair that I was already at." hahaha! When I told him I got free tickets he quoted ol' Joe. I am thankful for a husband that makes me laugh.

I also got to try my first breakfast taco today. It was tasty! When we moved here we quickly learned that a taco full of brisket or eggs or whatever you choose is a normal morning thing. Also, it is not a breakfast burrito. Apparently that is offensive in Texas. My taco was so good!

Since we had a big day of firsts - I thought we should Celebrate! Dancing shoes ready? Check! Speakers turned up? Check! Let's get to celebrating! Holla Kool and the Gang. This song is one of my favorites and just puts a big smile on my face! Happy Friday Lovebirds and thank you for your continued support! I am blessed.

A Linen Statement

One of my favorite things about weddings is that you can truly plan every last detail. When creating your place settings and centerpieces you can style everything from the table number to the napkin. Creativity is everywhere. One of my newest obsessions (I have the Crate and Barrel receipts to prove it) are napkins. I love how you can take a simple white dish and make it have flare through linens. It is simple and for the most part inexpensive.

I browsed around to find place settings that I love. I love combining napkins with the evenings menu or a fun homemade napkin ring. You can fold your napkins into shapes or lay them flat. Napkins are just one added bonus to your wedding decor. Which is your favorite?

Photo Source: Here

From the lovely Southern Aisle's wedding - Photo Source: Here

Photo Source: Here

Photo Source: Here

Photo Source: Here

Don't you love how something so simple can make a statement? I hope that you all are having a good Thursday. Plans are coming together for my booth and I can't wait to share!

Wedding Dress Wednesday

Happy hump day! That saying has always been a bit weird to me. This lovebird has been a busy bee preparing for this weekend's bridal fair. I am so EXCITED! Truly happy and grateful for this opportunity. I cannot wait to show you more from the fair and hopefully introduce you to a handful of brides.

Thank you for your overwhelming support yesterday! I could not believe how many of you read about Laken and Murray. I was blown away. I emailed Laken and told her the good news. I told you she is a gem!

With every Wednesday we get to celebrate wonderful wedding gowns. What better way to push through Wednesday than dreaming of taffeta and lace. The dresses (yes, dresses. I cannot pick just one) are by BHLDN. I know I have said this about other designers but no two dresses are alike. Each gown is unique and bold. Here are a few of my favorite ones:

Photo Source for all gowns: Here

But there was one gown that I spotted and my mouth dropped open. It is elegant, classic and whimsical. It is a gown that makes every woman want to go through the tedious months of wedding planning just so they could wear it. The detailing is just right. I love the soft waves of the models hair plus the flirty length of the gown. Every single stitch is done to perfection. I love this dress and wish that I had a reason to buy one again!

Have any designers or dresses for Wedding Dress Wednesday? If so email me @ lovebirdproductions@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you! Happy Wednesday y'all!

Lovebird Spotting: Murray and Laken

One of the best things about my job is meeting and getting to know each bride/couple. Today's post features Laken and Murray. I have had the privilege of knowing Laken for about five years now. She became my sorority sister and I have loved getting to know her. Laken has one of the best smiles and a contagious laugh. She is beautiful inside and out.  

1. Tell me how you two met.  

Funny story…. Murray will go to the grave saying I added him on Facebook, three short years ago. I know that this isn’t true. Murray tells the story of seeing me for the first time in the College of Business at ASU, sitting on a bench, waiting for class to start. He remembers me smiling at him, and then somehow we all of the sudden became Facebook friends. Thank goodness we did, because that got Murray interested in me, and even led him to ask a fellow friend from my hometown about me. When the time was right, he had his friend tell me that he would like to meet me. I agreed and went to a cookout at their house. We started dating the next day.

2. How was your first date? What did you do?

Our first date was a double date. It was with some of our great friends. We went to dinner and a movie. Pretty simple first date! 

3 & 4. Favorite memory as a couple and how did he propose?

Questions 3 and 4 definitely go together. Our favorite memory together was the night Murray proposed. He orchestrated quite a plan, involving all of the people closest to us. He made an arrangement with my boss to send me on an errand to start off the night. When I got to where the “errand” was, my friends Noland and Kelsey were there waiting for me. Kelsey had her camera to take pictures and Noland greeted me with a clue. This clue started my scavenger hunt to find a treasure. From there, a series of clues led me all around Jonesboro to all the places that were special to us. One of my last stops was at my house where Morgan, Kimberly and Brittany were there waiting for me. Morgan and Kimberly had outfits picked out for me to wear and were ready to start in on doing my hair and makeup. From there, our friends Brittany and JR Baker took me to our church. In front of the big, wooden double doors is where I finally found Murray and my “treasure.” I don’t even think I let him get the big question out before I was screaming, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” After this, I was sure the scavenger hunt was over, but Murray insisted that we had one more stop to make. That stop was at his parent’s house where both of our families and all of our friends involved in the night were waiting for us! We had a big party to celebrate the night. It was one of the most special nights of my life! 

5. Details about your wedding. Date, color scheme, theme, location… 

Wedding deets: Bridesmaid’s dresses are royal blue chiffon and are floor length. My accent colors are silvers, light blues and purples. We will be getting married October 8th, 2011 at 5:00 in the evening at First Baptist Church in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Our reception will follow at the home of Paul and Melinda McNeill of Jonesboro. I’m so excited about our reception. Our food for the night will be completely homemade by several women in the community. Most of the recipes being served are inspired by the women themselves. The night will be so sweet because of the efforts of these women. We want the feel of the night to feel “homey” with all of our closest friends celebrating the life we’ve chosen to live together.

And lastly, Laken's advice:

It’s YOUR wedding! You’re only doing this once. Don’t worry about the small things. They will all fall into place. Get a wedding planner! Or at least someone who knows what they are doing! I am so blessed to have a TEAM of women who are so helpful to me. I am humbled daily by how much they do. Let people do things for you. You can’t do it all on your own. 

The last thing is at the end of the night, what matters most is what happens in that ceremony, and that is the fact that you are getting to spend the rest of your life with your best friend and soul mate. For better or worse, health and sickness and for richer or poorer, you are given a friendship that surpasses all other relationships in your life. You are given someone to encourage you, stand by you and most of all to love you. 

Did I mention what a beauty Laken is? Murray and Laken truly are a one-of-a-kind couple. I want to show you all their amazing engagement photos but had the hardest time choosing just one or two so I choose a lot of them! Your welcome friends. What I love about their photos are that they show their personalities like showing off her gorgeous ring with a baseball glove (Murray plays professional baseball.) Their pictures were taken by the very talented Lindsey Little Photography. Prepare to be wowed!

I am so lucky to have these two as clients and cannot wait to be a part of their big day!

Love Song Friday, Volume 24

Hooray for 24 editions of Love Song Friday! Wait Love Song Friday on Monday? Yes! This past weekend I was attending/filming my cousins wedding back in Arkansas. Due to the interesting wireless Internet from the hotel on Friday morning this post was not published so I thought why not do it on Monday. Just another thing to brighten your Monday and be honest...Monday's need the most brightening.

Since I will be on the road most of the day I will make this short and sweet. Sometimes we need that...especially on Fridays/Mondays. Last week on Monday we fed our appetite (your welcome for that play on words) with fun snacks to feed your guests at the end of your reception. We spotlighted unique gifts perfect for any bridesmaid or house party.  On Wedding Dress Wednesday we gawked at the beautiful designs of Badgley Mischka. We also came up with a few ideas to use as your guest book instead of the traditional sign in book.

Today I am in a sweet mood so the song I chose is "Saving All My Love For You" by Whitney Houston. Everyone loves a little old school and Whitney is the queen of love songs minus the whole real life crazy romance! Enjoy all and happy Monday!

Guest book Inspiration + Exciting News

Has anyone watched Dance Moms on Lifetime? I caught a few episodes last night and my oh my...that show is ridiculous. If you haven't seen it don't start now! It sucked me in. I couldn't turn away from it. I am amazed that these mommies complain about Abby "The Dance Teacher" and how she treats their child unfairly and with no manners. Ummm hello? If she doesn't treat them well find someone else. It is like a bad relationship were you know you are dating a bad guy but you love him so you don't leave him. Yes, Abby may be the best of the best but I am sure that your child's well being at another dance academy will set a better example and I don't know...make sure they are happy. Just a thought. Well now that my soap box has been disassembled after that rant, let's move on.

I have exciting news to share with you! I had a meeting yesterday to sign up for the San Antonio Bridal Extravaganza. I like to shout the last word...Extravaganza! I just imagine how an announcer would say it. My booth is located next to a bakery. Score on free cake samples! I am also located close to the main isle next to the stage. They are projecting 1,000 brides. 1,000 brides people! I am so blessed to have this opportunity to grow my very small business.

Since it did cost a bit to sign up I have given myself a $30 budget for decor. I am determined to make it work. I have no banner so I am making my own. Yes, I am craft challenged. This should be fun! I am wanting to make my booth resemble fun touches of a wedding. I have a lot of ideas running through my head that I am constantly writing down. I have a lot of burlap on hand so most of my inspiration is coming from that. I am browsing pinterest constantly. Just thought I would show you a few sneak peek photos for the booth:

These are Iphone picture so I apologize for the quality. Please ignore the plaid print and white smudges of paint on the burlap. I was just toying around with ideas for making my bunt banner. I promise to take a lot of pictures of my booth and am even contemplating making a how to video with the poms. They are fun!

While browsing the many insanely fabulous pictures on pinterest, I was inspired by the unique guest book ideas. I love the fact that couples are branching out and not using the basic sign your name here. The biggest things about your wedding and any wedding is that this industry is always changing. One trend picks up while the another is being retired. With that being said, no matter a trend make sure you are staying true to what you love. You want to have a photobooth even though you have been to 12 weddings that already had one. Who cares? If it makes you happy it can't be that bad. Did you like that Alanis Morissette reference? Smiles! But seriously do what makes you smile. It is your once in a lifetime day!

Here are a few guest book ideas that I thought were fab:

1. A giant letter for guests to sign. I am a big fan of a wedding keepsake to proudly display and this one is perfect! This idea I just love. Guest can sign their name while offering words of encouragement. I may try to incorporate this at a wedding/baby shower.

Photo Source: Pinterest via Style Me Pretty

2. Puzzle pieces. Once again this is a keepsake idea and a fabulous one at that. Try making puzzle pieces and having guest sign a piece. They can also include a little note if the pieces are large enough. After your wedding you can complete the puzzle and frame the pieces. I know walking past this hanging piece of art would make me smile every time.

Photo Source: Pinterest via Jesi Haack

3. Thumbprint tree. At our ceremony we did have a guest book that guests signed. At our reception we had a thumbprint tree. I had never seen one but my maid of honor who is a wonderful artist put on together for us. It is such a wonderful gift/keepsake. I love our thumbprint tree and our guests did too!

Photo Source: Pinterest via Etsy

Remember that you can always branch out from the traditional book. Make it your style and enjoy! Happy Thursday loves!

Wedding Dress Wednesday

Another rousing round of Wedding Dress Wednesday! Are you excited? This little lady is. That would be me if you didn't catch on.

When you think Badgley Mischka you think fabulous shoes and excellent fashion. I couldn't stop turning the pages of their bridal collection. Each dress is fantastically unique and no dress is like the last.

Here are a few of my favorites:

Photo Sources: Here

I know. I want them all too. For now though I will just dream about them, their impeccable details and their stunning showmanship. Sigh. Just remember that soon their will be a Fall 2012 line. Hooray!

The closes trunk show to us Texas, Arkansas and other southern folks is October 1 at Ivory Bridal Atelier in Houston, Texas. For more on these dress click here.

Because She Stands by Your Side

We are drawing closer to our one year anniversary. While Rusty and I have had a whirlwind year I love thinking back to our wedding day and the excitement of it. It truly was one of the best weekends of my life! Everything was perfect and I loved getting to hang out with all my wonderful girls. I gifted my bridesmaids and wedding party to manicure and pedicures, koozies and bath goodies. I honestly had the best girls standing next to me and helping me get ready on my big day. They were so supportive throughout the entire wedding planning process and deserve the world. I thought that I would throw together a few fun gifts that every bridesmaid/house party will love:

1. Skeleton Key Bottle Opener and Corkscrew - I thought this was such a fun and unique gift. Add a nice bottle of wine and you have a gift that each girl will love. This vintage gift is perfect for all occasions but especially to gift at your wedding. Added bonus: It is on sale for $18! For more on this gift click here.

Photo Source: Here

2. City Chic Tote and Goodies - This gift bag is such a sweet touch to top off your perfect wedding weekend. I love a great tote that can be used again plus it is full of yummy goodies that your girls will love. In this bag you can find: 
- A box of all-natural chocolate chip biscotti
- After-coffee mints personalized with your names and date
- A box of delicious coffee taffy
- Gourmet trail mix for energy on the go
- A magnetic travel game
- A personalized water bottle label

Isn't this a great gift full of things that can be enjoyed on the day of your wedding and after? I love the idea of personalized touches for your big day with different colors, your date and sweet messages. For more on the gift click here.

Photo Source: Here

3. Personalized Water Bottles - This is probably one of my favorite gift ideas. It is so cute! Try taking the girls for a walk the morning of the wedding and then presenting them with these beauties. For more on this gift click here.

Photo Source: Here

I hope these gifts spark some inspiration. Hope that you have a great Tuesday friends!

Send Them Off Snack Happy

Happy Monday Lovebirds! Can you believe the weekend is over? On with our day friends! Each reception is full of dancing, smiles, yummy dinner and cake. For most guests you have dinner and cake then dance and drink the remainder of the night. By the time the bride and groom are ready to make their big exit, your tummy is growling and you would love to make a drive thru at your favorite but terrible fast food joint.

At a wedding I attended this summer, the bride had planned to serve late night snacks to guests. Not only do tasty snacks help wind the night down but it may help those guests who need a little food to conquer their beer belly. I couldn't believe that I had never thought about this idea but I thought it was brilliant! After a full night most people want/love snacks. You can do healthy choices with a mix of comfort foods. The wedding I attended the bride had larger versions of pigs in a blanket and boy did they go fast. Guests were popping those things like tic tacs. I couldn't help but notice how happy the guests were to have a send off snack but more importantly I was impressed with the brides attention to all details. Even snacks.

Today I gathered a simple recipe that would be a hit with guests. Remember these snacks can be any food you want! I love the idea of fun finger foods like cheese and crackers with a cupcake liner full of mixed nuts. To indulge a bit more I found this yummy recipe for caramel popcorn:

Photo Source: Here

Warning: This post may make you hungry or stray from healthy eating habits. Not my intention. Scouts honor! Doesn't this look yummy? It is very easy to make. Here is what you need for a serving size of 50 people (make it scale to your guest size):

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups butter
5 cups brown sugar
1-1/4 cups corn syrup
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
50 cups popped popcorn

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (95 degrees C). Place popcorn in a very large bowl.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.

3. Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces.

How simple is that? This treat is perfect for guests. It is the final detail to an amazing wedding day. I got this recipe at All Recipes which is one of my favorite sites because you are able to type in the amount of people you need to feed and they convert everything for you. You can find more on this recipe here. You can also find cute red and white stripped popcorn bags here for just $8 for 50 bags. What a steal!

A few other treats that would be a hit: mini pancakes, small bowls of mac and cheese, blueberry muffins, brownies, fruit tray, chicken strips, veggies with dip, pizza cups and flat bread sandwiches. Find your favorite treat and serve it to your guests. It is the cherry on top of the already stunning sundae!

Love Song Friday, Volume 23

Happy Friday friends! Aren't you happy for Friday? I know I am. You know I love the weekend. They just make me smile. How about the cooler weather? Oh. my. goodness. Between better weather and pumpkin spice lattes being back at Starbucks, the world seems alright even if only for a few hours. And just to top off your Friday how about this picture?

Photo Source: Here

Who doesn't love a fun photo of the bride and groom? Today I started my day with kind words from my recent client Sarah. I can't express how rewarding it is to hear such encouragement from clients. It makes all the editing and work beyond worth it. I am so glad that I have found what I love to do. I can't wait for my first Texas wedding. Wonder who that first lonestar client will be?

This week we celebrated a holiday which makes this week fly by. On Tuesday you listened to me ramble about a few things plus got to see what my client DVD's look like. Thank you for listening to me when I talk...a lot. (Much love) Wednesday we paid tribute to the fabulous Priscilla of Boston. I got a few comments on that post and most of you thought the bride modeling the dresses was a beauty. I 100% agree. It is amazing how you can like a dress more when the model is smiling and pleasant. Yesterday we willingly gave up our wine glasses to make table decor. Oh wait? You didn't want to give up your glass. That is okay! I will take one for the team. I love the idea of wine glasses being used for your centerpiece. Getting creative here!

With such a great weekend ahead of us I chose another song from the Video Music Awards. Again you say? Yes because Beyonce is now a mommy. How wonderful is that! Just think not long ago she was singing about Bug-a-Boo's and now she is a mommy-to-be. I just love her performance. The song is fun to dance to and sing loudly. Not that I have any experience with doing that! {Busted :)} Did you see how big her smile was when she showed us her belly?

My favorite lyric from the song:
"Nothings perfect but it's worth it."

How true is that? Things may not be perfect but in the end everything is worth the tears, hard work, sleepless nights, nervous chatter, broken hearts and sweat. Every situation we face in life makes us who we are today. Struggles are part of life. How are you going to handle it? Bring you down or make you stronger? I vote stronger.

Wow...got a bit serious there. Honestly, I hope you all have a great weekend full of laughter (The best medicine even though sometimes sleep works for me too.) Let's all dance and smile to Beyonce's "Love on Top!"

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music, Beyoncé