Firefly Jar

I toy around with lots of ideas for my future centerpieces. I want something simple, elegant, and budget-friendly!  I first saw one of these in Urban Outfitters while browsing, and seriously thought it would be the coolest centerpiece ever!

Unfortunately, at $30 a pop and probably about 25 tables, that's way beyond my budget! Especially because I'd probably have to put some type of rustic foliage around as well. 

As I was browsing through an awesome Etsy store, I happened to find this! It's super cute and super wonderfully awesome!  More cool stuff can be found in the store or her the Morgann Hill designs blog. 

However, even at about $20 each, it's still a bit more than I'd like to pay. This is particularly true if you can do it yourself fairly simply. And I happened to find a place online where someone had done DIY Firefly mason jars!  So I just may do it, if I decide to go for the rustic route.  

For a link towards some lights that could be used inside, this is the cheapest I found so far. These twinkle!

Bridesmaid Gifts- Eco-friendly Tote Bags

I have been thinking of gifts for others lately. That's a good thing, right? One thing I loved getting as a bridesmaid, was a bag full of goodies! I certainly didn't expect it, but a canvas bag with name embroidered, with a robe and flip flops that matched the dress and a few other little goodies made spending $150 on a dress seem worth it. Of course, I would have done it happily without any goodies. But the extra treats just make it fun and exciting, even when you know it's not "your" day. I have gotten goodies for all 3 weddings I've been in and all were thoughtful.  I'm looking forward to putting these together for my bridesmaids!

Now, I'm very environmentally conscious.  And customized bags can be fairly inexpensive to expensive, depending on the size, quality, and where you choose to purchase.  Eco-friendly doesn't have to break the bank and so I have been looking for some cute eco-friendly bags. So, here they are...

The first is from American Bridal.

I really love this one.  This is the only color but you can customize the thread color for monograming. 

 Isn't this basket adorable? I see a future for outings and picnics! This and many more can be found at Invite Cottage.

This basket comes in many colors, as well as many color thread options.

 This one is more trendy and cute! It's found at Advantage Bridal.

These are the only colors available, but with more thread color options.

 This was the first one I found and is one I'm seriously considering. It's simple but lovely and is available at an Etsy store.

These are probably the best deal, though they are more simple and possibly smaller. However, you can customize the letter and whatever color you like! They are lovely!

I think these are lovely for eco-friendly jute bags. The silver looks very nice! There are several other very cute and reasonably priced eco-friendly bags at Felicia's Fancies!

These are a great deal too! Buy 3 get 1 free is nice when you are buying for multiple bridesmaids!

What are some bridesmaid gifts that you have given or received that you loved?

DIY Chalkboard Table Numbers

Look at these very elegant DIY chalkboard table numbers! I am definitely a fan. It seems like a very elegant  way to utilize the chalkboard idea and very easy to put together! Sounds good to me!

 

The template and directions are from Flights of Fancy. 

What are some creative ideas you like for table numbers?

Freebies from Wedding Chicks!

I just found this wonderfully awesome invitation resource.  The Wedding Chicks has some great freebies to offer!  One of them is free monograms.  Look at this one I made! Super easy and could be used to make lots of extras for reception stuff too! Be sure to check it out!

Color Palette: Lavender, Sage, Mauve

This lovely color palette from The Bride's Cafe is going to be a go-to for me. I would love for lavender to have a role, preferably a big one, in my wedding!

Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors - Pure Beeswax Candles

Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors - Pure Beeswax Candles

Of the eco-friendly favors, which can either be pricey or limited in design, I really love these! I have a candle made from honeycomb and it smells amazing!

Save the Dates!

So, one of the first things most people do once the date is set is.... send out Save the Dates, of course! Well, I was researching prices (again, I did this a while back) and realized that I didn't have to! Fortunately, there is a wonderful website called savethedates.com that does it for you! They discuss different types and different places to get them depending on your preference and budget. Awesome! I'll be looking at this website again once we set the date officially!

I go tomorrow to look at my first venue for real! Yay!

Wedding Venues in NW Texas

Well, sadly there are not as many "pretty" places to get married in Amarillo, Texas as in South Florida. Just comes with the territory I guess. I never really wanted a beach wedding but always thought it would be nice to be  near the water for some pictures.  I've never really been bent on having an outdoor wedding either since the weather is so unbearably hot most of the year and fairly unpredictable as well! No one wants to get rained out! I guess that, partially due to my lack of creativity and impatience with crafts, and the since I have very little free time in my life, I have always said that I would rather get married somewhere pretty so I don't have to do much decorating. That makes sense right?

One place that I LOVE I found online. It's through the YWCA in Lubbock (2 hours south) and I like that it supports a good cause. But check out the pictures and you will love the beauty too!

The bridal suite

The Groom's area.




Now wait for it....

The Hall for the ceremony! How amazing is that?!

I think it's just lovely! There's a ball room for an area for a reception. as well. But it doesn't have as many pictures.  I love the organ so much! So this is a possibility. Staying in Amarillo would be more convenient for me, but it's not that bad of a drive. We'll see!

What's your favorite venue type?

The Wedding Day- Confession: I Botched It.

This is an absolutely wonderful post that is both hilarious and tugs at your heart. She discusses her experience of walking down the aisle on her wedding day and how she wasn't prepared for it.

Here is her Confession.

Sustainable Weddings

Being green is gaining popularity... which is a great thing for me!  Often times sustainable options are more expensive (though not always) or limited in availability based on where you live. Florida, I feel, is fairly progressive in offering opportunities for being green. North Florida much less so than South Florida.  But northwest Texas (where I am soon to be relocating) is far from ideal. They don't even offer recycling in my city! Bummer!

This article has some fun ideas that have become popular in having sustainable weddings. These and many other ideas can be found at Recycled Bride.

Post about Wedding blogs

I just found this post all about... wedding blogs!  It's from Every Last Detail blog. Enjoy!

Lil' Cake Toppers

I just found these adorable little cake toppers on The Inspired Bride! I kind of can't get over the cuteness!  You can purchase them on the Lil' Cake Toppers website. As I've mentioned before, I love choosing things that are unique and not quite what I've seen done before. They are customizable and aren't quite as pricey as some that I've seen. (I'm sorry but I cannot afford $500 for little people on my wedding cake! I'll do without. :)

What kind of cake toppers did you/will you use? Any creative things you did instead?

Color Palettes: Inspired Bride

The Inspired Bride has some lovely examples of color palettes.  I love this one and it's probably close to what I'll do... I only wish it had more than one picture! (Most of them do).

I like the one shown here as well!

What are your favorite colors or color combos?

Edible Wedding Favors from La Belle Bride

I found this cute post of Top 10 Edible Wedding Favors from La Belle Bride! I love some of these ideas!  How cute are these granola jars? I totally make my own granola... and trail mix... and chocolate chip cookies... there are so many fun DIY edible wedding favor ideas out there!

What's your favorite edible favor idea?

Calla Lily Wedding Flowers

I love flowers, but mostly because I love having signs of life around. However, my cats usually want to try eating flowers, so I don't often have them sitting around. Roses are nice, but I'm not a huge rose fan personally. Again, I enjoy being different and doing things in a unique way.  There are several flowers I have thought of using. French lavender is definitely one of them. But somehow I stumbled upon this website while looking for flowers that come in shades of purple and yellow, and I found this lovely Pacific Callas: Calla Lily website!

I particularly love this bouquet that is shown in the pictures. Such a beautiful contrast to the white dress, is it not?! It would be perfect for bold colors to brighten up the room. (I love bright and beautiful!) Check this site out. The prices seem quite reasonable and are available all season! You can sample them, but must order their smallest size. They have so many colors to choose from and also have other types of flowers for sale. Check it out!

See more pictures from this wedding here.

French Inspired Wedding

These photos are from a photography blog that I happened upon when looking at French inspired wedding ideas that incorporated purple. I love the look and the many cute ideas they used! I would love to duplicate a good portion of this lovely wedding! More photos can be found here!

My style

Before I post any more, I would like to mention what kinds of things I've looked at in terms of wedding styles. Some of these are true to my personality and how I choose things in life generally. Others are just preferences I have for the even itself.

When I think about common wedding traditions and etiquette, I'm pretty traditional. Old traditions that no one does anymore also fascinate me. I have a true appreciate for the lost arts and traditions over the years. However, I'm not bound to any particular traditions or etiquette to the point that I'm not willing to break out, if need be. I love to mix fresh and new with the antique. I'm very environmentally conscious and socially aware, so these will also play into whatever I end up choosing to do for my wedding. I love purple and the elegance of a French cottage. So a French lavender inspired eco-chic theme often comes back to me. I love simple elegance and plan to use this to my advantage, since I'm going to be on a fairly strict budget. I will get a bit of help from the parentals, but I expect most of the cost will be taken care of by yours truly. I hope this helps me find creative ways to save money and do something unique!  Like I said, I'm very socially aware and so recognizing that my wedding budget (or even dress) may cost more than many people make in a year.  I hope to use my wedding for a cause of some sort.  I've toyed with the idea of raising money for the Blood:water mission to help them while I spend countless dollars and hours on a single day.

Some how I'm going to throw all this together! It will be unique, I'm sure! I love some mixture of purple and yellow (pastels in spring, more bold in summer, etc.), but if we really get on a Blood:water mission bandwagon and let that be my theme, I may alter the colors to teal and brown to tie it together. We shall see!

That's a summary of what I want to do for my wedding. What kinds of things are you looking for to tie your wedding theme together?

Wedding Dresses

One thing I probably will not post about much, is wedding dresses. The reason for this is a simple one. I already found a dress. It's the only detail that I am set on so far, in fact. My mom agreed to buy it for me because I think she loved it too. I'd love to post a picture of it or even me in it, but I don't want the groom to see! So perhaps I'll post after it's been worn! Until then...

There are all kinds of dresses out there. Classic, vintage, princess style, couture... I traditionally think of David's Bridal when I think of buying one. But there are almost invariably other boutiques in every area. I just happened to find mine at David's on my first trip there.

There is the website route as well... you can find almost identical dresses from David's at Davinci's online. However, I personally know I cannot just know I will love a dress unless I try it on.  And ordering online with things like that makes me nervous. I read about it and I'm sure it's a legitimate place to get a dress. I just know that not every style or dress looks good on my body and I like to see it first. I don't catalog shop either, so if you can do that then this may be a good option for you!

Also, I ended up loving a dress that I tried on "just 'cause." I saw a picture and it wasn't my "style" at all. But when I put it on (the first one I tried on, in fact), I absolutely loved it! I have looked for other dresses that I would love also, but I find that I just want to find a dress like the one I already picked out. Besides, they are often more expensive anyway!

Having been a 3 time bridesmaid, I know that some people have certain priorities with dresses and mine are these.

• Looks good on me and is flattering to my figure
• I love it and feel beautiful in it
• Not too expensive
• Classic idea but Unique
• Fun and formal at the same time. Nice enough for an evening wedding but with fun flair.
• Reasonably comfortable so I can breathe! 
• Something I can manage to walk in without tripping (we'll see if that actually happens! :)

The dress I found fits my body and my personality perfectly and that's why I love it!

Wedding Blogs

So you may notice that I have a rather long list of wedding blogs along the left border of my blog. I found this great site with a list of the Top 100 Wedding Blogs. I found the ones I thought would be most helpful to the style of wedding I want. I hope to review the blogs and highlight ones that I find particularly helpful or useful to me and the inspirations that I gather from them in future posts. At least that's the plan, we'll see!

I like the format blogger/blogspot uses to list them in order from most recently updated and the title of the last post. It helps me prioritize and save time, if I may or may not be interested in the particular topic. (Though we can always find surprises that we like something we didn't expect!)

I'll discuss my plans for the wedding style I'm going for, in a different post.

New blog!

Well, hello there! I'm starting a new blog that is mostly going to be for my own personal convenience. I love to blog and I love to read blogs. Though I have a personal one already, I thought this might be a useful way to compile links and pictures of ideas and inspirations for what I eventually decide to do for my own wedding. I'm not sure exactly when it is, but I was just in a good friend's wedding so I have many fresh thoughts and ideas from it. I'm going to another this coming Saturday as well.  So welcome to my wedding planning blog!