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Etsy has always been my favorite source for unique, handmade goodies but now that they have an actual wedding section, I am more in love than ever. There are so many talented designers creating original items for all of us to find. Etsy has offered my couples the ability to source original pieces that speak to them and share their story with all of their friends and family.
As you know, there is no possible way one could feature ALL favorite Etsy Shops in one post. That would be nearly impossible! So, today I am sticking with three. Check them out below.
The classic charm and modern style of Belle and the Beau captured my interest with their bold patterns in their Beau accessories! There is also a fantastically romantic and whimsical Belle section of their shop which offers “shoe pretties,” and other adorable accouterments for the ladies.
Sometimes a name says it all and that is certainly true in this case! A Southern Bucket has taken their passion for burlap and metal to create customized and functional buckets and vases. They will not only be a conversation piece at the wedding but they will also find a permanent place in your home.
Let be be the first to tell you if you already didn’t know… Once you get married, the line between mine and yours becomes very thin. The least we can do is identify our own silverware! Beach House Living creates these charming silverware and cake cutting sets that will not only compliment your day but will also eliminate any confusion when setting the table in the years to come!
Do you LOVE Etsy too? We would love to hear from you. Please let us know what your favorite shops are…
We had the great honor of co-hosting the Association of Bridal Consultant’s (ABC) Favorite Things Event on Wednesday evening at the one and only Prado in Balboa Park! I am working through sharing the featured apps, ideas, locations and products that I am most excited about. There were so many to select from. What’s a girl to do?
I was introduced to a company called, Ivory Sparrow which is right here in our backyard of San Diego. They customize the most decadent and heavenly wraps and robes for the pampering that comes before the merry occasions. I had the opportunity to introduce them and actually feel the softness of their fabrics and I am telling you ladies, it is amazing! Not only that but the packaging and presentation makes the perfect gift for your bridesmaids, moms, flower girls and even your groom. While you are at it, let’s not forget your wedding planner! Did I mention that they can be personalized?
They also offer Swarovski embellished flip flops packaged in a satin bag as well as two different options for a coordinating cotton totes. Wrap it all together and you have a gift that anyone would swoon over! Not to mention, how picture perfect would it be to have all of your ladies coordinated in style for any prep shots taken before you get into your gown.
I found that one of my savvy and stylish brides gifted these lovely wraps for her bridal party at her wedding. The one and only Miss Jessica is pictured with her girls below. Check out the full post on the Ivory Sparrow Blog!
I was going to write a post about the “tech savvy” couple but I would be completely aging myself by even thinking there would be an alternative. That being said, I am SO over-the-top excited to share a new app (soon to be launched) with all of you. It is for the “apply couple…”
Appy Couple is a unique, online platform that makes it possible for an engaged couples to easily create their own mobile wedding app, to share with a private circle of guests, family and friends. There is far more information below to get you as excited as I am!
Appy Couple lets you compile all the information about your wedding, including photos, the story of how you met, the proposal story, events associated with the wedding, hotel information for guests, the bridal party, and way more into one app. Once you set up your information, Appy Couple offers an email package that notifies all of the people involved that an app has been created for her wedding, and that they can access it by downloading the app and entering a specific code. Each guest’s email address is pre-registered so when looking through events, they will only see the ones they are invited to.
Couples can start by visiting Appy Couple online and requesting an invitation. The app is currently invitation only and has a waiting list of 8,000 but that is only because it has not launched yet. I am on the waiting list and will be sure to share new things as I learn of them.
Once you have access, you can choose from hundreds of themed designs to pick the one that best fits the mood of your wedding. Themes range from free all the way to $200 for some limited edition designs.
Guests can also upload photos of their own, which will be transformed from a gallery into a slideshow the moment the wedding begins. This means that anyone who unfortunately can’t attend the wedding can still keep up with the magical day remotely. Worried about guests who don’t have smartphones? Don’t! AP will throw in a free, coordinating wedding website.
LETTERPRESS… That one word makes me smile! There is nothing quite like the texture and elegance of the oldest printing process on the planet, especially when it is combined with fabulous design. In researching letterpress options, we ventured upon smock. and immediately fell in love with their product and passion for the art of letterpress. They have an incredible line of exquisite wedding stationery including invitations and save the dates but being as I am in FULL Holiday mode, I wanted to share some of their everyday line.
Sumptuous stationery is the perfect stocking stuffer or hostess gift for the holidays. I love receiving them almost as much as sending them.
Some of my favorites from the Smock Everyday collections are pictured below.
1. Peacock Letterpress Scratchpad $7 | 2. Bubbles Letterpress Gift Tags $8 for a 6-pack | 3. Ming Memo $7| 4.Herons Letterpress Social Notes $14 for a 6 count box | 5. Pollen Jotters $6 for a 2-pack | 6. Oxford Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 7. Pollen Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 8. Jade Letterpress Gift Tags $8 for a 6-pack | 9. Crochet Memo $7 | 10. Flowerburst Letterpress Scratchpad $7
1. Veranda Medium Keepsake Box $12 | 2. Quadrille Attachments Sticky Note Cube $18 | 3. Pollen Letterpress Scratchpad $7 | 4. Sorbet Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 5. Honeycomb Letterpress Social Notes $14 for a 6 count box | 6. Veranda Notebook $9 | 7. Berry Memo $7 | 8. Cayman Offset Social Notes $12 for an 8 count box | 9. Picadilly Jotters $6 for a 2-pack | 10. Newport Lettersheets $20 for a set of 12
1. Oxford jotters $6 for a 2-pack | 2. Planet Memo $7 | 3. Ridley Lettersheets $20 for a set of 12 | 4. Bicyclette Letterpress Social Notes $14 for a 6 count box | 5. Peacock Letterpress Art Print Calendar $8 | 6. Koi Notebook$9 | 7. Bicyclette Scratchpad $7 | 8. Pembroke Offset Social Notes $12 for an 8 count box | 9. Oxford Medium Keepsake Box $12 | 10. Beetle Attachments Sticky Note Cube $18
What are you planning to do with your bouquet following the wedding?
You sorted through endless pictures to find the ideal combination of colors, textures and flowers to create the perfect bouquet for your walk down the aisle. Once your wedding day is over, what are you to do with that beautiful bouquet? Drying your flowers, sealing them in a bubble glass frame and hanging them on the wall is not the only option.
One of my favorite ideas is to have your flowers dried then incorporated into a painting. Curly Art does a magnificent job of creating art from your flowers following the big day. Take a look at some of the heirloom pieces created from bridal bouquets, bridesmaid bouquets and centerpieces…
Soft blush pink and white roses with peonies.
This 24 x 36 painting was created for the parents of the bride.
The background burgundy color was taken from the beautiful wedding invitations.
A 24 x 36 painting in horizontal format displaying a large variety of flowers.
If you are interested in preserving your wedding flowers, make sure to plan ahead. Your flowers should also be overnighted on the day following your wedding for the best results. For more information, visit Curly Art’s FAQ page!
One of the wonderful ladies at the office sent this to me and I ADORE it. Soiree By Design crafted these fabulous reminder/instruction cards for all of the men in the wedding party. What better way for your man to get his guys on the ball. So what if it throws you under the bus?
I don’t usually share before the big day but I just LOVE these custom wine labels for Lioness and Ross’s wedding this weekend. The couples adored their engagement images (and who wouldn’t?) from Justin Lee Photography and wanted to incorporate them. The also had a sneaking suspicion that their guests might like to go home with a bottle of their favorite wine. Hence, the creation of the couple’s new Brand of Wine (so to speak).
We can’t wait for Sunday and we will have more to post following the big day…
Cheers Lioness and Ross!!!
I love the fact that I keep in touch with my former brides. After all of the time spent together planning, it is easy to discover that a friendship carries on long after the wedding day has passed.
I met Jeri and Monte two years ago as I planned their wedding at The Rancho Bernardo Inn. As their anniversary approaches, Jeri started researching the perfect gift for year number two. One of the many reasons why I adore Jeri is her out of the box take on most everything and this is no exception. She is so creative and authentic…
Today, in honor of their Second Anniversary, Jeri is blogging about finding the perfect anniversary gift.
Traditional Meets Modern: The Challenge of Finding a Perfect Gift for Your Wedding Anniversary
As anniversary number two quickly approaches, I find myself fascinated by the endless enigma of traditional vs. modern natural elements list of anniversary gift ideas. Tradition says COTTON is the proper gift for year two, but why? (By the way it’s not just elements that are listed. There are also charts for anniversary flowers and gemstones too). Monte and I married a bit later in life, and so part of our vows was a commitment to love, honor, and cherish each other for “40 to 45 years,” given that we hoped we would live that long. That rules out the possibility of a Papal, royal, or presidential letter of recognition that is available for those who have stuck it out for 50 years or more.
How do you show your mate you love them with cotton, when the real recognition really comes from the heart? To go the cotton route means the obvious choice: linens. The poetry of the marital bed dates back well before they mythic bed of the characters Odysseus and Penelope, whose bed, carved from the waist of an olive tree, symbolized the unending life of their marriage.
If I’m going to showcase my favorite textile or linen procurers, it has to start with French General in Silver Lake, CA. Not just any Francophile’s fantasy of textiles and curios, French General sells luxurious linen sets that will have you feeling like you’ve died and woken up in Provence. You literally can go to Provence with the gang from French General and rummage around old attics looking for vintage fabric and buttons, stopping for the occasional wine break. Heaven on earth.
Another idea for showering your mate with cotton bliss is the handcrafted quilt. Whether bought or DIY, there’s a whole new modern twist on the “loving hands of home” type of craft—no offense to the Shabby Chic lovers out there. The genius asymmetrical handwork of the Gee’s Bend quilts pulls the traditional craft of quilting into the modern art form. While the actual quilts from this tiny hamlet in Alabama will now set you back a few pennies, for the modern crafter there are a variety of venders who sell Gee’s Bend Quilt kits.
But my favorite cotton anniversary idea is a different twist on the traditional thinking, a hammock built for two. What a perfect way to snuggle up and celebrate your anniversary, than with your honey swaying beneath the summer sky.
Thank you for sharing Jeri! The real question is… What did you end up getting Monte for your Second Anniversary?
Father’s Day is June 21 and it is time to get shopping for something special! The question is, what do you get the man that has been there for you for your entire life? Okay, that may be too much pressure!!!
We found some of our favorite gifts for all types of dads. From the Sentimental Man to Mr. Adventure…
Peg and Awl’s name is mostly synonymous with reclaimed wood products including this hand crafted tree swing. Great for Olde Massive Trees and free spirited folk, this listing is for a tree swing made of reclaimed olde growth pine that was once a floor joist for a 19th century house.
It’s time for dad to start serving draft beer right in his own home. Until now, you had to make some expensive purchases and deal with large, clumsy kegs. The Krups BeerTender with Heineken Kegs lets him serve delicious draft quality beer in an affordable draft dispenser using a simple Heineken keg tube. The automatic cooling system lets you cool the beer to your preferred temperature while keeping it fresh for 30 days.
F-16 Fighter Jet Flight Simulators
This is for the dad that is not weak in the stomach or faint of heart! Flightdeck Air Combat Center is an authentic military flight simulation center providing everybody the chance to pilot a fighter jet flight simulator. Flight-gear, training and in-flight instruction are provided to ensure a challenging aviation-themed adventure that you won’t forget.
A photo flip book puts videotaped memories magically in motion. A tin full of favorite handwritten recipes perpetuates family traditions. And party favors crafted from snapshots along with laugh-out-loud recollections set the mood for what’s sure to be a memorable celebration.
Winner of the 2010 I.D. International Design Magazine Consumer Products Award, this small but mighty hi-fi system offers superb musical fidelity and the most versatility in its class. Minimal design packs maximum patented technology including invisible TouchLight controls, PowerDock connector for iPod/iPhone and digital clock radio with programmable alarm for radio, ipod or iphone. Found at CB2.
The perfect map for those of us with the travelling bug DAD. You can scratch off all the places you have been to and make plans to visit those you have not yet travelled to. The top layer of the map is gold and you need only rub the surface with the edge of a coin to reveal the lovely geographical detail beneath. It’s the perfect gift for those who have “been around block” a few times!
Burberry Sport Chronograph Watch
There is nothing better than the gift of time! Dad can wear this Burberry watch when living life for himself. With sleek gunmetal color, multiple functions, and a boldly streamlined face, its rugged and reliable design is just what he needs for after-work adventures and weekend odysseys.
We love you DAD!!!
I feel the same way about ribbon as I do about linens… I LOVE THEM! They can add so much character to your event and the sky is truly the limit when it comes to incorporating them into the decor. We are huge fans of The Ribbon Jar. They coordinate the ribbon for you, put it in a fabulous jar and tag it with a creative name. My favorite part is that you can customize your own selection of ribbon, choose the jar and personalize the name. Time to get your creative on!
You have the ribbon, now what? There are endless ways to incorporate an accent of colorful, textured ribbon into your soiree but let’s start with a basic bow.
Martha’s Favorite Bow How-To
1. Shape two evenly sized loops, one in each side of the ribbon.
2. Cross right loop over left one.
3. Knot loops by threading right loop behind left one, under, and up through the hole; make sure ribbon is not twisted or bunched.
4. Pull loops into a smooth knot. Adjust loops; trim tails to be slightly longer than loops.
Enjoy!
Bustle Blog By Liz Beck 
