I’m loving so much on the interwebs lately! Without further ado:
1. How to Look Amazing in Your Wedding Photos: This is an oldie but goodie that I bookmarked awhile ago and came back to revisit this week.
via Glamour
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As you all know, I’m all about saving money when it comes to planning your big day. As one of our smart featured brides put it, “it’s just one day, so there’s no need to break the bank.” I recently stumbled across these three money-saving websites and can’t wait to share:
1. Bravo Bride: Looking to recoup some of the money you spent on 200 navy crinkle linen napkins that you’ll never, ever use again? Or perhaps you’re interested in purchasing a worn-once designer wedding gown to get more bang for your buck? Look no further–Bravo Bride provides a space for past and prospective brides (and grooms!) to buy and sell wedding attire and decorations. I love the feature that shows how much of a discount you’re getting based on the original list price!
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Y’all, I’ve found another wedding-related deal. I should become a professional deal finder (is that a thing? Because I totally would do it.). LivingSocial is currently running a 33% off deal for tickets to the Southern Winter Bridal Show in Raleigh, NC. The Show will take place November 9th (next weekend!) at the NC State Fairgrounds from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to find and meet local vendors, including caterers, photographers, florists, and jewelers!
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Y’all, I started daydreaming about this wedding earlier in the week and couldn’t get it out of my head. I’ve never considered myself a creative person–quite the opposite, actually–but I do have these moments when the wheels start turning. And then I steal a bunch of other people’s ideas and mash them all together. At any rate, if you love Halloween, or if your high school goth phase never did totally disappear, this wedding is for you. Here in the South, we love old-fashioned elegance; this wedding takes a classic black and white color palette and elegant estate backdrop and adds just a touch of quirky (can you say black wedding dress and vampire fangs?). Without further ado, good friends, let’s kick this wedding off with classic black and white invites and a sneak peak of our bridal party getting ready:
via weddingomania
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It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done an Internet roundup, and I do have some fun/informative links to share. Without further ado, here’s what I’m loving on the Internet lately:
1. 5 Things Mothers of the Bride Can Take Off Their Daughter’s Plate – yes yes yes yes yes
via Brides
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Since sharing the cutest wedding gift idea from Jane last week, I’ve been keeping an eye on my emails for other deals that might help out budget-conscious couples as they try not to break the bank while they plan their big day. And of course, I’ve already stumbled across another! Plum District (a Groupon-style website that offers deals specifically targeted toward women who have children) is offering a 50% off deal to Peach Blossom. Peach Blossom sells tons of fun wedding favors, place cards, bridal party gifts, and even programs. Let’s take a look at a few of my favorite finds from their website:
Bride and Groom Mint Tins
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Belles and beaus, I have a stunning real wedding to share with you today courtesy of Realities Photography. Brittney and William knew they wanted to get married in Brittney’s hometown and selected Kenmure Country Club because they loved the antebellum-style clubhouse and beautiful outdoor ceremony location. I am absolutely head over heels for Brittney’s elegant Winnie Couture gown and the varying shades of purple in her bouquet and on the cake. Gorgeousness all around!
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Beaus and belles, do you subscribe to Jane? Picture Groupon and Etsy getting together and having a baby…that would be Jane. Like Groupon, the site features limited time deals featuring major markdowns. Like Etsy, all of the featured items are freaking adorable, and many are handmade or sold by small business owners. Anyway, the BEST Jane deal came through my inbox today, and I have to share:
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Who loves a good deal on wedding dresses?? Here are the details for a big sale that is starting today, October 16th, and going through this Sunday the 19th.
via Anjolique Bridal
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Y’all, I have such a sweet wedding to share with you today. Hope and Shawn’s farm wedding was just the right balance of rustic and romantic. Hope and Shawn love being outdoors together, making their pond-side ceremony oh-so-fitting. Many thanks to photographer Sarah Hoehn for sharing these gorgeous images!
From the bride:
Shawn and I met at Harris Teeter in 2008. It was my first job as a cashier and he was a bagger. We got engaged July 5, 2013 at Amelia Island in Florida. We really like to do anything spontaneous. It doesn’t really suit our personalities, especially mine because I’m such a planner, but these adventures are always fun. We also love doing anything outdoors together.
Our ceremony and reception were at the same location: Morning Glory Farm in Monroe, NC. We chose this because it’s very close to where our families are located, and it was so incredibly beautiful for an outdoor wedding.
Our ceremony was very traditional, as we did not write our own vows or stray from the typical format. However, we did include the unity candle and communion. Pastor Matt Leroy was our officiant which was very special to us because he has seen our relationship almost in its entirety.
That flower-draped wooden cross, y’all…swooning!
What were some ways you worked creatively within your budget?
We had a pretty tight budget. Shawn and I are both very frugal people, so thankfully it’s our specialty. We made our centerpieces, which sounds so easy until you realize that there are so many options, it’s overwhelming. However, with research on where to find inexpensive half gallon mason jars and having family members collect pasta sauce jars, it turned out great! We put lace on the outside of the pasta sauce jars so they all looked the same. One thing that worked in our favor as well was attending a bridal show to find our caterer. Then, our caterer referred us to our linen person, who only takes customers who are referred, and she had the best price on linens I have ever seen. I would encourage every bride and groom to ask their vendors if they have any other vendors they work closely with to get you a bargain. Also, if you have a bridal party who are willing to work a little the day before or earlier on the day of the ceremony, that will save a lot of money if your venue or vendors don’t set up for you. We had such a hardworking bridal party who were willing to do whatever it took to make the day perfect!
Tell us about the food, drinks, and dessert!
We had an open bar for the cocktail hour and throughout the night. Hickory Tavern catered our wedding with foods like Colorado chicken, pulled pork, a baked potato bar, a salad bar, and macaroni and cheese. Beverages included water, tea and lemonade. Instead of serving a wedding cake, we cut our cake and served everyone else butter pecan, triple chocolate, and vanilla strawberry cupcakes.
Wasn’t it such a lovely day? Congratulations, Hope and Shawn!
Photographer: Sarah Hoehn Planner: Hannah Maring
Bride’s dress: Alfred Angelo from Wedding Dress Me
Bride’s shoes: Toms Bride’s hair and makeup: Ashlyn Berry
Bridesmaids dresses: David’s Bridal
Groom’s and groomsmen’s attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Venue: Morning Glory Farm
Floral design: Braswell Interiors and Floral
Catering: Hickory Tavern Cake and cupcakes: Simply Splendid Cakes
Rentals: The Linen Lofts
Want to submit a wedding to be featured on the blog? Contact me here.