Escort Card Ideas: Color Coded Candy!

I love this idea that was shared on the Wedding Chicks. It's cute, helps guests find their table, and provides a nice little snack! I love the colors that were used in this project since the blue is right up my alley in terms of our colors. The blog post can be found here.

Reception ideas: Photobooth

An idea I really want to make happen is a photobooth. I'm not talking the traditional, sit in the photobooth and take four poses type. I want a DIY stand in front of the camera and have fun "photo booth". I'm not sure if I could just pull this off on my own with my digital SLR or if I should go through my photographer. It's something I think would be super fun though.

Check out a sample photobooth slideshow from Jonilyn Photography:

Awesome!

We have a venue!

I'm very excited to say that we have a reception venue! After a lot of consideration of options and debating between this place and that, a decision has been made. We'll be partying and celebrating our nuptials at the Castlewood Country Club in Pleasanton. The sound of "country club" actually made me worry that it meant extra zeros would be attached to every price tag, but actually it's very comparable to other venues in the area. Without further ado, some photos:

The front entrance


The Lobby - so pretty!


The Terrace - great for hors d'oeuvres and hanging out


The Ballroom - lots of space!


The Bar - drinks and mingling

Some Blue for Thought

This is my first Photoshop stab at an inspiration board. I've been scouring sites like the Knot and Martha Stewart and Brides and everything to find a nice chocolate and aqua color combination. I haven't quite found what I want, but I think it's all a matter of finding the right shades.

The venue we're looking at comes with white linens. I really don't want to be one of those brides that cares about the tablecloths. The venue coordinator mentioned that an estimate for colored linens is between $30-$38 a table! For cloth. For cloth that probably no one would notice unless you have guests that are interior designers, wedding planners, or just notice that kind of thing. I am considering table runners, which would help incorporate the color palette. Of course, that's all still up in the air.

I really like the contrast of the chocolate and aqua blue. More inspiration to come!

We have a date!

Well Michigan finally made up their minds and picked our date. Oh well. It's just a date and I'd rather have Fr. Jose be our officiant than being dead set on July 11. Cheesy anyway. So July 18 it is.

Actually, it works out a little better because some venues are still open for reservation. It's crazy how quickly people book venues, especially since it's summer. I'm feeling optimistic and that everything will work out once we have a venue chosen. Now it's just a matter of choosing. A couple of choices are out - Sunol Valley is booked up, Summitpointe is too small, Palmdales Estates you have to supply your own drinks.

Here are the contenders:

Castlewood Country Club, Pleasanton
(image from www.castlewoodcc.org)


Dublin Ranch Golf Club, Dublin
(image from www.herecomestheguide.com)


Wedgewood Banquet Center at Metropolitan Golf Links, Oakland
(image from www.herecomestheguide.com)


Palm Pavilion, Pleasanton
(image from www.herecomestheguide.com)

Oh the decisions and comparisons. There are some other places too, but these had pics. July 18, here we come!

Low Centerpieces are the way to go

In the midst of my hard drive fiasco, I decided to peruse some photos of centerpieces. I know that all of this stuff is backdrop to the main event -- the party/reception/dinner/etc, but it's fun to think about. I'm not a bridezilla (yet) nor am I totally high maintenance. I think big centerpieces are pretty awful, especially if it makes your guests want to move it to the floor so they can see each other.

I think something like this on each table would be nice and simple and fit the bill of filling the empty space in the middle of the table. Plus the simpler, the more inexpensive. I also like the idea of decorating with some votive candles, but one of the venues we are looking at doesn't allow open flames. So I'll also have to look into some LED tealights.

All photos from The Knot.

Hand-Tied Bouquets

I definitely want a handtied bouquet... none of that "tightly packed" business.


Both from the Knot.


From Martha Stewart Weddings

Some Maybe 'Do's

So since the reception search is sort of on pause due to the pending couple in Michigan, I figured I would check out some 'do's on the Knot.

I like this hairstyle, swept back and simple. I'm not exactly feeling the hair vine thingy, but fresh or fake flowers would make a nice substitute.


I can never make this curly tousled hair look work. Of course, I think I'll have someone else do my hair, so it should be a non issue. My only concern would be me getting annoyed or hot from having my hair down...




Similar to the first style, only with flowers. I'm thinking I might need some fake hair filler to give the do some body. My hair is fine and would need some major inflation to look like this.


I really like this one. Simple with flowers. Out of my face, but still pretty.

Not into the Gocco Thing

So since the beginning of lurking around the wedding blogs, I've seen a lot of talk about this thing - beloved by some, despised by others, it's called the"Gocco". From my understanding of it, it's a mini printing press that you burn on an image and then ink up the paper. More or less. Anyway, it's one of those thingamabob's invented by the oh-so-creative and cutesy Japanese.

I'm not buying it though. First of all, it seems like too much work. Second, my coworker tried it out and a flurry of things happened that they didn't end up using it anyway. Third, it looks a little like stamps gone awry. While I know there are many brides out there that live and breathe by their Gocco, not I, not interested.

Don't get me wrong, I have a little (or big) obsession with paper and paper products (watch me wander the aisles of Michael's) as well as pens and writing implements. I'm excited about designing my invitations and getting something uniquely us. I'm not really sure what I want to do, but I've been inspired by Wedding Paper Divas, but they aren't quite what I'm looking for. Plus, we might be getting our printing done free!

Oh all the things to keep track of!

J'aime les fleurs

I love flowers. Not so much taking care of them, but I like looking at them.

And, in terms of floral centerpieces, I'm leaning toward those that are low to the table so that the guests don't feel compelled to move them in order to see the other people at the table. I'm not into the big and fluffy and elaborate and view-obscuring. Cute and simple works for me. Plus it's a lot more cost effective (aka Cheaper!)

Take a gander.






All photos from www.aboutweddings.com

Cake!

I love cake. I'm so excited about the cake part of the wedding!

A couple of pictures to drool over.

And this first one has our initial!

cakesbyana.com

evasexquisitecakes.com


miniasbakeshop.com


jenscakes.com

edithmeyer.com

Regional favors

I've said it before and I'll say it again, as much as I don't care for Martha Stewart, she and her staff have some cute ideas. I really like these regional favors that were featured in the Winter edition of MS Weddings. Since we're from opposite sides of the country, and Cent has grown up all over, I thought maybe we could incorporate some kind of favor thing. I like the idea of the peach preserves. The California favor idea was olives -- not what I think of when I think California.

I keep thinking about things for the wedding in bits and pieces. People ask me about the reception, the dress, the flowers, the colors, the favors, the photographer... So much to think about! I'm still working on finding a reception venue, and I think until I figure that out, I'll be too preoccupied to think about the other things. Of course, I'm just saying that now...


Hawaii Bundt Cakes....................Texas Spice Rub

Georgia Peach Preserves........... Cute Sugar Cookie Cakes

(above images from Martha Stewart Weddings)

These are a couple of cute favor ideas I found on The Knot. I love chocolate covered pretzels and then the bags with the red labels have cookies in them. I love cookies! I want whatever we do for favors to be cute and as hassle-free as possible. Again, I say that now.



(images from theknot.com)