My Favorite Things (and maybe a new trend?)

So I've been noticing more and more of this type of floral arrangement these days and I totally love it! What am I talking about? Long boxed arrangements!

Not only are they gorgeous to look at, but they're space fillers (take up great length, ideal for receptions featuring long tables), and totally affordable. Instead of paying your florist gobs of money to create individual vases with personally manicured arrangements, you can simply build the box/crate (or buy one pre-made) and stick in a variety of your favorite flowers from your local garden store/farmer's market/grocery store or elsewhere. No need to buy pots, as the ugly planter pots they come in will be hidden by the box they sit in. Also, after the wedding you could give friends and family the entire box to take with them and place in their own gardens or you could pull out the individual plants and hand them out so that you have more to give away. I mean honestly, I don't see why this idea hasn't been used more for all of those reasons, and I think you will see this idea in blog posts increasingly in the future. Want to be a trendsetter? Do this!

European Wedding?

Are you one of those couples who is lucky enough to be marrying in Europe? If so, today Martha Stewart Weddings sent out a link to some pre-made "save-the-date's" that can be customized by which country you'll be marrying in and then on the back features "save the date" in that language. Even if you're not marrying in Europe, but maybe sending the save-the-date to some friends or family abroad, you could just use the back to say "save the date" in their home language. People love when it feels like you've gone the extra effort for them. That's why when I was making the stationery for my wedding, I did a French version for my fiancee's family in Quebec, Canada. It was really appreciated by his family, many of which do not speak English.

Just click HERE to be directed to her site, where you can download the templates. If you are not fabulous with graphic design programs, see if you have a friend or coworker who might be willing to help you add in your names and to aid you in customization.

Moving Inspiration

So I'm moving, or well hopefully moving soon, but moving eventually nonetheless. You can only live back with your parents for so long before you want to kill them and they want to kill you (ok not seriously but it's definitely time to get out). Before I get scorned by any of you, I have lived on my own since college, but after the broken off engagement I didn't have anywhere to go (and I certainly couldn't keep sharing the house with my ex) so home is where I landed.

Anyway, in the stress of trying to figure out where I'm going to move to (can't afford much right now, so it will definitely be minimal) I figured there was fun in at least dreaming about my perfect house one day. That perfect house where I could put anything in it I wanted, and of course the day when I could afford anything I wanted. My apartments and houses prior to now have been an eclectic mix of hand-me-down furniture mixed with little pieces I've picked up or accumulated along the way. When people walk in and see my house they see this bright, cheerful floral home, but that's not really me....more my mother, since my couches/tables/tableware/etc. have all come straight from her when I originally moved out of the house. I have a more modern taste than her but also want to include some vintage antique pieces in my decor. I also love that Italian/French flair. Overall, I just want my house to scream "me".

So yesterday I started scouring the internet for items I'd love to own in my home one day (PS family it may be far from my birthday but here's an early wish list--wink wink) to share them with all of you. Maybe showing you my dreams for my home will inspire you to make dreams for your own. What would you own if you could really afford it? What is your vision of what your future home will look like, or if you currently have a home, how you could turn it into something better? I always think painting walls a new color is a fresh way to change up a home...so if you want to go the extra mile, look at new paint colors too. I haven't gotten that far yet.

Well here's what I have come up with so far:

These are certainly not all-inclusive of items I'd love to see in my home, but it's a start! Maybe soon I'll put together a more inclusive inspiration board of my future home, and if I really get time one day maybe even separate inspiration boards for each room--wow look, wedding planner turned interior designer, lol. I encourage you to do the same and if you have one you'd like to share with our audience, email it to me and I will consider featuring it in the blog. If that's too much effort, comment below on that item you really wish you had in your home but currently don't.

Thanks all! Happy Inspiration Day!

~A

Jewel Tone Inspiration Board

Ok I think I've gone through about 10 kleenex's making this inspiration board for you guys, so I hope you like it.

I really love how vibrant a wedding is that uses jewel tones. It really has this lush, elegant, and playful feel. This inspiration board was inspired by the picture in the center, a photo taken by one of my favorite photography teams--Rowell Photography.

Other photos in the inspiration board come from the following companies/sites: JL Designs (cake), Green Wedding Shoes blog (lucky in love cupcakes), Ruffled blog (the escort card table), Style Me Pretty (blue shoes, pink balloons), Twigs and Honey (garter), Blum (gorgeous jewel colored floral arrangement), and Martha Stewart Weddings (berries). If you feel your photo has not been properly attributed please contact me and I will remedy it as soon as possible. Thanks.

Happy Planning!

~A

PS: Just saw these on "Unwrapped" on the Food Channel and thought they go along well with my post: Jewel Caramels (on and they're vegan and dairy free!). They're from Xan Confections.

Bare With Me...

Sorry guys for the lack of posting this week....Sunday night I started coming down with something that was confirmed as a bronchial infection today. I've pretty much been working as many hours as I can, then coming home and passing out (or should I say trying to sleep through the coughing). I will try to get a post out before I leave for Seattle on Friday.  Thanks for your patience!

Amber

New Inspiration Board: Chocolate, Green, and Cream Elegance

Trying to give you guys something fun to look at for Friday. Hopefully you have great plans for the weekend or are getting to relax and enjoy doing nothing like me (which almost never happens!). The inspiration board above is a fun earthy colored elegance...no bling necessary.

The pictures above come from the following sites: JL Designs (the simple table arrangement at the bottom and the candles in the top left), The Sassy Bride (the beautiful flower petal cake), Green Wedding Shoes (the gorgeous couple in the top right), Ruffled Blog (the beautiful bouquet), 5eizen on Etsy (the ring pillow), Martha Stewart Weddings (the cake cookie favors), and more. As always, if you feel your photo has not been properly attributed, please contact me and I will remedy it right away.

If you have a suggestion for an inspiration board (maybe even based on your own wedding theme, please feel free to mention it below, and you might just see one made just for you in an upcoming post.

Have a great weekend!

~A

Ticket Invitations

I was having a carnival-themed wedding, so I absolutely loved the look of carnival-themed invites, specifically those that looked like tickets. For example:

And I worked really hard graphically designing my own version, but for those of you who are not really good with a graphic design program or don't want to hire someone to make it for you, Martha Stewart Weddings is offering up pre-made templates and stamp designs so that you can do it all yourself. They're not hugely elaborate, but really cute and I'm sure you could at least get use out of some of it, if you're planning a carnival-themed wedding too.

Check out the templates HERE! I saved a copy of them to my own computer just in case I might need them again for a client one day.

Happy Planning!

~A

15 Things a Perfect Bridesmaid Will Do

This was taken from the July 2010 issue of Brides magazine. I liked it so much that I had to post it for all of you to read:

1. Give you honest (but gentle) opinions as you try on dresses.
2. Weep (along with your mom) when you finally emerge from the dressing room wearing "the one".
3. Create a "tasteful" bachelorette party wardrobe for you--diamond tiara, fluffy pink boa.
4. Offer to do your hair and makeup on the wedding day.
5. Stuff 167 candy-favor bags without complaining or eating one single jelly bean.
6. Record gifts at your bridal shower (in legible handwriting).
7. Run out to pick up last-minute items on the wedding day.
8. Call you out for bad behavior (i.e. making the matron of honor promise not to get pregnant before the wedding).
9. Lend you a shoulder to cry on when the stress gets to be too much.
10. Spend the night before the wedding at your place to talk, laugh, and calm your nerves.
11. Decorate the outdoor reception venue in scorching afternoon heat, minus any whining.
12. Start dancing to get the reception crowd up.
13. Give your mom special attention at the wedding--it's her day, too.
14. Deal with the DJ the second he starts spinning "Who let the dogs out?", which she knows is song number one on your "don't play--ever!" list.
15. Text you post-honeymoon for drinks on Thursday night...like always.

Please feel free to comment below and leave your own "Things a Perfect Bridesmaid Will Do".

Next Book Buy: Flowers Chic & Cheap

So I first saw this book recommended in the latest issue of Brides magazine and then when I looked it up on Amazon I read some really great reviews. Search google and you'll find a bunch of reviews as well. So I've decided that my next Amazon addiction purchase will likely be this book. At $16.50 it's a great price and I think it should detail how to do a great floral arrangement for less, especially with what may be around your house (soup tureens and teapots, etc.).

Below is the book summary:
FLOWERS ARE LIKE WATER: YOU NEED THEM EVERY DAY

Forget about fussy bouquets and ornate vases. All you need are a few blooms from your grocery store or farmers’ market, a simple container—perhaps one found at a garage sale or in your recycling bin or kitchen cabinet—and a touch of whimsy to pull it all together.

In Flowers Chic and Cheap, Elle Decor editor at large Carlos Mota shows how unexpected elements can make a style statement. For example, fill a vintage teapot with pink peonies and set it next to your bed; gather some ferns and an orange poppy in a colorful gift bag and call it a centerpiece; dress any entryway by loading a soup tureen with lemons and a few dusted-off leaves (picked from the backyard, of course).

Inside, Carlos reveals his trademark secrets for teasing the most out of flowers’ color, height, and texture, such as:

Unusual combinations make the most interesting arrangements (think posh English garden roses paired with inexpensive pom-poms). Two dozen cheap roses are perfect for a graceful bouquet when the stems are cut short, arranged tightly, and peppered with mint stems. Short- and long-stemmed flowers placed in bud vases on a cake stand are always easy and elegant.

Carlos also shares his tips for treasure hunting for vessels found in the most ordinary places. To him, a salsa jar is a vase for a dinner of Mexican take-out. Reused paint cans stuffed with any bouquet are one of the best wide-mouth vases around.

With short lists of what you’ll need and clear instructions for what to do, plus more than two hundred gorgeous color photographs by celebrated photographer William Waldron, Flowers Chic and Cheap gives you all the practical information—and inspiration—for sprucing up your place without making a fuss.

FOR ALL OF YOU BRIDES ON A BUDGET I figure this book is worth the purchase, or stop by your local bookstore and check it out at least before purchasing. I, myself love tables arranged with antique vases gathered from friends and family just as much as a $300 centerpiece, so if you're like me, I think you have to check this book out! And if you get it before I do, comment below and let me know what you think. Was it worth it?!

PS: PLEASE KEEP VOTING FOR TRIED AND TRUE ON WEDDINGCHANNEL.COM'S BRIDAL BLOG AWARDS HERE!

Barn Weddings in Oregon

(Photo courtesy of One Love Photo)

I really would love it if a bride would come to me wanting a barn wedding, and needing help with all of the details and decor (details and decor are my favorite aspects of wedding planning btw). Being that much of Oregon is farm country you'd think that we'd have barn venues galore, but I have yet to find one that really rivals some of the great barn venues across the US that you see in blogs everyday.

Here are a few images of barn weddings I've adored:

(Photo Courtesy of Project Wedding)

(Photo Courtesy of Wedding Bee)

(Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings)

I did hunt around to find a few local barn venues, two of which I hadn't heard of before. Green Villa Barn is a very up-to-date barn in Independence, Oregon (where I actually did Casey & Shanna's wedding if you remember) with a beautiful garden as well, but for me it doesn't give that really rustic feel I crave. Two barn venues which I had not heard of prior, but found today, are Beazell Education Center in Philomath and Blue Rooster B&B barn outside of Eugene. Both appear to be very rustic, with Beazell located in a state park.

If you are planning a budget wedding, I always recommend state park venues because you don't seem to be taken by large fees and there's usually few restrictions or guidelines to follow/abide by including which caterers to use, etc. Beazell for instance will cost you $675 for all day use on a Fri-Sun with a $300 refundable deposit. This is so small compared to most venues who also add on food and beverage minimums. Here you could make your own food on site if you really wanted.

I also personally love barn weddings because they work really well for long rectangular table seating and family style dining. This provides for a very intimate and close setting with those people who mean the most to you. Not to mention, add in christmas lights, lanterns or other hanging elements from the exposed beams and you can definitely make the view overhead magical. I doubt places like this will care if you put a nail in a beam, so long as you remove it afterward. Not to mention barn venues typicall have large outdoor spaces for ceremonies under a large oak or those hay couches I showed in a previous post.

If you know of other Oregon barn venues to list here, or want to make a comment on barn weddings/decor in general I'd love to have you comment below!

Happy Planning!

~A

PS: If you have a great old barn on your large outdoor property, I really recommend you turn it into an event venue and I'd be more than happy to work with you in doing so. I think Oregon needs more venues like this!

I'M A FINALIST! Please Vote!!!

Readers,

Tried and True Weddings blog is a finalist for "Best Wedding Vendor Blog" on Wedding Channel's Bridal Blog Awards. How exciting! Thanks SO MUCH for anyone who nominated me! I'm up against about 5 other great blogs and could really use your help in trying to win. I don't get much for winning (a $100 amazon gift card) but for me it would be a great piece of recognition for this blog and my hardwork.

If you believe that my blog is worth that award, please go HERE and VOTE as many times as possible. I could use all the help I can get!

Thanks again!

~Amber

PS If you have any problems with the direct link in this post, I'm posting a "Vote for Me" button on the right hand side of the blog which links directly to their site.

4th of July Wedding

Since I will be gone over the 4th of July I thought I'd do a post, providing picture inspiration for the bride who's contemplating a 4th of July wedding. I have actually thought about how cool it might be do to a 4th of July wedding, because you know everyone has time off to travel and you'd have an easy time trying to get fireworks for the evening, but at the same time people usually have long-standing traditions over the 4th so that might lower your attendance level....guess it depends on how much your friends and family love you (sarcasm here in case you couldn't tell). Either way, I think you could do a lot with a 4th of July wedding and red/white/blue colors (but just because it's the 4th you don't have to use red, white, and blue). I've included some examples here. Happy 4th!

Disney Weddings

In spirit of the fact that I am leaving tomorrow for a 4-day trip to Disneyland with my family, I thought I would write today about Disney weddings. While I doubt I will have my wedding at a Disney location, I was truly the Disney princess child. I think I could sing every song in Cinderella or repeat all of the lines in The Little Mermaid by age 3. I blame my disillusion of "marrying a prince" on this fact, but nevertheless I did always grow up with a princess complex (I'm sure a few of you can relate) and so might understand why a bride might love a Disney wedding.

I am not actually super familiar with all of the details of a Disney wedding, so I did a little research and this is what I found....p.s. I focused on Disneyland and Disney in general, but you can also do weddings at Disneyworld of course (more venues as it's larger), and take a honeymoon on one of the Disney cruises. For complete information visit their site here.

In California they offer two collections: Wishes and Couture. The way I understand the difference is that the Wishes Collection is more personalized to fit your personal style and needs versus in the Couture collection you are working with a set of "pre-designed" wedding themes from world-famous wedding planner, David Tutera.

In the Wishes Collection, you have the option of holding your ceremony at a variety of sites: The Rose Court Garden, Pier Side Pavilion, Disneyland Park (Sleeping Beauty's Castle), Parkview Terrace, California Adventure, and Brisa Courtyard. This is a wide range of sites, mainly outdoor, with everything from themes to simple nature settings. I personally liked the photos from the Parkview Terrace, as it seemed a bit of NY meets Disneyland.

For your reception you can choose to hold it in the parks themselves (King Arthur's Carousel in Disneyland or even have California Adverture to yourself and your guests at night), go for an elegant reception in one of 3 amazing ballrooms located in 3 of the Disneyland hotels, choose one of 3 gorgeous restaurants located throughout the park, or even use one of 4 specialty venues throughout the park. Disney definitely offers variety!

Disney offers the latest in food and entertainment for your affair (even including fanfare trumpeters should you really desire), the option for travel in Cinderella's coach, and even an appearance by your favorite Disney characters at your reception. Each bride is granted her own wedding specialist to walk her through the Disney wedding steps and to make sure the day runs flawlessly.

As far as pricing, a Wishes wedding will run $10,000+ (Mon-Thurs) or $12,000+ (Fri-Sun). Now a Couture wedding runs much more, at $65,000+ (this is not for the bride on a budget!).

To give you more detail on why Couture weddings are so expensive, here are the highlights. You choose from 4 pre-designed extravagant weddings. Looking at the photos (sorry, unable to get them off the web easily), these weddings (especially the receptions) are very over-the-top (making sense of the high price tag). You also get wedding specialists who were trained specifically by David Tutera, specially designed invitations, and state-of-the-art lighting, florals, etc. See an amazing reception room below.

There is also an option in the Couture package to make it your own. David suggests options of draping the ballroom, mixing options from the 4 packages, adding crystals and floral petals, custom food and beverage, and custom linens.

Of course one of the extra perks of a Disney wedding is never lacking activities and things to do. There are so many events you can schedule, places to visit, great dining venues, and multiple experiences to be had. Your hardest part will be trying to narrow down pre-and post-wedding activities, not the other way around. I saw online a Mad Hatter Tea Party which a bride used for a bridal shower. I love the idea! I would do it for myself despite not having a Disney wedding.

So in conclusion, my overall opinion would be this: a Disney wedding is not for the bride on a very strict budget, but it is for the bride with a lot of personality, someone who wants a unique venue and a unique experience for his/her guests. The wedding doesn't have to be a typical castle wedding, but can actually be had in some elegant hotels and restaurants around the Disneyland property, allowing for a formal affair, but a really fun pre- and after party.

I leave for Disneyland tomorrow morning and will try to pick up some more info or take some in-person photographs (as we are actually staying at the Grand Californian Resort & Spa, where many weddings happen to take place) during my trip if I can. If you want more information, I suggest looking at their website or calling to talk to a specialist.

As always, happy planning!

PS: Photos above come from (top to bottom): Wedding Chicks Blog and Disney's Wedding Website.