Happy Halloween!

… and happy birthday to my favorite guy!! (he was the little orange one on the left)

I love you more than I can say.

You are my ally, my accomplice, my mentor, and my best friend.  You keep my feet on the ground… and you never let my dreams fall down to meet them.  You know when to listen, and when maybe it’s better to ignore.  You know when I need a hug — or a big bowl of ice cream — and you never stop making me smile.  You never stop challenging me.  And you never stop making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

We were written in the stars, you.

Happy birthday Halloween baby!

Quiet Sundays

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”
~Marilyn Monroe

Sloan Photographers via Style Me Pretty

Friday Link Love

More Design Please

Halloween weekend is almost here… meaning not just loads of spooky fun, but also fiancé’s birthday!  Like most holiday babies, the day of his birthday will almost certainly be consumed by other celebrations — not to mention the fact that this year it falls on a Monday — so we’ve planned a little celebratory dinner this weekend just the two of us.  I’m excited to celebrate with a nice bottle of wine, a yummy meal, and my favorite guy.

As for the rest of the weekend…

Right now the forecast is calling for five inches of snow or more all the way up in our rural little community, which my boss would point out is practically in PA (I commute a lot).  And, honestly, I’m not sure where I stand on the prospect of this super-early snow.  The little coastal girl in me who barely saw more than a dusting of snow can’t help a little excitement at the thought of the first flake… but then, the little coastal girl in me who barely saw temperatures below 40 is secretly in a panic over the cold winter ahead.

I’m torn.  In any case, I’m excited to curl up and watch it all come down with a big cup of warm cider and a new book… maybe a little Halloween candy.

Here are a few things I’m loving…

I am super-obsessed with this gorgeous little wedding (and everything by Bash, Please, for that matter).

This shop for the boys.

Pretty sure I need to have a Sip and See.

DIY fall envelopes and a gorgeous DIY chandelier that I have to try.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately.

I love love love this idea.

These letterpress cards from Satsuma Press… and the good reminder they hold.

This delicious looking Halloween cocktail.

If you have five minutes… watch this.

I probably shouldn’t admit it, but I identify with this a lot.

And because you might need a little pick-me-up after those last two links… this guy.

{Real Weddings} Nikki & Benjamin’s DIY Lavender Love

Okay, yesterday, I swear to you, every single thing I read or watched just hit me straight to the bone… something was in the air.

One of those things was this oh so true post by Jonas Peterson…

If you read magazines and wedding blogs today, you’d think it’s all about the dress, the decorations, invitations or a million other things.

THINGS.

It’s not.

It’s about celebrating love, a manifestation of commitment, a gathering of friends and family.

Because you’re in love.

Jonas’ message needs to be said, and heard, again and again. It isn’t that the details aren’t important. They are. But what is really important… what really matters on the day is just, ever so simply… love. It is so easy to lose sight of that fact.

And I agree that the wedding industry often lends itself to the problem. How can it not? Blogs and magazines are there to provide inspiration for the details of the day… many are also there to provide much-needed advice. They (we? I’m not sure I’m worthy of “we” yet) serve their purpose and they do it well. I don’t know where I would be without my favorite blogs and magazines.

But it still stands to be said, and repeated again and again, as each wedding is planned, posted, or photographed…

Strip it back.

Peel the layers off.

And start again.

Look within… because what really matters, what will matter for years to come… is you. Your love. Not the food, not the timing of each and every second, not the very last detail… what matters is the person across from you… and the family and friends who are there for you.

It is so easy to lose sight.

Now, with all of that said, I have to admit that today’s wedding has its fair share of amazing details. The bride DIY’ed almost everything… from the flowers, to the centerpieces, to her own hair and makeup.

And although her mother couldn’t be there to witness the ceremony, having passed years ago, Nikki made sure her mother’s old sewing machine and a quilt she had made were incorporated into the decor in her honor.

Some details say it all.

Some photographs say it all.

There are so few days in life that bring a family together like a wedding… the time is precious.

Let the day be you.

And speaking of letting the day be you… can we just talk about how awesome this is…

Photographer: Courtney Bowlden Photography / Event Venue: MoonDance Inn

{Wedding Film Wednesday}

The Cana Family

A recent meeting with our awesome videographers has me even more excited about the idea of our wedding film… so excited that I started to wonder why wedding films don’t get more attention on the blogs? They usually show up somewhere near the end of a post… so late in the game that sometimes I don’t even watch… have you noticed the same?

The thing is that the ones I do watch are often so amazing, and so inspiring, that they stay with me much longer than anything else. A good wedding film can really tell the story of the couple and their day the way nothing else can.

So I thought I’d start a new feature here on the blog… one dedicated solely to the best of those films… the ones that really show the best of what a wedding film can be.

And who better to start Wedding Film Wednesday off than the amazing team I chose for my own wedding, The Cana Family.

Ben and Drew are not just super talented, they’re also super cool… and the weddings they shoot are the same.

This one, though, really takes things to a new level. Lauren and Trey had a destination wedding like no other in Capri, Italy. I’m not sure words can even explain the beauty of this place and the perfection of this wedding… if you’re going to elope, there is no question that this is the way to do it… as long as you take Ben and Drew along to capture every second this perfectly.

Seriously, just watch…

Wedding Preview: Trey and Lauren in Capri, Italy from The Cana Family

And by the way, if you’re wondering about that awesome score?  Drew composes each one himself…

I know.

Welcome to Wedding Film Wednesdays!

{Real Weddings} Amber & Jon’s Southern Classic

I just couldn’t pass up this gorgeous southern wedding held at Flint Hill, a beautifully restored 1835 mansion in Norcross, Georgia.  Not only is the location to die for… the wedding is as classic as they come.

Photographer: Katie Snyder Photography / Reception Venue: Flint Hill

Ravayna & David’s LA Engagements

Ravayna and David recently moved from Louisiana to Los Angeles and love their new home… so they decided to take their engagement shots in the city.  They chose the Bradbury Building and the Hollyhock House by Frank Lloyd Wright, and I can’t think of two better places!  Their modern, super-fun shots really show how crazy about each other they are… and that’s the best thing of all.

Photographer: Monstrous Joy

A Not So Quiet Sunday

Ornamelle

Do you ever just have a pit in your stomach that won’t leave?  Or your throat, maybe…

Things have been busy around here.  Super busy.  So busy that it just doesn’t seem to stop… except now it’s the weekend and I’ve done almost nothing for two days, and I’ve still got the pit.

The list is so long.

We’ve ticked off a load, but it seems that for every item scratched off, another five pile up…

And the thing is that when planning a wedding, especially when taking on the majority of the financial burden, you start out with so many unknowns… and the price seems to rise with each revelation.

I’m starting to worry about just how far the cost might go.

I can see the utility of a wedding planner, here.  Not because of the organizing and design, necessarily… that part is fun.  More because a wedding planner is able to remain removed from the emotion of the day.  To look at a budget and stick to it no matter what…

This is not my strongest suit.

I can see all of the options… the ways to cut corners… but somewhere in the back of my head is a little voice that says, “This is going to be the most important day of your life… you’ll regret it if you really cut corners.”  Of course, I’ll regret a big load of debt too… right?

Nerdy Chic Factory Shoot

I love the contrast of traditional beauty with those things that might be a little more worn… each element is beautiful in its own way, but when you put the two together… something magical happens.

Country Sugar Events and 3-Design Photography have managed to capture that contrast beautifully in this nerdy chic inspiration shoot set in an old factory… and along with an amazing team of vendors, they’ve styled the perfect bookish bride to complete the look.

Photographer: 3-Design /Hair Stylist: Richard Giddens / Event Designer: Country Sugar Events / Dress Store: Bella Bridesmaid / Heirlooms and Extras: RG Vintage / Makeup Artist: Sarah Tolleson / Personal Stylist: Styled Rotten

{Real Weddings} Joe & Joanna’s Stone House Soirée

I am so excited for this next feature, because it comes from one of my very favorite photography teams, Matt and Anna Novak of Tin Sparrow Studio. Not only are they super talented, they are also unbelievably cool and fun to work with. And if you’re not convinced by me, check out this little blip from their site…

We fell in love in a parked car in a vacant parking lot. We are best friends, married in the summer at sunset. We love long drives going nowhere, we love fireworks in july, mason jars & walking juice, surprise face on our little ladies, kraft paper and micron pens, we love most things vintage, but most of all, we love to be together.

I know… you love them already, right?

Matt and Anna are extra lucky because they get to work together (can you think of anything better?) and when they do they’re able to shoot both the bride and the groom while they prepare for their big day. They don’t miss a second, which is clear from their shots of this awesome wedding at Stone House in New Jersey.

Here’s what Matt and Anna had to say about this drop dead gorgeous affair…

Joe + Joanna had to be one of the most relaxed couples we have had the chance to work with. They were always smiling and giggling, and half the time were whispering back and forth. It made shooting their wedding and their e-session so enjoyable. My favorite detail about the wedding was Joanna’s Handmade fans, it’s always awesome to see a bride who wants to make something for her own wedding. Overall the entire wedding has a very classic feel to it. The location was nestled nicely in the woods of North Jersey, and the smaller-ish (80 or so) gathering made it seem that much more intimate.

That venue, that dress… that gorgeous, relaxed, and oh-so-in-love bride and groom! I seriously cannot get enough of this beautiful wedding.

Thanks Matt and Anna for sharing!!

Photographer: Tin Sparrow Studio / Venue: Stone House Restaurant / Wedding Consulting: My Bellissima