Guest book Idea

My favorites list on etsy.com is overloaded with wedding things.  Here is an idea we found and really like.  It's so different from your typical guestbook.  We would love to have it professionally framed (by none other than Patti Haren herself) to hang as a keepsake.  We would probably have to do this at rehearsal dinner considering we've invited 260 people to our wedding and don't have enough spots for that many thumbs!

 This one even has our colors.  We would set out different colored ink pads at rehearsal dinner with a few pens, have everyone stamp on their thumbprint and sign their name next to it.

I like this design better for our names.

One more idea I've been in love with since the beginning:

Another unique, frameable idea found here: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/goodthings/love-always-poster-how-to


This box would be beautiful to use for cards at the reception:

Navy and Lavendar inspiration boards

Here are a few of the boards that I've gotten ideas from along the way:

Cakes!

http://www.beautifullydunn.com/
Kim Dunn, owner of Beautifully Dunn Cake Company, is baking our cake.  She is wonderful and offers you samples anytime you want them.  Last time we went, she sent us home with six different flavors, and two different icings-enough for my mom, sister, Brian and I to all try!  Brian likes raspberry or strawberry swirl (possibly for a Groom's Cake) but for the bottom layer of our wedding cake we are leaning towards confetti cake!  We also like Devil's Food, and I like German Chocolate.  Any suggestions for the other two cake layers (3-4 all together plus a groom's cake)?

Here are some designs we like:

 Love this damask look.  Kim said it is made from fondant which is more pricey and doesn't taste as good!

 Absolutely in love with this!  The cake design we gave her is similar to this but the hobnail is more prominent.  We also are going to have dark blue hydrangea in between each layer.

Kim has a beautiful round vintage cake stand she is allowing us to use. If we weren't using hers I would probably try to find something similar to this one.

We hope the final look of the cake will look something like this.



Vintage Table Numbers

Fully aware of the long summer ahead of me totally free of any jobs (no complaints here) I decided to get involved in some DIY projects for the wedding.  After browsing the internet and other wedding blogs I came across this: http://www.thehamptonsweddings.com/ideas/decor/diy-project-vintage-frame-table-numbers
I fell in love with the idea and recruited my fiance Brian, my mom and sister to help me find the frames, background paper, numbers and 'just right' paint colors. 

Here is the original inspiration:

Here are a few candid shots of us working on them:

 Rachel's Sherwin Williams expertise allowed her to create some fabulous matching paint colors for us ;)

 Brian's artsy side really came out when mixing up the perfect color blue to match the background paper.

Future brother and sister-in-law.

A preview of some of the finished project: Which one will be at your table???

Bridesmaid's Dresses

I think I am more excited for my girls to wear their dresses than I am to wear my own!  After tearing dress ideas out of magazines, Rachel and Britney came with me to Cinci Bridal and Formal to try them on.  We all fell in love with the dress by Alfred Sung.  It has a beautiful ruffle collar and all the girls will wear Midnight (navy blue).  http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/d461/

 Keep in mind that the dresses are actually navy blue!

'Ruffle' shoes to go with the dresses.  Love!

Our three flower girls are going to look absolutely adorable in this navy toile dress by Annie Girl Couture:

Milk Glass Vases

Several years ago I went into an antique store with my grandparents.  They bought me a mint green hobnail vase that I had fallen absolutely in love with.  At the very beginning of the wedding planning process I knew that I wanted to somehow incorporate hobnail into our wedding.  Our colors are navy and lavendar so I won't be incorporating my original mint green vase but I have been lucky to find white Fenton pieces elsewhere.
A few months ago I visited one of my bridesmaids, Britney, and we went to the antique stores downtown in Delaware (OH).  I ended up finding about 15 pieces of hobnail to use!  One of my other bridesmaids, Billie Jo, also found me a few pieces at Goodwill. 
Last week my mother and sister came to visit.  We had an appointment with my florist and it turns out that he had a whole box full of milk glass that he had stored away.  He had so many that I got to pick and choose which ones I wanted to use for the wedding.  Thanks to him and the help of friends and family we have all of the vases we need for beautiful centerpieces!

Original Inspirtation

We are not using milk glass like this but our flowers will be similar.

We will use a variety of Fenton pieces big and small on some tables. Others will have individual vases.

I love the fullness of the roses in this vase.  I hope our florist can re-create a similar look using lavendar roses.

I absolutely LOVE this look.  

Not hobnail but I love the hydrangea and roses together (something we hope to do) and it seems so romantic!

Another idea I've presented to our florist in hopes that he can re-create: