Those of you who are engaged will love today’s outdoor bridal shower for bride-to-be Vanessa. It’s all kinds of girly in a pretty palette of pink, white and mint. The event was hosted by Vanessa’s sister Heather, who just so happens to be a fantastic photographer ( With Love Heather ), so so she captured all the lovely details. You just might want to bookmark and send this one over to your maid of honor or mother/mother-in-law just as a sweet little hint ;)
Says Heather: I recently hosted/photographed a bridal shower for my sister with a backyard garden theme with lots of cute, feminine DIY details! The day started out with rain but I had everyone I knew praying that the sky would clear and luckily it did just in time for a fast and speedy set up! Her amazing husband-to-be showed up at the end with flowers so we had a great opportunity at the end to take some great shots of the cute couple as well!
Paul & Vanessa’s engagement story:
In July of 2012 Paul and I made the trip from Ontario to Newfoundland to attend my cousin’s wedding (shout out to Tim and Lesley-Ann Manning!). My dad, step-mom, sisters and their significant others were also able to attend so we made a little family vacation out of it. Since we were traveling to Newfoundland for a wedding, I had no idea that Paul was planning to propose – thankfully he waited until after Tim and Lesley’s big day!
The day after the wedding, we decided to do some sight seeing at Cape Spear which is located on the Avalon Peninsula near St. John’s, Newfoundland. Shortly before the trip, Paul and I had moved into a new house and one of the first things we did to put some finishing touches on our living room was to put up beautiful framed photos that my talented sister had taken at Cape Spear when she was living in Newfoundland. There is one photo in particular that Paul and I both love of a white picket fence and rustic door frame that is positioned on the very edge of a cliff. Naturally, when we arrived at Cape Spear, we gravitated in the direction of where this photo was taken. As we were walking I remember looking around and wondering where my sisters had wandered off to as suddenly Paul and I were alone. The next thing I knew we were at the fence and Paul was down on one knee. Of course I said ‘YES!’ and then realized that my sisters had been in on the plan all along. They were waiting close by with champagne for us to celebrate! It was so meaningful for Paul to propose in one of my favorite places, and very special for my sisters, their significant others and my amazing nephew Jackson to be there for the big event. Funny side note: The rustic door frame had actually blown over the cliff since the picture was originally taken, so when we got to the fence it took Paul a while to realize that we were in the right spot!
Photographer: With Love Heather
Vintage rentals: KJ and Co
Chairs: Special Events
Lemonade sign: Potter Bard Kids
Invitations: Pretty Little Papers
Dress: Winners
Earrings: Urban Planet
Bracelet: le chateau
Shoes: Aldo
Hair: Andrea King from Carmen’s Hair Studio
Lynzie, co-founder of The Vow Project wanted to share a recent event with us that’s just filled with bridal shower/wedding inspiration. The Vow Project is a community of collaborative, creative, wedding and event vendors located in Toronto, Ontario Canada who are working to change the landscape of traditional wedding/event vendor marketing by putting on real events that truly celebrate the relationships that fuel weddings and events.
Says Lynzie: This was our first official event and it went off without a hitch. We set out to redefine what it means to be a Bridesmaid by putting together the #BaeBrunch. Our lucky winner, Jill Farber was treated to a day of pampering for herself, her mom and her 7 bridesmaids. The entire day was an absolutely colourful and exciting celebration of friendship and a tribute to the most important women in her life. After surprising her with a blindfolded reveal, we began with a complete hair and makeup styling session at The Store on Queen, followed by a celebrity style photoshoot, and finishing with the most delicious brunch ever at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen packed with sweets, goodies and surprises. In the images, you will see both the winners and the vendors working together to create one hell of a wonderful day, positive vibes for everyone! And so much eye candy!!!
Event Production- The Vow Project | Photography- Artiese Studios | Event Planning and Design- Love by Lynzie Events + Design | Videography- The Love Studio | Ice Cream Sandwiches- Sweet Sammies | Hair and Makeup- Julia and Julia Bridal | Wardrobe Styling- The Store on Queen | Jewelry Styling- Hattitude | Brunch- Mildred’s Temple Kitchen | Linens- Linen Closet | Table Top Rentals- Plate Occasions | Floral Design- Ooh La La Designs | Sparkling Wine- Fresita Canada | Cake and Sweets- The Wedding Cake Shoppe | Menus and Stationery- Beet and Path Designs | Furniture Rentals- Warehouse 84 | Wine- iYellow Wine Club
This morning we are sharing a bridal shower styled shoot inspired by a water colour painting. Nicole Gioseffi of Enchanted Elegance Events wanted to use bold colours and sweet details throughout to paint hte picture of spring. Photography is by Anthony Saleh .
Says Nicole: Welcome to our water colour day dream, bridal shower inspired photo shoot! The idea behind this photo shoot was inspired by a water colour painting and the spring season. Spring is largely associated with bursts of bright colour and I wanted to capture the beauty offered by this season in all of our small details. Sarcoa Restaurant provided the perfect backdrop to showcase this bridal shower in their private pier room. The Pier Room offers purple valour chairs and a lake side setting that truly captures a unique, intimate and whimsical feel. For the florals, I wanted to have flowers of the spring season and what better way to display spring but through tulips. The stationary provided by Defining Moments is soft, inviting and romantic. The name cards and invitation shows just how beautiful the use of water colour can be. One of my favourite elements from this photo shoot is the umbrella sugar cookies with the “love is sweet” tag. I believe it’s the little details that leave a lasting impression on your guests. The venue, stationary, table decor florals and treats made our day dream come to life!
Creative Director: Enchanted Elegance Events (Nicole Gioseffi) | Photographer: Anthony Saleh | Venue: Sarcoa | Cake/Cupcakes: Sweet Fix Bakery | Florals/Linens/Plates/Bottega Bottles: Inspire Event Rental | Stationary: Defining Moments Stationary | Cookies: Sweet Cheeks Co
For those of you looking to plan your own bridal showers, you might want to take some notes after this one styled by Orange Trunk . Kalie (the bride-to-be) and her closest friends were treated to a selection of jewelry from Stella & Dot consultant, Whitney Weir, followed by a photoshoot. Vintage inspired decor included a food table and mimosa bar along with lovely floral arrangements, lovely custom stationery from LoveSky Designs and a beautiful cake. The entire event was captured by Gingersnap Photography so the girls could remember the day forever.
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Heather of Orange Trunk shares the details:
This bridal shower was a pleasure to design. Meeting with Whitney, the Stella and Dot stylist, really helped bring it all together. The bride was beyond happy to allow me to turn it into a styled shoot as well! I wanted this bridal shower to be a sophisticated pretty with a vintage feel. I brought every Amber piece I had! We styled the food table and mimosa bar with the focal point being the Amber glass wares. From stacked cake pedestals and champagne glasses and juice pitchers, and even dessert plates…it was perfect! We mixed in a few floral print China dessert plates and some wood platters for cheese and fruit. The naked cake was a hit! We finished the top with florals that Kami left for us to use. I was very happy with it!
My favorite part of the day was hearing the bride and her bridesmaids giggle and laugh. With the help of these amazing vendors, everything was so pretty and made styling the day a breeze!
Hair & Makeup: Katie Kerr & Arina | Dresses: Adorn Boutique | Stella & Dot Stylist: Whitney Weir | Photography: Gingersnap Photography | Flowers: Make My Day Flowers | Stationery: LoveSky Designs | Rentals & Styling: Orange Trunk | Food & cake provided by Bride & Orange Trunk | Orange Trunk assistant: Claire Graham
It is Independence Day weekend, and we have a wedding to share with you that perfectly celebrates the holiday!
Tanya and Clay knew that America had to be the theme of their wedding – after all, they met as they both worked on Capitol Hill and were engaged on the Speakers’ Balcony at the Capitol! The couple had family and friends from Utah and Colorado travel to D.C. to see the sights of the nation’s capital, which was a highlight of the wedding.
The couple’s save the dates looked like campaign flyers with candidate buttons, and their welcome bags were even complete with mini pocket constitutions and chocolate Capitol Domes! Talk about the most perfect American-themed wedding. Each of their table names at the reception were places in D.C. that were important to them. One table name was “The Jefferson Monument Table”, which represented where Clay first said “I love you” to Tanya. Another table name was “The Capitol Table”, which is where the couple met and Tanya said “yes!” On their exit from the wedding, their guests were given different-sized American flags to wave around.
Tanya commented on a favorite memory, “The favors we gave out were little jars of homemade raspberry jam. My Dad is famous for making jam out of the raspberries he grows in his garden in Colorado, so a few months before the wedding my Dad taught me and my bridesmaids his secret recipe and we made all the jam together!”
Another one of Tanya’s favorite memories to date is dancing with her father to “My Girl” at her wedding. The day was filled with special moments that celebrated the couple’s love for each other and the pride they have in America!
Tanya + Clay
Washington, D.C.
Event Planners: Allison Barker and Domineau Wiley | Design: Allison Barker and Domineau Wiley | Florist: Whitney Johnson | Reception Location: The Sheraton, Pentagon City | Ceremony Location: LDS Mormon Temple | Rentals: Peekaboo Photo Booth | Lighting Company: Family DJ | Photographer: Tessa Barton Photography | Cake + Desserts: Georgetown Cupcake | Hair + Makeup: Stephanie Hoover | Invitations and Day-Of Paper Company + Brand: Calligraphy | Name cards: Mauri Earl | Save the Dates: TypeCase Industries LLC | Invitations: Minted | Entertainment Company + Selected Entertainer: Family DJ | Roomblocks | After Party | Brunch Locations + Details: Sheraton, Pentagon City
Credits
Last week I shared my cute bachelorette weekend coffee craft . So, to keep with the theme, this week I am back with another cute detail – a welcome bag!
While I wish I could take credit for this, my darling girl Cristina put it together, and we each received one upon our Friday night arrival for the weekend. It was filled with goodies, from drink umbrellas , to sunscreen , to silly sunglasses – the perfect fun party accessories! Oh, and for the next morning, a mini pack of Advil – phew!
You can make your own by sourcing the bag here ! What would you fill your welcome bag with for the girls?
As the wedding day draws closers and closer, Bride Blogger Milagros takes us back to her wedding shower, a day filled with joy and loved ones. According to the lovely pictures by Maria Vicencio , it looks like quite the celebration!
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Looking Back: April Shower
The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. We have done our tasting, picked our linens, planned our ceremony, and buckled down at the gym. All of that stuff that you are supposed to do when prepping for your wedding.
But at the center of all the planning is a focus on friends and family. When I start feeling overwhelmed with all of the details that go into planning a wedding, I try to take a step back and remember all of the amazing people we have in our lives, and everything they have done to celebrate us and make the past few months feel magical.
Just a few weeks ago I wrote about picking a dress for my bridal shower. And while I love Rent the Runway, (did you know you can rent wedding accessories from them?? I highly recommend checking out their earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and bridal accessories!), dresses can go very quickly. By the time I wrote my bridal blog post, the dresses I had picked were unavailable.
On the morning of the shower, I had a little down time while my friends and family prepped for the afternoon activities – so I spent a some time shopping for my dress and picking out small gifts to say thanks to my loved ones. It ended up being a beautiful day, filled with love, laughter, and lots of happy tears. It is those moments and memories that keep me centered, sane, and excited as July approaches. Here are some photos from the day. Let the countdown continue.
Photo Credit: Maria Vicencio
