La La Laurie trunk show in Portland, April 4th

If you live in Portland, OR (and I know from Google Analytics that several of you do) mark your calendar for April 4th. La La Laurie is debuting some of her sweet creations at a trunk show @ Flutter. I might even make the drive to go see her amazing handmade boutonnieres, corsages, bouquets and other special millinery touches for weddings.

I heart Seattle weddings, Part 2

While in Seattle this weekend, we just had to go to Cupcake Royale. This place is a Seattle legend and has some of the best cupcakes you'll ever taste. Needless to say, they do amazing work for weddings. They go beyond your standard cupcake flavors and names to bring you such options as Dance Party with Holly Hobby (pink frosting with rainbow sprinkles and vanilla cake), Royale with Cheese (cream cheese frosting with chocolate cake) and Lavender (lavender flavored and colored frosting on chocolate or vanilla cake). I had my personal favorite, the Red Velvet.

My favorite part about Cupcake Royale for weddings? They also bake you a small cake as part of the package so that you and your new hubby can still have your cake cutting!



Photos by CFisher Photography

Aren't their frosting swirls awesome? It's their signature stamp on their cupcakes.

I heart Seattle weddings, part 1

We took a spur of the moment road trip to Seattle to see some friends this weekend, and I realized I miss things about living there! And I mentally compiled a list of great wedding aspects unique to Seattle. Here's my first one:
Photo by Garret Davis
The iconic Pike Place Market - I just love shots of brides or couples taken by this sign - So Seattle!

More I heart Seattle wedding features to come...

Real Wedding: Aussie Wedding Love, Part 2

As promised here is some more of today's amazing Aussie wedding shot by Sugar Love Weddings. Here's some more of the details of the day from Sugar Love...

"Anna & Nathan used the Sydney Harbour Piers as the backdrop for their first photos as husband & wife."

"The tables were decorated in hues of Wedgewood Blue and Pistachio. Favour bags containing chocolate fudge were set for each guest. The centerpieces were set with a row of blush pink roses by Rambling Rose."

"The white wedding cake was finished with blush pink David Austin roses."





"As the sun set over Sydney Harbour, Anna & Nathan took to the dance floor for their bridal waltz. Twilight shone on the water as the couple enjoyed their magical location...a perfect end to the evening."

Real Wedding: Aussie Wedding Love

This amazingly lovely Sydney, Australia wedding was shot by Sugar Love Weddings and featured last year on their blog. It literally took my breath away! I love the softness of it - those bridesmaids dresses (wow!), the industrial space with those sheer curtains, the David Austin pale pink roses. My favorite part is the use of pink without going way overboard and hitting you over the head with it everywhere - keeping it soft and sparse goes a long way. Here are some of the details of this event from Sugar Love Weddings...
"Nathan & Anna met through a mutual friend's matchmaking. A note "Anna's cooking and good looking" was given to Nathan, they planned their first date, which led to many more and eventually to their wedding day."
"Gorgeous white & pink invitations were adorned with a delicate white flower. The soft pink and white colour scheme complimented the venue and harbour setting perfectly."
"Anna's wedding dress was designed by Elizabeth De Varga and her gorgeous pink bridesmaids dresses were by Chic Collections" - both Australian designers.


The couple chose The Wharf Restaurant in Sydney for both their ceremony & reception.



More of this gorgeous wedding to come today!

Blog Love: DIY favor projects on Style Me Pretty

I am loving all of the great DIY favor projects being featured on Style Me Pretty today. Making your own favors can be cheaper (if done right), more meaningful (who doesn't love something handmade with lots of love?) and can fit in with your theme better than store bought favors. Here's two of my favorites - the tea tin favors and the chocolate covered pretzels!



I really love the tea tin favor. I am a big tea lover (have been since 5th grade!), so I had really wanted to do something like this using Harney & Sons' Wedding Tea - a delicious white tea with hints of lemon and vanilla and with little pink rosebuds in it. But, alas, we had several non-tea or caffeine drinkers at our wedding, and it would have been odd to do another set of favors for the non-tea drinkers. Harney & Sons has their tea come in lovely vintage silver tins of 20 silk tea sachets, but also have "tagalong" tins with 6 sachets that can be personalized with your names and wedding date. So perfect!

Poll: Tell me!

I'd love some of your feedback on what you would like to see more of on Marry You Me! Take the poll, and if you choose "Other" please leave me a comment on what you would like to see!

Digital Love by Hello! Lucky

Love the look of letterpress invites but can't afford the hefty pricetag? Hello! Lucky press has started digitally printing versions of their famous letterpress invitations.
What's the difference between digital printing and letterpress? Letterpress is a "hand-crafted printing method dating from the 1400's that results in stationery of exceptional beauty with each ink color indented into the paper" - usually on a high quality cotton paper, and is usally quite spendy due to the labor intensive process. Digital printing is "fast, affordable, modern printing technology that results in stationery with a flat surface and vivid, beautiful colors" so you can still get the great designs without the cost of letterpress. Here's a few of my favorite digital invitations by Hello! Lucky...

"Vintage Rose" For instance, on this Vintage Rose invitation, 50 of these in letter press would set you back $373.75 - or you could have 100 digitally printed for $240!

"Chandelier"


"Regency"
All photos on Hello! Lucky
I'd say almost none of your guests (unless you are friends with an invitation designer) will even know what letterpress is, but everyone can agree that the digitally printed invites are every bit as lovely!
More Hello! Lucky to come...

Blog Love: Intimate Weddings

I recently discovered this great website - Intimate Weddings. The site is all about yep, you guessed it - small, intimate weddings. It features a venue locator, articles, real weddings and a blog. I was a small wedding bride (only 54 guests) and can attest to the intimate feeling they impart, as well as the money saving benefits.
Here's a great article by Christina Friedrichsen of Intimate Weddings
Ten Reasons to have a Small Wedding

1. You get to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life surrounded by people who love you. Of the nearly 100 couples I interviewed for Intimate Weddings, almost everyone said this was one of the best things about having a small wedding.

2. You can feel more relaxed on your wedding day. Because you’ll be surrounded by friends and family, you’ll feel more at home with your guests.

3. You can save money. You can save thousands of dollars by having an intimate wedding, which means you won't have to go over your wedding budget.

4. You can splurge. Some couples choose a small guest list not necessarily because their budgets are small, but because they can pull out all the stops and have a truly lavish wedding.

5. You have more options when choosing a venue. Since you won’t need a large space to accommodate your guests, many small wedding venues will be open to you.

6. Have more freedom to customize your wedding to your own tastes. A small wedding gives you the opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and make your unique wedding a reflection of the two of you.

7. You get to spend time with your guests. How many weddings have made you feel like a stranger fulfilling a social obligation? Small weddings aren’t like that. When the guest list is small, the bride and groom can spend time with each of their guests, making them feel welcome.

8. You can make your guests feel at home. Because you will be able to spend at least some time with your guests, they will feel more at home at your wedding. Also, when the guest list is small, guests will have a better opportunity to mingle with most of the others. Chances are that many of your guests will know one another.

9. You can get your guests involved. A small wedding will give you the opportunity to get your loved ones involved in your special day.

10. You can have a wedding that people will remember. Because your wedding won’t be typical - the kind your guests have been to over and over again – your wedding is more likely to be remembered.
All photos by Leah McCormick via Snippet&Ink

Adorable Idea: Edible Easter Grass

I was browsing Pier 1 yesterday for inspiration and picked up some great finds - like the perfect bar cart for only $52! One new item in the Easter section caught my eye - edible Easter grass! I don't know how it might taste, but it probably is like any other sugary Easter confection.

I thought it could be cute as "filler" on a candy bar or around favors in a tray. And the price was nice - $2.50 a bag. You could also chop it up, put in into little glassine envelopes (like these from Paper Source) and you'd have eco-friendly & edible confetti!

Wedding Lingo

When reading wedding sites and blogs, it can seem like they have their own secret language. Take STD for example - only in bride world does that mean "Save the Date". The other day I commented on my MIL to a single friend and she said "MIL? Oh you mean "married talk"". As a bride to be, it can help to know this wedding lingo and avoid confusion. Here is a cheat sheet to help demystify the wedding jibberish.

BM: Best man, or bridesmaid
BP: Bridal party
DH: Dear husband
DOP: Day of Planner
DW: Destination wedding, or dear wife
E-ring: Engagement ring
E-party: Engagement party
E-pics: Engagement pictures (usually taken outside in a variety of poses, outfits, locations)
FFIL: Future father-in-law
FG: Flower girl
FH: Future husband
FI: Fiancee
FILs: Father-in-laws
FMIL: Future mother-in-law
FOB: Father of the bride
FOG: Father of the groom
FSIL: Future sister-in-law
GM: Groomsmen
GP: Grandparent
HM: Honeymoon
JP: Justice of the Peace
LTBM: Living together before marriage
MIL: Mother-in-law
MOB: Mother of the bride
MOG: Mother of the groom
MOH: Maid of honor
OOTG: Out-of-town guests
RB: Ring bearer
RD: Rehearsal dinner
STDs: Save the Dates
TY: Thank you

Three Dresses Under $1,000

When you first put together your budget, your dress should account for five percent. For some people, the dress will be much more than this, but most brides will want to stay within this budget. It's good to set a budget early on and limit your search accordingly. Figure out what brands make dresses in your price range through magazines, magazine ads and the internet. Find out what stores in your area carry these brands and visit them first. Here's three amazing dresses for under $1000 - some of them WAY under!

This strapless pleated mesh gown is by Jessica McClintock (whose salons are just beautiful if you have one near you) and retails for only $298!! Source: Brides.com

This silk chiffon gown with cap sleeves, sweetheart neckline and a removable satin belt with brooch by Sarah Danielle retails for around $750!
Source: Sarah Danielle

And lastly, we have this strapless tired gown with small flowers on it by Shimmer by Bari Jay (technically a prom line). The best part has to be the detachable skirt for your reception or getway, all for around $300! It is shown in a pinky-copper color, but comes in an ivory.
Source: Shimmer by Bari Jay

Real Wedding: A French Wedding by Amorology

I saw this wedding today by Amorology Weddings in Southern Califorina and just had to share the link to it. The bride spent some time in Paris and it helped inspire the pink and navy blue French theme for this January wedding. The whole event just oozes sweetness! See this fabulous wedding here and here.
All photos by Jamie Hammond

Daily Favorite

Could this picture be any cuter? I picked this a daily favorite to show there are so many unique shots a photographer can work with you on to really capture the spirit of the day in addition to the standard posed group shots.

Husband's Birthday!

Today is a very special day. Twenty five years ago today my wonderful husband was born! If it wasn't for him marrying me and encouraging my creative side, this blog wouldn't have happened. I'm taking the day off to spend it all with him (I think I neglect him to work on my blog a lot), but thought I'd share one pic of us from our rehearsal dinner...
Happy Birthday - I love you my sweet hamster husband!

Vanilla (Irish) Cupcakes

So there really isn't too much Irish about these other than the fact that they have shamrocks on the top of them, and I made half of them with green frosting. But they were based off the recipe of the shamrock cupcakes in today's "An Irish Castle Wedding" inspiration board. And they are so yummy!

What do you think of my new cakeplate? (Sorry about the picture quality, I had to use my mom's camera : ))

Irish Soda Bread recipe

Today in honor of St. Patrick's day (I'm part Irish) my family had a traditional Irish dinner, and I made Irish Soda Bread and cupcakes. Here's the pictures of my bread and the recipe (adapted from Martha Stewart's recipe).
The Irish Soda Bread
The table my mom set - isn't it so pretty?!

Ingredients
Makes 1 loaf
1 1/3 cups whole milk
1/3 cup apple-cider vinegar
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface and dusting
2 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup unprocessed wheat bran
1/6 cup caraway seeds
1 cup (5 ounces) raisins
Salted butter and peel-free marmalade, both preferably Irish, for serving

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl, and let stand until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Cut in unsalted butter with a pastry cutter or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add bran, caraway seeds, and raisins; stir to distribute.

Pour milk mixture into flour mixture; stir until dough just holds together but is still sticky. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat and press the dough gently into a round, dome-shaped loaf, about 7 inches in diameter. Transfer to prepared sheet.

Lightly dust top of loaf with flour. With a sharp knife, cut an X into the top, 3/4 inch deep. Bake, rotating halfway through, until loaf is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour, 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Soda bread is best eaten the day it is made; serve with salted butter.

Irish Wedding Traditions

Here are some charming Irish wedding traditions that would be great for anyone with Irish heritage looking to incorporate some Irish traditions into their wedding ceremonies or receptions.

The Claddagh Ring
Named after Claddagh, a fishing village in Galway (in Western Ireland), the Claddagh ring is handed down from mother to daughter and is used both as the betrothal and wedding ring. It is worn with the crowns facing inward, toward the wrist, on betrothal, and outward, toward the nail, upon marriage. Today, it is still used as a wedding ring and it is considered improper for a person to buy one for him or herself; it must be given as a gift.

Superstitions
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Irish believed that if the sun shone on the bride, it would bring good luck to the couple. It was also lucky to hear a cuckoo on the wedding morning or to see three magpies. After the wedding ceremony, it was important that a man and not a woman be the first to wish joy to the new bride.

Locking the Door
Since Irish men were known for getting cold feet on their wedding days, once the bride and groom were in the church, the guests would lock the door to keep the groom inside to make sure he went through with the ceremony.

Irish Toast
The wedding party gathers around the bride and groom. All fill their glasses with mead and the newly wedded couple recites an Irish toast: "Friends and relatives, so fond and dear, 'tis our greatest pleasure to have you here. When many years this day has passed, fondest memories will always last. So we drink a cup of Irish mead and ask God's blessing in your hour of need." The guests respond: "On this special day, our wish to you, the goodness of the old, the best of the new. God bless you both who drink this mead, may it always fill your every need."

Irish Lace
While bridal fashions in Ireland resemble the rest of the Western world, one distinctly Irish touch is Irish lace. Try to incorporate this beautiful fabric into a gown or veil. If that's too expensive, consider carrying a lace handkerchief in your bridal bag or hand them out as attendant gifts. Color scheme? Follow Irish heritage, of course, and go for green, white, and gold.

Bagpipes and Kilts
Lots of big Irish families have family members who are in pipe bands. So it's not unusual for them to hook up at a wedding and pipe the couple into the mass or at dinner. Popular tunes are the "Highland Fling" and the "Stack of Barley," as well as jigs, reels, and hornpipes. Not only do they sound good, they look good too. Most pipers wear Celtic kilts -- plaid skirts that their ancestors wore in medieval times. The Irish weren't allowed to wear them during British rule, so now it seems they slip them on for practically every special occasion, maybe in an effort to make up for lost time and to reclaim their stake in what is often regarded as a Scottish fashion statement.

Lord of the Dance
Show off on the dance floor with a ceilidh, a traditional Irish set dance. Consider signing up for pre-wedding lessons -- for just you and your sweetie or for the whole bridal party. Keep in mind that some ceilidh dances are named for locations in Ireland such as the Kerry Set, the Seige of Ennis, while some waltz tunes include names such as "Galway Shawl", or "Home to Mayo" -- choose a song or dance to reflect your family's heritage or ancestral home. Be sure to share the special significance of your dance with your guests.

An Irish Feast
The traditional Irish menu -- Irish soda bread, corned beef, and cabbage -- is perhaps not something you'd typically crave, but when cooked right and served up at a big wedding fete, it's positively delicious (not to mention that it all gets washed down with plenty of whiskey and Guinness Stout). And don't forget the traditional Irish wedding cake, a fruitcake filled with almonds, raisins, cherries, and spice and laced with brandy or bourbon.

The Month of Honey
The word for honey is "meala" in Irish. "Mi na meala," the month of honey, refers to the month after the wedding when the newlyweds celebrated by drinking mead, a brew made of fermented honey. Following the wedding, a sufficient amount of mead was given to the bride and groom, along with special goblets, so they could share the unique brew for one full moon after their wedding -- and thus the term honeymoon was coined. It was believed that this delicate yet potent drink was the best way to ensure a good beginning for a new marriage, and it was also believed to endow powers of virility and fertility.
Source: The Knot