Flower-less Wedding Bouquets

Alternative wedding decor has become increasingly popular in the past few years. One noticeable trend is the flower-less wedding bouquet. These bouquets can be a lot of fun, are perfect for the environmentally friendly event, and will keep much longer than your traditional cut arrangement. This bouquet also provides additional opportunities to add personal, family touches to the wedding. In the vintage brooch bouquet one could easily include an heirloom family pendant. You could also make some of the fabric flowers out significant family pieces like your grandmothers left over quilting patches or old family clothes. To commission a flower-less bouquet one of the best resources is etsy.com. Otherwise, you can rely on your wedding planner or a crafty friend to help construct your vision! Below are a few inspirational images.






























































From top to bottom these arrangements can be found at Marthastewart.com, ruffledblog.com, onehappygirl and Milkpodstudios.

Best,

Ellenor

Bridesmaid Gifts- fun, fancy and FUNCTIONAL footwear!

Purchasing gifts for bridesmaids can either be a lot of fun or very stressful for a busy bride. Several factors should be taken into consideration when buying a gift for many, sometimes very different ladies. Another question is how much to spend? When considering the cost of your gifts, ask yourself the following questions:

1) What fits into your wedding budget?
2) Are your bridesmaids doing a lot of travel for your wedding?
3) Are they buying their own bridesmaid dress?
4) Are they involved in many of your showers and pre-wedding parties?

After all the pre-wedding event costs, travel, gifts, lodging etc. a single bridesmaid can easily spend over a thousand dollars by the time the actual wedding comes around. In that case, it is proper for a bride to splurge for a nicer gift. However, for lower budget weddings with less spending involved, sentimental and thoughtful gifts are all that matter. Many budget brides go for the "Do It Yourself" option, utilizing their hobbies or skills. Others spend a lot of time researching and shopping for the most fitting gift at a price they can afford.

One of our favorite bridesmaid gifts are fancy, functional footwear! This gift is great because after your ceremony, the ladies can substitute them for their heels to dance your wedding night away. They can also use them again and again once the party is over. Depending on your budget, you can find shoes/sandals at every price. Below we have highlighted a few of our favorites.

First are Tom's gold glitter shoes. Not only are Tom's shoes incredibly comfortable but each pair sold funds another pair of shoes that goes to a child in need. They come in black, gold, silver and pink glitter! Second are adorable glitter flats by Steve Madden. The shape of these flats are a bit fancier than the Tom's but would still make great dancing shoes! Third are metallic Havaiana flip flops. Havainas are arguably the most comfortable flip flops out there. They are incredibly durable and come in metallic colors that could provide a comfy compliment to bridesmaids dresses. The final pair of shoes are rhinestone sandals by Naught Monkey. These are fancier than the Havainas but again, more comfortable than the heals worn by your bridesmaids during the ceremony. These are a few favorites but shop around and find what suits your bridesmaids best!!








Love,

Ellenor

Wedding Food Trucks!

Living in Los Angeles, we have been pretty excited about the amazing food truck movement! Seeing them more and more at events, we are considering this option for a wedding in May. Check out this adorable photo courtesy of Unruly Things. See their entire post on the topic here: Unruly Things

The Ones who Bear the Rings

No one will be more handsome than the groom on his wedding day. But in todays weddings, the ring bearers are becoming formidable competitors!

Creativity is becoming key when it comes to bearing the rings. A pillow is not your only option anymore. Just take a look at how some of these handsome boys carried the bling...

To the left: A beautiful wooden box filled with flowers made a pretty place to lay the rings in this nature inspired wedding.

Below: This clever ring bearer carried a pretty book that opens up to display the rings ( plus it will look great on your bookshelf at home while hiding other valuables!). Make it yourself!

Of course, if you prefer the pillow, there are many beautiful options out there. You can use a vintage pillow, one passed down through your family. Or buy a new one that you can pass down. For a bit more of a modern twist on the traditional, have a custom ring pillow and tie made to coordinate with your wedding!
Boys don't have to be the only option as your ring bearer... Man's best friend is also able to help out!

Plus, they make for some pretty adorable pictures!
Bride and her pup: Fresh In Love Photography.
Handsome pooch: Allyson Magda Photography

And since you may not want to put all your trust into little hands (or paws), here's a clever and downright cute way to keep the boys involved on the big day!
These adorable flags can easily be made, and they provide something fun for the boys to run around while spreading wedding day cheer!

Until next time!

xoxo, Ellenor