three years

Three years ago on this day I married Matt and it was one of the two happiest days of my life, right up there with the birth of Ezra.  If I could get married all over again I would do everything the same, except there would be more pom poms (hey, I got married in 2008... they weren't so ubiquitous then) hanging in the tree above our guests during faux-cocktail hour.  The branches were a bit sparsely decorated in my opinion.  And while I loved my dress and jewelry, my heart has been stolen by this fancy number, 

which I would pair with this snazzy bracelet.  {Check out the Kate Spade Wedding Belles shop for more lovelies.}

I would always choose Matt to be my groom.  Happy Anniversary, love!

yum.

image by portraits by lucinda

Why is it that my first thought when I saw this bouquet was that I wanted to eat it?  What a delicious way to start off the week.

via The Sweetest Occasion via elizabeth anne designs

pounding mill press

Quite possible the coolest way to use the United States Postal Service, because who doesn't love wearing 3D glasses to read a secret message?  Perfect for save the dates for a funky couple.  From Pounding Mill Press.  

May 31, 2008

With several of our friends planning their weddings I've been thinking a lot about our day back in 2008.  Here are some of my favorite images from the day and a collection of links where you can find us elsewhere on the web.

- Featured by Summer of {grey}likes weddings here

- See us on Chatty Brides, a division of Southern New England Weddings

- A featured event at Stoneblossom, our floral and event designer

- Read Stoneblossom's blog post about our day here

sweet shower

This weekend I attended a shower for my friend Sarah who's getting married on June 19th this year.  She and her fiance Ben are having their ceremony at our church and then moving the party downtown to the Providence Piers where they'll dance the night away. 
The shower was given by her sisters, Laura and Leah, and their mother Lorraine, and it was hosted by close family friends, Rocco and Annmarie.  Everyone worked together to create a special day for the bride-to-be that she'll always remember.  

guests were greeted by this cheery wreath

a banner to welcome the guest of honor

a collection of photos of the bride and groom was displayed

festive pompoms and stars affixed to the ceiling at the entrance to Rocco & Annmarie's home

lanterns and candles made the party sparkle

a focal point of the day was a quilt that Sarah is working on for her and Ben (whose last name is Read)

guests enjoyed pink lemonade, peach iced tea, and basil water served in mason jars

Laura, Sarah's sister, is a culinary student at Johnson & Wales University and she baked chocolate lava cakes with spiced whipped cream and fresh strawberry preserves for dessert.  Yummy!

I chose a punch bowl set for Sarah and Ben - it's such a great thing to have around for entertaining!

a spring candy bar complete with paper bags for guests to fill up and enjoy

I'm looking forward to see all the details Sarah incorporates into their wedding day.  You'll hear more about that in late June!

free wedding printables

Can you believe this?!  e.m.papers is offering a black and white wedding printables kit... for free!  The kit includes a wedding invitation, a save the date card, a response card, a wedding program, a menu, place cards, table numbers, a seating list, and a thank you card.  Everything is completely customizable and you can print it yourself.  Talk about easy!  What more do a bride and groom need?  My favorite piece is the bicycle topped invitation.  To take advantage of this fantastic freebie, simply visit e.m.papers, add the kit to your shopping cart, give up your email address, and download away once it's in your inbox!  I can't wait to use all the pieces of this adorable stationery suite.  What's your favorite piece? Via How about orange... via iDiY.

Laura & Ed

Our friends Laura and Ed are getting married this August and she's appointed me "head honcho" of design.  I'm not kidding, I've seen her To Do List and that's my official title.  Anyway, we're going to be sprucing up a rather large and barren space so I've been compiling ideas for the big day.  The room is basically a blank slate and I'm looking forward to filling it with color, pattern, and texture.  Laura wants to create a big impact when the guests enter the room so we're planning on using glass vessels overflowing with manzanita branches hung with votive candles, draped with amaranthus, or adorned with tiny flowers.  Her newest idea is to fill the glass with Bosc pears and have the manzanita branches breaking the surface of the fruit.  

 

   (image via the knot)

Laura also wants to make some of Martha's tissue paper pom-poms to string along the sides.  Etsy sellers Party Poms, pomlove, and Prost to the Host sell pom-poms and garlands (here, here, and here) similar to the ones I would like to create for Laura and Ed's wedding.  

(image via Party Poms)

Laura also wants to have an old-fashioned soda bar as seen on Oh Happy Day.  Read more about Jordan's idea here at project wedding.  Another option is setting the tables with bottles that coordinate with the colors of the wedding.  Yacht Club Soda in North Providence is a great bottling company where Laura would be able to find old-fashioned sparkling beverages in nearly any flavor and color.  

(image via Jordan)

The bluecube is a self-described "guest magnet" and Laura and Ed want it.  What is the bluecube?  Well according to Matt, it's an automatic memory maker and a party starter... it's a photobooth.  I'm sure Matt of blueflash will deliver (please excuse the shameless plug for my husband) on his promise and the bluecube will be the hit of the wedding.  Besides the love and stuff of course.  

Laura and I in the bluecube last weekend

Now on to the attire... Laura's dress has been picked out for a few months now but I'll just say it looks stunning on her and leave it at that.  Her bridesmaids are going to be wearing a dress that is very similar to this j.crew dress that is no longer available.  Laura's sister and maid (er, matron) of honor Leah made her this Cynthia Rowley dress in fuschia for Christmas and it looks fantastic.  The Walach women are going to replicate it for all the bridesmaids.  I may just have to borrow the pattern to sew up a dress for myself!

The boys are going to wear some sort of J.Crew vest and pant ensemble, but I recommended that Laura check out the Liberty of London collection for Target (see my past post about the collection here) to add some flair to their apparel.  I'm especially concerned about what the groomsmen are wearing since Matt is in the wedding and I want him looking spiffy.  My favorite coordinating accessories are these two ties, here and here.

I can't wait to get started on all the projects for their August nuptials!  Any suggestions?  

an evening of enchantment

My friend Laura and I attended an evening of enchantment at the Botanical Center in Providence on Saturday night.  It was thrown by a number of fabulous local wedding and event vendors, two of which we used for our wedding - Kristin Spencer and Stoneblossom Floral and Event Design.  Laura and I braved the torrential rain to gain some inspiration for her wedding day which is coming up this August.  We enjoyed the delicious cuisine of Russell Morin Fine Catering and sampled tiny sweets by Confectionery Designs.  Entertainment was provided by World Premier Band, a lively group of guys who know how to pack the dance floor!  The event was beautifully lit by Ormonde Productions and all of the amazing rentals were furnished by Rentals Unlimited.  Read more about the night (and see lots more photos!) on the Stoneblossom blog here.