DIY Series - Contest Winner

I apologize for the delayed response on the winner of the DIY Series items! According to random.org the winner is number 2, who is Maranda. She said, "These are Great! I love lavender. I'm using lavender and purple with silver and white accents. These would be perfect! I like the buttons. Not something you see everyday. I wish I could be crafty! It would save on so many details!" So Maranda, send me an email so I can make sure you get all the items.

There is a new DIY Series in the works, so stay tuned!

Just Because...

{Via Frolic}

Simple Centerpieces

Big or small, recession or no recession, we all have budgets for our weddings. There are lots of ways to minimize cost without cutting some of your favorite elements of the day, one of which is flowers. You don't have to have tall centerpieces, or even designs that are overflowing with beautiful blooms. There is always the option of using candles, but if you need to cut costs and still want to use flowers, why not use several small bunches?

Collections of wildflowers and unique stems in recycled mason jars or bud vases can (if you ask me) be just as endearing as any other option. Here are some inspirational examples I found from around the blogosphere, just click on the images to see their source.

Tugboat Printshop

I am completely and totally in awe of how beautiful these invitations are, from the amazingly talented artists at Tugboat Printshop. I've actually seen Tugboat at Renegade before but I never realized that they also commission wedding invitations. The fact that these are hand drawn and hand carved out of wood is nothing short of incredible. I am just going to stop talking and let you watch it all unfold (literally).
I really just can't get over the fact that these are hand carved out of wood! Works of art, indeed. You can find more pictures on Tugboat Printshop's flickr site, as well as their etsy store.

The Speidi Wedding

So I got an email from Michael this morning, turns out he was the DJ at Spencer & Heidi's wedding this weekend. As much as it pains me to give them anymore publicity, I couldn't resist showing you some of these beautiful photos that Noa took. You should really go read her post, it is a hilarious account of the night.
And I also couldn't resist this picture - love the level of concentration. Now we can all say we knew him "when." Have you downloaded his soul mix yet? Because if you haven't, you should.

The B List

I am sure you've heard all about it by now, but I was lucky enough to attend The B List get together this weekend in New York. Vané and Anne put an incredible amount of work into gathering everyone together and making sure the event was a success. A huge thank you to both of them! It was so fun to meet everyone and have an open discussion.

The attendees were as follows (not in order of this picture, because I am lazy):
Kristina from 100 Layer Cake
Liene from Blue Orchid Designs™
Vané from Brooklyn Bride
Ami + Rebekah from Elizabeth Anne Designs
Anne from From “I Will” to “I Do”
Jen from Green Wedding Shoes
Luzel from iDiY
Nole from Oh So Beautiful Paper
Emily from Once Wed Blog
Anne from Perfect Bound
Kelly from Santa Barbara Wedding Chic
Janice from The Bridal Wishlist
Janie from The Bride’s Cafe
Courtney from The Little White Book
Amanda from Vintage Glam Weddings
Bee from Weddingbee
Christy from What Junebug Loves!
Maria from {ritzy bee blog}
In the morning we had a great conversation about all things blog related, which was extremely informative - we could have talked for several more hours! Then we were able to meet some great local vendors (more on that later in the week) and afterwards Michele Preli (the editor of Brides.com) was nice enough to invite us to her house for drinks hosted by Swirl Events.
The meeting took place at Galapagos Art Space, with flowers provided by Seaport Flowers and Sterling making sure that none of us went hungry. Jenny Ebert was nice enough to come to the venue and snap all these pictures, beautifully documenting the day. There is now a B-List blog, where you can go to keep up with all of us and read more about all that went down. Erica from Thoughtful Day created the adorable logo - so cute!

Simple and Pretty

I would have gladly used any of these cake designs, they are all so simple but strikingly pretty. I used that word over and over again when describing what we wanted our cake - "simple." And I really enjoy that the top four cakes are all monochromatic. That isn't a term that you usually think of when considering wedding cakes, but there is something to be said for an all white cake! You can find more pictures and the sources for each of the cakes from Real Simple.

DIY Series: More Button Projects

Last but certainly not least, there are a lots of other ideas for amazing button projects floating around the internet. This first one though, is my favorite by a landslide. Those are candy buttons which you can make in any color imaginable. Bake it Pretty has provided a complete tutorial along with free labels you can download and put onto the top of the packages! These would be some of the cutest favors I can possibly imagine.
And of course, Martha Stewart has an array of adorable button inspired projects. You can go here to see more and also read some of the tutorials they have posted for button cuff links, boutonnieres and more.
Then there are these amazing button bouquets and boutonnieres, which you can find in abundance on etsy. I can't even imagine the level of work that goes into creating each of these.
So, there you have it. I hope you all enjoyed the series! Keep the feedback coming, its the only way that I know whether or not the idea was well received and/or if you would like to see some more DIY projects on varying themes. If you have a minute to take this short survey, it would be much appreciated. Have a wonderful weekend!

DIY Series

We've reached the end of the first DIY Series, I hope you've all enjoyed reading it as much as I liked creating all of the projects. But more than that - I hope it was useful! Even if you've left comments or sent me an email (thank you for that!) filling out this short survey would be a huge help. I want to make sure all of this is as useful as possible so know that any feedback is taken to heart. You can find the survey here. I promise it will only take a few quick seconds to fill out and it is completely anonymous.

Are any of you using or planning to use this color palette? If so, just leave a comment on this post by midnight (CST) on Wednesday, April 29th for a chance to win the ring bearer pillow, the extra fabric I used to create it, the fabric covered buttons and the favor boxes (if you want to use them as templates).

There is one more post coming up that showcases other button projects from the web, so you can get a few extra ideas from that as well. I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

DIY Series: Favor Boxes

Last up in the DIY series, favor boxes. I came up with three different ideas so that you have several to choose from. And remember, these can all be customized to any color palette and type of fabric that you have in mind. There are no limits! We'll start off with the button & fabric wrap. For this box you will need:

Button & Fabric Favor Box:

• Strip of Fabric - Aprox 1" wide
• Button
• Small White Box
  
• Scissors
• Glue Dots

Measure your fabric so that it can start in the center of the box, like in the picture below, and wrap around the bottom so that it ends just past the button you've placed in the center of the box. Secure the end with the button to the box with (what else?) a glue dot!
Then cut a small slit in the end of the fabric, so that you can fasten it to the button just like you do a shirt. I left the edges of the fabric raw (you can make them a little more frayed by pulling at loose threads) because I think its cute, but of course you could finish it however you like. There is no stitching or sewing needed for this one, its pretty quick and simple.
Next up is the ribbon and button box (I know you love my oh-so-original names). You'll need to have:

Ribbon & Button Box

• Cotton Ribbon - I found this particular ribbon at the Container Store
• Small Favor Box
  
• Scissors
  
• Glue Dots!

So first (really, you can say it along with me at this point) turn the box upside down and put a glue dot on the end of the ribbon. I even took a picture of one for you, since I've been talking about them so much.
Glue the ribbon to the bottom of the box and wrap it three times, so that you have three little rows of ribbon. Glue the end to the bottom of the box just like you did the other side.
Then cut another piece of ribbon and wrap it underneath the top three one full time, so that you end with the ribbon on top of the first row.
Glue a button to the first and last rows, then wrap some thread in between them just like you did for the fabric pouch invitation. Done!
I didn't take pictures of the process for the last favor box because its pretty much like the second invitation. Just glue a strip of fabric to the box and then wrap some thread around it, adding in the buttons as you go.
And there you have it! Three easy ideas for favor boxes that you can fill with a variety of little goodies. You could also use the same techniques on bags, just adjusting for size and shape.

DIY Series - Covered Buttons

If you have some extra fabric scraps from all your DIY projects, why not make some covered buttons? You could use them for ring bearer pillows, boutonnieres (you'll understand what I mean on Friday) or even make them into tacks and use them to pin up your escort cards onto a framed board. I got the idea for this from the ever creative Jessica at How About Orange, who made tacks with her fabric (and took much better pictures of the process!) All you will need is:

Fabric Covered Buttons

• Scraps of Fabric
• Button Cover Kit - I used the 20 (1/2")
• Scissors
• A Quarter

Start by tracing a quarter on onto the back of your fabric so that you have some circles you can cut out and use for the buttons. They don't have to be perfect circles (I would know, I must have slept through the day in Kindergarten where they taught us to cut).
When you have enough circles cut out, put one into the little round holder that comes with the kit.
Then place the top of the button into the hole, on top of the fabric:
Push the back onto the top (you might need to use something besides your fingers to make sure it snaps in there) and then push from the back to release your new button! Honestly, the part that takes the most time is cutting out the circles. After that you're good to go.

DIY Series: Ring Bearer Pillow

I am definitely no expert on ring bearer pillows, but I thought a simple design (with some buttons incorporated, naturally) could be a cute addition to this color palette. Here is what you'll need to get started:

Ring Bearer Pillow

• Fabric
• Matching Thread
• Sewing Machine or Needle
• Ribbon
• Four (or more) buttons
• Stuffing or Pillow Form

I opted for some stuffing because it is generally less expensive and I like being able to adjust the level of thickness. But pillow forms can definitely make things more uniform, I am sure there are pro's and con's to either choice. For a (roughly) 9" pillow, cut two pieces of fabric into 10" squares:
Flip the pieces of fabric so that the wrong sides are each facing out and the right sides are facing inward, towards each other. That sounded really complicated for some reason, but I assure you that it isn't! I also realized that it will make your life much easier if you sew the little buttons on now, before you assemble the pillow. Just allot for the fact that the pillow won't be flat when you're finished, so place the buttons at least 3/4 - 1" away from the corner. I put three in one corner and one button in another (there aren't pictures because I am a fool and blindly sewed them on once the pillow was finished - learn from my mistakes). Just make sure that the button side is facing inward for the next step.
Then, just start sewing. You can also definitely do this by hand but I am lazy and happen to have a sewing machine, so I went with that option.
Make sure to leave at least a 1" gap in the stitches, so that you can fill the pillow up with stuffing and also so you can flip it right side out. Just start grabbing fabric and pulling it through the hole, then stuff away!
Close the hole with a few hand stitches, and you're almost finished. For the ribbon, I just sewed the center of the ribbon to the pillow and then tied it into a bow. You can also put a button in the center (a covered one would be cute - stay tuned for a tutorial) and create a tuft.
You can easily adapt this for any color scheme - I made a similar pillow for our wedding out of green damask fabric. On Friday I will open up a contest for a chance to win this pillow, as well as the extra fabric and part of tomorrow's project. Stay tuned!

DIY Series: Table Settings

If you're just tuning in, welcome to the first ever DIY series. You can go here to read about what is going on and why there is so much purple hanging around, when its usually all green all the time. Today in the series I will be showing you some ideas for table settings. Aside from flowers, I think that table numbers are a great way to personalize things. So sticking with our theme of lavender & buttons I give you - wine bottle table numbers (and yes, I just might use that little jar of buttons in every picture, I almost can't stand how cute it is). Here is what you'll need:

Wine Bottle Table Numbers

• Empty (or full) wine bottles - recycled bottles or some that you've used would add an eco-friendly touch
  
• Heavy weight paper or card stock
• Buttons
• Glue Dots or a hot glue gun
• Scissors or Paper Cutter
  
• Ruler

First up, find a font that you like and want to use for your table numbers (I used Feel Script). You could also draw the numbers yourself, but my drawing skills leave a lot to be desired. Print out each number so that they are 4-6" high.
Place the printed number on top of your card stock and trace with a pen. Make sure to press relatively hard - the idea is that it will leave a mark in the paper. It is a little difficult to see, but it should turn out something like this:
Then, simply use a pencil (or your pen, let's not get particular) and fill in the indention that you just created with your trace.
Pick out some of your favorite buttons, they definitely don't all have to be just alike or even the same color, and align them over the number you just drew. Using slightly different shades and patterns adds to the intrigue, if you ask me.
Once you have placed the buttons where you want them to be, use the glue dots to stick all of them on the paper. Prepare yourself for a lot of glue dot talk. I can't help it.
After all the buttons are securely in place, measure about a quarter of an inch beyond each side of the number and cut the paper into a rectangle. Wait for the shocking confession - I then used (say it with me) glue dots to secure the paper to the wine bottle.
I always think that table numbers should be at least 5-6 inches high, as I hate walking around like a fool and squinting at each table to find my assigned seat. Those things can be hard to see in a dimmed ballroom! So for any double digit numbers, I would suggest two bottles of wine - one for the "1" and one for the "0." It could add up, but if you start early enough you could save empty wine bottles and just use those. If you're anything like us, you'll have plenty by the end of the year! An inexpensive DIY solution for the centerpieces could easily be hydrangeas:
Depending on the season, you can get fresh stems of hydrangeas at farmers markets relatively inexpensively. I literally just put two huge stems into a vase, added the cute fabric as a linen, and that was it. You could also order them online, and although I've never done it myself I have heard good things. DIY Bride has some great resources for such things right here.
Thank you all so much for the positive feedback so far - I am so glad you're enjoying the series! If you have an opinion and haven't been in touch yet, I always love hearing from you. Leave a comment or send me an email to let me know what you think.

DIY Series: Invitations

First up in the DIY series - invitations. I realize that the first invitation idea is time consuming, so if you are sending out hundreds of invitations and don't have the time to sew fabric for each one, I understand. And therefore, I've created two options for incorporating the theme into the same invitation. You can download the template for the invitation right here. Recognizing that you might not have the same font that I used (bickham script) I uploaded the document in a common font that you can customize for your own needs. The document is set up so that two 5x7 invitations can be printed at a time. For the first invitation idea in this post, here are the supplies you will need:

Fabric Pouch Invitation

• Fabric of your choosing
• Thread to match fabric
• Textured Paper for invitation (I bought mine from JoAnn Fabric)
• Template for invitation
• Buttons
• Needle or sewing machine

Start out by printing the invitations and sizing them to whatever length and width suits your needs (I used 5x7). Then, cut a strip of fabric both wider and longer than you know it will need to be. You only need to make one template and then you can cut the rest of the fabric pouches based off of the first.
Put the invitation on the fabric and make sure there is about a 1/2" border on either side. The bottom of the pouch should come almost to the top of the invitation, so in this case it was about 6.75" long. The top of the pouch should fold down about halfway, so allot for an extra 3 inches or so above the invitation.
Make the necessary cuts along your marking lines, and then start sewing! I didn't bother flipping the fabric inside out, I just laid it out as you see below (with the bottom flap folded up so it makes the actual pouch and the top flap open) and started sewing all the way around the perimeter.
When you're finished sewing, fold the top flap over and lay your buttons on the fabric so you have an idea of where they should be sewn on. Mine are about 1.5" apart.
Sew the buttons to the top layer of the fabric, so that the invitation can still slide in. If you're making a lot of these and the sewing seems daunting, you could also use some glue dots and just glue them to the fabric. You can use glue dots for almost anything - they are to crafting what duck tape is to home improvement projects.
Once your buttons are sewn on, slip the invitation into your newly created pouch...And connect the buttons by wrapping some string between the two of them. That's it! It sounds much more complicated that it actually is, and I assure you that they are cuter in person than they are in pictures. I left the edges of the pouch raw, but you could also use some pinking shears to add more texture.
And since I realize that the fabric pouch could be quite time consuming if you have hundreds of invitations to produce, here is my alternative idea:
Thread and Buttons Invitation:

• Colored thread (regular or embroidery)
• Buttons
  
• Textured Paper for invitation
  
• Template for invitation
• Glue
  

Once again, start out by printing the invitations and sizing them to whatever length and width suits your needs (I used the same invitation for this example). Put a dab of glue on the back of the invitation and place the beginning of your thread on the glue. Start wrapping the thread around the invitation lengthwise, making sure not to pull too tight or you will bend the paper. Every second wrap, string a button onto the thread. I only used two, but you could certainly use more. Once the buttons are on the thread you can reposition them as needed.

When you're finished wrapping (I wrapped the thread around four times) put another dab of glue on the back of the invitation and secure the end of the thread. I used a glue stick, which worked great and doesn't leave any visible residue or large glob of glue.
So there you have it! Two ideas for invitation using the lavender and buttons theme of Kathryn's Inspiration Board. Tomorrow's post will be about table settings and numbers - hopefully you're enjoying the series so far!

DIY Series

Welcome to the first DIY series on With This Ring! If you missed the post last week and don't yet have all the details, head over to this post and read all about it. The basic idea is this - I have joined forces with Kathryn of Snippet & Ink and will be taking her beautiful inspiration boards and translating them into several DIY projects that you can use to design your own wedding. This is the first inspiration board we'll be using...
And therefore, this is the color scheme that will be executed throughout the series of projects:
I never realized how simple and sweet groups of buttons could be! I went to a local paint store to pick up the swatch of colors (a great place to start to gather ideas for any color scheme) and I found the white buttons by searching for "lots" of buttons on ebay. For the most part they are inexpensive and you can sometimes turn up vintage buttons, like this listing. I will start the series a little later today with some invitation ideas and follow up the rest of the week with table numbers and settings, a ring bearer pillow, and favor boxes. The first project will be up shortly!

New Series: DIY Projects

When I asked you all to participate in a survey a few months ago, you overwhelmingly voted for more DIY projects to be featured on the blog. And as I always say - give the people what they want! (Okay, I don't always say that, but I might take to yelling it in the streets. You never know). I thought long and hard about it and came down to this - I could scour the Internet for projects that you may or may not have seen already, or I could create my own. Feeling the need to spice things up on the blog a bit, I opted for the latter.

So I am really excited to announce that, not only will next week be entirely dedicated to the first ever With This Ring DIY Series, but I have teamed up with the lovely Kathryn from Snippet & Ink to really up the ante. I am going to be using her already amazing inspiration boards and creating projects around them, to show you how you can translate her inspirational ideas into your own wedding (or party, or shower, or whatever is on your mind). All of the projects will be simple and inexpensive to execute - something you can take and customize to make it your own. And any of the items I actually create in the process, I will give away at the end of it all. It's a win-win situation!

Tune in next week for the very first series, based on the inspiration board you see above. I must admit that I never knew buttons could be so cute until I embarked on this little journey. I am hopeful that you will love it as much as I do! Have a beautiful weekend...

DIY Lanterns

These lanterns are pure genius. If you put some sand into the bottom of the glass inside them (or maybe the glass would be enough weight?) they would be a great alternative to luminaries.

Oh Sweet Heaven

These are some of the cutest things I've ever seen! I found Amy's shop, thebline, via Paper n Stitch and I haven't stopped thinking about it since. All of these lovely little flowers are made of clay and they are as affordable as they are adorable. Picturing a row of bridesmaids lined up in those little flower necklaces fills my heart with joy.

Coral & Mint

I would have never put thought of putting these colors together, but this inspiration board from Southern Weddings is just beautiful. I am a sucker for anything that involves succulents!

Movie Set Inspiration

Over the weekend, Brad and I watched Bedtime Stories (yes, I know its technically a kids movie, but Adam Sandler makes me laugh and we were in the mood for a little low brow humor. Don't judge). The plot revolves around the Sunny Vista hotel, which was once small and simple but was turned into a much larger hotel by the new owner. I was initially sad that the small hotel was being torn down, but imagine my delight when they showed the new one - entirely decorated in black, white and green! How easily I can be won over.
There was also a banquet scene, perfect for some wedding inspiration photos. It goes to show that if you opt for a spectacular venue, you can cut back on the decor. Simple white table cloths with green centerpieces look beautiful. And I love the "N" centered on the wall, which could easily be a monogram.
There is endless inspiration in the rest of the pictures, for both your home and your wedding. I found all of them on the set decorator's website. Well done, Nancy Gilmore! Now if only someone would create a hotel like this in real life. I would be lining up at the door to stay there.

Color Palette: Khaki, Black and White

These images from jcrew got me thinking - could khaki and black work as a color palette for a wedding, or would you need to throw in another color to spice it up? I think the answer lies in patterns, not necessarily another color. Some black and white stripes could definitely do the trick!

Green & White Palette

I am sure you can all imagine my delight when I opened the newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings to find my favorite palette - green and white. I love the idea of using so many different shades of green all at once. And ribbons on a plain white table? Genius! To see more ideas for green bouquets, take a look right here. And to view the sources for all the pictures in this post (and more) just click here. Happy weekend!

So lovely...

{From Design Sponge}

Smock Paper: Eco-Friendly Favors

Living an eco-friendly lifestyle and considering the environment is top of mind to most of us these days, and your wedding is no exception. As such, the Amazon Conservation Association is encouraging couples to forgo traditional wedding favors an instead choose to help save the Amazon Rainforests and slow global warming. Smock Paper is an extremely eco-conscious letterpress company and aside from supporting the ACA, they have partnered with them to spur along this initiative. When you make a donation to the ACA (a $5 donation per guest) Smock will provide these beautiful donation cards for you to give to your guests at no additional cost to you. That's right - amazing letterpress favor cards (printed on bamboo paper, no less) for free!
It is such a beautiful idea all around, and so very nice of Smock. In addition, if you use Smock for your wedding invitations, they will also offer free personalization of the favor cards. A wonderful situation all around!

Unique Centerpieces

All centerpieces are not created equal and they certainly don't all have to include flowers (or at least not in the traditional sense). These adorable alternatives could be used in a variety of settings - weddings, showers, even a dinner party at home. You can find the details about all of these ideas and see some additional centerpieces on Rachel Ray.

Um, wow...

I think its safe to say, this is one of the most beautiful ceremony settings I've seen. It was also the first "official" Flashdance wedding. Love it.

Part Two: Real Wedding - Denton, TX

Welcome back to Part Two of Mandy and Michael's Texas wedding! After the ceremony was over, the bridal party went to take pictures at the theater where the couple met at an audition in 2002. Mandy created all of the centerpieces herself, made up of white hydrangeas:

The couple gave away Dublin Dr. Pepper as favors, which is a Texas staple and made from the original recipe with Imperial Cane Sugar. The monograms on the favors were created by Delovely Designs.

Italian cookies in honor of Michael's family (yum):

And finally, the DIY cupcake stand! Mandy's parents purchased damask boxes on sale from Hobby Lobby and used spray pained PVC pipe to stack them together. The gnome made his appearance near the cupcakes...
For their departure, Mandy made paper cones and put petals in each of them for guests to toss.

Thank you so much for sharing, Mandy and Michael! If you're interested in submitting your wedding to be featured on With This Ring, just send me an email with the subject "Real Weddings."

Real Wedding - Denton, TX

I know that you're all going to love this wedding, not only because its filled with personal touches but there is a custom damask cupcake stand! Not to mention, Lynn Michelle Photography has a quirky little gnome that makes an appearance during each of their weddings (you'll see him in the next post). But before we get to all that, meet Mandy and Michael - married September 6, 2008. The ring pillow above was actually from Mandy's Great Grandmother, with whom she shares a middle name. Mandy's "something blue" was the ribbon on this handkerchief, given to her by Michael's three year old cousins:

After Mandy's Nana passed away, her Papa gave her this ring (which belonged to Nana) as a gift at her bridal shower. Mandy wore it on her wedding day as her "something old."

The bridesmaids bouquets are all in white and the flower girls bouquets are in pink. Instead of throwing flowers or carrying pomanders, the flower girls each carried their own little bouquets.

Mandy's other "something old" and "something borrowed" was her mother's locket, given to her when she was 12 by her own mother. Mandy pinned it to her bouquet:

The bridesmaids wore long black satin dresses by Bill Levkoff (style 557), which you will see a full shot of in the next post, and the necklaces were ordered from Majestic Bridal.

Mandy and Michael decided to see each other before the ceremony, but when she got down the stairs to meet him he was too nervous to turn around! The next to pictures are so sweet - completely nervous and then really emotional...

The boys boutonnieres, made up of hydrangeas and roses:

The ceremony took place at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Denton, TX. Mandy and Michael's little flower girls and ring bearer are as cute as they come. I think they look so sweet carrying their little bouquets - and they held hands down the aisle!Stay tuned for the reception and the amazing cupcake stand in just a few minutes...

Magnificent Milestones & Smitten Boutique

There is a completely charming boutique in Chicago that is a great place to start in your wedding planning process and is also just fun to visit, whether you're in the midst of planning or not. Smitten Boutique is full of unique gifts, custom wedding invitations, and is also the home of Magnificent Milestones (an wedding & event consulting firm). The picture above and the next two below are from Smitten Boutique - isn't it the cutest?
On the Magnificent Milestones portion of the website, you can read all about their offerings and coordination packages, as well as look at some of the beautiful events they have coordinated. I love the color palette from the event below - I am a fan of anything that involves succulents and damask.
If you're interested in stopping by the boutique and/or in market for some coordination services (or even custom invitations) the lovely ladies of Smitten Boutique and Magnificent Milestones are offering a 10% discount to With This Ring readers. That is 10% off anything, including items in the boutique and consulting services. Just mention With This Ring and take advantage!

The Flashdance, Part Two

When you're all finished rockin' out to Michael and his tunes, be sure to also check out some of the amazing wedding photography on the site. This entire wedding just feels so happy, I adore it (and there are llamas!) I wish that woman in the pink hat were my friend - I imagine her to be full of witty comments and sage advice.
Happy weekend to all of you!

"Alright, stop whatcha doing...

'cause I'm about to ruin, the image and the style that you're used to." - Digital Underground

That's right, I just quoted the lyrics from The Humpty Dance. Perhaps I am running a little bit of a fever, but I am also just that excited about The Flash Dance. Forget any ideas you have of wedding DJ's, I promise this site will change your mind. Michael Antonia is an amazing DJ (read: REAL vinyl records) who recently relocated to LA from NYC and also had a baby. After 10 years playing records for private/corporate events, weddings, clubs and festivals nationwide he is hoping to play some more weddings and regulate his schedule a bit!

So how is a guy to get the word out? Team up with his amazing friends Our Labor of Love and Max Wagner and create a rockin' website. Watch Michael spin some records here, read his favorite playlists, and then sign up to get free mixes from Michael in the mail. Seriously - go now! And have fun getting that song out of your head...

Part II: Real Wedding - Murphysboro, IL

Welcome back to Part Two of Heather and Brent's wedding! After the ceremony was over, the couple headed out with the wedding party for some quick pictures. Heather and her Mom found these cute parasols for the bridesmaids for 50% off at Hobby Lobby, they kept going back until they had as many as they needed.

The reception hall, which has some beautiful architecture and a balcony which perfectly housed the wedding party during dinner. A cocktail hour was held downstairs and then everyone went to the second floor for dinner and dancing.

Heather used both this chalkboard and two other small boards at the cocktail hour, which listed the different wines being served. As a nod to the area, Heather and Brent served wines from local vineyards.

When the guests headed upstairs, this is the beautiful view they were greeted with. The long tables are actually two shorter tables pushed together. Heather had ordered table runners from a company in Colorado, and when they stopped responding to her a couple of weeks before the wedding she had to quickly come up with a "Plan B." She went to JoAnn Fabric and purchased inexpensive green and yellow fabric, then just cut it and put it on the tables. I would say it was a happy mistake, they look great!

Another way Heather kept costs down was to use full blooms and lower cost flowers such as Stock. She waited for sales to purchase the glassware and used mostly monochromatic flowers. If you look closely you can also see that a cupcake was waiting for each guest at their place setting. In lieu of favors, Heather and Brent made a donation to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Guests also enjoyed a candy buffet in Heather and Brent's green and yellow color scheme. Since their pug Milo couldn't be at the wedding, they included a smaller version amongst the candy.

But they did sneak out for some pictures with Milo earlier in the day...

The balcony was a perfect fit for the wedding party and made a great venue for giving toasts and speeches.

Since the guests were all treated to cupcakes, Heather and Brent were able to order a smaller wedding cake. There were three tiers layered with hydrangeas and green ribbon, and also included a "W" to recognize the couple's last name.

First dance pictures are always some of my favorites, and this one is no exception!

Thank you so much Heather and Brent for sharing your wedding and providing so many details. All of the pictures in this post and the last are courtesy of Faith Photography. If you're interested in submitting your wedding to be featured on With This Ring, just send me an email!

Real Wedding - Murphysboro, IL

I have another beautiful wedding to share with you today, this one with a green and yellow color palette (I swear I am not soliciting weddings that include green - it just works out that way!) Heather and Brent were married in Murphysboro, IL and Heather worked quite hard to put together a wedding that included all the details she wanted without breaking the bank. Heather lives out of state which made the challenge even greater, but I think you'll all agree that she did a great job.

Heather tried on "hundreds" of dresses before finding one that met all the right criteria. The dress she ultimately chose was by Casablanca - I absolutely love the lace and detailing. Her veil is made by Symphony Bridal, which she purchased to mimic the lace on her dress.
Since Brent is a pilot in the Air Force, the couple gave their wedding party aviator sunglasses as part of their "thank you" gifts. Such a great idea!

Heather attended Catholic School for eight years at the church she and Brent were married in. She no doubt played hopscotch outside the church as a little girl, which made for a perfect photo opportunity on her wedding day.

This beautiful necklace was Brent's wedding gift to Heather. Well done, Brent!

Heather ordered this adorable ring bearer pillow from Sweet B Papers on Etsy. The seller mailed Heather color swatches and she ultimately chose lime green dupioni silk.

The programs were also ordered from Etsy, some of them were in green damask and some were in yellow. The interior of the church that the ceremony was held in is truly so beautiful...

So cute - the little flower girl admiring her pomander made from miniature green mums. Heather found her dress at Target for under $20, and it matched the bridesmaids dresses perfectly.

Speaking of the beautiful bridesmaids, their dresses were from Alfred Angelo...

I always love a good moment of laughter during the ceremony. This picture was taken right in the middle of their vows, when Brent took Heather as his "awful wife" instead of his "lawful wife." Hilarious!

Have no fear, the little faux pas turned out just fine...

Check back later this afternoon for the rest of Heather and Brent's wedding pictures, including details from the ceremony!

Sponsor Spotlight - Wedding Paper Divas

I am happy to welcome a new sponsor to the blog, Wedding Paper Divas! I am sure you all know that Wedding Paper Divas is full of different options for invitations, but they also offer Save the Dates, Thank You Notes and more. Now through the end of May they are offering 25 free William Arthur thermography or letterpress products with the purchase of 75 or more, read all about it here. Welcome to the blog, Wedding Paper Divas! Be sure to check out all of our wonderful sponsors listed over there in the left column.

Cupcake Stand

If you're opting for cupcakes instead of a wedding cake, why not put one on a small stand for you and your hubby to capture the quintessential "cake cutting" picture? You could definitely use it in your house afterwards, but I have to agree with Jane that any cupcakes displayed on it wouldn't last very long in my house!

Green Bouquets

I received a lot of emails about the Real Wedding I posted yesterday, from brides trying to find inspiration for their own green bouquets. So - I did a little digging last night and came up with several options. The cluster above is from Brides, the very last cluster is from The Knot and all of the individual pictures in between are from Martha Stewart. This one is another favorite of mine and one that I considered for my own bouquet for quite awhile. I hope all of you that are looking find some inspiration in these pictures!