funny: weddings at work

So, I am the biggest blogging slacker lately... to try & get on everyone's good side, I thought I would bring you a little wedding humour. Though I tend to be amused by my postings, this type of entertainment is probably a bit more satisfying to most of you!

Seriously, though, a friend of mine's wedding is less than 2 weeks away now... we were talking about how difficult it is to maintain any type of focus at work when you get that close to the big day. Clearly your programs, seating charts, etc are much more interesting to you than whatever day-to-day tasks you are being paid to do. She justifies the situation by explaining that she would work extra extra hard when she returned from her honeymoon... in the meantime, her co-workers will understand, right?! :)



Enjoy!


i heart weddings,
Nicole

decorations: Chair Sashes

It would be great if we all could afford gorgeous Chivari Chairs for our big events (I know I couldn't!), but many times the chairs that come with the location will just have to do. An easy way to dress them up (especially if they are not-so-pretty & you want them hidden!) is with Chair Covers. While not necessary, they do add a polished feel to a room and can be used to help pull in a splash of color.

The picture to the left is actually what inspired us to create the same look at our reception: we bought 2" thick purple satin ribbon (we got ours from Paper Mart) and tied them in a knot (I wanted no bows!) around the chairs.

This picture to the right shows a cute way to dress this up - tuck a flower into each sash! This would be a cute way to bring in some florals for those who don't want to spend money on large floral centerpieces & would make an easy DIY flower project.

I personally didn't want the look of a typical chair cover sash... many times you can rent a thick organza sash with your chair covers. Still, had I found the tying ideas at BBJ Linen, I think I may have changed my mind! Check out their instructions for all sorts of ties on all sorts of chairs... just gorgeous!

You can find this one under Chivari Advanced --> Wrap Around with Tootsie Roll at Center of Back*

Renting Chair Covers from your reception hall is typically very expensive, and will probably be more than if you shop around on your own. There are lots of companies that allow you to order the chair covers & sashes and they mail them to you - you (or your family & friends!) will need to do the setup & tear-down on your own.

You could also ask around among brides & your other vendors for someone in your area. The seamstress in the Detroit area I rented mine from (a favorite among the Detroit knotties!) has amazing prices and included setup & tear-down. It was wonderful to not have to worry about this at all & know someone else would make sure it all got done. Keep in mind that, if you're paying someone else to set up, you'll probably need to pay more for any of the fancy ties mentioned above, so get the details about exactly what kind of 'setup' is included.

Hope that helps some of you who are contemplating Chair Covers...
i heart weddings,
Nicole

flowers: Bouquet Jewelry

Sorry for my tardiness in posting... it's been busy around here, with business for Heart + Sole and my other job...
In my absence, I have still been busy collecting pictures of ideas I liked. Looking through them I noticed a theme, so am bringing you a collection of ideas to help 'dress up' your bouquets. Not that bouquets typically need any help being beautiful...!

In the first picture you can see how this bride wrapped her bouquet in a string of seed beads... so pretty! And below... pearls and a beaded fringe are gorgeous:


A way to make your bridesmaid bouquets personal for each girl is to include her initial somehow. Simple Initial Pins can be attached to the ribbon on the stems and will make a nice keepsake for later... Custom Glam Girl has some for only $3.95!

You don't need to use initial Pins... a brooch would also be really pretty. Lots of brides have trouble including their 'borrowed' and 'old' items... an old family pin or jewelry would look great, like in this bouquet:


i heart weddings,
Nicole

couple's shower games: Pick a Side!

Many brides & guests I've talked to don't really like Shower Games... they're normally fairly cheesy and/or embarassing for everyone involved. I personally don't want to be the center of attention as I am wrapped in toilet paper. Some people like them (read- my mom :), but many people prefer to do without. Still, then you need a way to fill the time and an organized game is nice for that.

I was at a couple's shower this weekend & they played a GREAT game for a Couple's Shower. It was fairly short & sweet, plus the only ones who had to participtate were the bride & groom! The guests were all free to just watch (& heckle). Here's how you play:

* The bride & groom are seated in chairs placed back-to-back, so that they cannot see one another.
* Each is given 1 blue ribbon & 1 pink ribbon... they use these ribbons to answer questions- blue means the GROOM and pink means the BRIDE
* They are asked a series of 'Who is...' questions & have to raise the ribbon that indicates their answer

Some questions to ask the lucky couple:
-Who is more romantic
-Who is more likely to get in a car accident
-Who is more likely to cook dinner
-Who is more likely to want to go out to dinner
-Who is more likely to change diapers one day
-Who will want kids first
-Who cleans the toilet
-Who is more likely to get cold feet (!)
And of course, the final question has to be...
-Who is more excited for the wedding?!

Everyone had a great time with it, cheering and booing as needed when they answered the same or differently. Hopefully it will be a welcome addition to your couple's shower!
i heart weddings,
Nicole

decorations: Hanging Initials

Sometimes, a simple decoration cane make a big impact. I'm a huge fan of the Hanging Initial decorations... it is an easy way to personalize your space (doesn't get much more personal than your name!), add some color, and can be really simple.


To the sides you can see the 'N' and 'J' initials we hung from the doors at our wedding. I bought them from Craft Cuts and spray-painted them white. Then, just some purple satin ribbon (the same ribbon we used for the chaircover sashes), over-the-door wreath hooks, and we were set!
Some brides go the same route, but cover the letters in flowers (faux or real), or tissue paper... Some gorgeous examples I have seen are included here... enjoy!


i heart weddings,
Nicole

misc ideas: Timelines

This is a cute addition to the 'Out of Town' bags your Hotel hands out, or even as a part of your program or pre-festivity Bridal Party information. You want everyone to be informed, but realize that most people won't bother to wade through your bridezilla-length email or note... so, this is a nice way to get your information across in a cute & informative way.

All you really need is some clip art for each event & you're all set! Most Microsoft Office programs (Word & Powerpoint) come with built-in clip art, or google for 'free clip art ***' (where *** = the image you're looking for) and you'll find tons.

I had to include some of my favorites here... The one up top uses all song names for the events (such as Get Me To the Church on Time, Be Our Guest) ~ how cute is that?! You can see an example too of how cute this can be as the last page of a ceremony program.

Here are some girl- and guy-specific ones, perfect as examples of what to give your bridal party:



And while many brides opt to keep this fairly simple, the cuteness factor goes up when you incorporate your colors & make it match your other paper goodies, like the one here.

Now nobody will have an excuse not to know the plans for the day!
i heart weddings,
Nicole

reception decorations: Folded Napkins

I have been cutting things out of magazines & saving them for as long as I can remember... I save ideas for projects I'd like to try, or maybe just a pretty color combination or pattern that inspires me. Just because I cut them out, don't assume I have an organized way of keeping track of them or referencing them... that would be way too convenient! While digging through my pile the other day, I came across this article that I thought you would like...

I admit it, I am a total sucker for napkin folds. Yes, a wierd thing to love, but I never tried to pretend I was normal... It's just that, since they'll be on the table anyway, anyone who takes a little extra effort to make the napkin just a little more special & festive gets a gold star in my book.

The top picture is too cute... and what a great way to add some cheaper, DIY flowers to the room. And I know lots of brides like to place menus into napkin 'pockets', so these easy instructions should help (just put your menu where the cutlery is in the pic).

Instructions for the folds follow:

flower tuck:

1. Fold the napkin in thirds, and position the open edge at the top
   
2. Turn napkin over
   
3. Fold one end in halfway to napkin's middle; repeat with other end
   
4. Fold both ends in again so they meet in the middle.
   
5. Trim the stem of a gerbera daisy (or other resilient flower, such as an orchid) and slip bloom into gap in the center
   

cutlery (aka menu) pocket

1. Fold napkin in thirds, and position with open edge at top
   
2. Fold top layer down about 1.5"
   
3. Turn napkin over
   
4. Fold ends to meet in the middle
   
5. Fold napkin in half so ends are inside
   
6. Slip flatware in picket; tuck placecard under cuff