Preparing for Our First Dance!!!

Believe it or not, y'all... I've got Ben dancing!!!

A few birthdays ago, Ben bought me some gift certificates for ballroom lessons and we finally used one of them a few weeks ago! We went to the dance studio and met up with an instructor that Ben really seemed to click with when he first came in to buy the gift certificates.

We chatted about our first dance song, went through the basics of moving together, and learned the basic step that we will be using.

A very fancy studio embellishment!

Ben did a great job picking up all of the information... there really was a lot! Our instructor would use about five different explanations or metaphors to get each point across, which was really helpful but a lot to take in!

After our first dance lesson together

We went out for dinner afterwards and enjoyed chatting about the lesson. My sweet guy is such a trooper! :)

I was so excited about learning together that I made an instructional board to get the basic step into muscle memory!

(Please ignore the lamination catastrophe... it seemed to be going so well!)

Questionable construction, I know!

I'd say we are off to a good start on our first dance!

Save the Dates - Scripted, Sealed, Delivered!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm so excited to share that our Save the Dates have been scripted, sealed, and delivered! After lots of preparation and plenty of drafts, I finally settled on a design and just did the darn thing!

I featured our slate blue accent color and drew a floral frame featuring flowers that either held significance to us as a couple or had a symbolic meaning that is important to us: honeysuckle, violets, thyme, yarrow, edelweiss, and chamomile.

I carefully scripted our names and "Save the Date" in a fancy, flourishing script and used a more standard script for the rest of the information.

I'm really happy with how they turned out!

Then came the envelopes!

I practiced a TON and developed two different modern style scripts to use for these special bits of paper!

The first was a bouncy, modern style in my homemade Wendy Script. These have a more whimsical feel to them, and I really like the effect of bouncing past the baseline of the letters!

For spacing and legibility, I also did some of the envelopes in a similar script with a more clear baseline. The form of the letters themselves are essentially the same, i just don’t dip down below the baseline unnecessarily. This gives the envelopes a more structured, formal feeling, while still being modern and flowing.

I got some pretty floral postage stamps...

And got to use our custom address stamp plenty of times!

It was fun stuffing the envelopes and I even included an information card with our wedding website and a link to this blog!

It was such a full and fun process and I loved every minute of it!

It was really fun and meaningful to craft these special bits of paper myself! Now on to the invitations!

Cake Tasting Round 2!

I'm so excited to share that we have found our cake baker! We met up with a sweet, local-business owner slash southern baker and did a cake tasting. We were blown away by her skill, sweetness (no pun intended), and willingness to accommodate all of our cake-based needs!

We met at a coffeeshop down in Brentwood in the evening to talk through logistics and try a few bites!

She brought box full of cupcakes and frosting flavors and we enjoyed tasting different combinations and flavors.

Ben was super involved and interested in putting in his two cents about what the cake should taste and look like... The cake is probably one of the things he has been most enthusiastic about!

I'm so relieved to have another one of the major details of our big day figured out! On to the details and paper goods now!

Happy Thanksgiving 2017!

This year, Ben and I weren't able to make it to either of our families' homes for Thanksgiving. Ben actually ended up having to work the day of Thanksgiving itself, so we celebrated the day after in our sweet little home!

I braved the grocery store early in the week and managed to be in and out within the hour. Our little kitchen was well-stocked!

Even though it was just the two of us, that didn't stop us from cooking up a storm! I was able to get LOTS of prep work done while Ben was at work on Thursday. ALL of the chopping, grating, and portioning was complete by the time he arrived home that evening.

First up, breakfast! I made the traditional holiday sausage pinwheels that we have every year on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Served with jam and French press coffee, these little rolls are a great way to start off any celebration!

Next, I got the beverages brewing. I made some mulled wine for myself as well as some spiced apple cider for Ben. They were kept cozily warm throughout the day in a duo-powered crockpot station. I felt very pro-FESH!

The day before I'd prepared both a tart cranberry sauce and a rich gravy, so two items were already out of the way!

We queued up some fun Thanksgiving tunes and got to cooking!

Ben brined and stuffed the turkey with aromatics and spices and we put our little bird in the oven very early in the morning.

Our dinner menu in full consisted of...
- A turkey, of course, brined and roasted
- Garlic parmesan mashed potatoes
- Gravy
- Homemade Cranberry Sauce
- Sautéed corn with bacon, onion, jalepeno, and a touch of cream
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Apple "Crippler" (crisp + cobbler) with vanilla ice cream

We made everything from scratch, but with all of the chopping and portioning already done it was really easy to toss everything together. I felt like I was able to manage prepping all of the dishes simultaneously, even in our tiny, not-so-well-equipped kitchen! In the end, we had quite the spread prepared!

Ben did a great job of styling the dinner table...

And we enjoyed a delicious meal together!

After several hours of resting and digesting, we also enjoyed dessert: the Apple "Crippler" recipe I got from one of Ben's sisters.

Even though we weren't able to make it home for the holiday, it ended up being a really fun, relaxing, and special day! Cheers to the first of many Thanksgivings together!

Cake Tasting Round 1!

Ben and I had a blast at our very first cake tasting! We went to a little locally-owned bake shop, sat down, looked through cake photos and options, and of course tasted some flavors!

We are thinking a three tier cake will be plenty for our intimate wedding! They had lots of photo examples as well as a few styrofoam display cakes.

We ended up trying three cake flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and almond! They were all delicious and light, but we really ended up liking the almond flavor most of all!

They had two frosting flavors: buttercream and cream cheese. I liked the tanginess of the cream cheese but thought the buttercream would be more universally-liked. The woman running the tasting, however, revealed that the "butter"-cream is not made from butter at all, but from shortening! It was not very creamy, but a little bit grainy in texture and very, very sweet.

We are going to continue doing other tastings and exploring our options. Call me old-school, but I'm of the belief that buttercream without butter is just blasphemous!

Overall it was really fun to have our first cake tasting together and to continue to imagine our big day! Looking forward to more!

Dress Appointments Round Four!

I had the extreme pleasure of going to a few more bridal appointments with my maid of honor! We trekked down to Franklin together and had a great time chatting, comparing dresses, and going out to lunch!

The first boutique was called Fabulous Frocks. The woman helping us out was very knowledgeable and had clearly looked over my preferences and inspiration photos. She knew exactly which gowns to pull and had plenty of options that were within my budget.

There ended up being one dress in particular that I was gravitating towards. It was really simple, feminine, and youthful. BUT, since we had another appointment to go to in the afternoon I decided to wait to make a decision.

We went to lunch at Tupelo Honey and both enjoyed some colorful, flavorful avocado toasts. We also may have ordered the mega-mimosas...

We chatted and caught up for about an hour before heading over to the second and final appointment of the day. The boutique was called The Spoiled Lady, and it was just around the corner!

This place had so many dresses to choose from and I enjoyed getting to sort through all of the options with my maid of honor. We chose four favorites quickly and then I got to trying them on!

One of the dresses was completely covered in an elaborate floral lace. This was the kind of dress I'd been picturing for YEARS: elegant lace, form-fitting, dramatic, with a little bit of sparkle to it! BUT, I can hardly believe I'm saying this, it just wasn't right. If I had four dresses throughout our wedding day, the one that I found would definitely be one of them: the show-stopping glamour dress that I could wear to make a big impression on the dance floor. But, for something like our ceremony it just didn't feel right. I don't know if my taste has changed or if what I thought I wanted has been a bit off for all of these years, but I've got a clearer idea with every appointment of what I'm looking for!

I'm so grateful for all of my sweet friends and family who have come along on all of my appointments so far. I haven't made any decisions yet, but it's been such a joy to share these experiences with the people I love. I'm cherishing every moment.

Wedding Floral Plan

I'm so happy to tell you all that I met with our florist the other day and we have a strong, beautiful bloom-plan for our big day!

A while ago I posted a few floral inspiration boards to fill you in on the general look I'm going for. Lots of greenery... lush, draping arrangements (nothing too angular or pointy)... and mostly large white blooms with a few blue accents!

In preparation for our meeting, I put together a PDF outlining all of the different floral components we will need for our big day. I wrote out a master list, an itemized list (the total number of arrangements and how they will be used and reused throughout the day), vase ideas, centerpiece inspiration, and bridal bouquet inspiration.

We met at an adorable French grocery and coffee shop. I had no idea this place existed in Nashville and I'm so glad my florist friend recommended it! I have a feeling I'll end up becoming a regular customer here!

The owner was charming and accommodating: a Frenchman dedicated to good customer service, authentic ingredients (imported from France), and an overall quality experience. I enjoyed a cup of tea and a sandwich made of a freshly-baked baguette and imported French Brie and ham. So simple, but honestly the best sandwich I've had in a long time!

My florist friend and I chatted about centerpieces, garlands, the bridal bouquet, and more. Sharing inspiration photos and chatting about the style and look of the day was such a joy! She was happy to hear about all of my plans and ideas, and had several suggestions that I hadn't even considered! I think we've got a pretty solid floral plan, and I'm so excited to work with her and can't wait to see what she crafts for our big day!

Dress Appointment Thank You's

I sent out a few thank you cards to the three lovely ladies who spent the weekend with me going to all of my dress appointments! I love every chance I get to tackle a personal, DIY paper project!

Since it's autumn, I decided to go with a gold ink. I decided to just use a gold marker for the sake of simplicity.

The cards are clearly not by me! I really enjoy the elegance of this simple gold foil design! Very LBB approved!

I love getting to use our return address stamp...

...and seeing these pretty little floral stamps in action!

More paper projects coming soon!

Dress Appointments Round Three in Nashville, Tennessee!

I am so excited to share the details about my most recent dress appointments here in Nashville! My mom, future mother in law, and dear friend, Emma, were able to make it along to FOUR ENTIRE APPOINTMENTS.

In preparation for everyone coming into town, I went ahead and baked up some goodies to keep everyone snacking. I made some blueberry muffins, my famous fall-festive pumpkin cookies with orange zest frosting, and some vegan granola bars. I stocked the house with plenty of fruit, bottles of water, and a good selection of wine: a bottle of white wine, and a bottle of red wine, and a bottle of prosecco!

My traditional pumpkin cookies with an orange zest frosting! 

On Friday evening, Ben, my mom, Ben’s mom, and I went out to eat and catch up. We chose a homey, locally owned restaurant here in east Nashville and enjoyed catching up over beef filets. It was such a lovely time and I was so glad to have the chance to connect as a group before the weekend schedule started up.

I came home from working on Saturday morning to find flowers from one of Ben's sisters and a card wishing me luck on finding my dress! She said she very specifically designed this bouquet for me... how gorgeous, personal, and thoughtful!

So sweet!

We met up on Saturday afternoon and went to the first bridal boutique: LVD in Houston Station. I tried on a few dresses, but only one really stood out as a real contender. They had so many lovely dresses, and I was completely surprised by what I was attracted to! I have always thought I had a clear idea about what I was looking for in a dress, but this was completely different to what I had been looking for!

LVD Bridal Appointment
( I look very stressed out - I swear I wasn't! )

Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice dinner at a local restaurant north of town. The food was delicious, and it was really fun to have a girls’ night out! I busied myself that evening sending photos to my far-away friends, and my mom and I shared a bottle of prosecco that evening.

Searching the racks at Glitz!

The next day we tackled three appointments in a row! I packed snacks and we headed out to Village Bridal, Glitz Bridal, and O Bridal. I probably tried on a total of twenty dresses, and three from the day really stood out in my mind as strong possibilities. Each boutique was unique in their approach, and it was really fun to experience each one. I tried on a wide range of styles and materials and really surprised myself with which gowns I liked the most!

My beautiful friend, Emma, at O Bridal

That evening, Ben, my mom, and I went out for burgers and had a nice evening in.

It ended up being such a fun, lovely weekend, and I was so grateful to have the support and encouragement of many friends and family, near and far! I haven’t made any decisions yet, but I’ve made plenty of headway in figuring out which dress is “the one!” I’ll keep sharing as I go!

Update: Wisconsin Wedding Escort Cards

I recently received a few photos from the Wisconsin wedding I calligraphed for back in May!

Photographer's website:
http://www.annabayliss.com/

I used a custom script selected by the bride to make escort cards for each guest.

Photographer's website:
http://www.annabayliss.com/

I love the feel of this custom script: formal but not stuffy. Flowing but not frilly. Just the right balance of elegance and ease.

Photographer's website:
http://www.annabayliss.com/

A very sweet detail was that the couple used song titles from their favorite band to label each table! What a unique, personal idea!

Photographer's website:
http://www.annabayliss.com/

This was such a fun custom project and it was so fun to see this photos and reminisce about this special day!

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