Invites

I was researching using vintage stamps on our wedding invitations and found this picture. I love the block lettering and the contrasting dark envelopes. It really makes the invites stand out. Plus I can do this myself and won't have to pay a calligrapher.

Photo: The Wedding Workroom

S'mores please!

I really love the idea of "midnight snacks" during the reception.

This is such a cute idea. The house we are having the wedding at has a fire pit, so this may even be do-able!

Photo: Brides.com

Cocktail Hour

Photos: Brides.com

Programs

I really love this idea from Martha Stewart for wedding programs. I think these would look great in my wedding colors with a sprig of lavender tucked into each one, or maybe I could find a way to make the handle out of lavender...

Photo: Martha Stewart

Dress love

I already have my dress but I love the simple elegance of this dress and the gorgeous green sash! The bride took the sash from her maid of honor's dress to hide a broach on the dress she didn't care for.

Photo: Bhg.com

Barn inspiration

Even though I'm no longer having a barn wedding, I still get so inspired by beautiful barn wedding images like this one from Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

Photo: Brides.com

Wedding Favors

My head is spinning with ideas for wedding favors...I really want to do something homemade and I have come across so many ideas that I like. When I was home a few weeks ago I was at my future mother-in-law's house and I was showing my mom the cookbook we made for them over Christmas, courtesy of Blurb .

We all had the idea that a cookbook would make a great wedding favor. I really love the idea. Mike and I had so much fun putting his parent's book together and it really is a great representation of us as a couple because we love to cook. I also love it because it's useful, most gifts I get at receptions are kind of cheesy and usually don't even make it home with me after the wedding is over but this is something that I feel like our guests will actually use.

On display

Who says stationary food displays have to look boring...

Photo: Brides.com

A little lavender love...

I love these lavender elements

Photos: Martha Stewart

Garden wedding inspiration

I'm not sure where these photos came from, I have them saved in my wedding inspiration folder. I just love the look and elegance of them.

We found a location!

I am so relieved! We went over the weekend to look at my mom's friend's house and it was just amazing. Nothing like a barn, but everything else I have ever wanted in my wedding location.

I am so excited and relieved that this part of the process is over and we can begin to move forward with planning. Both of our families and Mike and I are really excited! So much time had passed between our engagement and finding a place to get married that I almost feel like I got engaged all over again.

I think we have chosen a date as well. Since we are doing it in a private home we have a lot of flexibility with our dates. Right now it looks like November 7th. It's still beautiful in Florida during that time of year and we are almost out of hurricane season. 

Now I need to get busy with save the dates. I have lots of ideas floating around in my head and I think according to wedding rules, they need to go out by April or May.

Here are some pics we took of the property.

Adorable

I love these save the dates, inspired by The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. I was such a fan of his books as a child. The template is available here so you can create your own.

Heading down South this weekend

My best friend just had a baby so I'm headed down to spend time with her but this trip isn't all pleasure, I'm also scouting out a potential wedding location!  A friend of my mom's offered up his house for our wedding so we are going to check it out in Sunday.   Wish me luck.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Fun Registry Gift

Sure we need things like a food processor and a slow cooker and a million other little gadgets for the kitchen but there's not much fun in that. I want to register for a few fun items too! I love this docking station for the iPod/iPhone from Philips. The docking station we have now isn't compatible with our iPhones so this is perfect! Now if I can just get Mike to agree that we should register for camping equipment too...

Favors

There are so many cute diy favor ideas out there, I want to make them all! I love the soap pictured here. Since I already know how to make soap this would be super easy and I love the way they have it presented here (and in my wedding colors!)

Photo: Martha Stewart

More lavender inspiration

Keeping up with the lavender theme, I love the idea of having something like this at the wedding....maybe green buckets instead of yellow to keep with the colors of the wedding. They might be nice placed near the guest book table.

Photo: Family Style Food Blog

I love the leaf motif on these welcome tote bags, and it's something guests will want to use again. Perfect for a fall wedding.

Photo: Martha Stewart

I love lavender and want to incorporate hints of it throughout my wedding. I am even considering carrying a simple lavender bouquet. I love this idea of lavender in my hair.  Even though I have always wanted to wear my hair down I really love the earthy and bohemian look of this hair style.

Photo: Brides.com

Getting back on track

I'm back from a very long and relaxing vacation and blogging break.  I am ready to get back into the swing of wedding planning.  I had sort of a freak out, panic moment over my vacation realizing that Mike and I have been engaged for almost 5 months and we have NOTHING done!  I am switching gears a bit with the original barn idea.  I just can't seem to find anything out there that is elegant and rustic and affordable!  I am now onto a new idea, a garden wedding at a private home.  I am searching homeaway.com, my new favorite site for potential locations.  Home Away is a vacation rental site and in searching, I have found several locations that are willing to rent their home for a wedding.  I have a long list of potential houses, I just have to stick the list in front of Mike so we can narrow it down and start making some decisions.