Vendor I (literally) Heart: Stories of Gen

This time, my featured vendor is very near and dear to me, as she is my new sister-in-law! Let me explain:

I don't know about you, but as the bride, I made the majority of the wedding decisions and would consult with Cape Cod Groom for his approval.  But since I wanted Cape Cod Groom to have some aspects of the wedding that were his decision (and take a few things off my plate!), one of the tasks on his to-do list was to choose the gifts for the groomsmen.  Now, I will admit that this was a challenging task, as it's always easier to find pretty things for bridesmaids, so I was not surprised when he turned to our SIL, the creative mind behind Stories of Gen for assistance.

Our SIL started Stories of Gen to create a unique gift giving service to suit any budget.  You provide her with the details on who, what, where, why, and how much you want to spend, and she will send you at least 3 fantastic finds from which to choose.

In our case, we were looking for attendant gifts for two very different groomsmen.  One was a bachelor in his early 20's, the other a married father.  Neither would have been into the traditional monogrammed flask. Stories of Gen found the perfect gifts for both, and since Cape Cod Groom waited until the last minute, she was even able to ship everything to us in time, in stylish packaging no less.

For my cousin, the young bachelor, she found this hip wallet, made of recycled seatbelts (courtesy of interrobang)!

For the best man, she found these Chicago Transit cufflinks, to remind him of his hometown now that he's relocated to Atlanta:

Overall, our Groomsmen could not have been happier with their gifts, and we were thrilled with Stories of Gen's unique and tasteful choices!

With wedding season quickly approaching, I highly recommend you contact her for all of your attendant gift needs.  She also does gifts for any occasion, so don't forget to do something extra special for your parents for Mother's and Father's Day as well (especially if they are helping you out with your wedding)!

Finally, if you are going to be a guest at a wedding and want to give the lucky couple something unexpected, or are attending a wedding without a registry and have no idea what to purchase, here are some really cute items she has found for the bride & groom:

My personal fave, a customized silhouette of the couple:

Solar powered birdhouse to adorn the newlywed's home:

Love jar, also perfect for DIY wedding sand ceremonies!

 

Vendor I Heart: Origami Bijou

With all the recaps of my wedding and my recent giveaway, it's been awhile since I've had a post about a featured vendor that I love.  I decided it was finally time for one again when I was contacted by Origami Bijou, who wanted to know what I thought of their line of modern jewelry and was interested in offering a special discount to my readers!

I immediately headed over to their website and was enthralled with their work. They create really unique, modern pieces of jewelry (earrings and necklaces) that are perfect for special occasions or everyday wear. 

I love their heart collection, which is much more subtle and creative than your traditional Tiffany's heart line.  The earrings and necklace set would be lovely for bridesmaids or a bride looking to add a romantic touch to her wedding.

Another one of my favorites was their modern alphabet collection, which would be great to customize for a bridal party. I should also note that they offer most of their pieces in silver and gold. Here is a gold necklace with my initial:
 

For someone looking for a more dressy or classic look, they also sell a pearl collection.  One of my favorites is the lotus flower necklace pictured below, which I could totally picture wearing to an outdoor garden wedding:

And last but certainly not least, no Cape Cod Bride would be complete without wearing something from their nautical line! Preppy brides having a coastal wedding (like me) will adore their sail boat collection, which features pieces such as this:

The best news is that the company is offering an exclusive discount for readers of Cape Cod Bride.  From now until April 5th, enter capecodbride as the coupon code during checkout and get 15% off all orders! Enjoy :-)

Vendor I Heart: Plum Pretty Sugar

Oh, the wonderful world of Twitter.  I have to thank Cape Cod Groom for recommending I set up a Twitter account for this blog, as it has connected me to so many fabulous vendors in the wedding industry, not to mention the all of the fantastic brides and grooms out there.  I mainly set up the Twitter account for fun, and to follow other bloggers that I admire, but I never imagined that there would be people out there who would start reading this blog because of it.  I have to say, I'm shocked by how many great, creative brides and vendors there are and how quickly I've become connected to them via Twitter!

Thus, you can imagine my surprise when a vendor actually approached me, telling me she admired this blog and hoped to be featured on it!  I was really touched, and decided to check out her work asap, so I headed over to her Etsy shop, Plum Pretty Sugar.  I was shocked to find so many great things in her shop that I really had trouble narrowing down my favorite choices!  I adore her tunic dresses and robes for their ethereal, floral design, but I'm also a huge fan of her accessories.  Her pajama sets, tanks, and matching headbands and pony tail holders are so preppy chic! Any of these items would make great bridesmaids gifts, as they always say you should give your bridesmaids gifts they will actually want to use after your wedding.  I guarantee any lucky lady who receives one of these robes will be wearing them for a long time after your big day.

Lastly, don't get too sidetracked by her great clothing and loungerie.  I thought she only made apparel, but then I discovered that she also designs accessories for the home! Her duvet covers and matching shams are truly hidden gems that are so gorgeous and affordable, I'm just dying to redecorate!  Wouldn't it be great to have a new bedroom set for your first night as a married couple?

(Click on images below to view larger)

Vendor I Heart: Julie the Fish Designs

It can be really challenging to find gifts for your bridesmaids, especially if you have a diverse group of girls with different personal tastes.  One vendor that is sure to be a hit among all your bridesmaids, however, is Julie the Fish Designs.  I found her Etsy shop and adored her custom jewelry.  I had silver necklaces custom made for my bridesmaids with their names engraved on them, and chose pearl accents to match my wedding theme (she can do any birth stone as well).  She also offers a variety of bracelets, necklaces, and key chains for any special occasion.  She was a great designer to work with and I know my bridesmaids will love their necklaces!  At only $22 per necklace, I highly recommend you hightail it on over to her shop.