A Winter Bouquet

In my search for the perfect winter bouquet to compliment my white and silver color palette (also including touches of navy), I recently stumbled across a couple of examples that I adore.

This first picture is my absolute favorite. Including metallic pine cones in the mix is just brilliant. I've always loved peonies and know I want to include them in my bouquet, and I love how they are mixed here with ivory roses.  I was never sure about mixing ivory and white flowers before, but I have to say, this has assuaged by fears. Lastly, in case you're wondering what those little grey/silver balls are, they are called silver brunia, and I am now obsessed with them as well. Who would of thought that you could actually find silver flowers to include in your bouquet?

Another lovely winter bouquet below also features silver brunia.  I think the green is very pretty as well, and love the little pieces of crystal bling scattered throughout! It's not really my style, but I do think this would go well with a snowflake themed wedding.

Ceremony Reading Inspiration: Thomas Moore

I am still having trouble choosing a ceremony reading and my pending nuptuals are quickly approaching! So, I wanted to share with you another poem that is definitely a top contender.  It's by the Irish poet Thomas Moore, and I admire it not only for it's lovely prose, but also the fact that it would incorporate some of our Irish heritage into the ceremony.  Compared to the Louis de Bernieres excerpt that I previously blogged about, "Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms" is the much more romantic poem of the two.  Thomas Moore wrote it for his new bride to assure her that he would still love her ardently even if her beauty faded tomorrow.  I love the message that he sees that her beauty on the inside, and not on the surface, and that he will love her more over time, not less.

Believe me, if all those endearing young charms

Which I gaze on so fondly today,

Were to fade by tomorrow, and fleet in my arms

Like fairy gifts fading away;

Thou wouldst still be adored

At this moment thou art,

Let thy loveliness fade as it will.

And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart,

Would entwine itself verdantly still.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,

And thy cheeks unprofaned by a tear,

That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,

To which time will but make thee more dear!

No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,

But, as truly loves on to the close,

As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets,

The same look which she turned when he rose!

Either way, I am probably going to incorporate both pieces into the ceremony.  One will be printed on the front of my program, and the other will be read by a friend during the ceremony.  Thus, the question becomes do I choose the romantic, flowery poem to be read during the ceremony or the realistic poem that more represents us as a couple?

My First Award!

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to learn that my good friend at Cupcake Wedding gave me a Kreativ Blogger award!

Supposedly these awards are passed along from blogger to blogger to honor and recognize talented, creative bloggers.  In return for receiving this award, the recipient is supposed to list 7 tidbits of information about themselves, and then pass the award onto 7 other deserving bloggers.

So here are 7 facts to help you get to know me better:

1. When I'm not blogging about my pending nuptuals, I'm working on my Ph.D. in psychology.

2. My fiance, friends and I are big dorks and are so addicted to LOST and True Blood that we have weekly get-togethers to watch the shows.

3. I've lived in Boston, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, London and Madrid. Boston feels like home, but I'm enchanted by London and Madrid. 

4. I used to be an accomplished equestrian and was on my college's equestrian team. I haven't had the time or money for riding since moving to Chicago, and how I miss it!

5. I am a huge Red Sox fan. HUGE. I also enjoy the Patriots.

6. Two of my favorite activities to do with my fiance are riding our bikes on Lake Michigan and scootering around Chicago on our silver Schwinn scooter.

7. I have a problem with smiling and laughing at inappropriate times.

Spreading the love to blogs I admire:

1. The Alternative Bride

2. Westside Wedding

3. A Los Angeles Love

4. Vegan Bride

5. A Practical Wedding

6. Eco-Chic Weddings

7. Ruffled (formerly Vintage Glam Weddings)

Wedding Dress Inspiration: Nicole Miller

I tried on a plethora of dresses in my search for the perfect gown, and one store I went to was Nicole Miller in Chicago.  Trying on her dresses was a real pleasure, as they were all so soft and comfortable, I didn't ever want to take them off!  They really evoked the feel of a breezy beach day, and would make a perfect destination wedding or beach ceremony dress.  My favorite dress was the one in the top center, for it's unique crinkly metallic fabric, but ultimately I chose a different dress when we decided to have a winter wedding on the Cape instead.

I have heard recently many modern brides saying they are not fans of poufy, princess dresses, and want something simple and chic.  If that is more your speed, then I definitely recommend trying Nicole Miller.  Her dresses are so figure flattering that I literally loved every dress I put on.  I think you will feel the same.

Cape Cod ♥: Chatham

I've been feeling homesick lately and cannot wait to go home at the end of the month to get more wedding planning done.  So I decided to share with you some amazing pictures of my hometown, and perhaps you'll understand why I'm so eager to go back! The stunning photographs below are taken by my good friend, and talented artist, Caleb Pennypacker. 

For the Love of Peonies

Planning a destination wedding is a lot of work. Given that I live in Chicago and am getting married on Cape Cod, I haven't visited a florist yet to choose my flowers.  I'll be making my only trip home before the wedding to work out all these essentials at the end of the month, and one of my most important appointments will be with my florist.  This is because before getting engaged, I never gave much thought to flowers, other than to think they're pretty and they smell good.  I spoke to my florist over the phone, and she suggested I find pictures of bouquets that I like to bring to our appointment.  I took her advice, and ended up in a totally different direction that I had planned.  In fact, I always knew I liked peonies, but thought they were magnolias until looked them up on the Internet (I know, I'm terrible).  I love how full these flowers are, and my florist said that although they are more expensive than other flowers, that because of their size you do not need as many.  Alas, I'm really hoping a peony bouquet will fit into my budget.  I would like to combine them with hydrangeas, as in the bottom left picture, since hydrangeas are the native flower of the Cape.  I'll just have to find some way to make it work :-)

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?

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