What Girl Doesn't Love Her Shoes?

by: Kelsey O'Conor

I was doing a little shopping on ASOS (again) and I kept noticing shoes that would look great peeping out from under a wedding dress. Check out my finds:






Gold T-Bar Shoes, White Peep Toes, Lace Boots






Coral Feather Peep Toes, Sparkly Silver Bow Shoes, Pink Suede Shoes

Music to Dance to

by: Kelsey O'Conor

It's getting later. Your oldest and youngest relatives are starting to head home. You want to crank up to volume on your party and dance til you can't anymore. Here are five songs that are both fun to dance to and are relationship-friendly. No blatant womanizing, no mentioning breakups, none of that bad stuff that doesn't have a place at your wedding.

1. "Dynamite" - Taio Cruz



I wanna celebrate and live my life,
Saying AYO! baby, let’s go!
Dynamite is a simple song, celebrating going out to clubs and dancing. But catchy as heck and fun to dance to.

Don't play:"Break Your Heart"

2. "Fire Burning" - Sean Kingston



Shawty got that super thing
Hotter than the sun in the south in Spain
Got me soon as I walked through the door
Fire Burning is a very dance-able song about an amazing girl that a guy finds sexy.


3. "Down" - Jay Sean



So come on and fly with me
As we make our great escape
So why don't we run away

4. "Club Can't Handle Me" -Flo Rida




Watchin you im watchin you we go all out
The club can’t even handle me right now

5. "Everytime We Touch" -Cascada




'Cause everytime we touch, I get this feeling
And everytime we kiss, I swear I could fly
Can't you feel my heart beat fast?

Table Numbers to Match

by: Kelsey O'Conor

The cool thing about table numbers, is that you can display them any way you want. Numbers can be painted on bricks, painted on books, printed on paper, painted on buckets, or framed. They can be vintage, glam, handmade, rustic... the possibilities are endless.

Here are some of my favorite table numbers. Some of them you might have to purchase, others can be handmade. Most of them can be customized to your colors or theme.



I love these first two images for their dramatic use of light. The first is made of beautiful paper cut numbers in a simple acrylic frame. You can get the beautiful numbers here on etsy or can make them yourself.

The second image is a cool DIY project that has dramatic results. Find all kinds of pretty paper at Paper Mojo. I love this one and this one.

Printing a number in an elegant font and putting in a frame is another great idea. These numbers were placed in expensive-looking frames, but were only 3 bucks. Shop around, and you'll be able to find the perfect frames to fit your own budget.



Table numbers are a great way to showcase your interests as a couple, or continue the theme of your wedding.

Wine lovers can display table numbers on bottle of wine, like this first image shows. Print out numbers on nice paper and use double-sided table to stick them over the existing labels. I think it would be fun to go shopping for wine, picking out fun bottles to coordinate with your wedding colors. A white wine with a teal top wrapper would be fun in the summer. A rosé would look pretty in a pink wedding.

This couple used a little easel and pretty orange numbers printed on nice paper. Isn't this adorable!?

For couples who love to read, the third image shows off the couple's love of books. Paint fancy numbers onto books for this easy table number DIY.



This last set of images are of a bit more traditional style.

The first is a number painted on a tile, set against a vase of flowers. The second is a bold number, spray-painted gold. The third uses the technique of quilling to create a romantic, curly number. Table numbers don't have to be fancy, and often the simple numbers look the best.

Table numbers can be the least expensive element of your wedding. There are so many simple DIY projects out there, ranging from simple (print out a number, stick it in a frame) to more complicated (cutting number silhouettes out of paper). The best part about DIYing table numbers? It's so easy to count how many you've done!

Beyond the Registry: Personalized Wedding Gifts for Any Couple

by: Kelsey O'Conor

If you are looking for something unique and special to give as a gift, look no further than Etsy. Another great thing about Etsy is the fact that most shop owners are willing to customize their products for you. Whether it's the color, the size, or the wording, you are buying something completely one of a kind.

If you're looking for a personalized wedding gift, here are a few items on Etsy that you might like. Check it out:

Custom Heart Tree Print Pillow Cover from cozyblue.

How cute is this!? Have your initials "carved" into this hand-printed tree pillow cover. I want to put it on a big comfy chair and curl up next to it reading a book. This seller also has more tree-themed items, including really neat prints.

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Seller nella designs makes these prints with thumbprints in the shape of a heart, and these crossword prints with your wedding date inside a puzzle. You can even choose the color and size of the print. I really love the papaya and ocean colors.

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My favorite on this list are these personalized framed names by A Wondering Eye made up of photographs of different sign letters. I can easily see it hanging on the wall of an apartment filled with vintage furniture and cozy cushions.

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If you love quotes, maybe you want to display one along with a wedding photo, this personalized frame by Your Picture Story is a great way to do just that. You can display your vows, an inside joke, a quotation by a famous person, a line from a book, or even a poem.

Here are my personal favorite quotations about love:


"Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving." -Kahlil Gibran

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction." -Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Wind, Sand and Stars

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." -Emily Brontë



If you come across any amazing Etsy finds, please send me a comment. I love spending afternoons looking at all the pretty, creative, personal things.

Every Day to Wedding Day - #1

by: Kelsey O'Conor

This is my first installment of Everyday to Wedding Day, where I take fashion that you wear every day and translate it into something that you can wear on your wedding day. I believe in being yourself, especially on your big day. If you're never seen without a braid in your hair, if you always wear at least one green thing everyday, if you love your white high-top chucks, why should your wedding day be any different? Crank it up a notch. Transform the fashion thing that makes you you into something wedding-worthy.


For this very first post, I chose three hairstyles.




The first is a simple everyday ponytail. Check out how Reese Witherspoon turned the ponytail into something chic and classy. (And how gorgeous are those earrings?!)




If you wear your hair up, with crazy bits and pieces everywhere, glam it up with lots of braids and little bit of volume.



You don't have to change a messy bun too much to make it a wedding-worthy messy bun.

Don't Let Pests Ruin your Outdoor Wedding Festivities!

by: Kelsey O'Conor

This is an important public service announcement:

If you are having an outdoor wedding in the summer. DO NOT FORGET THE CITRONELLA CANDLES. Or bug spray. Or even mosquito nets if you must.




This is my grandpa eating his bug repellant fan at an outdoor party. No bug bites for him!

I was at an outdoor engagement party a month ago and I walked away with so many bug bites, I couldn't even talk about it until now. The party was fun, the food was great, and I got to see friends I hadn't seen in ages, but it could easily have been improved if I hadn't been slapping at my ankles trying to keep the little biting bugs away from me.





1+2 - Crate&Barrel, 3 - Old Time Pottery , 4 - Ace Hardware, 5 - Lowes

Make sure you shop around. There are some really cute citronella candle options. If you don't like any of the decorative ones, you can easily find some simple white citronella tea lights. Place the tea lights into a holder that fits your vision for your table scape.




No need to get these citronella lanterns. Unless you want to make your camping-themed wedding even more authentic.

Bridesmaid Jewelry Ideas

by: Kelsey O'Conor

You may be at that point where you're trying to figure out what to give your bridesmaids. These are your sisters and best friends who have been there for you before, during, and will be there after the wedding. You tell them everything, they tell you everything, and you'd be lost without them.

Bridesmaids gifts are a traditional way to say thank you. A lot of brides give jewelry that they can wear in the wedding. But you can also do something a bit more personal. Each of your girls is different. She has her own goals, her own sense of style, and you have your own inside jokes. Celebrate their differences with jewelry that reflects each individual bridesmaid. It may be a piece that she can wear in the wedding, but it might not. Either way, having something unique will make her feel special and loved by you. Which she is.

Here are a few of my favorite websites to get unique and beautiful jewelry.

The first is Amrita Singh. Amrita Singh jewelry is culturally diverse. Her bangles are to die for, her rings make me swoon, and her necklaces certainly make a statement. There's so much to choose from that I'm certain there's something for everybody. If you're on a budget, her sale items are priced as low as $20 and are just as beautiful as the rest of her items.

1. The Vanessa Earring is a silk thread wrapped hoop earring that comes is a variety of bold colors.

2. The Chloe Ring is so sweet. It also comes in a variety of colors.

3. If you want to get something for your bridesmaids to wear at the wedding, Amrita Singh has plenty of unique pieces to offer. This Makik Necklace could be a good choice.

My Second favorite place to get jewelry is JewelMint. JewelMint is a membership service, so make sure you read the terms of service so you know how it all works. Basically, you take a style quiz and they will pick out a few pieces based on your style. You then have the option to buy one, or any other piece on the website, for only 29.99, including free shipping. The jewelry is fresh and unique. I've already received my Mumbai Bracelet in the mail and I couldn't be happier.

4. The Astoria Necklace is great for your traditional bridesmaid who wants to be bold. The gold color and the rectangle shape make it a little bit conservative, but the large size makes it bold.

5. This set of four pairs of earrings is called Tailor-Made Earrings. How cute are the little tiny scissors? And the zipper pulls are so unique.


So I hope this gave a few ideas for thanking the most important women in your life. To me, giving different, personal gifts to each girl is a great way to say thank you. If the gift is meant to be worn for the wedding, you can still personalize it. Having the girls wear mismatched jewelry and the same dress can look beautiful, and shows that you love them each as individuals. Your wedding is a day to celebrate love, including your love for your girls.

Poses of a dress...

by: Kelsey O'Conor





Source

I come across a lot of pictures of wedding dresses. They're always beautiful, romantic, and often fun. There's always a sense of anticipation for the day to come, and the memories that are going to be made in this dress. Most of these pictures feature dresses hanging on a door, or a mirror, or in front of a window. But some are hanging on a tree outside.

When I see one of these tree pictures, I like to imagine how it got to be floating up there in the wind. In my mind I picture the bridesmaids holding down a bride in her bridal undies while the photographer snatches the dress, runs down a hill, hangs it on a tree, snaps a picture, then runs it back up. There's always a hill.

Pictures of rings also get my mind churning. But that's for another post.






This one is quite mysterious. How did that dress get there?
source

For Those Who Love the Water...

by: Kelsey O'Conor

To counterbalance my love of the desert, I present nautical inspiration!

With this heatwave hitting us, I'm dreaming of days in the ocean and evening sitting in a hammock enjoying a cool ocean breeze, reading a good book.



The compasses and maps make me think ocean adventure, navigating the high seas. In blue heels? Yes please!



I love the something blue ribbon hiding in the layers of a dress. It's a little secret just for you on your wedding day. Or keep it a secret for you and your man in the form of a pretty blue garter.



This whale chalkboard is adorable! And so are all the crab themed cards on this dessert table.


Top: 1+5,2, 3

Middle: 1+3, 2, 4, 5

Bottom:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Southwest Inspirations

by: Kelsey O'Conor

As I've said before, I'm in love with the Southwest. And by southwest I mean anything remotely having to do with Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Central and South American, southwestern Native American tribes and their art, and even the ancient Aztec and Inca tribes and art. Whew, that's a lot! It is a combination of the landscape, the food, and the art, that gets me inspired. Check out these inspiration pictures, inspired the sand of the desert mixed with the bright colors of the culture.


I took ideas from Cinco de Mayo, my favorite holiday! The bright tissue paper decorations, like those in the fourth picture, are an easy project to DIY.



I just can't get over how gorgeous this cake is! I love the soft grey horizontal lines and tiny flowers.



Succulents and cacti everywhere! Use these mini plants as combination escort cards and favors. Plant cacti in pots of varying sizes and use them as centerpieces. Just be careful when you're planting.

I know this isn't a style for everyone. I can't name one friend who would be excited about cacti and chimichangas as much as I am. But isn't it fun to look? It goes to show that you can really do anything when it comes to your own wedding. Don't be afraid to do something unexpected, use non-traditional flowers (like ones that poke), or take inspiration from somewhere out of the ordinary.

Desert Inspiration Photo Credits

Top: 1+3, 2, 4 5, 6,

Middle: 1, 2,

Bottom: 1+3 2, 4