Rehearsal Dinner Planning and Design {Entwined 2012 - Annie + Tyler}

Last spring, we had the wonderful opportunity to plan and design the rehearsal dinner for Entwined 2012 - an amazing wedding weekend giveaway featuring some of the best central Texas vendors. Needless to say, we were super excited to be included! I want to give special thanks to Kristin Light and Brandi at Country Sugar for asking me to participate. 

Several couples were in the running, and Annie and Tyler won with the most votes. Annie and Tyler were a dream to work with. They were super sweet and grateful for all the work going into their wedding festivities. They also loved all my ideas and that didn't hurt :). Hope married life is treating you right, Annie and Tyler!

Let me tell you a bit about the design. I wanted to create a French boutique atmosphere using lots of colors, shapes, and textures. Elegant, eclectic, and fun. Luckily, I had an amazing team of vendors to help me carry it out. Overall Entwined planning by Country Sugar. We provided planning and design for the rehearsal dinner portion. The Creative Parasol created all the paper goods, including one of my favorite invitations of all time. Kristin Light Photographie captured the event beautifully. Fresh Urban Flowers provided the gorgeous arrangements full of dahlias, roses, and ranunculus to name a few. Loot Vintage Rentals brought some of their beautiful vintage furniture and decor items. The Cupcake Bar provided delicious cupcake favors to guests. Whim Event Rentals provided linens and tabletop items. Event Ignition turned the room pink for us! Uptown Blanco was the setting and caterer. All graciously donated by the vendors. 

{Photos courtesy of Kristin Light Photographie}

Myra shoulder bag with zipper closure

Pompeii opal with British tan and saddle

16" x 6" x 5"

Event {BHLDN Austin Afternoon}

So when BHLDN invites you to participate in a Sunday brunch event at their store to highlight their favorite Austin vendors, one says yes, right? Right!

We were so thrilled to be included in a group of some of the most wonderful vendors in town: The Byrd Collective, Liv by Design, Word of Mouth Catering, Tiny Pies, The Creative Parasol, Ashley Garmon Photographers, and Paige Newton Photography.

The event took place in late July and we styled several areas throughout the store with Liv by Design. The BHLDN staff were so kind and pretty much let us do as we pleased, a designer's dream. Seriously, I was a kid in a candy store and even created some impromptu hankie bunting. So fun. Thank you, BHLDN!

The main table was garden-to-table inspired with a bit of quintessential Austin eclectic charm, perfect for a brunch wedding. We also tried to give the other areas a backyard, sweet feel that is so vital to the Austin wedding scene.

Here's a little peek at the event through Insta pics. I will post a few profesh pics by Ashley Garmon and Paige Newton soon. Cheers!

...oh, yeah, and I got to wear this super cute BHLDN polka dot dress!

Countdown project

Counting down to your wedding is half the fun of wedding planning!  I remember my friend saying she bought a gallon of milk a week before her wedding and noticing the date on the jug; she would be married before the milk expired.  It's an exciting time!

Check out one of the projects from our friends over at Kristina Grapes.  This is a fun and easy project to make for yourself or as a wedding gift to someone else.  Paint and wood is all you need!  By the way, Kristina Grapes is listed in our free directory.  Is your blog?

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Newlywed Tour of Homes

After the wedding, after the reception, after the gifts are opened, and the honeymoon taken... you begin your life together and your home is now the home of a newlywed couple.  Chances are you're on a budget.

Check out this AWESOME gallery of photos of newlywed homes owned by couples with a small budget.

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Flower box centerpieces

Centerpieces can blow a budget pretty fast.  You think you'll just add a few things here and a few things there and next thing you know, you're spending hundreds of dollars on confetti.

Keep it simple.  Flower boxes are easy and elegant, cheaper than vases, and hold more flowers.  Plus, they are low to the table and won't interrupt table conversation among your guests.  Ever have to do that stoop or stretch routine to talk to a wedding guest sitting across a table from you?  It's annoying.

Here's the flower box plan:

Buying garland will give you more bang for your buck, one garland will make two centerpieces.  Wooden flower boxes can also be made for cheap!

Need more centerpiece ideas?  Check out Centerpiece Cents where all centerpieces cost five dollars or less!

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Make your own driveway gate for pets or kids

One of the first things couples do when they become a committed couple is get a pet.  It makes sense; it's the first look at your partner as a potential parent, your first commitment to a future together, and a fun way to say "I'm in this for the long haul" (or at least the lifespan of this guinea pig).

However, it can be stressful.  This is what my husband and I discovered after adopting our crazy dog Fozzy.  He's so cute and loveable, but can be exhausting too.  He had a habit of running out of the yard and over to our neighbor's yard who happened to breed and board Irish setters.

Our super cute mutt Fozzy

We fenced up the yard and our problems with the dog were solved... for the moment.

Check out this DIY driveway gate that can help protect your pet or child from the street (or Irish setters).

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Instagram Summer

Just a few fun snapshots from the summer months. Hope to be back to blogging more soon.