landlocked bride | midwest wedding inspiration

So it has rained a lot this past weekend. A lot. Thunder, lightning, winds, tornadoes (yes, tornadoes). But, not only is it Spring, it’s always wedding season. Which means a lot of wedding showers will be planned in the next few months (including mine, woot!).

Local planner, Katie of Simply & Forever, recently hosted a wedding shower for her soon-to-be sister in law, which I just adored.

Katie used floral foam and fresh cut flowers to create this arrangement on the cake platter. She picked up all of the flowers and greenery from the Floral Market downtown the morning of the shower.

This centerpiece was created using artichokes and white spider mums. Super simple, AND you can use the artichokes afterward to cook with.

Katie had all of the shower guests bring a recipe to share with the bride, which were housed in a simple wooden box she purchased from Michaels and decorated with an adorable fascinator from Ink & Button.

And, she shared all of the recipes from the shower here. I’m quite a fan of the tea and plan on making it for myself!

Have you hosted a shower lately? What fun decor did you use?

This is a fantastic DIY idea for cocktail hour, or even a wedding shower.  You can put fun little facts on these about the bride (at a shower) or the bride and the groom (cocktail hour or reception).  The best part?  It gets your guests involved (in a small way).

iDIY

All it takes is little cards, which you can create using printer paper and cardstock. Just print out the fun little facts on pieces of paper and cut into small pieces. Then attach them to the cardstock.

To make the “scratch off” part, just mix two parts of metallic paint and one part liquid washing soap. Use a craft paint brush to paint over the image or fun fact on the paper.

iDIY

It takes about two coats to fully cover the text/image on your little scratch off’s. Be sure to let them dry between coats. Once all of the coats are dry, you are good to go, so grab your pennies!

iDIY

The full tutorial can be found on Artmind website.

The Pilot and I probably are not going to include an icebreaker (I just don’t have the DIY spirit in me), but we may find another way to get our guests mingling.  Although, I honestly don’t think it’ll be a problem.  My side of the family are talkers!

Are you doing any ice breakers for your guests?

I realize that I’m like a year away from having wedding showers, but if someone could buy one of these for me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Flirty Aprons

Flirty Aprons

I love to bake, so owning an apron is pretty much a “must have” for me (flour gets everywhere!). I already own a red apron I bought at Crate and Barrel back around Christmas-time. It is red (which is a color I love in the kitchen) and has that 50s housewife feel. I love it, but it’s got that starchy cotton feel (stiff as a board) and I want something a bit softer (which the Flirty Aprons have that “soft-cotton feel”). Plus, the Flirty Aprons are just fun and they come in some great patterns. And, for all of you moms out there, you can buy a matching one for your daughter (how cute?).

Yes, I know, I have been the super slacker, non-existant bride-to-be.

The past few weeks have been filled with the ups and downs of life (mostly work), and yet again, I have not had much time to think.

I spent this last weekend at a friend’s bridal shower. It was a nice affair on a Summer St. Louis day (in other words, it was pretty warm). Thankfully the sun was out, seeing as how lately it has stormed its butt off almost every day. I got some great shots of her opening gifts, which I might share later (pending her approval, of course).

Since we’re on the topic of photographers, the FI and I FINALLY booked our photographer. The contract and check have not yet been mailed (they will on Monday), so I am hesitant to share my giddiness for who we chose. We are both really happy with our choice and will be sure to dish once the photog receives our signed contract!

This weekend I am off to TCB (Town and Country Bridal) to show a good friend my dress. Two of my friends have already seen me in the dress, but I promised K that we would take a gander this weekend so she could see the awesomeness that I have yet to purchase. It will also give me another chance to peak at the BM dresses they have in their showroom. I’m having a hard time choosing something. Another side note: Don’t expect any pictures of the actual “dress.” That will remain a secret until the wedding, but I will gladly share images of my not chosen gowns.

Another side note, these past two weeks have really opened my eyes to some great ideas I have for the wedding. One – I am booking a Day of Wedding Coordinator. I have already picked her out and met with her, now it is a matter of signing a contracting and mailing the deposit. More on that in another post. Two – We are going to try and incorporate some eco-friendly/green ideas into the wedding in some ways. We have yet to figure out how, but have a few ideas up our sleeves. Three – We are taking a more modern approach to the look and feel of our wedding. There are some non-traditions and modern/contemporary/simplistic ideas that we will be incorporating. After all, this wedding is supposed to be a reflection of our relationship, not “old world tradition” (not that I am dissing it, because it can be beautiful, but it is just not for us). Four – I would LOVE to have my aunt officiate our wedding ceremony, if she is willing to become ordained (not that would be an issue, because I already am….don’t ask, unless you really want to know). We would just much rather have someone close to us officiate the marriage than have a stranger do it. It would mean so much more. Five – Color. That’s all I got. We want to add punches of color wherever possible.

Sorry for the hodge podge of a post. I’m sure many of you out there in wedding planning land have had many of these moments.