Kids and Weddings
The Good…The Bad…The Funny!
One question I get asked a lot is should we or shouldn’t we have kids at or in our Ceremony? It’s one of the hardest questions to answer, because lots of people have kids. It’s a personal decision…either way! My best advice is to accommodate, Yep, accommodate best advice ever! If you are having kids and your family and friends are bringing them to the ceremony, make sure you let them know if thier youngster gets a bee in there bonnet and can’t sit quietly during the ceremony you have someone (usually a teenager of the family) who would rather be playing with them outside or in the church basement. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people will try and sit through a ceremony with their child whimpering or crying or just making a fuss. Which “Yes” I am going to say it..Really ruins the ceremony for everyone.
Next…if you have kids in your wedding like Flower Girls or Ring Bearers. Please realize you can practice walking down that isle a hundred times and when the big day comes and lots of people are looking at you, it’s not that easy anymore. Whatever you do don’t force them, and please do not make them stand in front of everyone during the whole ceremony…or your asking for trouble! Kids are kids…and whatever funny, silly things they do going down the isle..like a 3 year old insisting she hands a flower petal to everyone lining the isle, really only makes your wedding more special.
Something Old, Something New
The often unquoted last line of the traditional bridal saying gives a hint at its origin. The complete phrase is: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” A sixpence is a coin made of silver and worth six pennies that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967, indicating that the wedding tradition of the bride wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue is English. Many sources say that it began in the Victorian era. Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. “Something old” symbolizes continuity with the bride’s family and the past. “Something new” means optimism and hope for the bride’s new life ahead. “Something borrowed” is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family. Blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, “Marry in blue, lover be true.” And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride’s shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings. Thanks go to Martha Stewart and Real Simple One of my life time passions has been flowers, with my education being in the horticulture field, I am always drawn back to my first love so when I was chatting away with Brett the other day, I could tell he has a great sense of style and a love for what he does, it he is also fun witted and engaging. Brett has an incredible creativity that shines in his arrangements, as you will see below. Brett, has now returned to the Green Bay area full time after working in New York and California , with great excitement and passion he has launched the New Brett Leemkuil Design. His goal is not only to provide a distinct point of view through design but also to utilize a budget to its fullest potential, thus creating a seamless, well thought out event for his clients. You you would be uber smart to choose Brett for your floral needs, no matter how big or small. I know he’s going to be my new go to guy for all my brides floral design needs Ok I will admit it…I am an Etsy fanatic! My sister Lisa a few years ago sent me something’s to look at via e-mail and asked if I had ever been to the site…I laugh now because I go there weekly! They have great artists and creative people that have so many different and unique things to offer. All the things you see today are from Etsy. Going right back to all that is Vintage Inspired ….A cute but elegant birdcage veil accented with a peony, pearls, crystals and ostrich fringe. Got to have this one…then go see Batcakes Couture at Etsy. This one is a great idea just think of how many ways you could customize these to fit into your wedding! Give your wedding guests something to talk about and remember your wedding by with these awesome “Cootie Catcher” wedding favors! Personalized with questions about you and your fiancé, your guests will be delighted to get to know more about you two as a couple while they mingle with others. As an alternative you could have one for each guest-to use them as place cards or escort cards. Love it? Me too.. Go to Kat’s Krafts at Etsy.
Wondering where the saying came from?
Looking for ideas for something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
Try these.
Something Old
Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
Brett Leemkuil Design
Brett Leemkuil Design
things = love
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It’s all about the Dress
Are you that fashion-forward person that has to get their hands on every new edition of Vogue, or In Style Magazine, to see what trends are on the front cover or layered between the pages? Well as true with our daily fashions also rings true with Bridal Fashions…Out with the Old and In with the New! As I was going through the New Winter Bridal Magazines there’s been a few consistent trend predictions in all of them. One of the old stand by’s is the Silhouettes sheaths, trumpets, mermaid and the straight column looking wedding dresses have always graced the runways and has not ever gone out of style.
The second style that seems to be Hot…and that I love! Is that Glamorous Vintage 50’s style with its fitted bodices with oversized belts, cute little bolero jackets, tea or knee length hems and we also can’t forget the French net birdcage veils, that just screams Audrey Hepburn.
Photos- Weddinggowntown
All and all I have one thing to say… with all the trends that come and go, one thing to remember is that it’s your day and it should reflect your kind of style and tastes and it might not be the current trend but who cares, If you like it… that’s all that matters.
Woodwalk Gallery
Earlier on today when I was making my afternoon cup of tea, I was thinking about the ideas for today’s blog post. I knew right away I wanted to talk about my visit with Margaret and Allin at Woodwalk Gallery, one of my new favorite found places. Have you ever met someone, or been someplace that just got that good karma feeling? Well these people and this place have it, there’s something about this historic, peaceful and beautifully restored barn that has been living its new found life as an Art Gallery. Might I say that I found it to be the perfect, perfect, perfect place to get married and have a reception. Oh yes, I did say perfect three times…but it is! It has a centralized location to northern and southern Door County with great indoor and outdoor spaces with picturesque and enchanting views.
The Barns, The Views, The Art…Yes, those where all wonderful but my days delight was Margaret and Allin themselves, a hoot and a laugh there was something very familiar about them to me, and then I figured it out, they so could be part of my family, can’t wait for my sister’s to meet them I know they will feel the same way. Allin who seems to be a man of very many talents, on that day was cutting down an old tree in their back yard before he came to help show me around Woodwalk and the grounds, you can feel he’s put a lot of heart and soul into the work that has been done at the Gallery.
Margaret’s works of art fill the inside of the barn and add to the feeling of peacefulness, with calming soft layers of colors mingling together to help bring pieces of canvas and the barn to life, as do the other artists that’s work displayed in the Gallery. I wouldn’t ever say I am an art connoisseur, but I know what makes me feel good and I loved her work. Maybe the husband and I can take a trip together up to Woodwalk to pick one out and have put on the Christmas wish list for this year. All and all I had a great visit, the place is beautiful, I took some great pictures and I hope to of made some new friends. Once again Margaret & Allin at Woodwalk Gallery are what makes Door County special and a great place to visit, or in our case…. live.
If you would like to visit Woodwalk Gallery Call 920-868-2912 or visit www.woodwalkgallery.com
Favors, Favors, Favors
Ok…let’s be frank! Out with the Jordan Almonds! Who really eats them anyways? I remember years ago when you would go to a wedding and you would get Jordan almonds, soft butter mints or chocolates as a gift from the bride and groom. Let’s all be glad times have changed and people have become more creative and personal with the favors that they are giving out. Today there’s so many options from do it yourself favor kits, and for the very creative, you can design and hand craft them yourself. There’s some very unique ideas out there from scented candles, bottles of herbed vinegars and olive oils, potted plants and succulents, holiday themed ornaments, teabags, hand crafted personal paper fans and pop tarts. Yes, I said it…Pop tarts…One of my grooms favorite foods was Pop tarts so as a gift/joke we wrapped 250 Pop tarts with a custom tag and beautiful organza ribbons.
How about potting up some cute little pots with a pansy for spring or wrapping a small terracotta pot in clear cellophane and attach a pack of seeds?
Here in Door County we have lots of wineries, you can buy cases and add pretty labels on them.
Talk about perfect, it can be either sweet or savory.
Candles are so universal and everyone loves them, scented to colored, soy to engraved.
Photos courtesy of
The Knot
Who says you have to have cake?
Today there are so many options when it comes to serving your guests dessert. Does your grandma bake up a mean Snickerdoodle? Then serve one of those to each quest beautifully wrapped in clear cellophane and tied with a bow. How about one my personal favorite, Cupcakes. Everyone loves cupcakes! Yummy Tarts, Tiramisu, Mini Pies, Banana Mousse even Italian Cannolis. Buffets “Oh Yes” Dessert or Candy; we won’t even start on those. The ideas are endless; just remember choose one that represents your style.
Photos courtesy of The Knot
My Thoughts On Cake!
First start off by finding a great baker; schedule a time to do a tasting, even if there’s a charge. I believe that its money well spent. Why would you spend the money on cake and not know what you’re serving your guests. Because if it tastes bad no one will eat it and now you’ve paid for an uneaten cake and possibly the cutting charge for serving it and contary to popular belief; wedding guests always look forward to the cake. Most of the time you have put a lot of money and energy in to choosing your cake so it represents who you are. Put your cake up front by an entrance or displayed beautifully on a table where all can see it. Take advantage of how beautiful it is, use it as part of the decor and enjoy it. Photos courtesy of The Knot and Martha Stewart
Story boards, Inspiration boards, Idea boards, Concept boards go ahead call them what you would like, but they all do the same thing, bring a vision to life! I love using concept boards, especially when you working with someone who has a hard time seeing “the vision”, even if it’s their own! This particular Bride and Groom…said to me they wanted to get married on the beach, in the later part of afternoon, in the first week of October. They also wanted it classy-casual, using lots of fall colors and flowers. This is more of a family affair with only a few close friends around 75 people; it is also a destination/vacation wedding. A Maid of Honor and Best Man and one other bridesmaid will be attending the Bride and Groom on their day. This is what I put together for them, to help bring their ideas to life, they loved it. Now all we have to do is narrow it down to a location! Photos courtesy of The Knot or Martha Stewart
Go on taste the cake…
The bonus is you get to spend a day eating cake, how bad is that?
Second, Please…Don’t hide the cake!
Fall Inspiration Board
