Bow Tie & Bustle: The Blog

The time has come! Yep, it’s time to switch over to a new blog. As sad as it is to leave my jbpapier blog behind (after all this is where I started my journey towards full-fledged entrepreneurship and recorded some of the most amazing experiences of my life thus far) I’m really excited about the new blog! I’m planning on posting on all sorts of new things (real weddings, friday finds, current inspirations, color combos, and more!). I’m also bringing along all of my old posts cause I just couldn’t let go of all the old paper goodies and travel pics!

For those of you who subscribe to this blog I hope you will continue following me on my new blog: bow tie & bustle: the blog. The enormous support I’ve received throughout this journey has been incredible, and I look forward to hearing from you on the new blog! Until then, here’s a couple of pics from this weekend’s Montmartre shoot…

*JB

Head to the new blog to catch another fantastic glimpse of the shoot!

Sneak Peek: Montmartre Shoot

After 6 weeks of making new friends in the wedding industry, hours and hours of scouting for antiques and fresh ideas, crafting to the point of blistered fingers, an array of restless nights, and a house that continually looks like a bomb of craft supplies exploded inside it, the time is almost here! 4 days to go!

Yep, this Sunday I’m putting my heart and soul into a bridal inspiration shoot. The intention of a “styled shoot” is to showcase the work of the various businesses that contribute their talents and services to the shoot itself. I’ve coordinated an amazing team of women (9 to be exact) and I’m so excited to be jumping feet first into the industry!

I feel incredibly honored to be given the opportunity to design a shoot that is wholeheartedly inspired by my time in Europe and my love for Montmartre. I’m excited to share something that is quirky, colorful, eclectic, whimsical and a spin on the traditional “Parisian” look. Montmartre is hands down one of my favorite places in the world and is the place where I built the confidence to start Bow Tie & Bustle. It only seemed fitting that my first inspiration shoot was all about the land of Montmartre.

Here’s a “sneak peek” of what’s to come (I’m squealing inside!) and of course a pic of my dedicated assistant and sidekick B-Bug Blake.

*JB

My inspiration wall…

Building a Business

I returned home from a holiday in CO to the most immense New Year’s Resolution I had EVER attempted to take on: become a full-fledged business owner by the end of January. Well, this past Monday marked the end of my first month in business, and I couldn’t have imagined how life altering and time intensive this resolution could have been.

Business owner. Yep. That’s me! In just 31 short days I made it happen, and I couldn’t be happier with the decision. I won’t pretend that leaving my previous career to a life of home business was an easy transition (it was actually the most physically, mentally and emotionally demanding journey I have ever attempted) but it has been well worth it. I have never felt this complete…ever.

And along with this transition came a multitude of decisions. Oh! The decisions! From website design, to business account type, to client proposals, to the arrangement of my home office, to business card formatting, to my daily schedule…the list of decisions goes on. My days are filled to the brim with emails, phone calls, blog scrolling, scouting for antiques for upcoming projects, meetings, crafting, planning, organizing, talking to brides and grooms and vendors alike…and I just LOVE it!

My first month has come with many accomplishments, some of the largest including:

1. Launching my website: http://www.bowtieandbustle.com

2. Attending my first wedding show

3. Booking 2 destination weddings: 1 on Orcas Island and 1 in Mexico (yahoo to Kirstin & Jordan and Vanessa & Tony! Cannot wait for your big days!)

4. Coordinating 8 different vendors on a Montmartre bridal inspiration shoot I designed and styled. Shoot coming on February 13th – wahoo!

5. Turning our dining room into my new home office – thanks for the help hubby!

and

6. Purchasing my business licenses and officially becoming: Bow Tie & Bustle LLC

The things I’ve struggled with most in my first month of business:

1. Self care – what’s that? Oh yeah, that’s things like drinking water, exercising, eating more than one meal a day…you know, those sorts of things.

2. Connecting with friends and family. Sorry to all who I have neglected over the past month. My goal for February is to dedicate more time to catching up with friends and my dear loved ones.

3. My business cards. Small and seemingly insignificant I know, but uber important with regards to branding! I’m a self-declared “paper snob”, and the paper just, well, isn’t cutting it! New business cards, coming soon!

4. Transitioning my blog. One of the things that I feel is most important with regards to my new business is blogging, and I haven’t dedicated as much time as I would like to this part of my business. My goal is to launch my new “bow tie & bustle” blog in February as well as another blog focused on the PNW…we shall see!

and

5. My office chair. Really! I had no idea how horribly my back could hurt without the right type of chair. I’ve had the hardest time finding an office chair that is both comfortable AND cute. It practically doesn’t exist.

So, the biz is off and running and there are still many more decisions to be made. My primary focus today, and for the next week will be the upcoming Montmartre photo shoot (super stoked!) and then it’s time to focus on blogging. I would love to blog a couple of times a week including posting about the things that are inspiring me at the moment and my current projects/weddings. I’m planning to sync my jbpapier blog with my new bow tie & bustle blog and am hoping you all will continue following me on this journey! Thanks again to everyone for their continued support! Much love!

*JB

Oh and I couldn’t imagine blogging without a few pics to go along!

Here’s what’s currently inspiring me: a Chevy truck I run past on my morning runs. Love, love, love the rusted color combo. Wouldn’t these colors be fantastic for a wedding design! Crossing my fingers for the bride and groom that choose this color combo!

 

Bow Tie & Bustle

It’s official! Bow Tie & Bustle is here! Yep! After months and months, and weeks and weeks of working on this new business, my website is officially launched! Check it out at: www.bowtieandbustle.com. Bow Tie & Bustle is an event design and coordination business in Seattle, WA with a focus on the unique details that make us who we are. My time in Europe reminded me of how much I love the little details in life and this business is a clear reflection of that love. My hope is to continue incorporating my love for paper as well, so if you know anyone who is in need of a unique design or decor styling for a wedding, photo shoot, party or paper product, keep me in mind : )

There is still much more to be done: a new blog (coming soon!), a networking and inspiration blog for brides/grooms and vendors alike with a focus on the Pacific Northwest, an upcoming Parisian inspired (who could forget about Paris!) photo shoot with my dear friend and photographer Monica Hines and much, much more! I can’t wait to share all the details of the new biz, and am so excited and thrilled to be following my heart AND my gut! I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Bow Tie & Bustle!

Thanks to all who have supported me in getting here. I couldn’t have done this without the love, hugs, listening ears, and word of mouth that so many of you have kindly offered! Thank you! Thank you!

For now, a sneak peak at the “Bun in the Oven” photo shoot I was involved in a couple weeks ago…thanks to MoHinesPhotography for the amazing photographs!

Me setting up the shoot at one of the most adorable couple’s home. Thanks to Jenn and Ryan Strom for allowing me to be involved in their baby bump shoot!

The entire design for the shoot came from an idea that literally made me jump out of bed one morning…bun in the oven…a vintage timer…baby bump…oooooh! Look for an upcoming blog post on this adorable photo shoot!

What’s Next?

For the past 3 weeks I have been sitting in my pajamas in front of my iMac, snacking endlessly, avoiding exercise like the plague, tossing Bailie’s “toy of the hour” to her when she asks for it, wrapping presents with the largest ribbons I can find, creating Christmas cards from scratch, having meet-ups with friends I haven’t seen for a while, decorating my house for the holiday, interviewing here and there for various nursing positions, but mostly I’ve been contemplating the future. No matter what I do to fill the time in my day, I can’t stop focusing on the nagging feeling inside me to start something new…to go into that “oh so scary” uncharted territory.

I went on my trip to Europe with the hopes of having some life altering, mind-blowing, soul-searching, “pick you up by your boot straps” kind of experience. I had an expectation that the universe would hand me my next steps on a silver platter…yes, I know, not the most realistic expectation ever expressed, right? BUT, in many ways my trip did just that. It pointed me in the direction of my next steps, by reminding me of that gut response. MY gut response.

I have never been a person that whole heartedly follows their gut. Anytime I made a decision following my gut response I always hid behind it, fearful that this response might, “gasp!” be the wrong one. I always had this aching feeling that although my gut was telling me something, there had to be another, far better, more correct response to whatever I was facing. But fortunately enough for me, over the past several years my gut response has continued to prove itself, time and time again. My gut response was the one that told me to pick up everything and move to Seattle; my gut response was the one that told me to take Adam’s hand on our wedding day; my gut response was the one that told me to leave a job that was making me feel miserable and worthless, for a job that I knew nothing about, but was hopeful would inspire and fulfill me; my gut response was the one that told me that if I took my Europe trip I would find myself; my gut response is the one telling me to write these words into this blog right now; my gut response is the one telling me to leave the past behind, and start fresh.

And so, a fresh start it is. I am following my gut. And as much as my “rational” mind is trying to override my gut, I’m not listening. Nope, no more.

So, where does my gut lead me? What’s next? Well that’s actually seemingly simple. Weddings. Yep, good old-fashioned weddings. BUT, anything but old. I want to create a wedding business that focuses on the modern couple. And when I say modern, I mean many things: I mean a couple that doesn’t necessarily follow traditional roles but creates a relationship that best suits THEIR needs; I mean a couple that isn’t afraid to break free from traditional norms and create a wedding day that is as unique and special as they are; I mean a couple that steers clear of anything but “cookie cutter” in their life and in their wedding details; I mean a couple that isn’t afraid to openly face the emotional, physical and mental challenges of not only planning a wedding, but of sharing their lives with one another.

I’m currently working on immersing myself in the wide world of weddings and in doing so I am attempting to incorporate all of the things that inspire and create passion within me: travel, blogging, writing (who knew?!), photography, antiques, flowers, paper, working 1:1 with couples, creating something new from scratch and by hand, re-using used and bruised items, eclectic colors and designs, nature, shabby chic things, Seattle and the PNW…the list goes on and on. By scrolling and reading as many books, blogs, and inspirational stories of both wedding vendors and local brides and grooms alike, I am trying to expand my knowledge of the industry itself. I am meeting with small business counselors and coaches; I am reaching out to friends and family members for support, advice and guidance; I am attending wedding events and expos in the Seattle area; I am traveling along with a photographer friend of mine (Mo you rock!) to support her in her shoot styling and design; I am taking a mental and emotional break from nursing to focus all of my energy, time, and creative juices into this new business; I am traveling home; I am looking to the great outdoors for inspiration; I am exploring areas of Seattle that I’ve never seen before, but mostly I am doing whatever I can to inspire, motivate, and encourage me to continue on this new and exciting journey.

So long story short, I am launching my own full-fledged wedding & event design and consultation business (name coming soon!). I am hopeful that along with this new business, I can also launch a new wedding blog (title currently in the works!) that will hopefully inspire many brides and grooms in the PNW and beyond! I am seeking out any advice, direction, support and friendship from any and all who are interested. If you know anyone who is about to be married, tell them about me. If you know anyone who is a kick-ass entrepreneur, tell them about me. If you know anyone in graphic or web design who may be able to lend their knowledge, tell them about me. If you know anyone who loves weddings as much as I do or is a vendor in the business, PLEASE tell them about me. I need all the love and support I can get my little hands on, during this exciting and challenging transition in my life. I look forward to keeping everyone updated on my progress, and thanks in advance for all of your love! Toodles for now!

A picture of my own wedding in the background for continued inspiration to do this!

S + T = Love

I’m flying to CO this morning for my sister Sarah’s wedding. I’m super excited and honored to stand beside her on her big day!

It’s hard for me to imagine that the little girl that I grew up pushing and shoving, laughing with, and loving, is all grown up and about to say “I do”. I have MANY fond memories with her, but one of my all time favorites is a home video where she turns to the camera, and in the sweetest voice at 3 years old says “Mom, can I have my birthday now.” 20 years later she is on her way down the aisle…amazing.

Being a big sister is the best. I’ve gotten the opportunity to witness all of my sister’s triumphs and tribulations, and have watched her mature into such a beautiful woman. Sarah is one of the most caring, kind-hearted, determined, self-driven, uber-talented, generous, thoughtful, and inspiring people I have ever met. I’m proud to call her my sister, and I’m excited to see her grow alongside Tristan in their new lives together as husband and wife. I know Tristan and Sarah will take good care of one another, and I look forward to having a new brother : ) Never had one of those before!

I created a box for Sarah and Tristan to hold all of their most cherished wedding memories. I used turquoise and red (their wedding colors), and included a “5 of hearts” for their wedding day (August 5th) and each of their names as a way to personalize the box.

I hope this box is a reminder of the love, laughter, tears, excitement, exhaustion, joy, and thrill that they are sure to experience and share on their wedding day. Congratulations you two!

Vibrant Colors for Vibrant Friends

I had such a blast with this one!

My mother-in-law, Linda, asked me a while back to wrap a gift for my good friends, Evan and Amy. Evan and Amy were married this past March, and my mom-in-law had a quilt made by Adam’s aunt Sandy (family tradition) to give to them as a wedding gift. I was so excited to get another opportunity to wrap a gift for Evan and Amy because they are such an amazing couple, and are some of the most vibrant, kind-hearted, and witty people I have ever met.

I started the wrapping with this fantastic striped wrapping paper I found a while back at Papyrus. I kept thinking back to Evan and Amy’s wedding day, and all of the beautiful colors that they had incorporated into their day: lime green, orange, red, navy, yellow, white…the list goes on.  I wanted the gift wrapping to remind them of their wedding day, so I continued the look with a bright orange ribbon, and a green damask envelope I made from scratch. I added some pops of color with various buttons, including some amazing wooden ones I bought on a recent antique shopping trip.

I fell in love with this wrapping during the process, and was so thrilled to see the smile on Amy’s face as she exclaimed “this has to be a Jenn Elliott Blake wrapping!!”

Navy, Gold, and Ivory

This weekend Lars and Anna are tying the knot! That’s right! After all of their hard work, and planning, their day has finally arrived!

Lars and Anna are getting hitched this evening in Ollala, WA at the beautiful Edgewater House, and I can’t wait to see all of their wedding details: the ceremony, the reception, the cake, the programs, the centerpieces, the dress, the flowers, the escort cards…the list goes on, and on….oh how I just LOVE WEDDINGS! The weather is supposed to be gorgeous, and with a beach side wedding, I’m sure the entire day will be picture perfect!

I asked Anna a few months ago what her wedding colors were; she replied “navy, gold, and ivory.” In attempt to follow their color scheme, I’ve spent the past few months brainstorming how I wanted to wrap their gift, and it wasn’t until a few nights ago that I committed to a design.

I knew that I wanted to include buttons (it’s clearly my latest obsession) and I also wanted to make the envelope using this fantastic bright, and beautiful paper I found at my favorite art store almost two years ago, which I have held onto for a special occasion. Luscious ribbons were the last touch; holding the envelope just right. Take a look : )

Congratulations to the bride and groom!

Keepsakes in a Keepsake

My good buddy Emma asked me a bit ago to create a “keepsake box” for her friend Jen. Jen is getting married this week (July 17th to be exact), and Emma is a bridesmaid in her upcoming wedding back in Philadelphia. Jen and Emma have been friends for many years and Emma wanted to give her something extra special on her wedding day.

I had told Emma awhile back that one of the most amazing and emotional gifts I had ever received was a box with the name “Blake” on it given to me by my sister Sarah just moments before I walked down the aisle. Sarah had advised me that the box represented who I was about to become, but that it should also hold keepsakes and treasures in it that represented who I was in my past: an “Elliott.” That box, to this day, means the world to me, and I was so honored when Emma asked me to create a keepsake box for her friend Jen, since I knew how much I loved the one that was given to me.

I asked Emma to share a few things with me about Jen (her hobbies, occupation, wedding colors, likes/dislikes), and got going on creating a box that could be passed from one friend to another on her wedding day. Even while making this box I got emotional thinking about how excited Emma has been to present it to her friend. I cannot wait to deliver it to Emma today and I hope that this box has as much meaning for Jen, as my box did for me. Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials Jen!

The Announcement

I was so stoked a few weeks ago when my good buddy Mike asked me to create engagement announcements for his upcoming proposal to his girlfriend, now fiance (yahoooooo Mike!), Adrienne. I was VERY impressed by Mike’s ambitious request to announce his proposal to his wonderful girl, and was extremely honored to be asked to create something so special for him. Being involved in such a momentous occasion is such a thrill for me, and is truly what drives my passion for paper design.

Mike initiated his request for me to create his announcement by sending me an example of another announcement he had found. I was a bit nervous at first when I saw that the design was a graphic, but asked him to give me a few days to brainstorm and see what I could come up with. I had never really created a graphic design before, but since his only request was that I include “lots of orange” I was put at ease. It also didn’t hurt that his only other request was that I be “smiling” when I make them, and that the recipients be smiling when they receive them…how awesome is Mike?!

In my first attempt to create a graphic design, I hit some bumps in the road; not only while trying to get the circles of the announcements “just right,” but also when asking my printer to do something that, in my opinion, has never been requested of it before: to make accurate and flawless margins…what a concept for a printer, right?!  Well, after almost chucking my printer out the window a few times, Mike’s announcements are done and ready for delivery.

I am so excited to have been given the opportunity to assist Mike and Adrienne in announcing such an amazing moment in their lives, and I wish them a lifetime of happiness together. Mike is such a wonderful guy, and I’m so glad he has found his match. Congratulations you two!

That First Glimpse

I’d been itching for the opportunity to create another wedding invitation design since I finished mine and Adam’s wedding invites last year. Wedding invitations are probably one of my most favorite paper projects, because in my opinion, the wedding invitation is UBER important. The wedding invitation is often the very first glimpse your guests get of the overall “feel” of your wedding, and they can be that extra special touch that gives your guests an idea of what is to come. I love when wedding invitations are included as one of the details that set the whole stage for the overall theme of the wedding.

So, it was no surprise that I was OVER THE MOON earlier this year when my sister Sarah got engaged AND said that she would allow me to design her wedding invitations! I couldn’t wait for the opportunity to create an invitation that was spunky, upbeat, and colorful (just like Sarah) and represented the style and theme of her upcoming wedding.

Sarah decided a few months ago that she and Tristan would use the colors red and turquoise as their primary wedding colors and would also incorporate a “50’s Diner Theme” into their wedding details. I was so excited to hear about their plan because I knew the theme afforded me the opportunity to do something REALLY fun. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do love the look of a traditional wedding invitation, but I also LOVE exploring ways to create wedding invitations that represent the overall theme and look of the wedding and get the guests really excited about what is to come….which I have to say often includes extremely bright colors and funky papers – two things that have not traditionally coincided with a wedding invite.

Here are a few pics of the invitation I created for Sarah and Tristan’s wedding this August. I ended up using two different kinds of decorative paper to give the invitations their own little personality. I can’t wait for Sarah and Tristan’s big day and I hope their guests enjoy this “first glimpse” into the theme of their big day! Congratulations you two!

Tools and Gadgets

I was so excited to receive an invitation to Anna and Lars’ “Tools and Gadgets Shower” because I LOVE themed events! When I first read through the invite I thought “hmm tools and gadgets eh? What to do? What to do?” but after hemming and hawing I came up with a plan. I sent Adam out to the store thinking “I’ll let Adam take care of this one, cause men like tools right?” Well, yes, but my dear husband, although adorable, doesn’t have the most creative bones in his body and returned home with a pizza slicer and a bag of “just add water” pizza dough. For Adam this was actually quite good, but it didn’t quite cut it in my opinion for our friends Anna and Lars.

Lars is Adam’s best buddy from law school and he has become somewhat of a “brother” figure for me. I’m really happy for Lars because he has found a woman that loves adventure, laughter, doggies, the outdoors, and sporting events just as much as he does. Anna and Lars will be married on July 24th and I can’t wait to see all of the details of their big day.

After Adam’s return home with the pizza slicer I decided to call Lars and ask him what “gadgets” he was in need of. To no surprise, Lars answered “Uhh, I don’t know. We don’t really need anything.” Wrong answer Lars. Everyone needs fun kitchen gadgets! I finally decided to leave the men out of it, and headed to Crate and Barrel to begin my search for the perfect gadgets to supplement the theme of the shower.

While exploring the immense array of gadgets at Crate, I came upon an adorable strawberry huller and the idea popped in my head…”how about a basket full of gadgets related to fruits!” I quickly added a gadget perfect for an orange, lemon, grapefruit, and apple to the strawberry huller already in hand. Voila! Who doesn’t love a fruit basket? Especially one representing all the amazing gadgets available for our fruits!

Here’s the basket I created for Anna and Lars’ shower this weekend. I hope you enjoy the gadgets you two : )

The Knot

While planning our wedding last year, I spent hours and hours (actually days and days) on TheKnot.com being inspired by the dresses, flowers, colors, cakes, venues and more available on their website. Along with my online endeavors, I poured through multiple magazines, immersing myself in all things weddings – I just couldn’t get enough, and to this day I still spend many of my mornings looking at the latest wedding blogs to see what is up and coming in the world of weddings. One of my most favorite parts of a wedding are (of course) the paper details. Whether it be the invitations, save-the-dates, menus, escort cords, table numbers or programs, I LOVE seeing all the beautiful ways that brides and grooms use paper to enhance the beauty of their weddings.

A few weeks after our wedding last August, my wedding photographer Becky Young and I sent in some photographs to The Knot. Throughout the planning process, I had dreamed of my wedding one day appearing on a wedding blog, or in a bridal magazine, or even if I was very lucky on TheKnot.com. To my surprise and total excitement, I got all 3 of my wishes! One by one I got messages from Becky and my amazing floral designer Cori Cook telling me a few of the places our wedding was being featured including Style Me Pretty. The biggest surprise of all came when I received an email from the editor of The Knot Magazine stating that they wanted to use our wedding in the “Just Married” section of an upcoming issue! My excitement continued as I read further along in the email and realized that we would also be making it onto their website….that same website I had spent all of those many hours scanning through. I was practically jumping up and down as I screamed to Adam to come and read the email to double check that I wasn’t daydreaming.

Well, it wasn’t a dream and I am so excited to share that Adam and I’s little wedding is being featured in the Fall/Winter 2010 edition of The Knot Colorado Magazine (pg. 39), as well as on The Knot.com! I can’t believe the day has finally arrived, and even when I received our copy on our doorstep a few weeks ago I had to literally pinch myself!

Included in this post are some of my favorite photographs from our day. I’ve included some of the “paper” details from our wedding as well; which, by the way, would not have come to fruition without the help of my amazing mom – thanks mom!

I can’t believe it has been almost a year since I said “I do” to my very best friend and the best guy I have ever met. I consider myself amazingly lucky everyday to have found a man that supports me in every way that a person deserves to be supported – I love you Adam!

My mom and I created the escort cards incorporating vintage buttons that belonged to my grandmother. We also included her antique wooden spools by wrapping them in lace and placing the assortment on distressed (by my mom) spool racks. We finished the look by adding pearls.

I just had to have vintage blue mason jars in our wedding and through the help of my loving friends and family, and hours and hours of antique shopping, I was able to have various sizes of these beautiful jars throughout the ceremony and reception sites.

The ceremony programs also included hand painted doves and our initials on the back.

I wanted to include some pictures from our amazing engagement photo shoot with Becky into the wedding day details. I found an adorable journal of recycled paper with a stamp of the Eiffel Tower on the front, which we used  as our guest book. I tied gorgeous blue and light green ribbon around the seam and attached 3×5 photos on various pages throughout the journal leaving blank pages for our guests to sign.

Couldn’t resist showing another pic…my most favorite detail of the day.

One of my bridesmaids, Ellen, and I hand painted my table numbers. I wanted french details to be included throughout the day, so I decided to include the french wording of each corresponding table number.

Thanks to the help of my Mom and sisters, these adorable jars came to life and were given to our guests as favors.

Our gorgeous venue.

I placed vintage frames, passed down from family members, on our cocktail tables, including more of our engagement photos in them. My mom created the square table cloths using an amazing navy and white damask print I found. Each of the 5 cocktail tables had a different yellow vase and flower.

Using tiny clothespins and yellow ribbon we strung various baby pictures of both Adam and myself in the cocktail area. I attached navy and canary yellow cardstock to the backs of the photos to carry along our color scheme.

One of the two types of centerpieces created by Cori. She is so stellar at what she does! I told her what I was envisioning and without hesitation she created the floral arrangements of my dreams.

Thanks for taking a look at our special day!

A Lime Green Affair

When Evan and Amy’s Save the Date came in the mail a few months ago my first thoughts were:

1)     “Hooray for these two!  They are perfect for each other!  Can’t wait for their big day!”

2)     “Aaahh I LOVE their color combo: lime green and white!” and

3)     “I cannot wait to wrap their wedding gift!”

Well, the time is here!  Evan and Amy are getting married next Saturday (March 6^th) and I just finished wrapping their gift.  I knew from the get go I wanted to include shades of green in the wrappings, but it wasn’t until I found some adorable lime green buttons that I was truly inspired.

Now as far as wedding wrappings go, I will admit that I love a traditional beautifully wrapped wedding gift in all it’s glory (white, maybe shades of gold or silver, with a big white bow on top).  BUT I also love plopping a wedding gift down on the gift table that is unexpected in detail, bright and vibrant in color, and represents the couple and (perhaps boldly) celebrates the amazing commitment they are making to one another on that day!

If you were to ever meet Evan and Amy one the of the first things you would notice is the complete charm, comedic wit and outgoing personality of Evan and the cheerful, ambitious, and optimistic personality of Amy. This is a couple that will entertain the crowd for hours…they are A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!

So…here is their wedding gift all wrapped up:

Congratulations Evan and Amy!  I wish you a lifetime of love, laughter and happiness!  I see only the most amazing things in your future together as husband and wife!

Wrappings to Represent a Personality

I spent some time this evening uploading picks to my facebook page from the past fall, winter and spring months.  I often times forget many of the pictures I take, and was so excited to fall upon some pictures I took of my bridesmaids gifts.

When choosing the wrapping paper, ribbons and gift tags for these “thank you” gifts, I really wanted each of my girls’ personalities to be represented by their wrapped gift.  Although all of the packages had a pink ribbon and a tag attached, each was different and unique in its own way.  I am so in LOVE with this Eiffel Tower paper… bold, yet simple.