If you read this blog regularly, then you know how much I love the simple accents that deliver a great BIG IMPACT.  And  reception decor is one of my favorite places to start!  Let’s talk about apothecary jars…  not just for cotton swabs and Q-tips anymore!  The many ways you can use an apothecary jar is limited only by your creativity.

To Name a Few Uses: as centerpieces… at the candy buffet… as sand ceremony jars… as wish jars

What to Put in Them: here’s the really fun part… candy, nuts, flowers, fruit, potpourri, sand, seashells, marbles, soaps, buttons, favorite collectibles, fall leaves, rocks, gems, live plants {turn them into mini terrariums}.

Use an attractive apothecary jar to incorporate the theme of your wedding.  For instance~ if your having a beach wedding~ use coral, shells, driftwood.  If it’s a Fall wedding… use colorful leaves, mini gourds, grapevine…

Here’s a fun idea... make copies of old family wedding photos for people to take out and admire. Perfect for a vintage style wedding or simply for conversation and including family members {present and not} in a unique way.

Source

Source

If you want jars that have a unified look, shop places like Michaels to buy in bulk or if eclectic is more your style, shop thrift, antique stores and yard sales.

What do you think?

Today’s e-session comes to us by the fabuloso and incredibly energetic husband and wife team of Cathy and David Photography.  The first part of the session involves Summer and Ryan’s love of all things Indiana U…  the stadium of their alma mater makes a great session locale for this sports-loving couple!  But the session doesn’t end there… as nighttime befalls, urban details and ambient lighting take over and even though the sun has set, the heat has risen!

I hope you find these e-shots as cool and inspiring as I do… ENJOY!

to see ALL of the shots… head on over to Cathy and Davi’d blog for more!

Have you found your wedding dress yet… still looking?  How do you know when you’ve found the right one?  My~ what a hugely important decision it is…

Lisa & Johnathon Part I
As you know, MagnetStreet’s Lisa and Johnathon are newly engaged and now furiously planning their October 09 wedding  ~ a lot to do in a fairly short amount of time!  One of her to-do’s… finding THE dress.  THE wedding dress to beat all other wedding dresses.  HER  dress.  Perfect for her!  Well, she did it and today… Lisa shares with us her venture:

I am a slow decision maker.  Always have been. Maybe you know someone like me: I like to try on everything…and then maybe buy nothing.  It might be related to my curious nature, because I simply want to know what all these outfits would look like on me.

But this day was different.  This day I was finding a dress…but not just any dress…this is THE dress.  The dress that will be photographed and viewed for years to come.  The dress that my fiancé will see me wearing on the day I become his wife.  The dress I will wear on the day my life as Miss ends and Mrs. begins. This is a big deal!  I had an appointment at a bridal shop, my mom was in town, my fiance’s mother was coming along, and I was planning to leave that store checking “buy wedding dress” off the list. Do you see the irony here?  The one day I have all the right in the world to be picky, suddenly I’m a snap decision maker.  Wedding planning certainly gets to a person, I guess.

We picked out a few options and got started.  The first one was really nice, and I began to wonder how I’d ever know when it’s “the one.”  Then she put a veil on me (to help envision the whole picture).  I looked into the mirror and saw a bride…wait…that’s me?!  I’m getting married! Whoa.  I just kept staring, then looked over to my panel of gown judges to see if they were having the same moment, but my eyes were losing focus so I still don’t know if they were.  The veil was placed at the crown of my head and fell slightly over my shoulders…perfect.  At least I now know how I want that part to look!  The dresses kept coming and we established a “Top 3″ judging list.  And wouldn’t you know it, that first dress never left the Top 3.  So after we had viewed them all, I tried on the first one again, and the panel voted unanimously: this is the one. But how do they know? Why do I not know? Is this really the one? The weight of the decision was too much for me, so I went with their recommendation.  The dress was bought.

The rest of the day I was a in a bit of a daze, needing a lot of assurance that it was the right choice.  We agreed it was a great cut for my body type, so very flattering.  The wedding is leaning towards casual and will take place in the morning, and the dress has a very romantic, light feel that will fit right in.  The back is interesting, which is good because people will be staring at it during the ceremony. They say hindsight is 20/20, and as I look back I’m confident that it was the best fit for me and my wedding, so I’m happy. (I’d show you pictures, but the FH may read this and I want him to be surprised!)

What about you? Did you have a similar experience, or did you immediately know when the dress was right?

{Thanks Lisa!  You had me at “Whoa”}

LOVE outdoor weddings of all kinds…  Beach… Garden… Park settings… Backyards…  Vineyard… Rooftops… Our wedding ceremony was held outdoors on an old mill site close to the river and it was so fabulous hearing the gentle sound of the creek below…  the birds… and feel the sun and the breeze.  And, since it was in such a gorgeous spot~ we let nature take care of the decorations.

In this beautiful and colorful wedding… Laurence and Adam live in the Cayman Islands while their family and friends {65 of them} flew in from around the world.  They incorporated the beautiful colors and culture that are the Caymans as well as elements from home.  Notice how the stunning blue ocean backdrop beautifully heightens the vibrancy in all of the colors.  Enjoy!

Laurence wore pretty orchids and pink flowers in her hair.

The color scheme: bright pink and yellow

Pink chiffon dresses kept her ladies cool and comfortable…

As a child living in South Africa, Laurence remembered the “happy” sunflowers & thus incorporated them into the bouquets.  {happy sunflowers… i like that}

This just might be my favorite detail… homemade beaded napkin holders from Africa.

Cayman Islands lemonade… mmmmm!

So pretty…

If I were…

having a beach wedding… I think I would use an “ocean themed” Postcard Save the Date… ya know to get everyone all excited and anticipating such a wonderful destination.  Postcards STDs are great for getting LOTS of info to your guests re: accommodations, travel, tips, etc.  Super practical! This particular STD is called To the Shore and is from our Artist Series… so original, pretty and soft and all about the beach!  And, with 3 of your fav pics… PERFECT!

And~ for my elegant yet casual beach wedding invitations… I just might choose an Invitation ensemble like the one below… Perfect Petals.  Of course, I’d use the Design Studio to change the colors to reflect MY COLORS and use all the wonderful space in a Folded Invitation option to include our proposal or love story… forever recorded. {sigh}.

How about you? Having a beach wedding! DO SHARE!!

Real Wedding Source: Brides.com

Gorgeous Images: RebeccaDavidson.com