Etsy Find: VintageBluebird Wish Tags

These little shabby chic favor tags are adorable!  I am a huge fan of tags for weddings and showers!  They really let you get into your theme but more importantly, they allow you to get personal with your guests!  This set of 8 hand-stamped tags comes to us from luvs2create2 for only $5.00!  You can custom order larger sets and even change the color.  Check out this shop!  Love, love, love all her tags!

Come Fly with Me!

Just found this fun cake on flickr!  A little whimsical, a little unconventional and a lot bursting with color and personality! I just love butterflies and dragonflies for weddings and showers, and get this--they're edible!

Bridesmaid Gift: Elegant & Useful

This stunning silver-plated purse mirror from Red Envelope is only $24.95 and the perfect gift for the bride's special ladies in her life!  Engrave each mirror with their name for only $4.95! Elegant, chic and useful! Love it!

Recipe Find: Blueberry Scones

Mmmm. Blueberry scones. Yum.  Made these this morning. Followed the Martha Stewart recipe.  So easy!  I cut the sugar in half; I think July blueberries are sweet enough and I prefer a scone that's not too sweet.  These would be great served at a bridal shower brunch, luncheon or tea.  Maybe serve a few different kinds with flavored cream cheese or creamy flavored butters.  This recipe is a keeper!

Etsy Find: Custom Cake Topper

Yes, I'm still keeping an eye out for cute and classy cake toppers!  Not a huge fan unless it's something special like this one I found on etsy for $145.  A little pricey but a keepsake treasure worth splurging on!  And it can be customized to match the Bride and Groom-hair color, flowers, veil etc. Tres bien!

Wedding Orchids

I've never been big on cascading bridal bouquets but kinda love this one done in creamy white orchids!  Tres chic! Especially the orchid tucked into the birdcage veil!  (Love those veils!  Need to do a post on them!) And such a pretty color combo for a bridesmaid bouquet pairing the same creamy white with a golden yellow!  Love it against the pewter dresses!  For more of this wedding, go to The Brides Cafe.

Pretty Pretty

Obsessed with this cake!  The set up, the simplicity, the cute topper, the colors!  And the rest of this wedding isn't so bad either!  Love love love the J Crew bridesmaid dresses and the pretty pretty pink flowers!!!  Click here to see the wedding pix for yourself!

Recipe Jackpot!

Almond Scented Cake with Fresh Raspberry Filling

I am always searching the internet for good recipes, especially when I'm planning to host an event--I want the menu and the food to be amazing!--so when I stumble across a wonderful recipe-rich blog by a real caterer, I feel as if I've hit the recipe jack pot!  Good Things Catered is just such a site! It is jam packed with cake, cookie, appetizer, salad, sides and many other recipes perfect for entertaining!  Check it out!  You will def want to bookmark it like I did and refer to it whenever you're looking for recipe ideas!  Here are just a few of the delicious treats I found:

Mini-Blueberry Cheesecakes

Spiced Cilantro Shrimp

Strawberry Rhubarb Tarts

Potato Leek and Artichoke Gruyere Gratin

Grilled Vegetable Salad

Cherry Blossom Sugar Cookies

Mango Salsa

Strawberry Scones

Mmmmm. Makes me wish I were planning a tea, a luncheon or a shower!

Sweet Wraps!

Just found these adorable cupcake wrappers (set of 24) on etsy at A Little Lollipop Tree for only $10.00! The wrappers shown here are silver-grey and aqua, (pink dot & paisley below) constructed from simple cardstock and come either assembled or ready to glue. They slip onto the cupcake after baking and really add some pizazz to your party!

I LOVE them for a bridal or baby shower!  And if you're really crafty, why not buy your own cardstock and make them yourself!  Cardstock is available at any craft store. This etsy shop has other great paper craft ideas--like banners, cones and pinwheels--check it out here!  Just another fab idea/find from etsy!  Gotta love it!

Container No Brainer!

Few stores excite me like The Container Store does! I guess it's the fantasy of being completely organized, or of having that perfect place for everything or maybe it's just the limitless possibilities that shopping there holds!  Needless to say, it may even save the day when planning your wedding!  After all, everything at your wedding needs just the right holder, basket, box or jar!  Check out some of these finds!

These Eco-Fabric Market Totes for $19.99 might be just the thing to hold your Eco-Programs at your Eco-Wedding Ceremony!  Or Eco-Favors at your Eco-Bridal Shower!

Looking for a fun and unusual card box for your shower or wedding?  Try searching Office File, Storage and Closet categories for a huge assortment of boxes in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials.This funky Desktop File is only $14.99 and it's Eco-Friendly, made of recycled fiberboard!

How about this pretty Baroque Box for $19.99?  It could hold pantyhose, nail files, pain reliever and hygiene products in the bathroom, or maybe you could fill it with hand-held paper fans for an outdoor ceremony, or perhaps it would make a great gift box for out-of-town guests.  Fill it with a bottle of wine, postcards and maps of the area and maybe some local chocolates!  This find was found under the Laundry category.

A popular idea at weddings today is the "Sweet Treat" Bar, a table with an assortment of jars filled with coordinated wedding colored candies.  This Glass Slant Jar is only $9.99!  Search under Kitchen's/Food Storage for a wide assortment of apothecary jars and other glass containers.

This tres chic Eco-Friendly Medallion Tote for just $8.99 might be the perfect Bride Tote to take along your personal needs from church to reception! Or why not buy one for each of your bridesmaids and fill it with fun individual gifts? This tote is 14 x 14, water resistant and 100% recyclable!

These are just a few of the many products available at The Container Store-there are thousands of other baskets, bins, totes and jars for you to browse through!  When I was planning Jenni's wedding last summer, this is the place I found the perfect Card Box for the reception!  And now Jenni has it as a Wedding Keepsake Box!  It's just one of my very favorite places I thought I would share!

Starfish Topper Takes the Cake!

Found this pic online from a local Cape Ann wedding and just had to share!  Love love love the bride and groom starfish atop the cake!   I searched and searched for a similar image on the internet when I was planning my daughter's wedding to no avail. I didn't want it for a cake topper--but maybe just a whimsical addition to the bride/groom table or near the guest book.  But I really adore this cake--the simplicity of it's design in all white says wedding and allows the starfish on top to be a focal point.  Elegant, fun and beachy!

Blog Your Wedding!

Keeping a wedding blog is a great way to keep guests and family informed on an upcoming wedding!  You can provide directions, maps and a list of suggested accommodations for those guests arriving from out of town and even provide links to hotels, inns, and even your guest registry.  Guests can RSVP on line, sign a guest book, send you a private message and even view photos of you and your fiance.  There really is no limit to what you can do with a wedding blog or web page!  One couple even set up a page just for photos to be downloaded by attending guests after the wedding! A fabulous idea!

If you don't feel crafty enough or internet savy enough, why not try a service like Nearlyweds that takes all the thinking out of it?  For $14.99 a month (or $99. a year) you can set up a full-featured wed-site that can even be coordinated to match your invitations!  It includes features like a Bridal Party page, a Travels page, links to bridal registries and even allows you to keep track of your guest list and events surrounding the wedding!  And there is no limit to the amount of pages, pictures, video or music you can add!

Shop around!  Some sites, like the knot and ewedding, offer FREE limited services that may be enough for your needs.  Here are some other wedding web site services worth checking out: weddingwindow.com, myevent.com, and weddingtoolbox.com.

 Above images: Ben-n-Kristen.com