Tuesday 28 February 2012

Lovely Letterpress

Letterpress printing seems to be a major trend these days amongst wedding invitations, announcements and paper goods of plenty. The unique method, where a raised surfaced is actually inked and then pressed into the paper, evokes a vintage vibe infused with modern charm.

Smock Letterpress, a wonderful printing company located in upstate New York, thrives on creating beautiful stationary for all occasions. In addition to their fabulous products, they also stay green by sustainably printing on bamboo paper, and donating a portion of sales towards various environmental causes.

Their website showcases stunning invitation styles with a bevy of customization options, from inks, fonts, patterns and more. Smock's blog features some of their latest projects recently designed for real-life weddings and other special festivities.

I personally ordered my wedding invitations from Smock and was totally thrilled with the end result. And apparently, they were as well, as they've chosen to dedicate a post to them on their blog!


My Wedding Invitations!
Check out a few of my fave inspiring creations a la Smock:

Holiday Card
Save the Date Card
Birth Announcement
Wedding Invitation
Wedding Invitation

Pressed to perfection.

Sincerely,

S

Friday 24 February 2012

Wedding Spotlight: Little J and Big I

“A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.”- Germaine Greer

On Saturday, November 19th, 2011, we were privileged to witness a true fairytale come to life; our dear friends J and I tied the knot. What began as puppy love nearly 10 years earlier, the lovely bride and handsome groom had been dreaming about this day for a long time (and so had we!).

The Wedding Party

The picture perfect autumn day was the ideal backdrop for the elegant affair, where 250 guests gathered at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier in our nation’s capital for a beautiful wedding ceremony, where the blushing bride wowed in a one-of-a-kind Vera Wang gown, followed by cocktails and a superior soiree to be remembered. 

The Ceremony
Bride's Bouquet
Instructions - How-To Wear a Kippah!
Wishing Tree
Seating Chart
The ballroom was laced in warm tones of cream and gold, with trendy touches like a monogrammed dance floor. The fabulous Nancy Tremblay of Wedecor did not miss a single detail when it came to the regal décor of crystal candelabras accented with white roses and hydrangeas.

The Ballroom
Tabletop Decor
Thoughtful Favours (donations made in each guests' honour by the couple to their chosen charity)
The essence of the evening was fully captured by the talented Miv of Miv Photography, a local Ottawa photographer famous for making even the most modest of couples comfortable in front of the camera.

Hora!
Delicious mini-cakes by The Girl With the Most Cake, as well as a larger gold, black and cream work-of-art (aka wedding cake), headlined the sweet table along with other delectable treats. 

The Wedding Cake
With wonderfully touching speeches by the the happy couple and unique events such as a bridesmaids versus groomsmen dance-off, J and I's memorable night was full of love, laughter...and a seriously awesome after party :) We know their first 4 months of marriage, complete with a Californian honeymoon in wine country, have been incredible, and we wish them only the best for the many years ahead.

The Happy Couple
Until next time,

A & S

Tuesday 21 February 2012

WTB Hearts: Vinyl Crafts

Shopping for wedding gifts is not the easiest of tasks to say the least; it's tough to find a perfect present, especially when it's for the closest of family and friends.

If you're hoping to steer clear of the traditional route of registry items and looking for something a little more 'outside the box', the wonderfully creative Becky of Vinyl Crafts is there to provide a sensational solution. With a wide variety of wall decor, such as hand painted wooden signs and vinyl subway art, this fab shop turns your words into a crafty customized masterpiece.

Check out a few of our faves;

Subway Art 'Wedding/Anniversary' Board
Subway Art 'Our Love Story' Board
Wooden 'Happily Ever After' Typography Sign
Hand Painted 'Chandelier Silhouette' Wooden Sign
Wooden 'Fairytale' Typography Sign
all photos courtesy of Etsy

To make it truly personal, use an inspiring quote representing the couple, or a line straight out of their wedding song.

Until next time,

A & S

A's a Wife!

This past Sunday, February 19th, 2012, A and Mr. X were officially declared husband and wife! If you've been following the documentation of A's planning for the last few months, you will be pleased to learn that the ultimate 'Winter Wonderland' wedding she's been dreaming of came to life; and was even more incredible than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Kicked off on Saturday evening by a superb cocktail gathering of love, laughter and light fare with family and friends, followed by the most beautiful winter wedding in history (I might be a little biased here but once you see the photos, I'm sure you'll agree!), and capped off with a lovely brunch on Monday morning, this was a most memorable weekend that is certain to have guests gushing (and recovering) over for days!

The beautiful couple is heading north today to a wonderfully romantic retreat for some well deserved R & R. I'd like to once again wish them a huge congrats and hope they enjoy their first little vacay as a married pair!

Stay tuned - a complete post dedicated to the stunning details of this stellar affair is coming soon.

Sincerely,

S

Friday 17 February 2012

Spring Trend Alert

“A mask of gold hides all deformities.” – Thomas Dekker

After attending the wedding shows earlier this year and the endless hours I spend on wedding webistes, it seems obvious that there is a major trend in wedding cakes taking over and I personally adore it!  Metallic hues are making a huge mark on the baking world and it looks like gold and silver cakes are going to be the ‘it’ thing this spring. For all of those brides tying the knot in the upcoming months, these are definitely note worthy cakes.  There is something so regal about a gold leaf cake and it looks spectacular when paired with spring and summer hues.  Marie Antoinette inspired sweet tables are nothing short of fabulous and what better centrepiece than an all-gold cake! Or picture a dessert table with miniature silver cakes and a 3 tiered silver masterpiece for guests to enjoy and swoon over.  The idea of adding some glitz and glamour to your wedding cake is top notch and I look forward to seeing them this upcoming season.

Here are some jaw-dropping metallic cakes to hit the stands (cake stands, that is) recently; 

Photo taken from The Peoples Cake

Image taken from One Fab Day

Both photos taken from Pinterest

Photo taken from My Sweet and Saucy

Photo taken from Laced in Weddings
Photo taken from Cake Opera Co.


Yours truly,

A

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Be Mine

"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!" - Thomas Hood

Today we celebrate love in a variety of ways; from romantic gestures to candlelit dinners for two, to cute little heart shaped notes in the schoolyard, Valentine's Day inspires all sorts of people (and of course the chocolate and greeting card companies too) to send a touch of sweetness to those nearest and dearest.

In honour of a holiday filled with flowers and candy (two of our favourite things), we couldn't resist sharing some lovely V-day themed creations.

Some Sweet Treats...
Candy Cane Heart Cupcake found on Pinterest

Heart Candy Cookies found on Pinterest


A Valentine's day Inspired Wedding Cake found on Laced in Weddings


Love Letter Cookies for your Sweetheart from Slashfood


Single Red Velvet Mason Jars by My Sweet and Saucy

Beautiful bouquets...

Stunning Red Centerpiece found on Style Me Pretty
 
Deep Red bouquet found on Style Me Pretty
 

Red Peonies found on Pinterest

Red Rose and Coxcomb bouquet taken from Pinterest


Pretty in Pink Bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings
and wearing your Heart on your sleeve...

A.L.C Bent Nail Heart Pendant found at Shopbop

Wildfox Sparkle Skinny Sweatpants found at Shopbop

Valentino 'New Dome' Satchel found at Nordstrom

Plain Shift Dress in Red found at Topshop

Marc by Marc Jacobs Annabelle Pave Heart Earrings found at Nordstrom

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Valentine's Day!

Until Next Time,

A & S


Sunday 12 February 2012

Seven Wonders of the Winter

Today marks the official 'one week countdown' until A and Mr. X get hitched. After a seven month engagement, jam packed with festivities and fun, only a mere seven days rest until the happy couple ties the knot!

As a little tribute to the future Mr. and Mrs., and to their final days as fiancés, check out a selection of seven fabulous finds for a wedding of the snowy season.

Pewter Table Number - Z Create Design on Etsy
Winter Bouquet - Pinterest
Snowball Sugared Cake Pops - Simply Divine Desserts on Etsy
Vintage Fur Coat with Crystal White Wedding Gown - Pinterest
Istanbul Lace letterpress Wedding Invitation - Bella Figura
Snowflake Wine Charms - Vumbaca White on Etsy
Baby's Breath Boutonniere - Emmaline Bride

I am overjoyed with excitement and simply can't wait to see the beautiful bride, dapper groom, and all the marvel of their winter wonderland creation come to life in exactly one week's time!

168 hours...and counting...

Sincerely,

S