Board #441: Keep It Simple

It's been a month since I posted any inspiration boards, but they're back! Lately I've found myself drawn to the idea of simpler, smaller weddings - think city hall ceremony followed by a dinner party reception at your favorite restaurant - so that's what we have here today. But simple doesn't have to mean sacrificing style - there are so many ways to add whimsy and personality to simple wedding plans without going crazy or over-the-top. Posters are an unexpected way to invite your guests to celebrate with you, and quirky hand-lettered envelopes add to their uniqueness. Pale pink candles make for chic centerpieces, especially when displayed in modern glass candlesticks that you can gift to your guests when they head home. And instead of traditional wedding cake, see if your reception venue/caterers will work with you to hand out small servings of cotton candy.

Mood: simple city hall chic
Palette: black and white, gray, barely there pink

{click image to enlarge}

Top row from left: Morgan Davies dress from Brides UK, photo by Anna Kuperberg, dinner party poster invitation via I Am a Greedy Girl
Row 2: miniature cotton candy from Callahan Catering, gray suits photo by Jose Villa
Row 3: city hall photo by Ben Chrisman, white ranunculus bouquet by Artfool, tuxedo-inspired table number wine bottles from Martha Stewart Weddings
Row 4: hand lettering by Leigh Wells, pale pink candles and glass candlesticks from Martha Stewart Wedding, The Cliff House

Love Shoot: Sabrina & Reg

Cristen and Scott from W. Scott Chester Photography sent over these sweet photos from Sabrina and Reg's engagement session, taken at and near the couple's Georgia home. Also, who needs special props and ensembles when you've got beautiful butterflies making cameo appearances...



























Congratulations to Sabrina and Reg, and thank you to W. Scott Chester Photography for sharing these darling photos with us - you can see even more from this shoot over at their blog.

Oh, and stop by later today because inspiration boards are back!

Sunday Edition #62

by Jami Saunders

Love Shoot: Meg & Ty

Have I shared my love of 8mm film with you? I love the nostalgia of it, I love the sweetness of it, and I wish I could afford to use it for capturing everyday moments - which is why it's so fun to see couples using it for love shoots! Meg and Ty (and their dog Norah!) hired Buzz Media Company to shoot this 8mm of them at a local winery, and they were kind enough to share it with us...



Congratulations Meg and Ty, and thank you so much to Erica and Mike at Buzz Media Company for sending this 8mm over for us to enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

How wonderful that we get this day every year to take stock of those things we're grateful for. There are so many things in my life for which I am grateful, and you, my dear readers, are one of them. Thank you for everything you do, and for helping to make Snippet & Ink what it is. And before everyone heads out for the beginning of the holiday feasting and family good-times, a mid-week, pre-holiday list of links for you!


{by Emerson Merrick}

My kind of low-carb, via simplesong.

Paper moon nostalgia.

Digging these polaroid collages.

New uses for old things: paint chips, via Oh So Beautiful Paper.

Eddera's site is live! I want this one.

Baby talk.

New favorite place for eloping, via a desert fete.

I need more ruffles in my life.

One more reason I'm putting a deep-fryer on my registry.

Happy Thanksgiving lovelies. See you next week!

Discounts, Giveaways, Etc.

I know this post is a couple days early, but I thought I'd share these great deals with you before everyone heads out for the holiday. I love the idea of avoiding the mall and doing my post-Thanksgiving sale shopping online!

Discounts

Modest Peach is offering Snippet & Ink readers 30% off for Black Friday. Coupon code: SNIPPETBF

And if for some reason you miss the Black Friday sale, Modest Peach is also having a holiday sale where you can get 20% off your order, from 12/1 - 12/15. Coupon code: CHEERS09

Chronicle Books (my fave!) is having a semi-annual Friends & Family sale, where you can get 35% off your entire order plus FREE shipping, until 12/4. Coupon code: FRIENDS

Snippet & Ink sponsor MagnetStreet Weddings is offering 26% off all of their stationery from 11/26 - 11/29. Coupon code: WTHANKS

Get 25% off the Martha Stewart glitter set at Michael's, from 11/26 - 11/28.

Paper and Ribbons is offering FREE worldwide shipping on all orders over $20, from 11/27 - 11/30. Coupon code: Black Friday

Giveaways

Stephany at EyeSpy Photography is giving away a wedding day photography package to one lucky couple getting married in 2010. See all of the details HERE (and if you need a little reminder of how awesome Stephany is, she shot this cute wedding).

Etc.

Doyle & Doyle (purveyors of awesome heirloom jewelry) are hosting their annual holiday cocktail party on 12/3, from 6:00pm - 9:00pm. If you're in New York City, be sure to stop by, 189 Orchard Street - if I was in the area, I would definitely be there! RSVP to .

Pronovias is holding an exclusive sale at their New York flagship store, with up to 75% off select cocktail gowns. 11/27 only. Book your appointment HERE.

Instead of Black Friday, how about Green Friday? 50% of all proceeds from sales made at Smock Paper on 11/27 will be donated to the Amazon Conservation Association.

And the winners are...

Thank you so much to everyone who left comments, and thank you for all the kind words! The randomly selected winners of the Southern Weddings magazine giveaway are:

Ashley @ Bride on a Budget, who said: Congrats on being featured!

Nicole & Brian, who said: Congrats! And nice picture :) I'll keep my fingers crossed for the giveaway!

nmwstyle, who said: How amazing that you were featured!! Im not surprised however seeing as this is one of the only blogs I continuously read! Great job Kathryn!! Keep up the amazing work!!

Shoot me an email with your mailing address, and the ladies at Southern Weddings will send your magazine out right away!

Rehearsal Dinner: Laurel & Veli

Featuring a summery barbecue rehearsal dinner might seem totally out of place this Thanksgiving week, but I imagine there are still some summer brides here looking for inspiration, right? Besides, it's so much fun for me to share celebrations inspired by Snippet & Ink, especially when that celebration is as fun (and budget friendly!) as Laurel and Veli's rehearsal dinner. I love what Laurel shared about their planning:

I'm an avid Snippet & Ink reader, and when we first began planning our vineyard wedding, I knew I wanted something elegant in shades of deep purple, but I kept being drawn to your summery "picnic chic" inspiration boards in cheery shades of red and yellow. When both my fiance and I found ourselves casualties of the bad economy and had even less of a budget for our wedding - let alone our rehearsal dinner - I got my chance to put your backyard inspiration boards and our creativity to work for us! We were able to throw an intimate and beautiful backyard BBQ rehearsal dinner that became a lovely and very memorable night - all on a bail out budget!

With the help of friends and family, as well as day-of-coordinator Stacy McCain, Laurel and Veli's low-key rehearsal dinner was a huge success. And now, on to the darling photos, taken by Veli and his best man!


Laurel and Veli designed the invitations (and tables signs) together, inspired by an illustration of a ketchup and mustard bottle in love.








Dinner was served on Bambu wear. Each guest was greeted with a floral name tag hand-drawn by Laurel's father, who was to ill to attend the wedding.


Drinks were spiked Arnold Palmers, sangria and sun tea (made by Laurel's bridesmaids).










Friend Scott Turnipseed, a sous-chef at Cafe Bernardo in Sacramento, created and executed the menu of sliders with homemade pickles and spicy aioli, home-fried rosemary potatoes, and a salad of mixed greens and strawberries. Laurel's mom made peach cobbler (yes please!).

Venue: Private home, Sonoma, California

Rentals: Classic Party Rentals

Retro soda: Faygo

Day-of-coordinator: Stacy McCain

Thank you so much to Laurel and Veli for sharing your sweet rehearsal dinner with us - it's always so inspiring to see how much you can do without a big budget. I think this could definitely work as inspiration for a wedding reception, too. And of course, congratulations on your marriage!

Sponsored Post: One Kings Lane GIVEAWAY

Have you signed up for One Kings Lane yet? If you have, then you already know all about the exclusive home decor sales they have, featuring items from all kinds of incredible designers. And if you haven't signed up yet, well, maybe this will change your mind:

One Kings Lane is giving away a $250 Shopping Spree to one lucky Snippet & Ink reader! All you have to do is click HERE to enter by no later than midnight (PST) on Wednesday, November 25. To give you an idea of some of the fun things you might put your $250 toward, here are just a few of the items that will be on sale this week over at One Kings Lane...


Darling holiday cards from the ever fabulous Mr Boddington's Studio!


Zip wallets in fun colors by Graphic Image.


Sumptuous throw pillows by Chelsea Textiles (how stunning are these!).

You're sure to find the perfect gift for someone on your list - or for yourself of course! It's also the perfect place to register, because now friends and family can buy E-Gift Cards in a range of price increments, from $25 to $1000. Don't miss this chance to win a $250 Shopping Spree at One Kings Lane. Enter HERE by midnight (PST) on Wednesday.

Sunday Edition #61

by Brandon Perron

Real Wedding: Toni & Chad

The thing I love most about Toni and Chad's wedding isn't the pretty details - though there are certainly pretty details here - but rather the incredibly vivid emotion apparent in these photos. Missy Cochran has done such an amazing job of capturing two people in love, and I'm so excited to introduce her work to you today.

Also, I love what the bride and groom said about their planning: Neither of us really had a plan, we just started picking things out here and there during our engagement that we both really loved. Many of the wedding's elements were created by the bride and groom, or with the help of family and friends. "We love being able to look back and remember all the people that put in the hard yards to make that day happen." 90 guests joined the couple at their August wedding in Canby, Oregon.






The bride made this beautiful hair comb for her bridesmaid!





















Venue: St. Josef's Winery, Canby, Oregon

Bridal gown: Mori Lee

Bridal shoes: Bonnibell

Bridal veil and hair comb: Richard Designs

Groom's suit: Calvin Klein

Flowers: Champoeg Farm

Cake: bride's mother

DJ: Pure Energy Events

Toni and Chad decided to eat dinner together, and joined their guests later. It was one of their favorite parts of the day, as it "allowed us a private setting to slow down and enjoy our first moments together as newlyweds." Congratulations Toni and Chad! Thank you so much for inviting us into your beautiful wedding day, and thank you to Missy Cochran for sharing these gorgeous photos (I just love her work!).

Happy Weekend!

What a fun week! I got to meet up with all the awesome folks at the A Bryan Photo workshop in Birmingham (my talk went well - thank you to everyone for the well wishes), and then last night I got to hang out with Leila from Be Inspired since she's in town for a couple of days - it's so fun for me to actually spend time with real people, since so much of my day involves working solo from my computer. No big plans for the weekend, but it's always nice to spend time with my honey. I'm still not back to reading very many blogs, but here are a few links that I just had to share with you.


{via We Heart It}

Scratch-n-Sniff holiday cards.

Digging this funky band - and they play parties!

If my honey is reading this and feels like taking me on a romantic getaway, here's a hint.

Delightful letterpress especially for love letters, via Oh So Beautiful Paper.

Oh my - those shoes.

My parents were awesome, via A Cup of Jo.

Mmmm.... these cookies are definitely on my holiday baking list.

Advent calendars make me smile.

Not really a hat person, but maybe I could be.

I'd love to get one of these Thanksgiving invites in the mail.

Happy weekend lovelies! I have a real wedding for you tomorrow, and a few posts next week before signing off for the holiday.

Southern Weddings Giveaway

Guess who made it into the most recent issue of Southern Weddings as a top blogger? And guess who has three copies of the magazine to give away?





Yep - that's me on the right! (By the way, do you like the photo I took of myself at my laptop? It involved stacking some books on top of each other, setting the self timer on my camera, and hoping the cat wouldn't stand in front of it - I'm sure my photographer friends are embarrassed for me.)

If you'd like to enter to win one of the three issues I have to give away, leave a comment here no later than midnight on Monday, November 23. I'll let you know who the randomly-selected winners are on Tuesday, so be sure to check back in before you head out for the Thanksgiving holiday next week.

Discounts, Giveaways, Etc.

Happy Friday friends! I haven't posted these promos for a couple of weeks, but there were some good ones that I thought I'd share with you. Enjoy!

Discounts

Viv&Ingrid have an awesome sale going on - great if you're looking for holiday gifts! Get 30% off all orders over $100. Coupon code: holiday09

Parklife Press is having a fall sale with 10% off any order opened before November 30. See details on the site.

Sarah Drake's featured invite for the month, with 10% off, is Sakura.

Snippet & Ink sponsor PapelVivo is having a fall sale through the end of November, with discounts on select items.

Giveaways

Enter by tonight to win a $150 gift certificate toward Creative Montage custom invitations. See details here.

Emily Takes Photos is giving away a free wedding photo package for one couple getting married in 2010. See details here.

Frenchie and Flea is doing a holiday gift guide, highlighting some Etsy shops, and doing some fun giveaways. Check out their blog for more info.

Snippet & Ink sponsor Project Wedding is giving away a 32 GB iPod touch, as well as $1500 in prizes in their Wedding Whoops contest.

InStyle Weddings is giving away a $1000 honeymoon shopping spree to SHOP.com. See details here.

Sugar Plum Invitations is giving away a holiday letterpress goody bag. See details here.

Snippet & Ink sponsor One Wed is doing a major giveaway, with a grand prize valued at $15,000. See all of the details here.

Etsy vendor SmittenXOXO is giving away a custom set to one winner. See details on her shop page.

Brenda's Wedding Blog is giving away a $50 gift certificate to Ella Elise invitation studio. See details here.

Etc.

I'm a bit late with this one, but Martha Stewart Weddings has put out a special Destination Weddings issue. There is a lot of inspiration on the site, but MSW is one magazine I never miss in print.

Ban.do just launched a whole bunch of new pieces in their Heart line, where everything's under $50. Check it out here.

If you'd like to help a PhD student with her research on attitudes toward marriage and parenthood among engaged couples, you can check out the project and contact information over on 2000 Dollar Wedding.

Love Shoot: Meghan & Jonathan

Sarah Rhoads shared this sweet engagement shoot with me, of her two dear friends, Meghan and Jonathan. Though you certainly don't need props for an engagement shoot, I love the simple items the couple chose to showcase their interests and personalities, from balloons to books.



























Congratulations Meghan and Jonathan, and thank you to Sarah Rhoads for sharing these photos with us (you should check out her blog - it's kinda awesome).