Harry Potter Shout Out

This would be a great engagement pic for a Harry Potter couple, and it showcases the ring! I plan to make my own wands, and will post the link to the instructions here once they are finished.

I really like this idea as a photo booth prop. Added bonus: this would be super simple to make out of poster board!

These would be great signs to hang on the backs of his and her chairs at the reception.

This is another subtle way to have Harry and the gang there on your special day.

Or you could have a somewhat hidden shout out on your shoe.

These are just a few fun ways to invite Harry Potter to make a subtle appearance at your wedding. May you have a happily ever after!

Venue

So I want to have an outdoor wedding. It's been one of those dreams that I've had since I was a little girl. My fiancé and I also enjoy walking our area's wonderful trails and visiting the local parks. On one of our trips we discovered a clearing at the top of a hill, completely surrounded by trees.

Here's a picture of it from above:

The clearing is located directly behind our town's ballpark so there is plenty of parking. There is also a utility road seen on the right hand side that leads directly to the clearing, so we may be able to have a shuttle system in place to get attendees to the top of the hill, as the trail is quite steep, windy, and narrow.

Due to wanting a Spring wedding it is my hope that the we will be able to keep the bugs at bay in the clearing, while still having a woodland wedding.

As this area is part of the city park, I will have to contact the Parks and Recreation to confirm that I will be able to have a ceremony here. There are a couple of other park sites in town that are available to rent for events, but our clearing does not happen to be one of them. To be permitted to use the clearing I will have to discuss the use of the utility road, the potential rental fee, as well as having a tent staked into the ground for the ceremony if there is a big potential of rain.

If we choose the park, then the reception will likely be held in a community building right across the creek from the ballpark. Go to your town's website to look for local parks and community buildings available to rent.

Another venue option is an outdoor location with an indoor reception venue not far from our area community college which we have both attended.

While the area is spacious, the price is high. You can go here for more information on Bullskin Creek.

Another local option is the historical Phelps House in Carthage, Missouri. For a decent price the first two floors and grounds can be yours. This venue would be perfect for an elegant, classy wedding.

There are also a couple of lovely glass chapels near our residence. They offer a chance to have an outdoor wedding inside, but the price is steep and time is limited. The Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista, Arkansas is my favorite, and you can learn more about it here.

Another local venue is the George Washington Carver National Monument and Park. Though we can't reserve the indoor facility for a reception, guests could wait inside the building in the case of a Spring shower. There is a $50 non-refundable fee, and a detailed application that must be followed, due to being a historical site and national park. This being said, the grounds are gorgeous and this is definitely a consideration.

Do you prefer to have an outdoor or an indoor wedding? Wishing you a happily ever after!

Additional Shoutouts

To honor my love of books, I may sneak a book-page flower into the bouquets.

 

 

 

We may use a beer stein as a vase in honor of his German heritage.

 

 

In honor of my Irish heritage, I like the thought of adding this element into my hairstyle.

 

What are some elements of your life that you want to add as a shout-out? As always, may you have a happily ever after!

Elegant Earrings

These ear jackets from Cato are just lovely, and I'm sure they look whimsical, but elegant on also, and the $4 price cannot be beat!

Though I don't ever wear ear cuffs, I think this sparkly piece would suit my style. Get it here for $5.

I think that ear climbers are so pretty. If you haven't caught on yet, I like things that seem to be growing like plants, to make the user have that mother-nature sort of vibe. You can get these vine-like lovelies for $42 here.

The earrings could also stand in as your "something blue." Score these beauties for $36 here.

What is your favorite earring style? Wishing you a happily ever after!

Much Up-do (About Something!)

I usually have my hair down, and I was blessed with hair that is mainly straight, with a gentle wave or two thrown in, so I don't usually have to do a lot with it. (I'm also pretty terrible at putting my hair up in anything but a pony tail). For my wedding I will have someone doing my hair, so this is my one shot for a fun up-do!

I like the look of this loose braid fitted into the bun.



This style is so polished, and GORGEOUS!

I really like the look of this braided chignon, and am glad that I wouldn't have to rely on my hair staying curly for it to look nice.

What up-dos would you do? Happily ever after!

Hair Affair

I love nature-inspired hair pieces, and I like the look of this leafy headband.

This headband is also leafy, but instead of the leaves wrapping around, they are centralized in either the front or the back, I suppose it's really up to the one who wears it.

I also really love the natural look of flower crowns, and this will probably be my hair piece of choice.

I think that the veil should also be very natural looking, and I have a favorite already picked out. I love this piece because of the cascading flowers that look like they are being blown about in the breeze.

What is your favorite way to embellish your hair? Wishing you a happily ever after!

Shoe-weet!

You want to start your marriage out on the right foot. And one way to do that is to pick out the perfect pair of footwear.

Shoe style may depend partially on the height of your man, so if your heights are similar you may want to consider flats.

Another possibility is going with barefoot sandals.

Some ladies enjoy bringing their typical shoe style into the wedding.

Some brides go for a fun flare by wearing bright colored shoes that offset the white dress.

And then there is me. I like nature, so I am mainly looking for nature-inspired shoes. These are some of my favorites.

I love the way these flowers appear to be growing up this simple, white shoe.

I also wear flats all the time, and commonly use the phrase "Hello, Love" to greet my man, so this would add a personal touch. You can find them here on Mod Cloth for $50.

This next shoe is simple, but lovely in lace.

I like the way these shows flow. The straps look like an endless strand of elegant ribbon.

Which kind of bride are you? Wishing you a happily ever after!

Plan B

Although I hope the wedding day will be one of those amazingly beautiful, sunshiny days, there's always the chance of a Spring shower. Just as a back-up plan I've been considering renting a tent for the ceremony.

For more information, check out this blog by a professional event planner detailing the tent-renting process.

Just clarify, this is a pole tent:

And this is a frame tent (notice that there are no poles inside the space):

To look for tent rentals in my region, I Googled "Wedding Tent Rental" + your location. I found a great local company, 20 minutes away that offers several sizes for a large variety of tents. Because I am worried about rain, but not necessarily temperature. I am leaning toward a clear top pole tent, with drapes that have windows. If it IS raining then guests can still see outside, and the natural feel is retained, plus rain drops on a clear top sounds really cool to me. If it is NOT raining, then we can pull back the drapes and the nature will be there, and the sun can still be seen in the sky above.

Searching for the perfect tent is pretty "in-tents" (intense)- ha! [Sorry about that, but it was necessary to go there]. May your happily ever after have a back-up plan, for the happiest of ever afters!

Won't You be my Bridesmaid?

This is almost as special a question as the one your fiancé asked you. These girls have stood beside you for other important moments in your life, but this is on a new level. These ladies are special, and many people recommend asking these girls in a special way, usually including a small gift.


This first idea doesn't really include a gift, but it's fun and unique--you get to "pop" the question! Plus, if you have to mail this, it will be light.

Small gift + fun wording = Perfect. And  you can either give them wedding colors or their personal faves.






Love the wording here: simple, but meaningful.







Love this. Instead of a necklace, I can make a bracelet in each of their favorite colors.







What are some of your ways to pop the question? May you have a happily ever after!
 

Shower Power

Bridal Shower Games

 

There's a few types of games that I have seen that I thought may be fun for me and the girls.

 

First, a game of chance. This is one of those tape-something-under-the-chairs-and-whoever-is-sitting-on-the-special-thing-wins sort of games. In this case, they prepared pieces of paper with tuxedos and glued the heads of famous men onto them, but one has the face of the groom. They tucked these papers into envelopes and distributed them on the table in front of every seat long before guests arrived. The individual who unknowingly sat in front of the groom paper wins.

 

This game would depend on knowledge of the bridge and groom, and the bride would make the answer key. But for those who don't know them both as well, this may be a fun game for them to learn a little about the couple before the big day.

The picture below explains the game, but I really think this would be fun as a reminder of memories that may have been forgotten. I forsee this game bringing up a lot of laughs!

These are always fun to get to know the Bride a little better.

This game is kind of like the Price is Right, but specifically for the couple. Using various numbers related to the wedding, guests can guess if the numbers are high or low. I also love that you can get pretty creative with this also.

Alright, so I am a Disney fan, and I think this is beautiful. If you and your ladies know Disney couples this would be an ideal game. However, if your shower will be attended by older women that may not know recent movies this game may not be fun for them.

 

And here is the key for when the game is done.

 



 

Scattergories is one of my favorite games, so naturally I am all in favor of a wedding-themed version. In this game, players have to come up with wedding related words starting with each of these letters, within a given time. Traditionally, if two people use the same word neither of them gets a point, but for larger crowds you could just have a point per word and the most points win.

Which game looks the most entertaining to you? Wishing you a happily ever after!