It was the perfect weather for Nick and Cindy’s outdoor wedding.  The location couldn’t have been any better either.  The river was yards away from the huge tent where the ceremony took place. To sum it up, it was amazing! All of the months of planning and pulling everything together to make this day happen, paid off…big time!

Have you ever wondered what it takes to create a truly beautiful wedding? Well, I’ll tell you even if you have NEVER wondered that.  It is the details! Details make all the difference.

Let’s take a look at Daniel and Pamela’s wedding and see what amazing vendors helped make this day beautiful.

Juan, from Flowers at the Falls was responsible for the beautiful flowers.

I tried to make sure that each table had its own look.  It all started with the idea of using mismatched antique china and old silverware.  Mason jars were used for the drinking glasses and were filled with home made root beer for the dinner.  Each jar was topped with brown parchment and used as the place-cards for the setting chart.

The head table had a huge beautiful flower arrangement to help distinguish it from the others. Some of my favorite centerpieces were these huge candelabras from Trisa & Co. Designs and Events.  We also rented some glass pearls to drape on several of the tables. The table cloths, glass vases, and silk flower arrangements were rented from Trisa & Co.  The antique books were my mothers.   Some of the table numbers were placed on antique frames and some were attached to the front of old books.  I loved the way it turned out!

The invitations were done by Yours Truly.  That’s right! Emily & Nate Photographers offer specialty invitations. I designed them to follow the whole vintage look of the wedding. The invitations were addressed by the groom’s mother (also my mom!) who has AMAZING handwriting!

The reception desserts were a combination of Cakeballs from Sweet Addiction and cookies with milk! The small glasses and old milk jug were the result of two weeks of scouring every thrift store and antique store I could find. The search was fun, but I am glad it is over. Pamela and Daniel had their engagement photos taken by K. Photography. We used the prints, combined with 3X5 note cards, to make a cute banner for over the refreshments. (Unfortunately, it rained too much to actually put it up on the wedding day.) The antique dresser was my grandmothers. It has real amber knobs.  Now on to the cupcakes! Oh the cupcakes! Little pieces of heaven would probably be a better name. We ordered two flavors: blueberry cheesecake and raspberry cheesecake. They were AMAZAZING! These beauties are from The Cupcake Factory. I now long for them daily.  They were unlike any cupcake I have ever had before.  They were SO moist and the frosting is to die for! The fun wooden sign was made by the groom’s friend the day before the wedding. The old bike was set up to collect cards at the receptions, though the rain made the groom’s pocket a much better choice.

It was fun to be on the planning side of the wedding.  I hope to have the opportunity again soon!

So, what do you think about the details?

All Because of You

I awake each day with a smile

And greet it with a laugh;

The world is a treasure to me

Because of you.

Every time I think of something sad,

I replace the thought- with you!

My mind is instantly changed

And my heart is filled with gladness.

Every breath I take is meant for you,

I live this life surrounded in joy

And I bathe in the promise of your love,

My soul belongs to you.

Each time I see something beautiful

I want to take it and bring it to you;

My life has so much meaning now

All because of you.

–Kate Reneigh Woodruff

Hind site is 20/20.  This is so true!  I thought I would share some things I learned during this process.  And, I am going to use bullet points.

• Give someone the job of going and getting all of the stuff you forget.  It will happen and most likely, you will not have time to go and get said items.
• Type out a list for all of your wedding vendors of the things you ‘must have’.  Even if you tell them repeatedly and you watch them write it down, there is a chance they will lose their notes and forget something small.
• Just mail all of your invitations.  Even if you think you can save a buck or two by hand delivering your invites, you will run out of time! Just mail them!!!
• If you want the wedding to be short, sweet and to the point…write a script for the officiant and tell them not to deviate from it. (This is especially true if you do not know your officiant well.)
• That is all I can think of right now but I didn’t want to end on an even number of bullet points.

Now, just because a post just isn’t as good without pictures…here are a few more from the big day.

I prayed…really hard.  When I walked outside at 6:20 am I realized my prayers had been answered.  It wasn’t raining.  There was no snow in site. And the wind was now a lite breeze.  VERY unusual for an Idaho Memorial Day.

3 weeks earlier

My brother told me the good news over the phone, “We are getting married in Idaho!” I was excited and so was the rest of the family.  We would all be able to meet his beautiful fiancee Pamela AND be there for the wedding. It was three weeks away and they were only going to be here one week.  There was a lot of planning to be done.  I thought, I am a wedding photographer.  I know what has to happen. We have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly…and should be able to pull this off, even if it’s short notice. So, the planning began!  It was fun, frustrating, exciting and I may have gone a little crazy, BUT it all came together in the end.  So much Thanks goes to all the family and friends that were there at seven in the morning to help set up tents and decoration and those who stayed until after ten pm to help clean up! I think, however, the biggest thanks needs to go to my AMAZING partner in crime, Nate!  Seriously, I am sure I went a little crazy at times during this process…okay, I DID go a little crazy a lot crazy! Thank you Nate for being an amazing husband!

Thank you Pamela for trusting your future-sister-in-law enough to let me plain your wedding.  Congratulations Daniel and Pam!  We love you!

“Where the heck have you guys been?” you might ask.  Well, the last three weeks have been CRAZY!!!!  We are happy to announce that my brother is getting married…and we planned it…every little detail.  Why? Well, we will be holding a workshop right before the wedding!

If you would be interested in coming to learn more about off camera flash, how to take better detail shots, or  build your wedding portfolio, this is the perfect opportunity to do so!

The theme is “Home From War” a vintage themed wedding.  We have had some amazing vendors participate in pulling this wedding together and I can’t wait to show you all that we have in store!  Okay…here is a peek:

We only have three spots left so give me a call to reserve your spot or send me an email if you would like a more detailed packet of information.  Hope to see you there!

You know that song by Rascal Flats, Bless the Broken Road?  That song is the soundtrack that plays in my mind when I think about Jeremy and Nicole’s story. Jeremy and Nicole went to high school together.  They even dated for awhile, but after Jeremy graduated they drifted apart as so many high school couples do.  Life took both of them down different roads, but fortunately there the other was…waiting in the end.  “God bless the broken road that lead me straight to you.”

We are so excited for you both! Enjoy the journey!

Here is a little sneak peek of a fun project I am working on!  Just thought I would share.  Enjoy!

This next topic is a little tricky.  I know that not all of you will agree with me either.  However, I feel it very important to bring up….Wedding Jewelry.  A lot of women, myself included, went to Clair’s to buy their wedding jewelry (blush).  You might be saying, ‘why does it matter?’  Well, let me give you some alternatives and then I will explain why you shouldn’t.

Go to your grandma’s house first.  You would be surprise how well the jewelry she wore at her wedding held up.  There is just something about old costume jewelry that makes you think it could be real, not so with today’s fake jewelry!  This also helps you with your something old, or something borrowed task.

If Grandma doesn’t have anything you are in love with head to Etsy.  Here is a picture that I found on Etsy that I HAD to share.

Image source HERE.

There are some amazing not-huge designers out there that have amazing talent!  Go check them out!

Okay, now lets talk about hair jewelry.  This is often overlooked, but currently there is a huge trend toward ditching the veil. So, what should replace it? Hair jewelry! Here are some great examples from the same Etsy shop as the necklace featured above.

This next one has a whimsical feel to it that I really love.

Wedding Bells Blog

Now, I will get to the point.  I promise.  Your jewelry choices should be deliberate. Don’t wear something just because it happens to be sparkly.  For one, it may not be the right shape for your dress and if you have no other reason for wearing it other than it is sparkly, it will just detract from your dress.  Also, I wish that my jewelry would have lasted.  One of my favorite memories as a child was sneaking in to look at my mom’s jewelry box and trying on all of her fabulous costume jewelry.  They just don’t make it the same now as they used to.  I have only been married for five years and my necklace has a weird green tint to it–I don’t even wear it that much for crying out loud!

Who knows, someday your granddaughter might come to you and ask to see your wedding jewelry!  You don’t want to show her some pitiful green necklace you paid eleven dollars for at Clair’s! Just sayin’…

What do you think? Diamonds? Pearls? Antique? Brand new?  Hair jewelry or not?

Lets talk about shoes…wedding shoes. When I got married the big trend was to wear flip flops.  Yes it is practical and comfortable, but elegant and beautiful?  No.  I am glad to see this trend leaving.

Lets all think of our ideal wedding day for a moment.  Every girl wants to be the most beautiful, elegant, and (admit it) SEXY!  You heard me right, sexy.  How sexy do you feel in a pair of flip flops?  You wear them to the grocery store for heaven’s sake! If you want to feel sexy, elegant and beautiful wear something that is not everyday and common.

Enters designer shoes.

Who doesn’t love a good wedge? The wedge is actually pretty comfortable as far as heels go.  Also, look at that peep toe action up front.  Super cute!

‘Cerise’ Shoes by Aruna Seth

I really like the elegance of this next one.  The pretty bling on the toe really adds that ‘wedding’ feel.

Badgley Mischka Odell White Wedding Shoes

I have to say that these last ones are probably my favorite.  I am pretty sure that super tall heel would make me feel like a Victoria Secret Model on the Catwalk.  I also love the texture on the toe.  Too cute and VERY sexy!

Badgley Mischka Randall

This last shoe is a great option if you are afraid of being too tall on your wedding day.  I am pretty sure I would feel sexy with that satin ribbon wrapped up my leg.  They can be found here for a very reasonable 40 dollars.

Touch Ups Beth Ballet Slipper with Ribbon Ties

I am not saying you have to have designer shoes on your wedding day.  Far from it.  But you should feel sexy, stylish, elegant, beautiful, etc.  It is your wedding day after all!  You will have a lifetime to wear flip flops to the grocery store and around the house!  Trust me!

I would love to hear your opinion on the matter.  How do you feel about shoes for your wedding day?