Table Names: The Road to Love

So of course any detail-obsessed bride is going to do something creative with their table numbers, escort cards, table names etc. I saw a lot of ideas I liked for table names/numbers, but I couldn't come up with anything original to us.

How cute are these table number frames? Each table was a year with their corresponding picture. How on earth did she manage this one? Found via Weddingbee Contests

The places we've traveled together: not many! I've been in law school! Our favorite restaurants: embarassing to say the least. Childhood photos: adorable, but incredibly time consuming (especially if you've seen my mother's photo-organization skills). Our dog: my favorite, but definitely been done before. So what to do?

First of all, love the centerpieces. Secondly, the table names were the military alphabet (alpha, bravo, charlie) definitely unique! From The Knot

I had a lightbulb moment! Yes, as I was studying Real Property for the bar, I thought: Street Names! I quickly jotted down a list of streets with meaning. Obviously the streets we grew up on, the streets where our grandparents always lived, the street we currently live on, the steets our families currently live on, and THEN just to make sure we have enough we can incorporate made up street names like Maverick Blvd. to include the special things we want to highlight. DF's mom lives a block away from a "Lover's Lane", so that will probably be the name of the head tables!

Lovers Lane Sign from Flickr

I like that I can then seat the people in the streets that they will identify with. It just so happens that a lot of DF's family friends all live on the same super long street! And I know my aunts and uncles would get a kick out of sitting at "Berkeley Rd" which is the street they all grew up on. I am so excited. I am SURE this has been done before, but I definitely have never seen it, so it's original to me!

Love the shape of this one. Found on Corbis

Once I got the idea down, I tried to brainstorm ways to execute. Would we make signs shaped like real street signs? Would we take pictures of ourselves at each street sign? I've always loved chalkboard table numbers, just write it out on a rectangular chalkboard sign?

The pictures of the lovebugs with the typewriter-bearing table number came out super cute. This one at mini-golf and another at the movie theater were so much fun! I'm sure it took a lot of time, but I think we could do something similar!

There are a lot of possibilities for having this as a motif. I was inspired by Mrs. Lovebug's wedding. While I'm not really into themed-out weddings, her old fashioned type writer motif was executed perfectly.

Ok, so any additional ideas or tips for the best way to execute are welcome!

You say boo-kay I say bow-kay

However you say it, it's a common denominator in almost all weddings. From the single stem, to the voluminous cascade, bouquets are a wedding mainstay (obviously).

As much as I thought I'd go for something totally original and unique, I realized recently that when it came to clipping images that piqued my interest for my own bouquet, I was continuing to go for an all time classic: white roses. Now, I started with my fair share of crazy succulent, artichoke-inclusive arrangements, but as I started to really think about the pictures and the overall look and feel, I wasn't feeling so edgy.

This was one of my original favorites....but I'm not really feelin' it anymore. From The Knot

Photo By Amy Carroll found via Pearls Events

If I do get my dream barnyard/rustic chic location, I may consider a loose, wildflower/freshly picked arrangement that compliments the scenery. I liked this one, but still-not completely sold.

all photos found via The Knot

The above board reflects my current vision. I definitely want the stems exposed and tied with a lush ribbon (color to be determined) like the one on the bottom left. I Love the rustic, wild flower look of the top left/bottom right bouquet. The roses in different sized blooms is just gorgeous, the only change I would make would be to have a few more open roses (like the ones in the top right corner). I have always been in love with garden roses (aka English roses) and will want those to be involved somehow. I love this look, but am still not positive I want to go all white. From Martha Stewart.com

It seems all good in theory, but can be less than impressive in photos since it gets lost next to your dress. I'd love a blush pink, or some sort of washed out hue with my bm's carrying a small nosegay of flowers in a more vibrant color-or maybe reverse that. Hmm?Photo: David's Bridal Banner

I LOVE these tiny BM arrangements. The beautiful garden roses are so fresh and look like they are from, well, a garden actually! I'm not so much into the greenery, but this is just enough to make the flowers pop against the dresses. I adore it!

Bedtime Tears?

Several nights a week, I end my evening by watching the latest blog post from Elysium Productions, an Orange County based wedding video production company. Their work is some of the best I've ever seen, and well it usually leaves me all teary-eyed. The music, the cinematography and overall style gets me everytime! While most of their weddings take place in the OC or LA area, their most recent post was from a wedding filmed in Sonoma, Ca last October.
image: allposters.com
All of the weddings they shoot are pretty over-the-top amazing, but I cannot get over the cocktail hour footage of this wedding! The theme of the hour was "County Fair" complete with cotton candy, carnival games and a fruit stand. Just wait until you see how beautifully executed it was. The whole video is gorgeous, but if you want to get straight to the cocktail hour it's a little less than half-way.

Check it out HERE

Good night!

String Quartet Tribute to Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes

Marc Cohn - True Companion

So Romantic!

Eva Cassidy Fields Of Gold @ Blues Alley 1996

Two Birds, One Song

As I pour over the books, I must have music playing. Normally I play classical movie scores because they have varying tempos and no words. Today I switched to Jazz, you know, to add some excitement to my studies! I either listen to my iTunes classical list, or tune in to AOL Radio. Every so often a song will come on, and I'll have to write down the name because as I listen, I begin to hear the song playing at a wedding....
Image By: Apertura

DF and I do not have "a song" and we have varying tastes in music, but there is some common ground to play around with. I'd really like to have a song that no one would expect. While we are pretty good at shakin' our booties to r&b/rap/pop music, I don't think we've ever even slow danced an entire song without bursting into laughter because we have no idea what we are doing! Dance lessons anyone?

Here are my recent additions to our possibilities:

Nat King Cole: Let There Be Love
the lyrics are pretty cutesy, but I like the jazzy feel and that there is somewhat of a tempo

The Holiday: Film Score by Hans Zimmer: I love this entire soundtrack and would love to implement it into our day somehow. My absolute favorite track is "Gumption"

The song in the closing scene is also a favorite,

Aretha Franklin: You Send Me (don't picture dancing to it, but definitely want it played at some point).

Marc Cohen: True Companion
I heard this months ago and couldn't get over it. I think it is so, so romantic and very fitting for us. But it is realllly slow!

Barry White: Can't get enough of your love.
This was allllways the song I pictured dancing to and I have no idea why. I've thought about it for so long, that I kind of want something different now, like it's all worn out!

George Strait: Carried Away
This was another song that I have always considered. I am a die hard, born and raised country fan, but the fiance is definitely not. So it's a no.

Eva Cassidy: Fields of Gold
Gorgeous rendition of the Sting classic. It is breathtaking, not so obvious and sllooow.

Patti Griffin: Heavenly Day
This song makes me cry everytime. But I'm afraid it's too predictable.

Peter Gabriel: In Your Eyes
Love everything about this song.

My newest obsession is the Vitamin String Quartet, their work is unbelievable. They do a great "In Your Eyes" tribute that I reallly want. Whatever song we choose, I'd love to have an instrumental (hopefully live) version played as I walk down the aisle or as our recessional.

Would love to hear some unique, dance-able suggestions!