After the Wedding Day

Registry idea: Everyone knows about the honeymoon registry, but I thought this was really neat and different: On After the Wedding Day, you can register for fun things to do during your newlywed year--things like skydiving, kayaking, a beach vacation to Mexico, cooking classes.

Mix My Granola

I got the best package in the mail today! Mix My Granola just sent me a big, yummy tube of their granola to try! I have never been a big granola fan, but I couldn't stop eating this! Inggredients: French vanilla granola base, sliced almonds, whole almonds, gummi bears, organic raisins, and lots of LOVE! At MixMyGranola.com, you can customize your own granola with dozens of different dried fruits, nuts, and extras, like fruity loops, pretzels, and even candy corn! A gift certificate would make a great bridesmaid gift, or order a whole bunch of the granola and package it in small portions for favors. Really, you have to try this yummy snack!

Cake

How I do love this Martha cake--this was the picture I gave to Ron Ben Israel to use as inspiration for my wedding cake.

Games

The latest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings has a great section on upscale games you can play with your guests. My favorites: 1) Tuck a vintage coin into little boxes at each place setting. Each guest must go around the table and say something that happened to them in the year the coin was made; 2) Have a board with years from your birth onward, and each guest has to stick a little flag in the year they met either you or your fiance.

Abigail Kirsch

New York brides, I'm going to let you in on the best-kept secret: if you're looking for a wow-factor event with great catering, check out Abigail Kirsch's locations at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers and the New York Botanical Gardens. Abigail Kirsch is known to be one of the absolute best caterers in New York (great food, creative presentation--I saw her menu book, it's amazing). Normally, these venues where she is the exclusive caterer are extremely expensive--but if you book your wedding for a Saturday afternoon, you can get practically half-off! These were my next choices after the Harvard Club. I looked at both venues, and they were breathtaking!

Carnations

I absolutely love carnations. You can buy them for practically nothing at the grocery store, so I always have a bunch of white carnations in my vase on my dining room table. They are third only to roses (affordable) and peonies (expensive) in my list of favorite flowers. Honestly, there is nothing wrong at all with filling your reception with dozens and dozens and dozens of carnations--you'll achieve that wow-effect, and save a ton of money!

Ice Cream Truck

I can't believe I never heard of this before--Gold Coast Ice Cream Truck Co. has a vintage, 1967 Good Humor Truck that they can send to your wedding in NY or Long Island! They'll serve ice cream and vintage-style candy like Sugar Daddies, Cracker Jacks, gum cigarettes, etc. Love this!

Candy Sticks

Favor Idea: Candy sticks packaged in adorable boxes.

Shoes

Brides looking for the perfect wedding shoe: A great new website called Wedding Feet allows you to search by price, style, or style of wedding!

Resourceful Brides

Beau-coup and Wedding Paper Divas have partnered to bring brides a new website from which they can find ideas to save money, without sacrificing the important touches that make their wedding day special. To promote our launch of Resourceful Brides, both Beau-coup and Wedding Paper Divas are giving away a $500 gift certificate each for a combined prize of $1000 to one lucky bride. To participate, brides should visit the site and give us their best tip for saving money on their wedding. Please share this exciting news with your readers to give them the chance to win! For more details, please visit ResourcefulBrides.com.

Tiny Airplane

This vintage airline ticket invitation, complete with tiny wooden airplane, is adorable! I have a soft spot for anything tiny and anything having to do with airplanes! From Elsje Designs.

Black and White

Oh, I am in love with this unique black and white wedding designed by Belle Fleur, featured on The Bride's Cafe... 1) black and white cake; 2) checkerboard floor and lampshades on the table; 3) invitation: white lettering on black card; 4) black and white pearls on the bride; 5) black and white candy bar--so original!

Details

Love these details from Elsje Designs--who knew you could make cigars pretty?

Chandelier

Love this chandelier invitation from Papeterie. Very simple and classic.

Tree

Love this Giving Tree save the date!

Granola

Really Neat Favor Idea: At MixMyGranola, you can custom-mix your own granola with the flavors you like--what a unique gift idea!

Wedding Paper Divas

I love the moving announcements at Wedding Paper Divas, especially this oh-so-classy one. Might consider this when I move in 2 months! (great idea--if you're moving after the wedding, insert a moving card into your thank you cards--that ensures you cover everyone!) I'm happy to welcome back Wedding Paper Divas as a sponsor!

Fresh

Makeup Idea: Overdone makeup is out, and fresh in in now! I love the look of the products from Swedish makeup company Face Stockholm--simple packaging, with an emphasis on freshness. New York brides--they also have makeup artists you can hire for your big day!

Paintings

I saw this feature on the invitation company Monumental Designs on The Bride's Cafe--what a fabulous idea if you can afford it! A hand-painted invitation design--even a sketch on the envelope!

Brownies

Favor Idea (from a Valentine's craft you could easily turn wedding):heart-shaped brownies in brown paper bags! Would work great for a small wedding, since you'll have to bake these the night before for them to be chewy!

Vintage

Stationery Idea: We included cards in our invitations with our wedding website on it, just in case some guests had lost their save the dates. I had a graphic designer at a local copy shop copy the pattern from a piece of vintage clipart, like the one above, and wrote the web address in the middle.

Recipes

Favor Idea (from iDiy): Make cards with your family's recipes on it and wrap them in pretty brown paper as favors. Also send them to guests who couldn't make it to the wedding!

Soaps

I love this great idea from a blog recommended to me called iDiy--personalized hand soaps! I think these would be perfect for the restroom at your reception.

RS2GURU

I'm so excited to welcome a brand-new sponsor, RS2GURU! RS2GURU is an invitation company that makes gorgeous invitations at extremely affordable prices, as they are located in Shanghai, China, and therefore save on resources and labor costs. However, they also offer free shipping to the US! As you all know, I love classic designs, and I've chosen a couple of my favorites, above, to feature. However, their color designs are also gorgeous (take a look at the one on their home page). Their website is extremely comprehensive, with a shopping guide video and great search tools. One other thing I love--the hand-drawn invitations (great for a rehearsal dinner or bridal shower invitation perhaps?). Welcome, RS2GURU!

Wisp

Love this new product: Colgate’s new tiny, single-use toothbrush, the Wisp, doesn’t require toothpaste or water. Perfect for your wedding day purse!

Mirrors

Reception Idea: Write your menu on an antique mirror. Photo via Make Room for Living.

Honeymoons

Really neat Honeymoon Idea: OneWed just launched a brand new Honeymoon and Destination Wedding Planning page. With tools from iExplore, Sandals Resorts and The Weather Channel, the site can help you find great deals and plan a trip to tons of beautiful locations (Italy, Fiji, Puerto Rico... just to name a few), as well as activities like bicycle touring, volunteering, rainforest tours, and more. It's all very neatly laid out, with very upfront prices!

Streamers

Ceremony Idea: Give guests streamers in your wedding colors before leaving the ceremony, for your exit.

Details

Love these details from this wedding by Mi Belle Photography.

Comics

Gift Idea: I absolutely LOVE this fabulous idea I found on Blush--get a custom comic created by artist Mark Weber for $200--use it as a save the date, part of the program, set out at the reception tables, a gift for the groom, or a gift for a couple getting married--love this!!

Blue and White

I have a love for all things pale blue and white (my other favorite color combination: dark wood and white). This rehearsal dinner featured on Style Me Pretty would make a great backyard patio setup, don't you think?

Beau-coup

Beau-coup is having a terrific sale--shop fast, though, because it's over tomorrow at midnight!

Balloons

Love this save the date. Carolyn Tran via Casando Ideias.

InviteSite

I just received in the mail the most beautiful invitation samples from InviteSite! I have gotten quite a number of product samples through this blog, but I have to say that these invitations were really the most stunning so far. The flowered paper was so soft it was like cloth, and the wrapped invitation was made of the thickest paper. Everything was really of the highest quality, and also quite affordable--if you're still shopping for save the dates, invites, programs or thank yous, I would say it is definitely worth it to purchase a sample from InviteSite so you can see what I'm talking about!

Cookies

If you're looking for a creative favor, check out these gorgeous Sweet Ambs Cookies (6 for $15). Found on Beautifully Ever After.

Whispering Pines

I am so excited to welcome a new sponsor to Victoria with Roses--a company I've written about before (when I fell in love with their little glass hearts), called Whispering Pines! While they have a wonderful catalog of rustic furniture, home décor and vintage style items, they also have an entire section dedicated to whimsical wedding details, and THE most creative favors!

Some of my favorites: 1.The hold-in-the-palm-of-your-hand Elsie songbirds, for only $4 each, would make great favors or table decor, around a vase of fresh flowers. 2. The Harborside wrap, which comes in 12 different colors, for only $12 (great bridesmaid gift or chair sash/favor for guests)--my favorite is the crisp white shawl, paired with an apple green color scheme, perhaps? 3. At only $3.50 each, these little Sun catchers would make great favors--or imagine how beautiful an afternoon wedding would look with a hundred of these strung from the trees?

Welcome, Whispering Pines!

Boutonnieres

SUCH a great idea: Rosenow Floral makes custom boutonnieres like this this above, and SO many more! What a great way to personalize all the groomsmen's attire!

Sunset

I adore this photo. Via Casando ideias. (Notice the airplane in the top corner!)