Fabulous Drink Stations

Here in Texas we all drink Tea. So we are going to do a sweet and unsweet tea drink station. Here are some ideas.

DIY Chalkboard Signs

Finished all the major planning and looking for fun do-it-yourself décor ideas? In the end, it’s the little details that will really wow your guests. These custom chalkboards can be made in a variety of sizes and used in a variety of ways. Consider them for table numbers or as props in your photos. The best part? They’re easy to make ...
1. Frame: Purchase a plain wood frame in your desired size from a local craft store, or better yet, upcycle something you already have. 

2. Chalkboards: Remove the glass from the frame and spray with a chalkboard paint. We’ve had good luck with the Krylon brand. Be sure to follow the directions so you get a nice even surface.

3. Let stand: For best results, let the paint dry for 24 hours.

4. Paint frames: While the chalkboards are drying, paint your frames. To achieve the shabby chic, distressed look, choose two colors. One will be your base color, which will show through once you’ve distressed the frame, and the other will be your all-over color. In this case, we chose to paint the frames green first and then cover the green with a rich, creamy white. For best results, we suggest letting this paint dry thoroughly before the next step.
 
5. Distress frames: Once your top coat of paint is thoroughly dry you will want to move into the sanding stage. You can use a fine grain sand paper for this step or you can speed things up with an electric sander or a sanding wheel attachment for your drill. Stick to the corners and raised areas to achieve an authentic, distressed look.

6. Stain: Once you’ve distressed the frame to your liking, choose a stain color. We prefer a dark walnut but it depends upon the antiqued look that your trying to achieve. Using a rag, rub the stain all over the frame, filling all cracks, spaces, and irregularities in the wood. Don’t be afraid to do this more than once, rubbing it into the distressed areas, as it will enhance the aged look.

7. Reassemble: Once the stain has dried, you can gently place the chalkboard coated glass back into the frame, being careful not to scratch the surface.

8. Finishing touch: Choose a nice paper and cut it to the size of the frame. Using Elmers Craft Bond (a magical product), adhere the paper to the back of the frame. This will give your shabby-chic custom chalkboards a truly finished and professional look!

And don’t stop there. Consider all the different ways that chalkboards can play a roll in your décor…

Pretty Trees

Having an outdoor ceremony or reception? Here are some simple ways to decorate large spaces with little time and money!

Rustic Chic Reception Ideas

I know I haven't blogged in a while, because I am getting ready for my college graduation May 14th! I continually look at other wedding blogs every day. I can't let me any fabulous rustic chic ideas slip away! One day I decided I really wanted to try to have mason jars for drink glasses at our wedding reception.

Those silly old wives and their silly tales...

Since I have started wedding planning, I have heard so many different old wives tales....

1. Pearls are bad luck.

2. You are never supposed to get married on the hour.

3. It is bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.

4. The traditional, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

Well I feel like a lot of this is just crap. I love pearls, they are beautiful! They are created by living creatures. The most expensive pearls are created in the wild and are extremely rare. How can this be bad luck? It's beautiful.

 I don't understand why someone would think it is bad luck to get married on the hour? First of all, when do these types of events ever run exactly on time?? Ours is set for 7 and I am O.K. with that!

When and Why did it become bad luck to see the bride before the wedding? Was this in the case of arranged marriages, or marriages for those who had never met until their wedding? Diego and I have been together for over 6 years. We have talked a lot about doing the "First Glance" photo session, and have decided it's the best decision. I am so excited! I have heard the best things about the fist glance photos! I want us to have that time for just him and me to see each other as the beautiful bride and the handsome groom. I see it as that moment where we "fall in love all over again". I wouldn't have it any other way!

I will stick with the old borrowed, new, old, blue tradition. This is more just for fun! I have my blue, new, borrowed... just need to fund something old?

Diego and I are so lucky to have found each other! We are a perfect match. Well as perfect as I would ever want it to be. There are some things in my life that have turned out they way I always thought they would. Since I was a little girl, I always knew I would marry my high school sweet heart. In high school, I didn't plan on us getting married. What we have is so much fun I just cared about being with him, marriage didn't matter. It's no surprise to me that this is how things have ended up. 6.11.2011 is our wedding date because 11 is my lucky number ... mostly from lottery tickets, prize drawings, games, etc. but none the less lucky. I have always wanted a June wedding. 6.11.2011 was just perfect. Just like Diego and I. I don't believe that because our wedding is at 7, or because we will see each other before our wedding, or if I wear pearls our marriage is doomed for destruction. Life is what you make it... And mine has turned out exactly how I wanted.

Those silly old wives and their silly tales... what do they know???

My Barn Obsession

I so wish that Diego and I were getting married in a barn. In all fairness, I called every barn in the Austin area but they were all booked on 6.11.2011. The date we picked has a special meaning to me so I gave up the barn in order to get married on our day. I am still obsessed with the image of a barn, they are just so beautiful to me, and I think they are the perfect place for a rustic chic wedding when done right!

With You, Everyday is a Picnic!

So I have been thinking about our rehearsal dinner for months. Now that we are only about 50 days away from our rehearsal, I now have to make some decisions.

Here is what I know:
1. My Uncle is an AMAZING cook! His BBQ is delicious & I wouldn't have any other BBQ for my rehearsal!
2. Our rehearsal will take place at Old Settler's Park next to the Dell Diamond ... it is FREE and it is only blocks down the road from our venue
3. It WILL be a picnic theme! I want our rehearsal to be fun, relaxed, and comfortable! Just like Diego & I!
4. I want gingham, bbq, and a drunk watermelon!!!

Here are some ideas:

Our Engagement Pictures

I was so excited about our engagement pictures and I had to share them! We took the day to shoot at Old Settlers Park in Round Rock. It was the perfect place for our engagement session! A very special thanks to the entire team at Ron Parks Photography for their hard work. Our pictures look great!

A special Thanks

Today I mailed out our wedding invitations. **Sigh of relief** Diego and I have been engaged for 10 and half months now and our wedding is in a month and a half. I spent the first 6 months of our wedding planning process looking at paper ... you know you have the best bridesmaids when they spend hours at hobby lobby, Michaels, and Joann’s with you just looking at paper! So once I finally decided what the invites were going to look like i bought everything I need to make 200! Soo many, especially to be making them myself. When we sent out our save the dates I made 120 photo magnets myself. I almost pulled my hair out it was so stressful! It took me over 12 hours to make the magnets by myself. After that experience, I decided that when it came time to make the invites, I would have to have a "girls night" where some of my closest bridesmaids could come over and help me make them. I invited about 8 girls, and only 2 could make it. Bless their hearts, Shannon and Laura came over at 6pm and stayed until after 1:30am helping me put together all of our invitations.

And of course since Miranda and Courtney couldn't be there, they helped me finished stamping our enclosure cards this week.

Thank You Ladies! I couldn't have done all this without you! I LaLa Love You!!!

My obsession with Bridal Sessions

I have had a lot of fellow brides ask me if I was going to do a bridal portrait session. My reply is always OFCOURSE! But to my surprise several brides have told me they don't want to have a bridal session. For me, my bridal session might be the most exciting part of this whole wedding process! Since I was a little girl I have always wanted to be a Bride, and I feel like a photo session just for me all dresses up as the Bride I have always dreamed I would be. This session is my time to shine and it's all about me (which is not something I am familiar saying). For those you brides still ify about a bridal session, do it! You won't regret it!

Texas Wedding

This wedding is absolutely gorgeous! A thank you to Style Me Pretty.

Decor and Event Styling: Fit to Be Tied Events  Favors: Fit To Be Tied Events /Floral: Fit To Be Tied Events Bridal Fashion: Gunslinger Dry Goods Groom Suit: Pinto Ranch Photography: Anne Marie Photography Venue: The Serengeti Resort