Aurora Jewelry on Etsy

When it comes to picking out small details for you wedding day, like jewelry for example, it can be a daunting task. There are thousands of places to buy jewelry and hundreds of options to consider. It can be tough to even know where to start. I believe that once again, your place to begin is Etsy. What could be better than wearing beautifully crafted, hand made, original works of art? Trust me, going with something unique and special is the way to go. Small boutiques often offer jewelry made by local artists, but, unfortunately, they come at a high price. Start looking at Etsy and you will find all kinds of beautiful pieces in a range of prices. The point is, you don't have to spend a lot to get hand made pretties (yes, I used the word "pretties").


One shop that I love is Aurora Jewerly Boutique. What I like so much about this particular vendor is the quality and love the artist, Rachel, puts into each and every piece. She uses high-quality materials (freshwater pearls, Swarovski pearls & crystals) and makes each pieces to order. She will even work with you to design whatever your little heart desires. Tell her what you're looking for, and she'll handcraft something from scratch. And the best part? Her prices rock my socks. Here are some of my favorite pieces that she sells:

"Evelyn" necklace, $60. Click here for more info!

"Fleur" earrings, $26. Click here for more info!

Starlight Hair Comb, $45. Click here for more info!

"Eternity" Bracelet, $56. Click here for more info!

"Rio" earrings, $56. Click here for more info!

Aren't you in love? I sure am. In fact, I'm smitten. I'm thinking about leaving my fiancé for those earrings.

Oh ya, and check her out on Facebook!

Fall Brides: Color Palettes

I recently talked with a fellow bride-to-be who is struggling with choosing a color scheme (aren't we all) for her October wedding. Check her out here! Since I'm a semi-fall bride as well, I had already done all kinds of research on fall colors. Instead of posting tons of inspiration boards highlighting the different color schemes that I've found, I'm just going to post bouquets. Why? Because often times, bouquets reflect the colors of the entire wedding. I think looking at the flowers is a quick way to see what a certain combo of colors would look like together.

Here's some of my favorites. While some are what we would typically think of as fall colors, others are kind of outside-of-the-box (personally, I love the one on the bottom right). But, no matter what colors they are, they all have that distinctive "fall feeling" that makes me want to play in the leaves and drink lattes.

Photos courtesy of Style Me Pretty

By Jeeves, I've got it!

For my own wedding day, I'm still not entirely sure what color scheme I'm going to choose. It's so easy to pick out tons of beautiful wedding themes for other people, but when it comes to my own wedding, it's much much tougher. However, I think I've finally come up with something that just may work! Here's what I had to consider when going through my thought process:

1. My fiancée's favorite color is green.
2. My favorite color is purple.
3. I don't want the purple and green to look like Barney.
4. Our reception venue is black and silver.
5. Our wedding will be in late September, meaning that I wouldn't want too summery of colors.
6. Everything must be drool-worthy.

And voîla! My inspiration board is born. I am obsessed with little black bridesmaid dresses, so that is a must. While purple and green may be a bit, "My eyeballs are burning out of their sockets" when done too brightly and elaborately, I think I can pull it off with HINTS of the colors in muted tones. I can't overdo it. So right now I'm thinking: black, silver, dark purple & green. Ya? Ya? What do you think?

Photos courtesy of Style Me Pretty & The Knot

Let's get fruity!

There's no getting around it, flowers are expensive. And I mean, really expensive. The problem is that most brides think that they can't get away without having flowers everywhere: at the ceremony, the centerpieces, even the bouquets. But, they can get away with it! How, you ask? With fruit, of course! It may sound weird, but fruit makes for beautiful arrangements. They work for centerpieces, name cards, place settings, virtually anywhere that you would normally have flowers. As you can see, I've shown examples for oranges, limes, lemons, pears, apples, and peaches. But, the possibilities are endless. Pineapples would work great for a tropical wedding. Grapes would work for a vineyard wedding. You've just got to not be afraid of trying something new and fresh.

The great thing about using fruit for decoration is that it's cheap. Much, much cheaper than using fresh flowers. They won't wilt, they won't need watered, and heck, your guests can eat them! How many people can say they doubled their centerpieces as decoration AND a snack? Not too many. In all seriousness though, try it. You'll save money and you'll have great looking decorations without much fuss.

Photos courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Yee Haw!

This country-themed wedding is rustic, without screaming "I'm a cowboy!" in every detail. More obvious cowboy items (boots & hats) are paired with country-chic pieces to make a very subtle and classy spin on the barn wedding. This just shows you can have a cowboy wedding without making your guests sit on itchy hay bales in their fancy clothes and they will still feel like they are at an elegant affair. It's a win-win!

I especially love the use of mason jars, and the wild-flower-almost-weed bouquets. Who would think you could cut flowers right out of a field and they could look so darn beautiful? Oh, and the smores. How could I forget about the smores?

Photos courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Etsy finds

What's Etsy? If you don't know what Etsy is, or have never been on their website, you are in for a real treat. The website is dedicated to selling vintage and handmade items from all over the globe. For a small fee, the average Joe, and known artists alike, can put their creations up for sale. The variety on Etsy is unbelievable, as is the talent that these people have. 

If you haven't checked it out yet, let it be known that Etsy should be on the top of your list of websites to visit for wedding inspiration, as well as to purchase one-of-a-kind items. You'll find such great treasures on there, you'll know that noone will have the same thing as you, and you'll be supporting artists from across the world.

Click here for homemade treasures:
ETSY!

Here's just a few of the awesome things I've found, with links to find them yourself. Now go, search, and find a handmade item that's just screaming you name!

Hair Fascinator JMG Jewel Design Click here for more info!

Earrings by Margo's Originals Click here for more info!

Bridal "I Do" Show Stickers byYour Happily Every After Click here for more info!

Bridal gown by Bridal Bliss Designs Click here for more info!

Garter Set by Rosebud Lips Click here for more info!

Invitations by Ivandy27 Click here for more info!

Silk-blend bouquet by Bragging Bags Click here for more info!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Roaring 20's

The 1920's were full of all kinds of wonderful trends: jazz, the Fox Trot, Mickey Mouse, and most importantly, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Aside from these things, one of the most prominent trends that we can take from the 20's is their fashion. Think flappers: fringe, lace, pearls, feathers, and all kinds of other vintage-chic items.

The 20's can be a great inspiration for a wedding. It adds a vintage flair, but can still be soft and romantic at the same time. Modern day flapper dresses for your bridesmaids is a MUST, as is old-school foods (like homemade pies and root beer). It's the type of theme where you've got to be ready to go all-out. Trust me, you'd have fun with this one. And, if you could get your future hubby to learn the Charleston, you're all set.

Photos courtesy of Style Me Pretty