The Art of Love

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This is my newest collection of illustrations, drawings and art that brides and grooms have created to showcase their personality through the arts. It brings such a whimsical, fun element to the wedding and makes the wedding so personal.

The drawing can be an abstraction of personalities (see cupcake and beaker), tasteful profiles, or a literal portrait. Some of theses were created DIY by a talented bride or groom, some were created by a friend and others were commissioned through an artist. Regardless of who creates the art, it brings something special to the wedding!

Images collected from 100 Layer Cake Blog, Davina + Daniel, Harmony Nixon, and Melissa Bumstead.

In Lieu of Favors

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What a beautiful tribute to a loved one. This is the best way I've seen thus far to remember a family member who has passed away during a wedding. It's tasteful, meaningful and the best yet- it does something to help others by donating to a related charity.

You know this party is off to a great start

Minnesota residents Kevin Heinz and Jill Peterson decided to dance down the isle to "Forever" by Chris Brown. What a fun way to start a wedding- I've never seen anything like it!

Laura's Fabulous Map Totes

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Ok, allow me to gush for just a minute. Laura Hooper (calligraphy extraordinaire) now offers totes with your customized map design! I've always been a huge fan of her stunning calligraphy and her maps but on totes! Her totes almost beyond delightful to the point of squeamishness- like when you've had eight pieces of chocolate and you're completely blissful to the point of bursting. Almost like that...that's how much I like them!

New Year's Resolution #2

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For my second resolution, I hereby do commit to buy handmade. We keep hearing how the economy is hurting mega-companies but we haven't heard how the economy is hurting the small companies who keep the world beautiful. For your wedding decorations, your attendant gifts and perhaps even your gown, consider buying handmade. Handmade is more often than not better made, more detailed, and comes with better customer service. I'll be buying handmade in 2009!

The Bird Cake Toppers, Flower Hair Adornment, and Clay Flower Hairpin are all handmade.

K Chocolatier

K Chocolatier by Diane Khor (former chocolatier to First Lady Jackie Kennedy, and who's chocolate were claimed "The Rolls Royce of Chocolate" by Jill Cordes, The Food Network) has fabulous chocolate favor boxes which can double as table cards. In each flower favor box (which come in cream, moss, pink and red) Diane has four of her amazing chocolates.

I had to know for myself (and I can never pass up a chocolate tasting) so I visited friendly Diane at her store in Beverly Hills. It's a tiny shop, but don't be fooled. When I tasted a dark chocolate "Kranberry" I really nearly melted to the floor. Amazing! The best chocolate experience in my entire life! These favors will elicit "ohhs" and "ahhs" across the room when they are sampled by your guests, as these are grown-up chocolates at their very best.

Vendors in the Parade may or may not sponsors of Melissa's Smitten Blog, but are strictly selected for the Vendor Parade for their sterling reputation and outstanding work.

Fabulous Fabric Boutonnieres

Christina asked where the fabulous boutonnieres of Thom and Jesse's wedding could be found. With the collaborative detective work of Our Labor of Love and Brooklyn Bride ...(drum roll please)...they can be purchased through Gochemoche.

Sesame Letterpress created the wedding invitations (cleverly disguised as margarita salt tins) and the dinner rehearsal invitations were created by Letteria.

Thanks for the question Christina! I love hearing from readers, so do feel free to send in your questions and comments! Photos courtesy of Our Labor of Love.

Fall Wedding Ideas Video

Courtesy The Knot TV

Flower Girl Tips

My sister's 6 year-old flower girl practiced daily for her grand entrance. She had picked all the flowers from her yard to practice with, so my Mom made a "practice" basket filled with silk petals for her to work with. At the wedding rehearsal she brought her practice basket. She told the wedding coordinator not to worry, she had developed a "technique." And that she did. On the day of the wedding, she flawlessly threw each petal over her shoulder. She was delightful!

For your flower girl, consider giving her a practice basket in advance. It'll help her practice so she won't feel shy the big day. And thanks to my mom for this great tip!

Photo courtesy of Element Studios.

Welcome Reception

Welcome Receptions are fabulous for two reasons. One, they revive tired out guests before the ceremony and set the mood. Two, it gives a reason for guests to come 15-30 minutes early and thus helping stem the tide of late guests. Both are valuable reasons!

The Welcome Reception should be a light fare. It can be as simple as lemonades- something light and refreshing after a long drive. Think low-mess foods, non-alcoholic drinks. It shouldn't be grander than the wedding reception. A great place to mention that you're having a Welcome Reception is on your map or accommodations card.

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Wedding Day Survival Kits

Ladies, you should have a wedding day survival kit! It's a must! A friend accidental stepped on the train of my dress ripping the lace hem just before the ceremony (true story from my wedding). My Mom, isn't she just amazing, had packed a small bride's emergency kit that contained a sewing kit. Mom stitched and safety-pinned my dress back together, and the wedding went on.

In your Bride's survival kit include:
Mints, toothbrush, deodorant, hairspray, band-aids, clear nail polish, static remover, bobby pins, safety pins, stain remover, sewing kit with mini scissors, pain reliever, cough drops, shoe mole-skin, sunscreen, insect repellent, drinking straws, nail clippers, nail file, super glue, comb, dental floss, lotion, chapstick, and an apple martini (just kidding).

You can put together yourself, or you can purchase one online at Target. You can even order a Groom's survival kit.

Photo courtesy of MrsDesignHer Blog. Special thanks to my mom for reminding me of this story!

Simple Ambiance

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Candles are a great way to create simply enchanting ambiance to your wedding, and DIY candles can be fabulous personalized favors. There are several DIY candle kits available through Michael's Craft Store, such as the orchid gel candles.

A simple arrangement of oil lamps in vases like those available through West Elm are stunning. Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart. Whimsically strung hanging flowers and candles add delicate grace to your wedding. Either attaching or showcasing Dahlias in a vase creates a festive parade of blooms. Use wire to string along these votive candles fromCox & Cox. Try your hand making DIY candles like those by Craft Gossip Blog.

Custom Cars

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I've seen some fabulous cars at weddings (we had a mint-condition yellow '57 Chevy). But even more than fun cars, I've been seeing some great shots of the couple in/near/on the cars! They add a lot of personality to the pictures. If you're having a custom car at your wedding, be sure to remind your photographer that you'd like pictures with the car as a central feature.

From the top left: White car couple , my husband and me, pink Chevy, rear view window, wave goodbye, reclining by car, beauty shot in car.

Other than throwing rice

Even though throwing rice won't cause birds to explode, it is still a bother. Many churches and venues won't allow rice or birdseed, and they get stuck in everything! Bubbles are fun as well, but they run the risk of staining your wedding dress. New, great alternatives that make for better pictures and more fun are streamers and wands.

Wedding Streamers are easy to cleanup because they are attached to a little hand-sized cup. When you throw them you don't have a million little pieces of paper to pick up, because it's all still attached to the cup in your hand. You only need a large trashcan somewhere nearby for quick cleanup. Streamers are available through Favors You Keep, AeroTechnic, and Exclusively Weddings.

Another trend are Wedding Wands. Wedding wands can be easily made DIY with your matching ribbon. Another idea is to have customized or multi-colors on your wands like those available through Favor Ideas or Mary Dann. Wedding wands are also fun because they can be used during the reception instead of clinking on glass to get the couple to kiss and on the dance floor.

From the top: Streamers by Favors You Keep, photo by Innovative Photography. Showcasing of streamers by DC Nearly Weds Blog. Wedding wands in green as shown on Style me Pretty, photo courtesy of Amy Squires.

Reception Games

Reception games have been growing on me. I've seen several at the last few weddings I've attended and they're a great way to learn more about the bride and groom and if they're not too hokey, they're really fun. My dear friend Lindsey (of BEEutiful Stationery stardom; pictures to come soon) was wed to her sweat heart David this last weekend. The DJ had them play a quick newlyweds game.

David took off both his shoes, one for him to hold, one for Lindsey. They also both held a glass of champagne. They sat back to back and to answer questions they held up a glass for Lindsey, a shoe for David. They knew each other pretty well. Without seeing each other they answered every question the same!

Questions included: Who is really in charge of the money? Who spends more money? Who's the better cook? Who's the better dancer? Who's more organized? Who's more romantic?

Especially if some of your guests may not know both you and your fiance, this game is great for breaking the ice and letting your guests get to know you better!

DIY Banner

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Martha Stewart is always one to inspire creativity! These banners can be downloaded here and used for bridal showers, engagement parties, the cake table, or wedding itself. It's simple but old-school festive- I love it!

Inspiration Board 22: Dessert Buffets, Part Two

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Dessert is so good it not only needs two "s"'s but also two posts! Creating a dessert buffet is very simple, providing you have the right elements. First of all, a dessert buffet is a great spot to really emphasize your colors or theme. You can really play it up here because it's dessert and it's not meant to be taken too seriously.

Key points to a great dessert buffet:

1. Fun. You really only need to serve one type of dessert at your buffet providing it's a really fun dessert. But you may find that several varieties of common desserts charges up the fun factor. Try things like: miniature cakes, old fashioned lollipops, assorted hard and soft small candies, chocolate covered pretzels, miniature donuts, and licorice sticks.

2. Color. Think of how the desserts will look all together. Should all your desserts be one color or to a theme? Should they contrast your linens? What kind of decorations will you use on the table, and what colors will they be?

3. Composition. Think of how you'll display your desserts. You'll want some showcased high, in hurricane vases or on antique cake stands. Contrast that with medium height displays and desserts on the table itself. It's simple, but taking these thoughts into consideration will leave you with a dessert buffet worthy of being in a wedding magazine!

Carnival Style Buffet photo courtesy of Martha Stewart. Black and greens candy table photo courtesy of Jon Koch. Miniature cakes photo courtesy of InStyle Weddings.

Gifts from Emily's Etsy

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Victoria, a reader of Melissa's Smitten, has alerted me of her friend's fabulous Etsy store, Joyful Abode. She has handmade vintage aprons , perfect for people looking for a unique wedding gift. A homemade vintage apron along with something the bride has registered for (like cookware) makes a great gift.

Emily's recipe cards would be so cute attached to homemade cookies, to give as favors to guests. I also love the idea of sending a recipe card with the save-the-dates or invitations, and asking everyone to send back their favorite recipe with their reply--then the bride can put together a collection of the cards for her first cookbook!

Emily also has fun cotton market bags for brides' having a destination wedding. Instead of putting welcome baskets in their hotel rooms, the bride can put bottles of water, maps, candy, etc in these "green" cotton market bags--and they're something the guests will keep and use long after the wedding!

Thanks so much Victoria for sharing! I'm smitten with Emily's store!

Seven bridesmaids gifts under $70

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Are you looking for attendant gifts? Here are seven gifts under $70. An attendant gift should really show your gratitude to your bridesmaids, but it doesn't have to break the bank. These gifts are thoughtful, fun and feminine!

From top left:
Lollia Foaming Bath With natural extracts that soften as you soak and a charmingly oversized glass bottle that looks so sweet on the bathroom shelf, these lush bubbles are a special treat for any girly girl from Anthropologie. Sterling silver personalized charms with a real handmade touch by Liberty Worth. Nine West clutch Precisely Gathered Clutch available at Piperlime.

Flower Pajama Set with scoop neck available at Bare Necessities. Zoe Full Apron available at Vintage June. 100% silk wrap through Banana Republic. Malibu Lemon Blossom perfume with fragrant notes of litsea cubeba, flowering angel's trumpet, fresh herbs and sea breezes, by Pacifica.

Bellydance for Sensual Fitness

Are you looking to slim down and tone up before your wedding? Try bellydancing! I myself am taking a bellydancing class (that's my bellydance instructor Nar to the left- keep in mind that these photos were taken after an hour of dancing so we don't look our best!)

It's a whole body workout, but you with all the stomach emphasis you'll be ready for your honeymoon bikini besides your wedding dress. Plus it's relaxing and sensual and even a beginner (such as myself) can easily pick it up. Best of all you get to wear great wraps and use scarves. Nothing could be more feminine!

My dance instructor is the extremely talented Nar. She's great at breaking down complicated steps for novices like myself. Even better, she bellydances for weddings and events and is one of the better bellydancers I've seen (and I've seen quite a few). If you'll be in need of a bellydancer in the So Cal area, be sure to call Nar for bellydancing.

Bellydancing is customary in Middle Eastern weddings and can be a great source of entertainment for your guests during your cocktail hour or reception. And bellydancers are great to get the party started as they often bring guests up to dance with them.

As for your bellydance training, if you don't have time for an actual class, I'd recommend Neena and Veena's Discover Bellydance on DVD. They make it very simple to understand the movements and then you can workout on your schedule.

Vendors in the Parade may or may not sponsors of Melissa's Smitten Blog, but are strictly selected for the Vendor Parade for their sterling reputation and outstanding work.