Today I’m talking table numbers. While scouring the internet for table number ideas, I quickly realize that they  don’t have to be strictly functional…they can be cute too!

For example, I am absolutely loving this burlap wine bag. You can put an actual bottle of wine in, or an empty bottle and fill it with flowers!

Source: BurlapandLinenCo

And these mini chalkboard signs are just too cute.

Source: Braggingbags

These precious shabby chic frames are serious contenders and come already painted in our wedding colors! I just love the vintage-y vibe they give.

Source: Braggingbags

Or, for a more rustic look, how cute are these birch bark hearts?

Source: Jadenrainspired

Finally, you already know that I’m a sucker for vintage books! How clever are these as table numbers?

Sources: VictoriasWhimsy, LoveAndFound

*What did you do for table numbers? Do you have a favorite from the above?

I hadn’t been to Hood River since I was a teenager, and I can say that it definitely lived up to the memories. I know our friends and family will enjoy this town as much as we did. As I mentioned last week, it’s really important to us that our guests are staying in a place that they can explore and hang out with each other. As we walked around town, we kept our eyes out for places we could be in the days before the wedding. There were so many great spots and things about the town that fit our style…breweries, fresh and local food, outdoor decks, nice people, etc.

The downtown area is full of quaint buildings with home and clothing boutiques, windsurfing stores and restaurants. In the background is the Columbia River and the State of Washington.

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Hood River is also the windsurfing capital of the world!

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 About a 30-minute drive south of the town of Hood River, past wineries, lavender farms, and pear orchards lies the spot we will be saying ‘I do’ in July of 2013 – Mt. Hood B&B.

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Here are some pictures of their awesome 47-acre property that sits on the northeast side of Mount Hood.

Mountain backdrop: check.

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Room for lawn games: check.

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Great dance floor: check!

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Spot for the music: check (although now my fiance wants a band and I’m not sure if that fits into our budget :-)

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Another reason we loved the B&B is that the owners were really sweet and helpful. Jackie (the wife/mom) happily answered my million and one questions. The couple raised their four kids on the property and now their daughter is also a day-of event coordinator. We wanted a day-of coordinator and she knew her stuff, so we hired her on the spot. That is sort of becoming a theme with our planning – if we know we like something, we make the decision quickly.

I am so relieved to have the date set and the venue booked. Now I feel like I can make all the other decisions within that framework and the vision can sort of fall into place. My mind is racing with all the other fun details…the colors, the dress, the flowers! Did anyone else feel like this? Or are the hard decisions yet to come?

For our Save the Dates, I used a free download from The Wedding Chicks. I loved the design and was really happy that all I had to do was drop my information and photo in and BAM, there was my beautiful Save the Date postcard.

 Source: The Wedding Chicks

With that said though, I did run into a few mine issues. First, the photo that I wanted to use had to be scaled to an exact measurement in order for the template to work correctly. I was very lucky to have a photographer that was so kind to oblige and edit the image for me in less than 24 hours. Once I had my wonderful Save the Date files I started looking into printing online, figuring this would be the fastest and most cost efficient way to get these printed. I started finding that a lot of the online printing sites only allow you to upload files to a sized template; unfortunately my print job wasn’t with those predetermined sizes. I tried to complete a customer order with the size I needed, but the proofs weren’t scaled correctly. With the clock ticking, I started to panic a bit;  at this rate I should just wait and send invitations!

I contacted a local printer in town to check on the pricing for printing and see how fast the turnaround was. Not only was I so happy to work with a real life person, not one of those customer service chat screens that you get online, but the printer actually found a slight formatting error near our names that was causing the letters to have extra spaces in some locations. (YIKES!) They offered to fix the problem for FREE if I went ahead and had them printed there and that the turnaround would be three days. I was so excited that I signed off on the proof ASAP and got my Save the Dates at the end of the week.

In my own experience, having the printing done local was a HUGE life saver. Not only was I able to see the proofs in person, rather than in a digital file that was emailed to me, I completely avoided a potential freak out regarding the spacing in our names. Yes, I am sure I would have been the only one to notice this, but hey they still would have bothered me. That is just who I am, obsessed with the details and perfection. If you can find a printing company in your area my suggestion is to print local, avoid online printing and go with the real life person that can help you if something isn’t right with your final product. With that said here are our wonderful Save the Date cards that I am happy to show off. 

I went through zazzle.com to order some custom postage for our cute postcards. Did you know there was such a thing? Me neither until a friend told me. Forget those American Flags on your wedding invites, you can upload a photo of yourself or choose from a ton of other customer options to add some flare to your invites. I went with a classic “love” stamp in our wedding colors.Source: zazzle.com

Anyone else have a panic attack when it came to the deadline of getting things in the mail? What are your experiences with printing online vs. printing local?

The dress is gorgeous on its own, but one of the things I loved about it as that it is simple enough to accessorize and really make it my own.

First, I need some lovely jewelry. I’m thinking simple earrings, a bare neck and stacked bracelets.

Source: Coral, Multicolored, Rose

Source: Diamonds, Peals, Mixed

For the bracelets, this is certainly a fun trend to take advantage of in my bridal look. To make it a bit more special, I’m going to mix my own bracelets with borrowed bracelets from the important women in my life. I love this for my something borrowed and I think it will look really chic.

What would a bridal look be without some fab-u-lous shoes. I’m going bold here. There’s nothing like some fantastic shoes to make a girl feel really special.

Source: Wedge, Heels, Espadrilles, Platforms

Lastly, my dress needs a sash. I want organza flowers in ivory…but these peach flowers really caught my eye as well! What do you think of a little color on the sash?

Source: Peach, Lace, Pink, Ivory

Any favorites? Any good places to shop for bridal accessories? I would love to hear your thoughts!

The first time I actually headed to the store to start my registry, I have to admit I went a little crazy. You are basically picking out things that other people will buy you! I think it would be difficult for anyone to show restraint (Yes I NEED a melon baller and two different sized ice cream scoops!). But now that I know where I will be living when said gifts arrive, I think it’s time to edit this list a bit. For one, I actually hate melons and my fiancé and I don’t eat much ice cream, so why would I register for these two things?

In the registry process, one of the biggest things I learned was register for what works for you. For example, every one of my friends registers for a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. So of course, I almost registered for one (they are so pretty – for a kitchen appliance!).  But my fiancé and I try to avoid sugar and gluten, so I doubt I will be making anything that requires this. Oh yeah and that minor detail that I don’t bake!

So I will be taking a hard look at all the fun stuff that is on my list this week and doing a thorough “house cleaning” before these things are even in my house!

What about you – and tips for registering? How did you restrain yourself when “pulling the trigger” on that nifty registry gun they give you?

Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

I am all about the personal touches. Here are some ideas I think I may incorporate into my welcome bag:

Local postcards & a vintage map of Los Angeles! (I like how a personal welcome note was wrapped around the postcards!)

photo credit: Intimate Weddings & Etsy

I’d also like to have custom totes that our guests could reuse. I’m envisioning something with a map of southern California, or perhaps something sweet and simple like these:

photo credit: Intimate Weddings &  Style Unveiled

photo credit: Wedding Chicks & Etsy

This tote (above) can be custom made! Photo credit: Ruffled Blog

Here’s the tutorial on how to DIY!

Some other items I plan on adding to this bag are Advil ;-) snacks, magazine, transportation info, wedding itinerary, bottled water, and perhaps a burned CD of our favorite tunes.

What are your thoughts on welcome bags? Are you planning on giving one to your guests, or are you going to keep it simple and just leave them a sweet welcome note & itinerary? Feel free to comment and leave tips/advice!

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While looking for favor inspiration I came across these and was os inspired by the possibilities. How amazing would these be as favors for your guests? Of course it is kind of a toss-up if guests will want a mug with your initials and the wedding date on it, but as a gift, I have to say, this is pretty amazing. And for those special people in your life, this would be a gift they would love to have.

They are kind of on the pricey side, but if you don’t want to splurge on your favors, this is a fun gift for your wedding party or close family.

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Aren’t you guys loving these? So beautiful.

What I love about the site is the ability to list as many different fun attractions, pampering appointments and hotel accommodations as you wish. Guests can have a little fun checking out your to-do’s (and obviously living vicariously through you when they see what an awesome trip you have planned.) and choosing to pay for their favorite piece of the puzzle.

I love the idea behind doing something instead of getting things. As I have said before, I had a traditional registry with lots of stuff, and after all was said and done, I really didn’t need all the stuff. It was incredibly generous of our guests, but I like the idea of putting the money toward something that will allow you to build experiences and memories together. Check it out in action:

Are you doing something different for your registry? Spill the beans, would love to hear your thoughts on Honeymoon Pixie!

These cards were so great that the gal they worked with created an Etsy listing so anyone could buy them as well. Check out all the pieces they have created to make their save the dates super awesome.

If you haven’t noticed, Kyle and I love all things vintage. We’re kinda like that movie Midnight in Paris, where you think that past generations were far better than your own. So it should come as no surprise that we love vehicles of past generations. They just made them so much better back then!

It’s extra fun for me to look at photos of people who include their lovingly restored car, motorcycle, or even motorcycle with a sidecar in their wedding photos.

Photo by m three studio, sourced from ruffled

Photo by Made U Look Photography, sourced from Jinxi Boo

Photo and source from Kate Harrison Photography

Photo and source from Cameron & Kelly Studio

Photo by For You Love Me, sourced from Green Wedding Shoes

Kyle and I each have a 1970s Honda motorcycle, which are really more restoration projects than anything right now, and we’re thinking about parking them up at this spot to snap some photos on our wedding day.

Photo by One Love Photo, sourced from snippet & ink

What do you think? Is it just awesome enough to be worth the trouble? Or are we going to be taking so many photos that we’ll barely have the time?

Do you have a classic car or motorcycle that you’re including in your wedding plans? I’d love to hear so I can drool over pictures of it!