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We thought we'd pay homage to Irene this week by featuring pretty pictures involving water from some of our favorite wedding blogs!
[Photo 1 via Love & Lavender, 2 via Green Wedding Shoes, 3 via Ruffled, 4 via Once Wed]
Happy mid-week, readers!
Here's our Hitched bride blogger, Ileana, to tell us about the next step in her planning process-- choosing the bridesmaids!
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Ileana: Who to ask was a no brainer for me. Though I never was one who dreamt about my perfect wedding or planned it out before I was engaged, I knew exactly who I wanted to be in my bridal party as soon as Bobby popped the question. I'm still working on so many details of the wedding but figuring out who I wanted in my bridal party was one thing I was lucky to not have to stress about! My bridal party consists of the some of the most awesome and amazing people I know and I'm sure they will provide countless hours of laughter, smiles, and fun-- from the wedding related parties to the stressful moments to the big day itself.
My sister Yvonne takes the title of maid of honor, obviously. She is one of the most honest people I know-- which I'm sure has its pros and cons when it comes to wedding planning, but I wouldn't have it any other way! Her opinion matters so much to me and I just love her to death.
My other maid of honor [yes, I know, slightly unconventional but I could never choose between the two!] is my best friend of nearly half my life, Krystin. She is like a sister to me and is just fabulous in every way. We were sort of fated to be friends-- my mom and Krystin's aunt were best friends growing up, and none of us realized it until years later!
Kara, Casey, and Ileana @ Casey's wedding in Nicaragua
Two of my other bridesmaids are my cousins, Kara and Casey. We have been inseparable since birth and I couldn't imagine my wedding without them next to me.
Rounding out the group is Angela, Bobby's unbelievably cool sister. I am so excited to have her as my sister-in-law!
So then came the question of how to ask these lovely ladies to be a part of our wedding. It actually didn't end up being hard to figure out, either! Bobby and I were shopping around the hotel's convenience store the day after we got engaged when the idea came to us. I looked up from some Hawaiian knick-knacks to discover a rack of all sorts of Hawaiian themed calendars. Instead of a calendar featuring the beautiful scenes of the landscape, we chose one that was a bit more humorous and quirky, and suited our personalities and the laid back feel of the wedding perfectly! I got six of them-- one for each of my bridesmaids and one for myself as a keepsake.
Next, we came across a funny post card with six Hawaiian ladies on it and photoshopped "Bride Ileana" and the names of my bridesmaids-to-be on it. I wrote them each a personalized note on the back, asking them to be in our wedding and joked to them that they should use this calendar as a countdown to the big day [I didn't know the date yet, otherwise I would have circled it for them!]. We mailed them out to everyone as soon as we got back from Hawaii.
I feel so fortunate that each of them said yes and are more than happy to make the effort to be there for our wedding [more about the location to come!]. They are already going the extra mile to help me make our wedding perfect and I am so grateful for that. I cannot wait to have them all standing by my side when I say "I do" to the most incredible person I know. It just makes it all that much better!
[All photos courtesy of the bride]
Happy Monday, dear readers! We hope everyone stayed safe and dry during our run in with Irene this past weekend. Here's a wedding that's full of clear skies and smiles... hopefully it will brighten up your day! Spotted over at Style Me Pretty, Hitched bride Jessica's wedding was chock full of stunning details and featured the work of tons of our favorite DC vendors [including these incredibly photographs by Love Life Images and stellar event design by our dear friends at Simply Chic Events].
Don't these two just look so incredibly in love?! It doesn't hurt that they look like they stepped out of the pages of a bridal magazine-- how gorgeous is Jessica in her Modern Trousseau gown? A huge congratulations to the happy couple from all of us here at Hitched.
[For more photos and details, check out the full post over at Style Me Pretty]
Yesterday's post was a hint for today's giveaway-- a fabulous letterpressed stationery assortment from Smock! Smock is known for their eco-friendly yet incredibly chic invitations and stationery, and they're truly a favorite among Hitched gals.
Today's winner will receive a gorgeous large patterned box with this stunning pink and gray motif...
Inside the box, you'll find all sorts of paper treasures including 4 boxes of 6 flat social notes with lined envelopes...
4 boxes of 6 folded thank you notes with lined envelopes...
4 boxes of 6 fill-in party invites with lined envelopes...
...and a 2-pack of Pavillion jotter notepads!
This is an incredible prize, with Smock goodies valued at over $130! To enter, simpy leave a comment below mentioning someone who might receive one of these stunning pieces of snail mail from you. We'll pick a winner at random, and the package will be sent to the lucky reader!
We're signing off with Friday Freebies for now, considering that the biggest freebie of all [the Georgetown Wedding Giveaway!] is fast approaching. Thanks so much to all of the amazingly generous vendors who participated this summer, as well as our loyal readers for tuning in each week!
In early August, Hitched Invitations Manager [and self-proclaimed paper lover] Annie, was lucky enough to tour the offices of one of our most beloved stationery vendors, Smock. Below is an in depth recap of what was undoubtedly one of the most exciting days of her life.
Annie: At the beginning of this month, I took a little road trip to Syracuse, NY. I figured since I was in the neighborhood, I'd drop in on my favorite paperie, Smock, and take a look around. For those of you who aren't familiar with Smock, they are a creative, eco-friendly letterpress company. At Hitched, we carry their Wedding Invitation albums, and the company's wide range of design options and flexibility makes them a huge hit with our brides!
Erica was kind enough to give me a tour, and I literally felt like a kid in a candy store. It was awesome! As someone who has such an afinity for their products, it was so amazing to see where and how they produce everything.
Right in the lobby, Smock has a mock-shop set up with display ideas for their invitation samples and everyday items. I love the invitation tree idea!
Inside, there were sheets of decorative paper and stacks upon stacks of beautiful boxes. Heaven!
My favorite part of the tour? The rows of old letterpresses and shelves of ink colors.
I left the building begging my husband to move us to New York so I could spend time at Smock everyday. If you love creative stationery and are looking for a luxurious, eco-friendly company to produce the perfect invitations for your big day, then give us a call [202.333.6162], and we'll book an appointment for you to view the Smock albums. Whether you find something that you love as-is, or work with us to design your own creations, we know you'll be head-over-heels in love.
Thanks so much to Annie and the folks at Smock for giving us the inside scoop on this fabulous paperie!
[Photos by Annie Thompson, except for last photo from Smock]
We spotted another beautiful Hitched wedding on the web and just had to share it with you! Shot by the oh-so-talented Abby Jiu, this Halcyon House wedding is just too pretty for words! Bride Courtney absolutely sparkled in her Judd Waddell gown, and all of the details fit together with the setting perfectly. Hope you enjoy!
A huge congratulations to the newlyweds, Courtney and Morgan! For more eye candy from this stunning affair, be sure to check out the full post on Abby Jiu's blog!
