Beach Babes

How romantic, a beach wedding, no shoes, linen pants, the sun, the ocean, you and your sweets.  The sound of the waves, the seagulls, its just picture perfect.  And there are so many wonderful ideas when planning a beach wedding.  Be creative, think about color and texture, the skies the limit! 

Love all the white!  

There are just great shots all over the beach for photos, just let your photographer run free, and they will sure to please!  

Honeycutt/Causey Wedding

Oh the planning!   So its time to select the dress!  Mom and I went shopping, and I decided to be a budget conscious bride, and went to Carolina Bridal World in Smithfield.  I really wanted to visit the boutiques, but with my taste, I thought I will pick the only Vera Wang or most expensive designer there is, and fall in love.  So I wanted to fall in love on a budget.  And I tried them on!  Mom and I grabbed all the dresses, that had something on the skirt that we could find.  I was selective, and would put some back and talk them out.  I took 10 dresses into the dressing room, and stood there looking, I thought which one should I try on first?  I saw one that I picked first off the rack and said I will start at the beginning.  Of course every one that I tried on, my mom was like thats great, love it, oh this is wonderful.  I too thought how do I choose!  I remember my first dress, and it had all the elements I wanted, and I tried it on again....and we decided it was it!  I decided I needed something pretty, comfy, and something lightweight, with some lace and some interesting elements, and then something with some style.   I wanted something different, but didn't look before we went looking.  I went in with very little in mind, and no predetermined ideas.  It was the best thing I could have done.  That way I didn't get my hopes up and I found something lovely!   LOVE MY DRESS!  

Its the perfect dress...

Paper, lace, scissors

Paper is one medium that is always overlooked. So many ideas can be made of paper for your wedding! Don't forget small details, and little notes, labels, and even flowers. I think those little notions can be some of the most memorable things at a wedding. You want to stand out and make your guests remember how special your day was, and how much it meant to you that they shared it with you.



This isn't about paper, but its lace and I liked it!!! LOVE IT!



These little birds are such a fun theme!

This is a great idea for the budget savy bride. Paper is a great way to add something different, but still help stay under budget.

Check this out! I love this photography, and the cranes are just so neat. I know how to make them if anyone wants a hundred made for their wedding! I can make any size with any paper!! Just saying!



Oh wow, paper and lace, LOVE THIS!


The textures and colors, this is very inspiring, and its all with paper!

I think this would be a super easy and inexpensive way to make candles really glow. Wrap lace around the glass. Once the candles burn down, the lace will really allow the glow to shine through, I love this look. You can even use this for a party or in your home.

I just liked this photo.

Burlap and paper, this is too cool! It looks like real flowers, you have to look twice.

Vendor Selection for Honeycutt/Causey wedding...

So, once we had selected out venue, it was time to select our vendors for the wedding. How do you select from hundreds of photographers, florist, and bakeries? One of my suggestions is to talk to people who have gotten married, and who have interviewed vendors. So thats what I started doing. I have alot of friends who recently got married or are going through this with me, and gave me tons of names. Some I met and didn't click with, even though my friends may have worked well with them. I would interview them, and ask questions, and get a feel for their style. And sometimes the vendors that didn't work well with them, actually worked well for me.

My most interesting vendor meeting was my photographer. She is a good friend of one of our groomsmen. At the time we were at a funeral and weren't thinking about the wedding at all, when our friend said you need to meet Ashley, she is an amazing photographer. I really didn't want to think about it at that point, we were there for our friend since his relative had passed, but he went on to promote her. She and I talked and said ok well lets set up a meeting. I went to her website and was blown away. I loved it! I mean you never know when you are going to meet someone, whether it be for a wedding vendor or a job...

Our next meeting was with a cake baker, suggestions from SEVERAL girls. I met with her, and was sooo disappointed in the cakes, and the taste, and her style. It wasn't me or us. I hated that since I had been to many weddings with her cakes! I then met with a vendor that my bridesmaid had used for her wedding. I fell in love with the cakes, and a particular cake in their shop. I was sold!!! Something just clicked when I met Alli with Sweet Memories Bakery in Apex, and I just knew that was who I wanted to work with.

Then it was time for flowers....flowers are EXPENSIVE!! I asked around, I researched, I looked online, I emailed, and got snobby responses, and got frustrated. I finally found a vendor that many of my friends said they would have used but she was expensive. However, we have little to no flowers, being that the wedding is in a barn, so I said why not? I met Rachael with Tre Bella in Durham and she and I were totally on the same page. She thought of things I was thinking. We clicked and I loved her style, and I said this is it. The price seemed good, and I truly felt she listened to me.

DJ.....I just decided that since I had been to a wedding where I loved the music I would find out who the DJ was? It was another Bridesmaid, Jenny, she told me Joe Bunn DJ. I was sold from the beginning since I had been to a wedding directed by the group. They were sooo much fun, and casual and really were professional.

We will have the reception on a lake outside, and a DJ really didn't seem to be the right way to go. So live music, a string trio would be perfect. I couldn't find anyone who knew any ceremony music players, so this was me researching and reading reviews, and calling. I found Ruby Prescott with Blue Sands Music of Durham, and was very impressed with the reviews, and my interview with her. We booked her, and we shall see!!!

Since the Angus Barn provides linens, all rentals and centerpieces, my vendor list is short. I think the idea of a one stop shop is a great idea, where you can get a little more for a great price.
So when you are looking, look for a place that offers a little more, like chairs and tables, or linens. It will help your checkbook, and your sanity. More to come...

Candace Ashley Designs: Let them eat cake...

Candace Ashley Designs: Let them eat cake...
www.marthastewart.com

Let them eat cake...

Let them eat cake, which was a quote from the movie Marie Antoinette, and what a wonderful suggestion! The wedding cake!! It becomes one of the most unique and tasty things about your wedding, other than the food. Wedding cake used to be vanilla pound cake, covered in white icing with flowers and silver. Now, it comes in any color and flavor you can dream of. You just can't let your wedding cake be boring anymore, get creative! Here are some amazing photos of cakes!


Ok this one looks like it needs to be cut now! I mean don't you just want to stick your finger in the icing!!

Love this cake, I truly thought about using small daisys all over my wedding cake. I utterly love this look. I would show you mine, but then it wouldn't be a surprise!












And why not use cupcakes as your wedding cake. Its the growing trend, and seems to be in all the wedding magazines now.

I am not going to lie, she is very good with cakes! Check out Martha Stewart Weddings online.



And in honor of the new movie Alice in Wonderland that is coming out, here are some themed wedding cakes!!




Creativity can be shown anywhere at your wedding, and the cake is one of those. Don't let anyone tell you, you HAVE to have a white cake, or a certain type. Its your day, your cake, so let your imagination run...and let them eat cake...

Up do or down do, that is the question!?

I am loving these styles! I may have to show my bridesmaids!










I may have to show this one to my sister, she is my maid of honor, and I LOVE LOVE this hairstyle, minus the starfish, but a flower will do nicely! LOVE IT!






Birdcage veils are becoming very popular. They are classy, and retro, and a different way to wear a traditional veil. There are great places to get these, all bridal shops, and Etsy sites are great for these as well!!!








Should you wear your hair up, or down, what should you wear in your hair on your wedding day, should you have a veil, a flower, should it be long, short, so many questions!
Take a step back and figure out what you like. Do you always wear your hair down, do you like hair clips. Is your reception indoors, outdoors, is it in the fall, spring, winter. These are all questions you should ask yourself, and it will help you figure out what style of hair you should have. Check out some of these great styles! And I love the hair accessories. Flowers, feathers and netting is so in now, you may not need a veil. Or you could have a veil and add a flower for the reception. The options are endless, be beautiful, be bold, it will look great in the photos, and you will feel beautiful!