Seriously. Does it get any better? I got this in my e-mail box the other day from Martha, well Darcy Miller, her wedding go-to- girl, and HAD to share this with you. What a great idea! I mean… I could easily get carried away with this. Can you imagine? 

Personalized Bridesmaid/Bride/Everyday/Special Occasion Ribbon Shoes! Use narrow or wide ribbon (Solids, patterns, polka dots, gingham, stripes, the world is your oyster) to cover plain sandals. Craft stores like Michael’s and A.C. Moore often have ribbon sales- I got 5 spools for $1 each over the weekend! Or if you’re really looking for the perfect pattern ribbon head to specialty shops like M&J Trimmings in New York.

Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Wide or Narrow ribbon (depending on the shoe)

2. Darning Needle (For shoes with buckles)

3. Fabric Glue

4. SHARP fabric scissors

5. Your favorite plain pumps, heels, wedges or sandals that need a little kick of fun

Lela Rose’s new collection for Payless is a perfect line because they come in lots of different styles that can be customized to look similar… but different for each bridesmaid!

Gloria Platform Sling $24.99 - Lela Rose for Payless

Diana T-Strap Pump $24.99- Lela Rose for Payless

Jackie Dress Sandal $24.99- Lela Rose for Payless

Imagine the possibilities!

The wedding cake is so often a detail that is pined over by the bride and groom, but I’ll be honest here… A lot of people don’t even eat the cake.

I know! It’s so much money, there are so many choices… blah blah.

But some people ( your college roommates) are  too busy throwing elbows at the bar and gettin’ down on the dance floor to worry about red velvet vs. carrot.

BUT I know… some people eat the cake.

Personally, I just think it looks pretty…

So I wanted to give you some of my favorites as inspiration for whimsy and excitement in the dessert department.

So with that said… let there be cake.

Photos courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Photo's courtesy of Brides.com

Photo's Courtesy of The Knot

As most of you know I LOVE photo booths and everything that comes with them. I’m still waiting for pictures from a photo booth proposal… In the meantime I had a chance to check out these awesome Save the Dates! They are simply my favorite!

From My Aim is True

And here, from one of my favorites- Ariel at Off Beat Bride- is a video detailing how you can make your own PLUS you can check out the written instructions for these and other creative Save the Dates from Martha by clicking on the image below.

From MarthaStewart.com

My friend Lisa is getting married in November of this year, and marks my 8^th and final wedding of 2008.  Because many of her friends live out of town, she opted to have both her shower and bachelorette party the same weekend, therefore cutting back on travel for her friends, and the expenses that come with traveling far distances multiple times. (Which, by the way is awesome.)

In lieu of the paparazzi of peen, feather boas and bar games, Lisa opted for a party bus field trip to the Finger Lakes vineyards with 28 of her closest friends and family.

Lisa and the girls heading to the Wineries

May I reiterate…this is such a great bachelorette party alternative. It’s so much fun, and it’s a great way for the bride and her girls to have one last hurrah before married life intervenes.  I’m told that’s when you’re not allowed to hang out with the girls anymore. (Although, I’ll go out on a limb here and say that actually hasn’t happened since 1954).

Getting a party bus is really the best way to do this.  Having a driver is absolutely worth it when you’ve tasted your way through half of Cayuga Lake.  If everyone chips in you can have quite the day trip underway.

  

 

Lisa and the girls tasting award winning Red Cat Wine at Hazlit Vineyards

Lisa and some of her friends

We kicked off the day with mimosas and a variety of food was on hand for later in the day.  We made our way through Cayuga and Seneca Lakes to four of the Finger Lakes wineries.  

Thirsty Owl Winery

Tasting at Thirsty Owl Winery

Her shower was the next day, in the afternoon, which gave everyone substantial time to recuperate from the previous days “tastings”.  Paving a modern day bridal trail, Lisa opted for the display shower, and guests brought unwrapped gifts to her outdoor shower. I will reiterate again, how I love display showers. There is no watching the opening of gifts for hours upon hours as you sit, stuck to your seat, golf clapping along to every blender, ice cream maker and serving tray that pops out of a box.

 Guests could walk in and see EXACTLY which gifts Lisa received and move along to mix and mingle with other guests.  Some of Lisa’s more “risqué” gifts were left wrapped, which was wonderful, because Lisa was still able to open some gifts, and it added an extra element to the shower. IMPORTANT: Hand guests an envelope to fill out as they’re arriving at the shower, to address to themselves.  Then tape the envelope with their gift so it doesn’t get lost among the others.  You can also leave a pile of envelopes with pens at the door with instructions on fun paper as well.  

Yay for Display Showers!

Lisa’s sister filled luggage for the honeymoon with super cute gifts like Mr. & Mrs. coozies, lingerie, flip flops and champagne. Such a cute idea! 

Decorating without wrapping!

You can still decorate your gift without wrapping paper! Here Lisa’s wine glasses, a bottle of red and white wine tied together with matching bows let the bride know that the gift goes together.  Plus it’s decorate with these FABULOUS poofs- They’re Martha’s brilliant idea, and I’ll have a whole post dedicated to all the wonderful things you can do with them soon. But you can click the link and get the directions on how to make these wonderful decorations.

The thing with display showers is you really need to fill the time with other things to keep guests engaged in the shower. Lisa’s bridal party led a few games, which kept everyone involved.  One I had never played before was writing captions for 6 randomly selected photos of the bride.  Lisa then had to judge the captions and then give the winning table a point for each picture. It yielded some pretty funny captions and we managed to embarrass the bride a bit, which lets face it…is always one of the days objectives.

Other things to keep in mind when you throw a display shower is to make sure there is music somewhere flowing, add a personal touch somewhere in shower, whether it is in the menu, the cocktails or the décor.  Make it personal, keep it simple.