Happy Monday!

To kick off your week, we’re starting a reader response driven blog convo about wedding trends. The heart behind this is to encourage discussion with brides, vendors, fans and friends, about anything from design to fashion to etiquette, bring it on! I know you’re dying to ask… :)

We’re starting off this fun topic with….table numbers. We’re often asked about those boring pieces of plastic that you see at Carl’s Jr (or at table number two with your new in-laws). Or, they can be wire numbers hand bent to match the same font that’s on your invitation/programs/design suite…as evidenced below:

At ITN, we believe that every item on your tables (and in your wedding!) should be purposeful and aesthetically pleasing. Brides, you’ve put all this effort into the linens and china, why ruin it all with a piece of plastic on a metal stand? Let’s just make those numbers part of your table!

These stained wood blocks with a sophisticated vinyl application were conceptualized and handmade by our very own Rachel! What I love most about these table numbers (besides the adorable key that is just the cherry on top), is the contrast on the table. Your guests aren’t straining to see their table numbers – it’s not hidden amongst a centerpiece or blending into the linen – it’s functional and fabulous!

Photogs, how often do you remove that cut out piece of paper stuck onto cardboard in order to get that table shot? At Courtney and Geno’s wedding, that didn’t have to happen – because the table number was seamlessly worked into the set up. Less clutter – more efficiency.

And who says a table number has to be of actual numerical value? At Irene’s wedding, we used cities as table numbers, which were places that the bride and groom had visited together. Adorable and personal.

I hope that this added a smile onto your face this Monday – and that it gets you thinking about how to make things fun and functional =)

So don’t forget to email me some current wedding trends that you’re interested in discussing (or you can write on our facebook wall!). Then on Monday, we’ll respond. This is meant to be a conversation instead of a soap box, so friends, let’s trend talk!

Hellloooo there! It’s me. Rachel. Newest member of the In The Now design team. Nice to meet you! I hope you have a dish nearby, because you’re gonna need it to catch your drool after you look at these fantastical images.

Hmmm…maybe that isn’t the best mental picture. Well, I’m new at this blogging thing so you can excuse it, right?…..(Please come back, because if you don’t Amanda might revoke my blogging privileges and then the world wouldn’t be the better place it is now because I talked about drool bowls). Anyhoo, I L.O.V.E. this table. I really do. Every time I look at it, it makes me smile. Maybe it’s because it’s the first design I really worked on (all the way down to the knitting of the silverware cozies)….

Maybe it’s this tasty pop of teal….

Maybe it’s the slammin’ brick placemats….

or maybe the square marshmallows (which we ALMOST ordered from Oregon. Because we are THAT committed to our design….or maybe just because we’re crazy…)

Any which way you slice it, this design was a zany caper from start to finish. Once we were given the rules for the Utterly Engaged Design Challenge (the centerpiece had to be mainly constructed of industrial materials) Amanda told me her idea of having a plexiglass fireplace. I thought, “It’s okay. Once her crazy pills wear off we’ll talk real design.” I just couldn’t envision the flames she was talking about. But once I saw the graphic from Cathy Olson at Love At First Invite, I knew we were on the right track. I don’t know how we got paired up with such perfect vendors, but we did! They just “got” the design without needing to be told exactly what to do. Plexiglass menu’s and placecards?? Yes please!!

And Lauryl Lane’s florals from Lauryl Lane Floral Artistry were spot on. The variety of berries and leafy goodness added just the right amount of warmth while still keeping it modern. And last but not least, all the additional details that completed our whole look.

Mmmmm. A whole bowl-full of delicious num nums, with our hot-teal-tastic accent color pumpin’ it up. ::sidenote:: Isn’t that chunk of brick missing on the right under the menu just fantastic? Love the semi-grunge feeling it gives.

I’m not much of a milk fan, but I want to guzzle it down JUST because it’s in those killer-cute mini carafes. I have a major weakness for anything mini or oversized.
And for the guests to take the modern warmth home, Amanda made up little boxes wrapped in faux bois wrapping paper that held tea bags (Yup. Sewed by the Mands herself with teal thread) and rock candy swizzle sticks to plunge them deeper into the depths of the sugar induced coma they’re already in due to the all dessert menu. Sounds like my kind-o party!

And finally, my crafty contribution, the silverware cozies.

Just a reminder for those of you who have already forgotten what the whole thing looked like together because of glorious image overload…

And there you have it! Until we meet again sweet readers.

List of Fantasticity
Photos: Two Auer Photo
Florals: Lauryl Lane Floral Artistry
“Paper” Products: Love at First Invite
Linen: La Tavola
**and a special thanks to my amazing husband who didn’t murder me while I took over his shop to put the plexiglass stuff together**

Anyone wondering what we’ve been up to??

Well, here’s a big old hint for ya:

We’ve entered the Utterly Engaged Designer’s Challenge and have been creating AWAY to make something truly gorgeous and unique. That being said- I’d love it if anyone of my readers, clients, friends or fans came out to support the element of my job that I hold most dear: designing!!

It’s set to be a night full of fun and definitely some inspiring designs! Hope to see some of you there! Until then, I’m just trying to keep my head screwed on straight and get some sleep [ever]!

All of you newly-engaged gals: you sleep at some point, too, okay! It’s a pact!

xoxo,

A.

Okay, well, I was a bit [or, very very, rather] pre-occupied with other things on the day of the Craig Baby Shower that I really missed my opportunity for great detail pics of the work I put into each item. So, I’ve been saving a few things to get a re-shoot done by my good friend and photographer Jered Scott! Here’s a few shots from the re-shoot:

These were our favors. Delicious sugar cookies from Corner Bakery in CD sleeves with a custom little label. Easy and totally cuteness.

A detail of my little cutlery napkins. Of course, they were monogrammmed… :)

And of course my lovely and amazing invitations for the event. I did however forget to get another shot of the kids entertainment boxes [I really wanted one of them open to shoot the contents of it- plastic handcuffs, gold nugget bubble gum, cowboy boot keychain...]

But, while we were there, we DID get to shoot a little bit of yours truly. What’s your fave? I’m still undecided…

[Husband's fave]

[Photog's fave]

My great friend and pro photographer Jered Scott just sent me a few detail shots from the shower Sunday! I wish I would have asked him for more, but, I am SO greatful for what he came up with! Enjoy!!!

Also, enjoy some of Jered’s amazing other photos [like music and catalogue photography... and don't doubt that he's available for weddings, too!] at his site and blog:
www.jeredscott.com
www.jeredscott.blogspot.com

Yes, yes yes. I had a busy weekend. I’m taking today to sit on my butt and not move. Seriously. I woke up this morning and flexed both my feet in bed, and my muscles were just aching with that good stretch-ache. Know what I mean? Anyway, my feet deserve the break today! Now, Jesse and Renae [the Craigs] are personal friends of ours and I opted to throw them an Orange County families baby shower [it was co-ed]. Jesse and my husband have known one another for many, many, many years. They were roommates, best men in each others weddings, and toured in a band together for about 8 years. They have a history. Renae is from Bakersfield and they have been married 2 years, so her formal baby shower was up in Bakersfield, but we HAD to throw them a shin dig down here. A while back I posted the invite making process [cowboy theme, remember?] and from then on, I think I went a little detail crazy… what can I say? I’m an event person! Here are my FEW pictures that I have from the event [hopefully my photographer friend will come through with some pro shots to post in a few days!]

Centerpieces:

Straw bails for extra seating [And in the background the early guests, including my hub and the dad-to-be, are enjoying the horse shoe pit]:

The tables:

I made these signs for the food, and color coordinated all of the serving dishes, etc:

The watering hole…

This was the guest book table which I also put the “kids boxes” on. These were their little entertainment boxes for the shower!

Didn’t get a picture of the inside of them, but the box contents were a cowboy notepad, a sherrif star, a horse puzzle, gold nugget candy, a cowboy boot keychain, plastic handcuffs….. where do I find the time?

These cupcakes were “dessert”. I put them out on the gift table after we’d moved the gifts over to be opened. This was my huge vision from the begining and I actually IRONED these napkins so that they’d lay like this. I know, I know. But, seriously, how cute and worth it??

My BIGGET problem with this whole thing is the “melted” rootbeer barrel on top of these. Once they loose their shape, even a little bit, out of the wrapper…. they’re questionable at best. BUT- still delicious!

Also after the shower was underway, I removed the leftover kids boxes and put out our favors! The suckers were my only “it’s a boy” item of the day! Other than that, my favor idea I got from a Martha Stewart magazine from YEARS ago and have been dying to see through in real life. It came out so perfect and cute:

Sugar cookies in a CD sleeve with CUTE sticker monogram detail…

And here’s the maw and paw to be [with their custom made hats, of course!]:

Yes, I know. Ridiculously cute!!

Boots!!

To go with the cupcakes and cookies, I decorated mini sparkling cider bottles [and there's my sister in the background] and passed them out to the guests:

And, that’s all she wrote! No more pictures. None of me. I was a busy, busy bee. It was a heck of a day! It was raining around 12pm and then it got so windy that we had to lay over the tablecloths so they didn’t blow off for about 15 minutes straight, all while it was 80 degrees outside. Tropical storm! But, the park was gorgeous and the weather was perfect by the time the shower started! Thank goodness! I love that we got to be a part of such a big event for Jesse and Renae. They are some of our very good friends and although adulthood and life and careers make us so busy and grow us apart, I know they always have such a close place in our hearts! After all, Jesse was the one that encouraged Josh and I to date [again- well, the second time around!!]. We love both of you! Good luck with little Braeden!