Contest: Navy and Lavender Winner

For those that need some help in relaxing or know someone that could use a prize pack to create the perfect day then our {Navy and Lavender Contest} was for them.  {Navy and Lavender} has mastered the art of gift giving and can be the perfect spot for anyone looking for a gift for someone or themselves.  With the ability to give away the gift package of the winners choice from Navy and Lavender, we had to ask our readers: who in your life deserves a gift?  Or is it you?  Congratulations to Mollie D who share with us about her sister!

Congrats to Mollie D. and her sister!  We know you will pick out a prize your sister will love and hopefully she can share it with you! Please email me at {laura_e at iloveswmag dot com} with your contact info and we can get you in touch with the team over at Navy and Lavender.

For all those that want to be our next winner check out our latest contest {Custom Programs} and have a lovely weekend!

Or for those that can’t get enough of Navy and Lavender then head over to their website and enjoy 10% off your total purchase at check out with the following code N&LPromo09. (Offer good till June 22nd.)

xo Southern Weddings May 29, 2009 | view Southern Weddings's blog
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Karen Tran: Black and White

If you enjoyed Renee and Jesse’s classic color palette of black and white you will love today’s post from the talented Karen Tran. She shows us how to play up such a classic color palette in some unique and modern ways to add some flare to your day! You can find even more of Karen’s inspiring posts here: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV and XVI.

This classic black and white wedding is quite simple, but oh so elegant. There are very few ‘black’ blooms out there, so I used white anemonies with the black center. To obtain this combination, use hardware such as black glasses and charger plates to enhance your tablescape. Be playful with your linens and introduce an intriguing pattern for the table. The whimsical chaircovers sets the sexy and firty tone for this inspiration.

image sources: Photography {Darin Fong Photography}, Linens {Wildflower Linens}, Chairs {Cameleon Chairs}, Florist {Karen Tran Florals}

xo Southern Weddings May 28, 2009 | view Southern Weddings's blog
2

Southern Weddings, June 2, 2009 2:49 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

Hi Karen,

Check out MadMacNYC.Com for help on macaroons!

Laura E

1

Karen Trane, June 1, 2009 10:13 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

Where are the black and white macaroons from?

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Details: Renee + Jesse

Grey, white and black can be great wedding colors.  Although, one might think they are dark and not much for accent; the true is it is perfect for formal and sophisticated receptions.  Take this wedding of Renee + Jesse.  The two chose grey, white and black and it was exceptional.  These beautiful shots were taken by {Brandy J Photography} and the recepetion took place at {Romer’s Catering and Events}.  Renee’s drop dead gorgeous dress came from {Cincinnati’s European Bridal}. To see more from this Ohio wedding, check out Brandy J’s {Blog}.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story: Jesse is the best friend of my sister’s husband, Ben. My sister and brother-in-law introduced us.
Describe the proposal: A Friday evening, after work, we decided to go out to eat. With our bellies full, we decided we should dance in the living room! I got out my Carole King record, and played my favorite song, “You are my Friend.” Halfway through the song, I was bummed out that Jesse was just kneeling down, and not dancing with me! Finally, he got my attention, and asked me to be his wife! (Yes…I was oblivious!)
What attracted me to my husband was: His wonderful sense of humor, adventurous nature, quick-witted comments, and stunning good looks!
Why do you love your husband? I love him because I thoroughly enjoy every moment we are together. We both enjoy learning, laughing, traveling, and each others company.
What attracted me to my wife was: Nice, funny, hot, and we have a good time together
The weather on our wedding day was: A beautiful 40 degrees and sunny in February! No snow!
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? I wanted all classic, yet contemporary colors, so I thought that black, gray, and white was the way to go!
Favorite design element of your big day: The feathers! We had feathers on the bridesmaids dresses and in the centerpieces!
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: We went to “The Bridal District” in Cincinnati, and after trying many dresses on that were very pretty (but also very blah), my mother told me I needed to try on “this dress.” I saw the gaudy flower on the side and my heart skipped a beat! Once I had it on….it was the one!
Describe your wedding flowers: I hate roses! Therefore, I did not want ANY roses in the arrangements! I love when the flowers match the theme, therefore, we went with any kind of odd flower that was white, black, or gray!
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: all of our wonderful friends and families!
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Sticking to a budget! (Oh…the things I could have done with a million dollars!)
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? Walking down the aisle with my father, and seeing Jesse for the first time in his tux. He was waiting for me at the end of the aisle smiling. Once he took my hand, he told me, “You look stunning!” Also…the kiss was right up there too!
Hardest decision you made in planning? Nothing was too hard… the hardest part was finding time to make sure everything was completed!
The most unexpected event on our wedding day was: I had a bouquet full of white roses! I despise roses in arrangements! I only like to grow them! I ended up stealing my matron of honor’s bouquet!
Three adjectives that describe the day are: unforgettable, fun, and short!
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Try to pay for as much as possible before the wedding, so you are not bombarded when you return from your honeymoon. It was such a relief to come home to only one bill!
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration. “This is the best day of your life, enjoy every minute of it!”
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Spending a long life together laughing and watching our children and grandchildren grow up alongside our parents, brothers and sisters, and their children.
Any DIY items? I was a spray painting fool! There isn’t anything you can’t spray paint! Most of our twigs and sticks were spray-painted! Not to mention, I had Jesse cut down a tree and we spray painted that too! My mother and I looked online and found many different decorations from a variety of sites too!

Congratulation to Renee and Jesse! We wish you many happy days to come!

xo Southern Weddings May 28, 2009 | view Southern Weddings's blog
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T. R. Kramer, June 4, 2009 1:10 am   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

OMG. The wedding was beautiful and tons of fun. It is so great to witness true love.

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Garrett, June 1, 2009 2:46 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

This is such a great winter wedding! Congrats to the B&G and EVERYONE involved. Fantastic!

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Brooke Swaney-bridesmaid, June 1, 2009 12:58 am   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

What a perfect day this was for a couple that is so perfect for each other! I'm so glad that you chose this incredible couple for your blog.

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Jen Korte (Bridesmaid), May 30, 2009 6:34 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

The wedding was beautiful and amazing just like we knew it would be. Renee and Jesse were so happy, it was great being a part of something so special.

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Kate Webber, May 29, 2009 4:46 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

I LOVE the black, white and gray! The bouquet and bridesmaids photos are wonderful palettes!

1

Courtney Craver, May 28, 2009 3:48 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

What an amazing wedding! Gorgeous details! We would love to be featured on your blog sometime!
The Sublime Blog

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Wanwisa Wednesday: Bridal Looks For Around $1000

May 27, 2009 by Lara in Inspirations | 4 comments

Welcome back to another spectacular Wanwisa Wednesday! Be sure to check out her previous posts I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII, XIV, XV, XVI, XVII, XVII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII, XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX, XXX, XXXI, XXXII, XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV and XXXVI for more fabulous wedding inspiration!

With all the sample sales, department store markdowns and discount retailers popping up every which way… brides of all styles can save tons on bridal gowns and accessories. Here are four recession-proof looks that are all just a click away {who says you have to be in NYC or LA for the best Sample Sales?}.

The Traditionalist: Slub Silk Penelope Gown by Jcrew $695, Stuart Weitzman Sashay Pumps (marked down to $183), CZ tennis bracelet from Emitations.com $59.99, and 3 Carat Royal Asschers Studs from Carat $224. Grand Total: $1161.99

The Sophisticate: Diane Von Furstenberg Crepe Assymetrical dress from Outnet.com ($452.25 marked down from $1,005), Ginger Metallic Slingbacks from J. Crew $185, Double-Strand Fresh-water Pearl bracelet also from J. Crew $150, Pearl Cluster Drop Earrings J. Crew $55. Grand Total:$842.25

The Sex Kitten: One-Shoulder Cascade Gown by Notte by Marchesa available at NeimanMarcus.com $990, Massimo Hailey Strappy Heels from Target $19.99, Raquel’s Petite Crystal Vintage Bracelet from Emitations.com $35. Grand Total: $1044.99

The Bon Vivant: Silk Tricotine Goddess Gown from Jcrew $325, Christian Louboutin Turbella platforms on sale at Barneys.com $559 (from $925), Katarina’s CZ Blus Sapphire Clip-on Earrings from Emitations.com $159. Grand Total: $1043

The Key is to mix and match expensive and inexpensive pieces. There are a million ways to save money and still look fabulous! Shop Etsy for tons of customizable handmade accessories and look for online outlets like Outnet.com for great deals on designer dresses! And don’t forget to sign up for daily-online sample sales from websites like Gilt.com for discounts on anything from cocktail dresses for your engagement party to those something-blue-Dolce and Gabbana-satin pumps to walk down the aisle in. Happy shopping!

Until next Wednesday! Xoxo, Wanwisa

xo Lara May 27, 2009 | view Lara's blog
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Brenda, May 28, 2009 2:37 am   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

I love the traditionalist and sex kitten, as an Encore Bride putting together a great look on a budget is a must, thanks!!!

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Drea Cunningham, May 28, 2009 1:30 am   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

LOVE the post!!! I especially heart the sex kitten look. I own and often rock the sexy strappy silver heels from Target. Rock on!

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The Perfect Palette, May 27, 2009 9:45 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

we like this!

1

Molly, May 27, 2009 2:49 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

Your take on bon vivant is perfect! ou-la-love!

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Real Wedding: Christine + Travis

This is one wedding story that grabbed my attention from the get go.  Our team received Christine + Travis’ interview a few days before the NCAA 2009 National Championship Men’s Basketball Game.  Our office being located right at the home of the UNC Tar Heels were all pulling for our beloved team and this interview remind us again of the Tar Heels win in 2005!  Congratulations to the Tar Heels and congrats to Christine + Travis!  Maybe it was the luck of their interviews that lead the team to victory? Christine + Travis married in South Carolina at a friends home in {Beresford Hall}.  The couple choice {Lowcountry Boils} to cater this fabulous event.  Christine looked radiant in her {Casa Blanca} gown that she purchased from {A Beautiful Day Bridal}.  Matching it perfectly was the jewelry from {The Beaded Belle}.  This fabulous day was made possible by the wedding coordinator Linda McDowell and capturing all the fun was {Jeff Holt Photography}.  Check out more on Jeff’s photo {Blog}.

How did the two of you meet? Tell us your story. Six degrees of separation is a great way to describe our relationship in the beginning. We both went to Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina and had many of the same friends thanks to our sorority and fraternity. However, we never really hung out except for one time in ’99, our sophomore year. Years passed and in 2005 I went to an engagement party for one of my best friends and sorority sister who was marrying one of Travis’ good friends and fraternity brothers. I was working on the invitations and I saw that Travis was invited and that he lived in Durham. I remember thinking “how neat someone new from ASU lives in Durham. I need to talk with him at the party and see how things are going”. I did just that, but I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. For those of you who may not know this, 2005 was the year that the North Carolina Tar heels won the men’s NCAA basketball championship. {Editor’s Note: They did it again in 2009! Go Heels}. Durham, North Carolina is in the heart of Tobacco Road where people are either Duke fans (which I am) or UNC fans (which Travis is). The night of the engagement party UNC won the Elite Eight game against Michigan State and now was headed to the Final Four. At the beginning of the party, I was thanking everyone for coming when I saw Travis. I asked him how he liked living in Durham. We chit chatted and swapped phone numbers so we could grab a drink and I could show him around Durham. During our conversation, UNC won their game against Michigan State. Needless to say, Travis was very excited and was looking to give a Duke fan (me) grief. “Just say Go Tar Heels and I will leave you alone I promise,” said Travis, but as a true Duke fan I just could not do that. We had a good time at the party with all our friends and I completely forgot that I had swapped phone numbers with Travis. So the following weekend when he called to ask me for that drink, I thought not the Go Tar Heels guy! What was suppose to be two new friends getting together for a drink and a tour of Durham, turned out to be drinks, dinner, hours of talking and now a life time together.
Describe the proposal: It was very romantic. While at ASU, Travis found a beautiful private stone and wooden gazebo overlooking the Blue Ridge Parkway. Since both of us went to ASU and we started our relationship in Boone, Travis knew that was going to be the place where he would propose to me. On our way up to Boone for Homecoming, Travis mentioned there was a place that he wanted to show me. When we got there it was like stepping into a fairy tale. We were on the parkway, up in the clouds and in our own little piece of heaven. I was walking around taking pictures, not paying attention to him because of the beauty. So when he asked me to come to him, I didn’t even think twice. When I did, I was completely shocked to see him down on one knee. At first I laughed, then I cried, and then I said YES!
What attracted me to my husband was: His sensitivity
What attracted me to my wife was: Her personality, from our first date we just clicked.
A date we went on that we’ll always remember: Travis would say the time I surprised him with a picnic dinner, but I would have to say going to see Alison Krauss at a small intimate outdoor amphitheater. That was the night that he told me he loved me.
The weather on our wedding day was: Perfect! A Bright blue Carolina (UNC) Sky and 80 degrees.
What was the design inspiration for your wedding? An Intimate Charleston Garden Wedding.
Favorite design element of your big day: The intimacy of the event.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress: A NIGHTMARE! I found the dress that I wanted online, but before I bought it, I wanted to try it on. After 5 months of searching, I finally found the dress that I wanted in Jacksonville, Florida. However, the only shop in North Carolina that would order the dress at the time was in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This was great because that is where Travis’ parents live and my future mother-in-law could be involved in the whole process. We ordered the dress on February 2, and were told they would call me the following week with my shipping date. A week passed and I didn’t get a phone call. By 10 business days, I was getting nervous. So I went online to get their phone number. Both the website and the phone were disconnected. Needless to say, I was freaking out. I called my future mother in law and explained the situation. She became mother of the groomzilla! She went to the shop knocked on their door until someone opened it. She demanded my deposit money back (which she got) and made the store manager apologize to me personally on the phone. I was one of the lucky ones. The shop closed down the next week and a lot of brides lost their dresses. I finally found a shop in Durham that would order my dress. Four weeks later, I received my dress.
Describe your wedding flowers: I loved my flowers. I chose hot pink roses, green calla lilies, white snapdragons and white gladiolas. The flowers were one area I incorporated family into the ceremony. Pink roses are my favorite flower because they remind me of my Grandma Rose Marie, who I lost when I was young. The gladiolas were for my Grandma Grace, because that is what she carried on her wedding day.
Describe your wedding cake: No cake. My husband and I are not big cake fans, so we did a very southern thing, pies! We had two types of pies, Chocolate Chess and Key Lime.
Our favorite detail of the wedding was: How family was incorporated into the wedding. Here are just a few ways we incorporated family. My uncle who is a priest and my godfather was one of the ministers in the service. Our wedding day was actually Travis’ parents wedding anniversary. We had a parents pledge instead of the giving away of the bride. My aunt did the scripture reading and Travis’ aunt read a poem she wrote after she became engaged to Travis’ uncle.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while planning your wedding? Planning a destination wedding.
Were there any special family traditions you included in the wedding? Other than the ones I already mentioned, I also had both my Grandmothers wedding rings with me on my wedding day. I wore one as a blessing for a long happy marriage and one was incorporated into my bouquet as my something old.
What was your most memorable moment about your wedding day? The vows, our minister (who was Travis’ youth minister) was nervous so when he asked Travis, “Will you take Christine to be your wife?” Travis answered, “I do, I will, absolutely.”
Scariest moment? The wedding dress disaster.
Funniest moment? The vows and the father- daughter dance (it wasn’t your typical father-daughter dance).
Three adjectives that describe the day are: Beautiful, peaceful and romantic.
What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding? Don’t listen to anyone else. The day is for you and your husband to be only. DO WHAT YOU WANT!
Best advice or most memorable comment someone made to you during the wedding celebration. To remember the moment and use that memory when things aren’t so blessed.
Who was your most honored guest at the wedding? Because our wedding was a destination wedding everyone who came was an honored guest.
What’s next for you as a couple? What are you looking forward to in the future? Remodeling our home.

Congratulations to Christine + Travis.  We wish you many more victories in life!

xo Lara May 27, 2009 | view Lara's blog
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Jason, June 23, 2009 1:52 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

Everything about the wedding, especially the setting looks amazing!

3

Gwen, June 18, 2009 4:31 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

What a beautiful story! The photographer did an AMAZING job!

2

Aunt Judy, June 17, 2009 8:41 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

I just read the article about Christine and Travis's southern wedding on your blog.
I just want to say that it brought back such special memories I have of the entire weekend!!
Yes, it was a destination wedding and we all had to travel to Charleston, South Carolina for the wedding. Oh darn! We were able to enjoy some sight seeing as well as the wedding. Our accomodation was a big house our family rented on the beach, poor us!! We were able to have a mini-family reunion and enjoy the company of family and friends for the entire weekend.
The rehersal was a special event for the two new families to get to know each other. Travis's mom and dad made us all feel welcome. By the end, we were all crying at the poem Travis's mom read about how Christine is the number one woman in his life and she is now second. I can still recall a comment by a close friend Daniel, "Oh please, this is killing me", as the tears were rolling down his face. He and his wife just adopted a precious baby boy and he could imagine his time to come in the future. The wedding day was the best day of all. It was a beautiful Carolina day. Christine looked absolutely gorgeous and Travis was so handsome. Christine's parents, Joyce and Ben wanted it to be the wedding of her dreams and I believe she and Travis got all they wanted for the day. Our immediate family were there to share their day. And, I know those who are no longer with us were a part of that special day too. We started the day making the flower arrangements and having a breakfast just for the girls!! Getting hair and make-up done as a group was a fun time too. Getting dressed in the beautiful house thanks to Travis's friend was so special. The ceremony was short but sweet and the reception went well into the night with singing and dancing. Thank you Christine and Travis for such a wonderful weekend. I know we all will recall what a great time we had last September.
Love to you both,
Aunt Judy

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VME, June 17, 2009 6:01 pm   Yeehaw! Love this: Thumb up 0 reply

The wedding was BEYOND beautiful. It was such a blessed celebration and we were very HONORED to have been a part. The reception was great, we nearly brought down the place with all the laughter and dancing!!

(I just can't believe the year is flying by so fast!!!)

Thanks for featuring an article on such an awesome couple. :)

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Complimenting your wife: She’s as smart as a tree full of owls.

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