Did you know that, not counting today’s post, there are only 16 “Emily Plans a Wedding” posts between now and, well, when Emily Gets Married? That may seem like a lot to some, but yikes!! Our big day is going to sneak up faster than we can believe, I just know it.

It only makes sense to chat about dates in today’s post introduction, because this week’s post is all about our save the date! For those who might not know, a save the date is typically a simple card that gives your guests a heads up on the date and location of your wedding. They can be sent six to twelve months in advance, unlike a formal invitation, which is traditionally sent just six to eight weeks before the wedding. Save the dates are by no means necessary, but they’re definitely useful if your wedding is on a holiday weekend or you know the majority of your guests will be traveling. Of course, they also serve to get guests excited about the upcoming celebration, too! For instance, I’d be pretty excited if I got this lovely in the mail:

One of my favorite save the date designs, a collaboration between Love*Jenna and Swiss Cottage Designs

As many of you probably know, I am an inveterate paper lover. I attend the National Stationery Show every year, and almost nothing makes me happier than collaborating with designers and calligraphers to develop stationery suites for editorial shoots. Great paper details are usually one of my favorite things about wedding submissions, too. So of course I was excited about the first paper-related detail of our wedding!

Knowing my love for paper and my general craftiness, I think some of my friends and family members were surprised I didn’t DIY our save the date. It certainly was a possibility that crossed my mind, but I pretty quickly decided that with my busy schedule and busy Etsy shop (where I design things for other brides – ha!), this was one wedding project that I didn’t need to take on. I am a little sad about not having gone “all out,” but I’ve come to terms with it :)

My decision was made much easier by the abundance of chic save the date designs available today. My personal favorite source? That would be Minted, and I know I’m not alone in this. Their crowd-sourced designs are the cream of the crop, and their prices are quite reasonable for the quality and customer service you receive in return. Plus, they often offer 10-15% off discount codes, so sign up for their emails and be ready to pounce once you’ve picked your preferred design!

Once I had decided we were going with Minted, it was time to pick. John and I considered several options, including these below:

Sources: 1) Fireflies save the date ($1.58 each), 2) Winter Flourish save the date ($1.58 each), 3) Float + Spring Shades save the date ($1.58 each), 4) Midnight Vineyard save the date ($1.58 each), 5) Fling save the date ($1.36 each), 6) Charming Go Lightly save the date ($1.58 each)

We did a little crowd-sourcing on my blog, and happily, public opinion seemed to line up with what we were already thinking: Midnight Vineyard was the winner. To make it our own, however, I knew I wanted to make a few modifications to the standard design. Happily, Minted is totally fine with that! We changed the font, the arrangement of the text, and the color of the text with no difficulty. We also added a solid colored backer, and a fun striped envelope liner. Literally about a week later, we had these beauties in our hands!

It’s a bit hard to tell, but the back is a solid pale blue.

I hand addressed each one with my best script, then stamped on the return address (I made the design in Illustrator, and then we ordered it through Rubberstamps.net.) The stamp was about $16 with shipping, and since I didn’t include our last names, we’ll be able to use it long after the wedding! I also very carefully chose our postage — the Edward Hopper Forever stamp is perfect for our ocean-side reception spot! (Is it weird to feel as strongly about a stamp as I feel about this one? Because I’m slightly obsessed with this design…)

The envelopes, front and back:

And with the pretty striped liner:

Many thanks to Nancy Ray for snapping these lovely photos! Now, ladies, tell me: Did you send save the dates? What did they look like?

In case you missed a post…
The main characters
Where we’re getting married
I go dress shopping
We choose a photographer
I ponder bridesmaid style
Mini food!
The music
We’re renting a tent!
We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another Emily Plans a Wedding post! Yeehaw! :)

I thought I’d use the next two posts to chat about one of my favorite topics: flowers! Today I’ll introduce you to our florist and share some of my favorite personal flower inspiration, and then next time we’ll talk ceremony and reception florals.

First, I’ll come right out and say it: I like some unusual flowers. Oh yes, I love garden roses and peonies as much as the next gal (oh, do I ever love them!). I also adore ranunculus, sweet peas, dahlias, gardenias, and pretty much every other fluffy or ruffly flower known to (wo)man. However, I also have a sweet spot for mock orange blooms. Clematis and dogwood flowers are two of my very favorites. Poppies, camellias, hellebores, and azaleas will also, fingers crossed, be making an appearance at our wedding. Lastly, I can’t get enough of mixing fruit and berries with florals — some of my favorites are crab and lady apples, blackberries, and figs.

Two of my favorite bouquets: on the left, an anemone, ranunculus, garden rose, and peony bouquet by MG Floral (photo by Melissa Schollaert – see more here!), and on the right, an anemone, rose, sweet pea, and jasmine vine bouquet by KLF Floral (photo by Stephanie Williams)

Working with a florist who could source and comfortably incorporate all of these interesting materials was super important to me. Our florist was one of the first vendors we booked (even before photographer, I think!), and we couldn’t be happier with our choice. We found Elisabeth of Blush Floral Design through a recommendation from my planner friend, Candice of Jubilee Events. Elisabeth and I chatted over the phone about my style and some of my ideas, and I could immediately feel that she understood me. After our call, she sent me over some samples of her work which she felt matched what I’d been describing, and she was spot on! Her work is soft and sculptural and a little bit wild, but still refined — just like I like it! Here’s a peek:

All bouquets are by Elisabeth and from her blog. Photo credits: Charlotte Jenks Lewis, Katie Slater, Charlotte Jenks Lewis, and JAG Studios

Of course, I have plenty of inspiration of my own that’s been building in my Pinterest boards (in fact, Elisabeth probably thought I was a little cuckoo when she opened up that email!). Want a peek?

Credits: Poppy and cabbage rose bouquet by Lindy Floral (photo by Ryan Ray via Wedding Chicks); mock orange and garden rose bouquet by La Fleuriste (photo by Lori Paladino via Grey Likes Weddings); white sweet pea bouquet by Salt Harbor Designs (photo by Millie Holloman); dogwood, tulip, peony, and lilac bouquet by Michelle Rago (from Martha Stewart Weddings); dahlia, garden rose, jasmine, and sweet pea bouquet by The Green Vase (from Martha Stewart Weddings); ranunculus, dusty miller, anemone, snow hydrangea, and silk daisy bouquet by Mindy Rice (photo by Elizabeth Messina via Style Me Pretty); garden rose, rose, ranunculus, and dusty miller bouquet by Quatre Coeur (photo by Elisabeth Millay)

LOVE! I’m still trying to decide if I should go all white for my bouquet (with some soft green lambs ear for texture) or mix it up a bit with the palest pinks and peaches. Either way, I plan to tie some sort of pale blue wide ribbon or bow around the stems.

For the gents, I’m also undecided. I might just forgo boutonnieres altogether, as I’m not a fan of most designs. Plus, I feel like they start looking kind of sad after the first hug! If we do go with bouts, I think we’ll do a simple small white flower (like a ranunculus or mini garden rose) paired with lambs ear. I also love blackberries in boutonnieres, but worry they might smoosh.

Credits: Blackberry boutonnieres by The Green Vase (photo by Jen Huang); mini garden rose boutonniere by Shea Hopely (photo by Brooke Images via Southern Weddings); lambs ear boutonniere by European Flower Shop (photo by J-Anderson Photography); white boutonnieres by Holly Flora (photo by Steve Steinhardt via Style Me Pretty)

To finish, I thought I’d give you a few of my tips for those of you still looking for the perfect florist:

1. Ask those you trust for recommendations. They could be from a vendor you’ve already booked whose style you love (they’re at weddings every weekend, and they remember the good stuff and the nice people!). They could also be from a curated online vendor resource, like our Blue Ribbon Directory!

2. Don’t try to change them. Just like you wouldn’t hope to fundamentally change your mate, don’t expect a vendor to stray far from her preferred style. If you don’t like the style of the arrangements or bouquets in their portfolio, you probably won’t like what they produce for your wedding. If you’re unsure, ask them to send over some examples of past work that they think fits with your style, like Elisabeth did for us (make sure you have an initial conversation first, of course!).

3. Be realistic about your budget. Many florists post a minimum on their website. If your budget does not come close, don’t expect them to make an exception just for you. If you are pretty close to their minimum, though, it doesn’t hurt to ask (respectfully, of course). We’re going to come in below Elisabeth’s minimum, but she agreed to work with us anyway. Yahoo!

Check back next time for my ceremony and reception floral inspiration! And please, help me out with a question I’ve been pondering: should I go all white for my bouquet, or mix it up with a little bit of color? Let me know what you think in the comments!

In case you missed a post…
The main characters
Where we’re getting married
I go dress shopping
We choose a photographer
I ponder bridesmaid style
Mini food!
The music
We’re renting a tent!

Melissa Schollaert and Brooke Images are fabulous members of our Blue Ribbon Vendor Directory!

It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another Emily Plans a Wedding post!

I had a hard time figuring out what to name this post, because we’re not really talking about reception details today – at least, not in the small and pretty sense. No, today I wanted to talk about the big blocks – the big rentals.

As you may recall from one of my first posts, our reception is being held outdoors. The tent will be in the Sunken Garden of The O’Neill, with cocktail hour taking place just outside, on the porch and lawn of what I call the Yellow House (and what I think the O’Neill calls the Hammond Mansion). Here’s the pulled-back view, with my notes:

Let’s walk through this chronologically, shall we? Cocktail hour is up first. As of right now, I think we’re going to do passed and set glasses of Prosecco, white wine, and blackberry lemonade during this time, then open the full bar under the tent. On the porch, then, we’ll have one simple 6- or 8-foot table covered with a linen at each end — one for drinks, and one for the cheese/fruit/bread business. Here’s a closer look at the porch:

Imagine a pretty table instead of a picnic table, and a green and white striped awning instead of metal bars.

On the lawn, we’ll have a few high-top cocktail tables for guests to cluster around. I haven’t decided yet if we’ll do floral arrangements or just candles on these. Guests are at cocktail hour for such a short time, and are so busy during it, that I’m guessing they would hardly notice the difference, and it pains me to pay for something like that when it doesn’t really matter to me, either!

The O’Neill also has this interesting little area off to the side of the porch (outside of the walled garden):

I’m thinking it will be a great space during cocktail hour, but I’m not really sure yet what I’ll do to enhance it, if anything. Maybe just candles on the rock ledges, or custom pillows on the chairs? Any suggestions are most welcome.

After cocktail hour, guests will move into the tent. I am SO excited to say that the tent itself will be a Sperry. This is for sure a splurge, as a normal pole tent would have shielded guests from the elements just as well. However, the price differential was not as much as I had initially expected, and in talking to vendors and other brides, it seems like the “feel” that a Sperry tent as opposed to a regular tent can give an event is more than worth the price difference. Plus, since the sheer loveliness of a Sperry means fewer decorations or add-ons (like a tent liner or pole treatments), perhaps we’re saving money in the long run?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Sperry Tents, let me introduce you. You can recognize these beauties by their swooping, dramatic peaks, gorgeous sailcloth and pine pole details, and merrily waving flags – my absolute favorite detail. The flags can even be customized to match your wedding colors! Here are a few of my favorite images:

Credits from top to bottom: Cramer Photo via Snippet & Ink, Eric Barry, Landino Photo, Lisa Rigby, two by Justin & Mary, and Weddings by Two via Snippet & Ink

These tents take on a life of their own after dark.

Credits, top to bottom: Snap! Photography, Iris Photography, courtesy of Sperry, and Justin & Mary

Gorgeous! I have been so pleased with my interactions with my local Sperry office, too. They’ve been polite, courteous, and prompt, which, unfortunately, is not something I can say for every vendor we’ve been in contact with!

Now, what will go under that tent? As you may recall, we’re planning an unusual food service, which means we won’t be doing the typical chairs and tables things. Instead, we’ll be doing a mix. We’ll have several high-top cocktail tables:

Credits, left to right: Mel & Co and Gia Canali

We’ll also have a few smaller round tables to seat 4-5 guests each. I’m thinking 36″ or 48″ rounds, about the size pictured below.

Jen Fariello

For chairs, what I really want is these bamboo beauties:

via Ariella Chezar

They’re less formal than chivaris, but fancier than folding chairs – perfect for an elegant garden evening wedding. Happily, they’re also fairly reasonably priced – usually about $4 per chair, from my research. However, I have not been able to turn up a single rental resource for these in the New England area. If you know of a source, please help!!

If I can’t find my bamboo pretties, then we’ll probably go with something like this, a dark stained folding chair.

A Bryan Photo

Lastly, we’ll have two lounge areas. We haven’t nailed down these rentals yet, but here are a few I like:

Image credits: Lisa Lefkowitz, Michael & Anna Costa, via Matthew Robbins, and personal photo

Last but not least, we will have a dance floor from which to enjoy our awesome music. I have my fingers crossed for a black and white one.

Image by Abby Jiu, via Southern Weddings

Tell me: Are you having a tented reception? What sort of chairs are you having? And do you have a New England source for my bamboo beauties??

Up next: As long as I get my act together and get them out the door, it will be our save the dates!

In case you missed a post…
The main characters
Where we’re getting married
I go dress shopping
We choose a photographer
I ponder bridesmaid style
Mini food!
The music

Hey, y’all! Welcome back to Emily Plans a Wedding! After my last post, which was quite long, I’ve got a bit of a simpler one to share with you today. Let’s talk about music!

I’m going to leave the ceremony for another day, and just concentrate on what we’ll be listening to at the reception in this post.

Right. So there are a few things you should probably know going into this discussion:

1. My taste in music is embarrassing. As in, it doesn’t embarrass me, but it probably should. One way to figure out if I’ll like a song? If your Grandma danced to it, it’s probably my groove. For real. I love big band and swing, and almost every song that was produced in the 40′s, 50′s, and 60′s. Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra, The Young Rascals, The Marvelows, The Contours, The Pointer Sisters, The Supremes, Glenn Miller… yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes, please.

2. John does not enjoy dancing. Actually, that’s not true — he does enjoy dancing, and he is a good dancer, but he’s also kind of shy, and prefers to bust a move in the kitchen while cooking dinner instead of in the middle of a crowd on the dance floor.

3. I firmly believe that the number one factor that determines whether or not a dance floor is full is not the quality of the band, but whether or not the bride and groom are cutting a rug. And since we want a dance floor as full as this one below, we needed to figure out the best way to get John to shake his tail feather.

A Bryan Photo

Luckily, I was armed with the one memory I have of him actually pulling me onto the dance floor: our college senior formal. A live big band/swing band played that night, and we both loved it. We weren’t the only ones, either: all of our classmates were on the dance floor, too, and I’m pretty sure they didn’t all share my particular taste in music. There’s just something about those tunes that make people want to dance, regardless of their normal musical preferences or age! Ever since that night, I knew we needed to have a band at our wedding.

Can’t you just picture us cutting a rug like this? Photos by Brooke Schwab and Brooke Courtney.

We’ve requested info and demo CDs from a few bands, and are close to making a decision. The other day, though, I had a bit of a revelation: as much as I LOVE me some oldies, I also have a weakness for, umm, Rihanna. I was totally fine with not hearing her at our reception, but then, as John and I were car-dancing to “We Found Love” the other day (come on, you know you do it, too!), he said, “Why aren’t we going to play this at our wedding?” Excuse me?

Now that we are both at least tentatively interested in hearing Rihanna at our reception, we’ve come up with a possible new plan: the band plays for all but the last hour of the reception. With an hour to go, we switch over to an iPod playlist (piped through the band’s system, which will already have been set up to cover their breaks) and some more contemporary tunes. Creating a playlist ahead of time will allow us to pick songs that have a similar vibe as the band, so I’m hoping the transition wouldn’t be too harsh.

Both photos by Bryan Johnson

Since this is SUCH a new plan (literally hatched this week), I’d love to get some feedback. What do y’all think? Should we just stick with the band for the whole night? Should we go ahead and switch over at the T-1 hour mark? Will the transition be too harsh? Will it be weird to have an empty platform after the band leaves? Have any of you tried something similar? I would LOVE to hear your thoughts!

P.S. In case you missed a post…
The main characters
Where we’re getting married
I go dress shopping
We choose a photographer
I ponder bridesmaid style
Mini food!

Hi, y’all! I’m so sorry for the unexpected delay in “Emily Plans a Wedding” posts! Can I make it up to you with a loooong post about food, full of pretty photos and even a pair of guest experts? Yes? Okay, let’s go!

When we ask our real wedding couples what their top three wedding priorities are, food and/or drink is almost always one of the areas listed. For all the time we spend thinking about the pretty details, the food is often what guests remember most about the wedding – whether it was tasty, whether it was served at the right temperature and at the right time, and whether there was enough. Food and drink also account for the largest portion of most couples’ budgets, so it only makes sense that we’d all want to serve something that shines!

All that being said, I am VERY excited about what we’ll be serving at our wedding!! What will we be dishing up? In a word (or two): mini food. What does that mean? A little something like this:

From top to bottom and left to right: Baby Greek salads via Martha Stewart Weddings, mini grilled cheese sandwiches from Fresh Tart, mini chicken and waffles by Cru Catering (photo by Bryan Johnson via Southern Weddings), sliders photo by Jose Villa, fancy pigs in a blanket photo by Thorsen Photography via Weddingbee, fancy deviled eggs by Cru Catering (photo by Bryan Johnson via Southern Weddings), mini lobster rolls from Martha Stewart Living, mini crocks of mac and cheese by Martha Stewart Weddings, shrimp BLTs by Cru Catering (photo by Bryan Johnson via Southern Weddings), mini tacos and tequilas by Peter Callahan, mini pulled pork tacos photo by SMS Photography via Style Me Pretty

Fun, right? In addition to some of the small bites pictured above, we’ll be serving small plates of composed mini meals at our evening reception. I don’t want to give away all of the details, but let’s just say I think our guests will be verrrry excited.

Once we had decided on mini food (full disclosure: it took a bit of convincing to get John on my side on this one!), it was time to find a caterer who could bring our somewhat unusual vision to life. We were looking for a few specific things in our food provider:

1. Someone in whom we had complete confidence. We knew that if our plan was executed incorrectly, our grand idea for a meal of minis could, quite literally, leave a bad taste in our guests’ mouths. Not exactly what we’re going for.
2. Someone who was willing to work with us on budget. We were prepared to pay a bit more per person than we might have for a traditional dinner, since more staff is required, but definitely needed to keep the overall cost within our budgeted amount.
3. Most importantly, someone who was open to our “mini” ideas, and who could run with them and make them even better than we had imagined.

On one whirlwind weekend home in Connecticut, we interviewed three caterers in a row. We almost immediately crossed off the first option, as we felt like they were a bit hostile to our ideas, instead wanting us to simply pick from their list of standard appetizers. We were pleased with the second option based on our first meeting, but they ultimately lost us as customers in the way they followed up after said meeting. The third option, however, was just right.

From the moment we stepped into the kitchen of A Thyme to Cook, we felt taken care of. Could it have been from the welcoming sign on the front door? Why yes, I think it could!

Our meeting, too, was exactly what we were hoping for. Instead of nailing down a menu right then and there (which would have been a bit absurd), Linda, the owner, spent considerable time getting to know John and I, asking specific questions about what type of wedding we’re planning and what type of foods we love and loathe.

I also loved Linda herself — she was, honestly, a tiny bit intimidating, but that’s what I’m looking for in a caterer! Someone who gets things done. Bonus points for feeding us (yay!), and for reminding me of Martha Stewart — Linda built her business from the ground up twenty five years ago, and it’s now housed in an adorable building behind her house. We also couldn’t have been happier with their follow up time: we received a menu and budget proposal within two weeks of our meeting, and it was clearly crafted with John and me in mind, and not cookie cutter. We are so happy to be working with A Thyme to Cook, and know we are in very capable hands!

Before I wrap up this post, I wanted to share a few tips from Maria Cooke and Kelly Seizert of Ritzy Bee Events. It was actually one of their weddings featuring a “strolling small plates” menu that inspired me to try something similar for our wedding, so I figured they’d be the perfect people to help any readers who might be curious about what pulling off an event like this entails. Here are a few of their expert tips:

What are your suggestions for making the food seem like a well thought-out meal, and not just a parade of appetizers?
We suggest you work with a caterer that is well-versed in this type of food service. It is important that enough of each item sweep the floor at the same time so that guests feel like they are taken care of. Work with your caterer to offer composed plates that are essentially a mini entree. Each plate should contain layers of flavor to keep things interesting. An example of a plate we love comes from Design Cuisine in Arlington, VA: braised beef short ribs and gnocchi with black trumpet mushrooms, baby carrots, and English peas.

How much and what type of seating would you recommend?
We suggest about 60% seating to help keep guests moving and out on the dance floor! Cocktail style seating is best. We suggest mixing 3′ cafe tables with chairs, bar height cabaret tables, and some furniture groupings to encourage guests to mix and mingle. It is always considerate to reserve a few cafe tables for any elderly guests that might not be able to be up-and-down as much as others. Be sure to let those guests know in advance that they have a reserved seat.

Examples of a clever “floor plan” from a Ritzy Bee cocktail-style reception, and a reserved seating sign from the same event (photos by Kate Headley).

How would you recommend altering the flow of the reception to accommodate the unusual food service?
It is a great idea to begin the event with more traditional cocktail hour with beverages and 1-bite passed hors d’oeuvres. Then, consider introducing the bridal party and kicking off the remainder of the reception with a speech or two and perhaps the first dance. From there, introduce the small plates in “flights” of food as opposed to offering every item at once. This will simulate the same dining experience and timing as a multi-course plated dinner. It will allow the kitchen and servers plenty of time to plate and stroll with each item and your guests will have a nice variety of food offered throughout the event.

What are your recommendations for making food and drink easily “walkable”?
– Serve fork-friendly food that is perfectly portioned to be eaten in a few bites.
– Keep plates small. 5″-6″ is a great size. Be sure to pass a reception fork and fresh cocktail napkin with each plate.
– Use big trays that hold 8-12 plates each and make sure that you have enough waiters that you can easily feed half the guests in “one sweep of the room”.
– For every server on the floor passing plates, make sure you have another server following behind to bus empty plates and flatware.
– Keep in mind that food, service, and rental costs are generally a lot higher for this style reception due to the quantity of people and items needed to provide an exceptional experience for your guests.

Thank you so much, ladies! Readers, can’t get enough Ritzy Bee? Be sure to preorder their new wedding planning book, due out in January!

My stars! If you’ve made it this far, pat yourself on the back! Then tell me: What sort of food will you be serving at your reception? Breakfast? A buffet? A sit down meal? Just dessert? I’m dying to know, so please comment and fill me in!

P.S. In case you missed a post…
The main characters
Where we’re getting married
I go dress shopping
We choose a photographer
I ponder bridesmaid style