Five Year Anniversary

Hard to believe - but I got married five years ago today.  Seems like a long time ago.  So much has changed within the last five years!  We bought a house, moved from San Francisco to Campbell and had 2 kids!  I was looking through some of the wedding pictures (they already look so dated to me!) and thought I would share some of my favorites from the day!

But first up - who were my vendors?
Venue: Thomas Fogarty Winery
Catering: Melons Catering
Day of Coordinator: Kathryn with Dream A Little Dream Events
Photographer: Becky with Art of Emotion
Make Up: Maria with Professional Make-up Artistry
DJ: Big Fun DJ
Flowers: Petalworks (no longer in California)
Cake: Sonja with Bravos Bakery (Sonja just got married last year and I did her flowers!)


Many people ask me if I did my own flowers.  The answer to that would be NO.  I would be lying if I told you I didn't think about it.  I thought about it a lot.  I went back and forth about it and discussed this with my fiance (now husband) about it.  Like many brides out there, I wanted to save money.  But at the end I realized that I wanted to relax on my wedding day - and not worry about anything.  I wanted to get my nails done and if you work with flowers - you know that your hands get tore up and disgusting.  I wanted to be sipping champagne in my bridal suite before the ceremony - not running around sweating and stressing out about the set up. Also, when I got married, I didn't have my own business.  That came after I said, "I do." So I wised up and hired a professional to take care of that stuff and I have to say that I'm happy I did.

Okay - on to the photos!

GETTING READY

I wanted to wear flip flops but my mom insisted that I buy "real shoes".  So I bought these shoes on sale but I didn't wear these cause they hurt my feet like heck - but they sure look great in the pictures!

One of my favorite photos of my little niece getting ready.  She was so excited to be a flower girl.

My bouquet: roses, peonies, calla lilies, ranunculus,

green hypericum and lily of the valley

I had 4 bridesmaids, 3 Jr. bridesmaids and 2 flower girls. 

I just couldn't leave out any of my nieces (who were the Jr. bridesmaids).

What the heck are they doing?!  Well, let me tell you.  After I walked on to the deck (see above photos) my train was FILTHY.  That deck was covered in dirt. These photos were taken BEFORE the ceremony.  Thank goodness I had some white chalk (I heard that this was good to have in the emergency kit to cover up dirt stains).  So my sister and friends took the white chalk and had to basically "color" the whole bottom of my train and dress. So put white chalk in your emergency kit people - cause it sure comes in handy!

 The handsome groom.

We had a willow arch decked out with flowers for the ceremony.  I didn't want this (to save money) but my other half really wanted it.  I'm glad I listened to him cause it looks really nice in the pictures.

 

Another favorite photo of mine.  My niece dancing with her dad.

PRECIOUS.  Just look how happy she is!

These were little goody bags I made for the kids that attended our wedding.  I put a coloring book, crayons, popcorn, drinks and bubbles that they could play with to keep them busy and happy!

All the parents thanked me for including this - another nice detail!

My toss bouquet.  I made paper flowers and tied quotes about love to them.

I loved my cake.  But looking at the photo now, I realized I didn't have a cake stand.  I should have gotten one.  Hmmm...I guess I missed that detail!

Hope you enjoyed some of the photos - and happy 5 year anniversary honey!!  

Beautiful Hair Blooms

Many of my brides ask about flowers for their hair. A large bloom tucked behind the ear or pinned in your hair looks gorgeous. You could wear this in lieu of a veil or underneath the veil but either case - it's a small detail that people notice. The problem is that there aren't that many flowers that can withstand the hairspray and oils that comes with a pretty hairdo. You also need a flower that's light enough to be pinned and that can look fresh for a long period of time.

So here a couple of good options....

Gardenia
Cons: Sometimes the petals will turn brown over time and it has a strong smell. Some like it the smell and others don't.

If you like the look of the flower but don't want to deal with the scent then a silk flower would be a good option. It seems like there are a lot of varieties of hair clips with gardenias.

Cymbidium Orchid (Comes in white, pink and green. Other colors a little harder to come by would be yellow and orange)


Vanda Orchid (orange, fushcia, purple)

Stephanotis Bloom (white)

 

Phalaenopsis Orchid (white and purple)
Cons: These also tend to wilt sooner rather than later. You would probably have to pin a new one in after the ceremony.



Dendrobium Orchids (white and fuschia and purple)



Cattleya Orchid

The nice thing is that pretty much any flower looks gorgeous in hair, it's just a matter of choosing one that fits your wedding style.

Fun Finds: Calligraphy & Stamps!

Once in a while I'll come across something pretty fabulous and I can't help but want to share it with all of you.  It may be wedding related and it may not.  But either way - it's definitely something fun!

The credit goes to my friend Sara from Stinkerpants for this cool find.  I love Lettergirl's calligraphy and handwriting.  She has an etsy shop and also offers self inking address stamps.  I want to get my hands on one of these for sure!

I think these would be great gifts for anyone who loves pretty handwriting and stamps.  I'm planning to buy one of these for myself for Mother's Day!

M + S Wedding | St. Regis Hotel | San Francisco

Here's a gorgeous wedding that was held at The St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco.  This venue has a lot of modern elements - a great location for a city wedding.

Wedding Coordinator: Lisa from Bellissima Vita Weddings
Photographer: Larissa Cleveland
Lighting: Creative Lighting Design

Here are a couple of photos that I took...

To see more of this beautiful wedding you can check out Larissa Cleveland's Blog Post.

Style Me Pretty | Little Black Book Member

I'm very excited to announce that Huckleberry Karen Designs is now a member of Style Me Pretty's Little Black Book. According to SMP: The Little Black Book is a highly edited collection of wedding service providers–from mom and pop boutiques to A-Listers.   Bottom line, these vendors are the best of the best.

If you are planning your wedding or just looking for some inspiration you must check out Style Me Pretty.  It's a great blog that showcases weddings from all around the world and allows you to create your own inspiration board!

Fabulous Cake

This was one of my bride's cake from her wedding last fall.  I LOVE this cake.  So simple and elegant and tells a story.  Can't get much better than that!

Cake made by Kelly O'Brien of Glass Slipper Gourmet.