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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

emily Written with love by Emily
11 Comments
  1. avatar Madelynne Miller reply

    Gorgeous! That was instantly the one I picked for y’all before I saw which one you picked! Love the liners and your calligraphy and stamp choice!

    We designed our own save the date, but were DEF inspired by etsy and other sources. We did postcards on 80# metallic linen finish bright white paper – so PRETTY! They were digital printed and had our own custom logo on the front and some bright yellow chevron on the front w/ lovely rounded corners! We also picked some USPS stamps that had our wedding colors in them! We were so pleased!

  2. avatar Mary reply

    Love these! They were my extremely close second choice to the ones I ended up with! How exciting!

  3. avatar Julie reply

    Save the dates are a must! I made my own online and used our engagement photos for the cards. On the back of the cards (I used a postcard template) I left space to write in the addresses and then included some smaller pictures with the date and our wedding website. Still waiting to get the cards mailed to me, but I’ve seen the proofs online and they are fantastic!

  4. avatar » Southern Weddings Shout Out Swiss Cottage Design reply

    […] with the SW readers. Yesterday she gave our watercolor save the date {a colab with Love, Jenna} a little shout out- very exciting! Thanks […]

  5. avatar AmandaR reply

    I had big plans for our Save the Date! My mom was repainting the big barn on the farm before the wedding anyhow, so we painted “Save the Date, June 9, 2012” REALLY big in John Deere green paint (cue the Joe Diffie song) and posted ourselves in front of it for our Save the Date picture. SO. MUCH. FUN. and a lot of work…. :)

  6. avatar Emily reply

    Which stamp did you order on their website? Can you send me the link? I seriously need one of these with 200+ invitations to mail out. haha :)

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Emily! We ordered the 3 inches wide by 1.5 inches tall rubber stamp (http://www.rubberstamps.net/art-stamps.aspx). I uploaded a custom design, which was pretty easy. Hope that helps!

  7. avatar Emily Plans a Wedding: Accessories! – Southern Weddings Magazine reply

    […] style Mini food! The music We’re renting a tent! We discuss bouquets + boutonnieres We send out our save the dates I gather hair and makeup inspiration We talk cake and sweets I introduce you to our videographer We […]

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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!

emily Written with love by Emily
16 Comments
  1. avatar Kelly Sauer reply

    Oh you totally need a little color in your bouquet – something for the color in your cheeks!
    I love where you’re going with your ideas, Emily!

  2. avatar Elizabeth reply

    Hi Emily!
    All of these bouquets are gorgeous! I love the idea of incorporating color into your bouquet to mix it up a bit (even if it’s just a little). Pale pink or peach would be so pretty. And I love the use of blackberries in boutonnieres, but like you, would worry that they’d smoosh with a hug. Keep us posted on what you decide!
    Liz

    • avatar Emily reply

      Will do, Elizabeth! I can’t wait to see how everything turns out, either!

  3. avatar Alana reply

    Oh definitely do a little touch of color! Will look so pretty against your dress and in photos! AND- as a floral designer, I have worked with the blackberries before and the ones cultivated for decorative use are actually much, much firmer…not very squishable! Or even a little lambs ear with a few sprigs of fresh herbs, such as lavender or rosemary could make a handsome boutonniere! Either would surely be a unique and beautiful touch : )

    • avatar Emily reply

      So glad to hear that about the blackberries, Alana! I will keep that in mind :)

  4. avatar Madelynne Miller reply

    Your ideas are elegant and beautiful! I love color in a bridal bouquet – as a matter of fact, my bridesmaids will have a more monochrome bouquet and I’m going to have a large assortment of colors in mine! I want my bouquet to stand out. I think THIS – http://pinterest.com/pin/259660734735133192/ – is so brilliant. One flower that POPS. Then, it’s a win-win!

  5. avatar elisabeth reply

    So excited for your wedding day Emily– I Can’t wait to take all your ideas and create the most gorgeous day for you! I’m looking forward to incorporating your dream flowers into the floral decor and then adding in a few surprises too! Love this post and fun to hear other bride’s thoughts on all your ideas!

    • avatar Sierra reply

      I don’t know about y’all, but I have LOVED following Emily’s wedding planning journey. So helpful, and I can’t wait to see all of this come together!

  6. avatar Inspiration Board: Love Comes Softly reply

    […] bridesmaids and lace branch detail {C: Joy Thigpen; P: Jose Villa}; place setting with doily; bouquet {F: Studio Blush; P: Katie Slater Photography} Row 2: Wooden sign {Sweet Rose Studio}; blush Claire […]

  7. avatar Friday Flowers: Anemones | Elizabeth Anne Designs: The Wedding Blog reply

    […] {rose and poppy bouquet by Honey and Poppies, photo by Love Me Sailor via 100 Layer Cake; sweet pea, anemone, and jasmine bouquet by KLF Floral, photo by Stephanie Williams Photography via Southern Weddings} […]

  8. avatar Taylar reply

    I’m having the same dilemma!!! But I’m thinking you should throw a little bit of color in there to spunk it up. :) I’m pretty sure I’m going to do the same!

  9. avatar {Southern Flowers} Anemones reply

    […] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, […]

  10. avatar » Wednesday Wed-spiration! A Touch Of Blush » reply

    […] Strapless Tulle Dress 2. Anemone & Peony Bouquet 3. Pearl Box Clutch 4. Miu Miu Heels 5. Morganite Ring 6. Mix & Match Ties 7. Black Bridesmaid […]

  11. avatar Flower Girl Dresses {Monsoon} reply

    […] bridesmaids and lace branch detail {C: Joy Thigpen; P: Jose Villa}; place setting with doily; bouquet {F: Studio Blush; P: Katie Slater Photography} | Row 2: Wooden sign {Sweet Rose Studio}; blush […]

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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

emily Written with love by Emily
18 Comments
  1. avatar Kelly Cummings reply

    Gorgeous tents, I love those merrily waving flags too! Your wedding is going to be amazing!

  2. avatar Emily reply

    Lovin those tents!! Our wedding is at a very large house also. With a tent. And I totally underestimated how stressful the rental situation would be. ($8,000 for twinkle lights in the tent?!) Glad your rental process is going smoothly! Wish I could help with those gorgeous chairs!

    • avatar Emily reply

      GOODNESS, Emily!! No one should be charging you $8,000 for twinkle lights!! Hang those babies yourself! Just for reference, we’re getting string lights around the perimeter of the tent from Sperry, and they charge $.85 per foot, so it will be about $150 for our whole tent. Hope that helps!

  3. avatar AmandaR reply

    Your wedding keeps sounding more and more like my own wedding I am planning! Love black and white dance floors – must have. Great plan for the tents! Love them and I am jealous. My mom and I wanted pole tents (I assume the same as “Sperry” tents??), but the dimensions and square footage limitations of the back yard at her house made a pole tent impractical. Her back yard is an English garden with a brick wall and box woods, which limits where tents can be placed. So we went with a frame tent (not as pretty) AND it is more expensive than the pole tent our vendor offers. UGH! I think you will be extremely pleased with your Sperry splurge! Can’t wait to see what else you come up with next!

    • avatar Emily reply

      Great minds think alike, Amanda! :) And while I think Sperry tents would classify as pole tents, not all pole tents are Sperry tents (if that makes sense…). Just wanted to clarify!

  4. avatar Kelly reply

    Love keeping up with your wedding plans! Looks like it’s going to be lovely! While we would’ve loved to have an outdoor reception with a Sperry tent, our hot July date required an indoor facility. We’ll still be hanging swags of Italian string lights and trying to make the most of the barn space. Good luck finding the bamboo chairs!!!

    • avatar Emily reply

      I’m sure your barn space will be just lovely, Kelly! And congratulations on your engagement — I know you were waiting for it! :)

  5. avatar Meredith reply

    I’m so in love with Sperry tents! This post makes me so excited for your wedding, Emily!

  6. avatar Jennifer @EsqEvents reply

    have you tried calling NECR? http://www.newenglandcountryrentals.com/chairs.html

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Jennifer! Someone actually suggested NECR on Twitter yesterday, and I’ve already emailed them! The chairs themselves are very reasonably priced, but the delivery fee is a little much considering we’re based in CT and they’re in MA. However, they’ve been super helpful, and have helped me think of some alternative options! Thanks so much for the suggestion!

  7. avatar Jennifer reply

    Love the plans so far. Have you considered some type of luminaries for that little stone seating area? Maybe some ribbons or lanterns in the trees? Good luck on your chair hunt.

    • avatar Emily reply

      Hi Jennifer! I most definitely have! I’m kind of strangely enamored with the look of candles on stone walls, so we’ll definitely be doing something like that. Hanging some votives or lights in the trees could be so pretty, too!

  8. avatar Desiree reply

    Hey Emily, great post! :) I wanted you to know that towards the end of December, I successfully pulled off this fun cocktail reception style at my last wedding of 2012. It was a joint effort with the catering BOE, band, & myself. We coordinate flights of food to come out with certain phases of music & the 36in rounds with 4 chairs, plus some high-tops, & 5 lounge areas was more than enough to give ppl a rest…but most of the time they were shakin their groove thangs! It was really awesome to see – not a lull in the whole evening. I’ve used those awesome bamboo chairs at 2 of my weddings down here…too bad New England isnt as into the island-y look as my beach brides…hmm, good luck! OH OH and as far as your cocktail tables, what I suggest to brides is to have lots of your photos printed (engagement, of your first home, from school, from when u were dating, family, as kiddies, pets, etc) & frame them with little tags that have ‘conversation starters’ or ‘fun facts’ on them. Like, “did you know that the newlyweds met at a football game?” next to a pic of you two, ahem, at a football game..”Emily & her beau plan on going to >> for their honeymoon, what do you suggest they see?”. Stuff like that. No flowers, candles or expensive decor needed. And then, you can just reuse the frames for your wedding photos afterward! :)

    • avatar Emily reply

      So glad to hear something similar to what we’re planning worked out for you, Desiree! And I like your cocktail table idea, too!

  9. avatar Allie reply

    Try New England Country Rentals. They’re out of Massachusetts, but they work in all of New England (thank goodness!) and they have those bamboo chairs you like. I am finding them very useful, slightly more pricey, but really great. Hope this helps!

  10. avatar One of Our Brides… Meet Emily Ayer | a jubilee event :: wedding inspiration for the jubilant bride reply

    […] 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 We send out our save the dates I gather hair and makeup […]

  11. avatar Going to the Chapel? Or the Beach? The Countryclub? | Marrily Blog reply

    […] A tented garden: […]

Southern Weddings reserves the right to delete comments which contain profanity or personal attacks or seek to promote a business unrelated to the post.  And remember: a good attitude is like kudzu – it spreads.  We love hearing your kind thoughts!

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