Wedding Wednesday: Think Outside the Box

So many weddings nowadays are starting to look the same.  Sure a lot of things change wedding to wedding, but there's a lot of things that have established a "status quo."  Lately, however a few trends have caught my eye that made me go "Huh, I haven't seen that before."  And maybe we don't all want all of these ideas in our dream wedding, but at least they break the mold and make us think outside the box. Your wedding is about you and your betrothed, so do what YOU want to do, and what fits you as a couple, not what everyone else is doing, or my favorite -- what you're "supposed" to do.

1.  Forget the paper plate seating chart!

Now I don't know anyone who doesn't relish introducing their favorite people to their other favorite people -- and, as much as we all love being relationship matchmakers, I truly enjoy being a friendship matchmaker.  On a day that's filled with as much love as a wedding day, why not encourage everyone to pick their own seats, sit together and meet someone new.  And, hey, if you've got groups of people who maybe love each other a bit less than others (if you know what I mean) you can let them handle their own drama and pick the seat that suits them best -- perhaps one in the bar in the lobby? -- and worry about more important things in the weeks leading up to your wedding than dealing with color-coded sticky tabs on paper plates spread all over your living room floor.

Image via Pinterest/From 100layercake.com

Image via Pinterest/from urbanfarmgirlandco.blogspot.com

Image via Pinterest/From i-do-it-yourself.com

2. Baby Bridesmaids?

Okay, so maybe this one isn't for everyone.  It's probably not for me, seeing as I have 7 best friends who I absolutely want standing beside me on my wedding day, but I think it is probably one of the sweetest things I have ever seen! I feel like so often I hear conversations or read blogs about how to politely communicate that children are not invited to the wedding... and it hurts my heart.  I love children, I love the innocent joy they bring to situations (And I love living in the dreamworld where they never throw tantrums and are always clean and looking cute.) So maybe you don't want an all-children wedding party, but what about a gaggle of precious little girls walking down the aisle ahead of you scattering rose petals? I can't imagine anything cuter.

 

Kate Moss' wedding via The Examiner

3. Who says Mama can't walk you down the aisle?

My grandfather is without a doubt the most important man in my life, and I have spent most of my 23 years thinking that one day he would walk me down the aisle to give me away to the man of my dreams -- and in all honesty, I hope he does.  But, part of me really knows that the person who holds the authority to "give me away" is my mom.  Maybe it's different for you, maybe it's your brother, your uncle, your sister, or just a wonderful friend.  Whoever it is, the person who walks you down the aisle has a pretty important role: they get to hold your hand as you take the first steps to your new life!

Image via Pinterest/from ruffledblog.com

4. Have your cake and eat other stuff, too. 

So I've never been the biggest fan of cake. But give me warm chocolate chip cookies, and I will go to town.  For some, it's pie; for others, it's cheesecake.  Personally, I could do work at an ice cream sundae bar.  Dessert time at your wedding should be a time where you have what you like, not just what's expected.  For many, this means having a wedding cake accompanied by other options.  My personal favorite is the family recipe bar as shown below.  Gather some of your family members together (or gather friends and borrow the family recipe book) and bake your Granny's cherrie pie your new Mother-in-Law's famous peanut butter cookies! That way you have all your favorite things at your wedding and not just an expensive cake you'll eat again on your first anniversary.

Image via Pinterest/from projectwedding.com

5. Dance parties work up an appetite. 

I don't know about you, but if I stay up past about 10 p.m., I need a bit to eat!  And, if you expect me to dance into the wee hours of the morning, I'm mon need a bit of dancing fuel.  Think of it as the "Fourth-meal" of your wedding, or the food that helps soak up some of the champagne. 

Image Via

What are some of the things you've seen at weddings that were out-of-the-box ideas? What did you do at your wedding, or what are you planning to do?  What's something you see done at every wedding that you know you won't do? (For me it's the garter toss!)

Making Brands Happen Webinar

Don't you fret... Wedding Wednesday will be posted later tonight, you know at my usual 11pm deadline.  In the interim, spend your time feasting your eyes on this little tidbit.

The lovely ladies of Making Brands Happen (Lara Casey and Emily Ley) are hosting a webinar, and better yet, they're giving away a spot! Today is the last day to enter. 

I have a feeling that if I don't win the spot, I'll still try to attend, but how cool would it be to win? (I love winning! Just call me competitive...)  Not only could this be an incredible experience for me in my professional career, it could also be a great jumpstart to branding myself and allowing sarahannewatsondesign to really take off!

I'm so excited to learn about this!

Back in flash to talk about some out-of-the-box wedding ideas on WEDDING WEDNESDAY!

Current Obsession: Colored Denim

So when I find a trend I like, I tend to attach myself to it pretty hardcore.  Case in point: my recent purchase of two pairs of colored denim from Old Navy.  ($19 on sale, pretty much justifies the purchase of two of the same item, don't you think?)

My color choices were the royal blue and fuschia... and I'm already considering buying the green if I can track them down.  You can find them online here, but they're $32.50 when you buy them online.

So far I've worn both pairs with the same chambray top from  J. Crew and the same necklace sort of like this one. (That just occurred to me!)  But, I also wore this top from Old Navy with the blue pair,  I have it in red with dogs printed on it, but the navy would go well with the pink, and its printed with cats! (So I guess you can choose based on which pet you like more.)

The jeans from Old Navy (again, on sale for $19 in stores!) are a bit of a cropped length, so they look great with flats or Jack Rogers (my personal favorite are the gold ones).  On a rather cool day, I did wear them with my classic Minnetonka moccasins. 

My next goal is to wear them with a plain white tank top, a jean jacket and a statement necklace -- a big departure from what I've already done... not.  But, hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? 

How do y'all wear your colored denim?  Which are your favorite colors for Spring and Summer?  I must admit, I'm coveting this mint green pair from Urban Outfitters, for a cool $58.

Chevrons, inspirational quotes and getting back in the action...

Believe it or not, I don't believe in speaking if you don't have anything worthwhile to add to the conversation -- and for a good long time, I haven't had anything to say.  Better yet, I hadn't been willing to find anything to say.  I didn't want blogging to be work, I wanted it to be an outlet.  Now, I know that if you want an outlet, you should get a journal; if you want to blog, be ready to work.

I've done months of research -- okay, reading lots of blogs that have inspired me to find my voice and write my blog, not only as an outlet, but as a true example of my love of all things creative and stylish. And, believe me, I find ways to incorporate a LOT of things into that category.

There's not a job in the world that would allow me to do all of the things I love all at the same time -- mostly because you'd have to be crazy to try.  So now, I think I'm taking on the task of creating a blog that seemingly lacks direction, but truly its only direction is to allow me to be the jack-of-all-trades that I am on a day-to-day basis.  No two days will be the same, and in the span of a week, I'll probably cover anything from music to makeup, dance to denim, or weddings to washing my hair. Get ready, I certainly hope it's a fun ride.

I'd like to have started this venture on a nice even round number; you know, like the first of the month.  March 1st however, is a Thursday, and that just didn't make any sense to me.  So here we are on a Monday -- yes, it's Fenruary 27th -- but it's a nice round, even day to start things off.  Let's get this thing going.

......

I have recently decided to make myself official.  I started a fan page on facebook (www.facebook.com/sarahannewatsondesign) for my side (read: Favors for Friends) business, where I create custom designs for personal branding, stationery, invitations and announcements.  Anyway, in the process, I've gained a few tasks, and had to take a night to myself last Friday to get them all done!  (yay!) After working my brain overtime, I found myself in a need of a bit of reckless abandon -- so I threw some inspirational quotes, chevrons and ombre together, and I think I made a bit of magic.  

Enjoy.  Feel free to print them out and use them in your homes!  Let me know if you'd like one made with one of your favorite inspirational quotes.

 Love me some Eleanor Roosevelt... hence why she shows up twice in here.

 Be JOYFUL. There is joy in all things... find it.

 I'll probably name a child after this genius one day. I'll call her Ellie. Haven't thought about this in the least...

Many simple things scare the hell out of me... 

 Mother Theresa... Wise, WISE lady.

And there it is... the "full circle" moment.  (Yeah, that's the Oprah in me talking.)

That's all for tonight y'all.  I need beauty sleep.  Tomorrow's post will likely be about my favorite spring trend -- COLORED denim!  Love it.