Weddings... Guest Book Idea!

If you've looked at the wedding category on Pinterest, I'm sure you've seen the creative guest book idea of having guests sign a wooden log.  We're big tree lovers and road trip takers, and one of our first road trips was to Sequoia National Forest, so we wanted our guest table to pay homage to this love of road trips wrapped in nature in one really big tree log.

One of Dustin's groomsmen cut the tree slice from an old tree stump in his backyard.  Doesn't sound too bad, but it took a long time because this bad boy is HUGE!  The tree slice measures over two feet long, 20 inches wide and almost three inches thick.  Kudos to Francisco for cutting and providing our guest log.  Once we had the slice, Dustin sanded it like crazy, then stained it with a very light stain and lacquered it for a glossy look.

Many people didn't understand why or what we would do with it afterwards, but that's what this post is all about.  What to do with your guest log after the wedding.

First, here's the guest table...

The magnet board featured some Instagram size pictures from our adventures together.  I made the little banners with some of my bridesmaids cutting them out of cardstock.  The "holla" sign is from Oh Dier Living on Etsy.  They didn't have our color as an option for paint but in conversations, they actually had a color previously used on another project that matched ours perfectly.  Never be afraid to ask for what you want!

Here's a portion of the log!

Now for the good stuff.  We didn't want to mount the log because truth be told, it might bring our walls down it's so heavy.  We could display it on an easel, but we really don't have room for that and wanted to lift it off the floor.  Sooo, we wanted to make it a cute feature table.  

We asked for hairpin legs for Christmas and we got them!

The "guest log" in all its glory...

 Flipped over and the drilling starts...

The log isn't even on the bottom, so we had to find the flattest areas and make sure it could stand up.  So we didn't end up using the 4th leg but might add it for aesthetic reasons.

 THE END RESULT!

I can't wait till we have a house and a proper place to put this guy.  It turned out so neat!

 xoxo,

Tracy

Weddings... Etsy Gift Ideas for Newlyweds!

I don't know about you, but whenever someone says "Really a gift card is great!" I find it hard to believe.  I like gift cards, I like them a lot... like a lot.  I would prefer that too!  But for some reason, there's a negative connotation around gifting a gift card as it seems like the easy way out.

Well, that's kinda how I feel about wedding registries.  Oh, do you really want those dishtowels, cooking thermometer, and Brita water filters?!  Nope nope, I'm going to tell you what you want -- haha.  Which is so silly because it's the same thing as the gift card situation.

Well, if you dare to veer off the wedding registry path and step up your off-the-registry game, go for something authentic, personal and on Etsy.  Below, I've listed 6 gift ideas for the bride and groom from the one and only Etsy.

(1) Elycia Camille | Mr. + Mrs. Ring Holders

Why? These are really very practical.  I used to put my ring in its box, but sometimes it's nice to have a place to just set it down for convenience.

(2) Ellicakes | Custom Wedding Cake Ornament

Why? I know you're probably like -- this is silly, how am I supposed to know what their wedding cake is going to look like??  A fair question, dear reader.  If you want to gift this before the wedding, then you'll have to do some recon, but my suggestion would be to wait until after the wedding.  Trust me, the new Mr. and Mrs. are so freaking busy months after the wedding, they won't notice the delay on the super special, custom gift.  I just gifted my BFF with one on Christmas and she loved it.  Steph at Ellicakes is incredibly talented and did an amazing job matching the cake exactly!  I mean -- just look at the pictures, it's hard to tell the difference between what's real and what's fake.  It's the perfect ornament for a first Christmas married and many Christmas' after.

(3) En Dash Designs | Custom Address Stamp

Why? This might be the most used gift you could ever get newlyweds.  It's a true lifesaver with all the thank you cards they'll be writing and you'll be a hero for it!  I recommend purchasing the self-inking option because it's quick, evenly distributes ink and dries almost instantly.

(4) Dinglewood Design + Press | Personalized Stationery

Why? Another good bulk paper product item!  My mom used to buy personalized stationery for me when I was younger, and though the trend comes in and out, I think it's on the way back in.  Family stationery is really handy for newlyweds, it's very classy (who doesn't love letterpress!) and easy for quick notes and thank you's!

(5) Box for a Bottle | Custom Wine Box

Why? For the wine enthusiast couple, this personalized wine box (purchase options allow for 1-3 bottles) is a keepsake they'll be sure to hang on to.  The best part?  There are a ton of different designs, and each panel is engraved with friendly reminders on when to pop the cork on each bottle - every anniversary!  (*Wine not included)

(6) Taylor Crafts Engraved | Personalized Cutting Board

Why? There are a ton of shops on Etsy that do this, but I have experience with this company and they are SO good at what they do.  They offer different designs, fonts, handles/no handles, woods, etc.  It's completely customizable and they're so speedy!!

Music... Top 10 First Dance Songs!

Before I get started, let me start by saying music was one of the first things we planned because 1) it's fun, and 2) it's free!  

I've always wanted to dance to the great Edwin McCain; the following scene from The Cinderella Story was a game changer and was a non-negotiable first dance pick.  That was it -- done, check that box, next question.  But dear 17-year old Tracy, a wedding is for two people, and Dustin isn't a huge fan of the sappy, 8th grade "leave room for Jesus" slow dance songs, so we had to explore other avenues.  

Let's still take a moment to enjoy this though -- pretty f--ing magical.

After thinking about it more, I actually agreed with him.  I wanted the same thing that I wanted out of 'the dress', I wanted it to be unique, special, epitomize "us" and be as much our song as it could be.

OKAY - LET'S GET STARTED!!

Here are my top 10 picks for your first dance as husband and wife.

10. Ho Hey | Lennon + Maisy of "Nashville"

I love The Lumineers, but something about the way the girls cover this makes it feel slower and more romantic, if that's even possible.

9. Somewhere Only We Know | Keane

8. I Don't Dance | Lee Brice

Love me some country music!  I saw Lee Brice at Stagecoach this year and he told the story of how he wrote this song for his wife.  When you know, you know.

7. Your Song | Ellie Goulding

6. Hold You In My Arms | Ray LaMontagne

5. Thinking Out Loud | Ed Sheeran

4. You Make It Real | James Morrison

3. Marry Me | Train + Martina McBride

2. The Blower's Daughter | Matt McAndrew

I heard this cover of the song on The Voice a couple weeks ago and am obsessed.

1. Tenerife Sea | Ed Sheeran

This one is so biased.  This is our first dance song, but I couldn't help it!!  It's beautiful.

Weddings... Our Own!

I couldn't be more excited to finally share this post with you!  

Dustin and I got married on Saturday, October 4th at Catalina View Gardens in my hometown of Palos Verdes Estates, CA.  It was a beautiful day!  Nothing could ever prepare you for the overwhelming feeling of joy on your wedding day.  Yes, it was a scorching 91 degrees out, but it meant for a really comfortable evening #silverlining.  

The “vision” for our day evolved over time, but the vibe we wanted to achieve didn’t falter.  We wanted our wedding to feel like an upscale backyard celebration, something relaxed yet fun, with all the comforts of home.  We hoped it was obvious that we put a lot of thought into our day and that every detail had our unique thumbprint on it.  To see the details that we spent so much time on come together in one place other than our small apartment was really exciting to see.  

The big day was bursting with love, hugs, giggles, kisses and unforgettable moments.  I’m convinced time goes by faster on your wedding day, but I will always remember every hour, minute, and second of that day for the rest of my life.  The most spectacular part of our wedding day was taking our vows, joining our lives and families together, in the company of our closest friends and family.  

It was the best first day of the rest of our big adventure together.

Enjoy the photos and our highlight reel below!!

DIY INFO: I bought these 14" plates at Hobby Lobby.  Dustin stained them and I painted and engraved them.  I also did "THANK YOU," "GUEST LOG," "RESTROOMS" amongst others.  Looking to sell them if you're interested!

DIY INFO: I ordered our invitations on Minted, custom stamps on Stamps.com, did the calligraphy myself, and purchased gold/white twine and the custom tags on Smitten on Paper.

DIY INFO: Dustin designed these maps and then printed two each on letter paper and cut them at FedEx.

DIY INFO: Dustin and I purchased this jewelry box from Hobby Lobby.  It's actually got a pink and white sparkly bottom under the moss that we added haha.  Quickest ring box ever!

WEDDING RING: Wood inlayed and white gold outer, purchased on Etsy from Jewelry by Johan

FUN FACT: Dustin always wears plaid shirts, so as a nod to him, I gave all the girls monogrammed plaid shirts!

DIY INFO: I know how important it is to have a full length mirror to do and check make up, so I purchased these two mirrors from Home Depot for $5, and then used a chalk marker to customize them!

INFO: The monogrammed Tumblrs are from Dawlens on Etsy!

THE DRESS: Martina Liana from Blush Bridal Couture in Tustin, CA

A little bit about the details and planning -- if you've ever been on Pinterest or stylish wedding blog, your expectations are probably at sky high if and when planning a wedding.  There wasn't room in our budget for a stylist, so we had to rely on our own talents and extremely supportive friends and family!  Although a professionally styled wedding was ideal, it wasn't realistic for us.  I'd like to think that we had a "real girl's" wedding, that had a family affair of a team who really came together with us to make the day so very special.