Hello Readers!

With the beauty of summer right around the corner, weddings are in full bloom! Many summer weddings that I have attended are rich with vibrant shades of color, so the summer of 2010 will probably follow through on this trend. A color that always comes to mind during the summer is that of coral–abundant with bright happiness in varying shades of orange. This amazing color blends well with many summer themes, especially for a wedding down by the ocean, lake or pond! Additionally, what is truly unique about this color is its versatility to not only warm and spice up a wedding’s color palette, but it can also be utilized to highlight a more natural and soft wedding theme. Below are some examples of the color coral taking center stage:

We love what Trendsetting Wedding did with this inspiration board–it looks so fun and sophisticated at the same time!

This Indian-inspired wedding design found at Wedding Nouveau beholds an exquisite charm as the gentle color of coral creates  a divine ambiance.

Lastly, Snippet and Ink certainly does not disappoint with this stunning wedding inspiration board which portrays a southern charm and feminine appeal.

“Fresh and Alive” with Coral: Wedding Inspiration Board is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Hello Readers,

Listening on the radio this morning, I heard that Carrie Underwood’s wedding is well underway and is shaping up to be a grand affair!  However, what really sparked my interest was her decision to forego the traditional wedding cake for the “new darling” of weddings: the cupcake.

The cupcake has grown in popularity over the past few years, as its cute and trendy appeal, along with the individualized portions of sweet happiness truly provide guests a unique alternative.

A search for “cupcake” on Wikipedia.com states that the origination of the cupcake began in the “early 19th century” with the first reference of a cupcake “in Eliza Leslie’s Receipts cookbook from 1828.”    Interestingly, the “first bakery devoted exclusive to cupcakes is Sprinkles,  located in Beverly Hills, CA.”

Cupcakes can be utilized for many wedding events including the rehearsal dinner, bridal showers, engagement parties and bachelorette parties.  In fact, I am hosting a bachelorette party this weekend for a great friend of mine, and  cupcakes will play center stage during dinner!  Below are some charming pictures of cupcakes made at bakeries in North Carolina:

Go to The Cupcake Shoppe in Raleigh, NC for these delightful cupcakes:

Go to Simply Cakes in Apex, NC for these sweet cupcakes:

The “New Darling” of Weddings and Events: CUPCAKES! is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Dear Readers,

Here is yet another post dedicated to spring-inspired wedding inspiration boards.  These warmer days are slowly approaching, so make sure to bask in the warmth of spring.  Enjoy!

Thanks to Snippet and Ink for captivating the essence of spring!

The delightful inspiration board from Betsy White features an outdoor garden setting, sprinkled with the beautiful blooms of springtime.

“Step into Spring”: Wedding Inspiration Board II is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Dear Readers,

Although it seems this winter generated unusually cold weather, it reminds me that soon the snow will melt, and hints of spring will begin to blossom.  These subtle hints include: little green buds forming on the grey, prickly trees of winter, people walking around the neighborhood a little more than usual, birds frolicking outside your window, and sunshine on your face that feels just a touch warmer.

I can appreciate why many bride and grooms choose to plan their wedding date for a spring-time month, as the abundant beauty of nature can really burst with color.  Some couples choose the spring months due to moderate temperatures, and others because of the gorgeous scenery from fresh blooms.  Additionally, some couples symbolize the rebirth of nature to their own rebirth as a married couple.  Regardless, there are a multitude of reasons couples elect for a spring-time wedding to celebrate their union, so the inspiration boards below can help provide ideas filled with fresh decor, and effervescent hues.

Thanks to This Young House for a gorgeous green array of springtime ideas!

The vivacious color of sunshine glows from the blog of Keen to be Seen!

Next week, With This Favor will highlight two additional Spring Wedding Inspiration Boards!

“Step into Spring”: Wedding Inspiration Board is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Dear Readers,

An unknown author once said, “The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens.”   Thus,whether it is continuing the legacy of the refined elegance illustrated by Jackie Onassis, to Michelle Obama’s modern style, these ladies have both donned a timeless treasure—the pearl.

Pearls have been a mainstay for decades now, but their origins date back to almost 206 B.C. per Wikiepedia.  There are two formations of pearls, with the cultured pearl cultivated from human aid, and the natural pearl created (as you would expect) in nature, with no human aid.   Therefore, natural pearls are much higher in cost due to their scarcity.  With most of the pearls available across the market as cultured pearls, women adorn themselves with stunning beads of varying colors such as: white, champagne, pink, black, and more.   If you are looking for a high quality luster of pearls with a very affordable price, enjoy browsing through the online boutique at PearlsofJoy.com.  The company features a superb shipping program, 90-day return policy, safe and private purchasing options, and has been featured on The View, and In Style Magazine.  Moreover, Pearls of Joy showcases a myriad of quality pearls (perfect for wedding day), such as Akoya, Freshwater, South Sea, and Tahitian.

Revolutionizing the jewelry market, pearls make sophisticated statements from delicate earrings, to a gorgeous bracelet, and of course, the quintessential strand of a pearl necklace.  Additionally, the enduring pearl doesn’t discriminate amongst age groups.  Look around and you may see young girls with small and delicate pearl necklaces, to sorority sisters with their polished pearl earrings, and brides with their bridesmaids beaming in many arrays of pearl bridal jewelry, as well as distinguished ladies of on older generation embellished in the everlasting beauty of pearls.

Consequently, the next time you are searching for the perfect piece of jewelry, select a symbol of what Wikipedia describes as “love, knowledge, wisdom, truth and faith” — the pearl.

Pearls Are the New “Girl’s Best Friend” is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Hello Readers!

With digital technology taking the place of many forms of visual art that are tediously done by hand, I am always amazed and pleased to see the whimsical elegance found in calligraphy.  When calligraphy adorns wedding invitations, escort cards, ceremony programs and reception menus, I am always thankful for this personal touch of finesse that a bride and groom add to their wedding.  Recently, I was introduced to Mandi Heilig, owner of Dry Ink Designs, which specializes in design and calligraphy.  She describes her passion as the ”love of working with people to decide a style that works for their use, and then finally seeing their reaction to the finished product.”

So let us take a journey back to the origins of calligraphy. Wikipedia states that calligraphy “dates back to 600 B.C.,”and the evolution of this visual art form has truly created beautiful products through many years.  Therefore, the calligraphers that preserve this historic art form are able to personalize and tailor items to really meet a person(s) vision.   Mandi expressed how important the preservation of calligraphy is because the artform portrays a ”beautiful tradition that is slowly becoming a lost art.”  She also comments that calligraphy ”is a first glance into your special event and is something that I can do fairly easily, allowing me to create something people and excited to use.”

I was interested in how many people become interested in calligraphy and Mandi was so kind to share her journey below:

“I remember years ago, I was very young and was at one of our weekly Sunday Night dinners at my Grandma Grace’s house. She had a set of calligraphy pens, she was very artistic and creative. I had never seen pens like this and wondered how they worked. My dad got the pens out and just started “creating” letters in Old English Style. He showed me how to hold the pen and how to create the different lines to write out the letters. At that point I was young, but hooked and through the years kept working at it and eventually picked up my own techniques and styles.”

Therefore, for brides and grooms who are interested in incorporating a calligrapher and/or designer into their wedding stationary, don’t forget to visit www.dryinkdesigns.com!  Ultimately, your wedding stationary is yet another outlet to make a great first impression.

Incorporating The Elegance Of Calligraphy Into Your Wedding is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Our appreciation goes to Australia Entertains for a nostalgic winter wedding board!

The whimsical beauty of winter is illustrated through Ashley’s Bride Guide .

Gold highlights this winter theme by Wedding Bee .

Another Winter Wonderland Wedding Inspiration Board! is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

While there are mass amounts of decisions to make before wedding day, an important decision for some is to have a way to reminisce their wedding day and its special nuances.  Thus, many brides and grooms choose to have a videographer(s) to capture the wedding ceremony and reception–even interviews from the bride, groom, family and friends before the big day.

An emerging creative technique in some engagement videos and wedding day videos has been the use of Super 8mm film.  My first thought when I think of this type of film is the old home movies that were made and played on a projector.  The videos I see now with Super 8mm film are beautifully crafted, incorporating the nostalgic feel of the mid -1900′s, with a modern edge of vintage glam.  Below are my favorite links to videographers I found with expertise in Super 8mm film that have some of their work posted on their web pages–love it!

Vantage Point Custom Films – check out Mindy and Brian’s Highlight Video for a gorgeous depiction of Super 8mm film.

Goodwin Films —  look at Megan and Nate’s Destination Video, Rachel and Jordan’s Wedding Video, as well as Katie and Spud…how breathtaking!

Super 8mm Wedding Movie by Goodwin Films

With that being said, there are many options a videographer may be able to offer the soon-to-be newlyweds, so I suggest to keep options open and look at: the varying packages (amount of hours available, number of videographers present, cost, special touches etc.), past referrals customers and if possible, past work.  Also, just because a videographer might offer an amazing package that includes videography and even DJ services, always do your research into what the package consists of, and the expertise they have in the field.

On a final note,  be prepared to pay a little more for the added feature of Super 8mm film to your videography package.  Many couples feel the added cost is well worth the sparkling final product which yields a video that is not only tailored to the bride and groom, but provides an additional layer of exquisite film expertise,  uniqueness, and timeless moments that are highlighted in shimmering detail.

Videography: The Vintage Edge of Super 8mm Film is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Hello Readers!

Every morning, I have a routine set where I must watch the Weather Channel before heading off to work, or before running out for errands.  This morning, to my sheer giddy delight, I saw a fantastic picture on our television.  Although I may have had to blink a couple of times and run to get my glasses because I am utterly “blind as a bat” without my glasses, I saw that the meterologists are calling for snow showers in our area!

Thus, with this wintery weather arriving, I thought about all the winter brides and grooms out there preparing for their special day.  There is such beauty that can be found in a winter wedding, and such elegant details that can be utilized throughout a wedding venue. Below are a few Winter Wedding Inspiration Boards to provide brides and grooms a flourish of ideas:

Thanks to Green Wedding Shoes for a Winter Inspiration Board that is dazzling in absolutely divine sophistication.

This winter wonderland inspiration board is frosted in rich detail from the snowflakes and trees to  soft, blue lighting.  We love this expression of winter found at In The Details!

“Walking in a Winter Wonderland” : Winter Wedding Inspiration Boards is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.

Hello Readers!

There are two holidays that always seem to cause my heart to flutter with excitement: Halloween and Christmas!  So that means the latter is almost here!  From the Christmas songs that I hear on the radio, to the Black Friday shopping tradition my family does every year, as well as the Christmas tree lights that softly glow from house windows–I immerse myself into this joyous time of year.

That means spending days engulfed in the following activities: decorating the inside of our house, baking Christmas cookies, choosing what Christmas cards me and my husband will send out, choosing the perfect gifts for family and friends, wrapping these gifts, taking deep breaths of the cool and crisp air filtered with the smoky smell of burning wood, dressing our dachshund doggie in various red and green outfits, and attending holiday parties.  This year  is even “upping the ante” as our neighborhood is having a friendly competition for “Best Outdoor Christmas Decorations.”

Wish us luck!

Now, I fully understand that some people reading this would rather do anything but everything I have mentioned, and may even think I am silly taking such enjoyment in all this…

But I just can’t help it!  It is truly “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and I take such joy and pleasure in filling this time with all my family traditions developed over the years, and even new traditions.  Therefore, I have found some Christmas Wedding Inspiration Boards that simply delight me to no end!

We wish you and your family a very merry holiday season.

With This Favor

Thanks to The City Sage for an Inspiration Board that brings some festive holiday cheer!

These Christmas table decorations from Tastefully Entertaining provide the perfect touch for a Christmas-themed wedding and can be a great DIY project!

This beautiful (as well as my favorite) Christmas Wedding Inspiration Board from Cornerstone Events showcases the splendid palette of green and red, and highlights how beautiful and natural they look together!

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” : Christmas Wedding Inspiration Boards is a post from: Wedding Blog by With This Favor. With This Favor is your official superstore for wedding favors.