A Swanky Engagement

A lot of our friends are getting married this year. I'm excited, but it's stressful planning a wedding when a lot of your friends are planning one too. It's not so much catty, but I think everyone wants to know what everyone else is doing, by nature.

I've been looking in to engagement sessions around the wedding and photography blogs in the interwebs, and I think I realized something. Those outdoor engagement sessions are beautiful and all, but I don't think that's something I would want. Being that we're probably going to take our engagement pictures sometime in the summer, or when it's hot out, I don't want to be outside sweating. Here in Houston, its hot up until September, even October.. And even if the weather wasn't an issue, we're not very outdoorsy people. I hate being hot, and well I guess J is a little more outdoorsy than I am, but not so much.

When I was perusing the Sloan Photographers blog, I saw these lovely engagement pictures that I absolutely loved! The couple took their pictures at a Penthouse in Arizone. So dramatic, yet simple. I love! This is something I could definitely do, pictures at a swanky hotel, yes please! Now I have to find said swanky hotel and our photographer!

check out the entire session here.

On another note, J and I have been engaged one whole year... wow...

Meet me halfway....

So the Rodeo's in town, and last night we went to see the Black Eyed Peas. Man did they put on a great concert, everyone was up out of their seats dancing and enjoying the music, it was amazing!

A while back, I was watching Platinum Weddings on tv, and I saw this amazing wedding. I fell in love. The groom is the guitarist for the Black Eyed Peas, and wow their wedidng was just gorgeous. From what I can remember, they got married in Playa del Carmen, and their reception was in a cave... a cave!! Can you imagine being a guest at that wedding?? I had recorded the episode on my dvr for "future inspiration," and just the other day I came across this wedding blog with tons of pictures from their awesome wedding... Take a look, so beautiful!!

all pictures by Andrena Photography via Opulent Memoirs blog

She read my mind..

So, today I stumbled upon this blog, JL Designs... and ohmygod, I spent most of the afternoon on it, looking at beautiful florals, wedding inspiration, and all that good stuff.

A while back, I fell in love with the simple elegance that a black and white anemone exudes. So originally, with a black and white pallette, I definitely wanted to incorporate them in the wedding. When I found out that they are in season in January, of course I did a little happy dance. Of course, I haven't gotten any quotes or even looked in to costs, but by far, these are my "dream flowers." So when I was on JL Designs blog, and found these beauties, I thought ohmygod, these are EXACTLY what I want... they are so beautiful!! I love the vases, the flowers, and the jeweled cameos give it that extra ummmphhh, don't you think!? I even love the description she has for this particular arrangement, ha! Ah, they're lovely!

all images via JL Designs blog

I'm baaaaaack!!

Yes, I know... I've been away for a while now. It's just that lately I had been feeling like I had absolutely nothing to blog about!! There were no wedding plans progressing, and what was I to blog about? My dog?? lol, um nah..

Thankfully, I got in to full swing with this whole "wedding planning." We finally picked a date in January. There's really no reason for choosing January, we just did! I figured what better way to start a new year, than to marry the person you love!?

Speaking of marrying, and wedding planning, we finally narrowed down our venue search. I know I had talked alot about places we went to visit, like Trevisio, Artista, and Petroleum Club. Although I liked all of those venues, I didn't really love them, so we never really committed to anything. At first we were pretty set on booking Trevisio, surprisingly, with all that blue decor. But I just felt that I didn't love it, and that I was settling if we did. I mean, don't get me wrong, its a beautiful restaurant, but I just couldn't ever get over the blue walls, blue chairs... it made ME blue...

Until... I casually inquired about The Magnolia Hotel in Downtown. I originally thought it would be waaaaay out of our budget, I mean the place is so nice. God must have really been looking out for us, because we got a great deal at the hotel!! We are super lucky, and I am extremely blessed! So we booked The Magnolia Hotel for our wedding in January! I'm extremely excited! Below are some pictures of an open house at the hotel. Isn't it beautiful!? We've booked the church as well! I'm excited to start the whole marriage preparation with the church, I'm actually excited about the marriage classes. I'm thinking we'll learn alot about ourselves, values, and future expectations. I can't wait! Seriously!

This is the ballroom where our reception will take place.

Photography by Sharon Nicole

So I've been thinking about colors... oh lord, colors! With so many weddings this year, um about 5 to be exact, I have a lot to think about! I definitely want something that's all my own! Last, I blogged about having a pretty formal wedding, with a black and white, and champagne color scheme. I still love the idea of black and white, but after I saw the images on my previous post, I almost knew this is what I wanted. I've been searching high and low, and I think I'm still going to keep the black and white color scheme, but I want to throw in some gray/pewter and pops of some deep, deep purple. It's still formal, but there's some color in there! I guess we'll have to see how my "vision" pans out in these coming months!

Here are a couple of inspiration boards that have tickled my fancy lately...

via jomygoodness

via the cake blog

via wedding window

Loving...

All of these images. Such great inspiration, with the whole white and black colors, with a punch of either a dusty rose, and champagne. Carlo Pignatelli is so chic and modern, I just love it. Now I just have to move to Italy, ha.

all images via Carlo Pignatelli

Inspiration, Inspiration!

Lately I've been lacking inspiration in the wedding department. But just recently I started to think that I should start this wedding planning soon. This year has passed us so quickly, and I'm most certain it will be the same with next year. So I'll say that wedding planning will start pretty soon! I'm excited. I have officially picked out some colors that I want for the wedding. I think J and I have narrowed the wedding down to say, January 2011.

I'm going for a more formal event, with classic colors like black, white, and champagne. I couldn't find much inspiration online, and this color combo, I'm guessing, isn't used often, or isn't posted about very often. So here are some images that are inspiring me...

Gray Photography

Zuhair Murad via {casando ideias}

The Party Dress

A Lovely Morning

Christian Louboutin

Oh so pretty Calligraphy!

Lately I've been loving more and more the idea of calligraphy for our wedding invitations.. No, this doesn't mean we are working on them, ha, I'm just getting ideas. I love the look of handwritten calligraphy, how beautiful and whimsical it looks, it calls out "wedding."

Maybe we could get a template for the invitations and get the invites printed here, kind of like this bride did.

Love, Jenna

Emilie Friday's Etsy shop

Grace Edmands Calligraphy


Debi Zeinert Calligraphy

We'll just have to see if the calligraphy will fit in to the budget we haven't really determined, ha. Hopefully everything falls in to place, and I'm able to get everything I desire.

A Muted Inspiration Board

Wow. When I saw this inspiration board via {casando ideias}, I thought to myself, how did she know that this is what I want, ha. I love the whole muted color scheme, love it. This is something I definitely want to achieve at my wedding. What a lovely board to be inspired by! Ahh, must say that I love me some wedding blogs! This totally made my Friday.

[click picture to enlarge]

A Beautiful Wedding

I wanted to post some pictures of my really good friends' wedding, which was about a year and a half ago. I loved, and actually still love the pictures from the day of. All of the details that went in to wedding, the venue, the people, made this wedding absolutely beautiful. All pictures by J.Cogliandro Photography.

Wedding was held at Northwest Forest in La Hacienda

The bride getting ready...

My beautiful friend.

Groom...

I love this picture of her...

A carriage ride to the ceremony.

Groom's face as she walks down the aisle.

The lovely ceremony.

Husband and wife!

Beautiful pictures of the couple.

First dance.

Father-daughter/Mother-son dance.

Cake time!

A ride back to their room, once the reception ended.

This has got to be my favorite... A little fun in their room.

A great ending to a beautiful day.

** Forgot to mention, the picture above won an Accolade of Excellence at WPPI 2009, per J.Cogliandro's blog. Check out his blog, for tons of beautiful pictures!