The First Day of the Rest Of My Life...With You

Mini Newspaper Program | Features

2012-01-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

I thought I would do a post to highlight a few Newspaper Programs that I have recently created for couples so that I could share some of their unique ideas for the various sections in their programs.

*Be sure to click on each image to open them in a larger screen.

Chris and Tonya |

This super fun couple was getting married in the Bride's hometown: Tennessee! They had a whole weekend of events planned for their guests and asked if I couple create a 'coupon' of sorts that would inform their guests that they would have free admission to BB Kings for the weekend of the wedding. I created the couple to make it look like a 'cut-out' in the newspaper and also did a section with all of the information needed for a River Boat Cruise on the Memphis River that they had also planned for their guests. All I can say is I wish I was a guest for their wedding day!

They also included a fun 'Marriage Advice Column' that features various words of wisdom from their friends and family. It creates a super funny, personal and entertaining section in the newspaper.

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Kayla and Tyler |

This couple has two loves... The Green Bay Packers and their Cats... Oh Yeah and each other of course! These passions show through their newspaper program with a featured 'Pet' section as well as a sports advertisement that I created for the Green Bay Packers vs. the Colts in the Super Bowl (Let's just say they were pretty confident that their beloved team would make it to the Super Bowl and wanted their guests to know it - Go Green Bay!). Sections like these are always a great way to show off your personality, hobbies, likes and interest and give your paper a personalized flare.

Nat and Crystal |

This soccer loving couple got married at the Wells Fargo Center in Salt Lake City. They did a unique 'Special Thanks' section to the 'Sponsors' of their wedding. This section included some funny sponsors such as 'Budweiser' and also included some more serious recognition including the charity 'Teammates for Kids' which is a charity that the couple is involved with and that they donated to in honor of their wedding guests.

I have also had couples create a 'Vendor List' section in their newspaper listing all of the people that made their day happen (Ex. Dress by..., Hair By..., Photography By..., Decorations by.. etc.) A great way to recognize your vendors of choice and to inform guests of your sources if they are planning a wedding/event themselves.

Elias and Amelia |

This Canadian couple was heating things up with a destination wedding in Miami! Being a destination wedding they wanted to include a 'Fun Facts' section that would give guests some noteworthy info about Miami. They couple also wanted to include a business advertisement section for their Toronto based business 'Hula Girl Espresso Boutique' to highlight their passion for what they do in their program. This couple also included several childhood photos which added a whimsical and nostalgic feature to their paper.

*As you can see, from the examples above, Mini Newspaper Programs are completely customizable to fit any wedding theme and to highlight your hobbies, interests, passions, careers as well as your wedding theme and location and they are also a great way to give guests important information that they will need to make your wedding day/weekend run as smoothly as possible.

Click HERE to view the Newspaper Program listing in my ETSY Shop and for all of the details about how you can order a Mini Newspaper Program for your Big Day.

Vendor Love | Blossom Events

2011-12-16T10:14:00.001-08:00

I recently worked with Blossom Events creating a number of different stationary items for a 'Starbucks Themed Photoshoot' that they spearheaded. They worked with various vendors commissioning them to bring their vision of a cozy cafe wedding to life. The shoot was featured on The Wedding Chicks blog and has received great feedback from the site's readers.

Blossom Events is a Toronto based private and corporate event planning company and, as evident in the Starbucks theme Wedding Shoot, they do an amazing job of pulling together all of the details to make a spectacular event including: Location, theme, styling, decor, stationary, food, drink and merriment!

Another stunning stylized shoot that Blossom Events recently put together was a Ballerina / Swan Lake Inspired Shoot that was featured on Wedding Obsession. Again, their mastery for creating an environment that is fully immersed in the theme and style of the event shines through these images.

As a vendor I can say that working with them was a great experience. You can tell that they are very organized, passionate and driven as I received fast responses and clear communication throughout the process.

If you are getting married or have an upcoming event in the GTA I would definitely recommend checking them out.

Blossom Events: Site | Blog | Facebook

A FEW PHOTOS FROM THE STARBUCKS SHOOT:

Photographer: Paul Nelson Images
Event Designer: Blossom Events
Venue: The School Café and Bakery
Makeup: Krystie Ann
Hair: Rich Matukaitis
Cake: The Little Wicked Cake Company
Coordinator: Blossom Events
Dress Designer: Lowon Pope Wedding
Flowers: Ruffles and Twine
Groom’s Attire: Model’s Own suit
Stationery: KO TWO Designs
Veil or Hair Accessories: Pomp and Plumage
Models: Kate Sciamanna and Neal Adams

Custom Straw Flags |

2011-12-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

One of my newest ETSY items are these Print-It-Yourself Custom Straw Flags.

You Choose the font and colours to ensure that they match your wedding or event perfectly!

I design your flags and send you a digital file with multiple flags on one sheet making printing quick and easy. You simply print as many as you need, cut them out and attach them to your straws.

It makes for a simple DIY project that will wow your guests!

These flags are DOUBLE SIDED so you can choose to write your names with a heart on one side and your wedding date or maybe a word like 'Cheers' or 'Celebrate' on the other side.

Check out all of the details HERE

Completely Customizable - Check out just a few of the 'looks' you can achieve for your straw flags making them match any theme or decor:

Want me to make custom Straw Flags for your big day?
Click HERE to purchase the listing for these Custom Straw Flags in my Etsy Shop.

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DIY Wedding Initials |

2011-12-14T10:24:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite decorations at our rustic barn wedding reception (that took place in 'The Big Barn' at Balls Falls Conversvation Area) was the wooden initials that my dad made that were hung on the barn door behind the head table.

HOW WE MADE IT:

- My Dad made them out of melimine board
- He then crackle painted them.
- I choose 'Pointedly Mad' as my font and I made the initial to actual size (Each letter was 2.5ft high) and my dad printed the initials large scale on a plot printer.
- He then used the cut out paper initals as the template for cutting them out of wood.
- He used two strips of wood on the back of the initials to hold them together as one piece
- We hung them with rope that was stapeled to the back of the initials
- The middle initial is the first letter our last name and the two outside initials are the first letters of our first names.

HOW IT LOOKED AT OUR RECEPTION:

All of the guests commented afterward how much they loved the initials - it was a simple project with a big impact.

Photos by Jenn Stark Photographers

I Spy With My Little Camera |

2011-12-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

My Latest Etsy Item | These 'I Spy' Photo Checklists are a great way not only for your guests to get involved in your day, interacting with other guests at their table and having fun BUT they are also a great way to get some candid photos of your big day from the perspective if your guests.

The great thing about these I Spy Cards is that they are Customizable - you get to choose your font and colors to make sure that they match the decor and theme of your wedding.

HOW THEY WORK:
There is a cute message at the top of each checklist asking your guests to use their cameras or cell phone to take photos of the items on the list. Your cell number and email address are added to each card so your guests know where to send their photos.

They click away and check off the list as they go taking photos of your wedding day from their perspecitve!

You can even send a word list of all of the custom and unique items that make your day special so that they can be added to your I Spy cards to ensure that all of the special elements of your day are captured!

For more details click HERE to view the listing for this item in my Etsy Shop!

Happy Planning!
- Kendel

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KO TWO Designs Featured in a Starbucks Wedding Shoot |

2011-12-10T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Post is Up! The Wedding Chicks Blog picked up the photo shoot, put together by Blossom Events, that several of my designs are featured in.

Click HERE to see the blog post on The Wedding Chicks Website.

And Click HERE to view all of the items I created for the shoot in my Etsy Shop.

** Be sure to click on 'View Entire Gallery' at the bottom of the images to see ALL of the images.

Images from the post featuring my designs:

Newspaper Style SAVE THE DATE

2011-10-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

YAY!
Another Feature!

My 'Newspaper Style Save the Dates' were featured on Emmaline bride.
Check out the post HERE

They were featured in the 'Proposal Story' section of their 'Save the Date' feature because my newspaper save the dates are a neat way to share your proposal story with your guests. You can also share details about your upcoming wedding and even add in a few quotes from the bride and groom!

They are an inexpensive 'Print-It-Yourself' item and can be found in my ETSY shop HERE

Thanks for checking them out!

New Website for my Etsy Items |

2011-08-23T15:33:00.000-07:00

I just created a new website to showcase my Etsy Items.

Click HERE to check it out!

A Wedding I Photographer Was Featured On Emmaline Bride |

2011-08-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Jenna and Aaron's beautiful orchard theme wedding that I took photos of this past spring was featured on Emmaline Bride.

Check out the post HERE

Inspire A Bride |

2011-07-18T13:22:00.000-07:00

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My Custom Favour Tags were featured on Inspire a Bride!

Check out the feature HERE.

Want to pruchase your very own custom favour tags like these? View them in my Etsy shop HERE

Our Wedding was Featured on... Emmaline Bride

2011-07-11T07:27:00.000-07:00

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So excited! Our wedding was featured on Emmaline Bride.

Here is the link to the post on our wedding Rustic Real Wedding with DIY Charm.

They included many photos as well as all of the descriptions of various items / DIY projects below the photos at the bottom of the post!

Thanks Emmaline Bride!

Many of the items I created for my own wedding I now sell in my Etsy Shop for those planning a similar themed wedding!

Our Wedding Vendors:

Photography By Jenn and Dave Stark
Flower By Bella's Floral Boutique
Cake by Mill Street Cakes
Venue Balls Falls Conservation Area
Tissue Pom Pom Decorations by Bryar Strutt with Event Essentials
Catering by Diane and Dave Beasley

Fingerprint Guest Books |

2011-07-08T08:16:00.000-07:00

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I came across these awesome fingerprint guestbooks in Bleu de Toi 's shop on Etsy

They are so unique and are a great interactive and personal way to get your guests to 'sign' your guest book.

They make beautiful custom pieces of art to hang in your home as well!

And there are many different styles that would suit multiple events, not just weddings.

Plus, let's be honest, these guests books also serve the very practical purpose of getting your guest's true identity up front in case one of them gets a little too rowdy and breaks a few things, you will be covered as you will already have their finger prints on hand! hehe

The Balloons and Bicycle style would be great for a birthday party guest book.

Balloon & Bike Style

The "Just Married" Car would be so cute to use as a wedding guestbook:

Just Married Car Style

The house with balloons coming out of the chimney would be great for a house warming party.

House Warming Party Style

The beautiful tree option would be great for a wedding guestbook or even an anniversary party:

Tree Style

My personal favourite is the Flying Pig style which I think would be really cute for a child's birthday party and would look really cute hanging in their bedroom afterwards:

Flying Pig Style

And I love the wreath idea as it would be great for a family reunion guestbook or to have at Christmas or another holiday for all the family to 'sign'.
You could even then make prints of the original copy to share with family so that everyone had a copy.

Wreath Style

Thanks for your awesome creations Bleu de Toi - Check out more on Bleu de Toi's Blog HERE

Custom Escort Cards |

2011-06-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

An old friend from high school asked me if I made Escort Cards. At the time I wasn't offering any, but after I mocked up a couple of options for her I thought, "Why not offer these to more brides in my Etsy shop?"

So here is the link to my listing for Custom Escort Cards

Brides work hard to ensure that every little detail of their day matches their theme & colour scheme so I wanted to offer escort cards that are fully customizable!

Brides choose their own colour and font and their initials are placed in the background of the escort card!

Here are a few samples of the place cards:

Want me to create custom escort cards for your big day? Click HERE to view them in my Shop.

Featured Artist on Emmaline Bride |

2011-06-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

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I was recently asked to be a 'prefered Artist' on Emmaliebride.com!

You will find my items in their 'marketplace' which connect directly to my Etsy Shop!

Soon my wedding as well as a wedding I shot this spring will be featured in their 'Real Weddings' section of the site!

Check out Emmaline's market place HERE

Mothers Should Get Bouquets too |

2011-06-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

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Being a photographer I meet a lot of brides, and I know that a lot of them would say,

"I wish my mom could be my matron of honor!"

Moms are so special and so for my wedding day I wanted them to look like even more a part of the bridal party and so I gave them each their own bouquet.

The bouquets not only tied them in nicely with the rest of the bridal party but they also gave them something to hold during pictures (which they both said they liked, as it is often hard to figure out what to do with your hands in photos).

Bouquets are also a younger looking item to have as apposed to an arm corsage. And on a hot day like our wedding day was I am sure they were thankful NOT to have an arm corsage.

Here are a few images of hows the mom's bouquets looked. They were made up of smaller scale sunflowers and all of the same filler/wild flowers that were part of the bridesmaid's bouquets.

Bouquets by: Bella's Floral Boutique in Niagara Falls ON

Unique Wedding Programs |

2011-06-02T12:39:00.001-07:00

If you are looking for a unique wedding program that fits your personality as well as the theme & style of your big day, look no further.

These Mini Newspaper's made by KO TWO Designs allow you to have a program that is not only informative for your guests but also entertains them at the same time.

WHAT IS IN THE PAPER?

The programs include a 'Top Story' all about you as a couple including several photos of you throughout the paper, along with your ceremony's order of events, a list of the bridal party members, and lots of free space for you to come up with fun ads and sections that show off your personality and the theme of your day.

HOW CAN I PERSONALIZE IT?

Choose to do a fun crossword puzzle to test your guest's knowledge of you as a couple or choose to theme the puzzle to enhance the theme of your wedding.

Or create funny ads that are personal to you as a couple - or have an "Ask the Experts Advice Column" featuring advice from the parent's of the bride and groom and bridal party.

Include a special "Thank You" section to thank those who helped make your day happen - Or even come up with a cute section to feature your pet(s).

There is no limit to the creativity you can add to your paper to make it personal and meaningful for your day!

HOW DO I ORDER MY VERY OWN?

Watch this clip below to see some examples of KO TWO's Mini Newspaper Designs
Or
Click HERE to view more details about the program in KO TWO's ETSY Shop and/or to purchase you very own!

Our Wedding Slide Show |

2011-05-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Want to know how all these posts, ideas and DIY projects came together?

Watch our wedding slideshow below:

Wedding Crossword Puzzle | New Option for your Newspaper Wedding Program

2011-05-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

The newest option for your mini newspaper wedding program in a customized crossword puzzle that will keep your guests entertained while their knowledge of the bride and groom is tested!

Here is an example (click image to make larger)

Want your own customized wedding newspaper program? Click HERE to view the listing in my shop.

My Latest Newspaper Program Creation |

2011-04-28T10:23:00.000-07:00

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Here is a sample of the latest Mini Newspaper Wedding Program that I created from a Bride who is getting married May 2011 in Illinois!

This Bride was amazing to work with and it was so fun putting together all of the custom details that made her newspaper personal and meaningful for her day!

click to view larger image

Interested in purchasing a custom Newspaper program for your wedding day? Click HERE to visit the listing for this item in my Etsy shop!

Custom Wedding Favor Tags |

2011-04-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

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I created wedding favor tags for the jars of honey at our wedding and came up with a cute play-on-words message of "Thanks" to our guests.

I recently started selling this tag design in my Etsy shop allowing brides to be able to customize the color, font, message and icon on the tag to fit the theme of their wedding.

I design the tag around the bride's specifications and then simply send her a PDF sheet with 10 tags on it. That way the brides can print out as many tags as they need for their wedding favors on card stalk and it makes a simple and quick DIY project that gives their favors a personalized touch!

If you are interested in purchasing custom designed favor tags for your Big Day click HERE to view the listing in my ETSY shop.

Happy Planning!

Tossing Birdseed At Your Wedding | Birdseed Tags

2011-04-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

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At my wedding our guests showered us with birdseed upon our exit from the ceremony.

The guests had a lot of fun waiting to sprinkle us with the seed and we had a lot of fun running through it!

Birdseed is the eco-friendly version of confetti / rice and it added to the rustic charm of our wedding as the throwing of it is a traditional / old-fashioned thing to do that symbolizes prosperity, success and happiness for the couple!

I recently started offering the 'Tag Design' that I created for my birdseed bags in my Etsy shop so that other brides could use them for their weddings.

If you are interested in purchasing these tags click HERE to view them in my Etsy Shop - and to see how I made my birdseed bags click HERE to read the post.

Rustic Ring Bearer Pillow |

2011-04-09T08:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted something unique and rustic looking for our ring bearer pillow. While searching for something like this I came across the idea to use an embroidery ring with the couple's name and a heart cross stitched on it.

I asked my maid of honor if she could embroider it for us (as she is great at that kind of stuff) and she did a great job!!

Now instead of having my ring bearer pillow in storage somewhere I have it hanging on my bedroom wall as a piece of art and as a memento from out Big Day!

Our Ring Bearer with his 'pillow':

Our 'Pillow' hanging on our bedroom wall:

A New Newspaper Program Design |

2011-04-08T11:35:00.001-07:00

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A Unique Wdding Program that goes with ANY wedding theme!

A Paper I recently designed for example was for a '1950s' Kentucky inspired wedding for a bride from Louisville KY!

Their wedding day is coming up and it looks like it is going to be a really fun and intimate vintage inspired event!

Great working with you Abigail, hope your guests are wowed & entertained by your custom wedding program and that they will keep it as a memento of your Big Day!

Back of Newspaper ---- Front of Newspaper
Inside left (program) ---- Inside Right article cont.

(click on images to view larger scale)

** Interested in having a wedding program like this for your big day? **

Click HERE to view the listing for this Item in my Etsy shop!

Questions? contact me at ko2_photography@hotmail.com

Bridal Headpieces |

2011-02-24T10:25:00.000-08:00

Check out my new bridal headpieces in my ETSY SHOP and watch the slide show below!

A Fabulous Florist | Naturally Beautiful Floral Deigns

2011-01-18T14:06:00.000-08:00

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Looking for an awesome florist in the Niagara Region? Look No Further.
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If you want a florist that will work with you to create beautiful and unique floral designs that fit your personality and style then Naturally Beautiful Floral Designs in the florist for you!
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Naturally Beautiful Floral Designs is an event florist company with a modern and upscale appeal. Whether you require fresh or silk flowers, they will take care of all your floral needs for functions such as weddings, showers, corporate parties, or even just a simple party in your home!
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Let Karen and her assistants at Naturally Beautiful use their design experience and talents to create an impressive and elegant feel for your floral arrangements.
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Visit Naturally Beautiful's website by clicking HERE

Click on the slide show below to view a sample Naturally Beautiful's Floral Design:

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NEW Item | Save The Date Postcard

2011-01-14T09:12:00.000-08:00

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Looking for a unique Save the Date for your big day?

Why not set the theme of your big day by sending an old-fashioned vintage style postcard to your guests?

For more information on what the postcard includes and how you can purchase this item

click HERE to visit the listing in my Etsy shop!

Front:

Back:

Custom Photo Invitation |

2011-01-10T13:54:00.000-08:00

Want a custom photo invitation for your wedding but don't have the right equipment to do it on your own?

Check out my new Etsy listing for Custom created Photo Wedding Invitations!

You choose the photo(s) you want to use on the front of your invite and the type of font you like and what you want the front of the invitation to say.

Then I put it together for you and email you final proof which you can print out on cardstalk or whatever medium you wish!

A great look for the front of your invitation getting you halfway there to creating your very own DIY wedding invites!! Sure to impress your guests!

Click here to visit the listing in my shop!

Wedding RSVPs |

2011-01-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

Not sure what to do for your wedding RSVPs?

Why not custom postcards that add a vintage / rustic flare to your wedding invitations. They also make it really easy! All you have to do is put a stamp on them and then your guests simply 'Reply' and pop their poscard in the mail and it will come right back to you!

These postcards would feature a photo of you as well as your date and initials, with your address on the back and a space for your guest to fill in their reply!

Take a look at the listing in my Etsy shop to see how you can order your very own custom RSVP postcards today!

Front of Postcard:

The Latest Etsy Creation | The Mini Newspaper

2011-01-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

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I just finished designing a custom Mini Newspaper Program for a great bride from Philadelphia PA!
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She had great ideas for her mini newspaper that made it truly unique! Her guests are going to love reading through the newspaper finding out information about the couple, how they got engaged, why they chose their wedding location, where they are going on their honeymoon and much more!

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The newspaper will be a great compliment to the vintage 'Old Hollywood' theme of their wedding which will be hosted in "Old City" Philadelphia! The couple got engaged on Market St. in the "Old City" and therefore their wedding will be held at 'TRUST' an old bank building located in the heart of the 'old city' district which has now be converted into an art gallery.
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It was great working with this bride to create a feature for her wedding that is truly custom and unique. Now she not only has an out-of-the-ordinary wedding program, but her guests will be entertained while reading the paper and they will also be able to take it home as a memento of the couple's big day!

Newspaper Back and Front:

Newspaper Inside program and article:

Like what you see? Want me to get started on creating a Mini Newspaper for your wedding? Click HERE

Love the custom look of DIY but don't have the time to create it?

2010-09-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

My name is Kendel, this is my personal wedding blog but I am am also a photographer and graphic designer and I love to create custom products for other brides too!

Below is a list of designs I can custom create for you - you can scroll through the rest of my blog to see more images and desctiptions of each.

If you are interested in more then simply send me an email at ko2_photography@hotmail.com with your ideas and questions and I will send you details along with a quote and we can work together to create your custom and unique wedding products!

Check out my ETSY Shop HERE

- Logo Creation --> I can create a logo to fit your theme and personality and this logo can then be used on invitations, save the dates, programs, maps, bottles, napkins etc.

- Silhouette Creation --> you send me a profile image of you and your fiance and I create your silhouetts! Can be used as decor on the day of, or as part of you logo, or on invitations, programs and so much more!

- Mini Newspaper Style Program --> A retro, vintage and rustic style wedding program! Featuring a 'top story' about how you met, how you got engaged, your wedding planning etc. written from your perspective, in interview style or fomr the perspective of someone in the wedding party perhaps. Also featuring several of your engagament photos, the wedding ceremony details as well as reception information for the guests.

- Mad Libs Kissing Game --> Your guests come up with Mad Lib Stories about the two of you for a fun kissing game! (Scroll through the blog to see more details on these Mad Libs)

- 'I Spy with My Little Camera' --> A checklist for guests to use along with their disposable cameras!! Ensure that you get some great photos and that you don't get 200 pictures of the SAME THING!!

And check out more of my ideas on my blog - See something you like? Send me an email!

--> Or if you have your own idea send me an email and we can work together to create it!

How it works:

All of my proofs and final designs are sent via email - So distance is not a problem!

Once you have 'okayed' your proof the final copy along with printing instructions are given to you.

Then all you have to do is print them out, or use the product however and whenever you need to!

Thanks! I look forward to working with you on your custom creations!

- CLICK HERE TO VISIT MY ETSY SHOP -

To see all the creations we can get started on for your wedding today!

How It All Came Together...

2010-09-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

How it all came together to make my dream wedding a reality!!

Here are some photos to share with you how all of the planning that lead up to the 'first day of the rest of my life' with my new husband Benjamin came together!

Photos by Jenn Stark Photographers

The Wedding Is This Weekend!!

2010-08-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

Wow its Here! Months and months of planning will come together over the next couple of days!!

So excited to be Mrs. Ricker!

Thanks to everyone who has helped and who will be helping over these next few days! Couldn't have done it without you!

Newspaper Wedding Program

2010-07-15T18:27:00.001-07:00

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Inside of Mini Paper

Front and Back of Mini Paper

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I got my first request today from another bride (her mother actually) to create a 'Newspaper Style Program' similar to the one that I will be having at my wedding. The bride is a journalist so this would be such a fitting program for her wedding! She is also doing a 'vintage' theme so the old fashioned newspaper will really add to the ambiance as well.

I was just in the process of printing my own programs when I got this request. My dad (who is printing my programs) suggested I try to make an actual 'mini paper' as apposed to the 8x10 piece of paper that I had made to look like a newspaper.

AND because I was already going to be making a new 'newspaper style program' for this other bride I decided to give it a try!

The following are pictures of what I came up with! I am pretty happy with it, it looks pretty cute and it actually looks like a real 'mini' newspaper!!

& if there are any other brides who are interested in having a custom newspaper wedding program made for their big day, or if you have any other fun and unique ideas that you think I might be able to design for you contact me at ko2_photography@hotmail.com

Mad Libs - Kissing Game

2010-06-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

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For The Kissing Game at our wedding I am going to be creating 'Mad Lib' stories that each table can fill in as a group and then read at the microphone to make us kiss!

Each story will be different and will be based on something about us as a couple. For example the one below will be a story about 'How we Met' and I will create others such as 'Ben and
Kendel's First Date' and 'Ben and Kendel on their Honeymoon' etc.

Each table will get two sheets of paper - the first with the rules on it, the blanks to fill in with the corresponding 'grammar prompt' as well as some 'grammar reminders' at the bottom :D

The second page is the story itself that the guests will transfer their words onto and then read as a group or in pairs etc. at the microphone!

Hopefully they will be a funny and entertaining way to make us kiss!

Interested in having a custom Mad Lib Kissing Game at your reception? Click HERE to see the listing for this item in my ETSY Shop.

Jack and Jill - Carnival Game Posters

2010-06-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Our Jack and Jill is coming up this Saturday! I am super excited and super busy with preparations for the event! With all the little details it has been like planning another wedding!!

My Dad is going over and above (as per usual) and has created some awesome carnival games out of wood (photos to come)! So I created posters for each one to explain the rule and prizes for each!

I thought I would post them so that other couples could get ideas for Jack and Jill games!

Inspired by this...

2010-06-11T11:35:00.000-07:00

My Wedding Hair

2010-06-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

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My childhood friend Karen did a fabulous job of my hair during my trial this past Wednesday!! Who would have thought that we would both go from playing hairdresser and photographer as little kids to now pursuing them as both of our careers!

She incorporated everything I wanted while using her judgment to edit out things that my conflict with each other!

I am super happy with the final result! My 'hair trial' doubled as a hairdo for my graduation that took place that afternoon and everyone just LOVED the hair!!

Thanks Karen! I can't wait for you to do it on the day of!

The hair from all angles:

My Florist!

2010-06-10T14:09:00.001-07:00

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My florist is Awesome!

On top of being artistic, accommodating and let's be honest, patient with my vast vision and various ideas for my wedding flowers, my florist is going to the extent of matching up the flowers in each bridesmaid's bouquet with the boutonniere of their groomsman partner.

Each girl's bouquet is going to be having a different type of sunflower and different coloured mums in them (that will compliment the colour of each of the different skirts) and so my florist offered to match the girl's bouquet with the corresponding groomsman's boutonniere!!

Thanks for going over and above Melissa!!

And word out to the bridal party:

Be sure NOT to disregard your name on your bouquet or boutonniere as they are that way for a reason ;)

Take a look at Melissa's Website Bella's Floral Boutique and her Facebook page!

Fabric Swatches & Names!

Our Invitations:

2010-06-10T12:40:00.000-07:00

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Outside Cover:

Inside Words:

Map:

RSVP Postcard:

Envelope:

Wedding Map!

2010-06-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

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Now that most of the invites are out I can put up a picture of our wedding map.

Jill Mitchell drew all of the images! I love how it came together and I love that it displays all of the details of our day along with emulating the theme nicely.

Jack and Jill Poster

2010-06-01T10:05:00.001-07:00

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Hair Choices...

2010-05-12T20:12:00.001-07:00

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I have my first 'Hair Trial' tomorrow with my friend Karen who has been playing with my hair since we were 5 (and maybe even sooner)!

I am so excited that she will be doing my hair for the big day and can't wait to try out our first 'up-doo' tomorrow!

I think I will start with the braid look... Which style I don't know... We will have to figure that out together!

I put together some braid styles that I like to bring with me tomorrow!

On to more planning and creating!

2010-05-10T09:23:00.001-07:00

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I just finished Teacher's College and so now I can begin to finish up the wedding planning / creating!

The first priority is to get the invitations ready! So I designed the 'inside' of the invite yesterday:

I also put together two floral arrangements that will be used for ceremony decor:

Our Engagement Photo Book

2010-04-29T15:17:00.001-07:00

All tracks lead to love... | BOOK INFO

Flower Girl Hair

2010-04-28T16:55:00.001-07:00

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Jenna is modeling her hairstyle for the wedding. I want each of my girls to have some sort of braid in their hair (and I will probably have one too!) Isn't it beautiful!?

Thanks for the photos Jenna and Tammy!

Engagement Photos on Jen's Website:

2010-03-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

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Jennifer Stark, our wedding photographer, posted some of our engagement photos on her site !!

We are really excited to have her as our wedding photographer!

Bouquet Elements...

2010-03-30T15:21:00.001-07:00

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Finalized plan with the florist this past weekend!

Here are some of the elements of my bouquet - I hope it all comes together nicely!

Flower Girl Dress!

2010-03-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

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What A Cutie!

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Our flower girls dresses finally arrived (Thanks for all your help 'Moms' in ordering those!)

This is Makaylan modeling the dress! She is my little cousin and one of the flower girls! Such a cutie! Thanks for posting these photos Crystal!

I can't wait to Hope, Jenna and Hailey in their dresses as well! They will look so cute when they are all together!

We will be taking off the flowers on the front and each girl will get a different coloured sash to match the bridesmaid's sashes!!

Should look really nice! :D

We got the dresses online from 'Flower Girl Dress For Less'

WANTED....

2010-03-28T06:56:00.000-07:00

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This is one of the 'photo booth' options at our Jack and Jill - So Ben and I thought we would promote it by taking a picture in it of ourselves!

When looking at the photos later we found that if we put these two side by side it looked pretty funny!!

Cider Label Options ???

2010-03-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

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Which Do you like best? Let me know! :D

New Slideshow

2010-03-26T20:39:00.001-07:00

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Click Here to view a new slideshow!!

A New Slideshow

Tossing Birdseed...

2010-03-13T11:31:00.001-08:00

I made up little bags of birdseed for our guests to toss at us as we are leaving the church!

I think they turned out cute! I made the tag in Adobe and printed it on ivory card stock. Then I cut out the tage and sewed them onto the little glassine bags. I got the bags from 'Stampin Up' and I was able to purchase the birdseed and Dollarama!

I'm hoping it is a FUN and not traumatic event at the wedding (i.e. hopefully the birdseed doesn't stick to my dress and go all through my hair) - I am thinking of maybe using my parasol to hide under as we make our exit! :D

BE KIND Guests! :D

Globe Lights!

2010-03-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

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I had been on the search for 'globe lights' to hang at the reception for a few weeks - not coming up with any results!

SO I finally put Ben on the task, asking him to look around on the Internet for some in his free time!

The very next day I went to Home Outfitters and THERE THEY WERE !! In the 'Spring / Garden' section of the store!

I was thrilled to find them!!

They will add a nice ambiance to the reception as well as providing extra light so that we won't have to turn on the florescent lighting!

We can reused them in our backyard after too!!

What a lucky find! :D

How they will look in the barn:

Our Wedding Map - By Jill Mitchell

2010-03-13T10:46:00.000-08:00

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Jill Mitchell did an amazing job on creating our custom wedding map!

She is an amazing artist with a whimsical flare | check out Jill's Art blog to see a sneak peek of some of the Map's components!!

Thanks for all your hard work and amazing artistry Jill!!!

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Flower Girl Dolls!

2010-03-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

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My Grandma made the cutest old fashioned dolls for my 4 little flower girls to carry! My mom found this adorable rust coloured fabric that has mini sunflowers on it for their dresses. And they either have brown or gold bonnets which fits the colour scheme and theme of the wedding perfectly!

These will be gifts to my flowers girls, three of whom are great granddaughters to my grandma and one who is her great niece. So these dolls will not only be adorable for the girls to carry on the day of the wedding but will also be nice keepsakes for them to have from their great grandma / great aunt.

Thanks Grandma!! :D

One Year!

2010-02-06T09:30:00.000-08:00

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It's February - and on the 14th it will be a year since Ben and got engaged! It has gone REALLY fast!

In this year we have purchased our first home, planned most of the details for our wedding, and I am in teacher's college while Ben is working full time and doing his Masters part time!

It has been a busy year, and this summer will get even busier with finishing up all the little details for the wedding, along with the Jack and Jill and with my photography season getting busy!

In celebration of our one year engagement (hehe) I thought I would post a slide show of our engagement photos from last February!

Funny Weddding Day Count Down Calendar:

2010-02-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

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Now Everyone's Doing it... But that's okay with me! :D

2010-02-01T20:03:00.000-08:00

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I don't like when I see an idea and think its SOOO unique and decide to borrow it for my wedding... only to find out MANY other have as well!

But that's okay - that is what clever, inventive and beautiful ideas are for... Stealing hehe!

The neat thing is that all the weddings that have been using these elements are all similar in style to ours (the old fashioned, rustic, antique, arts and crafts type wedding) - So it's nice to see the elements and how they came together as a whole in these couples weddings. It gives me a better idea of how they will fit together in mine :D

For instance - Everyone seems to be doing 'Antique tin can centre pieces' as well as the 'photo clothes line'!

Just take a look! :D

Antique Tin Centre Pieces:

Photo Line:

Great Wedding Blog!

2010-02-01T17:36:00.000-08:00

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Once Wed.....com

My friend Jen saw my post about wanting to create my own headpiece for the reception and she sent me a link to this website (as they have a DIY bird cage veil tutorial)!

It is SUCH a fabulous site - so many beautiful pictures, great ideas and DIY ideas!

Thanks Jen!!

Link Here --> 'OneWed.com'

DIY Headpiece:

2010-02-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

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I will be creating a 'headpiece' to wear to the reception.

I have Ivory netting so far and I think I will use a large flower as well as some pearls perhaps!

I wanted something a bit more 'fun' and easy to wear to the reception (as apposed to sitting on my veil the whole night) so I thought I would try my hand at making one!!

Pictures to come! :D

The Groom's Boutonniere:

2010-02-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

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Ben's Boutonnieres will be a sunflower with wheat - and I wanted to find a neat fabric to wrap around it (to make it different from the groomsmen's) and to match other fabrics used throughout the wedding!

When looking up 'Groom's Boutonnieres' for ideas I came across this post and image of multiple custom made boutonnieres made by Fritts Rosenow - Bespoke Boutonnieres --> Such a neat idea to customize the boutonniere to the Groom's hobbies/interests or line of work!

Ring Bearer Pillow!

2010-02-01T09:32:00.000-08:00

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Our Ring Bearer Pillow is going to be a 'cross stitch' ring that Rochelle (Maid of Honour) will be embroidering for me! I saw this image below on a website and thought it would make a great ring bearer pillow! We can then hang it on our wall after as it will have our names, a heart and maybe our wedding date on it! :D The rings will be tied onto the top of the loop with ribbon! And it will be so special as it will be handmade with love! :D Thanks Rochelle!

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Of course it will not say 'Helen and Lito' haha - but that would add a bit of mystery to the day! :D

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I SPY With My Little...Camera...?

2010-02-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

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I saw this really neat idea in Martha Stewart's Wedding magazine!

Of course I will be wanting disposable camera's for my guests to use to take photos at the reception but I would also like the photos to be meaningful and not just 'wasted'!

SO this 'I spy' game is perfect! I will place a different 'List of Items' on each table so that the different table are responsible for taking different photos (i.e. 'The Maid of Honour as she Enters' or 'The Cutting of the Cake' or 'The Centre Piece' or 'The Brides Shoes' 'Everyone at your table/Group Photo' etc.)

This way each table will take a variety of different photos, capturing different things (i.e. avoiding getting 20 photos of us cutting the cake etc.) - It will also give the table a fun activity to do while they are waiting for the reception to being and be a great conversation starter!

Perhaps we will even have little prizes for the tables that can complete their lists! :D

I am even thinking of offering this as a service through my photography business for other couples. I would provide the cameras, the 'I Spy' games (custom to their colours/theme) as well as take care of printing and putting their photos in an album!

Flower Girl's Dress:

2010-01-27T19:22:00.001-08:00

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I finally made a desicion about the flower girl dresses and decided to go with the plain 'raw silk' dress with capped sleeves in Ivory!

We will be taking the 'flowers' off of it (they are simply pinned on) and then we will be making matching sashes to the Bridesmaid's skirts.

So each of the 4 flower girls will have a sash that is the same colour as each of the 4 bridesmaid's skirts!

It should tie everything together nicley as I am in ivory and the bridemaids are in colour and then the flowers girls will be in both!

I can see the photos now! :D

We are ordering the dresses online (from the states) at this site

Wedding Programs 'Newspaper Style'

2010-01-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

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So I had a great idea the other day in class (thinking of wedding plans during class is something that has definitely helped keep me sane this year! :D)

My idea was to make our wedding program look like an old local newspaper!

I'm SOO happy with the results! It's not your typical 'booklet style' program but it still covers all the things it needs to! :D

It took a while to put it all together - but no where near as long as it would have taken me to print and create all of the booklets I was thinking of making. Now, they are still 'handmade' but they will be very easy to run off on ivory paper and then they are done!

I simply made it in Adobe Photoshop and about 52 'layers' later it was complete!

The great thing about it is that I can continue to make changes to it right up until the date as printing it off will only take a little while! :D

If you are interested in getting me to make a custom creation like this for your wedding day email me at:

ko2_photography@hotmail.com

I also make 'Save the Dates', 'Invitations', 'Stag and Doe' posters, invites, tickets etc.

For a better/bigger view of this 'Newspaper Program' scroll down to the bottom of the page~! :D

Peg Doll Cake Topper!

2010-01-19T13:29:00.000-08:00

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Im so excited! 'The Small Object', the company that is creating our custom topper, sent me the photos of it today!

Unfortunately I cannot post them all (as she made the topper's dress custom to match the style of my wedding dress - and I don't want Ben to see) But here are some details photos of it - and a photo of 'Ben' in doll form!

SO Cute!

Check out 'The Small Object's' Link here!

Favour Tags

2010-01-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

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Here are the favour tags that I made this past week to go on our honey jars! I'm happy with how they turned out. I made them in Photoshop and I will print them on ivory card stalk. I then plan to 'crimp' the tags with my little crimping machine. I then will punch a mini eyelet in them where I will tie on the hemp/twine that will tie the tag to the jar!

In need of tags for your favours? Check out my Custom Favor Tag Listing HERE

Happy Planning

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Initials Overhead

2009-12-30T07:34:00.000-08:00

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I have asked my dad to cut our initials out of wood in this 'Pointedly Mad' font style. They will be hung on the barn door that the head table will be sitting in front of at the reception! it should look pretty neat and it is a simple way to add detail and decoration to the barn! A Big impact for little cost and work. Not your standard twinkle lights and crinoline (taking hours of work and effort and then throwing it all out afterward). We can even hang this on the side of our garage after the wedding!

Our New Home!

2009-12-08T15:18:00.000-08:00

Go to our 'new home blog' at http://www.bkhousesearch.blogspot.com/ for more images and details!

So happy to have found the perfect place for us to start our new lives in together!

Photos Of Our Save The Dates

2009-12-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

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Ben's Suit

2009-11-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

I was sending in information about Ben's Suit and my attire to the girl who will be making our cake topper!

While I was putting together the 'page of photos' for her - I ended up piecing together the vest, tie and suit Ben will be wearing and even added a Wheat and Sunflower boutonniere! It's neat to be able to see the whole suit/accessories come together on the screen (as we were not able to at the store!)

Here it is - I think it looks great!

New Wedding 'Crest'

2009-10-20T11:08:00.001-07:00

So I created yet another 'Crest'!! It might be a nice one to use on the tags of the honey jars!

Here it is:

Bee Hive Cakes

2009-10-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

I just found these adorable 'Bee Hive Cakes' that you can make from a cake mold!

I think they would be really cute to have on little stands on the cake table - they could be served for desert along with the cake and pie!

Groom & Groomsmen's Style!

2009-10-05T08:33:00.000-07:00

Ben and I went to Moores this Saturday to choose the Tuxes/Vests etc. for the boys for the wedding! Here is what we choose!

Suit - Chocolate Two button notch lapel tuxedo

Shirt - Ivory Microfibre

Ben's Vest - Diamond Pattern - Champagne and Ivory

Close Up - Look like 'honeycomb'

Ben's Tie - We decided to buy Ben a nice gold tie to match the grooms plain silk ties - the nice soft plain look of these ties will 'tie' them all together!

Groomsmen Vests - Synergy Gold Vest

Close Up

Groomsmen Ties - We decided to buy them nice plain ties to keep as a gift for being in our wedding, as the ties that came with the vests would have caused too much patterns to be going on, and we thought that the brown and gold complimented each other nicely and would match the colours of the sunflower boutonniere they will be wearing.

Shoes - Chocolate Patent-Leather Oxford Shoe

Cuff Links - White Gold Stud and Cuff link Set

Bandana Napkins!

2009-10-03T07:47:00.001-07:00

I saw this idea on the 'Country Living' website, to use bandannas as napkins and to tie up the cutlery inside of them, and I loved it.

THEN when my dad found out our reception would be in the barn he suggested using bandannas and napkins! So I guess my dad could work for Country Living!

So I just ordered and received the bandannas. I got a light Beige colour and a Light brown colour so that we can rotate each colour on the table.

We will either use 'rope/hemp' like string to tie them up - or raffia. Then I would love to stick a sprig of herbs (possibly rosemary or dill) in under the rope for a bit of scent and a nice presentation.

Here are the two 14x14 inch bandannas I chose:

This light brown colour is a much nicer in person!

Here is the initial 'example' I saw on Country Living:

Favour Honey Jars!

2009-10-01T08:21:00.001-07:00

I Finally found a company that would sell Honey Jars to Canada! They are perfect for what I wanted and they are 80z, so while a bit larger than I anticipated, they will be great to go one per couple!

Ricker and Angela Vandenhurk (Ben's Cousins) have graciously said they would donate as their gift to us for the wedding their own honey! They have recently purchased and started their of bee hive and it has been producing lots of delicious honey! So it's so exciting to have the honey be 'homemade' and from our family! Thanks so much!!

I'm so happy that our favours won't just be purchased from the store - but also 'handmade!'

Table Numbers!

2009-09-17T09:14:00.000-07:00

I finally had a chance to import all of our 'Baby / Childhood' photos to make the 'table numbers' for at the reception!

I am very please about how they turned out and here is a sneak peak at a few of my favourites! :D

Etc... I don't want to give too many away! :D

Mom and I found really nice 5x7 'barn board' looking picture frames at a Dollar Store and so I will print these as 5x7s and simply insert them into the frames for on the tables at the reception!

I think it will be a good way for tables to 'mingle' too - as people from table one for instance might want to go around to tables two and three to see what the photos look like!

I will probably also use them on the 'photo scavenger hunt' lists to promote table mingling too - So for example on table seven's scavenger hunt list it might say "Take a photo of Table three's table number photo!"

Fans for my Gals!

2009-08-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

I was in Stratford this past weekend doing an engagement session and we stopped into one of my old favourite stores there called 'The Wanderer'. I had actually bought beads for a necklace that I made Ben there, which was the first Birthday present I ever gave him (other than signing my name on his presents when I was a kid I guess). But in this store I found cute little fans in brown, gold and rust colours and thought they would be perfect for pictures with the bridesmaids on the day of the wedding. They looked a bit too Asian for our theme, so I glued on some 'lace/ribbon' along with some ribbon hanging down off the handle to make them look a little more victorian!

Wedding Slide Show Preview!

2009-08-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

My friend Jenn did some additional engagement photos for us at Balls Falls - and I asked her to take these photos of us running / dancing etc. specifically to use for our wedding slide show to make it look like an old fashioned 'stop motion' movie!! I'm really happy with how it came out! So this is a little preview of a portion of our wedding slide show!! Thanks for watching! Enjoy! (Make sure your sound is turned up to hear the song! :D)

Guest Seating Tree

2009-08-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

So far for the guest seating tree I have spray painted two branches gold (I actually did them about a year ago as a 'test' to see how they looked and ended up keeping them in my garage this whole time) - AND at Dollarama the other day mom and I found really cute little lanterns (much cheaper than the ones at Michales) and they are pink, but they come all apart so we can spray paint them, probably ivory or maybe a nice dark brown.

We also got little fake tea lights, as they are easy, and a lot safer as this guest tree will probably be sitting on a table made of hay bails and old barn boards!

I also did a VERY rough mock up of one of the table lists to show what they will look like hanging all around the tree. In the photo I used raffia, but i might also use ribbon so that they can hang down lower. And I just used computer paper but for the real thing i will use a nice metallic card stock or maybe a textured type paper!

Here are some photos - Picture the Lanterns in Ivory or Chocolate! (the lipsitck colour pink does not go with the theme!)

Hand Drawn Wedding Map!

2009-08-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

I had a class with Jill Mitchell this past year at Brock and evidently added her on facebook to discover she had a really neat artistic aesthetic when I came across her blog!

SO I commissioned her (hopefully not forcefully) to create a personalize 'Wedding Map' that displayed all of the important elements of our wedding day such as the date, the times, the locations, a map to the reception, and some of the features of the day such as the truck and our attire etc.

She has mocked up a couple of sketch's (below) and so far they are looking great! Its going to be such a neat element to add into our invitation and a keepsake for years to come!

Thanks so much Jill!! I told her that though this is her first real commissioned artistic piece it will probably be one of the most challenging and confusing!! BUT I can't wait to see her illustrations in a children's book some day!! And I will probably get her to draw photos for my nursery one day - or even a family portrait once I have one hehe!! I definitely reccomend her to any one looking for custom portraits etc.!!

This is a 'Mock Up' i did of what the map will eventually look like - using Some of Jill's drawings and some random clip art! Should be pretty neat!

Tin Punch Candles

2009-08-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I was working on the tin punch candles that will be for the tables at the reception! Dad helped me drill holes in the sides of the cans so that I could attach the handles. I decided to make the handles out of brass coloured floral wire so that I could make them twisty. Then I attempted to spray paint the ones we have punched so far with copper spray paint, but Dad had to take over as I was making them drippy. I'm happy with how they turned out and we have about 20 more to punch and spray paint!

In this photo you can also see the 'Card Holder' mailbox that we spray painted a 'mocha' colour. It turned out really good and Dad will be painting 'The Rickers' on it in brown and white maybe, and then I will tie a ribbon around it. AND I had an idea this weekend to drill the mail box into a long tree log and then place the log in a metal pail with rocks around it to hold it upright - and then I could decorate the top of the rocks with moss or something.

That way the mailbox actually looks like a mail box, as apposed to just sitting on the table.

It would then be something that we could actually use, or at least place in the garden as decoration!

Road Map AND Word Map!

2009-08-10T20:37:00.001-07:00

I know that I HAVE to give both options - as ONE is never enough in a car with a man and woman!! In my experience the Man needs to "look" at the road map - while the women reads and points out all of the REAL turns they must make to arrive in one piece on time! :D

So here they are....Your welcome ~ hehe:

GONE Fishing! Cast A Wish to the Bride and Groom

2009-07-23T13:49:00.000-07:00

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So I will be heading up to the cottage this week, and it reminded me of something I haven't posted on yet!

Awhile ago, when I saw this 'Gone Fishing' Cake Topper ' sold through 'Wedding Star' and I thought it was adorable and that it would be cute to have at the wedding as I love to fish and I kind of got Ben 'Hooked' into it as well!

I knew that I didn't want it on the top of my cake though, but then I thought it would be really cute to find an old antique fishing basket, and to place it beside this 'Fishing Cake Topper' and write on a little sign that said: "Cast Your Wish To The Bride and Groom", and then to provide little colourful papers for guests to write their wishes on, and place them in the fishing basket. Then later I can use the 'wishes' in my wedding scrapbook!

So here is the antique fishing basket I found on E-bay. It was only $9.00 and it came from Lakeland Florida (where Jordan is from) so that was neat!

I think this will be a really cute 'Guest Wishes' idea and it really suits our personality!

Martha's Got Nothin On Me!

2009-07-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

So these 'body mists' were inspired by an idea from Martha Stewart Living. 'She' had sliced cucumbers and Lavender and placed them in mist bottles with water! I thought it was a very simple but nice idea and that it would be nice to have these at the wedding in the bathrooms for people to use to 'refresh' and cool down with!

And today I was at my friend Carlene's house (a faithful reader od this blog I might add :D), and she happens to have an adorable garden with herbs in the back yard of her adorable little house, and she let me take home a bag of 'Lemon Balm Herbs' that smell delicious! So we decided to stop at the dollar store and pick up some 'mist bottles' for me to test out this idea!

We found two packs the included a 'mist bottle' and a 'cap bottle' so this gave me the idea to also create a 'body oil' by filling the cap bottles with baby oil, as well as the lemon herbs.
So when I got home I made them (as I didn't want the leaves of the herbs to wilt) - & I remembered that I had fresh lemon and lime, so I sliced that up as well for extra scent and I placed it, along with cold water and the herbs, into the mist bottles!

I then thought it would be cute to include little clear and yellow glass beads/marbles that I already had to jazz up the 'body oil' bottles, since they did not have lemon and lime slices in them!

Then on Adobe I wrote 'Refresh' for the mist bottles of 'Herbal Lemon Balm and Fresh Lime Body Mist' and 'Relax' for the 'Herbal Lemon Balm Body Oil' - I also found an old fashion depiction of a lemon and thought it would add an extra flare to the bottles! I printed this sheet, making the text the right size to be cut out with my 'tag punch' that I got from 'Stampin Up!'

I purchased yellow ribbon to hold the tags in place so I simply uased a regular whole punch to create a place to hold the tags onto the ribbon, and then I simply tied the ribbon to the bottles and 'Wala'!

I think they turned out really neat and they make a quick and easy gift idea - or would be great as a favour or a prize at a wedding or baby shower. Or it would also be nice to make to place in your own bathroom when you have a BBQ or guests over!

Here are my photos! Like I said, Martha's Got Nothin On Me! :D

Old Fashioned Soda Pop!

2009-07-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

I would really love to have old fashioned soda pop for when guests arrive to the reception!

I was in the new Squires restaurant in my home town this weekend and they had 'Boylan Sodas' which are made with pure Sugar Cane and are sooo tasty! They have also been established since 1891, so they look great and go great with the old fashioned theme!!

I have found a 'whole sale' website that sells them in variety packs or in bulk, so its looking like a good option for our refreshment table!!

I would love to place them in my mom's old 'wash tub' with ice!! I found this photo of a wedding that did something similar, and it looks like the kids loved it!

I know a lot of people that like the Boylan brand, so buying a few cases of these to sell at the Jack and Jill might not be a bad idea either! :D

It would also be awesome to get some of these retro 'paper straws' to go with the pop! Only $3.00 for 50!

DIY Project: Antique Scrap Book Cover Turned Guest Book

2009-07-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while looking for bridesmaid dresses we also did a bit of 'Antiquing'!!

At an old bookstore I found an adorable old 'Scrap Album' cover for 50 cents!! Its SOO Me with the birds of the front cover, and the green and gold colours!!

I thought it would be great to re-use as a 'guest signing book' for at the reception!

I will simply reinforce the spine to make it strong again and add in scrapbook pages with photos of Ben and I for people to sign around!

Fabric Samples / Bridesmaid Dress Shopping

2009-07-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

We went shopping to loom at bridesmaids dresses, and as I suspected I was not super enthusiastic about many of the choices. To me a lot of them were just too generic, plain, cliche or too expensive for what they were!!

SO after doing so antiquing we decided to stop at 'Fabricland' to look at what material options they had, to see if making skirts (like the ones in the 'inspirational photos' below) was a feasible idea!

And we found some GREAT colour and fabric options! Below are photos of both silk and satin options that we think would look great as skirts and sashes. We would probably use the 4 first shades of the silk for the Bridesmaid's skirts (as they are a nice range of similar tones) and then possibly the burnt orange coloured silk for the Junior Bridesmaids!

Then we would use the satins for sashes to go between the skirt and the girls ivory shirts!!

Aunt Ali has agreed to make the skirts for us, which is totally awesome!! So it looks like this might be a good option to get something a little more unique for the girls to wear!

Silk:

Satin:

Blouse Examples - each girl will either be in the same blouse - or we will pick all different ones that make each girl just a little bit different (like the colours of their skirts)

Framed Silhouettes!

2009-07-15T11:59:00.000-07:00

I found awesome oval frames (which I thought were going to be really hard to find) at Michales Craft Store and they were 40% off! So I got them to frame our Silhouettes in! I thought they would look nice hanging on the doors of the church as people enter! I'm happy with how they turned out - and I can also see them looking nice on the wall of our bedroom or living room in our new home!

I Now Make These For Other Brides - Check them out in my Etsy Shop HERE

How I Made Them:

I simply printed out the silhouettes from my computer onto cream colour card stalk. I then placed them in the frames and attached cream coloured silk ribbon to the back of the frames by tying knots at both ends of the ribbon and placing them under the little brackets that hold the back of the frame on. For those wondering how I made the silhouettes, I did so by taking a picture of each of our profiles (up against a plain wall) and then took the photos into Adobe Photoshop where I selected only our silhouettes and turned them black (warning that it is not as easy as it sounds - but with time and effort they turned out great and it was well worth it!)

Want me to make some for you? Find out how HERE

Bridesmaid Dresses

2009-07-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

So I found this 'inspiration' wedding randomly on a blog and I LOVE their choice of bridesmaid dresses! They essentially have made matching skirts and chosen their own white/ivory blouses to go with them. I don't love the style of skirt, but I love the idea of being able to have different shades of brown and golden tones, with all unique ivory blouses. Then we could add a thicker sash in the same colour to tie all of the girl's together. It would also cover the seem between skirt and dress! I'm just wanting something more unique then the 'off the rack' dresses that are starting to look the same! But at the same time I would hope that these 'make them yourself' dresses wouldn't end up costing a whole lot more!

Save The Date Magnet Holders

2009-07-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make little decorated clothespin magnets to hold the mini save the date 'reminder cards' instead of purchasing a generic magnet as I think the home made, crafty magnet goes better with the overall theme of the wedding (We are having a 'clothespin doll' cake topper after all)! Also, now I can customize the colour and look of the magnets to compliment the colours of the wedding!

I was able to get everything to make the clothespin magnets (expect for the spray paint) at the dollar store!

I began by laying out the clothespins on a cardboard box outside, and I purchased utility gloves as I knew that I would have to turn the clothespins in order to coat each side. And I did, I ended up having to wait 3-5mins after spraying each side and then flip them all to the next side (repeating this 3 times).

I used a really pretty colour of spray paint called 'Mocha Latte' I couldn't believe the colour selection they have now!!

I also found these cute little wooden buttons at the dollar store and thought that they might look nice on some of the magnets and so I spray painted them with the copper paint that I had already purchased for the 'tin can hole punch candles' for the reception, so that they would stand out from the mocha colour!

I then found a really nice creamy brown coloured ribbon as well as raffia to tie around the middle of the magnets as well as some brown and cream coloured paper flowers and some sunflowers to attach to the magnets to make them pretty and to make the go with the theme/colour scheme and flowers of the wedding.

I then found three different types of magnets and I think the package in the middle will work best (I found it at the 2nd store) and I had purchased the first and the last package in the first store and didn't know if the roll of self adhesive magnet would be strong enough to hold the clothespin up - but the last type, while strong, only came with six in a pack - so I got both just to try out, BUT then I found the type in the middle and it seems to be stronger than the self adheasive roll and is the perfect width/length to fit right down the magnet, so I'm thinking that will be the best one to use!

I am going to be putting these all together at the end of July when we go up to the cottage as I will have time then to do them all at once, instead of working on them as I have time at home (leaving the house a mess for weeks). Hopefully my mom will be able to help me construct them! They should be easy, but we have to around 65 to make, so it will just get monotonous!

I will post a picture of the final product once they are finished!

Our Save the Date!

2009-07-07T20:07:00.001-07:00

Here it is!! Still a bit of a work in progress! But I'm happy with how its turning out! :D
I really enjoyed making it and think I would like to 'go into business' making custom things like save the dates, menus, programs, invitations, thank you cards etc. for weddings that all fit the bride's theme and vision perfectly (as often they settle for something that isn't quite what they were looking for). If you or anyone you know is looking send them my way!!

Version II with Wheat behind 'Save the Date':

A Fun Card Box!

2009-07-07T10:20:00.001-07:00

I had an idea today for a fun and unique card box for at the wedding! A Mailbox!! So I looked up some antique mail boxes (and those were way too expensive) and then I looked up regular mailboxes and they are also very expensive (I never would have thought that)!! SO if anyone happens to come across one that they might think would work (even with a little bit of tweaking like a paint job and maybe my dad can even write 'The Rickers' on the side or something cute like that, as he used to be a professional painter!) then please let me know!

Here are a couple of examples of the type of mailbox I thought would look nice! But even if I find a cheap plastic one I might be able to paint it in a metallic finish and put a ribbon around it to make it cute!! Who knows depending on the type of house we get we may even be able to use this 'card box' as our real mailbox!

P.S. Obviously one that doesn't say "U.S. Mail" on the front would be preferred!

Inspiration for Our Save The Dates!

2009-07-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Ben and I were working on our Save The Dates Yesterday as we feel that there is no harm in having them out about a year before the wedding as August is a big vacation month and many people tend to make holiday plans a year in advance! So we want to start making them so that they are ready to hand out by the end of this August!

I was searching 'old fashioned calendars' and I came across this one and it became the inspiration for our save the date!

We used the style and layout to get ideas for how to make our Save the Date look like an old fashioned calendar!

We then searched for the perfect font and came across this one and loved it! It looks very old fashioned without looking too circus like or too western!

It took us a long time to construct the calendar by hand, but it looks good and fits our theme (without being too themey) as its simply a calendar!

We also purchased nice embroidered fabric that will be sewn on the back of the card stock! It should look really pretty and rustic!

I have also always wanted to make a magnet to go in our save the dates - so I was simply going to send in a design to a magnet company that I have worked with in the past! But Then I had the idea to make my own (as they will go with the theme better and be cute and more personal) and I had the idea to attach magnets to clothes pins and to then tie a ribbon or some twine like rope in a bow on the clothes pin as well as to spray paint them copper or cream. I would then put a little photo of us with the date on it - or a little card that matches the save the date - in the clothes pin and include that in the envelope with the save the date so that people can put that on their fridge as a reminder!

I just did a google search and found a couple of cute clothes pin magents!

New Silhouette Samples!

2009-07-05T21:30:00.001-07:00

I played around a bit more with our silhouettes and came up with more options!

Let me know if you like the 'busts' better and the hair! And also let me know what you think about the different 'old fashioned' font?! A little less 'formal' and 'classic' than the script writing! May fit our event better?!

Thanks! :D

Our Silhouette Logo!

2009-07-03T10:46:00.001-07:00

I finally took picture of our profiles so that I could attempt to make our silhouettes and I love how they turned out! So I found the little oval frame, took the watermark of it, and used it around our silhouettes! Then I found a nice script font and thought it was the right one as it's a font that we will be able to use on all of our stationary (invitations, program, menu cards, favours etc.) as it's not too busy!

I think this will look great as our logo as it's so custom! It would also look great as the label on our bottles and as the opening page of our slide show!

Let me know if you like the one with the initials better or the one with the full names!

It would also be nice to print each of our slhouettes separately and hang them in oval frames, or in a square frame with an oval matte if we can't find oval frames! We could hand them by ribbon on church doors and then the barn doors as people walk into the ceremony and reception!

Bridesmaids Dresses

2009-07-01T13:34:00.001-07:00

I found a Bridesmaids dress I really like! And the company is in Canada which is great! This image is not the right colour (but its the only one I could attach) They have four colours that I like and that I would have to choose from (Cappachino, Latte, Espresso and Butterscotch)! But the lace would be Ivory! I think these dresses would look great with the lace bolero - as they are mostly plain with a lace accent and they are strapless! http://www.dessy.com/dresses/bridesmaid/2717/#catid=1&displaytype=GridMedium&activePage=13&rpp=9&SortOrder=Default
If you visit the link you can see how it looks in the different colours listed above!

And the nice this is that they have matching flower girl dresses (with the lace on the waist) and I wanted to be able to get each flower girl in a different shade - so I could have each girl wear one of the differ shades I like!

I also like this one by the same company too - but its not as dressy, and probably a little too much lace!

Save The Date... Dilemma?

2009-07-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

While I was searching 'invitations' I came across this adorable 'Save the Date Card' and I was shocked to find that the couple posted a link to the PDF of their invitation, as well as to the font they used to create it! So I was able to download their version as well as the font, and simply erase all of their details and make it my own!

I already wanted to do the 'guest seating tree' with a photo hanging on the base of our initials carved in a tree - and I also wanted to theme the cake topper with a wood grain base and with the groom holding a wooden heart with our initials on it! So this Save the Date would work in perfect with our theme! Also because it would be one sided I could sew the fabric on the back of it!

My one concern is that I already had an idea for my Save the Date cards, I have already purchased stamps for it (as I have a 'Stampin' Up' Club that I go to every month) But those Save the Dates were going to be really tricky to make as they involved a spinning wheel of photos on the inside that would show pictures of Ben and I through a hole that was punched on the face of the card, and that was held together by a brad!

So maybe these Save the Dates are easier, and fit the theme really well! And I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of the stamps I purchased any way, even if i don't make those Save the Dates with them.

Here is the one I just made:

Invitation Ideas

2009-07-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

I love this Western 'Wanted' poster type look for an invitation! It's a little informal for a wedding invitation - but would maybe be neat to use as a 'Jack and Jill' invitation!

I really want to sew our invitation together (as I love the look of sewn paper) - and when I was searching 'sewn invitations' I came across this one, where they have cut out flowers from a fabric that matched the wedding colours and sewn them onto the paper! I really like this idea!

Here is another idea where they have just sewn the fabric on the back of the card, which looks really nice too!

However, I need my invitation to open - as I have a neat Wedding Map that an artist friend of mine is creating! I also want to use our logo on the front of the card - as so far both these examples are one piece invitations (probably the easiest, if not only, way to sew on the fabric!) But these are some great ideas - Maybe I could sew the fabric on the back of my 'Save the Date' as it will be single sided!

Wheat!

2009-06-25T13:46:00.000-07:00

There was wheat in the fields surrounding my parents house, and I had just spoken with a couple who had dried their own wheat for their wedding to use for the groomsmen's boutonnieres! And so I decided that we should cut a few bunches and dry them to see how they turn out at different pick times. So we picked three bundles and they are drying in my parents basement - and then we will hopefully be able to pick another bundle or so more near harvest time, to see which bundles look the best when dried. This way next year we will know when to pick/dry the wheat so that we can use it in the centre pieces/bouquets etc. (As wheat being more of a 'novelty' in the florist world would probably be expensive!) - So thank to unlce Brian (who at this point is still unaware that we stole a little bit of wheat from his field)!

The wheat hanging in the basement: