Our Wedding!

Am I blogging this basically just so I can Pinterest what I think was the best wedding ever? Yep! I loved every aspect of our wedding!

June 8, 2013
Nottoway Plantation- White Castle, Louisiana

Photographer: The amazing Brandon O'Neal Photography
Wedding Dress: Casablanca Bridal
Reception Dress: Jessica Simpson
Shoes: Badgley Mishka
Flowers: White and coral peonies- The Plantation Florist, Port Allen, La
Cakes: The Ambrosia Bakery- Baton Rouge, La
Bridesmaid Dresses: Love Lane
Groomsmen: JCrew Ties, Squires suits
Flower Girl Dress- JCrew
Programs- Kim Swart, Simply Designed

Badgley Mishka shoes were my something blue

All of our wedding party gifts were "tie the knot" themed! JCrew ties for the guys, bow necklaces for the girls, and kate spade knot earrings for our moms!

My sister's gift to me, garter set from Etsy

I was so nervous that a first look would take the "magic" away from the moment when I walked down the aisle...so wrong! They are 2 completely different and amazing moments!

Flowers by The Plantation Florist... obsessed with peonies!

My amazing grandmother left us the February before our wedding. I had a picture of her and my grandfather in a locket attached to my bouquet. I loved having them with me all day!

Bridesmaid dresses- Love Lane

One table held photographs from our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents weddings!

My wonderful friend Kim Swart designed these programs for me! I knew what I wanted and couldn't find the perfect design anywhere. I found programs similar on Etsy, but they ran around $4/ program for double sided...no thanks!! I just told Kim my idea and she brought it to life! I hand glued each on the sticks and tied ribbon. I don't recommend waiting until the week before the wedding to tackle this!

Look Kim up on facebook or click this link- Simply Designed
Also, she designed most of my shower invitations and save the dates! See them here!

Note: this is Kim...she stood next to me for my wedding (OUTSIDE, in Louisiana, in June) literally 9 months pregnant, with twins!! She had the beautiful Kadence and Kinsley just 6 days later!

I had a hard time finding a cake topper I liked, so I made this! I just took a wooden letter from hobby lobby and hand glued flat sided pearls and rhinestones (which I bought from Amazon for around $3).

Ties- JCrew
We got really lucky with our ties! We bought them on black Friday for 50% off and then they gave me an extra 15% off on top because I'm a teacher! I'm obsessed with JCrew.

We had easily the most precious ring bearer and flower girl ever! Ava's dress was JCrew and Tobey's bowtie was from Etsy.

Both Cakes are from The Ambrosia Bakery in Baton Rouge....simply amazing! The groom's cake topper is actually a Christmas ornament Jacob's Granny gave us at our Christmas shower! I loved this cake! It was classier (in my humble opinion) and MUCH cheaper than a full out drum cake! Disclaimer, those are super cute when done right!

Praline favors!

I HIGHLY recommend changing dresses for the reception! This Jessica Simpson dress was so light and I was so comfortable!

How to make perfect chevron print

After searching the Internet and still not finding exactly what I wanted, I put several people's methods together and figured out how to make perfect chevron every time. Someone else has probably figured this out...so you can just quit reading if you already know how!

I cannot stand crooked chevon print...it irks me! Follow these steps and it will be perfectly straight and even!

First, draw a grid on your canvas or whatever you want to paint. I used a tape measure to mark the spaces and then used painters tape to draw my lines. It works better than a ruler because it's stuck to the page and wont move. You'll see below how big each chevron line is, so you may have to adjust how many rows and columns you make depending on how big you want them:

 

Next, take a small piece of tape, and draw a line from corner to corner on each square:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last, erase the horizontal and vertical lines you made in the grid in the beginning:

 

Now you have perfect chevron!

 

Super Easy Curtains

After I instagramed a picture of some no sew curtains I made for my sister... a few people wanted to know how. So here goes! I obviously couldn't let her have curtains more cute than mine, so I had to make another for myself! If you can't tell...I loved this fabric! They also had a pretty red and gray. (Note her curtain rod was much bigger than mine which is why you can see it in the top picture and not as much in the bottom picture).

 What you'll need:

• A plain curtain rod ($2 at Hobby Lobby)
• 1 yard of fabric you like (Mine was $8.99 and I used the 40% Hobby Lobby coupon on their iPhone app)
• Heat bond ($2)
• An iron and ironing board
• Ribbon
• Hot glue gun

The width of the fabric was perfect for my window without cutting it. If you have a wider window, make sure you pick a fabric you could turn to the side, mine wouldn't have worked for that. I had them cut 1 yard and that was just enough.

First, get out the heat bond, iron, and fabric. You will make a seam around both sides and the bottom. Just follow the instructions on the back of the Heat Bond. Important- do the top last. I made about a 1/2 inch seam around the 2 sides and about an inch at the bottom. Helpful hint...iron your seam first without the heat bond to keep your line straight. Then go back and follow the steps on the package.

For the top, lay the curtain rod on the fabric and fold it over. Make sure you have plenty of room for it to fit in once you've sealed it with the heat bond. Once the top has cooled, slide the curtain rod back in and hang on the wall.

Last, I added some brown burlap ribbon to make it bunch on each side. It would be cute without the ribbon it if it was shorter. Just loop the ribbon around the fabric and hot glue the ends together (not to the fabric). Finish by hot gluing a bow on each.

Total cost for these was less than $10!

It's Christmas Time!

Christmas is my favorite and I wanted to share our phenomenal save the dates that my wonderful friend Kim Swart made! You can find her (and you should) on facebook here to order anything you need printed!!

First she designed my cute Christmas Shower invitation....

 

And then our "Tis the Season to be Married" Save the Dates!! I love them!

My apartment is also ready for Christmas...even though I'm not a Simmons yet, I wasnt about to put all my cute gifts from my first shower in a box for a year!! Yeah right...

 

I also made a little snowman burplap door hanger that I am pretty pleased with!

 

And last but not least...my wonderful sister made these little gems for hostess gifts for my shower. I'm super jealous of her silhouette cameo and all of the activities she gets to do!

 

 



Merry Christmas!
Caty (almost Simmons)

Confessions of a Semi-Psychotic Bride

Everyone knows that wedding planning can be stressful, and I don't think anyone doubted that I would be completely obsessed. Both have proved to be true. I still feel like one of my callings in life is to be a wedding planner. I will have been in almost 10 weddings by the time June rolls around, so nothing has been much of a surprise to me. Combined with that, and the five months that have passed in our planning process, I have learned some things I think are crucial to wedding planning.

1. Do everything, and I mean everything, by email. If you have conversations over the phone or in person, email a follow-up to reiterate what you have agreed upon. Vendors tend to forget what they tell you verses the 50 other people they spoke to that day, and you don't want to to be their word against yours. Also, you could be the one who is mixing up information, and that is embarrassing!
2. Keep copies of every contract in one place. This seems obvious, but it is amazing how quickly things get lost, and then you can't remember exactly what you have agreed to.
3. On that note, be OCD organized. I am not typically this person, but it really does help. Have a folder on your computer with everything wedding, a folder in your email for everything you have sent and received to vendors, and a physical folder you bring with you to any consultations and appointments to keep everything they give you in.
4. Nail down every single vendor as soon as you have a date, and pick your date based on the availability of the one thing you don't want to compromise on (for my it was my venue). We will be engaged almost exactly 12 months. I booked everything immediately, and it was insane to me how many vendors weren't available with a years notice. We now live in a time of year and a half to two year engagements. If you wait procrastinate, be prepared to use your 2nd or 3rd choice.
5. I have blogged about this before, but beware of the wedding dress appointment. I think this is a very different experience for everyone, but there are some universal truths. Do not watch Say Yes to the Dress...ever. Chances are you will not have a moment when you put on "the dress" and bust into tears and know immediately. This is your freaking wedding dress! It's emotional, it's expensive, and you know everyone will be staring at you in it all day. You have a million thoughts in your head that there is no changing your mind once it is done. Prepare yourself for this, and you may not have an emotional breakdown half naked in the dressing room with the sales associate, as I did.
6. Don't be afraid to say what you want along the way. It's ok to pull the "I'm the bride card" every now and then. Now, this has never exactly been a problem for me. I am not a very indecisive person. However, it's easy to find yourself caving into what other people want because there are just so many decisions to be made, and you are sick of making them. If something really matters to you, it is ok! At the same time, don't be afraid to hand over the reins to a trusted sister, friend or mom in some cases. If you honestly don't care what color the napkins are, let someone else make the decision.
7. This may be an unpopular comment, but do not ask your bridesmaids their opinion on their dress. I don't say this meaning to pick whatever you want with no thought to them. Only that if you ask for opinions, be prepared to get them! If you know your bridesmaids are all in college or graduate school, they probably cannot afford a $300+ dress and shoes. If you know it is very likely you will have bridesmaids who are pregnant at your wedding (as I did), don't buy a form fitting, unforgiving dress. The point of this is, you cannot please everyone, especially a group of females with different tastes. If they are your bridesmaids, you should know them well enough to understand their financial status and body issues. Keep this in mind, and pick a dress. Again, if you ask opinions, you will get them, and you will probably be more confused than when you began.
8. Buy an etiquette book. This is my personal opinion, but there many things you can do to make your wedding your own, and some that people are probably going to say are just tacky. Southern ways die hard, love it or hate it, it's true. Obviously not everyone will agree with this, but it really is a great resource. When it came to the wording of my invitations, it really helped. It's also helpful to realize certain things that could be offensive to people that probably wouldn't have occurred to you. Although, some of what they say can be taken with a grain of salt, Ex: I did not think it was necessary that my ring bearer only wear a black or navy suit, or that wearing red to a wedding means you're sleeping with the groom (but I absolutely will judge you if you wear white, it's not ok. I don't care what anyone says, it is not).
9. Your invitations matter. It is the way people will form their expectations of the entire event. They should match the formality of your wedding. Burlap is one of my favorite new trends, and can be super dressed up in decorations, but if you send burlap invitations, don't be surprised if people come in jeans. If that's not what you want, rethink the invitations.
10. Primp. It is that simple. You will like all of your pictures more, bridal, engagement, day of, if you do. Get a spray tan, have your hair, nails, and/or makeup done. Trust me, you'll just feel better, and it will show. I don't care if "you're not that girl" blah blah blah...truth bomb- we're all that girl.
11. The last thing I would say, is that you should expect exceptional customer service. I will admit, I have high expectations for this in general. Everyone you are dealing with is in the customer service/hospitality industry. If you feel you are not being treated with the level of courtesy someone would who is spending a great deal of money with that vendor, by all means speak up! I learned the hard way if you let things slide, problems will mount. Keep in mind though, that you are dealing with real people. There are obviously going to be some mistakes made. Treat all of your vendors professionally and with respect, and you should get the same back. If not, you need to speak up and let them know they are not meeting your expectations.

I am sure in the last 7 months of this process I will have much more to add to this list. I wish I could make a list of my top pet peeves about weddings, but that would most certainly offend lots of people. If you're planning a wedding, be prepared for what's to come, and don't let it overwhelm you! Even though there are times when it is going to be stressful, at the end of the day you should enjoy it!

Fantastic Fall

So far, Fall has been a very busy season for the Future Simmons! First, we had an amazing engagement party October 13th at Squire Creek in Choudrant, La. My parents are wonderful for throwing such a great party and allowing our bridal party, family, and friends to all meet!

 

 

We took engagement pictures on the 27th! Meagan Fisher took them and a sneak peek is up on her blog! I am dying to see the rest, she did a great job!

 

http://mfisherphotography.com/blog/2012/10/29/caty-jacob-engaged/



 



We also did something I've wanted to do forever, and in Tennessee it was perfect! In case you didn't know, Fall in Tennessee is absolutely stunning! This being said, we channeled our inner child and went to a pumpkin patch! If anyone is around this area I highly recommend Waldon Farms in Smyrna. It was like a pumpkin fair more than pumpkin patch! There was a petting zoo, corn maze, hay rides, music, and delicious treats. I know you're probably reading this laughing...but I loved it!

 

 

Last, I thought I'd post pictures of my last few projects that have been occupying my time! First, I stained the top of the Goodwill desk I bought, and made it into a sofa table. I could still reattach it to the top of the desk later, but right now I like the way it looks alone! I stained it the same way I did the desk, and then just stenciled a little pattern on the back.

 

I've also been experimenting with creating mercury glass for the wedding centerpieces. I love the look of mercury glass...but it is so dang expensive! I read several different blogs and the methods varied, but it came down to the Krylon Looking Glass spray paint. I searched everywhere, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, JoAnne's, and finally good ole Walmart had it. People's opinions varied on spraying outside vs inside of the glass. I chose outside so you can actually put flowers in them. I'm still playing around with different methods, but this is what I have so far! They are more silver in real life, so I'm debating painting some gold first next time.

 

Somehow in all my "free time" I've also managed to start coaching junior cheerleading (7-11 year old girls) twice a week! They cheer for football games in their same age division. Note: this is not flag or touch! These little babies are out there in full pads tackling each other! It's definitely been a different experience. That age is full of energy and comments about everything! They are great, but I think I will stick to high school and older when it comes to teaching full time!

 

Fall has been crazy...and as graduation in December approaches, Holiday Season gets into full swing, and more wedding showers happen, it will only get crazier!

 

I love every second!