What an amazing bridal show it was this past weekend! Thank you so much to all the wonderful brides, grooms and bridal parties who stopped by our booth- We loved having the chance to show off all that The Wedding Cottage has to offer, and especially loved seeing so many people sporting our sashes!  The award goes to the Groom who wore a sash that proudly said “Taken” – how incredibly sweet.

This year Randy Fenoli from Say Yes to the Dress was at the show, and as I watch that show whenever it is on (much to my husband’s dismay) I really wanted to meet Randy and get a photo with him.  On Sunday afternoon I sneaked out of the booth and stood in line to meet him.  I might have been pushing my luck but I asked him if he would wear the sash that I made him that said “Say Yes to the Dress”- He turned to his manager to ask, and got the ok!

He was a good sport and just as nice as I imagined.  I’m sure it is hard to sign autographs and smile for hours at a time, so I was impressed that he gave each person his full attention and energy.  Anyways, it was really fun to get the chance to meet him and even though it was hard to leave the booth, I am so glad I did!

Bridal Shows are one of my favorite parts of my job, and if you weren’t able to make it to this show, I hope to see you at some others in the future.  To see which shows we will be at visit our website under “Specials and Events”

Are you heading to the Rose City Bridal Showcase this weekend?  Hope so!  At our booth this year we will  be selling custom sashes that you can take with you right there on the spot. For the show special they are only $5.00 and you can put on there “Soon to be Mrs. _(new last name)_” or maybe your Mom wants one with “Mother of the Bride” –  What about your Groom, I wonder if he would wear a sash that says “I love my Future Wife” ?!

Wear the sash proudly around the show and then you could always wear it again- maybe at your bachelorette party!

Plus, if you come to The Wedding Cottage and wear your sash you will get 10% off your total purchase  (not including invitations).

We have lots of other fun items at our booth, and are excited to show them off to you – Hope to see you this weekend!

We’re getting all packed up and excited for the Rose City Bridal Show that is taking place this weekend at the Convention Center.  The show is great every year but this year there are some exciting little additions – The first is that Randy Fenoli (from Say Yes to the Dress) will be coming on Sunday, and you can have the chance to have breakfast with him and hear him talk.  I’m not gonna lie, I pretty much watch every episode of Say Yes to the Dress and so I hope I get the chance for a little photo op with Mr. Fenoli.  To get tickets to this event click here!

The next new addition to the show is there will be a Dream Wedding Cake Challenge!  Four bakeries will battle it out from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, beginning with a blank cake and creating a full wedding cake throughout the day right there on the show floor. Attendees and a panel of judges will choose the winners.   Anyone watch Cupcake Wars?  I am hoping for a little drama with this event.

The last new addition to the show are the “Scoop Sessions”.   Throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, wedding vendors will be sitting down to answer your questions and give advice about the topics below.  I will be there for The Wedding Cottage at the Stationery and Accessories portion from 10:30-11:00am each day so stop by and ask away!

1. 10:00–10:30: Attire & Beauty
2. 10:30–11:00: Stationary & Accessories
3. 11:00–11:30: Food & Beverage
4. 12:30–1:00: Photography & Videography
5. 1:00–1:30: What does a Day-Of Coordinator Do?
6. 2:30–3:00: Entertainment

Anyways, it is shaping up to be a great show – We hope you will stop by our booth and say hello!

When you picture kids at your wedding, do you picture this…

(from bride.net)

(from Ken Cravillion)

Or this?

(from Hitched Studios)

(from Mark Adams Photography)

One of the most commonly asked questions we get when helping couples with their invitations is – how do I politely tell people that we don’t want kids at our wedding?  Not an easy one for sure.  On one hand you don’t want kiddos at the wedding, but then again you don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings (and when it comes to kids and weddings, people seem to have a lot of feelings, or opinions for that matter).  So what is a Bride and Groom to do?

Let’s see what Emily Post has to say…

• Do not print “no children” or “adults only” on an invitation. The way an invitation is addressed, whether on the inner or outer envelope, indicates exactly who is invited, and, by omission, who is not invited to the wedding.  If the envelope is addressed to “Mr. and Mrs. Hayward,” then Mr. and Mrs. Hayward should not assume that their children are included. If the envelope is addressed to “The Hayward Family” or “Mr. and Mrs. Hayward, Sarah and Elliott Hayward” then it can be assumed that all mentioned are invited.

Here at The Wedding Cottage we do agree with Ms. Post.  However, I am sure you are thinking that what Emily Post has to say is all well and good, but are guests even going to pay attention and notice that the kids weren’t on the invitation?

(from Premier Wedding Planners Scotland)

What we also suggest in addition to addressing your envelopes sans the kids is to speak to your parents and bridal party about your wishes to keep it an adult affair.  Let them know that while you love the kids dearly, you feel the venue and occasion is best for adults.  Your bridal party and family can then help to spread the word for you and answer any questions people might have.

When it comes down to it you should be able to decide whether or not you want kids at your wedding.  However, just be realistic and know that if you are going to have a kids-free wedding, this will prohibit some of your guests from coming.

If you have other wording or etiquette questions stop by The Wedding Cottage – that’s what we are here for!

Have you seen that back to school Target ad with the school teacher who talks about needing “Glitter, So much Glitter…” ? I’m in love with that commercial, and in love with glitter.  If I see something that is glittered it’s pretty much a done deal that I will buy it.  Case in point, when I saw the glittered Toms shoes, I couldn’t resist.  But c’mon, how cute are these…

Why oh why weren’t these available when I got married!?

Glitter + Weddings are like a match made in heaven.  Below are some ideas of how to incorporate a little glitter into your big day (aside from wearing awesome glittered Toms to dance the night away).

For the Flower Girls (J.Crew)

The Decor

The Cake and Knife Server (available at The Wedding Cottage!)

The Clutch (J.Crew)

The Nail Polish

It’s your wedding, why not wear glittered nail polish?  Plus the name of this polish by Deborah Lippmann is called “Today was a Fairytale”

The Cupcakes

The Dress (From Style Me Pretty)

Glitter…So Much Glitter

The Wedding Cottage is excited to be apart of the Very Engaging Bridal Event that is happening this Sunday at Bridgeport Village!  This wedding show is pretty fantastic because you can meet with wedding vendors, get great ideas and inspiration for your event, and of course do a little shopping!

The show is on Sunday, September 25th from 11am-4pm and the great thing is, admission is FREE!

There is also a fabulous VIP event from 9am-11am at Saks Off Fifth that includes a light brunch, fashion show, tips from professionals and a gift bag. The VIP event is $25.00 and you can get your tickets online.

We hope you will come by and say hi – we’ll be in Dosha Salon Spa!

This past weekend my family and I headed down to California to help my little sister move into college (Santa Clara University, Go Broncos!), and on the way home we stopped at In-N-Out Burger for lunch.  Since I seem to always have weddings on my mind, it got me thinking how fun it would be to incorporate In-N-Out with a wedding.  Clearly I am not the only one with this idea as I came across this adorable photo shoot taken by photographer Jonathan Canlas

And then I saw that In-N-Out can cater at a wedding! How fun would that be!?

While I love the idea of having In-N-Out Burger for late night snacks at a wedding, there is one little issue for us Portland Peeps… there is no In-N-Out here!

The idea of using food carts to cater weddings is catching on here in Portland, but I think it might be fun to have the food carts arrive once the party starts for some extra desserts and coffee drinks.

(Photo below from Red Box Pictures)

Here are some places in Portland who could do just that…

First up, Fifty Licks ice cream.  This company will arrive with their cute Truck/Cart and serve up flavors like “Stumptown Coffee”, “Maple with Bacon”, “Slabtown Whiskey”, and “Caramel Apple” to name a few.  YUM!

Next is  Salt and Straw – I first discovered this local company while at a Portland beer festival when Salt and Straw had made the flavors of ice cream based on the beer that we were tasting.  How cool is that!?  Your guests could either drink a microbrew from your bar, or have a scoop of beer ice cream instead!

Aside from ice cream, another idea would be to have your very own coffee bar.  Espresso Volare can make espressos, cappucinos, lattes, hot chocolate, italian sodas… the list goes on.  I am pretty sure your guests would love to have a freshly made latte to go with their slice of cake!

Whether you go for food carts for dinner, dessert, or maybe an evening drink, I think these would make your reception one to remember!

We’ve all heard the saying “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue, and a Sixpence in your shoe” – But have you ever wondered what the meaning is behind it?  Well don’t worry because I am here to tell you!

This tradition comes from an Old English rhyme, and the four objects that the bride adds to her wedding outfit or carries with her on the big day are for good luck .

• Something Old – symbolizes continuity with the bride’s family and the past
• Something New- symbolizes optimism and hope for the bride’s new life ahead
• Something Borrowed – symbolizes good fortune.  This is through an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride
• Something Blue –  symbolizes purity, love, and fidelity.  Also before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, “Marry in blue, lover be true.”
• Sixpence in your Shoe -symbolizes wealth and financial security for the couple

-From theknot.com

Now that you know the reason behind this little saying, what are you going to use for your lucky charms?  The Something New is probably pretty easy because there is a good chance that you are wearing a new dress, or new shoes, or new lingerie etc.  Jewelry from a friend or family member always works well for your something borrowed, and sometimes can also be your something old!  But what about your Something Blue?

Here are some fun ideas that we have at The Wedding Cottage…

Below is a pin that you can attach to your garter or inside of your dress.  It is a bit hard to tell from this photo but this pin is made up of blue rhinestones.  We have this little accessory both online and in the store!

This Something Blue will be for your Groom’s eyes only :)

Also sold online and in the store!

Instead of a traditional white or ivory garter, why not have a blue garter!?  Two garters come with this set – one to keep and one for the garter toss.

It’s a good chance there will be some tears during your ceremony.  You could dry your happy tears with these blue Bride & Groom tissues.

Below is a picture of my garter from my own wedding.  I wore my favorite garter that we have online and in the store, as I was obsessed with one small detail -The garter is embroidered with a tiny “I do” in blue thread!  Attached to my garter was also my Something Borrowed.  My mom has a gold pendant engraved with the names of everyone in our family, and so I borrowed the one from her that is engraved with “Jacob”.

My Something New was my shoes (also blue!), and my Something Old was a ring I wore that used to be my great-grandmother’s.

What are you using for your something blue?

A few weeks ago I got to be a bridesmaid when my best friend Shannon tied the knot, and it was truly amazing!  Amazing people, amazing scenery, amazing vows, amazing food, amazing blackberry cupcakes (yes had one too many of those) and amazing dancing.  Overall it was a really magical evening and I could not be more happy for Shannon and Alex.

I just looked at all the photos from the big day, and guess what word came to mind, yep, amazing.  I have to give credit to the photographer, Ryan Phillips for these fantastic photos.

My Mom and Shannon’s mom were in a pregnancy class together so I have technically known Shannon for 27 years!  Shannon and I have had so many incredible experiences together, and to be a bridesmaid in her wedding and watch her get married to her sweetie was truly one of the best.

When you own a wedding store there is nothing better than having a best friend get married because you have an excuse to shower her with gifts from The Wedding Cottage (of course!), and help with the save the dates and invitations.  I’m kinda sad that the wedding has come and gone, but I’m all ready to help another friend who is getting married in June!

The new Mr. & Mrs.

The photo above on the left is a blown up picture of Shannon and Alex’s invitation that they got from The Wedding Cottage :)

The photo on the right is the very canoe that Alex proposed to Shannon in.   It is the details that make every wedding really special!

Shannon’s gorgeous veil and hair piece was made by Andrea at August Veils

Not a bad background for a wedding ceremony!

Alex looking very dapper with his boys, and Shannon with her girls.

(That’s me 2nd from the right, in case you weren’t sure who writes this blog)

:)

CONGRATULATIONS S + A !!!

Even though it was a hot weekend, I’ve got Christmas on my mind.  Why you might ask?  Well that’s because we now have the most *darling* Christmas ornaments at The Wedding Cottage.  Think glitter and sparkle, the perfect combination.  Now I am a believer that those wonderful Christmas tunes and decor should hold off until after Thanksgiving, however, I am all for Christmas shopping before the season. These are ornaments but I actually think they could be really great wedding decor as well, don’t you think?  I can picture these hanging on a centerpiece, or being used for a photo prop.  I think my favorite is the one that says “Happily Ever After” but I am just as smitten with them all…

LOVE.

Darling, right!?

These ornaments are $15.00 each and can be found at The Wedding Cottage or online at www.shoptheweddingcottage.net

So close your eyes, think of sweaters, hot cocoa, jingle bells, evergreen, and start that Christmas shopping early!