What's In Our File: It's Bananas!

We are gearing up for our bright and tropical wedding this weekend at Rancho Valencia with JL Designs and thought we would share what's in store! Painted pineapples, palms, and retro inspired pops of color are all on board. We are bananas over this wedding and can't wait to give you peaks on instagram! Head on over for a little slice of Hawaiian heaven!

Our Top Ten Secrets to a FUN Wedding Reception

Every bride dreams of a beautiful wedding filled with pretty things, yummy food, and friends and family that come from far and wide to celebrate the day! Yes..this day is all about you and your groom....but don't you want it to be fun for everyone?

Here are some secrets (well they are actually proven to be successful) ideas for a FUN wedding reception.

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PICK AN UNFORGETTABLE GUESTBOOK IDEA

Do you really want everyone to sign their name in a book that may collect dust? Here are some ideas for a memorable keepsake that can be displayed in your home.

Puzzles...

A sentimental item

I still think that thumbprints are sweet and cute!

Have your guests sign a piece of artwork that can be hung in your home!

Jenga...Wouldn't it be fun to do this every year on your anniversary?

Did you know that The Carolina Inn offers custom silhouettes that can be framed?  Ask a catering manager about the details.

Instagram your wedding...you can have the guests write notes on instagram and have them printed off at a later day. (check out iprintagram for more info)

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HIRE A CLASS ACT

WOW your guests during the cocktail reception with a mariachi or a big easy type of band. 

PLAY DANCEABLE MUSIC
Whether you hire a band or a DJ ....make sure that the music never stops (even if they need to take a break..plan what is going to happen during these time...this will avoid the death of the party)

DJ YOUR OWN SONG
WHAT???  That's right..its the trend right now...pick a song that you love (I know I'd be jammin to Suit and Tie by Justin Timberlake) and get everyone excited and on the dance floor.

KEEP THE TOASTS SHORT

....and arranged...and rehearsed.  Nothing is worse than having a best man babble on for 15 minutes about college parties or all people you dated before.  My golden rule...NEVER open the toasts up for anyone who would like to participate!

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ADD A LOUNGE AREA
This will help to keep guests entertained even when they are not dancing...and if they don't want to dance what a great place to just sit and relax. 

Hill Ballroom

Old Well Ballroom

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MAKE THE FOOD FUN

Bump your bar up a notch and do a beer, wine, whiskey, or margarita tasting station

SERVE SWEETS AND TREATS

How fun would be to have a food truck pull in at the end of your wedding serving great smelling donuts

or a nostalgic ice cream truck...I would be one excited guest if I saw this coming!

Plan an interactive food station

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PLAN AN END OF THE NIGHT SURPRISE!!!
Want to be sure that your guests hang around after the cake is cut?  Plan something fun at the end of the night and create anticipation as to what it might be.
Put together a choreographed dance with your groom and/or wedding party!

Late Night Snacks...love them...and so will your guests

Fun Send Off....

Aren't all of these rose petal just gorgeous?

CHANGE INTO SOMETHING COMFORTABLE

How about a little white dress to dance the night away in?  If you are comfortable you will move more, talk more, laugh more, and eat more.  Sounds like fun to me!

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HIRE A DAY OF COORDINATOR
You've got ideas...lots of them...but who is going to keep it all in check and make the details happen?
A wedding coordinator will alleviate your stress on the day of the wedding so that you can enjoy yourself!

Megan Gillikin~A Southern Soiree

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My words of advice...remember that this is a BIG party...ask yourself..what would I have fun doing at a wedding?  I mean...you plan what to do if you are having people over for dinner at your house!  Approach your wedding day with the same enthusiasm.  There are no rules anymore...so the sky is the limit.

Inspired By: An Intimate Loft Affair

We are putting all of our inspiration together for Mary Beth and Peter's intimate affair and thought we would surprise you with a sneak peak. With a proposal in Paris, there are sure to be Parisian touches as well as a nod to our bride's Southern roots and this couples love for travel.  We are in love with the lighting by Typewriter Boneyard and the industrial romantic feel it will bring to the evening. Cinder block details compliment this couple's modern style while the creamy color scheme with pops of tangerine will help warm up this space. We are counting down the days to August 2 when their closest friends and family come from all over the world to celebrate them. Mary Beth and Peter are are a sophisticated duo and their wedding will be nothing less!

Like what you see here? View our inspiration board MB+P Intimate Loft Affair on Pinterest for more!

Inspired By: Rock Steady

Cassie and Jeremy's wedding is fast approaching and we are oohing as the pieces come together. All the details for this rock steady celebration are sure to bring inspiration and delight to your day. If you are still wanting more hop over to our C+J Rock Steady board on pinterest where you can find all these images and more!

Inspired By: Gold Leaves

Whoever thought of spray painting leaves gold was a genius...and it is one of our very favorite things to do when needing a hint of metallic at your table. It adds the perfect touch of elegance, especially for winter. We highly suggest this trick for your Holiday decor and it adds great shine for New Years as well! We always love the girls over at 100 Layer Cake and they recently posted a DIY tutorial for a golden magnolia wreath by Danielle from Brown Paper Design that we can't get enough of. The golden wreath paired with a gorgeous centerpiece like the one above is sure to have all your guests in awe!

Inspired By: Swedish Christmas

One of my favorite holidays comes from my heritage and my Swedish grandmother, her legacy still lives on as we hold tight to the traditions that have been passed down through the generations. Every December 13th on Santa Lucia Day, in the early morning hours, I was always awakened by the sounds of my mother singing a traditional Swedish Christmas song while carrying a tray of hot cocoa and pepparkakor cookies. The beauty of the candles and wreath on her head seemed magical at those moments. It was always one of my favorite parts of December and unfailingly came as a sweet surprise each year. Today, I too carry along the tradition with my little ones and even still the memories of these moments evoke such warm feelings.   I loved waking up my own sleepy little babies this morning as the sun was rising and sharing with them the heritage that my mother also gave me.  All dressed in white and with the wreath of candles on my head, my sweet Milla asked me if I was an angel.  There may only be so many instances in her life where she thinks of her mother as such but for now I will hold on to that...

These are the feelings that bring me the most inspiration. Last weekend I was able to weave together all the elements that are dear to my heart in this special holiday to share with Green Wedding Shoes.  The smells of Swedish desserts, Swedish meatballs, and hot chocolate have brought the memories soaring back. Paintings by Carl Larsson and rosy cheeked girls with braided hair have been dancing in my head. Pretty packages with dala horses hiding within, lit candles, green wreaths of fresh pine, and wood logs waiting to provide warmth are some of my favorite things for this ever so special day. What made recreating all of this extra merry is that I was fortunate enough to recreate the memories with my mother from Twigg Botanicals as we worked side by side. 

Head on over to Green Wedding Shoes to view the inspired shoot we created with a great team of talent! Enjoy the inspiration boards below and we'd love to hear about any Christmas traditions that you have with your family.

xo
Heather 

Top 7 Bridal Waltz Songs

Need some ideas for romantic wedding songs? We've got you covered.
Romantic love songs are a feature of every wedding. The slower tempo of love songs is ideal for the first dance by the bride and groom and also the father-daughter dance.

#7 A Thousand Years - Christina Perri
From the album The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, the song is the second single from the album
As heard in this proposal video from popular Malaysian blogger Timothy Tiah Ewe Tiam proposing to his girlfriend/fiancée Audrey O
Christina Perri confessed that the video made her cry.
Lyrics
I have died everyday
waiting for you
Darlin' don't be afraid
I have loved you for a
Thousand years
I'll love you for a
Thousand more

#6 You & Me - Lifehouse
The first single released from the eponymous third studio album Lifehouse. After critical success an extended wedding version of the song was released in 2005
Ultimate Guitar called the song "a tender love-ballad" and noted how it would be "a perfect soundtrack for a wedding".

Lyrics
'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do
Nothing to lose
And it's you and me and all other people
And I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you

#5 Amazed - Lonestar
The first version of the song was recorded by the American country music group Lonestar and was the second single from their 1999 album Lonely Grill. The song spent eight consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Tracks chart that same year

Lyrics
I don't know how you do what you do
I'm so in love with you
It just keeps getting better
I want to spend the rest of my life,
with you by my side
Forever and ever
Every little thing that you do,
Baby I'm amazed by you.

#4 Unchained Melody - Righteous Brothers
Unchained Melody is a 1955 song with music by Alex North and lyrics by Hy Zaret. It has become one of the most recorded songs of the 20th century, by some estimates having spawned over 500 versions in hundreds of different languages.
It was the July 1965 version by The Righteous Brothers that became a jukebox standard for the late 20th century, regaining massive popularity when used in the 1990 blockbuster film Ghost.
Lyrics
Oh, my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long, lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love, I need your love
God speed your love to me

#3 At Last - Etta James
At Last is a 1941 song written by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren for the musical film Orchestra Wives.
In 1960, it was covered by blues singer Etta James in an arrangement that improvised on Warren's melody. James' version was the title track in the same-named album At Last! and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.


Lyrics
At last, my love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song
Oh, yeah, at last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you
I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to rest my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known
Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last.

#2 Just the Way you Are - Bruno Mars
Just the Way You Are is a debut single by American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars, and is the lead single from his debut studio album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans.
In 2011, the song won the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. "Just the Way You Are" has sold 12.5 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Lyrics
When I see your face,
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing,
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for a while
Because girl you're amazing,
Just the way you are

#1 Don't Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith
I Don't Want to Miss a Thing is a song performed by American rock band Aerosmith for the 1998 film Armageddon.
The song helped open up Aerosmith to a new generation and remains a slow dance staple.


Lyrics
Lying close to you
Feeling your heart beating
And I'm wondering what you're dreaming
Wondering if it's me you're seeing
Then I kiss your eyes and thank God we're together
And I just wanna stay with you
Just stay in this moment forever, forever and ever

We Come by "Southern" Naturally

I love The Carolina Inn...I work here so I guess technically I am supposed to...but I really love it.  Maybe its because from the moment that I walked in the front doors it just felt like home or maybe its because I get to see so many "happy days" here. Whatever my reasons are there is no doubt that The Carolina Inn is a lovely place where one can gather with friends and family....and most certainly the perfect location for a wedding.  All weddings are special to us..We take a personal interest in the experience and the people involved.  Our brides become our friends for life...they come back for anniversaries, birthdays, holiday festivities, and often for the weddings of their children.  Yes...The Carolina Inn is a treasure...but only because our very special guests have made it that way. Thank you for always keeping the Inn close to your hearts. 

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  Follow me over the next few days to see one of my favorite wedding couples tie the knot...in true Carolina Inn fashion...with sweet tea, colorful martinis, beautiful flowers, and the sounds of guests in celebration.

Until then....

Here are a few pictures of others with whom we have enjoyed the journey!

Thank You Becca!

Weddings Fresh on Style Me Pretty!

Good morning, ladies!  I am so excited and proud to announce that Weddings Fresh is being featured on Style Me Pretty this morning!  It's the big reveal of a our Romantic Urban Wedding Shoot!  Check it out for all of the stunning details!!

I was so thankful and blessed to work with an amazing group of talented wedding vendors here in Portland:

Photography: Diana Marie Photography
Floral Design: Quince Flowers & Events 
Cakes: Jessicakes
Hairpiece: Austie Eckley
Invitation Suite:  Studio Olivine
Hair & Make-up: Destiny Taylor
Model: Charlotte Roehm
Tableware: Pottery Barn