Our engagement session with Matt Shumate!

First off, I just want to let everyone know that I plan to post a TON of wedding stuff in the next couple of months. Our wedding is in just a few days, and wedding planning has just been far too insane for me to blog all about it. We have worked so hard to make things come together, and I am so excited to share all of our wedding details with everyone!

Now I want to share our engagement session photos with Matt Shumate!

Our original plan was to have our engagement session done at the county fair. We thought it would be fun, and there would be built-in props and cool background lighting. Unfortunately, my beloved great-grandmother died a few days before the fair. Since the fair only comes once a year, we were going to try to struggle through it, but when Matt heard my voice he told me that I was way too stressed, and that we should wait until I was feeling more up to it. I'm glad that we did, because (as you can see in the photos), it was a lot easier to smile and laugh than it would have been.

Matt is a great guy, a very creative photographer, and about the furthest thing from a diva artiste as you can get. For those of you who know me, or who have been reading my blog long enough, you'll know that I tend to be very sassy. Matt lobbed it right back at me, and we all had a good time. (Except for the weather. It was gray, chilly, windy as all hell, and rained on us for the last little while.)

Please forgive my windblown hair and chubby laughing face, but I still think the pictures came out pretty cute. I especially like the ones of Dylan laughing, and these:







Please think good thoughts for us this week, and keep your fingers crossed for our big day! 10-9-10 here we come!

Many more wedding details to come soon!

Pale Blue and Earthy Brown -- Lovebirds theme!

My favorite themes involve a certain harmony and balance. I like to temper feminine with masculine, light and airy with dark and earthy, delicate with substantial.

This theme combines some of my favorite things -- the ethereal quality of lovebirds and feathers, the fragility and symbolism of eggs, and the earthy elements like birds' nests, twigs and moss. The overall feeling is fresh, and brings to mind renewal and new beginnings. This is definitely a new favorite theme!

{click to enlarge pictures}

The layout of this board seemed tricky to try to identify, so I'm trying a new method and numbering the boxes.

1. A funky feather and berry boutonniere photographed by Stephanie Williams.
2. White roses on top of mossy vases.
3. Springtime Nest Bell Jars from Williams-Sonoma. They're even on sale right now!
4. Peonies arranged in nests for a fresh take on centerpieces. (Thank you Martha Stewart!)
5. Candy shelled chocolate eggs by Martha Stewart.
6. Faux Quince Blossom Wreath with Nest from Williams-Sonoma.
7. Feathery fringe adds a fun texture to the bouquet and looks beautiful with the feathery boutonniere.
8. Little nests filled with jordan almonds used as place card holders! (Martha Stewart)
9. A lovely pale bouquet of white hydrangeas and dusty miller leaves.
10. I think the blue shirt with the white boutonniere is a surprisingly nice change from the more traditional white shirt with colored boutonniere. This is another picture by Stephanie Williams.
11. An adorable love birds wedding cake by Martha Stewart.
12. Cookies pressed with birds and monograms -- Martha again!
13. Birds on branches centerpieces by Rebecca Thuss.
14. I want this cake plate way bad! It's birds on a wire by Fishs Eddy.
15. A French dessert buffet.
16. I LOVE this. A nest made of pussy willows -- why do you have to be so good at everything, Martha?!
17. Martha Stewart's bird's nest version of a wishing jar. Guests write their well wishes for the couple on bird shaped paper cut-outs and place the notes into nests on the branches.
18. Candles nestled into... nests? :-P
19. Lovebirds with table numbers -- woodsy and adorable!
20. Fiddlehead ferns. Love 'em!
21. Springtime Nest Bell Jars from Williams-Sonoma. These would make the coolest centerpieces for this theme!