Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and what better way to “Share the Love” then by thinking outside the box with a unique and fabulous Valentines Day Gift Guide! These are a few fabulous things we recently found out about and thought what a fun way to get the creative ideas flowing! Most of these fabulous products are made here in the US with the finest quality and care! Their unique style and design is so fabulous we had to share!!! Enjoy!


2012 Fabulous Valentine’s Day Gift Guide


For the Special Man in Your Life

Give him the gift of style with the Devora Libin “Ben” bracelet.  This functional / durable, black rubber cord offers a fun alternative to leather.

Sterling silver clasp, 7.5 inches, Handmade in NYC. www.devoralibinjewels.com

 

 

 

For the Doting Dad and/or Brotherly Love

Help him look and feel his best with a Commonwealth Proper custom suit or shirt.  Everything that bears the Commonwealth Proper label is made, by heart and hand, in the United States. Each Commonwealth Proper garment is crafted by this country’s most experienced and respected cutters, tailors and finishers. Quality is never compromised.  It is this combination – the proper clothing and proper advice – that gives clients a sense of security and confidence that they are looking their best, be it at work or after hours. www.commonwealthproper.com

 

 

 

For your mom

The Devora Libin “Bow” will make mom smile! With its elegant adornment, this bracelet is delicate, feminine and makes a simple statement with its bow detail.

Sterling silver, Adjustable closure, Handmade in NYC. www.devoralibinjewels.com

 

For Your Best Friend

The Devora Libin “Brass Bar” bracelet is the perfect way to spread the love to your bestie.  This beaded ID bracelet puts a trendsetting spin on a classic style.

  • Yellow brass bar and 14k gold filled findings
  • 6.75 inches long
  • Handmade in NYC

www.devoralibinjewels.com

 

 

 

For the Stylish Sister

The “You are my Milky Way” 1979 cropped t-shirt is the perfect V-Day gift for your fashion forward sister.  This Rachel Bilson favorite is sure to make your sister heart you!

one size. www.1979couture.com

 


And may I point out that quite a few of these would make fabulous bridesmaids or groomsmen gifts??! I just love how fun and unique each piece is!! Hope you enjoyed these fun ideas for Valentines Day, Wedding Day or ANY DAY!!

Happy Planning!

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21

Jan

The Power of Linens!

General, weddings // No Comments

The last few weeks for us have been full of design concepts and color choices and the fun journey of choosing reception linens! As we look forward to the fabulous 2012 weddings of our even more amazing brides, one of my favorite parts of the design process has to be the linen choices! There are so many out there, from a beautiful single color poly to some of the most fabulous patterns we have ever seen! As you may have seen in our past posts, 2012 is shaping up to be quite the year of pops of color, and what better way to bring in that color and create instant atmosphere for your guests then a calculated linen choice!

The one downside to these fabulous linens can be the cost but I have put together a couple tips that we love to pass along to our amazing brides:

  1. Check out options that your venue may provide! (MAKE SURE THEY ARE FLOOR LENGTH THOUGH!) Many venues will offer a basic linen at little to possibly no charge but quite a few of these options tend to be shorter and will not be floor length, lending to a more casual atmosphere
  2. Maybe instead of worrying about draping each guest table in your more expensive dream linen, choose a more cost effective, single color linen for your guest tables and splurge on your dream linen that may cost a bit more for your head table and/or cake table! This is a great way to create texture and bring in different colors!

Hopefully this helped open your mind to so many different options but if you are still a bit confused and want to look at options, feel free to call us or email us and come into the studio! We have linen books from some of our favorite companies like La Tavola & BBJ Linens and would love to sit down and talk linens with you!!!

 

Happy Planning!

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So in the midst of all of this FABULOUS planning, you are fielding calls from cousins, friends, long lost family and so many others asking about where to book their rooms, directions to the church and who is in your wedding…. Ok… NOW BREATHE!!! There is a solution and it’s as easy as sending that phone call to voicemail!

The wedding industry is forever evolving with the times and thanks to that little piece of technology we call the “internet”, we have SOO many resources at our disposal at the click of a button!

One of my favorites would have to be the ever-popular trend of the Personalized Wedding Website! Whether you have a very cute, basic Free site or if you splurge a little on the high tech: video, music, full on production site, your website is a great resource to use as the answer to all of those many, many questions! Freeing up your time for more snuggling and enjoying these next few months!

WeddingWire has an AMAZING FREE option with tons of beautiful designs that correspond with beautiful invitations! They even have Vera Wang paper and Martha Stewart Weddings pages!

The Knot gives you two great options: A FREE site with all the info you can imagine: including your love story, Hotel Room information with links, Directions to the Church and Reception and your own virtual guest book! OR the high tech version, which has a small monthly or yearly fee, that includes unlimited photos, music and video uploads and much more!

You can find these sites in many different places with a simple google search, it’s all about finding the one that fits you the most!

Get creative!!! As one of our fabulous brides has done recently, you can get online and make small business card magnets with their names, the date and their website to put in each envelope with their invites! Or even send it as a cute save the date! It is also a great way to put your registry out there without being too obvious! Hehe Wouldn’t it be easy for them to just click and shop?? I mean they are already online!

The Wedding Website can be a fun resource for you and your fiancé to share your love story and your journey to the altar! Get creative! Have fun! And send me any cute ideas you end up with!!!

Happy Planning! XOXO



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04

Nov

Fabulous Escort Cards

General, weddings // No Comments

Well Hello All!

I have seriously been lacking in my blogging skills in the last few weeks and I am SO SORRY! We have had quite a few busy weeks here at Always Planned, meeting with fabulous brides, planning for so many more and of course a gorgeous Style Shoot thrown in there as well! I can’t complain though, this has been the best few months of my life and I can’t wait to be a part of the beautiful weddings we have already for next year!

On to more fabulous business, my topic of the day: ESCORT CARDS!!

Last week, I sat down to put the finishing touches on the place cards for our upcoming wedding and I just fell in love with the creativity that is our Scrabble place cards!! Escort cards, an escort card display and place cards are a fun way to create a cute party favor, add a little bit of your “couple style” in the details or tell a cute story!

If you have considered having a seating chart for your wedding, think about the things that mean the most to you and your man! For instance, one of our wonderful grooms proposed using Scrabble tiles! Rayna worked her creative magic and now, 115(ish) place cards later, we have a fabulous Escort Card Scrabble board and a place setting, personalized for each guest that they can keep as a momento of that special day! For another one of our beautiful brides, travel and planes in particular hold a special meaning in her heart and we are going to have fabulous vintage 3D planes for her escort card table!

The sky is (literally) the limit! I can’t stress enough that your wedding day is meant to be a glimpse into the love that you two share, a way for you to show your family what your lives together will be forevermore! While traditions and the “norm” can sometimes cloud our decisions, it can be so meaningful and special to come up with some fun ways to incorporate yourselves into your day, even in the smallest details! It’s all about you all!

Happy Planning!

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After seeing so many great ideas that have transformed the traditional Guest Book, I just really wanted to share some fun ideas that may be able to help you get the creative juices flowing for your own wedding!

The Guest Book has been a wedding staple for decades but many modern brides are hesitant to simply place out a signature book that they know will be placed in a box later and possibly forgotten about in the process. Your guests are a HUGE part of your wedding, you have invited each of these family members and friends to be a part of your love story and the guest book is a great way to remember all of the wonderful support and love you both have from them.

The good news is, if the traditional signature guest book is not for you, many creative minds have been at work and new, fun, inventive keepsakes are slowly taking its place. At a wedding I went to in June, the bride and groom had chosen a guest interactive approach and given each guest a fun page to fill out with wishes, your own drawing of the bride and groom and special memories you had of them! After the wedding, she was able to put each of them in a beautiful scrapbook and they were able to share some fun laughs as a couple reading over them weeks later! Last week, Sarah and Ron chose to have their guests sign decorative plates that can be mounted on the wall or displayed somewhere in their home with well wishes and encouragement that will remind them of that special day they shared with all of their loved ones!

The guest book can be as traditional or as creative as you would like, but I encourage you to look into other ideas and find the one that best fits your personalities. Find something you can have for years to come that won’t just sit in a box, but will be a daily reminder of the love and support your friends and family have for the two of you during this next journey in your lives together!!!

Happy Planning!

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It’s finally here!!! Simply Love Studio is holding its Fall 2011 Extreme Venue Hop NEXT Sunday, October 16th!! The Venue Hop will take place from 1pm to 6pm and will begin at The Carrick House.

Venue Hop is the perfect event for Brides, Grooms, Friends and Family to come and see some of Lexington’s most beautiful venue’s in all of their Wedding Glory! We have some fabulous vendors taking part this year including Gold Shield Transportation who will be providing fabulous transportation for you and your guests! Don’t forget the scrumptious food and drinks provided by these wonderful vendors at each venue!

Follow the link here and sign up for the Venue Hop! Early Registration is $15 per person but as a special limited time offer, if you use the discount code: BBS you will receive $10 off each ticket which means it’s only $5 DOLLARS A PERSON right now!!!

Email us or give us a call at 859.317.9023 if you have any questions!

Have a beautiful day & Happy Planning!

 

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There are many traditions in the wedding world that are changing and being updated as each decade passes, but there is one that seems to remain true to form: The time honored tradition of that Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed and Something Blue!! Today I thought I would share a few of my favorite things that would be excellent representations of this special tradition and what I found out each item symbolizes in the process! I have heard of this many times but never knew the true significance of each piece!

The meaning of the Tradition:

Something Old: This is meant to represent the link between the bride and her family!!

Something New: Represents good luck and success and hopes for a bright and beautiful future!!

Something Borrowed: This piece is to remind the bride that her friends and family will be there for her in the future and on her special day!

Something Blue: In ancient times, this represented the symbol of Faithfulness, Purity and Loyalty!

I hope some of these cute ideas will help inspire you to find the little things that mean the most to you! This tradition is meant to wish you luck, remind you that your family (Past, Present and Future) is holding you up and guiding you through this next Beautiful Chapter of your life!

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So – every girl wants to be able to say that her fiancé is going to be super involved in every aspect of the wedding planning process, but let’s be real here girls, that just ain’t gonna happen.

But it is y’alls wedding, right? I mean, the BOTH of you are getting married, aren’t you? Therefore, I think it is exceedingly important that he has some kind of role in the planning process, whether he is really interested in the Purple Mountain Majesty’s swatch for your bridesmaids’ dresses, or not.

Before you throw all of your plans for damask linens and cute little pomanders all over him, let’s take a step back and do some evaluating:

i) As aforementioned, leave the hip wedding lingo to conversations with your planner, mother, MOH, etc. Throw a couple of those words at him and he’ll give you that confused look your daddy gave you when you mentioned you spent $4,000… on flowers.

ii) Make a list. Sit down with your soon-to-be hubby and talk about what you think he would be really good at being in charge of. (Be sure to add lots of “well, you’re so talented with this,” or “babe, you would be so much better at that than me”). Let him know how much you would appreciate his help, even if you only need him to do a few things here and there.

iii) If you ask for his opinion, be ready to actually take it into account. And I know most girls will read this and be like, well duh? But really, if you are already leaning heavily toward an option, and you think he may not agree with you, it may be best not to ask him (chances are he won’t notice on your big day).

 

So, now that we’ve gotten all of THAT out of the way, how about we talk about some ways that your Boo-Boo can help you out with all of this stressful (I mean, uh – wonderful) wedding planning business. I’ve thought of a few things that I would definitely feel comfortable leaving up to my fiancé. Now, feel free to leave comments and tell me about your experiences!

  • Have him type up his half (or less-than-half) side of the guest list, and you two can grab a glass of wine for a pre screening of your wedding guests.
  • If your betrothed is super creative, ask him to help you choose your invitations, after all – your invitations should tell a story of your relationship, so input from both sides of that relationship should be helpful.
  • Put him in charge of selecting the drinks to be served at your reception, maybe have him attend a wine tasting with a few of his buddies to get a better idea of what he likes.
  • If you share a common taste in music with your beau, think about letting him choose the music to be played at your reception – but be prepared to tweak his list a bit to add a few more “romantic” songs in there.
  • Should you choose to forgo the limo and if your guy were anything like mine, he would LOVE the chance to choose the getaway car. Let him choose the car you all use to make your “great escape”. Make sure you stress to him the importance of HAVING a way to leave your wedding, also.
  • While it may be tradition for the groom to plan the honeymoon, I know many brides aren’t 100% comfortable with that, so maybe put him in charge of finding the best deals for hotels near your wedding venue for your out-of-town guests to stay at. He may be able to find some good bargains and also make sure your guests are taken care of.

 

Now, with all of that being said, if you ask for his help, make sure you’re willing to let go of those responsibilities yourself. I know that I am QUITE the control freak and I want to oversee absolutely everything, but if I were to nitpick Wes’ way of doing things I know that it would really upset him. Remember that you trust this man and realize that he is going to take this seriously because he wants to make YOU happy.

Also, don’t forget that everyone needs a break from their own wedding. Don’t be afraid to take some time away from the planning and the stressing for the two of you to be engaged, your budget sheets and linen swatches will be there for you when you return. Enjoy your time with your fiancé, your wedding day will come soon enough – followed by the rest of your lives.

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19

Sep

A Week in the Life!

General, vendors // No Comments

Happy Monday Everyone!

We had such a blast this weekend getting to visit with so many brides and some of our amazing vendors: Dei Gratia Photography, Tinkers Cake Shop, Gourmet Goodies and The Ashley Inn just to name a few! The Diamond Rings and Pretty Things Fall Bridal Show was wonderful and we loved getting to meet new brides and hopefully new friends!

This week is a busy one at the studio and we are so excited. For those of you who came out last week or even if you didn’t get to make it out, we are hosting our Second week of Simply Love Studio’s Bridal Benchmark Series! This week, we will be visited by Tiger’s DJ Services, The Ashley Inn B&B, Gold Shield Transportation and Gourmet Goodies! Thelma at Gourmet Goodies will be providing absolutely scrumptious treats for everyone who comes out! Sarah and the girls at Simply Love have come up with yet another simply adorable DIY craft that you won’t want to miss! Come out Wednesday night and join in the fun!

The fun doesn’t stop there, because Thursday night Always Planned and AP Luxury Travel are hosting our Sandals Night! If you are still looking for a fabulous Honeymoon or just an All-Inclusive luxury getaway, come out for some free food, drinks and information on these amazing packages! Rayna and Mallory both chose Sandals resorts for their honeymoons and now can’t imagine taking a vacation of any kind without Sandals!

This weekend was truly wonderful, and we hope to see you all out at some of our fabulous events this week!! Look out for info coming soon about our New Studio Open House next week!!!

Happy Planning!

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This week has been a busy one at the studio!! Not only have we been getting ready for the Diamond Rings and Pretty Things Bridal Show this Sunday but Simply Love Studio held its first night of the Bridal Benchmark Series yesterday! For those of you who couldn’t make it out, there are still five more weeks left! We had an amazing turn out of beautiful brides and three wonderful vendor presentations including AP Luxury Travel!! While we were recovering from the sugar coma that Tinker’s Cake’s put us in, we started really kicking Bridal Show preparations into high gear! Burlap is cut, frames are painted and ready, gorgeous, luxurious linens are ready to be laid out and the girls of Always Planned are so excited to get to meet with you and share our love of weddings! The Bridal Show will take place at Embassy Suites off of Newtown Pike from 11am-5pm. There is NO admission charge for anyone!!  We would love to see everyone out there and get to spend time some time visiting with you all!  We (the interns!!) are just so excited for our first Bridal Show! Come out and stop by the booth to say hello and see yet another inspired design by Rayna and Mallory! Hope to see you all there!

Happy Planning!

 

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