Welcome Gifts

Plans seem to be finally starting to come together for my big day! About time right?! There has been much talk of a destination wedding but no previous steps taken to move forward with a decision! This is mainly due to my parents and their concern for guests and traveling.  Being a Minnesota girl marrying a boy from North Carolina, our wedding will be a destination for one of our friends and families either way!  So what's a girl to do?! I received some great advice that has helped me with the decision; "As a bride you cannot please everyone. The people that truly matter and care about you and your groom will make the effort to attend and show their support. No matter the cost or distance."  So after taking into account this wise advice, we have decided to go for our destination wedding outside of Nashville, Tennessee! Woo-hoo!

We all know asking friends and family to travel is a lot to ask! So I plan to make sure everyone that makes such effort knows how much we appreciate them by making "Welcome/Thank-you" gift bags for each guest. 

I also recommend this to any bride planning a destination wedding or with out of town guests.  I know it will require a small portion of the wedding budget but in the end it is truly worth it.  People that are willing to spend the money to travel deserve some special recognition!

The best part is that it is an easy DIY and can be adjusted accordingly to any budget!

Recommended Items:

• Gift bag, basket, box, or mini suitcase
• Welcome/Thank-you card
• Wedding weekend itinerary
• Map and local area information/recommendations
• Restaurant information
• Area activities
• Nearby facilities (Drug stores, Grocery and convenience, etc.)
• Water bottles
• Snacks

Depending on the location and theme of your wedding, get creative! If you're getting married on the beach include sunscreen, a beach towel, or flip flops. For a wine country wedding include a bottle of local wine. Maybe a movie credit for the hotel room and microwavable popcorn. If the bride and groom are from different places, highlight the coming together of these two states by including something like Minnesota wild rice and North Carolina BBQ sauce!

Optional items:

• Tolietrie Items
• Mints
• A game or activity
• Slippers/Robe
• Local coffee shop gift card

{Source}

{Source}

{Source}

{Source}

{Source}

{Source}

{Source}

{Source}

Rustic Barn Wood Inspiration

Rustic Barn Wood Inspiration by caitlin.l on Polyvore.com

Prairie Berry Wine

I must admit that I am a girl that enjoys a tall glass of cold beer over a glass of wine, a country girl at heart that's for sure! So it will come as a surprise to any of you that know me, when I say I found a wine that I actually enjoy! Scratch that... LOVE!

 One of my best girls invited me over for some pizza, wine, and wedding planning. Without fail I volunteered to pick up some Coors Light. I know they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but upon arrival and catching a glimpse of the wine I decided that something with such a rustic-chic label was worth me trying. Long story short, I am hooked and without a doubt will be using this wine for my southern inspired rustic-chic wedding!

The delcious wine is from Prairie Berry Winery and offers more than 15 affordable grape, fruit and honey wines all made at their South Dakota location. Each bottle offers a unique rustic-chic label, perfect for any and all rustic-chic weddings! Prairie Berry ships their wine to numerous states, so be sure to check out their site for more information.

Check out this unique and easy DIY alternative to seating cards:

Attach a name list to each bottle with a table number. Guests will then have the opportunity to take the bottle with them to their designated table and ultimately start enjoying the wine!

Pixel Cowboy Wedding Video

For some reason I cannot help shedding a few tears every time I see a wedding video. Especially the moment when the bride and groom see each other for the first time and during the reading of the vows! HELLO waterworks! Well thanks to this post from fabulous Green Wedding Shoes, I couldn't hold back much/if any of my emotions this time either! I may be the only one that has an emotional break down every time I see a sweet wedding moment but I am confident that your heartstrings are sure be tugged after watching this amazing video!

Check it out: Pixel Cowboy Wedding

Compliments:
Source: Green Wedding Shoes
Video: Elysium Productions

La Vieja Tun Tun Jewelry

I love all things beautiful and unique. So naturally when it comes to my own and bridesmaids jewelry I am looking for statement pieces that are just that!

Recently, I discovered the Etsy shop LaViejaTunTun that offers a collection of jewelry and hair accessories that I am absolutely swooning over! Classic, beautiful, elegant and sure to make a statement! Looks like I found my jewelry now all I need is the dress ;)

Check out more gorgeous pieces from LaVieja Tun Tun here!

Country-Chic Inspiration

Country-Chic Wedding Inspiration by caitlin.l on Polyvore.com

French Country Wedding

Hello gorgeous brides! I am back from my mini-vacay/wedding weekend in beautiful California! I have so many pictures and wedding stories to share with you all but in the meantime, I can't wait any longer to share this truly remarkable French country inspired wedding! The photos by Clayton Austin are jaw dropping, enjoy!

Words from the Bride on inspiration:  "Oh so much inspiration! I owe a lot to the fantastic beauty of the oak tree and the artistry of the French. My husband and I studied French in college and it’s magic is found in all the intricacies of our wedding. We are cafe lovers and incorporated a coffee bar. I bought a French desk and incorporated French into many of the other details. All but a few of the centerpieces were French tea boxes and I chose to use dried flowers instead of fresh, as inspired by the dried flowers in many French country homes. Lavender has always represented hope for me, so that was a starting point for the flowers as well.  As a visual artist, I got really carried away by painting reserved signs for the tables, along with other signs throughout, and art to go on a wall a friend built."

Compliments:
Photography: Clayton Austin
Venue: Oak Tree Manor
Source: Green Wedding Shoes