not your ordinary valentines: cliches minus the cheese

We're on the final stretch of February. Despite my internet absence, I managed to squeeze in one last valentines post. Yay!

Like I said in my introductory valentines post, valentines is such a popular and universal concept that is perhaps why it is riddled with so many cliches. This is precisely why it sometimes becomes a challenge to think outside the box when it comes to valentines wedding. So I thought, why not work with the common valentines cliches right? As saying that goes, if you can't beat them, join them! You don't have to paint your wedding red and fill it with heart shapes and cupids all over. Just use the cliches in cute, witty, and unique ways. 

Here's what I'm thinking:

clockwise: red Toms wedding shoes, couple with red Chuck Taylors, Cupid's arrow head table number,  personalized Kisses, Cupid's arrow cocktail, kissing booth, almost heart shaped pretzels, chocolate dipped strawberries, matchstick favors, cupcake placecard holder, Coke crate
center image: "LOVE" couple photograph

Use the color red wisely and wittingly. Purposley use red items to serve as your pops of red. For instance, wearing glittery red Toms as your bridal shoes and red Chucks for the groom's shoes add a cute and unexpected pop of red to your attire. (Personal note: Though I love the classic and cool vibe of Chucks, I'd go with Toms shoes anytime. Aside from their fashionable and undeniably comfortable footwear, I've always been an advocate of their One for One movement. Read more about it here.)

As your guests enter the reception hall, ask them to "follow cupid's arrow" to find their designated tables and seats. Use cupid's arrow head cutouts as your table number signs. Then place cupcakes (red velevet would probabaly be most fitting) with cupid's arrow ends as your place card holders. This turns the cupid cliche as a cute and useful element in your wedding. 

Treat your guests to refreshments such as the ubiquitous Coca Cola (or perhaps Dr. Pepper, whichever is available in your area). Put them in vintage crates and not only do you have an instant pop of red, you can also give your wedding a quirky, vintage pop culture vibe. 

For dessert, why not have a chocolate fondant with strawberries. Red, heart shaped, chocolates - all these valentines cliches turned into one yummy and sweet treat. If you're not much of a sweets person, serve some pretzels in their demi-heart shaped goodness dipped in yummy cheese fondant. Still romantic enough but not too much. 

In a lot of weddings I've been to, I notice that a lot of guests enjoy hamming it up for the photo booths, playing around with the fun props available. Take a more valentines-y approach by having a kissing photo booth instead. Set up your photo booth like a kissing booth and have your guests pucker up for the camera. Throw in some props like cupid's wings, giant lips, and the like and your photo booth will surely be a hit!

For your photography memento, have your photographer take photos of your guests spell out the word LOVE using their hands and body. Compile it like a scrapbook and you'll have a creative way to remember your wedding day by. You can also have you and your spouse's photo taken spelling out the word LOVE and use this photograph in your thank you cards. 

As the evening winds down and the party mood hypes up, serve up some cocktails to keep the party going. I found out that there is a specific cocktail mix called cupid's arrow. How perfect is that. You can make this your signature mix for your wedding. 

Lastly, before your guests leave, gift them with some wedding favors. I found this really cute DIY favor. Find some scratch anywhere matches, preferrably the red ones. Put them into mason jars. Stick some sanding paper on the jar cover. On the sides of the jar, add a label saying "Lisa + Jacob. It's a match!" How cute and witty is that? 

Or if you want a more kid friendly (and less diy required) favor. How about some personalized chocolates. Kisses, I think are most appropriate, this being a valentines wedding after all. If you want to continue with the puns, these kissing Kisses label are cute and adorable don't you think?

And that's about it! I hope you enjoyed my valentines wedding series despite the multiple delays and such. If you have other unique valentines ideas, share them on the comment box or shoot me an email. 

indisposed

I have been the luckiest of people in the past week. The other day, my laptop crashed. Literally! My baby cousin accidentally knocked it over. I looked away for a split second to grab a piece of paper that was blown away by the fan and before I knew it, my laptop was diving down to the floor. It is now in a laptop ICU, fighting for dear life. 

I am now writing this from my phone which is not the easiest thing. My aunt had offered to lend me her laptop for the meantime but I have yet to see her. 

That, plus my best friend's wedding is 6 days away and everything is quickly turning into a frantic mess right now. It doesn't help that her wedding is a good 8 hour drive from civilization. I was supposed to come in for the wedding on Friday but my bestfriend, who is probably on a brink of a nervous breakdown, has been calling and texting me non stop. Thus, I've decided to bump my trip up to tomorrow. 

So yeah, that is how my life is for the next week. Don't worry though. I still have one last v-day post in store (when life gets a little saner for me). 

Till then! (and wish me luck!) 

not your ordinary valentines: lovin' it around the world

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I hope yours was a day filled with love and kindness. <3

So since I had no date yesterday I decided to treat myself to a sundae. I headed to the nearest McDonald's and got myself a berry sundae. While I was happily consuming my humble v-day treat, our local "I'm lovin' it" McDonald's jingle on the store's radio. 

If you might recall, McDonald's launched a global campaign called "I'm lovin' it"some years back which was adapted into each locality that McDonald's was present in. In Germany (where the campaign was actually launched), it was "ich liebe es". In France, it was "ce'est tout ce que j'aime". In the South Americas it was "me encanta". Here in the Philippines, it was "love ko to'". 

Yes, being the advertising/marketing geek that I am, this was what I was thinking of as I enjoyed my v-day treat. And these very thoughts gave birth to the inspiration for today's post. 

top L-R: biplane skywriter card, frame centerpiece decor, Holland clogs, wooden Japanese doll, Big Ben replica, Eiffel Tower miniature, Mexican maracas, table number holder
bottom L-R: I Love You Wall, international buffet, tin suitcase favors, heart shaped luggage tags

Weather you are a long distance couple, an intercultural couple, or a couple that simply loves to travel, I think this theme is perfect for your valentines wedding. 

Take inspiration from this card from Etsy for a simple and straightforward way to combine the concept of valentines and the different destinations.

Welcome your guests into your reception venue with a replica of the I Love You Wall. The I Love You Wall or Le Mur Des Je T'Aime, is a mural located in Montmartre, Paris. It is a huge wall filled with inscriptions of "I love you's" in different languages. Or you may even make your own version of the wall by placing a blank canvass by the entrance and letting your guests write their own verses of love for your and your spouse. 

Since a global/international concept will probably require more details, keep the rest of your venue decors simple and classic. Focus on your table centerpieces to tell the story of your theme. Instead of using usual table numbers, assign a specific country or place for each table. Then, just like the McDonald's campaign, use "I love you" or love translated in the local vernacular of the assigned country or place as the table name. For instance, if you choose France for one table, use "je ta'aime" as the name for that table and so on. Amp up your table decors with a symbol that represents each destination. If you and the future spouse are globe trotters, dig up your souvenir stash and add them to your table decor. For instance, put that miniature Eiffel Tower on the French table and that kalesa (a horse drawn carriage typical in the Philippines) figurine beside your Filipino table's floral arrangement. If your tables are still feeling bare, add a small frame containing a trivia card with some local valentines trivia. For example, in Slovenia, St. Valentine was one of the patron saints of spring, when plants start growing again after winter thus the saying "St. Valentine brings the keys of roots."

Don't just stop at the table settings. Take your guests on a journey around the world by having them sample different dishes from different countries of your choice. You can have a Greek salad for starters, a steak and some paella for the main course, some macarons for dessert, then match it with some sweet Italian wine. For the after parties, serve some margaritas and some Irish stout. As a night cap (for those who have burned the dance floor) have some kapeng barako (a coffee variety particularly grown in the Philippines), English tea, or some Mexican hot cocoa ready to serve. 

At the end of your global shindig, gift your guests with those cute little tin luggages filled with a mix of international treats such as Jordan almonds, chocolate bonbons, macapuno balls (sweet coconut candy), etc. Or you can get those heart shaped luggage tags with personalized labels.

And there you go! You have a unique valentine wedding that you and your guests will surely be lovin'! <3

not your ordinary valentines: ducking the v-day hues

Sorry I've been MIA for a few days now. I've been busy with some wedding related duties myself. My best friend is getting hitched in 2 weeks so things are getting kinda busy and borderline panicky! (yikes!)

So before my own little bridezilla snatches me away, let's continue with our "not your ordinary valentines" series. For this week, I decided to focus on colors. 

By default, valentines means RED. Period. If you're looking for some variance, then pink is a close second. But I think you can still get a valentines feel by using the other sides of the color wheel. Here are some ideas. 

Purple

If you want to avoid the usual reds but still do not want to veer too far away, purple is a good choice as it is still a close enough color to red and pink. I mean, you need red to make purple after all. 

purple cocktail dress by Alfred Sung,
top L-R: purple and pink bouquet, resin purple heart locket, personalized kisses, submerged purple orchids and candle centerpiece
bottom L-R: purple flower cake, purple centerpiece and chandelier, purple and pink floral centerpiece

A cocktail dress like this one by Alfred Sung (available at Dessy.com) I am usually all about the flowy long skirts but the silhouette of this dress just has that mix of elegance and flirt which is perfect for the valentines. Contrast the structure of the dress with dainty lavender and pink bouquet with a nice silky ribbon and you have just the right balance of flirt and romance. 

Decorate your venue with purple and pink flowers adorned with glass and crystals Add some (or a lot, of you may) votive candles to a dimly lit room and doesn't that just scream romantic v-day date night?

A simple cake adorned with intricate flowers, though void of any hearts or the color red, will look very romantic indeed and is the perfect dessert to end your special day. 

Before your guests leave, give them one of the most iconic valentines gifts: chocolate. These dark chocolate Kisses which are, incidentally, wrapped in purple foil are perfect! For that special touch, have them personalized at the Knot wedding shop. 

Lastly, while we're on the topic of gifts, check out this beautiful heart locket from Etsy. I just love the touch of vintage vibe this locket has. Tough this may be too heavy looking for wedding jewelry, it can be a great gift for your ladies in waiting and I'm sure, with this, they are sure to forget any bridezilla moments you had during the wedding planning. 

Blue

Blue is not really a popular valentine color. Being a synonym for sad or lonely, it is easy to see why this color may throw anyone off for valentines. But blue in itself is a lovely color. In fact, it's a rather popular choice for a wedding motif. My parents' wedding motif was blue and so is my dad's brother. In the first half of this year alone, I would have attended 3 blue weddings. So yeah, it is a popular color choice. 

far left column, top-bottom: light blue bouquets, dainty blue table decor, Christian Louboutin  Pigalle Glitter Pumps in blue
middle left column, t-b: blue velvet cupcake, Robert Indiana replica cake topper
middle right column, t-b: hand painted wine glass by Mary Elizabeth, Tiffany & Co. jewelry box
far left: Topshop lace flippy dress

Since blue can sometimes be seen as a sad color, it might be best to play it up in a more dainty way thus, giving it a more romantic feel - perfect for valentines!

To start off, a lace bridesmaid dress like the one of Topshop's partnered with blush blue flowers already screams flirty romance. Match that with some romantic table setting with a touch of vintage and a little love (see the l-o-v-e blocks above? nice touch)
Now if you, the bride, will likely be in either lacey dress or flowy dreamy chiffon, then maybe you could match your dress with lace or satin shoes. But if you're feeling a little bold, these Louboutin glitter shoes would not only take care of that something blue, but it would also give you a little punch of valentines red with its signature red soles.
Now for some reason, I tend to equate valentines with red velvet cupcakes. But since we are all about blues, why not give tradition a little twist by having blue velvet cupcakes instead?
Speaking of cakes, I absolutely love this Robert Indiana cake toppers! You've probably heard of or seen (lucky you) the popular photo attraction in NYC right? If not then here it is. Now, admit it, it does scream valentines day right?
And last but not least, let's talk about favors. Aside from hearts and chocolates, and red velvet cupcakes, another common association with valentines is jewelry. I mean, diamonds are a girl's best friend after all right? And one of the most renowned jewelry stores is perhaps Tiffany & Co. How fitting is it that their trademark color is a dainty shade of robin's egg blue? (fitting for this particular part of this entry at least) Now, I am not suggesting that you blow your wedding budget (and perhaps your life savings) buy buying Tiffany jewels for your guests. But you can, however, take inspiration from that. Find some interesting trinkets like earrings, bangles, keychains, etc. or maybe some mini cupcakes and pack them in Tiffany inspired boxes. Maybe somehow, your guests will feel like they have a little piece of valentines jewels for your special day.

Gray
Gray is probably the last color you'd think of for valentines. Not only is it not a typical pretty color, it can also come off a dull. This makes it an all the more odd choice for a valentines wedding. But actually, gray, when mixed with the right amounts of pink, can actually make for a very pretty valentine wedding color choice. Check out this board for instance:

center: Versace dress from the SATC finale
left panel: valentines printable, gray dress with bright pink balloon, gray flower girl tutu,  blush pink bouquet,  gray  bridesmaid with bouquet in gray ribbon
middle top panel: gray and pink pom poms, gray and pink lanterns
middle bottom panel: hanging heart decor, kissing cake topper
right panel: chalkboard glass jars, pink and gray table decor, pink and gray macarons, decorative gray frosted cupcake

I like the idea of these valentines printables. I think it's a great inspiration for a wedding invitation. The play on fonts gives the gray background a really refreshing touch to it. 

Now on to wedding fashion. Who can forget Carrie Bradshaw's show stopping gray Versace dress at the SATC finale? If you are on the bolder side like the girls of SATC, then a gorgeous gray wedding dress would be an interesting choice. But if you're more on the conservative side, you can leave the gray dresses to your entourage. Gray flowy dresses for the bridesmaids with blush pink bouquets would look really dreamy. You can either adorn their bouquets (or even yours as well) with gray satin ribbons or a nice silver heart charm for an extra touch of valentines. And how cute is that gray tutu for your adorable little flower girls right? 

For the venue decor, gray and pink pom poms is a cute flirty way to jazz up a place. If you're having your wedding in the evening or where there is dim lighting, hang up some gray and pink lanterns for a romantic appeal. Hang up some gray hearts for an extra valentine boost too. Then dress up gray tables with some blush pink floral arrangements in some silver glassware to round up that romantic look. 

I stumbled upon this cute kissing cake toppers on Etsy while in the midst of wedding planning for my bride-to-be friend and I think it's perfect for this valentines gray wedding. 

Finally, for your guests to remember your wedding by, hand out a box of gray and pink macarons. For some reason, I always associate macarons with romance. Maybe it's because of their affinity with Paris, a city of love and romance. Another alternative are those cupcakes with gray frosting. Saying "gray frosting" alone sounds so dull but when jazzed up with this checkered design with a cute little heart detail makes it just so cute and romantic at the same time. Play it up some more by maybe scribbling your names and wedding date using the white frosting. 

So you see, you don't always have to use red for a valentines themed wedding. Other alternative colors can still work well. It's just a matter of using the right elements and balancing them with the right color palette to bring out that valentines romance may it be flirty, cute, dainty, or just straight out romantic.  

And before I disappear again into this frantic final wedding prep stretch, I'd like to share this funny photo I chanced upon this morning. Raise your hands if you can relate. Lol!

how men and women see colors

not your ordinary valentines: do your own valentines

As promised, here's my first post on valentines themed weddings. For this post, I decided to work on a DIY Valentines Wedding.

When you were a kid, you've probably surprised your parents with a valentines day card made from ordinary white paper with a squiggly crayon drawings or imperfectly cut out hearts with glitters and what not. That card may never make it on the shelves if it were submitted to Hallmark and yet your folks would still proudly stick it to your fridge door for everyone to see. Like they say, "it's the thought that counts" The effort and thought that went behind those imperfect little cards definitely trumps that of those cookie cutter store bought cards.

In the same way, DIY weddings are like that. They are not always perfectly polished yet they have this peculiar charm to them. They are unique because unlike those weddings assembled by a team of planners, florists, and stylists, they are made with the sweat, blood (the sewing, pinning, and hot glue gunning can be brutal), and sometimes tears (happy tears, that is) of the couple and their closest allies. So even if you use the most cliche valentines elements, they can still turn out to be uniquely your own.

With that in mind, I've put together some project ideas that you can do for a DIY valentines themed wedding. 

click for a larger view

1. These paper heart garlands are a great way to spruce up your wedding venue. I love the use of recycled paper because it adds a certain charm to the entire thing. To avoid drowning in red hearts, try doing it the way it is in on the photo. String one red heart among a row of plain (or newspaper printed like these). The paper heart garlands in this photo can be found on Etsy but, this being a DIY post, here's the how to's on the blog the whole ENchelleADA.

2. For a little glitter and glitz, try out these glittery mason jars from tater tots & jello. Add a lighted candle inside to get a glittery glow. These would be a dazzling centerpiece if you group two or three different sizes of jar together. Or you can also group them with other valentine designed and plain mason jars or bottles. 

3. Instead of using ordinary place cards as your table numbers, why not make your own unique table labels instead. This project from shelterness uses picture frames, colored paper, and some loose buttons to make this cute and simple table labels. You can shape the buttons into numbers or make up names for each table such as love, kiss, heart, and so on. 

4. If you do decide to break up your glittery mason jars instead of grouping them together, this simple bottle ornament from paper and cake would be a nice balance to the glitter of those mason jars. You can either slip a single long stemmed flower in it or leave it be and it will work either way. 

5. If you will be labeling your guest tables, then who says you can't label the couple's table too, right? A cute way to do so is using these fabric covered block letters as seen in the Knotty Bride (while you're at it, check out the wedding featured with these block letters. Beautiful!). Unfortunately I could not find the DIY instructions for these. But from what I can tell, these are fairly simple to do. Find some letter shaped wood blocks in craft stores. Cardboard letter blocks or styro foam ones would probably work too just make sure to secure them properly as the lighter material would not be as stable as wood when mounted. Once you have the letters done, just cover them with glue and wrap them with some pretty colored fabric of your choice. 

6 & 7. Valentines day would not be complete without chocolates. Chocolates can also make a great wedding favor that your guests would definitely love. Instead of giving the usual boxed chocolates, why not tweak it a little. Sprouted Kitchen shares a recipe for chocolate and puffed grain morsels. The great thing about this is that, you can change up the recipes to suit your taste. Another option is to buy a bunch of red and pink Kisses chocolates and personalize them with these printable sticker circles from Etsy. Throw in a handful of these morsels or kisses in some jars, and cover them with some doily or cute fabric and you have a charming wedding favor that your guests will really enjoy. 

8. If you can DIY your decor and favors, who's to say that you cannot DIY your wedding shoes? Glittery DIY shoes seem to be fad over the internet in 2011. In fact, it was on of the top Googled DIY projects for the year. These red glittery shoes from Living with Bob are perfect for a valentines wedding. As a plus, this can be your something old AND something new at the same time. 

9. In some weddings I've been to, the entourage and/or the VIP guests (parents, principal sponsors, etc.) are usually seated in special tables and are given special gifts by the couple. One clever way to do both is with DIY mini wine bottles like the ones featured in b*spoke. Simply get a batch of your favorite wine and transfer them into mini bottles. Print out personalized labels with the names of your special guests and stick them on the bottles. Place the bottles on the guests' respective seats. Not only do you now have special gifts for your special guests but you also have unique escort cards. 

10. Dessert is a must for a valentines themed wedding. But instead of going the usual route of sweet and decadent chocolates or cakes, why not go for something different like these chocolate covered pretzels by love from the oven. The combination of salty and sweet gives a light treat after a scrumptious meal. Plus they're easy to make too! 

11. A lot of couples now are veering away from the traditional garter and bouquet toss and are incorporating games into the mix instead. One game to try out is a bouquet and garter hunt but instead of the actual bouquet or garter, the eligible bachelors and bachelorettes can look for the words "bouquet" and "garter" hidden in chocolate covered fortune cookies like those featured in the Offbeat Bride. The basic fortune cookie is available in allrecipes.com. You can also watch the tutorial on Good Housekeeping's Youtube channel. When the cookies are ready, simply dip them in melted chocolate and roll them in sprinkles.

12. If you feel that your centerpieces are still a bit lacking with only 2 kinds of mason jars/bottles, add a third one to the mix. Try these crafty mason jars decked with doily and hearts from Crescendoh. Throw in some wild flowers in them and group them together with the glittery jars, and the tall white bottles and you'll have a truly DIY centerpiece. 

13. Last but definitely not the least, if you're DIY-ing your shoes, then might as well DIY your bouquet too. Elsie from A Beautiful Mess shares how she DIY-ed her own wedding bouquet. And to relieve yourself of pre-wedding jitters, have a mini slumber bridal shower with your bridesmaids and have them DIY their own bouquets too. Not only will you have beautiful bouquets that are reflective of you and your bridesmaids' personalities but you also get to bond with your girls for the last time as a single lady. 

Phew! That was a long list! 

See what I mean about the DIY charm? Although these ideas still have that valentines vibe, they have their own unique charm to them which make them different from the cliches of valentines day. 

Check back in next week. I'll be posting a different valentines themed wedding. For now, enjoy the rest of the week! 

not your ordinary valentines

It's February! What better way to start off the month of hearts with a Valentines themed post. Predictable, I know but stay with me. 

The thing with a Valentines themed wedding is that it's too easy that it becomes complicated. It's too easy because Valentines is such a familiar concept. Everyone knows what it is. It is popular and universal. And it is also because of those very same reasons that it becomes complicated too. Tradition, coupled with pop culture has managed to create a template image of what Valentines supposedly is. It's so universal that when you ask anyone the first 3 things that comes to mind when they hear the word "Valentines", I would bet that at least 2 of those 3 things will include either the color red and hearts. This makes it very easy to get you stuck when thinking of ideas for a valentines themed anything. 

In that light, I have decided to create a challenge for myself. For the month of hearts, I shall do a series of posts dedicated to different variations of a Valentines themed wedding to hopefully help you veer away from the cookie cutter red and hearts version of Valentines day. 

So let me gather my valentines-y thoughts and I shall post my first stab at a Valentines themed wedding within the week.

Stay tuned!

happy heart's day!