Because you touched my "Sole..."

I am a TOTAL sucker for sweet, sentimental and heartfelt things... And whenever I come across something that I think is really special, I tuck it away in a very special place to use for special things... One of my bride's recently asked her bridesmaids to sign the bottom of the new shoes she had gotten for her wedding day. She had them sign in permanent marker so their names wouldn't fade over time... It was soooo touching! I am sure many of you have seen this but I wanted to share it with you today! I think it is a fantastic idea!!!

This bride had her and her new husband's first initial embossed with blue rhinestones... This was her "Something Blue!" Soooo cute! And, when she knelt down at the altar for her wedding mass, her guests could see the initials... It was ADORABLE!!!

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I have also seen this where it reads, "I DO!" PRECIOUS!!!

Make sure you have some heartfelt and sentimental touches to your wedding day... It makes it so special and when you look back you will remember the special moment! Until next time...

RING SHOTS... Soooo FUN!

Today, we were putting together a "Shot List" for a wedding I am working on and the bride was insistent that there is a great shot taken of their wedding rings. I know this is traditional but she has requested that the shot be NON-TRADITIONAL! She wants something SUPER FUN that reflects their personal style! I have seen these kinds of shots before and I ALWAYS love them... I am a HUGE fan of photo's that make you FEEL something as opposed to photo's that just make you see something. So, I challenge you to ask your photographer to "Shoot from the Heart!" Make sure you are giving your photographer a clear description of how you want your wedding shot because you can't go back and do it again... This is a one-time opportunity! And, of course, you want them to be PERFECT and to clearly show your relationship as a couple... Here are some really fun examples...

Of course being the TOTAL girly girl that I am, this one is my favorite! I even use these pink curlers on occasion! Isn't that a great vintage ring too... This picture says A LOT to me!

I love this too! So pretty and elegant but still has that modern twist shot on a rustic plank!

Ohhh... How sweet it is! I love this!!! This would be adorable set in those pretty pink and white candy hearts too!

"I'm Hooked!!!" That's all I can say to how SYMBOLIC this is!!!

Aren't these fun??? Make sure you get some really FUN shots on your special day... One's you can look back at and just SMILE! They will mean so much to you! I promise!!! Until next time...

GORGEOUS BOUQUETS...

Ok... my faithful readers... This week's posts might be a little shorter than usual and for that I AM SOOOOO SORRY! I am in the middle of moving and things are CRAZY! Of course, this is something I look forward to doing every day so I have to at least take a little time to share with you! I just won't be able to run on about the things I "love" and think are "GORGEOUS!!! But, maybe that's for the better... I know... I get soooo PASSIONATE about this stuff! But, that's just me and hopefully you all LOVE IT too!

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Today, I had to pull some ideas for interesting bouquets... Something that was a little out of the ordinary but still enchanting and beautiful! So, Martha Stewart.com is featuring 50 beautiful bouquets... I went through them all and these are the 10 BEST I found! They are all beautiful! I hope you enjoy them...

I love the pale pink Anemone's in this bouquet... So sweet but still a bit modern!

This one is gorgeous too!!!

WOW!!! For a Spring or Fall wedding... The pinks and orange in this are spectacular!

Ohhhhhhh.... PEONIES!!! I LOVE THIS!!!

This is really really interesting to me! I really like the shells!!!

Oh gosh... I love the shades of purple!!! SO REGAL!!!

These tulips are spectacular!!!

I love this too! I LOVE LOVE LOVE accenting bouquets with great ribbon!!! SERIOUSLY!!! It is so much fun!

I absolutely love how traditional this is! LOVE THE PEONIES mixed with the roses!!!

This is almost angelic!!! GORGEOUS!!!

I hope these bouquets put a smile to your face... Until next time...

Take a seat... Unusual seating options for a Wedding Ceremony

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone had a nice weekend! It rained in AZ almost the whole weekend so it was kind of a lazy snuggly weekend... I talked to a client today who is getting married in November and wants to have some non-traditional seating. So, I was looking for some ideas for her today and found some pretty cool ideas... I know we all love the gorgeous chivari chairs but why not come up with something a little different... You all know I love nothing more than surprising guests when they arrive to an event! Something out of the ordinary for seating is sure to do this! Here are some fun ideas I sent her way...

I love this... I would probably do some sort of color on the barrels of hay but the white is so fresh and organic! I would also consider using a great ribbon too - maybe something with stripes... It would be adorable with a sage green fabric and a black and white striped ribbon... LOVE IT!

This is A LOT of fun too! We wanted to do this for Pete and Melissa's wedding in Aruba but they don't have ANY rental companies that have these down there... Plus, you need a pretty big spread of beach to set this up! But, what a sight... SOOOO GREAT!!!

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this!!! How fun and intimate!!! You could use colored cushions too... Or stick with the white and maybe accent with bright colored pillows on the benches!

This is also super romantic! I love the cushions with the colored fans and the pots of orchids to throw as the the processional takes place....

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the intimacy of this for a small wedding!!! This is fantastic!!!

This too! This is beautiful!!!

This was another option we were considering for the Aruba wedding... But having the benches constructed down there was next to impossible! Can't believe that a beach location wouldn't have this as an option! I love it!!!

Anyways, this client is having a backyard wedding and really wants it to be super romantic... So, she is looking at these... We are also looking at the "picnic" pictures I posted a few weeks ago with the big print blankets on the yard with pillows... What do you think??? Have you seen anything really great and want to share it with us??? Email me your ideas... Until next time...

A "Succulent" Wedding

Succulent plants are part of the cacti family! Being from Arizona, these are pretty commonplace to us but those of you from other places might find these incredibly interesting! Stephanie Williams Photography photographed this wedding for Julie and Patrick in Joshua Tree, just minutes from the Joshua Tree National Park... So, being in the desert, how appropriate to use succulents as the flower!

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Being a native from Arizona, flowers in the hot months are quite difficult! The heat is so intense that after hours of exposure, they are wilted and tired! Succulents are very easy to find in AZ and are OFTEN overlooked as a great choice for a wedding flower. They are a plant that naturally retains water and remains looking gorgeous for a very long time. So, please tell me why we don't use these more often for weddings! Plus, they can be reused as opposed to THROWING THEM OUT at the end of the night! So, today I found some great looks to consider!

Take a look...

This bouquet is incredible!!! I LOVE IT! For those of us from Arizona, wouldn't this be AWESOME!!!

And how about this succulent in her hair??? SOOOOO COOL!!!

Aren't these tables gorgeous??? I love that they pieced together different varieties of succulents in different containers! It is so visually interesting and would create such great conversation at the table! I love it! It's rustic yet modern!!!

I love these! The best part is you can take them home with you and decorate your home as a newly married couple with these planters full of easy to care for succulents! Every time you water them and look at them, you will think of your special day!

Here is another great example of some succulents mixed with orchids! Isn't it interesting??? SOOOOO PRETTY!

These potted succulent favors are the perfect gift for your guests to take home! The endurance of the succulent plant is unequaled -- all they need is good drainage and sun. Just like your everlasting commitment of love you have just made in front of your guest, the succulent you send home with them will be a long lasting and easy to care for reminder of your special day!


Here you see succulents mixed with other flowers to create a dramatic centerpiece that can be set in various different locations. I would recommend planting these in a rustic concrete or wax container like the one shown!


So, what do you think??? Do you like them??? Have a fantastic weekend! It's a sunny 77 degrees in Phoenix today! I am headed out for the weekend! Until next time...

Unleash your Inner FLORAL DESIGNER!!!

Finding a creative, unique and fun idea for a Wedding Shower, Birthday Party or Bachelorette party is never easy. Of course, you can whip up some brunch items, play some fun games or go to a cutesy little restaurant but why not surprise your guests and your honoree with a SUPER FUN idea! A DIY Flower Arranging 101 party...

Last year, I made a commitment to myself to try to have fresh flowers in my house at least once a month and the best part of this commitment was that I had to make the arrangement myself. I know that most of you are too busy to bring the simple beauty of fresh flowers into their lives. But, it is really quite simple. All you need are a couple of cute vases, some fresh bunches of flowers, a little time and some insider tips to making your creations GORGEOUS!

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Every one of us loves fresh flowers!!! I don't care what you say... You know you smile and feel incredibly special when you receive them. Many of you have expressed a concern about the expense of floral arrangements. But, I can assure you there is a solution! We all pass the floral section at the grocery store with mounds of inexpensive flowers every time we go inside but pass them by because we either don't have the time or the creativity to put together a simple arrangement. I thought, why not show people how to gather bunches and create something charming in their home? This class teaches women how to shop for, clean/prepare and arrange flowers! It's brilliant!!!

There are lots of ways you could setup this party!

1. Attendees could bring a vase as a gift to the honoree (Bride, Birthday Girl, etc...) - we never have vases when we need them and this would provide a bunch of cute vases to start a collection! The host would then have to provide vases for the attendees to use and take home. You can find great inexpensive vases from wholesalers online who sell to the public, on www. etsy.com or on ebay... Target has precious vases too!

2. Guests can bring their own vases for the arrangements they create

3. The host can provide a variety of vases for the attendees to use and take home...

See... The options on this are endless!

What’s a party without making it look all cute! Of course, you will have to come up with a really cute way to set this up but this is pretty darn cute! They used packing paper and then drew place mats onto it and wrote the name of each person in attendance creating PRECIOUS little workstations. At each place setting there was an apron, some flower cutting shears and a notepad to take notes all tied together with an ADORABLE bow... You could even make the aprons by using IKEA dish towels... All you have to do is fold over the top and insert a ribbon to tie them on and sew down the fold! They turn out soooooo great!!!


To spice up the party treats and spirits must be present. I would recommend finger foods for sure! Focus on finger sandwiches and petite desserts! Make sure they are ADORABLE cause this is going to be quite a cute party!!!

Look at those aprons!!! FANTASTIC, right???

Now, if you feel skilled enough to teach a class on flower arranging, you could really do the DIY 101 class all on your own. But, my recommendation would be to enlist the help of a florist! Some of the florists I work with are offering a package that you can order that will include all of the flowers and the instruction. They will come to your event, bring all the flowers needed based on the number of attendees you will have and will teach an instructional class on how to create GORGEOUS arrangements along with some great insider tricks of the trade!

Look how cute all of this is... I really think that this would be such a fun party!

Here is the final product!!! Aren't they precious? Everyone was able to create a look that fits their style! And they went home with fresh flowers that look like a floral designer created! LOVE IT!!!

A DIY Flower Arranging Party! SOOOOO MUCH FUN! Let's have one! It would definitely get us all in the spirit of spring! And all your attendees would be talking about it for a long time... What do you think??? Share your thoughts with me! If you are interested in hosting a flower arranging party and would like Simply Social Event Design to help pull it all together, contact us at simplysocialeventdesign@yahoo.com! We can do everything from invitations to flowers, to arranging for vases and instructors, to organizing the catering and decorations! We are simply here to help! Until next time...

Short and Sweet!!!

So, today I was doing a little searching and came across this short wedding dress... Now, I don't think I would have ever categorized myself as someone who would like a short wedding dress... I think it's tons of fun when a SUPER FUN bride changes into a short dress for her reception for dancing and a great time, but I don't think I would have ever thought about a short wedding dress for a wedding. Then, I saw this one... Isn't it PRECIOUS??? I think it is soooooo beautiful! So, this darling little number has inspired today's post! I will be showing you THE CUTEST short wedding dresses I could find! There aren't many and the ones that are out there are pretty mediocre! So, these are the best of the best! Tell me what you think... Would you consider a short dress? I mean, seriously... How cute would these be with an adorable pair of shoes peeking out??? I LOVE IT!!!

This is a Justin Alexander gown... I LOVE the color! They call the color ivory with a coffee sash... I just LOVE the detail on the bodice and the dainty skirt that seems to just bounce! It's GORGEOUS!!!

This is a Stephanie James Couture gown... This bride was doing a black and ivory wedding and she adorned it with a black petticoat! SOOOOO CUTE!!!

This is another Stephanie James gown... I love that the bride tied a beautiful 4" double faced satin ribbon around her waist! GORGEOUS!!!

This is another Justin Alexander gown. The little shrug can come off for your reception revealing a DARLING little number!!! LOVE THIS TOO!!!

Another Stephanie James that has a precious pink bow beaded to the bodice of the gown... I LOVE IT! How fun and flirty...

I am not sure who's dress this is but I think it is great! It almost looks vintage!

How about these polka dots??? I am totally a polka dot person....

I just thought it was too cute not to share!

So... a short wedding gown! It is so fun and flirty! I love them!!! I just think they are such a breath of fresh air! Share your comments with me... I want to hear what you all think!

Until next time...