An engagement session

A month or so ago I ventured out to Rio Vista CA to do a little engagement photo shoot for my adorable cousin and her charming fiance and since I am about to go get my bridesmaid dress for their big day I figured I should finally share these fun shots. The husband and I spend the afternoon driving around their city snapping away and I must say, I am pretty please with what I was able to get...mind you professional I am not! But the most important thing was they are happy with the results too. He is in the Coast Guard and she is all things glamour so we opted for a more vintage-y look along with a few casual shots. Even their dog Daisy got in on the photo fun... she was tied up to Uli for a bit and somehow ended up tangling the lovely couple- a great photo moment if you ask me. Now, I'm off to go squeeze myself into a dress and hope I can lose this baby bump in time for their big day, I will have 6 months to get myself back into tip top shape. No pressure.

photos by our designed life

Gift giving

Helping plan a wedding has not only been tons of fun but it has donned on me just how much I still missed out on for my big day; a whopping 3 years ago. I was still new to the blogging world and had no idea there was so much fantastic inspiration, Pinterest alone could have lead to hours of overwhelming joy. And then there is the world of Etsy. Oh how I love thee. Below are a few wedding gift giving options that are both handmade and personalized for the couple. I think my favorite is that custom wine box, such a fun idea and a great keepsake for the couple and that personalized bridal portrait is gorgeous.

wine box, state map, love birds, wedding portrait, wedding block, guest book boards

Today we celebrate

3 years ago today I slipped into my wedding dresses {yes I had two!} and walked down the aisle to the man of my dreams. 3 apartments later and now a baby on the way we couldn't be happier with our journey together. But then again we have been together for 10 and a half years! If you would like to see a few more details we did make a {rather long} video of our special day here. We are celebrating tonight with a delicious vegan meal from Millennium Restaurant; I've been looking forward to it for days.

You can also see more photos here and here. And in case you are wondering, we got married at Figueroa Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

images by shannon renee photography 

Wedding time part 1

A little over a week ago, my adorable younger cousin announced she was engaged and already has gotten to work pulling together a wedding pinterest board. Don't you just love how we can pull together ample amounts of inspiration at the drop of a hat. And just days after announcing I got messages, emails and texts asking for a bit of help to pull her ideas together and help create a beautiful day for her and her groom to be. And who would I be to say no, I did help change her diapers after all. So needless to say, there will be a boom in incredible wedding decor, ideas, and even a few DIY's to keep things nice and personal. Her dream is romantic, soft and beach front while of course keeping it a bit on a budget {who isn't these days} so please browse with me as we begin to gather incredible wedding ideas. And please, if you have any wonderful ideas, websites or pins you would like to send my way it would be greatly appreciated for both myself and the charming couple.

Who doesn't love a decadent dessert table? And Danni of Oh hello friend did one heck of a job with her sweets. The bride to be wants to be surrounded by soft and simple blooms, I love this mixture and hues. And who doesn't want a fancy hanger for the statement hanging dress photo.

images via oh hello friend, wedding chicks, gettin hitched bride

Simple centerpieces are always fun especially with simple stems and who doesn't love a little twine? Loving the idea of embellishing a simple basket or box with beautiful petals...who wants to see just plain ol' cards laying around? And those simple plaques are perfect for hanging on the back of the couples chairs while they wine and dine. 

images via wedding chicks, style unveiled, the first snow

Now I'm not sure how DIY the bride wants to get but these super simple flower inspired stamps- made from food are always fun and add a little glam to invites, perfect for say a shower or thank you cards. With the groom having a background in the Coast Guard and going with a bit of the beach-y theme, these knotted place cards and anchor favor bags are a fun way to give him a little nod without being too over the top. 

images via martha stewart, somewhere splendid, life is so beautiful 

Frances and Francis

I have always had a thing for paper flowers...I have fond memories of being surrounded by crepe paper as a kid trying my hardest to get it to turn into something that resemble a flower, but these florals from Frances & Francis simply blew me away. Personally handcrafted from London based designer Helen Frances, each bloom has a look of their own and will last forever unlike those beautiful buds we cherish only to toss after a few days. These are perfect for weddings, parties or even a tabletop or two around the home. Do check out Helen's online shop as well for her whole line of blooms both for display and to wear.

images via frances & francis

A beautiful garden inspired wedding

My heart skipped a beat when I stumbled upon this gorgeous botanical wedding. Bride and groom Josi and Jamess celebrated their nuptials in some serious floral style thanks to the creative minds at Fleur de Cordeur, the mix of garden blooms, fruit and veggies set a beautiful stage for a magical evening. There is something so beautiful and pure about single stems in clear glass that is not only charming and romantic but totally practical for those who want to create major bang for your buck.

images via we love pictures, flowers by fleur de cordeur

Wildflower Photography

I simply adore engagement photos, they can be incredibly detailed or simple and clean yet still ooze love and this engagement session from Wildflower Photography is pretty amazing. Brilliant photographer Joy creates one of a kind scenes for her shoots and this boat filled with wildflowers and hand crafted quilted flag is the perfect setting for a couple in love. Based out of Southern California, Joy captures beautiful moments of life's happiness and gives them an almost whimsical and fantasy like feel. Head on over to Green wedding shoes and Wildflower Photography for more amazing moments.

found on green wedding shoes, images by wildflowers photography

Beautiful inspiration

Oh do I have an amazing photographer to share with you today! I came across Nicole Hill Gerulat's photography over on Creature comforts' post on a DIY Halloween floral arraingments and fell in love with Nicole's stunning images. Do stop by her beautiful portfolio for a little inspiration, the color alone was enough to pull me out of the gloom lurking outside. From weddings, food and flowers to vibrant homes with fantastically detailed spaces and adorable faces, Nicole has done it all. And she likes to share too! Nicole has a number of classes both online and in person workshops all about photography and editing, how awesome is that! You can keep up to date on classes with her on her blog A little sussy, a space filled with even more of Nicole's work as well as what inspires her. This San Francisco local has one fancy eye for photography don't you think?

photos via nicole hill gerulat

For the bride and groom

These wedding posters are so fun and playful, a perfect gift for a bride and groom don't you think? Created by Portland husband and wife team Maddy and Seth, Ello There is a shop filled with lovely prints, posters, invitations and save the dates, all with a little whimsy and charm.  Weddings should be a fun time and I can't think of anything grander then a personalized watercolor painting depicting the special date. You can keep up to date on their goods over at the Ello there blog and do stop by Maddy's photography blog, that first set of photos with the little girl in the glasses made my morning.

photos via ello there

2 years

Two years ago today this happened. 

The husband and I have had a wonderful weekend celebrating our 2 years of almost always wedded bliss {just keeping it real}. We spent the last few days doing a wee bit of shopping, trying out new recipes together in the kitchen, a trip to the zoo and a few rounds of fetch with the dog in the park. Its been nice just to spend time together hanging out and being able to enjoy each others company, its been a fun 9 and a half years together. We are planning a dinner out tonight to one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants, New Eritrea a family run place serving Eritrean and Ethiopian food. The flavors are out of this world, I could easily stop by every single weekend for their vegetarian platter. 

Happy weekend friends

The husband and I are taking today and Monday off to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary {2 years married 9 1/2 together!} and now all I can think about are beautiful flowers and love. Don't you just love weddings? I've got one wedding to attend before the year is up and I cannot wait to see the beautiful decor, the bride and her Mom are notorious for being super crafty- I mean just look at the cookies my Aunt made for my bridal shower! Before I unplug I had to get a few pretty pictures in since its so dark and overcast here and lets face it, I love looking through others big days. Plus that groom is just too adorable, captured it just about right don't you think?

photos via pinterst, peacock feathers and jonathan young weddings

A colorful party

If you ask me, the bolder and brighter the color the better especially for weddings and this wedding shot by Karen Wise in India is simply stunning.  I've noticed more and more cultural elements making their way into couples big day and really I can't get enough of the details.  Its all in the details!  After finding Karen's portfolio filled with scrumptious foods, still lives and beautiful places, it was her weddings that had me clicking through every single image.  Stop by Karen's portfolio site, Food & Art  or her beautiful photo blog for colorful and dreamy inspiration.

photos via karen wise

One memorable proposal

Happy Friday friends, hope the week was a pleasant one.  Yesterday I came across a new blog again, thanks to twitter, and found this epic proposal.  Seriously.  Epic.  A proposal trailer, with one adorable guy and one unsuspecting girl.  He must have put an insane amount of planning and editing to pull it all together and having the live reaction is simply priceless.  Talk about making every girl say awww.

Lovely owl inspired wedding

Last week I stumbled upon Adventures in illustration written by Barcelona artist Kat Cameron and just had to share her wedding details.  With a South African game lodge as the setting, Kat incorporated her passion for illustration into the theme of her big day, starting with the invitations.  She designed an adorable pair of owls that were incorporated into the program, custom wine labels and even an animation.

How awesome are these programs!  Using a photograph of her and her husband to be's favorite items as the main image, Kat and her sister created a beautiful setting for their guests.

And staying with the owl theme, Kat's Mother and Mother in Law created these adorable wired owls that glowed in the evening festivities.

Kat was able to personalize everything, including the thank you notes that were attached to homemade lemon curd and rusks.  She incorporated her love of illustration into these beauties and even included a personal designed print for each guest.  Be sure to check out the rest of the photos here and here, as well as Kat's illustration shop, which is filled with beautiful pieces.

photos via kat cameron, wedding prep and day of

Photo of the day, It came!

It came!

040/365

Finally got a copy of Brides Southern California in the mail, and the girly girl in me just squealed.

We're in print

Last night was a whirlwind of links, tweets and pure excitement as I found out the printed copy of Brides Southern California came out and the husband and I have a 2 page spread on our wedding!!  Thanks to my on the ball florist and photographer, they clued me in on the fun news.  Now I am eagerly awaiting my copy to arrive here in Northern CA, hopefully its soon!  Its always interesting to see what others take from your big day... they seemed to have left out all our 'handmade' details but hey, we are in a magazine.

photo via peony and plum via shannon renee twitter pages

A sweet tradition

With wedding week (or two weeks) coming to a close, I thought it was only right to showcase a few sweet treats from here and there.  Choosing the style of your wedding cake can be difficult, there are so many directions you can go.  From modern, like this circular yellow one, to rustic to candy, there are so many options out there now for couples.  And I love that desserts are now taking center stage and are even branching out from just one cake... just check out that second one down, a cake, cupcakes, berries and pie!  Yum!!

I love this idea of having writing become the decoration.  This couple chose to let personal details of their lives together adorn their sweet treat, and leaving it white on white makes a subtle statement.

This one might not be a wedding, but still a fun idea for a dessert bar.  Using candy is a great idea if the bride and groom aren't so big on baked goods.  Plus, you can get candy in any shade, so there will always be something to match your color scheme.

This one is actually my wedding cake. We had to leave it completely white due to the vegan frosting, apparently color runs really bad, who knew.  I ended up using a wonderful black fabric trim to give the cake a contrasting color.  I also took into consideration that when the cake was cut into, it would become colorful as we got red velvet cake with raspberry (pink) and cream cheese (white-ish) filling.  By the way, not one person could tell a completely vegan cake from a regular cake... and many went back for seconds!

How fun would this be for a picnic or garden style wedding.  I am loving the idea of using different kinds of pies as the main cake, because who doesn't like pie!

all photos link to source

Smooches

I'm not one to usually fall for couples smooching... especially total strangers, but this couple wins the award for best use of giant wooden letters, or ampersands.  I love the look of the over sized wooden accents, they provide a way to personalize any space, and are still appropriate as home decor.  A total win win!  You can see the rest of the adorable couple right over here, and let me tell you, its gorgeous.

photo via wedding chicks

Oh hello friend's getting married!

In case you haven't heard, Danni from Oh hello friend is getting married!  This weekend!!  I've had the privilege of chatting it up with this lovely little lady and let me tell you, she is simply amazing.  Not only does she run her own etsy shop and photobooth rental company (with her brother), she has a fantastic blog which is growing by the day.  And all while being probably the sweetest person you may ever meet.  Anyway, since she is tying the knot to her equally adorable fiancé Nicholas, this Saturday, I thought it would be fun to showcase her journey to get down the aisle.  Through her blog she kept everyone up to date with all her beautiful planning, from the ups and downs of making your own invitations (oh I feel her on that, I hand made my fabric invitations too!) to her inspirations and even the personal details... like how he proposed!

It all started back in November on a rainy day in Seattle.  You can read all the adorable details here, from the insane planning on Nicholas' part to the adorable ring!

He actually made that ring from a wooden block (left) by hand!  How cool is that!  Not knowing Danni's ring size, Nicholas just picked a bit he thought would fit, and got to work.... and it fit her finger perfectly.  And being the thoughtful person he is, he even got her a secondary ring, you know, just in case.

Then it was on to their amazing desert engagement shots.  Taken in Las Vegas by Simply Bloom, these two incorporated giant wooden letters, bubbles, bunting and fun wardrobe changes.  Be sure to check out the rest here.

With a degree in graphic design (we actually went to the same college, at the same time but somehow never met there!!) it was a no brainer that Danni would be the mastermind behind all their lovely papergoods.  And let me tell you, this girl knows her stuff when it comes to eye catching designs.  Just check out the back (!!) of her wedding shower invite.  How.fun.is.that!

And of course, she had to share her inspiration boards.  Lets just say, I cannot wait to see photos from her big day... based on these, its going to be magical.

A few more amazing papered goodies.  Sewn thank you cards and wooden tags, so thoughtful and unusual for a wedding... but totally the couple.  You can find so many more amazing wedding related photos here, or better yet, go follow Danni's blog, you wont regret it.

photos via danni of oh hello friend

Fell in love with her style?  Don't you fret, Danni is available for freelance projects too!