Personalized Wedding Postage

You've found the perfect invitation, you've spent hours neatly packaging the envelopes with all the necessary enclosures, and the envelopes are finally addressed...now what?! You could take your invitations to the post office and pick from the four wedding collection stamps that they offer, or you can custom create your very own wedding postage at Zazzle.com. My vote goes to custom creation! Zazzle offers a variety of pre-designed wedding postage stamps including stamps especially for save the dates, bridal showers, and even bachelorette parties! To see the entire collection, check out their website here.

Zazzle is an approved licensed vendor of the USPS and satisfaction is 100% guaranteed!

Recissionista Find: Special Occasion Shoes at Target

A few weeks ago we blogged about the awesome bridesmaid dresses that are now available at Target, and today discovered that Target also has some really great special occasion shoes as well! All of the shoes in this section are UNDER $25.00 and completely adorable!

Here are a few favorites from the collection (I'm especially loving this red pair of peep-toe pumps!):

Mossimo Irene Peep-Toe Dress Shoes :: $22.99

Mossimo Heidi Satin Bow Heels :: $19.99

Mossimo Isabelle Dress Shoes :: $16.09

Wedding Keepsake Box from Pottery Barn

I have to admit, I am a total romantic at heart and love sentimental keepsakes, especially when it comes to weddings. This wedding keepsake box from Pottery Barn is the perfect way to display items that are close to your heart from your wedding. Things like invitations, dried bridal bouquets, boutonnieres, and favorite photos from your wedding are typically displayed in a keepsake box.

Photo courtesy of Pottery Barn :: Wedding Keepsake Box :: $59.00 {Available online only}

Fashion Color Report Fall 2009

This past week Pantone released the Fall 2009 Fashion Color Report and I must say that I am loving the colors! Back in January (a little late, I know) we blogged about the "it" colors released by Pantone for Spring 2009, so if you missed it, you can check it out here. Falls' colors are much deeper than Spring, but yet still refreshing. "The Fall 2009 palette is more unique and thoughtful than the typical autumnal hues of years past" says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. I couldn't agree more! I'm really loving 'American Beauty' and 'Burnt Sienna'. What are your favorites?!

To read the entire color report, head on over to Pantone's official website.

DIY Wine Bottle Labels

I am often asked by my brides how to make "DIY" table numbers, candy labels, favor tags, etc... and I thought that these wine bottle labels from Martha Stewart Weddings were a cute idea for the DIY bride! As I'm sure you are aware by now, personalization is a big trend in weddings. So, why not add some flair to your tables and use wine bottles to serve as your table numbers?! If you're not big on using these at your dinner tables, try using them on your cocktail tables, or even at your rehearsal the night before. For instructions on how to make these labels, click here.

Photo courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings.

The Perfect Spring Accessory

So, I realize that this post has nothing at all to do with weddings, but I just had to share this white trench coat from White House Black Market that just arrived in stores! I've been searching everywhere for the perfect white trench coat and I finally found it! Now, if only spring would just hurry up and arrive!

Photo courtesy of White House Black Market :: White Trench :: $178.00

Honoring your Family Ancestry

There are a number of ways you can honor your family ancestry or deceased loved ones, but one of my favorite ways to do this is to carry a family heirloom with your bouquet. Pictured above is a bride who carried her grandmother's rosary to honor her Roman Catholic heritage. I've also seen brides carry a small Bible down the aisle, as well as an antique brooch pined to their bouquet wrap. Carrying a family heirloom with your bouquet is the perfect sentimental touch to a wedding ceremony!

Photo courtesy of In Style Weddings.

Add a Splash of Color!

I love love love the idea of a bride wearing colored shoes on her wedding day and had to share this adorable photo with all of you this morning! This trend is definitely on the rise and I sure hope that it sticks around for awhile. Not only is this a creative way to set your wedding apart from the rest, but it also makes for a great photo op!

Photo courtesy of Southern Weddings Magazine.

Fashion Week: Barbie's 50th Anniversary Show

It's that time of year again...Fashion Week in NYC where fashion designers showcase their collections for the upcoming season. If you know me well enough, you know that I absolutely love everything about fashion. I try my best to stay updated on what's going on in the fashion world and will occasionally blog about my findings, as many fashion "trends" also cross over into wedding trends. This post is a bit off topic from weddings, but I wanted to blog about it anyways :) This year at Fashion Week, Barbie showcased their 50th Anniversary Collection, which I think is absolutely divine! I love the retro glam look of this collection and have featured one of my favorite looks above. To view the entire collection, click here, and stay tuned this upcoming week for more of my favorite looks as Fashion Week continues!

Rock Scissor Paper Stationery Line

First of all, how cute is this invitation set from Rock Scissor Paper?! I have to admit when I first stumbled upon this website, I fell in love with all of the amazing products they have to offer! Rock Scissor Paper is an online stationery company offering everything from bridal shower invites to greeting cards to notebooks and journals. The best part about this company is that the invites are not only creative + cute, but also very reasonably priced! Check out their website to see all of the products they offer...I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us here at Simply Perfect Weddings! May you and yours truly have a fabulous day! Also, a special congratulations to all of the soon-to-be newly engaged couples today :)

Photo courtesy of Beau Coup :: Bite-sized layered cakes from their Valentine's Day Collection.

New Series: Ask the Planner

I frequently get asked wedding related questions by our blog readers from all over the U.S. and thought I would feature their questions in a new blog series, "Ask the Planner". Not everyone is lucky enough to have a planner and often times when brides without a planner have a question, they turn to wedding related blogs for answers. I've seen a variety of "Ask the Planner" blog series and think that they are really beneficial, so I wanted to start one for the Pittsburgh area.

Here is our first question from a reader in Massachusetts:

Question: "Should I outfit my bridesmaids in the exact same style of dress?"

Answer: It's completely up to you! Do you absolutely have to?! No way! The beauty of weddings today, is that the days of "cookie cutter" weddings are long gone! In fact, a growing trend in the wedding industry is to actually dress your bridesmaids in different styles. Your bridesmaids and you may all be BFF, but that doesn't mean that you all have the same style when it comes to fashion. Every bridesmaid is different, and what may look good on one bridesmaid, may not look good on another. I like the idea of the bride selecting a color palette and then letting each bridesmaid choose their own style of dress from a particular store. Allowing your bridesmaids to choose their style of dress will ensure that each bridesmaid is comfortable and happy on your wedding day!

Photo courtesy of The Knot.

Looks We Adore: Side Bun

I am a big fan of the side bun right now and think that this would be such a chic wedding day hair style. The bun is one of the most classic up-do's a girl can wear, so if you're looking for something that is polished, but has a little flair to it, try this up-do for your wedding day!

Photo courtesy of Instyle Weddings.

Engagement Story Contest - Wedding Paper Divas

Wedding Paper Divas is giving away a $500 gift certificate to one lucky couple just for sharing your *oh so sweet* engagement story with them! Submit your story here between now and February 22nd for a chance to win. The winner will receive a $500 gift certificate towards their wedding stationary and will be featured on their official blog, Diva Dialogue. It definitely can't hurt to submit your story...after all, how great would it be to give your wallet a break and have your choice of all the amazing stationary that Wedding Paper Divas has to offer?!

Invitation shown above is available through Wedding Paper Divas.

Tux Rental 101

I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus the last few days due to all the Super Bowl excitement here in Pittsburgh! However, I'm pleased to say that I am back now and wanted to discuss tuxedo rentals today. It's no surprise that many bridal party members are spread out all over the country these days, and when it comes to choosing a company for tuxedo rentals, it can be a bit tricky when one groomsmen is in Denver and the others are in New York. If this situation applies to you, then you have two options:

1. Order your tux rentals through a nationwide tuxedo retailer, such as Men's Wearhouse (also known as MW Tux). Chains like this one make it easy to select tux styles for your entire bridal party either online or in store. Groomsmen can have their measurements taken at their local Men's Wearhouse and then have their tux delivered to a location of their choice. After the wedding, all tux rentals can be returned to a Men's Wearhouse in the city the wedding is taking place. Men's Wearhouse also makes it easy to track your wedding online and allows you to see which groomsmen have been measured and which have not.

2. Now, if going through a nationwide chain is not something you'd like to do, you have an alternate option that not many couples know about. Most local tuxedo rental companies have an "out of town groomsmen" policy that allows your groomsmen to have a professional tailor take their measurements in a location that is convenient for them. After the measurements are taken, they are sent (usually via fax or email) to your local tux rental company. Tux rentals are available for pick up the day before the wedding and can all be returned together after the wedding. Liberty Formals is a great tuxedo rental shop here in the Pittsburgh area that allows for out of town measurements.

Check with your local formal wear rental company for their specific policies and always be sure to select the tux style at least 5-6 months before the wedding. You want to allow your groomsmen (and groom) plenty of time to have their measurements taken. Most companies require that all measurements are completed 1 month prior to the wedding, and some even require them 2 months before. Moral of the story...don't delay! :)