Gift Ideas for Your Squad

image via Style Me Pretty

From the ‘he proposed and I said yes’ text, the engagement party, several trips to different bridal stores to the awesome bachelorette party, the rehearsal dinner and finally your wedding day, your bridesmaids are the ones, along with your groom, by your side during this special time. There are so much that they do, and you can’t imagine getting through the whole wedding planning journey without them. You are so grateful to have such amazing friends not only in your wedding day, but also in your life. To say “thank you” to your best girls, picking out thoughtful bridesmaid gifts is the perfect way.

Picking the perfect gift is no easy feat! Although they will appreciate any gesture, different bridesmaids want different thing because of their unique personality. And you want them to absolutely love their gift. To make your planning process a little easier, we have come up with some cool bridesmaid gift ideas for you.

1. Jewelry – Elegant necklaces, bracelets or earrings with a personal touch (i.e. her initials, an engraved message) will be a great token of your friendship.
2. Robe – Dress her up in a pretty Moroccan-inspired robe as she gets ready with you for your wedding day.
3. Shoes – A pair of shoes that matches her bridesmaid dress and will help her shine at the dance floor at your reception.
4. Monogrammed tote bag – Who would say no to a personalized bag filled with amazing skin care products? Some guys maybe, but definitely no girl!
5. Her favorite drink and personalized drinkware – If your girl can not get through a day without (at least) a cup of coffee, you know her favorite coffee and a mug with her initial will definitely put a smile to her lovely face. If she’s more into wine, her favorite wine paired with wine glasses is perfect for a sleepover party, sipping and talking about life.
6. A makeup bag filled with her must-have beauty products – Lip sticks, blushes, eye shadows, nail polishes and so on, all things that make her feel the prettiest.
7. A handmade gift – Soaps, candles, or a scrapbook, a picture frame with a photo of you and her, anything handmade by you will touch her heart.
8. A class – Cooking class, dance class, photography lesson, calligraphy lesson, or any cool skills she has always wanted to learn.
9. An experience – Skydiving, camping, skiing, or rock climbing, an adventure that will excite your active best friend and strengthen your bond.
10. A mini vacation – After a cheerful but also stressful months of planning your wedding, you and your lady deserve some relaxation. A trip to a spa or a nearby resort will surely treat you well.

If you are still unsure of what gifts to get, take a moment and think about your bridesmaids. Who are they? What do they like? What do they usually do in their spare time? Do they need anything specific at the moment? Once you find the answers for these questions, you’ll know what you’re looking for. Finding the perfect gift isn’t just about the gift itself, it's also the thought that counts.

Updated Colors for an Autumn Wedding

Deciding on color combinations can be one of the most challenging parts of planning a wedding.

We love bright and cheerful, spring or summer colors accented throughout a wedding because it takes this already joy-filled event up a notch. However, as we enter into the fall season, color schemes change to jewel tones which tend to make the wedding a bit darker. If you want a crisp, fall wedding but still want some of those cheery pops of color, fear not! We have some new ways to extend those fun colors that we love so much, into this new season with some unique combinations of color schemes! 

image via Artfully Wed

First up, is a combination that allows you to bring in that bright pop of fuchsia! It is a surprisingly flexible color that transitions well into just about every season. If you are totally set on having those bright pink bridesmaid dresses or floral centerpieces but are worried about bringing it into a fall wedding, all you have to do is just add some wine and chocolate-colored accents. This palette does not let you escape the jewel tones but it does brighten them up a lot with that gorgeous shade of pink! This pairing makes for a perfect and unique color scheme to use in your fall wedding!

image via 100 Layer Cake

The key to this color combo is choosing bright colors but opting for slightly darker shades. Anchoring this palette is a perfect, crisp, Autumn red and a darker shade of yellow. Yellow is a perfect transition color for fall since it is such a happy color and still radiates that feeling from its darker shades. We love a good pop of coral but in this scheme, the coral charm is a shade darker than its usual bubble-gum brightness. The poppy orange is actually the perfect mixture of red and orange to mesh well with its surrounding colors. This pallete is super pleasing to the eye and will be sure to bring some extra brightness into your fall wedding. 

image via The Perfect Palette

Pastels in Fall? That's right! We totally love this combination because it brings beautiful, Spring colors perfectly into the Autumn season. Like the previous color scheme, we are again, anchoring this one with a cranberry color. However, this time, we are adding in elements of purple and cream. The darker shades of cranberry and lavender tone down the light, lilac color and the cream shade helps balance all three of them out.  I know what you are thinking... This is a completely surprising mixture of colors! It is definitely the most unique out of the three but it would look absolutely beautiful for your outdoor Texas wedding!

We are totally inspired by these unique color combos and hope you are too! 

TREND | MARRIED FOR BREAKFAST

In the words of Leslie Knope, “Why would anybody ever eat anything besides breakfast food?”

One of the trends we’ve been seeing and loving lately and is breakfast food at weddings. Especially since holding your wedding in the earlier hours can save you money! Plus, there is just something so charming and comforting about a hearty breakfast between friends and family. See some of our favorite breakfast-inspired wedding menus below!

Photos by Sara Lucero Photography and Jessica Lorren Organic Photography 

Why, yes. I would love a slice of pancake cake! Put a stack of flap jacks on a cake stand, decorate with fruit and you have a gorgeous dessert!

Donut Display via How Does She

I’ve been personally trying to figure out how to incorporate this DIY Donut Display into my regular life but, alas, I have no reason to showcase dozens of delicious donuts for my regular morning routine. At an AM wedding though? I’m all over that!

Waffle & Pancake Bar via Weddings in Winnepeg

I love the idea of giving guests a choice of pancakes or waffles. I could even see teams starting to form (and maybe even a hashtag? #breakfastbattles). Plus, the berry baskets full of fruit offer an easy way for guests to customize their plates.

Cereal & Candy Display via Savannah Smiled

This display is one of my favorites, and it’s not just because Ms. Savannah is a really amazing friend of mine. Her wedding had lots of breakfast themed elements including catering straight off the Whataburger breakfast menu! She even DIY’d those coffee pot candy jars! The girl has skills.

What do you think of the breakfast wedding trend?  We think it’s A+ all around!

TREND | BRIDES IN SHIRTS

Happy September! It’s still hot down here in Texas but as soon as we flipped the calender yesterday, we started craving fall! I know spring is the traditional “best time of year to have a wedding” but I’d take a crisp cool fall wedding any day!

One thing to consider when having your wedding in the later months is that most traditional bridal gowns don’t do much to keep you warm. One of our absolute favorite trends right now is the oh-so-gorgeous bride who pairs a button-up shirt or cardigan with a huge tulle skirt. Seriously, we can’t get enough. Roll the eye candy!

This bride got married in the shirt she wore on her first date with her husband! She looks completely gorgeous and there is no doubting that she is the bride. Plus, the worn denim really screams ‘southern’ to me. I would love to see more Texas brides rock this down the aisle!

The bright red cardigan from this Newly Wed Christmas shoot shot by Haley Sheffield is almost too stunning! Paired with the glamorous lipstick and the coordinating shirt worn by the guy, it is all holiday perfection. Please hop over to see more of the entire shoot, because there also might be definitely is a sequin dress to die for!

One more for the southern ladies. How perfect is this Southern Belle in plaid? And that bow!? Yes to it all. I also have a sneaking suspicion that this lovely lady paired those pearls with cowboy boots underneath!

Who else is in love with this “brides-in-shirts” trend? It just goes to show that non-traditional can still be beautiful. Plus, why deal with shivering when you can rock this look?