I love this image (found here). It’s everything I imagine for 2012 for me and for Heart Love Weddings. I’ve never been so ready for anything before in my life. I already love 2012 and the way it’s shaping up to be. We’ve got so many amazing things planned, some fabulous features scheduled, a few kick-butt site updates in the works, and to kick it all off, a month entirely devoted to vintage!! More on that on Monday. :) And before I get to our weekly indulgences, I want to wish all of you, dear readers, a very happy new year! This year has been so blessed because of you! Thank you for your continued love and support of all that we do here at Heart Love Weddings! May this next year be filled with so much love, light, joy and laughter! We can’t wait to share in the amazingness that is 2012 with you!

What we indulged in this week…

{Tuesday} A look back at the most memorable love stories of 2011 from the quirky to the lovely!

{Inspiration} The best of 2011 wedding inspiration boards as chosen by you!

{Wednesday} The best of 2011 wedding planning tips!

{Bella Figura} So blessed to help Bella Figura launch their AMAZING new 2012 collection of pretty, pretty paper!

{Thursday} A look back at the most swoon-worthy wedding details of 2011!

{Friday} The best is yet to come.

Lovely Links Around the Web…

{bachelorette party} Your girls and tons of sparkles – what could be better?

{glitter} Seriously giddy and in love with this NYE shoot put together by a seriously fab group of vendors!

{launched} The new Natalie Franke Photography brand and website are AMAZING!

{bling} Pretty, pretty bling-bling. Where do I begin to pin?!

{dream good} I’m kind of loving this kind of new year’s resolution list.

Other Notes…

{Special Boudoir Package} being offered to Heart Love Weddings readers by Henry Photographers! Email Katherine to secure your spot today!

{Ad Special} Tonight is the last night to partake in the December to Remember Ad Special! Email either myself or Karin by midnight tonight if interested!

{Featured On Buttons} Our 2011 featured on buttons are here! If you were featured in 2011 on either bWed Exclusive or Heart Love Weddings, head on over to Facebook to claim your badge or email me directly for yours!

See you next year!

xoxoxo

2011. Where do I begin?

So much has happened this year. And in one sentence, I can accurately describe it all. It was crazy, it was tragic, sometimes almost magical, awful and oh-so-beautiful. I am supremely grateful for every single minute. Were there highs? Yes. Were there lows? Definitely. Did I smile? Did I cry? Did I make mistakes? Did I accomplish goals? The answer to all of these questions is yes.

Much of this past year is one big, gigantic blur for me. I pushed myself to one too many limits you see. I put far too many things on my daily todo list than I had time for in the day. Then, when I didn’t cross off every single one, I beat myself up. I put in far too many late nights, indulged in far too many takeout boxes, missed far too many workouts, and berated myself around the clock. I compared myself and my work to too many other people. I tried to be too many other people. I focused too much on the things I couldn’t control, and not enough on the things I could. I forgot to live in the moment. I forgot to love in the moment. And I berated myself some more.

And all of that was really, really exhausting. Being Superwoman, even trying to be, is not at all what it’s cracked up to be. So, please, don’t try this at home. Kidding. Sort of. I’ve been a perfectionist for much of my life. And if you’re like me, you’ll know how hard it’s going to be to just let that notion go. But I will. Because this next year, in the words of Emily Ley, I am going to hold myself to a standard of grace not perfection.

As I type these words, I am just now realizing what a difference a year makes. Last January, I was nowhere near ready for the things I’m ready for now. I’ve felt a huge shift in myself this year, both personally and professionally. My heart was cracked wide open in both arenas. And for a while, I wasn’t sure I would be able to pick up all the little pieces. Somehow I did, but boy, was it hard.

As I look back on the last 365 days, I realize those hard days were something I had to go through, to learn from, to grow through. They made me smarter. Stronger. They brought me to where I am today. They brought me to the really big realization that 2011 was my year of transition. It was the year that changed my world, my lifestyle, my love, my heart, me. It was the year that absolutely prepared me for all the amazingness that is to come. I’ve never felt more ready for anything before in my life.

2012 … I’ve been waiting for you.

This will be the year. My year. To do and be amazing. I will get up each day with the decision to be happy. I will be intentional with my time. I will be authentic in everything I do and say. I will open my heart to this very blog. I will not compare myself to anyone else. Each day, I will strive for excellence, not perfection. I will not be so damn hard on myself. I will applaud myself for my accomplishments. I will find something to be thankful for each day (even on the worst of ones). I will find balance and learn to breathe. I will be confident and doubt no more. I will focus more on the things I can control and less on the things I can’t. I will celebrate those who fill my cup, those who make my heart happy and those who make me want to be a better person. I will spend less and love more. So much more. I will make more time for the people that matter most. I will open my heart to every new opportunity. I will nurture and watch Heart Love Weddings grow. I will dream big and live even bigger.

This starts now.

My January Goals:

• Get to bed by 11pm every night.
• Work out 2-3 times a week for 30 min.
• Drink more water.
• Email web designer and programmer list of website + blog tweaks.
• Research a backup for the blog.
• Take Piper to puppy class. :)
• Start a thankful journal, write down one thing to be thankful for each day.
• Use my new Simplified Planner religiously. (It’s already helped me prepare so much for the new year.)
• Strive to answer emails within 24 hours of their arrival in my inbox. (Excluding weekends.)
• Check in and make February goals.

I would love to know how you will make this year better than the one before, if you have any January goals (not new year resolutions, goals for the month of January), how you plan to make amazing happen.

So much love, luck and a happy new year!

xoxoxo

*Grace Not Perfection | the best is yet to come

What a wedding is and what a wedding needs are two very different things. What is a wedding you ask? Simply put, a wedding is love. No other day is entirely devoted to two hearts becoming one. (That only happens once you know.) So what then, does a wedding need? Besides a wildly in love bride and groom, a wedding, of course, needs details! Simple or lavish, romantic or glamorous, rustic or vintage, the cake, the colors, the flowers, the dress .. details, details, details! We featured some truly amazing weddings (and love stories) this year with oh-so-gorgeous details! We’ve rounded up the most memorable below! See. Swoon. Sigh. Enjoy.

{Yellow, Gray & White Southern Wedding} Where do I even begin with the wedding I mainly refer to as “the one with happy bride”? The flowers, the dress, the amazing ring shot, ceremony decor, lemony cocktails and stripe-y straws .. so yellow, so very, very happy! from Shannon Kelley Photography

{Blue & Green Tennessee Wedding} Fabulous sapphire bridesmaids dresses, luscious bouquets and a rose strewn aisle that will have you swooning in your seat! from The Collection

{Gray, White & Green Destination Beach Wedding} It’s easy to be smitten by a rustic-y wedding sign, beach-y locale, handmade bouquets, J.Crew bridesmaids dresses and local honey favors! from Ashley Daniell Photography

{Romantic Blue & White Beach Wedding} Romance and elegance are at an all time high in this beach fete! A ceremony by the ocean, seashells and sparkles galore only add to the charm of it all! from Blue Lane Studios

{Classic Vintage Garden Wedding} Blush pink bridesmaids dresses, mossy letters, ribbon streamers, a cake stand handmade by the groom, a sweet shoppe .. So this is what dreams are made of! from Imago Vita Photography

{Cream & Green Rustic Wedding} Limes, coffee beans, a groom and groomsmen in cowboy boots and jeans. Need I say more? from Hearts & Horseshoes Photography

{Rustic Fall Wedding} The prettiest of pretty details include to-die-for rustic florals, gorgeous Jimmy Choo shoes, and, brace yourself, a mash potato martini bar! from ZoomWorks Photography

{Orange & Cobalt California Wedding} Pretty, personal details include endless roses, a brilliant color scheme, a sweet tooth’s dream, and blue goblet tumblers that double as favors! from Hearts & Horseshoes Photography

{Purple & Yellow Rustic Vintage Wedding} A fantastic purple and yellow color scheme, a gigantic cheesecake in lieu of wedding cake, and nods to the couples love story (and proposal) at every turn! from KimJMartin Photography

{Wishing Tree Guestbook Idea} One of my most favorite wedding details of the whole year .. The Wishing Tree! from Two Chics Photography

Le sigh. So many details. So little time. But we love them. We really, really do. And we cannot wait to share yours in the new year! Brides, photographers, vendors too – send us your weddings, details and love stories for feature in 2012!

xoxo

Around here, we love letterpress! Almost as much as we love Bella Figura, an eco-friendly artisan letterpress shop out of Central New York. And we couldn’t be happier to help them launch their new 2012 collection today! It’s AMAZING! 83 new invitation designs, a slew of new colors including neons and metallics, custom calligraphy styles, letterpress pocketfolds and so much more! Take a look!

{Metallics} have arrived and all signs point to them being huge in 2012! Bella Figura now offers foil stamping and foil edging in 12 brilliant foil colors. Add traditional colors like gold, silver or copper to the edge of any card for sophisticated flair. Or, be daring, and add brilliant shades of fuchsia, indigo, forest and teal!

{Custom Calligraphy} became quite popular this year and because they don’t see that changing any time soon, Bella Figura has added 6 new calligraphy styles! This brings their grand total of hand calligraphy styles to 22! Impressive.

{Envelope Liners} Patterned envelope liners are now 2 and 3 color, and easier than ever to custom create! You choose a pattern and colors, and Bella Figura will create a (100% PCW, FSC-certified) custom liner for you! New FSC-metallic envelope liners and new eco colored envelopes are also available.

{Letterpress Pocketfolds} Add a monogram, wedding date, or stylish pattern to any exclusive eco pocketfolds.

{Neons} 3 neon letterpress inks (hot pink, lime-aid and day-glo) have been added to the collection!  I just love these colors .. and their names! Lime-aid = yum!

{Free Personal Shopper Service} So many colors. So many designs. How ever will you decide? After a brief, but detailed survey, Bella Figura’s invitation experts will help couples navigate all of their design options, making sure their invitation choice captures the spirit of their wedding. Are they amazing, or what?

{Everything is Customizable} One of the things I love about Bella Figura is that everything about their designs can be changed. We’re talking ink, text, font, artwork, monogram, everything. Not many can claim that every design printed is unique, but Bella Figura can.

{Environmentally Green Printing} Bella Figura is a wind-powered, carbon neutral print shop. They print sustainably on luxuriously thick 100% cotton paper made from reclaimed fibers (it’s tree-free and made exclusively for them by a 500-year old European paper mill!). We. love. them.

And if that’s not enough…

{Free Letterpress or Foil Favor Cards} if a couple’s wedding favor is a donation to a non-profit. Place card sized, Bella Figura will match your design and highest quantity – for instance, if you order 200 invitations, they’ll offer 200 free favor cards in the colors and design of your choosing. Holy amazingness!

We’ve been drooling over all these new colors and designs since we first laid eyes on them! We’re dying to know what you think! Do you love letterpress too? How about those neons? The metallics? Let us know and be sure to leave Bella Figura a ton of love below!

xoxo

*Images courtesy of Bella Figura

When we rebranded and relaunched as Heart Love Weddings, we wanted to bring attention not only to the love stories of bridal couples and wedding days, but also to highlight wedding inspiration and planning tips too. We like to think we have a unique way of looking at things and that there are people (brides) out there who look at things the way we do. We plan to dive even further into wedding inspiration and planning tips in the new year, but for now, let’s take a look back at some of our most popular tips from this year!

{Wedding Cake Terms} A breakdown of all those fancy terms for frosting, fillings, flavors and more!

{Wedding Budget Blues} What do you do? Where do you start? How does one work thru the wedding budget blues?

{Engagement Ring Shopping} How much is too much?

{Pinterest as a Wedding Planning Tool} Top 5 tips for using Pinterest to help plan your wedding!

{5 Reasons Why NOT to DIY} Detailing the reasons why you should NOT DIY your wedding!

{5 Reasons to say YES to DIY} Detailing the reasons why you SHOULD DIY your wedding!

{Table Setting Basics} Ever been the victim of the dreaded bread plate snatcher?

{Colored Wedding Dress Trend} The white wedding dress is no longer the only dress in town!

{Asian Bridal Style} A breakdown of some of the most popular Asian bridal fashions!

{Statement Jewelry} How to wear statement necklaces effectively and beautifully on wedding day!

What wedding planning tips would you like to see us cover in the new year? Let us know in the comments below or email us!

xoxo

Photo by Allie Lindsey Photography via Style Me Pretty