It’s been a while since we had a love quote printable. Sorry about that. We’ve got just the thing to make it up to you though! It’s quite possibly one of my most favorite love quotes ever. And Jen of Blush Printables did an absolutely amazing job bringing it to life in one of the prettiest printables I’ve ever seen! The color…oh my…the color…it’s almost one of my branding colors :) And far from the color that originally printed out of my printer (poop brown) before crapping (pun intended) out on me minutes later. I promise it will print bright, beautiful, and fuchsia for you though!

**DOWNLOAD IT HERE**

**DOWNLOAD IT HERE**

Butterflies. What is it about the butterflies? It’s the fluttering sensation deep in your stomach the first time you laid eyes on him…the first time he touched you…a simple brush of his arm against yours…the first time you kissed…the first time his name came up on your phone and you realized how much you missed him…the first time…and every time after that…

I’m a firm believer in the butterflies. And I truly believe that what this quote says is true. When it’s true love, they never, ever really go away. Nor should they. They should always stay. Like a permanent, unwavering, never ending fixture.

I have this pretty quote printed and sitting in a simple white frame on my desk, where I see it every day. And you know what? I get butterflies just looking at it. Thinking about him. Because it reminds me of all the times, every time he gives me butterflies. Which he does, a lot. And knows it too. But that’s ok. Because he’s never far from my mind anyway. And I love that this quote just reinforces those butterflies, gives their wings an added extra flutter, and a little extra dimple to my smile every time I see it. And there they go again…

Happy long weekend everyone!

xoxo

Blush Printables is a fabulous member of our Vendor Boutique. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

The theme of the day was Victorian tea party, and I think they pulled it off beautifully. The pretty patterned table linens, the tea cups at every place settings, the heart shaped tea diffuser favors (which I love, by the way), and the amazing fabric and twinkle light draped tent for the outdoor reception. Plus, I love when a groom, also a military man, chooses to wear his uniform on his wedding day. The images of him and his bride, captured by Andi Grant Photography, in one word: stunning. The rest of the day, in one word: magical.

Depending on who you ask, you will get two different stories as to how these two met. As Stephen remembers it, he was home in New York at his parent’s house on post-deployment leave following a deployment to Iraq when his sister, her husband, and Anna drove up from Florida, and stopped at Steve’s parents’ house. They only stayed for 15 minutes for a quick bite to eat before getting back on the road, but that was all Steve needed to know that he just met the girl of his dreams.

Anna, on the other hand, remembers going to Steve’s parents’ house, she remembers meeting his parents and eating a quick bite, but she doesn’t remember meeting Steve. In fact, her first memories of the two of them were from the days following their “initial meeting” at Steve’s parents house when they met up again in the Hamptons and spent the weekend boating, crabbing, and getting to know one another. By the end of that weekend, they agreed to meet up in Miami two weeks later to continue to develop their new friendship.

They knew they had something special from the start. It started during Steve’s deployment to Afghanistan when they wrote snail mail back and forth to communicate. At the time, they weren’t dating, but you wouldn’t have known that by looking outside in on them. Every letter they received was like Christmas morning. They would wait weeks just to receive a response back to a question from an earlier letter.

After returning from deployment and expressing their feelings for one another, they started to date long distance. Every chance they had, they would fly between North Carolina (later Virginia) and Florida to see one another. Every moment they spent together was so precious and special to them.

Two months into the relationship, on Valentine’s Day, those three special words were said for the first time, and many times since by Steve, and of course, reciprocated by Anna. After about ten months, they decided they’d had enough of the long distance, so Anna quit her job in Miami and moved away from family and friends to join Steve in Williamsburg, Virginia. Within a month of her moving, Steve dropped to one knee and they were engaged!

Washington D.C. had always been a place that Steve and Anna loved to visit, especially the memorials and the Mall area. So after Anna moved up to Virginia in October and they began to settle down a bit, they planned a day trip on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in November. Steve knew that he wanted to propose to her that day, he just didn’t know how or when.

The day started with a chill that caused both of them to dress warmly. By the time they made it to the White House, it felt as though summer had begun all over again. Anna began stripping her layers, but Steve refused. As they continued their walk towards the Mall, and as Steve began to sweat, they came across Constitution Gardens Park. It was unintentional because they had never been to the park during their past visits nor heard of it before then. But Steve knew as soon as he saw it, that this was where he would get down on one knee.

As they crossed onto the island in the pond, they decided to sit in a little quiet spot beneath a weeping willow tree to take a little break. While sitting there and enjoying the view (and continuing to sweat), Anna implored Steve over and over again to take off his coat. Her final plea, “If you love me, you will take off your jacket,” was the opportunity Steve had been waiting for. At that moment, from his coat pocket, he pulled out a ring, got down on one knee, and told her what she already knew… “I do love you, and will always love you. Will you marry me?”

And just in case you were wondering…Steve then took off his coat. Finally.

{From the Bride} Because neither of us are from Virginia, the wedding was a destination wedding for most of our family and friends. The theme behind the wedding was a Victorian Tea Party with the setting of a quaint bed and breakfast in Providence Forge, Virginia, called the Jasmine Plantation. 

The day started off beautiful. This was important, especially since the wedding was supposed to be conducted on the front lawn of the plantation. But as the day continued on, storms rolled into the area and we had to change out plans 45 minutes before the sunset ceremony was to take place. The vendors and wedding party were great in helping us to adjust at the last minute. In hindsight, the wedding was even better because the ceremony was moved inside the house causing it to be standing room only. It was intimate, unique, and beautiful.

After a creative and entertaining introduction of the wedding party and us by our DJ, Liz Daley, the food started coming out. We had our first dance to God Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flatts where we attempted to show our guests the moves we learned over the previous four months at dance lessons. The moves didn’t look smooth, but the emotion was caught in the words of the love story spoken by us before the ceremony and looped into the song. After our dance, the music started to play, and that is when the party began. The dance floor flooded and the rest of the night flew by. The day/weekend could not have been any better. A time to remember!

{Advice for Couples} The obvious answer is to say both must have a deep love and trust for one another. But we think it is more than that. We feel communication is right there with love and trust, probably even higher. If you are unable to fully communicate your hopes, dreams, and emotions, how can you fully love and trust? We learned this through long distance and many nights on the phone and on Skype. Trust us, it works!

Thank you, Anna and Stephen for sharing your love story with all of us, and congratulations once again! So much love, luck and hugs to you both! Thank you, also, to Andi Grant Photography for sharing this very special day with us today! xoxo

There is something about a rustic wedding that really pulls at my heart. Rustic style is full of layers, textures and speaks to a simpler time. All of these characteristics is why creating a rustic wedding inspiration board is one of my favorites.

Green and peach, and even vibrant orange are fabulous colors to incorporate into a rustic wedding. The green of the bridesmaid’s dress is reminiscent of earth, trees, plants and of course, reflecting the beautiful greenery and blooms in the bouquet. The textures continue to develop with a save the date that reflects not only the orange/peach but also a wood grain background. My absolute favorite element in our inspiration board is the heart shaped ring bearer “pillow”. I just the love the raw, organic-ness of the wood and bark, and that it is shaped in a heart makes it all the more unique. So very special. I feel like it has a story to tell. The three tier cake is gorgeous with textures of nuts, fruits and greenery. Totally different and would work so well for a rustic wedding. I just love utilizing these ice cream cones for favors! Seems like such a brilliant and simple idea! Lastly, these table centerpieces again reflect rustic textures with wood table numbers and crates along with colors that coordinate perfectly.

As we slowly bid summer farewell, we are welcoming the cool, crisp days of fall when a rustic wedding would definitely be one of my favorites to attend. :) Happy Wednesday everyone!

xoxo

Row 1: Bridesmaids Bouquet via Heather Cook Elliott Photography, Save the Date via Etsy – Shoutout via Oh Lovely Day, Rustic Ring Pillow by Glass Jar Photography via Wedding Chicks

Row 2: Citrus Cake and Centerpieces by Millie Holloman Photography and Salt Harbor Designs via Snippet & Ink, Ice Cream Cone Favors by Rebecca Gosselin Photography via Oh Lovely Day

Colors: Fern, Peach, Clementine, Bark

We all know that weddings can be expensive, no matter what dollar amount your budget is. And engagement rings are one of the first substantial dollar investments that most couples begin with on their journey to getting married. Because we know that many couples are stretched to the max with everyday bills, we thought we would gather what we think are some super fantastic beauties that are under $2,000! Come take a look!

Photo by Katelyn James Photography

Etsy – Platinum Morganite Engagement Ring $1,295

Etsy – 14K Moissanite Engagement Ring Diamond Halo Setting $2,054

(Oops, just a smidge over $2,000 but isn’t it pretty? I couldn’t resist!)

Hearts on Fire – Purely Bridal Rose Solitaire Engagement Ring $1,800

Brilliant Earth – Platinum Delicate Antique Scroll Ring $1,450

Blue Nile – Low Dome Ring $1,812

Gemvara – Infinity Knot Ring $1,927

Kay Jewelers – Tolkowsky 14K White Gold 1/3 Carat Diamond Solitaire Ring

Etsy – Art Deco Diamond Engagement Ring $1,950

Etsy – 14K Palladium White Gold Love Knot $1,595

Gemesis Six-Prong Eternal Round Diamond Ring with a .70-Carat Round Diamond $1,713.81

Have you picked a favorite? I have – mine is the Infinity Knot Ring! A sign of love and commitment times infinity!

xoxo

It’s about time we had a bride (and her bridesmaids!!!) in cowgirl boots around these parts again! It’s been at least three weeks since our last and that’s entirely too long as far as this cowgirl-boot-loving-lady is concerned ;) But today’s wedding is about more than just cute boots. This gorgeous rustic, Southern wedding is comprised of a beautiful venue, a sweet behind-closed-doors first look, a barn doors ceremony entrance, hay bale seating, amazing drink and snack bar, rustic cupcake tower in bright fun colors (hot pink and lime), and a fabulous sparkler exit and to-die-for short reception dress! All photographed beautifully by the fabulous Two Chics Photography!

Brittany and Dean met one hot summer night. They had a mutual friend and just so happened to be at the mutual friend’s house the same night. They clicked then and there but didn’t really show interest in one another until the following fall when they kept running into one another. They officially “hit it off” at a Luke Bryan concert! She was standing on top of a cooler and Dean acted like he was “falling over” and grabbed onto her arm. It was all over after that ;)

They took things slow in the beginning. At first, Dean was someone to hang out with and get to know. But then, somehow, Brittany knew that someday she would marry him. It happened one night. She met him at his house so they could go see the movie The Blind Side together. As he stood up to hug her, she doesn’t know how it happened or what it was, but she fell for him right then and there. It happened for him one day in his parents driveway. He slammed on the breaks, put the truck in park, and said I love you too.

Dean is big into hunting, so one day he asked Brittany to go ride around the field at night with him and shine for deer. He was late getting home from hunting club so they grabbed a quick bite to eat in town before heading out. He was awful nervous and talkative at dinner and Brittany knew that somethingwas up, she just didn’t know exactly what.

They shined for a while before heading back towards the road when Dean suggested they get a blanket and take a moment to look at the stars. She sat down on the blanket he spread out for her and noticed a random Mountain Dew can. She thought someone had thrown it out of their car window and then realized that there was a black keychain hanging down the side of it. She picked it up and realized there were two buttons: one for on and one for off. She pressed the off button first, not sure exactly what would occur if she pressed the on. But at Dean’s insistence, she did. About 100 feet across the field, a huge board lit up with a question mark in lights. Dean then got down on one knee and asked her to marry him! It was perfect and the best moment of Brittany’s life!

{From the Bride} Ahhh, our wedding! Best. Day Ever!!! I WISH I remembered everything about our wedding but to be honest, it was a HUGE blur. I remember stalking the weather the entire month! And yep, it POURED as soon as the preacher said “you may kiss the bride”. As soon as the grandmothers were escorted out, all of the guests ran to the reception area!

All the bridesmaids and I met up at the venue that morning around ten to start our hair and makeup. It was the perfect morning! I had all of my favorite girls with me on the most important day of my life! I have a few most memorable moments. 

The first one was when all of my bridesmaids walked in after I was dressed and had my veil on and my best friend Sarah told me I looked beautiful and started crying! Which made ME cry which made a few of the other girls tear up. It was so sweet and meant a lot to me! 

The other was when my daddy saw me for the first time! As soon as he saw me, he started crying which just started the waterworks all over again. It was a moment I will never forget!!!

Dean and I didn’t see each other before the wedding. I REALLY wanted to for picture reasons in case it rained (which it did) but I am so glad we didn’t. We had a “moment” where we held hands from behind the door but didn’t see one another. The look on Dean’s face when I walked down the aisle is something I will NEVER forget. I don’t think a groom gives a look like that if he has seen his bride before. It was so much emotion and I am so glad that we waited to see one another. I WASN’T expecting rain!!! Even though we got a lot of cool photos :)

Our first dance song was Rockin Years by Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Shelton. At Dean’s grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary party, they played that song and danced to it because it was “their song” and I knew right then and there that I wanted it to be the song that we danced to as well :) We both looked over at Dean’s grandmother during our first dance and she was in tears! A lot of them. It was so sweet and I am SO glad we danced to that song! It is now our song too :)

Our wedding was the best day of my life. I got to marry the man of my dreams and spend it with the most important people in the world!

{Advice for Couples} Don’t let the planning take over being engaged. A lot of brides (even me) start planning AS SOON as they get engaged! I wish I would have enjoyed “the moment” a little while longer but you really can’t help but to be so excited :)

The best advice that we have heard over and over again is to never go to bed angry at one another and I absolutely believe in that! Never let an argument go on for days. You really never know what life brings and you need to cherish every moment you can together. 

Also, it is YOUR day. Not your best friend’s, your mom’s, your maid of honor’s, or your crazy aunt’s. Have the kind of flowers you want. Wear your hair the way it looks best, and most of all, HAVE FUN! Don’t stress out so much that you don’t enjoy the most important day of you and your husband’s life. The lucky ones get to experience it only once, so make it the best day of your life!!!

Congratulations, Brittany and Dean, and thank you so much for sharing your love story with us! We wish you both so much love, luck and laughter in the years ahead that you’ll spend together! And a very special thank you to the ladies of Two Chics Photography for sharing their very special day with us today! xoxo