A little birdie told us that there are some fabulous new designer accessories available for rent at Happily Ever Borrowed! Designer accessories for rent you say? That’s right! Happily Ever Borrowed is the premiere, luxury e-boutique that RENTS bridal accessories to brides for their wedding day. Hairpieces, headbands, tiaras, belts, jewelry, and more are available for rent on the Happily Ever Borrowed website for about 10-20% of the original retail price. So let’s take a look at some of the new sparkly baubles shall we?

Felipa Feather Flower ($25) | Veronica Organza Flower ($37)

Odette Belt ($90)

Sophie ($98)

My favorite part about this piece is its versatility! Featuring Swarovski floral pendants and ribbon, this piece can transform into a headband, necklace, or belt. Perfection!

Madeline Butter Cream Collar ($35) | Athena Necklace ($50)

Statement necklaces? Yes, please!! I’m loving that the Madeline can be worn close to the neck as a collar or worn lower like a bib necklace. Both the Madeline and the Athena would look beautiful with a sweetheart neckline strapless wedding dress.

Claudia Veil ($50) | Hayworth Bandeau ($65)

Gabrielle Headband ($95) | Peony Halo ($25)

I love the way these two pieces wrap around big buns and top knots. One is sparkly and glamorous, the other is soft and elegant, both are absolutely fabulous.

Carrie B Necklace ($55) | Sophie ($98)

There’s the Sophie again (also pictured above as a necklace). And one of my favorite pieces Happily Ever Borrowed has ever carried, the Carrie B Necklace. If you’re a bold bride, this is the statement piece for you! Oh. My. Gorgeous.

Justine 45” Corded Lace Veil ($70) | Harper Floral Headband ($45)

The best part about Happily Ever Borrowed? Besides renting ALL of these fabulously sparkly pieces and more for a fraction of the retail cost? They have a Send Before You Spend option that allows you to choose any three pieces for your hair trial or dress fitting! Once you pick your favorites, send them back, and get $25 off your wedding day rental! Pretty sweet, right? There’s also a *new* newsletter for you to sign up and receive exclusive deals and discounts! I mean, what could be better than renting your bridal accessories for your wedding day? Oh, right, nothing. I like to think of Happily Ever Borrowed as an online fairy godmother. You should too and get to renting for that very special day today! xoxo

Happily Ever Borrowed is a Premier Partner in the Heart Love Weddings Vendor Boutique. If you would like more information on how to become a partner, please complete and submit an application under our Advertising tab.

I remember seeing this shoot for the first time on Facebook. I fell instantly in love with it. It was bright. It was bold. It was just a little bit eclectic. It was different. I loved the brilliant pops of orange and purple, that it was both rustic and vintage all at the same time.

While this was originally a styled shoot for promotional images for Splints & Daisies (floral boutique), I’m so excited to share it with you today because I love the daring creativity in it. I love that the inspiration came from a park and a bright orange velvet Victorian couch. It shows that inspiration for a wedding can come from anything. It makes a statement. That it pays to be creative, to be daring, to be different. I also love that it was photographed by Jillian McGrath, because everything she does makes me swoon :)

{Inspiration Behind the Shoot from Tara} I had only met Jillian about a month prior to the shoot. We began chatting like old playmates and decided we needed to play!!! I am primarily a wedding florist, and I tire of seeing the same shots over and over, so wanting to have materials with “something different” pictured. I wanted to portray a natural, loving environment of a carefree couple. I wanted to use only found/local/borrowed materials. Nothing that was not easily at hand. The simplicity of a few items that make a bold statement is always my suggestion.

The inspiration for the shoot was Lancaster Central Park, which is a place my fiancé and I visit often (and where we met!). We run and bike through the park, and while on a run one day, came across this lovely field that had the most beautiful evening light, and knew it needed to be included in the shoot. A second inspiration was my orange velvet Victorian couch bought at a secondhand store. It NEEDED its picture taken. Orange is not a very popular bridal color, so I knew it would stand out as bold and different.

Things just kind of fell together after that… we had a couch, and a field. Add to that a dress found in a friend’s closet, add a handmade purple ruffly belt, some extra curly fluffy hair, and a bouquet in a mix of “most all things local”. I try to primarily use only local flowers when at all possible. I gave my grower the list of “oranges and such”, and she brought me what she had. I LOVE to work that way, and adore brides who follow suit, and are interested in color and style more so than specific flowers. It gives me more freedom to create artistically, and make it up as I go.

The rest of the shoot speaks for itself…as we played around in the field and laughed and laughed, things just got silly and we ended up down by a covered bridge. I took off my cowgirl boots and suggested we have a few shots IN the water since most real brides would not ever think to agree to doing so. Jillian jumped right in! I ended up soaked head to toe by the end of the shoot :)

When I asked Jillian if I could feature this shoot on the blog, she told me that I would also love the love story within it. The couple in the shoot is actually real-life couple Tara (owner of Splints & Daisies) and Jason. I loved their story so much, I had to share it with you too :)

Just a little over a year ago, Tara met Jason, a shy, innocent, country boy, or at least that was her first impression of him when she stepped out of her floral delivery van in the parking lot next to the Garden of Five Senses at Lancaster Central Park. She was trying to find the spider that landed in her lap while she was driving, and in doing so, somehow ripped a button off of one of the pockets on her cargo shorts. The chaotic mess didn’t deter Jason who wandered over and struck up a conversation.

They sat on a bench for a while in the Garden, then strolled along the side of the road together toward the Conestoga River. He warned her to steer clear of a 3-leafed plant that grew along the side of the road, insisting that it was poison ivy. But Tara knew better. She knew that it was actually a baby walnut tree. He insisted otherwise and after going back and forth for a moment, Tara grabbed a handful of the leaves and rubbed them on his arm. At that point, the shy boy she’d just met became Jason, the giggly, awesome, adventurous man that she loves today. Needless to say, he did not end up with a poison rash from the baby walnut tree.

Their hour-long conversation ended after wading in the river aways, they exchanged numbers, and parted ways. The next day, on the way home from white water rafting with friends, Tara received a text. Jason wanted to come over and make her dinner. It sounded like a smart idea, you know, letting a guy she’d only known for an hour into her house to make her dinner. But, sometimes, you’ve just got to go with your gut. They’ve been together ever since.

Just a couple of days after the shoot, Tara and Jason were on vacation in Costa Rica. Lounging in the pool one morning, an orange butterfly was sitting on the edge of the pool. He began flying over the surface of the water looking for a place to land for a drink, so Tara held out her left hand to suggest a perch. To her surprise, the butterfly landed on her ring finger and stayed for a few minutes sucking water off of her finger!

Later that day, they traveled to a secluded waterfall they found out about from a local. It was there that Jason started acting funny as he asked her to join him in the water. They were about knee-deep when he got down on one knee and proposed. She said yes, and later, as they sat by the waterside, a blue butterfly came and landed on Tara’s ring finger. It was as if the universe was approving this next step in their relationship. Amazing!!!

Congratulations, Tara and Jason, who will be tying the knot next May IN the Conestoga River!!! Thank you so much for sharing your love story with us and your inspiration for this shoot. It was incredible!!! And thank you, also, to Jillian McGrath for capturing and sharing with us today! xoxo

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

When Brittany Haas, owner of the premier online wedding shop that rents designer bridal accessories worldwide at a fraction of the retail price, emailed me and asked if I’d be interested in sharing some of the new sparkly baubles from their 2012 Accessory Shoot, I jumped at the chance. Why? Because a) I love anything that sparkles and b) Happily Ever BorroWED is awesome! What other place do you know allows you to cull their online collection of baubles, hair pieces, bridal belts and more, choose ones to make your perfect wedding day look, Send Before You Spend, and then rent the accessories for your big day. You might call them your fairy godmother… And in all honesty, they kind of are making your big “Cinderella-esque” moment just a little more sparkly. But to us, they are Happily Ever BorroWED! Check out these amazing new pieces, find out our favorites, and owner, Brittany’s too!

Starlet Belt – Justine M. Couture ($70) | Sabrina Comb – Enchanted Atelier ($70)

Carrie B Necklace – Enchanted Atelier ($55)

{From Brittany} This piece is absolutely stunning! Now I can hear all the brides out there saying: “A necklace?” “Oh no…that’s too hard to wear with my neckline.” Think again! Any straight or sweetheart neckline works perfectly with this gorgeous piece! Scared to take the plunge with a statement piece? What about wearing a classic veil for the ceremony, and then switching on this necklace to get your party on at the reception? Who needs to be classic – when you can be quirky?

Lily Comb – Avant Bride ($30) | Kate Earrings – Halo & Co. ($15)

Swoon Feather Fascinator – Justine M. Couture ($50)

{From Brittany} This piece is called “SWOON!” for a reason! All the drama of a 1920’s flapper without the prohibition, this piece sparkles with opalescent stones in an easy, comfortable clip that takes any hairstyle from drab to fab!

Clara-Bell Comb – Justine M. Couture ($50)

Rea Headband – Halo & Co. ($70)

Diana Necklace – Justine M. Couture ($35) | Diana Earrings – Justine M. Couture ($30)

{From Brittany} I’m LOVING the big, gorgeous, stunning STATEMENTS you can make with your accessories. While we carry a wide range of more classic and understated baubles for your special day, we love a bride who takes fashion risks on her wedding day.

Victoria Vine – Avant Bride ($55)

Kate Tiara – Halo & Co. ($75)

Cait Headpiece – Avant Bride ($70)

{From Brittany} We just had another bridal market and picked up some FABULOUS new designers like Elizabeth Bower, Jenny Yoo and many more! Keep your eye out for our next shoot soon – we’re always adding new designers and new pieces to make sure that you have the best selection of rentable bridal accessories for your special day!

Esme Earrings – Enchanted Atelier ($50) | Isabella Cuff-Navy – Enchanted Atelier ($50)

Isabella Cuff-Navy – Enchanted Atelier ($50)

Marie Headpiece – Halo & Co. ($60)

{From Brittany} I know what you’re thinking…that wedding lasted 42 days. Listen – we know Kim might have dropped the ball on her actual marriage, but as far as being original in her fashion styling for her wedding day? She nailed it! This piece is for any bride who is looking for a more exotic look for her special day. But wait – you’ve changed your mind? Easy! Flip it up into a dual strand headband for when you’re dancing your heart out and don’t want the crystals in your eyes!

Claudia Veil – Enchanted Atelier ($50)

I must say that I really do love all of the pieces Happily Ever BorroWED has added to their collection. If I was forced to pick favorites though I’d have to say the Carrie B necklace (talk about a STATEMENT), the Claudia Veil (probably my favorite birdcage veil of all time), the Esme Earrings (a little something blue for you), the Isabella Cuff Navy (I was already obsessed with this piece in ivory), and all of the bun adornments (the Cait Headpiece, the Victoria Vine, and the Clara-Bell Comb). Annnnd, that’s a long list of favorites isn’t it? Ha! What can I say? I’m a sparkly kind of girl ;) But let’s face it, on our wedding day we all want to sparkle and shine! How will you? Tell us which pieces you love and which you would pick to accessorize your big day below! Don’t forget your bridesmaids and even your mothers too! They deserve to be pretty too! :) Happy Shopping + Sparkling! xoxo

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

As little girls, we all dreamed of what our someday wedding would be like, didn’t we? Maybe you acted it out in the backyard with Mr. Bear officiating, your dolls in grand attendance, a paper napkin on your head as the veil, Butler (the dog) standing in for the groom, and teeny-tiny wild flowers you picked from the grass to carry. Maybe you envisioned something with sparkles, something sweet and covered in ruffles, maybe you hoped that the little boy down the street would one day be your handsome groom. We all dreamed of our someday wedding in some form or another.

When I first laid eyes on this styled wedding shoot from Danielle Pasternak Wedding Coordinator (the very same shoot that won her a trip to the Backstage Bridal Pro Academy later this year), I knew it was as if a little girl’s dream wedding had come to life before her very eyes. Complete with miniature cakes and cookies, ice cold chocolate milk, the boy of her dreams from down the block, and Mama’s sparkly gold pumps for good luck. It was a return to innocence filled with nothing but pretty, grace and fabulous. Danielle, along with an amazing group of talented vendors including Kim Winey Photography, Maggpie Vintage Rentals, Central Park Flowers, Frosted and Momental Designs, brought what every little girl dreams of as her wedding to life.

Today, I would love for each of you who read this blog to do something for me. Are you ready? I want you to think back to that time as a little girl when you were picturing your wedding someday. As you look over these images and read Danielle’s beautiful description of this shoot, I’d love for each of you to relive and relove your vision all over again :) Enjoy!!

{The Concept from Danielle Pasternak} Graceful and fabulous. When I first read those words, about a million ideas went running through my head. They are such relative terms and ones that could truly be interpreted hundreds of different ways. The concept I decided to run with came about during a conversation with some fellow industry professionals.

A big trend we are seeing in the wedding world are miniature-sized items with a nod to our childhood. Finger foods, cake pops, mashed potato stations, and cupcakes are all starting to wipe out seven-layer cakes and twice baked potatoes. Why is this happening? I see all of these items as things that provided comfort in our youth. So, what better way to portray the current trends of the wedding industry married with the words of Fabulous and Graceful than to view a wedding from a young girl’s point-of-view. I like to think of this photo shoot as her dream wedding… some day.

The full tablescape came together using vintage china pieces, stunning gold flatware, mismatched chairs and stemware along with Grandma’s lace doilies to represent the Bride. The Groom’s taste came through in the centerpieces with candles, wooden crates, a large branch structure and some Spanish moss. To add some more sparkle and coordinate with the gold flatware, we glittered a wooden “3” to represent the table number. To greet each guest was a lovely cupcake because sometimes dessert can come first. On the menu for dinner was petite shrimp, grilled cheese bites with cream of tomato sips, a little spaghetti and meatball and a spoonful of mac.

I am SO EXCITED to share this modern garden purple and green styled wedding shoot with you all today! I’ll be honest, when I first looked at the photos, I thought it was a real wedding. It looked that real. I was surprised when I read the description and discovered that it was a brilliantly styled shoot, put together by an amazing group of vendors including (the venue) The Oaks at Salem, (the florals) Tre Bella Florist, (the paper goods) Sealed With Appeal, (the overall design) Prevoir Special Events, and (the photography) Prevoir Photography. I was so impressed by every last detail they thought to include from the exquisite florals, to the gorgeous wedding gown, to the  elegant and beautiful tablescape. There’s also a gorgeous bride and her maid of honor, a handsome groom and his best man, even a dapper French Bulldog in a green bow tie named Claude. All in all, this wedding shoot is exactly the kind of shoot we at Heart Love Weddings live, love and long for. Enjoy!!

{Behind the Design with Erin Costa of Prevoir Photography} This styled shoot was planned keeping the modern, elegant bride in mind. The setting was at the beautiful Oaks at Salem in Apex, NC, and included four wonderful models, one four-legged model, an Excalibur vintage car, and beautiful floral arrangements. The bride and groom, Lauren and Dustin Prusik were married this past summer and were more than excited to relive their special day. The bridesmaid was the lovely Kim Barber and the handsome groomsman was Alex Warren, both of Raleigh, NC. Our four-legged model, Claude, the French Bulldog, joined us for part of the shoot, and was quite the heartthrob! We had been experiencing a blast of very warm weather down in North Carolina for March, but that warm weather decided to go away on the day of our shoot. You would never be able to tell from the models, but it was about 45 degrees outside. Dustin and Lauren especially enjoyed the afternoon, as if it was their wedding day all over again.

Stacey and I own an event planning company named Prevoir Special Events, LLC. I am also a photographer and work under the name Prevoir Photography, LLC. We often do even planning and photography combined for our clients. Our name means to plan, to anticipate, to foresee in French.

Stacey and I (Prevoir Special Events) have a September bride at The Oaks at Salem, which is a fairly new venue around here. We went out for our site visit and instantly fell in love with the venue. April, who owns the venue, is the definition of pure Southern charm and hospitality because we ended up staying and talking with her for over three hours! We mentioned that we would love to have a styled shoot out there and she was all for it! We had a theme in our heads of something modern, simple, beautiful and elegant, yet realistic to inspire our brides. We picked our color scheme out of green and cream, and then decided to bring in the pop of deep purple. The tea light place holders and menus were designed by Adger at Sealed With Appeal.

As we got all of our wonderful vendors on board, everything just fell into place. We told our florist, Tre Bella, what we were envisioning for the shoot and they just blew us away with their floral arrangements! The French Bulldog is Stacey’s pooch :) He did a great job and looked oh-so-charming in his matching bow tie! We had such a fun day on the shoot and the models were so relaxed and it just made for a really great day. The models all went to high school together, and the bride and groom were recently married last July – they are definitely still in their honeymoon stage and it showed in front of the camera. Everyone loved posing with the Excalibur provided by Classy Transportation! We photographed all around the venue from the staircase, to the porch, to the fireplace, you name it! The photo ops were endless!

After you’re done oohing, aahing, sighing and swooning over this shoot! Head on down and leave a comment to tell these vendors just how fabulous you think they are and this shoot is! We love it so much and couldn’t thank Erin enough for sharing it with us today!! xoxo

Lately it seems everybody is talking about the Hunger Games! And if you’re a fan of the books and can’t wait for the movie this week, we have a treat for you today from Laurel isle Photography! The sister photography duo of Lauren and Lindsay got together to create this sometimes edgy, sometimes sweet shoot based on their love of the books and the love story surrounding Peeta and Katniss. I myself am waiting with great anticipation to read the books on vacation, but after this shoot I am even more intrigued by the story. And of course, I can’t wait to learn how the love of two people will blossom and grow through great adversity and challenges. Take a look at Lauren and Lindsay’s work and prepare to be inspired!

{From Laurel isle Photography} The Hunger Games is a truly captivating love story about two young people thrown into a partnership. Since Peeta & Katniss are in the games together, there is both a fierce independence they need to maintain for their very survival, but they cannot deny the truth of the bond that begins to form that is much deeper than the games itself. We felt these two characteristics are not unlike most modern couples. In our session with Bethany and Jon, we sought to capture their strength and independence as well as sharing their vulnerability and ultimately their love. We chose contemporary clothing (as the story takes place in the future) but accented with a natural color scheme and textures. The bird necklace and matching bracelet are reminiscent of the pendent that Katniss wears during the games. Bethany’s hair and make up was inspired by Katniss’ character, simple and braided. We called upon the library of one of our favorite online resources for free printables,Wedding Chicks. Their printable provided just the right color scheme and simplicity we were looking for. Our florist created a bouquet and simple centerpiece that looked as if it were fresh picked from the very wilderness our fictional couple finds themselves.

There are so many details that I just adore of this shoot! Thank you so much to Lauren and Lindsay of Laurel isle Photography for sharing their talents and visions with us today.

Are you ready to check out the Hunger Games on Friday? Should I wait to see the movie until after I’ve read the books? Decisions, decisions….

xoxo

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Photographer: Laurel isle Photography

Floral Designer: Occasions in Bloom - Invitation Designer: Wedding Chicks

Makeup Artist: Dollface Makeup - Jewelry: A Real Gem