Chapter 13: Weddings and Events by Jenny

Welcome to the Chapter 13 blog where you'll find fantastic links, wedding tips, updates on recent Chapter 13 events, and incredible deals!



Thursday, February 24, 2011

{Polka Dot Fun}

Are you looking to throw a shinding sometime soon?  Check out the ideas, link, and supplies at Polka Dot Market.  If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, but enjoy the crafty homemade style, you'll love all the Polka Dot Mom has to offer!


P.S.  Check out this cute banner I made for a baby shower two weekends ago.  Stay tuned for a tutorial.


Happy Planning

xoxo Jenny

Monday, February 21, 2011

{Baby Shower}

I threw a baby shower for a friend last weekend. Here are some pictures of the decorations and activities.
 







We wrote encouraging notes to the mommy-to-be and filled our the thank-you card envelopes to save the tired girl some time!






Each guest brought a baby photo of themselves and we played a little guessing game.



Mums, tulips, banners, and flags decorated our space! The 80 degree weather helped as well.

We made potato-stamp onesies in the front yard (stay tuned for a tutorial).

xoxo Jenny

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

{Wedding Registry Tips}

Wedding registry can be an overwhelming task.  Shelves and shelves of household items.  A plethora of brands, colors, and styles can take some of the fun out of the experience.  Here are some suggestions and tips for making the process more enjoyable and effective.

1. Go with a plan:  Look at what you already have and what you still need.  Decide what items (in general) you will register for at each store, in order to avoid duplicates.
2. Don't be afraid to deviate from the plan: You may see something you absolutely love that you weren't planning on registering for.  That's ok.  Go for it.  This is a time for others to bless you with gifts! You don't only have to register for necessities.  Fun, decorative items are ok as well.
3. Include the fiance:  Holding the gun is often a fun activity for the man.  Allow him to have input on some items he would really like or would find handy in the house.  Maybe even allow for some tool or garden registry.
4.  Choose your registry locations wisely:  consider their return policies and access.  Do they offer online registry?  Do they have stores in convenient locations for your guests?  Do they offer gift cards based on how much money the guests spent? (Macy's does).
5.  Don't do it all on one day:  Don't think you have to do all of your registry on one day.  Go to one store at a time.  If one store is particularly large, then register for a few departments one day and the rest on another. 
6. Think outside the box: There are many websites that allow you to register for money or for honeymoon activities.  Guests can purchase a bottle of wine, a horseback ride, etc. for your honeymoon.  Some couples have even set up funds to help pay for their photographer or to donate to charities.

HAPPY HUNTING

xoxo Jenny

Friday, February 11, 2011

{Packages & Tips}

Head to my website to see the new packages I offer!

www.chapter13weddingsandevents.com


P.S. Here are some tips!


      Check out this Winter, Big Sur wedding from Style me Pretty!
     
      Check out these honeymoon sweepstakes with Pottery Barn

      Check out this event with Martha Stewart


Stay tuned for some wedding registry tips and location advice!

xoxo Jenny

Sunday, February 6, 2011

{Real Brides: Guest Blogger}

There are over 20,000 brides on the Central Coast. I want to give you the opportunity to meet some of them, hear their stories, and learn from their inspiring ideas. Our first bride is also a blogger! Meet Joanna Pickett, guest blogger #1 for Chapter 13 Weddings and Events!  She also does graphics and has a second blog here!  I asked her a few questions about her experiences thus far in the world of wedding planning.  She offers some great ideas and insights into this amazingly surreal process!


 1.  What is the best part of the wedding planning process for you?
The whole wedding process has been a blast so far. Trying on dresses,
playing with color pallets, antique shopping for diy projects- I am in
heaven! While all of these things are super fun- I would say the
absolute best part of the wedding planning process is knowing that
after the wedding is over, I am going to be able to spend the rest of
my life with my best friend. The second best part of the wedding
planning is having a place to channel my creativity. I see planning a
wedding as I see creating a piece of art.  You have your purpose, you
find your inspiration and make it happen!  There are so many
opportunities to be creative with your wedding, and that is what I
like most about it.

2. What is the most difficult part of the wedding planning process for you?
I am a major people pleaser; I hate it when others are unhappy.  I
noticed that through planning my wedding, looking through bridesmaids
dresses, colors, etc, I kept thinking about what everyone else wants
or expects.  It has been hard for me to find my voice and be confident
in my decisions, while still taking others opinions into
consideration.  I have realized that I have to come to terms with the
fact that I am not going to make everyone happy.  That’s a hard pill
for me to swallow, but a great learning experience for me none the
less. I am trying to come to a balance between pleasing my guests
while staying true to what my fiancé and I want to do.

3.  What surprises you about the process or about yourself in the process?
One thing I did not expect to find when I first began this process was
the many different expectations people have when they think about
weddings.  Everyone has their own idea of what a wedding should or
shouldn’t be, and I had no idea how much my idea of a wedding would
differ from people around me!  Before starting this process, I had a
ton of confidence in myself as a bargain shopper. I went into it
thinking I would find the best stuff for the cheapest deal.  And
although I really have found and will continue to find some great
deals, I am finding out that wedding expenses really are outrageous!
It takes time and effort into planning a wedding on a budget.
Sometimes, you really have to hunt to find those deals! I’m not sure
why I thought they would just naturally come to me!

4. What has been your best idea or find so far in the process?
I think the idea that has really caused me to get excited is the theme
that my fiancĂ© and I came up with for our wedding.  You see,
throughout the two years we have been together, he has moved three
times and I have moved twice.  We have been all over the state of CA,
doing long distance throughout most of our relationship.  Neither of
us have really had a place we feel is our home. Now as we are coming
together and finally settling down, we are making our own home
together. Finally we are coming home! And that is what the theme of
our wedding is, “Welcome Home”.  We are getting married in a barn and
want to create an intimate, homey atmosphere.  We want people to feel
the same feelings they would feel at home- comfortable, happy and
tremendously loved.  It felt great to determine a theme, so now we can
really build everything off of it, instead of pulling random ideas
here and there and hoping they are cohesive in the end.

5. What are you most excited about regarding the wedding planning process?
First and foremost I am most excited to be married- but after that I
am so excited to see all of the hard work and details come together to
create a day that we will look back on for the rest of our lives.  I’m
excited to celebrate our marriage by dancing the night away with our
closest friends and family by our side! There is a lot of planning and
work that isn’t necessarily “fun” that goes into planning your
wedding. But I know all of the “dirty work” will pay off on our
wedding day.  I am just keeping my eyes on the prize and it makes
everything so much better!

There are a ton of wedding blogs and sites I visit on a regular basis-
but here are some which I have found to be most helpful to me as a
bride to be!

RuffledBlog.com
A clean and simple site with everything the modern bride needs.
Vendors, items for sale, real weddings, diy projects and so much more!
 

TheLane.com
A fashion forward site with great inspiration boards, high fashion
photo shoots, as well as links to some pretty amazing vendors. Not
your average wedding site!
 

WeddingChicks.com
What I love most about this site is the super cute downloadable
stationary they offer! Oh- and did I mention its free??
 

Wedzu.com
A wonderful little site dedicated to indie and handmade weddings. You
can buy and sell anything from wedding dresses to tags for your
honeymoon luggage!
 

GreyLikesWeddings.com
Another lovely wedding blog with lovely inspiration boards, real
wedding inspiration, and some great hair, make-up and skin prepping
tips for the soon to be bride.
 
{Do you want to be featured as a real bride on Chapter 13:Weddings and Events?  Leave a comment with your e-mail address.}

Friday, February 4, 2011