Lost & Fawned Bridal Party

Earlier this summer I worked with a bride named Jessica to create some custom Jill Earrings for her bridesmaids. I loved the marbleized pink Czech glass beads we used and I was SO excited when she sent me some photos this morning! Jessica looks just gorgeous and the earrings looked perfect with her bridesmaid gowns and the pink roses. Congratulations to Jessica and her husband!

Her photographer was Mike Sidney out of Maui. Check out his website for more beautiful Hawaiian weddings.

Custom Bouquet Lockets - Lost & Fawned has returned

Time for a shameless plug... Since school is out, I've started selling on etsy again, which means my custom bouquet lockets are also back in stock! I started making these last summer and they became so popular I had to stop making them during the school year in order to make time for school work.

These lockets are lovely made to your specifications and feature your choice of charms and crystal colors so it suits the couple and wedding perfectly. They are secured to either a wire or now a ribbon which is wrapped around the handle of the bouquet. Brides have used it to hold a photo of a loved one who cannot be there, their parent's wedding photos, a wedding monogram or a picture of their groom.

I have only one (maybe two) of the beautiful white gold plated lockets left but have many of the gorgeous antique brass lockets. If you are interested, please visit my etsy store Lost & Fawned for more information and pricing. I would love to do one of these for you or a soon to be bride.


I also do bridesmaid and bridal jewelry. I have lots of options available and love to work with brides to come up with something special just for them. I have a very wide range of prices and discount for bulk orders. Below are my Jill Earrings that come in just about any color imaginable. Visit my store for more options and pricing.


So there we have it. Back to your regular scheduled wedding planning! Have a fantastic summer day guys! And happy planning!

Dress up the Dog (In a Tasteful Way)

Dogs truly are one of the family, especially for young couples. So including them in the wedding day is not uncommon. But one of the biggest crimes against dogs and weddings is the tiny tuxedo/white dress. I think a dog as part of the day, whether in the wedding or just present can add a very personal touch and even some humor. Dressing the dog too can be done tastefully with fresh flowers or just a big bow in a coordinating pattern.

(Photo by MERGE Weddings.)

(Photo by Tanja Lippert Photography)

(Photo by Todd Pellowe)

Hopefully our newest family member will be able to make it to the wedding. Meet Logan, our 14 week old Border Collie/Lab Mix we rescued a few weeks ago. I hope he can be at the wedding and if he does, I promise he will look tasteful. No tiny dog tuxedos (besides the one he already has on).

(Photo by Lindsey Lu)

For the right wedding...

How gorgeous are these piece of jewelry? They are TRULY works of art in my opinion. I found these while surfing etsy in Rebecca3030's shop and instantly fell in love. I totally recognize they may not be for everyone since they certainly make a statement, but I think the also have a beautiful sense of softness and femininity to them that would be lovely as a bridal piece. They would be lovely for a bridesmaid too (she has so more understated pieces in there as well). I just had to share. I got so excited when I saw them.


Sorry I've been MIA lately by the way. My computer has been on the fritz (hence in inconsistency in photo size as well) and it will soon be replaced with a new, shiny, WORKING computer. My thesis paper is finished (Phew!) and I'm starting my project as well as finishing up my self branding suite (letterhead, biz cards, etc.) and working on preparing my portfolio (re-rendering everything from Junior year). So I'm still a busy girl, but I will try and update more often. Stick with me. :)

PS: Oh what I wouldn't give for this charm bracelet by Rebecca3030. How gorgeous is that? MUSTS SAVE MONEY!

Lela Rose at Payless

For those of us who can't afford one of Lela Rose's gorgeous dream dresses but want to wear a little bit of Lela on our wedding day (or any day for that matter), Payless has jumped on the designer bandwagon! Lela designed a line of shoes and handbags that can now be purchased in Payless stores or online. Here are a few of my favorites, but you can find the full line and learn about Lela here.

Pre-Wedding Beauty - The Wedding Workout

Looking for something to help you whip yourself into shape? Don't have the time or funds for the gym? Tight on space? I started this workout 4 weeks ago as part of my new years resolutions and the start of my new health and beauty routine for the wedding. I figured I'd do a little review.

The way this DVD is set up is you can either choose to do a workout routine built for strapless gowns (upper body focus) or a routine built for fitted or short dresses (lower body focus). Each of these combines a series of segments into daily routines (one for each day of the week and resting on Sunday). So everyday you are focusing on different things (one day I do cardio and lower body, one day I'm working upper body, one day I'm focusing on abs & core, etc.). OR you can create your own workout with the a la carte style menu.

To make a long story short, I'm loving this DVD. It's quick and efficient and so far it's been effective. I'm feeling better, with more energy and looking better too. It's certainly not for dramatic changes, but if you use it consistently you should start seeing some areas firming and toning. I'm noticing changes especially in my hip and butt (which has always been a tough area for me to tone).

Plus, it has some cute segments about walking in heals, what to eat leading up to the big day and "enjoy your honeymoon" aka striptease 101. *wink*

So I give this an A so far. I plan on continuing it up until the wedding at least so I'm feeling confident and beautiful in my dress. You can pick this up on Amazon.com or anywhere else you buy DVD's. Hope this helps some of you.

Save-the-Dates are done. Vistaprint.com review.

Well, as promised here are our completed Save-the-Date cards (which are going out this week). Overall I'm fairly pleased. They weren't terribly expensive, but we did have to order 100 so we have a lot left over. The cutting was a little off, so some of the design that bleeds off on the right side would show up a little on the left side too. And the cutting in general wasn't very good (edges were rough and jagged) so I trimmed them up a little myself before sending them out. The printing quality was fair. Some cards were streakier than others and the colors are a lot lighter than they were supposed to be (vista, if you are reading this, you really should re-calibrate your printer!). But again, overall you get what you pay for and I'm glad they were done quickly and cheaply.

One more thing to cross off the list.

Yum! (and coming soon...)

Just love this photo. You know how much I love photography of all the little details. This shot is just perfect in my opinion. Photo courtesy of Christina Gilchrist.

Coming soon: Vendor review for out save-the-date cards designed by a friend and printed by Vistaprint.com. As well as my wedding work out and grooming routine. Plus, we are six months out as of February 15th! Nearing the home stretch now!

Our Alternative Solution to Groomsmen Attire.

Those of your with groomsmen all overt he country can feel my pain on this one. We originally wanted to rent suits, but after hear the price, the hassel it would be to rent them for guys all over the country and how ill the fit was going to be we skipped the whole thing and looked for a new solution.

Jared will be buying a suit for the wedding day, but for the rest of the guys we selected this green v-neck from gap.com and are going to pair it with a white shirt, brown tie, khakis and a brown belt and shoes. The sweater is so light weight they should be much more comfortable than they would have been in a stuffy, ill fitting suit and it will cost them a fraction of what a suit would have. I think it will look really nice and be a great way to add some color to our wedding party too.

I spent all morning frantically calling every gap in the state of Ohio to locate and order these sweaters since they were taken off the website. Talk about a headache. But at least they are purchased and ready.

One more thing to check off the list.

Bridesmaids in Patterns.

(Photo courtesy of Brooke Schwab Phototography.)

I've always loved the idea of skipping the usual solid colored bridesmaid dresses and opting for a pretty pattern or floral instead. As you probably know, I'm a huge fan of print and texture, so I really think it gives the bridal party some depth.

Later I'll post some of my picks for patterned bridesmaid dresses. For now, here are a few more pictures from theknot.com of pretty bridal parties in patterns.

Amanda Archer Bridesmaid Dresses

I stumbled upon Amanda Archer's website this weekend and couldn't wait to share them with you. I just love how deliciously sweet the details of her dresses are. He choice of colors and patterns are beautiful and contemporary (and can be customized). The buttons, lace and bow detailing gives them a handmade touch. She also does customized wedding gowns and has been featured on Offbeatbride and other websites. Take a look at her website or her etsy shop for more information and gorgeous dresses.

Up Close & Personal

I love photography. It was one thing we really left room for in the budget (but were pleasantly surprised to find an amazing photographer under budget!). One thing to talk to your photographer about, is requesting they make sure and capture all the little details. If you are spending all this time selecting just the right shoes or finding the perfect vases for your centerpieces, make sure they are captured in photos so you can someday show your daughter or future daughter in law what you did for your centerpieces.

Plus, photos like these look great in an album or printed book. It gives it that magazine spread look. Here are some by our photographer Christina Gilchrist out of Portland, Oregon.

Custom Cufflinks.

I have always loved the idea of these cufflinks by Anne Holman on etsy. They are completely customized from vintage maps to any location you desire. It could be the bride's hometown on one and the groom's hometown on the other. Or the location of your wedding and the place that you met. Or perhaps your honeymoon location. They would be a lovely surprise wedding gift the morning of or would be a beautiful touch to the grooms ensemble and a wonderful keepsake for years to come.

Check out her shop for more wonderful custom map adorned jewelry. A necklace with the city of the wedding could be a lovely shower gift for a friend as well.

Holga Weddings

One of the many things I LOVE about our photographer is that she shares my love for lomography. Not only does she take beautiful digital photos, but she also brings a long her beloved holgas to capture some truly one of a kind photos. I love the light leaks, double exposures and beautiful framing that happens with these little plastic toy cameras. Here are a few of my favorite holga photos from her website.

If you are in the Portland area and are still on the hunt for a photographer, I can't say nicer things about Christina Gilchrist. She is truly the sweetest person and is so very talented. Check out her website here for more information and her portfolio.

Our Save-the-Date Cards

Since we are finally ordering our save-the-date cards tonight, I figured I would share them with you. A good friend of mine from school who is a fantastic graphic designer designed these for us very early in the planning process and I just love them. Korey is so masterful with typography and he really captured the flavor of the pacific northwest. I love how understated the front is and how well organized the information on the back is (these will be mailed in an envelope). Korey's website is listing in my links if anyone is looking for a graphic designer. He does fabulous work and is wonderful to work with.


On a side note, another friend of mine (the fashion major who made me that deer) needs to design and construct a dress for class so I am on the hunt for inspiration for a dress for my rehearsal dinner. I'm not sure quite what I'm looking for, but I'm very open to suggestions. I would like it to be something I can dress up or dress down once we decide what we're doing for our rehearsal dinner. Let me know if you have any suggestions!