Beautiful Bridal Blog - The Amee Farm

Let’s be honest. High priced favors can hang over a bride like a heavy black Virginia storm cloud. Your well-loved aunts and uncles who drove all the way from Schenectady and faced a hot and muggy 7 ½ mile back up at the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel are worth every penny of course, but four dollar favors for 100 guests equal $400. Ouch. That’s why personalized favor boxes (all of these less than $1.00 each) with Hershey Kisses, Jordan Almonds or personalized M & Ms carefully tucked inside will deliver a great big, sweet Southern thank you for half the price.

Photos courtesy of Beau Coup

Consignment Wedding Dresses - 25 Aug 2010, 2:48 pm

It’s how I got my start. In 1995 I went into a formalwear rental boutique posing as a customer because I knew it was for sale and I was looking for a business to buy. Not all consignment stores rent out wedding gowns but in an area with four large military bases, it was a good fit for my we-need-to-get-married-before-his-six-month-deployment brides. Clean and current. Those were my requirements for taking a dress on consignment. If a bride walked in the door with a hip-hugging, embellished lace dress featuring a remarkable sweetheart neckline framed with Swarovski crystals and beaded embellishments that she got for only $300, would I turn her away? Only if I was crazy to begin with. Unfortunately, you may find gowns consigned online require a retail purchase price of $1,500 or more (be ready with the receipt) excluding taxes and alterations and a list of other dos and don’ts including a $50 dollar fee for 12 months up front. Buy or sell this way if you must, but don’t rule out individually owned and more bride-friendly consignment stores.

Vows - 22 Aug 2010, 4:16 pm

I'm not sure about other women,

but when my Man said his vows

I heard

"I will, take out the trash

kill the big bugs

clean up my fair share of dog poop

be the garbage man on most occasions

do the weed whacking

and always put the seat down"

Alas, when he is not around

I find myself fighting to wind the

new weed whacker line,

spilling the contents of the recycle bin

when a wheel breaks

halfway down the drive.

Learning plumbing on the fly

as I replace the wax ring under the toilet

and having a late night duel

with gigantic mosquito's.

I expected it of course,

he doesn't CHOOSE to be away so much,

but these are the kind of things

that make me glad to

be approaching the end

of our military days.

To read more amazing posts from Navy wife and good friend Patty’s blog visit :

I Mean Really…REALLY??

Wedding Maps - 22 Aug 2010, 9:08 am

Small maps tucked inside a wedding invitation may not make sense to out of state guests at first glance, but become indispensable on The Big Day when they start down a straight road that says “Virginia Beach Boulevard” and soon find themselves on something called “Laskin.” When making your map, start from the major freeway closest to your ceremony site and map the location from there.

Everyone one of course will want to know your reception site (the location of the promised Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Scotch Barley Risotto), nearby hotels, your rehearsal dinner location, morning-after brunch (ditto for the Apple Crepes with Vanilla Sauce). And by all means, add extra information to the invitations, such as what streets start out with one name and mysteriously morphs into something else, where to park, and (everyone’s favorite) what street means you've gone too far.

Budget Wedding Veils - 16 Aug 2010, 3:57 pm

When times are lean and even when they’re not, I don’t know too many brides who would rather pay $400 for a veil instead of $40. Many discount bridal veils with a plain cut edge are available, starting with a one tier, shoulder length veil (24”) for only $26. But that's not all...there's more! Elbow (29”), Waist (35”), Fingertip (42”), Waltz (52”), Chapel (88”) and Cathedral (106”) length veils are a little more expensive, but all priced below $100 for what I like to call (myself included) "Brides with Borders." Contact us regarding any of these affordable bridal veils, all available in white, diamond white and ivory and we guarantee a quick response.

Metallic Wedding Dresses - 10 Aug 2010, 10:14 am

Metallic bride, heavy metal maid of honor, angst-filled flower girl? Yeah, all that would be spot on if the groom were Eddie Van Halen. But your man is 9 to 5 so your “I love dirty rocker boys” spagetti tank and brass knuckle earrings will have to wait for another day. In the meantime, Alfred Angelo’s Sapphire Collection will rock your world with iridescent satin and metallic embroidered wedding dresses with rhinestones, sequins and ever-so-sweet Swarovski crystal beaded accents.

Upscale Wedding Favors - 5 Aug 2010, 11:02 am

Imagine the surprise when instead of receiving a “flip flop” photo frame or a “Love is Sweet” sugar cookie mix favor, your guests are treated to a smooth beach pebble, a frosty white or natural river rock perfectly engraved with their very own names. I love my name, you love your name, Uncle Pete loves his name, we're funny that way. These personalized engraved favors, about a nickel more than personalized heart cookies but a zillion times more meaningful, turn the sacred art of stone engraving into a small, but cherished “thank you for coming” wedding gift.

Fall Wedding Ideas - 27 Jul 2010, 4:32 pm

Getting married in the fall may be one of the smartest wedding decisions you make...moneywise. Mother Nature can provide a rustic wedding ceremony and no charge for the setting, russet brown oaks and orange-red sugar maples, enough free pinecones to decorate a thousand tables, unlimited parking, great acoustics…everything but Swarovski crystal chandeliers. Whether you choose a park, a country inn, winery, ranch or farm you can exchange vows under a crimson sky surrounded by chrysanthemums, sunflowers, lilies and hydrangeas. Tables and chairs at your outdoor reception will be covered in layers of gold, russet, sage, rust, yellow, chocolate brown or orange. And your cake? Wonderfully aromatic with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and maple, filled with cream cheese and decorated with edible marizipan fruit and autumn leaves.

Organza Hair Flowers - 23 Jul 2010, 11:21 am

What is it about this organza and feather flower hairpin that makes it such a best seller? Brides from Cleveland to Canada love the pale ivory, almost white, organza petals and flowing hackle, stripped coque and billowy white ostrich feathers. In the center is a clear rhinestone flower with sprays of delicate marquise cut rhinestone leaves. All of these romantic components beautifully assembled together, worn with or without a fashionable birdcage veil, perfect for your outdoor or garden wedding.

Bird Cage Veil with Crystals

Catalina Island Weddings - 20 Jul 2010, 11:40 am

On a clear day Catalina could be seen from my hometown of Long Beach, California and one summer day when I was eleven years old my notoriously thrifty parents splurged on the costly one hour cruise. My first view of the island, perched above Avalon Bay was the Catalina Casino Ballroom and like any other soppy southern California girl at the time I wondered what it would be like to dance with my husband on the outdoor balconies and sip champagne by the full-length panoramic windows. It wasn’t meant to be (budget-minded back yard reception that was small but splendid), but the Casino (that never really was a place to gamble) has become a well-loved wedding venue for many other California brides.

Surrounded by sea on three sides, the world’s largest circular ballroom, the Art Deco landmark Catalina Casino with its fifty-foot ceilings and sparkling Tiffany chandeliers is available for weddings, but of course it doesn’t come cheap. The enormous maple, oak and rosewood dance floor which can accommodate up to 1,200 guests has a rental fee of $3,000 to $5,000 (think off season) with meals ranging from range $45–75 per person. Your guests will be entertained in the same place thousands of well-dressed socialites in the 1930s and 40s elbowed their way in through the elegant French doors to see and be seen, and catch a glimpse of the “King of Swing” Benny Goodman and other Big Band Era favorites.

Personalized Chocolate Lollipops - 15 Jul 2010, 3:50 pm

Offer a sweet love of chocolate to your lollipop loving guests with these personalized chocolate favors revealing your best smiling mug shot and custom message on front. Available in dark (the new blood-pressure-friendly “dark” vegetable), milk chocolate, and the one thing that stands between me and my college weight—creamy white chocolate. We found these chocolate lollipop favors for about $3.25 “a pop” and naturally the more you order the less expensive they are. (Do people with fewer friends really need to be punished twice?)

To visit more more personalized lollipop favors

Mother of the Groom - 13 Jul 2010, 10:22 am

Am I really just supposed to Show Up, Shut Up, and Wear Beige? My wonderful son, who is hardly "The Baby" but will probably always be referred to as such, is engaged to be married next April. No doubt I am responsible for the rehearsal dinner and tempting, but no, I won’t be serving take out pepperoni pizza and two liter bottles of Coke. So what are my responsibilities as Mother of the Groom? Basically, arranging a great dinner after the rehearsal, making myself a nuisance to family and friends who are late in responding, going overboard with the spicy chicken tenders at the shower, and best of all, having a Unforgettable dance with the most unforgettable young man I have ever known.

Wedding Program Thank You Messages for Parents - 7 Jul 2010, 9:30 am

Processional music, greeting, readings, prayers, exchange of vows, ring ceremony, unity candle ceremony, pronouncement of marriage, recessional music, and so on. All are necessary elements of a wedding program. But Dad, who taught you that jumper cables are your friend and not something to be feared, and Mom who taught you that strangers should be feared and are not your friends, deserve your blessings and praise. And, of course, his parents deserve the same. These messages I borrowed from Wedding Program Thank You Messages and reworded them especially for parents.

Special thanks to our loving parents, whose wisdom and guidance shaped our lives and helped make possible this joyous celebration of everlasting love.

Being a witness to the first day of our married lives together, we humbly thank our parents for blessing us with their unconditional love and support.

May God bless our parents for raising us with patience and guidance, and being present to celebrate the love we will cherish forever.

Today, in the presence of our loving parents, family and friends, we have promised our love and devotion and our gratitude is boundless.

Bless our parents for honoring us at this sacred celebration. Their unconditional love has been a steady presence; the rock upon all present and future happiness is built.

We take great pride in honoring our parents today. Their constant devotion has helped us grow into loving adults and made possible this cherished celebration of everlasting love.

Richmond Virginia Photography - 30 Jun 2010, 7:21 pm

Nestled among the sugar maples, dogwoods and willow oaks in Glen Allen, twelve miles north of Richmond Virginia, Shannon and Neil were married grand plantation style at the beautiful Virginia Cliffe Inn. The onset of bad weather did not dampen their spirits or their excitement as captured by our favorite Richmond area photographers at Lucia Belle Photography.

no detail is too small...

a perfect kiss...

and maybe one more

View more photos of Shannon and Neil's wedding

Custom Wedding Signs - 25 Jun 2010, 10:40 am

Want to add a touch of shabby chic wedding décor to guide your guests to the coconut shrimp with sweet chili sauce and clams casino? For $40 to $60 you can add an heirloom quality wedding sign, custom made by familyattic who creates these vintage inspired signs with large letters, monograms and fancy Fleur De Lis. Handpainted with black or chocolate brown, these antique white designs are personalized with your names and wedding date and each are distressed and aged to reveal its own unique French chic character.

Couture Bridal Headpieces - 19 Jun 2010, 12:46 pm

Scottish based bridal hat designer William Chambers sees hats differently from most of us. His creations - inspired by British birds and Glasgow architecture - use traditional fabrics like felt alongside latex, plastic and metallic leather to dramatic effect. After taking a hat-making class in 2007, he became an overnight sensation at Glasgow Fashion Week and loves to create dramatic couture headpieces with over sized bows, feathers and silky satin roses.

Easy Wedding Cake Monograms - 15 Jun 2010, 3:10 pm

Think you can't make a professional looking monogrammed wedding cake? Maybe not. Rianne, from The Art of Dessert, had to give up the pursuit of becoming a pastry chef because of a difficult pregnancy and the premature birth of her son. Now a stay-at-home mom, she spent almost an entire year learning how to cook and bake without using peanuts, seafood, eggs, soy, wheat or dairy because of her son’s multiple food allergies. In addition to her recipes, she gives an amazing step-by-step tutorial on how to make fondant monograms, so simple that if you know your way around rolled fondant and are handy with a child’s paintbrush, you’ll be a master in no time.

Supplies needed:

rolled fondant and fondant rolling pinp
plaque cutter
clear alcohol (lemon abstract or vodka)
rectangular cookie cutter
monogram template
gold luster dust
paintbrush
pizza cutter

Perfect!

To read more visit: Wedding Cakes You Can Make

Wool Bridal Boleros - 10 Jun 2010, 11:54 am

Amazing things are being done with merino wool these days. Especially in Russia. Merino wool is one of the softest wools available and because of its anti-bacterial properties will resist any smells produced by sweating. Imagine, still smelling sweet in a vintage style bridal bolero after two hours in a too-tight bustier, three helpings of passion fruit mousse with raspberry glaze, and six encores of if-I-have-to-get-up-and-do-this-one-more-time-I’m-gonna “Shout” on the dance floor. Tiana Agapcheva is a Russian fashion designer who creates these amazing wool short sleeve boleros from superfine natural white pure merino and fabulous mulberry silk.

Merino wool bolero beaded with faux pearls

Felted ivory bolero with crochet flowers and freshwater pearl accents

DIY Wine Stopper Favors - 8 Jun 2010, 3:31 pm

I really don’t spend a lot of time reading other people’s wedding blogs…but maybe I should. A Santa Barbara bride who describes herself as “another voice in the raging maelstrom of wedding blogs” (anotherdamnwedding) saw wine stoppers fashioned from antique knobs for sale at Etsy. Homemade wine stoppers would be perfect for her bridal shower wine tasting, so why pay $30 when she could make them so much cheaper herself? That one small idea borrowed from Etsy lead to research that basically said, “Buy corks. Buy knobs. Drill holes in the corks with an electric drill. Screw the knobs into the corks.” The result? A hilarious account of making DIY wine stoppers and how you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Tapered corks come in different widths
Knobs purchased at Anthropologie
Knob projections that are too long will need to be shortened
Imperfections in the cork make drilling tricky
Finished wine stoppers!

Engagement Photo Session at Maymont Park - 4 Jun 2010, 11:55 am

In 1886, super wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist Major James Dooley and his wife Sallie May purchased a 100-acre plot of land along the James River in Richmond, Virginia. This site would eventually be transformed into a grand (Oprah sized) estate, which they named “Maymont,” a combination of Sallie’s maiden name and the French word for mountain. Not content just to sip her tea with warm butter croissants and raspberry marmalade, Sallie enlisted an army of twenty groundskeepers and transformed the land into exotic flower-filled gardens, gazebos and waterfalls where over 100 years later, newly engaged couples can surround themselves with the serenity and natural beauty of the majestic Gilded Age.

Native Richmonders, that now live out of state, Shannon and Neil have the greatest appreciation for their hometown, especially Maymont Park.

Photos courtesy of Richmond based photography team Lucia Belle Photography

Felt Wedding Cakes - 26 May 2010, 10:39 am

Inspired by watching her daughter enjoy her orange sherbet ice cream on a beautiful sunny Seattle day, Angela of ViviansKitchen at Etsy conjured up many fond memories of being a kid and created this amazing Felt Orange Mango And Peach Striped Sherbet Cake. Each wedding cake reproduction is made from polyfoam and 80% wool felt that is hand dyed and meticulously stitched to resemble your wedding cake or mine, packaged safely in its own bakery box.

Freshwater Pearl Necklace Sets - 25 May 2010, 10:31 am

Our stunning new line of bridal necklace sets, as low as $18, feature natural freshwater pearls, rhinestones and dazzling Swarovski crystal accents, each with a generous extender chain to suit the length that looks best for you. As always, gently clean rhinestones and crystals with a soft jeweler’s cloth and apply fragrance and hair spray before putting on your bridal jewelry. All crystal necklace sets come with matching pierced earrings and are beautifully gift boxed. Whether you purchase one set or several, pay only one low price for shipping…always.

Freshwater Pearl Bridal Set

Pearl Teardrop Necklace Set

Vintage Style Pearl Necklace

Rhinestone Flower Necklace Set

Pearl Bridal Necklace and Earrings

Fruit Wedding Centerpieces - 16 May 2010, 1:04 pm

Summer wedding centerpieces for less than $5.00. Large juicy Valencia oranges, sinfully juicy and delicious, only two for a dollar at your local Wal Mart. Stack a colorful arrangement of oranges, lemons and limes to make a festive pyramid centerpiece or slice them and let them swim fragrantly around your floating candles. You can also insert a smaller vase inside a larger glass one for flowers and slide the slices between the two, or use florist's foam to insert your flowers stems into and then slide the slices between the foam and the glass.

Whole...

or my favorite...sliced!

DIY Wedding Cupcakes - 25 Apr 2010, 10:51 am

When Food Editor Kristen Olson at Betty Crocker decided to make 250 cupcakes for her twin sister’s wedding, she knew she needed to be well organized. As the previous owner of a bakery myself, I found her timeline and suggestions for homemade wedding cupcakes a great way to save hundreds of dollars, with the help of a tall tier cupcake tower/stand available at Amazon for less than $50.

· 6 months: Research recipes and select three to four to test.
· 3 months: Test recipes and rate the results. Are they moist? Flavorful? Can they handle being frozen and thawed? Select the final recipe.
· 1 month: Purchase non-perishable supplies, such as cupcake pans, liners and decorating supplies.
· 1 week: Assemble a group of helpers and bake, cool, wrap and freeze the cupcakes.
· 2 days: Move the cupcakes from the freezer to a refrigerator to thaw.
· 1 day: Frost and decorate.
· Day of wedding: Transport to reception hall and display on tiered cake or cupcake stands.

DIY Wedding Cupcake Tips

· Don’t do it alone! Enlist helpers for every stage of the process, including baking, decorating, transporting and displaying.
· Use cake mix. Baking upwards of 10 dozen cupcakes is no small endeavor. Save time by using cake mix rather than baking from scratch. The best part? Nobody will know the difference.
· Lower the baking temperature. When testing cupcake recipes, try baking one batch at 25 degrees lower than the temperature stated in the recipe. This may prevent the cupcakes from becoming misshapen, but means you may need to increase the baking time.
· Make frosting in double batches. Your mixer can only handle so much frosting – don’t overload it with a quadrupled recipe.
· Cover your bases. Two months before the wedding, do a complete test-run. Bake, freeze, thaw, decorate and transport a dozen cupcakes. Adjust your plan if necessary!

Wedding Guest Book Boxes - 22 Apr 2010, 10:59 am

Tara Lee (cutthecakedesigns at Etsy) has turned her passion for designing wedding stationery into the perfect alternative to the traditional wedding guest book. Her gorgeous little boxes have 12 to 13 elegant dividers and 200 address card inserts. Guests can use one of the cards to fill in their information and leave the couple a loving note or tidbit of happily-ever-after advice. The boxes measures 6 inches by 4 inches and 2.5 inches in height, and she can coordinate the dividers to match your wedding invitations, save the date cards or home décor.

Guest Book Box - Navy Bird on a Branch

Matching Sign

Pink Wedding Guest Book Box

Love Owls

Peach and White Mums