How cute are these getaway vehicles/bikes/boats?
It’s tradition for the wedding party to surprise the newlyweds by adorning a getaway vehicle with signs that declare “just married” as loudly and proudly as possible.
We just got our engagement pictures back, and I’m in love with so many of them! Ben and Whitney of Brighten Photography are absolutely amazing. I’ll share more pictures as well as describe the process of working with Brighten and coming up with our concept in a future post!
{a href="http://brightenphotography.com/" target="_blank"}Photo by Brighten Photography{/a}
Cooking with your significant other is a great alternative to an expensive date night and a good opportunity to learn new cooking skills together (or practice patience if one of you is considerably more skilled than the other). Rich and I love to try new recipes, so I decided to start a monthly blog series sharing the best recipes we’ve found in blogs and magazines.
I’m more experienced in the kitchen, but Rich has been learning a lot as he has more time to cook during the week. He usually picks one to two new dishes to try each week. We store all of our recipes in a google spreadsheet, and we have a large collection of tested appetizers, entrees and desserts. The following links are some tasty (and easy!!) dishes we think you should try.
{a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/11607-bourbon-steak-sandwich" target="_blank"}Bourbon Steak Sandwiches{/a}
Bourbon Steak Sandwich
This sandwich is not your typical brown-bag sub. I could not stop eating the bourbon-marinated steak stacked between the ciabatta bread. We added gruyere cheese to accompany the roasted peppers and homemade tarragon mayonnaise called for in the recipe. This is a sandwich we’ll be sure to make again.
Thai Shrimp Halibut Curry
Rich and I have tried numerous curry recipes, and this is by far the best one we’ve made. The shrimp and halibut are a great alternative to classic chicken curry. This recipe is so delicious Rich might be able to convince me to stay home and make this rather than going out to our favorite Indian restaurant.
Thai Shrimp Halibut Curry Picture by Rich Kalasky
Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad With Avocado and Parmesan
Maybe it’s my Nebraska roots, but corn on the cob is one of my favorite foods. This salad uses a delicious combination of grilled corn, parmesean and avocado to dress up a traditional pairing of chicken and spinach. Be sure to try this recipe while you can still buy corn at your local farmer’s market.
Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad With Avocado and Parmesan Picture by Rich Kalasky
I read numerous wedding blogs, and each week I come across so many beautiful and creative weddings. Rather than provide a link to those blog posts in my Weekend Links, I wanted to directly showcase what I think is the best part of each wedding. I’ve titled this blog series Wedding Awards not because I think couples should try to outdo each other when planning their weddings, but rather because the following weddings earn gold stars in my book for their creativity and stunning details. I hope the following images inspire you as well!
{a href="http://josevillablog.com/2011/05/double-exposure/" target="_blank"}Image by Jose Villa{/a}
I purposely didn’t list any wedding links below. I’m launching a new blog series on Monday that will explain why. Until then – have a lovely weekend!
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When deciding what to wear to a wedding, take into consideration the season, wedding location, time of day, and style of the reception. Guest attire guidelines include suggestions ranging from an informal daytime celebration to a formal evening affair. If the wedding invitation doesn’t specifically state the attire (Casual, Formal, Black Tie, etc) take note of the invitation’s typography, style and language choice.
Image 1: TibiImage 2: ASOSImage 3: Lela RoseImage 4: Mathew WilliamsonImage 5: BCBG Max AzriaImage 6: Top Shop
When attending an evening wedding, guests should choose clothing similar to what they’d wear for a dinner or event out. Men are expected to wear suits unless the invite specifies black tie. Women should dress in sophisticated attire and carry an evening bag rather than a purse.
Image 1: ZaraImage 2: DVFImage 3: ASOSImage 4: French ConnectionImage 5: RucheImage 6: Top ShopImage 7: CogglesImage 8: ASOSImage 9: Miss Selfridge
Requests for casual attire can be the most confusing. When in doubt, ask the couple or the wedding planner, and always err on the side of overdressing. Women can wear a skirt with a blouse or a casual dress. Try to avoid rich fabrics and trims that look too glitzy.
Although the old rule of avoiding white still holds true, black has become an acceptable color to wear as long as the clothing item is in an ornate rather than somber style. Think about punching up the black with colorful pins, jewelry or scarves. Stay away from jeans, revealing styles and torn/stained clothing. If your dress is sleeveless/strapless and the ceremony is held in a church, bring a cardigan or wrap to cover your shoulders.
For a full list of wedding attire suggestions, check out Emily Post’s (the queen of etiquette) guidelines.
My sister, Lindsay, and I are twenty months apart. We were best friends as adolescents, and in high school, we wavered between cross country teammates and mortal enemies battling over Maybeline eye shadow. Once Lindsay left for college, we melded back into a symbiotic relationship based on mutual experiences and hobbies. It wasn’t surprising that we got engaged around the same time, and I have always been more than excited that our weddings are eight months apart.
Aves Photography
Some brides might feel that their wedding is their time to shine, and that there should be a metaphorical (or physical) spotlight on them the entire day. In my opinion, weddings are about sharing your happiness and joy with your friends and family members, so I have enjoyed getting to share this special planning experience with my sister.
As much as we’re alike, we’re also very different. Those differences have made our duel-planning more interesting and all the more fun. I have had the chance to brainstorm decor for Rich and my floral whimsy wedding while designing Andrew and Lindsay’s Parisian chic wedding. I don’t want to give away too much, but you can expect lots of mood boards and pictures in future posts!
Via Bippity Boppity Boo
Even though we’ve enjoyed sharing our ideas, there are a few things to keep in mind if you and your sibling’s weddings are close together.
Via We Heart It
I think both Lindsay and my fiance have come to understand the importance our relationship . We have countless inside jokes and shared memories, and I want nothing more to continue to grow together and create new memories.
I love you Winny!
{a href="http://www.loveandlavender.com/2011/07/wim-and-endris-wedding/" target="_blank"}Photo by: welovepictures Via: Love and Lavender{/a}
Cheers to the start of another great summer weekend! That bathtub is filled with refreshing drinks for a wedding reception. What a great idea!
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{a href="http://weheartit.com/entry/3151361" target="_blank"} Image: We heart it{/a}
One of the first decisions Rich and I made as a newly engaged couple was to write our own vows, but since I have always loved the tradition and deep meaning of reciting the same promise, we decided to include traditional vows in our ceremony as well. We effortlessly picked out traditional vows that we felt spoke true to our relationship, but the personalized vows didn’t come as easy for me…
I started writing my vows early because I knew I would need a lot of time to perfect them. Writing your wedding vows is incredibly difficult. Give me a thesis topic, and I’ll organize my research and present a conclusion in a cohesive manner, but writing based on complex and life-changing emotions is not my strength. Rich, on the other hand, is a gifted writer. He makes the best holiday and birthday cards (they’re usually handmade with sharpie drawings and accompanied by a thoughtful and well-written letter).
Over the past few weeks, I got so worked up about writing my vows for fear that I wasn’t going to adequately express my gratitude and love for Rich. Every time I think of Rich, I instantly smile and I begin to wiggle and squirm with joy (picture a spaz-tastic puppy), but when I’d try to put that feeling into words, writers block would immediately set in. When it comes to love, words can be extremely limiting.
After many rough drafts, I finally feel like I’m on the right track. I compiled a list of tips that helped me, and I hope they can help you too!
