Live Event Painting
I stumbled upon a blog of a wedding planner who had featured a “live painter” at a recent wedding she had coordinated. I l-o-v-e this idea! What a great keepsake from the big day. I looked up the painter that she had used, and I happen to really like this impressionist style, though there are many different painters out there with their own unique style, so do a little research in your area and see what is out there! Susan Moss, this particular artist, lives in Dallas but will travel for events as well. You can find details about her process and pricing here on her website.
How cute would this be for a special anniversary party, or birthday party, too!?
Toasting
Toasting is such a fun yet nerve-wracking to say something meaningful and create a warm memory for the bride and groom. Typically, most toasts are given at the rehearsal dinner, and the father of the bride and the best man speak at the actual wedding reception. So if you are asked to give a speech (or if you sign yourself up for the honor), keep in mind a few simple rules!
1) Know your audience. Is this a quiet, intimate rehearsal dinner where everyone knows each other and humor will be well-received? Or is it a large affair with Uncle Whatshisname and Coworker Whatsherface, who have met the bride and groom a total of one time? Tailor your toasts to the type of event, while still delivering a meaningful message.
2) Keep in mind that if you keep your toast light and fun, kind, and appropriate for all ears, you can’t go wrong. You might have to give up your dream of a large room roaring in laughter at your witty commentary, but trust me, it will be ok.
3) Be short and succinct, and if you fear a major digression that could lead you to bring up that one time you guys were in Mexico that you promised never to talk about again… NOTECARDS! There is no shame in writing down main points that you want to stick to. It cuts down on creativity, but in the heat of the moment, the chance that you will be brilliant is low and the chance that you will stumble over your thoughts is high. Notecards.
4) Keep it short. 3-4 minutes TOPS!
5) Memories and fun times are great to bring up, but keep inside jokes to a minimum, and if you can, find a way to “translate” them into a universally funny situation, so that guests won’t be left scratching their heads. How awful is it to sit there through those toasts that are all “…and the TOP reason we LOVE Maryanne and Gilligan is their APARTMENT LANDLORD’S houseplant!!! Hahahahaha sorry, it’s just a thing. It’s just a thing.” What.
6) Mention the couple, not just the bride or groom.
7) Lastly, have an escape plan. If you’ve had too much to drink (this happened to moi one time) or if you just get stage fright and forget everything (including your NOTECARDS!), raise your glass and simply say “I’m so happy for you two. Cheers!” and sit down. If you don’t need an escape plan, this is still a wonderful way to conclude your toast.
And whatever you do… don’t do this:
Beachy Rehearsal Dinner Dresses
I had a friend ask me yesterday to help her find a rehearsal dinner dress for her Florida island beach wedding this summer. She is having trouble finding a dress that isn’t too “trendy” or screaming “2013 spring/summer”, and wants her night-before dress to be chic, preppy, timeless, and a little fun (demure=not a necessity). I love a white rehearsal dinner dress, but I thought this wedding style is so fun and preppy that it might be cute to incorporate some of her wedding colors in a dress for the casual dinner the night before! I would die for this Gucci, but I think it might be a little more formal than the event… 
So I pulled a few more realistic options (below) that go with her color palette and will totally fit the laid-back style of the event, while keeping her super chic and definitely winning the “best dressed” award… it is all about the bride, after all! 
All dresses can be found here!
Menus
Menus and programs always seem to be some of the last projects completed for a wedding, and they are so important in the event’s overall brand. These are usually some of the only paper products (plus escort cards) that make an appearance on the actual wedding day, so keep them in brand with your overall style and don’t throw your guests for an aesthetic loop by suddenly putting up a chalkboard menu at your black tie ballroom wedding. (Sidenote: love chalkboards but not in this case… save it for a more casual affair!) Here are some great menu card ideas! 
Images via Style Me Pretty
First Anniversary: Paper
Adorable wedding cake cookies that my mother-in-law brought to brunch
So it was our first anniversary (paper) on Sunday, and there was not a stitch of stationery in sight. Seems like a pretty obvious “paper” gift, especially around our house, but you know the old saying about the cobbler’s sons and their shoes? That’s the Radaskys and their stationery. So! We both thought outside the stationery box, and came up with creative paper ideas, and I have to admit… Marc put me to SHAME! I am shamed. His gift is so cool and unique, I think I sat on the bed with my mouth hanging open for an embarrassingly long normal amount of time. He also schooled me in our “non-paper” gifts, but I won’t get into those today.
For the paper, he had a custom newspaper made for me that chronicled our first year together. So. freaking. cute.
I love Hamilton’s little feature on the back page! How cute is he?! Ok, now, here is what I got Marc (TOTALLY B-TEAM!). I had the Bible verses that were read at our ceremony calligraphed by an amazing calligrapher in Kansas City, and we are going to frame them (when we move and have room to hang them!) for our bedroom. I think they turned out beeeaaautifully, but I mean, come on. So not as cool as the Radasky Times.
I did win the wrapping award though…
And we had a great time celebrating with our families at brunch! 
This post has made me realize how badly I need a new camera. That’s the second anniversary gift, right?
Celebrations
Whew! What a fab day of celebrations we had yesterday! I can’t wait to share Marc’s and my first anniversary gifts (he totally out-creatived me! What?!) and other details of the day, but I am super behind on paperwork (that necessary evil of small business) so I just have a brief post today on the subject of, what else, celebrations! I found this adorable DIY confetti guide on Style Me Pretty a few months ago, and I wish I had made up some of these cute bags yesterday to toss at bruncht as we gave our moms a big surprise! Here is the link to the supplies and how-to’s. Have a great Monday! Cheers!
Le Week-end
“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery
…or looking downward to make sure the dress doesn’t get in the way, but whatever. This weekend is our first anniversary (paper!), and we have a fun family and friends filled weekend ahead! Tonight is a wine/dinner night with all of my best girl friends, including my maid of honor who is in town from Chicago (yay!). Tomorrow night my talented mama is having a painting shown in an art gallery show, and then Marc and I are celebrating our ONE YEAR together at the restaurant where we went the night that we got engaged. We are celebrating a night early because 1) Mother’s Day is a total thunder stealer and 2) who wants to get dressed up and go out to dinner on Sunday? Not this girl. Sunday = sweats + HBO + Bo Lings. And then SUNDAY, we are going to brunch with our parents and my little bro, who is in town for the weekend! I can’t wait! Lots of reasons to celebrate love this weekend! I hope you all have a blessed Mother’s Day weekend!
-Xs
Jose Villa Beach Wedding
In a drastic aesthetic change from the disaster that was the Met Ball post yesterday, this is one of THE most beautiful weddings that I’ve ever seen. An uber romantic vibe on a grey beach day, with some of the most stunning details I’ve ever seen = perfection. Jose Villa does a totally amazing job capturing the casual femininity of all of the decor, and adds a warmth to every shot that makes you just want to jump right in there with this gorgeous family, and sit at that completely amazing floating table!
