Vermont Bride Military Wedding Giveaway

 Click image to view larger.

Something I have wanted to do for a while is figure out a way for Truly Noted to give back to the community. That is why I am so excited to finally announce our participation in the Vermont Bride Military Wedding Giveaway! This amazing giveaway is for a complete wedding package to be awarded to one deserving military couple. There are so many great local vendors participating and Jackie of VT Enchanted Events is doing all of the planning and coordination so you know it will be beautifully done.

The wedding will be held on September 2, 2012 at the charming ye olde England Inne in Stowe. Here is a list of the local talent lending their services and expertise to make it unforgettable:

Bear Pond Productions | Videography
Barbara Graham Buzzi | Officiant
Green Mountain Photo Booth | Photo Booth
Jay View Wedding Flowers | Wedding Party and Bride and Groom Flowers
Jamie Norse | Groom's Cake
Polis Photography | Ceremony and Reception Photography
Sarah's Weddings by Betty's Flower Basket | Centerpieces
SuperSounds DJ Co | DJ
Sweet Crunch Bake Shop | Wedding Cake
Truly Noted | Invitations
Uncle George's Flowers | Ceremony Flowers
VT Enchanted Events | Planning and Coordination
Weddings, Tents & Events | Linens
Ye Olde England Inne | Reception Venue & Catering

To enter simply tell us your love story and why you deserve to be the lucky couple to win this fabulous event! You can read the contest rules and enter on the Vermont Bride Magazine website. Entries are only accepted until April 1st so don't delay and send us your story today!

First Birthday | Teddy Bear Picnic

 

The Teddy Bear Picnic invitation is now part of my Signature line!

Well this post has been a little delayed in the making- funny how life has a way of speeding up just as things are getting good! We celebrated Eli's first birthday back in September and I wanted to share these pics of all the goodies I put together.

During his first year I tried my darndest to have a mini photoshoot every month, including these adorable shots of E with his giant teddy bear. I love the idea of watching him change in size with the ever constant bear in the background. Of course the older he got the less he wanted to sit still for the shots, but I managed to get 10 out of 12 months!

The cupcake toppers- we had chocolate devils food and apple spice cupcakes- yum!

 
I knew I wanted to incorporate the photos into his party and thus the idea of a Teddy Bear Picnic themed party was born. I lucked out and it was a beautiful, sunny and warm weekend - perfect for having a picnic in the backyard. I gathered up all of the quilts and blankets I could find and made sure to instruct guests to bring their teddy bears to the party.

 

Yummy Ham, Cheddar and Apple sandwiches and my favorite pic of Eli from the day.

With a limited budget I found the picnic idea to be perfect for easy to make and easy on the wallet food choices. I whipped up a couple of tasty sandwich options on mini rolls and made a homemade pasta salad the night before. Paired with some bags of goldfish crackers (E's favorite), apples and cupcakes for dessert it made a perfect casual lunch.

 

For the kiddies I just put out juice boxes which were easy for them to carry around outside. But for the adults I mixed up some Papa and Mama Bear Juice, being careful to label it such so no one was confused which juice was for whom. For favors I took a pinwheel and attached it to a bottle of bubbles which I labeled with custom stickers that went along with the theme.

 

I made this banner following this tutorial from the Moda Bake Shop

A few years ago I made a homemade Happy Birthday banner for my nephew and its blue, white and red color scheme went perfectly with E's party too! I got some red gingham fabric at Walmart and put it over a plain white tablecloth for the buffet table. And of course, as I mentioned in a previous post, I had my super awesome cupcake stand from All Custom Gifts on Etsy.

 

Gah! Can you believe how cute those plaid pants are!?

And of course I had to create a little wall display for the teddy bear pics chronicling E's growth over the year. It was a wonderful day and even though E looked at us like we were crazy when we sang him Happy Birthday I think he had a pretty good time, too.

Check out E's party recap on Catch My Party too!

Jammin'

Wedding season is in full swing which means there are not enough hours in the day! My office has been jammin' the last few weeks with invitation orders and some other fun stuff, like these darling jam labels.

Of course all work and no play makes for a boring Summer, so I have been doing a lot of traveling to show off my little (or not so little!) bundle of cuteness who has suddenly morphed into more of a little boy! It breaks my heart a little to see him grow up so fast, but watching him grow is awesome and oh so rewarding.

Some exciting things going on and coming up:

Check out my article in the newest issue of Vermont Bride Magazine! I will be contributing a little something in each issue to help with all of your invitation questions and quandaries.

Truly Noted just signed on to be a part of the 2nd Annual Vermont Bride Gala. I am so excited to be a part of this event! It is going to be at Boyden Farm and the theme this year is Alice In Wonderland. Unlike other wedding shows, this one involves each vendor to help bring the theme to life. I have been dreaming up all kinds of fun Wonderland inspired stationery items!

Hopefully coming soon- a new website for Truly Noted! In between invitation mock-ups I have been plugging away at a new web layout that will feature a cleaner, more streamlined look. And of course some new invitation designs! I have tweaked the Truly Noted logo a bit, too, which is going live on my Facebook today!

Hope you are all enjoying this fabulous Summer weather and maybe when the season starts to wind down I might find a little more time to do some blogging! ;-)

Good Things Come To Those That Wait

{Image from the long thread}

Waiting for something truly momentous is quite exhausting. Or maybe it's the whole gestating-a-baby thing that is exhausting? Either way, I knew I wasn't going to be able to continue making invitations right up until I go into labor. But when to stop?

I finally decided to do it in stages. Starting this week I put up a sort of 'out of office' notice on my website explaining that I will no longer be taking any custom orders. Couples can still order invites off of my Etsy store until the end of July, when I will cease invitation creation until after the little one has arrived and we have a handle on things. (Does anyone ever feel like they have a handle on a newborn baby?)

But hopefully all of this free time will help me get my new website up and running for when I return. I have so many ideas and designs swimming around in my head, and I haven't had a lot of extra time to work on them. Time is definitely the secret ingredient for making a business thrive and I need to make more of it.

If I ever figure that out how to do that, I will let you know. :-)

And Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

It has been a while since my last post, and I apologize for that. We jetted off for a fabulous long weekend to visit relatives in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and the days preceding and following were a little hectic. But I finally feel like I am back on schedule and ready to go!




One of the things that has been occupying my time was trying to decide if I wanted to participate in another wedding show. I finally came to a decision to just close my eyes and jump in head first. Part of my reason for deciding to go ahead was the sad news that Scribbles was closing. A downtown staple for years in Burlington, they were also one of the largest invitation resources around here as well. So, I decided that with them gone it was the perfect time to stick my neck out and let the world know I am here! Or at least the greater Burlington area- hehe.



What is the show you ask?? Well I am glad you did, because it is THE wedding show to attend around here. And of course it is put on by none other than VT Vows. It is called The Wedding Affair and it's more amazing every year. Last year was a Moroccan theme and they had elaborate beds adorned with gorgeous linens and big hanging lanterns and colored glass candle holders. There was a potpourri bar and a candy table to make your own goodie bags, and of course there were tons of great vendors to check out.



Even though I had a small basket of cards in their Wedding Resource Library last year, I think that having my own booth will be better exposure. I found being able to talk one on one with the brides was a great experience. And being a vendor also means I will get a couple of complimentary tickets to give out. Which means I will be having another giveaway! Look for it in the next couple of weeks for your chance to win tickets to go to The Wedding Affair!

Catch The Spirit

On Tuesday night I had the pleasure of dining on the Spirit of Ethan Allen dinner cruise on Lake Champlain. I have lived in the Burlington area for almost a decade but had never made it on any of their famed cruises. Lucky for me, my work decided it was the perfect retreat for a sales conference and we were all invited to come along.

We lucked out and it was a gorgeous day- sunny and yet mild compared to what the temperature had been lately.



The Spirit of Ethan Allen does a nightly dinner cruise, with a different theme each night, but you can also book space on the cruise for a wedding or function and have them cater an entirely different menu. I was excited to see what it was like and to taste the food and check out the interior of the ship.


You can choose whether or not you want to have your ceremony on board the ship as well as your reception. If you do book the boat for your reception than a ceremony is included, free of charge, in the package- so it is something to consider. Also, there are many decks on the boat that offer stunning panoramic views of the lake and surrounding mountains that would make for a breathtaking ceremony. This is a pic on the forward deck of the boat, which is normally outfitted with tables and chairs and has a casual bar feeling to it.




We had dinner on the lower deck of the boat, which is where you initially come into after you board. There were several other rooms above that were reserved for special parties, that I am sure would be where a wedding event would take place. The walls were all windows which allowed for amazing views all around of the water, boats passing by, and the mountains.




The night that I dined aboard The Spirit was Italian Night, or Mangia Mia as they call it. For appetizers we had an Antipasto plate with pickeled and roasted veggies, several different kinds of cheeses, and some bread. We also got some flatbread pizza topped with fresh mozzerella, black olives and cilantro. It was all very tasty! For dinner we had the choice between four entrees. I got the Frutti di Mare which was an assortment of scallops, shrimp, calamari, and white fish in a tasty tomato based broth with potatoes. To finish the evening we had some Tiramisu which was really good- light and fluffy with a perfect balance of chocolate and espresso.


Of course the real reason the Spirit of Ethan Allen makes a great choice for weddings is the views of the Adirondacks and Green Mountains, especially at sunset. We were lucky that it was the perfect evening for viewing the sunset, and I happened to be seated on the right side of the boat next to a window! I got so many amazing views of the sun setting behind the mountains.

For more information on booking the Spirit of Ethan Allen for your wedding, or Sunday brunch buffet (which I hear is amazing- gotta check that one out next!), view their website here.

Sneak Peak

Things are getting a little crazy over here, and I don't think I have ever seen my office so messy, but I wanted to give you a little sneak peak of what I am preparing for my booth at the show tomorrow. It's getting down to the wire! Thankfully I have gotten 99% of all the things I wanted to get done, done. Now I just hope I can actually get some sleep tonight!

In case you want more info on the show, check out their website here. Tickets are only $6 at the door and there are going to be some great door prizes! (Especially the ones that I am bringing-ha!) Depending on how exhausted I am after the show tomorrow night I might find the time to share pics of the show on Friday, if not than Saturday for sure!

What A Weekend

I finally rolled back into Jericho at 12 a.m. last night after a whirlwind weekend in Burlington, Mass. The whole weekend was full of fun, hanging out with old friends, seeing family, meeting new faces, and eating tons of good food.

The wedding was a sensory experience on all levels- nothing like anything I have ever witnessed or been apart of before. All I have to say is if you get a chance to attend a traditional Asian wedding- do it!

Unfortunately, since I was part of the bridal party I was occupied with my bridesmaid responsibilities most of the night and therefore was unable to take many pictures myself. I have some photos coming to me and when I get them I will write up a very detailed description of how the whole thing went down (and its one heck of a story).

But in the meantime I have a few shots from behind the scenes as we were all getting ready.



Here are a couple of the other bridesmaids getting ready. On the left is Carla getting her hair done- we all had these crazy up-dos with real orchids pinned to the side. On the right is Nareh getting wrapped in the final sash that was part of our outfit. Our dresses were so involved that there was a person dedicated to helping us get into them!



Here are four of the five groomsmen all dressed up in their jackets. The groomsmen were very understated compared to what the bridesmaids were wearing.



These are some of the things that were offered up as gifts to gain the wedding party entry into the wedding- yeah that's right- the groom had to barter his way in to the ceremony! All of the groomsmen, bridesmaids, and the grooms parents carried gifts and a dowry to convince the friends and family of the bride that the groom was worthy enough to even be there.



And last, but not least, here are the bride and groom moments before the festivities started. Don't worry- they didn't get to see each other! This is one of two outfits the bride wore during the ceremony. The groom also got to change outfits halfway through.

I hope I get pictures of the rest of the night soon so I can share all of the details of this amazing night!

Weddings the Creative Process Event

On May 3rd a whole host of fabulous vendors and experts will be gathering for what sounds like the ultimate lesson on creating an amazing wedding to delight all of the senses! It is being hosted at Saltwater Farm Vineyard in Stonington, CT. The location might be a bit of a drive for Vermont brides, but considering there isn't anything quite like this anywhere closer it would be worth the drive.

They describe the event as "...the opportunity to learn about the creative process behind selecting and working with vendors in planning your wedding." So it's not just another wedding show where tons of vendors are just vying for your attention and checkbook. The vendors and experts are going to be there to give you helpful tips on the vendor selection process as well as how to make your wedding day as special as you want it to be. Think of it as a conference for wedding planning.

The featured vendors are broken down into the five senses covering everything from your menu to mixing colors and smell with flowers to create a truly unique experience for your guests. And the special guest speaker is Abby Larson from Style Me Pretty, one of my favorite wedding sites, talking about inspiration and eye candy.

Tickets are $20 and you can get them here. And all proceeds go to the Life is Good Foundation so you will be supporting a good cause to boot!