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Vendor Spotlight

Noteworthy Paper & Press

Noteworthy* Paper & Press, located in the heart of western Montana, is the brainchild of Taylor Valliant and Amy Dolan. Born from a passion for paper, letterpress printing and the undaunted belief that even Montana girls need fine stationery, Noteworthy* opened its doors in June of 2008.

They have the most beautiful paper goods available and all are very unique and eye catching...

~ a save the date

~ a wedding announcement

Noteworthy Paper & Press can print up your save the dates, your wedding announcements all the way through the menu, place cards and thank you notes.

You can find them at Noteworthy Press & Paper!

The Wedding Ring

Left: Artisanlook Middle: Anjaydesigns Right: Fernando Fine Art Jewelry

The wedding band is traditionally worn on the ring finger. This developed from the Roman "annulus pronubis" when the man gave a ring to the woman at the betrothal ceremony. According to tradition in some countries (derived from Roman belief), the wedding ring is worn on the left ring finger because the vein in the left ring finger, referred to as the "vena amoris", was believed to be directly connected to the heart, a symbol of love.

Krikawa Unique & Unusual Wedding Rings

Originally the wedding band was worn by wives only. Wedding rings became customary for both husbands and wives during the 20th century.

Peaces of Indigo, Etsy shop

In older times, the wedding rings were not only a sign of love, but were also linked to the bestowal of 'earnest money'. According to the prayer book of Edward VI: after the words 'with this ring I thee wed' follow the words 'This gold and silver I give thee', at which point the groom was supposed to hand a leather purse filled with gold and silver coins to the bride.

- Wikipedia

Bandscapes, Etsy shop

Cowgirl Boots

Photo Credit: David Hebert and Loni Carr

For a fun mix-it-up foot wear, Cowgirl boots are a wonderful, comfortable alternative to heels.

Cowgirl boots have really gotten fancy and beautiful. Some are very intricate with embroidery and/or are hand painted. Very artistic. You can really set yourself apart and show off your personality with a pair of these cowgirl boots!

Old Gringo Boots

You can really fancy it up or play it down. Cowgirl boots look beautiful with wedding dresses and the bridesmaids will look adorable as well. And you can't beat comfy, dance all night footwear!

Sheplers Boots

Cowgirl Boots and Bridesmaids

Roses Are Red...

You can say a lot with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Just make sure you know what you're saying!

Red: I love you, Enduring Passion
Orange: Enthusiasm, Longing
Yellow: Friendship, Freedom, Congratulations to Newlyweds, Graduates or New Mothers
Coral: Desire
Peach: Appreciation, Gratitude
Pale Pink: Gentleness, Grace, Gratitude
Light Pink: Fun, Happiness
Deep Pink: Thank You
Lilac: Love at First Sight, Enchantment
White: Truth, Innocence, I Miss You

Need some gift ideas for Valentines Day?
Flowers are always appreciated and go great with any other gift, such as:

• gift certificates to the local massage therapist or spa
• chocolates or baked goods from a local bakery
• a romantic dinner out
• a DIY spa basket ( with lotion, bubble bath, scrubbies and WINE!)
• home made gift certificates for massages, doing the dishes, vacuuming, doing the laundry, watching the kids so she can have a girls day.

Happy Valentines Day!

What To Wear To A Wedding

www.modcloth.com

The most important thing is that you don't want to pull focus from the bride. So wearing white is a no no. The same goes for red. It's such a strong eye catching color, it's best to steer clear of it.

Stay away from super mini dresses and plunging necklines or anything risqué. Save that for the Bachlorette party!

You also don't want to look like you are part of the wedding party. There is no need to try to match the bridesmaids or the mother of the bride. Take this chance to dress up in your own style.

www.modcloth.com

Always check the invitation dress code:

• For black tie an evening gown or cocktail dress is expected.
  
• For white tie nothing less than a ball gown will be required.
  
• For lounge suit dress code or informal dress a daytime summer dress, a skirt and blouse or a light suit is expected.
  
• If there is no dress code on the invitation, I would choose a colorful summer dress or skirt and blouse.

It's okay to wear black for an evening wedding, but keep it light and happy. Don't choose a sleek and severe dress. Steer clear of the Little Black Dress as it can be a bit boring and drab.

Jeans are not appropriate to wear to weddings. If the dress code is casual wear slacks! (Unless it's specifically stated on the invitation...)

www.maurices.com

The Groom

It's time to dress the groom! If it's important to you that the groom stands out from the groomsmen, there are a few ways to do that and stay uniform.

• The groom can wear a slightly different tux jacket. If the groom is wearing a double breasted jacket the groomsmen can wear single breasted. Or the groom can wear a different color tux.

www.bridalguide.com

• The groom can wear a different colored tie or bow tie. For example the groom can wear a silver tie or bow tie and the groomsmen can match the bridesmaids.

www.projectwedding.com

• The groom could also wear a different color vest. You could put him in a black tie and vest and the groomsmen in vests that match the bridesmaids.

• If your wedding is very formal and wearing mismatched tuxes isn't an option you can run with a different flower in your boutonniere. It can be as simple as adding a little something different to the grooms boutonniere such as berries or an herbal accent. If you want to have a different flower in the groom's keep it in the same color palette, but use a little different flower than the groomsmen.

www.leslielukas.com

• If the groom is in the armed forces wearing his Class A's is a dashing way to go and he'll stand out from the groomsmen.

www.onewed.com

The Wedding Dress

Martha Stewart Weddings has a wonderful tutorial on finding the perfect dress for your big day. She has wonderful words of wisdom (of course! we'd expect nothing less...) and great ideas for the bride-to-be.

Real Simple Wedding Dresses is a very simple, yet thorough walk through of what dress will work best for your body shape. Pear shaped? Busty? Plus sized? You will find this link very helpful in narrowing down what will work best for you.

A few things to keep in mind when shopping for your wedding gown:

Are you having a formal wedding? Formal ceremonies call for floor length gowns with long trains. While informal ceremonies are the perfect place to wear a shorter gown without a train.

• For a winter wedding you need to take into consideration the weather. If it's cold where you are getting married be prepared with a shawl or pretty cover up if you want pictures outside. Winter weddings are great for the heavier fabrics like satin. If you are having a summer wedding then a lighter weight fabric would be best. It's important that you are comfortable on your special day!

• While most traditional ceremonies call for a white gown, in many cases, wedding dresses don't have to be pure white anymore. Many women choose dress colors that best complement their skin tones, ranging from diamond white to ivory to champagne to actual colors. Pick the color you feel most beautiful in.

All pictures from BHLDN.

Hey Lady!

I ran across this website when I was researching the all important wedding shoe.

This site is like eye candy. Simply beautiful.

Twins, Emily and Jessica, started Hey Lady out of necessity. Finding a beautiful, comfortable pair of heels had proven to be difficult and even sometimes impossible. They wanted a shoe that was at once beautiful, comfortable and something you could dance all night in... "They wanted a shoe with a sparkly, sassy personality as individual and unique as the bride. Charmed & classy, fresh & flirty. Full of whimsy." And the Hey Lady shoe was born!

The styles were inspired by modern day leading ladies as well as those memorable ladies of the past, Jackie O, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.

I just had to share it with you.

These shoes really caught my eye. They could be your something blue...

Robin's Egg Blue Shoes.

Then there are these little cuties...

Princess Buttercup.

And the perfect simplicity of the Yes Mam!

Montana Wedding Cakes: Cakes by Jenn

I am always amazed at the talented vendors I find living in the far reaching corners of Montana.  Here is a sketch by little known dessert artist and cake baker, Jennifer Regester. She lives just up the road from my home town of Ennis--near Harrison, MT.  Her cakes and desserts taste amazing....and I can't wait to work with her this coming year!  Who doesn't get excited about dessert!  And, like me, she travels all over southwest montana delivering her yummy goodies.  She is also a designer at Big Sky Carvers and has a generous design background. 

There are few cake designers that take the time to sketch their ideas, but Jenn is one of them.  If you would like more information on her work or how to find her...just look at FaceBook!  She has some great photos of things she has been working on lately! 

This is a sketch that we are working on for a Bride of mine for next August!  Enjoy!