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Preppy Kate Spade-y Library Engagement Photos in Rhode Island

Kerrin and Chris decided to have their engagement session at The Providence Athenaeum, a darling library and cultural center in Rhode Island which includes antique card catalogs, sliding ladders and, of course, beautiful old books. I just love the classic, preppy, Kate Spade-y feel of this shoot! And the Athenaeum was also a perfect spot for Kerrin and Chris to pay homage to the course of events which brought them together {Kerrin explains - just scroll down!} / Photos by Erin McGinn.

Says Kerrin, "Chris and I met in an American Literature class at Providence College. He was helping me to understand Leaves of Grass, a classic (and very abstract!) work by Walt Whitman, who is one of Chris' favorite writers. After class, I went to his dorm to borrow his text copy because he always gave these great responses when called on by the professor. (In truth, I was also looking for an excuse to get to know Chris better...) Chris looked puzzled when I showed up at his door asking for his voluminous notes because he hadn't written ANYTHING down! It was all up there in his brilliant literary mind. My true motives were discovered and we started dating shortly after that class.


We took our engagement shots at The Providence Athenaeum because we loved the sliding ladders and vintage study nooks - it even has a rare first edition of Leaves of Grass as a featured display! As book lovers, our plans for a Great Gatsby-themed wedding extend the American literature motif to Linden Place in Bristol, Rhode Island, where part of the 1974 version was filmed."


After the session, Kerrin and Chris took a short walk around Providence to enjoy the crisp fall air.

Thank you so much to K+C for sharing their story and to Erin McGinn for sharing her lovely photos! xx.


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Cute Finds at Blueprint Registry

I've been talking with the girls of Blueprint Registry for awhile and am excited to share a bit about it today! Blueprint is the first design-inspired online wedding registry where you can create a wedding wish list based on the layout of your home (you actually get to choose items room to room). Lizzy, a former bride and current designer, got married last year and found the wedding registry process tedious and uninspiring, so, she created Blueprint to change that. Here's a glimpse of a few of my favorite classics you can register for through BR:
 

Gorgeous, right? I'm really in love with those monogrammed dish sets! Check out what else you can register for on Blueprint!
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Pre-Wedding Mimosas with the Maids by Commerce Street Events

Today's post almost makes me wish J&I had included wedding parties in our big day {instead, we asked our sweet parents to stand with us during the ceremony which was incredibly special and, to be honest, I really can't imagine it any other way!}. ...But the idea of bonding time with your favorite girlfriends {over mimosas!} while you're getting ready for your wedding just sounds like so much fun - I'm a little sad I missed out on all of that!
Commerce Street Events, of Nashville, put together this darling pre-wedding brunch and I'm just loving every ounce of it - it totally has me in slumber party mode! And the glittery Kate Spade shoes and sequined hangers are just sublime. Enjoy!! / Photos by Commerce Street Events.


Says Morgan Wetherington, Event Associate of CSE, "One of the best parts of being in a wedding party is getting ready together. We had the opportunity to put together 'Mimosas with the Maids' for one of our past brides. All the bridesmaids had brunch, hair, makeup, and, of course, mimosas.


The day started off with snow showers so flannel or button-downs with leggings were the perfect combo to stay toasty.


The groom sent the lovely bride flowers from her favorite florist before the ceremony along with a sweet note.


Gold sequin hangers for the bridesmaid gowns were a fun surprise. The lucky girls each picked their own gown from their favorite designers."



Such a sweet morning! Thanks so much to Commerce Street Events for sharing this beautiful bridesmaids brunch with us! xx.

Credits: Styling, Calligraphy, and Photography: Commerce Street Events / Venue: Hermitage Hotel / Florals / Hair Makeup 
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How to Flea Market for your Wedding, p.5: The Best Markets of Belgium, Holland + Germany

Last week, I shared my favorite French flea markets with you. Today, I'm excited to share a few of my faves from Belgium, Holland and Germany!

The two most well-known markets in our region were Homburg, Germany, and Tongeren, Belgium. For years, these have been the go-to markets in this region for locals and visitors from abroad. My Mom schooled me well on the amazingness of these markets as she used to frequent both when we lived in Germany while I was in high school {...and too busy with my friends to embrace the joys of early Saturday morning marketing! (;}. As soon as J&I found out we'd be moving back to Europe, my Mom started waxing poetic about these two markets and I couldn't wait to visit them. During our three years in Germany, I visited each dozens of times and found some of the most amazing European treasures that I will probably cherish for a lifetime. I once scored this French settee set in blue velvet at Tongeren:


Both markets are large but Tongeren definitely has a larger amount of furniture while Homburg tends to be a bit more about the smaller items. And you'll hear about as much English being spoken at these two markets as you will German, French and Dutch - they are truly the definition of international markets.

And the town of Tongeren is stunning! Take a look:


It's also filled with the cutest bistros and bars. We would always look forward to ending our marketing in Tongeren with a stop at a pub for a delicious ham sandwich {it's the thing to order in Belgium and Holland - trust me, they're not your average sandwich ... they're crazy delicious!} and a large glass of Chimay!

Sadly, I never thought to take any photos at Homburg's flea. It seems to be a more modern city than Tongeren so it's not quite as picturesque but if you're a hard-core marketer, it's certainly worth a stop {just don't confuse it with Hamburg!}. The big plus about Homburg is that there are always food trucks serving pretzels, bratwursts and adult beverages {the husbands always greatly enjoyed this! Ok, so did I!}

Ready to go? Tongeren's market is every Sunday morning in the center of town while Homburg's is the first Saturday of every month. Just follow the crowds!

Want more? You can read this post and this post I previously wrote about Tongeren to see few more photos of the goods that are often at the market. ;)

While Tongeren and Homburg are great introductory flea markets for vacationers and expats alike, they start to feel a little bit stale after several repeat visits. We would often see the same vendors with the same wares which made us hungry for new markets. So I started researching smaller markets in Belgium and France to give us a better variety.

From my research, I discovered the markets of Spa, Liege, Ciney and Waterloo in Belgium. All four were amazing and we always looked forward to them. From a sightseeing perspective, I would highly recommend visiting Waterloo as you could visit the market and then the battlefield of Waterloo and museum afterwards. Waterloo's market was in the parking lot of an Auchan grocery store. Just check online for dates + times as they frequently change.

Check out these gorge antique brooches I scored at the Ciney market.

The market of Spa, Belgium
At the Waterloo market // It was hard not to fall in love with the darling wooden crates that were always attached to bikes
in Belgium and Holland - cute decoration for the perfect getaway transportation for a bride and groom!
J&I also happened upon the weekend flea market in Brugge while we were there visiting. It was small and overpriced {in my opinion} but the location is beyond charming as it's along the water:


You can read more about the flea market in Brugge as well as what to see in this post I wrote about our visit.

We didn't make it to Holland as much for marketing as it was 3+ hours away but we did make it to the Maastricht market and the Cuijk market. Maastricht is a beautiful town near the Belgian border. The market was small but cute and we enjoyed an afternoon of shopping in the town and lunching along the river. Cuijk is in a gorgeous area of Holland - we lost count of how many windmills and baby lambs we saw! We stayed in nearby Molenhoek but greatly enjoyed exploring the gorgeous historic town of Nijmegen. I wrote a detailed post of our trip in this post. The actual market in Cuijk is located in a large warehouse which was a bit tricky to find. We weren't super impressed with this market but it was large and had a good amount of antiques. If you're in the area, it's worth a stop.

Hope you found this post interesting! As always, if you have any thoughts, tips or comments, I'd love to hear!


Did you miss my previous antiquing posts? Catch up here:
The European Edition | Tips on how to navigate the markets

COMING UP | Next week, I'll share a few common goodies you can find at almost any flea market or antique mall that would be beautiful to include in your wedding!

All images by moi.
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Southern Road Trip - Headed to Savannah and Charleston - Any Tips??? ;)

Yay! I'm flying to my parents next month and we're all going to do a fun Southern Road Trip to Savannah and Charleston. As I grew up in Charleston, this vacay will undoubtedly be filled with nostalgia and and great memories - I can't wait!

But my parents and I have never been to Savannah so we'd love to hear any tips you may have. And it's been a long while since I've been back to Charleston so we're definitely open to hearing it all!

We're hoping to make small side trips to Tybee Island, Wadmalaw Island {to see The Notebook house!!! It really exists!}, ... maybe Edisto, and, of course, a plantation or two ... and Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner {the lake where they filmed The Notebook!!}

Do you know of any Southern secret gems we're missing out on? Please share!! :)
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Lilly Pulitzer-inspired Initials for your Wedding by The Craft Cowgirl

I'm always discovering the most clever, creative people on Instagram (do you follow CB?) and I'm excited to share one of them with you today. Melissa, of The Craft Cowgirl, in Austin, Texas, has been creating beautiful Lilly Pulitzer-inspired initials for her Etsy shop and I think they would be darling for a spring wedding! Take a look:

Wouldn't it be cute to display your married monogram in these Lilly-esque painted florals at your reception ... or maybe on the chapel doors?


Melissa also makes some super cute painted frames (below) that I think would make for cute bridesmaids gifts - maybe add a note that you'll make sure she receives a group photo of all the bridesmaids soon.

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