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Playful Love Shoot in Positano, Italy

This playful love shoot on the Amalfi Coast is guaranteed to have you flirting with Expedia in another tab. ;) Katie and James threw a destination wedding in Positano and started the bash off by exploring the coastal town together with this sweet shoot. / Photos by Archetype Studio.


Want more Italy?
Visit my personal travel guides to Rome, Florence + Pisa, Venice, Burano, Tropea and Cinque Terre, Capri, Pompeii + Sorrento. :)
And catch up on the other entries of CB's European Travel Guides here.
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Preppy Lobster Boil Rehearsal Dinner by Commerce Street Events

Trying to come up with a fun yet classic theme for your rehearsal dinner? Take a cue from the talented event planners of Commerce Street Events in Nashville and host a preppy lobster boil this summer for your guests! The classic nautical details and preppy styling are enough to transport anyone to an East Coast state of mind ... even if you're nowhere near the sea. ;)


Says Morgan, of Nashville's CSE, "Whether the bride is from New England or just loves the nautical look, a lobster boil rehearsal dinner is a unique way to kick off a wedding weekend. The nautical rope linen mixed with industrial chairs made this a fete not to miss! Each place setting included all the seafood tools needed to conquer the lobster dinner, all tied together with nautical rope. Maybe it is because we are southerners in a landlocked state, but our team had the best time designing this event."


TIPS FOR A UNIQUE REHEARSAL DINNER:

Pick a Theme
Rehearsal dinners are normally overlooked and not very special. To create an exceptional rehearsal, decide on a theme and incorporate it even in the smallest of details. When choosing a theme, aim for one that is timeless. Our theory is nautical stripes never go out of style. We love couples who start the wedding weekend with a distinctive rehearsal dinner that reflects their personalities.



Menu
For the rehearsal dinner, we normally suggest choosing a menu that is different than the wedding menu. If it is a destination wedding, integrate local flavors combined with the couple’s taste for a unique experience. Couples should have options that are vegetarian and vegan friendly for any guests with restrictive diets. No soirée is complete without a bar, our team added in a bar area that had a 'Captain Jackson' (the host) cocktail.


Unique Details
All of the paper details included the same watercolor lobster to keep with the theme. Instead of florals, we opted for marine décor. A favor for guests to leave with is a small touch that will not go unnoticed. Our guests departed with seafood seasoning to host their own lobster boil.


Credits: Event Styling, Photography, Paper Products: Commerce Street Events / Linen: La Tavola Fine Linen / Tableware: Corzines / Venue: Private Nashville Resident
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Magnolia Bakery Engagement in NYC

Editor's Note: This post is from the archives but with the high temps here in San Antonio, I'm craving fall weather and this pretty autumn engagement is doing just the trick (except now I'm craving cooler weather *and* cupcakes!)

Hope you're ready for a super sweet engagement because Jennifer and Adam decided to have their photos taken at NYC's famous Magnolia Bakery (remember way back when Carrie and Miranda were enjoying those cupcakes on the bench?) / Photos by Natasha Montero.

Says photographer Natasha, "We shot at several locations throughout the city as [Jennifer and Adam] wanted a super "New York-y" photo shoot as they moved here together and their wedding is taking place in Texas, they wanted to have pictures for themselves and their friends and family to show how much they loved NY. But the focal point of the day and our favorite part were the photos that revolved around cupcakes! =) They bought some red velvet cupcakes from the famous Magnolia Bakery and we took some pictures outside and at a park right across the street."
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The Classic Bride Loves Antique Signet Rings

Signet rings embody classic preppiness to their core and I love that they can become family heirlooms - they're the perfect 'other' ring for your wedding day! They're typically made of gold or silver and feature a monogram, initial, seal or family crest.  I've personally been on the hunt for one for myself for about a year now. I'm hoping to find an antique beauty with pearls and/or sapphires but it's turning out to be a challenging hunt. Regardless, here's a few of my favorites (both new and antique styles) I found on Etsy:

Personalized crest signet ring.
Diamond engagement signet ring. (You could have your married monogram engraved on this beauty!)
Sterling silver signet ring (customizable).
Antique family crest signet ring (circa 1920). Umm, I'm dying over this one. The pearls and acorns are just too much! Love.
 Antique Men's Victorian Signet with rose gold.

Which ring is your favorite? Are you thinking about incorporating a signet ring in your wedding? Please tell! :)

CB's Tip: It probably goes without saying but my favorite are the antique signet rings. If you agree and don't have any luck on Etsy finding what you want, check out the jewelry counters at antique malls and vintage boutiques and look for a blank ring that you can have personally engraved. Bonne chance!

All images via Etsy. This is not a sponsored post.
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Preppy Southern (and Rainy!) Wedding in Orlando, Fla.

Aside from the darling preppy details of this Florida wedding, I really love how Karin and Ethan ended up embracing the unwanted rain on their wedding day. They had to completely change their plans, including their venue, but they made it work beautifully and the love is so apparent. / Photos by Kristen Weaver.


Says photographer Kristen Weaver, "I walked into Karin and Ethan’s wedding day with the most excited attitude. I had been talking to Karin about her preppy details forever – navy blue, coral, wildflowers and monograms – I was just in detail heaven.

Then it rained. No, seriously. I mean … RAINED. All day, heavily. And Karin and Ethan had to adapt their entire wedding to the ever-changing Florida weather. Not a single thing stayed the same, including their venue! Although they initially planned to hold their ceremony outside under the gazebo on the lake, where Ethan had proposed, everything got moved inside.

But here’s the best part … I couldn’t think of a better couple for this to happen to! The small ceremony space literally had them engulfed by family, completely immersed in love and verse, and surrounded with love. So although things didn’t work exactly according to plan, the truth is that they worked, exactly as it was supposed to. Karin and Ethan had a beautiful day and we were honored to be a part of it!"



Karin's 'something old' was her grandmother’s diamond ring.


Says Karin, "I found my dress on Pinterest while looking for ideas and when I saw the dress I just loved it. I went to two bridal stores and the second one had the dress. While I liked a dress at the first store, I still had the dress in my mind. When I tried it on I just knew that it was perfect!


We choose bridesmaids and groomsmen who helped make us the people we are today. Also, people who we knew would support our marriage and be there for us as a couple. We looked around at different bridesmaid dresses but I loved the ones at J.Crew. I wanted the dresses to all be the same color but allow the bridesmaids to choose their own style.


The most memorable moment was when my husband and I decided to have a spontaneous first look. We planned on having a first touch so we could pray together without seeing each other. But when it started to rain and continued, I suddenly became overwhelmed so we decided to have a first look. It was so emotional and special that I am glad we did it that way.



We had family photos on the mantel inside the house and ended up getting married in front of them. Which was very special because there was a picture of my grandparents, who passed before our wedding. 


Karin + Ethan's Love Story
We met working at a conference for high school students while we were both in college. For five weeks, we worked alongside a team of interns and became good friends, but we lived 9 hours apart and went back to school for the fall. We stayed in touch and eventually started talking more and more. Ethan came to visit me one weekend, then we started dating. Six months later, we got engaged.


We loved our location so much that Ethan proposed there. We wanted a southern preppy style. The location was an estate house with a beautiful lake in the back yard, which is located in Cypress Grove Park. We also wanted a clean crisp look, so we went with a lot of white and had navy chevron runners on the tables with pops of coral in the flowers."


Karin's advice: "The week before your wedding, don’t stress! It is easier said than done, but its time to start enjoying everything and to spend less time worrying. No matter what happens, the night is you and your husbands."


Karin and Ethan honeymooned in Jamaica for their honeymoon! :)

Credits: Venue: Cypress Grove Estate House / Event Planner: At Last Wedding & Event Design / Hair and Makeup: LeJune Hair & Makeup / Catering: Big City Catering / Florist: Lee Forest / Cake Artist: The Sugar Suite / DJ: Our DJ Rocks / Photo Booth: Our Photobooth Rocks / Ceremony Musician: Nancy Jones / Officiant: Brad Hobbs / Stationary: Paper White Press / Vintage Rentals: Karry Castillo with 2+Hue / Bridal Salon: Ivory & White / Bridal Designer: Ivy & Aster / Bridal Shoes: Kate Spade / Bridesmaid Gowns: J Crew / Men’s Suites: Jos A Bank / Rings: Bailey’s Fine Jewelry


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