Uh – hello!!!  How cute are these recycled wood Mr. & Mrs. signs??  Etsy Seller William Dohman has these signs along with a bunch of other cute and succinct signs like “Holla”, “Love”, “bon jour” and more!  LOVE THEM!!!

Ok – you have heard me say it a few times – but Ginkgo trees are wayyyy more native to DC than Cherry Blossoms folks!  These adorable appetizer plates from ETSY Seller Hope Johnson are as cute as they can be and perfect for your cute new apartment in downtown DC!!!

Loving these “happiness” eco-friendly shower curtains from Kontextur!

I have a bunch of new ideas brewing for you!  Stay tuned for more real wedding decor as well!  We are at the Cosmos Club and the Bethesda Hyatt this weekend – lots of fun stuff at both weddings – can’t wait to share!

The Spring Issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings is live and a few of my favorite things are in it to win!  Don’t miss out!

Get this vintage frame with a chalkboard for you wedding day!

or

Start your new “NO MORE buying of plastic WATER BOTTLES” regimen with this beautiful reusable water bottle!

or

Have the best doggone salted caramels around for you and your guests!

Just click here to see all the fun stuff you can get for free in the Spring Issue!

It’s Live and we are in Love!  Click on the Cover Above to Check out all the Eco-Friendly Yumminess from the Spring 2011 Issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings!

Our Anniversary Issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings is live!  Click above to see the new issue!

Meet Laura Swanstrom Reece of The Silken Thread!  I was thrilled to be a part of such a cute event for her 5th anniversary over at Frosting!  Not only did I get to meet the mastermind behind this incredible company, but got to see some good friends and catch up with Michelle of Frosting!

I absolutely love this concept of placing this embroidered monogram inside your wedding gown. This is great as a gift! My own sister-in-law had one just like it for her wedding day and she got it as a gift at her bridal shower!

So many of my brides hold a handkerchief around their bridal bouquet – this hemstich monogram handkerchief is also perfect as a gift or just to buy for yourself as a bride to pass down through the generations!  Since The Silken Thread is local it is fantastic for local brides – but you can also buy personalized embroidered items for any occasion right from her website!

Laura and her team were smart by having their party at Frosting!  The cupcakery in Chevy Chase is adorable and the cupcakes are divine.  They were featuring a gluten-free chocolate cupcake today.  I had the raspberry cupcake – as showcased by the staff here:

Since I know the lady behind the scenes – I was able to grab a few swag bags to give away to you!  I have one bag to give away as I already gave one away on Twitter yesterday.

Here is the catch – you have to tell me what you are doing to go green in your life and for your wedding (or wedding business)!  These keepsakes from Laura are true treasures and quality products that will last for generations.  These are not throw-away items and we love anything personalized for a wedding that will last for years to come.  Write in the comments section below about how you are doing something unique to go green and I will send the fab swag bag to you!  I will pick a winner on Monday!

Here is a cute photo of the swag bag from Anh Nguyen:

Good Luck!

Our 2nd Annual Luxury Bridal Event registration has gone live – register today!

The Washington DC Couture Wedding Consortium
Presents

The 2nd Annual Luxury Bridal Show

Couture Gown Collections by

The Cotton Bride
&
Punk Rock Bride

FEATURED LIVE BLOGGERS
Devon Pearce & Danielle Freedman, District Weddings
Emily Newman, Once Wed
Amy Jean Chung, Weddzilla & The Relentless Bride
Nole Garey, Oh So Beautiful Paper

2.06.2010

Stephen Decatur House Museum
1-4 pm | $35.00

Register by clicking here!

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/announcements/register-early-we-have-limited-space/feed/ 2 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/what-to-give-when/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/what-to-give-when/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:08:35 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=1370 Weekly Mother of the Bride Post!

Your daughter is engaged!  So many things to do!  Where to start?  Start with a master list of all the lists! Then break that down into sub-lists.  Since there will be parties (lots of them), engagement parties, showers, holidays and gifts on the day to the bride and to the groom (don’t forget one for your daughter’s fiance’s parents), one of your lists should be What Gift to Give When.

Here are a few ideas to start with and keep in mind:

Engagement gift: Perhaps something cherished that your mother or grandmother gave you or barring that, perhaps some beautiful toasting flutes:  One lovely set in a moderate range is Vera Wang’s Love Knots Toasting Flutes (shown above) or perhaps flutes from Swarovski  (shown below) for a look at a higher end pair. You can find a wide selection at Crystal Classics.

It is fun to make up a basket of smaller gifts to give at a Bridal shower. Find a large pretty basket with a handle (at any home decor goods store).  Or since we are in the holiday season and there might be a shower, find one of those huge white plush stockings. Then look for unusual things to fill it with. The holiday season brings lots of sales!  Stock up on things that you will need for all the various parties you will need to attend and gift for over the next several months (or weeks).

Well, this is a start to your “gifting” list and it is my very first blog as a guest blogger on my daughter’s blog!  Guess what?  It’s a lot of fun…hope you like my ideas!  Leave a question or a comment in the comment section and I will be sure to follow up!  You can also email us at inquiries {at} eleganceandsimplicity {dot} com.  Check back next week for more mother of the bride tips!

~Claudia Van Veen

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