Etsy Giveaway!

We're so excited to be sharing a new feature for our brides! NWD is teaming up with talented Etsy sellers to give away fun and unique custom items. This week's giveaway comes from Peanut Butter Bandit, who makes the cutest custom cake toppers. She is offering a free custom cake topper to the winning bride - a $45 value!

She specializes in making all kinds of different toppers - from a bride and groom likeness; to Spiderman and his bride; to Han Solo and Princess Leia; to a military couple - you can choose from just about anything if you win!

Click HERE to enter! (Must register by Friday, September 3rd to win.)

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Real Wedding: Amanda+Tyson

This fun wedding from the wonderful Gunn Photography is too cute for words! Tina Gunn does a fabulous job of capturing the joyful spirit of this couple. And there's just something about making groomsmen wear pink that makes me smile every time...

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Marriage Advice

Back by popular demand, here are some more nuggets of wisdom from children on love and marriage.


"No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with."
- Kirsten, age 10


"No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married."
- Freddie, age 6


"Twenty-three is the best age to get married because you know the person FOREVER by then."
- Camille, age 10

"The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them & have kids with them. It's the right thing to do."
- Howard, age 8


"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them."
- Anita, age 9

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Things We Love!

Here are our favorite things from the online universe this week:

...this intimate urban real wedding.

...this rehearsal dinner, which combines backyard BBQ fare with elegance.

...this delicious fall color palette.

...these funky and fun pendants, perfect for a bridesmaid gift.

...these completely drool-worthy shoes.

...a new take on ice cream for a wedding favor.

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Friday Freebies

Today's giveaway combines the picturesque outdoors with elegance - The Lodge at Wilderness Ridge is giving away a FREE reception hall rental for one lucky bride whose wedding is between September 2010 and November 2011! Wilderness Ridge is one of the most coveted locations for weddings in Lincoln, and for good reason - it's absolutely gorgeous.

Click HERE to enter (must register by Monday, August 30th to win).

Photo by Shane & Sunny Photography

Photo by Purple Sky Productions

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Inspiration Board #27: Pink Lemonade

We must have pink on the brain here at NWD, because we have a fun, breezy pink lemonade inspiration board from our intern Chelsea today (bride blogger Nicole is taking a day off)! The heat wave is winding down and Husker season is approaching; and we're going to enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts and celebrate the lazy, hazy days of summer.

[click to enlarge]

From left to right:

First row: Lemonade stand, Lemons, Centerpiece, Pie

Second row: Yellow dress, Cupcakes, Pink dress

Third row: Shoe photo, Invitation, Lemonade photo

Fourth row: Cake, Boutonniere, Bouquet

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Shout Out!

Today we're giving a shout out to an awesome venue for rehearsal dinners or intimate ceremonies. If you've lived in Lincoln, you have probably driven by the gorgeous Furgeson House, a historic building in the heart of the city. The architecture is Second Renaissance Revival and would be a breathtaking location for an elegant affair. Visit their website by clicking on the link above to take a virtual tour of the property.

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Bride Blogger Amanda: Hair & Makeup

Thirty-three days! I feel like a broken record, but I can’t believe how fast the time is flying by. Our big day will be here in no time.

Since I’m fairly confident in my ability to do my own make-up on the day of the wedding, I decided not to pay someone to do it for me. Instead, I went to Sephora for a make-up consultation to get a “wedding look” and learn about the best products to get the kind of look I wanted, which was pretty natural, maybe playing up my eyes.

So rather than paying for someone’s services, I’m paying for the products I want and can use again, and I’ll just put them on myself the day of. And Courtney at Sephora was great at explaining what she was doing and which things she was using. I went with a blush and foundation as well as an eye make-up kit that included mascara with primer, three eye shadows and eye lid primer, eye liner and a brush to put it all on. I’d highly recommend this avenue for wedding day makeup!

I decided to go with a sleek updo for my hair, similar to this example from the knot. I’ve elected not to have a veil, mainly because they are a bit expensive and only worn for a brief period of time. A friend of mine offered to let me use her beautiful chapel-length veil, but I still decided I would rather have a fun hair piece than a veil. Borrowing a veil from a friend is a good way to save money, though, so if you want a veil but don’t want to spend a lot of money on a piece of netting you’ll only wear briefly, just ask a friend! You can also get a simple one made for less than you can buy one. These days, I’ve heard about half of brides decide not to wear a veil.

Instead of a veil, I found a great comb on Etsy from Lottie-Da Designs. It’s elegant and goes well with my dress; it also has a piece of Russian netting on it, so I still have veil sort of accent. When my hair stylist did a practice run on my hair a few weeks ago and put the comb in, it turned out even better than I thought it would look. I’m so excited to put everything together in a little over a month!

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Real Wedding: Lee+Lucas

I can't say enough about Sarah Pfeiffer Photography - she is incredibly talented and such a pleasure to work with. This wedding is no exception. The photos are gorgeous, the flowers are gorgeous, the gown is gorgeous...and those shoes! Awesome.

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Marriage Advice

Today's marriage advice is from the sage minds of children. Here are a few sweet tips on how to make your love endure.

"Tell your wife that she looks pretty even if she looks like a truck." -Ricky, Age 10

"Spend most of your time loving instead of going to work." -Tom, Age 7

"Be a good kisser. It might make your wife forget that you never take out the trash." -Randy, Age 8

"You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming." -Alan, Age 10

"It gives me a headache to think about that stuff. I'm just a kid. I don't need that kind of trouble." -Will, Age 7

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Things We Love!

Most brides in the throes of wedding planning are probably aware that vintage is HOT right now, and with good reason! Taking something old and making it current helps create a timeless event that will be gorgeous a century from now. The WeddingAisle, an Etsy shop, sells all things vintage-inspired - birdcage veils, floral hairpieces, cufflinks, lockets...check them out!

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Friday Freebies!

If you're still looking for the perfect invitations, this giveaway is perfect for you! Diane's Stationery is celebrating their 25th anniversary by offering 25% off to EVERY BRIDE that registers in the giveaway and places an order the month of September (for orders of 150 or more). That's right...all you have to do is sign up, and your discount will automatically be honored next month!

Diane's carries several beautiful and cutting-edge lines, including Vera Wang. She also does custom invitations, so be sure to register for this great giveaway!

Click HERE to enter! (Must register by Monday, August 23 to qualify.)

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Bride Blogger Nicole: Hair and Makeup

I have been thinking a lot about how I want to wear my hair and do my makeup for the wedding. I really want to look like myself, a little glammed up, but not too fussy - natural and elegant.

I don't wear my hair back very often, so I'm thinking for the wedding I want to wear my hair either all the way down and curly, or do something half back with curls. I have a really long veil so I think having long curls would be so pretty! My hair is a little past my shoulders now, and I'm trying my hardest to make it grow fast! :) If it's not where I want it to be by wedding time, there are always extensions, right?!

I also have seen a lot of really fun hair pieces. If I wear my hair half back I would like to have some kind of hair pieces, like this picture of Jessica Simpson that I found on Google. I like how it's low and loose. How pretty are those pieces in her hair?!

For makeup, I have an advantage because I work at Face Place Spa and we sell bareMinerals. Working at Face Place gives me lots of opportunity to experiment and figure out what will work best for me on the big day. I will definitely wear bareMinerals makeup. It's very lightweight and covers great, and it really does last all day long! I love the idea of purple shades for my eye colors. Nothing too bright, but a nice gray/purple makes my eyes look really blue. I have also thought about just doing neutral browns with a soft gold.

I get to try my dress on at David's Bridal on September 15th, so I hope to do my hair and makeup similar to what I am thinking for the wedding, so I can see the whole look together and make adjustments if necessary!

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Inspiration Board #26: Pink & Poppy

Soften up a deep red palette with pink to really turn guests' heads. This helps the color work for any season, not just Christmas weddings. Cherry blossoms and poppies are especially beautiful in red and pink shades.

[click to enlarge]

From left to right:
Top row: Favor box, Tie photo, Cake

Middle row: Centerpiece photo, Cherry blossom invitation, Origami butterfly

Bottom row: Bouquet, Favor box, Bouquets, Bridesmaid gown

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Bride Blogger Amanda: The Nitty Gritty

We’ve been engaged for a little over 15 months; I feel like we’ve been running a marathon when it comes to planning the wedding and we can see the finish line. That’s both really exciting because our big day is coming up fast, but it’s also really intimidating when I think about all the little things to do before the day gets here! That’s where being organized and having a to-do list and a budget come in handy. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment when I can cross something off the list, whether it’s rehearsal dinner invites or a meeting with the DJ.


We’re also getting to the point where big things will need to be paid for soon, so having a budget with dates helps keep everyone contributing on track and informed. Budgets and money can be a touchy subject sometimes. In my experience, if your parents or anyone else is helping you pay for your wedding, it’s best to be completely upfront and clear on expectations early on so everyone knows exactly how much everything is going to cost and when the payments are due. These days, the tradition of the bride’s parents paying for everything is somewhat unrealistic. So if the bride’s family, groom’s family, and even the bride and groom, are shouldering the costs together, be clear about who is paying for what and make sure everyone is on board.

We’ve been able to pay for a number of things as we go, which helps, but if you are on a shorter time line you might not have that luxury so make sure to plan accordingly. If your wedding is going to cause you to go into a bunch of debt or put you in trouble financially, a reevaluation of your wedding plans might be in order. It is one day after all, and while it’s probably one of the most important days of your life, your marriage afterward is what’s important; make sure you’re starting out on the right foot!

This is also the point in time where RSVPs are coming in, and it’s really fun to see who will be coming to share in our special day! We’ve even gotten a few gifts, which was a nice surprise, so we’ll have to get busy with the thank-you cards as well. We don’t want too much time to pass between the time we receive the gift and the time we send out the thank you. As long as we keep ourselves on top of everything, we should be just fine.

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Real Wedding: Jared+Tasha

I LOVE this tented wedding from jhd photography! The bright, cheery color combo is done perfectly, and the photos are beautiful!

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Marriage Advice

Today's advice comes from Jenny, who has been married for 6 years:

"I'm sure many have heard the saying 'don't go to bed angry', but it really is true. If you go to bed angry and wake up the next morning and don't talk about it or act like nothing happened, those disagreements get pushed down and resentment builds. In my opinion, this is one of the key ways that people 'grow apart', which is such an often-used reason for divorce.

"Talk things out! If you need some time to cool off, fine, but make sure you address your problems head-on and fight fair. There won't be any need to play dirty or bring up old issues if you are always working on yourselves and talking about things rationally after arguments. (I know this is easier said than done, but it is possible if you both make a commitment to try hard.)"

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Things We Love!

The Back Porch Shoppe, a seller on Etsy, makes all kinds of different custom vintage signs for weddings. From initials to table numbers to directional signs (in a variety of styles and fonts)...you name it and they can make it. Check out their shop for dozens of ideas on different types of design elements you can order. These are the perfect finishing touch to your big day!

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