Laura Hooper + Project Wedding Map Giveaway Winner

Don’t forget to run to {this post} and comment for your chance to win a custom-designed Laura Hooper map and 50 5×7 prints!  The giveaway is being sponsored by EAD and Project Wedding, who just launched a VERY cool new map-building feature on their site.

Hi and welcome!  I’m so excited to unveil the new Elizabeth Anne Designs.  If you’re reading via RSS, here’s a little peek…

Out of everything that went into the preparation for our vow renewal, I probably had the most fun and least stress planning the day after brunch.  It was held at South City Kitchen in Midtown, just steps from our hotel blocks and our venue from the vow renewal the night before.

I clued you in last night that we had an awesome giveaway coming today!  We love both Laura Hooper and Project Wedding so we are very excited to partner with them to give away a custom-designed Laura Hooper map and 50 5×7 prints!

During our cocktail hour, we not only had the time capsule room open, but we also brought in two blackjack tables and dealers from to entertain the guests.  If I had to pick one thing that our guests overwhelmingly loved, this would be it.

You guys, I have been so excited to show you one of my favorite DIY projects from the whole vow renewal – our time capsule guest book.  When A. and I were brainstorming and this idea came up, it was like “yes, that’s perfect!”.  We were celebrating ten years together and many years of friendship with our guests, and what better way to do that than by creating a treasure box of memories that we will have for the rest of our lives?

After we had finished up taking [intlink id=”6419″ type=”post”]portraits[/intlink], everyone, including Charlie, got ready to walk down the aisle!  The Atlanta Woman’s Club had an upstairs room for dressing, which was very useful.  Charlie, our best man, our officiant, our honor attendant, the hubby and I all waited there while our guests arrived.  I’m very much in love with this photo of Charlie in his bow tie!

Planning this party was SO much fun! I threw as many Braves and baseball details in there as I could. You’ve already seen the centerpieces and seating chart – but we also had Braves wine adorning the bar (Chipper Chardonnay and McCann Merlot, natch), vintage Braves caps as decor, a Smoltz jersey for our “guest book”, and dessert was, of course, ice cream sundaes in mini Braves helmets. Braves highlight reels were playing on the 755 Club screens throughout the evening.

The official [intlink id=”4148″ type=”post”]Braves bus[/intlink] (which I am still sad I didn’t get to ride!) dropped our guests off at the front gates of Turner Field, the site of our Welcome Party. All of the guests were instructed to wear red, white, and navy (and preferably Braves gear!).

Our vow renewal was essentially a destination event. Only two of our guests lived in Atlanta, so the remainder were situated in three hotels in Midtown/Downtown – the Four Seasons, the Marriott Midtown Suites, and the Ellis Hotel. To welcome our friends and family, we created out of town baskets full of bottled water, snacks, a DIY welcome/do not disturb sign (more on that later today!), and a folder containing all of the information that they would need for the three days of events.

You’ve [intlink id=”5250″ type=”post”]already seen[/intlink] one adorable Laura Hooper map today. Turns out that Amanda’s real wedding feature couple, [intlink id=”5299″ type=”post”]Nichola and Nick[/intlink], have one too!

One of the fun activities I have planned for our vow renewal is a mani pedi party.  I created invitations for the event using some Laura Hooper fairy dust and a little elbow grease.  This has by far been one of my favorite projects because – a) it was fun to do something completely not in “theme” and b) they were easy and I think they turned out so cute!

OK, OK, I know I’m a week late with this! But better late than never right? Here’s the tutorial for making my RSVP tin treasure boxes. I’m going to give you instructions for my specific design, but obviously you can change it up to go with your theme! This post is long, buckle up. :)

The RSVP packets have been received by the guests so now I can do the big reveal!

Today’s an exciting day! All of my guests have received all of the vow renewal info so I can finally share with all of you!!! First up, the invitations!

You know those gorgeous couture hand-drawn maps we all swoon over?  They’re awesome to have and we all know we want one, but working them into the budget isn’t always easy.

We have such an uber-gorgeous, magazine-worthy wedding for you today featuring some of our favorite vendors.

Tori and Jon’s Milwaukee wedding is nothing short of fabulous. Tori says “once we saw the Grain Exchange there was no question that it fit perfectly!” and we couldn’t agree more. This spectacular venue is equal parts elegant and glamorous. and Evenement Planning created a beautiful ambiance with a color palette of gold, dusty blue, peach, gold, and pinks. Every detail from the cocktail hour to the late night snacks was accounted for! Sparkling sequin linens and tall centerpieces by Impressions by Esther graced the tables, and a custom bar by Barlotta’s added a finishing touch. Each moment is beautifully captured by the incredible Kelsy and Butch of The McCartneys Photography!

Chelsea and Ric’s wedding is quintessentially Key West. The couple selected the Florida Keys as their destination wedding locale so that their guests could experience the lively nightlife and quirky island vibe of the place they spent their first vacation together. The iconic Ernest Hemingway Home housed both ceremony and reception, which was inspired by the glamour of the Hemingway era in Paris, mixed with the southern charm of Key West. Their ceremony was officiated by a close friend and featured several favorite Hemingway readings. Ric owns a yacht sales brokerage and is often referred to affectionately as “Captain”, so Chelsea’s wedding gift to her husband was matching antique brass compasses inscribed by Laura Hooper Calligraphy with “Captain” and “Mrs.” Continuing the special theme, Ric’s wedding band was engraved with the geographical coordinates for Key West. Catered Affairs of Key West created an island-inspired menu with a seafood raw bar and chimichurri steak, and—naturally—dessert was pie from Key West Key Lime Pie Company. The natural beauty of the Hemingway home was accented by centerpieces of dark, wild greenery from Love in Bloom Florist with small pops of color. Each moment is beautifully captured by Nicole Berrett Photography!

In my 8 years of blogging, today may be cause for the single biggest celebration yet! Why you ask? At long last, it’s time to debut the brand-new Aisle Society website to the world! For the past several months, a group of more than 30 of the best wedding bloggers from across the world have been working to create a brand new way to find wedding inspiration! Aisle Society is the only way to catch the latest content from your favorite bloggers, all in one gorgeous place. And best of all, you can curate your very own personalized feed of your favorite wedding styles, design elements, wedding pros, bloggers, and more, making it a cinch to plan your perfect day!