Tag Archives: wedding wednesday

Diamond Band Stacking 101

June 21, 2018

Hey everyone, I know I’m missing Wedding Wednesday by one day, but I’ve been traveling nonstop and I owe you a blog post on diamond band stacking! As most of you know, I recently got married this past spring and I’ve been getting so many questions about my engagement ring and diamond wedding bands so I’ve teamed up with Diamonds Direct to answer all of your questions that you’ve submitted!

Your diamond band questions answered:

When is it appropriate to start stacking?

I think it’s appropriate to pick out two bands you love stacked together when you’re shopping for wedding bands with your fiancé, and you can choose to purchase them at the same time or you can have the second one already picked out for a future anniversary or for the birth of your first child.

Also, I think it’s totally appropriate for you to pick out stacking bands for your right hand that you can purchase for yourself. You don’t have to be married to wear diamonds people! Also, you don’t have to wait on someone else to buy them for you! I love treating myself to investment pieces when I accomplish some big at work or in my personal life too.

See this full post here—> 3 Reasons to Take “Day After” Wedding Photos!

How did you choose your bands?

I picked out my two Henri Dausi wedding bands at Diamonds Direct. They had the most amazing selection of wedding bands. I swear I tried on 324,848 and I loved them all. I was finally able to narrow them down to a few before I left the store and continued to narrow them down on the Diamonds Direct website. I ended choosing the R6-7 in rose gold with shared prong set round brilliant diamonds and the R23 featuring round brilliant pavé set diamonds. with my engagement ring. I also chose an additional diamond band for my right hand.

How much do additional bands cost?

Fortunately, Diamonds Direct offers a wide variety of prices so you can purchase wedding bands for as low as $300 and mix them with other bands in a much higher range. They cater to all budgets!

Where do you keep all of your bands?

I always get so many questions about my jewelry travel case where I keep my bands and I love these two—> Pale Pink Jewelry Box & Red Travel Jewelry Case

I love using them both, but the Pale Pink jewelry case fits a little bit more while the red travel jewelry case by Mark & Graham is more compact and convenient when it comes to traveling. See the red below!

If you’re engaged or looking for a gift for a newly engaged friend, I highly recommend one of the personalized leather ring boxes from my exclusive #hauteoffthemarket wedding collection.

See more about about my wedding collection here—> GiGi New York x Haute Off The Rack Wedding Collection 

Where is your engagement ring from?

My husband bought it from a local jeweler in Covington, Louisiana.

This post is in partnership with Diamonds Direct, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.

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Wedding Wednesday: Custom Save The Date Cards

January 17, 2018

Hi everyone and Happy Wedding Wednesday! Today I’m sharing the details on our custom save the date cards that I created on Minted and I can’t think of a more perfect time to share them with you since today makes exactly two months until our wedding date in Cabo on March 17, 2018. On top of that, to cerebrate your engagement, Minted is offering 25% OFF save the dates until Friday 1/19 with code: ENGAGED

Oh and you just might be getting an exclusive first look at my wedding bands, which we just picked up from Lee Michaels this week. I of course had to try them on to double check the fit and show you!

| Shop Save The Dates |

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When it comes to save the dates, it is best to give your guests six to eight months notice before the wedding especially if it’s a destination wedding like mine. We didn’t send our save the date cards out during that six to eight month period, but we made sure to communicate all of the travel information and wedding details to each of our guests via email as well as over the phone. However, we still wanted to send out save the dates to formally notify our guests. Plus if it’s not on the refrigerator, is it even really happening? LOL

What information do save the dates need to include?

  1. the couple’s names
  2. wedding date (If multiple days are involved due to a destination ceremony, you can choose to include those dates on the card or direct them to your wedding website for details.)
  3. location (doesn’t need to include the name of the venue— a city will do)
  4.  Notice for a formal invitation to follow or the wedding website, which I highly suggest if you’re doing a destination wedding. It’s the best and most efficient way to keep your guests updated and informed. Plus Minted offers a complimentary site with your Save the Date purchase! You can check out mine here—> www.hauteoffthemarket.minted.us

Minted offers so many beautiful save the date options that it took me forever to decide which design to go with. I ended up choosing a simple gold foil-pressed design so that our photo could take up the full space of the front of the card. I also chose gold foil detail on the inside of the envelope to really make the foil-pressed design pop upon opening. As for the back of my save the date cards, I included more photos along with sweet moments of our relationship and our wedding website information. If you’re interested in creating custom save the date cards with Minted, you’ll be happy to know that they are offering 25% OFF save the dates until Friday 1/19 with code: ENGAGED

Lastly, I cannot stress to you enough how helpful wedding websites are when it comes to destination weddings. It has been a life saver for us because we have so many events planned for the weekend. You can even create a custom URL like I did with our wedding hashtag #hauteoffthemarket!

Check out the full post from Save the Date shoot in New York here—> Chic & Cozy His & Hers Outfits

Here’s a peek at the photos we took during our recent wedding planning trip at The Cape Hotel in Cabo.

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This post is in partnership with Minted, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.

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Wedding Wednesday: My Top Wedding Registry Picks with Bed Bath & Beyond

January 3, 2018

This post is in partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.

Hi everyone and Happy Wedding Wednesday! Today I’m sharing my top wedding registry picks from our recent appointment at our local Bed Bath & Beyond. We had such a great experience during our registry appointment with Bed Bath & Beyond because not only did we have an in-store expert helping us the whole time, but we also learned that we could register for cool electronics like the Dyson Cord-Free Stick Vacuum and a Roomba. Thank goodness we had help because we were clueless on what to pick out! On top of all of the in-store expert assistance, our registry consultant gave us a check-list as a guide to use throughout the store.

Did you know you can register online too? After we left our appointment, I immediately got online to manage my registry and see if there was anything else I wanted to add.

 You can also easily add all of my registry picks onto your own registries in just one easy click!—> https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/static/stylemakerspotlight/?

Scroll through this post to see my top 15 wedding registry picks and why I chose them!

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  1. Olivia & Oliver Harper Organic Shape Gold 5-Piece Place Setting

It’s no secret that I love a glam table setting so when I saw these gold rimmed Olivia & Oliver Harper Organic Shape Place Settings, I knew I had to have them along with the matching wine glasses!

2) Gold Charger Plates! I love this gold beaded charger plate set. I love using chargers instead of placements.

3) Olivia & Oliver Madison 20-Piece Flatware Set in Gold

 In addition to the 5-Piece Place Settings, gold flatware is a must when it comes to glam table settings! I also picked out the Mikasa® Regent Bead Gold 65-Piece to use as my everyday flatware set.

4) Olivia & Oliver Madison Gold Red Wine Glasses (Set of 4)

The gold rim detail on the glasses complement my white and gold place settings perfectly!

5) Dyson V8 Cord-Free Stick Vacuum Cleaner

6) Ascent Designer Series Slim 3-Step Stool

I use all my 3-step stool all the time to reach our dinnerware, glasses and other high up items since I’m so short! You’d be surprised how I often I find myself using it.

At first Blake wasn’t too keen on spending the day picking out kitchen gadgets and dinnerware, but once he realized that we could register for cool electronics like the Ninja Blender and the De’Longhi Nespresso® Lattissima Pro Espresso maker, he immediately got excited. Those were Blake’s top picks along with our super soft Wamsutta sheet set.

7) Wamsutta® 500-Thread-Count PimaCott® Sheet Set

8) KitchenAid® 5-Quart Artisan™ Custom Metallic Stand Mixer

I love a lot of the items on our registry, but I cannot even begin to express to you how much I love my KitchenAid® 5-Quart Artisan™ Custom Metallic Stand Mixer in Copper. When I first received it, I joked that I wanted to put it on my nightstand so I could see every morning the minute I opened my eyes. Obviously, that would be weird so I settled for keeping it displayed on my kitchen counter.

9) Simplehuman® 55-Liter Rectangular Step Trash Can with Liner Pocket

10) KitchenAid® Tri-Ply Copper 10-Piece Cookware Set

11) DELSEY PARIS CHATELET+ 24-Inch Hardside Spinner

12) De’Longhi Nespresso® Lattissima Pro in Stainless Steel

13) J.K. Adams Monogrammed Barbecue Board

14) Kassatex Baratta Turkish Cotton Bath Towel & Wamsutta® Collection Turkish Bath Towel

I love both sets of the above towels because they are so thick and absorbent. Also, I love the aqua blue stripe detail on the Kassatex Baratta Turkish towels for a pop of color in the bathroom.

15) Ninja Coffee Bar® Glass Carafe System

I don’t know how ever made coffee at home before the Ninja Coffee Bar. The built-in frother and one cup option definitely makes it a game changer.

How To Create a Successful Wedding Registry

  1. Go to BedBathandBeyond.com now and book an appointment online at your nearest store! One of the main reasons we registered at Bed Bath & Bath was because we wanted to choose a place that would be convenient and affordable for our guests. You can find a BB&B location in most major cities and they also send out month coupons that we knew our guests would be able to use to receive a discount on our gifts instead of having to pay full price.
  2. Before heading to your appointment, look through your entire home to see what you’re lacking so that you register for items you actually need instead of adding more clutter in your kitchen.
  3. Use my top wedding registry picks as a base for you own list.
  4. Even if you think you know exactly what you want, still take a look through the checklist that Bed Bath & Beyond provides. At first, we thought we didn’t want to register for much because we felt like we didn’t need gifts, but then we realized people are going to gift us no matter what so we might as well give them a guide to go off of instead of ending up with 4789237582 cheese platters.
  5. Organize and manage your registry using the online portal. It makes everything so much easier. Plus I could sit online “shopping” all day! LOL
  6. Utilize Bed Bath and Beyond’s amazing gift return policy! If you end up getting two of the same item or change your mind about a product, BB&B will happily allow you exchange the items for something else you love.
  7. Looking for a fun way to celebrate registering with your fiancé? Then I think you would love to attend a Rock Your Registry event at your local Bed Bath & Beyond where you’ll chat with an expert while enjoying snacks and drinks. Plus you’ll take home a tote full of free goodies! See more details here—> #RockYourRegistry
  8. Last, but not least, don’t forget to send hand written thank you notes to all of your guests!

    You can easily add all of my registry picks onto your own registries in just one easy click!—> Haute Off The Rack Registry 

 Shop My Wedding Registry at Bed Bath & Beyond

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Don’t Miss my recent home decor post featuring everything you need when it comes to moving—> 6 Things You Need When You Move Into A New Home

Photos by: M Preau Photo

This post is in partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond, a brand I love. All opinions and selections here are my own. Thank you for supporting the affiliate posts who make this blog possible.

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Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Party Ideas

November 9, 2017

Hi everyone, I’m so excited to finally share all of our engagement party details with you from my braided updo and beaded outfit to our fall florals and stunning cake table with MacKenzie-Childs. I realize I missed Wedding Wednesday yesterday, but that was because I visiting Scriptura in New Orleans to print my wedding invitations. Speaking of Scriptura, they did a wonderful job designing my engagement party invitations pictured below. Since invitations set the tone for a party, we decided to include a sketch of an oyster on pearlized card stock so that people would get the simple yet elegant vibe of the event.

In case you’re wondering, “the world is your oyster” theme for the party all stemmed from the idea of having an oyster bar at the party, which ended up being a hit in addition to all the other food stations. However, I’m not surprised as we do live in Louisiana. Also, we chose Abita Roasting Co. for our event because it’s so beautiful on the water and we’ve always loved its quaint character and charm.

Scroll through this post for all of my party details!

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Outfit: Beaded Skirt | Beaded Cropped Top | Ankle Strap Heels | Loren Hope Bracelets 

Invitations by Scriptura

| Shop Our MacKenzie-Childs Cake Table |

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Cake Displays & Tiered Stands:

It’s no secret that I love designing and decorating my own home and parties so I convinced my future mother-in-law to let me be in charge of the cake table and a few other details for the party. I came up with vision and and my friend Haley helped put everything into motion from ordering the desserts and working with the florist to even hand making the table top. Fortunately, I already had all kinds of beautiful cake plates and tiered stands by MacKenzie-Childs to help me display all of the delicious treats for my guests to see. I love investing in beautiful entertaining pieces from MacKenzie-Childs because they always make a statement at events or gatherings in your own home.

Decorative Cookies & Cakes:

Blake and I both share a love for sweets so it was only natural that we would have a whole spread of cakes of decorative cookies. I hired a local pastry gal aka “The Little Oven” who I’ve worked with in the past because she always knocks it out of the park with her designs and chantilly filled cakes. Fun Fact: She also made my birthday cake this year! She created the most adorable monogram cookies as well as engagement ring styles and the prettiest gold oyster deadens that I requested.

Florals:

When it comes to fall florals, I immediately gravitate towards blush and burgundy so I sent the florist some inspiration photos and she created a mood board for me to approve before we moved forward. I worked with Olivia from Delphine Floral Design and she did an amazing job from start to finish. She even delivered the arrangements herself and decorated the cakes the floral cake toppers that she made herself.

Custom Wine Bottle Labels:

I’m all about adding a little customization when it comes to special occasions so I worked with Lolli Bella to create custom wine and champagne bottle labels for the party as well as mini water bottle labels. Remember when I created custom labels with her for our wedding party gifts? See here—>5 Fun Ways to Ask Your Bridesmaids & Groomsmen

Table Centerpieces:

In addition to our beautiful floral centerpieces, we also included mercury glass votives with candles and gold framed photos of me and Blake throughout our 10.5 years together as a couple. To save money on flowers, we created some of the floral arrangements ourselves instead of having the florist make all of them.

Boho Bridal Hairstyle:

First of all, I owe a huge thank you to my friend Courtney Graham who came back from maternity leave for a hot minute just to help out with my hair for the party. She just gets me! I showed up at her salon and I told her exactly what I wanted and it took her all of thirty minutes. I basically said I wanted a braided updo with wispy pieces around my face and a perfectly-undone bun!

Welcome Table:

These are the five things that I think every welcome table should include at an engagement party:

1. A guest book — We got ours from GiGi New York. Don’t forget a pretty pen!

2. A framed photo of the couple

3. A welcome sign! Duh!

4. Candles to create a cool ambiance.

5. A beautiful floral arrangement

Bonus! We also placed a champagne bar directly next to welcome table so that no one had to walk in empty-handed!

Photos by: Michelle Preau Photo | Hair By: Courtney Graham  | A huge thank you to  all of our friends and family who hosted the party especially my friend Haley for helping me make my cake table dreams a reality! LOL

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