We are so lucky to have another guest blog by the talented Sunny of Sunny Day Vintage shop on Etsy.  Last time, she showed us how to plan and style a sweet vintage shower.  Today, she ran wild and has fabulous Western themed wedding ideas.  Put on your cowboy boots and get ready for a creative adventure…

Now Sunny has the reins:

You and your mister love the outdoors and have a penchant for the Wild West. Why not bring your natural country style to your wedding day? You can have a down-home, affordable wedding… and find almost everything you need on Etsy!

Start with an old-time wedding invitation to kick off your theme.

Ask guests to wear Western gear, from hats to boots. Encourage the groomsmen to wear Stetsons, denim jeans, white shirts and black jackets.

Gift your bridesmaids with a pretty shrug to keep warm when the sun sets in the western sky.

You’ll be gussied up in a casually romantic tea-length dress and carry a simple bouquet of country flowers.

D E C O R A T E  the day

Bandana napkins on denim tablecloths say “country western”

Hang rope swags and trim with with rusty horseshoes

Mason jar lanterns add just the right romantic touch

O N  T H E  T A B L E S

Fill vintage cheese boxes with short, tight flower bouquets

Use rustic table numbers on gingham-covered tables

Fresh, fragrant soap slices become welcome wedding favors

C H O W  D O W N  A T  T H E  C H U C K W A G O N

On the menu: steak and pulled pork with cornbread sticks and simple salads

Decorate your simple wedding cake or cupcakes with edible sunflowers

Serve longneck beers, root beer and bottled lemonade from galvanized tubs

Etsy is full of surprising finds – vintage goodies, gorgeous handmade everything, and craft supplies you’ll drool over. Be sure to browse there first for wedding ideas and inspiration!

Sunny, thank you for westernlicious wedding ideas!  We heart you, and Etsy, too!

xo, paige

photos from the respective Etsy shops {click on photos to be directed there}

A new, very exciting blog has just been launched here by my friend Charley, the London Bride. If you’ve been to as many weddings as we have, let’s just say that it’s not often we hear music that deviates from the expected.  Noticing that {big} gap in the market, Charley and Josie of Savoir Weddings in London created a blog to indulge us in new music– as in 25 new song recommendations each month, plus lots of eye candy along the way.

Visit their blog to see and hear all the cleverly chosen music on their own streaming YouTube channel.  Mine has been playing non-stop for longer than I should admit.  I was pretty excited to see Angus & Julia Stone in the second slot, because I’m often found watching this sweet video over and over again.

Happy listening, and Charley and Josie, congratulations and thank you so much for this huge and fabulous contribution to the wedding industry!  Tapping along to We Plan You Play while I plan makes me very happy!

xo, paige

One of the best parts of this job is the friendships that develop from working so closely with my brides.  Victoria and Matt got married in Mexico last year and we planned their wedding without ever having been to the site before!  It was quite the adventure.  Today is their one year anniversary (time flies!). Look below to see what happened when they drank the water…

We met last week before Easter and ate our way through Broadway Market in London, and then sat down in the park to decorate Victoria’s {sizable} bump!

Look what we made…

Congratulations to all of the expectant mothers and those who have recently had their little ones!  It is so joyful to watch our brides and grooms start families.

xo, paige

Let’s just say this city is R E A D Y!

Taken from the bus this afternoon at Westminster Abbey, they’re not the best quality, but I hope they illustrate the number of people on the streets who are ready to watch it all unfold.

It’s true.  We do all love a good wedding, and we realize that after tomorrow, weddings will never be the same…

Here in London, the capital city is certainly getting more spirited about the Royal Wedding by the minute!  The Union Jack bunting has been strung throughout the alleys and shops and British Pride is at its best.   I took a stroll down to Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace this week and saw the press boxes in place.

Let’s commence the salivating as we plan the best part– the menu for our party!  As I mentioned, my friends and I have been cultivating plans for our own little soiree and we’ve been talking about the food for months on end.  I just hopped on BBC’s website to look for visual references for the food we decided to serve, and I was delighted to see that our traditional treats are much the same as the ones they’ve chosen!  Be sure to click over there for more recipes.

S A V O R Y

the quintessential tea sandwiches

sausage rolls:  all. time. favorite.  ours will have caramelized onions, too!

coronation prawn vol-au-vents (it’s not a uk party without curry!)

S W E E T

utterly classic victoria sponge cake with berry jam and cream

crown layered pavlova to steal the show

union jack fondant fancies

with a nickname of “whooo{p}” i can’t not bring whoopie pies!  mine will be named “kiss me kate”

S I P

start the morning off with a rose prosecco cocktail

then pour yourself a pimms cup {the british summer drink}

and a little champagne jelly will keep everyone entertained!

E N J O Y, C E L E B R A T E  &  S A V O R  the  R O Y A L  W E D D I N G  in S T Y L E!

xo,

the {london} paige

a.k.a. whoo{p}!

photos:  street party food from bbc; london street scenes by paige galla; whoopie pies at blissbloomblog

A week from today, the very talked about, highly anticipated Royal Wedding will finally be here!  The storefronts in London are chockablock full of goodies to help complete your royal collection and to make your own celebration colorful and memorable.

Because I’m not crazy enough to combat the thousands of people who will be on the streets to try to catch a peek, my friends and I are planning our own celebration that will be free of crowds and full of fabulous noshing!

Have a little royal soiree of your own, taking advantage of the adorable festive keepsakes on the market!

what party would be complete without bunting?

tea towels never go out of style

unsightly tea and coffee stains can easily be prevented with these classy coasters

whoopie {wedding} pies would look awfully cute on this cake stand!

union jack cases for cupcakes

keep the tea brewing all party long!

send your guests homes with a souvenir teacup

and some british biscuits

…in a tote bag they’ll keep forever!

and don’t forget to wish congratulations to the newlyweds!

(and use it for your thank you notes, too!)

Come back next week for recipe ideas that will satiate the sweet (and savory) tooth of every guest!

xo, paige

photos from their respective sources (click on the photo links)

hope your day is just p e a c h y!

xo, paige

Inspired by a winter wedding I saw on London photographer Emily Quinton’s blog, I began a search for speech bubble chalkboards.  Not many results came up, and the ones that did were expensive.  I did a quick “DIY” search and found an easy to follow post on Makes and Takes blog.

A quick stop at an arts and crafts shop and paint store was easy for gathering the necessary supplies (foam core, Xacto knife, chalkboard spray paint, and chalk).  From there, I followed the steps on the blog and the next day, the chalkboards were ready!

Get your hands dirty, go outside, turn up the music, and play a little– I guarantee it’ll free your mind and provide you with all sorts of fun!

Then, hand it over to your guests and let their imaginations run wild!

xo, paige

top photo:  emily quinton

bottom two photos: paige galla

Today is without a doubt, my favorite day to be in England.  It’s Pancake Day, also known historically as Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.  The tradition began when families would clear out their cupboards and refrigerators of fattening foods to prepare for a healthy Lent.  Each Pancake Tuesday, they’d fry up as many pancakes as their ingredients afforded.  Today, we started the day in the very same way!

If you’d like to join from California and the States, here’s the tried and true English way.

Ingredients:

100 grams of flour, sifted {1 US cup=125 grams}

300 ml milk {about 1 1/4 cup}

1 egg

Butter, lemon wedges and sugar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients with a whisk until blended.  Put a round frying pan (or griddle) on the stove and turn up to medium high heat (adjust as necessary).  When the pan is hot, put a little butter in to coat.  Pour enough batter in to coat the entire pan, but do not make it thick.  These pancakes are thin and similar to crepes, not like American, fluffy IHOP pancakes.  When you can see that the liquid is becoming matte in texture and bubbly, pull out your inner chef, shake it around to free it up from the pan, and give it a good flip! It only takes a try or to until you’ve mastered it (and who doesn’t like to eat mistakes!).  When it’s golden on both sides, toss it onto your plate.  Squeeze your freshly cut lemon and sprinkle with sugar, then roll or fold it up and…eat immediately!

make sure to alternate with raspberry conserve and nutella, too!

How does this relate to weddings, you ask?  I can see lots of salivating guests in line for the hot pancake station {with all sorts of toppings} at your wedding, right around 9:30-10pm!  It would make an easy, customizable hot snack to keep the party fueled and satiated!

e n j o y!

xo, paige

Remember the good old days of pulling scraps out of pretty magazines and pinning them on the board above your desk?  Fast forward to nowadays, and take advantage of the amazing world of Pinterest.  Whenever you’re out and about on the internet, hopping from one blog to the next, use the handy tool on your bookmark to ‘pin it’ and add it to your virtual pinboard.  Share it with others and follow your favorites, too!   If you thought you could get lost on Etsy, make yourself a cuppa, put your feet up, and snuggle in for the night.  Prepare to fall in lurve.  Endless wedding inspiration has never been so easy to find.

xo, paige