We all know that trends come and go; it used to be really neat to use silver wedding bells, tulle was all the rage when I got married, and tiered cakes on separate platforms joined by plastic bridges were once a very hot look in the wedding world. Now don’t worry, I am not knocking any of these, I am just saying that things evolve and that’s especially true for weddings.

But some trends have real staying power- ceremonies in the round, doing the first dance immediately after the grand entrance, feasting tables…you get the idea. One trend we think has said staying power is the Fingerprint Guest Book. Why do we think this trend will stick? Because it has 2 major hallmarks of good wedding design: it adds to the personalization of the wedding day and simply put, it makes sense.

(Inviting Moments via Etsy.com)

We love the sign in guest books that feature the couple’s engagement pictures where guests can write a sweet message or give advice. Love it. But an alternative to this is to have guests use their fingerprints to fill in a tree that comes to life only when those who are there to celebrate with the couple participate. I have to admit, I’m a little bit of a sucker for the symbolic qualities of the Fingerprint Guest Book.

(Courtesy of: Jason + Anna Photography)

(via Green wedding Shoes Blog)

You can see that you are not limited to trees either- we have seen bird feathers, seashells, cake sprinkles, and balloons to name a few . We think you’ll agree,  this trend is sure to stick around.

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

Share on Facebook

I love love in it’s simplest form and sometimes you don’t need a lot of fancy-schmancy for it to show. Jannina and Miguel are one of those couples; Jannina glows and Miguel dazzles…it’s serendipity. Just look at these two!

This was one of the first gowns from Gigi Bridal Boutique and it fit Jannina beautifully!

They’re pretty glam

Jannina explains how her mother-in-law made her reception gorgeous: Yamile is Miguel’s mother. She’s a wizard with flowers, decorations and party planning. We didn’t think twice about letting her take the reigns on the decorating front. I didn’t have any themes set in stone as to what I would like at the reception. I simply showed her pics of table settings and centerpeices that I thought were pretty and let her work her magic. The end result was beautiful! She stuck with the white and green theme and every centerpeice was different. She varied from high and low centerpieces and in my opinion kept the reception looking crisp, clean and perfect for a summer wedding.

One thing that so many couples grapple with is what to do for favors but Jannina and Miguel knew exactly what they wanted to do- they made a donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation in honor of Jannina’s mother who is suffering from the disease. The bride also added each guest’s name to the foundation’s contact list in the hopes that if one of them needs the resource someday, they will know where to go for help. This thoughtful touch is money well spent and your guests will appreciate it more than any box of jordan almonds.

KG: Now that you have had a chance to settle in, what is your favorite thing about being married?

J/M: We both agree that the most amazing thing about being married is that we’ve begun living the rest of our lives with our best friend. Every morning is the start of a new adventure with the person we love the most. Every night is peaceful rest in the arms of the person who loves us the most. It’s the greatest feeling. Knowing that our love and respect is mutual and reciprocated is motivation to keep striving to be a better version of ourselves.

Building our home is our big project. Slowly but surely, we’re making it our own and coming home everyday to something we’ve created for each other and ourselves is a dream come true.

KG: Tell us about your honeymoon

J/M: Initially, when we were deciding where to go for our honeymoon; we both agreed that we wanted to go to a beach (didn’t matter where). We wanted to go somewhere we could have options to go out for a night on the town or stay in for a romantic dinner. We chose Laguna Beach after Miguel’s Great-Aunt was kind enough to offer her beach house for us to stay in. We spent our time lazying around the pool, eating, and napping… a lot! We took the Ferry to Catalina Island and spent a few days there. We kayaked, hiked, and even zip-lined! It was a nice change from the laziness in Laguna. It was the best of both worlds and a week that we both didn’t want to end.

KG: What advice would you give to couples planning their wedding?

J/M: My advice for brides to be is to create a timeline. Every week have a project for the wedding that you have to accomplish. This way you’re not stressing out at the last minute to do everything that you forgot. Don’t sweat the small stuff… if something goes wrong at the wedding… laugh it off and enjoy your day. More often than not, you’re the only one who noticed. Lastly, have good music! Our DJ was awesome! He kept people on the dance floor all night! He did a great job of reading the crowd and playing music to their liking and was nice enough to honor a few “request” songs. DJ selection is a big portion of having a successful wedding.

Jannina and Miguel, CONGRATULATIONS and thank you for sharing your day with us!

Jannina and Miguel’s Real Wedding Team:

Ceremony Site: Santa Cruz Parish

Reception Site: La Mariposa Resort

Photographer: Butterfield Photography, Maria

Bridal Gown Store: Gigi Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: A Tailor and Tuxedo

Tuxedos: Top Hat Formal Wear

Florist: Yamile Lopez

Invitations: Jannina Catalan

Cake: Irma Corona

Entertainment: Mariachi San Juan

DJ: Robert Escalante

Make-up Artist: Stephanie Hernandez

Hair Stylist: Aholibama Ayala

Officiant: Father Thomas Reeves

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

 

Share on Facebook