It’s a Honeymoon Survival Kit and is so stinking cute I can barely stand it. And seriously useful. Designed the boutique luxury cleaning company in New York, Jeeves, the kit is filled with all of the little cleaning necessities that you’ll need on your honeymoon…a lingerie cleanser, a swimsuit cleanser, fashion tape, no sew buttons, a reusable lint roller and so much more. It’s the perfect little kit to make sure that you and your hubs look really good even after the big day.

I thought this was such a genius idea that I wanted to make sure you all knew about it…and although it’s geared to honeymooners, it would make a really cool gift for your maids! Plus, they sell these babies at Bergdorf Goodman’s so you know the quality is top notch. For more info about this adorable product, click right here!

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Post tags: Honeymoon Survival Kit, Jeeves
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts

* * *

Let’s face it ladies, helping your fiancé find unique gifts for his groomsmen can be a pretty daunting task. Today’s Round Up is here to lend you a helping hand. We’ve covered the basics of groomsmen gift giving starting with the personal and the practical, but for those who want to go the distance and add a bit of cool man stuff, this is the collection for you.

Credits: Spoon Sisters, Mountain Smith, Spoon Sisters, Revolve Clothing, Jack Black, Stirtified, Garrett Wade, Barneys New York, Theory 11

Row I: For the guy who likes to know how to do just about everything (which I think is just about every guy), this book is a great little extra to add to any groomsman gift. Not just for the outdoorsy guy, Mountain Smith makes great coolers that any guy would be happy to tote. Make this a complete gift by filling it up with some fancy beers (or Natty Lights, whatever your style is) and throw in The Walley, quite possibly the most ingenious little wallet sized bottle opener EVER.

Row II: Get a little techie with a cool fish-eye camera. A great gift if you’re looking for something a little artsy for your groomsmen. Concerned with your friends appearance on the day of? Jack Black products make it easy for men to look good with their ultimate man grooming kit. A sleek way to keep all of your tools in one convenient spot, gift this wine accessory kit with a good bottle of wine to go the extra mile.

Row III: The ultimate gizmo for your groom’s favorite men, you can’t go wrong with the pocket tool by Garrett Wade. Any good host needs to have a copy of The American Bar, an impressive resource for beverage connoisseurs. Add a pack of the most relied upon cards in casinos world or a set of personalized poker chips. With any of these gifts, your groom’s best buds will sure be happy you choose them to fill the groomsmen role.

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Post tags: Carrie Moore, Gifts, Groomsmen Gifts
Post categories: Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

* * *

Today’s Round Up is all about the boys and those tricky gifts to show appreciation. There are several different paths you can go down when it comes to the type of gift your groom gives. While many guys want to keep it strictly personal, it’s always a safe bet to gift the guys something they can wear on the big day. The next items are some cool finds to make sure those groomsmen are looking spiffy on the day of.

Credits: Oberon Socks, Lacoste, Banana Republic, Neiman Marcus, Orvis, Saks Fifth Avenue, Banana Republic, Barneys New York, Banana Republic

Row I: Tie clips are coming back in a big way, thanks to hit shows like Mad Men. This one by Banana Republic is a chic way to keep ties all pulled together. And speaking of great ties, we are loving the simple, gray tones like this one from Barney’s. Going for a traditional bow-tie look? Gift a really good one so your groomsmen can stay in style long after the big day.

Row II: Introduce your best buds to The Art of Shaving with this handy and travel size kit. Splurge a little more and pair this kit with a close shave at your local barbershop the morning of the wedding. Every guy can use a nice tie case. This one by Orvis is a great gift for your groomsmen that are always on the go. A traditional, but incredibly useful gift is a nice set of handkerchiefs. Save a little cash by breaking up the set or make it more personal by getting each one monogrammed.

Row III: Want a simple and classic cuff link? The knot set by Banana Republic is surprisingly affordable counterpart to it’s other pricier renditions. If you plan on playing some golf with your buds on the wedding weekend, a nice polo shirt is a great, gift to keep your guys looking good all weekend long. More and more guys are adding a little flair to their wedding day attire. Oberon socks are an easy way to achieve high style with complete functionality.

More man-friendly finds coming up in just a bit!

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Post tags: Carrie Moore, Groomsmen, Groomsmen Gifts, Round-Up
Post categories: Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

But for this morning, I wanted to kick off the week with a feature that our fabulous round-up editor, Carrie, put together just for you guys. After hearing so many requests to get great ideas on groomsmen gifts, Carrie has rounded up her favorite finds for the men in your lives. Love, love, love all of these little gems and am 100% sure that you will find some great ideas tucked inside.

* * *

I am really excited about today’s highly requested groomsmen gift Round Up. I think we all can agree that finding unique gifts for those boys can be quite a challenge, especially when it comes to wedding-related items. Keeping in mind that the groom will want to accomplish a few goals with his gift, I have pulled together some gift ideas today that are sure to cover all the bases: a little personal, a little practical, and rounded out with just some cool man gear. Here’s to those boys!

Credits: Saks Fifth Avenue, Ork Poster, Gunther Gifts, Orvis, Etsy-Retro Gal, Engrave Your Book, Etsy-DLK Designs, Colonel Littleton, Bon Bonoiseau

Row I: Bon Bonoiseau has fantastic accessories for the ladies, but I just adore their vintage money clips for the guys. In a wide assortment of charms, you can pick a different one for each groomsman. Colonel Littleton’s leather bound journal is not just for the Renaissance man. It’s rustic details and worn in monogram, make this journal suitable for all types of men. Added bonus: You even get a free mini Moon Pie with your order! Cuff links are always a good bet when it comes gifts for the groomsmen. I love these atlas cuff links found on Etsy- better yet, they are completely customizable.

Row II: Perfect for the academic type, these engraved leather book covers are completely original and can even be modeled after your own custom artwork. Faux mustache’s are all the rage these days, so why not gift your guys these cool mugs found on Etsy. Go the extra mile and stuff the mug with a tie for the big day or a gift card to your favorite store. Every guy could use this personalized shoeshine kit by Col. Littleton. All tucked inside a masculine case perfect for travel, this kit is a one-stop shop.

Row III: Nothing says “Thank you” to a group of men like a personalized poker set does. His buds might just break it out on the big weekend. For something completely unique, Ork Posters is a great way to show gratitude with a really cool concept. Customize the city to each one of your guys for added sentiment.This might just be the classiest kit for cigar lovers. Just add a cigar and you’ll be good-to-go.

We have SO much more coming up!

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Post tags:
Post categories: Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

Materials

Pie Dough (pre-made or homemade)
Pie Filling (we went with Cherry, starting with this recipe then using the pre-made stuff instead)
Disposable Mini Pie Tins
Red and Pink String (or whatever color you want)
Bamboo Spoons from Green Feet
White Bakery Boxes (6″ found at Michaels)
Red cocktail napkins (or whatever color you want)
Pie Tags by Grapevine Invitations

Instructions

1. Make your mini pies. Leaving this part totally up to you! For cheaters even bigger than me, I spotted some cute mini pies at the grocery store over the weekend.

2. Using both colors of your string, wrap the pies like a package, tying your spoon onto the top and making a cute little bow.

3. Tuck your unfolded napkin inside your bakery box, then place the pie on top. You can either slide the tag right inside so that it’s a complete “look” when your guests open it OR you can use more string to tie up your bakery box threading your tag on to your string before you tie the knot.

Voila!

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Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Pie Favors, Wedding Favors
Post categories: DIY Projects, Wedding Favors & Gifts

I knew that I wanted to do some homemade pies, inspired by these little beauties that I spotted over on The Cookie Shop, but with a more vintage inspired twist. I just couldn’t figure out the packaging. So, with about 48 hours before the shoot, I frantically emailed the fabulous Karen Bartolomei of Grapevine Invitations to help us design some tags that would properly show off these adorable favors. When I tell you that Karen whipped these perfect little tags together in literally an hour, I am being completely serious.

It’s not terribly surprising considering Karen has written a book called Paperie for Inspired Living devoted completely to paper treats, but still…does it get ANY cuter?

And guess what…she’s sharing them with you today! Here’s the DIY project for the adorable Pie Tags just for SMP readers!

Materials

80 lb white card stock from Paper Source
Color Printer
3 inch circle hole punch found at Michael’s Craft Store

Instructions

1. After choosing your colorway from the attached template, print the circles on 8.5″ x 11″ cardstock (please note, the circles are slightly bigger than the hole punch)
2. Turn the page over and print the back checkered pattern. (optional, of course)
3. Using a 3″ circle hole punch I purchased at Michael’s craft store I hole punched each tag in a perfect circle shape

Coming up next, we’ll show you how to make the pies and assemble them in such a pretty way for your guests to enjoy! Thank you so much to Karen for being so generous with her time and talents!! We are going to be doing a fun giveaway with Karen in the coming days so definitely stay tuned.

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Post tags: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, From Inspiration to Reality, Pie Tags
Post categories: DIY Projects, Wedding Favors & Gifts

So in celebration of the new feature, I thought that I would share some of my favorite DIY projects from our last From Inspiration to Reality Shoot! Starting with these really cute, REALLY easy Penny For Your Thoughts Bags! Oh and all of the GORGEOUS photographs are by Justin and Mary Marantz.

My vision was to have these cute little bags right next to wishing cards that your guests could write messages on for you. It turned out really cute and I was amazed at just how easy these little favors were to create.

Materials

8.5″ x 11″ Full Sheet Label Paper
Color Printer
Paper Cutter
White Paper Bags (3½-inches x 2-inches x 6¾-inches, found at Michaels)
Large Red Brads (found at Michaels)

Instruction

1. Print out this template on 8.5″ x 11″ full page label sheets. Set your printer to the highest print setting to make sure your text is crisp.

2. Using a paper cutter, trim the labels to size.

3. Adhere labels to the center of your white bags, before opening the bags to fill.

4. Fill the bags with your favorite penny candy. We used little gummies that looked just like pennies that we found at CVS.

5. Fold the top portion of the bag over and punch a small hole in the center.

6. Insert your red brads to close the bags and keep them secure.

Next to these cute little bags, scatter a few wishing cards and a tray or a bowl that guests can place them in when they are done.

We’ve made this super cute wishing cards template for you to use. Just print it out on 8.5″ x 11″ white card stock and trim down to size. Voila! Coming up next, the super duper cute pie’s and coordinating tags!

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Post tags: DIY project, Do-It-Yourself, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Favor Bags, Penny Candy, Wishing Cards
Post categories: DIY Projects, Wedding Favors & Gifts

* * *

Often one of the last things to check off your list of gifts is that final token of gratitude for your beloved bridesmaids. Today’s Bridal Party Gift Round Up is here to act as a little gift guide to help ease the “What to give?” woes. The items in this next assortment are all about fun, feminine little extras that are the perfect compliment to something practical for the wedding or something completely customized for each girl.

Row One: Stephanie Johnson makes great cosmetic bags, and this one is the perfect size to tote around makeup for the day-of, and well, everyday for that matter. To go the extra mile, tuck a favorite lipstick inside. What woman doesn’t love a beautifully scented (and packaged) soap. For those who want to splurge, it’s also a lovely little item to nestle into a little gift bag for your maids with gift certificate to a local spa. TokyoMilk’s solid perfume is ideal for ladies that are on the go and is just the right thing to pop into an charming clutch.

Row Two: So cute and frilly, Show Pony’s screen-printed totes are a fabulous gift to give your ladies so they can carry their extra goodies from the wedding weekend in style. Anthropologie’s apron collection is not only completely and utterly adorable, but makes for the perfect gift to give your “maids.” Pair it with your favorite cookbook and you have a pretty sweet gift. Brooklyn Book Binder is a one stop shop for hand-bound journals, albums and calendars in a wide variety of prints. Write a little note on the inside of the journal cover, circle a few days on the calendar to get coffee with your maids, fill a photo album with pics from the good ole days. It’s all about personalization with these gifts.

Row Three: Roberta Roller Rabbit is my go-to shop for unique finds, so I couldn’t resist the ultra-hip pouches that comes in her fun, worldly prints and are great for just about anything. Fill it up with your favorite magazines and a bottle of wine for your girls to indulge. This vintage camera inspired photo album is a super sleek book to store fun photos of you and your maids. A completely fun and practical little extra, Funktion hand towels are as cute as can be and are sure to be a hit among your favorite ladies.

Thank you so much to Carrie for inspiring such fun gift purchases! The bottom line…think personality. No need to spend a fortune if your gifts are thoughtful and reflect the personalities of your friends.

Coming up…a SUPER fun wedding with lots of stealable ideas!

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Post tags: Bridemaids, Bridesmaids Gifts, Round-Up
Post categories: Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

* * *

Today’s Round Up is geared to finding just the right gift to show appreciation to the ladies that will be standing by your side on your big day. Now, depending on the size of your bridal party, this may or may not be a difficult challenge. Nonetheless, being a recent bride myself, I know it always helps to have a few ideas for gifts in your back pocket. For the bride that wants to add a little fashion flair to their wedding party, the next collection of items are all about fun, stylish gifts that your maids can wear on the big day and everyday after.

Row One: J. Crew’s skinny corsage headband is an adorable addition to any bridesmaids dress, but is also a great item to wear with jeans and a tee. Every bridesmaid needs a cute pair of flip-flops to wear on the dance floor or to bum around town-I love the metallic slims shown here. Your maids will make a statement day-of and year-round with Anthropologie’s corsage that can be worn as a brooch or in your hair. How cute would this be pinned to a satin ribbon?!

Row Two: This bracelet looks fabulous on it’s own or nestled between several others. Your maids will get a lot of mileage out of this golden treasure. Cute clutches for bridesmaids are getting easier to come by thanks to this Etsy designer. In a variety of patterns, you can match each clutch to your friend’s personality. Vintage brooches are such a fabulous gift for any occasion, but pretty ones like this Etsy find can double as the statement piece on a bridesmaids dress.

Row Three: I am totally smitten with this shoe clip by b. poetic. Not only does this shoe clip take an ordinary shoe to extraordinary, but it’s a great accessory that can be worn over and over. Echo’s burnout wrap offers a welcomed spin on the often gifted pashmina. Sold in a variety of colors, this wrap will be a staple in any wardrobe. Summerblossom’s hair pins are not only adorable for adding a little pizzazz to your attendants hair do, but are a great gift that your ladies will be happy to accept.

More fun bridesmaid gifts coming up!

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Post tags:
Post categories: Accessories, Bridal Party, Jewelry, Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

It’s time for our weekly round-up that our fabulous editor, Carrie, put together especially for SMP readers. This week, we are tackling bridesmaids gifts…gits that are as thoughtful as they are chic, as wearable as they are completely and totally special.

* * *

During our Bridesmaids Jewelry Round Up, one of our savvy readers was looking for a bridesmaid’s gift that was a little more personal than the often-anticipated earrings or necklace. I loved this question, particularly because it speaks so appropriately to the role we ask these ladies to play. Naturally, determined to find some good gift inspiration, I began to scour the web for all things, personal, practical and bit playful in the world of bridal party gifts. This first set is all about a modern take on the classic monogram, which is a brilliant choice if you want your memento to be perfectly customized to each of your maids.

Row One: A touch of gold and delicate silver, gives Anne Kiel’s gilded necklace just the right amount of modern sophistication. It is no secret that the silhouette has made a huge comeback, and the pendent by Le Papier Studio is a clever way to capture your maids personal style. The monogrammed envelope necklace, found on Etsy, makes it easy to tell your ladies how much they mean to you-not to mention the tiny letter inside the envelope is absolutely adorable.

Row Two: By far the sweetest little mirror I have ever seen, Anthropologie’s pocket mirror is a lovely memento to any bridesmaids gift. This delicate coffee mug will remind your ladies of your special day, everyday, and can double as a place-setting for the bridesmaids luncheon. Fill it with coffee beans and tuck a starbucks giftcard inside for even more charm. West Elm’s keepsake boxes are ideal for displaying a classic monogram and a great item to store jewels from the wedding day.

Row Three: I love monogrammed vintage hankies and it just so happens they are the best thing to have in hand while the bride and groom say their “I do’s.” I am so excited to have found this Etsy shop full of colorful renditions customized on vintage china. This gift is truly one-of-a-kind. Everyone can use a nice set of personalized stationary. Hello! Lucky has several delightful themes in a spectrum of bold colors.

So much more coming up in just a bit!

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Post tags: Anthropologie, Bridesmaid Gifts, Bridesmaids Gifts, Etsy, Hello! Lucky, jewelery, Monogram, vintage hankies, West Elm
Post categories: Bridal Party, Jewelry, Round-Ups, Wedding Favors & Gifts

Oh and they also carry and an ADORABLE glitter monogrammed cake topper. Too, too cute.

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Post tags: Evie S., Ring Pillows
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts

LOOOOOOVE them. I am working on doing a bridesmaids gift round-up (if you have ideas for it, email me at abb{at}@stylemepretty{dot}com) and these would make the perfect packages. Each one is hand-printed on 100% organic cotton fabric with soy-based inks and features a gesture of giving…love, luck, wisdom. Click right here to order!

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Post tags: Chewing The Cud, Gift Wrap
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts

Congratulations to Kelly M. who wrote …

I love all of your color combinations, and the weddings on your blog were just gorgeous! I couldn’t find my exact color combo, navy blue and fuchsia with bright green accents, but I know you could easily pull these off. My fiance and I want to give away spiced pecans. As a little girl, I can remember picking up and shelling pecans from my Grandfather’s yard. When I met my fiance, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he loved spiced pecans, a favorite of my family, too!! I’ve made spiced pecans for him on several occasions, and I always make them around Christmas time. We would love to share this family favorite with our wedding guests, and what a beautiful way to do so with Dooby Design Group’s favor boxes.

* * *

What better way to end a great week than with another great GIVEAWAY!

The Dooby Design Group, one of our fantastic Little Black Book members that we featured a couple of weeks ago {here} for their picture-perfect candy buffets has  ever-so-generously offered to gift one lucky SMP fan with 100 Signature Favor Boxes!

The favor boxes are the taller style depicted in the first two photographs above. The color can be chosen from a select group of color swatches available from the Dooby Design Group. Ribbons and labels are not included in the giveaway. But even so … this is  just downright generous!

So, to enter …  go to their website and read all about them! They are a Michigan-based full service design studio, but can help you no matter where you live in the Continental United States with invitations and favor boxes and so much more for your wedding!

Next, visit their blog, and click on florals. Within this section of their blog, you will see the most spectacular color inspirations ever … fuschia & black, peacock, Tiffany blue … seriously well-thought out color palettes that today’s brides will ADORE!

Then (you know the drill…) come back here and tell us what color palette you saw on their website or blog that really resonates with you and your plans! And if you don’t see one that coincides with your plans, tell us what you’re thinking of doing (color-wise). We LOVE new color combos!!

Aisha at Dooby Design Group will announce a winner next Friday on this same blog post … so DO check back here!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 101 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dooby Design Group, Favor Boxes, Giveaway, Michigan
Post categories: Community, Contests, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Favors & Gifts

Hand calligraphy is a big part of my business and I recently had the pleasure of working with a couple (Janet and Ethan) on the calligraphy for their wedding. After the invitations went out, Ethan asked me to create a design that he could frame and present to Janet on their wedding day. Pictured below is the artwork that I created for them. It is hand calligraphy in multiple colors of gouache on archival cotton paper. The text is a reading from their wedding and features their names and wedding date at the bottom. It was gratifying to work on such a project and inspired me to offer a giveaway to a Style Me Pretty couple to remember their special day. I’m offering a hand calligraphed design using archival inks and paper of a poem or reading from their wedding (maximum of 12 lines of text, maximum overall size 15″ x15″) featuring their names and wedding date.

That’s such a great thing to do … either for your own home or as a gift to one of your loved ones!

Deborah has lots of examples of her work on her website along with examples of the monograms and logos that she creates.

To enter this contest, please leave a comment below giving us an idea of what reading or poem you will be using in your wedding ceremony. Please remember there are text and size limitations. If you’re not sure what you’ll be using just yet … that’s OK. Just let us know you’re interested!!  We will announce the winner on Monday (July 13th) on this same post entry.  Good luck!

* * *

MONDAY JULY 13th UPDATE

And the winner of the contest?

Melissa’s July 9th entry was the one that made Deborah’s heart melt …

It’s you I like, It’s not the things you wear, it’s not the way you do your hair– But it’s you I like The way you are right now, the way down deep inside you– Not the things that hide you, not your toys– They’re just beside you. But it’s you I like– Every part of you, your skin, your eyes, your feelings Whether old or new. I hope that you’ll remember, even when you’re feeling blue That it’s you I like, it’s you yourself, it’s you, It’s you I like.

~ a Mr. Roger’s song

Please see the LBB Blog on July 13th for the complete winning announcement.  A huge thanks to ALL for entering!!!

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Post tags: Calligraphy, Deborah Nadel Designs, Gifts, Give Away, Giveaway, Poem
Post categories: Contests, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Favors & Gifts

Each rock was custom made for that particular guest…for example, Brad’s had a religious symbol and a musical note fused into the design.  Talk about putting your personal stamp on your wedding! LOVE!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: customized stones, rocks
Post categories: Wedding Favors & Gifts