Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Love Story Wedding Guest Book

Recently, I got to know Jillian and Alex while designing their love story wedding guest book. Such a cute couple, with such a cute love story (spoiler: think growing up in the same town, but never crossing paths until they meet online...). 

In addition to sharing their sweet love story,  Jillian also had some adorable love notes and emails from their time dating that she wanted incorporated into her guest book for her wedding guests to enjoy. What a cute idea, and an awesome way to preserve the notes for years to come! I have a feeling lots more couples will follow suit after seeing the unique page we came up with to showcase Jillian and Alex's cute love doodlings.

I think you're going to enjoy it. I also think this couple is headed into years and years and years of wedded bliss. I think after browsing through their guest book and getting to know them a bit you'll agree. A big congratulations to the newlyweds, and a big thank you for making us all smile on Wedded Bliss Wednesday!

Click here to view Jillian and Alex's love story wedding guest book:

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Go marriage!

Recently I was sending a wedding card to a relative who was getting married. I found myself gushing about how excited I was for her because "marriage is the BEST." And isn't it? Getting to spend lots of time with the person you love most; always having someone who is excited to see you when you walk in the door; having everyday boring chores, like grocery shopping, morph into fun adventures because you get to do it with your best friend. It's no secret that I am a fan of good ole m-a-r-r-i-a-g-e.

Because of that, I'm never too surprised to read an article like the one below. Just confirms what we all already know: marriage rocks!

Wedded bliss is good for the heart

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: 40 years of wedded bliss

I came across this article the other day written by a woman getting ready to celebrate 40 years of wedded bliss. I thought her sense of humor about marriage was cute--snarky, without being too snarky. Maybe I enjoyed it because my favorite times with my hubbie, the ones I end up remembering and looking back on, are when we're laughing with each other (or at each other...sometimes that works too!). A sense of humor makes the bliss part of wedded bliss so much easier.

So I thought I'd share it with you for Wedded Bliss Wednesday today. Enjoy!

40 years of wedded bliss

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Bittersweet Love Story

"What matters is love and showing the person you love how much you love them. That's what people will remember. We realize never to end a conversation on a bad note or ruin any day over an argument. Because you don't know how many days are left, and do you want to waste them being angry at the love of your life? Love is the only thing that matters, really."

21 year old Rodney Conradi said that, and I couldn't love it more. How much wedded bliss would there be in this world if everyone had that attitude? His words take on extra meaning when you know the full bittersweet, tear-jerking story.

Rodney Conradi recently passed away from cancer. He married his sweetheart, who is also battling cancer, two days after Valentine's 2012. They met while battling cancer, fell in love down the road and ultimately decided to fight it together.

I think their story of "wedded bliss" is pretty inspiring, so thought I'd share.

To see the full story of how they met, check out the video below. My take away goal: to always remember and act like "love is the only thing that matters, really".

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Vintage Wedding Guest Book Sample

Everybody is getting ready for their summer and fall weddings, and I've been designing wedding guest books galore! Such a fun time of year.

But with all the fun books I've done lately, I haven't shared many samples, so today I thought I'd change that.

One of our brides, Megan, is officially one of the newest of newlyweds! Her March 17th wedding was a gorgeous collection of lace, pearls, brooches and all things vintage. Her guest book had to be beautiful to fit the bill, and I had a great time incorporating her stunning brooch bouquet and lace garter as decorative details. Throw in great photos, themed quotes and a fun proposal page and we had all the makings of an awesome vintage wedding guest book.

Click on the photo below if you're interested in browsing, and a big congratulations to Megan and Ryan! We wish you tons of wedded bliss!

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Let's all pause for a moment...

... and think. What is the most romantic thing your spouse has ever done for you? Come on... I know there's something. It might not be big, it might not be grand, but it's there.

And what about the reverse? What's the most romantic thing you've ever done for your spouse?

Isn't it funny how some of the things that came to mind probably wouldn't be considered "romantic" normally? Those are my very favorite "romantic" gestures: the ones that aren't at all cheesy, or staged, or typically "romantic". The ones that are simple, loving and... him.

I came across a blog today where readers were responding to the question, "What's the most romantic thing your spouse has done for you?" and there were some pretty cute, non-traditional answers. I think you'll enjoy reading them. I loved seeing lots of different definitions of "romance".

And now we're right back where we started! What's the most romantic thing your significant other has done for you? Please comment and share a little love.

Hopefully all the ooey-gooey reflecting will add to your bliss. :)

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Valentine Gift Ideas

Guess what's going to be here in just a couple of short weeks? I'll give you a hint. It has to do with candy hearts, and red & pink, and good old fashioned L-O-V-E.

In honor of the upcoming ooey-gooeyness, for today's Wedded Bliss Wednesday moment, here's a list of Valentine gift ideas that I thought were pretty dang cute. I'm willing to bet that if you pick something from this list, and execute lovingly... wedded bliss galore. The best part? None of them are extravagant, expensive or crazy-difficult to get together. But each and every one is sure to let that special someone know how much you pine for them.

Enjoy, and feel free to share the love and help another cupid (like me) out by commenting about your favorite Valentine gift idea below.

Cute letter or card : I had to put this first on the list, because without fail, my favorite part of every gift my husband gives me is the card. He thoughtfully picks each one out, and always includes the cutest messages inside. Nothing makes me feel more loved, and I bet a lot of you can relate. If resources are limited, or even if they're not, consider a hand written, thoughtful note.

Just Because Gift: Honestly, I'm not a HUGE Valentine's Day person. (Gasp of shock. But you're in the wedding business! Mushy is your thing!!) Don't get me wrong...I love the LOVE, and the decorations, and the candy... but I don't get overly caught up in what my hubbie gets me. Somehow a gift given on a day when he's expected to give me a gift just isn't my all-time-favorite thing. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the gifts; I love the gifts; but well...they just are not my FAVORITE gifts! That being said, I LOVE “just because” gifts. The days when I'm completely not expecting anything, and he shows up with flowers, or bubble bath, or a night out. THOSE are my favorite gifts. So, suggestion: try out a “just because” gift in the weeks leading up to Valentine's. See what happens!

Scavenger Hunt to Historic-Relationship Spots: Why not create a scavenger hunt leading your special someone to the spot of your first kiss, your first date, where you proposed, where you stargazed... Place their favorite flower or candy bar with each clue. Have them end up at a restaurant they've been wanting to try, or back home where a yummy dinner is waiting. Promise...they'll love it.

Create an Album: Whether it's of your wedding, your honeymoon, your years together, a vacation you took together, or your children, a photo album is a great way to say, “Look. Here's why I love you.” If you need help designing a custom album, you know who to call... :) (Ahem...me.)

Create a Couple Soundtrack: Every couple has songs that remind them of moments in their relationship. And I'm not just talking ooey-gooey songs! It could be the song that seems to always play as you clean the house Saturday morning, or the elevator tune you kept hearing on that certain shopping trip that had you laughing, or a song that was popular the year you met. Burn them on a CD and add them to your honey's music collection. It will become a favorite!

Recreate your First Date: Wherever it was, no matter how lame or amazing, your first date will be amazingly awesome recreated. Surprise them with little details that they've forgotten, or think you have. Then let the memories work their magic.

Decorate Something: Their car windows, their office, the bathroom mirror, the bedroom... whatever it is, it will look great splashed in hearts. The thought and time put into planning and surprising always makes someone feel loved. Even if your are AWFUL at decorating.

And of course, if all else fails (or even if it doesn't) smooch. Yes, I hope Valentine's Day holds lots of snuggling and smooching for all of you! Now, go start planning that gift!!

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: A Tip for Wedded Bliss

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and are enjoying lots of time with loved ones!

One of my favorite pieces of advice I received before marriage, actually came from a magazine article. So simple, but SO true. Thought I'd pass it along in hopes that it adds to your wedded bliss. It's all about...grapefruit, oddly enough. So pucker up, and enjoy!


The Grapefruit Syndrome

By Lola B. Walters


As a young wife, I learned that the taste of marriage could be sweeter if I didn’t focus on my husband’s faults.

The Grapefruit Syndrome

My husband and I had been married about two years—just long enough for me to realize that he was a normal man rather than a knight on a white charger—when I read a magazine article recommending that married couples schedule regular talks to discuss, truthfully and candidly, the habits or mannerisms they find annoying in each other. The theory was that if the partners knew of such annoyances, they could correct them before resentful feelings developed.

It made sense to me. I talked with my husband about the idea. After some hesitation, he agreed to give it a try.

As I recall, we were to name five things we found annoying, and I started off. After more than 50 years, I remember only my first complaint: grapefruit. I told him that I didn’t like the way he ate grapefruit. He peeled it and ate it like an orange! Nobody else I knew ate grapefruit like that. Could a girl be expected to spend a lifetime, and even eternity, watching her husband eat grapefruit like an orange? Although I have forgotten them, I’m sure the rest of my complaints were similar.

After I finished, it was his turn to tell the things he disliked about me. Though it has been more than half a century, I still carry a mental image of my husband’s handsome young face as he gathered his brows together in a thoughtful, puzzled frown and then looked at me with his large blue-gray eyes and said, “Well, to tell the truth, I can’t think of anything I don’t like about you, Honey.”

Gasp.

I quickly turned my back, because I didn’t know how to explain the tears that had filled my eyes and were running down my face. I had found fault with him over such trivial things as the way he ate grapefruit, while he hadn’t even noticed any of my peculiar, and no doubt annoying, ways.

I wish I could say that this experience completely cured me of fault finding. It didn’t. But it did make me aware early in my marriage that husbands and wives need to keep in perspective, and usually ignore, the small differences in their habits and personalities. Whenever I hear of married couples being incompatible, I always wonder if they are suffering from what I now call the Grapefruit Syndrome.

Ensign, April 1993

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: How'd You Meet Your Spouse?

Where do the majority of great love stories begin? According to this news article, the top 5 ways people meet their spouses are... drum roll please... any guesses?... any guesses?...

"Echo Boomers":
School: 34%
Work: 15%
Through Friends: 9%
Social activities with friends: 8%
At a Bar: 4%

"Gen Xers":
Work: 19%
Through friends: 18%
School: 14%
Social activities with friends: 8%
Club or bar: 6%

Kind of interesting, eh? I met my hubbie at school when we were little freshmen (the photos are hilarious), so I guess I'm the norm. My parents, however, are a different story. They met "dragging State St". My dad was in his giant, jacked up truck, and looked down to see the girl of his dreams in the passenger seat of a t-top Camero. He flagged the car down, they pulled over, and the rest is history.

How about you? Where'd all your love stories start?

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: The "Ah Ha" Moment

I was reading a wedding blog the other day and the author was talking about how before we all get to the "I do", we all have to have a moment of "I know!", or "Huh...I think I could marry this person", or "Whoa. Love him!". It got me reflecting on my "ah ha" moment.

It gets a little tricky with me, because my hubbie and I actually did the "dating, no best friends, no dating, no best friends, wait...dating...nope, best friends" thing for seven years before I finally committed. I really liked him, then he really liked me, then I really liked him... but the timing was never quite right. Until suddenly it was. While all those ups and downs and all arounds have made for an amazing, friendship-based marriage, they also make it a little difficult to pin point the exact moment when I suddenly knew I was going to marry him. I kinda like to think that deep down I knew all along, which is why I couldn't quite shake him. But after some reflection, I finally did come up with the moment I remember as being a game changer.

I had been having some health problems. I'd felt sick, moody, and quite frankly off my rocker for quite a few months. I finally went to my doctor, and after blood tests she decided to send me to the hospital for an MRI. She suspected a pituitary brain tumor. I remember sitting through the tests, and oddly enough, thinking about how it would all be ok if Brian (my then off-again boyfriend) was there with me. I thought that line of thought was a bit strange at the time, but thinking about him got me through the long, cucky testing process. The results came back as positive-I did have a mass, and surgery was recommended. I hadn't talked to Brian in a couple of months; the moodiness had led me to put a temporary halt to things. But one day shortly before surgery he came to visit, and I spilled the beans.

I'll never forget getting prepped for surgery, and comforting myself with the thought, "Well...at least I'll get to see Brian today. I bet he'll come visit me." And sure enough, shortly after I woke up Brian showed up with a bouquet of my favorite flowers. I was a mess: tampon strings coming out of my nose, IV lines everywhere, and oxygen masks galore. But he sat by my bed and held my hand while my mom took a much needed food break. And whala...my "ah ha" moment. When he left, he kissed my forehead, promising to return the next day, and I thought, "I want him as part of my life permanently. I want him around for all of life's big and small moments. I want him to be the one with me."

Luckily, in the end, I got my wish, and am now enjoying year 4 of wedded bliss. I feel truly blessed.

But enough about me... what about YOU? When did you know you were going to marry your lovey? Inquiring minds are dying to know. Let's dish!

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: A Cute Real-Life Love Story

One of our couples from this summer, Miranda & Chris, has quite the adorable love story.

In Miranda's words: "My fiance and I met when we were in elementary school (4th grade), but didn't begin dating until 20 years later. After going to school together through high school, we went in different directions for college (two Universities that were strong rivals - Oklahoma and Texas). After college our paths continued to cross, but the time wasn't right yet."

With a story like that, we had no choice but to showcase it in their custom wedding guest book! Combine the sweet love story with pretty swirls, fun prompt questions for the guests, beautiful colors and a beautiful couple... and I think we have all the ingredients for an amazing book! But don't take my word for it. Click the photo of their cover to see for yourself.

A big congratulations to the happy newlyweds Miranda & Chris! And don't forget to share your real-life love story and a photo with us (snweddingbooks@yahoo.com). We'd love to hear all about your bliss.

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: The Royal Wedding

Obviously we had to take the chance to talk about the royal wedding. Who watched it? I must admit, I was up at 6:30am EST watching the tail end of it live, and then glued to the TV for the 40 minute highlights after.

What I wouldn't have given to design their custom wedding albums! :)

I think Catherine looked gorgeous, and am predicting lots and lots of you wearing a similar dress when you get married this year. I also loved Prince Harry sneaking a peak at the bride, William mouthing what looks like "You look beautiful", the dual kiss on the balcony (although the first was a bit short for me), and the fact that the happy couple has known each other for so long. I think they just might make it--and make it happily.

What do you all think? Do share!

Here's the link to a 60 second highlight video if you happened to miss out on the fun!

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Cute Marriage Moments

So, there are lots of great things about being married, but one of the best for me is celebrating holidays with the person you love most in the world. Especially birthdays. Especially THEIR birthday. Nothing is quite as much fun for me as thinking about what to do to make the day special for my hubbie. I love planning gifts that will surprise him, dinners that will make him say "Wow!", and memories that he'll laugh about years down the road. I'm kinda a "theme" type gal (I know...never would have guessed with my job, right? Shocker! :))

I had the chance to go crazy yesterday when my hubbie turned 29. What did I conjure up? Well...

He's been really excited about our upcoming Disney World trip, so I decided to transform our apartment into one of his favorite rides, Pirates of the Caribbean. We had fireflies, Bayou lanterns, pirate flags and gold, candles, the ride music playing in the background, and we topped it off by eating his favorite Disney meal: gumbo in sourdough bread bowls. A cozy dinner for 2 at the Blue Bayou. :) After the meal, he was sent on a pirate themed treasure hunt for his presents, and then we dug into his Mickey shaped cake. It was fun, and dorky and hilarious, and...dorky! Fun memories.

Kinda got me thinking... what would happen if I looked for ways to make him feel extra special more often than just on his birthday? Wedded Bliss, I tell you! So, I guess that's the Wedded Bliss challenge of the day. Let's all think of something fun and out-of-the-ordinary that we can do this week to make our spouses feel EXTRA special. Doesn't have to be big. Anything will do. Feel free to share what happens! We'd all love to hear! I've attached a video: you can take a look at our little celebration, as long as you promise to ignore the crazy girl narrating (don't ya just love hearing your voice on film?).

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Romantic Marriage Story

I went trolling the internet for cute, romantic moments in marriage, and found this on ivillage. I'd melt just like Kelly... how about you?

My husband made dinner plans for Valentine's Day, but wouldn't tell me where. He just said the restaurant was a very "out of the way place." After driving for hours, he said we were lost, but he was just covering up a fabulous surprise. When we finally pulled up to a romantic bed and breakfast, I found out he'd booked the whole weekend. This wasn't the best part though. To me, the truly romantic surprise was that he'd packed my whole suitcase. Seeing all the time and effort he'd put into the weekend made my heart melt.

--Kelly, 26, PR Account Executive--

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: We're BACK!

Whew! Thank you all for your patience as we took a brief hiatus! We've been busy, and think the hard work has paid off.

Our new website is up and running! Complete with new samples of guestbooks and wedding day albums, new photos and lots of new info. We'd love to hear what you think! (And if you're in need of a wedding day album or guestbook, now's a great time! To celebrate the new website we've got a promotion going now through Feb. 28th: 10% off wedding albums, 5% off guestbooks! Just mention this post when ordering!)

www.snweddingbooks.com

As for us... we're feeling pretty BLISSFUL that it's finally done!

Our new goal for this blog: we'll be posting once a week in one of the categories, so don't give up on us. And keep those submissions coming!

Wedded Bliss Wednesday

Today we have a cute story from Susan, of SW Floral Design (Washington D.C area). Such a cute story!

I married the tall skinny, quiet guy who worked in the unit next to mine at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC (not as glamorous as you might think). He was so quiet he became my project and we were married less than a year later! We celebrated our 30th anniversary this past May. We are the very proud parents to two daughters, one a forensic discharge planner for the City of Alexandria jail (working with mentally ill inmates) and the other an aspiring journalist/broadcaster who will graduate from college in May. We have had an interesting, event-filled life together - many down times but far more up times as well. Through it all we are still together!

I love the reminder of what a chance dating (or in this case "project" lol) can turn into years down the road. If that's not romance, I don't know what is!

Forever Friday

Gutsy, gutsy man! I think someone who goes to this much trouble definitely deserves to get his girl. What do you think? :)

And please...share YOUR proposal stories. We'd love to hear them.

Wedded Bliss Wednesday

Today's Wedded Bliss comes from Mary Ann, owner of The Wed and Bed. Talk about a cute story. Don't you agree?

I got married in 2006 to the boy next door--I grew up with him during the summer months on Long Beach Island, NJ.

I have 4 daughters and he adored them at first sight. He said they reminded him of me growing up in their different stages of age. We both were married once, and it didn't work and we hadn't seen each other, except for a few times, from ages 10- to 40! We got married on our beach in front of our homes.It was a dream come true to be married in such a familiar spot with our loved ones surrounding us.

We bought my family's home est. in 1958, in 2006 and started to rent it for various occasions. We recently renovated the house and added on specifically to have small wedding venues use our home for the wedding party to stay. We enjoyed our location for our marriage we thought we should offer it to others also.

What a nice life it has been returning to LBI, getting married, raising kids, buying my home, and renovating to share a great wedding location, vacation, or retreat weekends year round.
S&A,
(Still and Always)

Mary Ann and Tom

Thanks for sharing Mary Ann! Everyone out there reading...please share YOUR stories. We're waiting to hear from you! :)

Wedded Bliss Wednesday

Whew...it's still Wednesday, right?! :) I made it! Sorry for the delay. Time just got away from me. We've got quite a few fun wedding book orders going on right now, so I should have some fun samples for you soon.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this cute wedded bliss moment from the owner of Tesoro Bella Jewelry. We think it's super cute. :)



I got married 13 years ago to a boy who lived around the corner from me and YES it is so worth it! Marriage for us has been anything but boring. We have had so much adventure! My husband has joined the Airforce and we have lived in 5 different states. We couldn't have children so we adopted two little boys from Russia and spent about a month over there in 2007 (not a place I ever really dreamed of going but so interesting and wonderful to be there!). Kids in and of themselves are really the ultimate adventure. We've had hard times but they have brought us closer together. Neither one of us is perfect but we've stuck by each other and that's the real clincher. There's a song called "Stories" that makes me think of my hubby - "They don't know who I really am, and they don't know what I've been through like you do. I was made for you." 13 years and I still feel lucky to be married to this guy. :)

Thanks for flaunting your bliss TBella! We loved it.

Wedded Bliss Wednesday: Kristy & Colby

You might remember Kristy and Colby from an earlier Mishap Monday. Now she's back to share a little of her wedded bliss! And we love it! If you've already shared in one category, don't be shy about jumping into another.

Hope you enjoy these cutesy moments as much as I did...

One of our favorite moments from being newly married was one weekend we were both exhausted from our new jobs and we went to bed really early, around 8 AM. For whatever reason we both woke up around 3 AM and we decided to watch a movie because we COULD. I remember we were both so excited that we could be together and watch a movie in the middle of the night and then we could go back to bed and sleep in. To this day we talk about how fun that was in our little one bedroom apartment.

Another Wedding Bliss story:
To this day I have a reoccurring dream that a spider is either dangling down from the ceiling or crawling on the ceiling and I always wake up freaked out and I tell Colby or more yell at Colby to "kill the spider"! Every time I try to convince him that it wasn't a dream this time and that it was real and I point right to where it was at. After a couple of minutes I begin to snap out of it and I then begin to doubt myself that it was real. We go through this every time and every time I scare the crap out of Colby because I'm screaming at him to kill the spider and every time, even when he knows it's a dream (and I'm busy convincing him that it wasn't) he'll play along and search and search for the spider and take me very seriously until I finally give in that it was a dream. What would I do without my spider hunter.

Thanks for sharing your bliss Kristy!

Isn't marriage the BEST?!