Pretty Pillows... Perfect Repurposing

I love handmade, and I love pretty. But sometimes pretty handmade things come with a price tag. When you buy an original, a one of a kind, or anything that someone has toiled over for hours, you're going to pay for it. So what to do when you fall in love with something that you might not be able to justify in your budget? Repurpose! Repurposing your wedding things after your big day achieves two ends: the investment you made on your wedding accessories aren't just one-day throw aways, AND you can fill your home and life with things from your wedding that are filled with memories and emotion.

This is why I am IN LOVE with these stunning ring pillows from MaiharDesign. The designs are absolutely incredible, and by going for a more unique, bespoke pillow over a tradional ring pillow, you can actually USE it for something other than a ring pillow. Where, you may ask? Well, how about for your baby's nursery?

I personally used my table number frames to house my wedding pictures around my home, and I use my bouquet bling for pretty much anything that needs a little sparkle. Almost everything you buy for your wedding can find a home in your home afterwards (much to many husbands dismay!), and anything extra (multiple vases, frames etc) make great momentos to give to your close family or friends. What special event items have YOU (or will you) repurpose after your wedding or event (grad, birthday, party)? Leave a little blog love with your ideas!

Etsy Love: Stunning Devine Deco Necklace

I am just LOVING this gorgeous Devine Deco Edwina necklace from EMBridal. The perfect accessory to add a little glam to a simple bridal gown.

Gorgeous Green, Black and White Wedding

I came across this gorgeous wedding on Modern Day Floral, photographed by the very talented Jessica Johnston. The images are breathtaking and the romantic modern feel of the reception is just to die for. And the fact that the team flipped the ceremony over to the reception in 45 minutes flat is beyond impressive!

Cute and fuzzy crafts for fall

I'm a sucker for a great diy project, and an even bigger sucker for free templates. This post satisfies my craving for both! Domestic Fluff has an easy-to-follow tutorial for making pom pom flowers, a creative take on the infamous tissue poms (just on a smaller scale and suitable for everything from wedding and party crafts to home decor). In addition to these delightfully adorable yarn blooms are the matching paper templates that would be perfect for a shower or birthday! Enjoy, and if you do happen to ever try your hand at one of these crafts, send me a picture! I'd love to see ;)

Les Petits Desserts

Mini Cherry Pies

Petit Fours

Mini Pumpkin Pies!

Mini chocolate chip Pancake bites

This is something completely unrelated to weddings, but it's so adorable I just had to share! Plus, as mini-everything is all the rage, these adorable bite sized baked goods from bakerella could be tweaked to your wedding or event theme and used on your Amy Atlas style dessert table!

I don't know why I am so fascinated with them, but I just can't get over how cute and convenient miniatures are. Yesterday when baking some delicious mint fudge brownies, I decided to spoon the batter into my mini cupcake sheet instead of a brownie pan. The result was delicious bite sized brownies, and saved me the arduous task of trying to cut gooey brownies into squares, which quite frankly I suck at!

I think the bite-sized pancake idea has got to be one of the most innovative of them all. I mean, really, making pancakes isn't always fun, and inevitably half the batch ends up being much cooler than the other. This way everyone eats at the same time and they're perfect for dipping into syrup. I think I may try making a mini version of french toast the same way (cut out circles of bread to place in mini cupcake pan, cover with milky egg mixture).

Anyone else have some ideas for "minis"? Leave your comments please!!

Photographer Portrait: Luxe Photography

I was first introduced to the work of Larissa Addison of Luxe Photography by a bride (and good friend) of mine. This bride knew a friend who knew a friend who had hired Larissa, and as it goes, Larissa and I ended up working on the same wedding. After looking into Larissa and checking out her portfolio (as any good wedding planner worth her salt would do), I was beyond impressed with this local talent who hails from my hometown of White Rock, BC. What I found almost equally impressive were her incredibly reasonable rates for wedding packages, starting at just $1000 (better book your date quick, because I'm fairly sure that someone of her caliber won't be able to keep her rates this low for long!). Being an avid admirer of excellent photography and post editing, I can tell you with certainty that Larissa's star is on the rise. Nothing thrills me more than being able to showcase an emerging talent and hope that every little bit of exposure helps thrust her into the realms of previously mentioned Reine and Jana, Chris plus Lynn and Erin Gilmore. Posted here are just a few of my favourite shots of hers, but definitely give her blog and website a look as every image she takes is breathtaking ( I love her family portraits and children's pictures, so make sure to look at those too!). Without futher ado, here is our interview which is sure to make you squeel with glee! Her enthusiasm and passion for her craft is so inspiring!

Hello Bella Interview with Larissa Addison of Luxe Photography

HB: How did you get into photography?

LA: It dates back many years to my childhood. My parents both dabbled with photography and their own film development. However, in my youth I was too ignorant to learn the technicalities, though I loved picking up my parents 35mm cameras. Digital came around, and then my daughter was born. I began having little mini "photoshoots" with her with my point and shoot. I started doing some photo editing and after realizing I wanted to take better pictures and not just make crappy pictures look better, I took in my father's old Olympus E-500. I did a couple engagement shoots right off the bat for some friends, and the same friends booked me for their weddings at a low cost. The rest is history... I guess?

HB: What do you enjoy most about photographing weddings?

LA: Weddings are amazing. They truly are the most important day to many people - more than just bride and groom. First and foremost I love seeing a bride and groom pull together, and make a true self expression of their love with planning and designing a wedding. Second, I just love LOVE. I love seeing all these people huddle around a couple that is so excited to have a life together. I get to meet their families, their best friends, and really am truly touched by each family by the end of the day.

HB: What's been your favourite wedding to photograph so far?

LA: This has to be this hardest question. I love all of my clients so much. But so far, the most fun I've had on a wedding day was Jana and Matt's wedding on August 28th of this year. Jana was adorable, and she worried about me all day, making sure I'd eaten, etc. Also, my younger sister attended the wedding and was one of the Emcee's and it was awesome having her near me! The locations were awesome and the lighting was perfect. Bright but diffused light, we went to Granville island for portraits and this huuuuuuge (16) wedding party tromped around, the guys wearing hot pink Ray Ban sunglasses. We were a sight!

HB: Any funny or horror wedding stories?

LA:Well the only horror stories I have (since I have the best clients ever!) are really to do with location. I had one location that was absolutely terrible for lighting and the wedding party was not willing to go elsewhere. No shade, an extremely bright day, made for harsh shadows, uneven lighting and squinted eyes. It was nearly impossible to work with. I hope that brides really do take into consideration lighting when choosing their venue, and consult any photographer you know about what is the best kind of lighting for your wedding photographs.

HB: What is your favourite wedding picture to take?

LA: I absolutely LOVE taking macro ring shots, as well as setting up the bouquet, getting product shots too. My favorite ceremony shot is when the bride and groom come back down the aisle when they've just been married. They are always absolutely beaming with pride and emotion! Doing the bride and groom portraits can be very powerful and I try and invoke emotion into my bride and groom because it really shows through in the photos. I love setting them in a spot and allowing them to really embrace and look at each other, kiss and flirt, while I get wide angle shots from a slight distance.

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Coming up! Photographer Profile

I'm really excited to profile this photographer for my October "vendor pick of the month". Narrowing down the images to feature on here is a daunting task, because I am literally in love with every image. I will also be posting an interview with the photographer herself, Larissa Addison, and if you haven't already fallen in love with her through her photos, her interview is sure to tug on your heart strings a bit. More coming soon, but in the meantime visit www.luxephotography.ca.