Friday, October 22, 2010

Gilt Groupe's Wedding Shop

One of my favorite websites, Gilt Groupe, a place to buy designer duds, modern home decor, and luxurious vacations at deep discounts, is currently selling wedding-related items in their wedding shop through Sunday, October 24th. This means everything from your dress, your jewelry, your honeymoon, and even your beautifying treatments could cost you way less than the retail price.

The catch: Gilt.com is a member's-only site and you have to be invited to join. If you'd like an invite, feel free to e-mail me at barnwoodandbirch@gmail.com.

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite items (that aren't sold out yet!) from their bridal shop:

From the "Fine Jewelry" Sale


From the "Fine Jewelry" Sale

From the "Runway Bride" Sale

From the Bridesmaids: "Black and Ivory" Sale

From the "Head to Toe: Shoes, Clutches and More" Sale

From the "Costume Jems" Sale

From the "Flower Girls" Sale

From the Bridesmaids: "Reds and Pinks" Sale

From the Bridesmaids: "Black and Ivory" Sale

From the "Runway Bride" Sale

From the Bridesmaids: "Greens and Blues" Sale

Which items do you like?

Monday, October 18, 2010

A Barnwood & Birch Wedding: Kyle and Julie

I have a special treat for all of you today. Back in August, an adorable couple, Julie and Kyle, made their way to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to get married. I coordinated the wedding and, today, it was featured on Style Me Pretty. The bride (and groom) have amazing style and working with them was a walk in the park. Julie and I were on the same design wavelength the entire planning process and I was thrilled to be a part of this unique and gorgeous wedding. So, without further ado, I present to you the first official Barnwood & Birch wedding.







The bride collected antique, amber-glass apothecary bottles and jars to hold succulents and flowers.



The ceremony rug was an adorable way to make the ceremony space their own. Plus, they can use this rug in their home afterward (and smile every time they see it).

The Buckeye Seeds came from Julie's grandmother's backyard. According to Julie's grandmother, the seeds mean "good luck" in Native American tradition.



Various pictures of both sets of grandparents graced the table settings.




The mugs, from Anthropologie, had the couples' initials "J", "K", and "H".

For more gorgeous photos from Julie and Kyle's wedding, head to Barnwood & Birch's portfolio page: here.

Vendor Guide:
Venue: Encantado Resort, Santa Fe, NM // Bride's Dress: Priscilla of Boston // Photographer: Jesse Leake // Flowers: Andrea Soorikian // Paper Goods: Suann Song of Simple Song Design // Menswear: Brooks Brothers

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

The One-Year Anniversary

My dear readers. I have to sincerely apologize for my unannounced hiatus. I've been training for a marathon (that's a week-and-a-half away) and for awhile there, I was simply focused on putting one foot in front of the other for hours at a time. Please forgive me. I promise not to create such an absence again.

That said, I have some beautiful weddings coming down the pike that you'll adore. Before we delve into those, though, let's talk anniversary gifts, shall we?

I'm not one for following traditions completely. I like to do things my own way and indulge in traditions that I feel are significant for me. For instance, our "wedding cake" was a pie bar full of natural, different-flavored lovelies. My husband and I aren't huge fans of cake and so, for us, this made sense. Skipping a first dance, though? Nah. I wasn't going to give up that intimate tradition for the world.

Anniversary gifts? Just like partaking in a first dance, I'm following the guidelines to anniversary gifts. I halfway adore them because they narrow the playing field by giving you a recommendation on what to buy and they're also like a game: They give you a word ("cotton," "wood," "lace") and let you get as creative as you can. For instance, my husband and I just celebrated our one-year anniversary two nights ago. We decided to keep our gifts fairly inexpensive. According to tradition, the first year of marriage is meant to be celebrated with "paper." So, I bought him a subscription to his favorite magazine.

Another idea I had? Framing a vintage map of his hometown or county or state. Beyond the nostalgia, it'd look adorable in our house. Maybe I'll keep this one on file for a birthday gift.


Next year, I'll be brainstorming different ways to materialize the "cotton" conceit. Right now, I dreaming of a gorgeously-crafted hanging quilt, like the Museum Collection from Pottery Barn.

Image from Curio Home

Our third anniversary calls for "leather." If my wallet agrees, I'll hopefully be able to buy him a modern and tailored version of a Lay-Z-Boy, like this:

From the Pale & Interesting store

Let's skip anniversary four's gift for right now, since I haven't come up with anything for "fruit/flowers" yet (a membership to jelly-of-the-month club?). Anniversary five is "wood." My dream? To buy us this and (slowly, but surely) convert it into our home.

Image from Zoopy
So that we can have rooms like this...


Image from Willow Decor

Image from Remodelista

Image from Perfectly Imperfect


Image from House and Home

Image by Lindsay Christensen Designs

What did you get your honey for your anniversary? Do you follow tradition when it comes to anniversary gifts?