Friday Favorites

Here's the first edition of Friday Favorites in 2014! Enjoy!

Elegant Fairy Tale Reception Decor. (theknot.com)

This Romantic Georgia Wedding. (100layercake.com)

Hibiscus Bouquets. (stylemepretty.com)

Edible Wedding Favors. (weddingfavors.org)

This gown. (jessicalorren.com)

TGIF

xoxo

The Advantage of Having a Winter Wedding

Now that we're finally coming out of the deep freeze that was the Polar Vortex, the majority of us (particularly those of us living in the South who forgot 9 degrees could be a legitimate temperature) are swearing off all things cold and, well, wintery. But not so fast! Winter is far from over, but we've found some really advantageous aspects of this chilly season when it comes to wedding planning, so listen up!

Typically, there aren't as many weddings happening during the winter being that it isn't really "wedding season." This can really work in your favor for a number of reasons, the biggest being the lack of competition. Since less people are planning weddings, you'll be able to have your pick of both venues and vendors without worrying so much about them already being booked and you'll have a much better chance of actually having both your dream venue and photographer. This lack of competition also comes into play when you start to take your wallet into account as well. Since not as many people are booking vendors' services, you'll see much lower prices. This allows you to spring for even more luxurious details without breaking the bank. As for your guests, you're much more likely to gather everyone that you want to be there being as you aren't competing with summer vacations and a multitude of in-season weddings. 

We hope these hints give you a little help to appreciate the next few chilly months before spring sets upon us and our mailboxes begin to be filled with wedding invitations.

xo

6 New Years Resolutions for the Bride-to-Be

It's a New Year which usually results in an ample amount of new brides-to-be following the happy holiday season. While you're probably used to making a list of New Years resolutions each year, we've made a list of resolutions for you to keep this year if you are sporting a sparkly new engagement ring.

1. Make the guest list before you do anything else - While the guest list may be one of the most tedious parts of planning and may inevitably cause a fight or two, it's also one of the most important parts of planning. You can't book a venue until you know how many guests to expect, and you can't set a solid date until you've booked your venue. Booking a venue that can only accommodate 100 people and then realizing that you can't trim your list under 200 people is an easy blunder to avoid by making your guest list first.

2. Mind your manners - Nobody wants to be the next bridezilla to become Youtube famous. It'll haunt your forever, we promise.

3. Don't go overboard on the diet and exercise - Adopting a healthy lifestyle in order to look and feel your best on your big day is definitely encouraged, but don't plan on subsisting off of kale and the latest juice cleanse alone. You're going to be doing a lot of work and dealing with a lot of stress over the next few months. Don't make yourself miserable just because you're hungry. Schedule in an extra barre class  each week or take a long weekend walk instead of skipping lunch.

4. Continue to make your relationship with your fiance your priority - As a bride, it's easy to get caught up in planning the wedding, but don't forget to make time for the person you'll be marrying or treat him with anything less than the love and affection that made him want to marry your in the first place.

5. Vow not to use social media as your personal wedding journal - We know you're excited, in fact, everyone knows that you're excited--and you have every right to be! But don't flounder everyone else's excitement by bombarding your friends' social media feeds with everything that you're doing for every stage of wedding planning. Keep it slightly under wraps until the big day, everyone will be more than excited to see the final production if they haven't been watching it in the making for months.

6. Stick to your wedding budget - While saving money may be an age old New Years resolution, it may be more important now than ever. Don't start your life together in debt, be careful with how you're spending for the big day. There are plenty of ways to achieve the day of your dreams without spending every penny.

We hope that these resolutions will send you on your way to a happy year of wedding planning! Good luck!

xoxo

Friday Favorites

It's the most festive time of the year and we've filled this week's Friday Favorites with all kinds of things to keep you feeling festive!

A delightfully simple (and delicious) Christmas Menu. (blog.relayfoods.com)

Mini bottles of champagne as gifts for your guests. (weddingwire.com)

Gypsy picnic. (sincerelyjani.tumblr.com)

Monogrammed ornaments. (anthropologie.com)

Work out tanks for your New Years resolutions. (etsy.com)

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Cookie Exchange: Wedding Cookies

Get ready for your Holiday Cookie Exchanges and make these Wedding Cookies during your annual Christmas Cookie bake off. Original recipe featured on Saveur.

Ingredients:
16 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
6 tbsp., plus 1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:
Heat oven to 275 degrees. Whip butter and 6 tbsp. sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Slowly add flour and beat until combined. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway until cookies are set 25-30 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack. Let cool. Place remaining 1 cup sugar in a shallow dish; roll cookies in sugar until completely coated.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful... With the holiday season in full swing, many people are beginning to anticipate the thought of fluffy, white snow. Nothing looks quite as festive as a fresh blanket of snow and nothing can make you feel quite as cozy while you're looking out through your window. We've gathered photos of weddings that have done a wonderful job of capturing all those warm and fuzzy feelings that the first snow fall of the year tends to bring out in us all. For more, visit our Holiday Wedding board on Pinterest.

xoxo

Holiday Themed Wedding Decor

We're really starting to feel festive here at Happily Ever Afterwords! We took a break from trimming the tree to put together this photo montage of Holiday Wedding details to get you in the spirit, too! Visit  us on Pinterest to see more!

Ho ho ho and xoxoxo