Wedding Wednesday | Jami + Eric's Custom Designed Wedding Stationery {Defiance, Ohio}

Having the honor to create stationery for my little sister's wedding day was absolutely amazing!!  Designing gorgeousness for couples is always wonderful, but knowing that you're doing it for someone you love and care for takes it to an entire other level of awesome :o)

When Jami and I sat down to chat about what she was looking for, two things were clear - she wanted to incorporate a monogram and her favorite color, purple.  So to check the first thing off the list, I went straight to the amazing talents of Laura Lavender Calligraphy - Laura is not only a favorite person of mine, but what she does with hand-drawn monograms and calligraphy is to-die-for!  She certainly did not disappoint - the intricate, vintage-esque "EJ" monogram was so beautiful that we incorporated it on to everything we could think of.  And when your older sister owns a stationery and design company there is A LOT of everything when it comes to paper, lol!

We started with a very traditional and elegant invitation suite printed on Ivorystone Classic Laid Stock (something completely unique to Jami and Eric), designed with a touch of that vintage feeling - incorporating the deep purple into the envelopes and finishing them with hand-written addresses.  We also designed gorgeous, tall programs for the wedding ceremony itself.

At the reception, guests were greeted at a table full of crayons and cute pages to color on for the kiddos and cards for the adults to leave notes, advice and well wishes for Jami and Eric.  At the gift table, a purple tulle encased bird cage was adorned with a sign reading "Cards".  Each guest table, in addition to the beautiful centerpieces, had a homemade bottle of wine with a custom made tag and a hand-bent fork holding a sign with little bits of trivia about the couple.  The dessert table, full of homemade goodies, had containers with "Thank You" labels so guests could take the treats home.  Each dessert also had its own custom dessert stick with the name of the goodie (and who made it!) and couple's monogram was pressed into beautiful moss green napkins at the bar.  Place cards told the bridal party where to sit at the head table and the bathroom kit even got a little sign!

We had an amazing time finding ways to incorporate stationery into Jami and Eric's big day and the result was breathtaking!

baci designs | Natalie + PJ's Wedding Stationery {Akron, Ohio}

I love having the opportunity to work on family weddings so I was thrilled when Natalie, Ilario's cousin, approached me to design the stationery for her big day!!

We started with a simple, but cute save the date magnet - the two got married at The Portage Country Club overlooking the golf course, so their photo choice was perfectly appropriate :o)  Their custom monogram, black and green color combo and polka dots were continued throughout the rest of the stationery as well.

Taking the basic pocket to another level, we attached the invitation to the front and stuffed the back pocket with all the necessary information - Directions and Accommodations Card, Reception Card and Reply Postcard.  Adding a bit of flair, the circle hole punch allowed for the couple's custom monogram to peak through.  One of my favorite parts of the invitation suite was the polka dot return address - it just was too adorable for words!

We continued the black and green polka dots onto day-of stationery, creating fan programs for the outdoor ceremony (and boy were they necessary that day - the temperatures soared!), wine bottles that doubled as both an escort card and a favor for guests to take home and place cards for the dinner tables.  Finishing off the stationery, we created coordinating thank you notes adorned with the couple's monogram.

Wedding Wednesday | Styled Beach Shoot Stationery {Knoxville, Tennessee}

How amazing things slip through without being featured on the blog, I'll never know - I do know that going forward it won't continue to happen because I have a blog schedule that goes out over a month in advance!  Nothing's getting past this lady any more :o)

I previously mentioned that the stationery we designed for a beautiful Styled Beach Shoot by Shannon Kelley Photography and In Flight was featured on Love Like Oceans, but I never shared my favorite images from the shoot.  Enjoy and come back tomorrow to see another shoot we were part of recently!!

Escort Cards vs. Place Cards

{Place Card Image by Shannon Kelley Photography}

Brides are often confusing escort cards and place cards - sometimes they aren't really even sure what purpose they serve or if they even need them.  I thought I'd take some time today to explain the difference and the reason behind both!

Escort Cards
Escort cards are the first thing your guests see when they enter your reception venue.  These little bad boys let people know what table they'll be sitting at.  Escort cards are incredibly useful because they let your guests know you took the time to think about who they would have an enjoyable evening sitting with.  Having table numbers assigned also cuts down on unused place settings - you'll have each table filled to its capacity and will know exactly how many you need.  Many times when escort cards aren't used there are empty seats at tables because an odd number sat at the table - rarely will one guest come and fill that vacant seat.  Also, if you have a large family attending your wedding they might have to sit separately if they aren't assigned a table ahead of time.

Escort cards should be arranged alphabetically by last name.  It's great to have a few people act as greeters to help people find their cards and speed up the process.  The cards can be written with a single guest's name or with couples/families - either way is acceptable, your decision may be made due to space availability or cost savings.  The cards should have the table number or name displayed on them.  An escort card addressed for an unmarried couple should list the guest who is closest with the couple first.

Creating a seating arrangement for your wedding can be incredibly stressful, but I swear it eases the anxiety on the actual day making all the work worth it!  It's also a fun way to show off your creative side by designing a gorgeous display for your escort cards :o)


Place Cards
Place cards assign your guests a specific place at their reception table.  These cards are 100% necessary for the head table where the bridal party will be seated - it creates much needed organization.  For guest tables, place cards are usually needed when serving a sit-down meal - they will denote what the guest is having so the server knows where to place each plate.  Place cards may also be helpful in situations where divorced parents will be seated at the same table, but should not be placed beside one another.

I hope that was helpful and you feel you learned a little something today ;o)  As always, we're here if you have any questions or need advice!

Wedding Trend Forecasting | Colors {Neutrals - Burlap + Lace}

To finish up our Wedding Trend Forecasting week, we've got a gorgeous Neutrals Inspiration Board!

And in case you missed the rest of the posts this week, here's a recap:

Wedding Trend Forecasting | Oscars Inspiration

Wedding Trend Forecasting | Colors {Brights - Neon Green, Orange + Bright Pink}

Wedding Trend Forecasting | Colors {Sparkles - Shades of Gold + Ivory}

{Image Sources Clockwise from Top Left 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}

Handpicked | Rustic Wedding Items from Etsy

I love Esty, all of the readers should know this by now :) Etsy is one of my most favorite places to shop and look at beautiful handmade items. I always see amazing items for sale, so I picked out nine wonderful wedding items for any "Rustic" wedding.

1) Rustic Table Numbers - $84 for 12 - Perfect to use for table numbers, as the description says, or use them for decoration, such as: centerpieces or writing the food you will be serving.

2) Guest Book Pen - $27 for a set of 2

3) Bride and Groom Chair Signs - $25 - I love these, if you don't have place cards, at least the 2 most important people in the building do :)

4) Mason Jar Oil Lamps - $56 for 4

5) Ring Bearer Pillow - $58 for 2 - How adorable are these!! Even better, you can pick the flower and ribbon to match your wedding colors. 

6) Vintage Wedding Guestbook - $125 - I have never seen anything like this before. One of a kind is a big key to having a perfect wedding. 

7) Burlap Bag with Mini Chalkboards - $18.50 for 10

8) 4-Tier Dessert Stand - $125 - Unique and it's re-usable to put in your house after the wedding. 

9) Window Chart - $45 

What's your favorite? And what would you use for a Rustic wedding?

baci Featured on Love Like Oceans | Styled Beach Shoot Stationery {Knoxville, Tennessee}

Last Fall I was blessed with the opportunity to design and craft stationery for a Styled Beach Shoot the incredibly talented Shannon of Shannon Kelley Photography and the super creative Mayra of In Flight Ideas were collaborating on!

This was so amazing for me for several reasons - first, this was the first styled shoot I was participating in (Yay!) and second, I essentially had complete creative freedom (not something that happens too often in the custom stationery world).  Of course I jumped at the chance and designed some incredibly unique and detailed designs that included not only a complete invitation suite, but a table number, place cards and a menu-napkin ring combination.  To check out the entire post head on over to the awesome Love Like Oceans Blog!

Wedding Wednesday | Destination Beach Wedding

Destination Beach Wedding on Bridesmaid.com

This post was really cute and unique. One because it was a beach wedding, which are absolutely gorgeous weddings! Two because they decorated perfectly for their themed wedding. And three, because of this amazing idea of a seating chart. I would have never thought of this :)

They used this world map as a seating chart, with mini flags attached that had the guests name on it. They grouped guests in categories by Oceans, and used the Ocean names as table numbers :)

How Adorable!!! If you're planning a beach wedding or maybe even met your husband across the ocean, I think this idea would be perfect!

baci's babies | Carson Clare

I apologize for my serious slacking on the promised new feature from last year - baci's babies, where we take a look back at past wedding client's big days as they start having babies and sneak a peek at their gorgeous new little ones. I'm beginning a catch up (not ketchup ;) ) phase right now though!!

First off is Miss Carson Clare, born to not-just-wedding-clients-but-friends Jenny and Mike on June 14, 2010 at 10:58 pm weighing in at 5 pounds exactly and 18 inches long. I couldn't pick just one photo of the lovely little lady because she is quite possibly the most adorable baby on the planet!! I just want to squeeze those little cheeks :o)

Photos by Genovese Photography

I couldn't help but share a few other shots of work I've done for Jenny and Mike in the past that will be featured on the new baci site, even though it hasn't quite been revealed yet. Consider this a sneak peek of all the goodness to come!!

Jenny and Mike's Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Suite and Place Cards

Jenny and Mike's Wedding Invitation Suite and Ceremony Program

Monogrammed Drinkware for Jenny and Mike's Reception

Jenny's Thermographed Personal Stationery

Carson Clare's Birth Announcements

Photos by Brandy J Photography

As always, Jenny and Mike, I adore you and thank you for allowing baci to feature your beautiful baby girl and for choosing to work with baci throughout these past few years!!!

baci's baking - An Entire Thanksgiving Dinner!

Image by Momma C

This Thanksgiving was not our first time hosting the holiday - we hosted our families the second year we lived in Charlotte and a few of our friends the following year because we didn't make the trek back to Ohio. However, this was our first holiday meal in this home and it was certainly the biggest at 17 dinner guests. We've held a larger sit-down meal once before, but there is just something so intimidating about a cooking a turkey. . . stupid turkey! Anyway, more on that later - here's a sneak peek into our first Ohio Home Thanksgiving, complete with lessons learned and general tips on entertaining a large group of people.

This is what my grocery list looked like - Krieger's is a local Health Foods Market here in Cuyahoga Falls where I prefer to get my fresh fruits and vegetables (they offer a lot of locally grown produce, which is always my preference), Giant Eagle is our local grocery store chain and GFS is Gordon Food Service - I wrote prices down from their most recent flier so I could ensure I was getting the proper deals. It really pays to be organized before going to the grocery store, it cuts down on the extra trips back to pick up stuff you missed. Although, I wouldn't know anything about that because Ilario always heads back out for me since I always seem to be in the middle of making something before I realize I'm out! I am so lucky to have such a wonderful hubby!!

This is what our menu looked like, complete with the items other people were bringing and the serveware we needed to clean/locate. I promise you this is the only way to keep your sanity those few days before and the day of your party. I keep an Excel document, titled with the type of party/holiday and the year, so I can see what I did the years prior - it makes prepping the next time around so much more simple. I also print this out and bring it into the kitchen with me so I can cross stuff off and make notes as I go along.

Here are Five Basic Tips I have for hosting large parties:

1. Start preparing several weeks ahead. The earlier you plan, the less extra stress you'll have to deal with the week of. It's just like wedding planning :o)

2. This one is Holiday specific - when purchasing a frozen turkey, be sure to allow ample time for it to thaw. A frozen turkey requires about 24 hours of thaw time for every 4 pounds of meat. Do not count the roasting day as thaw time. All this means is that you need to buy your turkey and put it in your fridge several days before you plan to cook it. Proper planning should make this no problem at all.

3. Go through the list of serveware you will need and actually count the pieces you think you have. This will prevent any unneeded freakouts on the day of when you realize you only have 16 sets of silver instead of 18 like you though. A day or two before get it all out, make sure it's clean and sit it somewhere covered with a tablecloth - this way you're not having to locate, clean and dry dishes just to put something on them right away.

4. Be sure to allow time for yourself to get ready the day of your event. Nothing is worse than a hostess who is still in the shower when guests are arriving. I learned this the hard way the first time we held our Annual New Year's Eve Party. . . I was upstairs still curling my hair while poor Ilario had to greet our guests and take things out of the oven. Get ready early, or at least partially (I usually shower, dry my hair and put a makeup base on then I finish my hair/makeup and get dressed about 45 minutes before people are to arrive) - trust me.

5. Have a glass of wine while you cook. No matter how well you prepare and plan, something will go wrong (take this Thanksgiving as an example, I put the turkey in the oven an entire hour early than it needed to be for us to eat at 1:30 pm and it still wasn't done until an hour after we were supposed to eat. . . stupid turkey!) and the booze will help calm your nerves. I don't mean get drunk, but a little drink never hurt anyone ;o)

Here is a glimpse of the table set up and ready to go! Please forgive my crappy point and shoot photos.

Image by baci

My favorite element of the tablescape was the fruit place cards. Oh, and the fact that I got to break out my Vera Wang Wedgewood China and our Recycled Wine Bottle Glasses!

Images by baci

Ilario's Mom took a photo of me amongst the hungry madness :o) Look at all that food - it barely fit on the table!!

Image by Momma C

Ok, I know you all are reading all this looking for the recipes, so here are some of the favorites from the day! First off, you must know that Ilario's Mom made a double recipe of the awesome Corn Casserole I've previously given you a recipe for and it was nearly licked clean - we may start calling it Corn Crackerole.

As an appetizer I made Foolproof Mushrooms from a Taste of Home recipe - super simple and so tasty!

Image from Taste of Home

I had to incorporate Martha into the holiday, after all, she is my idol :o) I made Big Martha's Mashed Potatoes with Cream Cheese using Yukon Gold potatoes. I used fat free cream cheese, but it didn't make much a difference with the whole milk, sticks of butter and heavy cream - lol! Next time around I'll use skim milk and Earth Balance to cut back on the calories a bit.

Image from Martha Stewart

I took a leap with a Sweet Potato Bourbon Mash, which was super tasty, but I don't think we'll be making it again - everyone seems to love the old reliable Sweet Potato Casserole better. I will, however, be making the Spicy Praline Pecan Topping over and over again. It was insanely delicious - we snacked on them the entire day and it ended up being one of the only things we didn't have leftovers of! Here's the recipe:

Spicy Praline Pecans

(Recipe by Elizabeth Karmel)

1/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup sugar

1 t. kosher salt

pinch of cayenne pepper, or more to taste

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 pound pecan halves

1 egg white, room temperature

1 T. water

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2) Mix together sugars, salt, cayenne and cinnamon; set aside.

3) Beat egg white until frothy, but not stiff, add water and stir until combined.

4) Add pecans and stir to coat evenly.

5) Sprinkle nuts with sugar mixture and stir until evenly coated.

6) Spread sugared nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet fitted with a SilPat liner or Parment Paper ( this is SO important - you will never get your pan clean if you don't line it).

7) Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed.

8) Remove from oven and separate nuts as they cool. Let cool for at least an hour before storing them in a tightly closed container.

Another huge favorite of the day, were the Vegan Snickerdoodles that I made - the kids devoured them! I got the recipe from VeganYumYum and they seriously rocked!!! I don't even like regular Snickerdoodles, but these were delicious. These were the other no-leftovers recipe of the day :o)

Image from VeganYumYum

The final thing I will leave you with today is this: if you're going to host a holiday or a large party, you are going to have leftovers GALORE! So be prepared to eat the same thing over and over again for several days or to get creative like I am. With the leftover Peas and Mushrooms (a specialty that Ilario's Aunt makes and everyone loves) I made Tortellini with Mushrooms and Peas. With the leftover turkey, I simply substituted it in place of the chicken in the delicious Chicken Tetrazzini recipe. I also was able to use up the heavy and whipping creams in these which was super helpful in getting things cleared out of the fridge before they go bad. You could also replace the chicken with turkey in the Chicken and Spinach Quesadillas recipe - I'm going to do this tonight with the leftover mushrooms I have that didn't get put into the gravy on the big day. Ilario and I aren't much for leftovers, so this is the perfect solution to use up the rest of the food in the fridge. Bonus: we don't have to go grocery shopping this week :o)

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I look forward to taking you through the rest of the holiday season with some of my favorite seasonal recipes!

Wedding Wednesday | Final Project

My Wedding and Event Planning Certification Course is coming to an end next week so I've been working steadily on my final project - Combining two unique heritages into a wedding for a "client" (classmate) using the course's A6 Event Production Formula (stating how you'll incorporate Anticipation, Arrival, Atmosphere, Appetite, Amusement and Appreciation into the event). It's so much fun and I adore the gorgeous inspiration board I created for my in-class presentation so I thought I'd share :o)

Row One: Table Decor Image from Style Me Pretty; Bride Photo by Abi Q Photography

Row Two: Vera Wang Dress Photo from 100 Layer Cake; Floral by JL Designs; Signage and Ring Images from Style Me Pretty

Row Three: Uplighting Photo from Tara Guérard Soirée; Shoes Image by Sarah Yates Photography; Floral by JL Designs

Row Four: Cookie Bar Image by Cheyenne Schultz Photography; Wine Bottle Table Number by Joyful Bride Online; Designs by Lilmissi Etsy Shop Image from 100 Layer Cake

Wedding Wednesday | Campground Wedding

I am so in love with this Campground Wedding Photo Shoot designed by some of my absolute favorite vendors - it creates the perfect inspiration board to kick off the summer!!

The list of incredible vendors who put together this fabulous shoot. . .

concept + design: jesi haack weddings

photography: Gabriel and Carlie from gabriel ryan photographers

stationery: paper and thread (I LOVE their combination of paper products and sewing. . . be on lookout for something using this concept from baci for an upcoming baby shower!!)

rentals: signature party rentals

hair + makeup: flourish

bridal gown: mary me bridal

floral design: Carissa at JL Designs

cake: sweet & saucy shop (I am so obsessed with balsa wood flowers right now so this is my favorite ever!!!)

Jess + Glenn's Engagement Party | 07.18.09 {Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio}

I am SO excited to share these photos with you all!! Last weekend, Ilario and I hosted an engagement party for our best friends, Jess and Glenn, who are getting married at the beginning of August. Ilario and I are the ones who introduced Jess and Glenn so this was a very special occasion for us!

Glenn and Ilario went to high school together and have been best friends ever since. Once I met Glenn we became fast friends as well. Ilario always recounts a time a few months into our relationship when I introduced Glenn as "my friend" and not his.

Jess and I met at Bank of America in Charlotte - she was transferred into our group and it just so happened the only cubicle available at the time was right beside me! We bonded over our Midwestern roots (me from Ohio, her from Indiana) and the fact that we both knew there was "more than corn in Indiana". (If you're not from the Midwest - this was the theme song for Indiana Beach Amusement Park when we were growing up.) We also quickly found confidants in one another, talking straight through an hour lunch without even so much as a breath.

In the beginning of summer in 2007, Glenn and his younger brother, Sam, came to visit us in Charlotte. Like good hosts, we took them out for a drink - there was a new bar in uptown so we decided to go there. Since Jess lived close I gave her a call and she met us out. I promise that I wasn't even thinking about setting them up and I think this is why everything worked out so very well! After a few drinks and some drinking of glass by Ilario (loooong story - needless to say this bar didn't stay open very long) the four of us came back home and Jess went on her way as well. The next day, Jess mentioned Glenn to me and it turns out that Glenn was doing the same to Ilario. So we arranged for everyone to have dinner at our home the next night. Jess and Glenn have been a couple ever since, traveling to see each other any chance they get. They're quite a testament to the survival of a long distance relationship and now they're living their happily ever after - we are so thrilled for the two of them!!

The dinner group from that night in 2007 - please forgive us, we were a little intoxicated. . .

Jess and Glenn are having a small wedding in the park and they've asked Ilario and I to be their witnesses - just the four of us! It's such a privilege, so Ilario and I wanted to throw them a fabulous engagement party in their honor. This was the first party we've thrown in our new home so it was extra special. I designed/created/cooked every last detail continuing the black, ivory and deep red color theme throughout.

I knew I wanted everything to be very simple, yet elegant so when I found the chandelier stamp and the thick lined ivory card stock at Pat Catan's I had my inspiration! I designed everything myself, printed them on our home computer and hand-stamped the gorgeous detail. My lovely husband printed addresses on the deep red envelopes and I put on what I thought was the perfect finishing touch - Bob Hope stamps! They are my new obsession - so regal. Why would you ever use boring flag stamps again?

Our back deck was the perfect setting for the party, but the weather didn't want to cooperate. However, we waited until the last minute to set up and ended having the most perfect weather-friendly evening! I wrapped a mixture of linen and cotton napkins, finishing them with the most adorable ivory and black ribbon I found at Michaels. I printed out a detailed menu on matching deep red paper with the same fonts used on the invite and sat one at each place setting. I borrowed two long tables from a friend and rented 18 matching chairs from Tallmadge Tents (330.414.5331). My sister-in-law knew a woman with a white hydrangea bush that needed trimming and she said I could take as many as I wanted! Jess and Glenn had a cherry themed invitation so I continued that into the party with the most adorable cherry place cards. Jess loved them so much that I'll be making them again for their reception! I set up an appetizer table with Arugula-Cannellini Dip, Homemade Hummus, Kalamata Olives with pitas and assorted crackers. My mother-in-law sent over Garden Zucchini Fritters later in the evening as well. Since our back deck is attached to our sunroom, I made coordinating signs welcoming our guests.

Jess was kind enough to take a photo of the yummy food piled on her plate. The menu consisted of Tomato-Black Bean Quinoa, a variety of Oven Roasted Vegetables and Slow Cooked Cajun Roast. I followed dinner with Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies made with Homemade Buttercream Frosting for dessert.

All photos were taken either by me, the bride or her future sister-in-law (and a future baci bride!), Lexy. Here are a few candid shots we captured throughout the evening. From Left to Right: Glenn's brother, Sam, grabbing a beverage off the deck; The bride and groom-to-be; Ilario giving a touching speech before dinner; My helpful hubby setting up the table; The whole crew enjoying dinner and drinks; Jess and I in the kitchen; Jess and Glenn with his parents who stopped by for dessert.

Everyone had such a fabulous time and I didn't want it to end! It was such a joy to do this for our dear friends and we can't wait to celebrate with them on their big day!