 Kristy at her bridal shower last weekend. You know the saying “It takes a village to raise a child”? Well, it came full circle to me this weekend when I realized how many people, events, and moments made me into the person I am today. Sometimes, I guess, it takes a momentous event, like your bridal shower to make you realize it.
This past weekend, I gathered with some of the ladies from my “village” to celebrate our upcoming nuptials. There were women from all aspects of my life; ladies that babysat me before school, ones that fed me homemade meatballs every Sunday, ones that shared late nights and even ones that shared too many glasses of wine. But more importantly, ladies who have shaped me into a woman that will soon marry the love of her life. And what better way to celebrate this than good food and wine, amazing company, embarrassing soon-to-be-newlywed games, and a showering of presents!
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 The Alice flower girl dress from BHLDN's new line. Squeal!
If you’ve ever wished, while trying to narrow down which BHLDN wedding dress you’ll walk down the aisle in—or simply while drooling over the new items they recently put on sale—that the Philly-based bridal sister brand of Anthro would just add some darling flower girl dresses to its line of dresses for you and your ‘maids already, then you will be happy to hear that at long last, they heard you!
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 Stockbyte Oh dear, this is not a very good start to happily ever after.
The New York Post reported this little gem over the weekend: Apparently, there is a Brooklyn couple who had been dating for a year when they got both pregnant and engaged. Due to some convoluted legal thing with an apartment, the couple decided to not get married with an actual license, but rather with a brunch celebration for family and friends.
Well, they still got the usual wedding presents, and a few days after the ceremony, the bride bounced, taking with her her $24,000 engagement ring, and loads of checks and jewelry that had been lavished upon them by their guests. The groom hasn’t seen her since, but is, not surprisingly, suing her for everything she made off with.
She, not surprisingly, has a very different side to the story.
Think it’s pretty safe to say this one’s not ending in a romantic little honeymoon.
RELATED: How to Keep You Wedding Gifts, Cards and Money Safe at Your Reception
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With LOVE, Liberty Bell and soft pretzel motifs.
 Paper on Pine's new line of Philly-themed gifts. We have long loved adorable local stationery shop Paper on Pine (which, yes, kept the same name even when it moved to S. 13th Street in Midtown Village years ago), known for their super cute stationery, gifts, and one-of-a-kind invitations. And now, they’ve got a whole new line of in-house-designed Philly-themed products perfect for your Big Day.
There are wine totes (great for welcome bags, bridesmaids and hostess gifts), little pouches (ditto—plus, they make a great on-the-go makeup bag perfect to keep with you at all your various wedding-related soirees), and note cards (hello, thank-you notes), all adorned with various Philly motifs, from takes on the LOVE statue and Liberty Bell to the city’s signature soft pretzel.
And because everything is designed in-house, owner Cindy McDonnell—who decided to introduce this new line of products as the shop’s Philly-themed save-the-dates, invitations, programs and gift tags became more and more popular—can personalize any item for you with your and your groom’s names or wedding date.
Philly-themed wine totes and pouches, $20, and note cards, $15 for a box of 10, all at Paper on Pine, 115 South 13th Street, Philadelphia.
Are you using any Philly-themed products for your Big Day?
RELATED: The Best Made-in-Philly Welcome Bags For Your Out-of-Town Guests
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Feminine frills: Chic, elegant and ladylike, lace is a gorgeous finishing touch for your Big Day look.
Natalie by MoniqueLhuillier, a white silk re-embroidered lace sheath gown with a bateau neckline, ruched tulle accent at bust and tulle streamers.
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And made by a Philly artist!
 PRINTS CHARMING: Wedding guest book, 16 inches by 20 inches, $84, and world map, eight by 10 inches, $39, both printed on 100 percent recycled wood from apple-orchard trees.
If there’s one thing Philly artist Ankita Kejariwal knows, it’s how to use color. And not in a Jackson Pollock throw-the-rainbow-on- a-canvas-and-see-what-sticks kind of way. Ankita, a former ad copywriter who studied at Moore College of Art & Design, incorporates just the right shades of peony pink and bright green into her art, including the totally customizable designs she creates for brides through her Etsy-based business, Textured Ink.
Her hand-sketched prints adorn everything from “wedding tree” guest books to customized-for-each-couple calendars to world maps signifying where a twosome met, fell in love or got married, all printed on recycled wood, paper or canvas. They’re bright and modern, with just a touch of nature-inspired whimsy. (“My first instinct is to draw trees and birds,” she says.) And custom art doesn’t mean months of waiting for the finished product: Ankita is hyper-aware of brides’ deadlines, can turn out your design in two to three weeks, and will even email clients print-it-yourself digital copies of her art if they’re the ones running late. From $20 to $200. —Nora Kelly
This article originally appeared in the Spring/Summer 2013 issue of Philadelphia Wedding.
For more pictures of her work, click here.
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 Jupiterimages This cute roundup from philly.com gathers a bunch of Etsy shops from local artists who offer fun goodies for your wedding. From pretty, customizable hangers for the Dress to live on and looks-like-you cake toppers to engraved bottle opener favors and a gorg alternative to place cards, there’s lots of great ideas and options—and the best part is, you’re buying local!
Speaking of cute, customizable alternatives sold on the Etsy shops of local artist’s, be sure to check out a few of our faves, too:
Use These So-Pretty, Custom-Made Bulletin Boards For Your Wedding’s Escort Card Display
PHOTOS: Our New Favorite Guest Book Alternative
Got a local Etsy discovery that brides would love? Share ‘em with the rest of us!
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 Dynamic Graphic If you’re anything like us, you could move into The Container Store and be perfectly happy. And if that does, indeed, describe you, then we’re guessing it’s safe to bet that you are going to include the glorious store’s Cherry Hill location on your wedding registry. If you are, good news—and if you weren’t going to, maybe you should check this out:
These organization experts have just announced their Love, Share, Win! wedding registry contest with two fab prizes perfectly fit for newlyweds: Starting on March 1st, couples who register at The Container Store will be automatically entered to win an Eagle Creek Luggage honeymoon package valued at $1,000 and also a $1,000 gift card to the The Container Store with no restrictions on purchases. Good for anything in the store from Elfa, their modular shelving and drawer system, to individual purchases made in the name of getting you and the hubby organized as you unpack all of those wedding gifts after the honeymoon.
For an even better chance at winning these prizes, they’ll give you another entry to the contest with each transaction that is made off your registry. So the more friends and family shop off your list, the better your chances.
There will be three chances to win from now until Dec 31st; the first drawing date will be announced shortly. Now get zapping!
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 Diamond cluster stud earrings Between now and Sunday, March 10th, you will find discounts of up to 70 percent off on oodles of diamond jewelry and watches at both locations (1521 Walnut Street in Center City and Suburban Square in Ardmore) of Govberg‘s. Which is, like, kind of a big deal.
Included in the sale are diamond earrings (studs, clusters, hoops, chandeliers and drops); rings (eternity and various wedding bands for both men and women); bracelets and pendants; and semi-precious styles as well. You’ll also find lots of timepieces on sale in a wide range of prices from many of their favorite Swiss brands.
All sales are final and special orders aren’t included in the discount, but it seems to us that you might not only be able to take advantage of this to scoop up both of your wedding bands, you could also grab him the lovely and traditional groom’s gift of a beautiful watch—and who knows, perhaps a little bling for yourself to wear on your Big Day, aside from the sparkle you’ve already got on your left hand? Diamond earrings are, after all, never out of order.
Let us know what you score.
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The Flour Pot in Ambler adds new adorable designs to their bridal line.
 All photos courtesy of The Flour Pot. We sure do love our sweets here at PW, which is perhaps why we’ve always been such a fan of Ambler bakery The Flour Pot’s totally adorable “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” sugar cookies. And it’s probably why we’re so pumped to learn that they’ve just added new styles to the line!
Now, there are even more oh-so-cute options for the yummy treat that’ll ask your best girls to stand up for you on your Big Day: You can choose from one of many dresses (which can be customized to match your bridal party’s actual colors or just a pretty shade of the season), a diamond ring, and a wedding cake, all with the attached “Will You Be My Bridesmaid?” tag written out in calligraphy.
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