A new kind of flower power

Plastic flowers are near the top of my hate list. Well, not that a "hate list" actually exists, but if it did, we know where fake flowers stand. Perhaps it was an overindulgence in the 80s and early 90s? Bleh! Well, when a friend mentioned that she was in search of alternatives to fresh flowers for her wedding {due to severe allergies of a bridesmaid} I was excited to come across this idea from A Field Journal. These are pretty stinkin' cute for D.I.Y Flowers! And you know how much we LOVE paper...

For the full scoop on how to make these, visit The Brides Cafe. Loving this as a plastic flower alternative!!

*Photos courtesy of A Field Journal

A little Vineyard Vines touch

One of our favorite weddings of 2010 brought the opportunity for Paper Moss to work with a classic New England brand, Vineyard Vines. By now, you have got to know how much we thrive on customizing things. When the opportunity came about to customize ties for one of our grooms and his groomsmen, see the classic, preppy and sentimental spin it put on this idyllic wedding.

What a gorgeous group of people! To see more of Abby & Andrew's big day, check out our previous post.

Interested in having custom ties for your wedding? Don't hesitate to ask us how to make it happen!!! The possibilities are endless...

*Photos courtesy of Leila Brewster Photography ; Wedding coordinated by TRUE Event

Tuesday Shoesday Inspiration

Today's Tuesday Shoesday pick was inspired by a recent photo shoot we collaborated on with some fabulous New England Vendors. As seen yesterday on Style Me Pretty, this 'Miss American Pie' theme took on a modern twist with a fun color combination of red and teal. One of our latest shoe obsessions are these canvas & rope pumps that happen to come in our featured colors... and a lot more.

Be sure to see the rest over on SMP!

Credits: Event Planning and Design: Details with Love / Photography: Adeline and Grace Photography / Stationery: Paper Moss / Calligraphy: Megan Chapin Calligraphy / Flowers: Studio 539 Flowers / China & Rentals: Rentals Unlimited / Venue: Mount Hope Farm / Custom Furniture & Linen: Ryan Designs / Hair & Makeup: Jennie Kay Murphy / Wedding Dress: Wedding Belle NYC

Come by and see us on....

Happy Monday! We are really loving today because we have the honor of being featured on both Wed Candy and Style Me Pretty! Please stop by over there and say hello & leave those bloggers some love. Below is a 'behind the scenes' video by the talented Artistic Wedding Group that will give a peek into today's SMP photo shoot. Have a fabulous rest of the day!

Miss American Pie Inspiration Shoot from Artistic Wedding Video Group (F. on Vimeo.

Finding the Perfect Dress

Finding the perfect dress may be as challenging as finding the perfect man, however as they say, "When you know, you just KNOW." Right? As fun as trying on dresses may be, the search can be a daunting task. We ran across these tips on Boston.com and just had to pass the words of wisdom along to brides-to-be.

Former brides, have we forgotten any important advice below?

1. Don’t start shopping until you pick a date and reception location. A formal, heavy satin gown will make you wilt at an outdoor resort wedding in August.

2. Do plan a budget for the entire wedding first to help determine how much you can spend on a dress.

3. Don’t get hung up on one dress or style. Another may be far more flattering.

4. Do keep comfort in mind. It’s great to look sexy or dramatic, but make sure the gown will stay in place when you dance, sit, and bend over to greet guests.

5. Don’t go shopping with friends. Their favorite dress isn’t necessarily yours.

6. Do choose the shade of white that most flatters your skin tone.

7. Don’t wear a long, delicate train at a beach or other outdoor wedding. It can get snagged and dirty easily.

8. Do bring a variety of well-fitting bras when shopping for your dress. You’ll get a much better sense of the look and fit of each gown.

9. Don’t wait. Bridal salons say six months before the wedding is ideal, to allow time for ordering and alterations.

10. Do pay for a wedding gown with a charge card rather than a check. If something goes wrong, you’ll have more options for getting your money back.

Happy Shopping!!

*Photo courtesy of Tumblr

Nice napkins!

While prepping for a little get-together several weeks ago, we realized at the last minute that all details were covered - except the napkins. This may sound trite, but everything else was perfectly coordinated and in place! Of course the guests had such a fabulous time that no one noticed, but this definitely inspired us to look into some napkin options for our next soiree.

Dress up plan cloth napkins with a variety of ribbon rings.... the options are endless and you can mix and match to fit the event! For each ring, fold a 6-inch length of fabric ribbon in half, right sides facing, and sew ends together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Turn the rings right side out, and slip them around rolled napkins.

Use boat snaps (available at boating stores) and an off-white cord to make these super cute nautical napkin rings! {Make them}

Make an instant monogram with metallic ink and rubber stamps. What a simple and chic way to spice up paper napkins!

Seersucker makes us giddy. So do parties... what a perfect combination!  The classic fabric is inexpensive and available at almost any cloth store, so you can mix and match a few colors and make 'em yourself!

For a sit down dinner, this bow is such a fun way to class up the setting. Here's how to make it happen: spread a dinner napkin out, lying flat. Fold opposite sides in so they meet at the center. Then fold again at the center to form a narrow, ribbonlike shape. Next, fold short ends in so they meet at the center. Cinch in the middle with a ribbon in a coordinating color, and glue at back.

A childhood craft favorite gone classy: metallic or colorful pipe cleaners! Twist them into letters to make monogramed accessories for napkin rings. How cute are these??

Check out more of Martha's napkin ideas here.

*Photos courtesy of Martha Stewart

Link those cuffs!

French cuffs: the words go together perfectly. While it's not the cuffs that matter {but rather the man inside the shirt} we can't deny our love for the options and splash of personality that cuff links can provide. What a fun way to add another element of customization to a wedding! Have you seen all of the options available??! A fabulous gift for your groom-to-be? Perhaps a little groomsmen gift? Here are some of our favorite sweet & classic ideas for a wedding, but don't stop here, browse on!!

{via Neiman Marcus}

{via THOMAS PINK}

{via Urban Eye}

{via Bragging Bags}

We couldn't leave out one of our favorite couples, Kaitlyn & Ben who's gorgeous wedding was featured on SMP as it boasted some fabulous details, including his bulldog cufflinks from Banana Republic!

{via Laura Ashbrook Photography}

*Photos courtesy of respective sites

{Milk} Shake it up

Now that daylight savings officially happened, we are mentally heading into Spring & Summer full force! Events on warm days are some of our favorites- sundresses, warm nights, ice cream- an irresistible combination! Ami from Elizabeth Anne Designs shared this precious, flirty, ice cream sundae bar idea that is just delicious. What a fun element to add to a wedding, shower, birthday party... or even a family reunion. As shown in the photos below, there are plenty of opportunities to customize a station like this to perfectly complement a color scheme or party theme.  

Love and LOVE.

Oh, and how stinkin' cute is this couple?!?

*Photos courtesy of Kellie Kano Photography

Engaged: Kristin + Kelly

While the weather is still chilly out, we couldn't resist sharing this adorable engagement shoot that consisted of a hot cocoa date and romantic stroll. Maryland based company Laura Ashbrook Photography was perfect at capturing the adorable charm of this couple. How they met: It all started six years ago {when Kristin was sixteen} and hitching a ride to an event with her Young Life leader. On the way, they stopped to pick up Kelly. The moment Kelly got in the car and started reciting lines from SNL, Kristin was sold. Although they went their separate ways that day and never even spoke to each other, Kristin told herself that she was going to marry that boy with the crazy curly hair. Five years later through a mutual friend, fate brought them together! How the love blossomed? Well, that’s another precious story.

How he proposed: On October 23, 2010 Kristin drove to Kelly’s house at 6:30 in the morning to embark on an adventure that he had been telling her about all week. Little did she know, he’d been planning more than just the hike at Annapolis Rock where they were headed. Expecting to find Kelly still asleep in his bed, when she arrived at the house, to her surprise, he was awake, ready to go and waiting for her on the porch. The hour car drive to the trail was a silent drive and left Kristin concerned that something was wrong. To fill the silence and calm his nerves, Kelly turn on rap music...the entire drive...at 6:30 in the morning. When they got to Annapolis Rocks Kelly was anxious to get to the top and Kristin was clueless. It was a beautiful fall morning and the hike up the mountain was a fun and precious time for the both of them. When they got to the top, they went out on onto a rock that was overlooking the valley. Kelly then got down on one knee and asked Kristin to marry him. She said yes! Obviously!

Congratulations to this fabulous couple! Thanks for letting us share your beautiful story.

*Photos courtesy of Laura Ashbrook Photography

Eyes on the Pies

Dessert is one of our favorite things to think about. Seriously. When it comes to weddings, people automatically think: wedding cake! While wedding cake is delicious and traditional, so many future brides are thinking outside of the box for their wedding sweets these days. We love this idea of mini pies- whether it be for a dessert display, tray passed goodies or takeaways for your guests, we've got our eyes on the pies! Mmmmm :)  

{Oh how we adore these custom labels!}

{So cute and what a great idea to offer a variety of flavors! Maybe incorporate a special family recipe?}

*Photos courtesy of Martha Stewart,  Sweetwater Portraits,  Bakerella, Chicago Now, Root Weddings

A Vatne Valentines surprise!

Vatne Designs is one of our favorite things to come out of Bellingham, Washington... next to Death Cab for Cutie {and the Postal Service} of course. It's nearly impossible to peruse their website without racking up a wish list. From now until Monday, they're offering Pearls for Paper readers 25% off your entire purchase! Hooray! {use the code PAPER25 at check out} AND enter to win a special Valentines necklace from Vatne!! {see below}

We had a chance to get to know a little more about the lovely lady behind all these pretty pieces. Here's what Neallie had to say:

How did you get into the business? I have been creating jewelry since I was young, it was an absolute favorite hobby of mine. I was lucky enough to find a career within the couture bridal industry straight out of college where I used my creativity daily, and worked with brides and wedding professionals throughout the country.  After staying home with my kiddos for a few years I decided to start my own business and my immediate instinct was to create jewelry and accessories for brides.  I have since expanded my line to include colors and styles which can be worn day to night, for any and all occasions.

What is your favorite part? My favorite part of creating is just that. I love to create beautiful sparkly jewelry that makes you smile the second you see it.

Do you have a signature piece? I would say that my signature pieces are my E101 earrings, they are the absolute favorite among my customers, friends and family. They add just the right amount of sparkle and bling to your everyday jeans and t-shirt, or they are perfect with a wedding gown. I love them.

{ valentines giveaway }

To celebrate Valentines Day and to celebrate how fabulous you are, we have a special giveaway for one lucky lady! The lovely and talented Vatne Designs created this gorgeous necklace and it could be yours...

{Glowing glass pearls in shades of silver and sand mingle together to form a stunning necklace,

topped with swarovski crystals and dangling from a 19" chain}

Enter to win this stunning necklace by doing the following:

1. "Like" the Vatne Designs page on facebook

2. In the comment section below, let us know your favorite chick flick, in honor of Valentines day!

Follow Vatne Designs on twitter

*Photos by Sheila Carson Photography

Southern Living Weddings

There's a lot to love about Southern Living Magazine, after all, the South has such a distinct and irreplaceable charm. We were so excited for Alison and Chris when we heard their wedding was featured in Southern Living Weddings (among others!). From the custom printed buttons & flags to the cotton candy topped champagne, we don't know which detail we're still swooning over. {Perhaps it's the vintage stamps that appear on the invites, programs and cake..?! The list could go on.} Regardless, this couple and their gorgeous wedding will surely continue to inspire us all. We are beyond honored that they entrusted us with their stationery suite, and couldn't be happier with the end result. (Not to mention the attention it's getting ;))

This is certainly cause for celebration... what an exciting way to capture the memories of their big day! To see more on this feature or to check out other weddings, visit Southern Living Weddings online.

*Photos courtesy of Southern Living Weddings Magazine

BACK TO PRESS

Bridesmaids, your prayers are answered

If you have been or will be a bridesmaid, you'll appreciate this little nugget that we just have to share. For all those times we silently suffered as our besties picked out dresses they swore we'd wear again, for the times we bit our tongue with jealousy that the groomsmen could just rent their tuxes, not fuss with altering something deemed "bridal sizing" and then clog their closets with the aftermath... Well, our sulking has been heard! Rent the Runway not only has a variety of perfect for partying dresses, but now, a recently launched bridal line.

Now your bridesmaids can wear designer gowns {Milly, Badgley Mischka, D&G} or dresses that perfectly suit your wedding color scheme... and everyone wins. What a gracious compromise! After the wedding, bridesmaids pop their dresses back in the mail and never have to worry about them again.

*Photo courtesy of Rent the Runway

Ruffled wedding trends

Ruffles and weddings were made to go together - much like cake and frosting. While there are a plethora of wedding dresses adorned with ruffles and chic ruching, we must not forget the details! Here are some ruffle-related trends that turned our heads. So, if you're a bride to be, don't be afraid to add a feminine punch {and some fabulous texture} to your special day...

Photos clockwise from top: Cake via NoBloPoMo, garter via A Alicia Handmade, bridesmaids dresses via Cherry Blossom Girl, Flower bouquet via Emici Bridal, Ruffle ribbon ball chandelier via Martha Stewart Weddings, Wedding Dress via Style Me Pretty, White rosettes via Making it Fun.

Head-to-Toe Happiness

Happy Wednesday, everyone! While cruising around blog world, we came across this precious west-coast couple on the Jagger Photography blog and fell in love with the light, sweet, relaxed but romantic tones. Jagger Photography did an incredible job capturing the big day {all you Seattle based brides, check them out!} and the pair packed their event full of intricate details that made it sparkle! What a gorgeous couple from head.....

.....to toe! :)

This color combo reminds us of a wedding we did in September. Remember?? Gotta love those icons!

*Photos courtesy of  Jagger Photography

Let's Take a Walk...

It's not very often that I post {Anna is the mastermind behind the blog} so it's an even rarer occasion that I post something extra personal. Maybe today I'm feeling more nostalgic than others, but I wanted to take a walk down memory lane for no reason other than the love of shoes & friends. That's me, in the picture, holding my wedding-day Manolo's freshly covered in permanent marker. She did what??? you ask? You heard right. As thrilled as I was to wear such classic, dreamy shoes, the true excitement was being surrounded by my best friends. It's no doubt I'll keep these shoes forever {and even get to wear them time to time} because they are so much more than a shoe. They encompass the love & support of my friends back on that summer day in June of 2007. Love you girls... ~E

Want the memory but are shoe-sign shy? Have them sign the shoebox instead!

*Wedding & Floral photo courtesy of Barnaby Draper Studios

*Flowers by Stoneblossom

Our Monday obsession.

Cupcakes are pretty close to being perfect on their own, but putting them in adorable containers that allow for fabulous party favors to-go makes us speechless. You see, some of us at Paper Moss (who shall remain nameless) don't have that 'special touch' when it comes to baking. Oh they taste good, but their appearance wouldn't make you think so. In other words, this DIY might be the perfect fit for those of us that need some help in the presentation department. Gotta love projects like that! Now for those of you who don't share our little problem... well, this should be a cake-walk.

{red velvet cake & cream cheese frosting, oh my}

Get the directions on the Cakies blog.

Thank you Cakies, for being so cute and brilliant!!

*Photo courtesy of Cakies

Get your bling on!

How could we resist sharing this fabulous Boston-based find ~ JOJO’s Bling?! We truly have been obsessing over these little swarovski crystals for months and figured that today of all days {New England being covered in sparkly snow and all} was just the day to share it. Ladies, please note: there is a color and style for every occasion/outfit/wedding color scheme. If you’re not careful, you might be like one local nurse who is rumored to wear bling to match every pair of scrubs she owns. ;)

As if the above isn't fabulous enough, check out JOJO's Party Bling collection... some occasions just call for more sparkle!

For all the brides out there, JOJO loves working with you to create masterpieces for your maids, mothers or yourself. Perfection!

*Photos courtesy of JOJO's Bling

Being a good guest

We spend a lot of time giving inspiration, suggestions and etiquette tips for how to throw a great party or wedding, but we must not forget about GUEST etiquette! Sure you keep a busy social calendar so lets make sure that we cover all bases necessary to be good hostesses and gracious guests. Here are six tips from our fave, Emily Post that are applicable in any setting from casual to formal: 1) Tell your host whether you're attending. If you delay your reply, you could hinder the host's planning and also make it seem as if you're waiting for something better to come along.  Even if no RSVP has been requested, it's thoughtful to let your host know if you won't be able to be there.

2) Be on time. Arrive at or shortly after (usually only fifteen minutes) the time stated in the invitation.  Do not, however, arrive early.

3) Be a willing participant. When your host says that it's time for dinner, go straight to the table.  If you happen to be asked to participate in an activity,  accept graciously and enthusiastically no matter how you really feel.

4) Offer to help when you can. Be specific when you offer to help. Even if your offer is refused, your gesture will be appreciated.  When the party's end draws nigh, you could also offer to help with the cleanup.

5)Don't overindulge. Attacking finger foods will not only attract the wrong kind of attention, it will also leave less food for other guests.  Also be sure to keep any consumption of alcoholic beverages on the moderate to low side.

6) Thank the host twice. In some parts of the United States, a second thank-you by phone is customary the day after the party (the first having been delivered on leaving the party) - a gesture that's gracious anywhere.  If the party was formal, written thanks are in order.  In fact, a written note is always appreciated - even after casual parties.

*Photo courtesy of Real Simple

Favorite posts from 2010: No. 3

Here's a look back at another one of our faves...

The Evolution of an Invitation

Anything custom requires more time and attention than something mass-produced. In fashion-speak, it's the "haute couture" of stationery, while pre-made designs are equivalent to the ready-to-wear. Paper Moss has been custom since its first breath. There is something so satisfying about working with clients to make their vision a reality. The design process goes through many "renovations" to finally achieve the look that our brides and grooms are dreaming of.

When we first sat down with {bride to be} Mary Jo, she mentioned her love of Paris and the time she spent abroad. As the conversation evolved and we learned more about her and her honey, it only seemed natural to aim for a "Vintage Parisian" look for their invitation suite... without being cliche. Since we all needed a little inspiration, she sent these photos to inspire designs:

After identifying their color palette, discussing fonts, deciding on the type and weight of paper and getting a general idea of what they wanted, designs for Mary Jo and Paul began. In the first round, we included several options that the bride and groom evaluate and give feedback on. We pulled characteristics from one and add them to another, flip things around, make one design smaller or another less detailed... the list goes on! Here are some of their initial designs:

Sparing the details of the back and forth, the questions, the answers, the tweaking, the perfecting, the printing and yadda yadda, you get the point... their final product fit the bill! PUN intended! Our bride and groom both adored their invitation suite and we were gladly able to accommodate the budget they were working with.

And here is their final "Vintage Parisian" wedding invitation...

And that friends, is how a custom invitation evolves!

*Invite photos courtesy of Laura Ashbrook Photography