2024 has arrived and we are so excited for our very first Wedding Wednesday of the year! After a year of behind the scenes fun, we are jumping back into sharing more of our day to day!
From celebrating our couples and clients (what you see most often) at their events, to the design and planning that happens behind the scenes! We have so many fun Wedding Wednesday posts ahead to help with registries, planning and more, but would love to hear what tips and tricks you would like to hear more about!
Leave us a comment below with your questions – we can’t wait to answer them this year! Stay tuned next week of our list of what’s in and what’s out in 2024!
It’s no surprise that around here we love, love. It’s always a joy to design and create the most intentional of days for our couples. What’s even better is finding a way, beyond the images and videos, to bottle up the joy of the day.
Pressed Floral isn’t your grandmothers pressed flowers! Yes, my own Grammy had a dehydrator and taught me how to press flowers, but our summer projects were no where near the beauty this team creates! If you don’t believe me take a look at CLE bride Leanne!
It was the perfect January day at Armadillo Palace. We were the most intentional about Leanne and Nathan’s design. We wanted fun but unexpected, the perfect design to play off of the fun decor that exists at the venue, but not be matchy matchy. Pink carnations as a nod to Leanne’s grandmother and deep burgundy and blue to tie in the space.
The clouds of babies breath were inspired from the lake Leanne grew up on. Much like the way clouds billow over the lake we wanted a light, airy feel to the wedding day – but make them pink. Our team worked with Bramble and Bee and Revelry Goods to bring the design to life and I would say it was the perfect collaboration!
Leanne and her mom were so excited about the florals, so when I asked if they wanted a way to preserve them I knew exactly who to reach out to, Pressed Floral.
Their knowledge of floral artistry, attention to detail (they tell you exactly how to care for and send in your blooms post event) and options are perfect! They make the process of creating beautiful art easy and fun! I love that Leanne’s piece captures the feel of the day in one beautiful frame! What do you think?
When Summer and Sanne reached out to see if I wanted to share their business it was a no brainer! It is always an honor to work alongside creatives that are amazing at what they do, and take care of our brides and couples the very best!
They were not only kind enough to send along the most amazing thank you to me (check it out HERE) to celebrate their limited launch of their new Botanical Blooms Collection, but they sent along a freebie for you!
Anyone that purchases a custom piece can get a free boutonniere piece with code: CHRISTINAbout. Just visit the site, add your custom piece to your cart and enter the promotion code at checkout!
Their website is beautiful and full of information and portfolios, but to see more of their work visit Pressed Floral on Instagram HERE.
Tell us below if you have heard of Pressed Floral or if you would like to see more of the wonderful creatives we get the pleasure of working with!
xo Christina
As I always say when I talk about any brand I won’t share it if I don’t own it, or love it. When you shop from any of my links it is possible that I am earning a small commission. The cost of the product is not more for you, but the commission exchange happens between the retailer and myself, through the affiliate link you likely clicked on! As an entrepreneur I am in the business of affiliate marketing and appreciate you shopping my favorites through my links!
You probably know by now that I am a champion for small businesses. I love a perfectly curated business, send virtual hugs to women rocking the business world and love spending my dollar to make a difference in the lives of a follow small business owner when I can. It’s a huge bonus when the shop is just a lovely as the owner and each piece is something I would adore in my own closet!
Enter Poppy and Pink! Kaylee and I actually met when Christina Leigh Events was part of the Southern Weddings creative team portfolio. After the magazine said farewell Kaylee jumped into owning a small business herself. She and her co-founder now have the most perfect online boutique!
“You deserve to love what you wear no matter where the day takes you. We’re an online clothing brand equipping you with the statement pieces you’ll love to reach for in your closet.”
In just 72 short weeks the boutique has launched, hosted fabulous collaborations and can now add Featured In Southern Living Magazine to their resume!
To celebrate the fun feature the shop dropped fun new arrivals today and I’m having a hard time not hitting purchase on all of them! The pieces all celebrate classic southern style with a hint of whimsy – and I am here for it! I love that the site not only has the perfect look for every occasion, but all of the accessories a gal could wish for!
You can find the gorgeous Southern Living collection page LINKED HERE, and shop the full site HERE. Don’t forget to enter your email on the P&P site for 10% off your first order!
I was so honored when Kaylee reached out and asked if I wouldn’t mind sharing the amazing news! Of course I had to jump in on the fun! I hope you love learning a little about the boutique and seeing a few of the precious pieces.
Let me know below if Poppy and Pink if new to you, and if you would love seeing more small business features in the future!
xo Christina
As I always say when I talk about any brand I won’t share it if I don’t own it, or love it. When you shop from any of my links it is possible that I am earning a small commission. The cost of the product is not more for you, but the commission exchange happens between the retailer and myself, through the affiliate link you likely clicked on! As an entrepreneur I am in the business of affiliate marketing and appreciate you shopping my favorites through my links!
As a designer I love when clients bring ideas and their vision to the table, but allow me develop and expand upon them, to work with different creative teams to bring the big vision to life. That is exactly what happened with Lauren and Chris. On our very first call Lauren said, this might be different but I don’t want a single flower. We’d love to work with you if you are up for the challenge.
With a New Years Eve celebration ahead of us I knew there was the most amazing way to bring their design ideas to life, yes, without a single flower.
Lauren has a background in interior design and Chris works for a luxury, boutique hotel so I knew we would have a lot of fun thinking outside of the box, and that is exactly what we did. With a palette of black, deep green and mixed metals we added more glass and mirrors than you could image to bounce candlelight off of all of the surfaces for the most wonderful dinner.
From day one the plan was always to host a bespoke evening focused on family and celebrating. Never to overshadow the conversation with things that would only last one night. It was the perfect evening to celebrate their nuptials, Lauren’s birthday and New Years Eve!
One of the things I love to do is allow time for my couples and their families to see the space they have been dreaming about before anyone else. This moment is one of my top moments of the day and these hugs always mean more than any of my couples or clients will ever know. It’s when, as a planner and designer, I get to breathe out. 🙂 To feel the excitement in the trust that has been given to me is the greatest honor. Seeing these photos takes me back to the moment, let’s do it all again!
I wish pictures did the atmosphere justice, and there’s so much more to see – the beautiful cake by Becca Cakes to celebrate Lauren’s birthday, the amazing paper items from Tie That Binds (truly amazing) and more. Until the full gallery goes live in our archives I will leave you with this teaser from The Drakes.
Would you opt for an event without any flowers after seeing this one? We would love to know!
Bravo to the creative teams who helped us celebrate L+C!
I can’t believe school is back! I mean, I can, but I can’t. Does anyone else get me?
To help ease everyone back in to the school year we love showing the teachers in our lives a little love. In order to do that there are a couple of things I’d love to share with you:
First, let’s talk about giving! I’ve put together three super fun, easy ideas and hope you love them as much as my littles do. One of them has requested the “pencils” and the other wants the “apple” so it’s likely we’ll be doing both and saving the other ideas for down the road this school year!
Let’s get to it!
I can’t wait to grow this year!
I love this option because it’s bright and cheerful. I love to give necessities (hand sanitizer and easy to identify pens) as well as a little something fun. For this gift flower seeds and a cute pot it is! Of course, you could always grab an actual plant but I save real flowers for teacher appreciation. 🙂
What do you think of this option? Click HERE for all you need on Amazon and grab this printable tag, or one of the others below!
Let dinner tonight be our treat!
A gift card, but make it cute! I don’t know about you, but if we are going out for night one of school you can bet your teacher probably is too. With early mornings and late nights I love the idea of spreading a little cheer with a gift card for a quick dinner. Think pizza, Chick-Fil-A, etc. takeout that feeds a family! The bonus ifs that if they don’t need t right away they will have it for a night they do!
Click THIS LINK for supplies, grab your favorite gift card from a local restaurant and print your favorite tag below!
I’m excited for my mind to be sharpened this year!
Bright and fun is the name of the game with this happy little surcee! I love that these pencils become a cute scalloped vase or a fun pen/pencil holder. Grab a 6 pack of vases HERE, along with your favorite pens, some hand sanitizer and print your favorite tag below!
FAVORITE THINGS QUESTIONNAIRE
Next, there is always one other thing that I share with our teachers the first week of school, and it’s the questionnaire below. It’s the best way for us to celebrate our teachers with intention, and it’s helpful for things like the holidays and teacher appreciation.
(Of course, check with your PTA/PTO or any homeroom moms to make sure there isn’t a place to find the information or there isn’t an organized effort to gift to your teacher first. )
What gift do you like best? Will you be taking anything to your teacher(s) or asking for their favorite things? We’re hopeful that this is helpful as you celebrate the educators in your life this upcoming school year! Happy back to school!
TIP:
To print any of the tags or questionnaire simply save the image, crop the image to the tag you like and print on card stock. Sizing works best for the tags of you print “four per page.” Don’t forget to sign your students name and punch a hold to tie on with your cute new ribbon!
The truth is people have the ability to change you. It can be a simple smile to change your outlook on the morning, a kind gesture to carry you through the day or it can be a big enough change to make an imprint on your heart.
You see, I am in the business of love. Over the past 15 years I have seen countless love stories, beautiful events and people have crossed my path that have changed me for the better.
When I revamped the website we lost the existing blog and galleries. It has been a goal of mine to revisit events of the past – to re-share marriage days in all their glory. The intricate details; the way a groom looked at his bride, the way a mother so delicately helped her daughter into her dress, the way a couple floated back up the aisle after reciting their vows. Most of all, I want to repost those weddings for you to see the pure joy that my couples get to feel on their wedding days. Joy because I get the honor of taking away all of the legwork and small details – which allows my couples the ability to enjoy their day, to focus on each other and their marriage.
It was August 2013 and I had the pleasure of hearing from Sarah. She was excited to be getting married October 11, 2014 at the Mayo Hotel. I know Sarah from college, but had only heard of Kyle as we had never met. Sarah is the girl you want to know, to know her is to love her. When her wedding was over I told my mom that I wanted to bottle her up and put her in my pocket. She was a constant ray of sunshine, she gave compliments straight from the heart and valued having people around her that were great at their craft, and that she could learn from.
I will never forget the trust she put in me as her wedding planner and designer. I remember proposing a welcome tree to her. An actual tree, in the lobby of the hotel but would need her complete trust to pull it off. She agreed at our design meeting and I was able to give her the best surprise on her marriage day. We laughed so hard that the hotel still gave me a table for the “welcome tree” because they didn’t believe that my team would wheel in a 200lb base and almost 30′ tall tree we adorned with 5″x7″ escort cards. A “tree” that most definitely would have crushed a table.
We saved a tree from the wood chipper. She may have been most proud that we created a beautiful conversation piece that not only served a purpose, but that was created sustainably.
Sarah wanted an elegant dinner party. An evening to celebrate those around her and Kyle as much as they were set to celebrate their marriage. When I tell you that wonderful people surround themselves with like people, this wedding was the definition of that. Each person in the room was a ray of sunshine. From Thomas who spoke at the ceremony about the kind of man Kyle is, to Laura Beth who gave the most beautiful toast at the reception. She spoke about a lady she and Sarah heard at a sorority convention. The speaker (speaking about her husband) said:
“People say I love you from the bottom of my heart, but hunny, for you, my heart has no bottom.”
I will never forget the toast she gave about the kind of love Sarah had found, “the kind of love that sweet lady had found in her husband, she knew that Sarah had found in Kyle.” Those two lines could define the entire wedding alone – just watch their first look.
It was the biggest honor to bring Sarah’s elegant dinner party to life. To work with incredible creative teams like Wade Tower, to serve her family, to assist her brothers with a a family prank (all in appropriate fashion because I am most certainly one to protect any of my events like a mama bear 🙂 ) and to allow her time to change into her mothers wedding gown for their exit. What a joy it was to have a front row to the once-in-a-lifetime magic that was that day, with those people. If you don’t believe me here is a 5 minute peek from the talented duo PenWeddings.
To be honest, I didn’t think loosing Sarah would lead me to this post, but here we are. Sarah went home to be with the Lord a few weeks ago, and while we had only spoke a few times over the past 9 years, each time we did she was that same ray of sunshine. She was far too young to go, and I know she will be greatly missed by many.
For those of you who knew Sarah, I hope this post brought a smile to your face. For those of you who just met Sarah and Kyle through this post, I hope it brought a smile to your face as well.
When I say that all of my couples are forever part of the CLE Family, I truly mean it. Whether a wedding from 15 years ago, or a few weeks ago, the moments and memories I hold close are many. They are moments I look forward to sharing more of right here on the blog. So buckle up, because I have so many wonderful memories to share!
This photo from Krista and Mike’s wedding was the perfect image to headline this sneak peek blog post. Krista wanted to get married in an English Garden, Mike didn’t want a pink wedding – I am fairly certain that our 8 month journey of planning and designing delivered the perfect “marriage” of design details for the couples marriage day!
We’re so excited to share the video sneak peek and a few images from their marriage day by Nate Messarra Photography. Thank you to our amazing team of creatives who helped us bring their vision to life and celebrate our couple!
What do you think of this fun post? What would you like to see more of? If you have a happy wish for our couple we would love for you to leave it below!
It’s time for my yearly planner! Yes, you heard me correct. Today is the launch of the 2023-2024 Academic Yearly layout (August 2023 – July 2024) planners from Simplified, a brand by Emily Ley.
I have been a Simplified planner girl for years, I’m certain it’s more than a decade. I found Emily the year after she sold laminated planners and the simplicity of that first planner sold me. It is the commitment from the Simplified Team to that same simplicity, with a whole new flair, that keeps me coming back!
I have a few tips and insights in this post and hope you find it helpful for today’s launch!
First thing is first, lets talk about the different planner options: 1. The DAILY planner. This layout dedicates a full page to every day of the year, although Saturday and Sunday do share a page. It offers a monthly spread for each month and you can get a DAILY planner in a coil bound format with beautiful pattern options. 2. The WEEKLY planner. This layout dedicates a double page layout to an entire week. The WEEKLY layout can be found with the beautiful book bound, patterned WEEKLY planners as well. 3. The DAPPER DESK planner. While this planner option doesn’t necessarily have the new patterns painted on it’s cover the beautiful leatherette options have held my heart for the past few years. You can find the blue and fawn leatherette options in both a daily and a new weekly format!
You will also find the TEACHER PLANNER, a hanging wall calendar, notebooks, pens, pouches, teach cases and more!
Now for what I know you all are here for, what am I choosing you ask? Let me share!
After going from the weekly planner, to the daily planner (oh hey, babies entered the chat), then to the daily Dapper Desk (hello sleek and professional) I am gunning for that beautiful blue weekly Dapper Desk this year! The vertical weekly layout is screaming for me to switch it up, yet keep with my same rhythm of starting a new calendar in August.
I also hope to grab a new amazing pen clip (genius) and since the Dapper Desk doesn’t come with a sticker sheet I’ll be grabbing the new Blush Magnolia sticker sheet.
A few notes for shopping: 1. I linked all of the items above, including the amazing Dapper Desk bundles, yesterday before the site when down for launch. My hope is that when it comes back up the links won’t be broken. If they are I will try to fix them as soon as possible, but rumor on the street says is you’re looking at the new weekly Dapper Desk like I am you need to be there right at launch. 2. Speaking of launch it is 10:00am ET / 9:00am CT / 7:00am PT 3. I have linked the main SIMPLIFIED SITE HERE for a straight link to all things new, but if you are shopping for the first time and would like $15 off of your first order – I would be honored if you used my give $15, get $15 LINK FOUND HERE.
I will also note that while this launch is for the ACADEMIC (August – July) layout, the YEARLY (January – December) layout planners – in the same beautiful patterns and designs – will launch later this year!
I would love to know if you are a Simplified fan, if you’re trying Simplified for the first time or if you are making notes for your purchase later this year! Chime in below!
Adding seasonal decorations to my home is maybe my favorite part of being a parent. Don’t get me wrong it’s definitely not the only thing, but creating an atmosphere to make the most of each season is something I love! One of the easiest ways I have found to spruce up my kiddos rooms is a refresh to their bookshelves.
Today, for my Friday Faves, I am sharing our most recent list of books we have for each room! I have every single book linked in my Amazon Halloween List HERE alongside additional decor, you can find the link for the clear bookshelves HERE, the link for the dollhouse bookshelf HERE and if you prefer the LTK app you can find a roundup of books and cute skeletons HERE!
For more details on the bookshelves I would love for you to check out my Instagram Reel HERE!
I would love to know, are seasonal and holiday themed books part of your decor in your home? Do you love a themed bookshelf as much a I do? If so, I would love to hear some of your favorite Halloween books below!
A couple more notes 🙂
Our amazing wooden signs are from Against the Grain. An amazing small business that hand cuts and hand crafts each piece with love. Their Fall and Halloween collections are sold out, but their Mistletoe + Holly collections releases today! If you are looking for bookshelf or room decor, gift tags (yes acrylic and wood personalized tags) and more check out their site HERE!
As always, when I talk about any brand I won’t share it if I don’t own it, or love it. From Against the Grain I earn nothing by sharing this small business. It is one that I simply love and hope that you love it too!
However, when you shop from any of my Amazon or LTK links I am earning a small commission. The cost of the product is not more for you, but the commission exchange happens between the retailer and myself, through the affiliate link you likely clicked on! Most of these links are only tied to me for 10-15 minutes from your initial click. As an entrepreneur I am in the business of affiliate marketing and appreciate you shopping my favorites through my links!
Thank you for reading, shopping, sharing and engaging in my posts! I hope you love them as much as I love sharing them!
I can’t believe I will officially have a Pre-K kiddo in my house this year, and little sister is starting school too! It’s bittersweet to be at our last “first, first day,” but such an exciting time to celebrate!
I’ve gathered a few quick things for the perfect first day celebration and have a few tips and tricks for the special occasion!
First, start the day with a fun breakfast! If cooking is your love language this is your time to shine! Fun pancakes, cinnamon rolls or for the bigger kids even a breakfast casserole can be wonderful options! If you are all about the local bakery and apple shaped donuts make your heart smile (this is our go to) then shop small! Either way I would grab these plates, these napkins and this banner for a morning treat!
No first day, is a proper first day without a new outfit in this house. Yes, I know I am still at the age where I can pick out their clothes without their input – I am holding on to that! I can’t get enough of these cute appliqué looks, matching short sets and sibling options! Tip: Avoid personalization for delivery in time for the first day.
A new lunchbox and water bottle are perfect for first day fun! Our beloved Planetbox lunchbox is 28% off and our Yeti’s are 15% off!
Of course crayons, new books and a few extra treats are always welcome! Tip: Grab treats that also double as a snack for their lunchbox, or for when they get home!
Add those all to a fun, functional storage basket and you have an extra mom win! Yea, for a place to hold toys, extra back door shoe basket – the possibilities are endless! Tip: Only grab a new basket if you need one. If you have too many bins and baskets to count grab one from your house.
I love the first day for morning surprises, a great day at school and dinner to learn all about the day! Yes, it takes a little bit to get into a new rhythm, but its one that is welcome – and just around the corner!
I would love to know if you have a fun first day tradition! Share your ideas and celebrations below!
Having been a luxury wedding and event planner for over a decade my love for weddings runs deep in my bones. It’s the type A personality in me that loves creating timelines, the dreamer and visionary in me that loves designing one of a kind events and the servants heart in me that loves giving all I have to each of my couples.
It only seemed fitting for me to begin celebrating my sweet little girls marriage day on her first birthday. So when I stumbled across this precious cake knife tradition I just knew that I had to have it be a part of Charlotte’s birthday celebration.
Let’s break the tradition down.
It’s unclear where the tradition came. Although cutting a birthday cake dates back to Germany in 15th century A.D. it wasn’t until Victorian times when the Brides Cake entered a wedding celebration. As far as gifting a cake knife on a first birthday the history is unclear, but when I stumbled across it I knew it was the key to the perfect first birthday gift.
What: A special cake knife is gifted to a little girl on her first birthday. Note: I did receive messages that it can also be custom to gift a little boy a cake knife as well.
Why: The special cake knife can then be used for special occasions leading up to ones marriage day. Birthdays, communion, graduation, etc.
Julia Childs did say that any event without cake it just a meeting. We all know that cake is generally key to a proper celebration so why not have the perfect cake knife for each special occasion.
How: For Charlotte I will admit that I didn’t have a formal cake knife for my wedding, or I would have passed our wedding set to her. Instead we got her a set from Tiffany’s as her very first blue box.
Leave it to me to be indecisive about what I want to engrave on Charlotte’s set. For her birthday it was blank, but I think I have decided to simply put her formal name on the cake knife and for her wedding we can then add the name of her groom to the cake server for her set to be complete.
I have also heard of a simple message on the back of the cake server to be a great option. Something like: Here’s to the first of many celebrations honoring you. Happy First Birthday! May this cake knife bring you joy each time you celebrate.
In hindsight I may have given Barrett his own birthday cake knife, but will reserve that for his someday bride. Maybe she will have been gifted her very own cake knife.
Our precious cake knife sign came from Honey Bear Pages to match all of our stationery for the party. She has an adorable Etsy shop and is the sweetest! I would highly recommend reaching out to her for a cake knife sign or any stationery needs.
What do you think of the tradition? Did you receive a birthday cake knife, or have you gifted a special cake knife to someone? I would love to hear below!
Did you ever decide if you were going to use the birthdate or first birthday date? I am having the same debate for my daughter’s first birthday.
Thanks!
It’s safe to say we love books around here! My little sister dubbed me a “bookworm” growing up. In fifth grade I was on an independent reading program because I was reading at an eighth grade reading level. Needless to say I hope my children learn a love of books from their mama!
One way that I love to make reading fun is to change out the books they visually see often, and the most fun reason to do that is for the holidays!
With our next holiday being St. Patrick’s Day I grabbed a lot of their colorful core books and added in a few rainbows!
You can see that with Charlotte’s bookshelf I color blocked her books, and on Barrett’s shelves I mixed all of the colors around!
You can find all of the books LINKED HERE on my AMAZON STOREFRONT. You can also shop Charlotte’s house bookshelf and additional items HERE on my LTK ACCOUNT. You can also find Betty Confetti, Charlotte’s doll, and her autographed book at All She Wrote Notes, LINKED HERE.
Do you change your children’s bookshelves around for the holidays, or see one of your favorite books on these shelves? I would love for you to share in the comments below!
So beautiful. The candles really add a nice touch in lieu of the flowers.
Thank you so much for your comment! I think they add a nice tough as well! xo Christina