Printed at Minted

I think every bride has an element to her wedding about which she becomes a little obsessed.  A little --shall we say bridezilla? -- about. Mine right now is invitations. I feel like I can make no further decisions about the wedding until I find the perfect invitation. So I've been cruising the internet (a lot.)

For moderately priced invites, Minted has my favorite collection of Cape Cod wedding-appropriate invitations. Here's a few:

{ Find them all on Minted. }

Obviously these are all beach-y, but the inventory runs the gamut to include traditional/vintage/contemporary/etc.

Tuesday Shoesday: Paper Shoes

{Lynn Dennison via popgloss }

Pretty paper shoes for this "Destination: Paper" week. Don't they look like a pair you'd want to wear with a wedding dress?

Destination: Paper

Full time job, full-time wedding planning does an abandoned little blog make.
Thankfully Amanda Zoss of Zoss Design emailed me the cutest Cape Cod-inspired wedding invitations to put Shoreside Bride back on track and heading for Destination: Paper. Where I may stay for this whole week.

{ Find them here. Thanks for sharing Amanda! }

How quickly will your guests' minds go from "Opening the Mail on a regular Monday" to "Awesome Destination Wedding on a Cape Cod Beach!" when they open this little number? Just looking at the seagulls and the dune fence makes me feel like I'm on vacation.

Tuesday Shoesday: Snow Shoes

OK. A little earlier this winter I was really wanting snow. I really wanted to take a walk while the flakes fell gently all around. I wanted to make snow angels and go sledding, do some skiing, make a snowman.

I'm all over that now.

Despite the Cape having been spared the brunt of these weekly (literally, weekly) storms, an obscene amount of snow has fallen this year. All you in Connecticut? The suburbs of Boston? I'm really sorry. Really.

But I'm going to put on a brave face (and a pair of these) this Tuesday Shoesday because Puxatawny Phil said spring is just a few weeks away, and I'll probably miss the snow when it's gone.

{ Bride on snowshoes via Orange Girl Photographs }

The Story of a Cape Cod Wedding: Inspiration

I have promised not to dominate this with posts about my own wedding planning, but I can't promise that I won't share a few details here and there. The story of my (gasp! really, mine!) Cape Cod wedding starts with this inspiration board:

 { Bouquet, pumpkins, mason jars with candles, cake, basket of blankets from Style Me Pretty;

Bridesmaid bouquets from James Bass via The Sweetest Occasion;

Groom's tie from Bows 'n Ties; 

Centerpiece from Real Simple; Dress from J.Crew; 

Tent from William Tangorra; Ribbon wands from Flights of Fancy  }

(Maybe someone wants to know how you put together an inspiration board. These are photos mostly collected over months of looking at blogs and saving copies of things I like. Some images I searched more specifically for based on an idea I had in mind. Keeping track of where the images can from is the hardest part. Then I play around with text blocks in MS Word and arrange the pictures until I like the way it looks. Snippet & Ink elevates this whole process an art form. Perhaps she'll one day let us all know how she does what she does.)   

What I (ahem, we) are looking for is neutrals, natural textures and seasonal without being overwhelmingly "fallish" for our October wedding. 

 

Why make an inspiration board? I think it helps your vendors understand your vision; it can act as a visual interpretation of the mood you are trying to set and the degree of  formality you are trying to achieve.    

But let's back up a second... what happens if you don't even know where to start an inspiration board? What happens when you have *no idea* what you want your wedding to look like, how you want it to feel?
Each wedding has to start somewhere. Maybe it's your favorite color. Maybe it's the venue you've selected or the dress you've fallen in love with. Like lemonade? You can plan a whole wedding around that. 

I really believe you need to pick just one thing that you LOVE, and base the rest of your decisions around that. Stick to things you love, omit the things you don't, and the end product will be an honest and unique reflection of who you are as a couple.

Think Spring

Ohmygosh. It's wicked cold outside. I stayed inside, cranked up the heat, wore flip flops and played Bob Marley all day 'cause I'm thinking spring.


I've also been daydreaming about the Pantone Color of the Year:

Which is about as spring as you can get. And could be quite perfect for a spring or summer Cape Cod wedding.

Executed to perfection in this bouquet:

{ via Wild Bunch Studio }

Pair it with navy:

{ Nancy Gould }

 Or with green:

{ The Knot }

Pantone says Honeysuckle is courageous and confident, and a 'brave new color for a brave new world.'  That's kind of a nice sentiment for a wedding. Or for a new season.

Think spring. It has to be here soon.

Cape Cod Wedding Venue: The Pelham House

The Pelham House in Dennis Port is one of those venerable (cue Patti Page) "You're sure to fall in love with Old Cape Cod" resorts of yesteryear. It's not very luxurious, it's not terribly glamorous, but is has a certain quaint charm that, for many, says "Cape Cod" like nothing else.

And best of all, it is perched right on Nantucket Sound and the grand lawn overlooking the beach can accommodate a tent for up to 200 people.

 

There's a little beach for a feet-in-the-sand ceremony

Not too shabby a view, right?

Unlike many outdoor tented venues on the Cape, the Pelham House has parking, guest lodging, indoor restrooms, and electricity. They also allow weddings to go a bit later than many outdoor facilities.

Really, the Pelham House has got it going on. Check it out if you're still looking for a venue! 

 

These photos courtesy Shoreside Bride; check out some professional ones at Boston Hearts Weddings or from K Photographie. 

The Cod

Although this may be obvious, Cape Cod is named after the codfish, which swam in great numbers along our coastline. Its abundance lured thousands of immigrants to settle on this spit of sand, yet the cod is a much maligned fish and often said to be the most ugly. What do you think?

  (And I bet you're wondering how this is all going to relate to something wedding-y.)

Local graphic artist Andrew Newman (whose daughter had a lovely wedding a few years back) elevates the lowly cod with a unique tongue-in-cheek style and puts his clever designs on cards, totes, t-shirts, stickers, etc.  in his Cape Card line (also sold on Etsy).

How about this as a Welcome Bag:

Or this as a funny thank you note, or save the date?

And, well, this one just cracks me up. Can I register for this?:

(*This whole thing has gotten me wondering who was the judge in the Atlantic Ocean fish beauty pageant that determined the Cod was less attractive than the flounder. Perhaps it came down to the talent portion of the competition.
Ahh. Too much caffeine too late at night.)

Tuesday Shoesday: Grey Day

It is a cold, rainy, grey day here on Old Cape Cod. A good day for curling up, watching daytime TV movies, and online shopping.

Is it OK to base a whole wedding around the shoes? I think so. Some gray beauties that sparked a whole Winter-on-Cape-Cod color inspiration:

{ Pour La Victoire }

{ Kate Spade }

{ Rocket Dog }

{ RSVP }

All from Zappos

She said Yes!

Apologies for my absence-- I've been celebrating my engagement!
I promise to not turn this little blog into a chronology of my own wedding planning, but right now I want to shout the news from the rooftop.

Just now I tried to take a bling shot to share, but, um, it's really hard to get one to come out! So instead this  victorian drawing.

Happy Monday!

{ via }

Cape Cod Wedding Shows 2011

A great place to meet vendors or a great place to watch grown women dive headfirst into a giant wedding cake to find a ring?

Some people love 'em. Some people don't.

Whatever your thoughts, here's a list of Cape Cod area bridal shows for 2011:

February 5
The Bridal Event, presented by the Cape and Islands Wedding Group
2-6pm at Willowbend Country Club
$15.00

February 20
South Shore Wedding Show
11:30am-3:30pm at Pine Hills Golf Club
$5.00

February 27
Bridal Showcase presented by weddingsoncapecod.com
11am - 2pm at New Seabury Country Club

TBD
Cape & Islands Wedding Affair presented by WellWed
Typically held in March. 

Heading North

I'm off for a long weekend of alpine activities in the White Mountains. Leaving you with this ski-filled inspiration board:

{ Courtesy of The Finer Things }

No ski lodges down here on the Cape, but great for the downhill sport enthusiast. Or could we turn it Shoreside and use water skis? Something to ponder on my drive north. 

Sapphire Blue

There's no one left in the universe who doesn't Prince William proposed to Kate Middleton with this sparkler:

Of course anyone who is anything to do with weddings is wondering how this royal wedding will affect wedding trends this year and beyond.

Here at the Shoreside, we're thinking Sapphire Blue Like the Ocean is the perfect color for a seaside engagement. Any colorful engagement rings out there? Any good Cape Cod engagement stories? We'd love to hear them!

Say it with Canvas

Spotted today on Oh So Beautiful Paper, Cape Cod Save the Dates printed on canvas:

These little charmers were created by Ice Cream Social (see more pictures of this Preppy Nautical Cuteness Tied Up with a Navy and White Grosgrain Ribbon -- and more Ice Cream Social awesomeness -- here).

Yes, I will most certainly Save the Date for this couple.
When the Save the Dates are this good, imagine what else is in store...

P.S.

Do you ever think Style Me Pretty is reading your mind?

Just last night I stayed up way too late thinking about burlap, and pale orange, gray and white as a color palette, and using dusty miller in bouquets and centerpieces, and how does all that look?

And today, what do my wondering eyes should appear, but a Style Me Pretty day filled with just those things.

See them here, here and here.

And you know what, it looks good.

{ Aregrayline Photography via Style Me Pretty }

2011

Happy New Year!

Newly engaged and still pondering:
When to Get Married on Cape Cod? 
Those trying to nail down a date, here's a nifty Cape Cod calendar of dates to consider (or reconsider):

January
15,16, 17 -  Martin Luther King Weekend

February
6 - Super Bowl Sunday
14 - Cupid hit you with his bow, but he can't do much about the astronomical price of roses around Valentine's Day, which falls this year on a Monday.
19, 20, 21 - President's Day Weekend

March
17, 18, 19, 20 - For basketball fans (or fans of betting), the first two rounds of March Madness take place Thursday through Sunday. That would be 48 games in 4 days. It's a lot of hoops.
17 - Erin Go Bragh. St. Patrick's celebrated this year on a Thursday. Hopefully enough time for groomsmen and guests to recover from any Irish Car Bomb-inflicted hangovers. 

April
1 - Red Sox start the season on this Friday. No Fools.
2, 4 - Your team make it to the Final Four? Root them on on Saturday the 2nd, with finalists playing the championship game on Monday the 4th.
8, 9, 10 - Red Sox open at home on Friday the 8th. Against the Yankees.  And play them again Saturday and Sunday. See all Red Sox-Yankee game dates here.
18 - Passover begins at Sundown Monday.
24 - Easter Sunday
29, 30 & May 1 - Brewster in Bloom weekend. Brewster is bursting with daffodils, parades and other home-town festivities.

May 
7 - Mint juleps and big hats your thing? Share your wedding with Kentucky Derby Day. 
8 - Mother's Day, always held on a Sunday
28, 29, 30 - Memorial Day Weekend. The traditional start to a Cape Cod summer. BBQs, Figawi, & beach stickers required. 
TBD - High school's across the Cape usually host proms in May. Although this ties up some function facilities, the most noticeable impact would probably be a lack of limos. 
TBD - Love the fluffy pink, lilac and white rhododendron that are found all over the Cape? They bloom for just a few short weeks in late May and early June.  
 
June
4,5 - High school graduations might tie up some of your guests.
10- Play ball! The Cape League season kicks off this Friday. Tell your guests to check out a game while they are on Cape. See here for the 2011 schedule.
19 - Father's Day. Honor Dad on this Sunday, even if you choose it as the day he gives you away.

July
2,3,4 - July 4th falls on a Monday this year. Hotel rooms are at a premium and traffic is a nightmare, but you'll get a free firework display!
16-23 - There's a fair in the air. Not that the livestock at the Barnstable County Fair smells all that bad, but for the duration of the fair, traffic on Rt. 28 and Rt. 151 stinks.

August
7 - Pops by the Sea. Spend a little more time with your guests on Sunday by inviting them to check out the Boston Pops play at the Hyannis Town Green. This is one the Cape's premier events.

September
3,4,5 - Labor Day Weekend. The Cape Cod summer's last hurrah. Traffic can be bad and hotels can be booked, but I've often found there's a lot of good deals for weddings for this weekend.
10 - Like a quirky (and easy to remember) date? How about Saturday 9/10/11?
11- Patriot's Day.  Joy might be hard to find this Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks.
23, 24, 25 - Bourne's 42nd Annual Scallop Festival. This old-time festival - it's not just about scallops - draws huge crowds that can tie up traffic on the Bourne bridge for the weekend. 
27 - Rosh Hashanah begins at Sundown Tuesday and lasts through nightfall on Friday the 30th

October
7 - Yom Kippur begins at Sundown on Friday and lasts until Sundown on Saturday the 8th 
8, 9, 10 - Columbus Day Weekend
15,16 - Enjoy some of the famed Wellfleet Oysters at the weekend Fest.
31 - Hallowed Monday Eve

November
11 - Veterans Day (A Friday... also another quirky date: 11/11/11)
24 - Thanksgiving Thursday 

December
7 - Pearl Harbor Day, this year on a Wednesday
20 - Hanukkah begins at Sundown on Tuesday and lasts through Sunday on Wednesday the 28th
25 - Christmas falls on a Sunday this year.
31 - For all you party animals who want to kick off 2012 with a new hubby at your side, New Year's Eve falls on a Saturday this year.

Cheers to 2011!