Monday Coffee: Bloomin' Love

Happy Monday and a very Happy New Year, lovelies! How was your weekend of saying au revoir to 2011 and welcoming a fresh 2012? We enjoyed it immensely and we're really looking forward to unveiling the new Weddings look and our concept here very soon. Until then, stay tuned for our advice and planning tips and some eye candy, and also hop over to our Lifestyle blog for daily original ideas for the home, entertaining, and recipes. It's quite lovely over there, if we can say so ourselves! We can't wait to unveil what we're up to!

Today we're chatting about a question that nags at a number of brides: how to dress up {or down} their aisle. Flower petals are one of the simplest ways and most cost-effective ways to dress up an aisle. Especially when outdoors, it nods to Mother Nature and can play into your wedding color story so well. While aisle runners can serve their purpose for certain occasions, clusters of sweetly scented rose petals and blooms can make their mark. When plotting to use petals to commemorate your sashay down the aisle, be sure to take into consideration the wind factor. No matter whether you're walking down a grassy aisle or one that's hard like concrete or a dock, soak your petals so that they have a weight to them when place. Place in large clumps in really thick lines and they shouldn't go anywhere.

Photo by Sarah Rhoads for Valley & Co.

Quite lovely, right?

Happy 2012!

We hope you've enjoyed our week of New Year's Eve-inspired goodness. From the festive Royale Resolution to the {amazing!} Three Little Pigs dessert and our entertaining tips, we wanted to inspire you for the mark of a new year. Here's us tipping our hats and saying thank you so very much for being part of making 2011 wonderful and what it was.

It was beyond fantastic but sure, it was not a necessarily easy year for us all and was peppered with incredible highs and a few difficult points and challenges loss and hurdles, but we made it out as we like to think we always do: stronger and wiser and with bright eyes.

It was the year of feeling some pressure but being oh-so grateful. We were named Top 50 to Watch by San Diego Magazine, and we hope those watching enjoyed our steps and leaps. It was the year of amazing {seriously amazing} press and projects and mentions. From numerous stories in BRIDES, a three-page spread in Bridal Guide Magazine, Seattle Metropolitan Bride and Groom, to Exquisite Weddings and dozens of blogs like Style Me Pretty and countless magazines, we sure felt the love. We also started an entertaining column for San Diego Magazine where we designed and photographed our monthly ideas for celebrating at home. Boy, we've been working hard to bring our A game and to inspire and make people happy.

It was also the year for relaunching our Lifestyle blog, to some incredible applause and readership. In just over 5 weeks we've amassed nearly 6-figures of unique visitors. W.O.W. Thank you immensely. We hope to continue to inspire. To make you smile. To give you ideas for your daily life and home and for entertaining. We will be working on relaunching our Weddings blog as well with a new look and new features so that we can continue to inspire on that platform. {If there's anything you want to see us doing, please let us know. We'd sure love to hear from you.}

But the relationships we've cultivated this year are most important to us. The network we've developed on Twitter and Facebook is beyond incredible. Our fantastic readers are the absolute best. Our industry friends support and inspire daily. The amazing clients we've had and been able to celebrate with mean the world. The events we've had the honor of bringing to life give us inspiration and fuel to do what we do. Most importantly, the time we've spent with our family and the incredible, undying support we have from them, and the joy and laughter they bring us is unmatched. We couldn't do what we do without you all. Being sounding boards for ideas and concepts, commenting and scooping up multiple copies of each magazine we're in, and just being so spectacular means the world and keeps us grounded. Thank you all for being the absolute best.

We hope in 2012 you'll be right back here with us as we start a new adventure of a year and a new journey. We have some magic up our sleeves that we can't wait to unveil. Sure, we'll greet the new year with smiles and excitement but also with the anticipation of challenges and hurdles. Those never stopped us before.

We hope to make Valley & Co. stronger and better and can't wait to get to work on some exciting projects and ideas we have brewing. We'll continue to bring unique and original daily inspiration, tips, and photo shoots and recipes. We'd love to encourage you to leave your feedback on comments on what you enjoy and what you'd like to see {you do have to click on each post individually to do so}. Inspiring and bringing continual fun and fresh ideas are what we live for! Thank you all immensely. A very Happy New Year to you and yours. Here's wishing you all the very very best. Cheers!

2011 Moments: Rockin' Fun

While we kicked off 2011 with a beautifully chic downtown wedding, the following weekend we switched gears and planned and designed a rockin' mod 50th birthday bash that was a total surprise. It was at the Grande Dame of Seattle, the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, and it was just way too much fun!

What we loved: the beautiful color palette, hand-painted details from Momental Designs, the funky vibe mixed with elegance, and the surprise!

Oh...and the face painting! What an excellent activity that made everyone smile.

Our lounge was a nod to mod...

Photos by Jeremy Leffel for Valley & Co.

2012 Wedding Trend Prediction No. 7

It's that time: we're rolling out the last of our 2012 predictions for weddings. Oh where did 2011 go?

 Wedding Trend Prediction No. 7: the rise of couture gowns in the form of collection. We have some favorites from Seattle designer Luly Yang that we featured a few months back. She's created her amazing Luly Blue and Luly Yang Diamond collections after being inspired by the Palace of Versailles.

Images by Alavekios Photographic Essays

Gardenia: Strapless taffeta fit and flare gown with beaded floral detail on bodice and hem. $1,550 | Lily: Silk wool strapless trumpet gown with crystal buttons in back. $3,400

What we love: the accessibility a bride can get while still getting an amazing designed couture gown.

In case you missed it: last week's Prediction No. 6

So, friend: what do you think? What do you predict in the coming year? Stay tuned as we give Weddings a lovely little makeover in the coming weeks and focus on providing you with daily inspiration and our original planning tips that will knock your socks off. We've gone some exciting things in the works!

You can also hop over to our Lifestyle blog for some dazzling New Year's Eve party inspiration this week, too!

Merry Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas. May your days be merry and bright...may visions of sugar plums dance in your heads...

From Valley & Co. to you and yours, here's wishing you all a most wonderfully marvelous Christmas. Thank you for the support, the friendship, the readership, and inspiration, and the continual cheer this season and throughout the year. We appreciate each and every one of you. Here's looking forward to an even more fantastic 2012. We'll be back next week with New Year's Eve inspiration and cocktails. Until then, from our tree to yours..............

Some of our beautiful Santa collection.

And {so fitting} Aleah's bridal shop that adds a touch of whimsy to our village.

A gorgeous glittering Santa we picked up on a Christmas trip to London.

A curious woodland-inspired Santa from Harrod's in London.

A favorite: a beautiful handmade ornament Aleah's mom made {she made boxes of these for us in college} filled with sparkling sand and teeny sea shells.

Photos by Llanes Weddings for Valley & Co.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

2011 Moments: La Jolla Romance

It's that time, friends. We're winding down the year that was and looking forward to the year that will be with bright eyes and anticipation. We're also looking back on some of our favorite moments from 2011. The happy couples. The funny toasts. The beautiful bride walking down the aisle. The wonderful details that represent our couples.

We'll start with Katie + Brad. Amazingly sweet couple who we like to consider friends now {love when that happens!}. They tied the knot in La Jolla on the Royal Wedding date, though they technically sent their save the dates out first. :)
Katie + Brad get major bonus points for being so gosh darned adorable and stylish, don't they?

 And Katie's fascinator {her own little nod to Prince William and Kate}? Lovely!

Photos by Llanes Weddings for Valley & Co.

Quite the couple, aren't they? We'll be rolling out more of our moments and our last 2012 Wedding Trend Prediction, too!

2012 Wedding Trend Prediction No. 6

Oh, friends! We're just days away from Christmas and New Year's Eve. Can you believe we're wrapping up 2011 in all its wonder {both fantastic and challenging at times} and rolling out the sparkling red carpet for 2012? How fantastic. We're so excited for what 2012 has in store thus far: amazing weddings and events and some writing...shall we say assignments and ideas that have us so eager for the pages of the calendar to turn.

We're also counting down the last of our 2012 wedding trend predictions {last week gave us prediction No. 5}.
2012 Wedding Trend Prediction No. 6: handmade wedding favors. These needn't be over-the-top or expensive, but your guests will adore the personalized touch. Perhaps it's because we're in the jolly holiday spirit, but handmade ornaments top our list right now {like our mossy-filled ornaments}. They can change with the seasons and truly mean something each season they're unwrapped {think sea shell-filled, glittering baubles, or sand from exotic locales.  Other handmade gifts: gorgeous textured paper-covered coasters, personalized embossed luxe stationery, or sweet treats made from your home. Who wouldn't enjoy some gourmet candies or cookies from a passed down recipe? 

Photo by Llanes Weddings for Valley & Co.

What we love: the thought and love that goes into each gift.

So what are you expecting for 2012? What are your predictions?

DIY Wedding Goodness: Leafy Coasters

Dear wedding blog pals, we're happy to have you visit today! While we're amidst holiday goodness {cue the mistletoe, scented pomanders, decadent cocktails, and family} we're also busy plotting for winter weddings and gorgeous springtime soirees and nuptials. Many of the details we're proposing and planning on are handmade with a gorgeous impact. Over on our Lifestyle blog we're showcasing Holiday DIY Week and our leafy Italian ruscus coasters can be the perfect way to dress up your cocktail tables or place settings at your wedding. They'd also look beautiful on a springtime table or at a tea party luncheon.

You'll need: Italian Ruscus branches that can be purchased at your local floral wholesaler {other tiny leaves from your yard could work if you can't find these} | metal lids from frozen juice cans | hot glue

Pluck the little leaves off of the Ruscus branches and make a neat pile {each coaster takes up to 20 leaves}. Make a line of glue 1/2 way around the rim of the lid and place leaves on under another fanning them out.

Continue the glue line on the remaining half of the lid and finish the leaves off with the last one sitting on top to close any "seam" you might see.

Then sit back and gawk at the gorgeous holiday project you've just made!

Beautiful, aren't they? They'll last about a week or so {longer if you store them in the refrigerator while not being used} so you can make these in advance and bring them out fresh at your bash {cue the oohs and aahs!}.

Top them with festive little cocktails {we'll be sharing our holiday cocktail recipes next week!} and it's an instant party!

Photos by Llanes Weddings for Valley & Co.

So what do you think? Will you be whipping up some of these for your cocktail hour or dinner? We'd love to see you back tomorrow {and the next day...and the next} as we continue our Holiday DIY Week over on Lifestyle! {Originally seen our our Lifestyle blog on 12/10/11}.

Gorgeous Holiday Must-Haves from the Super Burbs

We're counting down to Christmas where we gift our thoughtful hand-picked and handmade gifts to our family, enjoy scrumptious gourmet delights, laugh and indulge in good spirits and sweets. Laugh some more. And just enjoy being surrounded by those we love. Are you all squared away with your holiday shopping so you can sit back, relax, and enjoy?

Sweet and stylish Abby from the Super Burbs is sharing her holiday must-haves today just in time to polish off your list with that perfect gift. You can sign us up for one of each!



For the Mrs:

1. Kate Spade Bow Ring: Festive and fabulous...and from my girl Kate Spade. An automatic win. 

2. Mr. Boddington Stationery: A lady knows that a hand written note goes a long way. Giving the ladies in your life lovely stationery (bonus points if it's personalized) is always a good call.

3. Pretty Plum Suger Robes: I am a HUGE fan, and the Mr. digs them too...

4. Kate Spade Shoes: Need I say more? If the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, than the fastest way to a women's is through her feet.

4. J.Crew iphone Case: Glitter perfection. Every call, text, & Facebook update will be that much more glamorous.

5. Kate Spade Mrs. Necklace: Can you tell I adore Kate? Well this necklace needs to find it's way to the Super Burbs ASAP.

For the Mr.

1. Vintage Gin Bottle: Every gentleman needs a good collection of spirits, and those spirits need to be well dressed.

2. Shades: Classic, durable, and makes the Mr. look oh so handsome

3. Cufflinks: My Mr. digs them, and these are especially adorable 

4. Gold Clubs: Why this makes Misters so happy, I have yet to understand - but drivers and putters and clubs are a guaranteed Christmas pleaser

5. Tickets: Sporting events + men = a sure gift win

For the Pup

1. Dog Bed: You love your dog like family, so quality bedding matters.

2. Bow Tie: Deck the halls and your pup - everyone else is getting dolled up during the holidays, so should your best friend

3. Rope Pull: I haven't met a dog that doesn't love these!

4. Gift Set: Everything in one pretty package - can you ask for more?

There you have it. Darling gift ideas, right? Thanks so much to Abby for stopping by! We'll all take one of each {Lulu's in the holiday spirit, too!}.

If you're looking for more home holiday inspiration, it's Holiday DIY Week over on our Lifestyle blog. And these aren't your craft store projects. We're showcasing gorgeous {simple} Italian Ruscus Coasters, festive Plaid Wrapped Books, and lots of stylish goodness to come!