We love Valentine’s Day over here at Be Inspired! Love is obviously a huge part of the wedding industry so celebrating a holiday that’s centered around it is my fave! And of course any excuse to eat chocolate makes it is even better! From beautiful bouquets of roses to songs that get us in the mood, Valentine’s Day is the perfect chance to enjoy yourself and the company of your special someone. Since it’s coming up next week, we decided to do a whole post inspired by creating the ideal day! Maybe you’ll find the perfect thing that inspires you to spice up your night!

Be Prepared to Be Inspired…

LISTEN TO THIS…
Looking for a little something to get you in the lovin’ mood? This Valentine’s Day mix from Scratch Weddings is the perfect thing… Click here to listen!

Photo by Blue Window Creative via Loverly

SEND THIS…
The Dolce Designs Valentine’s Day Collection!  Need a little inspiration for a fresh idea in the flower department? Flowers are a necessity on Valentine’s Day but Dolce Designs is the best at creating gorgeous arrangements with fabulous vases!

EAT THIS…
Treats from Cupcakes Couture of Manhattan Beach!  These sweets for your sweetie have been our favorites since last Valentine’s Day!!  Cupcakes Couture offers amazing desserts to satisfy anybody’s sweet tooth on Valentine’s Day!

Sweet Lucie’s Ice Cream!  Who could resist these adorable cups of ice cream!?  Sweet Lucie’s offers the best organic ice cream and toppings from a cute, vintage cart that’s available to rent for a fun Valentine’s party!
Photo by Gabriel Ryan Photographers

WRAP THIS…
Red and pink stationery!  Whether you’re getting married on Valentine’s Day or throwing a party for all of your coupled friends, these invitations complete with Hershey Kisses are the perfect way to send a sweet message!

Photo by Erin Hearts Court via Inspired By This

Handmade gift wrap!  Like everyone I love receiving gifts but I also love to give them as well!  These cute DIY gift wrap ideas from Design Sponge are super easy and make any gift swoon worthy!

DIY treat bags!  If you’re making something sweet like cupcakes or macaroons, why not wrap them up in this super easy Cupid’s Arrow treat bag designed by Creature’s Comfort Blog!

 WEAR THIS…
Colored tights!  I always want to pull out a fun dress for date night, especially on Valentine’s Day and the colder night weather gives me a great excuse to add some great colored tights like these ones from Plan Your Beautiful Event!

I’m so excited to share our very first maternity session with you! My dear friend Jesi Haack had her sweet baby girl, River, in January but her maternity shoot was just so gorgeous that we had to share! The photos were taken by her husband, Mr. Haack, in Orange County and are absolutely breathtaking! They held the shoot at the perfect time of day with the setting sun creating that amazing soft lighting. I am obsessing over that blue dress she is wearing in the second half of the shoot too! She looks absolutely stunning! I can’t help but be inspired by maternity shoots like this one. Just the way the mom-to-be is glowing is enough to swoon!  Photo sessions like this are the perfect way to capture an extremely exciting time in your life and document those last moments of calm before the baby comes!

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I love this cultural rich wedding sent over to us by Desi Baytan Photography! A lot of you parents out there might recognize the bride, Shayna, from The Fresh Beat Band on Nick Jr! How fun is that?! I am in love with all the luxe elements they used throughout the wedding held at the famed Beverly Hills Hilton. The amazing gold chairs, mirrors, and frames look stunning with the simple whites and lush greenery and her veil is to die for! The flower girl dresses are so cute, I love that they look like little fairies walking down the aisle! And the way that the greenery is delicately draped on the chuppah with that gorgeous chandelier above! The ballroom reception right after is also out of this world. It’s always inspiring to see a color scheme that isn’t used that often and they pulled it off beautifully! Thanks Desi for this unique find!

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We are so excited to kick off our first “After the Wedding” post today on our blog! I love this amazing home shoot designed by Julie Maigret and shot by Rachel Thurston, it’s absolutely incredible! The home is located in the heart of Los Angeles and looks like it’s straight out of a magazine with it’s amazing modern design touches and architecture. What’s so unique is the warmth and comfort it exudes despite the simplicity and spaciousness.  If you notice, most of the walls are white which is even more inspiring if you’re in a space where you can’t paint! Not only is the inside to die for, but I am absolutely obsessed with that cute little outdoor seating area! They found a way to stay chic with a gorgeous wooden bench, white upholstery, and blue outdoor carpeting which looks like a perfect place to relax with a glass of wine! There’s so many elements to this home that are inspiring me, I can’t even begin to pick my favorite piece! Of course the cute pups don’t hurt either!

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We are so excited to announce that we’re growing over here at Be Inspired PR! Not only are we expanding our team,  but our blog is evolving as well. We are adding a new section to our blog: “After The Wedding“. And in case you haven’t noticed, our header has a new tagline too:  ” wed. dwell. grow “!!

Inspired By This has always been about weddings, and now we are growing to include so much more. From now on we’ll be accepting baby showers, family sessions, maternity shoots, nursery inspiration, and home tours to be featured on Inspired By This! We know that life continues after the wedding and we want to be a part of that! It will be so special to feature couples not only beginning their life together, but the stages after as well!

If you have work and/or personal events that you feel would be a great fit for our new section, send them our way! You can let Lauren know through email at lauren{at}beinspiredpr{dot}com or you can submit via Two Bright Lights!

Here is a sneak peek of what is to come…

 Home…

photos by Rachel Thurston

Anniversaries…

Photos by Erica Corelli

Maternity Shoots…

Photos by Mr. Haack

I LOVE this shoot! You may have seen it on Green Wedding Shoes earlier this week but between the beauty and that it was created by us and some amazing Pennsylvania vendors , I just had to share it with my readers as well! The shoot comes across very clean and organic (two of my favorite traits) but also includes bright pops of color that is warm and inviting. We worked with  Kristy Rice, of Momental Designs on this project and she truly created a modern, sophisticated setting. She described the shoot saying, “The Trellis pattern has the unique ability to transcend paper and inspire well beyond correspondence. To show Trellis’ true design impact and versatility,  I envisioned it in a lifestyle space where walls are covered, chairs are upholstered and pillows are stuffed.” The new collection of Envelopments patterns created exclusively from hand painted elements by Kristy are stunning and flow throughout the shoot. The models used in the shoot were each dressed in Desla Couture gowns with custom belts encrusted with rhinestone detailing that are to die for!  Those colors are insanely fabulous, right?! The three cakes were all made in collaboration with Truly Scrumptious and that cute Ring Bearer Bowl® is a little sneak peak into a future project with another one of my favorites, Paloma’s Nest!

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One of my favorite things is when couples find a way to incorporate something personal into their engagement shoot! This couple did just that in such a cute, unique way! Orange Circle is the most adorable little area in Orange County filled with antique shops and old houses that give it such a “homey” feel. They decided on the area seeing as it was where he proposed and a large majority of the pictures take place on the actual bench where he popped the question! How cute is that!? Such a fun way to kind of recreate the event! After walking around the circle for a while they dropped into Summerhill LTD, one of the many amazing antique shops in the area that was filled with gorgeous chandeliers and dramatic furniture.  Their simple outfits are great because they let them stand out in the busy stores but I also absolutely adore her turquoise necklace and red nails for that little pop of color! They just seem so comfortable and happy in this setting and it definitely shows through the photos shot by the incredible Paige and Blake Green

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“Each day comes to me with both hands full of possibilities”

I love this quote by Helen Keller, she is such an inspiration! It takes a conscious effort to wake up remembering that today is a new day that holds fresh chances for possibilities and opportunities. Today will be what we make of it.

And since today I celebrate another year older, and hopefully another year wiser, I am humbled by all the opportunities and blessings I have received and wanted to share some of what I have learned this past year.

*We never know who we are going to meet, where we will end up, or where the day will take us. I have found that being kind, sending warm emails, and saying please and thank  you has prepared me  for whatever comes my way.

* Its wise to treat everyone with respect because you never know who will be your boss one day or who has the power to make your dreams come true!

*Each day offers a clean slate -  a chance to do right and a chance to do amazing things. Sometimes we forget this, especially when it comes to our businesses because we’re bogged down with logistics – pleasing clients, paying bills, negotiating contracts, etc…

*Work hard while at work… there are only so many hours in a day to accomplish what needs to be done, and buckling down during those precious hours is how we achieve our goals. “Why put off to tomorrow what can be done today.”

*In the same respect, leave work at work! Yes it’s important to invest time into growing your businesses, but it’s healthy to have a happy balance between work life and personal life. Friends and family bring joy and happiness and are good for the soul, so be sure to make your time with them count!

*If we take our days for granted and wake up expecting the same ol’ same ol’ then that’s what we’ll get because we aren’t looking to take advantage of new opportunities. An open mind and an optimistic attitude will take your business to levels you’ve never dreamed of!

Here is to a healthy, happy, and making your dreams come true kind of year. I hope to be blessed with another year of just that!

Photo by Elizabeth Messina

Do you remember Christina and Isaiah from one of our favorite engagement shoots? Well today we have their wedding and it definitely does not disappoint! They had their ceremony under the most gorgeous trees and used simple and clean whites and ivories to create a romantic, almost regal feel.  Very Royal Wedding!  I love how the bridesmaids all wore different dresses yet when put together there was a seamlessness to it that looked amazing!  Christina of course looked absolutely gorgeous in her Melissa Sweet ruffled gown and seemed to fit perfectly with the vibe of the venue and decor which I feel is so important!  After the ceremony they moved under a big, beautiful fabric draped tent with crystal chandeliers that are to die for with simple white hydrangeas highlighting each table! You can read about Christina’s inspiration below and then take a look at their breathtaking wedding:

I saved a thumbnail of a dress back in 2009, not knowing the designer but loving everything about it. Almost 2 years later when I got engaged, I found out the designer of the dress (Melissa Sweet) and ended up buying it immediately. I didn’t have to even think about it! As far as colors, I knew I always wanted to just have shades of ivories and white (my favorite “color” since I was 12 years old). Having chandeliers was always part of my vision, and even though it was an outdoor wedding, I was happy to still be able to have them in the reception tent. Baking is my passion, so it was important for me to be able to have a variety of different cakes, and to at least put my touch on the wedding and make mini cupcakes for the favors/table numbers. Knowing I also wanted churros there, it made it easy for me to settle on having Mexican food. I planned my wedding in 10 months, stayed mostly in budget, ran into practically no problems, and was extremely happy with the outcome. In the end, all I really wanted were my friends, family, and then-fiance and I to have fun, and I think it was successful!

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This wedding, sent to us by Michele M. Waite Photography, is definitely one of a kind! The entire event feels like you have been transported to a quaint English garden with all the vibrant green ivy and soft pastel florals.  I love all the lush greenery and their venue, The Corson Building in Seattle, was the perfect setting to create a classic, unforgettable celebration. As much as I enjoy adding decor elements, I think the couple did an amazing job of letting the beauty of nature shine through and create an amazing base! Here’s what bride Amy had to say about the big day:

Our wedding was inspired by the year we lived in London, and by the beautiful experiences we shared touring throughout Europe together.  Our theme was about having a romantic, backyard garden, that served as a simple yet elegant backdrop to the real reason for the celebration… our commitment to each other and our forever.  We started the morning by sharing a private yoga practice together on our rooftop deck, which helped us to be present and grounded for one another during the big day.  We both truly had such a wonderful time, and feel blessed to have the partner and the wedding of our dreams.

Be Prepared to Be Inspired…