Tangerine Bowtie with Blue Shirt and Birdie Boutonniere:   Image Courtesy of Erik Ekroth Photography

Tangerine Clutch Handbag:  Cahoots Handbags

Tangerine Peep Toe Pumps: Christian Louboutin

Turquoise and Tangerine Wedding Invitations- Two Paperdolls

Turquoise and Tangerine Place Setting:  Laurie Cinotto

Turquoise and Tangerine Wedding Favor Box:  Laurie Cinotto

Turquoise and Tangerine Centerpiece: Image Courtesy of Merriment Design

Turquoise and Tangerine Reception Mood Image:  Image Courtesy of Union Photography

Turquoise and Tangerine Cake:  Amy Atlas

Turquoise and Tangerine Bridesmaid/Bride Image:  Image Courtesy of Union Photography

James Moes Photography

Elisabeth Millay Photography

Cameron Ingalis Photography

Braedon Photography

Rebekah Westover Photography

Q Weddings, Schultz Photography, Jonathan Canlas Photography, Sarah Q Photography

1.  Forever 21:  $29.00

2.  Forever 21:  $19.80

3.  Forever 21:  $22.80

4.  Forever 21:  $22.90

5.  Forever 21:  $24.80

6.  NY & Company:  $32.86

7.  Forever 21:  $24.80

8.  Anthropologie:  $118.00

9.  Anthropologie:  $98.00

Side Note:  If you love this board, we also recently did an inspiration board for Platinum and Pink as well.  You can find it here!

Champagne Wedding Dress:  Lyn Ashworth

Champagne and Blush Place Setting:  Karen Tran

Gold and Blush Bracelets:  Miss Selfridge

Champagne Bridesmaid Dress:  Dolce & Gabbana

Champagne and Blush Wedding Cake:  Image Courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Champagne and Blush Tie:  Rabbit Stop via Etsy

Champagne and Blush Tablescape:  Karen Tran

Champagne Pumps:  Steve Madden

Blush Bridesmaid Dress:  JLM Couture

Side Note:  I love my mom and dad’s wedding picture.  My mom was 20 and my dad was 19… AND it was the 1970′s… Seriously, how about that HUGE bow on my mom’s head and that rockin’ lace printed tux with a pink  shirt!!!  Hahaha!  I get a ridiculously large grin on my face everytime I look at it.  Random fact about my parents wedding day:  They BOTH had the Swine Flu that day.  They were such troopers!

How did you know that dad was the one?  Hmmmm.  How did I know he was the one?  First, I don’t believe in love at first sight.  It’s actually lust at first sight – just physical attraction.  You have to get to know each other before you know if it’s truly love.  When I first met John, I thought he was the cutest guy I’d ever seen.  I also loved the way his skin smelled – and still do.  I’m not talking about the cologne he wore, just the clean smell of his neck.  We met in Square Dance Club in High School in September of 1969;  he was 15 and I was 16.   John was nothing but fun to be around.  We found humor in all the same things, and sometimes, even then, didn’t have to say a word, just looked at the same thing, people, animals, etc., and burst into laughter.  He can ALWAYS make me laugh, and the older you get the more important that is in a relationship.   We didn’t have a lot of money to date, so we spent a lot of time watching TV at his house or mine, or playing pool at my house, so we talked a lot, laughed a lot and got to know each other.   He was Baptist, just like me, came to church with me, and I knew within a few short months he wasn’t just the cutest and most fun, but I was just crazy about him.  My mom always said, “Before you get married, be sure his head is the one you want to wake up to on the pillow beside yours for the rest of your life,” and I knew that was true.  We were married on January 20, 1973.

What do you feel has made your marriage last this long?  We were married in our church when he was 19 and I was 20.  We both have a true love of the Lord and we have based our home on His Word.  If you have God first, all your other priorities fall into place as they should.  We waited until we were sure of our love and started a family.  One month short of six years after our marriage, our first baby girl was born, and two and a half years later, our second baby girl was born.  Our daughters are now 29 and 31.  After our first was born, we knew neither of us could give them up – even for a weekend or a couple of weeks in the summer – and we found such fun and joy in our girls.  We just felt like our love was complete.  I’m certainly not saying there weren’t rough spells in our marriage OR in raising our girls, but we knew any rough spots had to be prayed about, talked out, agreed upon and straightened out.  Concerning raising our girls, we had to stand together on all decisions concerning them.  Children are, by nature, self-centered, and they will play you against each other to get their way.  Although you love your children more than life itself, they need discipline to make it in this world.

What advice would you give to young marrieds or troubled marrieds?  Date for a good while before considering marriage.  Prospective mates may be on their best behavior when they are trying to win you over, but you need to see both sides of them.   The first year of marriage is usually a “honeymoon” year.  The second year we were married, we hadn’t learned to talk about what was bothering us yet – notice I said TALK about, not SCREAM at each other in anger.  John slammed a lot of doors that year, and I cut my hair when I was mad (both childlike behavior, because we WERE still children.)  My advice:  Always put God first, attend and be involved in church together; pray about your problems, then talk to each other about them without accusation.  For example, don’t say, “You just go head and do things without asking what I want because you think you’re so much smarter than me, your way must be best!!”  That puts the blame on him like a slap in the face, especially if he was trying to handle something he thought you had been struggling with so you wouldn’t have to think about it anymore.  Try a more gentle approach like, “I think you were trying to help, but just going ahead and making decisions without me make me feel like you think I’m not smart enough to make decisions.  From now on let’s talk things out.”   Always try to be loving to each other.  Never just say a word in anger when it pops into your head.  Oh, and by the way, if it’s true love, it grows everyday.

Thank you so much, Mom, for sharing with us today!  I am so thankful to have such loving and caring parents/role models.  Here’s to another 39 years!

You can see more of this amazing wedding filled to the brim with details by Carissa of JL Designs and Jesi Haack Weddings by clicking here.

Platinum and Pink Cameo:  Overstock

Platinum and Pink Bridesmaid Dress:  Jaks Flower Girl Dresses

Platinum and Pink Tablescape:  Candles:  CB2        Image Courtesy of:  Martha Stewart Weddings

White and Pink Mini Wedding Cakes:  Image Courtesy of:  Martha Stewart Weddings

Ring in Flower: Image Courtesy of Bret Cole Photography

Platinum and White Place Setting:  Mikasa via Bed Bath & Beyond

Light Pink Peep Toe Sling Back Pumps:  Christian Dior

Grey Suit with Pink Tie:  Image Courtesy of Project Wedding

Platinum and Pink Postage Stamp:  Perfect Postage via Zazzle

Lace Wedding Gown with Cap Sleeves:  Rosa Clara

Platinum and Pink Wedding Invitations:  Delphine

Today’s fabulous featured wedding comes from Kassie of Kassie Moore Photography.  Kassie is a Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas based wedding photographer.  Kassie has been so sweet and accommodating to GSS and we have truly enjoyed working with her on this feature.

Ashlin and Steve were married on December 3, 2011 at the Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, New York.  Kassie even took the time to tell us a little bit about the wedding day:

“The weather was crisp and gorgeous! It was December 3rd, 2011 at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point Long Island, where Steve began his service and loyalties to our nation. This academy is a gorgeous 82 acres of manicured lawns, beautiful statues, and stately buildings. Ashlin and Steve were married on campus in the Mariner’s Chapel. It was beautifully lit with natural light. We catpured their final shots as the sun was setting behind the New York sky line. The reception was also held on campus at the charming Melville Hall.

Melvin Hall’s dining room is surrounded by open windows looking out into the bay, hosting hundreds of vessels of small crafts. Ashlin chose to use navy with touches of silver. Everywhere they had decorated in Christmas charm, with touches of patriotism.

Steak and lobster were served during an elegant sit down dinner followed by dancing. And guarding the dance floor were two elegant Christmas trees dangling ornaments as parting favors.”

Our blushing bride, Ashlin was also kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and Steve meet? We met as children 15 years ago.

How long have you been together? 6 months

How did your husband propose? He proposed in Central Park.

What sold you on your wedding venue? The setting

Your dress is gorgeous, where did you get it and how did you know it was “the one”? It’s Priscilla of Boston. I saw it in a magazine and it was the first dress I tried on!

What was your “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue”? Old- Great-Grandma’s earrings; New-Veil: Borrowed- Grandma’s Rings; Blue-ribbon.

How did you choose your wedding color palette? We had a Military wedding- so I wanted something classy but appropriate. We chose Navy Blue.

What song did you dance to for your first dance? Adele. “To Make You Feel My Love”

Do you have any advice for bride and grooms that are in the planning process? Try to do as much as you can yourselves, but don’t take on more than you can handle!

What was your favorite part of your big day? Seeing my groom!

Vendors:

Venue: Merchant Marine Academy

Dress: Priscilla of Boston

Cake: Mr. Stancotti

Floral: Myself

Linens: White linens with white bows

Catering: Mr. Stancotti

DJ/Band: John Christian Band

Videographer: Groom’s brother

Invitations/Wedding Stationery: Myself

Event Planner: Myself

Thank you so much, Kassie, for sharing this amazing wedding with us!  Please stop by her website and show her some love!  And thank you, Ashlin, for taking your time to answer our questions!  We wish you and Steve a lifetime FULL of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!

Before I share the tutorial, these were made with homemade marshmallows.  And you can find the tutorial for those by clicking here. If not, feel free to use the jumbo store bought ones.   Now for the hot chocolate on a stick tutorial:

Hot Chocolate Blocks From King Arthur Flour

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• One 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped or in chips (Jane note: I actually used 1 cup 60% cacao chips, 1 cup semi-sweet chips, and 1 cup milk chocolate chips)
• One 4-oz bar unsweetened chocolate (broken or chopped into smaller pieces)
• Wooden or cookie/lollipop sticks
• 8″x8″ pan, lined with parchment paper

Heat the cream and sweetened condensed milk over medium-low heat until it starts steaming, stirring periodically. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir and let sit for 10 minutes, then put back on medium-low heat and stir with a whisk until chocolate is completely melted and shiny. (At this point you could add some flavoring…vanilla, hazelnut, peppermint, whatever fits your fancy!)

Pour chocolate into prepared pan and spread chocolate as level as you possibly can. Let sit overnight (12 hours or so).

Remove chocolate from pan and cut, top side face down, into squares. Divide the block into sixths each direction, so your squares will be a bit larger than 1″ x 1″. Use a long, thin knife. Heat the knife under hot water, wipe dry with a towel or paper towel, make a few cuts, then repeat the knife-heating procedure. Makes 36 squares, although those corner squares are shaped a little funny…you might just want to eat those straight up while you’re cooking. You need the energy for all this hard work. 

For both the marshmallows and the chocolate squares, feel free to get creative with flavorings and/or rolling them in peppermint pieces, cocoa, etc. I just used a little vanilla in the chocolate and kept it simple. And they are still mighty delicious! One stick is good for about 4 – 8 ounces of hot milk…depending on how chocolatey you like it.

I wrapped each stick in a square of cellophane and tied it with a pretty ribbon. I’m kind of in love with my hot chocolates on sticks.

For delivery, I packed the sticks in white lunch bags (I found some at Target) with the tops cut off so that the sticks would poke out the top. I then stapled a simple card printed from my computer with directions for the chocolate. (Click here to download cards you can print and use. Consider it my holiday gift to you!) For a few people I actually drew a snowman on the bag. Then I realized I was going to be drawing snowmen forever and I gave up.

You can fit about 6 sticks in one bag comfortably. Because your hot chocolate wants to be comfortable. Trust me. 

 I made three batches of the chocolate blocks and 2 batches of the marshmallows. I was able to make about 100 sticks, with marshmallows leftover.  Also, I made sure to cut the marshmallows a bit smaller than the chocolates, I thought they looked a little cuter and more balanced that way.

And there you have it- Hot chocolate on a stick favors!  Thank you so much, Jane for creating such a creative, yummy and adorable winter wedding favor!  If you’d like to see the full tutorial post from Make and Takes, click here!

White Bridal Bouquet:  JL Designs

Plaid Peep Toe Pumps:  Kate Spade

Plaid Bow Tie:  Image Courtesy of Jagger Photography

Plaid Wedding Cake:  Whipped Bakeshop

Plaid Wedding Invitations:  Cheeky Design

Black Bridesmaids Dresses with Plaid Sashes:  Image Courtesy of Ash Imagery

Groomsmen and Groom with Plaid Neckties:  Image Courtesy of Jagger Photography

Plaid Tablescape:  Image Courtesy of Ash Imagery

Here’s a little bit about Unless Someone Like You:

My name is Leslie Hamer and I’m a 28 year old unschooled artist and mom to a swashbuckling little boy.

I live and create in the arts district of oak park, the closest and coolest burb of chicago. My business came to be in early 2005 after realizing that there wasn’t a single wedding invitation that appealed to me on the market. I had never drawn before – but I set out to make my own invitation based on a portrait of me and my husband-to-be. Before I knew it I was designing everyday.

I have the best job in the world, and it just gets better everyday.

And a little bit about her awesome Save the Dates:

Add to the excitement and fun of announcing your engagement with a scratch off save the date card. Customized with your names, wedding date, and colors.

- %100 recycled cardstock

- Set of 25

- Card is 4 7/8″ x 3 1/2″

- Add color coordinated envelopes for an additional 25.00

- A digital proof will be sent to you for your approval before printing.

Place in a standard 4-bar envelope or stamp and address the reverse side and send as a postcard.

And check out how awesome they look too!