New KEG Designs on Etsy!

Check out my new letterpress Thank You cards on Etsy. Go here!

Wedding Invitation: Bailey & Rhett

Winter wedding in Chicago...skyline and snowflake imagery help set the mood. Thermography (raised printing) adds elegance to a classic design and is more affordable than letterpress. Wedding colors = sage and ivory. (Click images to enlarge.)

Budget Friendly Dresses

Athena (Silver/Taupe); $38.40

Nina (black); $44.00

Holly Navy; $28.00

Christina (Navy); $33.60

I wanted to share this great site I recently discovered, 1 Happy Girl Boutique, with everyone. Paige, the founder of the boutique, is a local Chicago based model and shopping fanatic. These dresses are too cute - I especially love the silver one. They would be perfect for a rehearsal dinner ensemble or even bridesmaid dresses. Budget friendly too - prices starting as low as $20!

Chicago Brides: Hinsdale Wedding Walk 2/22

Happy weekend everyone! If you're a Chicago-area bride looking for some inspiration this weekend, head over to the Hinsdale Wedding Walk. A long list of vendors and stores will be sharing in the latest wedding trends as well as new merchandise. Hinsdale is quite a beautiful town and a great afternoon escape from the city. 

Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door - 1pm to 4pm. Raffle prizes too! Check it out!

A Big Thanks to Veiled Vows!

I'm still new to this whole "blog" world...and learning as I go. So far, the few "hellos" I've sent to some of my favorite fellow wedding bloggers have been kindly received. I wanted to send a special thanks to Emilia over at Veiled Vows & Auburn & Ivory for featuring some of my work and putting my blog on her site. Thank you! Please check out her blog(s) and amazing handmade jewelry on Etsy. Happy Friday!

Hand Stamped LOVE Necklace; Sterling Silver $15.00

Gold or Gaudy?

The question isn't whether or not the Martha Stewart China (below) is gaudy (because I love it!), it's whether or not the gold-plated flatware is cool or, well, flashy? I registered for the two China patterns below, half "Garland Moss" and half "French Knot," because they look amazing mixed together. The gold-plated flatware matches perfectly, but might not be necessary. It's very Anthropologie to me...and who doesn't love Anthropologie?! What do you think...comments?

Wallace Hammered Flatware, Gold Plated

65-Piece Set $209.90 @ Neiman Marcus

Martha Stewart Wedgewood "Garland Moss" 

5-Piece Place Setting, $119.00 @ Macy's

Martha Stewart Wedgewood "French Knot" 

5-Piece Place Setting (Gold), $99.00 @ Macy's

A is for Anderson

Monograms are a great way to personalize your wedding. Once you have a monogram that you love, it can be incorporated into your wedding save the dates, invitations, programs, napkins, favors and more. A consistent design element throughout your event will help tie everything together. 

Because there are an infinite number of possibilities when creating a monogram...full last name, first initials, first letter of last name...it makes them very fun to design. Depending on the look and feel you're going for (romantic, vintage, beach, retro), the fonts used to create your monogram can also help tell your story. If you're interested in a custom monogram design, please email me at kelly@kegdesign.com.

Goddess Gowns

I'm in love! If I didn't already have my wedding dress (which I love too!), I'd totally be ordering one of these beautiful Rosa Clara wedding gowns. The Rosa Clara 2009 Bridal Collection was inspired by the sculptured silhouettes of classic Greek goddesses...how amazing!

Real Wedding: Megan & Bryan II

Flower centerpieces were placed on top of vintage books. Feathers were placed in the bouquets to add a hint of vintage charm. Each table was assigned a "Chapter" number. Escort Cards designed by Keg Design.

(All photos by Keg Design, unless otherwise noted.)

Real Wedding: Megan & Bryan I

More details from Megan & Bryan's "storybook" wedding...

Each guest received a custom printed Post-It notepad reading "Happily ever after..." and a personalized pencil with the couple's name and wedding date. Favors, Table Cards and Menus designed by Keg Design.

(All photos by Keg Design, unless otherwise noted.)

First Impressions

Our wedding colors are black, white and green. I'm loving all of the mosses & greenery that are available to use. I'm pretty sure that I want moss letters of our initials, K & L, hanging on the doors going into the church.

LEFT: Our church doors...I love how cute the entryway is!

RIGHT: Inspiration...don't have the original source, but I'm loving it.

If anyone knows the best way to go about making moss letters, please leave a comment. Thanks, Kelly

Wedding Program: Megan & Bryan

Wedding Invitation: Megan & Bryan

More from the beautiful "storybook" themed wedding...

Formal invitations inviting guests to be a part of the couple's special day...their "Next Chapter." Letterpress printing on Crane's card stock. Deckled left edges on the invitation, reception card and response card mimic torn pages from a book.

Just love this...

This is just one of those images I absolutely love. It embodies the perfect mix of elegance and fun that I hope to achieve on my own wedding day. The beautiful gown, white converse sneaks, natural (no fuss) hair and funky bracelet...love it!

This image came from a great site I discovered a few years back - Jewels by Jessica. Jessica is a jewelry designer working in Athens, Greece. She's got a unique style that mixes vintage pieces with new, funkier designs. Check out her Etsy store too.

Save The Date: Megan & Bryan

A romantic, fairytale love story between an english teacher and an executive chef...Megan and Bryan. The "Once upon a time" storybook theme was carried throughout this entire wedding, including paper designs, language and decor. The Save The Date bookmark (above) introduced guests to the fairytale theme. Each bookmark was composed of a vellum overlay which was placed on top of a beautiful iridescent stock with the couple's wedding information. Both pieces were hand tied with specialty ribbons & pearls and then placed into a gold, open-end envelope.

A bookmark is a great idea for a Save The Date, as its not only pretty but functional too! More photos and paper goods from this wedding coming next week...it's one of my favorites!

Save The Date: Bailey & Rhett

(Design by KEG; click image to enlarge)

Perfect for a Chicago based wedding! A photograph of the famous Wrigley Field Sign with your own personal Save The Date (or other) message. This piece was created as a 4x6 inch postcard. Other formats are possible. 

(Design by KEG; click image to enlarge)

More photos of the front, back and details of the Cubs design. I always urge my clients to take full advantage of the amazing postage options that are available. For this piece, a "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" stamp worked nicely. Other options include vintage stamps or making your own at Zazzle.

If you can't already tell, I'm a huge Chicago Cubs fan. Only 68 more days until opening day...this could be our year?!

Save The Date: Alyson & Ryan

An elegant format that communicates your Save The Date message using a simple, calendar design. This piece can be customized with your names, date and color scheme. Additional information, such as a website or hotel block, can also be included. This Save The Date can be produced as a card w/ envelope or as a postcard. This item will be available on Etsy very soon! 

Save The Date: Kelly & Luke

Using our engagement photos, I created a photo booth strip for our Save The Date. Wedding colors = black and white, with accents of green. A kraft paper, open-end envelope complements the design. I also used magnetic tape for the back of each Save The Date. And,  yes, we'll be having a photo booth at our reception! Can't wait!

Save The Date: Brittany & Gabe

This week is all about Save The Dates. I'll be featuring new designs daily.

Today's design is a 3.5"x3.5" magnet that I did a few years back. The bride's colors were chocolate brown and apple green. The traditional information for a Save The Date, including names, date, location and website, were included. Prices vary depending on size, quantity and ink coverage. Please email me for more information.

I won! I won! I won!

First of all, let me just start by saying that I never win anything. So, when Sarah at Classic Bride sent me an email yesterday telling me that I had won one of the 5 Blurb gift certificates, I was ecstatic! I can't wait to create our wedding guest book using Blurb's amazing resources. I better start brainstorming and figuring out what pictures/copy to include in the book. Does anyone have any ideas regarding guest books...I'd like to create a more informal layout so people can write more than just their name in the book? I'll have do some research...

Here's the link to the Classic Bride Blurb winners! Many thanks to Sarah for hosting the contest...and also to our wonderful photographer, Rob Barcroft, who took the picture!

Happy Sunday...and happy Superbowl! I'm not much into football, but I do like the commercials!