Bleeding Purple

Our alma matter is very important to Josh and I, being as how we both met at and graduated from James Madison University. There was no doubt in our minds that we wanted to somehow highlight our love and deep ties to JMU at our wedding. And what better way to do so then by having the JMU Road Dawg make an appearance!

The JMU Road Dawg is a traveling statue that has been to hundreds of family get togethers, weddings, and trips all throughout the country. Then I found out the worst news ever (at least at that moment in time): the Road Dawg had already been booked for the weekend of our wedding! I am pretty sure I was depressed for a few days, but knew we could find other ways to show off our purple and gold pride.

I began searching around until I found the most perfect JMU Duke Dog cake topper. Ever. I emailed Josh right away; of course, his response was something along the lines of "I am at work. I will look at it tonight." After he saw it, I knew he immediately had a "We need to have that" feeling. It was a little on the pricier end of what I ever pictured myself spending on a cake topper (I don't even think I was planning to have a cake topper now that I think of it), but it was definitely worth it. After finding this, we decided that we wanted our cake table to be JMU-themed and also Vega-themed.

JMU Duuukes.

Photo wood blocks and an "All You Need Is Love...And A Dog" sign.

My easy DIY paper bunting and cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake.

If you're looking to do a similar cake topper for your wedding, the Etsy shop that I purchased mine from has every college and university you can think of. And if you don't see it, they can custom make one for you. Just keep in mind that you need to place your order at least 2-3 months in advance of when you'd want to receive it. You can customize just about everything, too - the groom's suit, wedding flowers, wedding dress color, accessories, etc. I paid extra to also have the base painted white, as normally it would be a natural wood color.

Mr. and Mrs. Duke Dog on top of our simple two-tiered wedding cake.

Wooden crates, cake stands, and white hydrangeas in mason jars for our cake table.

And to top it all off - Josh's brother secretly booked the actual JMU Duke Dog mascot to make a guest appearance at our wedding. We had no idea and we were both so surprised (and I am impossible to surprise). Definitely one of the most memorable moments from our wedding!

JMU alumni!

Personalized Wedding Hanger

My "Mrs." hanger above (walnut stain, silver wire).

I always knew I wanted to get a personalized "Mrs." hanger for my wedding. When I received it, it really hit me hard. That was going to be my new name. It was crazy!

This Etsy shop has the best handmade hangers that I've seen, and I searched around a lot when I was looking for one. The pricing was reasonable, it shipped super fast, and there's a plethora of different options for hanger and wire colors. Plus, this particular shop has had over 7,000 sales. You'll absolutely love it!

And if you aren't getting one for yourself, this would make for a great gift for any bride-to-be!

Etsy shop: einspanner

I Can't Wait to Marry You

photo courtesy of marrygrams.

When I found this adorable Etsy shop marrygrams, I was hooked! I loved their little wedding cards and bought this one to give to my husband on the day of our wedding. They even have cards you can give to your bridal party, parents, officiant, and other important family members. The pricing was the same as a regular card you would get at any store and shipping was quick!

Etsy shop: marrygrams

Personalized Return Address Stamps

For someone who sends out mail all the time (not as much as Leila though!) - the best $30 that I’ve ever spent was on a self-inking customized address stamp! I’ve had mine for awhile now and have used it way more than I thought I would - save the dates, wedding invitations (which saved us money), holiday cards - just to name a few.

I searched around on different websites and ultimately found a great selection on Etsy (ranging anywhere from $20-$30) - and the designs were way more creative and prettier than the typical stamp you get from a big name office supply store.

photo courtesy of foryoo stamps + paper.

I love these cute little Etsy shops - foryoo and NoteTrunk - and have also ordered from both of them.

This is a great personalized gift to give anyone that loves stationery, someone who just moved into a new home, or as a wedding gift for the newlyweds!