So why do I love HBI?
1) Allie is amazing! She is a beautiful person inside and out and truly loves everything she does for her brides.
2) The signs, paper, and calligraphy that we do are all things that will be must haves at my very own wedding!
3) All our fans! Everyone who has liked HBI on Facebook or followed us on Twitter are awesome! Going into this internship I was worried about how all the fans would react to my posts, but I am hoping you loved all of them!
4) Finally, I absolutely love everything HBI stands for. We represent love, romance, and a true understanding for each bride’s individual needs.

I have grown so much through this internship. I learned a ton about social media and how much influence it has over the entire world, I learned a lot about the wedding industry, all the different types of wedding trends, and all that it takes to put a wedding together!

Overall, I think that this internship inspired me to continue a career in the wedding industry as an event coordinator or wedding planner! I think that that would be the most fun job ever

Also, for those of you who read my introduction post all the way back in December and saw the picture of my boyfriend Nick and I, well we are still together! Here we are at my birthday dinner! Maybe someday it will be us working with HBI for one of their awesome signs!!

Thank you again to all of HBI’s fans! We love each and every one of you. Be sure to keep sharing the love for HBI and Allie. They certainly deserve it!
xoxo,
Nicole

Happy Friday ladies and gentlemen! Even though my internship is coming to an end, I still wanted to do another give away! Soooo what exactly are we giving away??

Drum roll please…..

One of our custom wooden wedding signs!!! Yay!
You could be the proud new owner of something like this:

Or this…

Or even this:

Now with every give away, there is a little (teeny tiny) catch! So here are some rules, guidelines, and how you can enter our contest!

1. The sign we will be giving away is about $200-$250 value, which is HUGE, but it won’t be a large full sized sign. Instead, it will be smaller and about 16″x20″, but hey, it’s free and will be gorgeous either way
2. The winner of the sign can have it for an event such as a baby shower, wedding, bridal shower, etc. But it has to be an event that is about SIX MONTHS out in order for us to have time to put it together, ship it, and make sure it is perfect.
3. One awesome part of this give away is that there is no specific time frame, that means we can end the give away whenever we want. So be sure to enter as soon as you can and as much as you can!!
4. For more photos or amazing designs from our wooden wedding signs check out our Etsy page here: HBI Etsy Page

1. If you see our blog post about this give away, visit our Facebook page and click “like”. After you’ve done that, share one of our soon to be many posts about this giveaway to your own page so that your friends and family can enter the contest too!
2. Share our photos on Pinterest with the most enthusiastic description possible to let us (and your Pinterest followers) know how excited you are about this give away!
3. If you have a Twitter account: follow us, and retweet or favorite one of our tweets about the giveaway!
4. Finally, after you have completed one or all of these steps, make a comment on this exact blog post with a link to your Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook post and tell us what event you would most likely use the sign for!

If you have ANY questions, concerns, or words of praise at all PLEASE do not hesitate to leave a comment on this post or send me a message on Facebook. I will get back to you ASAP. We always love getting in personal contact with other wedding sign lovers

Okay, so one of the simplest exercises you can do to help lose that pesky tummy “pooch” are your basic crunches. When I do my crunches I usually do 3 sets of 15 reps with my feet on the ground and with my legs sticking straight in the air.  For the first few reps I don’t really feel too much, but after a while I definitely feel that burn.  Other great lower ab exercises are leg lifts and scissors lifts.

After I warm up with simple exercises, I do things like the “90-Degree Static Press” or the “U-Boat”. I got these great exercise ideas and photos from www.shape.com.
90-Degree Static Press:

U-Boat:

Another work out that I love to use is the plank.  I normally do one minute normal plank, then 45 seconds on both sides x 3.  It is hard work, but I know that when my arms and hips start to shake, it means my muscles are working hard and burning fat!
I also really like to use the smooth wooden floors in my gym’s dance studio to do abs with a towel or carpet piece.  Here is a great video to show you what I mean:
http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/videos/m/52797431/magic-carpet-ride.htm 

On a side note, if any of you gals have an iPhone, I would highly recommend getting an app that is meant to talk you through an ab workout. They are really helpful and usually made by people who know what they are doing!
Oh! And something I learned through some web research is that you don’t want to do really intense ab workouts every day. If you work out 5 times a week, try to limit your ab workouts to 3 times a week.  This will help your body build muscle and get a little break at the same time!

With some of the ab work outs that I do, and all the others out there, you will be in the best bridal shape of your life. No pain no gain, am I right?
P.S. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more updates and photos
P.S.S. A little buzzing bee told me that HBI is doing another giveaway soon!!! Keep your eyes and ears open for an update on that sometime next week!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!
xoxo,
Nicole

I swear I get half of my inspirations from Pinterest, and this week I saw a lot of posts about wedding veils. Short face covers, long trains, headbands, and more! Here are a few of my favorites:

To start us off, here is a gorgeoussss veil I found on Pinterest (shocker) from Style Me Pretty!

I love, love, love this veil! It is definitely one of my favorites that I have seen, and trust me, I’ve seen a lot! I love the floral decal at the top and the elegant simplicity of the photo and the veil itself.

To see the full post click here: http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/334940/

In Love My Dress‘s blog post “Two Weddings in One Day”, this traditional sari or saree worn by the bride in this wedding is absolutely stunning!! I love the sheer lace and like she says in the article, “not too bling”. When I found this picture I was looking through Love My Dress’s blog for another veil, but once I saw this one, I fell in love.

To see the rest of this post follow this link: http://www.lovemydress.net/blog/2013/04/multicultural-indian-wedding-karma-kars-john-day-photography.html

Next on the hunt for my favorite headbands and veil pieces comes this amazing and jaw dropping hair decorative. If you paid a lot of money for a hair dresser or are just extremely talented with hair and you want to draw attention to your gorgeous locks, this is the piece for you! To see the full slideshow of more amazing veils and headpieces click here: http://www.fabsugar.com/Best-Wedding-Veils-Headpieces-Shopping-29210180?image_nid=29210194&slide=10

This next wedding veil, courtesy of OnceWed , is not only gorgeous, but modest and very traditional. I am obsessed.

To see more amazing photos and wedding from OnceWed, click here: http://www.oncewed.com/wedding-ideas/vintage-wedding-veil-ideas/

If you’re looking for that one of a kind and vintage veil, look no further! The beautiful Jackie Kennedy rocks this stunning, floor length, veil while doing the “cut the cake” tradition.
I found this inspiring photo and other vintage veils here: http://my-weddingdream.com/vintage-veils/

I guess that is all for now!
xoxo,
 Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and Pinterest by clicking the links conveniently placed on this page

Why have a spring wedding?

• Flowers: Probably the number one reason why I would ever have a spring wedding is because of the flowers. When we are just coming out of the dead and cold sights of winter, absolutely nothing is more pleasing to the eyes and nose than some beautiful spring flowers.
• Weather: The weather is not always perfect in spring, in fact it tends to rain…A LOT. However, contrary to popular belief, I believe that rain on your wedding day means more good luck than bad.  This might be cheesy, but the rain is symbolic in the sense that it is “washing away” all your past worries and fears and clearing the path for you and your new spouse.
• Venues: I remember reading somewhere that there is more of an abundance of venues in spring because more people want summer weddings.
• Other Amazing Weddings Happen In Spring: Well one thing is for sure, other beautiful weddings such as HBI owner Allie’s wedding happened in spring! Shouldn’t that be a reason in itself?

• Guests: Usually in summer, your guests and loved ones are more likely to be available to attend your wedding or take vacation time off of work just for you!
• The Dress: I don’t know if it is just me, but I have noticed that almost all wedding dresses are sleeveless. Therefore all those dresses are just screaming for a summer wedding.
• Warm nights: One of my absolutely favorite parts about summer is the warm nights. After the heat of the day has passed and the sun has gone down, it is time to start that reception in an outdoor venue!
• Colors: The colors in summer are more flexible than in other seasons.  Anything that is bold and bright is acceptable, and without the limitation on color scheme, your wedding can be perfect and unique just for you.
• Venues: I feel like a majority of wedding venues are made for the summer which will allow for a lot of options and places to choose from.

Why have a fall wedding?

• Off season: Fall is considered one of the “off seasons” because, like spring, it is right in the middle of the two more popular seasons to have a wedding. And if you like that uniqueness, fall is the season for you!
• Travel Costs: If you have friends and family that need to travel a long distance to get to your wedding, the fall is the best time to do it for two reasons:  First of all, the cost of airfare will have gone down from the summer travels and second, the weather is more reliable in early fall compared to snowy winter or rainy spring.
• Food: Fall means the beginning of the holidays, which also means the beginning of the “stuff your face” season. A lot of caters recognize this fact and are willing to bring you the most amount of food possible even for a discounted price!
• Save Your Money: Again, since fall is one of those “off seasons” and is even less popular than spring, there will be markdowns on things such as venues, dresses, cakes, and invitations. So definitely take advantage of that!

Why have a winter wedding?

• Save MORE money: We all know that winter means Christmas time, and Christmas time means mark downs and sales on a lot of items for your wedding. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS! Weddings can get very expensive and with a little help from Mr. Claus, you can have your dream wedding at a lower cost than other seasons.
• Photos: Although it may be freezing, winter wedding photos are one of my favorites. With a little snow on the ground and that winter sunshine, the entire scene looks as magical as anyone could dream of.
• Attendance: Like summertime, people are more likely to attend your wedding. However, unlike summer, there are usually no other conflicts with graduations, summer BBQs, or other receptions (gasp!).
• Themes: To me, winter is the easiest season to pick a great theme for your wedding. Starting with the traditional “Winter Wonderland” theme, a bride can take her wedding anywhere! Not to mention the rich and warm colors that are more common in winter such as deep reds, glistening golds, and elegant greens to tie your wedding together.

Well that’s all I have for now!! If you all have any other helpful tips/hints/reasons as to why your favorite season is the best, let me know in the comments below! I always love hearing what ya’ll have to say.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend and if you have sunshine, enjoy it! You deserve that vitamin D.

xoxo,

PS don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for daily pics, posts, and quotes

Southern Weddings: http://iloveswmag.com

I mean no big deal or anything, but Honey Bee Invites was the Ultimate Southern Escort Card Finalist back in 2011 and that automatically gives us a boost of confidence and Southern Weddings a boost of awesome paper
Here is the link to our post: Escort Card Finalist Post

Branco Prata

One of the wedding blogs and companies that we really like to work with is Branco Prata! Even just at first glance, you can tell their pictures are absolutely stunning! The put as much effort into their work as any bride/groom would want. Love them!!

Oh Lovely Day: http://www.ohlovelyday.com
With a slogan such as “Wedding Inspiration for Creative and Stylish Brides”, who wouldn’t want to work with them? They are amazing Oh, and if you just so happen to be perusing their site, type in Honey Bee Invites to see more of our amazing photos like this one:

Or you could follow this conveniently placed link: Oh Lovely Day HBI Feature. Yay!

At First Blush and Co.: http://www.atfirstblushandco.com/
Naomi, owner and founder of At First Blush does an amazing job and like all other wedding lovers, it is her passion. PLEASE check them out, I highly recommend them

Occasions Wedding Magazine: http://www.occasionsonline.com
I took the liberty of already searching Honey Bee Invites on this amazing website! I love searching through their archives, there are so many amazing photos and bits of inspiration to go around: Honey Bee Invites Search on Occasions

Elizabeth Anne Designs
Last but not least, if you did not see all my excited Facebook posts, here is our post on Elizabeth Anne Designs
Whenever I go to their site, it looks so professional and put together, I love it! This photo belongs to them.

HBI on Elizabeth Anne Link 

That is all for now my loves! I hope you take the time to look at ALL of these amazing blogs and websites
xoxo,

Happy Friday all you beautiful people I am in such a good mood! The forecast for these next two weeks are supposed to be sunny and bright. I got such a good response of comments from friends, fans, and family on my post from a couple weeks ago about my favorite Honey Bee Invites, that I decided to make a similar post except with our custom wooden wedding signs! Yay!

Number 5:

I know this isn’t exactly a sign made for a wedding venue, but I couldn’t resist putting it on my list. The lace decal at the top is so precious and the rocking horse just screams newborn baby.

Number 4:

I  chose this sign not only because every single item on the menu sounds delicious, but because the bright green colors add a little character to the sign. The “Eat, Drink, & Be Married” at the bottom is probably one of my favorite aspects of the sign!

Number 3:

Not only do I love this sign for its bright colors, but the biblical passage is absolutely beautiful. If I could have a wedding sign, not only will I get one from Honey Bee Invites, but I’ll definitely be picking this passage.

Number 2:

First of all, thank you to Blue Dandelion Photography for this amazing photo! Second, this wedding sign was made for HBI’s founder Allie and her hubby Justin on their wedding day! Well, I think it is pretty darn amazing that with all that she had to do regarding planning a beautiful wedding event, Allie still had time to put together this sign so that a piece of Honey Bee Invites was with her on her special day

Number 1:

I’m not really sure what makes me love these signs so much. Maybe it is because the photo is so beautiful (thank you Something Pretty Photography for this AMAZING picture!!) or maybe I am a sucker for the white and blue color scheme. Either way, this is definitely one of all time favorite signs that Honey Bee Invites has made. I guess I also like the idea that the bride and groom have their designated seats and anyone can see that they are in love and belong together.

For those of you who fell in love with these custom wooden wedding signs, here is the basic info that you’ll need to order one:

To get a hold of us, like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter then just send us a message and we will be sure to get back to you ASAP

That is all for now my dears!! Have a beautiful (and hopefully sunny) weekend!

xoxo,

One of their newest shows is called “Something Borrowed Something New”. In this show, brides come in with some very old and outdated dresses passed down from their mothers or even from their grandmothers to have them altered and updated by designer Kelly Nishimoto.  At the same time, fashion expert Sam Saboura is having them try on brand new dresses! In the end, the brides must choose between the vamped and updated dress or a brand new dress of their very own. I love this show because it gets a little emotional when brides try on dresses from their moms that have passed away or if the dads start to cry.

Before:

After:

Follow this link to see more amazing “Something Borrowed, Something New” dress transformations:
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/something-borrowed-something-new/featured-new-borrowed-gowns-pictures1.htm
Photo Credits: TLC

Another one of TLC’s bridal shows is called “Four Weddings”. In this show, four women each attend each other’s weddings, vote on who had the best one, and the winner gets a dream honeymoon! I love this show because there are always weddings that are a little over the top and of course there is a little drama.  One time I watched this one episode where this woman had belly dancers at her wedding and male dancers!! I wanted to die it was so hilarious and over the top.

To learn more about this awesome show or watch full episodes click here: http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/four-weddings/videos

My third favorite Friday Bride Day show on TLC is “Say Yes to the Dress: Bridesmaids”. For those of you who have watched the original Say Yes to the Dress before, I totally recommend this one too! There is all the drama and stress of choosing the perfect bridesmaids dresses.  Plus it is always fun to critique which dress you would have chosen for your wedding! And the owner of this shop, Lori, seems like an absolute angel! I would actually love to meet her!

Photo Credit: TLC

To see more bridesmaids pictures from the show click this link:
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/say-yes-to-the-dress-bridesmaids/bridesmaids-dress-pictures.htm 

Okay, now we have finally gotten down to my all time favorite wedding show! I am obsessed with “Say Yes to the Dress” or “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta”.  These are the kind of shows that when you see they’re on, you kind of squeal a little with excitement. And then when there is a marathon you kind of want to skip work and just watch them all day. I absolutely love, love, love these two shows! I don’t know if it is because I am crazy for the beautiful gowns, if I love the people who work there, or if I am just more of a girly girl than I thought, but I cannot get enough of them. If you haven’t watched either of these shows before you are seriously missing out!
Click this conveniently placed link to find out more about this show and watch some awesome clips:
http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/say-yes-to-the-dress 

I thought that these shows were awesome and too good to not be shared, but that is all I have for you all on this weeks post! For all you brides who can’t get enough of their own weddings, TLC has got you covered!

Have a great weekend
xoxo,

Don’t forget to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter! We always love new likes and followers <3

Happy Friday and Happy National Women’s Day! I decided that I have been an intern at Honey Bee Invites long enough to pick out my top five favorite invitations!

Number 5:
Our New Years Themed Golden Invitations.

I think I fell in love with these invitations because the bright golden colors brought so much promise for the New Year. Plus I am a sucker for a little sparkle!

Number 4:
Purple Floral Invites

Well considering that purple is my favorite color, what isn’t there to love?

Number 3:
Candy Cane Christmas Invites

I love Christmas. It is probably my favorite holiday so I had to add this to my top five favorites!

Number 2:
Allie’s Bridal Shower Invites

I chose these as my second favorite not only because they are for HBI’s Allie’s bridal shower, but also because they are so adorable and I love the bright colors and perfect attention to detail.

Drum roll please….

Number 1:
Gold and Blue Striped Inivitations

Okay, I am seriously obsessed with these invitations!!! I love gold and blue combo and I feel like bold stripes will never go out of style.

That’s all for now lovelies!!! I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend! I am going to the beach to (hopefully) get a little vitamin D.

xoxo,

All paper goods are property of Honey Bee Invites.

P.S. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

I feel like all the days this week blurred together. I got that nasty flu bug that is going around on Monday, school has been keeping me really busy, and my Gonzaga Men’s Basketball Team is #1 in the West Coast Conference and has the potential to be #1 in the nation! So basically it has been a crazy week.  Anywho, today is the first day of March! Yay! We are that much closer to sunny days and long, warm nights.  Today I thought it would be a fun idea to share with you multiple crafts that are available for all those mason jars that are lying around your house!

The first idea is coming directly from Garden Therapy.  Their awesome Mason Jar Solar Lights Tutorial is perfect for any night-time and outdoor scene.  To find the full tutorial, just follow this convenient link: http://gardentherapy.ca/mason-jar-solar-lights/

Photo Credit: Garden Therapy

I think that is all I have for you lovelies today! All of these mason jar tutorials are genius and I cannot wait to try them out on my own! Lucky for me, my Grandma likes to make jam/jelly preserves and has a TON of mason jars just lying around for me to use