Hello, lovely! We wanted to give our readers a brief introduction of a new feature on Woodlands Bride - The Marketplace. 

Our vision for this market is to give brides, and anyone interested, a safe place to shop for the newest, trendiest wedding products. This variety of items can and will fit into many different categories, including but not limited to: fashion, papers + invitations, florals, cosmetics, decor, favors, jewelry, paper goods, supplies, sweets, and vintage.

How it works:
Much like Etsy, independent sellers, or shops, will list their items on our Marketplace site, powered by Meylah.com. When you find an item you like, simply add it to your cart and checkout safely through that seller's online store - secured through Meylah. 

Interested in becoming a seller?
Contact us for more information on how you can set up shop on Woodlands Bride's Marketplace and have your lovely items promoted. 

Featured Item:
One of the featured products on our Marketplace site is this Freshwater Pearl and Swarovski Crystal Bridal Necklace, sold via Courtney Rian's online store. This necklace features Swarovski Crystal stones, freshwater pearls and a sterling silver oval lobster claw clasp. Of this necklace, Courtney writes:

"This necklace was the featured in Seattle's Wedding Preview Event and is definitely one of my favorite pieces in my collection.  The bride in the show, featured in the pictures is Seattle's own Jackie Cunningham, Morning Show Co-host of Seattle's popular 106.1 KISS FM.  It was a very proud and special moment for my little jewelry business to get the opportunity to participate in such an amazing event, with such talented and fun vendors."

Check out this product and more on The Marketplace and check back often for more items and featured sellers. Have any questions or comments about The Marketplace? Give us some feedback in the comment section below.

On March 28th, Woodlands Bride sponsored the first-ever Venue Toast and Tour. Several brides and their guest of choice hopped on an oversized party bus from Lone Star Executive Limo to stroll through the Montgomery-Conroe area to tour four amazing venues: Heather's Glen, Hodge Podge Lodge, Waterpoint, and Walden on Lake Conroe. The outcome: one memorable night and many happy & full guests!

Brides met at Heather's Glen, and upon sign in, received a gift bag full of goodies - including the most amazing cake balls you have ever tasted from Dream Cakes (Thanks, Edit. They were a hit!) Also in the VIP bags - gifts from Rose is a Rose Designs and Memories by Maryanne Photography. Guests were able to then relax and enjoy drinks and hor d'oeuvres. At each stop, brides + guests were offered something different and each venue featured unique wedding vendors. With giveaways (including a wrap + facial party from Bonzon Wraps), photo booth fun and wonderful company, the brides had a blast and asked, "When's the next venue tour?"

A special 'thank-you' to Film the Day Productions for the amazing video capturing events throughout the night! If you are interested in participating in a future Venue Tour or similar event, let us know! Leave a comment below or shoot us an e-mail and let us know what venues you would like to tour next. Don't forget to share the video with your friends!

Videographer: Film the Day / Venues: Heather's Glen, Hodge Podge Lodge, Waterpoint, Walden on Lake Conroe / Transportation: Lone Star Executive Limo / Other: Dream Cakes, Bonzon Wraps, Rose is a Rose Designs, Memories by Maryanne

Our very first Venue Toast and Tour will be here very soon. Mark your calendar for March 28 and get your tickets now to enjoy this fun evening. Tickets are $25; RSVP by March 15th and get a swag bag full of awesome freebies!

About the event: In luxurious accommodations from Lone Star Limo, you + one guest will tour four very different wedding venues in Montgomery County: Hodge Podge Lodge, Waterpoint, Heather's Glen and Walden on Lake Conroe. Enjoy cocktails + tasty treats at each stop and mingle with industry professionals - including photographers, caterers, florists, dessert specialists, décor and rental suppliers - in a party-like, laid-back environment. Get all the details here.

Will you be at the Venue Toast and Tour? Who are you going to bring as your guest? We'd love to know in the comment section!

We were honored to have been a part of the Dream Weddings Bridal Show and enjoyed meeting new brides and vendors alike. What a turnout! We always feel inspired after a big event like yesterday's bridal show and we would like to welcome new fans to Woodlands Bride! Our goal is to inspire you.

Where to start? The bridal show was filled - we mean filled - with every wedding vendor under the sun. There were amazingly talented photographers and fun photo booths, every kind of caterer, venues galore, chic gift shops + event designers and the best cake you've ever tasted!

We were in wedding heaven as we perused all the floral design booths from College Park Flowers to Rainforest Flowers. We had a little floral perfection in our own booth: Carter's Florist graciously designed a centerpiece for us which brides simply adored. Thanks, Jessica!

We grabbed a meatball (ok, 2 or 3!) from the Buca di Beppo booth perfectly decorated in Italian vintage. Rico's Grill, our favorite Mexican restaurant, was serving up some samples of their catering for brides. We also chatted it up with SpringHill Suites and learned a fun fact: Did you know the hotel chain in The Woodlands is their number one location for the U.S.? We love this hotel and its modern decor!

Cake. Always a hit. Edit of Dream Cakes spoiled us with some yummy samples! They are in our Vendor Guide and on our speed dial. Brides enjoyed sweet samples from Bavarian Cakery, Huddell and Hudson, and Kiss the Cook Cakes. Guests also sampled cupcakes from Gigi's Cupcakes (you couldn't miss their awesome hot pink van!) 

Signature EvenTx production gave brides and guests a chance to let loose and enjoy themselves. These guys are totally entertaining and there's no doubt the receptions they host are a ton of fun!

ShutterBooth and The Traveling Photo Booth, among many other photo booths, gave brides a chance to act silly with poses and props. We indulged in the fun, too... We couldn't resist!

The selection of venues at the show is exactly why we love promoting this area. Brides could choose from the beautiful oak tree at Oak Tree Manor in Spring, the country-style venue of Amber Springs in Montgomery, resort-style venues like The Woodlands Resort, one of our featured vendors, as well as venues on the water like Bentwater on Lake Conroe and Waterpoint - a venue brides will be able to tour at our very first Venue Toast and Tour on March 28.

We were so inspired by the event design talent of the ladies at A Memorable Event. This vendor had a few tables set up with different styles for different brides. 

We are also inspired by vendors that do it all like A Posh Affair - your one-stop shop for wedding planning! Specialty shops like Zulee's gift shop + invitation design and Sugar Bunch Creations - a candy buffet and fun food catering company - were unique finds at the bridal show.

At last, the photographers. There are so many talented ones in this area, it is hard to choose just one. We could not stop looking at the beautiful work of Maryanne from Memories by Maryanne, one of the vendors in our Vendor Guide. We fell in love with the work of Civic Photos and Fleurish Imagery, and we adored the look of the Singing Hearts Photography booth. 

We had some beautiful art in our own booth that totally stole the show. Compliments to Joshua Tyi Photography and Kasey Lynn Photography for the portraits!

Then came the bridal fashion show featuring wedding gowns by David Tutera. Check out the photo gallery below for a preview of the fashion show + booths at the Dream Weddings Bridal Show. Thank you Gail McGroder for letting us be a part of such a successful event!

A special thanks to Nikki Lee and Jessica Coleman for their crafty skills and all the time they put into making sure we had the cutest giveaways at the bridal show!

Here at Woodlands Bride, we never pass up a slice of wedding cake – and we never pass on a good feature story. Let us introduce you to a small business with a big portfolio. Brides, you will want to sample this one!

We chatted it up with Megan Edwards, pastry chef and owner of Nutmeg & Co., to find out what inspires her, what she offers brides and what’s on the menu (hint: nearly everything your sweet tooth desires!) What started out as a nickname her friends gave her because of her love for baking has become a passionate business and a hobby she says she never tires of!    

WB: How did you get started as a pastry chef?

Nutmeg&Co: I attended culinary school right out of high school and worked in several restaurants.  I started my business in 2006 and have not stopped baking since!  I had a brief sabbatical as a corporate pastry chef with a big company, but I am glad to be returning to my business and for the opportunity to work with brides!

WB: Since you serve the wedding industry, what should brides know about your business?

Nutmeg&Co: We are completely committed to making the cake designing part of their wedding planning an enjoyable experience.  Once we sit down with each bride for a tasting and get a better idea of what they are looking for, design and flavor wise, we piece together sketches to narrow down the exact design they have in mind.  Normally the only time a bride will ever have to meet with us is once for the tasting, everything else is done via email.  This saves time for our brides and does not force them to make a decision in one day. 

WB: What’s on the menu at Nutmeg & Co.?

Nutmeg&Co: We specialize in custom cakes for all occasions, in addition to petite fours, cupcakes, custom sugar cookies, and miniature desserts.  All of our pastries and cakes are made completely from scratch, with real butter; and while our menus and flavor ideas are vast, we are open to any ideas that each client brings to us!  Many of our popular flavors are combinations conjured up by brides themselves.  We have also been known to provide cobblers, puddings, and pies for the grooms who opt to not have a groom's cake.  An elegant approach is taken with each custom order, so that no matter what your ideas are, they will come to life and impress your guests.  

WB: Sweet! And now my mouth is watering! So, we must know – what inspires you and your business?

Nutmeg&Co: I have always loved to bake, from a very young age, and I love being able to turn something yummy into something beautiful that people remember. Weddings are particularly special because brides want to create a very unique 'work of art' displayed for their guests, and the ability to make their vision come to life is so satisfying! 

WB: What is the best way for brides to contact you?

Nutmeg&Co: Telephone or email; either way, we can get them set up for a consultation.

To read the full interview with Nutmeg & Co., be sure to check out our March/April edition of Woodlands Bride - The E-zine coming March 12!

Contact Nutmeg & Co. / Megan Edwards, Owner / 832.567.1724 / www.nutmegandcompany.com / nutmegandco@yahoo.com

Hello! Today, I am so excited to share these handmade paper wreaths and wedding decor with you! The best part is they are made by one of The Woodlands' own resident, Katie Lloyd of Anthology on Main!  I chatted with Katie about her flowers and how brides could get one customized for their own wedding!


WB: What inspired you to create your handmade paper wreaths and decor? 
KL: Last year I had seen a lot of paper wreaths, however, most of those wreaths used new paper and I wanted a greener alternative, so I turned to used books. Whenever possible I use older hardcover books as the paper quality is far superior to paperbacks. I use various fiction titles but avoid genres that tend to have offensive words and phrases.

WB: This is a perfect product for an eco-conscious bride! Can you tell us about your materials? 
KL: I use 99% of each and every book and believe strongly in the "waste not, want not" philosophy. From one book I am able to make rosettes, carnations, pom pom garlands (coming very soon to the shop!), and ornaments (coming later this year). I also upcycle the hardcovers into purses and journals, as well as make my own paper from the scraps of the above projects and use this handmade paper for more rosettes and notecards. 

WB: Okay, so if a bride wanted to purchase one of your products, what would she need to know?
KL: The wreaths and kissing balls in my shop can both be customized. I offer 29 color choices for the flowers and the clients' choice of ribbon color for the kissing balls, all free of charge. I currently offer six sizes of kissing balls and am able to take requests for different sizes of wreaths. Further customization can be added to an order for additional fees. These options include color matching, such as matching a kissing ball to the same shade as a bridesmaid dress, as well as the choice of book titles used.
 
For custom orders, a potential client simply needs to contact me through my Etsy shop with their requests: quantity, sizes, colors, etc. Once we have worked through all the details I create a custom listing for them in my shop where they then purchase their personalized and unique order! Right now my lead time for creating a custom order is approximately 3 months.  

Have you considered serving up pies at your wedding? When they are this cute, how could you resist? Amanda Ogden and her Mom, Kit, have been serving up these little beauties for their company, Tiny Pies, based in Austin. They have just launched a Houston location and served up the details here on Woodlands Bride.

WB: How did you get the idea for Tiny Pies?
AO: My mom, Kit and I have been baking pies together for years. The idea for Tiny Pies came from my sons wanting to take an individual piece of pie in their lunch sacks to school.  We launched Tiny Pies in Austin in January, 2011 and have grown by leaps and bounds. 

WB: What kinds of events do you cater? 
AO: We specialize in weddings and corporate events. We've catered everything from fundraisers for non-profits for 450 attendees to shipping one thousand pies to three separate locations for a company's product launch.  We've also catered many weddings, rehearsal dinners and shower events. I think today's brides and grooms are looking for something unique that highlights their individuality and Tiny Pies are a great fit for them.  Additionally, folks are becoming more conscious of where their food comes from and so they select Tiny Pies for their events because they know that we support the local growers and source our ingredients locally whenever possible. We offer free tastings and usually bake up about four different flavors of pie for wedding celebrations.

We believe strongly in giving back to our community and have put our pies where our mouth is so to speak.  We've helped raise money for  the following charities over the past year: Susan G. Komen Foundation, Moblie Loaves and Fishes, SafePlace, Goodwill Industries and Heart of Texas Lab Rescue just to name a few.  

WB: Welcome to Houston! How can a bride learn more? 
AO: We launched our weddings and events catering business in Houston in March.  We hope to offer Houstonians a unique and all natural alternative to their catering needs.  We look forward to becoming a local favorite and will continue to support the local community through participating in fundraisers. Houston brides can contact us for free tastings.  If we're not in the Houston area we can ship pies to them free of charge we just ask that they pay for shipping. We deliver to Houston for large scale events and can ship smaller orders easily.  We'll be at the Something Borrowed, Something Blues Bridal show at House of Blues Houston on August 11th.    

Photos courtesy of Tiny Pies.

When Mayi Carles first previewed her illustrated wedding invitation design on her blog, Heartmade, I loved it immediately. So, when she announced she would be adding custom illustrations to her array of services, I knew I had to share! And while we are talking about Mayi, I can't pass up on the opportunity to share her sweet wedding video with you. It is amazingly precious.  Don't forget to click the "Read More"