New York Magazine's Top 20 Reception Ideas

1. Avoid playing boring piano music during the cocktail hour.
2. Supplement the often-ignored wedding cake with passed desserts.
3. Transport your guests in style.
4. Even if you don’t normally, think like a foodie for one night.
5. Rent a photo booth.
6. Get creative with your tabletop décor—if not to flaunt originality, then to be a little more eco-friendly.
7. Serve quirky late-night snacks as guests exit your reception.
8. Plan a good coat-check strategy to avoid long queues blocking the entrance and
dampening first impressions.
9. Take a design risk and seat your guests at a few really long tables.
10. Make your guests the center of attention.
11. Get married at an unusual location.
12. If you’re giving favors, select gifts that won’t be immediately discarded.
13. Make boozing an elegant activity.
14. Showcase what you’re passionate about as part of the entertainment.
15. Get your favorite takeout place to cater your wedding.
16. If you can afford extravagances, do something that will elicit an emotional response.
17. Display seating assignments in a unique way.
18. Take your cue from Truman Capote and host a themed reception.
19. Make a cool video of the party.
20. Plan for after-hours action.

They go further into detail for each point, check out the rest of the article and other great wedding articles here.

{images by Jeni Holder}

Studio On Fire

Via Design*Sponge, I saw the wonderful calendar Studio on Fire created for 2008. Patrick used to work with Ben and we have come to know him over the years and have been huge fans of his studio. Seeing so much great work come from them, we are excited for them to letterpress our wedding invitations, they were actually the first and only letterpress studio we considered. They produce exceptionally high quality, well designed, and best of all fun, playful work!

{images from Studio on Fire}

Megan Bogonovich

I love these ceramic figurines from Megan Bogonovich, they are so intricately detailed and would be lovely as cake toppers. Perfect for the art loving couple.

Check out her Etsy shop!

Back from China

I just got back from China last night from a long work trip. It was a really great experience, my first time there. Still recovering from jet lag, but will be posting in full mode all next week. I have to admit, I was going through major blog withdrawal as I was unable to get onto any sort of blog there for the past 13 days!!!

Thumbprint Kids

I came across these great cake toppers by Thumbprint Kids. They make me smile! If you go to their website you can see real photos of the couples they are modeled after.

Wiley Valentine

I am in the beginning stages of designing our wedding invitations and throughout the process I will share my inspirational images. These fabulous designs are by Wiley Valentine.

Accordion File Organizers

With the abundance of miscellaneous wedding related papers, binders aren't enough. Storage boxes are great, but living in a small apartment, I don't have much real estate to dedicate to them, so I have been buying accordion file folders. They are great for all of the receipts, gift cards, stationery and invoices I have been accumulating. But most important, they fit in my purse and are easily stored on my book shelf.

(left - right)
Russell and Hazel - Moleskin
See Jane Work
Paper Source - Traveler's Companion
Real Simple - Martha Stewart Crafts

Amrita Arora

Amrita Arora (born 31 January 1981) is a Bollywood actress. Arora was born in Mumbai to a Malayali mother, Joyce Polycarp, and a Punjabi father, Darshan Arora. Her sister is Malaika Arora Khan.

Arora had a Christian wedding ceremony with boyfriend, Shakeel Ladak on 4 March 2009 and also had a traditional Muslim nikaah. Reportedly due to her pregnancy, she was dropped from UTV's film, Season's Greetings. She gave birth to a baby boy named Azaan on 5 February 2010.

Arora made her Bollywood debut in 2002 opposite Fardeen Khan in the film, Kitne Door Kitne Paas, which was not successful at the box office. Her first successful film was the action comedy, Awara Paagal Deewana. A series of flops followed, among them the controversial Girlfriend (2004), about a lesbian relationship, in which she appeared opposite Isha Koppikar.

In 2007, She made a special appearance in Farah Khan's film, Om Shanti Om in a song named Deewangi Deewangi along with her sister and brother-in-law Arbaaz Khan. In the same year, she appeared in Speed and Red: The Dark Side, also starring Aftab Shivdasani and Celina Jaitley. The films received mixed reviews at the box office.

In 2009, Her releases were Deha and Team the Force. The same year, she appeared in a supporting role in Kambakth Ishq, produced by Sajid Nadiadwala. She also appeared with her sister on the show Koffee with Karan, hosted by Karan Johar.