inspiration Archives - Taylor Street Favors

Posted on June 14, 2019May 30, 2020 by Derek

Why We [still] Love June

June is for celebrating marriage, fathers & PRIDE

We originally posted June is for Celebrating in 2017 – sure feels a life time ago. Not long after the 2015 Supreme Court marriage equality ruling, David and I began to wonder if a business like ours — built on a commitment to not just marriage equality, but basic equal rights and inclusiveness — might within a few years become so commonplace as to be inconsequential. Ahem…turns out, we were wrong.

Pride month is a reminder that our actions matter, and that we have a long way to go. And while we are grateful for the support so many brands show this one month, discrimination continues year round. And importantly, commercialization of Pride doesn’t automatically create support for the LGBTQ community. What can you do to lend your support?

Donate to organizations like The Trevor Project or HRC.
Shop at gay-owned businesses like ours, or our Lilly & Taylor ETSY shop, not just in June, but all year long.
Attend your local Pride Event – celebrate with your friends & your community.

It’s Pride month! Happy Pride!

And it’s also David’s and my wedding anniversary month (!)

And it’s Father’s Day! Since our family has two dads, two amazing sons and now, one grandson (!!), we have plenty to celebrate.

Since Taylor Street is all about celebrating, we love June!

There is a common thread to these celebrations, and to all celebrations — and that is the sense of community each promotes. There is a sense of belonging and acceptance — and love — that is created when you and I take time to honor tradition, our families, our respect for one-another. And while modern families are increasingly diverse, at their core they remain much the same…

David and I will continue to share stories of people and their celebrations — of all types —throughout the year. We do this to support a sense of community, celebrate its members, and strengthen our collective bond. Because, as Lin -Manuel Miranda said in his amazing 2016 Tony Awards acceptance speech, “Love is love”, nothing here is promised – not one day.

We also will continue to post profiles of wedding industry professionals who support inclusivity and marriage equality.

Thank you for your support & Happy Pride! Please share with us how you are celebrating Pride, celebrating Father’s Day, celebrating your marriage, or – like us – ALL THREE!

#loveislove #NoH8 #lovewins #LGBTPride #Pride

Posted on May 26, 2019May 30, 2020 by Derek

The “I Do Crew” …for those couples doing things a bit differently… .

At our wedding reception with orange poppies

Men as Bridesmaids, Women as Groomsmen – and what about that Man of Honor!

As more newly engaged couples, gay and straight, involve friends and family members in their weddings in more creative and personal ways, they are redefining traditional gender-based bridesmaids & groomsmen roles. Welcome to the I Do Crew!

[And really, why can’t brides and grooms have their BFF’s stand with them at the alter regardless of gender?]

While it’s increasingly common to have wedding party members of both sexes standing up for brides and grooms, what to call your male bridesmaids (not this for sure) or female groomsmen (possibly an even worse idea) is all over the place. Here are a few popular gender neutral alternatives to use in your program or when the wedding party is introduced.

I Do Crew and a Few Alternatives for your Wedding Party

Most popular: “I Do Crew”. It’s catchy, gender neutral, and – to me – a little bit sentimental, in a good way. You can find it on all kinds of wedding swag…and it makes a great hashtag: #idocrew . But if that just doesn’t work for you, here are some others…

The safe choices: “attendants” or “entourage”;

Lighthearted & best for personalized gear: Team [fill in the name of groom(s) or bride(s)];

These show up fairly often too: besties, party people, wedding squad, bridal brigade or bride tribe paired with groom squad.

For the male maid of honor: man of honor

And for the female best man: best woman

Or…how about best friend!

3 Other Wedding Traditions Your I Do Crew Will Love

Just as your wedding party may not conform to tradition, increasingly, today’s modern couples — whether two brides, two grooms or a bride and groom — are choosing to co-create their wedding ceremony too. From the ground up, couples are mixing cultural and religious traditions with unique elements.

Here are a few examples of interesting and modern takes on traditional wedding rituals.

Wedding Colors and Wedding Attire

Couples are managing the all-to-familiar bridesmaid matching outfit and coordinating groomsmen tradition with a much lighter touch. Couples are selecting a color (or two) and inviting a close circle of friends and family to wear the color(s). Sometimes instructions include a particular article of clothing (bow tie / socks / shirt or blouse color) and sometimes the request is simply to include that color in whatever outfit is chosen. Not only are couples able to involve more people than they might if the wedding color was limited to the more traditional gang up front, it looks awesome when it comes time for pictures. David and I went this route, but in hindsight didn’t take the idea far enough. We now wish we would have had his mom and my dad wear some “poppy orange” too [really – see picture!].

But make sure your wedding party members look the part, so that there is something in common that helps your wedding pictures to have a coordinated look. If you’ve left people to interpret your request on their own, you may want to have some things available on your wedding day, just in case – a boutonniere, bow tie, socks – for pops of color that tie your wedding party together.

Non-traditional Processional

Rather than the 2X2, invite your closest friends, and wedding party participants to walk down the aisle at the start of your ceremony with their respective significant others and then sit in reserved rows at the front. This eliminates the need to have everyone pair up nicely…and means you can forget about requiring an equal number of attendants for each “side of the aisle”. Isn’t it more natural and enjoyable if a family with children move as a clump, or if you have a friend who is happily single, stride down your aisle individually?

Combined Bridesmaids-Groomsmen Party

Why not! Especially if you each already have both men and women as attendants, why not have a co-ed party involving both groups. Not only do these people then have more of a chance to get to know each other, you can have some fun with your best friends while getting to know your future spouse’s best friends – win/win.

New roles, new rules…or in this case, no rules. Be creative in the way(s) you choose to honor your friends and your lives together. If you are feeling in need of a “steady-hand”; someone to help you think things through, get a professional wedding planner involved! Your wedding is a time to celebrate. Ultimately, do what feels right rather than what you wish felt right.

Posted on June 26, 2018June 28, 2018 by David

Alex & Tristan

June 24th, 2017

Alex and Tristan |Heather Nguyen Photography

TristanAlex11551-2 — Alex and Tristan |Heather Nguyen Photography

Alex and Tristan |Heather Nguyen Photography-3 — Alex and Tristan |Heather Nguyen Photography

Who proposed to whom? Tristan proposed to me on the Santa Barbara Pier on our anniversary.

Wedding date? June 24, 2017

Venue? Edwards Barn in Nipomo, CA.

Edwards Barn is a product of three historic redwood barns on the central coast that were dismantled and reassembled into one by David and Mavi Edwards. A beautiful location filled with rustic and vintage elements. It is truly unique central coast wedding venue located in Nipomo, CA.

Catering? Edwards Barn also catered our reception.

Cake? Cakes Cathedral.

Serving the Central Coast of California, Cakes Cathedral works closely with their clients to create intricate, sculpted masterpieces into a “less is more” confection your guests will love.

Cake Topper? Plum flowers arranged around an initial K.

Photographer? Heather Nguyen Photography 😊

DJ? Dj Solstice.

Florist? Darlene Romero and Rebecca Arnold.

Hair/Makeup? Hair – Alyssa Rivas, Makeup – Myshel Gordon.

Posted on June 8, 2018July 13, 2019 by Derek

Rustic Weddings; The force is strong with this one…

Bride in White Dress Sitting on Bales of Straw in a Barn

It’s not just burlap and mason jars. As the rustic wedding theme’s popularity snowballs, it is increasingly both an attitude and a style, involving planning as well as purchasing decisions. Local sourcing, more natural textures & materials, and less fussy, more comfortable decor are the defining elements of today’s rustic weddings.

And while barn venues continue to define the quintessential rustic wedding reception, inspired brides & grooms (and their creative planners, florists and bakers!) are designing ever more creative elements to consider (queue Pinterest). David and I happen to have gotten married in one of THE absolutely most romantic and historic barns in Central California, so we bring a personal as well professional perspective to this rustic wedding decor and favor fever. Here are 12 of our current favorites.

Rustic Wedding Decor – Good design comes from the heart, not the brain. So when you think of your ideal rustic wedding decor, find inspiration first — looks that you love — colors and textures that delight you.

Rustic Wood and Glass Box with Hinged Lid & Lighted Candle — **Wood and Glass Box | Taylor Street Favors**

The best part about this wood and glass box is that it is something you really will want to use at home too!

White enamel pitcher with wild flowers and purple ribbon on outdoor table. — **French Provencal Style Enamel Pitcher | Taylor Street Favors**

This enamel pitcher is a simple and casual centerpiece natural. Add flowers and you are done. You will want to have this for home use too.

api29evxd__76144.1425410718 — **Rustic Wood Place Card Holders with Place Card**

I chose these because they are made from real wood. There are less expensive resin birch logs available (we carry the resin ones too), but if your budget can accommodate these, real wood wins the day.

image_1024x1024@2x — **tonoandco.com Ribbons & Textiles**

If you want to skip the burlap, consider hand dyed silk for your table runners, pocket squares and bouquets. Janelle Nicole Wylie, the owner of Tono + co. creates beautiful one-of-a-kind hand dyed fabrics. Awesome.

t317-w_memory-blocks-wedding-guest-book1b5177965177059a03412f9dd6ebda1e — **Wood Blocks for Guest Book Alternative**

Not only is this a lighthearted wedding guest book alternative, it happily lives on after your wedding day as a game-night essential that will rekindle memories every time you play. I wish we had thought of this for our wedding — we play this game often and it would have been so easy to set up for guests, either at a reception table or incorporated at each place setting.

Travel-Diary-with--date__02357.1481156644 — **Personalized Leather Guestbook with Kraft Paper**

If you are looking for a more traditional wedding guest book, this one is not only made with natural leather and kraft paper, it looks the part too – refined but not fussy. Makes a beautiful personalized keepsake.

Rustic Wedding Favors: At their best, favors are meant to be a thoughtful way to show your guests your appreciation for participating in your wedding day. I’ve written about selecting favors here before, so I’ll just refer you to that article from last year here, and leave you a few suggestions of popular rustic favors we love.

4191lg__15924.1491328825 — **Miniature Galvanized Buckets**

Super cute and truly a miniature version of its workhorse name sake, these galvanized buckets could be filled with just about anything – candy, plants, candles, confetti, crayons – to name a few.

Miniature Woven Picnic Basket with cinnamon bun and tag tied with purple ribbon — **Miniature Picnic Basket Favors | Taylor Street Favors**

Continuing the miniature theme, these picnic basket favors are almost as versatile as the mini-buckets above…and they might even be cuter. Not shown in the image, they come with a solid lid too, in addition to the double handles and classic woven wicker design.

wood-print-box-personalized__44682-1525992089 — **Rustic Wood Print Favor Box**

While these card stock wood print boxes have been around awhile, they continue to be very popular — easily customized with our personalized black chalkboard style label, and affordable.

Rustic Inspired Wedding Gifts – these gifts prove that rustic can be fun too.

7060-77-1283-8937-w_flask-with-personalized-vertical-text-wood-veneer-wrape9f9d93b1262a7d576daf89ab226fed1__53174.1493832294 — **Personalized Wood Trimmed Flask**

This flask makes a great gift for your entire wedding party – guys & gals both will appreciate this personalized reminder of their participation in your wedding day.

img_5364__07402-1480975820 — **Personalized Wood Cuff Links with Gift Box**

Available in two finishes – cherry or white oak, these round wood cufflinks with toggle backings in a personalized wood box make gift giving easy.

il_fullxfull-637151654_6bij__58419-1460667224 — **Personalized Wood Heart Treasure Box**

Our wood heart treasure box comes in two sizes and can be laser engraved with up to two lines of text. The inside is bare wood, and the two sizes can be nested, if you want to kick it up a notch and get both.

ben-rosett-10613-unsplash — Happily Ever After | **Photo by Ben Rosett on Unsplash**

Happy rustic wedding planning!

“First, think. Second, believe. Third, Dream. And finally, dare”. -Walt Disney

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Posted on April 13, 2018May 30, 2020 by Derek — 2 Comments

Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded

Featured image: Clark Tibbs | Unsplash

Going the extra mile & the awesome power of making a difference.

thomas-ae-607825-unsplash — Thomas AE | Unsplash

Wedding season is in full swing. Feels like a good time to pause and take a breath.

This is a shout out to our fellow wedding pro’s everywhere and to the brides & grooms who have hired you as their wedding planner, their DJ, their videographer, venue, caterer, wedding cake baker, stylist, florist, and yes — their favors & gifts provider too!

Wedding Professionals – It is difficult to consistently perform at 100%+! We worked hard to win the business in the first place, and maybe we overpromised a wee-bit, and minimized the challenges of delivering the vision the wedding couple described in such vivid detail. Well, now its time to make good on that commitment. And we can do it – in fact, we must — our about-to-be-married couple is counting on us to go the extra mile. What we do matters, and we know that little things make a big difference.

john-mark-smith-280303-unsplash — Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash

Brides & Grooms – Your wedding professional is undoubtedly good at what he or she does. The reviews you read validate it, their prior work demonstrates it, and you wouldn’t have decided on her or him if your gut didn’t tell you that too. They are pushing themselves to make your event – extraordinary. And while you are paying for their expertise, we all know that putting in the blood, sweat & tears necessary is tough. Simple gestures of thanks can make an incredible difference. Go the extra mile and let your wedding professionals know how much you appreciate having them on your team – today!

David and I make exceptional customer service one of Taylor Street Favors’ cornerstones. It is one of the ways we go the extra mile. David and I believe strongly in making every customer feel equally important and appreciated, something we did not experience as a same sex couple planning our wedding. Unfortunately, almost everyone will tell you that providing great customer service is a core part of their business. It can be difficult for customers to separate fact from fiction, especially when comparing similar products or services.

ian-schneider-66374-unsplash — Photo by John-Mark Smith on Unsplash

Here are three tell tale signs of excellent customer service – delivered by passionate wedding professionals who know how to “go the extra mile”…

They respond to inquiries as quickly as possible;
They listen, they don’t “pitch”, and they remember what you, the customer has told them;
They fix mistakes – before they happen if possible. [David and I always proof our customer’s personalization information, routinely correcting errors and eliminating the expense & frustration of having a non-returnable custom gift or favor produced and delivered].

Let’s all keep going the extra mile. It might not be lonely, but it certainly will not be crowded.

Posted on March 16, 2018July 13, 2019 by Derek

Your Wedding Day Time Capsule Awaits

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” -Dr. Suess

We all know Dr. Suess is right, we just don’t necessarily act on this knowing, especially when in the midst of wedding planning. And while beautiful wedding day photos and a professionally edited video are wonderful to look back on too, they do not re-connect us emotionally in the same way as a personal message tucked inside a wedding day time capsule does.

I’ve collected a few ideas to help you incorporate some type of time capsule into your wedding day. Confession, we did not do this on our wedding day – not because we decided against it, but because we were not aware of it. [And I absolutely am sufficiently cornball/romantic to have included this.] So heads-up, David. I am thinking of including some version of this into our lives now – almost 2 years post wedding day.

There are two ways couples usually incorporate the time capsule idea into their wedding day: “Day of” ceremony time capsule or a Guestbook time capsule.

“Day of” Time Capsule

Supplies: A box & paper.

Really, the supplies required do not create too high a bar, even for those of us who are DIY-averse or flat-out-of-time. We have some options on Taylor Street for boxes & stationery that will not only add symbolic significance to the occasion, but also create a true wedding day keepsake. A shoebox with blank paper or note cards, however, will do just fine.

Boxes: Both of these keepsake boxes could first be used for your wedding reception, so they would not only be pulling double duty, they would have the added significance of having been a part of your wedding day itself.

9742-i_tin-box-with-aged-finish-and-blackboard-panel-displaye7f78743c9cbe49c5f9b080822500074__76898-1457381049 — **Tin Box with Blackboard Panel Display**

9611-33-i_vintage-inspired-wood-case-with-hinged-lidc95734588dbfdba04e83603ee0386dc0__07793-1461195286 — **Vintage Inspired Wood Case with Hinged Lid**

Paper: There are many awesome stationery alternatives available for you to consider. We have a few for that would work well, like these:

1177-04-c95459b25d93970e1309ec2d79b01d223f5 — **Dandelion Wishes Note Card**

1065-0432dec75297c30d45d75290b7be2541c9 — **Fleur De Lis Note Card**

The directions are straightforward. You each write a love letter to your soon-to-be spouse, expressing your feelings on this day — your wedding day — what you are most excited about, your hopes, what is most important to you about this day, and why & when you fell in love with him/her. You know, the emotional kind of “stuff”.

[And this idea is really awesome for a blended family ceremony – including your children in on the time capsule by adding their own notes makes it even more memorable. And, it creates a potential family tradition with the opening of the time capsule and its periodic updating.]

Guestbook time capsule

This version has you asking guests to write you a note on a postcard you provide and drop it in your “time capsule” to be opened on your 1st anniversary. This invites your guests to participate in a way that a guest book signature does not. Here are a couple of ideas for collecting your postcards.

93711deaf93273fcf41e069519339bce58a5__57204-1511287399 — Acrylic Box Card Holder

112436__21423-1480321261 — **Wine Barrel Card Holder**

Kick it up a notch: So a year has passed and you’ve opened up your time capsule on your one year anniversary. You’ve read your letters over a glass of wine and eaten what remains of your wedding cake. So now what?! Here are a few ideas for what to add for “the next time” — regardless of what time capsule option you decided on — for your 5 year anniversary, 10 year, … or whatever year you agree to re-open it.

Take a picture of the two of you with the time capsule the day you open it up & include it for the next time;
Include that day’s front page from your local paper or print-out from your favorite news source;
Write about:
1. The hardest moments you faced as a couple your first year;
2. Your favorite memory of year one;
3. A goal or prediction for the next time you open your time capsule;
Write another personal note to each other.

You get the idea, there are lots of things you could include. Just don’t make this list so long that it gets tedious.

Close it up, store it somewhere safe. Done.

This may become a ritual that you continue the rest of your lives or it may be something you enjoy once and set aside. Regardless, your notes to each other or notes from your friends & family will become something you will be able to look back on, reflect & reminisce when you do happen upon it – especially after it has gathered dust for years. Your children may also enjoy the opportunity to glimpse a bit more about you as well, in your own writing and in your own words … “when you were young”.

Life goes by pretty fast and if you are like me, unless we force some pauses along the way to reflect and reconnect, we miss some awesome & inspiring moments, unique opportunities to really connect with each other.

Your time capsule may help you both re-connect, to a younger you and to each other. Sweet.

Posted on February 27, 2018July 13, 2019 by David

Awesome Gold Spray Paint Ideas – Total DIY – Total Inspiration

Gold decorations for weddings is elegant, sophisticated and timeless. A great accent color for any time of the year.

Here are a few simple ideas to add some glam on a budget. Each of these are affordable and easy to do – so what are you waiting for? Check out our pinterest page for more ideas.

Old vintage frames from garage sales in all shapes & sizes.

Old books to glam up your vintage look.

Leaves sprayed gold as place cards

Balloons and gold paint make a perfect pair for a glam wedding!

Branches sprayed gold and hung over tables or placed in vases.

Pine apples on display.

Pineapple – sophisticated yet quirky.

Sophisticated, elegant and timeless. Perfect.

Logs sprayed gold used for decoration.

Feathers – Gold dipped or sprayed.

Plastic toy animals and gold spray paint

Rocks, rocks and more rocks with a little DIY become gold nuggets.

Seashell, gold paint and done!

Super simple – pull used bottles or all shapes for centerpiece gold.

Wine bottles, painters tape, rubber bands and boom – Centerpiece!

Posted on January 19, 2018 by David

Chuck & Marie

September 16th, 2017

chuck-marie-wedding-dj-cheetah-cheetah-photography-san-luis-obispo-apple-farm-monday-club-ca181-jpg-web_orig — Chuck & Marie | Cheetah Photography.

chuck-marie-wedding-dj-cheetah-cheetah-photography-san-luis-obispo-apple-farm-monday-club-ca385-jpg-web_orig — Chuck & Marie | Cheetah Photography.

chuck-marie-wedding-dj-cheetah-cheetah-photography-san-luis-obispo-apple-farm-monday-club-ca447-jpg-web_orig — Chuck & Marie | Cheetah Photography.

Who Proposed To Whom?
Chuck proposed

How / Where Did You Get Engaged?
San Diego on a gondola

What was your Wedding Date?
September 16th, 2017

Venue?
Apple Farm & The Monday Club in SLO

Did you have a Coordinator / Planner?
No

Did you have a Theme / Color Scheme in mind or did you wing it?
Grey & Teal with a Bohemian theme

Catering?
The Bear & The Wren

Did you have a special cake made?
Sea Breeze Cupcakes made a beautiful teal drip/marble cake

If Yes, what was your Cake Topper?
Flowers

Photographer?
Cheetah Photography.

Dj?
DJ Cheetah

What was your song?
I chose you by Ryann Darling

Florist?
Harbor Florist

Hair/Makeup?
Twig & Arrow

Any advice for couples planning weddings today?
Hire a Wedding planner

Posted on November 23, 2017May 30, 2020 by Derek

All American Family

simon-maage-351417 — Photo by Simon Maage on Unsplash

Tired of the SEO-optimized click-bait titles and bored by breathless Black Friday pre-sale announcements?

Me too.

Add in 24/7 race-to-the-bottom political news and it’s tempting to just give-in to the sky-is-falling-so-might-as-well-get-used-to-it voice in my head and trudge silently toward December. Tempting, but that’s an excuse to not do this Thanksgiving post I’ve committed to. And I absolutely believe in Yoda’s “do or do not, there is no try” attitude-is-everything philosophy. So I write. My topic — giving thanks this Thanksgiving.

I am giving thanks to family – my family.

This year, Thanksgiving itself will be a very small gathering. The reasons are many. The larger local family is adjusting to a new marriage and the restructuring this brings. With new additions to guest lists and newlywed hosts at the helm, we could sense the anxiety and ambivalence of having a really large group for dinner and graciously excused ourselves.

Our parents are also not joining us this year. My father’s worsening dementia makes it difficult for him to enjoy gatherings. The disease makes it increasingly hard for him to have a conversation, and that plus the noise and unfamiliar surroundings causes him to withdraw. I will instead have a Thanksgiving lunch with him at his facility. David’s mom is unable to travel by air, is unable to drive herself here, and is too far away for us to drive her to us and back. FaceTime will have to do.

So it will be David and me, our son and one other adult, someone who consistently and passionately works (and it can be work) to remain involved in our 12 year old’s life. He will be with us for a few days over Thanksgiving, and we are so glad that he will be here. He is family.

He is as family as it gets in my world. He continues to choose by his actions to be involved, to listen, to make spending time with us a priority. He wants to. Not many adults show that dedication and loyalty.

What defines your family?

David’s and my family is not defined by blood, it is defined by commitment. Our family is defined by trust and support. We care about, care for and look out for each other.

Big picture — families, however they form, are a reflection of the effort its members put into maintaining and encouraging them. Their spirit and relevance are a direct result of a concerted effort. Most importantly, families are worth celebrating, especially those families that do not fit neatly into a traditional definition, are seldom acknowledged, and sometimes marginalized. These diverse & modern families are American families too.

Who will your family include this Thanksgiving? Will there be new members, whether because of relationship or circumstance changes? Or, are you about to “be that newbie” in someone else’s family? Either way, let’s all plan to not just try, but to do — and take one definite action step that will demonstrate the importance of your family to you and how glad you are to be a part of your family this year. Someday, they might be all the family you’ve got — and, as it turns out, all the family you’ll need.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 19, 2017July 13, 2019 by David

Napkins – The final detail

The holidays are upon us and the family and friends events you have planned for the next two months will be a huge success! After all that planning and hard-work everyone will be talking about your party for the next year. There’s just one final detail – Napkins.

Our selection of napkins can be customized to fit your event and theme. A simple #CHEERS design or old classics like Sip Sip, Hooray or Seasons Greetings. There are foil colors for printing to add a little sparkle plus a wide rage of napkin colors. Perfect for placement on your buffet or cocktail area.

Personalized napkins are super fun, a great addition to any party, plus it kicks festive up a notch! Got for it.