It's hard to believe that this summer we'll be celebrating our 2nd anniversary! Stephen and I have now lived together for close to two years and have adjusted to married life (which is wonderful!). I've also really gotten a handle on what I use on a day-to-day basis. I remember being so overwhelmed when it came time to register - it's easy to get distracted by all the bright and shiny things and items you think you "need." We were fortunate to receive so many wedding gifts throughout our engagement and at our wedding and we loved (and continue to love) everything. It's neat to reach for crystal vase and remember it's from your best friend's mom or for a spatula and remember a fun shower your friends threw for you. Despite loving everything, some of our favorites have ended up being these pretty self-explanatory and daily household items, but as we go into wedding season, it's a great time to consider what to take as a gift or what to register for yourself!
- Dinner Plates - When we first registered for our dishes, I fell in love with these Argent White dinner plates by Raynaud. I knew I wanted to mix and match our china with everyday pieces, so opted for this pattern to serve as both every day and what we mix with our fine China pieces. And as my registry consultant at The Fisherman's Wife said, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with heating up a piece of leftover pizza but eating it off your nice dishes." So true.
- Mixing/Serving Bowls - How cute are these bowls? We received this little set and they've made for great mixing and serving pieces. This is a great storage set as well.
- Stand Mixer - When I say this is most-used, I use that term lightly because if we're being honest, I just don't cook all that much! But anytime I make anything that needs mixing, I'm quick to toss it in our Kitchenaid mixer!
- Marble Pastry Slab - Another little tidbit about this piece - I've only used it once for actual pastry (that pie I made for Easter) but we use it every single day! We have a gas stove range, and it's the perfect decorative piece to go on top and make for a clean slate.
- Set of Pots and Pants - Stephen and I had plenty of pots and pans that we used throughout our years in college and then our years living separately, but we were much overdo for a new set. We have thoroughly enjoyed our Calaphon set!
- Cooking Utensils - Some of my friends gave me the cutest arrangement of cooking utensils at one of my bridal showers, and I love the copper finish on these! Each time I pull them out, I think about how cute they are.
- High Ball Glasses - we've really enjoyed our set of high ball glasses from Crate and Barrel. They also wash really well in the dishwasher and we've had no issues with clouding, streaking, etc.
- Measuring Cups - I got rid of our plastic measuring spoons after we received this set and I love the stainless steel!
- Flatware - Who knew I could like forks and spoons so much?! The Molten collection by Michael Aram is beautiful and we received a few of their serving sets as well.
- Cheese Slicer - This is probably Stephen's favorite gift we received haha! We use this more often than I thought we would - we'll set up an easy little cheese appetizer when we're cooking at home or a larger charcuterie board when we have guests.
- Towels - I cannot say enough good things about these towels from Pottery Barn! We love them. We opted for white, and even two years later, they're looking brand new. I just throw a little bit of bleach in when I wash them and it gets them back to their bright white.
Another thing we have really enjoyed is our Vietri chargers! I break them out every so often when we have company and decorate with them at holidays.
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Not a day goes by that I don't admire my engagement ring and wedding bands. My husband Stephen picked out my engagement ring and it could not have been more perfect, down to every little detail! I love the simplicity of a solitaire as it's classic, but also because you can do so many creative things with your ring throughout the years!
I often get asked about my ring stack - I have my engagement ring, my wedding band, and then a diamond band that Stephen gave me as a wedding day gift. We've talked about adding to that stack as the years go by - whether it be for an anniversary, a push present or something of the sort.
I had the opportunity to go by Perry's Emporium, a family owned and operated jewelry store, and check out their incredible selection of fine jewelry, including their beautiful Hearts on Fire collection. Perry's is the only local option for Hearts on Fire jewelry, so getting to see it in person instead of just in advertising gave me all the heart eyes!
Josh Perry (one of owner Alan Perry's sons) gave me recommendations on what he would suggest in regards to stacking a Hearts on Fire band with my current wedding set. We looked at white gold, rose gold, and yellow gold options, and to be honest, I loved them all! One of the most popular bands is the Lorelai, and though I tried all metal options and I love the idea of mixing and matching, there is something I love about keeping a coherent look and doing all white gold.
One thing I learned about the Hearts on Fire collection is the cut and perfection of the diamonds. The HOF cut is cut to 100x magnification, which is 10x industry standard. I checked out a few different Hearts on Fire diamonds under the microscope and they all have the same gorgeous quality. You can actually see their signature Hearts & Fireburst pattern in each diamond, no matter the size. It's safe to say that I loved all of the pieces (including the Lorelai Floral Open Ring that my mom tried on below!).
One thing I learned about the Hearts on Fire collection is the cut and perfection of the diamonds. The HOF cut is cut to 100x magnification, which is 10x industry standard. I checked out a few different Hearts on Fire diamonds under the microscope and they all have the same gorgeous quality. You can actually see their signature Hearts & Fireburst pattern in each diamond, no matter the size. It's safe to say that I loved all of the pieces (including the Lorelai Floral Open Ring that my mom tried on below!).
While I was looking at gorgeous bridal and fashion jewelry from some of their other collections, Mr. Perry's other son Jordan took my rings back for a trip to the "spa." My diamonds were tightened, cleaned and polished, and I can honestly say that my ring set has not looked this good since the day I got engaged!
If you're in the Wilmington area, consider stopping by Perry's on Thursday, November 15th for their Carats & Cocktails event! Fill out your Christmas Wish List at this gals' night out event!
Thank you to Perry's Emporium for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
I've been lucky enough to have a pretty incredible relationship with one of our local publications, Focus on the Coast Weddings. I first wrote an article about planning our wedding, which was followed by a write-up on our wedding. FOTC Weddings then featured my rehearsal dinner dress (my mom's wedding gown) and now, I've had the opportunity to write one more little piece for them on our first year of marriage.
This publication is an incredible one. It is filled with incredible vendors and collaborators, and I feel honored to get to participate every so often! ZIA has also worked with the magazine on a few styled shoots as well, and it's fun to see the staff's vision come to life.
Check out the article below on our first year of marriage!
It is so hard to believe that Stephen and I have already celebrated our first anniversary! This first year of marriage has flown by and in some ways, it feels like we just got married yesterday, while in others, it seems like we’ve been doing this forever - and in the best possible way.
By the time Stephen and I said “I do” last August, we were approaching 7 years of dating. We had already been through quite a few highs and lows of life together: college, graduation, the loss of a beloved grandparent, finding and celebrating our first jobs, moving and settling into careers. On top of that, I opened my own business in September, so by month one of marriage, it seemed like we had been through it all.
I wasn’t sure what to expect in our first year of marriage, but I did know how excited I was to start this adventure with Stephen. Despite being together for quite some time, we took a more traditional route and chose not to live together until after we got married, so I’ll never forget how fun that first month was. Of course, there’s always an adjustment when you add a roommate to the list, especially when it’s a guy, but we’ve found our rhythm for what makes our household work.
I got very lucky in the fact that my husband loves to joke around. I’m very much a type-A person that lets the little things cause stress, and he has been the balancing factor in my life, and especially in this last year. Even in those moments I get frustrated with Stephen - because let’s face it, we all get frustrated with our spouses from time to time - he ends up making me laugh and I’ve soon forgotten what I was upset about in the beginning.
The biggest thing I can reflect on from our first year of marriage is that it’s so important to enjoy the blessing that is marriage. It is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stress that can easily overcome us, but living with your best friend makes life more fun than you could imagine.
photography by Drewe + Kate. Photos shot for publication in Focus on the Coast Weddings
If you're like me, you may have quite a few end-of-summer and fall weddings coming up on your calendar! This summer has been fairly quite for us wedding-wise, but we're excited for some of our friends who are getting married in September and October!
I often get quite a few questions as to what good options are for weddings this time of year! This dress is probably my most favorite dress I've ever worn to a wedding as a guest - I've shared it countless times but you all still love it! The great thing about dresses is that oftentimes, they can transcend across several wardrobe classifications. I wore the above dress to a 5:30 church wedding and country club reception (formal/cocktail) but I would have made it work for a black tie event as well. I've broken down a few dress code options and a few beautiful dresses I have my eye on.
Semi-Formal:
For a more casual wedding, these are some beautiful options.
Formal/Black-Tie Optional:
From personal experience, formal/cocktail is the most commonly-chose dress code for a wedding. t's what our dress code was as well. I also find that for women, formal and black-tie optional also tie in together pretty well.
Black Tie:
I love any excuse to wear a long dress, so though a formal cocktail dress is appropriate nowadays for women for black tie weddings, I love any reason to wear a long one! Check out the white-tie section for a few more great options.
White Tie:
The most dressy occasion of all! For a white-tie event, a long gown would be the most appropriate selection.
The most dressy occasion of all! For a white-tie event, a long gown would be the most appropriate selection.
Stephen and I are so excited to have celebrated our first wedding anniversary! It honestly seems like we just got married three weeks ago - we've crammed so much into this first year of married life, but at the same time, it has just flown by so quickly.
We've been on the go so much lately - I just got back from Key West, he is heading to ATL for a bachelor trip, I'm going to Charlottesville for a bach trip later this month, then NYC for market in September, and then to the Outer Banks for a week-long vacation/wedding for one of my best friends! We've been entertaining an anniversary trip for the last few months and even contemplated planning one last week, but we both decided decided that with all of our travels, we would love nothing more than a staycation.
We decided to head to the beach house for the weekend, and we had the best time just the two of us! I think we've eaten more over the weekend than we should have in a week, but we did love spending time together at some of our favorite places. We started our weekend off with a casual dinner at Po's at Wrightsville Beach, and Saturday included bagels from our fave bagel joint + a long walk around the loop. Dinner at Port Land Grille was absolutely amazing, and we finished off our eating with brunch at Boca Bay. We spent the rest of Sunday (our actual anniversary) with another great walk, take-out dinner, and the tradition of cutting into the top layer of our wedding cake!
We did keep our original top layer, but let me tell you - it was a disaster! We ordered another cute little one that looked identical, and while we cut into the original and took a bite, we definitely went with the new for a real piece of cake!
It's safe to say it's been such a fun weekend - this weekend spent here in town is such a good reminder that you don't always have to be on the go to enjoy time together. We're planning on taking a fun trip later in the fall or maybe in the winter - but for now, our staycation was the perfect relaxation we needed!
As we celebrate our 1st anniversary, I thought I'd share a fun little Q+A! Some of the questions are incredibly random, some relate to marriage, but just keep reading to see what we had to say!
What has been your favorite thing about our first year of marriage?
Stephen: Getting to enjoy our relationship every day and find new ways to live our lives with one another as we grow together.Zelle: I love that we come home to each other each day! For years, we lived in different towns, and seeing each other always required a plan. Now, I know that at the end of each day, we'll be in our little home and I absolutely love that.
What advice would you give to newlyweds?
Stephen: I’ve heard plenty of times that to be happy, the man has to say “yes dear.” But more important than that is to be truthful with one another every day because the other person probably feels the same way deep down.
Zelle: Be quick to listen and slow to judge! Be supportive of your spouse. I can so easily get caught up in the little things, but it's important not to take everything too seriously! Stephen reminds me of that all the time - and it definitely makes me a better person.
Who is the better cook?
Stephen: Grilling: Me. Everything else: Zelle!
Zelle: I probably cook more than Stephen does - so..? But he can cook a mean steak on the grill complete with a side of mac-and-cheese and veggies.
How many children do you want?
Stephen: Twins. We’re not sure how many sets.
Zelle: Two kids. But honestly, I'd love it if we had twins! I always thought it would be so neat to be a twin - so having them would be pretty cool too (as a note to Stephen's - if twins, one set...)
What was your first opinion of each other?
Stephen: I thought I would never find a more beautiful dance partner when I stalked her at a concert.
Zelle: I definitely thought he was cute! And I also thought he was a lot older. I was 18 when we first met and I thought he was at least 22.
What is something you've had to adjust to about living with each other?
Steve: Timing/planning of what to do after work some days...gym, eat dinner, idk let’s just sit around and talk about it for 45 mins
Zelle: I had roommates in college but then lived by myself for the better part of 4 years (aside from a short stint of living with my brother). So it's always an adjustment when you're sharing space with someone. I'll get annoyed by something left in the sink or clothes in "the chair" in our room, but then I turn around and do the exact same thing.
What is something random about your spouse that someone may not know?
Stephen: She doesn’t like to be touched by me when I’m sweaty after a workout. Even if I just talk about it, it makes her anxious and she gets stressed haha.
Zelle: Although he's pretty active, he loves movies - and remembers all kinds of quotes from them. I'm the opposite! (also - super true about what Stephen said about me... very weird, I know. I get plenty sweaty when I work out but I just don't like being touched...)
What has surprised you about your first year of marriage?
Stephen: How we can both agree pretty quickly on big decisions in life. Family/religion/money.....we may give a strong opinion at first but then we can side together shortly thereafter and then we say... hmm, yeah that’s true...sounds good! I hope that can continue haha.
Zelle: I shouldn't say I'm surprised by this, because we've always had a good time together, but I love how fun our marriage is. We definitely don't agree on everything, but I can get so frustrated by something and then be laughing within minutes.
How do you balance spending time with families so no one feels left out or slighted?
This is a really good question and also a hard one to answer! In our situation, both of our parents live in North Carolina, but mine live in Wilmington and right near us, so we definitely see mine a lot more. We did just have Stephen's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and niece (his sister's family lives in Virginia) down for the weekend and it was fun spending time all together and showing them some of our favorite things to do in Wilmington.
What advice do you have for a bride getting married soon?
Just in enjoy the process! The end goal is that you and your special someone will be married! So enjoy it as it flies by.
Best advice for the engagement and newlywed phase?
This piggy-backs with the above! But honestly, I think it's very key to keep your eye on the fact that at the end of your wedding day, you will be married to the person who you spent your life with. So even if it rains, or your band doesn't play the right songs, or whatever the issue may be, it'll still be a wonderful day.
In terms of being a newlywed, I would say cherish the moments of that first year! I honestly cannot believe how fast this year has gone. It feels like we should be celebrating one month of being married instead of one year - but at the same time, we've gotten into such a great routine that I can't even remember what it was like before we got married. And I love it that way!
In terms of being a newlywed, I would say cherish the moments of that first year! I honestly cannot believe how fast this year has gone. It feels like we should be celebrating one month of being married instead of one year - but at the same time, we've gotten into such a great routine that I can't even remember what it was like before we got married. And I love it that way!
What is one thing you've learned in your first year of marriage?
That marriage is so much fun! Seriously, it is. But beyond that, be quick to listen and slow to speak. I'm very opinionated and Stephen sadly gets the worst of me sometimes because he's the person that I'm the most comfortable with. If I get home and something is irritating me, I try to put myself in Stephen's shoes and see how he would react if the roles were reversed. He is very understanding and nine times out of ten, once I do that, I realize that something isn't as big of a deal as I originally thought it was.
What was your favorite unique thing you did/had at your wedding?
We had a french-fry send off in lieu of a traditional party favor and I think it was a big hit! I hardly ate all day, so I definitely had a few fries before we exited our reception!
Where did you get your bridesmaids' robes?
I ordered both theirs and mine from Plum Pretty Sugar! I absolutely loved them and wished I had ordered the one I purchased them for myself.
Where did you get your bridesmaids' robes?
I ordered both theirs and mine from Plum Pretty Sugar! I absolutely loved them and wished I had ordered the one I purchased them for myself.
Did you have a wedding planner?
I did not - I did have a week-of coordinator and if you opt not to have a planner like I did, I would highly recommend having someone to help you the week of and especially the day of!
If you could change one thing on your wedding day, what would it have been?
I actually get this question quite a bit. As a whole, I wouldn't really change anything because looking back, I loved every moment of our day. If I had to get picky, I would probably have chosen a different band for our wedding and maybe had a smaller wedding as well.
How did you ask your bridesmaids to be a part of your wedding?
I gave each of them a gift and a card! You can check out the post here.
How did you ask your bridesmaids to be a part of your wedding?
I gave each of them a gift and a card! You can check out the post here.
What was your vision for your wedding day?
I wanted our wedding day to truly represent our relationship and I wanted it to include those who meant the most to us! In terms of style, I wanted a classic wedding that included neutrals, black tuxedoes, and an aesthetic that fit our church ceremony and country club reception.
I wanted our wedding day to truly represent our relationship and I wanted it to include those who meant the most to us! In terms of style, I wanted a classic wedding that included neutrals, black tuxedoes, and an aesthetic that fit our church ceremony and country club reception.
The topic I get the most messages and emails about is definitely wedding-related! From planning tips to where we found inspiration, those are the messages that most often fill my inbox. In another world, I might have been a wedding planner as I have always loved all things wedding, so I really enjoyed the experience of planning ours from start to finish.
When I shared a photo featuring the back of the romper I wore while getting ready for our wedding, I received a ton of questions about it! Sadly, this exact version has sold out but Eberjey has come up out with this very similar one for this season! I've also gathered up a few other options that make great getting ready options.
5 months after we got married, we're on the last installment of our wedding! I broke out our day into sections due to the overload of photos, which has meant a lotttt of wedding posts, but I hope you've enjoyed getting a glimpse into our day!
I'm excited to finally share our wedding video! We've actually had it for quite awhile, and I can't rave enough about our videography team. In all of our wedding planning, having a great videographer was high on my priority list. I have always been so captivated by the films that capture a couple's love story, and I knew I wanted that same thing for Stephen and I. Ultimately, we chose Hart to Heart Media, a wedding media company based out of South Carolina.
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