Category Archives: Wedding Inspiration

Chardonnay or Cabernet, I do.

Posted on September 1, 2010 | Leave a comment

Weddings are a cause for celebration.  Wine is also a cause for celebration.  Good wine?  Great celebration. 

Essence Wine Glass, Hive Modern
A few years ago Mark and I went to Southern California (LA, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, San Diego) and then the following spring we went to Northern California (San Francisco, Napa Valley, Sonoma).  I loved them both, but I looooved Sonoma.  I liked it’s little sister-ness to Napa, and the slower, refined, agrarian pace compared to the hustle and saturation of LA.  When we went throughout the vineyards I would see the natural scenery and note, this would be good for a wedding. (Yes, I’m weird like that, I often walk around noting what “venues” would be good for a wedding.)

I loved the airy nature, the open vistas, the fragrant smells wherever you went, and the high quality of food, everywhere.  Last night we went out with friends who just returned from San Francisco/Napa region and thus the stories from their trip, and the memories of ours became the inspiration for today’s Wednesday Wedding Inspiration Board.

A few details I love from this inspiration board: that dress!, I unfortunately can’t determine the designer (I know, bad blogger) but it allows for good inspiration, I love the string lights, the chocolate wedding cakes and the macarons from Yountville must-see Bouchon Bakery.

Cheers to Napa!

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Posted in Her Inspiration, Her Weddings + Events, Personal, travel, Wedding Inspiration

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Fall in Love

Posted on August 25, 2010 | 1 comment

All of a sudden the weather has turned.  I want slouchy boots, cashmere sweaters, a cup of hot chocolate, and an autumn wedding.  Did you want those same things, too?  I’ll share with you my picks for boots and sweaters soon, but this wedding inspiration board just could not wait.  It’s rustic, warm, earthy, highlighted in gold and sophisticated.

Who wouldn’t want to fall in love with this?

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Rainy Day Inspiration

Posted on August 18, 2010 | Leave a comment

It is raining again.  Raining really hard in fact, so much rain is expected that there are flash flood warnings.  

Thinking about rain, and weddings (since it’s a Wednesday) makes me think of a scene in The Wedding Planner (you don’t know this yet about me, but I am a big Jennifer Lopez fan).  In the scene the composed (on the outside) wedding planner tells the not composed bride that rain on her wedding day is actually good luck, because a wet knot can be tied tighter than a dry one.  She later admits that bit of advice is just something wedding planners say.  What Mary Fiori, the planner, does not mention is that a rainy day wedding can also be highly glamorous and sophisticated!  Let’s take a look…
I love an outdoor ceremony, and while the setting is simple, it is still grand.  If it is raining during the ceremony the bride and her bridal party can carry their floral designed black umbrellas.  

I wanted to capture the positive side of the rain, the sparkle it creates as it shimmers from the sky and the brooding clouds in silver, and dark gray.  For the cocktail space I played with mirrors for the walls and cocktail tables, as well as a mirror effect on the champagne glass.  The rest of the space is black and white, “black” calla lilly arrangements and place settings. 

For a playful twist, I picked up some oversized chess pieces, after all on the wedding the bride and groom are the closest to a Queen and King.

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Plum Romance

Posted on August 11, 2010 | 2 comments

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and as summer very quickly winds down it is a reminder that fall is around the corner.  Fall, to me, sparks the beginning of something grand.  The colors, crispness and start of the celebrating season all connote a sense of royalty, grandeur and glamour.

For a bride getting married in the fall, I say go for glamour.  
Four Season Palo Alto Wedding

When I first saw this picture I was in awe.  It is romantic, glamorous, sophisticated, but it doesn’t scream “wedding!”  With a few tweaks it could easily be the setting for another fabulous social event.

In this image, the impact is all in the color.  There isn’t an abundance of flowers, and if working creatively as shown in this wedding you can use fabrics to supplement the visual impact floral arrangements would typically provide.

I wanted to imagine what the rest of this wedding might look like for you.

I took the liberty of adding a classic and very glamorous wedding cake, and picking out the wedding attire, and outfitting a black and white post wedding lounge party.  Also, how great are the bow topped candles? I think they would be great as a favor.
Purple is the color for royalty, and on a wedding day every bride is a queen.

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Very Vera

Posted on August 4, 2010 | 2 comments

In the world of couture wedding gowns, there is a name that stands above the rest, Vera Wang.  In my mind Vera Wang is synonymous with her pin straight black hair, black leggings, and timeless bridal style.  I have read that as a young girl she had ice skating aspirations and I can only assume that her time on the ice and in costume has informed her creativity.

The beauty of Vera Wang’s talent, as evidenced by the high profile brides she’s dressed, is that dress is designed for the bride and not the bride for the dress.

Need proof?
Jessica Simpson was a classic Southern Belle in a lace, strapless gown.
Jessica Simpson in Vera Wang via People.com
Ivanka Trump’s bridal look was inspired by Grace Kelley with a nod to vintage romance, and a more conservative bodice.
Ivanka Trump in Vera Wang, via People.com

Chelsea Clinton was the picture of the modern (political) princess bride in raw edge ruffles, and architecturally designed ballskirt.  Rumor has it that for her reception she changed into a more modern gown, also by Wang.
Chelsea Clinton in Vera Wang, via People.com
I am of the opinion that on their wedding day, every bride is an A-lister, and so Vera has options for all!  Here are my favorites from the Fall 2010 Collection.
Classic, elegant, with a modern touch in black
Dramatic ballgown, with a romantic vibe
Modern and Grecian bridal glam
The other best news, is that while Vera Wang is the choice for the rich and famous and those with a richer dress budget, Vera Wang will be designing a collection for David’s Bridal, set to hit stores in time for the Spring 2011 collection.  

Vera for everyone, very nice!

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Posted in Her Weddings + Events, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Inspiration

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Wedding Decor… on SALE!

Posted on July 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

I saw this when house shopping and had to share for anyone planning an event, wedding or with a love of butterflies – this is a deal not to miss…

Perhaps you remember this captivating and colorful Martha Stewart Wedding Magazine Cover?
Or maybe you love the idea of a butterfly bouquet like this:
So, how do you get the look for less?
These Butterfly Bouquets are available on sale at ZGallerie for $9.99! 

And while we’re at it, what about this little butterfly poem for a reading or a program: 
May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond.
~Irish Blessing

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Splurging on the walk

Posted on July 21, 2010 | Leave a comment

I love shoes. 

More specifically, I love looking at shoes; Ferragamo, Louboutin, Jimmy Choo.  These are the shoes I can’t afford, or cannot justify splurging on.  For our wedding I certainly looked at all the designer favorites, but I couldn’t bring myself to splurge.  My logic was, I’d rather go all out on a pair of shoes that I can wear more than one time and will not be hidden by the layers of tulle in my wedding gown, than on a pair that will be hidden for the night. 

The WIC (Wedding Industrial Complex) would probably have preferred I splurge, but I couldn’t do it.  Luckily for me, and for many other brides there are similar replicas, and discounts galore.

When I first started wedding shoe shopping I fell in love with these:
Valentino Sequin Peep-Toe Pump – they are no longer available, but they retailed in the $800 range

Here’s an alternative:

I also loved the  Jimmy Choo ‘Clue’ Glitter Slingback Pump (Nordstrom Exclusive), and in fact tried them on, walked around the shoe floor and was told by the salesperson that I could definitely wear them with jeans and on the weekends.  But the price tag deterred me, especially when I found a very similar style by Enzo Angiolini.
Of course who could forget the most famous “wedding shoes” and perhaps the pair that really gave birth to the trend of wearing colored wedding shoes?  The Manolos spurred a million knock-offs but probably no knock was better than these.



So, where did I end up on my shoe search?  Well, after trying on a pair of Jimmy Choo, ordering Badgley Mischka online, and browsing at length online and in person, two weeks before getting married I still had no shoes…  

This is where the MOB comes in.  The mother of the bride (my mom) found these beauties on sale at a Macy’s store – and that was that!


And wouldn’t you know it, they very much resemble these beauties by Christian Louboutin, but for much less!
I wore my wedding shoes for easily 12 hours on our wedding day – I liked mine so much I wore them for hair and makeup time too.  I had to make sure that I not only loved the shoes, but that they loved my  feet.  Your wedding day is not the day to get a blister and sit out from the dance floor.  (Although, to be fair, when you dance for that many hours, the blisters are sort of unavoidable, but totally worth it!)
I won’t discredit the difference in materials and quality when buying premium designer shoes, so if you want to splurge go for it, after all, it is your day!  And if you don’t, check out bluefly.com, zappos.com, Martinez Valero (for very, very close copies) and Nina Shoes for the classic bridal footwear.

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It’s the extras…

Posted on July 14, 2010 | 3 comments

I can’t stress enough that the wedding we had was perfect for us. It was our dream wedding. It is my favorite day.

However, that doesn’t mean that in the process of wedding planning I didn’t see many other things that I would have liked to have had. I sometimes joked that I could have planned ten different weddings and each would be unique – but since we’re only doing this once, those other designs and inspiration boards will have to wait for friends’ weddings, renewals and theme parties!

I am a long time fan of the beautiful calligraphy work of Laura Hooper. So much of a fan that at one point I attempted to make “Laura Hooper style Save the Dates”. We obviously went a different route, you can’t beat the real thing. I love her work for the whimsy, and unique heart each piece gets.

Designed by Laura Hooper Calligraphy


Doesn’t this make you feel like you’re about to find a Secret Garden? I love, love, love this lush aisle runner of multi-colored petals. The delighted flower girl seems to agree with me!

Image: Rebecca Thuss

We didn’t serve a signature drink, that was a trend we didn’t jump on. We did serve Champagne immediately after the ceremony. If we went signature, it would have been a mojito (we’re both big fans) and in little glasses like this. I love the idea of miniature food and drinks – and of a drink that reflects the location, or the couple.

A wedding we went to on the Big Island of Hawaii served Champagne with dried hibiscus flowers inside – it was a beautiful, subtle touch of Hawaii.

Here’s a little known secret – you can’t do this look if you’re getting married inside of a hotel, conference center, or restaurant. As devastating as that is, it’s an obvious fire hazard. I love the look of tall tapered candles, so I’ll have to figure out an occasion to incorporate this into eventually.

Image from Martha Stewart

Ever since I saw Father of the Bride, I was smitten with Chivari Chairs. To me they scream wedding. I am really loving them in the soft gold for a classic look and lacquered black for a dramatic, high glamor style.

Image from The Lace House

The sparkler exit… This is something Mark really wanted. I think if our ceremony and reception hadn’t been 4 feet apart this is something we would have done. It’s a beautiful site and totally classic. Ultimately, we didn’t miss it, we had plenty of flash bulbs popping.

Swensen Photography

In wedding planning it’s often the extras and details you really sweat and agonize over. At the end of the day you need three things: a partner, an officiant and a witness, in that moment you’ll find all the sparkle you (or your planner) could ever pay for. The rest is just extras…

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Posted in Advice, Family, Her Inspiration, Her Weddings + Events, Life Lessons, Marriage, Personal, Wedding Inspiration

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Weddings, Inspired

Posted on June 23, 2010 | 3 comments

Today is five months since Mark and I got married. Time flies in five months. It’s also about 1.5 years since I was really in the thick of wedding planning. The wedding industry and the wedding blogging industry provide an endless supply of weddings to model after, weddings to aspire to, and weddings just to drool over. Early on I fell in love with this wedding by Ariel Yve, as featured on the very inspiring Style Me Pretty. source: Style Me Pretty, Photography by Raya Photography

After doing a lot of Internet searching, and finding inspiration at Snippet and Ink and many other fantastic sites, I thought it would be helpful to create my own inspiration board. I was planning our Boca Raton wedding from Washington, DC, and had limited opportunities to meet with vendors so my vision needed to be clear. I wanted a Mid-Summer Night’s Dream (in January), vintage, chic, Anthropologie, Classic wedding. Do you think that was confusing? This is what it looked like in my head…

From L-R: Tuxedo:Hugo Boss, Dress: Maggie Sottero, Martha Stewart, Ariel Yve, Confetti Cakes, Flowers from theknot.com, Bari Jay Bridesmaid Dress, Ariel Yve, theknot.com, kissthegroom.com

I won’t keep you in suspense any longer, as to where we ended up (and yes we did have a cookie bar!). In the posts to come I’ll share more recaps, tips, vendor strategies and lessons learned.

wedding photos from the very talented Ashley Colhouer Photography

And we live happily ever after. Happy Month-iversary!

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