Picture This!: Acoustic Ambiance

Photo Credit: MoonRiver1423 on Etsy

Do you and your man share the passion for music - many times, this is the case. Musically talented people tend to find each other (I would love to be in a household with music being created 24.7). Personally, there is nothing better than sitting on a porch on a lazy afternoon listening to some laid back tunes - Jack Johnson anyone? My husband and I got the opportunity to live in Nashville for sometime, or should I say Music City, and were fortunate to experience a community that fills your spirit with genuine and raw music on a daily basis. Whether your musically talented or just plain out passionate about it, having your BIG day inspired by your favorite type of tunes can be a perfect inspiration! The neutral color combos of an acoustic guitar easily created a laid back atmosphere that will keep guest feeling comfy and relaxed. No ever said more was better ALL the time - this inspiration filled with muted elements offers lots of understated elegance. So ladies, let the music speak to your soul and create a day's worth of chill time for you and the guests! Much love!

Understated Elegant Photos by:

Rachel Barker

Aric + Casey Photography

Belathée Photography

Jose Villa Photography

Meredith Perdue

Marisa Holmes Photographer

Karen Hill

Elizabeth Messina Photography

Jay Lawrence Goldman

Nicol Ragland Photography

Cathy Sunu

Picture This!: Chanel Inspired

Have you always dreamed up taking a girl trip to Paris to visit the fashion district?..then today's "Picture This!" is definitely for you! One word ladies: Chanel. 

I am sure the word "Chanel" is in any female's vocabulary (or if you are like me, Chanel is purely wishful thinking vocab). The world of Chanel is constantly thrown at us throughout the fashion scene, all over celebrity gossip magazines, and in every other commercial during our TV time...we are seriously surrounded by this 'female targeted' company (and I am not complaining!). Chanel's products and marketing intelligently combines soft femininity with an underlying fierceness - what a great combo for your BIG DAY! Strong, yet elegant women such as Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightley, and Blake Lively grace Chanel endorsements and perfectly represent what the brand is all about.

Ladies, do it Chanel style - Be strong, be feminine, and be BEAUTIFUL for your wedding day! The collaboration of muted pinks, champagnes, and whites with an added accent to jet black makes a "Chanel" Inspiration Board total eye-candy! So ladies, sit back, relax, and enjoy all things girly! Much love!

Plain-out Beautiful Photos By:

Kristin Vining

Jen Rodriguez

Elizabeth Messina

James Christianson

Jose Villa

Lisa Lefkowitz

Shannon Montez

La Vie
Carla Ten Eyck

Stephanie Cristalli

John and Joseph

Amelia Lyon
Adam Nyholt

Meg Perotti

Fresh Idea Friday: Sweet Treat!

Thought I would start off your long weekend with a closer look at a Fresh Idea that is super "sweet" - CUPCAKES! Cupcakes are a staple at any kids birthday party..however, this beloved personal sized dessert is sweeping the wedding industry by storm! Why do we love cupcakes? Well for one, the thought of having an individual sized cake piled high with perfectly decorated icing is enough to make anyone a fan! Not only are cupcakes a nostalgic love of our kid-self past, but they are practical for any wedding - why you ask?

1. Price
Wedding cake can put a crater sized hole in any budget. At a minimum of $4.75 per a slice, wedding cake quickly becomes a costly after dinner dessert. Cupcakes on the other hand, typically go for about $2.50 each -- that is almost half the price!

2. Grab and Go
Cupcakes are time savers! Your venue staff does not have to take time to cut hundreds of slices of cake and THEN pass them out to all the guests. Cupcakes are a "self-serve" type of dessert - grab and go!

3. They Are FUN!
If you have been reading this blog, you know I encourage to take fresh spins on old traditions! What better way to update a cake then do it cupcake style?
You can decorate these fun desserts multiple ways and have several flavors, which makes it easy to add pops of color for your celebration! Go the extra mile and a couture (and cute) cupcake wrapper from Bella Cupcakes Couture.

Although encourage adding a fresh touch to tradition - there are some that I think should stay put! I definitely love the tradition of the bride and groom cutting the "cake" together - which you can still do even with cupcakes! You can achieve this by either having a single tier of wedding cake made just for you and the groom or, have two special cupcakes made for you both! Check the inspiration board for example of this! Take this Fresh Idea and run with it - you will be saving dollars and creating excitement for your guests. There is nothing better than watching a grown adult stuffing their face with a giant cupcake - it brings the kid out in all of us!



Delicious Photos By: Marianne Wilson, Bella Cupcake Couture, Jen Rodriguez, Orange Girl, Picotte Photography, Jake Holt, The Nichols, and 5ive 5ifteen Photography

 Have a fabulously LONG weekend -- check back with us on Tuesday!

Picture This: Colorful Quote!

If you missed reading up on one of last week's posts, "Picture This," you did not see the start of a new weekly series! In a nutshell, I will present a single source of inspiration (i.e. a photo, an object, a quote, etc.) and create an entire wedding inspiration board from the the muse! If you are a creative mind - I encourage you to try the "Picture This!" activity yourself..it is fun to imagine a million ways to create a single wedding!




By Handz from Etsy

 

This weeks "Picture This!" inspiration comes from a printed quote I found on, none other than, Etsy! The picture really struck me for several reasons: (1.) This quote is from a song I think we all universally know! It may have even been the first song we learned sing when we were little - so cheery and simple!, and (2.) I loved the color combination the artist used to compose the print. Often, brides are afraid to use bold colors throughout their wedding and stick to the notion of being "soft and sweet;" however, being BOLD is not BAD - if anything, bright colors bring warmth and cheerfulness to any ambiance! A wedding is a celebration after all! Check out how the basic primary colors can be a perfect setting for your wedding day celebration - still keeping it classy and elegant all the way through! Look below to find a wedding fully inspired from the colorful quote through and through! Enjoy!



Stellar Photos From: Jamie Grenough, Aaron Delesie, Twin Lens, Picotte Photo, Q Weddings, Beaux Arts, Captured by Jen, Muse Photography, Matthew May, and Laurel McConnel



 



Picture This: Whimsical Inspiration Board

I was watching Project Runway over the weekend, and one of the episodes prompted today's post. The Project Runway competitor's had an awesome challenge: Use a photograph captured in New York City for their single source of inspiration! What a fantastic idea! Creators in any form (fashion designers, artists, authors, florists, etc.) find inspiration from endless sources, and creating your BIG DAY is no different. To facilitate endless inspiration, I will be starting a weekly series "Picture This" where I take a single object, photo, or even quote, and make a wedding inspiration board from it! I absolutely love and enjoy going through the inspiration process - I encourage everyone, bride or not, to try it out! If your new at it, Style Me Pretty, one of my go-to wedding sites, has a wonderful app for creating inspiration boards! Enjoy!



Photo by HoneyTree



While this photo did not come from New York City, it did come from one of my favorite places...Etsy! I encourage everyone to explore the endless world of Etsy - you seriously can find amazing stuff there! Anyways - back to the photo...I came across this whimsical photograph the other day and was instantly inspired. The uplifting mood and cheery color composition presented in the photograph make a perfect medium for wedding day inspiration! Check out how my photo muse can direct everything from cake, to flowers, to favors! Can you see the inspiration through out?





Photo Credits: Millie Holloman, Lane Dittoe, Shannon Montez, Jose Villa, Lisa Lefkowitz, Chelsea Elizabeth, and Brooke Keegan



Mixing Old with New: Where's Your Blue?

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue!"

 As an event planner, I love being awed by a creative interpretation of traditionally customs from today's modern bride. We all know the saying posted above...and have heard it since we were dreaming of our princess wedding at age 5. Our mother's and mother's mother and mother's mother's mother have all followed these guidelines to ensure superstitious good luck on the marriage. Now, after years of brides stuffing old, new, borrowed, and blue items upon themselves..where does the modern bride find ways to shake it up a little?

While planning my own wedding back in September of 2010, I took a lot time considering the question of "how to honor tradition but put my own spin on it?" One of my main focuses was the "Something Blue." For me personally, I wanted to the BLUE to be bright and loud (which did not go along with my neutral color scheme). Since I have a slight obsession with shoes, I figured that was the best route for me to go. I found these AMAZING eclectic blue platform heels at Off-Broadway Shoes - I may be biased, but they were so perfect!!! Not only did I love the shoes themselves, but even more so, my guests had no idea what I was hiding under my dress. It was not until the reception, when I was bogeying to the band, that glimpses of my blue heels peeped through and then EVERYONE wanted to check them out! It was one of those fun little surprises! (That's a picture of my BLUE shoes above.)

Shoes are certainly not the only modern route to interpreting "Something Blue." These days, the possibilities are truly endless and with sites like Etsy, well lets just say it opens up a lot of doors. Do some looking around...post your favorite finds! Look back tomorrow to see the "something blue's" I have added to my treasure chest.