Must-Take Wedding Photo Checklist

Obviously, I spend a lot of time scouring the web for beautiful wedding related pictures. As I've looked through real wedding photos, I have started making a little list of specific photos that we would like to have taken at our wedding. For example, I love the photos of the bride and groom holding a sign that says "Thank you!" so I added it to the list. I only had a few ideas on said list, but today as I was exploring Real Simple, I hit the jackpot. They actually have an entire list of almost 80 photo-op ideas. Most advice books or websites suggest giving your photographer a list of must-have photos, and Real Simple has already made the list for you. You just have to pick and choose what you'd like. Brilliant! Real Simple is right! Rather than posting the entire list and taking up another 3 feet of space on my little blog, I'm just including the link: Real Simple Wedding Must-Take Wedding Photo Checklist.

Just another little tidbit that will hopefully offer some help to my fellow (or would that be sister?) brides!


For a little wedding photo eye-candy, I'm including this shot from Seattle photographer Laurence Kim. It's one of those photos that just makes me sigh wistfully and hope we end up with a picture like that!

FREE Wedding Song of the Day - August 28, 2009

I'm excited to be able to share some free music today. Michael Johns (the hunky Australian guy that was on American Idol) has put out an album and right now on Amazon you can download the song Heart On My Sleeve for free! Just click on the link below to download it directly from Amazon!

I'll still include the MP3 player with a sample, so you can preview the song first if you'd like, too. I was skeptical when I saw the song listed, but when I listened to it, I was pleasantly surprised. His voice is very warm and dreamy to me, and the song is simple and sweet so I thought that would make it a good match for today's board. Enjoy!

Citrus Punch – Backyard BBQ Wedding Theme!

I just showed Dylan this inspiration board and he said, “I’m not sure I’d be able to make it through the ceremony if I knew there was a reception like that waiting! YUM!”

I think that’s a pretty great summary for this theme. I call it citrus punch because it’s filled with so many bright, juicy fruit colors: tangerine, apricot, peach, mango and papaya shades of orange, with pineapple and lemon yellow.

This theme really emphasizes the fantastic food and informal fun atmosphere. Who wouldn’t love a backyard BBQ with bright yellow napkins and gingham tablecloths, homemade pies, cupcakes, and refreshing summer drinks? You could even do it potluck style if you’re on a really tight budget.

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Once again, Martha Stewart provided lots of help with the visuals, including the BBQ feast, the assortment of delicious pies, the apricot tart, the apricot place card holder, the peach prosecco sangria, the groom with the orange dahlia boutonniere, and the majority of the bouquets. Another appealing aspect for Dylan was that I had also shown him the Paloma Cooler recipe I found on Martha Stewart.

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The sweet photo in the center of the board is from one of my favorite photographers, Stephanie Williams.

The lemon cupcakes are by Jesi Haack Weddings and Sweet & Saucy Shop.

The orange marmalade was photographed by Victoria Pearson.

The pretty yellow and orange themed table and the matching stationery are both from a real wedding photographed by Union Photo.

I like the idea of a simple tan suit (maybe linen for a hot summer day), maybe with this J.Press bowtie.


The cute orange elbow length sleeve pleated cardigan sweater is from Banana Republic. Perfect for the bride or her attendants if the evening festivities start to get chilly.

Etsy finds:

The Chateauroux large flower hair clip is by Mandizzle. She’s going to think I’m stalking her with as often as I’ve incorporated her stuff, but she really does just have a great variety of lovely hair accessories. Plus, as I may have mentioned before, she looks like a super model, and I like to add lots of pretty to my palettes.

The mango pearl earrings (called Henna) and the honey jade earrings that reminds me of peach Jelly Bellys (called Vilette) are both by ThePeachTree.

The tangerine flower ring is by IndiaAndChic.

The green background of this picture throws it off a little, but look at these insanely adorable mason jar lemonades I found on Intimate Weddings! They would be so perfect with this theme.


If you do go with a theme like this, I have a great MONEY SAVING TIP – try to find a local flower farm and see what they’ve got that you might be able to use. I actually put an ad up on Craigslist for a friend of mine saying that we were looking for a certain color of flower, preferably something with large blooms and ended up receiving emails from a dahlia farmer and a begonia farmer who both offered insanely good deals. We’re talking about a dollar per stem, versus the several dollars per stem most florists would charge. For this palette in particular, I especially love dahlias and ranunculus. Daffodils, gerbera daisies and sunflowers would all be gorgeous, too.

Also, if you go with this theme, feel free to invite us! Or at least send us pictures.

Soapbox Sunday... on a Wednesday.

This is an interesting week. We're starting to look for a caterer and a photographer. There is a definite part of me that goes, "The wedding is next October. This seems a little crazy!" but there is also the part that has read too many wedding blogs and wedding planning books that all say you should try to book a venue, a caterer and a photographer ASAP in hopes that you book them before someone else does. We figured what the heck, it doesn't hurt to start looking. We'd like to have those three things figured out by October, because they're all big deals and it'd be nice to get some things taken care of early on. We think we may have found a venue. Yesterday I just found a promising local photographer that has a style we both like. Today we meet with our first caterer.

As we begin the search for some great vendors, I've been referring to a book I bought on Amazon called Bridal Bargains. I'm including a link to it, because if you're a bride to be, this is a book worth getting.

It gives good advice on what to look for in a vendor and what questions to ask to try to weed out the flakes.

Since we aren't in a huge city, the options are a little tougher. We want something sweet and intimate that suits our personalities, but we've already found a lot of wedding industry clichés.

The reason I'm most thankful for this book right now is that it's helped to give me a little bit better idea of what to expect. I'd like to think that I'm a smart girl, and I don't take a lot of (ahem) guff. The problem is that I, like most brides I've spoken to, have never planned an event like this. It's hard to know what you should expect when you speak to a vendor, because you don't know what the norm is. Unfortunately, there seem to be some vendors out there who are well aware of the fact that they're dealing with a novice and more than willing to take full advantage of that. I haven't had to deal with that yet myself, but I've heard some horror stories.

In the catering section of Bridal Bargains, it gives tips on things to pay attention to and questions to ask your potential vendors.

One of the first questions that they suggest you ask is, "Can we have a taste test of the food on our menu?" These are their thoughts on that:

We positively loathe caterers who expect you to pay thousands of dollars for food on faith. Equally reprehensible are the caterers that ask "why do you need to taste such basic items? Hors d'oeuvres are hors d'oeuvres." We suggest you find another caterer if you get this line. Should there be a charge for taste tests? Well, some caterers (especially restaurants) may have a minimal fee for tastings, which we can understand. While we'd prefer it to be free, it's better to pay for a taste test and know what you're buying. Even better: taste two or three options for each course (if you plan a sit-down dinner).

I had to laugh because I read this AFTER I had spoken to our first potential caterer. Here is a summary of how my first foray into finding a caterer went:

Earlier this week I contacted one of my top choices for a caterer after reading every local catering website I could find. I probably should've prepared myself better for that first phone call, but I was optimistic that as a professional, the vendor would lead the way. It turns out, that was naive of me. I have corresponded via email and phone calls with this woman. She has not suggested we meet, which is what I had expected when I contacted her. From the few pictures I've seen of her work, she displays her food with lovely artistic flair. Her menu is on the gourmet side, and she seems to be one of the few local caterers I've seen that doesn't include things like deli trays, which we're hoping to avoid. I have explained to her our menu ideas and the general theme that we'd like for our reception. She says she likes it, but hasn't really made suggestions. She answers my questions, and she certainly sounds capable. I'm interested.

Since I have never met her, I can't get a good read of her personality and I feel a little uncomfortable speaking to her because of that. I'm in unfamiliar territory. I was also very thrown off and a bit startled by her response when I inquired about the possibility of a tasting once we had the menu details worked out. The common sense part of me (like the book, although I didn't realize it at the time) says that if you're going to spend thousands of dollars on food for your wedding, you'd like to know what it is that you will be serving your guests. You'd like to try it and verify that it is the quality you're expecting. Plus, Dylan loves food. A lot of wedding details are mind-numbingly boring for the groom and one of the things he's most excited about is the food. He'd be ready to order the wedding cake tomorrow if it meant he got to sample cake first. But I digress... When I asked about arranging a tasting, her response was something like, "I don't do that. I just don't see the point. Anyone can make a good meal for two people, but I don't think that it really proves that they'd be a good caterer." While I see her point, it stuns me a little bit. My response was, "Actually, I've been surprised by the number of people who can't even manage that." How many times have you ordered a meal from a restaurant thinking it sounded delicious, only to wrinkle your nose and think "Well, I won't be ordering that again." Is that really what you want to risk serving your wedding guests? I reassured her that we certainly didn't want to inconvenience her or interfere with her busy schedule, but that it was hard to commit to spending thousands of dollars on blind faith. I said that we'd be happy to pay for the tasting. I said (only half-jokingly) that it could be a deal breaker for Dylan to not be able to sample anything. She told me that she understood and that I was welcome to hire another caterer. I had asked about the possibility of going to one of her events during set-up so that we could see a representation of her work in person (another suggestion from the book) and she agreed that we can go to an event she has scheduled sometime in October and that she'll make a little extra food that we can sample there. It may not remotely resemble our desired menu, but at least we would get to sample something that she's made. I'm not sure if I should be pleased and grateful at that possibility, or mind-boggled and slightly offended. Maybe she really is that good. Maybe I have unrealistic expectations. For now, I am waiting to form that opinion. I will admit to being disillusioned at the moment.

Since that conversation, I emailed another local caterer that I've heard good things about. As with any large purchase, I intend to see what is available before I put my money down. Another Bridal Bargains tip suggests setting up appointments with at least three caterers. It spefically says, "When you call for an appointment, notice how promptly the caterer returns your call. Within the business day is good -- if it takes them more than a day, that's a red flag. Prompt attention is your first clue to the caterer's commitment to service."

I sent potential caterer #2 an email (including my phone number) late Friday night, and received an email back late Tuesday afternoon. Once again, I had to laugh a little having read the tip from the book. The email didn't answer any of my questions, but did say that it would be easiest to meet and discuss details. I ended up calling them, and have arranged a meeting with someone for today. I'm trying not to throw up additional red flags, because I emailed the chef, I heard back from someone else, and we are now scheduled to meet with a third person. I want to be hopeful and optimistic, but this whole thing is already giving me a headache. Fingers crossed that one of these encounters will go very well, that we will be able to taste and enjoy some very good food, and that the people responsible for that food happen to be available for our wedding day.

Is anyone else out there having a heck of a time? Please feel free to drop me an email if you have sanity and/or money saving tips.

Phew... I think I might need a cocktail by the end of the day. Or a cupcake. Or at least a nap.

In the meantime, let me just say: Good luck, to all of the girls out there trying to plan their wedding! We need all the help we can get!

Wedding Song of the Day - August 25, 2009

When I listen to the song You and I by Wilco, it makes me imagine couples strolling down city streets holding hands. I think this song is sweet with today's inspiration board, because the music seems to reflect the obvious playful affection between the couples shown there.

Black and Ecru

I think that black and white is really one of the most classic and elegant options for a wedding. Today I'm putting my own spin on that tradition by exchanging the white for a warm cream or ecru color.

Maybe it's the similarity of the colors to sepia photographs, the feather and rhinestone accents, or the vintage 1930's style of the dress, but I find this palette very romantic and sophisticated in a charmingly old-fashioned way.

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The domestic goddess Martha Stewart is responsible for the lovely black and cream tables and the anemone bouquet in the bottom right corner.

The cream colored bouquet on the left was photographed by Victoria Pearson.

The anemone and rose centerpieces are from The Knot.

The white with black peep-toe shoes are by Marc Jacobs.

The adorable sepia toned wedding photos are by Red Photo Co., but I saw them on one of my favorite blogs, Snippet & Ink.

The photo of the smooching couple in the bottom left is by Myrtle & Marjoram.

The ruffled chiffon dress (that I love) is Notte by Marchesa.

The cream and black wedding cake in the top right corner was made by Take the Cake, but I saw it on Hip Hostess.

My Etsy finds:

The feather hair accessories are by YJdesign.

The Fifth Avenue feather and crystal necklace is from sweetgrassmill.

The heart flags garland is from Cori Kindred.

The Thank You envelope seals are from Kisfor Calligraphy.

Wedding Song of the Day - August 24, 2009

The wedding song of the day is Precious Love by James Morrison. The song has a laid-back and happy sound that makes me think of rejuvenation, and today's fresh green palette just seems to go well with that.

Pistachio Green Wedding Palette

I think this beautiful soft green is both refreshing and comforting. It could be considered sage green, or mint green, but I like to think of it as pistachio green.

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The green stationery, the cucumber mint gimlet cocktail, the cookie bar, and the chocolate cups with pistachios and toasted coconut are all from Martha Stewart.

The green candy buffet is by the ever talented Amy Atlas.

The light green bridesmaid gown is called Sam by Thread.

The cute green shoes are DKNYC Foxy Pump in Bamboo Green from Endless.com.

The photo of poppy greens is by Kathryn Kleinman.

Limeade photo by Lisa Lefkowitz.

I love the oak leaf menus, but I’m afraid I can’t recall where that picture came from. If you know, email me, because I’d love to give them credit.

The rest are my Etsy finds of the day:

The Pistachio Bloom earrings on the left are by dkjewels. Right now they're even offering a 20% off sale!

The beautiful Mandizzle is modeling her silk flower hair clip called The Lucky in the top right corner. She has one of my favorite hair accessory shops on Etsy!

Next to her, the AAA Green Amethyst Faceted Pear Briolette beads are from bismillahgem. Amethyst is my birthstone, and in the last couple of years I have become mildly obsessed with the green variety. If you’re crafty, you could make your own custom wedding jewelry for yourself and your bridesmaids!

I heart Etsy.

I just wanted to share the Etsy purchases I received in the mail yesterday!

I bought these adorable autumn themed rubber stamps from norajane.

I don't use rubber stamps much, because I tend to be clumsy with them for some reason. I know, I know... you ink, you stamp, you ink, you stamp. The concept is simple, but I always seem to over-ink and then end up with marks that aren't supposed to be there and ruining my project. I'm excited about these because they seem to be like stamps for dummies, so that's good for me! :-P
I tested each of them out, and they really do come out looking just like they do in the pictures, even when I'm using them. Hooray! They're very small, so I bought them with the intention of being able to use them to decorate seating cards or maybe the invitation envelopes. Look at how cute the little acorns and pinecones are!





I hope everyone has had a relaxing weekend! Make sure to check back often this week, because I'll be posting several new inspiration boards!

Now I'm going out with a couple of girlfriends for Sunday brunch to a new French cafe and pâtisserie. Mmm, croissants and crepes!

Wedding Song of the Day - August 20, 2009

If your man can pull off a western style shirt like I showed with today's board, then your wedding song may just be I'm In by Radney Foster with Abra Moore, or by Keith Urban.

I think I prefer the Radney Foster / Abra Moore one, but I'm partial to her because I met her once a long time ago when I worked at a local radio station. Plus, I think it's a little less smooth and pop sounding. There's just some silly girly part of me that makes my heart flutter a little to hear a gruff sounding man sing the line, "If you need a lover and a friend, baby, I'm in." The lyrics to this song are like a country boy's love poem.

And pardon me for saying, but Dylan would look good in any of those shirts. He's not a cowboy, but he wore a western shirt for a theme party we went to and it almost made me wish that he was! Woo!

Light Blue and Red -- Cute and Crafty Theme!

I just asked Dylan what color I should call this shade of blue and he said, "Chartreuse?" I laughed and had to tell him that was actually a shade of green. Then he tried, "Um... light blue?" so at least he was getting closer.

Initially I wanted to do an aqua and red wedding palette, but as I sorted through photos I decided that the cute crafty stuff that I liked best was closer to a sky blue, pool blue, or yes, even just light blue.

I love the spunky combination of textures and patterns. I decided to use fewer pictures for this board because I didn't want to overwhelm the eye with too many details.

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The stitched flower cake by The Caketress (Lori Hutchinson Designs) inspired this board -- I just thought it was cute as a button!

The program pockets on the white chairs are from Martha Stewart.

The candy cones are from Brides.com (photo by Dasha Wright).

The rest are my crafty Etsy finds:

The button blossoms on the top right and bottom left corners are Retro Red and Aqua Plaid Pair by ButtonTails.

The cute little hair clips that go perfectly with that great cake are called Red White and Blue Trio by NinjaBowTique.

I love the button accents on the cake, so I also thought the Fresh Summer Red and Blue Button Charm Bracelet by MrsGibson was a great addition, too.

The Red Poppies Enclosure Cards with Aqua Envelopes are by Michelle Brusegaard.

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I started imagining more details of how a theme like this could be used for a wedding, and I started thinking about some wedding pictures I'd seen recently of a light-hearted, informal wedding where the groom was wearing a western style shirt untucked. This would be a cool theme for a couple with a rockabilly style, but it makes me imagine a wedding in the middle of a meadow somewhere like Montana or Wyoming. It's just relaxed and cool, with a whole lot of personality and spunk.

Here are some examples of some shirts that could be paired up with today's theme. These are all from Nordstrom:

(I think I'd like this one better if it were long sleeved, but the colors and pattern are good.)

(Is it just me, or does this guy want to be Robert Pattinson's less appealing brother? Still, it is a pretty color of sky blue. Especially if you have a blue eyed groom.)

(The colors aren't as good on this shirt, but this is more the style and fit I was looking for.)

North Idaho Wedding Venue -- Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center

We had to run errands like crazy today -- we drove back and forth across town to everywhere from the airport to the hospital, and even ended up making a spur of the moment stop at a wedding venue. Nicknamed "The Old Church", the Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center in Post Falls, Idaho was a pleasant surprise.

This venue has the charm of an old church, but with modern updates and a lot more flexibility. There aren't pews in the main room (they call it the celebration hall), but there are hardwood floors, ornate windows, and the entrance even has a belltower! (They even let Dylan ring the bell, so he got a kick out of that.) This just might be our favorite venue so far.

The plus sides are that the building is unique and quaint, they allow you to pick whatever caterer you'd like, you can supply and serve your own drinks, and there are several different little areas for guests to mingle and enjoy themselves.

The down-sides are the distance (it would be a little bit further of a drive for most of our guests), the surrounding neighborhood isn't so great if we wanted any outdoor photo ops, and the chairs they use for events are a little modern and weird. I guess I'd have to look into some chair covers!

Overall, we liked it and it's definitely in the running!

This is the cute little patio around back.

We have visited a couple other venues recently, but I just haven't had time to post about all of them yet. Hopefully things will get less hectic soon and I'll be able to do some new inspiration boards, too!

My Aunt Marsha

I have been feeling sick all day. My whole body aches, and every time I think about taking a bite of food I feel a lump form in my throat that warns me to reconsider. I just got home from work after receiving the phone call I have dreaded all week. My Aunt Marsha died today. As I walked through the house to the back door to let the dogs outside, I grabbed a tangerine popsicle and decided to join the dogs in the back yard.

The weather today is perfect. It’s that warm, gentle kind of sunshine that makes you want to stay outside all day, made even better as the sun has just begun to sink low on the horizon. The sunlight and the breeze are filtering through the trees surrounding our porch, and the only noise has been the soothing rustle of leaves and the occasional footfalls of one of our dogs padding leisurely across the deck.

Exhausted from the weight of the recent stress and restless nights, I sunk heavily into a chair on the deck. As I did, the cell phone in my pocket accidentally pressed up against the arm of the chair, pushing the play button on the front of my phone. The sound of the Dixie Chicks singing “I Hope” greeted me, and I smiled. I pulled the phone out of my pocket, turned up the volume and set it next to me. I am a very music oriented girl, and I have the tendency to pair moments with music, like an on-going soundtrack to life. I wasn’t even thinking about music at the time, but that song was strangely appropriate. I don’t think I could’ve picked a better soundtrack for that particular moment. It kind of felt like it was a little goodbye from my aunt.

I sat there watching the sky and eating my popsicle, enjoying the feeling of the breeze against my tear streaked face. I just kept thinking about Marsha. It wasn’t exactly traditional, but I felt like I was having my own little tribute to her and I think she would appreciate that.

My Aunt Marsha has dealt with illness for years. She had kidney disease that forced her to suffer through a kidney transplant, and years of dialysis. That wasn’t why she died, at least not directly, but it was a big part of how she had to live. She was often outspoken and stubborn, as are most of the women in our family. She was also passionate, smart, sensitive, funny, kind, generous, affectionate, and compassionate. Even when she was struggling, she always wanted to share with others to show that she cared. She was fiery, just like a redhead is supposed to be. She stood up for what she believed in, and she defended the people she cared about. She loved her sons, Billy and Erik, more than anything. She was an animal lover (another thing that runs in our family) and has always treated her pets like family. I feel like she was robbed of the chance to do a lot of the things she wished for in her life. My heart aches for her, and I pray that she’ll find the peace and comfort that was so hard found for her in this life.

In honor of my Aunt Marsha, I remind you to take more moments to enjoy your life. Even if it’s just something as simple as sitting on your porch, enjoying a popsicle on a warm summer day.

I hope for more love, more joy and laughter

I hope you'll have more than you'll ever need

I hope you'll have more happy ever afters

I hope you can live more fearlessly

And you can lose all your pain and misery

I hope

"I Hope" -- Dixie Chicks

Rest in peace, Marsha. We love you and you will be missed.

Wedding Dress Finds at Nordstrom!

I like to browse Nordstrom for cool clothing ideas, especially for potential bridesmaid gowns. I would like my future bridesmaids to have dresses that they consider stylish, flattering and something they would be happy to wear again. I don't want them to look like they're going to the prom. While I was looking at some of Nordstrom's special occasion dresses, I found some great ideas for bridesmaid dresses, some horrible outfits, and even a couple of particularly sickly looking models. I'll try to share some of the good, the bad and the ugly with you in the next day or two.

Today I wanted to share with you some exciting wedding dress finds from Nordstrom! They actually have a lovely little assortment of dresses and I was surprised that most of them are very reasonably priced for bridal gowns. Their prices currently range from about $63 - $625, but the majority of the gowns are under $200! In fact, only 3 of the 12 dresses I'm showing here are over $200.

These are an assortment of shorter gowns that I liked. I think any of these could be perfect for a garden wedding, a civil ceremony, or even just a sassy bride who wants to show off her gams! (I think that's the first time I've ever actually used the word gams, but I'm tickled with it right now, so humor me.)

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From left to right, top row:

Sue Wong Lace Back Dress

Maggy London Tie Waist Metallic Sheath Dress

Lily Strapless Floral Appliqué Party Dress (less than $120!)

From left to right, bottom row:

BCBGMAXAZRIA Strapless Appliqué Dress (this is the most expensive gown I listed at $398)

JS Boutique Lace Dress (also available in plus sizes)

Phoebe Strapless Silk Chiffon Dress

Here are the longer gowns that I especially liked. I love these gowns because they offer an assortment of styles, necklines, waistlines, and fabrics, but none of them make me think of a giant cupcake the way so many of the bigger bridal shop dresses do.

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From left to right, top row:

JS Boutique Beaded Cluster Gown

BCBGMAXAZRIA Lace & Tulle Tier Gown

JS Boutique Beaded Crisscross Matte Jersey Gown

From left to right, bottom row:

OC by Oleg Cassini Beaded Silk Chiffon Gown

Sue Wong Beaded Gown with Deep V-Back

JS Boutique Flutter Sleeve Chiffon Gown (Plus)

This is a picture of the back of the Sue Wong Beaded Gown with the Deep V-Back. It's one of the three more expensive gowns on this list at about $325, but that's still not too bad for a gorgeous and sophisticated wedding gown. I personally don't have the figure for a gown like this, but this was one of my favorite dresses on Nordstrom. I actually like the front even more than the back, but I wanted to show the delicate train.

Wedding Song of the Day - August 5, 2009

Today was a hard song choice for me. I think with the peacock feather theme, you could really take it in a lot of different directions style wise. I kept it pretty bold and straight-forward, but you could easily give it an art nouveau spin, or you could make it more modern. I figured that no matter which way you personalized it, the bride that would choose this theme is probably bold and a little sassy. Based on that, the wedding song of the day that I chose is You've Made Me So Very Happy by Blood, Sweat & Tears.

The song clip only hints at the fun part of this song, so if you aren't familiar with it, you should definitely check out the full song.

Peacock Wedding Theme with Copper and Teal Blue

Early in my daydreaming about what our wedding could look like, I found myself liking the idea of using peacock feathers to add a little flair to a wedding of rich jewel tones. I have since dabbled with peacock palettes and themes a few times, but never quite put it together in a way that I thought really clicked for me. What I came up with for today's board is a little bit different take on peacock wedding themes, because I focused primarily on an almost exotic feeling color combination of shimmering copper and dark teal blue. You could certainly add the emerald green, chartreuse, deep purple, bronze and navy blue to accent the gorgeous iridescence of the peacock feathers. I just decided to simplify it by streamlining the color palette a bit and choosing two of my favorites. I also think that texture plays an especially big role in today's board.

Something I really love about the deep teal is that I think it could be gorgeous on darn near anyone.

In an early engagement splurge purchase, I bought an eBay auction lot of copper tablecloths because I've been fascinated with that color and was convinced I could make it work. (I also bought them for a better price than I could've rented white linens, so what the heck.) I have second guessed myself to infinity and beyond, but I think this palette is an example where the copper really does work beautifully.

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One of my favorite parts of this board is the fabulous Kayla dress in teal chiffon by Thread. I love chiffon. I love empire waist. I love the satin sash with the draping bow. And I love that color!

The second dress is a Rhinestone Pin Satin Halter Gown that I found on Amazon for only $70. Satin is another great fabric for this palette because it seems so rich and elegant. The shoes are Two Lips Vivacious Teal Wedges from Endless.com.

The center picture of the table is from Gamboa Photos.

The copper tablecloth on the bottom row is actually a picture I took of one of my tablecloths.

The sparkling rhinestone peacock feather hair comb is something that I found on eBay.

That brings us to my Etsy finds:

The pretty antique copper and teal glass sea scallop earrings are called Atlantic Bay by The Moss Garden. I know they're supposed to be sea scallops, but the shell shape is pretty similar to a peacock with it's feathers fanned out, so I kind of cheated there. I like the little rhinestone spacers, too. It dresses them up a bit.

The Glamorous Peacock Eye Feather Rhinestone Hair Clip in the center of the bottom row is by Dana Castle. I like that it's simple, but with a little rhinestone embellishment to add some sparkle.

The Tamara Peacock Feather Hairpins on the bottom left corner are by Piper Riley. Her hair accessories have pretty details because she uses little bits of other bold feathers to make them interesting.

The Contessa Peacock Headband in the bottom right corner is by sweetgrassmill. This one is a little more funky, but most girls who would chose a peacock theme for their wedding could probably pull off a little funky. Plus, that headband looks like it would match perfectly with that Thread dress!

The Satin Flower Brooch is by dollmeat. I deliberately left flowers out of this board, because I think the feathers are almost a floral alternative when it comes to bright, colorful accents in the wedding decor. This satin flower brooch with the darker blue jewel goes nicely with the theme, and adds fun texture without taking away from the colorful peacock feathers.

Oooo, and I just found this teal dress and this peacock dress at Nordstrom.

Spokane Wedding Venue -- Bozarth Mansion

I mentioned the other day that we've been researching some wedding venues. Recently we took a tour of the Bozarth Mansion in northern Spokane, Washington. I took a few pictures of the grounds while we were there.

This is a picture of the mansion as we were approaching it.

This is the courtyard that I thought would be a pretty place for a ceremony.

The same courtyard from a different angle.

This is the wrap-around covered porch that they use as a small dancefloor, or as the place to set up the catering stations.

The Bozarth Mansion could be a really pretty outdoor wedding venue during the warmer months. The interior is pretty lacklaster, and without air-conditioning you and your guests would be sweltering with an indoor summer wedding. Since we're thinking about an early October date, this probably won't be an ideal place for us, but I did want to share some pictures for the other brides in the area who are researching!