Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spring. Show all posts

Monday, August 24, 2009

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.

{click to enlarge}

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!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

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.

{click to enlarge}

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.

**********

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.)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Warm Whites

Please don't think I've gotten lazy, I've just been spending a tremendous amount of time in the last few days trying to research some local venues. As it turns out, some of my favorite venues right now aren't so local afterall. We're going to make arrangements to go visit some of those venues over the next couple of weeks. Keep your eyes peeled, because as we narrow it down, I plan to show some lovely venues scattered around the Spokane and Seattle areas. Maybe even western Montana!

*****

Today's palette is all about pure, delicate and lovely white. This board is full of warm white, ivory, cream, and white chocolate.

There's something breezy and effortlessly elegant about white. With this board I emphasized dainty and feminine with bite-sized sweets and floral accents.

{click to enlarge}

I am in love with well done candy buffets. I think the colorful buffets are a ton of fun, but there's something both bridal and comforting about an all white dessert buffet.

The sweets I'm showcasing here are by two of my favorite event planners: Amy Atlas and Lollipop Events.

The gorgeous ice cylinder full of branches used to chill the bottle was photographed by the insanely talented Kathryn Kleinman.

Martha Stewart provided the delicate pressed sugar boxes and the Mexican wedding cakes.

The featured Etsy crafter of the day is Mandizzle. That's the beautiful girl in the center of the board who makes those gorgeous floral hair accents. She even looks like a blushing bride! The three pieces shown are called The Bloom (on top), The Bliss (bottom left) and one of my personal favorites, The Cora (in the center and on the bottom.)

I also wanted to share these fantastic Badgley Mischka shoes I found on Endless!

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Aqua, Orange and Yellow Wedding

I have decided to make a part two for the aqua and orange wedding theme, because I found so many cool possibilities.

Yesterday was aqua and orange, with dark brown accents. Today is aqua, orange, and yellow. I kept the orange yesterday a soft, almost coral color. Today the orange is brighter, ranging from papaya to persimmon. Speaking of tropical fruit, I think this would be a good island wedding palette.

{click to enlarge}
All of the larger photos and the flowers on this board are from a lovely wedding featured on amorology. I love that their tables are marked with cute names like Honey Buns and Lemon Drop, and that they decorated them in such a cute and simple way with feverfew flowers.

The gorgeous candy and dessert buffets were made by Sweet & Saucy Shop and Jesi Haack Weddings. Check out Sweet & Saucy's blog here and Jesi Haack Wedding's blog here. I wish they were all in my neighborhood, because their desserts and events look lovely!

The Spiegel Signature Graceful Jersey Empire-Waist Dress in Persimmon is available on Amazon for under $50. The aqua bridesmaid dress is by Watters.

The orange shoes are Diego di Lucca Ladonna Flats. The Velvet Angels Rainbow Room D'Orsay Pumps in Pool Blue might be perfect for your "something blue" if you're splurging.

My Etsy finds on this board are the aqua and tangerine glass lampwork bead bracelet by Steinbem and the Scrabble tile pendants called Mod Pop Flowers and Aqua Orange Paisley by Blue Finger Studios. I think these would all make cute little gifts for your bridesmaids. Blue Finger Studios is even offering a special right now that when you buy 3 pendants, you get the fourth one free. They have a ton to choose from, and from what I can see, they're all less than $10 - go nuts!

I think these earrings are pretty if you're looking for aqua with darker orange. They're called Exuberant by Designs by Autumn, made with apatite and carnelian briolettes.

I think this JPress bowtie is fun for this palette, too.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Aqua and Orange Wedding

I keep seeing the color combination of aqua and orange lately, and even though I'm not always big on orange, I love this palette. I have found so many great pictures, I think I may even make this a two part theme! I also included some dark brown accents on this board, but you could really play with this palette to customize it for spring, summer, or autumn.

{click to enlarge}

Some of my inspiration came from a really fun, whimsical circus themed wedding that was captured the photos of Josh Goleman. The details are great, including a kissing booth and the bride wearing a super short and flirty dress that you can almost picture up on the highwire. I'm also loving this trend of 'photo booth' style shots of wedding guests in funny poses or with interesting props. When we find a photographer, I'm going to have to see if we can make arrangements for something like that!

Another website that has some fantastic inspiration is amorology. I just discovered it recently, and it's definitely one of my new favorites. She recently posted a wedding with yellow, orange and aqua that I'm going to try to incorporate more in part two of this theme.

The cutesy eyelet lace look L-O-V-E sign, and the guest books in the lower right corner are from Darling Dexter, as are these color coordinated napkins:

Whitney (the voice of Darling Dexter) and her husband Dustin had a beautiful wedding with this color palette and tons of lovely DIY details.

The rest is from Etsy! I always like to include some handmade crafts into my themes, and I found a ton of great stuff using these colors!

  • The orange rosette and aqua beaded necklace (called Scent of Lisabetta) is by Sora Designs.
  • The tangerine chrysanthemum ring is by Gingeroni1.
  • The orange / aqua stripe tie is by MeandMatilda.
  • The funky bib style crocheted necklace is called Summer Statement by DaintyCrochetByAly. (Maybe I'm partial because we share a name?)
  • The invitations are called Mum Madness by Decadent Designs.
  • The turquoise button with coral flower earrings are by Sincerely Beaded.
  • The coral branches picture is by ara133photography.
  • The Clara earrings by JLeeOhioDesigns feature tiny briolette faceted citrine and moonstone with large blue topaz. While they are more expensive than what I usually try to feature here, her jewelry is really beautiful and I have to give Jennifer props for being a proud ASPCA supporter. Me too, Jennifer!
  • A more budget friendly option could be the aqua chalcedony and orange carnelian drop earrings by The Gem Shoppe.
  • I also think this Festival Felt Button Bracelet by Poor Robin is really cute with this theme:

I forgot to add this earlier, but I love love love these shoes with today's theme. They're John Fluevog Men's Rusnak in Vegas Dark Brown. I'm always happy when I can include some cool shoes or accessories for the guys!

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Marigold Yellow and Pewter Gray

Today’s board is a little different, because usually I draw my inspiration from quite a few different sources and combine them myself. This time, I am largely showcasing the lovely wedding details of Erica from Thoughtful Day.

{click to enlarge}
She did such a nice job of putting everything together; my biggest challenge was just trying to arrange everything to highlight some of my favorite parts! I love that she included succulents. By now, you know that I can’t shut up about how much I like succulents worked into wedding themes. I also think her cake topper is adorable. And of course, I’m big on bows.

Erica is quite talented! She started by designing and making her own wedding stationery, and now she can make your wedding stationery, too! I think her designs are downright dreamy and I highly recommend checking out her store.

The details that aren’t Erica’s are the place setting by Martha Stewart and the shoes are Kelsi Dagger Women's Ladonna Hidden Wedge in gold.

I also wanted to throw in this bowtie from JPress. I have no idea what Erica’s husband (Patrick, based on the invitations) wore, but I hope it was this! No worries though, because based on how well she coordinated everything, I’m sure he was no exception!

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Peachy Pink and Soft Moss Green

Today’s palette is a peachy pink that makes me think of pink grapefruit, balanced with a soft moss green.

{click to enlarge}

Martha Stewart always provides lots of wedding inspiration for me. Today she's responsible for:
  • The ribbon and floral boutonnieres
  • The ranunculus bouquets (you know how I love ranunculus bouquets for weddings!)
  • The bouquet of dahlias
  • The pink table setting in the center of the board
  • The pink grapefruit mojitos that I am dying to try
  • The green stationery
  • The pink dogwood flowers
  • The cutely packaged pink and green wedding favor

The pink table setting in the top left and the gerbera daisies are both from The Knot.

The bouquet of lovely pink roses are from Costco of all places! I think they’re one of the best deals you can find on roses.

The fantastic pink candy buffet is by byrd + bleecker. They have another great pink grapefruit addition – those pink grapefruit candy slices. I love those darn things!

The Marilyn style sage green satin halter dress is on Amazon. It’s available in sizes XS-3x, so it’ll fit almost any bridesmaid!

The fantastic star paper lantern is by Luna Bazaar.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Muted Tea Green and Mocha Brown

Despite the color names, today’s palette is inspired by earth tones, not your local espresso stand.

{click to enlarge}
The stationary showcases are both by Martha Stewart, as is the gorgeous clematis topped wedding cake, and the gladiolus bouquet.

I think the clematis cake is fantastic, but I think the green hydrangea cake at the bottom is also a nice way to work in this color scheme.

The tiered chiffon gown is the same style that I used yesterday in red, still found on Amazon. The other dresses are by Watters. They use color names like snapdragon, meadow and acorn. I don’t know if I could’ve pictured what color snapdragon would be, but I like it.

The cutesy lovebird cake toppers are from Red Light Studio on Etsy.

The glammed up champagne silk stiletto sandals are by Delman. The fun green pumps are DKNYC Foxy Pumps in bamboo green. I like the pattern on them, it’s somewhere between eyelet lace and paisley.

On a last note, something that really helps a wedding look well put together is to incorporate the palette throughout the wedding and reception. With this palette, I love the idea of using something like limeade and iced tea or sweet tea. It's nothing too fancy, it's budget friendly, and it just helps to bring the look together.

These are both pictured with lemonade, but you get the idea.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Aqua / Tiffany Blue Inspiration Board

I was originally inspired by Martha Stewart's cute cappuccino and banana honey cupcakes. When I started searching for color coordinated wedding ideas, it was harder than I expected. There are so many variations on this color. Teal, aqua, Tiffany blue, robin's egg blue... It gets complicated to find good color matches!

{click to enlarge}

The I Do decorated shoes are Jimmy Choo's. They aren't exactly budget-friendly, but you could do that on any wedding high heels. The aqua sandals with the rosettes are by Nine West. At a fraction of the cost, that's much more budget-friendly!

The bridesmaid dresses are all by Watters.

I think the DIY sugar crystal chandlier from Once Wed is fantastic. (I wanted to call it sweet, but I caught myself.)

The other pictures were found at The Bride's Cafe.

I think this could be a really versatile theme. It'd be great for warm weather, but I actually think it could be a nice winter theme, too.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Sunshine Yellow

Since I spent much of last week using pinks in my inspiration boards, I've decided to avoid pink all-together this week. The focus of today is all about shades of one delightful color: sunshine yellow!

{click to enlarge}

I just wanted this yellow inspiration board to radiate warmth and fun. This could be perfect for a light-hearted spring or summer wedding. The flower possibilities are great for yellow themes. I used daffodils, narcissus and calla lilies, but you could also go for gladiolus, tulips, roses, daisies, and buttery yellow stock.

I love bow accents with this cute theme. The dress is by Thread. The brighter yellow heels with the bows are called Rossi by Steve Madden. The darker yellow peek-a-boo pumps are Pura Lopez from Nordstrom.

The bow shaped napkin fold and the lovely wedding cakes are from Martha Stewart Weddings.

For the menu, lemons are an obvious choice -- lemonade, lemon sorbet, maybe even lemon meringue tarts? Yum!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Petal Pink with Fresh Pastels

Today's theme has a garden party feel to it, although it could easily be done indoors, too. The colors are petal pink with fresh pastels, especially a soft sage green and lemonade yellow.

{click to enlarge}

By now you probably know how much I love the addition of birds to wedding themes, and I found plenty of pretty-in-pink lovebird DIY ideas from Martha Stewart. Everything from favors "from the lovebirds", traditional style escort cards and bird shaped placecards that perch on the edge of your guests' glasses. I especially love the little bird nesting on top of a tiny favor box, like an individual centerpiece for each place setting!

The DIY bath fizzies are also a cute Martha favor idea, perfect for girls like Heather and me who are junkies for all things cosmetics related.

Some of my favorite pictures on this board are the non-traditional bouquets. I LOVE the pink snowberry bouquets from MS. They're so whimsical and lovely! I also love the button bouquet by Really Bad Kitty on Etsy. How cute would that be for a flower girl or junior bridesmaid? They could take it home as a keepsake, and you wouldn't have to worry about them crushing their fresh blooms while they're playing around.

And last, but not least... Dazzle Malted Milk Balls by Koppers Chocolate. Not only are they beautiful with this theme, but I thought it was a sweet favor idea for Heather as a kind of nod to our late Grandpa who LOVED malted milk balls.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Mauve Pink, Raspberry and Navy Blue

Here is my inspiration board #2 for Heather. I've always thought of Heather's style as kind of preppy and classic, so I thought this color palette was perfect. It gives Dave his U of M blue, and Heather the pink that she loves.

{click to enlarge}

I've included tulips because they're her favorite flowers, and just happen to come in a perfect shade for this palette!

Overall, I think this has a simple, classic elegance without being stuffy, boring or too formal.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Pink and Chocolate Brown

My cousin Heather just got engaged! Congratulations Heather and Dave! I've been working on several different inspiration boards for her that I'll be putting up over the next few days. Heather loves soft, feminine and pink, so I'm using different shades of pinks in most of the boards I've created for her. I'm also trying to balance out the girly just a little, since Dave's wedding color preference would be the University of Michigan colors. :-P

My first board for her is a classic combination of pink and chocolate brown.

{click to enlarge}

Some of my favorite elements on this board:

The candies in the center of the top line are dark chocolate covered almonds with a beautiful glaze, called Almond Jewels by Koppers Chocolate. I've had some of their products before and they've all been incredible.

Below the candy are another Martha Stewart idea -- individual flower favors for people to take home and plant as a keepsake from the wedding. I think she used different shades of violets.

The fab shoes are by Giuseppe Zanotti.

I love the bouquet and boutonniere to the left of the shoes. They're made up of Magic Silver Roses and Smokebush leaves tied up with pink velvet ribbon. Love it!

The precious mini-cake favors aren't actually cakes at all! They're fudge layered with pink sanding sugar. Another Martha DIY! Much easier AND affordable than having a bakery make individual cakes. The blossom ring is also a Martha DIY, perfect for bridesmaids.

I also love the contrasting chocolate and pink dresses for her little girls.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Pale Blue and Earthy Brown -- Lovebirds theme!

My favorite themes involve a certain harmony and balance. I like to temper feminine with masculine, light and airy with dark and earthy, delicate with substantial.

This theme combines some of my favorite things -- the ethereal quality of lovebirds and feathers, the fragility and symbolism of eggs, and the earthy elements like birds' nests, twigs and moss. The overall feeling is fresh, and brings to mind renewal and new beginnings. This is definitely a new favorite theme!

{click to enlarge pictures}

The layout of this board seemed tricky to try to identify, so I'm trying a new method and numbering the boxes.

1. A funky feather and berry boutonniere photographed by Stephanie Williams.
2. White roses on top of mossy vases.
3. Springtime Nest Bell Jars from Williams-Sonoma. They're even on sale right now!
4. Peonies arranged in nests for a fresh take on centerpieces. (Thank you Martha Stewart!)
5. Candy shelled chocolate eggs by Martha Stewart.
6. Faux Quince Blossom Wreath with Nest from Williams-Sonoma.
7. Feathery fringe adds a fun texture to the bouquet and looks beautiful with the feathery boutonniere.
8. Little nests filled with jordan almonds used as place card holders! (Martha Stewart)
9. A lovely pale bouquet of white hydrangeas and dusty miller leaves.
10. I think the blue shirt with the white boutonniere is a surprisingly nice change from the more traditional white shirt with colored boutonniere. This is another picture by Stephanie Williams.
11. An adorable love birds wedding cake by Martha Stewart.
12. Cookies pressed with birds and monograms -- Martha again!
13. Birds on branches centerpieces by Rebecca Thuss.
14. I want this cake plate way bad! It's birds on a wire by Fishs Eddy.
15. A French dessert buffet.
16. I LOVE this. A nest made of pussy willows -- why do you have to be so good at everything, Martha?!
17. Martha Stewart's bird's nest version of a wishing jar. Guests write their well wishes for the couple on bird shaped paper cut-outs and place the notes into nests on the branches.
18. Candles nestled into... nests? :-P
19. Lovebirds with table numbers -- woodsy and adorable!
20. Fiddlehead ferns. Love 'em!
21. Springtime Nest Bell Jars from Williams-Sonoma. These would make the coolest centerpieces for this theme!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Pale Peach and Gray

Lately I've really been favoring both gray and peach in wedding themes, so I thought I'd make a board of the two together. It's soft and romantic, but a little unexpected at the same time. I think this would be a lovely palette for spring because the combination is both cozy and fresh -- perfect for the unpredictable springtime weather we've been having!

{click to enlarge}

The dresses, shoes and gray suit are all from J. Crew, except for the strapless gray dress which is from the Eden bridesmaids line. I love all of them because they're all reasonably priced and none of them scream "I'm going to prom or in a wedding!" They're all very wearable styles, which is nice for your bridal party because they don't have to get stuck with an outfit they'll never be able to wear again. And who knew that they had such cute shoes at J. Crew?! I love the peep-toe pumps with the bow. Super cute!

The spray rose boutonniere, the cake / meringue, champagne bubble candy favors and the monogrammed sweater are all from Martha Stewart.

The roses are called Sahara and the white peach sangria looks fantastic.


Sometimes I like to play around with different fonts and designs for wedding invitations. I thought something like this one would be sweet with the pale peach and gray palette.