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.)

Metallic Silver, Crystal Embellishments and Hints of Blue

I keep finding amazing silver and jewel encrusted wedding accessories, so today's inspiration board is made up of metallic silver, crystal embellishments and hints of blue.

Often times I try to make my inspiration boards and ideas budget friendly. Today is a combination of everything from downright cheap to top of the line. Pick and choose to make it fit your budget!

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For starters, I LOVE the silver Miu Miu crystal embellished ballet flats. They are more than I can justify spending on shoes, but they're so cool!

The J. Crew silver Lulu pumps are a much more affordable option and the bow embellishments are another fun choice.

And this time, I'm including some uber-cool shoes for the guys: John Fluevog Men's Marcello shoes in silver! I dedicate these shoes to one of my best friends, Jeffrey. He could totally pull these off, and he's the one who first introduced me to John Fluevog shoes in Seattle. I can also picture Justin Timberlake pairing these with one of his white suits. I'm not big on white suits for men most of the time, but I'm feeling it with this palette.

The dark gray dress is by Melissa Sweet by Priscilla of Boston. The light gray dress is that J. Crew dress that I love and showcased in chartreuse.

The stationery and favor boxes are both by Martha Stewart. I just found them on super clearance recently for less than $5 per box! They're actually a higher quality than I would've expected for inexpensive invitations. Plus, that particular pattern features love birds. You know how much I love that!

The Marc Jacobs Clare glass flowers are by Waterford Crystal. I recently saw them arranged as a lovely wedding cake topper.

The metallic bark candles were recently on clearance at Pottery Barn.

I don't know where the best place is to buy these, but I think the faceted diamond tealight candle holders could be very glamorous table accents or even posh wedding favors.

Glam it up!

Ivory, Champagne and Slate Blue

I love today's palette! It's primarily shades of ivory, and champagne, with light, almost slate blue accents.

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The big bouquet is made up of roses, ranunculus, tweedia and lisianthius. That photo and the lovely ivory colored cake are both by Martha Stewart.

I like the symbolism of the Tree of Life, so I found the pale blue pearl necklace by Glass Goddess Jewelry on Etsy.

The wedding dress below the Tree of Life pendant is called Brier Rose by Kitty Chen.

The shoes were two pairs I'd found before I discovered Endless.com. The champagne silk shoe on top with the flower is called Catania by Versani. The lower pair are champagne silk stiletto sandals by Delman. I love the details on them, they look very glamorous without being too over the top.

The two piece Dupioni silk gowns are by Watters in slate blue with antique, and antique with acorn.

I think the champagne shutter pleat gown by Adrianna Papell (from Nordstrom) could be a unique wedding gown, or a lovely mother of the bride (or groom) gown.

The succulent boutonniere was photographed by Stephanie Williams, of course. I've been referring to her stuff almost as much as Martha Stewart lately!

The ivory and champagne ostrich feather ring pillow is from Weddings and Such on Etsy.

And last, but certainly not least, the dessert buffet details are all by Amy Atlas, an amazing event designer.

This is another versatile palette that I think you could really customize to suit any season.

Wedding Succulents

Okay, I can admit it. I may be a little obsessed with succulents. I’ve always thought they were interesting and attractive landscaping accents, with their firm plump leaves and tricky “I look like a flower, but I’m not quite!” appearance.

When I found this bouquet by Ink and Peat, I was enamored.

The echeveria succulents, combined with unripe blackberries, hypericum berries, and scabiosa pods are such an amazingly earthy balance to the delicate roses and ethereal tufts of feathers and smokebush. I think it’s lovely, and it’s the bouquet I featured in our own wedding inspiration board.

Since then, I’ve started to notice that I’ve actually developed quite a collection of wedding related pictures of succulents. Yesterday I saw some pictures by Stephanie Williams that just about made my head explode. I had to send her a little note of admiration, and she’s given me the thumbs up to share some of her work.

Her gorgeous picture of a raindrop covered succulent was enough to inspire this unorthodox inspiration board. Rather than showcasing a specific color palette, I’m showcasing my love of these strange and versatile plants as wedding flowers and décor.

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Stephanie Williams also took the photos of the boutonnieres with the pearl pins.

The bouquet with orchids on the left, the centerpieces with lavender roses and succulents, and the succulent nest placecards are all from Martha Stewart.

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!

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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!