Inspiration Board #6: Southern Romance - Buttercream, Pale Yellow, White, Lace

Every morning when I arrive at work, I walk by a beautiful, black and white photo of Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana. For months I've been thinking about how it would make a lovely backdrop for a wedding and finally pulled together an inspiration board centered around the historic property.

I think some brides get carried away and think a romantic a wedding needs to have lots and lots of expensive details. But romance doesn't need to be complicated. In this board I paired buttercreams and pale yellows with simple but finely-detailed accessories. Notice how the table setting is uncomplicated with plates, linens, chair covers in the same hue and a large flower arrangement of complimenting tones. Also, due to the cake having a lot of lacey detailing, it is best presented in a simple, single-tier. This setting would make for an elegant yet relaxed afternoon wedding. You could make the reception brunch-style, serving fresh orange juice mimosas, chicken-salad cream puff sandwiches, fresh caprese salad and chocolate-covered strawberries. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Also, can I tell you how much I love the Maggie Sottero wedding gown in the two photos from Swensen Photography? It's simply gorgeous!

Sources:

1. Photo of Oak Alley Plantation via The Oak Alley Plantation Website
2. Nina & Shawn's Wedding by Swensen Photography
3. Nina & Shawn's Wedding by Swensen Photography
4. Fragrant White Bouquet by Teenas Creations
5. Cake – Fabulous Gourmet Patisserie
6. Vintage-inspired Necklace by Magical Becomings
7. Chicken Salad Crème Puffs via My Recipes
8. Bridesmaid Dress in Style 2053 by Dessy
9. Cream Table Setting shown on Marquee-Hire
10. Rose and freesia bridal bouquet by Wild Poppies
11. Wedding Ring Photo by Sakura Photography
12. Cream Wedding Favor Bag from Pac-HS (UK)
13. Cream Wedding Invitation (Style #AC4713B) from Indian Wedding

Get Your Best Bridal Gown Body

Most brides are busy. Between work (or school), wedding planning -and- trying to maintain a personal life, when is there time to exercise?!? But since everyone wants to look good on their wedding day (and in that bikini on the honeymoon) getting into shape is not something you should brush aside. Besides it's good for you! There's no better time than now to start getting your arms toned and abs tightened. Not only will you look great, but even doing 20 minutes of exercise a day will give you more energy and help relieve some of the stress caused by bridal planning.

I currently work as a management consultant which means frequent travel, long hours sitting in front of a computer and little-to-no personal time. Basically what I'm trying to tell you is if I can find time to exercise, so can you :) Below are a few videos I like to alternate between. All three can be found on Amazon.com for ~$9-13 each - much cheaper than a gym membership! Two feature Jennifer Galardi, one of my personal favorites since her videos incorporate a lot of dance moves into them. Also, for those of you who think you don't have time to do a video every day, two of these are just for you. Both 10 Minute Solution and Trim and Tone Fast let you personalize your workouts by combining as many or as few short workouts into one. This is a great feature since sometimes we get busy and may only have 10-20 minutes to spare...in other words, these videos don't let you make excuses to skip a day of working out. Also, since these two videos use resistance bands instead of bulky weights, you can easily pack everything in your suitcase if you're traveling somewhere. Simply run the video off your laptop and get into shape in your hotel room (can you tell I've done this before?).

From Left to Right:

• Dance off the Inches - Hip Hop Party on Amazon
• 10 Minute Solution - Dance it Off & Tone it Up! on Amazon
• Self - Trim and Tone Fast! on Amazon

Gifts for the Bride: Take 1 - Non-Traditional Bachelorette Party Gift

If you're my age (yes, I'll admit I'm 30), you've probably been to your share of bachelorette parties. And everyone knows the bride recieves plenty of lovely lingerie at these events. But if the bride is having a pretty large party (so you know she'll be getting plenty of lacey numbers), and you know she's visiting the beach on her honeymoon, it might be fun for a couple of friends to put together a beach-styled gift. You could throw together some items like a white bikini, flirty cover up, floppy hat, flip flops, trendy beach bag, and an elegant beach towel. In other words, you're helping her be a sexy, stylish bride outside of the bedroom too :)

From Top (L-R):

1. White Bikini from J Crew
2. Ruffle Cover Up Dress from Victoria's Secret
3. Velor Block Print Beach Towel from Lands End
4. Beach Hat from Luxury Divas
5. Retro in White Flip Flops from Havaianas USA
6. Lacoste Summer Terry Cloth Bag from Zappos

Inspiration Board #5: Spring Fling - Melon, Peach, Yellow, Orange

I was driving back from the Detroit airport today and noticed massive clumpings of daffodils in full bloom off of I-94. I decided to use these lovely signs of spring as inspiration to create a lively, bright theme perfect for this time of year. Warm and inviting colors with a few narcissus thrown in = a sassy mix of class and comfort.

1. Dahlia Gown by Simple Silhouettes
2. 320 Park Avenue in New York via EMRG Media
3. Striped Neck Tie from Ties-Necktie.com
4. Boutonniere from Wedding Flowers Guide
5. Cool Passport Invitations found on Ars Lounge
6. LulaKate Bridal Bridesmaid Dresses via Lucky in Love Wedding Blog
7. Bouquet shown on Australia Entertains
8. Serrano Ham and Melon photos from The Flirty Guide
9. Raspberry Lemon Pie from Thimbelanna
10. Ticket from Amemptos Music (UK)
11. Flower Hair Combs shown on Martha Stewart Weddings via Bridal Wave
    

Inspiration Board #4: Vintage Wedding at the Pinnacle Golf Club; Brown, Cream, Bronze

Meghan and Justin have pretty much decided on the elegant Pinnacle Golf Club in Grove City, OH for the location of their wedding and reception (I'll blog about Pinnacle later). Since they now know the place and the theme, I decided to take an initial stab at creating a vintage-inspired board customized for the location.

Some of my favorite ideas in this board include the necklaces in Jim Hjelm's bridesmaid dress photos(they completely make the outfit and have that vintage-elegance Meghan is seeking), using monograms on napkins, parasols, etc (that along with her lace bridal gown = classic, timeless elegance), and accessorizing the decor with vintage items such as necklaces and keys.

BTW...I'll blog later about an idea I have for a super unique entrance "tree" that combines seating locations and favors all in one (hint - it involves buying up some vintage jewelry lots on eBay).

1. Clubhouse @ the Pinnacle Golf Club– Red Gallery Photography via The Caspersons's Wedding Page (no longer exists?)
2. Wedding arch at the Pinnacle Golf Club
3. Men’s Suit – Jims via Wedding by Color
4. Cameo Lot found on eBay
5. Vintage Car via Long Stowe Hall (UK)
6. Monogrammed Parasol via Australia Entertains
7. Cake via the Cake Channel
8. Faux Vintage Polaroid by Crazy Leaf Design (Tutorial)
9. Typewriter Guest Book from Wedding Bee
10. Peach Bouquet from Vintage Design Company
11. Vintage Keys found on eBay
12. Vintage Photo - Unknown
13. Chandeliers from Pinnacle Golf Club
14. Jim Hjelm Occasions Dress in Style: jh5716
15. Paper Fan via All You Need to Wear
16. Jim Hjelm Bridesmaid Dress in Style: jh5736
17. Jim Hjelm Bridesmaid Dress in Style: jh5708
18. Bouquet - Photo by Rare Image Photography via Flickr
19. Cream Wire Lantern from Global Event Supplies
20. Faux Vintage Postcard by Red Leaf Studios
21. Vintage Bridal Shoes via The Bridal Wishlist Blog
22. Ring Pillow by Paper Hill (sold on Etsy) via Pink Streed Design Blog
23. Table filled with candles photo by Jennifer Dery – Wedding at the Four Seasons
24. Tree Centerpieces - Unknown
25. Monogrammed Napkins via Escape Concepts

(If you recognize a photo on here and know the source, drop me a note - I want to give credit where credit's due!)

Save the Dates

Meghan and Justin have decided on a vintage theme for their wedding. With that in mind, Meghan and I were trying to brainstorm ideas for Save the Date cards. I thought vintage-style postcards might be fun (besides allowing them to save a little bit of money on postage) and started playing with some potential designs. Here is a sample of what I came up with. My favorite touch is the custom postmarks that have each of their last names, their birthdays and town in which they grew up. And obviously the photo would be their TBD engagement pics - they're thinking some might be cute with Justin's vintage pickup truck - which would definitely compliment their chosen theme.

Going Dress Shopping

Meghan came into town a couple of weekends ago so I could take her on her first dress hunting trip. We ended up visiting three bridal shops in the Detroit area - which was just the right amount...I think any more stops and we really would have been sick of wedding dresses :) Our favorite place was the second shop we visited - I Do Too Bridal in Plymouth. Not only were the sales attendants super helpful and friendly, the shop layout made it comfortable to try on dresses (even with multiple brides in the store at one time). Additionally no appointments are necessary and their prices are very reasonable. When we first arrived, we picked out a few dresses for Meghan to try on and once our sales person learned which styles she tended to like, they brought out more. The dress that is in the lead for her right now is a Maggie Sottero gown called Shirley (below) in a color called "light gold." It was a dress we probably wouldn't have every pulled off the rack due to the color. But once she tried it on we were sold...simple, lacey, elegant, just enough of a train, and light enough to be appropriate for an outdoor wedding. Since this dress is in the lead she's now thinking of a vintage-inspired theme for the wedding. I'm getting excited and can't wait to brainstorm some inspiration boards for her!

Before going to shop for a gown, it's good to do a little bit of pre-work. First, know what types of dresses and design cues compliment your body shape. Nordstrom actually has some good tips on their Dress Shop Fit Guide that not only helps you identify your body shape, but tells you what types of dresses will compliment you. I discovered my shape is called a pear, which means "Fuller at the hips and bottom and smaller on top. Dresses with fitted, open-neck or strapless tops enhance your upper body and draw the eye up, while full or A-line skirts help hide wider hips. Darker colors camouflage your lower half."

Second, it helps to look at dress sites online and pick out styles you like. Keep in mind how you think the shape will fit your body. For example, if you're larger, you probably don't want a poofy, oversized ball gown as it will make you look even bigger, but you will want something that flares a little and isn't clingy. Finally, before visiting shops, do some research. Find out what other brides have said about their experiences there and try to avoid stuffy shops that have ridiculous policies like not letting you take photos of the bride-to-be in the gowns. (We followed a strategy to take a picture of the tag on the dress and then of the dress from multiple angles once Meghan tried it on. This helped us remember which gowns we liked the best when we got home).