Garden Fete

This romantic garden party was shot by Jessica Hill and an amazing group of vendors! I was so inspired by the bright pops of color, gorgeous flowers, calligraphy, and simplistic beauty. You can just never go wrong with the pretty, can you?

Special thanks to Jessica for letting me feature her stunning work. Be sure to check out the amazing vendors that I’ll mention throughout the images! What a great team!!!

First up…adore the all greens centerpiece! So fresh!

Treats were by Amber at Le Cookie Monkey!

The invitation suite (including the lovely wine bottle label) is by Megan and Jen of Hi Friend Design!

The styling, design and production is by Dani of Weddings Fresh!

Giveaway winner will be announced at NOON, pst!

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A little weekend treat…

The weather is supposed to warm up a bit this weekend and I think this little dessert photo shoot might offer the perfect recipe for a sunny Sunday brunch! Head on over to Grey Likes Nesting to check out more images and to see the full recipe!

Real Wedding: Amanda and Eric

Amanda and Eric’s wedding was so idyllic and dreamy. The location at the Madison Hotel in Morristown, NJ really takes things to a whole new level. The chandeliers? Excuse me? To die for. And the live band? I heart.

And then of course Elisabeth Millay and Jonathan Young shot the wedding, which means the photos are that much more stunning. I can’t tell you how pleased I am to share this with you.

*Quick DIY note: check out how Amanda incorporated that bright yellow fabric throughout her decor. I can hardly imagine something so modern and fresh is often part of the options for you to choose from at most venues. Consider making your own table runners (much like you see here) in order to incoporate your colors and aesthetic. Runners are SOOO super easy to make and if you get a good deal on fabric, rather affordable. And they make a HUGE impact, as you can see here. Here’s a No Sew Table Runner How To if you’re afraid of the sewing machine.

Modern Dowry: Ceramics

I found Ninainvorm via Thoughtful Day. And I’m so glad I did. Because with plates like these, I could serve burnt casserole and it wouldn’t matter. The plates would make up for it. I mean it…I really do. My boyfriend may not agree, but that’s neither here nor there. He just doesn’t appreciate pretty things like I do.

Please note how Nina uses vintage pieces and reworks them. Excuse me while I wipe the tears from my eyes. Vintage + Modern = Absolute Obsession! Casserole anyone?

Besides the fact that I want these for my house…be it hung on the wall or serving casserole, I also think these pieces could be a great little addition for a wedding. The Yes, Oui and Love collections are all so perfect. Perhaps you could prop these up on display next to your guest book, hang a few amongst a collage of photos, or implement them pretty much any other place where you can possibly justify their use.

Check out Ninainvorm’s Etsy shop to purchase one of these, keep up with her on her blog AND visit her flickr page in case you can’t get enough.

To trend or not to trend?

{Meg Perotti}

There is a quirky little paradox in this wedding world of ours. On one hand, we love to scour the world wide web in search of new ideas and inspiration. BUT, when we see the same ideas circling the blogosphere a few times, it is easy to balk; we get scared away from using some great idea we saw because a few other people already used it and now it’s “too trendy”. This can lead to brides with fabulous intentions to be creative and original, but who are also completely STRESSED!

So a little encouragement (in the case that you need it!) :

Though your aspirations for a magazine worthy wedding are laudable, the important thing is to go with what you love and what inspires you. I think Josie (whose gorgeous wedding to Adam is featured here on Green Wedding Shoes) puts it best:

Before the wedding, I worried that our touches were too trendy, and Adam did a great job of reminding me that, save for a few engaged friends, none of our guests troll wedding blogs all day.

So, to put it plainly: Trend is all relative!

What a comforting thought! With that said, I thought I’d share a few finds for an idea that I STILL love, even though it’s been done. Vintage typewriter = guestbook.

I just love that classic type and the vintage look! Found these goodies by using this search on Etsy.

Pretty Plum Sugar

Lounge wear. Hmmm… First thought: I love that we name our clothing with suggestive activites we ought to consider “optimal” while wearing them. Swim suit. Running shoes. Riding boots. (I must be doing my boots a disservice).

Anyhow, back to lounge wear. Now, I’ll be honest. I’m a lounger. A POWER lounger. I don’t need to read how-to books on de-stressing your life because I’m an expert at relaxation. (Read: lazy).

However adept my lounging skills, it has come to my attention that I lack the proper uniform. I’ve yet to stock up on and adequately don what has apparently been deemed proper attire. Alas, my prowess is amiss! Maybe it is because I’m not yet married. The lounge wear diva must be derived from the sultry wife who is ever-wise in her quest to remain the seductress of her man. And what better way to win over the affections of heart and hand than by the wearing of lounge wear? I’ve added it to my list of must-haves for the “Modern Dowry”.

Here are some lovely little ditties from Plum Pretty Sugar that would be a GREAT start for any gal’s lounging collection.

I Love Our Adventures

My newlywed sister called me a while back asking for inspiration for a blank wall she just couldn’t seem to tackle. We chatted, and did a little surfing and stumbled across this cutie little card from King Popcorn. This baby is HAND EMBROIDERED, which I love. I told her to frame it, and then to add a few other framed pics of her and her new husband’s adventures together: honeymoon, excursions, moving. You name it. A perfect collage.

So, it’s not like you’re gonna do the same thing, but what girl in love can resist a hand embroidered card that says, “I love our adventures”? I know I can’t!

Speaking of embroidered paper… I’d like to introduce you to my newest obsession. Thread+paper! Here are a few more inspirational finds. Eat your heart out!

: : Misty Bliss via Mint : :

: : How-to Valentines from Purl Bee : :  Click on the link for a DIY tutorial on this card…and it’s made with a sewing machine! Quick, easy and painless. (That is if you know your way around one of those confusing contraptions!)

: : Denki Ai : :

And CUSTOM hand embroidered initial notecards from Old Fashioned But Good. Excuse me??? Could these not be the BEST place cards/favors at a bridal shower? Stop the train! And… Doth my eyes deceive me??? Five for $5? This can’t be true!

I think the last time I attempted to cross stitch, I was in 5th grade and my teacher was forcing arts and crafts upon our entire class. Oh the horror! So that experience may not translate into making one of these myself. Neverthless, by your own needle or credit card, I can’t see how you’ll want to miss out on acquiring a pretty treat like these. Whether it is gift wrap, cards or *gasp* place cards, thread can only make it better!

Emerson Made

I am so excited to share with you a most delightful design studio called Emerson Made, which I found via Lily and Co. Proprietor Emerson is an absolute delight. Not only does she hand make each one-of-a-kind piece (which are also hand dyed!!!), she also styles each of her photographs, collages, and artwork. Whew! Her lovely blog is a portfolio/catalogue with just too much good stuff! (I could hardly decide which photos to share with you).

Emerson let me know that this coming Monday, her new online store, Emerson Made, will be open. She has an upcoming line of apparel which will be available at the end of the summer. I’m more than pleased to share with some of my favorite wedding worthy finds.

First off, here are a few lovelies for your big strong man. I adore these ideas for a groom. After the wedding, you can steal his boutonniere for yourself. What a delightful little memory that will come attached!

Second, here are some finds that would work for bridesmaid gifts, or perhaps for corsages for your mother dearest. Not to be redundant, but I really love the versatility of these pieces. They really CAN be used again and again!

Third, look how these lovelies can go from t-shirt to wedding dress. Swoon!

And finally…check out what Emerson Made offers for the table. I know…this may not be realistic for a wedding, but they’d be oh-s0-charming for a bridal shower. If you’re hosting the affair, buy enough for each guest and if you can resist keeping them for yourself, then offer them as favors or give them to the bride as a gift. If you’re a guest for an upcoming shower, I think these would be a rather lovely shower gift! They are custom made and can be printed with the couple’s monogram or the apropos “EAT”.

Destination: Cabo Azul

This is the first time I’ve ever posted about a venue. But I was so bowled over by this place that I just HAD to share it with you. Let me start by saying that it seems with some wedding venues, hosting weddings was an afterthought when it came to designing the space. I’ve even been to a place that forgot to add a bridal room when they built the site, so the bride had to get ready in an office!

All that is to say that it seems Cabo Azul Resort had the bride and groom in mind when they designed much of their space. I know there are thousands and thousands of places to host a destination wedding (if you’re in to that kind of thing) but for some reason, Cabo Azul has captured my imagination (at least for the time being!). The resort is brand new and seems like to ideal spot for a romantic vacation/honeymoon/WEDDING! Anyhow, I’ve spent the entire week staring at these photos, so I thought I’d share some of them with you!

Favors: Chocolate

Meet the Mast Brothers, Rick and Michael, self-proclaimed leaders of the chocolate revolution:

I found the Mast Brothers via Weddingbee PRO and just HAD to find out more. I’ve now spent the morning perusing their delightful blog and wishing I could taste their spectacular chocolate, which is made by hand, bean to bar (and one of only a handful of places in the states that does it this way).

At first, I cared more about the gorgeous wrapping, but as it turns out, the bars of chocolate are so good, they have been known to act as currency. Well, it looks like I may need to make room in the future wedding budget for these tidbits of perfection.