Style Me Pretty

Real Wedding Inspirations

I am so excited about today's post...not only do we get to see one of the prettiest real weddings I've ever seen, we also get to see the inspiration behind the whole event. The wedding was a collective effort between two of our Little Black Book members, the oh-so-fab Rebecca Stone of Duet Weddings and the amazingly talented Leigh Miller of Leigh Miller Photography.

From Rebecca...

I met the couple, Sarah and Mike and was instantly drawn to them. They were so full of life, so completely in love and had such an amazing energy to them. Their wedding was held in a beautiful wild garden setting, with dinner inside the old barn on the property. We took several trips to the site together and walked through at different points in the day- I always like to soak in the feelings of the day, see the way the light reflects, etc. I fell in love with the location right away - the vegetable patches and pockets of wild flowers, the bees and hummingbirds, the barn in all of its cob-webby glory- it was this perfect mish mosh of unrefined, organic elegance with a vintage rustic flair. This was the palette for the look and feel of the day and Sarah and Mike were the medium.

With this in mind, Rebecca created four different inspiration boards for the events. Here is the pre-ceremony inspiration board (click to make larger)...

The ceremony inspiration board (click to make larger)...

The cocktail hour inspiration board...

And finally, the reception inspiration board...

Stay tuned to see how Rebecca transformed these inspiration boards into a warm and inviting, and yet incredibly chic real wedding!

Inspiration Boards by Belathee Photography

So sorry for yesterday's technical problems! I wanted to finish up the inspiration boards that I was going to post, so we'll get straight to it! The sweet girls at Belathee Photography recently sent me these two GORGEOUS inspiration boards that I have been dying to share with you...

It's a collection of images from recent weddings that have photographed and fallen in love with along the way. This next one, also by Belathee is all about fashion. Incredibly fabulous fashion details...

Thank you so much to Belathee for sending these GORGEOUS boards! As for the rest of the day, we are doing kind of a hodge podge of posts...we are featuring an oh-so-chic real wedding, then we are announcing the winners of our Four Seasons Film contest and our Whitney English Contest! Stay tuned!!

Reader Inspiration Boards

Our next board was designed by Julia who is having an intimate, late August wedding...

(click to make larger)

From Julia...

Our theme is garden elegance- we're getting married in the garden of a historic mansion (Cedarhurst in Cottage Grove, MN) and having the reception in their beautifully restored ballroom. This really inspired us to go for a classic, vintage feel, but also keep it simple and cool. We wanted a rich and elegant palette, but with light summer influence as well. We want a base of brown and champagne with sky blue and sage green accents.

More to come!

Reader Inspiration Boards

I thought we could kick off the week with a BIG handful of reader inspiration boards. I have 5 or so that I know you guys are going to love, the first being this AMAZING blue inspired board...

Row1 {MS Weddings; The Cake Girls; Brides} / Row2 {Ann Wood; Lisa Lefkowitz; MS Weddings} / Row3 {Brides; CECI New York; The Knot}

The board was designed by Darci from With This Ring blog for a friend of a friend...I am sorry, but how stinking cute is this!? I am usually not a huge fan of this shade of blue and yet when you see the total saturation of blues, with the gorgeous hydrangeas and the navy and stark white accents...LOVE IT. Check out Darci's blog for more great wedding inspirations!

Reader Inspiration Boards

This next board was designed by Yvette, a history buff, who looooves Marie Antoinette. Yvette is having her reception at The Westgate Hotel in a Versailles themed affair (they have a Versailles Ballroom for brides just like Yvette), complete with a Venetian hour, a chocolate fountain, a candy bar and plenty of champagne. Her style is Opulent Decadence...

So pretty! I would love to see how this all turns out as I too, LOVE the Marie Antoinette style...the movie itself was a designer's dream. The colors, the textures, the complete unabashed luxury. Loved it all.

Reader Inspiration Boards

Both of our next boards were designed by Kat, one for her own wedding and one for her oh-so-lucky friend. Kat is getting married in Amelia Island, Florida and although she is a pink girl all the way, she wants a wedding that isn't baby pink nor hot pink...rather a dusty rose with plum and silver accents. She is going for a fun, Spring-like wedding with modern flair...

She designed this next board for her friend's deep red and silver inspired affair...

ABSOLUTELY gorgeous!

Reader Inspiration Boards

Our next reader inspiration board comes from Lisa who is having a ballroom wedding at the same perfect spot that I had my wedding reception...the Parker House in Boston, Massachusetts!

So pretty! Lisa does have a quick question for you guys though...

I’m in love with the “cement” color that Jenny Yoo sells in shangtung.  I always saw my maids in a champagne/gold-y color, and “cement” fits perfectly with my imagined color scheme (I’ve attached my inspiration board – also the cover of my wedding binder! – so you can see what I mean).  The thing is…am I going to have 9 pissy bridesmaids if I make them wear this?  My mom is convinced that it’s “blah” and that it will wash people out, but I think it’s elegant and really don’t want to go with a color for my evening wedding in the city.  And the model who's wearing the dress is blonde with light skin and she looks gorgeous in it, so I have to disagree about the "washing out" part.  Can you let me know what you think?

Reader Inspiration Boards

Today is all about reader inspiration boards! I love these days because it gives me a chance to see what brides are really loving out there. And, how completely different ideas and inspirations can come together in absolutely beautiful ways.

Our first board was sent to me by Jennifer, who is getting married in Del Mar, California in a laid back, semi-casual affair. Using the beach and ocean as her inspiration and backdrop, Jennifer wanted to combine both her style and her fiance's...the end result will be a blue and brown themed wedding, with the ceremony on the grass in a park overlooking the ocean, and the reception on the beach. This wedding is all about understated elegance...

The next board was designed by Bridget who was inspired by the Steven Holl chapel at Seattle University...

Bridget has recently started her own blog, featuring her wedding planning journey. It's a cute read filled with gorgeous pictures and ideas, so definitely check it out when you have some time. I have more inspiration boards coming throughout the day!

Reader Inspiration Board

Our next reader, Cara,  approached her inspiration board really creatively...she broke it down into three distinct boards. The first one captures her overall style and vision, the second is the indoor portion of her venue and the third is the outside portion. In doing this, she keeps her style ideascohesive and streamlined.

Cara and her fiance are getting married in August and they are having a sweet, summer wedding in a Scottish country garden. Here is her style board...

Her indoor reception venue space...

And finally, the stunning outdoor scenery at Cara's reception venue...

Here are some details from Cara...

We tried so hard to find somewhere outdoors where we could have a relaxed ceremony and meal and eventually we found what we were looking for in Fingask Castle – a small 13th century castle set in 300 acres of gardens and woodlands, with Alice in Wonderland topiary and hidden secret gardens where the plants grow wild and the oak trees are hundreds of years old.   

The castle is a family home and small children and friendly dogs have the run of the house and the gardens. The ceremony will be held on the lawns, overlooking the Scottish countryside and will be followed with drinks and strawberries among the topiary.   

We will eat in the castle courtyard (second row on the left) where we will lay three banqueting tables for our 50 guests and a third will be laden with food made by our families.  The groom’s father will man a barbeque of local fish and vegetables and we will serve wine made a mile from the castle with Scottish fruits and leaves and beer from a local brewery.  We are trying to stay as eco-friendly as possible by using local produce and recycled paper for all of our (diy) stationary.

We’re on a fairly small budget (about £3500) but I hope it will look handmade, rather than homemade!  The venue is so beautiful that I hope it won’t need too much decorating.  We’re focusing on small details rather than big arrangements – enamel jugs and jams jars of wild looking flowers, beautiful cupcakes on vintage glass cake stands, handmade soy candles in recycled glass jars.   

The interior of the castle is quirky and beautiful and we will be using the drawing room and library as the evening draws in.  We won’t be decorating the inside beyond a few jugs of flowers as we love the character that it has all by itself.

The images in our inspiration board are as follows -

1. Pink shoes (by Carvela), blue jug from The Knot, outdoor ceremony from Snippet and Ink, programs from Snippet and Ink.
2. Our venue, images from Sadie Olive, glass cake stands from ebay, ikea and Laura Ashley
3. Our save the date cards, image from The Knot, image by Jose Villa
4. Table from The knot, silk ribbons for our place settings, homemade soya candles, our venue
5. All of the images of our venue are by Lillian and Leonard Wedding Photography (a business my fiancé and I are trying to get going at the same time as planning the wedding, eek!) 

Reader Inspiration Boards

This next board was designed by Pamela who was inspired by the beauty of the nautilus shell. She is going for simple natural elegance using a  white, ivory, and charcoal palette...

Reader Inspiration Boards

I thought it was time to feature some of our reader inspiration boards...it's been far too long! Our first board was designed by Sarah, who is getting married in Mexico next Spring...

From Sarah...

My fiancé, Jivan, and I live in San Francisco but grew up together in a small alternative life style community in the middle of Iowa. We fell in Love in India and got engaged in Mozambique. Jivan is African American and Christian, I am Jewish and white. We are planning to get married on the beach in Mexico and then honeymoon on the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal. We are thinking to hold the wedding in April or May (09) at a private villa or small boutique hotel on the Mexican Riviera but we haven't found the perfect venue (yet).

Although we are getting married in Mexico we really want to avoid having a Mexico theme party or a beach theme party-- no seashell décor or wedding flags. It's really important to us that our wedding be filled with unique personalized details that make our guests feel relaxed, at ease, and cared-for. I hope that this will be an opportunity for all our close friends and family, from all over the world, to go on vacation together.

I would like the wedding itself to be bohemian in feel with elements from the many different cultures we bring together woven in. I want the décor to be warm, fun, light, and vibrant. I just hope I can figure out a way to make it feel cohesive instead of disorganized. We are also on a tight budget so we are grateful for all the creative DIY ideas on your blog!

Reader Inspiration Boards

I'm actually traveling back to Boston today, after a great vacation with my family. But, I wanted to leave you with a reader inspiration board that is sure to get the creativity (and the motivation) flowing!

This gorgeous board is designed by Rebecca who is looking to create a magazine-worthy wedding for "waaaay under $10,000!" Here is the inspiration...

Here are some of Rebecca's ideas for keeping the cost down...

1. I found a wonderful private 30 acre vacation rental in the high sierras with a log cabin and a lake as our venue. It's breathtakingly beautiful, rustic, and private. And much, much cheaper than hiring a formal venue!

2. I will be doing all the flowers myself. I'm even growing most of them myself as I am fortunate to have a large, fertile garden and a green thumb. They will be a mix of burgandy/mauve, peach, gold and green dahlias, callas and roses. I will use all sizes of mason jars as vessels/candle holders, as well as flax wrapped around plastic containers as vases for the centerpieces, and will cover candle shades with flowers to create cool mood lighting. I like the idea of using feathers to add to the nature meets luxury theme

3. I will prepare all the food ahead of time. Again I will be growing most of the produce, e.g., wonderful heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil and shallots for the salad, purple and gold potatoes, purple tipped asparagus which fortunately grows for a long season in my west coast yard. I will marinade all the meats ahead of time, rent a giant barbeque, and pay a few local cooking school students to man the barbeque and act as wait staff. Because of the huge saving here I can afford to splurge on luxury items such as lobster, oysters, caviar, filet, etc.

4. Being a graphic designer, I'm creating all the paper goods myself. I've already created a retro "wish you were here? . . . we do!"
postcard of the lake at the venue as a save the date. I even super-imposed a picture of my beau and I in a row boat onto the card and then used a watercolor filter to make it look like a painting

5. I'm the lead singer in a band! So my band mates will provide cool laid back mood music throughout the event. And I've penned a song as an ode to my husband-to-be that I will perform during the event - my own version of a speech!

6. I got my beautiful, very expensive looking dress custom made by a place in Thailand that I found on Ebay. Cost about $200

7. I also bought the 20x60' tent on Ebay, much cheaper than renting, and will just resell it afterwards. I will however rent the chairs and tables unless I can find a real deal and do the same as I did with the tent!!

8. I'm accumulating all the linens/tablewares from places like DeeDees Discounts and Ross - going for eclectic luxe meets shabby chic!

I honestly think that Rebecca might be one of the most resourceful people I have ever met! I can't wait to how all of her ideas translate! Definitely keep us posted, Rebecca!

Reader Inspiration Boards

Now that we have literally TONS of inspiration boards on our site (yay), I am dying to see how some of these boards translated into real weddings. If you think that your wedding translated beautifully from your board, or if you think that your board might have missed the mark a bit, we'd love to hear about it! Just shoot me an email at abby@stylemepretty.com

We have one last board for you today. This one, designed by Maia who will be married this October...

I love the color palette on this board...the pale teal paired with the yellow/green hue...gorgeous! Thanks to all of our creative brides out there who have shared their inspiration boards with us today!

Reader Inspiration Boards

This next reader designed board comes from Christine, who is having a Summer wedding in Alberta, Canada...

From Christine...

My fiance and I are getting married June 7 in our hometown in Alberta, Canada at an old school that has been converted into a museum (see pic mid right).  We really wanted to create an atmosphere that was unique, fun and inspiring with lots of surprises.  We've been to A LOT of cookie cutter weddings and definitely wanted something different.  We're using a palette of black and white (lots of damask), lush green/ivory florals with punches of red. Sometimes describing your wedding in words is tough, so I'll let the images do most of the work.  But if I were to describe it briefly I'd say its full of oxymoron's.. modern/vintage, fun/elegant with just a touch of whimsy!

Reader Inspiration Boards

Since we have been celebrating the incredible creativity and talents of our readers through Ameleah's real wedding, I thought it was appropriate to feature some of your latest inspiration boards!

The first was designed by Hailey, who is having her wedding at the peak of Fall foliage season this September in upstate New York...

From Hailey...

The reception will be in a large pavilion overlooking the beautiful Adirondack Mountains.  I am so excited for the way my inspiration board came out...its a perfect mix of simple and elegant.  I'm a Libra so I'm a romantic at heart and I want to incorporate lots of candles and lanterns to give my reception the perfect ambiance.  I would like to incorporate lots of golds, caramels and mochas into the color scheme.  The bridesmaids will be wearing an "iridescent almond" color dress by Ann Taylor Celebrations and I want them to carry bouquets of deep reds and grape leaves.  My dress is a beautiful Romona Keveza design with a simple detail of "kiss pleats" around the top and the bottom.  All of the pictures are a compilation of websites including The Knot, Brides and Martha Stewart Weddings.

More inspiration boards to come!

Reader Inspiration Boards

Here are a few more reader inspiration boards for you to enjoy. The first one was designed by Mehan who is combining their American roots with Indian and Pakistani cultures, while also incorporating both Muslim and Hindu ceremonies. The reception will feature a peacock theme with blue and purple hues...

The second board was designed by Marissa who is having a purple inspired Fourth of July wedding...

Thank you to all of our oh-so-talented readers for sharing these inspiration boards with us! I am continually impressed by the creativity and imagination of our brides!

Reader Inspiration Boards

This next inspiration board was designed by Sierra, who is getting married this June in a fun, casual...but still traditional affair. Her colors are dark navy and a pale green...

Kristin is having a green and deep red inspired wedding at her family's bed and breakfast. If she were to put it into words, Kristin would say this..."you wake up in your japanese style open loft, go down stairs jump on your vintage scooter which magically transports you to a prairie field where you have a picnic with fresh fruit, cheese and wine with your best friend who gives you a big hug. Cozy organic vintage?"

And Lindsey is getting married next August in Cannon Beach, OR...

We have a few more to come, so stay tuned!!

Reader Inspiration Boards

Our next board has been designed by Erin, who is getting married this upcoming August at a traditional Irish Restaurant. She wants to avoid a cliché Irish themed wedding of Kelly green and four-leaf clovers. Instead, she pulled inspiration from her experiences traveling through Ireland: fine linens, precious crystal. a blend of new and old, a quaint sophistication… and most of all, a warm, welcoming environment...

Julina designed this next board...she is going for classy but cozy, with a lot of warm autumn colors...

The next board, designed for Christina's upcoming August wedding, was inspired by the European garden where she will have her ceremony. The reception will take place in an opera studio rehearsal space in downtown Wilmington...a stunning contrast the the opulence of the garden...

More to come!!

Reader Inspiration Boards

Today we are doing reader inspiration boards! I love the days that we feature your own work...it is forever inspiring me to keep dreaming up new ways to approach wedding style. Our first board was done by Erin, who created this board for her own maid of honor, Catherine. Catherine is looking to have a traditional wedding at home on her family's farm...

So pretty! Erin has a cute wedding blog as well that you guys should check out. Our second board was done by Bridget who is getting married in New Zealand this July...which is actually their mid-Winter.The wedding will be built upon these three words...Simple, Elegant and Personal. Bridget felt that once she and her fiance settled on these words, the rest has been rather easy...

Here are a few notes on Bridget's Board...

1) JCrew bridesmaid dress. I am having only one bridesmaid, my best friend for 24 years, and I want her to have an elegant stylish dress that she will wear for years to come. Nothing too bridesmaid-y!
2) This is a picture of our actual wedding venue, Fables Antique and Rug Gallery, in New Zealand. The beauty of this venue is that it requires almost no decoration.
3) I am having a tulip bouquet, not only because they are my favourite flower, but to honour my future mother-in-law who is from the Netherlands.
4 and 10) Tea-light candles, candelabras and fairy lights will be our primary decorations. The venue is so beautiful that little else is needed, and the lighting provided by the candles will enhance our evening ceremony.
5) Our actual invitations, from The Write Image. The ivory paper is gorgeous and thick, and the text will be in chocolate brown.
6) I based the neck-line of my dress on this image I found trawling the web. My dress designer is Jane Rhodes, a well-know New Zealand designer.
7) The monogram, designed by hand by my fiance Jason, will feature on our invitations, cake, and will be embroidered on the underside of the groom and best man's ties.
8) I envisage my curly hair loosely pinned up in an elegant but not too formal style.
9) Pearls will be another feature of the day, putting in appearances in my jewellery and that of my maid of honour, and in the decorations.
11) My dress will feature a latte coloured sash around the waist, leading to a single box-pleat at the back of my dress.

So many more boards to come!!

Real Wedding Inspiration Board, III

One last Luke Walker Inspiration Board for you to enjoy!

Real Wedding Inspiration Board, II

Luke has created a couple more Real Wedding boards for us to devour. I love the simple elegance of this board...

What a pretty wedding. The simple pink florals against the black attire really makes a statement...classic, with a twist. Thank you so much, Luke for sharing these with us!

Real Wedding Inspiration Board

Pantone, the color system for all designers, just announced that their prediction for the HOT new color for 2008 is....Blue Iris. Here is the hue that Pantone believes will be all the rage this year...

If there was any doubt in my mind that this hue of blue would be amazing in a wedding, when I saw Luke Walker's Real Wedding Inspiration Board, I was completely sold...

Isn't this board just beautiful. I loooove the blue glass bottles and the perfect little favors.I am so impressed with this bride for designing a wedding centered around a color that you don't see all that often. It's absolutely gorgeous. And, if you are in need of more inspiration, check out Luke's stunning photography site.

Reader Inspiration Board

Amidst all of this creativity, sometimes it's nice to see a really elegant, traditional style. That is why I've chosen Cami's board to feature on today's post!

This board is just so sweetly elegant. It's feminine, it's romantic, it's classic. Thank so much to ALL of the readers that put together inspiration boards for us to see. They are all absolutely beautiful and remind us that perfect weddings come in all sorts of perfect sizes and style.

Reader Inspiration Boards

Okay, this inspiration board, designed by reader Erica is SO unique and completely shows the fun personality of the bride and groom...

From Erica...

I've loved exploring your site, and getting inspired - I've found so many great ideas and palates here that I wish I could have five totally different weddings! But having had to settle on one with my fiance has been fun too, and this is our early-stage planning inspiration board. The details of where to find the products in our inspiration board, can be found here.

When we began planning we knew only that we wanted to stay in the Boston area (where we met, and I'm from) and wanted to keep it low budget, fun and casual while reflecting my love for 50s style and literature, and his for campy pop-culture. One day at the Institute for Contemporary Art we came across a box of postcards of pulp novel covers, and immediately thought they would make great RSVP cards. That set us off on a 'pulp' theme, which we're planning on incorporating through several projects (illustrated save-the-dates in the pulp-style courtesy of a graphic designer friend of mine, hand-made pulp novel purses as female attendant gifts, typewriter key cufflinks for the male attendants, and if we can manage it pulp cover poster-sized prints on fabric to hang on the walls).

Picking the colors was surprisingly easy, red has always been my favorite color and when we met I had cherry-red hair. Purple and orange seemed natural compliments to the red (that will either be my dress or my hair for the day) without being too typically fall-toned. I've always loved the simplicity of tulips, and didn't want to have a lot of cut flowers, so just a few stems for the wedding party, and then candle and branch centerpieces seems like the solution. And of course, red velvet cake. Or, cupcakes as I think it will be, since I'm planning on baking them myself. And I found this beautiful cranberry-chocolate cake which, when made with red-velvet cake and chocolate frosting, will be absolutely perfect I think. 

o something unified came together seemingly out of nowhere, especially with my literariness and his cheesy fun combining perfectly in the pulp covers. We'll see how things progress as the date approaches (Sept 27th, 2008), but so far I'm feeling incredibly excited about how everything is fitting together.

Reader Inspiration Boards

One of my favorite bloggers, Anne of Perfect Bound, has created the most beautiful inspiration board that I just had to share with all of you!

From Anne...

My own wedding is 34 weeks away and I am still struggling to pick a color palette. I think I'm suffering from inspiration overload. Each time I see a new wedding photographed (or posted on Style Me Pretty), I change directions all over again.

 

My latest love is burgundy and gray. I think it's just edgy enough to set the tone for the sophisticated yet playful wedding we have in mind. Classic is also key. Our venue is draped in a magnificent warm gold palette, which I'm hoping will respond well to the items I've picked here. I've yet to pick bridesmaids dresses, flowers, table centerpieces, invitations- everything. It's all on hold until we pick some color!!

Anne...it looks like you've found your PERFECT palette!

Reader Inspiration Boards

I love the days that we feature reader inspiration boards..they remind me of how incredibly creative and smart all of your ideas are and  how vastly different all of your many loves can be. Today's first readers inspiration board was designed by Brooke who is going for a Rustic, Chic Wedding...

 

from top left to right -Location: Ten Mile Station, Breckenridge, Colorado, Boutonnieres from theknot.com, Bridal Bouquet from theknot.com, Cake by Lovin Sullivan Cakes, Wedding Dress by Casablanca Bridal, Sign by IN Photography, Tablescapes by theknot.comMicheal Miller Dandy Damask Spa, Bridesmaids by  Ann Taylor Celebrations, Shoes: Shoegasm, New York City,  Invitation: theknot.com 

About the Inspiration Board  (from Brooke)...

Growing-up in Montana, I always knew I was going to get married in the mountains. As a couple, Chris and I are children at heart, extremely practical, and down to earth. We live in Denver, but love to go to the mountains on the weekends. I love the rustic, natural beauty of the mountains, but living all over the world has transformed me into an urbanite. My big question was how to combine the natural beauty with urban elegance.

We found this amazing location for our wedding in Breckenridge, Colorado called Ten Mile Station. Situated on the ski hill, it has a panoramic view of the Ten Mile Mountain Range for not only our ceremony but reception as well. I can't think of a more romantic place to share with friends and families the deep love that Chris and I share. I choose teal and brown as my main colors, but want red and orange flowers -- not only for the fall foliage that will be coloring the landscape during our September wedding, but because red is Chris' favorite color. We chose" Songbird" by Eva Cassidy for our first dance, so I decided to carry the theme even further by incorporating the love bird silhouette into the cake and invitations. I love the urban feeling of the damask pattern, which I will be making into table runners. With the combination of the damask pattern and the location/flowers, I hope to achieve the perfect balance of natural beauty and urban elegance that I envisioned. Overall, I want us to look back years from now and remember how much the wedding was an expression of our love.

Reader Inspiration Board

I thought that this inspiration board was so incredibly chic...

This particular reader is having a summer wedding in Los Angeles- she's hoping for a retro-hip-clean look (a modern 1960's mod glam). 

The ceremony and reception are at the Skirball Cultural Center, which is a group of massive geometric concrete buildings within the Santa Monica mountains amongst a botanical garden. IAccording the the bride, "It's a pretty awesome juxtasposition between contemporary urban and rustic rural."

I love, love, love the yellow touches paired with the black, infused with prints that really bring out the modern look of this board. Great job!

Reader Inspiration Board

Another reader designed Inspiration Board for you to feast your eyes upon...

This board was designed by one of my favorite readers, Jillian, for her  black-tie, nautical-themed cocktail reception. The center picture is of her reception site located in Ipswich, Massachusetts over looking Cranes Beach. So lovely!

I am working on getting the sources for you, but definitely feel free to leave a comment if you are curious about a particular image. Also, we have a couple more boards for you to enjoy later today!

Reader Inspiration Board

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Today, I wanted to share with you guys some reader designed inspiration boards that I've received over the last few weeks.

This first one , designed by Lara over at ready2spark, is absolutely gorgeous. So chic, so contemporary and yet completely elegant...

(from left to right) Row 1: Mist Chair by Rodrigo Torres via Design Milk Hot potato, cold potato by Alinea Restaurant Image via flickr (Otis Admissions) Row 2: Legends by Romona Kaveza wedding dress Zebra rug pattern - source unknown Object by Krislyn Design Row 3: Blackberry by Alinea Restaurant Valentino peep-toe pump via Bergdorf Goodman - $695.00 Wedding cake by April Reed via Style Me Pretty Row 4: Zebra wedding band by Payne Anthony Placemat and napkin ring by Decorative Instincts via Etsy Black exotic leather clutch by Valentino via Bergdorf Goodman - $1,295.00

I love the infusion of the Zebra print. In my opinion, a splash of zebra makes everything look fresher and more modern. I would love to see this board translated into a real wedding.

Lara also designed this gorgeous board, inspired by vintage decadence and luxury...

see ready2spark for tips on where to find these gorgeous products!

I love that so many other designers and bloggers are now working on Inspiration Boards. I have always been a firm believer that whether you are decorating a room in your home, or designing a perfect wedding, Inspiration Boards are really the only way to find focus in your many loves, to hone your creative instincts and to give you a clear picture of the look you are going for.

Stay tuned for more reader inspiration boards throughout the day! 

Wedding Inspiration Board

I thought that this inspiration board, created by one of our readers, was absolutely gorgeous...so "right now" but in that classic, forever beautiful kind of way...

I love the infusion of crystal into this palette. It makes the entire look sparkle. I would encourage the bride to find little ways to sneak in a bit of glitz. Since the greys and the yellows are generally kind of a matte look, the addition of crystal will turn a seemingly modern affair into a really special evening.

Wedding Inspiration Boards

I wanted to share two more boards with you that I thought were really lovely...

The first is a pink and aqua inspired color board...SUCH a vibrant palette! The bride is going for a low-stress, high-fun posh picnic in her parents backyard...

The second, is the real wedding of one of our readers...unabashed elegance, with a palette of of deep purple...

Thank you so much ladies for sharing your vision with us!

Reader Inspiration Board

Before we begin today's post, I wanted to let you know that Casey Cunningham Photography (yesterday's featured photographer), along with 25 other photographers, will be featuring their work at the Charlotte Convention Center this Sunday, from 12-5PM. This expo sounds like it is going to have some solid talent, so I definitely recommend checking it out if you are in the area.

I thought that I would spend the day featuring some of the new inspiration boards that readers have sent me...they are so beautiful, it's kind of selfish to keep them all to myself!

This first one is a Kiwi Green Inspired Board, created by a bride who is having a private ceremony at San Francisco City Hall, with a reception the next evening at Manka' Boathouse in Inverness, CA...

Top Row: Green Flowers, San Francisco City Hall (Jennifer Skog), Stationary Suite (Wedding Paper Divas & DIY)

Middle row: Manka's Boathouse - Exterior, Green Orchid Centerpiece (Krislyn Design), Manka's Boathouse - Interior

Bottom Row: Save the Date (Wedding Paper Divas), Candle Arrangement (Simply Blooms), Crystal Sandals (Stuart Weitzman), Wedding Cake (Vanilla Bake Shop), Invitation Envelopes (DIY)

Stay tuned! More to come later today!

An Inspired Affair...

It has been a couple of weeks since we've done a feature on our Inspired Affair series. And, since this inspiration board featuring photographs by Lisa Leigh, is one of my favorites within the Abby Jean album, I thought it was about time I shared it with you!

For those of you that aren't familiar with the Inspired Affair series...here's the rundown. The new Abby Jean albums are out in stores and now feature 12 different inspiration boards, each one inspiring a unique invitation suite. Check back in a little while to see what invitation suite this board inspired!

PS - I am also updating previous boards within the series to make sure you can see the invitation that it coordinates with!

A Wedding Built for Two

I love the board that reader Alissa has put together...somehow making Gray, White and Black seem so chic and elegant. I love that she has taken a rather understated palette and given it a sparkle that I might not usually be able to envision...

From Alissa...

Over the past two and a half years, I have lost both of my parents. As a 25 year old, and the oldest of three kids with a giant extended family, it's just been an unbelievable time, it still doesn't always seem real. But each day you get yourself up and face the music. Through that time I had a best friend, and then a boyfriend and then a fiance that held my hand and was there for me, and now I get to marry him:-) I am especially excited for a celebration. To get all of my family together in a room for a happy occasion. I can't wait. So some aspects of my board are things we are doing in memory of my parents, and I am just so excited for the meaning we are putting behind things.

Our color scheme is black, ivory and gray gray gray! We love classic - our space is from the 1920s, with chandeliers, warm woodwork and stained glass. We've got black bowties and silver candelabras. I don't know if it's necessarily vintage, rather classic in it's own way.

I think one of the most meaningful things will be our altar (drawing in my board). Our venue is not a church and we wanted to create an 'altar' to be married in front of. Our florist suggested using trees in memory of my parents (they owned a tree farm and loved the outdoors). We are doing two 6'-7' flowering trees on either side of our altar with votive candles hanging in the branches. We're also going to use branches throughout-in the centerpieces and possibly in the invitations.

I found a website that does 'trees in a box' for favors. My fiance and I have designed a simple table that we are going to build with help from my fiance's father, using wood from my father's tree farm. I like that we've designed it, but both of our fathers will be a part of it. And after the wedding, we can use the table in our house. 

Also, our bridal party isnt going to carry bouquets- but the bms and gms are both going to carry candles in glass cylinders and set them on the altar when the get to the front, like they're each bringing a little of themselves to the altar:-)

Thank you so much, Alissa, for sharing such a touching (and beautiful) story with us. I was really moved to tears at just how personal this wedding is for you. This is exactly what a wedding should be...personal, incredibly special and meaningful in a way that YOU appreciate. I love this...and can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

A Winter Wedding in SoCal

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I wanted to kick off the week with a gorgeous reader inspiration board. Designed by Nina, I really fell in love with this board. It's not only her beautiful color palette (which I am a HUGE fan of), but it's her sense of restrained elegance that I am completely drawn to...

From Nina...

My fiancé and I decided on a winter wedding because we find cloudy weather very romantic.   We wanted our wedding to be very elegant – but very inviting, so the Don Room at the El Cortez was the perfect location for us.   The circular ballroom creates very intimate feeling, and we plan to get married in front of the outdoor fireplace on the patio. http://www.donroom.com/home.html

Right after we got engaged we traveled to Greece, and were inspired by all of the Mediterranean blues. A rich navy seemed the natural choice for us when it came to colors, and we felt it went well with the ornate gold ceiling of the Don Room. All of our florals will be white, and we will incorporate the gold and navy into the bridesmaid dresses and stationary.  The ballroom will be adorned with clusters of candles and white bouquets as centerpieces.

For the ceremony, rather than using flowers, we are hanging Moroccan style lanterns on Shepard's hooks down the aisle.   The lanterns are amber with gold metal, and will add to the warm cozy feeling of our wedding and our color scheme. A brand new designer, Sarah Monico (feel free to email Abby for her contact info), designed an intricate motif for us based on a Moroccan tapestry, which she then incorporated into our invitations and other stationary.

Even our food will reflect the warmth and elegance of our wedding, with appetizers such as tray passed butternut squash soup and lamb skewers. Last but not least, for music we plan on having both a three piece jazz band and a DJ to heat up the dance floor.

Real Wedding Inspiration Board

Another inspiration board for you to devour! This one from a real wedding done by reader and recent bride, Danielle, that in my opinion, is completely and absolutely beautiful. I kind of think that my new favorite color is lime green, thanks to this gorgeous board!

photos by TJ Studios

Danielle and her fiance were high school sweethearts (how cute is that) and being recent college grads, they wanted their wedding to be beautiful, but also affordable. She is a graphic designer at Bennett Schneider in Kansas city, a brilliant little stationery shop that you should definitely check out.

Danielle and her fiance had two goals for the day...they wanted a celebration that included their closest family and friends and they simply wanted to enjoy the day, to have fun and to throw one great party. Looks like it was mission accomplished!

Danielle is stopping by the comments section to answer some of our questions! I am dying to know if she designed all of her own stationery. And who made those completely adorable flower girl dresses. And, who designed their flowers...love, love, love the limes in the vases!!

Country Chic Wedding

Today I wanted to feature a few of the reader inspiration boards that I have received over the last few weeks. The first one comes from Megan, who is looking to design a somewhat non-traditional affair hosted at this amazing winery, overlooking the mountains...

After the ceremony, the party will retire to a farmhouse hotel for a light country-style buffet. Megan is wearing her mother's wedding dress, altered a bit. Instead of a wedding cake, she is going to serve cherry pie. Her favors will be little jam and honey jars, jelly beans and plantable seed paper hearts. Their budget is $7500 so we are so excited to watch this wedding unfold and keep tabs on Megan. We are hoping that she will come back after the wedding and share more of her cost cutting tips!!

A Real Wedding Inspiration Board

I wanted to start out this week by posting a Real Wedding Inspiration Board that was sent to me by two of our readers, Clarice and Richard, who were married just a few weeks ago! Here is there stunning board...

I am in love with this perfect Fall color palette...so warm and inviting, and yet it maintains a sense of elegance that is so fitting for this affair. Clarice and Richard are going to stop by later today to let us know what the 10 elements were that made their wedding truly special. Can't wait!!

Tara Guerard's Inspiration Board

Our featured guest, event designer Tara Guerard, was kind enough to send us some gorgeous photos of her recent work...specifically, of the sweet little details that she discussed earlier today. I pulled the photos into an inspiration board of sorts to show you just how beautiful all of the elements work together...

All photos were taken by the incredibly talented Liz Banfield.

From the delicate tree adorned with hanging butler cards and the sleek champagne glasses used in a Tiffany Blue inspired affair, to perfect miniature cakes and handwritten wedding invitations created for a small, intimate wedding...every detail is executed perfectly. To me, it's the smallest accessories that really turn a pretty event into a spectacular event.

Check back later today to hear about Tara's latest project!!

Inpsiration Board: A Backyard Bash

This inspiration board was designed by one of our readers, Sherri, for her little sister Annie...appropriately titled "Annie's Delightfully Charming Backyard Bash."

Color theme: Grass Green and Sunshine Yellow / Invitation: Hanalei by Kenzie Kate / Centerpieces: Featuring several small vases, each with a lush bunch of a single type of flower. The frame would include a photo of Annie's beloved pug and the table number. (by Nancy Liu Chin Designs, San Francisco) / Bridesmaid dresses: Cotton dresses in grass green by Banana Republic (image from theknot gallery) / Cakes: Playfully designed cakes in the image of the bride and groom. (photo by Rob and Lauren Photography) / Details: photos by various photographers, including Becker, Jessica Claire, Laurence Kim, Henry Chan, and Tony Yang

The best part about this gorgeous wedding board, is that the entire affair can be pulled off even if you are on a really tight budget. Here are some of Sherry's cost saving tips for this particular wedding...

-No venue fee. The backyard is free!

- Hold the ceremony under some tree branches. No other ceremony decor is needed. As you can see in the center photo, nature is all you need for a beautiful setting.

- Take advantage of the features in your house. Get ready in the room you grew up in. Guests can use the bathrooms in the house (