Style Me Pretty: Wedding Blog for the Style-Obsessed Bride

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Tropical Fruit Wedding Inspiration

From Štěpán Vrzala photographer… I was honored to shoot Anna and Vitaly’s intimate wedding in one of my favorite locations in Czech Republic, Chateau Mcely. The flow was perfect throughout the day and nothing felt rushed as the guests enjoyed the activities together. Soft, natural lighting from the sun highlighted the couple both inside and outdoors. Anna and Vitaly’s wedding day was full of joy, friendship, laughter, and we all had a great time.

From Chateau Mcely… This wedding was planned to the smallest detail by the couple and our coordinator, Katka, and despite the fact that weddings on this scale usually take months to plan, we were successfully able to fulfill the wishes of the couple and organize an unforgettable experience for them. On the big day, everything was in the hands of our coordinator Irina, who speaks Russian, and made sure that every guest felt comfortable. The guests thoroughly enjoyed their carriage rides, archery lessons, and the barman show, and the grand celebration was capped off with a wonderful “silent” fireworks show in the English park.

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Pronovias

ATELIER PRONOVIAS

PRONOVIAS

Dancing Lights, Cruise Collection

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Organic elegance is my favorite style, and this piece of pretty? Well, it’s layers of tropical hues anchored against timeless touches. Inspired by nature’s offerings, Beautiful Gatherings conceptualized tropical tones and from the hand-dyed table runner, to the Floral Magic blooms, every detail is wildly romantic. Brody T Photography was on hand and captured every sunny moment!

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Garden Weddings

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How To: Dutch Crown Braid

From Nineteen Design Studio… Conceptualized and led by Bryan of Beautiful Gatherings. The inspiration for this shoot came from two areas in his life, the fascination of nature’s offerings and his traveling experiences. He grew up in a humble home built by his grandpa. Bryan spent many mornings running around in the home, helping mum with gardening and eating lots of home cook food. Returning to Asia after a sabbatical in South America, he came back, yearning for all the exotic fruits. When he discovered Bollywood Veggies, a sanctuary away from the bustle of the “Little Red Dot”. Set in the rustic environment of the northwest Kranji Countryside, visiting is a step back to Singapore’s lush history. It almost felt like his playground for the young.

When putting together the garden shoot, Bryan visited the local fruit stall. The red hue of Lychees and blue Mangosteens tones became the anchor of inspiration. Upon tabletop, a hand-dyed table runner from northern Thailand, placed with stunning floral by Floral Magic, placed in tree-bark containers, and an array tropical fruits for the guests to enjoy. The floral for this styled shoot were also designed to capture the feminine yet wild and free romantic in us all! We loved the colored floral of Dahlias, Nigella Pods, Germini, Sedum, mixed with Blue thistle and Smoke Bush. It was the perfect color complement to the hand-dyed table runner and the awesomely organic outdoor setting. Organized elegance in a rustic setting could never be wrong. The day set the tone bringing together a quiet happiness and rejoices in the company of closest friends and family.

Our Tropical Fruit styled wedding shoot took place on a perfect sunny morning. Brody of Brody Tan Photography was on hand to capture all of the details with film photography!

For the stationery, Joanne of Nineteen Design Studio created the invitation suite based off the hand-dyed as the inspiration, through the deep and lustrous hues of the tropical fruits, thus transcended the theme artistically into the various paper elements. We really wanted the paper goods to reflect the wedding palette and mood. Watercolors, hand-dyed always remind me of summer and spring, and I love how they blend together in a romantic fashion.

Love Yu provided a lovely enchanted dress that comes in the versatility of wearing it short and long, thus allows the bride to move around the venue swiftly and gracefully. For the makeovers and hairstylist, Charmaine Tok, were on hand to ensure that our bride looked absolutely stunning!

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Petit Bouquet

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Wedding Dresses

Love Yu

2014 Bright Lights

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Lover

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Braids are all the rage and I’m not saying that Frozen is the leading culprit but it definitely had a little influence over the fabulous Mandy of Waiting on Martha when she concocted this how-to. It’s a Dutch Crown Braid crafted by Jennifer C. Nieman and photographed by Kathryn McCrary. And the best part? It works on short hair, long hair and all the in-betweeners too. That’s music to this lob lover’s ears.

How To: Dutch Crown Braid

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How To: Dutch Crown Braid

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For more hair how-to’s, check out these pretty tutorials:

Glam Side Braid | Beachy Bombshell Hair | Desert Braid | French Twist Ponytail | The Double Bun

Photography: Kathryn Mccrary | Hair And Makeup: Jennifer C Nieman

Rustic Summer Wedding at Circle Oak Ranch

These lovebirds might have the most adorable “getting to know you” story yet. As a fellow sweets aficionado, their flirty exchange over baked goods warms my heart to a whole other degree. That special love extended all the way to their wedding, bursting with precious details and the amazing support of loved ones. Heidi-o-photo didn’t miss a beat and this gallery just might be the epitome of a sweet treat.

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Whimsical Engagement Session

From Heidi-o-photo… Kirsten wanted to get married underneath a big tree, and that they did. They found the perfect venue for them, it had a large oak tree for the ceremony and a beautiful patio surrounded by trees for the reception. Their choice of orange for the linens was a bold, yet lovely choice with the natural surroundings. Festivities Catering & Special Events did a wonderful job of bringing everything together and designing a gorgeous wedding.

From the Groom… Kirsten and I first met when we were living next door to one another. Although we had said hello in passing, it took two years for me to put a plate of homemade treats together and knock on her door and introduce myself. This gesture quickly stemmed into an ongoing exchange of baked goods – piping hot homemade cinnamon rolls, lemon shortbread cookies, warm blueberry scones and mini fruit tartlets as neither of us could return the plate back to its owner empty! This same playfulness, passion and surprise was carried through to the proposal.

The proposal was a carefully orchestrated, all day, affair that involved a scavenger hunt with clues on DVDs leading Kirsten to each destination. Since Kirsten’s family all lives back East and couldn’t physically be a part of the day, I arranged for each of them to record themselves sharing their sentiments about Kirsten, the proposal day and provide one clue each. I then edited these recordings to include music and songs that had special meaning to us and our relationship. Each clue was presented in an envelope with a “K+B” wax seal, inside a box with items she’d need for the next destination. For example the first box had a dress and necklace that Kirsten wore to her first destination, brunch at her favorite French restaurant with friends and family. The girls were chauffeured in a private limo to each destination and the whole day was recorded so that any family that was not there could experience the proposal as well. The other clues led Kirsten to a salon where she and all the girls had their hair done, while sipping on champagne and then finally to a special spot on the beach in Del Mar. I had created a little covered seating area adorned with lanterns, roses along with sweet treats and chilled champagne on the beach. Kirsten arrived just as the sun was just starting to set, I got down on one knee, surrounded by close family and friends and proposed!

From the Bride… Not only are Ben and I are both very detail orientated but we also share a love of eating, drinking delicious cocktails, dancing and great music! So when it came to planning our wedding we wanted to create an experience for our guests that reflected our personalities, centered around all that we love, that was fun and whimsical. Our styles are a mix of classic and shabby chic so almost immediately we decide we wanted to create an upscale atmosphere in a rustic setting. We both also always dreamed of getting married beneath a huge old tree in the middle of a field. So, when we visited the Circle Oak Ranch, we instantly knew it was the place we wanted to get married. From that point we planned everything out to the finest detail – from meeting with each of our vendors to ensure we shared chemistry and the level of quality we were looking for, hand selecting each song on our playlist, the homemade jam and jelly wedding favors, the vintage VW photo bus, to the croquet play area and Victorian inspired seating area with accents throughout. Our wedding far exceeded anything we could have dreamed of. However, it was not just because of all of these little details but also because of all of the help we received from friends, family (specific thanks to my mother Lori Schreuders-Meyer who did all our florals, and my sister Jessica Schreuders who made the escort cards, table numbers, Mr & Mrs banner, and my veil and belt), our photographer, Heidi Orcino from heidi-o-photo, and Ashleigh Glod, from Festivities Catering!

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Wedding Dresses

Paloma Blanca

Fall 2015 Collection

Fall 2017 Collection

Spring 2017 Collection

Spring 2018 Collection

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This is a story about soul mates. One adorable duo that is sooo in love, it literally jumps from your computer screen. And it’s also the story of one crazy gorgeous engagement session. The kind that takes those aforementioned sweeties and captures them celebrating their upcoming nuptials in one seriously breathtaking setting. See it all captured by Cory & Jackie in the full gallery.

From the Bride… My childhood best friend had told me that she knew someone that she thought would be perfect for me. The following weekend, I decided to go to University of Evansville to visit her, and to meet Jason. I was hesitant to go, because I really wasn’t interested in dating anyone, but I went anyway just to have some fun and catch up with my friend. She introduced us and we instantly hit it off. You know when people say they believe in “the click”? We definitely clicked. We set up a first date, and after that, we were inseparable. I knew I loved him and that I would marry him within a month or two.

It’s truly odd how much we are alike. I think that we both felt from the very start that we were meant for each other, and everyone around us could see that as well. Before, I did not believe in soul mates. Now, I truly believe that God created us to be together. I’m an extremely romantic person. My entire life, I’ve wanted to have a love like the movies, but I never really believed that I would have that. With Jason, I do. I feel like I really am living inside a movie. I always tell him that life with him is a dream, because it really is. I adore and cherish him. We are more than blessed to have this great love.

We love a good cup of coffee, historical places, antique-ing, going new places, trying new things, indie/alt rock, and kisses.

As far as the feel of our engagement session, we chose West Baden because it truly is my most favorite place. I’m fascinated by its history, and love that its prime was around my favorite era, the 1920’s. Jason also proposed to me in the hotel lobby. The ’20s aspect did play a small role in our choice as well, because we’re having a 1920’s/Gatsby inspired wedding. That’s really our little secret, though. We haven’t told anyone except the bridal party about the theme, and we probably won’t mention it. I think they will get the idea on the big day. West Baden and my flapper headband were my little ways of sneakily incorporating a little Gatsby. I chose the picnic and the bike because they both are things we really would do in real life. We ride bikes downtown and we have picnics. That shoot was pretty true to us. It was everything we love. I’m so glad you guys got us and everything had a very romantic feel. I wanted something that I could show to my children and grandchildren so that they could see how in love we were (not that we won’t still be in love that way when we’re older), and that is exactly what I got.

Photography: Cory Jackie Wedding Photographers | Venue: West Baden Springs Hotel

Romantic + Regal Biltmore Estate Wedding

Monday’s aren’t easy but this wedding right here might just save the day. From the adorable groom and the beautiful bride in this film by Inkspot Crow, to the gorgeous celebration planned by Weddings With Tara, Graham Terhune‘s photos are supplying us with a hefty dose of pretty and pure romance, guaranteed to brighten this start to the week. Share in all the good vibes right here!

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Rustic Napa Valley Summer Wedding

From Graham Terhune…Jackson and Melisa were married on a perfect October Saturday. The sun was shining, the air was crisp and the Biltmore Estate looked stunning in the golden fall light. Melisa and Jackson’s wedding was a stunning day full of friends, family and their committed love to one another. In addition to the overall feeling of joy, the day was full of breathtaking beauty in the venue and the details. Melisa worked to craft a wedding day that was authentic and gave a special nod to her turkish ethnicity. There were Turkish rugs, a custom built Turkish prayer table for the ceremony (crafted by the groom and his father) Turkish eyes on all of the floral arrangements, turkish tea pots at each place setting. The lovely color palette of the wedding was a nice complement to the warmth of the fall hues of the mountains. The lavender and gray colors were absolutely stunning on the bridesmaids and groomsmen. We hope that you enjoy a selection of our favorite images from this wedding. We know that the bride and groom would be absolutely ecstatic to see their wedding featured and we would be humbled to have our work on your beautiful blog.

This wedding is a bit of a tease, held at a private estate that I’m left dreaming of, amid acres of rolling Napa Valley vineyards. Add in the gold and navy decor, and gorgeous Fleurs De France florals, and I’m declaring this one a west coast wedding all-star. Julie Kay Kelly and Kurtela Video captured every beautiful moment and I’ll be living vicariously through these photos as we enter into the new week ahead.

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Traditional Charleston Wedding With a Neutral Palette

From Julie Kay Kelly… I’m so excited to share Lauren and Dane’s amazing private estate wedding – it was one of my very favorites this year. Mix a storied wine country family property which has never hosted a wedding, a Texan couple gorgeous inside and out, and a talented planner, and you get: magic.

Ever since she was a little girl growing up in Texas, Lauren dreamed of getting married on the beautiful private Napa estate she’d known since girlhood. This summer, amidst sequined navy blue tables on a lush green lawn, she stepped off the deck of its little white farmhouse to meet her groom, Dane, with a penny in her shoe. This was the first and only wedding to ever take place on this richly storied property, which sits amidst acres and acres of rolling Napa vineyards.

The chance meeting decades earlier between Lauren’s father, a Texas auto man, and one of the most established winemakers in Napa Valley, would lead to a cross-country friendship and eventually to this day, when Lauren and Dane said “I do,” beneath a giant oak tree draped in white cloth and soaked in sunlight.

Orchestrated by Stephanie Cole of Cole Drake Events, Lauren and Dane’s wedding took place at the grounds of The Vineyard House, built in 1853, and now owned by Jeremy Nickel, whose late father Gil founded several of Napa’s most prominent wineries, and who gifted the estate to Jeremy.

Lauren and Dane had met through mutual friends years earlier and fallen in love quickly and surely. At the ceremony, Lauren emerged from a 100-year-old fig tree with her father as Dane watched, his face wet with tears.

Set to a cream colored background, highlighted with gold accents and navy blue sequins, the wedding mixed touches of rough-and-tumble Texas with classic Napa charm. The sky dripped with floating chandeliers and warm golden lights overhead, while guests enjoyed cocktails including a signature Texas Mule. Vintage couches, white orchid and hydrangea topped tablescapes, and a Cuban cigar table all contributed to an elegant yet whimsical feel.

“It was important to me that there was a very elegant feeling without losing sight of who Dane and I really are,” says Lauren. “I’d love to say we are are prim and proper but that wouldn’t be telling the truth! We are both very goofy and wanted our wedding to be fun and classy.”

Lauren says the day was amazing from start to finish, and that it’s hard to pick a single favorite moment. Among them, though was the moment she looked up from her walk down the aisle and saw Dane. “I’m so glad I looked up at him!” says Lauren. “At that moment I couldn’t mistake what I was there for…it wasn’t about walking on the stones in my heels and trying not to trip or about holding up my dress or smiling at the guests but it was about US!”

Dressed in a palette of cool neutrals, Easton Events created one picturesque Lowndes Grove affair. From the ivory Sara York Grimshaw Designs blooms, to the exquisite Inbal Dror Bride, to the chic La Tavola linens, every detail is the definition of glamour. Filled with warm laughter and loving glances, the talented Virgil Bunao captured every moment here!

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Fall Weddings

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Romantic Oceanside Cape Cod Wedding

From Virgil Bunao… I had the pleasure and honor of taking Alice and Forrest’s engagement pictures and I had so much fun in the process. Their October wedding day rolled around and I was in a state of awe with the way their vision of Lowndes Grove completely dressed up the place. I definitely have to give Easton Events a loud shout-out for this design! It was very chic, very timeless, and very eye-catching. Lowndes Grove was dressed up in a palette of cool neutrals; grays, tans, beiges–and it looked so picturesque against the landscape Lowndes Grove was blessed with. When the sun was finally setting on the dinner Alice and Forrest planned, the scene was once again transformed. A soft light cast itself on the gorgeous canopy setup where the guests ate, and the candles glowed brightly. I’ve never seen a more romantic wedding reception.

I always say that the decor or the venue itself really rounds off the wedding, but this time I’m going to have to give it to Alice and Forrest themselves. She was dressed in an exquisite Inbal Dror piece and Forrest rocked Burberry, and they looked perfect. Their attire was superb and topping it off were their reactions and emotions to the entire day. They lit it up with laughter and smiles and happy tears, and there’s nothing better than those three things to top off a beautiful October wedding. I can’t thank Easton Events enough for sending Alice and Forrest my way!

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Easton Events

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After six years of adventure, these re-connected classmates wed in what can only described as an authentic and intimately New England affair. A beautiful mélange of all things classic, this Wychmere Beach Club soiree is filled with happy tears and plenty of personality. From the laid-back, family-style, New England “Glam” bake, to their dockside first dance, Melissa Robotti captured every moment here!

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SMP Living on The Meredith Vieira Show!

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Beach Weddings

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Bohemian

From the beautiful Bride… Tim and I met in first year at the University of Western Ontario, but didn’t wind up re-connecting until several years after we had graduated and were living back in Toronto. At the time, he was in medical school, and I was working in television but pursuing my degree in education to become a teacher. With one quick “add” and a cute message or two (or 100!) later, Facebook can be credited with starting something that was meant to be all along. What followed were 6 amazing years of adventure, friendship, laughter and love that brought us to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Amongst those beaches were those of Cape Cod, a place Tim and his family had been visiting every summer since he and his brother were babies. Being on the Cape, every August, quickly became our tradition too. We longed for our runs on the beach, catamaran adventures with family friends from New Jersey, dinners at The Ebb Tide, and (several) ice cream cones from the Cape Cod Creamery in South Yarmouth!

When we pictured our wedding celebrations, this was the first (and only) place that came to mind. It has always felt refreshingly familiar, charming, and comfortable to us. We knew we would love to share our love for the Cape with our most favourite people in the world. We also knew that we wanted our celebrations to be simple, authentic, organic and intimately ours: a beautiful mélange of all things classic and a little bit bohemian. As our dear friend so perfectly quoted the British scientist Richard Dawkins at our reception, “Love is both an art and a science”. This, quite serendipitously, became the overarching theme for our wedding.

Having our ceremony and reception at Wychmere Beach Club was out of a Cape Cod dream; everything from the picturesque Wychmere Harbor that served as the backdrop for our magical lawn ceremony, to the beautiful views from the Ocean Room which complemented our laid-back, family-style, New England “Glam” bake dinner. We had trolleys from Cape Destinations transport guests from their various accommodations, this was a perfect opportunity for guests to experience a tour of the area in style! As the second trolley pulled in, the misty rain stopped and we were able to keep things outside on the Hydrangea lawn. We had the pleasure of having Kathleen Geagan officiate our ceremony. We had met with Kathleen at her home the previous summer and instantly formed a beautiful connection with her. She has the warmest spirit and loveliest presence and really brought a level of intimacy to the ceremony that day that we will never forget. We chose not to have a wedding party, but instead asked each of our handsome brothers to stand with us during the ceremony. The ceremony, itself, was filled with beautiful, happy, tears and included an incredibly creative and personal poem written by one of our dear friends. He so cleverly surprised us with a mash-up of our story as told through the lyrics of some of our most favourite songs! The second surprise, one that I had coordinated for Tim, was having his grandmother read a passage from the beautiful children’s book “All the World” by Liz Garton Scanton- a book I had given him one year for his birthday. The ceremony concluded with Tim and I reading each other our personal vows and a dockside first dance to Sam Smith’s acoustic version of “Latch”.

My art teacher self really embraced the DIY projects- everything from the illustrated map of our favourite Cape spots for the French letter style invitation to the various chalkboard signage. I am so lucky to be surrounded by incredibly talented friends and family. My mom, an amazing sewer, made the burlap table runners and also created my “something blue” garter- a piece of her wedding dress lace sewed together with a baby blue ribbon.

The flower vases were ones that I had collected and purchased leading up to the wedding (most of them were on sale from Indigo!) and the beautiful flowers came from New England Gardens. A lovely group of some of my most favourite women helped me transform the flowers into a whimsical reality. We made an event out of it on the rainy Saturday! I painted the watercolour escort cards taking inspiration from a tutorial that I had seen online by Ginny Au and Holly Hollon. In an effort to do add a meaningful touch to each place setting, we put miniature glass bottles filled with Cape Cod sand and a little piece of paper inside asking guests to “make a wish” and then toss it into the ocean before leaving that weekend. This was something I had loved to do as a child and have continued to love doing well into my adult years, friends and family loved that

We were so lucky to work with the ever so talented Melissa Robotti. Her and her second photographer, Erin McGinn, were an absolute dream. What lovely women! We truly felt we had known them forever and so enjoyed, and appreciated, their creativity and willingness to take us around that afternoon to some incredibly beautiful spots in Harwich. They really captured the essence, spirit, and beauty of the day. Some of the moments captured on film are so raw that we have a hard time looking at them! I had never seen Tim cry in all of our years together. We are so grateful to the Melissa and Erin for helping us relive these incredible memories.

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Ivy & Aster

Through the Forest

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Guess what today is? Yes, it’s President’s Day but it also happens to be the day we are making our Meredith Vieira Show debut! Tune in as Abby Larson crafts a room with pretty pieces for every budget. Think a mix of splurges, steals and projects that no one would guess are DIY’s. Have a look at our round-up of items and DIY’s below and be sure to tune in today for all the Meredith Vieira Show magic!

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DIY’s FROM THE SHOW

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Dip-Dye Stripe Pillows
Abstract X Painting
Marble Side Table
Kiss Artwork

For Meredith Vieira Show times and channels in your area click here!

Adorable NYC Engagement Session

Let me just start out by saying that these two are adorable. They have the sweetest love story (high school sweethearts), most amazing proposal (Paris) and jaunted around the city streets of NYC for one incredible engagement session. In other words? They are basically perfection. See their gorgeous images captured by Alicia Swedenborg right here.

From the Bride…Matt and I met during freshman year of high school through mutual friends. Our friendship blossomed sophomore year when we were on the tennis team together and sat next to each other in History class. In class, we passed notes instead of learning about history. I blame Matt for my lack of knowledge on the French Revolution. We started dating two weeks after my 16th birthday and have been inseparable ever since.

Matt proposed last September in Paris. It was early in the morning the second day of our trip when we went on a run through the Jardin des Tuileries. I stopped to admire the beautiful garden and commented about how romantic and secluded it was so early in the morning. I even teased Matt and said, “Bet you wish you would’ve brought a ring!” He laughed and we continued on through the garden. When I stopped again to take a few pictures Matt surprised me and said, “Actually I did bring a ring…” I turned around to see him down on his knee with a beautiful ring in his hands. Then he asked me the most important question of both of our lives. For the rest of our trip I got to use my new favorite French word fiancé!

DIY Dip-Dye Stripe Pillows

If pillows are your weakness and you spend more on fluffy refreshers than food in a month, you’re not alone. You know what helps ease that new pillow budget? A good ol’ DIY. It’s friendly on the pocketbook (which we love) and easily edited to your style and color palette. All in all, a DIY worthy of adding to your arsenal of tricks.

Materials Navy fabric dye
Plastic gloves
Trash bag
Plastic bin (we used this one) or large metal bowl
White throw pillow cover
Pillow insert

Cover your workspace with an unopened trash bag and lay a second one next to it for the pillow cover to dry on.

Fold the pillow cover accordion style until you have about 4 folds (or as many stripes as you like- each fold will be a stripe) and set aside.

Fill the plastic bin with a couple inches of hot water and place on the trash bag. Put on your gloves and add some fabric dye. Stir with a metal or disposable spoon and dip a piece of paper towel in to test the color. Keep adding dye until you reach a shade you like.

Make sure there is no dye on your gloves, then pick up the folded pillow cover. Fold it in half so that it is not so long and will fit in the plastic bin. Hold the cover so that the accordion folds are along the top and bottom. Hold the top side, squeezing the folds together with your fingers, and then dip into the dye about an inch or so for 5-10 seconds. The stripes will be twice as wide as the amount you dip it in the dye, so you can make them skinnier or wider depending on how deep you dip it in.

Gently lay the pillow cover on the trash bag and carefully unfold. Let dry overnight, then stuff with an insert.

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Photography: SMP Living | Design & Styling: SMP Living

DIY Imprinted Ceramic Bowls

You know what we love? Taking something so simple and making a gorgeous jewelry display out of it. This DIY from The Lovely Drawer is like magic. It starts with white fimo clay and turns into imprinted ceramic bowls in ….wait for it… 7 steps! You are literally seven simple steps away from these dresser topping beauties. So grab those supplies and get to baking and be sure to stop by The Lovely Drawer for even more fab projects.

Materials

white polymer clay / fimo ( I would choose the ‘soft’ version for this )
smooth chopping board or other even surface
rolling pin
scalpel
oven proof bowl
silicone lace mould or a lace / crochet doily
acrylic paint
mod podge glue
gold leaf or alternatively metallic gold paint
paint brush

Cut a chunk of fimo. It will depend on the size of the bowl you’re using as to how big you want it but for these bowls I used about half a 56g block. Roll in your hand to soften and then use your rolling pin to roll it out into a flat disc. Then place your bowl on top and trace around the edge to cut out a circle shape. Discard the off cuts.

Take your silicone lace mould or doily and press with a decent amount of pressure into the clay. Work your way over the whole surface, pushing the pattern in before lifting it off to reveal the imprint.Then gently peel the clay away from the surface and transfer to the bowl, pattern side up. Make sure the clay disc is central and then start by gently pressing the centre down and working your way out to the side so that it fits to the bowl. Where there are gathers at the edges, simply push them down and smooth out slightly.

Your edges may well look a bit wonky so take the scalpel and trace around the edge to get an even circle. Discard the excess. Make sure there are no bubbles in your clay. All of it should be flush with the bowl.

Then place on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 30 mins. Once baked leave to cool completely before popping it out of the bowl. The easiest way to do that is by turning the bowl upside down.

* In order for the paint wash to go on smoothly I applied an under coat of mod podge and left that to dry but I don’t think this step is essential.

Once dry, mix the acrylic paint in a dish with some water. I wanted to create a painterly look to give it more of a handmade ceramic feel so the water helps give variation in the color and allows brush strokes to stay slightly visible. Leave to dry.

When the paint is dry you can then use the gold leaf to glam up the rim. Paint a layer of mod podge around the rim and when it feels tacky you can delicately start placing your gold leaf sheets on top. I cut my squares into thin lengths to make it easier. Give a little rub on the backing paper before pulling off. Work your way around the rim. Patch up any areas you’ve missed

*Alternatively you can use metallic gold paint to paint the rim gold. The finish won’t be quite as gorgeous but this would be a cheaper and quicker method.

When the rim is dry you can glaze the whole thing with modge podge. This will leave a nice sheen and protect the paint and the clay.

Photography And Design: The Lovely Drawer

Floral Heart Inspiration

Every Valentine’s Day deserves a little extra dose of pretty, so today we are upping the ante with a gorgeous floral heart inspiration shoot from Hunter Valley. Crafted by a fabulous team of vendors, including Rachel Gilbert, Hochzeitswahn and Patricia Hau Photography, it’s lush blooms meets pretty, pretty accessories meets one seriously stunning setting. Soak it all in right here in the full gallery.

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Three Boozy Cocktail Floats to Try

From Patricia Hau Photography… For my German blog Hochzeitswahn, we created a giant flower heart inspiration which we like to share with you, too. We hope you like it and think it is such a cute inspiration for Valentine’s day.

Elegant Bridal Boudoir

Long ago, I learned an important lesson – anything that Joy Proctor touches turns into a beautiful work of art. So when she teamed up with the amazing Kurt Boomer Photo for this dreamy boudoir shoot, the level of gorgeous achieved isn’t even measurable. It’s the perfect bit of inspiration for this love-filled day, and you can see even more here.

From Joy Proctor Design…I had the pleasure of styling a boudior session for Kurt Boomers photography workshop held at the Villa del Sol D’Oro. We went for a soft and subtle old hollywood glamour look, with sweet pin curls.

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Written Word Calligraphy

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Joy Proctor Design

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You can’t get much better than ice cream. Unless you’re drowning it in booze, that is. Once you try one of these bevies your cocktail will never be sans scoop of ice cream again. It’s that good. So without further ado, meet your three new besties all crafted by The Little Things + Sweet Annie Floral Design and Sarah Jayne Photography. Cheers!

Cocktail Floats

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Cocktail Floats

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More boozy ice cream to try:
Buttered Rum Ice Cream Floats | Chocolate Coconut Boozy Sundae | Chocolate Caramel Stout Float

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Ice cream floats were a memorable part of childhood birthday celebrations, but who says you can’t reinvent these for adult parties? Adult cocktail floats are an easy way to throw some fun into your celebration. We crafted these tasty beverages when we were away in the Catskills for a snowy weekend getaway at Spruceton Inn (appropriately dubbed a bed and bar, not bed and breakfast!), so naturally we had time to sip, test, and repeat. These drinks are pretty to look at, nostalgic, and taste amazing. I mean, ice cream, alcohol, and fizzy bubbles are pretty much the holy trinity, no?!

Photography: Sarah Jayne Photography | Bed & Bar: Spruceton Inn | Concept And Styling:: The Little Things | Floral Design And Styling: Sweet Annie Floral Design

Romantic Lakeside Anniversary Session

It isn’t the flowers (or even the chocolate) that make today day special, it’s the love. The type of love that is – without a doubt – worth celebrating. The type of love that radiates warmth and fills your heart with happiness. And it’s that type of love that brought this duo lakeside, bringing along blankets, a darling pup, and Gracie Blue Photography to capture every heartwarming image here!

From Gracie Blue Photography… This winter I had the pleasure of taking portraits of Carole and Chris for their one year anniversary. We met by a lake on a cold Sunday morning and these two wonderful people preceded to take my breath away.

On Valentine’s Day, I couldn’t help but think of Carole and Chris; the way they kept each other warm and were considerate of one another. They loved being together, holding each other, and just taking the time to appreciate what life looks like for them right now. This is what I want to celebrate about love.

Love is a team effort. She doesn’t fall because he’s there to guide her through the rocks. He’s confident because she fills him with acceptance and reassurance. At the end of the day, flowers and chocolates don’t hold a candle to the rush you feel when that special someone holds you close and confesses that your love is a gift 365 days a year.

Photography: Gracie Blue Photography

Charming Valentine’s Day Wedding Inspiration

Considering February 14th is my favorite holiday and it falls on a Saturday this year, I can’t believe I didn’t contemplate saying “I do” today. Joy Michelle was ahead of me and captured one absolutely delicious photo shoot, complete with beautiful blooms and enough sweet treats to put you in a sugar coma… or what I like to refer to as a perfect Valentine’s Day. Enjoy all the goodies right here!

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Winter Weddings

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Valentine-Inspired Winter Romance

From Joy Michelle Photography… Who doesn’t want to get married on the literal day of love?! Well now you have inspiration to do just that, because we styled this shoot in the inspiration of Valentine’s Day and all the things we love! What’s better then bridesmaids in fluffy red and pink tulle skirts? Nothing, except the bride wearing a fluffy white tulle wedding dress! We had all our desserts reflect our theme of love, with the heart details, the different shades of pink and then decor that makes you fall in love with love! We accessorized our bridesmaid’s fun tulle skirts with very classic pearl jewelry to make our ensembles timeless! We loved mixing our bride with a very chic lace topped wedding dress and the fluff and fun of that tulle skirt! Every detail, the pink punch, the pink sherbet, love canvases and the pink furniture echoes every girls dream on the day love should be embraced! We fell in love with love and we hope you fell too!

I love this quote from Alphonse Karr that inspired this stunner of a shoot from Elizabeth Ngundue. “Some people grumble that roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses.” It defines the birth of something beautiful, from something otherwise harsh and lacking vigor and life. And it’s exactly what this slice of pretty stands for, from the dress from White Traditions Bridal House to the vibrant petals from Accents Floral Design.

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Winter Weddings

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Outdoor Weddings

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