Details, Details!

To make your wedding personal and "you" it is all about the details.  Whether you have a big budget or a limited one, you can always find ways to personalize the details, tie things together, and show that you put thought into each aspect of your wedding.  You can pick one element and use it throughout your wedding, like a personal monogram or symbol.  Or you can create the same feel with your color palette.

This wedding from Style Me Pretty illustrates my point.  Although it probably falls into the bigger budget side of the spectrum, you can do something similar with much less by paying attention to your details.

Notice the wood details, the use of greenery and succulents, the color palette tying grey throughout in the groom's suit, the paper goods, the chalkboard, the straws, and even the zebra!  The feel is rustic and chic, not too formal but not too casual.  Some amazing and talented professionals worked on this wedding but if you aren't lucky enough to have a budget that accomodates such professionals, you can do it yourself by thinking about the details and being consistent with your theme.

To see more of this gorgeous wedding, go here.  Photos by Steve Steinhardt.

A Lovely Must-Have: Calligraphy Stamps

If you have handwriting as terrible as I do, you can't handwrite anything, especially when you are sending or showing it to another person.  That is why I love these calligraphy stamps.

Calligraphy Love Stamps

From Paperfinger via The Haystack Needle

Calligraphy Address Stamp from Barbara Kua

The address stamps are a also a great affordable alternative to having your calligrapher add your return address to your invitation envelopes...just buy an address stamp in the matching style and stamp your envelopes (carefully!) yourself.  And then you can use it on all of those thank you cards you'll be sending too.

Poetic Inspiration

My husband and I watched the movie Bright Star over the weekend, and in addition to being a well told, acted, and directed film (it tells the true story of the three-year romance between poet John Keats and Fanny Brawne), it was a beautiful visual inspiration.  Every scene, whether shot in a field of wildflowers or set in an English kitchen, was shot so beautifully.  Everything was just so pretty.

Images from the film Bright Star, written and directed by Jane Campion

I thought that styling a wedding based on the film would make for a breathtaking day.  Here is the inspiration board interpretation I created based on Bright Star.

Top Row:  Headband by Jennifer Behr, calligraphy letter by paperfinger, bouttonieres and lavender florals by Jose Villa

Middle Row:  Bouquet photo by Jose Villa, gown by Amsale

Bottom Row:  Table photo by Meg Perotti via Style Me Pretty, books and florals photo by Ken Kienow, Bride and Groom photo by Braedon Photography via Green Wedding Shoes, bride photo by Jose Villa

It's in the Details: Vintage Keys

I like to tell myself I started the trend of antique keys that I'm starting to see on paper goods, in weddings, and even at Tiffany & Co.  While I know deep down that isn't true (obviously) I did think of the idea to use vintage keys in my wedding before I had ever seen anyone else using them, and my mother and I hunted for about 16 months for them.  We scoured flea markets, antique shops, estate sales, any place we could think of to find a key for each guest that would attend my wedding.  And they were a big hit.  Now, everyone that attended my wedding has a little piece of it at home with them, as my husband and I do, and I love that.  Here are some ways we used the keys in our own wedding:

Tied to our escort cards

Tied to our florals

In our ring photos

All photos by Jennifer Roper, Florals by Greenwich Floral Design, Calligraphy by Barbara Kua

It's in the Details: Maps

I am a huge fan of Laura Hooper's Calligraphy and of her blog, A Lucky Orchid Wedding.  She does fresh and feminine calligraphy on anything you can think of, but my favorite thing that she does are her custom maps. 

I really wanted these for my own wedding, but they just weren't in the budget.  Maybe someday we'll have her customize one of her Emotional Maps, or maybe she can do a logo for Oh Lovely Day or Tilde Designs when we are a super successful brand (here's hoping!).  But for now, I will continue to follow the blog and drool over the beautiful designs she does for others.

J'adore Paris

It was four months ago that my husband and I left for our honeymoon.  We had a day & night in Paris on our way to Italy, and we've been jonesing to go back to Paris ever since.  Until then, I'll be dreaming of Paris...

Top Row:  birds photo by Elizabeth Messina, invitation by Ice Cream Social, eiffel tower photo by me, Dior ad via Rizty Bee

Middle Row:  Moet picture from Wedding Style Guide, dress from Martha Stewart Weddings, menu by Cynthia Warren,

Bottom Row:  Calligraphy by Maybelle, photo via Brides, flags from Vintage Weave, photo by me

I would love to style a wedding based on this Parisian insipration.  Think of the possibilities!

Inspiration Board: Navy & Lilac

I was just contacted by a friend whose brother is in the early stages of wedding planning.  They are having an outdoor wedding in early October in North Carolina, and my friend asked my opinion on color combos and wedding party attire.  The couple wants a dark or navy blue for the bridesmaids, and a more casual option for the groomsmen, but without looking too casual or country.  A lavendar accent color was suggested, a combination that I think is very fresh and chic.  I designed an inspiration board for them to see how they liked the colors together and to get an overall feel for the design of their wedding.  Here is what I came up with:

Top row from left:  photo by Molly Fitzsimmons, photo by Stacey Kane, photo by The Sartorialist, photo by Punam Bean, boutonniere via Martha Stewart Weddings, lavendar photo by Jose Villa

Row 2:  calligraphy by Betsy Dunlap, church photo by Laura Dombrowski, invitation photo by Holland Photo Arts, lemonade photo by Cooper Carras,  blue Converse photo by Worthington Photography

Row 3:  place setting via Martha Stewart Weddings, macarons from Paulette, photo by Punam Bean,  hydrangea photo by Meg Smith

I love the feel of the hydrangeas and lilacs, natural and effortless.  Picture them placed in mixed sizes of blue and clear mason jars...very outdoor southern wedding. Imagine the country charm of a green field and a big oak tree and guests mingling while drinking lemonade and sweet tea out of jelly glasses.  The groomsmen wearing khaki's and blue converse or vans, and coordinating ties, and the bridesmaids in different dresses in the same family of navy and indigo.  The groom could wear a light grey suit and the bridesmaids matching grey pashminas when it gets chilly after dark...there are so many options my head is spinning!  I can't wait to hear what the couple comes up with.