Sparkly, Shiny July 30, 2008

Sometimes I think I like the shopping more than the purchasing, which is true so far in the case of my wedding jewelry. I love looking at pretty,shiny things! I tend to be minimalist when it comes to jewelry, so I already know I want the focus to be on one gorgeous pair of earrings, probably with yellow stones to compliment my yellow sapphire engagement ring. I like the idea of borrowing a pair from Bag Borrow Or Steal, but so far they don’t have anything quite right. If I had an unlimited budget, I would probably snap up these absolutely fabulous Art Deco earrings from Adin Antique Jewelers, but at 1,300 Euro’s the price is just a wee bit intimidating.

Fortunately, I’ve already found several much more budget friendly options. These canary crystal earrings also have an Art Deco look to them, but are much more affordable at $395.

Normally I’m not a pearl kind of girl, but I like the simplicity and elegance of these fair trade earrings. Plus Drew likes pearls…

These are by far the cheapest option at only $39! I do like the marquis shape of the stones, but I might want a little more drama. What do you think?

White Dahlia July 29, 2008

I have a serious love affair with shirtdresses. Any girl who wears them knows how fabulously versatile they are, from the beach, to work, to dinner, and even, thanks to Joan Shum, to your wedding. The word iconic comes to mind when I look at this “White Dahlia” dress; the structure of the bodice is chic and timeless, while the textured tulle peeping out of the skirt keeps the look young and fresh. With everyone going strapless for their wedding gown, it’s nice to see how even a more covered look can be sleek and sexy in a grown-up glamour kind of way. To ogle some more gorgeous gowns, check out Joan’s Etsy site.

Bonbonerie Cakes July 27, 2008

How ironic. Just when I had decided (and posted) that we weren’t going to do a wedding cake, I got an e-mail from Marit Hanson about Bonbonerie. Apparently their cakes are not only gorgeous (which they are) but taste incredible too. I love the traditional looks like “Alsatian Lace” and “Wicker Basket” but “Cherry Blossom” is my favorite for a modern look. Check out the site for lots of pretty pictures, but be forewarned that the list of flavors will make you crave cake like never before. Whoever thought of a White Chocolate Latte flavored cake is my kind of baker. Maybe we’ll have ice cream and cake…you can never have too much dessert!

Berry Details July 26, 2008

An obvious detail to incorporate into a summer wedding would be berries…because they’re everywhere this time of year. And they’re yummy. What else could you want? I’m especially craving that berry sorbet. Drew and I have decided to most likely forgo a wedding cake in favor of a gourmet dessert and ice cream is at the top of the list right now. There is an amazing shop in town called Jeni’s that manufactures the most incredible ice cream with flavors like grapefruit hibiscus and salty caramel. I think it would be fun to play with presentation and give each guest a trio of unusual flavors, or to see if they have an ice cream cart to come to the wedding so each guest can choose their own. They also have a pink champagne sundae which is pretty tempting…

cranberry centerpiece, berry boutteniere, blueberry martini, bride and groom strawberries, bridal shower invites, berry sorbet bar, berry favors, betsey johnson strawberry dress

Vintage Wedding Inspiration July 23, 2008

If you’re looking for a little inspiration for a vintage style wedding, or like me, old wedding pictures make you feel inexplicably warm and fuzzy inside, the Wedding Dress Gallery of Victoriana Magazine is full of antique Kodak moments. The photographs are also categorized by era so if you’re looking for a certain style it’s easy to find. My personal highlights were:

I love everything about this picture from 1913: the lace flapper dress, the shoes, the kitschy pose…

How gorgeous is this bride? The ruching on the dress and the calla lily bouquet look like they could be straight out of a modern wedding magazine but the dashing man in uniform makes the 1942 date a bit more obvious.

Marit Hanson Weddings July 20, 2008

Finding vendors in Columbus has been remarkably easy. Too easy I would say, if it wasn’t for the fact that I have a fairly defined idea of what I’m looking for number one, and number two the internet is a girl’s best wedding planning friend these days.

As soon as I saw Marit Hanson’s awesome concert poster save the dates on Junebug weddings, I was smitten. Then I found out that not only does she have a whole range of invitations on Etsy that range from classic to modern to whimsical, but she just happens to live in Columbus. It was meant to be!

We met with Marit to talk about our invitations and gave her a whole range of scattered ideas. We know we want something unusual and bold, with possibly an art spin on the concert poster since our wedding is at a museum. Basically we gave her free rein, because judging from her work she will come up with something fabulous! Here are some samples of her work, and for more you can also check out her Etsy store.

Lampshade Centerpieces July 16, 2008

So this post is going to require a little imagination and a lot of patience for my Photoshop skills. Flipping through the channels the other night, I saw a snippet of a wedding reception where the centerpieces featured lampshades. I couldn’t find the picture online, but I figured this was too good of an idea to pass up. Everyone knows by now that I love unconventional materials in centerpieces, and this is another option that is unexpectedly stylish and possibly very budget friendly too. In this very basic example the lampshades are from Urban Outfitters and the vases are from Target, but really you could do some very creative variations of this idea. Funky mismatched antique lampshades, candles in the vases for soft light, and flowers coming out the top of the shades are just a few…I would love to see a bride take this concept and make it her own!

Blue Orchid Update July 15, 2008

When I posted about my friend’s flower dilemma, I had absolute confidence that the whole affair would be gorgeous, but what I didn’t have an accurate handle on was how much it would make me cry. Whether it was her beautiful antique lace looking dress, the abundance of personal details, the fact that they are high school sweethearts, or just the realization that my own wedding is drawing ever closer, I had trouble holding myself together pretty much the whole time.

To begin, I have to show the centerpieces. Initially the bride wasn’t sure how all the elements would work together, but in the absolutely gorgeous and ornate venue of the Columbus Athletic Club, they were perfect. Especially as the night went on the candles reflected off the water and gave the whole table a glow which was lovely.

The reception venue itself was pretty spectacular. There were beautiful chandeliers and ornate woodwork everywhere you turned, so the room didn’t need much decoration. The cake was pretty as well as delicious, and I loved all the personal touches like the groom’s cake, family picture tables, and signature turquoise cocktail.

I have to say, though, that my favorite piece of the wedding (and therefore item that I am most likely to steal) was the bride’s adorable parasol. It also turned out to be extremely practical because they got completely bombed with birdseed coming out of the church. I can see why more couples are using bubbles or sparklers, but if it makes for pictures like this, I think it’s all worth it.

Congratulations you guys!!!

Recycled Wrapping Paper July 13, 2008

When you’re engaged wedding magazines seem to just accumulate beyond all sense. I stopped buying them months ago, yet I keep uncovering new stacks under the bed or in boxes, which is why I love this idea. What a pretty and personalized way to wrap your bridesmaid or bridal shower gifts and reuse all those magazines. Thanks to Melissa’s Smitten for this adorable idea.

Blingtastic Flat Sandals July 10, 2008

I always post about sky high heels because I love them so dearly, but even I recognize that they are not always the most practical or comfortable thing to wear, especially at a wedding. I’ve been seeing the bejeweled sandal trend everywhere lately and I think it would be an adorable look on a bride for a summer wedding. I immediately thought of billowy grecian dresses and garden weddings, but honestly I think these would sweet with any style. These are just a few of the options I found…

Sigerson Morrison sandals, Unisa sandals, Steve Madden sandals, Sigerson Morrison beaded sandals, Giueseppe Zanotti sandals