Nailed It!

My close friends know that I'm a wee bit obsessed with nails (I'm guilty of having a nail polish drawer...which houses approximately 75 nail polishes). I probably own every color in the rainbow (in matte and glossy, natch!), and I've been known to paint my nails upwards of three times a week. That being said, my wedding day nails have been on my mind big-time, and I'm not about to go "classic red" or an Essie pale pink. Throughout this process, I've been trying to focus on what feels like me rather than obsessing over the entire wedding looking "timeless"--heads up, no wedding is timeless because it's one day long. Here are a few nail looks that I'd totally rock on my wedding day. Which is your favorite?

Source: all images via my Pinterest beauty page

Iridescent Peacock Inspiration

As I've mentioned before, I have a slight obsession with peacocks--they appear frequently in Art Deco and Art Nouveau artwork, and the bright jewel tones and metallics offer up a to-die-for wedding palette. While there will be no live peacocks at our wedding, there will be a few special details inspired by my feathered friends. Here are some peacock images that have been hovering around my Pinterest board for a while.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Art Deco Brings the Sparkle

Like a magpie in a Zales store, or Honey Boo Boo at a pageant, I'm attracted to sparkle (I apologize that this post has become a statement of the obvious). Lately, the trailers for The Great Gatsby have me oohing and aahing over Art Deco jewels especially. I'd love to wear a statement bracelet, and while a belt wouldn't pair well with my dress, I've been obsessing over some architectural beauties. Here are a few things I've been admiring lately. *Disclaimer: I am not responsible for any distraction caused by this sparkly sparkly post.

Gilding the Lily: Finishing Touches

One of my favorite things about these final stages of wedding planning is that all of those little details that have been floating around my head for the last year are beginning to come to life. Purchases are being made. Decor is being finalized. While I'm savoring keeping some of these little details secret until the big day, know this: things will be sparkly (shocking...I know). Etsy has been a blessing and a curse in my search for special and personal details. Before you enter into the rabbit hole that is Etsy.com, know this: there are more people selling vintage metallic wedding favor boxes than you know.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Designing the Dinner Menu

Now that we've finally ordered our invitations, I've been thinking about how all of our paper goods will tie together. As I've mentioned before, we are huge foodies, and are serving our meal family style. Because of that, we want to be sure to highlight the meal in a beautiful and clear way, that will illustrate all of the food on the table. We are still working on finalizing the menu with our caterer, but I love the idea of vintage, elegant menus that complement the mixed metallics and soft flowers of our tablescape. Here are a few options that I'm loving this week.

Sources: 1 (our invitation suite), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

The Well-Suited Gentleman

While wedding dress shopping was quite the undertaking (hi Mom! hi sister! hi future MIL! hi BFF!), my fiance basically tried on one jacket at Nordstrom, and bought a wedding suit in under 30 minutes. Really doesn't seem fair, does it? That won't stop me from spending endless internet time finding him the perfect accessories to match his stunning suit. You're welcome, honey! Here are some of my favorites.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The Trip of a Lifetime: Planning the Honeymoon

This week, I've been obsessing over our honeymoon for a couple of reasons. 1) It's still hovering around 30 degrees here in beautiful Ohio, so a summer trip to somewhere warm and beachy sounds incredible right about now.

2) I've discovered the secret to those annoying early Spring/Summer dresses and sandals that pop up everywhere in February--buying for the honeymoon! (Somehow this seems a little more forgivable...don't question the shopping strategy!)

For our honeymoon, we're planning on flying into Paris, and traveling to Lugano, Switzerland, then to Florence and Cinque Terre, Italy. Isn't there just something beyond dreamy about honeymooning in Paris? I hope we can make the timing work (if only I could take a month off of work...). Lugano is the "ancestral village" of my Swiss-Italian fiance, and a stunning resort town, so I'm really looking forward to that, as well. And Florence and Cinque Terre will fill out our trip with equal parts touristy activities, and rustic, remote beach town!

Here are a few images that are so stunning, I may just make them my desktop background at work.

A Few of My Favor-ite Things

Please excuse the punny title of this post. While wedding favors aren't always a necessity, there are tons of fun ways to give your guests a small token of thanks. Because we are such huge foodies, we want our favors to reflect that. In traditional Italian culture, five Jordan almonds represent five wishes for the bride and groom: health, wealth, happiness, fertility, and longevity. While Jordan almonds can certainly be a little cheesy, I found these stunning silver ones that would make a really fun favor. Here are a few things that are inspiring me this week as I think about favors:

Sources: 1-3, 4-5, 6-9, 10

Getting the Glow: Bridal Hair and Makeup

Let me just start this post by saying one thing: FOUR MONTHS. AHHHH! Now that that's out of the way...on to one* of my latest obsessions:  bridal hair and makeup. For makeup, I've hired the amazing Audrey Crandell, but I haven't quite found the perfect hair stylist. I'm planning to keep my hair and makeup elegant, sophisticated, and not too fussy. I know I want a hair comb, so for hair, I'm loving vintage-inspired updos, with some movement. I'm also finding myself drawn to makeup with dark (but still natural-looking) eyes, and kissable lips. (And obviously, I'd like to look like a celebrity. Please and thank you.) Here are some of my favorites.

*Please don't ask my fiance Mark about bridal headpieces or he may have a complete breakdown...sorry honey! Pretty sure that I have looked at thousands at this point!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7-11

Linens 'n Things: Finding the Perfect Rentals

Depending on the venue you choose, you will either have to get a lot of rentals or some rentals. I've pretty much never heard of caterers or venues that come completely equipped. That being said, we are very lucky that Paradise Ridge comes with tables, chairs, and an amazing view, so we really only had to get the basics.

Last Saturday, we headed to Wine Country Party & Events, and chose our linens, flatware, glassware, outdoor lights, and ceremony arch. While we're definitely still finalizing everything, these are some of our favorites so far.

Have you chosen your rentals yet?

Source (all photos): Wine Country Party