What could have been {Winter wedding inspiration}

We are getting married in July, an absolutely stunning time of year in Sonoma County--not too hot and humid, rarely rainy and foggy, overall, pretty perfect weather. Despite our chosen date, I've found myself fantasizing about winter weddings. There's something so picturesque and magical about winter weddings that I find pretty unique. We went to a beautiful winter wedding last year, of my good friend Marian, and it remains one of the most memorable weddings we've attended. While we're set in our date, and in our summer wedding plans, here are a few things that would inspire me if I were planning a winter wedding.

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 Here's one of many gorgeous photos from my friend Marian's wedding, taken by the super-talented Alison Yin. (Marian's wedding was recently featured on Rock N' Roll Bride here!)

Source: Alison Yin Photography 

How do seasons inspire your wedding plans?

Two is Better than One {Second dress or not?}

I am a ridiculous bride. Before we knew our wedding date, venue, caterer...basically anything...I had purchased a wedding dress. I absolutely love my dress. It's everything I've ever wanted---completely over-the-top, and me. Despite that, I have a lingering desire for a second dress for the reception---something short and sparkly, that will allow me to dance the night away in July. According to Say Yes to the Dress, nearly 20% of brides wear a second dress. Personally, I find it a little hard to justify needing not one, but two dresses. But, that's never stopped me from dreaming (aka pinning up a storm). Here are a few of my favorites.

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Are you wearing a second dress?

Beneath the Leaves {Choosing Ceremony Florals and Eves}

I'm very lucky to be getting married at Paradise Ridge Winery, which offers an unbeatable ceremony location. See pics below.

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Because of the space's abundant natural beauty, I want to keep things simple and botanical, but would love to bring to life our Art Nouveau aesthetic. Here are some images inspiring me this week.

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A Walk in the Park {Sneak Peek Engagement Pictures!}

Greetings from Beijing! I'm traveling for work, and let me tell you, it is Cold here (with a capital C), and that's coming from someone that lived in Chicago for two years! About a month ago, my fiance and I had our engagement photo session with the enormously talented Shang Chen. I'm actually lucky enough to know Shang in real life (we went to business school together), so the shoot was even more fun! We walked around the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers and Golden Gate Park, on a stunningly beautiful fall afternoon.

I'll admit, I was a bit obsessive about outfits, and brought three (yes, three) pairs of shoes to our photo shoot. If you're unsure, your photographer is an amazing resource for advice on what will photograph well. We sent Shang photos of our outfits ahead of time, and she had some really excellent feedback.

Source (all photos): Shang Chen Photography 

I highly recommend taking engagement photos, particularly with your wedding photographer. They are a great time to build rapport, and to work out any of the kinks with your photographer before your big day. Shang is amazing at what she does, and her blog is a great source of inspiration to me.

Have you had your engagement photos taken yet?

Flights of Fancy {feathers as wedding inspiration}

My fiance, Mark, and I have a long-running joke about me walking down the aisle carrying a live white peacock instead of a bouquet. I'll take the flowers, please and thank you. The last thing I need is a frantic animal in my arms during our wedding. Needless to say, I have a strong and deep love of all things feathered, which I've inherited primarily from my mother, who is about as obsessed as they come. Feathers are popping up all over the place in wedding decor, bridal attire, accessories, even invitations. Here are a few of my favorite iterations:

Surely, I wouldn't look this glamorous carrying a bird.

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Feathers as decorative details...

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Feathers in your hair...

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How will you be incorporating your feathered friends?

P.S. If you've seen my Pinterest, you know I have much, much more feather inspiration, so just wait for shoes and dress posts!

Adorn your Fete {Stylish Engagement Party Details}

In July, my mother threw us a beautiful engagement party. Every detail was perfect, and she and I had so much fun together creating personalized, detailed touches. Engagement parties are a fun time to begin thinking about all of the little details that will take over (your every waking moment for...) the next twelve months or so. In the weeks leading up to our party, I scoured Pinterest and Etsy for fun ideas. Here are a few of my favorites:

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And here are a few favorites from my own engagement party, last July:

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We had a blast making this fun banner. My mom is a ninja with scissors, let me tell you!

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These little flags look beautiful, but the petit fours were so delicious that they disappeared in about a minute. They were fun to make though--toothpicks, silver permanent marker, and scrapbooking paper. Easy! I will definitely recreate these in the future.

Have you had an engagement party yet? Did you incorporate any fun little details? I would love to hear about them!

Calm and Centered {Choosing a Practical Centerpiece}

Of all the things I'm looking forward to about our wedding, I am incredibly excited that we will be able to serve our reception dinner family style (big portions of every dish on the table, rather than individually plated portions). My fiance is Italian, and serving our guests a wonderful family style meal has been important to us from the beginning. So fun! So simple! Wrong. Like every wedding decision, our choice to serve family style has had a domino affect on a number of other decisions. Most notably, our centerpieces need to have a small footprint. (Goodbye to all those low and chubby pink peonies and English roses I was lusting after all over Pinterest!) So, my latest challenge has been to find a centerpiece that fits our lush, botanical aesthetic, while keeping the table free for steaming bowls of polenta. Here are a few I've liked so far:

I couldn't resist this very Art Nouveau Parisian lantern...so dreamy!

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I've become a little obsessed with footed arrangements. These arrangements have an elegant, vintage feel to them, and allow for stunning florals, without the precious table space. Here are a few catching my eye this week (the first two were sent to me from--not taken by--our amazing engagement and wedding photographer Shang Chen).

Source: Tec Petaja Photography

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How have you made your centerpieces more practical?

Beautiful Bites {Choosing a Caterer}

Hello there! If there's one thing to know about me and my wedding it's this: I. LOVE. FOOD. My fiance and I are major foodies, and our number one priority is having delicious local and seasonal food at our wedding. Since there are so many amazing caterers to choose from, one way to help narrow them down is their presentation. During our catering tastings, I was blown away by the unique, imaginative, and inventive presentation of the hors d'oeuvres. Here are a few images inspiring my appetizer and hors d'oeuvres selections:

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So what's been tantalizing your taste buds lately?

Art Nouveau + Great Gatsby Wedding Inspiration

Time to introduce you to a 2013 bride who is joining our bunch of Engaged & Inspired blogging brides! She will be here each and every Friday blogging her way to the altar. We couldn't be happier to have her and her totally unique take on a traditional "barn" wedding. She is tying the knot at Paradise Ridge Winery on July 20, 2013.

How Would You Describe Your Style?

I'd describe our wedding style as Art Nouveau, botanical and vintage without being rustic (sorry, no burlap and mason jars for this bride!), huge focus on delicious local cuisine, with some Great Gatsby flair (feathers and sequins and beads, oh my!). My fiance is an English professor, so we will definitely incorporate literature into our invitations, programs, perhaps even escort cards. We are definitely not the typical rustic winery wedding, and we are determined to keep every last detail us (I'm lucky to have a very involved groom).

Want more inspiration from our bride Allegra? Check out her Pinterest Board.