Grand Entrance

Source: Utah Bride Blog

Remember a couple weeks ago when I was scheming ideas for our ceremony backdrop? Now that the wheels are turning there I'm turning my attention toward the venue entry to see if I can repurpose some of the DIY elements. While I love love the inside of our venue, the exterior is pretty quiet from the street. Its a sleek black storefront on an urban street. I don't dislike it, but I think i'd like to add some elements so that our guests will know that they're entering our event from the street.

I've pulled some ideas of elements we might like to add. Since we have an urban venue, I'd like to find a way to interpret some of these more rustic ideas into something that will make sense for the surroundings.

Source: The Manchiks

I like the lights in the image above to lend a vintage theatrical vibe to the entry. We don't have an overhang, but perhaps we could find an element to build upon.

I also love love the idea of a little bling on the ground as guests arrive:

Source: 100 layer cake

I also like the idea of a beautiful sign to bring in some of the design elements we've come up with so far.

Source: Meg Ruth Photo, 100 layer cake

The benefits of our venue entrance are a wide clear sidewalk, a sleek painted storefront and display windows (which we can decorate). [Thats an actual shot of our entrance below] I'm thinking of adding some simple colors to the windows, and outside flanking the entry with some greenery and bold shapes. Perhaps some acrylic shapes mounted to a sleek black archway? I've wanted some large fiddle leaf houseplants, so I'm thinking of buying them for the big day then giving them a sunny home in our living room. And who can resist a giant balloon? Can't wait to see how we can make these all come together.

Sources: Julep (bunting), Southern Botanical (Fiddle Leaf), Matt Shumate (EM Fine Art Exterior Photo) Design Love Fest (Acrylic Backdrop - by Michelle Edgemont), Green Wedding Shoes (Balloon)

Houston Engagement Session by Michelle Boyd Photography

Here is a fun little engagement session for your end of week inspiration! Michelle Boyd Photography captured these two so well with tons of color and artistic shots. The story of these photos from the bride is wonderful. Check it out:

"Alvy and I knew that we wanted to do something different for our engagement photos. I love the fashion and style of that era and we wanted to incorporate a vintage automobile in the pictures, so we thought that the early 1960's would be a good fit for that. It was a very classy and elegant period of time and we wanted to incorporate that feel in our photos. Alvy has been in love with cars since about the age of 4, a passion he shares with his father. Over the years he has had several vintage cars, most recently his beloved 1971 Chevy Chevelle. Knowing that we wanted a 1960's car for our photos we attended a classic car show in the Houston area. There we met Lou and his lovely 1962 Plymouth Fury. He and Alvy began talking cars, and Lou generously offered to let us use his ride for our engagement photos.

We decided to take our photos in Houston since this is the city where we met, fell in love and plan to reside. I really enjoyed the chance to get all dolled up in 1960's fashion, especially getting to show off my grandmother's vintage handbag. Alvy loved the opportunity to hang out in a cool vintage ride and we both had a blast during our engagement session!"

Snapshots

Booking season is upon us, huh? So many brides are planning so far in advance, I guess that is how to do it these days. 2014 is always quickly filling up, and oh wait, some 2015 brides on the books? Oh ya. These past few weeks of summer have been madness and it is only going to get more exciting when I gear up for way too many weddings in definitely not enough weeks. I'm couldn't be more excited. While things get in order, I thought I'd share a few recent snapshots from Instagram. I'll be posting more photos of this soon, but last week I was showering one of my besties. Her wedding is a few short weeks away!

I've been doing site visit after site visit and this time I was taking through amazing redwood trees. Can't beat California. Just saying.

I had a weekend off, so I decided to throw a little dinner party of my own. Complete with wrapped breads and some amazing Linnea Carta napkins.

I topped off the weekend picking up brass candle sticks from my favorite florist Floral Theory. I could just sit and stare at her collection all day. Luckily we narrowed down the 30 we are bringing to Italy to dot the tablescape.

I hope you all are enjoying this weather more than I am. I just can't wait for some boots, fires in the fireplace, and to get all wrapped up in a blanket. I'm definitely ready for fall....or rather Indian Summer followed by the 50 degree days we like to call Winter.

April In. . .

 

Source: Japan Guide

One of the only upsides of being in a long distance relationship is frequent flyer miles. LOTS of frequent flyer miles. After over 5 years of cross country flights and extra credit card points, I've accumulated over 150,000 miles. I've known all along (well, since we got engaged) what I wanted to do with all these miles: Go on an awesome honeymoon!

We're approaching 6 months out from the big day so we thought we ought to solidify where we wanted to go. We took into account time of year, desired activities (adventure travel vs. lounging), food, culture, and ease of travel. We considered New Zealand (yep, we had enough miles to get there for free), Thailand, Portugal,  Croatia, but ultimately decided the time of year was too perfect to neglect one of our favorite places on the planet. These are all scenes from our destination:

Source: Japan Guide

Source: Aura Tachibana

Source: Jennifer Chong

Source: Kinfolk Magazine

I'm sure its been a pretty easy guess, but we're headed to Japan!! New Zealand was the runner up, but with 11 days to travel we decided it was just too far to go. United has a direct flight Seattle to Tokyo so the great thing is we can have an exotic vacation without spending too much time actually travelling.

Source: One Kings Lane

Even though we've both been, we feel like there is SO much more of the country we want to see and experience and we're super duper excited. Plus, it will be cherry blossom season. I already know I am going to take a bazillion photos. Our plan is to start our trip in Tokyo, then spend a few days up in the mountains near Nagano soaking in hot springs, then head to Kyoto to experience the amazing temples, and finish up in Osaka which is the foodie capitol of the country. If anyone has any Japan travel recs, send 'em my way. You can also follow my Japan Honeymoon pinterest board.

Italian Engagement Shoot by Megan Ann Photography

This just looks like an incredibly awesome experience for Megan Ann Photography and of course this couple. In The Mood For Love, an Italian event planner picked out these perfect locations.  Who knew that Alberobello was the place to be?! These structures are the Trulli house village area. Simply gorgeous. 

Another bit of bling

Source: Carina Skrobecki

While Erik was home on military leave this summer, we went shopping and bought his wedding band, a simple matte tungsten band. Seeing a ring on his finger somehow made things start to feel really real, can't wait for it to be there permanently! Now that we have his, I spent some time thinking about what I really want.

My ring, in the image above, is a custom designed band with small floral accents around a rose cut center stone, creating the look of a wide band. I absolutely love it on its own, and because it was custom made for us, it doesn't come as a set with a wedding band. Because I love it so much on its own, I don't really want something that nestles in perfectly to make it even wider, I feel like it would really change the whole look of the ring.

For awhile I thought I didn't want another band at all. My mom never had a separate engagement ring and band, and I didn't want something that would make me like my ring less. But, we do travel quite a bit internationally, and I wanted something I could wear in case I was nervous travelling with an obvious diamond on my finger. We also do a lot of gardening and house renovation, so again wanted something to wear in lieu of my engagement ring for weekends spent mostly at home depot. And then there's the symbolic aspect of having a band to bless on the day of our wedding. The engagement ring has so much symbolism, but I wanted another little something to have to remind me of the actual wedding day, even if I don't wear it 100% of the time.

So I started researching simple bands with some organic texture that brought the feeling of my engagement ring to them. I looked for very thin bands in hope of finding something that might work with the engagement ring for the rare day I might want to wear both. For this reason I was also looking for palladium or white gold options to match my diamond ring. Here are the favorites that I found:

Source: [one] [two] [three] [four] [five]

I really like all of these for different reasons, but one night on pinterest I stumbled across a band that has the same feeling to me as my engagement ring in a much simpler form. They won't necessarily go together, but I will feel equally beautiful wearing either depending on the day. They're both architectural yet organic:

Source: Anna Sheffield

One thing I especially like about this choice is that there is a matching band with diamonds that we can get down the road as an anniversary band. It would be a great wedding band option if you wanted something a little blingier. I've already started dropping hints for our 5 year anniversary.

Recently Pinned \\ Amalfi Coast

I'm headed to the Amalfi Coast in a few short weeks. In preparation for our trip, I've been doing a lot of research on Italian destinations, must-see locations, and beautiful hotels. There are so many amazing ones, but the challenge is finding one that is under $1,000 a night! Maybe it is the fact that we are booking last minute, or that staying on the Amalfi Coast is a little pricier than I thought it would be. I'm not sure, but I've been really discouraged about the whole thing. Hopefully I can find something affordable but just as beautiful as these options! I'm pinning tons of Italian recommendations on my travel board this week. Isn't it amazing how Pinterest has changed the way we search for recommendations? I'm loving it.

Anyone else planning a trip to Italy? Honeymoon perhaps? Let's here your plans!

Design-Inspired Engagement by Hunter Ryan Photo

This shoot features two extremes, both of with I love! Beach shots filled with tons and tons of beautiful driftwood, then insane interiors and beautiful fashion all the way through. Hunter Ryan Photo did a wonderful job on this shoot. 

From the Photographer: Sonika and Greg met as students at Ringling College in Sarasota, FL. Greg is an amateur photographer and graphic designer, and Sonika is now an interior designer. It was VERY fitting for them to have their engagement shoot first start at New College, then over to the amazingly beautiful Ringling Museum (Ca d'Zan Mansion). The architecture, details and design was so very "them." Finally we ended their shoot at one of their favorite locations - the stunning Longboat Key beach. It's almost magical there at sunset as the orange sun hits the weather-worn trees that just jut right out of the beach and water. From a design standpoint for Greg and Sonika it was THE perfect ending to the day.

DIY Farm Wedding by Holly Cromer

Florals make the best first impression, don't you think? These caught my eye and I just can't stop staring! This is a wedding filled to the gills with personal touches and plenty of DIY projects.

Inspiration behind your day/Your wedding vision:

We knew early on that we wanted our wedding to be a celebration of our family and friends, while also paying homage to our Virginian roots.  And... above all else, we wanted to have ridiculously good food throughout the night.  We worked closely with John and Karen Schopp to develop a unique menu utilizing local foods and flavors, and also featured beers and wines from our favorite local breweries and vineyards.

Your Special DIY Projects:

The entire event was based on what we and our family + friends could do ourselves, so every aspect was DIY to some degree.  For example... in each invitation we mailed out, we enclosed a small sketchbook and asked guests to fill it with memories, advice, wisdom, photos, etc and then bring it with them to the wedding to become part of a "library" that we can keep forever.  We both agree, though, that the altar was the most special project we put together for the event.  We're both architects, so utilizing reclaimed materials in a unique way helped us put a very personal touch to the ceremony.

Favorite memory of the day:

Brett's favorite memory is looking out at the guests during the ceremony and seeing everyone wearing the colorful sunglasses we provided --  even the grandmothers had on hot pink and lime green glasses... priceless!  My favorite memory was the end of the night, when everyone really cut loose and sang their hearts out to Bohemian Rhapsody with us.  Really can't top that in my mind!

 Advice for brides planning now:

Don't be afraid to call on your friends to offer their talents.  Having those extra personal touches are exactly what made our wedding so special and memorable to us! And you never know, you might stumble upon a friend with at 1963 Plymouth Fury to drive off in!

Photographers - Holly Cromer

Event coordination: That Wedding Bridal Consulting

Venue: Boxtree Lodge, Vinton, Virginia

Floral Design: Arrington's Flowers 

Wedding Dress: WToo Emerson Dress, from Ann's Boutique in Burke VA 

Groom Attire: Ties from Tie Bar, Suits from JoS. A Bank, Shirts from Ledbury, and Shoes from Vans

Paper Goods/Wedding Invitation: Printer Gatherer

Videography/Stop Motion: Holly Cromer

Cake and Catering: John and Karen Schopp of Center Stage Catering 

Bluegrass Band: Blue Moonshine 

Lighting, Draping, and DJ: Whatchaneed Productions 

Honey Favors: Bearer Farms  

A softer birdcage

Recently I met with the seamstress who will be doing some alterations to the gown I found at a charity sample sale earlier in the spring. This makes the whole thing feel real and has spurred me into figuring out the rest of my look. One of the images inspiring me was this fresh bride with smoky eyes, bright lip, simple curls, and a retro-inspired birdcage look.

Source: The Bride's Cafe

Gorgeous, right? I really love the vintage inspiration behind the netted birdcage veil, but the more I looked for options to purchase the more I wasn't sure it was QUITE right. As you can see from my dress inspiration, the silouettes that inspired by gown purchase aren't particularly retro (they're not tea length circle skirts or anything), and have some more modern elements. So I started to wonder how to channel the inspiration of the birdcage but in a more streamlined, simpler way. Here are some of the options I found and what I love about them:

Tulle blusher from Tessa Kim. I love that this has the same general shape as a birdcage, but falls a little lower and generally softer. Plus, the simple tulle has a cleaner look than the vintage netting. The Tessa Kim option comes in varying lengths (my favorite is the 18") and varying colors.

Source: Tessa Kim

 Polka Dot blusher. I mean, Polka Dots. Originally I really wanted an Ivy + Aster gown in a swiss dot (unfortunately the bust line wasn't quite right for my girls), so I thought this might be a way to channel that sense of whimsey.

Source: Sibo Designs

Short Tulle Birdcage. I really loved the double-layer of this for a more modern line. Doesn't get more simple than this.

Source: BHLDN (No Longer available, but similar styles available at the other links in this post)

Circle Drop veil. I've been really loving the clean lines of drop veils lately since they avoid that ruched look at the comb. This veil is so simple its literally just a tulle circle cut to lay over your hair and face. Ultimately, i think the length is a little too traditional, plus I was worried about the logistics of uncovering my face during the ceremony with this one.

Source: Melinda Rose Design

Ultimately I ended up stumbling upon an amazing Tessa Kim pop up sale and chose hers because it fit the original birdcage blusher shape, had a soft simplicity, and I got an amazing deal. Actually, if I'm being honest, I actually bought a shorter one too that I might add some sparkle to and wear for my bachelorette and/or the rehearsal.

Now, off to finalize hair and find a hairpiece for the reception (I might DIY that, we'll see!). For more ideas on what I'm considering for my bridal look, visit my Bridal Attire pinterest board.