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Bride and Groom Seating

August 31, 2011 by Rebekah

You’ve already seen how to make regular chairs and seating look more unique and personalized, but now you can have even more chair inspiration for the two most important seats at the wedding – the bride and groom!

I am absolutely in love with these 1950′s inspired bright colored and glittery graphic bride and groom seat markers!

Bride and groom seating does not have to be marked on the chairs alone. I love the simplicity of these tags tucked into the forks.

Silhouettes are also adorable, and I would love if they had only been used subtly and were tied through to the chairs as well, i.e. the invitations had a silhouette element, or the save-the-date etc.

Always a sucker for a vintage chalkboard. Short, sweet, and to the point.

These beautiful blooms displayed for the bride and groom seats look gorgeous and even a little regal; just what you want on your wedding day!

Using scrabble tiles to spell out bride and groom for their places would be adorable as well!

I saved the best for last! I love the vintage feel of the term “just hitched”. It’s adorable and this sign complete with hanging cans and all is too perfect for words!

Chairs are just another great way for you to carry out your style and to push your favorite elements even further. Whether you chose your unique display from your font, your favorite game, or your favorite bloom personality always makes for the best inspiration!

Photos One and Two: ruffledblog.com; Photo Three: stylemepretty.com; Photo Four: stylemepretty.com; Photo Five: stylemepretty.com; Photo Six: bridalhood.blogspot.com; Photo Seven: magnoliarouge.com; Photo Eight:snippetandink.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed, wedding and event design wizard who loves hunting her bay area homeland for clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, new pieces for her vintage rental line and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live and write in Oakland. Read her blog.

Filed Under: Small Wedding Ideas, Wedding Planning, Wedding Trends | 3 Comments

Little Bites for Your Big Day!

August 24, 2011 by Rebekah

Choosing the appetizers for your wedding can seem overwhelming because there are so many options. Thankfully, as with any wedding related item, you can express your wedding vision through your food choices. Whether that means that you crave cleverly presented comfort food, fresh or seasonal fruits and veggies for your summer wedding, chic sweets for your modern affair; or you just want all your favorite foods in mini form – whatever your motivation is, this is your inspiration.

Comfort food appetizers such as sophisticated grilled cheese and tomato soup, mac and cheese bites, pizza cups, and colorful soups are perfect for a fall or winter wedding.

Having a summer wedding? What about simple veggie cups with ranch, grapecicles, adorable olive penguins, corn on the cob on a stick and caprese salad on a pick?

Looking for sweet ideas? Cinnamon twists, lime cups with watermelon sherbet and cheesecake in a cup!

Check out this gorgeous orzo salad served in a jar!

I don’t know about you, but I am salivating and debating starting a new diet craze in which I only eat appetizers.

What are some clever appetizer ideas you’ve thought of using for your wedding? Do you think you would make them yourself or hire caterers?

Photo One: withstyle.me; Photo Two: whatweareeating.com; Photo Three: Seasaltwithfood.com; Photo Four: MarthaStewartWeddings.com; Photo Five: simplebites.net; Photo Six: accidentalhostess.com; Photo Seven: IntimateWeddings.com/blog; Photo Eight: cookingwithmykid.com; Photo Nine: eatdrinkpretty.blogspot.com; Photo Ten: picky-palate.com; Photo: Eleven: valsocal.blogspot.com; Photo Twelve: mybakingaddiction.com; Photo Thirteen: foodformyfamily.com; Photos Fourteen and Fifteen: travelsinheels.blogspot.com; Photo Sixteen: kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com

Filed Under: Wedding Trends | 2 Comments

Photos as Wedding Decor

August 17, 2011 by Rebekah

Photos are the windows to the soul. Wait, that’s eyes, but in this digital world photos have become almost as important! Using photos at your wedding can show your guests important memories and beloved family members – and they go a long way in personalizing your wedding.

There are many ways you can incorporate photos into your wedding decor.

Clotheslines are a great way to show off pictures you want to display for your guests. They’re easy to see and have a fun rustic look with the line and clips.

Another fun rustic photo display is done by hanging wire horizontally in an old frame.

photos frame

Polaroids hanging in a chain from a metal tree or framed favorites hanging from a real tree both add a touch of whimsy and element of fun.

Look at this awesome photo bout!

photo-bout

You can also use photos in fan wedding programs.

program fan

Photo displays are also great additions (or even alternatives) to floral centerpieces. Here, classic framed black and white wedding photos of the couples’ parents and grandparents add to a stylish centerpiece. Another photo centerpiece is using a mason jar filled with olive oil to make a photo appear sepia toned and aged. You could put family or couple pics in them.

I love this idea for a simple cake, having a small frame holding a photo of the couple. Very cute.

As for photos on paper products, we’ve seen invites and fans that display photos of the couple and here you see the favor packet (a donation to the couples favorite charity) this couple created for their guests.

Check out these chocolate bar favors wrapped with childhood photos of the bride and groom.

photo wedding favors

Photo One: greylikesweddings.com; Photo Two: stylemepretty.com; Photo Three: taliachristine.blogspot.com; Photo Four: stylemepretty.com; Photo Five: marthastewartweddings.com Photo Six: TheKnot.com; Photo Seven: OnceWed.com; Photo Seven: offbeatbride.com; Photo Eight: offbeatbride.com; Photo Nine: marthastewartweddings.com; Photo Ten: intimateweddings.com: Photo Eleven: marthastewartweddings.com

Filed Under: Wedding Trends | 5 Comments

Veggie Wedding Decor

August 11, 2011 by Rebekah

Eat your veggies – and decorate with them too! Veggie decor is a hot trend. It’s a great alternative to flowers, especially for brides trying to save a few bucks.

Luckily vegetable decor can be just as colorful as flowers so you won’t have to sacrifice on color and vibrancy! These vegetable boxes have a great rustic, farm-fresh feel to them.

What I like most about this veggie buffet table is the details. The artichoke pillars, cabbage bouquets and brussels sprouts runner are such great unexpected details. I would love to see a thick brussels sprout runner down the middle of a farm table. Gorgeous!

I don’t know about you, but when I think about a “veggie bouquet” I envision a bunch of carrots (literally), not the most sophisticated image. Thankfully, brides today are much more imaginative than that and are great as making fusion creations. Some bouquets simply incorporate vegetables like this hydrangea and artichoke bouquet as well as the kale and artichoke bouquet.

A bride can also totally surprise you and create something you never would have imagined before; like a bouquet that features heirloom carrots, purple kale and asparagus among its greenery and flowers.

Veggies can also be doubly efficient by being used as both the centerpiece and your candles. Here these veggies have been carved or wrapped around to house candles.

You could even continue the veggie theme through to your paper products, using radicchio to make a gorgeously designed stamp for your menu, invites, or thank you cards!

Photo One: youaremyfave.com; Photo Two: marthastewart.com; Photo Three: forgetmeknotweddingsblog.com; Photos Four and Five: pawleysislandposh.blogspot.com; Photo Six: whitelilacinc.blogspot.com; Photo Seven: g reenweddingshoes.com; Photo Eight: greenweddingshoes.com; Photo Nine: tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com; Photo Ten: yesbride.com; Photo Eleven: marthastewart.com

Filed Under: Unique Wedding Finds, Wedding Trends | 3 Comments

Hot for Hydrangeas!

August 10, 2011 by Rebekah

Hydrangeas have seen a huge boost in popularity.

For weddings, they’re styled in one color or mixed with other lush colors to show their true beauty and simplicity.

I’ll start with the most dreamy use of hydrangeas. This swoon-worthy runner was made using all green hydrangeas and is so incredibly beautiful I can barely stand it!

While the runner is rather grand, even the most simple use of a hydrangea cut short and placed in a vintage tea cup can have an impact that most single stems of a bloom couldn’t achieve. Here’s another example where a simple vessel and just a few stems can be just as good (if not better) than a packed centerpiece.

Being the versatile flowers that they are, hydrangeas also look beautiful when bunched tightly together.

Bouquets made up of hydrangeas are of course a favorite as well! If you’re wedding day is going to be hot though, make sure to keep them in water as much as you can to avoid wilting. These bouquets have a fresh and simple look that would be perfect for an outdoor wedding. Check out the DIY tutorial for how to make a bouquet like the pink one!

Hydrangea inspiration isn’t limited to just the fresh cut variety. Here is a simple, yet gorgeous rose and hydrangea inspired cake as well as pretty hydrangea cupcakes!

These hydrangea inspired invites are gorgeous as well.

Here’s a cute hydrangea inspired DIY pomander too! Learn how to make this hydrangea pomander.

If seeing all of these gorgeous flowers has inspired you there’s a few things you should know: they’re in season in the summer, so if you’re getting them at another time know that the price may be inflated with the quality and size decreased.

Heat or lack of water can make them wilt or appear “droopy.” The white varieties can also show bruising more easily. Have no fear though, as long as you’re styling these flowers in water or wet floral foam them should do fine!

If your wedding is going to be on a very hot day and the flowers won’t have relief from it, you may want to think of another variety of flower. If using the hydrangeas in your bouquet, that’s okay too, just make sure to be storing them in water whenever you’re not using them (for photos or during the ceremony).

Prices for hydrangeas range roughly from $3.00-$7.00 per stem depending on how many you’re ordering and from which time of year. Thankfully these beautiful blooms are all over the world and grow in many people’s gardens; you may be able to get enough for your bridal parties’ bouquets just from a friend or neighbor!

Photo One: simplesong.typepad.com; Photo Two: dreamywhites.blogspot.com; Photo Three: stylemepretty.com; Photo Four: valdirose.blogspot.com; Photo Five: stylemepretty.com; Photo Six: projectwedding.com; Photo Seven: watters.com; Photo Eight: iammommy.typepad.com; Photo Nine: glorioustreats.blogspot.com; Photo Ten: momentaldesigns.com; Photo Eleven: intimateweddings.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed, wedding and event styling wizard who loves hunting her bay area homeland for clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, new pieces for her vintage rental line and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live and write in Oakland. Read her blog.

Filed Under: Small Wedding Ideas, Wedding Planning, Wedding Trends | 2 Comments

Vintage Wedding Furniture Rentals

August 4, 2011 by Rebekah

Being a vintage junkie I couldn’t be more happy that vintage inspirations in wedding and event design seem to be here to stay! One of the more recent vintage elements that can be seen throughout weddings today are vintage furniture pieces. While some people may be collectors or have pieces that they can borrow from a friend or family member, others may see a small desk that features favors or a rustic farm table for a dessert buffet or a fun vintage sofa perfect for their pictures that they dream of creating but don’t know how to go about finding these key pieces.

Thanks to this trend, vintage rental companies are starting to pop up to meet the demand of brides wanting one of a kind pieces and props that will add unique interest to their big day. I recently started my own vintage furniture and farm table business based out of Oregon. My business was inspired by how I felt when my husband and I were planning our Golden Era wedding. There were so many pieces that I wanted for our wedding decor, but it simply wasn’t in the budget to buy these furniture pieces when I would only be needing them for one day.

Vintage furniture rental companies offer options that the regular event rental companies don’t. Whether it’s a velvet couch perfect for photo ops before the wedding, a lounge area for guests, a photo wall, or the perfect dessert table, vintage furniture can really help to showcase a couple’s style.

Simply having the option of using rustic farm tables rather than fold-up tables that you would normally rent offers much more of a natural and intimate feel. The best part of all is that you don’t have to invest in scouting out and purchasing antique and vintage furniture pieces, you can just rent them for the day!

All furniture from A & B Creative rental line and all photography by Tara Leigh.

Filed Under: vintage wedding, Wedding Trends | Leave a Comment

Billy Button Flower Power!

July 28, 2011 by Rebekah

You have probably seen cute, yellow flowers popping up around weddings a lot lately. Meet Billy! Billy Buttons, that is.

Billy Buttons (aka Billy Bobs) have such a distinct color and shape that they add gobs of character wherever you apply them. They look beautiful in bouquets, but I want to show some other uses for them. Billy buttons are a great accessory to add simple pops of color to any wedding day element you choose.

Billies in your hair are brilliant. Shown here they can look formal and mod or whimsical and bohemian.

They’re also great for accenting your alter space.

I said I wouldn’t share bouquet photos, but I do want to share billy boutonnieres! These are so simple, but make such an impact. There is even a DIY demo for the feathered boutonniere!

Billy buttons are so distinct that their centerpieces don’t have to be complex, simple natural elements are all that are needed to supplement them.

I love flowers on simple cakes. It’s a great way to make a less expensive cake look more interesting and a great way to add details and color to an otherwise plain design. Here are two beautiful Billy Button adorned cakes.

Hopefully you’re as in love with Billy Buttons as I am! The yellow pop of color is perfect to liven up a more neutral area, or to add to your other brightly colored elements. If your local florist doesn’t carry these flowers, have no fear – they’re available online for wholesale as well!

Photo One: sarahgawler.co.uk/blog; Photo Two: welliesandvogue.com; Photo Three: erinheartscourt.com/blog; Photo Four: stylemepretty.com; Photo Five: woodlanddreams.net; Photos Six, Seven and Eight: erinheartscourt.com/blog; Photo Nine: lunaandchloeweddings.com; Photo Ten: goodsunshine.blogspot.com

Rebekah is a DIY obsessed,wedding design wizard who loves hunting her bay area homeland for clever craft ideas, vintage gems, bargain buys, and blogging inspiration. She and her husband live and write in Oakland. Read her blog

Filed Under: Wedding Trends | Leave a Comment

Summer Sno ball Inspiration Shoot

July 27, 2011 by Rebekah

I recently styled this inspiration shoot and it is the perfect answer for an affordable, casual (yet stylish) rehearsal dinner option. One of the first visions that I had for a summer inspiration was using Sno balls. I love their pink color and fluffy shape. Using grey icing is not only a nice color juxtaposition but also brings a formality to the sugary nostalgia of the Sno balls.

The striped straws tie the icing and paper runners together and are another fun, yet sophisticated element. I used vintage cake carriers as centerpieces that would cover your dessert, or dinner, and a collection of vintage teapots and vases to house the simple flower arrangements. Fun yellow swirl enameled plates and blue and white gingham napkins add more color and pop to the simplistic elements of the table.

We used a rustic farm table and benches from our rental line (if renting them isn’t possible, a collection of nice picnic tables would also work). Depending on how many guests you have, investing in mismatched china, or vintage plates from thrift stores and flea markets, would be a fun way to build your dish collection. If you’re not opposed to it, this company Once Upon A Party actually has some stylish paper plates that would be affordable and still give a sophisticated and vintage inspired look.

One of my favorite parts of this tablescape inspiration are the mismatching elements. While I love the streamlined look of the matching plates, napkins, snowballs, flowers and straws, I especially love the look of the different cake carriers and the mix of vases and flower vessels. Having elements that do not match add to the look being simple and stylish and most of all successful. By having things be a little different on each table makes finding something like a bright red teapot underneath the simple white flowers exciting. It makes your eye wander around the table to see what other surprises you might find!

Having a rehearsal dinner’s theme that was inspired by this shoot would be classic, sophisticated and modern while still feeling intimate with the vintage and rustic elements. Picking local flowers, borrowing or collecting plates, or using stylish paper ones will all keep costs down, while not sacrificing the look that you desire for your last dinner before you get married!

Photo shoot styling by Rebekah of A & B Creative and all photos by Tara Leigh Photography.

Filed Under: vintage wedding, Wedding Trends | 1 Comment

Wedding Fans

July 21, 2011 by Rebekah

Fans are perfect for hot summer weddings! Whether they display your program, a photo of you, or just one of your favorite images, fans keep your guests cool or shaded and they’re adorable to boot!

Giving your guests something to do while they wait is always a good idea. Combining it with a wedding program fan? Genius! These DIY fans include Mad Libs, fill-in-the-blanks, and word search. Learn how to make these DIY program fans.

These fans have fabulous color and lettering. I love the wording: “Welcome to the marriage of Katie and Tim.” Very sweet.

Using a photo is great because it makes it that much more likely that your guests will bring the fans home as a keepsake. The photo was from this couples engagement shoot and the bride hand wrote noteworthy family members as a thank you on the back.

The handwriting and flowers are precious on this wedding fan, swirly writing and peonies will get me every time!

Another gorgeous fan from the same company as the peony fan is this one. I love everything about this fan, but especially how all of the wedding party and participants are all featured on the back!

At this wedding guests had several differently designed fans to chose from. Each fan features the program on the back, and a different photo of the couple on the front. Naturally, I love that they’re displayed in a vintage suitcase too!

It seems that most wedding fans are playful and fun, and while this one is still incredible, it is by far the most sophisticated wedding fan I’ve seen! The simple colors and vintage inspired designs make this a perfect fan for a more elegantly styled wedding.

I love that this fan is different from all the rest, in that it’s a little edgy. One of the best things about this fan is that you can see how personal it is, not only are there actual human heart illustrations on it, but there is also a gorgeous letter pressed picado banner across the front. Amazing.

Photo One: IW; Photo Two: rocknrollbride.com; Photo Three: oncewed.com; Photos Four and Five: riflemade.squarespace.com; Photo Six: ruffledblog.com; Photo Seven: papermadedesign.com; Photo Eight: elizabethannedesigns.com/blog

Filed Under: Wedding Ceremony, Wedding Trends | 2 Comments

Wedding Lace

July 19, 2011 by Rebekah

Lace is a perfect wedding day detail, and it’s not limited to the dress either! Lace details can be found on anything these days, from wedding cakes to table runners – even wedding stationery.

Lace details should be just that, details. No need for an eighties Madonna homage. Used sparingly, lace is a beautiful delicate addition.

What I love most about this lace wedding cake is its spin on other lace- inspired cakes. It has buttons up the back of it as a wedding gown would. The smaller cake’s lace detailing is so subtle, simple and classically beautiful.

These cupcake liners are gorgeous and add a sophisticated touch to the basic paper liners.

Do check out the DIY tutorial on these doily cupcake liners.

Lace wrappings, whether they’re for favors or gifts for your bridesmaids are another simple addition that add beautiful detailing over kraft or other basic papers. You can use lace fabric, trim or doilies for your wrapping projects, either vintage or from a craft or fabric store.

Wood can have a rough and rustic look that pairs so well when juxtaposed with something as feminine and delicate as lace. Lace runners are perfect for farm tables and I love the idea of a bench runner with lace trim too.

Doily envelopes are a fun surprise to discover when opening what looks like just another wedding invitation!

Can you imagine this project?! If you had the time to collect all of the doilies, and help with stitching them onto the tree, it wouldn’t be so hard. Fishing line would work well and wouldn’t show up against the lace or the tree. It makes quite an impression and adds a visual element you wouldn’t expect to find in nature which I love.

Photo One: elizabethannedesigns.com; Photo Two: hello-naomi.blogspot.com; Photo Three: http://www.enchanteddreamweddings.com/blog/; Photo Four:IntimateWeddings.com; Photo Five: elizabethannedesigns.com; Photo Six: thirtyduo.blogspot.com; Photo Seven: stylemepretty.com; Photo Eight: lunaandchloeweddings.com; Photo Nine: ruffledblog.com; Photo Ten: OnceWed.com

Filed Under: Wedding Trends | 1 Comment

Boho Wedding Inspiration

July 14, 2011 by Rebekah

Bohemian themed weddings are popping up more and more with brides that desire a “back to the earth” sort of approach to their nuptials. Weddings that hearken back to the days of love and peace are demonstrating simplistic, natural and earthy based big days. These weddings are the epitome of simplicity, with intimate groups of just the closest of friends and family of the couple with organic elements being a key feature.

This bride’s dress and headband, as well as the vibrate colored flowers are so dreamy.

This Boho beach inspiration shoot is perfect: carefree, natural, and very about the couple without all the fluff.

The setting for this wedding is ideal for the bohemian theme. With the forest as a backdrop, the brides flowing gown and the live band you can just imagine how great a party this must have been!

If you’re hoping to have a bohemian themed wedding, seek out elements from nature, an unstructured, flowing gown, and simplicity all around. A home-cooked meal to share, local flowers, friends to play the music, and an intimate outdoor setting all make up the perfect boho wedding!

Photos One, Two and Three: joyeusephotography.com; Photos Four, Five and Six: 100layercake.com; Photos Seven and Eight: oncewed.com

Filed Under: Outdoor Weddings, Theme Weddings, Wedding Trends | 2 Comments

Camp-out Wedding

July 7, 2011 by Christina

I love the idea of a camp-out wedding – minus the overnight part in a tent. Here are some camp-out wedding ideas that you can incorporate into any wedding with a rustic, casual vibe.

Picnic tables! Actually, this was a rehearsal dinner.

picnic tables wedding Beach picnic. This was another rehearsal dinner.