Retro or Vintage postcards for your wedding

If you're considering vintage postcards at your wedding, this post is for you.  I was inspired by a page of vintage linen postcards featured in the summer travel issue of Martha Stewart Living (pg 81) and one of our dear destination wedding clients.
I found a couple sites for you to resource:

Zazzle has an outrageous collection of postcards.  Although, I can't say if they're truly vintage. But if the look is what you're going for, this could be right up your alley.

Finally, if you wanted to have something off the charts amazing- have your own postcards commissioned. I love illustrator Jenny Medved for projects like these.  We recently had her design the cover to one of our guest guides (for the welcome bags) and she is absolutely brilliant to work with.

If your wedding was in a magazine, which would it be?

When I'm working with my clients on the design concepts for their weddings I have always asked questions about their personal aesthetic, style and likes.

What movies do you love, television shows you watch, celebrities you like, stores shop at, designers and lines you love to wear...

None of these questions have anything to do with a wedding - but it has everything to do with who they are.  This is important because your wedding should very much be a reflection of you and I want to make sure that we can easily be on the same page. For instance if you said you loved Breakfast at Tiffanys, The Great Gatsby, and Mad Men, Kate Spade and Calvin Klein; instantly I know that we have a connection.  Of course, at some point its great to know where the two of us can find likely sources of wedding inspiration and this is when I turn to the wedding magazines (print & ezines) & their websites (and of course pinterest and blogs).  If someone asked you what wedding magazine or blog was your style, what would you answer?

Martha Stewart Weddings

Grace Ormonde Wedding Style *

Inside Weddings*

Destiantion Weddings & Honeymoons *

Southern Weddings *

Weddings Unveiled

Brides

Style Me Pretty *

Utterly Engaged

Eco-Beautiful weddings

Junebug Weddings

The Knot *

* We've had recent featured weddings or editorial contributions in these magazine publications, websites, and/or blogs

Wedding Inspiration and Wedding Sitters

Quick post of a few things I wanted to share. First, this is going to cause daily distraction and giddiness and you may very well love me for telling you about it. It's called The Wedding Tribune.

It's digital wedding newspaper of sorts.  The kicker- all the articles are pulled from the best blogs out there.  AND it re-publishes several times a day.  Meaning yes, you can keep going back for more (this is where the frequent distraction comes into play). An Ipad version is expected in the next several weeks.
The tribune is another fancy doo-dad care of My Wedding Concierge - another wedding eye candy site to get your wedding juices flowing.

Next, I have been meaning to forever let you know about Elegant Event Sitters.  If you're having a destination wedding where any of your guests are bringing children- add a link on your wedding website.  This company is exactly what moms are looking for so that they can enjoy your wedding and know that their kids are not only in the best care, but having a great time.  Another great idea is to have a great kids area set up and attended by the Event Sitters staff.  Check out their website for all their great offerings.

The fine print: Nobody paid me to mention any of these companies.  I just think they're awesome. -Kelly

How to describe your wedding

What is your designers aesthetic?

Once you get past making your guest list and finding your venue, you'll be at the point where you'll need to start describing your desired aesthetics to the creative professionals you're considering hiring. This would be your event designer and planner, florist, lighting designer, stylists (attire, hair, and makeup), stationer and calligrapher. Forgive me if I left anyone out. I am not including photographer and videographer here because I consider them creative artists yes, but of the documentary rather than design element.
What is the best way to do this? With words and pictures. Here are some words to start with:

Lush, Airy, Glamorous, Sparkle, Pretty, Shiny, Contemporary, Modern, Exciting, Architectural, Chic, Elegant, Sophisticated, Polished, Subtle, Fun, Matte, Refined, Cheerful, Bright, Romantic, Vintage, Organic, Retro, Rustic, Garden, Soft, Beach, Open, Intimate, Fresh, Whimsical, Heavy, Light, Natural, Festive, Clean, Unstructured, Casual, Timeless, Textured, Styled, Charming, Reckless, Tropical, Tranquil, Exotic, Classic, Serene, Old World.

By the way- all these words were used by our clients in their pre-consult questionnaire.  One day I'll have to share with you the celebrities, movies & television shows they mentioned as well.
Back to work.  Write down the words that speak to you about your wedding. Also write down others that come to you on your own. For sure add colors to the list. Then, go rip out pictures from magazines, flag pictures in books, and save blog images that define these words.
Compile all of these and you'll have a foundation that perfectly describes what you're going for so that your creative professionals can use their talents to create something unique and very you.

The biggest inspiration board ever

This week the kids went back to school, and so I find myself with a bit of time waiting at the bus stop.  I am forever trying to be as productive as possible (sometimes failing and falling into procrastination). So I am doing a twitter series while I wait called #BusStopShots. You can follow along with the same hashtag.

What I wanted to share with you here though was what I do after I rip all these pages of pretty things out of the wedding magazines.  Introducing the biggest inspiration board you've ever seen, the WBS studio bathroom:

See any of your pictures in here?

Hopefully one day you'll have a chance to stop by and browse our studio library.  And if by chance you need to visit this room...it will hopefully be the loveliest little wedding bathroom you've seen. If you do see one of your pictures here; I love it.

Yes, there are ALOT of pictures!

Unique Invitation idea for the "other parties"

One of my favorite things about getting married is that there are usually several parties leading up to the big day.  I love the styling and planning behind all of them.  I was away from the studio the last couple weeks freshening up and taking a short break and of course I've come back with a million ideas.

This 1st one came to me in the check out line at Ikea.  I know, kind of odd (normal for me).  But you never know where you'll find inspiration.  So I found this set of wooden serving utensils at the "gotcha" bin; you know that bin that's impossible to pass up.  How cute is this set I turned into an invitation to a seaside potluck picnic lunch? Perfect for a casual affair, perhaps a picnic or brunch.  Or even a dinner party.  All you need to do to make it a bit more formal is replace the packing tape with a beautiful silk ribbon and mail the set in a pretty box.

Super Simple DIY:

1. Buy the utensil set
2. Use some ultra fine point sharpies to decorate and write on all the info
3. tape together with cute packing tape from Michaels
4. Bring to post office to have weighed and pick up the stamps
5. Mail just as is, no envelope or box required
6. Get ecstatic phone calls when the invitees receive their ridiculously cute invitations

Need a venue for your "other" parties? Check out this article I contributed to for Brides Florida magazine

Tower of Flowers or Cakes or...

We take shopping seriously here at the studio. Can ya tell?Today I found this gem. Sitting empty it looks like a unique display piece, sure. Me, I don't see it like that.
I see an amazing focal point for a wedding.
What I love most about this piece for wedding design is that it isn't something you're going to stick in a corner or up against a wall. It's a showcase piece, and should be in the center of an area.
Honestly, walls and corners are my biggest pet peeve. I am forever seeing beautiful wedding cakes poorly placed where they can not be truly appreciated. Rather than "kind of" showing your cake, place it such a position that it can be viewed from different places in your room. Especially, especially, if your cake doesn't have a "back". Back to this piece...

Imagine each opening filled with a gorgeous spring flower arrangement of Peonies, Roses, Lisianthus, and Tulips; or something as striking as Black Magic Rose Pomanders perhaps?

Have a room with ridiculously high ceilings? Place this tower atop a table (be sure to use a very special linen- nothing like what is on your dinner tables) and surround it with your escort cards.

I also imagined it filled with large tiers of wedding cakes, each tier mimicking the design of the frame. It's rather classic but a far departure from anything I've ever seen.

Click on these today. Wedding blog love.

Dear Google Reader,
How did I ever survive without you?
-Kelly

Style Circle. Oh Abby, you have outdone yourself. Yes, I am a long time fan of Style Me Pretty, but now...now I can't get away, nor do I want to. Go, go check it out. If you have any passion for weddings as a bride or wedding pro- you will love Style Circle. It's like a playground for wedding junkies. I haven't had near the amount of time to really dive in yet, but I did make my first inspiration board with the stock images (which are ridiculously lovely).



This wedding that Snippet & Ink featured is so incredibly classic. I love the blue, the yellow, the white. The clean of it all. The amazing photos. The dress I would wear in a heartbeat. Yeah, no wonder they featured it. It's that good.

We're headed to Savannah in a few weeks for a wedding that will be nothing less than Spectacular, so this post from Wedding Bee was a plus. Great ideas!


Remember when I posted about not having your entire wedding party in the same attire? This wedding on Southern Weddings blog beyond proves that it can look phenomenal.

Ruffles. I never in a million years would have ever thought I would one day love ruffles. I.am.reformed. They're so feminine and not plain. I love the attention they garner. Leila at Inspired by This- she's into the ruffles too. Love her collection of ruffle images on this post. And if you like ruffles even a little bit, you will too.

Pretty DIY tablescapes

I got together with Impressions Photography and AMC Video to produce this short video of some tablescapes several weeks ago. Here is my honest opinion when it comes to DIY. It is not easy and it is very time consuming, and isn't always less expensive. However, if you are having a very small wedding, perhaps just a table or 2, it can be worth your while and really fun. For these tablescapes I picked up all the candlesticks, cylinders, and vases from Homegoods. The roses are from Sams club, which you can order online.

If you aren't going the DIY route, looking at DIY projects you've found online at places like Wedding Bee, Style MePretty, and Snippet and Ink can be great to bring to your florist, wedding planner/designer, and stationer for inspiration!
Oh my gosh, I nearly forgot the amazing cake! Kakes by Karen let us borrow this modern creation from her studio bakery. I have to admit, I had a very difficult time trying to pick just one cake. She's so talented. And NO, I do not recommend DIY wedding cakes- ever!

Because I love to look at chic things

Add the word "wedding", and I'll usually come running.
I love this book and I think you will too. Colin Cowie nailed it again. Frankly, he never fails me. So yes, this was my book buy this week. There are so many fabulous ideas and pictures to get you started on making your wedding that much more special, it's amazing.

Next week I think I may go after this one, Beautiful Weddings, by Carole Hamilton, which I just found on Amazon:

Take Note. Literally.

I noticed today that I do my best brainstorming and best "thinking" while driving. It probably has something to do with the fact that I'm alone, and not being distracted by the phones, emails, and people. All of which, I admit to love; I'm a can't-stop-social butterfly.
Back to the topic at hand. Your greatest ideas, thoughts, and inspirations will come to you at unexpected times. Be prepared:
1. Keep pen and idea journal by your bed.
2. Download the iphone and itouch app called QuickVoice Recorder (this is my new bff as I mentioned on Twitter today).
3. If you get great ideas in your shower, try singing the idea to yourself over and over again until you get out and can write it down. HA!
4. Always have a camera on your person. Take pictures of things that inspire you and download them to your computer for your wedding files.

Wedding Decor from a non-wedding source

I try very hard to include unique details in each of the weddings I design. Many times that means finding pieces that aren't labeled "wedding" and placing them in a strategic places.
One of my favorite places to go for inspiration is Homegoods. I made a stop there today as I'm planning a dinner party that is going to allow me to truly step outside the box. During my visit I found all these items that I easily found use for, whether it be wedding decor related, or wedding planning related; even wedding gift related.
I found all these fantastic inspiration books on the end cap (love the red clearance sticker!). I picked up a few Williams-Sonoma books for the library. They 're great for finding menu ideas when you're looking to kick your wedding menu up a notch.
These all make great and inexpensive gifts for your bridesmaids. I confess to buying one of each for myself. The iStand has to be the coolest under $10 gift I've come across in ages. The monogrammed book of note sheets is sitting on my desk right now, and the cute little journal is in my bag, ready for jotting down ideas I get while I'm out and about.roll in my purse.
I adore all these details I found. The album is perfect for collecting written well wishes at the cocktail hour and then inserting all the digital prints your guests send you after the wedding. The 3 lanterns would make a perfect escort card display centerpiece at any kind of outdoor celebration. I found 6 of these beautiful green vases throughout the store. I can just see them filled with big bushy Peonies or Hydrangeas. And this board- so perfect I bought it. The frame on it is gorgeous and the corkboard makes it perfect for a seating chart (cover with giftwrap, wallpaper or fabric first).
Look at this collection of chairs! I can just see this eclectic mix at a massive rehearsal dinner or bridal luncheon table.

The Wedding Books

Very often I get asked about where to look for ideas. The magazines are great of course. They keep up with the trends and are usually good about providing the resources. What I love the best though are the wedding books. I'm pretty sure I've blogged about them in the past, but we'll re-visit. The great thing about the wedding books is that you're getting a more complete picture on how the elements are used in the wedding. In a magazine, there may be a spread on invitations that run the gammot from tradtional to ultra modern, but rarely do you see what those invitations translate to a few months down the line at the actual event they were created for. And that is why I just love the wedding books. Here is my current top 10 list (in no order). These are the ones that I have pulled out many times over to complete a "
What if?" or "Could I?" thought.

To have and to hold by David Stark & Avi Adler
Southern Weddings by Tara Guerard
Simple Stunning Weddings by Karen Bussen
Extraordinary Weddings and Weddings by Colin Cowie
Signature Weddings by Michelle Rago
InStyle Weddings and InStyle Parties by the publishers of InStyle Magazines
Fantasy Weddings, Inspirations, and Design for Entertaining by Preston Bailey
The best of Martha Stewart Weddings by Martha Stewart
The Party Planner by David Tutera
Party Confidential by Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison



Ok, I have issues sticking to just 10 obviously. All these books are available on Amazon and usually they are available at a discounted price.
Happy Reading!
Do you have a favorite I don't know about?

Hello Pacific Weddings!

This morning I opened my email and found a nice email from one of the editors at Pacific Weddings Magazine. First, I have to say that I was thrilled that she liked my blog. But more importantly, I was ecstatic that she introduced me to the digital version of the magazine! It ROCKS! Really, you just have to actually go and try it out. Its really like a big bold version of the printed magazine that is interactive. For instance, on the cover page- I saw the subtitle mentioning cakes. I kind of love cakes and so I clicked on it. Voila, I'm there...the cake page. Oh, and the icing on the cake (ha ha), that click lead me right to a Kate Spade inspired cake. Just so happens that one of my clients just registered for the Kate Spade china that was the inspiration for this cake. So what did I do? I clicked on the "share" link at the top of the page and emailed it to her. Unbelievable. I am so excited.
I also loved that I could zoom in on certain parts of the pages, that I could look at the entire magazine laid out in large thumbnail formats, and that I was able to click on any of the advertisers to be instantly connected to their website or send them an email.
Here are the links everyone- I really hope you'll check it out. I think you'll be impressed.
Pacific Weddings and the digital version

Real Weddings Online

I do my best to get a few photos at each of my weddings so that I can share some real weddings with everyone. I think showcasing these weddings is fantastic because you can see what's going on in the real world. Well, the wedding world anyway. Anyhoo, during my fit of insomnia last night I realized that there are so many wedding magazines that now have real wedding sections online! Here's a short list for you...for when you get insomnia or need a wedding fix.

Grace Ormonde
Together In Style
WedLuxe
Inside Weddings
The Bride & Bloom

There is generous, and then there is over doing it.

I met with a potential client yesterday who has fantastic ideas for her wedding. It will be a beach wedding, so she wants to have parasols to shade the guests, program fans to cool the guests, and flip flops to keep their feet cool and comfy. Of course, there will also be welcome bags for all the out of town guests, which will include a custom photo cookie. And at the reception, a photobooth so everyone can take a picture home.Then at the end of the night, while everyone is out on the dancefloor, each place setting will be replaced with a mini wedding cake. I love all these things, every last one. So we talk about all the great things we have planned and then she says,

"So what should we do for the favor?"

Nothing. Absolutely nothing is my answer. I understand wanting to give your guests gifts. Me, I'm a big HUGE fan of giving gifts. But there comes a point where enough is enough. So with that said, think before every purchase. You don't want your guests to leave your reception with a shopping bag. Unless of course its a cool monogrammed one from Red Envelope. Just kidding!

Aren't you excited I finally figured out how to make these photo boards? Thank you to some fantabulous direction at Style Me Pretty. Seriously, I love her blog.

And the WINNERS are...

Here's the thing, the 1st name drawn was for a wedding professional. I felt like a bride needed to win too. So, we have 2 winners! Drum roll please...

Joyce of Murphy and Klein Floral Studio

AND

britnym87, whose favorite idea was the tissue paper poms from Martha Stewart.

Congrats to you both! I'll be in touch soon!

Pictures go a long way

Back to that whole inspiration post...
When you meet with your wedding planner, florist, cake baker, venue coordinator, etc. Bring clippings, swatches, and photos. Anything that will help you better explain the wedding you are envisioning. You don't need to be tied down to these photos though. Take them as a starting point, and let the vendors build off of them. If you're working with true professionals they'll be able to help you develop a wedding that's truly unique to you using the things you've brought as a foundation.
Just be sure to be clear about things that might be unclear. For instance, let's say you whip out a clipping from Grace Ormonde Wedding Style and its a photo of a reception where all the chairs are covered. You say to her, "I love this look" If you don't tell the florist you aren't covering the chairs at your reception- she might miss the opportunity to suggest that you tie a ribbon with an orchid to each chair.

Wedding design: How I am inspired

The other day I was having a consult with a bride and we were at the beginning stages of designing her wedding. I brought out all the wedding books of course. She brought a picture of the dress she was going to buy and the colors she wanted to use. I explained to her that its easier for me to create a wedding for her on her budget if she explained to me what she wanted if the budget was unlimited. Is that what she described to me? Nope. She was holding back and I knew it. So we just sat and talked and flipped through books, I wrote down notes that I knew were useless, until she said it, "I had always dreamed I would get married in a castle in Ireland". She said this not even knowing she said it- and that in one word, she inspired her entire wedding design. That was what I was looking for. "castle!" Between the colors she gave me and that one word, I knew exactly what direction to head in. Ivory, champagne, gold. Dim, candles, candelabras, fancy iron work, heavy draping that puddles, tassles.
Only thing was- her dress did not match the design. Not even a little. So, without saying anything about it of course, I made some slight changes to the design so that the dress wouldn't seem out of place. Because you just don't mess around with a bride and her dress! And I admit that I had a little bit of wedding designer nightmare about it. But don't you know, not 12 hours later did she email me to say, "I changed my dress, and I love it, now it all goes together"
So how am I most often inspired? By my clients. It's usually one word they mention that pulls it all together. Whodathunk?