I think every City Bride needs a little sparkle in her life! My obsession with everything shiny and full of sequins is definitely following me into wedding season.
ban.do / Love Rocks NY / Ann Taylor / Nordstrom / J.Crew
What’s inspiring you as you plan your wedding? (or daily style, if you’re like me!)
Stylist recently declared that I am a trend-follower not a trend-setter. My response, “Ugh! All trends come from somewhere and unfortunately I can’t create them all.” Anyway, I wanted to share with you some new “trends” I would like to see for weddings in 2011. Do with them as you like… this post is mostly about proving Stylist wrong.
white weddings. I was hopeful that this trend would make an appearance in 2010 but alas it did not. With this trend I am talking EVERYTHING white. Bridesmaid dresses, linens, chairs, flowers, centerpieces… I think you get the point.
bring on the themes. We’re already seeing a lot of themed engagement sessions but lets take it to the next level. How about Old Hollywood Glamour, Great Gatsby, or Pride and Prejudice. You guessed it, I want proper attire and all.
lets get interactive. I recently managed a wedding that was hosted at The Milwaukee Public Museum and the couple offered a scavenger hunt through the museum, including a prize for the winner. The guests really enjoyed and appreciated a choice in the activities they participated in after dinner. They could either dance or explore. Try to think of ways to engage your guests beyond the electric slide.
innovative ceremony setups. A down-the-middle aisle with chairs on both sides is great, don’t get me wrong, but lets mix it up! This idea will work most anywhere, except perhaps a church. Think about incorporating untraditional furniture (benches, ottomans, or sofas) and different layouts. Maybe get married in the middle of a circle created by your guests or have all bridal party members enter from a area of the ceremony site.
Bigger and better grand entrances. The art of a grand exit has been popular, you know, fireworks, confetti and sparklers but what about the entrance? This can be at the ceremony or reception but why not make it big? I am thinking My Super Sweet 16 big, like ride in on an elephant or get dropped in from a helicopter. Okay, I am laughing myself now but really, why is the exit always more grand than the first entrance as husband and wife?
Replace the infamous slideshow. Honestly, I haven’t thought of anything to replace the photo slideshow at weddings but it’s has to go or at least get changed up a bit. I will think of something, I promise.
Any other “trends” you would like to add to the list? Wait, maybe you shouldn’t, Stylist may think I am stealing!
Deciding on a 1st wedding anniversary gift for Stylist was not an easy task. I wanted to stick with tradition and buy a “paper” related gift but that is where I was stumped. When I think of paper I think of a DIY gift or something he probably wasn’t going to enjoy all that much, or something really cheap.
After brainstorming for awhile I stilled ended up with a rather cheap gift but I know he is going to love it. Since I struggled with finding a gift I figured I would save you all some trouble and list my ideas. (P.S. this list does include what I am giving to Stylist but you’ll have to guess!)
1. An album of your wedding photos. This could certainly be a DIY project if you are on a tight budget or enjoy those types of projects but I personally would contact your photographer for this. Your photographer took your photos with a creative eye and they will be able to lay out a beautiful professional album. Also, I love that is supports a small business owner! But, again, that’s just my opinion and preference.
2. A subscription to a local newspaper or magazine. To me this is very old-married-couple-esque but I love it and I think it’s rather creative. Stylist if you are reading I would be happy with InStyle Weddings, a copy of Southern Weddings V3, People, or of course Us Weekly.
3. Sporting event or concert tickets. What I love about this gift idea is if the scheduling works you could potentially attend the event on your actual anniversary. So, it serves a double purpose- gift and date night idea!
4. Calendar. Not my favorite idea but it a made the brainstormed list. This could be an electronic calendar, date book or even a DIY project. You could even have a boudoir shoot done and use those images for your calendar or gift your hubby with a little black book of the images.
Any other great ideas to share?
Some of you may think I am a little crazy for suggesting an outdoor wedding in the fall, especially in Wisconsin, but early in the season could be perfect. Sure, the weather is a little bit unpredictable and can get a little chilly but isn’t it worth it to be able to surround yourself with those beautiful changing leaves? I would say so.
The inspiration board below actually features an image from a real wedding that I found on the 100 layer cake blog (a blog I am obsessed with!) and I absolutely adore the ceremony set-up. How perfect.
While I love the traditional fall wedding that I spoke of yesterday, I swoon over all things rustic. Especially in the fall.
My love for a rustic wedding is better shown through the inspiration board below rather than an explanation.
Aren’t they gorgeous?! Not only are they the most adorable everyday accessory but they could totally be used on your wedding day. They are the perfect unique bridesmaid gift or they could be an alternative to real flower corsages. Real flower corsages are always gorgeous but lets be honest, they don’t fit the style and design of every wedding. (think J.Crew, picnic, on the beach, on a boat, at city hall, etc.) Really, had these beauties been around on my wedding day I may have designed the entire affair around them.
Thank you ban.do for being fabulous!
My mother-in-law is currently in the middle of remodeling her bedroom and is stuck on choosing (and finding) the perfect shade of purple paint to be used on an accent wall. For weeks, she has been gathering paint samples from various stores and has spent hours starring at them trying to decide which color is best. In fact, she even has an “inspiration” folder with every shade of purple you could imagine.
This same process reminds me how hard it is for brides to make decisions about their wedding design while being surrounded by the ever inspiring wedding magazines and blogs. There are so many options to choose from and so many pretty details that you can’t help but love most of them and it’s hard to resist wanting to incorporate them all into your event.
I told my mother-in-law exactly what I would tell one of my brides. Find something, whether it be a vase, a candle holder, a photograph, a fabric swatch, or a button that really inspires you and base your entire design around that. I promise it will help you to make decisions and will especially keep you on track in creating a cohesive design.
While looking for inspiration try and keep in mind the overall feel you are trying to achieve, and once you’ve made a decision about design move on. Don’t give into the temptation to tweak every last detail, you will drive yourself insane.
Now, go and find some inspiration!
I typically don’t post many pictures or inspiration boards on this blog and that is definitely intentional. There are already so many lovely blogs that do that so well that I would rather concentrate on straight up advice, but today is different. The weather in Milwaukee has been so incredible lately that I can’t help but let my mind wander into the upcoming wedding season. I’ve put together some of my favorite spring time finds for you, and hopefully that will help cure my Wedding Season Fever.
The bridal gown you are about to see from J.Crew is one of my new favorites. It’s so romantic and whimsical looking-perfect for a garden wedding.
I am continuously thinking of new ideas that I’d love to see at a wedding but don’t always have the right bride to use them for. So, to kick off 2010 I am sharing some of my favorites in hopes that at least one bride will be inspired and find them useful. Bear with me, they are very random.
How about a patterned wedding dress like this Oscar de la Renta beauty? It’s perfect for a bold spring wedding and would be gorgeous paired with this bridesmaid dress, in clementine of course.
Why not dress your maids in ball skirts like this one from J.Crew? It is totally unexpected but yet not too extreme. (By the way, if you use this idea, please ask me to be in your bridal party. I’ve been dying for an excuse to buy this skirt!)
Why not have an outdoor winter ceremony? If your ceremony is short and sweet it would be beautiful. As the guests walk into the candle lit pavilion hand them a hot chocolate and a blanket and they will be all set. Also, check out this post for some fun winter reception ideas.
In terms of décor, how about an all white wedding? Many people envision white as boring but I think the simplicity is beautiful. By using a mixture of creams and whites you won’t be obsessing on the right color which allows you to design more freely. The options are endless. Of course, in Milwaukee the perfect venue is The Art Museum.
Anyone else have a fun idea they’d like to share?
I sometimes hate to admit it, but Milwaukee brides are a tad behind the times of wedding blogging and not to sound dramatic, but you are really missing out on some great inspiration. So, my gift to you this holiday season is a list of my favorite daily wedding reads, which is sure to bring you up to speed.
Pearls Events Blog: This blog is written by Aletha Vandermaas, a Michigan wedding planner, who really knows her stuff. What I love most about this blog is every week it includes a series called, Weekend Eye Candy, which showcases beautiful Michigan weddings and is proof that Midwest weddings can be fabulous!
Style Me Pretty: This blog is really the “it” blog for inspiration. It is updated multiple times a day and showcases many different wedding styles. I highly suggest visiting this website in the early stages of your planning to help you define your style.
Style Me Pretty has also introduced Style Circle, which allows you to create your own inspiration boards. I played around with it the other day and it’s pretty fabulous. You can upload your own photos or use ones that are already provided. It’s really simple to use and will help you to create a cohesive design.
Hostess with the Mostess: This blog isn’t entirely wedding related it but it offers some incredible inspiration. Their posts include recipes, real party themes and popular trends. It’s a really fun blog and will sure to get you thinking about design.
DIY Bride: If you are a crafty bride, this is the blog for you. This blog includes (unique and fun) do-it-yourself project ideas, product reviews, and recommendations for the best crafty products out there. Also, if you are in need of any last minute Christmas ideas, This DIY Bride book is awesome!
What other fabulous wedding blogs are you reading?
The City Bride Blog is authored by Milwaukee wedding planner, Meghan Magritz.
Here you will find fabulously candid advice and inspiration for all things weddings. Poke around, get comfortable and most of all, enjoy!
