Featured on Grey Likes Weddings

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:09:50 -0700

Jen & Mikes beautiful wedding at the Santa Margarita Ranch was featured on the amazing Grey Likes Weddings! The photography by Cameron Ingalls was nothing short of amazing!

Style Me Pretty Local California Blog

Thu, 5 May 2011 23:24:54 -0700

Everyones favorite wedding blog has just launched their latest and greatest wedding planning tool, the local blogs! We were super honored to have our Spring lilac and tangerine table featured as the first post on the local California blog! Check it out here! Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

Fresh New Color Palate: Lilac & Tangerine

Thu, 3 Mar 2011 09:58:46 -0800

I’ve been feeling totally inspired by spring and wanted to share a sneak peak of a photo shoot I did with the awesome Kelly Kaufman of Florette and the incredibly talented Patrick Moyer or Weddings by Patrick Photography. We decided to try to work with a fresh new color palate of lilac, tangerine and hints of blush. Stay tuned for the entire shoot soon!

Kate and Frank on Style Me Pretty

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:40:18 -0800

If Style Me Pretty was a magazine, I’d get two subscriptions. I have no shame in professing my love for what I think it one of the best wedding resources available! While was planning my own wedding, I checked SMP religiously. Now that I’m a wedding planner, theres nothing more flattering than having a weddings I’ve designed featured.

I could go on and on about how amazing this wedding was to work on (and it was!) but I’ll let the amazing photos by Mark Brook speak for themselves.

As usual, all our vendors knocked it out of the park, including Lola Video, who created this amazingly sweet video snippet.

Claire Pettibone Dress for Sale

Tue, 4 Jan 2011 18:09:32 -0800

One of my sweet brides has a beautiful (and brand new!) Claire Pettibone dress for sale! The dress has never been worn, it’s still being sewn and won’t be ready till May and comes with custom hem length modification by the manufacturer. The dress is a size 4 and is the “Larissa” style. Please contact me by email for more information: info@joydevivre.net

All photos from the amazingly talented Jose Villa. To check out more of the beautiful dress, visit Joses blog!

Featured on Style Me Pretty

Mon, 3 Jan 2011 12:53:23 -0800

A super huge Happy New Year to everyone! I was so excited to see Erin and Pauls amazing wedding photos featured on Style Me Pretty this afternoon! We had so many incredible clients last year, and are honored to begin 2011 by sharing some super sweet design details from a beautiful wedding! Check it out here!

It was such an absolute pleasure to help Erin and Paul on their wedding. Erin was a self professed lover of all things Martha Stewart, and took on a number of DIY projects which she executed to a tee! The ceremony and reception were held in the garden of an historical estate in Santa Barbara, California where Erin and Paul had gone to college.

Erin and Paul used quite a few Martha Stewart templates to craft their decor. Guests were greeted to lemonade and lavender iced tea in mason jars with sweet grosgrain drink flags that Erin and her family made using these. The escort cards flags were created by calligrapher Wendy Ware and hung between fig trees in the garden. Erin used the Martha Stewart banner of flags template. They also sat in chairs with a sweet white doiley swag. Guests were guided to their seats by favor crackers containing saltwater taffy, also created using this Martha Stewart template.

Each favor read the guests name and was placed on to of a yellow and white striped napkin. All guest tables were covered in La Tavola Linens Tuscany Natural linen. The flowers, which were a lovely combination of dahlias, hydrangea, peonies, garden roses and dusty miller, were created by the talented Cody Floral and were placed in a number of different mercury glass vases down the tables. Antique-like garden wire frames held the table numbers, which were printed on yellow and white striped paper.

And a huge thank you to all the vendors:

Photography: Michael and Anna Costa / Florals: Cody Floral / Rentals: Event Rents / Linens: La Tavola Linen / Calligraphy: Wendy Ware / Lighting: LBPS Events / Catering: SBB Gourmet / Location: Las Tapias Estate / DJ: Matt Armor / Ceremony Musician, George Quirin / Cake: Montecito Confections / Officiant: Rich Tobin

Lacey Grey Table How to

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:06:26 -0800

I had so much fun designing the Lacey Grey table for my article on incorporating vintage finds into wedding decor. The article was featured on the Santa Barbara Wedding Chic blog, and included the amazing talents of Kristen Bienke Photography and Nico Designs. Check it out here, or read below!

As a designer and coordinator, I certainly have my own style. I am constantly inspired by vintage finds, rustic elements and sweet family treasures. Many of my clients love to go antique shopping, and most of their finds make their way into the wedding décor. Inspired by all the amazing shops and resources available to Santa Barbara brides, I set out on a hunt for pieces to put together a sweetheart table. Since milk glass is one of my favorite vintage pieces, I decided to create a table using white, grey, silver and wood tones. The incredibly talented Kristin Bienke was sweet enough to shoot the table, and Nico Designs provided the beautiful floral arrangements.

The star of the show was the amazing wood farmhouse table I found at at Antiques Center Mall in Goleta. It was perfectly rustic, and a perfect size for an intimate sweetheart table. Rather than cover the amazing wood grain, I decided to use an antique placemat that belonged to my husbands Grandmother, Bessie Lou as a runner. To glam up the front of the table, I cut a bunch of white and grey paper into triangles and used a lace edged scissor to add a neat pattern to the grey triangles. I hung these on the front of the table to create a sweet bunting.

I wrapped a few beautiful old napkins in vintage grey ribbon, which I placed on top of the most beautiful lace rimmed milk glass plates. The milk glass plates were found at Alpha Thrift, a local thrift store with lots of amazing finds including a large silver collection, where I found a silver sugar bowl and creamer. Along with a few milk glass compotes, the silver creamer and sugar bowl served as the sweetest vessels for the amazing monotone flowers created by Nico Designs.

For a sweet candlelit look, I cut a few doilies in half and taped them to the outside of some basic, clean glass votive holders and paired them with some mercury glass votives. I also cut about 50 doilies in half to create a neat bunting to hang behind the table.

I hung three mason jars and white pictures frames from the ceiling above the table. Angel Antiques in Montecito had an amazing collection and served as the perfect place to find the mason jars. They have lots of vintage mason jars and medicine bottles, including really reasonably priced blue mason jars, which are a really popular vintage find. I found some really inexpensive at Salvation Army and spray painted them white to match the look.

To find the perfect hobnail milk glass tumblers, I turned to eBay, which has no shortage of amazing vintage finds. Paired with some fleur de lis glassware, the set was complete. After rummaging through some old silverware, I would a few cool, tarnished pieces to add to the table. The monogrammed fork was one of my favorites.

The stationary was one of the most fun elements of the design. I designed a simple invitation, which I printed on lace edged paper. I made an envelope from a vintage napkin, which ended up being a really sweet touch. Our escort cards were backed in doilies and hung from mini clothes pins from a small jute rope. I hung the table number in one of the picture frames over the table. I also created some sweet “Mister” and “Misses” signs to hang from the back of two wrought iron chairs that sit in my garden.

French Inspired Photo Shoot

Mon, 13 Sep 2010 11:11:49 -0700

Super excited that Style Me Pretty posted the French inspired shoot I did with Florette Designs, Anna Costa, Town & Country Rentals, La Tavola Linen, Leslee Sipress Calligraphy, Sweet and Saucy and The Tent Merchant! Check it out here!

Featured on the Wedding Chicks

Thu, 9 Sep 2010 13:44:04 -0700

The darling sweetheart table I designed around the fabulous Monique linen from La Tavola Linen was featured on the Wedding Chicks Blog today! I was lucky enough to have the most amazing set of vendors on board for the shoot: Shannon Jayne Photography, Florette Designs and Classic Party Rentals. Check out more pics here!

Twigs & Honey

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:08:53 -0700

My darling bride Megan introduced me to Twigs and Honey a few days ago and I adore their stuff! Love the sweet combination of white feathers and fabric flowers placed on the side of a romantic up-do. Tres chic!

My Favorite Wedding Destinations

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:07:14 -0700

A few days ago I ran across the insanely beautiful Haiku Mill property in Maui, which was quickly added to my list of favorite destinations around the globe. If you are thinking about planning a destination wedding out of the country, please don’t hesitate to call or email us to chat.

Here are a few more destinations that are sure to knock your socks off!

Cortijo Bravo in Malaga, Spain

Cap Juluca on the Caribbean Island of Anguilla

Chateau de Robernier in Provence, France

Pearl Beach Resort in Moorea, French Polynesia

Four Seasons Resort in Florence Italy

Featured on Style Me Pretty

Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:45:30 -0700

Totally excited to share this fabulously gorgeous wedding we coordinated last year! The bride was a former wedding planner herself, who had since gone on to to create some of the most lovely letterpress stationary (including all the great stuff featured here) at her company Atlas & Campbell. Check out all the drop dead loveliness shot by the uber talented Abby Ross at Style Me Pretty!

Check out the incredible video by Lola Film & Video here:

Heels by Badgley Mischka

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 13:36:46 -0700

Feeling fabulously fashionable? Try these on for size! Badgley Mischka has a fabulous assortment of gorgeous heels to add to their lovely dress collection! I adore the sweet bridal shots where the bride lifts the bottom of her gown to reveal her over the top heels!

Loving the Randee in Gold satin, the Hyde in white satin, and the Xavier in Lavender. All above are available at Piperlime.

Jewelry by J Crew

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:40:35 -0700

I am loving all things JCrew recently, especially their jewelry! There is something so sweet about having all your bridesmaids wearing the same necklace, or earrings! Since so many brides are now opting to let their bridesmaids wear a dress that compliments their figure, why not have their jewelry be the thing that brings them all together.

As an aside, one of the most cute things I ever saw a bride do, was to order a bridesmaid dress for herself and wear it to her rehearsal dinner!

Crystal earrings, Metallic Blush earrings and Lavender Mist earrings. Ooh la la.

Crystal Parade necklace, Pearl Cluster Bib necklace, Crystal trilogy necklace (love that ribbon tie.)

Lux Cocktail Bracelet, Stoneset Bracelet, Crystal Milano Bracelet.

Haiku Mill, Maui Hawaii

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 15:22:29 -0700

Holy cow ladies, have I got an amazing venue for you. While I adore Santa Barbara, and all the amazing venues and vendors it has to offer, I’ve got to share this Hawaiian gem with you. Haiku Mill has to be one of the most stunning venues I have ever seen. I’ve been drooling over their site for about an hour now. Anyone looking for a gigantic coordination discount, book this space and call me. Seriously.

Exhibit A: The fabulous venue. This place is stunning. If you really want to be impressed, check out their virtual tour, or check out these stunning pictures I found Photographer Mike Adrians awesome site.

Exhibit B: the stunning home. Ladies, this place is the picture perfect location for pre-ceremony bridal shots and the most romantic place to stay on your wedding night.

LulaKate Bridesmaid Dresses

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:49:36 -0700

I’m always on the hunt for fashionable, fun bridesmaids dresses. LulaKate has a variety of seriously beautiful dresses available in tons of fun colors. I’m loving the sophisticated, romantic look, and how about that beautiful background? The light blue, gold and ivory room is super chic!

Rising Moon Productions

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 14:24:59 -0700

Having a videographer is such an amazingly fabulous treasure. While looking through videography ideas for my clients I stumbled upon the most amazingly talented videography company from Colorado. The videos by Rising Moon floor me each and every time. They are visually stunning and incredibly unique. I adore the crisp, clear image that their HD cameras produce.

Check out their most recent clip. It’s truly stunning.

Things I Like

Wed, 19 May 2010 18:05:42 -0700

I find so many amazing things online I thought I should start sharing them with you! If you don’t already know about online coupon codes, I would highly recommend searching for them every time you shop online! Many large retailers offer coupons and discount codes, sometimes for free shipping and sometimes for a certain percentage off your total purchase. Retail Me Not allows users to post any coupon codes they’ve found, thus passing on the discounts to you!

Many of these things are totally unrelated to weddings, but fabulous none the less!

1) Loving this sweet wooden disposable cutlery from Anthropologie! I’m thinking summer picnic in the park!

2.) Totally obsessed with the Michele Deco watch, but can’t wrap my head around the price! Anyone have one?

3.) The Lady Rhubarb candle by D.L. Co is seriously one of the most yummy smells I have ever smelled!

4.) I’m a die-hard Apple advocate and the iPad has seriously stolen my heart. It syncs seamlessly with my iMac and iPhone!

5.) Asos is an online clothing store based in England. They’ve got all sorts of fabulous European fashion and charge a flat fee of $5 to ship. The not only have multiple views of every item they carry, but also provide a video of the item on a model walking down the runway!

Download & Print

Wed, 19 May 2010 16:12:55 -0700

Just found an awesome invitation resource for all you DIY brides! Download & Print offers a bunch of beautiful invitation templates that you can customize and print for free! We’re talking serious budget savings here! Purchase some cool paper from Paper Source and you are all set!

DIY Aqua Mason Jars

Tue, 18 May 2010 15:22:06 -0700

Antique aqua mason jars are such act as such a sweet vase or candle holder for a vintage inspired wedding. You can find some great pieces scouring antique stores or bidding on eBay, though they aren’t always affordable. Pewter and Sage has some fabulous inspiration photos of both clear and aqua mason jars. While blog hopping today, I found an awesome way to take clear jars and turn them into aqua jars. I’ve copied the great instructional post from Bridal Buzz here:

“Lately I've been intrigued by those lovely vintage blue glass jars you see on the tables of chic outdoor weddings. I did a little bit of research on these, to see how economical they were in bulk, and found that they can range anywhere from $5-$15 per jar, depending on how rare they are. I was a bit surprised by this, and thought there had to be a better way to achieve the same look, so I went in search of a way to "dye" a regular quart sized jar, to mimic the look of the old Ball Perfect Mason Jars:

“I used a product called Vitrea 160, which is a transparent color for glass, in a shade called turquoise. I also purchased some thinner from the same product line, so I could get a really faint look. After scooping out a small amount of the turquoise color (a dot about the size of the nail on my pinky finger) into a plastic tupperware container, I dipped my fan brush into the thinner bottle and then mixed that into the blue. That's really all you need, and after I was finished, I realized I could have colored 5 more jars with the amount of turquoise I had left.

I flipped my jar upside down and placed it into another plastic tupperware container, then brushed the outside of the jar with the mixture in thin, even strokes from top to bottom. It looks a bit bright and cloudy at this point, but bear with me! You then have to let it set for 24 hours before you bake it in the oven for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F. After it bakes and cools, the majority of your brushstrokes should disappear, so don't worry if it isn't perfect! Once you fill the jar with water and flowers any small brushstrokes that may still be present will fade even more.

The best part of this project (besides the fact that it's super easy) is that it's cheap. The two bottles of Vitrea 160 were $8.00 total, and the glass jar was free (leftover container from MIL). If you didn't have any relatives who could give you 12 or more glass quart jars, you could easily buy them from any grocery store or craft store, or look on craigslist. Here are a few links: Walmart (12 for $17.98), Amazon (12 for $7.72). So basically you could do a case of 12 jars for about $1.50, not bad! Throw in a $7.00 supermarket bouquet and you're in business.”

Enjoy!

Temperley London Trunk Show

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 09:43:14 -0700

Calling all brides in search of a gorgeous gown! Temperley London is having two trunk shows in their Melrose location. For those of you who are not familiar with Temperley, they are one of the hottest up and coming wedding designers in the game. I fell in love with the work at Unvieled and was so excited to spread the word about their trunk shows! Don’t miss this one!

Diamond in the Rough

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 17:41:19 -0700

I am totally and thoroughly obsessed with the newest take on diamond rings: leaving them unpolished! I first saw Diamond in the Rough’s work on one of my sweet (and lucky!!!) brides and was totally blown away! Their pieces are so elegant and unexpected and are amazing as engagement rings or cocktail rings! Check out some of their amazing work:

Their stuff is available at Neiman Marcus.

An Eco Chic Table

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:23:37 -0700

This Saturday was a blast at Williams Sonoma! It was a great showcase of amazing vendors and incredible products. We put together an eco chic table using some beautiful Williams Sonoma products including their stunning Queen Anne dinnerware, their hemstitch napkins, stunning glassware, Absolu flatware and a few sweet cake stands. To keep it eco chic, I created some small glass terrariums with succulents, threw in some white iron urns with plants and placed a few live orchids on the table. The result is something that could truly last throughout spring!

The amazing Gena Susan was kind enough to take some beautiful pictures of the table. I am seriously in awe of her work!!!

Williams Sonoma Bridal Event

Mon, 5 Apr 2010 13:11:58 -0700

This Saturday Williams Sonoma will be hosting a one of a kind bridal show at their La Cumbre Plaza location. I am lucky enough to be designing a table inside the store and will be there to chat with anyone who has questions about their wedding, or needs advice picking fun items for their registry. When I got married, Williams Sonoma was the only placed I registered, and as a result, I have a house full of fabulous kitchen and entertaining supplies.

From 10 am - 2 pm the entire mall will turn into a bridal showcase. Make sure to come by Williams Sonoma to meet some of the very best vendors Santa Barbara has to offer!

Featured on the SB Wedding Guide

Fri, 2 Apr 2010 08:21:32 -0700

On Wednesday Nico Cervantes, owner of Nico Designs and I put together a totally impromptu photo shoot to celebrate Spring and the Easter weekend! Brion Hopkins was amazing enough to come out on super short notice and shoot for us. I have to say, I was completely blown away with the pictures he took. It was a beautiful day and he captured the sun and the warmth of the table in the most amazing way. His work is beyond fabulous, and I adore his website! Check him out here.

The lovely Liane from the Santa Barbara Wedding Guide (for those of you not familiar, it is hands down the most amazing wedding resource in Santa Barbara) was sweet enough to post the pictures today on her blog.

The details:

We set out to create a super cute, colorful, and fun table for an early afternoon Easter dinner in the garden. To keep it casual but sweet, we opted to use a short coffee table with pillows to sit on, rather than a table of regular height. Everything we used for the shoot we either bought at a thrift store or had in our homes, making the look really easy to reproduce. The tables were dressed with antique lace placemats, Chris Madden Stoneware from JC Penny, and sweet honeycomb cups and saucers filled with moss and plants. We used mismatched antique silverware, and emerald green glassware found at a local thrift store. From potted plants Nico took small cuttings to create floral arrangements in antique bottles. The result was an affordable and beautiful table with lots of happy garden flowers. Between the arrangements we placed glass terrariums I made out of apothecary jars, rustic garden urns, and playful figurines of bunnies and ceramic birds. A gold-framed mirror displayed the menu, which we wrote with a neat white pen.

Unveiled

Thu, 1 Apr 2010 09:27:05 -0700

This Sunday I went to the incredible Unveiled event on Melrose. When I say on Melrose I mean that they literally shut down the whole block just for the event! Brides and vendors were invited into the showrooms of Vera Wang, Carolina Herrera, Monique Lhuiller and Temperly. It was nothing short of spectacular. They also had a few mini-seminars with the likes of Millionaire Matchmakers Patti Stanger and Mindy Weiss, as well as a very chic, very sweet cake and champagne tasting. It was bridal heaven.

The street was lined with booths decorated by amazing vendors. Here are some of my favorites:

I already knew that I adored La Tavola’s linens, but fell in love with the “Monqiue,” a new linen in their 2010 line.

Monique Lhuiller was beautiful! I fell in love with a separate set that had a skirt made out of a really rustic linen type material.

24 Carrots had the most sweet, amazing display and lamb chop bites that were honestly to die for. I loved the use of peaches and cotton in the floral arrangements on the tables.

An Catering by Crustacean was sooooo yummy. I found myself repeatedly walking by their booth and everything I tried was incredible. They placed their food in super chic banana leaf wrapped boards and truly nailed the decor. They had the sweetest menu for a tea party (pictures right) that is super affordable and amazingly yummy.

The second designer I saw was Temperly London. I was seriously stunned. Their work was super classy, at times art deco, and always sophisticated. I have to say, I think I fell in love with almost every dress in the place. If you are a bride looking for something a little different, Iwould highly recommend checking out their stuff. I found the prices to be very, very reasonable for designer gowns.

Third designer: Vera Wang. Enough said, right? Wow. Not only was her showroom insane, the gowns were amazing!

The highlight of the afternoon was the Carolina Herrera Bridal Spring 2010 runway show. Her gowns had personality and add more color and whimsy that we saw anywhere else.

At the end of the day there was an amazing cake and champagne tasting. A sweet end to a beautiful day!

Preserving Wedding Flowers

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:10:58 -0700

When I got married I loved my flowers so much that I decided to dry them to keep in my bedroom. Unfortunately I hadn’t done my homework before hand and soon found that my pretty flowers were getting moldy! For all your ladies who want to save a seriously beautiful part of your big day, here are some tips!

The preservation process can be upwards of $300 and take up to 4 weeks if the professionals do it but is simple enough that you can do it in your own home for almost free! Make sure you make your decision before the wedding though because the process must begin within 2-4 days of the wedding, which is when most of you will be honeymooning. Ask a friend to help out if that’s the case.

Here are the options:

1. Drying agents such as sand, silica gel, or borax at home!
a. Remove stems 1 inch from base of petals
b. Prepare a drying box – ¼ full of sand or other drying agents!
c. Place blossom facing up in sand
d. Make sure blossoms are fully covered in the sand
e. Place box in warm, dry area w/maximum air circulation
f. Leave flowers in sand for five days
2. Press your beautiful flower arrangement!
a. Pick a background material such as construction paper, tracing paper or cardboard!
b. Gently squeeze the center of the flowers to flatten.
c. Arrange the plant materials and flowers on background in desired design
d. Glue plants to background material
e. Place arrangement between blotting paper
f. Place newspaper underneath and on top of blotting paper
g. Place flat, heavy objects on top of newspaper
h. Wait patiently for 2 weeks!
3. The simple hang upside down drying out option!
a. Carefully disassemble the bouquet (this is where I went wrong! I didn’t take them apart and they got moldy!)
b. Hang each individual flower to dry
c. Reassemble bouquet
d. Be careful with the brittle petals and stems!

More tips:
-Frame your bouquet in a shadow box or a glass dome!
-If transporting flowers be very careful because if they become too dried out or damage you cannot preserve them properly! Try to transport in a Styrofoam cooler with tissue paper or wax paper covering the flowers!
- Have a separate tossing bouquet and ask the venue/caterer to store the original in the refrigerator during the reception!

Photo from Nico Designs

Ban.do

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:03:27 -0700

I was lucky enough to meet the fabulous ladies behind Ban.Do for the Bride at the Unveiled event this weekend! They offer exquisite and unique headpieces including everything from oversized flowers, simple beaded headbands to bows and barrettes. They are super hip and cutting edge and we can’t help but spread the word about them!

Here are a few of our favorites:

Featured on Wedding Chicks

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 13:21:59 -0700

Super excited to have the Beach Chic photo shoot featured on the Wedding Chicks blog. I seriously love those ladies and all the fabulousness they deliver daily! Check out the loveliness on their incredible blog here!

Beach Chic Photo Shoot

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:50:08 -0800

As promised, here are the pictures of our super fun, super beachy photo shoot. I spent the beginning of the week in Vegas for the Event Solutions Conference. I can’t even begin to tell you how many amazing people I met and how many amazing and inspiring things I saw and learned about. Next week I’ll fill you in on all the excitement as well as showing you tons of pretty pictures!

Without further adieu, the shoot:

Nico, owner of Nico Designs and I wanted to put together a table that really highlighted the beauty of Santa Barbara. We were inspired by the beautiful coastline and the incredible views the area offers. Our color palate developed around our decision to use drift wood as the foundation for our centerpiece. Nico added succulents and moss to the driftwood, making it feel organic and natural. To keep the look clean and beachy, Nico used an all white floral palate with dried poppy pods. We added abalone shells, big pieces of white coral and blue sea glass in between the floral arrangements to glam it up. We chose a light blue taffeta linen to mimic the ocean, paired with a steel blue silk napkin to capture the oceans darker tones. For glassware, we chose a set of complementary steel blue goblets, using a smaller wine glass for water to keep things pretty and fun. We used a mixture of gold glass and ornate silver chargers, over which we placed neat bubble glass plates that looked like water, and a gold banded bread plate. We sat the escort cards in a scallop shell bed of coral and sea glass, topping it all off with oversized orchids that Nico hand glued petal by petal! We chose an ornate silver flatware to help keep the look sweet and romantic. We hung strings of white orchids and succulents from each corner of the natural wood chiavari chairs which we chose to mimic the driftwood. Our fabulous stationary designer, Tracy Lazaro of Lazaro Designs made the cutest favors, complete with urchin shell and pearl decorated boxes. The invitations, escort cards, and table numbers were all printed on blue paper that matched our table linen. To keep them elegant, yet beachy, Tracy used a ornate font and added beach shells and pearls by hand.

During the process of the shoot, we decided to try out two looks: one with a fabric canopy over the table and one without. Lani from LBPS Events created an amazing sheer fabric canopy over the table from which he hung an amazing sea shell chandelier that Nico handmade! Our awesome photographer Tim Halberg literally worked until the sun went down to get all these amazing shots. KariAnn, the owner of the Santa Barbara Beach Club was kind enough to allow us to shoot on her breathtaking property, which she frequently rents out as a vacation rental for weddings.

 Thank you to the amazing team of vendors who worked on the shoot:

Photography: Tim Halberg
Design: Joy de Vivre Wedding Coordination and Nico Designs
Floral Design: Nico Designs
Invitations: Lazaro Designs
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals
Drapery construction: LBPS Events
Location: Santa Barbara Beach Club

Inspiration Board: Farmhouse Sweet

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 19:28:01 -0800

Todays board is inspired by the sweet simplicity of the beautiful lilac flower, paired with rustic and vintage elements - all wrapped up into one fabulously fun party! The wedding would be held at an old farmhouse, perhaps even a farm owned by the bride or grooms family. Guests would sit on old wood rocking chairs and benches to watch the ceremony that would take place on the front porch of the house. An old upright piano would sit in a field, around which a great bluegrass band would play all night. Guests would drink apple cider brewed locally, and would dine on grilled meat and veggies that came from the surrounding farms. They would sit at an eclectic mix of old wood dining room tables, strewn throughout the barn and outside under the stars. Lilac and white garden roses would sit inside antique bottles, and candles in jars would light the barn roof overhead.

Fun guy with cup. Sweet antique bottles & lilac. Band photo from Giddy Tuesday. Lilac vingette from Martha Stewart. Candles in mason jars from The Knot. Dress from Vintage Wedding Dress Company. Barn from The Knot. Lilac bouquet from Martha Stewart. Chair on porch.

SBEP Valentines Party

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:01:03 -0800

Last night was the Santa Barbara Event Professionals Valentines Day cocktail mixer. Nico and Lani, of Nico Designs and LBPS Events transformed their office space into a fabulous and sweet party location. Our sister company, Love is Sweet provided a dessert buffet and two cute, candy servers. A great big “thank you” goes out to all involved: Michaels Catering, Event Rents, Christine Dahl, and of course to Lani & Nico.

I took a few pictures, which I’ve posted below, but promise to sub them out for the professional shots done by the fabulous Nicole Sanchez.

Nico Designs & LBPS Events Beautiful Bruncheon

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 10:56:35 -0800

I had the pleasure of attending Nico Designs and LBPS Events Ladies Appreciation Bruncheon last week. Nico and Lani are such amazing vendors, with incredibly sweet staff. They truly went above and beyond with their stunning decor, photographed by the talented Tim Halberg. For all your ladies hungry for some seriously gorgeous eye candy, here it is!

Inspiration Board: Lavender, Antique Silver & Burlap

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:39:55 -0800

Todays board is super romantic and totally antique chic. I envision mismatched tables covered with burlap, hemstitch linens and mismatched bits of antique lace. Weathered silver candleabras would sit atop the tables, mixed with silver mercury glass candle holders. Centerpieces would alternate between potted lavender plants and big fluffy ivory garden roses and peonies in silver mint julep cups. Guests would dine on a warm Provencal meal served family style on big stoneware platters with antique monogrammed silverware serving utensils. The bride would wear a gorgeous, vintage style antique lace gown with antique pearls and diamonds.

Winter White Bash

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:10:28 -0800

Last week Armando from Alegria by Design threw his yearly holiday bash! This years theme was winter white which meant everyone wore (was supposed to wear) white! The event was held at the fabulous SB Polo Club and was pulled together by the best of the best in the business. I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with Bia of SBB Gourmet Catering and her husband Rob. We had an absolutely fabulous time!!!

Since it’s Friday, it’s only fitting that I honor those amazing vendors who made the night what it was:

A huge thanks to Armando Martinez of Alegria by Design who put the whole thing on!
Photography: by Mary Jane Photography. Mary Jane is one of my absolute favorite photographers!
Location: Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. The venue was stunning - an amazing place to have a party.
Catering by: LaFond's Pampered Palate. I cannot say enough wonderful things about their food. I was in love.
Lighting: Ambient Event Design. The lighting set the tone for the party. Check out the amazing chandelier!
Rentals: Classic Party Rentals. Shila and her team did an amazing job, I wanted to take the furniture home!
Photo Booth: Action Photo Booth. I spent way too much time in this thing - love the photo booth!
Entertainment: AMS Variety Band. This band seriously rocked!
Linens & Chair covers: BBJ Linen. The linens and chair covers were stunning for themselves!
Dessert: Mmm Cake. If I could, I would honestly eat Cindy’s baked goods for dessert everyday!
Invitations: Laura Hooper Calligraphy. I was most excited about meeting Laura - and when I did, I was totally humbled. She was such a down to earth, sweet person - meeting her made the night complete!

DIY Mercury Glass

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:46:56 -0800

A few days ago I received the January Edition of Martha Stewart Living. I was tickled to find a DIY tutorial for transforming everyday vases and glassware into beautiful mercury glass pieces! For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term “mercury glass,” it refers to glass objects that have been lined with golf leaf and worn over time. Check out some beautiful examples:

Images from left: Hurricanes, candlesticks.

Now numerous people have tried to create the look and had trouble. It may benefit you to read over some of the mercury glass horror stories before beginning. That said, once you get the hang of it the results are nothing short of beautiful!

Here are instructions a-la Martha:

If you don’t subscribe to this magazine, you are seriously missing out! Martha has so many amazing ideas!

Hair Accessories by whichgoose

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:06:44 -0800

Yesterday while creating my rustic romance inspiration board, I looked high and low for the perfect woodsy hair accessory. I finally found the amazingly talented whichgoose on Etsy, who had the perfect little hair comb for my board. Today I thought I’d introduce you to the beauty that is her work!

“Deepest Fathoms” is such a sweet, whimsical choice for a Santa Barbara beach bride.

The “Stargazer” is hands down, one of my favorites! It’s so sweet and understated, yet so chic!

“Just Breathe” is such a sweet hair comb, it could easily inspire a whole wedding!

This lovely piece is called “Queen of the Woods” and is the crown version of the comb I featured yesterday.

“Night Bloomings” is so fun and festive, I love the color palate and the sweet mix of florals and feathers!

The “Sophie” is another super girly, super sweet hair comb.

Inspiration Board: Rustic Romance

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:37:50 -0800

Todays inspiration board is rustic and romantic. I wanted to use a color palate inspired by the great outdoors, blending green, brown and other neutral hues. Think outdoor wedding held in a meadow under a big old tree. A moss covered wreath hangs from the tree where the bride, who wears sweet vintage shoes and a beautiful rustic hair comb, and her groom dressed in khaki and suspenders say their vows. The reception is held in a nearby clearing where tables are covered in khaki or burlap linens. The centerpieces are a mix of beautiful ivory and green florals sitting in birch wrapped vases and glass cloche glass covered beautiful moss and succulent terrariums. Candles set the mood in mall mason jars and birch wrapped candleholders.

Top from left to right: Flowers in a birch wrapped vase, Heels by J Crew Table design, Woodsy hair accessory, Moss covered monograms, Woodsy invitations, wooden wedding sign, Birch wrapped candles, Terrariums in glass jars.

Tips on Tipping

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:57:31 -0800

One of the most common questions I get when asked about tips is, “How much should I give and to whom?” Tipping can be a tricky one to figure out. Some vendors include a gratuity in their fee, and some won’t expect a tip at all. Here are some pointers when planning for what is often an overlooked expense.

• How to do it:

I always ask that my clients hand me their pre-sealed, pre-addressed envelopes prior to the wedding. Having the reciepents name written on the outside makes it obvious whom I should give it to, and having it sealed allows for a little tact in an area that can be sticky. If you don’t have a wedding coordinator, ask a friend to hand out tips at the end of the night. If you’re unsure how much to tip until the night is over, make two envelopes, one with a standard tip amount, and another with some extra cash to be given if the vendor goes above and beyond the call of duty. Ask your tip-giver-outer to check with you before handing them out to see if they should add a bit extra.

• Who to give it to:

1.) Caterers: The tip you give to the catering staff is normally the largest tip you give out, and usually add an extra $1000 to your bill depending on the size and cost of your food. While some catering teams will include a gratuity in your final bill, most won’t. Tips are divided up between all the various servers, bartenders and managers, so if you want to aknowledge someone special like your catering manager, make sure to label a special envelope just to them. It’s normal to tip your caterer 15 - 20% of the food and beverage total. Cash is the easiest form on payment given the the fact that tip will be split up.

2.) Officiants: While most officiants won’t accept tips, they will accept donations to their congregations or organizations. If you’ve already paid the officiant for their time, a donation of $75 - $150 would be appreciated. If the officiant asks that your payment to them for preforming your ceremony is the donation itself, $300 - $500 is appropriate.

3.) Musicians and DJs: While caterers will normally expect a tip, entertainment may not. Of course, it’s still wonderful to honor their contribution to your wedding if you’re able. A tip of $25 per musician is a great place to start if you’ve hired a band or another multi person ensemble. For a DJ anything beginning at $50 is great.

4.) Beauty Experts: Tip your hair and makeup artists like you would in a salon. 15 - 20% of the total cost is appropriate.

5.) Transportation and Drivers: If the gratuity isn’t included in your total fee, as 15 - 20% tip is appropriate for your limo or bus driver.

6.) Everyone else: Photographers, Videographers, Florists, Coordinators etc. Most of these vendors will not expect a tip. However, if you feel your vendor has put their all into your wedding, it’s more than appropriate to thank them with a tip. While other vendors may be based off of a percentage, your can tip these vendors anywhere from $75 - $300.

Image.

DIY Lace Hurricanes

Wed, 9 Dec 2009 09:51:29 -0800

I absolutely fell in love with these lace hurricanes featured on my favorite wedding blog, Style Me Pretty. The wonderful Beth Helmstetter gave a great tutorial on how to make them, and I couldn’t help but pass the beauty along for all you who didn’t see it! Here are her instructions:

Materials

* Inexpensive Straight Cylinder vase or candle holder (can be found for $3 to $10 at craft stores like Michael’s)
* Eyelet Material or material of choice by the yard (We found ours in the fashion district of downtown LA, but there are plenty of resources online as well)
* measuring stick
* Spray Fabric Adhesive
* Scissors

Instructions

1. First measure the height of your glass hurricane and cut the eyelet material to the appropriate width.

2. Spray the fabric adhesive onto the hurricane holder and wrap the candle slowly with the material, being sure to smooth out any wrinkles as you apply the material.

3. Trim the material that isn’t straight or that might be overflowing at the top of the candle holder. Allow to dry for up to 24 hours prior to use.

That’s it! Easy peasy! One last quick tip when searching for the right material for your candle holder. Some people prefer lace or a great sheer, but no matter what make sure to buy fabric by the yard, rather than trim. You will drive yourself crazy searching for a trim that is pre-cut to exactly 9″ wide or whatever the case may be. Also, we intentionally avoided materials with scalloped edging or a delicate trim. This allowed the candle holders to be uniform when we trimmed the final product.

photo by the amazingly talented Jose Villa.

Photo Shoot Finds

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 09:44:23 -0800

The internet is one of the most valuable tools when hunting for wedding decor. Almost all the cute things we used in the photo shoot came from the internet, so today I’ll show you where to get them all! There were a couple items which we borrowed from local vendors such as the solid wood table provided by Discount Party Rentals, the chiavari chairs and silverware from Event Rents and the gorgeous chandeliers from LBPS Events. Everything else we found online!

The antique lace runner in khaki was found on eBay, and draped down the length of the table.

The gorgeous ivory stoneware made by Chris Madden was found online at JCPenny.

The clear Fleur de Lys glassware came from World Market and Kelly found the blue glass goblets on sale at Anthropologie.

The gorgeous peony, garden rose, hydrangea, ranunculus and raspberry centerpieces were displayed in white wrought iron urns from A Rustic Garden and Barreveld.

Between the centerpieces we placed lots of little mercury glass and hobnail candle holders and single blooms in antique medicine bottles. The mercury glass candle holders came from Luna Bazaar and the hobnail candle holders came from 100 Candles. Kelly found the antique medicine bottles on eBay.

Vintage Chic Photo Shoot

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 08:40:44 -0800

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great, relaxing weekend! I’m so excited to share todays inspiration with you! As I mentioned Friday, todays board was created with pictures from the photoshoot I did a couple weeks ago at Firestone Winery. Without further adieu...

I’ll tell you where you can get all the great glassware, china, vases and candle holders tomorrow!

• Design by: Joy de Vivre
• Floral Design by: Florette Designs
• Photography by: Distinct Photo
• Chandeliers from: LBPS Events
• Fruitwood chiavari chairs and Jefferson silverware from: Event Rents
• Wood Harvest table from: Discount Party Rentals
• Location: Firestone Winery

Photo Shoot Sneak Peek

Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:18:26 -0800

Two weeks ago some of my favorite vendors and I got together to do a photo shoot at Firestone Winery’s new ceremony location, Vineyard Mesa. Today we got the pictures back from our fabulous photographer, Ian Grant, and I am seriously stunned!!! I’ll be posting all the pictures on Monday, but wanted to give you a call a little sneak peek at the the end result!

Since it’s friday, I’ve got to brag about the amazing vendors who put their heart and soul into this shoot:

• Kelly Kaufman of Florette Designs. Kelly and I came up with the entire design and concept of the shoot. We searched high and low to find the perfect china, glassware and all the other particulars that made the overall design what it was. Kelly is an amazing florist who is super creative and amazingly easy to work with. She’s a quickly rising star in the Santa Barbara floral game and any design conscious bride would be lucky to work with her!

• Ian Grant of Distinct Photo. Ian and his wife Tanya are an amazing team with an incredible gift for photography. I could go on all day about how Ian’s amazing shots truly capture the magic in the little details. When it came to this shoot, Ian had to work overtime to capture these amazing shots. Though you can’t tell from the photos, the wind was blowing more than 50 miles per hour, rocking the chandeliers back and forth and knocking the florals arrangements over every couple minutes. Ian had to shoot quickly when the wind would die down, but that didn’t see to distract him from his work! On top of that, he had Kelly and I (mostly me) constantly asking him to shoot from a new angle! Ian is an amazing photographer!

• Lani Ballonoff from LBPS Events. Kelly and I knew from the beginning that we wanted chandeliers hung over the table. Lani has an amazing selection of fabulous lighting equipment and kindly drove up to hang the chandeliers for us! Lani has the most incredible eye for lighting and is always an absolute pleasure to work with. He stayed throughout the shoot to help us with the chandeliers -- sadly we lost one of the chandelier arms in the wind, but that didn’t seem to bother him! Give Lani a call for everything from awesome lighting, to furniture rental, sound equipment and generators.

• Glenn Novack of Event Rents. I cannot say enough great things about Glenn Novack and Event Rents. Glenn did the rentals for my wedding and has been a wonderful friend ever since. Glenn kindly lent us the beautiful Jefferson silverware and the gorgeous fruitwood chiavari chairs. Evey client I send to him always raves about how amazing he is to work with. He and his team always give 150% and help you think through all the details when planning wedding and event rentals.

• Daniel Herrera of Discount Party Rentals. Without the table, none of this could have been possible! Daniel generously lent us the beautiful wood table, which was the star of the show!!! There are only a couple places in the Santa Barbara that rent real wood tables. Discount Party Rentals has my favorite, the Harvest table. They also have a matching Harvest bar which is an amazing alternative to a standard bar. Thank you Daniel!!!

• Rachel Korrey of Firestone Winery. By far one of the most beautiful wineries in Santa Barbara County, and one of my favorite wedding locations, Firestone truly made our shoot what it was! Rachel Korrey, Special Events Manager at Firestone was generous enough to allow us onto the property to shoot.

• Printable Press. Because it was so windy, we weren’t able to use our awesome menus and paper goods provided by Printable Press. Of course Ian and Tanya shot them anyway and I am so glad they did! I love their Sunny Damask line and am so glad the allowed us the opportunity to use their amazing paper!

Thank you everyone!!! Have an amazing weekend!

Welcome Bags

Thu, 3 Dec 2009 15:21:23 -0800

As a guest, there are all sorts of little things that a bride and groom can do to make the wedding stand out. One of the sweetest ways to thank your out of town guests for traveling, is to have cute welcome bags waiting for them when they check into their hotels! A welcome bag can can include everything from wedding weekend itineraries to bottles of local wines. Here are some tips for putting together a welcome bag that will really wow your guests:

1.) Find a cute bag! Laura Hooper has the most wonderful, custom bags with a map of your wedding location printed on them. Having custom bags made doesn’t have to be expensive, you can get some cute printed bags from a number of online vendors for less than $5 a pop.

2.) Include the important stuff. It’s always helpful to give a guest a sense of what their weekend will look like. They’ll want to check out the area and will need to know when you have events planned and when they’ll have free time. Including a wedding weekend itinerary will help every single one of your guests. Take it one step further and include a custom map, labeling all the various locations of your events. This way you won’t receive dozens of calls asking where and when they should arrive.

It’s also helpful to include information about things they can do while there aren’t wedding events happening. This includes sites you may think they’d enjoy, restaurants they should try, and any thing else that makes the area special. You can either print a list of these things for them, or visit your local tourism office to pick up some brochures. The Santa Barbara Visitors Bureau is a great resource and has all sorts of wonderful pamphlets to add to your basket!

3.) Include the not so important stuff. To really kick things up a notch, add some nice local items to your bag. Water is always great, but finding a nice bottle of a local wine takes the cake. Locally grown fruits and nuts are also great, keeping in mind that you may want to include items that will stay fresh for a couple days and are easy to eat in a hotel room! Anything from the Santa Barbara Pistachio will go over well! Santa Barbara Preserves makes some killer jams! Throw in some fresh bread from the Solvang Pie Company and your guests have an easy, sweet breakfast! All your coffee drinkers would appreciate a treat from the SB Roasting Company. Sharing all the local treats you love is a great way to introduce your guests to the area!

Any trip to Santa Barbara should include a walk on the beach. Depending on where your guests are from, they may not have any flip flops. A pair or two of those would make an awesome addition at any bag! Similarly, you may want to include some sunscreen and a good beach towel. If you’re getting married in wine country, throw in a bottle opener and a few wine glasses!

4.) Make sure your guests get the bags! You’ll want to deliver your bags prior to guest arrival, so make sure you know where the first set of guests arrive. The hotel will need to know the first and last name of guest who made the reservation, so it’s helpful to have a spreadsheet with all that information on it. Have someone help you deliver the bags. Your wedding coordinator can help stuff and distribute your bags for you!

Images from left, Darling, custom map bag by Laura Hooper, Gorgeous welcome bags from Better Homes and Gardens.

DIY Chalkboard Signs

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 12:01:32 -0800

As I mentioned yesterday, one of my favorite wedding sign ideas is using cute chalkboards made out of fun, antique frames and other things. Today I’ll show you how to make them! Chalkboards can be used for lots of wedding signs, from table numbers, to dinner or bar menus, to directional signage.

Top, from right to left, Seating Chart, Table Name, Bottom from left to right, Vintage frame Chalkboard, Menu.

You will need:

✤ Chalkboard Paint, available in various colors in most paint departments. I used the Rust-o-leum brand (see the chalkboards in my home below).
✤ Chalkboard Surface, which can be anything from the glass in a nice frame, to an old 2’ x 4’ sitting in the garage. I made the middle chalkboard below using a fifty cent wood cut available at Michaels. To decide what size chalkboard to make, I suggest you think about what you’ll be using it for. Seating assignments require large amounts of space depending on your guest count. If you can’t afford a really large frame, buy three frames and write the A-F’s, the G-N’s and the O-Z’s on their own boards. Bar and dinner menus can be written on smaller frames, while table numbers require the smallest of frames. Aaron Brothers has a great buy one get one for 1 cent sale twice a year, and thrift store have lots of great frames and old pictures waiting to be painted over!
✤ Newspaper to catch any drips
✤ Paint roller, sized for your chalkboard surface
✤ Shallow paint tray

Directions:

✤ Prep the surface on which you will be creating the chalkboard. If you’re using wood, you may want to sand down the rough edges.
✤ Lay some newspaper down in an open area outside. Your paint will dry fastest if it’s in a sunny spot, so find a good place to begin your project where you won’t need to clean up too quickly. Lie your chalkboard surfaces on top of the newspaper at least 4 inches away from one another.
✤ Give the can of chalkboard paint a good shake before opening it. You’ll want to make sure the paint is all a consistent color.
✤ Pour the paint into a shallow paint tray and place the foamy roller into the paint, covering the roller with the paint.
✤ Firmly roll the paint roller over the surface, covered it entirely. Let dry completely. Each mix of paint will be different, so check paint can for timing assistance.
✤ Repeat three times, or as recommended by the can.
✤ Leave your project out to dry for a week. It sounds like forever, but you’ll want to make sure your paint is totally day before writing on it!
✤ After a week, take a piece of chalk and use the long side to rub the whole surface. Leave the chalk on the surface for two days, then wash off with a wet rag. This will ensure that whatever you write on the chalkboard the first time won’t be stuck there forever!
✤ Your chalkboard is now ready to be used! If you’ve got great handwriting, buys some chalk and get going. You can also hire a calligraphy genius like Laura Hooper to help you complete the look!

I have a few chalkboards in my home & office!

The chalkboard on the left I made using an awesome frame I got at Ikea. I painted the frame white and turned the glass into a chalkboard surface. The middle chalkboard I made using a cheap wood cut available at Michaels. I placed a couple of these around the house for my Halloween party, they read things like, “Boo,” “R.I.P.” and “Beware.” The leftmost chalkboard I made from an old mirror I had from Ikea that I never used. Now it helps remind me what I should be blogging about!

Inspiration Board: Neutrals

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 13:13:58 -0800

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend! I took a beautiful trip to New Mexico by train, which was amazing! Unlike Santa Barbara, the southwest was cold and the seasons had clearly turned. Though the trees were all leafless, I loved the all neutral palate: the brown earth, the bare trees, the lifeless grass, and the occasional cloud passing by. Todays inspiration board plays off of those colors and the amazingly elegant feel they create.

While a neutral palate doesn’t have to be done in the cooler seasons, it does provide a wonderful alternative to the traditional fall colors. Think late fall wedding held outdoors at an old whitewashed farmhouse where the welcome drink is hot spiced cider and hot buttered rum. The groom wears a khaki suit, the bride a soft wool shrug and the bridesmaids wear gorgeous, mismatched dresses in lace, chiffon and cotton. A beautiful lounge of antique whitewashed furniture sits around an outdoor hearth, where guests mingle and enjoy the beautiful fall sky. Dinner is held inside an old barn, where guests sit at long, family style tables draped in khaki linens and eat off of white stoneware china and antique silver.

From top, left to right: Peony arrangement, Heels from J.Crew, gorgeous sofa from Bee Keepers Cottage, dapper suit in khaki, Wedding table, clutch from Not on the High Street, sweet shrug from ETSY, Invitation from Ceci NY, sweet mismatched bridesmaids from Polka Dot Bride.

Napkin Folds

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:59:27 -0800

Ok, so while helping you decide how to fold your napkins isn’t one of the most important wedding tips I’ll share here, it’s definitely a question I get asked a lot! In my humble opinion, there are some great, and not so great ways to fold a napkin. We’ve all been to the hotel restaurant that has a peacock looking napkin sitting a top a wine glass. Or the bird of paradise that pops out from the bread plate. While creative an no doubt labor intensive, those folds take away from the beauty of your wedding table.

Here are some suggestions for placing your napkin in a sweet and subtle way that highlights the rest of the decor:

1.) Use your napkins as a place card. Cut holes in the corners of your traditional seating cards, stick a cute ribbon through and tie around the napkins. Bringing the extra color of the ribbon, or tie into the napkin will just give the table more detail and depth. Place the napkin atop your place and viola, a sweet and multifunctional approach.

From left: Image from Amour Amour via Timeless Paper on ESTY, Image from Wedding Magazine UK.

2.) Tie something cute around the napkin and place it on the plate or off to the side. A nice ribbon with some rosemary or a simple flower adds a lot! For example, the beautiful orchid and feathers below take this white napkin from being pretty boring, to totally amazing! Below on the right is a gorgeous and simple tie from Martha Stewart.

3.) Hang the napkin from under the plate, over the side of the table. It creates dimension and adds a pop or color where the table wouldn’t normally have it.

From left: Image from Create my Event, Image from Gracious Southern Living.

4.) Try a pocket fold. Especially if you have a beautiful menu to stick inside it. Rosemary or lavender are also inexpensive ways to add depth to the napkin - menu or no. If you don’t have a menu or any greenery, tucking silverware into a pocket fold is another cute idea.

From left: Place setting at Yasmine & Tom’s wedding, Image from Wedding Flowers and Reception Ideas.

DIY Drink Flags

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:46:03 -0800

Drink flags are a cute way to take any drink from sweet to fabulous. They are super cheap to make and just require a simple assortment of products and tools. If you’re planning to make a lot, invite some friends over to help with the project. Put each person in charge of a different task - soon you’ll have a fine work line going!

The amount of flags you will need to make will depend on how many drinks you see yourself adding the flags to. Most caterers and bartenders will be able to tell you how much they expect your guests to drink based on your party size. From there, coordinate with the rental company to find out the measurements of the glasses you’ll be using.

Depending on how your bartender will be serving drinks, flags may work best in the drinks that are being passed by servers on trays. If the server is passing more than one kind of drink, it’s helpful to have the name of the drink printed onto the flag. You can also hand the bartender your drinks flags and ask that they stick one into every drink they serve throughout the night. If you have a special drink in mind, open the blank template below in a word processing program and type your drink names over the template before following the rest of the directions.

You will need:

✤ 8.5” x 11” paper, color of your choice, quantity depends on how many you need
✤ Clear glue stick
✤ Wooden coffee stirrers or Bamboo sticks cut to desired length
✤ Paper scissors
✤ Something heavy, like a big book
✤ Wax paper
✤ Ruler

Directions:

✤ Download the attachment at the bottom of the screen. The folder contains four different drink flags. Two long, skinny ones and two shorter ones. Any of these can be modified in Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop.

✤ Insert your paper into a printer (If you don’t have a good printer at home, email the template to your local Kinkos and have them print into on to your paper for you)

✤ Print any of the chosen flag templates from the attachment below onto the paper. If you’ve chosen paper that has two sides, you may want to test make sure you are printing onto the correct side.

✤ Cut out each flag from the paper, making sure to cut on the line so that the ink border doesn’t show.

✤ Measure the glass you’ll be putting the drinks into. Place the coffee stirrer or bamboo stick into the glass and cut at the point when you want the flag to end.

✤ Place the flag upside down so that the short ends are to your left and right. Take your glue stick and apply a medium amount of glue on the flat end of the short side, which should be on your right.

✤ Take the stirrer or stick and place it about 1/3 of an inch into the flag where the glue is.

✤ Fold the paper to the right of the wooden stick over the stick so that it makes a sandwich with the left side of the back of the flag.

✤ Place your flag on a piece of wax paper, and repeat the above steps until all the flags are completed.

✤ Add another piece of wax paper on top of the flags and place a large book or another heavy object on top so that your flags stay glued together properly.

Davie & Chiyo Clutches

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:24:18 -0800

A clutch is the perfect bridal accessory. Throw in your touch up lip color, some tissues, extra bobby pins, safety pins, some gum and advil and you are set! If you’re the kind of bride who may set down her purse and forget it for the rest of the night, why not have your bridesmaids help carry stuff for you by getting them their own clutches?

As usual, ETSY has tons of great options. The chic clutches by Davie and Chiyo caught my eye! They’ve gone the perfect bridal colors, and super cute design. You can even order a personalized monogram for your clutch, or for a bridesmaid gift.

I love the pleats and sweet little rosette on this clutch!

I love the size and drama of the bow on this clutch!

This adorable little thing is called the Rosette clutch! I adore the color combo so much I’m inspired to do an inspiration board based on it! Stay tuned for that one!

A simple monogram with a date is a great way to really customize your clutch. If you choose to get all your bridesmaids the same color, why not make it easy for them to find their own by having their name put into it?

Inspiration Board: Parisian Peach, Blush & Gold

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Happy Monday everyone! Hope you had a beautiful, relaxing weekend! Todays board was inspired by peach, blush and gold tones, with a rich, romantic Parisian feel. Think summer night wedding held outdoors at a large Chateau in the French countryside. Voila!

from top left: {Centerpeice from Wiggy Flowers} {Badgley Mischka Carlo heel} {image from Banquet Event} {Emmanuel seat sofa from Sweet Pea and Willow} {Blush dress from the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2008 Collection via Bridal Wave} {Amazing pink diamond from Christies via Luxist} {Gorgeous wedding by Custom Wedding Group via Style Me Pretty} {Oudinot Rose Champagne from Mark and Spencer} {Martha Stewart bouquet}