Thursday, December 31, 2009
2010 Wedding Trend: Hairpieces
A very popular choice is feathers (honestly, feathers could have its own post as a 2010 Trend- they are SO popular right now!). Whether white or colored, fluffy or flat, feathers are all over brides heads right now. Some evoke elegance and royalty, while others have more of a vintage feel.
Flowers of course have always been on the wedding scene, but more and more brides are wearing them in their hair, and many are choosing to forego a veil altogether and just have blooms.
Another huge trend when it comes to a bride's head is that of the birdcage veil. Traditional veils are seen less and less, but birdcage veils are all over right now! Accompanied by a small hat, flower, feathers, or on their own- birdcage veils are a sweet, retro way to adorn the bride's hair.
Headbands are another hairpiece trend that we're seeing in everyday fashion, and it's transfering to the aisle. Do we have Blair Waldorf to thank for this? I think so- although she's not wearing headbands in college, we're still dying over them. :)
Tell us, what have you chosen to wear in your hair for your wedding day, and why?
Comfy Vintage
Unique Centerpiece Ideas: Decorate With Food
Floral centerpieces are becoming less and less common, and not just because it helps the budget. Centerpieces at your reception are an opportunity to show off your creativity and sense of style. They can be a sneak-peek into your decorating skills, or showcase something meaningful to you and your new husband. They also can be an excellent way to subtly carry out a theme you've chosen for your wedding day. And there are so many different options for centerpieces that can include less or even no flowers at all. Today, we'll talk about using food (mostly fruit) in your centerpiece arrangements.
Starting at the top left corner, fruit can be used simply as decoration on the table, to accompany a floral centerpiece. When doing this, your centerpiece can be smaller in scale. Also, fruit can be scattered within a floral centerpiece, and it doesn't just have to be apples! Apples, lemons, and limes are the most popular fruit used in wedding centerpieces, but here we see grapes used in a creative way to accompany apples and flowers.
The fruit you use doesn't have to remain whole- the top right corner shows us lemons sliced open and lined up against the outside of a vase for a really unique look. Again, the flowers can be minimal when you make the vase the focal point. This technique works well with limes and oranges as well- just keep in mind that you'll have a citrus smell coming from these vases!
Fruit placed in the bottom of a vase can be just for show if you still want to spend the money on floral centerpieces. It's a great way to do something unique and fun, rather than just water and stems showing. The fruit can also be incorporated into the arrangement, as we see with the oranges hanging from the bottom of the pink and white flowers.
Next to the oranges, we see a really unique idea for food in your centerpieces. Here the bride has used brown paper as a runner down the table, and on it scattered various fruits and veggies, such as pomegranates and mushrooms. Hearty, curly-leaved lettuce makes a great filler in this sort of idea, and just make sure whatever you use is really fresh, and remember that some veggies could wilt. It would be good to do a test-run on this idea at home to make sure the items you choose will stand up to the day.
In the bottom right hand corner, we see a centerpiece design using no flowers at all- just fruit enclosed in upside-down vases with candles on top. I love this, especially if you're doing long tables for your guests rather than the traditional round.
The other one I want to talk about is in the left column with all of the green. We see limes and apples here, but also leafy greens used for decoration- so creative!! Again, you might want to do a test drive of this to make sure it won't wilt throughout the length of your event, but by chosing hearty veggies, this is a really creative use of food in your decor.
I hope this has been helpful as you're thinking about centerpiece and decor options for your wedding day. Tell me, what are you using for centerpieces?
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Hollywood Glamour
Now that's perfection, right? (Image credit goes to Cathy and David Photographers, check out this whole wedding because it's amazing). There's something about the old-style theaters that evokes magic in photos. The lights of the marquee, the plush red velvet seats, the ornate gold trim... it's so dramatic and glamourous! Observe again...
See what I mean!?! Theater = instant drama (you'll recognize this from my favorite wedding ever by Justin and Mary Marantz). And it doesn't have to be this big and crazy gorgeous. Any sort of theater with a stage and cool lighting, and a pretty lobby will do. Because I think it's not just about the backdrop here. Being in the theater makes you feel like a star. It puts you in a mood of classy elegance and makes you feel all fancy right? Okay, one more shot...See, it doesn't even have to be for your wedding- it could be your engagement photos too (photo credit to Studio Foto, most dramaticly awesome engagement photo shoot ever). And if you're in the Western New York area- check out Shea's in downtown Buffalo. Obviously, it's perfect. :)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Colors We Love: Chartreuse and Orange
Monday, December 28, 2009
Martha Inspiration
Colors We Love: Teal and Apple Green
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to feature some of my favorite, unique color schemes for weddings here, and to find out what you like and what you don't. When I say "unique," this comes from a special soap box I have about wedding color schemes. First, I'll admit to you that I am pretty matchy-matchy in life. I like things to coordinate. Not overly-so, I mean I'm not crazy about it, but I do like things to match. And when it comes to planning a wedding, I feel that choosing a color scheme and going with it helps you tremendously in the planning process. If you have a color scheme, you can look at dauntingly huge book full of invitations and say "our colors are navy blue and yellow, so I'm only looking at invites that match that." It makes your choosing process SO much easier when you narrow down colors! Not having a color scheme is fine, but it seriously makes the decision process for everything that much harder.
On to part two of my soap box (if you're still reading, thanks for humoring me). Maybe this is just geographical in nature and no one in your area is using this color scheme... but if I see one more red, black, and white wedding I think I'll scream. And if you're reading this and your color scheme is red, black, and white, please forgive me!! It's just, I'm only 23 and I swear I've seen like 15 red, black, and white weddings in my lifetime!!! WHY!?!?! I like red and black together as much as the next girl, I wear those colors quite frequently, but honestly, there are a million colors in the rainbow. I love to see fresh, new color combos for weddings. That's all about that. :) Let's get down to business!
If I had to pick, teal and apple green would be my favoritest color scheme. That is, for right now. It's bound to change. :) But it'll definitely stay on the list of favorites. I love it because it's unexpected, but it totally works! It's elegant and fun at the same time, it's fresh for spring and summer, and pairing it with black here makes it totally classy.
I snagged this gorgeous inspiration board from The Perfect Palette- go check her out! She makes custom color inspiration boards for any requests, and she does it for free. Gotta love that. :) If you want to try your hand at making some color inspiration boards, you can use a variety of computer programs, or go to Style Me Pretty's Style Circle Inspiration Board maker- it's wonderfully easy to use and they turn out gorgeous. Tell me, what's your color scheme? Is there a color combo that makes you cringe? Are you rebel and not sticking to a color scheme? Tell me your color stories!! I promise I'm off my soap box now. ;)
Sunday, December 27, 2009
2010 Wedding Trend: Eco-Friendly
Small ways to save the earth while planning your wedding...
- Choose invitations made from 100% recycled paper
- Donate to a charity in honor of your guests as a favor (use a service such as the I Do Foundation)
- The Arbor Day Foundation allows you to give trees as favors- love this!!
- Choose a florist who uses organically grown, in-season, local flowers
- Reuse items you already have for decor, such as votive holders, vases, etc. Borrow things if you can!
- Shop Etsy for favors, fashion, and more to support small business owners
Taking it a step further...
- Consider using a catering company that uses only local sources for their ingredients and/or certified sustainable resources for fish and chicken
- Have people RSVP by email or phone, saving paper by cutting out RSVP cards
- Purchase a "once-worn" or vintage wedding dress, rather than buying new
- Choose rings made from recycled gold, or silver because it is less harmful to those mining it
- Cut your guest list
And the tree-hugging goodness...
- Use completely biodegradable, compostable plates, silverware, cups, etc. made of things like potato and corn starch (check out worldcentric.org)
- Search for transportation that is more environmentally-friendly, such as those that run on clean fuel (CNG)
- Choose a gown made from organic cotton, peace silk, or hemp- check out gown designer Wai-Ching
- Use beeswax or soy-based candles rather than paraffin, a petroleum-based product
- Plan an ecotourism honeymoon
Do one, do them all- it's totally up to you!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Holiday Proposals
So, if you got engaged today- congratulations!! As we gear up for the new year, and the flood of new brides-to-be from December 25th to February 14th, I hope that your dreams for love are coming true. And I know that planning a wedding is what most girls dream of from a young age, so make sure that you have fun! Enjoy being engaged, enjoy this time together as you plan your special day, and don't get too stressed and swept up in the "planning" stage. Remember that it's all about you and your husband-to-be!!
And if you're considering a wedding planner.... shameless plug ahead.... give us a call. ;)
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sweet Treats
I think this is one of my favorites of hers- I love the feather detail on the top of the cookies! (Photo collage courtesy of Style Me Pretty)
To see more inspiring gorgeousness, check out Amy Atlas' photo gallery here.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Free Resources: Wedding Mapper
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Pom Pom Love
In the Mood for Martha
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Great Outdoors
Get to know your location. This is key no matter your set-up. Do you want to have the sun setting behind you as you say I do? Visit your location at sunset to figure out the best placement for the alter, guest chairs, etc. Will you be marrying during the day? Where is the shade from surrounding trees- can you use it to your advantage so no one melts? If you are putting up a tent, make sure you map out exactly where you'd like it placed, and consider things like the ground texture and location of surrounding bushes and trees (we have brought hedge trimmers to outdoor weddings and had to trim a bush so it wasn't jutting into the tent!). When you host your wedding outdoors, you have so much natural beauty surrounding you- make sure you're using it all to your advantage!
Incorporate natural details. You've chosen to tie the knot in the best location Mother Nature has to offer- outside! Don't overthink your decor. Use natural elements like branches and flowers, but do it thoughtfully. We highly recommend candles- candlelight is gorgeous outside, so go crazy with candles! We're also loving simple paper lanterns, like the kind used in these wedding photos. They look really sweet tied into trees, and are the perfect way to subtly light the space once it gets dark.
Have a back-up plan. I know I know- what's the point of a back-up plan if your DREAM is to get married outdoors?? But I promise, on the off chance that it does rain/snow/sleet/who knows what else- you will thank me for saying you need a back-up plan. And I don't just mean "we'll just move everything under the tent" kind of plan. Really think it out. As hard as it is, envision what your wedding will be like in your back-up location, down to all of the details that are important to you. Will chairs and tables have to be moved? What about the dance floor? Where will you have the ceremony inside the tent? Make sure you have your plan B all laid out, just in case you need to use it. And, just a tiny plug, outdoor weddings where the back-up plan needs to be used- best time ever to have a wedding planner! ;) We can do all of the rearranging and make it still look fabulous, while you don't have a care in the world. Changing things at the last minute and making them look amazing- it's what we do.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Vintage Weddings
There are countless ways to infuse some vintage in your special day- tell us if you're loving the vintage trend! Are you planning any great vintage details for your special day?
Welcome to Our Blog!
At first, we'll be featuring mostly DIY projects and resources from wedding sites that we find helpful. Also, we'd like to share with brides unique ideas for the Buffalo and Western New York area (since that's where we live and work) as we come across them. And of course, we LOVE drooling over photos of gorgeous weddings- so we'll definitely be sharing lots of beautiful weddings from all over the country!
We'd love to hear what YOU'D like to see here, so please feel free to comment and contribute! Also, if you've got a cool idea for wedding decor, fashion, etc. or you've had a great engagment or wedding photo shoot, and you'd like to be featured on Remembering the Details, drop us a line! And finally, we'll eventually be featuring vendors for the WNY area, so if you're a vendor and would like to featured please contact us. Thanks for joining us!