The Sun Shines on Weddings

Kind of Blue

2009-05-10T16:27:00.003-06:00

While listening to music today (which is on literally incessantly in our apartment - we don't even watch tv because we prefer to have music on) it struck me that those of us who are more aurally inclined could be inspired by a song or an album. I chose a fairly common, but still incredibly artistic and unique, album: Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. It evokes that rare sense of warmth that you can get from the right shade of blue, and makes you think of relaxing rainy days and, of course, the jazz era. You could kick this style up a notch by adding peacock feathers or having a beaded flapper dress as your wedding dress, or having a live jazz band play at your reception. Alternately, you could take it down and do an intimate gathering with just a few people, maybe in a library?

Also, Happy Mother's Day!

Top Row: Shoes from Salamander Shoes, Purse from Unique Vintage, Music Stand by Lotus Design, linen by Party Rentals Ltd, Blue Glass Vase, Shoes from Unique Vintage
Second Row: Jazz musician painting by Gregory Myrick, invitation by William Arthur, blue wedding flowers picture taken by Marianne Todd Photography, cake by Steph's Cakes
Third Row: painting by Tatyana Polukarova, flower photograph, Miles Davis Kind of Blue Album, Ring by Leibish and Co.
Fourth Row: Three piece men's suit (no longer available), shoes photograph from Janae Shield Photography, bridesmaid's dress by Vera Wang Maids, Chantal wedding dress by Claire Pettibone
Fifth Row: Candles, Jazz Watercolor, phonograph

Bed and Breakfast

2009-05-06T21:09:00.004-06:00

As I was procrastinating today, I came across a new dress line - The Cotton Bride. If you're looking for something sweet, endearing, comfortable, and a little home-y, this is the line for you! There are plenty of shorter length dresses, and while almost none of the dresses would be described as entirely traditional, they all give that feeling of comfort you get with something you know really well. And then there was this dress, this absolutely fantastic, one of a kind, never see anything like it again, dress. It struck me as being absolutely perfect for a very small wedding at a house. But rather than a house, how about having your wedding at a bed and breakfast? There are tons of bed and breakfasts all over the country, and they all offer that homey feeling, but you don't have to repaint your shutters to get it! Plus, its a great way to do a destination wedding if your family can't travel very far. I sort of wish I had thought of this sooner! I found several in the Finger Lakes region of New York, but I ended up choosing a picture of the Inn on the Main (at http://www.innonthemain.com) for a few reasons. First, it's got that je ne sais quoi about it. The white boards, the wraparound porch, the Victorian gables, it's all there! Second, as you can tell from one of the pictures on their site, there's a church right across the street. And third, can't you imagine sitting on that porch on your wedding night, watching fireflies zoom around, waving at people passing by on the square, and soaking up married life? It would be fantastic, I'm sure!

There are so many other great things in this board as well! The Thank You note in the bottom row is just one of many exquisite designs at Blue Ribbon Design. It makes me want to write thank you notes, which is pretty amazing!

And the cake in the bottom right corner that's making my mouth water? It's from A Simple Cake, which is a fantastic website that streamlines the cake design process. They've got so many options, they really do cover a lot of different tastes. Check it out sometime!

Top row: Tree swing, chrystanthemum, porch view of Inn on the Main
Second row: Dress by Cotton Bride, Versini Brown Multistripe 3 Button Suit from Men's Wearhouse
Third row: Stationery from Blue Ribbon Design, Front view of Inn on the Main, Lattice Cake by A Simple Cake

Brunch Board

2009-05-06T07:39:00.002-06:00

So we're out of cereal this morning and I had to get creative about breakfast, which made me start thinking more about breakfast. French toast and mimosas would be excellent right about now, but alas, I have no bread, eggs, orange juice, or champagne and must settle for oatmeal.

But back to weddings! The day after brunch is becoming a huge trend these days as more and more couples are turning their weddings into a wedding weekend. We won't be having one because our honeymoon flight takes off at 7:30 in the morning (it seemed like a good idea at the time), but I would have loved to have one! And if I had, I would have done it in beautiful, soft, warm, sunrise colors, like gold and pink. Maybe I would even throw in a touch of orange. The brunch can be as fancy or as homespun as you like, and you don't even have to have it. There are some cultures (Afghan I think) where the bride and the groom typically go together to their parents' house for breakfast the next day, the idea being that the bride shouldn't cook yet. I love that idea!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy these ideas for brunch, and that you get something a little more fun than oatmeal for your own breakfast!

Top row: "Eat" platter from MayLuk at etsy, gold doily card from BeauIdeal at etsy, D&G Gold A-Line dress from Couture Candy
Second row: Pink mimosas, french toast, pink teacups from weddingthings.com
Third row: Gold paper lantern from paperlantern.com, flowered pink pumps by Pura Lopez Shoes, outfit from Banana Republic

Nautical Wedding

2009-05-05T20:12:00.002-06:00

Sorry I haven't been able to post lately; law school does require effort every once in a while. Anyway, now that it's starting to really feel like spring, my mind keeps wandering towards the wonderful activities that summer has in store! I love the idea of having a wedding on water - maybe it's the Pisces in me screaming to get out - but I didn't want to do the same beach theme again. Not that the beach theme isn't gorgeous, because it truly is, but there are plenty of places that have access to water, but no nice beach. Cleveland, for example. Well, how about renting a boat for your wedding? If you're from Cleveland, the Nautica Queen is available, and their wedding package sounds astounding. If you're near a larger body of water, why not try a yacht? It's the ultimate in class and easy sophistication!

Top row: Life preserver from Nautical Decor, Suzi Chin Maggy Boutique Sleeveless Rosette Hem Dress
Second row: Dress by Anthropologie
Third row: Grey suit by AH Fashions, seashell bouquet by Romantic Flowers at Etsy
Fourth row: Dolce and Gabanna Blunt Shoes, Burberry tie

Late afternoon sunshine

2009-05-01T14:35:00.002-06:00

Can't you just feel the warmth exuding from these pictures? This is what I mean when I talk about the "big picture". A wedding like that would make you feel as wonderfully warm as laying in a hammock in a late afternoon in the summer; calmly and serenely giddy, comfortable as a cat waking up from a nap.

Top row: Photograph, Lemonade Drink Dispenser at Sur La Table
Second row: Photograph from Texas liberal, bridesmaid dress by Ann Taylor
Third row: Bouquet from The Knot, shoes by BCBGirls
Fourth row: Dress by Amsale, yellow cake from Martha Stewart.

Starting Out

2009-05-01T13:36:00.000-06:00

Hello! I will be posting wedding ideas on this blog daily, if not more often, for as long as there is interest. Hopefully it won't be too much of a repeat of what's on other sites. I like to focus on the big picture of a wedding, what you feel when you're sitting at the ceremony watching the couple get married, or how the reception space is visualized as a whole. There are tons of blogs and websites out there to get you inspired about details, and I'm sure I'll have my share of details on here too, but I want to put out some bigger picture ideas. One thing that I want to make sure gets expressed is the happiness, joy, and sunshine that weddings always bring.

A little bit about myself. I am getting married to the love of my life, M, in 43 days (and counting!). While I've poured countless hours into inane details, my primary goal is to make everyone feel as happy as I do (or close to it). Another random tidbit about myself is that I have a birth defect in my eyes that prevents my pupils from contracting the whole way. Basically, a part of my eyes are always dilated. The result? A brighter, more sunshine-y world! Hopefully this blog can bring a little sunshine into your world too!