Kristen’s fellow Wedding Ace and bridal attire guru, Jessica, recently posted a fabulous inspiration board showcasing bridal hats in place of the traditional veil. Knowing our blog readers are always looking for unique wedding ideas, we thought we’d share Jessica’s inspiration board with you. (And doesn’t the darling hat featured in the bottom right corner of the board remind you of last week’s Real Weddings bride Nicole’s use of peacock feathers as her inspiration?) How will you be capping your bridal look – with a veil or a chic hat?
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Credits, clockwise, from upper left: Unveiled Bridal Designs, Amy Jo Tatum, Erica Koesler, Erica Koesler, ItstheLittleThingsut, EMilliner, Alice Hart Couture
If you simply love the way a particular element of your wedding has turned out, (say, for example, your wedding invitations!) then consider using them as a spring board for designing the rest of your event. Check out these inventive cakes that beautifully mirror the designs of some of TGK’s most popular wedding invitations.
The delicate floral filigree motif on our best-selling Josie wedding invitation is intricately captured on the subtle, monochromatic pipings on this classic wedding cake.
The clean lines and striking contrasts of our glamorous Grace wedding invitation are highlighted with black ribbons-either real or frosted-on these chic cakes.
This non-traditional, sky-blue fondant cake is embellished with real seashells and starfish, just like our divine Coastal Ava Couture wedding invitation
Have you used your wedding invitation to inspire other design elements, such as your cake? If so, we’d love to see photos!
When brown became the “new black” several years ago, pairing it with all shades of blue and pink became a major style trend. And for good reason! These modern color pairings maintain an understated, classic feel that has broad appeal for those who want to work with color without going over the top. And while these color schemes continue to prove their enduring popularity, more and more brides come to us looking for a fresh way to use these colors they love.
That’s why we adore the emerging trend of incorporating pops of green into the standard blue-and-brown palate, as we showed you beautifully executed in Rachel and Dan’s Biltmore wedding on the blog last fall. (Thanks to Michael Oppenheim photography! for all of these gorgeous photos!) Their addition of bright, lime-y greens revitalizes the tranquil blue-and-brown color scheme with crisp, unexpected pops of vibrancy.
Experiment with adding green to traditional color combinations and see where inspiration will take you. With more color options available to brides in inks, papers, ribbons, and fabrics than ever before, expanding your color palate to create a truly original look has never been easier.
Between the argyle and mercury glass, we have been happily overwhelmed by the all the current sparkly vintage trends. Melissa and Kristen recently fell in love with these gorgeous hairpieces they saw at a party, and they can’t stop talking about all the ways they could be used in a wedding!
Think about it… the bride could wear a vintage fabric flower in her hair, and her bridesmaids could wear coordinating flowers attached to ribbon sashes around their wastes. A vintage brooch can grace a headband and also a purse.
The movement has even brought these glamorous pieces to chokers, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. You can work them into the boutonnieres for the groom and groomsmen, and I imagine that they would work well as part of a centerpiece, too. So if vintage style is your bag, try some of these ideas on for size!
At this spring’s National Stationery Show, the USPS unveiled its very first stamp designed specifically for irregular-shaped mail. This is great news for brides who want to mail square and oblong envelopes that might be considered “oversized” and require postage beyond the standard 44-cent stamp. No longer will you have to stick a sad little 20-cent stamp next to your carefully chosen “Love” stamps!
Of course, it’s still a good idea to take a fully stuffed sample wedding invitation down to the Post Office to confirm the weight and correct postage before you buy stamps and mail your invitations off. But if 64-cents is what it will cost to mail your envelopes, the lovely Monarch Butterfly design is a nice new option!
Oh, the question of what to gift your bridesmaids and groomsmen! These gifts must accomplish so much: you want to thank these dear friends for all they’ve done for you; and it would be lovely if the gift were an appropriately “special” or even “meaningful” reminder of your wedding. Yet most couples are already operating at the outer limits of their wedding budgets when they set out to purchase multiple gifts for these key wedding party members!
So when we come across a gift idea that is 1) beautiful, 2) practical, and 3) well priced, not to mention 4) something both women AND men would be happy to have; 5) customizable to fit the personal style of each gift recipient; and 6) made of gorgeous recycled materials … we feel it is our bounden duty to report it far and wide!
Case in point, these lovely, handmade pouches. The designer, who works in the furnishings industry, was inspired to create these wee wallets as a savvy way to re-use the remnants and un-used samples of the high quality leathers her company was discarding. And we are so glad she did! Priced just under $22, the pouches are ideal for holding the bare essentials needed for a night on the town, a quick walk to the coffee shop, or for slipping into a gym bag.
Visit the Pouches By Page Web site to view their full selection of leathers and custom options. And surprise your wedding party with this delightfully modern, earth-friendly take on a classic necessity.
Lucky duck that I am, last weekend I got to attend my cousin’s oh-so-elegant beach-side wedding at the glorious Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Though the ceremony and reception site were decidedly formal, the beachy setting–and the couple’s laid-back style–called for casual, personal touches.
Upon entering the reception hall, we were invited to don a pair of flip flops, conveniently grouped by color and size in crisp white baskets. This display set the stage for an afternoon of dancing, merry making, and strolling the beachside lawn.
Guests choosing to wander outdoors to take in the coastal scene were met with baskets filled with straw fans and retro, 80’s style sunglasses.
The guests appreciated these funky and functional touches that doubled as wedding favors.
And check out this beautiful bride (my new cousin Tricia!) who pulled these fun ideas together and simply glowed radiance throughout the weekend!
I had the delightful pleasure of attending my cousin’s wedding last weekend in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Nearly all of the guests were out-of-towners, making this a definite destination wedding. I was so impressed with their attention to the little details that made the entire weekend flow as a seamless event, while leaving plenty of room for each guest to enjoy their own “mini vacation” in this popular seaside spot.
Note to the gentle reader: Please pardon this blogger’s sub-par photography skills!
Perhaps the most useful detail was this clever “Guide to Awesomeness” that Tricia and Will put together themselves and tucked into each out-of-towner’s welcome bag. The guide unfolded, map-style, to reveal a large, full-color road map of the Myrtle Beach area, complete with numbered pinpoints of each wedding event, recommended restaurants, and even golfing options!
The bottom half of the guide provided categorized details of each marked location. Tricia and Will incorporated lighthearted tips and recommendations for each spot so we’d easily be able to find the best spot for local seafood or the ideal destination for entertaining kids at an alligator farm!
Their helpful guide allowed me to set aside my printed, unpredictable Mapquest directions and follow their handy, local-approved map. We weren’t late to a single activity! And best of all, we felt like we got the most out of our “mini vacation” by sticking to the bride and groom’s fabulous recommendations. If you’re planning a destination wedding, take a cue from the newly wed Mr. & Mrs. Weaver and create your own “Guide to Awesomeness!”
Pottery Barn stores around the country are offering free classes in the art of wedding décor! Reserve your spot now at your local store for Sunday, June 27th – click here to check your local store’s class times.
You’ll learn “creative ideas to add style to your wedding with unique centerpieces, place cards, favors, and more …” And all participants receive 10% off merchandise featured in the class. So if you’ve been eyeing some of PB’s lovely items, or just wondering how in the world they pull those elegant looks together, you might want to check this out!
P.S. While you’re there, be sure to register for Pottery Barn’s $10,000 dream wedding registry sweepstakes!
If you’re looking to create a vintage vibe for your wedding day, we love the idea of using sealing wax to secure your wedding invitation envelopes. A perfect complement to our retro chic Hollywood or our classic Grace invitations!
There are seals with every monogram and image you can imagine to personalize the impression pressed into each dollop of wax. Many brands of sealing wax are mailable, and we particularly love the selections available online through Letter Seals.
Carry the old world charm of wax seals into other aspects of your wedding day. Gift your bridesmaids with these gorgeous fine silver wax seal initial necklaces by Etsy artist Shannon Westmeyer. The perfect way to say thank you to your lovely maids!
Or imprint a seal on the side of wine bottles or hurricanes as table centerpieces.
The ideas are limitless!
Sealing wax images courtesy of Letter Seals
Many of our customers have been asking when we’d have additional motifs available for Wedding Wire’s wonderful free wedding Websites. Well, we are pleased to announce that Wedding Wire has just launched four more TGK-exclusive designs! You can now customize our Damask, Pine, Circles & Dots, and Modern Snowflake graphics in a range of lovely colors to give your wedding Website a TGK-inspired look!
The Circles and Dots motif in pink.
The Modern Snowflake motif in blue.
Whether you want to coordinate your Website with your wedding invitations and stationery, or if you’re looking for a unique background and theme just for use on your site, we think you’ll love how easy and helpful Wedding Wire’s sites are to use!
As we’ve mentioned, Kristen and Melissa are frequently featured on the awesome Wedding Aces blog as experts in the wedding stationery realm. But did you know there are “Aces” on that blog with excellent advice, ideas, and inspiration on all subjects relating to weddings? We got such a giggle from this article, posted by Ace Chris Garrow, that we had to share it with our TGK blog readers!
Photo courtesy of Light Touch Professional Photography
He writes of an inspired couple that wanted to inject a little non-conformist fun into their wedding by providing guests with kitchsy temporary tattoos to commemorate the day. Not sure if I’d do this at my wedding or not … but it’s a super fun idea! What do you think? Check out Chris’ full article here on the Wedding Aces site.
Looking for a little extra luck on your wedding day? Want a wedding date that your guests just can’t help but remember? While it will be hard to beat the overwhelming popularity of the lucky 7-7-07 wedding date, 2010 does bring the opportunity for a Sunday wedding on 10-10-10. Not too shabby!
And, if you are planning well in advance – Saturday, September 10th, of next year offers a cool “count down” date of 9-10-11. Have any other ideas? Please share!
One tip for those of you seeking cool wedding dates – you may want to consider booking your vendors extra early since these dates fill up fast!
One of our favorite “green wedding” trends is the smart idea of creating one-of-a-kind centerpieces out of several small potted plants that serve double-duty as favors for your wedding guests. We love the endless possibilities for customizing this trend to suit your individual wedding style! Here are some tips on working this idea to complement the tone of your wedding day.
1) Select a plant with meaning. “Floriography” is a time-honored tradition of associating flowers with nuanced meanings. When selecting the plants you’ll present to your guests, it can be fun to consider the message that flower will send.
A quick Internet search will turn up dozens of articles and “plant dictionaries” to help you decipher the language of flowers. Some appropriate wedding choices are the herb rosemary (for remembrance), pansies or violets (that tell friends they are in your thoughts), spearmint (for warm feelings), and bellflowers (for gratitude).
Use meaningful plants alone or in combinations to convey just the right tone. (Tip: Be sure to clue your guests in to the plants’ meanings! See #3 below…)
2) Perennials vs. Annuals. While any botanical gift can be considered “sustainable,” choosing a perennial plant (one that comes back year after year rather than dying after a single season) will truly give guests a memento to remember your wedding. Every time the plant blooms in the years to come, close friends will remember that flower in relationship to your blessed day.
3) Personalize it! Whether you select inexpensive, earthy terracotta pots or eclectic vintage tins to contain the floral gifts, add a personalized tag for a little pizzazz! Incorporate your new married monogram and the wedding date on one side. And don’t forget to provide guests with simple instructions for transplanting the favor at home.
In honor of Earth Day, The Green Kangaroo is announcing that ALL of our products are now available for printing on 100% recycled white paper! We’ve been searching for quite some time to find just the right recycled paper that meets our high quality standards while still offering a cost effective solution for our customers.
Now, we understand you may not get as excited about paper as we do! But we just have to tell you about this new design component that has everyone in the studio over the moon. This recycled paper is made from 100% post-consumer products, which means that every bit of the paper has been repurposed from a previously used paper source. In addition, it is ultra heavy weight which gives it a luxurious heft and substance appropriate for fine stationery. This means your designs will look amazing and utterly professional when printed on this paper!
We also love that, because of the nature of the recycling process, each sheet of paper has a hallmark “natural” appearance, where you can discern the teeniest flecks and slight imperfections. While all of the recycled papers are white, no sheet of paper is exactly the same as the next, so your guests will be able to tell that you selected an environmentally friendly product by the paper’s unique, slightly distressed look.
If you’re interested in seeing how your invitation will look on our new recycled paper, simply select that as an option when ordering your samples and we will send you the papers of your choice so you can touch, feel, and see the difference.
Happy Earth Day!
