If you're going to go theme, do it all out.

It is my personal opinion that if you choose to do a "theme" for your wedding, you should go all out and carry it through. I know there are other planners that would advise against this, and would want you to "tone it down" but then, what is the point? Isn't that just another wedding with a color scheme instead of an actual theme?

Strawberry Wedding - I actually got my inspiration for this while going strawberry picking at Apple Jax Orchard with my little family. It was such a beautiful day, I dressed my daughter in a Strawberry Shortcake shirt, and we went off to pick some strawberries.

The inspiration board below shows some of my ideas, but there are some that haven't been Googled! For instance, you could do Strawberry plant centerpieces in a white ceramic bowl. For table markers, download the images of the Strawberry shortcake gang, label each character and print. Then glue them on a Popsicle stick and have guests find their tables by using the markers instead of table numbers.

Favors would be so easy, strawberries dipped in chocolate (white or dark) and then wrapped in cellophane and ribbon. Putting one at each place setting or grouping them together on a platter would be gorgeous. Other details, such as the cake and bouquet could also be adorned with fresh strawberries. Why not take the bridal party strawberry picking before and gather fresh strawberries to be used? Or, if you were a really savvy bride you could plant your own strawberry garden and harvest your very own bouquet. Of course, flowers could be included in the bouquet, or doing something really dramatic like an all strawberry bouquet would be majestic!



The Ladybug Wedding-
The ladybug wedding would be fantastic for a girl that loves the classic color combo of black and red, but doesn't want something too gothic. Incorporating a ladybug keeps this color scheme very lighthearted. Plus, this would be perfect if you happen to love ladybugs, and are having a late summer wedding!

It would be really fun to have a cake with a million little ladybugs crawling down it, or just one big one as a cake topper. Black dresses with a pop of red, or vise-versa would work well! I think the most fun part of doing a wedding like this would be the paper crafts. The invitations, programs, menus, and favors would be absolutely adorable!

The reception centerpieces could be low, filled with red and black roses and tied with ladybug ribbon. A bouquet of roses, with stephanotis flower and wrapped in black ribbon would be very appealing. In addition, you could look for a great red and black classic car! A black convertible with red leather seats or a red Volkswagen beetle would be absolutely perfect!

Lovebirds Wedding -
The "love birds" theme is so cute if you plan on having a wedding with robins egg blue, but also want to incorporate other complimentary colors such as red, lavender, yellow, white, brown...really the possibilities are endless. This is because it would be so easy to make your own fantastic centerpieces with a trip to Joann Fabrics or Michael's craft store. They carry premade birdhouses that you can paint any color you want. You could easily remove the roof of the birdhouse, stuff it with floral foam and wildflowers and reattach the roof slight off kilter with a glue gun. Of course, you could always just use the pre-cut door and have flowers popping out!

You can find bird nest/egg favors at most favor websites or stationery stores. Speaking of stationery, wouldn't it be grand to have your stationer come up with an original design including the birdhouse? It could be elegant or funky! You could have the birdhouse designed to be part of the invitation or make a bird house invitation! Another great idea would be to have a row of birdhouses affixed to a board and have your escort cards fastened to a hanging ribbon with a pin!

Even the boutonnieres and bouquets could include the "lovebirds". The boutonniere itself could be a miniature birdhouse, and the bouquet could have miniature craft birds added to it. A cake with a birdhouse topper or a cake shaped like a birdhouse would be fantastic! This type of wedding is fun, funky and original. Love is for the birds!

PHOTO CREDITS
Strawberry Inspiration Board: Snippets & Ink, Alvis Cars, Kidspartyguide.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, weddingdetails.com, yummyfavours.blogspot.com, designer co-op

Ladybug Inspiration Board: favorcreative.com, finestationery.com, Marqueetent.com, projectwedding.com,dreamdesignsfloral.com, theknot.com, shoreybeetle.com

Lovebirds Inspiration Board: momentaldesign.com, projectwedding.com,beau-coup.com, crate & barrel, Elizabethanndesigns.com, babushkacakes.com, etsy.com, Todd Oldam floral

I try to identify and give credit for all the stock photography I use in my inspiration boards. If I've missed a source, or if you would like me to remove your photography from my blog, please message me and I will gladly replace it with another image.

Styles of Classic Country Weddings

Whenever I hear a bride say she wants a "classic country wedding" I'm always thinking "Okay, but what kind?" There are so many ways to do a country wedding, whether it is very casual or very elegant. Styles range from shabby chic to rustic. For many of these weddings a great, non-fussy reception filled with comfort food is the focus. Other times, the event is very elegant using the traditional white and cream monochromatic scheme to have a very East coast country wedding. Really, the possibilities are endless!

The most wonderful part of the classic country wedding is that it can be done in any season and they always turn out beautifully. Of course, the most popular time of year for the country wedding is autumn, but really you can do a fantastic wedding at the country house during any season.

Below are a few inspiration boards that I've created using stock photography to show brides how many different ways you can pull off a "classic country wedding."


Sunflower Wedding - The sunflower wedding is usually pretty casual, like the flower itself. Chocolate browns mixed with golden yellows, the warm late summer sun, a glass of lemonade...all of these things lend themselves to the atmosphere of a friendly, happy occasion! Rent an old VW bug in butter yellow, give away sunflower seeds for planting as a favor, and use this amazingly beautiful flower throughout your reception. The most wonderful thing about a sunflower reception is you can go to almost any Farmer's Market in town and find this flower! If you throw a few sunflowers together and bind it with raffia, you have a fantastic bouquet!


Shabby Chic Wedding - This type of wedding is perfect for a feminine bride that has a very secure fiance. Personally, I think a shabby chic wedding looks best in pink, or a light green but just about any pastel will do. This type of wedding is all about those unique yard sale finds. Scour the thrift stores for old teapots that coordinate and yet are all different from each other. Use them as centerpieces and fill them with creamy roses or hydrangeas. Hanging candles, weathered baskets, even old quilts as table cloths can be used to create this classically romantic ambiance. Why not rent the infamous "Pink Cadillac" that Bruce Springsteen sings about, and hang a chandelier from a tree? I'm positive you could find one at a local thrift store, paint it white, and add beading to make a shabby chic statement!



Rustic Country Wedding - This is what most of us think about when we picture a country wedding: a big red barn reception, autumn colors, hay bales, BBQ, and a Blue Grass band. This is truly down home, and autumn just happens to be the most beautiful time of year on the farm. There are so many wonderful ideas to incorporate into an event like this. Many of them are DIY projects such as wiring old mason jars, hanging them to the tree and lighting votive candles.

Other interesting and fun ideas are creating a wedding wreath to hang on the barn door or incorporating gingham, burlap or calico fabrics into the reception. To cover ugly chairs, all you would need is a few bolts of burlap fabric! Measure the chair, then make the fabric about 1/3 longer, of the length and the width. Cover the chair with the fabric and tie with ribbon or a flower swag! Fantastic!

Giving away favors that are personalized BBQ sauce bottles, or jars of jam, honey, or pickles is a great idea! Use a computer to personalize the labels by picking some up from Office Max.

For floral decor there are so many fabulous options such as roses, mums, daisies, sunflowers, and alstromeria. Using berries, wheat and other fruits like pumpkins, apples or squash is another way to add fantastic aesthetics without spending a lot of money.


Traditional Country White
Finally, I really, really love a traditional white on white country wedding. The creamy flowers, weathered wicker baskets, old fashioned chapels all make this style of wedding fresh as a daisy! A wedding done this way will look beautiful, forever because everything is so classic it will never go out of style.











Photo credits:

Sunflower Inspiration Board - Wishpot.com, polyvore.com, weddingloco.com, sunflowergardenwedding.com, examiner.com, ebrideconnect.com

Shabby Chic Inspiration Board - projectwedding.com, stylemepretty.com, debanhams.com, brides.com, theknot.com, istockphoto.com

Rustic Inspiration Board -Martha Stewart weddings, thknot.com, brides.com, crateandbarrel.com, Chysalia Flowers

White Country Inspiration Board - stylemepretty.com, snippetsandink.com, pinkcakebox.com,crateandbarrel.com, istockphoto.com, theknot.com

I try to identify and give credit for all the stock photography I use in my inspiration boards. If I've missed a source, or if you would like me to remove your photography from my blog, please message me and I will gladly replace it with another image.

Color Trends for 2009

As a wedding planner, I love to get my inspiration for event design from many sources. I do a lot of window shopping to see what fashion's new colors are for the season and pair those with traditional neutrals and wallah, an event schematic is born.

For the most part, the brides I work with know what they want, and I love that! It is rare that I have to gasp at a color pairing and try to advise them on something different. However, my favorite type of bride is one that has a contemporary edge with a classic fashion sense and is willing to venture out away from the monochromatic or pastels. Conjoining a neutral tone with a more vibrant hue can result in such brilliance! This can be done with fabric, flowers or even lighting.

So, without further ado, here are my personal favorite pairings for 2009. First and foremost, gray is the new chocolate. This color is so versatile, it can go with a vibrant color, a pastel or an Earth tone! In addition to that, the shade of gray can be dark like slate, or as light as precipitous cloud and it would still look good paired with almost any color.

For instance, a medium range gray with a pastel pink is a very classic color combination. It isn't as vintage as black and pink, or as overdone as chocolate and pink. Surprisingly, Tiffany blue and a light gray look fantastic as well.

If you want to be bolder, a slate gray paired with a butter yellow and crisp white looks amazing! Another great color is a rich salmon, lime green and gray! Think about it, salmon with lime on a silver platter generally has a beautiful aesthetic. Or, if you're going for a more sophisticated color scheme, a shimmery light gray with and indigo blue and ivory would be reminiscent of the evening sky.

Earth tones go great with gray! Chocolate, taupe, burgundy, pumpkin, moss green... they all look fantastic! This would be especially nice if you were doing a "rustic elegance " wedding. Gray overlays with a centerpiece of river rocks, moss and beautiful willow branches would make a stunning, yet low key statement.

Vintage 40's is in! During this era, both muted tones and vibrant colors were all the rage. If you look at this era you see Lingerie in pale mauve, deep ivory, la vender, or a buttery yellow. These soft colors are perfect for an afternoon wedding on a summer day.
However, you also saw bold pairings like an aquama rine blue with candy apple red during this era. The retro feel of the 40's and 50's is a great place to get inspiration for wedding colors if you're a bride with a bit of an edge. Teal, red and white really pops and is perfect for the retro bride that loves the simple lines and bright colors of the 1950's. As you can see, you will have amazing wed ding photos with this color scheme! The 40's a nd 50's are classically glamorous, mid-century co ntemporary or art deco are both the toast of th e design world because they are still so appealing today.

If you want to wander off into the hipster 60's without doing the bohemian/hippie casual style of wedding, ou could also go with something more funky like chartreuse green, white and aqua. Whatever you decide, muted or vibrant, this era definitely has some great inspiration.

Etsy is a great place to seek out the serendipity of vintage colors. :)

Additionally, I am seeing some color combos that are so exciting, as well as extravagant for the eyes. There is deep burgundy and salmon, yes I said it...burgundy and peach! This look is so sultry and can be done in summer or fall!

I also really love a burnt orange paired with a deep teal. It is stunning, especially for a rustic, sunset wedding on the beach. It just reminds me of a late summer wedding at the lake or on the beach in the Caribbean!

Another unexpected combination of colors is a deep navy with lilac paired with lilac hues. They are an unusual use of an almost monochromatic color scheme! Finally, I am still seeing brown and pink paired together, but the shades have reversed. We are now seeing a more light wooden brown, with a deeper pink like raspberry or wine.

Of course, we are still seeing the classic combos as well. Burnt orange and chocolate brown are still a favorite for an autumn wedding. Taupe, blue and chocolate is still a classic and beautiful combination for a sophisticated summer wedding. The monochromatic white, off white color scheme will never go out of style because it continues to have such a fresh appeal, and the green and cream will live on forever. And thank goodness for that! :)

Well, it is been fun discussing color trends I've seen in the industry but also talking about the trends I see forthcoming. Don't forget to go window shopping and check out the colors they are presenting. This is a great way to forecast the new trends for 2010!













Photo Credits:
Gray & Green Inspiration Board - Brides.com, Tastefully Entertaining.blogspot.com
Aqua & Chartreuse Inspiration Board - Brides.com
Teal & Red Inspiration Board - isawred.com, weddingsonthefrenchriveria.com,knot.com, brides.com
Blue & Chocolate Inspiration Board - weddingsonthefrenchriveria.com, favorideas.com, brides.com, photobucket.
Orange & Teal Inspiration Board - weddingsonthefrenchriveria.com
Burgundy & Peach Inspiration Board - tastefullyentertaining.blogspot.com
Autumn Inspiration Board - tastefullyentertaining.blogspot.com

The Candy Bar - a sweet distraction

The "candy bar" peaked in popularity a couple of years ago but it is a concept that is still going strong. In fact, I worked with a couple this summer that had a candy bar at their reception and it was a huge hit! Guests were raving about how beautiful it was, the originality of the candy and there were even some great pictures of the bride raiding it near the end of the reception.

In lieu of giving out individual favors, this alternative allows guests to take a trinket if they wish. The best part is, they are relatively easy to create and you won't find hundreds of dollars wasted at the end of the evening when guests decided to leave without their favor.


Having a candy bar also saves time because it is much easier to have your wedding planner set up this station using apothecary jars, mason jars or other ornamental glass containers then spending hours tying tulle and ribbon around hundreds of favors. You can really let your creativity flow too!

This type of favor is just as beautiful as one at each place setting because of the impact it has. Beautiful glass filled with mouth watering candies such as salt water taffy and chocolate truffles creates a very unique aesthetic. Especially if you coordinate the fabric, jars and candies! Having a flower arrangement and a sign that describes each candy really grabs attention.

Couples have been known to incorporate candies that were important to them during their courtship. For example, if a couple had met at an amusement park, including huge, multicolored, lollipops would be a great way to tell guests about their love story. The other fabulous thing about candy bars is you can use bags or boxes for guests to scoop their treasures into. This offers so much versatility! They can be ornate, or very simple.

Additionally, the size of the candy bar can be as big or as small as you want it to be. It can be filled with expensive candies ordered from across the globe, or your just M & M's with your name and date on them.

Finally, for those of you that don't have a planner, or cannot trust one of your relatives to set the bar up for you, there are a few companies in the Twin Cities that specialize in this type of favor. Love Sweet Love is one of them and many of the fantastic bakeries around town set up sweet tables as well!

If you want to attempt to create this for your own wedding, I would suggest visiting http://www.save-on-crafts.com/.

Save on Crafts has tons of fantastic apothecary jars and cake stands, fabric, and favor bags & boxes. They have everything you could possibly want for wedding supplies.

Wedding Style - 30's Glamor

I recently watched the remake of "Grey Gardens" starring Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lang. I couldn't help but be blown away by the feminine style of the 1930's and 1940's and how the classic lines of the clothes made every woman look amazing. It has inspired me to advocate for this era in wedding attire. Personally, I feel that we are not going far enough back into the fashion archives for inspiration.

I see that the 1980's have obviously come back into style for today's teens, but I keep hoping that women will see that the feminine beauty of the 1930's and 1940's is the most flattering. After all, skinny jeans and striped shirts with legwarmers only look good through the lens of youth. I can't help but cringe when I see photos of brides from the 1980's with the huge puffy sleeves, lace bodices and full tulle skirts fit for a Disney princess. So here is my suggestion for brides at the turn of the 21st Century... be inspired by the classic, feminine lines of the past but add a new twist. Where will this new twist come from? Hopefully Vera Wang!

It's no wonder that the 1930's and 1940's wedding dresses really never went out of style. Whether you fancy a dress with soft ivory color and cowl neckline or something dove white with tea length skirting and a fitted bodice, each dress highlights the fabulous feminine figure. If you are looking for a dress that will look classic and beautiful 100 years from now, go with a vintage style 30's or 40's dress that plays up your femininity. This doesn't mean you have to actually buy a vintage dress, but look for something with dress lines similar to what women were wearing in those eras. Show off your curves and celebrate the female form!

For instance, a tea length white dress with a pop of pink would be perfect for an afternoon garden wedding with brunch and champagne reception. The fitted waist and full skirt would look fantastic on a petite frame. Very Audrey Hepburn!

For the sophisticated evening wedding, with a cocktails and hors d'eourves reception, something a little slinky would be perfect! Ivory and satin, with a deep v-neckline...this dress is dripping with sensuality. Of course, having a full (yet fit) figure helps to make this type of dress look amazing! Va va va vooooooom!

The classic afternoon church wedding with a formal dinner reception deserves a dress like that worn by none other than Miss Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. This divine creation has a fitted bodice, ornate detailing and a full skirt. It isn't quite a ballgown because of the capped sleeve, but it has the feel of royalty. Of course, Jackie O was married in 1953, but her dress is a classic and similar to those worn by the debutante's of the 40's.


Sweet Vintage! This sweetheart neckline in a crisp white with floral detailing at the waist-line is absolutely fantastic and reminiscent of the 1930's. This would look great on the petite bride or someone tall and slender.


Hollywood Glamor

A capped sleeve with beading embellishing the bust is classic 40's. This dress pulls in at the waist and flairs at the hip creating the stunning hour-glass figure so many of us cherish. A pill box hat or period veil would look absolutely fantastic.


40's War brides were feminine, youthful and sexy. This dress reminds me of a pin-up. The satin material, cowled shoulders and sweetheart neckline and tight bodice inspires the feel of a princess without the puffy skirting. The skirt is mostly A-line, which gives this vintage dress a timeless feel.

Featured in St. Cloud Times

Hello everyone! As my first official blog about my professional life, I would like to share that I've been quoted in an article about wedding registry trends in the St. Cloud Times! This is so exciting for me, I love to share my expertise and when this opportunity came up I was just thrilled.

Check it out! http://www.sctimes.com/article/20090711/LIFE/107110004&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL