No 59: Something Blue!

Saturday, February 28, 2009

I am crazy about the idea of wearing blue shoes on my wedding day to fulfill that blue component. My mom actually wore blue jeans under her mother’s gown, and if I were cooler, I’d probably do it, too. But the truth is that I’m so much more traditional than she is, and so I think a gorgeous pair of blue high heels is the perfect compromise.

Photo by Todd Pellowe c/o theKnot.

No 58: Something Borrowed

Friday, February 27, 2009

I’m a traditionalist. I’ll always pick pearls over diamonds, and I’ve been wearing my grandmother’s studs since my sweet sixteen. I would never dream of buying jewelry for my wedding, and can’t imagine wearing much anyway. I might just wear her pearls, because I think bare shoulders and collarbone look dramatic and beautiful, and I hate fussy, glittery jewelry. If I wear anything else, it will be a piece of family jewelry, like my mother’s amethyst that many other women have borrowed on their wedding days.

Photo c/o Martha Stewart.

No 57: Something New

Thursday, February 26, 2009

I was thinking the gown would count as the new thing I’d wear on my big day…but if I were to wear vintage, I would kill for a chance to wear Jackie O’s incredible dress by Ann Lowe. The gown is housed in the Kennedy Library in Boston, MA.

No 56: Something Old

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

My grandparents were married on New Year’s Eve, 1950, and my mother wore the vintage gown when she married my dad in October 1978. Unfortunately, it was poorly preserved and the lace is badly damaged. The worst part is that I would love to wear it: full-skirted lace gown with a tiny waist and a beautiful bodice covered in sheer netting. While the dress itself isn’t useable, I’d like to make a garter from a piece of it, so that I can carry on that tradition.

No 55: a Theme!

Monday, February 23, 2009

This week, I plan to muse on a classic wedding rhyme.
The traditional wedding custom of wearing “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” actually finishes with the line, “and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” So we know it’s an English practice, and historians believe it began during the Victorian era. "Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."

No 54: Real Wedding: Deb and Shawn

Sunday, February 22, 2009


A money clip locket with a photograph of your bride? How sweet.










This couple is just so divine. It doesn't hurt that their wedding is in Manhattan, my beloved city away from home. Ceremony at St. Luke in the Fields, reception at the Yale Club, and for favors, brown wrapped copies of their favorite books which also served as table ("Volume") numbers. And Gray's Papaya? Apparently they were worried they wouldn't get to eat during their reception, so they stopped off for hot dogs.

Photos by Karen Wise c/o Snippet and Ink.

No 53: the Gloves

Who doesn't enjoy a pair of girly gloves once in a while? These gloves, from Mod Cloth, are actually called "Girly Girl" gloves and would be adorable with those bridesmaids dresses I posted a few weeks ago.

No 52: the Giggles

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Thank you, Hannah Matthews soon-to-be Brooks. Thank you for turning me on to by far the best wedding blog out there-Tacky Weddings. Laughter (and booze) always seem to be the cure for what ails you, but this does laughter one better. I actually had tears streaming down my face.

No 51: the Morning After

Don't you want this to be what you wake up to the day after your wedding? And your gorgeous new husband, of course.

No 50: Wiley Valentine

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Nothing makes me more excited than the arrival of a real piece of mail. Not a catalogue or a bill, but an envelope with someone's handwriting on it, addressed to me. Well, okay, a few things make me more excited (my beau, cheeseburgers, free gowns) but letters are very high on my list. Which I think is why I adore weddings. They will require the sending of real letters-the save-the-date, the invitation, the response card, the thank you note. Holy hell, that's a lot of paper. And all of it can be beautiful.

Which brings me to Wiley Valentine. The name is unfairly fantastic, and the paper does not disappoint.Mmmm...paper. Also, 50 posts!

No 49: the Good Feelings

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Sigh...

No 48: the Giant Binder of Wedding Goodness

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Okay, so obviously you don't actually have to call it that. But I'm highly recommending it.

This binder is from russell+hazel, a wonderfully chic organizational company that designs binders of all shapes and sizes for every purpose. The weddings section of their website includes the best templates ever, and you know I don't take that sort of thing lightly. They're free PDFs and coordinate beautifully with their binders, which come in solid colors, Henri Bendel-designed patterns, patents and metallics. I'd happily use a russell+hazel binder to organize my wedding planning or anything else, for that matter.

No 47: the Cake Topper

Monday, February 16, 2009

I love, love, love this vintage inspired cake topper by Etsy seller Carrie Klein. I'd probably ask for slightly less crafty flowers, but I adore the hand-cast base and bell, the sweet little bride and groom and the classic sensibility. Don't you wish your handmade skills had evolved beyond note cards and small knit goods to include things as beautiful as this?

No 46: Real Wedding: Melissa and Pete

Sunday, February 15, 2009



What an amazing photograph.



Such a saucy minx of a bride. That's awesome.




Can you believe this wedding, photographed by Tec Pejata, was done for $4,000? They were married in December and the photographer's wife, Chelsea of Oh my Deer did all the paper goods and helped style the event. OnceWed featured it last week and I think it's dreamy.

photography: Tec Petaja
veil: Etsy seller Rohm
bride's bouquet: A Village of Flowers, Nashville, TN
bride's gown: preowned gown, bought from OnceWed
bridesmaid's dresses: ASOS
bride's jewelry: Etsy seller lillyella
bride's flower hair fascinators: Etsy seller Oh, My Deer!
bride's hair and makeup: Jordan Byers (jordandhughes@gmail.com)
wedding design: Oh, My Deer! and friends
groom's attire: Urban Outfitters
groom & groomsmen boutonnieres: Oh, My Deer! and friends (ohmydeer.etsy.com)
invitations, programs and paper goods: Oh, My Deer!

No 45: the Valentine

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Making Valentines is one of my favorite February activities. This year, Flax, a great SF art resource, had so many beautiful cards and delicate papers for handmade valentines (not to mention wedding invitations) that it took me almost an hour to decide. Happy Valentine's Day!

No 44: the Cocktail

Friday, February 13, 2009

As I mentioned earlier, John and I will probably not offer a full bar, but serve lots of the things we like to drink instead. Primarily because I hate the photographs of martinis. When you can dictate what everyone else will eat and drink (and in the worst of cases, wear) besides your wedding day?

My favorite cocktail is the Kir and all its glorious varieties. The Kir Royale (made with crème de cassis and champagne) and the Kir Imperial (made with raspberry liquour and champagne) top my list, and I prefer them to even water. In fact, I may enjoy a few this weekend. Try one; they're delicious!

No 43: the Sweets

Best breakfast ever. Happy Friday!


Image c/o Paris Breakfast.

No 42: the e-Valentine

Thursday, February 12, 2009

kate spade has the cutest e-valentines to send out to your girlfriends (or paramours) this weekend. BMINE?

No 41: Oh Em Gee!

A shout out to Southern Weddings for their impeccable taste in featuring Heather and Scott's wedding. Some of you who read this will recognize Heather as one of our fabulously talented (and obviously attractive) directors, and those of you who do not will simply be floored by her whimsical wedding. Also, she mentioned it today in class and so obviously I had to mention it, too.

Click on Part II for more photos, or take a peak at Tanja Lippert's blog for photos of their wedding and fantastic engagement shoot. Just trust me on this one.

No 40: the Photographs

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I'm posting this because it's a gorgeous photo, and because I miss my sweetheart. John is definitely the guy to wear suspenders on our wedding day.

Image c/o Snippet and Ink, by Beth Armsheimer.

No 39: the Paper

I love the peonies in this invitation suite. The space between the peony motif and the more modern lowercase text is so visually provocative. Plus, I'm entranced by all things gold.

No 38: the Table

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

How fantastic is this table? I love the contrast of the dark, stark chairs and the peacock. The simple place settings and the luscious white flowers. It's so great to see some elements kept really simple so that the gorgeous stuff can take center stage. But really, where do you find a 2 foot long peacock made of real feathers?

No 37: this Just In!

Monday, February 9, 2009

I realized I should absolutely share this with my readers-I'm helping plan a wedding! Thanks for letting me, Yang! I am so excited, and I can't wait to make your American wedding as wonderful as this winter's (see the amazing photograph below).

No 36: the de la Renta

This gorgeous dress from Oscar de la Renta is just the thing to spread a big smile over my face after a long Monday of classes and rehearsals. Not to mention the Bachelor, which is a wonderfully subversive pleasure I relish each Monday evening.

No 35: the Paper (Source)

Sunday, February 8, 2009

I don't anyone who doesn't enjoy an afternoon at Paper Source once in a while, and they always have creative and beautiful ideas for your wedding. In the next few weeks, Paper Sources all over the country will be having wedding demos and workshops. The information, on Paper Source's website, is here.
A card box shaped like a cake is one of my favorite Paper Source projects. I have instructions for a "cake" covered in wrapping paper, but I think the vanilla colored scalloped and round stackables from Paper Source would be just as lovely without wrapping. Instructions as follows (to make a box without wrapping, simplify):

Supplies: Three round boxes (a small, medium and large)
One roll of paper gift wrap

Mod Podge Glue

Four yards of ribbon
An assortment of trims (artificial flowers, velvet leaves, etc)


Tools: Small foam paint brush
Pencil
Ruler
Exacto Knife
Scissors

Glue Gun

Directions
: Lay a sheet of your wrapping paper print side down. Place your boxes on the paper (bottom side down) and trace around each box using a pencil. Carefully cut out each circle.

Measure the height of each box, and cut a strip of paper as wide as the height of your box and long enough to wrap completely around the circumference.
Turn all three boxes over, so the bottom of box becomes the top of your “cake tier”. You won’t be needing the lids to the two smaller boxes, just the lid for the largest box which will be the bottom tier of your paper cake.

Before you begin gluing, be sure to protect your work surface. Mod Podge
can be messy. Apply an even layer of Mod Podge to the top of one your cake tiers using a small sponge brush.

Carefully place your paper
circle on the top of the box (in the glue). Smooth out any air bubbles. Don’t worry about small wrinkles. They should flatten out as the glue dries.

Glue the paper circles on the tops of the two remaining cake tiers.
Use the same gluing technique to adhere the paper to the sides of each cake tier. As you wrap the paper around, it’s more important that the paper lines up with the top of the tier rather than the bottom. The bottom edge will be concealed with ribbon later.

When all three tiers are covered in paper, brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on each tier’s papered surface. This will give the cake a subtle luster and smooth down any edges you may have missed. If you would like a richer surface, apply several coats of Mod Podge. Be sure allow at least fifteen minutes for the Mod Podge to dry between coats.

On the top of the largest tier, as close as you can get to the edge, use a Sharpie Marker to draw a “slot” large enough for a card to drop through. CAREFULLY cut out the slot using an exacto knife. It can be helpful to use a small metal cork-backed ruler as a guide when you cut.

Decide how you would like to have each cake tier positioned, then use your hot glue gun to glue them into place. ( Be very careful not to burn yourself when handling your glue gun.)

At the bottom of each tier, wrap and glue down a length of ribbon. Glue a ribbon along the edge of bottom cake tier’s lid. This lid becomes the bottom of your paper cake and makes the deposited cards accessible.

Decorate your cake! Select your flowers, leaves and trims, and use your hot glue gun to glue them into place. You canplace a traditional cake topper on the top of your cake, or create your
own.

I don't remember exactly where I found these instructions. Maybe D.I.Y. Bride? Wouldn't that be a fun afternoon of ribbons and glue?
 

A Crimson Kiss – Timeless Events and Classic Cocktails by Ana Degenaar : Blogger