No 250: the Bride and Groom

A few days ago, John was looking at one of the real weddings I plan to feature as I reach the big 300. He commented that the weddings he'd attended looked nothing like the gorgeous weddings I posted on my blog, and that you'd have to spend an arm and a leg to get a wedding worth appearing on a style blog.

But I disagree, and several of my weddings have proven that you can have a gorgeous affair on the (relative) cheap with enough attention to detail.

Don't get me wrong-the big stuff matters. Find a beautiful venue; you'll spend less if you don't have to swath every inch of your industrial loft space in peau de soie. Don't serve filet mignon, lobster, crab cakes, a hundred passed hors d'oeurves and insist on not one but two chocolate fountains. Serve the food you like, and keep it simple. No one is demanding a gourmet meal, they just want to enjoy themselves. And most importantly, pay attention to the details. The shoes, the flowers, the invitations-coordinate them and make sure that these little details are beautiful.

Adorable vintage cake topper c/o Martha Stewart Weddings.

No 249: the Trousseau

Speaking of honeymoons, I've been noticing a ressurgance of interest on the part of brides in their trousseau. Historically made up of clothing, accessories, jewelry, and even linens and bath towels, the modern trousseau generally refers to those beautiful undergarments and chic outfits you've planned for the honeymoon.

It will be very easy for me to put together a trousseau, because I know exactly what John will want to see-white or black nighties, black lace sets with garter belts (also called suspenders) and stockings, or simple white cotton panties. Ladies, I highly recommend doing some research to find out which pieces in the lingerie shop drive your sweetheart over the edge; it'll make Valentine's Day so much easier.

"Love" Basque and Brief in Cream, Demi Bra, Suspender and Thong in Black and Sophie Babydoll from Agent Provocateur.

No 248: the Tocca Candle

A lovely gift from John arrived today-Tocca's Agadir candle, which is scented with the smell of sweet tobacco pipes popular in Morocco. I haven't even light the candle yet, but the delicious perfume is so strong I can't fall asleep!

Which is something to consider if you plan to use candles at your reception. If you chose to use scented candles, be sure to stick with the same scent all around or in large, distinct areas. If you're serving food, it's best not to use a scented candle at all (as we all learned thanks to Top Chef). You wouldn't want the beautiful scent of your favorite Diptyque candle interfering with the carefully planned meal, and you certainly don't want to shell out a whole bunch on candles that will just end up being a pain in the ass.

Scented candles are probably best saved for the honeymoon, and in this case, I highly recommend them. If you have a scent you regularly burn at home, taking this candle with you as you travel can make any hotel room feel more like your love nest, and isn't that the best part of the honeymoon?

No 247: the Elopement

From top left: Rings from RingOBlog.com, Estate Diamond Jewlery, Lauren by Ralph Lauren "Sherri" shirtdress c/o Bloomingdales.com, "Chelsea" from Grace Footwear, Italian Cut navy suit from Banana Republic, Perrier Jouet, Photo c/o Kiss the Groom.

Don't worry, there are no immediate plans to elope, but John and I started talking about how wonderful it would be to secretly get married one Tuesday morning. San Francisco be the perfect city to do it in; Up to 20 couples a day getting married in our knock-out city hall, and John already has a great suit. Now all we need is a few dozen white spray roses, some ribbon from Britex and my round-toe pumps! Follow up a mid-morning wedding with a little breakfast and a perfect cup of Blue Bottle coffee, and call me Mrs!

No 246: Real Wedding: Jessica and Tim

As Audrey has noted, yellow weddings have a tendency to look a trifle juvenile. Maybe it's the psychological association with yellow pencils and elementary school, but she's right-yellow is a tough color to rock as your primary shade. Unless you're Jessica, and you picked the most incredible venue ever.

The Josephine Butler Parks Center provided the stunning site, and Jessica made sure that the details didn't conflict with the gorgeous venue by choosing creams and and taupes. I love the mariachi band, and how truly jubilant they look in Casey Templeton's wonderful photographs.

No 245: a Sneak Peak

Here's a glimpse at tomorrow's real Washington D.C.-based wedding; I've been missing the Chesapeake Bay, of all places, lately. Photo c/o Casey Templeton.

No 244: I Dream of Cake

Sometimes I scour the internet, looking for beautiful weddings or lovely images which inspire my posts. And sometimes, weddings just seem to smack me in the face, which is the case with the magical I Dream of Cake shop in San Francisco. Less than a block from where I work is this couture bakery run by Shinmin Li, who is obviously an artist of frosting and fondant, and to stand in front of their window is to believe in the importance of cake. Can you believe that Beethoven?! Many of her designs are inspired by her Japanese heritage, but the woman can do anything. I encourage a perusal of their website-it's jaw-dropping.

Update: John and I stopped by to peruse their windows when he came to join me for lunch, and holy mother of sweet baby Jesus! There was a clean white fondant three-tier looped with gold branches. There was a hand-painted cake decorated with roses and swallows. There was a beautiful four-tier white confection covered in ruffles. There was a Napoleon, for Heaven's sake!

No 243: the Ritz Paris

I love pretty things, like this photo from Dita von Teese's Twitter, featuring her post-show libation at the Hemingway Bar at the Ritz Paris. It immediately returned me to the summer we spent in France, and my father's 46th birthday, which was just days after my sweet 16. I spent the whole trip grousing that my parents were so continental that we had to spend four weeks in France instead of just throwing me a sweet 16 party like everyone else; what a pain in the ass I was. For my birthday, there was a beautiful dinner on the lawn of a chateau, and all the duck and Bordeaux anyone could hope for. For my father's birthday, we had dinner at Buddha Bar, drove underneath the Eiffel Tower in a taxi piloted by a manical Persian man and enjoyed stiff drinks at the Hemingway Bar, with the exception of my dad, who insisted on a blue drink which was on fire.

Isn't it amazing what a photograph can invoke? I can't wait to get back to the Ritz; I'll order one perfect French 75 and think, "Oh, how lucky I am."

No 242: the Perfect Headband

Remember when I said I wanted a large, pink peony headband to wear everyday? Well Myra Kim of twigs and honey totally heard my request. Look at this thing! It's perfect.

No 241: Heaven's Dog

I don't care if this is not strictly wedding related; I loved these pork belly buns so much that I will make this a wedding post.

I want to eat these at my wedding.

Heaven's Dog is an incredible Chinese restaurant and classic cocktail bar-obviously John and I enjoyed ourselves. But these wildly fatty pork belly buns with the perfect amount of green onion for crunch and brightness made my mouth sing. I haven't been able to stop thinking about them.

No 240: a Vintage Dress

Gorgeous dress and dynamite photo c/o Santa Barbara Chic (formerly Santa Barbara Wedding Chic). The craftsmanship on a gown like this is just so remarkable, and completely unlike wedding gowns today.

No 239: Real Wedding: Ainjil and Chris

In celebration of the resurrection of the computer, you, dear readers, get an extra-long and particularly gorgeous wedding designed by Duet Weddings and photographed by Jose Villa. This beautiful couple met when Chris was hired to record Ainjil's band's latest CD (she's the lead singer). "It would be elegant without being fussy, and it would transport guests to another time and place. Vintage touches, a bit of mismatched charm, comforting foods and music dancing on the air- all night long," explains Rebecca of Duet Weddings. Guests were greeted with a champagne cocktail station, and little cafe tables with umbrellas for shade were scattered throughout the lawn. They created vignettes with classic lawn games: badmitton, croquet and horseshoes, and had a silhouette artist hand-drawing guests. The wedding was filled with antique crystal chandliers, mismatched silver cups and family heirloom china for a perfectly Parisan garden party. Camilla Svensson Burns orchestrated all the lovely flowers, Bella Vista dressed the set and TEAM handled all the hair and makeup. Gorgeous weather and natural scenery thanks to Santa Barbara.