Northern Girl, Southern Wedding

Our Wedding Cake in Vow Magazine

I was surprised and excited to hear that our wedding cake was featured in the summer issue of Vow Magazine, a bridal magazine for Hampton Roads, VA. My sister-in-law's hair comb and (on another page) her guys' ties and bouttonieres were also featured!

Our cake was so spectacular. A lot of our guests commented that it didn't even look real, it was so perfect. It consisted of four tall tiers wrapped in an ivory ribbon, with 4 large sugar magnolias. The taste proved that it was VERY real; it was really out of this world. We chose a "tuxedo" cake, black and white pudding cake with chocolate buttercream filling. Several folks claim they ate two or three pieces! We are saving the sugar flowers for an anniversary cake. So gorgeous. I'll post close-ups in a future post once I start sharing more of the wedding details.

See the full edition here, pages 83-85 show our details.

Cake by The Magic Cupboard in Newport News, VA. Photography by Eleise Theuer. 

NGSW Spotlight: Abbey & Dick

Abbey & Dick live in Virginia Beach and got married in the Outer Banks. I love the way they really had fun with the setting and emphasized the beach elements with DIY touches throughout the reception -- including the cake! The flowers are gorgeous, mixing soft and bold colors together. So many wonderful moments -- you can tell this one was a lot of fun. Read more from the bride below!

Dick and I are laid back, beach loving, outdoorsy people. We wanted our wedding to reflect that and take place at or near the beach with nature all around us and our guests.  We also love throwing parties and wanted our guests to feel like they could let loose and have fun while enjoying some great food, drinks and dancing with us. Guests could stroll around the house prior to the ceremony enjoying some cocktails and for dinner we served Oysters and a BBQ buffet that was delicious! 

 

The two of us love visiting the Outer Banks of North Carolina and once we chose The Wild Horse, the home we rented for our wedding, the beachy and nature centered decorations came from there. We used alot of seashells and starfish, along with flowers and raffia.  My sister-in-law created the starfish arch for the ceremony as well as all the vases. My cousin from Chicago made our wedding cake and the starfish topper.  We owe the rest of our decorations and ceremony programs and centerpieces to our dear friends and family that spent the week with us prior to the wedding having "craft time" which involved alot of wine, hot glue guns and laughter!

The Wild Horse is located in the 4 wheel drive section of Corolla where actual Wild Horses roam.  There are no roads and you must drive on the beach to get to the secluded home located on 20+ acres next to a wild life refuge. The beauty of nature was our main decor element. The chapel inside the home where we chose to have our ceremony was all windows and french doors which were opened up and it felt like we were outside. The weather was beautiful with the sunshine and ocean and along with the wooded soundside views, this was a dream come true. 

 

I loved waking up and going for a walk with my future husband to help calm the nerves and have some alone time with each other.  The ceremony is something I will never forget either.  I did not think I would be the one who was nervous. My heart was pounding and I mispoke my vows and ended up "giving him my freedom" which made both of us and the entire chapel laugh so much!  It felt so good to laugh with my husband and everyone of my family and friends that I love so much, that I wasn't even embarassed. It made it more like "us".  Our first dance together was also a favorite moment, my husband's a really good dancer!  I certainly can't leave out the Old School Rap Dance Party we had at the end of the reception. It was the best dance party I've ever had!

Take time to enjoy the planning process and laugh with your friends and family. If something is missing or doesn't turn out quite like you wanted, don't worry no one will notice but you, and maybe you won't notice either.  If you can afford it, hire or recruit (at least) a day of wedding planner.  One of my dear friends from college stepped in as mine, and I could not have done it without her.  Total lifesaver!  Try and enjoy your special day because it goes by so fast!  Remember to laugh with your future husband and know that the most important thing is that you are together and in love and this is the first day of your new life together. 

 

Vendor Credits:

Ceremony venue -  The Wild Horse
Reception venue - The Wild Horse
Bride's attire - Local boutique sale
Groom's attire - Polo
Photographer - DeAnna Casey Photography
Wedding coordinator - Traci Jancasz - "my dear friend"

Caterer: Currituck BBQ 
Cake - Sarah Wilson - "Northern Cousin"
Music - DJ Bruce "I do" Entertainment
Florist - The Embellishers

 

The Look of Love

Vintage weddings are huge these days, but in some ways they are starting to take on a definite "look" -- e.g. modern vintage, if that makes any sense! Totally gorgeous. I wonder if looking at old family wedding pictures might provide a unique kind of wedding inspiration?

This is my grandparents on their wedding day in 1947. I'm smitten with my grandmother's dress! And the looks on their faces say it all. 

If you had or are planning to have a vintage-themed wedding, what sources do/did you use for inspiration? Do/did you combine inspiration from a particular era as well as current weddings that express the vintage theme?

NGSW Spotlight: Jen & Billy

Time for another real wedding! This one is so much fun; you don't just feel the love, you feel the absolute joy! Jen is a southern girl (hello, Dallas!) who got married at the New York Yacht Club in Newport, RI. This wedding has so many sweet details -- gorgeous location, beautiful flowers, bespoke jewelry -- but my favorites have to be the ever-present smiles of the bride and groom.

What was your wedding day vision? Were you going for a certain look or feel?

We definitely wanted something simple, classic, and easy-going.  We wanted it to feel like a really fun party. Our location was such a formal environment, at least inside, that we wanted everything else to be much more laidback.  The yacht club interior is a gorgeous old mansion that is classic New England – so we felt it was important to keep everything else more in tune with our personality. We tried to incorporate (and yes that also means USE) our friends as much as possible - a friend officiated the wedding, another friend was the DJ, and my mother’s friends did the flowers.  We had cupcakes instead of a large wedding cake.  We did passed apps, a risotto station and an antipasto station instead of a formal sit down dinner. 

We were also incredibly thankful for the gorgeous weather we had – as it allowed us to host cocktails on the lawn overlooking the Newport harbor.  

What was the one decor element that you felt brought that vision to life and why?

One thing I knew I had to have at the wedding was an old fashioned photobooth – it wasn’t going to add anything to the décor per se, but it sure did make for a fantastic night for guests and a super fun album for us. 

When I started to look at overall styles for the wedding – I fell in love with a photo of Eva Mendes from the Golden Globes a few years back. She had a stunning white column dress with the most amazing turquoise and diamond statement necklace.  I honestly think the wedding started with this idea of a big turquoise necklace.  It might not be considered décor – but it really brought everything to life for me. 

Favorite part of the wedding day?

It’s hard to narrow it down to one part – but there were three moments that stand out.  1) we did photos BEFORE the ceremony.  And our “first look” photos are so fun to look back at – I wasn’t nervous at all about the day, but that moment took me by surprise.  2) our vows.  We wrote our own. They were short and sweet but they were personal and special. I cried. And I don’t cry!  3) the speeches.  We have the greatest friends ever and their toasts were funny, touching, and perfect.

Advice to fellow brides?

Make sure your wedding reflects you and your husband to be.  Also remember the closer you get, the more chaotic it will be and the less you can do about it.  Sometimes you just have to force yourself to go with the flow.  It’s a day of celebration – it should be FUN!  Don’t get hung up on the little details because most people won’t even notice.

 

• Ceremony venue: New York Yacht Club, Newport, RI
• Reception venue: New York Yacht Club, Newport, RI
• Bride's attire: Nicole Miller (dress), Charles David (shoes), custom necklace
• Groom's attire: J.Crew (suit), Banana Republic (shoes), Paul Smith (socks)
• Photographer: Kendall Pavan at Zenobia Photography Studios – Greenwich, RI
• Wedding coordinator: The bride and her mother 
• Cake: Mad Hatter Bakery - Newport, RI
• Music: DJ Baron
• Florist: Bouquets & Boutonnieres: Sayles Livingston Flowers; others by Jen's mom and friends
• Invitations: UnlessSomeoneLikeYou.com (Leslie Hamer)
• Programs: Wedding Paper Divas
• Other rentals: Photobooth Planet - Mystic, CT
• Hair: Jenny Kay - Middletown, RI
• Make-up: Jenny Kay - Middletown, RI 

Inspiration Board: Golden Summer #2

The truth about inspiration boards is that they are living and breathing entities -- which makes sense because your vision will continue to evolve as you refine what you want and start to make decisions. I refocused the Golden Summer mood board posted last week based on this bride's desire for something that leaned on romance. She also had a special request -- no real flowers! They want to use candles and creativity for their table settings -- I bet that will look amazing once the lights go down. 

Black and white photo credit: Eleise Theuer Photography.

NGSW Spotlight: Beth & Chris

Today I present to you NGSW's first "real wedding" spotlight. I completely adore this wedding celebration -- so many romantic and easy touches, perfectly welcoming and Southern. The bride and groom live in Portsmouth, VA and the wedding and reception took place in Norfolk at The Hermitage - a gorgeous outdoor venue on the water. Such a lovely couple!

What was your wedding day vision? Were you going for a certain look or feel? 

I have always been a tomboy, and more specifically, the type of girl who hadn't really thought about her ideal wedding day. When we first got engaged, I thought that we should elope and go out for a fabulous dinner with family--I'm really into food. But as it all began to sink in, and I spent more time on cute wedding blogs, my vision changed. I've always loved the art nouveau, turn of the century sort of aesthetic when it comes to design (even my engagement ring is an Edwardian era antique), but as an individual, I'm very laid back. The "look" for the wedding sort of played off the look of the venue--an old house surrounded by gardens, while the "feel" of the wedding was more relaxed-Southern-charm. I wanted something vintage but also a little bit "backyard wedding." I wanted it to feel like "us"--and like the people we loved had thrown us a pretty little party.

Good food+classic venue+laid back attitude = backyard vintage.

What was the one decor element that you felt brought that vision to life and why?

I didn't decorate much at all. The house on the water and the big magnolia trees sort of provided the atmosphere I was going for.  I collected old bottles and jam jars from local antique stores and originally planned on doing the flowers myself. I wanted a "handpicked from grandma's garden" look.  While I ended up hiring a florist to create that look, the final result had that "undone" feeling that I really wanted. (Do-it-yourself looks so easy on the internet--not so much during grad school finals). 

Besides decor, I really loved that our cake and desserts were prepared by the women in our family. I made salted butterscotch oatmeal cookies, Baus's grandmother made 100 individual banana puddings, and our mothers made cake -- chocolate, lemon, and almond. So it kind of was a backyard family party.

 

Favorite part of the wedding day?

Besides marrying the man I love :) We kept it small and all of my favorite people were there.  It felt intimate, but fun. And we picked a playlist of oldies that made me very happy.  And I ate shrimp and grits and macaroni and cheese and banana pudding and it was glorious. 

Advice to fellow brides?

We had a very limited budget, and it was overwhelming to look at bridal magazines and websites that seemed to be screaming that I needed favors and save the dates and place cards and a bunch of other junk. I could have easily been swept up in that and spent a bunch on money on stuff that, ultimately, for us, wasn't important. I would tell brides to take some time to talk to your partner and ignore that pressure to have a magazine-perfect wedding. Do what makes you happy. (Arguments with mom about veils--so not worth it.)  It's only one day--a very important day--but one day nonetheless. There is no such thing as "perfect" so aim for fun and happy.  Let people help you and try to relax. 

Vendor Credits:

• Ceremony & Reception Venue: The Hermitage http://www.hermitagefoundation.org/index.asp
• Bride's Attire: Watters http://watters.com and JCrew flats
• Bridesmaids: J. Crew
• Headpiece: Twigs and Honey on Etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/myrakim
• Groom's Attire: Men's Warehouse 
• Photographer: Deanna Casey http://www.deannacaseyphotography.com/
• Music: iPod playlist created by the bride & groom
• Florist: New Leaf http://www.newleafghent.com
• Make-up: Lolen Daugherty

 

Inspiration Board: Golden Summer

What if you have a heart for gold and white but your date is in the summer? It can often come down to textures and materials that make the difference. Think light and airy over heavy and dense. Think about adding another pretty color to the mix that softens the weight of metallics -- pinks, lavenders, corals and earthy greens all work well, among others. I made this board thinking about a special family member who is on her path to planning a golden summer wedding, herself!

 

Dress: J. Crew, Shoes: Nina, Flowers: Saipua, Invitations: Minted, Decor: Etsy

Down to the Littlest Detail

I know what you are thinking: "who has time to worry about stamps?" when there are so many other things to enjoy worrying about when planning the big day. True. But if you have time to think about stamps, why not? I was playing around on zazzle.com the other evening ordering stamps for our save the dates. Then I made the mistake of looking up "magnolia postage" in their search field. Did you know they have over 600 versions of stamps with magnolia flowers on them? Amazing. Like I said, if you have the time...

 

Cake Inspiration Board

One inspiration board I didn't realize I'd need is the one that inspires THE focal point for many a reception (aside from the lucky couple, of course)...the wedding cake! I'm working out whether there will be one or a few, big or small, and what else might satisfy a sweet tooth beyond the traditional tiers. As with my other boards there's a good chance this will change, but these are some core elements that inspire the mood and look I'm going for.

Words of Love

This is a word cloud that pulls together frequently used words (the inherent data of a blog) and shows them in an interesting way....similar to the word cloud that shows the various categories I tag posts with along the side of this page. I thought it was interesting...a really sweet way to look at the planning process so far. I'm glad key words are love (of course) and party. You can create your own at wordle.

More Fun With Paper

While Jedd was playing around with cocktail hour music this morning (classic tunes to fit the setting) I decided to work through a few of the email inspiration updates from Martha Stewart. The latest one was all about the art of the invitation suite -- of which I think I like the styles above the best.

I keep telling myself that we'll keep it simple with the invites. But I can't lie. Part of me wants to have them custom created. Maybe there is a way to do both.

***

In other news, I've come off the ledge and have regained my perspective on my dress. THE DRESS is still the dress. A close friend who knows me and my style really well said of the new contender: "you'll regret that hemline in 20 years" -- and you know what? She is totally right. While I want the dress to be fun I also want it to stand the test of time in pictures.

Impure Thoughts About Having Fun

 

I've been having some impure thoughts lately, I admit it. Thoughts like "what if we did the reception somewhere else altogether?" and "what if I want a dress that's less of a DRESS dress". I think at this point in the process, right before I actually have to commit to more of the details at a year out, it's probably normal for me to have these thoughts. And luckily, not so much has been committed that some of the (new?) ideas I have can't actually come true. 

The truth is, I feel like I went off of my own "brief". My own set of words that I said to myself about what represents us and the kind of wedding we want to have. Fun. Inclusive. Creative. But it kind of only really comes down to REALLY. REALLY. FUN.

While I love many of the boards I've put together and the ideas I've toyed with thus far, they in some ways feel off balance? So if anything, I tried to rebalance some of the ideas and priorities in this latest board. 

P.S. I did try on this dress the same day I found the DRESS dress and I kind of loved it, too. (Sassi Holford, Lucy. and P.P.S. I think it might be a sign that the other dress I thought was the dress -- the first time -- was also called Lucy, except it was from the Vineyard Collection of Priscilla of Boston. So maybe there was just a slight mix-up and I was supposed to end up with this Lucy? These are the crazy things a bride can think about.) 

Anyhoo. I'm actually surprised I was able to put this together tonight. The last thing I have been wanting to do is think about wedding planning stuff. I've been enjoying the time off but maybe have also been kind of in a rut. Of feeling like it was coming together really quickly and either there wasn't much left to do, or that I wasn't all that excited about how the ideas were gelling. Or not gelling, actually. And also realizing that I know this isn't the most important part, but that it is kind of fun, and that if I'm not having fun, why engage until I'm going to have fun again?

K. Rambling now. Time for bed!

Tiffany Blue Inspiration from FoF

The color of blue in the wallpaper at our reception location is something I've been thinking long and hard about as a springboard to a color scheme. While not wanting to be too matchy matchy, I also really just love the colors at play in the wallpaper and think there are some sweet ways to play off of them. I like this board because it lifts the blues but adds in ivories and pinks, even if not exactly the look we are going for.

from Classic Bride at Flights of Fancy.

The Raleigh Lounge at the Cavalier Hotel -- the main room of our reception spot.

As The Board Evolves...

I've been a little nervous. I'd gone away from my mood and inspiration boards for awhile just kind of picking and plucking different things that I liked from all over the web. Things I was drawn to. Things that might feel inspired by and fit nicely with "the dress".

I then sat for a couple of weeks thinking about nothing much wedding related (which was a nice break).

This week we got our proofs for the save-the-dates and I thought it probably a good time to reassess...see if the things I'm drawn to are actually drawn to each other. And I think, in fact, they are.

Inspiration sources: Matthew Christopher 'Imagine' dress, J. Crew shoes, jewelry, and bridesmaid gown; etsy crafts -- doily clutch and hand-drawn post card; save the dates by Lucky-Luxe Couture Correspondence; miscellaneous photography Eleise Theuer.

(Updated 11.29.09)

Textured Desserts: Cakes & Shoes

Two loves - sweets and shoes.

Thinking about a dessert table inspired by "the dress".

Thinking about shoes to dance in, but also that I can wear again.

And only really thinking loosely about the fun of deciding, since there isn't much to really worry about at this point.