Pinterest. It's been blogged and tweeted ad nauseum but that's because it's so freaking useful. Especially for those who are bringing a vision to life -- whether you are planning a party, redecorating your home, or strategizing about your new fall wardrobe.
For more snippets of inspiration check out what I'm pinning here. I find it a nice complement to this blog as it allows me to capture ideas in almost a "pre-" phase before they become true ideas, fully gelled.
We took a number of pictures prior to the ceremony inside one of the parlor rooms at The Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach. I love this image.
Photo credit: Eleise Theuer Photography.
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!
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:
This past weekend Jedd and I walked past a fabulous window display at Bloomingdales in midtown (image below.) I tugged on his sleeve with a childlike "look, look!" and we both ooh-ed and aah-ed. I'd love to see what fun could be had styling a wedding around not just music but the iconic guitar itself.
For those of you who've been to the Jimi Hendrix Experience Museum in Seattle, the "cyclone" of guitars and other stringed instruments gives a similar amazement factor.
Among the many varieties of ceremony and reception sites in town we happened to find a location that had so much romance and personality built into it. The Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach is grand on the outside yet sweet and full of vintage charm on the inside.
This is an unused postcard from the 1940s that I just snatched up as a special keepsake from VintagePlum on Etsy.
I never had an image in my head of what the ideal space would look like, but as with many things "wedding" I knew it when I saw it. What kinds of spaces do you dream about for events in your future -- wedding or otherwise?
Note -- the guest rooms in the Cavalier Hotel are well-appointed on both sides of the road. On the hill you can book a vintage-styled room between Memorial Day and Labor Day and the oceanfront, beach-styled location is open year-round.
It's been hard to know what the right next post should be after something as amazing and surreal as ones wedding.
I am so thankful for so many things, especially the sheer bliss in the days that followed the big day. We reveled in the feeling that we had really pulled it off. Something that fun, that filled with people we care about, that "perfect" wedding that was everything we imagined -- and all the things we never could have imagined we'd feel during that special time.
I think it's because our definition of perfect emphasized everyone just having a really relaxing, fun time. We didn't want anything to feel overly scheduled. We didn't want it to appear as though we had focused on frivolities. So we made it that way. We focused on the fun.
We had a key requirement -- a solid level of quality from all of our vendors. I can HIGHLY recommend the following folks if you are planning an event of any kind in the Hampton Roads area:
Planning & Coordination: Weddings by Michelle. In a word -- amazing. They worked with me for more than a year (we had a very long engagement) to help bring the ideas I had on paper to life in a seamless, natural way. I can't say enough about Michelle & Kim and wish I had another reason to work with them again! They are simply the best.
Ceremony, Reception & Catering: The Cavalier Hotel. The space was classically Southern (we used the Raleigh Lounge & Porches in the old Cavalier on the hill); the food was outstanding. The entire staff was lovely to work with.
Photography: Eleise Theuer. She was everywhere while also being totally under the radar -- I can't wait to see the pictures!
Cake: The Magic Cupboard. Simple, beautifully crafted, delicious.
Flowers: Bloom the Art of Flowers. Gorgeous variety, lush arrangements.
Make-up: Kim Porter. She did a fabulous job enhancing everyone's beauty!
Lighting: Blue Steel Pro Lighting. I can't say enough about how the lighting enhanced the mood. Loved it.
DJ: Arch Entertainment, DJ Seamus. Kept us dancing -- so easy and professional to work with.
We also imported a couple of folks --
Hair: My friend Daniel from Salon 2b in NYC created my stunning updo.
Band: The Stooges Brass Band from New Orleans performed during the second half of the reception. We've known these guys for a long time and they were kind enough to come up to play the wedding. Amazing performance, so much fun. See them if you are ever in the Big Easy!
This special group of people helped us make the day all that we wanted it to be.
It goes without saying, but I will say it anyway -- the greatest ingredient was the collective of friends and family who came from all over the country (and even a few from Mexico) to share this weekend with us. We could really feel the joy and positivity from everyone and that made it so very special. We loved it.
A twist on the paper sphere decoration...loving these ribbon-based chandeliers from Martha. I especially love how they seem to float in the air, suspended in space and time.
Not sure if I can hang things from the ceiling in the space I'm using, but we'll see!
I saw a link on Snippet & Ink about an Up-inspired party and couldn't wait to see....
Up is the movie Jedd and I saw the day we got engaged. I just love these balloons!!!
I really like this garland made of lilies. It can be made by hand or you can order it from a florist, I suppose. I don't quite yet know when, where or how, but I'd like to use some riff on this.
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)
I'm starting from the beginning. I'm making a list of all of the little things from the start of the event to the very end. I'm thinking about the end, too, and working together from both ends toward the middle where we all have a ball.
I know a lot of these details are often unnoticed. But I have time, so I'm thinking about them.
Today I was thinking about chairs. There are so many creative ways to decorate the aisle traveled by so many special people on this very special day. I don't know that flowers are where my head is at. I like the idea of lavender sprigs in a pretty bow, tied as in the top left image as a sash around the top with a side-bow. I also like the idea of every other chair and not all, so that its elegant but not cluttered. The material will have to jive with the dress and other party decor (table linens, etc.) and the space itself.
This is the space. It's currently a restaurant but the chairs will be along either side of the space with the aisle down the center. I also have some special ideas for the "altar" and actual ceremony backdrop, but I'm not giving those away :)
It makes sense that I am thinking about this stuff right now, too, as it all has to make sense with the dress and vice versa.
There is also a slim chance that the wedding will be outside under an old tree (you can kind of see it through the window of the porch.) That could be a closer to game day decision though. I'm not going to trust our fate to the Almanac.
Maybe next I'll think about some tunes.
I guess I wasn't surprised to find a story about our beloved southern hotel being haunted. Aren't they all?
From RealHaunts.com:
Overlooking beautiful North Beach in the bustling city of Virginia Beach, Virginia, this elegant hotel features far more than a stunning view and its dramatic chandelier-hung lobby with glossy checkerboard floors and sharply contrasting paneled walls. This, the original Cavalier Hotel, has ghosts. Elevators run when no one is riding in them, toilets flush of their own accord and guests report that their room towels change color from time to time. But these are only little oddities compared to the tragedies that began only two short years after the Cavalier opened on what was then a rather secluded strip of beach.
Many guests have remarked on architectural similarities between the old hotel and the Overlook hotel featured in the movie “The Shining.” Perhaps it is also the creepy feeling of something always lurking that causes visitors to draw such connections. Guests have reported they feel like they are being watched in both the Pocahontas room and the Hunt Room. Perhaps it is the waiter who supposedly walks through the walls of the Pocahontas room or the lady followed by a ghostly dog crossing the hotel lobby, or perhaps it is merely someone who still broods about the misfortunes of their lost life…
Opening in 1927 (after 13 months of steady labor), the Cavalier was once the haunt of the movers and shakers of society, hosting such guests as Adolph Coors (of the famous brewery), author F. Scott Fitzgerald, and actors and actresses includingJudy Garland, Will Rogers, Bette Davis, Betty Grable, Mary Pickford, Ginger Rogers and Jean Harlow. For three decades the Cavalier hired a wide variety of big-name bands. Performers included such greats as Tomy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra, Benny Goodman, Cab Calloway, Glen Miller, Lawrence Welk and Bing Crosby. Now guests report that the piano in the ballroom sometimes plays by itself—maybe wishing for the raucous music of the Twenties.
Nicknamed the “Aristocrat of the Virginia Seashore” the Cavalier was the spot to see and be seen, so it’s no wonder some guests are reluctant to depart. Ten US Presidents have also stayed or spoken at the Cavalier, bringing with them the rumors, speculation and debate that guests, both living and dead, seem to feed on.
During the Roaring Twenties, the Cavalier skirted Prohibition by driving well-to-do guests on discreet trips to the local speakeasies. This evading of the law was not enough to keep brewery owner Adolph Coors from a mysterious fall that ended his death on June 5, 1929. Whether suicide because the brewery was forced to make cement and pottery rather than beer during Prohibition, or murder (as some feel Coors was pushed through a closed window on the hotel’s 6th floor), people have reported sensing someone still lingering and cold spots appearing randomly throughout the 6th floor. Many have even reported the sickening sound of flesh slapping concrete—could it be that Adolph Coors relives his tragic plunge on a regular basis?
Local lore claims that the hotel’s first owner shot himself on the premises, but it seems unsubstantiated as a hotel staff member said the initial owners of the hotelwere a group of people investing in a business venture and they held it until the Dixon family purchased it. So, although the rumor can’t be attached to a specific person through my research, perhaps it was one of the original owners or one of the Dixon family members who committed suicide on the property. Or, perhaps (as is the case too often), this “fact” is merely a case of rumors evolving and growing.
The hotel’s front desk is occasionally plagued by guests calling to report a cat meowing and scratching at doors in the hotel’s grand hallways, though no living cat has been seen roaming the halls in decades. Rumor has it that a young girl’s pet cat escaped one night and drowned in the swimming pool—the little girl also drowning as she tried to save her precious pet. Though the girl’s ghost has not been sighted and people only occasionally report strange sounds from the pool, perhaps the cat still wanders the halls trying to find his worried young owner.
Visitors report mysterious orbs showing up in their photos and hearing footsteps where no one is seen walking. A popular tale revolves around sightings of an older African American gentleman dressed in the hotel’s old staff uniform. Guests report that he stands on the staircase of the sixth floor and warns people of ghosts ahead. Unfortunately, it seems he himself is a ghost, as there hasn’t been any staff to fit his description working at the hotel in more than a few years.
Today the Cavalier Hotel is truly two distinct hotels—the Cavalier on the Hill (the original and still haunted) and the Cavalier Oceanfront (beautiful and at peace except when tourist season begins).
It's been hard not to see inspiration everywhere. Not for me, necessarily, but for someone. I took this pic in the subway station at Union Square. Not the prettiest or most glamorous place in the world. But I'm getting into the idea of taking rough places around the city, taking the essence of the color scheme and bringing it to life differently.
INSPIRATION: Union Square Subway Station
DRESS: Carolina Herrera Spring 2010 Edouard Manet Dress
SHOES: Christian Louboutin Mouskito Bow Satin Pump
RECEPTION DETAILS: The Knot
There's no shortage of floral inspiration walking the urban streets of NYC. I imagine a situation where a bride has enough time to stop by the deli on her way to get her hair and make-up done, crafting a homemade bouquet on-the-go. Sigh. Not gonna happen.
