The holiday weekend approaches and somehow I find myself alone in the office, reminiscing on wedding weekends past!  Since I won’t be blogging for the rest of the weekend, I thought I’d leave you guys with part one of two from one of our favorite weddings of the Season- Sara and Trevor’s Asian fusion wedding celebration as shot by Karen Wise.  I had posted Sara’s Inspiration to Actuality with some hints of what the wedding looked like a few weeks ago, but today, I’m breaking out (almost) the whole enchilada.

Sara’s family is originally from China, and so it was very important that we incorporate a full-fledged tea ceremony into their wedding day.  The more that we thought about it, the more we felt it would be beneficial to start the day off with the tea ceremony for only their immediate families and the wedding party, then take a short break for guests to rest and change before the more traditionally “Western” ceremony later that evening at Studio 450.  We had toyed with using hotel suites for this part of the day, but ultimately decided that their home would be best, and more homey.

Sara started the day in her red Chinese wedding gown which she had custom made. Trevor, as is the custom arrived with his groomsmen in tow ready to play some games and “earn” the right to see his bride.  This is one of the most fun and awesome parts of a Chinese tea ceremony (which has different traditions from a Korean or Japanese tea ceremony).  First they guys had to “pay” to gain entry to the house and then they had to play a series of games including being fed baby food and an eating contest before Sara actually emerged to greet her groom and the tea ceremony itself would begin.  The actual tea ceremony involves many, many, many cups of tea poured and served to the bride’s parents, the groom’s parents and of course, the bride and groom itself.  I love being a part of a tea ceremony, first because it’s a very intimate ceremony, and a wonderful chance for the families and close friends to gather together in a more casual (and fun) way and see the coming together of two families.  But, secondly, I think that the concept of sharing food and drink is a universal concept and way of saying “welcome” and “thank you”, even if you aren’t a part of that culture.

After the tea ceremony was over, Karen took the couple down to the seaport for a fun little photo shoot.  Weren’t they just adorable? Coming up this afternoon, Sara and Trevor ’s western ceremony and reception.

I was looking at calligraphy styles on Laura Hooper’s website a few weeks ago when I spotted these amazing escort cards that Laura does on Spanish Tiles.    These tiles, naturally reminded me of Talavera pottery, which while a staple in  Mexico, is really evocative of  a warm, sunny vibe with a bit of Spanish flair.   I was so inspired by these that I actually got my act together enough for an inspiration board.

A few years ago, Always a Bridesmaid was invited to design a photoshoot with Latina magazine at a “Hacienda” in, of all places, Staten Island (who knew?).  Cheryl Kleinman designed this Talavera inspired cake and we created favors of Tin Ornaments for the “guests” affixed to a wall.  I just loved this lace Lela Rose dress, it reminded me of the hand embroidered linens  that we used on the table centerpiece (we placed each centerpiece  on top of a punched-tin bordered mirror) and the colorful Servilletas (oversized napkins) you see in the lower right hand corner.  No destination wedding would be complete without fabulous cocktails and snacks!  The paloma is Tequila and Grapefruit soda and it is DELICIOUS!!!   Less obvious than a Margarita, but just as tasty.  I also loved these cones of chips in the blue patterned paper. What a simple way to dress up your snacks. (image courtesy Inspiring Brides).  Finally, how great are these Talavera inspired letterpress invites from Letter Press light’s Etsy store.

Still looking for the perfect wedding colors? After seeing the blue and green combo popping up, I thought it might be a fun palette to highlight. Even though the scheme has been done before,  this is just a reminder to those who have forgotten the potential and pop of such a bold and unexpected combination. There’s no mistaking the fact that bright colors can absolutely inject a fun, fresh vibe into your event. An outdoor wedding in particular would have tons of fun with this!

The bold blue so nicely compliments the green to create an energized yet sophisticated blend. Incorporating colors such as these evoke an adventurous personality and dauntless style. As always, the over-use of color can potentially saturate and quickly straddle the line between just enough and way too much; with vivacious hues such as these…less is definitely more.

Photo Credits: Centerpieces, Chair Decor, Wedding Cake, Guestbook, Feather Pen, Bouquet, 2 tier cake, Flowergirl basket & Ring Bearer Pillow, Invitations

xx

Sal

After posting on our “Inspiration to Reality” shoot for Style Me Pretty, it got me thinking about examples of Inspiration to ACTUALITY.  Working with clients on design for their weddings, a lot of the time we are interpreting things that they tell us and say vs. the things that we can see that they, the client, really likes.

For our client Sara, we met multiple times for fittings and tastings and design consultations and every time Sara would be wearing pink.  Though she was certain that she wanted no part of pink for her wedding, I made her an inspiration board of images she had liked and the three of us agreed, YES, this was her style.

Here is her inspiration board:

And here is just a glimpse of the “Reality” of the wedding itself as shot by Karen Wise.  It’s just a glimpse into this wedding that I’m sure I’ll share soon, but it’s a great example of how making an inspiration board can really help you fine tune what it is that you like and give you an awesome road map for your event designer (or yourself) to create your dream day.

If you are looking to infuse your wedding with something meaningful and symbolic, Bamboo is a tasteful and elegant way to do just that. There are over one thousand different bamboo species which allow for a variety of ways to incorporate it into your wedding. Since Bamboo signifies good luck, bamboo wedding favors are perfect for those looking for a unique wedding gift to share good wishes and gratitude with guests. Pretty ribbon or tags can add the finishing touches for this stylish gift for your guests. Nature Perfect and Beau-Coup are great sites to find mini-bamboo that have been pre-planted in a variety of adorable vases.

Photo Credits: The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, Nature Perfect, Beau-Coup, My DIY Wedding