I am working on a presentation for Love Mexico Weddings that I’m doing tomorrow and it’s, oddly, gotten me thinking a lot about LACE. It’s so evocative and can be girly or vintage, sweet or sexy… And, naturally, romantic. So, it’s no wonder that it’s such a staple in weddings.  I wanted to showcase some more INTERESTING examples of lovely lace worked into wedding days.

I just HEART this little birdcage veil by James Coviello (get it, I heart it). And it’s only $135 at BHLDN. It’s tongue in cheek and a little Sassy!

And speaking of Sassy! I think people think lace gowns and think a more chaste, Royal look, but this little shortie from Amsale is bringing long legged realness to any wedding! I just love it. (I also have been watching Drag Race in Marathon, so please don’t mind my occasional lapses into drag talk). Via One Wed.

This Stationery set works lace in so beautifully, as a wrapping of sorts.  A great detail that elevates the entire suite. (From Oh So Beautiful Paper)

You can work lace into your flowers if you just want a ‘lil bit of lace.  Think of wrapping it around your bouquet as seen below (via Wedding Bee) OR, in one of my favorite wedding trends, consider wrapping the base of your floral arrangement in lace. It’s a fabulous way to mask floral oasis and add a texture to your table.(via Once Wed)

I just LOVE lace on a cake!  Isn’t this stunning? The Grey lace makes it sooo so chic! (via Wedding Paper Divas Blog)

Finally, if you REALLY love something TOTALLY out of the box, check out this amazing ceremony backdrop of this Tree COMPLETELY wrapped in lace. I love it!  (Photos by Jose Villa via Once Wed )

It reminds me of a less disturbing version of Lady Gaga wrapping her whole face in lace… I don’t know why, it just does. Anyway here’s to getting creative with Lace!

And as for me, back to my presentation!  I’m such a PROCRASTINATOR!

I got an email from Melanie, our go-to florist, that she was able to get her hands on Coral peonies for an upcoming wedding we are working on.  I was thrilled, not just for this one event, but because, of all seasons of the year, this is my absolute favorite: Peony Time.  I am not one to go gaga over a flower, but the Peony IS my absolute favorite, and whether used sparingly or en-mass, it never gets old for me.  In fact, we have a pink peony explosion in the works for June and I can hardly sleep I am so excited about it… Which, I recognize is a little sick.  Fantasizing about tabletop and in-bloom flowers is a sick way to live and I need recovery.

Here are some of my favorite uses of Peony over the years…..

Simple floating peonies in footed China bowls (Dante Williams Photography); Bud vases with white peony surrounding large white tulip arrangements (Mel Barlow); Peony and wildflower mix by Saipua (Heather Waraska Photography); Peony cluster centerpieces (Warwick Brown); Pink Peony and Feather Bouquets (Karen Wise); high and low pink peony arrangements (Warwick Brown).

Lately, when I wonder around the city on my errands, I’m blown away by the resurgence of trends of my youth walking the streets: Doc Marten Boots, Neon Hair… And yet it’s cool to see the new spin on things that these old styles are taking AND even cooler to see how fashion will always reach back and quite literally make everything old new again… And so it is with weddings!

When Mayra and I were just starting out, the Chair Cover was all the rage… At the time they were more like white satin bags that would get a bow slapped across the back, but it was a good solution to an ugly banquet chair and a way to “whiten” out a room if a bride wanted a more “white on white” kind of look.  SO, it was actually to my own great surprise that when with one of my clients a few months ago discussing their ceremony room and the rather distracting hardwood floor in the space- I found myself suggesting a chair cover!  It was almost like I’d forgotten about an old and useful friend.   Of course, what I knew was how far the world of chair backs and chair covers had come.  It wasn’t just any chair cover I had in mind, it was a sequin chair back from Nuage… perfect for a winter wedding celebration.

It not only freshened up a kind of boring chair, but it distracted from the kind of boring floor. Chair covers needn’t only bring the glamour however, they can also be bold and fun!  I love these two patterned options, also from Nuage.

If you are into a more vintage or crafty look, these hand tied ribbon chair treatments are fantastic and fun, albeit time consuming!
I grabbed this picture from Intimate Weddings    I think it’s a fantastic way to dress up a folding chair!

If you are looking for an added bit of Glam though, look no further than these new chair covers from Cloth Connection- it’s like the sexy sister to the old fashioned white slip cover!

Hope that offered up a bit of inspiration to you as you contemplate your wedding look! Remember, a chair is like a pair of shoes on a great outfit… switching them up can make the same dress look totally different.

Years ago, I was a bridesmaid in a series of weddings all of which took place from late October through January.  I wore a red bridesmaid’s dress to all of them, and at least two out of the three had a “holiday theme”.  And I totally understand why that is. As a bride when you decide to have a winter wedding, it’s hard to come up with creative ways to embrace WINTER without just putting out white birch branches or embracing a red holiday-esque color scheme.  So, I thought I’d share some of favorite details to make your winter wedding feel COZY without adding in a cheesy factor.

TEXTURE AND COLOR! While everyone knows that the look of snow is obviously winter, texture in general can create a cozy atmosphere, especially if it involves knit details, lace details, woven fabrics or… for lack of a more technical term… things that look fluffy.  People tend to think white and blue for “snow” and reds and greens for “holiday”, but neutrals and metallics can often create a more warm atmosphere than any of the former.  Here are two tabletops: one by Nuage and the other by MDS Floral Design (via Grace Ormond).  I adore the use of texture on the Nuage table mixed with mettalic woven fabrics.  The MDS table is successfull in it’s use of white, greys, vintage lace, unprocessed cotton (fluff!) and soft toned colors to create an atmopshere that makes you want to take a cozy nap by a fire. 

Speaking of Neutrals… I just loved this bride’s choice to put her bridesmaids in this cool grey. There was something classic winter about it, without the girls looking like holiday candies. And it was topped off nicely with the faux fur stoles.

  I love using Jewel tones at Winter Weddings.  They don’t need to be heavy handed, but think purples, ruby reds, deep turquoise and metallic and you will have a festive atmosphere with minimal effort. Consider using Moroccan glasses for wine or even as votive holders… They add a bit of sparkle and flair to the tabletop in a subtle way.   Or even just work your tones into your stationery.  For our NYE wedding where we wanted to try and NOT go “holiday” we worked with a pewter, gold and plum palette.

Peaches and Pinks are ALSO awesome winter colors… Sometimes pale and warm tones are MORE effective at creating romance than bright, bold colors.  This season, I’ve been in love with Peaches and Pinks with metallic accents.  Below an amazing winter bouquet via Once Wed, a fabulous centerpiece in peach and mercury glass from Saipua and the floral arrangements I made for Mayra’s November engagement party (with wood and gold accents)….

In general, don’t be afraid to think outside of the box for winter inspiration. Think of what tones and textures make you feel cozy, warm and festive and it will definitely take you in the right direction!

I am a devil about details, and sometimes, when setting up a table top, a naapkin will speak to me and say “Hello! I want to be folded and have a menu card tucked inside me.” While other times the napkin looks up and says “Hey, you!  I need to be tucked delicately under the charger plate causing my color to contrast with the linen and form a rhythmic pattern around the room.”   And still other times, the napkin looks at me and says “No, I think what I need is a napkin ring of sorts… Don’t you think?”

There was a time when the napkin ring seemed about as dated as the ballroom chair cover with a satin tie back that matched the bridesmaids dresses (sorry if you are doing that look.. It’s not a bad look, but it is a dated look).   But, lately, the voice of the napkin has been in my head again CRYING out for a napkin ring.

If you don’t know what I mean, take a look at this tabletop from the Newlywish WWRD Registry Repatterned launch… Can you imagine if this table setting featuring Mark Ingram’s collection had just been done with a pocket fold?  NO! It was screaming for the understaded glamour of this napkin ring with the delicate folds that can only be created BY a napkin ring!

I’m working on a 1920′s Glamour inspired wedding and saw this dragonfly napkin ring from Remarkable Rhinestone that I just loved… It adds more than a dab of glamour, but it also feels a bit more homey… So much of the time when we are designing a wedding, even if it’s terribly glamorous, we try to make it feel like a hosted party for a few hundred… While menu cards are a fantastic detail to add to a tabletop, I think the idea of a napkin ring (which most people use only at home for holiday entertaining) seems, somehow more like an elegant touch vs. “wedding”-y.

That said, napkin “rings” needn’t be only for black tie tables, they can go casual and homey as well AND can be made from nearly anything.  At this intimate wedding for 100, we took simple butcher’s twine around an Irish Linen napkin and to create the “look” of a napkin ring and to serve as a place card.

I’d love to hear if napkins speak to you?  Any favorite ideas for unusual napkin rings that you’ve seen or are using at your wedding?