Cherry, Cherry Nice

Sometimes, you see something that catches your eye (to be redundant), and your whole day's plan is screwed up. Today, it was this marvelous cherry wedding cake from She Takes the Cake.

There's type of cherry cake design you see here and there, which is usually square, white fondant boxes with heaps of cherries peeking out from the turrets. It's perfectly nice, but this take was different. It seemed to capture all the sweetness of cherries and then some ... just like you might see on a tin vintage lunchbox at a really kick-butt yard sale. It was the hand-painted details that really got me. I LOVE painted cakes.


Top to Bottom, L t R. Stewart's Cherries'N'Cream soda; "Danny & Cherry" m&ms, Keiron; Cherry in dark chocolate and edible gold leaf, Brides.com. Paper lanterns and cherries in glassine bags, Martha Stewart; Cherry-motif cake by SheTakesTheCake; limited-edition Cherry Cordial Hershey's Kisses; Cherry Honey Sticks at StashTea; Almond-Cherry Soap Scrolls, YouStinkSoap at Etsy.

Why aren't more wedding themes built around this super-sexy fruit? Like their perfect partners, almonds, cherries are close cousins to the rose. If any fruit clamors for center stage at weddings, I think it's this one. Plus, go with cherries and you have the perfect excuse to have that pink and red wedding you always craved. It's sweet schoolgirl crush and grown-up passion all at once.

For me, I'd have to romance this late-summer taste bomb with some intimate gifts for guests. Little jars of potent, homemade cherry jam (surely an aphrodisiac!) paired with a scone recipe. Or sweet little sticks of cherry honey. Or, for age-old gifts of good fortune, mini-jars of honey from the local beekeeper, made even richer with toasted almonds and dried cherries.

Planning ahead? If you've got 2-4 months, you can handcraft an unforgettable cherry cordial from nothing more than vodka, cherries, sugar and brandy. Finish off each bottle with a recipe for cherry cordial + ice cream, gourmet hot chocolate or brownies, and a luxurious length of Midori ribbon.

Here's some more cherry fun to get those 'juices' flowing:

• Maybe it's just me being obsessed with dip-dyed dresses, but I think Gwen Stefani had the right idea with her white-to-deep pink wedding gown. To the right is a John Galliano's dip-dyed tour-de-force from Dior's 2007 collection. I'd love to see this ultimate-romance palette on the bridesmaids or at the very least, a flower girl.
• How cute are those pink and rose M&Ms, above?
• Rose-red paper lanterns are simple way to set the mood.
• Nobody's going to turn up their nose at the perfect cosmopolitan. Make it extra-special with flavored sugar rims, maraschino cherries or a few organic rose petals.
• Cherry Cordial Hershey's Kisses are cute, inexpensive and already a fixture at weddings.
  

A final note: I gave Stewart's Cherries'n'Cream a pass here, because people love it and the bottle is adorable. But on the whole I really dislike soda made with high fructose corn syrup, and especially specialty soda (can't they take a whole two cents from the production budget and use sugar??) Last night hubbie and I downed an entire bottle of Lorina Sparkling Orangeade (which is totally devoid of HFCS, thank you very much), and were ready to run off and join some kind of soda cult.

Tags: cherry wedding, cherries wedding, summer wedding, fall wedding

Jennie's Scrumptuous Pink & Lime Polka Dot Wedding

I was waltzing along, collecting polka dot sightings in weddings, because you can never have too many and they're kind of exciting (anyone ever turn up their nose at a polka dot/fondant cake in bright candy colors?) Of course, there's that 50s-style polka dot wedding dress by Michele Roth, but most brides are probably not opting for that. Which is okay, because we still have a broad field of polka-dotty favors, invitations, placecards, and lots and lots of gorgeous grograin ribbon.

So, in pursuit of dot perfection, I focused on the Knotties, because they got it goin' on when it comes to solid, stylish ideas like this that have been working through weddings for a bit.


Top to Bottom, L to R: Tinned bubble magnets with ribbon and wax seal, SarahJanell; polka dot cake (unknown); favor boxes adorned with Making Memories Cosmopolitan Pink Line. Dot organza strapless cocktail, Alfred Angelo 6836 at Jay's Bridal; ribbon from AcademyBeldam; envelope inserts by MoonieButt. Shortbread-filled pillow boxes and dotted-ribbon invites by ChinoRican; polka dot cake by IcingDreams.

I was pretty happy with the finds. And then all of a sudden, screech. Oh, hello. That was my response when I came across Jennie's (aka Lollie) lime-and-pink polka dot explosion of a Seattle garden wedding. My next thought was, who is this? And my whole little polka dot plan was knocked askew. I simply had to talk about THIS WEDDING.

Whoever Jennie was, I just knew she had an Etsy shop and did really interesting things in her spare time (true, it turned out).

Anyhow, not to get all maudlin and broody ... but imagine showing your daughter these. I can just see some cute nine year old girl lugging out the photo album, nodding like a blasé fashionista, and then telling the neighbor kid, look how cool my mom is.

And just like I want to gobble the lobster AND the roast beef AND the chocolate dipped strawberries at an all-you-can-eat buffet, I can never look at photos like these and pick "just a few to set the mood." So here are all the ones I couldn't resist.


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You'll notice this wedding isn't just a pretty face, either. Check out the amazing interactives: see that adorable ice cream cart, the wood-fired pizza. Everyone must have showed up and said a silent "OH, yeah," as soon as they grasped what was in store for them.

Sez Jennie: "So much fun! It was such a blast to plan. I knew I wanted whimsical, but a bit classy. And I knew I wanted polka dots, but wasn't sure on the color! Then one day ... duh, hot pink and lime green! So, from there on I went a bit crazy." (By crazy, does she mean those amazing flower girl dresses or the hand-sewn ring pillow?)

"I wanted to do a lot (all) of the work myself! I had to have it playful — hence the photo booth, popsicle cart, candy buffet, hula hooping and so on. If I could do it again, I wouldn't change a thing ... except maybe have Jamba Juice there! Ha ha."

I so wish that Jennie could do it again, preferably in a small rural area across the country suspiciously near to my house.

If you find yourself wondering what kind of goddess could dream up all this and do that funky sewing, you should check out her adorable shop MessAround — temporarily on hiatus, as Jennie's exhibiting at Seattle's Bumbershoot, but check back in mid-September. Or, check out her full wedding photostream at Flickr. Not to be missed.

A Super-Sweet 50's Style Wedding

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Top to Bottom, L to R: Clear Rhinestone ear clips by Michelle's Vintage Jewelry; Birdcage Mini Veil by Leah C; "Sweet Innocence" Beaded Bag by OhTwoVintage (Etsy). Lorina pink and yellow lemonade at PopSoda; Personalized cocktail napkins at For Your Party; French apothecary jars at Charles Keath. Vintage china, cupcakes and feather birds at The Utterly Sexy Cafe (hat tip to Bridalwave); White wedding cake and vintage topper by AteToTheBar; Signature Pastel petits fours by Dragonfly Cakes; Sugar Cookie lip balm by MyWeddingFavors; "Maya" by Michelle Roth.

The fashion mags might be dripping with heavy glamour from the 30s and 40s, but what could be cheerier than a 1950s-style wedding that's all sweetness and light?

Take a pass on the Lauren Bacall lips and eyes with some goes-down-easy pastels, a touch of adorable eyelet, a fresh face (and flyaway veil), and anything else that brings to mind the lighter side.

 

Because while it's true that today you most often see tattooed rockabilly couples making the 50's wedding theirs, you don't have to sport 'I Love Mom' anywhere on your body or roar away on a motorcycle to have one.

Here are a few ideas for setting the stage. Follow up with your own!

The Decor ...

• Vintage china, with lots of chintz and lovely gold banding. Scour thrift stores for gorgeous tea cups and blooming platters.
  
• Flower-topped cupcakes on tiered pastry stands (tuck hand-embroidered doilies underneath for extra points.)
  
• Sweet pink parfaits in tulip-style sundae dishes.
  
• Feather bird decorations, popping up on picks, or scattered around centerpieces and cake stands. Love them feather birds!
  
• Retro-cool matches and cocktail napkins.
  
• Milk cans you've spray-painted enamel white, and filled with flowers (perfect for lining the walkway).

The Edibles ...

• Apothecary jars are all the rage when it comes to candy buffets, but yours will be the sweetest of all when you top them off with pastel Necco wafers or savory herbal penny candy from the past.
• Cake designers do get requests for retro-style cakes, complete with stairs, tiers and fountains, but personally I think those cake horrors aren't so far in the distant past that we should go there, just yet. Much more elegant and totally pleasing to the eye: a simple, white cake-on-cake creation with a gorgeous retro topper.

The Fashion ...

• Sweet beaded clutches.
• A full a-line gown over a petticoat, so it goes "out to there," with a blast-from-the-past neckline (sweetheart, square or bateau, say) over a pair of sassy sandals with some glitz.
  
• A lace bolero, or a cashmere shawl in pretty baby blue or pink.
  
• A bridal hair band, tiara or an updated birdcage.
  
• For him, four words: white tuxedo. Black bowtie.

The Bling ...

• The best part is shopping for jewelry! As always, I love Michelle's Vintage Jewelry for their accessible prices and irresistibly sparkly finds (no lack of rhinestones there). Treat yourself to some delicious ear clips, or pick up some one-of-a-kind brooches to pin to your best girls' sashes.

Tags: 50s wedding, retro wedding, vintage wedding, 1950s wedding

From the Not-Quite-Normal Files: Owl Obsessions

I can never get enough of the whole bird-and-twig motif you see floating around West Elm, hip fabric designs and the like. Even before Holly made birds THE herald of the design-obsessed, I'd caught the bug. I've already posted once about a fabulous bird-theme wedding, and the finger's posed on the trigger to post still more, more, MORE!

But not today. Today's a wrinkle, a spin, a subset of the bird and twig thing. That's, like, different. Right?


Sweeter-than-sugar vintage owls. Orange flower cake by We Take the Cake; Yellow Owl print by Sugarloop, Etsy; Gilded Owl earrings by Anthropologie.

So let's talk owls. You don't have to spend many hours digging through Etsy before you see the owl thing taking shape. There's legions of them. And they're very, very cute.

And fresh. I see these adorable little guys being perfect for a couple who's planning their wedding outside the box. There are so many cute applications: night owls, for a pair of Red Bull-fueled programmers, for example. Then there are the couples with pet names for each other: turtle, bear (and owl, of course). Have one drawn with glasses or any other personal tic (that Betty Boop tattoo?) and your friends and relatives will catch the resemblance right away.


Autumn-owls. Florals and copper-wire boutonniere by Brides.com; Owl & flowers card by Patina; bouquet at Grace Ormonde.

Now, before we talk about the perfect owls, let's talk about the wrong owls. The wrong owls not only chain-smoke Gauloises, they lean toward things like: Harry Potter. Halloween. Ultra-realistic Audubon style imagery with scary eyes and ruffled feathers. Wondrous though they be, those are not our owls.



Ours are children of that beautiful geometric tradition that renders flowers as two circles on a stick. We love them owls. The only thing that could makes these guys cuter is to moosh two of them together on the same branch. That, my friends, is love.



I see the owl theme taking shape like this: you find one or two of those indispensable artists on Etsy, and have them develop some dual-owl imagery for your custom stationery, programs and so on. I see the owls going in an upbeat autumn direction (with just a touch of rustic, but only the tiniest), or spring colors like pink or mint. I also see them in a full op-art, pop-crazy brights setting, with big geometric leaf patterns as a backdrop.



Then, you go to Ann Wood. Yes, we've all seen Ann Wood on more blogs than the threadcount in your Pratesi sheets, but did you know she can do all KINDS of birds? The woman is a marvel. And I bet some sweet talking would land you a pair of nuptial owls for your cake topper. And yes, by God, I really would treat an Ann Wood creation as a keepsake and display it after the day, whereas your average 'keepsake topper' appeals about as much as the thought of storing kimchee in my eyeballs.



Oh, a final twist with some Olde English sweetness: if two owls doesn't flip your skirt, reach back to some rugrat romance and pair the owl with his first true love, the pussycat.


So, which owls grab you you (if any)? The pink LOVE owls? The soft and shabby or mod black & white ones? What slightly left-of-center design ideas are you tossing around for your wedding?

Better-Than-Ever Butterflies

Butterflies, it once seemed, were doomed ... in weddings, at least. How could this circa-seventies symbol, always to be found in that forlorn "bridal row" at the back the craft aisles, have a place in today's chic affairs? Wire wings, white gauze, 10 to a pack. I mean, really!

But, against all odds, the butterfly thing stayed. It adapted. So what's keeping them around?

A few things. One: the garden trend. It's HUGE in this country. We're obsessed with tea parties, garden parties, English tea parties in gardens. You could build a whole empire on that stuff (wait ...). And no blow-out garden party is complete without a few sets of wings.

It's not just gardens, either. For reasons not entirely clear to anyone, butterflies are getting downright hot here. It's like birdwatching for 2007-2009, spawning high-ticket travel, expensive museum add-ons, etc.

Finally, there's the symbolism (transformation, new life). Powerful stuff, that.


Top to Bottom, L to R: Four perfect cupcake creations by LeCupcake (Kylie Lambert). Grass & butterfly cake by Pink Cake Box; pastel petits fours by FavorStudio. Summer mini-lanterns by MyWeddingFavors; Butterfly favor cookies at Brides.com; bridal shoes from Inside Weddings, "Garden of Love." Placesetting with moss and tulip centerpiece & butterfly placecards from Tuscany Wedding Chapel; cedarwood invitation and bouquet wrap brooch from Inside Weddings, "Garden of Love"; butterfly escort cards on satin ribbon at Brides.com.

Back in the dark ages of the New Wedding, brides mostly "did" butterflies by sewing on a few white appliques here and there, and scheduling a butterfly release right after the vows. Since then, we've graduated to color, and butterfly releases have gone a bit south due to worries about their humaneness ... not to mention those "bomb" releases on widely-viewed programs like Whose Wedding is it Anyway? (Doesn't everyone want to see themselves poking oddly still bodies in a box when it's time to sit down with the video?)

So now, butterflies are likely to show up in boho/shabby-chic settings (where shabby = vintage) with lots of pastels, or a brighter, more contemporary wedding with blocks of high-energy color. Vive la Change!

Here are a few fun trends you might see in today's butterfly weddings:

- Sparkly butterfly brooches, pinned to the bride's sash or the ribbon bouquet wraps.
- Clusters of butterfly appliqués sewn to flower girl gowns.
- Light-as-air vanilla cakes filled with lemon and strawberry creams.
- Jeweled bouquet picks.
- Pastel parasols, white summer lanterns and fruity iced drinks.
- Color schemes like pink + orange or yellow + pale green.
- Wheatgrass centerpieces and trays of petit fours.
- Wind-up butterflies that flutter out of cards or napkins.

Martha, as always, is full of great ideas. She has rice paper templates for edible butterflies and butterfly seating cards you can tuck on the edge of a wine glass or antique teacup. She's dished up butterfly-studded paper lanterns (cute!) and DIY butterfly straws (check out "Summer Parties" and "Gentle Landings" on http://www.marthastewart.com/). Sensibly, she sells a butterfly paper punch, as do other craft stores, which should save you a lot of anguish. Try cutting out a couple hundred paper butterflies by hand and you'll soon find yourself wanting to switch to another theme, like "paper punch dots."

The best part of a butterfly wedding? You have an excuse to spend hours poring over the signature cupcake stylings of Kylie Lambert, Australia's cupcake queen. Kylie is this very down-to-earth-sounding person who just happens to create cupcakes and mini-cakes that are literally, art. "This one was rushed," she always says of her latest jaw-dropper, "but it came out okay." I don't think my eyes can stand the glare if she ever does one that comes out "great."

Tags: butterfly wedding, butterflies wedding

Say "Yellow" to the New Pink

Pink-weary brides take note: there's a fresh alternative flowing from the fashion mags.

Yellow seems poised to take a bite out of pink for brides who want something crisper, brighter and newer.

But ... yellow? Isn't that one door down from lavender, in a land where fuzzy baby bunnies romp over crocheted lavender and tea towels?

Not necessarily. Yellow looks totally today, as long as you steer clear of the soft lenses and field daisies. Here are a few ways to keep it real.

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Top to Bottom, L to R: Stylized butterfly and flora cake, The Cake Girls; Plumeria blossom invitation, Elegant Handmade Creations; Rununculous cake, the Cake Girls. Reception design by ClothConnection; individual monogrammed cakes by The Cake Girls; frosted daisy take-out boxes by FavorIdeas. Vintage cake topper, VelvetFinch at Etsy; yellow rose petals by Pick a Petal; parrot tulip bouquet at Brides.com. Daisy cake by Gail Watson, NYC from MarthaStewart.com; couture rose by Martha Stewart; rose and lemon cake decor at Brides.com.

- Color Block. Take a tip from home interiors and go for fresh-looking bouquets filled with chunky, alpine-white flowers. Then pop in a few super-bright yellows (like daffodils or parrot tulips) here and there for contrast. Don't try to blend them.

- Cozy Up. Pair yellow with other high-energy colors, like tangerine and chartreuse. Or even crisp monochromatics: try gray, or black and white.

- Time Travel. Yellow is tons of fun with a tongue-in-chic vintage theme (think, fifties cake topper kitsch.)

- Beyond Solid-arity. Defy expectations by leveraging plenty of crisp, oversized patterns like swiss dots, lattice or geometric florals.

Most of all, don't forget that a punchy yellow has the power to make the brightest-white wedding even brighter and more contemporary. And it's feminine, but not even slightly gushy. So if pink and its usual cohorts (chocolate brown, magenta, lavender, orange) have got you yawning uncontrollably, it might be time to give this primary another look.

Tags: yellow wedding, wedding colors

Mood Board: Art Deco Weddings

I love Art Deco. And I think it's an incredibly glamorous direction to take your wedding. (In fact, after eating and breathing it for the last few days, I have this urge to dump my midcentury-modern vector and redo the whole house.)

Originally aimed at the jet set, Art Deco embodied the Jazz age and always looked forward, never back. And even though it's oh-so-elegant, it's hard to stumble into 'stuffy.' There are just too many visual references to planes, trains and automobiles, Egyptian sphinxes, palm fronds and the like.

Of course, over time, this light-hearted style has acquired a beautiful vintage patina that makes it more gorgeous than ever. Plus, you can play it different ways: the neutrals of 1920's clubs and ballrooms, say, or the Vice-style pastels of Miami Beach's very own brand of deco.

Here's some ways to bring an instantly-recognizable Art Deco flair to your own wedding:

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Top to Bottom, L to R: Interior by ClothConnection; vintage ring by Fay Cullen; "Star" by Reem Acra; Deco pendant by Ben Amun. Antique drop earrings earrings by Ekantique Jewelry; fabulous deco bride by JuneBugWeddings; Deco cake by Ron Ben-Israel. Peep toes by Zanotti; Men's acorn-motif deco ring by Van Craeynest. Deco calla/chocolate cake by Trifles; Taffeta and tulle a-line with flower appliqué by Lazaro; Miami's Art Deco Weekend poster; blue Deco ring by Fay Cullen.


The motifs: Egyptian figures and aviation, palm trees and ferns, callas and triangles, sun rays and dragonflies. And of course, a classic Art Deco font. Click here for tons of free ones.

The frocks: drop-waisted glamour, sashes with buckle brooches, silk roses sewn to your gown or pinned in your hair. Or, a vampy old-hollywood style mermaid gown with lots of back action.

The accessories: Vintage chokers, toe peep pumps, feather fans, thigh-high stockings, chandelier earrings. Hair combs with feathers and netting.

The face: Glamour set to stun. Dark, full lips. Perfectly arched and shaded eyebrows. As for locks, shorter, swingy hair's ideal. Go for updated (slightly more touseled) finger waves.

The tables: White Callas, or ruffly Casablanca lilies. Ostrich or peacock feathers. Tall candelabras topped with tiny, fringed lampshades, and draped with long, dangly crystal chains and pendants.


Deco could involve a pretty large number of palettes, so it's fun to take a photo that caught your eye and run it through a palette generator.

For example: these gorgeous earrings give rise to an incredibly sophisticated palette of heathers, golds and grays that definitely say "20s." (Note that palette generators usually cough out more colors than you can use, so just self-select for the ones that call you, and play well together.)

Are you pondering a Deco wedding, or one that borrows some elements? And what have you dreamed up so far?

Tags: art deco, deco wedding, miami wedding, 1920s wedding, vintage wedding

Mood Boards: Poppy Theme Weddings

They remind me of certain diaphanous dresses that I wish you could get away with wearing every day.

Lately, I'm slightly obsessed by poppies. They're always in the background: a cute Kate Spade bag, a clutch, a poppy wrap skirt at Etsy on a field of sky blue. Poppies aren't frilly, and you don't see them at tons of weddings. But what they are is funky, original, and kind of commanding. They're the Bjork of florals.

Sometimes you do see them. At weddings, that is. They show up in different guises: zen-style, on backgrounds of black and white. Or Eastern, where lush table linens compete with the super-saturated blooms for attention. Or just plain modern, where you might fuse the reds and oranges with fuchsias and lime greens, for fun.

Keeping the tables clean lets the poppies, um, pop.

On the whole, you won't see brides lugging around these delicate blooms in bouquets. They're as fragile as any wildflower, and the tips of the stem have to be sealed — with flame — as soon as you pick them, or the sap will flow out and your flowers will sag.

But if someone's on hand to manage the logistics, nothing looks quite like a table runner of poppies, with their colors and their curvy green stems, nodding over slender glass cylinders. And your wedding won't look quite like anyone else's.

Oh, and even though they're not the same, let's lump in anemones, which sport similar black-eyed centers and saucy petals. Both poppies and anemones play similar roles when it comes to juicing up designers. They're free, unpredictable, and enlivening. They're the Parisian schoolgirl you always wished would move in next door.

 

Because it's impossible for poppy moods to get too serious, you have lots of decorating freedom. So paper flowers and pomanders are definitely on the menu. (Don't miss KenzieKate's jaw-dropping poppy creations.) Or poppy party lights. Or flower girl dresses that are both electric and elegant.




When it comes to poppies and parties, these are a few of my favorite things ...

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Top to Bottom, L to R: Tangerine paper poppies by St. Jude's Creations; Metallic Poppy Notecards by Ignafruit at Etsy; "Country Cake" with anemones by April Reed. Bria Gown (Pergura Collection) by Smitherman & Barnwell; poppy with black river stones; red anemone bouquet. Custom poppy wedding gown by Zac Posen, from The New American Wedding; Pink and poppy shower cake, Martha Stewart; Poppy Bloembox, FavorIdeas. Icelandic poppy bouquet; silk floral party lights; pink anemone bouquet; all by Martha Stewart.

Tags: poppy, poppies, poppy theme wedding, wedding poppies, wedding anemones

Sand Dollar / Nantucket Style Mood Board

Okay ... sand dollars aren't as sexy-new as "Marie Antoinette" or "peacock blue" or any of the other moods I've been dreaming of lately.

Instead, they're sort of an old-faithful. A visual center to certain kind of East coast, laid-back, thoroughly Yankee wedding. But aren't they beautiful?

It's funny, though. As I played with colors and images that complement the modest little sand dollar, I found it was kind of demanding in what it liked to be paired with. There's a certain kind of deliriously-blue beach wedding that calls to me in a different way, but this isn't that.

This is all about colors where the saturation's dialed way back. There's an earthy feel here, and maybe preppy, too — but the preppy looks better if you set the colors to "stun" instead of "kill."

Click image to view larger. Top to Bottom, L to R: "Ocean Longing" Sand Dollar necklace, VintageMusings at Etsy; Blue Ocean Tilt Cake, chocolate sand dollars by Charmingly Chocolate. Nantucket tent wedding by Nantucket Clambake Co.; Sand dollar decoration and mini-corrugated favor box by MomentsOfElegance; "Crossing the Bridge" by Garrison Photo. Sand dollar favors by MomentsOfElegance; Organza in Moss by Connie Duglin Linen; Original Sand Dollar Cookies by Grandma Lulu.

In fact, I think sand dollars look their best in a palette that doesn't depend on blue at all. After all, the colors you see swirling around the Atlantic aren't so much blue, really. There's a lot of sand and green, and dusky violet.

Hydrangeas are charming in this context, but I think they're at their most beautiful here in purples and greens, not the usual bright blues.

Credits: "Shelbi," Silk Chiffon gown by Winnie Couture; "Beach Stripes" Invitation in Green Tea by Wedding Paper Divas; "Lucy," Sling back heel with embroidered footbed, by Badgley-Mischka at Zappos. Below: some color combos that suit the sand dollar theme to perfection.

The fun thing about sand dollars is that a crafty DIY-er can do almost anything with them. You can slap tiny ones on invitations with a bit of ribbon or raffia, or glue them to the top of earthy gift boxes. If you or a friend has pretty handwriting, you can write your guests' names on the top of sand dollars and stack them all up on end in a sand tray, with a few pretty starfish tucked in for contrast. And then, people have been known to paint the really large kind with table numbers. Which is only the start.

How else could you outfit this dreamy, sunny East-coast wedding? Try a lobster trap as your gift box, creel baskets for condiments, and a small wooden boat as a picturesque cooler for your drinks. And while capiz shells might not be native, with their delicate coloring, they look absolutely gorgeous when you hang them from raffia garlands of starfish and seashells. And bare-branch arrangements look just as beautiful as pastel hydrangeas in simple containers.

What ideas do you have for a Nantucket-style, sand dollar wedding?

Tags: sand dollar, beach wedding, nantucket wedding

Peacock Blue Mood Board

One of the really fun things is to pull off a wedding infused with trends and color schemes that are setting the fashion and interior design worlds on fire. Right now.The way not to do that is read the usual bridal magazines. By the time the trend shows up there, it's on its way out.

So be canny. Be clever. Check out some color combos real world designers are going gaga for (since as Vera Wang's famously groused, "bridal fashion" and "real world fashion" are light years apart).

Clockwise: Indigo & Gold Swirl Silk, Teal & Gold Paisley Brocade, Gold Chair Tassel, Teal Pandora Silk, Copper Pearl Silk, all by ClothConnection.

One of those combos is teal and blue. Or aqua and green. Any of those underwater palace hues. Not coincidentally, these are big, sumptuous colors that also evoke the East, something else we can't get enough of ever since Bollywood started to make its sequin-laden, booty-shaking inroads into our viewfinders. And maybe because of how these trends mesh, the glorious peacock's showing up everywhere from high-end bed and bath to haute wallpaper.

 

Best of all? You can start dipping into this blueliciousness now, picking up points for your awesome style in the process. Not in 2009, when everyone and their annoying copycat cousin is having a peacock blue wedding.

 

Right now the peacock gets interpreted in a couple of ways: one, textural and romantic, and another, geometric. Romantic (duh!) is what brides usually go for, so let's focus there.

 

Don't forget, though, that peacock doesn't automatically equal "East Indian." It's also Vintage. Or Art Deco. Or Southern Plantation. And it's not amiss at a wedding with Moroccan or Arabian overtones, or even Medieval. So don't forget to make it yours.

Click Image to View Larger. Top to Bottom, L to R: Chair tassel by ClothConnection, Hindi-Style cake by Grandma's Secrets, shimmering petal cones by Moments of Elegance. Peacock Place Card Holder by Reed & Barton, boutonniere photo by BeckettMW, Donna Ricco Shirred Silk Dress at Nordstrom. Textiles/Linens by Wildflower Linens, Nadri Chandelier earrings at Nordstrom, Peacock Quills Invitation by Baron Cards. Peacock Placemat by Z-Gallerie, Allie Renee at Mon Cheri, cake by Lindy's Cakes.

Reception Tips & Hints

The Colors: Peacock colors are inclusive, so don't be afraid to mix them up. Principals are aqua, teal, olive, indigo. Metallics are copper, bronze, gold. Use lots of shimmer and texture. Place sumptuous, tasselled overlays on linens that complement, don't match.

The Flowers: Exotic blooms are called for. Try orchids, birds of paradise, mini callas in jewel tones, hanging amaranthus and pods (lotus, scabiosa).

The Bridesmaids: They'll look gorgeous in shiny downs of aqua, teal or bronze. Consider long sashes with the ends trailing down beyond the hems, and glamorous peacock feather fans instead of ordinary bouquets.

Feather-trimmed gold organza bag with metallic Jordan almonds, by Rani Deshpande. "Emerald Luna" by JustTheRightShoe.

The Bride: How about a come-hither hair ornament of netting and a few flirtatious feathers?

The Accents: Go overboard on silken tassels and cords. Zone in on blue jewels (real or costume) in vintage-style silverwork, and elaborate chandelier earrings. Make ample use of shiny copper and olive ribbon, but don't tie in bows. Look into "peacock pearls" for some smoky, mysterious bling.

See also: "Pretty as a Peacock" at WeddingBee

Tags: peacock wedding, peacock blue, trendy wedding, wedding colors, southern wedding, indian wedding

Reviving Versailles: Getting Some Antoinette Magic into your Wedding

It might not have racked up new box office records, but Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette set off style shocks that are just beginning to peak.

And while fashion moguls everywhere took note of the gorgeous costumes, over-the-top settings and pop princess post-modern sensibilities, it's the wedding scene that's primed to make the most of them.

A lavish, once-in-a-lifetime party, dripping in fab frocks, luxurious linens, towering florals and diamonds? La Reine would approve.

Top to Bottom, L to R: Calligraphy Lady invitations; Spring 2007 gown by Monique Lhullier; Peony bouquet with pink satin wrap; Parisian theme linens. Cream rose pomander; satin wedding dress for dogs at Poochie Heaven; beaded napkin ring. Pink silk bamboo fan at FavorIdeas; pink diamond ring; Scarlett Johansson for Louis Vuitton.

Versaille Theme Cheat Sheet

The Inspiration: Marie Antoinette (duh!). And: Scarlett Johansson's Louis Vuitton ads.

The Motto: More is more.

The Metallic: Gold, gold and gold. Silver, too. Mix them up, but nothing says grand like gold.

The Venue: A grand ballroom with airy, light decor. Look for sandy-colored patterns on the walls (damask, toile), enormous chandeliers, over-the-top molding and drapes-and-valance combos that would crush you if they fell.

Colors: No white (way too modern), and no jewel tones. Focus on the immense range of neutrals on the pastel end of the wheel for your base: porcelain, biscuit, pale pink, peach, oyster, pearl. Accent with frothy, feminine colors that aren't oversaturated: salmon, dusty rose, coffee, celadon.

Textures: Silky damasks in two or more layers. Don't use the same combinations at every table. Do use complementary colors. Other must-haves: feathers (look at vintage shoe clips, hair embellishments, fans, centerpieces, boutonnieres, bouquet collars). Chunky, vintage-style jewelry (chandelier earrings, sparkling chokers). Satin ribbons for lovely necks, bouquet wraps and stationery. Roses and peonies in your rich neutral palette (above).

Must-Have Touches: Gold chargers, luxury napkins folded into fleur-de-lis, silk fans opened on a plate with a handwritten guest tag woven between the spokes, rose topiaries on the tables, corded or braided edging in ivory or gold, letterpressed gold monograms, parasols, satin bows, gloves and ruffles.

Top to Bottom, L to R: Feather fan, Wisconsin History Museum; Fringed damask from ClothConnection; Crystal wedges by Christian Lacroix. Feather-flower shoe clips, Frou-Frou Collection; Kirstin Dunst still from Marie Antoinette; Antiqued "Grace" earrings, Teleecouture at Etsy.

The Fab Finds: Antoinette-worthy gown by (who else?) Monique Lhuillier. Vintage earrings at Etsy. Crystal wedges by Christian Lacroix. Feather-flower shoe clips at Frou Frou Collection.

Spinning It: Diminutive royal pooches were part of the family. No Antoinette wedding's complete without a very small, demurely-accoutred canine companion.

The Viennese pastry table was a constant court fixture: let your guests nibble sweet nothings throughout the night.

Don't Stop There: add champagne fountains with rose petals floating in the basin, and chocolate fountains for the verticality. Pile your sweet treats on towering tiers. Get the best ostrich-plume pen you can buy to go with a watered silk guestbook. "Key to my Heart" bottle openers are prettily vintage and wink at the Dauphin's favorite pastime. A pink diamond ring eludes most of our budgets, but affordable pink sapphire accents are oh-so-Marie.

The Punk Touch: Hot pink signature cosmos, bouquet wraps, table cards. Pink Chuck Taylors for the kid attendants to change into at the party.

Fun Watch

A quick glimpse of some of the film's great visual excesses, set to the tune of Material Girl.

Tags: Marie Antoinette, french wedding, parisian wedding, versailles