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

Remembering Loved Ones at Your Wedding

Many couples about to wed have lost someone important before the ceremony could take place. It might be a parent, a grandmother, a brother, or several loved ones. It's common to want to honor these people at the ceremony. But you might be wondering how to include meaningful gestures without casting a pall over the event.

The way people go about this is a testament to human creativity. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to get all stressed and do something "remarkable." Keep it simple, and it will be just as moving.

Flowers

Flowers are a popular way to honor loved ones. One moving gesture is for the bride or groom to place a white rose in an empty chair (next to the aisle or in the first row) as they approach the altar. White roses are popular, but not necessary. Lilies of the valley for grandmother who loved them are wonderful. How about white carnations for a mother who loved their spicy fragrance? One bride placed one white mini calla in her bouquet for each person she wanted to remember.

Remembrance Tables

Couples like to top small banquet tables with photos, candles, vases of flowers or bouquets and explanatory signs at the reception. Sometimes, these items will be stand-alone. Sometimes, they'll show up at the ceremony on the guestbook table, or on the altar.


Memorial bud vase, Exclusively Weddings. Memory Bouquet Frame, Jean M. Favors. Breast cancer awareness bracelet, Eye Candy Bracelets. Assorted awareness beads and charms, Art Beads.

Loving Words

A sensitive officiant is one of the best ways to bring loved ones to mind. Have him or her briefly memorialize the people behind your remembrance items. Also, you can dedicate a page to them in your program.

Food

This might seem a little more lighthearted, but you can honor family members by including a famous cookie or candy recipe with your desserts, a signature appetizer on the menu, or a favorite sweet in a candy buffet (did a father love Bit'O'Honey chews?). Include a small framed note that explains the connection. InsideWeddings tells the story of a bride who lost her brother Ryan several years before the ceremony. Her father had Ryan-brand wine served at the reception.

Music

If someone in the family has a gorgeous set of pipes, one of the most moving tributes is to have them sing a dedicated song at the ceremony. Another popular approach: ask the DJ to play a special dance for an aunt or grandfather who loved to shake it on the floor.


Left: "In Loving Memory" candle by Rexcraft.

Clothing

A touching way to remember someone is to wear one of their personal items. Brides have worn their mother's or grandmother's veils, or sashes made from the wedding dress. Grooms have worn their father's tuxes or cufflinks. And let's not forget jewelry: brides have woven a rosary, locket or set of pearls into their bouquet, and worn a father's ring around their neck or on their thumb.

Donations

The "donation in lieu of favors" is a time-tested way to honor someone you've lost to a physical illness. Individual cards or a framed table note will let guests know who was on your mind. Some brides set out real or enamel ribbons symbolizing the type of loss involved: pink for breast cancer, teal for ovarian or testicular cancer, and so on. (See Awareness Ribbons Meaning & Colors.) Another option: the bride and her bridesmaids wear awareness bracelets. You can buy the awareness charms individually and make your own, or source the finished bracelet from a number of sites.

Symbols

Anything that reminds you of a loved one is fine: butterfly bouquet picks, for example. Or a picture-frame pin and photo pinned to a bouquet wrap ribbon, or a monogram pin in the letter of someone you've lost. A number of stores sell "In Loving Memory" brooches you can pin to a sash or ribbon. InsideWeddings tells of a bride who parked a pink and white 1957 Nash Metropolitan in front of the wedding tent in memory of her mother.


Are you planning to remember someone special at your wedding? How are you going about it?

Tags: remembrance wedding, wedding memorial, in memory of, in honor of

Amy & Scott's Hauntingly Beautiful Eastlake Victorian Wedding

Amy, the supremo/czar/truly amazing person behind this wedding, is the kind of creature that wedding photographer Eric Hegwer refers to as an UberBride.

UberBride (noun): The opposite of Bridezilla. A bride (or couple) that shows exquisite taste, has a grip on design and rocks the fashion scene (if only at the watercooler). A relaxed bride, totally on her game, who somehow manages to make everything play well with everything.

And where does the UberBride take you? To heaven, of course.

Even with Ariel Stalling's wisdom still ringing in my ears, in James Earl Jones' voice — "YOUR WEDDING IS NOT A CONTEST" — I have to admit that this event, which lodged in my head and rattled there for months after I first unearthed it looking for God knows what — is the closest thing I've ever seen to the perfect wedding. (There, I've used "perfect" and "wedding" twice in one post. Gah.)

Eventually, I thought, "what if two other people on earth haven't seen this?" I resolved not to let that happen, not if I could help it.

And now writing this, I realize I'm doing this couple a serious injustice. Because one of the things that makes this wedding so perfect is that it wasn't Amy's wedding, but Amy and Scott's wedding. Really. Scott even contributed to the exquisite design of her dress, an area normally on the wrong side of the DMZ when the bride runs the show. Which makes this wedding something very special and modern, notwithstanding the vintage accoutrements.

She Had me at Hello

What jumped out for me about Amy's gorgeously personal wedding? At no point did she get steamrollered. The wedding never started to run her, instead of vice versa. Every detail bristles with cool, collected calm. Not once did she say to herself, "I like it, but is it GRAND enough?" This isn't a wedding made of hodgepodge ideas taken from the last three months of magazines, it's one that could only have come to life with this couple.

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The Delectable Details

Amy had a bit of a head start, it's true. She'd managed plenty of events before. So she knew the importance of things like signage, and she wasn't fazed when her wedding day at the Druid Hill Park Mansion House in Baltimore cycled from hailstorm to rainbows, then through thunderclaps (right after they took their vows!), and finally back to rainbows again.

Despite all the bipolar weather, life inside the Mansion House was luminous, with its creamy antique walls, tall ceilings and towering windows. A few touches brought the outside in, such as Scott's pyramid trellises wrapped in grapevines, and centerpieces made of fresh tree branches.

 

Amy chose a turn-of-the-century bird theme, to reflect the mansion's history — the porch had previously been used as an aviary — and she worked from a palette of dreamy, purplish blue and plum.

 

You can see how she appreciates materials: unusual ones. Touch-me ones. So, you have the gorgeous rooster feather collar ringing Black Magic callas for the bouquets, gold dupioni silk for the aisle runner, plum velvet ribbon and hand embroidery on the ring pillow. There's grapevines and leaves for the banisters, and sumptuous sillk tassels tied to the cameras. Not to mention that bespoke gown of ivory silk and beaded lace.

One of the things that really took my head off where the confident little ways that Amy got just what she wanted, without blowing the bank. The purse that screams "made for Amy?" It was. She found the antique frame on eBay, and had her seamstress create this work of art from it. (Who even thinks of these things?) That sassy net pouf? Crafted from a 1940's cocktail hat she snagged on eBay. Those gorgeous strings of crystals and pearls? Costume, but they couldn't be more perfect.

It's these kinds of things that made me want to bow down. And little details, like how she supplemented those pricey callas with bulk buys online ... while remaining beloved by her vendors, who I'm sure continued to wonder how they'd lucked into this UberBride.

 

And just like with a truly vintage wedding, Amy carefully thought through how they'd reuse everything after the wedding. (The pyramids: now in the garden. The silk runner: back as luxurious curtains and tablecloths.)

 

I can't go any further without bringing up the cake, which only Amy can describe:

"I designed the cake to combine architectural and naturalistic elements. The topper, in white chocolate, replicates the cupola on the Mansion House where the wedding took place (another one of Scott's design contributions). I immediately connected with Marcella, the cake decorator, when she understood my reference to Eastlake Victorian ornament and I learned she had studied architecture. SHE could understand me!"

I'm betting that Amy gets handwritten Christmas cards from Marcella for the next decade or so.

When all was said and done, this event — with its quiet grandeur that brings back a slower time without ever being costumey, and all those photos of relaxed and loving faces — left me with a feel of something big. I mean, just look at those expressions on the mothers' faces when Amy hands them bouquets composed of flowers from their own weddings.

 

And I think I'm seeing an event that didn't just fly by so fast that Amy and Scott missed it all, from the guests to the cake, with no choice but to try to recapture it later in sensationalized photos. This didn't seem to be "the best event we wished we'd been at," but one that was joyous and serious as it unfolded, yet far from humorless. The kind that you'd really want for launching a lifetime of shared memories — not just between yourselves, but all the intimates and relatives you'd chosen to be part of it.

See Amy's profile and more! more! more! photos at TheKnot
Gorgeous photos by Michael DiBari

Tags: vintage wedding, victorian wedding, real wedding, bird wedding

How to Make Your Wedding Cake Look Like a Million Bucks

Wedding cakes make for great visual drama. Ideally, when the budget's fat, they're supposed to elicit oohs and ahhs, just like the bride swooshing through the back of the chapel.

Our cakes labor under high standards these days: they need to be chic, tasty, lavish, in tune with the wedding theme, and hopefully, a little whimsical.

And, the cake usually reflects the dominant and supporting wedding colors, the fanciest floral choices (the bride's bouquet, for example), and sometimes, the actual bridal gown design, or a visual spin on the centerpieces. So, it's not too surprising that more and more brides are looking to put serious bling in that cake.

The problem, of course, is the specter of second-cousin Tracy's broken tooth or Uncle Marco performing the Heimlich on an in-law. A cake that blinds every eye with bling is probably a cake that comes with edibility issues. Still, for some brides, it's worth it. (And in some cases, you can eat 'diamonds', even if they aren't your GI system's best friend).

If you think ice is nice for your stack of sweetness, here are some choices from 'Most spectacular' to 'Least likely to end up on a Bob Saget rerun.'

Top to Bottom, L to R: Pearlized cake with fondant pearls, Cakewalk Chicago; 1" cast sugar jewel drops by Jeff the Chef; Rhinestone trim by House of Fabric; Diamond cake by Cake Heaven; Gold leaf cake by Just Desserts.

True Glit(er)

This involves buying top-drawer, flat backed Swarovski crystals to embed individually in the frosting.
The pros: maximum sparkle, total design freedom.

The cons: individual crystals must be removed before serving, and with all the hoopla, it's all too easy to miss one or two. Plus, who's going to take care of this wee detail? The floor manager? The caterer? And do they really care as much as you need them to?

Get on the Love Chain

Slightly safer and almost as pretty is the rhinestone trim approach. Swarovski crystals sewn into trim (the kind used on gowns) can be easily draped around cake layers, and just as easily removed when it's time to cut.
The cons: trim usually isn't as splendiferous or big as individual flat-backed crystals, so the look's not quite as impressive. Plus, your design options aren't infinite.
The pros: no need to hold your breath as 200+ guests dive into the cake.

Edible Ice

A few food artists make big sparklers out of pure sugar, so it's no big deal if they happen to make their way to the table.
The pros: zero toxicity, lots of design flexibility, and they're easy on the wallet.
The cons: sugar creations, no matter how clever, will never give Swarovski a run for their money.

Swank, Restrained

Perhaps the simplest way to bring some zero-risk sparkle to your cake is piped dots in royal icing, covered by fine edible glitter. Other alternatives: silver dragees (if your state still allows them!), gold or silver leaf, pearl dust and/or glistening fondant pearls, or even rock candy crystals.

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