Hamptons Style

It's labor day weekend! Feeling inspired by the prospect of a lazy and long weekend, I keep going back to look at these pictures from the Hamptons taken by The Sartorialist for Style.com. Click here to see the full slideshow.

{L to R: Eva Prinz, Lauren Bush, and Mandy Moore from Style.com}

Wouldn't it be fun to be a guest at wedding with this kind of laid-back elegance- sort of like a Gatsby-style event with croquet, melon balls, and lots of women wearing big, floppy hats (for Faye, she loves hats)? That is the kind of country club wedding I would actually want to go to...

{Top: Brides, invitation from Bird & Banner, MS Weddings;
Middle: croquet set on Oh How Charming!, Calico cake from MS Weddings, bouquet by Ariella Chezar;
Bottom: picture from Style.com, dress from MS Weddings, melon balls from Martha}

Enjoy your lazy long weekend!

Ripe Tomatoes

Chelsea posted the most beautiful picture of a basket of organic, heirloom tomatoes from a wedding she recently worked on. The colors of the ripe tomatoes are so vibrant and juicy looking- they would look so pretty as centerpieces like Martha did, using baskets that look straight from the market (and cheap- $1.29 to $1.49 each!). We love this paired with placecards on a painted tin can or votive candle holder with breadsticks blooming out of it.

{both pictures from MS Weddings: (L) tomato centerpieces, (R) breadstick placecards}

Bicycles

Sorry for the lateness this morning, I am moving out of my apartment today and while my internet was cut off right on time at my old apartment, of course it was not hooked up as planned at the new place! Anyway, this post on of our favorite new blogs, Oh Happy Blog!, reminded me of these bicycle-themed invitations I bookmarked to share with you all. I especially love Heatherjeany's on the bottom right where the "Reception to follow" traces the back wheel of the bike! Oh well, enough prettiness, back to packing...

{Top: (L) Austin Press, (R) Greenwich Letterpress; Bottom: both Heatherjeany}

May+Belle Calligraphy

Maybelle describes her lettering style as perfectly imperfect, but I wish my handwriting was imperfect like hers; I would love to learn calligraphy so I could make pretty little things like these...

{images from May+Belle Calligraphy}

White Wedding Cakes

Some of the best white wedding cakes incorporate texture and a level of detail that really make an impact. Although I still love bright and colorful cakes, these are refreshing to look at, and for brides I think a white cake can be a relief- it goes with everything!

{Clockwise, L to R: Dogwood cake from MS Weddings, cake by The Cake Girls, Appliqué cake from MS Weddings,
Danish modern cake by Lovin Sullivan, Pleated cake on Brides, Button cake from MS Weddings}

Mushroomy Things

Lately Faye and I are loving mushroomy things! These invites and cakes would be perfect for an outdoor wedding in the fall, and the Mushroomy Compliments card by Pearl & Marmalade (far right) would be a sweet card for your groom the morning of your wedding.

{L to R: Greenwich Letterpress, Heatherjeany, Pearl & Marmalade}


{L to R: Meringue Mushrooms from MS Weddings, Marzipan Mushrooms from MS Weddings, Woodland Cake by The Cake Girls}

Don't forget to vote!

You can now vote for your favorite inspiration board from the second round of the contest on Style Me Pretty. Of course I voted for mom (Faye), whose picnic-style recommitment ceremony seems to have channeled a Martha Stewart Wedding without even knowing it! So don't forget to vote, even if you don't vote for Faye ;)

{photo from frolic!}

Hot Air Balloons

This post from Oh Happy Day! on Friday reminded me of all the cute stationery I've seen lately with hot air balloons...

{clockwise, L to R: Up Up and Away noteset by Pearl & Marmalade, Journey wedding invite by Austin Press, Journey envelope close-up by Austin Press, post wedding party invite by Sesame Letterpress}

Martha Stewart Photo Galleries

This might be old news, but over the weekend I noticed these little photo galleries from Martha Stewart Weddings where the pictures are not so itty bitty! Some of the content of their website is so small you can't see the painstaking details (which MS is all about), so we are happy to have these slideshows to browse since we are the unlucky few without back issues to sift through. They are a little difficult to navigate though, so we thought you might like links.

A Slice of Heaven- includes couture cakes, china cakes, and cakes decorated with flowers
All in the Details- includes guest books, seating cards, and place cards
Bridal Bouquets- includes roses, pink bouquets, colorful bouquets, and ribbons, wraps & details
Take One, Please- includes cookies, other sweet treats, and pretty packages
Style & Substance- includes tea length dresses, ball gowns, and slim sheaths
Gorgeous Gowns- includes photospreads Portrait of a Lady, Fashion A to Z, The Dress Atelier, and In Perfect Shape

These are non-wedding focused, but cute none-the-less...
Cutest Cupcakes
Summer Parties

Freddy & Ma Weddings

Many of you have seen Freddy & Ma's custom handbags in magazines like InStyle and Lucky, and also recently on the arms of The Hills' cast! So Faye and I were excited to hear that they are expanding their custom handbag services to brides-to-be and bridesmaids, offering special customization services from helping brides design their own purse for the big day to providing pretty purses for your bridesmaids.

As part of this new service geared towards brides, they will offer exclusive colors you won't find on their website, or if you are really into matching colors, you can send them fabric swatches and they will find complementary hues to recolor any of the 750 existing prints (in the past some prints have even been designed by Oh Joy!, seen here and here) to match your palette. In addition, specialty custom options are available if you want to create custom variations of their prints to make each bag as unique as your bridesmaids. If you want to keep it subtle, they can line each bag in a different color. Or you can add Freddy & Ma to the guest list for bridal showers and bachelorette parties, and they promise to "coax out the inner handbag designer in everyone, and help friends and family design their very own purses" (limited to NY, San Francisco, and LA). Oh, and they are just really cute!

{email brides[at]freddyandma[dot]com for more information, or call 917.514.5155}

CeciNY Save-the-Dates

More pictures of the save-the-date designed by CeciNY used in the Nashville board below. Love the mix of cranberry and sage with the dogwood flowers, banjo, and guitar.


And we love this save-the-date for a winter wedding in Beaver Creek, Colorado...

Nashville Inspiration Board

I was a conspirator on another board posted on Style Me Pretty this morning- this one was cooked up with my officemates in our cell with no windows that equals an office for four people. So I thought I would give you guys the breakdown of where the photos came from!

{Top: photo by Lisa Lefkowitz, invite by CeciNY, photo by Lisa Lefkowitz;
Middle: chandelier on Brides, cake and bouquet from Rebecca Thuss;
Bottom: "Thanks Ya'll" favors from The Knot bio for AliKay, dress on Brides, reception photo by Mel Barlow}

Faye's Picnic-Inspired Recommitment Ceremony

Yay for Faye- her inspiration board is up on Style Me Pretty today! She combined a bunch of photos we have posted on the blog in a pretty sweet way...so proud of her, how do you think she did? If you knew Faye, you would think this really expresses her personality- she is bubbly, always optimistic, and says "bless your heart!" (and really means it) at least 12 times a day.

{Top: bouquet by Enchanted Florist, BCBG dress photo by Paul Johnson, cake from Lovin Sullivan;
Middle: invitation from Sesame Letterpress, cupcakes from Brides, escort cards by CeciNY;
Bottom: ring pillow photo by Lisa Lefkowitz, table setting on The Knot, watermelon on flickr}

On the short side

Faye and I both flipped for this BCBG dress in the store, but unfortunately the one color dress I could not buy was white since I was shopping for a wedding. But seeing the dress again here reminded us of how cute it would be for a casual wedding or a re-commitment ceremony (which I hope my parents do!). This bride makes the dress look chic, sophisticated and perfectly wedding-day appropriate. See more short bridal dresses on Brides.

{photo from Paul Johnson Photography}

Winter Wedding Inspiration

My favorite inspiration board so far from round 2 of the contest on Style Me Pretty- beautiful job, Isis!

Low Country Weddings

{photo from Brides}

We've had several requests for more destination ideas, so Faye researched two amazing plantations near Charleston, South Carolina for a low country wedding. We love the idea of having outdoor weddings under grand oak trees, access to the beach or lakes plus city amenities, and Charleston offers at least two historical plantations that meet all three ideals.

Drayton Hall Plantation

{photo from Brides}
Drayton Hall Plantation has the rich feel of southern history, having been built in the 1730s. The double storied balconies and white columns look over streets with horse-drawn carriages where the drivers still wear suits and top hats. The towering oak tree in back is situated next to a pond and looks ideal for a late afternoon wedding.

Boone Hall Plantation

{photo from flickr}
Another historic farm perfect for outdoor weddings is Boone Hall Plantation. With its oak-lined avenue leading to the property, even the entrance says southern hospitality. There is an open-air dock house to enjoy the sun setting. Cocktails can be enjoyed on the dock or inside and include their signature drink: “amaretto sunsets.” For any fans of "The Notebook", this is the house that acted as the summer house for Allie and her family; she and Noah broke up right in this driveway. Inside Weddings also featured a wedding at Boone Hall, view the slideshow here.

Champagne & Cake

Pictures we are loving this week for a friend's champagne and cake Friday night wedding...

{Top: table setting designed by Oh How Charming! and photo by Aaron Delesie Photography, cake by April Reed, photo from Rebecca Thuss;
Middle: invitation by CeciNY, dress by J.Crew, photo from Rebecca Thuss;
Bottom: photo from MrsRobsButton, champagne and clutch on Brides}

Nesting

{moving card by Elum via Greer Chicago}

So, we are moving next week and I am getting more and more excited about setting up our first home together, but I was even more excited when I read on the Blue Orchid Blog that Abby of Abby Jean Press and Style Me Pretty is working on Style Me Domestic, a blog for the style-obsessed dweller! Awhile ago, she transformed a living room into a wedding so we can't wait to see what she comes up with in this new venture. In the spirit of nesting, here is my current wishlist for our new home...


{Dwell Chinoiserie Bedding}


{all products from Anthropologie: owl salt & pepper shakers, rooster timer, bluebird grapefruit sugar bowl, yellow rose canister}

A Male Perspective

{photo from Domino}
Every woman- bride, mother of the bride, girlfriend- should read this post on WeddingBee by Mr. Monkey. It's absolutely hilarious- I personally identify with #5, 7, and especially 8!

Minimalist Cake

I keep looking at this cake and I can't quite describe why I like it so much because I'm generally not a big fan of monogram cake toppers, but I think this cake design is modern, understated, and elegant.

{photo by Paul Johnson Photography}

Nancy Liu Chin Floral Designs

Everyone has already seen Nancy's unique floral designs in Lisa Wong Jackson's wedding. Her online portfolio is equally inspiring- we especially love the flowers from her Caffe Viola color story. We find it so much more fun to browse florists' sites when they are organized by either wedding event or color palette. What do you think makes a good vendor website? I think a lot of vendors in the wedding industry (florists, photographers, cake designers, etc.) could benefit from better designed websites- is a good website a factor for you when making the decision to use someone or not? Just curious- Faye didn't seem to mind when a website was totally worthless, but a well-designed website and easy-to-navigate portfolio were a huge plus in my book!

{photos from Nancy Liu Chin Designs}

Linda & Harriett Wedding Invitations

I first heard about Linda & Harriett from guest blogger Elisabeth Warman on {frolic!}. Liz Libré, the creator, recently blogged about submitting some wedding invitation samples to Brides magazine, and we love this cheery yellow invitation she created. You can also view pictures of Liz's own wedding by the amazingly talented photographer Stacey Kane here.

{photo from Linda & Harriett blog}

Peculiar Pair Press

Really pretty letterpress wedding invitations from Peculiar Pair Press, on the left is the 'Spring Garden' design and on the right is a custom design from Brides.

Martha Stewart Weddings Blog

Looks like Martha Stewart Weddings is hopping on the bridal blog bandwagon! Check out Darcy Miller's new blog for brides...

Turquoise and Spotted Feathers

Still wasting time on Michelle Rago's site yesterday, I stumbled upon these pictures that reminded me of one of my favorite color/texture combinations from Oh Joy! Don't know who did these beautiful invites, but the boutonnières are just awesome.

{photos from Michelle Rago}

10022-SHOE Stamps

10022-SHOE is the zip code for the new Saks Fifth Avenue designer shoe store, taking up the entire eighth floor in Saks' Manhattan flagship store. To commemorate the opening of the first shoe store to require its own zip code, USPS has announced the release of a series of limited edition postage stamps to be sold exclusively at the Saks shoe salon. Designers like Ferragamo, Dior, Stuart Weitzman, Jimmy Choo, Roger Vivier, Christian Louboutin, Tod’s, Chloé, Fendi, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Valentino submitted their own photos and sketches to be featured on the stamps. So to those of you who thought that there were no pretty 41-cent stamps, get to Saks on Friday!

{image from Fashion Week Daily}

Michelle Rago Wedding & Event Planning

Love all the details of this wedding at the Bonnet Island Estate in New Jersey. The boutonnières look like little pieces of candy rather than flowers! It also looks like Michelle has a blog in the works; we love florist blogs like Pam at HouseMartin, so we can't wait to see what Michelle blogs about. Thanks to Brown Turtleneck Sweater for reminding us about Michelle's online portfolio!


{photos from Michelle Rago}

Elizabeth Messina Photography

Elizabeth Messina's wedding photos always have a dream-like quality to them, especially these pictures taken at the Saddlerock Ranch, one of our favorite weddings planned by Oh How Charming! event production and design. Elizabeth was also the photographer for this wedding recently featured in the wedding issue of Nirali magazine.

{photos by Elizabeth Messina via Brides}

Yoga for Moms

Warning: dates on the calendar may be closer than they appear! While Oprah claims she has always hated exercise, dreading exercise for me happened sometime between ages 55 and 59. But with Greer’s wedding date approaching, I knew I had to find a workout I would stick to and Yoga seemed more my style than any other options. I started researching fitness centers and found that Yoga classes can get very pricey, especially if you do not plan to use the whole gym. I located a fitness center in nearby office complexes and discovered one of the best-kept secrets in fitness: big businesses financially support exercise facilities to encourage employees to keep in better shape. These centers often welcome the public to join for very reasonable prices, and classes are generally scheduled to accommodate lunch hours and start up again within 15 minutes of finishing normal work days. Costs tend to be one-third the price of private gyms and facilities are often quite comfortable. Most importantly, don’t be intimidated to show up to these classes if you are new to Yoga- the instructors often give you several options for each pose so you can do what feels most comfortable and work up to the more advanced positions.

My yoga instructors start and end every session with sit still; it is enough to show up at the mat. This is one time when you can actually grow stronger at your own pace. I enjoy my new shape having lost 3 dress sizes even though the weight change seems minimal. Not only that, but the back and neck pain I used to always experience is so much improved that I can tell a difference when I skip my class. My whole family is surprised at my dedication to attending classes because I did not always look forward to exercise. If you choose to investigate this option, make sure that the instructors are trained and certified through professional yoga teaching facilities. I try not to ever miss showing up on the mat but will augment classes if necessary with video tapes. The pretzel position is still a challenge but no longer a threat- and the wedding cake tasted great!

Namaste, Faye

Secret Weapon

Best tip for your wedding day, or really any day for that matter: Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Antiperspirant and Deodorant...it is a cream that you rub in, but it dries so quick with no overpowering scent and seriously works! Check out more reviews here.

Whitney Port

One of my favorite guilty pleasures, The Hills, is starting a new season tonight- what a nice birthday night this will be for me! Whitney Port, one of the girls on the show, seems surprisingly grounded and always looks so pulled together, read more about her style here...

{photo from Who What Wear Daily}

Sugar Paper

Sugar Paper is one of our favorite online stationery stores, carrying everything from Snow & Graham candles to Carrot & Stick Press placemats. We also love their custom-designed wedding invitations from this wedding featured in Martha Stewart Weddings in fall 2006. The other details from this wedding are also fun, like the candy buffet and the favors packaged in Heidi's Veranda wrapping paper.


{photos from Martha Stewart Weddings via Sugar Paper}

Library Wedding

After posting about library-style wedding invitations, we stumbled upon these pictures by Pen Carlson Photography from a wedding in the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois. Click here to view the slideshow from the wedding, and also bookmark Pen Carlson's blog- it's new but sure to be filled with great photos!


{photos from Pen Carlson}

Square Root Designs

Based out of Irvine, California, Square Root Designs is all about the details. To see their full galleries, click on 'services', then 'weddings', then 'gallery'. The pictures from this reception are especially amazing, but we also love what they do with outdoor settings.

Rebecca Thuss

Orange Beautiful posted today about a woman I didn't even know I loved but I do- Rebecca Thuss. She is an extremely talented photo-stylist, creative director, and wedding designer and for the past 10 years you have enjoyed her unique creativity through Martha Stewart Weddings. From her website: "She delights in throwing parties, has a passion for packaging, a weakness for fanciful candy and confections, and an infatuation with vintage paper items." We love her, and her online portfolio is like a treasure trove of loveliness...thanks to Laura at Orange Beautiful for introducing us!

{photos from Rebecca Thuss}

Something Old

Love the idea of using vintage handkerchiefs to make a ring pillow. If you are lucky enough to have heirlooms like this handed down from family, as with most things, Martha can tell you how to do it.

{photos from Lisa Lefkowitz Photography}

Jessica Johnston Photography

Love Jessica Johnston's photos featured in the Fall 2007 issue of Brides from Lindsey & Gym's wedding at the Crooked Creek Ranch in Cedar, Michigan. Also check out Jessica's blog where she posts pictures from recent weddings.



{photos by Jessica Johnston}