Vintage Spanish Inspiration Board

Originally, the fiance and I planned on getting married on a ranch in the San Luis Obispo area. I surfed the interwebz high seas, googling every variation of "San Luis Obispo/SLO county/every town surrounding ranch/barn/farm wedding/venue/events" to no avail. Too expensive, too remote, too small a capacity--and what? No hard alcohol?! Yet I was convinced I was going to make it work, and I have a bookmark folder full of mason jar pictures to prove it. Fast forward four months and we're looking at an old adobe in Santa Barbara. Que sera, sera! I heart vintage and now I've moved it from country sweet to SoCal spicy. On to the fiesta!

Vintage Spanish Inspiration Board

Mood: Sipping sangria while rummaging through your Spanish grandmother's hope chest

Color Palette: Sandy neutrals, ivory, washed-out terra cotta, dusty teal, blush pinks

Artifacts of Inspiration: Isabel Allende, succulents, California with a rolled "R", Spanish lace, Buena Vista Social Club (I know it's Cuban music. Just play along.), papeles picados

The Inspiration Deets, Credits, and Maybe Where to Find Them:

Papeles Picados, Horchata,Succulent Centerpieces, Churros y Chocolate, Lace Luminary Bags, Dulce Favors, Rose Hairpiece from Etsy, Pretty Tile, Succulent Bouquet, Mexican Doors, Muy Bonita Bridesmaid Dresses

Link Shout-outs:

The siempre fabuloso www.greenweddingshoes.com with an excellent tutorial on how to DIY papeles picados here.
I want to put this wedding in my pocket and and look at it when I'm sad. It's like the above inspiration board, but real life and cooler. Beautiful photos from globetrotterdiaries.com.
A muy excelente breadown of how to do "Amor by the Shore" on the cheap from Project Wedding here.
That kickass tile? You can find personalized ones for placecards at http://latinwed.blogspot.com/2009/11/tile-placecards.html.

Keeping it Casual: A Love Tree Inspired Wedding in Tahoe

One of my sisters is getting married this June in Tahoe. She is pure awesomeness and also hates wedding planning. The words "theme" and "details" incite a strange amalgam of emotions; comatose boredom spiced with mild panic. Sweet! This means that I have another reason to brainstorm and scour the interwebz for DIY crafts. In addition to responses of "meh" or "I like" that I receive when showing her my suggestions, she gave me some guidelines to work with. The venue: a restaurant in Tahoe with space for a beachside ceremony and patio reception. Add her dress, the bridesmaid dresses, that hydrangeas are her favorite flower, and a couple adjectives: casual, fun, relaxed. And just to show that inspiration can come from unexpected places, her wedding theme impetus came from her favorite t-shirt which resembles something like this:

The genuine article is dark brown with a green tree and says "LOVE" instead of "HUGGER" but you get the idea. The "love tree" has become her (pirated) trademark, appearing on everything from birthday cards to post-its about remembering to buy coffee. So what better place to begin? The love tree met bookmarks, had an awkward first date, but ran into each other again in photoshop. After some free trade coffee and the discovery of a shared passion for Jack Johnson, they became an item and spawned this inspiration board:

Mood: The best barbecue you ever went to masquerading as a wedding, Vacation

Color Palette: Woodsy browns, shades of green, and ivory touches to keep it breezy

Artifacts of Inspiration: Beloved t-shirt, Tahoe, Summertime, Acoustic rock playlist,

The Inspiration Deets and Maybe Where to Find Them:

Tahoe Pier, Dress, Tree Silhouette Table Numbers, Green Shoes, Bridesmaid Infinity Dress, Cookie Favor Bags, Wood Candle Holder (Actually a link to a great tutorial on how to make your own from Nuptial Nattering. Big ups!), Khaki Suit, Beach Chuppah, Hydrangea and Rose Bouquet, Tree Invitation, Beach Ceremony Chairs, Rustic Wood Cupcake Stand, DIY it or Buy it