Rustic Elegance: A Wedding Inspiration Board in Chocolate and White

Rustic weddings have become extremely popular, and for good reason. They evoke that warm family feel, the sweetness, fun, and intimacy most of us crave for our weddings. While I could do about a bazillion boards that take their cue from country fairs, I also love the juxtaposition of elegant romance and rustic rawness. I wanted the board to feel fresh and effortlessly stylish, so I chose a palette of chocolate brown, hay, and white. I wanted to show off how a barn, ranch, or farm wedding could still feel pretty and elegant by contrasting soft and dreamy florals against burlap, rough wood against the sparkle of chandeliers. Plus who can resist cowboy boots with a gorgeous gown?

Mood: Farmland sweetness gets a city stylist

Color Palette: Chocolate brown, hay, white

The Credits, Deets, and Maybe Where to Buy Them:

Santa Barbara Wedding by Mark Brooke Photographers via Style Me Pretty, Bridal Party and Cowboy Boots by Priscilla Valentina via Green Wedding Shoes, Wedding Decor by Jack Wittbold for Sarah Yates Photography via C Star Events, DIY Rustic Cake Stand by Once Wed, Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies by The Sweetest Occasion, Skeleton Key Placecards by Z Media via Red Carpet Brides, Hanging Mason Jars by Paloma Images via Wish Special Events, Peony and Burlap Centerpiece by Aileen Tran, Barn with White Drapes via Project Wedding

A Little Something Extra:

I love this ranunculus bridal bouquet by Etsy Seller braggingbags. It's gorgeous and soft with a hint of rustic from the burlap ribbon and a touch of sparkle from the brooch. At $59.99, the price is pretty hard to beat for a bride bouquet, and because they're silk flowers, it's also green! To purchase or view more pics, click here.

I also couldn't resist sharing this awesomely styled bridal party. I love how the bridesmaids are wearing different dresses in the same palette, and again, the boots! Ooh, and those belts! Le sigh. This image is by Leah Noble via Caitlin Carty.

Peachy Keen: A Vintage Farm Inspiration Board in Peach and Green

This board makes me think of listening to a Dixie Chicks song while wearing a peach dress in a classic muscle car. I wanted to capture the sweet freshness of the colors peach and green; the yearning for summer days with a vintage sensibility.

Mood: 1950's nuptials on a peach farm using Grandma's china

Color Palette: Peach, green, ivory

The Deets, Credits, and Maybe Where to Buy Them:

Peach Wedding Cake from Pizzazzerie, Peach Jam Wedding Favor, Milkglass Centerpieces via Green Wedding Shoes, Weddingbee's Mrs. Cowboy Boot's Bouquet by Erin of Plum Sage, Peach Basket and Burlap Bouquet by Simply Bloom Photography, Peach and Green Invitation by Etsy Seller Inkylivie, Necklace by Etsy Seller ABoxForMyTreasure, Centerpieces by Holly Chapple Flowers via Elizabeth Anne Designs, Vintage Style Alfred Sung Bridesmaid Dress via Dessy, Mason Jar Pew Decorations by The Flower Lab, Sweet Couple by Nataliya Cole Weddings via BorrowedandBleu.com

Inspiration Board #6: Springtime Lovebird Sweetness for Summer

I'm so excited to share my first Inspiration Board by request! Summer is having a spring wedding at the gorgeous  Paradise Cove in Orlando, Florida. She told me her details: a color palette of watermelon pink, pale green, and soft yellow, gerbera daisies, and rustic touches of mason jars and milk bottle centerpieces. The venue is beautiful, and with her colors and theme, I saw all the vibrancy and fun of springtime by the lake. To keep things simple and rustic, I added a few lovebirds into the inspiration board. Sweet (budget-friendly!) decorations include fabric bunting, paper straws, rustic signs, and easy to DIY mason jar and sand candles. Summer, I just know your wedding is going to be incredibly sweet, lovely, and warm!

Mood: Easygoing charm lakeside--with a heavy dose of springtime fun.

Color Palette: Watermelon pink, pale green, soft yellow

Artifacts of Inspiration: Lovebirds, lakes, mason jars, daisies, sand, acoustic Jason Mraz

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

Fabric Bunting only $18.00!, Birch Tree Forest Invitation Suite by Inviting Moments, Mason Jar Inspiration from Simplyperfectweddings.blogspot.com (a lot of excellent inspiration for different ways to use mason jars in your wedding decor), Bridesmaid Dress from the Dessy Group, Here Comes the Bride Sign from braggingbags on Etsy, Daisy Bouquet Courtesy of The Knot, Pretty Cookies via Ruffledblog.com, More awesome mason jar decorating ideas including the pink lemonade featured on this board from http://designdazzle.blogspot.com, Sweet Lovebird Cake Toppers from beckykazana on Etsy, The Lovely Paradise Cove in Orlando, Super sweet yet still manly tie from http://www.polkadotbride.com, Lovebirds sign from braggingbags on Etsy, Mason Jar Table Numbers from braggingbags on Etsy, Milk bottle and mason jar centerpieces via delish.com, Flip Flop Favor Basket with cheap deets from signatureeventstampa.blogspot.com

Stay tuned! I have lots, lots more coming with inspiration boards by request!

1940s Movie Star Marries Cowboy: "The Spoilers" Inspiration Board

I adore classic film, and there's a special place in my heart for Marlene Dietrich and John Wayne. Like burlap and lace, or complementary colors, there's something about the contrast between these types that makes the other shine. Polished femme fatale + rough-and-tumble Man (capital "M"!) + rustic setting = good times. Their 1942 movie "The Spoilers" captures that equation perfectly. So what if a 1940s screen siren married the cowboy of her dreams in the wilds of Alaska? She'd stamp that saloon setting with her own fabulous style without compromising its rustic charm. Because that's how Marlene rolls.

Mood: Swanky 40s soiree with a Wild West backdrop

Color Palette: Chocolate brown, brass, candlelight, and antique lace

Artifacts of Inspiration: Marlene Dietrich + John Wayne, saloons, filigree, leather, crystals, a soundtrack that runs from Bing Crosby to The Delmore Brothers

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

Chandelier from the Dana Powers Barn, John Wayne and Marlene Dietrich, Tablescape by Elizabeth Anne Designs, Faux Fur Wrap from Etsy seller SpaZooie, Vintage Style Suitcases, Brooch, The Long Branch Saloon and Farms (This place is awesome, btw, a mini Wild West town replica. You can even hire bartenders, character actors, and run a casino--without real money--for events.), Brown Lace Cocktail Dress, Candelabra

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