Happy New Year!

{J. Crew image}

Best wishes for a happy + healthy new year to all of you!

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Portraits, re-thought

{image found here}

I still don't understand traditional bridal portraits but a fun shoot like the one above ... well, I could definitely get behind something like that. The idea of wearing something colorful and full of pizzaz seems to correctly communicate the excitement of a bride-to-be. You could pick up a simple bouquet of pretty flowers at a local farmer's market and even involve a loved pet {the birds are ridiculously charming but including a pup could be just as sweet}. As a guest, I'd be delighted to see a cluster of charming frames depicting the bride {and groom!} in such meaningful shots.

Are you planning on adding a spin to your bridal portraits? Already done so? Send them my way for a possible feature!

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Vintage cake toppers

When I found these toppers, I knew they were absolutely perfect for our wedding. But two months post-wedding, I'm having a hard time coming up with a reason to keep them around. So, if you're interested, drop me a line for pricing. First come, first serve.

{Both photos from our wedding, taken by Look Photography}

SOLD!

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Spotlight: New Orleans

As promised, here's a peek of our sweet stay in the Big Easy. I can't believe we've lived just an hour away from this little gem for almost a year and never found the time to make the short trek over. We're already planning our next visit and we can't wait.


Like I said during our stay, if the commute wouldn't be so harsh for J, I'd have us packed up and moving to the Garden District tomorrow. Such a relaxed elegance about the area. Wouldn't an intimate wedding be perfect in the church above? I'm imagining a late-night event with loads of candlelight. Luminarias could guide guests to the reception.

I just couldn't get enough of the architecture. And, I kind of have a thing for doorways. I kept imagining how sweet couple portraits would turn out lounging on the steps of these southern lovelies.

Letter box, how I love you! And you could make a darling double as a card holder at a wedding reception.

These cakes at Sucre on Magazine Street were too gorgeous not to share.

Have you had a charming New Orleans wedding? Submit your photos for a possible feature! Just e-mail me.

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Vintage bottles

{found here}

It's no secret I have a fondness for most things vintage and this cute display is no exception. Love the idea of offering old-school bottles to guests during the cocktail hour.

*I hope everyone had the merriest of holidays! We spent our Christmas in New Orleans with my parents and had a most wonderful time. And I was so inspired by the stunning architecture and graceful charm of the city, I have a wedding-related post on the way! :o)

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Merry Christmas!

{vintage ad found here}

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Sweet silhouettes

{From Better Homes & Gardens}

Totally loving this idea of using custom-cut silhouette portraits in place of family photos! They'd be a perfect detail for a swanky black and white fête or a casual, homespun-style wedding.

Here's a cute couple I imagine for the latter option:

{2004 J. Crew catalogue page via Nibs}

p.s. Just heard: Magnet Street is giving 15% off on ALL wedding products! Use code WBCS15 at checkout. Valid December 24th through January 1st. Enjoy!

p.p.s. Anyone else a teensy bit envious of Audrina and Justin Bobby's stay at the Viceroy Palm Springs???

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A punch of red

{from Pottery Barn}

For a classic Christmas wedding, no coloring is more fitting than a jubilant cherry red accented with natural greens and whites. Here's a few of my favorite photos with this palette in mind:

{the two above from J. Crew}

And, seriously ... has beer ever looked more wholesome than this:

{vintage ad found here}

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For a blue Christmas ...

{Image found on Lobster & Swan}

There is something so whimsical and enchanting about an icy blue winter wedding. I'm enjoying imagining this wreath on a Georgetown brownstone for a chic and casual reception or afterparty.

{Clutch via J. Crew}

And (last time I looked it was unfortunately sold out) I think this clutch would be a sassy touch for the winter bride.

And here's a few of my favorite venues readers recommended for a wintry wedding:
Millstone Cottage, Upwood from suzewearsshoes
A group of lovelies from Ashley Rose
Glen Foerd mansion from D. Marie
Cairnwood estate from P.S. I love this ...
19th century Connecticut farmhouse slideshow from Allison

And lastly, a warm (and overdue!) thank you to Melissa for her sweet, sweet nod. She has been such a delightful sponsor from the start and her photos match her personality - just lovely. See for yourself.

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A little more holiday cheer

Sorry for my short absence but I have thoroughly been enjoying some time away with my parents and looking forward to having them to our house next week! Hope you all have been enjoying the festivities just as much!! :o)

Thought I'd swoop in and share a few more holiday details that didn't make it into the Holiday Wedding post. I love the charm of Nutcrackers {especially the sturdy Steinbach varieties!} and can't imagine a holiday wedding without them! The ones above look sweet with some garland peeking through.


Love the idea of having jingle bell wreaths sprinkled throughout the house {or any wedding venue} for an added festive look and sound.

Whether you have an at-home holiday wedding or rent out a B&B, etc., I think it would be absolutely adorable if your friends or parents decked out the bride and groom's suite with stockings {filled with yummy treats}, garland and a sweet little tree.

Photo credits: 1 + 2 from Martha Stewart via The Inspired Room; 3 from Country Living via The Inspired Room

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For facebook fans ...

You can now enjoy your daily dose of Classic Bride via facebook! Just click here to become a fan. There is also an album with a few more favorite shots from our wedding, if you care to take a peek!

I'm heading out of town this afternoon so I'll be MIA from blogland for a little bit. Feel free to start a discussion, add your own photos or post a question to other fans about any wedding detail, dilemma, etc. on the new fan page! Hope you enjoy!

{All wedding photos taken by Look Photography}

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Update: Inspire Us - Fabulous Wedding Contest

The Inspire Us team has another fabulous vendor offering an amazing design! {Please click here to see the complete list of contributing vendors} Melangerie Inc. is offering one of their beautifully designed Wedding Genealogy Charts ($750 value).

Melangerie Inc. will provide:
The design of your own Wedding Genealogy Chart that is customized to your event. Each chart details the relationships of the bride and groom to their various guests, calling out interesting connections and occasional little-known fact.Choose from three distinct design styles.Bride & Groom is responsible for: the printing of the chart. Many formats are available.

For complete details on the contest, go here and start working on your entry!!! Deadline is January 15, 2009!

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A holiday wedding at home

Here's my visual and written ideas for the perfect holiday wedding {imho}. Hope you enjoy!

Location: While I was originally envisioning The Hamptons - specifically the house featured in Something's Gotta Give, I couldn't find any online photos of the exterior - so I'm going to go with a sweet colonial imagined on Long Island. {Stay tuned for a Runners-Up post including some more beautiful locations, including several reader suggestions}

Guest list: Extremely small, including only very close family and friends.

Time frame: A week-long affair, with Christmas Day being the big finale.

Color palette: Natural whites and greens with a teensy splash of festive red.

Favors: Hand-crafted German nutcrackers with small linen bags of chestnuts attached with a hand-written note.

The visual:

The details:

Row 1: Snowy scene; Milk and cookies; Linen stockings from Martha Stewart; sweet wreath from MS.

Row 2: April Reed cake; Colonial-style home {from my old hometown} found on Homes.com; holiday spread from Blueprint.

Row 3: lanterns; dining room scene from Better Homes and Garden.

& the Itinerary:

Day No. 1: An evening trip into NYC to enjoy a performance of The Nutcracker. Afterwards, a visit to Serendipity for some hot cocoa to warm up.

Day No. 2: Finding the perfect Christmas tree! You take off with your honey and a just a few close friends in your classic Chris Craft boat to the nearest tree lot, load the tree and then come home to set it up and adorn it with ornaments with family and friends. A fire blazes and chatter ensues about all the childhood and hand-made ornaments. Egg nog and candy canes are aplenty:

{found here}

Day No. 3: A few more guests trickle in and everyone bundles up and heads back into the city for a stroll through Central Park and a ride to the top of the Empire State building.

Day No. 4: Checking in with vendors and caterers during the day and spending the night caroling and breaking out some favorite board games. Milk and cookies make the rounds. The standard attire:

{found here}

Day No. 5: An unusual heat wave comes through making the weather just warm enough for the perfect beach bonfire. Everyone sits around the fire in adirondack chairs with warm tartan afghans thrown over their laps.

Day No. 6: The wedding!

Day No. 7: Christmas Day. You share an intimate brunch in the kitchen with guests and then enjoy opening presents. Later on, everyone takes the little ones out for sledding.

{Intimate brunch setting: Set of Something's Gotta Give}

Anyone planning a holiday wedding at home?

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Wintry fluff

I love the idea of having a {faux or vintage, please} fur stole on hand for a snowy winter wedding ... like this one:

So undeniably sophisticated - I imagine pairing it with a simple satin gown and a layer or two of diamond {or rhinestone} necklaces. Possibly a birdcage veil.

Whenever I see a bride with a stole or bolero like the one above, there is always one iconic image that pops into my mind:

{found here}

I think the ermine collar makes Marilyn's otherwise demure wedding suit look sooo feminine and glam.

Anyone going for the stole this season?

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Blueprint: Shimmery holiday affair

I've been accumulating loads of photos for the upcoming holiday post {in large part thanks to all of you, who have so graciously e-mailed or left comments with great leads! Keep them coming!!!} and thought I'd share a blueprint of a wedding that won't be making the final cut.

{found here}

I originally had the idea of creating a winter wedding with an unexpected warm-toned palette of muted golds, lacquered blacks and stark whites. I didn't want the celebration to scream 'Christmas' with the expected red + green color combo and thought the metallic shine of the golds would be enough to create a festive air.

In essence, a holiday slant on the much-loved nuptials of springchic - just trading sparkly gold in for the cheerful yellow. The photo above served as the cornerstone, demonstrating a mix of tradition and elegance. I imagined a wreath of golden bells adorning the front door with swags of Magnolia leaves {many turned upside down revealing their golden-brown side} draped around the entrance awaiting guests. Tuxes would have made an appearance as well as this vintage Benz:

{found here - O.M.G. READ.THIS.BLOG. Hilariousness will ensue along with loads of gorgeous pix. For reals.}

{found here}

And these simple-edged Kate Spade place settings seemed perfect for the golden affair.

But ... for now, I'm working on a holiday palette ruled mostly by greens and whites ... okay, a few pops of red may show up here or there. Coming soon!

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{Wedding-related} Christmas gifts

Lately, I've really been enjoying the new printer we recently got and thought I'd share a little project/gift we made for the holidays for our parents, a CD filled with our favorite songs from the wedding:


It took all of about 5 minutes to make and I'm in love with the professional yet personalized outcome! You should totally go get your own {Epson Artisan 800}, like right now. It's fab, no lie. :o)

Hopefully, I'll have more projects to share with you soon! Is anyone else making wedding-related gifts this holiday season?

{wedding photo by Look Photography}

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Fresh talent: Ana Kast

I'd like to share a bit of a treasure with you today. My dear friend {and sublime artist}, Ana Kast, is the creator behind this lovely painting. Inspired by a shoe shot from our wedding, Ana crafted her own rendition using Corel Painter X to create this digital version of an oil painting. When she shared the results with me, I was speechless.

And I'm in love with the details even more:

I think a framed {and I'm thinking an extremely ornate antique frame, btw} print of my shoes would look super delicious hanging in my walk-in closet.

And the close-up below couldn't be better suited to sit upon my make-up stand, propped against the wall. I love the intensified textures.

And the BEST part? Ana is currently taking a limited number of commissions for custom portraits and the first five Classic Bride readers to contact her will get a 40% discount! So if you have a bridal portrait or a wedding shot you'd love to see turned into a painting, shoot her an e-mail for details and make sure to include Classic Bride Referral in the subject line to receive your discount. To see more of her work, hop on over to her Etsy shop, her portfolio site or her extra-fun blog.

And below is the photo that inspired it all - My groom and I relaxing right before the ceremony. The stairs we're sitting on belong to the Magnolia Hotel, which was severely damaged during Hurricane Katrina. A large part of our wedding focused on embracing the lingering effects of the storm and helping with the rebuilding process {more on that later} and I love that our intent is prominent in this photo - taken by the sweet and talented team of Look Photography:

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Help me find the perfect house

{from Martha Stewart}

So I'm working on creating a post/board for a holiday-at-home wedding, similar to this Thanksgiving post, only for a snowy, late-December eve.

I thought I'd try something new and attempt to make it a bit of an interactive experience for us! First up, if you'd be so kind, join in and help me find the perfect setting. We're looking for a home with a warm and cozy vibe. An abode that would welcome chilly guests in to warm up by one of the many fireplaces.

It could be an old farmhouse, a suburban retreat, a city dwelling. It could be your house or a charmer down the street from you. A historic house you've always admired. Chic digs you saw in a magazine or on a blog.

As long as you have a photo, it's a contender! Just e-mail me the photo or leave a comment with a link to it! I'm looking forward to seeing your submissions and I may check back in for help with another aspect of the holiday-at-home wedding plans! Thanks!

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The getaway, part one

{found here}

Having spent many years as a child and teen in Germany (with lots of day trips to France), the French-made Citroën 2CV became a familiar sight over time but I just recently thought how charming it would be to use one specifically for wedding transportation. Can't you just imagine the streamers and tin cans trailing behind the cheerful contours of the car? More fun wedding transportation on the way!

And P.S. Make sure to check out Bliss Wedding Market's Cyber Tuesday Sale for some fabulous deals:

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