Matching = out; Complimenting = {oh so very} in!

Besides the fact that everything in this photo looks positively flawless {the bouquets, the hair, the sheer gorgeousness of these girls!}, what I am most smitten with is that each 'maid was able to wear a different dress reflecting her own unique style. Yet they all come together in beautiful unison with the similar champagne + 'antique brulee' shades. Fab!

See more from this Australian wedding right here on Bespoke Press, one of my new favorite reads! And for more non-matchiness, check out Darci's recent post!

{photo by SugarLove}

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A+ for originality

The cake, the stand, the moss, the logs, the stone walkway ... looove!
{The cake almost reminds me of an antique cameo!}

{Images: Elizabeth Messina}

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Road trip, Part 3

Hope you enjoy the last bit of my antiquing road trip as much as I did:

When I saw the cotton wreath, I had visions of a pair gracing a Southern-style chapel's double doors. They'd be perfect in Kathryn's Down in Mississippi board! Also loved the birdcage - it had tiny owls on the sides!

Lots of pretty rhinestones and costume jewelry - perfect for weddings and rehearsal dinners ... or just a night out on the town!

I looooved this milk glass decanter and silver vase! If I had found either before our wedding, I would have scooped them up in a heartbeat! I think they'd be stunning sitting near the cake holding a floral arrangement or a bride's bouquet!

Fun wooden containers would fit right in at a rustic-themed celebration and I'm really fond of red and white milk bottles {below} to use as centerpieces. Remember how great they looked at this wedding?

I spotted this 1920s French planter {above} while we were in New Orleans over the weekend and came very close to taking it home with us ... I was thinking about having a top made for it and using it in our foyer {but it would also be gorgeous to use in a courtyard wedding to hold programs and such!}. What do you think? Should I go back and get it? The only thing holding me back was it tended to be a bit wobbly ...

And, last but not least, while we were in Shreveport, La., I spotted these two beauties that I thought would be fantastic venues for a small at-home wedding:

So, what's the verdict? Did you enjoy getting to share in my antiquing adventure? Would you be interested in seeing more finds or not so much? I'd love to hear what you think! :o)

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Invite splendor

Loving the relaxed elegance of these invitation suites from Delphine! And ordering is a breeze with their new online customizer ... You can get a quote, customize, instantly preview and order all with a few click on their website! Sweet!

And for all the recessionista brides out there: Delphine just licensed a bunch of their fab designs to CardStore.com, who are printing the custom designs digitally {Read: Super affordable!} on extra pretty, extra thick recycled paper. Check those out here.

{Images: 1: Ava design; 2: Mimosa design; 3: Meeting Street design}

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Sweet clutches

Loving the simplicity + femininity of these silk clutches from Felix Rey. Check out their whole bridal collection here.

I also spotted the perfect tote to take along on your honeymoon. Love the shell detail:

{Images: 1: Lola clutch with tuille flowers; 2: Lola clutch with bow; 3: Tortola oversized tote with shell}

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Venue: Oak Alley

Hope you all had great weekend! We spent our time in and around New Orleans and my favorite highlight was driving out to Vacherie to visit Oak Alley Plantation. As we drove around the bend and the majestic lines of Live Oaks came into view, I think I let out an audible sigh.

Weddings are often held under the 300-year old canopy of Live Oaks and receptions can be held inside the Greek Revival antebellum mansion or on the lush grounds surrounding the house. I can't even imagine how magical such an event would be!

The lawns behind the house are beautifully framed by crape myrtles, magnolias and azaleas. Perfect for a cocktail tent or an afternoon game of croquet for guests.

Even the sugar cane fields were picturesque! I love that this venue has such a great variety of photo ops for bridal and couple portraits - the trees, the fields, the house, the veranda, the beautiful decor inside ... Seriously, a dream come true!

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Simple + flirty

Right now, I am loving this slinky gown. It conjurs up images of flirty 1920s flappers mixed with the refined elegance of Carolyn Bessette's simple yet legendary slip dress. Divine.

Hope you all have a happy holiday weekend!

ps. Don't miss the most romantic elopement I've ever seen, found on {frolic!}.

{Rodney Smith image}

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Jadite comes alive

Remember when I was raving about the idea of incorporating vintage jadite in a wedding? Well, I am thrilled to see the concept come to life in Gia's gorgeous board she came up with for Southern Weddings! Isn't the palette just perfection?!? Head over to Gia's blog, Flights of Fancy, for more incredible palette posts and loads of gorgeous stationery!

I'm liking the idea of extending the color palette to cocktails and I think these would fit right in. Let's all sit back and have a sip:


{Images: 1: SWS mag; 2: The Knot; 3: WellWed}

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Tags now available from SDC!

Whether they're adorning favor boxes or welcome baskets, tags help create a sense of order as well as a bit of charm! And I'm happy to share that you can now order them through my shop, SD Calligraphy!

Here are a few of my favorite ways to incorporate them:

If you're putting your bridal party up in a hotel or even your own place, have their dresses sorted by style and size with corresponding tags to make everything clear {and cute!}.

If you're gifting the Dads and/or groomsmen with ties {or anything else!}, pack each in a wrapped box with a personalized tag. You can do the same with your gifts for the Moms and bridesmaids! Effortless and elegant.

My favorite way I used tags in my own wedding was with our welcome buckets. We gave out buckets to couples, families and individuals so they all had different amounts of goodies ... The name tags helped to ensure that guests would leave with the correct welcoming gift!

Ready to order your own tags? Here's how to get started:

Easy as 1, 2, 3!

1} Purchase your tags. They can be any size, shape or color you desire! If you're stuck on where to look, check out your local craft store. Online paper stores are always good, too. I've found that regular shipping tags work well for a casual vibe.

2} E-mail me and we'll discuss your project. Then I'll ask you to send me your paper products with a typed list of the names/words you'd like hand-lettered on each label/tag.

3} As soon as I'm done, I'll mail your completed project back to you!

Pricing:
$1 per tag {includes Chelsea or Jane style lettering}

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Pedaling off ...

Even though I have loads of treasures left to share from our antiquing adventure, I thought I'd take a break to share another fun find! You know I love the idea of including a bicycle in wedding day festivities so when I came across these cute tandem tees from Products with Personality, I had to share:



Perfect for the morning of the big day and I love that you can personalize the tee with your names and wedding date! There are some cute rib tanks for bridesmaids, too! Check them out here!


Happy trails!


{Images: 1: Collage via Green Wedding Shoes; 2: Products with Personality; 3: Yves Samuel photos via Little Winter Bride}

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Road trip, Part two

My favorite stop we made was to a French antique shop, Nicole Maleine Antiques, in Montgomery, Ala. Such a treat! Most of the pieces are available on their Web site but I snapped some favorite shots of my own to share with all of you! I'll have to show what I did purchase at the shop later! Loving the chandeliers above for a rustic barn celebration or under a tent in the French countryside.


Lanterns are so versatile and create such a warm charm -- I like the idea of having them dot the way to the altar for a dusky + woodsy ceremony or having the flower girl and ringbearer carry small ones in place of a traditional basket/pillow. The gothic cathedral-inspired bookstand on the right was so gorgeous {the photo does it no justice} ... wouldn't it be great to hold your guestbook? And then you could keep it post-wedding to hold cookbooks in the kitchen!

I think these were planters but I didn't pay much attention to their actual function - I was too enamored with their intricate carvings. I love the idea of finding pretty antiques like these and re-purposing them for a wedding - they could hold your programs or wedding wands.

Love the idea of placing your bouquet in the vase above {can you make out the sweet angels?} and having a wedding portrait taken in front of that fabulous mirror.

More still to come!

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Road trip, part one

As promised, here's a few of the treasures I stumbled across on our road tripping extravaganza. We saw loads of cute birdcages which would all be perfect to hold cards at your reception - remember this darling idea of hanging them in trees? Love it.

I loved the rich scarlet hues of these vintage reads and I really wish I would have picked up the one titled When a Girl Loves! I've started a tiny collection of old books with fun titles and will have to share the one I did pick up on our trip in a future post. I'm hoping someday to re-create a photo like this Kate Spade ad {See it? It's the top one in the post}. It would make a great wedding portrait, too!

Loved the rustic vibe of these lanterns. I immediately started imagining them dangling from tree branches for a casual afternoon wedding.

And, of course, there were plenty of blue Mason jars {you all know how great those can be for centerpieces} and fun milk bottles to be had. I picked up several more of the blue Mason jars to hold pens and pencils, etc.

We also spotted several typewriters that were in great working condition. Made me slightly wish I would have come across one a year ago to include at our wedding as a make-shift guestbook. The French travel poster on the right was something I almost purchased but then decided against. Isn't it whimsical?

More to come!

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And the winners are ...

rlhooeight, who said ...
Okay, I may sound like a broken record here, but I also really like the Antique filigree pen set in silver. The feel of my wedding is the unity of modern and vintage. The pairing of the pen set and the book is a perfect example of the unique feel I'm trying to achieve. Both very beautiful!

Jennifer, who said ...
I really like the black and white pen set the best. I think that it shows off my style more than any of them and matches the simpleness of the guestbook.

and Kate K., who said ...
silver feather pen set--would compliment the simple, classic look--with a twist!

Congrats! You'll be hearing soon from a Wedding Outlet rep regarding your guestbook and pen set!

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Update!

Just popping in to let all that entered the guestbook and pen set giveaway know that the winners will be announced this Monday! I apologize for the agonizing wait!!!

In the meantime, check out this newest giveaway from The Wedding Outlet - you have the chance to win your favorite MUST have wedding accessory!

ps. Check out my guest post over at one of my favorite blogs, The City Sage! And make sure to stay awhile - Anne's blog is overflowing with endless inspiration! :o) See you all on Monday!

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Warm turquoise

I had a minute to drop in so I thought I'd share these two pretty details from a beach wedding. Love the warm touches of turquoise.

ps. I have sooo much to share with you from our fun antiquing trip! We ended up spending the majority of our time in Shreveport, La., visiting quaint antique shops and admiring the charm of the city {it was especially fun because my parents lived there when they were first married so it became a trip down Memory Lane!}. We also spent some time in Gladewater, Tyler and Canton, Tx., and I have plenty of photos to share {including wedding inspiration!} so stay tuned! :o)

{images found on Project Wedding}

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