Green & Gold Spring Wedding Inspiration

Spring Centerpiece and table Arrangement

We love nothing more than the chance to collaborate on styled wedding inspiration shoots with some of our favorite vendors. In this design, bold greenery against a white and black table setting adds a pop of color to this beautiful arrangement. Some extra little green and gold accents really bring out the fresh feelings of springtime.  Vintage touches in the glasses and candle holders give the table a little something extra. This elegant table arrangement is perfect for any outdoor or spring wedding.

Event Planner & Designer: The Stylish Soiree  Floral Designs: Soulflower Design Studio  Photography: Melanie Duerkopp  Vintage Rentals: One True Love Vintage Rentals  Venue: Private estate in Napa, CA. Contact us for more details.

A full spread can be seen in this months issue of Today’s Bride and also at http://blog.theknot.com/2013/03/17/green-and-gold-outdoor-wedding/

A little inspiration

I have been out of town for the last two weekends and swamped during the week, so I apologize for the lack of posts.  Here is a gorgeous getting ready shot by LA photographer Josef Isayo to ogle until I have time to post more!

Gorgeous Letterpress Journals

For brides who are just starting out in their wedding planning process, keeping an inspiration journal is one of the best ways to build your dream wedding. Though flipping through wedding magazines and websites definitely helps inspire, unless you tear out (or print out) what inspires you and organize it in one central place, it can easily disappear forever. I can’t recall how many times someone has said that they saw the most gorgeous idea…. and they can’t remember where they found it.

For this reason, I am a huge advocate of a planning journal / inspiration book / sketchbook. Photo cutouts, printouts and color inspirations can be quickly easily pasted into the inspiration journal for safekeeping. This way you have something on hand to show to vendors that can communicate your idea far clearer and easier than trying to describe what you saw. It’s true that a picture is worth a thousand words, so save your breath and use the perfect image instead.

Wiley Valentine is one of my favorite stationers – we even bought our wedding invitations from them.  So when I spotted their drool-worthy letterpress journals on Weddingbee Pro this morning, I knew I had to share. My eye is on the pretty “Imagine” journal, perfect for jotting down creative, imaginative  ideas for clients’ weddings. At only $9 per pop, they’re as affordable as they are lovely.

Vintage Bride Style

Crafting impeccable events is an art that takes more than just the planner, it takes a whole team. Precisely why I’m always on the lookout for amazing, talented vendors to put on my wish list of who I’d like to work with. After blog surfing for lovely wedding inspirations I happened to land on Stephanie Williams’ blog – and swooned. All of her work is stunning, but in particular I fell in love with a shoot  involving vintage bridal looks – 1940s makeup, fabulous fascinators and tea-length dresses included.

I know many brides are looking for beautiful vintage inspiration pictures these days, so I wanted to share a few from the shoot. I can’t get enough of the gorgeous photography or the vintage styles, and I hope you enjoy this just as much as I do. Head on over to Stephanie’s blog to see more from this lovely shoot, and seriously consider her for your wedding photographer if you are a Southern California bride.

P.S. The fascinators are by Batcakes Couture, and can be found on Etsy.

Sweet Nothings for the Honeymoon

Wedding style spans all things wearable, including the honeymoon lingerie.  But many brides-to-be prefer cute and casual styles over more restrictive sexy corsets and garter belts, and have a hard time finding what they want. Ladies looking for some cozy sweet nothings to bring on the honeymoon should definitely check out Victoria’s Secret’s new collection of bow-adorned ‘cheeky panties.’

Sugary sweet with a pinch of spice, these are great for pairing with a lacy camisole or ribbed tank to stay comfy and cute while snoozing in tropical paradise.   Toss a few coordinating tanks in your suitcase with these panties and snuggle against your new hubby in style.

‘Cheeky Panty’ with side-bow, $15 each or 3/$30 at Victoria’s Secret

Stylish Alternative Bridesmaid Dress

I love the simple elegance of this delicate Calvin Klein frock, and think it would make the perfect stylish alternative to a bridesmaid dress.  The knee-length, body-hugging cut is made demure by the layers of featherweight organza, keeping it young, fresh and feminine. The platinum color reads like a dove gray or steely lavender, making it versatile for so many beautiful color palettes.

Plus, unlike clingy satin bridesmaid dresses, this one won’t highlight lumps and bumps. It really is the best of both worlds – a slimming, fitted shape with a little extra fabric that skims over imperfections to give your bridesmaids a stylish, put-together look for the big day. Now what could be better than that?

Not much, which is why this bridesmaid dress gets two thumbs up from a picky stylehound like ourselves.

Dress by Calvin Klein, $198 via Nordstrom.com

P.S. We love the fabulous possibilities of the perfect ensemble. With Stylish Soiree’s full event planning package, we offer unlimited personal styling from a seasoned fashioned editor, so you can look your absolute best on the big day.

DIY Mini Cupcakes

I realized this morning that I never posted on the adorable little mini cupcakes I concocted from scratch for our good friends’ engagement party. The Mister and I planned the engagement party at a local boutique hotel called the Mosaic that was the perfect size to accommodate the guest list, and had the most delicious food. However, I had this vision of creating beautiful little bite-sized cupcakes for guests to nibble on for dessert that I was intent on carrying out. And by intent, I mean obsessive-compulsive.  {Sidenote: These would be a great DIY favor, or part of a dessert bar / candy table display!}

Armed with my newly acquired KitchenAid Mixer and mechanical piping tools, I began my ambitious journey to create the perfect mini cupcakes. Blind optimism carried me into my cupcake quest, but it took sheer determination, sleep deprivation and tears of frustration to get me out of it. Tweaking old recipes, adding new ingredients and learning how to use a mechanical frosting piper definitely took its toll.