Archive for the ‘Styling’ Category

All Grown Up: A Vintage Baseball Inspired 30th Birthday Bash!

April 11th

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

There are very few people on this planet who love baseball more than my boyfriend.  So with his 30th birthday just around the corner I wanted to give him something special that combined his favorite things: baseball, friends and family!

I LOVE a good themed party and love creating the special touches that pull everything together.  But themes can take a wrong turn down “Over-Done Alley” very quickly.  To keep this party from looking like a 5-year-olds first “boy-girl party” I chose a more sophisticated/vintage color palette (deep red and soft navy) and inserted those baseball-themed touches sparingly.  Just because a party has a theme doesn’t mean that every little detail needs to scream “this is the theme!” Your friends are smart; you don’t need to hit them over the head with baseballs for them to understand where you’re going.

Although I was convinced he knew about the party, it turns out he had no clue! My carefully orchestrated (lie-filled) plan had worked!  From ballpark-inspired food to Cracker Jack favors, I couldn’t be happier with how everything turned out and most importantly the bf and everyone else had a great time!  The look on his face was priceless!  So without further ado here are few highlights from the party.  Batter up!

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

Baseball themed 30th birthday party

I’d like to give a special shout out to a few people who helped me pull this all off.  First to my mom and aunt, Judy, for setting everything up that day (per my very detailed instructions…God help them!) allowing me to keep the birthday boy distracted for a few more hours.  To a few of my best friends, Sara, Caitlin and Michaela, for assisting my mom and helping me craft my plan (and for just being lovely ladies).  To Maria Gallant at Elisa Confectionery for the adorable, and delicious, baseball cake pops and Shauna Rue of Purple Ink Press for letterpress-ing my custom coasters (one of the biggest hits of the party!): wonderful job ladies, as always! To the staff, particularly Tim, at MacDonald’s Tavern, you all do a fabulous job! Thanks for everything! Last and certainly not least Mike Nyman, for his fabulous photography: thank you for capturing all the details and the energy of such a special event and for being an all-around nice guy!

Vendors

 

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Sweet & Sophisticated Spring Wedding Inspiration

April 5th

This time of year always seems to turn up the sweetest of color palettes! The fresh colors of spring and soft Easter hues provide great inspiration for brides!  So if you’re looking for a sophisticated color palette that’s bold in an understated way definitely consider pastels.  The color combinations are endless and simple sophistication is sure to make an impression!

Pastel Spring Wedding Inspiration Color Palette

Photo Credits: Dresses (The Fab Bride);  Shoes (Shoeper Woman);  Dessert Bar (Canadiana Chic);  Invitation (Dear LC);  Table (Martha Stewart Weddings);  Ribbons (Martha Stewart Weddings)

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Spring Wedding Color Trends for 2012

March 20th

pantone wedding colors 2012

Happy spring everyone! Even though winter wasn’t too bad here in Worcester this year, we’re all still itching for a taste of spring and with 70s forecasted for this entire week, we’re definitely getting it!

With spring, comes weddings, and Pantone has served up a truly beautiful collection of shades perfect for spring! From bold tones like Tangerine Tango and Cabaret to softer shades like Bellflower and Margarita there’s a little something there for every bride.  Try mixing unexpected shades together (like Tangerine Tango and Sweet Lilac) to really make a statement.

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Lucky in Love: Green Wedding Inspiration

March 15th

If you’re lucky enough to be Irish, you’re lucky enough!  Ain’t that the truth! Here in New England St. Patrick’s Day is a pretty big deal.  Some of the nation’s biggest and best celebrations happen right here in Massachusetts (shout out to Holyoke!).  So if you’ve got an Irish heart and you’re looking for a few ways to incorporate your heritage into your wedding day take a peek at the goodies I’ve rounded up for you today.

Sláinte!

Green Wedding Inspiration

Photo Credits: Earrings (Etsy); Bouquet (Floral Artistry); Cake (via The Knot); Candy Buffet (Candy Warehouse); Dresses (Bridal Snob); Claddagh Ring (Royal Claddagh); Tie (Scraggy Neck Design);  Moss Ring Bearer Pillow (Martha Stewart Weddings); Herb Escort Cards (Intimate Wedding)

Posted in Holidays, Styling, Trends, Weddings | No Comments »
Hey Valentine!

February 9th

Valentine’s day just around the corner! Are you planning a February wedding?  Just because you’re having a wedding in February (or even on Valentine’s Day itself!) doesn’t mean you’re only option is a red-and-white-heart theme! Playing around with different shades of red or pink together or using an unexpected accent color can really add a unique look to your wedding. For example, a shade of pale mint or aqua looks stunning with red! Here’s some inspiration for you!

Valentine's Day Aqua and Red Wedding

Photo Credits: Straws (Etsy); Cake (Call Me Cupcake); Hair Pins (Etsy); Shoes (The Knot); Flowers/Table (Maharani Weddings); Favor Box (Wedding By Color); Tent (Wedding Bee)

LC

Posted in Holidays, Styling, Tips, Trends, Weddings, Winter | No Comments »
Countdown to the Big Day: 6-9 Months In Advance

January 18th

Things to do 6-9 months before your wedding

  • Order your bridesmaids’ dresses. At the end of the day, as I’ve said before, this is your day and while you may not be able to please everyone try to find something that everyone will feel comfortable in. This goes for fit as well as fabric. If its 95 degrees on the day of your wedding will your attendants really be comfortable in a floor length satin gown? And don’t forget about the groomsmen! Rentals can be scheduled around this time as well.

 

  • Meet with your invitation designer. If you’re having custom invitations designed, now is the time to schedule a meeting! You want to allow yourself plenty of time to review and perfect your invitations.

 

  • Schedule the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Even if you’re having a casual wedding the rehearsal is important. It doesn’t have to be lengthy but it does ensure that everyone will know what they’re doing the day of – which will be a huge stress reliever for you! Then you can finish the day off with the rehearsal dinner, an intimate evening with your closest family and friends.  Don’t forget to drop those invitations in the mail ASAP!

 

  • Hotel accommodations. Make sure you reserve a block of rooms at a hotel close to your reception site. You want your friends and family to have fun so they’ll need a place to stay.

 

  • Day after brunch? If you’re planning to invite guests to a brunch on the morning following your wedding, this is also a good time to book the venue.

 

  • Music. You’re going to want to enjoy this day and you’ll want your friends and family to enjoy it too. Don’t let the music be the reason your wedding is just so-so. Start making a list of “must play” songs.

 

  • Tastings! No doubt the groom’s favorite part of wedding planning. Meet with your caterer or reception venue to choose the menu for your wedding and top it all off with a cake tasting. Seriously? Best day of the planning process? I think so.
Posted in Countdown to the Big Day, Styling, Tips, Weddings | No Comments »
Countdown to the Big Day: 9-12 Months in Advance

January 13th

Things to do 9-12 months before your wedding

  • The gown! This is probably already top on your list but if it’s not, now’s the time to bump it to the top. Why? Not only does it take time to find “the one” you also need to leave time to schedule your fittings. Since you’re already in a bridal shop, you might as well take a peek at bridesmaids dresses while you’re there!

 

  • Sign contracts with your wedding professionals and work out all the details! By now you probably have a good idea of the vendors you want to work with so finalize all the details and sign on the dotted line!

 

  • Start your gift registries! Most people like options, so if you can, register at a few different places. This is great for people who don’t like to shop online (what?) and may not live near one of the stores you’ve registered with.

 

  • Book the honeymoon! I really suggest working with a travel agent here, even if you know where you want to go. There are a lot of “discount” travel sites out there but the peace of mind you get with a real live person can’t be beat. Also your travel agent can give you inside tips the on your destination since they’ve most likely been there and even stayed at your hotel.
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Countdown to the Big Day: A Timeline

January 10th

clock

A recently engaged friend posted the following facebook status update when she began planning her wedding: Let the anxiety attacks begin.

Seriously? Why should planning for the “happiest day of your life” be such a source of stress? Because everyone you’ve ever met (and occasionally some strangers) are about to put their two cents in on your “big day”.  It’s true and we all do it.  I’m guilty.  You probably are too.  But when it comes down to it this is YOUR day (I’m using the plural form of you here…you know, you and the hubs-to-be! He gets a say here too believe it or not!) and I feel strongly that the day and all of the days leading up to it should be fun and as stress free as possible! Do you really want to start your life together on the tail of the most stressful time in your life? Probably not.

Now, I can’t keep other peoples’ mouths shut for them (I have a big enough job trying to keep my own shut) but I’m hoping that I can help to relieve a little bit of that stress. Over the next few days I’ll be posting lists of to-do items as well as some guidelines for when they should be completed. Hopefully this will keep you on track and stress free!

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Wedding Tip: Use your theme in unexpected ways!

January 9th

Matchy-matchy has been gracefully bowing out of the wedding scene for a little while now.  From bridesmaids wearing different dresses to mix-and-match table settings, brides today are looking for a different, unique look.

By the time brides start researching invitations they usually have a pretty good idea of the tone or theme of their wedding.  I often get the opportunity to brainstorm a bit with my custom invitation clients on ways to incorporate their theme in various ways throughout the wedding.  More often than not my clients want to make sure that their theme is incorporated into the wedding tastefully so it doesn’t get overdone.

For example, one of my 2011 clients was having a beach themed wedding.  She wanted to use starfish somehow but didn’t necessarily want people to think that her theme was starfish.  So we used the starfish sparingly: on the front of her pocket invitations, but not on the actual invitation itself.

Starfish Wedding Invitations

Photography by http://www.edytaszyszlo.com/

To keep your wedding from becoming too matchy-matchy try introducing your theme in unexpected ways.  Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

 

Having a polka dot theme? Try polka dots on your bridesmaids manicures!

Polka Dot Manicure

 

Destination wedding? Tuck pre-stamped postcards into your guests’ out-of-town bags.Destination Wedding

 

Planning a rustic wedding? Use tree slice coasters as escort cards!Rustic Wedding

 

For a vintage wedding, rent a vintage car to whisk you from the ceremony to the reception – makes for truly stunning photos!Vintage Wedding

Looking for unexpected ways to incorporate your wedding theme or colors? Feel free to contact me, I’m happy to help you brainstorm! Email me!

Photo Credits:
Polka Dot Manicure (Polish Art Addiction); Out-of-town Bags (Wedding Bee), Tree Slice Coasters (Etsy); Vintage Car Photo (Javon Longieliere Photography via The Knot)

 

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Wedding in a Winter Wonderland

December 9th

As a lover of all things wedding, I’m really excited to be attending to a fabulous winter wedding tomorrow! The colors in New England during the fall are really beautiful so weddings in the autumn months have been popular here for a while (my parents were married in November of 1976 – trendsetters!). But off-season weddings have really been gaining popularity over the past few years.

June will probably always hold its place as one of the most popular months to tie the knot.  Why not? Flowers are in bloom, the weather is often on your side.  But choosing a date in the Fall or Winter offers a few really enticing perks as well: it sets your wedding apart, venues offer amazing specials and your friends and family probably aren’t suffering from wedding overload!

In anticipation of the wedding I’ll be attending this weekend I thought I’d share a few ideas for a refreshing winter wedding! Let me know what you think!Winter Wedding Inspiration Board

Photo Credits:
Bouquet (Leigh Miller Photography); Bridesmaid Dress (J. Crew), Wedding Cake (Martha Stewart Weddings); Pine Cone Place Cards (HGTV.com); Scenic Winter Wedding (The Knot); Shoes (Zappos); Hot Cocao Favors (Etsy)

Posted in Styling, Weddings, Winter | No Comments »