Succulent Floral Boxes

Someone else was Just Married at the Ace Hotel and Swim Club! Found this cute pic via Kelly of Succulent Love Florals...


Turns out Kelly took her love of succulents, cultivated during her own wedding planning, and turned them into a business called Succulent Love. She does really beautiful centerpiece boxes, I think I will contact her.

I am so torn though. We were fairly anti-succulent from the start, but then I saw these amazing floral boxes from Artisan Events that included candles and succulents and big beautiful flowers. I really fell in love. If you have time to check out that website you will see what Im all hyped about. They are romantic and deserty but they are also simple. It's so much harder to be stunningly simple, in my opinion.



Anyhow, Kelly (remember her succulent-centric wedding at the Movie Colony Hotel in PS?) did these beautiful floral boxes above and they have me convinced that this is the direction our centerpieces will go. They are just gorgeous. I am loving the dusty miller in there too, and I think the echevarria would look beautiful with some coral peonies and some white or green hydrangea and one tall candle-holder in the middle for some romance.

Loves it!

Banquet Centerpieces & Runners

Behold. The cause of my sleepless nights: our very bland and concrete reception event space.



Here is a view of the olive wood chair and canvas covered banquet table set-up. Imagine two of these end to end "banquet style" in about 5 rows surrounded by concrete floors and navy blue curtain separators. Now welcome, you have entered into my decorationally challenged personal hell. My head is swimming with way. too. many. ideas.



What to do? How to transform this mess into something that is:



1) Romantic
2) Relaxed but elegant
3) Deserty without being cactusy
4) Personal and sentimental
5) Cohesive in style


Oh internet, you are my friend! Here is what I have spied while perusing the "long banquet table decor" tab of the interwebs. From centerpieces to runners to table numbers to chargers, I am trying to piece together something unified.


I know this is not a banquet style set-up but it is pretty much perfect in my book (except maybe the candles on a cake stand, that's just weird). This is my ultimate aim, only paired down. The green baby hydrangea with pink peonies and the ivory candles not only fall into our color palette but their arrangement is so simple and effortless looking, I am truly loving this. Ok, off to a great start but still not the right type of tables!




Hello, candles!!! This is truly beautiful and simple. So far, the sum of my decoration purchases have been candle holders; LOTS and LOTS of candle holders. Anyone know a good, inexpensive wholesale candle broker?



Next, this is taking into account the "greater picture" if you will. I like all of the hangy balls, and I really like the different colored muted table runners. I am having a really hard time deciding on our runners. Part of me wants a nice soft green patterned fabric that will look nice over the canvas and part of me is thinking something with more texture like a soft green linen (or a subtle burlap?) will look more elegant and less backyard bbq.



One of my other concerns is that our food will be served family style on big platters, taking up most of the tables. Does that mean I should aim for smaller centerpieces? Or should I still decorate as I normally would and just assume they will remove the centerpieces if there isn't enough room for food?

Confused! Let's see what other people did with their runners...

These are all patterned and they look pretty nice. Our friend's Katie and Steve had the most amazing damask table runners at their wedding, they looked so chic.

These floral patterns below definitely hit on the casual side.

On to the solids. Burlap or linen... Linen is so nice with a long colorful stripe, yea? I looove the very last look, but maybe it's the contrast of linen on wood. Hmmm.... Ok, I think I definitely prefer the solids but I am still going to have to search for just the right material.

Whew! One reason that I blog is to air all of the ideas running around in my head, and this definitely got them out! I have a much better idea of what I am planning to use for table runners now and I know I want candles, candles, candles. Still working on the florals and how to incorporate palms into the mix... Stay tuned!

It Must Be A Sign

I'm seeing signs! Everywhere!!!! What's happening!!! Actually, I just looove the idea of hanging romantic placards around our ceremony and reception sites. It's so literal, I know. But I think it's sweet. There has been great inspiration around the internet lately, and I thought I would throw some out there. What do you think?

We're thinking of making a "Just Married" sign like these to hang by our cake table for some cute decorations, aren't they adorable?

J and I sing "You Are My Sunshine" to each other all the time because we are extremely corny (usually we change the lyrics depending on what we are currently doing. I can picture it now... You are my husband, my only husband... ahem, sorry). Anyways! I was pretty darn excited when I saw this picture and I could steal the idea. I know she's just holding it in this pic, but it would make a good addition to a guest book table, eh?

Super cute use of photos and cards for guests to write words of wisdom on...

My flowergirl can dance herself down the aisle but I thought this was too precious, I couldn't resist.

Big Pink Peonies

Sigh.

DIY Wedding Inspirations

A few snippets from the interwebs and beyond that I have fallen in love with, just for you. These are all very steal-able ideas as they are all within our color pallete! Yay!

First, these amazing invitations screenprinted on antique handkerchiefs and then wrapped around postcard response cards. How rad is that? I want them. Like, now. The blogger who made them said it was really cute, lots of the male guests wore the invites as pocket squares!


I have been searching for affordable chargers for our table decor and having absolutely zero luck, but Im not minding either one of these really cute paper-chargers from Martha Stewart.


Ahhh, inspiration boards. So inspiring! I love this flaming combo of coral, orange and red from Snippet&Ink. I would probably cry a little if I had any of the bouquets pictured on my wedding day. They are stunning.

Coral is the New Pink

I am definitely taking full advantage of my every moment as A BRIDE (it's my one shot, do you really think I'm not going to obsess?). But if I'm honest, sometimes I just can not look at one more bouquet or veil. At those times (when I am not browsing www.shopstyle.com) I like to read interior design magazines like Martha Stewart Living and Dwell. My absolute favorite blog is Design*Sponge.

Imagine my delight (and horror!) then when I was taking a mental wedding break to browse the design blogs and came across this wedding reception inspiration on D*S by the amazing blogger behind OnceWed. Not only is it a beautiful spread called "Peach is the New Pink," but it also highlights my fantastic choice in wedding colors (pinky-oranges, ivory and celadon). :)

Enjoy!

Simply lovely, isn't it?

Stolen Details

My brain buzzes. Like... all the time. It is like "FEED ME" and so I look around the interwebs and there are just so many beautiful weddingy details to oogle. SO MANY. Like, in every style imaginable, one more beautiful than the next. I think I could plan a wedding a month in a different style and still... there would be more to plan because there is always more to be inspired by.

But you see, Jon and I have a very certain aesthetic that we are mostly sticking to. So the interwebs is my friend, because there are just so many ideas to steal, and yet it is my foe because there are so many amazing ideas.

Thus, this smattering of images. Most of which, I plan to steal in some form or another.

Pretty much one of the most gorgeous centerpieces and bouquets of big pink peonies that I have ever seen from A. Hana Design. Don't you just want to eat them, they are so scrumptious!!!
Yes, yes those are a bit like our wedding colors...

Two sets of lovely green paper joy.

This first one is beyond adorable, they called it a "relationship timeline" but that seems a bit clunky to me. We were planning to do something along these lines in our ceremony programs (like a "did you know" section), but this is too perfect with the little logos... i heart this.

These response cards crack me up. Their whole paper suite was like an rrrrrr me matey salty-water theme done with class.

This whole wedding was stunning, you should check it out, but in particular, isn't this wall of photos behind them so sweet? I likey.

Such a beautiful little table of love with a DIY wishes banner.

I thought this seating chart was really cool because it was a) made on Adobe Illustrator and b) for long banquet tables like we will be using and I haven't seen too many of those.

I have no idea where I found this photo but it is ridiculously wonderful. I loooooove these bride and groom embroidered chair markers. Anyone know how to embroider?

Signing our Contract at the Ace

Palm Springs again! It's a good thing we enjoy the heck out of the desert because we have been going down there about once a month since we have started our wedding plans. I don't think I could handle planning a true destination wedding in some tropical paradise because I like to see everything first hand.

Jon's happy to not be working for 5 minutes!


Here we are in King's Highway at the Ace Hotel signing our reception contract. It's on baby!




The short bus... Originally there were plans to turn this lil guy into a walk-up bar but the Ace scrapped that idea and now it's just some funky eye candy near the Commune reception space.


El banos at the Commune... I take so many pictures so I can envision my decor, I swear.


Look at that! (I have no idea what he's pointing towards).


I am hoping to hang votives or poms or lanterns to jazz the space up. Seriously, lending the concrete reception space the touch of romance that I have in my mind is the only thing stressing me out about our wedding planning.


See those sand-colored tableclothes? They're canvas, fyi, and the curtains are dark denim. Just a couple-a four-eyes...


Ace-Space... The thing we love best about the Ace is that their whole concept is "community."


Pretty, no?


I love him.


While we were in Palm Springs we got to hang out with my Aunt Debby who just made a big move from Madrid, Spain to Santa Cruz, CA. Good choice! We took Grams to The Crab Pot in La Quinta... Oh yea, baby.


Before we left Jon and I went to TNT night at the Amigo Room at the Ace. Tacos and Tequila, um... yes, please. We also played the world's funniest game of Scrabble... the only board game J and I both suck at. Seriously, we'll beat you in anything else. Challenge.