Carnival Wedding Ideas

There is so much gorgeous inspiration in this collaboration shoot between Kristyn Hogan and the talented team at Historic Cedarwood, and we love it all! Amber Housley created the lovely floral stationery and helped direct the styling of this bridal party tea in the garden. Eclectic linens from Urban Outfitters ground the tables for a collection vintage dishware and vases on top, filled with bold blooms and some of the prettiest teacups we’ve ever seen! The bridal party sipped pink Champagne from Le Grande Courtage while playing dress-up in amazing gowns from The Bride Room and accessories by Beatrice Couture Designs styled by Opulent Couturier. And aren’t you just in love with the playful side pony styled by Jessica Jones? Run, don’t walk, to the gallery to soak up all of the inspiration!

Today is such a fun day for me because I get to show off my very first designed shoot! I was so thrilled when Sara Gray asked me to create a shoot for her latest MarryThis! wedding guide, and immediately enlisted the amazing Kelly Marie Uss of Fleur to join in to help me style a romantic summer wedding shoot, full of vibrant colors and elegant and fluffy blooms. I love trends, but wanted to take a few of the design trends that are popular today, such as vintage china and lace, and use them in a way that was classic and timeless, a wedding that would stay fresh and inspiring for years to come. We chose the absolutely fabulous Aeree Loft at Room 1520 as our venue, its clean white walls and amazing light were the perfect backdrop!

This romantic and intimate editorial shoot is set in a field of wildflowers at the Green Door Gourmet farm in Nashville.  Styled by RSVP Events, the design features hues of pinks, peaches, and yellows, with gold and lilac accents for the perfect romantic summer wedding.  The ceremony setting is a gorgeous floral arbor in the wildflower field, with a table, bar, cake, and a champagne/cocktail cart nearby. 

Patrice and Nick met in one of the most unique ways we’ve heard of: the pair were production assistants on former TV sitcom “The New Adventures of Old Christine”. They started out as friends and their relationship bloomed from there, ultimately with an inventive engagement proposal that involved Patrice’s boss (read more below about that fun tale). They wanted a wedding that drew in their love for California, Patrice’s Filipino heritage, and an overwhelming elegance and thoughtfulness. Sabine Scherer Photography captured their wedding, from the stunning ceremony at Patrice’s family church, St. Dominic Catholic Church to their Bently Reserve reception. Their reception venue is hailed for its opulence, so to add balance, Mango Muse Events and Violetta Flowers pulled in live trees, organic asymmetrical elements and garlands, and added meaningful orchids and roses (as an homage to family that had passed on). Of course, fun had to be had, so to kick off their reception, the newlyweds partnered up to do a medley dance that ended with hip hop. We love all of the injections of Patrice and Nick’s fun personalities and fascinating lives all throughout their big day.

The vibrant blooms of springtime were the inspiration for today’s gorgeous shoot by the talented Janie Medley of The Bride’s Cafe. An abundance of lush flowers from Flower Muse—including tulips, poppies, ranunculus, garden roses, and anemones—graced the gorgeous bouquets, flower arrangements and floral crowns created by The Bride’s Cafe. We can’t decide which of the incredible bouquets is most gorgeous! Shamara, a 2016 bride-to-be, is utterly resplendent in gowns from Bella Bridesmaids, and we are simply in love with each image from Love By Serena—enjoy all of the swoon-worthy floral inspiration!

Oh how we adore each and every little morsel of this stunning inspiration shoot from the Chapel Designers workshop in Santa Barbara! With a classic palette of rose gold, cream, peach, and burnt coral, the tablescape—designed by Nancy Liu Chin Designs with flowers from  Florabundance—is pure elegance. Romantic hydrangea, stock, roses, and ranunculus come together in a warm and inviting mix of low and high arrangements. One vessel features a timeless composite rose, so named because a single stem is surrounded by layers of wired petals, giving the appearance of a giant rose. Such a refined and timeless variation on a classic! With its long lace sleeves and fluffy silhouette, Claire Pettibone‘s Peace gown is the perfect complement to the elegant table, and delicate china from Small Masterpieces and rentals from Classic Party Rentals complete the setting. We are completely in love with each image from Diana Marie Photography!

We love this fresh take on nautical style in weddings! Pale pink and gray stationery from Suite Paperie is still nautical-chic, but in a softer presentation than crisp navy and red. Dulce Dreams Events directed a stunning shoot filled with soft blooms from L’Oasis that fit right into the soothing color palette. With images from Alexis June Weddings and Cyrience Photography on a gorgeous old-school sailboat at Maritime Parc, we just can’t get enough of this chic and sophisticated setting! Staying true to the theme, Madison Lee’s Cakes used real seashells for the molds on the cake, and brown sugar created the illusion of sand. The model’s intricate GEMY by Gemy Maalouf gown is stunning! We’re in love with this shoot from top to bottom—see every last detail in the gallery!

We’re swooning over these images from Arielle Doneson Photography that are filled with pastel goodness! From floral-motif stationery by Borrowed & Blue to well-loved antique pieces from Borrow Vintage + Eclectic Rentals, we adore every delicate detail. Shi Shi Events styled this gorgeous garden party-inspired look with fabulous flowers created by Molly Taylor Designs and pretty gowns from Something White—we love the simple scallops and sweet floral embellishments, as well as the mantilla lace veil. This entire shoot makes us feel like we’re in a sophisticated English garden, especially with the colorful desserts from Main Street Cupcakes—lovely!

Whether the warm sand is right in your backyard or you’re celebrating with your nearest and dearest in a destination paradise, there is nothing more relaxing and beautiful than a beach wedding! We are loving warm blue, pink, and green tones for beachy chic soirees. Here’s some of our favorite beach wedding inspiration!

Fair warning: You may need a minute to recover after you view this gorgeous Santa Ynez, California wedding photographed by Jose Villa. Orchestrated by event designer Alexandra Kolendrianos, Brianne and Brian’s wedding is flawless in every way possible, from Brianne’s delicate lace Claire Pettibone dress to fluffy, romantic flower arrangements by Mindy Rice Floral and Event Design. Brianne worked with designer Stone Cold Fox to custom make the gorgeous bridesmaids dresses! Click through to the gallery for all of the gorgeousness!

There are lots of things that make our hearts skip a beat: pastoral outdoor settings, gorgeous gauzy gowns, earthy and elegant flowers, to name a few. Well, this rustic but glamorous inspiration shoot from Katie Stoops Photography has all three and then some! Shindig Weddings & Events set up the stylish scene on the grounds of Belle Haven on the James in Scottsville, Virginia. The gorgeous Monique Lhuillier gown—a flattering corset style—is such a pretty formal contrast to the lush, casual wildflower blooms by Pat’s Floral Designs. And that ruffled cake dripping with blackberries and cherries? Shut the barn door—Paradox Pastry outdid themselves! Go ahead and steal some ideas from this stunning scene!

This shoot, created for V4 of the fabulous Southern Weddings magazine, has just about every fabulously preppy detail you can imagine: Seersucker, monograms, magnolia leaves, a green and white color palette, and it was even all inspired by a polo match! While the impeccably styled tablescape by Calder Clark Designs has us craving a mint julep, it’s the fun, striped bridesmaids’ outfits that make us do a double-take! They are so cute and definitely something your ladies could wear again. We can’t say enough how much we love this amazing styled shoot, but be warned: these images by A Bryan Photo could quite possibly make you to stop whatever you’re doing and search for the nearest polo club!

Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous? Inspired by rich color and peach fruit, Janice of Bellwether Events teamed with Holly Chapple Flowers and A Daily Something to create this garden shoot loosely based on James and the Giant Peach. We’re dying over these photos from Cyn Kain Photography, who captured a fabulous gown from Chaviano Couture and a cheeky groom in a peach gingham bow tie from Southern Beaus, all set in the pastoral backdrop of Oatlands plantation in Leesburg, Virginia. It’s almost too much goodness to handle at once! The whimsical peach tulle headpiece is ahhh-mazing paired with a bright turquoise bridesmaid’s dress from the Jenny Yoo Collection. We love all the vintage decor—especially the flower cart filled with desserts and cake from Fancy Cakes by Leslie. And check out those fun peach and blue garters from The Garter Girl by Julianne Smith. Love, love, love!

This gorgeous styled shoot has it all: an absolutely stunning gown from Carine’s Bridal Atelier, Valentino d’Orsay pumps, and the simply breathtaking setting of Keswick Hall at Monticello near Charlottesville, Virginia. The rolling green hills provide a lush backdrop for bold pink and green blooms in bouquets and centerpieces created by Pat’s Floral Designs. We are head over heels for the classic Southern charm that Just a Little Ditty created in this beautiful setting, and the gorgeous images from Jen Fariello Photography!

Photographer Caroline Tran calls this Saddlerock Ranch inspiration shoot—complete with a dreamy tabletop covered in driftwood, protea and colored glass—”easily one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever shot.” It’s no wonder this Malibu, California shoot is one of our favorites of the year! Caroline teamed up with Utterly Engaged magazine and So Happi Together to craft this uber-creative shoot, which was also part of one of the photographer’s recent workshops. We’ve fallen for the eclectic, mismatched vintage seating surrounding the long farmhouse table, provided by Found Vintage Rentals, and the ruffled ombre cake by A Wish and A Whisk. Oh, and the zebras! Who could resist wedding inspiration that comes with zebras?!

This sweet and simple but oh-so-elegant inspiration shoot from Rylee Hitchner Photography features a less-is-more vibe that we adore. It’s no wonder this is a favorite from 2012! From the French-inspired stationery by Neither Snow to the loosely gathered green and white bouquets by Amy Osaba, we’re in love. Jessica Sloane Event Styling & Design pulled together an afternoon Paris affair that’s big on understated sophistication, just like the bride’s Badgley Mischka gown. Vintage silver accents from Southern Events Party Rental Company provide subtle sheen paired with light blue and gold table settings and a lovely, pearlized cake from Dreamcakes Bakery. Beau, oui?

Ahhh. This styled shoot is frothy and girly and just a breath of fresh air—which is great, because we’re left nearly breathless by the gorgeous styling from Maine Seasons Events and the stunning blooms from Floral Fauna. Turquoise milk glass, gold, and tons of pink work together to create the fabulous tabletop decor. And those custom ruffled swags on the tables? We’re in love! The simple texture of the cake from Nothing Bakes Like a Parrott shimmers thanks to exquisite gold detailing, and we adore the letterpress stationery by Gus & Ruby Letterpress and hand-calligraphed by Neither Snow. The models’ gowns from LulaKate look like dresses straight out of a fairy tale—which pretty much sums up why this shoot is one of our favorites of the year! We hope these oh-so-pretty images from Corbin Gurkin Photography make your day like they made ours!

Jessica and Kevin wanted their North Carolina wedding to reflect their modern and elegant tastes, but without the stark, cold feeling that often comes with contemporary settings. After all, every couple wants their day to be filled with warmth and emotion! So the two added personal touches to make their affair heartfelt, and Heather Bryson of Carolina Wedding Design handled mod details like the black-and-white chevron-striped aisle and table runners for the ceremony and reception held at The Urban Garden of The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte. White ceremony arrangements and punchy orange flowers for the reception were done by The Place for Flowers to complement the all the black and white. Jessica wore a column-style Nicole Miller gown—simple but lovely paired with orange-brown J.Crew sandals, a nod to the color scheme—while bridesmaids were classic in black dresses from J.Crew. These crisp images from The Schultzes show a gorgeous day that was absolute perfection for the bride and groom!

If you’re searching for seasonal inspiration for your Thanksgiving tablescape, look no further—Holly Heider Chapple has designed the most gorgeous, organic spread and given you the steps to recreate it at home! “My intent when I created this design was to come up with a concept that a beginner could do,” as well as use flowers that are readily available at grocery stores, Holly says. She’s definitely succeeded with this simple how-to! Follow along with this beautiful images from Genevieve Leiper Photography, and let us know how your own Turkey Day tablescapes turn out!

Photographer Jaclyn Davis wanted this stunning shoot in the meadow of an Idaho Falls, Idaho, home to be a blend of the French countryside’s elegance and all-American romance. Mission accomplished! These images make us want to dream ourselves right onto that gorgeous bench, with its lush garland of greenery and cream-colored flowers from Lemon Blossom Designs and fluffy Champagne-colored pillows, mint julep in hand. The green, forested backdrop—and that beautiful horse!—framed the neutral setting, and tons of votives and candles set an elegant mood that comes through in every single photo—we can’t even begin to choose a favorite. The gown, romantic and intricate with lace and cap sleeves, is from Treasures; it gets a playful but still elegant complement from the khaki-and-white striped bow tie and handkerchief. We’re in love with every single detail!