Herbal Inspiration

I’m so excited to share today’s shoot with you. Not only was it inspired by the oh-so-popular Hunger Games Trilogy, but it’s absolutely gorgeous whether you read the books or not. Naturally Yours Events combined both rustic and very glamorous details, symbolizing the contrasts that occurred throughout the series. Rich foods and exotic flowers reflect the extravagance of a feast while rustic elements like unfinished tables and the natural moss with primrose “kokedama favors” still give the shoot a rough-around-the-edges feel. The whole shoot is natural yet utterly decadent and I love every single photo by Anthony Barlich Photography!

With so much focus on floral centerpieces and linens to decorate tables, sometimes it’s easy to forget about the other ways to add interest to a table. One of my favorite ways (and often a super-affordable way) is to have a creative placemat!

We have such a treat in store for you today! Phebe from Making Me Events sent over the most lovely shoot filled with vintage plates, ribbons, doilies, tea cups, sugar, spice, and everything nice. She has gathered over 1000 vintage and retro plates and has featured some of her favorites in this shoot. I love the delicately glam color palette of pinks and golds and seriously, how yummy do those macaroons look? The styling by Making Me Events is to die for and these photos by Henry Photographers are absolutely lovely!

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!

Whether by itself or as an accent to other florals, olive gives a rustic, Spanish/Italian feel to decor. Any time I see it, I am transported to the Mediterranean and immediately start to have cravings for prosciutto, olive oil, and incredibly fresh bread. The silver-green color of the leaves is soft and subtle and works really well in both classic and rustic weddings. Pair it with soft florals, use a couple stems as details here or there, or place large bunches in rustic urns for a dramatic effect.

I’m loving the use of napkins to make a statement with your place setting!  No longer just something to fold and tuck away, these linens want to steal the show.

Angie and Tim’s wedding is the epitome of elegant, southern chic.  The couple worked with Events by Nouveau Flowers to design an intimate and relaxing celebration at Florida’s Carillon Beach using natural elements that echoed one of their favorite travel destinations, Italy.  Centerpieces of herbs, berries and olive branches in weathered oversized pottery and apothecary jars set atop classic wood estate tables, and linen napkins hand-embroidered by Angie’s grandmother graced each place setting.  I am simply in love with all of the thoughtful and personal details and the gorgeous images by Rae Leytham Photography.

As promised, to go along with this morning’s Parisian Masquerade Ball Inspired Creations Contest shoot, Courtney Callahan of Courtney Callahan Paper, Natalie Walsh of Hello Darling, and Jenn Gaudreau of Jennifer Kathryn Photography are back to share how-tos for their fabulous DIY projects with us!  Click on the links below to jump to your favorite project.

From the metal-topped table to the wire baskets and architectural florals and containers, this Inspired Creations Contest concept is more downtown city glitter than feminine and girly, and I am utterly in love.  Studio28 Photo, The Stylish Soiree, Krista Jon, Archive Vintage Rentals and Ashley Zwar have created a modern, industrial take on glitz and glam with this peach, ivory, and black tabletop.  A black sequin table runner (black sequin is the new it fabric, ya’ll!) creates a dark and dramatic backdrop for the striking centerpiece of airplants, bromeliads, peachy tulips, garden roses, hydrangea, anemones, and reindeer moss.

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!

The inspiration for this moody, romantic shoot by Erica Brenci of Les Amis Photo comes from the beautiful venue, Villa Ida Lampugnani, near Milan—and we absolutely see why! In keeping with the Art Nouveau period, referred to as Liberty Style in Italy, stationery by Cristiano Guerra of Princess Event Design + Wedding Planning takes its cues from the home’s intricate furnishings. To complement the white anemones and lisianthus in florals by Sofia and Cosetta of Il Profumo dei Fiori, the team at Princess Event Design + Wedding Planning incorporated blush pink, cream, and gold into the décor. Elegant table settings are like an extension of model Viviana’s ethereal Jenny Packham gown and glittery platform heels, and we’re swooning over the romantic hairpieces she incorporated! For a sweet ending, a simple cake embellished with pomegranates from Sweet Pastry Lab marks the final flourish. There are so many gorgeous images to swoon over—visit the gallery to lose yourself in them all!

Holiday season is in full swing and with it comes the gorgeous decor of the season, including my favorite, greenery! Incredibly elegant and sophisticated, greenery transforms bouquets, drapery, tablescapes, and even chandeliers into woodland works of floral art.

Bellissima! Today’s Italian garden party wedding shoot, designed by Brittany Lott of Elle Affairs, has us transported to Tuscany! The inspiration behind the shoot was the classic Tuscan alfresco dining experience, which was brought to life with the setting of Birmingham, Alabama’s La Tavalo. The beautiful outdoor table setting featured loose greenery, rosemary accents and olive oil favors, and we just adore the idea of an olive oil tasting bar—what could be more authentically Italian? The mix of modern and traditional elements was brought to life in the invitation suite from Jessica Stalkner at Empress Stationery and chic wrap bridesmaids dresses from Molly Green. And we are in love with the classic elegance of the gowns from Heidi Elnora. There’s so many details—and stunning images from Spindle Photography—to swoon over right here in the gallery!

Dramatic jewel tones meet rustic barn setting in this inspiration shoot from One Summer Day, set at Silverbrook Farm in Virginia’s Horse Country. It’s simply gorgeous! The fall feel of the shoot is thanks to moody portraits, set amidst vintage decor from Stylish Patina Vintage Rentals. Coordinated by Ashlee Virginia Events, details like brass candlesticks and gold china sit among deep red and purple florals by Petals & Hedges. We cannot take our eyes off the black and gold stationery and that amazing and unusual cake from Cakebee! And how gorgeous is the gown from Soliloquy Bridal Couture? See all of the lovely images right here!

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!

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!

We are just gasping for breath over this gorgeous bohemian shoot from Tamiz Photography! All of the vintage decor mixed with romantic pink blooms and lacy vintage dresses are stunning! The romantic island style of long, loose waves crowned with floral hair wreaths gives away this Maui location, yet there’s something ethereal and placeless about it as well. And have you ever seen a tree swing so pretty? We want to teleport ourselves into this shoot right now, but instead we’ll settle for staring at it all afternoon 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!

Turquoise and lavender—the color and the herb—are beautifully bold in this sophisticated inspiration shoot from First Comes Love Wedding Photography. Styled at Vellum in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the table pops with the tropical hues, grounded by dark wood tables and brick walls. Bright stationery accented with aqua and plum stripes from Dooby Design pairs perfectly with the palette. An exotic printed table runner holds a garland centerpiece of purples and greens by PassionFlower, who also created the fabulous coordinating hairpieces for the brides. Elegant gowns from The Gown Shop Ann Arbor are stunning; their classic silhouettes are the perfect backdrops for the unique bouquets and hair flowers. We adore the uber-chic colorful elements of this fun shoot!