Inspiration: Shades of Purple

Growing up, purple was my favorite color. I loved everything from eggplant to lilac, orchid to lavender. Even though I am too indecisive to have a color preference these days, purple has a special place in my heart.

{from top left: duet weddings; fdiy french soap; the image is found; country living.

2nd row: etsy; country living; etsy; flickr.

3rd row: ariella chezar; etsy; martha stewart; elizabeth milay.

Wedding in the Woods: {Kristen & Todd}

I don't unusually buy wedding magazines, but the current issue of Modern Bride is essential to every girl who loves vintage style. Elizabeth Messina captured these phenomenal images from Kristen and Todd's wedding at Nestledown in Northern California. It is a combination of Louis Icart, woodland fairies, and Midsummer Night's dream whimsy, with an edge.









The fabulous shrug was made from family heirloom lace by the talented Holly Stalder. And the fascinator? Custom made for the bride by Leah C. Couture. Sasha Souza is the amazing planner who put this fete together. What a fantastic collaboration of talent! Absolutely breathtaking and one-of-a-kind! To see more photos, pick up a copy of Modern Bride or visit Elizabeth Messina's blog, Kiss the Groom.

In Love With...

I have had so much inspiration this week, and here are a few reasons why. These things make my heart pitter patter, my eyes sparkle, and my mouth smile.

Gorgeous dresses from Calypso. You must check out their website. This set is on sale now! Perfect for mismatched bridesmaid dresses in vintage art nouveau colors.

From Calypso's new collection. Ridiculously beautiful.


I still love ballet flats. If you're going to be on your feet all day, be comfortable! White ruffled flats by Jeffrey Campbell; blue velvet flats from Miu Miu.


I discovered Michelle Rago's blog by chance and fell for her pretty papery and how she chronicles her personal creative process. The lovely seahorse and coral letterpress invitations and escort cards are a wonderful deviation from the typical seashore theme.


Krista Raak's accessories are a to die for combination of vintage charm and elegant opulence. I imagine Daisy Buchanan carried a bag or wore a choker very similar to the ones Krista designs.


I can think of dozens of uses for this sash from J Crew. I think giving one of these to each of your bridesmaids would be an excellent way to make the Calypso dresses (above) coordinate, and/or make a sweet gift. I'm ordering mine today!

Leave a little love! I heart comments~.

Rain Drops on Roses

I love vintage rosey pink and sky blue together. The palette is seasonless, versatile and romantic. When I saw the photo of the suitcase, I knew I had to do an inspiration board around it.

Vintage Inspiration Thursday

Love Etsy. Seriously, in a time when we are all taking our environmental duties more seriously, but corporate giants like Walmart are making everything in our lives so generic, Etsy is a sunny patch of lawn that I want to sit in all day.

Here are some of my favorite finds this week:

I've featured this dress before, but it deserves another nod. From TimesVixenVintage.

Killer vintage leather gloves; and only $14.50! From Prairie Antiques.

Pretty Art Nouveau brooch (could be your 'something blue'). From Purple Daisy Jewelry.

This fascinator isn't vintage (it's handmade) but it sure does look it! From Portobello.

Another handmade item! Who doesn't think this bow tie is rad? From MrEatCi9.

Fab cuff links. From U791688.

Back in the day, men wouldn't leave the house without a fedora (which has been usurped by the baseball hat...ugh). From Crafty Crow Vintage.

Old biscuit and tea tins make wonderful vases for flower arrangements. Look for ones from Holland~they have the prettiest patterns.

If you're planning a small get together, think about purchasing your dinnerware as opposed to renting it. Depression glass comes in gorgeous colors and patterns. Scour tag sales and flea markets for bulk lots, too.

I'm hanky-obsessed. Honestly, I have about 35 different uses for them rolling around in my head. They are great for napkins, wrapped around bouquets (have monogram sewn on the ones for yourself and bridesmaids), passed to female guests before the ceremony, tied around the ring pillow, etc. From Sunn Fox.

Be a rock star. Be kind to mother earth. Check out Etsy.

Real Wedding Wednesday: Our Labor of Love by Heidi

You abso-freakin-lutely have to check the rest of these photos out on Our Labor of Love immediately. Eye orgasm! It is ridiculously adorable, like, I want to name my first born after it. Amy Osaba is the brilliant mind behind the gorgeous flowers, which I heart very much.









Too flippin' cute! For more of Our Labor of Love's work, click here, and prepare yourself by grabbing a drool cloth NOW.

Real Wedding Wednesday: Lisa Rigby Photography

Today's real wedding comes from Lisa Rigby of Boston, Massachusetts. I love the composition and saturation of Lisa's photos, and her ability to capture the subject's feeling in each picture.

Danielle and Mina were married at Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Church in Natick, MA followed by a reception at the Herreshoff Museum. In the time between the ceremony and reception, Lisa took the beautiful couple to Coggeshall Farms in Bristol, Rhode Island for formal portraits and captured some glorious images. Enjoy!










I love Danielle's dress! Lisa hit the nail on the head with the location; the fabric of the gown seemed to be part of the natural surroundings. The first photo just takes my breath away. There is a vintage, verdigris quality to it.

The couple had an Egyptian Coptic ceremony, hence the crowns. I mean, every bride should get to rock a crown on her wedding day. Yay to tradition!

To see more photos from this gorgeous wedding, visit here. Thanks for sharing Lisa and congrats to Danielle and Mina!

Vintage Vignette Thursday

I saw this vintage wedding photograph and thought to myself 'now this is a bride and groom'. Men and women really knew how to dress in the early to mid-1900's, especially for weddings.



Here are two examples vintage glamour I'm melting over:

Loving the gloves from Etsy shop katesy...



Pretty Art Nouveau Suite from Gourmet Invitations...



Sites like Etsy and Ebay are treasure troves for brides. Also check out your local tag sales and flea markets. You may come across a beautiful brooch or hatpin that will give your gown the final touch you've been looking for.

Inspiration Tuesday: Vintage Fabrics

I am so inspired by Etsy shop sohomode. DYING over these dresses! How gorgeous would they be for bridesmaids! I think I might! The fabric, the design, it's simply perfection.

{images from sohomode}

Got me to thinking about vintage fabrics and how to beautifully incorporate them into a wedding. Here are a few examples:

{image from martha stewart weddings}

I like a necktie that coordinates with bridesmaid dresses and overall design of a wedding. If you are having a tough time finding a fabric or print that you, visit Tie Crafters. You can send them your material and they'll custom make your ties to your specifications.

Sew these perfect little clutches for your bridesmaids! You can find a free pattern here. There are, however several other sites offering free patterns if you wish to have a different style.

{image from melissamusgrove}



Have I told you that I love vintage fabrics? Use beautiful, old-fashion feed sack material for your sewing projects. Etsy and Ebay have shops where you can find a variety of colors and patterns.

{image from country living}

These ideas can be beautifully incorporated into a garden or picnic wedding. Tweek the palette a bit for a gorgeous, rustic fall shindig!

Dear Monday

Happy Monday to everyone! This is a super busy week for me, as I am adding a lot of features to my blog and helping with my future sister-in-law's baby shower. While I'm setting up my photographers blog roll today, I thought I'd share a wonderful idea with you.

This picture comes from Stephanie Williams Photography blog. The couple, Ashley and Jeff, integrated birds into their wedding design. My favorite is the love birds notes. Pretty little birds made from vintage looking scrapbook paper were placed in a galvanized bucket and guests were asked to leave a little note for the couple. What a great idea to add these lovely sentiments to a photo album or scrap book! Wonderful alternative to traditional guest books.

image from {stephanie williams photography}

I found a bird template here and scrapbook paper here . With thousand of different patterns and styles, you have plenty of options for coordinating with your wedding colors and theme.

{bird template}

Free Vintage Postcard for DIY Save the Date!

I have collected a lot of vintage ephemera over the years. I love the colors and craftsmanship used to create the beautiful images.



Last night, I was going through one of my albums and came across this seashore vintage seashore postcard. I thought it would make a beautiful Save the Date.

(click on images to enlarge)

Go to http://www.freepremiumfonts.com/ and browse the thousands of different fonts and styles. There are a load of fonts with a vintagey postcard style. Go here for inexpensive postcard stock. Also, ask the post office teller if they can hand stamp each card; the card looks more old fashion when it's hand stamped than being marked up with bar codes. This DIY wedding project is fun and inexpensive! 100 stock cards are less than $12, and then the cost of the stamps and ink. LOVE IT!