All Our Wedded Bliss

House Inspiration

2011-12-31T13:54:00.000-06:00

10 Colors

2011-12-24T17:36:00.003-06:00

I started reading Nomad by designer Sibella Court, and she said to begin designing a home based on 10 colors; you can use more colors of course, but the 10 colors will serve as a frame-work for the home. So I've begun collecting my 10 colors...this is what I have so far.

Owl Wallpaper from Anthropologie

2011-06-22T12:34:00.003-05:00

Conner and I are stuck in Colorado for the summer to be with his family, and I'm glad to be here. I am a city girl and I do look forward to moving back to Austin, but since Dan died back in March, it's nice to be surrounded by people who knew him; it's nice to talk about him and hear other people's stories. I do miss him.

So, I've been working at the Fire Dept in Bayfield, CO and scoping out things for our new house...whenever that is. And I love this wallpaper from Anthropologie. Super cute.

Make Your Own Ipod Dock

2011-04-04T13:43:00.002-05:00

I really want Conner to make an iVictrola for us. I figure he can handle the wooden bits and I'll conquer the electronic bits. Here's a tutorial for how to make your own ipod dock by Chris at ManMade.

Bedroom Color

2011-04-04T13:39:00.002-05:00

I love this wall color. Might look really good in the bedroom, semi-dark and inviting. I was thinking about making a duvet cover while we're in Colorado and I might just keep this color in mind when I sew it up.
Image from the NYTimes Style Magazine

Luggage Chest DIY

2011-04-04T13:09:00.003-05:00

We are all in upstate NY sorting out Dan's estate and well, it's rainy, not much is going on, and I'm design geeking out at the Alfred University library while the guy next to me is gaming geeking out. So, while plundering through Design Sponge again I found another DIY that I thought was pretty cool. I might just do this with a silver chest I've been hauling around for a while.
Luggage chest how-to

DIY Table

2011-04-04T13:01:00.002-05:00

I love this splash o' colour! Maybe I'll give this a go when we move into our "Imperial Mansion" trailer in Arboles, CO for the summer. It'll be a tight space (although much bigger than our "bedroom on wheels" that we've been living in for the last year) and a skinny table like this might be perfect. Via Design Sponge.

Abigail Edwards Wallpaper

2011-03-07T16:09:00.002-06:00

I was skimming through Design Sponge the other day and came upon all these great wallpaper designs. So here's another. It's cute, not sure if I'd put it in my house but I thought I'd note it anyway. Abigail Edwards...

Minimoderns Wallpaper

2011-03-06T17:20:00.003-06:00

Super cute wallpaper from Minimoderns. Love the theme of the sea.

Wainscoting

2010-09-24T12:24:00.004-05:00

Not sure where this image came from....it's been lounging about waiting to be posted. I do love wainscoting though. I think it would look great in the bathroom with the pin-up wallpaper above. Oh my gosh! I can not wait to have our own house!

Brainstorming

2010-04-03T11:04:00.006-05:00

Would it be a bad idea to have the wedding "dinner" beforehand, and then have the ceremony when the sun had gone down?

Or is there a general flow to a wedding such as arrive, ceremony, dinner, music and dancing?

I was just brainstorming and thinking:

1) A group of us all went lazy river floating during the day

2) Come back, have dinner with close friends and family (or everybody could be invited)

3) Once the sun went down and it was good and dark, have everyone walk down to the ceremony area that would be all lit with candles and the fabric backdrop

4) Then walk back up to the main area of festivities where bands would play and we could boogie down till whenever

Or we could have a whole weekend planned. Arrive on Thursday for rehearsal dinner and settle it. Friday go tubing. Saturday lounge around downtown and get ready with bridesmaids. Could suggest a day trip to super cute Green, TX for rest of family? Wedding Saturday. Sunday could be filled with Bloody Marys and lounging in the sun.

Or we could arrange it on the weekend of an Austin festival that could be the focus of Friday, wedding Saturday, and floating on Sunday.

Haha, just some ideas. Some brainstorming.

Invite from Beast Pieces

Eunice & Daniel

2010-04-01T16:39:00.005-05:00

I love how cheeky they are. More images.

They worked with textile artist, Joel Dewberry, to design a set of playing cards for guests. Adorable.

Blankets for guests when temperatures dipped down for the outdoor wedding.

Embroidered Invitations

2010-04-01T15:59:00.003-05:00

I like this idea a lot--wedding invitations that were embroidered and then scanned in.

Via Black Eiffel

Sarah Seven

2010-03-27T15:06:00.003-05:00

Helloooo, Sarah Seven! Gorgeous dresses from Portland designer Sarah Seven. I simply love the way her dresses are photographed. I'm of the opinion that having gorgeous photos of any product totally makes everyone drool and sales go up!

And this get-up. Stop. My heart. I would love to rock this on an evening out.Sarah Seven

Joshua Caine

2010-03-27T14:42:00.004-05:00

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness. I LOVE Joshua Caine's website. Granted, it can run a little slow, but he pulled on my heart strings with his whole antique seafaring etching themed website. Awesome!

Plus he photographed a totally rad Texan Rockabilly wedding.

Confusion Over The Details

2010-03-26T16:45:00.010-05:00

I had an idea of how I wanted my wedding to be:
*Throw back from glam/rockabilly times
*A short fun dress that was easy to dance in
*Vintage mismatched dresses for bridesmaids

Now after having gone to try on dresses and finding this guy:

We could maybe rock it up a little with this totally awesome fabric flower belt.

And after doing lots of research on all these wonderful wedding blogs, I just feel totally confused. I wonder how other people whittle down the details to pick out something they really like and don't regret using way down the line?

It seems like all the things that I like are just sooo expensive. How do brides bridge the style/budget line? Oh it just seems so confusing!

And then I see this! And how gorgeous is this? And I think 'yeah, now that's what I'm talking about. That's why I wanted to go short, plus it's cheaper!"

Brandon Witzel

Or this guy and I think 'yeah, that's what I wanted! A rockin wedding party that's pretty but a little edgy. I did want a short dress before I walked into that bridal boutique, the woman put ideas in my head...'

Via Green Wedding Shoes

Dress Shopping!

2010-03-18T17:23:00.005-05:00

Since my ladies are in town for SXSW, we decided to go try on wedding dresses. We totally found one! And I wanted to let you all know about the bridal boutique that we discovered because it's amazing. Called Blush Bridal, it's been open a little over a year and next to Unbridaled, it's the best wedding boutique in Austin. It's a must to make an appointment to reserve one of the private rooms that comes equipped with a couch for friends, a space heater, and knoweledable staff with numerous clamps to cinch the dresses right to your body. The prices are really good too...

Go! Go try on gorgeous dresses!

Wedding Jojo

2010-03-01T12:55:00.005-06:00

C's family is from the west coast, I'm from the east, and we want to have our wedding smack dab in the middle. Keeping all of our friends and family in the loop about our future wedding seems a little daunting. It's such a good idea to have a wedding website as a one-stop shop for all things C&R wedding related. I really like Adam & Halli's website that has directions, photos, links to registries, and a guide on what to wear.

But if a wedding website wasn't figured into the budget then just scoot right over to Wedding Jojo; they do it all for free! They have a couple templates that you can personalize for your own wedding, so while it might not reflect the wedding to the T, it'll still help guests to stay current on all the festivities.

Wedding Jojo.

Shredded Fabric Backdrop

2010-03-01T12:39:00.002-06:00

How cool is this?!
I like to sew and this just seems totally up my alley. We could have silks and muslims of varying neutral shades hanging down as the backdrop for the ceremony. I love all the candles as well, makes the whole thing just so romantic.
Plus, it could double as the backdrop for a photobooth!
Via Once Wed.

Hair Feathers

2010-02-25T17:05:00.000-06:00

Alright, it's official, I think I do love feather hair pieces. I want all my bridesmaids to have on different vintage dresses that they'll wear way after our wedding, but it would be nice to tie them all together by having matching hair do-dads.

I quite like these by Lo Boheme at Ginger & Adam's wedding.

Lo Boheme

Via Green Wedding Shoes

Pretty Elopement

2010-02-25T15:48:00.000-06:00

Kelly & Cameron's Wedding
Leo Patrone Photography

Dining Room Tables

2010-02-25T15:32:00.000-06:00

While this cake set-up is too over-the-top girlie for me, it did give me an idea. I love the floating candels above the table. I wonder if we could rig one of these up over our future dining room table using a long metal rod or pipe and mason jars. We could also have some real light fixtures attached so that we wouldn't always have to light the candles when we ate dinner.
Via Ruffled

I really love long dinning room tables!

Via The Selby

Google's Wedding Planner

2010-02-25T13:00:00.000-06:00

It seems like more and more people are planning their own weddings these days, or at least doing a whole lot of the work themselves, in order to cut costs and make the whole affair much more personalized. The overall look of the wedding, the dress, and the cake are the most fun to dream about. It's the small details like how to phrase a wedding invitation, who pays for what, or what exactly a maid of honor is responsible for that can be confusing at first.

Thank heavens for Google Docs! Along with Style Me Pretty, they have created a master template to help the DIY bride. I scoped it out myself and it looks pretty darn helpful.

Google Docs Wedding Template

Photo from Mike & Jess's Wedding

American Bride In Paris

2010-02-22T13:36:00.000-06:00

I really like this photoshoot by Junebug Weddings.

American Bride Through Paris

Wedding Jewels

2010-02-22T13:34:00.000-06:00

When it comes to wedding jewels I am not one to reach for delicate chains. I prefer jewelry that is bold and brash, that brings eye catching color to a white dress, like the photos below.

I'm a huge fan of Elva Fields, Lizzie Fortunado, and Esther K jewelry. Each one creates unique jewelry that seem to all have a special tale.

Photos all from Junebug Weddings

Demolition Derby

2010-02-19T17:14:00.000-06:00

Cuteness! I think the last photo is my favorite.

More photos of Adena & Ben's wedding.

Photographed by Leah LaRiccia.

Heart Portraits

2010-02-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

How freaking cute is this? I adore it. Reminds me of the Two Guitar cards that would make excellent wedding invites.

More of the wedding can be seen at Once Wed.

Photography by Jonas Peterson.

Leather Mirror How-To

2010-02-12T10:55:00.000-06:00

In some design magazine that I have long since forgotten I saw this really cool mirror that was way out of my price range. It was round and covered with leather, suspended from a leather strap; both parts cool and masculine.

Then I found a how-to for the same mirror on Design Sponge the other day! It doesn't look too hard to make.

Leather mirror How-to on Design Sponge

Bathroom Sink

2010-02-11T17:48:00.001-06:00

It's an old factory washbasin!

It would look great in the bathroom built into the counter top or with a wooden table next to it for storage.

More images of Ombline De Kersabiec's home at DesignSponge

Kitchen Elements

2010-02-11T16:42:00.000-06:00

I would love to have these subway tiles for the backsplash of the kitchen.

Totally love this floor! It would be wonderful if we could find some recycled flooring like this.

Images from LivingEtc

Blue Pop

2010-02-11T16:07:00.000-06:00

I love this color, as you might be able to tell by now.

From LivingEtc

Household Coffee Needs

2010-02-11T15:31:00.000-06:00

I seem to be spending quite a bit of time looking at items for our future kitchen, but that's because the most space in our house will be devoted to that very use. Plus, we tend to congregate there to discuss our days, we cook a lot of meals at home, and there's just so much fun kitchen gadgets!

C is a huge coffee drinker. I'm not so much of a coffee drinker as an espresso girl. I would love to get an espresso machine at the house for me and a kick-ass French Press for C. That way both of our coffee needs are taken care of.

I found a neat guide to picking out an espresso machine at Coffee Geek.

La Pavoni is supposed to be quite good for a semi-automatic machine and not going to break the bank. It's made in Italy, the home of espresso.

La Pavoni Lusso Espresso Machine Chrome PL-16

This could be C's French Press, big enough to make 3 cups of coffee in the am.

Chambord French Press by Bodum

And of course he would need a totally rad water boiler. I used to have one in college and I discovered that it also doubled as a face steamer-a handy use for when my skin was breaking out during exams.

Aroma AWK-115S 1.5-Liter Stainless Steel X-Press Water Kettle

School Yard Accents

2010-02-10T13:08:00.001-06:00

I would love to have this posted on the wall right by the front door for all of our coats and keys. It's a nice throwback from school days past and a nod towards utilitarian chic. Plus, the ledge above would be a good display for my couple wall which is currently packed away at the moment. One day though, girlishness will return!

Best Wedding Photography

2010-02-10T13:05:00.000-06:00

Online wedding magazine, Junebug Weddings, compiled a list of the year's best wedding photography from all over the globe. Most of the photos are awesome! Some of my favorites are:

The Image Is Found Photography

Angelica Glass Photography

Jean-Piere Uys

Garrett Nudd Photography

Amelia Lyon

Junebug Weddings have some pretty cool ideas for weddings, inspiration boards and real weddings, that sort of thing.

Junebug Weddings

iVictrola

2010-02-10T12:57:00.000-06:00

How cool is this?! It's an ipod dock that amplifys your music. So freaking awesome.

From Madecraft

Studio Desk

2010-02-10T12:37:00.000-06:00

C said that when we finally did have a house he would build a studio loft for me, as he'll be having a studio garage for wood working and music making. When it's finally finished then I totally want to have an old desk like this one for my computer. And I really love the red Eames chair too.
From The Art of Jordan
Via Design Sponge

Kitchenaid Mixer

2010-02-10T10:35:00.000-06:00

I've always loved these things; it could go along with my dream fridge.

Kitchenaid Mixer

Another Short Dress

2010-02-08T13:16:00.000-06:00

Ahhh! I love this dress too! It kind of looks like the other one that I love too. I think I would use the top of the other dress, with the rusching in the middle and the thin straps, and the bottom of this dress, the length and the layer of lace. Maybe the lace could be a detachable skirt so that I could dye the dress a nice indigo color and wear it much later.

Dolly Couture

Elopement and $2,000

2010-02-08T12:37:00.000-06:00

A lady came into the store the other day, she saw all my wedding magazines and books laid on the counter and we began talking about her wedding that had happened 15 years prior. She said that honestly, if she could do it again she would elope. She would save all her money, run away somewhere quiet with her immediate family to get hitched, and save all that money to help her and her husband to get established in their new life.

At this point in my young life, that just seems so uneventful. Neither of us are very religious so the ceremony itself is not terribly important in that regard. What is important for us is to have all of our friends and family in one place to celebrate and to all meet each other since many of our friends live all over the country. Maybe that's what people who elope do as well, go have a ceremony somewhere else and then throw a big party at home. But I figure we can do it all in one fell swoop.

I wonder if it's possible to throw a wedding for $2,000? From the venue, food, photographs, invitations, and dresses for two grand? Seems like a lot of money to me right now, but from the bit of research I've done, in a traditional wedding I don't think it would go that far. That's why we're not planning on throwing a traditional wedding.
Jessica Johnston Photography on Style Me Pretty

Amelia Lyon

2010-02-08T11:56:00.000-06:00

I discovered this photo by Amelia Lyon a while back and I just love it. A totally rocking engagement photo!

Amelia Lyon

Love her dress!

Dream Refrigerator

2010-02-08T11:41:00.001-06:00

We lived in an old victorian house for a while when I was growing up. It had a seperate basement apartment with the coolest vintage refrigertor. It kind of looked like this one. One day I would love to have a frige like this again but oh man, we'll have to look through antique shops because this one by NorthStar is around $4,000 and another version by Smeg is about $1,200.
NorthStar
Smeg

Glam Punk Wedding Shoot

2010-02-08T10:48:00.000-06:00

I saw this glam punk wedding shoot on Style Me Pretty this monday morning. I like the bridesmaids fishnet tights and the striped ties. They all make it just a little on the punk side of life.

More photos

Via Style Me Pretty

The Birds Wallpaper

2010-02-06T17:23:00.000-06:00

We have this wallpaper at the store I work at and it's even better in person. You can see more movement in the wings that reminds me of Hitchcock's The Birds. It might look cool in the bathroom, on the top half of the wall while the bottom half is painted a glossy dark indigo. I love blue!

Indi Wallpaper at Trove

John Robshaw

2010-02-06T17:10:00.000-06:00

I lean towards a rug for the dinning room that's more graphic than pictorial.

John Robshaw

Kitchen Lamps

2010-02-06T16:51:00.000-06:00

These Berlin Pendant Lamps by Roost would look amazing in our future kitchen.

Roost Co

Feathered Headpiece

2010-02-06T16:47:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure what you call her headpiece but I secretly dig it.

Headpiece by Sarah Gabriel

Modern Map

2010-02-06T15:22:00.000-06:00

Totally up my alley and only $60

By These Are Things

Pin-Ups On My Walls

2010-02-06T15:12:00.000-06:00

Hahaha, brilliant! British wallpaper group, Beware The Moon, who infuse pure cheekiness into their designs. I love it.

Beware The Moon

House Ideas

2010-02-06T14:47:00.000-06:00

I would love to have a portion of our porch shaded like this. Plus, when we have a party, we could hang sparkly lights on the beams.I'm a total sucker for painted wooden floors, it just seems so dramatic. As a carpenter C thinks this is sacrilige. Whoops.

For our dinning table, I really like the idea of mixed chairs. There are so many cool ones to find at yard sales for cheap and they look great all mixed together. We could even paint them all one color to add unity, only if we felt like it though.

There's a building in town that is made of recycled parts from remodeled houses. I think it would be great, and possibly economical to scour around for cool old windows and mix them all together. I really like this style of window because it reminds me of Europe. I'm just not a fan of big plate glass and I hope we don't have to use too much of it in our future house.

I know it's not very practical but I like having rugs under dining room tables. In fact I like rugs in general with hard wood floors.

I always liked the idea of having a mantel in the house as a decorative object and not neccessarily as a working fire place. It just looks amazing and can be found at any junk store, well, found after some searching of course.

All photos from Desire To Inspire

Penny Tiles

2010-02-06T13:24:00.000-06:00

I want these penny tiles in the bathroom, although just on the floor and maybe going up the side of the bathtube a bit; having them all over the walls too seem like overkill to me. They feel so good on your feet too, kind of massage as you walk.

Yay penny tiles!
Image from Desire to Inspire

Chaise Lounge

2010-02-06T12:44:00.000-06:00

Haha, so last night C planned our future for the next 5 years. Road trip first then talk of school for an MBA, off to New Zealand to live for a couple years, and then back to the States to build a house, which he sketched out. As it stands we're not to have a living room, just a large kitchen and a big dinning area for dinner parties that we'll be throwing in the future. We'll devote most of the common space to the kitchen since most people congregate there during parties anyway.

I still think it's nice to have some sort of comfy seating towards the end of the evening when people start to get a little weak on their feet, which is why I think this lounge would be great. It's small and cute and not terribly expensive.
Edie Velvet Chaise by Urban Outfitters

Place Cards

2010-02-06T10:42:00.000-06:00

It's expensive and we'll probably not do a sit-down dinner, however if there's any way we could pull it off inexpensively I would like to try. For sit-down dinners it seems like most people assign seating and it always ends up being slightly awkward.

In networking 101 when introducing two people, it seems customary to say something along the lines of, "This is Mr. Smith, he is an excellent poet....and this is Mr. James, he is a large animal veterinarian." You know, just to give people a jumping off point for conversation. I think it might be fun to write in small print below the name on the place card of a sit-down dinner, a little fact about some other person who is sitting at the table as well...open up dialogue table wide. Or do you think that's too cheesy?

Studio 3

2010-02-05T17:57:00.000-06:00

A good friend of mine is one of three amazing ladies who run a design and printing group called Studio 3. I think one of my favorite designs they have at the moment is their Strictly Business handlebar mustache over Texas. A set of these napkins would add some chutzpah to the MUD Australia dishes.
Studio 3

MUD Australia

2010-02-05T17:48:00.000-06:00

Like I said, I work in a home accessories boutique and we have several different ceramic lines that couples register for. I've decided that of all of them, I adore MUD Australia the most. They're very thin but surprisingly durable--I've learned this from dropping a couple pieces on the floor, whoops. The clay has been tinted all the way through and only the top surface is covered in a thin layer of clear glaze. I kind of like this in case we ever chip any of our plates because there won't be any unsightly white bits showing through that are the telltale sign of chippage. I think I would like to have Steel dinner plates, Ash salad plates, and White small noodle bowls. Look! You can even put them in the oven to make souffles in!

MUD Australia

Brion Hopkins

2010-02-05T13:56:00.000-06:00

I like the intense color of California based photographer, Brion Hopkins. Or maybe I just like all the blues.

Via 100 Layer Cake

Wedding Box

2010-02-05T11:33:00.000-06:00

From Cori & Zack's upstate NY wedding...
Listen to this one: “We put a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a set of love letters (written in secret and unshared) into a wooden crate and then sealed it with nails (each nail was hammered by a family member to show their commitment to supporting our marriage and then finally by us). The crate is meant as an act of reassurance, a romantic gesture–if ever our relationship is in peril, we are to open the crate, drink the wine, and read the letters before we make any decisions about our future.”

We absolutely must do this!
Via 100 Layer Cake

All The Single Ladies

2010-02-05T10:42:00.000-06:00

When I first saw this a couple days ago I thought it was pure brilliance, and tons of fun. Then when I youtubed it, it looks to be a current wedding trend because there are tons of videos.

I was talking to K last night and we decided that we should absolutely do a choreographed dance with the bridesmaids. We'll have to figure out what song to do it to and maybe enlist a fellow dance friend to help us choreograph. Haha, this is all hilarious that K would consent to dancing in front of people because the girl hates to dance. Period. But that's love for ya.

T Bird & The Breaks

2010-02-04T13:45:00.000-06:00

Found my rocking local band! I don't know why I didn't think of them before...but they sure would be fun.
T-Bird & The Breaks

Fortune Cookies

2010-02-04T10:22:00.000-06:00

When C and I first began dating I would send him random pick-up lines via text message. It's quite amazing the verity of pick-up lines there are floating around--they even have Harry Potter, Christen, and Jewish lines! Haha, oh dear.

I think it would be great to make fortune cookies to put at dinner place settings with different pick-up lines hidden in them!

Some of my personal favorites are...

*Right now we’re just two RNA, but maybe we could transcribe together and become DNA.
*Now I know why Solomon had 700 wives... Because he never met you.
*What's a maiden like you doing in a dungeon like this?

Far and away my absolute favorite is:
*Why don't you go ahead and slid your matza balls over near my gefilte fish?

More Pick-up Lines
Fortune Cookie recipe

Modern Art Wedding

2010-02-03T16:18:00.001-06:00

I love this photo of the groomsmen of a wedding that took place at the Museum of Modern Art in Atlanta.
More photos of Kate & Andy's Wedding
Via Green Wedding Shoes

Jill Thomas Photography & Saving Money

2010-02-03T14:45:00.000-06:00

So precious!

Couple, Natalie and Jared's wedding was small, just with their closest friends and family, and they did most of it themselves; her mom made her wedding dress and she made her bouquet and necklace. They didn't have a lot of money but wanted really nice photos so they only hired photographer Jill Thomas for a couple hours during the ceremony and for some informal shots right after the wedding. During the party they took care of the photography themselves. I think that's a great idea to cut costs: nice photographs during and then have a photo booth for when everyone's relaxing and having a good time.
More photos of the wedding
Jill Thomas Photography

Make-up!

2010-02-03T11:18:00.000-06:00

I have been trying for years now to be able to apply liquid eye-liner as deftly as pin-up girls do. I adore this look for everyday and for weddings. Maybe for my wedding, I'll get someone else who has the outward up-sweep downpat. This image is from one of my favorite fashion blogs called The Freelancer's Fashion Blog. She has impeccable style.

I was reading The Knot's make-up section today and they said that in order to not have your make-up dripping down to your ankles by the end of the festivities, it's necessary to have a totally kick-ass primer. They suggest LORAC aquaPRIME Oil-Free Makeup Primer.

In between all the nerves and the dancing, sweat can be a concern so try a clinical strength deodorant. If you apply it the night before it will have time to soak in and plug your sweat pores. Ahh! That doesn't sound too healthy at all. They recommend Secret Clinical Strength Anti-Perspirant Deodorant.

Over Halloween C and I were Beetlejuice and Lydia. We both put a bunch of white make-up on our faces and were surprised by how yellow our teeth looked in all the photos. This is exactly why we're totally going to be using Crest Whitestrips Advanced Seal. For sure.

More beauty tips at The Knot
Beauty Tips

The Center

2010-02-03T10:21:00.000-06:00

I broke down and told C that I wanted to get married last night. It took me a minute to get it out but then he said he had already thought about it; that he was planning on asking after our year-long trip, assuming we still liked each other after spending that much time together, sleeping in the back of a car. If we wanted to get married here in town, why didn't we do it at the architectural center? This is awesome because I thought it would be a great place too!

There's a whole complex that involves a main house, a meeting space with a long table, an airhanger, fire pits, and lots of space. It's run by architect and teacher Pliny Fisk, and all the buildings are made out of recycled building materials. Buildings incorporate brick from a townhouse, wood from an old barn, metal from a car, etc. It would be perfect...
Center For Maximum Potential Building Systems

Save The Date

2010-02-02T15:47:00.000-06:00

Seems like more and more people are making online video versions of their Save The Date cards-it helps the environment and all. I found this video today and had a small heart spasm. We absolutely must do something like this for our future wedding...when that happens!
Apparently you send these 3-6 months before the wedding. I vote for 3.
Via Green Wedding Shoes blog

Save the date! 31 july 2010 from Kishi-Grover on Vimeo.

The Red House

2010-02-02T12:49:00.000-06:00

I grew up on the east coast, C grew up on the west, and we met in the middle. So where to have the wedding? The concenus right now is to have it where we currently live since most of our friends are here and it's a good meeting point for both families.

Which is why I was excited to find this vacation cottage to rent for our families when they come to town. A remodeled 1926 bungalow called The Red House it's not terribly expensive and it's right near downtown!

Josh Goleman's Circus

2010-02-02T12:05:00.000-06:00

My dear friend CS sent me this adorable wedding as inspiration for her future wedding and I just love it! It's super cute and fun, but everyone really looks like they're having a ball and it's mostly DIY. That's what I want mine to be: pure fun, silliness, and all handmade. I want my mom to make our wedding cake, I want to make my wedding dress, K to make our wedding china, CS to set up the photobooth, M to make our rings, and all of our super talented musical friends to rock us into the night.

Adam & Halli's complete wedding photos
A & H wedding website with invites and such

Josh Goleman photography

I love the intense blue of the backdrop! And her dress is super cute too, I love the length. Haha, she even has bloomers on underneath!

I love all the twinkle lights! It makes the space look really warm and inviting. I also think it's the perfect size for a dance party--not too big but not too cramped.

Party Favors

2010-02-02T11:41:00.000-06:00

I saw this in the Winter issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and had an idea. I think it would be wonderful to make our own liquor or infuse some vodka with a few different flavors as wedding party favors. We could bottle them up in little mason jars and have hand written labels. If we did the infused vodka maybe some of the flavors could be Basil, Lavender, and of course Ginger because it's my absolute favorite.

The lady at the liquor store last night said I should look for a vodka to infuse that is either 4-5 times distilled.

Perfect Wedding Color Palette

Fabric Backdrop

2010-02-01T16:49:00.001-06:00

Love!

Kelly & Colin's wedding from Style Me Pretty

Straps

2010-02-01T14:55:00.001-06:00

I always thought I'd be drawn to a strapless wedding dress but this one is so lovely. I like that it has pockets and the fabric is a little less shiny in person than in this photo. Plus, I love to dance and with strapless dresses you run a risk of over exposure...Madonna has a little over exposure herself and I learn what not to do from my pop culture. Damn, if I could only remember exactly which video it was. The silk taffeta straps would keep everything in place much better. And to top it all off, it has a little train in the back!

Lindsey Dress by Pricilla of Boston.

Bridesmaid Dresses

2010-02-01T12:48:00.000-06:00

I'm totally into this mix-and-match idea for bridesmaids dresses! There's nothing worse than wearing something you feel super awkward in; it translates right into your body language and your mood. So why not have bridesmaids wear something they can rock?
From Vintage Weddings

Jake Holt Photography

2010-02-01T12:08:00.000-06:00

I love the intense colors! It's totally rad.

Jake Holt

Vintage Weddings by The Knot

2010-02-01T11:55:00.000-06:00

I went to the bookstore the other day to gaze over wedding magazines. Oh my goodness! There are so many awful, awful wedding magazines! Case in point: Bridal Guide which has zero personality and style.

Which is why I was super excited to find the new website that caters to quirky weddings! Vintage Weddings, an offshoot of The Knot, has great ideas with postings by my current favorite wedding photographer, Feather Love.

Vintage Weddings

Engagement Photos

2010-01-31T16:49:00.001-06:00

I don't think I understand why people take engagement photos. Maybe when you hire a wedding photographer, engagement photos are automatically part of the package? But when do you use them? When do you even look at them?

I think I'd stage an announcement photo with C and then email it out to everyone, like we did with our Holiday and New Years photos. That would be the extent of our engagement photos.

However, I did find an amazing photographer who takes wonderful engagement photos with a vintage flair.

Noa Azoulay-Sclater of Feather Love Photography.
Feather Love

Imelda May

2010-01-31T16:37:00.000-06:00

Weddings should be a grand party, a huge celebration. By Jove, people are getting married! And parties are simply not complete without mingling and dancing. While mingling is probably best started by an ice breaker, such as a pinata, the best way to get the dancing underway is with some really good music. If I had a bunch of money and the right connections, my first choice for a wedding band would Imelda May. Really good booty-shaking music that spans generations. If only...sigh. Must be on the look-out for a comparable local band.
Imelda May, a rockabilly goddess!

Fabric Flowers

2010-01-31T14:57:00.001-06:00

I never, ever realized how expensive bouquets are. I came across a very lovely bridal bouquet with a price tag of $300. Just one small portion of the overall flower needs of a wedding! Geez Louise. So, when I came across this adorably stylish fabric flower, I think I may have found a cheaper, yet equally cute, flower option.
How-To for Ribbon Flower Bouttoniere at Martha Stewart Weddings
How-To for Rose Hat

Floating Lanterns

2010-01-31T14:33:00.000-06:00

This is beautiful! I can just imagine people all writing a short message to the floating lanterns and sending them all up after the dinner is completed and before the dancing begins.

C & I tried to make one of our own floating lanterns over SXSW. It involved butcher paper and a tea candle. Hahaha...it didn't exactly work...didn't work at all. But it would be beautiful to do this in a grand Texan field--I'm a big fan of the grand Texan fields.
Chinese Wish Lanterns

Two Guitars Invites

2010-01-31T14:24:00.001-06:00

I've been working as assistant buyer for a home accessories boutique for a couple years now and have come across my favorite stationary ever. Ever.

I think these would be perfect for wedding invites. C, my man whom I love and cherish, is a musician and we're about to embark on this year long road trip to study music. It just seems like a terribly fitting invite for us, with a hint of quirky old world style. Pure love.

The designer, Scott, has some other amazing designs.
Two Guitars

Introductions

2010-01-31T13:20:00.000-06:00

I'm not engaged. I have no Muriel's Wedding desires to simply get married, no matter the gentleman in question. And I'm not terribly girlie enough that the mere thought big frilly dresses makes me weak at the knees.

However, I do have a man to whom I would like nothing more than to get married. But he hasn't asked yet. In order to indulge my secret desires without getting embarrassed by letting him know I'm researching all this mess, I've created this little secret blog where I put all my favorite dresses, photographers, honeymoon ideas, and try desperately to figure a way around the tradition of bridesmaid dresses being so unfashionable. And maybe one day, when we finally do get engaged, I'll have a leg up on overwhelming amount of wedding planning.