Aug 29, 2010
This charming, but not so small, homespun wedding graced the store shelves in the ultra classy Destination I Do magazine last Spring. If you missed the issue, here’s your second chance – Destination I Do 2010 Spring.
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Kat came to me with several “musts” that she wanted to incorporate into her wedding – a natural, organic feel with muted colors, an Italian touch or two and a setting inspired by the era of “A River Runs Through It”. This is what we came with up after 16 months of planning…
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Their lakeside ceremony was attended by 220 guests, all mesmerized with the unforgettable site of the couple reciting their touching vows just steps away from Lake Tahoe. Katherine wore a lace Carolina Herrera wedding gown. Her bridesmaids wore a modern olive number by Thread – we loved the pockets!
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Ivy wrapped shepherd hooks holding overflowing copper pails blooming with lavender, wheat and hues of orange & white florals marked the aisle path along with a smattering of soft orange, apricot and white rose petals. These elements were mirrored by the square willow arch framing the altar.
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Coming from avid fly-fishing families, these touches were woven throughout the reception from the river rock in the mason jars, to the fly fishing baskets containing goodies staged all over, to the fishing flies tied along with wheat plumes to each of their guests’ place cards. As a surprise to their family members, the couple displayed photos on the place card table of fishing trips enjoyed through the years.
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Custom wagon-wheel chandeliers with antique lanterns dangled overhead, very reminiscent of an earlier time. Olive swags were added to the napkins along with a white flower tied with a silk cord. These were the perfect touches for marrying the “A River Runs Through It” and Tuscany vibes of the wedding.
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Photos courtesy of Mulberry Photography, Florals by Bellissima Floral Creations
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PS – If you love this wedding look, you are in luck as more of these details are being featured in a magazine article due out this week focusing on chic rustic elements. More to come soon…
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Aug 24, 2010
The Champagne Cocktail is definitely the “IT” Signature Drink of this summer! At Merrily Wed, we would like to pay homage to champagne (by this we mean Champagne, Prosecco, Sparking Wine & Cava depending on which part of the world it came from) and all of the champagne cocktails we have cheered with this wedding season.
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Champagne mixed with anything from fruit to flowers to even more alcohol is filling the servers’ trays at many of our past lakeside receptions. This perfect cocktail canvas allows you to mix some interesting flavors as well as add colors from within your wedding palette by using dendrobium orchids, sprigs of lavender, cranberries, blueberries, peach puree’, Chambord, Midori and Crème de Menthe to name a few.
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For the finishing touch, don’t forget to rename your Champagne Cocktail to match your wedding destination or personality. Our personal favorite of the year was “The Claire Royal.”
Merrily Wed Wedding - Photo Courtesy of Kendall Price Photography
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In addition to the classic Kir Royal, the brunch Mimosa and the perennial Italian favorite, the Bellini – which by the way just celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2008 – check out these romantically named Champagne Cocktails:
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Ritzy Raspberry Revelry
• 2/3 ounce raspberry infused vodka (or Stoli Raspberry as a short cut)
• Fill with champagne
• Garnish with a red rose…very romantic!
Merrily Wed Wedding - Photo Courtesy of Kendall Price Photography
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Arise My Love
• 1 teaspoon of Crème de Menthe
• Fill with champagne or sparkling wine
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This guy must have wanted to awake their love with a glass of bubbly and insure they had good breath?!
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Midnight Kiss Cocktail
• Rim the edge of a wine glass with sugar
• 3/4 oz. well-chilled vodka
• Fill with champagne or sparkling wine
• Top with Blue Curacao….
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Sounds like a winner for a “Blue Tahoe” Drink…
Kendall Price Photography
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Chanel No. 6
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1 ounce Chambord
• 1 ounce chilled pineapple juice
• Fill with well-chilled champagne
• Garnish with fresh raspberry
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Remember, champagne is a celebration in a bottle, so be sure to raise your glass next time you indulge!
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Aug 17, 2010
Color is an important aspect of the world we live in. The ones that you love and you choose to surround yourself with says something about your personality, your outlook and some can even affect you physically. Your color choices from the paint on your walls, to the clothes you are wearing today and to the linen and flowers at your wedding all give a glimpse into the inner you! Everyone has a favorite color; some might even have more than one. Find out what your favorite color means, and how the colors you choose for your wedding can influence the overall feel of your wedding day.
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Photo courtesy of Laura Taylor
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Red:
Red is the most intense color of the color wheel. Red stimulates energy as well as increases enthusiasm. Red symbolizes love, passion, courage and rage. Red also emits a sense of protection from anxiety and fears. If red is your favorite color you are passionate, maintain a busy lifestyle, desire strength and may be a risk taker.
Pink:
Pink is fun and exciting, some shades of pink can have almost the same energy as red. Red is passionate without being an overly aggressive hue. Pink is the color of happiness. Pink stimulates energy, encourages action and confidence. If pink is your favorite color you tend to be calm, sensitive and sympathetic. You are also compassionate towards others and dislike controversy.
Orange:
Orange, a close relative of red, radiates warmth and energy. Orange stimulates appetite, socialization, as well as activity. If your favorite color is orange you are friendly, confident and full of energy. You balance your life with business and pleasure and enjoy both!
Yellow:
Yellow shines with optimism, enlightenment and happiness. Yellow is mentally stimulating and encourages communication. Yellow will increase optimism, energy, as well as spark creative thoughts. If yellow is your favorite color you are creative, intelligent and happiness comes naturally to you.
Green:
Green occupies more space in the color wheel than any other color and is the second most popular favorite color. Green is a large contributor to the colors of nature. The color green is seen as tranquil and refreshing, with a balance of cool and warm hues. Most shades of green are known to be physically and mentally relaxing. If green is your favorite color you enjoy the nature that surrounds you and love spending time in the outdoors. You also enjoy calming your loved ones, as well as helping the less fortunate.
Teal:
Teal has the calming effect of both green and blue. Teal represents sophistication, generosity and creativity. Teal encourages communication as well as creativity. If your favorite color is teal you tend to be sensitive, intellectual, imaginative and charming. You also tend to be self-reliant and independent.
Blue:
The color blue is the most common favorite color in the world. Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. It invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming. Not all blues are serene, bright blues can become dramatic and cause exhilaration. Blue is the least gender specific color, it appeals equally to both genders. If your favorite color is blue, friends find you to be very trustworthy and patient. You are also conservative and love to have stability in your life.
Navy:
Navy symbolizes wisdom, self-mastery and spiritual realization. Navy, being a shade of blue, increases communication within yourself. Navy develops intuition, increases solitude and lets you focus on personal issues. If navy is your favorite color you are spiritual, intuitive and intelligent. You are also self-reliant and tend to take on responsibility.
Purple:
Purple balances red’s stimulation and blue’s calming effect. With a sense of royalty, purple is a color often well liked by very creative personalities. Purple is uplifting, calms nerves, as well as encourages creativity. If purple is your favorite color, you desire respect, power and often tend to be sentimental.
White:
White projects purity, neutrality and cleanliness. The color white encourages clarity and enables fresh beginnings. White also encourages clearing clutter and purifying thoughts and actions. If white is your favorite color, you prefer a peaceful surrounding and like to be surrounded by truth and innocence.
Grey:
Grey is the color of knowledge, wisdom and intellect. Grey is also known as the color of compromise because it is a mixture of powerful black and pure white. Grey can sometimes be unsettling because of this compromise, but can also create expectations. If grey is your favorite color you constantly look for peace and composure. You have good business abilities and tend to work hard, sometimes without reward.
Black:
Black is authoritative, powerful, formal and evokes strong emotions. The color black can create a sense of potential and possibility. If black is your favorite color you are classy and others perceive you as a powerful individual. You are very in tune with your emotions and can be spontaneous.
Brown:
Brown symbolizes stability, reliability and approachability. Brown is the color of earth and is affiliated with being natural and organic. Brown creates a feeling of wholesomeness, stability and orderliness. If your favorite color is brown you are dependable, patient and reliable. You also tend to not like impulse, because you are organized and everything is well planned.
Champagne:
Champagne represents the basics, the essentials. Champagne incorporates the warmth of brown with the crispness of white. Champagne creates a feeling that is calm, relaxing and creates a feeling of simplicity. If your favorite color is champagne, you are conservative, dependable and friendly. You also tend to be a perfectionist and like everything to be precise.
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As you can see, colors may mean a lot more than you might have thought. A single description may not fit you perfectly and it may be a combination of colors that suite you best. Consider these meanings when selecting the colors for your wedding to evoke the feeling that you desire on your wedding day. Most importantly, just have fun with it, go with your favorites and your wedding will be a true reflection of yourself!
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Aug 6, 2010
All the hype this week about Chelsea Clinton’s wedding last weekend and her simply sophisticated and elegant wedding dress had us thinking about all the other types of dresses there are. We found some very imaginative ones!
Chelsea’s dress was a quintessential strapless Vera Wang dress. The raw-edged laser cut silk organza skirt and train was breathtakingly beautiful as she walked down the aisle hand-in-hand with her father, former President Bill Clinton. The bodice, diagonally draped silk tulle, was finished perfectly by showcasing Chelsea’s waist with a silver jeweled embroidery. Her bouquet was monochramatic ivory – a very hot Fall trend we will be discussing soon.
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The next few wedding dresses will appeal to the inner princess in some of us and are absolutely gorgeous. The Disney Fairytale Wedding line is designed by Kirstie Kelly and influenced by the Disney Princesses. Each dress embodies the Disney character’s personality, but still withholds the couture design of Kirstie Kelly. Whether you want to look like Cinderella or Princess Jasmine, they have a dress for you. These dresses truly are for a bride looking for a modern day fairytale.
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The next dress is made with 2,009 peacock feathers (seriously wouldn’t want a recount here!) and took eight craftsmen two months to complete. The floral bodice of this dress compliments the similarly hued peacock feathers comprising the train of the dress. This 1.5 million hand sewn dress is sure to make a bold statement, and will definitely have guests talking long after your special day.
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This monarch butterfly dress is a colorful design by Seattle designer, Luly Yang. The non-traditional wedding dress includes vibrant oranges and reds with gorgeous beading topped off with delicate black feathers. (Black feathers is another style watch trend we will cover soon!) Whether you love butterflies or just love this dress, you are sure to have a very special day ‘in the clouds’ wearing this uniquely stunning gown.
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Whether your style is a classic white gown or a princess style dress or a dress with lots of color, all of these wedding gowns are original, fascinating and memorable in their own way just like the gals who will wear them!
Jul 20, 2010
Feathers of ALL colors are one of the hottest wedding trends of 2010 and at Merrily Wed we are taking this trend and running with it. A common feather that is being used is the peacock feather; the bold vibrant colors of the peacock feather can be an inspiration for any wedding. The feathers can be used to add small wisps of color or they can be incorporated in every aspect of the wedding.
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One of our favorite ways to incorporate the use of the peacock feather is to use it as a color inspiration. One way to incorporate the colors is in the linens, use a combination of light green and teal to give a dramatic feel. These colors will give off the essence of the theme and paired with the peacock feathers they look spectacular.
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Another great way to incorporate the colors is in the bridesmaid’s dresses. Having your bridesmaids wear different shades of complimentary colors found in the peacock feather can integrate the theme into the wedding party. Not only will the bridesmaid’s dresses look amazing, but they will also incorporate the mixed-matched bridesmaids dresses that have become oh so popular.
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By adding peacock feathers into the floral arrangements you can add a whimsical feeling to any arrangement. The feathers can look beautiful in any centerpiece, bouquet, boutonnière, or corsage. The contrast between stark white flowers and the bold colors in the peacock feathers can create a refreshing balance to any floral arrangement.
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To ensure that your wedding is just as amazing as you imagine, pay attention to the details. The peacock feather theme is distinctive and glamorous, by incorporating this theme into even the smallest details it will help create a day that will be original and memorable for you as well as your guests.
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The pictures featured in this post were from a Merrily Wed wedding and captured so perfectly by Ben Chrisman Photography. Don’t go far, we have a couple 2010 summer weddings in which we are incorporating different types AND colors of feathers. Keep a lookout for these!!
