29 Jan
2009

Posted in: Featured Posts, Latest Trends
By Candice

The Hottest Colors of Spring

Sweet! I can’t wait for spring and I know all of our spring brides are itching for a little inspiration. Pantone released its spring 2009 color report late last year and I have to say I am a bit surprised at the color choices. Fuscha Red, Salmon Rose, and Rose Dust round out the pinks (you can see our use of some of these colors in our recent Preppy in Pink color palate / design board). I absolutely LOVE Super Lemon and Lucite Green — yellow is going to be a hot color for 2009. Other colors include Palace Blue, Dark Citron, Lavender, Vibrant Green, and Slate Gray.

Which colors are your favorite and are you incorperating any of them into your fabulous fete? Please dish!

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23 Aug
2008

Posted in: Inspiration Boards
By Candice

6 Comments

Warm & Cool: Cocoa, Cranberry, and Fountain Blue Inspiration Board

I felt inspired after seeing W Magazine’s September 2008 cover of Kate Hudson. I love the look of brown, red, and blue together and decided to make a color palate and inspiration board based on these hot colors!

The Inspiration

The Color Palate

warm&cool.jpg I was inspired by the Kate Hudson W Magazine cover, but lets face it, this color combination is extremely popular right now! Open any bridal magazine or decor magazine and you are sure to see some type of variation of these colors. Bridal and event bloggers have also regularly featured their take on this color scheme. Some of my favorites? Red Details @ Elizabeth Ann Designs Blog, Raspberry & Blue @ Polka Dot Bride.com, and Color Palate Contest Entry @ Style Me Pretty.com.

The elements I love most in the inspiration board below are the delicious alternative to a wedding cake, the height defying croquembouche dusted in chocolate. They almost look like truffles, don’t they? I also love the vintage typewriter I found, which you could use to have your guests type a message for your guestbook, verses signing their names (you could frame all their signatures, words of wisdom and quotes in your home). Lastly, I love the use of cranberries as vase fillers. You can use them in a variety of ways for decor with this color scheme. You can pop them into your champagne flutes which will add a little color to your toast. Also, string them and use them along with greenery for garland swagged entry ways, church doors, or chair backs. Use them as decor on your passed appetizer trays or stations. The possibilities are endless!

Enjoy the board. I’m off to prepare for a dinner party we are having with friends. No wedding this weekend, which means I can relax and have a glass of wine!

The Inspiration Board

Bridesmaid dress “Georgia” in bright blue from J. Crew; Ceremony aisle photograph from our preferred vendor Blush (location The Old State House, Hartford, CT), Poppy & Peony Bouquet from Brides.com; Invitation from Lasoo’d Moon Designs (visit their etsy store to purchase); Wedding Gown Angel Sanchez Fall/Winter 2008 Collection; Croquembouche from MarthaStewart.com; Necklace from Tiffany.com; Cherry favors from MarthaStewart.com; Vintage blue typewriter from Three Potato Four; Cranberry vase fillers from PotteryBarn.com; Poppy centerpiece from The Real Wedding of Jill & Shane at TheKnot.com; Red napkins by Michelle Brusegaard; Tablescape by our preferred vendor Blush.

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5 Aug
2008

Posted in: Inspiration Boards
By Candice

1 Comment

Pantone Palate: Aurora Red, Withered Rose, and Ochre

Pantone released its 2008 fall color report a few weeks ago and I’ve been meaning to devote a post to my pick for color combinations! I love the look of Withered Rose, Aurora Red and Ochre for your fall palate. They are rich, warm, and comforting tones with a touch of romance (complimentary of “withered rose”). You’ll likely see these “up and coming” colors in a variety of ways this fall; be sure to look toward your favorite clothing boutique and home decor magazine to see how the colors are used in combination with others!

What I love is how classic the colors are with a modern spin. We’ve seen “withered rose” (maybe known as the dreaded ’80s color mauve?), red, and the color of champagne before… but it is the subtle undertones in these colors that makes them different from the shades we’re use to.

Another thing I love is that it isn’t overly fall. I love themed weddings and I’m all for it, but some of us also like to invoke the feeling of fall without having leaves, bare trees, burnt oranges and pumpkins scattered about our decor. This color palate is a very subtle way to bring about that fall atmosphere for your guests to enjoy. From the bouquets, to the tablescapes, favors, bridesmaid dresses, unique details, cake and invitations – it’s all covered. Now, on to the inspiration board!

Inspiration Board

Credits: Bridesmaid Dress from CocoMyles “The Bradgelina” in red; Champagne glass from Brides.com; Invitation Suite from Seedlings Invitations; Bridal Gown from Kleinfeld Bridal, Alvina Valenta: Style No: 31422132; Votive candles from Pottery Barn; Hairstyle from InStyle Weddings; Wine bottle favors with customized label from TheKnot.com; Rose cake (yes, that is a cake!) from InStyle Weddings; Red & pink bouquet from InStyle Weddings; Ceremony chair decor from TheKnot.com.

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3 Aug
2008

Posted in: Featured Posts
By Candice

1 Comment

Marcia Cross & Tom Mahoney: Rich, Warm & Passionate

I wanted to revisit the wedding of one of my favorite actresses, Marcia Cross to Tom Mahoney.

The Details

Date: June 24, 2006
Ceremony: Church of our Savior, San Gabriel, California
Reception: Ritz Carlton, Pasadena, California
Gown: Reem Acra
Jewelry: Neil Lane
Engagement/Wedding Rings: Tiffany’s
Wedding Party: Seven (!) flower girls, Susen Hett (Maid of Honor)
First Dance: At Last, Etta James
Menu: Sea Bass & Filet Mignon
Flowers: Hydrangeas, roses, calla lilies, white tulips, casablancas, lilacs, and peonies
Cake: 5 ft tall multi-flavored confection that “looked like the empire state building.”

What I Love

Multi-textured table settings with a variety of different colors, the “flower shop” theme with an abundance of fresh blooms, and the mod-glam atmosphere created for the lounge area with the super fabulous candy bar! I also love that her sister sang Paul McCartney’s song “Only Love Remains” as Marcia walked down the aisle with her parents.

… At last

The wedding of Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross and Tom Mahoney took place on June 24, 2006 at San Gabriel’s Church of Our Saviour Episcopal parish in Pasadena, California. “Walking up the aisle was a glorious moment. I was just so happy,” says Cross, who accessorized her custom Reem Acra gown with a cathedral-length veil and Neil Lane platinum-and-diamond jewelry. In a twist on tradition, only married couples were asked onto the dance floor for the post-ceremony bouquet toss. One by one the couples were eliminated until the pair married the longest (more than 50 years) were presented with the bride’s bouquet of white peonies and lilacs.

Seven flower girls—Cross’s niece and the daughters of her closest friends, clad in white Reem Acra dresses—carried silk douppioni baskets and tiny bouquets down the aisle. The bride, on the arms of her parents, Janet and Mark, followed in a creamy strapless embroidered gown, also designed by Reem Acra. Eagerly waiting at the altar for Cross was Mahoney. Although the ceremony was suitably solemn, the guests erupted in cheers as soon as the minister pronounced the pair husband and wife.

For the reception, Julie Pryor, of Pryor Events, and Hidden Garden Floral Design Studio, both in L.A., transformed the ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton Pasadena into a breathtaking all-white flower shop where 232 guests, including Cross’s co-stars—Eva Longoria with boyfriend Tony Parker, Felicity Huffman with husband William H. Macy, Doug Savant, and Housewives creator Marc Cherry—had cocktails on white ottomans and daybeds amid bursts of snowy Casablanca lilies, tulips and peonies.

To choose a cake, Cross invited pals to a tasting at the Layers Cake Design Studio in Sherman Oaks, California. Each picked a favorite flavor. The result? A five-tier confection that was “delicious and the size of the Eiffel Tower,” Cross has said.

In addition to the towering nuptial confection, a sweets station tempted guests with jars of saltwater taffy, jelly beans, rock candy and chocolate-covered strawberries by Lee Gelfond Chocolates in L.A. Thoughtful touches continued, even after goodbyes were said: For the newlyweds, it was a trail of flower petals leading to a room aglow with candles. Guests—who also stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Pasadena–ready to turn in found pillows inscribed “Sweet dreams. XO. Marcia and Tom.”
Article courtesy of InStyle Weddings