I’m super excited to announce I’m contributing this week to Aisledash! For these posts I thought it would be fun to take inspiration for Alina Pizzano‘s recent wedding dress collection and turn them into inspiration boards for a wedding design. You can check out the first post here. Enjoy!

I’m so happy to announce the Santa Barbara Wedding Guide now has its very own blog! I’ll be contributing to this blog periodically and today my post about Rockwood and my wedding is up here. Be sure to check back for Santa Barbara real wedding features, vendor spotlights, inspiration and so much more.

Today I’m so excited to be featured on The City Sage! I did a Valentine’s themed table for the chic DIY girl. You can go check it out here and here.

Special thanks to Tim Halberg for photographing the table!

I’m so happy to present the lovely Chelsea from Frolic! with her tips for photo styling. Enjoy!!!

I am Chelsea from Frolic! and am excited to be on Kelly’s lovely blog today! She asked me to share a little about my thought process when I style weddings or party tables. I love everything to look pretty and just right but it also has to be simple, quick and inexpensive. Here are a few tips for those styling their own wedding or party tables.

1. Think about Location. I like my tablescapes to grow from their environments. I spend a lot of time at the locations and if I have a style in mind to begin with, I search out the perfect spot. This green and white table was inspired by the blooming pear trees it was sitting under. I didn’t want to outdo all the gorgeous natural beauty but simply play off of it.

2. Stick to one or two colors. It makes the shopping and planning process so much easier ( and cheaper!). I based this entire table around a swatch of Liberty fabric and a bucket of apples.

3. Pretty chairs are important. Chairs can make or break the entire atmosphere. Go with cheaper centerpieces and spend your dollars on chairs. It will be worth it! They don’t have to match either. One of my favorite tricks is to mix and match Chivari chairs with chairs I already own. Just make sure they are the same colors and around the same heights.

4. Anything can be a centerpiece. It doesn’t alway have to be flowers. Don’t rule out anything. I am a big fan of using seasonal fruit for centerpieces and doubling them up for favors. Helps with the budget too!

5. Make your table look homemade. Rental cloths are usually the most practical and realistic for the budget, but it doesn’t mean your tables have to be sterile. The first thing I usually start with is a plain white rental cloth and from there I add homemade runners and napkins.

6. Use pretty packaging. Not the crafty type? Don’t fiddle with cellophane and ribbons. Find favors and drinks with pretty labels that match your color scheme. Often you can buy in bulk online or through a local store. I based this entire table around Bon Maman strawberry jam and it made my life so much easier!

7. Hang flags! Bunting is so simple and inexpensive to make. Anyone can do it and it really creates a fun atmosphere. I made this one out of tape!

8. Use handwriting. It adds a personal, warm flair to your day. If you don’t like your handwriting or don’t have time, source it out to a friend with pretty writing or calligraphy skills.

9. Have fun! Only decorate with things you like and don’t feel pressure from other people to include colors or elements that don’t reflect your style. It should be an enjoyable process!

Photos: 1,4,5,7,8,9 Chelsea Fuss for Project Wedding. 2 + 3, Chelsea Fuss for Once Wed. 6, Chelsea Fuss.

Thanks for the post Chelsea!!!

Today I’m super excited to welcome Alison of Alison Events. I love her work, creativity, and now her new book! “Destination Wedding Planner: The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding from Afar” has tons of useful worksheets and pretty pictures to boot. You can buy it here.

Take it away Alison:

I have always been excited to try to come up with different ways to display escort cards.  I get inspired often by the things that are in the space or at the venue already.  Here are some of my favorites….

We pinned the escort cards to a tree that was big and grand and just so happen to be in a convenient place, in the middle of the cocktail hour!

For a wine country wedding, we created a wine cork board and then placed all the cards on top in a beautiful calligraphy!

For a Tahoe wedding we used the river stones that were from the lake at the clients home and wrote the guests names on them with sharpies and then had the table number on the back.

For a Mexico wedding we calligraphied the guests names on a piece of paper, tied them to local shells and stuck them in sand boxes. It was a great souvenir.

For a wedding that took place in a barn we hung the escort cards from the barn doors by clothing lines and twine.  Rather then calligraphy, we hand wrote them so they would blend with the casualness of the display.

For an Asian wedding that wanted to emphasize their heritage, we hung tea bags off an old ladder that had the guests names written on the front.

For a country wedding we placed the escort cards in wooden fruit boxes and filled them with seeds and then had fruits cascading down the side of the table.

For a mid century modern wedding in Palm Springs we placed calligraphied escort cards on a bed of white mums.  The cards were calligraphied then screen printed.

Top image: Jose Villa

All images courtesy of Alison Events.

We were so happy to contribute to Bridetide our “Top Ten” list for every online resource a bride should know. You can check out the full list here.

My guest post about my ideal vacation is up on coco + kelley, one of my all time favorite blogs. You can check it out right here.

Enjoy!

Thank you to all my guest bloggers! Be sure to check out their blogs for even more inspiration.

Image: Pistachio Press

Our next guest is the lovely Cassandra from coco + kelley:

Whenever I get asked about where I find inspiration for my interiors and events, I only have one answer: everywhere. So, whether I’m planning a wedding or styling a dining room, I always tell my clients to send me anything that moves them. I’ve created rooms inspired by fashion spreads and weddings inspired by vintage posters. It’s really all about figuring out what it is about that piece that inspires you, and designing everything around it. Here’s how it works for me…

I recently moved back to Seattle from Los Angeles and have been completely infatuated by the amazing colors of the leaves changing all over the city. Patches of vivid reds, oranges and yellows are everywhere I look! I wanted to find a room that really captured the colors of the season while still remaining elegant…

This dining room by Stephen Shubel has always been a favorite of mine, and happens to be the perfect inspiration! I love how he designed the chairs in different colors to add a bit of playfulness to a more formal space. The dark rustic table and floors help warm things up a bit and keep the space grounded. So, now it’s time to translate this feeling into a wedding!

To me, there were a few key elements to keep in mind for this design – elegance, playfulness, and a dash of rustic. Keeping the color palette mostly brown and golden yellow with subtle touches of orange and red creates a sophisticated palette. Tying in the chandelier motif to the invitation also creates this sense of luxury. The feather accents, colorful lanterns, and lots of loose ribbons lighten the mood, while the setting itself creates all the rustic touches needed. And voila! That’s how I translate an inspirational room to a wedding!

Sources:
1) Ring pillow photographed by Studio Nouveau
2) Lanterns via {frolic!}
3) Ceremony site: by Karen Bussen
4) Chandelier invitations photographed by Belathee Photography:
5) Bridesmaid dress via Style Me Pretty
6. Cake via Martha Stewart Weddings
7. Boutonniere: Twigs & Honey
8. Shoes: J.Crew
9. Dress: Vera Wang
10. Chandelier photographed by Belathee Photography
11. Flower girls via Martha Stewart Weddings
12. Vintage car photo via Brides
13. Bouquet via Snippet & Ink

Our next guest is Chelsea from {frolic}, an inspiring blog that you must check out. And if you’re in the Portland area Chelsea would love to help design your next event!

Kelly asked me to write a little about my creative process. I tend not to follow rules. But, I do follow a few tips. Whether I am working on an event or a photo shoot, I try to remind myself of a few things. Maybe these will be helpful to some of you trying to plan a wedding or party.

* Follow your instinct.

*Inspiration can be found anywhere.

*Consider the location and/or the purpose. Let ideas grow from that.

*Take a break if you are feeling stifled.

*Start over if necessary.

*Seek out an opinion (but not too many!)

*Don’t forget to have fun; it will help you stay inspired.

Here are a few of my current inspirations:

Donna Hay always inspires me [above & below].

Jane Packer’s website is filled with floral goodies.

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Roland Bello’s photography website is my first stop when I am looking for a little eye candy.

Lately I love pink. This image is from stylist Jane Roarty.

Thanks for letting me visit, everyone! Come say hello over at my blog, Frolic!