Project Wedding Blog

I’m sooo crazy about Elizabeth and Cristian’s eclectic style… and the gown, oh the gown.  Elizabeth wore a Monique Lhuillier stunner that is incredibly unique and sophisticated. Enjoy their story in photographs by Washington-based photographer, Aubrey Joy.The couple chose The Little Door Restaurant in Los Angeles because of its eclectic feel, knowing that traditional wedding décor was not going to work. Growing up in southern California, Elizabeth has always loved succulents and the desert greenery fit in perfectly with the vibe of the space. Items collected from thrift shops, flea markets and the Pasadena Rose Bowl Antique Fair were used as planters. To emphasize The Little Door theme, skeleton keys were tied to hand-calligraphed manila tags by NJW Calligraphy and displayed as escort cards. Guests were sent home with custom recipe books from the bride and groom, who both love to cook. With so many of their friends and family spread throughout the country, they don’t get the opportunity to share a meal nearly as often as they’d like, making the parting gift particularly sweet and meaningful.

Blissful Wishes to this gorgeous couple, Elizabeth + Cristian!

Photos by Aubrey Joy Photography

Bridal Gown by Monique Lhuillier via She by Cindy

Bride’s Hair by Chris McMillan Salon

Venue: The Little Door Restaurant

Calligraphy by NJW Calligraphy

Cake by Sweet Lady Jane

Band: The Get Down Boys

Event Design by the Bride + MOH, Alexis Eskenazi; Senior Event Producer at Colin Cowie Lifestyle

Tags: eclectic, garden, restaurant, succulents, unique.

Jon and Keri first met while studying abroad in Italy, but it wasn’t until years later, when they ran into each other at a mutual friend’s birthday party in California, that the sparks flew. Their wedding was both a fun celebration of their love, and a snapshot of gorgeous, Tuscan-inspired details.  In fact, I’m in awe of just how much these photos by Amanda Patrice take me straight to the dreamy, rustic Italian countryside…I just love the sophistication of black bridesmaid’s dresses…  The palette featured black, pewter, and hints of purple.  Cupid’s Arrow Floral Studio worked with heavy greenery in the bouquets and décor to create a balancing effect, a pairing of deep hues with organic accents.

The Mission Inn couldn’t have been a more perfect venue…with its amazing architecture and old world ambiance. Italian lights hung from above, while authentic postcards marked each table. 

A special thanks to Amanda Patrice for sharing these awe-inspiring photos!

Sending heartfelt wishes to this beautiful couple, Jon + Keri…

Photos by Amanda Patrice

Reception Venue: The Mission Inn

Event Design by HMC Event Solutions

Bridal Beauty by Dollhouse Hair & Makeup Design

Flowers by Cupid’s Arrow Floral Studio

Video by Godfather Films

Tags: black, green, Italian, pewter, rustic, succulents, Tuscany-Inspired.

Mary Kate and John’s Austin wedding has that feeling of the classic South, yet the color palette and details were perfectly unique.  We were taken by the blues and greens, and of course the beautiful Barr Mansion setting.  Katherine O’Brien did an extraordinary job capturing the day in creative film and digital photos!  Each bridesmaid selected her own ivory dress, but they were coordinated with blue ribbon and the gorgeous hydrangea and succulent bouquets by  STEMS Floral Design.  Love those blue nails in the pic below!Mary Kate and John first bonded over a similar taste in music and they definitely had music on the mind as they planned their day.  During the ceremony, Barton Strings played Over the Rainbow for the processional and Here Comes the Sun for the recessional.   Along with their officiant, Sarah de la Fuente, the two designed a custom ceremony that spoke to them.  They said their vows on the scenic grounds of the Barr Mansion.  The reception, held in the Barr Mansion’s modern ballroom, featured a rainbow of rustic florals and lots of dancing to local Austin band, Soul Track Mind.  Their music was a hit with guests!Mary Kate and John married on what would have been her grandparents’ 61st wedding anniversary.  To honor them, she baked 700 peanut butter cookies (her grandmother’s recipe) to give to guests as favors!

Read more from the bride just below or {click here} to see the full feature…

Photos by Katherine O’Brien Photography

Venue, Event Coordination & Cake by Barr Mansion

Bride’s Hair & Makeup by Snodene Blakenely

Bridal Gown by Modern Trousseau from Unbridaled

Invitations & Programs by Bella Figura

Ceremony Musicians: Barton Strings

Officiant: Sarah de la Fuente

Florals by STEMS Floral Design

Reception Band: Soul Track Mind

From the Bride:

The weather was perfect considering the summer we had. The week of our wedding was the first break we had from 100+ degree temperatures all summer long.

One of my favorite moments of the day was seeing for the first time the bouquets that Abby Daigle of STEMS put together. When we met to discuss the flowers, I didn’t have a concrete idea of what I wanted. I told her the colors that I wanted in my bouquet and the bridesmaids’ bouquets and she was able to help me pick out some flowers that would include all those colors. Then she took it from there and put together the perfect bouquets. I could not have been happier with them!

We were very glad we chose to see each other before the ceremony. It calmed our nerves. And despite the fact that our wedding party was all watching with our photographers Katherine and Jeff taking pictures, it was still a very personal moment.

My father has a huge baseball card collection from his childhood that he has kept in great condition over the years. On the day of the wedding he gave John, John’s father, and his groomsmen each a baseball card from his collection. They were all cards of Red Sox players as John and his groomsmen all grew up in the Boston area and love the Red Sox.  John and the guys also toasted with John’s favorite whiskey before our first look photos.

I gave John Ghostbuster cufflinks the day of the wedding. It has been his favorite movie since he was a child. His grandmother has lots of stories of him pretending to be a Ghostbuster when he was younger.

The ballroom where our reception was held was newly built, finished just a few months before our wedding. Just before we got engaged in June of 2010, lightning struck the original Barr Mansion ballroom and burned it to the ground. It had been a beautiful structure and was a huge loss for Barr Mansion. Right away they set out to begin the rebuilding process. We were confident that they would rebuild it to be just as beautiful as the original. And they did!

Although we wanted a short ceremony, we wanted it to be meaningful to us. We chose Sarah de la Fuente to officiate our wedding because she was more than happy to help us write a ceremony that spoke to us. It was really special to know that we didn’t just write our own vows, but helped create the entire ceremony.

John and I bonded over similar tastes in music when we first met, so it was important to us to have a great band for our reception. In Austin we have a great local band called Soul Track Mind and we were thrilled that they agreed to play at our reception. Our guests could not stop complimenting them long after the wedding was over.

Our friends and family gave some great toasts during the reception. Most were planned but a few folks jumped up on stage without warning, including the father of one of my bridesmaids who told us to “live long and prosper.” John’s brother (and best man) also read a beautiful poem written by their grandfather for our wedding, as he was not able to make the trip from Massachusetts.

One of the funnier moments of the night was towards the end of the reception. My father and his friends have a history of dancing the Gator as they do in the movie Animal House during each other’s wedding receptions. They continued the tradition at our reception when our band played the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.” They were a huge hit.

As a result of the hot, dry weather we had all summer we were in a burn ban so we could not have a sparkler send off at the end of the night. In place of sparklers we bought a few hundred glow sticks. John and I have gone to quite a few concerts where we threw around glow sticks so it was very appropriate for us.

We did not want to take on a lot of little DIY projects for our wedding, mostly because the Barr Mansion grounds really don’t need much in the way of decorations. But I did know I wanted to honor my paternal grandparents as we were getting married on what would have been their 61st wedding anniversary. My grandmother was a great cook and our favorite treats growing up were her cookies, specifically molasses cookies and peanut butter cookies. So the week of the wedding, using her recipes, my sisters, bridesmaids, and I made over 700 cookies as favors for our guests. It ended up being quite a project but I am glad we did it!

Tags: Barr Mansion, blue, classic, green, Katherine O'Brien photography, rustic, Southern, succulents.

We’re warming up to the idea of fall and thinking about all of the unique floral offerings the season brings…. here are some beautiful bouquets fit for a fall wedding…

Dahlias by {Catherine Leonard}

Succulents by {Q Weddings}

Black Calla Lilies by {Jen Huang}

Spider Mums by {Jose Villa}

Botanical Berry Blend by {Meg Smith}

Happy September, sweet friends!

xo

Tags: calla lilies, dahlias, fall bridal bouquets, pincushion protea, spider mums, succulents.

The real wedding this week is really probably my favorite of the year.  I mean, I love them all of course.. but something about the rich succulent décor has me in utter delight.  I also love the color palette: rich greens, aubergine, and pale blue.  Enjoy a few photos by Q Weddings down below, and catch the full spread in the real wedding gallery by {clicking here}.  Mazel Tov Paige & Zach!

Photos by Q Weddings

Planning by 36th Street Events

Venue: Austin Museum of Art

Florals by Pollen Floral Art

Bridal Gown by Romona Keveza

Cake by D’Ellen Confections

Sweets Table by Dream Bakery

See More…

Tags: aubergine, austin, eggplant, old world garden party, rustic, succulents.

This being the week of Shamrock shakes and green beer, I am sharing my love for another variety of green — succulents. It’s sort of along the lines of seedling favors, and I think guests appreciate them in a similar fashion. Mary Swenson sent these pretty pics over along with some tips:

Mary purchased these little beauties for less than $3 a piece at a home improvement store! She kept their natural/rustic vibe by wrapping kraft paper around them and adding little name tags, using some unfussy twine. You can also remove the name tags and cluster them together for a sweet centerpiece, as seen above.

Images: Mary Swenson

Tags: succulents.

SMS Photography sent over this pretty Southern wedding earlier this week.  When I saw the sweet couple (Ben + Blair) and the unique artichoke and succulent florals, I had to share it!  Check out the lanterns in the  ceremony set-up and the brightly lit trees for some inspired lighting ideas, too…

Photography: SMS Photography

Venue: Green Pastures Restaurant

Event Planner: Clink

Florals: Private Foral

Tags: austin, black, green, Green Pastures, SMS Photography, Southern, succulents.

By: Tracy of Recycled Bride

Want eco-friendly floral alternatives that dazzle and delight? Luscious succulent plants are one of 2010’s hottest trends for wedding bouquets and décor!

Succulents are an eco-friendly alternative to cut flowers, which are often grown with pesticides and imported from South America and China. They can be used anywhere you’d normally use flowers – in centerpieces, decorations, bouquets, wedding favors – even your hair!

Succulents are usually less expensive than cut flowers, and they can live for many years with minimal care. You or your guests can take them home and plant them as a memento of your special day.

These hearty little plants can also be arranged before your wedding, so if you’re DIY-savvy you can make your own succulent centerpieces or favors and save a bundle on your floral bill.

Many innovative florists and event designers, like Los Angeles-based Succulent Love, eschew cut flowers entirely in favor of the organic, lush look of succulents.

And the very best part is that you don’t have to sacrifice style to go green. These plants come in a variety of colors and shapes, and lend a sophisticated and modern touch to any wedding or event.

Recycle Bride is the site to buy and sell gently used wedding items and find everything green for your wedding day.

Tags: green weddings, succulents.