Teal, Gray + Yellow Wedding :: Manassas Candy Factory

On a seemingly hot July afternoon, everyone gathered at the Manassas Candy Factory in Virginia to set up for an amazing wedding. All the vendors came together to complete this amazing teal, gray and yellow wedding. With rustic charm (great brick walls throughout the space) and unique touches the ordinary art space became an amazing ceremony and reception space. With railroad tracks sitting right next to the Candy Factory, it was more then fitting for a train to blow if horn while passing by during the ceremony, making everyone smile. With two unique spaces, the ceremony location was transformed in a mere hour into the reception space, while cocktail hour took place in the local art gallery. With great food, great music and a beautiful friend-made cake, the wedding reception could not help but make everyone smile. The night ended with dancing and beautiful paper lanterns lit-up and hung above the dance floor. Enjoy some of the detail pictures I took during the event!

Fanciful Feathers

I have a new love and it is feathers! Recently brides have been wearing them in their hair, adding them to flower arrangements and putting them on their cake. Although I do admit some people take it over the edge or do not make it look pleasing at all, there is a romantic and fun way to add feathers into your wedding or event. You can normally find cheaper colored feathers, but I would try and stick with nicer feathers if using them for your event. The ostrich feather is a fun large feather that added together in a bunch can create a beautiful centerpiece. I am more obsessed about peacock feathers. They have gorgeous colors and are so fun! There are so many ways to add feathers into your wedding or event. Weather you want there be a feather theme or just accents of feathers, you can do it. Here are some simple or crazy ways to add feather to your wedding or event.

• In  your hair
• On your dress, creating an amazing cascade down the dress
• On invitations
• As centerpieces
• In the bouquet
• On the cake (can even just use the design of a feather on the cake)
• On the tablecloths
• As decorations
• On escort cards or table numbers
• Drinks inspired by animals that have feathers… don’t want to put feathers in a drink
• Food inspired by feathers
• On your garter
• On the ring pillow
• Instead of flowers use feathers for the “feather” girl
• On the ceremony programs

The opportunity to add feathers is really endless. Make it modern, vintage, homespun or high end.

Photos From:

Daily.wedshare.com

Blog.iplanitright.com

www.baroncards.com

www.weddingsonthefrenchrivera.com

paperolive.blogspot.com

www.pinkfrosting.com.au

www.snaptacularphotos.com

An Artsy Wedding

I recently had the honor to work a wedding at the Corcoran Art Gallery in Washington, DC. The Corcoran is a gallery and an art school featuring both classical and modern art. The gallery itself was fantastic, but the wedding was amazing, with many touches that brought the art theme throughout the wedding. An art gallery is an amazing place to hold a wedding and reception since they normally have great architecture and layout, plus have great visuals for all the guests. The Corcoran has then great burnt orange/red walls, which the couple utilized when thinking of their colors, flowers and lighting. With great red and orange flowers, sliver linens and gold lighting, the place looked amazing. Sometimes adding lighting can change the coloring of a venue and allow you to use the colors you really want. Think about adding some under lighting to the event to create a new angle on a venue. The couple also had great escort card and table numbers. To continue the art theme, each table was labeled by an artist with a picture the artist had done. The escort cards were postcards, in a multitude of paintings, all done by one of the artists on a table. The guests then had to match their artist postcard to the artist table. How creative and different, I really loved this idea! The ceremony was my favorite part of the event since it was done on the grand staircase of the Corcoran gallery framed by statues. It brought great attention to the couple and made for a truly unique ceremony.

If you are thinking about doing your wedding or event in an art gallery, make sure you talk to the venue first. Some places do not allow guests to walk around, and if that was your whole plan, then you may need to look else ware. Make sure that your wedding colors and the colors within the building do not clash and will work well together. Some gallery’s may have multiple rooms or great outdoor areas so you can tailor your event or wedding. There are so many different kinds of art galleries that you can be really creative and let your inter artist shine!

There are so many creative things that you can do at an art gallery or at other places:

• Serve drinks named after artists or paintings
• As a guest book have people paint on canvases to say congrats. It will be interesting to see what people come up with.
• Have a treasure hunt using clues about the gallery/paintings and have people be able to go through during cocktail hour
• Instead of doing the event their have pictures at a gallery

Also depending on the type of art gallery you are working with it is important to ask some questions:

• How many guests can be accommodated?
• Are tables and chairs supplied?
• What caterers can be used, if any?
• Can guests tour the gallery?
• What kind of music can be at the wedding/event?
• Can alcohol be served?
• Are there limitations on decorating the venue?
• How much is a rental and for how many hours… some galleries can be expensive.

http://corcoran.org/

DIY Wedding Favors

Happy Friday to everyone... and happy 3 day weekend to everyone that has it!
Recently I have been finding great blogs with DIY things such as shirts, furniture, and a million other things. I love being able to do something myself and see the result afterwards. This made me start thinking of a great DIY wedding favor. I have a couple ideas so I hope you all find something you like as well. These ideas are helpful if you are on a budget or just want to be able to say you made something yourself.

Martha Stewart

1. Homemade cookies/sweets: If you are any sort of a baker at all or have a fiance or mother that is, this is a great idea. Don't make break apart cookies, but make them from scratch (easier than you think)! Think 2 or 3 cookies per guest and figure out how many cookies you will need. Also figure in some for the bakers and others. This should be done only 2 days before the wedding since you do not want the cookies going stale. But if you make up all the dough and give it to bridesmaids and others to bake to make the time go faster. Go to the craft store and find cellophane bags or use cute paper bags to put the cookies in. Stuff the bags and close them off. You can go a little more above and beyond and get stickers that represent your wedding or have your names on them for the bags. You can find other cute ways to give your cookies such as a cute box or a cute small cookie jar! Although this may be time consuming what a great wedding favor that your guests will truly appreciate! They will know you took the time and energy to make something for them!

2. Already mentioned in another post is a candy bar. This is something so simple and easy that guests really love and a great DIY gift. It is easy to find candy that you all love and will go good to be scooped and put into a bag. Then you can make cute signs with the candy name and directions all from home just get nice paper and use some ribbon.

3. For a fall wedding cute cute smaller pumpkins that can double as escort cards for each quest to take home

4. Another very popular favor has been seed packets or flowers/herbs. Go to your local Lowe's or home depot and look at their potted plants. You can buy a ton on small flowers already in soil at the store. Then get small Terra Cotta pots and put ribbon around them or paint them. Put the flowers in the pots and what a great gift... this can also double as an escort card. You can also skip the pots and get burlap to wrap around the soil part. This works better with a little bit larger plant or a tree buddling to give as a gift. Add a cute poem and how the guest should plant the plant to represent the start of your life together and watch it grow. Martha Stewart has some great ideas and instructions: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/photogallery/floral-favors#slide_3

Martha Stewart

5. Another great thing to do is go to Esty.com and look through what people have posted! You may be able to find a great little gift at a cheaper price not made by you! This will save you time and the site is so amazingly cute! You might just find a ton of things on there for your wedding!

6. Great for a fall or winter wedding but can be turned into anything you want. Create a mixture of spices use for making hard apple cider. Mix the spice packet and but into a bag that can be steeped in the liquid. Attach directions on how to make it and you are set! This can also double as an escort card by adding a name tag!


If you cannot tell Martha has some great ideas and is, as always, inspirational. DIY favors are so easy to do and you can turn almost anything into a favor. Think about your wedding season and theme and figure out a gift that compliments your wedding! Good luck on making your favors and for anymore inspiration send me an email or comment! www.marthastewartweddings.com

Help I'm Lost! {Creative Escort Cards}

looking at http://frostyweddings.blogspot.com/2010/08/katie-luke-married.html i came across an amazing idea for showing off guests name cards. There is always the great folded card on a table, but why not make it something cute and fun for the guests. If you have a theme running in your wedding use it or take it to the extreme to show off the name cards. What an amazing idea to use old shutters! I saw on the Rachel Ray show once someone use the old shutters to make a mail holder by placing a piece of wood behind the slates so that you could stick mail in and it wont fall out! Maybe a great way to re-use the shutters after the wedding.

Here are some other great ideas I have found across the web... Enjoy!

• Use pine cones are the name holder for a fall themed wedding. Enhance the name card table by adding some great fall foliage and fall flowers to the table. DIY instructions: http://www.songbird-creative.com/blog/diy-pine-cone-place-cards.html
• If you  have a good tree/twig theme running throughout your florals, try using a small tree/twigs to place all the name cards on. This may take a little more work to find the appropriate tree, but super cute once it is all done.
• Use smooth rocks, can be purchased at the craft store, and write with paint pen the guests name. This is an easy DIY project and super cute with an outdoor relaxed country wedding.
• Combine the wedding favor with the place card by putting the place card in a cute, engraved picture frame.
• For a beach wedding take sand dollars, starfish and bigger seashells and tie a ribbon in our wedding color around the item and have the name on a tag on the ribbon. (Hope this makes sense)
• Love cupcakes, use them as the name cards with peoples names on the cupcake or on paper sticking out of the cupcake. Guests will love eating these masterpieces.
• Find a cute board or mirror to place the cards on. I love the idea of a cork board with the cards study on with cute tacks.
• Having a cozy at home or country wedding? use cute ribbon tied from tree to tree to hand the place cards. find cute clothes pins to stick them on.
• Having an eco friendly wedding... get small pots with a plant or seeds in it and place the guests name in the soil. So cute and can double up as the favor since they can take the plant home and enjoy.
• Having your wedding at a winery? Use corks cut in the middle halfway down. place the guests name card into the cork. Need to find corks? Go to a wine festival or winery and ask for their corks... they normally just through them away.
• Use pears, apples, small pumpkins, or anything other sturdy fruit or veggie that is semi themed to your wedding. Lightly paint them gold, silver, bronze and tie a ribbon around the stem with the guests name attached.
• Use small boquets of flowers like lavender or daisys, or other smaller flowers that fit your wedding. use twine or ribbon to tie the flowers together and have the guests name attached to the twine/ribbon. Super cute for an outdoor wedding.

******* DON"T FORGET TO ADD THE TABLE NUMBER TO THE PLACE CARD******

Pictures from:

http://www.khollystudios.com/blog/

http://www.tucsonweddingsite.com/

http://www.newjerseybride.com/

http://www.gigaweb.com/

http://idobelizeweddings.com/blog/

www.rexandregine.com/blog