Board #83: Can Gold and White Be Casual?

That was the question Mary Kate asked me in her request. She is having her reception at a microbrewery's tasting room (or an art gallery, but I used the brewery for this board), and she wanted ideas for how to make her white and gold color scheme more casual. Since she's using colors that definitely evoke a more formal feel, I would recommend that she use less formal materials. Serving this microbrewery's beer instead of champagne is a start. Also, use cotton and grosgrain instead of satin. Wear a short or simple dress, possibly with a birdcage veil. Serve cupcakes instead of cake. Use funky handwriting instead of embellished calligraphy. For flowers, I would go with white (callas are a good option), and I would avoid overly frilly blooms like peonies. I would also incorporate kraft paper to dress things down (how about gold ink on kraft paper envelopes?). I also love word bubbles as part of your RSVP card. I hope this is helpful, and that if you decide to go with the art gallery, you'll be able to shape this to fit that venue.

Mood: playful, dressed down elegance
Palette: white, gold, kraft-paper brown

{click image to enlarge}

Top row from left: image from Satisfaction Mag, kraft box, bouquet and ring pillow both from MS
Row 2: ribbon from Ribbons Galore, cupcakes via Oh Happy Day, chalkboard sign from Dee Merz, favor boxes from MS
Row 3: mini fries from Callahan Catering, lanterns, seating cards via Flickr, dress via Shiny Squirrel
Row 4: photo from Jessica Claire, RSVP by Hello! Lucky, photo from Cappy Hotchkiss, flowers from Cole Creates