Board #196: A Little Bit Country

Pink and brown is one of those combinations that has almost been done too many times. But, as with anything, you can take something classic or even common, and make it new and fresh. How is a pink and brown color palette made into something unexpected? When it's paired with a gray accent, and applied to a rustic ranch venue. I didn't want the ranch theme to be too much here, so I kept it to boots for the bride and a cake decorated with different cattle brands. Photos hung on an aged barnwood wall and a rusty old mailbox for collecting notes from guests play up the rustic feel, while pale pink softens things. And I know I did a pink ranch wedding not too long ago, but this one definitely looks different. I'm telling you, there are an infinite number of ways to have a beautiful wedding, even if the colors and theme have been done before!

Mood: rustic, romantic
Palette: pale pink, brown, gray

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Top row from left: photo by Mulberry Photo, stationery by Hello! Lucky, bouquet by The Green Vase, boots photo by Sara Remington for Anna Kuperberg
Row 2: flowers by Prudence Designs, pashminas from Love Luck and Angels, mailbox "guest book" from Grapevine Weddings, photo by Jose Villa
Row 3: thank you note by Chewing the Cud, porcelain milk bottles by Alyssa Ettinger via In This Instance, wine glasses from Bellissima Vita, cattle brand cake by Sweet Pea Bakery
Row 4: photo line from The Knot, photo by Anna Kuperberg, dress by Coren Moore

Board #195: Rust and Navy

This board is for Laura, who needed some help visualizing her wedding in the colors she and her fiance had chosen. They imagine a wedding that is fun, elegant, and modern - no ruffles or frills here! Laura also mentioned an affinity for bees, so I tried to work that in as well. Another fun detail about this wedding: they're getting married at the ruins of these cloisters in Paulinzella, Germany. What a unique and beautiful venue!

Mood: elegant, modern, fun
Palette: navy, rust orange, ice blue

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Top row from left: lanterns photo by Wedding Day Art from Lola Event Production, shirt and tie from Coles Shirtmakers, ribbon bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings, photo by Kate Webber
Row 2: initials from Martha Stewart Weddings, busy bee invitation by A3 Design via Black Eiffel, photo by Vallentyne, beehive cake topper by Wren Handmade
Row 3: photo via Project Wedding, ranunculus via Toast and Tables, table numbers from Mi Mi Design
Row 4: calla bouquet from Red Ribbon Studio, ribbon boutonnieres from Martha Stewart Weddings, hair pin by Twigs & Honey, calligraphy by Laura Hooper

Real Wedding Saturday: April & Mitch

Kristi Amoroso shared this beautiful vineyard wedding with me, and I had to share it with you! The wedding was held at the bride's family's winery, Gargiulo Vineyards, and these photos by the talented Tari and Albert Lewis from Mulberry Photo capture the day beautifully.


April wore her grandmother's triple-strand pearl bracelet and her mother's earrings.


When the wedding was being planned, the winery was under construction. At the time of the wedding, it hadn't been completed, but that didn't stop the couple from having a beautiful ceremony! The ceremony took place in the unfinished winery addition, with tons of jam jar votive candles lining the unfinished walls.




Flowers and event decor by Sillapere.


April's dad is a musician, and wrote a song for her that he performed as a surprise at the ceremony.


















Catering by Peter Hall, 707-944-1920.


Family friends performed during and after dinner.








Gargiulo "Aprile" vintage from a few years ago, named for the bride.


Pistachios were pressed into the sides of the cake, by Alexis Baking Company.




Dress by Reem Acra.






The Gargiulo Family Winery in Oakville, California.


Lighting by Twilight Design, 707-570-0101.




Congratulations April and Mitch! What a perfectly beautiful day. And thank you to Kristi Amoroso and Mulberry Photo for sharing this gorgeous wedding with Snippet & Ink!

{to submit a real wedding, email me at kathryn@snippetandink.com}

Sneak Peek: April & Mitch

Who wouldn't want to get married here! Check in tomorrow for this beautiful vineyard wedding.

Blue Orchid Guest Post

If you aren't already a regular visitor to the Blue Orchid Designs blog, then stop by and check out my guest post over there today. Just a little about what inspires me and creating your own inspiration board. Blue Orchid is a great resource for brides, with lots of information about organizing and planning, so be sure to take a look! And welcome to anyone who has found their way to Snippet & Ink from Blue Orchid Designs!

PS - Apparently every photo that I have of myself is either: with other people too close to crop out, of me teaching kindergarten, in a bar, or with my face behind sunglasses (or in one case, a giant bouquet of flowers). So please be kind and don't laugh too hard at the one decent photo that I could come up with to give Liene.

Board #193: Antique Pink

Pink has so many personalities. Sometimes it's sassy and bold, or flirty and sweet, or classic and sophisticated. In today's inspiration board, pink takes on an antique faded look, for some timeless romance. I especially love the two bouquets, by Ariella Chezar and Nicolette Camille - perfectly romantic without being overly girly.

Mood: timeless romance
Palette: faded pink, aged paper

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Top row from left: dress via Polaroids & Peonies, bouquet by Ariella Chezar, wish tags via Style Me Pretty (photo by Thayer Allyson Gowdy), macaron cake from Rebecca Thuss
Row 2: candy cups from Martha Stewart Weddings, napkin from Oh How Charming!, bouquet by Nicolette Camille via Design Sponge, photo from Rosenow Floral
Row 3: veil by Jennifer Leigh, Hans Fahden Vineyard volcanic ash cave, invitation by Ceci NY, Club Monaco suit from GQ (via East Side Bride)

Board #192: Earth Friendly #3, Garden Charm

What would a week of earth friendly inspiration boards be without a charming garden board in green?!

Mood: fresh, charming garden
Palette: green, white

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Top row from left: sweet pea bouquet from The Knot, ceremony design from Oh How Charming, Lark Creek Inn via Here Comes the Guide, ivy favors via {frolic}
Row 2: table from Fete NY, cherry mojitos from Martha Stewart Weddings, cake by Perfect Endings, plant-able invitation by Round Robin Press
Row 3: vintage dress via Ocean State Bride, arrangement by Floret Flowers (photo by David Perry), Edwardian ring from Fay Cullen, photo by Gertrude & Mabel

10 Ways to Go Green:
1. Grow your own bouquet! I'm not going to pretend that I would ever take on such an ambitious task, but I know there are some die-hard do-it-yourselfers out there who would jump at the chance. Sweet peas make for a simply beautiful bouquet; other types of flowers (peonies, say?) would be a trickier endeavor. But if you have your date set, and you've given yourself plenty of time, or if someone you know has an incredible garden and green thumb, it's a special way to go green.
2. Line your ceremony aisle with pots of living plants. You can either use them later in your own garden or home, or give them as gifts to your wedding party. Potted ivy wrapped in paper and ribbon make sweet favors for your guests, and if you want they could even act as centerpieces if you cluster them together.
3. Choose a caterer that uses seasonal, local and organic ingredients. The Lark Creek Inn is not only a lovely venue, it is one of the best restaurants in my hometown, using seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients. Search Portovert for green catering options in your area.
4. Cover your tables with delicate vintage linens. Search for them at antique shops and flea markets, or ebay (always a great resource).
5. Bottled water is a huge source of waste, so instead serve water in glass bottles that you've already used. Clean them, remove the label, fill them with water, and chill. If your local water isn't too tasty, take the time to filter it yourself.
6. Beautiful little cakes can do double-duty as centerpieces, either on their own or surrounded by small floral arrangements. This example is adorned with delicate sugar flowers; real, non-toxic flowers would also be a pretty cake topper.
7. Send your guests invitations that will grow! Round Robin Press makes adorable letterpress invitations from organic cotton, with wildflower seeds embedded in the paper. Instead of throwing it away or keeping it around to create clutter, your guests can plant the invitation and think of you when flowers pop up!
8. Wear an heirloom dress. If your grandmother, mother, sister or aunt still has her wedding dress, have it altered to fit you. Or, you can have a seamstress or tailor incorporate details from the antique dress into a custom dress for you: lace trim, buttons, etc. And if you want to wear a vintage dress but don't have one in the family, check out Vintageous or Posh Girl Vintage for some fun options.
9. Non-floral decorations are by no means the only way to go green. Choose a floral designer who uses organic local, seasonal, sustainably grown flowers. Erin from Floret Flowers emailed me some photos of her beautiful work, and shared this insight with me: There are other ways to go green with wedding flowers besides not having any or using paper blooms. I am an organic flower grower/floral designer and use a minimum of 80% local and seasonal flowers in my work. It is very possible for brides to have their florists source local blooms for their big day especially since wedding season and the peak local flower months coincide perfectly.
You can expect to see more of Erin's beautiful work in future inspiration boards!
10. Vintage is green, and that goes for jewelry, too! This gorgeous Edwardian engagement ring is an amazing example. You can go vintage for any of your accessories, and feel good about making an earth friendly choice.

PS - If you love the bicycle photo by Gertrude & Mabel as much as I do, share the love! Go vote for it in the photo contest at Pacific Weddings by tomorrow, April 25.

Minted Design Roundtable

Hi friends! I have another earth friendly board coming up, but in the meantime you should definitely stop by the Design Roundtable at Minted.com to see my most recent guest post there. I have to be honest - it's one of my favorite inspiration boards that I've made yet. It was inspired by this vintage fashion illustration that Rene Gruau did for Christian Dior - check it out and let me know what you think!

Board #190: Earth Friendly #1, Rustic Charm

Happy Earth Day! I've got some earth-friendly wedding boards for you that I'll be posting over the next few days - hopefully you'll be inspired to make your own wedding or next event as green as possible. Today's board was inspired partly by Jennifer and John's beautiful eco-chic wedding featured a few weeks ago, so check that out for more ideas. It is worth noting that this exercise in creating earth friendly wedding boards is really similar to last week's budget friendly boards - many of the same tips apply, and there is no reason that an earth friendly wedding can't also be stylish and beautiful.

Mood: rustic, picnic kitsch
Palette: brown, red, orange, yellow

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Top row from left: photo by Jonathan Canlas, photo by Suzy Clement, punch from Brides, cake by Miette
Row 2: ribbon bouquet from Martha Stewart Weddings, photo by Gertrude & Mabel, photo by Blonde Tulip, photo by Vallentyne via Elizabeth Anne Designs
Row 3: rough diamond ring by Sarah Perlis, invitation by Hello!Lucky, citrus centerpiece by Ariella Chezar, seedling favors from Martha Stewart WeddingsRow 4: hemp silk wedding dress by Get Conscious, picnicware from Branch Home via Pretty Little Things, photo from Martha Stewart Weddings, sustainable wood card by Night Owl via Creature Comforts

10 Ways to Go Green
1. Re-use colored glass bottles for bud vases. Remove the labels and arrange the bottles in a row anywhere you need some decorations, using single organic blooms.
2. Choose an earth friendly venue. This can mean a carbon neutral hotel or restaurant, or a lodge that thoughtfully blends architecture and nature. Having an outdoor, daytime wedding will save energy by eliminating artificial lighting. If you go with a picnic-type reception or rehearsal dinner, be sure to use tableware that is biodegradable and organic.
3. Serve drinks in bulk, rather than offering individual bottles and cans of beverages. (I've been looking for where you can find these large jars with no luck; if anyone has a source for these, please share!)
4. Go for an organic cake. Either choose a baker who uses organic ingredients, or make one yourself with as many organic ingredients as you can find.
5. Go with non-floral options. Ribbon, paper, or beaded flowers are do-it-yourself projects that are earth friendly, budget friendly, and your bouquet will be a nice keepsake of the day. Bowls of in-season organic fruit can double as both centerpiece and favor.
6. Get married in a place that doesn't require your guests to travel too far, or that at least has all events within walking or biking distance from each other. If your guests do have to travel a significant distance to get to your venue, consider purchasing carbon offsets to keep your day as carbon neutral as possible. Also, if most of your guests are staying in the same hotel, provide a shuttle to take them to the ceremony and reception.
7. Use living plants for both decor and favors. Larger potted citrus trees can help to create boundaries at the ceremony or reception, and smaller ones would work well on tables. Give your guests seedlings to take home with them, or give them a small card telling them that you've planted a tree in their name.
8. Get creative with second-hand items. In this board, a pair of unhinged doors frames the altar, and mismatched chairs line the table.
9. Choose earth friendly accessories and bridalwear. Sarah Perlis' diamond rings are not only affordable, they're also earth friendly: she uses recycled gold and responsibly mined diamonds. This dress by Get Conscious is made of entirely natural fibers: a hemp silk blend, and vintage lace trim. If your dress is custom made, choose fabrics that are natural and organic.
10. Hello!Lucky prints all of their invitations on 100% cotton papers, or you can request paper made of 75 - 100% post-consumer waste. These fun wood cards by Night Owl are made of sustainably-harvested yellow birch, and would be a really fun save-the-date.

Board #189: Urban Rustic

The initial inspiration for this board was the beautiful ethereal photo in the top left corner. The pale light and dry ivy in her hair made me want to a combine a clean, minimalist lines with rustic brown details. I think this wedding could work easily in both winter and fall, in a barn or a bare white studio. Louis Ghost chairs paired with heavy wood tables might work. You could ask guests to dress in winter white and shades of brown. After dinner, set up slightly worn antique love seats and chairs for guests to lounge in, and serve miniature desserts. An orchid bouquet wrapped in raffia creates an interesting contrast, or maybe white garden roses mixed with brown oak leaves. What other ideas do you have for combining modern urban style with rustic country style?

Mood: urban, rustic, elegant
Palette: white, tan, chocolate

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Top row from left: dry ivy hair from Brides, doily corsage from Sweet Paul, miniature desserts by Barbara Llewellyn Catering, draped ceiling by Modern Day Design
Row 2: suit via The Sartorialist, baskets of rose petals photo by McNamara Photography, classic car from Mimi Design, purse photo by Aaron Delesie
Row 3: photo from Martha Stewart Weddings, bouquet from In Style, calligraphy by Laura Hooper, meringue cupcakes by Kuiadore
Row 4: table via Toast and Tables, ceremony decor by Fete NY, Jo Gartin boutonniere from In Style, topaz earrings from Neiman Marcus

Real Wedding Saturday: Jackie & Joby

When Alison, Kelsey and Stacy at the fabulous Alison Events told me that they had worked on a wedding with a Beatles Go To India theme, I could not wait to see what exactly that would look like. Jackie & Joby's wedding on the California coast was photographed by Jesse Leake and filmed by Fifty Foot Films, and it is just further evidence that inspiration can come from anywhere. I'm sure you're curious too, so without further ado...


Invitation by Peculiar Pair Press.




Venue: Costanoa Lodge and Retreat


Jackie and Joby asked that guests bring an object either from home or found on the beach at Costanoa to help create a wedding shrine. Also, in lieu of a traditional registry, the couple asked that guests inscribe and bring a book to help them start their "inspiration library." The included ex libris cards with the invitations for guests to paste into the books.










Flowers and event design by Sillapere.




Personal styling by Teresa Kuhl of TRuEStyle.




Tents from Raj Tents and Classic Party Rentals.






Lighting by Refraction.






Cake by Edith Meyer.

Thank you to Alison Events for sending this unique wedding to Snippet & Ink, to Jesse Leake for sharing his beautiful photos, and of course to Jackie and Joby for sharing their wedding day with us!

{to submit a real wedding, email me at kathryn@snippetandink.com}