Real Wedding: Ayesha & Zachary

Dear readers - you have the most beautiful, charming weddings! And I love it when you share them with me! Ayesha and Zachary sent over pics of their lovely DIY wedding (taken by Julia Davis), and wrote about all the details, too. So, without further ado, Ayesha and Zach and their beautiful day...

We knew we wanted a small outdoor wedding with some coverage in a superbly unique setting. I was inspired by a mix of natural elements with things that define us as a couple and individuals. I wanted people to look around and go “Yup, that’s Ayesha & Zach.”




My dress was by Maggie Sottero, which I accented with flowers by Emersonmade. I found my shoes at rue21 of all places for like 8 bucks. They were flats which I knew I wanted and had a small ruffle detail. My honey's suit was a white linen suit he got at Dillard's. We just asked his guys to wear black pants, a white shirts, and we provided the ties for them.














Ayesha and Zachary commissioned watercolor portraits from Etsy artist, Jenny Meilihov, which were used for the invitations, and then displayed at the ceremony.




Zachary is my first, last, and only love. It was a truly magical day that brought together our families in a profound way. One of my favorite moments was when my Uncle (who married us) asked "Who supports this couple in their decision?" and everyone took out noise makers and rattled the Treehouse. We knew we had our friends and family rooting for us!














The menu for the Treehouse was very simple: old fashioned sodas and pretzels. Only the day of the wedding we realized that pretzels we ordered had mold on them! So we went with kettle corn instead.




My mother-in-law and 3 of my bridesmaids were my floral designers. I had scoured the internet for ideas, so we knew exactly what we wanted and the challenge was to recreate it, including growing wheat grass myself. The flowers turned out lovely and we saved a ton of money by doing it ourselves.


DIY projects included miniature paper pennants for the cupcakes, tissue paper pom poms, posters and signs, "instant conversation" menu cards, and CD favors.

Photography: Julia Davis

Venue: Treehouse at the Chattanooga Nature Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Wooden guest book: Lacuna (Etsy / flickr)

Bride's dress / fabric flower pins: Maggie Sottero / Emersonmade

Shoes: rue21

Groom's suit: Dillard's

Congratulations Zachary and Ayesha! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness!

Board #493: Blue & Spanish Moss

I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only bride who gets caught up in all of the zillions of pretty wedding things popping up all over the internet. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed, and to lose track of what's right for my own wedding - in going through my inspiration files, I realize that there are so many ideas I've saved that just plain don't fit with my own personal style. So I've been thinking about what exactly my personal style is, and I think if I had a motto* for my wedding it would be "timeless with a twist." Or maybe "classic not cookie cutter." I don't want to look back on my wedding twenty years from now and roll my eyes at how trendy it was, but I do want to feel like we made it our own. And though today's inspiration board is entirely different that what my own wedding will be (we're getting married in San Francisco in December, not in South Carolina in the spring), I think those two mottoes apply perfectly here.

(*I was going to say "aesthetic motto," but actually, this applies to our ceremony choices, too. Putting our personal touch on tradition.)

Mood: something old, something blue
Palette: brown paper, cream, faded Tiffany blue

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Top row from left: photo of oak trees with Spanish moss by Liz Banfield, photo of boy in seersucker suit by Sarah Rhoads, blue cardigan with vintage brooch styled by Shana Faust
Row 2: miniature pecan pies and red velvet wedding cake with sugar magnolia flowers both from Martha Stewart Weddings
Row 3: blue chairs via Oh Happy Day, magnolia flower photo by Alicia Bock, black and white photo by A Bryan Photo, vintage Mississippi stamp
Row 4: photo of vintage blue car by Thayer Allyson Gowdy, photo of vintage guest book journal by Jenny Liu, blue and lace ring pillow and paper-wrapped grits favor both from Martha Stewart Weddings

Make sure to stop by later for a beautiful wedding in the English countryside!

Board #485: A Summer Afternoon

Backyards, lemonade, dancing under the stars - these are a few of my favorite summer things, and they're the inspiration for this summer wedding board. But the overall look isn't casual or slapdash - it's actually quite preppy and timeless. Parasols, fans, and hats are available for guests to keep cool at an outdoor ceremony. Flower girls wear dresses in an unexpected black and white gingham. Hand painted table numbers are a simple DIY touch. Buttercream cake and lemon meringue tartlets are sweetly simple desserts for a summer wedding at home. And if there happens to be a wraparound porch at your venue, wouldn't it be just perfect for the cocktail hour?

Mood: equal parts preppy, vintage, backyard elegance
Palette: black and white, lemon meringue, garden green

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Top row from left: dance floor with string lights and lanterns via Style Me Pretty, guest book table from Martha Stewart Weddings, relaxed black tie photo by Thayer Allyson Gowdy, panama hats from Brides
Row 2: lemon meringue tartlets from Wedding Style Guide, peonies and olive branches, photo of yellow fans by Stephanie Williams, photo of black and white gingham flower girl dress by Jonas Peterson
Row 3: photo by La Vie Photography, table number via Poppytalk, vintage pickup truck via The Invitation Lady, lemonade photo via Creature Comforts
Row 4: porch cocktail hour from Blue Moon Events, whimsical calligraphy by Betsy Dunlap, photo of yellow bridesmaid dresses by Mark Staff, buttercream lemon cake from Charleston Weddings

Real Wedding: Megan & Mihir, Part 2

Yesterday I posted Megan and Mihir's stunning Indian wedding, and today I get to share their American wedding with you. What an amazing weekend!














Friends read from The Velveteen Rabbit and Bob Dylan’s “Shelter from the Storm" for the ceremony, and copies of those readings were displayed on the guest book table.






In an open-air gravel lot by the Ashley River, Blue Moon Events set up a fun lounge area where guests could relax as they listened to the band, or play cornhole (also known as bean bag toss). Even the guys from A Bryan Photo joined in the fun later in the evening!


Servers (dressed in color coordinated aprons and ties of course) passed glasses of champagne garnished with Granny Smith apple slices, as well as mojitos, the couple's favorite cocktail.























Another fun 8mm wedding film by Branden Lower (I think his films are some of the most fun I've seen!):


Venue: Lowndes Grove in Charleston, South Carolina

Bride's dress / shoes: Enzoani / Manolo Blahnik

Gospel choir: Voices of Deliverance

Flowers: Blossoms Events

Cigar roller: Coastal Cigars

Lighting: Production Design Associates

Linens: DC Rental

Catering: Fish

Cake: Jim Smeal

Band: The Maxx

Oh my - congratulations Megan and Mihir! And a big thank you to Blue Moon Events and A Bryan Photo for sharing this amazing weekend with us. You can see even more from the whole weekend over at A Bryan Photo's website.

Real Wedding: Megan & Mihir, Part 1

Remember Megan and Mihir's beautiful rehearsal dinner? Well I'm so excited that they're back (along with my friends from A Bryan Photo and Blue Moon Events) to share the rest of their beautiful wedding weekend with us! The couple originally planned on having a traditional American wedding, but to honor Mihir's family, they decided to have a Hindu ceremony as well. What started as a family-only event quickly became a celebration for all of the wedding guests - and what a treat it must have been to be a guest at this wedding. From the custom tent to the servers' attire, the colors and details are going to blow you away...






The bridal party wore saris that were custom made in India to coordinate with what the bride wore.








Unlike at American weddings, most Indian weddings allow for guests to get up and move around and eat while watching the ceremony. The brunch menu included an exotic fruit display, a fresh-squeezed juice bar, as well as a variety of passed hors d'oeuvres and smoothies.






During the baraat (the male processional), Mihir’s uncle played the dhol drum.


























The bride and bridal party weren't the only ones decked out in beautiful jewelry. As guests entered the tent, they were greeted with a bangle-and-boutonniere bar at the entrance of the tent - stacks of glass bracelets for the ladies, and orchids for the men's lapels. How fun is that!

8mm film from Branden at A Bryan Photo:


Venue / catering: Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina

Trolley: Absolutely Charleston

Custom tent: Boutique Tents

Flowers: Blossoms Events

Linens: DC Rental

Sitar player: Bryan Mahanes at Other Brother Entertainment

Cupcakes: Sugar Bakeshop

Want more? Check out the rest of the photos from Megan and Mihir's incredible Indian wedding over at A Bryan Photo, and then make sure you stop by tomorrow morning for their American wedding full of classic Southern charm. I'm telling you, those ladies at Blue Moon Events know how to throw a party.