What Inspires Me: Knick Knacks

Centerpieces can be a great way to showcase your personality or your shared hobbies. I love how more brides and grooms are augmenting floral centerpieces with vintage knick knacks and favorite books.

Photography Credit: Gemma Clarke Photography via Polka Dot Bride

Photography Credit: Emma Case via Love My Dress

 

Photography Credit: Engaged Studio via Inspirations & Creations

 

Photography Credit: Dad Parrott for Parrot Design Studio via The Sweetest Occasion

 

Photography Credit: Ohana Photographers via RP Scissors

 

Photography Credit: Veldman Photo via The Wedding Chicks

{Green} What Inspires Me: Succulents in Decor

Whatever your style, succulents are a great addition to your decor. Modern, simple, elegant, romantic, rustic, you name it.

Here are some uses of succulents that caught my attention.

Photography Credit: Hazelnut Photography via The Wedding ChicksCake Design: Erica O'Brien Cakes

Photography Credit: Jennifer of Ever Whim Photography via Grey Likes Weddings
Cake Design: Heathers Patisserie

Photography Credit: Jordana of Hazelnut Photography via Ruffled

Photography Credit: Nerida McMurray via Polka Dot Bride

Photography Credit: Brittni via Ruffled (easy to follow tutorial on how to create your own potted succulents for tablescapes or wedding favors)

Photography Credit: Jim Altieri via Dog 'n Bird Artful Wedding

Photography Credit: Ashley Brockinton Photography via Every Little Detail

Photography Credit: Stephanie Williams via Green Wedding Shoes

Photography Credit: Suthi of Picotte Photo via The Broke-Ass Bride

Photography Credit: Hazelnut Photography via The Wedding Chicks

Image credits: Blog with Envy

What Inspires Me: Books

cubes and I both love to read and we like to cook. We have a bookcase in our living room overflowing with vintage books from my gram and gramp, new and vintage cookbooks, and graphic novels. Our unpacked office is filled with goodies such as James Joyce. My sewing/scrapbooking niche is overflowing with books on photography, color, imaging, type, etc.

With the trend towards more personalized weddings, more and more bibliophiles are going to showcase their love of books. Here are some of my favorite uses of books in weddings and/or decor.

Photography Credit: Mary Kate McKenna Photography via Every Last Detail

Photography Credit: Ashley and Jason of Ashley Maxwell Photography via The Bride's Cafe

Photography Credit: A Wrinkle in Time Photography via Sparkle and Hay
(Check out the blog for more details about the books the bride chose and how she acquired them.)


Photography Credit: Ashley and Jason of Ashley Maxwell Photography via The Bride's Cafe

Photography Credit: Laurie Peacock via Inspirations & Creations

Choosing: Mason Jars

I love eating by candlelight. There's just something so romantic about it. In my search to find a budget-friendly last minute candlescape, we keep returning to mason jars with tea lights. Meets venue requirements. Satisfies budget requirement - friends have and can lend us.

But... are Mason Jars right for our look? And what is our look? We're Vintage. We're Elegant - table runners and silver platters. We're Retro - train cases for holding the kippahs, keeping the guestbook supplies organized, and collecting cards.

Do Mason Jars work in these categories? Or are they only appropriate for "Rustic" weddings - something we're definitely not?

Photography Credit: Jenn Cress via Style Me Pretty

Photography Credit: Joy Marie via Oh Lovely Day

Image source: Gingerbread Snowflakes (includes tutorial using Mod Podge)

Photography Credit: David Newkirk via Style Me Pretty

Choosing: Table Runners or Table Overlays

When we first started thinking about our wedding reception, we'd envisioned a U of rectangular tables surrounding the dance floor. I'd struggled over whether we should order floor length, lap length, or a combination of length tablecloths.

As you know we were told that wouldn't work with a buffet setup or the number of guests we have. Now I'm really glad all of our tablecloths are floor length. If we'd gone with a hybrid approach we would have had to purchase additional linen - something not built into our budget.

The change in table number, table shapes, and layout affects more than the length of tablecloths. It affects the plan for table runners and overlays. I purchased amazing fabric years ago to use as backdrops for portraits. Two of the fabrics - a dusty pink polyester Duponi and navy sheer with glitter and beads - matched our wedding colors (this was unintentional, just fortuitous). In the initial layout we only had rectangular tables and we had exactly enough material for all the table runners. Not so any more.

Of course we have a third fabric - a gorgeous black satin - we can use. But here's the dilemma. We chose black linen napkins to go with cream tablecloths assuming the only other color on the table would be the dusty pink or navy.

Option 2: 17" width with finished hem (1" inch seam allowance) in 6.5' or 7.5' (for 60" round tables) and 9' lengths (for 8' rectangular tables). We're two tables short. One 8' rectangular table and one 60" round table need to be covered with black satin runner.

Option 3: 12.5" width with finished hem (1" inch seam allowance) in 6.5' or 7.5' (for 60" round tables) and 9' lengths (for 8' rectangular tables). The runners are narrower, but all tables will have either a pink duponi or navy sheer with glitter runner. We'd also have 4 extra runners that could be used for the bar, guestbook area, etc.

What width should we chose? Wider - 17" to cover slightly more than a 1/3 of the table top. Or narrower, 12.5" which is approximately 1/3 of the table top.

Photography Credit: Don & David Style Photography via The Hostess with the Mostess

How should we finish the ends? Square them off or bring to a point?

Photography Credit: Table Runner with Squared End;
Wendy Helton Photography via Hive Member Kaybee of WeddingBee

Photography Credit: Table Runner with Pointed End;
Amanda Bevington Modern Photography via Inspirations & Creations - Elizabeth Anne Designs

Table Runner with Pointed End; TheKnot via Miss Socks of WeddingBee

Should tables regardless of shape all have table runners or should we mix it up? 60" rounds with overlays and 8' banquets with runners?

Photography Credit: Mix of table overlays with different drop lengths;
Dana Grant Photography via Celebrations at Home

Is there another option we should be considering? We have 380 inches of the pink duponi, 208 inches of the navy sheer with glitter, and 2 bolts each of 154 inches of the black satin. All blots of fabric are 58 inches wide.

Did you find yourself over-thinking table linens?

Choosing: Tablescapes, Take 2

We started out unintentionally green and then we decided to be green. With our tablescapes, we wanted to avoid flowers. We'd chosen to use recycled beer and wine bottles as candle holders, and we'd purchased eco-friendly candles. So much for those plans.

Last Friday we found out that while our eco-friendly candles don't drip wax, they're still not approved. Well that's not exactly true, candles are permitted if the flame is covered by at least 2 inches. Think pillar candles in hurricanes or votives in mason jars. Additional purchases if we really want to keep candles (or non-eco-friendly if we use the 100+ votives from IKEA that have been sitting in our closet forever).

Here's what we have available to use in our tablescapes. We have vintage cookbooks. We have lots of different sized and different colored beer and wine bottles. We have Real Touch Silk Dahlias and Peonies of various sizes. What to do with those items?

Here are some options. Some eco-friendly. Some less eco-friendly. Which do you like?

Books wrapped in ribbon.

2000 Dollar Budget Wedding

Books, vintage items, and flowers.

Stage Right, Etc. via Style Me Pretty

Bottles and jars filled with floral stems.

Martha Stewart via Something Green

Sprays of Baby's Breath.

JL Designs

Hydrangeas.

Ray Crisologo, Happily Ever Always via Style Me Pretty

We need you ...

to drink for us!

One of the things we're doing to be green is using existing materials in our decor. As mentioned previously, we're planning on using beer and wine bottles as our candlesticks.

(Source: Elle Decoration via R P Scissors)

(Source: Perfect Bound)

And we need your help. We need your bottles!

Specifically we need clear white or Amber beer or wine bottles. We're looking for a variety of shapes that will be used to hold candles that go down the center of our reception tables. Our goal is to acquire 84 bottles. Right now we have a little more than 40.

Our favorite shapes:

• Clear wine bottles. This is easier said than done as wine producers aren't consistent as to which white wines are bottled in clear glass. And some white wines are bottled in a glass that's slightly blueish - the Allianca or Mezzacorona above for example. If you like white wine (I'm not asking our red wine drinks to switch allegiances, I'm not that cruel a taskmaster), please consider a wine in a clear glass bottle (Sauvignon Blanc) and save it for us.

• Singha - Thai beer - a nice full-bodied 100% barley malt beer that is distinctly rich in taste with strong hop characters. It tastes great and it's cheap! Less than $3 for a 21.3 oz bottle at BevMo!. We have maybe 5 or 6 so far from our Housewarming/Engagement Dinner this past February.

• New Castle. Not totally not an economical design choice (it's also about $9.50 with CRV at BevMo!), but one that ties to cubes' tradition of sharing a New Castle with the Greeters upon arriving at Burning Man. Plus I love the words around the neck - The One and Only. We have about a dozen of these bottles so far. We need more as we'd like a mix of clear and Amber bottles on the tables. Don't fear there will be full bottles of New Castle at the bar for your enjoyment during the cocktail hour.

• Anchor Steam - it's locally brewed. What more can one say? We have at least 20 of these bottles so far. A little less cost effective than Singha at about $9.50 with the CRV included at BevMo!. This beer will also be making an appearance at the bar for your drinking pleasure.

• Pacifico. Slightly more economical than Anchor Steam or New Castle at about $8.50 with CRV from BevMo! - and a truly emotional choice for Eden. It was my grandfather's favorite beer. So this is a nod to him. We don't have any of these bottles yet. We will be serving this at the reception so if they're not holding candles during dinner that's ok.

Where to find these bottles - your local liquor store, the supermarket, BevMo, it's easy! You don't even have to clean the bottles. Our dishwasher makes cleaning them and striping the labels a dream. NOTE: Don't lose sleep, any bottles you donate to us will not be headed to a landfill, they will be recycled after the reception.