Inspiration

Let's face it, anyone who is planning a wedding out there (and even some who aren't ;D) needs to be using Pinterest to compile any and all ideas. It seriously is the best planning tool available! I have found so many ideas for my wedding on Pinterest, and I am positive that I would still be completely lost if I didn't have it!

So here are some of the things that are the inspiration for my wedding...think vintage, lace, rustic, all that good stuff!

 

From left to right: gold, ivory, mint, pink, silver, white 

This is a super basic color scheme that I whipped up on...handy dandy "Paint" of course!! Haha, The colors are not as vibrant as I want them to be but they give the basic idea :) I plan on doing lots of neutrals, so metallics, ivory, and cream mainly, with the mint and pink accents. The bridesmaid dresses will probably be the mint color (check out the Vintage Eyelet Dress from Delia's on my last post) and my dress is white and ivory lace with gold and silver accents! For the pink, think of soft peonies...I love that color :)

For my own sanity, I am going to post a couple of images from the internet and Pinterest so that I can get a basic idea of how this will look! I honestly am super happy with the color palette above, although I wish the gold and silver were more vibrant! It is really hard to create a metallic color on Paint, lol.

This wedding is going to be full of:

• Lace, Burlap, and Pearls:

http://socrafty.squidoo.com/crafting/embroidery-hoop-wall-art

http://www.eventstoatdc.com/2011/09/edgy-lace/

• Soft Flowers:
  
  
  
  Hydrangeas
  http://blog.fiftyflowers.com/save-10-on-hydrangeas/
  
  
  
  Peonies
   http://bouquetbridal.blogspot.com/2010/07/pale-pink-peonies-bouquet.html
   
  
  Ranunculus
  http://www.tulipworld.com/ranunculus-bulbs/white-ranunculus.html
   
  
  Dahlias
  http://shop1.actinicexpress.co.uk/shops/rosecottageplants/index.php?cat=Dahlias
   
  
  Baby's Breathe (this may be the bridesmaid bouquet!)
  http://emmalinebride.com/handmade-wedding/babys-breath-bouquet/
  
  
  
  And Roses :)
  http://www.desicomments.com/desi/flowers/rose/
   
• LOTS of lights, but the awesome thing is that the barn at the winery where our wedding will be is already decorated with tons of lights...it is seriously beautiful!!
• That means I just have to worry about draping lots of tulle...if anyone has any suggestions on how to do this, let me know!
  
  
  
  Mason Jars, Candles, and Lace?! So perfect :D
  http://www.stylemepretty.com/gallery/photo/163049
• Maybe even a lace wedding cake?! Seriously, go check out the website weddingsbylilly.com, they have this article about lace wedding cakes and the pictures are GORGEOUS!! Click here for the direct link to their article. Get ready to be inspired :)

There is so much more to think about, but this is a good start! I feel really good having it all together in one place. This just keeps getting more and more exciting!

Here's to living the Ganache Life :D

Let's Forget the "Bridesmaid Dress" Label

So I am officially one of those people who starts a blog and then leaves it for a while! Oh dear, I never wanted to do that! This past semester was full of studying, working, studying, reading, and yes...more studying. But now that it is over and it is officially summer, it is time to relax! And along with this relaxation...wedding planning, hooray!

I have spent the last 2 weeks running all over town and going into every establishment that I can think of, all with the hopes of finding a summer job. With an entire wedding to plan, any extra income is greatly appreciated! However, I have yet to be successful, as several places have been giving me the runaround. It is undeniably frustrating when a potential employer refuses to let you know either way about the position you are applying for, to say the least. But with a lack of employment comes free time for planning and blogging, which is always a bonus! So if I am looking at the bright side of life, I currently have lots of time to get necessary things done (although if I happened to find a job today I would be ECSTATIC!)

One thing that has been on my mind lately has been bridesmaid dresses. I have never been a fan of dresses that are actually labeled "bridesmaid dresses", because I feel that they are overpriced and usually look stiff and unflattering. In my opinion, a girl looks best in something that she feels beautiful in, and the typical bridesmaid dresses just don't do that for me! I want my best girlfriends to feel gorgeous and happy at my wedding, which is why I am thinking about letting them pick their own dresses (para the mismatched look) or at the very least finding something on the cheaper side that they can wear again.

I read this great article today on Apple Brides (click here for the original article) that was specifically listing bridesmaid dresses under $100. One of the sections mentioned floral prints, and I actually love this idea!

Isn't that #1 dress adorable! I love it :) It is from Mod Cloth, and if you are looking for a great dress I would definitely recommend looking at their online store!

This article got me thinking, and I realized that I could potentially find a super cute dress online that my girls could rewear, actually afford, and also love! I stumbled upon Delia's online catalog, and let me tell you that some of their dresses are absolutely adorable!

Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to upload any larger pictures of their dresses from their website, so I will just put up the thumbnails :) Seriously, I love these dresses!

 Isobel Lace Dress, in Jade

Item#: 159307

$39.50

Allover Lace Belted Dress, in Blue

Item#: 302561

$39.50

Allover Long-Sleeve Lace Dress, in Dusty Pink

Item#: 303926

$35.50

Vintage Eyelet Dress, in Wasabi

Item#: 300435

$44.50

I was originally all about neutrals for the wedding, but I love the two green dresses...I can just see them when paired with fluffy cream and pink flowers - peonies, roses, ranunculus :). I like the cut of the two in the middle, especially for a winter wedding...long sleeves would be awesome, and the belts are just too cute! However, I am not as sure about the color of the pink...is it cute pink or kind of dreary pink? I am not sure yet, but I am pretty positive that Delia's may be providing my bridesmaid dresses!!

I will definitely post more now that it is summer, so get excited!

Cake-a-licious, Part 2

Here is Part 2 of the wedding cake frenzy! Making wedding cakes can be very stressful, but it is so much fun! I absolutely love doing it, and hopefully will be able to continue as time goes on!

This cake was made for my fiance's father. It is all White Wedding Cake (I actually just used the recipe from Martha Stewart, click here for the recipe!), and the fillings were chocolate ganache (of course!), lemon, and raspberry. I also used a basic buttercream recipe that complimented the lemon and raspberry perfectly. Each layer was cut into four pieces, which meant that I alternated buttercream and the flavored filling within each layer. It turned out delicious, and the bride and groom both loved it!

And yes, those roses ARE edible :)

The only thing that wasn't edible on the cake was the pearls used to decorate it, I tried to find edible pearls but the ones that were available didn't live up to my expectations so I just used actual jewelry pearls instead! I wanted to do something really special for the bride (now my new future stepmother-in-law), so I found a pearl necklace tutorial through Pinterest and decided to take the wedding cake pearls and whip up a quick necklace. 

I absolutely loved how it turned out! If you're interested, click here for the original tutorial that I followed when making this necklace. It was super easy to make, the hardest part for me was finding the ribbon clampers at Michael's! Those things were hidden in a wrack covered in silver clamps, posts, and wire for jewelry making... so confusing! I added an extra strand of pearls because I thought it would make it a little more elegant. Not gonna lie, I may go back and make one of these for myself, maybe in pink...

Cake-a-licious

Ever since the show Cake Boss came on TV, I have been obsessed with cake making! It is unbelievable how realistic these cakes are, and the amazing works of art that people create out of edible materials!

Personally, I have always loved making desserts. Over the past couple years I have experimented around a little with making specialty cakes. Here are just a couple snapshots of the first wedding cake I ever created, enjoy!

Cake in process :)

Close up!

The finished product, with the happy couple!

Be on the lookout for more cake posts, they're definitely a-comin :)