Whether you call it eggplant or aubergine, burgundy or purple, or you’re having a black and white wedding, this palette is both modern and elegant. It transcends season to accompany a spring, summer, fall or winter affair. It’s sophisticated, without feeling snobby. If you love texture and you love deep purple or burgundy and you also want to keep a classic white and green element to your palette then this color combo is for you!
Photo top right courtesy of Landwehrle Photography.
I conducted a seminar last year at The Vermont Wedding Affair and a couple approached me afterwards who needed some advice on how to “claim” their wedding as their own. The bride and groom wanted a Vermonty farm wedding and her parents did not think that was what a wedding should look like. I could see in her face that the bride just didn’t know what to do since her parents were footing the bill and the groom just wanted his bride to get the wedding she wants.
Communication is key to working with your partner and your family. I suggested that the bride talk with her parents about how a ballroom wedding is simply not what she wants and that a more rustic, unique setting is what she was dreaming of. I truly believe that parents want to give their children a beautiful wedding day. The trouble is when there is a difference of opinion in what defines a “beautiful day”.
Family dynamics can be tricky even when we aren’t talking about planning a huge event like a wedding, but at the end of the day it’s absolutely essential that a couple feels their wedding reflected their style. There may be a few areas where you need to take a parent’s preference into consideration (you can serve the type of booze they prefer or allow them to help pick the menu or perhaps you marry in the family’s place of worship), but don’t give up your vision entirely.
Your wedding day is the start of your life together and the planning process is a warm-up for all the decisions you are going to make throughout your lives. Why shouldn’t you also set a tone with your families that says “this is who we are and we know what we want!”? I am sure it will be the right decision for you to plan a wedding that’s uniquely yours.
Here’s an inspiration board with floral designs that have a more rustic, wildflowery feeling…perfect for a barn wedding!
Wedding magazines often refer to “brides who have been dreaming of their wedding day since they were a little girl”, but what about the brides (and grooms!) who have not spent 20+ years planning their wedding? How are they going to pull together a wedding in 12 months or less when everyone else has had so much more time to think about it?
If you’re engaged for more than 3 months and can’t articulate your color palette and precisely which flowers will appear in your bouquet it’s quite possible your friends may give you the stink eye.
In a world of endless wedding inspiration, DIY detail projects and picture perfect feature weddings–each with its own new, exciting & unique ideas–it can be a rough road for the uninspired. When your other half asks you what you think about a specific color palette or china pattern and you don’t have a “good” opinion you may start to feel a little disconnected from the process, but fear not…there’s still hope.
If you’ve booked your venue, but have no idea where to start when it comes to your personal style I think you should try to identify an overall style that defines your taste as a couple. Are you casual? trendy? preppy? modern? Do you prefer a classic, simple style or something with an eclectic, organic feel? Do you like vintage, garden flowers or sleek, modern blooms? Thinking about the way you want your wedding day to feel can help get you on track.
If you’re on the other end of the spectrum (ie. inspiration overload!) and you can’t make a decision I suggest the first thing you do is stop looking at new ideas. At some point, if you have too many ideas and you’re having a hard time deciding, you have to stop searching for the next big idea and start sorting through the colors, patterns and styles you already know you like. Consult your partner to make sure you are on the same page here! Then, pick your top 5 looks, narrow it down to your top 2, then choose the best elements that suit you as a couple.
Part of my job as a floral designer is to identify areas where we can create a cohesive design from your inspiration photos and personal style. I aim to help my clients use the best elements on their wish-list so that a couple gets to see as many of the details they love on their wedding day as possible.
If you can’t pick a palette, a photographer or a parson you might need a professional opinion. If you are uninspired to the point that you don’t have anything on your love-this-list then it may be time to hire a floral/event designer who can help you discover what your wedding style truly is.
Whether you are feeling uninspired or have become overwhelmed by the endless options out there you have to trust your instincts, choose colors you like, listen to the advice of trusted professionals and try not to belabor decisions.
If it feels right, then go for it. If it doesn’t feel right, then wait. Just don’t drag things out and get overwhelmed.
Classic whites work in any season and just about any style.
Here’s an autumnal inspiration board.
A yellow palette can be casual and springy or bright and bold.
Soft pinks make a sweet statement in any season.
And no post would be complete without a honeysuckle palette!
What’s your color palette or main form of inspiration for your wedding?
It’s DIY week on my bloggity and while I’m not one to suggest DIY florals for your wedding (as evidenced in yesterday’s post) and I almost never use carnations, I do know that some people are brave and determined enough to give it a go so here are some tips for a super easy, cost effective tabletop design.
I think if it’s a DIY project it should also be budget friendly so I’ve combined Burlap and Carnations for a shabby chic tablescape–or barnyard chic if you prefer to Vermont-it-up! You’ll need to get yourself: some burlap + a pair of sharp fabric scissors for the place mats; approximately 12-15 carnations per table + floral clippers + containers for the centerpieces; some ribbon + shipping tags for the place cards.
To make the place mats: Simple. I used a place mat that measured about 18″w x 14″ h as a pattern. I had a bolt of burlap and cut out a rectangle. Simple. After cutting the fabric I pulled on the horizontal threads to fray the ends–the same way I used to fray the bottom of my cut-off jean shorts in middle school. This gives a bit of a finished edge and you can trim the fringe to make it neat and tidy. A nice sharp fabric scissor will make this much easier and you can probably double up the burlap to cut 2 place mats at a time. Use leftover scraps instead of ribbon on your favors or invitations or to tie silverware together. I tucked a piece of eucalyptus in there, too.
For the centerpiece: I cut 6 carnations super-short (these are about 3″ tall) and put them into small white ceramic vessels. On a rectangular table you’d make 2-3 vases per table and on a round table I’d suggest doing one 5-6″ round container with 12-15 carnations to create a more full look.
Pricing: Assuming you buy the carnations for $1.00-1.50 per stem {depending on the source and the quality–yep, just like steak and diamonds there are different grades of carnations!} you could recreate this centerpiece for around $25-35 per table. If you use containers you already own, then it could be as little as $12 per table. Design tip: I open my carnations by “fluffing” them a bit; I gently brush the center petals toward the outer edges with my fingertips.
{For any carnation naysayers out there take a closer look at these creme carns.}
For the place cards: This is pretty obvious, but these are just simple shipping tags with a ribbon in lieu of the white string and a lovely script detail.
Does this seem like an easy DIY project you’d try for a wedding or dinner party?
I made a guest-blog-appearance yesterday on Under The Moon, the official blog of Lasso’d Moon Designs, with a nod to Pantone’s Color of the Year, honeysuckle. Honeysuckle is a medium-pink with undertones of red–some might choose to call it a reddish pink, but I’m on the true, medium-pink page with it myself.
This is the inspiration board that appeared in yesterday’s post.
20 flowers that are available in the honeysuckle pink palette:
Roses, Bouvardia, Zinnias, Dahlias, Peonies, Callas, Snapdragons, Sweet William, Anemones, Ranunculus, Asiatic lilies, Tulips, Godetia, Orchids, Sweet Peas, Phlox, Gerberas, Orchids, Gladiolus and Waxflower…just to name a few. Of course, honeysuckle vine (Lonicera), comes in a honeysuckle pink color, but I would not recommend it as a fresh cut flower.
What is your favorite honeysuckle pink flower?
Thanks to Carey from Lasso’d Moon for inviting me to be a guest blogger.
My brides selected purple and lavender flowers in winter, spring, summer and fall last year so after a year of being the cool kids today I’m giving them a little shout out.
10 of my favorite purple and lavender wedding flowers include:
Sweet peas, tulips, hydrangea, lisianthus, thistle, freesia, fresh lavender, anemones, scabiosa and roses. I’d like to make a special note about lavender roses here–some varieties have a divine fragrance while others may not have much of a scent at all. If you’re sensitive to smells or tend to be allergic you might request that the flowers used in your bouquet have as little scent as possible.
Thanks to inspirational wedding blogs like Style Me Pretty, The Wedding Chicks, The Bride’s Cafe, Wedding Bee and Snippet & Ink (just to name a few!) brides have amazing access to fabulous wedding ideas! As a floral designer I think it’s so much fun when a bride comes to me with an inspiration board (or ten!) filled with swatches, samples & images that express a certain charm or elegance she wants to capture on her wedding day. Brides and wedding planners alike are fortunate to have a plethora of current & eclectic wedding bloggers who share vintage, rustic, modern and formal events to admire & inspire!
You never know when inspiration will strike! I got inspired by these white ‘Patience’ roses & lavender sweetheart roses when I heard them calling my name in the cooler at my wholesaler yesterday. Garden roses are a classic, romantic choice for bridal bouquets and wedding work in general! Use them alone for a simple, clean look or add greenery, berries or tendrils for some flow.
Vermonters have been pretty spring-focused lately, but since I have been talking with a lot of my October brides lately it feels like a good time to share some orange inspiration photos. Although this color board is clearly autumn inspired, orange is not just for fall! Mix it with pinks, purples, yellows and greens in any season.
10 of my favorite orange flowers are:
Leonidas roses, mango callas, gerbera daisies, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons, dahlias, hypericum berries, orchids, spray roses & ranunculus. Below are a few orange details from the past couple of seasons.
If you’ve been paying attention you know that gray is the color this year. It’s a great shade that has both a classic and a modern feeling for your wedding (think bridesmaids’ dresses, linens, or invitations) and if you are really paying attention you’ve seen gorgeous yellow tones popping off of gray, white & black palettes for a little while now.
Here are 10 of my favorite yellow flowers for weddings:
Freesia, snapdragons, spray roses, sunflowers, rudbekia (aka black-eyed-susans), ranunculus, zinnia, lilies, callas & tulips.
Whether you are planning an environmentally friendly green wedding or are moved by nature-inspired designs there are many shades of green you can consider for your wedding. I tend to be drawn toward designs that feel natural and, even though my spellcheck doesn’t recognize it as a word, Vermonty. Consider doing at least one eco-friendly element for your wedding–if not more! This inspiration board includes green & nature-inspired designs and place card displays.
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