Food Truck Phenom

First, let me just say that looking up photos of food trucks while eating the delicious dinner my fiancé made and enjoying a glass of wine is fantastic. Almost as fantastic as eating a delicious dinner and enjoying a glass of wine with my fiancé AT a food truck, but hopefully we'll get to do that next year. Second, I promise I'm not a hipster, but I love food trucks. They give me a warm, cozy feeling like you know it's a bunch of good friends getting together and chowing down. I mean, we all know food trucks are no longer the slimy, fatty, grease trucks with some vague semblance of Mexican food anymore. Now they're AWESOME!

It's quickly becoming a wedding trend to have a food truck at your reception to give it that backyard, home-cooked feeling that's better than dad wearing an apron and standing around the barbecue all day.

We aren't able to have a food truck at our wedding because our venue comes with an amazing organic farm-to-table caterer. While that fits one side of us perfectly, that other side of us loves greasy, delicious food truck food! So the compromise? We're planning on having a food truck for the rehearsal dinner.

Doesn't that look so inviting?

Seabirds in Los Angeles is one of my favorites

The girl below hired three food trucks for her 110 person wedding. How much did it cost her? $3,580.

Dessert trucks or mobile bars are also a really fun idea!

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Of course there are lots of restrictions to be aware of before hiring a food truck. Permits, permission, curb clearance, and potential lines are all something to consider. But hey, if you can do it, DO IT.

I am patiently waiting for the amazing No Worries Filipino vegan cuisine team to make their transition into the food truck world. Common guys!

Have any of you used a food truck for your wedding? Have you been to a wedding that featured a food truck? How was it?

Lights and Love: Nighttime Inspiration

Before I get in to all the details that everyone always asks about like the venue, the dress, colors…and my obnoxiously overzealous list of potential DIY projects, I want you to get a feel for the atmosphere I’m aiming for (I’ve been told I’m a big picture person…so here goes all of my big picture thoughts).

For me, flowers aren't incredibly important (especially because my wedding will be at night...who can see flowers at night anyways?). So my focus for the wedding is on creating a dreamy atmosphere with candles...lots and LOTS of candles.

P.S. My ultimate wedding dream would be to release TONS of floating candle lanterns...thanks Texas for your constant state of extreme drought. I guess I'll have to settle for floating candles in the pool.

Do you have and neat nighttime inspiration? 

Clockwise from top left: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten

P.S. The floating luminaries above (number eight), I bought a few of them and somewhere near 100 paper lanterns...these are the best deal, a TON of votives and instead of pillar candles (which are CRAZY expensive), I bought these.

Follow me on Twitter :: Get inspired on Pinterest

Gold + Green Wedding Inspiration

A bride wrote in about inspiration ideas including gold and green. It may not sound like the perfect pair, but these two colors go incredibly well together if it is done right. The gold details can come in the form of tableware, runners, vases, etc. Lots of romantic candle light and overhead chandeliers. For the green details, I was immediately drawn to these florals offering very organic and forest-esque additions. Adding in some simple pops of yellow, blush and white add further to the romantic details.

Credit: Flowers, Flowers, Bouquet, Green + Gold, Vases

Flipbooks For Your Wedding = Awesome

Flipbooks are an awesome and slightly nostalgic picture book. What I love about custom-made flipbooks is that people have a lot of fun making them during the event and it becomes an awesome favor at the end of the night.

For the Grand Opening of Inspired Collective I wanted to go a bit all out and thought Flipbooks would be a totally awesome way to do so. A Flying Camera was awesome enough to come to Inspired Collective and provide these awesome favors to all the guests there. Think photo-booth fun, flipbook style! Check out this film to show off how awesome it really is.

These are a pretty new concept in the world of weddings and events, but it will definitely become the next big thing to do! In fact, you can look forward to a flipbook booth at The Lab Event as well!

Check out A Flying Camera and book your flipbook booth for you wedding.

Party Time!

Hey lovelies!

Sorry for the double posting of this totally amazing invitation but I am quite in love with this wonderful invitation made by Delbarr Moradi. We are working away today getting ready for this fabulous event taking place tonight at 6:00 p.m.

So let's get ready to party it up and celebrate this brand new venture that is not only mine, but the 15 vendors taking part, as well as the amazing extended family of incredible wedding industry professionals in Northern California. Get all the details about tonight right here!

Credit: 1, 2, 3

Bride Inspiration :: Gold, Blush, Ivory + A Little Bit Of Vintage

Today's post is all about real wedding inspiration.  A lovely bride getting married in November reached out for some last minute detail ideas. The color palette is one we have seen just a few times in our days....blush pink, ivory, gold and vintage. :) So, how do you take something and give it a new twist. I have put together a mini-board that doesn't really look quite like you would expect for the color palette given. But I came stocked with plenty of ideas.

First off, this INSANELY awesome letter crate really can't do any wrong. Vintage: CHECK. Gold stand alone table numbers. Gold: CHECK. Simple vintage napkins with menus or tags adds a small detail that won't be overlooked by any guest.

And that's the key. Knowing what small details will and won't make a difference in the overall look.

Stir sticks are a total must for me. TOTAL. And lastly, some lovely escort inspiration complete with a frame and some lace.

Credit, Credit, Credit, Credit, Credit

Can't wait to see this lovely inspiration come to life in Florida in November! Oh, and BT-dubs, this bride received this lovely little package in her inbox just because she e-mailed me asking for a little bit of help! Want the same? it's simple, just send me an e-mail and let me know what you need help with!

{Costa Rica} Romantic Destination Inspiration

I am one lucky girl to have the opportunity to chat with endless numbers of brides about their wedding day. I receive many many e-mails every week asking anything from what to do with escort cards, vendor recommendations, or full on inspiration boards. This bride is getting married at a gorgeous venue in Costa Rica. Her inspiration includes pastels, the Costa Rica culture and my favorite Vera Wang gown of all time, known as the Gemma.

I put together a fun inspiration board with a romantic touch, one of which I am definitely loving and would love to attend!

I started with gray invites, clear place settings and ribboned chairs for a more whimsical approach to the day. These deets will definitely set the mood.

As for the bridesmaids, I'm loving mixed dresses, but not only mixed styles, mixed colors. Like these of Melissa's wedding which I was in just a month ago.

I'm dying for anything Vera Wang. Anything.

Destination weddings often mean very little crafty and personalized details. But that doesn't mean that every detail you do have can't be the best thing ever. Adding kraft and some blush colors create that romantic and soft feel. And as for a dessert bar, calligraphy note cards are the way to go.

Lastly to complete this romantic garden destination party, some hanging lanterns and a good time under the trees is definitely a way to end this wedding.

Credit: Invite, place setting, chairs, bridesmaids, Vera Wang dress, vase, program, dessert bar, reception

Naturally Beautiful Wedding Elements

Things are getting a bit stressful over here what with the shop opening in just a few weeks, getting ready for the launch of the new website and all the services that go along with that and other awesome things like that! I keep getting so inspired by soft colors, a variety of textures and reclaimed wood, call me crazy but I'm loving it! Since summer is only making a short appearance this year, I'm already planning inspiration for next year, and these elements are definitely on my list!

Credit: 1, 2, 3

White Barn Inspiration

It is no secret that I love barn weddings, nor is it a secret that I have an obsession with reclaimed wood or white wedding details. So when you mix them all together, the outcome is a gorgeous affair with both chic sophistication and a vintage feel.

Credits: 1, 2, 3

In other news, the excitement I announced Thursday continues! The decor process continues as I get ready to move in and set up shop. Get ready for a great collective of vendors, some wonderful bridal accessories for sale, and the down-right most gorgeous little shop you'll ever see!

We still have lots more secrets and launches in store that will roll out around the time our new website launches! In the meantime, find out how vendors can get involved, and request an application for our Hand-Crafted Vendor Guide!