Succulents & Latin American Inspiration {que colores}

I have completed the most difficult and daunting task on my wedding planning list, thus far. We have officially locked down our venue! HOORAY! Vinnie and I will be getting hitched on November 4, 2012 at the Hotel Maya in Long Beach, California. Originally, we wanted our date to be October 20th, which is a Saturday, however, that changed when we saw the premium places charged for a Saturday evening wedding. (FYI, for those of you brides out there scouting out venues, you can save close to $10,000 just by switching your celebration to a Friday or Sunday.) We opted for a Sunday and pushed back our date to the first weekend in November, which gave us an additional 15% off... Score! Now that we have our venue, I've realized that my color scheme may have to be tweaked a little bit. What I know for sure is that I LOVE succulent plants, so my palette should complement that cool sage green. I also want to have some bright colors to add to our killer outdoor ambiance at the Maya. The decor and vibe there is " Mayan Mystique meets Urban Chic.... alluring fusion of Latin American and Southern Californian style."

You might be reading this thinking, 'wait a minute, didn't Taya say her dream wedding would be in Palm Springs?' Yes, you're right. In my last post I wrote about how I fell in love with the Colony Palms Hotel in the desert. Well, when I got back to Los Angeles I decided to reach out to a friend of mine, Laura, who also happens to be a wedding planner. She and I met for a glass of wine and french fries (that's how I roll) to brainstorm other locations that had a vibe I wanted, and were more affordable and easier for people to travel to. I told her how I loved the old Spanish charm of the Colony Palms, along with its cool mid-century chic vibe, and that I envisioned getting married somewhere unique... somewhere with palm trees that felt like an escape. She recommended the Hotel Maya.

Long story short: I went on my own to tour the grounds. Later that week Vinnie, his parents, my MOH and I enjoyed Sunday brunch there, and that pretty much sealed the deal. (PS, the food is AMAZING!) The hotel is owned by Hilton and they recently had a $10mil renovation. The secret is slowly getting out on what a fabulous location it is for an event. In 2009 they had about 45 weddings, last year almost 100, and in 2012 even more!

Side note: When Vinnie's parents got married in San Pedro 30+ years ago, his mom wanted to spend their wedding night at this hotel!! Even though they ended up staying somewhere else, she always remembered how special the location was. It was cool to hear them reminisce about it ;-)
Now that we have our venue it's time to send out save the dates, design invites, etc.
So, what's my new challenge? Setting the tone and vibe of our wedding through COLORS. It's likely that our save the dates will be similar in design to our invitations. I've let my creative juices start flowing over the holiday weekend and this is what I've been inspired by so far. I want something modern with a hint of Spanish/Latin American influence.
As previously mentioned, I LOVE succulents! They will definitely be  in my floral arrangements and table centerpieces. I'm also really digging the grey and yellow. What do you think?

I feel like picking your colors is the last big step in getting the ball rolling. Am I right? I'd love to hear how this part of the planning is going for you! Do your save the dates look like your invites? Once you picked your paper goods, did you feel pigeonholed into a certain color scheme? Have any advice or words of wisdom for me?

Peonies and Roses

What would a garden wedding be without flowers, right? Our July, garden inspired wedding reception will be held in a glass conservatory, already full of gorgeous, summery flowers and hanging plants, so I want to keep the table centerpieces simple and elegant. I haven't quite finalized our color scheme, but I do know blush pink will be making an appearance : ) Here are some of my favorite floral centerpieces.

Sources: one, two, three, four, five

I love the nontraditional jars and baskets used in these centerpieces!

What  are some unique centerpieces you have seen? Are you a DIY bride? Have you or would you attempt to make your own centerpieces? I would love to, but don't know if I am that daring!

Take My Breath Away

Are you following me yet on Pinterest? Well you should be! And if you already are, then you’ve probably noticed a trend among my flower posts – Baby’s Breath. I love it! No longer just a cheesy filler flower (you know it was a part of your prom corsage/bouquet back in the day!), Baby’s Breath looks amazing on its own. It reminds me of a soft, airy cloud. Ok, but who am I kidding – my immediate draw to it was the price – it is super inexpensive!

I originally thought this flower would be great to accent my rustic, outdoor wedding.

Credits: Jar, Bouquet, Table Number, Arch, Buckets

But now that we have switched to a more classic, city venue, I think it could still work.

Credits (clockwise from top left): Aisle, Centerpiece 1, Centerpiece 2, Bouquet, Centerpiece 3

A few tips on using baby’s breath that I have learned in my research:

1. Baby’s Breath is often confused with Lilly of the Valley – an equally pretty flower that is MUCH more expensive (Hello - Lilly of the Valley is what Kate Middleton used in her bouquet and she’s a princess!).

2. DIYing your bouquet? You can order baby’s breath in bulk from places like Costco and Sam’s Club (Sam’s Club lists it under “filler,” but you know better…).

3. Baby’s Breath is much easier to work with since you are using just one type of flower and won’t require formal training as a florist to arrange!

Whether your wedding is country rustic or city glam, I think Baby’s Breath looks stunning in both bouquets and center pieces. Have you used Baby’s Breath or seen it being used at a wedding? Share in your comments below!

P.S. Thanks to everyone who offered photographer suggestions in my first post! They were all awesome and you’ve already made my photog search easier!

Rustic Chic Flowers

Okay, let's talk flowers.  I have to admit I've gone a littler flower crazy in the planning process. I even brought a large binder (divided into sections for centerpiece, bouquets, boutonnieres, etc) to my initial meeting with our florist, the talented Jennie Love of Love n Fresh Flowers.  What can I say, I'm a little obsessive!  Jennie was able to look at all my pictures, and see the theme that was tying everything together; texture.  I love succulents, dust miller, baby's breath, dahlias, and anemones to name a few.

We're going to use 3 old antique doors as our ceremony backdrop  (two pale yellow & one white) and place two tall free-standing bundles of pussy willows on each end.  Baby's breath filled mason jars will hang off every other row of chairs for the ceremony, and later be repurposed as decoration along the bars.  Twine, burlap, and buttons will be used on the 'handle' part of my bridal bouquet & the bridesmaids bouquets.

The main colors we are using are grey, light yellow, ivory, and sage green.  Although we're mostly just going with a soft romantic colors - and not ruling any colors out.  I think we can stay true to an overall theme better than a strict color scheme.

For the boutonnieres, I wanted succulents mixed with something different, nothing overly flowery.  I think we can incorporate a more masculine look,  like wheat or cotton.

I'm hoping our centerpieces come out something like this gorgeous centerpiece below- since we plan to use old cheese board boxes (some we are renting, and some we have collected) as well as mason jars/bottles we have been picking up at antique stores and flea markets.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I'm surprised at how important flowers have been to me in the whole planning process, my parents (both avid gardeners) must be so proud (and surprised!)  What flowers are you planning to use for your wedding?  I would love to hear what other brides are planning!

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

Bridal Shop Photo Shoot With Some Incredible Florals

Let's start this amazing post out with this lovely shot of hair and make-up!

My first obsession about this shoot is the amazing floral work. I'm dying for these wild flower, bright and bold-colored florals like you wouldn't believe. The concept behind the shoot for a newly-opened make up artist & dress shop in Oregon. This shoot offers some lovely details and some wonderful inspiration, especially those to-die-for florals.

:: see the entire gallery of photos ::

Photographer: emily g photography
Floral Designer: Floral Designs by Alicia
Reception Venue: Private Residence

Floral Love

Florals really set the mood for any and every portion of the wedding. They are so so important to create lines, textures, colors, pops of color, and add a statement piece to any tablescape or outfit. These spring blooms are perfect for that spring or summer time affair.

Obviously the last photo isn't florals, but the foliage proves the point just as well. Plus, I just love it.

Photographer: Jan Michele

Hanging Centers

Making chandeliers out of less than expected items always ends well in weddings. This chandelier look filled with flowers and mason jars fills a spot for the statement piece of the reception and remains interesting. I know you all love interesting, and this group of hanging flowers in vases is just that.

These guys are totally awesome, but I do have one issue. This is one of those projects that as cool as it looks, it will take SO much time to actually facilitate it. Aside from that, the cost to do this project, what with all the flowers and jars, could get upwards of $100. Let's just say that this is on my list of to-do's, but if I will actually do it is a whole other story. For anyone that can, or did or does, that's totally amazing and I want to seeee!

I other news I am headed to WPPI bright and early tomorrow morning. We are going for 4 days but the good news is that if something happens like all the planes in the world break down and we have to stay another week or two, I wouldn't be that upset and I have enough clothes packed in my suitcase to tide me over.

I come with good news for all you vendors out there! During the time we are in Vegas, we will be offering up a deal for all of you, and I have to say, this is the best one yet (that's what you get for having Ian pick it. I guess he is the nice one!) When you sign up for a premium account, you get 2 months free! 2 WHOLE months. That's pretty awesome.

I will announce the code tomorrow, and I have cards with codes to hand out while we are there. There is a cap on the number of people that can sign up, so if you want to go for it, I would have to tell you to go for it!

Super excited to have an amazing time in Vegas!

Flowers and Fruit

The fruit idea is at it again with this totally amazing bouquet from the Holman Ranch website. Love this so much. The fruit makes for an even better little bouquet. I am basically seeing fruit everywhere at this point.

Next up is a totally amazing palette and bouquet that I pretty much want all to myself. This comes from the amazing Jacin from Lovely Little Details. Thanks for the find.

Lastly, and equally a favorite of mine is this amazing pair of shoe clips. I really haven't seen anything like these. Definitely considering adding these to my Louboutins just like in the photos. Check out on Etsy.

Floral Inspiration

I talked a little bit about some exciting news coming your way on Monday. Well, due to the fact that I picked up and trotted all the way down to San Diego for a photoshoot (about 8 hours). More fun details on the who, what, when, where soon enough. All I will say is that I'll be able to hold these photos!) So I'll give you all a great bit of floral inspiration derived from my wedding plans! I love this look for the florals and can't wait to scatter these lovely bunch of wild flowers all over the place!