Mint to Be

In the aftermath of St. Patty's Day and with spring right around the corner, this post is dedicated to my new favorite color, mint green! I’ve always loved how this soft, sweet color pairs well with any Springtime pastel shade. Check out this darling round up of the perfect ways to keep your wedding minty fresh! Adorable (and super affordable!) dresses for the bride or her bridesmaids.

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Darling mint ph0tobooth.

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Add a little mint to your cake!

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Lollipops to find your table. Great way to re-purpose those berry containers!

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Subtle minty details

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Have you added some mint to your wedding pallet?

Linens 'n Things: Finding the Perfect Rentals

Depending on the venue you choose, you will either have to get a lot of rentals or some rentals. I've pretty much never heard of caterers or venues that come completely equipped. That being said, we are very lucky that Paradise Ridge comes with tables, chairs, and an amazing view, so we really only had to get the basics.

Last Saturday, we headed to Wine Country Party & Events, and chose our linens, flatware, glassware, outdoor lights, and ceremony arch. While we're definitely still finalizing everything, these are some of our favorites so far.

Have you chosen your rentals yet?

Source (all photos): Wine Country Party

Planning a Wine Country Wedding, Part 3: Where did you get that?

As an event designer, one of the questions I’m asked most by both clients and wedding guests is where I find all the unique elements — from the perfect dinner chairs to the adorable ring bearer’s pillow — that make a couple’s wedding uniquely them. For wine country weddings, you typically want thoughtful details that beautifully bridge both rustic and elegant looks. Here I share some of Esla Events' favorite sources.

Paper Goods

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The Aerialist Press. They offer beautiful designs – both house and couture collections, and are two of the nicest people you will ever meet, who are inspiringly passionate about what they do.

Little Miss Press. She offers beautiful stationery design AND stunning calligraphy. Getting your invitations designed, printed, and addressed all in one spot? Can’t get any easier than that.

Materials & Special Touches

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Save on Crafts. For all you DIYers out there, this is a gold mine for materials. From candles to moss to baskets, this national site’s warehouse is located just down south in Watsonville, so getting your items is very quick and easy.

Pressed Cotton. One of my new favorite sites for special little details. The products are tastefully done and well curated.

BHLDN. While some items are overpriced, sometimes you just can’t find that perfect coral cake stand anywhere else. Great for items you think you’ll want to keep long after the wedding.

Etsy. And no list can be complete without this “DIYer outsourcing” site. Sometimes it takes some patience to dig through all the postings, but usually you can find the perfect item at a great price.

Pretty Sweets

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Miette. A San Francisco classic, this store just makes you happy. If you can incorporate some of their jaw-droppingly beautiful cupcakes and macarons into your dessert table, do.

Batter. One of my favorite sources for baked goods. Delicious, unique, and beautiful.

Candy Warehouse. There isn’t anything that glamorous about this site or source, but it’s a lifesaver if you’re trying to find a range of candies in one particular shade.

Rentals

Hartmann Studio Rentals. Tip: They have one of the best shrubbery collections in the region. So if you need some olive trees or boxwoods to help define large outdoor spaces, and make ceremony spaces more intimate, this is the place to go.

Wine Country Party & Events. Not surprisingly, their inventory is geared beautifully towards the rustic yet romantic and elegant look of Napa and Sonoma weddings.

Classic Party Rentals. Looking for a great dark-wood farm table? They rent them for $85. Also, their benches and Descanso lounge furniture are quite popular with my clients.

For fans of mid century modern, industrial, and custom design rentals, keep an eye out for YEAH! Rentals and rEvolve (site coming soon!), who will both be expanding their presence in the Bay Area this coming year.

Vintage Touches

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One True Love Vintage Rentals. Incredibly tasteful collection, with exceptionally beautiful pieces for lounge vignettes.

Heritage & Craft. With a beautiful selection of vintage goods, they also are able to craft custom pieces for you.

MilkGlass Vintage Rentals. Her selection of tables and glassware are fantastic, and she also can help you create a customized piece to perfectly suit your needs.

Wine Country Party’s Circa. Need to try and get all your rentals from the same place to avoid multiple delivery charges? Wine Country Party has a Circa line of vintage goods, so you can get 150 standard white plates and 5 wooden crates for styling your dessert table all in one place.

Linens

Napa Valley Linens. Amazing customer service and a constantly updated and beautiful selection of linens.

La Tavola. My clients go crazy for their Tuscano line (which are linen linens). Beautiful understated elegance. They have showrooms in both Napa and San Francisco, making sample viewing a snap.

Happy hunting for your perfect items!

The Hardware: Rings

With only about 3 months left in our planning madness it has come the time to start looking at wedding bands. I think much of the hype about "the ring" happens around the engagement ring but there's a lot to consider, like style and significance, when choosing the perfect band. My fiance and I have stopped into a few jewelry stores to check out options for him and I have been absolutely blown away. Who knew that men's rings have a whole new selection of metals and textures to choose from?! I think we both have narrowed what I want in our rings so I thought I'd share a few of our favorites. I'm really leaning to adding some colored gemstones into mine but I do worry this is a phase I'll regret..What do you think?

I'd also love to know, how did you go about selecting you wedding bands?

The Evolving Color Scheme

My wedding colors from nine months ago, post here, are a little different from my wedding colors today. Over the months, with all the decisions, I realized I was gravitating towards different colors. It was sort of a natural progression when I went through picking things like flowers, wedding party attire, invitations, etc. So what better time to take a second look at the colors and make sure everything is looking just right?! The bridesmaid dresses are still going to be mix-and-matched creams and tans, just a little darker than the original off-white I had in mind. We switched it up with the suits and are going to go for navy! I like it because it's a little different and sort of a nice in-between as far as formalness goes.

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Let's see how they look together...

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I'm also throwing in some hints of a soft lavender.

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And for the tables, we'll stick with the tans and lavender, and spice it up  with some additional flower colors - other shades of purple, blue, green, some white and off-white to balance it out, along with mercury glass.

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It's hard to believe we're just four month out from the big day!

Color Rich DIY Bouquet

Oh how I love florals. While perusing my local floral shop I fell in love with the simple white snow flower with such rich berry tones. $50 later, I had all the elements I needed to create a bouquet rich in color and texture.

I would never suggest DIYing florals for your wedding, but I understand that as far as budgets go, sometime something has to give. So if this is your "give" here is a great bouquet with a color palette that is beautiful no matter what season.

As for a few tips, grab about 4-6 different types of floral. Pair them together until you find the perfect mix of color and texture. Then go for it. Play around until you find something that you love. (These are the best tips I can provide from one non-florist to another :) )

Cozy Cabin Wedding by Brushfire Photography

Today's wedding is an example of a wedding my husband would have loved to have. A cabin tucked in the woods with all your favorite people celebrating love. Oh ya, so much beauty tucked in the woods, I just can't get enough of it. Thanks to Brushfire Photography for shooting such a cozy and personal wedding for us to gawk over.

The Big Picture {capturing that one magical moment}

Being in the midst of planning insanity, it's really easy to lose yourself in which Pantone shade of twine you should order off of Etsy (don't judge me!). I've been trying really hard to ground myself in the fact that in less than 5 months, I am getting married to the man I've spent the last 9 years with. It's pretty incredible when I stop to think about it, and I am so looking forward to those amazing memories, and little moments we will treasure for years to come.

Sources: Nirav Photography, Nirav Photography, Max Wanger, Max Wanger, Shang Chen Photography, Shang Chen Photography, Ann Street Studio

Delicious Drinks: Stocking the Bar

What's a wedding without a fun and festive crowd there to celebrate with? One sure fire way to get people lively for the reception is making sure the bar is well stocked with delicious drinks. It's come that time on our wedding planning process to figure out our bar and most importantly speciality drinks. Our venue is completely BYOB with no corkage which has a ton of pluses to it but it also allows our imaginations to run wild. We've wrestled with the idea of an open bar during cocktail hour or just a few specialty cocktails. I think this post accurately describes the way I'm leaning. What are some of your favorite speciality cocktails at weddings?

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Finding Your Glass Slippers

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 Now that I have my dress, Ican't wait to pick out the heels! I love the look of a neutral color with sparkles of some kind.

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 On the other hand, a brighter color would be fun.

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Other things on my checklist are that they are comfortable, stay on my feet, not be too high, and that they aren't crazy expensive. I can't wait to find the perfect ones for me. I'm thinking I'll be ordering several contenders so that I can try them on and see how they feel on and with my dress.

Where did you shop for your wedding shoes?