This wedding inspiration is an absolute delight!  One couldn't go wrong with the richness of black and white complimenting so perfectly with green.  I love the almost vintage feeling paired with elegance and the unexpected outdoor gathering with white lights.  Simplicity will surely make this a memorable wedding for all!

Wishes,
Amy

There’s something about the way it “use to be”, when we were inspired by a time where getting there was truly half the fun. I like to think that the journey must had been as exciting as the destination and time spent together was cherished and filled with conversation.

It seems that if our time is now limited and we forget the journey. We are busy with “To Do List”, packing up our electronics, movies for the backseat DVD players, pre-purchased tickets, and days filled to the brim. The highways are racing with us all in a rush to get to the destination. We drive through the night, go through drive-thru and forget that there is so much beauty surrounding us. We missed the picnic at the creek with priceless pictures of children playing in the water. We didn’t have time to stop at the old diner that still believes in customer service and home cooked meals. We didn’t get to meet the locals or visit the history of what we were rushing past. Yes, there is something about the way it use to be. Life was slower, and maybe that’s why some of the stories that have been passed down through time are so much more interesting. This was our heritage and what an honor to had been part of it.

Next time you get to your destination, do you still send postcards home? With the age of technology, we too often forget the beautiful handwritten note of “Wish Your Were Here”. In past reference, the first U.S. postcard came into being in 1872 and spanned a time from 1898-1918. This was a time when travelers wrote home on exquisite linen-finished, hand-tinted cards of posh resort hotels. It was also an era of global travel. People ventured to remote regions and sent exotic pictures of native people and jungle villages. “Wish You Were Here” still spans our thoughts and often our memory.

So, a little trip down memory lane to make you smile along with many companies now creating the “what was old is new again”. I hope you make your journey as exiting as your destination!

How fun to take your travels on the road in a vintage trailer! I seriously am thinking this could be my home away from home . . . Even if just in my yard.

Dressed and ready to go with beautiful Backswept Dress from Anthropologie. http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=21110440&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS&color=049. You will feel perfect in this Corey Lynn Calter electric silk dress that is popping with chrysanthemums and tied into a knot above a keyhole back. Paired with the Floridian Oasis Coral Heels by Schuler and Sons http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?navAction=jump&id=20780193&parentid=SEARCH_RESULTS&color=085, these suede peep-toes would take you walking anywhere.

ModCloth provides a vintage and retro selections for today’s shopper and their Pudding Pie Bag mod cloth is made with textured, vegan faux leather and topped with dashes of brassy hardware and is floral lined with plenty of pockets for all your traveling needs. http://www.modcloth.com/Modcloth%2FWomens%2FAccessories%2FBags/-Pudding-Pie-Bag.

Or, if you have everything packed, the Post Clutch from ModCloth is reminiscent of that carefully crafted postcard or letter. Decorative details and “stamps” add to the allure of this darling accessory. http://www.modcloth.com/Modcloth%2FWomens%2FAccessories%2FBags/-Through-the-Post-Clutch.

I love this photo with the old LP record player - you really will be okay without your electronics for a few hours and might even find yourself yearning for more road trips this way! If you’re like me, you’ll want to check out the portable record players at http://coolrecordplayers.com/portable_players.html especially if you’re lucky enough to have a collection of vinyl’s sitting around.

My other love . . . This Pottery Barn Found Camera with compact bodies and simple functionality, classic 35 mm cameras paved the way for both amateur photographers and professional photojournalists everywhere. The first was prototyped in Germany in 1913 and went into production as the Leica in 1924. Their collection of cameras are crafted by a variety of mid-century German and Russian manufacturers who have become vintage icons, making them perfect for display. http://www.potterybarn.com/products/found-cameras/

For a new take with technology, look at the LEICA M9, a camera that carries the legend of Leica M cameras into the digital age. It is the smallest full-format digital system camera the world has ever seen. It is a contemporary tool for all who demand the highest standards in image quality and love freedom of composition. http://us.leica-camera.com/photography/m_system/m9/.

Or what about the the Rolleiflex MiniDigi AF 5.0 Digital Camera from B & H Photo Video Audio Pro http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/560571-REG/Rollei_24613_Rolleiflex_MiniDigi_AF_5_0.html with an impressively detailed miniature replica of the famous Rolleiflex 2.8F 6x6cm Twin Lens Reflex Camera. This 5.0 Megapixel digital camera preserves many of the outstanding convenience features and of course the nostalgic design elements of the original such as the Crank Action frame advance, and classic square format images that Rolleiflex Twin Lens cameras are famous for. But this up-to-date digital camera provides an auto focus feature with the capability to focus between 4 inches (10cm) to infinity, and its 1.1" LCD display allows for both Waist Level Shooting and the ability to review your images.

So, grab a book, grab a blanket, a basket filled with goods ~ even if you don’t hit the far from home road, go ahead and getaway for a few hours.

Please note, items were available at the time of the writing of this article and does not guarantee they are still available

Top photograph from John Casablancas graduates

I began to think back to the overload in planning a wedding and wondering where to start. There are so many fabulous wedding styles, designs, themes, but most of all, colors. How to chose your wedding colors is a chore in itself for these colors will be used in decorations, flowers, clothing, linens and many other things.

I was lucky in some ways, for when my husband and I were trying to decide our colors, his color palette being white everything, I got to have the fun in playing with colors. On the other hand, I should’ve thought back to our remodeling days of choosing paint colors. I opt for more of a Tuscan style and colors, where as he goes, “white is nice”. Yes, our whole home was white inside. “It was easy to spray” he says. “It’s boring”, I respond. “Everything goes with it” was his defense. Hym, my work was cut out for me. Needless to say, he let me chose the colors for the remodeling and our home is no longer white inside … and he likes it! With that being said, I thought about the following, and these are some ways that we decided on our wedding colors … and, he loved those too. Lucky me that my guy is pretty laid back and wanted what made me happy too!

Other than the obvious colors you don’t like, think about the season you are getting married in, think about your theme. For example, if you are having a vibrant Hawaiian Luau theme, formal black and white may not justify your overall scheme.

Look at the flowers you like and their color combinations, look at bridesmaids dresses; their style and color options, and remember you don’t have to stick with one color. Most weddings have anywhere from one to two main colors and an accent color or two in which they are all complementary to each other. Another thing to take note of is your invitation style. Is it romantic, edgy or elaborate? Sometimes looking at all these factors you will find that your color scheme is right in front of you.

Enjoy and visit your online or local paint stores - it’s great fun to put together your colors be it monochromatic or a choice of three to four complementary colors.  Visit http://www.benjaminmoore.com a well known paint with many color selections and coordinates. I LOVE http://bighugelabs.com/colors.php where you upload a photo that includes the colors you like and it generates a color palette from it complete with names and descriptions. http://www.colourlovers.com/ not only gives you colors, but palettes of coordinating colors along with patterns.

Try collecting favorites wedding photos and creating a board along with fabric, ribbon and paint swatches. Look around you; what colors are you most drawn to? What style do you seem to gravitate towards? From modern to vintage and everything in-between, this too may help you in selecting your wedding day colors.

Your colors should reflect you and your grooms personal style and then it is a bit easier to look further into your wedding planning. Remember that your wedding colors can help set the mood for your wedding and you want colors that work well with your theme.

In conclusion ~ Don’t use too many colors as designer Carissa of JL Designs says, “Simplicity is key. Pick three to four colors total to keep your bouquets and centerpieces from looking too messy. If you prefer an undone look, opt for a few slightly varied shades of the same color. This will add depth without looking too chaotic. Or, for an especially striking look, go monochromatic with a bold shade like vivid purple or creamy white. The idea is to keep the look tailored for maximum impact.”

Don’t forget about texture. From you linens, your decorations, dresses, and more, you want to have different textures that will also work well with one another.

Do remember you season, your environment, your personal style likes and dislikes. Remember to look at your flower selections, your invitations, and what type of mood you want to portray for your wedding. Keep in mind that maybe you might like lime green but not everyone looks good in it ~ you have bridesmaids that need to wear these colors well too.

Most of all, remember this is your day; the day that will be photographed, framed and remembered for years to come. You want to look back on it with knowing every detail was just as you wanted.

Monochromatic Green Wedding

Something Blue Wedding

Wishes,
Amy