Vintage Red and Black Inspiration Board

I recently met a bride (Hi Liz!) whose vision for her wedding day is a vintage wedding in ivory, with red and black accents.  Red and black are perfect accent colours for a 50s-themed wedding, so I was excited to do a little brainstorming and inspiration-hunting!  Sadly, when I searched for images of weddings that combined red and black, I found a whole lot of bad, ranging from bordello to Twilight and everything in between.  The great thing about seeing a colour scheme done badly is that it teaches you a great lesson in what not to do!

 

I think the key to using red and black in wedding decor is to allow the white or ivory to be the dominant tone, and then choose red and black accents that make sense together and add depth and dimension to the white/ivory foundation.  My favourite way to begin putting together an inspiration board is to take the inspiration colours and find something in nature that displays those colours together.  Today’s inspiration was the red anemone.  This gorgeous flower looks great in bouquets and centrepieces, and is the perfect element to tie together the other red and black accents in the decor.

 

This inspiration board features:

• An adorable paper heart seating chart by Sarah and Bendrix.
• Dresses by Candy Anthony, whom I featured in my 50s bridal gown post a few months back.  Divine!
• Save the Dates by Dapper Paper on Etsy.
• Delicious cake with delicate piping and edible sugar anemones by The Pastry Studio.
• An incredible anemone, tulip, and milkglass tablescape with wool runners (yes!!) put together by JL Designs and The Stylish Soiree.

 

 

All Aboard!

About 5 years ago, I took the train all the way from Montreal to Prince Rupert, and then back down to Vancouver via Jasper.  Within hours of my departure I was reminded of why I fell madly in love with train travel the first time I went to Europe.  It’s such a calming, quiet, reliable way to get around, at a pace that’s terrifically relaxing compared to the current approach to travel, which seems to revolve around the mandate “get there as quickly as possible.”

One of the delightful things about travelling by train is that a train trip is about the journey AND the destination… which makes it kind of a perfect metaphor for good wedding planning.  Many people find the months leading up to their wedding day to be like bad travel: stressful, disorienting, and only worthwhile because it’ll get them to their desired destination.  A good wedding planner, however, can make your point-A-to-point-B slog into a well-organized, perfectly scheduled, relaxing—and even fun!—ride.  A train ride.

Part of the fun of wedding planning is choosing all the little details that make your day uniquely yours.  So, my fellow locomotive enthusiasts, this inspiration board’s for you:

Clockwise from top left: vintage locomotive shot by Jagger Photography; at this wedding, the seating chart features train “departure” destinations that are meaningful to the bride and groom, along with beautiful old suitcases as decor accents (photo by Aves Photographic Design); Tana Photography captured this train depot waiting room all dressed up as a lounge space for this wedding’s cocktail hour; dramatic train trestle group shot by ENV Photography; wedding party on the train tracks, Photos by Wendy G.; AWESOME locomotive cufflinks by Earth Fire Studios on Etsy; country-western train themed invitation by Hearty Designs on Etsy; swanky bird’s eye view of a wedding reception at Union Station by Stephanie Williams.

 

A fantastic resource for stationery for train-themed events: vintage railway posters.  Instead of table numbers, why not assign each table to a dream honeymoon destination?  Or use postcard-sized versions for your guest book?

 

And don’t forget to personalize your dinner menu, just like they do in the dining car of fine trains everywhere!  Find yourself a great graphic designer and a few inspiration photos, and off you go!

This year, I’ll be spending the holidays in chilly Edmonton—brrrrr!—and getting there by train.  I’m super excited about the trip through the Rocky Mountains in the snow.  Here’s hoping for breathtaking scenery and as few fellow passengers as possible!

Inspired by 50s Brides

This week, I’ve been fixated on 50s brides…  How could you not be inspired by the likes of the gorgeous Grace Kelly, Dorothy Dandridge, Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Elizabeth Taylor?  Drool with me!

Of course, I’m not alone in this obsession.  Check out these contemporary vintage-inspired gowns that, in many cases, come with much cheaper price tags than the average wedding gown.

Clockwise from top left: an amazing vintage-inspired wedding shoot by CK Metro Photography; laundromat shoot by Christine Farah, dress designed by Bridal Bliss Designs; the pink pin-up shot features just one of many amazing dresses made by Dolly Couture, most of which retail for under $600; bottom right is a dress designed by the aptly-named Audrey and Grace Couture on Etsy; to die for peach dress by Ellana Couture on Etsy; London’s Candy Anthony designed this sweet-but-edgy crimson-crinolined confection; the dreamy photo on the bottom left gets my vote for best-ever use of tulle!

Paper Perfection!

Today I took in the Make It! Exhibition at the Croatian Cultural Centre.  It’s fun to see so many talented people making careers out of the beautiful handmade items that they love to make!

Today’s inspiration board is a nod to all things handmade, but with a special emphasis on paper.  Not only is paper relatively inexpensive, it’s completely recyclable and comes in limitless colours, patterns, and even textures.  I was particularly excited when I searched the term “paper cake topper” and actually came up with some amazing hits!

Have a look:

TOP ROW:  We begin at the left, with a bridal bouquet made from vintage 1930s love letters!  This fabulous creation is by Amanda of Fantasy Floral Design.  To the right is the cake topper I mentioned—adorable!  Concarta, selling on Etsy, customizes these beauties.  You can order all sorts of dress/tux styles, as well as same-sex toppers, plus gorgeous floral confetti which would look great on gift and guest book tables.  Next, classy gift tags for your guest favours, from Paper Eclectiques (via Etsy).  The top row is rounded out by Martha Stewart–her scrapbook paper placemats with cut-out and pop-up name tags are simple yet ingenious.  And yes, that centrepiece blends paper flowers with fresh, real blooms. Love it!

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BOTTOM ROW:  These boutonnieres by Etsy’s Desicra combine paper and faux pearls for a whimsical accent to the men’s attire.  Beside the boutonnieres are some very inexpensive but impactful tissue paper pompoms, which I found—you guessed it!—on Etsy; see Party Poms.  Next is a brilliant guest book idea!  Absinthe Custom Print will customize a frameable tree to commemorate your day, and provide you with leaves that match your colour scheme.  Guests write their names and wishes on the leaves, and fill the tree with foliage-love!  Last but not least, this vintage seating chart is colourful and fun, and can be found via Seeking the Muse on Etsy (MY muse!).