Featured Wedding of the Week: Simple Kiwi Vintage

So this week, I simply did not feel like putting words down. I don't know what it is, but to me pictures speak more. As you may not know, I love New Zealand. Never been there but desperately want to. Movie Star has been obsessed with the Lord of the Rings trilogy for years and years and so I've watched them far more than I'll admit to you. What I did not expect to come from my many hours of Frodo and the ring, was my own obsessive love for the landscape. The rolling green mountains with just a smidgin of fog floating by sends my heart aflutter. So, I have been searching for a Kiwi wedding lately with the same gorgeous mountains in the backdrop. However, in my search I could not find one.  Though I did come across a simple vintage wedding (my fav!) from the northern New Zealand island of Tauranga. I think after peeking at their day, you'll see why I like it.  But I'm still looking for that special wedding.... so if you know of one or yours is one, email us!!

Photography by Tracy Stamatakos of One Black Sheep

Most Original Wedding Invitations

Weddings are elegant affairs and can be done many different ways and several motifs. They often follow similar patterns, though. Many people want to stick by what is beautiful, which is why many weddings are alike. There's obviously wrong with this at all, but some people want to be original and the first element that shows this is the invitation. The invitation is meant to just give the basic information and invite the guest in a way that's as welcoming as possible. Here are some awesome ways to do it that you probably haven't thought of yet.

photo courtesy of madebyjulene.com

One invitation for those who appreciate originality while still maintaining elegance and a classic feel is the paper cutout. I love it for its ornate intricacy. This invitation is so detailed that it goes beyond design into art. If created on sturdy enough paper, the cutout can stand alone. If done on paper of regular width, it will need to be attached to a piece of paper. This can be great though, adding color and more design to your invitation. Either way, this invitation is a winner no matter what you do to it.

photo courtesy of ramshackleglam.com

If you are a fan of the 'Little Miss' and 'Mister Men' books, then you will love this :-) The cute invitation is a recreation of the classic children's book that people my have grown up with. It's an adorable throwback that will bring back nostalgia for anyone sentimental. I personally love Little Miss Sunshine and Mr. Messy the most. Those would be on my cover :-)

photo courtesy of carlaberrocal.com

For the more nerdy brides and grooms, this is a cool way to go. I love that the invitation is pixelated just a nintendo video game invoking nostalgia once again, for the true gamer of course. What truly makes this vintage though is the 'Insert Coin?' line on the left of card, bringing you back to the olden days of arcades. I love this one, because it brings back childhood again, and I'm not even a big video games fan.

photo courtesy of qualityjunkyard.com

This one is for the cook, food aficionado or just those with a sweet tooth. The invitation is a chocolate bar with the wedding invitation written on the packaging. It has very creative detail as well and is so realistic that is could pass for a normal manufactured candy bar. And every will love receiving a sweet treat along with an invitation to your big day.

photo courtesy of lolitastudio.net

I'm not quite sure what theme this wedding invitation would accompany, but nonetheless, it is a very original and fun idea. Instead of sending one piece of paper, this invitation is a small deck of custom playing cards with bits of information on each card. A great way to employ the deck to the fullest would be to use the number cards to give out the date, ceremony time, address and other things like this. And a cute idea that was used in example above, is use the heart cards of the deck :-)

photo courtesy of ioffer.com

A cute idea that is perfect for those using certain motifs is event tickets. This is broad idea too, so it can work for themes relating to movies, plays, carnivals, or just a party (reception) in general. Using an actual ticket for admission isn't used much anymore now that you can print tickets on printer paper, use a confirmation number, or just have a barcode scanned on your iphone. This will bring back a fun, vintage feel and can be very elegant if done well. You can even collect the stub at the door to have even more fun and to keep out the wedding crashers ;)

photo courtesy of gizmodiva.com

Another one for the nerdy couple is comics books. I love this, for the reason that you can probably guess. That's right, because it's retro. It's perfect for those who love comics or just something from a bygone era. I love the detail on this one as well, with the ceremony date listed as the issue date in the top lefthand corner. The cool thing about this one is that there are thousands of covers you can get inspiration from.

photo courtesy of weddinginvitations21.com

This is a great idea if you want to surprise your guests with your invitation. Just send a bag of puzzle pieces for guests to put together for a little bit of fun and the pleasant surprise of a wedding invitation. Who wouldn't love to get a surprise like that in the mail?

photo courtesy of lovelypackage.com

I've saved my favorite for last. This the coolest wedding invitation idea I've ever seen. With this, you mail the wedding invitation to your guests in a tin can. The tin can will need to have a small hole in the bottom. When they open it up, guests will find the invitation, string and instructions. They will now use attach the string to the tin can and tie it to the newlywed's car on the day of the wedding. The instructions will them know just how to do it and you will be sure to have enough tin cans to bring some wind resistance to your car. This is a cute way to incorporate the age-old tradition of tin cans on the back of the newlyweds' car and involve your guests in the festivities. It is traditional and original, which is hard to do and you're sure to not come across another couple that has already done it.

Invitations are the first impression of your wedding to your guests, and originality can go a long way. Common wedding invitation patterns can be work, but guests won't know what they're in for exactly. An original invitation will most likely give them more of a sense of what's in store. Have fun with your invitations whether they're customary or original and make sure each of your personalities show.

Featured Wedding of the Week: Desert Bliss

As I was scrounging for a wedding this week, I kept coming across gorgeous weddings with beautiful photographs but they all began to look the same. But it's very hard for me to look at weddings these days without wanting to share all of them. The reason? I want to re-do my own wedding because I wasn't overly pleased with it, so how can I look down on any of these? In comparison to mine, they are all far too perfect. I know, I'm way to harsh on my special day. But aren't we all? Maybe not.... maybe I'm alone here. Hello!..... hello.....hello. Wow, I guess I am. Oh well!

That was a long segment just to bring me around to the fact that I found a wedding that (to me) seems outside the ordinary or commonplace for weddings today. I continuously see vintage or country style weddings (which I love), but the simple, modern wedding has been recently hidden on the shelf. So, when this little beaut popped up on my screen I knew I had to have it! And as you'll find, this oh-so-chic wedding find itself smack dab in the middle of a desert.

This is the wedding of Kelley and Jeff at the Sanctuary Resort and Spa in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Photography by Bliss Wedding Studio.

I had to add this pic because I just loved Kelley's hair

Instead of traditional flowers hanging on the chairs, I love the petals lining the aisle.  And don't miss the hidden gem: floating candles in square glass canisters.  L-O-V-E Love it

This is a very modernistic take on a a ceremony altar; a beautiful background.

I adore this picture.  What a great choice by the photographer.  Not only does it show the beauty of the wedding bands, but it's a reminder of their desert scenery.

And what about this cake?!  AAAAhhhhh!  I just want to eat it up!  Oh no... I don't.  It's way to pretty, modern and perfect.

Congrats on a lovely day Kelley and Jeff.

Featured Wedding of the Week: Old Fashioned Seaside Elegance

It's Saturday, which means one thing. It's another edition of Inspiring Pretty's featured weddings! As always, if you'd like to have your wedding showcased, please submit it to us here. Now, onto the prettiness.

This week we'll be exploring the classic beauty of a simple, old fashioned seaside affair. This wedding is beaming with natural themes and simple traditions from years ago. Notice the bird decorations and small, simple flower arrangements. There's also gorgeous streamers and feathers, traditions dating back centuries to celebrate the couple as they leave the church. Like a classic event, nuptials took place in the church, and also dating back centuries, the wedding party marched in public to the reception celebrating the marriage. The rest of the gorgeous and down-to-earth party can be seen even greater in the photos!

pictures courtesy of Stylemepretty

Wedding Trends: Veils

Hello again! Moving back to fashion, I've decided to talk about veils. As the saying goes, the bride is the focus of the wedding, therefore, each element that comprises the beauty of the bride on her special day is important. One of the most notable accessories that the bride wears is the veil. In most recent years, the veil has gone to the wayside in place of a tiara, head wreath, headband or nothing altogether. As classic elegance reemerges though, the veil overwhelming does as well. Don't expect the see a run of the mill sheer lace sheet draped around the bride to her waist, though. Vintage is coming back in way of lace and exceptional style.

The most trending veil now is the birdcage. It's worn in 2 main styles known as the blusher and the Russian or fishnet. Taken straight out of the 1940's, the birdcage is definitive classic style. The birdcage acknowledges the tradition of the veil but has the flair only found in the first half of the 20th century. The blusher serves as a veil more than the Russian. It's covers the bride's face, but to varying lengths. It reaches usually to the nose or chin.

As more women are opting for more originality though, the Russian is used more and more. Brides are opting to wear a veil more as a hair accessory than a garment. This means shortening the length and the angle and the overall purpose of it. The Russian is worn at an angle and covers usually only the eyes, forehead or sometimes only the hair. This style is also derived from the early 1900's. The fad for a vintage yet trendy bride would most likely be to wear a Russian veil angled to cover her forehead and one eye. This trend pays homage to classic traditions while being original in doing so.

It's obvious that I do love the birdcage look, but that doesn't count me out for liking other veils as well. The main difference between remaining veils is their length, except one type, which happens to also be becoming increasingly popular. This is the Mantilla veil. What this veil boasts all others is intricate lacy design, which falls into the return of classic elegance. Mantilla veils can come in any length, but are now usually worn to the waist, or shoulders. They also come with decorations hemming the edges of the veil or covering the entire veil. It's derived from Spanish/Mexican weddings, but the intricate lace beauty is actually very elegant simplicity from another era.

Vintage is the ruling force over veil trends right now and I couldn't love it more. The trend is to look to traditions and fashion since forgotten and for new originality and a clue in on true traditions, and as I said, I couldn't love it more.

Featured Wedding of the Week: Mine!

So if you didn't know, we have started a post that goes up every Saturday (Wedding Day!!) featuring a wedding we have either found on the web that took our breath away or one that was submitted to us (if you want to submit yours, you can do so by clicking HERE, we would loooove to see it). Enough of the shameless plug for this post..... Here's the wedding you came for: It's Mine!

It's not that my wedding took my breath away or anything (I would actually change a lot about it, if I had the chance) but I just wanted to share a wedding and figured maybe you all would like to see mine and my husbands (henceforth known as Movie Star). I think I'll share Bonnie's next week if she'll let me.... wink.. wink.  Anyway, we were married at Castle Green in Pasadena, CA.  It was a hotel built in 1890 which now houses apartments.  It's vintage to a "T" and the perfect place for Movie Star and I to get hitched.  All photographs by Kevin McIntyre.

Movie Star's favorite time of the year is the fall. He loves the leaves and all the colors. When he shared this with me I said, " The fall? What's that? I don't know what seasons are." Since I grew up in SoCal, seasons don't exist. But as he and I have traveled and we have watched seasons change together, Fall has become my favorite as well.

This is my bouquet and boots.  These boots were disturbingly vintage.  Okay maybe 'disturbingly' isn't the best word, but when I saw them with all their lace and loveliness, chills went up my spine and I just knew I had to have them.  No one really knew what they looked like, but I did and they were marvelous.

Instead if the traditional floral centerpiece I went with candles.  I'm a sucker for them.  Unfortunately, Castle Green changed their fire codes after I had decided this and it was a nightmare to make it work.  I'll explain in another post...

Instead of the traditional guest book, we decided to have a typewriter from the 1940's. I bought it on ebay and it was the perfect choice. Movestar and I laughed at how everyone seemed to struggle typing. You know, with computers no one knows how to use a typewriter these days and it was so much fun to see people stare at it and struggle.

I know you may not be able to tell, but there was not enough room for me, my Dad and my Step-Dad to walk down the aisle together. Though I wish that it had been perfect, it was also a memory I won't forget. Oh those silly people who set up the chairs!