Pink Handcrafted Kentucky Farm Wedding

Jan 16th

by: Lauren

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today’s beautiful wedding from Lizzie Loo Photography is truly handcrafted, and full of meaningful details! Taking placing at the bride’s family’s Kentucky farm, everyone pitched in to create Ashley and Jon’s southern wedding. Ashley did a fabulous job describing her day for us, so I’m going to let her take over so she can tell you all about it!

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

Pinterest was my best friend and partner in crime during the planning process. It was my source of inspiration and helped bring my vision to life. I found it an extremely useful tool when trying to describe my vision and design to my vendors. Thanks to the site and my boards, we cut out the guesswork and they were able to see exactly what I wanted ensuring my day was just as I imagined… every last detail.

Additionally, on my wedding day, I have to give lots of credit to my wedding coordinator, Stephanie MacDonald. I hired Stephanie to help with last minute details the month leading up to the wedding. Because we hosted the reception at my parent’s farm, we built the experience from the ground up…literally. There were multiple vendors we worked with and Stephanie was on hand to make sure everything went as planned while I enjoyed the day with my bridesmaids and the wedding party. It was a huge relief to have her on board and be the buffer between me, family, guests and my vendors.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

When choosing my vendors I was looking for a partner who shared my vision and possessed the creativity to turn that vision into a magical experience. I was looking for people who relished the details just like me and who I could trust would ensure that their works was transformed into a personal reflection of my fiance and me.

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

I didn’t have to look far for inspiration for my wedding. Having grown up on a farm in Kentucky, I had known for a long time that I wanted to have a rustic wedding, in a barn, on my family’s farm. My goal was to incorporate as much of the farm as I could while highlighting some of Kentucky’s finest – bourbon, mint juleps, bluegrass band, Kentucky buttercream cake, etc..

The entire wedding was literally handcrafted by my parents and I from materials from the farm which made it all the more magical. The boxes we used for centerpieces, the wedding signs, the escort card holders and the gift table were from old barn wood, doors and gates we found and constructed into useful decor. The greenery over the entry way to the tent, the wreaths and the decor climbing the poles in the tent came from the woods right behind the barn. Even the corn hole boards were built using wood from trees on the farm.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

Wow, it’s so hard to isolate one thing about the wedding. I loved every single second of the affair from the engagement to the planning to the wedding day. But my favorite thing would have to be having 180 of our family and closest friends together at one time to celebrate us. There is no other time in our life where that kind of magic can happen.

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

Hire someone to help, especially on your big day. If details are important to you, hiring someone to nail every detail (even if just the last week) will allow you to enjoy your day to the fullest. The day goes by so fast and you’ll want every single minute enjoying your family and friends who have come from far and near to celebrate you and only you!

Amen to what Ashley said! You want to enjoy every minute of your wedding. And take this wedding as an example- you can still have a handcrafted wedding, plan your wedding, AND work with professionals!

Brides, are any of you planning on having a handcrafted wedding like this one? What will you be handcrafting?

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Lizzie Loo Photography / Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Planned Perfection Events / Catering: 535 Catering / Flowers & Decor: magnolia floral design / Cake Baker: Mert's Cakes / Band: The Louisville Crashers / Rentals: LooBird Vintage Rentals / Rentals: Rent and Rave Tent Rentals / Dress Hanger: Whiskey & Wedding Bells / Bride’s Dress: Maggie Sottero / Bridal Salon: Rebecca's Wedding Boutique / Bridesmaid Dresses: Amsale / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid

Wedding Invitations: Everything You Need To Know!

Category: 6 Comments

Jan 15th

by: Lauren

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Hey friends! I’m quite excited to share this wedding invitation infographic from Val Marie Paper with you all today! It’s FULL of great tips and everything you need to know when it comes to wedding invitations, from start to finish. And I mean EVERYTHING- from knowing how many invitions to send and the wording of invites, to addressing your invitations and mailing them- you’ll most certainly want to keep this information on hand!

Don’t forget to pin this, save it, print it- however you want to save it so you can refer to it whenever you need it! A big thanks to Val Marie Paper for sharing her tips and insight with us… and definitely go see some her amazing work too!!

Rustic and Modern White Wedding Inspiration

Category: INSPIRATION 8 Comments

Jan 15th

by: Lauren

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I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if rustic and modern can really look good together, right? But friends, you just wait until you see what I have in store for you today- because I have been waiting for MONTHS to share these photos with you all! You see, months and months ago, I was talking to my friends Tiffany and Robert of Rustic White Photography about how cool it would be to do an inspiration that reflected their brand. I mean, their business name practically begs for an inspiration shoot, right?! So a few phone calls and lots of emails later, I was able to extract the “essence” of their brand; rustic and natural, but with clean, white, modern elements. Well that sounded absolutely gorgeous to me, so I got to work creating something that would embody those things- all in the name of wedding inspiration! [Note: The reason I’ve been waiting to share this for months? Because right after I set a date for this shoot, Occasions Magazine called me and asked if I wanted to do a shoot for their new Florida issue. Well everything fell into place perfectly, and this shoot was featured in Occasions Magazine– my very first print feature!]

A fabulous team of Tampa Bay wedding professionals joined together to make this gorgeousness happen. Taking place at Tampa’s Karnes’ Stables, FH Weddings provided beautiful florals and vintage furniture, A&P Designs created custom letterpress designs, and Cakes With A Kick provided a beautiful cake. Add in a lovely dress from Malindy Elene Bridal, stunning hair and makeup by Michele Renee, and Imprint Cinema capturing the story of the whole day… and you have some absolutely amazing wedding inspiration! I’ve sprinkled some of my own commentary throughout the photos, so be on the lookout for that- because some of the details might require a little explaining! ;)

The idea for the above succulent escort display was combined with a guest book alternative. A guest would find their name and table number, take note of their table, and then plant their succulent in a planter for the bride and groom to remember their wedding day by! You can see it played out in the video at the end of the post! (PS: I totally still have that planter. And I haven’t killed *all* of the succulents yet!)

I wanted to take a different approach to placesettings- beyond the usual plate and napkin- and have it be an integral part of the whole table’s look. I started by creating a placemat of sorts out of salvaged wood pieces, and then centered a tasting plate of cheeses, nuts, and fruit (which I would totally have at my wedding if I could do it all over again) on it. The placesetting was accented with a gold placecard, a lovely blind letterpressed menu, and a succulent favor. Add in the usual elements of flatware and a drinking glass, and the placesetting was complete!

See those champagne glasses above? My lovely friend Megan of Glamour & Grace actually made them as part of her DIY series! I “modeled” the DIYing for her, and kept the glasses to use for this shoot. You can go see the full DIY for these glasses here on Glamour & Grace!

And now for Look #2 of this gorgeous inspiration shoot! If you’ve seen any of the other shoots that I’ve done, you might notice that I always try to have more than one “look”. I do this because I love showing how something can be done in different ways- whether it’s budget-wise, or just style-wise! Well for this shoot, I wanted the centerpieces of this “look” to be a bit more budget-friendly. You’ll notice that there are less florals, smaller vases, and some non-floral elements that we used for decor as well (the wood boards). The key thing with this look is that the *same details* were used here AND in the look prior- thus still conveying the “rustic and modern” look!

One of my favorite things I’ve done for a shoot so far… hot cocoa to-go! Since I knew this was going to be featured in the winter, I made all of these little hot cocoa on a stick favors (which is really just fudge FYI- and YUM) as inspiration for wedding guests to make and take on their way out of the wedding! Complete with custom cup wraps, I know I would love to have some hot cocoa to-go as I’m heading out of a wedding on a chilly night! :)

And now for the amazing video by Imprint Cinema. It’s so fun, and it really gives a great glimpse into the day we had (as we were dodging rain storms)… I love it!

Every Last Detail Rustic White Inspired Shoot with Rustic White Photography Captured and Created by Imprint Cinema from Imprint Cinema on Vimeo.

I’m still quite obsessed with the hanging table number and centerpieces in the first look! There’s nothing quite like things hanging from a tree! :) And oh, isn’t that donkey adorable? He totally would have been the star of the whole shoot if he could have!

I hope you all were inspired from this rustic and modern inspiration shoot! Even if your wedding isn’t rustic AND modern, there’s bound to be some kind of inspiration for you here!

So is there anything in particular inspiring you from this shoot? Please share with us in the comments! I would love to hear your thoughts! :)

Vendors who made it all happen…

Photographer: Rustic White Photography / Flowers & Decor: FH Weddings / Design & Styling: Every Last Detail / Reception Venue: Karnes Stables / Invitations & Stationery: A&P Designs / Cinematography: Imprint Cinema / Cake Baker: Cakes With A Kick / Hair & Makeup: Michele Renee Hair & Makeup / Bridal Salon: Malindy Elene Bridal / Bride’s Dress: Robert Bullock, "Natasha" / Rentals: Signature Event Rentals / Vintage Furniture: FH Weddings / Table Numbers & Details: ELD Shop

A Rustic Pink and Yellow North Carolina Wedding

Category: REAL WEDDINGS 2 Comments

Jan 14th

by: Joelle

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Seriously. I cannot handle the gorgeousness of this wedding that I’m sharing with all of you today. Not only are the photos from Lime Green Photography beautiful, but the couple is absolutely adorable! And it definitely looks like it was one fun party, don’t you think?

From the bride…

What (or who) helped you most in your planning process and/or on your wedding day?

The success of our wedding day, like most, was a collaborative effort by a number of people. Specifically, our planner, Emily, who throughout the year of planning kept us organized and up-to-date whether it be the placement of the chalkboards, the color of the linens or even how many water glasses we would need to order. Our families were also an integral component of our planning team, particularly my sister (the MOH). I would estimate that she received more than 200 emails throughout the planning process and endured hours of detailing all the particulars. Each member of our “team” was essential and our wedding day would not have been successful without them.

What was the most important thing to you when deciding who to work with for your wedding?

For us, attention to detail was an important consideration when choosing our wedding vendors. We wanted vendors that took the extra time to align every element of their service with our vision. Another important factor was booking vendors that had worked with each other previously to ensure there was already an established relationship before the day of our wedding. The outcome was a seamless (at least from our perspective) day of celebration!

What was your inspiration for your wedding details and/or design?

The inspiration for our wedding was easy being that we have absolutely fell head-over-heels in LOVE with Western North Carolina since moving here post- graduation. From the mountain views, to the farm-to-table food, to the craft beer, we wanted our wedding to showcase the culture we have come to adore. On the menu for the evening was locally-oriented cuisine from area farms paired with 3 craft brews from Asheville’s Craggie Brewing Company. We wanted simplistic décor that would not take away from the breathtaking mountains surrounding the castle, so we opted for dozens of antique medicine bottles (we’re both pharmacists) filled with yellow craspedias and succulents. We’re quite confident that we accomplished the goal of sharing our favorite aspects of our new home with friends and family.

What was your favorite thing about your wedding?

There were many components of our wedding day that were “favorites.” However, there was one very special moment that I know will always bring a smile to my face – Cocky, our college mascot! As graduates of the University of South Carolina, football is very dear to our hearts, and quite frankly, it’s a way of life for us! Knowing that about one-third of our guests were also Gamecocks, inviting Cocky was a no-brainer. We had our DJ gather all the USC graduates on the dance floor for a quick photo. As we squeezed in for the picture, 2001 Space Odyssey (our football intro) began playing, and right on cue, Cocky stormed through the front doors of the castle. It was the best surprise we could have ever shared with our guests!

What is your best piece of advice for other brides?

The best piece of advice I have for a bride would be- have the wedding you desire, but be the bride you want to be during the process. I am a VERY organized and detail-oriented person that thrives on assembling the perfect event (even if it’s just dinner with my family). Therefore, I had every last aspect of our day (and really entire weekend) mapped out months before the actual date. Otherwise, I would have been a mess. That being said, if you’re a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl, folders upon folders of spreadsheets will drive you crazy! Leave all the administrative tasks to your vendors and enjoy your time being engaged.

See what I mean? The venue is just incredible, the photos are absolutely breathtaking, and the couple looks so in love that it just adds that special extra touch, don’t you think?