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Etsy has always been my favorite source for unique, handmade goodies but now that they have an actual wedding section, I am more in love than ever. There are so many talented designers creating original items for all of us to find. Etsy has offered my couples the ability to source original pieces that speak to them and share their story with all of their friends and family.
As you know, there is no possible way one could feature ALL favorite Etsy Shops in one post. That would be nearly impossible! So, today I am sticking with three. Check them out below.
The classic charm and modern style of Belle and the Beau captured my interest with their bold patterns in their Beau accessories! There is also a fantastically romantic and whimsical Belle section of their shop which offers “shoe pretties,” and other adorable accouterments for the ladies.
Sometimes a name says it all and that is certainly true in this case! A Southern Bucket has taken their passion for burlap and metal to create customized and functional buckets and vases. They will not only be a conversation piece at the wedding but they will also find a permanent place in your home.
Let be be the first to tell you if you already didn’t know… Once you get married, the line between mine and yours becomes very thin. The least we can do is identify our own silverware! Beach House Living creates these charming silverware and cake cutting sets that will not only compliment your day but will also eliminate any confusion when setting the table in the years to come!
Do you LOVE Etsy too? We would love to hear from you. Please let us know what your favorite shops are…
My favorite little red head, Hattie, turned the BIG TWO this past weekend and we all got to celebrate! Miss Hattie is an independent and vivacious little firecracker that would choose to spend everyday picking flowers and playing in the backyard if she could. There have been many times that I have arrived home to find little cups of wildflowers hand plucked and delivered by Hattie via the Radio Flyer. When thinking about ways to celebrate her second birthday, there was no doubt that it had to be in the garden amidst all of her favorite things (flowers, dirt, trees, rocks, snails, etc…).
I was the amateur iPhone photographer for the day. I tried but none of my tricks got her to look at the camera.
“Hattie’s Seed Company” packets adorned the backyard along with Burlap, Sunflowers, Wellies planted with succulents and all sorts of other goodies. Hattie’s banner was a joint effort created with love!
All of the guests participated and brought something special to add to Hattie’s Garden Party. Abby (Hattie’s NINE year old niece) amazed all of us with her chick cupcakes. Yes, I did say that she is 9 years old and she made these. I will be sure to share her information when she opens up her bakery!
Thanks to Cookies by Design, we all got to decorate flower cookies.
Hattie decorated her cookies and then made sure she shared them with everyone.
Happy Birthday Hattie!!!
Erica and Creed are both anesthesiologists with a passion for the coast and a love for the great outdoors. When they aren’t in their scrubs (which is rare), they are immersed in some sort of activity or excursion. When it came to their wedding, there was no doubt that they would select a location with an ocean view and they did just that. It took one visit to La Valencia and they were decided.
I am excited to share the beautiful images of their day. Thank you Jennifer Dery Photography!
Adorations Botanical Artistry worked with Erica and Creed to design the overall floral decor that worked in the yummy elements of succulents, driftwood, dahlias and roses. There were many other intricate elements worked into every piece they designed. LaVonne and her team truly captured the essence of the couple from the bouquets to the ceremony and the reception.
The ceremony aisle was lined with driftwood, blooms and stones leading up to an ornate botanical structure framing the couple. Creed’s brother had his guitar on hand for a special song performed by a close friend. It added such a great personal touch to the ceremony and even captured a few laughs!
Guests entered the ballroom to find their succulent escort card that also functioned as the guest favor as well as the entree indicator. Table numbers were suspended from the table landscape and surrounded by candlelight. I actually planted my succulent and it is happy and healthy in my backyard.
Erica and Creed wanted to treat their guests not only with a wedding cake, but also mini cupcakes. Sweet Cheeks Baking Company provided all of the decadent desserts and Adorations designed the table. We had a caricature artist on hand sketching black and white images of guests. The reverse side of their caricature design functioned as the guest signing with personal questions about the bride and groom. At the end of the evening, the newlyweds left with sketches of each of their guests along with their stories, advice and predictions. It will be fun to read those five years from now!
Concepts Event Design created the custom seamless dance floor and Jerry Beck of Beck’s Entertainment kept everyone on it throughout the evening.
Thank you Erica and Creed for trusting LBE with your wedding day. It was such a pleasure working with you and your families!
A very special Thank You to the following vendors:
Venue- La Valencia
Photography- Jennifer Dery Photography
Floral Design- Adorations Botanical Artistry
Decor/Production (custom dance floor, chairs, furniture)- Concepts Event Design
Ceremony Strings- Caprice Strings
Reception Entertainment- Beck’s Entertainment
Cake- Sweet Cheeks Baking Company
Hair & Makeup- Model Call, Katie Hollis
Linens- La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals
Every year we look forward to the The US Grant Wedding Showcase as an opportunity to not only design something fun, but to be inspired by all of the other brilliant designers. For those of you that were able to attend, I am sure you will agree when I say that it was a treat for the senses. Brides and Grooms were literally spoiled from the moment they walked into the luxurious US Grant Lobby and that was just the start. The entire hotel was transformed with a unique experience around every corner. Bravo to the US Grant team for putting together such a spectacular event for attendees and exhibitors alike.
The Liz Beck Events Booth:
Rather than creating a heavily flowered wedding tablescape, we decided to create a mini version of the LBE studio complete with a lighthearted interpretation of wedding day essentials. A mock-up of a table-scape was centered among our cubbies of colorful “Day Of” items to complete the studio showcase .
When thinking about the overall design, I wanted something that could represent a bit of a playful sophisticate. Bold with color while still keeping the clean lines. There are no better muses of color (in my humble opinion) than Jonathan Adler (happiness!) with his mid-century modern interiors and Kate Spade (swoon!) with their witty sense of style. Inspiration Found!
So, where does someone go when they have an outside of the box idea that calls for innovation and a great design aesthetic? That would be LaVonne of Adorations Botanical Artistry. She has an amazing ability to translate an idea into a work of art. I mean, look at the bouquet created with the yellow billy balls (upper left); it belongs at The Parker. LaVonne created monochromatic bouquets to work into our color blocked vignettes.
The center table represented our modernist couple that wanted an alternative to the flowing linens and traditional floral centerpieces. The white Bistro Table and clear ghost chairs certainly set the modern in motion. Magenta, Tangerine, Butter and Gold brought life to the table. Velvet geometric upholstry was used to create the lamp shade that sat atop a clean line bulbous vase. Tangerine chargers, Gold Flatware, Retro Stemware and a Patterned Gold Plate were placed at each setting. The stunning gold textured menus from J.Grace and the vintage metal tags completed the table.
Are you wondering how those flowers are so perfectly set into the bottom? That is a secret that LaVonne will have to share. I will just say that I was impressed!
The color blocked backdrop was so much fun to put together. Everything a Bride and Groom may need from their wedding planner could have been found…
Pink Bubbly to CELEBRATE, Still Water to quench
A gift of Kate Spade for the BRIDE
Lollipops and Bubblegum to REWARD the little ones (or the BIG ones)
Journals for PLANNING, Place card holders for holding
A Boutonniere for the lapel and CUFFLINKS for the cuffs
Hair PINS, Safety PINS, Straight PINS, Collar PINS and Push PINS
Shoes for DANCING
The all important 911 BAG OF TRICKS (known to fix any problem that may arise)
We would not have been able to even do this post if it wasn’t for Joshua Aull Photography. Thank you for your amazing detail work and for allowing us to share a story created through your photos.
We hope you enjoyed our corner of color as much as we enjoyed putting it together.
A HUGE THANK YOU to our wonderful industry friends that helped to bring everything together:
Looking for a sweet keepsake from your wedding day that will be a family heirloom for years to come? Well, of course you are!
Jeanette Zeis Ceramics creates custom 10″ cake stands to personalize your sweets and treats. These charming handmade ceramic cake stands will be a perfect accent to set along side a larger wedding cake or even a groom’s cake. Take a look at Jeanette Zeis Ceramics store on easy to find other great mix and match options for a complete dessert spread.
Long after the wedding, these cake stands will be the foundation for many celebratory treats!
When you hear the word “rose,” what comes to mind? If it is a tightly wrapped overlapping of uniformly-shaped petals, this post is for you.
I have never considered myself a rose kind of gal but that all changed when I met the modern garden rose. Often mistaken for peonies, garden roses have a very similar cup shape and can bloom to be about the same size as the big, fluffy, larger-than-life peony. The good news, garden roses are available year round which makes them a great alternative for those brides wanting the romantic and feathery look of the peony. Specifically, The David Austin Garden Rose has long been thought of as the wedding flower of choice when peonies are not in season.
Of course, I like to think of garden roses as more than just a peony replacement. They have a shape, scent, texture and old world look that is all their own.
Can you tell me that Renoir was not envisioning these old world blooms when painting Bouquet of Roses?
A little history of the David Austin Garden Rose:
Development started in the 1960s by David Austin of Shropshire, England, who wanted to rekindle interest in Old Garden Roses by hybridizing them with modern hybrid teas and floribundas. The idea was to create a
new group of roses that featured blooms with old-fashioned shapes and fragrances, evocative of classic gallica, alba and “damask” roses, but with modern repeat-blooming characteristics and the larger modern colour range as well.
There is no single system of classification for garden roses. In general, however, roses are placed in one of three main groups: Wild, Old Garden, and Modern Garden roses. Although not officially recognized as a separate class of roses by any established rose authority, English (aka David Austin) roses are often set aside as such by consumers and retailers alike.
A little collection of some of our favorite pins this week…
Are you following LBE on Pinterest?
Great way to keep your cards from the wedding
JL Designs: Pink and Gray Blooms
Emily Riggs Bridal: Vintage Lace Garters
Aileen Tran Event Stylist & Joseph Matthew Photography: Table Setting
It is hard to believe we are looking back on our 2011 wedding season already. The good news is that we have been fortunate to work with some truly lovely couples and I am honored to have been part of their wedding days and the months leading up to them. I am in the process of creating a post for each but I could not help but to share some images.
This is just a sneak peek of some of the wedding from this past season.
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks to see more details from the weddings of 2011.
Looking for planning and design services for your upcoming wedding? Give us a call to set up a time to chat…
Harmony Walton, founder of Bridal Bar, wrote a great article for the Huffington Post regarding wedding trends on the horizon and trends that need to be put to bed. As much as I have loved working and designing from previous eras, we are anticipating the (mildly overdue) end of the VINTAGE WEDDING! What does this mean? You can look forward to more formality as well as sophisticated design and atmosphere that will continue to incorporate family heirlooms and traditions, but you may see less of the mason jars, tins, and vintage luggage. I would like to send a personal THANK YOU out to William and Kate!
Now don’t get me wrong, I have no plans of moving my 1940 Corona Sterling typewriter from its prime location at the studio and I am not putting my blue mason jars on Craigslist. I love all things from decades past but it is time to add a little individuality and sophistication in wedding style. Bring on 2012!
The End of the Vintage Wedding Trend by Harmony Walton
Sprawling fields of high grass, hillsides off in the distance, and … a gorgeous bride and groom perched on a vintage velvet burgundy chaise. Oh, the memories of the vintage wedding and its somewhat silly staged photographs. The not-so timeless vintage theme is one that often incorporates elements such as 50’s era luggage used as décor, mismatched chairs reminiscent of a casual backyard event, and floral vessels made from all types of throwback food canisters.
Thankfully, the vintage wedding trend that took the nation by storm (in no small part due to the relentless plugging by us bridal bloggers), is finally starting to see the shade of its own sunset. And not a moment too soon — I say let the trend end!
Over the past few years we’ve seen such a clamoring for personal and nostalgic wedding details that those details have lost all personalization and actual meaning. A typewriter guest book that once told guests the bride or groom were, in fact, writers, now merely signals a successful flea market shopping trip, writers or not. But today brings a new dawn and a new crop of engaged gals. The popularity of the vintage ideal is fading, since all the guests have, well, been there and done that.
This infatuation actually affects the quality of work too! Robert Evans, co-founder ofWeddingPhotography411.com, appreciates art when it doesn’t reflect last week’s wedding. “Wedding photography should tell a different story each time. If you buy into the recent fad, your wedding photographs will quickly become dated before their time. Every vintage wedding I see looks exactly the same, as if there is a set of directions on how to shoot it! The couple in the field holding hands two feet apart, back lit by the sun, or the dress and slacks pulled up showing shoes and socks. I think it’s important for photographers to find their own vision and capture the unique style of the couple, not the trend of the season.” Bottom line: the end of a trend can actually benefit brides and grooms, as it translates to more original thinking on the part of wedding vendors.
So what’s next? Anthroplogie may have made its mark on our weddings, but thanks to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate’s wedding, in 2012 we’ll see a shift away from that nostalgic tradition to a more formal and sophisticated style. Say goodbye to those weathered fabrics and mason jar refreshments and hello to detailed French lace and lavish tufted furnishings. A more carefully curated and less-cluttered, old world glamour meets modern sophistication wedding trend has emerged.
A couture gown might still give a nod to history, yet shows the fashion-forward side of today’s bride. Dare I say Ralph Lauren and Alexander McQueen even have a shot of knocking Anthropologie off its wedding high horse? Julie Sabatino, founder of The Stylish Bride in New York, has also been noticing the shift. “I’m seeing a return to classic style and glamour. Surprisingly, this is translating into bridal fashion through brides’ renewed interest in fuller A-line skirts. It’s so refreshing, and perhaps on trend because of Kate Middletown’s gown and the influence of the royal wedding. I think we will see a greater number of brides wearing a veil as she did, and considering long sleeves.”
And that regal style has found its way into event design, too. The new flavor is infused with rich textures, lots of white (and even some metallics) and grand traditional settings. Linda Pittelli, owner and lead designer of Eventful in Los Angeles, shares her insight, “The classic traditional wedding will never fade away. It just needs a little modification. It doesn’t matter how many fads come and go, there are always the girls who have the dream of the fantasy storybook wedding.” Case in point, “we recently designed a wedding in Santa Monica and had basically a sandy beach to work with. I needed to turn that into something very special since the bride was wearing an amazing ball gown! The feeling I was going for was an English garden on the sand. We built a platform, carpeting it and added lots of hedging and flowers, and poof: a formal ceremony area on the sand!” Linda explains.
So say farewell to the photo of the couple in the field, and say hello to the next token iconic wedding image … perhaps a kiss on a regal balcony? At least this image will be anchored by the love of the couple and not the lack of creativity in design. I welcome the glamour of the old world into our new wedding season as it pays tribute to the depth, meaning, and emotion a marriage is meant to have. Though wait until next year and I’ll likely be desperate for the next new thing to take shape and refresh our state of unions.
Thank you Harmony…
What are you planning to do with your bouquet following the wedding?
You sorted through endless pictures to find the ideal combination of colors, textures and flowers to create the perfect bouquet for your walk down the aisle. Once your wedding day is over, what are you to do with that beautiful bouquet? Drying your flowers, sealing them in a bubble glass frame and hanging them on the wall is not the only option.
One of my favorite ideas is to have your flowers dried then incorporated into a painting. Curly Art does a magnificent job of creating art from your flowers following the big day. Take a look at some of the heirloom pieces created from bridal bouquets, bridesmaid bouquets and centerpieces…
Soft blush pink and white roses with peonies.
This 24 x 36 painting was created for the parents of the bride.
The background burgundy color was taken from the beautiful wedding invitations.
A 24 x 36 painting in horizontal format displaying a large variety of flowers.
If you are interested in preserving your wedding flowers, make sure to plan ahead. Your flowers should also be overnighted on the day following your wedding for the best results. For more information, visit Curly Art’s FAQ page!
Bustle Blog By Liz Beck 