Aqua and Pink Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette:aqua blue, light pink, fuchsia
Today's inspiration board was inspired by a reader who is trying to choose which color palette she will decide on for her upcoming wedding - either navy and pink or aqua and pink.

Image Credits and Resources:
Left Column (top to bottom): Bridesmaid Dress from Watters {style 166}, Wedding Cake from Brides, Table Number Card from Brides, Aqua Blue Pearlescent Glass Cufflinks from Lisa Cahill Glass at etsy
Middle Column (top to bottom): Flower Girl Dress from Watters, Aqua Blue 2-piece Favor Box with Hot Pink Satin Ribbon from Sophie's Favors, Table Setting from
Karinann, Blue Signature Drink from The Bride's Cafe
Right Column (top to bottom): Pink Macarons from Tartlette, Rose Nosegay from InStyle Weddings, Aqua Macarons from chotda flickr gallery, Pocket Fold Wedding Invitation Set from A La Mode Bride at etsy

Pinwheel Pink Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette:pale pink, fuchsia, kelly green and lime green
Inspiration: Vera Bradley's Pinwheel Pink collection

This wedding inspiration board was inspired by today's "something pink" post in honor of breast cancer awareness month. Please see the following post for further details on the inspirational item. The colors were taken from Vera Bradley's pinwheel pink collection. 10% of the net proceeds from the sale of products in this particular collection will be donated to the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer. Image credits and shopping resources follow the inspiration board.Image Credits and Shopping Resources: Bridal Party image courtesy of Southern Weddings {photo taken by Whitebox Weddings}, bridal bouquet, reception tables & chairs, wedding cake, centerpiece, votive candle and pear escort cards courtesy of Brides, Fuschia Hot Pink and Kiwi Lime Green Scroll Swirl Vintage Wedding Invitations from Your Style Invitations at etsy

Something Pink Day 7: Tablesetting

I was recently introduced to Amanda's In the Now Weddings Blog and I am loving all the photos she features. When I saw her absolutely beautiful pink tablescape I had to ask her if I could feature it in a Breast Cancer Awareness "something pink" post. {be sure to visit her blog for all the details and links to purchase the items that were used to create this pink garden tablesetting, plus there's even more photos}

Fall Weddings - pumpkin inspired

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Colors:Color Palette: Orange
Motif: Pumpkins

To celebrate fall I decided to create a fall inspiration board with pumpkins as the theme. I found so many ideas, I finally had to stop looking and start putting the images together. Would love to know what you think. Anybody planning a fall wedding? Shopping resources and image credits are below the photos.
Fashion & Accessories:
Bridesmaid Dress Alfred Angelo from House of Brides, Autumn Flower Hair Clip from Social Butterflies at etsy, Citrouille Earrings from Jennifer Rydin Designs at etsy, Handmade Fall Ring Pillow in Golden Autumn from Shabee Stiches at etsy

Decorations:
Pumpkin Paper Lanterns from Martha Stewart (love this idea - it's ordinary paper lanterns dressed up with leaves, a stem and tendrils - details project instructions here), Pumpkin Table Setting from Martha Stewart with How-To, Carved Pumpkin from Brides.com, Husk Pumpkins from Plum Party

Invitation:
Fall Wedding Invitation from Naptime Productions

Favors & Place Cards:
Glass Pumpkin Place Card Holder from My Wedding Market, Pumpkin Soap in Gift Box from Plum Party

Desserts:
I love the idea of serving pies and sweets to guests. One unique idea is to create a dessert bar and offer bakery bags or boxes for your guests to take home some sweets. The Pumpkin Biscotti and Pumpkin Ginger Nut Muffins from Simply Recipes are perfect selections to include. The pumpkin pie with orange marmalade is from Toni's Kitchen. I love the presentation of the Pumpkin Spice Cakes from Country Living, perfect for the dessert bar too. If you choose to forgo the traditional wedding cake, why not serve your guests one Pumpkin Cake per table from Williams-Sonoma? Each cake serves 8-10 and is 5 moist layers of double-chocolate cake with a chocolate-truffle cream filling. Presented on a cake pedestal, it's sure to be a spectacular presentation.

Burgundy and Salmon Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
colors: burgundy and salmon
tone: rustic, country wedding

Today's inspiration board was created by a reader's request. This is what Larina G. wrote: "Hi Brenda, I love your wedding site, especially the theme with sunflowers, I was wondering if you could help me with a burgundy and salmon coloured invitation as I've searched the entire net, but couldn't find something suitable enough... I've attached the pic of the perfect colour, if you do have any ideas with themes please do let me know. Thanks a ton and keep posting..."

Right after receiving this message, I knew I had a mission. The inspirational photo as provided to me from Larina was the Phoebe Striped Chiffon bridesmaid dress in Burgundy/Salmon from Thread Design. As I began working on the inspiration board, it tended to lean towards a more rustic feel. I also like the introduction of yellow to add a bit of color pop and to stand out against the beautiful color variations of the dress.

Favor Box from One Girl Cookies
Ring from Fuss Jewelry {introduced to me from Southern Weddings}
Bouquet, Cake and Chair with Flowers courtesy of Brides.com
Polka Dot Chrysanthemum Wedding Invitation from Pink Lilly Press
Coral Bracelet and Earrings in Salmon/Pink/Peach from Charmed by Helena

Additional coordinating wedding invitations that you might also like include:
Ashley Invitation from minted
Flower Toile Invitation from Papeterie
Rust Red & Ivory Floral Invitations from the Tea Collection at Your Style Invites
Ocean Vista Invitation Set from Golden Silhouette

Sunflower Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Colors: Yellow, Green, Shades of Pink/Purple
Motif: Sunflowers
Yesterday I celebrated my 6 year wedding anniversary. And, this week, I'll be taking a break from work to spend time with my husband and our 21 month old daughter. But, please do check back as there will be a new post each day.

Now . . . on to today's post. In honor of yesterday's special day, I decided to do our wedding all over (digitally), hence today's inspiration board. Our wedding theme was sunflowers with yellow and navy blue as the color palette. If only I knew about inspiration boards back then. I would definitely still have an outdoor wedding, but once I saw the bridal bouquet on Brides I knew those would be the colors. Yellow, green and shades of pink/purple. Since our cake didn't turn out as expected (somehow the raspberry filling was left out), I would definitely opt for cupcakes this time. Plus, I am a bit obsessed about cupcakes (I hardly ever eat them, but I love looking at artistic cupcake creations, like this one from Sugar Rush Cakes in Montreal). I love the idea of having long tables at the reception {above image from the Evan Williams Catering blog}. We had round tables, but I feel that it's always so hard to converse with the person sitting on the opposite side. I absolutely love the idea of serving guests sunflower and honey rolls in terra cotta pots, perfect for a garden reception {see link for recipe}. I would place a sunflower favor box in the center of each guests plate {available at My Wedding Market}. The Autumn Festival invitation {from Invitation Consultants} matches perfectly with the overall look of the wedding. For my wedding, I opted to not wear a veil and had my hair pulled back in little clips with a fresh small daisy in each one - the result looked like a headband. But, I really love the Sunflower inspired hair comb {from simplylin's etsy shop}. The yellow sundress {available at Nordstrom} is great for attendants as it can easily be worn again and again. And, lastly, for my own shoes, I think I would definitely go with a color this time instead of the traditional white shoes. I actually went barefoot for most of my reception as my dress sandals weren't comfortable and kept falling off my feet. I love these Franco Sarto Sally slides at Zappos.

Please continue to post comments while I'm on break as I love hearing from you. There might just be a delay in your comments being posted as my access to email will be limited.

Fuchsia and Navy Blue Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Colors: Raspberry Pink and Navy Blue
Motif: Raspberries and Blueberries
On Friday - Kim {from The Event Essentials blog} posted about fuschia and navy weddings as she is now a matron of honor for her dear friend who wants a blue or deep purple and the fiancé wants a raspberry pink color. She posed a question wondering if anyone would help her create some fun color palettes with the magenta/raspberry/fuchsia pinks and aqua/navy blue scheme. So, here we are. This is my inspiration board for the wedding and the more I thought about it, I realized why not actually incorporate raspberries and blueberries into the overall theme. I absolutely love the bright pink centerpiece arrangement {from Table Settings with Pictures}. Adding candles that float atop blueberry filled cylinders with small galvanized pails that are filled with fresh blueberries would complete the table setting. The perfect favor for your wedding guests would be homemade raspberry jam. Add your guest names to the lid and you have both a personalized favor and place card. {favor image from Martha Stewart, the recipe for Red Raspberry Jam is also available on her site} The navy and pink wedding invitation from Custom Programs is the ideal invitation to introduce your color scheme to guests. The wedding dress {from David's Bridal} features a ribbon waist accent (in your choice of colors) and comes with sleeve options (if desired). The bridesmaid dress is a crinkled chiffon A-line frock with a ruffled halter neckline and a navy sash from Alvina Valenta. The finishing element for those who wish to serve their guests an alternative to the wedding cake is a Very Berry Cupcake {from Ana Henneberke's flickr gallery}.

Additional Images:
Floral Bouquet from Amy Squires and others from Brides.com

Red Leopard Bridal Shower

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Ideal for: Lingerie Themed Bridal Shower
Motif: Leopard Print

I came across the Red Leopard Style&co. "Jules" Slide from Macy's and loved them. From there, the inspiration for a red leopard bridal shower began (although this could easily be used for a bachelorette party too). The leopard handmade bodice sachets from Beau-Coup are the cutest. They could be used as either favors or used in centerpieces. Another idea for guest favors is the personalized Leopard Print Mint Tins from Wedding Favors Unlimited. The Leopard Print & Sparkly Shoe Cake is from the flickr gallery of Debbie Does Cakes. The Leopard Bridal Shower Invitation is from Angel Custom Creations and is only $1.35 each for smooth paper and $1.65 each for a linen finish. You customize the invitation with the wording of your choice. The Betsey Johnson Leopard Charm Bracelet from Macy's is a stylish accessory for the bride to either wear to the party with a red dress or as a themed shower gift. And lastly, the Leopard Nightie from Sleepy Heads with matching Leopard Cosmetic Bag set is a wonderful gift for the bride's honeymoon bag.

Another perfect invitation for a lingerie themed bridal shower (not shown) is the Leopard Print Bra and Panties Die Cut Invitations from Paper Style.

Strawberry and Lemon Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Red, Yellow and hints of Orange
Motif: Strawberries and Lemons

I love the idea of a strawberry/lemon theme for an outdoor summer or early fall wedding (could be used for a bridal shower too). Maybe instead of a cake or cupcakes for dessert, you might consider serving pies or strawberry shortcakes. It's something unexpected for your guests, but one I'm sure they will love.
Image Credits and Resources:
Berry Basket Favors from MarthaStewart.com {send your guests home with fresh strawberries and scones to enjoy the next morning}, Table Setting with gingham napkins from Brides.com, Citrus Centerpiece from Brides.com, Red Beaded Silk Chiffon Dress from Nordstrom, Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes from Deirdre Jean's flickr gallery, Polka Dot Chrysanthemum Wedding Invitation from Sutherland's flickr gallery, Red Crinkle Patent Leather High Heel from Zappos, Sweet & Refreshing Homemade Lemonade and Strawberry Daiquiri from Hostess Blog, Cultured Pearls Swarovski Fire Opal necklace {with earrings} from ynakeelady2's etsy shop

Pink Gerbera Daisy Bridal Shower

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Bright Pink
Motif: Gerbera Daisies

While this inspiration board could easily be used for a summer wedding, I initially created it for a fun, "just us girls" bridal shower. My starting inspiration? . . . the yummy looking cupcakes.
Image Credits and Resources:
Gerbera Daisy Cupcakes from Pink Cake Box, Table Setting from lisarunolfson's flickr gallery, Donna Morgan Cap Sleeve Eyelet Dress from Nordstrom.com, Gerbera Daisy Invitations from My Personal Artist, Flower Arrangement from Brides.com, Cointreaupolitan Cocktail with recipe from Cointreau.com, Gerbera Daisy Favor Boxes from My Wedding Market, Azalea Necklace from Brooke Marton's etsy shop

Blue and White Summer Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Indigo and White

The following inspiration board I've put together would be perfect for a summer wedding - particularly a seaside affair.
Image Credits and Shopping Resources:
Blue Sailboat Tea Light Holders from Beau-coup, candy table display from Brides.com, Letterpress Wedding Invitation from Wedding Paper Divas, Onda de Mar Mini-Comb from Pavoreal's etsy shop, Blueberry Hill Cupcakes with recipe from epicurious.com, Coastal Wedding Cake from Brides.com, Dress from Chadwicks on Brides.com, Tate Jeweled Shoe with steel diamante heel from Dikuza, Floral Bouquet from Brides.com

Damask Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Black and White (or Cream)
Motif: Damask
Today I decided to put together a black and white inspiration board with a damask theme - I've kept the board to just black and white as you can easily add any color to be the accent. But, be careful to not overdue the damask - not everything has to have the damask pattern on it. For example, I wouldn't pair the damask dinnerware set on top of the damask table runner. If using the dishes, I would have the table runner be a solid of the chosen accent color. If you use a solid color table runner, the Damask Table Cards from The White Aisle would look wonderful on each table. (thank you to Teresa of The Homestead blog for the table setting photo)

The Black Damask Wedding Invitation Set from Social Circles is absolutely beautiful and the bow matches the one that's on the back of the Blue by Enzoani wedding dress (image courtesy of Brides.com) If you are looking for a wedding invitation that pairs well with the damask theme, but doesn't have the pattern, you might want to consider the Falling Petals Wedding Invitations from Wedding Paper Divas. The Damask Wedding Ring Bearer Pillow from Chubby Monkey pairs well with both the invitation and wedding dress. At the Chubby Monkey shop, you can also find Mint Matchbook Style Party Favors in Damask (not shown).

For your bridesmaids, the Victorian Damask Acrylic Heart Necklace from Heatherly Designs would be a wonderful gift and one they could wear the day of the wedding with their Kimba Travel Dress from White House Market.

The Damask 16 piece Dinnerware Set from Target is a perfect registry item or, if the budget allows and the bridal shower is kept to a small number of guests, why not purchase this dinnerware to serve food in at the shower? Then, the bride can keep the dishes for use after the wedding. For a truly amazing damask bridal shower in black, white and green, please check out Jennifer Skog's blog - she's a talented photographer in Northern California and the bridal shower shown was her very own.

For favors, I selected to show the Simple Sophistication Favor Kit from My Wedding Favors to show that it doesn't have to have the damask pattern on it to fit in with the overall theme. This favor box is elegant and features a monogrammed circle seal with gold dot border.

Is anybody having black and white wedding? A damask wedding? Has any photographer or wedding planner worked with a bride and groom on a wedding with this particular theme or colors? Please email me at brenda{at}bestweddingsites{dot}com to have your wedding featured here.

And lastly, here are a few additional items I found that I just didn't have room to fit in the inspiration board:
Black and white pattern cake from Pink Cake Box
Personalized Mint Tin from My Wedding Favors
Damask Mint Tins from Wedding Things

Lemon Yellow Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Yellow
Motif: Lemons
My inspiration for this board began with the photo of the bride and groom behind the lemon yellow parasol (photo taken by Hollye Schumacher Photography). This board could easily be used for a bridal shower or wedding. The citrus centerpiece (courtesy of Martha Stewart) features lemons and grapefruits in a glass compote with a menu card on display. This would be the ideal tabletop display for summer weddings. The bouquet (from BHG.com) features garden roses and berzillia berries. The Palm Springs invitation suite is from Kenzie Kate Invitations and features a bright yellow and sleek silver design with timeless graphic patterns and delicate line work. The Lemon Cupcake courtesy of bumbleberry cakes. There's also a great recipe for lemon bars on Niki's site with beautiful photos (they would be perfect for a bridal shower dessert).

Aqua and Red Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
In honor of the 4th of July weekend, I wanted to create an inspiration board with the popular aqua color paired with red. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

Image Credits: Dress from David's Bridal, Wedding Cake with Hydrangeas from Patricia's Cake Creations, Rose Bouquet from rpslee's flickr photo gallery, Vintage Damask Wedding Invitation from Wedding Paper Divas, Mini Aqua Blue Favor Boxes from the Best Wedding Sites Store, Satin Pumps from Zappos.com, Wedding Programs courtesy of Martha Stewart Weddings

Pink and Green Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Green and Pink
Motif: Polka Dots
I love the pink and green color combination. This inspiration board began with the bottom right photo (dress, shoes and purse in one great shot) and evolved into a green and pink polka dot theme. The above scheme would work for either a bridal shower or wedding (for the bridal shower the bride could wear the pink dress and green satin shoes with the beaded purse, or this could be the look for the bridesmaids at a wedding).

The inspiring fashion photo and centerpiece with the polk dot round table card is from Brides.com. The centerpiece features peonies, sweetpeas, roses, fiddlehead ferns, mint and geranium leaves. The polka dot chinese takeout favor box is from Favor Studio and the pink/green floral cupcakes displayed on polka dot paper are from be cheery's flickr photo gallery. The green and pink flower pendant from Kralenimpressie (Bead Impressions) etsy shop is absolutely beautiful and would be the perfect bridesmaid gift for this color palette.

Orange and Fuchsia Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Color Palette: Bright Orange with a hint of Fuchsia
My starting image for this inspiration board was the beautiful cake photograph taken by Amy Squires (AKA: one of The Wedding Chicks). I noticed there was a bit of fuchsia color in the flowers surrounding the cake, so from there I looked for matching elements. I'm thinking about entering this inspiration board into a contest - if it's selected as one of the finalists, can I count on your vote to help it win? More details to come if I'm selected.

Additional Image Credits:
Orange glow reception from Weddings Costa Rica wedding planner, Larissa, Rum and pomegranate cocktail from Brides.com, Orange bouquet from Brides.com, Jeweled party shoe from Dikuza.com, Love Today Tomorrow Always Wedding Invitation Collection from SandyPhotoArt's etsy shop

Green and White Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
motif: green apples
A green and white wedding theme with apples would be ideal for a late summer or fall wedding. My inspiration began with the cake from Sweet Pea Bakery (photo taken by Herbert Harper at flickr). The small berries reminded me of green apples.

Additional Image Credits:
Green Apple Escort Cards, Flower Bouquet, Reception Centerpiece, Bridesmaids in apple green silk dresses from Simple Silhouettes, and the Apple Martini are all from Brides.com, Radient Rose in Green Wedding Invitation is available from Invitation Consultants

Past Inspiration Boards

Today is usually the day I post my latest "Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries" - but I haven't been able to work much the past few days as I've been taking care of my 18 month old daughter who has had a fever and now has a nasty head cold and cough. Since I probably won't be able to post for the next couple of days, I wanted to provide you with links to all past Wedding Inspiration Boards and here's the latest Best Wedding Sites newsletter for you to take a look at.

Please enjoy these image galleries until I can return to regular posting.

Western Theme Weddings
Japanese Theme Beach Weddings
Fairy Tale Weddings
Cinderella Themed Bridal Shower
Lime Green Weddings
Mexican Theme Weddings
Wildflower Themed Weddings
Butterfly Themed Weddings
Daisy Theme Bridal Showers and Weddings
Pink and Chocolate Brown Weddings
Poppy Theme Weddings
Love Birds Theme for Weddings
Lavender Weddings
Red Cherry Themed Bridal Shower
Beach Wedding Theme Inspirations & Ideas

Western Theme Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
Gather all your family and friends together for your Western Wedding with this "wanted poster" invitation from Invitations by Dawn. My favorite idea for a western or ranch style wedding is the cowboy boots with flowers for centerpieces. If you will be serving your guests a picnic style meal complete with burgers, mashed potatoes, ribs, watermelon, lemonade, iced tea and more - why not give your guests bottles of personalized BBQ sauce to take home as favors? For those planning a western theme wedding or party, what will you be including? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Additional Image Credits:
Bride and Groom, Horseshoe Place Cards from Brides.com
Cowboy Boots Floral Arrangements from Angela Stormer's flickr photo gallery
Western Wedding Cake from MammaTessies' flickr photo gallery

Japanese Theme Beach Weddings

Ideas and Inspirations | Photos and Galleries
I received the following email from Ashley and wanted to post my ideas and see if anybody else could share theirs.

"I want to do a beach type wedding, but I would like to have it more in the traditional Japanese style. Any suggestions?"

Dear Ashley ,
If you will be having the wedding on a beach, maybe consider having a stone pathway as the aisle. You can also include Japanese elements in your beach type wedding, including:
- Koi fish (maybe on the invitation?) Koi are symbolically associated with strength and determination
- white fans for you and your bridesmaids to carry, or for your guests
- parasols
- bonsai trees as centerpieces
- bamboo bowls and dishes for food presentation
- paper lanterns
- napkins tied with ribbon and adorned with an orchid
- marry under a bamboo chuppah
- have guests sit in bamboo chairs

Photo Credits:
Japanese Koi Wedding Invitation Collection from SandyPhotoArt's etsy shop
Necklace from beadsss' esty shop (features Vintage Japanese glass, coin pearl and swarovski crystal necklace)
The following images courtesy of Brides.com - Wedding Cake featuring sugar bamboo and accented with sugar river-rocks and orchids, Bamboo Placesettings, Bamboo Guest Chairs, Orchid at place setting, Candle Wedding Favors featuring sand dollars affixed to bamboo-molded candles, Escort Cards displayed in sand and secured with river stones, Rice-Paper Parasol