When J.Crew first introduced their wedding dress line way back when, I was amazed at how stunningly simple their collection of dresses was. Classic and modern styles made out of practical yet luxurious materials, offered affordable high-fashion design. Fast forward to present day and you have the first J.Crew Bridal Boutique located on Madison Avenue. I will definitely be stopping by for a jaw-dropping experience on my next trip to NYC! In the meantime, I have selected some of my favorites from their Fall 2010 lookbook. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

The class that I mentioned yesterday reminded me of a beautiful wedding I spotted recently in the latest issue of Wedding Style Guide. While summer is in full swing here in the states, winter is just getting under way in Australia and their winter issue is breathtaking as usual. The assortment of perfect little details throughout this wedding are pure perfection and stopped me dead in my tracks. I adore the couples use of a refined and sophisticated color palette combined with the playful stripes and silhouettes.

This stunning wedding was styled and designed by Maven Creative and I was able to snag a few more images from their site. You really must check out the latest issue and see the plethora of gorgeousness this magazine has to offer. I’ve already scoured each page at least three times! Also, visit the Wedding Style Guide’s blog and site for even more wedding goodies!

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well and had a pleasant last few days. I took an extended holiday vacation but am excited to be back into the swing of things again.

A few weeks ago, I took a free wedding decor class from my local Pottery Barn. A friend of mine was curious to check it out and I was equally as excited to see what they had to offer so I tagged along. The store had set up several beautiful tabletops as inspiration and a mini candy bar display. The class was brief but it was a great way to see how the simplest accessories could be used to make a stunning arrangement.

Marianne Graham of the Artful Posy, a local Seattle florist and event planner, was there as a guest speaker. She put the centerpieces together and shared some inspiring tips for how to begin the design process for a wedding. She strongly sugessted that if there is a particular flower that you’d like to incorporate into your event, that you try to schedule around the time when it’s in bloom. Though not impossible to get most flowers year round, a little foresight will save you tons of money in the long run. Another tip; ask your florist to recommend a similar flower to achieve the same look if the timing isn’t quite right.

The three tables were really stunning and my personal favorite was the rustic purple garden theme. Her mixed use of succulents, sweet pea flowers, mint and lavender was perfect! I loved the mini watering cans that could double as seating cards and the burlap table runner. The burlap table runner could be an easy DIY project like this one seen on Style Me Pretty. Above are a few pictures I was able to capture at the event but feel free to check out Marianne’s site or blog and check your local Pottery Barn for upcoming classes.

I adore this screen printed wedding invitation suite designed by groom Mike Dornseif! With more of a show-poster feel and the utterly adorable illustration, this non-traditional invite would be so much fun to receive in the mail. With only a few short months until the wedding, I wish both the bride & groom a very happy and whimsical wedding!

Via: French Paper

As promised, I’ve got another wedding DIY for all of you today! Better yet, this Book Cover and Bookmark coordinate with yesterday’s DIY Favor Bags. Adorned with the phrase “True love stories never have endings” this bookmark says it all. What better way to celebrate your big day than with a beautiful book to remeber it by.

Weddings are a day shared with family and friends and a brief moment to express your gratitude and feelings for one another. Sometimes it’s hard to say it yourself so let your favorite book or collection of poems say it for you. Simply cover a book with paper in coordinating colors and weave a bookmark through for the perfect favor. The best part, the bookmark doubles as a seating card with space at the bottom for a name or note.

A book favor would be lovely at an intimate wedding or at a book themed bridal shower. These would also make perfect gifts for your wedding party as a token of thanks. Don’t have a favorite book? Cover a journal or album of photos instead. It’s a simple way to add a personal touch to just about anything.

Materials
Decorative Paper (Like these from Snow & Graham, Elum or Hello Lucky)
Color Printer
Card Stock
Craft Knife
Ruler
1/8″ Craft Punch
Ribbon

Instructions
Download the Bookmark Template and follow directions within the template on how to enter names, cut and construct. Punch hole at top with 1/8″ craft punch and thread coordinating ribbon through hole at top. Add a little more detail by adding an eyelet to the hole before tying the ribbon.

Pre-cut and fold your decorative paper to wrap around your book. If the book already has a cover, use as a template for the new one. If creating one from scratch, make sure it’s the same height as the book and remember to leave at least 3 inches on either side to fold in to the inside front cover. Once wrapped, firmly crease the spine and edges with fingers.

To weave the bookmark through, you’ll need to create two slits in the center of the book cover using a craft knife. The slits should be slightly wider than the book mark; approximately 2″ wide. I recommend making a sample one to practice and use as a template for the remaining book covers. After slits have been cut, wrap cover around book and carefully weave bookmark through slots.

Abby was kind enough to post my latest DIY wedding project up on Style Me Pretty yesterday! These DIY Wedding Bags are perfect for favors, bridal showers, or for a midnight snack for dancing guests, the sky’s the limit with a little imagination. Head on over for the full details and a link to the PDF.  Also come back here tomorrow for a coordinating wedding favor, you won’t want to miss it!

Create a simple and tasty brunch tablescape for Mother’s Day with these little fabric wrapped cheeses as a starter. All you’ll need is some fabric, a scalloped rotary cutter, waxed linen twine and enough Mini Babybel Cheeses for everyone. Place in the center of each plate and you’ll have instant decor and a delicious appetizer to get the meal started. Serve with flat crackers, bread and apple slices.

These little favors could easily be used for a bridal shower lunch or even a casual afternoon wedding! Just find a coordinating fabric and you’ve got an easy and inexpensive favor that everyone will enjoy!

Materials
Fabric
8″ Circle Template
Scalloped Rotary Cutter or Pinking Shears
Waxed Linen Twine
Mini Cheeses

Instructions
Download the 8″ Circle Template and cut out along dotted line. Use the template as as a guide to cut out each of the fabric rounds and use a scalloped rotary cutter or pinking shears to create a decorative edge.

Remove the plastic wrapper from mini cheese wheels but keep the wax wrapper intact. Place two mini cheese wheels in the center of the fabric and gather fabric up and around cheese. Tie shut with a piece of string or waxed linen thread and finish off with a bow!

It was so much fun to read all of your favorite Mom stories and see what everyone’s favorite tapes were. A big congratulations to the lucky winner Tong for winning our latest contest! She’ll recieve a combo pack of her choice along with another one to give to her Mother or friend! Shoot me a message with you choice and address and I’ll pass it along to the ladies at TapeSwell.

If you didn’t win, you’re still in luck! TapeSwell is offering a %15 discount now through May 15th by entering code: MDAY at checkout. Thanks for playing everyone and thanks to TapeSwell for the great giveaway!

Claudia Griffiths was kind enough to send over some pictures of hair accessories from her new Spring-Summer 2010 Bridal line and I have to say, I’m totally in love! What beautiful details and simple silhouettes! I can even see these being the perfect embellishment to a special event long after the wedding.

Claudia also carries headbands for everyday wear and I particularly like her Silk Flowers design. You can see her entire collection and purchase them all in her shop. Thanks Claudia!

Wear your cake and eat it too! A friend of mine sent this to me and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. It sounds so odd to make a dress out of cake but somehow this managed to be stunningly beautiful. Who knew frosting could look so chic!

This extraordinary creation was created by Lukka Sigurdardottir and more pics can be seen on Gather and Nest.

Today over on Style Me pretty Abby is sharing my latest DIY project on how to make inexpensive table centerpieces. With the help of a little paint and some flowers these miss-matched thrift store finds make for a bold and cheap focal point for a wedding or special event. Best part, once the wedding is over, you have loads of beautiful vases to give away as gifts and decorate your new home!