{Features} A Fresh Spring Brunch + Styled…
I teamed up with the incredible talents of photographer Courtney Lindberg, and floral designer Susan of Peony & Plum. The result was a fresh + clean backyard Spring brunch, full of ideas for you to re-create!
Inspiration can really come from anywhere, and for this particular shoot, I was inspired while walking through my local nursery. The beautiful grey green tones of herbs like lavender and rosemary paired so perfectly with the fluffy white roses that sat next to them. It created such a fresh and airy palette, just perfect for Spring!
I used fallen eucalyptus branches from around my neighborhood and created the simple garland and wreath that adorned the table.
The table runner was made from a piece of cheese cloth cut to fit the length of the table, then tied off at the ends with some twine.
For the favors, I purchased mini cheddar cheese wheels from Trader Joe’s and tied each one up into a pretty little cheesecloth pouch, which I secured with twine and a sprig of fresh lavender.
Sweet little posy bouquets tied with white eyelet ribbon were attached to the back of each chair.
I love the idea of serving something simple yet delicious like artisan cheeses with an assortment of breads, crackers, and fresh fruit. Something anyone can do, and everyone will love!
I used zinc place cards to display the names of the different cheeses. These are great because they can be used over and over again. All you do is write on them with chalk, and erase when done!
To top if all off, I made some refreshing lavender lemonade spiked with a little citrus vodka. Yummy! I’ve shared the recipe below.
Though this shoot was designed with a brunch in mind, the same ideas could also be used for a sweetheart table, or a shower. Get creative and mix it up:)
5 cups of water, divided
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups lemon juice, approx. 8 lemons
1/2- 1 cup citrus vodka
Sprigs of lavender, with buds on
- Boil 2 cups water.
- Put 4-5 lavender sprigs in a pitcher, then pour boiling water in.
- Quickly mix in sugar and lemon juice while water is still very hot.
- Let steep for approx. 10 minutes.
- Strain out lavender sprigs.
- Pour remaining water into the pitcher, cold.
- Add vodka and stir.
- Chill in fridge until ready to serve, then add some fresh sprigs of lavender to garnish.
- Enjoy!!!
—————————–
Last week was full of new online magazines! Another to debut was Styled. by A Subtle Revelry. I was so thrilled to learn that a link to our Sweet South African Wedding post was included, along with a photo from the wedding by Lizelle Lotter!!!
Make sure to check out both of these great magazines, they are chock full of inspiration! And a big, huge thanks for the features:)
Related Posts
BACK TO TOP
Pâtisserie Bridal Shower Shoot + Some Big News…
First things first, I want to share the exciting news I promised you last week! Some of you may already know, but I am officially launching an event design and styling business!!! I am ridiculously excited about turning my passion into a full-time career! From weddings, to photo shoots, to bridal showers and birthday parties, I’d love to help you create the event of your dreams! Not in the Southern California area? Don’t fret- I offer something for you as well:) I have a website in the works (along with a re-branding for this blog!) but until then, feel free to click the contact button in the upper right-hand corner and shoot me an email if you have any questions, or are interested in finding out more!
Now, on to an example of my design and styling that I am over the moon about! Yesterday, the lovely Amanda of Ruffled shared this pâtisserie inspired bridal shower shoot that I put together over the summer. I had the chance to work with some seriously awesome vendors: Melody of Sweet and Saucy Shop, Jane of Olive Hue Paper Goods, Jeni and Allison of Found Vintage Rentals and last, but certainly not least- the darling Ashley of Ashley Rose Photography. Together, we created two set-ups perfect for any French themed shower or wedding!
The inspiration behind this patisserie bridal shower shoot was Ladurée and the other tea and pastry salons of Paris. For this shoot we created a dessert table and a tea bar, both ideas that can be easily re-created!
Want to learn how to make this extraordinary ruffle cake? You’re in luck! Melody posted a video tutorial on how she created it!
The ribbon curtains, which hung behind the dessert table, were inspired by an image of the gift packaging station at Ladurée. Rolls of pastel ribbons cascaded down the wall, ready to be snipped off and used to tie up a gorgeous package of fresh macarons. In between the ribbon curtains I hung a vintage window pane, which I painted white. To me, the window helped bring in the feeling of a Parisian storefront.
Jane created some darling favor boxes. Perfect for guests to take home a few macarons or a colorful cream puff! The boxes were topped with some vintage mother of pearl buttons from my personal collection. You can add buttons like we did, or any other kind of accent you wish. The box has a lovely pattern, so it will also look great without additional accents if that’s the look you prefer! No matter what you choose, your guests will love these adorable favor boxes!
Melody whipped up some incredible confections for the dessert table! A mix of traditional French desserts like macarons, cream puffs, éclairs, madelines and fruit tarts, along with some one and two layer cakes and mini cupcakes. It was the perfect blend, and many of the desserts can be made at home, even if you’re not a master baker!
What are pastries without a delicious cup of tea? The tea bar we created offered several different kinds of tea. There was something for everyone, from a bold black tea to a mild herbal tea. Each variety of tea had its own custom colored label. The beautiful chalkboard menu, hand drawn by Jane, identified which color tea tag coincided with each tea. Written across the top the chalkboard was “heure du thé”, which translates to tea time.
I opted to stick with simple florals for this shoot. Despite the ridiculous 100 degree heat that day, they stood up! Those pink dahlias were just beautiful, and who doesn’t love a charming daisy bouquet in a wire egg basket?
Cute little tags reading “sucré” were attached to the end of a toothpick and stuck into the top of sugar cubes. Just pick one up and stir it into your tea!
The collection of vintage tea cups my mother-in-law gifted me were the perfect addition to round out the bar!
To read more about this shoot, head on over to Ruffled for the full post! While you’re there make sure to download the sweet stationery templates Jane made for this shoot:)
Vendor Credits:
Design + Styling: Melissa Huber of The Loveliest Day
Photographer: Ashley Rose Photography
Pastries + Cakes: Melody Brandon of Sweet and Saucy Shop
Stationery: Jane Jeon of Olive Hue Paper Goods
Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals
Related Posts
BACK TO TOP
The time has come! I get to share the full shoot I posted a teaser from yesterday, HOORAY!!!!
Working on this shoot was an absolute dream come true and to have it published in Southern Weddings Magazine seriously made me cry a little. Yes, I was so excited I may have shed a tear or two of joy! Let me start with some pictures, since I know that’s what you really want to see:) Here are the spreads from the magazine…
Putting this shoot together was a true labor of love, and it all started when I met Nancy of So Happi Together. What began as a coffee date turned into a partnership that really flourished, and the result was this incredible shoot!
The table scape couldn’t have come together without the help of the fantastic Jeni Maus of Found Vintage Rentals! Nancy and I had a blast exploring her amazing show room and chose some beautiful pieces like this farm table, custom-upholstered midnight blue settee, and assorted wooden chairs, just to name a few. We topped the table off with plates from my personal collection, silverware and glassware from Classic Party Rentals and some of the prettiest centerpieces I’ve ever seen by the spectacular Megan Gray of Honey and Poppies.
Melody Brandon of My Sweet and Saucy (who you’ve seen on this blog more than a few times because I just love her so much!) provided all the sweet cakes and desserts. Everything was absolutely perfect and those mini lattice top pies were out of this world cute!
Vivan Lee of Tomato Weddings made this whimsical gown just for our shoot. It’s exactly what Nancy and I envisioned! I couldn’t have been happier!! Now, let’s marvel for a minute at the crazy talent of Amelia and Justin Lyon. After they shot my wedding, I couldn’t wait for a chance to work with them again in a bit of a different capacity. They KILLED IT, 100% hands-down killed it! These three photos are some of my favorites from the shoot.
Putting this little set-up together was so much fun! We included a ton of different elements like yarn pom chrysanthemums which served as escort cards, silk flower garlands, mason jar honey favors, a “tin of wishes” which was used in place of a traditional guestbook, and tons of tin cans which we saved up over several months, then spray painted blue. We also included some cute little accents like an ornate white clock from my personal collection and some oversized letters which spelled out “LOVE” from Jeni’s collection.
Megan from Honey and Poppies created so many floral goodies for us! We chatted about the look and feel Nancy and I wanted for the shoot, and Megan let her creativity run wild. She is a true talent and was such an invaluable member of our team!
I adore the ceremony space we put together, and the darling program fans made by Megan Gonzalez of MaeMae Paperie were the perfect addition! She created all the paper goods for the shoot and each piece was lovelier than the next:)
Nicole Deanne was the hair and makeup master for the day and as always, did a wonderful job! Check out how hot our models look!!!
This image has me dying. It has the romantic, whimsical feel that I wanted the shoot to have all along. The lush floral crown, the overgrown field, the airy dress, the insane light, the horse and dogs- AHHHH! I almost can’t handle the awesomeness!
From the get-go, I really wanted to include animals, because honestly, isn’t everything better with animals?! Luckily, a friend of mine has a gorgeous white horse and two majestic black great danes (who happen to be famous- they were in a Lady Gaga video!), and she was generous enough to let us include them in the shoot. They really added something special, don’t you think?
***
This was my first time designing and styling a photo shoot that went past day dreaming and actually came to fruition. I feel SO incredibly fortunate that it was published in the wonderful Southern Weddings Magazine! I would like to extend a huge thank you to each member of the magnificent vendor team that Nancy and I hand selected. You all did an awe-inspiring job and it wouldn’t have been the same without you!!! To Nancy, my accomplice in this shoot and dear friend, I am so honored to have had the chance to work and create with you, and I can’t wait to do it again;)
I know I probably just overwhelmed you with images and details, but if you still can’t get enough, visit Nancy and Amelia’s blogs for their take on the shoot!
Vendor List:
The Loveliest Day, Melissa Huber – Event Design and Styling
So Happi Together, Nancy Park – Event Design and Coordination
Amelia Lyon Photography – Photography
Honey and Poppies, Megan Gray – Florals
My Sweet and Saucy Shop, Melody Brandon – Baked Goods
Maemae Paperie, Megan Gonzalez – Stationery and Paper Goods
Tomato Weddings, Vivian Lee – Bride’s Wardrobe
H&M – Groom’s Suit, Hugo Boss – Shirt, Burberry – Tie
The Ruby Closet – Flower Girl’s Wardrobe
Nicole DeAnne – Hair and Makeup
Found Vintage Rentals, Jeni Maus – Furniture and Rentals
Classic Party Rentals – Tabletop Rentals
BGL Danes Animal Acting- Dog and Horse Handler
Related Posts
BACK TO TOP
Sadly, today I don’t have a full post for you, BUT I have something just as exciting- a teaser image from the incredible photo shoot I worked on (along with an AWESOME team) back in May! It’s been so hard to keep it under wraps for 5 months, but now that Southern Weddings V3 is out and our shoot is published, I am free to share with you!!!! Yayyy, I am ecstatic:)
I will have a full post for you soon with many more gorgeous photos by Amelia Lyon, tons of details and a full list of all the amazing vendors I had a chance to work with!
Plus, I have another big announcement coming up! I can’t wait to share:) Stay Tuned!!!
Related Posts
BACK TO TOP
Today we are moving away from weddings and moving into your home! My beautiful and talented friend (and bridesmaid) Kelsey shared some awesome tips for maximizing your space when your home isn’t exactly spacious. Here are a few of my faves:
Or in other words use vertical space as well as horizontal space. Don’t be afraid to put shelves up, hooks and hang things all around. Not only is it practical it’s a nice way to dress up your walls.
Last thing you want is that one giant couch or bed hogging up your entire space. Fact is if you’re going to live small you will also need to have smaller pieces.
Sometimes closets make good offices or places to put your bed.
How amazing are those beds in closets? Genius! To read more of Kelsey’s tips, head on over to her blog, House of Lamb.
Now, onto the part about me. I was passed the ‘Beautiful Blogger Award’ by two of the loveliest ladies I know, Aleah of The Good Life Events and Lydia of Ever Ours.
To start, I have to share 10 random facts about me:
{1} I am pretty obsessed with TV, I watch way too much. I wish I had Kristin Dos Santos‘ job on E!.
{2} I’m also obsessed with dogs! They are definitely in my top 5 list of things that make me happy. Though I love all dogs, I have an extra special place in my heart for Pit bulls and other bully breeds. I was active in rescue for awhile and have been a huge advocate for them ever since!
{3} During my teen years I attended boarding school and lived in both Utah and Montana.
{4} I have always loved reading, ever since I was a little girl. My life is always just a little bit better when I read every day.
{5} Though I am a huge lover of color, my wardrobe primarily consists of black, grey and more black.
{6} I daydream about the honeymoon my husband and I took to Fiji at least twice a day.
{7} I love traveling and REALLY want to go to Australia and New Zealand one day.
{8} I love flowers, but have a black thumb. When I was younger, I wanted to be a florist when I grew up. Secretly, I still do.
{9} I love Craigslist and check it way too often.
{10} I met my husband the day after I turned 20. I’m now 27 and the past 7 years have been the best of my life:)
Now, I get to pass this award along to 5 other bloggers. If you have already done this, I apologize. I just love you so much I had to pass it to you again!
There will be some serious wedding goodness coming your way tomorrow! Get ready:)
Related Posts
BACK TO TOP
First of all, some VERY exciting news! Earlier this year I met Nancy Park of So Happi Together for coffee. That meeting turned into the beginning of a wonderful friendship AND a project. We decided to design a photo-shoot together (my first), and after months of planning, it all came to fruition in May. With a team of amazing vendors, we pulled off what I think was a pretty epic shoot. Well, just the other day I found out that our shoot was chosen for a feature in an absolutely incredible print wedding magazine. It won’t be on stands for several months, so I need to keep things under wraps, but I just had to share! I am ECSTATIC!!!! Now onto today’s post…
I love these sweet bridal portraits by Blue Kite Photo. The lighting is so dreamy and the props they used, while simple, really make the images! Don’t you think? My favorite prop is the delicate lace parasol. Which is your fave?
Blue Kite Photo is a boyfriend-girlfriend team based in Charlotte, NC. Love their work, but don’t live nearby? Don’t distress- they are available for travel! To see more, check out their blog.
Related Posts
BACK TO TOP
