Pink & Brown Wedding Inspiration Board...

Inspiration Board & Vendor Links HERE...

Alicia & Brandon: Pink & Brown Wedding...

WLB: What were your top 3 favorite design details about your wedding day?
Alicia: My tiara and veil. I picked out a medium-length, shear veil and had my mom sew this amazingly beautiful tiara onto it so that the tiara was worn more like a headband and the veil "fell" from it, b) My cake. I wanted a pink cake, with white frosting embellishment on it and fresh flowers. I didn't have any idea about cake design, so I turned the who thing over to my mom. I told her to make it "romantic" and definitely not "modern" because that is my style, c) My dress and bouquet. My favorite feature of my dress was the shear lace and floral details on the skirt and I loved having a monochromatic bouquet. I think that monochromatic is the way to go on the bridal and flower girl bouquets because it is always in style. Also, no plastic or bead details in the bouquets was my preference.

WLB: Something every bride should know?

Alicia: I had a difficult time on my wedding day overall. The temple sealing itself was perfect. The rest of the day, I felt like a lot of attention was on me and I clammed up. That said, I would tell every bride to try to "let it all go." Try not to worry about pleasing everyone and being the perfect hostess. Let others step in to do that. Definitely don't be what has been coined "bridezilla," but try to let others host while you just enjoy standing next to your man. My maid of honor, Ashley actually had to lean over during the wedding line and say, "stand closer to Brandon" (my groom). I was in shock when I realized that half the reception line had gone through and I was standing about a foot away from my groom! I moved in closer and held his arm. It was like that the entire day. Both bride and groom were trying so hard to be a good host and hostess. It was exhausting and I tell all brides to remember to stand close, link arms and even flirt with your groom on your wedding day. And try to have more fun.

WLB: Close calls, disasters or something funny?

Alicia: Between the wedding lunch and reception, Brandon and I checked into our hotel room so we wouldn't have to after the reception. It was in downtown Salt Lake. We didn't plan on construction and we were stuck in traffic to get from our hotel to the reception. We were 15 minutes late for pictures and the photographer was getting paid by the hour and he had another wedding to do after, so missing those 15 minutes caused some stress for him, as well as my mom who was paying for him. I would just say skip any errands you can avoid between wedding events. Even if it seems like you have a couple hours to kill between the festivities, you really don't. Just stick around until everything is over.

WLB: If you had it to do over, would you do anything differently?

Alicia: Yes, definitely. I wish I had danced. My whole life I had wanted to have some dancing at my wedding. I wanted to play a meaningful song to me and dance with my dad, probably "The Wind Beneath My Wings" and then have Brandon (my groom) cut in and dance to our love song "Songbird." But at the end of the reception, I was so exhausted that I didn't do it. Also, I was shy about it. And I couldn't find my dad anywhere as he was busy taking pictures of the pretty surroundings. I had not communicated to my dad or my groom or anyone that I wanted to do this. It really slipped my mind, but it is something I keep wishing I would have done so I could have the pictures of it. That said, I still loved my wedding day and it doesn't make a huge difference. It's really not about what you do on your wedding day, but who you marry that is the important thing.

WLB One thing that made the day meaningful?

Alicia: The day was meaningful because I married the right guy. It really wasn't easy for us that first year together especially. He was 32 and I was 27 and both of us had established careers for ourselves and were very independent when we married. But over time, we have worked together better and better. I would say that the most important thing about your wedding is WHO you marry. It sounds like a no-brainer but I think that with all the pretty details and all the excitement of a wedding, sometimes people unfortunately forget it.

Vendor Note: Bridal Photo at top by Robert Dyer

The SHOWER: and the party favors for Pink & Brown Wedding

For the pink & brown wedding shower... we didn't know about the brown yet. AND, it was Easter. I love Easter and I put together some of the party favors (we are big on favors in my family!)
So, I painted bunnies, bunnies & more bunnies!

Alicia was a teaching American Lit at a local High School at the time and so in the favors we put those mini composition book note pad and bright pencils along with some beautiful quotes from American Literature. I wish I still had one of those papers and I'd tell you what they said.

Lots of candy in cellophane bags. Lots of ribbon.

Then, our mom made her favors, which are always elegant. The little boxes are from Carolyn Roehm who offers lovely gift wrapping on her site HERE...

However, the collection is always changing, but it's always beautiful.

We had bright spring flowers with pussy willows and bird nests...

... and lots of flower in pots. Did I forget to take a photo of the food?? Yes, I did, but I know one thing. It was delicious!

Sting of the Bee: Queen of CAKE Pink & Brown

Brandon & Alicia had a cake table at their wedding and it was fantastic. But my favorite, the Queen of all cakes is STING OF THE BEE and this Lion House Recipe will make you lick your bee-stung lips.

Sting of the Bee (Beinenstich) Cake
Ingredients:
1 c. butter (no substitutes)
2/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
3 c. flour, sifted
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ c. milk
Butter cream filling (below)
Method:
With mixer, cream butter and sugar until soft, add eggs and mix well. Mix in dry ingredients; slowly add milk. Beat until dough is thick and does not stick when touched.
Prepare 10-inch springform pan: Place parchment or waxed paper on bottom of pan. Attach side of pan; spray side with nonstick cooking spray and lightly dust with flour.
Press dough evenly in springform pan. Sprinkle small amount of flour on top of dough; gently tap dough down with flat bottom of a cup. (Dough should feel firm and press against the sides of pan.) Pour topping on dough and spread evenly.
Cover pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until cake looks firm and golden brown. Allow to cool. Split in half horizontally. Fill with Butter Cream Filling and raspberry preserves.
Note: This cake is similar to biscuits in texture.
Topping
Ingredients:
½ c. butter (no substitutes)
½ c. sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 c. almonds, slivered
2 tsp. vanilla
Method:
In medium saucepan, melt butter until almost boiling. Add sugar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Slowly add milk, stir carefully as mixture will pop. Return to a boil and add almonds. Bring to a boil once again. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Allow to cool to room temperature if made early in the day, or cool in refrigerator until thick and cool to the touch. For best product, topping should be same temperature as dough.
Butter Cream Filling
Ingredients:
1 c. butter (no substitutes)
2 c. powdered sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla
½ c. raspberry preserves
Method:
Soften butter. Beat in powdered sugar, egg yolks, and vanilla until fluffy. Spread on bottom of split cake. Spread preserves on top of butter cream and replace cake top.

NOTE: if you are concerned about raw eggs READ HERE about Pasteurizing Eggs

Twinkle Toes: Pink & Brown Wedding

If you know that you can dance through the night on four inch stiletto heels.. then you definitely should because there are so many lovely heels to choose from. When I got married, my personal philosophy was to choose the cheapest shoes I could possibly find because I was only going to wear them once. There ought to be a bridal shoe exchange online so that some other girl can break them in for you.

Anyhow, I didn't wear them nearly at all. They hurt so much after 2 minutes that I took them off and stood there shaking hands in my stocking feet. It was a long dress so no one cared. If I were to do it all over again though, I would spend a little more time on this detail and get it right.

You can always go for the Father of the Bride look w/ sneakers. One of my cousins wore bright kelly green chuck lows (more on that later) a great look and you CAN wear them again.

But, for those of you looking for Cinderella's glass slipper, you'll have to put out a little more effort. Look around. If you don't have time, Zappos ships free both ways.

Whatever you decide to do, consider this sage advice given in Better Than Beauty, A Guide to Charm written in 1938, but still true today, "Your face can't look serene, your conversation can't be bright, your personality can't radiate, if your feet hurt."

Tamar Earrings: Pink & Brown

Tamar's Nest Pretty Things is a successful Etsy business that carries the loveliest little jewels. Unusual and yet not overly pricey, these little sparklies are just the thing for the wedding party or even the bride to wear. They have that charming quality as does the Nest Pretty things Shop... all the pages filled with light and color... Take a peek!

Photos Make a Difference: Custom Cake Toppers...

The bride I worked with to produce these cake toppers sent me this veil photo.

It's amazing how much that visual helps to create the look the bride was trying to creat when she chose this particular veil in the first place. And, yet, I still get brides who tell me they will be wearing an ivory veil... a picture is truly worth more than a thousand words.

Stephanie over at LittleWedHen is doing a full article about my process creating the cake toppers and I can't wait to see it.

As soon as it has posted, you can be sure that I will let you know! Stay tuned!

Citrus Wedding Inspiration Board...

Inspiration Board & Vendors HERE...

Citrus Wedding: Some Shots of THE SHOWER

Giant Gerberra Daisies on the door...

Gifts Wrapped in Melissa's Wedding Colors...

Watering cans with bright flowers and little touches of butterflies...

Party favors in these fun boxes with all different silk flowers. Cupcakes with sugar flowers.

= lots of pretty and lots of fun!

Melissa & James: The Citrus Wedding

WLB: Melissa, what were 3 of your favorite design details?

Melissa: One was the lace overlay on my dress. Beautiful! It was the first dress I tried on and it made me feel amazing. Second would be the ribbons. Ribbons everywhere! There were bright ribbons dangling from my bouquet, some dangling from the topiary, and of course the fun maypole we had the kids dance around. Third would be all the bright colors. We wanted a fun summer party, and you can't have that with dark reds or blues. The bridesmaids were in bright pink, the tablecloths were bright green, even the cake was bright yellow. The flowers were all bright colors, and we even had a candy table with jars of green and yellow and pink candies.

WLB: Something every bride should know?

Melissa: Every bride should have someone they can trust to take care of everything, whether it's a planner, a maid of honor, or your mother. For me, it was my mom. She planned out every detail. She asked me for my opinion, and then ran with it. Of course, I was a lot more easy going than some brides, and I trusted my mom to throw an amazing party.

WLB: Of course your mother is an amazing event planner and one of the most fun people anyone knows! WLB: Close calls, disasters or something funny?

Melissa: We really didn't have any disasters. Something funny though: I had a big satin sash on my dress. My mom had to re-tie it three times at the temple so it looked right. When I was getting ready for the reception, Aunt Jackie and Rachel were helping me get ready because my mom was busy decorating the banquet room. Aunt Jackie said "Well if Sherry did it three tries, I guess I'd better do it in two." Also, when we were taking pictures, my niece Anna, a flower girl, had a meltdown and flopped down on the floor. She was just inconsolable. We have pictures of her crying. It was cute.

WLB: If you had it to do over, would you do anything differently? Melissa: I wouldn't change a thing about the day. Everything ran so smoothly and it was so beautiful. I probably would have done my hair differently. Maybe down with big soft curls, rather than up. I absolutely loved my dress, but I wonder if I should have tried on a few more, and gone with a full skirt. When else will I have the chance to wear a full skirt? WLB: One thing that made the day meaningful?

Melissa: Oh gosh I don't know if I can pick just one thing. The whole experience was magnificent. I get to be with my sweetheart forever, and I have all those wonderful memories. My favorite part of the reception was watching the kids dance around the maypole and do their little routine. They were so cute in the polka dots! I danced with my dad and we had a moment together, talking about my mom. My mom is amazing. We talked about how creative and wonderful she is, and how happy she had been all day, throwing parties is her element! My Dad and I both got teary-eyed. She truly is amazing. And it was special to see my Dad get emotional talking about his Sherry-baby.

Life can have it's complications and irritations and that is why it's so important to really celebrate those occasions when people find each other or accomplish something. Sometimes we ought to bake a cake because it's Monday. I love this wedding because of all the love and joy that went into making it the beginning of Melissa & Jame's...

Happily Ever After...

The Citrus Wedding: The Flower Girls Outfits

The little girls flip flops were similar to THESE found on Etsy... Darling for shower favors too.

These pettiskirts made the little flower girl dresses so cute. Melissa had lots of cute flower girls so that added a lot of color and movement to the party.

Citrus Wedding: Supplies... RIBBON!

In her answers Melissa said that one of her favorite details about her wedding were all these beautiful ribbons. ME TOO! I look for ribbon everywhere. I collect it. I lOVE Ribbon. People often ask me where to get it. It depends on what you want. If you want a gorgeous piece of something for a really special element then you go to Hyman and Hendler and get something imported from Europe. I have one or two pieces of that kind of thing hanging around that I use sparingly. But most of the time, I use ribbon that I want to be able to use with profusion and that has to be much less expensive. If you have a Tai Pan Trading Co. somewhere near you, they often have quite good deals on ribbon. I watch the craft stores like Hobby Lobby for after holiday sales when you can get yardage at up to 80% off. I order a few things from JKM Trim (takes weeks to get to you) in Jersey and MJ Trim (which also has millinery supplies & buttons!) in NYC. And, if I just need yardage of something Paper Mart is a place I've found to have great deals year round, not to mention PROMPT service. They also have a lot of things, when you are planning an event, it's fun to go through some of the ideas in their inventory just to spark your imagination.

Citrus Wedding: Custom Cake Toppers

These little peg doll cake toppers can be made custom to reflect the style of your dress, rings, hairdos, grooms attire, flowers etc... and make a wonderful forever keepsake.

Order at

LovE BOXes SHoP...