Category: DIY Wedding Blog

I’ve been following Courtney’s blog for quite some time now and am always amazed at the beautiful paper goods she creates under her line, Flush Designs. I love how she incorporates an old world style in all her invites and always designs something a little different for each custom set. I asked her if she would share a little more about what went into the stunning set she created for Courtney and Erin’s wedding…

The letterpress invites included
old vintage drawings of sea life and pine cones.  The wax seal used
through out the wedding, gave it that old elegance and a sophistication
with the monogram. The invites are held together with twine and then
tied on is a tiny manilla tag that we tea dyed to look old, These tags
were also used as the escort cards tied in the tree as the guest first
entered. I made the programs with a mix of letterpress and ink jet. All
the signs are a mix of all the elements in which she took to Jill Valez
for calligraphy. My favorite is the welcome bag note and artwork. I
made up a welcome limerick that tied to the welcome bag with a sweet
brown and white gingham ribbon, inside was the 3 color letterpress
prints I made as a keepsake for the guests.

I also want to take this oppurtunity to brag on Courtney a little too. Not only does she create incredible invitations, take amazing photographs, but she also is a design enthusiast. She created the arrangment below to showcase the invites above for Once Wed and I have to say I was floored when she sent me the images above and below. Can you imagine just going to the floral mart and whipping together something so gorgeous?

        I am so excited to share this incredible wedding photographed by Courtney and her husband, Erin. Courtney not only shoots weddings beside her husband, but also creates incredible invitations under her line, Flush Designs. Courtney was kind enough to share a few details about this lovely garden wedding…

        
I’m not sure when Courtney and Erin met
exactly(yes, funny enough we both have the same set of names)? I think college, but they got engaged in Cambria and wanted to
marry there. Courtney knew she wanted a vintage, beachy wedding, but
nothing that looked "beachy"(no starfish or sand dollars). Cambria is on
the central coast surrounded by pines trees and drift wood. The town is
a sleepy little town Old and rustic. All of the beautiful surroundings was the inspiration. The color palette they decided on for the wedding was  a mix of aqua, chocolate brown, silver, and sage.

        
Originally they were going to get married out on the cliff over
looking the sea but then decided on the small Santa Rosa chapel.
Perfect for the small number of guests(only 75). For the reception,
Courtney used her own collection of vintage porcelain vases, silver
platters and mercury glass decor for the centerpieces. Each table had a
different arrangement. From a tray of hurricanes and vines to tea roses
loosely arranged in a aqua porcelain duck or an old white porcelain
vase.  She just gave it all to the local florist and told her to have
fun. Vintage birdcages were used through out the ceremony and reception
as decor with old bride and groom figurines all inside. Frosted
etched cloches held glittery birds and robins eggs at the cake table.
The little kraft boxes were favors for guest that had a little mini jar
of Cambria’s famous jam. Super cute! For added and nostalgia they brought in an old antique photo booth,
record spinning DJ (rare in todays wedding world) cupcakes and tiny
cartons of milk for the guests silly pleasure.  As the sun fell the
trees lit up with jars filled with tea lights hung from the trees. It
was so beautifully executed and well thought out. With a bit of my
advise and suggestions her and her mom really got it right. Every detail was absolutely wondeful!

Stay tuned for more images of the invitations Courtney created for this vintage wedding by the sea…

[Images c/o Erin of Paloma Images]

Have you ever attended a bridal show before? Do you usually walk away not only feeling completely uninspired, but overwhelmed with ideas that you could never incoroporate in your own wedding? Well, do I have a solution for you. I am so
excited to finally tell you about an amazing event happening in Atlanta at the Opera on November 16, The Not Wedding. Unlike a traditional bridal show, you will attend this wedding as
guests of a "Not Wedding" to see 5 brides(yes, I said 5) marry their
beloved in a mock wedding. 5 different brides with 5
completely different styles, so you will now there will be loads of inspiration and ideas for every type of wedding(modern, ecletic, rustic, etc).

I was fortunate enough to meet Callie of Achor and Eden, Abany of Brown Linen Goods, and Joy Thigpen(the amazing talent responsible behind this lovely event) for breakfast last week and cannot tell you how thrilled I am about The Not Wedding and the surprises they have in store for all of us. To learn more about this celebration, check out their adorable website or follow them on their newly launched blog.

The ladies behind The Not Wedding were generous enough to offer 5 VIP
tickets to Once Wed readers who live in the Atlanta area or are willing
to drive in for the event on November 16, 2008.  Joy Thigpen, the amazing stylist behind this affair, created 5 different
inspiration boards to reflect the styles of their 5 different brides(The Not Bride,
The Bluebird, The Dove, The Raven, and The Swan) in conjunction with invitations created by
Chelsea of Oh My Deer.The first 5 readers who leave a comment below with their favorite board/bird and why will receive VIP tickets to The Not Wedding on November 16, 2008 at 4:00 PM.

I will be attending too, so I look forward to meeting some of you there…

[Inspiration boards created by Joy Thigpen and Invitations created by Chelsea of Oh My Deer]

I’m signing off early today to head out for a retreat I’m attending all
this weekend in the North Georgia mountains. I won’t have access to the
internet till Sunday, so I will reply to all emails when I get back
late Sunday night or early Monday morning.  Before I take off though I
wanted to leave you with these amazing images sent to me by the lovely
Jess of Lobster and Swan and Record the Day.
Jess has generously agreed to create a wedding table for our "Table
Trend" series and the beautiful inspiration boards above are her take on a winter
wedding palette. Jess has such a great eye for color and textures, so I cannot
wait to see the table she creates…

Have a warm and beautiful weekend!

This is the first week in Atlanta where it really is beginning to feel like fall. The trees are beginning to lose their leaves and the weather is crisp enough to need a jacket during the day, so it was perfect timing when I opened my inbox this week and saw this DIY pumpkin centerpiece to celebrate fall. Here is a little more information about this lovely tutorial from Laurie…