Its no  secret how big of a crush I have on bridal headpieces.  Whether its a ‘simple’ fascinator or an eloquently selected bridal headscarf, I am in loooooove, big time!  Today’s gorgeous woodsy romantic session features The Yellow Peony, a gal who makes some really unique bridal hair pieces, as well as custom pieces for brides, and believe me when I say, they are amazing!!  Always inspiring and ever creative, Hayley wanted to bring together some terrific local vendors for an ethereal woodsy bohemian vibed shoot, highlight of course some of The Yellow Peonies spectacular bridal accessories!  The result is pure bridal fashion eye candy with bold vibrant colors, terrific accessories, & gorgeous blooms!  My absolutely favorite in this collection is the very first, the enchanting Vintage-Style Ivory Lace Bridal Cap!  How stunning is this gem?!  Swoon, sigh, swoon and repeat!  There is so much inspiration here from decor to fashion, you’re going to love everything!  After the gallery, be sure to check out each unique piece!

Loving The Yellow Peony as much as we are?  Want to know a bit more about these gorgeous styles & where to purchase?  We thought so!

 

 

Vintage-Style Ivory Lace Bridal Cap

 

 

 

 

 

Long Tulle Cathedral Veil

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Circlet head wreath in Nude & Blush

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Statement Head Wreath in Red & Lime

 

 

 

 

Ivory & Tulle Flower Clip with Crystal Beading

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Statement Crown in Blue & Purple

 

 

 

 

 

Crystal Dew drop Tulle Birdcage Veil

 

 

 

 

 

Whimsical Bridal Halo

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Style Ivory Flower Headband with Crystal Beading

 

 

 

 

 

Greta Headpiece – Organza Flower & Rhinestone Wedding Headband

 

 

 

 

 

French Style Cathedral Veil

 

 

 

 

 

White Swiss dot Tulle Bridal Cap

 

 

 

 

 

Rhinestone Leaf Wedding headband on Silver Satin Ribbon

 

 

 

 

 

Ivory Peony Hair Clip of Silk Taffeta

 

 

Vendor Love

Dress Store: Altar Bridal | Bridal Hair Pieces: The Yellow Peony | Hair: Bella Hair Company at EnVogue Salon | Make-up: Kristen George Makeup Artistry | Floral Design: Good Earth Floral Design Studio | Cake Designer: Iced Art | Baked Goods: Cakes a Go-Go | Photographer: Pond Photography

 

Every now and again a wedding comes through with such a lovely color tonal range that its just dreamy to look at and that is very much the case with Amanda Mertz & Jeremy Shook’s gorgeous Mississippi wedding!  Wanting to craft a colorful day without loud dominating colors, soft corals & greens were given the go head while a wizard in florist clothing Au Courant Floral created some of the most beautiful & unique arrangements I have seen in sometime!  Guest sipped on down home lemonade with mustache/lip straws while watching our couple say ‘I do’.  String quartet music wafted in the background as this refined modern affair took place under the setting sun with dancing under the stars to follow!  What a sweet lovely treat filled with the loveliest of colors, the perfect way to close out May and head into summer proper!

Note From The Bride…

Guests were treated to sweet, southern, pink lemonade in mason jars, as they enjoyed the sounds of a string quartet, before the ceremony. In lieu of programs, we chose a chalkboard, ornately framed, listing the wedding party and the evening events. Adding another personal touch, I created a large, wooden board with multi-colored envelopes secured to it, for guests to place notes, instead of a traditional guest book. The flowers: The day of the wedding, I stepped out of the elevator and was greeted by a long table full of the most beautiful, stunning bouquets I had ever seen. My bouquet was hydrangeas, peonies, lamb ear, balsa wood and succulents, wrapped in a turquoise damask cloth, secured with a gorgeous turquoise broach. Attached to my bouquet was a stone from my late grandmothers’ favorite earrings. We were married on Cinco de Mayo, so we featured a gourmet taco station with catfish, zesty chicken, and duck tacos, made to order. Signature drink was “The Shookarita”, a cute spin on our last name. A fresh, organic margarita on the rocks, garnished with salt. These were topped off with a turquoise “mustache” straw for the men, or a hot pink “lip” straw for the ladies. We incorporated our love for trail mix into the reception, and put our own spin on a traditional “candy bar”.

Vendor Love

Venue: Lost Rabbit Marina  | Dress: Martina Liana | Hair: Nathans Salon | Make-up: Brittany Thompson | Catering: Julep Restaurant | Floral Design: Au Courant Floral | String Quartet: Jackson Strings Quartet | DJ: Evan Tubbs of Birmingham, AL | Photobooth: Adam + Alli Photography | Lighting: Davaine Lighting | Officiant: Bill Boyd | Event Planner: Shanna Lumpkin Events | Photographer: Mark Eric Photography

From the looks of things on Pinterest of late, there is a serious sugar craving going on for ceremony backdrops that defy traditional setups in place of the more unique, creative & awe inspiring.  Personally I adore the idea of not just unique ceremony locations but an intriguing collection of elements to craft your very own signature look.  I really feel that creativity in weddings is reaching a gorgeous design crescendo of late with seemingly nothing off limits.  Vintage doors, window frames, books, lanterns, bicycles, ribbon, garlands, pinwheels, you name it, are just a few elements that have taken to decorating the ‘I do’ spot these days.  I wish this was something that was making such waves only a few short years ago, as I certainly would have loved to have gone this route myself!

Such wonderfully creative and at times innovative ceremony backdrops are the subject of this weeks Why It Works Wednesday!  I recently spotted a gorgeous gem of a backdrop on Ruffled {Which I realize last week’s WIWW also came from Ruffled!}, photographed by the amazing One Love Photo, with a strong bohemian vibe to the set up.  There are so many absolutely terrific elements to this ceremony spot, I am super eager to jump into things and bring to life why this wondrous installation works so well!  Let’s get to it shall we!

 *Photograph by One Love Photo

Sorry for the giganto photo, but I felt it was really important to view this suspended picture frame backdrop in its full glory, as large as the site will allow, so that you can properly take in the full effect!  Upon first glance it may seem like a very busy backdrop {this is not always a negative!} in truth there really are only 3 pure elements being played with here: picture frames, floral arrangements & string.  The first that we will discuss, and most certainly the focal point of the design are the frames.  Keeping with the current trend in weddings to mix-match, each frame is uniquely its own, with none repeating.  The key here is to pick small details that relate them to each other well enough to present a harmonious aesthetic overall.  Be it a style of craving, a detail within the pattern itself you name it. While design elements are indeed a part of why each frame was chosen, if you look back at the set up again, you’ll notice that each frame’s color is a beautiful tone, which also compliments its nearest neighbor.  Last but not least, to keep the flow of the design, each frame is its own size while the shape is kept the same, again an element that ties them together in their uniqueness.  Varying the frame’s in the size department keeps it fresh and interesting, each with its own reason to be looked at.

Each frame comes with its very own slightly mix-matched floral arrangement, each pinned on a different corner of the frame.  Here again repeaters, while unavoidable all together with only 4 corners to choose from, were kept to a minimum, keeping the visual as interesting as possible.  The blooms themselves are bold colors in striking orange, loud fuchsia, & pale purple.  These color demanding focal pieces stand out strongly against the darker wood and deep green of the surrounding area.  Notice how each arrangement as well, contains leafy stringy greens which serve to make each arrangement more abstract and unusual.  This design serves to connect with a more organic feel, how one could imagine they might be found in nature, as well as supplying a lovely air of whimsy!

The last element to the design is perhaps my favorite!  I am utterly in love how the strings were treated as a piece of the design versus something to be hidden and tucked away.  The beauty of the stringing job in this case is the angle at which they were hung.  Rather then boring ol’straight up stringing, each was tied closer together then the width of the frame creating an intricate lattice work in the open air above the frames.  The overall effect is something that is playful, light and airy.

I adore this backdrop and personally feel that even though it might feel very bohemian, in my opinion it easily translates to just about every wedding genre & theme.  The basic principles of great design, organic goodness & whimsy will carry over beautifully no matter what!  I highly encourage you to head over to Ruffled to view the full post on this wedding, as there are lots of lovely little elements of this wedding to enjoy!

Wedding Location: Seattle, WA / Wedding Photographer: one love photo / Venue: Robinswood House / Wedding Flowers: Ravenna Blooms / Wedding Dress: Milly from Nordstrom Wedding Suite / Bride’s Shoes:Joan and David / Hair and Makeup: Off White / Hair Accessory: Bride’s mother / Bridesmaids’ Dresses:Nordstrom / Groom’s Apparel: Tux Shop / Wedding Caterer: 12 Baskets Catering / Cake and Desserts: The Sweet Side Cake and Pies Alamode / Music: Sonny Byers and Jazz Trio (friend of Bride) / Wedding Favors:JonBoy Caramels

A Note from Andy Sams Photography: ”Kim and Ragan actually met at a wedding in 2008, so being a part of their own wedding was really exciting. This fun couple descibes their first encounter as a tipsy rendezvous that began at Lavaca Street Bar and and has lasted ever since. Kim and Ragan are living proof that weddings are a great place to meet somebody, so don’t be shy and ask the cutie at the wet bar to dance. The ceremony took place at The Phoenix of Weimar, TX in the Colorado River Valley among the Texas Hill Country. The gorgeous landscape lent itself to some really unique decorations hung throughout the venue, including strands of crystals and a floral chandelier. Their vibrant color scheme really stood out against the woodland backdrop, making for stunning photographs. Kim is kind and really easy-going, which fit her lifestyle perfectly as a kindergarten teacher in the Austin area. As she narrates in her version of the couple’s meeting story, Kim very much enjoys going to happy hour with her fellow teachers after long days nurturing children in the classroom. It was only a matter of time before these two ran into each other. Though Kim graduated from the University of Texas Austin in 2002, Ragan received multiple Bachelor’s degrees, including Mathematics and Computer Science, from UT Tyler only a couple of years prior. He now works as a business analyst at a leading business solutions agency in Austin, TX. The fireworks didn’t end at the alter at this wedding. The reception was held under the giant Texas sky as fireworks shot off overhead.”

Novella of the Bride…

Kim Taylor Morris is a Kindergarten teacher at Round Rock I.S.D. in Austin, Texas.  Ragan Kyle Morris is a software developer for Santanna Energy Services.  We met in November of 2008 at Ragan’s cousin’s wedding.  Kim taught Kindergarten with Ragan’s cousin.  We began talking at the wedding and have been together ever since.  Kim is a graduate of UT Austin and Ragan graduated from UT Tyler.  We both love the Texas Longhorns and attend football games.  Ragan makes Kim laugh often.  We both enjoy yard work, home improvements, relaxing with an adult beverage from time to time, cooking together, going for walks/jogs and watching tv.  Our latest passion is our new baby daughter, Taylor Layne Morris.  :-)

Our wedding theme was country chic/rustic.  The colors were chocolate brown, champagne and fuschia.  The flowers were bright bouquets of pinks and other spring colors.  We had mason jars for guests to drink from, burlap covered picnic tables, as well as satin covered chocolate brown & fuschia tables with beautiful arrangements around candelabras and lanterns.  We had a chandelier strung with roses hanging above our ceremony site in a grove of trees.  Many strings of crystals were also hanging around our ceremony site catching the sunlight.  A string trio played classical music.  Floral arrangements hung in mason jars from shepherd’s picks along the aisle.  DJ Superman (Art Hernandez) from Flatonia, Texas kept soft music/country music playing throughout cocktail hour and dinner and then kicked it up a notch for the dance after dinner.  We had fireworks near the end of the evening.

My husband and I wanted an outdoor venue in the spring and researched online.  When we found The Phoenix we went to tour the facility and it just felt right.  It was 35 minutes from my hometown and was a very laid back and comfortable venue.  It is a bed and breakfast with vegetable and flower gardens, as well as a pond.  There are pastures and cattle surrounding the venue and many big, beautiful live oak trees.  My husband loved the open space and feel of the venue.  We also love the screened in back porch on the bed and breakfast.  It was so peaceful and beautiful.  The weather was perfect when we toured the facility and the day of our wedding too!  Also, the owners of The Phoenix, Bruce and Ken, were SO helpful and kind.  They catered to our needs and helped relieve any anxiety and stress.  As well, my best friend and one of my matrons of honor, Earlanda Williams, helped coordinate the wedding with her very talented sister, LaQuita Hopkins, who was in charge of wedding décor.

Bride’s Favorite Moment: “I loved the fireworks at the end of the night.  They were truly beautiful and our photographer got some great photos that will capture those memories forever!”

Vendor Love

Venue: The Phoenix Special Events Facility  | Wedding Dress: Casablanca Bridal  | Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff  | Shoes: Antonio Melani  | Hair & Makeup Stylist: Sheena Little  | Music: Third Floor Strings  | Rentals: Any Occasion Party Rental  | Florist: Art In Bloom  | Caterer: Mik’s Catering  | Baker: Liz Stryk  | Event Planner: LaQuita Hopkins  | Photographer: Andy Sams Photography

The absolutely brilliant venue of The Lyons Farmette once again plays hosts to a gorgeous wedding, this with a down home Colorado country twist!  Jen Preston & Dave D Angelo, having been to their share of weddings and knew from the start the special little details that they wanted to include to truly hallmark their wedding as both stylish & thoughtful.  The couple pre-bottled Aperol Spritzers {their signature cocktail} to avoid the mad bar rush post ceremony as well as really focused on terrific food for the guests.  Coffee bean bags were re-purposed into a 700 foot long table runner, while vintage scales dotted the decor.  Traditional cake gave way to scrumptious pies along with the Coaches Scoop Truck which doled out the a la mode part!  As the lights went down, the sound cranked up in the form of Boulder’s premier 80′s group - The Goonies Band!  Jen & Dave’s wedding is utterly stunning & they did such a terrific job bringing dashes of country with the perfect touches of refinement!

Novella of the Bride…

We met through mutual friends in a ski share almost 3 years ago.  Dave travels a lot for work and we met the last weekend of the ski season.  We started dating immediately:)  Dave is a cinematographer who shoots all over the world and is gone for weeks or months on end.  I am a travel consultant and work in downtown Denver.  The distance is tough but it keeps the magic alive!  We both love to travel and I have been lucky enough to meet up with Dave during some of his far away shoots.

We fell in love with the Farmette at first sight!  There are so many quaint and quirky aspects of the farm that spoke to us–the bridge, the seating area down by the river, the old Ford truck, the millions of flowers, the beautiful air stream bridal suite, the animals.  We knew we could add our personal touch to the existing natural elements of the farm and have something personal, quaint, vintage and amazing.  The location has a comfy, laid-back quality and are biggest wish for our guests was for them to enjoy the event and just have a blast.

The theme of the wedding was Colorado Country Farm.  Our aim was to have an amazing time with 140 of our closest friends and family – there were no rules except to create an amazing experience.  Luckily, a lot of decor and preparations had been handled months prior – old burlap coffee sacks were washed, cut, and ironed into over 700 ft of table runners.  Denver’s antique stores and thrift shops were liberated of dozens of blue mason jars and old timey flour sifters for the flower displays.  We were also inspired by a previous wedding at the Farmette and hunted down a bunch of 50′s and 60′s kitchen scales to liven up the dessert table.  Leanne, the maid of honer and the bride’s sister, jarred homemade strawberry jam favors which were also used as place cards.  She baked over 150 cookies for the welcome bags.

One of the interesting things that made this wedding truly special and unique is what happened two weeks prior at Dave’s Bachelor Party in Austin, TX, where he was run over by a boat.  The groom was seriously injured in a boating accident, rendering his right knee and right arm immobilized for 8 weeks.  The prop sliced his deltoid in half and shattered his kneecap.  He also broke several ribs and punctured his lung.  Getting that call while at work on a Friday late afternoon was one of the scariest moments of my life.  For as serious as the accident was, every aspect could not have gone better, as strange as it is to say.  Its almost impossible to put into words how fortunate we felt that Dave was not more seriously injured and my only thought was–he is alive, who cares about the rest.  Immediately after the accident, Dave’s spirits were high and he stayed positive throughout.  He never once thought about postponing the wedding even though the doctors weren’t sure he’d be out of the hospital in time.  With great support, prayers and positive vibes from family and friends–he made it home the Thursday before our Saturday wedding, in a wheel chair, but with a huge smile:)  Needless to say it created many challenges, but nothing a wheelchair, larger pants, and some amazing friends and family couldn’t fix.  Despite the groom being in an Austin, TX hospital until two days before the wedding everyone banded together and got it done.  It was truly a memorable and magical day.

We had tons of help the 2 weeks before the wedding!  Given the fact that Dave, who is the primary wedding planner of this duo, was recovering in a hospital Austin, our groomsmen totally stepped in for last minute help.  The guys coordinated getting all of our decor elements to the farm, bottling our signature cocktails, staying in close contact with our wedding planner to pull together tons of details. My sister, Leanne, was a trooper and took charge over the bridesmaids and other willing friends to make sure other small details did not get missed.  I can’t say enough wonderful things about our wedding planner, Hope.  Without her, this wedding would not have been nearly the special event that it was.  In general, so many of our friends and family pulled together to make the best of a tough situation and it could not have been more perfect.

Being in our mid 30′s and going to lots of weddings, we had a lot inspiration to work off of.  For instance after seeing how many bride and grooms missed the majority of cocktail hour because of pictures we decided to make ours a full 2 hours long.  Another thing we noticed was right after the ceremony the bar would just get crushed.  To get that initial drink served quickly, the couple’s friends got together one night and pre-bottled Aperol Spritzers, the signature cocktail.  We also love food, so it was really important to us that folks were well fed – Big Bang Catering did a bang up job.  For dessert we skipped the cake cutting ceremony and the cake all together, opting for homemade pies from Spruce Confections.  What better to go with pie than ice cream – so during dessert we brought in Coaches Scoop, an ice cream truck.  This was a huge hit with young and old alike.  Deciding on music was a little tough at first.  For the ceremony, cocktail hour, and dinner we had Kort Macomber, a talented local Bluegrass musician. That was easy as he had played in two of the groomsman’s weddings and was amazing.  Figuring out who to dance to was a little tricky – we waffled between iPod and band, until it dawned on us – 80′s!!  Everyone will dance to rocking 80′s music and it just so happens we knew of Boulder’s premier 80′s group – The Goonies.  Finally, Boulder County shuts you down at 10 pm – way too early.  We wanted to keep the party moving and cohesive, so the buses brought everyone to Bacaro for an afterparty until the wee hours.

Couple’s Favorite Moments:

Bride: “There were so many moments!  The whole weekend was magical, celebrating life & love with our family & friends, but my two favorite moments were the sacred alone time Dave & I spent together in the back garden taking it all in (we had been apart for 2 weeks prior so it was so nice to have those few moments to ourselves to reflect on everything).  AND our first dance–we weren’t sure if Dave would be able to be out of his wheel chair for that long.  But he was and it was perfect! I still get chills every time I think about it…and hear the song “Faithfully” by Journey.”

Groom: “We had several unforgettable moments at the wedding.   Seeing each other for the first time, taking a moment to ourselves in the flower garden during dinner, and the first dance.  My right leg wasn’t allowed to bear any weight whatsoever and my right shoulder was effectively immobilized.  Still, we managed to prop me up to dance/sway on one leg for a very emotional and memorable first dance, The Goonies rendition of “Faithfully”

Vendor Love

Venue: The Lyons Farmette | Wedding Dress: Romona Keveza | Dress Store: Felice Bridal | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Hair Stylist: Twig Salon | Bridesmaid Dresses: JCrew | Groom’s Suit: JCrew  | Florist: Brighter Day Floral Design | Caterer: Big Bang Catering | Bakery: Granny Scott’s Pie Bakery | Band: The Goonies Band,Kort McComber Duo {Ceremony/Cocktail} | Event Planner: The Wedding Studio | Photographer: Ashley Davis Photography