Dainty Details - Cake Topper Love

I'm sure you all thought I was taking a holiday today! Well, it seems Blogger and I got into a little tiff and blogger did not want to behave. So, no, I wasn't really on holiday today, just a smidge late. And so this post will be short and sweet - simply love this photo - made me smile a huge grin the first time I saw it!


Found over on Perfect Bound, Johanna McShan on Hanna Mac Photography snapped this lovely shot of the bride and groom and their pup - and how fantastic is the cake topper to match the family of three! Love!!

Enjoy the rest of the holiday! Happy President's Day!
xoxo
Trisha

Dainty Details - Happy Valentine's Day!

Hi Friends! I just know the blogosphere is going to be plastered with my favorite shape today - the heart. So instead of doing the obvious and searching out all things heart-y, I am embracing all things red instead. I found this image over on Snippet & Ink and fell in love with this wedding.



I think one of my favorite things in this photo is the pearl bracelet (necklace?) wrapped around the bride's wrist. And those shoes! Sigh. Love! Here are a few more of this wedding shot by Elisabeth Millay...

Happy Valentine's Day lovies! Hope you have a wonderful hug and kiss filled day!

xoxo

Trisha

Photo source: Elisabeth Millay via Snippet & Ink

Dainty Details - From Personal to Practical - The Wedding Emergency Kit

My dear cousin Courtney is planning her wedding right now and as I will be a guest and not a wedding planner on her big day, I vowed to help her out in the advice and preparedness departments. She is an avid wedding-blog-reader and has gotten countless ideas and creative inspiration from blogs (100 Layer Cake and Snippet & Ink are her favorite…other than Adore of course!), but has expressed to me a lack of “insider tips” for the bride who truly is DIAH (Doing It All Herself). I want to occasionally post to fill that deficit a little, with some added charm, of course! I’m confident that by sharing a few wedding planner tips and advice based on experience isn’t the same thing as a magician sharing his secrets—there are things you can do as a bride (or groom!) to be more prepared and confident on your wedding day. That being said…I still firmly believe that hiring a wedding planner is the best way to go!

So, today I will share some wedding planner tips about the ever-important Emergency Kit. All brides need one. Sometimes the venue provides one; I’ve seen them in church getting-ready rooms. If you are going to hire a wedding planner, definitely make sure that they will be bringing a very thorough kit. And…if you are a bride or groom putting the kit together yourself, great! Just pass it off to a trusted friend or member of the bridal party on the wedding day. It can be stored in a coat closet, under a table, or even in the bathroom if you have a private bathroom for your event. Remember, this isn’t just for the bride. A well-stocked emergency kit can be called upon for bridal party wardrobe malfunctions, flower fixing, cake tweaking, paper product edits and re-dos…you name it, it might need some TLC come wedding day. A wedding planner will have a much larger kit than a bride will make herself. I’ll focus here on just what you’ll need in your own small personal kit.

First, a list of my MUST HAVES. Put these items in a separate, smaller bag in your emergency kit. These are the items I carry in a hip bag when I am the wedding planner. I use them all day long. Small pair of scissors, bobby pins, safety pins (several sizes) and straight pins, double-sided tape, and oil-absorbing sheets (they are in the face-wash aisle and they are awesome). One new fabulous tool in my Must Haves is the helix bobby pin from Goody. For the messy bun, which always needs fixing and re-messing as the reception goes on, this fancy hair-thing is the best!

Here are my BASICS. Extra paper and pens (for escort cards, buffet labels, favor tags, placement cards, table numbers…whatever you used paper for, include some extras), green flower tape (Michael's carries it), a lighter, a small sewing kit, extra ribbon if you used any in the décor anywhere, a brush, a couple extra hairbands, a lint-roller, toothpicks, a small mirror, a Clorox bleach pen and the basic toiletries: hairspray, deodorant, Advil, antacids, gum or mouthwash, hair powder (I love Shampowder and I use it and share it all the time at weddings: Buttercream Cosmetics), band-aids, chap-stick, and your makeup for re-touches.

Add in some feminine products if necessary, and a flask of whiskey (Just kidding. Kind of.) And Abracadabra! You have yourself a boy-scout-worthy emergency kit for your wedding day! And you did so much work on it…why not pass it off to a bridesmaid or friend that is getting married next? This is a great gift idea for couples, especially from a maid-of-honor or best man. Nothing says, “I’ve got your back!” like a hand-crafted emergency kit!

Happy Planning!

Christy

PS. I am personally obsessed with Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers. I have been for over a decade now. It’s a great addition to the kit because it is a chap-stick with a great red-ish tint to it and it is small and cheap. Love it! DP Obsessed.

Dainty Details - Perfect Endings

It's no secret that I have been in love with yellow for some time now. I was doing some research for a client this weekend, building color palettes and inspirations boards, and ran across this gorgeous cake. Loving the architectural lines, the art deco feel and the colors! The infamous Perfect Endings in Napa created this beautiful cake.


Of course, the oh-so talented Anna Kuperberg captured it's beauty, so how could you not fall in love with it for that reason alone? I can totally see the details of this wedding unfolding before me...great pops of yellow detail within the black and white...simply gorgeous.

xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: Anna Kuperberg

Dainty Details - A Snow Day 1st Birthday Party!

Happy Monday! It rained all weekend long, and I loved every minute of not feeling guilty and lounging around the house. I finally downloaded Em's 1st birthday party off my camera and made a little snow day inspiration board to share!


I had so much fun with this theme - we had a snowman that met you at the front door, painted snow resting on our window panes (let me tell you how fun spray snow is! I hit every window in the house and am a professional snow sprayer), mini snow flakes greeted you every which way, from the bathroom mirror to along the hall and falling from the chandelier.

The color palette we worked with was silver, navy blue, light blue and white. Favors for the little ones were light blue mittens wrapped in snowy paper and tied with snowman name tags. Older kids received snowman "take-out" boxes that had fun striped finger-less gloves hidden inside.

The cupcakes were by Glass Slipper Gourmet and were to die for. I personally ate 5, and no they weren't the small cupcakes. One of my clients hired them for their wedding and for me it was love at first bite. I was so excited Kelly was able to make these little cupcakes for Em's big day. Em is allergic to dairy so Kelly was amazing and made her a special angel food cake with non dairy frosting so she could partake in the fun.

The birthday girl rocked a sweet little navy sweater with embroidered snowflakes from Janie and Jack and the little snowflake hair clip was made by the mom of her BFF Callie Jo.

Have a fabulous week!
xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: Trisha Dean

Dainty Details - And the Award Goes To...

The mini calla lily! I am in love with this flower. When I was looking for flowers for my own bridal bouquet, I stumbled upon bunches of these at my Trader Joe's. It was love at first sight. They are extremely easy to work with and since I was making my own bouquet…the simpler, the better. With their long, slender stems, lack of thorns and leaves, colorful blooms and ombré-like quality…I knew I had found “the one”.

I love how architectural mini calla lilies are. They are the perfect combination of feminine and pretty, without being too frou-frou (yep, that’s an adjective in my world). This makes them great for bouquets because they stand straight, don’t have much of a fragrant quality, and you don’t have to worry about any pollen or stamen staining your dress (it’s pretty tucked in there). Plus, they are sturdy. Petals tend not to shed, and they don't easily wilt.

Here are some facts: Mini calla lilies come in white, lavender, purple, pink, red, peach, orange, yellow, green and can even be dyed. They are available year-round, don’t cost an arm and a leg, and last for about 4-8 days.

They even work for an elegant yet masculine boutonniere! The first photo is my Maid of Honor with flowers I purchased at Trader Joe's, the other photos are from a wedding I designed and planned in October of 2010. The bride wanted a very natural, lush and organic feel for her plum colored florals. I LOVE the effect of the berries and branches and I think the mini callas are simply stunning!

xoxo

Christy

Photo sources: Photo by Shaughn Crawford, Florals by Christy, Photo by Nicole Goddard with flowers by Anne Mendenhall, Photo by Trisha Dean flowers by Anne Mendenhall

Wedding Style - Mix and Match

And...it's Monday again! Amazing how fast it goes. It was gorgeous here this weekend. All sun-shiny and warm. LOVED IT!

Wanted to share this fun thing that brides and bridesmaids have been doing for a while now, but saw this photo and LOVED it. The mixing and matching of dresses, styles and colors. I think we will see more and more of this in 2011. Loving the greens, seriously.

And this photo is from Heather P. Moore Photography, the gal we were raving about on Friday with those photos of the fab flowers from The Little Branch.

Ok, off you go! Have a good Monday, see you Wednesday with Christy's post!

xoxo

Trisha

Dainty Details - Wedding Winter Wonderland

I'm in winter wedding mode. I'm torn between loving an all white wedding or a winter wedding with fun pops of color such as bright teals and yellows. Dreaming of soft faux fur shrugs and wedding snow boots (is there such a thing you ask? Of course!!) I've also really been into the perfect table setting using multiple textures and colors. Check out this nifty teal winter wedding shot from the talented Jessica Claire and Carissa of JL Designs...


And then I couldn't resist showing you these great ideas and images I found over on Once Wed...



And then speaking of winter wedding boots, I had to share this image from Thayer Allyson Gowdy found over on Martha Stewart Weddings - I also blogged about the entire wedding over on Bay Area Bride Guide today - you should check it out! But first peek at these warm boots and this sassy lil' shrug...
And the image over on the right - yup those are the guest favors - flasks for him and snug boots for her! Wish I had been invited!

Stay warm by the fireplace friends, I am excited to say that my little fam will be headed to Carmel for a few days this week at the stunning Bernardus for some pre-holiday R&R.
xoxo
Trisha

Sweet Treats & Dainty Details - Black and White Wedding Cake

Hello all! I rambled on and on in a recent post about my almost black and white wedding dress. Well, I have now found the perfect cake for the wedding theme that almost was! How gorgeous is this?! The lace detail is amazing! I think later this week I will be building an inspiration board around this baby! I can't wait! Keep your eyes open! ;)


Photo source: Real Simple.com

Dainty Details - Ice Blue Inspiration Board

Winter is here! A chill is in the air, twinkle lights are going up around the neighborhood and the holidays are getting closer. The season introduces a whole new element of detail to a winter themed wedding. So many fun colors to play with - dark rich reds, pine colored greens, and what about cool ice blue? Adding a sweet sophistication to baby blue is a fern green color. Boxwood wreaths, blue foil wrapped chocolate hearts, dainty swirls that mimic a snowy gust - I am loving this cool icy blue inspiration board that I pulled together!
Photo sources: Clockwise from top left: Missy Photography via The Wedding Chicks, Cake found via WeddingPaperDivas.com, Bella Pop Photogrpahy, Bella Figura, Wedding Favors with Luv, Martha Stewart Weddings, Country Living.com

Dainty Details - Design your own wedding shoes!

Monday Monday...still recovering from the worst cold ever and getting better every day! Now, my poor husband has it! I can finally almost talk today! Whoo hoo!

I wanted to share this nifty site that my momma showed me...Milk and Honey Shoes where you can simply design the perfect shoe! Think of the possibilities! Every bridesmaid could have a similar shoe in color and material but just in a different style! High heels, low heels, sparkles, straps, really it is whatever you dream the perfect shoe to be!

Two sisters, who adore shoes, came up with this amazing concept so if you have yet to find that dream shoe for your big event, start designing. They also have a lovely selection of ready to wear shoes that are simply fab.

Here are the sweet little pair that I designed for me. I am looking for the perfect gray suede T-strap and then I just couldn't help myself and had to add a little glitter to the toe. LOVE!

Head on over, check them out and just for fun whip up a shoe or two!

Happy almost Shoesday!

xoxo

Trisha

Wedding Decor - Dainty Details - Mini Wedding Cakes and Lacy Birds

Over on the fabulous blog of the lovely Amy Atlas, she featured an amazing pick up truck dessert bar. I loved the whole idea, but my little eye spied these ADORABLE mini wedding cakes on sticks. How super sweet are they?! I personally think they are really homemade marshmallows with a bit of icing but you never know with these crazy desserts - they really could be mini cakes that some baker perfected some how! I think this idea is simply fantastic and know it can be used a million ways as a decoration detail.

My other fun find was over on Shop Friend.com. These lacy bird cut outs are just the bestest. I can see them perched on the top of a wedding cake, or even hidden among flowers as centerpieces, maybe even somehow highlighting table numbers. Really, the possibilities are endless with these cuties.

Happy Monday!

xoxo

Trisha

Photo sources: Jeanna Hayes via Amy Atlas Events and I Wanna Be via ShopFriend.blogspot.com

Pretty in Purple

Hi all! I contribute to a few blogs, one of which is the fabulous Bay Area Bride Guide every Tuesday. And this last Tuesday I created a gorgeous purple inspiration board that I wanted to share with you - so here is my post from BABG!

.....

I have been loving all of the purple wedding details I have been seeing lately in the wedding world, so I thought I would pull together a pretty little inspiration board for you. The one image that inspired it all was the top left photo of the bride with the stunning bouquet. How amazing is that photo?! The bouquet is from the incredibly talented Natalie Bowen of Natalie Bowen Designs and the image is by the fabulous Joel Flory of Flory Photo. Taking that one image as my lead, I then went searching for images with a romantic yet modern and clean vibe in purple and and lavender hues. Enjoy!

xoxo

Trisha

Photo source clockwise from top left: 1) Flory Photo via Natalie Bowen Designs, 2) Photographer unknown via www.Idoinspiration.blogspot.com 3) East Six Invitation via Style Me Pretty, 4) Susan Stripling via Green Wedding Shoes, 5) Natalie Norton Photography via Green Wedding Shoes, 6) Photographer unknown via www.ComfortandLuxury.Blogspot.com

Dainty Details - Wedding Accessories - Pearl Necklaces

I am loving multi-strand pearl necklaces on brides lately. Especially ones that have a huge stunning sparkly brooch on one side. The chunkier and bolder the necklace is, the more I am loving it. To me, the necklace you wear on your wedding day is a huge personal statement. Sometimes it is a family heirloom, sometimes it is a gift from your husband to be, but it is always a personal reflection of you. How great are some of these below? This bride in the first photo actually made her necklace. Loving the different sizes and colors of the pearls.

Here are some pretty ones I found out and about.

The changing lengths, the ribbons, and the different sizes of pearls on the same strand are all so darn pretty I'm not sure which is my fav! How cool is this last one - so unique! It feels very elegant and Audrey Hepburn-esque to me!

xoxo

Trisha

Photo sources: Style Me Pretty, Etsy: Treasures 570, Bella Lu and Me, Ribbons Galore, Jurgita's handmade, and Dutch Pearls

Dainty Details - Flip-Flop Fun - Beach Wedding

As the leaves start to change color and summer drifts into fall, I sit here feeling a bit sad that we only got a handful of the super hot days I am used to out here in the East Bay. So I thought I would cling on to summer as long as I could and post another fun find about a sweet sandy detail for beach weddings.

I don't know about you, but when I see a wet sandy shore, where the ocean has just washed up on it, I want to run to it and immediately carve my initials in it as big as possible, and of course surrounded them by a fat heart.

This idea I am about to share is borrowed from an adorable couple who recently got married at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. These two provided all of their guests sandals (or as I prefer to call them flip-flops) to wear to the ceremony. Each pair had the bride's initial on one side and the groom's initial on the other so as guests walked across the sand, the newlyweds were commemorated in style wherever they went. How cool is that?!


Other fun flip-flops I have seen also write Just Married in the sand, but I personally think the initials are super darn cute.

Happy Wednesday!
xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: The Image is Found Photography via WeddingBeePRO

The Perfect Chocolate Brown - Wedding Dress Sash Love

What happened to Sunday Funday?! I had a blah Sunday. Don't fault me for not trying, oh I did. I made an effort to clean, and when that didn't work, I then went to relax in the sun, and then when THAT didn't work, I gave up and went shopping. And still found nothing. I am searching for that perfect black dress that we all long for - the one you can dress up and down and wear on any occasion and feel amazing.

So of course, now you are scrolling down to see which stunning little black dress I am coveting that I found over the net. Well, I haven't seen a thing! So friends, if you have any good leads for me, PUH-LEASE send them my way.

Instead, to try and put some happiness back in my day, I hit up some of my favorite blogs...

For those of you who have been following for a while you know how madly in love I am with Sarah Yates and her photos. In the attempt to turn my day around, I found her lovely post (and then even more over on 100 Layer Cake) and something about this bride's dress just struck a cord with me.

The brown sash did it - the color - the perfect rich chocolate - just made my day.

Love the naked wood tables and simple runner, the white peaches, golden nectarines, and the pretty pastels of the floral decor. So gorgeous!

I'm hoping when you read this on Monday that your day is going fantastic and the little brown sash makes you smile too!

xoxo

Trisha

Dainty Details - Hawaiian Wedding - Floral Chandelier

It's our last day here! I wanted to share one final piece of stunning decor before we hop on the plane home.





How stunning is this setting!?! This was created for a couple that chose to elope in Hawaii and thier was their sweetheart table for dinner after the ceremony. The flowers and decor were by th iamazing Flower Girls in Hawaii.

Hope you all have a great week and I will chat with you on Wednesday when I am back on the mainland! :)
xoxo
Trisha

Photo source: Chrissy Lambert Photography

Dainty Details - Hawaiian Wedding - The Sand Ceremony

Good morning all! It's another beautiful Hawaiian sunrise from our little lanai this morning. If you know me, I am actually not one to love the sunrises, I typically enjoy the sunsets. However, trying to explain that to an almost 8 month old on a 3 hour time change does not work out well. So, I have taken to enjoying the sunrise and lots and lots and lots of coffee.

I wanted to share another tropical wedding. Again, Events by Evonne, does an amazing job creating a picture perfect setting for this adorable couple. I am loving the sand ceremony the two of them are performing in the first photo. Such a sweet way to create a reminder of the blending of two families from the wedding day. I have had a few brides add this into their ceremony, and they all have a special place in their homes for their pretty vases of mixed sand. Also, sand isn't the only option, I have seen it done with water, dirt when planting a tree, and one of my favorites, wine!

You can check out the rest of the gorgeous photos here over on Style Me Pretty.

Are there any other things you have heard that brides and grooms use to recognize the significance of blending two families? Do share!

Enjoy the rest of your day and chat with you Friday!

xoxo

Trisha

Photo source: Unknown

Aloha! Tropical Wedding Details

Okay! Hubby's laptop to the rescue! I'm sure most of you are wondering what we are doing with so many tech connections to the real world while on vacation but truth is - heaven to me is lying on a beach, drink in hand, surfing the net and looking all of my favorite blogs, hence the need for the tech gear and the hi-speed connection.

In honor of our trip, I wanted to do a quick post today about a sweet shoot that Nancy Liu Chin, Events by Evonne and many more fab vendors did in Maui. It was posted on Green Wedding Shoes a while back, and you can click here to see more beautiful photos from this shoot.



Loving the bright colors and the amazing details.
Enjoy and Aloha!
xoxo
Trisha

All in the Details + Jasmine Star Photography

I love details. They are such fun little surprises and in my mind are truly the glue that brings an event together. I also looooove Jasmine Star. Reading her blog is like sitting with your best girlfriend at your favorite coffee shop and just talking and laughing for hours. I feel like I have known her for years, she just gets me, and when we hang out - we have such a great time...even though she's never met me. Don't worry Jasmine, I promise I will meet you one day, (said in a loving friendship way, not a creepy stalker way) and maybe if I am lucky enough, we will do a fabulous wedding together!

Recently on Jasmine's blog she posted about a wedding she shot at Ponte Winery with the lovely Bree and Zack. The first thing I noticed were all of the sweet details, here are two of my favorites...

How cool is it that they actually took a class to learn how to letterpress! I am loving that Bree thought to highlight and remember her Something Blue and other gorgeous jewelry in a photo. Such a fun twist on capturing the details.

I am also loving how real this couple is and how incredibly fun their wedding looked. Jasmine Star and JD did an amazing job capturing who these two are as a couple, as individuals, and how much they truly love each other. Maybe it's my post about The Notebook engagement shoot on Bay Area Bride Guide yesterday, but I am way mushy today!

What details including on your big day and how are you capturing them?