I am doing some styling and consulting for a local bakery that’s excited about offering Colorado brides wedding cakes. Mid-way through a conversation the other day, it came up that she makes a croquembouche. I was so excited. I’ve seen them from time to time on wedding and party blogs, but wasn’t aware of anyone in the area willing to make one.

If you’ve never heard of or seen a croquembouche, you’re in for a treat. As Wikipedia describes, it’s a French cake or dessert often served at important celebrations, including weddings. It’s essentially a cone of cream puffs that are adhered to the structure with carmel and then usually decorated with threads of spun sugar and sometimes adorned with flowers, sugared almonds or ribbons.

They’re dramatic, beautiful and French. Need I really say more?

photos :: Martha Stewart Weddings, Scarlet Poppy, and Flickriver

I’ve had these photos from Miles of Light in a “pretty things to share” file for a while now. I love them. I think they’re beautifully stark and modern, but still accessible and welcoming.

I’ve thought about how they can be transferred to wedding design and think that it would be fun to name tables with them. Each table would have the appropriate number of rocks, twigs or feathers to represent the table number. I think it would be easiest and most clear to guests if one type was used throughout–just rocks, twigs or feathers. The correlating escort cards would then be mini versions of these cards.

They’re at once casual and so Colorado and still stylish, interesting and modern.

photos from Miles of Light

Candlelight is synonymous with weddings, especially those that involve evening receptions in the early to mid-fall or winter. Many wedding venues in Colorado allow candles provided the wick and thus the flame are covered in some way. Votives are allowed but pillar candles are not.

Clear glass votives are a great touch, but glass votives that are decorated in some way are even better. Clients have included votives wrapped in lace, twine, even paper, but these little beauties are a new take on decorated votives. Although these are decorated in pastel colors, I think they’d be great in all white, a neutral palette of tan and grey, black and white, or a wild array of bright colors.

What do you think? Do you love them too?

via Once Wed

It’s true that in many ways, Abbie’s smile says it all. It was prevalent on their wedding day and embodied so much excitement, thrill and happiness.

When I first met Abbie I was struck by what a decisive bride she was. It’s not uncommon to meet wedding planning clients who know where, when, which date, and of course, to whom, they’re getting married. But Abbie had a vision of eggplant purple and lime green, of the way her cakes would be displayed and, of hitting the perfect mix between mountain and classy chic.

The perfect mix it was, here’s a glimpse into the big picture and details of the day.

Photography: Zorn Photography
Ceremony Venue: Beaver Creek Chapel, Beaver Creek, Colorado
Reception Venue: The Arabelle at Vail Square, Vail, Colorado
Floral Design: Plum Sage Flowers
Wedding Planning: Talia Events

Sometimes a smile says it all…joy, excitement, enthusiasm and love…

Whether signage is purely practical or an added touch, I might argue that it can always be pretty and fun and creative. That being said, if you’re like me and you can’t for the life of you write on a large-scale and the thought of working with wood brings back horrendous memories of shop class in high school, you should take a look at Chocolate Butterbean. Southern Belle, Joni, creates customized signs to point guests in the right direction, welcome guests, and menus of the day’s delights in a beautiful way.

Take a look and tell her I sent you!

photos: Chocolate Butterbean

The world of wedding invitations has gotten much more fun, whimsical, personal and creative over the past however many years, but untill seeing this, I haven’t seen many new takes on an RSVP card. These cards have an open-ended prompt “the favor of a creative reply is requested by date” with space for guests to express their excitement about attending your wedding. I think it’s a great way to get excited about each person’s attendance and can serve as a memento from your wedding and of each guest.

To take it a step further, wouldn’t it be fun to do a color by number or decorate your own place/escort card for each guest?

photo: The Bridal Collection

I think I join so many Americans in need of a little pick me up today after honoring the 10 year anniversay of September 11th yesterday. I think I also join so many who listened to and shared stories of “where I was when” throughout the past week, weekend and yesterday.

I was with my brother in the middle of Milan. We’d been travelling in Europe and had just over a week to go.  Although tensions soared and (let’s face it) exploded at times as we frantically tried to get in touch with our parents who had no idea where in Italy we were and made our way to Rome and eventually to family in London, I was and am grateful to have been there and shared in that experience with him.

It may be a far stretch, but in the midst of my gratitude for having had his companionship during that trip and during that time, I got to thinking about his recent wedding. It too, was a time I was grateful for him. He married an amazing woman and together they had a sweet, personal and meaningful wedding.

I was honored to simply “be a bridesmaid” and enjoy not mixing work and play. But, in true form, still had to butt my nose in and do a bit of organizing. Rather than focus on the wedding, I turned my attention to what is quickly becoming the traditional Hagen Family Dance.

At our wedding last October, my family broke out in a surprise Boot Scootin’ Boogie. They had all learned it earlier in the weekend and brought hats and bandanas for full effect. It was great fun; a performance that needed an encore!

I rounded up 3 of my younger, hipper cousins to help me come up with a new dance. Considering that Alex and Blayne’s wedding was actually in the country, a country line dance was too expected. After much searching, we found The Wobble and put it to Will Smith’s famous, or infamous, Gettin’ Jiggy With It.

My family may forever hold this against me, but in the spirit of a laugh, the kind that always feels good after tears, I have to share the practice and performance videos. I can do this, you see, because I’m not identifiable in either!

Unfortunately, they’re both locked–probably to limit me from sharing them–so you’ll need to click on these links. Enjoy! May they bring a smile to your face today…even if it’s at our expense!

Dance Practice

The Performance

Clustering a number of small vases or vessels together is a popular centerpiece idea right now. I’ve worked with clients to create clusters set upon slices of wood, napkins, table runners and in all colors, shapes and sizes. One of the things that I think is most important when considering clusters of vases or bottles is if there’s a need for something to sit underneath them to “ground” them. Sometimes it’s appropriate and, at others, more of a visual distraction.

These painted bottles provide a self-enclosed visual groundness in an uber-pretty way! What do you think, like them too?

learn how to create your own at A Subltle Revelry

No matter where you are in the planning process, there always seems to be a need to write someone and thank him or her for something. Engagment, shower and little wedding well wishes gifts all deserve a personal, hand-written thank you note.

Wedding gifts deserve them too. Although etiquette has loosened around a number of ways of corresponding with guests, thank you notes are not really an option.

For a few general rules, check out this blog entry from a couple of years ago.