May Wedding Inspiration

Yeah...I kind of dropped the ball on my monthly wedding inspiration post for May. Because now May is more than half over. Oops. What can I say? It's been a busy, busy, busy month.

Here in New England, May is the first time when, after months of continual, gray overcast, we finally get back our big blue sky. The threat for snow is (mostly) gone, the temperatures start trending up, and the trees erupt in a green display of joy. So appropriately, I've picked a sky-blue palette for the lovely month of May.

The wonderful thing about blue is that it comes in limitless shades, and sky blue can be made fresh and instantly modern by pairing it with royal or navy and crisp white. Or, as in my inspiration board, you can take this color the sweet and rustic route by pairing it with earthier tones, corals and green.

1. Love the ruffles in this travel-inspired shoot via wedding chicks.
2. Beautiful coral, blue and green bouquet via revel. 
3. Petit blue macaroons as the perfect wedding favor, via Gourmet Baking.
4. Sky blue paper straws add a touch of whimsy to your signature cocktails, from the tomkat studio.
5. Blue cake and bunting garland via Junebug Weddings.
6. Honour Bandeau Dress from coast is flattering on every maid.
7. Barn-inspired photo shoot from Style Me Pretty.

See the rest of my blue inspired wedding pins on our Pinterest board.

DIY Wedding Wednesday: Nautical Knot Bridesmaid Bracelets

Recently, my dear friend Tanya and her husband from Dans Le Townhouse stayed with Mike and I for a few days. The visit was WAY too short, so we're already cooking up our next get together. While they were here, we whipped up a sweet little DIY project for you guys: Nautical Knot bracelets! These adorable bracelets would be the perfect gift for your bridal party if you're having a sea-themed fete, right?

SUPPLIES:
- Cord (two strands approximately 22" long each)
- Two 1" gold ribbon crimp ends (they also come in silver)
- Lobster clasp with tag connector and two jump rings
- Needle nose pliers
- Gel Epoxy (E-6000 glue works too)
- Toothpick & scrap cardboard (to mix the epoxy)
- Scissors
- Tape

Before you get started, open up the crimp ends a bit using your needle nose pliers.

STEP ONE: CUT
Cut your cording into two lengths, 22" each. Tip: wrap tape around the spot to be cut, and cut through the tape so your cording doesn't fray.

STEP TWO: START LOOPING
Fold one length of cord in half. Lay it down so it forms a loop. The 22" cording results in a 6" long bracelet (including the clasp). Use more cord if you have thicker cord or want a longer bracelet. (The pliers are to hold the cord down while I snapped a photo).

Sneak your second length of cord (also folded in half), under the loop.

Loop the bottom cord over and then under the tails of the loop you made. Then wrap it over one half of the loop, then under itself and then over the second half of the loop. It's tricky to explain this, photos explain it better.

Gently pull the knot tight, fiddling with it a bit so it lies flat and is even. Be sure to pull on each side evenly so your knot ends up in the middle, rather than one of the ends.

STEP THREE: TRIM
Measure how long you would like your bracelet (don't forget the clasp adds length). Place tape all the way around the four strands where you want to cut them. Using sharp scissors, cut all four ends after the tape so the tape holds the cord together.

STEP FOUR: EPOXY
The cord unravels quickly, so we immediately added epoxy to the ends. We glued the ends and only a millimeter between each cord to hold them together invisibly. The two-part epoxy was mixed with a toothpick and we used the toothpick to spread on the glue and coax a little between the cords. (I say "we" but I really mean "Tanya's hubby did all the work for me.")

STEP FIVE: STUFF
Place the cord into the opened ribbon crimp and use a toothpick to push it all in. It will try to escape, but the epoxy (which is still pliable) will help hold it together.

STEP SIX: CRIMP
Close the crimp with needle nosed pliers and let dry 24 hours.

STEP SEVEN: ADD FINDINGS
Add a clasp using two small jump rings. Our clasps were provided by the Etsy shop, Antiqued and for someone that buys a lot of jewelery findings, I really loved these because they were great quality and came with both parts (whereas my local shop only sells the lobster clasps and not the ends). Take a peek at the Antiqued shop - it's stocked with great findings and supplies and the seller was wonderful to work with.

If you'd like to make the bracelet adjustable, you can also add some chain which will make it easy to size for any wrist. Otherwise, you're done!

Besides the navy, I also made a gray, white and gold-ish version:

I just love how these knots perfectly mirror my Nautical Knot wedding invitations, and how simple and easy they are to make. And boy, are they cheap. I think the cost breaks down to around $1-2 per bracelet and the supplies can be found in almost any craft shop. A cute idea to add something fun and make each one special for your girls is to attach little initial charms to each bracelet, so each bridesmaid knows which one is hers.

And you can also completely change the look just by switching up the cording. Tanya made some gorgeous bracelets out of colorful silk cord, so definitely go and check hers out on her blog! (Of course she has WAY better photos than I do as well - still trying to figure out how to work my fancy-pants camera.)

What do you guys think? Will you give it a go? These bracelets also perfectly complement any summer outfit!

In Character: An Artistic Surprise for your Guests!

So you all remember Katie's beautiful honeycomb wedding invitations (just under this post), well Katie's beautiful wedding happened this past weekend, and Mike and I were lucky enough to attend!

Katie and Dave's wedding was chock full of lovely little details from honey mixers used as escort card holders (to complement the little bitty jars of honey at each place setting), lush, beautiful floral arrangements, and a bride with bling. The light rain didn't dampen anyone's spirits, and it stopped long enough for the happy couple to get some great outdoor shots (they even stopped traffic, including a firetruck!).

Besides getting to sit at a table with my beloved sorority sisters for the evening (oh, how I miss you ladies!), our favorite surprise of the night were the character artists!

Now, photobooths are all the rage - we even had one, way back when - but character portraits are something new and different. Mike and I couldn't wait to have one done:

C'est adorable, non?

There were two artists, one who did the marker sketch, and a second who colored it in. The process took under 5 minutes, and we came back later in the evening to pick up the finished, colored portrait. Ok, so it doesn't look exactly like us (since when did I get a bob cut?) but they did a really good job with Mike. Although, he was sporting 3-day stubble and not a gotee. I can imagine all that manly stubble is just impossible to sketch with Sharpie.

When they asked us what color our eyes were, I laughed and said, "Well, he's got one blue and one green!" and the colorist replied, "Yes! Heterochromia! Like David Bowie!" No one ever knows what heterochromia is, unless they have it - so it was super fun to run into someone who did! And then I was a total wet blanket (the cocktails had worn off) and had to break it to him that David Bowie's funky eye is the result of a knife fight... although the way it came out, it sounded as if Mike got into a knife fight. So now y'all know what he does on weekends (and why our renovations are taking so long - those knife fights are serious, yo).

Mike likes the drawing so much, we're going to frame it for his desk at work, ha!

What do you guys think - would you have a character artist at your wedding? Stay tuned, this Wednesday I have a fantastic DIY project for your bridesmaid gifts!

In the Studio: Katie's Honeycomb Invitations

Katie is not just any friend of mine; she's also my sorority sister. So when she got engaged, I harassed her until she said yes offered my stationery design services. Katie and David have a sweet "meant to be" theme and a yellow and navy color scheme - perfect for honeycomb and flying bees, right? I love how her suite turned out - so much so, that I had my talented friend Amie Fedora snap some shots. Enjoy!

All photos by Amie Fedora Photography, do not use without permission. Calligraphy by Dandelion Calligraphy.

Vendor We Love: Poppy Floral

Today, I'm excited to introduce you to Meghan Perlow from Poppy Floral! Meghan and I met during a recent bridal show and I positively drooled over her work. And may have stalked her table.

Meghan started Poppy Floral based on a love of design and being able to work with her hands. She also practices interior design commercially, but she treasures her time in the studio to be on her own, creating something spectacular for her brides. Meghan says, "Floral design is a crazy amount of work, and is truly a labor of love; but seeing my brides' faces light up when I deliver their bouquets makes it all worth it at the end of the day."

Meghan's business philosophy is sound: When running a business in the wedding industry you always have to remember that this is the first and only time a couple is planning such a big (and likely expensive) event. They've never planned something like this, and shouldn't be expected to know exactly what certain services will cost, how to plan them, and how to coordinate everything. Meghan likes to tell her couples that once you've booked her, they don't have to worry about anything. She makes sure all the little details of their decor are taken care of, with her philosophy being to 'surprise and delight' her clients.

Meghan graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a degree in Interior Design, and has worked for Corporate Starbucks in their Design Group, as well as the stadium design firm Populous in Kansas City, where Poppy Floral was born. After moving to Boston with her husband in 2011, Poppy Floral became an instant hit with brides, earning Best of The Knot 2013. Meghan still maintains an active role in the architectural community, acting as the Director of Interior Design at the local firm Arrowstreet.

Where you've seen her work: EA Brides, Kansas City KC Weddings, Kansas City The Knot, Best of Weddings 2013, Boston.

You can contact Meghan via her cell at 617-955-7144 or e-mail her at poppyfloral@gmail.com. More of her gorgeous work can be found on her website, www.poppyfloral.com.

Here at Wicked Bride, we strive to bring you the best and brightest in the wedding field. That means introducing kick-ass vendors for you to use as resources in your planning process. I was not compensated for this post, I simply love this vendor, and I want you to love them, too!

Real Wedding: Lucia & David at the Lars Anderson Auto Museum

I'm just swooning over these dreamlike images of Lucia & David's wedding. I love all the handmade details and sweet touches. And let's be honest, chevron is bliss - especially when used as runners on the long, family-style tables!

All photos by Evangeline Lane Photography, do not use without permission.

So what's your favorite detail? I love the old windows used as a seating chart and the beautiful banners that criss-cross the reception area!

Thank you, David & Lucia, for sharing your special day!

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Stationery: Wicked Bride / Photographer: Evangeline Lane Photography / Dress: Vera Wang White Collection for David's Bridal / Flowers: Nelly's Wildflowers / DJ: DJ RMC Productions / Jewelry: Jenna Rose Designs / Catering: Season to Taste / Venue: Larz Anderson Auto Museum

Want to submit your Real Wedding? Check out our Submissions page for details!