Purple, Purple and more Purple

Since purple is my favorite color, it comes as a surprise to me that I have yet to make a purple inspiration board! (Seriously, what is wrong with me?!) So, here it is. A beautiful, bright, cheery, drool-worthy purple-inspired wedding. Because there are so many different shades of purple out there, it was hard for me to focus on just a couple shades. But, I feel like most brides opt for a deep, dark, plum-ish purple for their wedding (myself, included). So, here I am to show you that bright purple can be pretty too! And elegant. And completely appropriate for a classy wedding. I'm seriously re-considering the shade of purple at my own wedding now. Dang me! I am my own worst enemy :)

How about you? Is purple of any shade making an appearance at your wedding?

Photo Credits:
Center: bouquet
First row: flowers, dessert, bride
Second row: dress, straws
Third row: table setting
Fourth row: shoes, napkin, cupcakes, shoe

DIY Rosette Cake

I love this DIY idea from The Wedding Chicks. It makes decorating your own wedding cake looks super easy. For brides on a budget who are considering making their own cake (or having a friend or family member do it), this is the perfect project. It's super simple, and when you're done, it looks so chic and beautiful! Nobody would know that you didn't pay top dollar for it.

The beautiful rosettes that are used for decoration can be put on any cake. Make a short round cake, a square cake, a tiered cake, or tiny French cakes, like the ones pictured. Then make some of these beautiful rosettes, adorn it with a bold ribbon, and you've got a professional-looking cake that's easy to make and easy on the wallet.



1. Scissors
2. Card stock (a variety of shades is nice)
3. A Pencil
4. Ribbon (for added décor)

1. Lightly trace a spiral pattern on a 5″x5″ piece of card stock
2. Cut out the spiral along its lines

3. Simply roll the spiral from the outside until it forms a rosette and pull away the edges to make the rosette “bloom”
4. Cut out leaves for the rosette using green card stock
5. Place the rosette on the top of your cake, or around the edges.
6. Cut a piece of ribbon to go around the base, and glue it in place using non-toxic adhesive.

Enjoy!!

Again a special thanks to our North Carolina Photographers, Hilton Pittman Photography for this crafty DIY!

Pale Yellow and Green

Yellow and green are two colors that could be an eye-sore together. They are both so intense and bold that I wouldn't normally think about pairing them unless you want a citrus-overload! But, if you love these two colors and can't imagine not having them for your wedding, here's a great way to do it. Pale shades of the two are absolutely gorgeous together! They complement each other instead of trying to compete with one another, and the effect is so nice. It's soft and sweet, but fun and energetic at the same time. I, for one think this is such a fresh look that hasn't been overdone, which makes me love it even more!

Center: bouquet
First row: table decoration, banner, pennant, hair flower
Second row: cake, girls
Third row: bridesmaids
Fourth row: flowers, centerpieces, table, glasses

Vineyard-inspired Wedding

I'm going to let you in on a little secret: you don't have to have your wedding at a vineyard to have a wine-inspired wedding. No really, you don't! (Notice that I didn't include one picture that shows an actual vineyard!) All you've got to have are details and decorations that scream "You're at a fancy vineyard in Napa Valley!" and you'll start to think you really are.

A wine-themed wedding can be so elegant. It could be especially fun if you're from somewhere that doesn't have very many vineyards. It will be like a mini getaway for you and your guests. The trick is to make your friends and family feel like they're at a vineyard. Think: corks, grapes, lots of wine, cheese, bread, wine barrels/crates and of course, a color palette to match. When I think of wine, I imagine dark purples, plums, reds, pinks. Stick to some of these things and you'll be able to pull off a fun, chic, sophisticated vineyard wedding, without the vineyard!

Photo Credits:

Center: table
First row: suit, wine, bride
Second row: wine box
Third row: cheese, purple centerpiece
Fourth row: couple with grapes, vine centerpiece, corks, bouquet

Mini-sized appetizers

Appetizers can be great for a wedding, especially if you're planning on giving your guests a cocktail hour between the ceremony and the reception. Plus, everybody loves food that comes in tiny, bite-sized portions. I mean, c'mon, they're just plain fun to eat! But what's even better than small portions, are food that are actually mini-sized. Typically, you take a food that is normal-sized, and shrink it down so that people can eat it in one bite. Mini foods are cute. And they're smart. They'll keep your guests occupied while you're gone. Just don't be surprised if you walk in and find them all pretending to be giants.

Photos courtesy of Style me Pretty, Bridal Bar, Examiner, and The Bride Suite.

From left to right: 1.Mini potato skins  2.Mini ice cream cones  3.Mini corn dogs  4.Mini pies  5.Mini hamburgers  6. Mini pancakes  7.Mini doughnuts  8.Mini pop-tarts  9.Mini grilled cheese/tomato soup  10.Mini champagne bottles  11.Mini cheesecakes  12.Mini caramel apples  13.Mini milkshakes.

Red Hot!

Red. It's the color of love. The color of passion. The color of romance. So, why not incorporate it into your wedding? It certainly represents the burning love you and your fiance have for one another. If, however, you're kind of scared of the intensity of red, try pairing it with white. The color white is so simple and pure, that it kind of offsets the boldness of the red, making for a very soft, romantic color palette. See, you CAN do red and still be soft and pretty.

Photos courtesy of Style Me Pretty

Photo credits

Center: cake
First row: Toms, place cards, couple, vase
Second row: straws
Third row: bouquet, centerpiece
Fourth row: napkin, shoes, decoration, dessert

DIY: Rainbow Cake

This rainbow cake, found on One Charming Party, is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I think I am drooling. They were genius for thinking this sucker up! Be sure to check out the original post in the link above.  Eight bold, differently colored layers are stacked on top of one another to form an awesome mega-cake of epic proportions. I love that it's hidden underneath a layer of plain white frosting so that when you cut into this sucker, all the glory underneath is revealed. I think you should try and make one yourself...I'm sure going to!

 

1. Divide your cake batter into 8 different bowls. Color each bowl of batter a different color. Our colors are: red, pink, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, and purple. Bake each layer in an 8″ or 9″ round pan. You will take turns using the pan over and over with different colors. Unless you have 8 round pans. Make sure to grease and flour your pan or put a round of parchment in the bottom to prevent sticking. Let each cake cool slightly before removing. Turn out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
2. Once the cakes have cooled completely, freeze each layer individually wrapped in plastic. This will make it easier to assemble and frost the cake.
3. Once the cakes are frozen you can start layering your cake in a rainbow pattern, putting frosting in between each layer.
4. Frost the outside of the cake as well.





Photos by Nicole Hill Gerulat. Cake inspired by Kaitlin Flannery’s rainbow cake. This cake created by Dusti Ondryas.