A Bridal Tea Party

Today I have the sweetest bridal tea party shoot to share with you from Photography by McKenzie. I just adore this idea, and think it would make for a sweet "bride party" with a bunch of newlywed friends. Put on your wedding dresses (because who doesn't want an excuse to wear your dress again?), serve tea and cupcakes, and have a grand time celebrating being a part of the married gals club. 

I am so in love with this shoot put together by some of Utah's finest vendors... the decor, the styling and the amazing flowers by Cali Rose Floral + Event Design, the sweet cupcakes in teacups - what's not to love?!

So gorgeous! Thank you so much to Photography by McKenzie for sharing this lovely shoot. 

Vendors/Credits: Photos - Photography by McKenzie, Florist - Calie Rose Floral + Event Design, Dresses - Avenia Bridal, Makeup - Averie DelGrosso, Eyelash extensions - Extensions by Lindy, Hair - Jocelyn Brown, Tiffany Hutchings, and Maddie Larsen of Amara Day Spa & Salon 

Tuesday Shoesday

We only have a little over a week left in London - I can't believe it has gone by so fast! London is definitely feeling more like home now, and I love it so much you could say I'm 'head over heels' for it here :) That's why this cute picture by Jessica Claire from her recent Royal Wedding inspired workshop here in the UK is so perfect for today!

Photo by Jessica Claire

Inspiration Board: Poppy Picnic

A late spring/early summer picnic wedding with poppy reds and pinks, bright yellow and touches of pale grey-blue. Handmade scones and victoria sponge cake with homemade strawberry jam which is also given away as favors. Patterned papers, DIY handpainted tablecloths, and vintage touches like mismatched plates and an antique looking mirror menu all add to the pinic-chic charm.

Sources: Clockwise from top left - Orange-Poppy Seed Cupcakes with Buttercream Poppies from Martha Stewart, poppy in bottle via Style Me Pretty, mirror menu via Style Me Pretty, poppy bouquet photo by Sedona Bride via Style Me Pretty, DIY patterned envelopes from Martha Stewart Weddings, poppy tablesetting from Martha Stewart, victoria sponge cake from Domino Magazine, vintage postcard invitations by Bird and Banner via Once Wed, scones via     

Tuesday Shoesday

Some delicious rainbow antique shoe candy from the Fashion Museum in Bath, England where we went this past weekend. The museum has over 1300 pairs of shoes spanning from 1700 to today. 

Source: Bath Fashion Museum

British Roadtrip: Bath

Greetings from Bath! We're on day two of our British road trip adventure, yesterday we picked up our Spaceship camper van and drove from London to Bath, taking the senic way and stopping in Castle Combe - "the prettiest village in England". After walking around this 14th century village, I quite agree. Steven Spielberg just got done filming scenes for his upcoming movie version of 'War Horse' here.  

The village of Castle Combe

Our Spaceship van - "Rocket" 

 The Royal Crescent, Bath

 We walked around after dinner, and came across fire spinners in the park. After chatting with them and taking pictures, they insisted I join in. So here's me doing fire spinning, in a park, in the middle of Bath!

After the fire spinning, we headed to a haunted pub called Garrick's Head and met some actors who are in Bath touring with the musical 'Evita'. Meeting some of them for lunch today!

Today we are exploring more of Bath, having tea and visiting the Jane Austen Centre before heading to the Cotswalds.

We're on a British Road Trip!

Brandon and I are off this morning on a five day road trip through England and southern Scotland! We've rented a spaceship, basically a modern camper minivan, and are headed to Bath, the Cotswalds, the Lake District and Edinburgh. It will also be our first time driving on the left hand side of the road - scary! I'll be trying to post some lovely pictures from our journey as we go, and next week I'll get back to weddings.

Photo via Once Wed

Derby Days Inspiration Shoot

With the Kentucky Derby having just taking place this past weekend, and the Royal Ascot races coming up here in England next month, I had to share this beautiful equestrian Derby Days themed shoot with you! What's not to love about horse races really - big hats, fancy clothes, posh cocktails (mint juleps or Pimm's cups!), lovely flowers, fine weather and loads of tradition. This shoot styled by Bows and Arrows and photographed by Greg Blomberg captures all of this perfectly. With a dark pink, light pink and red color palette with turquoise and gold mixed in, tons of lush flowers by Bows and Arrows, gorgeous printed items by Missing Q Press with calligraphy by The Left Handed Calligrapher and a sweet horse named Royal Falcon who loved the camera. 

From Alicia of Bows and Arrows: "Whether spending a day at the races or a day at the stables, horses evoke a striking natural beauty that impacts the atmosphere, and brings back memories from childhood. We chose to set up a wedding atmosphere in the stables that was casual, rustic, intimate, heartfelt and yet over-the-top! We broke the barrier of vintage rustic chic by using super lush garden flowers, vintage letterpressed paper products, a precious assortment of cakes, fancy intricate hand calligraphy, a couture gown, and quirky luxe gold accents! Every detail was nailed!"

More about the shoot elements from Alicia of Bows and Arrows...

Dinner table scape:

Gold trophy vases packed with blooms in shades of reds and pinks included garden roses, peony, amaryllis, tulips, anemone, and jasmine. Letterpressed menus were regal with a pale pink wreath encircling a golden horse and horseshoe. Place cards were eclectic, a mix of papers paired with different inks made everyones' table setting unique.

Escort card table:
Miniature hand-made awards with the guests' name and table number scrolled in calligraphy were displayed on a bed of red carnations.

Cake table:
A decadent assortment of single tier cakes embellished with award-winning sugar ribbons, frilly butter cream flowers, and detailed trimming set upon vintage milkglass pedestals surrounding a colossal trophy packed with fresh blooms in the horse arena. A feast for the eyes, indeed.

Thanks so much for sharing this incredible shoot Alicia!

Vendors: Photography - Greg Blomberg, Flowers and Event Design - Bows and Arrows, Cakes - Sugar Bee Sweets, Printed Items - Missing Q Press, Calligraphy - The Left Handed Calligrapher, Venue - Rocking M Stables in Dallas, TX, Models - McKenzie and John

Inspiration Board: A Coastal Wedding

This morning I went to Wesminster Abbey to check out the trees and flowers from the Royal Wedding and saw Kate's lovely bouquet on the Grave of the Unknown Soldier. I'll have more on this tomorrow! Until then, hope you enjoy this inspiration board - it's one of my favorite posts from the archives!

There are beach weddings, and then there are coastal beach weddings. There's something about a blue-grey sea, rocky coast line, and misty fog that is just so romantic and makes you want to snuggle up to someone you love while watching the waves roll in by a driftwood fire. A pale palette of neutral colors with light blue mixed in acts as the perfect complement to the natural surroundings. These lovely pickling jars could act as holders for cards, well wishes or silverware and can be used after the wedding. A antique chair painted a light blue makes a stunning prop for photos and can grace your newlywed nest long after. Centerpieces of driftwood and candles would be stunning yet have a natural and understated elegance to them. Mix in bud vases filled with one or two blooms for even more interest.

Credits: 1st row, all photos by White Album Weddings via Style Me Pretty. 2nd row, picture by Annie Lebowitz in Vanity Fair. 3rd row, scenery photo by White Album Weddings via Style Me Pretty, pickling jars from Pottery Barn, cake photo by Larissa Cleveland via Style Me Pretty.

Tuesday Shoesday

While watching the Royal Wedding on Friday and looking through pictures since, in true wedding blogger form, I kept secretly hoping for a 'shoe shot'. Alas, I didn't get to see one. (I just hope Kate's photographer got one for her). But, luckily Alexander McQueen has just released a lovely pair almost identical to the custom ones they made for Duchess Catherine to wear on her big day. I am just loving these ivory satin pumps covered in lace! So romantic, yet modern.

Alexander McQueen lace-covered satin pumps, Net-a-Porter.com, $989

Happy May Day!

Here in England we've had lots of Bank holidays recently, and today we have another one in honor of May Day! There is no school for us today so we are off to head around London, but I'm having Royal Wedding withdrawals and I wanted to share these absolutely hilarious photos by photographer Alison Jackson from her funny book "Kate and Wills Up The Aisle: A Right Royal Fairy Tale". No its not really them (just some great lookalikes in cheeky poses), but perhaps this is what their past mini-moon weekend in the country looked like? :)

Photos by Alison Jackson via Harvey Nichols and Time Out