Minimalist Wedding

Minimalism is a way of life, philosophy, art, and fashion that strips everything down to its most fundamental features. We know a lot of brides who find wedding planning overwhelming, and not exactly their cup of tea. So why not get rid of the clutter and opt for a more simple, discrete style? We're not talking about renting a blank white room and adding no decor (although that's always an option!) A minimalist wedding can be modern, chic, and elegant without going over the top. Take a look!

Gold brocade, textured linen, ornate florals... are we turning you off? Announcing "Somebody's getting married!" doesn't have to be elaborate. In fact, it can be as simple as you like. Rather than covering your invite with patterns and designs, just stick to text only, like this minimalist letterpress design. It includes all the important information, and creates a very modern and clean look.

Many wedding venues come with brocade curtains, giant chandeliers, and hideously patterned carpets (Can we say visual overload?). Instead, choose a wedding venue that will provide you with a lot of wide open space. While not exactly a blank canvas, an art gallery can be a wonderful venue for a minimalist couple, as it usually involves bright white walls, smooth floors, and built in decor.  Don't add too much of your own decor (just some candles and well placed flowers) and you'll have a very modern, edgy space to work with.

Elaborate table settings can be beautiful, but they can also take up too much space! Unclutter your wedding with a simple vase of flowers, maybe few candles, and cut back on the number of cutlery and wine glasses. This will provide for an aesthetically pleasing table that is straight to the point and, did we mention, budget friendly?

Speaking of budget friendly decor, how about the place card table?  Make your place card table look sleek and modern by keeping it totally natural and simplistic.   We love this arrangement of small pebbles and plain white cards.  It may seem plain but it packs a punch as the pebbles and clean straight lines make it striking.

When we say minimalist, we don't mean dull. You can have a colorful, vibrant wedding bouquet, but still stick to the basics. Personally, we think a bouquet of just tulips or orchids creates a very fresh, modern look for a wedding that can still be upbeat and colorful. Tulips are also perfect for spring weddings, and taking out the filler flower just brings the focus on the long, elegant stems.

Okay, so maybe a "true" minimalist wedding wouldn't have wedding cake... but let's just ignore that tiny detail. A simple wedding cake can mean different things, such as less layers or less floral decor. Add subtle decor, such as colored ribbon and a simple topper to create a very chic and elegant dessert.

Choosing bridesmaids dresses can be overwhelming. Will everyone like the style you choose? Will they all fit? Will your best friends look absolutely ridiculous in the photos? One of the best ways to play it safe is to keep it simple. A very simple dress, such as the strapless satin pieces pictured above by Lynn Lugo, are wonderfully low maintenance and classy. Of course, depending on your bridesmaids you may need to go with a different cut, but the basic idea still works.

 Looking for an elegant dress with a no frills kind of look?  A cotton dress like this would be perfect for the minimalist bride with its crisp white and clean lines! Ditch the lace, beads, and taffeta and opt for something a little more suited to your style and overall tone of your wedding. This dress is casual but sophisticated and features just a tiny bit of pleating to make it interesting but not distracting.



XOXO

Jen + Saira

Color Day: J'Adore Paris

Bonjour, dolls! Let's take a little vacation from all this snow and think of springtime.  When it comes to spring, few places compare to the allure of Paris.  The romance (and the food) never fail to make us swoon. When you think French, you think sophisticated, elegant, sexy, and very cool. A Parisian inspired wedding can be very literal (stripes and berets), delicious (crepes, fondu, and steak frites), glamorous (ruffles and Chanel everything), or kitschy (mini Eiffel towers, anyone?).  Lucky for you today's board has a little bit of everything so let's explore!

Paris in the Spring Time Wedding Inspiration Board

Images from: Martha Stewart Weddings, Dessy, Bloomingdale's, deanpennandpaper, Powder Blue Bijoux, Kawaii Goodies, Signs of Vintage, The Knot, BHLDN, Green Wedding Shoes, Elizabeth Ann Designs, couturemakeup, Green Weddings California, A Subtle Revelry, Andrea Bricco, Dark Black Dress                

Au Revior!

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Halloween (Orange and Black)

Better late than never!  We apologize to our regular readers for having to wait so long for today's color post so, without further ado:



 When it comes to selecting color schemes not everyone goes for soft, coordinating colors. Some brave souls take the road less traveled and go for bold contrast. Luckily for those with a flair for fright, Halloween is all about the drama! Orange and black are the traditional colors associated with Halloween, probably due to a variety of things such as darkness, death, and the general orange-y colors of the harvest. Orange and black can be a fun pairing to really get you in the "spirit" of fall, but it can also be elegant and warm depending on the shades of orange you go with.  A vibrant orange will give you that youthful, spooktacular, kind of feel while a butternut squash or pumpkin hue will create a space that feels more cozy and sophisticated.

Black and Orange Halloween Color Inspiration Board

Images from: a variety of wonderful sources that were lost when Jen's computer crashed.  We are working to recover them and will credit accordingly.

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day Themes: The Beach

We liked last week's sunflower theme so much that we decided to do another theme for this week!  Sometime next May-August Jen's mom will be getting married.  Although they have not yet set a date one thing has been agreed upon; it will be a beach wedding!  With some creative thinking and mother nature providing a serene backdrop, making a beach wedding romantic and beautiful  is a breeze.  Here is an inspiration board for all you beach bums out there.  Remember these things can translate to other areas and not just weddings.  These ideas are also great for summer dinner parties and shore house decorating! Keeping it light and neutral and introducing cool, subtle colors like those of sea glass or salt water taffy is key to creating a casual and cool seaside look.

Beach Theme Inspiration Board

Images from: PaintingsbyShanon,RememberSomethingBlue, MyDreamWedding, Bridella, AinaKai, PrimaDonnaBride, Jena D Events , BlueFlairPhotoBlog, White Sands Weddings, BridalHoodBlog, Martha Stewart Weddings, AgnesLopezPhotography, Bridal Party Tees, I Do Inspiration

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Color Day Themes: Sunflowers!

We're doing color Wednesday a little different today.  When thinking of what colors to do this week, we decided it might be fun to try a motif or theme instead.  Many people to choose to theme their decor according to different seasons, areas around the globe, patterns, etc.  Today's Inspiration Board is based on a summer staple, the Sunflower!  Sunflowers always seem to have the power to liven things up and energize a space. There is a strange bit of happiness you feel when looking out at a sunflower field and you can't help but smile when you see their bright and cheery faces awaken to the morning sun.

Sunflower Wedding Inspiration Board

Images from: Things Festive, Hawaiian Island Wedding Planners,  LIWeddings, It's a Jaime Thing, Forever, Brooklyn Bride, I Do...Inspiration, Snippet & Ink, Inthenoweddings, Wedding Paper Divas, AllieRuth, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, JCrew, Country Living

It's a sunshine day!      

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Nautical Navy and Yellow

Ahoy, sailor! While we already gave you a little taste of a nautical theme with our wardrobe post we haven't yet featured it as a color inspiration.  Today we feature two colors that are very prominent in the sailing world!  Often when you think nautical you think blue and white, but what you'll also notice is a lot of times these colors will be accented with a rich gold. Blue and yellow (gold/mustard/whatever you want to call it) are the perfect colors for your nautical themed project as one color anchors your palette as a neutral, while the other is your fun color that you can add in small doses to liven things up.

Images from: WeddingWire, Nonpareil Magazine, StyleMePretty, PrettyChicky, ThePartyDress, CakeCentral, CourageandCowards, ClassicKicks, EveryLastDetail, WeddingRumors, Crate and Barrel , Anthropologie

     XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Fuchsia and Grey

As summer draws nearer, we can't help but gear ourselves towards bright and fun colors like today's inspiration, fuchsia (aka magenta)! This is a reddish purple hue, named after the flower of the same color, looks funky and energizing when paired with orange, yellow, or green, yet chic, modern, and even a little vintage when combined with bright white or cool grey. We prefer this shade as an accent and not as a main color because all fuchsia all the time can be a bit overwhelming. Instead, keep the men in your life sane and tone down the pink/purple by basing your color palette in a classic neutral, like a heather gray, and use the fuchsia to draw attention to fun and funky details like ties, flowers, shoes, etc. 

Images from: Real Simple, HotRef, WeddingObsession, Snippet & Ink, Alamode, LittleBlackBook,

Urban Outfitters, Michelle Brusegaard 

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Turquoise & Red

Different colors evoke different emotions and selecting the appropriate colors for your space or event are often difficult. There are cool tones, warm tones, & neutrals and you usually pair colors together according to their color families. It is typical for people to select like colors and play it safe... but the rare few that are daring enough to go for complimentary colors are the ones that are sure to make the biggest impact! We love those that are bold enough to go for color combos that are opposites on the color wheel, like these shades of blue and red! The pairing of cool turquoise and warm, bright red is a bold choice for the ultra modern home, wedding, or wardrobe.

Images from: Wedding Times, Wedding Chicks, TheCakeBlog, ElizabethAnneDesigns, ProjectWedding, TheKnot, Life.Love.Lipstick, BridalPartyTees, SparklePower, RocketDog, DecadentDesigns, PartyInnovations, GraciousPaper, Rachel Jasper Design 

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Au Naturel - Milk and Honey

We love the coolness of the milky white paired with the subtle warmth of the honey colored yellow/gold and what better color scheme for a hot summer day that crisp and clean neutrals. This milk and honey color palette is extremely serene and inviting and is sure to help you and your guests think cool and calming thoughts.  Beat the heat with a color scheme that is light and airy just like the materials for the season.. think cotton, linen, and flowy chiffon.  We also love this look for home decor (Hello, all you apartment dwellers with white walls!) and think this is the perfect color scheme to give you that clean, bright, and open living space that is also cozy and inviting.

Milk and Honey (Ivory/White and Gold) Inspiration Board images from:

 Aisle Dash, TheKnot, Swap the Dress, OnceWed, WedShareDaily, WeddingPaperDivas, TheDailyGreen, Every Last Detail, TheFinerThings, Milk and Honey Cafe, EatDrinkOneWoman    

XOXO

 Jen & Saira   

April Showers bring MAY FLOWERS!

We haven't said it yet, so Happy May! We've already started posting some great flowers for spring, so here are some more of our favorites!  Another flower that is particularly seasonal to the spring is the peony.  This flower is large, full, and romantic and has layers of soft petals that make it look particularly lush and voluminous.  Peonies are gorgeous but expensive flowers, so if you live in our area we recommend them only for spring and very early summer... unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for them by having them shipped from who knows where.

This peony bouquet is absolutely charming! Romantic pink and peach peonies are paired together for a super feminine, vintage kind of look. We love how loose it looks, but at the same time how full and dreamy!  And it all comes together with a soft, feminine white ribbon!

 This simple, pink peony centerpiece would be perfect for any springtime event. And, we love how easy this look is to pull off! Just find a vintage vase at a local flea market and stick in a few blooms and you're ready to go -- these flowers are so full that it just takes a couple to really make an impact.

For reasons we cannot fathom, not everyone chooses to incorporate shades of pink in their lives. For these people, there is the romantic white peony bouquet. The clean, bright whites, fabulous texture, and soft contrast of the yellow center makes these the perfect choice for a little bit of a more subdued romance.

Again going for the vintage kind of look we love this antique-y vase and the very pale pink blossoms. They are subtle enough to satisfy any pink loving girl, but classy and muted enough to serve as a gorgeous decoration for any vintage inspired event without being overwhelming.

Is is possible for a bouquet to be too full? NEVER! We absolutely love how lucious this yellow bouquet of peonies is and wish we could just reach out and touch it. There is nothing more picturesque than a full, soft, texurized bouquet and this one certainly has it all. Plus the pale yellow makes it look good enough to eat!

And, for a more modern look, we love these pink and white peonies with the contrast of the chartreuse ribbon!  The ribbon plays up the yellow tones in the white peonies while adding a beautiful contrast to the pink ones. The simplicity of having just one type of flower, plus the casually tied bow, makes this bouquet both casual and elegant.

And, of course, the modern centerpiece. There's nothing sweeter than combining fresh fruits with gorgeous blooms and we think this is a great example of how the two can be paired harmoniously. The use of the white linens and the limes sharply contrasting with the fucshia and pink create a look that it crisp and fresh.

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Aqua & Lime

Here is a playful, modern color palette for a spring or summertime wedding.  The bright lime green with the shade of aqua is an eye catching combination that is youthful, fresh, and of course, bold.  These vibrant hues scream fun and excitement and will be sure to energize your party, wedding, or lifestyle.

Aqua & Lime Inspiration Board Images:  Polka Dots Stationary, Coco and Kelley, JMNPottery, BeachHouseLinens, InviteCottage, Prima Donna Bride, Zazzle, Gracious Paper, MeandMatilda, Trendy Treasure, AbbeyandIzzieDesigns 

XOXO

Jen & Saira