We’ve written about the color purple a few times now for Floral Friday, and the reason is that it’s been such a hot trend for the past few wedding seasons, and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. Next to blush and pink, purple is one of the colors I, as a floral designer, get the most requests for. It works for all seasons, depending on what you pair it with. For this lovely wedding at Salvage One in Chicago, designer Tori of Fragrant Design added in lavender, and one of the recent trending items in bouquets brazilia. Perfect for turning a classic , romantic bouquet into eclectic perfection. Beautiful images by Anna Guziak.
June 7th, 2012
Real Weddings: Michelle and Matt, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Michelle and Matt met through mutual friends in August 2006. They started dating and immediately became inseparable. When deciding where to have their wedding, Michelle said it just felt right to have it in Milwaukee, where they spent their entire relationship and built such great memories. They were so excited to invite their family and friends to join them and explore the city they love so much. Michelle wanted their day to be simple, classic, and romantic, and chose navy with pops of green and purple as her colors. A big thank you to Michelle for sharing all the details of her and Matt’s day, and to Carly McCray Photography for submitting the lovely images.
Who, What, Where ~ Venue – 1451 Renaissance Place, Photographer – Carly McCray Photography, Flowers – Impressions by Esther Fleming, Cake – Milwaukee Cupcake Company, Invitations – Wedding Paper Divas, Caterer – Chef Jack’s Catering, Brides Dress – Premiere Couture, Tuxes – Harleys for Men, Bridesmaid Dresses – Bella Bridesmaid.
Even more loveliness…
From Michelle…
The very first wedding detail I took care of was my dress. I really liked the simplicity and the romance of lace. We chose navy blue for the bridesmaid dresses and green/purple accents because I’ve always loved these colors. I’m drawn to navy blue and green, from the clothes I wear, to our home decorations. They’re just classic, beautiful colors.
I used Etsy.com to find unique, one of a kind, custom made items. We purchased an address stamp that we used on our invitation envelopes, clutch purses for the bridesmaids, and our adorable cupcake toppers.
In trying to find a unique, meaningful “something old” item for my wedding day, my mother asked my grandmother if she had anything special I could use. At my bridal shower, my grandmother gave me a beautiful handkerchief, that was a wedding gift from her mother. My grandmother explained that she has treasured this handkerchief for 61 years, since her wedding day, September 28, 1950, and it was now mine to treasure and keep safe. The handkerchief ended up being even more of a meaningful, special gift, as my grandparents were not able to be with us in Milwaukee that day due to complications with their health.
Matt and I share a love of good music and good food, so it was important to us that the day reflected us, and that our guests really enjoyed our special day. Everything was perfect, beautiful, and ran smoothly. We both agree that it was the happiest and best day of our lives. To have so many people there for you, who love and support you, and are there to celebrate your love and happiness….it was an amazing, humbling experience!
April 27th, 2012
Floral Friday: Purples and Plums from the Garden
There can be no doubt that purple’s and plums were a huge trend in weddings in 2011, and this color palette doesn’t seem to be stopping for 2012 either. Libby and Matt’s wedding was no exception, but their flowers had a lovely rustic, picked from the garden feel to them. Made up of tons of textural blooms like astible, liatrus, allium, dusty miller, and even a few lovely black centered anemones in a shade of purple to die for. Enjoy the gorgeousness!
Flowers: J-Mac Flowers and Gifts. Photos: Jaclyn Marie Photography.
February 16th, 2012
Real Weddings:Laura and Hollis, St.Paul, Minnesota
This week has been a super inspiring one for me with some many amazing submissions to be shared on the blog. Today’s wedding is no exception. When they started planning their wedding Laura says that Hollis really wanted an outdoor venue. However she was a bit nervous, and wanted a spot with a roof, just in case. They chose the visitors center at Como Zoo because it had a beautiful terrace overlooking the conservatory, and park, as well as being enclosed in glass to give the whole reception an outdoor feel. They really utilized the idea of lush greenery in their decor and personal flowers. Some of my absolute favorite details are the adorable cake with fondant succulents, and the bridesmaids purple print dresses. A big thank you to Laura for sharing all the details from her and Hollis’ day, and to Maren Delaney Photography for the beautiful images.
Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. Reception: Como Zoo. Photos: Maren Delaney Photography. Bouquets and Bouts: Molly’s Gardens. Cake: Sweets Bakeshop. Brides Dress: Priscilla of Boston. Bridesmaids: Nordstrom.
Even more gorgeousness…
From the bride…
Hollis and I met in the winter of 2006. I had just returned from teaching English in China, and was getting ready to start law school in the fall, and needed a job. I was hired as a server at a restaurant where Hollis was the pastry chef. We have lived together in St. Paul since the fall of 2007. We love traveling, trying new food/restaurants and spending time with our family and friends. This past fall, Hollis planned a surprise trip to Chicago for my birthday. He even packed a suitcase for me! On my birthday, September 23, he proposed while we were walking down Navy Pier.
We set a date for August 27th, and then my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the end of January, so we moved the date to May 28th, hoping it would give us the chance for my mom to be there. Unfortunately she passed away in April, but we went ahead with the wedding knowing it was what she wanted. I was lucky enough to have my mother there when I found my dress.
The wedding colors were purple, green and silver/white. I can’t remember if I chose those colors or if they were inspired by the bridesmaid dresses. Once I picked the dresses, everything else started falling into place. Being foodies, we were particularly concerned about dessert. So we decided that Hollis would make centerpiece cakes for each table. We started collecting vintage cake stands for each cake/table.
I wanted my look to be vintage. I wore a rhinestone bracelet that belonged to my late grandmother, and had a lace handkerchief that belonged to my other grandmother. We looked for weddings bands for Hollis, and didn’t find anything we were crazy about. And then my aunt told us Hollis could have my great-grandfather’s wedding band. Miraculously it fit, and Hollis loved that it had their wedding date inscribed on the inside from 1907!
I think my favorite part of the day was seeing everything come together. Everyone’s hard work and love paid off. Hopefully that didn’t sound too cheesy. I just felt so lucky to have so many friends and family from all over come to help us celebrate! We had guests from California, Denver, New York, South Carolina, Chicago and Kuwait! Knowing that people were there to help us have a wonderful day meant the world to me. And of course marrying a wonderful man! Another favorite part of the day was carrying on a tradition that my sorority sisters and I have started. At each wedding, there have been 5 (I think) including mine, where we all sing and dance like crazy ladies to a song called “Murder on the Dancefloor.” It’s a great girl anthem, and a fun part of Kappa Kappa Gamma weddings!
February 10th, 2012
Real Weddings: Phil and Cristina, Glendale, Ohio
Phil and Cristina have one of those classic love stories you might see in a romantic comedy these days. Girl meets boy, girl likes boy, they date for awhile, then boy disappears. They re-connect, as friends mind you, and then girl has an epiphany, she loves the boy, and the rest turns out to be history. Something else that really struck me about these two is just how important their faith and presence of God in their relationship is. Here at Middle of the Map I see all kinds of weddings, but for Phil and Cristina their ceremony was super personal, and in all ways an expression of their relationship not only with each other, but also with their faith. They kept things super traditional, Cristina wore a blusher veil, and they didn’t see each other before the ceremony. The bride, an artist herself, says she saw their day as a blank canvas, and wanted to fill it with lots of special details. They chose their venue, the Glendale Lyceum because it felt incredibly romantic, which is exactly the look and feel that Phil and Cristina wanted for their day. A big thank you to Cristina for sharing all the details from their day, and to Jenna Davis for her lovely images.
Who, What, Where ~ Ceremony/Reception: Glendale Lyseum. Photography: Jenna Davis Photography. Flowers: Kroger. Catering: Vonderhaar’s Catering. Cake: Sandy Maffey. Dress: Wendy’s Bridal. Tuxes: President Tuxedo.
From the bride…
Phil and I first started talking online summer of 2007. We attended the same church and he couldn’t help but comment on an opinion I had posted about the nintendo game Mario Cart, which he played avidly in college. Our “everday conversations” through email lasted a little over two months before I asked to meet Phil in person. We went out to dinner on a double date, and we hung out a couple times after that, and then Phil went MIA for 3 weeks! I heard from Phil again in spring of 2008 when he was going through a really rough time with his health, and we hung out strictly as friends. I was working on a bachelor’s degree for Art Education and I would be student teaching at the beginning of the school year. I remember the day my Advisor told me I would be student teaching at Bridgetown Middle School; the same school Phil teaches 8th grade History!! A pivotal moment in our realtionship was the night I went with him to be baptized at the church we attend. It was a really special bonding experience. Almost exactly two years later, Philip asked me to be his wife.
I was especially happy with how the “do it yourself” projects turned out!! Of course, I would have never accomplished it all without the help of my amazing family! The biggest and most rewarding project we tackled was making the wedding invitations I am so glad I decided to take on the challenge. Other projects included: putting glitter on over 100 white pumpkins to use as ‘escort cards’ and decoration throughout the hall; my dad used my grandma’s homemade caramel corn recipe to make one of our two favors (we would make it as a family when we were kids; the best part was shaking the bag of popcorn to coat it with caramel); I made the programs and programs “sleeves”. The beautiful purple pockets that hung from every other chair holding two programs and bubbles to be used at our exit; I was so excited to see that project evolve.
My favorite part of the day was seeing Philip’s reaction as I came down the aisle as he saw me for the first time. I could see the emotion on his face as he processed and took in what was happening. I knew he was extremely nervous but all I saw was joy! The entire night was so much fun, from our bubble exit, to pictures, speeches, our first dance (and lots more dancing).
