Southern Bridal Shower Inspiration

Since I recently invested in a fancy camera, I wanted to set a scene to practice my skills. Using my dining room table, and items from my inventory (vintage plates, mauve linen napkins, and brass candlesticks), I set the scene for a playful, yet elegant, bridal shower.  Although I was tempted to use a plain white tablecloth, I chose an ikat linen, which really provided another dimension to the table setting.  

Picking up flowers at a grocery store is always a little challenging, being limited to what they have in stock. For this photo shoot, I went to Whole Foods, and picked out varying hues of pink and peach, balanced with some white. I hope you enjoy the photos! 

Wedding Planning: Where to Spend, Where to Save

In any given city, including New Orleans, you can expect to spend a minimum amount for certain vendor categories, while other categories are more flexible. I've compiled a list of my recommended splurges, and also the more flexible categories, where you can save.  

View fullsize

Spend

1. Photography

Your wedding lasts a day. The photos last forever. Sounds cliché, but it’s true.  As memories fade, those photographs are what’s left of the day, and having an amazing photographer makes a huge difference.  No matter what your wedding actually looks like, it can appear in the photos either sub-par or completely amazing. 

2. Flowers & Design

Flowers are a huge part of wedding design, setting the tone for the entire wedding.  How many photos have you seen of mismatched blush bridesmaids’ dresses lately? It’s those bouquets that lend personality to each wedding party.  All those pictures on Pinterest? It’s the design, styling, (and of course photography) that makes them pin-worthy. 

3. Band

Moving away momentarily from the look of your wedding, the actual party is all about a great band. The pros will have your guests on the dance floor all night long. Luckily, in New Orleans, we aren’t lacking for great music! 

Save

1. Wedding Cakes

Wedding cakes can be costly, but there are ways to save. One option is to simplify the design, and go for a plain or naked cake that can be decorated with flowers, berries, or other natural elements by your florist or planner for a simple look that's totally in style right now. Fancy fondant designs and sugar flowers can add up quickly.

Another option is to reduce the size of the cake and either serve another dessert alongside, or have your caterer serve guests from a sheet cake in the back.  A huge plus to using a smaller cake is that you can use a smaller cake stand, such as a pedestal. Smaller cake stands are really elegant, and the cake table itself can be styled to have the presence and drama of a larger cake.  

2. Transportation

Limos or charter bus transportation can take a large chunk out of your budget. You could avoid chartering guests around by picking a venue where it's not necessary (a second line from the church to the reception, perhaps?) However, if you do need those services, you can benefit from putting the work in and getting quotes from multiple companies, or hiring a planner who knows the vendors and can find you the best deal.  Prices vary greatly for charter bus transportation companies, as well as limousine services, so don't settle on the first, second, or even third quote you get.  However, still do your homework and make sure the reviews look kosher.

3. Invitations & Signage

Invitations, save-the-dates, signage, programs, etc., being relatively small and easy to ship, can be sourced from around the country.  While there are some great local shops, you can also find numerous options online, which opens up the market for a wide range of price points.  

French Wedding Lessons: All About Joy

This past July, I traveled with my husband, Pierce, and his family, to attend the wedding of his cousin, Valerie, to Sébastien, in Grignan, France.  Grignan, about a two-hour drive from the airport in Lyon, is situated in the Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. While I won't bore you with a narrative of my trip, I feel incredibly lucky to have visited this place, somewhere I never otherwise would have discovered.  Out of all the places I visited while we were in Europe, Grignan was my favorite. And Paris…so maybe I just love France!

Me, drinking rosé, because that's what you do in France.

I wanted to write this post to describe the experience I had, and to try to put into words the differences between this wedding and the weddings I see here in New Orleans (including my own).  In part, I wish I'd written this months ago when the events were still fresh, but the memory I have is more of a feeling, which I think is probably more authentic than all the little details.  

Thanks so much to Chloe Sinanoglu for allowing me to use all of her gorgeous photographs! After putting this blog post together, I realized her pictures alone tell the story of this wedding, and illustrate my thoughts perfectly.  Chloe is a destination photographer and available for travel. You can view her website here. 

The wedding took place on a hilltop, in an old monastery, overlooking fields of lavender.  Stunning is an understatement, but what struck me about the day, beyond the amazing location, was how simplistically beautiful everything was, how relaxed everyone seemed, and how joyful. Kids ran around, guests mingled for hours, champagne was flowing, and generally, the pace was much slower and laid back than what you experience in the South. This wasn't about a giant cake, fancy food, or cascading flower arrangements (although the food was amazing, and the décor beautiful). It was truly about two people, enjoying every moment of the weekend, literally laughing, running, and dancing the whole time.

Bride before the ceremony.  

Although I couldn't understand one word, the ceremony was beautiful! 

The couple with their beautiful baby. 

Admittedly, some of these attributes would be difficult to recreate for a New Orleans wedding—most venues rent out spaces for a short amount of time; you probably aren't renting out a space for a whole weekend.  But what is notable, at least from my perspective, was how relaxed everyone was, including the bride and groom. Maybe it was French joie de vivre, maybe it was the couple themselves, but it was truly an experience to learn from.

My personal favorite detail--hats for the sun-drenched ceremony.

I had a difficult time wording this next thought as a wedding planner: don’t take the party too seriously.  As someone who plans weddings all day, coordinates the tiniest details, and lives for wedding décor, I don’t mean that all the lovely details aren't important! (And this wedding had them, for sure.) But when you’re the bride, all that planning should be finished ahead of time.  Looking through these photos, this is the experience I strive to give my clients.  On your wedding weekend, refocus yourself on your marriage, the people who are there with you, and truly celebrate—don’t waste your energy worrying about a million little details.  Relax, laugh, and live the moment, because it really goes by so fast.