Our centerpieces...

We will be using square and round tables with two types of centerpieces. One tall pave' arrangement of mostly roses accented with hydrangea. The other will be tall mini arrangements of the same floral family.

Tall rose and hydrangea pave' centerpiece on trumpet vase with hanging crystal.

3 pomander balls placed on top of vases at different heights. Pillar candles or floating candles placed at the base. Bed of rose petals and candles. These will be on the square tables.

Ambiance, ambiance, ambiance

Amber uplights and spotlighted white flower centerpieces

We will have rose pattern gobos and ambers all over the walls.

I love amber lighting, white flowers, and candlelight. It's so warm and romantic without it reading as overly trendy.

Ceremony Decor...

Two altar arrangements in large urns. They will double as backdrop for our sweetheart table.

Pew markers with hanging chiffon or ribbon fabric

Ivory and Gold custom aisle runner

Heavy Ivory Rose Petals on the aisle

Bridesmaid bouquets...cream and blush roses

Simple rose boutonnieres with satin wrapped stem.

Bridesmaids with medium large cream, ivory, and blush roses

Cream roses...

My bridal bouquet

I would like a combination of the below bouquets...

Totally love Jessica Simpson's bouquet. It was the inspiration for mine as well.

Okay so this is the bouquet I'm going for. Ivory and very pale pink roses, stephanotis, and orchid blossoms.

Diamond band, bow, and crystal brooch

This stephanotis bouquet is gorgeous. I wouldn't want a bouquet completely out of this flower though. I love the strands and ribbon though.

Simple, yet pretty and dramatic cakes

The cakes below are proof that a cake can be simple and dramatic. Clean lines with fresh or gumpaste flowers make these cakes stunning!

Donald Trump vs. Jessica Simpson (Ivory, Gold, Diamonds, and Flowers)

We've chosen our theme..."Ivory, Gold, Diamonds, and Flowers". We love the Trump wedding (the 3rd one, lol) and Jessica Simpson's wedding (her 1st one, lol). So we've decided to combine the two to inspire what we want for our dream wedding. We want a very elegant, sophisticated, and opulent feel...without it feeling like we are going "bling-bling" all over the place resulting in it feeling gaudy. We want the opulence to be somewhat understated. We are also going for a very romantic yet ritzy look as well. Below are a few pics from the Trump wedding. These photos have definitely inspired us for our wedding as well.

Floral master-mind Preston Bailey designed their flowers and decor. 10,000 roses were flown in from around the world for the event.

And you wondered what a $250,000 gown looked like...

Designer wedding cakes that inspire me

Below are a few pictures from couture cake designers Sylvia Weinstock and Ron Ben Israel. They are master of their art. Ohhh...if only I could afford their couture cakes. At the end of the day the cake designer that I selected for my wedding can definitely run in the same arena as these guys so I'm still happy!

Ron Ben Israel

Sylvia Weinstock

Sylvia Weinstock

Sylvia Weinstock

Sylvia Weinstock

Cakes by Jay

Sylvia Weinstock

Bridal Party...classy, sophisticated, and romantic

I'm going for a soft, romantic, and elegant look for the bridesmaids.

Dresses

Shoes

Lighting....

Unfortunately many brides dont realize how lighting can really enhance your space. Lighting is affordable at almost any price point and really adds character to the room. Above is a picture of a room fully decorated before and after lighting. Huge difference, right?! This is actually called rose amber lighting which is the color that we will be using as well...How romantic and classy. We will also be using rose pattern gobos on the floors as well.

Elegant and Sophisticated...Ivory, Gold, and Muted Pinks and Pale Peach

I never was the type of girl that dreamed of her wedding since she was a little girl. I only knew that when it was my turn to walk down the aisle that it would be done with class, elegance, and sophistication. Yes our decor can read as "regal", however Brandon and I arent into the whole princess thing. We want everything tasteful and classy and not an explosion of child-like storybook inspired fantasy, however we are huge romantics and wanted it to be very romantic. I knew I wanted flowers and plenty of them. Below you will find pictures of our centerpieces and other pieces and pictures that inspired our decor.
Ivory and Gold Everywhere!...

Very elegant wedding decor. Some high some, low with taper candles.

Beautiful ivory and gold tablescapes

A more modern interpretation...but still gorgeous

This tablescape from an episode of WeTV's "Platinum Weddings" is the inspiration for our flowers for our reception. We will be using glass trumpet vases with swarovski crystals hanging as well.

The perfect tall centerpiece. This is actually Jessica Simpson's centerpiece and I will be using this at our wedding as well.

OMG...Our Wedding Cake!

Brandon and I traveled for about an hour and a half to St. Martinville to meet the wonderful, gracious, and talented ladies of Two Sweet Sisters. I have had cake tastings and consultations at 8 bakeries to find the perfect wedding cake. I know that may seem a bit excessive but it will be a focal point in the reception space that I'm designing so it has to look perfect and taste divine. I'm usually a bride that knows exactly what she wants and has a specific vision of exactly what I want to get, however this is the first time that I couldnt make up my mind. Everything was gorgeous and the cake tasted amazing. Talk about WOW! I have decided that I will let the ladies do whatever they want to do with my cake. When they freestyle their cakes...masterpieces are born. I cant wait to see my cake! Hands down next to Ambrosia Bakery...Two Sweet Sisters are in a league of their own! Above are a few pics of their work...

Photography and Videography...(sigh)

Okay...okay. I know I can be very picky about my pictures and video, but why shouldnt I be. These are the two most important things next to the dress and the bride and groom. After searching the entire state of Louisiana for months plus loads of googling and networking I have decided on Stacy Marks Photography. Great work, very kind, and professional and has a wonderful photojournalist style. Silver-media.net was chosen to do our videography. We love the way they capture their wedding in more of a cinematic style.

The guest list...the horror!

Living in the southern region of the U.S. has its ups and downs. When you are a tourist, you are swamped with gracious southern hospitality, a wad of sweet tea, fried chicken, or red beans, or all of the above. But, when you are a bride who happens to have plenty of friends, a very large family, and many acquintances all that means is that you are expected to invite half the town, because it would be considered "rude" not to do so. But when you are paying per head, it definitely helps put your guest list into perspective. And that was definitely the case with Brandon and I. It was hard to get it down to 125 guests but it was either invite everyone and have a great meal with no dj/band, flowers, dress, photography, or a cake. So I think we made a great decision. At the end of the day, it will be a very nice wedding for our family and friends.

November 14, 2008...My florist rocks!

Casey Johnson of Bloom Flowers Inc. in Baton Rouge, La is a floral genius. I recommend him to all the brides at my boutique and he has also pulled some strings and prepared my friends bridal bouquets and boutinierres (can I say STUNNING!) Anyway, I had no idea that Brandon (who just so happens to be a Marine) is so involved in the flowers and decor. The hard part about it is that he's such a guy and has no idea on how to express the fact that he does not like green filler flowers and other foliage...instead he say's "I hate all that green grassy stuff in those flowers" or "that looks so old fashioned". It's been interesting having him so involved in the floral aspect of the wedding.

November 13, 2008...We found a venue! Yay!

Okay...so we found the perfect venue! After and entire year and a half burning through gas, countless hours on the internet, and what feels like hundreds of in-person consultations we have selected the Baton Rouge Marriott and booked it! I know very classy, huh! It's absolutely breathtaking and the ballroom is huge with high ceilings and gorgeous chandeliers.