Love Notes: The Pacific Weddings Blog

Precious Wedding Cake Toppers: You've Met Your Match

 

I had to share these adorable beach themed wedding cake toppers I found recently via one of my favorite blogs, Bakerella. These precious handmade toppers are from the whimsical Lollipop Workshop. Jenny won me over with her sweet and delightfully brief profile: "i bake cake, eat cupcakes, & make happy things." I just may adopt this as my new mantra in life:) Jenny is creating one of her happy couples for an upcoming PW story. I adore how she customizes the bride and groom to mimic quirky little details that make each pair unique, just like their real life counterparts. I couldn't decide which one was my favorite... I love them all!  Visit her Etsy shop to see all the amazing tiny touches she adds to make these lollipop kids come to life.
xo --robyn 

 

(Photos courtesy of Lollipop WorkShop)

Vintage Wedding Style: Moss & Bell Jars

I've had a longstanding love affair with bell jars, and I recently discovered it was the French that developed the glass cloche to protect plants from cold weather frost. I like the idea that these miniature gardens are a natural still life framed only by the glass that envelopes them. Blended with moss and European accents, a bell jar wedding arrangement is both interesting and unique. For this style sheet I looked to two of my faves, Roost and Anthropology, for inspiration. (Photos: above, La Mome bridal caplet is available at Tocatta's Etsy shop; upper right image via Apartment Therapy; bell jars above and images below by Roost.)

For our table setting below at Pua Le‘a Estate, a historic sugar mill tucked away in the lush green hills of Haiku, Maui, we used moss in lieu of linens to cover the table adding bouquets of white orchids and calla lilies as centerpieces. Below, another amazing Anthro store display; moss balls and Euro accessories from Save-on Crafts. I think it would be fun to create a unique tableau for each of your wedding reception tables with these interesting pieces, and your guests will appreciate the nature-inspired still life scenes.

A weathered container from World Buyer's new collection is a fabulous table accent. Finally, a perfectly adorable Antrhopologie frock dubbed the Beach Grass Dress is perfect for a casual destination wedding—you decide whether it is for the bridesmaids or for the bride herself. xo ~robyn

A Passion for Pink Weddings

I adore pink so much that we once dedicated an entire issue of Pacific Weddings to all things pink. Of course it was called The Pink Issue and it remains one of my personal favorites over the past decade. You can still order this edition if you are looking for gorgeous ideas for a pink wedding! Here is more inspiration if you are considering this alluring color for your wedding day.

Cupcakes by Sugar Bloom Cupcakes; Photo of pink dress © Party Dress, Text by Alexandra Black, Rizzoli New York, 2007

  

J. Crew's pink bridesmaid dress; The Pink Issue of Pacific Weddings; pink macaroons; and finally, a pink sea urchin or these pink Miu Miu Mary Janes could be the jumping off point for a stunning wedding theme! xo- robyn

 

Love Letters for Your Wedding

When fun typeography is married with wedding design, I am a happy girl! I bought a few of these adorable letters for the office girls on a recent trip to Atlanta, and they are now on sale at Anthropologie, so pick them up before it's too late. The fabric covered letters stand on their own or can be hung, so I'm sure you can think of some creative ways to use them as wedding decorations. Send us your fresh ideas via comments or email me: robyn@pacificweddings.com. We are always looking for great ideas and new products. Have a happy Aloha Friday! ~Robyn

Candy Girl: Wedding Desserts by Amy Atlas

Wedding desserts have been my favorite obsession of late, so when I was introduced to Amy Atlas’s website, I admit my heart skipped a beat with excitement. The fabulously talented event planner who is based in New York is creating quite a buzz with the wedding media—and with good reason! Here is a small taste of her “eye candy” photographed by Karen Mordechai, another talented wedding girl we are so happy to have met. Karen is also based in NYC, but she is available for travel worldwide, so check out her blog and portfolio. Her eye-catching images are rich with vivid color and touching emotion.

Don't you adore the Pucci-inspired motif? We do!

DIY Wedding Favors: Baby Cakes

This is a fun DIY wedding project that will impress even your craftsy girlfriends. These pretty "baby cakes" or "cake bites" are a wonderful addition to a wedding dessert buffet or you could package them as an elegant and edible DIY favor. I found this easy-to-follow tutorial at cakejournal.com, an online journal of the very talented baker and designer Louise, who is from Denmark. The site is full of fun ideas, a confection gallery and lots of wedding inspiration, and Louise has a unique and engaging way of encouraging beginners to jump right in! Thanks, Louise:)

(photo courtesy of cakejournal.com)

Entertaining Children at a Wedding Reception

 

Many weddings are taking a turn toward the casual styling of a garden party, and we are often asked for ideas of how to include and entertain the children at a wedding reception. Here are a few ideas that will make the keiki feel special. Dedicate a space for a children's buffet at the reception with colorful cookies, candies and small items they can either enjoy during the event or take home as a parting gift. If you are hoping to keep them occupied, it is nice to have one or two nannies attending to the children. Besides freeing up the parents, the kids will have much more fun playing old-fashioned lawn games like Badmitten or croquet. If you have a large enough lawn, you could even create a small putt-putt golf game with child size clubs and a few plastic cups (there are inexpensive sets at any toy store). The children will appreciate your thoughtful planning as much as the adults!

Teddy bear bride and groom were hand sculpted by Yukiko of Deco Clay Craft. Little sandcastle cakes make a whimsical centerpiece alongside sugar cookies in the shape of surfboards, crabs, geckos and tropical fish. Meringues in shell shapes are tucked inside small metal pails the kids can take home with them. Fresh island fruit is another good treat to consider! (Photos by Chrissy Lambert)

Cookie Wedding Favors, How Sweet!

We were recently introduced to Margie and Abbey Greenberg, the mother-daughter team who started The Flour Pot, a cookie company based in Ambler, PA. Their love of design and sweets shines through in an adorable selection of cookies decorated to win the affection of any fashionista with a sweet tooth. Chanel handbags and pretty high heels, wedding cakes and golf balls (don't forget your groom!), these perfectly iced treats are memorable favors and guest gifts. The "Will you be my bridesmaid?" cookie is particularly clever, and for all you packaging junkies, it comes in an adorable polka dotted box tied with a ribbon. We were pleasantly surprised at how reasonable these cookies are, especially considering the quality and great presentation—we were all smiles when our samples arrived in a striped hat box! Which is your favorite? If you can't decide, they will create a custom design just for you.

Photos courtesy of The Flour Pot

Handmade Wedding Signs

  

My appreciation of typeography has grown over the years, so I am always drawn to photos of handmade wedding signs. Since Shaunna and I are not exactly "craftsy" girls, we were happy to find a sweet selection of ready made vintage signs that will direct guests to everything from "cocktails" to the "ladies room". Etsy was my first stop, and there are several pages (56!) to peruse. There are also some good finds (bottom photo) on message boards like Weddingbee Classifieds. Here are a few signs that we like--some shabby chic, others funky and fresh, all cute in their individual ways. We both fell in love with the simple antique signs (above) from Rockett St. George via Apartment Therapy... all you need is love!

Designer Masking Tape for Weddings

Here at PW we are always looking for ways to personalize your wedding, so when Stacey Nomura tipped us off to designer masking tape, our minds began racing with possibilities. (What is it about pretty paper that instantly sets a girl's heart aflutter?!) Here are some wonderful ideas to use the stripes, polka dots and scrumptious colors of this fun new tape made of Japanese washi paper, via Happy Tape blog.

The package below is by annebvinyl on Etsy and it's precious. She uses a single strip of tape around the clear box, then covers the seam with her label sticker. Check out her shop for other vinyl projects, too.  I also liked the idea of adding panache to favor tags using the colorful tape, or you can use it to enclose  edible favor items--this will instantly dress up clear cellophane goodie bags and it's so simple. Order your favorite tape colors and see more ideas at http://www.happytape.bigcartel.com/.