Love Notes: The Pacific Weddings Blog

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!

Wedding Details in Unexpected Places

One of my favorite tasks as a wedding editor is getting lost in a pile of magazines or browsing endless Internet pages in search of beautiful items that translate into wedding details. And inspiration is so often found in the most unexpected places! One of my favorite stops on the Internet highway is a little shop called Three Potato Four. The brainchild of Janet Morales and Stu Eli, this little shop of curiosities was born from their mutual love of collecting. Janet says, “We're collectors and to us, all products and belongings tell a story. We live by stories and we shop for stories.” Shaunna and I think their delightful mix of modern and vintage objects will add character to the story of your wedding.

Here are a few of our latest favorites. (Clockwise from upper left) We adore almost anything with a cute bird motif, and this silkscreen print by artist Wayne Pate of Good Shape Design is a great jumping off point for quirky wedding stationery and décor. These unusual wooden letterpress trays feature Chinese labels for each slot, and we think they would make a unique presentation for seating cards. The trays are in original vintage condition and pictured with oversized printing press letters which we feature in the upcoming issue of Pacific Weddings (on newsstands in July!). For bridesmaid gifts, we fell for  this fabulous fuchsia and tangerine tote, part of the the Henry Road collection by designer Paula Smail. More botanical inspiration, these prints were made exclusively for 3P4 by artist Geninne Zlatlkis. We also like the vintage appeal of these 8 oz. glass carafes with their antique milk bottle silhouette and simple "8" typography (Hawaii girls, think 808!). Newly produced in limited quantities by 3P4, these carafes make lovely vases for a casual reception or wedding shower, and at the end of the evening you can give them to guests as a parting gift. Just a note, the entire collection at 3P4 changes often and many items are just too adorable to resist, so don’t hesitate to scoop up things you know you won’t want to live without! We enjoy hearing about your unexpected inspirations, so please share your finds… Happy Hunting!

The Organized (and Always Stylish!) Bride, Part II

 

We often comment that planning each issue of Pacific Weddings is very similar to planning the wedding of your dreams. With all the swatches, ribbons, photos and story ideas floating around our offices, we are constantly looking for ideas to be organized, so, when we recently received a handy little gadget called the DYMO® Personal Labelmaker, we put it to good use.

Dymo was also kind enough to share a few ideas from Jennifer Humes, a well-known organizational expert, to help you stay on track with all the details of your day:

First of all, go shopping for organizational supplies to plan your wedding: file folders, a  binder, albums and boxes for cards and photos, and the DYMO® Personal Labelmaker to make quick labels without lugging around a computer (the $29 price tag makes it a painless purchase!). Jennifer suggests that you create a binder (we actually use over-sized art portfolios at the magazine) with sections labeled for shopping lists, dress ideas, party schedules, thank you cards, gift lists, and bridal party schedules. Since you should never leave home without the binder, visit russell+hazel for stylish ones that you won't mind carrying, and check out their neat wedding organizer (below left).

The landslide of wedding gifts can be overwhelming (albeit fun!), especially during last-minute preparation. Jennifer suggests using a file folder or small box to store the receipts sorted by category, or consider labeling gift boxes with the giver's name. We like this Magazine Pocket memoboard from three by three seattle for storing paperwork. It's both cool and functional. 

Using a system like this will also help when writing thank you notes later. Instead of letting wedding cards and photos pile up, store them in an album or photo box so they don't get lost in the shuffle.

If you are a D.I.Y. girl, the labelmaker is great for organizing your craft supplies for favors, invitations, and note cards. We used it to label boxes for the numerous stationery samples we receive at Pacific Weddings—love the fact that you can choose from different colored labels and font styles! We also post inspiration in plain view via a magnetic system. Ours was from Ikea, but I found these cute ones at three by three, to go with their pegmighties magnets (above) which you could use to create smaller wedding inspiration boards. Just goes to show that you can be organized without being boring!

Make Sense of Wedding Flowers: Buy the Book

The natural beauty of flowers has been a great source of inspiration for Tricia Guild. The London-based fabric and wallpaper designer celebrates the shades of color, texture and proportions of flowers in her latest book, Tricia Guild Flower Sense. Her acclaimed book, Tricia Guild on Pattern, introduced me to the bold and colorful world of her pattern design. This time around, she explores the art of decorating with unexpected floral elements in various settings— city, vintage, modern, romantic, party, country, exotic, minimal, and garden. The dreamy and evocative photography by James Merrell sets a mood as original and stylish as the interiors on each page! Below, Tricia transforms her own outdoor garden into a bright summer party steeped in exotic pinks and reds. I love the simple canopy formed by strips of scarlet silk woven between the branches and tied with peonies and dahlias.

A Modern Approach to Holiday Décor

If the festive season has given you a reprieve from wedding plans and you're looking for a modern way to illuminate your space, check out one of my personal favorites, Pacific Home, in Honolulu. They recently acquired designer Kaypee Soh's Creative Living Collection. His "art for your sofa" is being launched this month with a stunning holiday table display created exclusively for Pacific Home on Ward Avenue. "The table is designed around a collection I call 'Holiday Hibiscus' and it includes a pendant lamp, table runner, pillows and napkins." We love the cheerful pieces—a fresh alternative to the usual Christmas décor! Soh's pillow collection will be available at Pacific Home beginning January, 2008. The talented artist and photographer says, "I'm also working on designs for rugs, lamps and other accessories to complement my art collection; I'll keep you posted when the new items become available." We appreciate the fact that all his designs are handmade in Hawaii and produced in limited quantities. For custom designs contact Kaypee at his studio 808.689.3639 or visit www.kaypeesoh.com.