a wedding in black and yellow

i have always thought black & white pairs beautifully with almost any pop of color, but there's something about the mix of sunny modern yellow with classic black that creates something fresh, unexpected, and crisply stunning.

inspired by our black tie silk boxed wedding invitation, this black & yellow design collage is, quite simply, the essence of chic.

our favorite elements? those amaaaazing christian louboutin shoes. you can build a whole wedding around those alone. and we adore the personalized blumebox floral favors, along with that incredibly unique curl cake. really, there's nothing we don't love in this fabulous collage.

what's your favorite black & yellow concept?

design & photo credits

first row — candy display • amy atlas; ring pillow • allofyou via etsy; wedding cake • the cake girls

second row — yellow parasol • hollye schumacher photography; personalized favors • blumebox containers, flowers by the spiraled stem, photo by sarah k. chen; heels • christian louboutin

third row — custom wedding invitations • paper olive; tablescape • bliss events

paper parasols and a perfect pink wedding

just recently, while i was browsing chic accents for a new bride's invitations, i came across this glorious photo of a pink-hued wedding ceremony featuring delicate paper parasols cascading down the aisle.

um, it's pure and simple bliss. along with the vibrant fuschia rose petals, this entire look is perfection — pretty. unfettered. uncomplicated. and it probably wasn't very expensive. how can you beat that?

i remember wanting this exact look for my own wedding, yet having terrible luck finding parasols in the right shade of orange. if only i had known about the australian company, pink frosting.

with lovely parasols like the ones above, they're bound to have something to suit your wedding style. from lace to bamboo to cherry blossoms, pink frosting has tons to choose from.

another favorite is this amazing bird and peony design from luna bazaar. can't you just see the bride or her girls sporting these under a brilliant summer sun at an asian-inspired wedding? or a basket of them set out for guests to grab as a chic shade?

it's unique — and we all know how much i love that!

win a free cake from pink cake box • charity raffle on 10.17

if you live in the new york metropolitan area and you love pink cake box as much as i do, you're about to have another reason to love them.

in an effort to support breast cancer research, owner anne heap and her team at pink cake box are holding a charity raffle to raise money for the american cancer society. as part of the fundraising effort, they're offering up the following prizes on october 17:

• 1st prize - free cake (any occasion) valued up to $500
• 2nd prize - 1 dozen free cupcakes
• 3rd prize - 10% off next order of more than $300

all proceeds from the raffle will benefit the american cancer society making strides against breast cancer walk. as a team, which is comprised of 95% women, they've raised over $1000, but they hope to exceed that amount.

that's where you come in. click here to enter the raffle and offer your support. or, visit the pink cake box blog to find out more about the raffle and the rules.

for anyone who knows anne's incredible work, from experience or her food network challenges, it is no doubt she will make this effort a success. many thanks to anne and her team!

whimsical chic • a lady bug wedding

i've had several inquiries recently about one of our favorite design motifs — the lady bug. perfect for everything from a tea party invite to a garden wedding, we love this particular design specifically because it doesn't take itself too seriously. it's whimsical, fun, and (we think) lovely.

given all the seriousness in our lives, sometimes it's worth celebrating something light and fanciful, as we do with our lady bug couture wedding invitation. it comes to guests in a cheerful polka dot box lined with black taffeta.

just as cheerful is the "l'amour" lady bug pocket folder invitation, which comes from our contemporary chic collection. sleek and simple, the shimmery red pocket holds all key inserts and information in a really playful way. honestly, they just make us happy.

there's nothing that says something as personal as a wedding can't be designed with sophisication and whimsy. if you believe in the luck of the lady bug, why not consider them as a motif for your event?

eco-chic wedding favors • living seedlings

boxed chocolates, personalized wine bottles, custom coasters... yes, they all make great wedding favors, but for those couples looking for fresh, eco-friendly, literally green favors, consider these two intrepid companies, both offering plantable seedlings in a variety of options.

the magnolia company (pictured above), which is based in florida and has been featured both in oprah's magazine and martha stewart weddings, offers living oak seedlings in a selection of decorative packages for almost any event, in almost any color palette. they're incredibly unique.

the magnolia company also offers pine, magnolia and other live seedlings wrapped in glorious 100% natural jute.

perfect for a rustic fall wedding, these seedlings not only come with watering tools and instructions, but are all guaranteed to grow because each plant, like the magnolia trees, can be suited towards the recipient's zip code for optimal growth. it's eco-chic and brilliant.

of course, if your heart is set on pine or you're having a winter wedding, you might want to think about plant a memory (pictured on the right), another live seedling company that specializes in blue spruce evergreens. don't you just love the idea of serving them up in champagne glasses, like the elegant natural riches they are?

ranging from $16 to $35 per bunch (20-25 seedlings) depending on the company, this is money that will be spent on something nostalgic, responsible, romantic, and eco-friendly all at once. honestly, how can you go wrong with that combination?

paper olive nominated for the best invitations in los angeles

we are thrilled to blog about our nomination for best invitations in los angeles by myfoxla. as part of their "best of the la hotlist" competition, paper olive was selected from a number of amazing wedding vendors by the hotlist team. we are genuinely honored.

we've said it before and we'll say it again — we truly love this industry, and it's always a delight to be recognized for doing something you love.

if you'd like to support us with your vote, you can do so by visiting our page on myfoxla.com. as always, we are grateful for the love and support of our fans and followers. good luck, all!

cake alchemy crafts truly magical wedding cakes

it's hard to imagine that with all the incredible artists i've encountered while planning my wedding and as a designer that i could be so thoroughly impressed by someone new.

well, it's happened again, at the hands of cake alchemy — the remarkable cake tailors headed up by lauri ditunno in new york city. words like modern, original, irreverent, stylish, stunning, hip, elegant and timeless all come to mind.

first and foremost, cake alchemy's versatility is unlike anything i've ever seen. need pink and traditional? no problem. need pink and mod? also no problem.

i absolutely loooove this african sunset & joshua tree cake above. i mean, i want to be at this wedding. and the delicate ginko leaf sugar flowers below are simply inspired.

next on my list: have a second wedding in new york and hire cake alchemy to make the cake. wanna come?

disney bridal jewelry from weddingish.com

when i got married, i probably bought and returned five different sets of jewelry before i finally found the perfect accessories. seriously, i even bought, returned and then bought again the same pair of drop earrings, unable to decide if i loved them or hated them (i did not tell my husband-to-be any of this, of course).

so, when i stumbled upon the collection of fabulous disney bridal jewelry on weddingish.com, i was struck with that familiar why didn't i know about you guys when i got married? regret. hoping to spare future brides the same regret, i'm sharing some of my favorites.

based on the legendary princesses that belong to the disney family, each piece of jewelry is inspired by its namesake. i particularly love these whimsically elegant belle blossom earrings, as well as these classic giselle drops. and i love that the disney-inspiration is understated, yet still playful.

okay, maybe it's a good idea i got married when i did. i'd only have to choose between these beauties, wouldn't i?