pink + peonies = perfect

the peony is hands down my all time favorite flower. so when i saw an airy cluster of them featured on a pair of strappy pink heels recently, i went absolutely craaazy and was instantly inspired. a whole wedding built around pink and peonies? what could be more perfect?

the stunning badgley mischka shoes were clearly the inspiration, but there are many fabulous ways to incorporate this lush flower into your design aesthetic.

how about an outdoor central park wedding that mixes the summery peony with coordinating flowers and elements in the same pink hue? bold boutonnieres by ariston florist would mix beautifully with cherry blossom accents and a playful cotton candy display that looks like a vase of peony stems (very clever).

i'm nuts about this peony cake, which is whimsical-yet-classic and just plain gorgeous. it makes a perfect complement to the sweetly simple tablescape by martha stewart — don't you love the pink glass china? crazy pretty.

and finally, what bride would be complete without this dupioni silk-lined peony clutch by red ruby rose? it's like a breath of spring. all right, how many brides out there love the peony as much as i do?!

photo credits
cake • tara donne; cotton candy • kristin spencer photography; boutonniere • patricia kantzos photography; shoes • ling photography, st. paul, mn.

image of the week — white wedding dessert table

though i lovelovelove the use of color in a wedding, i am a huge fan of finding new ways to make white sparkle.

amy atlas is a master at this, and i just had to share one of my favorite images of her white-on-white wedding dessert table. color is bold and vibrant, but sometimes, the subtleties of white are unmatched. don't you just love this?

alternative wedding music

when i originally saw the now-famous youtube video of jill & kevin's outrageously original march down the aisle to chris brown's forever, my first thought was, "finally!" it was a risk, it was refreshing, and it was undeniably something that couple (and their guests) will remember the rest of their lives.

music is such an intimate reflection of a person or couple, and too often, i think couples make their music choices based on what they have liked in other weddings, and not necessarily on the statement they'd like to make with their own. canon in d, the bridal chorus and water music are all timelessly beautiful, but are they really the only options?

contemporary choices like israel kamakawiwo'ole's charming somewhere over the rainbow and elvis' can't help falling in love are wonderful favorites — but again, these songs have been around for awhile.

what i loved about jill and kevin's decision was not necessarily the dance, but the fact that they decided on a personal tone for their event and then made the music match their personalities. for couples who truly want a memory — and to stand out from the crowd — i can't recommend this approach enough.

while i can't boast a video of a fabulously choreographed bridal party, i can vividly recall the smiles on the faces of our guests as i walked down the aisle to tony bennett's jaunty just in time. and we nearly brought the house down when my new husband and i receded down the aisle to the unmistakeable sex and the city theme. we had bonded over the show when we first got together, and i simply had to honor this in our music. i still get comments about it.

point is, jill and kevin's song was unapologetically personal, just as the songs my husband and i chose were personal. and silly. and uncommon. don't be afraid to make choices that are unique to you, no matter how unorthodox. you may not wind up on youtube, but the memories will most definitely last a lifetime.

photo courtesy of wedding music samples.

weddings on the mount • edith wharton style

edith wharton, nineteenth-century author of such classic novels as the age of innocence and the house of mirth, was as fascinated by architecture and garden design as she was by old new york society.

probably the most exceptional example of wharton's many talents was her first home and self-designed estate know as "the mount," built in 1902.

now a museum and tourist attraction in lenox, massachusetts, the mount is a lush, vast american estate that is now often used for weddings and elegant gatherings.  how breathtaking is this place?

we particularly love the glorious landscape and walled gardens of the mount, which seem almost to be designed for celebrations and entertaining.  if you're planning a wedding in the new england area, it's definitely worth a visit.