July's Flower: Larkspur

July's flower is the larkspur, and unless you are familiar with flowers, this is probaly new to you. While they are typically used as beautiful accents in bouquets, they make gorgeous centerpieces all on their own. The meaning of the larkspur, according to meaning-of-flowers.com, is "open-heart," which, in my opinion, is a very beautiful sentiment for a wedding.  As you can see, depending on what they accompany, they can add completely different moods to arrangements ranging from opulant and regal to rustic and whimsical.  Enjoy some of the different ways they are used!

Joys Florist

Joys Florist

Backyard Huppah

The Bride's Cafe

Sloan Photographers via Style Me Pretty

So while planning your special day, make sure you do so with an open-heart and have fun!

Jaimee

June: Roses

The month of June is the most popular for weddings, so it stands to reason that this month's flower is the rose. Being such a common love flower, this is a perfect occassion to take the color into consideration as each color represents something specific. So I turned to the trusty meaning-of-flowers.com to see how the meanings differed in color. Take a look at what the colors mean and how you might incorporate the meaning into your own wedding scheme.

 

Light Pink: grace, gentility, perfect happiness

Photo by  Taylor Jackson Photography bouquet by  Stemz via Canadian Bride

Dark Pink: thank you or thankfulness

Bouquet Bridal

Pale Pink: admiration, grace, joy

Photo by Polly Alexandre via You and Your Wedding

Orange: Enthusiasm or Desire

Martha Stewart Weddings

White: Charm, wisdom, secrecy, silence, reverence, humility, youthfulness, innocence

Luster Studios

Yellow: infidelity, joy, gladness, friendship, jealousy, 

Photo by SugarLove Photography via Butterfly Philosophy

Peach: immortality, sincerity, gratitude

Photo by Ryan Price Photography via Wedding Chicks

My personal favorites are pale pink and peach. They add such a romantic, whimsical element and I love the idea of their meanings. Weddings are obviously supposed to be about love, but the added meanings of grace, joy, admiration, and sincerity seem just as appropriate. Have fun, and make your wedding day uniquely you!

Jaimee

May's Flower: Lilies of the Valley and Hawthorns

May flowers are here! And as they begin to usher in the warmth of summer, we have two special flowers that belong to the month of May. If we consider the old saying, "April showers bring May flowers," one might find it interesting that the two flowers unique to May are rarely seen in wedding schemes. First, we have the lily of the valley, which means purity, humility, and sweetness, according to meaning-of-flowers.com, and given the recent spotlight they were given by the Duchess, we will probably see much more of them in future. They create a regal and whimsical feeling with their draping flow. And let's face it. If Kate had them, I want them. The second flower is the hawthorne, which means strong and powerful. Seeing them in bouquets and centerpieces is even rarer, but the way I see it, all the more reason to choose them! Their presence in your wedding would make your day that much more unique!

Lily of the Valley

Photo by Marie Labbancz Photography Bouquet by Beautiful Bloom Events

Photo from Yours Moment

Hawthorn

Bouquet by Wedding Dream

Happy wedding planning!

Jaimee

April's Flowers: Sweet Peas and Daisies

April brings us two beautiful flowers that are especially fabulous in bouquets.  The sweet pea and the daisy both belong to April. These flowers create some of my personal favorite arrangements thus far even though they are very different from one another. Sweet peas are smaller and are used more as accent flowers and fillers but create such a romantic feel to whatever they adorn. Daisies are a bit more versatile and, depending on their color, can convey either a sense of happy cheerfulness or a romantic vintage feel. The sweet pea represents departure and blissful pleasure while the daisy symbolizes gentleness, innocence, and loyal love according to meaning-of-flowers.com. I also love the color possibilities with these flowers! 

Sweet Peas

Martha Stewart Weddings via Gangsta Bride

Heart Love Weddings

purple sweet pea bouquet photo by Fleurs NYC via Botanical Brouhaha; sweet pea bouquets Martha Stewart via Elizabeth Anne Designs

Daisies

Taylor Jackson Photography

Bouquet Bridal

In the right setting, these wild daisies would be GORGEOUS!

Talia Events

Be unique and think outside the box! Your wedding is YOUR day, and it should be uniquely you. Happy planning!

Jaimee

January's Flower: Carnation

Every month has a special flower, just like every month has a birthstone. When planning your wedding, it might be fun to incorporate your wedding month's flower into your wedding scheme. Or perhaps you'd like to use the flowers from the birth months of you and your partner, parents, grandparents, etc. So to start out the new year, we'll highlight January's flower: the carnation. Often overlooked in bouquets, taking the backseat to more exotic flowers, the carnation can be incredibly beautiful and budget friendly when used as the main attraction. And according to the creatively named website, meaning-of-flowers.com, there are different meanings to the different colored flowers. And while most people don't take the meaning of the color of a flower into consideration when planning their wedding, it could add a special, meaningful detail. However, if the color of your flower doesn't mean what you want it to mean...do whatever you want. It's YOUR wedding day!

Yellow: Rejection and Disdain

by Humingbird Ministry 2

by Bebb Studios via Steven Moore Designs 

White: Innocence, Pure Love, Sweet Love

by Bouquet Bridal

by Aylee Bits

Red: Admiration

by Tanjeeryn Designs

by Kathleens Florist

Purple: Antipathy

by frugalflower.com

by A Jubilee Event

Pink: Longing

by Bouquets and Brides

by Intimate Weddings

Using carnations in both bouquets and centerpieces is a great way to keep your budget in check, and they create a look that is unique and lush for your special day. You might even consider making the unique floral arrangements for your special day yourself, but we'll save that for later. 

Jaimee

Four Leaf Wedding: Cory & Lauren

Ashley Nacke Photography 

Meet Cory and Lauren:  a beautiful, loving, fun couple who simply adore each other!  They were married on September 4th at the fantastic Indianapolis Art Center in Broad Ripple.  Being a lover of anything Vera Bradley and nautical, the bride was able to incorporate those styles into every detail.  The end results was a classy yet colorful wedding with loads of personality.  Ashley Nacke Photography shot such amazing photos of everything that I could have posted them all!  

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 


The yellow rose bouquets by Bella's Blooms added a colorful pop that brought together both looks.

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

Even though the questionable weather forced us to move the ceremony indoors, the wedding was beautiful and intimate.  Indianapolis Art Center offers a great variety of backup plans if rain is in the forecast.

Ashley Nacke Photography 

The couple had a "Bucket List" album where each guest wrote a unique date suggestion, marriage advice, fun place to visit in Indianapolis, etc.  They then placed that card in one of the dated envelopes.  Lauren and Cory will open one each day on the corresponding day for their first year of marriage!

Ashley Nacke Photography 

Ashley Nacke Photography 

Taste of Congo and World Cuisine's Jose Lusende and team not only served up unique and savory hors d'oeuvres, but were hilarious motivators during the evening's clean up!  Cake My Day created one dreamy dessert bar that was a giant hit.  The bride and groom chose to cut a pie instead of a traditional cake, because "Why would you eat cake when you can have pie?" -Cory Schneider.

Ashley Nacke Photography 

I loved working with this bride and mother of the bride combo!  A great team makes the planning process much more fun.  Thanks, ladies!  Let's do it again...

{Insert hearts around this photo}

=)

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

 Ashley Nacke Photography 

Ashley Nacke Photography 

Wardrobe Change = more reasons for bride to get down and boogie!  I love this classy end of the night dress that Lauren magically appeared in to show off her dance moves.  DJ Alex Anglin kept the party going an extra 30 minutes for the happy couple and their guests!

Ashley Nacke Photography 

Congratulations, Cory and Lauren!!!  Enjoy your new life together and may God send many little blessings your way...

Jen

{Stay tune for a video clip from this wedding by Benny Krown}

Top Dress Trends For Your Bridal Party

InStyle.com recently ran a feature on their top trends for formal dresses.  The list was made up of 13 categories of which we have chosen our favorite examples to share with you.  If you are looking for dress styles that will keep your bridal party (and yourself!) looking classy and current, then take notes...

Kate Beckinsale                                          Eva Mendes                                           Ashley Olsen

The one-shoulder dress is timeless, sophisticated, and looks great on all bust sizes.  The large yet subtle pattern on the printed strapless dress adds a flare that will stand the test of time.  A column gown is sleek, yet best for tall or slender figures.

Vanessa Hudgens                                    Olivia Wilde                                        Anne Hathaway

Rosettes add romance and whimsy, especially when used on soft palette gowns. This ethereal gown in particular is extremely feminine and classy for a bridesmaid or even a bride. Embellished necklines fancy up your bridal party for instant red carpet appeal.

 

Anne Hathaway                                  Taylor Momsen                                       Malin Akerman

Having each of your girls wear a different gown in coordinating primary colors adds a very "Sex-And-The-City" glam to your bridal party. We love this option for a smaller bridal party. More than four girls at the alter in a rainbow of colors will cause too much distraction and theme chaos! 

 

Freida Pinto                                           JoAnna Garcia                                       Carrie Underwood

If you have chosen a mini dress for your bridesmaids, be sure the neckline isn't too revealing to keep their look sophisticated.  If you're going with a floral gown, try a larger, non-repetitive pattern to steer away from the casual "sundress" look.  Metallic bead dresses are a fun reception dress option for you to wear as a reception dress and wow your guests with your wardrobe change!

 

Eva Mendes                                     Olga Kuylenko                                     Cameron Diaz

Retro styles have definitely made a comeback, just be sure your dress selection isn't too costumey. Mermaid dresses are bursting with drama and feminine flair making them perfect for an evening wedding.  Choosing the right color pink for your gals to wear can make or break their entire look.  Too bubblegum, too Pepto, bright... we think that Cameron's selection was right on the money!

Jen