Color Day: Vibrant Fiesta

Well, dolls, it's been a while since we've done a color board for you and we figured we'd put together one that definitely says "Summer!".  This color combination is a little bit retro and a little bit Tex-Mex.  We imagine an event with these colors might include papel picado and plenty of frozen margaritas and fish tacos to go around.  A bold choice for your wedding or summer bbq decor, we think these colors will be sure to liven up any party!

Sunflower, Rust, and Turquoise Wedding Color Inspiration Board

 My Wedding | Green Bride Guide | Kluster | The Swish List | Wedding Aces | The Knot | 

 The Perfect Palette |  Martha Stewart Weddings |  Wedding Bee | The Knot |  onewed |

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Indian Wedding: The Sangeet

Ok dolls, we've got just a few weeks to go before the wedding of our friends Janine and Vikrum.  We were wondering about wedding traditions and figured who better to tell us about an Indian Wedding than someone who's been to many is now planning one herself.  Here's a post from our good friend, Tina Duggal, who was kind enough to give us the 411 on Indian weddings. As Tina is getting married this summer, she is definitely an expert on wedding planning. We hope to share images from her big day, but for now read on for Indian Wedding 101.



An Indian wedding can be (and usually is) a lavish, multi-day affair.  From the bright colors, to the singing and dancing, to the beautiful traditional outfits, it's definitely a must-attend for anyone who is obsessed with weddings. Hindu wedding traditions can span up to nine days, so each culture and even each family can modify it to suit their needs.  However, the main ceremonies include the sangeet, the shaadi, and the reception.  For the days prior to the first event (the sangeet), many smaller events occur in both the bride's and groom's homes, respectively.  There are various poojas that need to be done in order to provide the most auspicious environment for the family and the home.  The homes are adorned with lights and decorations (almost like Christmas has come early!), and there is usually lots of singing and dancing as well.  The wedding is an extremely joyous time, not only for the bride and groom involved, but for their respective families.  In Indian culture, it is said that you are marrying into your partner's family, and so the families meeting, getting along, and enjoying each other's company is very important.



The sangeet day is a formal event of singing and dancing.  Some people host this event within their homes, while others can rent out a banquet facility or the like.  Traditionally, this was one of the 'separate events' that occurred in both the bride's and groom's homes, but nowadays, it is a joint event hosted by both families.  It is basically a pre-wedding celebration where everyone gets together to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of the brides and groom.  It also used to be the day that the bride had henna (or 'mehndi' in Hindi) applied to her hands and feet.  The bridal henna is very intricate and beautiful, and can take 3-4 hours total to apply!  It has no religious significance, as it is also applied to brides in Pakistan and Afghanistan (where Islam is the predominant faith), but is a way to decorate and adorn the bride for her wedding day.

 1. Sadia Komal | 2. AA Creation | 3.  In the Know Traveler | 4. Infused Studios | 5. India Royal Wedding Planners |

Check back next week for our continuation and more on Indian Weddings!



XOXO,

Tina, Jen, & Saira

Color Day: Slate, Mustard, and Orange

Last week we paired slate gray with Kelly green for a look of modern elegance..  This week, as promised, we switched out our Kelly green for some fun, vibrant, and cheerful shades of fall (or summer!).  Though the orange and yellow may be the typical, traditional fall colors, the slate gray is gives it a cool, modern, and edgy feel.

Mustard, Orange, and Gray Wedding Color Inspiration Board

1. Brooklyn Bride | 2. pinterest | 3. Wedding Wire | 4.Stella Nasson | 5.  Rachel Jasper Design |

 6. & 7. Martha Stewart | 8. April Ink | 9. sparkleandposy | 10. ellothere | 11. Wedding by Color | 

12. margotbianca | 13. The Knot | 14.  This Next |



XOXO

Jen & Saira

Real Wedding: Freya and Matt (Part 2 of 2)

Happy Friday, dolls! As promised, here is the second part of Freya and Matt's beautiful June wedding. Enjoy!

Location: The Estate at Florentine Gardens (www.florentinegardens.com)

Color Scheme:  Navy Blue and Yellow

Brides Dress: Maggie Sottero

Bridesmaids: Bill Levkoff

Grooms Suit: The Clothing Center

Groomsmen: Joseph A Banks

Florist: Marquis Florals

Band: The Kootz

Photographer: RHM Photography

Honeymoon: Paris, Rome, Florence, Barcelona

Special thanks to Freya and Matt for letting us share these great photos with you.  Congratulations, you two! Best wishes for a happy marriage!

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Real Wedding: Freya and Matt (Part 1 of 2)

We love it when our readers send us photos of their weddings to feature on our blog.  We love it even more when that reader is a friend of ours and we can make her feel extra special by showing off her gorgeous wedding to all of you! Freya, our friend and PDR enthusiast, met Matt over 10 years ago at a house party and she says it was truly love at first sight. In fact, she recalls announcing to her friends that she was certain he would be the one she married.  Although they didn't start dating right away, a mutual passion for music, travel, and food helped them to become fast friends and in 2007, six years later, they began dating.  Three years after that they got engaged and started planning their big day, which we are lucky to be able to share with you today! These two make a great couple and their June wedding had a lot of lovely details that helped their fun loving personalities shine through. Here's a look at some of our favorites from Freya and Matt's wedding (taken by the talented folks over at RHM Photography):

There were just so many charming portrait shots and fun reception pics that we decided we couldn't squeeze it all into one post. So, we hope you enjoyed this little preview but be sure to check back Friday for Part 2 for more Freya and Matt and for some of the details like the dress, venue, etc. 

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Lemon Lime

When life give you lemons, make lemonade.. or get creative and use them as centerpieces and place cards!  Lemon and lime are a vibrant pair of colors that are anything but sour! These cheerful hues are cool and refreshing for those summer afternoon weddings or parties and are sure to create a mood that is energizing, lighthearted, and fun.

Lemon Lime Color Inspiration Board

1. Sherri Weese | 2. Wedfully | 3. Sweet Salutation | 4.  Elizabeth Anne Designs |

5. RnR Wedding | 6. Weddingtalk | 7. The Pocket Sylist | 8. Event Pros |

9. Chesapeake Strings | 10. Nebraska Wedding Day | 11. Pumpkincat

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day Themes: Queen Bee

Here's a quirky little inspiration board for you based on one of nature's most misunderstood creatures, the honey bee. Bees are industrious, work together in harmonious unison, and if we look back to ancient times in Egypt, the symbol of the bee was used to represent royalty. In terms of colors, black and yellow are always what come to mind when we think of these insects. But, your event or decor can certainly be the bees knees without totally going overboard with the color, just stick with a more saturated hue like a mustard or golden honey and stay away from the bright crayon kind of yellow you might be used to.  Decorate with gold and black accents, add honey comb patterns to your stationary or decor, give away natural local honey, and whip you hair into a high and mighty beehive and you'll have an event that is truly buzz-worthy.

Images from: Trisha Dean, Wren Handmade, Timeless Paper, Anthropologie, J2Jewelry, bee intrigued, EmenGeeDesigns, Seasonal Delights, Cape Bride, The Small Object, Paper and Oats, Projector, kissandtellcards, KOtwo, Anna Kuperberg via Sparkliatti          

XOXO

Jen & Saira  

Color Day: Daffodi-lightful

To our surprise, despite the odd weather we've been having in NJ, the Daffodils are here! Dotting the landscape from Turnpike exits to neighborhood garden beds, these bright and happy yellow flowers can been seen across the state right now. Daffodils bloom quickly and most commonly come in bright or pale yellow, warm white, or a white and yellow combo.  So, in true springtime fashion, let's celebrate the brief Daffodil season with a cheerful color board that's sure to brighten your day.

Daffodil Yellow Color Inspiration Board

Images from: Tutus Chic, Nordstrom, Wedding Girl, Candy & Cake, Taste of Home, Chadwicks, The Shoreside Bride, Wedding Flowers, Ritzy Bee, Wish Special Events, Martha Stewart   

XOXO

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Passion for Pastels

This time of year is one that inspires so many different color combinations.  For many people, springtime inspires us to decorate and dress in pale, soft colors like green, pink, blue, or yellow.  Or, if you'd like, you can combine them all together for a pastel palette suitable enough for the easter bunny himself. While these colors have come to represent Easter, we're not saying you need to go full on bunny and rainbow colored crazy.  Just adding some pretty vintage looking pastels and an egg/bird decorative item here and there can be quite cheerful and truly egg-cellent.

Vintage Pastels/Easter Inspiration Board

Images from: Pretty Chicky, Wedding Nouveau, Marigolds and Mithai, Cedar Wood Weddings, ZsaZsa Bellagio, The Sweetest Occasion, My Girl Design, Eternal Eden, highteaforalice, Pickled Parlor, The Cinderella Project, Design Sponge, Martha Stewart

XOXO,



Jen & Saira

Color Day: Shades of Autumn

Here is another great color combo for fall!  We know that incorporating a whole range of colors can be tempting, particularly for the fall season, and who are we to stop you?!  What we will do is show you how to combine multiple fall colors in a way that is tasteful and sophisticated and not reminiscent of a hand print turkey.  So, to pick a few colors we went with brown, green, orange and yellow.   You could easily add more splashes of burgundy to this palette, if you so choose, but we like to keep things a little simpler.  Plus, focusing on just these four lends to an almost vintage, 1970's feel that we are really digging.

Brown, Green, Orange, and Yellow Fall Wedding Color Inspiration Board

Images from: KottonKandy52, TheSlightlyObsessiveBride, ElizabethAnneDesigns, wedding-cupcakes, Zazzle, OnceWed, ModCloth, wishspecialevents, merrimentdesign, KellyOShiroEvents, David's Bridal, Urban Outfitters

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

Color Day: Spices of India

Namaste!  Let's continue this week's food theme with a pallet inspired by some of our favorite cuisine. Tikka Masala, Palak Paneer, Curry, Tandoori anything.. we just can't get enough ethnic foods and Indian is one of our favorites! With it's rich red, deep gold, & earthy green spices, Indian food is by far the most colorful and vibrant of them all!  We love the way these savory hues play off each other and work together to create a color scheme that invokes comfort, warmth, & passion.  This is one delectable color inspiration that we're sure will add a little spice to your home, event, or Fall wardrobe.

 Indian Spices Color Inspiration Board

Images from: Macy's,  The Sweetest Occasion, Santa Barbara Chic, Anthropologie, Alfred Angelo, Urban Outfitters, Wedding Paper Divas, Project Wedding, Elizabeth Ann Designs, I Do Inspiration, Polka Dot Robot, Taste of India 

XOXO,

Jen & Saira

         

Real Wedding: Mike and Sheryl - Part 2 of 2

Welcome back for the conclusion of Mike and Sheryl's wedding.  We've taken you through their engagement, into the getting ready and pre-ceremony shots, and now, here is where the magic happens and you see it all come together.  Sheryl and Mike managed let their personalities shine through each element of their wedding, which exuded both vintage charm and modern style. From the live musicians at the ceremony, to the mashed potato bar, to the vintage photo booth, and right on through to the sparkler send off it was apparent to all that this is a couple who not only has great style but that loves to have fun together.  

Sheryl and Mike chose to host their ceremony and reception in Newark, NJ - where they had first met.  Now, we know what you're thinking because we thought it too. Could Newark, NJ - once ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the nation - be the perfect place for a fairytale wedding?  We were skeptical at first, but my oh my were we shocked and awed by the beauty of The Mezzanine, on the second  floor of The National Newark Building. Art Deco, bank vaults, funky teller window turned bar - the history and 1930's feel was captivating...although certainly not more so than the charm of the lovely bride and groom and the romantic and modern details that they brought to the space. 

The Dress: Pnina Tornai

The Shoes: Emilio Pucci

The Suit: Andrew Fezza

Bridesmaids' Dresses: Alvina Velenta

Groomsmen's Suits: Alfani

Flowers: Laurelwood Designs

Veil: Kleinfield

Photography: Wayne Yuan Photography

Make-up: Expert Makeup Artistry - Lauren Del Preore Iavarone

Hair: Headhunters - Annie Mees

Photo Location(s): Hilton Newark Penn Station, Branch Brook Park, 

The Mezzanine, and Broad Street Newark

Catering: Frungillo

Stationary: Paper & Inklings

Music: Ceremony & Cocktail Hour - Michael Arenella & His Dreamland Orchestra

Reception - DJ Gaza (Gary Hoffmann)

Videographer: Well Spun Wedding Films

Thanks again to Mike and Sheryl for sharing these gorgeous photos.  You both mean a lot to us and we wish you a wonderfully happy and healthy marriage.

XOXO,

Jen & Saira