Invite Designer – Creative Wedding Planning & Ideas

A collection of actress and activist Audrey Hepburn’s infamous clothing will be auctioned next Tuesday. Among the sleek evening gowns, smart felt hats, and signature flats (worn to minimize Hepburn’s not diminutive 5’7’’ height) an Italian-made wedding dress never worn by the actress will also be auctioned. The dress is a much simpler number than the black-and-white construction her character Sabrina wore in the title 1954 film, but it has a more interesting story. Hepburn was in Italy filming Roman Holiday and took the opportunity to have her dress designed by the renowned Fontana sisters in preparation for her marriage to James Hanson. In the end, her desire to pursue acting made her think twice about committing to married life, and she instructed the sisters to give her dress “to another girl… the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find.” The dress was given to impoverished bride Amabile Altobelle who would marry farm worker Adelino Solda and enjoy a happier married life than Hepburn, who married and divorced twice.

I see the dress itself as an embodiment of Hepburn’s enduring style—simple, structured, classic, and sophisticated as hell. For any brides who swoon for Hepburn’s look but would be hard-pressed to afford even a button off of her collection, take heart! With a revived interest in vintage fashion influencing modern wedding designs, it’s easy to find a contemporary gown with some nostalgic flair.

Search for dresses that rest at your natural waist, have a halter a la Marilyn Monroe, or a sweetheart neckline.

Ivory and off-white lace embellishments are feminine, romantic, and affect an attractive antique quality. Whether you choose an all-over lace or small appliqués, check for quality construction and a delicate yet easily distinguishable pattern. You don’t want to look like your grandmother’s doily.

Tea-length, knee-length, and even mini-wedding dresses have left the “destination wedding” market for every-day use (so to speak! if only we could get married every day, right?) and now it’s easy for a bride to look as sexy as those Madmen women walking down the aisle. Here’s an opportunity to show off those killer shoes of yours.

Banish the notion that sleeves are only for the puritanical bride or the bride who wants to hide her less-than-perfectly-toned arms. Whether butterfly, rimmed with delicate eyelets or lace, three-quarters, or tapering to the wrists, sleeves are a vintage alternative to the strapless status-quo and leave a little more to the imagination.

Finally, don’t forget to complete your ensemble with vintage accessories! Some digging in your mother or grandmother’s closet, a local vintage shop, or Goodwill can turn up treasures like hair pieces, combs, pillbox hats, pearls, and fishnet veils. Try some wrist or opera-length gloves for a truly Hepburnian look and smile with confidence in all your wedding photos knowing that your classic look will always be in style.

I try to take a walk through my subdivision every day to get some fresh air, and lately my eyes have been drawn to the ground more than usual to avoid stepping ankle-deep in puddles from the recent torrential rains, and I’ve noticed how lovely (and robustly!) moss grows on most everything in Seattle. Even with winter approaching and the last of the autumn color falling from the trees, moss continues to flourish. What better way to bring a little distinctively Northwest greenery into your wedding when flowers may be expensive and unavailable so late in the year?

This table is centered by a simple alternating pattern of light and dark green-colored mosses.

You can pile and layer mosses to add volume and depth. A milk glass cake stand make a sophisticated receptacle and the mushroom figurines add a touch of whimsy. 

Nest candles, stones, or other decorative baubles amidst moss to effect a found-in-nature aesthetic.

Best of all, it’s easy and inexpensive to begin a moss terrarium that you can transfer to centerpieces or other decorations on your wedding day. Here are some basic instructions:

1) Find a glass container with a lid. It’s important that the container retains moisture and the moss stay moist.

2) Moss thrives best in nutrient-deficient, wet soil, so fill the container with some soil mixed with sand and clay. Add rocks and wood as this will not only look nice but help the terrarium retain moisture.

3) Go out and find some moss! This can be as simple as transplanting some you found growing on the sidewalk or ordering specific colors and types from online stores.

4) Add enough water to moisten the soil, gently push the moss into the soil to encourage adhesion, and close the lid.

5) Place the container in a room that receives indirect sunlight.

Because the moss’s respiration and condensation will replenish the water supply, the terrarium should only need watering every few weeks. Check out this website for more moss-growing tips.

If DIY isn’t your style, you can purchase moss terrariums online. This Etsy shop has beautiful glass bottles and jars both big and small that would look gorgeous peppered on a tabletop or suspended in a collage. Let your imagination grow wild!

Wedding guests often cite the food, music, and cake as the most memorable components of a reception, but why not think outside the cake box and provide a dessert they’ll really remember? Cupcakes have already taken the wedding world by storm as a viable cake alternative, but these other options can be just as beautiful and delicious as frosted tiers.

Truffle cake

These milk and dark chocolate truffles are affixed to a tiered scaffolding to give the appearance of a cake, but without all that buttercream! More chocolate is always good in my book. These truffles are arranged in an attractive pattern, and you could vary the look with other truffle flavors or even completely different types of chocolates.

Fruit display

This “fruitcake” is so much better than those bricks you get for Christmas. Fruit is arranged in nesting dishes that look like tiers when stacked. You could use any shape as long as you have the dish: round, square, let your imagination run wild. A healthy option, you could easily fill the dishes with mixed nuts or even veggies. Best of all, the fruit is contained in each dish, so moving and storing the “cake” is a piece of… well, you know.

Macaroon tower

Classy and colorful, a tower of macaroons is an impressive way to bring a bit of French charm to your wedding. Since these little cookies come in such a variety of hues and flavors, you can literally provide a sweet that every guest will enjoy. Try other small cookies like the Italian brutta ma buoni or even coconut macaroons. Bon appétit!

Candy buffet

A candy buffet allows you the most creative freedom since you can choose any candy or small dessert item and display it in a variety of containers, platters, and bowls. Although not ideal for your diabetic grandmother, sugary sweets are fun and easy to use because they come in so many colors and flavors. Try citrus flavors or candied pineapple slices for a summer wedding, and candy canes and red and green M&Ms would be perfect for a holiday affair. Glass apothecary jars in different heights and sizes vary how these treats are displayed, and don’t forget to provide bags or containers so guests can take home their spoils.

Sundae station

An ice cream sundae station is the perfect way to serve this childhood confection with sophistication. For a casual feel, serve familiar flavors like chocolate and vanilla in vintage soda shop glasses with hot fudge and maraschino cherries, or update things with contemporary martini glasses, unique ice cream flavors like balsamic strawberry or champagne, and twists on traditional toppings like long, thin cookie sticks in place of cones and a bourbon caramel topping.

Each of these alternatives is great since guests can take as much or as little as they want, and the treats are easier to transport and store than massive layers of cake. With so many options, what kind of dessert will you sweeten your day with?

If themes like “the beach” or “pink and black” are too ubiquitous, give your guests and yourselves something to smile about on your wedding day with a themed wedding. With some thought and planning, these often-giggled-about themes can be executed with style and class.

Pirates

Arrr! Forget the cheap plastic eye patches and striped shirts; the antiquated, lush fantasy world of pirates just begs to be explored. Send your wedding guests invitations in real bottles like this enterprising bride, and request that they come dressed in pirate garb. For those who lack the necessary corsets and pantaloons, stock an old wooden chest with hats, cloaks, or ruffled shirts at the ceremony for guests to borrow. Offer a Caribbean menu with fish, dried fruits, and plenty of rum! Decorate with white, flowing fabrics to mimic sails, and use nets, sea shells or other nautical equipment.

Super Mario Brothers

Video games have transcended the monochromatic black-and-green screens of Pong and today’s players of all ages demand high-quality graphics, memorable soundtracks, and engaging storylines—they’re not just for dweebs anymore! If you want to pay tribute to the pixilated beginnings, try featuring your favorite characters on a cake like the Mario-themed one above, or offer star and mushroom-shaped cookies as favors. If you want to walk down the aisle to your favorite game music, many themes have been translated into beautiful songs played by a full orchestra. For entertainment at your reception, hook up an old console and provide games for kids and adults alike.

Star Wars

One of the great things about a Star Wars-themed wedding is that the films take place in so many different locales that you have plenty of venue options. If you’re not fond of replicating sci-fi space ship interiors, a Nevada desert could double for Luke’s home planet, Tatooine, and a lush forest for Endor, the setting of Return of the Jedi. Since guests are less likely to own light sabers and Yoda masks than clothing they could pass off as pirate-related, reserve costumes for the wedding party and keep them subtle. These groomsmen look both charming yet classy in storm trooper helmets and white tuxedos. Have the bride dress normally but done Leia’s signature buns. For food and favors, try “Wookie Cookies” and “Boba Fett-uccine” out of this Star Wars-themed cookbook.

Those couples pursuing a themed wedding are likely to appreciate a little fun and humor in their daily lives, so share that, and try to include guests with themed details they’ll be able to participate in no matter what. Grandpa may not understand who Princess Peach is and why she always needs saving, but he’ll appreciate a slice of peach-filled wedding cake all the same.

Diamond engagement rings are the iconic symbol of commitment and devotion in the minds of many brides, but I’m always surprised by how little the average woman knows about diamond gemstones beyond how many carats and the number of side settings she wants on her own ring. Of course it’s hard to question something that appears so brilliantly perfect, but here are some little-known facts that might help you appreciate what you’re planning to wear (or are already wearing) on your left hand every day for the rest of your life.

-  Diamond gemstones are not rare. If you compared a ruby and diamond of the same quality, the ruby would be more expensive since it’s harder to find. However, quality diamonds that are clear, colorless, and free from inclusions (or flaws within the stone) are rare.

-  Diamonds are up to 3 billion years old! At that time in Earth’s history there were no animals or plants, just an assortment of bacteria and other single-celled critters swimming around in goop.

-  Some extremely rare diamonds as old as 5 billion years have been found in meteorites. That’s older than our entire galaxy.

-  Diamonds may be the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth, but they’re still brittle enough to be shattered by an untrained diamond cutter, so make sure yours is licensed.

-  Diamonds possess their own color, but can also look different under different types of light- when you’re buying a diamond, take it outdoors and view it under both florescent and incandescent lights to get an idea of what it’ll look like on a daily basis.

-  Diamonds can appear different as you travel across the world, too. The sun’s light hits the Earth at different angles depending from the poles to the equator, and those different angles produce subtle color changes.

-  Some diamonds are florescent! The next time you find yourself under an ultraviolet light (otherwise known as a black light) check out your diamond. It may be glowing!

Here’s a quick diamond quiz to test your new knowledge. How did you do?

While less scientific, some seasoned gemologists say that women gravitate towards certain diamond shapes depending on their personality. I-Village has a great breakdown of shapes and settings for women from Tomboys to Romantics, so see what diamond best suits you!