JL DESIGNS: July 2009

okay so i know this is longer than a normal "sneak peak" but i couldn't help myself! janey from mary jane photography took so many stunning shots of this recent 4th of july wedding i just HAD to share! a full post will come later on down the road but hopefully these will suffice for now in showing how gorgeous the day was!

there were SO many great details, most of which were executed by the lovely beth helmstetter - who, along with the bride, has impeccable taste and a real eye for design! the look of the day was kind of a "ballroomed-up" version of the french countryside...we utilized the outdoor ceremony area to bring in more rustic elements like herbs, wheelbarrows, moss, wood signs, etc...but in the ballroom we kept to elegant, footed glass vases, lush florals in cream and yellow, mason jar candles, warm lighting and shabby chic charger plates (hand-picked by beth). overall stunning-ness!

i cannot wait to show you all more images! but due to the fact that this wedding is being submitted for publication in a wedding magazine, i need to keep a lot of the juicy details to under wraps for the time being...nevertheless, i hope you enjoyed this small sampling of what's to come!

okay people! i hope you are ready for this!!! i have been DYING to blog this photo shoot for months and now that the utterly engaged issue 002 has launched, the time has finally come! this post will be longer than usual but blame it on stephanie williams for being a photo genius and making it impossible to choose which pics to post!

when the girls of dlsh design contacted me about taking part in an eco-chic photo shoot for the second issue of their online magazine, utterly engaged, i knew it was going to be special...i feel so blessed that i was given the chance to work with such amazingly talented girls who are SO out-of-this world good at their crafts!

the theme for the shoot was "eco-chic"...designing in a sustainable way that is easy on the wallet and easy on the environment without sacrificing style...it IS doable people! just see for yourselves...

bouquet of yellow ranunculas, buttery lisianthus and cream colored tulips...

sweet little boutonnieres to coordinate with the bouquets i made...

melody from sweet and saucy created this beautiful cake with a homespun feel...going with a buttercream frosting is always less expensive than fondant...and doesn't it still look so elegant?

for the tablescape, i collected vintage vases and milkglass at local thrift stores to be sustainable (and budget-friendly), trying to re-use as much as possible...i then filled them with varying shades of yellow ranunculas, lisianthus, tulips and astilbe...buying flowers as local and domestic as possible helps lessen the gas and emmissions used in transporting the flowers from where they are grown...also, by arranging flowers in vases with only water, it reduces the need for floral foam, which is not bio-degradable and takes forever to break down in landfills...

by incorporating the cake, desserts and sparkling lemonade bottles into the actual tablescape, it lessens the amount of floral needed, saving on costs (and waste)...

although i rented the bistro chairs, china and napkins, i decided to go a different route with the linens...i popped into a salvation army and found some great ivory sheets for $1.00 each! one even had an adorable eyelet lace border which looked really great from this angle...

how killer would it be to drape all of your tables in vintage floral sheets, making each tablescape slightly different from the next but still keeping with an overall consistent color scheme and feel? i would LOVE for one of my brides to allow me to do this for her wedding!

having a light brunch or dessert reception in the late morning or early afternoon could help save on costs since you won't have to serve a formal, sit down meal, your alcohol bill winds up being lower since guests won't drink as heavily and you don't need to bring in any specialty lighting (this helps save energy too!)...

printing your invites and stationary on recycled paper earns major brownie points for being "green"!

the insanely gorgeous dresses each had their own unique character! not only were they stunning but i was blown away that both designers use all organic and sustainable materials to create their dresses...note to all: an eco-friendly dress does not mean it has to look or feel like a potato sack! here is the proof!

definitely one of my favorite bouquets to date...i made this up entirely of balsa wood flowers (which never die and can be re-used) and simple, inexpensive dusty miller foliage...i wrapped the stems in off white satin and overlaid it with some lace leftover from a past bride's wedding dress alteration scraps...way to recycle right?! :)