My name is Kelly Oshiro and I am an event designer and wedding planner. I started Santa Barbara Chic to share what inspires me on a daily basis. I love repurposing vintage items in a modern way, food photography, shoes, estate locations, and creating inspiration boards.
I’m so happy to announce the Santa Barbara Wedding Guide now has its very own blog! I’ll be contributing to this blog periodically and today my post about Rockwood and my wedding is up here. Be sure to check back for Santa Barbara real wedding features, vendor spotlights, inspiration and so much more.
Today I’m so excited to be featured on The City Sage! I did a Valentine’s themed table for the chic DIY girl. You can go check it out here and here.
Special thanks to Tim Halberg for photographing the table!
I’m so happy to present the lovely Chelsea from Frolic! with her tips for photo styling. Enjoy!!!
I am Chelsea from Frolic! and am excited to be on Kelly’s lovely blog today! She asked me to share a little about my thought process when I style weddings or party tables. I love everything to look pretty and just right but it also has to be simple, quick and inexpensive. Here are a few tips for those styling their own wedding or party tables.
1. Think about Location. I like my tablescapes to grow from their environments. I spend a lot of time at the locations and if I have a style in mind to begin with, I search out the perfect spot. This green and white table was inspired by the blooming pear trees it was sitting under. I didn’t want to outdo all the gorgeous natural beauty but simply play off of it.
2. Stick to one or two colors. It makes the shopping and planning process so much easier ( and cheaper!). I based this entire table around a swatch of Liberty fabric and a bucket of apples.
3. Pretty chairs are important. Chairs can make or break the entire atmosphere. Go with cheaper centerpieces and spend your dollars on chairs. It will be worth it! They don’t have to match either. One of my favorite tricks is to mix and match Chivari chairs with chairs I already own. Just make sure they are the same colors and around the same heights.
4. Anything can be a centerpiece. It doesn’t alway have to be flowers. Don’t rule out anything. I am a big fan of using seasonal fruit for centerpieces and doubling them up for favors. Helps with the budget too!
5. Make your table look homemade. Rental cloths are usually the most practical and realistic for the budget, but it doesn’t mean your tables have to be sterile. The first thing I usually start with is a plain white rental cloth and from there I add homemade runners and napkins.
6. Use pretty packaging. Not the crafty type? Don’t fiddle with cellophane and ribbons. Find favors and drinks with pretty labels that match your color scheme. Often you can buy in bulk online or through a local store. I based this entire table around Bon Maman strawberry jam and it made my life so much easier!
7. Hang flags! Bunting is so simple and inexpensive to make. Anyone can do it and it really creates a fun atmosphere. I made this one out of tape!
8. Use handwriting. It adds a personal, warm flair to your day. If you don’t like your handwriting or don’t have time, source it out to a friend with pretty writing or calligraphy skills.
9. Have fun! Only decorate with things you like and don’t feel pressure from other people to include colors or elements that don’t reflect your style. It should be an enjoyable process!
Photos: 1,4,5,7,8,9 Chelsea Fuss for Project Wedding. 2 + 3, Chelsea Fuss for Once Wed. 6, Chelsea Fuss.
Thanks for the post Chelsea!!!
Today I’m super excited to welcome Alison of Alison Events. I love her work, creativity, and now her new book! “Destination Wedding Planner: The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wedding from Afar” has tons of useful worksheets and pretty pictures to boot. You can buy it here.
Take it away Alison:
I have always been excited to try to come up with different ways to display escort cards. I get inspired often by the things that are in the space or at the venue already. Here are some of my favorites….
We pinned the escort cards to a tree that was big and grand and just so happen to be in a convenient place, in the middle of the cocktail hour!
For a wine country wedding, we created a wine cork board and then placed all the cards on top in a beautiful calligraphy!
For a Tahoe wedding we used the river stones that were from the lake at the clients home and wrote the guests names on them with sharpies and then had the table number on the back.
For a Mexico wedding we calligraphied the guests names on a piece of paper, tied them to local shells and stuck them in sand boxes. It was a great souvenir.
For a wedding that took place in a barn we hung the escort cards from the barn doors by clothing lines and twine. Rather then calligraphy, we hand wrote them so they would blend with the casualness of the display.
For an Asian wedding that wanted to emphasize their heritage, we hung tea bags off an old ladder that had the guests names written on the front.
For a country wedding we placed the escort cards in wooden fruit boxes and filled them with seeds and then had fruits cascading down the side of the table.
For a mid century modern wedding in Palm Springs we placed calligraphied escort cards on a bed of white mums. The cards were calligraphied then screen printed.
Top image: Jose Villa
All images courtesy of Alison Events.
My guest post about my ideal vacation is up on coco + kelley, one of my all time favorite blogs. You can check it out right here.
Enjoy!
Thank you to all my guest bloggers! Be sure to check out their blogs for even more inspiration.
Image: Pistachio Press
Our next guest is the lovely Cassandra from coco + kelley:
Whenever I get asked about where I find inspiration for my interiors and events, I only have one answer: everywhere. So, whether I’m planning a wedding or styling a dining room, I always tell my clients to send me anything that moves them. I’ve created rooms inspired by fashion spreads and weddings inspired by vintage posters. It’s really all about figuring out what it is about that piece that inspires you, and designing everything around it. Here’s how it works for me…
I recently moved back to Seattle from Los Angeles and have been completely infatuated by the amazing colors of the leaves changing all over the city. Patches of vivid reds, oranges and yellows are everywhere I look! I wanted to find a room that really captured the colors of the season while still remaining elegant…
This dining room by Stephen Shubel has always been a favorite of mine, and happens to be the perfect inspiration! I love how he designed the chairs in different colors to add a bit of playfulness to a more formal space. The dark rustic table and floors help warm things up a bit and keep the space grounded. So, now it’s time to translate this feeling into a wedding!
To me, there were a few key elements to keep in mind for this design – elegance, playfulness, and a dash of rustic. Keeping the color palette mostly brown and golden yellow with subtle touches of orange and red creates a sophisticated palette. Tying in the chandelier motif to the invitation also creates this sense of luxury. The feather accents, colorful lanterns, and lots of loose ribbons lighten the mood, while the setting itself creates all the rustic touches needed. And voila! That’s how I translate an inspirational room to a wedding!
Sources:
1) Ring pillow photographed by Studio Nouveau
2) Lanterns via {frolic!}
3) Ceremony site: by Karen Bussen
4) Chandelier invitations photographed by Belathee Photography:
5) Bridesmaid dress via Style Me Pretty
6. Cake via Martha Stewart Weddings
7. Boutonniere: Twigs & Honey
8. Shoes: J.Crew
9. Dress: Vera Wang
10. Chandelier photographed by Belathee Photography
11. Flower girls via Martha Stewart Weddings
12. Vintage car photo via Brides
13. Bouquet via Snippet & Ink
Our next guest is Chelsea from {frolic}, an inspiring blog that you must check out. And if you’re in the Portland area Chelsea would love to help design your next event!
Kelly asked me to write a little about my creative process. I tend not to follow rules. But, I do follow a few tips. Whether I am working on an event or a photo shoot, I try to remind myself of a few things. Maybe these will be helpful to some of you trying to plan a wedding or party.
* Follow your instinct.
*Inspiration can be found anywhere.
*Consider the location and/or the purpose. Let ideas grow from that.
*Take a break if you are feeling stifled.
*Start over if necessary.
*Seek out an opinion (but not too many!)
*Don’t forget to have fun; it will help you stay inspired.
Here are a few of my current inspirations:
Donna Hay always inspires me [above & below].
Jane Packer’s website is filled with floral goodies.
Roland Bello’s photography website is my first stop when I am looking for a little eye candy.
Lately I love pink. This image is from stylist Jane Roarty.
Thanks for letting me visit, everyone! Come say hello over at my blog, Frolic!
Our next guest blogger is the lovely Darci:
Hello! I am so happy to be contributing to the blog here at Santa Barbara Wedding Chic. My regular blog is With This Ring, where I post ideas for making your wedding unique and other daily inspiration. Thanks for allowing me to be here Kelly, and I hope all of you enjoy the post!
Considering the state of the economy these days, having an eco friendly wedding can be beneficial for both the environment and your budget. This wedding from Brides is a perfect example of ways to both cut costs while recycling things you might already own or can get for a deep discount:
The multicolored vases on the table are all recycled glass. To accomplish something similar, you could either collect vases from friends and family (or from your own collection) or search ebay and local flea markets for used vases within your budget. The favors are individual pots full of moss, which you can buy in sheets for a very low price at your local nursery. Plus, they are something that your guests can keep to be reminded of your wedding day!
I’m super excited to introduce our first inspirational guest blogger for the week, Kathryn from Snippet & Ink:
I’m so flattered that Kelly has invited me to share a little about my process for creating inspiration boards. The truth is, some days I feel very inspired, and I can see exactly what I want my inspiration board to look like, and all of the elements just fall into place. But other days – most days – finding that starting point can be tricky. The starting point can be anything: a season, a venue, a bouquet. It can even be something less obvious, like a children’s book or wallpaper pattern. I even have a file labeled “Inspiration” where I save images that really stand out to me, like this:
or this
Generally, the images that I save to my Inspiration file are images that make me think of a color palette or a venue – those things that weren’t coming so easily before. Sometimes, even when I get going on an inspiration board, it won’t come together exactly the way I want it to, and I’ll put it aside for a day or two, or scrap it altogether. But usually, once I have that initial image, I can create something I’m happy with.
I get questions from readers about how they can go about creating their own inspiration boards, so here is what I usually tell them:
Unless you’re already comfortable with Photoshop, or feel like taking the time to learn it, there are other, easier ways to pull images together. Polyvore is one method, or Mosaic Maker is another. An actual bulletin board is a great way to include not only tearsheets, but also fabric and paper samples, ticket stubs, and other ephemera. Once you’ve decided on your medium, here are some things to consider, that should help you pull your inspiration board together:
- What season is it? What colors, flowers, foods make sense in that season?
- What is the mood of the event? Is it formal, casual, or something in between? Is it grand or intimate? Sophisticated? Playful?
- What is the venue? Inside or outdoors? How can I play up regional or local elements? Does the architecture or scenery inspire me?
- What single element can tie everything together? Is it a theme? A certain flower or fruit? Color or pattern?
- How can I stretch this idea? What is unexpected but fits perfectly with all the other elements?
Don’t let specific colors or themes limit you – an inspiration board should help you figure out what kinds of things you like, what kind of look you’re going for, but you should not feel limited by colors you’ve chosen or a theme you’re working on. Let your inspiration board reflect your personality, reflect things you truly love and not those things you think other people want to see, and it will be a wonderful tool in the planning process. And if you’re not feeling especially inspired, stop by Snippet & Ink to see if anything strikes your fancy!
Images: 1. Inspiration Board 271 2. House & Garden via {this is glamorous} 3. Ngoc Minh Ngo 4. Inspiration Board 257 5. Inspiration Board 298
Hi everyone, since I’m going on vacation for my birthday I thought I’d pull together a week of some my favorite bloggers to come by and share what inspires them. All of these ladies have certainly inspired me, and I hope they will inspire you as well.
Our guest bloggers are:
Monday: Kathryn from Snippet & Ink will share how she creates her lovely inspiration boards. A behind the scenes look with the best in the business, I hope she will inspire you to make your own inspiration board (above “Southern Magnolia” board from here).
Tuesday: Darci from With–This–Ring. A recent bride who shared her process of wedding planning and event design with her readers. She got loads of style and a love for green that made her blog one of my first blog-obsessions.
Wednesday: Chelsea from {frolic!} will share how inspiration can be found anywhere, from the pages of high fashion to interior design to paper goods.
Thursday: Cassandra from coco+kelley will share how she translates interior design into a wedding inspiration board. It’s a unique approach to inspiration boards and a fun way to incorporate design from outside the wedding world.
Enjoy the eye candy and be sure to check out each of their blogs for tons more inspiration.
I just want to thank all of my guest bloggers for sharing their behind the scenes look at wedding photography. You can find more information about each photographer here:
Don’t forget, Katie is offering $50 off any family or engagement photo session if you mention her guest post.
Our final post for photographer’s week comes from Elizabeth Messina:
Weddings are such beautiful rituals, the celebration of life & love with family and close friends. As a photographer, I feel so blessed to be included in many of the most intimate moments at a wedding celebration; it is an honor and a tremendous responsibility.
I have learned many things over the years, one of the most important is to remember to breathe, to look around and feel the moments as they unfold, there is magic all around you, laughter, light coming through the trees, your dress and your new husband looking at you, flowers on tables, the very ones you spent hours deciding on.
All of these things together, little and big, are celebrating the love you have found with another human being. Even the things that go less than perfectly become part of your history, your story.
Embrace all of it and as your wedding day comes to an end, remember it is not an “end” at all but rather the most wonderful beginning. You will take three very important things with you: your husband, your memories, and your photographs of that moment in time.
As you are deciding on a photographer to capture your wedding it’s important that you really connect with their work and more importantly with the photographer as a person. The more at ease you feel in the presence of your wedding photographer, the more beautiful your photos will be.
Your wedding images are in many ways family heirlooms that you will share with your children and your children’s children. There are so many wonderful photographers, in every price range, so be thoughtful and don’t worry, it’s a little like finding the right man; you only need one….
Our next post comes from Harper of Harper Smith Photography:
Photojournalism is defined as using photography to tell a story and document life. Capturing a moment in time without interfering or changing it’s course. Objective, honest, and above all else…incredibly real.
The root of my photography comes from a strong photojournalism background which lends a unique approach to the weddings I shoot today. I’m a fly on the wall, an outside observer, moving unnoticed and stepping in at just the right moment to capture just the right shot.
Often these are moments you wouldn’t normally expect because they’re natural and un-posed. The nervous bride having a private moment alone in the limousine after all her bridesmaids have exited before her. These moments – which maybe awkward or embarrassing at the time – often turn out to be the most beautiful, intimate photos in retrospect. That’s why one of the biggest challenges of photographing in this style is earning the trust of the bride and groom so that on their wedding day they do let their guard down and trust that you’re capturing the images they never expected but always dreamed of.
I fully encourage couples to have their photographers arrive 3-4 hours before the wedding for this reason. The unscripted, unrehearsed moments that capture the real, raw emotion of the day often take place during this time.
I also encourage the bride and groom to let go, live the moment, and pretend there isn’t a camera around.
{Editor’s note}
Harper actually shot my wedding and I had to share one of my favorite images she captured of me that day. My mom had brought some champagne for me to sip on while I was getting ready and Julie Morgan, the thoughtful makeup artist that she is, brought straws with her so I could drink without messing up my lipstick. This is the un-posed, all natural, photo Harper got of me:
