I love these sheer purple Louboutins against this dramatic red backdrop. Photo by Karen Wise.

I love the apple orchards in England, and so for this inspiration board I designed a simple, chic wedding. The bride would wear wellies and her hair down, her neighbors would play music while sitting on apple crates during the ceremony. Guests would bring baskets full of food and drink for the reception. And the table for reception would be decorated with the apples of the orchard.

Description: Orchard, England, white, red, apples

Images from left to right, top to bottom: {Row 1} 1. Corrie Bond 2. Karen Mordechai 3. & 4. Mikkel Vang {Row 2} 1. Deborah Williams 2. Martha Bernabe 3. Marcus Hay 4. Tina Rupp {Row 3} 1. Geoff Lung 2. David Tsay 3. Jim Franco

I’d like to welcome Wedding Paper Divas as our new sponsor! They are a wedding invitation company and have so many styles to choose from, you will certainly find what you’re looking for. I love this horizontal invitation with tandem bike and little sign that says “we do,” so cute!

For you modern fans, who love color, how perfect is this simple striped invitation? It’s a part of Wedding Paper Diva’s letterpress collection.

They also carry designs for save the dates, wedding announcements, rehearsal dinner invitations, bridal shower invitations, party invitations and personal stationary. I could go on but you can check it out for yourself here.

Best of all? They’re giving  Santa Barbara Chic readers a $50.00 gift certificate to use on whatever your heart desires. Simply leave a comment below with what your wedding colors will be and why (or what your favorite color is in general), and a winner will be randomly selected on Monday, February 1st.

*Contest has closed.*

To me, there is nothing more glamorous than a delicate tea cup filled with jewelry. Paired with soft pink peonies or roses, the look is just darn pretty.

Of course you’ll need an equally fabulous vanity to hold these jems.

Images from top: Left. Chris Everard Right: Sandra Lane 2. Polly Wreford 3. Jo Tyler all via Sarah Kaye

On this particularly gray day in Santa Barbara (its raining like crazy here, there’s even a water spout warning), I need some rich, saturated color, preferable in the form of a good, old-fashioned hard cover book.

They’re all  so pretty, I wish they were on my bookshelf right now.

And to go with them, how adorable are the mugs? I want to collect them all!

Images: 1. Ingrid Ramussen 2. via Little Parchment and you can buy the mugs here

Doesn’t this salad make you want to dive right in? And that’s saying something for a salad. And the aqua plate? I’ll take 6.

Photo by Anna Skoog.

How perfectly modern and chic are these colorful cake stands? By Iacoli & Mcallister, they come in variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

I’m particularly enamored with this cake stand that looks like a candle holder. The bright red lacquer finish keeps the look modern.

And anything aqua these days, I’m totally obsessed with. I would love to use these for a bright, playful wedding. You can see more of the cake stands right here.

So cute! Sassy, little, slingbacks with an adorable bow to boot. Photo by Kate Headley.

I’m loving these oversized, moody flowers by Emersonmade. These would work any day or as an accent to a wedding or bridesmaids dress.

And these are the cutest little boutonnieres I’ve seen in a  while.

You can even decorate your packages with them!

I’m moving this week and settling into a new house, painting, and oh yes, puppy shopping. So, I’m going to take this opportunity to take a little blog vacation through January 1st. I hope everyone has a lovely holiday season!

Photo: Corrie Bond

I’m a huge bibliophile, and I love the look of this pretty stack of books on an all white mantle (the elephant is pretty great as well).

This is pretty close to what my house looks like right now– stacks of books everywhere (I’m moving!), though minus the awesome Gothic inspired bench and table.

And speaking of pretty books, have you seen these clothbound books by Penguin? I don’t care much for Dickens, but that book cover is to die for. And, oh yes, these books are available at my all time favorite store, Anthropologie.

I’m loving these flirty red shoes by Charles David. Photo by Jennifer Skog.

I love the idea of a chic red and white wedding with Southern charm. I picture this wedding taking place at an old plantation, where sweet tea would be served as a welcome drink and fans would be handed out to guests to cool themselves. I would mix red and white checks and stripes on the tables for a charming homey look. Rocking chairs would be setup on the porch for guests to enjoy during cocktail hour. Heirloom family love letters would be put on display next to the guest book. Apple pie and red velvet cake would be served for dessert. And, of course, the bride would wear boots.

Description: Red, white, southern charm, plantation chic

Images from top, left to right: {Row 1} 1. Whitebox Weddings 2. Helen Norman 3. Daniel Farmer {Row 2} 1. Bret Cole 2. Styled by Atlanta Bartlet 3. Lacey Style {Row 3} 1. Styled by Kate French 2. Union Photography 3. Frances Janisch

Have a lovely Halloween everyone!

Images: Cooke Studio

I’m so excited to share with you the fashion from Wendy’s wedding! Take it away Wendy:

The ceremony was inspired by a short film in Akira Kurasawa’s “Dreams”; the fox wedding.  –Have you seen this?  The music played was Michael Nyman’s “String Quartet No.2: 3.III”, which is more unusual but beautiful; when it started, the bridesmaids and I started the long walk from behind the hill top to the top of the aisle.

The girls were instructed to keep their parasols down over their faces, and to walk tightly in pairs of 2 (except for my sister in the lead).  Guests had no idea I was in the back of this long, colorful train.

One by one, they peeled off down the aisle (folding up their parasol and trading it with my dad for their appropriate bouquet), and then stood along the side of the chairs instead of in the front front. The flower girls tossed pink carnation petals, which I liked because they kind of remind me of peach blossoms (again, an inspiration from Kurasawa’s “Dreams”).

When it was finally my turn, I kept my triangular-shaped white parasol over my face until the right moment in the music and, like the others, closed it and took my bouquet from my dad and walked down the aisle with him.

Thank you for sharing Wendy!

Vendors:

Makeup: Makeup by Tilly

Hair: Ashleigh Wests at 19 Blue Salon

Bride’s dress & shoes: Giusepe Papini

Bridesmaids dresses: Alvina Valenta

Parasols: Luna Bazaar

Personal Training: Casey Pfeifer for Innate Wellness Center (highly, highly recommended by Wendy)