Posts Tagged ‘weddings’

February 6th, 2013 No Comments

introducing our february wedding contributor gail brill: hand calligraphy and the printing process

Thank you Lynn for allowing me this space to do a little talking about my craft. I started working with Lynn when she was at Martha Stewart Living many moons ago. We have worked together on various projects since. In fact, you can see my hand lettering throughout Lynn’s blog template! I often joke that my career as a calligrapher began in 3rd grade when I had to write 500 times “I will make an effort to improve my conduct in the cafeteria” and it was an exercise I loved doing! The reason for why I had to write those … Read more

January 30th, 2013 No Comments

weddings with liz banfield: a bride and groom embrace valentine’s weekend with red, pink… and a lot of fun in San Francisco!

When Diego and Suzanne decided to be married on Valentine’s weekend, they wholeheartedly embraced the holiday with style and also a little wink to the kitch that often goes with it. First they enlisted Isabella Sikaffy of Florabella Weddings to design the event. She made a plan to transform the Menlo Circus Club, from the elaborate red-on-red dining room all the way down to carpeting the floor of the cocktail space shocking pink. Guests couldn’t help but smile at all the little details, including candy-heart inspired table names (like “U R Hot” and “Soul Mate”) calligraphed onto heart … Read more

January 23rd, 2013 2 Comments

weddings with liz banfield: a snowy winter wedding in jackson hole, wyoming

A winter wedding opens up so many ways to seasonally distinguish an event visually. From the flowers available that time of year, to the rich iconography (snowflakes! sweaters! candlelight!), a well-designed winter wedding will always stand out from the crowd. One of my favorite events was this wedding I shot in the ski heaven of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. A palette of pewter, dusty greens, and white was the perfect way for this bride to embrace her January date with elegance. She also incorporated natural elements such as polished riverbed stones with long white pillar candles. And guests received keepsake blankets … Read more

January 16th, 2013 1 Comment

Weddings with Liz Banfield: Keeping the Art of Black and White Film Photography Alive

The black and white photograph has a powerful way of rendering a scene that is uniquely enduring. By taking color out of the equation, everything is simplified and the viewer can focus on the moment without  distractions such as a busy background or a spray-tan gone wrong.  At every wedding I always shoot true black and white film throughout the day to create these timeless images. Beyond an artful chronicle of the day I’m looking to take photographs that could live on someone’s wall forever. To make my point, I chose pictures from different times throughout my career – only … Read more

January 2nd, 2013 No Comments

weddings with expert liz banfield: forgo the custom of matching bridesmaid dresses

One of the freshest trends happening right now is to forgo the custom of matching bridesmaid dresses. This bride knew that her stylish friends could be trusted with picking out their own wedding day attire but still wanted her bridal party to project a cohesive look. Event designer Isabella Sikaffy of Florabella supplied the ladies with a swatch book of blush, ivory, and warm light gray tones that they could take with them to the store to make sure their gown would fit the color scheme and also allowed them express their individuality. What a great friend – no … Read more

January 1st, 2013 No Comments

a new year & new engagements

Happy New Year to everyone! Over the holidays many people get engaged and start the planning process for their wedding or celebration. The above bouquet is one of my favorites from The Best of Martha Stewart Living Weddings book which I had the honor of contributing. This is a wonderful book to buy for yourself or as a gift for the bride to be. It touches on everything from flowers to tents to keeping memories. Which by the way, you might be planning a baptism, an anniversary party, a big birthday party etc. this year and wedding books can … Read more

December 26th, 2012 No Comments

weddings with matthew robbins: 6 steps for successful hunting & gathering for your wedding inspiration

Green is definitely a big focus color for 2013 as well as a return to crisp clean colors. But any color combination or personal objects can serve as seeds for unique and personal wedding designs. Think of planning your wedding as a process of hunting and gathering: You’re hunting for personal, meaningful items and gathering design details that will allow you to bring out the elements you most love about these items. Fresh ideas can come from anywhere, be it an interesting trinket I pick up in a Paris flea market, or a beautiful piece of fruit at my local … Read more

December 19th, 2012 No Comments

weddings with matthew robbins: there’s a wonderful boldness that happens when you allow green to be paired with crisp white

This ultrarefined palette of green and white is fresh. You’ll be amazed at how much we can do with a seemingly limited range of tones. There’s a wonderful boldness that happens when you allow green, which normally finds itself in a supporting role, to be paired with crisp whites. I’m rather obsessed with the green and white color palette. It can be challenging to work within an extremely tight palette like this, but in general it forces you to be more creative and to dig a little deeper that you would have otherwise. This palette can work just about anywhere, … Read more

December 12th, 2012 No Comments

weddings with matthew robbins: a chic neutral woodland inspired color palette will lead to a beautiful and elegant wedding

I love all things inspired by natural environments. During my last trip to Ireland I obsessed over the abundance of ferns growing everywhere. I also love the woodland environments of Northern California filled with lush greens and towering trees. All of those places and things inspired the color palette and the treatment of the following arrangements and vignettes. Keep in mind you can have a chic, elegant bouquet, centerpiece and party even if you want the decor to be inspired by all things wild and lush. I know many times this type of inspiration can lead to feeling like everything … Read more

December 10th, 2012 No Comments

this week’s color palette, woodland neutrals & chocolate browns: meringue mushrooms…oh wendy kromer we love them!

I’ve been so inspired this month by the color palettes of natural birch, pinecones and even mushrooms. A gift of fruitcake…hmmm maybe not, but fruitcake cupcakes with meringue mushrooms? Yes, please! I’ve always loved cupcakes but for some reason I’ve been obsessed of late. These kind of details might be left to more advanced bakers but we’re in luck! We can order them straight from the best. Call on the cake expert (co-author of Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes and long time contributor to Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine), Wendy Kromer, who can whip up the most beautiful cake or small … Read more