Behind the Scenes – Bright, Organic, Southwest Shoot on Project Wedding

If you’ve read my blog for more than a month, you likely know my affinity for the Southwest.   Affinity maybe doesn’t describe it best since I did recently entice friends and family to a southwest locale for our renewal celebration.  Read more on that here.  Anyway, when Project Wedding reached out to have me create stationery pieces for their latest inspiration shoot, the words organic and southwest were all I had to hear.  I was hooked.

Laid back, authentic, richly textured are all words to describe this wedding inspiration.  The painted paper pieces began with pencil sketches to impart a distinctive graphite texture.  Inspired by desert blooms and hand-woven textiles, a collection of original illustrations evolved.  Individually painted with matte inks in shades of rust, ochre, turquoise and mustard, the pattern and flora took full shape.

Protea used in a setting other than tropical…very smart as it is unexpected and powerful by surprise.

Mahogany charms painted with digit and pattern made for a table number full of reserved whimsy.

Watercolor washes imparted a sense of calm with each casual brushstroke.

and more…

Richly frosted cakes for simple texture.  I especially love the mocha tinted version on the rust patterned plate!

The wedding invitation embellishment was fitting with it’s barren skull and ombre blue backdrop.

I’m particularly charmed by this subtly oversized boutonniere…

…and of course the woven, salmon hued shrug.

Joy.

A huge thank you to Katelin at Project Wedding for bringing me on board this talented crew of artists!

Photos – Paper Antler  ::  Styling & Design – Misha West, Katelin Gallagher  ::  Florals -  Camelback Flowershop  ::  Bridal Gown – Katie Jean  ::  Bride’s Jewelry – Ayofemi  ::  Groom’s Wardrobe by Tres Boutique  ::  Makeup – Mariana Marie  ::  Hair by Paige Larae Designs   ::  Cakes by Sweet Creations  ::  Woven Blanket and Mini Moravian Star Lanterns – Borderlands Trading Co.

A Very Mo(nu)mental Vow Renewal in Zion National Park Part II

Yesterday I shared the story of our 10 year wedding renewal ceremony recently featured in Destination I DO magazine…Read on for more on the very colorful dinner celebration!

Our original wedding as I like to call it now was lightyears away from this renewal celebration.  We did the big-party-invite-everyone-you-ever-knew thing.  It was a wonderful day and I don’t regret a bit of it.  When it came time to celebrate 10 years together, I knew it would be different.  Bold color, regional textures and flavors were the beginning.  The end was a joyous and very small celebration that made us all feel like the only people on earth for one glorious evening.

When we first met with Angie from By Bloomers I use words like southwest sophisticated, saturated color and texture.  The rest I left to her as I strongly believe you need to choose vendors you feel a connection with and then trust them to make magic for you.  Angie worked with a vibrant palette of artichokes, raspberry peonies, chocolate dahlias and cosmos, dried pods, various grasses, scabiosa pods and orange ranunculus.  The finished looks were alive with texture and possessed a certain alluring asymmetry.

A rich table was set beginning with luxe LaTavola velvet linens and runners in shades of burnt orange and taupe.  We collected vintage pieces from a local shop aptly named, Frontier Plunder. An oversized carved silver urn, Mexican pottery in various shapes and a traditional Mexican Tree of Life sculpture all made their way to our table.  Fresh chili peppers were scattered amongst regional rock and glass chunks found the day before to craft an organic table runner of natural elements.

The menus were possibly my favorite paper detail.  Each was watercolored subtly in an ombre style ranging from soft gold to pale copper.  After drying each was painted with expressive stripes in red, gold and copper. Paint was allowed to drip and puddle differently and when dry,  the shimmer and texture of each artfully mimicked red rock.

Each guest received a custom Paloma’s Nest bowl made from Terracotta.  We were honored to have Caroline work in this material just for our celebration and revere her creations as a treasured keepsake from the day.    My Zion sketch first seen on the save the dates was stamped into each with the text “Under Starry Sky”.  An excerpt from a favorite Indigo Girls tune described perfectly the enchanting Zion sky at night that captivates all who see it.

Fresh Margaritas and Sangria were flowing and each guests penned their wishes for us around a dramatic photo of Zion at Night captured by Greg Gibson.

Our favorite moment of the day is a shared one between Adam and I.  During dinner, we read portions from Edward Abbey’s writings and laughed until our sides hurt.  Our guitarist Rustin began taking requests and playing his best acoustic versions of 80’s pop hits, heavy metal and anything else we could throw at him.  As we continued to eat, drink and tell stories the music filled the space and before we knew it, we were all singing along.  In that moment, all we wanted for our renewal celebration had come true. 

Ceremony Location- – Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah  ::  Event Date: May 15, 2010  ::  Photographer – Lindsey Stewart, Green Apple Photography  ::  Celebration Dinner Site: Bit and Spur Saloon, Springdale, Utah  ::  Floral Design – Angie Jessup, By Bloomers St. George, Utah  ::  Calligraphy – Betsy Dunlap  ::  Bride’s Cameo Necklace – Custom from Frontier Plunder, Springdale, Utah  ::  Re-Designed Wedding Bands – Custom from MarcCo Jewelers, Luzerne, PA  ::  Teracotta Favor Bowls and Charms – Custom by Paloma’s Nest  ::  Linens – LaTavola Linen  ::  Officiant – Sharon Vollett, Salt Lake City, Utah  ::  Guitarist – Rustin Reber, Enterprise, Utah

A Very Mo(nu)mental Vow Renewal in Zion National Park Part I

You may remember the Vow Renewal  Hubby and I planned back in 2010? Leading up to the day, every detail was shared here but TODAY I can finally reveal the full story!  Why the wait you might be wondering?  Well, the editors at Destination I Do Magazine graciously offered to feature the our renewal story and today the issue hits newsstands!  I am a very patient girl, but holding onto these stunning images taken by Lindsey at Green Apple Photography has tested my will.  All good things come…

So let me tell you a story, one befitting this very romantic day.  All hearts and frills aside, I want to share a love story.  One that is my life.  A story we were blessed to celebrate in an enchanted place.

It is a cliché, I know but we were high school sweethearts.  I first spotted Adam when I was in 9^th grade, he was in 11^th and honestly it was love at first sight.  We were friends for some time but never apart since that first meeting so many years ago.  We have the cheesy prom pictures to prove it…

We first traveled to Utah on a cross country drive after our wedding in 2000.  Never before had we felt such a connection with a place other than our hometown.  Sharing this beloved place with our very closest friends and family seemed a meaningful way to thank them for supporting us during the first 10 years of our marriage.

Gorgeous film images from Lindsey taken just because.

After painting Zion for years in varying seasons, I knew the red rock landscape and desert flora would inspire every last detail of the event.  Immersing our guests in the visual language of color, texture and spirit that is so indicative of Southern Utah was of the utmost importance to us.

Adam and I wrote our original wedding vows and decided to restate them at our vow renewal.  Also an excerpt from the Apache Wedding Prayer, originally read by my beloved uncle (known as Unkie to all) was re-read in memory of him by my mother.  She read from our original wedding program, her cherished copy.   Lastly the pewter chalices we toasted with at our original wedding were used in a water ceremony inspired by a reading from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet.

Our outdoor ceremony was nestled at the edge of the Virgin River near Temple of the Sinewava , Zion National Park.  As the spirited waters of the Virgin River rushed by,  our guitarist played on to create a lovely mood we all seemed to revel in.   A favorite portion was the antler ceremony where each guest received a terracotta charm, by Paloma’s Nest on which they were to write their wish for us.  At the ceremony they were asked to read aloud their wish and then hang the charm from a found antler situated nearby.

Adam and I exchanged redesigned wedding bands that day.  Gold from each of our original wedding bands was melted down to create the new pieces featuring a relief interpretation of my southwest landscape drawing.  Our new rings are identical to one another in tones of white and yellow gold and for us represent a commitment to the next phase of our life together!

Betsy Dunlap is a calligraphy artist I admire so when beginning work on invitations, I knew we needed to collaborate.  The invitations featured Adam’s favorite Zion painting of mine created about 2 years prior to our renewal.  Betsy’s script of our names was infused into the design along with a bold palette of cobalt blues, red and ochre.  Shimmery inks were added by brush to each card highlighting the strong striations of color seen in Zion red rock.

Programs simply said “10 years” paired with my simple sun and cloud watercolor.  Save the dates were my first hand painted letterpress project which you can read more about here…

There is more to this story so check back later this week for more on the celebration dinner, gorgeous blooms and our day after session!

Finally, I want to say a special “love you” to the Hubby, my dear Adam on this Valentine’s day.  None of this would be meaningful or possible without you.  You are my kindred spirit in this lovely, messy, beautifully crazy life.  I imagine our next 10 years and look forward to every step.

Ceremony Location- – Zion National Park, Springdale, Utah  ::  Event Date: May 15, 2010  ::  Photographer – Lindsey Stewart, Green Apple Photography  ::  Celebration Dinner Site: Bit and Spur Saloon, Springdale, Utah  ::  Floral Design – Angie Jessup, By Bloomers St. George, Utah  ::  Calligraphy – Betsy Dunlap  ::  Bride’s Cameo Necklace – Custom from Frontier Plunder, Springdale, Utah  ::  Re-Designed Wedding Bands – Custom from MarcCo Jewelers, Luzerne, PA  ::  Teracotta Favor Bowls and Charms – Custom by Paloma’s Nest  ::  Linens – LaTavola Linen  ::  Officiant – Sharon Vollett, Salt Lake City, Utah  ::  Guitarist – Rustin Reber, Enterprise, Utah

Nichole L.

Inspirations – Dreamy Mint Green and Crimson

A dreamy color palette filled with bold surprises in crimson and raspberry.  Organic textures mix with a subtle literary nod seen in the Vintage Book Wedding Invitations…

Mint Green Mirror Room, Papers, Saipua Poppies

Inspirations – Boca Raton Flip Flop Save the Dates

Florida locations inspire a spirited color palette and flip flop save the date full or tropical whimsy!

Papers, Flip Flop Save the Date, Boca Raton Wedding Venue, Mismatched Bridesmaids

Lauren N.