The "To Do"s Before the "I Do"s: {Part II}

I was thrilled that y’all enjoyed the wedding “to do” post last week. Let’s talk about colors, flowers and bridesmaid dresses!

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Colors

The colors you choose for your wedding should be feminine yet with a masculine edge. It should be chosen by both the bride and the groom and should be carried throughout the entire wedding, from the ceremony to the reception venue.

I wanted a soft, muted color palette for our wedding. I knew I didn’t want anything garish or colors that would keep the natural beauty of our venues from coming through.

I’ve always thought that cream and slate gray look beautiful together, so that was a done deal. I threw in blush/nude pink tones as a complimentary hue and to add a feminine touch.

We tied the gray into the rose-spread table cloth for the cake room. And yes...we had a cake room : )

My only advice for choosing a color palette is to ask yourself: “Is my color palette seasonal or non-specific to a certain time of year?” For instance, a lot of people that get married in fall use burnt oranges and reds. I didn’t want our wedding to look so quintessentially fall (although I do think that can look really pretty), so we went with a non-specific palette. Make sense?

Either way is totally fine, just decide if you want it to echo the time of year of your wedding…or not.

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Flowers

I loved hydrangeas and our florist, Lisa Bobell, knew exactly which variety would look best in a cream/ivory shade.

I really didn’t know what I wanted for my bouquet, but I’ve always loved flowers with a plush feel and round shape. She steered me toward English Garden roses, which look like a hybrid between a standard rose and a peony.

The bridesmaids carried hydrangeas in ivory.

She threw in a few peonies, as well, just to mix up the textures. The end result was stunning.

When choosing flowers, consider:

What is “in season” when our wedding rolls around?

Will these flowers put off a scent? If so, am I okay with that?

Are these flowers hearty or temperamental?

We focused primarily on the English Garden roses, brought the ivory hydrangeas in with the table arrangements and the bridesmaid and mothers' bouquets and tied in a few peonies for an unexpected texture. 

Lisa also suggested Lily of the Valley as our filler element. A filler element is what florists use to break up the look of an arrangement. Lilly of the Valley is commonly used in royal weddings, as well as Southern weddings, so I knew I wanted it in ours.

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Bridesmaids

I wanted the dresses for the girls to be pale pink, since it’s pretty universally flattering. I knew I wanted a tea-length dress and an A-line cut, since it’s one of the most complimentary to a woman’s shape.

I thought the end result was beautiful.

One idea that I love is to do all different styles of dresses, but keep them in the same color. I think that can look so pretty!

Questions to consider:

Will each girl feel comfortable in this?

What size are my bridesmaids? What body shape do my bridesmaids have?

What color will flatter all of the girls?

Here

As far as shoes, I went online to Piperlime and found a shoe in a nude color with a heel that would go nicely with the girls' dress style. 

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Next week, we’ll go over bridal hair and make-up, food and music!

Be blessed, lovelies-