Nantucket Weddings Unveiled

We have lots to be thankful for in 2010.  Among them, the love and support from our sponsors, supporting vendors, amazing brides and couples.  One of our biggest supporters from the beginning was Krista and the staff at Wellwed magazine. They worked hard on the Spring/Summer 2010 issue and it does not disappoint!

photo by Brea McDonald

Within the pages, amazingly talented island vendors have their work showcased on the glossy pages.  Among them:

Marty Kelly Paper, Placesetters, Brea McDonald Photography, Griffin-vites, Soiree Floral,  Nantucket Photo Booth, Destination Affairs,Unique Nantucket, A Taste of Nantucket, Simply with Style Catering, Nantucket Catering Company, ACK Gift Bags, Cisco Brewers, Susan Warner Catering, Jodi’s Cakes, Nantucket Island Resorts, Claudia Kronenberg Photography, Zofia Photography, Nantucket Party Rentals, Darya Salon, Sperry Tents, A Piece of Cake, Jessica Hicks, The Atlantics, Nantucket Windmill Auto Rental, Nantucket Inn, Susan Lister Locke Jeweler, Parchment, Nantucket Event Media, Plum TV, Sultans of Swing, Chase Canopy, Jared Coffin House, Nantucket Bake Shop, Westmoor Club, Artist Jeanne van Etten and Jeweler Heidi Weddendorf.

Congratulations to everyone and hopes for a prosperous 2010!

Also, just a quick reminder the Cape & Islands Wedding Affair takes place this weekend at Ocean’s Edge Resort in Brewster, MA.  Wendy from Nantucket Photobooth said she will be on site and taking photos of all the festivities.  Be sure to stop by and say hello to her!

photo courtesy of HGTV

Today Dawn Kelly from Soiree Floral is taking over the reigns to talk about one of her favorite subjects – COLOR!  At this time of year, many couples are newly engaged and jumping right in to the details of the big day.  Whenever I meet with a client, one of the first questions I ask is ‘Do you have the bridesmaid’s dresses picked out?” – believe it or not, this really helps drive the final color scheme and sets the tone for the formality of your event.

Pantone has picked their color of the year as Turquoise.  I was a bit taken aback by this.  I feel like we have seen a lot of turquoise already in the past two years.  From table linens to dresses, it has definitely been present.  It’s safe to say it is not going anywhere anytime soon.  In recent years, I’ve seen it paired with lots of bright, cheery yellows and white to smooth it all out.  This year, brides are being a little more daring and I think this next color combination has a lot of potential for a wedding any time of year.  Think tomato red, turquoise, and apple green!  As long as you keep the colors in the same saturation you can’t go wrong (don’t mix a pastel with a bright color for this – it won’t look good!).

color tiles by Soiree Floral

Think turquoise for your vases, table linens, or napkins.  Placesetters even has some great beaded napkin rings in this turquoise color.

rentals by Placesetters, photo by Soiree Floral

The red and green can certainly come from Mother Nature – anemones, roses, natural greens, mosses, granny smith apples – the possibilities are endless.  I’m a huge fan of using color.  Color evokes emotion and when your guests walk in to the reception, you are sure to make mouth’s drop.

We’re back today with more eye candy from the ‘bible’ of the wedding world – Grace Ormonde Wedding Magazine.  For this issue, the staff at Grace Ormonde picked the Fine Arts Museum in Boston for one of their tabletop shoots.  Two of our island vendors, Soiree Floral and Placesetters participated.  More on the details of the behind the scenes shoot from Dawn, Owner and Creative Director at Soiree Floral:

I had no idea what part of the museum we would be shooting our tabletop in (or what rooms would be available to us).  Normally, when we do these types of things, I like to go over the top with lots and lots of beautiful romantic blooms.  This shoot was a bit different in that I knew no matter where we were, the art in the museum needed to be center stage.  So I designed a bold, almost masculine table where we did minimal blooms and brought some pattern and color in with the linen and tablesetting.

When we entered the museum and started walking around, we went in to the ‘Aisa Room’ and I immediately fell in love with ‘Mr Buddah’ and I really wanted that spot.  Several other designers wanted in that room also, so we worked out a plan so we didn’t interfere with anyone else’ shots.  A hard thing to do when there is only so much room in what appears to be a gigantic space.

There were so many layers to our table – four different chargers and plates (don’t you love that green striped plate!), a lucite napkin ring with an orchid on top, and some funky small sea urchin vases that added more dimension and masculinity to the center of the table.  You can’t go wrong with white phalaenopsis orchids and the delicate yellow oncidium orchids (I always think they look like little butterflies hovering over a table).  A unique approach that shows sometimes less really is more.

tabletop by Soiree Floral and Placesetters

Here on the blog, we have talked a lot at great length on save-the-dates; when to send them out, and what information to include (and much of that expert advice has come from two of our very own – Griffin-vites and Marty Kelly Papers).  What we haven’t said yet – is that having your own wedding website is essential, especially for a destination wedding on Nantucket.  There are a lot of different hosting sites out there that will allow you to choose a template, and walk you through the process of setting it up.

Things to remember to include – your essential information of why, where, when, how to get there and where to stay.  You can take it a step further and add your story (how you first met, when he proposed, why you picked your location), add photos, and allow your guests to see your registries.  It’s a convenient place for family and friends to keep up on the lastest and greatest as you count down to the big day.  One of our favorites that has some unique templates is Wedding JoJo.  Be sure to check them out and see what they can do to help you get as much information as possible to your guests.

We have had some island brides-to-be ask us if we had any suggestions for creative cake toppers.  It really depends on the season, the style of your cake, and the colors of your wedding.  We found a few inspirations for sale on Etsy and thought these fit the bill perfectly.

First up – for the bride who wants to carry out that island feel this little gem is perfect.  Available at Shell Scapes on Etsy

photo courtesy of Shell Scapes

Many couple who have Nantucket nuptials try to incorporate their beloved pets into the big day.  Not all venues allow them, so this cake topper is a great way to make sure your furry friends are a part of your special day.  You can find these handcrafted items on etsy by Khary Goarts

photo courtesy of Khary Goarts on Etsy

For the couple who wants something a little more subdued/sleek, these birds are great and can be done in different colors.  Nature/bird elements will continue to be big in 2010 and honestly, nature never goes out of style.  These are available by Sugar Rush Cakes on Etsy

photo by sugarrushcakes on Etsy

Brides are always looking for something a little different for a guest book.  We spotted this sentimental journal over on Whispering Pines and thought this fit the bill.  A great inspirational quote on the front helps guests to be inspired to write their own words of wisdom for the happy couple.  Better yet – buy two and you the bride can use one to keep track of your thoughts as you begin your journey planning the wedding.  You will have a ‘before and after’ keepsake to look back on every year at your anniversary.  Brilliant!

photo courtesy of Whispering Pines

There are so many great places to get hitched in Nantucket.  It really comes down to your couple’s style and whether you want something beachy and casual or something a little more formal.  Two of our fabulous venues are being featured on La Bella Bride’s Blog this week – The Wauwinet and The White Elephant.

The Wauwinet hosts larger weddings during the shoulder seasons and is now offering packages for more intimate weddings/events.  The White Elephant, one of the island’s venues that is first to book up quickly can handle smaller weddings as well as a hotel full of guests.  Both locations provide space for an outdoor ceremony with spectacular natural backdrops for your nuptials.  Be sure to check out the La Bella Bride Blog for even more information on these two great island locales.

photo by Cary Hazlegrove

Monique Lhuillier knows how to dress a bride! All her beautiful little feminine touches and stunning fabrics can make anyone feel like a queen. Her recent runway show at NY Bridal Fashion week was highly anticipated and we caught a glimpse of it over at WhoWhatWeddings.com.

Click the link to watch a short video of her 2010 fall collection on the runway:

http://vimeo.com/7365562

The restaurant we all know and love is FINALLY taking some reservations! Black Eyed Susan’s is taking reservations from now until they close for the season at the end of stroll. SO, if you plan to get one last meal in during this year’s Christmas Stroll no need to wait in line. Just call!

A quiet moment between the bride and groom.

photo by Pixel Perfect