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Trendspotting.  Love it.  All the time.  Mind never stops.  And I love seeing them about a million miles away.  Art deco never really goes out of style, but with the new version of “The Great Gatsby” coming out combined with the success of “The Artist” last fall, it’s going to be HUGE for the next year.  And why not?  The graphic elements are amazing.  There is a sleek modernity to the style, but with hints of fun and whimsy in fringe and feathers and beads (Oh, wow, the beads!)  Zelda Fitzgerald. Flappers. Swankiness.  Yes.

I am smitten with this idea like Gatsby is smitten with Daisy.  So smitten I’m doing two posts this week on it.  The first is a daytime affair…reminding me of Jay and Daisy watching swans swim by, of picnics on a too hot summer day, of expanses of lawn just waiting for a croquet game.  I love how our thoroughly modern Chevron invitation can work with the graphics of the era.  The sleek dress and perfect shoes are great, but how cute would your nephew look as a ring bearer in that outfit?  I can smell the gin and tonic and feel the breeze right now…

For a MILLION* more Art Deco ideas for day, Roaring 20s ideas for night, more Gatsby love, more great dresses, check out our Pinterest Board!

*Not actual number.  Though we may reach it!

I can think of all kinds of stodgy, stuffy, formal things to write about wheat.  I can think of a million very dull ways to say that wheat symbolizes so much of what weddings are about–hope for the future, a life of abundance, the gifts of hard work. I can think of very formal ways to describe the joys of wheat.

Really, though?  It just looks amazing!

That beautiful golden color looks great with almost anything.  Depending on how you cut and display it, it can look wild and untamed or manicured and modern.  It’s sunny and lovely and everything people think of when they think “fall.”  From using it in place of flowers, to a couple of terrific wreaths to that gold necklace (that I’m already dreaming about saving my pennies for), it’s versatile and unusual.  Paired with white, it looks even more golden.  It has that wonderful quality of baby’s breath where it looks even better in huge bunches.  I’m kind of in love with this whole wedding.  Check out some more ideas of what to do with wheat stalks, from the tame to the insane, on our Pinterest Board–you can find sources for all these pics, too!

Well, things have been brilliantly busy around the Paperwhites offices!  Mastering our new (amazing and awesome!) printer, getting things together for some wonderful brides, thinking ahead to what comes next…the usual whirlwind that we wouldn’t trade for anything!  We’ve got some real life brides coming up that we’ll be featuring.  And we got a lovely shout out on Style Me Pretty for a wedding in New Zealand that we did paper for (loving how our Dahlia invite works here!).  So many great things!

And we’ve been thinking about weddings to come.  This color combo came to mind when thinking about September in that stretch of Indian Summer.  It’s that time when the world is giving us just a bit more sun and warmth to go with the final bursts of color from flowers.  It’s that time when the sky is an impossible shade of blue and the leaves are starting to think about changing color.  Clearly not Autumn, but almost.  That’s the perfect time to put together those same colors in your wedding.

Cobalt blue looks great on almost everyone, whether on a bridesmaid’s dress or as a touch in a groomsman’s pocket.  The vibrant orange in the flowers is picked up in the other accessories–the tie, the necklace, those fantastic shoes.  The rich blue glassware always looks amazing on a white tablecloth, but when you add in the tangerine elements in the flowers, you get a look that is unexpected and pretty and in keeping with the time of year.

Can’t you just picture it? Maybe with our Ava Invitation with Cobalt ink?  Check out the sources for these great ideas, as well as some other great Cobalt Blue and Orange ideas on our Pinterest Board!

There is a certain gracefulness to the peony.  The blooms become so heavy with soft abundant ruffles that they bow toward the earth with the weight of it all.  At the same time, they possess an ethereal delicate element.  You know that they could explode in a shower of petals at any second, but they still have substance and weight.  So beautiful and in a range of lovely colors from pure white to bold pink to the blush we show here.

Peonies inspire our Peony Invitation.  It’s our biggest seller and with good reason.  The botanical design can go with just about any theme, tailor made for your wedding with choices of inks and envelopes. And we’ve got even more ways to check out our products! Not only should you see our full range of products on our Paperwhites website, but we’ve set up shop on etsy as well!  It’s a great way to check out samples or to place your orders.  We’re always around to answer questions and help y’all out if you need it!

Check out the sources for all these goodies, plus some of our own, on our Pinterest Boards!

I have been on a mint tea kick lately.  I was given these wonderful little gold rimmed tea glasses in jewel bright colors.  I use them for super sweet, super strong, super fresh mint tea.  Drinking out of them feels exotic and glamorous and special.  They look lovely on the shelf, they look lovely in the sunlight or candle light, they look lovely on the table.  And that got me thinking…

All those elements make them perfect for a jewelry-like bit of bling to add to the tablescapes at your reception.  Simple, like shown here with a single bloom (Oh how I wish I could find the artist for this shot–anyone know?  I’d love to credit more than just Pinterest!).  Or maybe flowers in some, tea lights in others?  Maybe on a low tiered runner going down the middle of a long table ?  Maybe just used for a tasting dessert or two?  Or maybe,  just maybe, for tea? The rich colors, the bits of gold, the delicate shapes combine to make them a really beautiful grace note.   I’ve got lots more examples of designs and ideas, as well as some great resources on our Pinterest board.  Come over, brew some mint tea, and check them out!

How beautiful is kale?  How stunning is broccoli?  I had never thought of it before, but my eyes have been opened!

Vegetables of all kinds are perfect for wedding decorations and inspirations.  Here I focus on the kale and broccoli, but carrots, artichokes and eggplant all work brilliantly, too.  The word “harvest” often equates with rich autumn colors, but here I look at some of the spring garden colors.  These colors are all natural, yet stunning and vibrant.  The shapes are interesting and bold, especially that spiky, fractal looking broccoli Romanesco.  Vegetables are organic symbols of abundance, the results of hard work and good fortune. I’ll admit that it’s an unusual theme, but your guests will notice the beauty first and then do the double take.

“Is that…kale?  I had no idea it was so beautiful!”

More veggie wedding ideas to celebrate the riches of our world are on our Earth’s Bounty Pinterest Board.  I’m thinking the eggplant earrings need to be harvested for my jewelry box.

I love doing these posts that feature our products!

The image of a key and lock for a wedding is heavy with symbolism.  Key to the heart, keys to success, keys to happiness. A skeleton key brings with it feelings of building a home together, of a deep history, of permanence.  Old keys are weighty and delicate, with beautiful and ornate scroll work.  What a lovely detail to add to your wedding day!  Beautiful, yes, but also meaningful.

For sources on these images (especially that amazing keyhole necklace from Shabby Apple!) check out our Pinterest Board!

I spotted (ha!) this white with black Oscar De La Renta dress and was completely smitten.  It isn’t a traditional wedding dress in every way, but it has a coolness and sophistication that is really appealing. A wedding built on this one pattern?  Only black and white?  I think it can be done.

Polka dots are far more versatile than one would think.  When they are tiny and closely spaced, they take on a sweet retro vibe.  A little preppy in some contexts, a little girlish at times, a little rockabilly in other applications.  But when they get resized, with a little more space between the dots or bunched up close in tight formation , on shapes that are streamlined and modern, those twee little dots become a great graphic element. Anemones are an excellent floral choice–they seem to have built in polka dots.  The whole concept is perfect for a bride with an eye for pattern and a desire to show a little bit of welcome quirkiness in all the formality of the elements.

For sources for these elements, as well as a lot of other polka dots big and small, check our our Pinterest Board!

I love elements of handmade in any wedding.  But DIY flowers?  I never expected them to be as beautiful or colorful as the most recent trend of hand crafted paper flowers.  From swirly round solid ones to these fantastic origami creations like the ones in the picture below to repurposed books or maps, there are versions that could fit well into any wedding.

There are several great tutorials on our Pinterest Board, as well as sources and brilliant ideas.  So as the cold stretch settles in, is it time to take up a new hobby of paper flower making?  My particular favorites are the bright solid color ones, but I could imagine a bouquet made of floral papers for a very charming, meta bouquet.

Silver Brunia seems to be the more subdued cousin of those lively Billy Balls we showed you in a much earlier post.  They are unusual and modern in shape and color, but would not be out of place in the right country style flower arrangement.  They appear frosted–almost sugar coated–and have a very dramatic look when grouped together in big bunches.  I’ve started to see them everywhere!

These are one of the coolest looking flowers I’ve seen!  Combined with dusty miller or other shady gray tones and they look amazing, but why not pair them with bright yellow?  We know yellow and gray is all the rage right now.  A bright pop of color with the hazy shades of the brunia will make both stand out and compliment one another in a really amazing yin/yang kind of way. What do you think?  Unusual and lovely or too unusual for you?

More ideas for these amazing flowers on our Pinterest board!