Today’s my b-day. I have no idea what to say so I decided to be honest about life and just say what came to mind. Also I got my period yesterday, which usually means things get pretty emotional pretty fast. So this post is two parts wedding trends and inspiration, one part deep truths from inside my soul. Enjoy..?
1. Even though I’ve heard my significant other tell me that he believes I’m up there with all of the most beautiful women in the world, I’ve never really understood how he could be serious, so I always assume he’s 1/8th serious, 7/8ths being sweet and trying to build me up. This, until I discovered one day the reality of having deep loving affection for another person in your life. That’s when it *clicked* for me.
..I may never see my face in the same way he does, but knowing more about how he perceives me definitely makes me feel like the baddest bitch when I’m with him (unless I haven’t showered in a while).
2. Sometimes I can get really wrapped up in something- to the point where I’ll have to ask myself, “do you need to be focusing on this right now, or is there something else more pressing you could be doing?” – in an effort to force myself away from whatever project I consider more engaging than the work I have to discipline myself into. However even after that I’ll still have trouble dropping whatever *more fun* task I’m doing, it’s never easy.
3. The difference in the level of confidence I have about my appearance between when I’ve recently self-tannered my face, and when I haven’t got anything on my face at all, is staggering. I’m not proud of it but what can you do.
4. The person I most love and adore in this life, aside from my significant other, is my mother. It’s hard to imagine not having the bond I have with her. It’s open and connected and I often think about how lost I’d be without her. She’s kind of my everything, and at the very least my best friend. And depending on how busy I am on a certain day, she’s also the person to whom I can be the most rude. Another thing I’m not proud of.
A simple phone call from her, just to catch up on my life, can on occasion metastasize into a situation where I’m anxious to get off the phone and stop talking about myself… and just get back to work. And there hasn’t been a single call like this after which I haven’t felt heartbreaking guilt, for allowing myself to get like curt like that. All she wants is to hear about my life and how I’m doing, and for some idiotic reason I sometimes seem to find it ok to get frustrated about time taken away from work. Anywho I read this article and it clarified it for me, slightly. I suggest giving it a read if you’re curious about the concept of guilt and how it runs our fucking lives.
5. Don’t ask me why the amount of toilet paper I use on a daily basis varies so greatly, unless you want to know the answer.
Would you tell me something(s) about yourself? No pressure to share, though. Only if you feel like expressing. PS- if you feel compelled, feel free to do a 5 Things About Me post on your own blog. I’m telling you, it’s pretty cathartic.
And now, this lovely shoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From Abbey of AK Studio & Design:
This inspiration shoot brought together an amazing team of wedding vendors to create a gorgeous inspiration shoot for all of the lovely upcoming brides of 2013. The concept is based around five of the upcoming 2013 wedding trends… Braids, Birch, Grayed Jade, Laser Cut, and Chicken Wire. It shoes simple ways that you could integrate these trends into your wedding. For the location we wanted to stay true to the gorgeous surroundings of Southern Utah, but we also wanted to show a twist on the same old red rock that Southern Utah is typically known for. We love this gorgeous natural looking location and are totally in love with the lighting!
As you read above, this shoot concept is based around five of the upcoming 2013 wedding trends…Braids, Birch, Grayed Jade, Laser Cut, and Chicken Wire. We wanted to show simple ways that you could integrate these trends into your wedding. Middle Aisle Wedding Design & Planning did an amazing job at pulling in the design concept and bringing together every element. Which is exactly what you want your wedding planner to do! While trends come and go, and its exciting to integrate these trends into your wedding, you want to be able to do it in a way that will stand the test of time and remain elements that will last as long as your love will.
For the location our design team wanted to make sure that we stayed true to the gorgeous surroundings of Southern Utah, but we wanted to show a different twist on location as well. When most people think of Southern Utah, they instantly think of the gorgeous red rocks of Zion and the surrounding areas. But there is so much more to our beautiful area. We are totally in love with the gorgeous natural look of this location and we are totally obsessed with the lighting of this shoot. AK Studio & Design did an amazing job at capturing all of the gorgeous details and maximizing the gorgeous sun that is a St George Weddings constant.
TABLESCAPE
In order to integrate some of the unique trends of 2013, designer Julie from Middle Aisle brought together a combination of classic choices and unique twists to put together an eye-catching tablescape perfect for your upcoming wedding. Along with help from Bloomers, Sweet Cakes By Karen, and Alex Obering Design she was able to put together a gorgeous table presentation. One of our favorite elements included the different hues of Grayed Jade. Creating this varied palette gives your wedding palette depth and visual interest. Many times brides focus on one shade of their favorite color, but by bringing in multiple different shade it creates a wedding that is much more appealing. We also love the complimentary rich shades that were brought onto the table in the floral and glass wear. That bold contrast is gorgeous. We also totally love the touches of birch. Many brides probably think of birch as a rustic element only suited for country weddings, but Julie has shown how it has a much more widespread reach and can add a great texture to even the most elegant of tablescapes. Julie did a great job at integrating many different elements into the tablescape, but also keeping simplicity throughout so you can enjoy each tiny touch.
We are also excited to give a shout out to some of the great Etsy vendors we were able to work with during this shoot. We absolutely love the laser cut cupcake wrappers by Back To Zero, the gorgeous bride & groom signs on the back of the sweet heart chairs by Come Uppance, and the amazing beautiful quote cut out from Julene.
FLORAL
We are so incredibly in love with the floral for this inspiration shoot. Bloomers did an amazing job and we love Kathy’s ability to take every arrangement to the next level of beauty. You never get the ordinary when you include Bloomers in your wedding, so expect the unique and amazing. Kathy took the element of Grayed Jade (aka mint) and brought the literal element into this inspiration shoot with mint leaves in the floral elements. We love the gorgeous touch it brings to the bohemian look of this shoot. From the brides hair sprigs, to the bouquet with bold colors and texture, to the gorgeous floral arrangements ..we are in love with every element and their eye catching appeal. One of very favorite touches was the gorgeous wreaths for the sweethearts table. They not only added a bold eye catching element to the tablescape, they also smelled divine and gave a gorgeous ambiance to the wedding set up.
FASHION
One of our favorite elements of this shoot is of course this gorgeous couple, and we love their amazing attire. Celebrate the Occasions is a full service boutique specializing in gorgeous wedding gowns and amazing looking suits and tuxes and we think this bride and groom look just perfect. We love the soft touch and clean look of the grooms suit. More and more suits are becoming the top pick of grooms out there, bringing in a regal look and simple class to the grooms attire. Tuxes are not the only option, and we have to admit, we love a great suit! But of course the bride and her amazing dress totally steal the show. We love the gorgeous tulle skirt and its soft flowing elegance. The wide satin band and sweetheart neckline is beautiful, but our very favorite element of this gorgeous gown is the cut-out-lace jacket. For brides who are wanting a slightly modest look, this is a beautiful option. We also love the see through lace because it reminds us of the laser cut trend that is so popular in 2013 weddings. Along the laser cut lines, we are a huge fan of the gold shimmered laser cut earrings that the bride is wearing. A perfect Etsy find, we are totally in love with Emily Wren and all her laser cut designs.
WEDDING CAKE
When you are choosing a wedding cake, you want to make sure you choose the very best. And one of the best in the industry is most definitely Sweet Cakes By Karen. She brings every brides wedding cake dreams to life with amazing creativity. We love how she took the element of Grayed Jade and put together not one, but three amazing cakes for this inspiration shoot. These days just about anything goes with wedding cakes, and we love the ideas of three totally different, yet coordinating, cakes and how they create an amazing visual centerpiece for your wedding. With each having unique textures and elements to them, it is hard to pick a favorite. Ruffles, pleats, fans…there is just so much to love. But these days you don’t have to pick just one! So go ahead all you gorgeous brides…have three cakes!
PAPER DETAILS
We are absolutely in love with the gorgeous paper details of the inspiration shoot and absolutely love how their simplicity and design bring every element together. Alex Obering Design is extremely talented and has such unique ideas to create flawless paper details for your wedding. We love the wreath element she included and how it tied together the gorgeous wreaths made by Bloomers. The color palette is perfect and by including the Grayed Jade and the deep raspberry pink on the invitation it gives a preview to what to expect in the other details. When creating your own wedding invitation this is a great way to give your guests a sneak peek to your upcoming wedding. We also love how she has been able to give the paper details a slightly rustic and yet completely elegant look and feel to compliment the session. One of our favorite elements is the adorable sweets sign. Paper details are a growing trend in weddings, and having these little elements at your wedding are the finishing touches that pulls your complete wedding look together.
We also want to give a little shout out to another one of our fabulous Etsy Vendors. We are so incredibly in love with the gold laser cut invitation wrap by Two Paper Dolls. These are simply to die for and are a unique touch that would make your guests ohh and ahh.
HAIR & MAKEUP
There are just not words to describe how incredibly in love with are with the gorgeous brides look. Everything is pure perfection. Julie Thomas Style is amazing and she does a beautiful job each time we are able to work with her. Braids are one of the biggest trends for weddings in 2013, and we absolutely love how she integrated the braid into the also very popular halo style. This soft feminine look went along perfectly with the shoot. We are also completely head over heels with the brides makeup. She looks amazingly flawless. Many brides don’t rely on a makeup artist to help them with their bridal, and we cannot recommend hiring a professional enough. This is your one day to look perfect and a professional hair and makeup stylist can help you achieve that by finding the right colors, styles, and looks for your big day. Julie Thomas Style did an amazing job of giving the bride a classic look, incredibly perfect skin, and that gorgeous berry lip that makes her just pop!
Got some questions for you:
Are you into any of the killer trends in this shoot? Or are you more of a *not really into trends* kind of person..?
Also: would love to hear some things about yourself, per my little “Things About Me” confessional up top. If you feel like it, only. Hoping you don’t think I’m a terrible person after reading it..!?
much love & affection,
Alison
One more thing. I’m obsessed with everything about the Valentine’s Day episode of Glee. And you’re talking to someone who hasn’t watched Glee for several seasons. This:
… and this…
Photography: AK Studio & Design / Submitted via: Two Bright Lights / Design & Planning: Middle Aisle / Floral: By Bloomers / Cakes: Sweet Cakes By Karen / Paper Details: Alex Obering / Fashion: Celebrate the Occasions / Hair & Makeup – Julie Thomas Style / Videography: MJ Films