Inspiration for September 26

Photo: Redhotbrides.com

Luxe Life: Adam and Laura

Hey all, here are some pictures from a wedding The Hubbs' and I attended this summer. I hate that it has taken so long for me to get these pictures up here, but I have had the busiest summer of my life! Whew! But, now that it is coming reluctantly to a close, I feel I can release these and chat about them effectively.

Adam and Laura have been friends with The Hubbs for years and a couple for even longer. I had the pleasure of meeting them at a party they were hosting. I really have enjoyed getting to know them over the last couple years.

The cute couple opted for a semi-formal affair at Olbrich Botanical Gardens. I got so excited about the place (that and the lighting at the reception took a toll on my photo quality) that I forgot to take a lot of pictures of aspects of the reception. Had I designed this wedding, I would have more detail...


The approach! I was in love with this place from the start. Look at the wonderful little house at the end of the road.

The Pavilion! I am such a big fan of this place. Of course, I am a big fan of anything shiny! I was not expecting this at all. A very stylish surprise.


The cutest flower girl ever! Ever. She was enthralled with the Bride and Groom in all their finery. I remember being that age and wanting to be part of the action. On a critique-y note, I am not always a fan of these big, tulle princess gowns for little ones, but this one was done very nicely. The length definitely added a little formality to the dress and her overall look! What a little doll!

The happy couple getting a few last minute directions. I was surprised this all went as well as it did without a Day-Of Coordinator. I really recommend it, Brides. The last thing you want to be doing is giving/getting directions when you could be off enjoying the day. P.S. LOVING the dress. Such a beautiful neckline. The pearls were such a simple yet elegant touch to an already gorgeous Bride!

The table. I like the napkin fans...I usually don't like fancy napkin sculptures, but these are cute and add a lot of pizazz to the table. I really like the use of foliage instead of traditional flowers. A really good example of creating style on a budget.

The cake! A very distinct choice with the pillars. I'm loving the sugar flower spirals. Cute cute cute!

Well, there you have it. I have sooo many more, but these were some of the highlights. I also wish I could've gotten my hands on the professional shots for this one. Overall, this was one dreamy outdoor wedding!

The photos shown do not represent Darling Events design.

A Little Update for your Friday Afternoon!

Hey there! Sorry about the silence, I've been knee deep in the planning pool. Here is the final draft of the invites for the cocktail party I'm hosting in October. Inspired by horror movie posters of the 50's and 60's, I think these little darlings will be a perfect introduction to the atmosphere of the party. I'm rather proud of them! Another big thank you to Allison C. Beilke for her help with these. They are exactly what I wanted.


Loving them! They're going to go in the Waste Not "Beet" A7 envelopes. I'll think they'll be super cute when paired with the custom envelope liners I'm working on. Squee! They're off to the printer Saturday morning and hopefully I'll have them in the mail October 1st.

Now I'm working on little serving skewers and title cards for the hors d' oeuvres. Pictures as the project progresses.

A note about wording: Address the who, what, when, where, why of your party up front. I wanted to be cutesy, but I needed people to know they'd be fed, celebrating The Hubbs' b-day and that costumes were encouraged.

Daily Inspiration {September 24}!

photo: House Beautiful

Inspiration on a Gloomy Day (Sept 21)

Okay, wow. Look at that dress. Even if it isn't your style, I'm sure we can all appreciate the work it took to bring it together. For me, this is a real masterpiece.

Today, I'd like you all to think about this: What can I do to make this tradition of a wedding uniquely ours? How can we make our mark on every aspect of this wonderful celebration? What have we already done and how can we maximize it?

This week is going to be about personal touches and how to achieve them without breaking the bank.

Photo credit: offbeatbride dot com and Our Punk Rock Wedding

Planning My Tushie Off!

Hey there, everybody. I just realized I haven't blogged in a few days. Boo me. I have just been up to my bottom in planning. I'm working on a super fab Halloween party with a campy-chic B Horror movie theme. It's also a birthday party for The Hubbs. It's coming together beautifully.

Here's the first draft of the invites. I love them! My friend Allison did them. You'll remember her from designing the banner for this blog and for Holy Matrimony!. She also designed our entire wedding suite from save the dates to escort cards. 17 pieces in all. She's brilliant and here is the post I did about her. You can check out her Etsy shop here and her website here. What do you think!
All the copy needs to be dropped in (hence the unclear half sentences), but that's why its a first draft. The envelopes are shown in "Beet" and come from Paper Source. I love this store! I really wish we had one here in MKE. *sigh* Enjoy! I'll get pictures up of the final draft when the copy is in.

Thanks, Allison!

The design belongs to Allison. No copying or stealing...I don't want to see this end up anywhere. Thanks!

Inspiration for Sept. 13

This picture comes to me from The Knot. Love. This. However, I think I would have played around with dimension and levels a bit more, but that's just me. It's an incredible tablescape, I must say! Wow. This make me think of winter wonderlands or midsummer night's dreams. I wonder...