Dana Tanamachi for Weddings!

We posted on the amazing Dana Tanamachi a little while ago, but we had to bring her up again, because (drum roll please!) she is available to do custom lettering on  anything covered in chalkboard paint - i.e. a totally amazing something something for your wedding!  How amazing would having something like the above be?  Amazing! Cover a sheet of plywood with chalkboard paint and voila! a genius thing for your décor and a fab keepsake!  We could also imagine seriously cool backdrop for the ceremony or a photo booth...We are giddy; oh the possibilities...

This rant a continuation of a rant on 100 Layer Cake...

Pastel Pretty Mini Donuts

Aren't these mini donuts dreamy?  They would be so lovely as a little treat at a wedding - can't you just see them nested in little glassine bags?  We can! And it would be gorgeous!

Apparently, they're super easy to make and delicious.  You can find  instructions at Such Pretty Things...

via Twig & Thistle

Maggie Austin

...makes the most beautiful cakes we've ever seen!  We don't even really want to eat this so much as wear it...

She used to be a ballet dancer - so apropos, no?

So ethereal and lovely...see the rest of her stunning portfolio here...

via Erin Ever After

AE Planning + Design Holiday Greetings!

We're a wee bit tardy on this (ha!) but check out this interactive map we designed for the ever marvelous Alison Events.

They traveled something like 84 (!) days out of the year last year, orchestrating fab destination weddings the world over.   Each icon opens up stunning photos from each destination.  Check it out in action here!

Handmade Weddings!

We are SUPER excited to report that our new book, Handmade Weddings, created with the extra fabulous Shana Faust, is here!!

The book includes over 50 delightful (if we do say so ourselves! ) projects designed to inspire, whether your look is modern classic or retro homespun along with lots of guidance on choosing a look, sourcing materials, and working out timelines.

Better yet, 100 Layer Cake is giving away 5 copies (as we speak!) to lucky readers as well as a discount on the book!

Here's the cute trailer for the book! Woot! (very excited!)

25 Year Anniversary: Tina & Rudy

We are always so pleased to be a part of our client's celebrations - especially a celebration like this one.  Tina & Rudy renewed their vows after 25 years of marriage! The happy couple then...

and now!

A few pieces of stationery we did for their gorgeous event...

See all the details here!

Danish Paper Stars!

We are getting the urge to do some last minute holiday crafting after coming across these super cool Danish (or German or Moravian) paper stars!  There's a handy tutorial - love this wreath idea, and these would look so great nestled into a Christmas tree, or just hanging around, being festive!  And, they would be lovely as a wedding detail (since we have weddings on the brain over here) - perhaps as a cute place card holder? (Fingers tapping chin, contemplatively)...

from Jurianne Matter via Nabe Fabric

Silk Tree Branch Mobiles by Moon-Lily Silk

Some of us have been traveling here at Hello!Lucky and we're a little confused about what season it is! We thought these delicate silk tree mobiles by Moon-Lily Silk were a refreshing way to look back while marching ever onward toward spring...was it?

Brought to mind our Autumn Leaves design.

And these brought to mind EIEIO's Lunaria design.  Lovely, modern and nature-inspired.

And of course, Cherry Blossom.

Such lovely decorations for seasonally inspired weddings!

And, they might look equally beautiful in a nursery, no? (A child's nursery, that is, not an arboreal one where they might get a little lost.)

Thanks so much, Jan, for sharing!

The English Department

We are currently crushing on the lovely wedding dresses to be found at The English Dept...wondering if it's absolutely necessary to be getting married to own this dress! Lounging in a field of grass swathed in tulle and lace is looking quite enticing...

The English Dept. is a design studio and wedding dress boutique, carrying creations hand-picked from independent designers such as Jenny Yoo and Ivy & Aster.  Owner, Elizabeth Dye, designs her own gorgeous collection of wedding gowns as well.

Seriously, does this dress fulfill all our Jane Austen wedding fantasies?  Yes.  Yes it does...

You can find The English Dept. here and in Portland: 1124 SW Alder Street (503) 224 0724

via the always fabulous Grey Likes Weddings

Fluffy, Tulle Goodness!

What girl doesn't fantasize about floating about in a cloud of tulle?  Ouma creates these delicate concoctions that would make even the most, ahem, possibly not-so-graceful of us, feel like a a picture of grace and ballerina-like elegance...

How dreamy is this hand-dyed ombre skirt?  Coveting this deeply!

And how gorgeous would these be for bridesmaids? These are dresses that would never be relegated to the back of the closet!

You can find Ouma here and get some made-to-order fanciness of your own...

Timeless Vixen Vintage

We absolutely LOVE vintage clothing and vintage dresses in particular.  Timeless Vixen Vintage (found via Snippet & Ink - Merry Go Round inspiration board) has not only an amazing selection of gorgeous dresses, but remarkably, many of them are in reasonable sizes as well!  How fabulous would these dresses be for bridemaids?

The dresses are a wee bit pricey, but so fantastic and in such great condition, it might very well be worth it for a special occasion!

Love this 40's number...

We can't get over their really stunning selection of stylish pieces...

Love the cherry red! And a fifties party dress is flattering on almost anyone...

And they have gorgeous things from somewhat harder to find eras, like this navy blue 1930's flutter dress...(and it's not a size 0!  No offense to all you size 0's out there, but for those of us who have so often gazed longingly at a gorgeous bit of vintage with a 25" waist and then, regretfully, put it back on the rack - hurrah!!)

This Edwardian tea dress would make a stunning wedding dress...it reminds of us the dress worn in this woodland inspired wedding....

Love, love, LOVE it!

SweetAmb's beautiful cookies

How stunning are these cameo cookies by SweetAmb?

They're practically too beautiful to eat!

Such pretty, perfect wedding favors!  Available here.

Via Beautifully Ever After

Real Wedding: Danielle Spinetta & Greg Piché

We recently did fabulous invitations and day-of paper for our friend and fellow card maker, Danielle Spinetta of Tallulah.  She and her husband, Greg Piché, were married at Foreign Cinema in San Francisco, and had a fun vintage movie theme - Foreign Cinema has a giant wall for projecting movies (so cool!) - they showed Grease and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid during the reception. Love it!

Photography by Beth Hurley and Deb Mindel of Greg Piché Photography.

Danielle had her save-the-dates printed at the amazing Hatch Show Print and asked us to do the rest of the pieces in a similar show poster style (an aesthetic we happen to love, so needless to say it was a great pleasure to work on). Here's the menu (above)...

The place cards were inspired by vintage movie ticket stubs...

We designed these great custom cocktail napkins from For Your Party - such an adorable detail - served alongside these delicious looking glasses of huckleberry lemonade.

Love these Hooray! flags made by So Inviting (she also made the flag for the cake)...

The truffle cake was made by  I Dream of Cake

Love the earthy modern look of Foreign Cinema.  The giant letters in the background were made by Madeline Edwards. Congratulations, Danielle & Greg!

NameBirdie!

We just came across NameBirdie on ritzybee and felt we had to spread the word!  Getting married is fun and all, but there are certain elements that are, frankly, a real drag.  Paperwork is right up there on our list (ok, well, Sabrina and I grew up with a dad who was a bureaucrat with the U.S. Government and spent a lot of time as kids "playing" with old forms and such, so I secretly sort of love filling out forms (sick, I know), but, boy, do I hate looking for the right forms to fill out!)

NameBirdie is a brilliant service that allows you to change your name in a fabulous, no hassle, stress free way for the bargain price of $24.95 or $29.95 for their super fancy package.  Normally, a name change involves an attorney (expensive!) or collecting a myriad of forms and getting them all filled out properly.  With NameBirdie, it takes no time at all, and their service even creates notification letters to your banks, credit card companies and so on. Brilliant, genius idea!  Plus, though not as cute as some tarty lingerie from Agent Provocateur, they offer gift cards that make a fantastic bridal shower gift!  They are also doing a giveaway via ritzybee which you can enter here.  We heart them!

Real Wedding: Julia and Mathew

We were thrilled to receive photos from friend and collaborator Julia's recent wedding, beautifully shot by Jennifer Causey.  Julia and Mathew were married at The Oaks on Long Island, a beautiful estate on the water.

The classic green and white color scheme was carried throughout. We love that Julia bucked tradition and had her bridesmaids select their own dresses in various shades of green.

The wedding was full of handcrafted details featuring Julia's illustrations, of course!

Julia herself looked radiantly happy in a dress from David's Bridal and a hairpiece from ban.do.

Congratulations to Julia and Mathew! It looked like an amazing evening.

Jessica Rust Designs

We are always on the hunt for unique and meaningful wedding gifts. Don't get us wrong, that Kitchen-Aid mixer is sure to please, but being able to truly personalize a gift, is something that the couple will always remember.  We love the idea behind Jessica Rust's personalized dinnerware. She offers mugs, plates, platters and bowls in a variety of different designs. Each piece has the ability to be personalized with a couples initials and wedding date. So sweet! For more information, visit her website here.

Anna Kuperberg

How beautiful is the work of San Francisco photographer Anna Kuperberg? We've been huge fans of Anna's for awhile now and are consistently impressed with the quality of her work. Her ethereal portraits are simply stunning.

Anna also keeps a fantastic blog of her ongoing projects!

Paper lace

Trolling Esty is dangerously addicting. But with such amazing treasures to be discovered, the hunt is to compelling to pass up. Check out this amazing paper lace from Brookerpie - just think of the possibilities!

Wedding Registry - Beyond Towels from Macy's

For those of you who are looking for a way to register for groovy, electic items you'd never find at Macy's, we just came across MyRegistry.com - this website has a handy little tool that you drop into your bookmarks toolbar that allows you to add anything from any online store to your wedding registry.

If, say, you'd rather fabulous vintage silverware, Scottish blankets, and colorful glasses from ReFound Objects, than the standard fare, this website is genius!  Pottery from Jonathan Adler and dishes from Anthropologie, anyone?  Unique table top pieces (like these bird terrines) from Mothology or glamorous finds from Jayson Home & Garden? Also, you have the option of adding cash as a gift by setting up a cash gift fund (no longer will you have to figure out a non-tacky way to ask for money for your dream honeymoon or towards the down payment you're working on for that house!)

If you like to balance out your karma with some charitable works (we know how difficult it is not to loose control with that little scanner thingy they give you over at Williams-Sonoma - it makes such a satisfying noise!), we also recently came across Global Giving via A Practical Wedding which allows you to create an easy-to-use registry for donations to good causes all around the world.

Truly hilarious cake toppers

Trolling Etsy is one of our favorite pastimes for wedding inspiration, and this quirky rabbit cake topper caught our eye:

Designer Jennifer Murphy specializes in wedding and baby shower products. You can visit her Etsy shop here.