Whitewash

We talk a lot about color here, as it’s one of the most standout ways to enforce a theme and create continuity throughout your wedding. But sometimes, it’s the absence of color that speaks loudest. If an all-white affairs appeals to you, plan to keep the eye moving with rich textures, plenty of patterns, sweeping fabrics, and unforgettable flowers. I’ve talked before about white bridesmaid dresses and other details. Here’s some more inspiration for your white wedding.

Layer up a row of white floral centerpieces with the subtlest hint of blush for a major wow factor on your tables.

Lucite chairs and crystal centerpieces make a white scheme extra-luxe.

Your candy display table will be lovely in all-white if you pick varying sizes and shapes for the canisters and affix pretty labels.

White paper lanterns in an array of designs, plus a few funky banners, make a splash, even in the absence of color.

Use the existing beauty of your venue + the greenery of flowers to create lovely contrast. I also think these artfully placed white candles are genius. Simple and yet elegant.

And don’t forget to check out my white weddings board on Pinterest.

Mani Monday for the Bride-to-Be

Every girly girl loves to get her nails done — or if on a budget, like me, to do them at home. I got so excited about painting mine yesterday that I did it hours before the Superbowl, entirely killing my first-quarter plans. On Mani Monday, as the Insta world has declared the first day of the work week, I always like to burst on the scene with a new hue on the talons. Though still on bed rest after last week’s surgery, with an audience of only three (two of whom have four legs), I decided to give myself a careful, three-coat mani.

I was inspired by the reality shows I’ve been watching way too much of while on the mend, and most of them were filmed last summer — we’re talking pungent peaches, mod whites, bold greens, and beyond. While pastel is a little off for the frigid weather we’re currently experiencing, I’m all about winter white. A true, milky white without any hint of sheer is just divine. I love Essie’s Blanc but Chanel and Butter London have great options, too.

White polish is perfect for a wedding in any season. The bride-to-be doesn’t have to go quite as mod as I did this week, though. Classic favorites can hit the right note while modern interpretations bring something special.

“Cream Tea” by Butter London, a solid white with a touch of sheer.

Add dots for some quirkiness.

We all know “Baby’s Breath”… it’s a classic for a reason!

OPI’s “Funny Bunny” is a fantastic, bright white that’s just sheer enough.

Silver glitter never hurt anyone’s white mani…

Modernize a French with one lace nail on each hand. Love it!

Add gold and pink for a truly darling look.

All photos except of my own nails are from Pinterest. Find more inspo on my Nail It, B*tches pin board.

All-White Wedding

Many brides feel it is wildly disrespectful for a guest to wear a white dress to their wedding. As a rule, never do it. But the occasional bride prefers a clean, white aesthetic for her celebration, and thus the bridesmaid dresses follow suit. I went to an all-white wedding this summer and it worked beautifully. The bride donned an off-white, vintage-look boho gown and her maids were in all different white lace frocks. Theirs were short to make a distinction. The look was exquisite.

If you’re thinking of an all-white wedding, I totally applaud your choice. The look is timeless and stunning–and it photographs amazingly. For your bridesmaids, you’ll want to make sure you stand out like my friend did. Whether it’s a matter of hemlines, cut, fabric or shades of white, there must be a differentiation between you and them.

Her bridesmaids are in short, cream dresses to ensure she remains center stage.

You can put your bridesmaids in long white dresses and still stand out. With a boho look like this, I would do more dramatic flowers for the bride, and make sure your dress has a different fit from theirs to avoid blending in.

The flowers, cake and table settings will be gorgeous in all white, too. Be sure to include a variety of textures and finishes–matte, shiny, woven, etc in your planning so that the light creates pretty shadows to show off all the details, and to translate into the photographs.

This bride let the green stems of her flowers show through clear vases to break up the white just a bit.

A pure white cake is so elegant. The detail on this one adds interest.

If you’d like to see more all-white wedding ideas, check out my White Weddings board on Pinterest.

Matchy-Matchy

Matching is such a tricky thing, right? You can take it too far and look like a fool, you can ignore it altogether and look either amazing or absolutely tragic… you can toe the line and still not know whether you’re getting it right or not. As weddings have this tradition of matchy-matchy tied right into them, I went kicking and screaming into ours with a different idea. As with my general approach to fashion, I decided I wanted the different elements of our nuptials to “relate,” not to match.

white with blue. pretty!

Hence followed five bridesmaids in five different dresses (styles and colors!), groomsmen wearing different ties, a candy table that bore no real correlation to our core palette but jazzed things up at the end of the night, and so on. When it comes to wedding coordination, how “by the books” are you? I’ve seen some one or two-hued affairs that are absolutely amazing. All-white with the subtlest pops of metallic or pastel? Sign me up. Bolder Autumn hues that coordinate gorgeously and complement a diverse range of skin tones? Yes, please. Black, white and gray? Not mad at that either.

almost matchy-matchy, but not quite!

What was the coolest wedding color scheme you’ve seen recently? Or here’s another question for you… as a guest at someone else’s wedding, how much do you think/care about the colors? We will be rolling out tons of inspiration pages on colors in the coming months, and I am stirring my idea pot right now!