A Wedding Palette: Vintage Edge, Autumn Hues & 70’s Love Oddities

Fall has settled in, the cold is creeping in the window cracks that I never fixed due to a love of small summer breezes now and then… it has settled, unpacked, and put on its slippers to get comfortable.

I really do favor fall, more than any other season – in fact, i was convinced for many years  that my wedding would take place in the fall (but, scheduling doesn’t always work out the way you “dreamed” it!)

This doesn’t mean that I can’t have a bit of fun with autumn wedding palettes, however – so much to choose from: golds, browns, deep reds, purples, even blues, etc.  In fact, the first image brought to mind is an old (and unattractive) flannel shirt that I used to own.  I’m sure that I never wore it in public, and that it was stolen from a boyfriend I can’t remember (I think?)  But, it was warn, and comfortable, and tacky, and full of fall colors!

Tacky plaid may not be the best pairing for a wedding, but the plaid shirt brings me to an interesting theme: Harold and Maude.  (1970’s flick – go see it.) There is something about that entire movie that makes my mind link it directly with that tacky flannel shirt!  More importantly, however, is the link to fall colors!

So… an oddly matched 70’s vintage couple, in a quirky (but sad) little movie?  Can I pull the “fall feeling” that I get from this movie, matched with the quirky vintage love theme from the storyline, and throw it all into an amazing fall wedding palette?  Well, I’m going to try!

There they are: Harold and Maude...

Oh, did I forget to mention the AMAZING soundtrack by Cat Stevens that is wedding-worthy?

A little less red, and this somehow manages to match our palette!

How about a real life wedding to fit into our palette, today? (Click photo for link back to site.)

Make it a casual, afternoon affair - and, they're invited to our palette! (Click photo for link back to Flickr photo.)

Here are a few that fellow wedding blogger “Perfect Bound…” found in the “plaid” category – I really like a few of her selections shown below:

Plaids from Perfect Bound (click image for link)

Another favorite, this one by J. Crew (click for link back to Perfect Bound...)

But, I’m getting off track with the focus only on plaids…  back to some color focus!

OK - one more plaid photo - this one is for the men! (By Nixon - click photo for link.)

Tom's Shoes in our palette shades - a little casual, but a great cause... wear them while getting your hair and makeup done! (Click photo for link.)

They're bright, handmade... they're a cool favor!

Good old generic-look orange soda? (Make a signature drink out of it using champagne, and other creative bartender mixtures... eh?)

Vin-tastic lights by IKEA (click image for link.)

More palette staple:

Staple browns for the palette...

Golden margaritas on your registry this fall... (click photo for link.)

This has to have a place somewhere! It's just to awesome! (Vintage Playboy Magazine.)

Golden wedding floral arrangements?

A little more subtle color, but a happy daisy bouquet is 70's gold!

Well… I may have gotten “off topic” throughout the palette, but it was only due to the fun I had searching!  However, considering that this palette started with the phrase, “tacky plaid flannel shirt” – I think I came pretty far!

Thanks for the journey Harold and Maude…

New Martha Stewart Weddings & Me

So, I sat down to read the newest issue of Martha Stewart Weddings – which, is my favorite wedding magazine by far, and is the only one with any real tips that are useful… especially for DIY girls.

But, I saw an idea for using fabric made flowers that you can purchase, etc. – and using them for various decoration. But, I’ve always used this idea – in fact, it is the embellishment that you will find on all of my reconstructed vintage clutch bags. I even just finished another flower that I think I would like to incorporate into my own wedding – I make them all with “found” fabrics, and the latest one is ivory satin from an old slip, with baby blue lace squares and stitched behind it… not sure where to put it yet.

Anyway- here is the flower from Martha:

And, here are some examples of my flowers…

The pics above are from a custom reconstructed vintage clutch that I sold – and, you can see the flower with details behind it (which could just as easily be made into a broach or hairpiece) plus the cool vintage button and lace stripes, and the pink ribbon bow with charms, held from copper/black dual chain links – all attached to the zipper.

If you are interested in one of my handmade purses, you can of course email me at: abby@xxoogagavida.com or visit my handmade store @ gagavida.etsy.com

Here is a another purse that is currently for sale – and, it shows another flower example… the picture isn’t that great, but you get the idea. The coolest part of this one is that I used so many different elements, plus gave it a pink heart-shaped button to fill the middle… you’ve got lace, tulle, and parts of thermal, knit, and sweatshirt fabric all mixed in there as well – and you guessed it, they came from actual articles of clothing! Even the lace was originally the trim from a tank top (with the exception of the very bottom blue lace piece.)

I also love that the “99″ charm on this purse is actually from my high school graduation tassel… I mean, what else was I going to do with it, right?

And, here is the one I want to somehow use for my wedding – like I said, it is just by itself currently – but, eventually it will be added to a purse, or a brooch, or a hairpiece, etc. I love its simplicity the most, however… the center is still without a button, or anything like that. I may add a vintage white floral button with some depth – that way, it should look like the real center of a flower (or at least similar, right?)

I also took a few pictures with a bag that I’m considering using for this flower piece… it is a classic vintage fold-over clutch bag, in flawless black patent w/gold trim… you’ll see it clearly in a few of the pictures:

Again – these aren’t the best pictures, b/c I was inside, and I always have trouble shooting little pieces like this with my stupid flash on my camera.  Boo.

But, anyway – if you like les fleurs, leave me a comment!    And remember – I can make them however you want them to look if you do a custom order!

My little design palettes…

As my own wedding comes closer by the second, I have been doing some of my own design and research for my wedding…

I thought that I would share these – they are the individual design palettes that I created for each one of my bridesmaids, plus one that shows all of the the bridesmaids together. This was what I did as my way of showing them their dresses for the first time – and, I mailed a copy of their dress palette, plus the palette for all bridesmaids (plus a few instructions) as one package that was held together with black satin ribbon.

I had fun doing it, and I think that they were psyched to receive a package in the mail!

This is the palette showing all the bridesmaids looks…

This was the palette for my bridesmaid Rebecca…

This was for bridesmaid Sarah, and 1 of 2 Maids of Honor – Shauna…

This was for 2 of 2 Maids of Honor Jessica…

All of the dresses were picked from J.Crew’s wedding section (which, I think is only on their website.)

They have their choice on shoes, as long as they are solid black patent… the flats on their palettes are from Target (very inexpensive and cute option!) The second pair is from Nordstrom, and is quite a bit pricier – but damn, are these shoes hot!

HOT!

The tights pictured are a nude shade of regular fishnets, which you can find anywhere from Target, to Nordstrom, to Victoria’s Secret, etc.

I would really like to have white flowers in their hair, like shown in the vintage photo…

I just love these full flowers… they will be carrying mostly white flowers, but not as bouquets, because I think that it sounds annoying to carry around for them – so, they will have those bouquets hanging from ribbon – just like a purse!

This was just an example that I found online.

Links from this post:

J. Crew (All Dresses)

Target (Shoes, Tights)

Victoria’s Secret (Tights)

Nordstrom (Shoes, Tights)

Me Likey

Here is my ping contribution for today… I came across this find by Classic Bride and I think that it is a fantastic, low budget idea for reception tables…

These are from Ikea, reportedly for about $1.99 a pop! These would be so great and affordable to grace the tables at your reception, and hold those pricey petals that will be hauled in for the fete…. jolie!