Can you imagine planning a wedding in less than 5 months–and from 3,000 miles away? Well, that’s the story of our lovely bride Chrissy. Our hats are off to you and Ian–congratulations! We love your fete–the purple hi-tops, your amazing bouquet and eggplant, purple and silver color scheme, the mariachi band, the line dancing, the stunning backdrop of Niagara Falls–all of it. Enjoy!

Wedding Style: Chic & Traditional
Wedding Colors: Eggplant and Silver
Ceremony: Potters House Christian Community Church in Niagara Falls, NY   Reception: Niagara Falls Conference Center
Photographers: Luis Martinez and {Sharon N. from The Pros}
Thank You Cards: MagnetStreet Weddings

Highlights of the day:

Taking pictures with all of our family and friends at the falls … The bridal party reception entrance (they came in to the theme song for when the Chicago Bulls basketball team comes in (our favorite basketball team). As each couple entered, they slapped hands with the previous couples as they do when basketball players enter. Our ushers {nephews} entered with a large Chicago Bulls basketball jersey with my husbands last name on it (Johnson) and our flower girls entered with a smaller Chicago bulls basketball jersey also with Johnson on it. Then we came in and I had high-top purple converse shoes on.

Advice you’re glad you took

On the day of the event, I let other people take over and just enjoyed myself even if something wasn’t just they way I had planned it–I just let everyone else handle it.

Advice you’d like to give

Take a second during the wedding and reception to really be present–to take it all in and have fun–it’s your day!

Best part of the whole wedding day

My husband and I watching as everyone was doing a line dance without us–but having so much fun.

Vendor Shout-Outs

Niagara Falls Conference Center

Ours was a package with open bar and I’d say that was the smartest thing to do, because it meant less coordinating and since I was coming from 3,000 miles away, the least amount of coordinating I had to do, the better. The food was delicious. I was so happy we went with the buffet so people could eat as much as they wanted. The only problem was people having to wait to get into line but I think no matter what, people end up waiting a bit for food and its no big deal!

MagnetStreet Weddings

MagnetStreet was great! I was able to get exactly our color scheme and when the picture I wanted didn’t have enough pixels, they let me know and helped me fix it. That is why I went with them again for the thank you cards–which also had pictures on them. Again I was able to use the same colors and everything looked matched and coordinated. I would definitely use you guys again.  Also, the pricing was totally reasonable and the magnets actually stay on the fridge–unlike others I have seen.

Thank You Cards “Black Fade”

Thanks Chrissy & Ian for sharing your lovely day with us! We wish you every happiness–today and always!

xo

Gareth and Carin said their “I do’s” on a beautiful October Day, under a huge palm tree, and with the ocean as their backdrop. With stylish grace, we see their traditional black, red and ivory wedding–so perfectly trimmed with modern accents that included: fun floral patterning, beaded embellishments, and fashionable flourishes. Our bride Carin is simply stunning and I love all the ways she and Gareth captured moments for “themselves” yet considered the comfort of their “guests.” Enjoy and be inspired by this beautiful California wedding!

Wedding Style: Traditional & Fun
Wedding Colors: Red, Black and Ivory
Ceremony: Chase Palm Park, Santa Barbara, California (across from the beach). Reception: Hyatt Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California (also across from the beach).

Wedding Photographer: Halberg Photographers
Wedding Coordinator Simply Santa Barbara Wedding & Events
Hair & Makeup: Kelly Scripp
Save the Dates, Wedding Invitation Suite, Thank Yous: MagnetStreet Weddings

Highlights of the day

Guests enjoyed a beautiful ocean view while being transported along the coastal road to and from the ceremony/reception location on the traditional old town Santa Barbara trolley. It made for some added fun for guests! My groom and I also got to take some fun photos on the trolley. Another fun highlight was getting to share a blessed glass of Stella Artois (my favorite beer) with my groom during the ceremony as our “union ritual.”

Best part of the whole wedding day

Everything! Our day could not have been more perfect. I loved our ceremony, our officiant was fantastic. She really captured our love and who we are as a couple. She was able to make guests laugh and cry. Our reception was a terrific party: we ate Filet Mignon and lobster tail, drank from a full bar, the toasts were amazing, our DJ rocked it, we watched a wonderful slideshow that my sister put together, our guests were able to view the beautiful Santa Barbara sunset over the ocean from the overlooking reception hall, and the party continued at the hotel bar after the reception was over.

Advice you’re glad you took

Sneaking away to the beach during the reception while our guests enjoyed dinner, so that we could take some additional bride/groom photos on the sand. These are some of my most favorite shots!

Advice you wished you took

I wish we had hired a videographer for the entire day, rather than just our ceremony. I regret not capturing our first dance and all of the toasts/speeches on video. It would have been great to have these included in a video highlight reel of the entire day.

Advice you’d like to give

Take photos, including a “first look” before the ceremony. It relieves some of the anxiety and makes for a great intimate moment between bride and groom before walking down the aisle. Also, the more photos you can take beforehand, the more time you have to enjoy at the reception with your guests.

Carin’s shout-outs to their wedding vendors:

Photographer

Tim & Cheryl make a great photography team, they are cool, down to earth people who truly cared about getting to know us prior to our wedding so that they could capture our “style” as best they could.

Wedding Coordinator

Shelley and Erika from Simply Santa Barbara Wedding & Events are amazing. I could not have pulled off this fabulous day without them. They made the entire process easy and stress free. Their attention to detail is exactly what I needed and it was all apparent throughout the day and evening.

Hair & Makeup

I also had an extraordinary stylist team. Kelly and her team did both the hair and makeup on myself, my bridesmaids, my mother, grandmother, aunt, and flower girl. Everyone looked so gorgeous and we all felt like magnificent beauties.

Wedding Stationery

We used MagnetStreet for our save the dates, invitations, response cards, guest information cards, and even our thank you cards. I loved so many of the designs–it was hard to choose. It worked out great that we were able to go with a theme that matched our wedding style and colors. The personalization tool and customer service were fantastic. I had customized requests on all of my pieces and the design team was able to accommodate exactly what I wanted.  We could not have been happier with the end result!

Save the Date Magnet: “Vine Outline” Wedding Invitation Suite: “Floral Ornament” {Left} Thank You Cards “Entwined Frame” {Right} Thank You Cards “Black Fade”

Thank you Carin & Gareth–for sharing your lovely day with all of us! It was truly beautiful …  We wish you all the best!

xo

I’m getting married! Now what? Truly Engaged is a new blog series written by Rachel, our *newly engaged* staff writer. As she wades her way through the wedding planning process, she’ll be sharing some of the emotions, inspiration, and insight she uncovers along the way.

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Hi everyone! Newly engaged Rachel here. (My love popped the question a little over a month ago. ::swoon::)

Since my fiance and I are planning to get married this fall–I’ve always dreamt of a fall wedding–we’ve had to really “hop on it” with the wedding planning. And while I’ve been writing about weddings for quite awhile now, I’m still adjusting to being on the “bride’s side” of the wedding fence!

Today I’m talking about one of the most fun–and influential–decisions of the wedding planning process: picking out your wedding colors. Although I have pledged not to become a “bridezilla” (and my mom has also sworn to not morph into a “momzilla”), I have to admit that I am a little picky when it comes to color. I believe that color is powerful, purposeful, and can deeply affect the mood and tone of your wedding. In other words: no pressure, right?

As I’ve begun to spin the wheel of wedding colors, I’ve been noticing how easy it could be to spin out of control. How many colors do I want? Do I want monochromatic or complementary colors? Which blue do I prefer: navy, cornflower, sapphire, or royal? Whew…such a dizzying array of decisions to make!

To help me narrow down my options and prioritize my palette, I have created a list of my Top Five Factors to Wedding Colors. It’s been really helpful so far–and I hope it helps you, too!

Factor 1: Mood/Emotion

Since color can affect our mood and emotions, I realized that it’s a good idea to factor in how different colors make us feel. And since the same color can evoke different emotions, depending on which color(s) it is paired with, I’ve been picking and pairing different colors together to see how the different combinations ” feel”.

For example, blue could be very classy/royal, or it could also be exotic/vibrant:

I’ve been asking myself a few questions, too:

1. How do I want to feel on my wedding day? And how do I want my guests to feel?

2. Which combinations of colors set the tone/mood that I want?

After thinking it over, I decided that I want to feel (and want my guests to feel): comfortable, beautiful, happy, and relaxed. To help learn what colors make me feel “confident and calm”, I turned to my closet. I browsed through shirts, jewelry, makeup, etc. to find colors that I enjoy wearing and feel both pretty and relaxed in. The color trend I found in my closet? Blue, turquoise, and purple.

Factor 2: Culture/Tradition

I know that certain colors are tied to different cultural groups, religions, and traditions. Like many couples, my fiance and I want to personalize our wedding with colors that pay homage to our cultural backgrounds. For example, my fiance is Indo-Caribbean.  This eclectic mix lends itself to a variety of colorful palettes, including vibrant jewel-tones that conjure images of  savory tropical fruits and stunning Indian saris.

Maybe using cultural colors is something that you want to do, too: You could be very specific, like kelly green for an Irish-themed wedding, or you could be more general, such as choosing vivid colors reminiscent of your Mexican heritage.

Photo: Heidi Merrick

Factor 3: Memories (As a Couple)

To help find colors to walk down the aisle, I’ve been taking a stroll down memory lane!  My fiance gave me a beautiful sapphire blue engagement ring. I absolutely love the ring, and will never forget that day. Therefore, I’d love to incorporate sapphire blue into my wedding color palette.

What are your favorite, happiest memories as a couple? Do you have a favorite vacation spot? How about your favorite or first date? Maybe you can find “happy hues” that remind you of these warm, fuzzy memories.

Factor 4: Season

Each season nature gives us a kaleidoscope of beautiful, organic colors. I’ve been thinking: Why not incorporate these seasonal shades into my wedding color scheme? You could do this, too, if you are getting married somewhere that has seasons. You don’t have to use every color of that season, but for me, I’m realizing that picking one or two colors might make it easier–and more affordable–to decorate my wedding day.

Factor 5: Venue

Last (but certainly not least) is the ceremony and reception venue(s). I realized that it’s a good idea to wait on a color palette until after we’ve booked a venue(s). You might find it helpful to scope out the colors of your venue, too–perhaps check out the colors already present in the decor and furniture. You don’t have to limit yourself to these colors, but if you’re like me, you might consider factoring in the venue colors when selecting your own palette. That way, all the colors will complement–not clash!

So there they are, my Top Five Factors to Wedding Colors. So what ARE my final wedding colors? Well, some things are best left a secret…at least for awhile. Stay tuned!

I’d love to hear from other brides and grooms: How did you choose your colors? Do you have any advice for selecting wedding colors?

Rachel for MagnetStreet Weddings

Colorful, fun and unique–much like Mardi Gras. Let this board inspire you to follow your wedding dreams and let your unique personalities shine through! Follow your heart and your style as they relate to color, attire, decor and wedding stationery!

Did you know that MagnetStreet Weddings has many free wedding resources to help you create a memorable wedding? We’ve got a budget guide for you to download, a stationery timeline to keep you on track, a plethora of inspiration boards, top wedding stationery trends for 2012 and wording ideas for your invites, RSVPs … plus a whole lot more!

AND- our Valentine’s Discount is still going on… GET 21.4% Off on any MagnetStreet Weddings stationery! Simply use  WEDLOVE214 at checkout. This code expires 2/27/12- so hurry!

Which free wedding resource are you most likely to use?