Shark Week Wedding Inspiration

Da dum….da dum….da dum..da dum..da dum da dum da dum da dum…….Inspiration Board Friday!!!

Those of you who are fans of Shark Week on the Discovery Channel anxiously await these 7 days all year long!!  You watch in awed fascination at the beauty and strength of these prehistoric creatures that prowl the depths.  You peek through slit fingers that cover your eyes at the gory parts.  You dream of becoming the next Jacques Cousteau sailing the open ocean eager to learn the facts and mysteries that the deep blue holds.   And some of you love it so much, you might as well make it part of your wedding!! 

The fascination of sharks lies with the adrenaline rush we all receive when we even hear a whisper of the word Great White.  Your wedding day should have that same adrenaline rush!  Endorphins fill you with tingles from head to toe, your skin burns red hot, you’re ready for the biggest plunge of your life!

Let your wedding day bring on this rush!!  Filled with emotion, wonder, and awe, a Shark Week inspired wedding will let the bride, the groom, and all the guests in attendance fall in love with the open seas.  Hold your chic shark soiree at a local aquarium next to their exhilarating exhibit.  Utilize succulents in both your bouquet and the centerpieces.  These flowers can appear as though they were plucked right off the bottom of a coral reef.  Bring in multiple grey tones to mimic the sandpaper skin of our toothy friends.  Wear a mermaid shaped dress that features wave action ruching.  And to sweeten up the night, delight your guests with a meringue covered wedding cake that showcases pointed peaks to look like teeth! 

Sink your teeth into Shark Week and Enjoy!!!

 

Photo Credits:  D’Soleil Photography; Shark Week Letterpress, Bouquet, Ring, Clutch, Cufflinks – Etsy; Bridesmaid Dress – Swell; Wedding Cake – Martha Stewart Weddings; Centerpieces – Elizabeth Anne Designs; Wedding Gown – Ines Di Santo

Newlywed Humor – Moving Day

Everyone knows that the first year of marriage is going to be filled with love, lust, bliss, and overall joy. Most everyone, not everyone, but most of the adult population also realizes that the first year of marriage is also going to be filled with trials and tribulations. You’re learning habits about each other you didn’t know could even exist (Who tricks you into touching their sweaty soccer socks, seriously?!?!).  Awkward moments you hoped your significant other wouldn’t have to see till at least anniversary number 6.  And the sounds of laughter for all these said “trials”.

The Hubby and I just celebrated our 6 month wedding anniversary. I know, Corny with a capital C, I count the months, but let’s get serious…what warm blooded gal out there doesn’t count the months in the first year she’s married?!?! Well the day after we celebrated 6 months, we moved.

The situation of our move is a bit unique. We moved into my in-laws house.

Mama and Papa-In-Law are off to work overseas, so we’re “house sitting” for the 2 years that they are gone. We’re also dog sitting for 3 new dogs. Now we have a litter once you count our already rambunctious Boston Terrier/French Bulldog monster mix.  The litter consists of a 3 pound miniscule of a Yorkie, an average 7 pound Yorkie gal, our frenchton monster (and I use monster in the nicest sense of the word, I love my puppy…sometimes as much as my hubby!…jk Hubby…not really…), and one 127 pound Boxer named Xander. 

Now our litter doesn’t truly understand the concept of moving.  For another laugh on the act of moving, check out Dogs Don’t Understand Basic Concepts, it will give you a little more incite into the minds of these pupperoni’s.  While packing and moving our stuff into the U-Haul, our monster was FREAKED.  He was velcro puppy to the nth degree.  Once in the In-Laws house, he was still freaked.  He didn’t understand that this was his new home.  This was the house where his puppy friends lived.  We came here for a nice visit every now and then, he would hump the average Yorkie gal, and go home to nice deep slumber brought on by “exhaustion”.  Now his beds were here, his toys were here, he was having to share his toys (wtf mama?!?!), and there was no sign of us leaving.

In the process of our monster not understanding what was going on, neither did the rest of the litter comprehend these strange happenings.  Miniscule Yorkie couldn’t stop shaking, average Yorkie gal kept trying to steal toys only to have them yanked out from under her by Monster (with an occasional thwarted hump thrown in for good measure), and to top it all off…Mama-In-Law was finishing up her packing.  Which meant to 3 of the 4 in the litter that their Mama was going somewhere, and their toys weren’t packed.  They weren’t moving with her! 

Now Xander is in old man, and a gentle giant at that…but Xander is HUGE!!!!  He’s twice the size of a normal boxer.  Xander is also a little on the doffy side.  He’s not the brightest crayon in the box(er) but he makes for a good laugh…. 

So Hubby and I have finally moved in, and it’s our first night in the new house.  Still newlywed bliss, making our new home, unpacking registry gifts, sharing sweet kisses. 

Papa-In-Law calls on Skype to see how everyone is doing.  Check on his son, his Wife that is soon to be joining him overseas,  verify that her bags are going to make the airline weight limit (it wasn’t looking good at that moment), and see how the litter is holding up.  He spots Xander in the background and calls to him to say “Hi Buddy”!  Well Xander is getting pissed.  Too many changes, too much confusion.  So Xander walks over towards the computer in which Papa-In-Law can be heard, like he’s coming to say hiiiii, hikes his leg up on the fireplace, and takes a whiz. 

And this isn’t a pee the size that miniscule Yorkie makes….this is a PISS.  Cause well…he’s pissed.  Not only does it run down the side of the fireplace and make a lake on the floor…it richoches off the stones of the fireplace and splashes all the way over to the couch. 

Welcome home newlyweds!! 

P.S.  Pretty sure Xander took a dump in the house this morning.  We can’t find it, we can only smell it.  That’s a little treasure bomb just waiting to be stepped in amid the maze of boxes.  Present from your newest roommate.  Welcome home newlyweds!  Welcome home.

 

Yum…Monsters make goooood Scooby Snacks!

Dog Days of Summer Wedding Inspiration

It’s July and it’s HOT!!!! The majority of the country is suffering through experiencing a heat wave.  We’re toasty beyond sauna toasty, we’re sweating more than anyone ever should, and we’re looking for relief!! 

What if you’re planning a summer wedding?  The ceremony and reception locales are booked, the vendors all have their deposits, and now you’re doubting the steamy date choice.  Have no fears!!  There are plenty of ways to create relief from the heat and still have your wedding go off without a hitch!

Basing a wedding around the joys of summer is one of the best ways to embrace the sweltering hotter than normal mercury levels.  Let your colors be bright and cheery, with touches of blue to invoke thoughts of cool ocean breezes.  Wear a cocktail length bridal gown for comfort, and have your gals in something flowy and short as well.  Have personalized water bottles on ice for all your guests to enjoy throughout the day, and offer sunglasses as favors.  Let the wedding be poolside, the air is always cooler closer to water.  Have ice cream and snow cones as sweet treats for the end of the evening.  And finally, embrace the heat by jumping in the pool!

Enjoy the summer!!

New Product in the Alchemy Hour Designs Shop – Wedding Menu Cards

We have a new product posting in the Alchemy Hour Designs Shop! We’re so excited to release our Wedding Menu Cards!! They are fantastic to tempt your guests with the tantalizing morsels they are to enjoy at your wedding feast!! You can include all your meal features, as well as options for guests choice dinners. Even feature our menu cards as your signature drink menu!! If your wedding favor is donating to a charity, the menu card is a great place to present this information to your guests.

All our menu cards are completely customizable!! We can include any artwork, font, monograms, colors and styling that you desire!! Our Menu Cards are printed on linen cardstock in your wedding colors, and can be printed in either black or color ink. Utilize our customizable menus for other events such as a shower or rehearsal dinner menu card. The possibilities are endless!!

Special shout out to Stephanie A Smith Photography for all these wonderful photographs!!

We hope you enjoy our Wedding Menu Cards!

Shipwreck Wedding Inspiration

Inspiration Board Friday!!

Today’s inspiration is a combination of color palette inspiration and locale inspiration. I stumbled upon these rusted shipwreck images, and was instantly inspired!! The colors that come out are the ocean colors or teal, aqua, blue, and green; the sandy colors of cream, white, ivory, and tan; and the punch colors comes from the ship itself with the tones of rust, orange, red, and copper. The idea of a copper patina combines both the teal and the copper, lending to our first sample of the color palette.

The locale inspiration comes from places in which one can find an old rusted metal pieces of equipment to gather a certain sense of old for your wedding as well as bring out the beauty of the colors. Two locales instanlty come to mind with Shipwreck Beach in Lanai, HI, and Flamenco Beach on Isla Culebra in Puerto Rico.

To round out the full theme of beachy vintage, bring in rustic teal and brown bottles with small orange or ivory flowers for centerpieces. Create an arbor out of driftwood for the ceremony. Have guests leave a “message in a bottle” just like the sailors of times past. Create your invitations, table numbers, escort cards, and other stationary products out of reclaimed wood. Even exchange copper and jade rings with your hubby-to-be!! Your gals can wear teal dresses with copper sea nettle accents, and the guys can be in flowy linen. Be comfy, be chic, be vintage, and be unusual with this unique take on a beachy wedding!!

Photo credits: Eat, Drink, Chic; Etsy; Naughty Monkey Shoes; Ocean Institute; Elizabeth Anne Designs Blog; Anthropologie; Dominique Vorillon Photography; Twig & Fig

Brewery Wedding Inspiration

Inspiration Board Friday!!!

Today’s inspiration comes from my personal love of craft beer.  My husband and I love to tour breweries, and in fact, we even have family and friends that create their own home brews!  Craft beer allows for a multitude of variations to flavor, consistency, and overall enjoyment throughout the broad selection of brew choices that has become an honored craft to hone in the close knit beer brewing community.  The choices go much much further than the typical selection at a tailgate party.  There is now beer that is aged in whiskey barrels, Jalapeno Beer (not recommended if you’re sensitive to spicy!), Cubano Expresso Maduro (Cigar City Brewery), and even dessert beers such as Creme Brulee Stout (Southern Tier Brewing Company).  Beer pairings are becoming more and more popular at trendy restaurants, and not just your typical beer and cheese pairing (although I am a huge fan of beer cheese soup, not gonna lie!).  These pairings bring out the subtle flavors found both in the dinner and the drink.  Food pairings aren’t just for wine fans anymore.  

Vineyard weddings are a very popular wedding locale both for their natural beauty and their delightful wines that can be offered to your guests.  Brewery weddings can create a completely different atmosphere from a vineyard, while still allowing the wedding couple as well as wedding guests to enjoy a time honored beverage.  Breweries bring about a timeless vibe in their architecture, and craft. 

An option for a wedding is to get married within a field of wheat or hops for an outdoor ceremony, then celebrate the reception within the walls of the brewery.  The wheat and hops create a beautiful backdrop not seen everyday!  Bring in a color palette of subtle honey colors with crisp greens and warm browns.  Shades all found within the ingredients of the beer making process.  Flowers and centerpieces can incorporate both the hops and the wheat.  At your reception, enjoy soft pretzels, beer cheese soup, beer battered fish, and even fondue!  Ask your favorite brewery for their recommendations on pairings.  It’s amazing the flavors that can become present in a beer when enjoyed with the right tasty morsel.  For dessert, enjoy a stout beer chocolate cake.  One of the most enjoyable and moist cakes I’ve ever tried!! 

Hope you enjoy today’s inspiration!!

Abandoned Amusement Parks – Wedding Photo Shoot Locale

Today’s post is a little more “off the beaten path” in mindset. It’s all about utilizing unique and somewhat odd locales for a truly artistic wedding photo shoot. The two places featured today are Jazzland (also known as Six Flags) located in New Orleans, LA, and Joyland in Wichita, KS. Jazzland was abandoned after Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans, leaving the amusement park ravaged. Joyland in Wichita has suffered at the hands of the recession, finally closing its doors in 2007.

The juxtaposition that a photographer and wedding couple would make at one of these locales would be indescribable! In New Orleans, Jazzland was a celebration of the bayou culture, with its heavy influence on the jazz bands and jazz music that so characterize the sounds of French Quarter streets. Joyland was a family owned and operated amusement park that has been open since 1949. Sadly succumbing to the pressure of the economy, the town of Wichita has lost a historical landmark that celebrated a bygone era. Now don’t let the title of the video fool you. I feel that joy could be found in these old relics.

Positioning a couple in love at such a place would showcase the hardships the community has gone through, the love that it has for its roots and its people, and the ability to overcome.

Whether it be for an engagement session, an inspiration shoot, or a day-of wedding shoot locale, all these options could make for fantastic, artsy, and utterly unique photographs!

No Joy from Mike Petty on Vimeo.