Dancing under the...umbrellas

A friend of mine gave me 20 red parasols last year when she moved and I've always wanted to do something like this with them...

If you fancy this look as well, you can rent them; the Pagoda style goes for about $20 each -- some of the print ones are $10 each. Head over to Bella Umbrella and reserve your favorites today. [Lucky brides in the Seattle area can save on the shipping cost!]

And for extra credit, check out a 2009 post about Bella Umbrella's retail shop. It's gorgeous!

Photo by Gabriel Ryan Photographers; see Real Wedding on 100 Layer Cake

This is one of my faves -- in green and silver with an amber handle

This one is only $10 and would be perfect for an art deco look

And this would be perfect for an engagement session in the spring 

 Bella Umbrella Shop in Seattle. Photo by Bethany Murphy Photography

Happy Friday Find: Le Petite Flea

I've been following Victoria of sfgirlbybay for more than a year now and was totally psyched she launched a new etsy shop called le petite flea to sell her vintage wares. 

So, look what I scored for only $10!

Yep, a vintage cake topper. Now, I know we considered using the glass Mickey Mouse ears for our cake topper, but I'm a little worried it might be too heavy for the top of the cake (I'll still incorporate the ears somehow).

What d'ya think? I had been dreaming of buying a Lollipop Workshop cake topper, but at more than $135 and up, I'd rather put the extra $125+ somewhere else (like gifts for the bridesmaids -- mas importante).

{All photos by Victoria of sfgirlbybay}

Inspiration #21: Vintage White Milk Glass Love

One of my collectible obsessions is vintage white milk glass (e.g., above is a lovely cake stand I purchased at the Alameda Flea Market). I buy a fabulous piece every chance I get and I recently Yelped about Polka Dot Attic in Danville, CA. They had a super selection of compotes and vintage cake stands (another obsession). Another good place to find vintage milk glass is online (Ebay and Etsy). Locally, the first-Sunday-of-the-month Alameda flea market offers the opportunity to haggle with vendors for these hard to find collectibles. The typical range I pay for compotes and bowls is between $5-20.

For my vintage garden themed wedding, I've envisioned using a variety of compotes, cake stands, footed bowls, and vases in floral, geometric cut and hobnail patterns. Here are some splendid examples I found online (list of credits below) on how to pull this off:


Photos by Marion Brenner for House & Garden July 2004 as featured on the London Calling Blog | Note Songs Blog
Country Living Magazine | Mr. and Mrs. Gibbons Blog | In This Instance Blog | Life in the Fast Lane Shop on Etsy |
Vintage Glam Blog | Elsea Chelsea Blog | Elizabeth Ann Designs Blog | Apartment Therapy.com | Vintage Florals Blog | Pleasant View Schoolhouse|
Carolina Panache Blog

Inspiration #13: An Art Noveau Wedding

My favorite style of art - Art Nouveau - is a style of design, architecture and applied art—especially decorative—that peaked in popularity at the turn of the 20th century (1890–1905). You may be familiar with Gustav Klimt (see his "Tree of Life" frieze above) , Tiffany, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Lalique, and Antoni Gaudi -- each of whom interpreted art nouveau in their individual style. "Dynamic, undulating, and flowing lines in a syncopated rhythm" are common motifs of art nouveau.

Here are some art nouveau design inspiration:

Typography from Fonts.com


Peacock Feather Headband on Etsy.com



A Vintage Glam Wedding Blog


Julie & Jon's DIY Art Nouveau (for $10K!)


Melinda Le Photography - Art Nouveau Cake


Sugarbloom Cupcake's



Kleinfeld Bridal


The Art Nouveau Bride as seen on Chic and Charming.com


Lovebird Filigree Pin from Etsy.com - perhaps good as a cake topper?


About the Cake's Klimt Cake

Inspiration #2: 60s Vintage French Engagement Photos

Came across Feather Love Photography (based in San Diego). Love the French New Wave style. Not sure how it would mesh with our Bluegrass style wedding...well, actually it'd be a compromise of both of our aesthetics! Can we pull off such a photo shoot without giggling? Anyone know of spots in San Francisco where we can do similar shots?