Designing Wedding Heirlooms: Creating a Vision

A few thoughts about planning as we count down the final days!:

When we started seriously thinking about the wedding, I wanted my love of making art to be a part of all the decisions we made. I found myself feeling entirely inspired to take up those design skills again that I had let go unused for some time. In college, I made paper by hand, bound books, illustrated with pen and watercolor, and suddenly, with our engagement, I found myself with good reason to head back into the studio again. I've always been passionate about paper and, even before we decided on a date, I chose the Japanese pattern that would set our color scheme (Paper Studio is a wonderful shop & supplier). The small bending buds are my favorite part of the design....

Over the past several months, I've found that it was this little swatch that guided all my subsequent choices--theme, colors, feel. What I love most--and what I would never have guessed early on--is how versatile this basis is. I haven't created an inspiration board exactly but over the past few months I've drawn together images of some of the pieces that will make our day (forgive me for not knowing where each comes from!). Just a few below for a sneak peak!

(Images: I used these zinnia packets in our orange Paper Source invitations; we're growing our own zinnias for centerpieces like these; the next two images are from Lena Corwin's wedding in Martha Stewart Weddings; the groom's tie found on sale from JCrew; a dress quite similar to the one I'll be wearing.)

If you're planning an event I highly recommend generating ideas with the inspiration questions Kathryn uses for her boards on Snippet & Ink. I found this such a useful way to begin and later to organize. Here's what I came up with for responses:

1. What is the season of the event?

Summer, June.

2. What is the mood of the event? Is it formal, casual, or something in between? Is it grand or intimate? Sophisticated? Playful?

Fun formal, intimate, elegant but not stuffy, playfully artistic.

3. What is the location? Inside or out-of-doors? How can I play up regional/local elements? Does the architecture/scenery inspire me?

Hometown Nebraska. Ceremony: community garden. Luncheon: café. Reception: backyard garden party.

4. What single element can tie everything together? Is it a theme? A certain flower or fruit?

Palette: red, orange, sky blue, white/ivory, leaf green, pink, gold, black.

Theme: Garden picnic. Zinnias. Orange gingham.

5. How can I stretch this idea? What is unexpected but fits perfectly with all the other aspects?

Mason jars, recipes, penny candies, locally grown flowers, lantern light, Mexican paper banners, luminarias, white butterflies & Monarchs, nests, feathers, poetry, flowery Liberty fabrics, woven seagrass, sparklers, sun umbrellas, almonds, cornmeal, strawberries, pies, trees, flower seeds, herbs, composition notebooks, family photographs, picnic baskets, old jazz & soul, museum donations, zinnias, cosmos, limeade, sweet tea.....