DIY: Geometric Shapes + Wedding Chicks Feature

We love to do DIY projects, and for our most recent shoot at The Brice Hotel with Apt. B photography, we knew we wanted to make a cool ceremony backdrop. The theme was mid-century modern, so we wanted to do something geometric. We decided to make geometric shapes using wooden dowels and styrofoam balls. This was so easy to make, and you can make shapes as large or small as you want! Ours turned out to be about 2' by 2', which were perfect when they were hung behind the couple. This only takes a few steps, and you can use any color spray paint to achieve any look you want!

Check out the rest of this shoot on Wedding Chicks today!

Supplies: Glue gun and glue sticks // Gold spray-paint // Wooden dowels // Styrofoam balls 

1. Get all of your supplies!

2. Spray paint the wooden dowels. You can use any size you wish, that way you can make various shapes.

3. Figure out where you would like the wooden dowels attached to the styrofoam balls. Make a dent, so you know where to glue in step 4.

4. Glue the wooden dowels to the styrofoam. Make sure the dowel is 1/2 inch in, to assure it stays together.

5. Attach all of your pieces, making any shape you wish. We also had a few that had extra appendages, so they were not just enclosed shapes. 

6. Viola! 3D geometric shapes! These can easily be hung using fishing line. 

DIY SUNDAY: Wooden Color Block Centerpieces

We love doing DIY projects for our photo shoots. Not only are they fun to do, but they are great inspiration for our brides. One of our shoots from last summer was featured on Love and Lavender, and featured one of our DIY Projects! We wanted to create a floral centerpiece that was different then just using vases, and was more geometric. So we took wooden blocks, stain, paint and duck tape and created geometric and striped settings for our floral displays. This project is super easy, and doesn't take long at all! Plus you can do it in any color scheme! To see more pictures from this shoot, check out our blog post!

What you will need: Wooden blocks, wood stain, acrylic paint and duck tape

1. Get wooden blocks. We did this by going to Home Depot and having them cut scrap wood into random shapes. Make sure to sand the edges.

2. Stain to desired color. We picked a gray to make the neon colors pop

3. Use duck tape and acrylic paint to make stripes and shapes on the wood

4. Stack them together, and add flowers!

[Shopping Guide] Wood stain and blocks from Home Depot // Acrylic paint and Duck Tape from Blick Art Supplies // Photography by Two Chics

DIY THURSDAY: Calligraphy Chargers

A charger is an easy way to glam up a place setting or signify a special setting for the bride and groom, bridal party or family members. For those of you with pretty cursive this is an inexpensive and easy DIY as well as a way to customize and put a personal touch on the little details. How about writing the lyrics out to your love song? Favorite poem? Wedding vows? Love letter? A $1 decorative plate from the Dollar Tree plus spray paint in your colors plus a calligraphy pen in a metallic color and some time and you have a pretty charger. 

{Photo Credits} Calligraphy Chargers via Horses + Calligraphy, photography by Allison Kuhn {Shopping Guide} Plate via Dollar Tree // Calligraphy Pens via Wedding Things // Spray Paint via Blick

SIMPLY INSPIRATION: Portland Pride + {LENA MEDOYEFF POP-UP SHOP!}

Can I just say I am beaming from ear to ear right now with Portland pride? I was born + raised in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon and while I don't have any burning desire to leave Savannah, I will always love the quirky hipster city where I don't think it ever stops raining except for maybe 10 days a year and I can honestly say I don't think I'll ever not be the same avid snowboarder, mountains + mountain men lover, donut eater, action sports aficionado girl as I was when I moved to Savannah. I may have left the Northwest for the south but the Northwest will forever be my homeland in my bones. So when I ran across bridal designer, Lynn of Lena Medoyeff, who has dresses only in Portland, Oregon I was super excited when she said she was open to bringing her gowns to Ivory + Beau. I was so so so excited even more when I realized one of Layla, previous owner of Simply Savannah Events, helped a bride from Portland who purchased her gown from Lena Medoyeff. Seriously it's a small world huh? Anyway, now that we have Lena Medoyeff gowns in our store I just have to say #portlandpride. Every day we have had these dresses in Ivory + Beau we have had a bride fall in love + say yes to her dress.

The 3d lace on these gowns is so unique, so bohemian, so soft, so pretty, so just amazing that its hard to not fall in love. These dresses also fit so differently from any other dress you will ever try on. They lay so elegantly, so perfectly. They fit every body type beautifully and conform perfectly to a bride's shape. Not just that but these dresses are not stiff but rather they stretch. So even more perfect for the bride who might be trying to lose 20 pounds. No alterations needed 20 pounds later. Now c'mon that is seriously amazing right? Considering the cost of alterations can be anywhere from $300-500... I am going to say yes that is seriously amazing. Another thing I love about these dresses is how versatile they are. Great Gatsby theme? No problem. Bohemian Bride? No problem. Elegant intimate affair? No problem. Vineyard wedding? No problem. Garden wedding? No problem. Mansion wedding? Okay seriously no problem. I could go on but this is getting obnoxious.

So to celebrate the great success of bringing this Portland designer to Savannah I figured why not put together a Portland wedding inspiration board of what my wedding would look like if I were to get married in Portland. I envision... a beautiful lace Lena Medoyeff gown, Voodoo donuts in all their shapes, sizes and funkiness, industrial inspired centerpieces, anything + everything handmade from custom chalkboard signs to hanging installations, emerald greens + blush pinks, pictures on the famous waterfront in downtown where I would spend summer afternoons riding bikes with my dad for hours and hours before popping into OMSI for a few science exhibits, and last but not least the wedding would have a touch of art deco style that fits so nicely with Portland. Well, looks like I'm done planning my wedding. Now that was super easy. Haha ;)

So lovely brides... we will have these dresses through this weekend so if you want to come by to check them out before they head back to Portland (the only state where these dresses are currently available) then give us a call at (912)200-4794 or e-mail at ivoryandbeau@gmail.com or click here to make an appointment!! And now just one more time because I am so pumped about finding this awesome designer... #portlandpride.

{Photo Credits} Bride + Groom via Green Wedding Shoes // Table Decor via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Jasmine Star // "Portland" Sign via Snippet & Ink, photography by You Look Nice Today // Downtown Portland via Green Wedding Shoes, photography by Kate Harrison // Bouquet via 100 Layer Cake, photography by Taylor Lord // Reception Decor via 100 Layer Cake, photography by Leah Verwey // Centerpiece via 100 Layer Cake, photography by Emily Blake // Welcome to Portland Sign via Etsy Blog, photography by Bryan Aulick

SIMPLY PUBLISHED: {Bespoke Bride} Maureen + Nick

Eeeeeeek!!!! I always get SO excited when it's our first time being published on a blog we've never been published on before!! And that was no exception with Bespoke Bride!!! This blog is so adorable + features so many handmade, creative + alternative weddings that I just love it!!! Maureen and Nick's DIY handmade bird loving wedding was featured on the blog last Friday! This was one of my favorite weddings because every last detail was thought out so well and fit their theme perfectly. It was such a creative wedding that was personal and unique in every way. Be sure to check it out here on Bespoke Bride and for more from their wedding you can see the entire feature on our blog here. Also, congratulations to the happy couple on their recent wedding!!! 

{Photo Credits} Once Like a Spark

SIMPLY WED: Maureen + Nick

Finally got around to going through all the gorgeous images by Once Like a Spark of Maureen + Nick's wedding this past October at the Roundhouse Railroad Museum!!! I loved all the handmade details of their wedding from the paper pinwheel arch to the yarn wrapped bottles to the moss escort card display and the list goes on... This was really a fun wedding to help out with!!! The couple loves birds and so their theme took on a handmade DIY bird lover theme + was so adorable!!! The funky tree inspired cake was by Tier Luxury Cakes and B Matthews catered the event, which was delicious!! The couple had a lounge area outside of the blacksmith shop set up with vintage rentals from Ever Thine Vintage Rentals. Maureen's hair and makeup were done by Beyond Beautiful by Heather who did a lovely job as always and helped put in the headpiece by French Knot Studios, who also did the bouquets and boutonnieres!! The hardest workers at this event by a long shot were Beachview Event Rentals who put up the cafe lighting and even helped us put up the fabric on those tall rafters... that was ridiculously scary climbing up there so the guys with the company offered to help us out and thank goodness they did because I about had a heart attack trying to climb up the ladder when I put up the tissue poms!!! But it turned out beautifully in the end!! The couple, family + friends danced the night away to DJ Chris from All About You and the night ended with Maureen + Nick leaving in a luxury car from AE Luxury Limo. Congratulations to Maureen + Nick!!!!! Also, check out their engagement photos of them bird-watching by Jade + Matthew here. 

{Vendor Credits} Photography: Once Like a Spark // Coordination + Reception Flowers: Ivory + Beau // Venue: Roundhouse Railroad Museum // Music: Chris of All About You // Catering: B Matthews // Cake: Tier Luxury Cakes // Vintage Rentals: Ever Thine Vintage Rentals // Other Rentals: Beachview Event Rentals // Hair + Makeup: Beyond Beautiful by Heather // Getaway Car: AE Luxury Limo // Bouquets, Boutonnieres + Headpiece: French Knot Studios // Officiant: Patrick Leong

{REAL WEDDING} Katy + Drew

I first am going to start off this post with this: I woke up at 3:14am in the morning. Most likely because I've been going to bed at 2am lately since I've been staying up late working on my crafting assembly lines for upcoming weddings but last night I fell asleep at 9:30pm... Anyway, instead of most normal sane people who would probably try to go back to sleep when they wake up that early, I decided it was a great chance to catch up on some blogging. So if for some reason I come off a little delirious... well it's because I truly am. And now that's it's 8:19am and I'm writing this I am getting very close to dozing off finally. Now I'd like to say one more thing before my shpeal about the wedding. Hm, shpeal? Isn't that a word? Hmm.. speal? Ohhh, googled it. SPIEL Oh my. So anyway, I met Izzy hmmm... well honestly I can't even remember. Probably in 2011??? Whatever, doesn't matter. I've known her for awhile now. And all I have to say is... gingers are the COOLEST people in the entire world. Well, and that when I get to work with Izzy at a wedding or a styled shoot well I just know it's going to be absolutely amazing. She has this crazy good sense of style, an amazing eye for details, and she's just straight up talented. So when Katy approached me about a Day Of package for her wedding at the Southern Pine Company with Izzy Hudgins as the photographer you can bet I was beyond excited. One of the coolest venues in town PLUS Izzy!? You just know it's going to be a good one at that point. 

Well, like a lot of things in my life lately (knock on wood) it got better. Not only was this wedding at one of the coolest venues in town PLUS Izzy was shooting it but also... this wedding is the first ever wedding to happen at Southern Pine Co. And theeeeeeeen, something even more cool happened. The bride tells me they are having an airstream as the bar. So basically Katy designed the coolest wedding ever and I am just so thankful I got to be a part of the awesomeness that embodies not just this wedding but this couple. They are so down to earth, so sweet, so charming, sooo fun and their friends and families are too. I can honestly say that I have never been so entertained watching people dance at a wedding as I was at theirs. This group of people was seriously fun. I think I have a video somewhere on my cellular because at one point someone grabbed a chair from the reception area and decided they needed to lift up Katy on it while dancing to some crazy song!? Then they lifted up Drew.. then the mom... then the dad... Hil-arrrr-ious. DJ Jeff Hitman and I were extremely entertained I must say. 

Madame Chrysanthemum made the gorgeous bouquets and boutonnieres and Katy bought the orchids and succulents for the tables. She also DIYed the painted bamboo flatware, her glitter heels, and the stationary. The terrarium is actually an afterthought. That guy sits in our living room right now but at the rehearsal when I saw all the decor she was using I just knew it would be perfect. The ceremony backdrop was made from pink tissue poms (which actually to this day are sitting in my office closet.. hmmm, wonder if I could use those for any weddings coming up...) and the ceremony music was acoustic guitar played by Sean Driscoll of The Story Ship. The food was provided by Johnny Baker and was absolutely some of the best food I have ever tasted. There were two bars.... one in the cool shed/shack + the other in the airstream, both set up by Charlie Ganem and Sons. Rentals were provided by Savannah Special Events. All in all it was a great wedding and now enough of me talking. Check out all the pretties by Izzy!! And thank you Katy + Drew for having me be apart of your wedding and congratulations!! 

{Vendor Love} Photography: Izzy Hudgins // Coordination: Simply Savannah Events // Venue: Southern Pine Company // Bouquets + Boutonnieres: Madame Chrysanthemum // Centerpieces: Purchased by Couple // Cake Table Flowers: Bride's Sister // Hair Stylist: Danette Jackson // Caterer: Johnny Baker // Bartender: Charlie Ganem & Sons // DJ: Hitman Jeff // Dress: BHLDN // Bridesmaids Dresses: BHLDN // Rentals: Savannah Special Events