Fall Weddings!

Several years ago, when I first began collecting cutouts from wedding magazines (Yes, it really was that long ago, I'm a wedding freak!) I was in love with having a fall wedding: rich jewel tones of ruby, amber and gold highlighted with accents of chocolate. Now, several wedding theme affairs later, the season is upon us yet again and I feel the attraction creeping up on me like the scent of fresh baked pie in the crisp autumn air. I'll have to take this opportunity to explore those wedding ideas once again. Toss in a rich shade of slate blue and you have the perfect modern compliment to the classic autumn theme. Here's a fall mood board I created:

1930s Big Band Theme

My inspiration for this theme came when I visited the Hotel Baker in St. Charles, IL. The Hotel Baker was built around 1928 and still evokes the charming feel of the Big Band Era. Walking into the hotel takes you back in time to an era of glamour and sophistication. They even offer vendor suggestions of Big Band ensembles who have played there in the past in case you want to take the theme and run with it.

Chronologically, this theme may span more years than just the Big Band Era of the 1930s--a little art-deco, a little bit "flapper", and a little speakeasy--but the common factors in my mind are romance and glamour. I imagine a ballroom filled with sharply dressed guests in coat tail tuxedos and drop shoulder evening gowns. A lady is never without a double strand of long pearls, opera gloves, and fur stole.

Need I say more?

Here's a few other sources of inspiration:

Creative Homemaking, Big Band Theme
Tribute Productions, Big Band Theme
Wed Themes, Big Band Theme
Westchester Weddings, Big Band Theme
Ask Ginka, 1930s Theme
Favor Ideas, Big Band Romance
Movie Web, Aviator
Xroads Virginia, Harlem Renaissance
The Knot, Jesse & Josh in Dallas, TX
Katherine Swan, My 1920-something wedding
The Knot, Irene & Eric in Taipei, Taiwan

Pick one!

I'm getting married in approximately 12 months and 21 days. So far I've wanted a ballroom wedding with 300 people, southern plantation wedding, a wedding in the park under a festival tent, a wine country wedding, a farm wedding, a beach wedding, an old hollywood themed wedding, and now a destination cruise wedding. The problem is, I can only pick one! So, instead of letting all those great ideas go to waste, I decided I'd share them with the world. Hopefully someone else might be able to use them. Many of these ideas may pertain to venues in the Chicago area, since that's where I am. But some stem from places I've come across on the net and, of course, they can be used anywhere! You just have to do a little research on your local vendors.

....If I ever follow through on my desires to be a wedding planner. Maybe these ideas will come in handy one day. On with the wedding(s) planning...