Happy New Year to all of you from our families here at Elegance & Simplicity!  We look forward to serving you in the coming year!

(Edible toppers from Etsy)

Credit – Top to Bottom, Left to Right

Pinwheel Save the Dates from Etsy with the beautiful Momentum Headband by BHLDN

Our gorgeous lanterns at the Ronald Reagan Building as photographed by Documentary Associates…Learn how to make your own caramel popcorn via Ruffled

Cotton candy via flickr at 2941 Restaurant with gorgeous DIY invitations as photographed Kelly Prizel

Caramel and candy-coated apples from the Dutch Country Farmers Market from a wedding we did at Glen Echo – photographed by Documentary Associates

Credits – Top to bottom, Left to Right

Margaret & Patrick’s Wedding with fun pumpkin “love you” by Kathy Blanchard and one of our signature candy bars at Woodend

Mini Pumpkin Soup via Elizabeth Anne Designs with one of our favorite bouquets we made for Ashlee & Tom’s Wedding (my brother and sister-in-law) at Decatur House – photo by Documentary Associates

Cotton Bur Wreath via Etsy with an escort card display we did at GW River Farm

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/harvest-wedding-style/feed/ 1 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/black-and-white-wedding-style/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/black-and-white-wedding-style/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 12:30:15 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=5826

Our “black and white” bouquet with Picasso and Eggplant toned mini calla lilies, deep purple ranunculus with fern curl accents – Photo by Documentary Associates

Black and White Cake Inspiration via Wedding Place

Our pretty corsage and lapel flowers with lisianthus and phaleanopsis orchids

Our Luscious Verde Black and White Invitations

French Maid Garter from The Garter Girl

Lelah Shoes by Badgley Mischka from Zappos

Black and White Linens from Table Manners

Black and White Tags for your candy bar via Etsy

Today is the last day to win this gorgeous red cake pedestal from Burlap and Blue!  It was featured in our Etsy Love Challenge in the summer issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings Magazine!  Click on the photo above to learn how to win it!!!

(Photo by Allison Britton)

Uh – hello!!!  How cute are these recycled wood Mr. & Mrs. signs??  Etsy Seller William Dohman has these signs along with a bunch of other cute and succinct signs like “Holla”, “Love”, “bon jour” and more!  LOVE THEM!!!

Ok – you have heard me say it a few times – but Ginkgo trees are wayyyy more native to DC than Cherry Blossoms folks!  These adorable appetizer plates from ETSY Seller Hope Johnson are as cute as they can be and perfect for your cute new apartment in downtown DC!!!

Loving these “happiness” eco-friendly shower curtains from Kontextur!

I have a bunch of new ideas brewing for you!  Stay tuned for more real wedding decor as well!  We are at the Cosmos Club and the Bethesda Hyatt this weekend – lots of fun stuff at both weddings – can’t wait to share!

If you are at the beginning of your wedding planning process (or you are about to propose) – you need to start thinking about your rings.  Whether you are shopping for an engagement ring or your wedding bands – first place I recommend to start is Brilliant Earth.  This week through Sunday they are giving away the below pendant (with ethically sourced green sapphire) with any ring you purchase!

Looking for a great organization to donate to in lieu of favors?  Here are a few of our favorites:

The National Wildlife Federation is located right in our area and has been teaching children and educating the public about protecting the environment for the past 75 years.

EDF has one of the most effective ways of helping to save the environment through its extensive network of corporations and key players around the world.  They also have a handy Seafood Selector that helps you determine the best eco-fish to serve!

We are in love with Kiva.  An amazing online community letting you donate to help microfinance individuals in poverty to empower them and create opportunities.

REALLY wanting eco-friendly favors – something your guests can walk away with?  Go local by using the local ETSY tool to buy from a local artisan – here are a few we are loving:

Having a garden wedding?  Why not get a vintage chalkboard – write their names out by tables and have these adorable magnets from SophiePine attached to it as giveaways for the ladies?  This way – you only need to buy about half as many favors and they will give a great decorative look as guests look for their tables! Click on the phone to buy!

I don’t care what people say – cupcakes are a current fad – but cookies will remain!  Don’t have a family recipe?  CookieCrowd on Etsy has these yummy cookies – they are located in Southern VA!  IN fact – you could just have a big cookie bar!  Get 10 different kinds of cookies and let your guests have at it!  Too many people are doing cupcake stations! It doubles as your dessert if you forgo the wedding cake and a favor for those that just want to heist a few for the ride home!

LostRiverRags on Etsy has an amazing assortment of soaps that are made with natural and soy ingredients – perfect for gifts for your wedding party!

There is so much more I can write about – but I will leave that to future blog posts!

I hope you are doing some sort of earthy activity today for Earth Day.  Don’t have a project in mind?  Skip the gym and just go for a walk or dust off your bike!  Heck – you might even think about biking to work instead on those upcoming sunny spring-fall days!  Why not try to find a local farmer’s market and buy your produce there today?  Check your grocery list – are there things on it that could be switched to more earth-friendly or local companies?  Maybe just making a pact with yourself to recycle more.  You would surprised what you can recycle these days (or even reuse).

Earth Day Network can Help you plan your day today.

About.com has a list a few activities you might want to try locally.

A few fun activities were listed yesterday on WashingtonPost.com

You can also find activities all over town to do tomorrow if you have to work all day - The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center has a clean-up every year.

Be creative and get earthy today!  Start a green habit today which will hopefully create a healthier, cleaner and greener wedding and lifestyle for you!

p.s. – If you were looking for a link to the Eco-Beautiful Weddings Spring Mini Mag today – we will hopefully post it at some point today.  3 of our platforms for the magazine route their services through Amazon.com which is currently out of service.  As soon as their services are back up – we will post the Spring Mini Mag!

I have been planning The Knot’s annual event at the Nationals Park for a few months now and I am excited about all of the possibilities that are available to brides and grooms!  Yes – you have to love baseball sure – but their facilities are so beautiful too!

Not sure how to have a wedding here?  Go vintage or modern with these ideas:

(Credits – Vintage Ice Cream Bar via Brides, Baseball Tickets via Style Me Pretty by Amorology Weddings, Cute modern Ice Cream invitations from Etsy Designr InkSpot Workshop, Nationals Cookie Favors from A Dozen Eggs, Modern Popcorn Station via Tying The Knot by Bellissima Photography)

Another reason why we love the Stadium is that it is one of the very few stadiums in the country that is LEED certified as well!  Go Green with the Nats!

I can’t wait to show you photos from the event!  Stay Tuned!

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/weddings-at-the-nationals-par/feed/ 2 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/announcements/spring-2011-bride-color-guide/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/announcements/spring-2011-bride-color-guide/#comments Wed, 26 Jan 2011 14:00:37 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=4529

Ahh the tweets we have seen about the marvels of “Honeysuckle” and how “Beeswax” is going to take the world by storm.  By now, many of you have flipped through the Spring 2011 Pantone PDF of the glorious Spring 2011 color outlook (if not – click above to see all the yumminess).

Ok – now on to the more practical side of life!  Let’s see how you can incorporate these trendsetting colors for your spring nuptials!

Yes – we know the traditional bride will want to stick with simple jewelry and diamonds.  But why not add some pizazz with things like these “Regatta” sapphire earrings from Brilliant Earth or a funky brightly colored necklace for each of your bridesmaids to wear like this one:

If you want to be a little more subtle, how about a “Silver Peony” on “Silver Cloud” sash?

Another way to bring in some of these beautiful trendy colors is through linens and flowers.  If you are not sure about flowers yet – start with linens.  Try using interesting linens for your cocktail tables and bars followed by solid colors for your reception tables:

Here are a couple of ways to incorporate these Spring 2011 Pantone colors with your floral designs:

Bringing the orange and pink Pantone colors together really can create a fun and whimsical look.  Or…try diffusing the brightness of orange unique roses with yellow freesia accents to create the “Coral Rose” and “Beeswax” tones from the the Spring 2011 Pantone guide.

Other ways to infuse the color collection for your spring wedding is through font colors for your invitations, escort cards, menus and programs.  You can also opt for a fun colored signature drink or get creative with your favors and wedding cake!

There are unlimited ways to incorporate these colors with your wedding, so let us know how you weave these colors in to your big day!

I am very excited to finally be showcasing my sister-in-law’s (Ashlee on right) baby shower that our “fambly” friend Sue (on left above) put together.

I really had a lot of fun decorating this shower – not only because it’s my nephew that is on the way – but just for the pure and simple fact that woodland creatures are so cute!  Tom and Ashlee really wanted a modern day woodland themed nursery and I am pretty sure it is what they will have!  I was able to get a lot of the decor from Etsy and Sue came up with the idea of baby bath cloths as napkins with teething rings as napkin holders!

Tom and Ashlee also just love owls – so naturally owls are the perfect addition to a woodland nursery.  All of the centerpieces had some sort of owl or woodland animal involved with the decor.  The Raccoon is a door stopper and the owl on the right is a piggy bank!  All centerpieces were gifts from my husband, son and I to my soon to be nephew!

My friend Debbie from Cakes by Design made the amazing cake that matched the owl motif that I had designed by my art director!  Sue did such an amazing job with food (which I am never in charge of!).

I was able to reuse the plates from previous family events and Sue brought these cute spoons for everyone to eat their soup sips with! Then we cleaned all of them afterward so Ashlee and Tom would have a never ending supply of baby spoons!

I had so much fun creating this eco-friendly favor bar.  Instead of crazy packaging that would just be thrown away or chocolate rattles, we decided to go with the woodland theme and have pumpkin seeds, pistachio nuts, walnuts and more for guests to take away in the above boxes.  This way they could enjoy the various nuts and seeds for the holidays and reuse the container!  Plus I got to use the various owl motifs that Jen created for me with the stickers!

I can’t wait to actually share the baby photos! I took most of the photos here with a little help from my friend Amie Otto!

From Auntieland…

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/details/woodland-baby-shower-auntieland/feed/ 1 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/kendall-mo-part-iii-wedding-decor/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/kendall-mo-part-iii-wedding-decor/#comments Wed, 07 Jul 2010 13:30:02 +0000 Chris Easter http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=3150

This is a continuation (part 3 of 4) of Kendall & Mo’s wedding – all about the decor we did for them! Grab a cool drink as this will be a long one!

This is our signature trellis that we have been using for about 2 years now.  We have now taken it out of commission and have reused the wood to create a smaller version.  No worries – we can still make another one like it – we just felt a smaller version would make some of our upcoming weddings more intimate!  We purchased the aqua glass hanging votives to add to our ever-growing collection of amazing hanging glassware!   Of course we also have every color of the rainbow in paper lanterns.  It was just especially whimsical to have them inside this beautiful atrium at the Engineer’s Club in Baltimore.

After choosing her save the dates -Kendall brought one to me and we designed the day around the adorable colors from her paper items (which were showcased in yesterday’s post)!  We created simple but beautiful bouquets comprised of green hydrangea with white ranunculus for the bridesmaids to go with their beautiful turquoise/aqua shade dresses from Jenny Yoo.  Each bridesmaid had an individual beautiful brooch that Kendall bought for them as gifts!  She even gave one to me that I adore!

Here is her lovely bouquet! She chose white peonies (available in May and June) with white ranunculus, green cymbidium orchids with blue delphinium accents. (Look at that cute chair decor her mom made!)

We love our oval vases!  We used them for the atrium as decor on the railings with submerged green cymbidium orchids and fun aqua stones.

We custom designed this piece for Kendall!  It was gorgeous and huge!  We took manzanita branches and fastened them to a box Miguel made out of some old wood from our workshop and filled it with wheat grass.  Then we added green dendrobium orchids with her cute paper flowers (and escort cards) from her Etsy Paper designer Magnolia!  Check out the post from yesterday to get a closer view of the flowers – by clicking here! (You can also click on the image to make it larger to see more detail).

Here is a nice snapshot of the tablescapes!  We used our tall cylindrical glass vases with manzanita branches with hanging green and aqua glass hanging votives (hung with vintage green and blue ribbons).  Then we had 3 lower vases with submerged white dendrobium orchids with floating white candles.  Then you can see her adorable napkin rings here too – which were featured yesterday on the blog!

(There was also a candy bar – which I don’t have photos of at the moment!)

Mo is Lebanese and we were able to get Debke dancers in for their reception as well from MSE Productions!

MyDeejay was there that night for all of the other music and it was seamless!  Anthony is always a pleasure to work with!

I love this photo of the Engineer’s Club as it shows their signature lighting ceiling system that I am in love with!  However – this is not to be confused with the fantastic job that Ampa Events did with the uplighting around the facility!  Truly an amazing event!

I wanted to make one final note on this blog post.  This wedding was planned with eco-friendliness in mind.  Kendall and Mo are busy doctors and highly aware of what is going on in our environment.  She chose Etsy Designers to give back to the creative artist community, chose us for our eco-friendly designs, chose the Engineer’s Club for its beauty and historical significance, chose MyDeejay as they are a carbon-neutral company, her friends and family took most of the paper decor to be reused again…the list is really endless.  We adored Kendall from the moment she stepped into our offices!

Going green can be fab folks – as you can see here!

Stay tuned for the 4th and final installment tomorrow for Kendall & Mo’s wedding!  All about cake – not to be missed!

All images were provided by the amazing Jennifer Hughes!

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/kendall-mo-part-iii-wedding-decor/feed/ 0 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/a-few-etsy-faves-of-the-week/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/a-few-etsy-faves-of-the-week/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 06:21:52 +0000 Chris Easter http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=2917

Sorry the blog has been slow going these past few weeks!  With weddings in full gear – the focus has been on weddings and now the 3rd issue of Eco-Beautiful Weddings over here at E&S!  I thought I could share a few things that a couple of my brides have been diggin’ over the past week or so.  Above are some super cute recycled Japanese newspaper bracelets that a September bride is giving to her bridesmaids to wear the day of her wedding. (Along with all the paper origami cranes she is making them make!)

How freakin’ cute are these handbags?  So close to getting them for me!

And…I have so many brides after my own heart this year who are all over the peacock colors!  One bride is considering this hairpiece – YUM!

Stay tuned for some downloaded photos from recent weddings!

Happy Planning!

Today is the perfect day to go green…so get ready for this long post on some of the many ways you can make today green!

Take the above (cute as can be decor) – you can hang on your wall or put on shelves.  These finds come from an Etsy designer made from old dead wood!  Spring is upon us and it is time to spruce up your bedroom for sure!  See how cute this could be on your wall?  And hey – you can use these on your escort card table as decor!

In love with these shoes I found on Nimli today – I want them and your groom might want them for the wedding day!  Why not?  He can wear them again!  Made from 100% fair trade organic cotton!

For the dog lovers – how cute this is? ‘Nuff said!

Cute Skirt – Made in the USA and from the ever-lovely Anthropologie website:

We have had so many of our clients adore our line of stationery by Luscious Verde in the office…here is a similar design that a client picked out last week for her August wedding with eco-cream paper:

Make a statement and give buttons as favors for your guests!  This Etsy designer only has one of these in particular:

But my fave on this Etsy shop (at the moment) are these as I am writing this pretty late at night!

You really  have so many options to go green with your wedding day.  St. Patrick’s is a great reminder that you can just start a new green trend in your wedding planning – starting today!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day – Start Greening your Life Today!

Katie Martin

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/st-patricks-day-the-perfect-day-to-go-green/feed/ 2 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/eco-friendly-weddings/etsy-love-4/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/eco-friendly-weddings/etsy-love-4/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:00 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=2330 I am gearing up for the DCCWC 2nd Annual Bridal Show Today!

We are doing a fantastic and new type of bridal show that I can’t wait to showcase here after the event!

While you wait for those photos – thought you might like to see some of my favorite Etsy designers in the wake of Valentine’s Day! Yes – love is still aflutter!

I totally dig this ring!  So cute!

And this ridiculously cute recyled bottle cap necklace pendant!

Beautifully packaged organic pink grapefruit soap!

Simply divine earrings – not just because they are vintage – but because they are the exact colors from my wedding day! I want them!

And this adorable retro skirt!  I know 4 people that could rock this skirt out!

As always, click on the photos to buy from Etsy!

Cheers!

~Katie Martin

Kate & Allie’s Foot Balm!

This doggone cute dog collar made from 100% organic cotton!

Diggin’ this organic T!

Click on the photos to buy!  All perfect for gifts for your attendants!

Here are our Etsy Finds of the week , with Alison as our inspiration.  She is a lover of all things sustainable and eco-friendly as we are!

Don’t be afraid to go with a bold statement on your wedding.  I love it when a bride chooses just one item with color for her wedding ensemble (does not have to be just the shoes!).

Lovin’ these cute 100% vegan shoes!

As always, click on each photo to buy and check out more from these fab Etsy designers!

I love it when my clients come in and they are bursting with love.  Clients like that are the reason why I love what I do. Weddings should be all about love. Yes, wedding planning can get hectic, but don’t let it get it in the way of love.

I want to throw around a few fun ideas I found centered around the word love on Etsy.  Most of these items are great for wedding decor. However, anything you see here can be used in your home.

Think about your purchasing for your wedding.  Find ways to reuse these items.  Home decor from your wedding will bring back memories of the day you got married on a daily basis.

Weddings tend to be a feast for the eyes for your guests.  Why not keep that amazing decor for your 1st home together?

Congratulations on your engagement!

Happy Planning,

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/a-few-thoughts-on-love/feed/ 0 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/etsy-love-2/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/etsy-love-2/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:01:14 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=1347 Had a great week with Etsy.  Take a look at the eco-friendly goodies I found!

Eco-Friendly Bookmarks!!!  (I could not help myself…they practically belong on my blog with the colors!)

For a truly vintage and organic look to go with your gown – take a look at these beautiful organic linen Lariats on Magdalinen’s Etsy Site!  GORGEOUS!  I bought this green one (sorry folks, sold out) All of these are one of a kind: so HURRY!  Click on any of these Lariats to get to her etsy page!:

Perfect for brides or bridesmaids:

Love these tags from Renee Anne (really could be used for weddings or Christmas!):

Have fun with all the Esty Shopping!

~Katie Martin

]]> http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/etsy-love-2/feed/ 0 http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/dramatic-asian-inspiration/ http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/wedding-planning/dramatic-asian-inspiration/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:01:51 +0000 Katie Martin http://www.eleganceandsimplicity.com/blog/?p=1238 Claire Pettibone’s newest Asian-inspired collection, Cherry Blossoms, made us want to create a whimsical and dramatic Asian wedding. Details like tea lights, lion dancers, cherry blossoms, and rice cake wedding favors are in perfect harmony with a striking traditional Chinese red!

Credits (upper left clockwise)
Cake: WeddingBeePro
Gown: Claire Pettibone
Chinese Lion Dancers: Elegance & Simplicity, Inc. (photo by Love Life Images)
Lanterns: Elegance & Simplicity, Inc.
Bouquet: Project Wedding
Tea Lights: Etsy (seller Prudence Octavia)
Kokeshi Cake Topper: Etsy seller Temple7e
Rice cake favors: Chinese Weddings by The Knot
Invitations: Etsy

If you have not found Etsy – that you really should browse it!  It is one of my favorite places to find unique gifts!

If you are having a fun and funky cocktail area or lounge area for your reception – you should really look into have some fun and funky pillows.  Why not – you can use them again in your home!!!!  Or give them as gifts.  Look at this fabulous floor cushion!  Click on the photo to go and buy it!  Only $60!!!  They have all sorts of colors and patterns!

Needing an interesting groomsman gift for his drinking buddies?  Here is a fun alternative:Vermont Whiskey Soapstones!  Really for those Whiskey enthusiasts – ice cubes that will not water down your drink!  Click on the link to buy!  Only $20!

Found these all-natural and nourshing lip balms at Alima online.  Thick Acai, rhubard and cranberry for that fall wedding or any of the flavors for your fabulous bridesmaids!  Made in Portland!!!!  Click on the link to buy!  Between $4.75-$5.75 each flavor!!!  A STEAL!

Stay tuned for more!  Love this stuff! – Katie Martin