Green Wedding Shoes Wedding Blog | Wedding Trends for Stylish + Creative Brides

Stephanie + Jarred are both high school teachers and met while working at the same school so of course they wanted to incorporate some school details into their day! After discovering the composition book invites from Letter Box Ink, the ideas just started to flow – right down to the last-minute discovery of the awesome green school desk they found on craigslist the day before the wedding. Stephanie + Jarred spent countless hours crafting together before the wedding – Stephanie made the hairpieces, boutonnières + bouquets, and scouted out lots of glass jars. Since Jarred is an art teacher, he made their cake topper, designed + folded the paper plane programs, and built the teal arch and planter boxes for the centerpieces. Such a personal + creative wedding! Congrats to Stephanie + Jarred and big thanks to This Modern Romance for the super gorgeous photos!

Tell us a bit about your music…
Processional: Vitamin String Quartet’s instrumental version of “In Your Eyes”
Recessional: “The Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + the Machine
First Dance: “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele’s (Bob Dylan cover)

The paper plane programs were designed by Jarred and printed at Staples on colored paper for around 20 cents/each. Only downside was that they had to fold them all but it did dave a lot of money – and they look super cute! :)

Most memorable moment of your wedding day?
Walking down the aisle. It felt completely surreal having my parents on each arm, being surrounded by my close family and friends in such an intimate setting, and of course, Jarred waiting for me at the end of the aisle. I kept wishing I could press “pause” and just soak it all in for a minute.

Reading our vows. We wrote them ourselves but did not share them with each other until we were reading them in the actual ceremony. We both cracked each other up (and our guests) by recounting our first date, thoughts about each other, why we loved each other, and also made some very important promises – both fun and serious. Now, Jarred likes to remind me that I promised to try to accept his video games (he taught me how to play one on the plane ride to our honeymoon) and always clean the house up right before our guests come over. I like to remind him that he promised to stay awake past 9 and to always be patient with me, even when he is frustrated. He has yet to break his promise to make me laugh everyday.

I also have a very vivid memory of the very end of the ceremony, right as my grandpa said, “By the power vested in me…”, Jarred looked at me and said, “Holy shit, we just got married.”

The phrase “Love you forever, like you for always, as long as I’m living” had a very special meaning to me from one of my favorite childhood books, Love You Forever. We used it in our vows, on our invites, had it printed on red pencils for favors, and my Maid of Honor strung painted wooden letters around Marvimon with the words.

Any advice for those planning now?
There are a lot of details, pieces, and emotions coming together on your wedding day. Make sure you have a really competent coordinator who takes the time to understand exactly what you want because they can really make or break your experience. Also, never underestimate the amount of work that goes into DIY projects. It was really fun to have everything so personalized and meaningful but I was also up at 11 the night before my wedding, wiring together my bouquet. 

Things will likely go wrong and you just have to roll with it. There were a lot of things that didn’t go as planned but for the most part our guests didn’t know. One of my friends told me later that she felt so comfortable at our wedding because it was so catered to our guests. We grouped our same-age cousins and friends together at tables, had Polaroid cameras at the costume photo booth, served tacos buffet style, and hired Huntington’s barista bar to serve drinks on the patio. We just tried to make the vibe as relaxed as possible and our family and friends caught on to that. My dad’s shirt fell in the toilet at Marvimon as he was getting dressed but I didn’t even know until the story came out the day after the wedding. Luckily, he had an extra (although a different color) on backup and he handled it without stressing anyone out.

vendors:
photography: This Modern Romance // venue: Marvimon // day of coordinating + partial design: Jesi Haack Design // wedding dress: ceremony dress (long) from Maggie Sottero (purchased off-the-rack from Bridal Elegance in Torrance); reception dress (short) from Priscilla of Boston (purchased second hand from recycled bride) // shoes: bridesmaids from Nina; bride’s ceremony shoe: custom-dyed Badgley Mischka (turquoise heel); reception shoe: Stuart Weitzman (grey glitter heel) with feather shoe clip from Feathers and Frills  // bridesmaid dresses: Donna Morgan and Adrianna Papell (both from Nordstrom) // hair + makeup: 10.11 makeup // groom suit: Bar III suit (from Macy’s), Sperry Top Sider loafers // invitations+ paper goods: invitations from Letter Box Ink // catering: Huntington // cake and desserts: DIY by Deirdra Clark (my awesome sister-in-law whipped us up a Champagne cake the day before the wedding). All other desserts were homemade by my mom Michele, sister Amanda, Grandma Doris, Great Aunt LaVerne, plus two cakes from Cheesecake Factory // dj: Don Covel Entertainment // valet: jeffrey valet

I love food! I mean, who doesn’t? :) I also consider myself a foodie as I’m sure lots of you do also. And being a foodie, I’m sure food is pretty important for your wedding, right? I’d take a small intimate dinner of great food over a buffet with every type of food any day (and by the way, the gorgeous dinner photo above is from Jose Villa). Anyways, I thought it would be helpful for those of you currently planning your wedding to talk about food today! Fun, right? And Heather, who writes the fun foodie blog Bourbon and Bleu is here to share her 6 favorite foodie wedding tips with you all today! Thanks so much Heather!! So, I’ll let her take it away. :)

I am so excited to be writing for Green Wedding Shoes today! My husband and I just got married this past July in Laguna Beach, CA, and we found so much inspiration from wedding blogs – especially Green Wedding Shoes. We both adore food, cocktails, and entertaining. So when it came to planning our wedding, we knew we wanted it to feel like the ultimate dinner party. I’ve put together a list of my six best tips for designing your cocktail hour and dinner menu so you can have a memorable and delicious wedding.

top photo by woah nelly! and bottom photos from Heirloom LA – two amazing caterers in LA

DINNER SHOULD BE FUN, NOT STUFFY.
No one expects to eat foie gras and truffles at your wedding. I promise! And as generous and classy as it is, surf and turf often comes out cold and overcooked. Why not pick a meal that’s fun and gets the guests chatting about the food – in a good way?

One of the most unexpected entrees I’ve ever had was at my friend’s black tie wedding. The reception was as beautiful as it gets – chandeliers, cigar rollers, an oyster bar. But guess what we ate for dinner? A burger! It was gussied up with Kobe beef and homemade brioche buns, but nonetheless, it was a hamburger. And everyone adored it.

If you’re not down with burgers, but want to spruce up your menu, you should consider setting it up family style. You won’t have to worry about collecting your guests’ entrée preferences, since they’ll be able to sample all of the food options. The platters of food will take up a significant portion of your tables, which means less florals and candles (= less money). Plus, the passing of the plates establishes a comfortable vibe, and it’s a great conversation starter.

all food by Heirloom LA with the exception of bottom right from Dani Fisher via Design Sponge

YOU CAN PROVIDE YOUR OWN RECIPES.
Catering menus can be pretty generic. I’ve received countless sample menus that included chicken with seasonal vegetables, beef tenderloin, and a mixed greens salad to start. These menus don’t exactly scream creativity. But did you know that 99.9% of caterers will let you provide them with recipes?

Do you adore your grandmother’s fried chicken with creamy mashed potatoes? Or absolutely swoon over the slow-cooked short ribs from your first date? Search for those recipes and email them on over to your caterer. If you can’t find a restaurant’s recipe online, call them up. Most people have a soft spot for weddings and are more than happy to help you out.

Amon Design Studio, Yellow Owl Workshop, Sugar and Fluff photo by Jose Villa, chalkboard menu photo by Gabriel Ryan Photographers

PRINT A DINNER MENU.
No matter what food you choose or what service you elect (buffet, family style, sit down), I always encourage the bride and groom to have a menu printed up for each guest (or a large menu the guests can all view during cocktail hour). People like to know what they’ll be eating. Even with a pre-fixe menu at a restaurant, diners are aware of what each course entails. If you spend a bit of time on the word choice and design of your menu card, your guests will be excitedly anticipating their dinner service, instead of fearing the unknown. And – from a practical stance – if guests have food allergies or intolerances, they can determine what items they’re able to eat.

photos: More Design Please, Sweet Potato Chronicles, Mel Barlow, Kate Headley

PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO PLANNING YOUR COCKTAIL HOUR. 

Often weddings tend to put the cocktail hour on the back burner. The appetizers are simple and predictable. How many of us have had more than enough tomato bruschetta and chicken skewers? I’m starting a new trend - put some thought into planning the cocktail hour!

The appetizers should be bite sized and come with a big pop of flavor. Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese. Herb and white bean crostini. Mini grilled cheese with caramelized onions. These examples are unique, affordable, and will get your guests excited for dinner.

The drinks are equally important and deserve some consideration. I’m personally not a fan of the open bar. I think they’re expensive and can create a pretty rowdy wedding. But, I am all for the signature cocktails, and two is just the right number (the bride’s cocktail and the groom’s). Pick drinks that represent you. Are you a vodka loving girl? How about a Cosmopolitan. What about a whiskey man? Old Fashions would be a great option.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option for the bar, skip the signature cocktails and set up a “Make Your Own Bellini Bar.” A basic bar package comes with wine, beer, champagne, sodas, juices, and garnishes. Use the champagne, juices, and garnishes to your advantage. Have the caterers set out some peach, cranberry, and blood orange juices with some small bowls of citrus twists, berries, and mint leaves for garnish. The bellinis are festive and special without being overly costly.

top dessert table from this wedding, bottom from this feature on Green Wedding Shoes

SET UP A DESSERT TABLE.
By the time dessert rolls around, most people are up and out of their seats. They don’t typically make it back to their tables for a few bites of your wedding cake. This is why I’m loving the dessert table trend! Guests can grab a plate of various sweets that they can easily eat while standing and mingling with friends and family. Some of my favorite assortments right now are platters of cookies with espressos and cappuccinos, individual pies in mason jars, customized ice cream sandwiches, and a spread of French macarons.

The dessert table is a focal point for the room and will show up in endless amounts of pictures. Make sure to rent or purchase a variety of cake stands, platters, and oversized bowls to add some style and height to the table. Also, it’s always a good idea to print little tent cards describing all the dessert flavors and types.

I still encourage having a cake (maybe only 1-2 layers) simply for the sake of tradition. It’s fun to cut that first slice and feed it to your wife or husband. You can always send the cake home with your parents if they’re hosting a “morning after brunch.”

photos by Benj Haisch, Jesse Leake, Three Nails

MAKE SURE YOU EAT!
Now that you’ve spent so much time planning your wedding menu, make sure to enjoy it! If you’re busy with pictures during the cocktail hour, have your coordinator or a friend ask the chef to make a small tray of appetizers for you and your bridal party. While it’s easy to get carried away with the first dances, speeches, and greeting your guests, make a point to sit down for at least 10 minutes with your new wife or husband and share dinner together. After all, it is your day, and, with a fantastic menu, you don’t want to miss a bite!

Thanks so much to Heather and be sure to check our her blog, Bourbon and Bleu.

If you have any food questions, be sure to ask in the comments and Heather or I will be happy to help! Also, if you are looking for a great caterer, be sure to check out my favorite caterers here in our hand picked Vendor Guide!

There are so many possibilities in Brooklyn for a great wedding, both a blessing and a curse as Amy + Anthony found out! Wanting an outdoor ceremony narrowed it down and after coming to the realization that basically 100% of outdoor space in Brooklyn is public, they found an amazing spot in Williamsburg at the East River State Park. It was also conveniently located only 5 blocks from their reception restaurant (My Moon) with a stunning view of the east side of Manhattan and the Empire State Building where they had their first kiss on the observation deck!

I love that their friends helped with the decor, their ceremony music was played by the grooms’ best friends, and their officiant was another of their dear friends – and Amy has the most adorable wedding dress by Ivy & Aster! Big thanks to Oh, Darling! for the beautiful photos today and congrats to Amy + Anthony!

Love that they did their first look in a restaurant - so sweet!

Tell us a bit about your music
Processional: composition by the groom. “Uptown City Air” (First song he wrote her)
Recessional: Mendelssohn’s wedding march
First Dance: Florence and the machine, Cosmic Love: KEXP acoustic version

Most memorable moment of your wedding day?

Anthony: The ceremony was one of the less meticulously planned moments that just came together flawlessly. We did it independently in a NYS park, with an old friend officiating and the groomsmen providing musical accompaniment. Rings were passed between all of our guests and the easy side of manhattan was our backdrop. The reception was amazing, but a memorable ceremony is something we are both very grateful for!

Amy: Anthony wrote a song to surprise me with at the reception and he emailed the lyrics to all of our friends and family in advance. About half way through the reception we all gathered outside and Anthony led all of our guests in this awesome song. For a day where everything is planned out down to the minute, this was the most fantastic gift and surprise he could have given me!

Any advice for those planning now?
Do your homework! Work with local vendors and avoid “wedding factories”, DIY is not always the best, cheapest, or easiest option, so choose your crafty contribution carefully to avoid waste and stress. Remember what is most important to you. Focus on sentimental elements and don’t compromise on these meaningful moments.

Thanks so much Amy + Anthony and congrats on your beautiful wedding!!

vendors:
photography: Oh, Darling! // florals: Sycamore Brooklyn // wedding dress: Ivy & Aster Helena from Lovely Bridal in NYC // reception venue: My Moon // shoes: J. Crew Mona Heels // veil: Twigs and Honey // hair flower: Lo Boheme // earrings: Lara Lewis // bracelet + engagement ring: vintage + family heirloom // wedding bands: Blanca Monrós Gómez // cufflinks: Waxwing Jewelry // hair: Commune Salon in Williamsburg, Brooklyn // bridesmaid dresses: KayEmKay // grooms attire: J. Crew // grooms shoes: Aston Grey // ties: TopShop Men // dj: Taro from PopShop DJs // invitations: ElloThere // rubber stamps: Return Address & Thank you Stamps: The Paper Wink // escort cards & table numbers: Love vs. Design // cake topper: Ready GO // wedding cake: TuLu’s Bakery // cupcakes: Norbert Birman (info@nobbycakes.com) // ring bowl: Paloma’s Nest