Inspired By Plaid and Houndstooth - Our Favorite Prints for Fall!

The air is crisp, boots have been dusted off and the smell of pumpkin spice is everywhere.  Its fall and we are thoroughly enjoying all this season has to offer.  We are busy working on a fall inspired event and enjoying mixing warm colors, textures and patterns.  We've decided to incorporate plaid into this project and it has made us realize how much we are loving plaid at the moment!  We can't say too much yet, but we thought we'd share the inspiration board with you.  The concept is "Rich Fall Meets Warm Boho".  Our vision is rustic, elegant, bohemian, warm, cozy and indulgent.  This unexpected color palette (mustard... where have you been all our lives?!?) is stunning and so very "fall"!

We love plaid because it comes in so many colors and sizes and if done right can be oh so chic!  Another one of our favorite fall patterns is houndstooth.  Although it is classic and has been around for quite some time, it seems to be making a big comeback this fall.  It is everywhere - and for good reason!  It is simple yet bold, classic yet modern and equally appropriate on both men and women.  These two prints are the perfect addition to your holiday entertaining designs.  You can incorporate them in a big way or subtly - whatever suits your fancy.  Below are a few of our favorite ways to use plaid and houndstooth in both decor and at events.

We love these place settings.  The top setting's houndstooth napkin is the perfect touch and looks fantastic agains the tribal linen.  The lower setting's plaid placemat is holiday festive but in an understated elegant way.  We love it!

Photos courtesy of Glitter (houndstooth and tribal print) Everything Fabulous (plaid)

Plaid bridesmaid dresses are not common, but we think they are super cool.  We especially love the large plaid because it is so unexpected.  Consider wearing something like this to a holiday party this season.

Photos courtesy of Bride Power (single model) and Elizabeth Anne Designs (bride with bridesmaids)

We love the simplicity of the blue plaid napkin tied with an orange bow on the place setting.  Blue gingham is featured in the photo on the right.  Gingham is plaids adorable cousin.  Although typically more appropriate during spring and summer months.  We do however, feel the blue gingham paired with the orange cocktail makes for a very "fall" appropriate combination.

Photos courtesy of Ruffled (place setting) and (drink)

Oh houndstooth.  Isn't it lovely?!  The bow tie shown below is perfection and the favor bags couldn't be cuter.

Photos courtesy of Wedding Chicks (bow tie) and Ruffled (escort cards)

These invitations are so striking and unexpected.  Whether used for a wedding, holiday party or any other celebration, we'd love to get something like this in the mail!

Photo courtesy of Hey Wedding Lady (houndstooth) and Rustic Wedding Chic (plaid)

Lastly, we wanted to share with you a few chic ways to incorporate plaid and houndstooth in your own home holiday decor.  These would make great gifts as well!

Photos courtesy of William Sonoma (plaid plates) and Joss & Main (houndstooth pillows)

xoxo,

The Sterling Team

Star's Favorite Things: Photo Booth Fun!

Photo booths have become quite popular at weddings, and for good reason!  Whether portable, digital, or no walls studio style, photo booths add fun and excitement to your big day.  Guests welcome the opportunity to interact and be silly so consider providing props such as boas, hats, wigs and mustaches (most photo booth companies include these props in their packages).  Guests love being able to take their photos home which makes them double as a favor!  Request multiple copies of each photo then ask guests to place a copy of each picture in a scrap book with a note.  Or, ask them to hang their photos on a wall or along a clothesline for decoration during your reception.  Many photo booth companies will also provide you with a CD of all of the photos taken at your event which is a great way for you to have a picture of each of the guests present at your wedding.

Photo courtesy of Scott Langley Photographer 

If you decide on a studio style photo booth and your budget allows for it, consider having a custom backdrop created. This adds a personal touch to the photos and allows your wedding concept to shine.

Here at Sterling Engagements, we happen to be big fans of studio style photo booths because they allow for uniqueness and creativity; however, we also love the nostalgic aspect of portable photo booths.  We've worked with some amazing photo booth and custom backdrop design vendors! 

We love this custom backdrop which has been designed to look like a giant chalk board.

Photo courtesy of My Modern Met

We love how these couples utlized picture frames.  So fun!



Photo courtesy of Pinterest

Photo courtesy of Angel In The North

Photo Courtesy of Belle The Magazine

This custom background of red poppies is stunning and so elegant.



Photo courtesy of The Wedding Planners

If you are a DIY bride, you may want to create your own background.  We love the texture and romace of these DIY backgrounds.

Photo courtesy of Ruche

Photo courtesy of Ruche

This photo illustarates how the photos can be used as decor throughout the reception. Doesn't it look fantastic?!

Photo courtesy of The Wedding Galleria

Check out one of our Bride's photo booths in action.  We absolutely LOVED her custom background which was created by Shawna Yamamoto Event Design!

Photo courtesy of Callaway Gable

As I mentioned, props are a great way to add fun and humor to the photos.  You can go big with hats, glasses and boas, or you can go a bit simpler and go with the mustaches, lips and glasses shown below.

Photo courtesy of EPLove Photography

We came across these photos and had to share them with you because they are so unique and fun!  This Bride and Groom had life size cut outs of themselves in their wedding attire made and had them avaialble for guests to take photos with.  It gave every guest the opportunity to take a photo with the Bride and Groom.  Such a silly and creative idea and they look pretty life like in my opinion!  The photo on the left is of the Bride and Groom with their cut outs.

XOXO,

Star

DIY With Star: Salt Dough Beauties

With Thanksgiving only a few days away and Christmas music playing in every store you go into, the holidays are clearly upon us!  Every holiday season I like to make ornaments for our tree. This year I plan to make two different kinds (I'll post the second one soon :).  In addition to adorning our tree, I often tie my homemade ornaments to holiday gifts to give the wrapping a little uniqueness.  This year I was inspired to recreate grown up versions of the salt dough ornaments I made as a child.  It's been years since I made anything with salt dough and I must say, it was a lot of fun.  There is something wonderfully nostalgic about getting your hands sticky, rolling out the grainy dough and utilizing your cookie cutters for something other than cookies!

As you can tell by the colors I used for the ornaments, I am super into metallics this holiday season.  I've purchased various types of metallic gift wrap and I think these ornaments will look beautiful with them.  I plan to tie them to gifts and write people's names on the back in lieu of gift tags.  I love that these ornaments are not holiday specific and can be used for friends and family that celebrate Christmas or Hanukah.

These are obviously holiday inspired, but the idea of these simple ornaments could also be used as cute favors for a rustic garden wedding or shower.  You could stamp your initials and wedding date on them and paint them in your wedding colors.  You could also write your guests' names on them and use them as escort cards or at place settings.

DIY Salt Dough Ornaments

Supplies:
- 1/2 cup salt
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cups warm water
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
- Skewer, toothpick or chopstick
- Non-stick baking sheet or parchment paper lined baking sheet
- Rubber stamps and ink (optional)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.  Combine water and salt, then add flour. Kneed the dough, adding more flour as needed.  Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thick.  Using your cookie cutters (or cups or jars for perfect circles), cut shapes out of the dough and place on the baking sheet.  Use your skewer to poke a hole in the dough (make sure it is large enough to thread ribbon or string through).  If you choose to make impressions on your ornaments, use a rubber stamp (use ink for a colored impression or without ink for an impression only).  You can also experiment with using a toothpick to write letters or draw images.  Place the ornaments in the pre-heated oven and bake for an hour to an hour and a half, turning half way through.  Bake until the ornaments are firm, the thicker they are, the loner they will take to dry.  Let them cool completely before decorating further.

I happen to like the organic, rustic look of the stamped ornaments unpainted so I left a few of them that way.  If you like this look as well, I still recommend you coating them with a layer of Modge Podge to seal them.  I chose to paint the majority of my ornaments.  I used Martha Stewart's Metallic Acrylic Craft Paint in Light Gold and Champagne as well as Martha Stewart's Coarse Glitter Acrylic Craft Paint in Sterling.  I used sheer white ribbon for the smaller ornaments and beautiful satin silver ribbon for the larger ones.  I LOVE the way the silver ribbon looks!

Salt dough is not just for kids!  Happy crafting :)

-Star

Featured Wedding: Myesha and Craig at Cafe Pinot

Myesha and Craig met four years ago while working on the Obama campaign. They are a smart and sophisticated power couple but they also know how to have a good time! Myesha envisioned a clean, simple and modern wedding with pops of fall colors. She decided on an orange and gray color pallet which was the perfect choice for their September 29th wedding at Cafe Pinot!  Located in the heart of Downtown LA, across from the famous Los Angeles Public Library, Cafe Pinot was the perfect backdrop for this modern couple's nuptials to take place.  Adrienne Gunde did a stellar job documenting all of the wedding day details!

Myesha's gorgeous Watters gown was oh so chic and had ruffles in all the right places.  Her shoes were simply stunning and PERFECT!  We've featured them a few days ago via a Shoe Shot Sundays post!

Myesha and Craig's love for one another is quickly apparent to anyone who sees them together. They had such a heartfelt and even tearful first look - It is clear they were meant to spend their lives together. 

 

The Bride and Groom prepared for their big day at the Millennium Biltmore in Los Angeles which happens to be a few short blocks from their venue and one of our favorite getting ready locations. After their First Look, Myesha and Craig, along with their Bridal Party, headed to Cafe Pinot for their ceremony.  

I just loved Craig's light gray suit which was highlighted by his Groomsmen's charcoal gray suits!

Myesha's Bridesmaid's Jim Hjelm dresses were a stunning shade of charcoal - her "Bridesman" also looked quite handsome in a matching charcoal suit!

The Happy Couple moments before their ceremony.

We love the design of the rose petals on the isle, Inna with Butterfly Floral Design went above and beyond for the happy couple and we were so grateful. 

As we mentioned, this couple knows how to have fun! Myesha is Jamacian so they decided to tie their escort cards to mini bottles of Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum which allowed them to use them as favors. 

Together, Butterfly Floral Design and Designer Specialty Linens did a beautiful job of making the Bride and Groom's color palette of orange and slate come alive! The shantung linens in various shades of gray achieved Myesha's request for modern elegance while the bright florals added the perfect pop of color.  The design elements were so sleek and modern and so... them!  The paper lanterns strung over the dance floor were a great touch and looked amazing at night!  We can't thank Brad with Stagelabs enough for the amazing lighting contribution he added to this special day.  It sparkled to perfection!

Guests danced the night away to a variety of romantic tunes, popular dance music, sprinkled with a bit of Jamaican reggae.

Alex fell in love with these stairs and begged Adrienne to grab a quick shoe shot here... How fun are the different languages!

All in all it was a beyond successful day and we were so grateful to be a part of it.  Congratulations Myesha and Craig!!

Wedding Production Team Love 
Accommodations: Millennium Biltmore, Los Angeles
Bridesmaid Gowns: Jim Hjelm
Bride's Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Ceremony Music: Pacific Coast Strings  
DJ: Rich Sanders aka DJ Richy Rich
Event Design and Production: Sterling Engagements
Favors: Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum 
Floral Design: Butterfly Floral Design
Hair: Andrea Pezzillo
Lighting: Stage Labs
Linens: Designer Specialty Linens
Makeup Team: Fiore Beauty
Officiant:  A Ceremony of the Heart
Photography: Adrienne Gunde Photography 
Photo Booth: Snap Shotz Photobooth Rentals 
Rentals: Chivari Chair Rentals
Venue and Catering: Cafe Pinot
Videographer: New Classic Wedding Films
Wedding Gown: Watters
Wedding Invitations: Paperee