Garlands!

Garlands add a lovely touch of color and whimsy to any celebration. Here’s a round-up of some of the best I’ve found to give you ideas of colors and shapes for your wedding.

Top, middle left, middle right, bottom left, bottom right

by Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House That Lars Built

What does it mean? Cree + Amanda Jane Jones

“What does it mean?” is a continuing series where we ask a blogger how they used their wedding as an expression of their union with their significant other. Today we are honored to hear from Cree and Amanda Jane Jones. Amanda is graphic designer and author of her blog, Amanda Jane Jones and Cree is currently working at the UN. The two are living in Geneva, Switzerland.

Our wedding day was so simple. We were married in the morning, had a beautiful luncheon with family and close friends then by 4:00, Cree and I turned off our phones and headed straight for Highway 1. We had nothing planned…just a full tank of gas and a week to explore the California coast. It wasn’t a big affair, but a wonderful way to start our life adventure together.

We kept our wedding simple with a few personal elements. Here are a couple that I felt made the day extra memorable:

PAPER GOODS: Being a graphic designer, my paper paper goods were extremely important to me. I designed our announcements and name plates and had them printed by Bjorn Letterpress. He is a very talented craftsman and took such care. I’ll be forever grateful for his beautiful work.

THE DRESS: I adored my wedding dress. It was my grandmothers’s and she graciously let me alter it by removing the train and hemming it to tea length. I felt like a Grace Kelly surrounded by so much vintage lace and tulle. For me, it was everything I ever dreamed a wedding dress could be and it was a special moment for both grandma and me. (Speaking of vintage, my adorable bridesmaids are most definitely worth mentioning. I found vintage dresses for each of them…I thought they looked as sweet as could be.)

THE MUSIC: All through college I sang in a Jazz Band with my sweet friend Alexis Munoa. She teamed up with a guitarist to serenade us during our post wedding luncheon. Her voice is a favorite and I was honored to have her there as a part of our celebration.

Wedding photos by J. Fields Photography

by Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House That Lars Built 

DIY: How to make a post-it heart pinata

I’ve been wanting to try something with post-its forever as I thought it would be a cinch to stick those little papers up and call it art. Well, needless to say, it wasn’t as simple as I thought if you want something in really great colors that will stick permanently. I ended up cutting out my own squares out of different colored paper and gluing them with a glue gun. This way, there’s much more flexibility with the color-choice.

Materials: paper of your choice in post-it size (I used one to measure), scissors, cardboard, string, glue gun, pencil

Step 1: Draw a heart onto your cardboard. I made a mini one to show you how to do it but the final one is 20″ down the middle and 30″ across the widest point.

Step 2: Cut out two hearts for the front and back of the pinata.

Step 3: Make strips of cardboard 5″ wide to go around the perimeter of the heart.

Step 4: Curl these strips with a pencil to so they are more pliable.

Step 5: Glue the strips to the heart.

Step 6: Glue the other side to the strips.

Step 7: Begin applying the “post-its” with the glue gun by starting at the bottom and working up so you can layer on top. For this color choice I started with light colors on the bottom and then worked up to the darker colors. I did a warm palette on one side (reds, pinks, oranges, yellows) and cool on the other (blues, purples, greens)

Step 8: Punch two holes on either side of the arch of the heart.

Step 9: Bring a string through and tie on top.

With the right colors these technique can create a lasting effect on your guests. Add in some fun favors and the guests will love to take a whack.

photography by Amanda Thomsen and DIY steps by Brittany Watson Jepsen

by Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House That Lars Built 

Ensembles: The Fantasy Bride

One look at the fantasy bride and you know her inspiration hails from a dream world. Layers upon layers of tulle sculpted in a new way and accented by a touch of metallic bronze on her toes and an oval bezel ring.

The dress by Ashi Studio  |  The ring by Blanca Monros Gomez from Steven Alan  |  The shoes from Anthropologie

by Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House That Lars Built 

Katie Ermilio’s modern wedding dresses

If you’re a bride looking for a wedding dress with modern twist, you’ve got a few options with Katie Ermilio‘s designs. As the granddaughter of Grace Kelly’s personal clothier, she’s got the DNA to back up these modern-day classics. Check out her full range here.

by Brittany Watson Jepsen of The House That Lars Built