Blush and Bashful:  An Ode to Steel Magnolias

Hello lovelies!

Whether you are planning a wedding, dreaming of planning a wedding or like me, re-planning your own wedding in your mind 15 years later, the wedding industry will always keep you on your toes.  If there is a way to accurately describe this nouveau sub-culture it would be, in a word, dynamic.  This can be exciting for people who are designing and planning weddings every day however, it can be somewhat overwhelming for the bride.

Fortunately, the fashion world is running on a six to twelve month projection so you have no need to fear.  Word to the wise:  make sure you aren’t so trendy that people can’t relate.  You can over-trend and that can be confusing!  Here are a few tips to help you navigate the ever-changing styles:

• Stay true to your own sense of style while incorporating hints of current trends.  Your wedding is not the time to break out of your style genre.
• Keep in mind your overall theme and vision.  Continue to ask yourself, “Does this fit with the total look I’m trying to achieve or do I just REALLY like it?”
• Is there a way to incorporate this on a smaller scale?
• GET FEEDBACK!  Ask your planner, your best friend and your Mom (yes, your Mom) who will all be brutally honest, “Does this work?”
• Lastly, have fun without being overly concerned with what is going on in New York because chances are you aren’t getting married on the runway!

So, keeping all of this newfound advice in mind let’s get off the page and take a field trip to test our skills!  One of the hottest trends right now is hued wedding dresses.  The runways are filled with pale-pink, barely there blush and perfect peach.  The subtle color, when used correctly, adds an element of romantic allure.  The opposite is true as well.  See examples below:

Blushing Beauty

Blush, bashful and Bad!

Happy Trending Girls!

Stephanie

Here’s the Atrium, all finished! What a view, even on a cloudy day.

A view of part of the bridal suite, where the bride and bridesmaids can hang their dresses while they get ready.

The interior of the bridal suite – there’s so much natural light!

Here’s the groom’s suite:

One of the living areas, we call this the ‘Steeler’ room:

The other main living area, the ‘Watermelon’ room:

Thanks so much to everyone who enjoyed the open house with us, we’re so excited for what the future holds for West Manor!

Best,

Steph

One of the biggest changes to the interior of the house has been the complete overhaul of the bridal suite. The old tub and shower were removed from the bathroom, and we’ve added gorgeous counters and chairs so that brides and their bridesmaids can get ready with lots of space and natural light. We’ve also added a small bank of lockers outside of the preparation room so that the girls can have somewhere to store all of their purses, beauty tools, and other wedding day necessities.

Here’s the bridal suite before:

….and After:

Aside from the major renovations, there has been a LOT of painting and other aesthetic improvements around the house (some you’ve seen in previous posts) – you can see a huge change in how the entry hallway has changed: new wallpaper, paint, and a fabulous landscape painting complete the look.

Here’s the hallway before:

…and after:

Outside, the gardens have been undergoing improvements too! We’ve added three more english-style gardens on the sides of the brick walkway to the gazebo, and they add so much to the backyard gardens.

Before:

…and after:

Keep an eye on our Facebook this week for pictures of the Atrium as it finishes up. We can’t wait to see you all at the tasting!

All the best,

Stephanie

The Atrium:

Wedding Planning Room:

New Paint and Curtains in the Office:

Dinning Room:

Parlor:

Outside the bridal suite:

The Secret Garden:

Stay tuned for pictures in the upcoming weeks of more completed rooms, yard, and building!!

-Katie

 Vintage is all the rage in weddings, and it’s a trend that I really love.  Aside from its retro-chic qualities, vintage is the ultimate in “green” or sustainable. So, when you combine retro chic with cool “green”, the end result is simply inspiring!  Milk glass will be hugely popular in 2012 as the vintage trend continues and grows. A few large blooms placed in the center of a milk glass vase with some pearls draped next to it makes for a very elegant centerpiece reminiscent of yesteryear. Hit some of your local second hand stores to find milk glass in all shapes and sizes, and then use your inspiration to create a memorable centerpiece.

Tip:

Use bright colored flowers to make the milk glass really stand out!

Thank you to my good friend Amy, owner of The Arrangement Company for turning me on to this trend, and providing a sample for West Manor’s display table at the recent Lynchburg Bridal Expo.  It was a show stopper!!

If you are a bride on a budget, and don’t have a family member with 50 pieces of milk glass, check out this cool demonstration on how to make your own!

-Katie

 While future blogs will continue to highlight some of the elements I foresee being popular this year, I think the overall, leading trend this year is… ROMANCE.  No matter the style or theme of a wedding, when are they not romantic?  Some can dance a fine line between charming and cheesy, but ultimately, all brides long for the true romance of that day to shine through.

 A truly romantic wedding day is all about the couple and allowing their personal taste to shine through.  I love the idea of incorporating soft colors, such as peach, blush, or champagne.  Ruffles, and layers also add an element of romance when designing your event.  Whether it is rustic, elegant, whimsicle, or fun, romance goes with everything.  So this year when you are planning your wedding be sure to highlight the true meaning of this day, your love for one another.  Relaxed and confident couples normally have the best images, because they are allowing the day to unfold organically, just as their relationship unfolded, and that loving emotion is sure to show through in the images captured that day.

Thank you Kemper Mills Fant Photography, Korie Lynn Photography, and Crystal George Photography for the great images and inspiration.

Katie

Here it is getting assembled:

 Check out Rosser Landscaping’s amazing work in the back garden!

Here are a few interior progress shots:

Newly painted living rooms

 Bridal Suite Vanities

Check out the chandeliers in the ballroom against the new blue ceiling!

1st  all front brick walkways and the former tent patio out front (where we used to hold weddings before the ballroom) were torn up and will be used to create a new front walkway and new garden by the  ceremony site.

(it was a coooold  windy day and they had to remove each brick by hand, scrape it, and stack them…I took the photo from the warmth of my office)

Plants outfront were removed and new trees and bushes are being planted.

Thank you to the crew from Rosser Landscaping  for all your hard work!

Yesterday Four Season’s Sunrooms started prepping for our new Atrium.  Here are some  photos to show you where it will go:

And last but not least W.A. Lynch’s Roofing has been adding beautiful copper rain gutters to match the house’s already copper roof. Gorgeous!  It has been a chilly few weeks, but we have made tramendous progress and the Estate is really starting to take shape.  Stay tuned for updates on our interior changes.

So once again, here is the inspiration photo:

And here are some pics of the actual floor plans: (note you are looking at the room from above.  It will come out from the ballroom where our current patio is.  At the end of the room it will bow out to create an alter space for ceremonies, or excellent area for bands and djs)

and the side view as guest’s arrive:

Stay tuned next week for more pictures as we start our garden renovations!
Katie

 A special thanks to all of our 2012 clients who have graciously chosen to take this journey with us.  We are truly looking forward to unveiling a new, updated, venue for your special day. 

Our new custom iron balcony over the front porch:

Remember the ivy covered posts into the garden?  Check out the original brick!

ps- we will be growing the ivy back, we will just be keeping it maintained.

Don’t you just love the new cleaned up boxwood design out back too?!

 Here are a few demo shots of the bridal wing of the house:

bye bye blue tile in the bridal suite…

Gone is the 1950′s Ice Cream Parlor themed Groom’s Room…making room for a sleek, more masculine space.

And perhaps my favorite change of all!  (and this photo does no justice) Our new silverware, plates, glassware, and chargers.  Guests will be amazed by the quality!

I’m in LOVE with this silverware!!

 Finally, beer glasses!  No more brides with a bud light in their hand…

I hope you have enjoyed this little sneak peak.  Please stay tuned for more updates or call to schedule a personal visit to see the progress and speak with us in person.  I would love to show brides, businesses, as well as vendors, what we have in store this January, February, and March.

Happy Holidays!

Katie