A Little Inspiration For Your Thursday!

Okay, I know I keep using the terms "English Garden" and "Vintage" and you might be thinking "where the heck is she going with this theme and how did she come up with it?" Well, I will explain by making the following points and by showing you my inspiration board.

• I love the summer! Mr. CF and I met & fell in love in the summer, our birthdays are in the summer, we got engaged in the summer, and summertime involves the water and sunshine (two of my favorite things)!
• Our color scheme - My fiance picked the blue, I picked the Ivory, and what is a wedding without a little pink (excuse me, I mean "blush")?!
• The Garden - I wanted something that would scream Summer Romance!
• Why vintage? If you know me, I love all things old! I have been collecting vintage milk glass at antique and thrift stores for some time now in hopes of using them for our centerpieces. Each piece was hand picked by either me or my mom and some were gifts from my sister and my cousin. They are all very special and meaningful to me.
• What is that plate with the bird? That is my mother's china which will be used at the head table. I find it a little ironic that it matches our wedding colors and theme exactly, don't you?

If there are any other brides/wives out there, how did your wedding style reflect you and your groom?

{Photo credits can be found by clicking on the inspiration board above and rolling over each image}
Photos from top left:  Cathedral of Christ the King (our ceremony venue); A bouquet I love; Navy Bridesmaid Dress by Jim Hjelm; Plate From My Mother's China Collection; The English Garden at The Mansion on Peachtree (our reception venue!); I Love Anemones; Cake Display; Table Display

"Things are lookin' up!"

If anyone can tell me where my subject line quote is from, you will get major props! It is, in fact, one of my favorite phrases and in this case I'm using it to describe how I feel about our reception venue.

For the last month and a half, I have had my heart set on a particular venue for our reception. It is a private club in Buckhead with amazing views of the city! I was so excited for Mr. Cuddlefish and I to see it together in person but when we went there it was apparent that there were major issues.

1. Not enough space! Sure, it could fit our 100 guests but they failed to mention that there would be no room for a band, DJ, or dance floor!!!!!!!
2. No outdoor area for pictures.
3. Although the decor was very elegant and rich, which drew me to the club in the first place, the colors were very dark. How was I going to pull off the vintage English garden theme???

Things were definitely looking down. Now what??? I had scoured the Internet for the perfect venue and found nothing that lived up to my expectations. Additionally, I wanted to find a place that Mr. Cuddlefish loved as well, and he wasn't loving the space issue with my first choice.

This is where I have to say thank you, thank you, thank you Tina Rowden! My amazing photographer invited me to her home and heard all about my dilemma. Then, she totally came to the rescue by suggesting the most BEAUTIFUL hotel in Atlanta, which also happens to have an ENGLISH GARDEN! She told me to go straight to The Mansion on Peachtree after leaving her house and I happily obliged. It was perfect and the staff treated me like an absolute queen as I toured the garden, ballroom, hotel, spa, and restaurant. I am so happy and excited to celebrate with our family and friends at this beautiful location. Things are lookin' up!

Has anyone else been let down by a vendor or venue only to discover that it was a blessing in disguise?