Happy Monday, folks! Hope you had a lovely weekend! Today’s inspiration board is a reader request from Robin, who is planning a black, white and silver garden/farm wedding for April next year. Robin had already chosen her colour scheme and bought many of her decorations, but couldn’t find a suitable venue in her area, so in the end decided to host the reception at her in-law’s farm, where there is a beautiful garden. I’m not sure what sort of decor Robin has already purchased, so in creating the board, I focused on how you might translate an elegant, slightly formal wedding to an outdoor setting. In fact, the two work perfectly together! Robin already told me she wanted long tables (love this idea, especially with strings of lights in the trees – what could be more romantic) and was considering a collection of glass containers with white flowers in them, which I also think is a great idea. The key then is to balance out the rustic (as a nod to the farm) with the formal. One great idea is to hire at least one beautiful chandelier, and hang it from a tree as a focal piece of decor, which really sets the tone. Stationery can be quite traditional, and calligraphy makes a really lovely detail, especially at each place setting as with the menu cards below. I was going to suggest either white dresses or black ones for the bridesmaids until I saw the pic below – what a great idea to let them wear a combination! The bride can also wear a black or silver sash, depending on the style of her dress. Silver touches come from mercury glass (which you can easily DIY) and just LOOK at this silver cake – isn’t it gorgeous! On the rustic side, consider hessian/burlap table cloths or runners, twine-wrapped bouquets, and wooden or chalkboard details. Make use of pretty features of the garden, like a gate that doubles as a place to hang escort cards. Just because the venue has changed, doesn’t mean that your style has to – in fact, in this case, I think the indoor and outdoor elements work perfectly together. Good luck, Robin – hope the rest of your planning goes brilliantly!

Colours: Black, white, silver

 

Top row (l-r): Bride & groom {P: Jemma Keech Photography}; chandelier in tree {P: Leo Patrone Photography}; silver and white cake {Yummy Cupcakes & Cakes}; place setting
Row 2: Flowers in varied glass containers; mercury glass votives; invitation suite on burlap {D: JK Design; P:Karen McNeil Photography}; black and white bridesmaids’ dresses {P: Alyse French Photography}; twine-wrapped bouquet {F: Gild the Lily Too; P:Alison Mayfield for Christian Oth}
Row 3: Long tables {C: Meredith Commender; P: Stephen Karlisch}; framed chalkboard sign {P: Alyse French Photography}; gate escort card detail {P: Lisa Lefkowitz}; chair back calligraphy signs {C: Amy Kaneko Events P: Jose Villa}.