Broussard Vané - Weddings in color: 500 creative ideas for designing a modern wedding

For Chad and Tru x 2

Text copyright 2015 by Van Broussard and Minhee Cho.
Photographs copyright 2015 by Jain M. Kershner.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-4521-4170-1 (epub, mobi)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.

ISBN 978-1-4521-3462-8 (hc)

Designed by Allison Weiner and Amanda Sim

Styling by Michelle Edgemont

Aliz Bleu is a registered trademark of Kobrand Corporation. Bonne Maman is a registered trademark of Andros Socit en Nom Collectif. Domino is a registered trademark of Domino Sugar Corporation. Essie is a registered trademark of LOreal USA Creative, Inc. Fresh is a registered trademark of LVMH. Grey Goose is a registered trademark of Bacardi Global Brands Limited. HPNOTIQ is a registered trademark of Heaven Hills Distilleries, Inc. Laduree is a registered trademark of Laduree International. Liquitex is a registered trademark of ColArt Americas, Inc. Premo! Sculpey is a registered trademark of Polyform Products Company, Inc.

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I love how weddings have changed over the years. Of course, theyre still about two people committing to one another, but whats differentand so exciting!now is that when it comes to the look, feeling, and details, anything is possible. Minhee and Van have been right in the thick of this style evolution, and in this book, they encourage engaged couples to get creative by illustrating the countless ways to personalize a celebration. And they make the process easy and fun! For example, theyve organized the chapters by color, which is infinitely helpful as your palette is often the first thing you consider before diving into the details. After seeing many classic and vintage-inspired weddings, Minhee and Van have developed their own style, knowing that weddings can be playful or sophisticated, eclectic or sexy. From a confetti bar to laser-cut invitations to a ring bearer walking a dog balloon down the aisle, their whimsical ideas inspire couples to add spirit and personality to their own weddingsor to any party, really, be it a shower, rehearsal dinner, or next-day brunch. This book shows just how modern and fun a very traditional day can be, and its packed with so many ideas to help you get started and make your celebration a truly personal affair.

Congratulations to Minhee and Van, who have been inspiring couples for years with their stationery and blog, and now, with this must-have resource for planning an unforgettable wedding.

DARCY MILLER

editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings

Resources for todays brides are out there, and they are plentiful, but they also tend to be one-note. And by one-note, we mean vintage.

But what about brides who want a more modern look? A quick stroll around the wedding section of your local bookstore reveals key words like rustic, romantic, and traditional with images of princess ball gowns, pastel colors, and, of course, the ever-present mason jar! It seems most of todays wedding products are tailored to this particular aesthetic, leaving very little for the bride looking for something sleek and architectural.

Van started her blog Brooklyn Bride to fill this hole in the wedding inspiration market. After getting engaged to her now-husband, Chad, and spending a few months researching weddings online, she realized that there was nothing out there for her modern tastes. It was all too pink and girly! So she started Brooklyn Bride as a way to collect her ideas. As people outside her immediate family started reading, she sensed she might be onto something. Soon, brides and grooms who were as devoted to the modern wedding cause as she was were following her. These days the blog is known for featuring real weddings from all over the world, showcasing vendors that subscribe to modern design ideals, and sharing a plethora of creative wedding ideas.

While planning her wedding in 2006, Minhee realized that timeless ideas can easily take a modern twist. For example, she had her bridesmaids wear wrist corsages and carry vintage-style clutches instead of traditional bouquets. The theme of her wedding was old school, featuring blackboards and school furniture from the 1980s, but it was executed in a clean and modern style. Her wedding invitations were printed on old office paper with modern design touches mixed in. Given her creative work with Paper+Cup Design (the design studio she founded with her now-husband, Truman Cho, in 2003), she relished creating the overall design of the wedding, from paper to dcor. It was through this initial experience that Minhee recognized the importance of having a central theme for a wedding or event and building out from there. In 2006, her wedding was featured in Martha Stewart Weddings, launching many of the modern wedding trends we still see today.

So what is a modern wedding? This can be difficult to answer, because modern means different things to different people. To us, a modern wedding is an event that is crisp and clean with architectural details and minimal silhouettes. It is simple yet chic and doesnt take itself too seriously. Modern weddings go for bold, bright, and monochromatic color, and incorporate sleeker materials such as Lucite, lacquer, metals, and woods (but not the rough-hewn type).

The most defining aspect of a wedding (especially a modern wedding) is color. Color sets the mood for the entire affair. When choosing colors, think about what you want to convey to your guests. Do you want to go bright and cheerful for summer? Consider yellows, greens, or pinks in bold pops. Cozy and moody for autumn? Rich oranges and reds will work well and play off the seasonal hues. Look all around you for color inspiration. Brides these days have it a lot easier than brides of even just five years ago with the development of Pinterest and the growth of wedding blogs. Create boards of images in color palettes you like. Dont feel as if you have to look only at wedding-related sites. Some of the best color inspiration can come from fashion magazines, interior design books, graphic design publications, and even cookbooks. Create a mood board of colors, combinations, patterns, and textures that you want to see translated into your wedding. This will be the snapshot of your wedding style that youll refer back to throughout the planning process, and it will help your vendors understand your vision.

Your own personal style will play a big role in color selection as well. Modern typically means a few bold, bright colors, and thats what youll see in this book. Classic and traditional styles generally use a more muted palette, while vintage favors pastels. Thats not to say that pastels cant work in modern color stories, though. Pairing pastels with their brighter counterparts or working them into geometric patterns will give them a modern spin!