This spring at the Junk Bonanza, Ki Nassauer wanted to showcase inspiration from her first Flea Market Style Weddings magazine with a Wedding Lab!

I LOVED the thought of this...and was even more thrilled when I was asked to help collaborate! Lucky me to work with Ki Nassauer and her uber creative team who has their finger on the pulse of all things cool and vintage. Now to infuse them into wedding themes...Yipee!

Gathering amazing, talented resources and spotlighting four main themes - Natural Elegance, Modern Glam, Bohemian Romantic and Funky Geographic - we were able to create fresh vignettes full of infinite inspiration for brides and vintage shoppers alike! Ideas that easily went beyond a wedding and translated perfectly to home decor and entertaining!

Natural Elegance

Inspired by her own wedding (which was featured in Flea Market Style Weddings magazine), Clare Hoelderle of The Red Bench Vintage Rental & Design and Avonlea Farm recreated the rustic barn wedding details from her big day. Perfectly charming and a crowd favorite!

Modern Glam

Showcasing a variety of metallics, glossy whites, woodland friends and other accents from nature, Kim Yeager of Lark Nest Design and Jane Hall of Mustard Moon, styled an updated lounge featuring classic vintage glam.

 Bohemian Romantic

A whimsical vintage photo op set was designed by Christine Hoffman of Foxglove Market & Studio, making for a fab backdrop for guests and the bridal party!

 Funky Geographic

Always a bit obsessed with maps AND chalk art, myself and Jane Hall of Mustard Moon curated some fabulous travel inspiration for those excited for the "world that awaits"...loved all of the details!

Ki was in The Lab signing magazines and chatting it up with the shoppers...

...along with the fun and talented Elizabeth Demos, designer and author of The Vintage Style Wedding, who made the trek from Savannah, GA to shop the Bonanza herself and sign her books and meet the Wedding Lab goers. Loved her and her photographer Jade! (Now I'm excited to plan a visit down to her neck of the woods and check out vintage wedding inspiration Southern style!)

I loved that we were able to showcase other local partners in The Lab...On Solid Ground Vintage Rentals, Andrea's Vintage Bridal, Bear Fox Chalk, Ashley Fox Designs, Printerette Press, Cake Poppin' MN, Upsy-Daisy and Jeff Loves Jessica.

jeff loves jessica

ashley fox designs

bear fox chalk

The Wedding Lab provided a number of firsts for GetMarried (including a TV interview!), plus we had our own little inspiration zone which was super fun to outfit...but I will say that the real rock stars of my space were the vintage pieces shared by Sarah from On Solid Ground Vintage Rentals. The mint mail sorting hutch was to die for...the sprinkling of cool "smalls" coupled with the Bella chair and pink table were more than adorable and the perfect way to represent GetMarried...a huge thank you to Sarah!

I loved meeting so many of the shoppers and GetMarried readers! It was especially a hoot seeing so many play #ispygetmarried...the determination and competitive nature in some was entertaining AND awesome. I looked forward to tracking all of the posted photos of the infamous gold horses placed on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter...all vying for the prize package featuring MY FAVORITE FINDS from the show. (And there were SO many good ones at this show!)

What a ridiculously fun experience - and truly an honor to be a part of this crew...one can only hope that this Wedding Lab was the first of many as we all had lots of ideas for a bigger and better Lab!

Me with Clare, Ki and Elizabeth Demos post TV interview.

 Wedding Lab Coordinator Extraordinaire, Jane Hall of Mustard Moon

And of course, no GetMarried event is ever captured as well (or is as fun) as when my rock star photographer, Jordi of Jordi Lee Photography is in the house! HUGE thanks!

Looking forward to the next Junk Bonanza in September!

Cheers!

Photo credit: Jordi Lee Photography

An A-MAZING giveaway from Ki and The Junk Bonanza!

The Spring show (April 18-20, Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN) will feature The Wedding Lab, a lavish display of vintage-inspired wedding ideas brought to life from the pages of the inaugural issue of FMS Weddings (which is STUNNING mind you)! It will be beautifully staged and chock full of ideas and resources...and Heather from GetMarried on-site!

All we need for you to do is visit our Facebook page by 5 pm CST on  MARCH 17th and leave a comment regarding this post and you will automatically be entered in the random drawing.

See our post from our day at the 2012 Junk Bonanza here. One of the must-do events of the year!

Good luck and can't wait to see you there...

Alt Summit. Sigh. Where do I begin?! Smile.

I will preface this post with (1) it's not wedding specific (but keep reading, there's some good stuff!) and (2) it's the coolest thing I've ever done in my career.

A relative newbie on the blogging scene, my journey to the Alt Summit was nearly a year-long process that culminated in Salt Lake City - alongside some of the most talented, friendly, smart, insightful (and stylish!) hipster lady-bloggers in the world (okay, there were a handful of guys). No exaggeration. This was amazing.

Entering the blogesphere less than a year ago (eek!), I knew out of the gates that I needed some insight into this subculture of the infamous blogger. And the first place I looked was some of MY favorite blogs (Say Yes To Hoboken, Camille Styles, Apartment Therapy, Hank & Hunt). At that time, everyone happened to be doing recaps of this illusive "Alt Summit 2012" and what seemed like the mecca of all blogging and cool people.

Alt is defined as the definitive resource for the very serious business of beautiful, brillant blogging.

I'm in! I was immediately determined to figure out how to attend in 2013. The images, the stories, the videos...all so engaging and full of passion and like-minded people. 

Needless to say the process to get a ticket to this wildy-popular event was more stressful than getting tickets to a Madonna concert?!? I was watching Twitter feeds race across the registration page while I deliberated over dinner and class options that were filling up right before my eyes. Yoga breathing required. While the event sold out in a crazy 30 minutes, gratefully I was in (and so was my photographer!) AND better yet, we had a room on-site at The Grand America Hotel (ummm...a ridiculously GRAND place more than worthy of its name.)

Months passed and I kept hyping up my pilgrimage to Salt Lake City and Alt to my friends, family and anyone who would listen...who are we kidding?! (many had no clue what I was talking about but either appreciated my passion - or called me crazy!) Well... I am more than happy to (finally) report that Alt exceeded all expectations...and yes, I may be a little crazy.

I am told I light up when I talk about what an incredible experience it was and can't help but share some of what I learned - even to the non-blogger folk. First of all, the HUGEST of thank yous to Jordi of Jordi Lee Photography who joined me on this journey with her own great energy, enthusiasm and even blog crushes. (Yes, how lucky am I to have had a photographer join me and capture the three days - AND be the best roomie and seat saver ever!?!)

While I have a whole notebook full of notes, here are some things that resonated with me as I digest all of this gourmet food for thought...and not all are about rock star blogging...great life lessons too.

• Be weirdly honest. - Tiffani Jones Brown, Pinterest
  
• If you follow your passion, you WILL find success. - Mitra Morgan, Joss & Main
  
• It's not a party without a pinata. - Darcy Miller, Martha Stewart Weddings
  
• Planned chaos is a beautiful thing. - Jenny Batt, Hank & Hunt
  
• The only risk is not taking a risk at all. If you do not have butterflies in your belly, you are too comfortable with what you are doing, challenge yourself. - Stefan Sagmeister, Sagmeister & Walsh
  
• Maybe you are judging me, but that's not really any of my business. You do what you like to do and I"ll do the same. - Katie Sokoler, Color Me Katie
  
• If people say you are crazy, you are most likely a visionary. - Scott Kurnit, Keep.com
• Think BOLD. Think BEAUTIFUL. Think BIG. - Merrilee Liddiard, Mer Mag
  
• Natural light is your friend. - Shauna Younge & Maddy Hague, Confetti Pop
  
• Two things you won't regret for your wedding: A planner and the photographer. - Darcy Miller, Martha Stewart Weddings
  
• Intentions evolve. Be ready to evolve. - Laura Mayes, Mighty Girl

 And a few other gems that I took home (no round table needed...)

• Business cards can be your best accessory.
• Buy a pair of pretty scissors.
• Get some cute glasses and learn to do a top knot.

Now here's some eye candy from the wondrous three days (so hard to narrow down from 600+ photos?!)...hope you get a good feel for the magic of Alt.

The Welcome Dinner sponsored by Minted, complete with the cutest party decor from their new line (I love this stuff!) and a great group of bloggers...

The BING lounge...the perfect place to recharge, be inspired and even photo booth!

Quickly making connections and new friends...

Kirsten Krason | Lisa Anderson Shaeffer | Camille Styles | Mariam Naficy | Liz Stanley

and more friends! So cool to meet people in person that you only knew virtually!

 Chelsea Andrews | Darcy Miller | Jenny Batt | Emily Henderson

The Land of Nod lounge was a crafting fairyland filled with paper crowns, embellishments and macarons...a fun retreat.

And the shoes were just as fun as the business cards...

 FABULOUS sessions where I wish I could have cloned myself and attended more!

photo by justin hackworth

photo by justin hackworth

An over-the-top Clue-inspired evening fete where the Ballroom was transformed into a giant Clue board!

And for the final evening we celebrated with NINE mini parties oozing with swag, inspiration and of course, a dance party!

It makes me smile seeing these images again and again...what awesome ongoing inspiration and memories. 

photo by justin hackworth

I look forward to all of the friendships and connections made - and the next Alt! Hmmm...San Francisco or NYC? Decisions...

Cheers!

Photo credit: Jordi Lee Photography

Feeling like a kid in a candy store...I flat out  the Junk Bonanza! It is truly the best junk roundup in the nation.

Just imagine three days of vintage treasure hunting and digging through stunning antiques, salvage vintage, and re-purposed and artisanal pieces.

And who else was in the house among the 140+ vendors?...Etsy, a team from Chalk Paint purveyor Annie Sloan Unfolded, Tim Luke, star of HGTV's "Cash in the Attic," and of course, the phenomenal Junk Bonanza team led by Ki Nassauer!

Up with the sunrise and other Early Bird ticket holders, the anticipation is always crazy. Happy people, coffee and donuts, bags and baskets waiting to be filled with day's treasures.

The calm before the storm...felt like the night before Christmas!

And the gates are open!

You can't help but be inspired by the passion and creativity of those fondly known as "junkers" and their one-of-a-kind wares.

{The colors. The textures. Eye candy.}

With no reproductions allowed, everything is truly vintage, salvaged or re-purposed.

 

 

rhubarb co. store

light reading

hunt & gather

I was loving all of the maps and globes EVERYWHERE! Trend alert. 

etsy

the painted porch

XO handworks

hunt & gather

Such a great place to find inspiration and fun ways you can infuse vintage into your wedding!! Look at all these ideas?!?

And especially exciting news is that Flea Market Style is launching their Wedding magazine in January 2013. I even got a sneak peek at a photo shoot. Great stuff!

tapestries of nature

the painted porch

faulkenberrys

jennifleur/bee cottage

s.a.r.a - salvaged & rescued art

 

mimi-toria's designs

the vintage pixie

the vintage pixie

ms. mac's antiques

sheer addiction

 

the vintage pixie

lisa marie's

lisa marie's

the painted porch

And it was so fun bumping (literally!) into friends and making new ones...it was THE place to be!

ki nassauer, junk entrepreneur & founder of the Junk Bonanza

 

the iconic, Mike & Janet of treasures & trash

Tamara - Sheer Addiction patti - haupt antiek

Britty & Elizabeth of the awesome trash the dress feature on GetMarried!

 

yay! friends janell & kate

well prepared, matching & owner of the cute "s"! Dina found what she came for!!

It can be quite overwhelming. Decisions, decisions. My biggest piece of advice is if you see and like it buy it because chances are good it will be gone when you come back - and if it's still there then it was definitely meant to be!

my prized purchase from My Sister & I

can never pass on a cute "h" {treasures & trash}

A special props to my friend and photographer, Jordi of Jordi Lee Photography. Never possible without her passion, sense of humor and perfect images!

We had the most awesome day meeting everyone, capturing the energy of the Junk Bonanza and even leaving a little Get Married love throughout the market...

I encourage anyone who LOVES vintage, is looking for inspiration or needs an excuse to go shopping with friends mark the Junk Bonanza on your calendar (and get the Early Bird tickets!) and join the Junk Revolution!

For the first time, the Junk Bonanza is moving to twice-a-year with the next being in April 2013 at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, MN. Check it out....we will!

Cheers!

I am loving these cool wedding marketplaces popping up everywhere.

Here's my latest find - Fizz & Frills.

Super cute name aside...what an amazing event if you are anywhere near the Pasadena area and have some wedding shopping to-dos!?!

A place to shop from highly curated designers and artisans coupled with gourmet food tastings and fashions shows. Perfect.

This event is hosted by Utterly Engaged, an online magazine and produced by Lovely Jubilee, an event design & personal styling company - and the vendor list rocks!

{Need more of the deets. Click here}

If anyone is lucky enough to attend, I would love to hear what you think?!? I am thinking I may need to head to West to check it out...

Cheers!

Photos via Fizz & Frills

Rock n Roll Bride

Between the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Summer Olympics...not to mention the ongoing fairytale romance of Wills and Kate, London is the perfect backdrop for some brilliant wedding details.

Here's what I find to be truly the bee's knees when infusing some British charm...

 segerius bruce photography

linda scanell photography

Redbubble

 Lavender & Ash

 in the treehouse

Rock n Roll Bride

alexander mcqueen  happy wedding wishes

delightfully engaged

hunter  topshop

seahorse bend press

tumblr apple door studio

 gig masters

jezebel charms plastique

heathcliff o'malley

BeSpoke vintage amethyst

r&r country cherry pie lane

graham & brown

 love.luck.kisses.cake.  

delightfully engaged

Andrew  Squires

Absobloodylootely irresistible. How does one not fancy all these British lovelies and want to jump the pond for a visit??! Let's go!

Cheers!

I was in Chicago over the weekend...one THE best cities...and fell in  with this amazing retail shop on Michigan Avenue.

A British High Street retailer rooted in vintage + fashion-forward. Where glamour meets grunge in the most beautiful way.

The dresses and skirts were literally breathtaking...

 Definitely some super cool options for less traditional bridesmaid or even bride's reception dresses... 

allegra dress 

 quilted flag dress 
Delfina Dress

AllSaints Spitafields - Michigan Avenue Chicago

AllSaints Spitafields - Michigan Avenue - Chicago

I left with an amazing pair of boots and a handful of things on my wish list! (There is a dress that I just may need to order for an upcoming rehearsal dinner...)

A worthy stop online and an absolutely must-see in person. Stunning.

Cheers!

OMG. If you ever have the opportunity to attend an Indie Wed show, jump on it!!

What is Indie Wed, you ask? Well, Indie Wed is the alternative to the traditional bridal expo - considered wedding planning redefined.

I love this event for so many reasons...the support of small local businesses, truly unique talent, ideas and products, the embracing of couples with an independent spirit - and a cool, intimate setting that feels like a cocktail party AND artisan market at the same time. Heaven.

To date the Indie Wed shows have been strictly in the Midwest...but rumor has it they are expanding nationally in 2013! Super exciting. Their next show is in Denver on July 31st (their Rocky Mountain debut- and in my mind, a perfect place for this event!)

After attending my first Indie Wed show in Milwaukee, I give it a definite thumbs up - and even recommend it for those who just love cool, unique inspiration for fashion, entertaining, food, paper goods, photography...not necessarily just wedding. They pick such great venues to host the show & market!

Here is a peek at the Milwaukee show...

Image via IndieWed

 Who knows? Maybe I will see you mingling with a cocktail, dancing to the live music or browsing the market at one of these upcoming events...

Cheers!

Harley + Ralph Lauren = URban Cowboy Cool

 Image via The Iron Horse Hotel

Image via The Iron Horse Hotel