wedding Archives - MomStart

Vintage Weddings: Make Your Day a Blast From the Past

March 3, 2020 by Guest Post Leave a Comment

This is a sponsored guest post.

As we move into a more digital age, we find ourselves looking to the past to influence present-day styles and fashions. That has become even more obvious when it comes to weddings, as vintage weddings have become increasingly popular.

If you want to make your vintage wedding dreams come true, you’ll have to know where to start. Here’s our guide to help you figure out where to start when planning your vintage weddings.

Do Your Research

Before diving into your vintage wedding planning, it’s important to do your research. Vintage is an umbrella term that encompasses a number of different styles from rustic to romantic. Your first step should be figuring out what category your idea of a vintage wedding falls under.

Not only will this allow you to narrow down your research, but you’ll also find additional details that will help you plan an authentically vintage wedding. With the plethora of information and photos available online, there will be no shortage of inspiration.

Plan the Big Details with Vintage in Mind

There are three major details that will make or break your vintage wedding — your wedding dress, your venue, and decor. Keep in mind that it can be difficult to combine your wish to plan a vintage wedding and keep everything functional. That said, your dress, venue, and decor should all feature a vintage touch that reinforces the vintage aesthetic and feel that you are looking for.

Whether you get your wedding dress from a store or wear one that has been passed down in your family, you should choose your dress for its features. For example, a minimalist or intricately designed lace dress can create an authentic vintage feel.

You can dress up even the most modern of venues to sport a more vintage look by working with a talented designer that truly brings your vision to life. Finally, your decor can be as unique as you are. You can choose even a single element, such as your table centerpieces, to make a vintage statement that creates lasting memories for both you and your guests.

Vintage Engagement and Wedding Rings

Every vintage wedding should start with a vintage engagement ring. Some of the most popular options for vintage engagement rings are Victorian-era rings or art deco style rings.

A Victorian-style ring is known for its gold finish with either a delicate or bold design. Typically these rings have a solitaire stone set in the middle. You can customize the stone and design to suit your personal style, but keeping to a traditional Victorian design will be the best feature of your authentic vintage wedding.

An art deco engagement ring is styled after the time period between the 1920s and the 1940s. This style is primarily ornamental and features distinct and intricate filigree with geometric designs. Art deco takes its inspiration from the artwork of the period, under the same name.

Additionally, if you want to really commit to the vintage style engagement ring, an aquamarine and diamond pairing is the perfect way to do it. This classic and timeless pairing exudes elegance and sophistication.

Regardless of your wedding planning decisions, it’s important to remember that while planning can be overwhelming, it’s supposed to be fun. You get to make your vintage dreams come true!

Beautiful Bridesmaid Bouquets From Silk Plants Direct

September 13, 2015 by Beeb 1 Comment

Peony, Ranunculus Bouquet in Cream and Fuchsia

Samples provided.

I love weddings and wedding planning, so being engaged is fun for me! As I plan ahead for the big day, I’ve been thinking about what I’ll need for the ceremony in order to decorate it. Weddings and flowers are almost synonymous, and I had been planning on doing a modest selection of bouquets in order to keep unnecessary expense down. It hadn’t occurred to me that I didn’t have to use live flowers until I got an email from Silk Plants Direct.

These aren’t your grandma’s artificial flowers! Just browsing the website, I was really impressed by how nice and “Real” the arrangements looked. I thought this would be absolutely perfect for my bridesmaid bouquets, so I got to work looking at different arrangements and seeing which ones I liked the best.

I know I want my bridesmaid dresses to be pink, because duh, but I haven’t picked out a specific dress yet, so I wanted to go for a bouquet in a pink-y tone that could be flexible depending on what I choose. I’m not gonna lie, I totally photoshopped the bouquet I had in mind onto pictures of a couple of different sample bridesmaid dresses to get an idea of how it might look! I ended up settling on Peony, Ranunculus Bouquet in Cream and Fuchsia. I liked the arrangement of the flowers and thought it looked really perfect for a wedding. I also thought the shade of fuchsia should be pretty versatile and give me some wiggle room for the shade of the dress. These come in a pack of 12, so it’s the perfect size for a wedding party.

Bouquet shipment from Silk Plants Direct

I was curious to see how good these would look in real life, and I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed! They are so beautiful – miles different from the artificial flowers I’m used to seeing. I love them so much, and it’s already gotten the thumbs-up from one of the bridesmaids who saw them, so I think I did good! I love that I won’t have to worry about indoor plant care or transporting fresh flowers to the venue – plus, it makes a fun keepsake for each of the girls that they can use as a decoration later. And at $91.99 for 12 bouquets, I think it’s pretty cost effective compared to real flowers! Honestly, I don’t think anyone will even really be able to tell a difference, because the bouquets look so nice. Thanks, Silk Plants Direct!

Be sure to follow Silk Plants Direct on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, and save 10% on your next order (Excluding custom orders) by using coupon code: BLOGGER10

Holman Ranch: The Perfect Place For a Western Wedding

April 10, 2015 by Catherine 4 Comments

Lodging and meals provided for review

Holman Ranch is a vineyard, olive grove, stable, and event venue in Carmel Valley, California. This quiet town is close to Monterey, and about 2 hours south of San Francisco; in addition to housing several wineries, it’s also home to a country store, a couple of art galleries, and an absolutely amazing thrift shop.

I was invited to visit Holman Ranch in mid-March. Nestled in the hills of northern California, the ranch is a perfect place for a secluded, intimate wedding or corporate event, though they can host galas for up to 450 people. They’ve hosted many, many events, and you can rest assured that this isn’t their first rodeo, so to speak: they have a lengthy, vetted list of preferred vendors whom they know act professionally and can deliver whatever you can dream up.

Holman Ranch, unsurprisingly, sits on former ranch land; it became a vineyard in the 1920s, and the ranching history is apparent in the very Western styling – leather, pictures of cowboys, and rawhide fringe abound. The venue features 10 guestrooms for the bridal party (or people attending the retreats); these feature decorative leather pillows, rocking chairs on the porches (pictured above), and the most beautifully tiled bathrooms you’ve seen in your life.

The main area for weddings abuts a beautiful vista, and contains a stunning patio, the Great Room, and a small private chapel. All have wood and leather detailing, with many ranching and early California flourishes.

One of Holman Ranch’s main sidelines is its winery. Their wines – mostly pinot noir and chardonnay – are naturally cooled in their cave, which was dug into the side of a hill, reducing the need to artificially cool or air condition their cave. Conservation is a big theme at Holman Ranch: the wines are all grown organically.

You can include Holman Ranch wines as part of your event, or even make wine tasting a part of the festivities. I know nothing about wine, but I was interested to learn more about the history of the ranch, and wine making in general.

This being northern California, there is a tranquil Mediterranean climate – the weather is generally clear, and between 60 to 80 degrees. It’s unlikely that your event will be rained out, or be too chilly.

It really is difficult to overstate the beauty of the venue. As you can see above, there’s a heck of a vista of the hills; at night, the sky is covered with stars, and you feel snugly alone, with only your favorite people for company.

Holman Ranch is a solid, professional venue, dedicated to giving you a sense of seclusion and comfort. As only one event is booked at a time, any event you reserve means that the entire 400 acre property is shut down for you. Sometimes, everyone needs privacy, wines, and starlight, and Holman Ranch provides all three in spades. I highly recommend them.

The Toast Wedding Showcase in PDX: Free Tickets

March 4, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Complimentary tickets provided.

This Saturday, I’m heading to The Toast Wedding Showcase in Portland, Oregon to check out some fabulous local bridal vendors during a lovely evening filled with snacks and fun! Tickets to the event are $10, and right now I’m giving away 5 free tickets over on Blog My Wedding for anyone who is interested – click here to get more info and snag your free ticket while supplies last, and watch this space for a full recap of the event!