be still my heart: winter wedding inspiration.

i have some exciting news to tell you … i got married!!!

alright..i’m just kidding but i did get to have the most beautiful winter ‘wedding’ i could have imagined. so, before you start asking yourself what i mean, grab a cup of cocoa and let me tell you my little winter wonderland story, crafted by lisa of Simply Fabulous Events & Designs and ‘illustrated’ below by Emily Steffen Photography.

months ago, my dear friend lisa contacted me about being a part of a winter inspiration shoot she was planning with emily taking place at the minneapolis photo center. after a string of messages about the design concept, i decided i couldn’t pass on this fun opportunity. after all, what girl doesn’t love the chance to get dolled up for the day?! so, fast forward a few weeks and there i was, sewing together the skirt that would become my ‘wedding dress’ and shopping for something fun and sparkly to wear as the top {thank you, Target!}.

there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that the shoot wouldn’t be amazing. lisa and her team do nothing less. walking into the studio that day was just like a walking into a winter wonderland. working with a blue and silver color palette, lisa brought in icy-blue baubles along with white floral arrangements to add a soft touch to the incredibly shimmery {not to mention gorgeous} tablescape. she also used twigs and the exposed brick of the studio to perfectly balance the sparkly decor..something i couldn’t {and still can’t} get enough of. now, i’ll be entirely honest..i had never been drawn to the idea of a winter wedding until this shoot. under the impression that they were cold and too focused on holiday ambience, i didn’t know if winter weddings could be made into much more than that. boy, was i wrong. the atmosphere lisa created was warm, inviting, and nothing that i had ever envisioned a winter wedding to be…until now and now always will. lisa rocked my world in more ways than one that day and emily captured all of the gorgeousness to prove it.

thank you for asking me to be a part of this. it was so wonderful to work with all of you and to have met the many people who are a part of this creative team. you all have incredible talent in taking a wedding from an event to a beautiful celebration no matter what the circumstances. {oh, and not to be forgotten, lisa has officially added ‘matchmaker’ to the list of fabulous hats she wears. it’s true, lovelies..he had me at cupcake.}

i hope you enjoyed my winter tale and love the photos even more…i swear those ladies hid a little magic in every single one of them.

xoxo, b

love from Lisa:

The inspiration was soft, romantic, a bit of sparkle, and my only request- snow.  Little did I know that the DAY before the shoot, it would be snowing non-stop and what would normally be a three hour venture to Minneapolis, took five. Five blissful hours of fat snowflakes flying through the air, children signing in the backseat, and the smell of sweet frosting filling the SUV{more on that in a bit!}…

First things first, there was a vision of a blue dress.  Yes…blue.  Finding a blue dress proved to be a difficult find.  So while talking with my beautiful friend {who would later become the model for the shoot}, she offered to MAKE my vision {yes, I really do have the greatest friends!}.

The table was the perfect balance of winter from the mercury glass containers and candles to the soft white hydrangea, baby’s breath, and snow.  A statement linen can completely transform a table, so nestled below all of the winter inspired loveliness I brought in a sparkled, deeply textured gray sequined linen.  I also wanted to make sure balance all the ‘frill’ with masculine undertones:  Mahogany chivari chairs, curly willow suspended above the table {along with mercury Christmas globes!}, and cinnamon sticks stuffed into the napkins. 

Ahh, the cake.  A ruffled inspiration, the cake and mini cakes adorned with sugar flowers {resting on antique cake and candle stands} were a focal point of the dessert table.  Accented with a few peppermint patties, dipped pretzel sticks, and s’mores…and it was the perfect winter dessert table waiting for a roasting fire!  The finale was the beautiful stationery that gave just the right touch of gray, blue, and total romance.  The whole shoot was beauty beyond words and had us all falling in love with winter {and winter weddings!} all over again!

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Design & Concept: Simply Fabulous Events & Designs | Photographer: Emily Steffen Photography | Venue: Minneapolis Photo Center | Florist: Sadie’s Couture Floral and Event Styling | Linen and Chairs: Linen Effects | Antique Daubles: Simply Fabulous Events & Designs | Cakes: Taylor’d Cakes | Hair & Makeup: Sheer Elegance: Event Hair & Makeup | Dress: Model creation | Bridal Accessories: Simply Fabulous Events & Design | Groom Attire: own, JCrew | Models: David Grube of David Grube Photography & Brittney Madsen