These days ice sculptures and ice bars are all the rage for wedding receptions.  And Shari had some great inspiration for an ice themed wedding but what about having your wedding surrounded by ice?  Here are a few ice hotels & chapels that are beautiful carved, creating unique venues for your ceremony.

The Ice Hotel, Sweden  { This hotel sits 200km north of the Arctic Circle and after your ceremony in the hand carved chapel you can head over to the Absolut Ice Bar for a catered reception. }

Hotel de Glace, Canada    { North America’s only ice hotel and of course like all of them, each year it is redesigned and hand carved. }

Iglu Dorf, Switzerland  { Six igloo hotels to choose from throughout Switzerland.  Each offers excellent skiing opportunties for you and your guests to enjoy. }

Fall is in the air. Of course, where I live in Southwest Florida that means 75 degrees! But I love it. After a summer of very hot weather, even 75 feels crisp and cool.

Today for Fall Week here at Fly Away Photography, I’m going to feature the work of a very talented photographer I just discovered, Amy Squires. She has tons of amazing work, but I’ve picked photographs from weddings that have a freash fall vibe.

She also has a really fun wedding blog called Wedding Chicks. Check it out!

If you dream of your wedding have the flair of an old Clark Gable and Carole Lombard movie, then the one destination spot meant for your event is the The Roosevelt Hotel Hollywood. 

The historic hotel is in the heart of Hollywood and hosted the very first Academy Awards on May 19, 1929.  And yes, even Clark & Carole use to stay in the hotel suite for $5./ night!  But if you can’t make it to Hollywood, here are a few other venue ideas:

• Fox Theatre, Atlanta
• The Majestic, Dallas
• The Chicago Theatre, Chicago
• Colonial Theatre, Boston

But a classic Hollywood inspired wedding is so much more than just the venue.  It’s refined, dramatic style is from a day gone by and I found so much inspiration that I had a hard time choosing what to share with you. 

 Gown by Claire Pettibone

Gown by Jenny Packham

Purse designed by Leigh Ann Kline

A little groom inspiration too. Photo by Our Labor of Love

1948 Rolls Royce

Vintage floral design by Martha Stewart

Even consider finding a photographer you love who can give your photos that old hollywood style.  One that comes to mind is Elizabeth Messina.  Her work is stunning and glamorous!

And of course, make that first dance a romantic show stopper. 

Since green is my favorite color, there’s nothing I can think of that would be more fun than some green details at your wedding. Here are some fun ideas:

From left to right, top to bottom.

1. Use the scenery as your green! This is Pelican Preserve, one of my favorite locations in Fort Myers, Florida.

2. Cute butterfly favors — or could be decorations.

3. Minty favors.

4. Umbrellas, guests will thank you in the hot sun.

5. A pretty green color for a bridesmaid’s dress, actually hard to find! Trust me, I know. I tried on like 500 a few months ago.

6. Place card holders. These are freaking cute.

7. Fresh green invitations.

8. I love these Chuck Taylor’s! They are unisex. This is what I’d have the whole bridal party wear, groomsmen and bridesmaids

For me, a wine country inspired wedding is sophisticated but with a rustic charm.  It focuses on good food, good wine & bringing together your closest family and friends.  The colors can be bold like a deep cabernet or soft and lush like a chardonnay.  The food is modern, colorful and bursting with various flavors.  If you can’t make it to Napa for your wedding, here are some ideas on how to bring wine country to you.

I love these lanterns, which give it a soft glow as the sun sets.

An aisle of rose petals with floating candles lighting the path. 

I absolutely LOVE this garden reception.  It feels elegant, rustic and a great way for guests to relax over an amazing dinner.

A ‘green’ bouquet made with herbs has a unique charm.

 And of course who wouldn’t want to include their pet into the day’s events.

These are just a few ideas I’ve discovered that struck my fancy.  If you have any ideas for a wine country wedding, leave us a comment.  All photos from Martha Stewart Weddings.

The Marie Antoinette Wedding was listed by The Knot as one of 2008’s Most Creative Wedding Trends: “We bet that Sofia Coppola had no idea that her fashionable blockbuster would inspire a whole new class of bourgeoisie brides! Lush floral centerpieces, rich gilded colors, big gowns, brocade, and decadent receptions are fit for royalty, complete with hand-painted invitations, champagne tasting bars, seven courses, and extravagant dessert displays!”

When I think of a Marie Antoinette Inspired Wedding, I think of over-the-top decadence – the kind of decadence you could rarely ever get away with. But with a tongue-in-cheek attitude, what guest wouldn’t want to partake in this affair? Just don’t forget to invite me.

1. From the movie, Marie Antoinette. It wasn’t the best movie, but it has some fun modern twists which you could use for inspiration for a wedding.

2. Marie’s real bedroom at Versailles. Well worth a visit!

3. The grounds are amazing. I spent a whole day just lazing around here.

4. What a necklace!

5. The lovely lady herself.

6. Raynaud “Marie Antoinette Gold” China.

7. Champagne in a box worth keeping.

8. You’ll need a special dress, or two…

Looking for unique ways to incorporate vintage travel into your wedding or reception?  Why not do a custom itinerary of the weekend events or dinner menu. 

You could fill it with pictures from your previous travels, a few travel stories, travel suggestions & tips, as well as information on the location of your event, especially if it’s a destination wedding.

Or even hunt down some old postcards and use them as table decor or guests signature cards.  If they’ve been used they would make great table conversation and after the wedding you can always frame them for a vintage home decor piece.

I would say that 95% of my brides wear a beautiful new wedding gown, purchased just for their wedding. But I recently learned about a fabulous store called Dream Bridal, owned by Britta Barts, which specializes in selling new, sample and gently worn high-end, designer wedding gowns to savvy, sophisticated brides nationwide. Think Monique Lhuillier, Vera Wang, Jim Hjelm, Reem Acra, Amy Michelson, Melissa Sweet, and other wonderful designers. I want this one, it’s by Monique Lhuillier `Cabaret.`

I love how Britta puts it, “The days of old where bridal salons would have you believe in bad mojo or karma are long behind us. No one thinks twice when buying a pre-owned luxury car, and why should buying a designer gown be any different?”

You can check out Dream Bridal online, or go visit the shop if you are in Los Angeles. Their site has some good information about buying sample and gently worn wedding gowns.

Not only is this a fabulous way to get the gown of your dreams at a fraction of the price, but it’s also great for the environment. Not to mention avoiding the problem of storing that gown for so many years.

I’m an incredibly sentimental person and an in-recovery pack rat, so I can totally understand why so many girls want to hold on to their gown. But the truth of the matter is, it’s probably just going to cost a lot to pay someone to store it or just gather dust in your house. I think passing it along to a consignment shop or even a friend is a great option.

I know the word used doesn’t have a lovely ring to it, especially when talking about your wedding gown. But many of the dresses shops like Dream Bridal sell are actually brand new. There are samples, and also never worn dresses from girls who changed their minds. Either on the dress or the guy ☺

I love vintage clothes. So, of course, this sounds wonderful to me. I’ve found some of my favorite clothes in second hand shops. It might not be for everyone, but it does offer a great alternative. I’d love to hear from some brides who have gone this route.

Ville de l’amour…..Paris, the city of love.  Together you stroll hand-n-hand down the tree lined Champs Elysees.  You take time to relax in the Tuileries Gardens and watch the world pass by.  And of course  you grab a kiss at the top of the Eiffel Tower with all of Paris buzzing beneath you.   A destination wedding in Paris is where you can combine romance, history and fashion into one event. 

Kim Petyt, owner of Parisian Events, is an American wedding planner living in Paris.  She caters to the Anglophone community, combining traditional American elements with French flair and elegance.  Whether you dream of a lavish event fit for Marie Antoinette or something intimate and relaxed, Kim has experience bringing to life your vision.  Kim is warm, easy going and so much fun.  She knows all the right venues and vendors and can answer the multitude of questions a destination bride is going to have pop up. 

I recently asked her a few questions and honestly, when she was done describing some of the events in Paris, I was ready to plan my own renewal ceremony which is still a few years away!  So if you’re planning a destination wedding or renewal ceremony consider Paris & Kim’s team at Parisian Events.  Here are few gorgeous images from several weddings she has coordinated.

{photo by Arman Molavi}

{photo by D. Gavarin}

What’s the first advice you have for a bride planning an international destination wedding?

When a couple is first considering an international destination wedding, I think that it’s so important for a bride to be aware of her personal planning style- She should be honest with herself about how she handles stress, if she’s comfortable relinquishing a lot of control, how she processes disappointments and set-backs, if she’s able to easily trust someone else’s judgment, etc. Planning a wedding in a foreign country could potentially bring out all of these scenarios, and it’s best to know beforehand if you feel up to the challenge.

A couple planning an international destination wedding should also try to learn a bit about the culture of the region in which they’re planning to marry early on. Being culturally aware can help a bride immensely when planning from overseas.  Knowing, for instance, that in France, it’s common for businesses to close for 2 hours at lunchtime would work wonders to ease the frustration of a bride phoning from the States who wasn’t able to reach any of her Paris vendors all morning long.

And, of course, I think it’s invaluable for a bride to have someone that she trusts based in the destination location-  be it a professional wedding planner, or a reliable relative or friend. They’ll be able to meet with vendors face to face on the bride’s behalf, as well as help ease some of her stress of the “unknown” by visiting venues and locations for her before she arrives.

How does it differ planning a Parisian wedding vs. a chateau wedding?  Any special laws or regulations to consider?

When American clients want to get married in Paris, they tend to tell me that they’re looking for a “European” feel: antique, historical, romantic, but still very much a feel of the City of Paris.  They often have a frame of reference in mind- either a scene in a movie that they like, or a painting that’s touched them in some way. I try to propose venues with that feel in mind:  An 18th century mansion with a cobbled-stone courtyard, for instance. Or a ceremony on the Seine with all of Paris’ unforgettable landmarks behind them . Most reception venues in Paris are used to having pretty high volume,  so when you rent with them, they tend to be all-inclusive. There will typically be an in-house catering manager to help you with booking rooms, choosing a menu, etc. Also, Paris venues are usually equipped with at least the basics of what you would need to host your event, tables, chairs, a kitchen, etc.

Hosting your event in a chateau, on the other hand, can be a bit more difficult at times. Many chateaux are family-owned, and the venue isn’t necessarily the primary source of income for the owners. So the booking process can take a bit longer than when you’re dealing with an established business in the city. Also, when you rent a chateaux, often you’re renting just the empty space. The owners typically provide you with a list of preferred vendors, but you have to rent the furniture, the tableware, linens- sometimes even the kitchen equipment. That part can be a bit overwhelming, but really- it’s all worth it. There is something so glamorous and SO magical about a chateau wedding.  There are some really beautiful chateaux located barely 15 minutes outside of Paris. Just a short car ride, and you’re completely transported to this other world. It’s the ultimate princess fantasy!!

{photo by Arman Molavi}

What are some great ways a bride can keep her family & friends informed of the event who have never been to Paris before?

Most people create wedding websites nowadays, all I can say is to give as much information as early as possible to your guests via your website. Rather than just list the wedding week’s itinerary- give some links to the history of the venues that you’re visiting, for example.

What is one challenge you have dealt with and overcome with dealing with an international wedding party?

One of my biggest challenges is trying to get clients used to the French sense of time. We Americans want everything yesterday, or at the very latest NOW, and it just doesn’t work that way here. I’ve had potential clients contact me after they’ve already started planning their wedding on their own, and they are all frustrated because they say they can’t seem to get anyone to call them back, or they’re mad because they faxed something to a vendor 3 days ago and she hasn’t replied yet. It CAN be really frustrating, but again- it’s a different culture, and you’ve got to learn that culture’s codes. It took me years to realize that FRANCE doesn’t hate me- I just was trying to make IT adhere to MY code, instead of vice versa.

When it comes to budget, what are the advantages and disadvantages to choosing a wedding in Paris?

At this point in time, one of the most expensive things about getting married in Paris is the airplane ticket. After that, a Paris wedding is surprisingly affordable. I think that “Weddings” are such big business in the States, and it just isn’t like that here. Venues and vendors just tend to be less expensive than in most US cities like New York or LA. Your wedding dollar also goes further here than in the States. When you book a reception venue for instance, you will typically have it until 2:00 or 3:00AM in the morning, with the dj usually staying until the end. A French wedding meal lasts all night long too, and will be 4 or 5 (or more!) courses. You’re not charged additionally for any of this-  it’s just how weddings work here.

I think the disadvantages would be the same as for any destination wedding- there are always going to be people that are close to you who just can’t make it to the wedding. For me, it was my grandmother who wasn’t able to make the trip. Even now, it always seems weird not to see her in my wedding photos. We had a party in Chicago after our French wedding, where we showed videos and had a wedding cake and everything, and my grandmother was there for that. But it would still have meant the world for me to have had her there on the day. I think that’s one of the biggest downsides to choosing to marry away.

Thanks Kim for sharing your advice.  If you’d like to contact Kim you can reach her via:

Her website Parisian Events or to stay up with all the fabulous things Kim is doing visit her blog Parisian Party

I received an email yesterday from a bride who is planning an eco-friendly wedding. I think this is one of the best trends I’ve seen. While eco-friendly weddings are certainly hot right now, this is a trend I hope is here to stay. Just like in everyday life, every little bit we can all do helps.

Whether you’re planning a full-blown eco-friendly wedding or just want to integrate a few eco ideas, here are some great resources. I think there is some great information for everybody interested in the environment, even if you’re not planning a wedding. I certainly learned a lot.

1. 10 Steps to a Green Wedding
from the Earth experts at the Sierra Club. This excellent article covers it all. From picking a green engagement ring to ideas for green invitations to planning your eco-friendly honeymoon.

2. Eco Chic Weddings Blog
A whole blog devoted to sustainable weddings. So many great ideas!

3. Portovert Website
Deemed by Martha Stewart Weddings as the #1 one green wedding site.

4. The Knot Green Weddings
The pros at the Knot have a whole section devoted to Green Weddings. There are lots of great ideas, and my favorite, lots of pretty pictures!

I’d love to here from more people planning eco-friendly weddings. Tell us your story!