Allison

Announcements, In the Studio
Build Your Wedding with Authenticity and Love
- December 8, 2015
- by Allison
It is the end of the year, and around this time I get really reflective about my life and my business(es). In the wedding world it is easy to get swept up in the beauty of it all, and there are groups of people in the world that actually hate on weddings (and styled shoots for that matter). They argue that it isn’t authentic or real. I’m very intuitive to these concerns and took a moment to reflect on why I’m attracted to the wedding industry, and why I think weddings are authentic and valuable. This is why I’m in the wedding industry…

I believe that weddings are a public display of a couple’s promise to love one another through the ups and downs of life. This is a big deal, and it is why a couple’s wedding is one of the most monumental days of their lives. It is also a joining of one’s closest friends and family members to support the partnership.

Every wedding is different because every couple is different. The things that attract them to each other and the way each person sees the world and has chosen to align with another person in a supportive relationship is unique. This is where my creative juices get flowing, because an artist can help bring these unique aspects of a wedding into a visual story.

Because every couple is different, they have the freedom to display their marriage promises in any way that suits them. They can do this with a handful of close family members and friends in their backyard or along a pier on a beautiful lake. Or they can choose to make it an elaborate affair and invite hundreds of people to celebrate with a multi-course meal in a grand space. There really are numerous options, but the important part is that this couple is choosing to make these promises public, and that friends and family are there to celebrate this courageous moment.

We live in a world with a lot of hate and fear, and I believe it is important to cherish ceremonies and public expressions of love, no matter what form they take place in. This is why I’m attracted to weddings, and why I feel I have something to contribute to them. I will not judge your ideas around your wedding—they are what makes you human and unique. I will encourage you to build your wedding with authenticity and love.
Real Wedding
San Diego Wedding Inspiration – Part 4 – Wedding details
- December 4, 2015
- by Allison
The natural beauty exuding from Stone Gardens was already outstanding, but then Kara and Taylor incorporated so many personal touches to the decor that really made this wedding special and super inspirational.

There beautiful sweetheart table complete with lit Mr. & Mrs. letter signs and a low bouquet of peonies I’m sure got (even) more splendid as the sun set into night. Behind their sweetheart table they had a sweets table complete with varying cupcakes on adorable cake stands and a little cake with a laser cut Mr. & Mrs. cake topper.

They also had some fantastic artwork displayed throughout their wedding that gave guests a glimpse of how they met as well as some photos of them dating. The bride’s friend illustrated the couple on the guestbook print as characters from the movie “Up”. She also created personalized coloring books for the children’s table!

Speaking of family tie-ins, if you have family and friends offering to help you for your wedding…take them up on it! It is a great way to incorporate personal pieces into your wedding as well as making your entire wedding feel a sense of collaboration and connection.

Another fun detail I hadn’t seen before was the Instagram game that was outlined at each guest’s place setting. This wedding Instagram game outlined specific photos that people can capture with their cell phones and use their wedding hashtag to link it on social media. What a great idea! I’ve seen the wedding hashtags, but I really love how specific ideas were outlined to give guest’s an idea of what kind of photos to capture.

I also love the sparkler table send off with the time specified. That way guest’s that might want to duck out early for the night have a great reason to stay around and are aware of the timing of the sparkler send off.

All in all I am so happy that I was involved with creating this couple’s hand-painted wedding invitations, and was able to share their incredibly personal and inspirational San Diego wedding with you all! In case you missed it, don’t forget to view blog posts featuring the bride’s Favorite Detail, Favorite Moment, and her Thoughts on her Wedding Invitation.

Photos by Happy Endings Photo.

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Hand-Painted Invitations, Real Wedding
San Diego Wedding Inspiration – Part 3 – Wedding invitation
- December 3, 2015
- by Allison
Today’s blog post discusses one of the main inspiration aspects I use as an artist for couple’s invitations. To avoid a spoiler alert, I will just go right into my question for the bride…

Allison: “How did your wedding invitations tie into the look of your wedding?”

Kara: “They were a direct reflection of the venue itself, which was so unique and special. I wanted to present something different to my guests that they hadn’t seen before. It was almost a preview of the night to come. Allowing my guests that “sneak peek” seemed to create a sense of growing anticipation.”

A couple’s wedding venue is usually the very first big wedding decision the couple will make together. The wedding venue usually says a lot about the couple’s tastes and interests, so it is a great way to incorporate these personal aspects into the wedding invitation. Using the wedding venue as the art on your custom wedding invitation also sets the scene for your guests and as Kara says creates “a sneak peek” of what to expect on their wedding day.

Kara and Taylor had a lot of beauty from their Stone Gardens Events wedding venue to choose from to feature on her wedding invitation. We decided to use the lake with the palm trees in the background from the first photo below as the feature for the invitation and the bridge with the curving ironwork as the artwork on the RSVP card. I love how the final invitation set was sunny and represented some of the unique beauty of their wedding venue.

Photos by Happy Endings Photo.

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