given that i can be an instagram fiend at times {follow me here at your own risk, or follow mge's official account here}, i actually do have a number of pictures i've taken - and promptly instagrammed - at official mge functions i've coordinated.
after browsing through what felt like quintillion photos, i've decided on the following as a pretty sampling of iPhone camera, instagrammed loveliness:
this pretty little french lady presided over mini french donuts at the dessert table of a bridal shower that i had the pleasure of designing + coordinating for one of our lovely mge brides!
ditto for this fancy frenchman - and don't you just love the striped linen here?
this refreshing water station was our set-up at the bridal show this past march.
ohhh, lemonade! this was the sweet companion to our cool cucumber option.
one of my april brides had custom linen napkins printed with her menu and laid atop mismatched vintage china plates at her reception.
the same bride sourced her own vintage flatware tied with antique ribbon and a kraft tag on which the guest's name was written in gorgeous calligraphy.
in addition to the three cakes pictured below, this bride + groom decided on a pie bar complete with four pies! two of the tastiest are pictured here - i can't resist snapping pics of dessert set-ups.
obviously i took a picture of the art deco-styled brides cake - isn't it fabulous?
and this grooms cake with the pup cake topper in honor of the bride + groom's dog stole my heart!
a classic wedding cake, topped off with a family heirloom. i adore this.
lovely florals courtesy of a to zinnias were scattered upon farm tables rented from ooh! events.
again, i could not get enough of that amazing calligraphy.
i loved this wreath! fabulous job, a to zinnias!
and this scrumptiously bountiful table was mge's Mediterranean-inspired contribution to the recent savannah food + wine festival at vic's on the river this past weekend. i'm hungry just looking at it...
see? imagine the gorgeousness that your friends and family can capture with nothing more than their phone camera and an app at your own celebration. if that's not inspiration for you to incorporate an official instagram hashtag {or other crowdsourcing photo app} at your wedding, i don't know what is.
have a beautiful wednesday, everyone!
XO,
jennifer
You can go ahead and call me crazy. Yes. I am writing about leopard print on a wedding blog... I know, I know I’m a crazy person. Hear me out. This is not for safe bride, but any lady that wants a little spice in her bridal party could absolutely use some of the sophisticated muted leopard prints that are so en vogue right now. If you are afraid of having a sea of leopard in your photos then try only your maid of honor in leopard and the rest of your girls wearing a solid dress that goes with your MOH gown. Look at all of these ah-mazing celebs rocking leopard print and gasp! not looking trashy. Are you on my page yet? Still think I crazy? Well, what if for a pop of fun your girls wear leopard print pumps!?!? They are the perfect accessory to a black, gray, brown, camel, or even red dress. Plus, these are actually shoes that your girls would want to wear again. They are a staple in a classic wardrobe.
Dresses. Left to Right. Mara Hoffman, Rebecca Tayloe, Thayer, & Lucy in Disguise.
Shoes. Clockwise from the Top left. Ivanka Trump, Michael by Michael Kors, Steve Madden, Vince Camuto, Madison Harding, & Enzo Angiolini.
Look 1: Jewel tones are all the rage for Fall, so this sapphire blue is perfect. I love the fun cut of the skirt, it’s sexy without being skanky. Give a modern twist with a blazer with a leather trim, just in case it gets chilly. Add a great pair of chandelier earrings, a giant cocktail ring, and some stunning shoes and you are ready to party!!!
Dress, Thayer; Jacket, BBDakota; Shoes, Kate Spade; Earrings, Max&Chloe; Ring, Sorrelli.
Look 3: This look is for the fancy-shmancy wedding. I love the simple shape, color, and neckline of this gown. So flowly and easy, but the faux fur cover up adds the perfect sophisticated touch for when you get a touch chilly. A pair of simple nude peep toes and an arm full of costume bracelets are all you need to look like a million bucks.
Hey wedding guests!! Wear this look!!!! Everything about this look is perfect... well, I hate the shoes, but everything else is fabulous. This shape will fit just about every body shape, unfortunately girls with big boobs might have to pass, but just about everyone else can do it. The waist on this gown is super flattering and the pleats along the belly are so awesome at hiding belly flab. Spanx will work geniusly with this dress. The length is great, although I would take the hem up and inch or two. Pair this style with nude pumps and look supermodel tall. Pile on the bracelets for some spunk and you are so ready to be the hottest guest at the wedding.
{gowns} Go for lush fabrics and fun embellishments. But keep it simple, a gown is a ton of fabric so you don’t want to go overboard with sparkle, etc. The bride is the star. Keep reminding yourself that.
{cocktail dresses} Now with a cocktail dress you can have a wee bit more fun. Look for fun metallics, sequins in muted hues, and rich jewel tones. Just remember never too short, too low cut, too tight. You get it. If you do find a shorter dress wear thick black tights with a hot pair of black pumps, same applies with shorter skirts.
{skirts} I loooove skirts for the holidays. You really can have so much fun and pair it with a simple black turtleneck or light blouse or tank and you have instant fabulous.
{pants} Now pants have just as much place at a winter wedding as a dress. Go for satin-y light fabrics or fabulous taffetas. You can pair them with a great pair of nude pumps and a simple glittery top. For a super sexy look go monochrome and wear all black and for a bit a holiday cheer add a golden or pewter top... even a pale pink.
{tops} So, I mentioned in both skirts in pants what tops I’d wear, but just be sure that you aren’t making your look too busy. A glittery skirt doesn’t need a glittery top, remember, less is more... unless we are talking about caret size ;) Just keep it fun and easy.
{outerwear} Now, you can have so much fun with this because you won’t be wearing it except when you are entering and exiting so you can go a bit crazy. I love a velvet blazer paired with a pair of satin pants and a sequined top. It’s a great balance of fabric weights. I think a velvet gown mixed with a genius faux fur would really be sassy! An awesome shiny blazer paired with a long olive skirt and a sheer black turtleneck is GENIUS!!! So just make sure that the coat doesn’t take the look too far.
Q: We are having a lot of out of town guests come into Savannah, GA for our wedding and a lot of them are going to be here on Friday before the wedding. What is the proper etiquette when it comes to inviting them to the rehearsal dinner festivities?-Brenda
Okay, so this should be painfully obvious. DON’T FREAKING DO IT! I mean come on, there is nothing more you can do short of throwing red paint on the bride to say, “Look at me, I am more important than you!!” It’s even worse if you are related to the bride. Come on. You are just a jerk if you think this won’t offend the bride. I am not making this up. My mother-in-law, who I love, had bought a perfectly beautiful coppery-brown dress, it was so cute. A few weeks before the wedding she asked if it would be okay if she wore cream... What was I supposed to say? What I was thinking? That would have proved to be a disaster. I calmly told her that I loved the dress that she already had chosen, truth, but that if she wanted to wear cream she could, lie. She wore the brown, thank you very much.
The truth is, wearing clothing accented with white is not a major crime, it’s the full blown white dresses or even a stark white top that may be too much. I would say it’s appropriate if it’s 30% or less white. And note, that even if it’s baby pink or creme... if it resembles white... in the br ides eyes... it’s white!!! It does vary from bride to bride, but it’s generally better to be safe than sorry. Have you seen Bridezillas? I wouldn’t want any of those honeys mad at me!!!! If you are extremely close to the bride, ask her and if you are nervous about asking her then don’t wear the offending white clothing. Got it!? My mom called me and told me she found a beautiful dress with creamy/white accents at the bodice. She sent me a picture and asked if it was ok. I said, of course. She looked beautiful and totally didn’t appear to be stealing my thunder... Although, my mom is smoking hot... Basically, the idea of wearing white to a wedding isn’t a new rule. Everyone knows this. So by wearing white you are saying more than “I look pretty” you are saying, “I’m a big fat jerk who constantly wants attention and don’t care who I hurt getting it.” So ladies, be tasteful. Don't be a big fat jerk. 
If you are traveling to Savannah to get married, or have guests that are traveling, what better way to start out the festivities with a welcome bag? Welcome bags are a great way to make your guests feel little more personal. The bags above are from Kate Parker Weddings but you can easily create these yourselves with our help! So what should you include in this welcome bag?
Invitation by Emma J Design
I love singing Christmas songs. Have you ever listened to the lyrics to “Baby it’s cold outside,” yikes. You have been warned. I love nothing more than a winter wedding. They are so magical and really have the potential to be ah-mazing. But the problem lies with what to wear. It’s stinking cooooold outside and unfortunately wedding attire for guests/bridesmaids/brides really doesn’t change much throughout the year. I just wanted to share some ideas for all of the ladies to dress stylish and warm for a winter wedding.
Bride: When dressing for colder months you should think about the weight of the fabric. No thin chiffon or slinky charmeuse, unless you like being cold. Think heavier fabrics like heavy silk satin, silk faille, or rich looking fabrics like taffeta. Also, at the height of tanlessness, I personally would avoid bright white and opt for soft ivories or pale colors. Don’t even talk to me about tanning beds...Cancer boxes are never a good idea...if you need to tan find a great spray tan applied by a professional. I love the cold because that means you have another excuse to buy a fancy new jacket or cover up. I love pretty elegant Jane Austen like coats if you are wearing a tight fitting silhouette or try the ever so popular “fur” cover ups. It’s not necessary to buy the real thing anymore there are so many amazing fakes out there. I would do white, but as shown here a dark brown can be just as stunning. If you are going to be outside for any length of time wear closed toe shoes, otherwise just do whatcha want.
Bridesmaid: Now bridesmaids dresses are a bit different. Since you have the added eleme nt of color a lined chiffon can be possible as long as it is deep or dark color. Amsale really has the best winter bridesmaids gowns. I know they are pricey, but your girls will love you for making them look so freaking hot. I like a high neck or a one sleeved arm. Winter is really the time to embrace jewel tones, unless your having a winter wonderland wedding and in that case I would stick with muted platinum and pewter. Just please stay away from red or green. None of your bridesmaids want to look like christmas trees, kay? Now unless you are going to make your girls stand outside in the cold for photos or whatnot, I wouldn’t dictate their outerwear. If you are, I would consider buying them shawls or cover ups as their bridesmaids gift. Otherwise you will sound like a jacket nazi and really you don’t want to sound like any kind of nazi, so just do as I say.
Guest: Yay, being a guest is the easiest part, since there is no pre-ordering months ahead of time, you can hit the trends of the season right on the head. Just show up to any store during the holidays and purchase. At the moment, J.Crew and Banana Republic have wonderful and affordable choices. And pay attention to the way that the models are styled on the websites, they are all really chic. I love the fancy new silk jumpsuits too, sooooo fashion forward and wedding appropriate. I believe that there are only 2 rules when dressing for a wedding, 1: Do not for the love of jeez oh petes wear white!!! hello!?!? 2: Make sure you are dressed at the appropriate desired level of fanciness, for example no cotton sundresses to a black tie event, got it? See it’s that easy, so really just find a dress you love and wear it. If you are worried of being confused with a bridesmaid, it is perfectly polite to ask the bride what color her girls are wearing. Now, you can do whatever you want to insulate. I suggest a pretty sparkly blazer, velvet tux jacket, or even a fun “fur” jacket. You can wear fun thick stockings if you run particularly cool.