What's your wedding style? VII

Happy Friday everyone.....my lovely husband has booked us into a quaint beachside spot for the weekend with some good friends...very spontaneously I might add so I'm more than a little impressed. It's the only way to stop me working.... physically remove me from my office. It'll be a much needed break, after a fairly non-stop month. I plan to visit the always fabulous Matakana farmers markets, get creative with my camera, stroll the beach in bare feet, and then put them up to read a book (I have to admit to trying to resist reading New Moon before the movie comes out!).

Anyway I digress...this weeks board was inspired by this beautiful wedding by Carrie Patterson. I know I say this every time, but I really do love this colourway. It's honestly one of my faves - of course it includes green so we're all happy!



I've paired with it an assortment of invitations from the Ruby & Willow Signature Collection. Hard to pick my favourite....what's yours?
If you're new to Magnolia Rouge and want to catch up with previous editions of our WYWS series, click here.

Charity Event Tablescape II

The Charity event that Magnolia Rouge styled a few weeks back was for experting put on by Astra Bridal with the always fabulous Gayle Garmaz from Exquisite Weddings as organiser extraordinaire. Honestly I don't know how she does it, the amount of hours that go into these events, and doing it in and around an already busy schedule....I am in awe! Brides if you're on the hunt for a planner, do yourself a favour and talk to Gayle! I promise you will have the most stress free day ever! Anyway back to the event, we were very priveledged to have the incredibly lovely Miriama Kamo from TV's 20/20 host the evening, and well as some Auckland rugby players participate in a fun auction, which helped raise a great amount of money for the NZ Endometriosis Society. Annah Stretton kindly loaned Miriama and some of the other presenters/organisers some fabulous outfits to parade in. I'll try and bring you some photos of the actual event next week but in the meantime here's another of the tablescapes.

Crisp green and white is a colour combo I'll never tire of. I found this pretty fabric with a pale green print, made a runner and napkin bands and tied them with a grosgrain ribbon. It's such an easy DIY option to give your tables a completely unique look. And who says you have to use the same fabric throughout, use different patterns in the same colourways. Search fabric warehouses for offcuts or vintage pieces. We paired it with our Arboretum and Birdsong invitations which worked well with the gorgeous birdcage centrepiece. The table has a simple sweet organic feel to it, I love it. Not only lovely for a wedding, but for a bridal shower perhaps? Thanks again to Diana Sanders for the fab photos!

Real Wedding: Sarah + Matt III

A huge thankyou goes out to Kate MacPherson who sent us this loveliest of weddings from Boomrock to feature today, and of course to Sarah and Matt for generously sharing their details with us. Sarah's oh so gorgeous dress is by Provonias, and her stunning makeup was done by Michelle Perry.

Some parting words from the bride:
What advise would you give out to someone planning their wedding?
Make sure you take 15 minutes to relax with your new husband during the day ~ it goes so fast and before you know it the day is over. Oh and a pair of jandals to party the night away in!
Most memorable moment?
It had to be walking down the isle with my dad on one side and seeing all your close friends and family together with the most perfect husband watching you.
What’s next for you as a couple?
Enjoying time together in our new home and relaxing with our puppy, Ruby ☺

Congratulations Sarah & Matt, we wish you both all the best for a happy future together!

Real Wedding: Sarah + Matt II

I am thrilled to have the chance to show you this fantastic wedding from Kate MacPherson. I absolutely love her style of shooting, and look forward to bringing you a lot more of her gorgeous work. In the meantime to see more check out her website...and she tells me there's a blog in the works so keep an eye out for that!

Sarah & Matt wanted simple & classical affair but elegant at the same time. They chose to feature lots of candles in antique votives with flowers everywhere to create a garden feel with lots of fragrance. Sarah shares a few of the gorgeous details with us below including the super pretty flowers that were put together by Ingrid from Scent Boutique in Wellington.

We set out for a classic garden theme ~ very white and green with lots of smells, on the tables it was a mixture of white roses, lambs ears, rosemary, sage amongst others. The bridal bouquet was stunning and complimented our theme and my dress perfectly. For our wedding cake we took the idea from a UK bridal magazine and tailored it to our own requirements…2 tiers of chocolate and one of lemon with a lush white chocolate frosting and loads of antique white and soft pink roses all over one side ~ there was nothing left!

Favourite detail of the day?
I found my grandmothers veil who had passed away 10 years ago in the back of a wardrobe, she had made it herself and it was gorgeous ~ had a few holes and patches of brown to the age but it made even that bit more special.

Real Wedding: Sarah + Matt

Ok, stunning bride alert!!! Honestly do they come more gorgeous than this! When I saw a snippet of this wedding sent by the incredibly talented Kate MacPherson I had to mail straight back to get me some more eye candy! Sarah & Matt got married at Boomrock, which is a stunning venue on the coast just north of Wellington. To add to the drama of the location they got helicoptered in to make for an unforgettable entry! Sarah & Matt share some details of their day below....GREAT proposal story, and we'll have more beautiful photos to share later in the day so don't forget to check back.



More from the happy couple:
How did you meet?
Sarah and I met at a rugby club prize giving at a bar. She was there only by accident but what a fortunate one it was. We ended up and running around the waterfront to another bar in the rain before talking all night.
Tell us about your proposal:
The proposal was a few months in the planning and coincided with a holiday to Greece. Somehow I managed to keep the ring a secret for the entire journey. The proposal started off with joint massages at a cliff top hotel in Santorini before a manicure for Sarah. This was followed by champagne and brunch over looking the ocean before being picked up for a surprise private boat cruise around Santorini on a private 40 ft launch. Sarah had the pleasure of listening to a mix CD that I had made of our previous 5 years together before I hopped down on one knee and proposed. Thankfully Sarah said yes and we celebrated with Dom Perignon and lunch on the boat before a swim in the middle of the ocean.
The day was capped off with the room being covered in rose petals on our return from the cruise and a private dinner over looking the ocean that evening.
Tell us about finding your wedding dress:
It was a complete mistake! We were living in the UK and I thought it would be special to try on a few at Harrods while my mum was over from NZ ~ not thinking I would find the one after 3 try ons! I knew it was the one even before I had it on…typically it was the heaviest dress but I feel in love with it straight away.

Coming up...

Check back in tomorrow for this gorgeous wedding by Kate McPherson

Charity Event Tablescape I

A couple of weeks back.....actually a month now (seriously where does time go?), Magnolia Rouge were involved in a fantastic charity event for the NZ Endometriosis Society, put on by Astra Bridal and ourselves. It was held at the Auckland Museum which has this fabulous room at the top overlooking the whole of Auckland - sensational views, and a great wedding venue! It was run like a boutique wedding show with 22 vendors having their own table and a chance for prospective brides to have a more intimate chat with suppliers compared to the standard wedding show. Magnolia Rouge styled all of the tables differently and I'm delighted to finally have some photos to show you. I'm going to stretch them out over a week or so, but to start with I'll bring you one of my favourites - and it was my table of course!! I love the look of hand-picked flowers in mason jars so I was excited to use this. Now I'm no florist obviously (that would be Sue who did the rest of the flowers...this was my baby!) so this suited me well as there's not a whole lot of arranging needed. I found this gorgeous floral fabric with a vintage look to it and made it into a runner, then put an assortment of silver filigree jars and votives amongst the flower jars. Check back throughout the week as we bring you more tables.
All photos are by the very talented Diana Sanders.

Lovely venue

Now I'm definitely an outdoor wedding kinda gal....but if I were to get married indoors (not that I plan to again :-) I think this would be the kind of venue I'd choose! I love the combination of the whitewash beams with those gorgeous chandeliers and the tree branches up at the 'altar'. Tres chic. To see more of this lovely wedding click here.
Photo by Cristy Cross via The Wedding Chicks

Board#22: Rustic Neutrals

Happy Monday everyone, hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
This board screams my name! As I've mentioned before....once or twice :-) I LOVE neutrals and texture. Anything with burlap/hessian, twine, rattan, linen...love it. But I do always like to add a bit of colour with it, just as an accent to lift it a little. And it doesn't have to be a lot. So for this occasion I've chosen the orange, which does give it a fall kind of feeling, but hey, nothing wrong with that....for most of you right now it is fall! And the orange pops ever so nicely against the taupe and chocolate tones. Whilst neutrals are 'safe' they're also timeless and you really can't go wrong.... I don't think you'll ever look back and wonder 'what on earth was I thinking putting that colour with that'!!

What's your wedding style? VI

Oooo I am so loving these colours right now!! Reminds me of picnics and strawberry jam (yes I know obvious....red!) but it's all very inviting. Now if only that sun would come out to play! I have to admit I prefer most colours accents with a chocolate brown or taupe as opposed to strong black....but then ask anyone who know's me and I am rather obsessed with brown & natural. Always have been, always will be. It just works with everything! The red here is such a warm contrast to the neutrals.....I love it with hessian, rustic hemp string, and ticking cloth. And we all know that I love me a rustic affair!!



This is a custom design folded invite we did some time ago. We don't do too many folded card styles but I do love it with the contemporary belly band which contrasts so nicely with the quite classic invitation featuring a handdrawn rose. Again we've mixed it up combining patterns and the use of the lattice pattern ties in nicely with the rose/garden theme. And the piece de resistance....that fabulous B which followed through to all the day of stationery as well. For more stationery go here.

Jewels to behold....

Ok so my Christmas wishlist just got blown out of all reality - although I guess that's why it's called a 'wish' list! I am loving not only these beautiful engagement rings from Greg Fromont but also the collection of contemporary jewellery from Meadlowlark that is designed by Greg and his wife Claire. We featured Greg and Claire's fabulous wedding here a couple of weeks back and were so wowed by their beautiful jewellery designs we just had to share. Check out there websites here and here, there really is something for everyone from the quaint swallow pendants to funky serpent cocktail rings. There are no limitations when it comes to what's available. Greg will work with you to create a truly one off design in a range of different metals and gemstones. You are truly a talented combination!

Real Wedding: Antonia + Nick Part II

Back with more of this gorgeous wedding from Nicole Marsden. Seriously this lady has such a talent, check out more of her work on her website here. Thanks to Antonia and Nick for sharing their day with us.

Real Wedding: Antonia + Nick Part I

This wedding has such a gorgeous relaxed vibe to it, you just wish you were there! Nicole Marsden has once again outdone herself with these stunning photos of Antonia & Nick's wedding, held at Oreti Village on the shores of Lake Taupo. We don't have too many details on this one but we can tell you that Antonia's lovely dress was made by the incredibly talented Jane Yeh, and her flowers were done by Bloomin' Flowers in Taupo. As for the rest, well the photos tell the story! Check back in later for more loveliness!

The perfect bloom!

The oh so brief Peony season has come around again in New Zealand (well it's brief here up north, I believe they're more abundant in the south), and I've taken advantage with a beautiful bouquet of pink ones on my dining table right now....they just make me happy! It is a much revered bloom and for good reason, they are quite simply, stunning! And the perfect flower to have for your wedding bouquet and tablescapes. These vibrant luscious blooms look magnificent en masse and come in a variety of shades. Below is a selection of some of my favourites.

Board#21: Sumptuous Supper

Inspired by the Vogues' gorgeous photo shoot of Emma Watson, this board would make for a sumptuous fall wedding. Rather than having your typical fall colours, I think the jewel colours are just as warm and rich, not to mention uber pretty in a sophisticated way. I love the contrast of the muted apricot/peach with the stronger peacock and amethyst tones and vintage tableware is a must have!


Top row from left; Vogue, Clematis by Janne Peters, Jardin Invitation by Ruby & Willow, Peacock Shoes (unknown)
2nd row; photo by Chris Everard, Blue Bottles (unknown), Flowers via Utterly Engaged, Table Setting Rinne Allen via Rifle Made
3rd row; Honeycomb Invitation by Ruby & Willow, Hairpiece by Twigs & Honey, Favour boxes via Martha Stewart, photo by Chris Everard

What's your wedding style? V

If you're just joining us check out the rest of our 'What's your Wedding Style' series here. Mini snippets of colour and inspiration with stationery to match!



We've gone all girly today's with a feast of pretty botanical invitations. Flowers feature heavily in wedding invitations, and the use of vintage style etchings is a style I'm particularly fond of. I like the unexpected addition of the ochre/pale gold in this board. Whilst the pink and burgundy go well with the grey, the goldy tones give it a lighter dimesion. Who says you can't mix gold and silver right? There are no rules when it comes to colour as long as you do it right!! And that basket of wraps - who wouldn't be thrilled to turn up to a wedding and have that to snuggle up with in the evening... I know I would!

Real Wedding: Chris + Cath Part II

Continuing on from our gorgeous couple Cath & Chris featured yesterday, those beautiful bouquets you see were created by the amazing Sue from Flowers at Pink. Cath had waited a long time to have the wedding of her dreams, and it was particularly special with her grandmother able to fly out from the UK for the wedding. Her stunning gown was designed by Rosemary Smith, and that fantastic looking cake was created by Rob's Patisserie. And Cath's gorgeous look is thanks to makeup artist Steph Lai - not to mention to damn good genes!

Real Wedding: Chris + Cath Part I

Get ready to feast your eyes a bridal beauty......I mean seriously how gorgeous is this bride! Captured by photographer Hannah Richards, Chris & Cath worked with Gayle Garmaz from Exquisite Weddings to plan this gorgeous wedding at Cassels in the Waitakere Ranges. Catherine was very hands on with the wedding, with her own 'team' dedicating hours to painting bonboniere boxes, tying ribbons and crystals onto them. More details to come shortly.

Wedding Season is officially open!

This, folks, is what my long weekend looked like! Yes wedding season is in full swing!

Board#20: Country Charm

Happy Tuesday.....hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend.....I was positively euphoric to wake up to streaming sunshine on Saturday!! Mmmm we're back to rain right now, but it was glorious while it lasted!

This board evolved into something completely different to what I originally had in mind, but I think I prefer it! A little bit vintage, a little bit rustic and a lot pretty..... my kind of wedding. Outdoors, long banquet tables, handpicked posies, vintage china.....I'm particularly fond of the beautiful shell coloured glass with the silver cake stand - such a lovely and delicate combination. Would love to do an invitation suite in it. Anyone?



Top from left: photo by Lara Robby, bouquet from Ink & Peat, photo by Union Photography, Cocktails by Jose Villa
2nd row: Silver Tableware by Rinne Allen via Design Sponge, Tandem Invitation Suite by Ruby & Willow, Horseshoe by Union Photography, Table Setting by Elizabeth Messina via Oh How Charming
3rd row: Photo via Green Wedding Shoes, Flowers of Chair by Jose Villa