and the changes begin

On my trip back to France, I was able to visit the venue my sister had reserved for her 2010 wedding. No one had seen it yet but the pictures were beautiful and led us to think it would be the perfect setting for a romantic country wedding. Upon our arrival, we immediately met the owner/ wedding coordinator who was cold and short. We asked the questions we had prepared to ask:
"May we sample the menu before the wedding?
Can we move the dance floor to the patio since the ceilings are low and the bride and groom tall?
Are you sure we can fit 180 people out here?" (the venue was actually set up for another wedding reception that evening with 100 guests and it seemed a little tight!)
Unfortunately, it is 'impossible' to taste the menu beforehand. Whaaaa!? And there is 'no way' we can move the dance floor outside:
"En êtes-vous certaine? Vraiment aucune possibilité?" (are you sure? Is this really not possible?)
"Non, non, non. Mais vous verrez, c'est très joli," she answered with cold-pitched speech. (No, no, no. But you'll see, it'll be very pretty).
Wonderful. That IS reassuring.
The last thing I dared to ask was whether we can reserve the entirety of the inn (only 10 guest rooms). Of course, the answer was "non." The excuse: we have regulars, and we cannot turn them away. Um, do your regulars really book a year and a half in advance? And if they really LOVE the place, shouldn't they be able to come a week later? It's not even a holiday weekend!
Disappointed, I couldn't hide the sour taste the visit had left me with when I phoned my sister. We had to find a new venue.
As I write this post, no venue has been selected. Below is my sister's current favorite (as we try to negiotiate an affordable price).

Hotel La Vigne, Ramatuelle, France

So, I have created a new inspiration board to adapt to the colors and setting of 'La Vigne' to give her some decoration ideas and preserve some of the colors she had initially picked for the previous venue. See below!

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Getting closer to color

I have been spending a lot of time making the inspiration boards below for Jelly. She and BIL decided they liked the colors teal, lavender (their living room wall is teal!), and a vintage-natural feel. Here is a new inspiration board I have created to match their ideas:

[images borrowed from theknot.com, marthastewart.com, brides.com, and Béa's La Tartine Gourmande]

What do you think? Do you have any fun ideas to match their color scheme?

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Inspiration time

Newly engaged Jelly has appointed my little sister, Kiwee, and I maids of honor for her big day. In true maid of honor form, I have put together a few inspiration boards with what I know she likes to help her get an idea of what she would want. I tend to find inspiration in the vibrant colors of fresh produce and plants. Which inspiration boards do you like best?

Farm chic with red, white, and green.

Fresh and romantic with teal, peach, and green.

Country and sweet with peach, orange, and white.

Farmer's market and local charm with green, yellow, and coral.

Vintage provence with lavender, mauve, purple, fuchsia, green, and gray/silver.

Fun and quirky with orange, pink, turquoise, green, and yellow.

[images in the collages are borrowed from theknot.com, marthastewart.com, realsimple.com, and thedesignspongeonline.com]

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