sans*tulle

i'm elated by the creation marit hanson dreamed up for laura & drew's save-the-dates. they wanted something "artsy-funky" and after seeing the engagement photos we did, she decided to incorporate one of the images into the design. i may be biased, but i think they're perfect. ;)


when i visited her site, i found myself saying over and over again, "ooh, i like that...oh, and i like that...and that!" here are some designs that inspired "oohs" and "ahhs" ~


i'm really liking this whole ticket idea...

in a world where there is so much waste, i feel it's prudent to consider what will happen to all the paper goods that are born from weddings. so choose something fabulous. i mean, who could possibly throw something this lovely out?
{invitation design ~ marit hanson weddings / all photos © marit hanson, via marithanson.com}

last month, i photographed a wedding in KY with amy of angela anderson photography. i love second-shooting. i can mill around and get all the artsy fartsy shots i want without having to worry about the schedule or if i'm missing something dire. and working with angela's studio is always awesome.

but how awesome is this?!? one of my shots was on freakin' TV. and the newscaster said our photos looked like they were done by richard avedon.

So don't be surprised when I bring an elephant to the next wedding.

for the news story, click here.

all too often, i've gone to process a final payment for a client when the mysterious "error 4859047iourpoer;oiiblahblahblah" pops onto the screen. apparently "error 4859047iourpoer;oiiblahblahblah" is supposed to be less humiliating than the good ol' "declined" message.

turns out this is not due to overspending or bad record keeping. it's due to your ever-vigilant bank watching several multi-thousand dollar transactions flying through your account within a few days time. so how do they come to the rescue? they financially cripple you by putting a stop on your cards...which is SO much fun when you find out this fact after their help lines close for the day. as if you don't have enough calls to make in the weeks before your wedding, now you have to call the bank, sort it out, and resubmit all your payments. i suppose it's great that they keep an eye out for possible fraud and we should all be grateful, but i've heard of such things happening while people have been out state or overseas...and they arrive with no credit for their hotel, food, etc. in short: it sucks.

so anyhoo...i suggest you call your bank the week before you start making your final payments to your vendors so you can avoid the stress and embarrassment. let the bank know that they will be seeing several $k transactions coming through...you're having a wedding...and they should please make a note of it on your account...because if you're forced to pull out any more hair, you'll have to attach your veil with duct tape and no one wants that...thanks, mr. banker.

this stuff is simply brilliant. you tap a little of this powder onto the roots of your hair, work it in with your fingers (it transforms into a dry-liquid...yeah...i know...) et voila: actual volume. soft non-sticky scentless volume. fantastic for getting that slept in lift without starching your hair like the stars did in the 40s or reeking like a bon jovi fan suffering from a white-and-pink can aqua-net overdose. aveda pure abundance ~ $23...and well worth it.

you know one of your bridesmaids is going to carry your stuff for you. "oh, don't worry; i can carry your lipstick in my bag" etc. my answer would undoubtedly be, "oh, no...i don't think it will fit." because i want one of these and even if they'll only fit my lipstick, a comb, and a pack of breath mints, who cares?!? seriously, just look at these things!


i judge the value of accessories and clothing by doing a little math. divide how much the pretty costs by how many times i'll actually use/wear it. all of these purses can be worn with a wedding dress or your favorite jeans. given that, these clutches are really quite economical (and that, friends and neighbors is how we women-folk justify such treats.) these next two are my favorites.

moyna bags $155 - $265

it should be no shock to anyone that my first post official sans*tulle entry would be about shoes. i love them. especially stiletto cockroach-killers. but let's face it, they're a lot easier to look at than to walk in. so this something blue features some rather daring shoes as well as a few that are kinder to your feet.

ohhhhh, i love these. your blue doesn't have to be powdery and soft. it can shout and scream "look at me!!!!" $114

RSVP ice blue metallic. you can find some really amazing deals on 6pm.com. they are zappos' outlet site and have great markdowns. $21

i can see these betsy johnsons with an ivory dress for a garden wedding. they're so cute and well, girly. $87


if these had feathery fluffs instead of bows, you could wear them around the house and pretend you're marilyn. see the quilty lining inside? they look really comfy. $50cynthia rowley makes a whole line of wedding shoes...with a blue sole. "tinsel" $222

another dancing-friendly find on 6pm.com. baby blue lumiani with a kitten heel. $40 (down from $100)

hello. welcome to the new wedding inspiration blog! you can still visit my photography blog for my latest wedding photos, but here's where i'll be posting fun stuff and tips. over the next few days i'll be in the process of moving over some posts from the studio blog and adding in details from real weddings.

about the site's name: "gazebos-suck.com" was available, i simply could not honestly use that title for this site. for you see, i finally found two gazebos i really like. unfortunately, one's in bruges and the other is in a quaint little town in ky, but it still makes the name null and void.

{astrid park gazebo in bruges, belgium} looks like the horses have abandoned the carousel...of course i would love it.


so, the title of the site is dedicated to one of my all time favorite brides, rachel. when she called me years back and described her gorgeous DYI organic autumn wedding plans to me, she said "and there won't be an inch of white tulle seen anywhere." i knew she was my kind of bride and i am pleased to name this blog in honor of her fine sensibilities and the quote that really helped define my own when it came to knowing "my kinda wedding."

so this blog is for those of you who wish to create weddings that really speak of you personally, as opposed to complying with conventions. it will feature fashion, beauty, creative tips & dyi projects, and environmentally friendly wedding ideas...as well as details from the weddings of my own fantastic clients!

enjoy!