Weddingbee Blog

Soon after letting it sink in that Mr. Turtle and I were engaged, I turned to the Internet, hoping to become inspired about this wedding that everyone kept asking me about. I can’t remember which blog I first saw it on, but this is the first wedding picture that I saw that caused me to think, “I want our wedding to be like that!”

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I don’t know what about this picture made me love it so much, but I immediately dragged it to my desktop. Not too long after this, I came across this picture and fell in love once again:

I totally didn’t connect that this was the same bride as the one sitting at the table in my first inspiration picture! But I knew that I love love loved her polka dot dress, so this was the first picture I added to my “dresses” folder.

Finally, I was flipping through the Summer 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings and I came across this same wedding in its entirety! Apparently, this bride with the perfect dress was the same one who had the perfect backyard reception beneath lanterns hanging from trees! As I turned each page, I realized that everything about her wedding was just plain perfection in my eyes!

Meet Lily and John, (two absolute strangers who I’m creepishly obsessed with), and their traditional, yet stylish Santa Barbara backyard wedding!

^ Little custom packages full of rice to toss at the bride and groom. It’s the little details like these that just kill me!

The guys wore their own grey suits. I love this because it’s practical, and the pink ties still manage to really tie them together as a group.

Love the bridesmaids! I don’t think you need me to expound on how much I love pink again, though…

Monogrammed handkerchiefs wrapped around each girl’s bouquet, once again: sigh…

Bridesmaids’ gifts: Monogrammed clutches. So sweet.

Each table made use of a different vintage china pattern from Lily’s mom’s collection. If only…

And as if this wedding could not get any dreamier, the couple danced their first dance to “Somewhere Beyond the Sea.” (John is an officer in the Navy.)

After a wedding like that, how could they not live happily ever after?

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The “crush” that I developed on this wedding early on really helped me to think about what I wanted in our own wedding. Originally, I was drawn to the rustic, organic look that is popular right now. I wanted to avoid tradition because I feared our wedding seeming cliche. Yet what I love most about this wedding are the traditional elements: the monograms, the calligraphy, the vintage place settings, and the little details like the rice packets. I realized that at heart, I am a very old-fashioned, romantic person, and so is Mr. Turtle. To reflect ourselves in our wedding, we have to balance the natural environment of a backyard with classic elegance. For example, I love the juxtaposition of the outdoors with elements like chandeliers and fine china and silver. I truly hope that our wedding is as romantic and elegant as this one, but individualized with our own little touches, of course!

Do you have any “wedding crushes?” If so, share the links! (And Lily, if you’re out there somewhere, shifting awkwardly in your seat, I promise that I am not the creepy stalker that I’m making myself sound like! I just admire your taste! A lot.)