Energetic Purple + Orange Wedding in Cleveland

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Kate

This wedding is bursting with energy and loads of personal touches! Captured by Alicia White Photography, Ally and Carlos were married on a crisp October day at a beautiful Catholic Church in Cleveland, Ohio. Carlos and Ally are both graphic designers, so they used their creative backgrounds to design many wedding elements, including the invitations. They also selected an amazing local art gallery in downtown Cleveland for the reception. A bold and modern color palette of orange and purple was used throughout the wedding attire and decor. I love that Carlos had an “A” tattooed on his ring finger in lieu of a traditional wedding ring!

A few words from the bride:

Carlos and I actually met at work and still work together! Since we are both artists and designers (Carlos actually designed the invitations!), we wanted a casual celebration that showed our creative side. We both feel like Alicia, our photographer, did an AMAZING job of capturing all the emotion and special details from the day! People also could not stop talking about how great the food was. Ruth and Doug at Gatherings Kitchen were a joy to work with.

Photographer: Alicia White Photography
Ceremony Venue: St. Adalbert Catholic Parish
Reception Venue: smART space at 78th
Catering: Gatherings Kitchen
Bridal Gown Designer: Allure Bridal
Bridal Gown Store: Catan Fashions
Bridal Shoes: DSW
Bridal Veil/Headpiece: barrette from Jennifer Behr
Earring Designer: Susan Meier Jewelry
Engagement + Wedding Ring Designer: Satomi Kawakita
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Max and Cleo
Bridesmaid Dress Store: ModCloth
Tuxedo + Mens Attire: Express
Groom’s Shoes: Dr. Martens
Groom’s Tie: General Knot & Co.
Cake/Cupcake Designer: About the Cake
Floral Designer: Bachelor Button Floral and Interior Accents
Makeup Artist: Makeup By Abby, Abby Winningham
Hair Stylist: Jesse of Details Salon Couture
Invitation Designer: Carlos Gracia
Wedding Planner: Hilary Aurand of 78th Street Studios
DJ: Mike Jones (Big Daddy) with Bobby Baker Productions
Officiant: Fr. Barry Gearing, pastor at St. Adalbert Catholic Parish

All images by Alicia White Photography
Submitted via Two Bright Lights

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DIY Modern, Neon Concrete Block Planter

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Kate

Last summer, I set out to make a super easy and inexpensive planter to spruce up my apartment balcony. I posted an image of my DIY neon planter on Instagram, and to my surprise, it received a lot of attention. It was featured on Babble, Apartment Therapy, Brit + Co., MAKE, Decor Hacks, and many more fabulous blogs. Given the popularity, I thought it was time to do a quick tutorial post to show you how to make your own planter! This planter would also be a nice addition to an outdoor ceremony or reception space; the color and pattern possibilities are endless.

Supplies:

For small planter above – Six Concrete Blocks, 8″ x 8″ x 16″ (or eight for larger planter in images at end of post). Available at your local hardware store, usually under $2 each.
Outdoor Spray Paint – I used Rust-Oleum Fluorescent Spray Paint, Fluor Yellow
in the image above, but it faded quickly in the sun. This year, I re-sprayed the blocks with Rust-Oleum Professional High Performance Enamel Spray Paint, Safety Yellow (see images at end of post).
Drop Cloth – I used an old sheet
Painter’s Tape
Printer Paper for masking
1/4″ Wire Mesh
Wire Cutters to cut mesh
Crushed Stone for drainage
Potting Soil
Plants

Steps:

1. Set up your drop cloth in a well ventilated, preferably outdoor, area. Be sure to position it so the wind will not spray the paint onto any nearby buildings or surfaces.

2. Take one concrete block and wipe it to remove any loose particles or debris. Then, place a piece of painter’s tape diagonally across the block. Lay your printer paper over half of the tape to cover the side of the block not being painted and add more tape to secure.

3. Spray paint the block following the dry times and directions on your particular spray paint can. Each block will need at least two coats. You can easily make another mask and paint two or more blocks at a time. Pay attention to which sides of the blocks you are painting and be sure they correspond with the pattern you intend to create on the finished planter.

4. Set the bottom row of blocks in place. Cut your wire mesh to size (same as the bottom of the blocks, roughly 8″ x 16″).

5. Stack the remaining blocks in layers, sandwiching a piece of wire mesh under each opening that will house a plant. See image below.

6. Fill each opening with a few inches of crushed stone for drainage. Next, top with potting soil and transfer plants.

7. Enjoy your new planter!

All images and design by Kate of Modernly Wed

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Touching + Fun Fall Wedding in New York

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Kate

I don’t generally feature a lot of wedding videos, but this one was just so sweet it had to be shared! Captured by GT Modern Creations, Joi and Randy were married on a crisp November day in Franklin Square, New York. The couple injected their personalities in every aspect of their wedding day; customizing their invitations, programs, and even chocolate milk favors. Joi and Randy are best friends who also happen to be totally and completely in love with each other. Their emotions and fun loving personalities really take center stage in this fabulous wedding video!

A few words from the bride:

Randy and I met while we both worked for Barnes and Noble in Bayside, New York. The two of us started out as friends and about a year later after many talks and unofficial dates, it turned into a relationship that neither of us expected. Seven years later, Randy proposed at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, with the song “Marry Me” by Train playing in the background by a well placed guitarist.

Our inspiration for our wedding was to have fun and celebrate something that was in the making for so many years. We wanted to share our love, life, laughs and memories with all our guests. Our friends and family have watched the two of us grow as individuals and as a couple, and it was just the beginning of our next chapter. We incorporated the fact that we met at Barnes and Noble, with having table numbers in shapes of books, and our escort cards were bookmarks. We wanted a personal ceremony, from someone who knew us both, so we asked our Best Man to be our officiant. Our family and friends were so excited when the ceremony started, they applauded every one’s entrance down the aisle. I wear converse sneakers on a daily basis, so I bought us both customized Converse Chucks with our wedding date stitched on the side. Whenever anybody asked how to pronounce Randy’s last name, we would respond, “Soo Hoo, like Yoo Hoo”, so it only seemed right to have the chocolate flavored drink as favors to our guest. We had a friend of ours, change the label around to reflect our last name and the ingredients to love.

Videographer: GT Modern Creations
Photographer: Gina Esposito Photography
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Sand Castle Caterers
Transportation: Camelot Limo
Bridal Gown Designer: Mori Lee
Bridal Gown Store: RK Bridal
Bridal Shoes: Colorful Creations Savanna Wedding Shoes
Bride + Groom’s Shoes: Customized Converse sneakers with wedding date
Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Bill Levkoff
Bridesmaid Dress Store: RK Bridal
Tuxedo + Mens Attire: Vera Wang Black via Men’s Wearhouse
Floral Designer: Flor Bella Designs
Makeup Artist: Brittny Hayes of Metamorphosis New York
Hair Stylist: Tracy Ahern from Metamorphosis New York
DJ: Genesis Events
Photobooth Rental: The Modern Photobooth
Officiant: Dr. Jones Chan
Yoo Hoo Bottle Designer: Timothy Yee