TOTE: I don’t go anywhere without my Longchamp tote. It’s not only pretty but it can take a solid beating and still look polished. I cannot recommend this enough.

HEADPHONES: I love my Urbanears Tomato Headphones. Not because they are the most amazing headphones ever, but because they come in such lovely colors. And, pretty always wins out over functionality in a designer’s world.

TRAVEL DRESS: Splendid’s long sleeve maxi dress is my go to for every flight. It’s warm and comfy and when paired with a scarf or denim jacket, still looks fresh.

SANDALS: Dolce Vita makes my all time favorite sandals in every color. They’re as comfy as your average flip flops but still have a bit of polish to them.

DAY DRESS: Joie’s Soft line has the greatest wrinkle free dresses ever. I always travel with one so I can go straight from the plane to a meeting when needed.

LINEN BAGS: Way back when my bestie bought me monogrammed bags for my jewelry and lingerie. I love them so. They make me feel put together and girlie when my whole world is in disarray due to my hectic schedule. This set is from Turq Jewelry.

BRACELET: I love my leather Tory Burch bracelet. I literally wear it with EVERYTHING for a quick touch. It’s a definite staple.

THE TEE: J. Crew’s Vintage Tees are my go to tees. I do everything in them. I sleep, workout and just cruise about town in them, if I get a few hours to myself. So comfy. Virtually wrinkle free and just effortless.

NECKLACE: I always have a basic locket with pictures of those I love inside. This one from House of Harlow is a definite classic.

DENIM: Mother Jeans are where it’s at. I love their Skinny jeans myself, but they have a style for everyone. They are so comfortable and when my maxi is a little dirty, I’ve spent 14 hour flights in these little beauties.

MY WORKOUT: When at home, I head to Barry’s Bootcamp, but when I travel, I never really know what I’m going to have available. So, I’m always prepared with workout memes to get me by. This one is from my super fab trainer, Ricardo Vargas, is my all time favorite. It totally kicks my bum every time.

FLATS: A comfortable pair of flats is a must for every trip. These are from Chloe, but Lanvin, Burberry and Chanel all make perfectly polished flats.

RUNNING SHOES: I don’t go anywhere without these. As I mentioned, I never know what my workout will be, but 99% of the time, there is always a place to run. These are my Nike Frees in my signature colors, black & gold, but you should obviously, find the perfect pair for yourself.

The above image was capture by one of our favorite and oh so consistent photographers, Steve Steinhardt from Jaime & Wes’s Bali Wedding.

Top Row: Hot Pink Tinsel via Artfire

Second Row: Shimmer Donut via Camille Styles/ Family Style Eating from Surya & Nick’s Colorado Wedding

Third Row:  Chalkboard Menu from Laura Hooper/Champagne Wagon via Southern Living

Fourth Row: Vintage Dr. Pepper’s from Style Me Pretty/Neon Pink Paper Straws via Waiting on Martha/ Pink Wax Paper via Zazzle

Fifth Row: Neon Dipped Silverware via Apartment Therapy/ Sparkle Drink Stirrer via Shannon Cunningham

Sixth Row: Craft Paper Runner with Place Card via Cece & Co

Last Row: Sparklers via Geoff Myers

TOP ROW: Nina & Russell’s Smog Shop Wedding by Jonathan Canlas

6TH ROW: Zoe & Griff’s Brentwood Wedding by Steve Steinhardt / Tara & Kurt’s Welcome Party by Steve Steinhardt

BOTTOM ROW: Jessica & Chetan’s Paris Wedding by Steve Steinhardt 

Image & meme courtesy of Steve Steinhardt from Jennifer & Canute’s Vermont Wedding at Trapp Family Lodge

My momma, just like everyone else’s, always said, “if you can’t say something nice, keep it to yourself.” Every day social media is making this common courtesy harder and harder to remember. With so much pressure to let followers “know who you really are” and so on, I simply feel like many of us are forgetting our manners. Especially when it comes to sharing our opinions about weddings and wedding design. It’s completely one thing to discuss among your colleagues and associates your disdain for “yard sale” chic weddings or to share that you’re “so over hipster weddings”, but to announce it to the world, is, quite simply rude. I think we’ve all forgotten how significant this day is to the couples planning them. If they want mustaches, mason jars, plastic animals spray painted gold, and so on, well then, that’s their personal style and just let it be. While, I agree, that many of these trends can be irrelevant to the celebration at hand and maybe I personally wouldn’t do them at my own wedding, but it’s simply not my place to make that judgment. And, if I were a bride who did decide she loved mason jars, I would be pretty disenchanted with the wedding industry as a whole to watch so many leaders speak out against my style.

Weddings are personal. The choices made are agonized over for days, weeks and sometimes even months. And, some couples out there simply want a day that feels right to them, whether it’s the most unique celebration in the world or just a lovely party that they created via inspiration from blogs, pinterest and the top designers of our industry. This being said, you wouldn’t walk up to a stranger and tell them you hate their shoes, so why would you ever announce the world, including thousands and thousands of adoring brides that you hate her personal style? Of course, our job is to guide our paying clients on design decisions and help them create a unique and cohesive look. And believe me, with my clients, I can be very vocal about what works and what doesn’t. But for that lovely bride out there, who lives for DIY and is simply trying to pull together a charming day that she truly loves, can we please try to be a little kinder all around? And, maybe, even though we are writing behind the safety of our computers, we can remember to simply mind our manners.

And, in case you’ve never been to the Shakespeare festival, here’s what you’re missing. Love. Love. Love.

TOP ROW: Throw blanket from Anthropologie / Vintage enamelware, similar to be found on Etsy / Sicani Wine or any pretty bottle will do

2ND ROW: Disposable wooden silverware / Vintage picnic basket, again check out Etsy for something similar

3RD & 4TH ROW: Fresh & delicious picnic menu, all from Canelle Vanille

BOTTOM: Image from the Shakespeare Festival

Top Row: “Paris, Je t’aime” de Steve Meisel

Second Row: Jazz Age Lawn Party via Note To Self/ Silverware via Country Living

Third Row: Homemade Gift Basket via The Paper Package/ Picnic Detailing from Tara Sloggett

Fourth Row: Outdoor Dinner Party from Country Living/ Quilts from Nana Company

Fifth Row: Invites from Raquel & Franks’ Winery Inspired Wedding

Last Row: Flirty Floral Dress from Reiss/ Trendy Sandal from Kate Spade/ Nora Ring from Catbird/ Portrait Ring from Barneys/ Tory Burch Clutch via Net-A-Porter

TOP ROW: Canopy of Disco Balls from Kelly & Andrew’s After Party captured by Steve Steinhardt

2nd ROW: Oh my, those stairs will be mine somewhere courtesy of Romanticizing Regular / Disco Balls for your eyes from Fuck Yeah Makeup

3rd ROW: Blingy Disco dress from Fashiolista/  Disco ball in my apartment, yes please! Found here.

BOTTOM ROW: Disco love from Saddlerock Ranch