Thanksgiving Feast - Old World Inspired Rehearsal
Today we are thankful. Today we are grateful, appreciative, and any other synonyms for being gleefully astonished at our wonderful lives, as completely imperfect as they are.
Today we wish a Happy Thanksgiving to our American readers and send a big thank you to everyone, not just our USA brides. Yes, yes we totally agree that it seems odd to have to remind ourselves to be thankful, but we are champions for having a reason to celebrate: why not! A holiday like today is the picture perfect reason to spend quality time with family, exercise the art of grace, and put a little heart and sweat equity into an over-the-top meal that brings together so many loved ones.
So today we want to acknowledge how fortunate we feel to do what we love, viewing and blogging about the most intimate, sweet, and meaningful weddings across the world. We're so blessed to have a wonderful community of fine art wedding artists that love and support us (and we love them so, so, so much). We're blessed to make meaningful relationships with brides, grooms, family, and friends of the couples who read our blog. Thank you! We hope that wherever you are, whether you're actually celebrating "Thanksgiving" or not, that you take the time to say thank you to someone you care about today or even a stranger.
One last thought: today we challenge engaged couples, specifically, to practice gratitude. Planning a wedding has a tendency to pull one out of their state of graciousness and into a state of selfishness, not out of spite, but rather as a product of their circumstances. Remember that your loved ones are sacrificing time, energy, and money to help your wedding day dreams come true and celebrate with you! By taking a step back and remembering not to sweat the little things and to genuinely thank your loved ones will go far with them and do well for your soul.
Thank you to Fine art Curation member Allen Tsai and stylist Shannon Schultz Events for this abundantly beautiful Old World rehearsal dinner inspiration - be sure to check out his eloquent written piece at the bottom for all sorts of inspo.
Gallery
From Allen Tsai: "Destination weddings. They are gloriously intimate, thoughtful, and focus on decor that is representative of the land. We wanted to show that you can have a destination feel without the travel-right in your own hometown.
Representative of honoring the land under our feet, colors for the rehearsal dinner were drawn from the crushed pink granite floor of the courtyard. The pinks and peaches of the rocks, table runner and some floral juxtapose nicely against the moody black pepper and chestnut and muted pink roses. Brik venue courtyard is the perfect place in Texas for a Tuscan inspired dinner.
We wanted this shoot to feel old world and nostalgic. Adri at Moss Floral Design selected garden roses that not only represented the season, but that were also a representation of vast rose gardens that would be found throughout Europe. The simple coupe plates were a lovely simple backdrop to Italian elements. The paper suite by Kelsey Malie Calligraphy, in a creamy ivory and loose script gave us a refined earthy nuance-that of the relaxed countryside.
Magdalenas catering honored Italy with a thoughtful menu of charcuterie, tagliatelle, grilled peach bruschetta. Sprinkled in along the table you’ll find figs and beautiful handmade breads for everyone to enjoy family style.
Our bride wore a handmade Lena Medoyeff gown. Made of only silk, the Bianca gown’s classic aesthetic draws us back to the simplicity of the countryside. Barefoot or a simple sandal perfectly compliments its relaxed yet refined nature.
Captured most importantly is the feel of family and togetherness. A quaint close group is often times the embodiment of a destination wedding; hugs, meaningful toasts, shared stories, and the idea that you are sharing your wedding day with the people that you choose to join you on your married journey. We hope to encourage couples wanting a small wedding to go for it! Move past your lengthy invite list and create a series of moments to share with those that are truly important to you."
Vendor Details
Photography: Allen Tsai | Film Lab: Goodman Film Lab | Stylist / Planner: Shannon Schultz Events | Floral Designer: Moss Floral | Dress Designer: Lena Medoyeff | Rentals: POSH Couture Rentals | Accessories: Shapiro Diamonds | Venue: Brik Venue | Hair & Makeup Artist: Q Hair and Makeup Artistry | Catering:Magdalenas | Paper: Kelsey Malie Calligraphy | Baskets: World Market | Ribbon: Bellame Ribbon | Table Runner: Silk & Willow | Ceramics/Candlesticks: Notary Ceramics | Postage: Vintage Postage Stop