defining shabby chic ~ kristen + adam's wedding masterpiece

'twas W*O*N*D*E*R*F*U*L*!

SHABBY CHIC :: a design style deliberately using worn items that originated in Great Britain and evokes the type of decoration found in large country houses where there are worn and faded old chintz sofas and curtains, old paintwork and unassuming 'good' taste . . .

it's a term i knew from home + garden type magazines over the years; and wow did kristen NAIL the elegant shabby chic with her wedding.

WOW.

toile birds.

pocket squares.
tags + rick-rack.
happy HAPPY combination of navy, turquoise + red:
even icing buttons splattered across the cake (that edith hall is AMAZING!)

i've been having such fun with grids lately; here, maybe THIS give a lil' overview:

soooooo charming!
refreshing, fun, comfortable yet cutting-edge-creative: ALL OF IT.
i love so many of adam + kristen's photographs it's tough to pick favorites for posting, but let's start with friday night.

HERE'S an image i always want to get during the wedding itself (but never quite seem to) but it wasn't until i created THIS picture i figured out why . . . any guesses? (i'll TELL you later, but come on, comment with a guess...)

MORE friday rehearsal cuteness:
we LOVE watching parents;
examples from friday night rehearsal dinner:

above, adam with his dad + paula

above adam as his mom shared a few memories; and below -- hee-hee; kristen + her mom's reaction:

oh the joy of watching parents interact with their grown children.

The chapel on Westminster's campus was the PERFECT setting. it's the old, old OLD english church desgined by sir christopher wren after the great fire of london and then reconstructed HERE after WWII. and how great that even the museum signage contributes to the color palette:

ceremonies in this church look light-filled and lovely

and THIS PARTICULAR CEREMONY oh! did it touch hearts (thanks to just how cute adam + kristen are together and the warmth + grace of their officiant, the rev. kristin powell, from the unity center of columbia.) AND IT JUST SOUNDED AMAZING, too thanks to the family harmonies of THIS fab foursome (pictured here on the dance floor many hours after filling the chapel with sound....)

adam + kristen walked out to a terrific rendition of going-to-the-chapel (and for adam + kristen's slideshow, thom howard recorded it via fingerstyle guitar at my request. check is out and see and hear just how cute it all is!)

moments after exiting from the church and making a few wedding party pictures  . . .

. . . crinkle/crash/boom: the thunder clapped and the rain started to sputter.
annika + i tossed the oh-so-cute couple a SilverBox umbrella and sent them back inside.
here's one of those accidental images that i just love. wow it just has it all: the WHOLE chapel, kristen + adam darting, the clouds conspiring AND even the yellow school that would soon shuttle the wedding party to the reception.

if a pop-up storm forces you inside, hope for a fabulous window (GREAT find, annika!!)

by the time we were all back in columbia, the ground was wet, but the sky was clearing and the girls still giggling:

what fun to walk into the kimball ballroom in lela raney wood hall! oh it looked cute!!


'specially that cake!!

we work with so many great people, but Devin is right up there for my all-time favorite best men.
wow did he make our day easier, happier and even more fun!


and this lovely "best woman" (i'm on a crusade to replace maid + matron-of-honor references; i also think the word underwear should be tossed out and we should all use innerwear instead, but that's another conversation entirely) . . . hey where was i? -- oh YEAH, one week before, she was a bride HERSELF:

once again, this wedding proved that remarkable couples have remarkable friends.
here's another chance to CLICK HERE TO SEE THE HIGHLIGHTS . . . it's such a great one!

a few final notes: the food was so yummy! (great job Stephens College!) ~ the reception music + jovial mood pretty much perfect (b/c Josh Keller rocks!) ~ and once again, all were able to more fully enjoy themselves thanks to all the behind-the- scenes work of suzanne sullivan. and WOW (see this example)

SilverBox assistant annika miller is an amazing photographer. 

thanks for making so many great pics, annika; here's to you!:

~amy