Happy New Year! 2016 is here and I'm ready to get started in helping you plan your elegant wedding with unique crafty ideas.

If my Top 9 posts on Instagram are any indication of what is loved the most - it's pink, it's red and it's definitely weddings with elegance and unique ideas. Let's kick off the new year with a look back at my Top 9 most liked posts on Instagram in 2015. And, if you aren't already, please click here to follow me on Instagram for "elegant weddings + unique crafts". PS: If you're a wedding pro - please tag your photos with #bwbfinds and you could be shared on my instagram feed :)

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Photo Credits:
Pink Decorative Cake Balls from Layara Cakes
Festive Holiday Drink from a styled shoot with Eight Tree Street / Evelyn Alas Photography
Red Wedding Dress photo by Jenni Grace Photo
Outdoor Wedding Tablescape from Golden Picture / Anoush Catering / Chic Sparkle Weddings
Fox Wedding Cake Toppers from Bonjour Poupette
Bride Teacup and Saucer from Velvet Crown Design
Gingerbread House Cookie Mug Toppers by Anthropologie
Diamond Ring Cocktail Stirrer from Jenn and Jules Designs
Pink Southern Fairytale Wedding from Pasha Belman Photography

Continuing today, I have another 1 of 5 great outdoor wedding themes for fall weddings {they're also ideal for summer weddings}. You can see the first wedding theme here ... Farm to Table Chic Wedding, the second one here . . . Residential Ballroom and the third one here . . . Rugged Mountains and Flip Flops. Williams Ski and Patio has collaborated with wedding planners and photographers who have designed the most amazing outdoor wedding themes. Today's theme is an Outdoor Vintage Glamour wedding design from Meredith McIntosh of Love and Lavender.

When asked about this wedding design, here is what Meredith said . . .

1. In a layperson’s terms, what is the trend? "The outdoor wedding trend that I am personally drawn to is what I would call an outdoor vintage glamour with a touch of elegance."

2. What are the planning/design elements characteristic of the trend? "This trend incorporates elements of flowing material and fringe decor that is paired with bold patterns, vases, a touch of sparkle, and beautiful flower arrangements. In terms of color, outdoor vintage glamour incorporates hues of gold, blushing pinks, and whites. A lounge area with a few pieces of vintage furniture is a necessity. Outdoor wedding themes in this design style work best when they embrace the natural elements - a great help for your wedding budget too!"

3. How can people planning their own wedding incorporate some element of this trend into their own outdoor wedding? "

Bridal Party Attire: "Uniformity is not always the best policy. Let your bridesmaids choose a dress that complements their body type, and adheres to the shade of your chosen wedding color scheme."

Ceremony: "Utilize specific trees around the ceremony location and wrap them in small white lights to give a magical twinkling effect. If you have two large trees next to each other, you could hang white sheer fabric and from tree to tree and then draw the fabric back as if it were the opening act of a play. If you are planning an outdoor wedding in a larger area, you will want a focal point. Trees are good for this as they can create height as well as a grandiose, whimsical effect."

Reception: "Give your guests a break from the hot summer sun. Tents or canopies are a great way to hide from the heat while remaining outdoors. Try decorating the reception area with chandeliers, which are everywhere this season. You can incorporate chandeliers in the ceremony as well by hanging them from trees. A wedding reception is likely the biggest party you will ever throw, so make it feel special. Add glitz and glam to the head table, the dessert table, or other appointed tables by using a sparkly gold table cloth. Centerpieces will consist of loose flower arrangements of whites and cream colored hydrangeas, pink roses and leafy greens. A mix of vases of all different shapes and sizes, along with the loose flower arrangements, will look splendid. Have two cocktail specials for the night: one in favor of the bride and the other to suit the groom's taste. Serve your cocktails with zig-zag black and white paper straws. Photo booths are still very popular. Finish the night off with some fun by creating your own photo booth that has a bright and cheery background of colored hanging tassel garland."

Today's real wedding of Katie and Josh featured deep shades of purple as a lovely accent within her bridal bouquet, the bridesmaids dresses, reception napkins and cake florals. The cake itself featured a damask design which led me to today's first feature of purple and black wedding invitations that feature the damask pattern. I always find the damask pattern to be super elegant and if you can find paper with the damask pattern in flocking you are sure to have an eye-catching invitation design. Combine that with a satin ribbon and you create a super "wow" effect for your guests to open.

this post contains affiliate links

top left: Lewis Paper Designs, top right: Vivid Lane Designs, middle: Simply Stylish Events, bottom left: Blue Fence Designs, bottom right: Sheila Mari Designs

And, now for today's Real Wedding feature . . .

Isn't the photo below gorgeous? For some reason it reminds me of inside the Titanic.

Wedding Vendors:
photographer : Kate Timbers Photography
caterer : Martin's Caterers
reception venue : Martin's West

A Real Wedding by Mary Dougherty Photography

Carli and Dan crafted a wedding day that was simply an extension of themselves and filled the event with thoughtful touches and a unique timeline that allowed guests to enjoy the evening at their leisure. The color palette of pinks, white and grey was simple and perfectly elegant for their summer wedding.

The bride and her bridesmaids got ready at her parent's home in Auburn, New York while the groom and his groomsmen were in a nearby lake house. Don't you just love the bride's one shoulder Lazarro wedding dress? Cali's bridesmaids wore a variety of styles of Watters dresses in grey that suited their taste and personality.

For the reception, several dinner stations were set up for guests to visit and enjoy at any point in the evening. In between the eating, guests could stop and talk or hit the dance floor for as long as they liked. The table numbers for each guest was placed on bottles of raspberry lemonade which the guests picked up upon arrival and could be enjoyed immediately.

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Wedding Vendors:
Photography: Mary Dougherty Photography
Venue: Emerson Park Pavilion
Hair Stylist: Sara Leilani Scollan

Today is a special day in the wedding blogging community - Alicia from The Charity Wedding recently helped organize a styled shoot using the theme of a Vintage Desert Safari and I was so lucky to be given the opportunity to design all the paper goods. All the photos from the shoot you will see throughout the day are by Fancy Fin Photography. Throughout today, bloggers across the world will be showcasing a photo from the shoot and sharing some tips, advice, or just some pretty-eye candy for us all to enjoy. Please be sure to visit all the blogs to make sure you catch all the goodness.

And, here is my Desert Elegance in Lavender, Green and Tan for you today - I created this inspiration board based on the top left photo from the photo shoot. I loved the bow in the back of the brides dress and her bouquet is just gorgeous with the lavender roses. I immediately wanted to do an inspiration board for an elegant themed wedding in the dessert instead of the typical rustic look that you might think of.

Shopping Resources from Inspiration Board

invitation from Lisa Samartino Atelier, earrings from Erica Leilani Designs, lavender cake from Brides, bow clutch from Davie and Chiyo, bundt cake from Centsational Girl, hair pins from Hot Pink Chick, wedding band from Beth Cyr Weddings, tablesetting from Style Me Pretty

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UP NEXT: head over to the Fab You Bliss blog to see what's next in #BlogAroundTheWorld

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And, here's the full list of all the AMAZING bloggers taking part in today's

exciting posts, please take a little time today to check them all out.

Bubble Rock Studios | Cap Classique | The Unreal Bride | Brancoprata | Bijoux Bride | Bridal Musings | The Oceanside Bride | Hey Gorgeous | Sparkle and Hay | Wedding Pickle | The Perfect Palette | Oh Lovely Day | La Petite Coquin | Brenda's Wedding Blog | Fab You Bliss | Landlocked Bride | Bow Ties and Bliss | A Paper Proposal | Engaged and Inspired | The Charity Wedding

Vendor Credits for the Vintage Desert Safari photo shoot:
Location: Out of Africa Wildlife Park and Along the Verde River, Camp Verde, Az
Coordination & Concept: Alicia French of The Charity Wedding
Event Design: KD Event Designs
Photography:  Fancy Fin Photography
Bouquet: Glamorous Occasions
Cake & pastries: Kick Ass Kakes
Invitations, Menu, Dessert Toppers and Hang Tags: Wedding Girl
Model: Dahlee
Makeup Artist: Sabrina Sweet Makeup
Hair Artist: Erin McDonald of Aveda Red 115 Salon
Gown: La Belle Reve
Jewelry: Genevieve
Cupcakes: Handmade by Alicia