Recently a bride emailed me looking for inspiration for her red and black wedding. I immediately went onto pinterest {you can find me here} and put together a board. I selected some of those images for the inspiration below and you can see even more red and black wedding ideas here. Of course my favorite idea has to be the black cone topped with a perfect red scoop of ice cream. What a great way to end the night and treat your guests to a sweet surprise.

please click photos above for an enlarged view

Image Credits:
bouquet: Belle Fleur New York | invitation suite: Runk Pock Designs | cake and reception 1: Intricate Icings + Save the Date Events, photo by Paige Elizabeth Photography  | bridesmaid dress: Best Bridal Prices | shoes + raspberries: Cupcakes and Cashmere | flower girl dress: Pink Princess | reception 2: Project Wedding | ice cream cone: Observando {original source unknown}

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 

I have something fun and different for you today. When Sarah of Sarah's Stands - a Cake Stand Company, emailed me about her gorgeous cake stands, I knew I had to put together something unique to showcase them. Since her cake stands come in many colors to coordinate with your wedding, I thought it would be fun to find matching cakes for them. And, of course, once I'm looking for one image - I find another and another. So a few of the cake stands have a bit more than just another cake with them :)

Photo by Deidre Lynn Wedding Photography | Cake by My Sweet and Saucy

Invitation from Benign Objects {found via joliejolie} | Cake from The Knot
Bouquet from Elizabeth Anne Designs | Dress by Romona Keveza

Cake from Mary Ruffle | Bouquet from InStyle

Cake from Emmaline Bride

Sarah's Stands feature the classic pedestal shape with a flat top plate for ease of serving. And, this is something that is actually super important in a cake stand so the bottom of your cake stays intact for serving to your guests. Each stand is made in the USA and is constructed of sustainable soft maple. You can find the stands in sizes from 12 inches to 22 inches and you can even request your very own custom color. Just imagine how pretty your dessert table will look when presenting your cakes, cupcakes and other sweets on these color coordinated stands from Sarah's Stands. For a fun artistic flair, you might even want to mix and match the color shades. I'm envisioning an ombré presentation of desserts :)

all coordinating photos above were found via pinterest

Wishing everyone of my readers that is celebrating this weekend a wonderfully happy and safe holiday. I will be back on Tuesday morning with a great giveaway for you all and please do not forget to enter to win in this week's giveaway. And, now I leave you with a fun inspiration board celebrating the 4th of July with a cherry on top :)

please click on inspiration board for a larger version

Shopping Links and Resources:

Ice Cream: Better Homes and Gardens | Dress Sash: Buds and Blooms | Dress: eShakti | Window Ledge with Flowers: Skona Hem | Cherry Cake: Amy Atlas | Favor Box: Event Blossom | Bathing Suit: Shabby Apple | Shabby Chic Birdcages: Mackensley Designs | Invitation: Daisy Design Shop | Clutch: Hoganfe Handmade Originals | Paper Garland: Kate Kreiner

I had so much fun putting together this inspiration board that features all items from etsy. A vintage carnival or circus theme is super fun for a bridal shower or wedding - and the bright colors are sure to make your guests keep smiling. And, I've got a special surprise for you. I've designed a coordinating invitation that can be seen after the inspiration board. You can easily modify the wording and color to match your event. The carnival themed wedding invitation is available for purchase as a template in my etsy shop {think bridal shower, weddding, birthday party, etc}. To see all the vendor credits and the lovely shops - please view this board as an etsy treasury.

please click on the above board to see it larger

To purchase your carnival inspired invitation template that can be customized with the wording and colors of your choice, please visit my etsy shop, Wedding Girl.