on monday i shared a few ideas of things to wear on your head that are not veil-y or particularly bridal.

today i want to share some extremely awesome headdresses, courtesy of caley johnson of miss g designs.

this is the first one i came across, and while it’s not right for everyone, i love the drama of it.

i thought this design was cool for any sort of woodsy/forest wedding or even a natural take on alice in wonderland:

this one is more bridal looking with the asymmetrical veil. also, i don’t know if  you’ve looked, but black roses in wedding-ish headpieces are hard to find.

i saved my favorite for last: the full mohawk. imagine walking down the aisle in this bad boy. you can customize the feather color, height and spread to suit your style, head and hairdo.

speaking of which, caley is open to custom orders and design ideas of all kinds. her craftsmanship is durable and you can see the straps that support some of these larger pieces.

i think all of her designs are kind of magical to look at and very inspiring. i’m thinking about an entire design concept based around this orange fungus headdress.

what do you think? would you wear one for your wedding? if you or someone you know would, let’s chat!

with love,

lindsey

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there are a variety of options for decorating yourself and your hair. if everything you’ve found seems too bridal-y or overdone, here are a few ideas that don’t involve veils or tiaras:

ribbon. i love wearing a ribbon around my head. this one comes with a tutorial to make your own! if you are crafty like that.

scarves. beautiful silk scarves come in so many colors and lengths, you can wear it any way you choose! ps — i love this whole look.

fascinators – could be with flowers, feathers, animals and more. there are local nashville options and a bounty on etsy, too.

flowers. you could wear live or silk flowers in your hair! i love this one with the twigs. i think the rhinestones and pearls give it a more formal, put-together feel.

bows. i love a bow on a clip or a headband. this one would be cute with a short summer dress! i’d also like to see it worn on the crown of the head.

hat or tophat. i love stripes and black and white! looks like vaudeville throwback to me.

vintage or artisan comb. there are a few nashville artisans who turn metal into wearable art.

what do you think? how will you adorn your head?

with love,

lindsey

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if you’re having small kids or big kids at your wedding, here are some ideas to keep fidgeting low:

- crayons and coloring books. easy to provide, inexpensive and no permanent damage to clothing/venue/self. stickers and markers are more of a risk.

- interactive games. does your venue have a concrete floor? why not put down a four-square or hopscotch court with chalk? [or hell, down the aisle, if you're a goof like me.]

- toys. is your venue spacious or partly outside? hula hoops, bubbles, ribbon wands and different size balls from bouncy to kickball size will please kids of all ages.

- board games. set up on a table, bench or floor, everything from candy land to risk. [big kids, remember?]

- disposable cameras. most kids are really good with a camera and enjoy taking photos from their perspective.

- finger food. especially with wrappers. not during the ceremony, though!

- photobooth. props and dress-up clothes make for fun pictures and happy smiles!

what do you think? will children be at your wedding? what kind of entertainment will you provide for them?

also, please send me pictures of you hopscotching down the aisle.

with love,

lindsey

check out more of this fun carnival wedding!

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when i saw these linens from la tavola, everything else fell into place.

i love nashville.  i love the kitchy old wild west that didn’t happen anywhere but our country songs and the good old boys who rule the roost.  and if the nashville songs and lore aren’t enough to satisfy, you can experience the quirk the city has to offer by taking a simple stroll.

first, you can visit manuel and be wowed by his suit de jour, then walk another mile and run into jack white and his yellow jackets at third man, then walk another mile and step into 1962 at  patterson house. so much character and so much going on in our great city!

but back to your nashville-themed wedding.  first i would begin with a blank space. i chose houston station for its raw brick, exposed wood pillars and stripped down wood floors–perfect for love and country.

left side of venue

right side of venue

the décor would be cowboy heavy. i would place horseshoes over all the doors, with both ends pointing towards the ceiling – an old farm superstition for good luck. i’d frame out the ceremony area with two mustangs standing on their hind legs.

i would use these linens together, balancing out the animated pattern with plain napkins and plain dishes.

next, i would use this knot cutlery from classic party rentals – fairly plain but with ranch details for the cowboy in our hearts.

i would hang italian string lights on the ceiling, then bring their whimsy back down to earth by draping rugged burlap.

in the back corner of houston station, i’d place chocolate lounge furniture and suede fringe pillows, where guests can relax and sip on nashville’s own yazoo brew or enjoy a bang candy co. treat.

i’d dress my guys and gals head to toe from katy k’s. jackets, shirts, boots, the works.

what do you think? did i leave any nashville out?

with love,

lindsey

check out these katy k dresses!

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i am finally on pinterest — i had issues with copyright and also just the endless recycling of ideas. so now my ideas are in the mix, too.

my favorite category so far is action shots! i have lots of images of me and my staff busting ass but no place to put them. now i do! enjoy!

this is me having a moment at the carnival wedding: entertainment music is on cd, but a/v hookup is for ipod; trying to figure out how to attach rings to this vintage ringling bros. elephant without creating holes or damaging it — we tied twine around it’s neck; paper towels in my pocket are for cleaning spilled water from the flower arrangements; somebody is asking me a question about something else entirely. thanks to john yates for capturing this moment.

with love,

lindsey

want more behind the scenes? check out the carnival wedding timelapse video!

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hope you’re having  a good day. i am struggling with what to share.

i try to make this blog a place that mixes up cool things i have done, cool things i want to do, thoughts on the emotional impact of planning a wedding and responses to what’s good [and not so good] about the wedding industry.

having said that, maybe i’m not as helpful to you as i could be.

so — do you have questions? is there something you’re going through and want to gauge what other people are thinking/feeling/doing, too?

is there something you wish i would discuss or explain?

if so, leave it in the comments below and i’ll address it. if you don’t want your thoughts to be public, email me directly at: lhuddleston@dandylionevents.com. i’m the only person who checks this email and i look at it a few times a day. i can skype with your wedding party or grab some coffee [or a paleta].

if you have questions, thoughts, doubts or just want an objective viewpoint on something — well, that’s why i’m here. so let’s have it.

me “trying out” a hula-hoop for the kid’s area at loveless barn before the carnival wedding.

i am a real human. you can talk to me.

with love,

lindsey

you can email, call or text me. i’m easy to reach and i want to talk with you!

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i just woke up from one of the best dreams i’ve ever had. it was absurd, surreal and colorful.

some of the clothing worn in the dream has me thinking about combining patterns.

there are different ways to do it. you can feature one main color like these:

you can work with complementary [or at least not aggressively clashing] colors:

or find unity through a common theme:

so, instead of having uniform linens — why not have all different ones? i favor linens with a tight sheen — when the lighting is low, sparkling or warm, it isn’t so much of a color as a feeling.

pricing is also a consideration. specialty linens like these featured from la tavola are more expensive than your basic polyester.

to add some fun for less cash, you can use sparingly or combine different color polys. avoid any rental company [in nashville anyways] that tells you color polys cost more than your basic neutrals [black/ivory/white]. most charge the same basic fee regardless of hue.

table linens might be a priority to you and your partner, or they may not. i encourage you to consider them in part of the overall look and feel of your event — think about the first glance your guests will have of the reception. not just the favors you’ve slaved over or the vintage postcard table numbers you hunted down for months. this is what i call the initial impact — everything hits at once.

also beware over-layering. we focus on the top of the table and the first foot off the table. everything else will be hidden by chairs and eventually by your guests.

what do you think? are you considering specialty linens?

with love,

lindsey

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i was talking with a close friend recently about things we hate. her list was well thought-out, clear and concise. there were 5 things. i thought it sounded like a short list and i started to consider mine. listed below, in order of offense:

1- disparity.

2- ignorance.

3- lack of consideration.

4- litter.

that is really it. everything that upsets me or makes me mad is on this list somewhere.

i think the first three are self-explanatory and the root of most evils.

the litter one has gotten progressively worse the older i get.

i was making my assistants laugh as i was picking up crap outside of the venue last weekend, which was part of a public space.  it was late. the event was over. it was dark. it didn’t matter — there was trash everywhere! i’ve never felt like that was someone else’s problem. i can help and it doesn’t take much time.

i can’t stand it when we leave a trail of trash in our wake (we try to pick up as we go). or from the a/v team leaving their clipped zip ties EVERYWHERE. or the linen bags being strewn about.

i dunno why. it just bugs the hell out of me.

what’s on your list, lions? and what do you consider to just be a pet peeve?

with love,

lindsey

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all events are different. this past weekend held new challenges in the form of:

1) a child with pink eye — requiring all of the photobooth props to be disinfected, as well as the escalator railings and beverage station.

2) bored assistants — even though the work was not taxing, it had to be done in such a short amount of time i was overstaffed for the rest of the evening.

3) out-of-town struggles — it was just chattanooga, but not knowing my way around for things like a walmart or where to get brunch was frustrating. i need to remember to give myself extra time to get around and get acquainted with new surroundings.

related: late nights in a downtown area you’re unfamiliar with can be scary. i was concerned for the safety of my staff as we were packing up and i’ve never experienced that before.

it doesn’t matter how many weddings i help create, every ceremony leaves me with something i hadn’t thought about before.

the officiant reverend nancy neal commented something along the lines of every relationship being fragile. it should be treated as something that is precious and delicate– that any small act of distrust or infidelity could damage beyond repair or break it entirely.

i don’t know if i agree because i feel most offences can be mended but i do know that sometimes i don’t treat my closest relationships with the fragility and respect they require. so thanks to rev. neal for that brain food.

what do you think? are relationships black and white? or is there more grey area than we recognize?

with love,

lindsey

feeling like wedding planning kind of sucks sometimes? you are not alone!

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today i’m sharing the reception from the same ceremony we featured on wednesday.

it was a total circus! all the guests had an amazing time. the entertainment was non-stop!

specialty draping and lighting set the tone!

leipers fork bluegrass group entertained guests for the ceremony and reception!

local fire-eater extraordinaire freya west!

bodhicitta bellydancers mesmerized the crowd — guests were awed and amazed!

stilt-walking balloon man sean hughes made lightsabres, crowns, cameras and more!

world of warcraft cake topper

ferris wheel centerpieces set in wheatgrass

photobooth fun from 123 smile

thistle farm lavender favors to throw on the bride and groom during send-off

final kiss under the big top

this wedding was so fun and creative. this couple really put their guest’s enjoyment first! and a good time was had by all.

with love,

lindsey

have a fun creative idea for your wedding? talk with us! we can make it happen.

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