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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spring is here and i want some psychedelic color, a little ridiculousness and bare legs! enter the lennon inspiration. short dresses, big glasses and love for all!

first, love this vintage romper from closet case vintage (be sure to check out their inspiring lookbook as well!)

with high socks in a bold color, maybe teal?

modcloth has a great selection of ridiculous tights in every size!

add some oversize sunglasses

and we’ve got a party.

what do you think? what looks are you craving or loving right now?

love to all,

lindsey

say hello! lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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entertainment can make or break your event. it determines the mood, what fun is to be had and how long people will stay and party!

we strongly recommend thoroughly researching the people you hire to entertain your guests.

my personal favorite, who i want to see at every party in nashville, is koo koo kanga roo. a two-man hip hop group from minnesota, bryan and neil are so genuine and hysterical. they can get an entire room of hipsters to dance an interact during their performances! you should check out their silly, catchy tunes here – and after deciding you need more of them in your life- help them towards a new tour van here!

outside of dancing, some reception options that our clients have been asking for are:

- board games: we wrap them in wrapping paper, wallpaper or butcher paper and make labels to keep themes and branding consistent

- outdoor games: croquet, bocce and bean bag toss for kids young and old

- photobooth: whether homemade or rented, fun props make this a crowd favorite!

- interactive guest book: create your own with an adjustable scrapbook and then add as many plain or colorful pages as you want. provide your guests with different crafty mediums such as crayons, colored pencils, glitter/confetti, fabric, glue, scissors and more so they can leave you a fun note! you can prompt guests with questions on each page or let them have creative freedom.

- make your own: another interactive activity, we’ve seen guests make their own photobook from wedding day images, mix a cd/playlist to keep and potted plants to take home.

what do you think? what fun things are you planning for your guests?

love to all,

lindsey

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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you all have loved seeing pics of our december 11 wedding and truly, it was so much fun!

the most frequent question has been: where is that venue? while our sweet bride savannah did a great job choosing a space with a great view + complemented her color scheme,  i’m here to make the case for lighting with some before + after pics:

ceremony/dance space before:

(c) meredith norwood

after:

(c) kate crafton photography

see what i mean? tim and his staff at 2 sound productions did an incredible job of making the space come alive. highly recommend for an event in tn or atl!

also, you may think this space looks awesome, but think about the feelings and overall impact you want to create before signing a contract with any venue. it is expensive and labor-intensive to fight your surroundings. this space would not have been ideal for a fluffy, soft, peony-infested affair. it was perfect for a night of rock n roll!

what do you think? what sort of venues interest you?

love to all,

lindsey

i’d love to hear from you! lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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you have probably seen a store in 12 south called katy k’s. i would highly recommend you visit! below are a few dresses that would be lovely substitutes for the traditional wedding dress (read: white puffball) and be sweet to your budget, too.

1. hellbunny dress (140) black crinoline (45)

goth? hardcore? zombie prom? this fully lined dress is from the uk and totally kicks ass.

check out the bow detail in the back!

2. hellbunny dress (80)

this dress has so much potential! it’s a little girlier, with a very tutu-like tulle skirt.

this dress is fully lined and the flower pin is removable. there are 3 button holes on the straps to adjust for torso length + bust size.

skirt detail:

3. hellbunny ladybug dress (60) white crinoline (45)

planning a warm-weather wedding? this little dress is casual + summer sweet.

love pockets! handy for a hanky, rings or your vows!

4. hellbunny pop dress (70) red crinoline (45)

love this aqua + red print! it’s a little feisty.

this dress also has 2 buttons on the straps to adjust the torso and bust fit. the waist tie is sewn on and cannot be removed.

bust detail:

see katy’s other wares at her etsy shop, on ebay and on facebook! or stop by 2407 12th avenue south to try them on for yourself- they’re open every day of the week.

the most important thing is to find a dress you love to wear + makes you feel magnificent. what is your criteria for the perfect outfit on your wedding day?

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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while we love crafty craftiness, planning and forethought goes into all of our projects.  there are logistical issues like the actual physics of creating it, transportation, relocation and maintenance. it is now complete and looks great. many thanks to all the lovely lions who made it out to our mobile-making party to put it all together!

what are you creating today?

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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the first queercamp was last year in milwaukee, and this year it has expanded to include nashville and chicago. you lions know that we promote equality and community- and that is what this event is about!

the unconference structure allows participants to present, so the more people who participate, the more fun it will be! you can register here, and the best part is that it’s totally free. yup! join us in creating this FIRST EVER opportunity for the nashville lgbt community to gather to learn together, grow together and shape the future.

some of you may not be familiar with the concept of an unconference but let me assure you it’s not as cofusing as it sounds. anyone can sign up to speak, and then other participants sign up for the classes they want to attend. if you get inspired during the day there will be an impromptu room set up for you to talk to a group on the spot! we do schedule the speeches in advance, so if you’re interested in talking about anything at all, please contact me at lindsey[at]dandylionevents.com or 615.439.0652 (texts are okay too). once we have a few topics solidified, we’ll post a schedule so those who wish to participate can plan their day. easy, right? community-focused and driven. did i mention how excited we are?

be sure to check out our ad in out & about nashville in may. many thanks to our wonderful sponsor, kevin at KLR Photography. be sure to show him some love!

*disclaimer: we do not intend for the word ‘queer’ to offend anyone. we are an offshoot of the original event and chose to maintain that connection. we love every lion and do not use it as a slur or in any way demeaning to the lgbtqti lions out there.

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar and sign up to speak! lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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It’s local feature Friday yet again, and I’m so excited to feature a business near and dear to my heart here in beautiful Asheville. Casey and Grace of Dang Salon are incredibly creative, cognizant, and cutting edge when it comes to your look.

Dang Salon is located in Asheville’s River Arts District (which, at its core, is one of the coolest places to hang out in the entire city) in the Phil the Mechanic building, which houses a multitude of artists from a wide range of disciplines.

I know…not where you think you could find the best place to get your hair transformed into something amazing, is it? Well, you step inside…

…and awaiting you is an oasis of hair care and style!

The girls at Dang only use Paul Mitchell products, especially since a wide range of their products are vegan and environmentally friendly. Not only does that benefit the environment, but for those of us who, ahem, encourage our hair to stay a certain shade, it doesn’t completely wreck and ravage your hair.

The decor in the shop is delightfully funky and fun. Instead of sitting in squeaky vinyl chairs under the dryer, they have a set of mustard yellow wing chairs straight out of the past that are extremely comfortable.

Beyond the furnishings, you have two talented stylists who really listen to what their clients want and need. Grace, the tamer of my tresses, is the only stylist I know of that makes my hair BEHAVE. See, I have very thick, very wavy, coarse hair that I keep auburn (which yes, is pretty close to my natural hair color…even though I haven’t seen it in 10 years) and love to have it voluminous. Most stylists thin it out, chop it off, flat iron it into submission, and try to give me blond highlights.

Grace listens to what I want, gives her own feedback, and I turn her loose on my head of hair. For example, it’s springtime here in the mountains, so I wanted to add some oomph to my dark auburn mane. We broke out the color book, found a couple shades we both loved (that would work with my redhead skin), and Grace went to town!

She glazed it (a semi-permanent color that washes out over 6-8 weeks that allows natural tones and shades to come through) with an intense cherry-bomb red that keeps it its “natural” auburn under the fluorescent lights of my office building, but becomes this gorgeous mass of nearly-fire-engine-red when I’m outside. She also trimmed up my top-most layer and neatened up my bangs, along with very loosely pin-curling my hair while it dried. The result?

Vavoom! Pure 70’s movie star magic! I love how it moves, feels, and the fact I can recreate this look at home! And yes, my darling lions, these two fierce ladies do some AMAZING bridal hair. They take your hair and, while staying true to your sense of style, transform it into the best it can be!

AND, as Asheville is an emerging city, Dang does NOT charge out the nose for their services. They are affordable but, honestly, I would recommend them solely on the basis of the quality of care.

So please, darling lions, consider giving Grace or Casey a call next time you’re having a hair emergency, a crisis of color, or want something truly dandy and unique for your wedding or special occasion. They rock!

(Grace, the guru of my hair!)

Contact Grace Tasedan or Casey McCuller @ 828.225.3225 and let them completely rejuvenate your hair!

Pushing boundaries as always, with love,

Amanda
give me a roar: amanda@dandylionevents.com

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in honor of our local roller derby team, the nashville roller girls, these inspiration boards are black + blue!

ideas for the bride:

(clockwise from top left)

get in your something blue with these ‘sweet ass’ britches -from hotacrossbuns

this could be worn as a necklace or bouquet charm- from nikkisuniques

blue glitter ‘rockn’ rolla’ ring -from walk on the moon

black + white tulle skirt- from mtcoffinz

for your partner or your ‘maids:

(clockwise from top left)

knee-length blue tutu- from sisters of the moon

awesome gift idea- magnetic paper dolls- ‘tattoo sampler’- from elizabeth ocean (the sailor is my favorite)

black, purple, teal + turquoise miniskirt- from MTcoffinzUndergroud

black + blue feather fascinator -from alice and the owl

i couldn’t make up my mind between the two tutus- you could mix and match, or wear them in layers!

for everything else:

(clockwise from top left)

blue super roller girl- could use for save the dates! -from rhodaperdition

needlepoint kitsch decor- from moxiedoll

vintage patch for shirts, bags or favors!- from twitch and whiskers

cluster ball bearings for a non-perishable bouquet, or give one to your sweetie!- from derbylicious

i’m super excited about this saturday’s double header, but sad that i can’t attend.  i hope you’ll go + cheer on our local derby team! get there early, especially if you want to sit in the bleachers instead of the aptly-named suicide seats. they always sell out their bouts! oh, and wear something black + blue too! you can pick up merchandise, such as t-shirts, posters and patches, once you’re there. it’s easy to find from wedgewood and the parking is free!

where do you draw your wedding inspiration? is it internal or external?

love to all,

lindsey

give us a roar: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

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- you have your priorities nailed down and now the rest feels like tedious details- taxes? legalities?

- you’re receiving pressure from external sources: parents, future in-laws, bridal magazines + tv shows, traditions that other people feel you should uphold, being offered a few ugly dresses with great pride, great aunt suzy who never married + is living vicariously through you. it happens.

- there’s internal pressure, too- desire to create a perfect and beautiful event, budget constraints, trying to keep everyone happy and avoid hurt feelings, and family dynamics are very stressed and painful-even things that are routine and now normal to your life, like an unsupportive parent, can be cast out into the glarish sunlight as you try to plan your stellar nupitals.

- you start to wonder if the expense is worth it? i mean, at the end of the day, you’re still married!

even though it feels like crap, take heart in the knowledge that it’s an experience everyone goes through.

now, here’s the silver lining- it can be used for good:
- it will help keep your expenditures, and the event as a whole, in perspective
- it will cause you to focus on what’s driving you to make a commitment in the first place- a kick-ass relationship!

easiest remedy: get away. no, seriously. if your future m-i-l is ringing the phone off the hook, turn it off.  leave the house without your cell. if you can physically get away together, then do so. if not, then schedule mandatory non-wedding time. play with your puppy or get out the nes. go for a hike. do something you really love to do, together, and reaffirm your purpose for all the stress- the celebration of your love for one another.

what do you think? what is your greatest stressor right now?

love to all,

amanda, lindsey + meredith

the lionesses

say hello: info@dandylionevents.com

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