Monthly Archives: March 2010

Charlotte & tipit

Images by Sarah Worden of Charlotte Fine Jewelry of Memphis and http://www.moshiri.us/

To wrap up our wedding, there is one tiny detail I would very much like to highlight. I have been a huge fan of this innovative jewelry for well over a decade. It is a perfect combination of genius engineering and limitless creativity, bound in precious metals and gems by it’s designer, Wolf-Peter Schwarz, and his creative team. I was first introduced to the German made collections by chance in Kansas City, where the first US gallery had just opened. I was so taken by the concept I applied for a job and was fortunate to have spent my last two years of study at the Kansas City Art Institute working for such an incredible company.
In essence, it’s all interchangeable, so the images you are seeing above are all the same ring, simply combined with different pieces. Your center stone, or head piece, could be a diamond, a saphire, a topaz, a garnet, a pearl, an aquamarine, a peridot, a whatever you choose depending on your occasion, your mood, or your attire. From there you can then combine that center piece with hundreds of different accent pieces; from industrial steels, to delicate ornate golds, to modern technicolor acrylics, to vintage-esque hand painted enamels . . . And it doesn’t stop there. Once your eyes are shiny and satisfied with your self styled design, you may then take that combination and wear it on a ring, a necklace pendant, a brooch, a bracelet, an earring . . .
It’s hard to believe but see for yourself Charlotte & Tipit. What is even more unbelievable to me is that this company is still one of the best kept secrets in North America. If your in Europe you have a wide variety of galleries to visit in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, but if your located in the US, Canada, or the Caribbean you will need to get yourself to Sante Fe or Memphis. Sarah Worden of Charlotte Fine Jewelry of Memphis, was an angel in assisting me with my engagement and wedding pieces (I already have 6 varieties of gold, silver, and stainless steel rings to wear them with). It took a dozen e-mailed correspondences with images of various combinations before I could make up my mind. I ended up choosing the peridot oval for my engagement piece as I have always gravitated towards that lush, mossy green and the stone historically symbolizes love, truth, faithfulness, and loyalty. I have never been a diamond girl so knew I would steer clear of that tradition for my wedding ring. The chosen pieces were a white pearl, good luck for a happy and successful marriage, and a square of white saphires, symbols of sincerity and constancy.

The details done right in black and white


Sepia to be more exact but for all the die hards . . . . .
Venue-Fleur de lys Villa
Design- Pepper Key Stacie
Dress-Ebay $250!!!
Heels-Le Chateau $20, dyed in the washing machine a pale yellow
Cowboy Boots-Ebay
Brides Engagment and wedding rings- interchangeable jewelry brilliantly engineered for designers and other creative types charlotte & tipit
Bouquet and wedding dress brooches-something old, antiques of my great grandmothers gifted by my mother
Bridesmen and grooms ties-skull print by RokWear on Etsy
Grooms suit-100% linen Le Chateau $300
Groomswomen gowns-Montreal’s wedding district, St Hubert St. bargain rack $20 each
Brides Hair-  Shenique Higgs
Wedding planner- Teresa Brunner Teresa Brunner
Bouquet and boutonniere- Environmental Arts
Music-NaDa Duo mrblou@hotmail.com
Cake topper-I wanted to incorporate the Norwegian tradition of a bridal crown without actually having to wear one myself, gifted by my cousin Jenny in Salt Lake City
Cake Design-incorporated Caribbean architectural details of Fleur de Lys Villa
Groom’s cake-traditional French croquembouche by Pierik Marizou of Caicos Cafe
Beach cocktail-Lemon Lucy’s with cucumber garnish
Beach appetizers-traditional French pate’s and cheeses from Caicos Cafe
Coffee Station- world famous Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee purchased straight from the plantation on our hiking trip to Jamaica
Cake tablecloth- a dear family friend, MaryAlice Tobins, wedding gift; an antique eyelet used at dinner parties my grandparents attended in the 1940’s.
Ceremony program- DIY, modified from Martha Stewart “what tree did you fall from” template
Table decor and floralsDIY, garden clippings from the villa

A Caribbean Courtyard Reception


After kicking off our shoes and enjoying the chance to feel like kids again (complete with games and snacks) the sinking of the sun signaled it was time to head back to the villa for the reception. I thought the evening couldn’t get more beautiful than that beachside sunset, but the welcoming first sight of over 100 lanterns sparkling in the courtyard trees truly took my breath away. I couldn’t help but take a walkabout to just marvel in the atmosphere; the first glimpse of the cake that was more beautiful than I imagined, the tables bursting with green foliage as if they had grown right into the garden. All of the time spent dreaming up the details became worthwhile in that moment.
A suggestion of our planner Teresa was to sit at a dinner table for just the two of us, to take a moment of private celebration and conversation. I’m certain we will look back on that meal with great fondness, not only being surrounded by divine food and wine, but centered around our nearest and dearest. We had a panaramic view of each and every guest which was more endearing than words can possibly describe.

Cocktail Hour on the Beach

The majority of couples who get married in the Turks and Caicos choose to do so on the beach. As this post will testamant to, it’s a beyond beautiful backdrop for a wedding. We are both ocean lovers so wouldn’t dare leave it out of the picture . . . literally! Our photographers (Illeana, Kellie, and David) from http://www.brilliant.tc/ did a fantastic job of capturing exactly what it felt like to be there: Caribbean carefree! While we were enjoying the dangerously refreshing Lemon Lucy cocktail and admiring the sunset, caterers http://www.kissingfish.tc/ and wedding planner Teresa Brunner of http://www.tropicaldmc.com/ were hard at work setting the courtyard for the dinner reception.

A Garden Wedding


The ceremony took place in our favorite place at home, the courtyard where we have spent hours and hours at work, at rest, and at play. A garden wedding is ideal in that Mother Nature has already provided the majority of your decor (the gamble is if she will politely cooperate with your wedding plans). I tried to keep Mother Nature happy by featuring her handiwork prominently; flowers picked from our garden for the table arrangements, a tree washed ashore and draped with ribbon to host our well wishes, shells, branches, and various other beach finds displayed in every available spot. The flattery worked! She held her temper and we had three beautiful days, sandwiched between two cold fronts, timed perfectly for our bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinner, and the big day.

The largest DIY preparation was removing the labels and washing 150 plus varieties of mason jars and glass bottles. Our spaghetti and jelly jars became tea light lanterns, peanut tins became shell adorned flower pots, and dressing, sauce, and water bottles became shabby chic vases. The glue gun saw more action those six months than ever before! I bought a bargain (slightly water damaged) bulk roll of upholstery fabric in Montreal and used it to sew an aisle runner, a photo backdrop, bride and groom chair covers, and a collar for our ring bearer. It was also utilised as backdrops for the “wish you were here” photo collage antique door, the beer garden sign, and the guest favors, personalized shadowboxes (the second largest DIY project). My idea was to have each guest find their dinner place by locating their photo placed inside a shadowbox set at the table. The activity was meant to be reminiscent of looking through a photo album, a favorite family pastime, as well as an ice breaker for recently introduced guests.