Sydney + Bryce's Silent Film Inspired Wedding

SATURDAY JUNE 27, 2015 | SUTHERLAND'S RANCH | EAGLE, ID

“We would be together
and have our books
and at night
be warm in bed together
with the windows open
and the stars bright.”

— Ernest Hemingway

Featured on Swooned

Bryce Hoogland and Sydney Thomas, high school sweethearts and film students with a shared passion for the silent cinema of yesteryear, wanted to imbue their big day with a “vintage film feel.” Surrounded by fragrant lavender fields, enshrouded in decades-old greenery, and dotted with an eclectic array of found art, Sutherland’s Ranch offered the Idahoan couple a setting worthy of the old screen. A lunar motif gave the event a touch of stardust, with a handcrafted crescent moon evoking the popular portrait props of the early twentieth century.

The wedding was captured beautifully by Ethan and Emily Hensley of E + E Photography, whose photographic treatment was inflected with a sense of the past. “Bryce and Sydney put so much thought into every bygone detail,” Emily says. “Their nuptials encompassed everything that is beautiful about a summer wedding in Idaho.” - Swooned

““For us, the ceremony was the best part of the day. We wrote our own vows, and saying them out loud before all of our loved ones really hit home. We started off the ceremony by presenting both of our mothers with bouquets and thanking them for making the day possible. We ended the ceremony by having our officiant explain to our guests why Bryce and I opted to take each other’s surnames, hyphenating them together to create a new name. We wanted to have the same last name, but we didn’t want to follow the patriarchal tradition of a bride abandoning her last name.”

— Bride, Sydney

"Made by pastry chef Greg Marsh, the couple’s four-tiered naked cake was in keeping with the Arcadian theme. It sat on an amber glass pedestal, enwreathed in sugar-dusted berries and accented with tiny sprigs of baby’s breath." - Swooned

“We hired Heidi with Ira + Lucy to coordinate the wedding. This was by far one of the best decisions I’ve ever made!! Heidi was not only extremely professional and helpful, she was a lot of fun and had so many creative ideas. I truly can’t imagine going through the stress of planning a wedding without the help from this amazing woman. Money well spent. I would recommend Ira + Lucy for coordinating and decorations to anyone planning a special event!!!”

— Mother of the Bride, Denise

VENDORS

E+ E Photography
Ira and Lucy Wedding Planner and Design
Sutherland's Ranch
Florist at Edward's
A Lively Chef
Greg Marsh Designer Cakes
Jolly Edition - Invitations

Makayla + Mike's French Garden Wedding

Makayla + Mike

Fourth Street Gardens | June 3rd, 2016

“You’re my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I’m winning
’Cause I give you all, all of me
And you give me all, all of you”

— John Legend, All of Me

Ira + Lucy
Custom design boards

As part of our "Enhanced Day of" Package we provide design assistant to three selected areas of the couples' choice. Makayla and Mike asked for special attention for their Head Bridal Party Table, The Ceremony Alter and the Cake Feature. 

Below is a snippet from the Custom Design Boards we created for the Head Table concept, featuring a romantic floral print linen from La Tavola Fine Linen, pulling in the blush tones from the wedding color palette. The Bride and Groom sat in our "Kelli Jean" french victorian settee for their special seating and the rest of the wedding party looked lovely in the cross back chairs we sourced from Tates. Each place setting had our Honey Harvest rattan charger and a blush napkin. French vintage blush stemware added some whimsy and antique brass candlesticks and candles set the tone for a dreamy garden tablescape. The floral design by Lemon Blossom Designs was stunning!!!! Those peonies were quite the statement and so dreamy! I finished the settings by adding classic china with blush accents for the Bride and Groom place settings.

“YOU Heidi, are a AMAZING. Tell the whole team too! Yesterday was seriously PERFECTION, we had so much fun and got to enjoy time with each other and our families and guests because of you!! Thank you thank you!”

— Bride, Makayla

VENDOR TEAM

Ira + Lucy Coordination + Design
Let It Shine Photography
Lemon Blossom Designs
Fourth Street Gardens
Blue Chip Media
Open Table Catering
Behrens Artistry
Tates Tents and Events
La Tavola Fine Linen
LaNeige Bridal
Mens Warehouse
Jeremy Wilson DJ
Brie Thomason 2nd Shooter
 

Let's Talk Dapper Groom and Groomsmen

Let's talk "Dapper" groom and his groomsmen!SMART . SEXY . STYLISH

With so much focus on the girls, what about our handsome gents? All too often we hear it's "all about the bride", which I do just hate. It completely takes away from what a wedding is all about, the couple and their commitment to marriage. So, today we are focusing on men's attire and how you handsome guys can look your very best on your wedding day! We'll talk about grooming, hair, shaving tips and more later, but right now let's talk about some basic concepts!

1. Think about TEXTURE - layer your textures. This works particularly well for Fall Season Grooms and Groomsmen. Think wool blend blazers and vests, patterned shirts and accent bow ties. Keep the Groom's attire standing out enough from the groomsmen.
2. Don't overlook the shoes! This is often a last minute detail and not worth throwing on a pair of old dress shoes... Complete the look. Think tonal oxfords or monkstrap for the more adventurous fashion forward guys out there.
3. Tailor that suit! Spend a little time looking up men's fashion, and we're not talking the ridiculously "couture" fashion. Peruse Pinterest, browse through GQ, hit up JCrew or Banana Republic and you'll see something in common - NO BAGGY SUITS or tuxes. Please, take the time to have your suit properly tailored to your body. I know some of you bigger gents are thinking I'm suggesting a tiny "skinny" suit that is so not your style, and no - simply, that you need to have your suit tailored to your body. You will look like a million bucks!
4. Build your attire around the design of your wedding. You need to be cohesive with the rest of the decor elements. Don't think matchy-matchy, but do be sure you are dressed for the occasion. Below is a great example of a more elegant occasion with a more formal black jacket and crisp tux shirt, but the bow tie steps up the game! The adorable couple on the right is for you summer couples! The light blue shirt (again not baggy) with the coordinating suspenders and the gray slacks looks relaxed, gentlemanly and quite dashing!

Be sure to check out The Tie Bar and Collared Greens, which by the way is offering 25% discount right now! Both companies have some awesome options! In fact, I just had next weekend's bride order her guys some bow ties and a tie for her fiance from The Tie Bar! Hope this helps you guys out!

Ira + Lucy Vintage Boho Wedding, Southerland's Ranch, Eagle ID

Something that I've always focused so hard on, is the relationship I and my team have with our couples, including their parents, especially the Mother-of-the-Bride. We work very close, usually with Bride and Mom in the months leading up to the wedding. Sometimes that means late night conversations on the phone about concerns or stresses and how we can help them through those challenges. I'll never forget when Sydney reached out to me back in November. She found Ira + Lucy on WeddingWire and sent us an email inquiring about our services. It was a match made in heaven! When Sydney shared her vision I immediately wanted their wedding. Sydney and Bryce are both film students in Denver and I just adore their style and both are such quality people. Soon, Sydney's mom, Denise and I were shooting emails back and forth in prepping for the big day.

Sending Sydney and Bryce off in a sparkler exit to a dreamy vintage car, a surprise gift from the Groom's parents, was so special and a bit emotional for me. Dealing with 105 degree weather, and over 13 hours in the heat, Sydney hugging me before they ran to the car and telling me how happy she was, "Heidi I just love you! Thank you!" meant the world to me!

You'd think after three years of doing Ira + Lucy I wouldn't get nerves or deal with anxiety, but I totally do! I can barely sleep the night before our clients' weddings because I'm so caught up in all the lists, logistics, management etc and I can't stop my head from those lists. I want the day perfect for my couples that have trusted me and my team. It's one thing to kick ass leading up to the wedding, but it's another come "go-time". It was an incredible day! I've never seen such a stunning wedding party! Wait till you see the pics! E + E Photography were wonderful to work with and I'm just dying to see the pics! So, for now here is one stunner of a sneak peek! Thank you Sydney and Bryce and the Thomas and Hoogland Families for inviting Ira + Lucy to be part of such an incredible moment! xx

Stay tuned for more pictures coming soon!

TEAM Ira + Lucy Event Design, Coordination, Vintage Rentals The Southerland's Ranch, Eagle ID E + E Photography The Florist at Edwards, Matt A Lively Chef Catering Hannah Ganatos Hair + Makeup Greg Marsh Designer Cake VCI Audio - DJ

- Heidi

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Yellow Wedding Ideas - Ira and Lucy

Here's a little sunshine for your Monday afternoon! If you follow us on Instagram, you'll see I have an obsession with these dusty, muted tones! The yellow and gray wedding palette has been done a million times, so I suggest opting for a more toned down hue and layering your palette to more than just yellow and gray. Hope you enjoy our yellow wedding ideas board! We adore this vintage chair featured at the Bliss and Bespoke Retreat! The added pop of pink/violet is beautiful!

You can see we incorporated vintage elements and popped in some mid-century modern vibes with  the vase selection. Texture is key! Chiffon, lace, velvet tufting, wood, greenery - layering is the key to quality design! For our groom, how about stepping away from a tux rental and go with a charcoal suit and a dapper bow tie! YES PLEASE! Love it! This look is really quite achievable and works great for the couple on a budget, but design in mind! We love us a vintage accent chair, perfect for those bridal portraits, special seating at dinner and then used again for the garter toss! When we chat with our clients we talk a lot about how to repurpose decor elements to save on the budget! Think about how that chair will make for way cooler pics for the garter toss then a regular folding chair? Just say'n ;)

As you know we are pretty smitten over Maggie Sottero Gowns and think the "Anna" gown in the champagne tone would be so gorgeous with this concept. It's "a stunning fit and flare wedding dress featuring pleated tulle and flaring into a voluminous skirt, is complete with romantic sweetheart neckline and finished with corset closure" You can find Maggie gowns at exclusive retailer, Heartfelt Bridal, just off Fairview Avenue.

As for adding in those modern elements - think color blocking or geometric shapes and lines. Hook up with local invitation and specialty paper designers Paperie + Pen just down the road from Heartfelt Bridal at The Village at Meridian! They have a dreamy paper shop that you will die for! This is a great place to also get thank you cards for your bridesmaids, gifts for your friends and family and a whole lot more!

The Westchester Wedding Planner Features Ira and Lucy

The Westchester Wedding PlannerFeatures Ira + Lucy

I am so excited to start my week with Ira and Lucy featured on The Westchester Wedding Planner! A "transplant" to Idaho from the bigger city life has been an adjustment these past few years and quite the adventure! Boise has been so welcoming and embraced our family with a lot of love and support! It's been incredible building our vintage rental and wedding design and planning business from the ground up here, so much so that we are now expanding our design and coordination services into Seattle and Portland! It is awesome to be featured by New York's Westchester Wedding Planner this morning! I adore when Idaho Creatives are recognized and put on the "wedding designer map"! We have some incredibly awesome talent here! I'm so grateful for the awesome team of creatives that helped me pull this dream shoot together! xx

[pullquote width="600" float="left"]Happy Monday! This is a fantastic way to begin our week! Heidi of Ira & Lucy Event Design envisioned a dream photo shoot with the most delicate color palette, stunning tablescape with the accents of watercolor, and wedding attire producing one of the prettiest shoots we’ve had the pleasure of featuring here at TWWP. There are so many sweet details that brides can use as inspiration for their own lovely weddings. I hope you love this photo shoot as much as I do. [/pullquote]

Photography: Ellie Asher Photo | Creative Directing: Ira & Lucy Vintage Rentals & Styling | Videography: TK Production Films | Catering: Open Table Catering | Cakes: Stevi Raff Cake Design | Gowns: Wedding Gowns by Daci at LaNeige Bridal and Maggie Sotter’s “Esme” and “Sawyer” Heartfelt Bridal | Hair and Make Up: Behrens Artistry | Invitations: Paperie + Pen | Venue: Blackhawk On The River | Vintage Rentals: Ira and Lucy | Floral Design: Flora | Sponsor: mcWED / McCall Wedding + Event Directory | Models: Kelsie Fields , Conner Skeen , Jayde Jones, Devyn LaRee’ Lish and Rachel Culver (TMTV Talent & Modeling, LLC.)

DIY Wood Pallet Wedding Projects

DIY Wood Pallet Wedding Projects

A former thrifty DIY Bride myself and now a Vintage Rental business owner and wedding designer, DIY is something we do often! And ohhh the lessons we have learned! Today we're sharing some tips for working with wood pallets. Hopefully we'll help you from a "Pinterest Fail".

TONS OF GREAT IDEAS of how to utilize recycled wood pallets are all over Pinterest and leading wedding blogs. You can check out some of our favorites! In the meantime, let's talk the reality of working with these puppies!

1. Wood Pallets are hella heavy! Enlist the help of your friends or fiance when working with wood pallets. They are super heavy and large! Think about what your use for them is going to be. A large pallet backdrop looks awesome, but you are really going to have to think through how you will prevent it from toppling over, especially if you are adding floral or other weighted decor to it.
2. Decide new vs old pallets. Is the end product going to look best with rustic upcycled wood pallets or would new be a better option. For us, we wanted not quite as rustic of a vibe old would offer, so we purchased new pallets and sanded the top of the boards down some for a smoother surface.
3. Disassembling wood pallets takes some sweat! Get your crow bar out! But, BEWARE! Removing the boards can also cause them to split where the nail was in place. Take your time, but realize you may split them during the process. I personally liked working with brand new pallets from a local wood pallet supply company. Also if you want your project symmetrical, like our wood backdrop, make sure you pick the most similar pallets, otherwise, like us... you'll be forced to disassemble them and rebuild them to match.
4. Staining wood pallets is a *^%#@ after the first attempt of staining wood pallets, I was ready to throw the project out! I was irritated, covered in stains and I was so sore from the crazy positions I had to put my body into to get to all those hard to reach places. So, here you go!

Insider Tip!

Do not stain with a brush! GET A SPRAY GUN! You'll blow (literally) through more stain this way, than doing it by hand, BUT, it'll take you less than 5 minutes vs 2 hours per pallet! Also, you need to cover the ground with more coverage than you see I did below... I killed some of my grass...

We LOVED this model we purchased from Lowes! The Wagner Opti Stain Plus for only $49.99! Keep in mind, it is for STAIN only! They have a different model if you are wanting to use paint. We used the Minwax Special Walnut from Home Depot for this project, which matches our custom bar.

Ira + Lucy Custom Wood Pallet Backdrop

Yes Dear. Studios

Ira + Lucy Matching Bar

Laken Fulton Photography

Hope this helps you with your wood pallet DIY projects! If this all seems like more work than you want to handle, you can rent for a fraction of the price! Contact us to rent our wood pallet backdrop!

[button url="http://iraandlucy.com/book/"]Contact[/button]

TIPS for DIY Brides working with Wedding Coordinators

We recently wrote an article for Sound Wave Music and Lighting about the DIY bride with some tips! Head on over for the full article. Since writing that guest blog post I have continued thinking about the DIY couples and how as designers and coordinators we can help our Do It Yourself Couples with some helpful tips! So, get your notepad out and start taking notes! Here are some tips for DIY Brides working with wedding coordinators and designers!

Some Background

SAVING MONEY! From experience talking with DIY couples, many assume they can't afford a professional Coordinator or Designer. DIY, usually lends to a couple being serious about having their wedding on a strict budget , so they are opting to tackle the details as much on their own as possible to save money. They immediately write off any option of having a Coordinator OR they hope to use a family friend or relative to help with coordination. Sometimes this works great and other times not so much... In our own wedding, many years ago and pre-wedding industry professional, I was in the same boat. I felt that $10k was a lot of money and had no clue what weddings cost and thought it would stretch far. I made the mistake of blowing through a decent amount of that buying decor, as there weren't vintage rental businesses back then. I certainly thought hiring a coordinator was out of the question!

Questions to ask yourself:

• Budget - have you actually figured out an itemized budget? Not just an overall budget, but how it is broken down? Usually DIY brides are reaching into the unknown trying to estimate price range for services: venue rentals, catering, DJ, flowers, attire etc. Often the answer is... "I had no idea how much that costs!" A professional coordinator can help you navigate the budget with a clear idea of what the different services cost and how to best guide you to reputable vendors that fit your budget.
• How much of your budget went out the window on those spontaneous shopping sprees at Hobby Lobby? You know exactly what I'm talking about. I know how tempting it is! That $75 here and $50 there and another $130 last month... Those add up! Instead, that money could have been saved up to go toward catering vs your family having to prep all the food. Or that dream floral arch for your ceremony! Those details will last in photos and give you the real bang for your buck vs. all those cute chalkboard signs. Really go through and ask yourself what you definitely need. Return the extras before you get any further into planning.

• Prioritize needs: (some of the main things to consider)
  • Venue
  • Officiant/Ceremony
  • Catering
  • Photography
  • Rentals (chairs, linen, tables etc)
  • DJ
  • Attire
  • Floral + Decor
  • Lodging
  • Travel
  • Hair + Makeup
• Coordinator fees. We highly encourage you reach out to local coordinators and ask lots of questions! Each of us offers different packages and services and all share the belief that each couple will find the coordinator that fits their personality and needs. It's okay if you meet and find that it isn't a good fit. It's all part of the process. Ask about coordination and design services - YES, there is a difference. Let the coordinator know your budget up front. Talk about it. See if you can figure something out that works for both of you. Maybe you need to pick between having a designer/decorator or a coordinator - what do you need most? ASK why they are beneficial to your particular needs. *side note! As with all industries there are always businesses that want to get into the industry and therefore do research on the market and then underprice the competition in hopes of getting experience and business starting out. Beware. As a couple with budget on the mind, that doesn't mean the cheapest coordinator is quality.
• Utilize PINTEREST. Pinterest can be a bride's AND coordinator's best friend or worst enemy! Autumn is a perfect example of how awesome Pinterest can be utilized for DIY couples!
  • Set your Pinterest Wedding Board to SECRET! You don't need the opinions and input of everyone AND you want to keep some elements a surprise right?
  • Start pinning things that catch your and your fiance's eye.
  • EDIT and DELETE pins that no longer fit the vision (or move them to a different board if you are attached to them)
  • Once you have narrowed down your board make sure to put in the comments the specific description:

With Autumn giving us all the details we knew EXACTLY what she wanted! This is perfect for the DIY bride who really wants to make sure her hard work comes together at the end; how SHE envisioned it. Autumn functioned as the designer until the last three months and then handed the reins off to our incredible team.

My husband and I both so grateful for Heidi's and her team's part in making our wedding day truly memorable and amazing. It was more than we dreamed about, and it was surreal to walk into the space with all the little details I'd been planning and working so hard on fully executed beyond my wildest dreams. It was beautiful, and I wouldn't change a single thing about any of it. The Ira & Lucy team was truly incredible - so kind, thoughtful, and hard working, and their dedication means the world to us. Because of all their hard work, we were able to relax and enjoy ourselves from the first second to the last, and focus on our vows, our guests, and most importantly, each other. My husband even made a point of telling me the next day how happy he was that we found Ira & Lucy - we couldn't have pulled it all off if we hadn't! Special thanks to Arielle for her attention to detail - she had lots of questions in the days and weeks leading up to our big day, and it really showed that she was thinking through everything to make sure it was just how we pictured. You know you've had a successful event when there isn't a single thing you'd change when you look back! - Autumn

We work with DIY couples often and don't want you to shy away from contacting us to inquire about our services. Hopefully these tips will help you in your planning! Certainly, we could give many more tips, but this post is already long enough! After you take a look at your budget with realistic expectations and think you may benefit from hiring a coordinator or designer/day of decorating team - shoot us an email and let's chat! You can see our packages here. Now put the car in reverse and pull out of that Hobby Lobby parking lot!!!

[button url="http://iraandlucy.com/book/"] Email Here[/button]