It’s never too early to begin planning a spring/summer 2011 wedding (these picks are likely too late for our 2010 summer wedding brides). I love bright colored weddings and think the ultimate spring wedding colors would be bright yellow and lavender. These two colors would allow you to work with a variety of shades because light yellow and dark purple accents would look good too. So this week I will plan a lavender and yellow spring wedding with a garden tea reception. I just love the idea of having an outdoor wedding in a blooming garden. And making it a tea party let’s you add a few whimsical touches, even if you only serve iced teas.

bright yellow short bridesmaids' dresses

These bright yellow bridesmaids’ dresses are so cute and they pop so well next to the bride’s crisp white dress.

yellow and lavender bouquets

Just substitute theses flowers into their hands and this would play nicely into my garden wedding. These dresses are from J. Crew, which is likely why I was drawn to them in the first place.

One of the first steps of planning a wedding is choosing your bridal party. Now I’m sure most brides-to-be have already decided who their bridesmaids will be way before the proposal (and maybe even before you started dating your husband-to-be) and most of the woman you will ask will be anticipating the question. But why not slow things down and make it a special moment? Plus, I love any excuse whatsoever to make and mail greeting cards. They’re just so cute. And who doesn’t like having a pretty piece of stationery to hang on the fridge?

grown-up excuse for paper doll cutouts

These do-it-yourself bridesmaids’ invitation cards are adorable. Plus, it’s such a great time to have a particularly girly moment. These step-by-step directions on Once Wed are great. And if you don’t know which dresses you’ll pick and where to order them from, just fill in the card with an invite to brunch or dress shop with all your ladies together.

There are a lot of details that the bride should get to pick in her wedding – that probably goes without saying. Especially for her bridesmaids, it is the bride’s big day after all. But brides need to remember that even though their friends have agreed to be their minions for a day, they are still their own people. You love each and every one of them for their unique personalities and individual styles. Don’t get me wrong – boss them around until they look uniform in your bridal party if you like. But maybe allow their personality to shine through in at least one element. The most minor detail you can give up? Nail polish. It may seem silly but allowing them to pick this one thing for themselves might go a long way.

so sparkly, so perfect

And I could not resist re-posting this picture from cupcakes and cashmere. I am 100% in love with these short glittery, golden nails. They might be a little much for a bride on her wedding day, but perfect for your bridesmaids that have equally sparkly personalities that need to shine through!

It’s as if J. Crew has been listening to me and knows that I was searching for the perfect wedding dresses last week. They opened a store that I might just have to adventure down to New York City to visit – a J. Crew bridal boutique. It combines my love of all things sparkly with Jenna Lyons’ absolutely stunning styling and taste. This boutique is ceiling to floor design perfection and houses only wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, party dresses and jewelry. Do you need anything else in life? I don’t think so. And since I already need everything the J. Crew collection has to offer, I can only imagine the damage this girly boutique would do to my wallet. I’m even lusting after the interior – I love that chandelier and pink door!

the perfect shop

Whether you’re getting married or not, if you live in New York City you must stop over at the new store on Madison Avenue on 66th Street.