This week for the My Wedding Reimagined series, we are chatting with the lovely Cassandra LaValle from Coco & Kelley! I love Coco & Kelley for all the great interior design inspiration as well as fashion and entertaining features. Cassandra’s feature is a bit different since she isn’t married yet, so we are asking her to share with us how she imagines her dream wedding today. So fun, right?! Thanks Cassandra for taking some time to dream with us today…
your wedding fashion style: Classic with some risks. Years from now, I’d like to still be happy with the dress I chose, but I don’t want it to be boring either. I imagine when the day comes, I’ll add some bold accessories and details to spice things up!
color palette: Believe it or not, I’ve had the same vision for my wedding palette since I was in high school – I’m so curious to see if it will change when I actually get married! Shades of coral and blushing pinks with warm linen greys have always been my favorite.
where would you draw inspiration? I have a feeling my Italian heritage will play a part in my wedding selections, and no doubt it will influence the food! I’d also love to spend hours immersed in images of weddings from the 50’s. That era speaks to me, and I have a feeling would provide some great inspiration!
current day-to-day fashion/interior design/art trends you’d incorporate: I’m not sure the words ‘trend’ and ‘wedding’ ever really go together in my mind, but I suppose that it’s also impossible to escape some of that influence! I’d probably end up incorporating some trends into the details – like the bridesmaid’s shoes or look of the invitation. I love the fun and vintage-inspired jewelry coming out of j.crew right now – I could see incorporating some of that. And the use of sheer fabrics in dresses – I’ve always thought those layers bring a dreamy quality to a gown!
vibe for your wedding ? Small and intimate for sure (if I can get away with it!). Nothing makes me happier than a dinner party, and I want my wedding to feel as close to one as possible!
location: Born in LA and raised in Seattle, I’m a west coast girl at heart, but with so many friends all over the country, I feel like I could get married on either coast and be very happy! It all comes down to the venue. And the groom!
venue: In my dreams? I’d love to get married in Italy. In college, I did a summer study abroad program in Florence, and completely fell in love with it, so the first time I realized that the venue in this wedding was in Florence, I added it to my secret wedding wish list. The Castello di Vincigliata is intimate and has beautiful views of the city from above – so ideal for a wedding!
the dress: I don’t think anyone really knows what kind of dress they’re going to fall in love with until they start trying things on, but right now? I’d probably go for this style by Reem Acra. No matter how it’s reinvented, I love the little cap sleeve! I’ve also died a little bit when I saw the Resort 2013 collection. Wouldn’t this dress look be amazing on a bride? If I could get away with it, I would absolutely be wearing this dress!
the shoes: Are we still living in fantasy land? Good. Then I’d go with these Oscar de la Renta pumps. Although I wish the heel was a bit higher. As a second choice – one of my best friends always swore by her Jimmy Choos as the most comfortable heels possible. So perhaps these might do?
the invites: I would love to have Happy Menocal design something fun for the invitations. I’m obsessed with family crests, and I love their whimsical and personal take on creating these for events!
the flowers: The flowers that the amazingly talented McKenzie Powell did for my 5-year blog anniversary were pretty much my dream arrangements. I think I’d just have her do those all over again!
would you DIY anything? I’m awful at DIY, so I don’t think I’d stress myself out by attempting to do anything crazy for my wedding, but, I do love these chair covers with ‘avere’ and ‘tenere’ (to have and to hold) in Italian on them. That, I think I could manage.
dream photographer: Oh gosh – there are so many amazing photographers out there right now. But I think it would be so nice to have people at your wedding who really know you. The ladies at Belathée are incredible, and work so well together to capture every detail, and have become good friends of mine. I’d also hire my friend Julie Harmsen in a hot second. She’s shot many of my tabletops for coco+kelley and I trust her implicitly!
the food? the drink? the dessert? Now we’re getting down to the details! The menu will absolutely be Italian inspired. I’d love to start with a charcuterie and delight in some pasta dishes along with fresh seafood, and end with a refreshing salad. The drink? There will be many. Dessert? I can’t stand most cake. I’d rather do a dark chocolate or pear torte.
soundtrack to your day: This is the one question that is almost impossible for me to answer, as music is so personal to me. A funny story, though. One day I was in the car with my sister, and my phone rang. She went to grab her phone and then looked at me startled when she realized it was mine ringing. It turns out we had both downloaded the theme song to the “Little Miss Sunshine” soundtrack as our ring tones. And yes, we both want to walk down the aisle to it at our weddings!
dream honeymoon? Somewhere with sunshine, a beach, and as few bugs as possible, please. I keep hearing Turks & Caicos from a lot of my current bride-to-be friends, but who knows!?
Thanks so much Cassandra! Be sure to check out her blog, Coco & Kelley and our past series posts with Camille Styles and Kelli Murray.
photo credits: inspiration // tablescape // necklace // dress // courtyard // invite // cake // honeymoon
I love this! Dreaming up the perfect day is so much fun! I absolutely love the palette and theme you chose! Florence sounds like absolute perfection! Even though you don’t like cake, would you still do the cutting of the cake for traditions sake?
Thanks for sharing! Love your ideas! It’ll be a gorgeous day!