One of my closet friends, Annie, was recently engaged to her best friend and boyfriend of over 10 years. We all knew they were made for each other, but no one knew when Eric would actually propose!

After surprising her with her dream ring while vacationing in Odessa Ukraine, Annie came home giddy with excitement but overwhelmed with details and dreams…Where to begin?

The couple has always talked about a destination wedding…one that would have a laid back feeling with an emphasis on celebration, close friends and family. However, the couple and the couples’ families are so comically popular that narrowing down the guest list might prove to be a daunting task, so they’d also like to also consider a larger, local wedding option.

Lucky for Annie – dreaming is all I do and I was happy to explore two different settings for their consideration. I created two inspiration boards for Annie and Eric – let’s see which peaks their interest more: 1. A destination setting VS 2. A local, rustic fall-themed wedding

The first board I created (below) was inspired by a tropical setting – as they are considering a few sites in Mexico. Annie and Eric are a savvy, modern couple with loads of style…a stereo-typical tropical themed wedding with vibrant pinks/greens/reds/blues is NOT going to make the cut!

I came up with a color palette of crisp white and green, accented by rich and unexpected navy tones. Although the wedding may take place in a unique destination – I still wanted it to read current, fashion-forward and chic. I told Annie that nothing needs to be over the top …let’s choose the right venue and let it speak for itself, requiring minimal enhancements.

I envisioned light gauzy fabrics blowing in the tropical breeze; long rectangular tables that lend a more intimate and festive feeling to the dinner; centerpieces composed of simple, monofloral creations of green and white flowers and contemporary accent details of navy blue.