I just love a good wedding!

One of my oldest and dearest friends from childhood is getting married in February. She and and her fiance are planning a simply beautiful winter wedding set at a nearby vineyard. Chilled apple cider, wine and cheese, naturally, will be served, underscoring the couple's affinity for both simplicity and class. Both bride and groom are down-to-earth and love the outdoors, and wanted to incorporate this into the ceremony and reception. They have chosen a palette of cool winter blue and warm natural brown, highlighted by a soft, snowy white, setting the stage for a timelessly romantic and intimate fairytale wedding. The bride and groom will exchange vows beneath an arch dressed in white tulle and lit with brown wicker globes which will encompass small twinkle lights. Reception centerpieces are wicker wreaths ringing white candles set upon circular mirrors. Wanting to incorporate her signature cool blue, I suggested a bead design for the wreath centerpieces, which in the soft candlelight glow will add sparkle, color, and an icy crystalline aspect sure to complement the bride and groom's chosen winter wonderland theme.

I have used a wide selection of beads crafted from a variety of materials: Czech-fired glass, natural gemstone, and acrylic. The majority of blue beads are in the same hue family but in different shades and tints. Most are transparent to allow the candlelight to shine through. The surface of most of the blue beads have a highly polished finish to reflect any light and add that touch of sparkle, and are in the shape of a rectangular prism. I've added acrylic pearls in two sizes and colors, ivory and light brown, to give off a soft glow when reflecting light. My favorite, the labrodorite, are clear and multi-faceted. Labrodorite is a mineral that naturally reflects many colors, and the clear has an oily appearance so that on close inspection one sees pink, green, and blue very faintly beneath the surface. When I took this photo I forgot to remove a purple gift bag from the table just off camera, and the labrodorite picked up the color brilliantly. While I marveled at the make-up of the gemstone, the bride, seeing her centerpiece for the first time, balked at the foreign color I'd apparently added to her color scheme! I explained the mistake and, when she later inspected the centerpiece in person, was relieved. I really must remember to clear a wide space before photographing highly reflective beads in the future!

Also included in the bead design are blue bicone Swarovski crystals, round Czech-fired glass, Czech-fired clear rectangular prisms, and shiny brown seed beads.