So when I got engaged I quickly started surfing the internet for ideas, inspiration, research, etc.  I got kind of envious of other girls’ inspiration boards, I never made one and had no idea how.  So one day at work (I wasn’t busy and was bored) I created my own, using clip art.  God it was so easy, I even made one for my BFF.  I gathered pictures from various places:  google, the knot, brides, and the list goes on.  So if you see your picture, I hope you don't mind and thanks for inspiring me!

      Our color palette is LAVENDER and BEIGE.  We plan on keeping the beach theme throughout the wedding and incorporating our colors.

     Fast forward to present time (Feb), our color palette has changed a bit.  Besides the lavender and beige that we are incorporating, we also added EGGPLANT and GRAY! 

     When it comes to stationary, we decided to use ivory paper with gray text.  I feel like gray is the new black, so I wanted to add it to our color scheme, which worked out well.  To make the stationary pop, we added eggplant for an accent color.  Lavender will also be used for mounting and/or accent.  This trend will be done for our invites, programs, menus, OOT bags, etc.  You get the idea!

The bridemaids' look:

      The fiance and I decided that since our bridal party will be paying for they're trip to stand by our side, it was only fair that we would foot the bill for their attire.  After searching the internet and flipping through magazines, I found the perfect dress!  The ladies will be flaunting lavender dresses I bought for a steal from Nordstrom.  The dresses were originally $99, then on sale for $65!  The best part is that the day after I purchased them, they dropped again in price, an outrageous $39 per dress!!  So after talking to customer service, they gave me a price adjustment and the grand total for all 4 dresses...$158!!  That's about the same amount for 1 dress!  So you know I'm stoked!!  

      To add a little more "umph" to the outfit, I purchased sashes in champagne from David's Bridal.  The colors together are gorgeous and I can't wait to see the girls in their dresses.  I'm still debating on the shoes, I did like the Juicy Couture sandals  (with the starfish), but it costs more than the dress itself, so I might have to rethink that.    

My cute flowergirl:

     In the beginning of planning our destination wedding, we started out with 2 flowergirls.  Recently, that number has dropped to one due to school circumstances, which is totally understandable. 
     Here is another great deal I found, these little girl dresses are from Dillard's and I bought them on sale for $26 per dress!  (So I'm not that upset that one dropped out).  Again, I added the lilac ribbon to give the dress more color.  If you notice there already is an attached ribbon, but that will be taken off and replaced with the lilac bow.  The head piece I'm still on the fence about, as well as shoes.  I'm thinking cute sandals maybe, what do you think?  

Centerpiece galore:

     I originally told myself that I didn't care about details like the centerpieces, but now I can't stop searching for ideas and pictures.  So in the beginning of the planning process, I was so set on cutting down costs that I wanted to do non floral centerpieces, maybe use sand and shells in a hurricane (see photo)

But after looking at beautiful wedding pictures from several bridal sites, I can't help but want FLORAL centerpieces now!  I figured that since we'd only be needing 6 centerpieces, I could squeeze that in the budget somehow.  I'm falling in love with low, square shaped vases such as the pictures shown (all pictures are from the gallery of theknot.com unless noted otherwise).

(picture above from Weddingbee gallery)

                              (picture above from Weddingbee gallery)
So which one of these do you like better?  I'm lovin the top 4 pictures, aren't you!?

Hey good lookin'

     We finally decided on the attire for the men.  I left this up to the fiance (so this is why this is late, go figure!)  The fiance already bought his CK linen suit for Men's Wearhouse for a great deal, 2 suits for one price, and the other suit he can wear to the many other weddings we'll be attending this year!
     For the groomsmen, we plan on gifting them with a linen shirt and khaki pants along with flip flops to match.  The fiance likes the crisp, clean look so I agreed.  Now once early spring comes, a' shopping we will go!

The hairstyle...

     The fiance persuaded me to wear my hair down for the wedding, which I don't mind because I was actually thinking the same thing!  I'm pretty self-conscious when it comes to my round face.  So doing an updo was out of the question for me.  I could just see me criticizing myself in pictures if I thought my face looked to fat, or shall I say round.  (we're our own worst critic huh!?   
     In the hunt for hairstyles I came across several inspiration photos, but these particular ones I posted I fell in love with.  I know they may be simple, but that's what I like, I try not to be too complicated! 
     The best part is that I have a friend that will be doing my hair in Aruba!  She will be blessing us with her presence and talent!  Thanks Apeyheart (her nickname our friends came up with).  She always does my hair for special occasions and she knows how my hair works.  Plus I can get a hair trail anytime!
     So without further ado, here are my favs:

                              SOURCE

     I like the simplistic look of this hairstyle, but it might be a bit too simple for me.  Besides, my hair would be flat by the time the reception rolled around.  The one thing I do hate about my hair is that its hard to hold curls, so just leaving it down might not work out for me.

                                                                           source

     Beautiful Eva!  I like this look, her hair curled and pinned to the side, but I'm not sure what this would look like with my veil.  Maybe this can be a look for the reception when I switch from my veil to a flower fascinator.  I can stick the fascinator in the back to hide the pins or in the front above the right ear.  Hmmm, something to think about!

                                                                          Source

     This one is my ultimate fav!  She was a knottie bride who has inspired me with her bridal look!  I love the pintuck detail in the back and the side swipe bangs in the front!  So I think this is the one!  Simple yet gorgeous, which is what I'm trying to achieve, hopefully!

The guest attire..."beach formal"

This suggests an elegant beach wedding -- so dress to impress, but also dress for the elements (sun, sand, and water). Anything you'd wear to a nice restaurant on a summer day is appropriate.
He should wear: A summer suit with a linen shirt (no ties required), linen pants or khakis, and sandals.
She should wear: A formal summer sundress at tea- or knee-length with flat sandals. Makeup and hair can be natural and everyday.

 
                   All dresses and men's attire are courtesy of Nordstrom's website!

I got carried away with more searching so here's more inspiration provided by Banana Republic.