[today i'm thrilled to welcome emily and the team from once wed to d*s! starting today, they'll be joining us once a month with wedding-inspired entertaining and decor ideas in a new column called "beyond the big day". i love the way that weddings are often the catalyst for beautiful decorating and party ideas, so emily's column will focus on bringing that idea to life. she'll be posting all sorts of design related projects, so stay tuned!]

I’m beyond thrilled to share these gorgeous inspiration photos from Jen Curtis with everyone today. Although this look was created for a wedding, it can easily be carried over into a dinner party or even used as decoration in your home like the fireplace mantel idea above. The lovely Gloria from Gloria Wong Design was kind enough to give us a look into the idea behind this shoot…

For this particular project, I decided to use my very own favorite childhood toy as inspiration. The spirograph brought me endless amounts of joy and wonderment as a kid. I remember spending hours and hours rotating those little plastic plates and watching shapes come alive on paper!

The shapes that a spirograph creates are inherently symmetrical and modern. So, for this mock table, I decided to go for an “Urban Modern Crafty” vibe in a loft-like venue with bare white walls. I chose fuschia pink, gravel grey and light cement grey because the combination of those colors fit the flavor… and because I’m in love with those colors at the moment! I used a streamlined wooden table, no curves, no fluff and layered on clean white plates. For the rest of the fun, I enlisted the most talented team of vendors.

CLICK HERE for the rest of the post after the jump!

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question: dear design*sponge, i’m currently planning a budget wedding, so my fiance and i don’t currently have much (ok, any) extra cash with which to feather our nest. i’m wondering if you have any ideas for wedding decor that could transition into adornment for our sparse apartment once our country chic-themed fall 2010 wedding is over? there’s so much that I love about this concept- decorating our home with fond memories, being green and frugal- but I have to admit that i’m design-challenged. help! -sarah

answer: thanks for your question sarah! for your answer i went straight to one of my favorite wedding sources- abby larson of stylemepretty. her expert wedding advice is spot on. so i’ll let her take it from here…

This is a great question. One that every bride should ask themselves! Making your dollars really count when planning your wedding is much easier to digest when you know that the materials you buy will go to good use in making your home a more beautiful place. Here are some creative ways to stretch your dollar…

1. Your Linens. Collecting vintage, elegantly mismatched linens is such a great way to add a bit of depth to your wedding decor. Plus, you’ll always have them as a keepsake to enjoy when entertaining guests. Or you can go one step further and sew them into a gorgeous quilt that you can use when you snuggle up with your new hubby. [image above by sedona bride]

2. Your Dessert Plates. For my own wedding, we scoured ebay for pale pink cut glass dessert plates. We ended up with around 200, so I packaged them up in groups of 6-8 and gave them as housewarming gifts for the first year we were married. I kept quite a few, as well, which have been perfect for cocktail parties as well as pretty little dessert plates. They would also look pretty stunning arranged creatively on an accent wall.

3. Your Guestbook. Use a vintage postcards rather than a traditional guest book to have your friends and family write well wishes. After the wedding, tuck them in and around a vintage mirror or make an amazing collage for your walls that is as whimsical as it is meaningful. Great impromptu art. [image above by sedona bride]

4. Your Centerpieces. Whoever said centerpieces HAD to be fresh flowers was flat out wrong. Bowls or vintage trays filled with peaches, cherries or mandarin oranges would be gorgeous. Potted herbs, small topiaries or vintage lanterns would also be stunning and perfect for recycling into home decor.

5. Your Decor. Handmade throw pillows are a gorgeous accent to any seating area, particularly with weddings. They bring a sense of intimacy and warmth to any space. A collection of framed photographs, a chalkboard with your menu handwritten on it, beat-up wooden signage…all would make for pretty incredible wall decor in your home.

We have some really great budget-happy, DIY inspired weddings on SMP that you will definitely love…our real weddings are filled to the brim with gorgeous ideas and practical, swoon-worthy inspirations. -Abby

[have a design question you'd like answered? just shoot us an email right here with the title "dear d*s". if you're asking a specific interior design question please include a picture of the space in question and your budget for any new projects.]

CLICK HERE for the second question about restoring a vintage chrome oven hood after the jump!

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*this week’s wedding posts: part 1 (location, dress, people), part 2 (band, invites, decor), part 3 (diy elements), part 4 (flowers), part 5 (food and cake)*

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*click here for the wedding part 1 post (decor, people, location, dress), and here for the wedding part 2 post (decor, the band and our invites)*

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