DIY Shabby Chic Photo Display

My favorite design style is shabby chic with a smattering of french country and cottage style mixed in. I fell in love ever since I flipped through my first issue of Country Living magazine, oohing and ahhing over the beautiful, distressed finds. In fact, Target’s ‘Simply Shabby Chic’ collection by Rachel Ashwell is a favorite ‘happy place’ of mine, and I could literally stand there admiring the countless sheets, comforters, curtains, throw pillows, and other beautiful shabby chic accents for an incredibly long time. On weekends, I like browse thrift shops and marvel over distressed drawers and figure out a way to incorporate pieces into my decor. There is something so beautiful about all the tiny imperfections. It gets me. And, although the shabby chic style tends to incorporate lots of whites, creams, and ivories throughout, I like to throw in pops of color every so often just to keep things interesting. A splash of turquoise or hot pink can really brighten up a piece and make it your own.

You can imagine, then, how much I absolutely adore shabby chic wedding decor in particular, which combines a few of my favorite loves into one. Just follow our tried + true recipe: add one part shabby + equal parts chic, a handful of handmade, a dash of DIY and fluff until fabulous. It is perhaps the most imperfectly perfect style that exists. One of my favorite elements of shabby chic style within the wedding scene is how you can make a beautiful display out of a few key pieces. The key is to find soft palettes and hues to complement one another, and add a main focal point to make the display pop. This shabby chic photo display (spotted here) is just one example which has stolen my heart. It lends some serious inspiration making it easy to DIY, even if you feel clueless about how to style your own display. I think the most important point when creating a photo display is to add lots of personal touches. The more personalized it is, the better. This way, guests can get a glimpse into your love story simply by stopping by and taking a quick peek. When I was planning my wedding, I had no idea how many unique display ideas were out there; if I had, this is definitely the photo display I would have chosen. Take a peek and then read on about how you can incorporate this DIY shabby chic photo display/guest book table into your wedding and afterward in your love nest…

I adore the vintage shabby chic buffet, the emphasis on the photos (cleverly strung to a tree with clothespins on a line), the silver vase of flowers (for the pop of color), the photo frame of the bride and groom, and the doily table runner along the top of the buffet. There’s also a silver cup with pens, and a place for a guest book. This makes a perfect guest book table for your family and friends to stop by, admire your photos and leave well wishes.

I found a unique vintage dresser to help you on your quest:

Or, if you prefer a buffet as in the example above, we found this beautiful one via Royal Oak Cottage:

I also spotted these unique vintage drawer pulls via The Door Stop, too cute to pass up! Vintage drawer pulls are a great way to personalize your dresser.

I also spotted these books which add that pop of color we talked about earlier via Beautiful Inside My Head:

And, while I do adore the books above, I recommend selecting books that have a personal meaning to you as a couple. For instance, I absolutely adore poetry by Tennyson, as well as Wordsworth, so I would select a few books of selected works for the table:

And, last but not least, a shabby chic wooden sign stating simply, ‘Love’, is a nice addition, too. We spotted this one via New Old Again:

Don’t forget to add tons of pictures of you and your love above the table. And, remember, you can always rent vintage pieces like buffet tables or antique armoirs but if you LOVE them, consider buying it for your love nest. For a few hundred dollars (or less, spotted via Etsy) you can own the piece, add your own personal touches, display at your reception, AND have a beautiful keepsake for after the wedding. ♥

Happy Planning!
xo,
-E.