It looks like it’s going to be another beautiful California weekend but we thought we could brighten up your morning even more by introducing you to three fabulous new advertisers. If you take a quick peek over to your right you’ll see the stellar lineup of superstar vendors that we’ve curated just for you California brides! Make sure you check out the portfolios of these new additions – Paperee, Party Singers, and Tammy Horton Photography - and show them some SMP love!
I am a total typography nerd so it was definitely love at first sight when I saw Paperee‘s portfolio. Their clean, modern and fresh approach to design is absolutely breathtaking. They take such pride and care in choosing each font, each space, and each design and that craftsmanship definitely shows in their gorgeous stationery!
From Paperee… We love type! Our designs are modern and simple with an emphasis on beautiful typography. Over 1600 fonts were scrutinized to bring you a handful of the most beautiful. Besides a well-designed font, kerning is equally important. Notice the difference between the above default (computer-spaced ) and kerned ( hand-spaced ) “sarah&dylan.” At Paperee, each letter is manually spaced to ensure beautiful lettering. Have your wedding stationery created by people who are passionate and meticulous about design, typography and craftsmanship.
You know you’re in good hands when Darcy Miller gives two big thumbs up to a vendor and that’s exactly what Party Singers - event entertainer extraordinaires – got from the Martha Stewart Weddings editor-in-chief. No surprise either with their unique approach to wedding music that will take all the guesswork out of choosing your wedding entertainment. From romantic string ensembles to show-stopper reception bands they seriously have it ALL and it’s all amazing!
From Party Singers… A recent endorsement from Darcy Miller, editor-in-chief of Martha Stewart Weddings has helped to make PartySingers one of the most sought-after live event and wedding music companies in the U.S.
The Sing Off and Glee have helped reinvent a cappella singing in the U.S. In addition to a thorough offering of excellent solo and group singers and musicians in LA, Denver and NYC, we are proud to offer Absolute Romance - vocal a cappella quartets to replace strings! Our talented singers transition seamlessly from classical pieces to vocal jazz to current pop arrangements of songs by Jason Mraz, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Bruno Mars, Jeff Buckley, Ray La Montagne, Colbie Caillat and more.
Started in 2007 in NYC. Expanded to LA and Denver. Over 100 talented singers and musicians nationwide available for year-round event, wedding and holiday entertainment.
SMP Brides will receive 1/2 off the first hour of a booking of two or more hours for Absolute Romance (the vocal quartet to replace strings) in LA, Denver or NYC. Please tell us SMP sent you for this discounted rate.
I could wander through Tammy Horton Photography‘s portfolio for hours. Each image is so beautiful, romantic and heartwarming. She really captures the little moments of a wedding that will make your heart melt. The sweet, tender moments that any couple would want to hold onto for years and years to come.
From Tammy Horton Photography… I started my business seven years ago as an outlet to do the one thing I love most, photography. What I didn’t expect was to discover a newfound passion in capturing the intimate moments I share with my clients on such an important day. The connections I’ve made and the experiences I’ve been a part of have far exceeded any of my career expectations. Creating beautiful memories for families is more fulfilling than anything I can imagine. The fact that I go to work everyday and truly enjoy myself while bringing so much joy to others is such a blessing and humbles me beyond belief. Sometimes I can’t believe my life!
My studio specializes in fine art weddings and portraits. I have an unobtrusive approach and a photojournalistic style. My inspirations include light, laughter, tears (laughter through tears is even better), soft focus, truly decisive moments and kindness. I try to live the best I know how, do what I love, and love what I do. If you love what I do… get in touch!
I’d like to offer 10% off new bookings for SMP readers. Just send me an email (tammy@tammyhortonphotography.com) and mention this ad and we’ll go from there!
Welcome to the family! We are so happy to have you!
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… Since the venue was so lush and magical of its own accord, we didn’t have to do too much decorating of the space. We had the ceremony and reception all on one big lawn surrounded by towering old oaks, sycamores, and other trees native to the San Joaquin Valley. There were also orange trees, which were perfect since we had a citrus theme to the wedding to reflect my family’s citrus ranching heritage. It was only natural, then, that our colors were lemon yellow and orange, and we had apothecary jars filled with lemons, tangerines and kumquats decorating the main tables. The guest tables each had a vintage citrus label from packing houses in the towns near where I grew up, including my grandfather’s company, Kaweah Citrus from Lemoncove, which my grandmother gave to us (she still sells vintage fruit labels). Our florist, Anne Lang (who grew up locally with my dad), put gardenias and stephanotis in the bouquets, boutonnieres, and table settings to resemble the look and smell of orange blossoms (one of my favorite scents). The boutonnieres also contained kumquats, lavender, and lemon verbena to reflect local flora, and one of my nephews, the “flower bearer,” threw lavender on the aisle before I walked down since that is another of our favorites. Our baker is also a family friend and she put yellow and orange dahlias, roses, and kumquats on the cake along with white gardenias. I asked her to make a chocolate groom’s cake to surprise Andy that had seashells on it to reflect his love of the ocean. We wanted to include both our families in the feel of the wedding too, so our mothers provided portraits of their weddings, as well as a photo taken of my grandparents at their wedding in the 1930s and my mother’s grandparents wedding from the early 1900s. It made our day feel special and yet a part of a larger tradition.
Andy is a native Californian as well so we were really shooting for a warm, California feel to the wedding — as much as we could having it outside in October! It was a challenge to get the trees, flowers and climate just right for what we were going for — a warm day with citrus and wildflowers ‚ but I think it all turned out beautifully. I think the most seminal moment for me was right before I walked down the aisle on my dad’s arm and the music started for the wedding party’s entrance (the theme to Edward Scissorhands by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra — eerie but so beautiful). The sun was just starting to set and the rays slanting through the trees were just amazing and made everything glow. I hope I don’t ever forget that moment and the feeling I had watching all the people who had come and were waiting, watching us about to get married…
Many other people helped us too that I don’t want to exclude: Andy’s cousin created our save-the-date by replicating the vintage Gateway citrus label (that was on the signature book table) and replacing the contents with our names and date of the wedding in the same font — I loved it! My sisters-in-law helped with the decorations and the signature cocktail — Whiskey Sage Lemonade — and my second cousin who owns a local fruit and confection stand, “Cairns Corner” in Lindsay, donated sweets as wedding favors for those who traveled from out of town. My one and only first cousin married into a wine-making family, so we purchased all the table wine from their winery in Sonoma (Mauritson Winery). I also asked Maisie (Clement) to use her lovely handwriting to write the names of the wedding party for the head table as well as the names of cheeses for the cheese plate on the appetizer table, which was cute. Andy loves cheese, so we purchased all our favorites ourselves for the plate, and it was scraped clean by the end! We asked friends to sing and play music for the ceremony and reception, including Andy’s friend Steph who sang, my college friend Antja who plays the fiddle (and sings), and my high school friend Nick who has a bluegrass-ey band. Finally, the vintage 1929 Cadillac coupe that we left in belongs to a family friend who restored it and let us use it for our getaway ride. I wanted our departure to be memorable for so I bought three-foot long sparklers for everyone to hold as they arranged in two lines going down either side of us and bid us adieu!
Wedding Photography: B Wright Photography / Wedding Venue: Victorian Garden in Visalia, California (Owner: Leda Inchcliff) / Floral Design: Anne Lang of Anne Lang’s Emporium / Catering: Sue Sa’s Creative Catering / Wedding Cake + Cookies: Kristy Alves of Exeter Hometown Emporium / Rentals: Details Party Rentals / Wedding Fiddler: Antja Thompson, Friend of the Bride / Wedding Singer: Stephanie Mumma, Friend of the Bride / Cocktail Hour Music: The Whiskey and the Devil Chaplain, Friends of the Bride / DJ: AMS Entertainment / Wedding Dress: Junko Yoshioka “Christina” via Glamour Closet / Reception Dress: Jenny Packham via Glamour Closet / Bride’s Shoes: Bruno Magli
Butterflies are swimming in my stomach over this wedding by Julie Mikos. Each photo brings an “ooh” and “aaah” as it unveils delightful details from the specialty sips to original quotes on the menus. I love how the couple used the serene setting of Napa Valley combined with, what the bride has coined, ”rustic-chic” details in their decor. Rustic-chic indeed! Click here for the full barrel of photos.
Click here for the FULL wedding!
From the Bride… We live in Manhattan and while we adore the Big Apple, we wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. After Billy proposed at a winery in South Hampton, New York, we immediately knew a small and intimate destination wedding in Napa Valley would be perfect. We took a trip out West to visit many locations and as soon as we entered The Carneros Inn, we knew it was the place to share our love story with our friends and family. Billy and I are self-proclaimed foodies, so having amazing food and wine was a must. The Carneros Inn had the perfect mix of modern décor, gorgeous views and delicious fresh, farm-to-table food. Our vision was to create a fun, modern, intimate wedding that I like to refer to as rustic-chic. I created a photo tree of images of Billy and I when we were young, as well as with our parents and loved ones we’ve lost. We also had specialty drinks – the Blushing Bride Bellini and Billy’s Pimm’s Cup – in which we had framed signs on the bar with the worlds “Salute,” “Cheers” and “Opa,” a nod to our Italian and Greek heritages. On the back of our chairs, I had signs created that read “I’m her Mr.” and “I’m his Mrs.” And on our menus, we incorporated six different wine quotes on each menu, a nod to wine country. Every guest had a different quote as topic of conversation at their table.
Wedding Photography: Julie Mikos — Photographer / Wedding Venue, Planning + Catering: The Carneros Inn in Napa, California / Floral Design: Julie Stevens Design / Wedding Cake: Fleur de Lisa / Wedding Invitations: Paper + Pinafore / Ceremony Music: Lawrence String Group / Wedding Dress + Veil: Vera Wang / Bride’s Shoes: Gucci / Hair + Makeup: Sherrie Long / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Priscilla of Boston (Now Closed)
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