Little Black Book Blog

Los Angeles Wedding by Sweet Monday Photography

November 20th. 2009 by Elaine | 3 comments

Shot by the incredibly talented ladies of Sweet Monday Photography, this wedding in downtown Los Angeles is truly a jaw-dropper. Beautiful flowers, an AH-mazing venue, and a couple that will make your heart melt. It’s the whole package…

Sweet Monday

From Sweet Monday…

Melissa & Chris were married at Café Pinot in Downtown Los Angeles, which was so perfect because they live in NYC. Melissa grew up in SoCal and most of her family lives here, so it worked out great for them to get married close to home but still have the urban vibe that really represents them as a couple. We just loved this wedding so much, not just because of the cool location, amazing light, awesome dress, etc. but these are just the nicest people you’ll ever meet and they are so much in love and I think it really shows in the photos.

Swee Monday

I am beyond amazed by Café Pinot. Such a stunning location and the decor could not have been more perfect for a warm California evening. Seriously, so gorgeous. I also kind of have a love-affair with city weddings. Something about the modern backdrop and the timeless beauty of the couple is just so breath-taking. Look at these two, aww…

Sweet Monday

Credits: Coordinators: Cori Sponagle at Corinne Sponagle Wedding & Event Planning and Cynthia White at The Patina Group, Dress by Pronovias, Suit by Sean John, Flowers: Mr. B’s Flowers, Cake by Crumbs Cupcakes, Rentals (linens, chairs, stage, lighting, etc…) from Signature Party Rentals, Music by High Rize, DeBois Entertainment

If you’re dying to see even more of these unbelievable photos head on over to Sweet Monday’s blog to take it all in. Thank you very much to April and Lindsey from Sweet Monday Photography and a great big congratulations to Melissa & Chris on their marriage.

Mad Men Inspired Engagement Session by Studio Foto

November 19th. 2009 by Elaine | 8 comments

So, I have to confess, I haven’t seen Mad Men yet, but after this awesome e-session by Studio Foto, I think it might be time for me to check it out. We’ve seen some amazing inspiration come out of the show lately, most recently this fabulous vintage Tennesse wedding. But this shoot at the Wang Theatre in Boston was all about fashion, drama and, of course, a whole lot of love.

From Studio Foto…

A little while ago we met Ash and Kaitlin in Boston for their Love Shoot. Krystal and I were super excited because we knew that we were going to shoot in the Wang Theatre. What we didn’t know was what Ash and Kaitlin had up their sleeves. Just as we arrived we heard from Kaitlin that they decided to theme their shoot after their favorite TV show MAD MEN. Many of you know that we don’t really watch TV, so I quickly googled MAD MEN. Who wouldn’t want to shoot a theme based around that show! And the surprises didn’t stop there. When we were introduced to the theatre manager, we were told we could use the entire theater- yes, indeed- the stage, the dressing rooms- all of it! We were pumped needless to say!

Ash and Kaitlin rocked this photo shoot. It’s provocative, sexy, and really, really fun. The Wang is an awesome theatre and could not have been more perfect for this couple’s engagement session. What a place to let yourself really fall into character!?!

These two were fantastic. They totally worked their outfits (love her hot shoes, by the way!) and the Mad Men-esque attitude for this shoot…the results could not have been better. Click here to see even more of the fabulous e-session on Studio Foto’s blog. Thanks to Paul and Krystal for sharing this kiler e-session with us and congratulations to Ash an Kaitlin on their engagement!

Vintage Wedding by Carla Ten Eyck

November 18th. 2009 by Elaine | 8 comments

We’ve been on an absolute roll lately with the gorgeous fall weddings… but how can you blame us!?!? With stunning affairs like this how can we go wrong?! Sent to us by the always fabulous Carla Ten Eyck, this vintage inspired Connecticut wedding is full of sophistication, classic touches, and a whole lot of romance…

From the beautiful bride, Marissa…

Michael and I got married at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church in Hartford, CT by Rev. Gary Miller. I walked down the extremely long isle in a gorgeous dress by Anne Barge and a cathedral length veil with 4 inches of antique lace. My dress has pockets… need I say more?!?! I wanted a very vintage look as you’ll see in our choice of the 1956 Cadillac from Black Swam Limousine and my antique fur stole. The ceremony was beautiful but flew by so quickly, which is why we are so happy we chose the BEST photographer in all of CT and we’re 99% sure she’s the best in the world…Carla Ten Eyck and her crew took some amazing pictures that will remind us of just how happy and loved we are.

I’m completely enamored with the bride’s accessories. The fur stole and the antique jewelry are sensible but still so elegant and add just the right amount of vintage-glam to her classic style.

We went to the City Hall in Hartford to take some unbelievable pictures (I’d like to take credit for how truly unbelievable they are but it was the work of Carla and her photographers along with a building that takes your breath away). Next stop was the reception at The Hartford Society Room. The food was amazing, the building is exquisite, and the band (Clarke Eno Orchestra) had everyone dancing the night away with their mix of the old (Sinatra) and new (Black Eyed Peas).

Michael and I could not have asked for a better way to begin our lives together. Everything ran smoothly and there is not one thing either of us would change except to do it all over again! A special thanks to Carla Ten Eyck and her photographers, Clarke Eno Orchestra, Dana Montanari at The Society Room, and Shear Artistry in Avon for an awesome job styling the bridal party!

Carla’s style really adds to the vintage quality of the whole day. She completely captured the drama of each location and the pure joy of the couple. Congratulations to Marissa and Michael and a big thank you to Carla Ten Eyck for sending her always beautiful photographs our way!

Fall Wedding from Rose Petals and Lace

November 17th. 2009 by Elaine | 9 comments

Samantha and Jeremy were married last month in Middletown, New Jersey and the east coast was in all its autumnal glory for their October I-Do’s. Tons of gorgeousness here…the bride and groom (duh!), the adorable maids, the jaw-dropping setting, and THOSE flowers. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were filled with roses and dahlias and Samantha’s bouquet was your quintessential bridal bouquet, a mix of white hydrangea, ranunculus, and white cymbidium orchids. Perfect.

From Linda at Rose Petals and Lace…

The couple wanted a fall theme with vibrant colors; We choose fall colored dahlias along with freedom red roses. The table had a mix of tall and low centerpieces, Orange mokaras mixed with curly willow in tall cylinders wrapped with burgundy ribbon and for the lows, dahlias with the mokaras.

The flowers were elegant and modern… the perfect compliment to the beautiful venue. The mix of high and low centerpieces also gave the room some real drama. Plus, I’m so thrilled that the couple’s photographer, Elisabeth Millay, took the time to capture the stunning arrangements. If you want to see even more pics of the gorgeous day… click here to check out Elisabeth’s blog.

Credits: Photographs by Elisabeth Millay, Floral Design by Rose Petals and Lace, Wedding Coordination by Pampered Bride Weddings, Wedding Gown by Alvina Valenta, Bridesmaids dress by Jim Hjelm, Reception at the South Gate Manor.

Thank you to the Linda Casals from Rose Petals and Lace for sending this exquisite wedding our way. Truly beautiful. Congratulations to the happy couple, Samantha and Jeremy!

Summer Wedding In Maine From Tangorra Wedding Planning

November 12th. 2009 by Eddye | 12 comments

I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t resist starting this wedding story with this picture! We always show you the bride and her lovely ladies getting ready. What a classic shot of the groom getting ready!

THESE lovely ladies celebrated Linnea & Dave’s wedding this past August in Maine. SO PRETTY!

Francie at Tangorra Wedding Planning is sharing a bit of their story with us … and Alexandra Daley-Clark is responsible for all of the awesome images …

from Francie …

These two were so fun to work with, they had such great style and we were able to really showcase their personalities in their wedding weekend, which we love! They both LOVE food and wine – Dave owns a wine consulting company, and has worked in some of New York’s best foodie destinations, so we obviously had to incorporate that everywhere! The weekend started off with a super fun boat tour aboard the “Island Romance” and a welcome lobster bake for all of their guests on Peak’s Island, a tiny little island right off the coast of Portland.

On the wedding day, which was a truly beautiful day – the kind that only exists in Maine – Dave prepped with a professional shave, while the girls primped in a cute little salon in the Old Port. The ceremony and reception were held on the grounds of the Southern Maine Community College, on a spot where Linnea’s Grandfather’s house used to stand (before the college was built), overlooking the beach where her mother grew up taking swimming lessons!

After the ceremony, they had an amazing 5 course tasting meal that revolved around Maine’s finest offerings – mini lobster rolls, seared duck with blueberry sauce, mint ravioli – yum! And of course, every dish was paired with a fabulous glass of wine. The attention to detail didn’t end with the meal, though. This wedding was gorgeous. From their ceremony (which included a wine ceremony!) overlooking the Spring Point lighthouse to the reception in a glowing Sperry tent right on the coast, everything was the perfect blend of New York chic and rustic Maine goodness.

Farm tables and Victoria ghost chairs …. hmmmmm…. doesn’t get ANY better than that!

(invitations by the fabulous Bella Figura!)

And as promised earlier, the details from the lovely bride, Linnea …

Dave and I worked with Francie to create a relaxed, intimate celebration that felt very ‘us’. We really wanted our guests to experience the natural beauty of the Maine coast, so we chose a gorgeous ocean-side site at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland. My mother grew up in Maine and my grandfather’s childhood home (until it was turned into a WWII shipyard!) was literally steps away from our site, so there was lots of family significance on my side!

During our ceremony, guests had views of sailboats, scenic Casco Bay islands, abandoned Civil War forts, wildflowers, and not one but TWO lighthouses! We really wanted the focus to be on the natural coastal beauty, so we limited our ceremony decor to galvanized pails of hydrangea lining the aisle.

I took tons of photos when we initially chose our location, which really helped us choose attire for our wedding party later on – I literally cut and pasted photos of dresses onto a background showing where our ceremony would be held! That’s partly why I knew I would love the white dresses we chose for my bridesmaids – they really seemed to pop against the deep blue ocean and bright green grass! I had nine bridesmaids (with a 20-year age span), so I really liked the idea of having the girls coordinate without matching exactly. Thread’s white seersucker dresses were perfect for this – each of the girls chose her favorite style, but the resulting combination still looked very pulled together. The groomsmen’s blue and white seersucker suits were from Jos A. Bank.

Dave and I really wanted to play up the ‘dinner party’ aspect of our reception. We’re both food and wine people – in fact we met while working in the wine industry. We opted for a tasting-style menu – four mini-courses – that allowed us to pair wines with each course. We chose to emphasize fresh, local ingredients – the idea was to create a menu that would be similar to the style of food we would cook for a dinner party at home. Our caterer, Black Tie, was even able to create a version of ‘Mint Love Letters’ (a favorite dish at Babbo, where Dave previously worked as a sommelier) as one of the courses!

We decided to save the dancing portion of the evening until after dinner, and instead created a playlist of ’songs about love’ (think more Magnetic Fields than Barry Manilow) to be played during the meal. Every bride says that her wedding flies by – but I actually think that saving the dancing for last somehow made the reception feel longer! I would describe the overall look of our reception as ‘French-country, with a modern twist’. The combination of the long, banquet-style, wooden tables and the clear Victoria Ghost chairs really formed the backbone of our vision. They created such a strong ‘look’ that we really didn’t have to add too many other decor components – and we were able to fit them into our budget by eliminating costly linens, chair cushions, and so on. I love the Ghost chairs – I splurged on a few to brighten up my otherwise Ikea-furnished flat in London during business school, and Dave and I have since moved them to New York. I really wanted to use them for our wedding, and was thrilled when Francie was able to source them for us! It was really helpful to have a strong central visual in order to explain the look we were going for during discussions with potential vendors. It was really obvious when someone “got it” – our florist, Laurie (of Minott’s Flowers in Portland), did an amazing job of creating a fresh, natural look. She even managed to incorporate our love of food and wine by planting old champagne cases with fresh herbs. They were absolutely beautiful, and a huge hit!