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From the Bride… Finding the venue was the most challenging part of planning our wedding, but it ultimately set the ball rolling. We started looking around December 2010 before settling on Emu Bottom in late January. The decider for Lionel was the lamb on a spit and I loved its charming, rustic looks. The look and feel we already had in mind was a perfect match for the venue. We started collecting objects of interest, such as a typewriter from eBay and old wooden crates and other knick-knacks that we came across throughout the eight months leading up to the wedding.

We were fortunate to have Lionel’s aunt, Linda, a “hobbyist florist” who did excellent work for the flowers. The results looked like those of a seasoned professional! We wanted to use lots of natives flowers, plants and succulents to go with the whole “Australiana” affair, so we started collecting succulents from friends’ and families’ gardens. Many of the jars used for the flowers were from pasta sauces we consumed over many months of a strict pasta diet leading up to the wedding. Nothing like a good old carbo-load before the big event! We did the wedding stationery ourselves and hand-delivered the invitations over few evening drives across Melbourne. We thought it was a nice gesture, and our guests were delighted to see us knocking on their doorstep to bring the joyous news.

We spent the Thursday and Friday before the wedding with friends and families on-site to fluff and hang the pom poms. It was lots of fun. The preparation did not stop until few hours before the wedding — Lionel was still hammering the memento shots onto the window sills in his wedding suit. Looking back, the wedding was such fun and very much a chilled one. We enjoyed every bit of it. We’re forever thankful to our friends and families who have taken the journey with us along the way. Our wedding was very much a DIY affair, and we’re glad we did it that way. It was a hard work, but as a reward, we had full control on how we wanted it to be. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Wedding Photography: It’s Beautiful Here / Wedding Venue: Emu Bottom Homestead in Sunbury, Victoria / Flowers: DIY by the Groom’s Aunt / Cheese Tower: Farmgate Cheese / Wedding Car: 1984 Jaguar XJ6 via Always Classic Cars / Decorations: Etsy, Urban Outfitters, BHLDN + eBay / Wedding Stationery: DIY / Wedding Bands: Barbara Michelle Jacobs / Wedding Dress: Carla Zampatti / Wedding Dress Flower Ornaments: BHLDN / Hair + Makeup: Monica Gingold / Groom’s Suit: P.Johnson / Ties: Etsy / Macarons: Brunetti / Cupcakes: Little Cupcakes

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Post tags: Always Classic Cars, Barbara Michelle Jacobs, BHLDN, Brunetti, Carla Zampatti, Ebay, Emu Bottom Homestead, Etsy, Farmgate Cheese, It's Beautiful Here, Little Cupcakes, Monica Gingold, Orange, P.Johnson, Pink, Sunbury, Urban Outfitters, Victoria, Yellow
Post categories: Australia Weddings, Casual Elegance, Victoria

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From the bride… Brandon and I met about five years ago when we were both working at Ledson Winery and Vineyards in the Sonoma Valley. We immediately hit it off, having many things in common including our adventurous sides: my love of competitive horseback riding and Brandon’s love of back trail snowboarding. After four years, Brandon proposed to me on a flight to Philadelphia with my sister and mom as witnesses.

Once home, I immediately started planning our large wedding! We assumed our wedding site would be in Sonoma — after all, that is where we met. After setting a date and finding a location and a wedding planner, we thought we were all set. Well, unfortunately Brandon’s adventurous side got the best of him in Tahoe on New Year’s Eve. While snowboarding, he went off a jump and landed incorrectly, rupturing all three ligaments in each one of his knees. We were told Brandon might not be able to walk down the aisle in June. I called our wedding planner to tell her that we would most likely need to cancel our wedding. Kate helped us rethink our wedding options. Instead of a big wedding in Sonoma, we decided on an intimate wedding in San Francisco where Brandon could be wheeled down the aisle, if necessary. Kate not only found Brandon a terrific surgeon, but she was instrumental in applying my vision for our wedding to a new venue in San Francisco. We could not have done it without her.

We kept all of the little personal and handmade details, colors, flowers, and the overall feeling we wanted to have on our big day, but we scaled everything down considerably. Brandon and I got married in the Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco, the same place my parents were married over 25 years ago. Our transportation paid homage to my father, who collects vintage cars.  Our reception was at Waterbar, which is right on the San Francisco Bay! I loved having an intimate wedding with my closest friends and family. I could not have asked for a better day! Who knew that a snowboarding accident would lead us to a perfect wedding in the city?

Wedding Photography: Lisa Farrer Weddings / Ceremony: Swedenborgian Church in San Francisco, California / Reception: Waterbar in San Francisco, California / Event Design + Planning: Kate Siegel Fine Events / Flowers: Cherries Flowers / Linens: La Tavola Linens / Wedding Dress: Christos / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Groom’s Suit: Ralph Lauren / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Alfred Sung via Bella Bridesmaid / Cake Topper: Garden4Arts / Calligraphy: Pomodoro Papers / Wedding Invitations: Burns & Associates Fine Printing

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Post tags: Alfred Sung, Bella Bridesmaid, Burns & Associates Fine Printing, California, Cherries Flowers, Christos, garden4arts, Gray, Kate Siegel Fine Events, La Tavola Linens, Lisa Farrer Weddings, Pink, Pomodoro Papers, Ralph Lauren, San Francisco, Swedenborgian Church, Waterbar, White
Post categories: California Weddings, San Francisco Weddings, Vintage Chic

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From Marina of Birch Design Studio… The design concept for Amanda and Colin’s wedding was a fresh twist on classic patterns in vibrant colours, inspired by a selection of photographs they loved featuring garden trellises, striped textiles, chinoiserie porcelains. These patterns inspired their paper goods, which juxtaposed a variety of crisp patterns in blue and green to create a fresh take on the coordinated invitation suite. We translated this into the décor for their wedding by mixing and matching tailored napkins in bold patterns at each table. On a larger scale, we used oversized stretched canvases featuring these same patterns to punctuate the white walls of the Art Institute. The tailored white dinner tables showcased vivid purples, greens and blues to tie this modern twist on a classic approach to mixing patterns. Even Amanda’s spectacularly timeless wedding gown was juxtaposed with vibrant blue peep-toe heels as a nod to her own chic style. It was such a pleasure to create a wedding for Amanda and Colin that spoke to their personal style, and I feel in the end, their wedding truly was a reflection of their unique personalities: clever, modern, fun, and bold, yet also elegant and sophisticated. 

Wedding Photography: David Wittig Photography / Wedding Ceremony: Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago, Illinois / Wedding Reception: The Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois / Event Design, Planning + Production: Marine Birch of Birch Design Studio / Flowers: Renee Price of Kehoe Designs / Wedding Cinematography: I Do Films / Wedding Invitations: Suitor / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Custom Linens: Private Label Linens / Hair: Robyn Tornabeni Productions / Makeup: Rosie Scianna / Lighting, Fabric Panels + Production: Frost / Entertainment: Entourage from Arlen Music

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Post tags: Art Institute of Chicago, Birch Design Studio, Blue, Chicago, David Wittig Photography, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Green, I Do Films, Illinois, Kehoe Designs, Monique Lhuillier, Private Label Linens, Suitor, The Modern Wing
Post categories: Chicago Weddings, Contemporary, Illinois Weddings

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From the Bride…Let’s start by saying I am not the kind of girl who ever visualized what her wedding would look like.  In going to look at venues I was just so frustrated because the first questions were always ” what is your theme,” “what color scheme are you going with,” “what do you visualize your wedding looking like”….and I never had the answer.  It became crunch time and I decided to self-express.  My wedding was totally me.  I like to think I am ‘glamorous and earthy’ as my photographer once stated.  My favorite fragrance is lavender and I have loved the color purple since I was 2.  As you can see, most of my favorite things (including my husband) were incorporated into this ‘event’ and I think the end result was truly magical and romantic; with the exception of course, of the hurricane force winds we all had to withstand during the process. 

Photography: Audrey Snow Photography / Flowers: Beneva Florists / Ceremony and Reception Location: The Beach at Longboat Key Club / Invitations: Hummingbird Invitations / Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Dress: Lazaro

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Post tags: Audrey Snow Photography, Badgley Mischka, Beneva Flowers, Hummingbird Invitations, Lazaro, The Beach at Longboat Key Club
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Destination Weddings, Florida Weddings

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From the bride… When Seth dropped to his knee under a rainbow-filled sky on Primrose Hill in London after a long, rain-drenched walk in the park, I went into a confused state of shock. I even asked him if he was serious and looked around a bit … which still gets me in trouble. I had known from our very first date that I wanted to be his wife, but as Seth is extremely practical and I am not, I knew that it would take him a bit more time to come to the same conclusion. My plan was to simply hang tight until he realized that he just had to pop the question. Haha! The funny thing is, when he did actually drop to his knee, I could not believe it. He is my hero and my love, and my calm and my heart, and I could not believe that God could possibly bless me so very much. It was awesome.  

After it finally started to sink in, though, I had another fantastic realization. Being from the wedding industry, it hit me that I would now get to plan my own wedding and make all of the little details that I love to design and create! So the planning started. Seth and I are very low-key and wanted to have a very simple but elegant “rustic” wedding with homemade touches. We quickly fell in love with the beautiful New Braunfels venue, Boulder Springs, and set to design a wedding that would compliment its outdoorsy, rustic atmosphere. I have loved the beautiful and creative work of Austin photographer Sarah Q for quite some time, so we quickly brought her on board. Next, we were so fortunate to find the awesome Michelle Hodges from Sprout in Fredericksburg. Her flowers and design sense are impeccable, and it was such a pleasure working with her. For dessert, we wanted a fun dessert bar, but did not want to spend the budgeted money on professionally-baked treats, so we opted for smaller bride and groom cakes and had friends and family make the most precious treats to add flavors and dimension! We then hired San Antonio based catering company Black Tie Affairs, who created a fantastic traditional BBQ dinner for our guests. We wanted to make our own invitations, but were clearly not gifted in the art of calligraphy, so we brought on designer and calligrapher Jennifer Gilllespie from Calligraphy by Jennifer.

After the bigger pieces of the puzzle were solidified, it was time to get crafty. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with yarn and started wrapping anything  I could get my hands on — framed boards, large letters and recycled CD covers for guests. We then added layers of pillows to various benches and spaces to add a touch of softness. Finally, we realized that we were missing one thing: something blue. Earlier in the year, my grandfather had passed away, and we were trying to think of the right way to make him a special part of the day. I had my grandmother sew my garter from one of his blue shirts and was able to wear it down the aisle. Our biggest hope for the day was to recognize the greatest source of love in our life and to share that with everyone we love. God is the core of our relationship, and we had the gifted Mark Swayze lead us in worship during our ceremony to honor God and to thank everyone who helped to shape us into the people we are today. When all was said and done, we couldn’t have asked for a more blessed day, spent with amazing friends and family. We are so thankful for the incredible team of professionals and support of each and every person who lent us their time, talent and heart. We love you very much!!

Wedding Photography: Sarah Q Photography / Wedding Venue: Boulder Springs in New Braunfels, Texas / Event Design: Mayhar Design (Owned by the Bride + Her Sister) / Flowers: Sprout / Wedding Invitations: Calligraphy by Jennifer / Catering: Black Tie Affairs / Wedding Gown: White by Vera Wang / Necklace: Stella & Dot / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Various Designers / Bridesmaids’ Earrings: Kendra Scott / Ceremony Music: Mark Swayze / Cakes: Cathy Young (210-493-8466) / Other Desserts: Friends + Family of the Couple / Decorative Pillows, Ring Pillow, Flower Wand, Programs, Kids’ table, CD Favors, Yarn-wrapped Embellishments, Signs + Additional Decor: Mayhar Design

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Post tags: Black Tie Affairs, Boulder Springs, Calligraphy by Jennifer, Cathy Young, Green, Kendra Scott, Mark Swayze, Mayhar Design, New Braunfels, Purple, Sarah Q Photography, Sprout, Stella Dot, Texas, White by Vera Wang
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, San Antonio Weddings, Texas Weddings

From the bride… As cliché as it may be, Ryan and I actually met in a coffee shop. While we waited in line we started chatting and the croquembouche that was on display became a point of conversation. Most people don’t even know what a croquembouche is, so we were both surprised when the other knew about it. It turns out we had both seen the same cooking show a week prior that featured the French wedding cake. As we talked more, we discovered that we had a similar story and shared many of the same interests. We were both new to the area so we made plans to explore our new city together. He knew how much I loved good food, so the following week we had dinner at Willow, which is still one of our favorite restaurants. Our three-hour dinner was filled with amazing food, wine and great conversation. We both knew that night that we had found something special, and he’s been my partner in crime ever since. Ten months later Ryan worked with the chef to recreate a menu of all our favorite things and proposed in a private room of the very same restaurant. For dessert, Ryan had the pastry chef make a mini croquembouche, and Ryan brought it out himself with the ring. It was so fitting for the moment since that’s really how it all started.  

We incorporated a wine box ceremony to reflect the theme of our wedding. We placed three wines from Montaluce in a wooden box with a love letter to each other. On our first anniversary we will open one of the bottles of wine and read the notes we wrote to each other on our wedding day. Then we will write new letters to each other and place them in the box to open on our fifth wedding anniversary and continue the same tradition on our tenth anniversary. There were so many amazing moments on our wedding day, but nothing touched us as much as the ceremony. We wrote the entire ceremony ourselves, and each word was a true reflection of our love for each other. It was the most perfect expression of everything we believe in and everything we have committed to each other. One of my favorite photos is actually just after the ceremony. When we walked out. we were whisked away to a room so we could have a moment alone. We both started tearing up immediately because the ceremony had been so beautiful and moving. There’s a picture of the two of us where we are facing each other and we’re both wiping away tears with a tissue. It is a moment I will never forget, and it was so special to have even few brief minutes with my new husband.

The most special thing about our wedding was actually the date. We got married on November 11, 2011. Some people say that when you see 11:11 on the clock, you are supposed to make a wish because it is the only time that all of the digits are the same. I told Ryan about this when we first started dating, and it has developed into something very meaningful to us. Whenever we see 11:11 on the clock, we will stop whatever we are doing and make a wish for our future. Regardless of what exactly the wish is, it is one minute to stop and reflect on us. I give so much credit to our vendors for making all of our wedding dreams come true. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day, and I truly think that it is because we surrounded ourselves with people who were so incredible to work with.

Wedding Cinematography: Three Ring Media / Wedding Photography: Janet Howard Studio / Wedding Venue: Montaluce Winery and Estates in Dahlonega, Georgia / Event Design + Planning: Stella Harper Events / Flowers: DIY / DJ: DJ Tod of Peavy Entertainment / Officiant: Rev. George Callahan / Cake + Desserts: Douceur de France / Wedding Gown: San Patrick “Eresma” / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: DIY by the Bride’s Mother

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Post tags: Dahlonega, DJ Tod, Douceur de France, Georgia, Green, Janet Howard Studio, Lavender, Montaluce Winery and Estates, Peavy Entertainment, Rev. George Callahan, San Patrick, San Patrick Eresma, silver, Stella Harper Events, Three Ring Media, Wedding Video
Post categories: Georgia Weddings, Traditional Elegance

When Bryan and I started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted something low-key and relaxed. I remember the first time I started planning for our wedding. It was one or two months after we had gotten engaged and we were kayaking in Northern Michigan with two of our friends. We had been on Lake Michigan for hours it seemed, kayaking 4-5 miles across a bay from the small island where we had set up camp the night before. My arms were sore from the trip out the previous day and our friend Kate was paddling next to me. We were talking about music festivals and I decided that was it – that was what our reception would be like. Laid back, outdoors, and filled with live music played by our talented friends and family. Kate, my lovely friend and kayak buddy, is one of the front-women in the local band The Crane Wives, so that started the wheels turning for the line-up for our wedding. By the time our wedding day arrived, we had also enlisted my younger brother, Garrett, and his friend to play, as well as my cousin Katie and her boyfriend. Once we had decided on the music-focus for the party, we started searching for locations. We lucked out and found an awesome lodge at one of our city parks, a little place tucked away in the woods with a wrap-around porch perfect for hanging out on a September’s afternoon.

Pulling together our wedding plans was a relatively simple process for us. Our ceremony was held at our church and we were so glad to be married in the beautiful tradition of the Orthodox Church. For the reception, we knew we wanted music and we knew we wanted it to feel like a big party. We also wanted it to be supportive of the great local food, beer and wine culture that we have in Michigan. We choose beer and wine from small local companies, as well as a few hard ciders to celebrate the autumn season. For food, we chose our favorite restaurant to cater an all-vegan meal for our 160 guests. The restaurant, Marie Catrib’s, has a great relationship with local farms and they designed a great autumn-themed menu for us. The meal is the number one thing that guests were head-over-heels with at our wedding and we’re still getting compliments on it. We had a local baker make an array of cupcakes, muffins, chocolates and truffles, all vegan, and my mom added to the sweets table with her famous apple pie and a tasty vegan pumpkin cheesecake. Another easy decision for us was choosing our photographers. Bobbi and Mike had taken our engagement photos (which is where Bryan proposed– I thought we were taking promotional photos for our website!), and after getting to know them we knew we wanted them to be a part of our day. They have such wonderful personalities and their work is, of course, just stunning. We were so happy to have them on board with us.

The other details of our day, all the smaller, frilly things – colors, decorations, flowers – were chosen rather easily. I am obsessed with the color mustard (my friends call me mustard mae), and well, purple just looked nice with it. I made most of the decorations in the last few weeks before the wedding, and it was a welcome excuse to get together with my closest friends and have a good time. The bouquets came from a local florist who grows flowers in her backyard and sells them at a local farmer’s market. I had found her through the recommendation of one of our past brides and I loved working with her. Since Bryan and I are wedding photographers, we were lucky enough to have a lot of support from our couples, and to even have one couple who shared their thrifted plate collection with us and another who shared mason jars with us. What a blessing!

So the day-of came, and it was beautiful. Sunny skies and warm for late September. I got ready with my friends, saw Bryan for our first look, and then we got married. And then it started raining. Right before our reception, which was supposed to be both indoors and outdoors. When we arrived at our reception, we were happy to see The Crane Wives, our cocktail band, playing on the wrap-around porch as rain beat down on the roof, with all of our guests on the porch as well. When we first arrived, we wove our way through the crowd and had the opportunity to greet all of our guests for the first time. It was such a wonderful experience. No one minded the rain, nor did they mind when the power went out because of the storm! When it went out, my brothers and our friend Matthew rushed to a local store and came back with hundreds of tea lights, which they lined the tables with. Some of our dear guests contacted folks they knew with generators and before we knew it, the party was back up and running, just in time for dinner and more live music. After dinner, the skies cleared, we snuck outside for a few more photos, and our guests were able to enjoy the lovely landscape and games that we’d set up. We danced into the night to a great mix by our awesome DJ. My favorite moment of the entire evening was after the party, when we ran out through sparklers. Bryan and I got to our car but before we drove off, we held each other and watched all of our crazy friends running around the lawn with the sparklers, yelling and having so much fun. It was beautiful and the best way to finish such a lovely day.

Photographer: bobbi+mike / Floral Designer: The Flower Garden / Invitation Designer: Hitch Design Studio / Desserts: Wednesday Evening Cookies / Wedding Gown Designer: Watters / Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Lulu’s / Rings: Touchwood Rings / Groom’s Suit: Topman / Caterer: Marie Catrib’s / Beer: Founder’s Brewing / Wine: Leelanau Cellars / Cider: Tandem Ciders / Veil: DIY / Fabric Flower Headpieces: Darci’s Doodads / Bride’s Hair: Hair by Kayley Heeringa / Cocktail Band: The Crane Wives

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Post tags: Babies, Baby's Breath, bobbi+mike, Bowties, Bryan And Mae, Burlap, Buttons, Casual Elegance, Chalkboards, Color Palette Yellow Purple, Croquet, Darci's Doodads, DIY Veil, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Greek Orthodox, Hair by Kayley Heeringa, Hitch Design Studio, Leelanau Cellars, Lulu's, Marie Catrib's Founder's Brewing, Mason Jars, Michigan, Mustard, Northern Michigan, Outdoor Weddings, Quilts, Tandem Ciders, The Crane Wives, The Flower Garden, Topman, Touchwood Rings, Vintage Chic, Vintage Windows, Watters, Wedding Photography, Wednesday Evening Cookies, wildflowers
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog

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From Jake of Valo Photography… The day began in gray skies, and the hope for snow was high. After all it was December 30th in Wisconsin — if something was going to fall from the sky it would be snow, right? To the dismay of the bride, the only thing that started to fall from the sky was rain. Wait, rain? At the end of December in Wisconsin!? Rain, one of the only things not planned for. Hope was not lost, and we all thought very snowy thoughts…

As we left her parents house to make some portraits before the ceremony, the temperature started to drop. The rain was starting to mix with snow. As we drove, the mix of rain and snow kept moving more towards the snow than rain, and by the time we got to the covered bridge we were shooting at the snow was falling thick and fast from the skies. It was a gift from God that lasted just long enough for the photographs we needed.

The wedding was a DIY winter wedding dream, now complete with snow! It was perfect. The bride wore a splendid flowing dress, reminiscent of the falling snow, by San Patrick. The girls wore dresses identical only in color — The styles fit each woman’s personality and were dresses that they could wear again. The men were no less stylish in J.Crew suits. The details, hand-made by the bride and her family, right down to the amazing floral work, centerpieces and baked goods by the bride’s mother. All the printed materials — place cards, signage, custom logo and even an awesome handmade calendar for the guests to take with them — were made by the bride herself. Nothing was an afterthought — even the gold circles were added to the tea bags to tie into the overall theme. Candy canes, Christmas trees, cookies, hot chocolate, wreaths, pine cones, hearty meal, gold stars and just the feeling in the air made the wedding experience feel like the most elegant Christmas party I have ever attended.

Wedding Photography: Valo Photography / Flowers: Mother of the Bride / Event Design: The Bride / Ceremony: Alliance Bible Church in Mequon, Wisconsin / Reception: The Old Courthouse Museum in West Bend, Wisconsin / Wedding Invitations + Printed Materials: DIY by the Bride / Catering: Saz’s Catering / Wedding Cake + Cookies: Bride’s Family / Hair + Makeup: Studio 890 + The Bride / Wedding Dress: San Patrick “Calais” / Bride’s Shoes: Madden Girl / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew, Dorothy Perkins, H&M, Express + Other Various Designers / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Music: DIY with an iPod

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Post tags: Alliance Bible Church, Blush, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Dorothy Perkins, Express, H&M, J. Crew, Madden Girl, Mequon, Pink, San Patrick Calais, Saz's Catering, Studio 890 San Patrick, Taupe, The Old Courthouse Museum, Valo Photography, West Bend, White, Wisconsin
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, The Blog