From the gorgeous bride…

True New Yorkers at heart, Jonathan and I still grew up in small towns, which means for us that family and tradition are highly prevalent in our lives. He’s a Yankee from upstate New York and I’m a Southern Belle from the Deep South. Our lives crossed paths one day at Starbucks and since then we’ve been inseparable. Being Southern is a huge part of who I am and also played a huge role in what made Jonathan fall in love with me, so I wanted to make sure this heritage was spread throughout the Wedding. From the cuisine all the way down to the boutonnières we made sure this theme was in the details. The ceremony and reception were held in the Huntsville Roundhouse, which is an old converted train depot. The building was perfectly Southern and vintage all in one.

One of the very most important details of the day was my dress, as it is with most Brides, however being a Fashion Designer and co-owner of my own line it was of the utmost importance. I’ve always loved to place my own spin on tradition and so a white wedding dress just wouldn’t do. I choose to go with mine and my Grandmother’s favorite color of dark purple. My business partner and I then added all our touches using silk taffeta and organza as the main fabrics, and the lining was a pale pink to match the lining we use in all our clothing. The buttons were vintage antique and all the zippers used inside the dress were blue to symbolize the something blue.

I wanted more than just my dress to be special and felt that my Bridesmaids and dearest friends should have the same. Kiley, my maid of honor, was head designer of evening wear at Kay Unger and went to work designing some of the most beautiful Bridesmaid dresses I’ve ever scene. The girls held wooden fans with bows attached to match the Wedding dress, which was a true Southern detail.

We couldn’t leave the men out of being “dressed for the occasion” and so my company had ties made in the same fabric as the Bridesmaid dresses, which was also a gift to the groomsmen. Stacey, the groomswoman, wore a Sara Claire & Esther (my company) dress created specially for her to match the tuxes. The boutonnières and corsages were made by hand using feathers my Father, a hunter, had saved for me.

During the ceremony friends and family enjoyed looking through the vintage books that were recreated into the programs by using a book cover and pages I designed and pasted inside. Near the end of the ceremony one of my close friends stood up to recite a poem for the special moment that she’d written just for us. Very few flowers were used, but hydrangea and willow branches were incorporated into the alter where we stood.

The food itself was all Southern fair with the Grits station being the most important, especially for all the Yankees whom were visiting. The Wedding cake was made from my Great Grandmother’s special Charlotte cake recipe and topped with blackberries and homemade whipped cream. The groom’s cake was 3 tiers of glazed a doughnuts – a true favorite of his. A special addition to the food was the coffee lounge that was a surprise created by our Wedding Planners. Since we’d met at Starbucks this was one of the evening’s highlights. The lounge included homemade biscotti, coffee, and mint julep sweet tea.

Thank you so very much to Vania and Christine of Simply Bloom Photography for sharing this GORGEOUS wedding with you. It’s such a fun departure from your standard wedding and yet it’s still filled to the brim with such beauty. Definitely spend some time on Simply Bloom’s blog as it’s a candy store of wedding inspirations.

OH! And the amazing purple gown…it’s for sale. It’s $3900 and you can email mail{at}saraclaireandesther{dot}com for more info.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 25 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Purple, Purple Wedding Dress, simply bloom photography
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Vintage Chic, Whimsical

Laura did such a fantastic job on her blog with SO many images from the day, we thought it only right to direct you over to her posts for more of the day! THE DETAILS and THE CHARACTERS.

Ashley & Kevin chose a great American novel, The Great Gatsby, as the inspiration behind their “roaring 20s” inspired wedding celebration …

F. Scott Fitzgerald dubbed the 1920’s as the “Jazz Age.” What a fun way to celebrate!

Thanks so much to Laura and to Ashey & Kevin for sharing!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 2 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: In His Grace Photography, Roaring 20's, The Great Gatsby
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

However … since Laura already has two entire blog posts with all the frivolity, we’re going to send you on over to Laura’s blog to see the rest …

There are SO many fabulous things about Kevin and Ashley’s Gatsby-styled wedding that it’s split into 2 posts: 

The DETAILS are HERE and the WEDDING & ‘CHARACTERS’ are HERE (Cute post title: Ashley & Kevin Call All Daisies and Gatsby’s).

I’ll be back later in the day to fill in with more photos, but in the meantime … definitely check out Laura’s In His Grace blog for a spectacularly fun wedding OR her website for just all-around wedding “pretty”!  ENJOY!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Great Gatsby, In His Grace Photography, Wedding Theme
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic, Whimsical

Lindsey made the aisle decor (and bridesmaids ‘puffs’)!  Their fantastic stationery and paper pieces are from Three Little Birds.

Stunning Carnation Centerpieces from The Place For Flowers!

I’ll have all the credits and vendors posted on this feature in just a bit! And I know Lindsey is answering questions as we speak … so fire away!

One more hurray for Kristin Vining and Weddings and the City for bringing us this spectacular wedding! Remember, they’ll have more images and details, with more of Lindsey’s thoughts over on their blogs!

* * *

Vendor Credits and other details (in no particular order!) ~

Cake Lady Jill, The Place For Flowers, Romona Keveza from J. Majors, Shoes by Mary Norton (Charlotte), Bridesmaids dresses BCBG, Tuxedo from Penguins, Headpiece from Castle Bride Couture, Bridal Hair & Makeup by Elizabeth Tollye, Bridal Portrait makeup (Miami) by Mara Fernandez, Invitations/Stationery ~ Three Little Birds, Videography by Richard Israel, Ceremony location: Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Catering by Best Impressions, Rental Providers~ Classic Party Rental and Connie Duglin, Lindsey’s Necklace from BCBG, Flower Girl Dress from Sweet Plume on etsy, Baby’s tutu from Hannah’s Tutus on etsy, 36″ balloons from 2 The Limit Events.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 36 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: BCBG, Cake Lady Jill, Castle Brid Couture, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Elizabeth Tolly, J. Majors, Kristin Vining Photography, Mary Norton, Mint Museum of Craft & Design, Penguins, Romona Keveza, The Place For Flowers, Three Little Birds, Weddings And The City
Post categories: Accessories, Bouquets, Centerpieces, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Jewelry, Shoes, Vintage Chic, Wedding Details, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers, Whimsical

from Lindsey …

One of the best parts of the wedding was seeing John for the first time prior to the ceremony. It was just the two of us and Kristin; it was intimate, heartfelt and unexplainable. At first we were extremely hesitant on doing a ‘first look’ session … John is very traditional and wanted to know what that feeling was like to see each other for the first time when I walked down the aisle. However, it was important to us to also capture those first time feelings with just the two of us, creating a memory between only us and the camera. It was truly the most amazing feeling I have ever felt … sitting next to him, both of us not being able to see one another, but being able to feel the connection and breath between us … and then unveiling at the same time … awww, what a tearful moment. For me, nothing could ever top that! It was perfect!

Remember the little ring bearer and flower girl from one of our previous posts? Kristin’s very own little lovelies!

And after months and months of planning … the big moment … as Lindsey and John say, “We Do!”

Then on to the celebration!

Tiffany Ratliff and the rest of the terrific team at Weddings And The City spent hours and hours planning, creating and transforming this space into all that Lindsey had dreamed it could be!

more from Lindsey …

Along with the expertise and creativity of Weddings and the City, we were able to put a vintage feel on a modern space. The layout had a last minute switch from outside on the fourth floor terrace of the Mint Museum of Craft & Design to an indoor/outdoor tent event of grand proportion. Lining the walls were 12 fabric panels measuring 16ft by 8ft that brought a soft feel and lightened the space with a fresh fall glow. 36″ balloons were used to add depth and accent the room and tall ceilings. Feather boas and candld votive brought a subtle and warm lighting to the event. Everything was beyond what we ever imagined … simply elegant, simply perfect, simply unforgettable! It was our dream.

That beautiful cake is by Cake Lady Jill!

And so as all good things must come to an end … our final shot from Lindsey and John’s wedding … they’ve come full circle from their  milk & cookies inspired e*shoot to milk & cookies at their wedding celebration!

We wish you both a lifetime filled with just as many exciting moments as you’ve shared with us at SMP!

* * *

Kristin has lots and lots more photos and lots and lots more details from the day over on her blog so head on over there for more of the gorgeousness!!

Thanks SO much to Kristin, Tiffany & Weddings And The City and Lindsey & John for sharing this 0h-so-happy occasion with us!

* * *

Credits & Vendors Update!

Cake Lady Jill, The Place For Flowers, Romona Keveza from J. Majors, Shoes by Mary Norton (Charlotte), Bridesmaids dresses BCBG, Tuxedo from Penguins, Headpiece from Castle Bride Couture, Bridal Hair & Makeup by Elizabeth Tollye, Bridal Portrait makeup (Miami) by Mara Fernandez, Invitations/Stationery ~ Three Little Birds, Videography by Richard Israel, Ceremony location: Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Catering by Best Impressions, Rental Providers~ Classic Party Rental and Connie Duglin, Lindsey’s Necklace from BCBG, Flower Girl Dress from Sweet Plume on etsy, Baby’s tutu from Hannah’s Tutus on etsy, 36″ balloons from 2 The Limit Events.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 30 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cake Lady Jill, Charlotte, Feather Boas, Feathers, Kristin Vining Photography, Mint Museum of Craft & Design, North Carolina, Old Hollywood Glamour, Weddings And The City
Post categories: Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

Candy buffets, step aside. The child in me would kill to have cotton candy at a very posh, ever-so-elegant wedding! Imagine it … sipping champagne while oh-so-delicately pinching the most delicious bites of pure silken spun sugar from the freshly made confection! Mmmm… I’d totally do it! And enjoy every moment of the splurge!

If your curiosity is just too much … you can see Rachel & Nathan’s absolutely stunning wedding on Jeff & Julia Woods’ blog.  OR, you can wait a bit for us … and we will definitely share the whole shebang with you on Thursday, so do come back!!!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Cotton Candy, Jeffrey and Julia Woods
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

Jessamyn Harris is sharing Melissa & Brett’s lively vintage-styled wedding with us, today. Melissa, Brett, friends & family and their wedding planner Jess Flood all pitched in to make this a fantasticly memorable day!

… truly vintage touches throughout the day … and a custom-made chandelier … wow!

Melissa’s daughter, Hailie also had a special part in the ceremony …

According to Jessamyn, the chandelier was made from recycled metal from a local winery’s oak barrels. Pretty cool idea!

And as we mentioned earlier, Melissa painted old window frames to use throughout the space for menus and such …

We have all the vendor info and more pics coming right up!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Barbara Vakassian Florals, Bowties, California, Hair Accessory, Healdsburg Country Gardens, Jessamyn Harris, Linda Horn
Post categories: Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

My friends and I cut out over three hundred fabric napkins and my mom made our ring pillow out of felt wool and antique lace. Brett cut all the stumps for the children’s table, cake stand and boutonniere holder. My MOH and I made all of the boutonnieres from found objects from many places. Most of the decorative items were found at estate sales and salvage yards ~ wheelbarrow, buttons for boutonnieres, old window frames … I even found produce boxes in a neighbor’s barn! The mason jars were from The Summer Cottage Antique Store in Petaluma. My dad and grandfather’s antique bottle collection served as vases and we adorned the vintage cake topper with pretties from Castle In The Sky and Tale of the Yak.  Most of the old pictures were of family and family wedding photos.

Whew! And that’s just the beginning …

Melissa and Brett were married at Healdsburg Country Gardens surrounded by friends, family and what looks like ~ a ton of fun …

Jessamyn Harris is the LBB photographer behind this happy day … and she’s shared lots more images, coming up in a few …

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: California, Healdsburg Country Gardens, Jessamyn Harris, The Summer Cottage Antique Store
Post categories: Budget Beautiful, Do-It-Yourself Inspired, Little Black Book Blog, Vintage Chic, Wedding Photography, Whimsical

From the bride…

My husband and I both got our degrees in Biology and both work at different  BioPharmaceutical companies.  I really wanted to make our special day fun and elegant and most of all ‘US.’  So, I thought it would only be fitting to have a science themed wedding.  I came up with ‘DnA’ which means Dexter n Angela, but is also a science term.  We carried this from our Save the Dates onto our wedding day.  My awesome wedding coordinator who also made our save the dates and invitations came up with a logo to add to everything paper.

We had two different centerpieces. Our first centerpiece were beakers and flasks filled with hydrangeas,  ranunculus,and snap dragons. My florist filled the lab glassware with pink water. Our second centerpiece was reused from the ceremony to save money.

Instead of table numbers, we used elements from the periodic table. We had a gobo that was displayed on the dance floor with our DnA logo.  We also had the oh so infamous candy bar.  All pink candy! It was a huge hit.  For the little ones,  I did the DIY Project: Kid’s Tins also featured on your blog!  The tins included a coloring book, crayons, bubbles, “i only have eyes for you” 3-D glasses, and squishy rings that lit up. Out on the balcony, I wrapped white vellum paper around cylinders and put a candle in it.  On the vellum paper I printed the DNA structure to keep the science theme going…nerdy, yes!

This day wouldn’t have been possible without our wonderful vendors. First off, our day of wedding coordinator Melanie Montoya of Something Blue Weddings and owner of Fresh Invitation Studio really made the
whole day go so smoothly. Our photographers, Trailbrook really captured the day soo well!! We were on a budget, but went all out with pictures.  Well worth every penny!!

Tessilk, our florist, really went the extra mile to add extra touches of flowers onto the cake and head table. All the flowers were amazing. Our Videographer, Daniel Boswell of dv Artisitry, was awesome!  We also had a same day edit video which was shown towards the end of our reception and was just mind blowing.

So that’s it folks! An adorable themed wedding pulled off with style. Pretty great, right!?

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 28 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Science
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Whimsical

photography by Trailbrook

From the beautiful bride…

We got engaged a year and a half ago from our wedding date.  From that time up until our wedding day, the only thing that I didn’t change my mind on was our wedding colors.  Our colors were blush pink and charcoal gray/pewter. My husband really liked this combo since it was feminine (pink), but also masculine (gray).  So his groomsmen wore pewter vests with pink ranunculus bouts.

Our cake topper was made by Lynn Lambeth from Etsy.  It’s a bit similar to our cartoon portrait, except I’m holding a beaker labeled ‘love potion’ and my husband is wearing a lab coat, goggles and holding my bouquet of pink peonies.

photography by Trailbrook

I wore an Amsale (style Eden) dress bought from a sample sale at Chez Bride Moderne in La Jolla.  I bought it a couple months before my wedding because I had another dress that I fell out of love.  It was the best decision I ever made.  No regrets. Except, I’m having a difficult time selling the both dresses!

My jewelry was from Haute Bride in San Francisco.  And, my shoes are by J. Crew. I bought them on eBay instead because it was waaay cheaper.  I embellished the bottom of one shoe with a blue heart and the other with our initials.

So much more to come!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Lynn Lambeth, Science, Trailbrooks
Post categories: Traditional Elegance, Whimsical

The wedding was held in the bride’s backyard at her parents house on Lake Geneva. Even Jeremy said that there were so many details, he felt like he was on a scavenger hunt. I love that! And to be honest, any bride that serves fries at their wedding is A-OK in my gook!

And I la la looooove that guests threw colorful confetti as the bride and groom made their way out. SUCH a cute little gesture of celebration. There are so many elements of this wedding that remind me of a birthday party and the confetti is one of the best. I love the pure and honest nature of the design, the spunky approach to wedding planning and the all out personality that just shines through every image. Jeremy did such a great job at capturing the day!

Thanks for sending my way, Jeremy!! To see more from this wedding, click right here!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 49 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Casual, Lake Geneva, Wisconson
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Whimsical

Jeremy’s photographs ALWAYS give me the butterflies. And I normally say “OHHHHH!” out loud the minute that I open one of his emails. His work is just soulful. It’s got that special sauce that is so unique to Jeremy, that extra something that the finest photographs are made of. And I love that he is willing to share them with us on SMP!

Here is a list of vendors that participated in this ridiculously lovely wedding. Photography by Jeremy Lawson Photography / Dessert + Food – Hot Chocolate / Reception/Food – The Violet Hour / Hair – Sine Qua Non / Makeup – Karen Brody / Ceremony & Flowers – Asrai Garden / Photobooth – 312PhotoBooth

Thank you so much to Jeremy and his team for sending over this inspiring wedding! And to the GORGEOUS bride and groom for making me really happy. May you have many, many years that are filled to the brim with love, laughter and unabashed style.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jeremy Lawson
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Vintage Chic, Whimsical

From Jeremy…

Dan and Christine met at a restaurant in Chicago called Avec, where Christine works…in the exact spot that the last pictures shows.  They were married in a flower & home boutique called Asrai Gardens, then the reception was held down the street at a The Violet Hour an ultra-lux lounge and cocktail mecca.

More to come in just a bit!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Jeremy Lawson
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Vintage Chic, Whimsical

And, to the bride and groom…you guys are SO stinking cute and your wedding was enough to make me jump for joy! Here’s to many, many years that are just as lovely.

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Iowa, Jeremy Lawson
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Whimsical

So, like I mentioned earlier, the bride and her mother did all of the flowers themselves. They even fashioned a BOOT-onniere for the groom to wear! How cute is THAT??

After the wedding, the pair headed to the actual field of dreams to take some pictures. They had their first dance in the fields and spent some time being cuter than I ever thought was humanly possible!

More to come from Jeremy!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Iowa, Jeremy Lawson
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Whimsical