click here to see the full wedding gallery!

Planning my wedding was a little hard for me. I had an idea of what I wanted, but I felt like no one else could get the same visual picture I was going for. So I hooked up with Tiffany Ratliff from Weddings and the City. I told her I wanted a sleek, modern, contemporary wedding and I gave her a million pictures of different styles that represented me and my dream wedding! When I walked in the room the day of my wedding I was speechless and would only stand there in AWE as she gave me what I wanted and so much more!

Ceremony + Reception Location: The Ballantyne Charlotte, NC / Cake: Cake Lady Jill / Flowers: The Place for Flowers / Gown: Angoliques / Shoes: Designer – Michael Shannon from Off Broadway Shoes / Bridesmaids’ dresses: Designer: Enzoani / Hairstylist & Make-Up for wedding: Kymm Mclean, Who’s the Fairest / Music, Entertainment: Method Productions { DJ} , Hot Sauce { Band} / Photography: Kristin Vining Photography / Caterers: The Ballantyne / Rental providers (tents, linens, tables, chairs, etc.): Classic Party Rentals { Dance Floor, linens}, Extravaganza {pipe and drape and lighting} , Starlight Design Group {lighting, chiavari chairs}, Ice Sensations {Ice bar} / Specialty gifts + favors: All you can Treat / Wedding Planner: Tiffany Ratliff, Weddings and the City

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Post tags: All You Can Treat, Angoliques, Cake Lady Jill, Classic Party Rentals, Enzoani, Extravaganza, Ice Sensations, Kristin Vining, Pink, Starlight Design Group, The Ballantyne, The Place For Flowers, Weddings And The City, Who's The Fairest
Post categories: Color Palettes, Contemporary, The Blog

Kelsey and Scott were married at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe in San Diego this past spring and when Modern 8 Films sent us their sophisticated, outdoor I-do’s we immediately fell for this adorable couple and had to share. Modern 8 shot their wedding using super 8mm film ~ adding the vintage flair that the couple loves. When we first watched the film, one of the things that really struck us was that by changing the tempo and style of music throughout, the different moods of the day were depicted with amazing clarity. Weddings are filled with sweet and somber moments, giddy times and soft, love-filled times… there are so many emotions and different scenes of the day. Thanks to Modern 8 Films, we’re lucky enough to be able to share a few of those right here…

Click here to see even more pretty details in the gallery

I mean how sweet are these two?!? You can see even more fabulous films by Modern 8 on their blog. Thank you Kelsey & Scott for sharing your day with us. Congratulations!

Vendor Credits: Cinematography: Modern 8 Films / Photography: Heather Vallentyne of Vallentyne Photography /Planning & Design: Stacie Barba, A Day of Elegance / Venue: The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe / Flowers by Linda Brown / Caprice Strings, Tim Altbaum / Cake: VG’s Bakery / Invitations: Ceci New York / Noon Design (escort cards, menus, table numbers) / Hair and Makup: Shelby Pence & Sadie Curtin Jack Winn Salon / Katherine Kanish / Wedding Gown: Anne Barge from Bliss Bride Custom by Marilynn Hoffman / Groom’s Attire: Mens Warehouse / Rings are custom / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals/ / Lounge Furniture: Plush Lounge

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Post tags: A Day of Elegance, Color Palette Purple, Modern 8 Films, San Diego, The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe, Vallentyne Photography
Post categories: All Real Weddings, Color Palettes, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Cinematography

Click here to see the rest of the photos from this New Jersey Farm in our galleries

From A Garden Party…

We asked one of our previous brides (we did her wedding a few months ago) to bring out her wedding dress again and of course she jumped at the chance. Her gown had a huge tulle skirt and a crystal beaded bodice that we thought contrasted wonderfully with the vintage setting.  She completed the look with a pair of boots. Her bouquet featured oranges roses, cymbidium orchids, yellow ranunculus and was accented with equisetum (horsestail) and crystal beaded wire. The bouquet was wrapped with fabric that was crisscrossed with some bright orange ribbon.

The shoot was staged in a field in Mullica Hill, NJ.  We wanted to keep the look fresh, young, but somewhat vintage.  We set a barn door table in place and surrounded it with mismatched antique chairs.  The china, linens, and  napkins all come from our homes and were chosen because they don’t match, but play off of each other.  We hung 3 chandeliers from a large tree branch with satin ribbon.

For the flowers we used yellow stock, hot colored poppies, coral peonies, and orange mokara orchids.  We filled the vases with oranges and lemons and tied some hand frayed green fabric around them for some texture.  We have had lots of brides recently want to incorporate their engagement pictures into their wedding day, so we tucked some of Denise’s photos in the fabric on the vases – what a great way to show off your engagement photos! We tucked large orange gerber daisies into the napkins at each place setting.

Against the tree we propped a barn door that we hung the couple’s monogram from, accented with a few more gerbers and the fabric.  Denise was able to shoot the bride in the field, in a great old barn (with some great light flare) and even holding a small chicken that was running around with a few friends in the barn. 

Vendor Credits: Photography: Denise Mabilog Photography / Flowers: A Garden Party / Reception Location: Mullica Hill, NJ / Wedding Dress: Bride’s own dress

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Post tags: A Garden Party, Color Palette Fall, Denise Mabilog, New Jersey
Post categories: Color Palettes, Little Black Book Blog, Photo Shoot, Wedding Style

click here to see the full, totally gorgeous, wedding gallery!

From Unity Weddings…When I first saw the Emerald City inspiration board, I knew that it was absolutely perfect for me. I love all things clean, crisp black and white and art deco, so it really was a no-brainer. What really caught my attention was the photo of Keira Knightley in the infamous emerald gown from the movie “Atonement”. I literally spent days and nights watching it over and over while creating the stationery. Then my florist, Alain Simon, asked to see it, so we watched it again! The mood in that movie is so peculiar, dark and moody yet still very romantic.

The idea behind the shoot was to mix pretty severe graphics with romantic vintage softness. We shot at the newly-built Loft Hotel; its dark floors, oversize Chandeliers, and Art Deco furniture were the perfect setting for a dressy yet fun atmosphere. I am usually a huge fan of mixing and matching, so I decided to incorporate the black and white theme through mismatched plates. Emerald Green became the accent color through napkins, glasses, stationery, and jewelry. Along with my florist, we also decided to bring in some pinks in the flowers to soften up the tables. The Flowers were roses, cymbidium orchids, hypericum berries, and succulents.

In the end, I wanted to create an event with a hard-to-describe mood. Dressy yes not stuffy, modern yet with a vintage twist, colorful yet soothing to the eye. Something that would leave the viewer with a light shiver! By the way, my inspiration song was “Fever”, which is really funny since it’s the song that Ioan Films selected for the video, without even consulting me!

Here are some tips for brides wanting to re-create the look:

I think that this look is actually fairly easy to create on any kind of budget. The starting point was the black and white graphic. If attempting to DIY this, I would suggest sticking to only 1 or 2 bold colors (too many and it’ll become hallucinogenic!). If the colors all match, then you can go ahead and play with patterns as much as you like (I chose dots and lines, but it could be anything). Graphic plates are available everywhere, from expensive rental vendors  to Ikea.

If you’re going to be playing with heavy and bright patterns and colors, stick to simplicity everywhere else. You’ll want the bold visuals to really stick out without the entire design being overwhelming.

With a place setting this bold, nothing else on the table needs to be extravagant, so there’s yet another way of cutting costs! We used very small flower arrangements, just enough to give small colorful pops.

Finally, and most importantly, I say trust your instincts! A lot of people weren’t sold when I told them about my plans for this design, but it seems to have worked out after all!

Photography: Davina+Daniel / Cinema: Ioan Films / Flowers: Alain Simon Fleurs / Venue: Loft Hotel / Stationery, Design and Styling: Unity Weddings / Cake: Jessica Berard Cakes (she’s also the model with her fiance) / Dress: Melissa Gentile Couture / Furniture: Loft Hotel’s private collection / Black Chandeliers: Showdesign / China: Celebrations / Glass Vases for Succulents and Candle holders from designer’s home, purchased at Home Sense / Shoes: Nine West

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Post tags: Alain Simon Fleurs, Black and White, black chandelier, Canada, Celebrations, Chandelier, Davina + Daniel, Glam, glamorous, Home Sense, ioan films, Jessica Berard Cakes, Loft Hotel, Melissa Gentile Couture, Modern, montreal, Nine West, Showdesign, Unity Weddings, Vintage
Post categories: Color Palettes, From Inspiration to Reality

more happy, yellow details can be seen here!

From the beginning, we knew that we wanted our wedding to be comfortable.  Most of our guests had never been to wine country and we wanted our wedding to showcase the rustic beauty of the area. One of the focal points of our wedding was the involvement of our friends and family to create the perfect day.  From the collection of over 1,000 glass jars to provide a candlelight backdrop for the reception, to the handmade bouquets created by the bridal party, our wedding was truly a community effort.  In the months leading up to the wedding, we posted huge pieces of craft paper on our apartment walls to list out all of the details that needed to be taken care of.   The morning prior to the wedding, a few of my bridesmaids and I took a trip to the San Francisco Flower Market and purchased locally grown flowers that were used in the bouquets and boutonnieres for the wedding party as well as a few centerpieces placed in mason jars on the tables.  My mom and a close family friend sewed the table runners using washed burlap embroidered with a delicate scalloped border.

A close friend that was ordained for the occasion married us under a magnificent oak tree surrounded by vineyards.  His personal words as well as the vows that we wrote to each other helped add to the intimate feeling for the entire evening. At the cocktail hour, we served a signature drink created with fresh-squeezed lemon juice, rosemary simple syrup, cointreau and vodka complemented with drink sticks tied with ribbon and yellow cocktail napkins stamped with our monogram.  The personal chef that we hired put in an incredible amount of time in sourcing the ingredients.  The figs for the appetizers were hand picked and the squash for the orzo salad had been grown especially for our wedding.   All of the other organic produce was from a local sustainable farm.  Many of our guests remarked that it was the best food that they had ever had at a wedding.

Our guests danced all evening on the patio under the café string lights, played a pick-up game of bocce and mixed and mingled in the functioning wine barn.  For dessert, in lieu of a traditional wedding cake we asked a few family and friends to bring special treats for a dessert bar.  One of the bridesmaids made our wedding cake, a delicious vanilla cake with a coconut custard filling and coconut buttercream frosting. Others brought homemade desserts including French macaroons, white chocolate cake balls, cheesecake, and chocolate dipped rice crispy treats. The mother of the groom brought cakes that were a favorite from his childhood in Philadelphia. The contributions that our family and friends made to our wedding provided a personal and loving feeling for a day that we will never forget.

Photography: Corey Hendrickson of Hendrickson Photography Weddings / Day-of Coordinator: Green Girl Events / Hair and Makeup: Belle of the Ball / Guitarist and DJ: Steve Ezzo / Venue: Casa Vecchia Estate and Vineyard / Chef: Gretchen Luongo, Kitchen Gretchen (to see more pics of the food, click here) / Dress: Monique Lhuillier, purchased from OnceWed / Shoes: Boden / Bridesmaid dresses: Newport News / Hair Flowers: Handle & Spout / Invitation Materials: Paper Source

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Post tags: Belle of the Ball, California Weddings, Casa Vecchia Estate and Vineyard, Green Girl Events, Hendrickson Photography, Sonoma, Steve Ezzo
Post categories: All Real Weddings, California Weddings, Casual Elegance, Color Palettes, Napa Valley Weddings, Real Weddings, The Blog

……… the delicious bundles of all white flowers just went on and on and on …………..

One … more beautiful than the next!

Casey and Anthony were married on July 18, 2009 at the Calistoga Ranch. The luscious floral design, by Fleurs de France filled the space with layer upon layer of delicious white on white textures!  Wedding planning services provided by A Dream Wedding.

Their story?
Casey and Anthony (AJ) met at a St. Patrick’s Day event and as it is said, sparks flew! They spent the next day together and by dinner Casey knew that she never wanted to be without Anthony. As fate would have it, the feeling was mutual!

For the cocktail hour, guests were invited into a wine cave for drinks and hors d’oeuvres. After dinner, the ‘cave’ was literally transformed in a chic ‘nightclub” where the guests danced and celebrated until the wee hours of the morning!

S T U N N I N G !!

Congratulations and thanks so much for sharing!

See the complete gallery of images from Casey and Anthony’s wedding here and here!

Floral Design: Fleurs de France – Sonoma/Napa
Ceremony/Reception Site & Caterer: Calistoga Ranch, Calistoga California
Wedding Planner: A Dream Wedding
Wedding Stationery: Ceci New York
Officiant: Charles Grande
Photography:  Michael Voorhees Photography
Additional photo coverage : Briana Marie Photography and Joy Coakley
Videography: Weddings on Film
Wedding Cake: Sweetie Pies
Bridal Gown: Carolina Herrera
Veil & Accessories: Sara Gabriel
Shoes: Christian Louboutin
Bridesmaids Dresses: Bella Bridal
Hair & Makeup: It’s A Date
Table linens: La Tavola
Equipment & Lighting: Classic Party Rentals
Entertainment: Davis Ramey Musical Services & Anything She Wants

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Post tags: A Dream Wedding, AJ Foyt, All White Wedding, Anything She Wants, Bella Bridal, Briana Marie, Calistoga Ranch, Carolina Herrera, Ceci New York, Christian Louboutin, Classic Party Rentals, Color Palette Black Lavender, Davis Ramey Musical Services, Interieurs et Fleurs, It's a Date, La Tavola, Matching Hats, Michael Voorhees, Sara Gabriel, Weddings On Film
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Color Palettes, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

“I guess I’d have to say that a lot of the inspiration for my wedding stemmed from my Mother, my best friend. She passed away five years ago, but in the weeks leading up to her death, we were able to sit down and cut out pictures and discuss just what it would be like! I was actually extremely lucky to be able to spend so much time with her.” – Caitlin (smp bride!)

Caitlin ~ we know your mom was right there with you … whispering how lovely you were and how much she loves you {and probably had a huge smile on her face over your super-cute yellow shoes}!

Caitlin had a general idea of what she wanted … but wasn’t exactly sure how to pull together all her ideas. She did know a few things, though. She knew she wanted to walk down the aisle to “All I Want Is You” …..

She knew she wanted a happy, fun-filled day surrounded by her family and friends. She knew she wanted her wedding to have a modern vibe with traditional Jewish celebrations. But that was about it! ENTER her terrific wedding planner and designer, Shannon!  Caitlin says, “Our wedding would have never come to life without Shannon Lassen of Sublime Events!”

One of the very special touches in Caitlin and Dan’s ceremony was incorporating her grandfather’s prayer shawl in the chuppah.

Oh! Two more things Caitlin wanted?

1. She wanted to walk back down the aisle with Dan to “You & Me” playing!

2. She wanted CANDY. Lots and lots of candy!

The fantastic cake stand was designed by Clara French. Gorgeous florals by Elements in Bloom.

And the day was captured to perfection by LBB member, Laurel McConnell.

Sooooooooo many more delightful shots from Caitlin and Dan’s wedding on Laurel’s blog and in the SMP Photo Gallery!

Our Congratulations to Caitlin & Dan!

Venue: Olympic Sculpture Park
Photography: Laurel McConnell Photography
Event Planning and Design: Shannon Lassen of Sublime Events
Wedding Couture: Watters and Watters, Joseph Abboud and Vera Wang
Invitations and Programs: Brown Sugar Designs
Hair and Makeup: Fredericks Salon
Decor: La Tavola, Rented Elegance
Catering: TASTE
Cake: Starry Nights
Music: Salon du Swing
Cake Stand: Clara French
Floral: Elements in Bloom
Photobooth: Photobooth Services

Want to see MORE from Laurel McConnell?

Pretty In Purple ~ DIY In Seattle! ~ Gown by Kirstie Kelly

A Country Wedding In The Forest ~ Gown by Modern Trousseu

Blush & Apple Wedding ~ (another guy who “gets it”!)

Hitched: Christina and Jamison ~ Gown by Paloma Blanca

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Brown Sugar Designs, Cake Stand, Clara French, Color Palette Yellow Gray, Elements In Bloom, Frederick's Salon, Joseph Abboud, La Tavola, Laurel McConnell Photography, Olympic Sculpture Park, Photobooth Services, Rented Elegance, Salon du Swing, Starry Nights, Sublime Events, TASTE, Watters
Post categories: Color Palettes, Contemporary, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Photography

Today’s features are all about COLOR. Bold and beautiful ~ colorful weddings from around our Little Black Book network of sensational wedding vendors! Please give them some love in our comments section to let them know you agree … they’re the best!

First up is from Natasha at Waterlily Pond …

San Francisco wedding photographer Erin Beach chose Smith Mountain Lake in rural Southern Virginia for her wedding location because it’s close to her home town, her family and high-school friends. She wanted it to be a casual Southern BBQ – her mom’s friend catering, her cousin’s bluegrass band, beer kegs, lemonade and pies. But Erin is a very stylish girl, and we decided this will be 50′s style retro chic wedding. Dominated by primary colors and polka-dot patterns.

The lake marina had a basic picnic pavilion which I transformed by draping along the entire length of it with 200 yards of bright yellow fabric, and adding white paper lanterns. I am attaching before picture and a design sketch of the picnic pavilion.

The vintage carousel nearby was so much fun at the cocktail hour. And it turned out to be red and yellow! How cool since we designed the whole wedding in red and yellow and never got to see the inside of the carousel before the wedding day.

Erin’s retro-style dress and Chris’s suit were custom made by San Francisco tailor, and her shoes were Manolo Blahnik’s red with white polka dots. The bouquet was monochromatic yellow with a single red gerbera daisy.

I chose to create cute textural look for the centerpieces by putting together compositions of very simple monochromatic designs that required minimal labor. I used white, yellow and red dot stickers, and polka-dot ribbons to add patterns to simple clear and black glass cylinders. The sticker trick turned black cylinders into black with white polka-dots, and clear cylinders into yellow and red polka-dot. Making the centerpieces look adorable and stylish.

Mix of B&W polka-dot and yellow linens, and coordinating yellow and black paper napkins for the tables completed the look. Small white and yellow striped tent I rented for the bar added to the fun feel of the event. Colorful parachutes in the sky during the ceremony and beautiful sunset on the lake were just an unplanned bonus for Erin and Chris’s special day.

{see the entire wedding gallery here}

What a great way to start the week!! Congrats to Erin & Chris. Cheers to Natasha at Waterlily Pond on more sensational creations!

Event and Floral Design: Waterlily Pond Studio,  Photography: Stephanie Klein-Davis, Venue: Parkway Marina, Smith Mountain Lake, Huddleston, VA

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2010. | Permalink | 14 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Carousel, Color Palette Yellow Black Red, Daisies, Huddleston, Manolo Blahnik, Parasol, Parkway Marina, Polka Dots, spider mum, Virginia, Waterlily Pond
Post categories: Bouquets, Centerpieces, Color Palettes, Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Shoes, Vintage Chic, Wedding Decor, Wedding Flowers