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!

Linnea’s wore an amazing Rosa Clara gown …

This IS just a PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY wedding from start to finish! Thank you to Francie at Tangorra Wedding Planning for sending it our way!

photography by Alexandra Daley-Clark

And Congratulations to Linnea & Dave!!

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Post tags: Alexandra Daley-Clark Photography, Beachside Wedding, Bella Figura, Maine, Tangorra Wedding Planning
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Planners & Designers

photos courtesy of Alexandra Daley-Clark

We’ll be back with lots of gorgeous images from Linnea & Dave’s August wedding in just a bit. You can take a peek at a few more photos on Tangorra Wedding Planning’s blog …

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Post tags: Alexandra Daley Clark, Maine, Portland, Tangorra Wedding Planning
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Planners & Designers

photos by Visionaire Studios

From Jenny…

I spent a fun day in my front yard and put together a fantastic inspirational/do-it-yourself table setting – perfect for a flirty Fall wedding. I chose soft, feminine colors (instead of using the typical orange, golds and yellows that are used in Fall weddings) of ivory, pink, blues and natural colors. Little Black Book member Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott made the fabulous Bee Hive Cake for the table.

photos by Visionaire Studios

Gorgeous, right. Well the best part is that the look is actually really easy to achieve. Here are some super simple DIY Projects that Jenny did…

1. Pumpkin Place Cards: To make the sweet and seasonal place cards, I spray painted mini white pumpkins a soft shimmery gold. I snipped the stems and inserted a small name card (printed on textured cardstock) into each pumpkin. A very simple, but special looking project.

2. Rose & Wheat Bouquet: Using creamy garden roses and soft pink tea roses and 10 stems of wheat, I gathered the flowers into a bouquet – taping the stems together with floral tape. Next, I added wheat around the roses, creating a collar. For the wrap, I used a small piece of burlap (that matches the table runner – and is super inexpensive!) and secured it with pearl pins… I love the mixture of rustic and refined elements.

3. Table: I used a variety of linens to achieve a luxurious feel – natural oatmeal linen as the base, a wide brown burlap runner and topped with a classic ticking stripe runner. To bring more seasonal elements to the table, I added Blue Hubbard squash on each side of our “Bee Hive” Cake created by Black Book Member Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott (Kansas City). Each place was set with vintage gold plates, classic hemstitch linen napkins, and, of course, the pumpkin place cards. For added ambiance, I added single rose blooms in bud vases that bring some floral whimsy to the table – without a big investment!

I am totally smitten with this really sweet approach to Fall decor. Who says Fall inspired weddings have to be burnt orange and reds. They can be just as sweet and pretty as any Spring or Summer affair, simply by approaching the design and the color palette differently. It’s SO cool to see a seasonal style in such a different way! LOVE. Make sure to check out Jenny’s blog for even more goodness.

Vendors: Design by Jenny Steffens of Occasions by Jenny / Cake by Natasha’s Mulberry & Mott – Little Black Book Member / Photography by Claire Ryser of Visionaire Studios

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Post categories: Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Planners & Designers

I had been planning weddings for 6 years when I got engaged to Jimmy. I pretty much already knew all of the vendors I would choose for my own wedding day, due to my existing relationships and friendships with them. Jimmy gave me free reign for planning the wedding, so I was off and running with the details.

We selected Kirtland Country Club because it is an old mansion built in the 1920’s that was renovated into a country club a few decades later. We felt it was the most beautiful location in the area that had ample space for an indoor and outdoor feel. Jimmy’s idea was to have guests in the gorgeous West Porch Room for the cocktail hour, then to the ballroom for dinner, then back to the transformed West Porch Room for dancing and cocktails. I was leery about that idea at first, and guests moving so much, but it worked out really well and guests told us how much fun they had roaming about all of the different rooms and activities!

Inspiration

My favorite place to go in the summer is Cedar Point, the best amusement park in the world! I’ve gone every summer since I can remember. Every time I go, I feel like I’m transformed into a kid again, and Jimmy loves going too! So I wanted that carnival/summer/love feel for our wedding. With the colors, it soon morphed into a Moulin Rouge feel as well. The details included colors of red, magenta and gold, which I had never seen before for a wedding.

Food and Drinks

Our cocktail hour was serenaded by a lively and vintage recorded playlist including songs from Cirque de Soleil’s “O” soundtrack, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley, Edith Piaff and Pink Martini. We offered guests our signature drink, “Yellow Cake Martinis”! All of the food was summer themed, with a tortilla chip station and homemade chips and salsas, chicken quesdillas and crabcakes.

Guests found their seating arrangements on mini envelopes addressed in hand calligraphy with their names, sealed with a gold heart sticker and displayed in mini-rhinestones. Inside was a card that indicated their table name. Tables were named after emotion verbs: love, dream, hope, believe, laugh, imagine, dance, etc., and were displayed on homemade caramel apples.  The guests found their assigned seat by finding their name written on a paper-made piece of candy. The color of the candy coordinated to each guest’s dinner choice. The double matted red menus complete with a red heart rhinestone, read at the bottom: “All you Need is Love”!

After dinner, the Carnival Dessert Stand opened with a decadent display of caramel apples, chocolate covered pretzels, a popcorn machine, caramel popcorn, rock candy, salt water taffy, etc. Guests could fill up their bag (monogrammed with “All you Need is Love”) and take all the sweets home!

Guests also enjoyed a second favor. Gold painted baskets with assorted color dancing slippers were available for all of the women to take. Most women ended up taking off their uncomfortable heels at this point anyway, so why not let them enjoy some pretty slippers too? They all raved about it!!

The video booth from Moonstruck Productions was also running all night, where guests could go in and leave a message for us that will show up on our wedding video in its own section later! The wedding cake (from LBB member, Flour Girl) was absolutely breathtaking and of course it included red velvet cake, what else??! The party went until 12:30am with the band and DJ switching on and off every 30 minutes, sure to please everyone’s musical tastes.

* * *

Wow, Valarie! I think you covered all the bases! Every little detail … all the little extras! We, at SMP, wish you and Jimmy all the best! Thanks so much for sharing your day!

* * *

Credits ~ Coordination: Rachel at Kirkbrides, Cake: Flour Girl, Music: Tony Quarles & The Discovery Band and (DJ) Scott Jones, Floral Décor: Grande Designs, Hair: Barb Banko, Lighting: Vincent Lighting, Linens: L’Nique, Makeup: Ramona Dauksiene, Photography: Easywind Studio, Videographer: Moonstruck Productions, Brides Gown: Paloma Blanca, Bridesmaids: Badgley Mischka, Men’s Attire: Calvin Klein, Men’s Wearhouse.

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Post tags: Badgley Mischka, Calvin Klein, Easywind Studio, Flour Girl, Grande Designs, Kirkbrides, Kirtland Country Club, Moonstruck Productions, Ohio, Paloma Blanca
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

Another really important part of the equation was the hair and make-up that Jennie Fresa designed. Here’s what Jennie had to say…the makeup features smooth, matte skin with subtly contoured cheeks. Eyes were kept simple with champagne shimmer on the lids, a touch of black eye liner, and two coats of mascara for long, flirty lashes (and we added a few falsies!). Cherry red lips finish the look with a dab of clear gloss to make for a kissable pout. For hair, we paid homage to the beehive, with volume at the roots and a soft, simple twist in the back. We allowed the hair accessory make the statement.

Next up…the AMAZING team of photographers, Justin and Mary Marantz. I don’t really have to say much about this duo as the images speak for themselves. But, what I do want to tell you is just how graceful they were throughout the day. Pitching in when needed, quietly capturing little pieces of perfection for us to enjoy. I cannot say enough about just how talented they are, just how lovely.

And last but SO far from least, the lovely and ridiculously talented Karen Bartolomei, creative force behind Grapevine Invitations. Karen whipped together the adorable little “Life is Sweet” gift tags for our pies and the ridiculously clever name tag + menu combination that we tied to the back of each chair. Super, super cute.  Karen is one of those people that can design perfect details in her sleep…and she actually has a pretty awesome book devoted wholly to this concept! She’s a genius and I’m thrilled to call her a friend.

It was beyond a pleasure to work with all of these talented vendors. And with the beautiful model Lindsey who brought our story to life. We will have lots of fun DIY projects from this photo shoot next week.

Stay tuned to hear all about our next inspiration board weekend challenge coming up in just a bit!

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Post tags: 50’s Inspired, Grapevine Invitations, Hana Floral Design, Inspiration Board, Jennie Fresa, Justin and Mary Marantz, Justin Marantz, Photoshoot, The White Dress By The Shore, True Events, Vintage
Post categories: Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

From Meagan …

Where to begin!? SO many special details make up the ingredients of this lovely story. Emily is originally from Maine, and now lives with Mario in New Orleans. They decided to be married at Emily’s oceanfront home in Georgetown. This home is a special place for her family, as it is the retirement home of the bride’s parents, and on the point, the bride’s father’s memorial stone bench is located. Sadly, Emily’s father passed away in 2002. Emily, her mother Carolyn and Maine Seasons Events went about planning a special, colorful and festive wedding celebration, over the course of a year, from Maine and New Orleans. The officiant was a family friend who had conducted the bride’s father’s memorial service at the same location 7 years prior.

With guests coming from as far as Bangladesh and as near as just down the harbor, there were many logistical considerations involved. This family, and so many of their friends, are some of the nicest, funniest, smartest, kindest people ~ it was an incredible celebration. With 170 guests in attendance, on a tented waterfront lawn in Maine, typical Maine weather delivered and as the bride arrived at the ceremony by water, in a family friend’s boat, a thick fog rolled over the point. This element caused surprise and then delight for the groom, attendants and even the guests, as the bride’s boat arrival was a top secret mission-only the wedding planner, the bride, her mother and the officiant were privy to this long kept secret plan. Not even the maid of honor knew until just before her, the bride and bride’s brother with the bride’s young cousins, were picked up to be taken to the dock. When the bride appeared with her brother, escorting her down the aisle, the laughter and clapping could be heard from the guests and the pictures of the groom’s face, once he realized what was happening, are priceless!

From the bride’s grandmother’s Juliet cap, worn on her wedding day, the bride’s mother sewed a tiny purse, lined with blue satin, for her daughter to carry down the aisle. She also had a family heirloom pocket watch engraved for her son, Wyatt, to carry as he stood in for his father and escorted his sister, Emily, to her groom.

Guests arrived at the ceremony to receive, from the bride’s cousin, a woven fan and a custom-designed wedding program attached with yellow and white striped ribbon. They walked down the hill to the ceremony site and were welcomed by lemonade and iced tea, being served by the caterers.

Wanting the wedding to be a collective effort of many creative and talented people in the couple’s lives, the stylish bride and her diligent and visionary mother, thought of many creative details in the dandelion yellow and pewter gray color scheme, to honor New Orleans and Maine. Many friends and family members contributed their talents to create the wedding elements. The bride’s brother, a graphic designer, created the custom damask design for the wedding paper, complete with silhouettes of the bride and groom, trumpets, lobsters and the couple’s dancing Chihuahua. A yellow based candy bar with chocolate soccer balls for the groom was on display in the bride’s mother’s silver collection, incorporating hand made truffles, from the couple’s friend who is a pastry chef in New York City.

(invitation photos by Maine Seasons Events)

Favors included silver Jordan Almonds, tiny yellow matchbooks, engraved with the “em & m” logo of the wedding. Centerpieces consisted of locally gathered rocks, moss and multitudes of varying height clear glass containers of freesia, button poms, hypericum, calla lily, Dusty Miller, spider mums and daisies and were provided by Willow.

One long table for 36 was the center of the large tent, with a constellation of yellow and white illuminated paper lanterns hung from above. Two of Emily & Mario’s friends and Maine Seasons Events installed all of the lighting in the days that preceded the wedding. A photo booth was on site to capture impromptu visits by guests and then inserted into the guest book with written notes. A table of photographs of the bride and groom’s parents and grandparent’s wedding photos as well as photos of them as children was set up next to the guest book.

A local band provided the reception music and the couple’s friend, a D.J. from New Orleans, came to provide dinner music, and a late night, old school dance party. Oh what an evening!

all images courtesy of Cunningham Photography

Ahhhhhh…… so much prettiness all in one place!

Emily’s dress was purchased in New York at the Designer Loft.  It is a LaRichi gown ~ the style is “Renee.” The maids dresses were from Thread!

A huge thank you to Meagan at Maine Seasons Events ~ and to all the moms in the world who help their children plan their dream weddings!

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Post tags: Candy Buffet, Color Palette Yellow Pewter, Cunningham Photography, Designer Loft, La Richi, Maine, Maine Seasons Events, Thread, Willow
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

photos courtesy of Cunningham Photography

Sent to us by Meagan at Maine Seasons Events … it’s sure to bring more than just a little smile to your face! Check back around mid-day on Friday for Emily & Mario’s delicious wedding!

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Post tags: Color Palette Yellow, Cunningham Photography, Georgetown, Maine, Maine Seasons Events
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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.

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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

The shoot was done at the Tyrone Farm in Connecticut with the always fabulous Candice Dowling of Jubilee Events doing the event styling. Beth Chapman of The White Dress by the Shore did all of the fashions (which are STUNNING by the way). The ridiculously lovely florals were crafted by Jane Rynaski of Just for You Weddings and the hair/make-up was done by Catie Bane of Dana Barton’s Salon.

From Candice..

We really wanted to use anthropologie’s signature vintage / modern look as the inspiration for our shoot. The shoot was also inspired by the rustic location and fall season. Tyrone Farm was an amazing location to use – it’s nestled on a hill in Pomfret, Connecticut and overlooks the tree tops of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. They have an amazing property, complete with a farm house, tented blue stone patio, organic gardens, cottage, and the barn.

From Beth of The White Dress by the Shore and Candace of Jubilee Events…

The flower girls held these amazing cute little yellow floral wands by Maihar Design. Jane designed these cute headbands with yellow and white flowers, berries and acorns. The ruffled tulle antique stained bolero that Kelley wore with her Manual Motta gown was made by BONZIE, a handmade clothing store with a lot of vintage style. –Candice

In styling the fashion for the shoot, the inspiration was eclectic elegance with a vintage flair.  Our concept was to take vintage pieces and show how they can be incorporated into modern wedding day attire.  We also pulled in accessories that were new, but had an antique vibe to them to evoke a 1940’s feel. The shoot had the perfect balance between rustic and elegant.  We choose gowns with texture to play off of the rustic surroundings, but added a touch of sparkle to bring in a bit of Hollywood glam. –Beth

SO much more to come!!

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Post tags: Bonzie, Carla Ten Eyck, Jubilee Events, Maihar Design, The White Dress By The Shore
Post categories: Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Photography, Wedding Planners & Designers

Another little token…mismatched decor. Even if you are having 200 people at your wedding, you can still bring in elements of mismatched elegance. For our wedding, we scoured ebay and flea markets for different variations of champagne saucers and dessert plates. Although we needed a pretty big room to store it all, the end result was SO worth it. Mismatched vases and bottles to hold florals, mismatched china and drinkware, mismatched linens, napkins, votives…the list is endless. As long as you stick with the same general theme or style, the look will be lovely.

Thank you so very much to the HUGELY talented Margaret of Van Damme Weddings. Your work gives me butterflies. And to the always fabulous Katrina and Andrew of Sedona Bride. Yet another example of just how talented you are. To see the entire spread, in all it’s perfect gorgeousness, click right here.

We have so much more on the way!

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Post tags: mismatched, Sedona Bride, Van Damme Weddings, Vintage
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Planners & Designers

First of all, the color palette…the pinks and oranges, with pops of graphic patterns in the linens and accents of worn leather. It’s an incredible combination and although you can tell someone really talented is behind the design, it also seems to have that “straight out of the kitchen” look that screams cozy. I love, love, love what Margaret has done and I promise, the pictures just keep getting better and better!

The shoot took place at Page Springs Cellars located just about 10 minutes south of gorgeous Sedona, Arizona. It was all about mismatched, 40’s inspired elegance with an eclectic collection of plates and cups, vintage postcards, vintage linens and perfect little details. Hair and Make-Up was done by Patricia Vega and Flowers by the fabulous Bliss Extraordinary Floral. We have so much more coming up in just a bit!

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Post tags: Bliss Extraordinatry Floral, Patricia Vega, Sedona Bride, Sedona Weddings, Van Damme Weddings
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Planners & Designers

From Preeti, founder of Spotlight Style and Rita and Mike’s wedding consultant and designer …

Rita and Mike wanted to have a wedding outdoors with a modern feel. Osborne Castle was a beautiful venue with over 300 acres of greens so the couple was able to have a private wedding on a mountain top overlooking Hudson Valley.

The bride wanted a mandap to represent the same feel…so it was made out of birch tree pillars with floral pomanders and chocolate brown fabric.

The guest card table was made with a tray of grass and planter sticks for namecards…to keep with the beautiful outdoors feel.

cake from Jolly Be Bakery

photography courtesy of LaRie Taylor

Congratulations Rita & Mike on an absolutely beautiful wedding celebration from all of us here at Style Me Pretty!!

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Post tags: Hudson Valley, J. Crew, Jolly Be Bakery, LaRie Taylor Photography, Osborne Castle, Pronovias, Spotlight Style
Post categories: Cultural Beauty, Little Black Book Blog, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

Tracey and Chris were married at the Harlem Stage ~ The Gatehouse in New York City this past May.

Tracey is stunning in her Pronovias gown!!

from Preeti, at Spotlight Style …

The couple met in Harlem and so the inspiration for their wedding was “A Match Made In Harlem.” The Gatehouse was the perfect backdrop of old traditions with modern designs! The event was something that we all created to represent the Harlem Renaissance.

How gorgeous!

photography courtesy of LaRie Taylor

Our congratulations to Tracey & Christopher!!

And thank you to Spotlight Style for sending the beautiful photos our way! More from Preeti a little later this week…

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Post tags: Harlem Gatehouse, Harlem Stage, LaRie Taylor, New York, Pronovias, Spotlight Style
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Real Weddings, Traditional Elegance, Wedding Planners & Designers

Jennifer and Aamer’s Malibu wedding took place at the Adamson House this past May.

from Jennifer …

The inspiration for our wedding style was modern, fresh, and FUN! My fiancé and I didn’t want anything to feel too formal, and we wanted a wedding that really reflected us. Growing up in Southern California, my one requirement was that we HAD to get married by the beach.

Aamer and I are huge music fans, and we wanted to find a way to incorporate our love for music into our wedding. It all started with our invitations that were designed by Tifany at Gourmet Invitations. She came up with the fabulous idea of our invite actually being a CD! She also incorporated a sound wave design, which we carried over into other aspects of our wedding.

invitation suite photography courtesy of The Shooting Gallery

CEREMONY
We were very fortunate in finding the Adamson House in Malibu!  It is a beautiful historical house right on the beach, with a gorgeous sycamore tree and garden.  Our pre-ceremony music was songs that we loved by bands like Radiohead, Coldplay, and The Smiths ~ performed by a string quartet.  I chose to walk down the isle to Teardrop by Massive Attack, which had personal meaning to my groom and me. 

The wedding ceremony was performed by a dear friend of ours under the beautiful sycamore tree.  He did an excellent job of keeping it light and entertaining, while not detracting from the intimate and meaningful moments.  We wrote our own vows, which really personalized the ceremony.  At the end, we released doves in honor of my mother, who had recently passed away.  It was a very touching moment that we will never forget.

COLOR PALETTE
Our main color was burgundy, which we highlighted with a light pink.  Burgundy has always been my favorite color, and even though we had a spring wedding, I insisted that we still use a dark color.  It turned out that the burgundy really popped against the greenery at the Adamson House, which was an unexpected bonus!

FLOWERS
Our flowers were designed by Floral Art.  I carried a burgundy bouquet made from maroon cymbidium orchids, black calla lilies, baccara roses, and burgundy peonies.  I love the way the flowers looked with my white wedding dress.  The bridesmaids carried pink bouquets made from pink lisianthus, roses, and pink cymbidium orchids.  Aamer wore a miniature black calla lily, and the groomsmen wore miniature pink cymbidium orchids to match the bridesmaids bouquets.

Our cake was designed by Vanilla Bake Shop and was actually tiers of baby cupcakes, with a small cake on top.  To keep things fun, we used Batman and Wonder Woman to top it off!

My dress was designed by Rivini and available exclusively at Lili’s Bridal in Tarzana.  When the sales person showed it to me, I didn’t even want to try it on.  I had a completely different idea of the kind of dress that I wanted to wear.  However, once I reluctantly put it on, I never wanted to take it off!

We wanted a very clean and simple look to our centerpieces.  It took some time, but with the help of our fabulous wedding coordinator, Stephanie Lairson, we came up with the idea of submerging flowers in water.  The centerpieces consisted of 3 cylindrical glass hurricane vases in varying heights filled with submerged flowers, that alternated between black calla lilies pink cymbidium orchids, and burgundy cymbidium orchids.  They were all placed on a round dark wood tray and surrounded by votive candles

Our table numbers were actually names of our favorite bands.  One side had the band name written out with the sound wave design and the other side had a CD cover from that band.  The menus were done in our color palette with a burgundy back plate to help them pop against the white table linens.

We absolutely LOVED all of our vendors, but one key person in pulling everything together was Stephanie, our wedding consultant.  Our wedding day was flawless because of her help, ideas, and support.  We can not thank her enough for keeping things running so smoothly!

In addition, our photographers, Mark and Candice from Mark Brooke Photography, were absolutely fabulous!  They take fun and funky images, and are incredibly easy to work with. They did an amazing job making us and our day look flawless.

invitation suite photography courtesy of The Shooting Gallery

MUSIC
Our music was of course a key factor.  We had a fantastic DJ, Richard Blade, who also served as our MC.  Together, we made sure the dance floor was full throughout the evening!

ADVICE
The one piece of advise that I have to give to brides planning their wedding, is to find ways to incorporate little things that reflect you as a couple.  Personalizing your wedding is what will make you and your guests really remember your special day.  Don’t feel like you have to follow any particular set of rules.  Just do what feels right to you, and remember to have fun!

Congratulations Jennifer and Aamer! We thank you so much for sharing your lovely day with us!!

* * *

For more fantastic weddings from today’s featured Little Black Book members, here are some links to their websites and blogs …

Gourmet Invitations … Blog and Website 

Stephanie Lairson … Website and Gallery

Vanilla Bake Shop … Website and Cake Gallery

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Adamson House, California, Cupcakes, Doves, Gourmet Invitations, Malibu, Rivini, Vanilla Bake Shop
Post categories: Casual Elegance, Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Cakes, Wedding Invitations & Stationery, Wedding Planners & Designers

Their story …

Jennifer and Eliu met in Bayonne, New Jersey many years ago during high school. Hear what Jenn says about the ensuing years …

Although we had our bumps in the road, our paths always stayed together- fighting with passion toward our vision and what we knew in our hearts and souls- that our love transcended that of husband & wife.  So for a long while, we never saw the need to marry. We were revolutionaries and non-traditionalists and we loved that about ourselves.

Honestly, we struggled with what marriage would provide that we didn’t already have. We didn’t feel the need to be like Nike and “Just Do it!”    Our lives had taken us through so many new situations, states, homes, phases of development and personal growth. As each year passed, we didn’t think about not being married or how it seemed, we thought about being mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally prepared for the beauty and challenges of marriage.

In 2007, after a particularly long period apart, Eliu showed up on Jenn’s doorstep and asked her to marry him!

Again, from Jenny …  Time literally stood still. Elui said that he had traveled across the country to say that he loved me more than life itself. After many hugs and kisses, he said there was one more surprise!  ANOTHER? He popped in a video tape and started playing a home video of his mom, sister, nieces and MY parents flooded with emotion and CONGRATULATING us on our engagement! Truly, it was the best day of our lives.

from Candice at The Finishing Touch …

The fun began on Friday when Jenn and Eliu, along with many of their guests arrived in Punta Cana at the Paradisus Palma Real. Their wedding weekend kicked off with welcome drinks ~ a “Bienvenidos Gathering.”  Saturday was filled with an amazing excursion … swimming with the Dolphins and Sting Rays.  Although the water was chilly, all had a wonderful time and got some amazing pictures.  They all came racing back (literally racing) for the rehearsal on the beach.

The Rehearsal Dinner was held at the Bana Bistro where guests enjoyed family-style Asion Fusion fare. Our design team had created a photo book that featured all of the guests in attendance, along with a write-up about their importance in Jenn & Eliu’s lives. It was during dinner that they shared this special gift with each of their guests.

In all my years as a Wedding Consultant, I have seen and been touched by many wedding ceremonies … but none more so than the one I witnessed on Naos Beach at dusk.  One of Jenn’s closest friends performed the ceremony. It was a mix of culture and spirituality that brought tears to EVERYONE’s eyes. Jenn’s brother added a special touch by providing all the music, played on his saxophone.  We often tell our brides and grooms to always remember that although they are hosting a great party, the importance of the day is found at that moment when they become man and wife, and this was certainly true for Jenn and Eliu.

And here is the part that sums it all up … from Jenn …

Eliu and I work so well because our spiritual beliefs sustain us and carry us when the road appears too long and too dark.  He trusts me- even when I over analyze and make him take psychological assessments and bring my work home- he humors me and honors me and what I do- he appreciates that I will be a doctor and that I am a strong woman who occasionally roars. We work because we LIKE each other more than LOVE each other.  We work because we are best friends with benefits. We work because when one of us is almost out of steam the other picks up. We work because we take mini-getaways to revive our spirits. We work because we respect each other.

Jenny, you have reminded us ALL what this thing called LOVE and MARRIAGE is all about. We truly thank-you for sharing your story with us today!

You can see more photos and details from their wedding over on Candice’s blog!

© Style Me Pretty : The Ultimate Wedding Blog, 2009. | Permalink | 24 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dominican Republic, Paradisus Palma Real, Punta Cana, The Finishing Touch
Post categories: Little Black Book Blog, Wedding Planners & Designers