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A Maryland Estate Wedding from Jodi Miller Photography

This wedding is proof that romantic, pastel filled weddings are here to stay. And if you ask me, that’s news worth celebrating. Because when you’re talking weddings like this Maryland beauty from Jodi Miller, well it’s enough to make any blogger’s heart skip a beat. Planned in the hands of Brooke Granger with peachy blooms by Julies Floral Design, you can bet we’ll be swooning this one for a good, long while.

Colors
Settings
Tented

From the Bride…I moved to Baltimore from Delaware where I grew up shortly after college and was introduced to Eric at a Ravens football game tailgate. We felt an instant connection and went on our first date the week after and have been together ever since. Eric proposed in the Fall of 2012 and after being together for 6 years, we decided to have a quick engagement. I am a teacher as well, so a summer wedding was ideal so I could be on summer vacation to deal with last minute wedding preparation and also for a two week Italian honeymoon.

We both loved the movie “Meet Joe Black” and fantasized about having a wedding just like the elegant mansion affair in the movie held outside with rolling green hills and lights illuminating the night sky (or maybe it was just meJ) It turned out to be easier to find than expected because as soon as we visited the Evergreen Museum in Baltimore, we knew we had found the perfect place for our mansion wedding. The stately white columns of the mansion made it the perfect backdrop for our back lawn outdoor wedding and cocktail hour as well as the tented carriage house for our reception.

Once the location and summer date was finalized, I chose a romantic, soft garden party aesthetic for our blush, grey and white wedding. For the ceremony, I had tan wooden chairs and cream market umbrellas set up on the Evergreen lawn to provide shade for guests in the July heat and accented the chairs with white babies breath and blush ribbon. The fountain was the focal point for the ceremony and was flanked on each side by white hydrangeas. A string quartet provided pre ceremony music to set a serene tone. After the ceremony, we tented the brick patio for cocktail hour to provide shade for guests and served strawberry basil spritzers and mint juleps to help beat the heat. Inside the carriage house, I chose grey linens and tall babies breath vases and blooms in white, blush and dusty purple to continue the soft color palette. We dined on strawberry spinach and gorgonzola summer salad, porcini crusted sea bass and steak au poivre, and enjoyed an assortment of cupcakes from the dessert bar. Guests enjoyed getting silly with the photobooth and props and everyone danced late into the night while listening to Motown and top 40 hits. Our wedding was exactly what we wanted and truly was the “Meet Joe Black” wedding of our dreams.

Photographer: Jodi & Kurt Photography | Event Planner: Brooke Granger | Florist: Julies Floral Design | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Caterer: Linwoods | Make Up: About Faces Day Spa | Hair: About Faces Day Spa | Lighting: Unforgettable Affairs | DJ: AJ Productions | Officiant: Rev. John Gaffney | Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Garnish Boutique | Ceremony & Reception Venue: Evergreen Museum And Library | Ceremony Rentals: Grand Rental Events | Dress Designer: Garnish Boutique | Groom's Apparel: Ralph Lauren | Invitation Suite: Just Ink On Paper | Linens: Table Toppers of Newton | Paper Goods: Just Ink On Paper | Reception Rentals: Party Rental Ltd.

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Maui Wedding from U Me Us Studios

M’dears, we’re back this afternoon with more sweet love from Evonne and Darren of U Me Us Studios and we’re starting to see why they work so well together—they’re surrounded by the utmost love. Linda and Truong have captured my heart because after reading their story, I’m convinced that if you stay true to yourselves, laughter and the best kind of happiness will follow. Head to the gallery for so much more!

From the Bride and Groom… Hawaii was the agreed upon “neutral” state to have our wedding since he’s from Texas and I’m from California….what could be better?! One of the unique experiences we had while in Hawaii was Tropical Storm “Flossie” (that name cracks me up) shortly after our wedding. Thanks to Flossie, we got to stay in Hawaii an additional 2 days, did I mention the storm blew over in only 2 hours? Best tropical storm EVER.

One of my good friends also got married in Maui, 2 days prior to our own wedding! They had already booked tickets to go to Maui for our wedding when she got engaged a month after us! I suggested we get married together! Her wedding was right ON the beach in Makena with only 10 people. Completely different feel from our wedding but same amount of love. Hawaii was special to me because my first trip was only a year prior to our wedding (Oahu) with Truong while we were dating. Ironically, the Texan had been several times, the SoCal girl had never been.

One way that we kept it personal was having our close friend Gerren officiate the wedding. We gave him free range and did he ever take it and run with it. I never would’ve never guessed that we would’ve been saying our vows over a couple beers. For my something “blue”, I wore the first pair of shoes that Truong ever bought me while we were dating… they were blue suede Jimmy Choo’s.

Our morning started with breakfast with friends visiting all the way from Taiwan, followed by some relaxation at the pool with childhood friends and family from near and far. It wasn’t until the afternoon that it really dawned on us that we were getting married in this fantastic location surrounded by our loved ones. To us, the gathering of friends and family was the “event”.

(Linda) The First Look was pretty memorable for me, Truong actually shed a tear!!! I went from goof ball to blubbering mess in a matter of seconds. (Truong) I would say the first look as well. As soon as I turned around, I saw Linda standing there beaming in her wedding dress and I admit it was a little emotional.

I am the most unbridal of brides. If you look at our wedding invitation (theme there was travel) to what we ended with (Great Gatsby), it was a hot mess. I’m so happy it’s over, never AGAIN. Did I mention that we were writing our vows on the plane ride over to Maui? Truong said, he wouldn’t want it any other way… it’s very “US”. Wedding planning was worse than shopping for the perfect pair of jeans, but everything came together in the end and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It was building memories at our wedding amongst family and friends that made it that much more special. Everything far exceeded our expectations.

A couple of fun tips for future brides—have a fire extinguisher on hand in case your s’mores gets out of control! Oh, and have a back-up ring bearer in case the original decides to have a melt down minutes before show time.

Photographer: Evonne & Darren Photography | Wedding Planner: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Florist: Country Bouquets Maui | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Ceremony Venue: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Reception Venue: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Bridesmaid's Dresses: Mori Lee | Caterer: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | DJ: Ron Tolbert | Wedding Favors: Honolulu Cookie Company | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Groomsmen's Attire: J.Crew | Ceremony Music: Tatyana Shapiro-Leiste | Bride's Ceremony Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bride's Reception Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bride's Wedding Ring: Tiffany & Co. | Desserts: Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis | Groom's Ring: Tiffany & Co. | Groom's Shoes: Prada | Hair & Makeup Stylist: Maui Mira | Rentals: Opihi Love Wedding Planning and Design | S'Mores: Plush Puffs

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
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Make-Ahead Gravy

Let’s face it, it’s not physically possible, nor should it be legal, to ingest delicious turkey without loading on the gravy first. And because nobody wants to slave over a stove while their living room is filled with family, we found a super simple, over-the top delicious recipe that can be (mostly) made a day ahead!

Make-Ahead GravyA classic gravy that will last for up to three days!
prep time
5 Minute/s
cook time
1 Hour/s
total time
1 Hour/s 5 Minute/s
Serves 10Ingredients
  • turkey neck + gizzards
  • 2 tbs oil (we used olive)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 container of chicken stock (http://www.knorr.com/product/category/245804/homestyle-stock-)
  • 2 cups water
  • tsp dried thyme or 4 springs of fresh
  • 6 tbs unsalted butter
  • 6 tbs flour
  • salt & pepper
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in your pan. Add turkey neck and gizzards. Cook for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
  2. Add in onion, carrot and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Lower your heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
  3. Add your chicken broth, stock, water and herbs, taking care to scrape up all of those yummy brown bits. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
  4. In your pan, melt butter. Add in your flower and whisk continually until the mixture turns a golden hue, about 5 minutes. Add in your liquid a little bit at a time, stirring constantly until each pour is incorporated.
  5. Simmer gravy for about 5 minutes until it reaches the desired thickness. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Store in fridge for up to 3 days.
  6. NOTE: When it's time to reheat, add in your turkey drippings for a richer flavor.

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Photography: White Loft Studio

Jacquelyn Clark

Perfect-Every-Time Thanksgiving Turkey

Every year my dad makes our Thanksgiving bird. Actually he usually makes the whole spread. And his turkey is always amazing. But I’m 100% convinced that this one would give it a real run for it’s money. This turkey is perfection. Crispy, buttery skin. Super moist meat. Flavor and flavor and flavor for days. Plus, we prepped the turkey the night before and honestly this turned out to be the easiest part of our entire Thanksgiving dinner. No basting necessary.

Perfect Every Time Thanksgiving TurkeyA foolproof turkey recipe that will impress all of your thanksgiving guests.
prep time
15 Minute/s
cook time
2 Hour/s 30 Minute/s
total time
2 Hour/s 45 Minute/s
Serves 12Ingredients
  • Turkey, 15 pounds
  • 4 TBS butter, melted
  • Kitchen Twine
  • Meat Thermometer
  • Roasting Rack
  • Foil
  • Salt / Pepper
Instructions
  1. Remove the gizzards and neck from your turkey. Set aside.
  2. Cover a roasting rack (preferably a v-shaped rack) with foil, poking a good bit of holes in the foil for circulation. Spray with cooking spray.
  3. Wash and dry your turkey. Tie the legs together with cooking twine.
  4. Remove all but the bottom rack from your oven. Preheat your oven to 400.
  5. Meanwhile, spread 1/2 of your melted butter over the top of your turkey (breast side), making sure to get every nook and cranny. You want the butter to be pretty evenly distributed. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
  6. Flip your turkey over and spread the remaining butter on your bird. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  7. Place your turkey in your oven, breast side DOWN. Cook for 1 hour.
  8. Remove your turkey from the oven and using kitchen mitts or paper towels, flip your bird over. You may need to drain out some of those liquids first to prevent splattering. Your bird should now be breast side up.
  9. Place it back in the oven and cook for another 1 - 1.5 hours or until the breast temp reaches 165 degrees.
  10. Remove from the oven and let rest for a minimum of 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

To Prep Your Turkey the Night Before:

*Make sure to allow plenty of time (usually 4-5 days for larger birds) for your turkey to thaw in the refrigerator beforehand. If you get into a bind, you can run cool water over the bird until thawed. But we definitely prefer thawing the bird gently over the course of a few days.

*Cover your roasting rack with foil, poking a bunch of holes in it to allow for ventilation. Spray it with cooking spray.

*Remove the neck and gizzards from your turkey and set aside. Using your kitchen twine, tie the legs together.

*Place your turkey breast side up on your roasting rack.

*Cover your bird and place in your fridge overnight. If you are cooking right away simply keep following the directions.

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More Thanksgiving Tips + Tricks

Thanksgiving Do's and Don'ts
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Thanksgiving Do's and Don'ts
View Slideshow

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Photography: White Loft Studio

Plum Pretty Sugar: Getting Ready Gone Glam

There’s no question Plum Pretty Sugar is a SMP favorite. I can’t tell you how many brides we’ve seen sporting their gorgeous getting ready wear, and for good reason. They’ve got everything you need for pre-wedding and beyond. We teamed up with our friends at Plum Pretty Sugar for this year’s Fashion and Beauty E-Magazine to piece together all your loungewear essentials and coined it getting ready gone glam.

Plum Pretty Sugar Featured ProductsShorties Set | Eye Mask | Pink Robe | Blue Boat Neck Dress | Splendid Slippers

Cute stuff, right? And not only are Plum Pretty Sugar robes fun for those pre-wedding photo ops, but make great gifts for all your girls. Trust us, they’ll thank you big time. So what are you waiting for? Head on over to shop the full collection right here.

Sponsored-Post

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Clos LaChance Wedding by Alicia K Designs and Yvonne Wong Photography

This wedding from Yvonne Wong Photography defines pretty. With its perfectly curated details by the talented Alicia K Designs, every corner you turn in this gallery of gorgeous images will take your breath away. It’s overflowing with everything I love so much about weddings, and it’s all waiting for you right here.


From the Bride…My groom and I are pretty practical in nature; to wedding plan and juggle demanding jobs was a challenge. We knew early on that in order for us to get through the process and to achieve a result that we hoped, we had to systematically prioritize our must haves and not dwell too much on the little things. That being said, we started out our planning process with multiple to-do lists and thoroughly populated excel spreadsheets, consisting of options from venue to budget to all other vendor categories. We knew we couldn’t do it all ourselves, and luckily with the help of our dear family and friends, and what we consider to be the backbone of our planning effort Alicia K Designs, we were able to distill all of the choices into a sensible result and pull off more than we could have ever imagined.

In search of our venue, we knew we wanted to have our ceremony and reception outdoors. We drove literally hundreds of miles throughout the Bay Area and saw everything ranging from fully outfitted resorts to manicured vineyards to simple unadorned plots of land. Like finding the right partner, when we saw it we knew it was the one. There were so many gorgeous natural elements in Clos LaChance that we felt that we didn’t need to do much more for the decorations. From the Tuscan-style building adjacent a stone-clad reception terrace, to the nicely manicured lawn amidst a backdrop of rolling hills overlooking uniquely asymmetric vineyards, to the blossoming mulberry trees in the cocktail area, to the smattering of rose bushes which lined the walkways, Clos LaChance was rustic yet refined, and we just knew that the photographer we had in mind, Yvonne Wong, would capture the expanse of space and the minute details perfectly.

In planning the look and feel of our wedding, Alicia helped us to design a cohesive color scheme and style. Our goal was to allow the natural beauty of the surroundings stand out, accented with complimentary colors. We aimed to create a modern and fresh, yet cozy and relaxed feel to our celebration. Grey immediately stood out as a base as it would allow the corals, peaches, and pinks to pop amidst the vast backdrop of greens, yellows, and light browns which adorned the extended landscape. This color theme was weaved seamlessly into our ceremony and reception, creating an effortless transition to our decor.

We also wanted to add a piece of ourselves into the mix, by incorporating DIY paper elements throughout our ceremony and reception. SMP and Martha Stewart were our go-to sites for inspiration on signs, programs, menus, and labels, and we relied heavily on the neat arts and crafts tools and various paper goods available at Paper Source to accent our mini paper projects. To this day, we are constantly in search of opportunities to use zots, those awesome strong double-sided adhesives which we could not live without during our craft sessions, not to mention bakers twine!

We tried to make every effort enjoyable in some way, from cupcake treats scattered throughout checkpoints in a DIY day, to stops at fun places (ahem for ice cream) while venue searching. Our hankering for sugar was manifested in an array of candy treats in charming apothecary jars and an ice cream bar with all of our favorite flavors and toppings, which complimented our delicious wedding cake, creating a sweet ending to our special day. Some would say that we are so into sweets that I subconsciously picked a wedding gown that resembled light fluffy whipped cream. I am not one to disagree when I laid my eyes on the Jim Hjelm number just a month into our engagement, I knew that I had to pull the trigger!

All in all, our wedding was more than we could have ever asked for. Even though the process was quite new to us and required more effort than we could have ever anticipated, we are so grateful to have had the support of our family, friends, and vendors to help guide us through it all. We feel so lucky to have celebrated the next chapter of our lives in such a beautiful way. If we could offer one piece of advice, it would be not to sweat the small stuff. Enjoy each moment and take the time to let it soak in; it will be a day you will never forget.

Photography: Yvonne Wong Photography | Wedding Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Cake: The Cakemaker | Invitations: Hello!Lucky | Reception Venue: Clos Lachance Vineyards | Shoes: Guiseppe Zanotti | Bridesmaid Dresses: Henkaa | Catering: Cafe Primavera | Makeup: A-List Makeup | Hair: Styles By Ann | Hair + Makeup: Styles By Ann + A | Floral Design + Event Styling + Coordination: Alicia K Designs | Groomsmen\'s Attire: Vera Wang | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Music: DJ Raffi Events | Programs, Escort Cards, Menu, Signs and Labels: DIY

Bridal Inspiration Shoot from Perle Jewellery & Makeup

You may or may not have heard, but we’re sort of obsessed with bridal fashion here at SMP.  So obsessed, in fact, that when a pretty little inspiration shoot like this comes our way, we basically trip over our office chairs in a mad rush to hit “publish.”  It’s just that there’s really nothing prettier than a bride all decked out in her wedding day lovelies, and when that sweeter than sweet attire happens to include some beautiful accessories from Perle Jewellery & Makeup, well… even better.  Click here for more.

Colors

From Perle Jewellery & Makeup… Every Bride wants to be stunning and unique on their wedding day – this is our mission.  In this shoot, we wanted to showcase our beautiful collections for stylish brides-to-be.  Each piece has been lovingly handcrafted in Adelaide by Perle’s jewellery designer, Katie Dawson.  The collection has been crafted using a variety of luscious materials & embellishments, including Guipure Lace, Glass pearls, Seed Beads, Crystals, and Diamontes for additional sparkle.

Hair & Makeup: Katie Dawson from Perle Jewellery & Makeup | Jewellery & Accessories: Katie Dawson from Perle Jewellery & Makeup

Vancouver Wedding from White Album Weddings

Love stories make me happy.  And this darling duo?  Well, they most definitely have one of those heartwarming tales that seriously belongs in a movie.  I’m talking a few missed opportunities, a fateful meeting and a happily ever after that culminated in a drop-dead gorgeous affair filled to the brim with pretty.  It’s a true love fairytale with beautiful blooms, soft pink hues and a whole lot of amazing moments captured by White Album Weddings.  See them all in the full gallery.

From the Bride… Our story began long before we actually met. Even though we lived in different cities, we happened to be in the same place at the same time on several occasions, many of which we didn’t even realize until after we had met – somehow through all those coincidences though, we never did get the chance to meet. It really was fate that finally brought us together and got us to realize we were meant to be.

It involved birthday plans that changed last minute, and Ivan being dragged out by his friends that night. Neither of us had planned to be there, but fate had its own ideas. We were introduced through mutual friends and could not take our eyes off each other all night! Our first date wasnt actually until months later when Ivan was visiting Vancouver, but one date quickly turned into spending the whole weekend together. We’ve never looked back. We’re both huge romantics and truly believe we’ve found our soul mates in one another.

We were staying at a cottage on the beach on the North Shore of Oahu, and Ivan surprised me with a little picnic, champagne, strawberries and all! As we were watching the most beautiful sunset, he started telling me all the things he loves about me, and then told me to reach into my pocket. I did and little did I know, there was a ring in there the whole timelucky for him it didnt fall out into the sand! He got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him, and it was the most beautiful moment of our lives. I said yes, of course!

On the morning of the wedding Ivan gave Anita five gifts wrapped in separate boxes and numbered them. One of them included a photo of a willow tree Ivan had planted in their new home together knowing how much I love willows, and another was a journal full of letters Ivan had written every day since the day we first met.

A traditional ceremony was held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Croatian Catholic Church in Vancouver.  Guest are given branches of rosemary to wear, it is a symbol of good luck and well wishes for the bride and grooms new life together.  Shots of Croatian brandy were placed at the entrance to the hall as a toast to the bride and groom.  Musicians played traditional Croatian songs during the reception and later in the night the groomsmen performed a Croatian dance called the Sword Dance. It is something that has been done at Croatian weddings for some time; it continues to be carried on through the next generations!

The wedding invites were handmade letterpress invitations that I (the bride) designed with a lot of help from the bridesmaids, my mom, and we even had my dad rolling the ink onto the press!

Because of our love of quotes, instead of traditional table numbers, I used words that we both love, and found quotes to represent each word. I painted the frames to achieve the right color, yet another DIY project that was time-consuming, but well worth the finished product!

At each guests place setting, hand-stamped muslin bags with Hersheys kisses inside were given as wedding favors. Given to guests at the entrance were boxes of Love Love Tea with hand-made tags, imported from England (a line of teas that I gave to Ivan for his first birthday that we celebrated together).

We chose Mark + Elizabeth Kowal from White Album Weddings. We wanted a romantic and natural feel for our photos. Photography is the most important thing for me as I love pouring over photos over and over again and to have beautiful photos to look back on and remember our special day will be the greatest gift, for us, and to be able to share with our families, friends, and our future children, grandchildren and hopefully great-grandchildren!!

Reception Venue: Swan-e-set Bay Resort | Bride's Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaids' Dresses: David's Bridal | Makeup: Makeup by Ariana | Hair Stylist: A La Mode by Alex | Groom's Suit: Armani | Transportation: Vancouver Trolley Company | Bride's Dress: Bisou Bridal | Brides Accessories (Bracelet & Earrings: Nadri | Photographers: White Album Weddings

Wilmette Engagement by Kristin La Voie Photography

Giddy is the only word that can possibly describe how I felt when I opened up these images from Kristin La Voie Photography. As I went through each picture, I noticed an uncontrollable goofy grin that seemed to form on my face, and it’s a grin that will be sticking around for awhile – because I won’t be able to pull myself from this gallery anytime soon.

From Kristin La Voie PhotographyThere are no words other than PERFECTION to describe this sun-drenched, super adorable, swoon-worthy engagement session of Madeline and Nick. Gillson beach, in the North Shore Chicago neighborhood of Wilmette was the ideal location for these two love birds. Self-proclaimed nerds, Madeline & Nick opted for a scrabble picnic at the beach just as the sun set. I don’t think the two of them ever stopped laughing or smiling, so PERFECTION is really just the best word to describe this amazing session with the most spectacular couple!

Photography: Kristin La Voie Photography | dress: H&M | shoes: ModCloth | Skirt: ModCloth

Day After Session at Chateau Cocomar from Civicphotos

Day after sessions like this one from Civicphotos make me wish I grabbed my hubby the day after I say I do, and snapped up some pictures as pretty as these. With the Chateau Cocomar setting the stage and the love these two obviously share, the images are basically just as pretty as they get. See them all here.


From CivicphotosSo here is another fantastically beautiful group of frames featuring a married couple doing an session-after their wedding day. Seems like a white dress and suit & tie are usually the best ways to compliment the amazing Chateau Cocomar and Alina & Guillermo surely looked totally in the moment. I really enjoyed freezing their great posing and chemistry as we worked some of the light lovely areas of one of Houston premier venues.

Photography: Civic Photos | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Bride's Shoes: Enzo Angiolini | Makeup: Rebecca Pederson | Grooms Suit: Hugo Boss | Accessory Jewelry: Charming Charlie | French Venue: Chateau Cocomar | Grooms Shoe's: Hugo Boss

Oahu Wedding from Andria Lindquist

A week-long celebration in paradise with your closest friends and family is everything a destination wedding should be.  Laid back, totally elegant and chock-full of pretty?  This is that wedding.  A crazy gorgeous affair that is as beautiful as it is heartwarming.  And when you dive into every last mesmerizing moment captured by Andria Lindquist, I promise you’ll want to spend the rest of your day devouring the pretty.  Don’t miss a second in the full gallery.

From the Bride… It never fails that I have to fight back tears each time I look over our wedding photos and reflect back on that amazing day. Emotional tears; the good kind. I could not have asked for a more amazing wedding day and week. My husband and I chose to tie the knot in Hawaii; we both share a love for the ocean, sun and laid-back lifestyle Hawaii is so well known for. Our families and friends reside all over the US, so we chose to pick a spot where everyone who was able to travel and share this day with us could enjoy a vacation. We were blessed to spend the week before the wedding with close to 50 of our dearest friends and family. This was what it was all about to us, being surrounded by our loved ones, relaxing and enjoying the celebration of our marriage. We rented a beautiful vacation home where we had a backyard style wedding, and where our two families stayed together for the week. This was the first time both of our families were together in the same place and it couldn’t have been easier! Our wedding day was so relaxed and enjoyable; we were ready with plenty of time to sneak off to an amazing location with Andria for our couple photo shoot. We dodged random downpours, and were eaten by mosquitoes but it couldn’t have been more perfect. The ceremony was small and intimate in the backyard overlooking the ocean, my Dad officiated which was so sentimental and meaningful. We said “I Do,” ate amazingly delicious food and danced the night away. I wouldn’t have had it any other way!

My advice to Future Brides is to sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. Your wedding day should be a reflection of you and your husband-to-be, add your own personal touches and character. Don’t stress the small stuff. Discuss with your groom what the most important things about this time and day are for you and focus on those things, don’t get distracted by the millions of expectations others may have for the perfect wedding. For us it was enjoying quality time with each other and our friends and family. Laugh a lot, do what you need to do to feel beautiful on your wedding day and celebrate!!

My favorite and most memorable moment of the entire day was our first look; I had no idea what to expect and could not have imagined how Justins reaction would be when he first saw me. It was the most precious, emotional and moving moment I have ever experienced. It pure excitement watching him turn around and see me standing there as his bride. It was the one moment all day where we were able to be alone. I get emotional just thinking about it now; there was something so different about the way Justin looked to me. Of course he looked ridiculously handsome, but I saw him as my husband for the first time, the man I was choosing on this day to share the rest of my life with. I felt such a sense of peace and overwhelming joy it cant even be put into words!

Our inspiration was a backyard style family gathering, a celebration. A week filled with family, friends, community, great food, even better conversation and celebration! These were the things Justin and I both imagined when we pictured our wedding. We knew once we found the perfect venue where everyone would be able to stay, come over and spend time together and where the wedding could also take place that the rest would fall into place. I loved the idea of very simple, natural dcor. I found succulents and a few other small beautiful flowers at a nearby nursery, we made our own boutonnieres, and the rest of the greenery was cut from our very own backyard. We made an awesome playlist with songs we both love and a friend of ours volunteered to DJ. My father was the officiant, and most of our friends and family stayed after we left and helped clean up. It was exactly what we had envisioned!

Photography: Andria Lindquist | Wedding Coordination: The Bride | Florals: Alluvion Inc. Nursery | Dress: David's Bridal | Groom's Attire: JCPenney | Groom's Attire: J.Crew | Bridesmaid Dress: Nordstrom | Cakes & Catering: Papa Oles | Ceremony & Reception Location: Keiki Vista Beach House | Groom's Shoes: Clarks

Vintage English Garden Wedding from Morning Light by Michelle Landreau

I’m just going to start off this post by telling you to read the darling bride’s description of the day, because she and her dapper hubby?  Seriously awesome.  The kind of awesome that plans a budget-friendly English garden-inspired wedding, complete with crazy gorgeous DIY details, vintage stylings and a TARDIS.  Yep, you heard me.  They had a TARDIS.  And every ounce of my being wants to be their bestie just for that very reason.  Oh, and the gallery captured by Michelle Landreau?  Simply amazing.  Join me there for all of the pretty.

From the Bride… My husband and I dated for 10 years before finally tying the knot. When planning our wedding, my main goal was to create an event that represented both of our personalities. I wanted something that would be timeless; vintage simplicity with a touch of geek chic.

We decided on a small, intimate wedding that would include our closest family and friends. With a guest list of just 60 people and a tight budget of $10,000, we decided on a Sunday morning wedding. This is a great option for a budget conscious bride since most venues have lower costs on Sundays. In addition, it helped accommodate our many out of town guests since they could travel on Saturday.

Our theme was a traditional English garden wedding. Our ceremony took place at 10:30 am in the garden followed by a High Tea reception, complete with scones, clotted cream, and finger sandwiches. My splurge was the china for our table settings which I rented from Vintage English Teacup china rentals. I wanted mismatched vintage china on all the tables in keeping with the vintage English theme. All the china was so beautiful and was set off by simple white lace tablecloths.

Since I am crafty and we were on a budget, I chose to do a lot of DIY projects for the wedding. In place of dancing, we decided on lawn games in the garden. We purchased unpainted cornhole boards, ring toss, and giant Jenga. My husband and I painted all the games in our wedding colors. I also made yards and yards (probably 50 yards total!) of bunting, to decorate the staircase in the garden and many of the tables. This was time consuming but really tied the inside and outside spaces together.

The guestbook table was also a lot of fun to create. Since our wedding was so small, I was able to get wedding photos of all the married guests attending. I printed these out in black and white and used them to decorate the guestbook table by attaching them to ribbons in our wedding colors. I loved seeing everyone looking for their own wedding photo and reminiscing.

One of my favorite touches was the use of fresh lavender throughout the wedding in different details. The florist tied bushels of fresh lavender to the chairs down the aisle. I made a lavender simple syrup to be used in our signature cocktail, a lavender champagne. And my mother put together small pots of lavender for our thank-you gifts, tied with the same fabric I used to create the bunting.

To top it all off, we had the most amazing photo booth! My husband and I are both huge fans of Dr. Who, a classic British TV show that has been around since the 1960’s. I was able, thorough a network of fans, to find and rent a TARDIS to be used as the photo booth. I personally made small chalk boards and other photo booth props and I am in love with the pictures from our photo booth. It was definitely one of the quirky highlights that made our wedding uniquely ours.

In the end, our wedding really represented both our personalities and I was so happy how everything came together to create a cohesive and enjoyable event. I wouldn’t change a thing and although it went by fast, it truly was a happy, perfect day.

Photography: Morning Light by Michelle Landreau | Floral Design: Stylish Stems | Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo | Cake: Confection Perfection | Shoes: J.Crew | Hair & Makeup: Raney O'Keefe | Ceremony Music: The Vauxhall Garden Variety Players | Wedding Venue: The Whitlock Inn | Groom's Tie: Burberry | Groom\'s Attire: J.Crew

Kittansett Club Wedding from Zev Fisher Photography + Ready Set Film

I know we are approaching the holiday season, otherwise known as most wonderful time of the year, but this stunning seaside soiree from Zev Fisher Photography at the Kittansett Club has me longing for New England summers already. With its perfectly preppy style and stunning coastal views, I’d go as far as to say, this gallery gives the most wonderful time of year a run for its money. See it all here and don’t miss the incredible film from Ready Set Film!


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From the Bride…Nat and I got engaged almost exactly one year before our wedding day. He popped the question at my parent’s house in Marion, and our family dog almost swallowed the ring as she crawled between his legs when he was “taking the knee.” When it came to deciding where we wanted to get married, but both knew immediately that it had to be in my parent’s backyard…the site of so many family reunions, weekends with friends and wonderful memories together. Basically, it’s our happy place!

We worked hard to make our ceremony intimate and special. Sharon from Always in Bloom had her husband build our birch arch, and Nat’s fourth grade teacher (and second Mom), did one of our readings. Guests snagged some sunglasses and lemonade while waiting for the ceremony, and the weather Gods were smiling down on us that evening with a beautiful sunset and light breeze.

After the ceremony, guests walked across the street to The Kittansett Club. During cocktails, Nat and I snuck off to take some pictures and we returned to the reception just in time to make our entrance to One Republic’s Feel Again.

Nat and I are both teachers, and from Day 1 of the planning process, I knew that I wanted to put my First Grade craft skills to work in order to make our special day truly “us.” Rob at Goosefish Press designed a drawing of the Bird Island Lighthouse, which sits just offshore from my parent’s house and was visible through the arch during our ceremony. I carried the lighthouse image throughout the stationary and wedding, but most notably on the needlepoint belt that I made for Nat, the needlepoint basket that I made for guests to drop their cards into, and the miniature lighthouses that I painted to look like Bird Island Lighthouse, which I then turned into table numbers. Lucky for my Dad, I only broke one drill bit in the process of making those!

When it came to favors, I wanted to spend the time to make something that would really say “thank you!” to our guests not just for attending the wedding, but also for being the people that we love most in the world. I water colored paper that I then printed a poem that I wrote upon. My Dad and I then attached a scallop shell to each card and in each shell I wrote, “Nat and Katie 8.17.13.” The poem asked guests to place the shell somewhere special, and when they come across the shell, to be reminded of our love for them and why they were included in our special day! In the weeks following the wedding, it has been so fun to hear from our guests about where they decided to place the shell, and it’s even more fun to see the shells in our friend’s apartments or homes when we go to visit!

Zev Fisher captured our day so incredibly, and was also a blast to work with throughout the wedding process. We loved looking up at one point on the wedding day to see that he had climbed onto the roof to capture a group photo. A highlight of the evening was when Jeff from Ready Set Film showed our Same Day Edit. We had worked hard to keep this a surprise for our guests, and I cried like a baby when we watched it. We still can’t believe that he was able to capture the entire wedding day so beautifully, and all before the actual wedding day was over! Lastly, we cannot ever fully thank Emmy from EWhitney Events, who served as our wedding planer. Quite simply, Emmy made our vision come to life. She took care of every detail and knew the wedding so well that on the wedding day, we were all able to fully relax and know that it was in good hands!

The day was more special and perfect that we ever could have imagined. We can’t wait for the day when we can tell our children about how we got married on the Marion lawn. We hope that we started a new family tradition that will live on for many generations!

Photographer: Zev Fisher Photography | Cinematography: readyset[film] | Wedding Planner: EWhitney Events | Flowers: Always in Bloom Marion | Brides Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridesmaids dresses: Shoshanna | Hair & Makeup: Special Event Beauty | DJ: C-Zone Entertainment | Mens Ties: Vineyard Vines | Grooms Jacket: Vineyard Vines | Brides Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Country Club: The Kittansett Club | Farm Tables: True North Rentals

Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery Wedding from U Me Us Studios

Today, we’re getting a look not only at the love beyond the lens, but behind it as well! And it’s no wonder that we’re feeling a warmth radiating from this beautiful Casa Real soiree. Pair a sweet-as-ever couple with the rockstar hubs and wife team, Evonne & Darren of U Me Us Studios, and well, you’ve got yourself a whole lotta goodness.

SMP: How did you both get started in photography?
Evonne: I was a wedding planner turned wedding photographer!  Started my wedding planning company on Maui and then I began photographing details of the weddings that I put together.
Darren: Photography has always been a hobby of mine, I didn’t get serious with it until Evonne asked me to assist in photographing the details of her events in Hawaii.

E & D: From there, we started assisting other photographers at their clients weddings while we built up our own company, and we were fortunate enough to have a few great mentors who took us under their wing.

SMP: What’s your secret to being such an amazing husband & wife team?
E & D: As husband and wife, you never know if you can actually work together until you try. We are blessed that we both love photography and amazingly work very well together. We both have the same motivation to learn and grow together in terms of our photography, and every once in a while we have a friendly competition against one another to see who gets better images!

SMP: Favorite thing to do on your time off?
Evonne: I am a foodie and a movie buff, and being based in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have a lot of amazing restaurants in town. The perfect day off for me is definitely a delicious meal followed by a movie either at the theater or at home!
Darren: Spend time with my wife, which means I also love to eat and watch movies!

SMP: Top three favorite wedding destinations you’ve travelled to together?
E & D: Bali, Hawaii, Mexico

SMP: Best piece of advice for brides & grooms?
E & D: We know you want to spend time with families and friends on your wedding day, but the day will fly by in the blink of an eye, so don’t forget to carve out some time for each other either during your First Look (which we highly recommend) or during the bride + groom portrait session!  That’s what we did on our own wedding day back in June 2005 and it was the best decision ever!

From the Bride… I envisioned an elegant rustic theme for the wedding and I wanted to have soft pastel colors throughout the wedding. Our florist was amazing; she designed the centerpieces and the background for the head table. We completely trusted her and we were amazed at the results. I have a big sweet tooth and there had to be lots of desserts and candies for our guest to enjoy. We even had these delicious green tea cupcakes from Hannah’s which is a bakery right next to our condo where we get breakfast and cupcakes occasionally.

We selected the Cathedral because we had just moved into our condo nearby. We frequently go to Sunday mass here and thought the Cathedral would be the perfect location for our ceremony. It was such a beautiful church that the first time we walked in we knew this was the place we wanted to have our ceremony. Originally we were contemplating a destination wedding but we knew that only a handful of our family members would be able to make it. So we decided to keep it local and searched the Bay Area for the perfect venue. We knew after our first visit to Casa Real that the entire layout/setting would be the perfect venue for our reception. We wanted the venue to feel exclusive and intimate which is one of the reason we chose this venue.

When I was saying my vows it felt like it was just us two in the room everyone seemed to fade away and that’s when it felt real. Andrew and I were starting our lives together. The toasts and speeches were very also really special to me because it brought back so many memories of our relationship. Each person had a fond memory of us as a couple. At the end of the night when we were pulled outside for pictures, I saw our families and friends dancing with each other through the windows of the venue. I was so happy that everyone was having a great time and dancing the night away even my husband who NEVER dances.

Music was a very important part of our wedding from the entrance songs to the songs played during the reception and we were honored that our Family Friends were able to sing our recessional song “Sunday Morning”. During dinner the DJ even played one of Andrew’s favorite songs (unrequested) which reminded us of our first year together when we both listened to underground hip hop.

I was so nervous/excited the day of the wedding I didn’t have an appetite. I didn’t want to worry about anything; just sit back and enjoy the day. I am so thankful to have the best wedding party and vendors there to help with the small details. The day flew by so fast that even the 1 hr long ceremony was done in a blink of an eye. After the dinner, I had so much fun dancing the night away and partying with our families and friends. There was even a soul train line at one point; it might have been Andrew’s 87 year old grandfather that started it. I was also shocked when Andrew gave his really long thank you speech because he is usually doesn’t like speaking in public. It was the happiest and best day of my life.

From the Groom… Kristina and I put a lot of personal touches throughout the reception, from the DIY table numbers, menus, dessert background and signage. We also worked on a dance routine a couple days before the wedding. It wasn’t easy for everyone to learn the steps but we all had a blast practicing the routine and performing it at the wedding. To this day the wedding party still remembers the dance steps.

Waiting for Kristina at the altar and finally seeing her walk down the aisle in her dress was the most memorable moment. She looked amazing. Our exchange of vows and hearing the priest say “I now pronounce you husband and wife” was probably the happiest moment in my life. I loved seeing both of our families together and getting to know each other.

I’m very lucky that Kristina is extremely organized. The whole day flowed seamlessly. We both had the time of our lives and we were really happy and fortunate to have both our families present for our special day. Prior to Kristina’s entrance I was bit nervous but once Kristina was at my side it was nothing but smiles! 99% of everything went as planned and our only complaint would be that the day went by so fast! It was truly an unforgettable experience and a day I will remember for the rest of my life.

Photographer: Evonne & Darren Photography | Florist: Flowers by Ivy | Wedding Dress: Mori Lee | Cake: Jen's Cakes | Cupcakes: Hannah Coffee Tea & Sweets | Invitations: Nice Owl Design Studio | Ceremony Venue: Cathedral Basilica Of St. Joseph | Reception Venue: Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery | Wedding Shoes: Enzo Angiolini | Caterer: Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery | Lighting: Enhanced Lighting and Design | Lighting: Hartmann | Bride's Rings: Classic Rock | Bridesmaid's Dress: J.Crew | Desserts: Hannah Coffee Tea & Sweets | Groom's Rings: Classic Rock | Groom's Shoes: Allen Edmonds | Groom's Tux: Arte Latica | Photobooth: Say Ya Photobooth | Rentals: Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery | Rentals: Hartmann | Rentals: Enhanced Lighting and Design | Wedding Jewelry: Kate Spade

Seaside, Florida Wedding from Lauren Kinsey

I’m not an over-the-top kind of girl. I like simple and modern and chic. Elegance, but not overdone. So when Lauren Kinsey sent over this seaside beauty that checked every love off my list, it quickly became my favorite nautical wedding Off. All. Time. It graced the pages of our Fashion & Beauty e-mag, but today we’re going in a little deeper; poring through every moment of what I deem knot tying perfection. I could easily stare at this mint shaded lovely all day long, and I’m pretty darn certain you’ll feel the same.

From Lauren Kinsey… I am not quite sure I could ever accurately describe how much this sweet couple means to me. From the very first moment I spoke to Brittany, we just had this kismet kind of bond that neither one of us could explain. If I had a sister, I would imagine her to be someone like Brittany. She is one of the kindest and gentlest people I know.

I loved every aspect of this wedding. Brittany is a graphic designer, so she knew exactly how she wanted her wedding to look and feel. Before the ceremony, Chris and Brittany opted to have a first look to get in some extra special portraits prior to the ceremony. Surrounded by only close friends and family, Brittany and Chris were married in the tiny Seaside Interfaith Chapel. Brittany’s sister played guitar during their devotion, and Brittany and Chris’ youth pastor performed the exchange of vows.

The color palette for the wedding was seafoam green, navy, aquamarine, and ivory. Brittany wanted to keep the florals classic and simple, opting to have lush white hydrangeas to lend to the modern/feminine feel of the wedding. Many details were DIY by Brittany. The reception was set under the quaint oaks on the Ruskin Lawn in Seaside, just steps from the Chapel, where cafe lights gave a romantic glow to the family style tables. Dinner consisted of a build your own taco and burrito bar- inspired by Chris and Brittany’s favorite food and home state of Texas! Brittany also surprised Chris by singing him her version of Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am”, which she had learned on the ukelele only days before.

Photography: Lauren Kinsey | Wedding Coordinator: Heather Archdeacon Williams | Floral Design: Florals By The Sea | Wedding Dress: J.Crew | Reception: Seaside Interfaith Chapel | Catering: Dine by Design Catering | Makeup: Jamie Gummere | Hair: Olive the Beauty Lounge | Officiant: Pastor Greg Pirtle | Ceremony Music: Gulf Talent Services | Chapel: Seaside Interfaith Chapel | Confections: Bake My Day | Confections: Sweet For Sirten | Event Rentals: H&M | Music: Gulf Talent Services | Paper Goods/Menus/Invitations: Pastor Greg Pirtle | Reception Entertainment: Gulf Talent Services

Thanksgiving Ideas & Decor

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I literally start thinking about it in August… the turkey and stuffing, the mashed potatoes and perfect gravy. But mostly I love it because for our family, it’s a day where the world stands still. While football plays in the backround, a fire keeps us all happy and we drink and laugh and cook and eat until we couldn’t bear a single minute more. And this year, we wanted to celebrate just that. The simplicity of this beautiful, craveable holiday.

THE SPACE: When it comes to Thanksgiving, we wanted to design a table that felt like home. A really special, really pretty version of home. Our dinner was hosted at the house of one of my best friends, Jennie, who graciously let us gussy up her table and fill her kitchen with yumminess. The best part about Jennie’s home is that her dining space is filled to the brim with bright white and taking center stage is a GORGEOUS rustic chic farm table with modern white chairs. Totally SMP style.

THE COLOR: While we’ll always love the rich, pretty tones of the Fall, we wanted to try something a bit different this year. We were inspired by soft, blushy pinks paired with darker, moodier plums. And of course, there was our signature gold touch here and there. We also wanted our colors to have texture. To really feel warm and inviting. While we stuck with our layered pink palette, we tried to bring in a ton of different textures – in throw blankets, in metal candelabras, in linen napkins and gold dusted table runners – to bring depth and dimension to the table.

THE FLOWERS: If ever there was a time to enlist the help of a professional florist, Thanksgiving would be it. A single, show-stopping centerpiece can take a fairly simple table from pretty to absolutely gorgeous in no time flat. Erin & Rose at Foret Floral and Event Design out of Somerville, MA took our pink & plum inspiration and ran circles around our original ideas. The result was a centerpiece so lovely we could hardly believe it. Filled with branches and berries, along with “I can’t believe you found those” peonies and ranunculas, roses, kumquats and so many pretties, this was bar none my favorite floral accessory to date. And the best part? Erin constructed a full video DIY for you guys so if splurging on a florist is out of the question, you’ll see exactly how Erin built ours from beginning to end. Coming up tomorrow.

THE FOOD: This year we were all about two things. Celebrating the classics. And all out ease. Because A. it’s been a busy year and we didn’t want to be slaves to the kitchen. We actually wanted to kick back and enjoy ourselves. And B. We were craving the simplicity of a traditional Thanksgiving with all of the classic recipes that we grew up with. We constructed a basic menu – Turkey, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole and Mashed Potatoes – that was 85% made the night before and that were all 100% fool proof, slam dunk kind of recipes. We’ll be getting into all of that goodness as the next two days unfold!

For presentation, we wanted to split up the frenzy to fill your plates. So we placed our turkey, gravy and a single side dish on a buffet behind the table. The rest of the side dishes were kept at the table for passing. We carved the turkey tableside, then brought it over to our buffet for serving. Our guests were invited to either start at the table with the sides or begin at the buffet. We wanted the buffet to feel special so we swapped out a few paintings that were hung on the wall with a simple gold mirror, a DIY Gratitude print and 2 towering Fall inspired florals. The result was lovely and blended seamlessly into our tablscape.

THE DESIGN: The goal of our table was to create a look that you really could achieve at home. That pairing the items you already have with a few key purchases, you could design a table that was approachable in style and in function.

We used basic whites as our base. All white serving dishes – from gravy bowls to dinnerware – set the foundation for our table. And actually, we took stock and every single one of us girls had a full set of white dinnerware and serveware so we’re thinking most of you do as well!

Next up came the splurges. Our gold candelabras definitely stole the show. They were tall and airy and absolutely gorgeous. They single handedly made our table feel special and far different than your average family dinner. From there, we layered on a gold accented table runner, blush pink napkins, blush tinted wine glasses (though classic would have looked equally as lovely) and a DIY gold wishbone placecard holder. We actually already had gold flatware – as we consider it such a fun splurge – so we finished off our table with a little splash of fabulous.

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Photography: White Loft Studio |  Flowers: Foret Bespoke Floral & Event Design | Dinner Plates: Crate & Barrel |  Salad Plates: Crate & Barrel | Bread Plates: Crate & Barrel | Napkins (we dyed ours): Crate & Barrel | Flatware: West Elm | Servingware: West Elm | Wine glasses: Crate & Barrel | Champagne glasses: Crate & Barrel | Candlestick holders: Crate & Barrel | Salt bowls: Crate & Barrel | Salt spoons: West Elm | Table runner: West Elm | Plum Throw Blanket: West Elm | Gold Throw Blanket: West Elm | Gold Dot Pillow: Anthropologie | Gold Fleck Pillow: West Elm

Miami Engagement Session from Becca Borge

I could give you a million and one reasons why I love, love, LOVE this engagement session by Becca Borge – the style, the images, the setting – it’s all insane. But do you want to know the main reason I am head over heels in love with every image in this gallery? It’s the way he looks at her. I just couldn’t love that more. See even more here.


From Becca BorgeDanny and Monica wanted their engagement session at a quiet park for a beautifully simple shoot. I love Monica’s fun and colorful outfits and how much Danny just adored her the entire time!

Photography: Becca Borge Photography

NYC Engagement from Judy Pak Photography

Judy Pak is quickly becoming one of my favorite people in the world to spend the day with.  Not literally, of course.  I mean, she lives all the way across the country and even though I imagine we would be besties, we’ve never actually met in person.  It’s just that one look at her gorgeous imagery and, I swear to you, my entire day brightens.  It’s like every photo she snaps up has the power to fill your every second with pretty… and this gorgeous e-sesh?  It’s doing exactly that.  Click here for more.

From Judy Pak Photography… Hannah and Eric are a dream couple to photograph! They are one good lookin’ couple and so down to earth! Everything about them just feels so natural. For their session, we re-created their first (Eight hour!) date around the East and West Village. It was super cold and we even had a mini tornado hit us at the highline, but that didnt stop these two from having fun! I am counting down the days to their gorgeous vineyard wedding!

Photography: Judy Pak Studio

Singapore Engagement Session by Elikon Picture

This engagement session is amazing.  Amazing in ways you sort of didn’t even know could exist.  Think one ethereal-like image after another of two seriously stunning sweeties, all set against a breathtaking Singapore backdrop and captured by the oh-so-talented Elikon Picture.  And when I tell you that the lovely bride-to-be crafted her own dresses for every last second of pretty, you’ll be beside yourselves.  See all of the lovely right here.

From Elikon Picture I’d like to share with you one of our most exciting Engagement Session project this year with a beautiful & crafty bride. She is an architect by vocation but she does a bit of fashion design for hobby. For this e-session, the bride spent many sleepless nights to design & sew her dresses herself. And they turned out gorgeous! It was a sunny day in Singapore and the beautiful sunlight just made the photos dreamy and magical.

From the Bride… Nature and natural lights has always been our preference, as when we see nature it reminds us on how great is Our Creator. Our photographer helps us to find beautiful spots in remote places and create a beautiful photo concept where we can appreciate nature in our photos. He carefully capture every single moment with precise sun angles to create beautiful pictures. This engagement photo is a beautiful memories for both us as a celebration of our love and commitment.

Something special about this engagement photo, I spent sleepless night to design and sew my own dresses for this photo shoot. I even brought the sewing kit and did the final touch up of the dress during photo shoot break time. As I love lace so much, I created white lace dresses to bring elegance look in this photo. I paired one of the lace dresses with beautiful flower garland hairpiece to complete the elegance look.

From the Groom… As far I remember, nothing can be compared to the experience when we had the photoshoot. So long living in a very ‘urbanized’ places, we lost our appreciation to means of natural. Not artificial, true to its own, and we had that in our photos. When light is natural sunlight, background are things that you may found in daily life but we didn’t appreciate it, and last but most important … we had moment. A very much natural moments. Not acting, but to be ourselves, and the photographer is very smart to capture our moment and freeze it in time.

Photography: Elikon Picture | Hair & Makeup: Stephanie Sara | Floral headband: Allura Store

Santa Ynez Wedding from Sitting in a Tree Events

Tori of Sitting in a Tree is the reigning Queen of Bohem. She whips up these affairs that are such a fabulous mix of unique, fun details, layers of color and boho elegance woven throughout. And we eat it up every time. For this affair, her design musings have met their match in Santa Ynez with photography by Studio Castillero. It’s a scene of love-filled “I Do’s” and feasting family style under the stars. Have a look here for so much more.

Colors
Styles
Bohemian

Jesse and Mike were married in beautiful Santa Ynez, California at a dreamy venue full of all the best things- vineyards, nature, and a sprawling lawn for drinks and dancing, mountain views, bocce ball and a gorgeous tree under which they were married. With one hell of a backdrop on their side, a whole lotta love, a super fun group of family and friends, and a team of all star vendors, these two had one of my favorite weddings to date!

We took inspiration from some of Jesse’s favorite colors- aquas, greens, pinks and golds and created watercolor place cards, hand dyed fabric and ombre signage. Vintage glassware from Hostess Haven and gold flatware dressed up the farm style tables that were covered in eucalyptus garlands and flower heads for bursts of color. Wine flowed and loaves of bread were passed around family style at a giant U shaped table for 120 with a dance floor set in the center. This unique layout created an interactive and intimate dining experience for the guests. As we sat there on the lawn hearing glasses chink and watching Jesse and Mike glow with happiness, the hillside and surrounding vineyards lit up, and at that moment- there was no better place to be for a wedding. It was truly magic that night.

Jesse’s bridesmaids stunned in dove grey Amsale dresses from Nordstroms and accessorized with statement necklaces for a personal and colorful touch. We adore when bridesmaids get to have fun with their wedding wardrobe in this way! Each of their bouquets from Riley’s florals had different pops of color, while Jesse’s bouquet stood out in creamy white.

Jesse and Mike were a dream couple to work with and getting to see the wedding brought to life by Studio Castillero only makes us miss their wedding all over again! Such an amazing couple brought to life in a perfect setting.

Photography: Studio Castillero | Event Design: Sitting In A Tree Events | florals: riley's flowers | wedding dress: Pronovias | cupcakes: Enjoy Cupcakes | shoes: Badgley Mischka | bridesmaid dresses: Amsale | catering: Feast & Fest | dj: Red Shoe LA | linens: BBJ La Tavola | rentals: Hostess Haven | wine club: sogno del fiore

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