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Foxhall Sporting Club Wedding from Jessica Williams Studio

It took about five seconds of soaking in this darling duo’s engagement session to know that their wedding was going to be amazing.  Five seconds… and I was completely expecting a Southern wedding masterpiece. And you know what?  They did not disappoint, and delivered a day that is downright perfection with one drop-dead gorgeous moment after another mix and mingling with darling DIY details aplenty.  See them all captured by Jessica Williams Studio in the full gallery.

From Jessica Williams Studio… Laura’s attention to detail and DIY talents are best described as UNREAL! All of the detailing done here, each flower vase, every decorated Coke bottle, all of the handmade cookies, etc. were done by her and all inspired by berries. I loved everything about her style and couldn’t believe how well it all came together. Not to mention Foxhall is insanely beautiful! Laura is incredibly talented and I bet you would never know that her venue was changed DAYS before the wedding?! True story! Eric’s fun personality also shines through in these images! The boys were a total blast to work with which was more than refreshing!

Photographer: Jessica Williams Studio | Floral Design: Fernanda Alvarez Cortes | Wedding Cake: Beth McMullan | Catering: Gabe's Downtown | Wedding Venue: Foxhall Resort And Sporting Club | Groom's Cake: Carla Perdomo

Encino, California Wedding from Maya Myers Photography

Blame it on George Stanley Banks, but I’m a backyard wedding kind of girl, especially when the backyard is decked out to the nines. This wedding from International Event Company is pretty much my dream, and Maya Myers Photography captured it in a way that is has left me wordlessly scrolling through every image with a smile on my face.

From the beautiful bride… Scott and I met at The University of Pennsylvania as freshmen, were close friends and started dating sophomore year. When Scott proposed at my parent’s house (the house I grew up in), both our families were there to celebrate with us, and we knew immediately it would be the perfect place for our wedding. Our wedding cake was displayed and we cut our cake intimately with our families during our reception in the Gazebo Scott proposed in.

For my something borrowed, I wore my mother in law’s earrings that my sister-in-law also wore to her wedding. In my dress, there was a piece of my mother and grandmother’s dress embroidered into the lining. My parents, and both sets of grandparents’ wedding dates were embroidered in blue as my something blue.

Our ceremony was held under an oak tree in front of the house with my grandfather’s tallit hanging above us. Since my grandfather passed away, his Tallit has been embroidered with the major life events that have happened, such as births, bar mitzvahs and weddings. I walked out of the doorway of the house I grew up in straight down the aisle to join Scott to begin our own family and home.

Our reception was magical, with a live band for us to dance the night away with our 275 closest friends and family. The place cards were displayed in a vintage china cabinet with a sign with the Robert Browning Lyric “Grow old with me, the best is yet to be”, which was also written on Scott’s custom designed cufflinks.

It was really important to me that the band, The Rembrandt Band, learn a piece that I composed as a surprise for Scott and my first dance. Doug Waitman of the band helped me orchestrate the piece and performed it as a surprise for Scott and my first dance. I also walked down the aisle to a piece that I composed.

For party favors our guests got a mosaic pot that was made by the participants of my mom’s nonprofit organization Piece by Piece. Piece by Piece works to empower residents in the under-served communities of Los Angeles by providing the tools, marketable skills and self-confidence to assume more responsibility for their future. The pots created for the party favors were made with love by the participants, who earned valuable income and a “hand up” rather than a “hand out.” We also gave out stationary wrapped in University of Pennsylvania colors that were personalized with: “It all started as Penn Pals…” and at the bottom said “Michelle & Scott, 9.2.12”

At the end of the evening when the band stopped playing, Scott and I ran down the steps, surrounded by our friends with sparklers in hand. We made our way to the lower gazebo, where there were fire pits and supplies to make s’mores.

Photographer: Maya Myers Photography | Videographer: Buckley Videography | Planner: International Event Company, Jonathan Reeves | Florist: Brad Austin Imaginative Florals | Wedding Cake: Jamaica's Cakes | Rings: Finger Mate | Bridesmaid's Dresses: Bella Bridesmaid | Catering: Kitchen for Exploring Foods | Makeup: Thierry Pourtoy | Hair: Sami Eid of Christophe Salon, Beverly Hills | Lighting: Images By Lighting | Band: Rembrandt Fine Artists Entertainment | Wedding Favors: Piece By Piece | Invitations, Place Cards, Table Numbers + Programs: Tulaloo | Ketubah: Karin Alpert (sister of the bride) | Rentals: Town And Country

Hudson Valley Wedding from Style.Art.Life Photography

If there’s one thing I can get behind, it’s a Hudson Valley wedding. It plays backdrop to some of the most stunning “I dos” we ever come across, and this one from Style.Art.Life? Well, let’s just say it’s one for the books. Hitting all the right notes thanks to bloomage by Lee Vazquez Floral Design, believe me when I say you’re gonna want to spend some time with this pastel pretty. Get started right here.


From Style Art Life...So thrilled to share this elegantly Woodsy wedding that took place at The Garrison in the Hudson Valley of New York. Set among a hilltop overlooking the Hudson River, Eunsu and Chris did a beautiful job incorporating natural details to effortlessly blend in with the woodland environment where they got married.

From the Bride…Chris and I got engaged at the top of the Bear Mountain hike in the Hudson Valley, on a sunny spring day.  When we started wedding planning, we knew we wanted to get married at a venue that would provide us with the same feel as our engagement spot (bright, warm, woodsy and outdoors), and also set the tone for a relaxing, fun wedding.  The Garrison, a 5-minute drive from Bear Mountain, was the perfect place for us.

Once we decided on The Garrison, it was easy to choose colors and styles to complement the natural, lush backdrop of the Hudson Valley in the springtime.  We went with mint bridesmaid dresses, grey suits, and peachy pink flowers to contribute to the soft and warm feel of the venue, and added some splashes of color with coral peonies (my favorite!).  Very little dcor was needed since the floor-to-ceiling windows brought in the colors from the outdoors and provided spectacular views of the sunset.

Our wedding day turned out to be the most beautiful spring day.  Chris and I exchanged vows in front of the pergola in the Ceremony Garden, and then had an amazing time celebrating with our family and friends.  All our vendors were phenomenal, and we would recommend them wholeheartedly especially our photographer Twah and our DJ Mario!.  We are grateful to everyone for a truly unforgettable wedding day.

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Photography: Twah Dougherty, Style.Art.Life | Florist: Lee Vazquez Floral Design | Ceremony + Reception Venue + Catering: The Garrison | Save the Dates + Invitations: Rifle Paper Co. | Signs + Paper-Goods: Etsy, Various Musician: Tim Maynard | Photobooth: The Modern Photobooth | DJ: Mario-Francisco Robles | Cake: The Pastry Garden | Hair + Makeup: JAC Beauty | Wedding Dress: Pronovias | Veil: Tessa Kim | Shoes: Bettye Muller | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Grooms Suit: Hugo Boss
These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Best Dressed Blogger: Molly of A Piece of Toast

I’ve been lucky enough to get to know the sisters behind the fabulous blog A Piece of Toast over the course of the last few years  and, throughout that time, I’ve come to realize that these girls are as sweet as they are stylish. But I really didn’t know just how stylish they were until they started posting some of their beautiful every day outfits. Consider me smitten and totally blown away! These two are a class act. And lucky for us, Molly, one half of this dynamic duo is here today sharing some of her own personal must-have wardrobe essentials.

Dainty Jewelry. My favorite thing to splurge on is jewelry… I live for it. I specifically gravitate toward dainty pieces that I can layer and wear everyday and I favor designers that offer unique designs. Tiny chain necklaces, stacks of small rings, and delicate bracelets—I have them all and it’s a fun part of my routine to swap them out with different outfits so they each get love on the blog! My favorites are Zoe ChiccoAriel GordonMaya Brenner, and Dana Rebecca

Ray-Ban Aviators. Sunglasses are the style blogger security blanket! I’ve been wearing Ray-Ban’s classic gold aviator for years (and have replaced my pair several times) and they always make me feel confident, classic, and cool.

Nude Heels. The only pair of heels a girl needs in her closet as far as I’m concerned…they go with everything, make your legs look longer, and are just very flattering. I wear my strappy pair with everything from boyfriend jeans and shorts to dresses and skirts. I now have my eye on several pointed-toe pumps for fall/winter wear.

A Nude Bag. I waited and waited for my 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli to go on sale and I’m so glad I did—I got the nude color I was drooling over at a great deal! Similar to my nude heels, this bag goes with everything and the size makes it ideal for making it through a long day of work (or shopping, or errands). I love that it’s a mix of causal and dressy.

Red Lipstick. This is a new thing for me—I always had a fear of sporting bold, bright red lips but now that I’ve tried it I’m obsessed. NARS Heat Wave is the perfect orangey-red for my complexion and the matte finish keeps helps it last and keeps it from getting on my teeth!

Photography: A Piece of Toast | Necklace: Maya Brenner | Nude Bag: Kelly & Katie | Nude Heels: Nordstrom | Red Lipstick: Nordstrom | Sunglasses: Nordstrom

Jacquelyn Clark

Greenwich Village Wedding from 4 Eyes Photography

These two have a story that is all but conventional, so it was no surprise that their wedding was no cookie cutter affair. It was, however, beautiful and filled to bursting with so much heart. Lucky for all of us, the talented 4Eyes Photography was on hand to capture every sweet emotion from the intimate day.


From Rupert & KellieMeghan and David are aid workers in Afghanistan and flew back for their Greenwich Village wedding. They got ready at The Bowery Hotel, walked over to Washington Sq Park for photos and then ceremony at Jefferson Market Gardens. The entire wedding party then walked over to the intimate reception on the rooftop of BoBo – a converted 1830’s Greenwich Village brownstone.

From the Bride… David and I are aid workers who recently finished up a 2 year stint in Afghanistan. We met 3 years ago in Kyrgyzstan, a small country in Central Asia, where we were both working after a revolution that occurred in the spring of 2010. We met at a mutual friend’s apartment in Osh and hit it off, and the rest is history! We fell in love in an unusual place, to say the least, but it’s fitting for both of us. In our line of work, we travel around the world and it was important for both of us that our partner had the same worldview. During that first year we spent a lot of time in Osh, Kyrgyzstan hiking, exploring and getting beers at the one good bar in town. After our time in Kyrgyzstan together, David went to Washington, DC to start his MBA and I began working in Afghanistan. He couldn’t visit me there, so we met up in the US and around the world during the next year, and kept up with daily Skype calls. He proposed in March 2012 in Sri Lanka, as we were hiking up Little Adam’s Peak. It is a fantastic country to visit and a trip that we will always remember.

In June 2012 David moved to Afghanistan to start work as well, and we lived together there for the next year. After our engagement we didn’t feel the need to wait too long to get married. We were planning a wedding from afar, as we wanted to get married in the US, near where we both grew up (David is from RI and Meghan is from NJ). We knew we wanted to have a small wedding with just our immediate family and oldest friends – we ended up having just 35 people at the wedding and no bridesmaids or groomsmen. We also wanted to do something centrally located for our family and friends (we don’t really have a home base in the US) and ideally wanted to have the ceremony outdoors. We both love NYC so thought it would be the perfect location. We searched and found the Jefferson Market Garden, which is gorgeous, intimate and in a great location. The restaurant where we held the reception, Bobo, is just down the street from the garden. The staff there was very accommodating and we even had a Skype call from Afghanistan with the manager, Grace, to iron out the final details. It is in a old brownstone in the West Village and they have a really nice outdoor garden/roof deck where we had dinner and drinks. It was overall a very fun, relaxed and intimate day. It was just what we wanted!

We didn’t really choose any wedding colors and didn’t put much thought into a theme, but I would say that our wedding ended up as an elegant garden party vibe. I love flowers and our florist did an amazing job. Flower Girl in NYC used all white flowers with touches of green. It was all very simple and elegant.

David and I have never been into the idea of a big, elaborate wedding. We were married by a close friend of David, and we wrote the ceremony ourselves and wrote our own vows. We chose readings by Khalil Gibran and the Grateful Dead (David’s favorite) and our older brothers did one reading each. My wedding band was not yet finished at the time of our wedding, so I used my grandmother’s wedding band as a fill in. We decided to walk each other down the aisle, because we felt that it was important to start our married life together that way.

I’d have to say that our favorite memory is when we walked each other down the aisle. It had rained all morning and we were actually a bit worried because we didn’t really have a back up plan. But then it suddenly cleared up in the early afternoon and it was a gorgeous, not too hot August day. We remember the grass being really green, the flowers looking beautiful and our friends and family waiting for us at the end of the aisle. It was a very intimate and personal ceremony and it was my favorite part of the day.

I love so MANY of the photos! Kellie and Rupert were great to work with and did a fantastic job. I love the photos of us sitting in the big chairs in the Bowery Hotel, where we stayed before and after the wedding. And a lot of the pictures from the ceremony turned out great. There are also some nice shots from Washington Square Park. I love that there were not many posed shots, but the photographers captured a lot of the emotions from the wedding.

We gave all of our guests small gifts from Afghanistan and a card thanking them and telling them how much we love them.

Photography: 4Eyes Photography | Floral Design: Flower Girl NYC | Wedding Dress: Valentino | Invitations: Punch Bowl | Ceremony Venue: Jefferson Market Garden | Reception Venue: Bobo NYC | Shoes: Rachel Simpson | Groomsmen Attire: Jos. A. Bank

Elegant Jacksonville Wedding at TPC Sawgrass from mak photography

This is the kind of wedding you dream about.  An elegant + sophisticated day that weaves traditional details with a downright glamour that can’t be replicated elsewhere.  A day that mixes soft pink hues with lush, flowing florals from Wilson’s Limited, a breathtaking TPC Sawgrass setting and all kinds of mesmerizing images from mak photography.  Soak it all in right here, right now in the full gallery.

From mak photographyThis is a wedding I photographed at TPC Sawgrass in Jacksonville, Florida. It was SUPER DUPER stylin’. The bride left no detail untouched and the overall effect just oozed timeless elegance, with a little touch of southern (monogrammed cornhole boards during the cocktail hour – so fun!). I loved it because they elevated the traditional church / ballroom wedding to something spectacular. They had a “Cheers, Darling!” theme since the groom’s last name is Darling, white dinner jackets for the guys, and the place itself was beyond picturesque for a total “Jacksonville” style wedding.

From the Bride… Michael and I met in high school and it was one of those instant connections that we often didn’t know what to do with, but eventually realized it was something big. After many, many years we made it official and could not wait to celebrate our wedding with friends and family. We knew we wanted to get married in Jacksonville and have a wedding that was timeless and elegant, and every bit a celebration of our relationship and the town where it blossomed.

It was pretty easy making all the decisions for the wedding. For our ceremony we chose Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in downtown. Being one of the oldest Catholic church’s in north Florida, it has an ornate altar and stunning stained glass windows that were the perfect setting for the classic wedding we wanted. We paid homage to our family history and got married on the same day, same time, and same church that Michael’s parents were married in more than 25 years before. Since we had a summer wedding and had many out of town guests, we decided to take the reception out to the beach to the famed TPC Sawgrass. Their Mediterranean style clubhouse is a perfect blend of old world elegance and modern luxury upscale. It sits right on the 18th green of the famed Stadium Course where THE PLAYERS Championship ends so it is about as Jacksonville as it comes and as classic as the wedding I had always dreamed of. (Michael sometimes makes fun of me because I always talk about how simple things were before and how great it would have been to live in the 50’s.)

From the classic Rolls Royce to the Motown band, everything just seemed to fall into place with our vision. My dress was by Rivini and had French tulle and a French Chantilly lace blouse for a more traditional look. My veil had a matching lace trim and I wore a blusher for my walk down the aisle, while also carrying a prayer book that has been in my mother’s family since 1896. My gold sparkly Jimmy Choos were a little punch of modern. My bridal party wore soft blush Monique Lhullier gowns in different styles and I gave them coordinating jewelry by Sonya Renee. All of our florals were creams and whites. Our reception space and church florals were peonies, garden roses and hydrangeas and accented by candlelight in different style containers and hand lettered number signs on the dinner tables. The overall effect was so glamorous, but simple and elegant. We had an artist create a custom illustrated map of our wedding weekend that also incorporated significant places in our lives, like where we went to school, where we are honeymooning, etc. It was included in our welcome pack, but also on display at our guest book table. Even the name change found a place in the wedding! I would soon be taking the last name Darling, and so we decided to play that up at the wedding and incorporate a “Cheers, Darling!” theme, which lent itself perfectly to the day.

We were overwhelmed with the amount of love and support from our family and friends on our special day. It was the perfect day to kick start our new life together!

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Photography: mak photography | Wedding Dress: Rivini | Floral Design: Wilson’s Limited | Reception Venue: TPC Sawgrass | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Event Planner: Christina Kreations | Hair: Grazyna Mercado | Band: The Voltage Brothers | Bridesmaids’ Jewelry: Sonya Renee | Bridesmaids’ Shoes: Vince Camuto | Church: Immaculate Conception Catholoic Church | Illustrations: Sarah Hanna | Makeup: Carrie Wilson | Place Cards + Table Numbers: Addressing Ink | Welcome Packet + Program + Menus: Pearl Beach Paperie

Lenox, Massachusetts Wedding from Ebersole Photography

Jess is near and dear to our hearts for so many reasons. She’s one of the warmest, sweetest ladies on the planet and her talent and creativity know no boundaries. Now infuse that spirit and all around awesomeness into her very own wedding day to her beloved and the result is total, unabashed magic with a big, whopping side of do-it-yourself details. Captured by Ebersole Photography, this is just the kind of affair we crave around here; spirited and full of love. Have a look at the gallery for even more and if you missed it, get to know Jess and get cozy with some of the DIYs from the day (here, here and here)!

From Jess…Michael grew up in Adams, MA and I grew up in Lenox, MA (a couple towns over), so when we started planning our wedding we knew wanted to get married in the Berkshires. As soon as we saw the Lenox Club, we knew we had found the right place. It’s a classic New England estate, built in 1860, with a beautiful sense of history and the feel of a sprawling Berkshire summer. We were ready to move in, but settled for renting it out for the weekend!

My favorite part of planning was creating all the small details they tell you not to worry over! I might have stressed out over them a little too much, but they have become some of my favorite mementos of the wedding. I designed our invitations and used vintage postcards of Lenox and Adams for the RSVP cards. I loved picking out the vintage stamps- I even found a stamp commemorating Poland’s millenium to represent Michael’s heritage! For our ceremony programs, I drew portraits of everyone involved in the ceremony and tied them all together in a little story of how the ceremony was going to go. I really took my time on those because I wanted everyone who was involved in our wedding to know how important their support was to us. One of my bridesmaids and my mother helped me make my veil, which was such a nice way spend time getting ready for the wedding- and a much easier project than you would think. My mother has been wanting to make my wedding cake since I was 12 or so, and we had SO much fun designing it and taste-testing until we hit just the right flavor of almond buttercream!

I think for both of us, the best part of the day was the ceremony. We didn’t do a first look, so seeing each other’s faces as I walked down the aisle was so special. Standing there, holding hands and feeling all the love and support around us in that room was an amazing feeling. Our pastor had us write letters to each other before the ceremony that we gave to her without showing each other, and then she read them as part of the ceremony. That turned out to be the hit of the wedding- not only was it so great to hear each other’s words for both of us, but our guests could not stop talking about how meaningful that made the ceremony for them. Sharing that much of ourselves with everyone there made it such an intimate experience.  Immediately after the ceremony, we ran up to the balcony of the church to steal five minutes alone, connect with each other, and savor the awesomeness of being newlyweds!

We got so lucky and had beautiful, sunny, 75 weather, so cocktails were on the wide porch and lawns of the Lenox Club. When guests arrived at their seats they found little cards with instructions to write us a note as our guestbook. Waking up to a whole basket full of sweet, hilarious, heartfelt, crazy notes from all our loved ones the next morning was so amazing!  We had an easy-going, delicious barbecue buffet (Mike’s favorite!) and spent the whole night talking, laughing, and dancing with our nearest & dearest- we couldn’t have asked for a better day!

One last detail- we spent our honeymoon in Italy (and Poland, and Austria), and as a nod to an Italian tradition, we got a vintage padlock engraved with our wedding date. When we arrived in Rome, we hung on it on the Ponte S’Angelo, and now we’ll always have something of ours to look for when we go back!

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Photography: Ebersole Photography | Day of Coordination: Tara Consolati | Floral Design: Groom’s Aunt | Ceremony Venue: Church on the Hill | Reception Venue: The Lenox Club | Invitations + Programs: Designed + Illustrated by the Bride | Catering: Savory Harvest Catering | Rentals: Classical Tents | DJ: Girard Brothers DJ Service | Wedding Cake: Bride’s Mother | Wedding Dress: Dabra by Enzoani | Veil: Made by the Bride + Mother of the Bride | Earrings: BHLDN | Shoes: Badgley Mischka | Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Lord & Taylor

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Alfresco Maui Dinner with Friends

Dinning al fresco, barefoot, as the sun sets and a ukelele plays? As if I needed to add another reason to move to Hawaii on my list. This simple soiree captures everything I adore about dinner parties. Fabulous food, wonderful friends, and simple yet elegant decor. Captured by Ashley Camper and styled by Shaunna Nygren there’s a whole gallery right here for your perusal!

From … Island life is slow and easy. We gathered for a potluck around a wooden farm table on the front lawn. It was that perfect hour of hazy sunlight on Maui that signals the end of day. We had some mismatched chairs, koa wood bowls, an ukulele, grapefruit pretty enough to act as centerpiece and tropical protea blooms. We dined al fresco, as we often do in the islands. Most of us were barefoot in the grass. We were old friends and new friends, locals and transplants, joining over food and drink. There is a saying in the islands that often comes to mind when I dine on the fresh offerings: we’re lucky we live Maui.

Our Menu:
Whole Opakapaka (Hawaiian pink snapper) on the grill
Three types of poke: spicy ahi, tako (octopus), scallops with pineapple
Avocado salad
Egg Fried Rice
Spam musubi (fried spam over sticky rice wrapped in dried nori or seaweed)
Mochi with fresh strawberries

Photography: Ashley Camper | Styling: Carol Hung

Jacquelyn Clark

DIY Wedding Cake

To be totally honest, making your own wedding cake is not for the faint of heart. It’s for brides like Jess, who have a love of crafting, baking and DIYing running through their veins. But for those brides up to the challenge, we’ve got the step-by-step to make the whole process stressless as can be. And the end result? Pretty darn sweet.

From Jess’s Mom, Dawn Carberry…
This recipe is for 150 guests. It makes a 3 tier wedding cake (12”, 9”, 6” stacks) and two 9”x13” sheet cakes for serving. If you want to calculate how much cake & frosting you’ll need for a different number of guests, I highly recommend looking in the The Cake Bible which has very mathematical calculations for determining the amounts needed.

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Equipment

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(2) Kitchen Aid Standing Mixers (borrow an extra from a friend if you can!)
Cake Stacker System that included 12”, 9” and 6” rounds (optional- helps keep the cake secure while transporting)
Wilton Large Bake Even Cake Strips
Regency Round Parchment Paper – 12”, 9” 6”
Rectangular Cake Boards – 10” x 14”
Cake Flower Nail (spray with pam) – used in center of 12” pans to help the cake center bake
Nordic Ware Cake Lifter
Battery Operated Flour Sifter
Wilton Aluminum Performance Round Cake Pans, 2” deep x 12”, 9”, 6”
Wilton Aluminum Performance Rectangular Sheet Pan – 9” x 13”
Cooling Racks
Offset Spatulas for frosting
Candy Thermometer
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Timeline

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One Week Prior
Gather all the ingredients & equipment. Remember that each recipe needs to be made in multiple batches, so be sure to buy multiples of the ingredients as well! If you can, enlist a helper for the frosting & cake mixing days to cut your time in half.

Three Days Out
Clear out your fridge and freezer to make a lot of room for the cake. Re-arrange the shelves in the fridge so that you will have room for the height of the tiered cake. Make 25 cups Almond Italian Meringue Buttercream. Blend 8 cups of the buttercream with 2 cups Strawberry Puree (or to taste) and reserve for filling. Set the rest of the buttercream aside for the final frosting.

Two Days Out
Make 5 double batches of the Almond Sour Cream cake batter. Bake all cakes. You will need 2 layers of each 12”, 9”, 6” cake, and 2 layers for each 9×13” cake. Let the layers cool. Trim the tops so they’re level and split each layer in half. Spread almond simple syrup on each cut side to seal and retain moisture in the layer. Fill layers with Strawberry Buttercream and stack so that each cake size is now a 4 (half) layer cake. Make sure each stacked cake is level (eyeball it and/or use a ruler). Cover cakes with thin layer of buttercream frosting. Freeze cakes until the frosting is firm. Take out, wrap well in saran wrap and aluminum foil and freeze overnight.

One Day Out
Unwrap cakes. Use the offset spatulas to frost each with a thick layer of buttercream. Stack the round cakes (use the cake stacker system if desired). Pipe on any frosting decorations.

Day of the Wedding
Add on fresh flowers for garnish, if desired. Carefully drive cake to the reception venue and hand off to the catering staff.

 

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Almond Italian Meringue Buttercream
Make 5 batches (25 cups)
Adapted from Warren Brown’s CakeLove Book

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ingredients

5 large egg whites
1 ¼ cups extra-fine granulated sugar
¼ cup cold water
1 lb unsalted butter (at room temperature- about 35-45 mins out of the fridge)
1 tsp almond extract
Candy thermometer
1 quart saucepan

directions

step-1Slice the butter into tablespoon-sized pieces and set aside.
step-2Measure 1 cup sugar and the water into the saucepan and stir gently. Pour the remaining ¼ cup sugar into a small bowl and set aside. Place the candy thermometer in the saucepan and heat the sugar water over medium-high heat. Partially cover with a lid.
step-3While the sugar syrup is cooking, separate the egg whites into a standing mixer (fitted with the wire whip attachment). With the mixer on high speed, begin whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks. When the peaks are stiff, you have a meringue.
step-4Pour the ¼ cup of sugar into the meringue while the mixer is running, and keep whipping.
step-5Bring the sugar syrup to 245°F (raise the heat if you need to). When the syrup is at 245°F, remove the thermometer and slowly pour the syrup into the meringue while the mixer is running. After a few minutes reduce the mixer speed to medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the meringue is cooled. Add the almond extract, then add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the mixer speed to high for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the butter is fully incorporated.

* Makes 4-5 cups buttercream

 

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Strawberry Puree
Make 2 batches
Adapted from Local Kitchen
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ingredients

5 cups (20 oz) fresh strawberries, frozen overnight (freezing overnight helps fresh berries to release their juice)
2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch of sea salt

directions

step-1Thaw the strawberries completely in a colander over a bowl to collect the juices. This will take several hours at room temperature, or you can slowly defrost them in the microwave (do not allow berries to cook). Press on the berries to force out the juice, about 1 ¼ cups.
step-2Boil the juice in a small saucepan, until it is reduced to ¼ cup (the juice will thicken and become syrupy).
step-3Puree the strawberries in a food processor, making about 1 liquid cup of puree. Stir in the reduced strawberry juice, lemon juice and salt.

* Makes 1 ¼ cups puree. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 10 days.

 

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Almond Simple Syrup
Make 5 batches

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ingredients

6 Tbs Sugar
2/3 Cup Water
3 Tbs Almond flavored liqueur such as Amaretto

directions
step-1Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.
step-2Cover with a tight fitting lid, remove from heat and cool completely.
step-3Transfer to a liquid measuring cup and stir in liqueur. If syrup has evaporated slightly, add more water back in to equal 1 cup syrup.

* Makes 1 cup simple syrup.

 

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Almond Sour Cream Cake
Make 10 batches
Adapted from Win Beckler

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ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp double acting baking powder
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 whole eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp almond flavoring

directions

step-1Preheat oven to 325° F. Prepare pans by brushing with shortening and coating with flour. Wrap with Bake Even cake strips, and place cake flower nail (flat side down) in the center of the 12” pan.
step-2In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine flour, salt, sugar, & baking powder, stirring by hand. Add remaining ingredients and mix with the mixer on low speed. Increase speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes until well blended.
step-3Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 325° F until the center of each cake is done. You can test by inserting a toothpick in the center- when it comes out clean, the cake is done. A rough estimate of the time it took to bake was 20-25 mins for the 6” pan, 25-30 mins for the 9” pan, and 35-40 mins for the 12” and large rectangular pans.

* Makes approx. 5-1/2 cups batter.

 

Photography: Style Me Pretty

DIY Velvet Notebook

When it comes to bringing a wedding to life, it’s all about the details. Those completely personalized nuggets of pretty that could knock the socks off any guest on your list. They’re details just like these handmade velvet program books from Jess’ very own wedding. It’s a project that calls for an assembly-line style party with all your lovely ladies…just add a couple bottles of bubbly and time will surely fly!

Materials
Velvet fabric
Liner fabric
Ribbon
Thin cardboard or stiff cardstock
Hot glue gun & glue sticks
Scissors
Ruler
Pencil
Embroidery thread
Large needle
Book pages

instructions

step-1

Iron all the fabric to remove any wrinkles. Cut the velvet into 7 ½” x 5” pieces, 1 per book. Cut out a ½”x½” square from each corner.

step-2

Cut the liner fabric into 6”x4” pieces, 1 per book.

step-3

Cut the cardboard to 3”x4”, 2 pieces per book.

step-4

Lay the velvet face down. Place the cardboard pieces so that they touch each cutout corner of the velvet. Fold down each flap of velvet and make sure you can fold the book in half. Draw a thin line of glue on the perimeter of each cardboard piece, fold down each velvet flap and press into place.

step-5

Draw a line of glue around the perimeter of inside of the book and press down the liner fabric.

step-6

Make your book pages. You can print whatever you like on pages that are 4”x5.5” (when the pages are folded, each “page” will be 2.75” wide x 4” tall). Order the pages so that the center pages are on the top, and place on the liner fabric.

step-7

Thread the needle with the embroidery thread and knot one end. Insert the needle through the book at the bottom of the of the liner out through the velvet (under the pages), then back through the velvet and through the book pages, then back down through the velvet, up through the pages, down through the velvet and finally up and under the pages. Knot the thread and trim the excess.

step-8

Cut ribbon to 9” lengths. Wrap around the book vertically and close with a dot of hot glue on the backside. Repeat for remaining programs.

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Tip: These books are gorgeous & memorable, but a little time consuming. Enlist as many helpers as you can. Try making only the number of programs you need for each couple, not for each individual guest, to cut down on the number you need to make.

DIY + Styling: Jess of Style Me Pretty

Preserving Summer

You guys? I think I’ve found a way to make summer last (at least as far as our pantries are concerned). I’ve rounded up some of my very favourite summer-inspired recipes we’ve posted over the last few months, and plan on making each of them well into fall. So long as we don’t step outside, we can be sure to preserve summer all year round! Here are a few of my favourites:

LINKS:
Poached Peaches | Margarita Cupcakes | Skinny Vanilla Soy Mocha
Strawberry Ice Cream | Blueberry Cheesecake | Strawberry Cream Muffins
Cherry Clafoutis | The Best Ever Marinara Sauce | Champagne Sangria
Blackberry Lemon Cake | Rasberry Shiso Jam | Baked Blueberry Popsicles

Jacquelyn Clark

Sierra Madre Wedding from Closer to Love Photography

This is the kind of wedding Style Me Pretty was founded on. Pretty as all get out with handmade and heartfelt touches throughout. A bride who is gorgeous and warm, a groom who has no problem showing his emotion, and photographs from Closer to Love Photography that not only catch your eye but tell a beautiful story. It’s SMP perfection.

Colors
Settings
Villa

 

From the gorgeous bride… Planning our wedding was one of the most exciting, challenging, and rewarding experiences we’ve ever had. Growing up in Southern California, I always knew that I wanted to get married outdoors because of the constantly gorgeous weather. My husband was pretty easygoing and open to all of my millions of ideas, so I ended up dragging him around to several venues for various meetings and open houses. Eventually, we stumbled upon the villa and immediately fell in love with the venue for its rustic charm, elegance, romantic feel, and thoughtful architecture.

Once we settled on our venue, we then built our wedding around a central theme of playful and whimsical elegance. Although we wanted to capture and pay respect to the naturally upscale feel of the villa, we also wanted to incorporate our own lighthearted and fun personalities into the theme. With input from my supportive older sister and maid-of-honor, we decided on blush pink and mint green as our central colors, along with gold as a supporting accent color. We knew that we wanted our wedding to be very personal, so we also asked one of my closest friends from college to marry us and also utilized the talented services of some of our friends from church for hair, make-up, and videography. It was also definitely a family affair, as our wedding party was primarily composed of my three older sisters, their husbands, and my two nephews!

Our wedding was over a year in the making, but time really passed by rather quickly, considering our big day arrived before we knew it! I can say with confidence that we learned to love, serve, and help each other so much throughout the process. We spent many days and nights crafting, cutting wood for signs at Home Depot, assembling programs, putting our calligraphy skills to work, cutting fabric, pinning, gluing things, collecting rose petals, shopping, and working closely with all of our vendors to ensure that they captured our vision for the day. With all the different websites out there, we often felt pretty humbled by our self-perceived lack of creativity, but after all the DIY stuff we managed to accomplish…we actually stood back and realized we’re pretty crafty when we work together as a team!

The day of our wedding could not have been more beautiful and seamless! Every detail was laid out beautifully and our vision was perfectly executed by Narimay Events. We especially loved the thumbprint tree guestbook that we had custom designed in our likeness, a vintage typewriter we borrowed from a friend, the various types of flowers laid out throughout the venue in mercury vases (particularly the hydrangeas and peonies), the millions of frames of pictures from our engagement session, and our wooden love bird cake toppers. It was an extremely emotional day for my husband and I, as we eagerly anticipated seeing each other for the first time. Our ceremony was an amazing public declaration of our ever-growing faith and lifelong commitment to each other, which we symbolized through a tree ceremony. The rest of the day passed by so quickly, but we literally tried to soak up and enjoy every single minute of it. It was truly the happiest day of both our lives; in fact, my husband still talks about how he wishes we could go back to our wedding to this day (and so does my 2-year old nephew)!

Photographer: Closer to Love Photography | Videographer: Chris Lee | Event Design: Bride and Groom, Narimay Events | Dress: Paloma Blanca | Venue: Villa Del Sol D'Oro | Bracelet / Cuff Links: Banana Republic | Bridesmaid Bracelets: Anthropologie | Desserts: Porto's Bakery | Garter / Hanger: Etsy | Graphic Design: Pale Designs | Hair and Make-Up: E2 Beauty | Hairpiece: Petit Plume

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Minted Wedding Invitations + A Discount + Free Shipping!

As an admitted lover of all things paper, I can’t help but get a little giddy when anything from Minted pops into my inbox. Not only does this fabulous company put out some of the most fabulous invitations + stationery out there, but everything in the exclusive Minted collection is designed by an independent designer! How cool is that?! And get this, Minted ships to Australia for a low flat rate of $9.95 USD. Amazing, I know.

From classic to modern, whimsical to simple, you will find the most fabulous invitations and paper accessories at Minted. And the whole process is about as hassle free as you could imagine with a 100% satisfaction guarantee as well as the help of a Perfection Team member who will walk you through all the steps from etiquette to ordering! With incredible, high-quality papers and a variety of print methods (from flat to luxe letterpress), there’s an incredible invitation suite for every couple on any budget.

And get this, Minted now offers free recipient addressing on save the date and wedding invitations to help busy couples save a bit of precious time. Just for our SMP readers, Minted is offering 10% off + free shipping on their order! Head over here to activate the discount! Now go ahead, and get shopping, lovelies! xo

Sponsored-Post

Grayslake Wedding from Amanda Megan Miller Photography

Beautiful barn weddings dripping in gorgeous DIY details are my favorite.  They’re all at once intimate and lovely, with the sweetest atmosphere you could ever wish for on your wedding day.  Add in two cuties with a love that literally bursts from the computer screen, bundles of perfectly imperfect florals from Blooming Creations and fabulous paper goods designed by those aforementioned cuties and this, my friends, is the perfect way to spend your Wednesday.  See it all captured by Amanda Megan Miller in the full gallery.

From Amanda Megan Miller Photography… The chemistry between these two is just ridiculous. The way they just effortlessly settle into each others arms, they way they look at each other with unabashed love, and the way they make each other laugh with such ease – its like their love was written to be, written to fit together in this perfect way like puzzle pieces. Not only is their love a perfect fit, but so is their skill in the crafting department. Every single detail of their wedding was either a family heirloom, a hand-picked antique, or hand-crafted by the couple themselves! Jess says Bridgette comes up with the ideas and Jess figures out how to make it work! From the design and creation of their invitation suite to the amazing letter H marquee light for their reception backdrop! Everything was thought of and styled to perfection for their barn wedding!

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Photography: Amanda Megan Miller Photography | Event Design: Designed + Handcrafted by Couple | Ceremony + Reception Location: Byron Colby Barn | Cinematography: Chelsea Styler | Floral Design: Blooming Creations | Catering: Chef David Fiesta Catering | Invitations: Designed by Couple | Photobooth: Traveling Photo Booth | Baker: Baking Institute | DJ: Just Press Play Productions | Makeup + Hair: Flawless by Tiffany | Suit: Ann Taylor | Wedding Dress: BHLDN | Shoes: Qupid Heels + Frye Oxfords 

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
DIY Lace Veil

Veils are kind of my thing. Short, long, blusher, birdcage — don’t care, I love ’em all. But want in on a little secret? Until I came across Jess’ tutorial for her own lace beauty, I had NO idea veils were so DIY doable. Pinky promise — with even the simplest of skills (read: no sewing required!) you, yes you, can make a veil.

Materials
10 yards 108” wide tulle
10 yards of lace trim for a full length veil
Hair comb
White or Ivory thread
Needle
Fabric scissors
Pins
Fabric glue
Aluminum foil
A friend to help

instructions

step-1

Choose your tulle. The most expensive choice is English netting (what was used in Kate Middleton’s veil). This netting is soft and silky and clings to the wearer. I used regular tulle for a significantly less money, found at my local fabric store. Regular tulle is stiffer than and holds it’s own shape. Just be careful to choose a finer weave tulle, not the large weave extra stiff version used for tutus. The most important thing is that it is 108” wide, or else you will have to make a seam down the center of your veil! Choose your lace. I found the best selection on Etsy. You can use any lace you like, just make sure the tulle is trimmed to the shape of the lace- it would take you waaaaay too long to cut off excess tulle (ex. lace like this is gorgeous but would take too long to trim around all the lace shapes. 10 yards covered my whole veil with about a half yard leftover. If you want a shorter veil, I would cut your tulle first and measure with a fabric tape to estimate how much lace you’ll need. Definitely order a little bit extra as a cushion, just in case!

step-2

If you have your wedding dress already, definitely wear that for measuring (or possibly do this quick step at one of your fittings). Stand in your wedding shoes (or a same height heel) and place the tulle over your head. Lower the front edge to where you would like the edge of the finished veil to hit (the edge of the tulle will be come the bottom edge of the lace so just imagine that is where the lace ends). Have your friend spread out the tulle in the back, and trim in a straight line where you would like the veil to end in the back. I chose to have mine extend about 1’ beyond my dress in the back. If you are not in your dress, add a couple feet to the length you think you want, because in your clothes the tulle falls straight to the floor but in your dress it flows along the bulk of the dress (depending on how bulky your dress is). You can always make the veil shorter, but you can’t make it longer so err on the side of extra length.

step-3

Spread the tulle out on a (clean) floor and fold in half length-wise. Cut a soft half-circle (really more of a half-oval) out of the tulle. Cut both layers at once so that both sides will be symmetrical when unfolded. Don’t come into the fold too sharply (flatten out the shape a bit), or the unfolded oval will look pointy. If you want the bottom edge to follow the shape of your dress exactly, then once you’ve trimmed the front side, unfold the tulle, place on your head, and have your friend trim the bottom along the edge of your dress (make sure to fully spread out the skirt first). When finished trimming, place the tulle on your head to make sure you are happy with the shape & length.

step-4

Place the comb on your head where you think it will tuck into your hairstyle (typically an inch or two back from the center of your head). Have your friend place the tulle on top, position it until it is just right, and place pins in the tulle on all four sides of the comb to mark the position. Spread out the tulle on the floor. Measure 6” from the top edge of each side pin and place a pin to mark it. Place the comb underneath the tulle at its markings, with the top edge facing the front of the veil and the teeth facing towards the back. The scoop shape should be down.

step-5

Thread the needle and wrap it around the tulle & the comb, starting in the center of the comb. Gently gather the tulle on the right side, bringing the pin you placed to the end of the comb. Wrap the thread around until all the tulle gathers are secured to the comb, knot, & trim the thread. Repeat on the left side of the comb. Remove all the pins. Have your friend place the veil in your hair, and double check how the tulle lays. You can adjust how it is gathered or trim the shape slightly to suit you.

step-6

Spread the veil out on the floor. Starting on the side (least noticeable part of the veil) lay out the lace along the edge of the tulle. Lay it so that the lace scallops peek over the edge of the tulle and the tulle is not visible on the bottom, but that the majority of the lace trim is resting on the tulle. Pin the lace trim along the entire edge. If any of the corners are sharp, you may have to trim the lace and match up a new piece to keep the lace smooth and flat along the tulle. Place the veil in your hair and double-check the length & shape of your veil- things may have changed with the weight of the lace. I found it helpful to have my friend adjust the lace while it was on my head so that we could be sure of the symmetry. You can move the lace up in areas if you need to, and trim the excess tulle later. Trim any excess lace after adjustments. Grab a movie and your fabric glue- it’s time to attach the lace! Place dots of glue under each of the thickest bits of lace and then remove the pins as you go. Try gluing the bare minimum of what you think is necessary, then hold up the lace to see if there are any pieces that dangle. Too much glue will slow you down and seep through the tulle, too little glue will leave the lace flapping. I ended up laying down a sheet of aluminum foil to work on so that the glue would not stick as I went. Let the glue dry for 20-30 mins before trying your veil on. The glue dries clear and the lace feels very secure- it even won over my mother who was very afraid of it looking tacky. Wear with pride on your wedding day- your guests will be amazed that your veil is homemade!

Cakes: Etsy.com | DIY + Styling: Jess of Style Me Pretty | Vendor: Premier Prints Jiri Stripe Nina Navy/Birch

Toronto Wedding from Meghan Andrews Photography

Pastels draw my eye like a moth to a flame. I love them. I honestly can’t get enough of a wedding filled to the brim with those perfect soft shades. So this wedding? It’s making my day and then some. Because not only is it filled to the brim with pretty, it’s also as personal as they come. That combination happens to be my wedding weakness, and when you throw in the lovely pictures from Meghan Andrews Photography and gorgeous florals from oh my flowers – I am officially in wedding-loving heaven. See why here.

From the Bride…We knew our wedding would be a challenging one. Somehow, we had to squeeze a Chinese tea ceremony, a church wedding ceremony, and a Korean tea ceremony all in one day. Nonetheless, we managed to accomplish all three without losing a limb, and we can say that we, along with our guests, definitely enjoyed the multicultural aspect of our wedding.

We had always envisioned a romantic, classic, soft, and relaxed atmosphere for our wedding. When we found the Arcadian Loft in Toronto downtown, the simple lines and huge floor to ceiling windows swept us off our feet as soon as we saw it. It was a perfect setting for a modern reception. The most important aspect of our wedding was the food and we knew Oliver & Bonacini would satisfy our guest’s taste buds.

After our first dance as husband and wife, Norman and I sang “You and I” by Ingrid Michaelson while I played the ukelele. It was the first time we both sang together in front of anyone so I think everyone was quite surprised. This song represented us so well and we loved singing it together in front of our friends and family.

I am a huge DIY fanatic and wanted to add as many personal touches as possible. With the help of our wonderful friends, we made every guest’s placecards, which are carefully folded origami Kusadama flowers, as well as all the teabag favors. Norman and I created two flavors that we knew our guests would love and labeled the packages using customized labels from Vistaprint. The invitations, church programs, table seating chart etc all used the same pastel watercolor theme to create a romantic and dreamy ambiance. Our guestbook was a customized puzzle of one our engagement photos that our guests autographed which we assembled and laminated as a keepsake. We made numerous trips to Value Village and the dollar store for frames that we painted white for our photos that we displayed all over the venue. Every decoration at the wedding was handmade by the bridal party, Norman and I and we couldn’t be more grateful for our friends and all their hard work.

I really wanted every bridesmaids to wear a different color to create a watercolor pastel palette. I never envisioned my bridesmaids to be too matchy, so their hair and makeup were unique to their features, their dresses were various shades of peach, pink, silver, and lilac, and they were free to wear any shoes they wanted. I also created each of their necklaces, earrings and “LOVE” rings to fit their dresses and their personalities. I knew I wanted to give them jewelry as a gift since CSFootprints, my jewelry shop is my passion and I wanted my gifts to them to be reflective of me. I loved how everyone looked different, but we all blended perfectly with each other. The groomsmen all wore matching suits, and were given colorful socks and personalized cuff links as gifts. They also made sure to carry a pair of sunglasses just in case they needed to jazz up their look for pictures.

My wedding dress was the first dress I tried on. Even though I tried a handful of other dresses, I came back to this dress three times! I loved the lace details, as well as the full skirt. I felt like a princess!

The flowers were what brought the whole wedding together. The mix of Juliet Roses, Ranunculus, Hydrangeas and Lilacs in shades of peach, pink and white blended beautifully with the brick walls of the venue. I loved my bouquet and all the other flower arrangements so much that I have already dried and pressed several of them to give away as gifts.

Towards the end of the night, we had a beautiful view of the sun setting while Jovi our DJ played awesome tunes from the 90s. Our wedding day was so memorable and Norman and I couldn’t have had it any other way. It was 100% us which mattered the most.

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Photography: Meghan Andrews Photography | Ceremony Venue: Trinity Church | Reception Venue: Arcadian loft by Oliver & Bonacini | Floral Design: oh my flowers | Custom Puzzle: Jigsaw2order | Customized Favor Labels: Vista Print | Wedding Cake: Wedding Cake Shoppe | DJ: Jovie Jovellanos | Hair + Makeup: Charmartistry | Bridesmaid Dresses: Ms Dressy | Bridesmaid Jewelry: CSFootprints | Groom Tuxes: Freeman Formal | Wedding Dress: Ferre Sposa

Dallas Wedding at The Ritz Carlton by F8 Studio

Get ready for your jaw to hit your desk. Because this Dallas dazzler at the Ritz Carlton Dallas by F8 Studio is ridiculous in the most fabulous way. It’s what wedding dreams are made of, and that is no exaggeration. Dripping with gorgeous florals by Bella Flora of Dallas and planned to perfection by Diamond Affairs, it’s simply stunning in every sense of the word. But you don’t have to take my word for it – the proof is in all the beyond gorgeous pictures sitting right here in the full gallery of images.


Kate + Tanner from Gary Donihoo on Vimeo.


From the Bride…On April 20, 2013, Tanner and I got married at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Dallas, TX. The weekend was filled with events, including a Rehearsal Dinner at Sammy’s BBQ followed by a Welcome Party as the Nasher Sculpture Center, the Ceremony & Reception on Saturday and a Farewell Brunch on Sunday. We were surrounded by wonderful people who, like us, really wanted to have a good time!

My favorite is rose gold anything! Tanner proposed while we were skiing in Santa Fe, NM in February of 2012. My ring is rose gold and covered with pave diamonds with a pear-shaped diamond perched on top! His ring matches with platinum on the outside and rose gold on the inside! Everything we do is love and I couldn’t feel more grateful for finding my soulmate and for the support of our friends and family throughout our journey! 

Photography: f8studio | Cinematography: f8studio | Event Design: Bella Flora of Dallas | Event Planning: Diamond Affairs Weddings & Special Events | Flowers: Bella Flora of Dallas | Dress: Reem Acra | Invitations: Paradise Design Co | Ceremony Venue: Ritz Carlton Dallas | Reception Venue: Ritz Carlton Dallas | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Makeup: My Fabulous Faces | Hair: Pura Vida Salon | Band: Party On The Moon | Ceremony Music: Dallas String Quartet | Bridesmaid's Dress Designer: Nha Khanh | Linens: BBJ La Tavola | Mother of the Bride Dress: Jenny Packham | Photobooth: f8studio

Alps Vow Renewal from Limestone Films

I know Wednesdays are busy… crazy busy, in fact.  But if there’s one thing you must (and I mean must) add to your to-do list today, it’s a four minute break to soak in this mesmerizing piece of vow renewal heaven from Limestone Films.  Because this film?  This crazy amazing masterpiece of love, devotion and beauty?  It’s nothing but inspiring, with a duo sooo in love and a setting sooo amazing, it will touch every last chamber of your heart.  Push play for every amazing moment, then stay tuned for an entire gallery of lovely from Limestone Films, as well.       

From the Groom… My wife and I renewed our vows in the alps near our 10-year wedding anniversary.  Our best friends (Robert and Aston Miles of Limestone Films) are filmmakers and they did an excellent job documenting it.

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Photography + Cinematography: Limestone Films | Ceremony Location: A field near Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany at the base of the Alps with Castle Neuschwanstein on the hill

Atlanta Autumn Wedding From The Studio B Photography

I only recently discovered my love for the color lavender. It’s such a soft alternative to pink and SO romantic. So when you cover a gorgeous venue like  Barnsley Garden Resort in this sweet color, needless to say, you’ve got my attention. The Studio B Photography captured the day – the gardens, the love, and the beautiful bride (who looks phenomenal thanks to Brushworx) – and we’ve packed it up nice and pretty for you right here!

Erica and Wes were married at Barnsley Gardens, one of the most gorgeous wedding venues in all of Georgia. Instead of doing a first look, Wes and Erica exchanged gifts from opposite sides of the front door to her cottage. It was a great alternative to avoiding each other completely, because they still got to chat and laugh together before the ceremony began.

Their ceremony featured a very special ring bearer, their son Clayton! He charmed all the guests and had a wonderful time throughout the day. The couple honored their relatives who had passed away with two beautiful floral installations created to “come alive” out of the ruins.

The clear tent that was used for the reception literally allowed the guests to spend their evening dancing beneath the stars.

Photographer: The Studio B Photography | Videographer: The Reason | Floral Design: Bold American Events | Cake: Classic Cakes And Cheesecakes | Bride's Shoes: Navy/Tan Sperry Topsiders | Catering: Barnsley Gardens Resort | Catering: Barnsley Gardens Resort | Hair + Makeup: Brushworx Hair & Makeup | Calligraphy: Calligraphy Atlanta | Band: Rhythm Nation | Bride's Dress: Bridals By Lori | Bride's Dress: JLM Couture, Inc | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Barnsley Gardens Resort | Custom Tire Swing: Honey Bee Invites | Stationery Suite: Foglio Press | Wedding Planner + Stylist: Susan Graham Signature Events

These Featured Designers are members of our Look Book.
For membership information, click here
Modern Rhode Island Wedding by Alexandra Roberts

Can I get real with everyone for a quick second? This wedding from Alexandra Roberts is rocking my world right now. It has the perfect amount of gorgeous and then a whole lot of personality thrown in for good measure. I love that. Couldn’t love it more actually. Add images so pretty I could cry from Alexandra Roberts and flowers from the super talented Sayles Livingston, and ladies and gents, consider me a happy camper. See it all here.

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/53728299 600 338]


From Alexandra Roberts… love this gorgeous modern wedding of Liz & Jeremy. They were married at the Stone House in Rhode Island last summer and it was such a perfect day.

From Liz about the dinosaur elements: We wanted some non-traditional elements in our wedding. Dinosaurs are nerdy and fun, two qualities we love in each other, so we went for it. They also provided an excellent challenge for the caterer when making our cake!

Photographer: Alexandra Roberts | Videographer: Matt Caputo | Florist: Sayles Livingston Design | Stationery: Designed by the Bride | Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Venue: Stone House | Bride's Dress: Sarah Seven | Cake and Catering: Russell Morin Fine Catering | Groom's Tux: Hugo Boss | Hair/Makeup: Demiche Beaute | Music: Beat Train Productions | Rentals: Newport Tent Company