My heart does a little leap when I see a wedding come in from Mademoiselle Fiona – she sends some of the most classically elegant and timeless beauties. So I shouldn’t be surprised that this French fête, held in a gorgeous chateau, is making my heart dance pretty waltzes this morning. From the romantic feel of each photo to the gorgeous sapphire touches (how amazing is her ring?!), it just doesn’t get any prettier than this! Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…James is Australian and I am French. We met three and a half years ago in Sydney, and we now live in New York. He proposed to me during a romantic weekend getaway in Aruba. While discussing our wedding plans, James told me he wanted to get married in France. He thought a wedding in a French chateau would be a fantastic experience for his friends and family from Australia, and so much more fun and original than the beach wedding that is so common in Sydney.

We picked a beautiful old castle near Paris. James was crazy about the idea of a castle with a moat, and I was just worried that one of the Aussies would fall in the moat! Planning a destination wedding forces you to make practical, fast decisions. Since you live far away from where you’re getting married, you have to trust your local vendors and sometimes let go, even just a little. We added a few details to make our wedding feel more personal. Our invitations, designed by James’ sister, showed a frog (for me, the Frenchie) and a kangaroo (for my Australian groom).We wanted to have a travel-theme reception that would reflect our international backgrounds and travels. Each table had the name of a place that is dear to us: Sydney, Paris, NYC, Aruba, Stradbroke Island, etc.. The menus were vintage postcards, with the same blue line from our invitations and place cards.

Cocktail hour had an Australian touch: flip flops as wedding favors, Australian beer, kangaroo-meat on a skewer, oyster bar… The sit-down dinner in the castle was delicious French cuisine. I didn’t want flower centerpieces, just a beautiful candlelit dinner. For our photobooth, we mixed (stereo)typical French and Australian props. If I had to do it all again… I would do it just the same! The day was full of happiness, it was magnificent, fun and just perfect all the way! 

Wedding Photography: Mademoiselle Fiona – Wedding Photography / Reception Location: Château de Lésigny / Wedding Dress: Alita Graham via Kleinfeld Bridal / Men’s Suits: Les 2 Oursons / Invitations + Paper Goods: Emma Patterson (Groom’s sister) / DJ: Isa Music / Hair Stylist: Guillaume Viat for Coiffirst / Make-up: MakeUp Forever

We’re totally loving this sweet and simple DIY wedding with gorgeous florals by Verbena Floral Design and pretty as can be images by Sara & Rocky Photography. The venue is super unique and natural and this outdoor loving couple knew just how to work it and used all the trees and landscaping to their advantage. Pay close attention people, because there are tons of cute DIY projects within this post! Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Sara & Rocky Photography…Abby & Matt’s wedding was at Barr Mansion in Austin, Texas.  It was such a laid-back day, and from the words of Abby: “I wanted to keep it simple, and cute with personal touches everywhere.”  She also said, “We are big outdoors people, so we love that we were surrounded by beautiful flowers and trees.” They used lots of mercury glass, succulents, and light and fresh colors. 

Wedding Photography: Sara & Rocky Photography / Floral Design: Verbena Floral Design / Ceremony + Reception Location: Barr Mansion / Invitations: Pepper Glen Design / Wedding Dress: Signature Bridal / Make-up + Hair: Keep Austin Gorgeous / Cake + Catering: Barr Mansion

Prepare yourselves, SMPers… these Westport nuptials by Forevercandid Photography are about to turn your Wednesday into a literal swoon-fest of wedding goodness… and you won’t know what to do with yourselves once you lay your eyes on the sweet vintage touches, darling DIY details and fabulous rustic setting.  Trust me, there is just no better way to liven up your weekday than with this fabulous farm fête.  Plus, with every moment planned to absolute perfection by Veronica Alexandra of Blue Ivy, there is an entire gallery of gorgeous details still to be seen.  Join me there for more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Cristian and I are, what you might call, an unlikely couple. He was born in Colombia; I was born in Taiwan. Our paths crossed one fateful summer in a city far away from home, after some time getting to know each other long distance across US and international time zones, we both ended up working in Boston, MA. The rest is history as they say. When we embarked on the journey of wedding planning, we had a vision but not a clue on how to execute it. It was entirely a learning process that turned into many creative collaborations, DIY projects and the most fun I had in a long time! We dreamt of a rustic New England barn wedding but didn’t initially follow our instincts. With less than a year to plan, we rushed into our first venue – an exquisite ocean front historical mansion in Rhode Island – only to come to terms that it just wasn’t us. We gave up our deposit, started over, and found the venue of our dreams by by word of mouth with six months to go. Tip #1 – follow your instincts.

Our theme was rustic, vintage, shabby chic. Bittersweet Farms was the perfect venue. Bittersweet, a former barn in Westport, nestled in the woods with a garden gazebo, preserved all of the natural charm of a farm as backdrop to its formal dining amenities. The staff was incredibly flexible in letting us customize our experience – from food and drink menu selections to ceremony & reception set up. They even allowed us to use hay-bales for seating during our ceremony.

We wanted to feel at “home” on our Big Day, so we decided to turn the restaurant into a cozy living room / backyard. Vintage books from the public library (yay for unlimited check out!) and hand picked tea pots, mason jars, mugs, bottles from the thrift shop were spread across burluxe covered tables and various corners of the room. Our florist did a fabulous job selecting romantic muted colors including ivory, nude, and champagne with pops of coral & yellow flowers to fill the hundred plus vessels. She created a unique arrangement for every table that complimented our overall theme – all within our budget!

Tip #2 – Have fun. Cristian and I wanted to ensure that our family and guests enjoyed themselves on our special day. We were both “Gleeks” in high school before there was Glee, so we surprised our guests with a flash mob performance featuring 10 a capella singers dressed as waiters. Many seriously thought they were singing waiters! In crafting a fun filled experience for our guests, we had a ton of fun ourselves in the process including the creating a custom wedding website, interactive wedding invitations, a DIY cupcake tower, a hand drawn finger print “guestbook”, crossword puzzle in our DIY wedding program, a Jib Jab video in our wedding slide show (which our photographer, Amber, helped put together), and designing a marriage advice game that got everyone participating!

I still can’t believe we planned a wedding in six months! It would have been unimaginable without the help of friends, amazing vendors (some of whom are friends like our web designer & musicians and most of the others were found by word of mouth,) my mother-in-law who helped tailor and customize my dress, and our ingenious wedding planner, Veronica. I didn’t believe in hiring help, but I’m very glad we did. We had a million ideas in mind, but time was not by our side. This did not faze Veronica, who after 6 months of refining ‘plan A’ was faced with inclement weather on the day of our wedding (ceremony was supposed to take place outdoors) and had to reinvent our ceremony in a much smaller space. Her execution on the day-of was priceless.

Wedding Photography: Forevercandid Photography / Wedding Planner: Veronica Alexandra of Blue Ivy / Wedding Venue: Bittersweet Farm / Ceremony Musicians: Jenna Ordway, Justin Lee, Jaime Vergara + Kione Ebalaroza / Cocktail Hour Musicians: Receita de Samba / Wedding Videography: Well Spun Weddings / Cupcakes: Konditor Meister / Floral Design: A Victorian Garden / Hair + Make-up: Styling by Lisette / A Cappella Singers: The Harvard Opportunes / Shuttle Service: Groundforce One / Candy Apple Favors: Frenchy’s Popcorn / Formal Invitations: Blue Ivy Designer, Ricardo Morales-Hendry / Printer: Ink Kiosk / Guestbook: Blue Ivy Designer, Ricardo Morales-Hendry / Bridal Gown: Maggie Sottero / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Groom’s Suit: JoS. A. Bank / Wedding Website Design: Variabilis / Custom Bridal Bolero: Rosie’s Bridal (Miami, Florida)

We are doubling…make that quadrupling…up our usually dose of inspiration today.  We’ve combed through all of our main page posts to find you a few of our favorite Georgia posts.  Make sure you visit each post and gallery to see all the fantastic details!

To kick things off we have a gorgeous Atlanta wedding from Harwell Photography and Ashley Baber Weddings full of rich colors and classic, romantic details.

Whimsical and fun doesn’t even begin to describe this adorable library-themed wedding from Aharon Hill Photography.  The details are plenty and perfectly styled too.

We continue things with a contemporary celebration by Melissa Schollaert Photography.  It’s a big, beautiful breath of chic and modern fresh air.

We’ll end things on a sweet note with this lakeside wedding.  It doesn’t get much better than cute, country details and amazing photography by Our Labor of Love.

We’ve curated quite the collection of inspiration for you today with a little bit of something for everyone from classic to contemporary to country.  Pick your favorite and make sure you spend sometime in the full galleries!

A wedding at home. That is exactly what this beautiful bride and groom wanted – and just what they got. Coordinately Yours helped the couple transform the groom’s parents house – which the groom designed and built for them – into a romantic and elegant wedding. How great is it that every time they visit his parents house, they’re also visiting the place where they said “I do?” Love it. RPM Photography was on hand to capture every loving look and they’ve filled our gallery full with beautiful images from the day!

From Coordinately Yours … Bryce Gahagan, contestant on The Apprentice Season 5, wed Katie in June at the picturesque home he designed and built for his parents.  Pre-ceremony refreshments, including the bride’s favorite, Sweet Tea Vodka Lemonade, were served as guests entered the ceremony.  The bride and groom exchanged “I do’s” at the lower level of the property lined with freshly planted impatiens and candlelit trees.  At the conclusion of the ceremony, the groom’s daughter, and flower girl, ran and jumped on the groom in excitement.

During the first dance, the groom surprised his bride (and all of the guests) by adorning the bride’s finger with yet another ring. As the marriage certificate was being signed, the quartet along with the band played “The Devil Went Down in Georgia.” Candlelit vases and glass bulbs hung in trees lined the paths and the reception space.  The pool was filled with hand blown glass bubbles, creating a beautiful reflection.  A large chandelier hung over the dance floor providing romantic lighting that is now displayed in the dining room of the bride and groom’s home.  A truly memorable piece!

A direction card to accompany the invitations was printed on bookcloth and adhered to card stock for texture and a hint of luxury.  The bride and groom offered their custom blend of local Roasterie Coffee along with personalized donut pouches as favors.

Photography: RPM Photography / Flowers: Fresh Fleur / Event Design: Coordinately Yours / Event Planning: Coordinately Yours / Invitations: Lilah Paper, Coordinately Yours / Dress: Jim Hjelm / Flower Girl’s Dress: J.Crew / Ties: Burberry

Good morning, SMPers and a very happy Wedding Wednesday to you!  We can barely contain our excitement this lovely December morning, because not only do we have EIGHT gorgeous weddings in our lineup today, but each one is literally bursting at the seams with pretty, pretty details that are guaranteed to inspire.  And how very awesome is that?!?  So, prepare yourselves for an entire day of lovely and be sure to check out those galleries where even more swoon-worthy moments await!

Up first in our day of pretty is one very fabulous Kansas City soiree by Jana Marie Photography.  This charming affair is all about the romance with its sweet as can be coral and green hues, beautiful lace gown and uber-stunning blooms created by Maple Lane Designs.  And when you add to all of that lovely a chic urban loft setting and some gorgeous DIY details, there’s just no better way to start your Wednesday.  So, join me in the gallery for even more pretty and then stay tuned for a wonderful film from Hawleywood Films below!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

As promised, a sweet as can be film by Hawleywood Films that will have you falling head over heels for this adorable duo.  They are just too cute for words.  Enjoy!

From Jana Marie Photography… My favorite part was coordinating with the groom, for us to hand him one of our cameras right before his bride walked down the aisle, so that he could snap a photo of the first moment he saw her, so that he could remember that moment for the rest of his life! SO romantic! It was a surprise to her.

From the Bride… Our vision for the wedding was to create a setting that was very relaxing for our guests to ensure everyone (including us) would have a great time. We fell in love with The Berg Event Space as soon as we laid our eyes on it because it was the idealistic space for what we wanted and what we knew we did NOT want. The space and our vision aligned perfectly. Vintage yet contemporary. Simple. Casual. Urban. Loft. Romantic. Creative. Historic. Rustic. Memories.

We wanted to incorporate as much of the natural feel of the space into our wedding as possible. At an urban loft location like The Berg, this was extremely easy. Exposed brick, hardwood floors and stainless steel accents tied in beautifully to the feel we desired. The space helped us select our colors of apple green, coral, ivory, and khaki. This theme was infused through everything including the flowers, the dress, the suit, the centerpieces, the attendants gifts, etc. We also tried to delicately place things that were very personal to ourselves throughout the wedding. The attendants gifts, for example, were filled with one of our favorite candies, Mike and Ike. Leah carried orchids, which Nick’s grandparents raised for almost 40 years in their multiple greenhouses at their house.

One project that we created actually came from the Martha Stewart website. I found it while looking for DIY details for our wedding. It was a dahlia tissue paper flower. This website gave the idea of giving them out as wedding favors and putting a dahlia flower bulb in the middle of the tissue paper flower. I knew that I wanted to make these flowers and put them on the tables to accent our centerpieces, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to put inside. We chose to put the candy Mike & Ike in the attendants’ gifts instead. Nick and I both have a sweet tooth and that is his favorite candy. We also thought it would hold up the best with a summer wedding and all.

I knew I wanted some kind of detail in our space to make it more unique, I just didn’t know exactly what it was that I was looking for. Our neighbor, Becky, is very crafty and creates beautiful handmade cards all the time. I had seen banners on all of the DIY sites and knew that simple little detail would add so much to the space. I enlisted Becky to create these banners for us so that we could work on other things. I told her what I was looking for and what I wanted the banners to say and she put them together for us. I liked how each banner added a piece of uniqueness to the wedding and broke up the space.

Wedding Photography: Jana Marie Photography / Wedding Cinematography: Matt Hawley of Hawleywood Films / Wedding Venue: Berg Event Space / Food + Cupcakes: Hy-Vee / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: JCPenny / Flower Girl Attire: JCPenny / Wedding Dress: Amore Bridal / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Floral Design: Maple Lane Designs / Music: Kahuna Sound Productions / Photobooth: Captured Memories

We are bringing you an extra special mid-week dose of inspiration!  We’ve combed through our main page posts and found a few of our Florida favorites.  We know you’ll love them just as much as we do and find so much to inspire you for your own Florida fête.

First up is a Vero Beach beauty that brings beach chic to a whole new level.  The dream duo of Bellafare and Leigh Miller Photography made all the pretty possible and we couldn’t be more pleased!

Let’s travel up the coast to this cheerful Jacksonville wedding by Nate Henderson with a rainbow of colors to brighten up your day.

Red Fly Studio brought along a whopping package of wow with this whimsically modern Apalachicola wedding!

And finally a beyond beautiful Sanibel Island affair by Wed Perfect bursting with elegant and romantic details.

We’ve traveled all across the great sunshine state to bring you some of the best of the best!  Make sure you visit each gallery to get your fill of inspiration!

This fabulous engagement session shot by esther sun photography looks straight out of a romance movie and I’m coining it Stylish Love in the Big City. With the premise of a typical date in New York, Alex and Katherine hit up some of their favorite spots in the Big Apple. From their apartment to the park and right on into Billy’s Bakery, this shoot is full of sweet moments between a couple who look totally and completely natural and full of so much love. See it all here.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From esther sun photography…Alex and Katherine are two stylish New Yorkers. We were brainstorming for a big idea that will tie in with all their favorite spots in New York. On the morning of an engagement session we were having a breakfast together and thought it will be awesome to just shoot them having a “date” in New York. We started from their home in Tribeca to big spots in NY such as Central Park, Lincoln Center, Cobble Street in Tribeca, and their favorite bakery (Billy’s). 

Photography: esther sun photography / Alex’s Shoes: Ferragamo / Alex’s Attire: Emenegildo Zegna / Alex’s Watch: Rolex / Katherine’s Shoes: Chanel (flats) + Christian Louboutin (pumps)/ Katherine’s Attire: J Brand (jeans) + Helmut Lang (dress) / Katherine’s Blazer: Zara (blue) + Philip Lim (white) / Ring: DeBeers / Katherine’s Watch: Cartier / Necklace: SOKO

It’s so fascinating to me the way that technology has changed so much of the way weddings are planned from wedding websites to electronic save-the-dates.  Even proposals are so much more than just a simple getting down on one knee these days.  This adorably quirky and totally unique animated video may be one of the most creative, techie ways I’ve seen someone pop the question.  You have to read this groom-to-be’s entire story below.  It is too cute!

From the Groom-to-be… I had originally intended on proposing to her on Saturday, November 26th- the day before my birthday. The plan was to gift her with an Android Tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab), and when she unlocked it, it would immediately play the animation that I had made. However, on Sunday the 19th we received news that her best friend’s father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and immediately made plans to take her to Arkansas (from where we live in Toronto) to visit her close friends where she grew up. The day before we left, she decided to give me a birthday present early- and it ended up being the exact tablet I had bought her. I was surprised and immediately thought of the proposal I had planned- and she mistook my reaction for me not liking the gift. I told her that I simply had gotten her the exact same one for Christmas, and had been hiding it at work.

We flew down to Arkansas on Thursday the 24th and had a lovely Thanksgiving that involved a fair share of tears. When we returned on Sunday the 27th, my actual birthday, I presented her with the tablet, still in a box, telling her that despite it being my birthday, since she knew about her Christmas gift I felt she should have it now, and urged her to open it. The video you see linked is what played immediately. Through tears, I am very happy to say, she said yes.

A sunset wedding overlooking the Agoura Hills valley, a gorgeous bride and groom, a stunning castle backdrop… this breathtaking wedding by Matt Haines Photography is a swoon-worthy dream come true.  Yes, from the beautiful vineyard surroundings and awe-inspiring views to the lovely succulent-filled centerpieces and charming rustic details, these fairytale nuptials will simply take your breath away.  Seriously, can you think of a better way to spend your Tuesday?  So, sit back, relax and take that much needed afternoon break.  Join me in the gallery for more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Matt Haines Photography… Amanda and Morgan were married on a very warm fall day in southern California, in the Malibu/Agoura Hills area. Their wedding and reception took place at Lobo Castle, a private residence that hosts weddings and other events. Cocktails were served to waiting guests under old oak trees, while the bride and groom got ready.

The ceremony was up a path through the neighboring vineyards, at a small clearing on the side of the hill. The view was spectacular! Guests were treated to a 270° panorama of mountains and sky.

With this great view in mind, the bride and groom decided their ceremony would be at sunset, with the bride arriving at the site just as the sun dipped below the distant mountain peak. The rehearsal night before involved recording the exact time of the sun hitting the peak, as well as timing the walk up the hill. Walkie talkies were used to cue the bride and groom, and it all went flawlessly! The bride and groom enjoyed a private dinner at the ceremony site, while the guests ate below.

The reception was on the large patio outside, and hosted about 80 guests. Toasts, the first dance, the Hora and cake cutting all followed. It was a perfect summer evening to a flawlessly smooth day.

Wedding Photography: Matt Haines Photography / Photography Assistant: Brandon Wright / Flowers: Yamaguchi’s / Location, Catering + Event Planning: Lobo Castle / Hair + Make-up: Charleen Evans of Alejandro Salon / Live Music + DJ: Brian Stodart

Sometimes I fall in love with the details. Sometimes it’s the flowers. Or the cake. Or the take-your-breath away kiss. Today, I have fallen head over heels for the adorable bride. And her equally adorable groom. They both seem to radiate pure and total joy and you can just feel the love that bounces around on each and every image. I love them, I love this wedding. And I LOVE the beautiful photographs by Jill Thomas that tell the story to perfection. Click here to see even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Our wedding day can only be described as a labor of love made possible only through the help of all our family and friends. Although initially, Richard and I had dreams of having a sort of a planned elopement with just our immediate family, we realized that our dreams would not, and could not be complete without sharing it with all those that were dearest to our hearts.

After searching high and low for that “perfect” venue that would reflect who were were together and also would allow expression of our Korean-American culture. We were led to the SmogShoppe in Culver City. Upon entering the space – we immediately fell in love with simple intimacy of the venue and started planning our day from that point.

Working with a limited budget – we worried that we would not be able to have all the elements that we wished for all come together. However, throughout the planning process – our wedding became somewhat of a miracle, made possible by all the people that we loved. Planning was definitely a challenge – with both of us also trying to complete our graduate studies at the same time, so when a friend of ours offered to help (Paola and Melinda of onefourthree events) we just could not believe our luck and thanked the stars for such a gift!

Our wedding day was everything we had imagined and more. All of our closet friends flew out from all over the country and the morning started off at a small cottage we rented in Culver City (Bungalow Sweet), lounging and spending time with our friends. It was surprising how relaxed we were and how everything went so smoothly throughout the entire day. We had envisioned a day full of love – more than tradition- and although we kept true to some of the traditional elements of a wedding day – we were delighted to say that we came away with the warm feeling that it had simply been the best dinner party we had every been to – with all those that we loved present.

As a bride – some of my favorite elements to the wedding were seeing all the party favors (homemade magnet sets) come to life on the tables, the delicious and beautiful dessert table by Edible Delights, as well as the humor and comfort that our wedding party provided for us the whole day. We couldn’t be happier with the day, the pictures, (THE AMAZING Jill Thomas) and all the memories that we were able to walk away with. We were able to find so many sources of inspiration through countless hours spent on SMP so thank you for YOU!!

Wedding Photography: Jill Thomas Photography / Band: Raquel Rodriguez / Event Coordination: Paola Parsons + Melinda De Los Santos of onefourthree events / Wedding Dress: Manuel Mota / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Robes: Plum Pretty Sugar Loungerie / Invitations + Programs: The Bride + Paola Parson of onefourthree events / Flowers + Floral Design: LA Flower Mart, Arranged by onefourthree events / Getting Ready Cottage: Bungalow Sweet / Venue: SmogShoppe / Caterer: Nak Won Catering / Dessert Table: Esther Choe of Edible Delights / Hair and Make-Up: Kelly Zhang

I’ve never been to California, but every single wedding we get from the Golden State is perfect, and SO Californian (even I can see that!). From Wine country to Los Angeles to San Francisco, each wedding has a different feel, but they are all so – fabulous. And this Rancho Las Lomas wedding, captured by Harmony Loves, is the perfect example of the wonderful soiree that is a California wedding. With help from Kirsteen LaBrot Events, this beautiful bride was able to wed her handsome groom in a fabulous outdoor ceremony surrounded by friends, family, love, and of course, pretty little details. Check out the rest of them in the full image gallery!

Adam and I met at my front door.  He had just moved to Los Angeles from Philadelphia looking to begin a new adventure.  As he began looking for a place to call home, my roommate and I were looking to fill a vacancy in our third bedroom.  Adam arrived at our front door one evening to see the apartment and meet us.  After the interview, my roommate—and best friend clearly explained why he could not live with us.  “ You like him!  He can’t move in.”  Sure enough, we choose a different roommate, which allowed me to ask Adam out on our first date.

Four years later, we had our own place in Culver City when he surprised me on a Friday afternoon with his proposal.  He had said to come home quickly after work so that we could get some drinks and begin the weekend.  When I arrived home he said he had two surprises. One…we weren’t going to get drinks, we were going to Ojai, California (one of our favorite get away spots) and the second surprise was in the bedroom.  He presented me with champagne, flowers, and got down on one knee.  I had never been so surprised in my life!  He then quickly packed a bag for me while I sat in wonderful shock and we hit Friday afternoon traffic all the way to Ojai.  It was the best 2 hours of traffic I ever experienced—-calling friends and family and just being out of our minds excited!

We wanted to have an outdoor ceremony at a venue that also had a beautiful space for our reception.  We had many people coming from the east coast and we wanted to celebrate the beauty and diversity of Southern California.  We also wanted to get out of town just a bit and that’s how we found Rancho Las Lomas in Mission Viejo, California.  With its Portuguese tile, orange groves, outdoor lighting, and exotic animal preserve it was a gorgeous and completely private space.  We loved the different levels of the property and distinct spaces for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and then reception.  We got married under large sycamore trees with a simple décor including branches and leaves adorning the gazebo structure.  The aisle was created with a simple border of white rose petals. The property had a fantastic bridal cottage for my bridesmaids and the mothers to get ready in.  I LOVED that this was our own space for the entire day and every structure was made using a Portuguese inspired style.

I’ve always loved the combination of green and blue together.  I had a scarf that mixed navy blue and chartreuse and always thought it was a classic combination.  The ladies wore navy blue Ann Taylor dresses that complimented their green/white bouquets.  We used some burlap accents throughout the venue.  We had burlap table numbers on wine bottles, burlap wraps around the cocktail tables, and burlap pillows that I painted with a blue/green design that resembled the tile patterns on the property. I used Etsy to help design most of the elements to our wedding.  From the flower in my hair, the invitations, favors, bridal party gifts etc I used elements from different Etsy vendors.  It all came together to be very unique.  Overall, this was a ranch wedding that was part garden, part rustic but didn’t lean too much into one theme.

Adam and I know that a marriage is also a joining of two families.  We are lucky enough to both have parents who’ve been married for over 30 years.  During the ceremony, our officiant acknowledged that we are each an extension of our families.  We honored our mothers and Adam’s grandmother by presenting them with flowers during the ceremony.  It was a surprise element and also one of the more emotional parts.  So glad we did it!

Wedding Planner: Kristeen LaBrot Events / Florist: Modern Bouquet / Hair Accessory: Twigs and Honey / Venue: Rancho Las Lomas / Photographer: Harmony Loves / Dress: La Soie / Caterer: 24 Carrots / DJ: DJ Lux from Premiere Events / Hair and Makeup: Design Visage / Invitations: Julia’s Poppies Design / Calligraphy: Calligraphy Katrina

A sure fire recipe for an amazing fête is to take a classic style and approach it in a a whole new, modern way and this Seattle wedding is doing just that. Soft, romantic colors and gorgeous, organic florals by Lilies and Lemondrops are blended with a sleek, modern venue for a knock our socks off affair. Photographed by Jennifer Tai Photo Artistry with second shooter Courtney Bowlden, this ode to pretty is resting in a sweet little spot in the gallery just for you. And a P.S. is in order for that scrumptious sleeved dress. We’re literally dying over that number. Ok now carry on with the perusing.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…The primary inspiration behind the design of our wedding was the early-1930’s Art Modern style of the Seattle Asian Art Museum. One might describe it as sleek, chic, and streamlined. The smooth, white, stone blocks create a horizon that echoes the cascades across the way, while the aluminum and steel accents glisten like the sound. It is simply gorgeous, in the most literal way.  Given the minimalist nature of the venue, our aim was to achieve a harmonious balance between the clean lines of the building and the organic shapes of the flora that surrounded it.  The result was a natural, dreamy, soft, yet bold, summer-garden-party.  No specific colors or types of flowers were chosen for the wedding but the palette ended up consisting mostly of champagne-like shades with pink and green undertones. We wanted to marry the indoors with the outdoors so we set up luxurious white cabanas on each side of the entrance to the museum, which added a whole new dimension to the party.

Ironically, my dress choice had nothing to do with the wedding.  To my misfortune (fortune?), the bridal salon that I bought my dress from mistakenly ordered an entirely different dress, leaving me with no dress three weeks before the wedding.  After exhausting every store that sold dresses in Seattle, I turned to the Internet where I surprisingly ended up finding the most perfect dress.  I still can’t believe how lucky I was!

I’m not that girl that’s been dreaming of her wedding since she was five but I knew that if I ever got married that I would have Professor Takemoto from Whitman College officiate the ceremony.  He has taught me so much about Japanese language, history, and culture. More importantly, he has taught and continues to teach me how to think about life from a Buddhist perspective.  David and I didn’t want a religious ceremony but given the venue it seemed appropriate.  Professor Takemoto spoke of love, life, and nature and the interconnectedness of the universe. It was absolutely beautiful.

Ceremony + Reception Venue: The Seattle Asian Art Museum / Wedding Photography: Jennifer Tai Photo Artistry / Second Photographer: Courtney Bowlden / Wedding Planner: Chambers & Co. / Florals: Lilies and Lemondrops / Catering: Taste Catering & Event Planning / Ceremony Music: SuperSones / Reception Music: Emerald City Productions / Lounge + Cabana Furnishings: Rented Elegance / Tents: AA Party / Linens: BBJ Linen / Hair + Make-up: Swink Style Bar / Bridal Gown: Elizabeth Fillmore via Preownedweddingdresses.com / Menswear: La Belle Elaine’s

With the holidays in full swing, we’re sure that you have lots of shopping to do for those special people on your list… but don’t forget that you’re totally allowed to take a break to do a little virtual window shopping for yourself. If nothing else maybe some fringe and frill will be just the thing to get your mind off all those holiday projects. Just in time for your wedding daydreaming session, we’d like show off the latest collections from Look Book newcomers, Anne Barge and Badgley Mischka. First up the always fabulous, ever stunning dresses of Anne Barge.

Once we get a taste of some wedding gorgeousness, we can’t stop. So next up, just a snippet of the striking silhouettes and dazzling details that make up the Badgley Mischka 2012 Collection. Yummy.

So make sure to swing by our Look Book for even more of these amazing designs and smoldering gowns… after all visions of sugar-plums don’t need to be the only thing dancing in your head.

I just adore a cute as can be engagement session, and this one from images by bethany is just downright darling! I turn into a complete sap just thinking about all the fun ahead for these cuties – engagement sessions just mark the beginning of such an incredible journey, and when it starts off this adorable, you know it’s going to be a pretty ride. Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From images by bethany…This 2012 bride and groom are adorable! Their wedding will have a shabby-chic flair and they wanted their engagement photos to have a similar feeling. The bride and I compiled all of the props. We chose Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse as the venue because of it’s gorgeous orchard and delicious ciders! The flowers were by The Flower Factory and tied into the vintage them very well. Callie, the bride, was styled by celebrity stylist, Emily Gray. 

Photography: images by bethany / Flowers: The Flower Factory / Location: Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse / Stylist: Emily Gray

A virtual trip to Mexico is just what the doctor ordered for this chilly, chilly Tuesday… and this stunning Cancun affair by Roey Yohai has all of the right ingredients to seriously brighten your day.  A beyond breathtaking oceanside setting, gorgeous florals by Azul Beach Hotel, a stunning bride and groom and one very fabulous pair of Loubs…. I couldn’t love this wedding more if I tried.  Thankfully, there’s an entire gallery filled to the brim with all of the pretty details, because I’m not missing a minute of this lovely.  Join me there for more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Roey Yohai… Jenny and Mike met during the summer of 2003, shortly after Jenny graduated from college in North Carolina and moved to New York City. To supplement her meager income as Public Relations Coordinator at InStyle Magazine, Jenny returned to the York Grill, a neighborhood favorite restaurant on the Upper East Side, on weekends as a hostess and cocktail waitress, where she had worked during her previous summer internships. Since the previous summer, a new guy had joined the family-like staff as kitchen manager and bartender – Mike had left his career in banking to be able to spend time during the day with his 3 year-old daughter, Grace. Jenny and Mike became friends quickly and often went out in a group with co-workers but, by November and much to their surprise, had become a couple.

Jenny threw a surprise 30th birthday party for Mike in March, where she met his family for the first time and things moved quickly afterward. Mike and Jenny moved to Brooklyn in 2006, where Grace moved in with them full-time. Time flew quickly due to the Grace’s busy school schedule and their demanding careers, Jenny now Fashion Director at a top public relations firm, and Mike a leading pharmaceutical sales representative. In April 2010, Mike proposed on one knee during a vacation in Tulum, Mexico. The couple returned to Mexico to say their vows surrounded by close family and friends the following year.

Wedding Photography: Roey Yohai of Elan Artists / Bride’s Dress + Veil: Naeem Khan / Bride’s Earrings: Ranjana Khan / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Groom’s Suit: J.Crew / Groom’s Tie: Thomas Pink / Bridesmaid Dresses: Express / Groomsmen Shirts + Pants: J.Crew / Flower Girl Dress: Monnalisa / Graphic Design: Paulina Perzynska / Printing: Kate’s Paperie / Wedding Venue + Flowers: Azul Beach Hotel

From their adorable wellies to the tandem bicycle, this couple is cute as apple pie. I opened up the engagement session, sent our way by A Simple Photograph, and with the first glance of the two of them in a field, I knew there was nothing simple about it. Two people whose lives have continuously crossed paths, from the time they were young, finally engaged. And planning a fabulous wedding in Tuscany. Can it get any better than that? Here’s to hoping they include us in their intimate Italian affair next summer! Click here to see more.

Tim and I grew up together in a small town. We spent every Sunday together in Church and passed each other in the halls of the local high school. We each knew that the other existed but we didn’t really know each other until much later, when our friends became friends. As our friendship became stronger over the years, we both thought to ourselves, there may be something more here. We decided to go on a few dates, to see where things might go. That was four years ago and after years of long distance, multiple job changes, and moves, we are now, finally, living together back in the same small town of our youths. One late night close to Christmas, while working together restoring our old Victorian home, we became engaged. We are now excited to be married and to start the rest of our lives together.

We are planning a small intimate wedding in Tuscany, Italy. I fell in love with Italy slowly over the years, during a few trips I took there with my family. That love was cemented when I spent a summer semester during law school living in Florence. Tim and I took a trip there together two summers ago and Tim became equally smitten. When deciding where to marry, we knew we wanted to spend the day with our close friends and family members in a place that we both love. San Gimignano is a magical walled city in the heart of Tuscany. We will be married there, in the Palazzo del Popolo (the People’s Palace) in June of 2012.

Photography: Erin Samuell, A Simple Photograph / Venue: Bayfield, The Little Inn + The Red Pump Inn / Bike: Hazlitt Vintage Rentals

What do you get when you mix together pinatas, pizza and pretty Jimmy Choos? Give up? You get a super festive yet fancy fete filled to the brim with gorgeous details and tons of fun. This creative couple chose to ditch their current city of NYC and headed to Austin for a Tex-Mex inspired day. And the results are nothing short of amazing. Matthew Moore Photography snapped away late into the evening to capture all the goodies and you can click here to see even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Glenn and I got engaged at the end of December and we immediately knew we wanted to have our wedding in the fall. That meant I had to find a venue pretty quickly, if we were going to have it in 9-10 months. I started looking non-stop for possible venues in the northeast, near our home in Brooklyn. I’m an art director at Allure magazine, and Glenn works in creative services for J. Crew, so we are both pretty picky when it comes to aesthetics. After almost a month, we still hadn’t found a place that we could afford that was really “us”. At that point, we considered having the wedding in Texas, where I am from. Almost immediately, I found the Barr Mansion, in Austin, on another “real wedding” blog post, and we fell in love. I enlisted my parents to pay the site a visit (and take a million photos) and we put a deposit down at the beginning of February.

When we decided on Austin as our destination, I immediately knew that we had to stay at the Hotel San Jose. It is just such a well designed place, where every detail is considered. Even though I grew up in Texas, most of our friends and family live elsewhere, so almost everyone who attended was from out of town. I was really touched that SO many of our friends made the trip from New York (almost 70 of them!). A lot of our friends stayed at the San Jose, which turned out to be the perfect meeting place in the evening for drinks and during the day, for lounging by the pool and getting ready. Everyone loved Austin—it’s almost like a little New York in Texas, but with BBQ and friendly people! In the morning before the ceremony, Glenn and his close friends went to a shooting range nearby and had the best time. Very fun for a bunch of New York City boys!

Almost everything was bought or sourced online—I just didn’t have the time to physically go shopping for things and being so far away, it just made more sense to find our vendors through various websites. My co-workers must have thought I was crazy… every day, it was another package coming for me! My thank-you cards, rehearsal dinner dress, vintage postage stamps… everything! I ordered my dress from Net-A-Porter about 5 days after Glenn proposed. I loved it at first sight, and they offer free returns, so I figured why not? It turned out to be a perfect fit and required no alterations or fittings. I also bought my shoes from Net-A-Porter; the sash and veil were from BHLDN.com. My necklace was something I found at a thrift store for $5 years ago and just happened to work perfectly.

Glenn wanted something special for the men in the family and his friends to wear, so he commissioned custom-made ties from C. Chauchat. Curie is a friend of ours, who makes the most beautiful ties by hand. She layers a semi-transparent fabric over a solid fabric to create new patterns and colors. Family members wore a light colored tie and close friends wore a darker tie with shades of green and blue.

I am a graphic designer, so I knew from the beginning that I wanted to design our invitations. I had heard it is hard designing for yourself, but I had no idea! It took longer than I expected, but we couldn’t be more happy with the results. We had them printed with Anne Noonan at Soho Letterpress in New York. She did an absolutely incredible job… all the pieces are extra extra thick, for an amazing feel. I wanted a really heavy, sturdy outer envelope, so she used a cover weight paper and cut them all out by hand! Also, the liners were a specific pantone color that she printed especially for us. Overall, amazing.

We went a little crazy with custom-made stamps… I used them to stamp the escort cards, welcome bags, favor bags, thank you tags and matchbooks. All the stamps I designed and then ordered through rubberstamps.net. I stamped table numbers on small manila tags, and then typed the names on the reverse side, using an antique typewriter Glenn found. We tied these to votives using bakers twine. At the table, there were books of matches that I stamped using a copper ink pad. My mom made all the candied pecans for the favors. We packaged them in little muslin bags that we stamped with a little logo I designed with a pecan tree. The bags were tied shut with a stamped “thank-you” manila tag.

Glenn found most of the jars for the centerpieces during one of his shopping trips to the yearly Brimfield Antique show. The rest we scavenged ourselves at Dead Horse Bay here in Brooklyn. I designed and printed the table numbers to match the escort cards and matches. The rodeo lights and Confetti System pinatas were also Glenn’s touch and really helped to personalize the space. We found the Mexican paper banners while we were visiting my parents in San Antonio. Having grown up in south Texas, I really wanted that sort of TexMex flavor reflected in the decor. In addition to the decorative piñatas, we also had a colorful one for the kids. We thought it would be fun to kick off the party and of course all the adults got really into it!

The barn at Barr Mansion recently went through a renovation and as they were building, they added in a great pizza oven in the back. I really wanted to include pizza in the menu somehow… Glenn had the brilliant idea to have pizza come out later in the evening, to keep the dance party going! We also had little to-go pizza boxes, so guests could take slices back on the buses with them. Also, we can’t say enough good things about Matthew and Katie Moore. As soon as I saw their work, I knew we would mesh well. I love his eye and use of color and lighting. We were so excited to work with them, and they were so amazing in helping us feel comfortable and relaxed on the day.

Venue + Catering: Barr Mansion / Wedding Photography: Matthew Moore Photography / Floral Design: Stem Floral Designs / Invitations: The Bride / Invitation Printing: Soho Letterpress /  Wedding Dress: Adam via Net-A-Porter / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Veil + Sash: BHLDN / Bridesmaid + Flower Girl Dresses: J.Crew / Suit: Yves Saint Laurent / Groom + Groomsmen Ties: C. Chauchat

New York City, white peonies, Vera Wang gown.  Are you drooling yet?  Well, you will be after you see this Manhattan wedding by Karen Hill Photography.  It is urban elegance at its very best with the perfect blend of tradition, culture and modern merriment.  This fun-loving couple certainly knows how to throw a party complete with a reception flash mob, singing groom and photo booth!  See all the excitement and exquisite details in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Karen Hill Photography…Hajin and Michael were married on June 18, 2011 in NYC. They dressed at the Mark Hotel and met for their first look in the hotel penthouse! Afterwards we all walked over to Central Park for photos before heading to the First Presbyterian Church. A chorus of friends sang to them while family and friends looked on. The couple are Korean and towards the end of the ceremony incorporating a Korean tradition, they bowed to their parents. At the end of the ceremony, everyone, all 120 guests, gathered for a group shot on the alter.

The reception was held at the Harold Pratt House, a historic town house, (which is an amazing venue for a city wedding!). The couple danced their first dance before they and their guests headed up stairs for dinner. The bride changed into a party dress and all the guests moved into the library for a flash dance performance by the bride, groom and bridal party who danced to Summer Love from the movie soundtrack Grease, and cake cutting. The groom sang a song to the bride by Depeche Mode called, Somebody. Then the bride and groom sang together while the brides’ mother played piano. The celebration continued downstairs where guests were treated to a dessert bar (and a photobooth!), while the couple changed into their Korean ceremony costumes. This was an amazing day to share and photograph! 

Floral Design: Matthew Robbins / Location: The Pratt House / Hotel: The Mark Hotel / Wedding Photography: Karen Hill Photography / Wedding Planning: The Wedding Library / Caterer: Olivier Cheng Catering and Events / Wedding Videography: Better Productions LLC / Wedding Cake: Cheryl Kleinman Cakes / Photobooth: NYC Photobooth / Lighting + AV: Oxygen / Ceremony + Reception Music: Curtis Music and Entertainment / Piano Rental: Pro Piano / Hair + Make-up: Kakaboka / Wedding Dress: Vera Wang / Wedding Shoes: Manolo Blahnik / Groom’s Attire: Prada / Bridesmaid Dresses: Dessy / Groomsmen Attire: Ralph Lauren

This wedding has SMP written all over it. Pretty succulents. Gorgeous, but totally approachable styling. A bride and groom who look like they want to burst from total, can’t-contain-themselves joy. It’s got all of the recipes for a swoon-tastic celebration and I for one, can’t wipe this silly grin off my face. But if I had to nail down the one thing that sent me over the wedding love edge it would be that the bride dug deep into the archives of SMP and put her own style stamp on DIY favs that we featured in months past. LOVE that. Love it, love it, love it. Seeing a couple use what we’ve shown here to inspire their own unique design gets me every time. Just make sure to check out the full gallery to see all of the ooh’s and aahs with even more gorgeous photographs by joielala photographie.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…When we first began to pull ideas together for our wedding we knew we wanted it to be outdoors, close to home and a reflection of our casual style. I had always thought we would have an early fall wedding, as September and October are beautiful in San Diego; however, I figured that was not an option in light of rumored year long reservation dates. Being the planner that I am, I had our first location appointment booked within days of our May engagement. While heading over, I explained my family’s nostalgia for The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe – a place where we celebrated special occasions over the years and where my parents first worked, nearly 40 years ago. To our surprise The Inn had October 29th available and for anyone who was insane enough to plan a wedding for 160 guests in 5 months… the cost was tremendously discounted! Of course…we booked it!!!

With SO many creative directions a bride can take in the world of weddings my goal was to create a timeless event that was thoughtful, creative and fun. To help keep our style focused I needed inspiration, which ended up being my bouquet. The soft blush tones of pink, ivory and champagne with pops of navy and grey would be our color scheme. When all was said and done I would categorize our theme as a mixture of vintage and chic.

The thoughtful aspects of our wedding transformed the feeling… as a friend of ours put it, you could just feel the love. Some of those items included my little red radio flyer wagon from when I was a child, photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days, and my mom’s veil and my grandmother’s stole. Our wedding website featured his and her versions of our engagement and synopses of our love for one another, which our pastor read during our ceremony. Further, we wanted everyone to feel connected to our union and the celebration so we chose to face our guests during our ceremony and asked for song requests on our RSVP cards that we played all night long.

My husband and I are both creative in our ways and that creativity played out in many aspects of our wedding details. I scoured wedding blogs for months and found most of my DIY ideas here at SMP. Putting my own twist on Posh Paperie’s DIY banner, I made a bunch of pennant banner signs; my husband constructed and drew all of our chalk board directional signs, menu, and our ring bearer “here comes the bride sign”; and I had our baker make mini “I DO” flags for our cupcakes. I made vintage confetti cones that our guests tossed as we walked back down the aisle to the super fun Mumford & Sons song She Said Yes. I combined our escort cards and favors, wrapping mini succulents in painters’ paper and twine and I had my girlfriend from Design the Details use a fun mixture of fonts for our programs, to which I added ribbon, lace and burlap sashes with vintage wooden buttons. I used mason jars filled with sand and candles for a lighted path around the pool and although I didn’t make our ribbon wands due to time I would have! We have some diehard college football fans and our wedding fell on rival game day of course! Instead of fighting it, I went with it and we made up a “pick your team” sign coupled with cocktail napkins for each of the big games that day.

I am by far the most proud of our slideshow and what I called our living room vignettes… We decided to loop our slideshow on a flat screen in the reception bar area and paired up photos of my husband and myself at the same ages – which really got our crowd chuckling! Our groomsman Scott kindly let us borrow his photo booth set up (made up of PVC piping) which I transformed into a vintage living room vignette with some simple curtains, a cute settee and mustache props of course! For our second vignette, I wanted to put my own twist on the wedding monogram décor look… Once discovering our huge “D” marquee letter from Urban Outfitters (of course after the wedding I found the DIY for it!), Hall Events sought out the furniture for us and I crafted a cozy feel with glowing candles below the mantle, back dropped by streams of ribbon and lace that I glued onto a wooden dowel.

Our entire day was surreal… but one of my favorite moments was our last dance. With ribbon wands in hand our guests engulfed us, rushing in and out like a moving wave, rocking out to Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing, shaking those wands like it was going out of style! It was AMAZING!

Advice… To spread out the fun we had our rehearsal dinner on the Thursday before our wedding…I have been to too many weddings where the excitement in the air is uncontrollable and as the first event, guests REALLY like to have a good time at the rehearsal dinner and are consequently a lot of times at half speed for the main event. AND, don’t forget to make it your own!!!

Wedding Photography: joielala photographie / Floral Design: Blush Botanicals / Event Design: Cynthia Zatkins Events / Ceremony + Reception Location: Inn at Rancho Santa Fe / Invitations: Design the Details / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Wedding Dress: Paloma Blanca / Jewelry: Nadri / Hair: Vanity Salon / Make-up: Jennifer Budner / Cake/Cupcakes: Kaitlynn Regan / DJ + Ceremony Musician: Michael Tiernan / Band: The Kicks / Vintage Rentals: Erin All of Hall Events / Photobooth: Scott Lawrence Photographs