I can sum up this beautiful wedding in Germany with one word – fairytale. Because it looks like it jumped off the pages of your favorite prince meets princess story. Even better, the groom is a writer of such lovely tales, and I do believe this might be the best story he’s written yet! Jennifer Hejna was there to make sure their once upon a time could live on forever through pictures, and you can see it all in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Jennifer Hejna Photography…Once upon a time… this is how this story should begin. Christian is a modern writer of fairy tales writing stories about princes and adventures, about sneaky ghosts and smart princesses. Tabea is a graphic designer who waited for years for prince charming to arrive. They met through a friend and he fell in love with her, she fell in love with his fairy tales and shortly after with the writer himself. They moved together and in their 1001 nights after their first date he asked her to become his wife. To make this perfect, the engagement ring was from the jeweler “Drachenfels Design” and is called 1001 nights and has the shape of a little crown. She said yes and they started planning their fairy-tale wedding – a topic that came back in every detail of the day.

The bride did all the graphic design and illustration by herself and designed a fairy tale themed wedding. I was already excited when I saw the Rosa Clara dress in the morning – but when I saw the wonderful location I was blown away. The celebration took place in a dance school called Tanzschule Berns with great mirrors and luster’s under the ceiling. Every table had a name of a fairy tale the bride and groom were sitting at the “snow white” table as the bride has brown long hair. The whole decoration was done in white and green from the big canvas with the table setting, to the menu cards to the wonderful candy bar named “land of milk and honey”. Even the wedding cake at midnight was green as “Frog King” and had little marzipan lilies that were also in the wedding bouquet which was of course all green and white. And just the moment where you thought that they could not have been more fairy-tale details I found a frame bathroom saying “Mirror, mirror on the wall…” .

Wedding Photography: Jennifer Hejna Photography / Wedding Dress: Rosa Clará / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Venue: Tanzschule Berns / Engagement Ring: Drachenfels Design / Hair + Make-up: Hair and Beauty Oase / Catering: Kochkunst / DJ: Alex of Never Mind / Flowers: Blumen Dahlmann / Wedding Cake: Konditorei Klostermann / Groom’s Attire: Wilvorst / Church + Location for Pictures: Schloss Nordkirchen

Good Morning and welcome back to another pretty, pretty week here at SMP Texas! We are loving this fun and colorful ranch wedding captured to perfection by Stacy Reeves – The Wedding Photographer and we also think it’s super cool that the bride told her floral designer Branching Out, to use every color in the rainbow…And that’s exactly what she got. This just goes to show you that you don’t necessarily need to pick out specific colors and instead can incorporate all of them for a fun and bright display. Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Stacy Reeves – The Wedding Photographer…One thing I love about this wedding is that the bride, Lauren, was very proud about the fact that her wedding had no “wedding colors.”  She told her florist to incorporate every color of the rainbow into the decor, and even though she got a lot of strange looks and doubters, the result was beautiful!  This wedding took place on a ranch and has a very rustic, Texas feel to it while still being extremely elegant and romantic.  The tables were named after different ranches and rivers in both Colorado and Texas, and the centerpieces incorporated a wide mix of flowers, ferns, woodcuts, quartz crystals, flowerpots, vintage tins, lanterns, votives, moss, and acorns.  The groom’s cake even had frosted barbed wire piped onto it.

Wedding Photography: Stacy Reeves – The Wedding Photographer / Venue: OW Ranch / Entertainment: Maximum Acoustic / Catering: Wind Hill Catering / Floral Design: Debby Jewesson of Branching Out / Wedding Cake: Granbury Cakes / Wedding Gown: Marisa / Bridesmaid Attire: Christi Wren (family friend) / Groom’s Attire: His Own

Good morning, SMP Georgia and a happy Monday to you!  It’s been two whole days since we last saw you, so I know you are ready for some pretty, pretty inspiration and a bundle of fabulous details to make you swoon.  Well, have no fear, lovelies, because we have you totally covered this morning, all thanks to this beyond gorgeous Kimball Hall wedding and Brenda Upton Photography.  Boasting lovely coral and gray hues, a fabulous garden ceremony, one very stunning gown and some seriously beautiful blooms by Pat Holland’s Flowers, this is what I call a perfect Southern soiree.  Plus, a menu filled to the brim with comfort foods!  How awesome is that?!?  Click here for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… Brad and I both grew up in Georgia and wanted to portray simple, Southern style throughout our wedding.  We stumbled upon a venue just miles from our parents’ houses.  Kimball Hall is an Antebellum-style home in Roswell, GA which is owned and run by a very hands-on Julie Stephens.  We fell in love on our first visit – both with the venue and with Julie.

Our colors were a salmon-y coral with gray and pewter accents. We wanted to keep a casual, comfortable feel for the wedding where everyone could really enjoy themselves – we had a candy bar, flip flops for dancing, and koozies. We knew we wanted to have an outdoor ceremony despite our wedding being in the hot, humid month of August.  Kimball Hall has a beautiful backyard which was brightened up with beautiful florals in corals, pinks, creams, and greens.  In an effort to keep guests comfortable in the heat, I created the handmade program fans – one side the program and the other side various vintage wallpaper print cardstock.

My little 2.5 year old nephew, Finch, pulled off the ring bearer role like a pro!  Instead of a traditional guestbook which we thought we’d rarely look at, we had a large porcelain platter made with our names and the date which guests signed with special pens.  Once baked, the signatures are permanent and the platter can be used to serve food or comes with a stand for display.  We used mason jars throughout for both flowers and drinks.  Our signature cocktail was Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka with lemonade – a hit with the guests!  Our menu was Southern comfort food and included boiled peanuts served in small paper bags, mini pork sliders, short ribs, lemon chicken, squash puree, corn off the cob, grilled potato salad, and fried green tomatoes.  My side of the family is Italian and it’s tradition to have a wedding cake with the filling of an Italian pastry called a cannoli – a sweet, creamy ricotta filling with chocolate chips.  Brad is a giant tech geek so we had a chocolate, peanut butter iPad cake made for the groom’s cake.  For our exit, we got creative and my mom and I made ribbon wands with different shades of pinks, corals, and silvers for guests to wave at Brad and me as we left.  All in all, it was a great, fun night and I received what I consider to be the best compliment several times – “your wedding was SO perfectly you and Brad!”

I couldn’t have pulled it off without the help and support of my mom…and a 7 month obsession with Etsy. My advice to other brides would be to really enjoy and take it all in!  Your wedding week and especially the day will go by so fast.  Be sure to stop every so often to soak it all in!

Wedding Photography: Brenda Upton Photography / Flowers: Pat Holland’s Flowers / Wedding Cake: Pretty Cakes by Meg / Wedding Ceremony + Reception Location: Kimball Hall, Julie Stephens / Wedding Invitations: The Occassional Hello Stationery / Wedding Dress: Val Stefani / Catering: Cathy of Avalon Catering

True story.  One summer in college, I worked at a national alpaca registry.  I ADORED my job, because I spent my days scanning pictures of the world’s cutest animal into the registry system… and, of course, fell head over heels in love with each and every one.  So, when I first laid my eyes on this beauty of a wedding by Melissa Robotti Photography, I let out a little shout (okay, a big shout) of glee… because this fabulous soiree is not only brimming with the sweetest of details, but also happens to be held at an oh-so-charming alpaca farm.  Be. Still. My. Heart.  And with fabulous florals by Atkins Farm, a vibrant color palette, homemade wine and one very stunning bride and groom, I will never get enough of this rustic goodness.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride… From the moment I started dating Bobby, I was absolutely in love with his mother’s alpaca farm in Whately, MA. It was not only the “family gathering spot” and the place where I first met his huge, wonderful Italian family, but it was a place that truly inspired me. One of my first memories on the farm was when we witnessed a birth. “Stella,” a beautiful white alpaca, gave birth in the early morning to a beautiful caramel-colored alpaca, to be named “Purdy.”  Although birthing an alpaca is usually something that does not require human intervention, it was a complicated birth which required my mother-in-law (Lisa) to intervene and help Stella birth her new baby. After a struggle, caused by Purdy’s body being in the wrong position in the birth canal, Lisa (mid-wife by day/alpaca farmer by morning and night), helped bring Purdy into the world. There were a few sleepless nights that followed, bottle-feeding Purdy and keeping her warm with blankets, but after all that nurturing, it was a beautiful sight to see her running through the pastures only a couple of days later! I found the experience that day to be especially moving. The hard work and dedication required to run your own farm and the unconditional love and care given to these animals was truly inspirational. There was no question in my mind that this beautiful place would be the place that Bobby and I would share with our family and friends, to symbolize the start of our life together.

In keeping with the spirit of the farm as well as my personal taste, I wanted the event to exude “rustic, casual elegance.”  I wanted to capture the inspiration from both the farm and Lisa’s vintage post and beam farm house. The family effort and manual labor required to prepare the farm for a wedding of 200 people was also in keeping with the spirit of the farm… it was A LOT of work. Scrubbing barn floors, washing windows, cleaning up alpaca poop (yes, you read that correctly) and mowing the lawn over and over again is what consumed our lives the weeks leading up to the wedding (Thank you to the family and friends that helped!). But, I would do it all again in a heartbeat… it was worth every second.

The foundation of the event was comprised of a large 40×120 tent connected by a large 4-sided bar to a rustic barn (Home to 25 alpacas only a week prior!). The tent covered an arrangement of square and rectangle dinner tables, covered with teal tablecloths, lime napkins and a burlap runner. Mason jars with single lime hydrangea and orange dahlias floated down the center of each table, complimented by hand written name tag napkin rings, crafty station-style menus and homemade wine with our custom-designed alpaca label as the table number.

Connecting the reception tent to the barn was our large square bar (which might have been my favorite detail). I knew that I didn’t want the traditional roll-in bars that are normally used at outdoor events and get crowded within 10 minutes. I wanted the bar to be a focal point of the event and more of a social area; a place for people to mingle. Using long high-top tables, a large square bar was configured, covered in lime green linens and bar stools at each end. Against the barn was an extension of the bar… the Sangria table. This table featured a Sangria Jug, filled with homemade sangria and mason jars with striped straws for guests to serve and enjoy. As guests entered the barn they encountered cocktail tables and twinkle lights and straw bale seating areas with homemade throw pillows, designed and sewn by my talented sister, Erin. On the north side of the barn we had a cigar lounge, with 10 lime green Adirondack chairs facing beautiful Mount Sugarloaf.

Although the event had an overall “rustic feel,” I wanted to compliment the tans/browns with some bright summery colors. My color-scheme was teal/lime/orange. My bridesmaids wore comfy cotton Calvin Klein dresses in teal and carried the most beautiful bouquets I’ve ever seen, made up of green hydrangea, peach roses, orange circus roses and hypercimumberries. The groomsmen wore khaki linen Perry Ellis suits, lime green ties and had orange circus rose boutonnieres. Everyone looked absolutely gorgeous and the colors and outfits truly complemented each other! All in all, the event was spectacular and surpassed my expectations. As my husband said from the start, “I don’t care where we get married, I just want to invite everyone I love and for it to be memorable.”  Well, mission accomplished for sure.

Wedding Photography: Melissa Robotti Photography / Flowers: Atkins Farm / Wedding Ceremony Location: Grace Church / Wedding Reception Location: Family Farm / Hair + Make-up: Vici Hair Studio & Beauty Bar / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Customized by La Reine Bridal / Bridesmaid Dress: Calvin Klein / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Perry Ellis / Wedding Cake + Pies: Atkins Farm / Caterer: Smithsonian Catering / Paper Products (Menus, Labels, Programs, etc.): Homemade / DJ: Jerry Gemme

Good morning my lovely LBBers! We’ve got a little wedding film to start your week right. Every wedding I’ve seen come out of The Peachtree Club in Atlanta has been phenomenal. One part glam, one part luxe, and ten parts love, they have all been extraordinary. So when ellyB Events coordinated a wedding, that Milanes Photography photographed, and Three Ring Media captured on film, I knew we’d have something special. And when I saw the sweet and sassy couple at the center of the affair, I knew we’d have one for the books. So take in the gallery, and then spend a little time with Three Ring Media’s wedding trailer!

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Justin and I went to brother/sister colleges. He attended Morehouse and I attended Spelman.  Justin grew up in Los Angeles and my aunt also lived in LA. My aunt happened to be friends with Justin’s aunt and knew his family very well. When our aunts discovered that their niece and nephew were going to brother/sister colleges in Atlanta they arranged for us and our families to meet.  So on August 18, 1998 Justin and his entire family (mom, dad, brother) and my entire family (mom, dad, sister) met on campus.  However, I didn’t work out.  I don’t recall the exact reason but swear that I had a mandatory dorm meeting and not that I just wasn’t interested in meeting “some guy”.  Luckily we met a few days later through a mutual friend.

We didn’t start dating until December 2009 when Justin came to visit me in New York on a whim.  We have been together ever since. Justin is very laid back, has a great sense of humor, and gives me  enough room to be just me. I am sweet and sassy and likes to have a good time and knows what want. Justin calms me down.  I can be very Type A and Justin makes me slow down and enjoy life.  I mean he got me to move from New York to LA!

Justin and I live in Los Angeles so that made finding a wedding venue challenging.  Thank goodness my sister pounded the pavement and researched and checked out venues.  She found the Peachtree Club and sent us tons of pictures during her visit to check it out. We fell in love with the intimate setting and amazing views.  We booked the venue sight unseen.

I LOVE flowers and they were a huge part of the inspiration for our wedding.  We wanted to achieve an effortless beautiful and overall ease and comfort for our special day.  The majority of our guests traveled great distances to be with us so we wanted to create an intimate yet social atmosphere.   We didn’t want our wedding to be too stuffy.  We wanted our guest to get up and move around from room to room reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.  The multiple rooms, food stations, and photo booth helped achieve the social vibe.

Our wedding date marked my parents 40th wedding anniversary and the 13th year anniversary of  the day that Justin and I moved into the dorm and were suppose to meet.   While there are were no special traditions incorporated into our ceremony, we did have gospel music played throughout the ceremony by a pianist and saxophone player.  We both are Christians and since we weren’t getting married in a church, we  still wanted to have a Christian ceremony.  Our first act after stating our wedding vows was taking communion together.  We were also married by my cousin, an ordained Minister who is also a member of Justins’ fraternity.  We also had my two little cousins run down the aisle ringing bells and screaming “the bride is coming, the bride is coming” and that was a huge hit!

Overall, we tried to incorporate close family into the ceremony. Justin is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and he and his fraternity brother surrounded me to sang the Omega hymn.  It is a fraternity tradition and very special. Later the fraternity brothers “hop” which is something that I have not seen Justin do since college!

Wedding Planner: Doriann of ellyB Events and Bride / Photographer: Milanes Photography / Cinematography: Three Ring Media / Hair: Kristie Kimble Makeup, Denise Tunnell / Floral & Lighting: The Savage Garden / Linens: Connie Duglin Specialty Linens / Venue: The Peachtree Club / Cake: Couture Cakes / DJ: William March Photobooth, Shutter Booth / Ceremony Musicians: Mike Jones Groove Centric / Invitations: Papered Wonders

Rise and shine wedding lovers! We’ve got a day jam packed with pretty inspiration starting off with this sweet, Southern themed wedding by Millie Holloman Photography and Salt Harbor Designs. We’re loving how this couple infused so many personal and meaningful details into their day including black eyed peas (to be tossed at them for good luck after the ceremony), the bride’s grandmother’s brooch, and a special ring pillow handmade by her mother out of her great-grandmother’s lace wedding dress. See that and so much more here in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…In the midst of planning my wedding I turned to your site for inspiration, excitement and information almost on a daily basis.  Now that I am a newly-wed I am dying to share all of the details, thought and background that inspired our wedding and made it the absolutely most perfect day for us!

These are the little details, themes and inspiration we gathered to make our wedding what it turned out to be: Both Austin and I grew up in Texas and happened to meet there, therefore we wanted to have an underlying Southern theme with a nod to Texas.  We made sure to incorporate this throughout the wedding in all of our designs, flowers, traditions, etc.  For instance, my bridesmaids all carried yellow roses to represent the yellow rose of Texas.  Keeping with this southern theme we decided to have all Southern food at our wedding, including a biscuit bar, make your own shrimp & grits stations, sweet potato fries; we even had our wedding our guests throw black eyed peas at us for good luck and again to touch on the Southern theme. All of our groomsmen wore seersucker ties and even our dog, Miller wore a matching seersucker bow tie.  All designs were put together by Salt Harbor Designs based on lifetime events that Austin and I encountered and pieces of Southern charm that affected our lives in one way or another.  From the custom-designed program fans, napkins, food station signs, drink menu which was aptly named for numerous of our life events: places we have lived, the place we met at or our college alma maters.  To top off the southern charm & roots, one of our wedding guests is a member of the Texas State Senate and gave us a Texas State Resolution signed & passed by the Senate for our marriage that we had framed and displayed at the wedding.

Besides the “Southern themes” we also incorporated mementos from our family that made our day unique and special to us.  For instance, my bouquet had my step-mother’s perfume bottle given to her by my dad on one of their 1st dates, my recently passed grandmother’s brooch and my great-grandmother’s handkerchief.  My mom hand-made the ring pillow and was made from her old wedding dress and lace my great-grandmother gave to her.  Additionally, Austin’s Rolex was given to him by his late father and was originally from the 60s; it was broken and unable to be worn- I gave him it fixed and restored as his wedding present.  He was so surprised!  Our golf cart was decorated with a “Just Married” sign of burlap (so appropriate again for the Southern theme) that one of my best friend’s and bridesmaids made for me as a present for our wedding.

One of my DIY projects: our vendor who printed our save the dates printed them in the wrong size and gave us them for whatever we wanted to do with them.  I decided to make these into cone shapes and fill them with black eyed peas for our guests to throw at us for good luck at the end of the night- another southern themed touch we added.  Finally, I custom designed my dress and had a local wedding dress tailor make it into my perfect vision. There are many more details that went into planning our wedding. We hope you have as much fun reading about and looking at pictures of our wedding as we did planning it!

Ceremony Location: “Old Baldy” Lighthouse / Officiant: Reverend Jim Brown / Ceremony Music: Danijela Zezelj-Gualdi + Chris Johns / Reception Location: Shauna Harris of Bald Head Island Club / Wedding Planning + Floral Design: Jane Roberson + Jennifer Rose-Sandy of Salt Harbor Designs / Wedding Photography: Rebecca Schlieman of Millie Holloman Photography / Wedding Videography: Josh Sliffe Videography / Wedding Band: Deja Vu via East Coast Entertainment / Wedding Cake + Groom’s Cake: Alison’s Cakery / Wedding Dress: Custom Designed by The Bride, Tailored by Kathe Foster / Bridesmaid Dresses: Priscilla of Boston / Groomsmen Ties + Dog’s Bow Tie: Etsy / Bride’s Shoes: TOMS / Hair: Island Retreat & Spa / Veil: Borrowed from Bride’s Sister / Wedding Invitations: We Heart Paper / Rings: Skatells

Good Morning and welcome back to another pretty, pretty week here at SMP Florida! We seriously couldn’t think of a better way to start your week than with this gorgeous, vintage chic Tampa fete. Zoe Gallina, Inc. coordinated and designed this elegant backyard wedding and just wait until you see the phenomenal aisle style created by Botanica International Design Studio. I can’t even begin to try and choose my favorite part of this wedding. Maybe it’s the delicate lace dress, the amazingly delicious looking cakes, or the super cool cocktail lounge on the lawn…Ryan Joseph Photographs captured the whole fabulous soirée and lucky for all of us, there’s so much more in the gallery.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

Be sure to check out this super sweet and romantic film by Voila Cinematic.

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From the Bride…Greg and I met through mutual friends the first week of our freshman year at the University of Texas. Having just moved from Tampa, I knew only a handful of people; Greg knew everyone and all of the girls knew Greg. We remained close friends throughout our college days, spending almost every weekend together, along with a dozen or so of our best friends. Five years after we met, we kissed for the first time on NYE—a circumstantial kiss that only happened because we were standing next to each other when the ball dropped. He was my New Year’s kiss for the next two years. Nothing came of those kisses because we lived hundreds of miles apart—he in Houston and I in Dallas—and we thought we valued our friendship over a silly relationship. But alas, we realized that guys and girls weren’t meant to be best friends and we began dating. Three years after our first kiss, I moved to Houston (by way of Austin—long story) to be with Greg.

Greg proposed while we were on a bike ride in Houston. We were training for an upcoming trip to Italy where we were planning to bike across the Tuscan region. After riding for about two miles, Greg needed a break, which was worrisome because in a few weeks, we would be biking 30-40 miles a day. Concerned and frustrated, I was reluctant to join him on a park bench when he told me he needed to sit down. The only thing more troubling than resting on a park bench after a 2-mile stroll was the suspicious camouflage bag sitting on the bench. After resisting his countless requests to sit on the bench with him, Greg looked at me and said: “Well, if you won’t sit with me, will you at least marry me?” It took me a while to understand what he was saying, but once I saw the look on his face and the ring in his hand, I tearfully said yes! The proposal was thoughtful and organic, but I still wouldn’t sit down on the bench for fear the camo bag might explode and ruin our beautiful day. Against my fearful requests that he not touch the bag, Greg reached inside to retrieve a bottle of champagne and two glasses he had packed earlier that day. He popped the cork (which ricocheted off of a tree limb and onto my head), and we toasted to each other on our new favorite park bench. Thankfully, we only had two miles to ride home.

From Zoe Gallina, Inc.…The layout was organized by architectural blue prints of their property. We started planning the June before the wedding. The house and Bayshore was used throughout the wedding since the home has such special meaning to the family. The bride always dreamed of the day she got married, she and her Dad would walk out the front door and into the ceremony. Bayshore Ballastrading (the street the house is on) was used on the stamps for the wedding invitations and the wedding invite itself had a letterpressed image of the house in the background. Kelsey’s older sister also got married at the home 10 years prior.

Wedding Photography: Ryan Joseph Photographs / Event Styling + Coordination: Zoe Gallina, Inc. / Décor + Floral: Ian Prosser of Botanica International Design Studio / Food + Beverage: Puff ‘n Stuff Catering / Quartet: Dillingham Quartet / Cocktail Music: Simply Irresistible / Wedding Videography: Jocelyn Karas of Voila Cinematic / Rentals: U.S. Tent Rental / Lounge Furniture: Room Service Rentals / Tent Draping: Design Elements / Lighting: Baystage Lighting / Wedding Cake: Chocolate Pi / Bride’s Hair + Make-up: Elena Joseph / Bridal Party Hair: Michael Cimino of Cimino Salon / Shuttle Buses: Skyline Limousines / Valet: 717 Parking / Getaway Car: Cole’s Classic Cars

Not only is this wedding by Robin Roemer Photography picture perfect, it also has so much heart. Full of thoughtful details and elegant DIY touches, it makes for a wedding we are all completely smitten over. And I must say, those cupcake-in-a-jar favors look absolutely divine! But that is just the start of the lovely, don’t forget there is more to devour in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I fell in love with my now-husband at the tender age of 14, but it was not until after college that we reconnected and started dating. Five years later, he proposed on the water, under the stars while vacationing in Mexico. From the moment the ring was slipped on my finger I began to plot a location and theme. Since my ring was an estate piece I wanted to carry the vintage romantic theme throughout our wedding, but I also wanted to incorporate the stars and water from our engagement. Luckily, we live in the Hudson Valley, a magical location. I settled on the outdoor ballroom at the Grandview on the Hudson River for its spectacular scenery. After collecting ideas on Style Me pretty for two years (having over 1400 visits to your site), and finding, and falling in love with Etsy it all came together. We wanted our wedding to be elegant, but for our guests to feel warm and comfortable. So we incorporated lots of cream, peaches, greens and pops of navy colors for a romantic mid-summer theme. From the 250 mercury candle holders, to the khaki suits and peach roses, and my grandmother’s 60 year old garter everything flowed with a simple romantic grace.

I also received so much gratification from doing many of my own DIY projects. All of my paper-goods; table numbers, programs, invitations, and seating chart,  I created with some collaboration from Etsy. But the most tedious task was the home-made candy bar and cupcake jars favors. Little did I know the full extent of labor it would involve, it took months to collect all of the jars and several days for my mother, mother-in-law, and myself to bake and assemble over 200 “cup cakes in a jar.” But I never felt so much pride as I did the day they unveiled it to our guests and everyone asked where we bought them.

A special thank you to our photographer, Robin Roemer, who captured the day in all its vividness. The love and encouragement from our family and friends was overwhelming, and we could not have asked for a better day with better people.

Wedding Photography: Robin Roemer Photography / Flowers: The Green House at Rhinebeck / Ceremony Location: St. Martins De Porres Church / Reception Location: The Grandview / Programs + Seating Chart: EM & N Designs + The Bride / Table Numbers: The Bride / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Wedding Dress: Enzoani / Sash: Kirsten Kuehn Designs / Hand Bag: Judith Leiber / Bridesmaid Dresses: Jim Hjelm / Candy Bar + Labels: The Bride / Cupcake Jars Favors: The Bride, Mother + Mother In-Law

Before you jump into your weekend with both feet, we wanted to take a quick minute to introduce you to a few of our newest advertisers and the latest additions to our SMP family. So take a look, say hello and join us in extending a very big SMP Welcome! We’re tickled pink to have you joining in on the party!

And speaking of parties, eInvite has oodles of personalized Wedding Invitations, Event Announcements and cards for pretty much every event under the sun. So if you’re looking to design a Wedding Invitation that is sure to get your guests excited, you’ll definitely want to swing by and see why eInvite.com has been a leading online retailer of invitations, announcements and personalized stationery since 1997. And best of all, its all online. So you can get all your paper and party needs without ever having to leave, and with winter just around the corner, this is music to our ears!

When you stop by eInvite, your pretty little eyes won’t know what is better, the thousands of designs, hundreds of typestyles, ink colors, paper options and graphics or the fact that there are loads of personalization options available for you to create and then preview online. And we’re not just talking Invitations here. Besides Invites and cards, you’ll find gifts, stationery, favors, favor boxes, pens, and more. And best yet, you can get busy personalizing, adding your very own images and branding or designs that are available for you to choose from. You’ll love it!

We all know what adding the perfect accessory can do to any look, right? Well Love Always, Anne Marie was founded to help women discover their inner beauty and help them exude confidence by providing affordable, trendy accessories, specializing in wedding and special occasion hair accessories, jewelry and other bridal accents. Collected from around the world, these pretty pieces are available at affordable prices and can also be custom designed!!

With bridal hair accessories, sashes for wedding gowns, bracelets, earrings, necklaces and even a selection of bridal party gifts for groomsmen and bridesmaids, Love Always, Anne Marie has a collection that you’ll want to check out right away. Plus, they are dedicated to spreading the love among their customers and community by holding charity events and giving back to those in need. How sweet! Friend them on Facebook to learn more and to be the first to hear about special promotions and coupon codes that surface from time to time! Shipping is available to the US, Canada, UK and Australia and orders over $100 to the US are shipped for free. Even more reason to head on over to Love Always, Anne Marie and pick up a few gorgeous goodies.

So we hope you love our newest advertisers as much as we do. Invitations and Accessories, nothing more fun than that! Make sure to stop by their sites and show them some SMP Love and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

We’re bidding adieu to yet another lovely week of inspiration here at Style Me Pretty… and to a very special day of tribute to those men and women who so selflessly serve our country – and keep us safe every single day and night.  But, before we say a final farewell, we thought this darling photo shoot captured by Connection Photography was the perfect way to wrap up the day.  These two adorable lovebirds have captured our hearts with their wonderful story, which started as a beautiful shoot honoring their long-distance romance and ended with a surprise proposal at the end of the night.  And just when we thought this delightful duo couldn’t possibly be any cuter, we learned today that they have been named the official winners of the Operation Reward Romance Contest with Operation Homefront, receiving a Ritani engagement ring.  If that doesn’t just leave you smiling for hours with joy, I don’t know what will.  Congratulations you two!  Click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Connection Photography… This photo shoot was designed around Jessica and Bo’s current relationship. They have been together for a year and most of their relationship has been spent sending letters and video chatting on the computer. They have spent the majority of their relationship apart because Bo is in the military. In the photo shoot Jessica wanted to be sending Bo a package and as she is walking up to mail it, he is walking up the other road to surprise her. He’s coming home. The pocket watch in the photos Jessica had made for Bo. Although their relationship has been long distance you wouldn’t know it. They are so in love and it radiates when you are around them. During the photo shoot we joked with Bo about asking Jessica to marry him and he just laughed it off. But when they got home he did ask! He is being deployed to the Middle East in the next couple months but they are definitely making the time they have together now, unforgettable.

Photography: Connection Photography / Location: Marietta, Ohio

If you missed any, here are all of our pretty posts from the week:

a darling North Carolina fête
a sweet as can be proposal film
a beyond breathtaking New York affair
a dreamy Los Gatos soiree
an awe-inspiring Los Angeles wedding
a charming Washington barn affair
a magical Atlanta soiree
a day filled with eight gorgeous weddings
a stunning New York City affair
a shabby chic Oregon fête
a Fall-inspired California wedding
a breathtaking boudoir session

Some fabulous links from around the web:

colorful modern wall art via A Beautiful Mess
uber-fabulous wildflower ice cubes via A Cup of Jo
gorgeous DIY herb and wildflower bouquet via One Lovely Day

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

Seasons of Life Events
Something Blue Weddings & Events
Julie Swenson, Beauty PhD
Nam Nguyen Photography
LittleOwl Letterpress
Janelle Brooke Photography
Belle of the Ball
Syracuse Makeup Artistry
Clean Plate Pictures

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here. We’d love to hear from you!

And last, but certainly not least…

Don’t miss your chance to enter the Inspiration to Invitation Challenge with Sarah Drake happening right now as.we.speak on SMP Illinois!  The uber-fabulous Ms. Drake will be picking her favorite board next week and turning it into one very amazing invitation!  So, don’t miss out… head on over to SMP Illinois and start building those boards!

Have a pretty, pretty weekend, lovelies!  See you back here Monday morning!  xoxo

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Event Planning

Belle Events

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Another love filled week has come and gone my lovely LBBers, and it is time to say ta-ta for now. But before I send you off into your exciting weekends, I’ve got quite the little treat for you. One of our lovely and gorgeous LBB vendors, Kathryn of Dream a Little Dream Events, is getting married. And we’ve got the San Francisco engagement sesh from Kate Harrison Photography to brighten up your Friday afternoon (which is especially great since Daylight Savings Time stole an hour of light from most of our evenings!). So take it in, and then take on your weekend. And I’ll see you bright eyed and bushy tailed Monday morning! xoxo

Photography courtesy of Kate Harrison Photography.

The lovely little week of gorgeous affairs, just for you:

a luxe San Francisco film featuring the greatest kiss of all time
a vibrant Indian Summer affair in New York
an elegant, rosy soiree in Santa Rosa
a Los Angeles wedding of two high school sweethearts
a beautiful Oregon garden party for two plus their lucky friends and family
a fresh and gorgeous wedding in Florida, filled with style
a fete with an unbelievable amount of rustic beauty from Hillsboro
a traditional Charlotte wedding with the most amazing quirks
an stunning Aspen mountaintop destination affair
a vintage soiree that exudes San Diego chic
a total DIY affair that is totally worthy of the fantastic Sonoma locale

A few genius links from around the WWW:

a great guide for hair how to’s from Jazz Age to Uptown Girl via BHLDN
a DIY cardboard gourd just in time for a holiday wedding from Design*Sponge
a simply gorgeous Nantucket backyard affair over at Once Wed

There may not be a uniform in sight, but the Military Groom is present in this Santa Barbara fete. Soon to be sent over seas, this couple set out to plan a gorgeous wedding full of LOVE and worthy of every single last squeal heard around the office today. Mishelle Lamarand Photography captured all the monochromatic flower gorgeousness crafted by NLC Productions, not to mention the overall design perfection by La Fete. There’s really nothing not to love in this modern and drop dead gorgeous day. Click here for more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From La Fete…When Ashley first met with me, she told me she wanted her wedding featured on Style Me Pretty. She had wonderful taste from the start and always held on to her vision from start to finish. She wanted an open-air canopy with flowing white fabric overhead, with the works! Crystal chandeliers, candlelight, a big white dance floor, along with abundant yet simple white flowers. As the designer and planner I had a fabulous time working with Ashley, she knew exactly what she wanted which made decision making and the planning process a dream. But don’t get me wrong we definitely ran into a few hiccups. Due to a high profile event, her wedding was FORCED to change locations, and as if that wasn’t enough, she found this out on the day her fiancé was being sent overseas in the military!

So it was up to me and the old location to work something out for my poor bride and that is when the sun comes out in this story. We were able to get her the most INCREDIBLE location. Honestly a dream location with a huge private polo field and an extraordinary compound off in the distance. We are talking 360 degree views of mountains, mansions, and the Pacific Ocean. I knew she would love it and the second she walked on that property she knew she had really lucked out! We went with a simple color palette of slate grey, and white but added all the glamour with the overhead fabric and chandeliers. We were working with a tight budget on this event, and I would say she really got a BANG for her buck. These images were provided by Mishelle Lamarand from Bliss Photography, and honestly she is insanely amazing. She calls herself one of the only “natural light photographer” and its really incredible to see how she works with lighting and I’m sure you can tell. I really hope you enjoy this event!

Wedding Photography: Mishelle Lamarand Photography / Lighting + Fabric Draping: Ambient Event Design / DJ: Scott Topper Productions / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Floral Design: NLC Productions / Catering: Pampered Palate / Cake and mini desserts: Sweet and Saucy Shop / Event Design + Planning: Kaitlin of La Fete / Ceremony Location: First United Methodist Church / Reception Location: Private Estate / Linens: La Tavola Linen

This California bride has got some of the best advice for all you newly engaged. Seriously, the best advice – so make sure to read what she has to say. But before we get there, we’ve got an awe-inspiring wedding to check out! Captured by the lovely Alfred & Emma Photography, this Sonoma affair is DIY, Etsy, and Flower (from the wonderful Violetta Flowers) central – and obviously, we can’t help but love it. The sweet couple, their adorable dog, the sunflower’s in the cake stand? All perfect. Don’t forget to scoot over to the gallery when you’ve finished with this lovely lady’s advice!

Sitting down together at the beginning of our 13 month engagement, we thought that there would be plenty of time to leisurely plan the most unique, intimate, and perfectly personal wedding of all time. Now, here we are, a year later, and after  spending endless hours browsing Etsy and eBay, driving all over Northern California, and overcoming all of those personal differences that we didn’t think we had, we can sit back and share our story.

I am married to the most amazing guy, and the memories that we share of our wedding day are sublime. What made it so good? The planning involved in creating the perfect picture. When you think that you’re totally overdoing it with the details or feeling exhausted because you can’t remember the last weekend that you didn’t spend organizing, coordinating, and designing, don’t stop. Looking back, we’re so happy with the way things turned out, proud of the hard work, and especially thankful for all of our vendors and friends that helped make it happen.

The proposal came as a complete surprise to me while enjoying an August sunset at the edge of a spring-fed lake on an old Vermont farm. Andrew had spent summers there growing up, and we both felt so peacefully at home walking down the dirt road, past the big, red barn and through the gangly apple trees that probably hadn’t been picked in years. That week was a romantic utopia and ultimately inspired the theme for our wedding a year later.

First, we needed a venue. Many of our closest family and friends didn’t live in California, so planning the guest experience was important.  Because we had such a clear vision of what we wanted, finding the place was not easy. Driving all over the Bay Area, we became distraught over the prospect that we’d fail at our first wedding planning attempt. One venue was too eccentric, the next didn’t have a barn, another was too far away, “Oops! How much did you say?!” And so on. It came down to our final destination for the day at a little place with a barn in Kenwood, CA. When we got there, the entrance to Kenwood Farms and Gardens was unassuming (retrospectively, a plus), but the next five minutes would become a memory that neither of us will ever forget. Walking in, we saw cute sitting areas with vine laden trellis, a bridal cottage, slightly rusted early century farm equipment on display, a converted equestrian barn, cutesy pond with fountain, redwood pines, a beautiful garden…little apple orchard?! Neither of us said a word as I hugged Andrew with tears in my eyes, thinking “this is it.”

After the venue ordeal, my memory is a blur of a thousand details and ideas. My mother and I spent a whole day making strawberry jam for party favors, my sister and one of my bridesmaids letter pressed the invitations and programs, a close friend baked cake pops for the candy bar, my mother hand-stitched the ring pillow from a picture I found on the internet, and I spent hours with a very dear friend planning the day of coordination.

Over countless emails, a natural rapport was built between us and all of our vendors, but I’m especially elated with the relationship gained from our photographers; Emma suggested that we use a thumbprint tree instead of a traditional guest book, and it turned out beautiful. Our florist was such a pleasure to work with as she helped us craft insightful and passionate ideas about the “feel” that we wanted the flowers to portray.  It truly is a relief when a vendor expressively wants to figure out a way to fulfill your vision while staying within the original budget.

My advice to my “year ago” self would be the following: Create a detailed budget early, update it as often as possible, and then find vendors that work within your vision and boundaries. If you feel something isn’t right, it probably isn’t going to work on your special day and you will be disappointed.  Communicate as openly and passionately with your fiance, but remember you’re both in this as a team.  Adjust and be flexible as soon as your intuition gives you the uh-oh feeling that won’t go away. We chose the Sound Effect over another band mostly because of the price difference, but they were was absolutely perfect! Their professionalism carried us through a seamless ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception! Lastly, don’t forget to set some time aside that doesn’t involve planning to just be with your fiance. Go on dates and enjoy being engaged. You’re only going to be doing this once, so make the most of it!

Photography: Alfred & Emma Photography / Floral Design: Violetta Flowers / Cake: Petaluma Cake Company / Entertainment: The Sound Effect / Hair & Makeup: Danielle & Angelica, Mes Amis Salon / Venue: Kenwood Farms and Gardens / Dress: Doreen, Maggie Sottero, from Rin’s Bridal / Shoes: Randall, Badgley Mischka / Swarovski Crystal and Rhinestone Hair Comb: Etsy / Swarovski Crystal & Rhinestones Bracelet: Lisa Bracelet, Sara Gabriel / Earrings: Nordstrom Crystal Collection, Nordstrom Rack / Groomsmen Suits: Men’s Wearhouse / Groomsmen Shirts & Ties: Nordstrom / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew / Ring Bearer: J.Crew / Ring Bearer’s Bow Tie: Nordstrom / Flower Girls: Charming Champagne, My Girl Dress / Flower Baskets & Mason Jars: World Market / Baby Ramona’s dress: Pink Princess / Table Numbers: Etsy / Address Stamp: Etsy / Sweet Love Sign: Etsy / Block letter names: Etsy / Wood Slices & 3 Tiered Cup Cake Tower: Etsy / Mr. and Mrs. sign: Etsy / Candy Bar Sign: Etsy / Thumbprint Tree: Etsy / Ring Pillow: DIY / Jam: DIY / Stationery: DIY / Pie Pops: DIY / Love Letters on Candy Bar: Cotton Bird Designs / Thumbprint Guest Book: Your Keepsake Co.

We are continuing our Veterans Day tribute for all the men and women in uniform with a picture perfect day from Wai Reyes Photography. Held right before the handsome groom was deployed, every moment was as special as it was pretty. Family and friends flew from all over the world to celebrate this adorable couple in San Clemente, and you can feel the love in each and every image. Be sure to spend some time in the full gallery for even more lovely!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Wai Reyes Photography…Kate and Kevin had the wedding of their dreams, at a venue overlooking the ocean in San Clemente… just before Kevin was deployed. Although Kevin was already stationed at the Air Force Base in Nebraska, he did his best to chime in on the planning, even by email. The couple opted for a smaller, more intimate wedding with 100 of their families and friends that flew in from all over the world. The style they went for was simple yet memorable. Instead of huge pieces that overwhelm, they decided on smaller, cleaner florals that were peppered all throughout the venue. Shortly after the wedding, the couple has moved to Nebraska where Kevin is stationed and is now serving overseas.

From the Bride…When I first started planning my wedding, I knew I definitely wanted it to be something that people would remember. The venue (Casa Romantica) was really a wonderful find. It had the character that I wanted (not your typical ballroom wedding), and was set above a cliff overlooking the ocean; it was perfect. I wanted to have details that weren’t what everyone else was doing, and were fun, yet elegant. I started off with shabby chic ideas (I love mason jars!), but then I realized I’m a little bit more elegant that I thought. (I must have changed my mind a million times!) All the wheels started turning though when I found these amazing mercury glass vases! I found the vintage look I was looking for, and I figured light pink would be perfect to pair with it. Since we were getting married by the ocean, I wanted our wedding to have a light and airy feel, and I felt that the light colors really make it feel that way. Since we didn’t have a giant budget, my coordinator (Halleigh Hill) & I made a lot of the things. All the paper products, table numbers, menus, programs were made by us! I hate having things that scream copycat, so I tried to make all these things as unique as possible. As for the floral design, I wanted soft, big blooms, and I HAD HAD HAD to have a curly willow arch. I loved the rustic quality of it, and it came out beautifully! Our florist even incorporated a little of that in our centerpieces. My dress was everything I knew I needed in a dress, but I could never describe it to a consultant. It was timeless. I remember telling someone, “This is a dress that I would have loved to have been passed down to me.” It had the most beautiful details: v-back, with beautiful buttons all the way down, the satin made it so elegant, and the placement of the lace was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I really felt that this dress was made for me. And lastly I picked my photographer (Wai Reyes) for her incredible ability to create stories. I remember seeing her photos for the first time, and loved the way she made everything look like a Ralph Lauren ad. She was also extremely personable, and made us feel like we had all been friends for years. And even a few months after the wedding, I’m still so incredibly pleased with the outcome. It literally was the wedding of my dreams, and still can’t believe it was mine!

Photography: Wai Reyes Photography / Ceremony + Reception: Casa Romantica / Wedding Coordinator: Moment Prive Event Design & Coordination / Cinema : A Motion Video / Officiant: Don Pearce / Floral Design: Jen K Floral Design / Catering: Carbonara Trattoria / Wedding Cake: Sweet Gems / Cake Stand & Cake Pop Favors: Moment Event Design & Coordination /  Hair + Makeup Stylist: Chloe Watts + Carina Lindgren of Flawless Faces / Wedding Gown: Marisa / Bridesmaid Gowns: Priscilla of Boston / Tuxedo: Suit Fellas / Bride’s Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / DJ: Showcase DJ / Invitations, Programs, Menu’s, Escort Cards: Moment Prive Event Design & Coordination

When two talented creative-types tie the knot, it always seems to blow me away. It’s like a meeting of the made-for-wedding-planning minds, so to speak. And this gorgeous pair is the perfect example. Not only did they design their stylish stationery, they also letter pressed them in the comforts of their own home (you can see how they did it on their blog!). The DIY doesn’t stop there, but I’ll let you discover all the pretty through the fabulous photos by Hugh Forte Photography in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Our fresh and modern wedding took place at the very modern Levyland Estates,  located just between a lagoon and the beach in Carlsbad. We felt it reflected our Southern history [lagoon] and our California present [beach]. We travel to Baja quite a bit so we wanted to reflect some of it’s beauty in our wedding. We had a clean white and tan wedding with bold pops of color based on Spanish tiles and Bougainvillea. The cobalt blue glass complimented bright fuchsia, apricot and lime green flowers. We wanted to balance the modern look and feel of the day with some DIY projects we felt could represent us and our interests.

I was absolutely floored with my flowers and how Paula Rae (Rae Florae) was able to use and incorporate Bougainvillea when other florists scoffed at the idea of using it! She decorated our ceremony arch with the branches and scattered the petals in the aisle and on tables in place of rose petals. All the cobalt blue vases & vessels were collected by my mother (in Wisconsin) and I from home and stores or thrift shops. Friends also donated or lent cobalt blue glass for the event. The blue glasses for the cake stand were all purchased from Pier1, and the votives were borrowed from the florist.

Rob and I met in Savannah, Georgia where we both attended art school. I am a photographer and he is a web designer so we also wanted to design our paper goods ourselves. The Bougainvillea was going to be our reoccurring theme, so Rob designed the invitation, RSVP card and map. We had them off-set printed and then letter pressed them ourselves at home (here is how we did it). To go with our hand letter pressed invites, is a photo of our Save the Date. It’s the photo from his proposal! He knew he wanted it to be photo related so he planned an evening on the beach with long exposure photography. I shot while he practiced writing with light…then he wrote it out. I almost didn’t believe him and thought he was teasing me! (We took a final one to show people and used that for the save the date. My “yes” written in light was on the back of the card) We didn’t want so much un-necessary paper so instead of escort cards, we wrote seating arrangements on mirrors with cobalt blue paint.

I also really love baking so I had the grand idea of baking our favors! We had about 130 guests so I made over 1,000 lime melt-away cookies! It was a passion project which I completed with glassine bags, fuchsia & orange  baker’s twine and name tags that also served as the place card. (Vegetarians had orange twine while non-vegetarians were tied with the fuchsia!)

My friend from college made the guest book and personalized it. There is also a photo of a faux cake in the details. It was custom made for us by my mom’s friend who is a folk artist in Wisconsin, Teena Flanner. It was a gift I received at a wedding shower. She personalized it with a surfboard (him) starfish (ocean), camera (me), watering can (we both are passionate about our garden) and a bee (the mascot from our Art school in Savannah GA where we met)

We owe so much to our family and friends who had a hand in helping make it just a beautiful day that really reflected us as a couple.

Wedding Photography: Hugh Forte Photography / Month of Coordination: Amorology Weddings / Floral Design: Rae Florae / Caterer: Eco Caters / Wedding Cake: Sweet Cheeks Bakery / DJ + MC: Friends, Manuel & JP / Officiant: Friend, Cher / Lighting: Friends, Anne & Kirk / Wedding Dress: Amy Kuschel / Hair + Make-up: Belli Belli Salon / Faux Cake: Teena Flanner / Venue: Levyland Estates

These Vendors are members of our Little Black Book.
For membership information, click here

Event Planning

Amorology

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While we are on the brink of a cold, hard winter here in New England – you lucky lovelies in Australia are prepping for all the pretty that is spring and summer. To say I am a bit jealous would be a serious understatement. So I do believe I’ll just live vicariously through lovely spring-inspired shoots like this one from Chanele Rose Flowers & Styling captured by Hannah Lundberg Photography. It’s inspiration for you and a bit of warmth for me, and there is even more to see in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Chanele Rose Flowers & Styling…The idea behind the shoot was to celebrate the beginning of Spring! I’m not sure about you, but I was so happy to bid farewell to Winter this year and “WELCOME SPRING” as down under has had quite a miserable Winter!

I love how spring brings with it so much happiness- flowers are happiness! This shoot was just to celebrate the beginning of picnics in the park, riding your bicycle, enjoying the sunshine, Spring time flowers, delicious candy, sweet tablescapes & pretty whimsical dresses!

Photography: Hannah Lundberg Photography / Floral Design + Styling: Chanele Rose Flowers & Styling / Hair + Make-Up: Helen Sotis Make Up / Cakes + Sweet Treats: Yummies / Venue: Mamre Homestead / Model: Andrijana Cica

Hey all you design all-stars!  We’ve seen a lot of fun inspiration boards for the Illinois Inspiration to Invitation Challenge but we want to see even more from you!  If you thought you missed your chance to build a board for the challenge then today is your lucky day.  We are giving you one more week to put together your ultimate inspiration board.  Sarah Drake will go through all your boards next week and pick her favorite to turn into a totally unique and awesome invitation!  Head on over to the board builder and remember to TAG your board SD Challenge!

Past From Inspiration to Invitation winner Chiara Francolino

Oh my goodness, y’all are in for a huge, and I mean HUGE treat this morning! I’ve been sitting pretty with this little diddy for quite some time and I am so excited to finally share it with all of you. Sent into us by the design and flower gurus of Mimosa Flower Studio, this beyond beautiful fete is sure to knock your socks off. And if you’re a fan of anything Anthropologie, then it’ll knock your shoes off too. I’m seriously not even sure of where to start off, so I think I’ll just let the gorgeous images from Nataschia Wielink Photography do the talking here. Oh, and you can click here for even more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

Be sure to check out this film by Enns Visuals to get an inside look at what goes on behind the scenes of a wedding!

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From Mimosa Flower Studio…When I first met with the bride, she said that she didn’t want her wedding to feel like a wedding. She said she loved the store Anthropologie and, in this case, I decided to get involved a little bit more with the staging aspect and the fabrics, pillows and the antiques. So we kind of made that a base to build off of.

I’ve got this old yellow couch that was sort of one of the main things that started the whole ball rolling, that’s where the idea for all the antiques started to come into play. We used a lot of custom pillows and hand-sewn birds in the trees. We also designed a flag garland that uses the same fabric as the napkins. I had a local potter create some of the vessels for the flowers.  And, of course, canning jars are were everywhere with flowers and candles in them.

The flowers were mainly all yellow, we used garden roses, local dahlias, a lot of herbs from the garden, lavender, lavender foliage, camomile and yarrow, a lot of very local things that were coming up out of the ground at that time of the year.

We were really excited about designing this wedding because it’s really different than what you’d normally see or expect at a wedding. It was the ‘un-wedding’! The bride and groom were very focused on just creating a comfortable atmosphere for their guests and I’m all about that!

From the Bride…As a child I never dreamed of my wedding or planned a big wedding. I always figured that I would elope. Once a summer 2011 wedding was being considered I knew that it had to be small and had to be unique. Luckily for me, I was marrying a man who went along for the ride and was happy to support my unusual (aka ‘non-bridal’) vision. We immediately settled on Niagara’s wine region as our wedding destination. After visiting several locations I knew that Inn on the Twenty and Cave Spring Vineyards would meet all of my criteria: outdoor ceremony (with a Plan B for rain – and rain it did!), idyllic location and great food.

It was after meeting with Jennifer Eliotson from Mimosa Flower Studio when my ‘non-weddingy’ wedding started to take shape! Jennifer took my Anthropologie and vintage inspired ideas and ran with them. Once she was on board, everything else fell into place including connecting us with the insanely talented photographer Nataschia Wielink.

I am a huge foodie and wanted our reception to feel more like a dinner party and not a typical wedding. We opted for a harvest table and a food focus without all the usual wedding fuss (DJ, band, cake cutting, etc). After conference calls, countless emails, and a fabulous tasting we decided to go with a 5 course tasting menu highlighting some of our favorite foods: pork belly, gnocchi and short ribs.

The design by Mimosa Flower Studio was what made this wedding a reality, supported by a few too many hours on Etsy and a few DIY projects along the way.

Flowers + Event Design: Mimosa Flower Studio / Wedding Photography: Nataschia Wielink Photography / Ceremony Location: Cave Spring Cellars Vineyard Retreat / Day of Coordinator: Jaime Kourieh-Cottrill, Blueprint Events Inc. / Reception Location: Inn on the Twenty / Hair + Make-up: Bridal Beauty-Mobile Artistry Group / ‘Stack of Books’ Wedding Cake: Vineyard Sweets / Custom Pillows, Napkins + Table Runner: Sew Amused / Bride’s Shoes: Badgely Mischka / Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew + Nordstrom / Groom’s Suit: Hugo Boss / Invitations: Etsy / Save-the-Date: Minted / Moustaches: Etsy / Ketubah: Etsy / Cookies: Sweetie Pies Cookies / String Quartet: Diana Sachs Music / Wedding Cinematography: Enns Visuals

This gorgeous Los Cabos soiree by Floataway Studios is what destination dreams are made of.  The breathtaking setting, the rustic meets organic vibe, the soft color palette of yellow and gray, the succulent-filled florals by Florenta Flower Design… There isn’t a moment of this charming affair that I don’t absolutely adore.  Not to mention the very (very) stunning bride and groom, who just so happen to fill each and every single photo with pure joy… and, trust me, you won’t be able to help, but smile.  So, join me in the gallery for all of the pretty and then stay tuned for even more lovely from Floataway Studios below!  (Hint: It’s an amazing film!)

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

As promised, we are sending you off into the weekend with one very fabulous film by Floataway Studios!  Enjoy!

From the Bride… After a whirlwind year together, Greg proposed and we began planning the most significant day of our lives thus far. With family spread out all over the globe, we quickly decided that a destination wedding was the best fit for us, and luckily came across the absolutely gorgeous Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa, in Los Cabos, Mexico. Dreams Los Cabos provided the perfect backdrop for our day: sweeping views of the Sea of Cortez from the garden ceremony location, an intimate pool reception, lots of palm trees and all the sunshine we could ask for!

One of the most important elements of our day was how it would be chronicled, and Greg & I felt quite blessed to come across Mary & Scott of Floataway Studios. They are both absolutely gifted in their respective fields (photography and videography), and made us feel absolutely comfortable in front of the lens. It is an amazing moment to look back at your photos and watch the most important moments of your day unfold. (The expression on Greg’s face as I walked down the aisle as captured by Mary, is something that I will absolutely cherish forever!)

When setting out the vision of what I wanted the day to look like, I tried to keep it as simple as possible: sunny yellow contrasted with sea glass, organic burlap fabrics, wood-grained paper details and reclaimed barn wood. One of my favorite decor elements of the wedding were the vintage glass beer bottles we used for flowers at the reception – I spent months hunting down those just-perfect blue-green colors until I had the perfect collection! We wanted a warm, rustic feel contrasted with the bright, airy-ness of the resort setting, and all of the small details came together beautifully. Another detail we felt necessary to incorporate was our shared love for Rob Ryan, the paper-cut artist. Greg surprised me earlier in the year with a Rob Ryan brooch that said “Our Adventure is About to Begin.” I wore it clipped to my bouquet. Our wedding programs featured a beautiful excerpt from Rob Ryan’s book “This Is For You” in tribute of Greg’s mother, who passed away in 2009, shortly before we met.  (I wear her wedding ring on my right hand.)

One element that was very important for me to incorporate was my Greek heritage. Going against the grain and not having a “big fat Greek wedding” was a first in our family, but I was determined to bring a little bit of Greek to Los Cabos! A fun tradition that occurs at Greek weddings is the “breaking of the bread.” This custom entails that the bride and groom fight over a large loaf of bread (Which was lovingly baked by my best friend and brought over from Toronto!), to win the larger piece. The person who succeeds in obtaining the larger half will ultimately “wear the pants” in the relationship and be the dominant decision maker. Coming from a long line of very strong-willed women, I was absolutely sure I would win! The photos tell the hilarious story – needless to say, I am a very poor loser!

After an evening filled with dancing, cocktails, and a lot of humidity, we surprised our guests by leading them down to the beach, and asking them to send a wish into the sky for us by lighting a floating lantern. Our guests were so surprised, and we had so much fun with our toes in the sand, watching the lanterns drift off into the night sky!

Wedding Photography + Videography: Floataway Studios / Wedding Location: Dreams Los Cabos Suites Golf Resort & Spa / Wedding Dress: Alvina Valenta / Bride’s Shoes: Badgley Mischka / Bride’s Bracelet + Necklace (Day-After Session): Stella & Dot / Bride’s Veil: Paloma Blanca / Floral Design: Florenta Flower Design / Brooch Clipped to Bride’s Bouquet: Rob Ryan / Cake Topper: Lollipop Workshop / Hand-stitched Guest Book: Brooklyn Bookbinder / Just Married Burlap Banner: Victoria Station / Garter: Rosebud Lips / Groom + Groomsmen Attire: J.Crew / Bridesmaid Dresses: After Six / Wedding Program, Signage, Table Numbers, Seating Cards, Tags + Burlap Table Runners: The Bride / Bride’s Wedding Ring + Engagement Ring: Tacori / Bride’s Hair + Make-up: Neysa Berman of Blanc Salon

Hold on to your hats, SMPers, because there is a whole lot of adorable inspiration coming your way this lovely Friday morning, all courtesy of this very charming photo shoot designed and captured by Katie Cassidy Photography.  With a bundle of cute as can be details, a fabulous theme (Game of Love!), oh-so-creative paper goods by Southern Fried Paper, popcorn programs and some yummy treats by Layered Bake Shop, this darling day is overflowing with wonderful ideas that you can tackle all on your very own.  And how uber-fabulous is that?!?  All planned to perfection by Wendy Kidd of Each & Every Detail, there is an entire gallery of whimsy just waiting to be adored.  Join me there for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Each & Every Detail, LLC… Katie and I had never worked together, but it was kismet when she reached out to me to help with this photo shoot. She had a million ideas swirling about and brought me in to help organize and streamline, as well as brainstorm on ideas that would focus the theme. I was immediately impressed and couldn’t wait to dive in. We came together and started shaping our ideas into what we termed our “Game of Love” inspiration shoot. With Katie’s beer & pretzel bar idea and my scoreboard for the ceremony, we just fell in love with the theme and couldn’t stop!

We started with choosing bright colors- red, turquoise, orange and yellow to incorporate into as many of the elements as possible. To set the tone, we created the save the date with a game inside, with cookies for the game pieces and working spinner. Chelsea from Southern Fried Paper created a game box for it all to fit in and send to the guests. This truly lets the guests know what they can expect at this unique backyard wedding! The invitations carried out the turquoise and red and included the heart, diamond, spade and club from the deck of cards to keep with the game theme.

Creativity was the name of the game for the ceremony. We used a large chalkboard as our scoreboard for the ceremony area, showing you can be very creative in what you stand in front of for saying “I Do.”  It doesn’t have to be the typical gazebo or large tree! We replaced the usual floral with pinwheels and banners. Pinwheels are a super easy DIY project, we thought showing them for the bouquets and table décor would inspire brides who might feel floral is too costly or maybe just too typical. With a bit of carnival flair, we had popcorn for ceremony guests with the program on the side of their popcorn box. We envision at the end of the ceremony, the guests can sprinkle the newlyweds walking out on their hopscotch aisle with popcorn instead of traditional bubbles or rose petals.

For the reception, who wouldn’t want an ice cold beer outside in the afternoon? Katie’s genius idea of a beer and pretzel bar was complimented by the chocolate stout cupcakes with salted butterscotch buttercream icing created by the team at Layered Bake Shop. Katie gathered large pickle jars to set out different flavors of pretzels and of course it was all styled on items from Rent My Dust. Wine barrels from the Big D Party Rentals helped complete the look of the bar.

Seating was created using wine barrels as tables, a great checkerboard game table and a little patio set from Rent My Dust. We created a game center from pieces out of the Rent My Dust inventory as well. We had checkers, chess, dominos, jacks, card games and even crossword puzzles! Layered Bake Shop got crazy and made lots of sugar cookies that looked like the real game pieces! I swear you could barely tell the domino cookies apart from the real pieces on the table!

We think this theme is super easy for any bride to reproduce in a cute outdoor space. You can tell from the smiles on our happy couples face, it’s a “winning” theme!

Photography, Design + Concept: Katie Cassidy Photography / Planner: Wendy Kidd of Each & Every Detail, LLC / Vintage Décor: Rent My Dust / Cake, Cupcakes + Cake Pops: Layered Bake Shop / Paper Goods: Southern Fried Paper / Venue: Heard-Craig Center for the Arts / Hair + Make-up: Ashley Stiff / Wine Barrels: Big D Party Rental / Dresses: Circle Park Bridal / Models: Gabe & Laci Wilkins