Aren’t these two sweethearts just the most darling duo you ever did see?  (Answer: Yes. They. Are.)  The combination of their sweet as can be love story (meeting in med school), love of reading (a couple after my own heart) and one charming engagement session in both Midtown Manhattan (where they were engaged) and Riverside Park has me smiling from ear.to.ear.  Not to mention the lovely images captured by Frost Photography, aka the fabulous icing on one very adorable cake.  Don’t miss a moment.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Frost Photography… These two lovebirds, Adam and Jenn, met at NYU Med School and somehow managed to build a relationship despite their rigorous studying schedule.  Now Jenn is an anesthesiologist and Adam is on his way to a PhD in addition to his MD.  They wanted engagement photos that conveyed their love in Midtown Manhattan where they spend a lot of time and where Adam proposed.

As we talked and I discovered their love for reading, I suggested that we tie in a theme of words to their engagement shoot. So with the famous love sculpture nearby, plus chalkboards, a DIY banner, letter blocks, and a stack of textbooks packed up in a rolling suitcase, we set off to capture the essence of what it must have been like to be two busy med students in love.   After Midtown, we took a cab up to Riverside Park on the Upper West Side for some gorgeous sunset shots. These two are tying the knot on Long Island in June.

Wedding Photography: Frost Photography / Locations: Midtown, Columbus Circle + Riverside Park / Blue Dress: Express / Purple Dress: Lord and Taylor / Ring: J. Birnbach / Chalkboard + Letter Props: Amazon / Banner: DIY

We’re mixing things up a bit this morning on SMP Florida and bringing you this gorgeous boudoir session from Mi Amore Foto. Can you just imagine the look on your hubby-to-be’s face when you give him this gift right before your wedding? I so wish I were brave enough for this type of photo session! But seriously, I think every woman should have this done once in her lifetime. Why not? Click here for more.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Mi Amore Foto…Megan is a red head beauty after my heart.  She had such a great time mixing clothing she already owned with vintage pieces she found in really neat shops in Jacksonville.  I love when my clients decide to get so into the shoot and come up with their own great ideas.  We were on the same page so the shoot just flowed.  She felt beautiful, and she really was.  I think it’s so important for every woman to feel strong and graceful all at the same time.  I hope every woman leaves the shoot feeling that way.  If a bride has the slightest inkling to do a boudoir session I really think she should do it.  These are images that you will be so happy that you have 20 years from now.  It’s also such a great, personal gift for your husband and a way for him to see you in a way he might not have ever looked for.

Photography:  Shannon Mathis of Mi Amore Foto / Model: Megan Henderson / Hair: Shannon Mathis / Make-up: Megan Henderson / Clothing: Megan’s + Fifi’s

What’s a girl to do when every last wedding she sees makes her head spin with total wedding glee? Well, she mixes all of the ideas together into one, gorgeous fete that would make any wedding snob swoon with undeniable delight. Which is exactly what this bride did with a style that is modern and chic, timeless and classic, whimsical and fabulous…all rolled up into one picture perfect wedding. With photographs by Jen Huang, planning by JZEvents and design by The Green Vase , we are doing some serious wedding cartwheels over here. And don’t even get me started on that Oscar dress. Beyond words. Beyond. Although this might be the longest post to date on SMP (I seriously couldn’t edit myself), there is SO much more in the galleries so don’t forget to make a pit stop there. Oh and there is a completely amazing clip from Hello Super Studios at the end that will leave you in utter wedding dreamland.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Jen Huang Photography…Kelly & John were married at stunning Belle Mer surrounded by gorgeous blue water and the Rhode Island downtown marina. What I loved most about their wedding was the undeniable fact that both Kelly and John were gushing with l-o-v-e! Everyone at the wedding had huge smiles on their faces all day and on top of that the wedding was so beautifully put together and thought out. Every detail reflected Kelly & John’s personal styles, a mix of modern and classic touches. We had so much fun during their portrait session, walking in the light of the setting sun, capturing every moment of their romance. A beautiful outdoor ceremony was followed by a teary eyed bride and groom at the dinner speeches and then everyone was ushered to a beautifully appointed and lit dance hall where the guests danced till morning! What a wonderful night…

From the Bride…We chose our venue because it was a crisp clean palate/blank canvas unlike a lot of places where you have to go with and work around an already established design theme. I loved that we were able to create an atmosphere that reflected our style from this already fabulous space. Belle Mer also happens to be located in one of the BEST New England towns, especially in the summer. So, all of our out of town family a guests could spend the weekend and have a mini vacation at a fabulous location not to far from home.

We thought it would be special to have our guests experience a new space, decorated and laid out in a new and interesting way for each part of the evening. What every space had in common, where the breath taking views of the illuminated Newport Bridge at dusk. When starting the design process I pictured a sheik, very crisp and clean feel for the ceremony, I wanted it to be about us and the beauty of the ocean and the sculpted green grass with crushed white shells shaping the isle and surrounding our guests and John and I as we exchanged our own written vows to each other.

After the ceremony guests moved to the garden area for a cocktail hour . A 3 piece band played sultry and upbeat latin and retro favorites while small hor’ dourves were passed with our signature drinks in hopes that guests would start to loosen up and feel the romance of the evening. It was important to me that dinner was modern but also comfortable and timeless. I love the old time summer “cool” that the black and white Cabana stripe brought to the mostly white palate mixed with shades of grey to give depth and dimension. I wanted dinner to be all about candle light and romance. Bon Musique played French love songs in the background an owed to my French Meme who has passed. Once dinner was over I wanted the element of surprise not only by moving our guests to the other side of the property but by show them a completely different feel and atmosphere. I wanted everyone to step into that Hot Pink and Black and what striped sprawling room and think now this is going to be a party! And it was!

Wedding Photography: Jen Huang Photography / Wedding Videography: Hello Super Studios / Event Planning: JZEvents / DJ: Generation Events / Floral Design + Candy Bar: The Green Vase / Rentals: Taylor Creative / Wedding Dress: Oscar De La Renta via Mark Ingram Bridal Atelier / Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaids Dresses: LulaKate / Make-up: Clair Marshall / Hair: Butterfly Studio / Cocktail Band: Bon Musique / Lighting: High Output / Transportation: Viking Tours of Newport / Wedding Cake: Montilio’s / Invitations: Mr. Boddington’s Studio / Film Work: Richard Photo

The season of hot summer nights spent on the ferris wheel sharing cotton candy with your love has passed, but I can’t help but get over the moon giddy over this engagement sesh the sweet as pie Kristin Vining Photography has sent over. It has got a winter-loving, snow-obsessed blogger (guilty) counting down the days until next summer and the next state fair. I love, love, love every single deep fried moment of this beyond adorable shoot. LOVE. Click here to see the full image gallery!

Can we just talk about the candy buttons for a minute? I’m almost positive it was pure genius to bring those sweet little morsels into this carnival shoot. Aside from the beyond adorable couple (I mean seriously, is it even fair how cute these two are?) those little candy buttons are my favorite part of this shoot. Well, maybe the ferris wheel is. Actually, that giant stuffed dog. Nevermind, it’s got to be the super cute cowboy boots on the lady in pink. I can’t decide. But I definitely love this couple and their playful engagement shoot a la Kristin Vining Photography!

Photography: Kristin Vining Photography / Hair & Makeup: Lindsey Regan Thorne

Every day we post gorgeous wedding after gorgeous wedding, and somehow it never gets close to old. Not even close. Because each couple has such a different take on what makes them tick, what makes them say – “this is our wedding”, what makes them feel like it was their very own best.day.ever. This gorgeous Sonoma soiree by Jesse Leake Photography is a perfect example – classic style with nods to the couple’s love of the outdoors through rustic details. It’s such a fabulous spin on rustic chic and there is so much more to swoon over in the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…The inspiration for our wedding started with finding a venue in Northern California that was mostly outdoors and somewhat rustic because my husband and I love being outdoors. I had seen online photos of other weddings held at Cornerstone Gardens and suggested to my husband that we visit the venue in late 2010. It was the first venue that we looked at and we both loved it. Luckily, Cornerstone Gardens still had a couple of Saturdays open in the Spring so we were all set with our venue.

When it came to starting the wedding planning and design, I was drawn to Nicole Sillapere’s wedding designs and at the time did not realize how high in demand she was for for wedding design. Nicole absolutely got the essence of what my vision was for our wedding without too much guidance from me whether it was the flowers, the look of the barn or the simple yet elegant look of the dinner tent. Nicole paid so much attention to detail from the unique nature-inspired escort cards to the very rustic ceremony chairs and the hiking trail-inspired sign to direct guests to the different areas of the venue. Nicole and our day-of coordinator, Karin Kamb, were able to create a beautiful, classy yet rustic wedding venue.

To go along with the outdoor theme of our wedding, the names of our dinner tables were the names of towns or areas in Marin County that my husband and I love to bike to or run to. In lieu of wedding favors, we donated money to two organizations that support the roads and trails in Marin County in Northern California – the Marin Bicycle Coalition and the National Parks Conservancy . We gave our guests stickers from both organizations so that they knew where the money went towards.

Our wedding was so memorable and our friends and family had such a wonderful time that we wouldn’t change a thing about it if we had to do it all over again.

Event Planning, Design + Floral Design: Sillapere / Day-of Coordination: Clever Girl Consulting / Catering: Sage Catering / Cupcakes: Sibby’s Cupcakes / Venue: Cornerstone Gardens / Wedding Photography: Jesse Leake Photography / Invitations + Menus: Twig + Fig / DJ: Spinheads / Music: Elizabeth Busch / Make-up: Julie Dy / Rings: Alix & Company + Stuart Moore / Design: Nicole Sillapere / Linens: La Tavola

Not that you ever really need an excuse to do a little virtual window shopping but just in case you’re looking for one… we’re excited to share our latest line up in the SMP Look Book. Coren Moore has always been known for her fun, flirty bridesmaids dresses, but she’s just added wedding and flower girl dresses to her résumé and we couldn’t be more pleased to see what she’s been busy creating. I’m already enamored with this gorg one-shouldered number…

We encourage you to spend a little time getting to know the other side of this adorable brand. Coren Moore’s latest dresses are right in line with the rest of her collections… classically chic, stylish, and full of personality. Now scoot on over to our Look Book for even more Moore! You can check out all the gorgeous gowns right here and the rest of the flower girl collection here.

So often I am drawn to a wedding by the jaw-dropping details, the beautiful images, the lovely couple positively bursting with happiness. This wedding has all of that and more but what really caught my attention, made me stop and want to settle in with this affair, was the thoughtfulness. Below the gorgeous images by Jessica Lewis Photography filled with stunning details by Brooke Keegan Weddings and Events, is a heart-warming account of how these two met from the perspective of the Groom. A definite must read if we ever saw one and one that makes this wedding all the more sweet. See it all here.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Groom…I wish I could say that our story started with me riding up on a horse and sweeping Lauren off her feet, or even with me saving a golden retriever puppy out of a burning building and delivering it to Lauren; rather, it all started with my knees shaking, voice cracking, and a thought process of a 12 year old boy desperately attempting to be known by the most beautiful girl ever. Lauren was a clinical coordinator at the front office at Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology and I was a mere 1st year psychology student, trying to establish some footing somewhere amidst the beginning of a 6 year eternally-long graduate program.

In typical fashion with how these things go, I noticed her…and she did not notice me. My noticing of her led me to forget about my graduate program and instead contrive the perfect approach to wooing this girl. Lauren was also new to Fuller, and for those of you outside of the Christian seminary school social bubble, seminaries are shark pits for new and beautiful female students with all the over zealous and anxious soon-to-be pastors desperate to settle down. It took me 3 weeks and waiting my turn behind all the other guys in order to muster the strength to ask her out. Moments before I inquired about this, her roommate, Alison, promptly told me to proceed through alternate means. This actually worked quite well for a man of my personality, as I tend to draw a blank with direct communication and am excellent in my indirect communication skills (which is hardly a skill and I am learning the former approach). Going back to the drawing board, I devised a plan to get to know Lauren as a friend, with the hope that she would fall in love with my personality as I had been falling for hers.

Though my plan was nearly fail proof, my suaveness was not. My first tactic was to get to know Lauren at her desk in the psychology office. On any given day, I would nervously walk in, absolutely avoiding eye contact with her, pretend I needed to ask her a question, and do my best to generate some sort of flirtatious conversation. The first few attempts were met with intense awkwardness as my inability to make eye contact and my strange questions and comments (e.g., What sports did you play in high school? Can I tell you about how cool my parents are?) created an uncomfortable environment in an absolutely silent office setting where all the other employees heard my every nervous and shaky word.

Over time, and by the grace of God, there must have been something enticing in my demeanor; perhaps it was my seeming like a lost puppy that eventually caught the attention of Ms. Lauren. Uneasy conversations as I “just happened to be passing by” the office soon evolved into lunch breaks together as Lauren and I walked around Pasadena. Although I still had difficulty in the suave/confident department (e.g., “What are your biggest weaknesses?” – the first lunch break together), we eventually became inseparable. Lunch breaks turned into afternoons together, and afternoons together turned into everything together, from the library to hamburgers to parks to conversations until 6am to let-me-introduce-you-to-my-entire-extended-family weekends.

Overall, it has been an incredible journey thus far. We are so blessed to be together. It has been a time of immense joy and growth for both of us. Our wedding was about joining together the individual journeys of our individual lives, as we, through Christ, align our paths together and as we strengthen and support each other in order to better serve those around us. I am thrilled; Lauren is thrilled. We are still pinching ourselves that we actually did it- we are married! Our wedding was a reflection of our two personalities coming together (i.e. Eric skateboard in the wedding shots and wearing vans shoes as his attire, Lauren wearing a flower in her hair and wearing her favorite color lavender on her dress). We so hoped for the details of our wedding to communicate our love to our family and friends who have supported us all along the way. We did not want to be the only ones leaving our wedding feeling loved, but we wanted each person there to know how very special there are to us.

Wedding Photography: Jessica Lewis Photography / Wedding Coordination: Brooke Keegan Weddings and Events / Venue: Shady Canyon Country Club / Hair + Make-up: Beauty and the Beach / Floral Design: Urban Gardener / Cocktail + Reception Music: Vive Entertainment / Wedding Cake: French’s Bakery

This sweet and laid back couple approached their wedding day with a laid back attitude and a sense of fun, fun, fun. They knew they didn’t want their wedding to be too serious so from the food, think tacos and Chinese food to the photo both, think silly costumes for ice breakers, this couple’s day turned out exactly how they wanted it to: stress free and effortless. Ell’Events planned and coordinated the big day while Avangard Photography captured all the pretty DIY details. Click here for more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…We wanted our wedding to reflect our personalities: simple, whimsical, and fun. We loved the idea of a backyard wedding, but backyard real estate that can encompass 100+ people doesn’t come easily in Toronto. We couldn’t decide if we wanted something reflecting the city Toronto, where we took a big leap of faith and moved to, or something rustic and outdoorsy, how we spend as much of our free time as possible? Neither of us wanted to get caught into the small details of wedding planning (and neither of us had any idea where to even start), so we sought help.

Our wedding planner, Olivera Pavlovic of Ell’Events, found an incredible location that was perfect for us: Ward’s Island. The island was a ten minute boat ride from downtown Toronto, we went with our families and the wedding party on an antique wooden boat appropriately named “New Beginnings” and the rest of the guests took the ferry over. There was so much usable space that we had our ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception in different areas, and it always felt like a new place.

We had a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, where we exchanged greetings with our new immediate and extended families. Marty was nervous about this part because he had to pronounce some of the names in Cantonese. Not that easy!! The wedding ceremony was exactly what we wanted: short and simple. We went with traditional vows; there is something special and comforting about saying the timeless words. One of Marty’s colleagues, a Justice of the Peace, married us under a birch arch on a grassy field with Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline as background.  Olivera had all these great ideas and made the planning process a breeze. I wanted some DIY elements and called on some of the wedding party’s expertise. We ended up with some beautiful wooden signage, a rustic wooden ring pillow, program fans for the guests, and a framed table arrangement, as well as some easy stuff, like seating cards and table numbers. We used vintage cans and mason jars filled with seasonal flowers for our centerpieces. My cousin made our amazing wedding cake. It was carrot cake (our favorite!) and was perfect and delicious.

The food was a huge part of our planning. My parents are pretty traditional and wanted us to have a Chinese banquet for the reception. While I didn’t want that for my reception, I did want the food. Marty wanted to have fajitas and tacos. So what better way to celebrate than to have everything? We ended up with Chinese, Mexican, and Italian stations, as well as a lamb-on-a-spit station, and a salad station. One of everything, please!! At first I was like, “Really, Marty? You want a taco as your wedding meal?” but it actually ended up being the most popular station. You win this time, Martin Cyr.

The logistics of getting everything over was no easy feat. Olivera had to have everything shipped in – chairs, tables, cooking utensils (oh yeah, some things had to be cooked on site), you name it. It had all seemed so simple and rustic in my mind! After dinner, we had a photo booth and dance party. The photo booth was a huge ice breaker, as everyone got to wear silly costumes and compare photos after. We changed into traditional Chinese wedding garb for a portion of the evening, and lit off paper wish lanterns that flew off into the sky.

We had minimal speeches and ended up canceling the garter and bouquet toss as everyone seemed to be having a great time and we didn’t want to disturb that. Both of us are on the same page that the wedding was really just one giant celebratory party, and that the marriage is what really counts. We didn’t end up following our schedule to a tee, but the laid-back, imperfect schedule was what made the wedding feel stress-free and effortless, exactly the way we wanted it to be.

Event Planning + Coordination: Ell’Events / Wedding Photography: Avangard Photography / Venue: Ward’s Island / Make-up: MAC Cosmetics / Hair: The Little Hair Shop / Boat Transport: Harbour Tours Toronto

Oh, how I adore this stunning Los Cabos affair by Picsee Studio.  The breathtaking location, the amazing florals, the pretty orange, pink and brown hues… I am head over heels (and then some) for each and every darling detail.  And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better than all of this lovely, that beautiful gown literally knocked me off my feet with its very chic, very gorgeous self.  Swoon.  I can’t think of a better way to start the month of November than a day spent wrapped up in this fabulous soiree.  Join me in the gallery for even more!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Picsee Studio… There are so many awesome images that we love, it was so hard to choose only a few! Jennifer and I were there to capture the entire wedding event from start to finish!  We began by eating dinner with the whole wedding party when we arrived on Thursday, next was the beach and rehearsal on Friday, the big day was on Saturday and we finished up with Matt & Tara’s ”afterglow” session on Monday.

The ceremony was cliff-side so you could see the beach on one side and the mountain on the other, and the clouds were perfectly placed in the sky for awesome evening light!  The reception was so much fun – the wedding party was introduced and then danced to thriller – oh yeah!  The food was GREAT and the dancing was hilarious!  Matt and Tara, Gouges and Lorencens, we cannot thank you enough for allowing us to be a part of this special event and we are OH so excited for you to see everything from this beautiful weekend!

Wedding Photography: Picsee Studio / Hair + Make-up: Suzanne Morel of Suzanne Morel Face and Body Care / Wedding Location, Design + Planning: Cabo del Sol Golf Course and Resort / Bridesmaid Dresses: Forever Yours International / Wedding Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Musicians: Violetta Poletek (Violinist)

Hey LBBers, I want to introduce you to Mary Kate McKenna Photography. Some of you may already know and love her, and the rest of you? Well, you will know and love her after spending all afternoon with this classic Washington DC affair. The wedding was pure perfection on a stick – and MK was there to capture it all beautifully. From the gorgeous bride, to the adorable flower girl, to the handsome groom – and every little detail in between – are fab. Double fab. Maybe even triple fab. Click here for more!

We met at American University in Washington, DC, where we were both students and working in the same campus office. It took a little while for the first date to happen, but when it did, it was a sushi dinner and a walk around the Jefferson Memorial, which Mark knew to be Katie’s favorite. When Mark proposed five years later, he did so by recreating this first date (on the sly, with the help of Katie’s maid of honor, Flannery) and asked Katie to marry him on the steps of the Jefferson.

The Meridian House was the first venue that we visited and we knew immediately that it was the right place for our wedding. We were looking for an elegant Washington, DC venue that had both indoor and outdoor spaces, as we hoped to hold the ceremony outdoors and then move indoors for dinner and dancing.  The Meridian House exceeded all expectations.  Nestled on a one-way street across from Meridian Hill Park, it is a hidden gem that offers beautiful gardens, a one-of-a-kind linden tree grove, and classic beauty, inside and out.  It was instantly our wedding style inspiration, which our florist described perfectly: Old World Luxe.

Our colors were bronze, chocolate and cream, which were featured in our save the dates, invitations, escort cards, place cards, programs, and guest book.  We wanted to do as much ourselves as possible, and worked hard to put personal touches on everything: the save the dates were designed and printed by Mark (and hand-embellished by, with envelopes embossed by Katie); the invitations were hand wax-sealed; the escort cards were hand-stamped and handwritten; the guests’ gift bags were hand-stamped and filled with goodies, including homemade chocolate chip cookies that Katie baked; and the guest book was carefully pieced together by Katie – she filled a photo album with chocolate and bronze envelopes, and stamped and embossed coordinating stickers to seal the “secret notes” guests were encouraged to leave behind.  After reading the entire guest book, we can safely say that while some of these secret notes contained words of wisdom and best wishes, others were more reminders of how much fun everyone had at the reception!

Other personal touches were special to us, because we were able to incorporate, or ask the advice of, people close to us.  Mark’s aunt is an accomplished musician and former U.S. Marine String Orchestra member – she and her quartet, Montebello Strings, provided the music for the ceremony and cocktail hour.  Katie’s good friend from high school is well connected in the music and DJ scene and was happy to introduce us to DJ Cuzzin B, who absolutely rocked out the reception.  Our wonderful photographer, MK, is an old friend from college, who we have known for years and we were so happy to share this event with her.

The day of our wedding, the weather called for rain.  We were lucky enough to take photos outside (slightly cloudy is great light for photos!) but had to take advantage of our Plan B and move the ceremony inside.  This, too, ended up being lucky, as the room we moved into was filled to the brim and made for a very intimate, and very personal, wedding ceremony.  One of Katie’s favorite memories is walking into the room and just filling up with an overwhelming happiness of seeing, so close together, all of the people who mean so much to us in our lives.  It was a very, very special moment.

We worked with our minister, Rev. Jeff Maszal, to create our own ceremony, one that would be very special and personal to us. Our readings were excerpts from larger works that have great meaning for us: from Love and Living by Thomas Merton (Mark) and from Le Petit Prince by Antoine de St-Exupery (Katie). In this second reading, the Little Prince is reminded by the Fox he meets that only with the heart can one see rightly and that he, the Little Prince, is forever responsible for his rose, the rose that he has chosen.

One of Mark’s favorite memories from the wedding is the curveball Jeff threw at us—ad libbing from the ceremony script following this reading, Jeff asked Katie and Mark to look into each other’s eyes and repeat after him: “I am responsible for my rose.” It was an incredibly unexpected, emotional, and beautiful moment.

After the ceremony, the weather held off just enough so that guests could mingle in the linden grove and stroll through Meridian’s beautiful gardens. Out on the lawn, guests played our favorite lawn sports while sipping cocktails. Everyone then moved inside for a family-style dinner, catered by Lebanese Taverna. As food and travel are important parts of our lives, we wanted to incorporate both of these elements into the wedding dinner. An exotic yet accessible cuisine like Lebanese—which is also very conducive to sharing family style—fit that vision perfectly. We also chose French wines to serve to our guests, to reflect both of our years spent studying in France and our shared love for the country (including a white from the Loire Valley, made not 30 miles from where Mark lived). Mark also chose to serve one of his favorite beers, Porkslap Farmhouse Ale, which is brewed in upstate New York not far from Katie’s hometown of Rochester and is known for its refreshing ginger flavor and distinctive bright orange can.

To bid guests thank you and farewell, we sent them off with boxes of French macarons, Katie’s favorite cookie, from Michel Patisserie.  The flavors were Katie’s favorites: rose, pistachio, cafe, and vanilla.  

Our favorite photos from the wedding, in addition to the ones we took with family and friends and the ones that show everyone having a great time, are those that look timeless and will age gracefully.

Photography: Mary Kate McKenna Photography / Event Design: Friends of the bride / Ceremony Location: The Meridian House / Reception Location: The Meridian House / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Floral Designer: Beehive Events / 
String quartet: Montebello Strings / 
Reception DJ: DJ Cuzzin B, Robert Carter /
 Day-of Coordinator: Ashley J. Bolding / 
Invitation Designer: Paper Source / 
Caterer: Lebanese Taverna / 
Cake & Desserts: CakeLove, Michel Patisserie / 
Wedding Gown Designer: Modern Trousseau, from Hitched / 
Bridesmaid’s Dress Designer: Joanna August, from Bella Bridesmaid / 

Veil: Sara Gabriel, from Gabriella New York / 
Hair and Makeup: Madeline Wade

What could be more romantic and charming than the gorgeously French and hopelessly hip city of Montreal? That’s right, nothing. And should you find yourself planning a little nuptial in this fabulously chic city, you’ll definitely want to take a hint from this smart couple and hire the geniuses at Unity Weddings to design, coordinate, and yes, even do your stationary. Just one look at the drop dead tablescapes and you’ll be sold, trust me. We’re loving the juxtaposition of old French charm and modern glam. It really doesn’t get any better! Annalie Young snapped each and every gorgeous detail and there’s so so much more in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Unity Weddings…When Tanya and Michael first came to me, they wanted a small and intimate wedding for 30 or so of their closest family and friends. Neither one of them had ever been to Quebec, and with all of their friends and family traveling in from various parts of the US, they chose Montreal for its old French charm. The Chateau Ramezay museum quickly became our venue of choice. An old French manor, complete with beautiful gardens and original decor, it would be the perfect setting for an intimate and elegant soiree. In order to not overdo the “antique-ness” of the venue, we decided to design a decor that would be sleek and modern.

A long plexi king’s table, clear ghost chairs, and loads of candles were immediately approved by the couple. We then designed what would look like a runner of pink and white blooms to soften the starkness of the modern table. We chose plates and silverware that would tie in with both the antique space and the modern decor. The 3-tier simple cake was dusted with a glistening powder, and topped with a hydrangea puff to match the floral arrangements.

With this being Michael’s fourth marriage (hey, you’ve got to believe in love!), and Tanya wearing the dress she had purchased for her first engagement nearly 20 years ago, the night was filled with tears, laughter, and so much love it was almost palpable.

Wedding Photography: Annalie Young / Venue: Chateau Ramezay Museum / Furniture Rentals: Luxe Rentals / Tableware Rentals: Celebrations / Flowers: Alain Simon Fleurs / Wedding Cake: Luisa Galuppo Cakes / Dancers: San Tropez / Design, Coordination + Stationery: Unity Weddings

There isn’t much I love more than a brunch wedding.  Except for maybe a lovely ceremony in a botanical garden.  This simply sweet wedding, captured by Ellie M. Photography, paired the two together for a really special celebration.  The small, personal touches make a big, big impact in such a gorgeous setting. Click here to see all the details!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From Ellie M. Photography…They met at a conference/training for work. Damian would be there for 6 months while Paloma only a couple of days. One night after work a bunch of co-workers decided to go out to the local bar. Damian noticed Paloma then and realized he had to approach her since she was leaving soon. They turned the couple dates, into dating long distance and when it became even more serious, Paloma decided to move to New York to be closer to Damien. In December, Damian asked her father for her hand in marriage and a few months later, he proposed.

The couples closest family and friends came out to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden to celebrate this intimate and beautiful wedding. After the ceremony we headed to Frankies Spuntino to celebrate with family style brunch. Long tables, with burlap runners, the centerpieces were mason jars filled with flowers. In the background of people laughing and enjoying themselves you could hear the 1920 & 30’s jazzy music and champagne bottles popping. It was a perfect ending to the day.

Wedding Photography: Ellie M. Photography / Make-up: Amy Zounowski-Roe / Hair Stylist: Tamara New York / Florist: Poppies Floral / Officiant: Kimberly Worley / Ceremony Location: Brooklyn Botanical Garden / Reception Location: Frankies Spuntino

Hey guys. We hope you are having a blast getting all dolled up for Halloween! Such a great time to put down the wedding binders and do something completely crazy. If you can believe it, here in Wayland, Mass…Halloween was actually canceled due to a Winter storm that has left us without power for two days. Telling a three year old that trick-or-treating is a no go…now THAT is spooky!

We wanted to take this down time with real weddings on SMP to let you all know that we’re currently looking for an awesome graphic designer to join our team full time. There are so many cool things happening at SMP but we need someone who can help ensure that each and every element of SMP is pretty, usable and designed to perfection. Full details are below but we ask that only those in the Boston area and have access to transportation apply.

image: KT Merry (and if you love it, you will die over the whole wedding)

Job Description

We are looking for a skilled graphic designer who understands color schemes, color contrast, typography, spacing, proportions, composition, and visual hierarchies. The right candidate should share our love of all things pretty and all things usable. We don’t emphasize one over the other so it’s important that we find design who places value on both aesthetics and functionality. The position is a full time, salaried position in the Boston area.  Salary will be based upon experience.

Requirements

Significant Experience with Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop
Passion for Design AND Usability
Knowledge of HTML5 + CSS
Experience in User Interface Design a bonus
Knowledge of Responsive Web Design is a bonus

To Apply

Please email a resume, very brief email introducing yourself and describing your skill set as well as providing a link to your online portfolio to jobs{at}stylemepretty{dot}com. Please no portfolio attachments (send links to online portfolios).

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

KT Merry Photography

View Portfolio

Let the Halloween festivities continue LBBers, this time with a gorgeous Dia De Los Muertos inspired fête! The stunning bride is the lady behind Artsy Heartsy Events, and she concocted this Halloween beauty from start to finish. The couple loved the bright colors, paper products, and multitudes of flowers synonymous with the Dia De Los Muertos, so they made sure to incorporate as many of those kinds of details as they could into their big day. It’s definitely my favorite way to celebrate Halloween – with a romantic love story, instead of the traditional horror. Click here for more of this fabulous soiree, captured by the oh-so-talented Focus Photography, Inc.

And for those of us who aren’t quite done yet (guilty!) click here for the fab Same Day Edit.

Right off the bat, I knew I wanted to have a super creative, unique, and FUN wedding… and like nothing my guests had seen before, so I decided to design the day from scratch. Being super crafty anyway, I was thrilled to craft our wedding by hand. I was going for glamorous, funky, and really romantic – and I wanted our guests to have a blast!

I was inspired by the colors and textures of Dia De Los Muertos (the day after our wedding) but didn’t want to have skulls all over the place. So our wedding was full of bright colors, feathers, and tons of paper flowers and poms! All of the flowers (made of tissue paper) were handmade by me and my sweet friends. We also glittered lots of different sized pumpkins and set them among centerpieces, and put together a candy buffet that matched our colors. It was on Halloween, after all! I also made our hair fascinators, bridesmaids’ bouquets, flowergirl wand, bouts, and corsages. It was so special to see all the people we care about wearing one of a kind pieces!

My then-fiance and I realized that puzzles are a significant part of our love story, so we incorporated them into lots of our decor. (Years ago, when we were broken up for a few years, I knew Scott was the man I was going to marry… though he definitely didn’t know it yet. For Valentine’s day, I mailed him a handmade heart shaped puzzle that simply said, “Love is patient,” when put together. And how true that turned out to be! We also both love to do puzzles- something we didn’t know about each other.) Our escort cards were puzzle pieces – guests turned over their puzzle piece to see a pattern, and then searched out the other 9 people with the same pattern. Once the pieces were fit together, the puzzle revealed their table number! Secretly, it was also a fun way to break the ice and get everyone chatting with each other. We also included puzzle pieces in lots of other places; you’ll find them peeking out of bouquets, boutonnieres, programs…

We included what we call our “power couple” name – Scigitte (Scott and Brigitte) – in a lot of our wedding elements. We custom-designed Converse shoes for Scott and his groomsmen with Scigitte on them, and we even had our wedding website at Scigitte.com. To this day, our friends still call us that!

The very best part of our wedding day by FAR was our first kiss – when we got back together, we decided not to kiss until our wedding day. It was hard, but it was well worth it. It was the most incredible, special thing, and definitely the crowning jewel of a perfect day. Although I’m sure our guests would say the best part was the photobooth! We also got to have one of our favorite bands, the Pawnshop Kings, come and perform our first dance song called “You and No Other.” Our Same Day Edit was also amazing and had all our guests in tears. There were so many incredibly special things that happened that day, its hard to pick a favorite!

We left the reception through an aisle of sparklers waved by our friends and family. Our getaway car was a gorgeous 1930’s Rolls Royce – a very sweet surprise from Scott!

It was an amazing day – perfectly us from start to finish, and the best way to start a marriage to the man I’m more in love with every day.

Venue: Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club / Event Planning & Design: Artsy Heartsy Events / Photography: Focus Photography Inc. / Cinematography: Threaded Films / Cake: It’s All About The Cake / Invitations: Minted / Photo Booth: Poetry Photo Booths / Band: Pawnshop Kings / DJ: Generations Entertainment / Hairpieces: Brigitte Scigitte / Bridal Bouquet: Desicra / Dress: Allure from Mon Amie Bridal Salon / Hair and Makeup: Lashes to Locks / Necklace: White Owl

You may have seen this beautiful Southern California wedding by Couture Events on The Bride’s Guide or Green Wedding Shoes but we just adore it so, so much that we couldn’t help but share it with you here too.  It’s just a picture perfect example of a ranch wedding with the sweetest details and cutest bride and groom.  Speaking of picture perfect, the images by Sean Walker Photography make each darling DIY detail shine in the California sun.  Click here to see it all!

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…I was determined to get married outside and not to have a guest count restraint. When we first started talking about the ranch as a possibility it was more of a dream that I thought couldn’t be a reality. I love the ranch because of all the family memories it holds and the West Valley with its big oak trees and boulders has always been my favorite spot. The more Joel and I talked about the possibility of getting married out there, the more inspired I felt and convinced I was that this was the perfect spot for us!

From Couture Events…With a natural color pallet, a few touches of lace, and an abundance of sunshine, stripes, and smiles, Dana & Joel’s wedding was a true breath of fresh California air. With just a field of dirt, a handful of great oak trees, and an array of boulders, we had the exciting opportunity to be creative with a true blank canvas. As tables and chairs were placed, linens draped from trees and laid on the ground, glass jars and dried flowers scattered along the aisle, the ranch was transformed into a whimsical woodland.

Dana’s affinity for the whimsical and dreamy shined through the simplest details– big bulb lights strung across the dance floor, ceremony happenings handwritten on chalkboard, and an array of mason jars, cursive cards, and candles. Dana decided on DIY dried flowers in order to have them ready a month ahead of time, avoiding the stress of making or buying florals the week before. Each bouquet was handmade with love and special care by her maid of honor, sisters, and wedding coordinator, Krystel. For an extra special touch, a few live gardenias were nestled into her bouquet on the day of the wedding.

Photographer Sean Walker captured even the hidden moments amidst the splendor and magic. An endearing embrace of daughter and father. A look of pure infatuation from wife to husband. The crooked grins of little boys in bow ties.

Everything about the day was charming. From the mix-matched bridesmaids dresses to the skinny ties and suspenders of the groomsmen. The couple opted out of black in favor of subtle greys, creams, blues, and purples. Rays of light radiated throughout the fields, trees, and across the sweet expressions on guests’ faces. The stunning bride glided down the aisle on a trail of burlap, to a homemade alter of draped canvas and gardenias, and into the arms of her handsome husband-to-be. The gentle, sweet aroma of lavender wafted through the ceremony site.

Only steps away was the reception. Even as the sun went down, the open field continued to glow, illuminated by love and delight. Dinner on tables of muslin and burlap, flushed with the soft romantic light of votives. Dancing amidst large trees. And to end an already flawless night, an intimate bonfire of friends and family sharing s’mores. As sparklers were lit and loved ones aligned, the radiant new bride and groom exited their perfect ranch oasis.

Wedding Coordination: Couture Events / Wedding Photography: Sean Walker Photography / Catering: Smokey Joe BBQ / Rentals: Abbey Party Rentals / Make-up: Crista Nichole Miller / Hair: Heather Molchanoff of Hot Seat Salon / Invitation Design (Hand-Stamped): MaeMae Paperie / Wood Painted Signs: Artist Kelli Murray / Hair Flower: Twigs & Honey / Groom’s Suit: Armani

Happy Halloween LBBers! Before you start your day with what I’m sure are some of the prettiest costumes, most delish treats, and spookiest parties, I just had to share something with a little Halloween-vibe. This inspiration shoot came straight from Colorado, and when La Vie le Gage (the talent behind the execution) sent it our way, I knew just when I wanted to share it with you. You see, La Vie le Gage, along with the amazing team who put this awesome shoot together – including Hays Photography and our very own LBB vendor Teacup, amongst other brilliant talent – gave us quite the lesson on how to perfect the theme wedding. A little glamor, a little fun, a little tradition, and a touch of something unique. It’s perfect. So grab your treat of choice, and enjoy this excellent, excellent inspiration. Click here for more!

From Joyce of La Vie le Gage … This fantastic shoot was the brainchild of Paula Thomas of the Teacup, fine baked goods & confections, and her friend Sarah Hays of Hays Photography.  Paula wanted La Vie le Gage Couture Wedding Planning to conceive and design the shoot right from the start.

While planning a wedding South of Denver and bit North of Colorado Springs, a love revealed itself I did not know I had for the large sweeping views of this area in Colorado.  I found out I absolutely love the vast open feeling.  Just the perspective gave thought to the past inhabitants whom must of felt similar emotions.  I knew I wanted to capture and explicate what I felt.

One of the first questions I asked Paula was, “What styles do you love?”  A quick answer was, “Fashion, hat boxes, glitz, and glamor!”
Our discussion sent me without hesitation towards a French expression of wedding fashion having the ‘Mad Hatter’ as the whimsy outlet for bringing in the love for hats.

I knew that I wanted to have a strict color palette comprising of white, black, and soft pink.  Soft pink evokes romance to me and the plains of Colorado translate romance in my mind.  Romance made me also think French.  French and passion go together like bread and butter!  .

I brought out classic French style with stripes done in black and used the strict palette to translate the boldness of the vistas while meshing styles of vintage, edgy, and romantic whimsy in this shoot.  Black as a color is strong and I wanted that to represent the strength, courage, and vigor of the people who settled the West.

Staging a French inspired extravagant ornate table setting, displaying passion for hats, fashion, and combining the great vista’s of Colorado as a backdrop; Mad Hatter’s Wedding Gone West was conceived in a heartbeat!!

The quest for items to fill the tables was an adventure in research and a 101 course concerning the details on china!

I contacted notably experienced, exceptionally talented and very creative professionals to be a part of this inspiration shoot.  All vendors, including the models were thrilled to exercise their artistic skills.

Event Designer: La Vie le Gage Couture Events Wedding Planning / Venue: Mountain Guest Ranch / Linens: Cloth Connection / Rentals: Event Rents / Photographer: Hays Photography / Cake & Confections: Teacup / Flowers: Flowers Forever Design / Paper Suite & Signs: Wiley Valentine / Gown Shop: Anna Be Bridal Boutique / Wedding Gown Designer: Stephanie James Couture / Jewelry: Subversive Jewelry / Hats: Kitty Mae Millinery / Sash:  Emici Bridal / Make-Up: Heathyrre Kautz Couture Professional Makeup Artistry, LLC. / Hair: Susie Schurr & Dirk Armijo, Sisto’s Salon / Umbrella: Bella Umbrella / Hat Box Favors: Wrapsodyandink

We love any excuse to get a little extra festive over here at SMP, so it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that Halloween turns us all into little kids again (and allows me to eat an embarrassing amount of candy corn – it doesn’t count on holidays, right?). So we just had to share this Halloween-inspired love shoot by Adorro Impressions Photography to put you in holiday mode for the day. Spooky never looked so stylish and there is even more to see in the full gallery! Plus – we pulled together some of our favorite Halloween finds from around the web below, so everyone can share in the fun. Have any more haunting Halloween finds to share? Put them in the comments section and we’ll check them out! Happy Halloween pretties!

click here for the full gallery of images!

Photography: Adorro Impressions Photography / Makeup and Hair: Five 1 FOUR Cosmetics / Black Peonies: Dragonfly Expression / Vogue for Witches Tag: Dorothy Jane Shop

Some fun Halloween-worthy tid bits from around the web:

A Sleepy Hollow inspired wedding via Green Wedding Shoes

A Fall foliage tutorial that would be total perfection for a Halloween affair via Design*Sponge

The perfect black and white dessert table from Glorious Treats

A spooky yet incredibly romantic Enchanted Ranch Wedding via Ruffled

Gorgeous Halloween Wedding Invitations via Atelier Isabey and more paper goodness by Wit+Delight on Oh So Beautiful Paper

Yum! Pumpkin Pudding complete in little pumpkin bowls via the ever fabulous Amy Atlas

A Masquerade Ball sounds like our idea of a glamorous Halloween from Snippet & Ink

Pumpkin decorating taken to a whole new level of cool via Alisa Burke

Seriously stylish, yet spooky, Halloween decor idea from Sweet Paul

Good morning SMP Florida and Happy Halloween! After much debate, we decided not to trick you all and instead share a special treat with you. This intimate and gorgeous wedding has not one or two, but three adorable French Bulldogs and a whole slew of other pretty, pretty details. Everything was kept small and simple and the bride and groom DIYed the entire fete. Immediate family gathered around the pool for their nuptials and then everyone feasted on gourmet foods like filet migon and crab mac and cheese. Yummy! Sara Kauss Photography captured the day (and the doggies) beautifully and there’s so much more in the full gallery.

Click here to see the entire gallery of images!

From the Bride…Bryan and I met in Austin, Texas through mutual friends in college and we were great friends for years. After graduation he and his brother decided to move to Florida to start a business – and soon after he moved we decided to start a long distance relationship! That went on for about 2 1/2 years then I moved to Florida as well.  We bought our house together in 2006 and have spent the last 5 years renovating. We have been together for 11 years.

Our engagement was a complete surprise to me. It was Christmas 2010 and honestly I had no clue. Not even a little bit! We never wanted a large wedding and we wanted to choose a destination that was fun for our entire family. We also wanted something fairly close to home so our three French bulldog “kids” could come too! We only had immediate family. So the search began and we found Casa Aqua in Cudjoe Key and it was everything we were looking for.

Working in the wedding industry I was able to use all my most trusted vendors…Mark Turner Floral did my bouquet and floral centerpieces. I picked them up so we wanted something simple that was easy to assemble once we got there. They were all cymbidium orchids, little did I know they were out of season and had to be shipped all the way from New Zealand! My cake was vanilla rum and chocolate with butter cream… my favorite! Michael Calderin performed the ceremony, we have known each other for years through the wedding industry. We had a private chef (Josh) prepare our food. I like small portions and big variety…so we had salads, filet mignon, lobster, shrimp, grouper, chicken and crab mac ‘n cheese. Everything was fantastic!

Our theme was small and simple…although doing everything ourselves was far from simple but it was perfect for us!

Wedding Photography: Sara Kauss Photography / Wedding Cake: Edda’s Cakes / Flowers: Mark Turner Floral / Private Chef : Joshua Murray / Reception + Ceremony Location: Casa Aqua

So by now you all know that we absolutely love Jetsetter for their exclusive vacation spots and out of this world travel deals. But did you know that they also offer travel planning services? Yup, that’s right. You can have a professional travel writer plan your next trip (hello, honeymoon!) and unlike a regular travel agent, these experts have actually been to your destination and have great first hand experiences to share with you. Through one on one emails and phone calls, they’ll help you decide where to go and what to do and they’ll even book any hotels you choose. Oh, and Jetsetter takes it one step further and matches you with a travel expert that shares your passions. Love to scuba? They’ll hook you up with someone who knows all the best diving spots in your destination. Ya, we love Jetsetter!

And we are absolutely loving their exclusive honeymoon packages too, because, let’s face it, your honeymoon is probably the biggest and most expensive vacation you will ever take. And you don’t wanna mess it up! Trust me. My husband and I wandered around lost in Tulum for ten days, wondering what to do, where to go, and landed ourselves on some pretty shady tours. I wish we had known about this service before we hopped on that plane. Don’t be us, head over to Jetsetter now!

So now that you are just as obsessed as us with Jetsetter, we’re sharing some details about their exclusive honeymoon offers. They created three itineraries exclusively for SMP readers for out of this world honeymoons to Hawaii, Thailand, and Spain. Pay just $50 and you’ll get $100 towards your trip. That’s double your money and so, so worth it! Or, if you’re seeking out a different destination, they will customize your honeymoon for a $150 deposit; if you book for five nights or more at any hotel, you’ll get the $150 bucks back. How sweet is that?! So use this link and head over to Jetsetter now for your dream honeymoon vacation. Remember, you can only access the special for SMP readers through this link. And hurry, because this exclusive deal ends November 5th, 2011 at 11pm, EST.

I can not be the only person who tears up every single time I see a wedding film. I refuse to believe it. So today, I am dedicating this amazing, emotion-evoking, beautiful Same Day Edit from Bride Film to all of you who are just as sweet and sappy as I am – to every one of you who sheds a little tear, even without knowing the couple. Because this couple put together a wedding so pretty, and so personal, that you will shed a little tear when you see how much they love each other. And when you need a little more, click here for our SMP Cinematography page.

From Bride Film … Jenn and Blake are one of our favorite couples!  Great people, new friends, and beach lovers.  I remember Jenn’s first email with remarkable accuracy, “Do y’all do beach weddings?”  And from that point we began charting what seemed like a storybook beach wedding.  After several revisions, we locked down the script (along with the help of several awesome vendors and an “on-the-ball” bride (J-Pop)).  It was awesome!

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/29205405 601 338]

My all time favorite part of this heartfelt video? The vows. I love how quickly the groom got his out. He was so excited to be married to his love, he just couldn’t help but blurt them out as fast as he could. And that bride’s southern accent is sweet as honey. These two are definitely too cute for words.

Cinematography: Bride Film, intro footage from Flip Cameras shot by bridesmaid / Photography: Amanda Suanne / Event Coordinator:  It’s a Shore Thing Event / Event Design & Florals: Events by Nouveau / Pastry Chef: Confections on the Coast / Catering: Townsend Catering / Hair:  Dominique Romair / Makeup:  The Perfect Makeup by Yvette Nation / Ceremony Musician: West Steiner of B-Boy Productions / Band: No Idea Band