For the second time this month, SMP would like to say HELLO! to our newest advertisers!  Every month we are excited to share with our readers what our advertisers have to offer.  We are certain that you will find something you adore…we always do!  Plus, you don’t want to miss a couple of super special giveaways from Your Dream Dress and Sora Designs. Yay!

Where are your favorite pictures located?  Why not have them displayed in a hand-crafted, custom album!  Indigo Album Design has come up with the brilliant design process that results in a one-of-a-kind timeless keepsake!

The design team at Indigo Album Design has a passion for design.  Each customer is assigned a designer to assist in the creative process. All of their designers are well versed in the latest graphic design techniques and craft personalized album layouts in a lightening-quick turnaround time!  Indigo albums are a blend of modern & vintage.  Whether are you interested in rich Italian leather or Japanese book cloth, Indigo Album Design has everything to make your album 100% unique.  Currently Indigo Album Design is also offering a 10% discount to all of our readers!  All you need to do is enter the promo code  SMPMAR10 at checkout.  This 10% off promo code expires on April 1, 2011, so now is the time to save on creating your wedding photo album!

When it comes to vintage engagement rings, there is really only one place to turn.  Weston Jewelry.  Big SWOON!  We haven’t stopped staring at their selection of all things sparkly!  We are talking about some major eye candy!

Weston Jewelry specializes in vintage and antique engagement rings.  They even feature a pretty remarkable selection of cocktail rings and stunning men’s jewelry.  Since most of their estate and vintage jewelry has been previously loved, all jewelry goes through a rigorous inspection process.  They can even make sure your ring is perfectly sized.  Weston Jewelry has the best customer service around. They offer free shipping and package all purchases in a super cute velvet box or pouch.  Aww….here’s hoping something vintage and glamorous shows up on our doorstep!

What do you get when you combine the raw beauty of custom jewelry and the brilliant mind of Yueh-Wen Chang?  You get Sora Designs! This researcher turned jewelry designer has been creating functional and and stunning since 2008 and we are thrilled to share her designs with all of our readers!

We are all about the creative and stunning look that Sora Designs has to offer.  And we are even more impressed with the affordable prices!  Wen uses many recycled or environmentally friendly materials and her favorite materials are vintage.  Vintage buttons, vintage beads, vintage artifacts.  A big huge SMP hooray for vintage!  Another big hooray for Wen because she is giving away the beautiful floral necklace pictured above.  All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite flower is.  Easy peasy.  The lucky reader will be picked next Friday, March 4th!  And don’t forget to use the coupon code Stylemepretty10 on your next purchase at Sora Designs.  It’s good for 10% off your next purchase. (The 10% discount expires on Friday, March 11th).  For more details and other great deals, be sure to check out Sora Designs on Facebook.  Happy Shopping!

We’ve all done it…we’ve searched through countless bridal magazines looking for the. dress.  You know, the one that gives you goosebumps. The one you see yourself walking down the aisle in.  And then you see the price tag.  Yikes!  You can’t imagine spending that much money on a dress…even if it is perfection.  Thanks to YourDreamDress.com, all bridal gowns are 100% authentic, new and never worn!  You can also save up to 90 percent off.  Don’t faint…it’s true!

Your Dream Dress is an online bridal store on a mission.  To bring the finest quality, top designer, couture bridal gowns to brides everywhere!  The inventory available at YourDreamDress.com reads like a who’s who of bridal designers.  Vera Wang. Monique Lhuillier.  Carolina Herrera.  Oscar de la Renta and countless others!  Since the staff at Your Dream Dress only purchases new gowns directly from top bridal designers and their authorized bridal salons, you know your dress is going to be brand-new and 100% authentic.  Now, every bride can have her dream dress at an affordable price!  Are you worried about buying a dress online?  Well, don’t be.  Your Dream Dress offers a FANTASTIC return policy. Keep the dress for three days.  If you don’t fall in love with it.  Send it back. Done!  As if you needed more of a reason to start shopping…Your Dream Dress is offering SMP readers 15% off site-wide using discount code PRETTY15.  Promo ends March 15th! Wait…there is more!  Your Dream Dress is also giving away a gift certificate of $450.00! All you need to do head over to YourDreamDress.com and find a dress you LOVE.  Then, comment on this post and tell us what dress you have your eye on.  The winner will be announced next Friday, March 4.  Good Luck!

Please click here for giveaway rules and regulations.

We are so excited to work with all of these really wonderful companies! We are totally convinced that you’ll find a lot to love about each and every one!

Happy Friday SMP’ers. We aren’t going to pretend like we aren’t insanely excited for the cold and the snow and the all around miserable weather to be gone and sunny days to shine upon us once again. That is probably REALLY apparent today since that is all I have talked about. But, when we spotted this Jackson Hole Engagement Session photographed by David Stubbs, it lit a spark. How can we resist such a romantic snowy Wonderland? It’s best to part ways on a good note so consider this a formal adieu to Winter. Think it will work? You can find more from this winter white session in the FULL gallery.

Photography: David Stubbs / Bride and Groom-to-be: Brittany Bohnet and Dave Morin

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

a stylish New York City wedding  
dessert chic nuptials in Nevada
a gorgeous Northern California wedding and one amazing bridal hat
Winter can be oh so glamorous and this photo shoot is proof
a timeless beauty in Arizona
soft, dreamy and perfectly captured by Simply Bloom
A day FULL of lovely wedding
an awesome wedding at the Brooklyn Library
a Vineyard fairytale of a wedding in California
this backyard wedding is the epitome of casual elegance

Fun links from around the web:

fun, new travel inspired invitations via Oh Joy!
an adorable DIY on table numbers made out of clay via The Sweetest Occassion
We are head over heels for these Crepe Cakes via Bustle Events
Oversized bows could be the new veil via Postcards and Pretties

We’d also like to extend a very warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book Members…

Maybelle Calligraphy
Florabella
The Beautiful Mess
Bella Donna Bridal Salon
untitled film works
SMS Photography
Blossom Productions
Flora Nova Design
Soulflower Floral Design
The Makeup Dolls
Rebecca Bouck Photography
Bella Bridesmaid -Austin TX
Peachgloss
SoCo Events
Perfect Petal Design Group

And lastly, we have a few winners to announce.  Drum roll please…

The winners of the Wedding Window Giveaway are Jackie and Anthony. Congrats you two!!
and
The $100 Twigs and Honey gift card goes to Lejla and the $200 gift card goes to Ann!

Enjoy your weekend friends and we will see you back here on Monday for another pretty week! xoxo

If you are like us, then most likely you are totally and completely without a doubt OVER Winter. Well we have an adorable backyard shindig captured by Green Apple Photography that is sure to get your spring radar kicked into high gear and put a big, fat smile on your face. We’ll collectively cross our fingers that the warm weather and blooming flowers are on their way but in the mean time you can revel in all of the sunny happy images from this Utah wedding in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

From the Bride…For the wedding, I had pretty good idea of what I wanted (probably since I have worked with my mom on so many and could pick out exactly what I did and didn’t want). I wanted it to feel laid back, relaxing and fun (I originally wanted to close off the street and have a block party, but we toned it down a little), but still very classy and nice. And we especially wanted everyone who helped put it together (and there was tons of help from family and friends) and who came later, to have a really fun time. So we went with really good food, good music, kept it outside with lots of lights, and had lots of chocolate. I love summer so that’s where the bright, vibrant colors came from. And I have always wanted it at my house, so that was an easy pick, and we were so lucky to have had such great weather! Everything turned out just perfect.

Photography: Green Apple Photography / Dress: Melissa Blackburn / Floral and Design: Julie Prince / Catering: Alan Allred, Terrapin Station Smokin’ Co. / Rings: AAA Jewelers Inc. (groom) and Philip & Co. (bride) / Suit: Land’s End and Banana Republic (tie) / Bridesmaids: J.Crew / Cake: Cakes de Fleur / Lanterns: Skylantern /  Painted “Lauren & Crismon” Sign: Michal Onyon / Chocolates: Cakes de Fleur did the cupcakes and cake candy, and family, friends and bride did the rest / Chocolate Table Signs: Jayne Swallow / Invitations: Jayne Swallow, RSVP Custom Invitations / Shoes: Children’s Hour / Music: Jeff Proctor / Videographer: Ryan Hinman Films

The wedding fairies were feeling extra generous at this Southern California wedding by Heidi-O-Photo.  You can’t really go wrong when your venue is the Leo Carillo Ranch.  The setting is beyond beautiful and it seems like every couple who weds here is bubbling over in the creative juices department.   All the delicate and feminine details, paired with Modern Bouquet‘s always exquisite floral design, bring a soft and tender glow to the ranch.  The full gallery is stuffed with more DIY details and beautiful blossoms.

Click here to see more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

I jumped up and down with excitement the moment I laid eyes upon our wedding venue at Leo Carrillo Ranch in Carlsbad, CA.  Leo Carrillo Ranch embraced everything we wanted in our wedding.  The site is beautifully landscaped, has a simple color palate with wonderful patina and plenty of southern California history and charm.

Most of the DIY projects were inspired by wedding blogs.  To be honest I was a blog addict and found myself adding more and more pictures to my inspiration board each day.  At one point I forced myself to quit hunting for inspiration and start hunting for deals.  I scored most of the DIY supplies at local thrift stores but also frequented several discount retailers like TJ Maxx and Homegoods.  The biggest savings and one of my favorite inspired ideas was the lace on the back of the reception chairs; all of that lace found at a thrift store for only $6! My mother who lives in another state also helped with the hunt for deals.  She scored the salt and pepper shaker bride and groom as well as the vintage shoe clips at her local thrift stores.

We designed and hand crafted all of our paper products such as invitations, programs and menus most of which were inspired by one blog or another.  We made the directional signs, fabric flowers for the aisle, boutonnieres and corsages, reserved seating signs as well as refurbished the wine barrels and desk. I also spent months collecting imitation mercury glass for the centerpieces.  I wanted each table to have a uniqueness from the other meanwhile creating consistency with the muslin table runners my mom made. There are numerous little details we put into our wedding and I tried my best to share the process on my own blog.

Designing and crafting the entire wedding was time consuming but selecting vendors was the most stressful part of wedding planning process! However, we felt our best decisions were made when it came to our vendors. To start we selected a phenomenal DJ, Vynce Pham of Music Phreek, and he referred us to our amazing caterer who happened to be his neighbor.  Barry Layne of Coast Catering hooked up the best Santa Maria style tri-tip we’ve ever had!  It was first class treatment from the very start at Coast Catering and I couldn’t be any happier with them.  I found my awesome florist Hannah Sampson of Modern Bouquet from a blog I was following.  She was very receptive to my ideas and did an excellent job personalizing the bouquets.  And my favorite connection of all is my photographer, Heidi Orcino of Heidi-0-Photo.  I entered her booth at a local bridal bazaar and we soon realized we graduated from the same high school in Northern California.  Well needless to say the personal connection was comforting, but ultimately we hired her on the talent she possessed.

Wedding Photographer: Heidi-O-Photo / / Wedding Venue: Leo Carrillo Ranch / Florist: Modern Bouquet / DJ – Music Phreek / Catering: Coast Catering / Wedding Cake: Twiggs / Wedding Dress: La Sposa / Bridesmaid Dresses: Watters and Watters / Hair: Rebecca McLaughlin of Beaucage Salon

Some weddings are just lovely, and this fantastic affair by 6 Degrees of Celebration definitely falls in that category. Vineyard elegance with a perfect-for-fall color palette, there is so much inspiration to be had from this wedding shot by Tania Lezak Photography. So sit back, get comfy and get ready to devour all of the lovely inspiration in the full gallery of images.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From Joan of 6 Degrees of Celebration…It was clear from our first meeting that Megan did not want a ballroom or country club wedding.  She and Zach love the outdoors and were willing and eager to do whatever it took to find the location that best suited their vision.  Crossing Vineyards was THE place and thankfully the weather gods provided the most wonderful day to shine on their vineyard wedding.  The attention to detail including the wine watermark on the programs, wine barrel base to the place card table were just a few of the special touches that added personality and fun to their wedding.

Photography: Tania Lezak Photography / Flowers: Tom Guzio / Event Planning: 6 Degrees of Celebration / Ceremony Location: Crossing Vineyards Winery / Reception Location: Crossing Vineyards Winery

Well, this photo shoot is Darling with a capital D, and the perfect way to start your Friday I might add. The ever so talented Amy from Amy Majors Photography is not only the master behind the lens responsible for all of these absolutely lovely pictures, but she is also the mind behind the design. Inspired by her great grandmother’s moss green velvet love seat, she took this shoot to the next level with all the subtle yet gorgeous nods to her Love Bird theme. They say birds of a feather flock together, and I fully recommend flocking to the full gallery of fabulous inspiration.

click here for even more lovely!

From Amy Majors Photography…My great grandmother’s antique love seat in moss green velvet fabric was the inspiration for this fall color palette. I love the pairing of rustic elements alongside formal and elegant pieces. And so the focus of this wedding inspiration shoot was to use colors and textures that would convey the feel of fall, as well as heavily incorporate elements of nature.  Because the inspiration shoot took place in a field in Oklahoma, I didn’t have all of the usual resources available to contribute from where I live in Minneapolis. This made for several DIY projects and a lot of help from family. The DIY projects included the twig and moss napkin holders which were placed at each table setting, the birdseed covered “love birds” sign, feather designs attached to vintage brooches, and a twig trellis.  Julia Voth, a local stylist, created the polished look for the models.

I was also so thankful that two talented Minneapolis vendors were willing to help from afar. Sarah from A Milestone Paper Co. designed all of the paper goods before I headed out of town. She was able to  capture the feel of the event beautifully with the invitation, menu, table number, favors, and place card wraps. The amazingly creative bouquet and boutonniere were shipped in by Tara of A Day in Provence. When these two pieces arrived, I was ecstatic to see the incorporation of the burlap and lace, as well as the small beaded brooches. These went perfectly with the burlap and lace runner planned for the table, and the brooches that were attached to the vintage dress and in the bride’s hair. All of these beautiful and unique elements came together to create a shoot that I loved and am happy to share with you.

Photography: Amy Majors Photography / Flowers: A Day in Provence / Invitations: A Milestone Paper Co. / Event Design: Amy Majors, Jill McCoy, Jenifer Lloyd, Anita Hoffsommer  / Hair and makeup stylist: Julia Voth / Models: Conner Wall & Ty Zaloudek

As relaxed as it is breathtaking, this Utah wedding is the epitome of casual elegance . Photographed by Chudleigh Weddings, this day incorporated everything from apple bobbing to a bluegrass band and my favorite little detail: the Bride’s whimsical scarf. Our hearts are seriously all a flutter for that number. See the FULL al fresco affair in the gallery and for more from this lovely day, be sure to stop by Utah Bride and Groom.

see all the pretty details here!

Taylor and Rylan spend much of their free time hiking and camping in the red cliffs of Southern Utah – their “favorite place in the world.” So when it came time to get hitched, it’s no surprise they headed south for a weekend wedding getaway. The couple exchanged vows in a n intimate ceremony at a small inn in Springdale, just a stone’s throw away from Zion National Park. Two days later they held a reception at a local apple orchard, surrounded by the sweet, crisp smell of apples. The couple celebrated all night with family and friends, dining on seasonal fare, bobbing for apples, donning playful masks and dancing under the stars to bluegrass music.

Photography: Chudleigh Weddings / Ceremony Location: Under the Eaves Inn, Springdale Utah / Reception Location: Springdale Fruit Company’s apple orchard / Invitations: Laura Nehls Design / Dress: J. Crew / Groom’s Suit: J. Crew / Reception Entertainment: The Holdin’ Out Band (Bluegrass) / Catering: Brian Casson Catering, SLC 801.347.3950 / Dessert: Springdale Candy Company / Guest Book: Sok and South Screen Printing 801.359.0231 / Rings: Sundance Catalog / Custom Embroidery: MiniatureRhino

I may be developing a new photographer crush!  Myrtle & Marjoram brings us this super sweet wedding from the vineyards of California all planned by, event planner extraordinaire, MAP Events.  The images of all the lush florals (designed by the bride!), wild and overgrown greenery and pretty details are impeccably captured but I love the candid shots of love-filled, laughing faces the most.  Click here to completely immerse yourself in all the lovliness the full gallery holds!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Elyse and Steven chose the rustic but elegant setting of Annadel Estate Winery for their very intimate wedding of 60 (mostly family). Elyse is a floral designer and prepared all the flowers for her wedding herself.  Melissa of MAP Events and staff  set it all up, following her hand-drawn schematics, on the day, so she could be the bride!  Got Light, Paula Le Duc Fine Catering, Pick Pocket Ensemble, and DJ Nik, and photographer Ingrid Nelson of Myrtle & Marjoram did their small part to make this a perfect wedding.  Even threat of rain did not deter.  Both moms made the wedding cake and the groom’s sister did the hair & makeup!  Even Mike Banda of Golden State Portables (also a relative) contributed extra clean fancy portables!! Every family should be so talented!

As a photographer, this wedding was practically a dream come true. First, working with Melissa always promises a seamless and spectacular event. Second, having a gorgeous couple doesn’t hurt. And third, Annadel Estate is stunningly beautiful and varied in its backdrops, with everything close together, guests can wander from the ruins to the lawn, to the pathways under the oaks. The barn is worn, wooden, and textured, so of course we took lots of photos there. And I loved how the softness of the flowers and décor and her dress contrasted against the rustic environment. The grey morning turned into sunshine by afternoon and it was a magic evening, navy blue sky and the biggest moon.

Wedding Photography: Myrtle & Marjoram / Wedding Planner: MAP Events / Venue: Annadel Estate Winery / Flowers:  Willow Floral Design (the bride) / Lighting: Got Light / Catering: Paula Le Duc / Music: Pick Pocket Ensemble / DJ: DJ Nick / Dress: Anne Barge

We are pretty sure that you have heard about The Ultimate Wedding Contest that Crate and Barrel is holding but if not, we are here to fill you in on just how sweet this contest is. All of you newly engaged couples should listen up because the grand prize is the wedding of your dreams. Sounds pretty fabulous, right? Well wait until you hear what the wedding of your dreams entails. How about a whopping $100,o0o budget and celebrity wedding planner Yifat Oren to handcraft all of the lovely details.

Plus, entering the Ultimate Wedding Contest is beyond simple. Start your wedding registry at Crate and Barrel before March 31, 2011. And if you already have a registry, it’s even easier. You can skip right to the contest entry form and share a little bit about you and your fiance.

We told you it was simple! AND believe us, it is so worth the time for the chance to win the ultimate in wedding giveaways. Plus the $100,000 wedding isn’t the only prize. You also have a chance at winning one of several Crate and Barrel gift cards (ranging from $1000 to $7500). For all the juicy details on the contest and entry forms pop on over to Crate and Barrel. Time is a ticking and you definitely don’t want to miss out on this amazing contest! Who knows, the lucky winner could be you.

This next wedding is very special to us as it is the union of LBB vendor, Poppyflower Press, to her handsome beloved!  John Solana Photography magically captured their nuptials and it is everything a Beverly Hills wedding should be.  Absolutely luxurious and opulent dripping with gorgeous flowers, feathers, sparkling crystals and, of course, beautiful letterpress stationery.  The full gallery is home to each and every last majestic and couture detail!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

After Darren proposed and we began the wedding planning process, the first decision that made was the venue. Darren’s grandparents had been married at the Beverly Hills Hotel sixty years earlier and we knew instantly that it was the perfect place for us to start our new life together.  We tried to incorporate our family traditions, my love of vintage Hollywood style, and Darren’s baseball obsession into a wedding that was chic as well as personal.

I am a letterpress designer, so all the printed pieces were very important to me.  My sister and I pressed every invitation, program, menu and place card on my vintage press and it was truly a labor of love. Our florist Eddie of Tic-Tock Couture Florals created our featherlicious chuppah and room décor, and John Solano so beautifully captured every detail and emotion.

The entire night was like a dream and what made our wedding even more magical was that is truly represented us as a couple. Every detail was a reflection of our personality and we felt so lucky to be able to share this with our family and friends.

Wedding Photographer: John Solano Photography / Venue: Beverly Hills Hotel / Flowers: Tic Tock Couture Florals / Invitations, menus, programs: Poppyflower Press / Videographer: Vidicam / Day of Coordinator: Just Chic Events / Dress: Monique Lhuillier

This has to be one of my most favorite ceremony locations in a very long time. I mean, what screams romance more than being surrounded by stories at the Othmer Library in Brooklyn? Infused with Brooklyn style and the fun personalities of this dynamic duo, this fantastic celebration shot by Wedding by Two and planned by Bespoke Affairs captures all that is fabulous about the beautiful borough. It will take more than a New York City minute to soak it all in, so do yourself a favor today and set aside some time to dive into the full gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From Bespoke Affairs…Such a fun wedding to work on! The couple are adorable Brooklynites, so every aspect of the wedding was infused with a little bit of brooklyn flair. The ceremony was held in the stunning Othmer Library at the Brooklyn Historical Society. The groom’s father who is a Judge in Brooklyn officiated. Bride works for Temptu, so I knew the makeup styling would be perfection!

After the ceremony guests were transported to the Brooklyn Waterfront for the reception at Bubby’s Pie Co in Dumbo. They’re wedding day was also the same day as the Dumbo Arts Festival. There was street vendors, clowns and tons of onlookers. Such fun energy surrounding the day. Even when a little kid dropped an entire chocolate ice cream cone down the back of the brides ML dress, everyone keep smiling. Thank goodness I had my emergency kit on hand and fixed the dress in no time! Poppies and Posies did a stellar job with the floral design and all of the props as you can see! Weddings by Two…INSANELY TALENTED! Laura bring vintage cameras with her as well to capture the day.

Photography: Weddings by Two / Cinematography: Justin Stanley / Flowers & Event Design: Poppies & Posies / Event Planning: Adrienne Colosimo of Bespoke Affairs / Prep Location: Nu Hotel / Makeup: Temptu / Ceremony Location: Othmer Library Brooklyn Historical Society / Reception Location: Bubby’s Pie Co / Invitations: Papermade Designs / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / School Bus Rental: Island Charter / Vintage Car Rental (66 Chevelle) and car styling: Merci New York / Dress: Monique Lhuilier

It won’t take you long to understand why I am completely enamored with this next wedding, set in a gorgeous, historic, South Carolina mansion, stylishly shot by Richard Israel and exquisitely planned by A Charleston Bride.  A glowing bride, shimmering chandeliers cascading from trees and a crisp, classic palette all make for a stunning soiree full of Southern charm and worldly elegance.  This is only an itty bitty taste of the pretty that is packed into the full gallery!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

The hardest decision by far was figuring out where to get married. I grew up primarily between California and Massachusetts, went to school in Colorado and San Francisco, spent a brief year working in Italy, followed by nine years in New York City, which is where I met my husband. He grew up essentially in New Jersey, went to boarding school in Connecticut followed by college in North Carolina, a short stint working in Atlanta, and then on to New York City like me. Our parents currently reside in South Carolina and Florida and our siblings are scattered amongst Illinois, New York, and Connecticut. Our friends are literally spread all over the country, not to mention the ones overseas including my best friend and maid of honor who was living in London at the time. Did I mention that we now live in Los Angeles? There’s not exactly a clear and simple depiction of “home” as you can see.  We threw out a million ideas – everything from returning to New York City, to staying in Southern California, to running away for a destination wedding in Mexico. Big or small, city or country or beach – you name it, we thought about it. It wasn’t until we began looking into some places on the island where my parents live in South Carolina that Charleston began to pop out in our minds. When none of the options on the island seemed fitting to us, we shifted our attention to the city and began looking at possibilities there. I stumbled onto the website for The William Aiken House through some random Google search of Charleston’s historical mansions and knew immediately that was where I wanted to be married. It had the historical presence, the southern charm, the elegant and formal setting. The property took up virtually an entire city block with its gardens and carriage house and high brick walls that provided for seclusion and privacy. Yet the moment the wrought iron gates were opened at the end of the night, our guests could spill out into the hustle and bustle of downtown Charleston’s busy nightlife and be in the center of it all – that we loved! It was perfect. We booked it site unseen.

After that, everything else fell into place pretty easily.  We found our wedding planner, Melissa Barton at A Charleston Bride, who seemed to understand my vision completely and her confidence in that vision made me trust her right off the bat. She turned me onto a photographer named Richard Israel after I spotted a beautiful, black and white image in her office from a past wedding of hers. Being a professional model for more than ten years and working with some of the best photographers from around the world, I had a very specific idea of what I wanted in a wedding photographer. I wanted the wedding to be documented as it actually was happening… No pose-y portraits, no campy setups, no typical wedding cheese! When I found out that Richard had spent some years working in fashion photography in London and also shot traditional film (in addition to digital) I was sold.  We then booked a fantastic band who specialized in Motown tunes and had the full array of brass instruments – an absolute prerequisite for my husband! We secured Jim Smeal for our wedding cake who did not disappoint with a coconut cake that’s to die for! We worked with Fish restaurant on our menu – traditional southern fare with braised short ribs as our entrée and passed hors d’oeuvres that included shrimp n’ grits, baby fried green tomatoes, cheddar cheese biscuits with ham, and oyster shooters.

It being a springtime wedding, I wanted everything to be crisp and fresh and elegant. My chosen colors were green and white, which we carried through on every last detail from the save-the-dates to the thank-you notes. With my flowers being primarily white, we mixed together all different kinds of calla lilies, tulips, roses, hydrangeas, and ranunculus, to create amazing texture in all of the arrangements. We also found green calla lilies for my maid of honor’s bouquet, which I loved. One of my absolute favorite things about The William Aiken House is the arrangement for a seated dinner. Because the old governor’s mansion is restored impeccably to it’s original state, the rooms are all fairly small – even the ballroom – therefore it requires the guests any wedding over a certain size to dine amongst different rooms. Some people might find this to be a bit of an obstacle but I thought it was magnificent. Our 180-some guests wined and dined throughout three different rooms indoors, while my husband and I joined our friends to dine alfresco on the grand, sweeping piazza. Each room was like it’s own intimate dinner party. We did most all of the speeches the night before at the rehearsal dinner, which allowed for a continuous flow and momentum throughout the evening.

All in all, it was spectacular. We even lucked out with those things you can’t control like the weather. Of course we had our minor hiccups, as all weddings do – like my father realizing that he forgot the rings in his pants pocket (back in the hotel room) moments before the ceremony and my poor brother having to run five blocks there and back in his suit to retrieve them – but that’s what makes it memorable! What is most satisfying is seeing your vision and so many months of hard work come together for one big night. When it all does, that’s when you’re able sit back and relax and enjoy what the day is really all about.

Ceremony + Reception Venue: The William Aiken House / Event Coordination, Decor and Floral Design: Melissa Barton of A Charleston Bride / Photographer: Richard Israel / Wedding Cake: Wedding Cakes by Jim Smeal / Save the Dates + Printed Materials: Studio R Design / Entertainment: Voltage Brothers, East Coast Entertainment

A morning ceremony and brunch reception, complete with coffee bar and barista I might add, sounds delightful, no? Top that off with an adorable couple, bridesmaids rocking fabulous shoes, and flowers from Sylvia’s of Arlington Heights that seem to jump off the screen – and I’d say we have a winner of a wedding. Each image from Dawn E. Roscoe is just as beautiful as the last, so head on over to the full gallery for a full dose of lovely.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the Bride…I had always dreamed of having a morning wedding and a brunch reception. Eric and I aren’t big drinkers and after all the weddings we’d been to he game for something a little different. My three top priorities were: venue, photographer, band. According to my dad, we hit the “ball out of the park,” on all three. My family church isn’t beautiful or traditional, but it’s where I grew up and it holds a special place in my heart. We live downtown Chicago, but both families are from the suburbs, so we decided on the most urban of suburban venues, the Metropolis Ballroom in Arlington Heights, Illinois. About 40 minutes outside the city, it was a quick drive for most of our guests. The floor to ceiling windows and dramatic ceilings took our breath away when we first saw it. And it didn’t disappoint on the big day.

We are Catholic and the wedding ceremony was very important to us. We asked our best friends to sing for us in our choir. It was such a treat to hear our friends use their talents and support us with love and song on our most special day! We had three priests at the wedding, each from a different part of my life at our family parish. Having all three of them there was so special. I interviewed about 15 photographers before deciding that Dawn Roscoe was the right photographer for us. It was the best decision we made. Photography was so important to me – capturing the little moments that might be missed was the number one important factor to me. Dawn did an outstanding job. We added the photo booth as another way to document the big day, and the photos are hysterical! It’s fun to see our usually serious friends and family get silly! The mustaches on a stick from Etsy were a big hit! The 16 piece orchestra rounded out our classy daytime wedding. Live music was also at the top of my priority list and it couldn’t have been better. The Swing Assembly in did an amazing job. We asked for swing and big band hits – they did not disappoint. I am still getting compliments on how amazing the music was – they even brought a male and female singer! My dress was a plain Emerald gown with a custom sash and two different jackets. I knew I wanted a ¾ lace jacket for the wedding, but that I wanted to change into something a little more fun for dancing. In the bridal salon one day we tried on this little jacket by *** just for the fun of it and four women who didn’t know us walked all the way to the back of the salon to tell us we had to buy the bolero. It was settled. We had the lace jacket and sash custom made and then I changed when it was time to head into the reception into the bolero. Such drama!

The bridesmaid dresses were Alfred Sung, and they were perfect for an afternoon wedding on the cusp of fall, but with summer weather. For me it was all about the SHOES and DETAILS for my girls. Each girl received a pair of teal BP shoes in a pump or a sandal – and her very own personalized accessories. It was so important to me that each of my best girls be individuals. They are each so special to me in unique ways – so why should they all look the same on my wedding day!? Flowers were lower on my priority list, so I was surprised when they became more important as our planning went on. I’m 6 feet tall, and I was going to be wearing A LOT of dress, so I knew I was going to need A LOT of flowers. I told Sylvia’s I wanted a bouquet so big I would need a wagon to hold it. And they didn’t disappoint! I think my bouquet weighed 12 pounds! Sylvia’s went out of their way to pull out all the fall stops for our flowers. I still get compliments!

Since the wedding was in the morning and the reception was in the afternoon, we decided to have a coffee bar and barista serving lattes and other espresso drinks all day – and then we pulled the coffee theme throughout the wedding. When you walked into the cocktail room and reception you could smell the espresso brewing! We’re big coffee drinkers, so it was a real treat! We got so many compliments on the coffee bar! The reception ended at 5, which gave Eric and I about 2 hours of sunlight with Dawn by ourselves. It was the best decision I ever made, for 2 reasons. First, Eric and I got to spend some time just the two of us between festivities. The drive to our shoot locations was one of the best of my life – with my new husband! And reason two, I was willing to walk around the woods in my wedding dress because the wedding and reception were over. We got some AMAZING shots in the daylight. Dawn did an amazing job capturing our joy and love that day, just the two of us. When the sun set and the light was gone, Eric and I said goodbye to Dawn and headed to my parent’s house where the post-wedding BBQ was underway. It was the most perfect day!

Photographer: Dawn E. Roscoe / Venue: Metropolis Ballroom / Band: Swing Assembly / Florist: Sylvia’s of Arlington Heights / Hair: Styles Down the Aisle / Dress: A L’Amour and Custom by Sara C

A New Leaf in Chicago is quite the stunner in terms of venues. It is filled with exposed brick, concrete floors, a spectacular garden and on this lovely day, a gorgeous wedding for a couple that wanted to keep an easy breezy vibe mixed with a fun, cocktail atmosphere. In the Bride’s words “more mingling, and less sitting.” We like her attitude. YazyJo Photographers captured the day and filled the gallery with even more fabulosity so be sure to stop by.

loving this Chicago wedding? See more of it here!

When we started looking for a place to hold our wedding we knew that we wanted the ceremony and reception in the same place and an intimate setting that would accommodate a cocktail style wedding that would promote more mingling and less sitting. We also wanted something simple, modern and romantic. We fell in love with A New Leaf right away, the concrete floors, exposed brick , interesting floor plan and candle lit was the perfect setting for what we imagined. What sealed the deal though was the garden area, which is inset between the buildings. The cobblestone ground, mismatched tables and stacks of terracotta flowerpots were romantic, simple and didn’t look high maintenance or over done. The trees were lit with small white Christmas lights and Japanese round paper lanterns.

It was the perfect setting for our wedding. Additionally, a New Leaf was also our florist. We wanted simple flowers so we chose a single orchid stem in a bud vase as our centerpieces for the tables. The space didn’t need a lot of embellishing and we wanted something simple that would mirror the simple style of the space. My bouquet was red calla lilies with an aqua wrap and the girls carried a mix of red seasonal flowers, also wrapped in an aqua wrap. The men’s boutonnieres were orchids with a fern frond and David wore a calla lily with a fern frond to match my bouquet.

My dress was from David’s Bridal and I chose a simple and elegant design and chose to dye my crinoline aqua to incorporate our red and aqua color scheme. My shoes were Cole Haan peep toe heels in red. My bridesmaids wore black cocktail dresses, each in their own design, also from David’s Bridal. The junior bridesmaids wore red floor length dresses with pick ups along the skirt which matched the flower girl’s dress which was white with an aqua sash and bow. Most of the linens were black with the napkins in red and aqua. We liked the classic look of black linens with just a pop of red and aqua. Initially I did not want a veil until I found the perfect birdcage veil with a feather fascinator on etsy. My stylist designed my hair in a vintage updo to compliment my veil and fascinator. Since I am a knitter, I also needed to make sure that I had a knitted item. My shrug that I wore during the reception was hand knitted by myself using silk yarn (Tilli Tomas) embellished with glass beads.

Photography: YazyJo Photographers / Flowers: A New Leaf Chicago / Shoes: Cole Haan / Invitations: Paper Source / Ceremony and Reception Location: A New Leaf Chicago / Catering: Food for Thought / Cake: Bittersweet Pastry Shop / Dj: Toast and Jam / Veil and Fascinator: Brenda’s Bridal Veils on Etsy / Hair: Sine Qua Non – Jenna / Makeup: Benefit / Men’s suits: Alfani / Officiant: Bruce Otto – Spirited Weddings

I have a love affair with wedding flowers particularly wedding bouquets.  Show me a bouquet, any bouquet, and I’m known to immediately go into drool-mode.  And this wedding, taking place in the incredible Yosemite wilderness, possesses one pretty arrangement!  Flory Photo’s great eye records every last, picture-perfect blossom as well as the rest of the lovely details from this sweet day.  Like always, there is even more in the full gallery so don’t rush off without checking it out!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Words do very little to describe the sweetness that is Carrie and Chris. These two love for one another is so very real and inspiring and it was such an honor to capture them and their friends on family on their special day. Doesn’t hurt that their wedding was held at the beautiful Ahwahnee Hotel in the Yosemite Valley. Carrie and Chris’s big day was all about love, family and some seriously good food. Their day included all the right touches, from Carrie’s Amy Kuschel dress and Jimmy Choo shoes to vintage bangles and brooches belonging to her great-grandmother, the day was centered around elegance and sophistication.

Wedding Photography: Flory Photo / Wedding Venue: The Ahwahnee / Wedding Coordinator: Sheila Gow at The Ahwahnee / Bride’s Dress: Amy Kuschel / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Groom: Navy Hugo Boss / Invitations: Checkerboard / Paper Goods: Minuteman Printing Press / Floral Designer: Natalie Galasso Designs / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Music: Christer Norden, pianist from The Ahwahnee / Hair + Make Up: Bellissimo Brides

All of you purple lovers are about to be in hog heaven with our next wedding photographed by the awesomeness that is Claudia Hung. It hails from the land of Ontario and every single way we turn there are fun, adorable details woven into the day. It is a total pretty party and you all are invited so sit back and prepare to be dazzled from pretty dress to beautiful cake in the full wedding gallery.

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Mark and I visited more than 20 venues before choosing to have our wedding at Piper’s Heath Golf Club. Piper’s Heath offered a 5* chef, beautiful landscape, and an intimate environment, central for the majority our guest, where we could have both our ceremony and reception in one place. It was the perfect compromise for us; chic meets casual. We wanted a wedding that was simple yet classic, timeless yet modern. I spent months trying to decide on a theme, finally settling on a damask symbol, with purple and champagne accents as the wedding color.

With our theme in mind, we tried to keep the use of the damask symbol to a minimum in our DIY stationary and when choosing other details such as attire, centrepieces, cake, etc. We could not have done the DIY stationary without the hard work and guidance of Mark’s sister Sarah. Not only did she create the template for our wedding invitations and help in assembling them, she also spent much of the day before, and morning of our wedding putting together our centrepieces, pew decorations, cake, etc. She has great taste and I had complete faith that she would carry out our vision. Special thanks also goes out to Mark’s parents who spent hours meticulously gluing together invitations for us, and helping Sarah on the day of. Attire was very important to me. After reading numerous blogs about how to dress a petite bride, I chose a simple Monique Lhuiller gown, accented with a Lazaro belt. For the wedding party, I wanted to make sure that they would be able to wear the outfits again. The bridesmaids wore the short version of the Henkaa Infinity dress. I loved the idea that each of my lovely ladies could wear it however they so desired, being only limited by their imagination. It also didn’t hurt that my MOH Joanna was the dress designer, and has created hundreds of different styles to wear the dress. Mark and the groomsmen were dressed in tailored suits by Garrison Bespoke, which is owned by my brother Michael. Tailored suits were a definite must, since I wanted the men to look just as great as the ladies.

In memory of my mother, whose name means Rose in English, I wanted the flower bouquets to consist of roses. I truly felt that she was there with me that day and that she was happy to see me marrying Mark. In lieu of wedding favours, we donated on behalf of our guests to the Cancer Society in her loving memory. As a tribute to our parents, Mark and I also had pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding day on display. I knew I wanted Claudia as our photographer after going through her online blog and seeing how she was able to capture the memories so beautifully. She also happened to be the sister of my MOH ex-boyfriend. He’s a super sweet guy and I could just tell from reading her blog that she was very down to earth as well. A picture is worth a thousand words, so I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking. We are so lucky to have such talented family and friends. We could not of had a more beautiful day, and we both felt so blessed to be able to share it with all the people that we love.

Photography: Claudia Hung / Men’s suits: Garrison Bespoke / Bridesmaid dresses: Henkaa Bride / Dress: Monique Lhuillier with Lazaro belt / Shoes: Nine West / Flowers: The Rose Place Flowers / Jewelry: Nadri (purchased at the Bay) / Cake: Dufflet (these were two separate small cakes that my SIL had to stack after a cake disaster with the real cake the night before) / Invitations and Stationary: made by Bride and Groom / Bird Cage: Home Outfitters / Venue: Piper’s Heath Golf Club / Flip Flops: Target / Rings: Tiffany

Oh how I love understated elegance. Lucky for me (and you) this cozy Danish wedding by No Eye Has Seen Photography serves up a delightful amount of just that through all the thoughtful and personal details. Let’s see, a cake made by the bride’s mother that took five days, a castle to share with their guests for the event, nods to their culture and love story, and a lovely blogger bride’s vision of a perfect wedding brought to life – I’d say this wedding is understated in the best possible way. For even more cozy, be sure to check out the full gallery of goodness.

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From the Bride…We knew from the beginning that we wanted our wedding to be cozy and intimate, and that it should reflect us as a couple. Planning this wedding forced us into an adventure of really getting to know ourselves, and extracting what was essentially us from the expectations that surrounded us and the traditions that surrounds a wedding. To sum it up in two words, we went for a “cozy elegance”, mixing elements of Danish and the Mediterranean, and keeping a balance between vintage and Scandinavian modern.

We didn’t feel the need to have the grandest of cakes, or the most spectacular of flowers – instead, we liked things to be understated and personal, pretty and feminine and chose a very simple palette of white, pink, charcoal grey and black. Our wedding was quite small with only 40 of our closest family and friends for the dinner and party. This is small even in Danish standards, where the number of guests at wedding will usually lie somewhere between 60 and 100. An intimate wedding, we felt, made it all that much more exclusive, and gave us the time to talk to our guests, some of which had travelled from other countries. We chose Sophienberg Castle as our venue because it was everything we wanted – it was small enough to give that cosy atmosphere which we were looking for, had a beautiful view over the sea and a park in the back for our guests to enjoy – and we were able to rent the whole castle for ourselves. With its gleaming white exterior and sparkling black roof, it also has a very timeless Danish, architectural style. We wanted our guests to feel that they entered a cocoon for a day in which we could create new memories together.

My mum had spent 5 days prior to our wedding making the wedding cake from scratch, which we served immediately after the ceremony. The cake consisted of fruit filling with a white chocolate layer over the entire top. We served cake and pink cremant from century old wooden boats, while we sailed down a romantic canal together with our guests. After the boat ride, Thomas and I left to get our portrait pictures taken while our guests drove up to the castle and got ready for dinner. We had chosen Alicia from No Eye Has Seen Photography to photograph our day, because she has a style which we really liked – a great balance between edgy and romantic, and a very different style from most wedding photographers in Denmark. Our engagement session with her the August prior to the wedding proved to us that she could make us look good in pictures even though we usually feel very awkward in front of a camera, and she is amazing at directing us and trying out many different things that we would never have thought of ourselves. The pictures really speak for Alicias talent – we didn’t believe we could look so good!

In many ways, our wedding was quite reflective of what would be expected at a Danish wedding, such as having homemade goods like the cake and stationery. We also followed the Danish traditions of ripping the veil and cutting the groom’s socks, and dancing the bridal waltz before midnight. However, we felt it was important to sprinkle in some Mediterranean atmosphere too. I lived most of my life in Italy, and we were engaged in Barcelona in Spain; and we dream of one day buying an apartment in Paris, having had our favorite holidays there. We had an acoustic guitarist play background music throughout the dinner and also the bridal waltz. We set up long, narrow tables in 2 long rows so assimilate an Italian family dinner. My parents imported “Brutti e Buoni”, light almond and vanilla cookies which were invented a century ago in the area where I was brought up in Italy. It was quite important to me that my dress and the shoes were designed by a native of one of these countries, and ended up with a dress and shoes by Spanish designers Enzoani and Pedro Garcia.

Throughout the planning process however, we drew a lot of inspiration from American wedding blogs such as Style Me Pretty. By bringing in elements such as a photobooth, the butterfly escort cards, and a shrug from Etsy which we had read about on American sites, we incorporated elements that really made our wedding stand out to our guests. During our planning process, I got inspired to start my own wedding blog, Pretty Chic Blog which is the only one of its kind in Denmark, hoping to be able to inspire other Danish brides with ideas on how to make their own wedding personal and a reflection of themselves.

Photography: Alicia Candelora of No Eye Has Seen Photography / Reception Location: Sophienberg Castle / Shoes: Pedro Garcia / Dress: Blue by Enzoani / Knitted shrug: Deniz’s shop at Etsy / Photobooth: Think Photography

A countryside, vineyard wedding in Virgina? Before even glancing at the images from the talented Holland Photo Arts, I had a feeling this wedding was going to be precious. And precious it was! The setting could not be more beautiful, and the gorgeous sunflowers from Pat’s Floral Design showing their sunny little faces in every nook and cranny almost made me feel the warm summer, southern breeze. It was just what I needed on this cold winter day, and there is even more precious to devour in the full gallery.

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From the Bride…My husband, Jeremy, and I wanted to get married around Charlottesville, VA, which we fell in love with while Jeremy was at law school at UVA.  We’re both from around New York City and now live in Washington, DC, but rather than a city wedding, we decided to get married in rural Virginia.  We had been to King Family Vineyards many times, and the gorgeous location had special meaning to both of us.  It was absolutely perfect for our wedding.

We wanted the decor and feel of the wedding to blend with the beautiful surroundings of the countryside and the vineyard, so we decided to use lots of sunflowers and hydrangea, as well as other summer flowers that blended well with the area, and burlap table cloths.  We used a variety of containers to hold the flowers, such as glass bottles, tin buckets, and pitchers, as well as a mix of flowers at the tables so that everything didn’t match exactly, but still worked well together.  We also had dinner outside under a tent so that everyone could enjoy the beautiful views while it was still light out, and we then had dancing afterward inside the carriage house.

The ceremony was outside, and it was certainly a warm day.  We provided fans and lemonade before the ceremony to help people cool off a bit.  We had an interfaith wedding, so we had two officiants lead the ceremony.  As a result, we were able to craft the ceremony ourselves using aspects personal to us, including readings from our siblings and my uncle, while also incorporating parts of both of our faiths (Jewish and Presbyterian).  My family’s adorable black lab, Norton, got to walk down the aisle.  Even some of the horses in the background gathered as close as they could to listen!

My mother was really wonderful and key player in crafting the design for the wedding.  Additionally, she created and put together the seating cards with each guest’s name and table number on card stock, punched holes in them, and used colorful ribbon so that they could hang from arrangements of branches.  We also draped similar items over wine bottles from the vineyard which we placed on each table that showed the table number on it.   We used a firework image, since the wedding was on July 4, on our invitations, menus, seating cards, and frisbees (which my dad created stickers for).

We wanted to use all local food, wine, and beer for the wedding reception.  Our caterer did a phenomenal job getting delicious local beef, trout, tomatoes, and many other items.  Jeremy and I live in DC, and the chef at one of our favorite restaurants, Birch & Barley, gave us the recipe for their amazing beet risotto which we used during dinner.  We used King Family Vineyards’ wines, and beer from Blue Mountain Brewery, a local brewery close by.  For dessert, we had mini cupcakes, and passed warm chocolate chip cookies with shots of milk (my favorite!) and passion fruit and cucumber sorbets from Splendora, a shop in Charlottesville.

It was a truly wonderful event, and more than we could have ever hoped for.  It meant so much to have so many of our friends and family with us to celebrate on that day.  All of the vendors we worked with in Charlottesville could not have been more kind, helpful, and professional.  Our wedding coordinator Kennon Ibbeken was absolutely phenomenal. The bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen’s pants and vests are from JCrew.  I also won a sweepstakes on the blog, District Weddings (www.districtweddings.com), where I won 10 free Vineyard Vines ties.  The groom, groomsmen, and both dads picked out their own ties that they wore to the wedding.  My wedding dress was by Jenny Lee.

Event coordinator: Kennon Ibbeken, Easton Events / Venue: King Family Vineyards / Caterer: Harvest Moon / Cupcakes: Cakes by Rachel / Florist: Pat’s Floral Design / Photographer: Holland Photo Arts / Ceremony musician: Peter Richardson / Band: Mr. Potato Head / Hair and make up: Serenity Spa / Rentals: Festive Fare / Ties: Vineyard Vines / Dress: Jenny Lee /  Bridesmaids: J Crew

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You don’t need to pinch yourself…it really is Wednesday already!  We’ll be posting non-stop wedding goodness all day long so don’t venture too far away from that refresh button!  And we are starting out with quite a doozey!  I have never seen wedding decor quite like this with a bounty of fruit, books, berries, leaves, even antlers elegantly garnishing the tables.  Jennifer Domenick of Love Images brings all the grace and luxuriance of this magical DC wedding feast to life for us.  The magic continues in the full wedding gallery!

Click here to see more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Lindsey and Evan’s stunning and elegant wedding was held at one of DC’s unique sites, The Anderson House, which is owned by The Cincinnati Society. Lindsey had help coordinating from Pam Barefoot of Atrendy Wedding. The couple was married at the historic synagogue at Sixth & I. They joined guests at the reception where an amazing room designed and filled by Capital Decor and Events awaited them.

Wedding Photography: Jennifer Domenick of Love Images / Ceremony: Historic Sixth and I / Reception: The Anderson House / Wedding Coordinator: Pam Barefoot of Atrendy Wedding / Dress Designer: Monique Lhuillier from Carine’s Bridal / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Hair: Odie O’Dell of Salon Saint Germain / Makeup: Dayan Herrera / Suit: Hugo Boss / Florist: Kelly Jenkins of Capitol Decor / Caterer: Main Event / Cake: Kendall’s Cakes / Transportation: Fleet Transportation

We have fallen ever so hard for this Alabama wedding and the second you catch a glimpse of the dreamy photography by Simply Bloom, you’ll understand why. Seriously, everything these ladies shoot turns to picture perfect gold. And the detail we positively can’t get enough of – that gorgeous light! It’s so soft and pretty and pairs perfectly with this Southern soiree. Ok, we lied. There are definitely a few more details we are going nuts over…namely that pretty, pretty dress and the holy cow gorgeous flowers by In Bloom. We’ll stop typing and let you fawn over all of the pretty images AND there’s even more of this day in the gallery so hop on over and have a look.

find the FULL Alabama wedding here!

Our wedding was truly a Southern family affair. Brandon’s father officiated our ceremony, and his mother quilted the ring pillow carried by our charming ring bearer, Brandon’s nephew Cameryn. My mother took on the enormous role of wedding planner and stylist, ensuring that every detail of our day turned out just exactly the way we had been dreaming of. Our “getaway car” was a 1958 Triumph TR3A, fully restored by my father from a hunk of rusty old metal purchased nearly a decade ago on eBay. This car, the same model and color as one he owned in his 20s, had been a garage project of his for many years, and I had always dreamed of having it ready for my wedding. When we announced our engagement in December, the car was still in a million pieces, so I didn’t think it would be possible to have it ready by our October wedding. But my father was determined (and, thankfully, retired). He began working overtime on the car, and over the course of nine months, he transformed those pieces of rusty metal into the most beautiful car I have ever seen.

One of my favorite projects for the wedding was our library card catalog “guestbook.” I work at the local public library, and I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in library science, so incorporating something library-related into the wedding was a must for me. My mother found this charming little 2-drawer catalog at auction, and I was able to scavenge some cards from the library’s catalog cabinets, now abandoned in favor of a computer-based catalog. In lieu of a traditional guestbook, guests left us wonderful messages and drawings on the backs of the cards. Along with being a cute and meaningful piece of décor in our home, the catalog is now full of these cards. Anytime I need cheering up, I can flip through them and read these wonderful messages from friends and loved ones. For our reception décor, I wanted everything to be organic and understated, to match the rustic atmosphere of our reception venue, the Roundhouse. Now part of a train depot museum, the Roundhouse would have been used for train-car storage during the time of passenger train travel. My father found several styles of antique glass bottles in my grandmother’s attic, and my mother and I scoured antique stores to find as many more as we could. We eventually ended up with dozens of bottles in all shapes and sizes. For half of the centerpieces, my mother’s friends filled these bottles with locally grown organic wildflowers we bought by the bucketful from our florist. For the second half of the centerpieces, our florist filled some delightful octagonal terrariums I found at a craft store with small succulents and other greenery.

Food was a very important part of our reception. Being from the south, finding a caterer who does great barbecue was a must. We were fortunate to find one who, when not catering weddings, cooks barbeque competitively (and wins). Starting the day before, he cooked us delicious North Carolina-style pulled pork and rotisserie smoked turkey. For our handful of guests who were vegan and vegetarian we had a pasta buffet with plenty of meatless options. Our baker whipped up the most divine vegan carrot and hummingbird cakes; even meat-eaters were going back for seconds! We also had plenty of apple and cranberry pies, a favorite autumn treat of ours. Finally, we had the best photographers in the world. We are so grateful to Christine, Vania, and Breanna of Simply Bloom Photography for turning our joy and love into art. Our wedding would not have been complete without these beautiful and touching images. These women are truly magical!

Photography: Simply Bloom Photography, LLC / Venue: Roundhouse Depot / Wedding Dress Designer: Justin Alexander / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Bill Levkoff / Guy’s Suits: Indochino / Shoe Designer: Ragazza / Rings: Chris Parry / Hair and Makeup: Breanna Grissett / Caterer: Creative Catering / Cakes: Ellen’s Creative Cakes / Florist: In Bloom / Band and DJ: Hartley Entertainment / Videographer: AVO