This romantic groom writes his sweetheart love letters every single morning!  If only we were all so lucky!  kd event designs incorporated each one into the decor of this Southern-inspired Arizona wedding for one of the sweetest personal touches we have ever seen!  Put together with garden roses from the groom’s grandmother’s garden, Spanish moss, mason jars and a pair of fantastic shoes this wedding perfectly unites romance and rustic.  Cameron + Kelly Studio captures every last darling detail so check out the full wedding gallery to see the rest!

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

I was one of those girls who had dreamed about her wedding my whole life. “What colors, what would my dress look like, which friends I would choose to be bridesmaids and of course…who would be the man that I would spend the rest of my life with?”  When it came to a wedding theme that fit Matthew and I, there was really no question that it must be “Country with a little Southern twist.” We both love country music and love the Southern US. I also wanted it to be very romantic and soft. It almost seemed like an impossible combo? With the help of my amazing planner, Peak Events, and event designer, kd event designs, we managed to come up with a perfect wedding.  The colors we chose were shades of rose, pewter and taupe. I let my bridesmaids choose whatever dress they wanted from Priscilla of Boston in those shades.  I wanted them all to be comfortable and feel beautiful.  I didn’t want any part of my wedding to be “matchy matchy.” My bouquets were made with champagne, blush and ivory roses with cotton blossoms. The bridesmaid’s bouquets were the same as mine, just smaller.  The boutonnieres were made of cotton blossom and I loved them. Our décor flowers were very special because they came from Matthew’s grandmother’s garden.  They consisted of all different colors of fresh garden roses.  For our “Southern Twist,” we had Spanish Moss hanging from trees and inside the lodge. I was surprise Kim was able to get it all the way to Flagstaff, AZ! Our table decorations were beautiful. Keeping it Southern, Kim had fresh Magnolia leaves and ivory roses lined done the middle of the long “family style” picnic tables. Underneath were lace white and ivory table runners.

Kim created many personal touches with her design.  One of my favorites were the runners with tulips on them since tulips aren’t available in fall.  She had mason jars for water glasses and tall vintage candleholders that held tall ivory candles. Our favorite part and main focus was my love letters. Matthew writes me a love letter EVERY morning… NO JOKE! When Kim learned this, she went the extra mile to showcase how special these notes are to me.  My father runs the press at our local newspaper and she collaborated with him to have the love notes printed on newsprint — AND THEN she burned the edges to make them look old and lined ivory napkins with the love letters so everyone had a different one to read. This was by far the most unique, tear jerking touch to our design.  It was very thoughtful.

My dress was Aire Barcelona design with lace and spaghetti straps. It flowed so beautifully.  Large pines surrounded the ceremony site and Kim placed rebar polls with mason jars and flowers attached to them with twin to line the aisle.  There was a large fallen tree at the “alter” adorned with more spanish moss.   Our cake was by Sedona Cake Couture with five different layers.. It has a champagne pink background with gold antique buttons and ivory lace fondant.  It was incredible.

Wedding Photography: Cameron + Kelly Studio / Venue: Mormon Lake Lodge / Event Design: kd event designs / Event Coordination: Peak Events / Wedding Cake: Sedona Cake Couture / Bouquets + Boutonnieres: Events by Showstoppers / Hair & Make-Up:  Face Body Beauty

Out of all the stunning wedding venue locations we see around here the desert is fast becoming a favorite of mine.  The muted, dreamy shades of blues, greens and browns create the ideal backdrop for any wedding no matter the style.  This timeless beauty, created by Suzanne Taussig Wedding & Event Design and photographed by Bliss Wedding Studio, shines with the Arizona desert unfolding behind it.  Chic elegance paired with contemporary design is a foolproof combination especially with a precious pair of sweethearts at the center of it all!  There are more desert views and beautiful design inspiration in the full gallery!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

The gorgeous and contemporary Sanctuary Resort & Spa in Arizona was the most perfect place that Seattle couple Kelley & Jeff could have chosen for their wedding.  Wanting a clean, crisp and modern destination atmosphere , Kelley had to look no further than this Sonoran Desert mountaintop location.  Perched above the million dollar views, the wedding location was a natural fit for Kelley’s fresh white and desert green color scheme.  Kelley’s inspiration came from a simple lime dot china pattern that set the color tone of the day.

With Arizona’s October weather still in the low 90s, the destination guests were treated to gentle afternoon breezes up on the mountaintop during the ceremony.  The couple’s love of jazz  resonated from the hilltop as Jeff happily waited  for his lovely bride.   The bridal party’s fashion was cool and hip, reflecting a modern charcoal style while flattering the couture beauties.  The bride, looking classy and elegant, simply floated down the flagstone aisle in movie star fashion.

A beautiful ceremony was followed by a cocktail reception overlooking the valley just as the Sonoran sun was setting and the desert valley lights began to twinkle.  The guests were awed by the chic, all white dinner reception with that beloved lime dot china accented by hundreds of white hydrangea, roses and mini calla lilies and romantic floating candlelight.  This exceptionally sweet couple and their families could not have been happier with their destination celebration.

Photography: Bliss Wedding Studio / Event Design, Planning + Flowers: Suzanne Taussig Wedding & Event Design / Venue: The Sanctuary Resort & Spa / Dress: Anne Barge / Bridesmaid Dresses: twobirds bridesmaids

Our Fashion Lookbook is filled to the brim with so many fabulous dresses and accessories for everyone in your bridal party and Icing 101, one of our newest additions in the accessories group is bringing all sorts of lovely to the table. We are talking feathers, flowers, glitz and glam to adorn you on the big day. Check out some of the gorgeous pieces included in the collection…

How pretty are those accessories?!? And that is seriously just the tip of the iceberg. Icing 101 has fabulous headpieces, gorgeous sashes, and even totes some adorable shoe clips, all with that perfect vintage flair that we so adore. And don’t even get us started on the pretty, pretty veils.

Definitely take a little time to go see what all of the fuss is about. We have a major crush on these wedding accessories and we have a feeling you will too so perusing the Icing 101 Look Book is an absolute must.

We love, love, love when brides tell us they used Style Me Pretty to inspire their wedding day. It’s just what our helpful hearts long to hear. So when the bride of this lovely Christmas affair by Chip Gillespie said she stopped by SMP daily to help create her modern winter wedding, we may have blushed. OK, we definitely did. And to top it off, the talented ladies of Petal Pushers dominated the floral design – which of course had us oohing and ahhing. So we are blushing, oohing and ahhing – and you can see why by checking out the full gallery of darling images.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the Bride…Sal proposed by the Christmas tree in our living room on December 6th, 2009, so a December wedding just made sense as Christmas will forever be a special time for us. We had so much fun planning our wedding. I must admit, I stalked Style Me Pretty every.single.day. In the beginning, it was great for inspiration and ideas, and by the end of the planning stages, I found myself still going to this site every day just to see beautiful images and keep my excitement going. I knew I didn’t want a red or green wedding, so keeping a simple color palette of white, silver and black suited us well. With that in mind, we began making plans for our modern winter wedding. We sent out fun, homemade Save the Date’s that said, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”

The girls at Paper Place helped me design an invitation that used bold, blocky font.  I loved how they turned out and they really helped set the tone for the rest of the details. We kept the modern vibe going with all-white flowers. Petal Pushers gave us beautiful, simple white arrangements with wintry touches like snow-flocked branches, dusty miller and mercury glass. My only request to them: anemones with black centers, my obsession. I added 2 of my grandmother’s sparkly brooches to the wrap on my bouquet to have a little piece of her with me. My bridesmaids looked amazing in sleek black dresses from White House Black Market. They all wore black tights in different patterns and textures and accessorized with fun black and silver jewelry. We danced all night long, only taking breaks to hop in the photobooth, which was a huge hit.  I was so lucky to have the most amazing friends and talented vendors helping me. I couldn’t have done it without them! It really was the most wonderful night of our lives!

Photography: Chip Gillespie / Cinematography: McKenzie Miller Films / Flowers: Petal Pushers / DJ: Byrne Rock / Ceremony Musicians: Divisi Strings / Cakes: Michelle’s Patisserie / Photobooth: Max Photography / Ceremony and Reception Location: The Mansion at Judges Hill / Invitations: Paper Place / Dress: La Sposa Fanal bought at Alexia Gavela / Bridesmaid dresses: White House Black Market / Makeup: Maris Malone Calderon / Hair: Corrine Kimbro at Jackson Ruiz

Just when I think I am over Old Man Winter, a shoot like this comes along and changes my mind completely! If you can’t beat it, enjoy it – right?  Bring on the crisp winter air that inspires scenes like this one from the lovely Crystal at Distinct Occasions. She knew all my winter weaknesses – freshly fallen snow, tartan, hot toddies and a tablescape styled to perfection. I suppose that is what one should expect when the greats of Palettera, Petals, Stems & Leaves, and The Caketress join forces and top it off with a gorgeous Valencienne wedding gown (not to mention, a stunning model!). It’s time to give Old Man Winter a little love (as hard as it might be to some), so cuddle up with the full gallery of images and embrace all the beauty.

click here for more inspiration!

From Crystal of Distinct Occasions…Being Scottish-Canadian I’ve always been in love with both of my heritages. There is something so sexy and comforting about the mix of Canadian winters with maple syrup, fine Scotch, tartan and fur. It’s primal. It’s pretty. It’s all out perfection. For this shoot we really wanted to update the tartan trend we’re seeing in makeup (MAC tartan) and clothing (Ralph Lauren’s tartan line) and mix it in a way that wasn’t in your face but subtle, suggestive and sweet. The love of crisp snow, warm fur and hot toddies matched perfectly for an unexpected twist on a classic look.

To make the look a bit edgier we included a custom gown from AH-MAZING Canadian couture gown designer, Valencienne, in a short 3/4 length bubble skirted, one shoulder gown with incredible fur gloves, and hat from KC’s Hats. Makeup Artist, Makeup by PBW went all out with a gorgeous flirty eye and unmistakeable red lips. A perfect contrast for this winter brides pale complexion.  For our table we styled it using charger plates and german christmas birds for a bit of subtle bling.  Each centrepiece custom made by Petals, Stems & Leaves feature black & white anemones as well as Scottish Broom in yes, completely ice vases – not for the faint hearted! The ornaments hung from the tree were frosted to match the chilly -10 degree day we were shooting in and even the cake from The Caketress mimicked the frost with a sugary crystal detail and gorgeous black bow. Warm scotch in rock glasses wrapped in organic wool and sugar sticks completed the look. Winter looks can be done in crystals and feathers but why not step out of the box and do something special? Embrace winter and celebrate it – we did!

Wedding Planner & Designer: Distinct Occasions / Photography: B&G Photography / Floral designer: Petals, Stems & Leaves / Venue: Toronto Hunt Club / Stationery & Favors: Palettera / Wedding Gown: Valencienne / Bridal Accessories: KC’s Hats / Cake: The Caketress / Makeup: Makeup by PBW

We fell in love with both of the Georgia fall weddings featured today on SMP’s Little Black Book Blog, but we aren’t quite finished yet! We have one more feature from Artstar by Laura Stone … a photo shoot that is oozing with inspiration! From Laura ~ When Jade Lee and I met to plan this shoot, our first moment of shared excitement came from looking over a few examples of avante-garde bridal millinery. From there, Jade suggested variations on a day of leisure such as boating and playing chess. Looking at the photos now, I see a kinship in these images to Jane Austen’s stories of gentlemen wooing their strong-willed ladies…

I love the romance of it! Jade and I decided on a warm palette to embrace the vibrance and glow of fall, first settling on gold and crimson, then adding a touch of always-elegant black. For bridal attire, we incorporated the vintage quilted Chanel bag and Louboutin pumps with the unusual silhouette of this Watters and Watters dress. We were determined not to overlook any details for the groom, giving him a top hat, steam-punk cufflinks made from antique watch parts, an oversized gold time-piece, and of course the aged brassy saxophone and antique novel. A persistent fall breeze rustled the black feathers surrounding the bouquet and centerpiece and those accenting the cocktail stirs. The china at Jourdanne & Jimmy’s table is Vera Wang Wedgewood, set upon custom textured linens. Instead of a champagne toast with their cake, the couple clinked glasses of cognac. At sunset, they set out in a red canoe on an uber-romantic tour of the river. Although this was a styled shoot, it was important to both Jade and myself to work with a real couple from the standpoint of authenticity as well as chemistry. The love letter written in red is an actual exchange between Jourdanne & Jimmy, rewritten by our calligrapher.

See the whole fabulous shoot in the SMP gallery!

As those of you who are actively planning know, inspiration evolves as you begin to assemble the pieces. For me, designing and implementing a shoot is a lot like giving gifts to loved ones at the holidays- I start with something small, one solid idea, and build until the last moment. The goals of a wedding and a holiday with family aren’t that much different, after all- both should create an impression of love, thoughtfulness, and attention to detail upon those present.

Our thanks to Laura of Artstar as well as all the other vendors involved in this oh-so-fun inspiration shoot! See more of this fall-inspired shoot over on Laura’s blog!

Photography: Artstar by Laura Stone / Event Design & Planning: Jade Lee with assistance from photographer Laura Stone / Flowers: Adaptation /
Shoot Location: Chattahoochee River, Atlanta GA / Calligraphy: Diane Rember / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Dress: Watters and Watters, J. Andrews Bridal / Millinery: White bridal hat by House of Nine Designs, Black bridal hat by Jade Lee / Cake: Jamie Fine, SugarPlum Visions / Linens: Tamara Gollob, I Do Linens /China: Vera Wang / Hair: Nubiance Salon & Spa / Make-Up: Destiny Flippo

It’s WPPI and we really wish we could be joining all our photography friends in Vegas. There’s a lot of action on the strip this week and although we can’t be there to bring it to you live, we can share some important happening from some of our industry faves. Our good friend Lisa Lefkowitz, together with the ridiculously talented Jose Villa, is announcing a charity raffle for a fabulous organization, Americans for the Arts. If you purchase a ticket you will be entered to win a private one-hour mentoring session with the Lisa, Jose Villa, or Jonathan Canlas. You can see all the details right here. You don’t even need to attend WPPI to enter, your session can take place over the phone or Skype. The best part is, even if you don’t win one of the one-on-one mentoring sessions, 100% of the proceeds from this raffle will go to Americans for the Arts to help them provide resources and support for arts education. And that truly is something we can’t do without.

Here is some perfectly pink eye candy from Lisa… generous AND a truly gifted artist…

We’re also extremely proud to be sponsoring Jose and Jill LaFleur at this year’s WPPI event. We hope you have the pleasure of attending one of their platforms. We’re talking the best of the best. We can’t even tell you how much we’d like to be there with you all.

Photography: Lisa Lefkowitz / Event Design and Coordination:  Special Events by Jennifer Stone / Floral Designer: Loop Flowers / Location: Meadowood, Napa Valley, California / Film Work: Richard Photo

I love the name of this wedding venue  ~ Primrose Cottage. Conjures up all sorts of magical, romantic images. And since Laura Stone of Artstar is the photographer for the day ~ voilá! LOTS of magical, romantic images! See the whole gallery here!

Matt and I met at work, and after a couple of years passing each other in the halls and a mutual colleague playing cupid, he finally asked me out! Nearly a year later, he proposed and the wedding planning began. I’ve never been a girl that thought about my wedding, so I basically started from scratch. I did know I wanted to get married outside in the fall and in an old Southern house, and Matt liked those ideas as well. Since we live in NYC but got married in Georgia (I’m from there), my mom scouted out a bunch of locations for us and showed us the best places one weekend when we were visiting. We instantly fell in love with Primrose Cottage and knew it was the place.

In my mind, I was trying to go for a Parisian bohemian chic feel, though I don’t know that I really achieved that. I originally wanted peonies, until I realized how expensive they are out of season! So I brought a picture of a garden/wildflower bouquet — which were also all out season — to our floral designer and she picked out flowers similar to them and they were AMAZING. The flowers were one of my favorite parts. Overall, it was a perfect day. We had no stress and were able to just enjoy all of the little moments surrounded by our family and friends. The weather was perfect, too!

Special thanks to Primrose Cottage and their in-house food and design team, Magic Moments. They did a great job and made our day extra special and stress-free. Also, a huge thanks to Laura Stone and Renee Brock from Arstar Photography. They are amazing photographers, and we love every picture they took. We couldn’t be happier with the way everything turned out.

More of Blair and Matt’s stunning fall wedding at Primrose Cottage on Artstar’s Blog!

Photography: Artstar by Laura Stone / Ceremony & reception venue: Primrose Cottage / Catering & Cake: Primrose Cottage / Dress: Lazaro from Bridals by Lori / Shoes: Nina / Headband: Rivini / Hair and makeup: Three-13 Salon / Invitations: Bella Figura / Place cards and table numbers: The White Aisle / Suits (Matt and his brother): Custom-made, Heimie’s Haberdashery, St. Paul, Minnesota / Ties: Hugo Boss / Shoes: Prada / Flower girl dresses: Us Angels / DJ: Black Tie Events

What do you get when you combine the keen eye of an interior designer, the stunning backdrop of a Nevada mountainside and genius photographer Chelsea Nicole behind the camera?  One of the chicest, desert soirees we’ve ever seen ’round these parts.  I absolutely adore the comfy yet stylish bridesmaids ensembles.  And don’t even get me started on the phenomenal floral design from Layers of Lovely!  That succulent bouquet is just out of this world!  I’d never guess from these tranquil images of lovliness that this wedding took place just 30 minutes from the Vegas strip.  Check out the full gallery to see even more from this rustic desert fête!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Ian and I are high school sweethearts and were excited to tie the knot in December after dating for almost 8 years! We’ve known we wanted to get married for a while but decided to pursue our goals first. For me that meant going to school in San Diego and getting my degree and for Ian it was becoming a firefighter paramedic. We spent 4 years driving to and from San Diego and Las Vegas every other weekend to spend time together. It wasn’t much fun at the time, but it definitely made us a stronger couple. We got engaged in front of our Christmas tree on Christmas Eve 2009 and instantly started making plans for our wedding!

We wanted to be budget conscious but still have a beautiful affair, so we opted to have our wedding at Cascada, a gorgeous country club tucked away in Boulder City just a bit outside of Las Vegas. We had originally wanted to get married in October but December meant non-peak golf season and non-peak golf season means much lower prices, so we bumped our date to December to be able to put the money saved towards others areas. Ian and I both really wanted our day to be laid back and not too traditional – especially not your traditional “Vegas” wedding. I’m an interior designer so I used some of my design and crafting skills to save us money by doing the planning myself, along with several DIY projects and the help of lots of wedding blogs. The control freak in me was happy to be able to craft many of our wedding details myself and with the help friends but I was also very grateful to find great vendors, like Chelsea Nicole Photography and Catherine with Layers of Lovely Floral, that were young, fresh, and knew exactly what I wanted.

A few DIY projects we took on to save money were the save-the-dates, invitation suite, programs, crossword puzzles, ceremony twine pomanders, blanket tags, the boys’ neck ties, refinishing an old trunk, escort card display, table numbers, menu, table runners, centerpiece vases, ornament favors, wood planks for centerpieces, tree guest book, my garter, doily sign, and most importantly the cupcakes-in-a-jar. A lot of our design inspiration was drawn from our love of nature, especially succulents. Our entire color pallet was taken from a photo I took on my phone of a bowl of succulents at Home Depot. I decided I wanted our wedding to be flowerless and Catherine executed that beautifully. We decided to use several types of weeds, fillers, wheat, pine flowers, balsa flowers and succulents to bring the vision to life. I found the antique bottles for the centerpieces at the Pasadena flea market. We also used mason jars which I borrowed from my MIL who has a MASS collection, 99 cent store cylinder vases, 99 cent store tea light candle holders and wood planks cut from our old trailer. We used all different types of shabby chic picture frames for our table numbers that I found at TJ Maxx, HomeGoods or Marshalls. We decided to make the ceremony very simple because the backdrop of the Vegas desert was so beautiful. I found a great little white table for $40 at the flea market that we put an old planter on, which housed our programs. We also found a great trunk at an antique store that held the fleece blankets. It was about 55 degrees and breezy during our ceremony so they were definitely necessary and very appreciated by our guests! We decided to buy a lot of things we could use in our house after the wedding, as well as using things we already owned. We literally took the picture frames off our wall the morning of the wedding and displayed them on the fireplace at the venue. Little things like that made such a huge difference when it came to the budget. We decided there were much more important things to spend money on! In the end, our wedding turned out more beautiful than I could have imagined but the best part of the day were the moments we shared with family and friends. Like, chasing around my nephew in my dress before the ceremony, the boys showing up in fake mustaches, my brother-in-law playing the guitar as we walked down the aisle, my choreographed dance to “My Girl” with my dad, our first dance, Ian shoving cake up my nose, and an impromptu rap performance by my brother-in-law and cousin. Those are the things that made our day absolutely perfect!

Wedding Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Flowers: Layers of Lovely / Venue: Cascata Country Club / Wedding Dress: Tara Keely by Lazarro / Shoes: Seychelles / Hair Flowers: Forever 21 / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie / Bridesmaid Sweaters: NY & Co / Hair: Katie Stocks

If you are in the market for a wedding website, then checking out what Wedding Window has to offer should be a definite DO on your to-do list. Their list of features are extensive and run the gamut from a step-by-step site wizard that helps you create and personalize your site with ease to a sky is the limit approach to the number of photos and features for your website. And their already style savvy themes just got even better with two new fabulous options: Anthology and Favori.

We are crushing hard on Wedding Window’s picture perfect themes and the best part is they are totally customizable. Incorporate your wedding colors, pick your favorite fonts, upload fun images of you and your fiance and voila…one adorable website that is so uniquely you.

So now that you are well versed in the fabulousness that is Wedding Window, we are going to fill you in on their ever so lovely giveaway. Wedding Window is gifting a 12-month wedding website hosting term (valued at $79 ) to two lucky SMP readers. Simply leave a comment below letting us know what your favorite pick is in their lineup of stylish themes. We will announce two winners picked at random on Friday, February 25. Good luck!

Little Black Book photographer, Artstar by Laura Stone, has shared two terrific Georgia weddings and a super-sassy photoshoot with us. We previewed them yesterday {here} … playing with SMP’s new board builder. But now, it’s time to reveal the whole shebang! First up a wonderfully romantic wedding from last fall at the historic ruins of Barnsley Gardens in Adairsville, Georgia …

Mark is a fireman and had to work on Christmas so we were celebrating on Christmas Eve. We were going to dinner, but he insisted that we exchange gifts first. Sitting in front of the Christmas tree, he handed me a box that looked like perfume (that what I’d said I wanted for Christmas). He said he’d “put a lot of thought into the gift.” I opened the box ~ a plain white cardboard box with two bars of Irish Spring soap. A total decoy! I was completely confused. He then got down on one knee, took a ring box out of his jacket and asked me if I would marry him! I was totally shocked. My parents were downstairs, knowing what was going on. They came up and we all celebrated!

We first met our photographer, Laura, at Barnsley Gardens for our engagement session. It gave us a chance to get to know her, and for Laura to see our personalities.  Laura Stone is an amazing photographer, she makes you feel so relaxed and I honestly didn’t even know she was there! The pictures she captured were so beautiful and natural and that’s what I wanted for my wedding pictures. I can’t stop looking at our photos!

Our wedding was on a beautiful fall day ~ surrounded by gardens at a peaceful, romantic site in Georgia. Our wedding colors reflected rich fall colors. I chose teal bridesmaids dresses and incorporated sage green, chocolate brown, and tangerine colors in the flowers and décor. I loved the idea of tea lights set up throughout the Ruins and loved that the lanterns made everything look so romantic!

After getting ready, when I first pulled up in the golf cart, I was in total shock over how beautiful and perfect everything looked! All of my nervousness completely went away and I was so excited to get the party started! The weather was also just perfect. Being surrounded by all of my family and friends that I love so much was so amazing. It was so surprising to see everyone who had traveled from all over the country to join us. Mark and I truly had the best time of our lives on our wedding day and we were only hoping everyone that attended did too!

Instead of a traditional wedding guestbook, we found a very unique painting of a tree on etsy. The canvas picture was set up in the front for when guests walked to the ceremony. Guests put their thumbprint on the branches of the tree and signed their name next to their “leaf”. The portrait is framed and now on our mantle above our fireplace. Another kind of unique touch was a life-size Moss Bulldog in the image of my 5 year old English Bulldog that I love dearly. Also, my mom’s very artistic friend, Louisa painted a picture of Mark and me in front of Barnsley Gardens. We used it as the front cover for the dinner menus.

We LOVED all of our vendors! They did a fabulous job of capturing our wedding exactly as I imagined ~ and MORE!  We would like to thank the staff at Barnsley Gardens for being so well organized and for making the day flow so flawlessly!

Photography: Artstar by Laura Stone / Floral Design: Maxine & Gabrielle Mecca Edge Design Group / Cake: Frosted Pumpkin / Reception Entertainment: The Atlanta Showstoppers / Guitarist:  Keith Gehle / Minister: Chaplain Jeremiah O’Keefe-West /Hair & Makeup- The Moore Agency / Wedding Gown Designer: Watters & Watters / Bridesmaids Dress Designer: Jim Hjelm / Invitation Designer: The Paper Affair / Favors: Kilwin’s homemade Caramel Candy Apples / Wedding Venue: Barnsley Gardens Resort

It’s time to begin another week-long journey in wedding wonderland! Perhaps you are even off today and get to enjoy today’s journey in your PJ’s, coffee in hand!. PJ’s or not, we’ll start the day off in the inspiring city that never sleeps. When two talented NYC landscape architects decide to tie the knot, you just know it will be stylish and sophisticated. Personal and intimate, this wedding, beautifully captured by Megan Greenlee Photography, embraces the wonderful blend of the couple’s love of nature and their city life. I must say, it’s definitely darling. Want to get your week off to a fabulous start? Be sure to check out the full gallery of beautiful images.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the Bride…Our wedding developed after we visited some traditional venues, and some not so traditional venues, in the New York City area as well as in some of our favorite family destinations. After considering a few of these locations, none of them were really us. We met in the city and it turned out that we were most comfortable planning an event close to home, so we started looking locally. That’s when we started to research the Jefferson Market Garden. It was where we met for one of our first dates and we loved that it was such a welcoming, but intimate space, in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. We’ve always enjoyed the outdoors and it gave us the kind of exposure to nature that we wanted for our ceremony, but within walking distance of our home. It sinuously blended our lifestyle with our inherent love of nature.

Once we settled on the garden, we set out to find a reception venue that was consistent with the small-scale, intimate theme. We knew we didn’t want a blowout wedding, but an event where we knew each of our guests on a personal level, and would have the opportunity to interact with them. While shying away from the time consuming reception traditions, we decided to do a cocktail hour where our guests could mingle and a sit down dinner that allowed for close, easy conversations. Eliminating the cake cutting, first dance and bouquet toss, etc. we were afforded the opportunity to share our evening with the ones we love.

Photography: Megan Greenlee Photography / Ceremony: Jefferson Market Garden / Reception: Bar Blanc Restaurant / Cake: Bar Blanc Restaurant / Coordination: James Norton (Day-Of Event Coordinator) / Hair and Make-up: Bride and Sister of the Bride / Bride’s Dress: Paloma Blanca / Bride’s Shoes: J Crew / Flowers: Bloomster Floral Design / Music: Venus Ensembles (Ceremony) / Invitations: Bella Figura / Rings: Arthur Groom & Company / Groom’s Suit: Jack Victor / Groom’s Tie and Accessories: Barneys New York

We’ve been lovin’ all your tweets about SMP’s new Inspiration Board Builder and from the sound of it, you guys are lovin’ IT!  Although we (the SMP editors) have been using the original version of the Inspiration Board Builder (f o r e v e r), this one is new to us too! So … I decided I needed to give it a whirl this weekend! See what all of the hullaballoo is all about.  I thought it would be cool to create some teaser IBB’s based on next Monday’s features from Artstar by Laura Stone.  So, here’s the first … a super-sassy styled photo-shoot entitled “{fall} in love”!

Piqued your curiosity? More tomorrow!  {our entire gallery is here}

Next one … Lauren & Mark’s Barnsley Garden Wedding …

Remember, guys, you can click on ANY image in ANY of the image boards on SMP and it will take you straight to the whole gallery! Or ~ you can wait ’til we say “click here for the whole beautiful gallery”!

And if those two don’t get you, surely this one will. Blair & Matt’s Primrose Cottage Wedding …

Tune in bright and early on Abby’s Little Black Book Blog for the full Real Wedding features from Artstar by Laura Stone.

You can see these and MANY more on Laura’s blog!

**I’ve gotta’ admit, SMP’s new board builder is pretty addicting!

If you are still on the hunt for the perfect stationery and paper goods for your upcoming wedding, then you should definitely take a trip over to BellaTerra’s fabulous website. They are our go to spot for the chicest of chic wedding invitations, adorable favor boxes, fun little labels and tags and all of the goods you’ll need to personalize your event and add your own sense of style.

We are positively smitten with BellaTerra’s collection of lovely invitations and they happen to have a little bit for everyone. With not only custom invitations available for viewing and ordering at their stores but also a huge selection of invitations available online, finding that perfect invite has never been easier. Customize your colors and order directly online… how awesome is that?

BellaTerra’s invites aren’t the only thing we go crazy for. They also have an endless supply of labels, ribbon, escort cards, menus and our personal favorite, their collection of favor boxes. These little gems are not only style savvy but would also add just the right personal touch to your wedding. So grab your coffee and a comfy seat and head over to BellaTerra. You are sure to find an array of lovely details for your big day.

We couldn’t think of a better way to end this pretty week than with a giveaway for you lovelies. And it isn’t just any giveaway, it happens to be a really, really great one. Myra of Twigs & Honey just launched her gorgeous new 2011 collection that is filled to the brim with timeless, breathtaking pieces and to celebrate she is giving away one $200 gift certificate AND one $100 gift certificate. Imagine all of the fabulousness you could buy with those. Before we get into the details, have a looky loo at the new collection captured brilliantly by Elizabeth Messina…

To enter, simply leave a comment below letting us know what your absolute favorite, can’t live without piece from the Twigs & Honey collection is. We’ll announce the lucky winners picked at random next Friday, February 25. And as an extra special bonus, Myra is giving 15% off your entire order of Twigs & Honey. Just enter stylemepretty15 at checkout. Happy Friday!

Photographer & Stylist: Elizabeth Messina / Head pieces and accessories: Twigs & Honey / Location: The Leftbank Annex / Backdrops: Drop It Modern / Hair and Makeup: Madeline Roosevelt / Dresses: Ann Taylor, Kate Towers, Holly Stalder / Vintage dresses from photographer’s own personal collection / Lace Shrug: Holly Stalder / Lingerie: Photographer’s own from Lille Boutique / Model: Skye Velten

Enjoy these pretty posts and we look forward to seeing you on Monday!

a whole day of pretty Valentine’s Inspiration
industrial meets glamorous in these Atlanta nuptials
a ranch wedding that is effortlessly stunning
California is bringing the radiance with this breathtaking day
wedding after wedding after pretty wedding ALL day long
I spy with my little eye Fonzie and his daughter’s beautiful wedding
a ridiculously good looking New York Engagement
a DIY fairytale and lots of pretty shoes

Fun links from around the web:

the Wedding Chicks have a new website On to Baby and we are slightly (or not so slightly) obsessed
Speaking of new websites, have you seen the gorgeous new look of Elizabeth Ann Designs? 
in our down time, we LOVE to stare and nibble on pretty cakes and these definitely fit the bill via My Sweet and Saucy

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

3rd Street Films
Lori Raines Calligraphy Studio
Eau Claire Photographics
Asheville Event Co
The Greenery Caterers
The Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa at Beaver Creek Mountain
Herban Feast
One Fine Day
Pink Twig
Lotus Floral Design
Meg Baisden Photography
Majestic Photobooth
Boutique Bites
Small Masterpiece [We Set The Table]
Seasons Catering
HBB Photography
Louloudi Design
whitebox weddings
The Gale Mansion
Bob Gail Special Events
That’s Entertainment Party Rentals
Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach
Amy’s Bridal Accessories
Exquisite Events
Cabo Luna Event Rentals
Artspace111
Duvall
Loudbyte Cinematography
Duchess, Clothier
Loli Events
Serendipity Studios

And lastly, the winner of the sweet little Enjoy Cupcake Giveaway is Katie! Congrats!!!

Have a wonderful weekend and may it be ever so lovely and relaxing! xoxo

What better way to wrap up this Valentine’s Week than with a design shoot focused on Valentine’s Day! And what makes this shoot so terrific, besides the fact that so many Little Black Book members teamed up, is the unique color palette. Soft and silky neutrals with the rich velvety textures of burgundy wine and the briefest hint of the beloved color of the heart …

Images by Limelight Photography

Feast your eyes on all the stunning images in the gallery!

If you need to refresh your memory on the Inspiration Board that got this design team’s creative juices flowing ~ click here!

From Natalie at Chic Sweets … We teamed up with a handful of wonderful, Little Black Book Members, including MMD Events who provided all of the floral, (amazing) vintage furniture, and tablescape. With the lake as a perfect back drop -MMD Events wrapped vases in felt and wool to snuggle richly textured bouquets of ivory garden roses, wine colored cymbidium orchids and cranberry colored kangaroo paws. Skeins of yarn were used to accentuate the table, bringing a cozy element to the table décor. Two Russian antique embroidered chairs (from MMD Events) added the perfect old world touch and table number wrapped in twine, created by Lauren of Every Last Detail, struck the perfect note, adding a little bit of a rustic feel to the table. Linens by Connie Duglin in textured wine added a luxe layer. An escort card display was created using scarves, with the cards attached to a scarf using pins so guests would be able to easily remove the cards from the display.

The vintage sofa and coffee table came from MMD Events’ new vintage line of rentals – I Heart Vintage. Using unique antique pieces is a fun way to add your personality to your wedding. MMD accented the lounge with an antique jewelry box and a vintage Polaroid camera.
*DIY Tip: In order to add coziness and charm, fabric was used to wrap different vases. If you don’t want to use fabric, you can also use a scarf or a recycled sweater.
*DIY Tip: Escort cards can always be turned into something fun and unique by hanging them. In this case, MMD took the cards and attached them to the scarves, which ended up looking great. A word of caution if you’re hanging escort cards: be prepared if it’s windy!

Model/Ring Bearer: The look was simple: keep everything light and neutral, with a subtle undertones of gray and reds. The model’s makeup was kept light, including the hair which was accented with a simple, tan-colored band. Her dress was one our highlights. JCrew provided a dress from one of their latest designs. From the pleating to the mermaid silhouette and a subtle train, we were in dress-heaven. To top it all off, Naoki Jewelry parted with some amazing jewelry that pulled the entire look together. The bridal bouquet, by MMD Events, included the ivory garden roses, kangaroo paws and cymbidium orchids with a felt stem wrap. Wine colored Cymbidium orchids accented her swept back hair.
Alongside our bride, was our precious ring-bearer who enjoyed being model for a day, dressed in JCrew’s Crewcuts line. Again, the look was clean and simple.

Dessert Table: Sherri from the Pastry Studio’s work and artistic approach are amazing and as a dessert stylist, was totally thrilled to collaborate on our design with her creations. Sherri created a breathtaking cake, accented by a satin, pewter ribbon and striking red flower, echoing the image in the board. The remaining desserts from The Pastry Studio—cake pops, berry tartlets, macaroons, and mini-cupcakes (adorned with a heart) rounded out the spread along with gorgeous cookies (made by Better Bit of Butter) and some Chic Sweets’ candy.
In terms of the design portion for the table , we incorporated a wallpaper-print backdrop, using a great ivory-damask print from Graham and Brown which was perfect.
*DIY tip: I get asked often about how we do our backdrops. We took a white hard board, which can be found at any local hardware store and backed it with 2-in foam. Total cost for the board was no more than $25.00. The wall paper covering was cut in strips and attached on the board by just pinning it back with pins. If you didn’t want to use wallpaper which can be expensive, wrapping paper can be used as well.

Printed Materials: It was great to collaborate once again with Laura from Two Yellow Shoes. From the menu cards and labels on the dessert table, to the invitation and response card, she just ran with the design. Amazing.

The Film:
The team of Voila Cinematic created this gorgeous video for us and we were just blown away. There is something great about the SMP Inspiration to Reality series which allows you to work with the best of the best in the wedding industry.

Voila was not only able to capture the beauty of the set but also framed the playful scene for the bride and her adorable ring bearer as they walked around, holding hands. Precious.

Style Me Pretty (Inspiration to Reality) from Voila Cinematic on Vimeo.

Photography & Shoot Coordination: Limelight Photography / Concept & Design for Dessert Table/Shoot Coordination: Chic Sweets / Cake and Desserts: The Pastry Studio / Cookies: Better Bit of Butter / Floral, Model, Tablescape Design and Vintage Furniture: MMD Events / Paper Materials: Two Yellow Shoes / Jewelry: Noaki Jewelry / Bridal and Ring Bearer Attire: Jcrew / Video: Voila Cinematic / Linens: Connie Duglin / Ring Bearer Bowl, Heirloom Bowl, Ceramic “Lovely” Letters and Text Tiles: Palomas Nest / Table Numbers: Every Last Detail Shop / Makeup and Hair: Destiny and Light Hair and Makeup / Tissue Poms Garland on Dessert Table: Pom Tree / Venue: Florida Southern College

We’ve had such a tremendous Valentine’s Week on Style Me Pretty. And as one final tribute to this very special day of the year, we want to share a totally charming Inspiration To Reality shoot ~ inspired by Valentine’s Day ~ and created by some extraordinary Little Black Book members!

Natalie at Chic Sweets tells how it all began … The inspiration behind this photoshoot was all about subtlety and softness. When we first approached our partner in crime, Limelight Photography, we spent some time looking through all the gorgeous Inspiration Boards. Luckily, we stopped dead in our tracks when we came across So Much Love’s images. We were very much inspired by the striking flower in the Board, alongside the neutral palette with red and gray undertones. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we thought it would be great to introduce a different color palette and combinations that are not so common. When we joined forces, with Florida Southern College as our stunning backdrop, everything just came together!

We’ll be right back with the LOVELY shoot!

When a bride also happens to be a wedding styling aficionado, the resulting wedding can be downright crazy gorgeous. And this Ontario affair is just that… beautiful, romantic and perfectly styled by Hey Gorgeous Events with photography by Amanda Wilcher. On top of that, there are so many pretty desserts, we are kind of on sweet treat overload but not so much that we can’t admire the end all be all of wedding sweet treats (the cake!) courtesy of I Do! Wedding Cakes. The whole day is what we like to call DREAMY to the billionth degree and you can pore over more of the lovely details in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

Our ceremony and reception took place at Paletta Mansion in Burlington, Ontario. We both fell in love with how unique and intimate the venue was especially since we were set on having a smaller guest list. We also loved the terrace that overlooked the water, which was where our ceremony was supposed to be. But as luck would have it terrible rain and wind that day forced us to get married inside – luckily for us in a very romantic and cozy space in front of a blazing fireplace! We never really pinpointed a colour palette or theme for our wedding but we used our venue, my love of vintage things and my Enzoani gown as inspiration for everything else to follow. For months and months before the wedding, the majority of my weekends were spent DIY-ing and crafting when I wasn’t working part time or studying (I also blogged every single project I tackled). For our favours we had guests take home a selection of homemade desserts and candy. I hand stamped and punched all of the Kraft paper bags and the ‘Dessert Dresser’ that everything sat atop of, was actually a children’s dresser I salvaged from the trash and then spruced up with some paint and Anthropologie-inspired knobs. I created a ton of framed chalkboards that were sprinkled throughout the venue along with pink and blue hued vintage novels that I had collected over the months. I also made little stir stick flags for guests to use as they sipped on our signature drinks.

All of our centerpieces vases were from the Dollar Store, which I spray glued and wrapped ivory and black lace around. At each persons place settling was a little card I designed titled He Said She Said, which included some memorable quotes we’ve said over the past 5 years. It was our hope that these would serve as conversation starters for guests as they tried to guess who said what (apparently they were pretty tricky!) My handy neighbor and I made the cheating chart, which was made out of an old skid, ivory lace, shipping labels and clothespins that I spray-painted gray. I sanded, primed and painted an old secretaries desk that held our programs and greeted guests as they entered our ceremony location. I also found an old desk drawer that I painted pink and filled with flip flops for all of the girls who I knew would have their heels kicked off in no time. Aside from getting hitched to the sweetest dude alive, some of the best moments from the day included the morning of, when two of my close girlfriends and my Dad, helped me drop off more than six carloads of décor to the mansion. I literally created almost every single aspect of this wedding all by myself so a little help on the big day was more than appreciated. I actually ended up being very late for my hair appointment from running around all morning! Another is when I asked specifically if my mom could help me get into my gown, and only my mom, because I wanted to share this special moment with her and hopefully allow for some great photo ops; there’s a picture of the two of us after the last loop was looped and our faces are priceless. I then had one bridesmaid help with my sash and another help with my veil.

Another really touching moment was when Andrew and I released two giant peachy-hued balloons in memory of my Nan. When she passed away, in lieu of a funeral we released dozens of pink balloons in her honour. Since she was my best friend and was unable to be there physically this allowed for Andrew and I to share a quiet moment together while remembering her spirit and presence. Our first look, our handwritten vows, when we took a photo our ourselves at the alter, my dad’s heartfelt speech (which included my childhood stuffed animals), the giant Congo line that wrapped around the venue complete with my grandfather and the biggest smile I have ever seen across his face, the fact that I was out of both my first and second dress and into my sweats by 10:30 p.m., all of these things make me smile when I think back to our fabulous wedding. Sure we didn’t have a fancy band, videographer, elaborate floral archways, special lighting or drapery, we opted out of having a MOH and Best Man, we didn’t have a sparkler send off (at the end of the night we actually helped pack everything back up with our friends and family), Andrew crashed his car that day, we skipped the bouquet and garter toss, it rained and stormed then decided to be perfectly sunny as soon as we said “I Do,” and my garter actually fell off my leg mid dance! But despite all of these things, being surrounded by so much love and realness from the people who mean the most in your life, well unless you’ve been a bride I’m not sure you can completely relate to how in the moment, touching and incredible that really feels. Our wedding was ‘us’ and essentially, imperfect in the most perfect way possible.

Photography: Amanda Wilcher Photographers / Event Planning: Hey Gorgeous Events / Venue: Paletta Mansion / Cake: I Do! Wedding Cakes / Flowers: Tonya VanderBrugghen tonyafloraldesign@yahoo.ca / Paper Products: Papertalk Press / Dress: Enzoani, style Diana / Veil: Promises and Lace / Officiant: Martti Pajunen / Macarons and Cake Pops: Lemon Tree Patisserie / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: J.Crew / Groom and Groomsmen Tuxes: Moores / Maple Flavored Marshmallows: whimsyandspice / Team Bride & Groom Pins: repchi / Bride & Groom chair signs: lilmissi on Etsy / Vellum Table Numbers: ILLUMIEnate / Custom Made Garter: LoBoheme / Wood Letters: thebackporchshoppe

Kids, I think I need to make a trip to Austin, Texas ASAP. We see some of the most darling weddings from that fabulous city in the Lone Star State, and this Austin wedding by She-N-He Photography keeps that trend going strong. Complete with a lovely lawn wedding and a reception held in an old whitewashed church, this wedding has sweet written all over it. And speaking of sweet, the bride’s talented sister, Leah Proctor of Zinnia and Co., did all the gorgeous florals for the affair. What a lucky (and lovely) bride! For more of this darling Austin wedding, be sure to check out the full gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the Bride…Dylan and I met and fell in love in Austin, my hometown, while I was in school at St.Edwards, and he was preparing to go to school in North Carolina. Spending the first two years of our relationship so far apart was difficult, but it was also rewarding because it allowed us to get to know each other in such a deep way. When we got engaged, we knew the wedding had to be in Austin because it’s such a special place for us as a couple. We fell in love with the first venue we looked at. Mercury Hall is a little whitewashed chapel built in the early 1900s. We used the lawn for our ceremony—a secular service we wrote ourselves that was officiated by a family friend. Afterwards, we had an intimate reception inside the hall. We just did a buffet-style dinner followed by lots of dancing.

We were fortunate to find amazing vendors who we could trust to interpret our vision for the day. Every single vendor we worked with blew us away and made our wedding day so beautiful. My incredibly talented sister, Leah, did all our flowers. They were so colorful and beautiful, we were able to forgo other decorations and keep the space really simple. Our wedding coordinator, Tessa, kept everything running smoothly so that Dylan and I (and our families) were able to stay present and enjoy every moment. More than anything, we were so touched by the outpouring of love from our family and friends as they gathered to celebrate the start or our new life together.

Photography: She-N-He / Flowers: Leah Proctor of Zinnia and Co. (bride’s sister) / Planner: Tessa Dorrell / Catering: Pascal’s Catering Company / Cake: Blue Note Bakery / Music: Warren Hood / Venue: Mercury Hall / Stationery: Birdy Blue Design / Hair: George Oberg / Jewelry: Claude Morady / Officiant: Mark Cohen

We said, a little earlier today that we’ve totally fallen head-over-heels in love with Hillary Maybery’s style! We could literally post each and every single one of her weddings on Style Me Pretty and know that we would get rave reviews over all of them. Since we can’t, we’ve taken the liberty of sharing a few of Dawn and Brian’s San Francisco wedding along with their day after shoot and are going to trust that you will head on over to Hillary’s blog to devour the rest!

Monique Lhuillier at her ultimate!

See more of Dawn and Brian’s wonderful celebration on Hillary’s blog ~here …  here … and here!

Photography: Hillary Maybery / Cinematography: Max Monahan / Flowers: Anne Mendenhall Flowers / Event Planning: Stacy McCain / Venue: Private Club in San Francisco / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier