It has been awhile since we’ve featured a DIY project for all of you crafty brides and grooms-to-be (yes the grooms have been known to dabble in the craftiness too). Whipped up by the talented ladies of Posh Paperie with the help of Melody’s cake making skills from My Sweet and Saucy and photography from our fave, Jackie Wonders, this is a super simple yet ever so clever Heirloom Cake Topper and we are big, big fans. Placed atop a homemade cake, this would be the perfect accompaniment to a vintage affair and what a great keepsake to hold onto long after that delicious cake is devoured. Plus, there is a bonus tutorial on how to create that pretty little ruffle cake for yourself. So without further ado, the DIY Heirloom Cake Topper…

Supplies Needed:
vintage wedding photo
scissors
red tape
vintage music sheet paper
patterned stock for back of photo

Instructions:
1. cut out wedding photo, creating a silhouette
2. adhere photo to patterned paper so that the pattern is facing out (showing on the back of photo) and cut out in the same silhouette
3. cut music sheets into two separate 2 1/2″ strips
4. fold accordion style to make a half circle
5. adhere the half circle to the bottom of the photograph
6. repeat on the back side (1/2 side of pinwheel)

7. frost sized cake of your choice (Melody used a swiss meringue buttercream frosting from Martha Stewart)
• fill piping bag with wilton104 piping tip and add frosting
• point narrow point of tip away from cake
• start at the bottom and move tip back and forth – approx. 1″ in diameter to make “ribbon” look
• repeat over and over in rows
• For a video tutorial of the cake frosting on Melody’s blog, click here

8. place cake topper on top of cake and voila!

Thanks Ladies for sharing such an adorable DIY! Now ladies and gents all that is left to do is put your crafty hats on and get to baking. Enjoy!

Photography: Jackie Wonders / Design and Styling: Elizabeth Seaton and Karrie Pyke of Posh Paperie / Ruffle Cake: Melody Bradon of My Sweet and Saucy

An English garden wedding.  That just sounds like a dream, doesn’t it?  Something out of a fairy tale or a Jane Austen novel.  Well, this vintage garden photo shoot, put together by Events by Heather Ham, is perfectly fit for a modern day Emma and Mr. Knightley.  This team, including the talented Suthi of Picotte Weddings behind the camera (both photography and cinematography), created so many fun, unexpected areas including a photo booth, drink station, cake table and entrance table, full of pink and blue, vintage details and overflowing with lush flower arrangements.  Spend some time in each meticulously decorated area in the full gallery!

Click here for more inspiration in the full gallery!

We’re not ready to leave the garden just yet!  Picotte Weddings not only has amazing photography skills but they also have some of the best wedding cinematography around!

It all started with a bouquet. I saw this amazing bouquet in all warm and bright shades of pinks and oranges tied off with a vibrant teal ribbon. I’d always wanted to do a wedding inspired by it, so when Susan, of Peony & Plum approached me I showed her the bouquet and our brains started to churn with ideas.  As each vendor agreed to be a part of this inspiration shoot, all of the pieces just seemed to fit and the look we were going for seemed to just fall into place as if each of us was just the right puzzle piece and fit together seamlessly to create this Antique English Garden inspiration. And an inspiration shoot was truly realized through the eye of our amazing and wonderful photographer, Suthi Picotte of Picotte Photography.

Stone Manor, where the inspiration shoot took place, is a hidden gem in the mountains of Malibu, has a breathtaking view of the Pacific Coast and has so much character and charm, that pulled the whole look together. To offset the very meticulous grounds and stone laid walkways and walls, we chose to use all vintage pieces from a farm table, to mismatching chairs, antique glassware, and some fabulous vintage suitcases. We has so much fun perusing through all of the items that Archive Vintage Rentals had to offer, that it was hard to narrow down our selections, as everything they have is fantastic. One of my favorite vintage rental pieces of the day was the aqua blue sideboard. We placed this sideboard as the escort card table beneath an ivy covered arch that framed it perfectly. We placed moss and potted herbs in a vintage suitcase with paper escort cards from Calligraphy Katrina. We had fun with the props and added moss and flowers peaking out of the top drawer and stacked some more vintage suitcases and pitchers overflowing with peonies, garden roses, and amaranthus.

The flowers, oh the flowers. Peony & Plum did an amazing job. The flowers were just marvelous… whimsical… breathtaking. I was blown away when Susan arrived with all of the arrangements, many of which were in white ceramic pitchers to add a little country home feel to the day, a bit more casual, but still classy. Susan also placed peonies, garden roses, hanging amaranthus, moss, berries, and herbs in an eclectic mix of vessels in shades of pinks and blues from Archive Vintage Rentals

Fantasy Frostings blew me away with this simple, yet truly unique cake with custom made fondant flowers that look like fabric that had been folded to form whimsical roses. The cake was placed on top of a vintage suitcase on top of the same antique aqua sideboard in front of a custom photo booth backdrop created by Picotte Photo with sewn fabric panels in coordinating patterns and colors to go with the color scheme and the vintage vibe of the whole inspiration. As you can tell, we had a lot of fun with props on this table including the crocheted table runners

And the main table, oh did we have fun with this. We wanted to showcase the charm of the vintage furniture from Archive and really enhance it’s history with all of the sweet elements of the flowers, pillows in coordinating colors from La Tavola, and all of the table top details. We had a cloud shape that was incorporated into all of the main stationary pieces from the invitation to the oh so sweet menu cards in coordinating light pink and turquoise blue, which had an alternative mauve or turquoise velveteen ribbon and each then adorned with it’s own antique brooch.  The centerpieces were an array of pink and blue antique glassware, mason jars, white ceramic pitchers, and cake plates all filled with peonies, garden roses, amaranthus, lisianthus, berries, and herbs. Susan also created a small flower piece to place in the chandelier that was custom made by the owners of Stone Manor and their landscape lighting company. The property is filled with it from chandeliers to smaller lighting in the shapes of flowers, mushrooms, and lanterns.

Our models, Kristen and Dan, got married this past summer and jumped at the chance to take more wedding pictures. Stacy Bisel did a fantastic job on Kristen’s hair and makeup giving her a soft and romantic look. The “bride” wore a custom couture gown from the ever so talented Alina Pizzano who created this crocheted masterpiece. They had so much fun with the custom photo booth, and who doesn’t love props like a chalkboard speech bubble, lips, and mustaches. Suthi took them all over the grounds to capture some romantics of the couple. We also created an outdoor living room complete with a rocking chair, antique mirror, and a birdcage.

And Calligraphy Katrina put all of the finishing touches together with all of the paper goods, creating a custom invitation set (through her couture line of stationary called Maison Du Papier) using the cloud shaped pattern, as well as the escort cards, photo booth sign, menus, beverage tent cards, plus Bride & Groom Pennants that read “Kristen’s Hubby” and Daniel’s Wifey”. It’s all about the personal touches that truly brings an event to life and makes it one of a kind.

Photography, Cinematography + Photo Booth: Picotte Weddings, Inc. / Event Designer: Events by Heather Ham / Floral Designer: Peony & Plum /  Location: Stone Manor / Rentals: Archive Vintage Rentals / Linens: La Tavola / Cake: Fantasy Frostings / Invitations: Maison Du Papier / Calligraphy: Calligraphy Katrina / Dress: Alina Pizzano Couture / Hair + Makeup: Stacy Bisel Make-up + Hair Design

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Peony & Plum

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I guess I can’t really say that I have a NEW favorite LBB photographer, because I have SO MANY FAVORITE Little Black Book photographers! But ONE of my NEWEST favorites is definitely Hillary Maybery. Although Hillary is based in Sun Valley, Idaho, there’s definitely travel in her plans … and there isn’t a wedding, engagement, photo shoot, or kid pic on her site that you won’t adore! Seriously adore. So when she teamed up with Taylor Sturges of Taylor’d Events who designed this gorgeous Fall Wedding-Inspired shoot ~ starring newlyweds, Steph & Zac … well, pure and simple LOVE!

See this gorgeous day-after shoot on Taylor’s blog and Hillary’s blog!

Photography: Hillary Maybery / Flowers and Event Design: Taylor Sturges at Taylor’d Events / Event Design: Terry Murphy owner of Bellissimo / Reception Location: Sun Valley / Hair and Makeup : Jamilynn Smith from Vertu / Vintage jewelry and fur : Suzy Hart owner of Deja Vu / Cake by Amy Anderson at The Sweet Crumb / Cinematography: Max Monahan

We have one of Hillary’s weddings coming up later this afternoon. In the meantime, here’s a quick peek at Kristin and Tim’s winter wedding featured on Sun Valley’s “Hitched”!

More on Hillary’s blog here!

I started reading Tabitha’s blog – Ms. Awesome – way back when I was a newly engaged little thing so I know how much hard work, love, sweat and (maybe a few) tears went into creating her and Cynthia’s amazing wedding celebration.  Let me tell you two lovely ladies, all that work paid off because this is hands down the best DIY wedding I’ve ever seen!  When Kirsten Ellis of Beaux Arts Photographie sent over the images I nearly fell off my chair.  I mean, I knew it was going to be good but I was not prepared for this ridiculously awesome, sweet, love-filled extravaganza!  There are so many smiling faces, little details and handcrafted elements that it couldn’t even be contained in one post.  You’ll just have to go to the full gallery to really soak in this phenomenal day!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

It’s funny that I wrote about our wedding for nearly a year before it happened, and now that it’s over, I can barely string a sentence together that will accurately capture, contain, or recreate the magic of that September day. I just don’t have the skills. That said, I’ll try my best to give you the long version, but the short version is this: it was awesome!

We spent about 14 months planning, mostly so we’d have the time to save up enough money for our little shindig. We knew from the start that we wanted a casual and fun outdoor wedding with good food, good music, and good people. Basically we wanted to throw a really fun and extremely meaningful little party, and call it a wedding. Oh! And by good food we always meant the Kogi truck. After researching and visiting some very unimpressive (and expensive!) LA venues we really struck gold with Heritage Square Museum. It was the perfect mix of nature, architecture, chickens (and even a barn!) all right in the middle of LA! The gravel road leading down the center sealed the deal by making our dreams of a double truck food wedding a reality! And somewhere along the way I became obsessed with wedding blogs, so much so, that I started one to document all our crazy planning adventures and DIY endeavors. These included: hand-printed invitations, veils/fascinators, wedding flags, cranes, vintage milk-glass centerpieces, table-cloths, runners, napkins, signs and a million other wonderful things that we’ve already completely forgotten about. Luckily we have Kirsten’s amazing photos to remember it all!

The crafts were fun (and so worth it) but let’s talk about what mattered most: the ceremony and the community. I’ll be honest with you, for two ladies who just wanted to eat, drink, and dance, this was quite surprising. Our dear friend Stephanie officiated, and her husband Suneel sang our opening prayer in Sanskrit, a nod to Cynthia’s religious upbringing. It set the perfect tone, at once joyful and sacred. We had four of our lovely friends do readings (because we’re big book nerds like that!) and our guests, who were seated in a circle around us, passed our rings around and blessed them. I really wish I could have heard my mom’s blessing because it brought one of our bridesmaids to tears! It is incredibly powerful to be surrounded and supported by the people you love and really intensified the value and meaning of our vows, which we wrote ourselves. Then, at the end of our ceremony we jumped the broom. A quick history lesson: jumping the broom originated in Africa and later served as a public declaration for African Americans when NO form of marriage was available to them (i.e. during slavery). It symbolized settling into a “marriage-type arrangement.” An arrangement? Blech! Since our wedding was our public declaration of our desire to settle into a “marriage-type arrangement” legally supported by neither state nor country, well, we felt it was an appropriate tradition to incorporate. It doesn’t hurt that we’re fiercely competitive, and as the tradition goes, whoever jumps the highest gets to be head of household. There is (unfortunately for me) photographic evidence of the winner.  Le sigh.

As a kuckoo-bananas planner and organizer I was able to remain remarkably calm and present on our wedding day. I give lots of credit to my lovely wife for this, as she is remarkably more calm and laid-back than I’ll ever be. Our day started with the two of us going to get coffee by ourselves, marveling over the fact that it was our wedding day, and actively deciding to be worry free. Looking back, I am so happy that we were able to just let go of all the planning, all the expectations, all the worry, and just be present for the most amazing day of our lives. It was an incredible gift, and I will be forever grateful to the amazing people who made it possible for us to just be. The community that rallied around our wedding was truly amazing. I borrowed my dress from a fellow blogger. My Larkspur and Hawk earrings were custom designed/created for me after I ranted (publicly. on my blog. of course.) about how my dream earrings were vastly overpriced, by which I really meant out of my price-range. Talk about humbling. Our friends and family cleaned our house, did our hair and make-up, hung lights and cranes in the trees, tended bar, DJ’d, and surrounded us with so much love and support that I still get chills thinking about it! To be surrounded by so much LOVE is some rare and strong magic and while I still don’t feel I’ve done it justice, I hope you’ve been able to catch even a tiny glimmer of it through these jumbled words and beautiful photos.

Wedding Photography: Kirsten Ellis of Beaux Arts Photographie / Wedding Venue: Heritage Square Museum / Catering: Kogi Truck / Ice Cream Sandwiches: Cool Haus / Floral Design: DIY / Invitations: DIY / Save-the-dates: Stinkerpants Designs / Day of Coordination: Just Wenderful / Tabitha’s Dress: Sarah Seven (borrowed from fellow blogger) / Tabitha’s Shoes: Miu Miu / Tabitha’s Earrings: Larkspur & Hawk / Tabitha’s veil: DIY / Cynthia’s Dress: Urban Outfitters / Cynthia’s Shoes: Melissa + Vivienne Westwood / Cynthia’s fascinator: DIY / Cynthia’s Suit: H&M

You know how some people are ridiculously good looking? That is definitely this gorgeous New York couple who held their equally gorgeous engagement session around Central Park. They frolicked, they picnicked, they gazed into each other’s eyes and Judy Pak captured it all perfectly. See more of this NYC beauty in the gallery.

see more of this gorgeous shoot here!

I did an engagement shoot for Natalie and Donnie in November 2010 at Central Park in New York City. We were so lucky as the weather was unseasonably warm that day…60 degrees in November! Natalie is a Ph.D student at Columbia and Donnie works in Finance. They will be getting married later this year.

Photography: Judy Pak / Location: Central Park, New York

If you are in the throes of planning your wedding, chances are your to-do list is ever growing. Well fear not because today is your lucky day. Google has just launched a whole slew of helpful templates perfect for simplifying your to-do list and leaving you more time to enjoy the excitement of being engaged. Wedding Planning made easy? It is possible and with Google, it’s free! They have seriously thought of everything from planning documents and budgets to wedding websites, even save-the-date cards.

Do you want to hear the really exciting part? Google is hosting a wedding sweepstakes where one lucky couple will win $25,000 towards their dream wedding. Plus, they have teamed up with Michelle Rago, wedding planning extraordinaire, who will be helping the winning couple plan their big day. How amazing is that? $25,000 toward your wedding designed by Michelle Rago and signing up is super duper easy? This seems like a complete no-brainer to us.

Head over to Google for Weddings for all of the pretty details. They have you covered with Google Docs to help you plan and budget, Google Sites for creating a website to share with friends and family, Picnik for photo editing and announcements and Picasa to help you keep the memories and share albums from your wedding. Phew, that’s a ton! Save time for the fun stuff and leave the planning to Google.

Today ~ all the elegance a wedding should be … the church, the gown, the maids, the accessories … the shoes (!) … everything! This blending of two cultures from Ulysses Photography is all that and oh-so-much-more!

I would describe our wedding as combining ‘traditional elegance’ with a ‘cultural’ spin. When I envisioned my wedding, it always took place in the Fall, in a church, followed with a reception at a grand castle. The time of year and reception setting became the easier to execute, since the man I fell in love with and decided to spend the rest of my life with is Jewish. Matt understood how important the Church aspect was to me, and we agreed early on that if we could find a church that would allow both a priest and a rabbi, and if we found a rabbi that would come to that church, we would have our ceremony in one.

Interfaith weddings are still not for the faint of heart. It was very important that the church we picked be the kind of sacred space that would not make any guest (or family member of ours) feel uncomfortable. We were so lucky to find the nicest and most welcoming church ever, the Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns. They were happy to allow us to bring in both a Catholic Priest and Rabbi. I was able to track down the priest my family loved, who had been at my parish when I was making my earlier sacraments, and he was more than happy to be part of the celebration. We then met with several rabbis until finding one whom we felt had the same feeling about interfaith marriage as we did. The church itself was built in 1837, and it’s simplicity was everything we had hoped for. Our ceremony included a unity candle lighting, a katubah signing, breaking a glass and a bagpiper (not only am I Catholic, but Irish Catholic). Our priest opened with the best line of the day, how we were uniting two families and two religions, but that we all had one God.

The reception that followed at Sleepy Hollow Country Club was all that dreams are made of. Originally a private mansion of the Vanderbilt family, the clubhouse includes all the amazing original details with high ceilings, Tiffany windows and so much more. It is set on a hill overlooking both the Hudson River and their beautiful golf course. The October 9th date allowed for cocktails to be held outside overlooking the fall foliage until sunset, when our guests moved into the grand dining rooms. The escort cards they picked up were cut-out leaves and in keeping with the Fall theme, we offered hot apple cider to our guests, and their parting favors were candy apples. My father in-law opened the reception by cutting celebratory challah bread for our guests, followed by a blessing from Father Mark and a welcome from my Dad.

It was also very important to me that all of the details of the day remain elegant and timeless. Our invitations were classic ivory with black script and a hint of gold trim, my Monique Lluhlier gown was demure from the front but daring in the back. From the 1964 Rolls Royce to the clubhouse decor, I wanted people to remember a day that will never seem out of style.

I look at the amazing pictures today and would do anything to go back and do it all again. It was truly the most magical day of our lives. Every piece fit together perfectly. I found our photographers, Jenni and Ulysses, on Style Me Pretty this summer. They have taken the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. Matt and I had met with many photographers last winter and had put down a deposit with someone that did not work out. We were panicked and doing as much online research as possible, as pictures were one of the most important elements of the day for me. It must have been meant to be that we found them, as you will see that our pictures are exquisite. They literally danced circles around everyone else we met with. I have Style Me Pretty to also thank for that!

Photography: Ulysses and Jenni – Ulysses Photography / Ceremony Location: Reformed Church of the Tarrytowns / Reception Location: Sleepy Hollow Country Club / Bride’s dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bride’s shoes: Christian Louboutin / Bridesmaids dresses: Priscilla of Boston from Bella Bridesmaid – Bridal jewelry: Earrings – David Harvey Jewelers (Darien, CT), Bracelet – A.E. Betteridge Jewelers (Greenwich, CT) / Hair & makeup: Michiko Boorberg / Florals: Carol Kelly / Stationery: Invitations – Write On (Larchmont, NY), Escort cards Fat Cat Paperie (Center Moriches, NY) / Cake: Lulu Bakery (Scarsdale, NY) / Band: Steve Delisi Band

You will want to sit down and get cozy for this beauty of a backyard wedding by Docuvitae. Held at the bride’s family home, her mother transformed their backyard into an elegant oasis so absolutely stunning and personal my jaw is still on the ground. And let’s discuss the gorgeous floral design by Holly Flora – it  just drips from each frame-worthy image. Such floral perfection. Most importantly, the love of these two families jumps off the screen and warms my sappy little heart. Happy Days indeed! For even more of this happiest of days, be sure to check out the full gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From Laura Kleinhenz, owner and founder of Docuvitae and Lead Photographer for Zoe and Robert…Even on their very first date, something clicked for Zoe Winkler and Robert Reinis and they cut to the chase: an intimate talk about how much they wanted to have a family of their own.  It wasn’t typical first date conversation, but that’s because Zoe and Robert immediately recognized each other as kindred spirits. They both grew up in large, warm, closeknit, supportive families and treasured the closeness so much that — even as young adults — they both continue to go home for family dinners every Sunday (although now they alternate). Since she was a little girl, Zoe had wanted a wedding that reflected her deep attachment to family, so when the time came to plan her own, she paid no attention to L.A.’s swanky hotels, restaurants and party spaces.  She knew immediately that she wanted to get married at her parent’s house.  The home she grew up in, the home where she dreamed about her wedding day.

And so the planning began. Zoe confesses that she handed over a lot of the wedding planning to her mother.  A force of nature with impeccable taste, Stacey was happy to oblige and, of course, wanted every detail to be PERFECT for Zoe.  Stacey is an expert in casual entertaining and loves bringing people together.  This is typically done in her living room, but alas, 275 guests would not fit into her living room alone!  Faced with this challenge, inspiration struck.  Stacey would simply transform her front and back yards into an extension of her living room and dining room.  And indeed she did.  The transition between spaces was absolutely seamless and executed to perfection. Spectacular chandeliers were strung, vintage candelabras from Stacey’s own collection lit every table, and bowls of fresh fruit and flowers placed with simply elegance.  Guests were even able to enjoy the Winkler’s favorite travel and art coffee table books during the cocktail hour and reception!

Zoe and Robert could not have been more thrilled with how the day played out.  They were beyond touched by how involved their families were.  Henry, proud father of the bride, even attended Zoe’s final dress fitting he was so excited!  Robert’s nieces performed an original song that they wrote together at the reception.  Rob’s eight year old nephew, who admittedly had a crush on Zoe, recited a list of ‘The Top 10 Reasons Why Zoe Should Marry Him’ instead of his Uncle Rob.  Zoe still talks about how it was the best and most perfect day of her life.  Robert says, “I have a really depressed bride on my hands, she’s SO sad it’s over!”

As a documentary photographer, my goal is always to make beautiful, authentic images.  Zoe and Robert’s at home wedding offered such incredible warmth and intimacy to photograph.  I love it when couples choose a place that has real meaning to them.  They were  relaxed and spontaneous in the surroundings they were so familiar with.  And the place itself – the architecture, the art and objects within quickly became an extension of Zoe and Robert and their families.  I’m so excited to share not only the beautiful photos of the couple and their wedding day designs, but also a thoughtful selection of documentary photos that capture the anticipation, joy and warmth that surrounded Zoe and Robert and tell the story of two loving families coming together to celebrate their commitment to one another.

Photography: Docuvitae / Flowers: Holly Flora / Event Design: Stacey Winkler, mother of the bride / Event Planning: Love, Luck and Angel / Ceremony Location: Winkler Residence / Shoes: Christian Louboutin

We are big, big fans of adding a little personality to your wedding whether that be in the decor, the attire, even the venue. We say bring on the out of the box thinkers and yes please to unexpected details. For instance, this adorable couple that held their winter wedding festivities at a local restaurant in Provo, Utah. It’s intimate, it’s oh so chic and it looks like they had one amazing party. What’s not to love? All the fun festivities were captured by Elisabeth Kate Photography and Holly Fowler was the woman behind the fabulous decor. See more from this wintry delight in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

Ally and Collin met last winter at the Sundance Ski Resort in Utah, while they were both ski instructors. Their dating began and they were with each other almost every day for the next 12 months. Collin proposed to Ally while on vacation in Lake Tahoe at sunset. Ally’s wish for her wedding was to have a grand celebration. The Spark Restaurant and Lounge in Provo, Utah was the perfect venue for this wish to be granted. The menu consisted of shirley temples topped with cotton candy, herb french fries, pork lollipops and panna cotta. We had a candy bar and a chocolate/vanilla cake with hazelnut filling. After a night of eating, greeting friends and spending time with family, sparklers were lit and they left in style. They spent their first night together at The Grand America in Salt Lake City and then spent the rest of the week at a ski in ski out cabin at Sundance, honeymooning where it all started.

Photography: Elisabeth Kate Photography / Flowers: Hollyhocks / Event Design and Planning: Holly Fowler / Ceremony Location: The Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah / Reception Location: Spark Restaurant and Lounge, Provo, Utah / Invitations: Brandon at Wedding Smith / Cake: Layers, Bountiful, Utah / Shoes: Steve Madden / Dress: Bridal Expressions, Sandy, Utah / Car: Mercedes-Benz G Wagon, Tom Felt

Every inch of this Los Angeles wedding is dripping in gorgeous, old Hollywood style glamour from the rooftop venue to the perfect in every way Claire Pettibone gown. It doesn’t get much cooler, until you take in the art that is photography by Frame 36. We have a feeling the guests came for the gorgeous views and stayed for the love and the pretty cake. See more of the GLAMOUR in the gallery.

find more of the glamorous details here!

From Karen Koch…Katie and Paul wanted an old Hollywood style wedding and choosing the historic Oviatt Penthouse in downtown Los Angeles made for the perfect backdrop. The ceremony and reception were held in the evening on a bi-level terrace with a black-and-white checkered dance floor. The cocktail hour was in the penthouse, where guests could wander around looking at signed photos of Hollywood greats, as well as photos of the couple. Guests received cocktail napkins with the Mae West quote, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful,” and the W.C. Fields quote, “I drink therefore I am.” To underscore the venue’s historical atmosphere, a deejay took guests on a musical journey with highlights from different decades. The couple’s first dance, choreographed by their Arthur Murray instructor, was to Dean Martin’s “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head.”

Photography : Frame 36 / Venue: Oviatt Penthouse, Los Angeles, California / Dress: Claire Pettibone / Tux: Dolce & Gabbana / Flowers: Jay Michael – Flowers by MMP / Cake: The Cake Divas / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Music: Hey Mister DJ / Food: Cicada / Coordinator: Ray Proscia / Jewlery: Vintage, grandmother’s

Napa, meet D.C – D.C meet Napa. What a lovely duo! This couple’s desire to bring the charming Napa feel to their contemporary D.C venue resulted in a gorgeous blend of rustic meets modern thanks to the coordination of A. Dominick Events and stunning floral design of Beehive Events. So fresh and so clean, the full gallery of images from The Happy Couple is oh so inspiring for those out there looking to shake things up a bit in their wedding design.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From Danielle of A. Dominick Events…As avid wine drinkers, Margot and Jon originally wanted their wedding to be in beautiful California’s wine country. Yet, as they started to consider the logistics surrounding the big day, they couple realized that they really needed to celebrate in the bride’s hometown of D.C. With only four months until to plan, our A. Dominick Events team worked to capture the vision of Margot and Jon to create what we began to call an “urban barn”, incorporating the look of Napa in the modern space of the Halcyon House. The venue serves as sculptor John Dreyfuss’s home and studio and is an amazing contemporary spot in the heart of historic Georgetown. With communal farm tables and bistro lights, set with soft yellows and grays in the concrete studio space, the space felt perfectly modern yet rustic.

The bride and groom walked through the busy streets of Georgetown from the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown to the Halcyon House to the ceremony and reception. The custom built escort card board made of corks from bottles of wine that the couple enjoyed together and this artwork is now displayed in the bride and groom’s new Upper West Side NYC apartment! The rosemary tucked into the napkin at each place setting and serving as remembrance as well as a nod to the bride’s famiy’s home on Rosemary Street. In lieu of cake, guests were offered famous momofuku cookies with milk. At the end of the night, as guests departed, they were handed a packaged cookie to go and a welcomed late night treat! When the bride’s father gave his welcome toast, Mr. Lowenstein presented a Washington Capital’s jersey to the groom, Jon. The number 36 designated the date of March 6 (3-6). Although the avid Philadelphia Flyers fans in the crowd were NOT happy, the wise groom sported the jersey for the rest of the night!

Event Planning: A. Dominick Events / AV: Nomad Event Systems / Band: The Maxx East Coast Entertainment / Catering: Occassions / Ceremony: Halcyon House / Ceremony Musicians: Celebrated Strings / Floral and Design: Beehive Events / Hair and Makeup: Meg Ford and Lindsay Steffens / Lighting: John Farr Lighting Design / Officiant: Rabbi Elliot Strom / Photography: The Happy Couple / Stationery: Parklife Press / Tent: HDO Production / Transportation: Atlantic Transportation / Venue: Halcyon House

Who could ask for anything more? A romantic proposal story, overwhelming emotions and classic wedding traditions …

Sent to us by Kerrie and her fab team at Platinum Weddings by Kerrie ~ Tamara & Zev’s wedding!

Zev proposed on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at one of our favorite neighborhood places – the Brooklyn Promenade. It’s a boardwalk that has a view of all of downtown Manhattan, the East River and the Statue of Liberty. We live close by, so we will often stroll down the Promenade on our way home from errands, or go running along the path, or just spend some time sitting on a bench when the weather is nice. On one of our typical Sunday afternoons that included errands and a trip to the nail salon for me, he asked if I wanted to walk the long way home (along the promenade). He led me to a spot at the end of the promenade under a tree, and gave me a small blue box. I had been anticipating the proposal for a while, so I figured this was it: he was just going to hand me a blue box and not say anything. I nervously opened it, and inside were two tiny chocolate truffles. I was so relieved that it wasn’t the actual ring because I was hoping he would say something romantic when he gave it to me. Instead, he sufficiently threw me off, and just as I was ready to go home, he pulled the ring box out of his pocket, got down on one knee and proposed. The rest is a bit fuzzy! – Tamara

We both are very connected to our Judaism, and wanted a traditional Jewish wedding that incorporated many of the customs of our heritage, from the pre-ceremony rituals to the dancing at the reception. Our main goal in planning our wedding and coming up with our vision was to have it reflect our personalities as much as possible. We are both very down to earth people, but at the same time have somewhat sophisticated taste. We knew we wanted our wedding to have an elegant feel to it without being too stuffy. I would say when it all came together the ultimate ambiance was an approachable elegance. We chose plum hues as the main color to weave through the day – from the bridesmaids’ dresses and groomsmen ties, to the bouquets, and centerpieces — because it has such a warm, inviting feeling. Because our wedding was in the summer, our florist helped us keep the overall color scheme from feeling too dark by interspersing lots of ivory, and even some light blue florals.

We have to give our Rabbi, Ed Feinstein of Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, an amazing amount of credit for making our ceremony so personal. When we first met with him, it was apparent how much thoughtfulness he puts into the wedding ceremonies he performs by personalizing it for every couple. In addition to the kind, meaningful words of our rabbi, we added a lot of our own personal touches to the ceremony. We used family ritual objects like two kiddush cups for wine — one from my grandfather, and one that was Zev’s grandfather’s. We also tied together two tallit (prayer shawls) from both sides of the family to form the canopy of our chuppah. At the end, the rabbi gave us a special blessing while we were wrapped in a prayer shawl, and we used the one that my maternal grandfather wears everyday when he prays the morning service. He is a Holocaust survivor, and always shares how his faith is what got him through and gave him the will to survive. We also knew we wanted to honor as many of our friends and family as possible by giving them roles in the ceremony. Judaism has 7 blessings that are read during the ceremony, and we had a different family member or friend come up to read those. One of our close friends also worked with us to design our own original ketubah (the marriage contract), which is read under the chuppah and signed before the ceremony. Another close friend crocheted Zev his own kippah (head covering) that incorporated our color scheme. And, on the secular side, my sister who is a graphic designer created and put together our beautiful ceremony programs, and took a lot of time to come up with a unique design that wasn’t just a folded over piece of paper. In it, we described each aspect of the ceremony, so everyone would understand the meaning behind everything we were doing.

I grew up in LA, but we really liked the idea of having a destination wedding somewhere in California. Since we currently live in New York, and most of our friends and a lot of Zev’s family are scattered across the country, we wanted to find a place where our guests could come and also enjoy the benefits of a beautiful vacation. San Diego is a place that has a lot to do without being too expensive, and is very accessible from anywhere in the country. And, it almost always has perfect weather! We looked at several beach locales because we really wanted to have an outdoor ceremony. We saw a lot of great venues, but few could accommodate our kosher requests. We had the unique challenge of finding a venue that would also allow us to do kosher catering. After seeing 12 venues in the San Diego and Orange County areas, it was clear that the Hilton La Jolla had everything that we wanted. They had the capacity to operate a kosher kitchen, which saved us the unnecessary expense of bringing in an outside caterer, they had a perfect outdoor ceremony location overlooking the 18th hole of the famous Torrey Pines golf course with lush greenery and ocean views in the distance, and their Fairway ballroom was very modern with a wall of windows that allowed guests to feel like they could still enjoy the beauty outside, even when they were inside during the reception.

What I remember most from our reception, and what made our wedding day so fun, was how much dancing there was throughout the night. Our band, Rembrandt was unbelievable and exceeded all our expectations for the music. When Zev and I talked about what we wanted our wedding to be like, we always said that as long as people were constantly on the dance floor, we would be happy. Besides the energy in the room, the other really special thing was the overall decor concept. Many of our guests came up to us throughout the night and told us that our wedding was the most elegant and beautiful that they had ever been to. One of the coolest moments of the night (we were told, since we were taking pictures when it happened), was the “reveal” of the room. Our cocktails were held on the patio directly outside the ballroom, in front of the windows. The hotel kept the shades down during cocktails so no one could see into the room. At the end of cocktails, to invite everyone into the ballroom for the reception, the shades were raised, and everyone got a first glimpse into the room from outside, and said that it looked magical.

While Zev and I had a very traditional Jewish wedding, we are quite untraditional when it comes to our style, and we wanted our wedding to be unique. We are not really DIY people, but we were able to incorporate several unique aspects into the overall look of the ballroom. One thing that we really wanted to do was use square instead of round tables. We felt that shape makes it easier for people to talk across the table and connect with more people. We also worked with our florist to come up with three different centerpiece designs — a low, medium, and high concept, that alternated around the room and really made each one stand out. Our florist used unique shapes like apothecary jars in one concept to give the decor a chic feel as well. To top it all off and really add to the classiness of the night, we had a white seamless dance floor. It was one of those things that was so simple to incorporate and yet made a huge impression.

My advice?  Stay true to yourself. There is a lot of noise and opinions that come into the picture when you’re planning, and a lot of people, even vendors, will try to persuade you to do things a certain way. It may feel hard sometimes to tell people that you love that you aren’t going to do things exactly the way they pictured them, but in the end, you will feel so much happier and more fulfilled when your wedding is a true expression of who you and your fiancé are. It’s important to remind yourself throughout the process that the day is about the love that you and your fiancé share, and all the details that go into the planning are just another way to express that love to everyone who attends.

Wedding Planner: Platinum Weddings by Kerrie / Photographer: Christine Farah Photography / Cinematography: Garner Films / Floral Design: Adorations Botanical Artistry / Ceremony and Reception Music: Rembrandt / Officiant: Rabbi Ed Feinstein, Valley Beth Shalom / Hair: Beauty Ever After / Make-up: Kiss and Makeup / Lighting and Dance Floor: Platinum Pro / Linens and Chairs: Fusion Linens / Paper Details: Kiwi Cards / Wedding Cake: Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines / Bridal Salon: MaryLinn’s Bridal / Bridal Designer: Watters (Style: Dallas) / Bridesmaid Dress Designer: Alvina Valenta / Groom’s Tuxedo: Bespoke by Michael Andrews / Ceremony/Reception Location and Catering: Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines

One of the best things about weddings is that there are so many chances to spend quality times with our nearest and dearest.  There’s the wedding, of course, but there’s also a slew of other celebrations including a chance to really get girly at the bridal shower.  For a sweet glimpse into a real life jubilee of love and friendship check out the full gallery of this San Francisco bridal shower from Elle Photography!

Click here for more inspiration in the full gallery!

This is a small, little bridal shower thrown by the bride’s three best friends and her sister. The idea was to just have a few close friends over for an afternoon of conversation and a few cocktails and nibbles.  The girls did almost all of the details themselves, but took advantage of a few local, San Francisco shops for the food.  Bi-Market (a destination in the Mission District) did the sandwiches, Cheese Plus provided the assortment of cheeses, the cupcakes came from Sweet Things, and Miette Bakery provided the macaroons for the favors (which the girls tied into glassine bags with bows in the colors of the day).  The event was low key — everyone mingled and enjoyed some quality time together.

Photography: Elle Photography

It’s time for today’s pretty parade to make a little pit stop in Texas for a rainy day, vintage celebration by Significant Events of Texas and Capture Studios. A marvelous mix of bold colors and a rustic vibe, this fabulous fete is like sunshine on a cloudy day. You can’t go wrong with a little sunshine of that sort, so be sure to soak up the full gallery of lovely images. It’s the SMP version of vitamin D.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From Meredith of Significant Events of Texas…Amanda and Matt’s wedding was the perfect example of the importance of enlisting the expertise of a professional wedding planner. They had chosen their venue first, and it was a new venue which was still developing its property. They quickly became overwhelmed and realized there were many unique challenges with the venue that they didn’t know how to address. Significant Events was hired and immediately went to work. We worked in close conjunction with the venue, the partnering vendors, and the bride and groom to address venue issues pertaining to power, landscaping, maneuverability, loading and unloading, parking, landscaping, and beyond. And, of course, we developed a Rain Plan since both the ceremony and reception were intended to be outside. Indeed, the Rain Plan was activated on the wedding day when cold rain required a last minute change of plans. However, Significant Events ensured that guests never knew that the Rain Plan wasn’t the plan all along!

Amanda was a modern bride with a vintage sensibility. Her vision for her perfect wedding included bright, bold colors juxtaposed next to a wooded ranch setting. We carried this theme throughout every aspect of the wedding and reception, from the caterer’s serving pieces to the cake stand to the centerpieces and beyond. The end result was both beautiful and inspiring. Guests were moved by the touching ceremony, conducted by Matt’s father who is a minister. Afterwards, we moved inside the ranch house for a delicious dinner and dancing that lasted for hours. Matt’s groomsmen, bandmates of his in a Christian rock band aptly named The Wedding, were the life of the party and kept the guests laughing. In the end, we didn’t let a little rain put a damper on the evening. We created an event that was interesting, beautiful,and, above all, personal and significant.

Wedding Design & Coordination: Significant Events of Texas / Venue: Watersedge Ranch /Catering: Two Sisters Catering / Photo: Colleen Allison for Capture Studios / Floral: The Urban Blossom /Cake: Sweet Art Bakery / DJ: Glenn Roush Productions / Linens: BBJ Linen / Rentals: Grapevine Golf Carts
& The Rental Stop

It’s not very often that the wedding cake takes center stage at a wedding.  Don’t get me wrong, each itty bitty , merry little piece from this Canadians wedding by Distinct Occasions and Jon Thorpe is full of sweetness.  The sunny yellow blooms, the birch branch chuppah, the m+m thank you cookies.  But that cake is really just so cool!  For some more cool blue and cheerful yellow inspiration head over to the full wedding gallery!

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

If you just love a vineyard wedding in the sunshine you’re going to flip for Samantha & Ben’s real wedding at Inn on the Twenty in Niagara this past July! A Jewish groom & Catholic bride certainly make for an interesting ceremony. We melded parts of both together to find the perfect compromise and it looked stunning. Sunday Brunch never looked so good or sounded so sweet!

Wedding Planning & Design: Crystal Adair-Benning – Distinct Occasions / Wedding Venue + Cake: Inn on the Twenty / Wedding Photography: Jon Thorpe / Decor & Florals: Nicole North of Petals, Stems & Leaves / Ceremony Musicians: Duo D’Amore / Reception Entertainment: Club Django Toronto

It’s so funny how you can always look back and see exactly why things turn out the way they do. Todd and I met eight years ago when I walked into his Chiropractic office after I was in a car accident. The moment I got my first glimpse of him, it was all over! That moment took my breath away. I continued to come in as a patient, always coming in right before lunch in hopes he would ask me to join…he never did! A few years (and two more car accidents) went by and we finally got together! We were engaged 2 years after that! (Haven’t had a car accident since…coincidence, I think not!) – the bride

We had a few things done for the wedding, but quickly realized we needed help! We were going to have around 200 of our closest friends and family and we wanted them to have the time of their life! We found Lori with Simply Divine Events and boy did we strike gold! She had so many great ideas! We had a photo booth that doubled as a guestbook and favor for our guests, we did a ‘create your own cupcake’ bar along with our cake that was so different, which I loved, and there was a cigar roller for the cocktail hour. We had specialty cocktails made that represented our backgrounds, Italian for Todd and Spanish for me. We also had a kids activity room to keep the little ones occupied. We wanted the dancing part of the evening to be more like a club and less like a wedding so we chose most of the music that was played. But the ceremony was my favorite part. The officiant Lori suggested did this Native American blessing that almost everyone later asked me about and said how much they loved it. The whole ceremony and reception were truly breathtaking!

from Lori at Simply Divine Events …  Last fall we had the pleasure of helping Todd and Yolanda plan their wedding at the T.Pepin Hospitality Centre in Tampa, Florida. We incorporated a photobooth guest book as well as pool tables and shuffleboard tables for fun! A cigar roller and a cappuccino cart, a special kids room with games, movies (and a babysitter!) were a few more fun additions to the party. While their dinner guests enjoyed a seated meal, kids feasted on a kid’s buffet of peanut butter, mac n’cheese sliders and pizza! Adults and kids alike enjoyed decorating their own cupcakes at the cupcake bar. Our thanks to Belle Rempert Photography for the gorgeous photos! Congratulations to the handsome groom and beautiful bride!

With the help of so many people, I married my best friend. I couldn’t have asked for a better day! -yolanda, the bride

Venue: T. Pepin Hospitality Centre / Wedding Planner: Simply Divine Events / Photography: Belle Rempert Photography /Make-up: Hollie with My Make Up Pro / Decor: Floral- Events in Bloom / Plant Rental- Plant Directions / Lighting: Inspire Entertainment and T. Pepin Hospitality Centre / Cake and Cupcakes: A Piece of Cake / Catering: Catering By Design / Bar: U Dream Events / DJ: Rob Johnson / Coffee cart: Cafe A La Carte / Photo Booth: ShutterBooth / Calligraphy: Calligraphy by Jennifer / Stationery: Maxeli Designs / Linens: Connie Duglin / Transportation: VIP Limo

Wednesdays are always amazing here at Style Me Pretty because these are the days we delve into a whole string of lovely weddings all day long. Your bosses might hate us but all you wedding gurus are going to rejoice because today just might be the loveliest Wednesday yet. And if you are loving what you see, be sure to click on the gallery links for the whole wedding in one sweet spot.

Our first wedding is all about color; bright, golden, luscious color that just works so beautifully with the fun whimsical details of this California soiree. And if you think the dress is lovely, just wait until you see the dreamy concoction that is the wedding cake. Carlie Statsky was on hand to take a ton of gorgeous pictures and this is just a handful. See the full wedding from top to bottom in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

Initially we looked at farms, barns, lavender fields, hotels and wineries…all the usual places.  Given that we had less than a year to plan and a lot of places were booked up.  We expanded our search further and happened upon a hidden south bay gem, Clos La Chance.  Driving through the beautiful color turning vineyard into a parking lot, we didn’t know what we would find.  Once through the doors, it opened to a secluded valley of rolling hills and golden light.  It was quiet and remote and felt like a little piece of Tuscany.  Everywhere we turned there was breathtaking colors from the vines, lawns, stone walls, flowers and of course that golden light. Jason and I are both pretty happy go lucky people and wanted something simple, elegant and beautiful.  An occasion to mirror the way we felt about each other.  We chose yellow as our accent color because it just seemed happy and made us both smile.  The grey helped to sophisticate the moment.  Once that was nailed down things slowly fell into place.   My cousin Nikola, Jason and I designed the invitations and our friends at Fong Brothers’ Printing did an excellent job staying true to color.  A little sweat paid off.  We loved the end result of these custom stationary that felt like us!  I love DIY projects and continued with large scale flowers which played as both fans and programs.  Our lovely birchwood placecard holders were each individually sawed by my stepdad Thuan.  He also scouted the tree branches for the table numbers!  Mum got into the mix and made her infamous Parisian macaroons in yellow favors of pineapple, lemon poppy seed and my favorite passion fruit!  Jason’s mom made me an incredible heirloom belt fashioned from black diamond beads, natural pearls and crystals.  It completed the dress from my Aunts Daisy and Laysun.  My borrowed piece were the colorful tear drop earrings from my aunt Laysun.  They couldn’t have suited me or the occasion more!

And then we came to the day!  Girls got styled at Cinta Salon and were met by our incredible videographer Ryan Southwell.  He’s a rockstar.  He has an incredible eye and is an editing genius!  We felt so lucky to have him around.  As we got groomed the boys awaited their maidens in Maiden lane under yellow umbrellas!    Who knew!  Our first look was on that street outside one of our favorite stores Marc Jacobs who’s initials are that of Marilyn and Jason!  We later swung around the corner to Neiman Marcus where the girls had their make up done earlier.  We had a quick shoot at The Rotunda restaurant which has this stunning stain glass roof top that happens to be yellow and grey.  Let’s just say we really liked this theme! The ceremony, was short, sweet and meaningful.  Our pastor Mari Hanes did a wonderful job of celebrating the day and also touching on matters of spirituality and the heart.  Dad almost had me tripping over my dress.  He was so nervous!  But he did a great job!  As I walked down the aisle I could hear, Carlie, my photographer’s voice saying “go slow and take it all in”.  All I could see were smiling faces and happy tears of our friends and family.  Such a lovely moment as I walked down to a string rendition of Coldplay’s “Yellow”.  Thanks to Keira my maid of honor for that very appropriate choice! I shed a few tears and my now husband some more.  It was a really happy moment to be married to your best friend and to have all your friends and family there and happy for you!

We were so lucky to have an incredible dream team of vendors we would call friends in a heartbeat.  Our photographer Carlie Statsky did an amazing job of showcasing the rest of our vendors work and capturing our love, the festivities, the color and that golden light again!  Our florist was simply the sweetest and delivered on all we could have dreamt.  She sourced out our favorite flowers and really did a take on what we asked.  We explained to her our inspiration was an Anthropologie-nature-inspired-garden theme that would be whimsical and quirky.  We asked for colors you would find in a sorbet store and for birch pieces.  She nailed it and used some of our inspiration fabrics in my bouquet and also the flower girl’s basket.  Talk about attention to detail.  Absolutely amazing.  If we weren’t admiring the beauty then guest were probably noshing on what I can say is one of the best meals I have ever had (twice!)  Le Papillon’s food was visually spectacular and just delectable!  Hor deourves to die for.  Truffle oil Hamachi on toast point was a favorite!  Washed down by special request sangria!  This could only to be followed by The Cakemakers’ layers of passionfruit or chocolate cake covered in a soft white chocolate wrap.  Oh my!  I’m drooling as I’m writing this!  Jason and I are both foodies so it was especially important that our guest get to enjoy the day as much as we did!

The night rolled on with laughter, tears and cheers as we heard more speeches from my brother Marcus, Chris the best man, Keira the maid of honor, Jason and myself.  We inscribed on our invitation that the ceremony would be “followed by dinner and a rollicking good time”, and that ensured.  Keith Johnson and the All Stars rocked the night away.  We had uncles that I didn’t know danced shaking tail feathers.  We have photo booth evidence of the of revelry!  A night to remember and one we will never forget!

Photographer: Carlie Statsky / Venue: Clos la Chance / Videographer: Ryan Southwell / Stationery: Invitations, menus and programs were designed by the couple themselves and printed by Fong Brothers Printing / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Bridesmaid Dresses: Alfred Sung / Men’s suits: Calvin Klein / Cater: Le Papillon / Band: Keith Johnson Band / Cake designer: Bala “The Cakemaker” / Hair: Arvin Tohardi of Cinta Salon / Makeup: Neiman Marcus / Florist: Nicole Ha / Macarons: Agnes Chia (mother of the bride)

This wedding reads like a who’s who of wedding vendors from the amazing Kate Harrison Photography to the awe-inspiring Nancy Liu Chin Designs.  Basically, no matter what your own personal style might be, this is a wedding that anyone can agree is pretty close to perfect.  The radiant, love-filled looks on the faces of the bride and groom says it all!  The full gallery is your source for more flawless wedding inspiration.

Click here for more inspiration in the full wedding gallery!

Mark and I were both summer interns at the same law firm. There were only about 20 summer interns at the law firm, so we met right away. The funny thing is that we discovered that we had gone to the same college (Stanford), were the same major there (International Relations), and were also currently students at the same law school (Harvard). It was astonishing that we had not met before then. We were friends/flirted through the summer and through most of our third (and last) year of law school. We didn’t start dating, however, until right around the end of law school.  The beautiful summer wedding was very true to Palo Alto with lots of small local vendors & everything at Palo Alto venues. We provided a huge party for 215 guests and made everyone’s comfort paramount.

Wedding Photographer: Kate Harrison Photography / Wedding Event Planning + Coordination: Dream A Little Dream / Ceremony Venue: Stanford Memorial Church / Reception Venue: Twelve Oaks / Cake + Desserts: Icing on the Cake / Cupcakes: Sprinkles / Bar staffing: Bartenders Unlimited / Caterer: Chef Larry Chu / Coffee: Coupa Cafe  / DJ: Denon & Doyle / Flowers: Nancy Liu Chin Designs / Lighting: Got Light? / Waitstaff: The Party Staff / Rentals: Hartmann Rentals  / Limo: Lone Star Limo

This absolutely stunning Holman Ranch wedding by Flory Photo was planned in …..wait for it…..eleven weeks! Believe it. Lucky for the couple, the stars aligned and they were able to team up with some fabulous vendors to make their day look effortlessly breathtaking. And don’t even get me started over the  floral design by Laughin’ Gal Floral (who by the way grows everything she uses on her farm), it was utterly perfect for the day. There is no doubt in my mind that you’ll want to see more of this wedding planned in record time, and there is a full gallery of images that will allow you to do just that.

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Ryan and I both grew up in California and knew we wanted to get married outdoors.  We spend a lot of time camping, hiking, snowboarding and all around exploring and the thought of being indoors just wasn’t our style.  We wanted a casual, laid back wedding that felt more like a vacation where we “happened” to get married.  So for over a year while Ryan finished a masters degree I poured through blogs and scoured locations from Santa Barbara to Trinity County but there was always something that wasn’t quite right.  Then we came across Holman Ranch and immediately fell in love all over again.  It was the beginning of spring and everything was starting to grow, birds were literally singing.  But they had no availability until 2011 and wait listed we were.  A few days later they called with an opening (oh happy day).  The catch…. the opening was in 11 weeks.  It took about a minute to decide. So I spent one afternoon in sheer panic about how we were actually going to pull this off and then the clouds parted and everything just seemed to fall into place.  A save the date email went out within days, the gown and bridesmaid dresses were picked and ordered that Saturday, the invitations were hot off the press by the following Wednesday and found the most fantastic vendors that all just happened to be available on our date.

I know it sounds cheesy but we loved every minute of our wedding day because it went so smoothly.  The weather was perfect, the food was amazing, the champagne never stopped flowing, and all our friends and family had smiles on their faces.  Right before sunset Ryan and I trudged up a hill and Joel took some amazing photos in the field with a giant oak tree.  He has his wife Cara were so much fun to work with and captured all the happenings we were not always aware of.  Food was extremely important and we wanted our caterer to focus on seasonal and locally sourced sustainable and organic food.  Tammy and the team at Grapes of Wrath came through big time.   Neither Ryan nor I are big fans of cake so we went with a dessert bar filled with things we love.  Sharing root beer floats under twinkle lights was the perfect end to our day and now neither of us can have one without getting nostalgic.

Venue: Holman Ranch / Catering: Grapes of Wrath / Floral:Laughing Gal Floral / Photos: Flory Photo / Brides Dress: Priscilla of Boston / Brides Shoes: Mia / Bridesmaid Dresses: Anna Elyse collection through Bella Bridesmaid in Los Gatos / Jewelry: Nordstorms / Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Men’s Wearhouse / Invitations: DIY courtesy of Wedding Paper Divas

We are going to interrupt the real wedding festivities for just a wee minute to introduce you to the work of Siri, our newest addition to the SMP Look Book. Fashion, after all, is a big part of your Big Day and all of your ladies will be covered with this collection. Siri includes gorgeous dresses for brides, bridesmaids AND mother of the brides. Take a look at some of our favorites from their new Spring Collection

Gorgeous, right? The stunning colors, the modern take on classic silhouettes, the bevy of choices…there is A LOT to love about Siri and all of it is made in San Francisco, California. They get definite bonus points for that. So if you, your bridesmaids, even your moms are still looking for just the right dress to wear on your wedding day, definitely have a look at Siri’s collection of gorgeous dresses in the Look Book.