It is officially crunch time friends with just about a week (A WEEK!) before Santa strolls into town. If you are anything like us, your weekend is about to be filled with last minute shopping, holiday decorating and sweet treat baking with hopefully a few moments of relaxation in between. Before we brave the crowd of last minute shoppers we want to leave you with such a cute way to capture that “We’re Married!” glow. Kelly Hornberger photographed this festive day after shoot and it is filled to the brim with fun. Plus, any session that includes a Sixteen Candles moment à la Molly Ringwald is positively perfect in our book. Be sure to check out the gallery for more of Dena + Josh’s day after session and of course, we wish you all a Happy Weekend!
Enjoy these pretty posts and we look forward to seeing you on Monday!
a rustic wedding that is the definition of California cool
an ever so crafty Wisconsin affair
darling details abound in this Orcas Island wedding
a gorgeous, and we mean GORGEOUS vintage affair
Flowerwild brought the pretty with this seaside wedding
a day filled to the tippy top with lovely weddings
an undeniably romantic wedding for two here and here and a fabulous film to go with it
Fun links from around the web:
cookies as an art form and don’t even get us started on her cakes via Maggie Austin
a whimsical+ modern take on wedding inspiration via Snippet and Ink
looking for cute holiday gift tags? try these free printables on for size via love.obsess.inspire
We’d also like to extend a very warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book Members…
If you weren’t in the holiday spirit before I bet you will be after taking a look at this awesome holiday spread from Simply Bloom Photography! Tons of sparkles, yummy cakes and red napkins all tied in a bow make for some good holiday cheer. Vania and Christine took a super fun approach to traditional holiday decor sprucing it up with inspiration from Cinderella without being overly girly. Now I’m totally craving some sugar-coated cranberries! There are more treats and goodies galore in the full gallery!
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We wanted to create a table-scape that was the abstract interpretation of the holidays. While brainstorming to create something unique and inspiring, we thought of cardinal birds, cranberries, bows, and lots of glitter. From there we were further inspired by Cinderella & Enchanted.
The napkins tied as bows are a simple way to add a little drama to a holiday-inspired wedding table-scape. They are also reminiscent of luscious wrapping bows on Christmas gifts. The banner made up of two cardinal birds was directly inspired by the Disney fairytale; in particular, the scene when Cinderella is dressed and adorned by birds. We also loved the idea of the two birds as “love birds”.
The stationery was created by the ever so talented Kate Holland of Ruby and Willow. She sent us her incredible creations all the way from New Zealand, and the long trip was so worth it. We felt the stationery brought a contemporary feel to the shoot, and really presented the elements in such a lovely and unique way. We can’t brag enough about this stationery, the hand-drawn designs, modern shapes, and whimsical aspects made up a stunning wintery collection.
The centerpieces were glamorous and simple. Tall glass containers were rich with fresh cranberries and crystals! Other simple and inspiring details we created included: hot chocolate mugs rimmed with crushed peppermint chocolate. Icy blue hot chocolate stirrers and a love-bird sized red velvet cake iced with ice blue frosting.
Jen Curtis is the photographer behind some of our all time favorite weddings. Like this amazing wedding and this gorgeous farm affair. It’s the simplicity behind her images, the crisp, clean way she photographs each and every detail…that has us smitten time and time again. And this next little number that Jen sent our way, is no different. This Rhode Island affair is the epitome of lovely. The epitome of chic. The epitome of simple, timeless elegance. And guess what? There is so much more in the gallery. Oh and make sure to check out her brand spanking new website if you’re looking for even more gorgeousness!
Jonathan and I lived four houses away from each other in High School. I was new to the neighborhood and was walking the long way home – alone. Noticing this, Jonathan called out “Hey you you’re walking the long way!” We quickly became friends through high school; we gave each other rides home, skipped seventh period and watched each other date all the wrong people. It wasn’t until we were in Boston for college, that Jonathan gathered up enough gall to finally admit what we both were thinking, we wanted more than friendship. The bet paid off and we dated for three years. The last year of our relationship was tumultuous. I underwent two surgeries and was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer. During my stay in the hospital Jonathan stayed with me only leaving to sleep, it was during these trying times that we knew we wanted to share our lives together, to be there for one another forever, what ever came our way. Three months later, Jonathan purposed on a gray May day by the sea side.
We wanted a very intimate wedding, inviting close family and friends. We chose Linden Place for its quaint township, rich historic presence, refined beauty and location a block from the ocean. Before the ceremony, guests could take a tour through the main house, a working museum. Guests then cut through the house and walk out the back into the gorgeous garden where the ceremony takes place, greeted by infusion jar refreshments and a string trio.
Jonathan and I choose to have a first look. I have a tendency to be a bit emotional, and I didn’t want to be sobbing during our vows, so a first look it was. I enjoyed having a few minutes with him before the ceremony, it was nice to relax and just chat with my best friend before the hustle and bustle of the day.
We were watching the weather all day-it called for a fifty percent chance of rain. At ceremony start time we were all clear. I made it down the isle and just as Jonathan’s father was beginning the sermon, it started to rain. I felt four raindrops glanced up at the sky, and said a little prayer. As soon as it had came it stopped and the rest went off without a hitch.
It was extremely important that we incorporated as many personal touches into the wedding as possible. We wanted this day to be all about a celebration of family. Jonathan’s parents were both active “friendors” his father, a reverend married us and his mother made our wedding cake. I am and English teacher at the high school we both attended, so we decided on an early summer theme of “books and birds”. For the flowers I knew I wanted soft peach and ivory cabbage roses and peonies, with a few calla lilies sprinkled in as a nod to my grandmother who carried them on her wedding day. My bridal crew was such a huge help. Together we made twelve tissue pomanders, cut 100 birds and hearts from book paper, applied faux mercury glass to twelve vases and created the “Just Married” banner on our sweet heart table. Jonathan and I are self-proclaimed coffee connoisseurs so a coffee and tea bar served as parting gifts.
Our wedding turned out to be more than we could have hoped for. It’s such an amazing feeling to be surrounded by people you love and who are there to celebrate your marriage.
Anytime I see a wedding with Sprinkles Cupcakes, my heart does a pitter patter. But with this wedding, it wasn’t only the cupcakes that got me giddy. It was the awesome pink, gray and white color palette. The shock of pink is SO chic and really brings this style to a level of gorgeousness that I love. Plus, the bride and groom really made an effort to make their day hugely personal…from the flowers that the bride’s girlfriends crafted to her collection of vintage hankies that were handed out to guests at the ceremony. Every detail was a reflection of who they were as individuals and who they had become as a couple. Photographed by Holly Steen at Cakes and Kisses, this is definitely a keeper. Click here to see even more.
My wedding day was one that I had pictured many times and in many different ways. Still, the actual day was much better than any I had imagined. Jason and I met the first day of college and were inseparable right from the beginning. He waited until after we graduated to propose and then 16 months later, on November 6th, we were married. I had the most fun planning! I wanted our wedding to feel very personal so we decided on a small guest list of 50 people. After finding the chapel and my dress (the second dress I tried on), everything fell into place. We chose the Wayfarers Chapel because of its natural beauty and simplicity. The walls and ceilings are mostly glass so although we had an indoor ceremony, we had the element of nature as well. The chapel is so beautiful on its own that we didn’t need to decorate it at all. My dress, originally an A-line, was altered to more of a mermaid shape – which I love! I fell in love with how simple and beautiful my dress was. It was raw silk with cloth-covered buttons that ran all the way to the end of the train. Love! I walked down the aisle to an acoustic piano version of Coldplay’s “Yellow.” The moment I walked into the chapel on that perfectly crisp fall day with husband- to-be waiting for me at the altar was pure magic.
Choosing our photographer, Holly Steen of Cakes and Kisses, was the easiest decision of all. Not only is she jaw-dropping talented, but meeting her felt like meeting a friend that I hadn’t seen in years. In fact, all of the vendors that helped us were so incredibly kind and I feel like the luckiest bride to have had all these amazing people lend their talents to our special day. We knew we wanted something different than a traditional wedding DJ and finding Paul Lemire, an acoustic guitarist, was a dream come true. Courtney, our wedding coordinator, from Bellagio Group Design, was nothing less than amazing. She took my vision and made it so much better than I could have imagined. One of my favorite moments from the day was a surprise that Courtney had planned. When Jason and I saw each other before the ceremony, he was waiting down by the marina and as I walked down to meet him, one of my favorite songs started playing.
Two of my dear dear friends did the flowers the morning of the wedding. We woke up before the sun that morning to buy the flowers from the Los Angeles Flower Mart. Walking through the flower mart, we came across the most vibrant pink peonies I had ever seen. I couldn’t resist them! Although the original plan was to have all white flowers, I knew the peonies were meant for me. When Jason proposed, we hid the ring in a bouquet of pink peonies so carrying peonies down the aisle made perfect sense.
I wanted guests to remember our wedding as true to our personalities. The smallest of details really helped achieve this. A vintage suitcase with hankies was at the entrance of the chapel for guests to take “for their tears of joy.” The hankies were my own collection that I had collected from antique stores during our engagement. Sprinkles cupcakes took the place of a traditional tiered cake because of my crazy love for cupcakes. The song we danced to for our first dance was beyond perfect for us. Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am” is sentimental and humorous. We went to her concert earlier this summer and as soon as she played this song we knew no other song would be as perfect for us.
Even with all of the countless hours I put into planning, nothing contributed so much to the magic of special day as the presence of our closest friends and family there with us. Many of our guests traveled long distances to celebrate with us. To this day I continue to tell Jason how incredible it was to have all of our loved ones there with us that day. I am especially lucky that my youngest sister was able to come to the wedding. Being in the Navy, she had to leave for Guam the very next morning. Having her there with me meant the world to me. Growing up, I imagined my wedding day more times than I can possibly count but I couldn’t in even my wildest imagination picture just how perfect everything was.
We’ve had a wonderful week on The Little Black Book Blog! And we have saved the best for today … Caroline & Christopher’s super sweet (and emotionally charged) wedding in Cincinnati. With florals by the always amazing Courtenay Lambert and filmed by the awesome Steve Zugelter at Studio Z Films, their spring celebration was as good as it gets!
I have always been the girl who dreamed of her wedding day since playing dress up with my grandmother’s lace and high heels. At the risk of sounding corny, I knew that my wedding day would be just like a fairy tale because I have been lucky enough to live one with my husband. We met when we were just seventeen years old. College and budding careers separated us for a time, but we both knew deep down whatever road we traveled it would eventually lead us back together again.
Nine years later, in the same place we formally met for the first time, Christopher asked me to marry him. I couldn’t have been more thrilled! We started planning immediately, gathering inspiration from one simple word, romance. We wanted everyone who attended our ceremony and reception to experience and feel the love Christopher and I share…and of course we wanted everyone to dance!
The first priority was the venue and we knew when we saw the Hilton Netherland Plaza, Hall of Mirrors there would be no other place in Cincinnati that could compare. Although a traditional ballroom, it‘s art deco details, vintage appeal, and top notch service provided the perfect setting for a celebration. Our next priority was a photographer and I knew long before I was engaged who I wanted it to be, Stephanie Carson. She has the unique ability to capture emotion in the moment, without prearranged staging or posing. Stephanie was able to suggest a number of vendors and that is how we found Steve Zugelter and Studio Z Films. I looked up Studio Z Films online and sat with tears in my eyes watching other couple’s films. I knew his intimate style would complement our vision of telling our love story.
Beauty is in the details, and I wanted this to stand true with our wedding. My approach was: simple but elegant. I also wanted to include small sentimental touches because I am a sucker for nostalgia. Soft sage green, pale pink and ivory was the color palette for our late spring wedding. The flowers were more beautiful than I ever expected, they were full and lush and included fragrant peonies, freesia, garden roses and hydrangeas.
Handmade accessories for the bridesmaids and my hair piece were found on Etsy. We used Christopher’s grandmother’s recipe to make homemade jelly as a favor for each guest. Beading from my mother’s wedding dress was used to wrap my bouquet. Because we love to journal and document all of our adventures, our wedding gifts to one another were handwritten letters.
The day was perfect and went off without a hitch. All the little memories made the day spectacular. Putting on my dress and realizing I was actually getting married was an overwhelming experience. My dress felt perfect, classic, and timeless. Thinking about seeing my dad for the first time and having him walk me down the aisle still tugs at my heart. I knew seeing Christopher would be one of the most special moments of the day and it was a blur, thank goodness for our film and photos! It was important for us to have our ceremony in a church. Saying our vows in front of our closest friends, family, and God was the central part of what the day was about.
The reception was incredible! From the heartfelt speeches given by my sisters and Christopher’s best man, the phenomenal food, and having the dance floor packed from the first dance to the last dance three hours later made it the best day I could have ever asked for. We thank our family, friends, and fabulous vendors for making it possible and sharing in our love story.
I am pretty positive that New York City has a million cool spots to tie the knot with all of its fab nooks and crannies. But, there is one spot that we go a little crazy for, can’t seem to get enough of and aren’t above begging in order to score one of this coveted locale’s soirees. The venue? That would be The Nest Event Loft by Hatch Creative Studio. It practically oozes with sass and chic city details and this wedding photographed by Yasmin Khajavi is the perfect fit for it. A match made in wedding heaven. See the rest of the pretty New York details in the gallery.
Originally from different places in the US – (Dustin from a farm in Wisconsin, myself from a small town in Oregon) – we knew that getting married in the city where we met and currently live we be the most meaningful for us. Also considering the chain of events that occurred to lead us individually to New York City, and then to actually find each other here, was what we would like to call fate. Thus celebrating our “finding each other” in the Big Apple was a no-brainer! We chose to get married in October because the fall is our favorite time of year. Its when we met. When we moved in together. And when we got engaged (all in consecutive years, of course). So nostalgic and crisp! Dustin and I also wanted to have an incredibly intimate affair, with close family and friends – and all in one venue location. A cocktail party with drinks and food flowing all night was our vision of the perfect party. Dustin an architect, and myself an interior designer, we often times set our aesthetic standards high – maybe too high! We wanted to celebrate our love and our sacred union in beautiful and simple place – And not to mention, with a little “nod and wink to our country backgrounds” with a dash of rustic charm. Where would we find such a place in this concrete jungle?
After extensive searches we finally found The Nest Event Loft, home of Hatch Creative Studio located in the lovely Flatiron District: an ever-so-sweet loft space, studded with breathtaking views of the Manhattan skyline, and perched on the 17th floor of a beautiful and charming old building. Chocolate hardwood floors, white everything, breezy window treatments, and charming vintage nick-nacks scattered about. Perfect! We had a very DIY mentality and truly created so many of the details from scratch – from the save-the-dates and invitations, to the planning itself. We wanted a very clean and sweet palette that agreed well with the transition from summer into fall – whites, charcoal gray, sweet peaches and pinks, all with a splash of buttery, glowing yellow. My gown from La Sposa, Dustin’s charcoal grey suit from Paul Smith, and our bridal party in J Crew, the attire was that of a semi-formal cocktail affair. I love Etsy with all of my heart, so I worked different artists and designers for all of my accessories including my veil by Fascinating Creations, earrings by Jurgita Handmade, and my garter by Pomp and Plumage. Makeup artist Taryn Potenza really finalized my look with a perfectly fresh face that I could have never done myself!
With an intimate 75 guests, we made sure everyone arrived a tad early to soak in the views and enjoy a glass of bubbly. Our sunset vows occurred at the gorgeous perimeter windows of the space as the sky turned orange. As I walked down the aisle to an acoustic guitar version of “In My Life” by the Beatles, the room felt so full of love. We planted a little tree with the soil from where each of us grew up as a symbol of our unity, sealed our vows, and let the party begin! Tinna Brenton Catering executed a fabulous evening of nonstop food and drink. The concept was “appetizer versions” of our favorite foods, with an ever-evolving menu throughout the night. As “all over the map” as it may seem, our favorite foods are American Comfort, Mexican, and French. Thus the evening featured everything from mashed potato martinis and mini burgers, to pulled pork tacos and chips ‘n guac, to stinky brie and rustic baguette. We cut our cake to Edith Piaf’s “La Vie En Rose”, ate ourselves silly, and danced the night away. With the Empire State Building illuminated in the background, it was perfect down to every little detail. Above all, our wedding philosophy was: It takes a village. To help contribute to the DIY effort, we had the honor of having so many amazing friends and family contribute to key elements – the readings during the ceremony, our beautiful flowers, our scrumptious carrot cake and cupcakes, our fabulous DJ, and our amazing photographer who caught every detail with such a wonderful eye. Even our “wedding” sign was made by Dustin’s sister from a piece of old barn wood that she found on the farm in Wisconsin. The day truly couldn’t have been possible without everyone’s love and support. Thank you to everyone for contributing to our wedded bliss!
If this day wasn’t lovely enough, guess what. It just got even better. Curtis Heyne, genius behind the cinema brand Living Cinema, was on had to capture all of the little nuances, the subtle moments, the huge impact of the beauty behind today’s gorgeous wedding. And you are going to DIE when you see the result. It’s sweep-you-off-your-feet beautiful, grab a tissue kind of lovely and we couldn’t be happier that he chose SMP to share it.
A wedding built for two. Doesn’t that just sound hopelessly romantic? Blissful in that “only-in-the-movies” kind of way. Well, this beautiful couple took the idea of a private wedding and ran with it, hiring the FABULOUS Lisa Vorce and Mindy Rice to design the day and the florals, and SMP fav, Aaron Delesie, to shoot their photographs. Which are definitely more like fine art than wedding imagery. And the result was this magical, completely idyllic wedding that was as personal as it was gorgeous. Click here to see so much more!
After a magical ceremony performed by the fabulous JP Reynolds — Carey and Brian were summoned to their candlelight dinner reception. We had a tiered ruffled linen sewn for the dinner table with oversized ruffled napkins to match. Barker Decor draped the main dining room for us in the coordinating blue fabric which helped soften the room. Mindy did extraordinary floral arrangements which included peonies, ranunculus, anemones, and dusty miller. She incorporated cast metal branches into the arrangements for an unpredictable twist. So gorgeous! Daniel Rautman created an incredible four course menu for Carey and Brian that was to die for.
Lisa Holtzman calligraphed individual “Mr” and “Mrs” menus and we mounted them on velvet backers created by Papel Paper and Press. We partnered with Melody at Sweet and Saucy for the dessert extravaganza. We sent Melody photos of Carey’s china, and she created little works of dessert art to complement our over all design. Delicious and visually stunning!
All was captured perfectly by Aaron & Jen Delesie, and by Curtis of Living Cinema! Carey and Brian were a delight to work with and the whole day was exactly what we had hoped for them… private, romantic, memorable!
Allyson Magda always sends us such delightful weddings! Cori and Sean’s wine country wedding is chic and modern, but frilly and girly enough to charm the knickers off of any potential bride!
Corie and Sean’s Paso Robles wine country wedding was nothing short of just about perfect! Despite the HUGE hick-up of their venue filing bankruptcy months before their big day, we all learned the importance of wedding insurance and a creative coordinator!
Corie and guests rented out the entire Hotel Cheval in downtown Paso Robles, for the getting ready and wedding night suite. It made for a perfect backdrop for the the pre-ceremony portraits, and a perfect central meeting spot for guests and the bridal party, as it’s located in the downtown, walking distance to world class restaurants, tasting rooms and shopping!
Their nuptials took place at the lovely Villa de Buena Vista in Paso Robles, CA. Overlooking the gorgeous vineyards Corie and Sean tied the knot. With their love sealed with a kiss and a party waiting to happen, they and their guests enjoyed the celebration until the moon came up!
They celebrated their wedding vows with a honeymoon in Paris – ohhh, how lovely!!!!
Today is a really special day on SMP. In part because we FINALLY got our greedy little hands on a brand spanking new Lisa Vorce designed wedding, but also because Aaron Delesie, one of our favorite photogs ever, has helped us construct the photography story himself…handpicking images that allow the grace, the romance and the beauty to unfold so naturally. Top it off with stunning styling and florals by Mindy Rice and we are in total heaven. It’s a full day of Aaron + Lisa + Mindy gorgeousness and we seriously can’t stand to keep you waiting even a second longer. So without further ado, let the loveliness begin! p.s. you can peek at all the pretty right here.
When Aaron called me to tell me about Brian and Carey’s “wedding for two”, I was delighted! Planning and designing private weddings has become a bit of an obsession for us. Nothing more romantic than a private celebration for two! A little bit different than elopements in that these private celebrations have all the core components of a wedding (i.e. cake cutting, etc) — only difference is there are no guests! So intimate, so special, so incredible.
Aaron put Carey and I in touch and I fell in love with her during our first phone call. She is a no nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is woman! We honed in on some of her favorite “likes” (ruffles and feathers!) and her first assignment from me was to find china that spoke to her. She found the most fabulous Marchesa china and everything was designed from there.
Our color story included soft blues, muted pinks, sage greens, and a peppering of gold. Figueroa Mountain Farmhouse provided the perfectly private and romantic backdrop for Carey and Brian’s celebration (and….also happens to offer some of THE most magical natural lighting I’ve ever seen). For the ceremony, Mindy draped the ceremony structure in a soft blue velvet fabric (which draped beautifully!) and we had guinea feather trim sewn along the edges for a stunning accent (an ode to Carey’s love of feathers!). For the aisle runner, we used hundreds of guinea feathers to create one of the most interesting runners we’ve done to date! It was so wonderfully Bohemian — and so unexpected.
Before we head off into wedding la la land for the day, we wanted to introduce you all to some fabulous bridal accessories. It never hurts to start the morning off with some pretty head adornments after all. Jamie Slye is the uber talent behind our newest addition to the SMP Look Book and her vintage birdcage veils and headpieces are equal parts feminine and fun and 100% handmade. We’ve been swooning over her collection for awhile now and finally we get to share the goodies with all of you.
If unique and stylish is your cup of tea, you will surely fall head over heels for each and every piece in this fab collection. Jamie works with vintage and antique elements to create one of a kind adornments for every bride. No two pieces are alike but that is what we LOVE about her style. Buttons, feathers, lace, brooches… you can find a plethora of perfect details that effortlessly blend classic style with a bold, modern flair. Be sure to take a peek at even more gorgeous from Jamie Slye’s collection right here.
We’ve had a full day of absolute beauty and we aren’t done yet. Brought to you by the fabulous photographer, Gina Meola, this wedding manages to be both ridiculously elegant and completely fun…at the exact same time. A combination that is kind of hard to achieve. Held at the Pacioni Estate in Phoenix, this wedding is definitely the icing on the cake for a day of real wedding heaven. Click here to see even more.
This beautifully classic wedding was seven years in the making. Paul and Camille wanted their day to be a true reflection of them as a couple.
Their wedding ceremony was held at the same church Camille’s mother and grandmother were married. Camille wanted their intimate reception to feel more like a formal dinner party that a traditional wedding, and what better setting than the private Biltmore Estate that opened its cozy insides right out into the backyard. Details were incorporated throughout the night to make everyone feel welcomed and thoughtfully cared for. A divine gourmet dinner ended with mouth-watering tarts the couple first tried on a date to the restaurant, “Coup Des Tarts”.
Every wedding that we share makes me happy but this one, set in the picturesque Hudson Valley, really had me grinning from ear to ear. Each image from Scobey Photography is just so adorable and full of squeal-worthy details. All of which were designed and created by the bride and her family. It is so nice to see a more traditional wedding that is handcrafted with such elegance and grace. There is more inspiration to be found from this labor of love in the full gallery!
It’s a beautiful thing when two peoples’ paths merge into one… and then become a journey. What’s even more beautiful is when two families have so much love for their children that they, too, jump into that journey: with both feet. supporting. laughing. crying. loving with all of their hearts. That is what made Alex and Brian’s wedding so incredibly special (well, that and all of the amazing details).
Alex and Brian met in Nashville while attending Vanderbilt University. They grew up in two completely different parts of the country, fell in love in Tennessee, moved to New York City together, and got married at Oak Hill; overlooking the Hudson River on a gorgeous Fall day.
Brian chose to have their First Look in the same place that her parents had taken their wedding photos years before: Bard College. We love shooting First Looks; there is just nothing quite as intimate. Bard’s campus has one of Frank Gehry’s famed architectural designs, which made for an amazing backdrop for some portraits.
Wedding guests enjoyed a cocktail hour overlooking the Hudson River – accompanied by the soothing sounds of a Jazz Band. There were so many things that made this wedding extraordinary. First off, Alex (with the help of her super-woman mom and sister) imagined, designed, and executed this entire day. Everything. The invitations, the signs, menus, favors, table decor. Every-THING. Another beautiful touch? The cake-topper was the same one that sat on top of Alex’s parent’s cake years before.
From beginning to end, their day was such a labor of love, and it showed one-hundred-percent. It could not have been any more perfect.
Wedding Photography: Scobey Photography for Carla Ten Eyck / Wedding Florist: Floral Fantasies / Accomodations: Old Rhinebeck Inn / Ceremony Venue: Catholic Church of The Good Shepherd / Reception Venue: Oak Hill / Bride’s Dress: Romona Keveza / Bridal Salon: Kleinfeld’s / DJ: DJ Trevor / Caterer: Oliver Kita
I almost feel guilty sharing this gorgeous Summer wedding by Julie Mikos Photography with you during the cold, winter months. Almost. Hopefully it will keep you warm as you dream of sunshine, backyard BBQs and juicy cherries! I love the picnic vibe and a rustic, barn wedding in Sonoma County can never be wrong. The checkered linens are just too cute! There is so much more Summer-y goodness in the full gallery!
As always, it was a great pleasure to photograph at Healdsburg Country Gardens in Sonoma, California. I thought this late-summer BBQ inspired wedding was adorable! Loved the checkered table cloths and the cherry held escort cards. The BBQ was great too!
It might be absolutely frigid in most parts of the country, but this adorable DIY Sacramento celebration is sure to give you the warm and fuzzies. It was a complete family affair, so you know I immediately became sappy and heavy on the oohs and ahhs. For example, the table numbers were from the shingles of the grandmother of the groom’s house! All together now, ahhhhh….And don’t get me started on the gorgeous floral design by Botanica Floral Designs – a girl can only gush so much! For more images by Heidi Huber Photography worthy of oohs and ahhs be sure to visit the gallery.
The last thing Justin and I wanted was a pretentious, stuffy wedding. We truly wanted our guests to get a real feeling of the life we have built for ourselves. Thus, it was very important for us to infuse parts of ourselves and our families into our wedding. We chose our venue, Scribner Bend Vineyards, because it was along the Sacramento River where we got engaged. Not only were the grounds beautiful and intimate they were bespoke to the Delta location we desired.
Our families assisted in every detail along the way. My mother-in-law made all of the mis-matched fabric napkins (which served as favors). Apparently the napkins were a hit because we could only salvage 12 for me and Justin to take home! Our table numbers were made by Justin’s sister, Kera, and were shingles from the roof of his grandmother’s home. The ivory lace overlays were made by Justin’s mother. My brother made all of the “Handmade with Love” tags that were tied to the napkins and desserts. My mother made the ampersand that that was tied to the bride and grooms chairs. My father passed away 2 years ago, and before he died, he made a compilation of songs to remember him by. “In my Life,” was the first song on this compilation and I always knew it would be the song he would walk down the aisle (I had a photo of him in a locket that was attached to my bouquet). My father was also a fan of sweets – most notably, my Aunt Lisa’s homemade fudge and rice crispy treats. Two days prior to the wedding I, along with my aunt, mother, mother-in-law and dear family friend made fudge and rice cripsy treats and sealed them in a “doggy bag” that featured a picture of our dear dog, Lola.
I also wanted to have some surprises for my bicycle obsessed husband. I arranged for one of his bicycles to be decorated with flowers and a welcome sign to greet our guests upon their arrival. I also got him bicycle cuff links that were delivered to his hotel room the afternoon of the wedding. Being that Justin is from Arizona, we had a lot of out of state guests. Justin and I didn’t want a traditional guest book and I asked him to pick out a nice photography book of his liking. As we have decided to build our lives in California, Justin chose an Ansel Adams photography book simply called “California” for guests to sign. I loved it because people chose a picture from a place that meant something to them and left us a personalized message. Its one of the things I treasure most from that day.
All in all, we wanted a wonderful party to celebrate our love commitment to each other. I truly believe all of the personal details allowed guests to get a full understanding of where we came from and where we are going. From the second our guests arrived and saw Justin’s bicycle to when they left and grabbed a “doggy bag” featuring a picture of our dog and filled with desserts that would have put a smile on my father’s face – it was all us!
With Lake Tahoe as their wedding backdrop, it’s easy to see why this incredibly hip couple wanted to accentuate the natural beauty of the location throughout their planning. Their love for nature and fun personality oozes out of the breathtaking images by We Heart Photography. It doesn’t stop there, all of the details – including the ever so important beer pairing at dinner – personalized the event to give them a day like no other. See even more eco chic goodness in the gallery.
Our inspiration came from our passions and priorities as a couple. We truly connect with the land around us, and wanted to honor and compliment its natural beauty. We also really love craft brewing, which made the beer pairing dinner a no brainer. During our vows the sky began to crackle with thunder and the sky shared raindrops of love upon us and all of our guests. It was perfect. To be fair, we warned everyone that mountain weather can change at any moment… sure enough Mother Earth didn’t disappoint.
Be true to yourselves and enjoy the process. The details matter so much. Take time to personally craft the language of your ceremony so it is an accurate reflection of your relationship and each individual’s journey. Also, hiring a good coordinator takes a lot of pressure off the bride, groom, and families. Worth it! You’ll also want to go with Jake and Christin Willis with We Heart Photography to do your photos. They’re the best. Be sure to involve and include all ages of your guests at the reception. For example, don’t jump strait into hip hop. Represent some classic rock at first to bring everyone together. Champagne during the ceremony really helps loosen people up. Try something different, unique. Have fun with the celebration. Remember, people are there for you.
We see a lot of rustic, outdoor affairs but a well designed city soiree can be equally as gorgeous in our eyes. Take for instance this Cincinnati wedding that has the perfect mix of glam (hello gilded chargers) and a fantabulous urban chic backdrop. If you are yearning for more of this Ohio beauty, head over to the gallery. It is filled to the absolute brim with so many pretty images from TM Photography.
After over 8 years of dating and 15 months of planning, to say we were looking forward to our wedding day would be an understatement. Being Cincinnati natives, it was important to us to have our wedding in our hometown and we wanted to show our out of town guests why we had been raving about our city for so many years. From welcome baskets at the hotel that were filled with locally made treats to a late night snack of Skyline Cheese Coneys and Graeter’s Ice Cream, our love for our city definitely showed. We got ready at a downtown hotel and then spent the afternoon riding around a trolley to capture the spirit of Cincinnati. We wanted our portraits to be different from the lush garden of our venue.
My favorite moment of the day was doing our first look. Our videographer and photographer arranged for us to meet on the stairwell of the hotel. Walking down the hall and then up the stairs to meet my soon to be husband was one of the most surreal moments. Our team perfectly captured the moment for us in pictures. We really wanted a different venue for our wedding, while still being convenient for our guests and we found that at the Taft Museum of Art. A museum that was converted from the old Taft residence, our guests were able to view all the artwork on display throughout the evening while also enjoying the gorgeous garden space. We were married outdoors in the garden and really did not want to compete with the natural beauty of garden. Inspired by my bridal gown, all our design elements sought to capture a light, airy, and romantic feel. We used an abundance of baby’s breath, lush flowers for the bridal bouquet, and over 300 candles throughout the garden to achieve this vision.
Guests were greeted by the Bride and Groom’s favorite drinks before the start of the ceremony: Root Beer for the Bride and Sweet Tea for the Groom. A specialty cocktail of gin gimlets were adorned with “Love is Sweet” stirrers for guests to enjoy during the cocktail hour. Guests found an envelope at their seats that read “Smiles Go Here” to be used to carry their photobooth strips home at the end of the evening. In a nod to my career as a lawyer, we included a quote from the California “In Re Marriages” case on our program. We tried to include subtle, little touches that reflected our journey together as a couple. While I loved planning all the details during our engagement, at the end of the day there is nothing quite like seeing your friends and family kicking off their shoes to dance the night away. We ended up not even doing a special send off because we didn’t want to leave our reception a minute early.
Yesterday, Abby mentioned that she’s starting to like the idea of “themed” weddings. In the olden days, she would have cringed at that word! But brides, today, are really “getting it.” They’ve become adept at merging those little pieces of their own interests and personality with those of their groom’s, resulting in very unique and personalized celebrations. Subtle snippets of their passions and hobbies. Today’s Little Black Book Blog feature ~ shared with us by Jody Wimer of Jody’s Pantryand The JPC Event Group is exactly what we’re talking about! See the whole gallery here …
Amanda and Eric have a passion for all things geological and used this detail to weave throughout their wedding decor that gave it that special touch! Geologic specimens (ummmm ~ rocks!) marked the tables, were used in her bouquet (!), the boutonnieres, and were the cohesive element that tied it all together.
Amanda worked with Krislyn Design in Los Angeles to create her custom bouquet ~ containing pieces of coral, balsa wood flowers, Barite Rose and crystals.
From Jody at The JPC Event Group, The Mansion is located just outside Pittsburgh. With it’s lush gardens and a picture perfect day, we couldn’t have asked for anything better! After a butlered cocktail hour, the JPC Event Group served a three course farm-to-table fall harvest dinner. The tables inside were set with taffeta Colchester Pintuck linens in platinum. Amanda and her ‘assistants’ crafted napkin rings out of balsa wood flowers. For the table marker holders, she bent aluminum wire into the perfect shape to display various mineral and rock specimens.
We created the wedding cake to mirror the bodice of Amanda’s Monique Lhuillier gown ~ white chocolate fondant, silver lustred hand-cut hydrangea blossoms and garnishes. Guest favors were “chocolate rocks” from The Chocolate Shop in Smicksburg, Pennsylvania.
Amanda and Eric did a wonderful job of ballroom dancing during their first dance to the sounds of the Boilermaker Jazz Band. Overall ~ just a lovely day full of elegance and personal touches that were captured in lovely style by Kristen Penner Photography.
From the beautiful bride, Amanda, Eric and I are both geologists, collecting rocks is often the primary motivation for our trips! We decided that instead of table numbers, we would use rock and mineral samples that we collected to label the tables. We had halite from a trip to New Mexico, garnite and wollastonite from New York, pumice and ventifact from our travels to Iceland, aquamarine from Maine, breccia from Virginia, coral from Hawaii, and amphibolite from New Zealand! At the reception, as we visited each table, we enjoyed telling our stories about how we found “their” rock. And then, on our honeymoon, we collected even more rock samples!
It is Wednesday and our submissions box is overflowing (not that we’re complaining!) which means there is a whole lot of wedding eye candy headed your way as we clear things out. It is a total win win. If you completely fall in love with a wedding, don’t forget to click on the gallery to see every nook and cranny of it.
So, without further ado, we are going to jump right into our first pretty number. Captured by Raw Photo Design, it is the complete epitome of a classic New England wedding right down to that candle clad fireplace. Total perfection if you ask us and so worth a visit to the gallery.
I love a theme. My mother and Aunt are clones of Martha Stewart and say that I too have the “theme gene.” I really wanted a wedding with a vintage elegance feel, that felt like a dinner party more than a wedding. We decided to keep the wedding small with only about 80 guests, half of that Johnny’s large family! I wanted a unique venue that really captured the elegance of a bygone era. As soon as I saw Eolia Mansion at Harkness Park I knew it was the perfect spot with its stunning English gardens. I did a ton of DIY projects on a fairly small budget and was inspired by so many beautiful weddings on Style Me Pretty. I searched high and low and found beautiful mercury glass vases for the niches which helped bring in the vintage charm. I created a moss covered M for my new monogram and used inexpensive silver frames to frame old photos of close family members. Ribbon draped moss wreaths on the glass double doors went to match the moss tray carrying the calligraphy escort cards.
I chose to use peaches to accent the beauty of the blush in the flowers. Johnny and I actually picked them at a nearby orchard the morning of our wedding! The peaches were so fresh and summery; they were even used in the chicken dish that was served with fresh basil and peaches. The gorgeous bouquets and the table centerpieces were done by Yumiko at Hana Floral Design while I created the extra garden rose pieces in silver mint julep cups for the ceremony and reception. All the décor really came together better than I could have hoped on the day!
Johnny and I met in a hostel in Cinque Terre, Italy the summer of 2006. I had been living in Spain and he was stationed with the US Army in Germany and we randomly booked the same hostel for weekend trips with our friends. We kept in touch and started dating a year later when he moved back to the East Coast. After 6 months of dating, Johnny decided to move to New Zealand and asked me to join him. When we moved home a year later, without jobs or a home, he surprised me with a proposal on the beach in Maine. It was perfect!
The fabulous Kate Holt, at Flowerwild in Southern California, is kind of like my flower hero. Her work totally and completely blows me away…of course because it’s beautiful, but also because it has this “kate” effect, where you find yourself completely giddy the minute you open one of her picture perfect weddings. And this one, photographed by the equally talented Steve Steinhardt, is one of her best. Held at the gorgeous Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, it’s girly, it’s flirty, it’s fun and yet it’s BEYOND elegant. Kind of like the most perfect combination of wedding adjectives on the planet. And although we have a lot featured below, there is actually so much more in the gallery!
My British husband and I first met in London six years ago when I was there on a summer assignment. We carried on a long-distance relationship between London and New York for the first 3 years until I finally moved to London. When he proposed, I knew we were going to have our wedding in LA, where I grew up and where we could count on a sunny wedding day!
After going through a long-distance relationship, planning a wedding from abroad did not seem impossible. The task was made 100 times easier with my wedding planner Kathy, who did everything from suggesting some of the best vendors (including a British DJ now based in LA – how perfect!) to booking all our vendor meetings when my fiance and I were in town.
Before I even realized it, I had been dreaming of a peony wedding. All I knew I wanted for my wedding were beautiful flowers and for my guests to have a lot of fun. In addition to being beautiful and romantic, peonies symbolize good fortune in Chinese culture. When I mentioned to my wedding planner the sort of flowers I liked, she immediately recommended Kate. From the moment I saw the flowers on her website, I knew Kate would design exactly what I was looking for. From there, it was easy to pick a peony design for our stationery and elements of pink to pull everything together.
The letterpress invitations from the White Aisle (all the proofing and design was done online) featured a pink peony motif which perfectly complemented Kate’s floral design. As a subtle nod to my background (and one of my husband’s favorite foods), our ringbearer carried the rings in a mini dim sum basket which Kate also decorated with peonies. We also provided pink silk and sandalwood folding fans for our guests to keep themselves cool during the seaside ceremony.
I was the lucky bride who walked down the aisle twice and had two dresses to go with it. Our first ceremony was a Syriac Catholic ceremony, an important ritual for my husband’s family, conducted mostly in Arabic at St Monica’s church. The next day, we held a civil ceremony overlooking the Pacific followed by a reception at Shutters on the Beach. My husband and I wrote our own vows, which made that ceremony more personal for us and all of our guests. His vows first made me laugh and then cry.
We also had a lot of fun during our first dance. Because I really do say “tomato” and my British husband says “to-mah-to”, there was no other song for us but “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” sung by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
