This bride just might be the most gorgeous bride I’ve ever seen. And Courtney Lindberg, the talent behind the lens, captured her gorgeousness beautifully. Add to that a Los Angeles backdrop that has us swooning, a style that is both laid back and yet distinctly elegant, and sweet little details that made the day so special and you have…well, perfect. Click here to see even more.

click here to see the full gallery!

July 16th, 2010 was literally the perfect day. In a month of oddly chilly days, it stood out as one of those perfect, sunny days that California knows so well. Christiana and Heath Pliler, both residents of Los Angeles, picked a priceless location in the Bel Air Bay Club to exchange their vows. This private beach club overlooks the Pacific Ocean and provides the most natural beauty as a back drop to the couple’s “I dos”. They each got ready for the big day in separate rooms at the club. It was important to them to write their own vows but they chose to exchange them privately before the ceremony and say traditional vows in front of their guests. This made for a very special and quiet moment for each of them before they were swept away by the rest of the evening.

The ceremony started at 6pm, the bridesmaids wore dresses by The Vineyard Collection and the groomsmen were comfortable in their custom made Converse with their childhood nicknames embroidered on the side. The bride made her dramatic entrance in her Winnie Couture gown, while her groom’s eyes widened and watered. The ceremony was beautifully performed by an old family friend of the groom, there were many funny stories and tears of joy. Once the ceremony was over, their 200 guests enjoyed the bar and many passed hors devours including a few favorites such as tuna tartar, mini sliders and french fries served in paper cones. As the couple took pictures with the wedding party, the guests took their own pictures in a digital photobooth provided by Photoworks.

Christiana and Heath made a grand entrance into the elegant and vintage inspired ballroom and had an intimate first dance to a very personal song. Once the guests were able to join them on the dance floor, the party didn’t stop. The guests were treated to a beautiful three course meal and dined at tables dressed with amnesia roses, candles and vintage picture frames that the couple collected from flea markets in the area. Christiana and Heath wanted to make sure their loved ones would remember their wedding, so they paid extra attention to details all the way from monogrammed matches to a hand picked playlist that included a song written and performed by the bride’s younger brother.

After dinner their guests indulged in a lavish, old fashioned candy buffet and a gourmet ice cream sandwich bar catered by the popular Los Angeles food truck that goes by the name of Cool Haus. Christiana and Heath made sure their friends and family did not leave with a sweet tooth, they also had a four tier cake with three different flavors made by Jamaica’s cakes. Before the reception was over the couple requested a last dance to “Wonderwall” by Ryan Adams to take a moment to enjoy each other and their special day one last time.

Photographer: Courtney Lindberg Photography, second shot by Jen Castle / Venue: Bel Air Bay Club, Malibu / Dress: Winne Couture / Cake: Jamaica’s Cakes / Ice Cream Sammies: Cool Haus / Floral: EventWorks, Inc. / Event Design & Wedding Planning: Delicate Details & EventWorks, Inc. / Catering: Bel Air Bay Club / Band + DJ: Joevanie Rivas

Nothing is nearer or dearer to our hearts than a sweet southern wedding. And when we (Abby and I) refer to the south … we’re talking Texas! We’re talking charm and sincerity and that all-encompassing friendship that (we) Texans are famous for! Our LBB’s featured cinematographer, today is Elite Video Productions … Todd and Kim’s Barr Mansion wedding!

Todd & Kim’s wedding took place at one of Austin’s wedding “jewels.” Despite a minor setback (the Mansion’s reception building, the Artisan Ballroom, was lost to a tragic fire after being struck by lighting earlier this year), the staff at Barr Mansion erected an indoor tent, decorated with rustic charm. Todd and Kim definitely had a great attitude about the whole situation and even chose to have their photographer grab some modern portraits in front of the charred remains of the ballroom – awesome!!! Shot entirely on DSLRs, this highlights clip was definitely exciting to shoot and edit! –Elite Video Productions

Todd & Kim – Barr Mansion from elitevp on Vimeo.

Remember ~ capturing those oh-so-special toasts should be your priority! There is simply no better way to re-live the day completely than by watching your wedding film ~ over and over and over (and over) again! A huge SMP congratulations to Kim and Todd!!

To see more of Elite Video Productions’ films, please visit their website and SMP vendor portfolio page!

The next wedding in our lineup is courtesy of the fabulous Orbie Pullen Photography and my oh my do we have a total gem on our hands. It is such a wonderful mix of pretty, rustic details and a beautiful easy-going style… one of those weddings that doesn’t take life to seriously. Case in point, every guest at the wedding received a faux mustache to don for the group photo. Love it! See even more of this oh so fun day in the gallery.

see the FULL wedding here!

From the beginning, Ben and I knew that we wanted an outdoor wedding. As California natives, we live for sunshine and fresh air. When we found Chateau LaJoye, we instantly fell in love with the property and its owner, Joanne. The venue is in an intimate, natural setting, nestled between the rolling hills of the northern California coast. Confident in Joanne’s experience and hands-on personality, we moved our wedding up 8 months so we could get married in October, the most beautiful time of year in this part of California. Most important to us was creating a day where we could celebrate and have fun with our closest friends and family. We did not want a cookie-cutter wedding and much of our focus was on adding elements that reflected our personalities. Our unconventional side made its first appearance when our two-year-old labs, Duke and Duchess, came down the aisle as our ring bearer and flower girl. Duke wore a bowtie and carried the rings (the real ones!) on a pillow of Kermit mums strapped to his back, while Duchess wore a collar made of flowers. A close friend played our favorite song, “Tonight, Tonight” by the Smashing Pumpkins, on an acoustic guitar alongside a violinist and cellist for our processional. After the ceremony, we wanted to set the tone for the reception with some light-hearted fun: fake mustaches for the group photo!

The main color was teal, a salute to our favorite sports team, the San Jose Sharks. Ben and I added a little more Sharks flare into our attire – peacock feathers in his boutonnière and in my hair, as well as teal shoes for me. The table names were, of course, Sharks players. The secondary color was a dark crimson to tie in with the rustic feel of the venue. The florist, Alena Jean Whiting, added some of her own out-of-the-box ideas, incorporating succulents, berries, and pods to the flower arrangements. The centerpieces were garden-esque to add to the earthy, backyard feel. My brother hand crafted the centerpiece boxes to coordinate with the candy wall, which he also built for us. The candy wall harbored the wedding favors – a collection of all of our favorite sweets. We opted for a playful and whimsical “mad-hatter” style cake to complement the candy wall. If that was not enough to satisfy every sweet tooth, guests could make smores by the fire pit (we love camping, too!). We were also able to include a little English and German heritage into the day. I sewed my Grandma’s handkerchief from England into the underside of my dress. Ben’s family surprised us with a German tradition – the bride and groom have to successfully drink a glass of champagne from a special cup, while the groom proposes on his knee. Luckily, we passed the test. All in all, it was a day filled with love and laughter. Our ideas for creating our perfect day came to life with the help of our family and friends, and we couldn’t have asked for a more memorable way to mark the beginning of our marriage.

Photography: Orbie Pullen Photography / Flowers: Alenas Designs / Ceremony and Reception Location: Chateau La Joye / Officiant: Lucinda Martin / Cake: Cindee Prader 209-617-2343 / Violinist: Michele Walther / Caterer: Patti Schwartz Special Event Catering & Party CO. 650.726.1555 / DJ: Dave Gillis / Dress: Martina Liana dress bought from Gabrielle’s Bridal in Campbell

I have to be honest, I felt a major jealousy pang when I came across this destination wedding from Punam Bean Photography.  Not only is the setting absolutely divine (take a look at that view!) but the wedding itself is just so lovely with a natural and carefree air.  There is no need to fight your surroundings when you are in Santorini, Greece so you might as well make the most out of your location like using olive branches from a neighboring orchard.  The results are simple but so breathtaking.  Click here for more destination inspiration!

Check out the full wedding gallery for even more goodness from Greece!

Michael and I decided to get married in Santorini, Greece because we’d never been there before and wanted to honeymoon there. Santorini with a group of 50 of our closest friends and family seemed the perfect compromise between elopement and a traditional wedding celebration. My parents flew in from Taiwan, his family flew in from Austria and Germany. We wanted an intimate celebration so friends and family could really spend quality time together. We basically wanted an unforgettable party. The whole wedding was planned online, with a total of two phone calls. We’re pretty proud about that!

We found our amazing hotel, the outdoor chapel, the rehearsal and reception restaurants, everything online and then cross referenced with Trip Advisor. All arrangements were done via email with individual vendors. I was more than a little nervous prior to arrival since I’d never seen these places before, but everything turned out better than I could have hoped for.

We wanted the wedding theme to be simple and focus around the beautiful location, so decorations were kept to a minimum and stayed with a very “natural” vibe. We shipped two large boxes full of supplies from Save-on-Crafts where you can find just about anything you’d need to decorate a  giant ballroom, provided you are willing to put a little creative energy into it. Because we shipped our own decorations, we had to keep things light, literally. So we used vintage looking wooden crates as the centerpiece and filled it with Sola wood flowers (very light) and olive leaves. I made the table cards myself from blank Birch cards purchased from Etsy. The theme of olive leaves was heavy throughout the wedding not only for its symbolism of peace and love, not only because we were in Greece, but because it was practical, economical and environmentally friendly! Santorini is a volcanic island, so water is scarce and so are flowers. We found a woman on a neighboring island called Sifnos who owned an olive tree orchard and pressed their own oil. She ferried over a box of freshly clipped olive branches along with 50 small bottles of olive oil that came from those trees. We used these bottles of oil as favors for the guests. The olive leaves not only looked great, they provided a lovely story and the oil tasted divine.

The day before the wedding we rented a boat down at the Old Port from a company called Dakoutros Travel. The boat cruise lasted all day and took us to a nearby island called Thirassia where we stopped for freshly grilled seafood lunch. We also went to the hot springs and a hike up to the volcano. This is a typical itinerary for boat cruises around Santorini and  was an excellent way to start the wedding weekend, giving the guests a chance to get to know each other as many came from different states, and different countries and were meeting for the first time.

One very important thing I learned from planning a destination wedding: make friends with the locals, particularly your hotel concierge. Our hotel, Aria Suites, was absolutely incredible. They helped us arrange transportation, helped us locate restaurants (Michael and I rented a car for logistical reasons, but the island does not have street names or addresses!), they basically helped us with anything we hadn’t anticipated.
Our friend officiated the ceremony. It was quick and beautiful, with an appropriate reading from Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” Michael and I have wonderful memories of the wedding weekend, we wouldn’t do anything different. As for the 244 buttons I sewed onto the back of my dress, I’d do that again, too.

Today just so happens to be Wednesday and if you are a SMP fan, you know that you are about to be inundated with wedding after pretty wedding all day long. Wednesdays seriously, you complete us. So sit back and prepare to indulge in a little wedding marathon and don’t forget to check out the galleries for even more awesome details from each pretty packed post.

Lets get the ball rolling with one very English and completely awesome day photographed by Chris Barber Media. We are going to cozy up to or friends across the pond and get a glimpse of what DIY looks like in the English countryside. I’ll give you a hint, it’s off the charts lovely. And if you positively can not wait one more second to see the whole thing, you can sneak a peek of the full wedding here.

see the whole day in one lovely spot!

I stayed at Wethele with my Mum and sister, Kirstie after having a pre-wedding meal with all the bridesmaids, Mums sisters, and some of my Aunties. We had a wonderful breakfast and set off to work. The ceremony wasn’t until late afternoon so everyone worked extremely hard arranging the sunflowers, paper cranes, butterflies, fairy cakes etc. The guests arrived at 2.30 for a tea party which I heard went brilliantly despite some showers! Meanwhile Rich, his best men and ushers all got picked up in a convoy of old minis to take them to Wethele. Rich didn’t know anything about this as I had arranged it all. Rich and his friends used to all own minis, which they regularly drove around Cardiff in convoy. This was years ago, but Rich has always had a special place in his heart for his late mini, so it was a great surprise for them all. Unfortunately they parked around the back, so many guests and I never got to see them… but as I said, not all goes to plan, and the photos were fab!

My brilliant friend Liz did a great job calming me down and doing my make up, and my Mum who had been ushering the guests into the ceremony room (as the ushers were late) finally came up to do my ribbons on my dress. Seeing my Dad for the first time when I was in my dress was amazing, we walked though the rain together and down the isle to the Flower Duet played by the string quartet to where my handsome Rich with all my wonderful family and friends were there waiting. The ceremony was very intimate and beautiful. Two of our close friends, Claire and Brendan, read poems (one about paining love, and the other being “Us Two” from Winnie the Pooh!). I remember every minute of it and was my favourite part of the day. As we walked out of the barn together, the sun shone with everyone blowing bubbles which we had instead of confetti which was awesome, with some yummy nibbles and champagne. We got all the group shots done just before the heavens opened. We all rushed into the Marquee where Bowjangles performed, the guests mingled and champagne flowed. The meal was wonderful. Followed by the cutting of the most amazing cake ever. It was heart breaking to cut but I’m glad we did as it was absolutely delicious – each layer was a different flavour; fruit, chocolate mud cake and madeira!

We popped out to have some photos as the sun went down and came back for pudding, and speeches which were absolutely hilarious. Rich and I took some time out outside under the lanterns and fairy lights whist the band set up to play. I’ve got to say that our first dance was shocking, however, our friends soon joined us and most never actually left the dance floor apart from to get a few funny pics in the silly space set up in the marquee. Rich wanted a band, and I wanted good music that everyone knew, could dance to and wasn’t too old & cheesey. Mr Ben were excellent, and played tracks from Kings of Leon, Killers, The Jam, Green Day etc etc. At the end of the night somehow I ended up without the underskirt to my dress, with a big smile, some fairy wings and wellies, attached to the most amazing husband I could ever wish for. It was the end of a perfect day.

Photography: Chris Barber Media / Dress: Anna from Pronuptia / Suit: Formal Affair / Bridesmaids Dresses: Victoria Jane by Coast / Rings: Stone  from Jewellery Quarter / Brides shoes: Irregular Choice / Flowers: Bouquet designed by Steve Betts, Urban Design / Sunflowers: Provided by a family friend and arranged around the farm by brides Mum, Aunties and Bridesmaids (all 300 of them!) / Button Holes: Steve Betts, Urban Design / Cupcakes: DIY by Nicky’s Mum and friend, Annika / Welshcakes: Fabulous Welshcakes / Lawn Games: First Class Leisure / Bunting: DIY by Grooms Mum + Marilyn / Origami birds: DIY by Groom’s sister / Classic Minis: Provided by Mini Massive and Medievil Mini / String Quartet: Bowjangles / Lanterns: Ikea / Cake: Tracy Conod at Icing Heaven (0121 357 1430) / Band: Mr Ben

Gun Lake, Michigan. July 24, 2010 ~ Amanda and Ben, a team of oh-so-talented photographers and cinematographers and a group of very surprised wedding guests! From Ryan Koral at Epic Motion and K. Holly Photography …  a totally rip-roaring good time!

From Ryan Koral at Epic Motion …
Loved filming this wedding. Amanda had the best attitude of any bride. Super laid back and was constantly wanting to make sure everyone was having fun. So much so, that since it was taking people a little extra long to get the party going on the dance floor, Amanda and Ben decided to do a little wake-boarding on Gun Lake before the party really got going. Yes. This happened after dinner! ON THEIR WEDDING DAY. You gotta see it to believe it …

[iframe http://player.vimeo.com/video/36043724 601 338]

Amanda + Ben’s Wedding Trailer {wakeboarding included} from Epic Motion on Vimeo.

Ben and I knew from day one we wanted to be married on a lake. We met on a water ski team years ago and have enjoyed many memories on the water together. After Ben proposed on a warm summer night we both started thinking about where would be the perfect place to be married. We heard of Bay Pointe and made an appointment to visit the venue. We checked it out, and feel in love immediately. After many days of browsing through wedding blogs, inspiration magazines and putting my own love for fashion and style into the mix I came up with a design and inspiration for our wedding. I loved every aspect of planning the wedding. Incorporating both our styles and seeing things happen was inspiring. We wanted the wedding to feel warm and relaxed.

The wedding party and the crew all stayed at Bay Pointe Inn the night of the rehearsal dinner. On the morning of the wedding, the guys all went out wakeboarding well the girls got ready. From the start to the end of the day we all had tons of fun together, we laughed, we cried, and we smiled. After the wedding ceremony the wedding party took off on the boat for a while to let the guests find their places in the pavilion where the reception we held. We made our grand entrance, had dinner and listened to some amazing toasts. After diner, Ben and I had our first dance, mingled around and realized it is way to nice out to start dancing. We had no intension to wakeboard in our wedding dress and suit but we thought well why not. Ben found me over in a crowd talking and said hey get your wakeboard. I was like umm what? He said to me, “Oh come on you can do it you won’t even get wet”. My response being, ok but we better not fall. We decided right then and there that in order to get this crowd moving we better put on a show. We quickly let the DJ, photographer and videographer know what was going on and said here we go. We strapped in, we said a quick prayer that we wouldn’t fall and away we went. Sure enough, Ben flipped right over me in my wedding dress and him in his suit. It was amazing! All our family and friends cheered, screamed and smiled. That moment was big. Not only was it amazing, it truly defined are style, inspiration and love for the water and each other. Not only was the wedding everything we hoped for it was just how we wanted to start the rest of our lives together!

To see Epic Motion’s newest project … the Thank-You DVD (that couples are going wild over) … take a look at their blog {here}!

I love when we get to feature a film clip to compliment a feature here on SMP. It just takes the whole wedding to a new level, allowing you to see the wedding totally and completely come to life. And Libby’s wedding…is one that just BEGGED to come to life through film. Libby chose the ridiculously awesome cinema studio Well Spun Weddings to capture her event and the result will definitely make you cry, will definitely make you smile and will probably leave you wanting to mimic each and every perfect detail.

Amazing, isn’t it. A HUUUUGE congratulations to Libby and Jim. You guys are so absolutely adorable and I know that if your life together is half as gorgeous as this wedding, you are two very lucky people. We love you!

Photography: Hoffer Photography / Cinematography: Well Spun Weddings / Flowers and Event Design: Beautiful Blooms / Ceremony and Reception Location: John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove / Invitations: Sarah Drake / Dress: The Gallery by Lela Rose / Caterer: Jeffrey Miller Catering / Makeup: Jill Fulop – Face The Occasion / Hair: Natalie Pagano – Hair By Natalie / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff / Music + DJ: Craig Konowal – Circle of Sound DJ’s / Favors: Etsy Vendor – 2 Birds In Love / Watercolor bird table markers: Christina Galagarza – C2G2

We’re holding today’s first featured wedding very close to our hearts. The GORGEOUS (and I mean seriously gorgeous) bride is the very special Libby Pearn, who heads up our advertising sales here on SMP. But more than that, she is very much a part of our family. She is that girl that you always want to sit beside, that always brings a smile to your face, that just has that special something that seems to be so rare, so unique. So when we heard that she was tying the knot, we basically begged her to let us document it here on SMP. Libby recruited some of our favorite vendors to help her with her wedding including Beautiful Blooms, Well Spun Weddings, Lela Rose, Sarah Drake and photographer, Tony Hoffer and the result was a wedding that was as unfussy as it was elegant, as chic as it was totally approachable. To see even more, click right here.

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

Libby’s wedding is also being featured in The Knot Pennsylvania & Delaware, on stands February 7th!!

Pinch me! We’re on SMP. I have been faithfully devouring Style Me Pretty for 4+ years and couldn’t believe my good fortune when I was asked to become part of the team a little over one year ago. What could be better than planning your very own wedding, while looking at other gorgeous weddings all day long? Not much, I say!

I met the handsome man above in a limo (!) during a mutual friend’s birthday celebration, while attending the University of West Chester, just outside of Philadelphia. After relocating to the Boston area, we entertained the idea of a New England wedding but decided to come home to beautiful Pennsylvania, where so many of our family and friends still live. We instantly fell in love with the John James Audubon Society at Mill Grove as we drove up the long, tree lined drive. This venue exudes Pennsylvania charm and has everything that we were hoping to find. Fieldstone barn (check!), Pavilion with huge fireplace (check!), Classic old estate (check!), Porch with rocking chairs (check!), Owl at the cocktail hour (BIG CHECK!) The owl definitely sealed the deal…

I never anticipated how tough it would be to nail down the overall feel of our wedding, since I see so many wonderful ideas day in and day out! Our “Love Letter” invitations by Sarah Drake set the tone for rustic romance and as the weeks went on, I also found myself incorporating vintage and woodland elements as well. While my mom and I are pros at “hunting and gathering,” we’ll be the first to admit that we sort of lost track of our vision as we got closer to the big day. How were we going to incorporate all of this goodness into one cohesive style? And when I say “goodness” I mean 300+ bud vases, 20+ mason jars, 25 birdcages, an old typewriter, blue/white hankies, family love letters – you name it, we found it.

We chose SMP Little Black Book member, Beautiful Blooms in Philadelphia to discuss a plan of attack. With their help and ideas, we were able to incorporate all of our treasures throughout the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception and it just flowed perfectly as our guests moved from one event to the next. My personal favorite was their idea to paint all of our birdhouses blue and hang little vintage bird playing cards inside of them with ribbon, along with lots of flowers. To Maya, Donna and the team at Beautiful Blooms – we cannot thank you enough for your creative, over the top, amazingness!

We also had a lot of help from our family and friends, which showed in everything from the programs, the ceremony music, hand painted table markers, sweet little bird nests with ferns from my mother’s garden, wooden table pedestals, down to the microbrew selection. We are lucky to know so many crafters, musicians and brewers! Speaking of music, one of the highlights of the night was when my adorable father surprised me with a song/toast called, “A Song For My Daughter.” Waterworks! Well Spun Weddings turned this into the sweetest video for us to keep forever.

Photography: Hoffer Photography / Cinematography: Well Spun Weddings / Flowers and Event Design: Beautiful Blooms / Ceremony and Reception Location: John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove / Invitations: Sarah Drake / Dress: The Gallery by Lela Rose / Caterer: Jeffrey Miller Catering / Makeup: Jill Fulop – Face The Occasion / Hair: Natalie Pagano – Hair By Natalie / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff / Music + DJ: Craig Konowal – Circle of Sound DJ’s / Favors: Etsy Vendor – 2 Birds In Love / Watercolor bird table markers: Christina Galagarza – C2G2

So often we get swept away with all of the pretty details that a wedding entails (the dress, the shoes, the party) that we forget about the lovely men in our lives. Well Groomstars is just what the doctor ordered. They have a great selection of gifts that will be sure to clad your adoring lads in style. Plus they are the perfect go-to-spot for groomsmen gifts.

Whether you are looking for the perfect cuff links for your groom to sport on the big day, an engraved money clip to bestow on the groomsmen or maybe some exquisite cigar accessories to gift the father of the bride/ groom, Groomstars should be your first stop. And with such a plethora of great finds, you are sure to snag the absolute perfect gifts for your guys. Not sure where to start in the luxury gift department? Groomstars has you covered there as well. They have a ton of great ideas to best suit your every gift-giving need.

Right now Groomstars has a capital A – Amazing discount for you fabulous Style Me Pretty readers. Simply enter the code SMP1001 to receive 15% off your order. Perfect, right? Now all you have to do is head over and let the shopping begin.

Are you ready for this one? We realize it’s Monday and towards the end of the day, but we promise this chic celebration will be more than enough to help inspire the rest of your afternoon. There is something about a modern wedding that always captures my attention – with the clean lines and attention to detail, I find myself in awe of their complex simplicity. This wedding, which was inspired by an amazing pair of Christian Louboutins and captured by the talented Chelsea Nicole Photography, is a perfect example of why modern weddings are just so stunning. Believe me, you’ll want to soak up every bit of this chicness so be sure to check out even more in the gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

For months after our engagement my fiancé, Eddie, and I had procrastinated on planning the wedding. All that we were certain of was that we wanted a wedding in Las Vegas. We thought it would be nice for friends and family visiting from all over the world to enjoy a mini-vacation of their own. Who doesn’t like Vegas?! Aside from selecting a destination, planning a wedding seemed like a daunting process and we had no idea were to begin. I finally found inspiration in the most gorgeous pair of Christian Louboutin shoes. I pulled the gold and burnt orange colors from the shoes and began to design our wedding around them. My bridesmaids wore lustrous light gold dresses paired with custom freshwater pearl necklaces I designed for them. The necklaces included gold, champagne and copper colored pearls. For our wedding favors, I sewed luggage tags following a sewing pattern by StudioCherie that I bought on Etsy.com. I had never operated a sewing machine in my life, but I thought it would be fun to try. I felt it was the best way for me to create a meaningful wedding favor that reflected our passion for travelling and encompassed our personal style…unique and creative, yet practical. I chose a vibrant fabric with hues of orange and tied it off with a gold ribbon.

Suddenly, a mere 3 months before the wedding, Eddie and I were notified that the restaurant we had booked 8 months prior would be closing for renovations. Unbelievable! I desperately contacted my photographer, Chelsea Nicole, and asked for venue recommendations confident that with her great eye, she would know of the perfect place. And boy, did she pull through! Vintner Grill had amazing food, the restaurant’s modern and chic décor suited us perfectly, and the restaurant’s green and white motif complemented my wedding color palette completely. We even decided to add touches of green to our wedding invitations and programs (which we created and printed at home) and asked our florist, Naakiti Floral, to include the vibrant green in our arrangements. Just as I had found inspiration in my wedding shoes, Vintner Grill happened to be my second muse. The restaurant had an amazing outdoor patio which we were determined to make use of. So, during the reception, we had 3 stations set up outside for our guests to enjoy. An ice cream sundae bar, cigar roller, and wine tasting bar. The Ice Cream Sundae Bar featured 3 ice cream flavors and a huge selection of our favorite ice cream toppings which were displayed in charming ice cream sundae glasses. Eddie hired a master cigar maker from Don Yeyo Cigars in Las Vegas to roll cigars for our guests and I made custom match boxes with our names, wedding date, and monogram to accompany the station. Wine tastings were conducted by the restaurant’s sommelier and a wine decanter shaped vase filled with corks decorated the tasting table.

My favorite part of the planning process was working on the little details. And by hosting craft parties a few weeks before the wedding, I was able to add a lot of DIY touches to the ceremony and reception. Handmade cones with hydrangea arrangements adorned the pews of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, amusing custom crossword puzzles and Mad Libs sheets entertained guests, and escort cards made from Ferrero Rocher chocolates led guests to their table which was with hand painted table numbers. I made the table numbers using wooden numbers which I purchased on clearance from JoAnn’s Fabrics, painted a burnt orange color, and mounted on wooden blocks that I had painted white. It was a simple and fun craft project. Another detail I adored was the personalized “Mrs. Liang” hanger for my wedding dress which was made by the Etsy.com seller, lilafrances and is a wonderful keepsake gift given to my by one of my bridesmaids. The day was just bursting with delightful details!

The loss of our original venue proved to be a blessing in disguise. We were fortunate enough to have an amazing restaurant, a strong group of vendors, and loving friends and family to help us plan our wedding. It was everything we hoped our wedding would be…a bit alternative, modern, creative, and absolutely unforgettable!

Photography: Chelsea Nicole Photography / Hair and Makeup: Megan at Makeup in the 702 / Flowers: Naakiti Floral / Ceremony Location: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton / Reception Location: Vintner’s Grill / Shoes: Christian Louboutin / Custom hanger: Lila Frances

What to do … what to do … when Plan B becomes inevitable? Why you thank your lucky stars for the lovely ladies at Caplan Miller Events! Jacki and Nick had an absolutely stunning wedding (despite the rain) thanks to the incredible CME team. Take a peek for yourself!

images courtesy of photography by vanessa

Jackie, Nick and their families were such a pleasure to work with! You would have never known it was raining cat and dogs on their wedding day…and at The Wildflower Center no less! Their completely outdoor wedding changed on a moments notice as tents had to be brought in and with the ceremony and cocktail reception moving indoors. The wedding party handled everything with such grace it made the wedding that much more beautiful!

The colors were aubergine and apple green. The bridesmaids’ bouquets were in shades of purple composed of anemones, tulips and swet peas. The brides bouquet was in all white adorned with vintage family brooches.

The ceremony was held in the ampitheater making is dramatic and romantic. The cocktail reception took place in the gallery with jazz group The Lucky Strikes playing. Dinner was held under a tent with purple venetian chandeliers – table flower arrangements had an organic feel using manzanita branches and hanging candles.

The bride and groom live in Alaska and brought the most northern state down south by having Alaskan beer, serving Baked Alaskan Pies for dessert and having “Alaskan Snow Ball” (aka cake balls) as favors.

The night ended on a high note with the bride and groom leaving in a vintage Rolls Royce with a trail of fireworks a la My Best Friends Wedding!

Event Design & Production: Caplan Miller Events (Sarah Miller) / Photography: Photography by Vanessa / Ceremony & Reception Location: The Wildflower Center / Florist: The Flower Studio / Catering: Kurant Events / Cake Design: Coco Paloma / Lighting: FILO Productions / Furniture Rental: Townsley Designs

. . .

A few more spectacular events from Caplan Miller Events …

Liz & Tom’s wedding at The Four Seasons

Gorgeous Driskill Hotel Wedding

Beautiful Summer Garden Photo Shoot

A classic Newport Rhode Island wedding never goes out of style, particularly when styled by Raina Dawn Events with the gorgeous floral design of Sayles Livingston Flowers. This fabulous summer affair contained everything endearing about the timeless beach town including a sunset sail for all the guests around the harbor. If that doesn’t scream Newport, I don’t know what does! So for a moment put away your winter boots and put on your boat shoes because each image in the gallery by Carrie Rodman Photography will have you dreaming of sweet salt air and warm summer days.

click here for full wedding gallery!

Sarah & Jeremy were married August 7, 2010 in Newport, Rhode Island.  Sarah and Jeremy live in NYC and hired Raina Dawn Events to coordinate their destination wedding weekend.  The weekend kicked off with a rehearsal dinner at The White Horse Tavern on Friday night after guests checked into the Hotel Viking.  Newport was buzzing that weekend with the Jazz Festival in town and everyone was lucky because come Saturday there was the most perfect summer Newport weather!

Working closely with the bride and groom, the wedding day started early with all 75 guests arriving at 11:00 a.m. ceremony at The Kay Chapel.  Sayles Livingston, a fellow Little Black Book Member, designed all of the beautiful florals on the wedding day, while Carrie Rodman Wedding Photography captured every detail and moment with such beauty.  Sarah and I worked closely on both the wedding day events, as well as all of the fabulous details that were incorporated into the weekend.

Starting with a welcome galvanized tin of goodies representing Newport and Michigan, the bride’s hometown, the basket was full with everything from vintage postcards with history of all of the wedding weekend venues, custom designed maps of Newport, and much more.  They included muslin bags that Sarah hand stamped and filled with vintage style candies (i.e. “Eat at your own Risk” FireBalls, Lemondrops,  Fun Dip), along with vintage looking candles and matches.  In addition to the fabulous gift baskets in every guests hotel room, Sarah also had a number of other DIY projects she took on, like her vintage picture framed Menu Card Board and Escort card board.  Sarah also collects vintage McCoy vases so each table at the reception at OceanCliff had a large white McCoy vase along with a miniature animal McCoy vase that held the table number letterpress cards. Sarah also loves paper, so when it came to her invitations she had Mika 78 produce gorgeous letterpress invitations with a “Welcome to Newport- Wedding Weekend Events Guide” and Tara Jones provided the beautiful calligraphy.

Once the guests witnessed Sarah and Jeremy tie the knot at The Kay Chapel, the bride and groom got in The Hotel Viking London Cab and all the guests headed to OceanCliff for their afternoon wedding reception on the breathtaking coast of Newport.  As the sailboats went by, guests had cocktails out on the lawn and then were ushered into the ballroom for the wedding reception.  For something sweet the Sarah and Jeremy didn’t want the traditional wedding cake, so they opted for the fabulous whoopee pies from Cranberry Island Kitchen.  They were flown into Newport from Maine and Sarah had another DIY project, she color coated with adorable little flags  so guests knew which flavor of whoopee pie they were choosing on the whoopee pie buffet.

The wedding day festivities didn’t end there.  All the guests were then whisked away for a sunset sail on the Schooner Aurora.  Sarah and Jeremy met on Match.com, so when Sarah told me she saw this cute card by Snow & Graham that said “Perfect Match- Caution This Is One HOT ITEM”  I went right to work to have custom made napkins done up with this logo for their sail.

It was such a joy working with Sarah and Jeremy on their destination Newport, RI wedding.  Thanks to all the vendors, Sarah’s DIY vintage projects, and months of planning and coordinating with Sarah and Jeremy, the outcome was a beautiful, fun, intimate, personalized wedding with their own style and flair that truly shined through!

Event Planning and Design: Raina Dawn Events / Photography: Carrie Rodman / Flowers: Sayles Livingston Flowers / Ceremony Location: Kay Chapel Newport, Rhode Island / Reception Location: OceanCliff Newport, Rhode Island / Reception Sunset Sail: Schooner Aurora Newport, Rhode Island / Invitations: Mika 78 / Invitation Calligraphy: Tara Jones Calligraphy / Shoes: Jimmy Choo / Dress: Carolina Herrera, Kleinfeld Bridal / Entertainment: Melissa Woolverton and Rick Costa Band / Hair: LaLaLuxe Salon / Makeup: Makeup by Maggie Leonard / Whoopie Pies: Cranberry Island Kitchen / Perfect Match Napkins: Snow and Graham; ForYourParty.com / Accommodations: Hotel Viking Newport, Rhode Island

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Hotel Viking

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Imagine whisking away to a beautiful island where you’re greeted by a heavenly spread of s’mores and ice cream.  Then parading through town with a beaming bride and groom behind the coolest accordion player to an idyllic reception where a great Italian feast ensues complete with your own personal lemoncello di testani.  The night ends against the backdrop of the the most perfect sunset and lounging under the stars.  Sound absolutely divine?  Yeah, we thought so too.  Kelly McWilliams of Weddings by Socialites made this dream destination experience come true for these two lovebirds and their lucky guests.  Click here to see even more from this Italiano celebrazione in Boca Grande!

Check out the full wedding gallery for more inspiration!

This beautiful destination wedding was located on the quaint island of Boca Grande, Florida. The welcome reception included a warm fire pit with a s’more station and ice cream treats. The ceremony was held in the newly renovated St. Andrews Episcopal Church, which had an antique flair lit by brass lanterns which created a homey feeling among all who attended. The finishing touch to the pews were hydrangea and ribbon. The red door to enter the chapel was adorned with a starfish made up of white floral blooms.

All the wedding guests paraded to the reception site led by the bride and groom and an accordion player, where they enjoyed a cocktail hour and socialized among familiar faces. The reception was held in a breathtaking white draped tent outlined by glimmering crystal chandeliers. The floral throughout was composed of  purple hydrangeas, white gladiolus, and l peonies. The dessert table was overflowing with three classic cakes and matching cupcakes. Guests were thrilled to see the Cigar roller available for their enjoyment, and they smoked under the stars in the outdoor lounge.

Event Design, Planning + Paper Goods: Kelly McWilliams of Weddings by Socialites / Wedding Photography: Impressions / Florals: Floral Artistry / Ceremony Venue: St. Andrews Episcopal Church / Reception Venue: Gasparilla Inn / Tent: Premier Tents / Talent: Paul Lawrence / Music: Buzzcats

This Monday morning seems like the perfect time for a HUGE cup of steaming hot coffee (or two or three) and a good dose of whimsy. We’re huge fans of both so this Toronto wedding photographed by Claudia Hung is right up our Style Me Pretty alley. This beauty is jam-packed with loads of cute DIY tidbits and hot bridal fashion that has us saying yes, yes! to the dress. Welcome to Monday morning loves. Take a sip of that coffee and prepare to get lost for a moment in this AH-DOR-ABLE wedding. Psst…lest you forgot, there’s even more of this cute day in the gallery.

see every last stinkin cute detail here!

This all began when Ray proposed to me in Copenhagen back in January 2009. Although we decided to take some time to plan our wedding and set the big day for September 2010, I immediately began researching and gathering ideas for our wedding. We wanted to have a wedding that truly reflects who we are – simple and natural. Since we decided to go without a wedding planner, many of our friends and family members kindly offered to assist us in our wedding preparation. My Maid of Honour, Sandy, even created an in-depth cost/benefit analysis for hosting our wedding in Hong Kong (our hometown), Bali (for destination wedding), and Toronto (our adopted hometown)! After some careful deliberation, we finally settled on having an outdoor wedding at the Miller Lash House in Toronto. After we decided on our location, we needed to finalize on a theme to ensure that everything will tie together in one coherent theme. This was a very important and difficult part of the process since we liked many different ideas; yet, those ideas didn’t always go together. For example, I wanted something funny while Ray wanted something more elegant and graceful. We also wanted to incorporate some traditional elements to pay respects to our Chinese heritage; but at the same time, our Canadian values also played a huge part in shaping our identities and we wanted to incorporate some modern elements to reflect our lifestyle as well. In the end, we decided to host both our wedding ceremony and dinner reception outdoors at the Miller Lash House, where Asian hors d’oeuvres and traditional banquet-style Chinese food will be served. The venue itself – which encompassed a historical stone building rooted in the Arts & Crafts era with a spacious tented patio area surrounded by a lush forest, vibrant garden, quietly flowing stream, and grassy green fields – was so breathtaking to begin with that we were able to keep everything simple, yet elegant.

With lots of helpful advice from my bridesmaid, Leanne, we decided to go with a cozy wedding that was full of warmth, with a hint of vintage. To communicate the theme for our wedding, Leanne designed our save-the-date, website, and our invitations in different styles, as well as coordinated all the different decor elements. Considered that we have limited resources and a long wish list, we had to prioritize our wants and needs. While capturing our wedding day in both video and photographs is usually a given in our culture, we decided to allocate our “event recording” budget to photography alone after meeting with our Photographer Claudia. Her portfolio is amazing and she delivered what we wanted (if not above and beyond what we expected)! Claudia and her team captured our day so beautifully. Other amazing vendors also helped make our day smooth sailing. In spite of the late-summer temperature that was close to freezing at night time (welcome to Canada), our caterer and his team served our 10-course meal hot and yummy! The wedding cake was the best strawberry shortcake (Ray’s favourite) we had and the dessert table looked as amazing as it tasted! The lighting and sound system from mom’s friend was impressive and made the venue looked even more amazing than we imagined. We even received compliment after compliment for our music selection that day – thanks to our volunteer and friend-turned-DJ Bau! Our volunteer floor manager, Ivy, ensured the party flowed flawlessly and smoothed out all the hiccups without us even knowing!

While the gorgeous venue, delicious food, beautiful Erin at Vera Wang, and stylish chucks are elements of our unforgettable wedding, the many DIY projects we decided to take on are nearest and dearest to our hearts. Our lovely friends filled 40 something vintage China tea cups and saucers with fresh flowers, wrapped many many hard cover books with craft paper, and created stand-up letters in vintage-inspired fabrics as our table numbers, which was part of the centrepiece. My father-in-law found us some tree stumps to create two rustic cake stands; our friends constructed a 4ft x 4ft blackboard as our seating plan; my dad created the bunting as our gallant for the ceremony; my aunt sewed us the ring pillow with our favourite fabric, and me + ray made homemade jams as our wedding favours etc. We couldn’t account how much time we spent on creating these unique and individual elements for our wedding, but when they all come together on the wedding day, they created a wonderful picture that we have envisioned all along! The day was perfect for us and the memory will last a life time. We have some of our most important friends and family in attendance and everybody seemed to have a great time. As we walk down the aisle on this late-summer afternoon, we saw the smile on our guest’s faces and we know that they are all very happy for us; and when we sat with our dearest friends at the head table, we knew all the work we put in together, was well worth it, and the two of us will never trade the experience away.

Photography: Claudia Hung / Venue: Miller Lash House / Marriage officiant: Victor Li / Wedding dress: Vera Wang, style: Erin /   Make-up artist: Raybe / Stationery: Leanne, bridesmaid / caterer: Jacky Young of Grand Catering  / Wedding Cake and dessert table: La Bamboche / Florist: Karen Lao of Eternity Floral Design / Rentals: Exclusive Affair / Sound System and Lighting: Tommy So of Soho

Emily and Scott lived in the same building in Manhattan for a year before they met. They were finally introduced to each other through their door man. Their wedding was held in Tribeca Rooftop presided by a rabbi who was Emily’s teacher. Both bride and groom are dedicated in their belief of Judaism – the ceremony was held under the incredible chuppah spotted with gorgeous lighting. Theatrical music played during the ceremony was composed by Emily’s grandfather. The vows they wrote to each other were so powerful and emotional that they made all us cry. –Love In Progress

It doesn’t matter whether you are planning your wedding, or your wedding is a thing of the past, hearing the vows spoken in wedding films should serve as a reminder to us all ~ a reminder that the promises we make to each other are just as valid now as they were yesterday, just as valid tomorrow as they will be twenty years from now. Yes, the vows we make to one another, traditional or personal, are the core of this business we call marriage. We must never forget that!

Emily & Scott’ Crazy Love at Tribeca Rooftop from Love in Progress on Vimeo.

Venue: Tribeca Rooftop / Wedding coordinator: Rebekah M. Ferreira / Communications Director: Matthew Robbins Design |Artfool| / Photographer: Fred Marcus / Florist: Matthew Robbins Design Artfool / Hair stylist & Make-up artists: NY Wedding Makeup ~  Claudia and Maureen Pedela / Ceremony Music: Curtis Music & Entertainment / Complete Music & Entertainment Planning Services, For party: NYC Swing and 52nd Street / Limousine & Transportation: EmpireCLS Worldwide Chauffeured Services / Dress Designer: Monique Lhuillier from Mark Ingram / Ballet Flats from French Sole / Fur Wrap from Krizia / Tuxedo: Tom Ford / Catering: Tribeca Rooftop / Cake: Audrey’s Fine Goods

Wedding JoJo has long been one of our absolute favorite spots for creating that perfectly styled website to announce your dream wedding. We all know, after all, that a great wedding starts with fantastic branding and what better way to give your guests a taste of what’s to come then with the ultimate website that completely fits the bill in terms of design and function.

Wedding JoJo has a huge range of cool, modern themes to choose and customizing them is so very easy. No website developers needed! You can upload all of your fabulous photos to share with guests and organize into different albums for hours of browsing pleasure. On top of that, Wedding JoJo offers a simple RSVP including meal choices which will take the hard part out of managing your guest list.

As if this weren’t enough, Wedding JoJo also has all of your registry needs taken care of with everything from online and offline registry management to a new honeymoon registry to get your website motors running. They offer easy user interfaces and full integration of your Registry JoJo site with your Wedding JoJo page. So folks, the only thing left to do is decide which pretty design you want to use for your fabulous new website. Believe us, your guests will be blown away.

Pssst…a little birdy told us that the first 5 people to use the code STYLENOV at checkout will get their first month free. That’s huge! What are you waiting for?

William Gaff has become one of the master storytellers of our time. Ask any of his peers, and they will more than agree. In today’s featured wedding, he has woven the story of two extraordinary people, with the special love they share with family and friends ~ all set to the sensitive lyrics from a song from the musical Wicked. “… because I knew you … because I knew you … I have been changed … for good.” Hearing a few short excerpts from their wedding day toasts tells just how much love there was surrounding them on this day, and will be in all the days to come.

photography courtesy of Erik Leise

From William Gaff at Humanstory Films, Andrea and Brendan’s wedding day ~

andrea and brendan preview from humanstory on Vimeo.

When Brendan and I met we instantly connected to each other; it was like a scene from a romantic movie where sparks flew and music played, metaphorically speaking of course, and I couldn’t believe it was happening to me. We were, and still are, inseparable and completely infatuated with one another, which explains why we fell in love so quickly. After five months of spending every free moment we had with each other and shamelessly head over heels in love, he proposed to me during a picnic breakfast at our favorite place in Richmond, Virginia, Maymont Park. He had a book made with photos of the two of us that told the story of our love for one another. We sat down on a bench together and he read me our story with tears in his eyes. I was clueless until he got to the final page and read, “The day I met you was a dream come true. Please say you’ll be my soul mate for life. Andrea, will you be my wife always and forever?” He turned the page there was a picture of the ring, he got down on one knee, pulled the ring out of his pocket and asked me to marry him. As my eyes filled up with tears, I quickly and ecstatically said “Yes, yes, yes!!!” That was the day that I became the luckiest girl in the world because I was going to marry my soul mate and best friend.

Our faith, families and friends are the most important things in both our lives and it was imperative that it show in our wedding. Throughout the whole wedding planning process these values and the support we had from everyone, including a truly wonderful wedding planner,Windy Jennings of Weddings by Windy, helped us to keep our focus on the importance of the day — that while the wedding is one day, a marriage is for a lifetime.

We are both Catholic and being married in the church where I grew up with a full mass was a given. My sister had her wedding reception in this beautiful mansion in Richmond, the Bolling Haxall House, and Brendan and I both loved it so much that it became venue for our reception as well. Everything else was just as simple to decide because of the help from our families and our wedding planner.

We love to take pictures, so although we opted against taking engagement photos it was important that we find a photographer for the wedding who we could connect with and who had a style that suited us. After we met with Erik Leise and saw the passion he had for photographing weddings through his portfolio, we knew he’d be perfect. Having a videographer was something else that was really important to us. William Gaff shot my sister’s wedding in a documentary style and it was beyond amazing and extremely touching, so having him do our wedding was a no-brainer. We wanted the memories of our wedding to be beautifully and emotionally captured; Erik and William made that dream a reality.

The music was especially important to us and my dad as well. Our wedding planner told us about a band, Right Foot Red, and one Sunday we sat down with my dad and went over their list of songs and it just got us extra excited about the reception. The band did not disappoint at all. Everyone was dancing and having an amazing time. The band even brought Brendan and me up on stage to sing Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing — it was incredible and so much fun.

The day was more than either of us could have dreamed of; a real-life fairytale. It was a beautiful day and only rained slightly during the reception, which no one even noticed since we were all inside having a blast! Our families and friends were very much included in the wedding: my dad walked me down the aisle and I saw a smile on Brendan’s face that I will never forget; our moms lit the tapers of the unity candle before the ceremony began; my sisters were both the maids of honor and their speech was perfect; Brendan’s dad was his best man and his two childhood best friends gave the best man speech on his behalf; my dad’s welcome speech during the reception was heartwarming and exceptional; Brendan’s sisters carried the gifts for the mass during the ceremony; we had close friends say the readings; and my sister and her husband sang a tear-jerking duet during the ceremony.

Every moment of our wedding day is especially treasured by us, not just because we can look back on those first memories we shared as husband and wife with amazement and delight, but because throughout the entire day we were so closely connected through the love and support of our faith, families and friends as we had wanted it to be from the very start. It was the best and most amazing day of my life — the perfect beginning to what I know is going to be a wonderful marriage filled with all the love I could ever dream of.

There is just something about a Texas wedding. Maybe it’s the barbeque, maybe it’s the homemade jam, or maybe it’s the down home rustic charm – whatever it may be, this Texas wedding by Brittney Melton Photography at Vista West Ranch encompasses everything lovable about the ideal Texas wedding (with some fabulous vendors to boot!). We can’t think of a better way to start your Friday (well, this and a big cup of coffee), so feel free to get lost in all the images in the gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

From the moment we started planning our wedding Billy and I knew that we wanted an event that perfectly complimented who we are; casual but put together, elegant but with a country charm.  Having both grown up in Central Texas we knew that we wanted the beautiful Texas Hill Country as our backdrop and we found the perfect venue in Vista West Ranch in Dripping Springs. The rolling hills, fields of tall grass and big blue sky gave us the perfect backdrop for all of our personal details. Being an Interior Designer all of the details were very important to me.  I spent a year collecting every individual piece for the centerpiece on each table creating a vintage chic theme,making every table completely individual.  I wanted everything soft and feminine with out becoming girly, the rustic, barn-like reception hall helped to keep the frilly touches from being too much.  A DIY-er to the core I made as many things as I could from the “antiqued” picture frames to the name cards to our custom printed handkerchief Save The Dates.  I spent countless hours in my kitchen making Jam and Jelly from my grandmothers recipe for favors for our guests.

We worked really hard to find the best vendors that we could in our budget.  Our florist, Stacey, with Petal Pushers did an amazing job!  She took exactly what I had envisioned and described and made it into a reality.  The flowers were more beautiful than I could have ever hoped for.  In true Texas style we opted for a bar-b-que, beer and an Austin specialty, Mexican Martini’s!  Guests raved about the delicious bar-b-que from Texas Rib Kings in Austin.  Shortly into the planning process the cake became very important to me, I wanted it to be not only beautiful but really good.  Simon Lee created just that!  I could not have done any of it with out my good friend and amazing photographer, Brittney Melton.  She was the perfect bouncing board, helping me refine my many ideas.  She took our engagement, bridal and wedding photos, all of them were great, but the wedding photos are by far my favorite!  They really do tell the whole story.

I was surprised at how calm I was the day of the wedding.  When I sit back and think of our wedding there are several specific memories I have that are especially special to me.  The first look with my soon to be husband, it was as if everything leading up to this was done and none of it mattered in the moment, everyone else and everything else just faded away.  Taking a deep breath and stepping out the door to walk down the aisle, thinking half way down the aisle “slow down”.  Swaying my hips and trying not to sing along as my step-sister sang “I’ll Stand By You” at our ceremony.  Our weenie dog/ring bearer barking as we were pronounced “Man and Wife”.  Walking into our reception and being suddenly overwhelmed by the amount of love in the room.  Sneaking away to actually eat a piece of our wedding cake. One of my very favorite memories were the toasts given by our wedding party. Having a small wedding party, only 2 attendants each, all of them were able to give a toast at the wedding.  Each toast was so special and it was really amazing to know that they loved and supported us as much as we did them and to hear the things that they saw in us that we may not have seen in ourselves.  Both Billy and I found ourselves unexpectedly crying.

Photography: Brittney Melton Photography & Design / Venue: Vista West Ranch / Florist: Petal Pushers / Catering: Texas Rib Kings / Cake: Simon Lee Bakery / DJ: Steve Hunt / Bride’s Dress: Bridesmaid’s Store / Bridesmaids Dresses: J. Crew Weddings

Erin Samuell of A Simple Photograph has done it again! Every wedding, every e*shoot she sends us is captured with brilliant clarity and packed with emotion. And … one lucky duck is going to win a Love Shoot by Erin! She’s got all the details for entering over on her website!!

But first ~ today’s special Ontario celebration ~ Christine & Steve’s wedding!

See the whole gallery here!

Christine and Steve proved that a classic and traditional wedding can be stunning! They were married at St. Clement’s Church in Cambridge Ontario in one of the most beautiful ceremonies ever. Christine wore a drop. dead. gorgeous ruffled gown and her shoes could have made an entrance all on their own! Her fall colour palette complimented the season perfectly! Despite the wet weather we clung to our original plan of shooting at a near by apple orchard. Well worth the wet feet, I think! Every single detail of this wedding was immaculate and I think Christine has proved that a traditional indoor event can still drop your jaw! -erin

You can see lots more of Christine and Steve’s beautiful celebration on Erin’s blog {here}!

And remember to check out the specifics of Erin’s Holiday Giveaway while you’re there!!

Photography: Erin Samuell, A Simple Photograph; Flowers: Lilies White; Ceremony: St. Clement’s Church; Reception: St. George’s Hall

A few more great weddings from A Simple Photo …

Trevor and Michelle’s Bluewater Shores Resort wedding on Lake Huron.

Dan & Kim’s gorgeous Ontario church wedding.

AND some of her fun, fun, fun PHOTOBOOTH sessions!!!

There isn’t a thing I don’t love about this wedding. Not one single thing. The images by the amazing Carla Ten Eyck Photography – love. The floral design by Datura, A Modern Garden – love. The adorable bride and groom – really love. You see where I am going here. Picking images to feature was just too hard so be sure to devour each and every one in the gallery.

click here for the full wedding gallery!

Our story begins in the tiny town of Falls Village, Connecticut, where a fateful convergence of philosophy, a chilly November night, a bonfire, and shooting stars paved a moonlit path to our humble beginnings.  Both of us had participated separately in a Jewish organic farming program but we didn’t meet until the program’s reunion in November 2005.  At the time, Jenna was living in San Francisco, while Aaron was in Columbus, Ohio, so from the West Coast and the Heartland, we both made the journey to Falls Village for the Reunion, where we spent three days hiking, learning, planting, and eating, and somewhere in the midst of it all we met and, under a star-studded sky by the glow of a bonfire, we fell in love.

However, the weekend was but a weekend, and both of us had lives in different terrains and time zones to return to. At the end of the reunion, we set off on our different paths without a clear understanding of what had just happened.  Forty-eight hours later and worlds away, Jenna wrote a first email to Aaron.  And in the four days following, we exchanged over twenty-three pages of emails.  (Yes, we counted).  Then, on the fifth day, we made the jump to telephone, and, we proceeded to have a four-hour long conversation in which we talked about so many different things that neither of us can remember anything we discussed. But both our lives had been altered, and although the distance and time difference might not have been the most convenient barrier to overcome, we had already fallen head-over-heels too far down the rabbit hole to turn back. Since then, we’ve both moved several times but the emails, phone calls, and our relationship have remained integral aspects of both our daily lives.  Finally, in September 2009, Jenna moved to Boston, where we both currently reside, for the first time in four years, together.  We proposed to each other with two rings and another starry night in February 2009, and we’ve been envisioning our future together ever since.

We got married at the very beginning of October after a year and a half of dreaming up the details of what would make a perfect beginning to the rest of our lives together.  We wanted a day full of profound meaning and thoughts on love, life, and partnership…but  we also wanted people to come and just have fun with us and celebrate the love of family and friendship, the feeling of being alive, and the joy of laughter.  To us, this meant keeping things as intimate as possible, even with having around 150 guests, and honoring our roots – our respect for the environment and love of the outdoors.  So, we kept our wedding party limited to our immediate families; we skipped big introductions, a receiving line, and a first dance entrance in favor of all-inclusive Jewish dancing, complete with some bluegrass and country tunes thrown in for good measure; we had people sit at banquet tables (so much easier to converse!); and our fantastic caterer helped us plan a dinner to be served “family-style” so people would get to know each other and relax over what hopefully felt like a big family dinner.

Also, we involved people as much as possible in ways that would honor their talents and their relationships to us.  A friend of ours crafted our chuppah out of our old clothing – a literal interweaving of our lives together.  Another friend of ours did the calligraphy on our escort cards and stamped them with the table letters.  Family members recited our “Sheva Brachot” during the ceremony.  And a few people even gave us little performances during the reception.

Furthermore, in an effort to support our local farmers and food system, as well as reduce unnecessary waste, rather than strictly flower-based centerpieces, we asked our amazing florist to create centerpieces made out of local fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and construct them in a way that would allow people to pick from and eat the centerpieces throughout the reception – by the end of the night, people had taken apples, pears, mushrooms, and gourds from the centerpieces, and we still had enough left over to make a big batch of applesauce to keep our wedding sweetness going after the day itself was over.  Also, in honor of our autumnal festival, instead of a big formal cake, we served pies and hot chocolate (from Taza Chocolate, an awesome local chocolate company that we know and love) for dessert.

All in all, it felt like a group effort and a real festival of love – exactly what we hoped for.  Each of our vendors was incredibly fun to work with and they all contributed to making our day everything that we wanted it to be and more.  By the end of the day, both of us felt filled to the brim with joy and excitement for a beautiful future together, and we feel so lucky that our official life together began in this way.

Photography: Carla Ten Eyck Photography (with Mike Romano and Anna Sawin) / Catering: Gourmet Galley / Floral: Datura, A Modern Garden / Video: Buzz Media / Dress: Rivini by the Plumed Serpent of Westport CT / Venue: Eolia Mansion at Harkness Memorial Park, Waterford CT / Rabbi: Jeremy Weiderhorn / Band: Bon Musique / DJ: Eric Visa