Ok, this wedding had me the minute I read that the bride’s mother made her wedding dress. Yes…Made. Her. Wedding. Dress. And it’s not hard to see why I was immediately in awe. But the DIY doesn’t stop there, no sir. The bride created the bouquet, boutonniere, bridesmaids bouquets, handmade paper flowers and paper birds for the table arrangements, and floral around the cake. She is my hero today, as is Duston of Duston Todd Photography for capturing their day in such a gorgeous way.  For more awe-inspiring images, be sure to check out the gallery.

Click here for all the goodness in the gallery

Rings – I knew I was going to have a hard time finding a ring that I would want to wear the rest of my life! We started going to the local antique stores and tried on some AMAZING rings, one was a 5 kt Russian royalty ring from the 1890’s- a little out of our price range though haha. I was on my computer one day and looking online at some antique stores on the east coast- and found my ring! It was dated around 1920 and I instantly fell in love with the geometric design and the qualities that only hand-made jewelry has. We called the store and had it sent out. I had three days to decide whether I wanted to keep it or not….after staring at it for a few hours I knew it was the ring I had been searching for! Antique shopping for rings is just amazing- every one is so different and completely unique.

Groom’s suit – This was something I left almost completely up to my fiance Rock. We had decided on a color (tan suits were a lot harder to hunt down then I thought they would be!) and Rock finally found one that matched his new Urban Outfitter shoes…he was stoked on his new shoes.

Bridesmaid dresses – I am not a fan of the weddings that have one or two colors and everything has to stick to those colors, I wanted to bring a little more into the mix. So finding the bridesmaids dresses ended up being one of the easiest parts of the preparations! I was just strolling through Nordstroms and came across this lovely color purple. I thought it would match the victorian/natural look I was hoping to achieve- and they were an easy fit for all my bridesmaids.

Jewelry – “Something Old” Days leading up to my bridals with Duston Todd, the dress was still not finished and the last thing I was thinking about was what jewelry I was going to wear. I had initially wanted a cameo somewhere on the dress, but hadn’t got around to finding one. My cute Grandma had heard in passing that I still needed jewelry, and came over with a few tattered jewelry boxes for me to look through. Many of the pieces had been passed down from her mother and were from the early 1900’s. There was a beautiful coral Cameo in the box and I knew it was the perfect size and color- it was a perfect finishing touch to my dress.  Rock also had a little piece of the past with him that day- he was wearing his Grandpas tie pin! It all tied in with the classic, antique feeling of the whole day.

Dress – “Something New”  If only I could show everyone the drawing that was my “design” for my wedding dress…its pretty special. My husband may be a sketch artist but I am certainly not. My mom had agreed to sew the dress for me, but we had very different ideas of how to go about things. She is used to patterns, measuring, planning, etc…and all she had to go off of was a terrible drawing that I had made of my vision. She was a great sport though- even through the late nights of yelling and scribbling pens across the sketch of my dress, we somehow made it through. “Something Borrowed”  Some of the lace on the dress (the neck, sleeves, and mid section) was found from an old victorian dress. I was lucky enough to come across it and bought it before I even knew my mom was going to make the dress or not! I just couldn’t pass it up- it’s one of my favorite parts of the whole dress! My mom would kill me if she knew I was telling people this, but on the day of shooting my bridals we were still not completely done with the dress! We woke up early that morning and finished the sleeves (I even styled my hair on the side of the dress that was less likely to be done in time haha). We got it mostly all put together, but the hem was still in pins and there were more then a few pins on the bodice. O well! You couldn’t tell in the photos at all : )  “Something Blue”  Sticking with the fact that nothing really matched, I decided on a pair of lovely blue shoes. I fell in love with the steel blue color and the fact that they weren’t 4″ stilettos!

Venue specifics – Millcreek Canyon is a place that I have grown up around, only being about 5 minutes away from my house. During the summers I bike and climb up that canyon- and I just love mountains. It was the perfect venue for an outdoor reception. We didn’t have to decorate too much which was nice. I had experimented with paper birds and flowers before and wanted to try and make something for the wedding with them. It ended up being our main decoration! About a week before the wedding we had a good ol’ fashion arts and crafts night with some of my family members, I showed them how to make the different things and they all caught on pretty quick. I put all the centerpieces together a few days before the wedding and didn’t have to worry about it again! I had experience with doing wedding flowers from all my sisters weddings, so the thought of doing my own didn’t seem like that big of a deal. I had my amazing sisters to help me pick up the flowers and we had a fun time just sitting around and putting everything together. I chose flowers that looked like I could have picked them on a nature walk or something- it just felt more me then roses and other more manicured flowers.

The day was absolutely perfect- crazy, but perfect. I unfortunately wasn’t one of those nervous brides that wakes up an hour before their alarm goes off…I actually slept through my alarm! So I didn’t have as much time to get ready as I would have hoped, but in the grand scheme of things it didn’t really matter. We had the most amazing time listening to all the toasts being presented, and I had been waiting to hear this song that I knew Rock had written for me- it was awesome. We danced the night away and had so much fun, we couldn’t have asked for nicer weather up the canyon. We changed into our send off clothes and hurried down a line of friends and family throwing lavender (which took me a long time to get it all out of my hair!). Rock was nervous that we were going to crash the bike going down the canyon- but I think I was on such an adrenaline rush I barely remember thinking twice about something like that! I was just happy that everything went so well and that we were finally married. I am so glad that I had Duston there to document it all, thanks again Duston!

Photography: Duston Todd Photography / Venue: Millcreek Inn / Floral: all flowers, bouquet(s), boutonniere, table arrangements (paper flowers and paper birds), were made by the bride/ Dress: made by the mother of the bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom

It is a given that along with weddings and dresses and cakes, we also happen to positively adore jewelry…especially lovely engagement rings. And Ken + Dana Design have our number. They are the creators of some of the most GORGEOUS pieces we’ve ever laid eyes on. Delicate, unique and all around elegant, their pieces are the perfect way to say I Do. They have ever so graciously stopped by today to offer up an AMAZING giveaway for one lucky reader who’s ready to “put a ring on it” so to speak.

Ken + Dana Design are a design collective that hand-make all of their dreamy pieces in their New York Studio. We go a little crazy for the sculptural lines and organic details of each and every ring. Like works of art, their jewelry is completely unique and pushes the envelope on design, while still maintaining that elegant balance that we so adore. Plus, they design for every budget and have engagement rings starting at just a few hundred dollars. Music to our ears.

So enough chatting about the fabulousness of Ken + Dana Designs, let’s get to the juicy details of their oh so fabulous giveaway. They are offering one extremely lucky SMP’er a drop dead gorgeous Isis engagement band in silver valued at $420.00. Designed after the story of Isis, the Egyptian goddess, this perfect, perfect ring is lovingly hand made in their NYC studio and ready and waiting for one of you to enjoy. To enter, simply leave a comment below letting us know what your favorite style is from the collection of Ken + Dana Design engagement bands.  A winner will be chosen at random on Friday, November 19. Good Luck!

to view the terms and conditions of this giveaway, please click here.

We’re delighted to begin this week with a beautiful wedding from Alders Photography ~ a wedding set at the wonderful Dana Powers House & Barn. As you’ll see, Sara and Isaiah had the time of their lives! First the pics ~ then their story …

See all the pretty details right here!

Sara and Isaiah, June 6, 2010

We met while both in transitional phases of our lives. I had just graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2002 but was having trouble finding a job due to the economy. So, for the 8 months before I started graduate school, I learned how to make excellent coffee at a coffee shop in Oceanside harbor. Isaiah was one of my customers. He would come in after surfing. We’d both try our best to play it cool because we were both really smitten with each other. Isaiah had just moved to Oceanside to liquidate a huge warehouse that was inherited after his grandfather had passed away. Hence, our minister told the story during our ceremony of how a “junkyard surfer” and barista met.

Our vision was to stay as true to us as possible, and have a joyous celebration with friends and family. A part of “staying true to us” was having our wedding on the Central Coast where Isaiah grew up. It has a huge place in our hearts because I went to college there and Isaiah was raised there. Isaiah’s family resides there still, so we knew that having our wedding quite a distance from our home in Oceanside, would be a little more manageable with their help and input. Finding the Dana-Powers house & barn really led the way in completing our vision. Mason jars for glasses, vintage mirrors on the barn walls, and all the amenities that Judi Powers offers (tables, chairs, dishware) …it totally felt like our style and we knew it would feel comfortable for our family and friends, so we embraced that styling.

I focused on only the most important things to me and dedicated some quality time to them: our ceremony and music. We were both taken in by the magnitude of the commitment we were making, so we dedicated time to writing our vows and choosing readings that represented our perspective on love and marriage. However, we were very nervous about standing up in front of 150 people and reciting our personal vows. So, I wanted a little humor in the ceremony to lighten it up. Luckily, we had a fun family friend marry us, which also contributed to the ceremony being very personal for everyone. Music was very important to me, so I spent a lot of time finding the perfect songs for us to walk down the aisle to, and then had a blast thinking about what music I wanted for the cocktail hour and reception. This worked really well with our DJ, Malik, because I could give him a few songs and he would just take that direction and add similar songs around it. Wow, the elation I felt when the music began for the wedding party and myself to walk down the aisle. For the bridal party entrance, I used“The Winner Is” by Devotchka from the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack (so good!) and the acoustic version of “Hysteric” by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs for the walk down the aisle with my dad.

The items we did ourselves were flowers, boutonnieres, burlap centerpieces, table numbers, and I made the decorations for the kids’ table. The boutonnieres were super easy to make…took me 5 minutes. I used a single turkey feather…inspired by the wild turkey Isaiah provided for Thanksgiving dinner for his family. Since he surfs, I laced some puka shells into the boutonniere…I called it the surf-n-turf boutineer. And he freakin’ loved it! It’s funny to see your man enjoying some of the wedding details. He surprised me a lot with that. I bought burlap a couple weeks before the wedding, cut squares, pulled some threads from the ends and done…pretty easy. For the kids’ table I decorated coffee cans and stuffed them with stickers and fun stuff. I had a lot of fun with this one, and it was a big hit with all the kids!

Aaaahhh, the flowers. I delegated this task to family. They arranged to purchase the flowers from some ladies at a local farmer’s market who would also arrange the bouquets and centerpieces…all for under $200. Score, right? So, I gave them an image of what I wanted for my bouquet and some images of what I wanted for centerpieces. Generally, I didn’t want anything too fancy, but I love dahlias and was hoping for some incorporation of those in some sort of wildflower fashion. Well, when friends went to pick up the flowers from the vendors the day before the wedding, the ladies said they didn’t make my bouquet or my bridesmaids’ bouquets because they lost the pictures we gave them. My future mother-in-law revealed this to me at the end of the rehearsal dinner, the night before the wedding. I was so exhausted at this point and barely still surviving on the adrenaline and excitement of our crazy-fun rehearsal party, that I was pretty much resolved to not holding a bouquet because there was no way in hell I was doing another task! God bless my mother in law. She insisted that she would construct all the girl’s bouquets that night. And they turned out AMAZING. Ok, they were not the flowers I had in mind…but I had let someone else be in charge of this particular task, so I was just truly grateful for the help and then the gracious offer of Isaiah’s mom to make the bouquets when all I really wanted to do was have another drink, marry my love, and sleep for a week. Soooo, this is a story of a DIY task gone wrong, and gone wrong the night before the wedding. I truly think that making your own bouquet is a great idea and a great way to save on costs because I think the majority of us forget what the flowers look liked anyway by the time we’re having a sweaty messy dance party on the dance floor. But we hadn’t planned on making the bouquets and it threw a wrench in things and my sweet mother-in-law needed some rest also after helping so much with everything. So expect that in all the fuss of DIY details there may be a couple things that don’t go as planned. Be prepared to let some things slide, brush it off, allow others to help, and focus on the important things, like mentally recording every wonderful second of your husband saying his vows.

We incorporated my Mexican heritage in having a Mexican fiesta for the rehearsal dinner. The feast included chile verde, a special Tres Leches cake, BBQed oysters, and the best drinks ever made by our talented bartender, the best-man.

When asked what Sara’s best idea she had in planning her wedding, she said:  I searched photographers’ websites that were local to our wedding destination, to source venues and vendors. I found many unique locations this way. This is how I found the Dana Powers Barn AND our DJ Malik Miko Thorne. Which, by the way, was another one of the best finds for our wedding. His choices in music kept me on the dance floor most of the night, which is exactly how I wanted it. The string of Spanish music he played was almost more than my family could handle…it was sooo much fun. We hadn’t boogied that hard together in a long time. It brought back so many memories of past family weddings.

Her best advice to future brides and grooms: Find a venue that makes it easy on you. For example, one location we found was a private home/property neighboring our family’s property. It had a private golf green and little lake. They were considering opening it up for weddings and they offered to let us have our wedding there for $500! We were on a tight budget and this sounds like a great deal, right? Isaiah immediately felt was the place was where he wanted to get married. But I couldn’t go through with it. It was deep on a dirt road in a canyon. We would have to bring in tables and chairs, potentially a tent, a portable bathroom, a caterer and their equipment, heaters, etc. I knew much of the groundwork was going to fall on my shoulders, and I could not put myself through organizing all that, and I knew it would result in being just as pricey as paying for a venue elsewhere. We were not going to save money on this location. It was easy for me to face that realization, but hard to say no to Isaiah when I heard him say “this is the place”. The Dana Powers barn had practically everything, tables, chairs, mason jars for drinks, decorations, table cloths, glass plates for cake, silverware, heat lamps, Judi makes lemonade and coffee! and even offers day-of-coordination. So, try to find a venue that offers a lot of amenities that won’t force you to coordinate separate rentals.

Photographer: Alders Photography / Bride’s Attire: J. Crew / Groom’s Attire: JoS. A. Bank / Bridesmaid’s Attire: dress of choice in blue / Groomsmen’s attire: their choice, directed toward grey to black / Wedding Planner: Day of Coordinator, Judi Powers / Flowers: local farmer’s market made table flowers and we purchased extra flowers from them for our bouquets. Also family gardens were sourced for sweet peas / Cake: Madonna Inn, pies made by family and friends / Entertainment: DJ Malik Miko Thorne / Invitations: Hello Lucky/ Reception & Ceremony Location: Dana Powers House

Good morning lovelies. It is time to rise and shine and delve into a little French inspiration that is equal parts breath taking and le swoonable … just how we like it. Corbin Gurkin, one of our absolute favorite photographers, was the woman behind the gorgeous images. She teamed up with some fantabulous vendors to create an ode to Paris including Ceci New York who whipped up some beautiful paper goods, drop dead gorgeous gowns by Delphine Manivet and one of the prettiest cakes we ever did see courtesy of Sugarplum Cake Shop. Prepare to be blown away. See the rest of this lovely shoot here.

oh la la lovely. see it all here!

I photograph weddings in France fairly often, but usually I only have a short time there before I’m off to my next event, so when I had the opportunity to spend a few extra days this July in one of my all time favorite areas – Montmartre – I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I jumped at the opportunity to put together a style shoot with some wonderful vendors – both American and French. I was inspired by the romantic style of Delphine Manivet’s designs, her stunning lace detailing and overall antique sensibility. I worked with these lovely vendors to put together a style shoot that would invoke the look of a royal wedding in Paris, incorporating Delphine’s gowns into the shoot. Ceci’s invitation suite kept this idea of a palace wedding in mind and played off the idea of love letters from a queen to her king. The invitation is finished with a royal wax seal and gold cord.

The delightful and wonderfully talented ladies over at Sugarplum Cake Shop created a cake that incorporated ribbon elements, also complimenting Delphine’s designs. We worked in a pale blue palette, consistent with the shades of Louis XVI era materials. Seriously, even if you’re just in Paris on holiday, you really must stop in to this shop – the sweets are oh so yummy! I kept the table design quite understated, using picked flowers and peonies with berry accents. The table was set with French toile fabric and a royal blue runner that I found in Montmartre. Our darling model, Charlotte was photographed in Delphine’s stunning gowns in the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Clos de Lias designed the blue floral bouquet which I wrapped in vintage French ribbon. Delphine Manivet gowns can be purchased in the US at Lovely Bridal Shop in New York.

Photography: Corbin Gurkin / Invitation Suite: Ceci New York / Gowns: Delphine Manivet / Cake: Sugarplum Cake Shop / Artisan Candy: Le Bonbon au Palais / Flowers: Clos de Lias / Coordination: Pascale Brevet / Hair: Lexi DeRock / Makeup: Masafumi Matsuda / Model: Charlotte A.

Each month we we like to stop what we’re doing to give a great big, warm welcome to our newest advertisers. We’re always excited to discover stylish new wedding goodies and we are never disappointed with the fabulous finds that our advertisers bring to the table. We hope that you’ll take some time to visit their sites and show them a little SMP love!  Oh and don’t miss an amazing giveaway from Libby Story, plus a sweet discount from Art.com!

Libby Story is truly a one-of-a-kind store that offers an amazing selection of unique clothing and accessories.  Since opening their first store in 2004, a deep passion for vintage clothing, recycled clothing and accessories and handmade jewelry has become a large part of their focus.

What we really love about Libby Story…they hate to see anything go to waste.  They use many recycled items in the decoration of their stores and their best-selling items are found in their Libby Story recycled line.  LS Recycled is where vintage and unwanted clothing are recycled and up-cycled into new dresses and tops. Totally green and totally cool, oh and totally fashionable!  In other words…someone’s old turns into your something new.  Perfection!  Speaking of perfect, our friends at Libby Story are giving away a vintage piece of blue Samsonite luggage and $25.00 gift certificate!

Here’s what you need to do…comment on this post with what you would like to “borrow” from Libby Story.  It could be clothing, accessories or housewares.  If you are randomly selected, the vintage luggage turns into your “something new” and “something blue.”  We’ll announce the winner Friday, November 19th.

Please click here for giveaway terms and conditions.

We know that brides spend a lot of time trying to find the perfect bridesmaids gifts for their bridal party.  And we also know how hard it can be for you future hubby to find gifts for his crew.  Well, that’s where Groomstars comes in.

The brilliant minds behind Groomstars have assembled a unique selection of luxurious gifts for the men in your life.  Groomstars was founded by brothers who were on the quest to find the perfect gifts for their groomsmen.  They went to work and boom…Groomstars was born.  We know you want to say thanks….so now is your chance!  Groomstars has everything from personalized cufflinks to engraved money clips.  So, help your hubby out and send him to Groomstars.

Decorating your new home as man and wife is probably one of the coolest things about getting married.  Your home says a lot about you as a couple.  With over 900,000 images, Art.com has everything you are looking for.  Whether it’s the perfect painting for your living room or a photo of Fenway Park for the “man-cave”, Art.com offers the largest selection of art and décor items for your new digs.

Art.com is constantly updating their inventory and has a team of professionals that specialize in anticipating trends and listening to customer feedback.  Not really looking for a particular piece of art?  Art.com’s newest service, Photos of Art, allows you to turn your own digital photos effortlessly into elegant works of art that can be framed or put onto canvas.  This is the perfect way to display your favorite memories!  We are super excited to team up with Art.com in offering 15% offer your entire order.  Use the code PRETTY15 to claim your discount. Hurry, offer ends 11/20!

Have you ever thought about the perfect pair of shoes?  Would it be a 3.5 inch heel or a simple everyday flat?  The fantastic sister duo at milk & honey shoes have thought of everything.  Even the revolutionary shoe builder.  That’s right…a shoe builder.  Now, your dream shoe is only a few clicks away.

Driven by a desire to have shoes exactly the way they want them, milk & honey was created to introduce the idea of accessible, custom-designed footwear to women everywhere.  milk & honey’s website offers millions (MILLIONS?!) of shoe combinations from sexy stilettos to the perfect ballet flat.  They even offer an amazing selection of bridal shoes for your big day.  Each shoe is individually hand-crafted by skilled artisans using only the finest materials.  If you can imagine it, you can have it.  Isn’t that the best?!

We’ll admit it…we are huge fans of anything DIY.  That is one of the many reasons that Garnish is one of our newest obsessions!  All of Garnish’s products are totally customizable and just waiting for you to show off your creativity.

Whether you are hosting an elegant dinner party or picnicking on the beach, Garnish is here to help!  Garnish offers fantastic ideas to give you an easy, stylish and affordable way to add a personal touch to everyday moments.  All of Garnish’s items are a blank canvas waiting for your personal touch.  If you love DIY projects as much as we do, sit down and make a t0-do list.  Head over to Garnish now for a special flat-rate shipping of $6. As if you needed any incentive to start working on your DIY holiday gifts!

If you are a modern-minded couple, we have just the thing for you!  Created by a husband and wife team, Glö offers paperless wedding communications and online planning tools that help save time, stress and trees while planning your wedding celebration.

One of the most amazing features that Glö offers is the RSVP tracking.  By eliminating response cards, not only are you saving trees but you are on the fast-track to planning a stress-less reception.  And let’s face it, one less thing to worry about is a o-k in our book!  Glö offers a fabulous selection of designs (paperless invitations and wedding websites) and they even let you upload your own designs.  This feature also enables you to create a paperless design to match your paper invitations or save-the-dates.  Glö was truly created for contemporary couples who want a sophisticated alternative (or complement) to paper invitations. Mission accomplished.

So a HUGE welcome to all of our newest advertising partners.  We are thrilled to have your here at SMP!  Have a fabulous weekend.

It is an absolute given that each and every one of us at Style Me Pretty is totally obsessed with weddings. We love them, can’t get enough of them and yes, some of us even dream about them from time to time. It sort of comes with the territory and we definitely aren’t complaining! But another thing that we are equally enamored with but rarely discuss is all of the fabulous cakes and goodies that these weddings are boasting. We go bananas for a well dressed confectionery treat and this week might have been a record in the pretty cake department. See here, here, here, oh and here. So today we are celebrating our sweet tooth, shouting our love from the proverbial mountaintops and also giving you a snippet of more gorgeous coming up next week…

a delicious and oh so pretty treat from next week’s Parisian Photo Shoot photographed by Corbin Gurkin

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

rustic meets glam at this Canadian photo shoot
a gorgeous palette and an equally gorgeous Minnesota wedding 
a fall feast in Sonoma
laid back elegance in North Carolina
scrumptious is the name of the game with this Connecticut wedding
this Pennsylvania wedding is sweet as pie
a dream wedding in Portofino
a day bursting at the seams with gorgeous upon gorgeous wedding
a drop dead pretty wedding full of girly goodness in California
a Ralph Lauren inspired shoot that brings our feather obsession to a whole new level
an enchanting Malibu wedding with swoon inducing florals

Fun links from around the web:

green infused inspiration that would make for one fabulous wedding via Coco + Kelley
these warm and fuzzy winter essentials are perfectly whimsical to boot spotted on A Cup of Jo
a DIY side chignon and who can resist that pretty red hair via Oh Hello!
the CUTEST idea for a DIY escort card display via Inspired Goodness

And the winner of the Noritake China Giveaway is…

Brie! Congrats lovely lady. We’ll be in touch!

Have a beautiful weekend and don’t forget to check our Events Calendar for all of the fab happenings near you. Coming up Monday, we have THE event of the century, hosted by The Wedding Salon. Get all of the details here.  xoxo

When you are a wedding planner and planning your own wedding, plus being surrounded by an incredible team of talent ~  you are sure to have a fantastic wedding party! Such was the case for Francie Dorman at Tangorra Wedding Planning …

From Francie …

As a planner, I go to a LOT of weddings. In some ways this made planning my own wedding a little bit harder (so many choices! so many wonderful vendors! so MANY color combos), but in some ways it was just really, really fun. I felt so lucky on wedding day to have not only my family and friends around us, but also to have lots of my work friends there too, busily buzzing around behind the scenes making sure everything was running perfectly.

We had the most amazing weather. Choosing April 30th for a wedding in New England was always a little nerve wracking. I kept telling myself and anyone who would listen that it would probably snow. It didn’t! It was a perfectly beautiful 75 degree day – just right for our outdoor ceremony, and a couple cocktails and rounds of croquet on the back lawn of The Crane Estate.

Being a bride gave me a whole new appreciation for weddings. It really is a day that really can’t be described – so fun, so emotional… a little exhausting… but in the end, it should just be a really warm, exciting day for you, your fiance and your family. The biggest thing I found out was that I really haven’t been making it up all these years when I’ve been telling my brides that the most important thing you can do is hire vendors that you love! If you love your vendors for their work, and really, truly like them as people, it makes the whole process, and the day of your wedding just that much more fabulous.

From beginning to end, the day was just so much better than I ever imagined it – Joanne and Lena, our super makeup and hair artists were such a calm in the storm of Getting Ready; our florist, Lyndsey Loring executed my vision of fluffy flowers and fluttery feathers to perfection; the seriously talented team at Vinwood Catering created a perfect party menu for us (mini hamburgers, lobster rolls, fried clams, make your own mashed potato bar….), and we created little chalkboard menus to guide guests through the choices. Kahootz Band rocked it all night, and our Photographer, Will Tangorra and Cinematographers from Boston Wedding Films were right there with us through out the day capturing everything perfectly… and of course my Tangorra Wedding Planning girls were there to make sure that I never found out about anything I didn’t plan for!

Since I do go to weddings on most weekends, we knew from the beginning that we wouldn’t plan a traditional wedding (I would feel like I was at work!), so we went ahead and planned a party! We decided to see each other before the ceremony, so we wouldn’t miss a minute of the post ceremony part of the day, and I’m so glad we did. It was really the only time that we spent alone together all day!

I couldn’t have asked for anything more amazing from every single one of my vendors, or for a more perfect wedding day to spend with my husband, and our friends and family. xo Francie M. Dorman (Bride! and Senior Associate Planner, Tangorra Wedding Planning)

Please share a little more of the party from the terrific filmmakers at Boston Wedding Films …

Francie + Greg: A Boston Wedding Films Highlight Film from Boston Wedding Films on Vimeo.

Planner: Tangorra Wedding Planning / Photographer: William Tangorra / Cinematographer: Boston Wedding Films / Caterer: Vinwood Catering / Florist: Lyndsey Loring Design / Cake: Jenny’s Wedding Cakes / Entertainment: Kahootz Band / Venue: The Crane Estate on Castle Hill / Hair: Hair That Moves / Makeup: Joya beauty / Transportation: MBT / Invites: Twin Ravens Press/ Earrings: J Crew / Shoes: L.A.M.B. / Dress (Bride & Bridesmaids): Melissa Sweet

We all love a good Napa Valley wedding when we see one. But take a look at these next extra adorable cutie pies who threw a wine country wedding…their own way.  Aren’t they adorable?  They are so totally and madly in love, it’s hard not to go all mushy gushy inside.  Add to that the romantic rustic decor and the handcrafted details captured by Marin Kristine Photography…and it’s smitten central. Oh and the Coldstone Creamery to end the night?  Officially the best idea ever!  The full gallery is packed with even more pretty.

There is so much more romantic inspiration in the full gallery!

From the cutie-pie bride, Leigh…

From about 2 weeks into our relationship, I knew he was it – the guy, the one. We were best friends from day 1, and that’s exactly what I was thinking while I walking down the aisle “there’s my best friend (insert ridiculously large grin)”. So when, after about a year of dating, he proposed we knew that we wanted to get married as soon as we could realistically plan a wedding. Our dream was to get married in Tuscany, but the most important thing for us was to have everyone there and we knew Italy would immediately eliminate some of those people.  The best alternative to Italy was Sonoma, California with the rolling hills, wine, and great food! We both love to travel, so we thought “why not go on a weekend trip with our families and closest friends?”

From the beginning we had decided that we had to stay focused on the most important things to us: PLACE, PEOPLE, PICTURES. We knew we wanted to really enjoy every moment so we kept everything low stress, fun, and made sure to plan/make everything together.  We never lost focus on the importance of the day – that we were coming together as a family rather than throwing some party.

We only had about 4 months to plan, and we knew we wanted to make each piece of the day as personal and special as possible so our love would permeate the day. And so, we set out on a lot of DIY projects! Each weekend we tackled something new so that it wouldn’t get overwhelming while planning every detail from afar.  We scoured fabric and craft stores for table inspiration finding random vases and containers , burlap,  mason jars, and twine for the tables. We cut and sewed the burlap runners, painted table numbers, made mini-chalkboards, candy favors wrapped in twine, and mason jar lanterns that hung from trees. We even took a day trip up to a forest and my husband (yay!) chopped pieces of wood off of a fallen tree for the cupcake stands – a real Paul Bunyan.    For flowers we visited a local lavender farm outside of Sonoma to find the lavender and a local market for the other flowers and plants. A few of our friends put together all the flowers the day of the wedding.  My Matron of Honor has a letterpress business, so her gift to us was our lovely invitations. All the other paper products we made ourselves including personalized notes for each person at their place setting, bride and groom signs for our chairs, and table seating charts. What we couldn’t make ourselves we found on Etsy. So 2 days before the wedding we packed everything up in 5 suitcases and my dress and carted  it all through the airport on our way to Sonoma.

The day was absolutely wonderful. It rained all day, but it seemed to clear up right before the ceremony started. I walked down the aisle to one of our favorite songs, “Til Kingdom Come” by Coldplay, which seemed like a perfect fit for us. I loved seeing his sweet face at the end of that aisle – eyes filled with tears. My favorite part of the day was every moment spent with my new husband – laughing, dancing, and surprising him with his favorite dessert, Coldstone Creamery, at the end of the night.

I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, and I wouldn’t change a thing!

Photography: Marin Kristine Photography / Venue: Viansa / Letterpress Invitations: Little Owl Letterpress / Wooden book: Lacuna Work / Wooden plaque: True Connection / Guest Book ‘Finger Print’ Tree: i do it yourself / Blue Bird Cake Topper: Laika 6000 / Dress: Monique Lhuillier / Shoes: Target / Hair flowers: Handle & Spout / Cupcakes: Sweetie Pies / Bridesmaid and Flower Girl Dress, Ring Bearer Tie: J Crew / Groom’s outfit: Banana Republic / DJ: Chris Webb

Sometimes, it’s the totally handmade affairs that completely steal our hearts. The weddings where you can see all of the love, all of the fun, all of the passion that went into crafting each and every detail. Such is the case with this next little number, photographed by one of our favorites, Julie Mikos. With a couple pairs of scissors, a hot glue gun and a teeny tiny budget, this bride and groom designed a wedding that has made me smile from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. And I just know it will do the same for you. Click here to see even more.

click here to see the full gallery of goodness!

From Julie Mikos…Young couple and new parents, Beka and Josh, live in a tiny mountain town outside of Phoenix and had an extremely limited budget for their wedding, but wanted to invite practically their entire town population. Luckily, the bride and her mother are both artists and very crafty and were able to create all of the details on their own.

The bride spent weeks preparing. Cutting and stringing all of the birds, creating all of the decorative pinwheels for the cupcakes, directing her fiance (who is a carpenter) to build frames to house the pictures of them together as they grew up (yes, they’ve know each other since they were babies!), etc. They also recruited a small army of town-folk to help decorate, put together floral arrangements set in colored glass (collected by the bride and inspired by Martha Stewart’s recent article on colored glass collections), set-up tables and chairs and even cater the food. The ceremony was an extremely private ceremony which couldn’t be photographed, but the party was held at a friend’s cabin down the dirt road and nearly the whole town DID attend and pitched in to help. I was honored to also pitch in and help as the bride was one of my former wedding photography interns and now a good friend. This wedding truly took a village to create and was down-home charming!

From the bride…I wanted my wedding to be fun. I was inspired by old mexican colors and decor. We had a small budget so I looked for ways to make my wedding beautiful and fun without spending too much. I got almost all of my ideas from Style Me Pretty like the colored glass and paper birds. My friends and I went to work collecting glass from all the antique stores in town months leading up to the wedding. My mom painted all of the table centerpieces, signs, and peacock mural. I wanted everything to be personal. Josh made me frames from old barn wood and I filled them with photos of us and our new family. I bought a lot of scrapbooking paper and crafted the birds, cake topper, and pinwheels with it. Using the paper really tied everything together. With the help of all my close family and friends, Josh and I were able to have the wedding of our dreams. They helped us with everything, down to the home brewed beer and amazing wedding cake.  We laughed, danced, and had the time of our lives.

Photographer: Julie Mikos Photographer / Minister: Trina Kamp / Stylist: Kathy Karrys / Hair and Make-up: Rose Walker & Sumer Harper / Dress: Davids Bridal / Wedding shrugs: Mary and Angelika via Etsy / Decor: Rebekah Sampson (bride) & Elizabeth Silver(mob) / Music: Landon Shill / Food and drink: Walker Catering / Flower arrangements: Glenn Widger & Lucy Karrys / Cake: Sydney Kamp

I almost feel like I should start this post with “Once Upon a Time” because this lovely wedding venue  looks like it is straight out of a fairy tale, and the wedding was just as dreamy. Each and every touch came together to create a finished product that looked so seamless it was as though the TableArt talents waved their magic detail wands.  John and Kim of Sanderson Images were right behind them to capture it all, detail by detail. It also doesn’t hurt that the stunning gown was designed by Dame Couture and the veil hand knitted by the bride’s mother. You’ll also see that the couple is absolutely in love – a fairy tale romance for sure.  For more romantic goodness, check out the gallery.

See the entire lovely gallery here!

From the lovely bride, Dante …
We wanted our wedding to be beautiful, fun, down to earth and delicious. We picked the venue, the John J. Audubon Center at Mill Grove, PA because it captured the combination of outdoor simplicity and vintage elegance that we love so much about our family home in Vermont, and we picked colors of blues, whites, greens and soft browns to reflect the venue. Wherever possible despite our busy schedules (throughout the planning process, the bride was studying law in New York City while the groom was in medical school in Philadelphia), we tried to create details that were handmade, and include our loved ones’ talents. The veil was designed by Dante and her mother Lisa, and Lisa hand knit the veil in cashmere and silk over the course of an entire year. The veil was inspired by Shetland lace knitting, in which the traditional wedding shawl is supposed to be so fine that it can fit through a wedding ring. The dress was custom designed in collaboration with the bride, and hand made by the amazing Holly Greenhagen of Dame Couture in Evanston, IL. The stationery was sourced at Papersource, and was inspired by the theme of a tree since the ceremony took place in a pear orchard. Several details were found on Etsy.com, such as the vintage croquet set and custom rubber stamped table numbers which also carried through to the place cards featuring each guest’s entree of choice in picture form, hand stamped by the bride. The bride also made the favor labels and boxes, which included the couples favorite candy, gummy bears, with Jordan almonds as a nod to their shared Italian backgrounds. The bridal party made the ceremony decorations by hand of loose lavender in brown paper to toss. The band was Via Audio, who are friends of the couple. Wedding bands were handmade by Beth Cyr, and the engagement ring is a family heirloom from the bride’s great grandmother. The wedding party wore dresses and suits by J. Crew, with the flower girls in Little Angels. Photography by the wonderful John and Kim Sanderson, and catering by Jeffrey Miller (including the made-to-order donut stand, which was a huge hit!). We loved every single vendor we worked with, and we are so grateful for the beautiful day we enjoyed with all of our family and friends!

Venue: John J. Audubon Center / Flowers and Decor: TableArt / Photography: John and Kim Sanderson of Sanderson Images / Catering: Jeffrey Miller / Wedding Dress: Holly Greenhagen of Dame Couture / Bridesmaids: J. Crew / Wedding Bands: Beth Cyr / Stationery: Paper Source / Band: Via Audio

It is official. It’s Friday, the weekend is almost here and we are neck deep behind the scenes in tons of wedding eye candy to share. That is cause for celebration don’t you think? So lets kick off a merry ending to the week with this sweet Georgia wedding that combines a touch of whimsy with a sprinkle of modern and some lemony zest for good measure. Yellow makes everything better in our opinion, especially when it is captured so beautifully by The Reason Photography. See more of this citrus hued soiree in the gallery.

see the rest of this soiree here!

From the start, Marc and I wanted a wedding that truly felt like us- fun, exciting, eclectic and a little different from the norm. Every little detail had a meaning behind it, making the day all the more special for both of us. We fell in love with the Carl House from the start. We loved the big backyard, the rustic, vintage feel of the decor and the brick wall backdrop where we’d say our vows- mostly, we loved how it felt like home. We wanted our guests to feel completely at ease to let loose and dance like crazy. The planning process was really a joint project. Marc was involved from day one- he built the wishing tree for our guests to sign when they first arrived at the wedding and handpicked the groomsmen’s outfits. Yellow has always been my favorite color and little bursts of it could be seen throughout the wedding. I wanted my bouquet to be unique and different- I fell in love with the billyballs in it and we used them throughout the ceremony and reception in the decor. My sister and I scoured Etsy.com for DIY ideas and we made the frame for the seating arrangement and the heart canvas that housed Marc and my engagement photos. We wanted each detail to have a twist on the traditional.

The ceremony was so special to both of us. We used our favorite songs for the processionals, exchanged five things we vowed to do for one another, and listened to our closest friends read lyrics from a cherished song and an inspirational book (Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss). We laughed the entire time and so did our guests. One of our readers actually fell out of her shoe as she walked to the microphone! It was perfect. The reception was an absolute blast and I think Marc and my personalities really resonated through. We used white tree branches with yellow flowers and candles hanging from them instead of traditional centerpieces. Marc competes in several triathlons throughout the year, so we used bikes in many of the details. My shoes and the bridesmaid’s shoes were from Vince Camuto, where one of the bridesmaids works in New York and I wore my mom’s wedding ring around my neck. The candles on the table came from a candle store I worked in during high school and we drank my dad’s favorite beer, Corona, from an Ole Miss tin to remember him and both our alma mater. Every detail had a story behind it and I was so happy with the way it turned out.

Photography: The Reason / Event Planning and Flowers : Denise Myers of TruSo Weddings / Ceremony and Reception Location: The Carl House / Dress: Casablanca / Wedding Shoes: Vince Camuto / Veil and Hair Flower: Twigs and Honey / Bridesmaid Dresses: J. Crew / Bridesmaid Shoes: Vince Camuto / DJ: Ken Myers / Cake: Sugar Kneads / Food: Carl House

We hope that all of you are enjoying these wedding stories as much as we are! To take just a few minutes out of the day to smile for ~ and with these ladies and gentlemen who have completed the hectic months of planning their wedding days. Sharing these moments with them is simply a delight!

From Maura at Creative Video in Kansas City …

This couple’s story was maybe the most romantic one I have ever heard! They met in such a unique way and incorporated that into their wedding day so beautifully. Every detail in this wedding was so completely personal, from the pint glass favors, Danny’s baby blue VW bug, Katie’s family priest passing them Danny’s Kiddush cup and celebrating the breaking of the glass, the many toasts in prose, and one last note passed to Katie from the Southwest Airline stewardess that helped start it all. It was a perfect day.

Katie & Danny – Creative Video Wedding Film from creative video on Vimeo.

from the beautiful bride, Katie …
The story of how Danny and I met seemed to be a bit too perfect. Who meets on an airplane, especially on the way home from Vegas, through notes and poems passed via a flight attendant? I honestly thought it would be a fun few months of country concerts and we would move on. Before we knew it we were together two years going to Key West to celebrate. Little did I know Danny had flown down the same Southwest Air flight attendant who helped us meet to Florida. There she handed me what I thought was the last poem on the rocks of Key West. This note included his proposal to marry me! My dream had come true and I was completely surprised!!

I had never dreamt about my wedding, and actually thought I would go away somewhere exotic, but with Danny being the youngest of 14 kids and his parents being older, that wasn’t an option for us. We made a list of what we each of us thought was most important for this day, and we both agreed that family was most important. Danny’s list also included things like chocolate cake, and Southwest peanuts. He also thought it would be fun to drive away in his baby blue VW bug convertible and have bugs follow us to reception (his brothers own VW’s in various colors!). I wanted memories that would last a lifetime, like having our family friend priest who attends Thanksgiving at our house every year marry us. I wanted a unique venue, a fun party, intimate ceremony, awesome pictures, country music, the color purple, and a beautiful dress.

We focused our efforts (and money) on our photography and cinematography, as we knew this is what we would take from the day and cherish these forever. This was the best decision we made!! We incorporated little things that meant something to us, like M&M’s, which is Danny’s favorite candy and we had a VW bug chocolate cake. Danny contacted Southwest Airlines who sent us napkins, peanuts and wings (at no cost)! We also invited our flight attendant and we were thrilled when she said she was able to make it!

Video: Creative Video, Maura Coleman-Murray / Photographer: Epaga, Jessica Roark / Flowers: The Budding Entrepreneur / Reception Venue: Boulevard Brewing Company / Cake: Icing on the Cake,  VW Bug & beer cake: Bridal Kitchen

We’re taking a quick moment to remind all of you brides-and-grooms-to-be that we’re working with the team at PurePhoto on a totally comprehensive, ONLINE photography workshop. Scheduled to go LIVE November 17th, the workshop will be filled to the brim with everything you need to know BEFORE dropping that chunk of photography change from your wedding day budget. Hosted by Ryan Phillips and Robert Evans...two world renowned photographers who specialize in picture perfect wedding photography, the range of topics include looking your best in all your shots, what you SHOULD be getting for your money, what real experience looks like in a photographer’s portfolio, and getting those swoon worthy details captured to perfection. Bottom line? It’s total awesomeness. Click here to SIGN UP!

So here’s the deal. Ryan and Robert will be hosting the LIVE online workshop on Wednesday, November 17th with slots open at 7PM and 10PM EST and will be tackling ALL of the questions and concerns that we get on a daily basis from brides-to-be. The workshop cost is $29…which is basically nothing when you compare that to the budget that most quality photographers require. A very small price to pay to educate yourself and make absolute sure that you understand exactly what every photography dollar means.

Click here to get signed up! And make sure you start jotting down your questions as there will be a live Q & A after the lesson!

PurePhoto is a community for people who love great photography. You can learn, be inspired, connect with others, buy art prints and even sell you own. Check out PurePhoto for more info.

Robert has been shooting for more than 20 years and boasts a clientele of some of the most famous entertainers in Hollywood. He has photographed the weddings of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes as well Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Other clients include Jim Carrey, Christina Aguilera, Trent Reznor and Anastacia. His work has been featured in USA Today, People Magazine, US Weekly, Hello, OK, In Touch, InStyle, Grace Ormonde, and Martha Stewart Weddings. His work has also been featured on Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, Extra, MTV, CNN and more. Robert has photographed more than 800 weddings over the course of his illustrious career.

Ryan has been a Professional Photographer for 22 years and is recognized as one of the leading portrait and wedding photographers in the industry. He is continually on the cutting edge of image making in terms of both style and technology. Ryan’s work is often featured in publications nationwide and he has a long list of celebrity clients that include the likes of Wayne Gretzky, Monique Lhuillier and The William Morris Agency. His has been featured in leading publications such as Forbes, Fortune, Sunset, Via, Angelino, Ocean Drive and Travel + Leisure as well as top wedding publications such as InStyle, Modern Bride, and Los Angeles Weddings.

Every now and then, we see a wedding that makes us blush. The kind of blushing you do when you just know that it was so incredibly romantic…so overflowing with total love. And blushing is exactly what we did when we spotted this next little beauty. Held at the absolutely enchanting Calamigos Ranch in Malibu, this wedding will easily make you fall in love all over again and just might make you rethink all of your wedding decisions thus far. With photographs by Studio Castillero, Flowers by Holly Flora and planning by Amber Events it’s a total keeper. Click here to see even more gorgeousness.

click here to see the full gallery!

I’m from New Jersey and my husband is from Sydney Australia, but since we now call each other home, we couldn’t think of a place we wanted to have our wedding more than where we currently live together….Los Angeles. We chose Calamigos Ranch in Malibu for its utterly perfect natural beauty and decided on a date at the end of August when the weather is still warm, but not too hot and the days are still long, but the golden sunset would glow just in time for our post ceremony pictures

Throughout the planning process, I was a loyal Style Me Pretty reader and thanks to the help of the stunning featured weddings and the oh so handy inspiration board builder at the Style Circle my husband and I were able to craft our perfect wedding. It was a combination of simple elegance and vintage country chic. Flowers were key for our vision and thanks to the incomparable Holly Flora, we were able to create perfect, whimsical tablescapes with wildflowery arrangements in mason jars, tea tins and found glass vessels surrounding mis-matched lanterns and birdcages illuminated by candle-light.

The natural beauty of Calamigos begs not to be fussed with too much, so we chose very simple decoration for our ceremony site….toss petals and a simple chuppah with lots of greenery and white flowering buds. Turning the corner to walk down the aisle and seeing that chuppah for the first time with my soon to be husband standing underneath and the perfect sunlight filtering through the trees was pure magic.

We hunted through flea markets and thrift stores to find unique “found” items to place throughout the venue, such as mis-matched picture frames to hold photographs of our parents from when they were our age and a wooden duck carved from a root who we lovingly named “Fred”. We chose a few DIY projects that we felt added that little “something extra”. We stained oversized clothes pins to hold the table numbers we created from vintage labels and we found a vintage fabric that complimented our florals and used it to wrap the bulletin board we built from a block of wood and some cork for our guest seating chart, propped up on a shabby chic easel from craigslist.

One of our favorite details of the day was its very absence. We chose not to do traditional favors placed at our guests’ seats. Since music is such a huge part of who we are, we identified a charity called the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation that keeps music alive in public schools by donating instruments to underfunded arts programs and made a donation on behalf of our guests. To make this gift more tangible for everyone, we purchased a clarinet and displayed it on our guest book table with a note explaining its significance.

Looking back over the pictures from the oh so talented Studio Castillero and seeing everyone’s smiling faces as they spin around the dance floor singing “I come from a land down under” makes us think back on our day with such joy we know we’ll carry with us for years and years to come.

Wedding Coordinator: Amber Events / Venue: Calamigos Ranch / Officiant: JP Reynolds / Photography: Studio Castillero / DJ: Bobby Duran / Ceremony Pianist: Chris Bratten  / Florist: Holly Flora / Hair/Makeup: Susie Chhuor / Cupcakes: Hotcakes Bakes / Dress: Nicole Miller / Shoes: Brian Atwood / Bridesmaids: Vineyard / Necklace: Martha Seely / Earrings: Sleepy Moon Design via Etsy / Groom’s attire: Hugo Boss

Riding boots, pheasant feathers, sweet potato whoopie pies… I am pretty sure I’ve died and gone to wedding inspiration heaven and I have The Stylish Soiree and Studio 28 Photo to thank for it. You see, if I had my way every single thing I encounter would be decked out in feathers. I love them that much. But these ladies took my obsession to a whole new level, creating a classic, oh so elegant spread inspired by the all American styling of Ralph Lauren and it is spot on gorgeous. See more of the elegant details in the gallery.

see the FULL shoot here!

Always inspired by fashion, we drew our inspiration for this Fall shoot from the classic all American brand Ralph Lauren. We wanted to translate the Ralph Lauren themes of tradition and elegance into a fall-appropriate tablescape, dessert table and bridal look. To achieve this we used a quiet color palate of neutrals and infused natural earthy elements into the floral design to keep the overall design from feeling stuffy. We chose the lovely Nixon Library as our venue since it captured the feeling of a grand estate hosting an intimate affair in the gardens. For the bride, we choose a beautiful lace A-Line dress from L’ezu for its classic lines and subtle detailing, including the pleated chiffon skirt, and silk covered buttons down the back. To play up Ralph Lauren’s equestrian heritage we took some fun shots with the dress paired of elegant riding boots and a simple blusher veil adorned with a few pheasant feathers (pheasants being another classic fixture in Ralph Lauren). The bride’s jewelry was kept simple; a beaded necklace in fall bronze, gold and silver was garnished with a chocolate brown ribbon, and a gold flower cuff adorned her wrist.

For the tablescape we went with a natural farmhouse wooden table, a cream linen runner, khaki linen hemstitch napkins and a narrow burlap overlay. The main centerpiece was created from a few bunches of dried ‘bunny tail’ foliage finished off with a satin mocha ribbon. Keeping the overall simple and elegant aesthetic in mind, we went with a white, cream and black floral theme infused with a few pheasant feathers and pops of fresh greenery for added texture and visual interest. The table flowers and the bridal bouquet were created using hyndrangea, white China mums, lisianthus, tuberose and dahlias. The asymmetrical bridal bouquet’s handle was adorned with a four inch wide oversize gemstone trim mounted to a mocha tulle, finished off with a thin silk ribbon bow for a rich, layered feel that was completely unique. Baked from Scratch baked the goodies for our Ralph Lauren inspired dessert table, including the simple white cake which we adorned with pheasant feathers and dried bunny tails. Marshmallow squares, sweet potato whoopie pies, mini meringues and bite sized donuts were some of the delicious little treats on the dessert table spread.

Photography: Studio 28 Photo / Planning and Styling: The Stylish Soiree / Venue: Nixon Library / Desserts: Batch From Scratch / Flowers: Stylish Soiree / Dress: L’ezu Beverly Hills

In a word, this beautiful wedding by Kate Whelan Events is whimsical.  The special affair was hosted at a family friend’s home which allowed them to completely make the wedding their own. Kate Whelan created a perfectly orchestrated event from the paper to the decor, and helped to bring this wedding together in five months to insure the bride’s father could walk her down the aisle. There is truly no detail more special. To see even more of this beautiful and touching affair be sure to check out the gallery.

From Kate Miller:

Lauren and Kyle are a couple near and dear to our hearts – in fact, their story touched many of the professionals and planning this event became a labor of love for all involved. Both Lauren and Kyle’s father’s have battled cancer in the past year – more recently, Lauren’s father underwent treatment and up until two weeks prior to the wedding, it was uncertain that he would be able to attend, nevertheless walk his daughter down the aisle. We all did our best to plan Lauren’s dream wedding in just under 5 months to give Lauren’s Dad the best chance of being there to walk his daughter down the aisle.

We worked hand in hand with Philip Rice and his team from of East Sac Florist to execute Lauren’s vision. Philip’s whimsical collection of lanterns, vessels and candles paired with our vintage candlestick collection created an ambiance of romance when accented with East Sac Florist’s incredible floral designs. We designed a stationery suite that mimicked the garden roses from Lauren’s bouquet, a soft plaid with blush, turquoise and pale pink tones and trimmed each edge in a graphic eyelet. The same aesthetic was extended to the American Cancer Society donation cards, reservation cards and table numbers. Everything was anchored with pale grey and soft pink linens.

Kyle’s tie in pale grey plaid, and the bridesmaids pale grey chiffon reflected the style of the stationery and linens – while Lauren’s modern one-shoulder dress in silk taffeta completed the elegant romantic look. Would you believe she found her gorgeous dress at David’s Bridal?! The pickups and beautiful appliques were truly gorgeous!

Lauren struggled to find a venue that could host her larger guest list and allowed her to have the Mexican food she desired. Fortunately, a close family friend generously donated her amazingly gorgeous home to host the event. This provided little luxuries such as tenting, lighting and valet service. Delicious Mexican food was prepared by Juan in a Million and guests enjoyed drinks from the Margarita Man Machine. The cake was almost too gorgeous to cut – beautifully buttercream-frosted, it was accented by asymmetrical pink bows and delicate sugar brooches. Of course, there was not a dry eye in on the dancefloor when Lauren and her Father shared their dance. Lauren, Kyle and their guests danced the night away under the stars – a celebration of much more than just the newly married couple’s love, but of family and friends as well.

Thank you so much Lauren and Kyle for allowing us to be a part of such a special day!

From the Bride:
Kyle and I met through a mutual friend and we connected instantly. After almost a year of dating Kyle surprised me with a weekend trip to Monterey where he proposed on the beach at sunset. Everything about our relationship has been extremely romantic and that is exactly how I wanted our wedding to be!
We held our ceremony and reception at a private residence in Sacramento, CA. This allowed us more freedom when planning the event. During our planning process we met our incredible vendors which included Kate Miller Events for coordination of the event and design of our paper products. Kate helped set the tone of our “vintage-modern” wedding with her beautiful invitation suite. The feminine theme was further carried out by our florist Philip Rice, owner of East Sac Florist who provided us with everything we wanted – I cried when I saw my flowers because they were exactly what I had pictured in my head! Our lovely cake was made by Sweet Cakes by Rebecca. Tables, lighting and linens were provided by Celebrations party rentals.
Something that was important to me was honoring my Latin heritage which is why we chose to serve Mexican food by Juan in a Million. We were told by several guests that it was the best “wedding meal” they’ve ever had! We ended the evening dancing under the stars to the music selection of DJ Joe Kalamaras.
To say the least, our wedding day was perfect and we are so grateful to have it all captured by Jen Stewart Photography. From our “first look” before the ceremony to the last song of the evening – they were there and they were dedicated to providing us with all of the images we wanted for our special day.
If I did have to pick just one thing that was my favorite part of the day it would have to be our “first look” where I saw my to-be husband before the ceremony. We had each prepared personal vows and recited them for each other. It was the only alone time we had during the day and it helped calm our nerves. The emotion of seeing Kyle for the first time is something that I will never forget.

Photography: Jen Stewart Photography / Cinematography: Jen Stewart Photography / Floral Design: Philip Rice of East Sac Florist / Event Planning: Kate Whelan Events / Wedding Gown: David’s Bridal / Ceremony & Reception Location: Private Estate/ Invitations: Kate Miller Events / Cake: Sweetcakes by Rebecca / Catering: Juan in a Million / DJ: SJ’s DJ / Hairstylist: Megan Stamps of Jolie Femme Salon/ Makeup Artist: Tiffany Stout of Mary Kay Cosmetics / Officiant: Jesse Peterson (Family Friend)/ Rentals: Emily King of Classic Party Rentals, Sacramento / Valet: ENC Valet

Good morning, lovelies! We’re kicking off the day with a wedding that just screams girly goodness. Which is exactly the kind of wedding that I love the most, filled with pretty feminine touches, gorgeous florals and a bride and groom that make you want to give your own hubby a good, long squeeze. Throw in some seriously gorgeous design by Amorology and photographs by Forever Photography Studio and you basically have the picture perfect SMP wedding. Click here to see even more!

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

From Amorology…We always find inspiration from within our couples and in Caitlin & Matt’s case, we could not help but create a hopelessly romantic wedding for the two! Caitlin is a Texas girl with traditional roots, so we knew from the get go that her wedding had to be sweet but also have a punch of fun. She is definitely a romantic at heart with a sentimental side, which we wanted to highlight and share with her guests! With these ideas in mind, we formulated the concept of a Love Letters/Notes wedding.

The ceremony took place on the croquet lawn among a backdrop of sunny blues skies and hot air balloons. To honor Caitlin’s father, who had recently passed away, we brought in traditional bagpipe players as a nod to his Scottish heritage. Caitlin was escorted down the aisle by her brother Michael as the bag pipers surprise guests by emerging from a hidden walkway beneath the ceremony. Vintage sheet music was fashioned into petal cones that hung from the sides of chairs for guests to toss as the happy couple walked by.

From the moment guests arrived at Rancho Valencia they were greeted with the couples’ fondness of love letters. The sign-in table had a mailbox perched atop sprawling moss and loose flowers, where guests left “love notes” on the back of postcards for the couple. Paper elements on the mailbox read “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, which evoked memories of vintage love letters.  We worked closely with Brightly Designed on the graphics and carried the romantic concept throughout the wedding. Escort cards were pretty mini postcards, that led to tables which were all named after romantic love letter endings and salutations, such as “All of my love” and “Yours forever.” and inscribed with famous love letters of time gone by.  Also adorning each table, were framed love quotes chosen by the bride and groom. Once at their seats, guests were surprised to find gorgeous custom made stationery sets as their favors, enclosed in brown paper boxes with assorted vintage stamps.

Even though we wanted the wedding to be as romantic as possible, we also wanted it to reflect Caitlin & Matt’s fun and outgoing personalities. This sense of playfulness was brought in by the color scheme. We combined pale peach tones & soft pinks with vibrant aqua and Kelly green, the bride’s favorite color, to achieve the sweet yet sunny look. Which is exactly how you would describe Caitlin : ) Tall pillar candles offered ambiance and danced among the moss and succulent lined tables that held the beautiful floral arrangements made up of garden roses, tuberose, dahlias, stock, and hydrangea.

We also had custom lounge furniture from Plush Impressions brought in to create a cozy, romantic place for guests to sneak away. The white chairs and couches looked like they belonged perfectly at Rancho Valencia, and was a popular spot among guests also because it was situated in front of the wonderful cupcake display! Elizabethan Bakery made the most scrumptious mini cupcakes in various flavors, such as lemon drop, plain jane, and rosie’s red velvet. We placed all of the minis on to adorable cupcake stands in varying heights and shades of blues and greens. The display was just as cute as it was delicious!

After hours of dancing, the romantic evening came to a close with guests lining the croquet lawn and sending the couple off with sparklers. It was a sweet and joy filled wedding that we are sure no one will ever forget. We send all our love to Caitlin + Matt!

Photography: Forever Photography Studio, Austin TX / Event Coordinator + Designer: Amorology / Flowers: Twigg Botanicals / Furniture: Plush Lounge / Rentals: Classic Party Rentals / Linens: La Tavola Linens / Cupcakes and Cake: Elizabethan Bakery / Paper Goods: Brightly Designed / DJ: Vox DJ / Hair and Make-Up: Chelsey Booth / Bridesmaids dresses: J.Crew / Save the Dates and Invitations: Rose with Bittersweet Design Boutique

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This next little number is proof that inspiration can come from just about anywhere. And in this bride and groom’s case, it was all about The Parker Palm Springs. And the incredible black and yellow palette with modern, whimsical detailing. Yep, this style savvy couple interpreted the gorgeousness of The Parker with their Canadian venue and the result was a jawdroppingly gorgeous, completely graphic inspired affair. Photographed to perfection by James Design Studios, you are going to LOVE this next wedding. Just make sure to click here because there is SO much more.

click here to see the full wedding gallery!

Truth be told, we originally planned to get married in Palm Springs at The Parker Palms springs. I was sold on The Parker the moment I found out my favorite designer, Jonathan Adler, had designed the entire hotel and Terence was an easy sell once he saw how excited I was. Plans ended up changed and we decided to hold an intimate gathering in our hometown so our closest family and friends could attend. Since we weren’t going to be getting married in Palm Springs, I decided I would use the rich architecture and interior design from the area as my wedding design inspiration. Wanting to create an event that was modern and chic I decided to use black, white and yellow as my color palette with lots of bold graphic patterns.

When we first started the planning Terence and I had very different priorities. Being a graphic designer and the owner of a wedding stationery business (Pinkpolka Wedding Design), I was quite focused on the visual aspect of the wedding, while Terence put a large emphasis on the guest list and atmosphere. Although we had a few difference of opinions throughout the process, I have to admit that the different facets of the wedding we each were responsible for created a perfect balance in the end. I made sure the venue was decked out in the most fabulous decor and stationery, while he made sure the bar was stacked and the music created a fun environment.

One thing we did agree on was the importance of attire! I had a very specific idea of the type of dress I wanted and knew I would never be able to find anything in a Bridal store. I sought out a local dress designer, Lani from R O O Y Couture, to design and construct my gown. All I knew was I wanted a black and white satin cocktail length gown that had some form of bustle in the back. Having the dress made was the most exciting part of the planning process for me. It was incredible to see your vision being constructed. I think Terence was equally excited about attire, as he was looking forward to purchasing his first 3-piece suit. It took some time to find a suit that was just right, but we got lucky at Hugo Boss and found exactly what both he and I pictured! I wanted to make sure his ensemble looked classic so we choose a white collared shirt with a solid black satin time to compliment black suit with a subtle black pin stripe.

We wanted to find a venue that was unique and unexpected for our guests. I had always pictured a loft or art gallery as the perfect setting for a wedding that would make our guest’s feel like they were heading out for a chic night-on-the-town. I also loved the idea that both these types of venues could act as a blank slate with architectural aspects such as white or brick walls, concrete, and wood. We found the perfect independent gallery called Latitude 53 which is housed in a historic creamery building, complete with all the original brick!

I think one of the biggest things that was important to Terence and I was to have a meaningful wedding that reflected us. We are both very non-traditional and wanted to have a wedding that felt more like a celebration or party without some of the traditional wedding conventions that didn’t appeal to us. We collectively decided to eliminate items such as a wedding cake, first dance, and garter & bouquet toss. We each only had one attendant, which meant a lot to have our single most important friend next to us. We also wanted to condense the day so it wasn’t such a imposition on our guests. The ceremony was held at the art gallery at 6:30 in the evening and was immediately followed by cocktails and h’dorves and then by a dinner reception. Wanting to be nontraditional, we created a custom menu with our cater and decided to eliminate courses by having a single “wow” plate, which included our appetizer, salad and entrée all on the same crisp white square plate. We also wanted our guest to know how important it was to have them join us, so we inserted a personalized note from each of us in the note card favors I designed.

The day turned out exactly how I expected, which was a pleasant surprise! There was no regrets or mistakes or complaints and the visualizations in my mind of the decor and layout matched the end result exactly! My wonderful wedding planner, Jolyn of Nuance Occasions, knew how important the decor was to me and I could tell she put extra care in the set-up. Both Terence and I were overwhelmed with our guests response to the wedding. We got compliments on the wedding day for the uniqueness in format, location and decor and emails after the day thanking us for allowing them to be part of such an intimate gathering! This was a day we will both cherish together for years to come!

Photography: James Design Studios / Wedding Planning: Nuance Occasions / Decor & Stationery: Pinkpolka Wedding Design / Brides & MOH Dress: R O O Y Couture / Grooms Attire: Hugo Boss / Decor Rentals: Elegant Touches & River City Event Rentals / Catering: D’Lish / Desert: Whimsical Cake Studio / Floral: Corals Design / Venue: Latitude 53 Contemporary Visual Culture

Even in the most beautiful of beautiful weddings, there is usually one or two things that completely catch my attention and force me to devour every inch of the affair. And in the case of this next wedding…it was ALL about the flowers. And the gorgeous, adorable, totally charming wedding cake. The bride and groom really approached their wedding 2 ways, with a Western foundation and a heavy infusion of the groom’s Chinese culture. And the result, was absolutely lovely. Click here to see lots more.

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We took inspiration for our wedding from city where we met and fell in love – San Francisco, with a subtle nod to our current home, New York City. Wilson and I met while playing on a kickball team and became best friends before we started dating. Four years later he proposed a few weeks before we moved to the Big Apple, so we did all of our wedding planning from afar. I actually had a floral design business when we lived out West, and having seen and been to a lot of lovely but somewhat ‘expected’ weddings, I wanted to make sure ours felt totally personal.

We were engaged for almost 2 years, and therefore had a lot of time to think about and plan the big day. Wilson wanted the traditional sit-down wedding with all the anticipation and pomp. I wanted to elope, like, yesterday and throw a big cocktail party when we finally settled down somewhere a year or two down the road. So it was a challenge to balance both of our ideas to put together a day that was as much about each of us individually as it was about our lives together and our friends and families who are so much a part of who we are.

Our ceremony was all about where we’ve come from and the new family and traditions that we were creating together. Wilson is first generation Chinese American, so we incorporated a few cultural elements to honor his heritage – we served tea to our parents and his grandmother, and his cousin read a few Chinese proverbs that his dad had written in traditional calligraphy on red scrolls. I walked down the aisle with both of my parents to a bagpiper as homage to my Celtic roots. My brother-in-law read a passage by Kahlil Gibran that both he and my sister and my parents each read at their respective weddings, and our officiant was my youth pastor and an old family friend. We kept the décor minimal for the ceremony, and set it right in front of a bright window looking out onto a small chapel just up the hill.

The rest of the wedding was all about having a great time celebrating and not taking anything too seriously. Wilson and I are casual people with busy schedules – we eat a lot of take-out, we rarely get dressed up, and our favorite nights out are spent with close friends. It was important to me that the reception reflected these things and felt more like an intimate dinner party than a grand wedding fete. We served what I called ‘fresh California comfort food’ – appetizers included fried chicken bites with a dollop of homemade buttermilk ranch, and dinner was mac n’ cheese, mini sliders, heirloom tomato salad, and grilled salmon with fresh corn salsa. Yum!

We took color inspiration from the view outside the picture window of the venue – the vibrant blue of the bay and the warm red of the Golden Gate Bridge. (Red is also good luck for a Chinese wedding; we figured we’d take all the help we could get!). The gray accent in the palette hinted at the ever-present risk of fog in this beautiful city. The color and design of the ceremony and bridal party was a little more subdued than the reception – I wanted to keep things simple and modern and infuse some color that would hint at what was to come later in the evening. The reception design was simple and crisp, but still warm and intimate. Flowers, mostly dahlias and orchids, were dramatic in color but minimal in quantity. I scrimped on flowers so I could splurge on lighting – that large space sort of begs for it, and I felt like we were bathed in a warm sunset glow all night.

I am thrilled with the way everything came together and it was a very heartfelt representation of who we are as a couple. We had an incredible day, and I wholeheartedly agree with all those other people who warned me it would go by way too quickly. The day of a lifetime, indeed – and it was totally worth it.

Photography: Jillian Kay, Greater Bay Area / Dress: The White Gown, Brooklyn/ Catering: Left Coast Catering, San Francisco  / Lighting: Impact Lighting, San Francisco / Cake: Butter Sugar Bliss, coming soon to the Bay Area! / Invitations: Frisson, New York / Flowers: myself; and Leighsa Montrose, San Francisco / Venue: Presidio Golden Gate Club, San Francisco

I am completely convinced after viewing this wedding that there is a new species of Bride out there. One that is so very talented and filled to the brim with crafty goodness and super cute ideas, it’s sort of mind-blowing. Every inch of this New England DIY wedding is fabulous and it was all put together, one pretty piece at a time by the Bride and captured beautifully by Amanda Perkins Photography. You can see the rest of the super-crafy skills and fun-filled images in the gallery.

see the full wedding here!

From the beginning, Dave and I knew our big day had to represent the couple we’ve become over the last eight years spent together. We also knew it all had to take place on my family’s farm in Plainfield, New Hampshire. Dave and I hold this place very near to our hearts so it was only natural to invite everyone up to Riverview Farm for the wedding festivities. During the fall, the farm is open for pick-your-own apples and features a corn maze designed by a local artist, Gary Hamel. This year we were honored to have the story of the maze inspired by our wedding. As a surprise during the rehearsal dinner night, we revealed to our bridal party that they were each a scarecrow featured in the maze. It was so much fun walking through the corn and watching as each member discovered their own scarecrow. It was the perfect kick off to a truly memorable weekend and was a nice way of letting our friends and family know how much they mean to us.

I wanted the overall feel of the wedding to be sweet, simple, and infused with fun details. I spent the engagement months (ok, really I started before he even popped the question) pouring over countless wedding blogs for inspiration. I collected pictures, harassed Etsy designers, organized excel charts, and created countless DIY projects. Together with my family, we were able to pull off a budget friendly wedding by making a lot of the details ourselves and using local vendors and resources. We made the table numbers, napkin rings, favors, boutonnieres, mason jars, lanterns, chalkboards, signs, lemonade stand, photobooth, and even the dance floor! My mother and I spent months collecting bud vases and doilies for the centerpieces and my sister spent hours ironing the bar towels we bought to use as napkins. My father, Dave and I planted the rows of flowers for the ceremony aisle and my sister and father created all the planters throughout the reception area. The day before the wedding we went to a local Dahlia garden and picked all the flowers for the wedding. I had so much help from my ladies with arranging the flowers and creating the most beautiful bridal bouquet, complete with a locket from my Grammie and a broach from my Gramma. It was such a group effort to transform my crazy ideas into a reality and to see it all come together that weekend was a dream come true. SMP helped out too – I entered into tons of giveaways and won two big prizes: A car banner by A Bride’s Ride and clutches for the bridesmaids by BeeGee Bags! Keep up the great work, lovlies! (I even had a guest come up to me and tell me the wedding reminded her of Style Me Pretty. I could have died right there on the spot.)

We made sure that everyone who took part in the wedding were people we loved and considered family – from our officiant, Linda, my mother’s friend and college roommate, to one of my oldest friends, Kehvon, who read “Corelli’s Mandolin” during the ceremony, everyone made the day so special and so unique to Dave and me. We were also incredibly honored to have our favorite NYC piano player, Bugsy Moran, play parts of our wedding. He learned our first dance song for us, “Happy Song” by Otis Redding, which turned out to be one of our favorite moments from the night. My brother also surprised everyone by performing a little skit/piece on the piano, which left everyone cracking up and made for some priceless pictures. We ended the night with everyone up on the barn deck, surrounded by candlelight, singing along to Bugsy on the piano. Pure bliss, if you ask me. So what do I love most about our wedding? So many things. I love that in some of our more formal pictures you can tell Dave and I are on the verge of cracking each other up. I love that people who have never been to my farm are now planning their next visit. I love that no matter where I looked, everyone was enjoying themselves in the backyard where I spent my childhood. But most of all, I love how friends and family came together, kicked off their shoes, and danced in the grass to some good ‘ol soul. The whole day was us, only a smidge better.

Photography: Amanda Perkins Photography / Flowers: By Design Dahlias / Event Design: Bride / Ceremony and Reception Location: Riverview Farm / Dress: Pronovias (Design is “Gaula” – Bride made some design alterations to it) / Bridal Salon: Madeline’s Daughter / Hair Comb: Lo Boheme / Flowers on Bride’s gown and Maid of Honor’s dress: Untamed Petals / Boutonnieres: Bride / Tent: Sperry VT / Hair: Vivo Salon and Day Spa / Makeup: BG Makeovers / Caterers: Maple Street Catering / Rentals: Bloods Seafood and Catering / Cake: Bakers Studio / Band: Big City Wedding Band, Bugsy Moran